For the last hour I have poured myself into the most annoying paper work ever. After 20 pages of legal mumbo jumbo all basically stating if I get eaten then they're not liable I couldn't help but wonder who in the hell wrote this stuff. I tossed the annoyingly smooth writing pen across the table and allowed my head to hit the table. I threw my arms over my head and groaned. The lights in the sickeningly white washed room were the brightest florescent you could imagine giving me a killer migraine. Who was the interior decorator anyways? Why is everything so white!? I pulled my phone from my pocket to see that it was already 11:00 am. I was supposed to be seeing my little beasty and instead I'm signing my soul over to a perfectly starched red head in heels. I heard someone walk in the lounge grab something out of the fridge and sit down across from me. Slowly pulling my arms off of my head, I picked my head up enough to put my arms under my cheek and look at the new comer with my head sitting on my still slightly infected arms.

"Hi." I muttered never lifting my head. I slowly took in the man's appearance. It was an older gentleman. He sat relaxed in his chair eyeing me slightly with a bottle of water held loosely in his grasp. I could see his thick wedding band and the slight tan line under it. He was wearing a short sleeved button up with his badge hanging from his left breast pocket. He smiled lightly at me taking my in with tired, kind eyes. He still had a little sweat on his forehead from being outside. His dark tan contrasted with his silver hair.

"Hi." He laughed after taking in my appearance "I'm Jerry, one of the grounds keepers."

"I'm Raven, Technical security and Microraptor handler." He lifted an eye brow at my response.

"That's a bit of a mouthful, Ms. Raven" He chuckled "I think I like mine better."

"I think I do too." I smirked up from my arms as he let out a loud laugh.

"Not even on the job and you're ready to down grade, eh?" He gestured to my hire on forms.

"If I would have been warned about the hire on forms, I wouldn't have taken the job."

"It's not so bad I promise." He shook his head at me waving for me to give him my binder. I pushed it over to him as I sat up. He glanced through the next several pages before scoffing. "Honestly, I never read any of this when I got hired. Just read over to policies and procedures and called it a day." He pushed the binder back to me "I figure the rest is common sense, we work with dinosaurs, we knew that getting hired, if we get eaten that's on us. They send compensation and condolences to our families, in return we work safe." He shrugged. I liked his logic. "Well, back to work. Have a good day and good luck!" He stood

"You too. Thanks for the advice!" He waved over his shoulder and left. I knew I was going to like it here. I shot through the rest of the forms kind of skimming everything before running out of the room to drop the binder off. Time to get back to my little beasty, I couldn't help the grin growing on my face.

I found myself once again held up on my way to see my beasty, much to my annoyance. Claire's assistant was quick to remind me to see the Doctor. I soon found myself in front of Dr. Wu's office. I knocked firmly receiving the sound of rustling and a 'come in'.

"Ah, Raven, you're late." Dr Wu greeted with a small smile.

"Sadly, I'm still not ready to see him. Claire insists I see Dr. Price for my arms. I was hoping you'd know where she is?" I questioned him crossing my irritated arms.

"Well, I do in fact know how to reach out to her." He began dialing on his phone and put it on speaker while it rang. "Mr. Masrani said he was about two hours out with some arm guards for you anyway-" he was cut off by a woman's voice

"Hello?" She answered

"Dr. Price, wonderful. It's Henry."

"Oh! Dr Wu! What could I help you with?"

"I have a woman here with infected bite marks I was wondering if you had time to look her over?" He eyed my arms as he spoke.

"Of course! I'm actually in the lab right now, I'm in room 3B, send her on over."

"Thank you, Dr. Price." They hung up "3B is out the door to the right, then the next left. It's four doors down on the right."

"Thank you Dr. Wu." I stood nodding my appreciation. He stood and followed me to the door.

"Come back at three and we'll get you back to your little one." He bid me farewell and I made my short journey to 3B. I knocked on the door and waited for a reply. After a moment of no noise I raised my fist to knock again and a petite woman with thick brown glasses and short cropped hair ripped the door open. She glared me down for a moment before guiding me down the hall wordlessly. She pushed open a door and turns to me.

"Hi! I'm Dr. Price. How are you feeling?" She smiled so wide her eyes all but closed throwing me completely off.

"I'm fine, my arms are a little tinder but I expected as much." I held my arms out to show her.

"Boy do they look irritated with you." She laughed, she guided me to a chair then sat in front of me pulling out a kit. She went through the process of cleaning the wounds and rewrapping them. She then handed me a prescription bottle. "One a day for ten days"

"Thanks Doc." I laugh taking the bottle from her "Do you mind if I grab your number? I'm prone to injuries and I'm working with a finicky little brat right now…" I trailed off holding my phone out. She chuckled and entered her number into my phone. "Thanks again." I stood to leave

"Not a problem, feel free to call for any reason, even if your little brat gets sick." She winked causing me to laugh as I left the room. I look at the time and see it's barely 1:30 causing me to groan. I walked to the main strip to grab something quick to eat.

Finally, 2:50 rolled around and I raced into the main building, the elevator opened and I ran for it. Sadly I was not looking where I was going and with a loud "oof" landed square on my butt. I managed to catch myself leaning back on my arms I looked up and a very well built man.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going." I looked up at him looking him over, he was wearing a pair of well fit jeans, a button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a brown vest over top. He was covered in dusty dirt, but he smiled at me sheepishly, offering me his hand.

"No problem, what's got you in such a rush today?" he asks as he pulls me to my feet. I look up into his blue eyes taking in the stubble on his face and tousled hair. He definitely had a boyish charm. I hummed my question still in a slight daze from my run in with the floor. He chuckled running his hand through his hair. "Where were you headed?"

"Little beasty! I've got to go! Sorry!" I shouted having back at him deciding to run up the stairs and forgo the now closed elevator. I never heard him shout for me to wait.

"Dr. Wu." I came bounding into his office panting. "I'm here!"

"Yes, I can see that." He shook his head clasping his hands behind his back; I turn to see another man in the room.

"I apologize, I wasn't aware you had a meeting." I bowed my head slightly before glancing over the new comer. He wore a too tight shirt and a grin like a wolf. "I'll just wait outside."

"No honey, you're fine -in more than one way- I'm leaving." The man winked causing me to back step slightly. "The name's Vic Hoskins" He held his hand out for me.

"Raven." I replied immediately training the mask on my face. I took his hand and shook it firmly a warning hidden in my grip.

"Raven?" He glares slightly hiding it behind another grin never letting go of my hand.

"Yes sir." I smirked refusing to let go first.

"Ahem." Dr. Wu cut in causing Vic to drop my hand. "Raven, let's get you down to your Microraptor." Guiding me out of the room

"They gave you a microraptor? What's wrong sweety? Couldn't play with the big boys?" Vic called after me.

"No darling, I leave the light work to the little boys, I'm just here to pick up their slack." I waved over my shoulder as I walked down the hallway Dr. Wu chuckled at my response.

"You don't seem to like him…" He more so stated than questioned.

"We used to eat people like him for breakfast." I shrugged crossing my arms in defiance.

Dr. Wu handed me thick gloves that cover my hands to my elbows, they looked like dog bite gloves. I glared at the gloves knowing they would restrict all of my movements. He also handed me a Tupperware of food and a bottle of water. I walked into the same room as yesterday glaring at the abundant amount of white. I heard a hiss from behind the open door. I swiftly shut the door and looked at the little one looking defensive and terrified. I pulled the glove on but became frustrated tossing it to the side.

"Are you hungry little one?" I asked him softly offering up my bandaged arm. He opened his mouth to bite me and received a flick to the snout. "Are new really going to do this all over again?" He made a growl "It's me." I whined back at him "I even brought you some meat." I waggled the box at him and he choffed and stepped up onto my arm. "Good little beasty." I giggled at how easily swayed he was. I jumped up on the table like last time and began feeding him. After he was well fed I decided to lay back and pet him. He was purring and nuzzling me.

"Well, I can't keep calling you beasty…" I watched him rise and fall with my chest, he nuzzled the crook of my arm with my tattoo. I began petting behind his head. "Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite." I giggled as he choffed back looking me in the eye. "That one is from the Tell-Tale Heart. You remind me of The Raven though." He ruffled letting out a chirp clicking noise. "No you can't be the raven, I'm Raven." He puffed air at me. "You sir, you can be Erom." He cocked his head to the side. "Like Nevarmore." I propped myself up until I was sitting up. "Raven-" I pointed to myself "Erom" I pointed to him. "Nevarmore." He snapped his mouth around my finger and suckled it watching me carefully. He let out a chirp click of approval after I took my finger away offering him the water bottle back. He cooed as he nuzzled me drinking his water. I put the bottle back down when he was done and got comfortable again. We sat there for hours just talking. I know that sounds crazy but he replied to everything in turn. We talked until he closed his eyes and fell asleep. I watched him fall asleep and the next thing I know, I was sound asleep too.

"Raven!" I heard someone shout startling both Erom and I. He immediately attacked me grabbing my chin causing me to flick his snout forcing back my cry of pain. He studied me slightly before crying out. He was sorry and I knew it. Whoever caused the reaction went to sedate him and I wrapped a protective arm around him blocking their view. Blood dripped from my chin and my arm from him losing his grip and clenching my arm too tight.

"Do not hurt him." I proceed to turn my shoulder in front of him, he buried his head by my throat in fear. "You startled us both, I jumped, it scared him. This was not his fault. You won't punish him for that," I looked Dr. Wu in the eye. He slowly nodded and backed down having his friend put the needle away. I brushed Erom's feathers down and shushed him. He leaned back and studied the wound lightly letting out a sad click. "It's ok." I hushed him lovingly. After a moment I moved off the table and went to put him on his perch so I could leave. He cried loudly and kept gliding to the ground trying to follow me. I had to pick him up and put him back up on the perch. After 4 tries I groaned and brought him with me.

"Raven! What are you thinking?" Dr Wu backed away from me seeing that I brought Erom with me.

"He didn't want me to leave, he's scared in that room." I reply wrapping a protective arm around him as he nuzzles against my chest hiding.

"He's a dinosaur, not a puppy." Dr. Wu replied dead pane

"What do you plan to do with him once he's 100% anyway?" I dodged his accusation

"Put him back in the aviary with the rest of his kind."

"They tried to kill him!" I felt Erom tense because of me so I tried to relax for him. "Did you even try to find out why he was being attacked?"

"He is male and half the size of all of the others. They are all females." Dr Wu sighed

"He is not going back." I shook my head defending Erom by backing up.

"That decision won't be made for at least another week. Let's get him settled for now. I'll talk to Claire about you spending this week with just your little beasty and we'll all sit and have a meeting at the end of the week."

"His name is Erom." I muttered as I began walking him back into the room. Erom cried out in protest and he broke my heart.

As Dr. Wu promised, I spent the whole week with Erom. My whole life surrounded him, his feeding schedule, his checkups, reading up on him, I went right down the rabbit hole but in an entirely different way. I modified the thick brown leather bite gloves by cutting the hands out of them. Now it is a simple brown leather sleeves. My arms were finally starting to heal and my chin just had scabs left. As Promised my things had been brought to little house. I hadn't unpacked, but I dug out my laptop and made sure to bring it to the lab so I could do research. By midweek I had read that Microraptors may have eaten lizards the first time they were on the Earth, so while Erom napped after a good feeding I found myself out in the woods with a little container strapped to my hip. I slowly stalked one of the dirt roads looking for lizards. I became so concentrated on my task I never noticed anyone walk up to me.

"What are you doing?" A man's voice whispered in my ear causing me to jump about a foot in the air landing square on my butt. Looking up I remembered the man I was looking at. He laughed heartedly before offering me his hand. It was the guy from the elevator. I took his hand rubbing my butt.

"We've got to stop meeting this way." I groaned lightly turning back to my task.

"Sorry," He finished laughing letting out one more brief chuckle "So what are you out here doing anyhow?" He asked as I pounced on a lizard.

"Gotcha!" I shouted in victory putting my prize in the container on my hip smiling proudly "Hunting lizards."

"Ok, why?" he raised an eyebrow at me as I stalked into the bushes on my hands and knees.

"I was reading up about Erom and thought maybe he'd like them." I replied distracted.

"Erom?" The guy questioned before chasing something up a tree. "Got him!" He exclaimed hold a fat lizard out to me. I popped my hip out for him to put the lizard in the container.

"He's a little Microraptor in my care. They have him cooped up in a little tiny room, he hates it in there and is bored." I stated my grievances. "I'm Raven, by the way." I turned and held my hand out to the stranger.

"Owen." He replied a little smile growing on his lips as he shook my hand. "So, a Microraptor?"

"Yeah, they're like little raptor birds." I giggled "Only they have four wings and handsome glossy black feathers."

"Is he what got your chin?" he kind of hesitated

"Yeah, it wasn't his fault though. We were taking a nap and Dr. Wu came in and startled us both. I don't blame him, plus he said he was sorry." I dove at another lizard missing. "So what do you do?"

"I work with four beautiful velociraptors." He replied "I suppose I should welcome you to the family." He snatched for another lizard.

"Got one!" We both turned shouting holding the lizard out for the other to see causing us to laugh. After putting them in the container I glanced at the time.

"Erom will be up soon. Thank you so much for your help Owen." I smiled turning to leave

"No problem." He watched me start to run off

"Hey!" I turned still walking backwards "When Erom's feeling better, want to meet him? I'm sure he'll want to thank you." I wiggled the container of lizards

"Of course, you'll have to come meet my girls!" I nodded in response before turning and running back to Erom.