~What's a holiday without a little family argument?~
Owen was the first to step out of the car, slightly slipping on a patch of ice in Emma's mothers driveway, catching himself on the cold, silver, car door. Emma let out a giggle as Owen looked at her as if he had just watched his whole life pass before his eyes, breathless and red in the face. "I survived Jurassic World, it doesn't deem fit for me to die cracking my neck on a piece of ice." Owen joked smirking as he shut the car door, then quickly jogging to the other side, carefully avoiding any patches of ice, to help Emma out the car. "Careful." He steadied her as her boots connected to the icy ground, he didn't want Emma to fall flat on her face as he almost did. "I'm fine," She doted, letting go of Owen's sturdy hand. "Even if I were to fall I'm not sure if it'd hurt the baby." Owen rolled his eyes at her naivety.
Emma wasn't the safest person in the world to have a kid, she always believed that she could do the most dangerous tasks and being pregnant wasn't going to stop her which worried Owen. She was also the clumsiest person he ever knew, she once got her hand stuck in the toilet while reaching out of the shower to grab a new bottle of shampoo. The fire department had to be called. If that wasn't reckless he didn't know what was. He gathered the presents from the back of the car, and lead Emma up the snow covered steps of her mothers home. "Emmeline!" Her mothers shriek could be heard throughout the house as they entered, taking off their wet boots in the doorway.
A woman with short white hair bounced into the small hallway leading to the front door, almost dropping her wine glass in the process. Owen stared at Lucy and Emma in admiration as Emma stabilized her mother from falling over in her stupor. "Mom, it's good to see you." Emma caressed her mother, she rocked her a little back and forth. Her mother pushed her aside to grab ahold of Owen, caressing him as well, taking him by surprise. "Lucy." Owen breathed out, smiling satisfied as he wrapped his arms around her. "Oh honey, you know mom will do just fine." She pulled back, grasping at his rosy cheeks, forcing him to smile. He could smell the alcohol on her breath, the weird way she was acting must've been due because of the wine, usually she was never this cordial with him.
"Actually, the word mom means a lot to me." Owen voice started to quiver, Emma crossed over to Lucy, placing a hand on her arm. Lucy was always just too nosy. "Mom." She hissed out in a warning tone, her mother never understood boundaries and she had just crossed a big one. Why would you bring up someone's deceased family members on a family holiday? Who does that? "I'm sorry, dear." She continued to caress his cheek, tears flooding to her eyes as she thought of what it was like to lose her parents. "I didn't mean to upset you." She too knew the pain of loosing both of her parents as Owen did, she feared the day that Emma would know the sadness of loosing her, Bruce, and Alan.
"Come, come. There's lots to do. Lots of family to see again." Lucy hummed out sounding, a little more sober than she was before. "A little more extra family to see this year..." Lucy's voice was frigid when she spoke. Ah yes, she had started to feel out of the loop ever since gaining the knowledge that Alan had another child with another woman. It was a dicey dinner the night they had told her. Lots of screaming from her end.
Lucy ushered the new couple into the kitchen where Alan stood, leaning against the marble kitchen counter with a beer bottle in hand. Owen froze, even though he knew Alan genuinely liked him because of the whole Jurassic World incident, he still found him intimidating. "Owen." He raised his beer to him as Owen nodded in acknowledgement. He held his breath as Alan's gaze lingered on him a little longer than usual, Alan had once scared him as a kid with this fake raptor claw and he looked at him with the same gleam in his eyes.
Next to him was Kate, the newly found daughter, with a slight smirk on her lips. She knew. Emma told Kate everything, in fact they had become quite inseparable since the park. Kate waved to Owen with her pinky finger as her hand was clasped around a wine glass. Owen meekly waved back with an awkward smile upon his face.
Emma paced the room, and wrapped her arms around Alan's waist, hugging him tightly. Emma had missed Alan, she hadn't seen him much since Jurassic World and when she did see him it was mainly about the dig, he was never informal around her at work. "It's good to see you again." Alan greeted, ruffling her hair a little and earning a glare from Emma as she fixed her hair back to its normal position. Alan bent down to pet Roscoe, fluffing his ears as he licked his face.
Emma turned towards Kate and gave her a gruff hug, not as tight as she had at the park but, it was still meaningful. "What is this?" Emma pointed to the wine glass in Kate's hand. Kate swished the pink liquid around before placing the glass to her lips and having a sip. "Moscato." She coughed out. She didn't like the taste of the bitter alcohol. "You're not even old enough to drink." Emma taunted, grabbing the glass out of her hand and twisting out of reach as Kate tried to grab it again. "Give it back. Dad said I could have some."
"Now that's just bad parenting." Emma noted with a side glance at Alan.
"Come on it makes me look sophisticated."
"Oh please! Moscato doesn't make you look sophisticated." Emma scoffed before handing the glass back to Kate, who greedily took it from her hands. Kate took a sip while glaring at Emma, making a disgusted face as she brought the glass down from her lips. Emma snorted at her attempt to be an adult. "You're just jealous because you can't have any for nine months." Kate lowly whispered towards Emma, who hit her in the arm in return.
"What's up nerd?" Emma turned around to see Charlie coming into the kitchen to grab a beer, Christmas sweater, reindeer antlers and all. Charlie wasn't family and neither was Ellie but, they were close family friends and always came to family gatherings. Emma found it a little weird that Ellie still came around even though her and her dad used to be together, she had always secretly hoped that Charlie was her younger brother but, she knew it wasn't true. They were just too different.
Owen eyed the younger man curiously as he beamed at Emma, a certain look of infatuation in his eyes. Owen became a little infuriated with the relationship that Charlie and Emma shared. He made his way cautiously towards Kate and Alan were standing and drinking. Watching Charlie's every move.
Emma smiled widely at the blonde haired twenty one year old, as he sipped on a beer like her father. "Nothing." She playfully punched him in the arm. "Where's your girlfriend, huh? Where's your girlfriend, punk?" Emma teased him over and over again, rapidly hitting him in the arm even though he protested and repeated for her to stop. "God I wish he didn't have one." Kate whispered towards Owen, who lightly smiled at her remark. "She's in the living room!" Charlie playfully shouted before grabbing Emma by her arm and slinging her up over his shoulder causing her to gasp in pain.
This sent Owen into panic mode, he couldn't tell if he wanted to just punch Charlie in the face for hurting both of his babies or if he wanted to give him a warning. Loose all the trust of the Grant-Smith family or give Charlie a chance. "Hey!" Owen shouted, rushing over to them and helping Emma down. "Owen!" Kate reached out to grab him but she was a tad too late. He was ready for a rampage. Owen reached up and grabbed Emma off of Charlie's shoulder. Charlie felt a bit of anger rush up inside him, he was just trying to have fun with her.
"Who's this?" Charlie questioned as Owen bent down to see if Emma was ok as she grasped at her stomach, doubled over in pain. It took her a moment to steady herself, breathing in sharply before returning to her regular posture. She wanted to get mad at Owen for snapping at Charlie but he was just protecting them. God, why'd he have to be a good boyfriend? "This is my boyfriend, Owen." Emma announced, grabbing for Owen's shoulder to steady herself.
She looked up innocently at him, hoping he would stop glaring at Charlie for a moment. Owen nodded towards Charlie, then returned his protective gaze to Emma. "Right, then." Charlie breathed out awkwardly yet irritated at the newcomer. Owen had just snapped at him for no reason, earning his sudden disapproval for the raptor specialist. "Hey, Charlie, maybe you could tell my dad about college over here, eh?" Kate beckoned, grabbing Charlie by the upper arm and trying to pull him away from Owen. "Fine." Charlie huffed out in irritation. He took a large sigh before he went to stand next to Alan and Kate giving Owen a judgmental look.
Emma grabbed onto Owen's large hand, pulling him into the living room where her family was. Owen began dripping in nervousness, he hated family gatherings, especially when he made bad first impressions like he just had with Charlie. She smiled as she saw her small family, her stepdad Bruce sat in a black leather chair next to the Christmas tree talking to her "uncle" Mark while reclining and watching a football game, her mother, "aunt" Ellie and a strange woman sat clustered around an end table, gossiping about something.
"There he is! Isn't he just adorable!" Lucy wailed drunkenly as she saw Emma and Owen enter the room. Owen's cheeks went pink as all the focus of the room centered on him, he looked around nervously at the new faces as well as the familiar. Bruce perking an uninterested eyebrow at the commotion he was causing. Dammit, even if he had been drinking his feelings of disapproval towards Owen didn't dim down. "Yes he is. Hi, I'm Ellie Deglar." Ellie introduced herself as she smiled up at him from where she was sitting.
Ellie recognized Owen as the boy that Alan had once terrified on a dig site, she wanted to point it out but, she felt as though it was rude. She placed a firm hand on the woman next to her. "This is Petunia. Charlie's girlfriend. You've met Charlie, right? Charlie!" Ellie beckoned her son from the kitchen, making Owen flinch at her loud tone. Was everyone here drunk?
Emma squeezed his hand reassuringly, he looked down at her and slightly smiled. Knowing Emma was sober was giant relief to him, he didn't want to get too drunk while being here. "Yes, I-I've met, Charlie." Owen stuttered out as Emma nudged him with her shoulder to go in and sit down. Owen awkwardly stood in the center of the room, gaining everyone's attention as Emma sat beside Petunia, picking up the grey cat perched beside her and placing it on her lap. She tapped the couch seat for Owen to sit down. Owen quickly hustled over to the seat, trying to get out of the attention.
"How's school Emma? Is Professor Arnold treating you well?" Ellie teased, trying to make small talk, as Emma jokingly rolled her eyes thinking of her professor. He had been teaching at the university since 1989 and was now old and pretty much close to death. "The old bat can't see a thing in front of him." Emma stated, earning a laugh from Ellie. "It hasn't changed then." She mumbled to herself as she played with her greying blonde hair as an awkward silence passed the room.
"Where are my manners? Emma, I'll go grab you a glass of wine. Petunia, another?" Lucy hummed out raising up out of her chair, looking towards the end table for empty glasses that needed any refills. Petunia agreed to the wine as Emma sat their shocked at her mother for a moment, she looked to Owen for help, mouth agape. Owen rubbed his hands over his face before raising his arm up towards Lucy. "Mrs. Smith, I'll take one for Emma." Owen offered, clasping his hands together then looking towards the ground like that was a bad idea.
Emma's face was a violently vivid shade of red as she turned to Owen, almost shaking. He had agreed to tell them but, tell them at the right time tonight. Right now wasn't the best time. Lucy perked up a brow at the two, trying to piece together what was going on while Ellie laughed drunkenly. "Shit." Ellie swore under her breath, Mark and Bruce perking up with interest at the situation.
"Mom why don't-" Emma stopped herself, putting her hands up to her lips as she thought of the best way to tell her parents. "Why don't you go get dad? I have something to tell all of you." Ellie burst into a drunken fit of laughter, knowing what was coming. "Oh shit." Was all she could say in between breaths, tears threatening to verge out of of her eyes. Emma looked at her in confusion, she couldn't tell if the tears were happy tears or just tears from laughing too hard.
Ellie latched onto Emma's arm reassuring that they were tears of happiness and that she was just hysterical and drunk about this moment. Emma kept mentally swearing to herself, sometimes letting one slip out under her breath. "Fuck." She whispered. Lucy returned to the room with a wine glass filled almost to the brim for Owen, in the other hand was the straight green wine bottle for her to pour into the empty glasses on the end table.
Kate sauntered out into the living room with a smirk placed upon her lips as she stared over at Owen and Emma. Emma shot her a glare as she leaned against the wall. Alan and Charlie sat on the ground in front of the large coffee table that sat in the middle of the living room. "Emma? Your mother said you have something to say to us all." Alan said, a hint of desperation in his voice, he hoped she wasn't going to say what was going on.
"Right." Emma stated, reaching over Owen and grabbing the remote from the arm rest of Bruce's chair and turning the television off, drawing everyone's attention on her and Owen. "Well," Emma scratched her head trying to think of the best possible way to explain herself. "You see, Owen and I have been through a lot together and we've decided to spend the rest of our lives together. We haven't gotten engaged or anything but, uh, we just know. And well, you see," Ellie went into hysterics, she tried to calm herself down but couldn't.
Lucy sat on the edge of her chair, leaning into what Emma was about to say, Alan eyed both her and Owen suspiciously. "Guys, I'm...we're expecting. I'm pregnant." Lucy stood up and screeched, knocking over what was left over from her wine onto the ground. "I knew it! I knew it! How long?" Lucy pranced over to them, hugging both of them. Owen hadn't had this much affection from an older woman since an elderly lady goosed him at the park. "Three months, mom." Emma shrugged, weakly smiling up at her mothers blue hazy eyes. "Why would you keep something like this from me for so long?" Lucy wailed.
"I just want to say I knew it all along. I was one of the first people Emma told." Kate boasted before taking a sip of her wine. Emma had called it, she knew Kate couldn't help but, brag. "You knew?" Alan's voice sounded decrepit as if it were from another world. Owen peered around her to look at Alan's expression.
It was shocked but as soon as he caught sight of Owen, his gaze turned deadly. "You son of a bitch." Alan cursed to Owen, wanting to wrap his hands around his fat neck. Owen sat back in his original position, eyes widely glued on Lucy in fear of Alan as she wrapped her arms around Emma's head and then his once again. "I'm gonna be a grandma!"
Alan stood up, instantly regretting on the speed he chose to get up. Being old was a pain in the ass. He cracked his back trying to ease the discomfort he caused himself. "Grant family meeting. Kitchen. Now." Alan demanded, pointing towards the kitchen, looking towards Lucy and Emma. Lucy turned around and coldly chuckled, "I'm a Smith, dear." She sloppily adjusted her bearings as she paced the room towards Alan, challenging him. "You used to be a Grant so, kitchen. Now." He hissed pointing towards the door. Used to be, they weren't even married. Lucy begrudgingly sighed and stomped out of the room, grabbing Kate along with her, leaving Alan to glare down at Emma who meekly returned his gaze.
Giving up in the glaring battle, Emma hoisted herself up, looking apologetically down at Owen as she squeezed his hand one last time before letting go. Owen became enraged on the inside, why should Emma have to feel bad about having a baby? They were both adults, they could both make their own choices. This was all his fault. Petunia scooted closer to Owen causing Owen to look over at her in question. "So, I heard you were a raptor trainer." She whispered flirtatiously at him, twirling her hair around her finger. Too young. Owen sighed in frustration, leaning back on the couch. Jesus Christ.
Emma leaned herself against the counter with her mom, watching Alan pace back and forth worried. He always did this when he was angry, he just needed to find the right words before he spouted off. "I've never seen dad so worked up before." Kate blabbered almost flabbergasted at the situation. "You haven't been around dad that much," Emma replied with and eye roll. "He's going to rampage isn't he?" Emma whispered to her mother, they had both been through this before nearly a dozen times. "More than likely." Lucy scoffed, crossing her arms watching as
Alan stood in front of Emma finally gaining a voice. "What is wrong with you? I thought I raised you better. First you're lying about going to grad school, then you trick me onto death island part three, and now you're pregnant with someone who you haven't even begun to knows baby? Emmeline I'm worried for you. You're not even engaged. You haven't been dating him for even a year!" Alan started shouting at Emma, causing her to scrunch her face up with anger.
"Oh please, you and I weren't even dating same for Diane." Lucy stuck up for Emma, pushing Alan's buttons. She knew that Alan was bad at spouting off but, Emma was worse and she couldn't have her stressed if she was with a child. "I didn't even know about her until after the island and, I didn't even know about Kate until last June and, that's not my fault." Alan hissed through his teeth at the woman with greying hair.
Emma felt a pang of sudden pain flood through her chest, even though she couldn't remember a time without Alan in her life she knew the first three years of her life she grew up father-less, then Alan was flaky up until she was seven. He's stayed in her life consistently since then. She looked over at Kate who, she could tell, was conflicting herself and trying to fight back tears. It wasn't her fault that Diane kept him from her.
"Emma, you're not even out of grad school. Owen hasn't found a stable job yet." Alan tried to sympathize with his daughter, he just wanted what was best for her. Why couldn't she realize that? "Yes he has!" Emma shouted at her father, her fists balling up at her sides. Was she really about to rat out her and Owen about taking their jobs back. "Where?" Alan questioned, leaning up against the counter with one hand on his hip. He wanted to catch her in a lie. Emma hesitated at her answer, she knew that he would have a heart attack if he found out Owen was going back to the island and would gladly lock her in a tower if he found out she called Claire back and agreed to go. She hadn't even told Owen that, knowing he'd do the same. Once again the only person that knew was Kate, who shot her a "You-don't-have-to-tell-him" glance.
"It's not important." She tried to change the subject, she didn't have to disclose any information to her father. "No I think it's important, you're having a kid." He argued with her forcing Emma to sigh before looking at her interrogating father.
"What's the point of all of this dad? She's not going to get rid of it. Just let her be." Kate argued with him, standing in front of Emma as somewhat of a protective manner. "Because I need to know if she's going to be taken care of before she brings another life into the world. Emma, does he have a stable job?" Alan dismissed Kate, pointing a finger in irritation at Emma. "It's none of your bus-"
"It's okay, Kate, I'll tell him." Emma stated, while glaring at her father. She couldn't believe she was going to throw themselves under the bus. There was a hesitation. Alan nudged his head, waiting for her answer. "He got his job back at Jurassic World." She sighed under her breath, causing Lucy to gasp at this. Emma knew they'd overreact.
Alan grabbed both of Emma's shoulders trying to look into her blue eyes as seriously as he could. "He's going back to work at that death trap?" Alan asked astonished as Emma slowly nodded her head. Alan bit down on his thumb, deep in thought as he let go of Emma. What would happen to Emma if another incident were to happen and Owen died? She couldn't possibly raise it on her own. "You're letting him go back, while you're here?" Emma crossed her arms lazily, looking towards the floor, continuing to give her father the silent treatment.
It took a while before Alan pieced it together, the way she was acting, the way Kate was acting, the silence. Alan let out a hearty, sarcastic laugh while placing both hands on his hips. "I can't believe it. You're going back too." Alan ran his fingers through his grey hair, trying to calm himself, as Lucy gasped in shock. "Emmeline!" Lucy began to scold, earning an eye roll from her defiant twenty six year old. "You're having your first child, my first grand baby. You are going to be the most careful mother in the world so you're not going to work there. I forbid it." She couldn't believe that Emma was going to put her daughter in danger like this.
"You two need to stop being in this little sibling loop." Alan scolded Kate who in return rolled her eyes. "That doesn't even make sense dad." Kate heatedly spoke, crossing her arms now in irritation. "Yes it does! We're a family." Alan argued, the slight raise of his voice made Roscoe begin yelping. "Technically yeah, but at the same time we're not. Where's my mom in all of this?" Kate countered back, pointing her finger at Alan in an accusing manner.
Alan shook his head from side to side with a groan. "Your mother didn't want to come. She's off in the Bahamas' with Dean." Alan concurred, earning a displeased sigh from Kate. "It's probably because she didn't feel too welcome." Kate retorted as she continued to glare at Alan. "Whelp!" Alan shouted as he stuck an outreached hand pointing at Lucy. "Oh! Excuse me but, I invited both of them with open arms, Alan. Just like I invited Ellie." Lucy yelled at Alan, spilling a little of her wine of the floor while doing so.
Roscoe was going berserk at all the screaming, barking and howling, making Emma's head pound. She grabbed Roscoe by the collar and lead him out the back door of the kitchen, latching the door shut and placing her forehead against the cool wooden frame. Out of the corner of her eye she peered into the living room and gazed at Owen, who was giving her a concerned stare back. She sighed, repeatedly hitting her head against the door to exaggerate the headache of a fight she was going through.
"I've been nothing but nice and nurturing about this whole situation, acting like a mother to Kate while trying to deal with the fact that you cheated on me with her mother all those years ago." Lucy snapped at Alan, embracing Kate while doing so. "You're the one, who's acted heartless this whole time." She pointed at Alan who began rubbing his temples as the argument fest raged on.
"Okay listen!" Alan scolded everyone to try to shut them up. "This isn't about Kate, or Diane, or about you, Lucy, for Christ's sake, it's about Emma. Who's literally going back onto that death trap to try to have a god damn baby." Alan gave way and nodded his head at his eldest, waiting for her reply. There was no way she was going to fuel this rage.
Emma continued to stare down at the pale hard wood floor, she knew having this baby would be hard on her and Owen both but Owen was reaching the end of his prime days and soon Emma would too. She wanted to have one when the time was right, and right now it seemed right, a little rushed but right. "I'm going back just to work in the control center. Owen doesn't know. It pays big bucks and that's all we need right now to care for the baby." Emma explained, slapping her arms to her side in exasperation, looking as if she was going to cry. "It's Owen's home." She sniffed, trying to hold her tears back.
She couldn't help but cry as he parents judged her and the father of her child, she needed the money for their kid and she couldn't just rip away from Owen. Even though she knew Owen was going to be furious when he found out she was going back on the twelfth, she needed to be with him to raise her child. Alan couldn't help but feel pity towards his daughter, all she was trying to do was create a nice life for her and her daughter. He once had to do the same with her, making life altering choices in the process and he would've done the same for Kate if he had known sooner.
Emma was strong, he knew that, and she was stubborn, she got that from him. No amount of persuading could keep her from changing her mind. He couldn't believe that he was going allow this to happen. Alan pursed his lips while looking at her. He took two large strides over to Emma, grasping her by the shoulders, startling her. "I know I can't convince you to stay," He shook his head, trying to hide the fact that he was upset. "So can you promise me you won't do anything stupid?" He questioned, looking down at his daughter, smirking in the process.
Lucy looked at him in utter shock and anger, how could he just approve of something so dangerous? Although he had gone on the island three times, once with Emma and they both survived. Maybe they could be able to survive. Emma was shocked also, she couldn't believe he wasn't going to stop her. Was this a trick. Emma nodded her head slowly at him. "Of course." Kate shook her head in disbelief. "No fucking way."
