WELCOME BACK
"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."
-John Burroughs

Water, blue and sparkling, lapped at the shore not so far off.

Andrea could not help but smile at the sight- she'd been away from it for a while. Two weeks may not seem so long, but after spending that stretched of time in soggy Michigan, where patches of snow still clung into April, the bright island of Isla Nublar was a welcomed sight. It was no vacation- she was back here to work. She was glad to have returned home.

She had just taken the ferry in, so she wasn't back to working yet. She'd only come to stop-in at the Innovation Center to greet her department head and see if she'd missed anything that hadn't been in her e-mails. Dr. Robin McRae had been happy enough to see her, chatting animatedly about the goings-on in the Botanical Department.

"You know," Dr. McRae ended the call that had pulled her from conversation, distracting Andrea from the sight of the park below. "Want to grab dinner? I can get out of here, and we'll chat about your trip home?"

"Sure! If you're ready to leave..."

"I was winding down, and these e-mails can wait 'til morning."

Andrea waited for Robin to pack up her slim work bag and they left the sprawling, glass building together. Dinner with her supervisor would not be a strange affair- it had happened before. Robin was easy going, and she was a boss willing to go into the field now and then, so she was close with many of the other employees.

The women made their way to one of the hotels to have a quiet dinner at its restaurant. The more bustling areas of the resort had their positive points, but for a nice chat it was always a good idea to be away form more of the high traffic areas.

"So you've gotten the work news; what's your news? How was the family?"

Living far from home on a remote island off of Costa Rica meant that visiting home was usually quite a production- certainly not a common, quick trip for most. Because of this, plenty of Jurassic World employees were seasonal, and many researchers were experts in the field who rotated in and out. For the rest, Isla Nublar was home. Some employees- lab researchers and department heads, predominantly- had penthouse suites in the resort hotels, while many of the rest had small homes in the NorthWest of the island outside the public park. That left most seasonal workers to the dorm-style living quarters off behind sight of the water park.

It was an organized, functioning set-up for living and working in the same island. It was also quite secluded, so vacations out were generally of note.

"Good. It was nice making it home for Matt's graduation- the family was already together, so I got to see everyone."

"Baby nephew, too, right?"

"Yes, and I'm in love- I wanted to smuggle him back here in my carry-on," Andrea laughed and accepted her drink from a waitress with a smile. "He was the hardest to leave- how weird's that?"

"Baby's are like that."

The older woman was a mother or two, so, even though she was laughing a little, Andrea didn't doubt her word on the topic.

"So he was amazing ...everyone fawning over him and Matt. I think I win the graduation gift giving, though," the young woman grinned. "I told him I'd bring him out to visit the Park this summer."

"He didn't come in the Fall with your parents?"

Robin couldn't quite recall.

"Nope- he couldn't miss school for it."

"It's only high school." Robin scoffed with a laugh.

"I know, but he was playing football.," Andrea shrugged. "Maybe he was banking on a parent-free vacation if he came out later."

"He knows his sister"

"Yeahhhh...I hook a friend up"

"Well, great! Bring him by. I need to meet the whole Seaver clan"

"We're good times," Andrea nodded agreeably. "Hey...isn't that Simon Misrani?"

She was distracted from the topic altogether by a passerby. Robin twisted, short brown hair swishing quickly, and caught the back of the small group.

"Probably gearing up for more fundraising this sumer."

"Oh, right ...I've gotten the e-mails."

"It will be a topic at the department staff meeting this week," Robin divulged. "Welcome back."

"And Intern season is upon us!"

Andrea's cheer was a little fake and it showed.

"Hey, we haven't lost in the intern pool yet."

Even as she reminded Andrea, Robin tapped a knuckle gently on the table to ward off jinxing her department. Just in case.

"True"

Andrea could not deny the words. InGen always had a lot of applications for undergraduate internships in the summer, so they were always able to pick from bright students at top schools. Still, there were always a few duds, but their department had been lucky. In fact, the intern they'd had two summers previous now worked in their department. Andrea had lobbied pretty hard for him- not only was he a brainy wiz-kid, but she got along great with him and that was important when out in the field with someone.

"So stay positive- no bad karma at internship time."

"Sorry, sorry- I forgot ...God, that really is next week, huh? Goodbye, Spring."

Time flew on the island- or seemed to, at least. They were always so busy that something was always happening. It was fascinating work, though, so it was worth a chaotic week here and there.

"No kidding ...without Casey making her plans to come out for the summer, it snuck up on me this year."

Robin's oldest was a college senior and had her own internship. Casey didn't like any sort of hard science, so she was uninterested in any interning work that her mother could have helped her get.

"Is she more excited for the internships or bummed she's missing her usual island summer?" Andrea grinned.

"Both? She'll still come for a week or so in August- she wants her boyfriend to come, too." At this bit, Robin rolled her eyes high.

Andrea snorted.

"And?"
"And my Ex is appalled at the idea of them spending a week in the topics together, so I'm tempted to invite the boy," Robin grinned in an almost feral way at the prospect of this. "But I want daughter time ...maybe he can come down for a weekend."

"Best of both worlds," Andrea raised her glass to salute.

"We'll see..."

Their food came shortly and let them continue conversation easily. They oscillated between personal and work casually.

The restaurant grew busier the longer they stayed but wasn't quite packed yet, even when they left.

"Perfect idea," Andrea smiled when they stepped outside into the warm evening. "Now I can get back, unpack, and get ready without cooking."

"Have you stopped back to your place yet?"

"Nope"

Andrea thought of the slight mess she had left in in her room in the process of packing- she'd have to take care of that now.

"Do you need a ride?"

"Oh, no- I left my Jeep in the staff lot- my bags are already in there."

"Gottcha"

They headed to the lot behind the Innovation Center, the park monorail running overhead.

"Seaver!"

"See you, Andrea," Robin grinned.

"Bye ... ...hey!"

After a quick wave, Andrea turned her attention to greet the man who was nowjogging over.

"Hey, where the hell ya been, stranger?"

"Just got back from my mainland vacation."

Owen Grady pulled a face.

"Where?"

"Michigan- Battle Creek. To see family," she explained.

"...you never said you were going back home..."

"You never asked," Andrea tried to mimic his tone.

She didn't see the trainer every day, anyway, and she certainly didn't have to answer to him. They weren't even in the same department.

Owen nodded, apparently unable to fault her logic.

"...true enough. So, when'd you get back?"
"3:30 Ferry, mother."

Andrea swatted his arm to tease him for his nosiness.

He rolled his eyes, slumping his shoulders into the action.

"Well, I hadn't seen you, so I thought you got lost on a flower expedition and needed me to call Search and Rescue," he reverted seamlessly into teasing.

"Flower Expedition," Andrea scoffed. "I hate you."

"Nah, you don't," he fell into step with her when she resumed walking to her Jeep. "So ...family reunion? Hot cousins?"

Andrea wasn't hesitant to dismiss this.

"None that would have you. What're you doing up here, anyway?"

Owen avoided labs and offices as much as he could manage.

"Mandatory meeting- went long."

He didn't look amused.

"Aha ...so, better yet: did I miss any good gossip around here?"

It was a vast island of many employees, but, being insular, word got around and live-in staff were usually at least familiar with others by name recognition.

"Same old."

He shrugged, uncaring. He was not big on idle gossip concerning people and things he had little stake in.

"You're a useless source of intelligence, you know that?"

"Your friends are all safe, and mine are in one piece," he offered. "As far as I know..."

"That's something," Andrea granted him.

"So, really, was it a good trip?"

"Oh, yeah," Andrea smiled brightly.

It caught, and Owen grinned, too.

"I'm glad."

"Me, too ...it's good to be back, though," she admitted.

"Obviously," the man waved a hand around. "Morning swim tomorrow?" he stopped by the back of her red Jeep.

Andrea sighed.

"You're going?"

"Uh-huh"

"...if you swing by, I'll be on the front porch if I want to go. Otherwise, don't you date knock. I'm tired."

He gave this a few moments' thought before he could decide to her terms.

"...I can resist that temptation."

"Great. See ya"

"Later, and welcome back."

He headed off-- Andrea supposed to his motorcycle- and she climbed into her jeep so she could hurry home and try to get all settled.

..

Staff living in the NorthWest of the island had Bungalows built along the beach or paddock clearings amongst the trees. Small bungles of homes were groups all over the quadrant in what were essentially mini-neighborhoods. The homes, were nothing overly extravagant- VIP workers had pagodas near the Ferry docks if they didn't want hotel suites- but were fully-furnished and comfortable.

Island homes in the North varied in size; Andrea's was a cozy single. Hers was a light teal with a square, cobbled bring patio before the brown front door. The back had the real deck, small but overlooking the beach. Inside was a snug living room, connected to a descent kitchen and dining area big enough for a two-chaired table. A small hallway next to the kitchen lead to bathroom and bedroom.

Her bed and its fluffy comforter was alluring as she hauled her luggage inside, but she had things to do first: pick up and settle-in. So she could get back to real life ...which happened to be on a tropical island.

Though she'd been there a few years, it still sometimes struck her funny that she vacationed in Michigan and returned here.

Most did that the other way around.

What a life.