It's been three weeks since the twins have been staying with their father. Alan had called Marcy to find she was in a car crash a few hours after the twins left London. She was in critical condition, but once she was awake the divorce lawyers will be able to get her to sign custody of the twins to Alan. While she is in the coma they will be staying with him either way.
Alan has gotten both children back involved with his work. When they had still been living with him he used to take them to the dig site all the time. Both kids are interested in Paleontology and both still remember every single dinosaur from the jurassic and cretaceous period. Landon's favorite was the Ankylosaurus, while Salem loves the Brachiosaurus. Both amazing vegetarian dinosaurs. If the twins had to pick a favorite carnivorous dinosaur both would say the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
They liked the Velociraptor too, but it wasn't their favorite like it was for their father. At the moment both twins were helping their father uncover one. "This will turn out great." Alan said causing the twins to smile.
"Ya. Too bad we haven't found any t-rexs. Those would be amazing to find." Landon says as he looked around the dig site. Landon was dressed in a white cotton t-shirt, a pair of army green cargo pants, and his boots. He had sunglasses over his blue eyes and a crooked grin on his face as he eyed the student working with Ellie. "After all meat eaters are the best." Landon says as his eyes traveled up the girl's long tanned legs.
"Landon eyes on the dinosaurs not the girls." Salem said making Alan chuckle and Landon roll his eyes. Since getting away from their mother Landon was slowly losing his social awkwardness. He barely had it anymore, but he was still very quiet and nervous. He wasn't as shy as he used to be either. That being most likely because he had to get used to working with strangers for the past three weeks.
"Says the girl who still can't keep her eyes off-
"Landon shut up." Salem said hitting Landon on the head knocking his sunglasses off and almost onto the precious skeleton.
"Salem, Landon, if you two are going to fight then take it away from the skeleton." Alan said just barely catching Landon's sunglasses.
"Sorry dad." Landon said taking the glasses back.
"Sorry daddy." Salem said. Landon eyes met Salem's and he gave her a wicked grin. Salem left eye has healed, but now scarred over. Landon actually liked it, believing it made him look cooler. Salem always made fun of him about that idea. The twins were always in sync with one another and very close, but that didn't stop them from making fun of each other and messing around like regular brothers and sisters.
"This is the first carnivorous juvenile we have found here." This area was a nesting ground for the dinosaurs, but they had so far only found vegetarian dinosaur baby skeletons. This baby raptor was a big find for the group and especially for Alan. The twins couldn't help, but smile at the happiness coming off their father.
"Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, we're ready to try again!" A man called making all three of the Grants look over at him.
"Hmm at least we'll know how great our last name will sound when we become paleontologists." Landon said making his father chuckle.
"Come on you two." Alan said standing up and helping Salem up. Salem was in jean shorts, a white cotton flowy tank top, and her boots. Her hair was pulled back and put through a red baseball cap that she absolutely adores. She loves her hat like Alan loves his. Landon doesn't like hats because it flattens his hair. He prefers to wear his favorite sunglasses instead.
Alan headed down the hill with his twins behind him. Ellie came over and wrapped a red bandana around his neck as he says, "I hate computers." Landon nod in agreement. He got his computer hatred and his 'not machine compatible' status from his father. Salem didn't have a problem with computers and like Ellie she didn't mind them.
The twins met Ellie the day they moved in with their father. They were surprised to hear their father was dating again and were slightly afraid that Ellie would be like their mother, but in fact Ellie was more of a mother than Marcy was. The twins both came to the understanding that Ellie was amazing. She unofficially took the twins in as her own.
"The feelings mutual." Ellie said making Salem laugh and Landon to shake his head.
"Computers are evil." Landond said making the group laugh.
"Come on Lan, let's get this nightmare over with." Alan said as he wrapped an arm around Landon's shoulders making the teen give a small smile. Landon and Salem both had graduated last year due to their late birthdays. Landon's birthday was on Christmas, while Salem's birthday was on Christmas Eve. Salem was born 11:45, while Landon's birthday is midnight over the next day. They already graduated and once summer was over they were going to be going to the same college their father teaches at because they want to stay close to him. Both were following in his footsteps.
The group moved towards the screen as the man fired the rod into the ground. The rod would shoot off and have the radar bounce off the bone, allowing you to know how big around the skeleton is and possible its condition. If it works it will save a lot of time it takes to uncover it without knowing. "How long does it usually take?" Ellie asks the man as the four of them gathered around the screen.
"It should bring an immediate return." The man said and Landon crossed his arms, not liking using computers. Alan glanced at his son and felt the same feeling.
"You shoot the radar into the ground with the rod, and bone bounces the image back." The guy said to the group, but Salem already knew this. "Bounces it back," The man pushed a button and the skeleton appeared. "This new program is incredible. A few more years' development, and we won't even need to dig anymore." Landon pouted.
"But that takes the fun out of it." He said making Ellie and Salem laugh.
"Where's the fun in that?" Alan asks making everyone behind him laugh too.
"It's a little distorted, but I don't think it's the computer." Salem leaned over for a closer look. Landon notice the guy's eyes travel off the computer to below Salem's chest making Landon glare hard at the man and bite his tongue until it bled, not to snap at the man. Landon was okay with his sister liking guys, but he didn't like pervs like that. As if suddenly sensing Landon's anger Alan stepped in between his daughter and the man.
Ellie moved forward too, but she did it to get a better look. "Postmortem contraction of the posterior neck ligaments. Velociraptor?" Ellie questioned as she looked at Alan.
"Good shape too." Alan said nodding. "It's five, six feet high, I'm guessing nine feet long. Look at the extraordinary-" Alan touched the screen making it go all staticy for a minute.
Salem giggled as Landon glared at the machine. "I really hate computers." He said as Alan frowned.
"What'd I do?" He asks making Salem giggle more.
"You touched it." Ellie said and even Landon laughed.
"Hell, they got it in for me." Alan said and Landon laughed.
"Me too." Landon said causing more people to laugh.
Alan smiled at his son and got back to work. "And look at the half-moon shaped bones in the wrist. It's no wonder these guys learned to fly." Alan said, the group behind Alan laughed. Landon glanced over and raised an eyebrow at them. "No, seriously. Well, maybe dinosaurs have more in common with present-day birds than they do with reptiles. Look at the pubic bone, turned backwards, just like a bird. Look at the vertebra, full of air sacs and hollows, just like a bird. And even the word 'raptor' means 'bird of prey'." Alan explained. Landon looked back at the raptor and smirked.
"Common raptors are said to be turkeys now." He said making everyone else laughed.
"That doesn't look very scary." The group turned to see a chubby boy standing there. Landon rolled his eyes as Salem crossed her arms glaring at the boy.
"It would if it was hunting you." Salem said and the boy gave her annoyed look.
"More like a six foot turkey." The boy said to Salem making her red hair almost spark.
"A turkey huh?" His father asked as he step towards the boy. "Okay, try to imagine yourself in the Cretaceous period. You get your first look at this six foot turkey as you enter a clearing. He moves like a bird, lightly bobbing its head. And you keep still because you think that maybe his visual acuity is based on movement, like a t-rex, and he'll lose you if you don't move." Alan said making Landon smirk.
"But no, not a velociraptor." Alan went on to say. "You stare at him, and he just stares right back. And that's where the attack comes. Not from the front, but from the sides." Alan moved his two fingers together make his point. He gets the boy's attention as he stared at Alan now. "From the other two raptors you didn't even know were there. Because Velociraptor's a pack hunter, you see. He uses coordinated attack patterns, and he is out in force today. And he slashes at you with this." Alan pulled out his raptor claw. "A six inch retractable claw, like a razor, on the middle toe. He doesn't bother to bite your jugular like a lion, say. No, no." He put the claw between his fingers making the boy's eyes widen hugely. "He slashes at you here or here." Doing slash marks on the chest and thighs. "Or maybe across the belly, spilling your intestines. The point is, you are alive when they start to eat you. The whole thing takes about 4 seconds." The boy looked ready to cry and the boys found it not funny, but right. The boy ought to learn to respect these deadly animals. "So you know, try to show a little respect." Alan said before walking away, leaving the kid modified.
Landon smirked at the kid and went after his father with Salem and Ellie in tow. Landon caught up with his father as did Salem and Ellie. "Hey, Alan," Ellie said walking beside him now. "If you wanted to scare the kid, you could have pulled a gun on him." She said making Landon laugh.
"Oh come on, Ellie. It was so worth it." Landon said making Ellie shake her head at him.
"As funny as it was, Lan, dad it was still harsh." Salem said.
"Yeah, I know, kids." Alan said shaking his head. "You want one of those?" He asked none of them in particular.
"Yup." Salem said with a dreamy smile. Landon rolled his eyes.
"There's no such thing as prince charming, Sal." She just waved him off.
"I don't want that kid," Ellie laughed. "But a breed of a child, Alan, could be intriguing. I mean, what's so wrong with kids." Ellie said making Landon roll his eyes.
"Oh, Ellie, look." Alan started. "They're noisey-
"Annoying, messy" Landon went on to say.
"Expensive." Alan finished.
"Cheap. Cheap." Ellie said shaking her head.
"They smell." Landon burst into laughter at that one.
"Dad, just stop while you're ahead." Landon chuckled.
"They do not smell!" Ellie said making Salem snap out of her daydream.
"Some of them smell!" Alan said and Salem raised a red eyebrow.
"Give me a break!" Ellie said and Landon chuckled.
"Babies smell." Alan said just as the sound of a helicopter came.
"Come on." Landon said quickly.
"Cover the site!" Ellie shouted as she sprinted to the site.
"Cover the dig!" Alan yelled as he ran to the helicopter pilot demanding for the thing to shut down. "Tell to shut down! Shut down!" Alan yelled, but the pilot just pointed to the trailer. Alan glanced back and forth before running to the trailer.
Landon and Salem managed to cover the dig sites just in time. The twins looked around, but couldn't see their father. The twins quickly hurried and went into the trailer. "Not just for kids-everyone." A strange old man said as the twins walked into the trailer. Alan and Ellie turned upon hearing the door open and close. "Oh hello." The man said and Landon just nod, going back into his shell.
"This is my kids Landon and Salem." Alan said standing up and going to their side.
"Well hello." The man said with a smile. "I'm John Hammond." He said holding out a hand.
"Salem Grant." Salem said as she shook his hand.
"Landon." Landon too shook his hand also.
"Right as I was saying. We're going to open next year. Well, unless the lawyers kill me first. I don't care for lawyers do you?" He asked.
"Never met any." The twins said together as Alan and Ellie nod in agreement.
"Well, I'm afraid I do. There's a particular pebble in my shoe, represents my investors. Says that they insist on outside opinions."
"What kind of opinions?" Ellie asks.
"Well, their kind, not to put too fine a point on it." Hammond said making the twins look at each other. "Your kind." He said to Ellie and Alan. "Let's face it, you two are the top minds in your particular fields. If I could just get you two to sign off on the park you know, give a wee testimonial on the park. I could get back on schedule." He said making Landon cross his arms.
"Why would they care what my father thinks?" Landon asked curious on what this is all about. He gathered that it is some nature park of some sorts, but of what or for what?
"What kind of park is it exactly?" Salem asked.
"It's right up Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler's alley." Hammond said making the twins look at each other. "Look, why don't you four come down for the weekend?" Hammond asked making the twins eyes widen. "I would love the opinion of a paleontologist and a paleobotanist. Plus three teens." The guy said making Landon lookup.
"Three?" He questioned.
"Yes a crazy mathematician's daughter will be coming as well." Hammond said. "I've got a jet standing by at Chateau." Hammond said, but Landon couldn't help, but think of the daughter. Salem rolled her eyes and looked at Hammond.
"We just dug up a new dinosaur." Alan said starting to protest.
Hammond poured himself another glass of champagne. "I'll compensate you by fully funding your dig… for a further three years." He said making their jaws dropped. That was a lot of money.
"So, where's the plain." Ellie said once she snapped out of shock.
"Yeah okay." Alan nod coming out of it as well. Alan looked at Ellie excited as the twins did the same.
"Cheers." Hammond said as they all clicked their glasses together. A trip of a lifetime, was what all of them thought.