The Raptor Races

A/N: Take at least 1-2 breaks reading this chapter. It's around 16,000 words.

James raised an eyebrow at the shrill shrieking and yelling going on before Owen immediately left the jeep. Dom flinched at the particularly vicious snarl before he scooted closer to James for some comfort.

Owen waved Elise over before he was met by Barry trotting over as he said, "Fox and Echo are at it again."

Owen sighed in exasperation as he walked over to the gates before opening the cage the held the door to the main paddock. Elise peered over the walls when Owen gave a sharp quick whistle before snapping, "Fox! Echo! Knock that shit off!"

The brawling duo immediately jumped away from each other, and Owen shook his head at the wounds on each of them. He opened the gate to walk inside before looking around.

"Blue?"

The blue scaled Beta poked her head from a pile of ferns to give a chirp. The dry look in her gleaming gold eyes suggested she had enough of the two rivals and decided to let them fight it out. Owen gave Echo and Fox a hard look before the latter ducked her head submissively and retreated into the ferns. Echo gave a proud snort, but Owen sharply said, "I told you to knock it off, Echo. You know better."

The bronze raptor with a permanent sneer on her face, courtesy of Blue, smacked her jaws together before going back to the brush. Blue flipped out of the ferns to eagerly meet her Alphas as she chittered a greeting to them.

Owen allowed himself to smile at his best girl before making a warm trill with the resonating chamber. Blue thrust her head into his shoulder before pausing to smell the new scents on Owen. Elise trilled her greetings, and the rest of the pack emerged looking bright eyed and healthy.

Owen gently stroked Blue, his oldest and most fiery girl who questioned everything he did because she decided that was her calling in life. Blue was a good Beta, but she could be a bully sometimes and bull headed.

Owen chuckled at the emerald scales as he said, "There's my peacekeeper. Decided to take the morning off, Delta?"

Said peacekeeper chirped as she tilted her jaws into the scratching fingers. Delta knew how to calm Blue better than most, but she was closer to Barry than she was Owen. She still respected Owen as the Alpha, but Barry and her were close.

Owen could hear Echo give another warning growl to Fox. Echo was his mellow girl, but she never passed an opportunity to fight. She had once tried taking the Beta position from Blue, but she had lost. She was the one who wasn't afraid of Blue.

Fox was his striped girl who was trying to rise in pack rank, but she preferred action to thinking. She liked to boss, but she was the only one with in the pack with amber eyes; she reminded Owen of a tiger.

A silver head popped from the brush with a chirp, and Owen laughed as he said, "Boo yourself, Ghost."

The silvery raptor bounced over before she decided to nibble at Owen's hair. Ghost was the cuddliest of the group, and she was cuddly when she knew the person. Of all his raptors, Ghost had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to patterns. A simple silver with glowing gold eyes.

She liked to scare anything she could. Animals, pack members, workers. She liked to pop up with a loud chirp before bolting away. She looked and acted like a ghost.

Owen glanced to the side to see Elise chittering with the other two members of the pack. India and Hailey. India was rustier than Echo in color with a constant dry, almost bored, look in her eye. She was the only one with a few scarlet feathers on her head. She was closest to innocent Hailey who liked to goof around most days. Owen found himself struggling to keep her attention, but Hailey listened to Elise.

He glanced behind him to see James leaning on the gate with a grin on his face while Dom peeked around him. Owen turned back to stroke the rainbow of scales before frowning.

He was missing a girl.

A shiver of bushes revealed the bottom of the pack, and Owen always felt his heart break just a little at the sight of scarred scales.

"Charlie, baby, there you are."

The scarred raptor gave a cheery though quiet chirp as she limped to meet Owen. Owen always made the girls come to him, but Charlie struggled to walk around. She was part of his original four, but she had almost been killed after Elise took over during her rampage.

Charlie had been too close to an exploding missile, and she was left half blind with heavy burns on her left side. Owen never thought she would have made it, but she had a strong spirit. Charlie was the only one who didn't race simply because she couldn't do more than a fast limp.

Owen gently stroked her face before allowing Charlie to rest her head on his shoulder as she chittered quietly. Owen had been terrified of the girls rejecting Charlie, but Blue had grown fiercely protective of her. She would get picked on sometimes, but Blue was always first to her defense.

Fox, Ghost, Hailey, and India had once tried to drive her out, but it was Elise who had drilled it into their heads that she stayed. Blue supported Elise more after that. The girls never fought against both their alphas and Beta; Charlie stayed.

"My beautiful girl; how's the leg this morning? Barry said it was bothering you last night."

Charlie chirped again as she leaned her weight on Owen, and he nodded as he said, "We'll get Doc over here to get a look at it."

Owen always adored how Charlie was the one who was usually in the best mood out of his girls. She stayed positive and didn't let her injury hinder her. Owen made sure to never treat Charlie too differently than the others. He would help her when she needed, but he wanted her to have a normal life. He wouldn't let her think her handicap was a hindrance on the pack.

Elise chittered a gentle greeting to the scarred baby, and Charlie gave a happy chitter. Charlie was a happy baby. She was happy to be alive, and she greeted each day with a good attitude.

Of all the things Elise regretted, putting Charlie in harm's way was right at the top.

Charlie never bore her any ill will though.

A small squeal was heard, and Blue immediately snapped her attention to the hatchling waiting by the cage door. Owen rolled his eyes at seeing all the raptors bolt over to the barred door while Dom backed up a few steps before snagging his claws into James' pants. Owen watched his girls before sternly saying, "Behave. Don't. Start. Shit."

He smiled just the slightest when the tails went down at the same time though Blue paused to question that order. She pondered it, weighed the pros and cons, before deciding she would follow that order, but she didn't lower her tail any.

Owen shook his head in amusement, but walked over with his hand on Charlie's back to reassure her that he very much wanted her as part of his pack. Owen didn't need to baby her much, but she needed a lot of reassurance.

Charlie always seemed to appreciate it, and she gently nuzzled Owen while limping over. Owen glanced up to the platform above as he asked, "Did you call Dr. Gerry over to look at Charlie?"

Barry snorted as he leaned on the rails before answering, "I made the appointment last night, Owen."

Owen nodded in approval as he eyed the waving tails before glancing over to see Alice standing tall next to Elise. She seemed curious, but Blue felt the scarlet gaze first. She gave a chirp before trotting over to inspect this larger threat with a critical eye. Blue stood proud and fearless as she seemed to look Alice up and down once before making a sharp bark. Alice seemed surprised at the firm tone, but she chittered back. Elise added her own barks before Blue puffed air through her nose to go back to the chirping hatchling who had an avid audience all his own.

James smiled at his boy before asking Owen, "Are you going to introduce us to the pretty ladies?"

Owen gave a crooked grin as he retorted, "I'm sure Dom will butter them up himself."

Dom gave a chirp before puffing his chest out; he knew he was drop dead gorgeous, and no one could say otherwise. He was a ladies' man through and through. Owen laughed at the adorableness, but he placed a hand on each of the girls as he introduced them.

"Blue is my Beta, and best girl. Delta keeps the peace, Echo tells Blue when she's being a shit, Fox is the oldest of her four siblings, she's bossy, Ghost likes to scare anyone, Hailey gets distracted by anything, and India is the mellowest of the group."

Dom made a throaty chirp as he made a circle before the girls chittered at him, and Owen crossed his arms at them. He didn't have all the sounds memorized, but he knew when he girls were pleased with what they were hearing.

Dom was smooth talking his girls.

Elise snorted when Ghost trilled warmly as she gave her chest a few licks after Dom made a throaty growl at her. Owen raised an eyebrow before glancing at Alice to ask, "Is he always this smooth?"

Alice seemed amused by that, and Owen blinked when his girls continued to give appreciative trills. Barry suddenly laughed, "If Dom continues at this rate, he will be the new Alpha."

"I think he's on his way to being part of the pack…"

James snorted before rubbing Dom's head who leaned on the human. The hatchling found the courage to go up to the bars while the raptors eagerly pressed up to catch a whiff of him. Owen gave a small snort; Dom was acting respectful rather than tackling the noses.

Owen glanced at Elise to ask, "What do you think? He can come in?"

Elise thought about that before chittering to the girls who seemed delighted at that idea. Owen rolled his eyes at his smitten girls before walking past them. He made them back away from the gate before opening the door, and Dom walked in. He sat next to Owen as the door shut, but Blue stood tall and intimidating as she dictated the right to inspect this creature first. The Beta had barely gotten a whiff of him before Dom suddenly rolled on his back with a chirp. Owen raised his eyebrows at how talkative he was, but Blue was clearly liking what she heard.

Blue deemed Dom a welcome guest after he gave a velvety growl, and the other girls tackled the newfound friend. Dom relished someone to chase and tackle. Ghost was his newest friend, but Dom would trot over to Alice every few minutes to tell her how much fun he was having. The hatchling would then get distracted by Ghost making a peep as she popped out of the bushes, and Dom would tackle the raptor.

Owen shook his head while Blue stood next to him. He gently touched her shoulder as he softly said, "We're going to have our hands full for the day, huh?"

Blue chirped before stiffening when Dom caught sight of Charlie resting in a soft fern nest. Owen really hoped Dom wouldn't get rough with her, and he called out, "Dom, that's Charlie; you really need to be gentle with her please."

Dom blinked before he chittered softly with the scarred raptor who replied easily enough. Dom didn't seem to know what to do, but he sat down before chirping. Charlie continued to talk softly; she never could get much volume to her voice after the missile. The hatchling walked around to smell the healed wounds, and Charlie would do her best to keep him in her sight; she got nervous with anyone on her blindside. Only Owen and Blue were allowed to stand there, but Dom showed a gentleness Owen hadn't expected when he softly began to groom the thick scars. Dom began to inspect the nest before he suddenly darted off into the brush. Owen crossed his arms until the white scales reappeared with fluffy ferns in his mouth. Dom bumped into a few things before finally making it over to Charlie, and he dropped the ferns in front of her.

Owen smiled when the hatchling began to tug out old ferns to replace them with the fluffy ones, and Charlie chirped softly. Owen walked over to the two Indominus as Blue trotted over to help the hatchling with the finer details, and Owen smiled at Alice as he said, "You have a really good brother, Alice. I hope he keeps that kindness his whole life. Did you teach him that or has he always been like that?"

Owen turned back when Dom gave another velvety growl, and he expected to see Dom smooth talking Blue.

He smiled when Charlie trilled as she gently groomed her claws. Dom was smooth talking Charlie.

Owen turned back to Alice to wait for his answer; Dom was pretty much a part of this pack now. Owen didn't mind; it was nice to have a guy in the pack.

Alice was happy that Dom was having a good time. She couldn't believe that he was being smooth with the raptors. What a ham. So, this was Elise's pack? Alice thought that it was both interesting and strange. Elise was an Indominus Rex, not a velociraptor. Now, she knew that she had raptor DNA in her, but it seemed weird having such a big creature be in a pack filled with dinosaurs a fraction of her size. Alice was relieved that the raptors accepted them as guests.

Alice thought back to what Elise had told her a little while back. Elise's rampage was driven out of rage and misery. Alice was flabbergasted that such reasons would cause Elise to create such chaos. Alice, when she went on her rampage on Isla Sorna, had one main reason, and that was because some corrupted humans had decided to steal Dom. Alice tore down trees, destroyed a few raptor nests, and killed the humans the kidnapped Dom. Alice vowed to herself never to rage like that again, because she wanted to be a good example around Dom. He was her world and she was his. Dom always imitated Alice's actions. When she hunted, he would copy her stance, her breathing, and her form of attack. Alice had taught Dom so far that humans were a no on the kill list, unless they were threatening you. However, even though Dom was being influenced by Alice, Alice was also being influenced by Dom. Dom helped Alice see how she used to act when she was younger. She was full of energy and was always rowdy. Dom also affected Alice's mood sometimes. If Dom was happy, then Alice was happy.

Alice took the time to look over Elise's pack. There was Blue One, Green One, Bronze One, Younger One, Bossy One, Scary One, Distracted One, and Mellow One. Younger One was injured by a missile, whatever that was, and couldn't run anymore. Alice was proud of her little brother when he brought ferns to Younger One. Owen said that Blue One was his Beta, and she had all right to. She was a fierce leader, yet sometimes she would be arrogant when messing around with her sisters. Green One was his peacekeeper? Shouldn't the Beta be the one who would try and avert any fights amongst the pack? If that's the case, then shouldn't Green One be the Beta? Bronze One fought for Beta position once and it resulted in a crooked jaw. Bronze One, Owen mentioned, never liked backing down from a fight. Bossy One was Bronze One's rival. How could Owen come to his senses to keep velociraptors in order? Scary One liked, well, scaring things. That would become a good thing around Dom, especially since he liked 'Hide-and-Seek.' Distracted One was always being distracted? Doesn't sound like a promising pack member to Alice. Mellow One was the chill one of the pack, and that made Alice like her best.

Alice looked down at Elise's human and thought about his question. It was a bit of both. Alice had taught Dom to be cool around guests, but never really focused on teaching him how to be around ladies. Maybe James taught him that. Alice would talk to James about it later. Alice warbled in response, telling Owen that it was both her and James.

Owen looked over to Elise to translate, and said Indominus dug her talon into the ground and wrote it out.

'JAMES AND ALICE'

"I know James isn't that smooth, but I'll take your word for it," said Owen with a smile.

Alice nodded her head at the human. This human was just as nice as James was. It's no wonder that Elise was such a big hearted creature. With this human caring for her, she would continue being the fun loving hybrid she was.

James had been there for Alice her whole life. From the day Alice hatched, up until now. Alice remembered that James was the first person she saw. She remembered that for the first few weeks, he would visit her every day and hang around her. Throughout the years, Alice started off simply being vigilant of James, being cautious of whatever action he took. But, she grew to love the man and trust him with her life. James was a great human, and she hoped that they would never lose their bond.

Alice looked over at Dom when she saw him looking for Scary One. She was good at hiding around and hen jumping out to scare him. Alice then relaxed a bit and sat on her haunches and let out a low exhale through her nostrils. Dom was good, so Alice was good, too.

James looked over at his amor and smiled at seeing her relax a bit. James turned his attention to the man that worked with Owen, Barry. Barry walked into the paddock and stepped up to Alice and then said with the utmost glee, "This is great! More snowflakes! You two are so beautiful, and the little snowflake is simply an adorable bundle of great joy."

Alice liked the kind words that seeped from this man's mouth. She stared at his smile and found it to be the best smile she had ever seen. It became her favorite smile, even beating James'.

"My name is Barry, I work here with Owen," he said to Alice as he extended a hand.

This human was very fearless. He wasn't in fear of Alice whatsoever, and that made Alice respect the man. She lowered her head and let his hand run gracefully on the snow white scales of her snout. Barry's touch was nice and gentle. Alice could tell that Barry was a strong, loving, and compassionate human. Through his smile and through his touch, Alice had the man figured out. James had taught her that a lot can be said about people through their smiles and touch, and Alice took it to heart.

Alice was starting to like Elise's home and couldn't wait to see more of it. Alice looked over at Dom, who had finally succeeded in tackling Scary One.

Elise crooned softly as she lowered her head to the ground, and Charlie hobbled over. Elise would never forgive herself for what her actions had caused, but Charlie was never angry with her.

Elise wasn't sure if she would ever look Owen in the eye if Charlie had been killed.

The green raptor chittered softly; she was happy to be alive, and she never got left behind.

Owen smiled before glancing over when the trailer began to back up to the gate. This was where the girls lived, but the actual racetrack had been built elsewhere. Owen checked his watch before walking over to the gates to help guide the driver back.

He opened the trailer door before inspecting everything himself. He always tried to do that if he could just in case something was missed. The wood shavings were fresh and clean. Owen was happy with the cleanliness of everything, and he opened the gate before giving a sharp whistle.

"Girls! Let's go!"

He had to snort at how every head perked up with utter delight, and he waited patiently by the door while the raptors bolted over. Owen held his hand out before saying, "Charlie goes first."

It was hard to train the girls to load calmly, but it had paid off eventually. The hardest thing was teaching Blue to load last so she was first to leave. It took a while before the Beta had figured it out, but it worked.

Owen smiled as Charlie gently stepped into the trailer before Echo immediately followed her. Owen walked in to shut the divider behind them just so Charlie wouldn't get pushed around. Echo was also kept separate because she started fights with Fox.

Ghost, India, and Hailey went in next before another divider was shut. Delta, Fox, and Blue loaded last before Dom decided he wanted in on the ride too. Owen almost shut the door on his tail when the hatchling squealed by.

Dom sniffed the wood shavings with interest before tasting a piece and spitting it out. Owen had to laugh as he said, "I doubt those would taste very good, Buddy. You sure you want to ride in the trailer?"

Dom curled his tail as he made a velvety chirp. He was very much sure he wanted to ride in a trailer full of pretty raptors. Owen snorted at the thrilled trills though Blue gave Dom a dry look.

"Alright, Buddy, go easy on them."

Owen chuckled at the chirp, and he looked to Elise as he said, "We're off, Sunshine."

Elise crooned, and Owen added, "Alice, Dom is riding in the trailer with the girls."

Alice could see that much; Dom was all for new things like that. He seemed pretty happy with being with the raptors. He would ride in the trailer.

Elise gently nudged her shoulder before motioning for her to follow the bouncing trailer.

Dom gave delighted squeals the whole way.

Elise always loved the Raptor Races; it was the only attraction that was almost completely hidden in trees or jungle. It was so funny to see new guests' faces as they tried to see the racetrack that they had pictured.

Elise knew what a horse racetrack looked like, and their Raptor Races were not that. It took a long time to get it going. The hardest part was getting security right so guests wouldn't be in danger.

The racetrack itself was enclosed in a large, glass tube as it made a wide circle. In the center was where people could sit or eat while watching the raptors zoom by. It was big enough to give the girls a challenge, but small enough for them to feel up to racing in another hour. They felt like they were running through the jungle, and that was most important.

Owen never forced his girls to race though; if they didn't feel well enough to race, that was up to them. It was the only way he could justify it. His girls were smart enough, and dangerous enough, to cause trouble if they weren't happy.

Most of the time the girls raced because they loved it; they had learned that the top three winners would always get the best cut of meat while the others were given smaller treats for their effort.

Charlie was given her own room where guests could see her so long as they remained quiet and respectful. Owen was actually impressed by how good people could be around his girls. He kept two security guards in Charlie's viewing room, but the worst they had to deal with was a kid crying over how sad he was for Charlie when he learned she couldn't race.

Charlie herself never seemed to mind the comfortable room, and she was quite mellow around the guests. She always had the option to leave if she wanted, but she liked to sleep in the fern nest with the quiet music to play over her.

Elise let out a soft sigh as she and Alice followed the bouncing trailer. Dom thought it was the greatest ride in the world, and Elise could hear guests talking in the street high above the road. It was the way the island was cut. The road leading to the Raptor Races was built in a lower section while the guests could travel there on the street; kind of like a cliff. It made it easier for park vehicles to travel without interfering with where guests walked. Elise could see the street if she wished, but she usually minded her own; guests could see them if they wanted to look over the railing.

Alice seemed content to keep close to the trailer while glancing around, but she didn't seem all that thrilled to hear the guests' constant chattering.

Both Indominus startled at a loud pop before the trailer suddenly rocked. The raptors and Dom gave very unhappy shrieks, and Alice immediately assured Dom when the truck stopped. Elise tilted her head before glancing to the side to see the tire had popped; it wasn't the first time, and she crooned at Owen when he came out with his head shaking.

"I don't know if Scott's driving is getting worse or if the tires are getting cheaper. We just replaced these last month."

Elise sat on her haunches while the raptors snarled at one another. Owen knocked on the door as he said, "Easy girls, easy. You're fine."

Dom gave an unsure chirp, and Alice wanted him out of there so she could check up on him. Elise translated that to Owen, and he pressed his lips before saying, "Alice, I cannot open any of those doors unless I'm loading or unloading the trailer into paddocks. It's against the policies here; Dom is fine."

Alice curled her lip dangerously, but Owen only said, "I promise Dom is fine, Alice; I'd dive in there if I didn't think he was, and the girls love him. They let me know when something is wrong, okay?"

Alice curled her lip higher because she wanted to make sure Dom was fine. Owen wasn't deterred, and he snorted, "Alice, I've seen plenty of teeth in my time. There are only two women who scare me when they bare their teeth. That's the Big Boss, and my mother."

Elise gave her sucked in laugh after Barry began to laugh hard. The rich sound seemed to calm the raptors into talking quietly, and Dom gave a loud chirp before he peeked through the window of the trailer. Owen poked the nose as he asked, "Keeping my girls safe, Dom?"

The hatchling glanced into the trailer to look at everyone before making a trill. Owen laughed, "That's my buddy; I knew I could count on you."

James snorted as he patted Alice's leg.

"Easy, mi amor, everything is fine."

Alice huffed, but she relaxed a little when Dom began to chitter with Delta. Elise crooned comfortingly to her; it was fine.

"Elise!"

Alice jumped at the excited shriek, and she followed Elise's gaze to see a human hatchling bouncing energetically at the railing next to them. Owen snorted, but he said, "Be calm, Elise."

Elise crooned as she rose before chittering to Alice that this was what she lived for. Alice blinked at her in confusion, but Elise walked over to the street that was just at her shoulders when she stood tallest, but she lowered her head to be eye level with the delighted child.

"Elise! I love you!"

Elise crooned softly as the mother smiled at the gentle giant. More enthused kids immediately glued themselves to Elise's face, and she enjoyed it. She turned into a bright array of colors that enticed delighted declarations of their love for her.

"It's another Elise!"

Elise turned her head when one of the kids finally pointed at a very confused Alice, and Owen snorted as he said, "Brace yourself, Alice. Elise's fans are like ten Doms on coffee."

Alice blinked at him, but Elise crooned gently to her. She turned back when one kid became confused.

"Is that Elise or is this Elise?"

The children went quiet at the possibility of cuddling a stranger. Elise's fans were loyal ones; Owen called them her Munchkin Army. The Indominus gave her famous sucked in laugh at the confusion on the faces, but a young teen declared, "This is Elise! She's the only one who can be that awesome!"

James rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "Harsh…"

"It's her Munchkin Army, James; they're loyal little shits."

Elise crooned for the kids to be polite, and a pre-teen asked, "So what's her name? She's a girl right?"

James bet his last dollar that Alice would have lowered her brows if she could have. Owen had to cough to cover his laugh, but Barry comfortingly said, "Do not feel offended, Beautiful. Children ask questions for everything; you are simply new to them."

Alice flicked her tail, but Elise nodded patiently. She was never offended by these questions she had heard several times. Another kid finally said, "Of course she's a girl! Look at how pretty she is!"

"I think she's just as pretty as Elise!"

"I think she's bigger!"

Elise smiled at the bickering children and teens. She gave something of a sheepish smile to Alice; this was probably a bit much for one who wasn't used to a lot of little humans. Elise puffed air onto them to settle them, and an older teen asked, "So what's her name?"

Elise could see the teen had the pamphlet with the Sign Language alphabet in it. Claire had added them in case guests wanted to talk to Elise while she roamed around the park.

The kids always loved to try and guess what she was spelling.

Elise raised her hands to see the eager kids crowding anyone who had the pamphlet; this was her favorite part about talking with humans. They shared these to talk to her; parents held their children closer, siblings forgot to fight, and even strangers would get to know each other.

Elise had once received a letter from a man in Spain who had visited her show. He had her pamphlet and ended up meeting his now wife during the show when he shared it with her. They were having a daughter soon, and they were naming her 'Elise' in her honor.

Elise gently closed her hand into a fist with her short thumb pressed against her index.

"A!"

"Apple!"

"Abigale!"

"Amy!"

Elise snorted quietly as she extended her thumb out while pointing her index up.

"L!"

"Alex!"

"Alma!"

"Who names an Indominus Alma?"

Elise gave her sucked in laugh; she loved children so much. She could feel Alice's bewildered gaze on her back, but she stuck her pinky up as best she could while crossing her thumb over her two fingers.

"I!"

"Alicia!"

"Alina!"

Owen sighed quietly before cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting, "Alice!"

Elise turned to glare at the man, but he shrugged unapologetically before going back to the tire. James started laughing, but Elise nodded at the crowd. A parent finally said, "I know Alice; she's from the other island."

Alice tilted her head, and another teen added, "Yeah, she's got the baby. I think his name is Dom."

A small five year old finally put her hands up as she loudly said, "I want to know how Alice got her name! Elise is named after the pretty piano song. How'd Alice get her name?"

Elise didn't know actually, and she glanced over her shoulder to chitter at the Indominus who had no intent of coming closer. Alice was staying right next to Dom.

Alice blinked at Elise's question. How did she get her name?

James should have figured that this question come up sooner or later. It wasn't every day that Alice was asked about her name's origin. Owen nudged James as he said, "Better go explain now; kids are actually pretty good listeners. I think it'll help them warm up to Alice before the noon show if the info has a chance to circulate."

James nodded as he glanced at Alice to see her still in thought about how her name came to be. The man walked over to Elise's side to look up to the rails full of eager, attentive kids next Elise's head. James couldn't help but put a small smile on his face when he began to explain Alice's name and how it came to be.

"A few days before Alice hatched, I was going through multiple names to give her, but I couldn't settle on one. I had also recently read 'Alice in Wonderland,' and 'Alice through the Looking Glass,' and both stories really stuck out to me. I enjoyed the various movie adaptations when I was a bit younger, and the name really stuck well in my mind. The day that Alice hatched, the only name I could think of was Alice, because on Isla Sorna, she really does live in a Wonderland," said James.

Alice looked at her human and tilted her head slightly. He named her after some character from a book and movies? What was Wonderland? Alice would try to get it out of James later. Alice turned her attention to the children when one of them said, "That's so cool!"

"Say, can we meet Dom?" asked one of the teens.

James glanced back at the jiggling trailer and said, "Uh, Dom isn't...available at the moment. But, you'll be able to meet him later today. Sorry you guys."

Alice felt kind of bad at seeing some of the younger hatchling humans frown at not being able to meet Dom. This was the first time that Alice met human hatchlings, and she was quite surprised when they ran up to Elise and showed her the utmost of love. Alice still couldn't understand how one Indominus can be so famous amongst humans. Alice could tell that Elise loved the hatchlings back as well. Her big heart was still the major factor of why humans love her. Alice stood back with the trailer and James walked back as she continued to simply watch the small humans play a little with Elise. Owen had said that the small ones were like Dom on coffee. But, Owen was wrong. Dom on coffee was something that the world was not ready for. It had been an accident. Dom had gotten a small sip of James' coffee one morning, and all of Isla Sorna was on high alert as the hatchling Indominus ran, hopped, and tackled around like the Flash if she was a football player and a bunny combined. It was something that Alice would rather forget and never tell anyone.

Alice wondered why the kids didn't seem as interested in her right now. She was a surprise to the world, right? These kids were getting the chance to meet her first hand and they weren't using it whatsoever. Alice couldn't believe the minor jealousy she was feeling. She wasn't big around crowds, but James hoped that today would help her get used to crowds. If Alice was the sweetheart that James said she was, then this was her chance to prove it.

Alice decided to try out something new, so she walked over to the flock of kids and then trilled at them with a smile. The kids immediately flocked over to Alice and began to touch all over her face. Alice felt weird at first, but nothing a little friendly competition with Elise could do to help her with being good around other humans besides James. Alice curled her tail around and let a few of the kids crawl onto her face.

"Mommy, take a picture!"

"Hey, Alice, turn your head around for a selfie."

"This is fun!"

Alice felt happy inside knowing that the small ones were satisfied riding her and being around her. Alice turned her head to Elise and then let out a playful, yet partially intimidating croon.

Elise was a little surprised by Alice's change. She expected Alice to open up with time. But, Owen did say that Alice was a sweetheart. What better way to prove herself now. But, now, a little competition had begun. Alice told Elise that she had met her match. Oh boy...

"There's the amor that I know and love!" said James with a smile on his face.

"She like that on Sorna?" asked Barry.

"Yeah. She's a real sweetheart."

"Seems like she's giving Elise a little competition to see who's the better Indominus," said Owen.

"Well, may the best Indominus win."

"Why not wager something?"

The two men looked at Barry and then thought about the man's words carefully. A small bet sounded fun. They hadn't had a bet since they last saw each other in the Navy.

"Sounds interesting," said James.

"What are we wagering?" asked Owen.

"If by the end of the day, kids end up all over Elise more than Alice, then I'll pay you fifty bucks."

"Fifty bucks? Are you the same James from the Navy?"

"Fine. Winner gets a hundred dollars."

"You might as well pay me now then, James."

James rolled his eyes and snorted at the man. There was no way that James could lose, right? Alice was new to the island, meaning that everyone would want to be around her and get to know her more. James basically had the upper hand, but Owen thought otherwise.

Alice liked the children that flocked around her face. She admired them because they had only met her now and yet they showed her love and affection. Alice liked the attention, it soothed her a bit and kept her mind off of being tense and serious. That's why Dom was so crucial to Alice. He soothed her in a way that not even James could.

Dom was having the utmost of good times being stuck in a trailer full of pretty ladies. No one, not even Alice, could ever understand why he was so smooth with them, but he was. Perhaps Dom learned something from one of the Velociraptors from Sorna. Dom was such a ladies' man, a smooth criminal. How? He was so young! Maybe Dom was just that good.

Elise watched Alice with intent and slight confusion. Why would Alice tell Elise that she had met her match? Elise then began to understand what the slightly larger Indominus meant and stepped forward and changed an array of colors, making the kids flock over to her. A few stayed over with Alice, mostly because they were on her face and they didn't exactly know how to get down after she lifted it to stare at Elise. Alice lowered her face and let the rest of the kids get off. Alice stared back at Elise and the kids with determination. A small battle had begun between two of the fiercest predators on the planet.

"Seems like I've got the money in the bag," said Owen.

"Whatever, Owen," began James, "it's still early in the day."

"We'll see, James."

Alice then decided that the best way to get everyone's utmost and undivided attention, was at the one place where humans went to watch Elise flaunt her scales and show them how smart she was: Elise's noontime show.

Elise snorted; she had never thought of this as a competition, but the raptor in her demanded she compete if she was challenged. She loved her Munchkin Army, but she had to work to get them. Alice was in for a surprise if she thought being new would earn her all the children's favor.

But a part of Elise was thrilled at seeing Alice so gentle around children. Elise didn't think it would have ended well if Alice had gotten rough with them. Parents wouldn't have been happy, but Elise was happy it had gone over well.

She felt she had won this round, but she had a feeling Alice teamed up with Dom would be unbeatable.

Or Dom would be himself and steal the entire crowd for himself while Alice and Elise were left in the corner. Elise bet her best cut of beef that would happen; Dom was going to win. He was adorably cute.

Elise caught Alice's look before chittering that to her. The larger Indominus blinked before glancing at the trailer, and quietly agreeing with her. Elise gave another sucked in laugh, but she paused when a kid leaned on the rails to ask, "Elise, are you happy to meet Alice and Dom?"

Elise immediately nodded, and the kid smiled as she asked, "Are they going to live here?"

The scarred Indominus shook her head before blinking at the saddened look.

"But…you'll be the only Indominus here then. I don't want you to be alone anymore."

Elise was warmed by that, and she signed Rexy's name. She wasn't alone; she had a pack, her mother, and Owen. They weren't her species, but Elise was neither alone or lonely most days. There were some days she had been sad at being the only of her kind, but Alice and Dom existed. She wasn't the only one; that was enough for her.

They glanced up when the speakers announced the Raptor Races would start soon, and someone asked, "Are you going to the races?"

Elise nodded, and the crowd waved farewell before dispersing in that direction. Elise accepted her kisses before smiling at children demanding Alice lower her head to receive the same love. She was Elise's friend, she got kisses too.

Alice was good, and children loved that.

Owen, James, and Barry continued to work on the tire while Elise chittered quietly with Alice. She wanted a clean challenge between them and no hard feelings no matter what happened. Alice easily agreed though she felt a little playful.

Elise tilted her head when Alice teased her; Elise would have no chance with Dom on Alice's side. Elise glanced at the trailer before chittering her agreement; it wouldn't even be a fair shot with Dom in the mixture. Alice snorted, but Elise playfully replied that she could convince Dom to go his own way; he could hog all the attention for himself.

Alice pulled her lips up into a fond smile, and Elise let out a relaxed sigh. She was happy with today.

"Elise!"

The crimson eyed Indominus turned to the desperate hiss before blinking at the young man running towards her while trying to look like he was just walking fast. He looked sweaty, and Elise could smell his fear; she was sure Alice could smell the same thing.

The man let out a nervous sigh before saying, "I really need your help, Elise. I-If it's not too much trouble…"

The man blinked at Alice before saying, "Oh my God, this is perfect. You're Alice!"

The Indominus nodded though she wasn't sure what to do with the sweaty human. The man wiped his hands on his pants as he said to Elise, "I really need your help please."

Elise chittered that he just said that, but she would help him. She knew how to get help if she personally couldn't do anything; Security was always nearby to lend a hand to guests. The man took another breath before saying, "My girlfriend is a huge fan of you and Alice. She's an artist and you've really inspired her to stick to what she loves."

Elise knew where this was going, and she shifted excitedly. The man let out a nervous laugh, but he turned slightly serious as he said, "Elise, you really helped her get through her dark days after her mom passed away; she couldn't paint anything until she saw a video of you…turning all those bright colors. She really looks up to you because of how you went through everything you did but gave the world another chance. You'd be amazed at how colorful her paintings turned after seeing you. You're like her role model with how strong you are."

Elise crooned that she was humbled to have helped so much in this woman's life. She would help any way she could, and the man smiled at Alice as he said, "I can't believe I'm actually meeting you, Alice, but my girlfriend loves how you protect Dom so fiercely. It helped her get through the custody case for her little brother because you took on an entire friggin' island! That's amazing!"

Alice tilted her head at the man, but he turned back to Elise as he said, "I know you're really busy, Elise, but I brought my girlfriend here so she could meet you. I really, really want to propose to her, but I need your help. Please, it would mean the world if her role model would be pa-"

Elise gave a delighted trill before he could finish his sentence; she loved helping couples propose. It was the greatest thing in the world right next to scaring Owen. She nodded her head before placing a hand on Alice's shoulder.

They would both help.

Alice blinked, but the man heaved a sigh.

"Oh man, thank you guys so much! I was going to wait until your noon show, but…"

The man bounced on his heels a little as he said, "I'm too nervous to wait…"

Elise could see that much; he would probably work himself into a heart attack if he waited that long. Alice still wasn't sure what was going on, but Elise signed at the man. He let out a breath.

"The plan, right, the plan. Okay; her name is Ashley, and she always wanted a conversation with you. She has the sign alphabet memorized, and I was hoping you could do a sort of charades thing with her."

Elise nodded; she knew what charades was because she had done this one before. But her favorite proposal was pretending to eat the girl before spitting her out in front of her petrified mate. It had been hilarious because the woman had fainted at seeing the ring being offered to her.

The man relaxed a little as he said, "Great, but I want you to make her guess the big question of marrying me. I'll stand a little behind her while she guesses; when she gets it, make her turn around, and I'll already be on my knee with the ring…hopefully she says yes."

Elise snorted; she only helped one proposal where there wasn't an immediate yes because the man had fainted from nervousness. His girlfriend was so confused that Elise laughed until she had to leave.

The man let out another nervous breath before saying, "I got this…"

He then stared at Alice as he admitted, "I actually didn't know that you'd be here this day…"

Elise garbled at the man before shooing him off. She assured him that she knew how to get Alice into the part easy. The man somehow understood that, and he smiled, "Great, thank you, Elise. Really."

Elise shooed him off again, and he took a few steps back as he said, "She's at the restroom right now, I'll go get her."

He wiped his hands again before shakily saying, "I'm so nervous…she's already asked me why I'm so sweaty; I'm terrified she suspects something."

Elise knew the best proposals were the complete surprises because the reactions were amazing. She startled the man by wrapping a hand around him before giving a slobbery lick on him. He looked completely caught off guard until Elise winked, and he said, "Ohh, I get it! Covering the evidence! Brilliant!"

The man immediately trotted back, and Elise sat on her haunches while Alice demanded to know what situation she had been dragged into. She was here to enjoy herself, not be pulled into Elise's job as an Alpha. Elise chittered back easily that this was one of the greatest things to do. They were going to help this man present a shiny rock to his mate in hopes that she would spend the rest of her life with him. Alice tilted her head before asking why a rock. Why not something useful or impressive?

Elise replied that she had no idea, but the reactions were amazing. Humans reacted hilariously; some fainted, laughed, but most cried tears of joy. Elise asked if Alice liked to surprise humans, and the latter nodded; she loved to 'surprise' James. Elise chittered that this human was going to be very surprised.

This was a happy thing they would be helping with, and these humans would never forget their kindness. Alice tilted her head, and Elise paused before explaining.

Through the aftermath of her rampage, she had learned how her actions affected the world. She had scarred this island emotionally and physically, but she had been astounded by the ripples of her actions. Elise added that she had hurt hundreds of people who weren't even on this island because of what she had done. Families who lost loved ones, friends who would never return home, and wounds that would never heal.

All because she had chosen violence.

Alice tilted her head, but Elise gestured to the direction the man went as she continued that good actions were ripples too, but they seemed to be smaller ripples.

Alice dryly retorted that Elise looked into things a little too deeply. She was doing a good deed for strangers; nothing more. It was a kind thing to do, but she was wordy.

Elise puffed air through her nose before spotting a puddle that had filled a hole on the sidewalk; it had already been taped off by Maintenance to be fixed later today. She tugged Alice along a little before gesturing to it. The larger Indominus blinked at it, but Elise chittered to look at the leaf on the side.

Alice didn't really care about the leaf, but Elise hovered her large talon over the center of the puddle before dipping it in. The talon pulled back, and a drop fell before rippling the waters; the leaf moved up and down with the waves. Alice wasn't impressed; she knew that would happen.

Elise leaned close to Alice as she chittered that was what her actions did to the world. No matter where she dipped her talon, her action would always affect the leaf. Whether it was good or bad, big or small, was up to her. Rampaging had been very bad ripples, but helping this man propose would be a good ripple. It would be a small ripple, but a good one.

They would help two humans start their lives together as official mates. That would affect the family, their friends, and children. It would be a story to tell in the future; if the proposal was good enough, it would even make others smile at hearing it.

Alice blinked at it, but she didn't get a chance to reply before the sweaty human returned with his star-struck girlfriend. Elise crooned warmly as the man smiled.

"Ash, this is Elise and Alice."

Alice tilted her head before chittering to Elise that she now didn't know her part in this because of stupid leaf water. That was going to be a nice ripple on whatever they were going to do. Elise lightly poked Alice before giving a challenge; she needed to be on her toes. Good Alphas knew what to do.

Alice snorted at the challenge, but the woman with short brown hair gaped at them in amazement before growing flustered as she said, "Alice, oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm actually meeting you too! You're so beautiful!"

Alice tilted her head; this was the first human to acknowledge her before Elise. Elise nudged her quietly, and Alice chittered her thanks. She liked this human; she would help present the shiny rock.

It better be a big rock.

Ashley turned to Elise as she gave a shy smile, and said, "I'm sure you hear this a lot, Elise, but I really look up to you…"

Elise crooned gently as she puffed air onto Ashley. Alice could see the sweaty human fumbling with something in his pocket, and she assumed it was the rock. Alice quietly chittered a question.

How to start the game he talked about without sounding suspicious. Elise blinked, but Ashley suddenly said, "I hope I'm not asking too much, Elise, but I'm working on my biggest painting yet. It's inspired on how you turn from white to the watercolor rainbow. May I please see it?"

Elise nodded to stall, and she chittered to Alice that the game was to guess the question. Ashley was distracted by the rainbow of colors.

"Jake! Look at how vivid these colors are!"

Jake smiled warmly, and Alice was determined to make Ashley surprised. She chittered to Elise while staring at the woman. Ashley misunderstood, and thought Alice was talking to her.

"I-I…didn't quite catch that, Alice…"

Alice was about to correct before an idea hit her, and she chittered to Elise. Make Ashley guess Alice's question of accepting the sweaty human's desire to be her forever mate.

Elise told Alice that she was a brilliant creature.

Ashley looked unsure, and she asked, "Do you know sign, Alice?"

Allice shook her head, and Elise chittered for Ashley's attention as she raised her hands. The woman bit her lip as she admitted, "I only know the alphabet…"

'G-U-E-S-S'

Ashely blinked, and Jake suggested, "L-Like charades."

Alice gave Jake a look to stay quiet because he was going to give himself away by stuttering. His girlfriend didn't notice, and she brightened.

"I love that game. Okay! How many words?"

Elise splayed her palm as Alice watched with interest. She wanted to know how this game was played.

"Four words."

Elise nodded, and she took her index before drawing a hook in the air with a long tail. Ashely blinked before saying, "A question."

Elise crooned; she loved it when they were good guessers. She remembered one man who had been so god awful at this game that she had simply turned him around to see his girlfriend with the ring.

That one had ended in a yes.

Ashley brightened as she said, "Okay; a four word question that Alice has for me."

Alice nodded happily; this was going very smooth, and she carefully watched Jake to make sure he didn't mess up. He had actually started to sweat more; he was a nervous human indeed, but Ashley didn't seem to notice.

She was in the presence of her idols.

The woman gave a small bounce as she asked, "How?"

Elise shook her head.

"Is?"

Another shake.

"Can?"

Elise knew this was the hardest part, and she shook her head again. Ashley went through the list mentally before asking, "Will?"

Elise crooned excitedly, and Ashley blinked at Alice.

"Will what?"

Elise gently nudged at Alice, and the latter gently pointed at the woman.

"Me?"

Alice shook her head, and she asked, "I?"

They both nodded, and Alice stiffened when Jake gave a wobble. She knew what a fainter looked like; he better not faint or Alice was going to be mad. Elise snorted quietly before touching her claws to her lips as she moved her jaws like she was talking. Ashley blinked, but tried, "Will I speak?"

Elise made a motion that she was close, and the woman watched the mouth move before asking, "Talk? Say?"

The Indominus gave a delighted croon for the correct answer, and Alice eyed the wobbling man with a dangerous glare before turning soft when Ashley smiled at her.

"Okay, will I say…?"

Elise nodded her head once, and Ashley blinked.

"Will I say…yes?"

Alice finally understood how Elise was wording the question, and both Indominus made delighted sounds. Alice praised the Elise for being good at this game. Elise replied that this was a smart human; they normally took longer to get it. They were lucky this time.

Alice snorted, but Ashley looked at her with confusion as she asked, "Will I say yes to what?"

Alice motioned to behind the woman when she saw Jake go down. She thought he was fainting; he could at least present the rock while on the ground. Ashely turned around in confusion before gasping at seeing her boyfriend on his knee with the open box held out to her. Alice was about to chitter at Ashley to raise her standards before saying yes. That was a tiny rock; she could find a better mate.

"Ash, will you-"

"Yes!"

Elise smiled as the woman tackled her love onto the sidewalk before kissing him firmly on the lips. This was a good one, and she wished them many happy days filled with lots of heathy hatchlings. Alice watched Jake put the silver rock on Ashley's finger, and she assumed that meant they were mates now.

They did look very happy, and Alice thought that was most important.

Elise gently nudged her as she directed Alice's attention to the other humans watching. Alice looked at the little rectangle they held in their hands; James called them phones. Elise chittered that now the rest of the world would see how they helped this couple become forever mates. Now they made a lot of humans happy because they liked to see that sort of thing. Alice thought that was nice, but they turned when Owen gave a whistle. It was time to go so they weren't late to the races.

Elise made to leave, and Jake called out, "Thank you guys so much!"

Alice chittered that he was welcome, and Ashley laughed, "You're both so amazing, thank you!"

The duo left the happy couple, and Elise barked that she was happy Alice had come up with the plan so easily. She was smart about it. Alice crooned it was good teamwork, but she wasn't going easy on Elise during their competition.

Elise only flicked her tail on Alice's shoulder; she was confident in her Munchkin Army.


The rest of the ride had been smooth though Dom had decided he wanted out of the trailer first. That hadn't settled well with Blue as she was the one to lead the pack out, but Elise had convinced the Beta to make an exception for the hatchling who didn't know better.

Dom made a mental note to remember that.

The racetrack was large, and Elise could already hear the loud guests in the center of the ring where the food and betting booths were. People could stand next to the glass, sit closer to the center of the ring, or simply watch the large TVs place in different sections; all the racers were fitted with cameras similar to what they had worn during Elise's rampage. There was a lot in the center of the racetrack, but it wasn't crowded; the track had been built to test endurance as well as speed.

The raptors had been unloaded into a smaller paddock that led to Charlie's room and the starting gates. If anyone decided they didn't want to race, they could sit with Charlie.

Elise had her own little bit of road that permitted her to walk around the outside of the racetrack ring in case she was needed to break up a fight. There was also a section inside the ring where she could sit in case the weather wasn't kind. She had a fence between her and guests while being able to see into Charlie's room though there was a ceiling.

It was where she currently sat with Alice though the space was small enough to force the two to sit close. Elise didn't mind, and she rested her head on the shoulders of Alice while yawning. Guests had already flocked over to see both of them, and Alice chittered a question.

Why was she the one closer to the humans?

Elise replied that she was giving her a chance to make a better impression on the guests before they had their grand finale at her show, and she was new. Alice simply snorted, but she glanced into the clear ceiling when Charlie limped into the room. Blue immediately followed to inspect every nook and cranny before jumping high as Dom made his loud entrance. The Beta gave a sharp bark to behave, and Dom flipped onto his back.

Elise chittered for Blue to be gentle, but the raptor snapped that he needed to learn manners before becoming an adult. Alice curled her lip, but Dom chittered quietly to apologize.

Blue only huffed before leaving. Charlie watched her sister leave before making soft barks at the hatchling who replied by sliding into the nest with her. Dom cuddled close to her side as he began to talk her ear off though she didn't seem to mind.

Elise quietly relaxed her head back onto Alice's shoulders as she allowed the soothing sounds of the people talking and being won over by adorable Dom cuddling Charlie to wash over her. Elise was pretty sure she would fall asleep, and she chittered to Alice to take the opportunity for a nap if she wanted.

The races took a little bit to get started.

Alice only shifted as she glanced around to look at the area around her. She glanced down at the fence next to her, and she could lower her head to the guests if she wanted to, but most seemed focused on Dom who finally realized he had another audience.

The hatchling immediately rolled onto the glass until he was on his back and gave an adorable chirp. Alice snorted; Dom was very much so going to win over the hearts of these humans.

She was glad they remained calm though.

Alice thought back to a time when she was young on Isla Sorna, when some people had come over to the island to see her and to see if she was a stable Indominus. Alice wasn't very fond of humans when she was younger. She was always scared of them because she feared that they would hurt her. But, thanks to the help of James, Alice grew to tolerate humans, but, she knew that not all humans were sunshine and rainbows. Alice saw these guests of the park as tolerant people. Small children were more tolerable than adults. Adults had a better understanding of their decisions and knew the complete difference between right and wrong. Children saw the world as a big playground to explore, just like Dom. Dom loved exploring, but he didn't always think about the consequences that would follow of where he would go. Alice remembered the first time that Dom went out into Sobek's territory. It was a terrifying moment. Alice ran over to Sobek's territory and had to stop the Spinosaurus from killing the hatchling. Alice then told Dom to be careful around the island and not to wander off and push anyone's buttons especially Sobek's. Sobek and Alice were friendly to each other now, but Sobek still had to be the cranky dragon that he is to maintain Apex predator status.

Alice let out a sigh as she shifted her gaze to a now sleeping Elise, whose head was resting on Alice's shoulder. Alice was starting to like Elise. She could see now that Elise's big heart was a very good thing. Even if Elise saw the world through the eyes of a child, Alice was surprised by how she's helped people realize the world around them in a different aspect. Elise helped others see through the eyes of an animal, a feat that most people wish they could experience. The world was wild, but it was also very beautiful. It was a kill or be killed world, but it was still nice to see that sometimes, predator and prey would actually get along so well. Like when watching lions cuddle all over humans, or watching Dom tackle James when he saw him. Even watching Elise slobber all over Owen was a sign that both predator and prey could get along rather than strangle each other. Alice knew that Elise knew that the world was crazy, and she respected the fully repented Indominus for her efforts of kindness and maintaining balanced relationships with everyone she came into contact with.

Alice reflected back to when she wasn't such a sweetheart. Alice, in all honesty, used to be an ass to James, and everyone that she came into contact with. Alice didn't like people invading her bubble, and when they did, they got bitten. James however, would always avoid Alice's charges. Alice pushed every animal that she saw around. She squished insects, pushed around handlers, and, whenever she would see a velociraptor, or some other small predator, like a compy, she would either bully it, or beat it up. One day, James decided that he had had enough of it and yelled at Alice in such a stern tone. Alice listened to James the whole time and then took his stern words to heart. Alice had to learn to be nice to those around her, especially the innocent ones. Since then, Alice had to be a sweetheart to everything and everyone.

Alice then snapped from her thoughts when she heard people giving delighted sounds at watching Dom simply being adorable. Alice couldn't believe that her little brother was such a hit with the guests of the park. She knew that she was new to the guests, and there were some flocked at where she was with Elise, but the people were more interested at watching Dom roll around and occasionally chew on his tail. Alice suddenly wished that she could be a ham like Dom. Maybe if she was a hatchling just like he was at the moment, she was sure she would win everyone's hearts, but it seemed like Dom was pulling it off perfectly.

Alice had taught Dom well, and she was proud of what she had helped him accomplish. At first, Dom didn't listen to Alice whatsoever and ran off wherever he felt like, and that agitated Alice to no end. Dom began listening to Alice after her "little" rampage on Sorna. Dom was kidnapped by some bad guys, and did Alice get mad. It was like Alice got possessed and went all out. She destroyed everything that crossed her path. She destroyed the kidnappers' camp, and destroyed their bodies with her teeth. Dom had never seen his sister so mad, but he began to listen to her after that incident. Alice then on began to teach Dom to keep his cool in a bad situation, a slightly hypocritical lesson coming from the one who let out all her rage in an instant. She also taught Dom to be nice around guests, and to not run off. That was Alice's golden rule to Dom. But, Dom would break the rule, and Alice had to scold him a little so that he could stop running off. Alice hoped that Dom wouldn't break that rule while they were here.

Alice began to think about the real precedence at hand. That raptor races. Why did humans get entertainment out of watching animal? What amusement was there when it came to watching a fierce predator run along a track? Alice had heard a few people talking about money. Were people trying to buy the raptors? What on Earth was a bet? All these questions, yet no answers.

Maybe Elise knew what they were, but that Indominus was drop dead asleep right now, and Alice didn't want to disturb her. Maybe she would ask James about it. But, how? Alice had never been able to fully communicate with James. James had thought of an idea. Bringing out laminated letters and have Alice sort them out to form a few words, rather than a full on sentence. Alice thought that it was an interesting idea, but it was one that was never executed.

Alice hated not being able to fully communicate with her human. It frustrated her when she had a question, or was going through a problem, and she tried telling James about it so that he could help her resolve it. James knew how to read Alice a bit through body language and it made Alice happy that James could tell her basic emotions that she was feeling. James was just an awesome human. James always knew how to push Alice's buttons, but he also knew how to calm Alice down. James actually taught Alice English and Spanish. Alice was pretty much bilingual, but she couldn't fully speak whatsoever, so it seemed like a dead language to learn since she couldn't fully utter words.

Alice sighed heavily as she actually felt her body drooping. She was a bit tired and guessed that she could go for a small nap, but she didn't want to take her eyes off of Dom. She glanced at the hatchling one more time and saw that he was still maintaining a growing audience. Dom was fine, so Alice was fine. Alice then closed her eyes and drifted off into a slumber.

Dom chirped again before craning his head to see his big sister and Elise sleeping quietly. He gave a loud chirp; this wasn't the time for sleep! They were having an adventure! Dom wasn't sure what the adventure was at the moment, but he rolled back over to ask the scarred raptor if she knew what was going on. She was nice, and she was happy with life. Dom liked that.

He trotted over to her good side before asking why they were here. The raptor paused before answering that the pack was here to race one another. The one who ran the full circle here got the best tasting meat in the world; it melted in your mouth.

Dom perked up; he liked food. He wanted to taste this amazing meat. He would have to race and win? Dom could do that, but he paused to ask if she had ever won. The raptor replied that she was never the fastest, and she couldn't run anymore, but Blue always shared a little bit if she won.

Dom plopped on his haunches to think for a few seconds before glancing at his sister. She was sleeping; he could run very fast, and he was good at dodging obstacles.

The Indominus hatchling chirped as he made his decision. He would enter this race, win the meat, and share with his new friend since she couldn't race.

Charlie seemed amused by the hatchling, but she directed him to the back room. If Alpha put the collar around his head, he could race with the others.

Dom immediately trotted through the doorway before pausing to watch the human Alpha of this pack slip something onto the blue raptor. James called him Owen so Dom supposed that was his name.

"Alright, Blue; you're good to go, my best girl."

The raptor made a soft sound as she moved aside before Dom realized that Owen would call the girls forward, but they were already in something of a little group to receive the collar. Dom stood next to his silver friend proudly while Owen continued down the line until he got to him. Dom chirped that he wanted to join, and Owen chuckled as he gently rubbed his head. Owen was nice; Dom liked him.

"Hey, Buddy, you keeping Charlie company?"

Dom knew Owen called the scarred one Charlie, and Dom chirped that he was not because he wanted to win the amazing food. Owen chuckled quietly, but Dom snagged his talons carefully onto Owen's pants.

He wanted the collar too…

Owen blinked at him for a few seconds before Dom poked the collar that was for Hailey. Owen finally laughed before calling out, "Hey, Barry, do we have an extra cam?"

Dom glanced to the barred doors to see the one with the rich voice standing there before asking, "Yeah, who broke theirs already?"

"Dom wants one."

Barry raised an eyebrow before smiling while joking, "Does he get to race too?"

Owen chuckled as he took the camera before quietly saying, "I doubt he could keep up, but he can wear the camera while keeping Charlie company."

Dom bristled; this one had no faith in his quickness? He was the very wind! He raced the wind at his other island! He would leave these raptors in his dust and give the meat to his scarred friend. He would prove to Owen he could race!

Owen didn't notice the almost frown on the hatchling's face as he gently said, "Stay still, Buddy; it's going to feel a little weird, but it won't hurt you. If it gets caught on anything, it'll break off. Try not to break it, but I know accidents happen."

Dom chirped back; he did like Owen. Maybe he didn't know he could run fast because he was being very nice to him. Dom would prove he could run with the pack.

Owen rubbed Dom's head once more before giving a whistle to the girls as he said, "Load up, Girls!"

Dom immediately followed the girls when Owen wasn't looking before blinking at the different slots. Where was he supposed to go? The hatchling carefully watched Blue step into the box on the far end while Fox snapped at Echo's tail when the bronze raptor stepped into her own box. Dom chirped at his silver friend for help, and Ghost said to step into the box. When the loud sound was made, the front would open, and they would run to the meat.

Dom thought that was easy enough, and he stepped into the box next to Ghost's; it didn't smell like anyone walked into this one often. Dom just had to wait for the loud sound; he would follow Blue because she seemed to know where to run.

She was a leader.

Owen let out a breath before giving Barry a nod, and Scott turned on his mic before making the starting announcements. Barry was making sure all cameras were functional, and James was next to Owen as he said, "Want to make another bet?"

"Fifty bucks on my best girl, Blue."

James laughed; Owen didn't even have to ask what the bets were for. He had seen the win ratios; Blue was always a favored bet. She usually won; it was always between Blue, Echo, and Fox. The other girls occasionally won, but none were as consistent as the top three.

Barry pulled out a crisp bill as he said, "Twenty on my sweet girl, Delta."

Owen smiled; Barry always bet on Delta because they were close. Delta tried harder when she knew someone had faith in her. Owen placed the fifty on the table, and Scott tossed in twenty five on Fox. Owen grinned at James who tossed in another fifty as he said, "I like the fire in Echo; she's the winner today."

Owen grinned as he eyed the pile of money. Guests could always make their own bets at the other side of the ring, but he made his own bets with his crew.

He usually won.

"Well, boys; I will be taking Claire on a very nice date tonight thanks to you. I'll get a big steak in your honors."

Barry rolled his eyes before saying, "Now I know where Blue gets her arrogance."

"We're the best, Barry."

The man sighed as he showed the cameras to Scott who eyed the screen with a raised brow. "This is correct?"

Barry nodded as he said, "Dom is the eighth camera."

Scott started to make the announcements while the large screens the guests could see what the raptors could. Owen turned to James as he quietly said, "I put a cam on Dom, but he's with Charlie."

"He did not try to race? He's competitive sometimes."

Owen shook his head before going to the side to make sure everything was clear. Maintenance was making a final sweep, and he leaned on the glass while waiting.

Alice cracked open her eyes when she realized things were too quiet. Something was off, and she glanced around while trying to figure out what it was. She turned her gaze to the sleeping Elise still resting her head on her shoulders.

But she wasn't hearing a certain hatchling.

Alice raised her head to look into the room with Younger One, but she didn't see Dom. Alice swallowed as she tried to fight the rising panic. She could see James talking with Barry, but where was Dom?

Alice shifted until Elise woke up, and she chittered quietly; she didn't know where Dom was. Elise immediately shook the sleep from herself before giving quiet barks to Charlie. Alice made a sound until James' attention was grabbed, and he walked over.

"Que pasa, mi amor?"

Alice was once again frustrated by her inability to communicate with James as well as she liked, but she gave a concerned whine before nudging Elise. The Indominus blinked at Charlie's barks before crooning at Owen. He watched her as she signed her question before answering, "He should be in the Unloading Room if he's not with Charlie."

Elise shook her head, and Owen walked back into the room to find it empty. He frowned deeply before coming back out. He glanced at the large screen that held all the camera angles from each raptor. He scanned each of them before realizing number eight had the same view as the others.

Dom was in the starting gate.

A shrill alarm sound as Scott announced, "And they're off with Blue leading strong as always! Echo has taken her second followed by Fox, then Delta, followed by Ghost, followed by our newest addition Dom! Behind him-"

"Dom?!"

Owen ran next to James as they gaped at the screen with Alice and Elise. Owen couldn't believe it.

Dom was racing, and he was keeping up.

This was amazing! Dom had never raced raptors before, but the trail was easy to follow; it was the obstacles in the way that made it hard to deal with. He had to win first, and Dom could easily see he wasn't in first. He was smart though, this was like running away from Alice as fast as possible.

The hatchling dove onto all fours before taking off past Ghost as she made a leap over a log. Dom ran right under it, and allowed his tongue to loll out when he heard her give a startled chirp. Now he had to pass Delta who was just ahead of him. How long was this track? He didn't know, but he had to catch up to Blue; he could even see her at this point.

That wasn't good.

Elise blinked at the screen as Dom caught up to Delta when she decided to scale a fallen log as opposed to running around it. She snorted before poking Owen and signed, 'Thirty on Dom.'

Owen stared at her as he said, "You can't be serious."

Elise nodded; she was dead serious. She didn't care much for dirty paper, but she had her own little collection of it. She didn't normally place bets here, but she would on this one. Barry blinked at her before writing her bet on a sticky note to put it into the pile of money.

"And halfway through the track, Echo has managed to pull a lead over Blue with Fox right on her tail; Dom is catching up followed by Delta!"

James let out a whoop; he was going to win, and Dom was catching up! Owen held his mouth open; there was no way his best girl would fail him at this crucial moment. Elise nudged Alice to enjoy the race because she was going to win all the dirty paper. Alice blinked at her, and Elise chirped that it was how humans acquired what they wanted without fighting; she would buy Dom whatever he wanted if he won the race.

Alice just didn't want Dom to break his neck; especially after watching him make an impressive leap over some thick ferns.

Dom was so close! He could nip Fox's tail if he wanted to; she was right there! He had to pass her up, but it was hard when Blue was next to her; they were hogging the trail. Dom didn't want to risk losing any ground by cutting through the thick brush, but he wasn't going to win anything here.

The hatchling perked up when Blue lowered her head some to shoot ahead of Echo; they had to be getting close to the end. Dom could smell the meat!

The hatchling pushed himself to go faster as Echo refused to give ground to Fox. Dom was right behind them, and soon Echo's nose was by Blue's ribs. They momentarily parted the way, and Dom could see the thick chunk of meat hanging next to two slightly smaller ones.

He had to get the one in the middle!

Dom startled when Fox suddenly bit Echo's shoulder; there wasn't supposed to be fighting.

Owen paused when he heard the furious shriek.

"Oh, no…"

Dom was getting a little scared being this close to the furious raptors. He wanted to get next to Blue; at least he knew she would share with Charlie. She was the Beta, she would make sure he wouldn't get hurt in the fight, right? Elise had said Blue protected her own.

He wanted to be closer to Blue, but these two were in the way.

Echo wouldn't tolerate any nipping, and she lashed her talons out to rake down Fox's side who replied by giving a furious shriek. Blue whipped her head back before chirping in surprise at seeing Dom too close to the rivals.

He was going to get hurt because of these two idiots, and White One had specifically said to watch the hatchling. Blue forgot about the race to give a stern bark to knock it off, but Fox had already lashed her claws out to smack Echo's face. Blue gave a single bark when the bronze raptor knocked into her, and she tripped. Echo fell over Blue before Fox followed with a startled shriek.

Dom heard Blue's firm bark to jump, and he jumped. He surprised at seeing the meat in front of him, and he landed on Fox's back before making another impressive leap forward. He snapped his jaws into the thick chunk of meat as another alarm sounded when the string broke, and Dom immediately bolted to the side as the furious shrieking grew even more livid.

He hid low in the bushes out of fear as Echo and Fox went for each other's throats, and Blue shrieked under them. The Beta lunged out of the way before losing her temper and ramming her skull into Fox's side. The stripped raptor went rolling, and Blue whipped her tail as hard as she could to hit Echo in the face. She had it with these two always bickering. They had put a hatchling in danger and cost her the race.

Dom skittered out to hide behind Blue before jumping when Fox shrieked at him furiously for jumping on her. He ducked down low, but Blue snapped her jaws as she stood taller. The other raptors were finally catching up, and Dom decided girls could be really scary. He wanted his sister, but he stood closer to Blue until she could get here. Echo didn't appreciate being hit, and she lashed her tail as she challenged Blue with a shriek. Fox snarled as she threatened Blue for interfering.

Blue curled her lip high as she hissed at them with claws flexing impressively. She wasn't going to back down; she could take both of them. Echo snapped her jaws before jumping at a shrill, sharp whistle. Dom ducked onto his belly when Owen was suddenly next to Blue with his hands held up to stop Echo and Fox. Dom wasn't sure how Owen could do anything, but he winced at the sharp tone.

"Fox! Echo! I have had it with your shit!"

The raptors growled, and Owen stood taller as he said, "I saw you start that fight, Fox. Stand down."

Blue snapped her jaws, and the two raptors gave lows growls as they slowly backed off. Owen eyed them dangerously, but felt Blue nudge his shoulder.

"I got your back, my best girl."

Blue snorted; she knew that, but she was still mad that she lost her race. She wanted the meat, but Owen gently stroked her neck as he said, "Thanks for protecting Dom, Blue. Here."

The Beta decided she didn't need the meat when she was given two Oreos. She purred happily before glancing down when Dom pawed her leg. He was still on his belly, but he chirped his thanks to her as he ripped off a large chunk of the meat to give to her.

Blue decided Dom could be part of the pack like White One.

Owen smiled at Dom's generosity as he cut the other two chunks of meat of before tossing them to Fox and Echo glowering at one another. He didn't want them to fight, but he was sure they would have to fight it out before they could figure things out.

They growled at one another as they hovered over their meat, but Owen shook his head before tossing smaller chunks to his girls as he praised them. They were content with their treat, and Owen raised an eyebrow when Dom started to trot off with his remaining meat.

The raptors jumped when Fox and Echo went at it again, and Owen sucked in a deep breath to really let them have it. He paused when a shrill roar startled the two apart before Elise suddenly snapped her jaws at the both of them. She snarled furiously before barking and hissing at them. Dom paused to stare at them until a soft chirp grabbed his attention.

Charlie! She had been drawn out by all the fighting, and Dom offered the meat to her because he liked her. He won this for her. Charlie was touched, and she took a chunk for herself before Dom almost swallowed his half.

He wanted Alice to taste this amazing meat too.

Alice was next to Elise, but she gave a concerned croon at seeing her little brother. Dom darted over to her while Elise continued to chew out the two raptors, and he offered her the meat. He chirped that he had lots of fun but admitted he got a little scared at the end. Dom was quick to assure Alice that Blue protected him and to not get mad at Blue or the others.

Alice sighed quietly as she eyed Elise really letting the two raptors have it, but Dom was safe now.

Alice lowered her head and nudged her brother, being very happy that he was safe.

"I'm proud of you mi amor," began James, "you held back a panic and kept your cool."

Alice turned and snorted at her human. Alice promised herself that she would never lash out in a panicked fit. Not after how it all went down on Isla Sorna.

Dom being scared of Bronze One and Sassy One reminded Alice of the biggest repercussions of her rampage. Alice didn't get over her rage right after she found and saved Dom. She got over her rage in a week. But, Alice hated the fact that Dom was literally scared of her for that whole week. Dom had never seen his big sister so enraged, and he was scared that she might hurt him. And he was right. There was one day where Dom was trying to cheer up his sister, only for her to give a powerful shrill roar at him and then snap her jaws an inch away from him. Dom jumped at the action and then ran off to seek comfort in James. Alice hadn't realized what she did, but once she came to her senses and recognized what she did, she hated herself for it. That's why Alice didn't want to go out on another rampage. She feared that she would try to hurt Dom again. Let alone Alice wouldn't want to get enraged here, where there are more beings to hurt.

Alice turned her attention to the raptors, Owen and Elise, who were still going off on them for being arrogant and nearly ruthless. Alice was grateful and appreciated Blue One's protection over Dom. Blue One was a good beta. She could handle the pack.

"Buen hecho mi amor!" James said to Dom as he clapped, "Estoy muy orgulloso de ti!"

Dom trilled at his human for being so happy for him.

Alice let out a content sigh and relaxed more at seeing that everything was still all right.

Alice looked at Elise and then began to wonder how life would have been if Elise was also growing up with them on Sorna. Her rampage wouldn't have happened here on Nublar. Who knows who would have rampaged on Sorna for Dom's kidnapping. Maybe it would have been both of them. That would've simply destroyed the island. Alice liked the idea of Elise living on Sorna and being her sister. On Sorna, she was surrounded by boys, unless it was around another raptor pack, with had an Alpha female. It would be nice to have another girl around, but, beggars can't be choosers. Alice was happy that Elise knew how to be an Alpha and how to manage such an insane velociraptor pack. Alice tried picturing herself as Alpha of one of the raptor packs on Sorna, but, she couldn't. It seemed too strange.

Speaking of Alphas, Alice then thought about how Elise said that Sobek and Alice could possibly be an Alpha pair. But, Alice simply knew that she wasn't fit enough to be an Alpha. She knew however that Sobek was an Alpha. He was the apex predator of Sorna, he was at the top of the food chain, and he was friends with two of the most fierce predators on the planet. Sobek was an nice old dinosaur, but Alice and Dom knew to keep their limits and to keep themselves from pushing the cranky dragon's buttons.

Alice then told herself that she also led a strange life Elise. Elise was in a raptor pack filled with raptors that are nuts, her human was an insanely good Alpha, and her "mother" is a T-Rex. Alice lived with her brother, their human was a kindred spirit filled with love and humility, and their neighbors were nomadic raptor packs and a cranky old dragon. Well, life is strange sometimes...

Elise gave a final puff of air through her nose as Echo and Fox lowered their heads submissively. The two raptors knew better than to anger Elise; they knew how terrifying her temper could be. She would never lose her temper to that point ever again, but she knew how to be fearsome.

Owen shared a glance with Elise before they smiled at each other, and Owen said, "I guess you won the money, Baby Girl."

Elise made a croon as she turned to nuzzle Dom affectionately for doing so well. She knew he could do it, and she promised to get him a nice cut of meat for winning. Dom would never reject a gift, and he chirped as he placed his hands on Elise's nose.

The crimson eyed Indominus turned her gaze to her Beta as she quietly chirped her thanks for watching the little one. Elise knew how competitive Blue could be in these races, and the raptor only replied that she knew she would have won anyway.

Elise snorted before nudging Blue again, and Owen said, "Alright, girls; don't break the cams because you'll have another race in an hour."

He paused to glance at a certain two raptors to make sure they had received the message to behave. Echo and Fox only lowered their tails more before Owen turned to Barry as he asked, "You can take it from here?"

"Of course," Barry replied with a grin as he eyed Blue, "My sweet Blueberry won't let these girls stick one toe out of line."

Blue chirped as she began to groom herself, and Owen chuckled as he led the way out of the ring.

"You girls behave."

Elise gave a final sharp look at the innocent raptors before chirping for the Alice and Dom to follow. The races were over for now, and the girls would be staying here. Dom paused before running back to say his farewell to Charlie, and Elise promised he could see her again if he wanted.

The hatchling felt better at hearing that, and he trotted to catch up with his sister before scrambling up her back. He felt safest on her back, and there was a lot going on around here. He wanted to know where they were going next.

What was going to be their next great adventure?

A/N: Everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Stay tuned for more to come. Please leave reviews!

Thanks!-Turtle Masters of Skullduggery