CHAPTER 1: Feeding Time

AN: As a heads up, the regular print is Grace's POV, and the bold is Gryphon's. Unfortunately I do not own Jurassic Park, but Grace, Gryphon, and the other OCs in this fanfic do belong to me. Please take the time to make me a happy little dino and review, or else I'll eat you! Enjoy the story!

Grace's POV

A hard pounding on my door made me jump in my sleep. "GRACE! For the last time, open up! Dammit, Grace! We-oh, wait, I mean you-can't be late for work...again! Hammond's about to blow his top! Now unlock this door!"

I moaned. No sixteen year old girl should have to wake up at five o'clock in the morning to go shovel some dino dung. Ya, you heard me right. Dino crap. I worked at Jurassic Park, the only park in the world that exhibited live dinosaurs, ranging from the mighty T-rex to the tiny scavenging compys.

Now, I probably should introduce myself. I'm Grace Knight, a sixteen year old from Boston who has no family but does have a love for dinosaurs. Ya, it might sound lame-a teenager in love with dinos who enjoys visiting the dinosaur exhibit of the museum as much as a little kid does-but I don't have any friends to mock me for it, let alone any parents to pay for a trip to the museum.

My parents? Dead. Siblings? None. Family? They want nothing to do with me. I was left alone at the age of ten until John Hammond picked me up of the street. When he realized that I loved dinosaurs so much (and had a surprisingly expansive knowledge about them), he took me to work at Isla Nublar, aka Jurassic Park. I've been here six years now, and let me say, they've been pretty great. Besides for-

"GRACE, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!" More loud banging began, and I threw the sheets and covers aside and opened the door. Caleb, my mentor and guide around the park, stared me down, his eyes tiny slits of fury. "It's about time!" he growled. "Get ready and meet me at the velociraptor paddock in ten minutes." And with that he was gone.

I sighed. Caleb was a seriously giant pain in the ass. Being twenty-five, he thought he ruled the world because he could drink and drive, "And at the same time!" he had said once. All he did was scream and yell and get pissed off. Oh, and constantly pick on my, criticizing anything from my work ethics to my looks. I sleepily got dressed, grabbed my radio and gun (just in case, you never know what's going to happen on an island with man-eating dinos) and headed towards the raptor pen.

Gryphon's POV

I paced back and forth, sniffing the air impatiently. I knew that dinner was coming soon, but how soon? My orange and black striped scales glinted in the sun, and I spread out my white and black alpha male feathers on my head and arms. My pack was the same, trotting around the feeding area restlessly.

Cleopatra, the (well, wants to be) alpha female walked up to me, her feathers on her head just beginning to turn blue. Somehow this angered me, seeing her feathers change to the color of alphas, even though she was not one. I snapped at her as she attempted to nuzzle me. Cleo recoiled, growling in irritation.

"Why so hostile, my Alpha? You should get some rest," she purred, beginning to wrap her tail around mine.

"Go away, Cleo," I snarled. "You will never be my alpha female. You're just...not the one. It doesn't feel right."

Her eyes flashed with rage. "Doesn't...FEEL RIGHT? I'll show you-!"

Suddenly Beta Male Silas's screech rang out in the dense forest. I gave out a sigh of relief, glad to end this tedious conversation with Cleo. Said raptor just ignored my sigh, giving me one last glare before joining her sister, Navaeh. I swiftly spun around to see a fat, black and white four-legged animal being lowered into our cage. I did not know what it was, but it looked edible. My pack and I charged and began the feast.

Grace's POV

I watched as the animal feeders slowly lowered the cow into the raptor's cage. I turned away when the velociraptor's screams of attack began.

"Eww, gross," I said covering my eyes.

"Aww, is wittle Gwacy scaredy weardy of the big wizards?" Caleb mocked, laughing.

"I'm a vegetarian," I replied, close to retching. I glared at him, sick an tired of his taunting. "And if you don't stop mocking me-"

"You'll what? Throw me in with the raptors? I could fight them all off in a second, they're a bunch of dumb-asses. I bet they don't even know how to hunt, they're all so used to having food thrown right in front if them." He snorted, looking down at me. "But if I threw you in...they'd probably leave you alone. Don't wanna eat tainted meat, after all."

I snarled. Though I admit I'm not the prettiest girl in the world, I'd had enough of his crap. "You better take that back-!"

Caleb looked down at me, giving me a look similar to what an adult would give to a child who just asked the most obvious question in existance.

"Stop it, you two!" Hammond hissed into our ears. Remember our guests!" He gestured towards Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Sattler, his two grandchildren Lexi and Tim, Mr. Donald Gennaro, and finally Ian Malcolm. They had all been invited by Hammond to visit Jurassic Park before it opened next year.

"Yeah, Grace, shut the hell up."

I kicked him, but he just looked at me in pity.

"Ouch, I'm dying."

"You're a bastard, you know that, right?"

"Why thank you," he replied, picking at his fingernails, seemingly uninterested.

"Oh, screw it," I mumbled in defeat.

"Moving on!" Hammond announced, shutting us both up abruptly. We glared at each other for a few seconds before following the group back to the Visitor Center.

AN: Well, there's the first chapter! Sorry if it seemed short, I promise that the chapter will get longer as the story progresses. It would make my week if you could review, I'd love to hear what you think of the story and characters so far and how I can improve! Also, I'm trying not to make this into a typical raptorXoc fanfic...you'll see what I mean in the later chapters, so I hope you like!