Author's note: As many of us here apparently did, I saw "Jurassic World" and couldn't leave Owen and Claire's story alone. I wasn't interested in exploring a sequel (at least, not yet) as much as I was interested in fleshing out the characters themselves. The movie left much to be desired in the way of development, but it did introduce two intriguing characters that I wanted to explore.

This story is a prequel to the events of "Jurassic World", and won't touch on the canon of the movie at all. Consider it background to how Owen and Claire ended up the way they did in the film. And, as always...please review!

2013

If there's anything Claire Dearing hates, it's surprises.

She takes every effort in her life to avoid surprises. Why would anyone like surprises, she often wonders. Whether good or bad, you always get that terrible feeling, that seizing up of your internal organs, that cold sweat breaking out all over your body, the tendril of dread creeping down the bottom of your spine. Who would like that?

And that's precisely how she feels when her fiancé tells her, across the sticky table at a crowded Starbucks, that he no longer wants to marry her. His words take Claire completely by surprise, and she curses herself mentally for not seeing this coming, for not being able to ward it off. Now she's stuck, sitting here feeling her jacket becoming far too restricting and the belt on her skirt dig into her rib cage. She really should have known better.

"It's...not anything you did," Dustin was saying, tapping his fingers absently on the table as he looked anywhere but her. "I just...I'm not ready to settle down."

Claire took a moment to uncross her legs which were quickly losing circulation from how tense her entire body felt, and flexed her ankles beneath the table before replying, making sure to keep her voice slow and steady. "If that's how you felt, why, then, did you ask me to marry you?"

Dustin shifted uncomfortably, huffing out a sigh. "I don't...I felt like you were expecting it."

Claire felt the corners of her mouth turn up almost involuntarily. "Yes, how dare I expect a marriage proposal from the man I've dated for five years."

"See, this is what you do, Claire," Dustin said, leaning across the table towards her - not to get closer, but because the college kid sitting behind him scooted his chair out too far. "You have a timetable for everything. Our three year anniversary, you decided it was time to move in together. Five year anniversary, it was time to put a ring on your finger. It's like...I can see you plotting out our entire lives together, to the day. On our third wedding anniversary, it'll be time to get pregnant - that day. Three years later, oh, time for another one."

Dustin shifted to the side when a mom with a full diaper bag and a baby carrier strapped to her chest edged by. "I just...I can't live like that. It's not me."

Claire felt like she was burning up from the inside out. With anger, embarrassment, and worst of all, sadness. She would not cry in front of this man.

"I see," she said slowly. "Well. I certainly wouldn't expect you to commit to a lifetime of unhappiness."

Dustin sighed again but didn't try to argue her statement. "I really am sorry, Claire."

"That's...nice." Claire picked up her purse, using a napkin to brush off the bottom of it. "I think I should go."

She stood, abandoning her latte on the table. The thought of finishing it was turning her stomach.

"I'll be out of the apartment by the end of tomorrow," Dustin said, standing as well. "My brother's gonna move my stuff into his place for a few weeks, since the lease is in your name and all."

"Alright." Claire shouldered her bag and glanced at her watch, catching sight of the sparkling solitaire on her finger as she did. God, it wasn't fair. She'd only gotten to wear it for three months. "Oh. I guess...here."

She took the ring off and set it on the tabletop to avoid touching Dustin in any way. They both looked down at it for a few seconds.

"You can...you don't have to give it back," Dustin mumbled, his neck turning red beneath the collar of his light blue Oxford shirt. "I bought it for you, technically."

"Why would I want it?" Claire replied crisply. "Maybe you can try one of those gold websites. Goodbye, Dustin."

Claire almost shook his hand; this had become basically businesslike, and she always offered her hand at the end of business transactions. But she stopped herself at the last minute, clenching her fingers into a fist and turning towards the exit. If Dustin said anything in reply, she didn't hear it.

Claire didn't stop walking until she got to her car, parked a block away. She still had thirty minutes on the meter, but she didn't linger. Instead, she drove. She got on the first freeway on ramp that she saw signs for without even thinking about which one it was or which direction it was taking her. Claire drove, barely going over the speed limit, ignoring horns from people who passed her. She drove, and drove, and drove, until the sunset faded to a pink stripe in her rear view mirror.

When Claire finally stopped driving, it was only because the gas light in her Prius had finally come on. As if the little orange light had broken her out of a trance, Claire glanced at her surroundings and realized she was in the middle of nowhere. All that bordered her on both sides were cactus and distant mountains in the darkness. Regardless, she continued to drive until she started to see signs - Blythe, 17 miles. She'd driven all the way to the Arizona border without realizing it.

Claire exited at the first gas station. All pumps were deserted, so she pulled into the first stall and turned the engine off. There, beneath the florescent lights, Claire lowered her forehead to the steering wheel and forced herself to take several deep breaths. She could feel the need to cry resting somewhere just under the surface, but it wasn't quite there yet, and she didn't feel the need to push it. Calmly, Claire exited her vehicle and mechanically went through the steps of paying for her gas at the pump.

She was waiting for the 'click' of the handle and staring at the bare skin of her left hand when her cell phone rang. Claire couldn't smother the flicker of belief that it could potentially be Dustin, calling to tell her he'd made a horrible mistake and could she please come back to him, but tried to tell herself she wasn't disappointed when an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen.

"Claire Dearing," she answered on impulse, and quickly realized her days practicing saying Claire Hudson instead were now null and void.

"Ms. Dearing, this is Simon Masrani calling on behalf of the Masrani Corporation. Do you have a moment to talk?"

Claire hesitated for a moment, struggling to place the accented voice and name. Why was she getting a work call at 8pm on a Friday?

"I'm...sorry, I'm not in the office right now, Mr. Masrani. Can I...take your number and call you back on Monday?"

"This is not a work-related call, Ms. Dearing," the voice continued. "At least, not related to your work at the Los Angeles Venture Association. I wish to speak to you about an opportunity I'd like you to consider at my company."

The gas pump clicked and Claire sat down in the driver's seat heavily. Now, she recalled a conversation she'd had with a corporate headhunter several weeks ago, deflecting interest from the Masrani Corp. It wasn't the first time in her three years with LAVA that she'd been contacted by a competitor, and as usual, she'd taken the man's contact information politely before hanging up and throwing it directly in the trash can. Claire hated change almost as much as she hated surprises - especially since they often went hand in hand.

"Yes, Mr. Masrani. Of course. I remember now speaking to your recruiter a few weeks ago," Claire said, almost by rote. "I believe I informed him that I wasn't interested in leaving my current position at this -"

"Yes, yes," Masrani interrupted. "I'm aware of the outcome of that conversation. And I'll inform you now that I rarely, if ever, hire employees that are so eager to jump ship. I value loyalty, Ms. Dearing."

Claire narrowed her eyes. "So you use headhunters as test run?"

Masrani laughed. "Let's just say that they do the legwork, but I prefer to seal the deal on my own. Which brings me to why I'm calling you, Ms. Dearing. I've been watching your work at LAVA for the past year, and I'm very impressed. You have a way with corporate donors that is unmatched. Your track record for raising capital is not to be scoffed at."

Claire straightened her spine a bit at the praise. "Thank you, Mr. Masrani."

"Please, call me Simon - if I can call you Claire?"

After a moment's hesitation, Claire agreed, and he continued. "Claire, I'm very interested in recruiting you to work for my company - but not in the way you might think. I have a new business opportunity that needs asset managing, and I think you would be perfect for the job. Before you say anything, I understand that you told my recruiter you weren't open to a location change due to an upcoming marriage."

Claire closed her eyes. "That's...correct."

"This particular job would require relocation," Masrani continued, "but I can offer both you and your husband up to $10,000 in moving reimbursements. I can also offer you a 30% salary increase from what you're making at LAVA currently, plus perks. I'm hoping those benefits might be enough to encourage you that the upheaval would be worth it."

Claire opened her mouth but forced herself to close it again before she replied. 30% was almost unheard of. The thought of relocation was...concerning, but what did she have to stay in LA for anymore? A trickle of sweat slipped across her lower back; was she actually considering this?

"I do appreciate the offer, Mr...I mean, Simon," Claire forced out. "Could you...give me a little more information on the job?"

Claire fumbled for her notebook in her purse as Masrani began spouting off information. The job was located in Costa Rica, of all places, on the small, remote Isla Nublar. The site was the current home of a dinosaur-based theme park, which Masrani's corporation was the sole financial owner of. The park had its original beginnings back in the early 1990's.

"Perhaps you've heard of Jurassic Park?" Masrani asked. Claire hadn't, but he didn't give her time to inquire. "The forerunner of the original park on the island was John Hammond, my predecessor. Hammond was the patriarch of a bioengineering firm that decided to dabble in the family entertainment industry."

"Bioengineering?" Claire echoed, putting two and two together. "You don't mean..."

"Cloning dinosaurs, yes, that's exactly what I mean," Masrani continued. "Hammond's revolutionary ideas met an unfortunate end rather quickly, and the park was never opened. It's been twenty years since Jurassic Park, and I intend to pick up where Hammond left off. That's where you come in, Claire."

"I...I don't understand, Mr. Masrani," Claire stammered. "I don't have any experience with theme parks or bioengineering."

"But you do have experience raising venture capital," Masrani said. "I have the basics in place to make Jurassic World a prime attraction. What I don't have is a showstopper. Something that will attract visitors from around the world - something that will convince middle-class families that the cost and time of travelling to South America is worth it. I have money, Claire - quite a lot of it. What I need are sponsors that will back me both corporately and promotionally."

Despite her better judgment, Claire felt a spark of anticipation deep in the pit of her stomach. If there was anything she was good at, it was talking. Her father used to say she could talk her way both into and out of anything she wanted - and if she played her cards right, that ability would get her anywhere in the world.

"It's a lot to take in," Masrani continued when she was silent for several seconds. "I'd like to meet you for a formal interview, Claire - I'll be in Los Angeles next week. Will you agree?"

The word no was on the tip of Claire's tongue, but suddenly she could find no good reason to actually say it. "Yes, that sounds fine."

She could almost hear the smile in Masrani's voice. "Wonderful."

They set up a time and a place, and Claire hung up the phone, glancing down at her scattered notes. Jurassic World - Isla Nublar, Costa Rica - asset managing - bioengineering - dinosaurs?

Her mind aflutter, Claire drove down the street and stopped at the nearest restaurant - a dismally empty Burger King - and ordered a cup of coffee. She scooted into a booth in the corner (after wiping down the seat and table with a napkin) and pulled out her notebook again to make a list.

1. Go home.

2. Take a shower - cry.

Claire stared at the first two items on her list for a moment before nodding and moving on.

3. Take inventory.

If Claire was going to honestly consider moving to Costa Rica, she needed to take a serious look at what she was willing to give up. Admittedly, she didn't have many close friends in Los Angeles, and now she didn't have a fiancé, either. The lease on her apartment was conveniently up the following month.

4. Weigh pros and cons.

On one hand, there was nothing tying her to LA anymore. On the other hand, she was making a huge life change, which she hated.

5. Meet with Masrani.

As enigmatic as he'd sounded on the phone, he had to at least formally offer her the job. But Claire felt pretty confident, considering his efforts in getting in contact and the praise he'd bestowed on her.

6. Put in two week notice.

This one made her just a little sad. Claire loved her job - she'd been working for LAVA since the day after she'd graduated with her Master's degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and she worked her way up from an assistant in a cubicle to her current corner office. She was proud of what she'd done there...but the thought of moving on felt oddly right. A 30% salary bump didn't hurt, either.

Claire stared at her list a little longer before adding one last bullet.

7. Call Karen.

Claire tapped her pen on the table and took a sip of her lukewarm, probably day-old coffee, barely tasting it. She hadn't talked to Claire since their cursory Christmas phone call three months before, right around the time Dustin had proposed. Even in her excitement, it had been a quick phone call, with Claire promising she would try to make time to come back to Illinois to visit before the wedding. She doubted her elder sister would take kindly to the idea of her moving to Costa Rica, but she should understand, right?

Claire finished her coffee and stared out the window into the black night of the deserted town. She had never been a risk-taker, but there was an odd feeling spreading throughout her body that was beginning to itch for something different. The feeling wasn't familiar, and the way it warmed her from the inside out made Claire think that was something in her blood. Something was pulling her towards this job opportunity in Costa Rica - an opportunity that looked insane on paper but felt just right in her gut.

When her paper coffee cup was empty, Claire stood up. She threw the cup away and marched out to her car, determined to get started on her list - one step at a time.