In case you couldn't tell, I'm just uploading the chapters now. I've corrected quite a few things, so you might want to reread them, if not just to get the story back into your head.

The small velociraptor squirmed in Henry Wu's hands. It's head swung back and forth, observing it's new surroundings. Jessica moved forward slowly, smiling down at the raptor. It glanced up at her and squeaked. Wu smiled.

"This is a velociraptor. One of our most famous dinosaurs. They're quite vicious. Not until they get older, of course. It's a female."

Jessica nodded. She realized the table of eggs had only egg shells. Except one. One egg sat unmoving on the edge of the table.

"What about that one?" She asked Wu, pointing to the egg.

Wu glanced over his shoulder. "Possibly an unfertilized egg. Sometimes happens."

A man in a lab coat walked up to Wu and he handed him the raptor. It made a strange clicking sound as the man carried it away. Wu signaled to the egg.

"Come on. It might just be a bit late."

Jessica followed as he led her over to the table. The egg sat very still. She frowned.

"You think nothing is going to hatch out of there?" She asked, glancing up at her uncle.

"Possibly. It's hard to tell right now." Wu responded, reaching to the edge of the table and grabbing some rubber gloves. He handed a pair to her. "Put these on. If it hatches, you'll need them."

Jessica slipped the gloves on and peered down at the egg. Wu watched patiently. The egg shook slightly and Jessica heard Wu gasp. Her breath hitched in her throat.

"Is it hatching?" She asked.

"I think so." He responded, leaning forward.

The egg continued to shake. Small cracks began to appear. Wu took a deep breath. After watching the same movements repeat for a while, a small chunk of the egg raised ever slightly.

"She's pushing it up." Wu said under his breath.

The same chunk of egg raised again, higher this time. Wu reached forward and pulled it off, revealing a small raptor. It's eye squinted against this new light, it's head swerving this way and that. Wu smiled.

"Hello, baby girl." Jessica said, smiling. She leaned forward. "Is this a velociraptor too?"

"Yeah." Wu nodded.

The raptor made a clicking sound. Wu reached forward and removed the raptor from the egg. He held it in his hands, it's back against his hands. It's small tail curled up into the air, it's little feet twitched, and it's arms moved up and down. Wu examined the animal quickly.

"She looks healthy. You want to hold her?" He asked, holding the raptor out towards her.

"Yeah." Jessica took the raptor from him, holding it the same way he had.

It squeaked in her hands at first. It little eyes opened momentarily, then closed for a while more, and then it repeated. It's small nostrils flared, taking in Jessica's scent.

Wu handed Jessica a towel. "Could you wipe her off?"

Jessica nodded. She wiped the red goo off the raptor carefully. It clicked the entire time. It seemed to be the raptor enjoyed being cleaned. Maybe the clicking sound was like a purr.

"Can I name her?" Jessica asked.

Wu shrugged. "You can if you like."

She hesitated. She had to have something unique, something beautiful. This small raptor was one of a kind. These animals had been extinct from millions of years. It had to be amazing. Then she remembered the name she had seen a few times before. She quite liked it. Asteria.

"Asteria, " she said aloud. Wu glanced at her.

The raptor clicked again. She used her thumb to rub under the raptor's chin. It continued it's clicking, it's tail swinging back and forth.

"I think she likes you," Wu said, smiling. "And good name."

"Thanks. You really think she likes me?" Jessica asked cocking her head.

"Yeah. From the look of it, she seems a bit attached to you."

Jessica glanced down. The raptor was pressing it's small head into her thumb, which had stopped rubbing under it's chin. She smiled.

"I guess she does," Jessica glanced back up at Wu.

"I think I'm going to get our veterinarian. I need him to check her over. I'll also have to get our park ranger over here," Wu said, nodding. He turned and walked off towards a group of scientists standing near a desk.

Jessica turned the other way. Dr. Grant and her parents were discussing quietly. Jessica walked briskly over to them, being extra careful to make sure the raptor was comfortable. It clicked in that strange way the entire way. Her parents turned towards her. They seemed surprised to see her holding the raptor.

Dr. Grant grinned. "I see Dr. Wu let you hold the raptor."

"Yeah. She was the last one to hatch. Her name's Asteria," Jessica said, rubbing the raptor's chin with her thumb again. It made a low screeching sound and then returned to it's clicking.

"Ah. They're quite vicious when they get older. We have 6 adults currently. We had 12. The largest came in and killed 6. We haven't had a batch of newborns that have survived in 2 years though," Grant sighed.

"Do you think this one will survive?" Jessica ask, concern tinting her voice.

"Hard to say now. She seems a bit small for her age. And she hatched late. Not by much, but still. Raptors are hard to raise. No one knows how they raised their young. We've been observing them for a while now. We think they might have raised their young until they were mature adults. We're not sure yet," Grant shrugged.

Jessica glanced down at the raptor. It's small tongue forked out and touched her thumb. She giggled.

Her mother frowned. "Honey, Dr. Grant said that...thing...can hurt you."

"She's harmless, Mom. Just look at her," Jessica responded.

Her mother glanced down at the raptor. It's little arms swung in the air. It's long tail swished back and forth. It still made it's little clicking sound. It's jaws stretched in a wide yawn.

"She's tired. She can't do any harm," Jessica said, resuming rubbing the raptor's chin.

"Just be careful," her father said slowly.

"Ok."

The raptor squeaked in her hands. It seemed to be searching for something. It's small head glanced around and it's nostrils flared. It opened it's mouth and made the same screeching sound it had made earlier.

"They should all be destroyed." A man of about 40 strode into the room. He wore a tan shirt and shorts.

"Now, really. What harm can they possibly do?" A man of about the same age asked, walking up to observe the young raptor, who squeaked pitifully in Jessica's arms as the man gave it a firm poke in the leg.

"They can kill. We've already lost-" The other man continued.

"Stop it, Muldoon. Don't try to give us a tainted reputation."

Muldoon snorted. "That's what you're worried about? A tainted reputation? What about people's lives?" He asked.

The man turned to Jessica. "My name's Dr. Harding. I'm the park vet. Muldoon over there is the park ranger. Sorry about the disruption. Nice to meet you." He held his hand out.

Jessica managed to shake it without dropping the raptor. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Jessica."

Harding nodded. "Do you mind if I check her over quickly?" He asked.

"No. Go ahead," she handed the vet the young velociraptor, who squeaked in protest.

Harding quickly checked over the raptor and then handed it back to Jessica. It squeaked and then cuddled into her chest, closing it's eyes and making it's strange clicking sound.

"She seems to like you," Harding commented.

Muldoon growled. "Velociraptors don't like nobody. They're vicious."

Harding snorted. "This one doesn't seem to be causing any harm, Muldoon."

"They might be gentle in the start, but they're deadly at 6 months. You better be careful," he nodded briefly at Jessica and then strolled out of the room.

Harding sighed. "Don't listen to him. He has no clue what he's talking about."

Jessica nodded.

Later, after some more learning, the young velociraptor was sent to an incubator. Jessica asked her parents if they could come see her tomorrow, and they had agreed. Little did she know, this was about to become the bond of a lifetime. A bond so rare and touching, no one would have ever believed it. No one expected it, so when it happened, the whole world stopped and began to question what they really knew.