Stepping out of her car, Claire sighed. She had hoped that she would be able to avoid Owen since their break-up last year. It shouldn't have been that hard to avoid him- he lived in a camper van in the middle of nowhere for Christ's sake! She should have been able to expect that she wouldn't see him ever again. And yet, here she was. She looked around and saw Owen on a ladder, hammering away at the bones of a house that he seemed to be building.

"Hey, Owen," she called. The hammering continued without a missed beat.

"Owen!" She tried again. Owen stopped in his work.

"Oh, boy," he muttered. It may have been a year since he last saw her, but he would recognise Claire's voice anywhere. Turning from where he stood on the ladder, Owen looked her over and weighed his options. He could tell her to leave, it was his land after all. But…He didn't want her to go. "Back for more, huh?"

"Can we talk? Please?"

"If we're going to talk," Owen called to her as he climbed down from the ladder, "I'm going to need beer. And, unfortunately for you, I ran out yesterday."

Without saying a word, Claire reached into her car and pulled out a six-pack of beer.

"Good thing I thought to bring some."

Owen chuckled and shook his head in amazement. If she was anything, Claire Dearing was prepared for anything. Climbing off the ladder, Owen strode over to her with his hands on his hips.

"You never change, do you?" He asked as he took the beer from her and led her into his trailer.

"Nope," she replied with a smirk as she followed him. So far it seemed to be going well. They weren't screaming at each other and Owen actually cracked a joke. Really, if she could keep things like this, she could win him over to her cause in no time.

Reaching the trailer, Owen opened the door and gestured for Claire to go in. She did so cautiously, taking a few seconds to survey the inside of the trailer. There were clothes on the floor, dishes by the sink, and different kinds of books littered every available surface. Claire couldn't help but notice that it didn't look like any women lived here. She was oddly pleased by that.

"So, how have you been?" She asked as she took a seat on his couch.

"Fine. Just been here, doing my own thing," Owen replied as he took the cap off of one of the beers and took a drink. "What about you? I heard you've been saving the dinosaurs."

"Well, I've been trying," Claire answered as she turned to face him, "we can't all just run away from our problems."

She'd woken up tired that morning. The morning after their big fight. Owen hadn't come back, and she was worried. Getting up, she wondered into the bathroom, noticing immediately that something was different. His toothbrush was gone, and so were his other hygiene products. The horrible truth suddenly dawned on Claire. He was gone. He wasn't coming back.

"So, are you seeing anyone?" Owen asked as he moved to sit on a bar stool, shaking Claire out of her thoughts. "An accountant? A trust-fund boy?"

"Owen…" Claire warned. Owen stopped and looked at her.

"Your skin looks nice," he mumbled, making Claire's heart flutter. He'd always had a thing for her skin. The way it looked, felt and smelled had always been something he liked. Claire looked at him intently, her eyes searching his for a hidden meaning behind his words. "Dermatologist?"

"Owen-"

"Does he check you for moles?" Owen laughed as he took another drink. "What about a ventriloquist?"

"Owen-"

"You always did love a dummy."

"I loved you, didn't I?" Claire retorted, her temper rising. Owen was finally quiet. The air seemed to grow thick with the tension as the two sat there and saw each other.

"Now, we're here to-" Claire started to say, eager to get back to business, when Owen held up a hand, his face serious.

"I know why you're here." He said, taking another drink. "Lockwood's flunky called me. Told me about how you want to do a rescue op. Save up to fourteen different species of gigantic dinosaurs, half of which are carnivorous and will try to eat you, from an island with a volcano set to erupt any day. Sounds like a perfectly safe and flawless plan. Can't imagine what on earth could go wrong."

"Owen, Blue is alive."

Owen felt his world spin as all his memories of his girls came rushing back to him. Playing with them when they were just ankle-biters, teaching them how to hunt as a pack, making progress with them and constantly being amazed as their different personalities developed and their loyalty to him as their alpha grew. And Blue… Blue had always been his favourite girl.

"And?" He asked, trying to keep his voice even. No good would come of going back to that island. It would only get more people killed and he wasn't going to be one of those people. Neither was Claire if he had anything to say about it. The last thing he needed was for her to seize on his emotions and use them to get what she wanted.

"You raised her, Owen. You've known her since the minute that she hatched." Claire said as she got off the couch and stood in front of him. "You spent years of your life working with her, building a relationship with her. Can you really leave her to die?"

"Yeah. I have to." Owe replied, finally letting his eyes meet hers. In that one glance, he tried to convey all the emotion he felt roiling inside of him, and the absolute refusal to ever step foot on that island again. Claire's face fell. Owen had loved Blue, she knew he did, and he was going to let her die anyways.

"You're a better man that, Owen." She whispered, not willing to believe his words.

"You should write fortune cookies," he said as he looked back at her.

"I'm going."

"Don't!" Owen cut her off, his hand reaching for hers and his chest tightening at the thought of Claire going back to that God-forsaken island.

"You can't stop me, Owen." Claire said angrily as she went towards the door. Owen wasn't going to let her leave. Just as her hand grabbed the doorknob to leave, Owen reached out and grabbed her other wrist gently. Claire stopped, caught between two possible paths. She could either admit defeat and walk right out that door to get back to work on saving the dinosaurs. Or, she could stay.

"Like hell I can't. You're gonna get yourself killed out there."

"Why do you even care?" Claire snapped back, taking her hand off the doorknob and turning to face Owen. "We broke up a year ago, Owen."

"That doesn't mean I don't care about you, Claire," Owen answered back.

"You care about Blue, don't you? But you're still going to let her die," Claire fired back, her emotions rising with every second that passed.

"I can't let you die! God, I still lo-" He cut himself off and groaned in frustration as he put a hand to his forehead, very aware of his slip-up.

"You still what, Owen?" Claire asked. She wanted to make him say it. No embellishments, assumptions or misgivings. She wanted him to say how he felt.

Instead of answering her with words, Owen decided to show her exactly how he felt. With one quick stride, he cupped her head with his hands and pulled her lips to meet his own. Claire squeaked in surprise but didn't push him away. Instead, she kissed him back. The kiss was hungry, like a desert nomad finding water for the first time in days. It was messy and uncontrolled, lacking in any finesse. It was pure passion that the two momentarily surrendered themselves to as they continued to cling to each other. Pulling out of the kiss, Owen rested his head against Claire's. They were both panting slightly, still overwhelmed by the force of their kiss.

"I still love you," Owen said softly as he used his thumbs to caress her cheeks. Wrapping her arms around his neck Claire pulled his lips back to hers, clearly wanting to continue what he'd started. Owen complied willingly, pushing her backwards until her back hit the door forcefully. Despite the force she hit the door with, Claire wasn't hurt at all since Owen had protected her head with his hand. That same hand was now working its way down her neck, cupping at her breasts through her shirt, before trailing down her body until it rested on her thigh. Claire was only vaguely aware of the movements as she continued to kiss Owen like she had wanted to ever since she saw him again. The way things were progressing was fast, but Owen wanted more. He wanted to feel her skin against his, he wanted to be with her fully again. He wanted to get his neck to stop hurting from bending it so much. Grabbing her by the tops of her thighs, Owen lifted Claire up and pinned her between his body and the door. Her legs immediately wrapped around his own, drawing him closer to her. Claire moaned in approval, her fingers winding their way through his hair and pulling, trying to find some way of releasing all of the passion she felt swelling inside of her. Needing to breathe Owen tore their lips apart and started peppering her neck with kisses, nipping her gently every so often. Claire moaned louder now that her lips were freed, angling her neck to give him better access. She smiled as he devoured her, worshipping the flesh that she chose to allow him to have.

"Owen…" She breathed out in a moan. Hearing his name leave her lips like that just made Owen want her more. Holding her securely with one arm wrapped around her back and the other wrapped around her ass, Owen spun them and carefully made his way to the bed, careful not to trip or drop Claire. His knees hit the bed, sending them both down onto the bed with Owen landing on top of Claire. They both laughed for a moment before their lips joined once more and they felt that deep need in the very fibre of their beings.

"Clothes off, now." Claire commanded in a breathy voice as she pulled his shirt over his head and threw it to the floor. Owen kissed her again as his own hands hurriedly unbuttoned her jacket and threw it to join his shirt.

"Some things never change, do they?" He said with a small laugh, groaning as her hands found their way into his pants. His breath caught in his throat as she cupped him, rubbing him feverishly as she moaned in his ear.

"Nope," she replied with a smile as she shoved Owen's pants off his hips. He was clad only in his underwear now, while she had only been deprived of her jacket. Owen wanted a much more level playing field. In about a minute flat he had robbed her of the rest of her clothes, throwing them haphazardly onto the floor. As soon as her pants had left her body he kissed her again, covering her body with his own as he did, wanting to be closer to her than humanly possible. His hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs stroking at her pebbled nipples. Claire moaned at the sensual contact, her body starting to coil and the pool of desire in her gut growing. Tearing his lips from hers, Owen trailed kisses down her body, following the trail his wandering hands were making. His fingers grazed her panties, one of only two barriers between them, and stopped. As much as he loved what was happening between him and Claire (and he really loved it), he had to make sure that she wanted it as well. He had to be sure there wouldn't be any regrets after the deed was done.

"Are you sure?" He asked softly as he kissed her stomach. "I don't want you to regret anything."

"I want this," Claire replied breathlessly, "I want you. Just you."

Smirking, Owen hooked his thumbs into her panties and slowly pulled them down, Claire lifting her hips to help him remove them. Once they had joined the floor with the rest of the clothes, Owen put his lips to her core. Shocked, Claire moaned and jolted on the bed, but Owen held her down with his strong hands, determined to make her lose control by giving the control to him.

"Fuck! Owen!" Claire moaned loudly, her body writhing on the bed as Owen started to lick at her centre. She arched her back and used her hands to keep his head in place as she moaned louder and louder, the pit in her stomach getting hotter and hotter as Owen continued to pleasure her. He smirked as he used one of his hands to push her left leg up to her chest, giving him better access to her. Without any hesitation, he used his tongue to stimulate her core, while he used his thumb to stimulate her clit. Claire moaned nonsensically, her hips bucking and her voice getting louder as her pleasure intensified. It was like she was on the very edge of a precipice, she could feel herself starting to fall, but she just couldn't quite let go. She needed a final push before she could reach her promised bliss.

"Owen… so close…. I'm so close"

"Cum for me, babe," Owen whispered as his thumb continued to stimulate her clit, adding two fingers into her weeping core. With a knowing smirk, Owen curled his fingers inside of her, causing Claire to nearly shriek as she was pushed to the very edge of that precipice. "Just let go and cum."

That was it. Blinding white lights flashed before Claire's eyes as she fell over the edge, her whole body writhing and a scream tearing from her throat. Owen helped her ride her orgasm through until the end, her core weeping and her lungs desperate for air. Owen never thought she was more beautiful than when lost her control. He was hard as hell and desperate to sheath himself in her, but he wanted to savour this moment.

"Ready to keep going?" Owen asked when she was able to think straight again. Claire simply nodded, still unable to find her voice. Owen kissed her again, and Claire could taste herself on his lips. Reaching over to his bedside table, Owen opened a drawer and pulled out a condom. Relieving it of its packet, he quickly slipped the latex cover on himself, and settled back into Claire's waiting embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, her sharp nails scratching at his skin in a not too unpleasant way. Lining his tip to her entrance, Owen slowly pushed in. They both groaned loudly when he finally sheathed himself inside of her. The sensation was both new and familiar at the same time. They both knew this feeling of being together, but to actually be together again was a whole different experience.

"Move." Claire whispered in his ear, her cool breath on his sensitive skin sending shivers down his spine. Kissing her deeply, Owen started to move inside of her, with Claire matching him thrust for thrust. As the tension and pleasure between them built up, their movements became increasingly uncontrolled, the passion overtaking them both.

"Owen… so close…" Claire murmured. Owen could feel his own release nearing. Tearing his lips from hers, Owen tilted her chin and forced her eyes to meet his. As soon as they did, Claire once again fell over that precipice. As her muscles tightened around him, Owen felt himself nearing release. Two more hard thrusts, and he reached completion, spilling himself into the condom.

Rolling off of her, Owen and Claire both laid on their back on the bed. The room was completely silent and neither could bring themselves to look at the other.

"Well," Owen said, breaking the silence as he removed the condom from his flaccid member and throwing it expertly into his waste bin, "I think that was a little unexpected."

Claire could only nod in agreement. When she had come to see Owen, she had thought the most civil they could be was being able to shake hands. She sure as hell hadn't expected him to confess that he still loved her and that they would have sex. She turned on her side and faced him.

"Did you really mean what you said?" She asked softly.

"Yeah," Owen replied without a second of hesitation, turning to face her and reaching out to draw her closer, "I meant every word. But I noticed you didn't say anything back."

"I never stopped loving you, Owen." Claire said as her eyes met his, her voice barely above a whisper. "But we would never have worked together. Breaking up was inevitable."

"I don't think so. I think this is worth giving it another shot."

"I don't know, Owen." Claire responded with a sigh. She didn't need this right now, not the day before she was about to do one of the most dangerous operations of her entire life. "I can't really even think about it right now." The words were barely out of her mouth before she was out of the bed and looking for her clothes.

"So, you're still going on this rescue op?" Owen asked from the bed, already knowing what her answer would be.

"Yeah. I'm still going." She replied as she haphazardly threw her clothes back on. Owen sat up in the bed, his lap covered by the sheet and watched her. "There's a private plane leaving tomorrow. You're on the manifest if you decide to come. I just thought you should know." Without a backwards glance, she practically ran out the door, slamming it shut behind her. Owen was silent for a while as he heard her car engine start and then drive away. With a laboured sigh. He flopped back on the bed and thought about what to do. Going back to the Park was a virtual death trap, that much he knew for certain. There was no way in hell he'd let Claire try to conquer it by herself. And Blue… Blue could be saved. He hadn't been able to save his other girls, but he could save Blue. He could keep Claire safe.

With an annoyed huff, he got off the bed and found his old and battered Navy bag. He was going back to the Park.