Disclaimer: I own nothing of Jurassic World, the only thing thats mine is the OC.

Most American clothing was made out of the US, in different factories in poorer countries. Any student who had global economics knew this, or any person who checked tags knew this. Clothing was a very interesting concept.

At least certain clothing, Rachel James decided as she lay on her best friends bed.

At this moment she was contemplating the very existence of socks.

How did they come in to play, and when? Who made them? Did they know it was going to be ingenious, that everyone would use them?

And why the hell was Jennifer wear Zach's at the moment?

That was the one that annoyed her the most at the moment.

The sixteen year old huffed as she leaned further on the bedpost while staring down at the too large sock covered feet. As far as Rachel could remember Zach never washed his socks. Most of his were either reworn until they fell apart or buried at the bottom of his laundry basket. For a moment she pondered telling the blonde that she was likely wearing a pair of socks that had two years' worth of foot sweat in them.

Jen gave a breathy laugh then, making Rachel look up just as she leaned further into Zach.

Narrowing her eyes, Rachel pursed her lips.

Why was she even here?

Yes it was a normal thing to visit your boyfriend when you had free time, but this was supposed to be her day. Usually Jen had some prissy activity on Fridays, like getting her nails done or something. This was the only day of the week Rachel hung out with Zach, alone. Doing best friend stuff. Now she was stuck, upstairs listening to the two flirt (more like Jen flirting and Zach just going along with it) while they 'decide' what all of them could do.

Rachel just wanted to gorge her eyes out.

Jennifer was a bit possessive of Zach. Not of his person, though she was always touching him in one way or another. It was more of his time. Just being best friends with a girls boyfriend, and being a girl yourself, was a recipe for an angsty teen drama.

Rachel didn't do drama. So she tended to be polite with Jennifer, and nothing else. While she was Zach's best friend, she had no intentions of being bosom buddies with Jen. It helped that Jen had yet to say anything offensive (at least not to her face.) though she did tend to push Rachel's buttons.

Like right now.

Huffing, Rachel rubbed her temple in irritation. She and Zach had been talking when Jen had sauntered into the room, pretty pink dress and all smiles, pulling Zach away from their conversation and refusing to allow Rachel a word into any conversation they seemed to be having. Which at the moment involved his upcoming trip to Jurassic World.

"I just don't see why you can't stay." Jennifer pouted cutely as she swirled the tip of her Christmas color nail around Zach's palm which she clutched.

"Aunt Claire wants to see us." Zach supplied with a shrug, which was his normal reaction to conversation topics he had no interest in. Talk about school, Zach shrugs. Talk about upcoming trips to the worlds coolest theme park, Zach shrugs. Talk about games coming out in E3, now you have his focus.

"Maybe I can come then?"

Rachel could just feel herself bristle at that comment. If anyone got to go with the Mitchells on family trips it most certainly would not be three month girlfriends. Pressing her lips together Rachel withheld her 'Uh rude' comment and turned her head to look out the door.

"Tickets and reservations have already been made."

Jen just pouted silently, as if she was hoping Zach could magically change what was happening.

Ever since he started dating Jennifer things had been different between them. Strained is how she would classify it. Initially Rachel knew that things would change, like that they wouldn't be hanging out as they always have.

What she didn't realize was that girlfriends were sneaky devils that were jealous and sharped tongued.

Not only was she a hole that sucked up Zach's attention, but she also stole Rachel's spot. Instead of being his number one, Rachel had been bumped down to second best. Plans they made months in advanced fell apart when green eyes fluttered and pink lips opened. Game nights soon become dreaded lame nights where most of them was spent trying to block out two teens swapping spit in the corner (they could at least go to his room!)

Honestly she wasn't jealous of the girl. Not one bit. But she did miss her best friend.

"Well I think I know how to spend our last week together." Jen purred as her hand started stroking his forearm.

Time to visit Gray.

Without a word, Rachel made her exit before she had to witness her best friends kissing technic upclose. Decent people would wait till company leaves, but Jen almost seemed to enjoy making Rachel uncomfortable.

"Ugh!" Rachel threw her hands in the air as she landed on Gray's bed. Making the boy bounce as he laid down some hard back book he had been engrossed in. "Your brothers a pussy."

Gray blinked. "He's a cat?" He asked innocently, his blue eyes peering down at her.

Rachel couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes!" She rolled onto her stomach, now clearly seeing the book was that of Alan Grant. "He's lazy, arrogant, and does what he wants. Just like Snuckums." Her Gray tabby however, did not have brown eyes that were very passionate when staring intently at her.

Gray was silent for a moment, Rachel could almost hear the gears in his head turning. "Want to explode Zach's favorite soda in the back?"

"Oh Ya!" Rachel laughed. Gray always seemed to know what to say. He was a bit quirky, and sometimes Rachel thought he was a bit OCD (especially since his room was immaculate and well organized.) but he was a sweet boy with a heart of gold.

As Rachel lugged two 2-liter bottles of sloshing soda outside, her eyes traveled along the framed walls. Many of them were of family events, or professional photos of the boys when they were younger. Most Rachel was present in them.

The James had been friends with the Dearing's long before Rachel was born. Karen and her mother, Tanya, had been high school buddies since sophomore year. Even Claire had been apart of their group, though the red head seemed more of an overachiever then a partier like her sister was.

Rolling her eyes at the naked baby photo of Zach and her, which was proudly the center frame, Rachel picked up her pace when Gray hollered her name.

There was little satisfaction watching crème soda spew across snow, turning it an interesting orange color. As the color bled into the snow Rachel handed the next bottle to Gray for him to pour some powder into the bottle and shake it as hard as his little body could. It was a bit funny watching him struggled with the movement when the bottle was as big as his head.

"You're the coolest person ever!" Gray whooped as the second bottle flew in the air spraying the ground and surrounding area in sweet smelling soda.

"Why thank you good sir." Rachel laughed as she pulled Gray into a side hug. They stood silently in the snow, listening to the wind and house creak behind them, before Rachel shifted, huddling further into her jacket.

"Now what?" She asked looking down at the blue eyed boy.

Gray merely grinned in return as they collected the trash.

Gray didn't have many friends. Being as he is…different from other boys his age. Most ten year olds didn't know of the periodic table, much less remember all the elements on it along with the atonic number and symbol. Last Rachel heard he was trying to memorize each atomic mass.

This being said, with his knowledge, and maturity for his age Gray was left as an outcast in school and out of it. In fact Rachel was pretty much his only friend/babysitter. (Exempting the little girl three doors down that Rachel was positive had a crush on Gray.) Rachel didn't mind, after all she thought of Gray (and the Mitchells) as family. Though she hoped that when he hit puberty that he would start ignoring her like boys do and start making his own friends. Though for the moment, Rachel didn't mind his company. After all she always thought he was the smarter one of the two brothers.

Even if he was cheating at their game at the moment.

"Oh!" Gray hollered as the character on the screen exploded into flying limbs.

"That was a cheap shot." Rachel cried as she mashed buttons on the controller.

"That was skill." Even at ten he could kick her butt in any first shooter games. Snorting as she died yet again, Rachel was reminded why she liked racing games better.

"Don't' tell me you're still losing to Gray?"

"Zach." Rachel tilted her head back, her brow knitting together as he came into the room. Making space between her and Gray on the couch, Zach crossed his arms as he sat. Turning her face back to the screen, Rachel couldn't help but ask "Where's Jennifer?"

Zach shrugged. "Upstairs."

This, Rachel thought, was weird. Any time Jennifer was here she was almost always glued to Zach's side. "Okay."

"She's texting her friends. Or something." Again he gave a nonchalant shrug. He seemed focused the screen, and after a few minutes he huffed.

"Give me the controller." He demanded holding out his hand, as if she would actually relinquish it.

Laughing she moved the controller out of his reach. "Oh no you can wait till the next round!"

"You're losing." Zach stated as he reached across her for the controller.

"Does not mean you can take over!" Rachel arched over the armrest, trying to tilt the controller out of his reach. But Zach, with his long limbs and strength, was winning. Stretched out across her, chest-to-chest, his hand reached out almost grasping the black device.

There was only one thing left to do.

"Gray!"

With a flick of her wrist, Rachel tossed Gray the Xbox controller. Like a well-practiced play, the controller flew over Zach and landed in Gray's upturned palms.

Laughing, Rachel looked at Zach and wiggled her brows. "I win."

"What's going on?" Jennifer asked as she stood in the archway, staring wide eyed at them.

To be fair, if Rachel had walked in on this exact same scene, she'd be pissed too. She could only picture what Jennifer was seeing with Zach on top of her, squishing her into the armrest as her chest was arched from the angle. Both her arms were stretched up and out from her body, above her head, while one of his braced the back of the couch, the other reaching for her empty hands. It must be one misleading scene.

"Jen." Zach began, but the blonde teen was having none of it.

"I knew it!" She cried before turning on her heels and left.

After listening to the front door slam, Zach slowly moved back into his sitting position. In a swift movement he grabbed the controller from Gray's hands and started the game.

"Shouldn't you go after her?" Rachel asked.

Zach shrugged, once again. "Not till she cools down."

This, Rachel imagined, was the downfall of their relationship. And some part of her knew it was wrong to be gleeful about it. While another part argued that this was none of her business to get involved, and the last part, the biggest one, argued that no girl wants to see their boyfriend in any position with another girl, and pointed out that this was technically her fault.

Groaning at her own annoying conscious, Rachel smacked Zach across the back of the head.

"OW! What was that for?"

"You're an idiot." Rachel said as she stood from the couch.

"What?"

"No girl wants to walk in and see her boyfriend on top of another girl, and then not have the situation explained to her."

"You weren't doing anything." Gray pointed out as he fiddled with the controller.

"No, we weren't, but she doesn't know that."

"She would if she stopped and listened, or even looked."

"You're an idiot." Rachel growled as she grabbed her winter jacket and headed out into the snow, after a teen girl who was swirling in her own angst. Just how Rachel wanted to spend her day.

"Girls are weird." Gray admitted after listening to the front door close, yet again.

"You said it man." Zach grumbled as he rubbed his head.

While trudging through the snow, and glaring at the back of the blonde head for her sudden discomfort, Rachel grumbled under her breath as she tried not to slip on the ice and break her neck. It was a good thing her mother put her through two years of ice skating, otherwise she would be flat on her ass now.

When she was at the curb, she stopped as Jennifer turned to look at her. Her green eyes just spelled her distasted for this situation.

"Is it too much to ask for it to be him coming out to comfort me."

I wish it was him out here freezing his butt off. Rachel thought irritably and sighed as she came down off the curb. "Perhaps." Gripping her forearms, Rachel toed the snow. She wasn't any good with weepy girls, they made her both irritable and uncomfortable. A mixture that was not any good.

Beside her Jen gave a pitiful sniff.

Rachel sighed again.

No good at all.

"He's a teen." Rachel started, knowing that she had no patients for stupidity or emotional outburst, so she powered through the dreaded conversation. "And teens are idiots, especially boys. If you're looking for some romantic overtures you might as well find an older man, because Zach's not it."

Jen simple stood there while Rachel looked off in the distance. At the moment if Rachel had to describe the relationship between them she'd probably say tedious. It wasn't good, nor was it bad just boring.

"So you and Zach."

Rachel looked up from the snow, she raised a brow unsure what conversation was about to happen. "Zach and I?"

Jen tucked a blonde hair delicately behind her ear as she bit her lip. "You guys never…?"

"Never?" Rachel moved her feet listening to the snow crunch beneath her boots.

"You know." She looked at her now, and Rachel could see her expression mixed with doubt and suspicion.

Exhaling through her nose, Rachel placed a hand on her hip and turned towards her. "No." She stated flatly. "We have been friends for a very, very long time."

"That doesn't mean anything." Jen grumbled.

"It should." Rachel replied. "We grew up together, from diapers. I know things about Zach that I don't really want to know. He's like a brother. And nothing, nothing, has ever happened between us." Unless she wanted to count the awkward kiss back in middle school.

"He's my boyfriend." Jen suddenly declared. "and I want you to respect that."

Rachel almost laughed at her, almost, because for a second she thought Jen was joking. Thankfully she caught the sound and coughed instead. "Are you insinuating that I'm trying to steal him from you?"

Jen merely stared at her. Her silence said it all.

"Ugh god." Rachel briefly touched her forehead, before looking back at Jen and her red cheeks. "You know I would almost think of that as incest. Girls and boys can be friends and not have romantic feelings for one another."

"No." Jen denied as she shook her head.

"According to who?" Rachel asked with her arms crossed.

"Harry and Sally."

Who the fuck was Harry and Sally?

"Who?" Rachel asked bewildered.

"You know the movie-never mind, I'm just saying that it is impossible for you not to be…you know."

She did not just compare us to a movie.

Pressing her lips together, Rachel shook her head. What was it with teen girls and wanting their own drama shows?

It's too bad for Jen that Rachel hates drama.

"I'm not having this conversation with you." Rachel turned to head back to the Mitchell's house, since they had pretty much walked halfway to Jen's without her realizing it. Before she took a step, however, she turned to deny Jen's accusations. "I don't, and you need to stop being paranoid."

"I am not paranoid!" Jen snapped, stomping her leather boot on the icy road. "I'm just letting you know, he is my boyfriend, and I am watching you."

Snorting, Rachel just kept walking, ignoring the need to stick her tongue out at the teen.

She stopped in the driveway and stared at the figure on the porch. Her heart stopped before she started walking again. She really hoped that they hadn't heard any of the conversation.

"Mrs. Mitchell!" Rachel shifted her feet as she walked awkwardly across the snow towards her. "Hi I didn't know you were home."

Karen was looking over head towards Jen as she shuffled home. "Everything all right?"

Rachel gave a little nervous laugh as she rubbed the side of her nose. "Ya, you know how she's upset about not getting to go."

Karen sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Honestly that girls as subtle as a bullet. Her parents spoil her rotten." Of course Karen would know being a volunteer at the school and a member of the parents association (a form of parent/teacher meetings to decide what's best for the kids).

"Well she does seem attached to Zach." Rachel wasn't sure if she was insulting the girl, or trying to defend her. Though she was leaning more towards the former.

"A bit over attached." Karen sighed again and rubbed her temples. She had large circles under her eyes that made Rachel a little worried. As of late Karen Mitchell seemed more out of it than usual.

"Come in Rachel," Karen beckon her with her hand as she opened the door. "we need to talk."

"Oh…okay." As she walked up the steps, Rachel couldn't help but wonder if she had done something wrong. She reviewed the last week and could only come up with the ice cream stunt, which Karen had assured her that Gray was okay having sugar on the weekends. (Even if the boy did get wired like a squirrel on crack). So it must have been another issue.

Like pay.

Though Rachel insisted that she didn't mind watching Gray, and to an extent Zach, while the Mitchells were out she did not want to be paid for her time. It just never sat right with her.

But they already had this discussion at the beginning of the month.

As they entered the dining room/kitchen area, Rachel was starting to sweat.

Maybe she wanted to talk about what she overheard months ago. It hadn't been her fault, she and Gray had been playing hide-and-seek and Rachel had no idea that they were home. It had been an awkward week that followed the incident, Rachel had been unable to look at either of the Mitchells and had even stopped coming over for a few days after she accidentally walked in on her and Mr. Mitchell talking. Well technically they were yelling, arguing, with each other. Rachel just happen to walk in while Karen had declared she was getting a divorce.

Rachel had swore up and down that what she heard would not be repeated to either boy. And she hadn't.

Though it was a revelation to her that no matter how much one wanted to change the situation there was nothing she could do. And that it made her sad. Karen and Jeff had been like parents with her. Karen was even there when she was born, she was in every birthday photo, had watched over Rachel when she was sick and her mom had to work.

They were her family.

And they were breaking up.

"You do know about the upcoming trip, right?" Karen's wry voice pulled Rachel from her pondering.

"Huh, oh yes, yes, I know about their week to Jurassic World." How wouldn't she know? Gray literally told anyone who would listen, more than a dozen times.

"Yes, yes of course." Karen sat heavily into her chair.

"Karen," Rachel rounded the table taking the seat next to the women she saw as a mother to her. "Is everything all right?"

Looking up the mask slipped letting lose a woman who looked barely put together her eyes watery as she writhed her hands together. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line as her skin looked pale. In a blink she was gone replaced with Karen Mitchell a woman with a fine sense of humor and kind heart.

"Just tired." She waved off Rachel's concern. "Where was I?" She asked out loud.

"You were talking about the upcoming trip." Rachel supplied.

Karen snapped her fingers and nodded. "That's right." She slipped into a serious face as she looked at Rachel now. "What do you think about going?"

"Uh… what?" She asked bewildered while tucking a curly strained of brown hair behind her ear.

"Would you like to go with Zach and Gray to Jurassic World?"

"But what about the reservation and tickets and…and the money." Just as she was gearing up for a rant on how she couldn't possibly go, Karen cut her off.

"Rachel." Karen caught her chin, forcing her hazel eyes to look into her blue ones, the exact same color of Gray's. "Stop being your mother and answer, do you or don't you want to go."

Biting her lip to keep the smile off her face at Karen's mother reference (Mrs. James was a frugal person and cut corners anyway she could.) She rolled the question around and concluded that she very much would like to go. "Yes, but-."

"No buts." Karen stated firmly as she leaned back. "I've already called Claire, and talked to Tanya, now all that's left is talking to the boys."

Now Rachel understood why her mother was insistent that she put more money into her savings than usual. This also made her wonder how long they planned her to go. Then there was they why? Why did they change their original plans to include Rachel now?

"Uh Karen," Rachel hesitated her brow pulling in confusion. "Why?"

Here Karen took a deep breath and reached for her hands. She glanced outside the room listening to Gray and Zach before turning her head to Rachel. "I want the boys to have fun, but I also want them to be safe. I know my sister, she's a worker bee, and if I am correct she won't be splitting her time with the boys and work evenly."

Rachel bobbed her head at this, this she could understand. When Zach and Gray went out together, Rachel was there with orders from Karen to keep an eye on the younger one of the pair. It had always been that way, so it was no surprise that Karen was saying this. But Rachel knew, logically, that you didn't just send a babysitter across the sea to watch a son when you had an older child that was more than capable of watching him.

"Karen?" Rachel started to inquire, but Karen got to the answer before the question left her throat.

"Jeff and I are getting divorced." She swallowed thickly, her eyes brimming with tears. Rachel squeezed her hand before reaching across the table to grab a napkin. Offering it to the woman, who took it tearfully, Rachel sat waiting for Karen to pull herself together.

"I want you to be there for them."

Rachel could hear the double meaning in the words. When her father had died, it had been Zach and the Mitchell's that got her through the hard time, now Karen was asking her to return the favor. It also now that it all made sense. Why the Mitchell's weren't going as a family to Jurassic World. Why Claire suddenly wanted to see her nephews after so long without contacting them. And why Karen was sending her with them.

"I'm sorry Karen." Rachel said, her voice quivering a bit.

"Oh honey," Karen reached forward and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay."

"I shouldn't have told you." Karen said after a few minutes passed in silence. She patted Rachel's back in a comforting manner while Rachel shook her head in her shoulder.

"It's alright." The truth was going to come out eventually, and Rachel had already foreseen it coming. "I'm sure it helps talking to someone."

As they pulled apart, Karen grabbed Rachel's face and smiled. "You are the best daughter I never had."

"And you're my other mother that lets me get away with a lot more."

This made Karen laughed. "I should have stolen you from the hospital when you were born."

"Eh," Rachel pulled a Zach and shrugged. "Can't change the past now."

"Well," Karen grinned, her blue eyes twinkling. "You could always marry Zach and all our problems would be fixed."

"Ew Karen!" Rachel laughed a little too loud, drawing the attention of the boys in the living-room.

"Rachel! Come play with me," Gray called from the other room. "Zach's cheating."

"I am not." Zach brawled as he peeked his head around the archway, towards the formal dining room. His brow raised as he looked at the two women in the room. "Hey mom, when did you get home?"

Karen turned, a smile plastered on her face. All traces of their previous discussion wiped away. "Just now."

"Okay." Zach turned to Rachel and gestured for her to join them in the living room.

"Have fun." Karen said as she stood.

While she followed Zach back to the living room, Rachel couldn't help but glance back at Karen as she started dinner.

Something felt wrong.

Even though she was going to the park she had been wanting to go to and should be feeling excited, she could get over the pit of dread sitting in her stomach. Like something terrible was going to happen.

Auther Notes:

So this chapter is a slow one, I just wanted to establish relationships and the OC. The next chapter is going to be much smoother. It has been a long time since I wrote a FF, But I greatly enjoyed this. This story was actually suppose to be posted two weeks ago, but I changed the whole story, going with completely new set of characters and a plot. Something about Rachel James just needed to be written.

I loved Jurassic world, and just knew I had to publish a story. And here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

Next Chapter

The trip to Jurassic World.

Have A Glorious Day ~GT