Chapter One
1995
"So, lunch with Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler? Quite the, uh, busy bee."
"Well, you were invited but you said you couldn't make it."
"I've got Kelly and Evan this weekend, otherwise I would, remember?"
"You know Alan isn't as bad with kids as he used to be. Quit being moody." I rolled my eyes, checking the time. "I gotta go, I'll be back around three or four if you need me. Besides, why are you jealous? Sarah's coming over."
"Sarah and I aren't, uh, dating."
Yeah, right. "Alright, whatever. I'm gonna go now." I hung up the phone, grabbing my purse. "Rhiannon! I'll be back in a bit, you better be done with that college work when I'm back."
"Yeah, yeah." Rhiannon said from the kitchen table as I walked out the door and to my car. I got in, driving to a small diner somewhere in town. After I parked and got out, I noticed people staring at me, some muttering to themselves. Oh, yes, here we are. Dinosaur lady is out in public again, such a fucking shame. She should go hide her head in the sand like an ostrich.
Good luck with that.
I walked into the diner, and automatically a blonde wearing a green shirt hurried over to me.
Ellie looked great, like she hadn't changed a bit since Isla Nublar. I was confused, however. It was just Ellie.
"Hey!" She grinned, hugging me. I hugged her back before pulling away.
"Hey, Ellie, is it just you? Where's Alan?" I looked confused.
"Oh, Alan will be here in a minute. I already got us a booth. Come on," she led me to a booth on the left side of the diner, where three menus were placed. Ellie's drink of choice, which seemed to be a Sprite, was on the side where only one menu sat. I sat opposite of her, still confused. "So how've you been?"
"I've been alright." I nodded. "Uh, Ian and I separated." I shrugged as the waitress came over, looking at me like she couldn't wait for me to order so she could walk away. I smiled kindly at her. "I'll have a Dr. Pepper please." I ordered, and she wrote it down, walking away without a word.
"When did that happen?" Ellie asked, sipping her drink. I thought to myself.
"About three months ago? Around March." I nodded after a second.
"I'm sorry to hear that. You two seemed like you were crazy for each other."
"Yeah…" I nodded. "Yeah, I thought so too." I looked at her. "What about you and Alan?"
"Oh, we broke up last year." Ellie leaned on the table, her head resting in the palm of her hand.
"Really? Why?" My eyes widened.
"Oh, it was the whole kid thing. Not that he hasn't gotten better around them, he has. It's just… You know, I wanna settle down, have a family. It's hard to have that with someone who doesn't want to share that with you, you know?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "I understand."
"We're still friends, but sometimes I miss it. But I met this new guy, his name is Mark and we've been dating for about five months now."
I smiled. "Ellie, that's great. I'm so happy for you."
"Yeah, yeah, he's a great guy." Ellie nodded as the ring over the diner door rang. Ellie and I both looked up, and saw Alan walk in. He took off his sunglasses, noticing us not too long after walking in. We stood, going over to hug him, though Ellie's hug was brief.
"Ellie, you look good." Alan smiled at her.
"Thanks." Ellie shoved her hands into her back pockets. I hugged Alan next. He looked somewhat changed—his second book after the events of Nublar showed how he felt towards dinosaurs now, and it broke my heart somewhat. Even Evan, who was still a major fan, was bummed about the fact that Alan wasn't as passionate as dinosaurs as he used to be. His hair was somewhat greyer, and he looked a bit older than he did a couple years ago. Then again, time affected others differently.
"You look great, Alan." I smiled a bit.
"So do you, Kerri," he said softly.
"Let's go sit." Ellie led us back over to the booth. She sat in her lone spot as Alan and I sat opposite, with me on the inside. Ellie sipped her drink again.
"So, Alan, how have you been?" I asked. Alan shrugged.
"Alright, I guess."
"Evan read your second book?" I picked up my menu.
"Oh? What did he think?"
"He was a tad bit disappointed that you don't love dinosaurs as much as you used to."
"Well, I feel like he would feel the same way after being hunted by a Tyrannosaurus and a pack of raptors," Alan muttered. I nodded.
"I told him the same thing."
"So how's Ian?"
"Stubborn as usual."
"They're separated." Ellie piped up. Alan looked at me.
"You're joking?"
"Nope." I shook my head as the waitress came by, looking annoyed as there was a new person sitting at the table. She waited for Alan to order his drink, and I felt Ellie nudge him under the table with her foot. Alan looked at the waitress.
"I'll have an ice water, please." He said, and the waitress walked off. I sipped my drink. "Do you think it's going to work out this time?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. I'm pretty sure he's dating Sarah Harding. Apparently, she's going over to his house tonight."
"Oh," Ellie raised her eyebrows, messing with the straw in her drink. "That's a little soon isn't it?"
"It's his life." I rolled my eyes.
"Sarah Harding… Was she the one that came to Costa Rica after finding out about the park?" Alan asked. I nodded.
"Fiery red hair and a hell of a personality? Yeah." I rolled my eyes. "The same."
1997
"Mom. Mom!"
I felt someone shaking my shoulder, waking me out of my sleep. I turned around quickly to see Evan looking slightly annoyed. Once I glanced at the clock, and noticed it was before noon, I realized why.
"What's up?" I yawned.
"Dad's on the phone." He handed the black house phone to me, and I took it.
"Hello?"
"Nice to see you up before noon," I heard a voice joke on the other end of the line. I rolled my eyes.
"What's going on, Ian, you typically don't call this early."
"Well, that's-that's one of the best hellos I've heard in a while."
"Don't be sarcastic. What's up?"
"You're not going to like what I have to say."
I sat up straight. "What?"
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"We have to do this now?" I grumbled, tugging on the hem of my shirt, a nervous practice I've picked up since Nublar.
"He said now, this was not, uh, not my idea, it was his."
"Do you even know what it's about?"
"Nope."
I looked over at Ian. We both looked like we were in our early forties now—both of us having our forty first birthday earlier this year—Ian had cut his hair short, almost like how he did when we were kids. I hadn't seen his hair that short since we were ten. I looked down, and noticed his left hand.
"Still wearing your ring, I see."
"Uh, yeah… You're still wearing yours." Ian retorted.
"Why'd you cut your hair?" I changed the subject.
"Huh? Oh," Ian looked at me, not expecting the subject change, and rubbed the back of his head. "Sarah likes it."
"Oh, Sarah, huh? Well, for the record, your wife liked it long."
"Well-well for the record, uh, you're my estranged wife. I also got a call from my lawyer; divorce proceedings start next Tuesday."
I felt a pang in my heart. "I can't wait for that." I said sarcastically. Ian didn't meet my eyes, looking for the train.
"Yeah, yeah… neither can I." He yawned as the train pulled up. We walked over to it, boarding it after it slowed to a stop, and sat in the back. Ian had a magazine in his hand to read, but he didn't seem to touch it for a moment after sitting down. My eyes met one of a young punk in a trench coat, maybe around Rhiannon's age. He was smacking on a piece of gum, a smirk on his face. I looked away as Ian didn't even know he was there. As we were minding our own business, the kid snapped his fingers about four or five times, making us look at him. The smirk was still on his face. After seeing he had gotten our attention, he started over and Ian began to look through his magazine. I looked out the window, trying to ignore him as he sat next to me.
"You're them, right?"
Ian and I looked over. "Excuse me?" Ian spoke before I could.
"The scientists? The couple? I saw you on TV." The punk leaned in, the smirk still evident. "I believed you." He chuckled, sitting back, glancing between the two of us for a second. After that didn't get him the reaction he wanted, he rotated his arms in an up and down motion, mimicking a large creature's bite as well as mimicking a roar. He smirked again as Ian and I didn't give him any reaction except turning away from him. Not too far from us, I could see a couple of older women looking over at us. God knows what they were thinking.
Soon after, we exited the subway, doing our best to hurry away from that punk kid. Ian was walking fast, and to keep up with his pace, I grabbed his arm. I saw him glance at me from the side, and I quickly let go.
"Sorry…" I shook my head. "I'm sorry… You know—I-I just don't walk fast sometimes."
"It's fine." Ian said quickly, and I shoved my hands in my pockets as he waved down a taxi cab. We got in, and Ian set the magazine to the side as the driver looked at us.
"John Hammond's home, please." Ian said, telling him the address soon after. I looked over the window, swallowing hard. I didn't even want to look over at him. "So, how's Rhiannon's college going?"
"Dean's List." I said quietly, not looking at him.
"Evan's summer school?"
"Finished." I chewed on my bottom lip. I heard Ian sigh.
"Kerri. Listen… Listen, uh, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to snap at you earlier. I was just… Pissed off at that stupid kid…"
"I am too, Ian, but I didn't take it out on you." I didn't look at him.
"I'm sorry." I heard him sigh and looked over. He was leaning on his window, running a hand through his hair. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Where'd you get that maroon shirt?" I asked him.
"Christmas gift from Sarah."
"Oh." I looked back out the window, and we remained silent the rest of the ride there.
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Ian tipped the taxi driver as I walked up to the ornate door of the mansion. I whistled quietly.
"Jesus Christ look at this place."
"I'm telling you, money is no object to this man." Ian muttered, ringing the doorbell. We only had to wait a few seconds before a butler came, answering the door.
"Whom shall I tell Mr. Hammond is calling?" He asked politely.
"Uh, Ian and Kerri Malcolm." Ian answered him. "We've been summoned." The butler stepped to the side, letting us in. Ian let me walk in first, and I heard him thank the butler not too long after. The butler shut the door as we walked into the entryway, a piano playing in the background. I whistled.
"Holy shit this is nice." I muttered.
"Dr. Malcolm! Kerri!"
I looked up and saw Tim and Lex hurry down the stairs towards us. Good God how those two had grown. Tim was almost as tall as Lex, and Lex was becoming a beautiful young woman.
"Oh, my God!" Ian's eyes widened as Tim hugged him tightly.
"Hello, Dr. Malcolm! Kerri!" Lex greeted us quietly, hugging me first before going to hugging Ian. Tim hugged me next, squeezing me half to death.
"Hi, kids! Kids!" Ian smiled.
"It's so great to see you." Lex smiled more.
"It's so great to see you. It's so great—look at you."
"My God, how old are you two now?" I asked them.
"Seventeen and fourteen." Lex smiled a bit.
"Good Lord…" I shook my head. "Has it been that long?"
"Yup." Tim nodded his head, smiling. "Um, you came to see Grandpa?"
"Yeah, yeah, h-h-he called us. Do you know what it's about?" At this, Lex and Tim didn't exactly react, but them shifting from foot to foot told me everything I needed to know. And it wasn't good. "I don't either. This joint's kinda… creepy, isn't it?"
I smacked Ian on his arm and heard Tim stifle bit of a laugh. Though his expression soon went back to one of uneasiness.
"Is everything okay?" Ian asked them.
"Well, not exactly." Lex answered. We looked up as we heard footsteps on the stairs and men talking not too far from where we were. As soon as we looked, we saw a group of people bringing things down from the upstairs.
And, of course, the icing on the cake. John Hammond's nephew, the king of the weasels, Peter Ludlow.
"Well, Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm. Drs. Malcolm," he turned away from us, walking over to a table. "Here to share a few campfire stories with my uncle?"
Ian and I approached this weasel, Ian's hands in his pockets. "You can convince the Washington Post and the Skeptical Inquirer of whatever you want, but we were there. We know what happened, and so do you." Ian said quietly, his voice calm and almost dangerous.
"Do you actually believe that everyone who chose discretion did so for nefarious motives?" Hammond's nephew began to sign things on a piece of paper. "Even Lex and Tim?"
"Leave them out of it. It's not a game."
"No, it isn't. The two of you signed a nondisclosure agreement before you went to the island that expressly forbade you from discussing anything you saw—"
"I didn't sign jack shit, not even after we got back from the island. It was Ian's idea to bring me, no one else's. I didn't sign a Goddamn thing and you know that." I hissed, cutting Peter off as I heard Lex and Tim leave us.
"Oh, Mrs. Malcolm, getting a little defensive I see," the nephew smirked at me. "You both violated that agreement."
"Yeah, I did, she didn't, and you lied." Ian hissed at him. "You twisted the facts surrounding the deaths of three people. And you stuffed misinformation down the public's throat, which made both of us look like nuts, hasn't been so good for our livelihoods—"
"We made a generous compensatory offer for your injuries."
"That was a payoff and an insult." Ian's voice rose the angrier he got. "And when you spin reality, when you cover up evidence, it hurts. It ruins more than just my reputation and my wife's reputation. It hurts—"
"As I recall—As I recall, your university for your selling wild stories to—"
"I didn't sell anything, never took a cent, and I told the truth. We both did."
"Your versions of it." I could see Ludlow was restraining himself from rolling his eyes.
"There aren't any versions… of the truth. And I'll tell you something, InGen can keep spewing out—"
"InGen is my responsibility now, Doctors, and I will jealously defend its interests." The nephew looked over at us.
"Excuse me?" I furrowed my eyebrows, confused.
"You heard what I said, Dr. Malcolm, I didn't stutter." Ludlow put his pen in his suit pocket, smirking at me.
"Your responsibility?" Ian inquired. "What about Mr. Hammond?"
The weasel made his way over. "It is our board of directors which I must look in the eye, not my uncle. Really, you two must trust me. These problems of yours are about to be rendered moot. In a few weeks' time, they'll be long forgotten." He walked past us, patting my estranged husband on the arm. Ian grabbed him by his elbow.
"Not by me. Not by my wife." He said quietly.
"Estranged wife isn't it, Dr. Malcolm?" the nephew smirked. "Careful," he added, removing his elbow from Ian's grip. "This suit cost more than your education."
And with that, Peter Ludlow left. I looked at Ian, who looked absolutely pissed off.
"Still wanna go see John?" I asked him quietly.
"We're here; might as well." Ian muttered as we made our way upstairs.