The happy times are coming to an end. Sad Panda. But I am ready to get to Blue's interactions with Owen and company. He's been gone for over a week, I sure hope Blue doesn't forget about her Alpha!

Anyway, thanks again to the reviewers. I enjoy your comments. Also feel free to let me know if I'm dragging things out too long. I never really know if I cut the chapters up well enough. I want them to be worth the wait and a good read. And now, without further ado, CHAPTER 7:


Their carefree lives in Claire's hometown inevitably had to end. The pair had spent time planning their moves depending on what the military did, and playing with the boys in the winter wonderland.

The snowball fight had been amusing. Owen scored an amazingly timed assault on Claire, ending with a snowball to her face. Her counter attack came with a swift vengeance; she was gunning for his snowy death. Not knowing how she masterminded the betrayal by not one, but both of the boys, he ran for his life away from three expert snowball fighters. San Diego never allowed for this much snow, leaving him the newbie against three veteran mid-westerners.

As the boys' interest in the game ended, Claire and the now covered in snow Owen enjoyed some time alone. It felt weird continuing their nocturnal activities with the boys in the next rooms. So the pair resigned themselves to stealing kisses and affectionate touches whenever the boys were out of sight. The snow fort they had just created allowed for one such rendezvous. Making a mental note that the fun they shared alone might not be worth the sting from his rear end warming up; making love in a snow fort was a rare experience he could simply not pass up - not to mention he enjoyed the snow bunny look Claire had going on with her puffy jacket and matching mittens and hat.

As expected, the call to duty did come in just shy of a full week. A day later Owen and Claire found themselves at the airport once again.

Kneeling down to Gray's eye level, Owen promised to see both boys again. And it was a promise he was going to do everything possible to keep. Now as they sat close together in a comfortable, but serious silence on the plane, they could only enjoy the 'here' and 'now.' The future was too unpredictable.


Barry met the pair as they disembarked the plane in Costa Rica, the temperature felt great after the week away. The private airfield was the exact same as the one they had left, including the black van ready to cart them all off towards the military command area.

"Welcome back," Barry smiled giving Owen a hug and pat on the back, he did the same with Claire. The three made small talk as they drove with the government agent at the wheel. They had to be vigilant to keep their side mission on the down low, thus Owen could not ask his friend for updates on the boat and a few of Claire's added modifications their plans.

The media swarm remained in large numbers, much like the last time they visited the command center in Costa Rica. Somehow they still found new topics to discuss and speculate wildly on... the trustworthiness of some of the 'exclusive' or 'high level sources' seemed questionable in both Claire and Owen's minds. Owen could only sigh as they left the concealment and protection of the van - there was no turning back now. The media increased the volume of questions and started shouting his name from their side of the fence once both he and Claire exited the vehicle.

Several guards stood at attention, keeping the media hounds at bay while officials and military personnel went about their business in the cordoned off area.

Owen and Claire followed Barry as he took them to the mission operation center. Inside the hanger, where survivors from the island had awaited processing, now stood a large map of the island projected on a wall. Information and reports littered the tables and screens of all the electronics in the area. Several large transport vehicles sat in the corners of the hanger, having modifications added to them or loaded with supplies. Sparks from welders flew and the loud clink of metal echoed against the walls and high ceiling. It felt like the inside of a hive with all the commotion and people at work.

Off towards the wall stood a makeshift armory- large bazookas to smaller handguns decorated the shelves next to countless rounds of ammunition. Scattered within the deadly weapons, a few non-lethal taser sticks, and net launchers also took up space.

The sounds of a military drill squad running could be heard in the distance. It all felt so regulated, controlled. It was a feeling that Owen had not missed in the few years since he left the military.

"I guess the vacation is officially over." He frowned taking the tablet Barry handed to him.

"It is simply on hold, my friend." The other man nodded.

"So, looks like the island isn't in too bad of shape." Owen showed Claire the screen with footage of the island from the closed circuit cameras still functioning.

The common areas where the park's visitors would normally occupy remained relatively untouched since the defeat of the Indominus and last of the personnel leaving.

"Do we know how the electric grid is holding?" Claire asked, wondering if the majority of the animals were still confined to their pens and paddocks.

"The main generators remain fully functional, with a few exceptions." Came the voice of the one man none of them really wanted to see. Turning around, she met with the man, still in a black suit and shades. The fake smile was large and condescending on so many levels.

"Why, Agent Matthews, so lovely to see you again." She felt her anger rising at the man before them. To her surprise, Owen's hand rested gently on her arm, silently telling her to watch out for this guy.

"Ms. Dearing. I am quite surprised to see you here. Then again, when my men told me of an added passenger and them being very adamant.. fiery, if you will, about joining our mission… you seemed to fit the description. Welcome back to Costa Rica."

"Yes, well, I figured my in-depth knowledge of the island and its security systems would benefit the team."

"Yes, it just might."

"I'd also like a quick word with you if I may?" Claire gestured to a secluded corner of the hanger. She had a bone to pick with this man.

"Certainly," the agent smiled and followed.

"What is that all about?" Barry asked a similarly confused Owen.

"No clue…"


"Well then, Ms. Dearing. What can I do for you?" He turned around to look at the woman with a stern face. They had walked a ways from the main group so that their converation could not be overheard.

"Agent Matthews, I know you have a job to do." She began looking at the man in what she hoped were his eyes – he was still wearing a pair of sunglasses, so she could not tell if he was looking at her. "But if you ever use me as a blackmail tool or bargaining chip against my loved ones, you will have to wear those ridiculous glasses for other reasons, permanently."

"Oh? A physical threat? This certainly is a bit unexpected from someone like yourself. You of all people should appreciate the subtle art of getting your way... by any means necessary. Your time with Mr. Grady seems to be rubbing off on you." The man smiled, taking off his glasses to look her straight back in the eyes. "Then again, that isn't the only thing he has pressed upon you."

"Excuse me?"

"You were correct in us wiring the plane. The men certainly enjoyed your little shows."

"You sick, son of a bitch." Claire seethed with anger feeling her privacy had been violated with others watching her shared moments with Owen on the plane.

"I would have expected a lady of your caliber to find someone other than that neanderthal as a suitable partner. Desperation and trauma like what you went through are known to cloud judgement. No matter, I just wanted to let you know that I see all Ms. Dearing. So, by all means join your current infatuation in his quest back to the island. You could have simply walked away scot free with his deal. No matter, it really doesn't matter if you join or not. Just remember I am not liable for your life. Now, I really do think you should be brushing up on jungle survival skills instead of voicing empty threats. It would be a much better use of your time."

"I've survived quite a lot Agent. Ever try being a woman in a 'man's world'? I'll be just fine."

"Glad to hear your confidence remains high. You will surely need that."

And with that, the agent nodded and turned away, leaving a speechless Claire wondering exactly what the man meant by 'seeing all.'


Owen stopped in mid-sentence when he noticed Agent Matthews' return to the planning area. Claire stood still over in the area where the two had been talking. Giving the blond agent a scowl, he continued to speak with several members of the 'volunteer' team. They had been working on updating everyone on the locations of those dinosaurs labeled as priority threats.

The tracking device on the T-rex showed the group exactly where she was and had been for the last week. For some reason, they had issues finding Blue's tracer and that made Owen uneasy. It could mean many things - none of which he could find out for another few days.

"We can see Rexy has been staying in a relatively small area. Always heading back to her enclosure." the only female member of the commando team began. Marie Lebens, stood a bit shorter than most of the team, but her athletic frame and record of being a no-nonsense kind of tom boy garnered her respect and equal standing with the other men. Her short frizzy and tightly curled dark hair matched her skin tone perfectly.

"That might mean she is expecting food in her paddock." Owen spoke up. "Once an animal is trained like that, it will take time to break away from the learned behavior."

"We can also see that from time lapsing her tracker, she's been back and forth to the plains area." Lebens continued as she brought up a red line on where the dinosaur had been moving the last few days.

"What is she doing there?" Barry asked rubbing his chin. It was a bit away from the T-Rex's regular home.

"She's scavenging by day, returning to her pen at night it seems," Owen suggested.

"How can you be sure?" Agent Matthews asked looking at the data.

"The Indominus did a number on the Diplodocus population in the plains, near sector five." He replied. "When Claire and I were looking for her nephews, we came across six, maybe more dead."

"So that is her food source?" Matthews looked confused. "Doesn't fit with the widely accepted view of the King of Dinosaurs, does it?"

"Actually, research suggests she was more of a scavenger than a hunter," Owen replied, zooming in on the field from the closest cameras. Sure enough, several of the bodies had been picked at, proving that something large was eating the meat. "Don't get me wrong, she can certainly do both very well, but from her movements, we see that she doesn't need to expend the energy to hunt when there's a meal right there. Anyway, if she returns to her paddock at night, we should be able to contain her by simply shutting the doors. As long as we can get into the command center and the controls are still functioning."

"What about the raptor? She's classified as the next threat." A man in uniform inquired.

"Blue doesn't have to be threat... as long as I get to her before the team does." Owen corrected himself. "I'd be more concerned with the winged ones. I know you've got a perimeter set up to get the ones trying to go long distance off the island… but those things will be the largest hurdle."

"We need to cover the holes in the aviary." Another team member added, agreeing with Owen's assessment.

"We've got a chain-mail-like tarp to fix the breach at the top, the base might be more challenging." The team leader, a decorated veteran spoke up. So far he had been sitting back, watching the interactions of the newest member of the team. The dark haired man, William Anderson, stood at the same height as Barry, but with the muscled frame a bit larger than Owen's.

"We'll need a few helicopters to get it there and secured." Owen nodded while the possibility of using that strong material to contain the bird-like dinosaurs mulled in his brain.

"There should be one functional model left in the island's shed. We are bringing additional supplies on the boat." Anderson handed an inventory list to the ex-Navy man.

Claire slowly, but confidently returned to the group. She needed a few minutes to compose herself. Otherwise, she would throttle the agent for assuming that she didn't know what she was getting into. While she certainly did need to brush up on some basic skills that would assist greatly, she knew how to survive.

Her primary concern on this trip was to make sure that the agent and his men didn't pull a double cross or leave Owen to die.

She stood by Owen's side and listened to the conversation already in progress. Her cool, calm face and body posture told everyone that she was a contributing member of the team, no matter her gender or level of military training.

"From the statements of the last employees in the command center, a locking function has been enacted - both on the physical doors and the majority of the data system. Ms. Dearing, could you explain exactly what that entails?" Matthews asked seeing the unfazed woman at Owen's side.

"I will be able to get us into the command center, there were only two individuals with the master code – myself and Mr. Masrani. I'd like to note that, until I get word from the stakeholders of Jurassic World, that most information remains classified. You understand how that works and while the US government may have the legal right to some items, the confidential information and structure of the company remains intact."

The sharp ring of the Agent's phone stopped him from pushing any further. Instead, he looked at the number and then back to the group.

"Very well Ms. Dearing. Please do stay alive long enough to get us the access we need." Came his curt reply and then he turned and left, answering his phone.

"You ok?" Owen asked quietly, noticing something was up. She looked like her old cold and calculated self - the same woman who had challenged him in the command center, letting him know he was not in control and not needed. It was a brief reminder that the Claire he had been around for the last week seemed much more relaxed and natural.

"I'll be fine." She smiled for him, not wanting to worry him. "So, what did I miss?"

"I'll let Lieutenant Grady brief you, ma'am." Their team leader spoke up. "I also recommend taking her through some drills and essential work with our equipment. I assume that your time out of service hasn't negatively impacted your tactical skill set Lieutenant."

"It's just Owen. I'm ex-Navy, remember?" Owen sounded a little miffed about the use of his old rank by the officer.

"As far as I'm concerned, your actions and record have merited the respect of the rank and then some... even if you have chosen to leave that behind."

"Yeah, whatever." Owen shrugged knowing it was a waste of time to argue with the type of soldier that Anderson was. With a half-hearted salute, he turned and gestured for Claire to join him over near the weapons stash.

After grabbing a few guns and various ammo, Owen led them walked towards the pier. Setting up a few cans along the edge of the dock, he walked back to where Claire waited for him with noise canceling headphones in hand.

"So, you've shot a gun before, up close." He started, "let's see how good at aiming you are from a distance."

He took the headphones and put them over her ears. Handing her the gun after he showed her how to load it and take the safety off, he pointed to the row of targets.

Taking a deep breath, she allowed him to correct her posture and step back. Concentrating on the can ahead of her was not easy with her mind still whirling from all that was happening. Pulling the trigger, the bullet missed its target.

"Right before you fire, take a breath and let out all the rage and emotion. It doesn't matter, when holding a gun, you have to be serious and understand that you intend to kill or injure your target."

He stepped up closer to her and covered her hands with his. Their arms reached out, holding the gun together at arm's length. She could smell his aftershave from this closeness, and it was hard to concentrate.

Damn him, she grumbled in her mind. Focus Claire... I can do this.

"Aim. In, out, fire." He instructed as he inhaled and exhaled. "Ready?" his breath went in, she followed his lead. They both exhaled and with a little nudge, Claire pulled the trigger.

To her amusement, a can bounced and rolled away from its place.

A smile graced her lips as Owen placed a kiss to her shoulder after the round hit its mark.

"Knew you could do it. Now try without me?" He stepped back, not wanting to leave the warmth of her body, but knowing she had to try without his help.
Claire nodded and took aim again. Doing as he instructed, she inhaled, exhaled, and fired.

The can didn't move much, having been grazed and not fully hit by the bullet, but to Claire it was an achievement.

"You'll get it." He encouraged. "Try again."


The pair had spent a good portion of the day working on familiarizing Claire with the various tools they would be using. An important stop came with the the supplies area and getting Claire some good boots and clothes. Claire allowed Owen to comment on her last choice of Dino-fighting footwear as he handed her the black boots worn by pretty much everyone else on the base. He also showed her how to fit extra ammo and supplies in pockets and space in the belt and pants they picked up. He certainly contained a vast amount of knowledge, and for the second time in the last week and some, she could easily see him as a member of the Navy. His slacker attitude took a back seat as he explained to her the use and some tips on the equipment. Out on the trail for her nephews brought about the same level of seriousness. It amazed her how he could easily switch back and forth between the two different styles of being.

By evening, they were too exhausted to do anything but fall into their bunks. The tent they were provided came with two single person cots and not much else. Both remained slightly surprised that they were not sleeping in a larger tent with others, but appreciated the privacy. After pushing the cots together as much as possible, they laid out both facing the canvas roof, listening to the sounds of the nearby water and continued buzz of the compound.

"So we set sail tomorrow?" Claire asked moving her hand so that it found his. Her fingers intertwined with his, enjoying the rough feeling that came with his skin. It felt safe.

"Not much time to get you up to speed with combat…"He replied sleepily. While Claire had been trying to learn as much as possible, he felt like he was being sucked slowly back into the military. Anderson seemed to think he still served and treated him as one would a lower ranking, but still an outstanding officer. It unnerved him how easily he could slip back into that lifestyle, even after it caused him so much pain.

The group found Claire's presence a bit of a mixed bag. It was clear the woman's knowledge of the park, its security and logistical plans brought merit to her participation; however, deep down, no matter how confident or athletic she could be… she was a civilian.

"I'll be fine." She assured him with a squeeze of the hand.

"You're sure you won't change your mind about going? I don't think Anderson and crew will stab me in the back. He seems to actually like me." His voice was grave and tried to keep the fear from showing through. Claire could tell without even looking at him that his real fear was not going back, or encountering the dinosaurs… it was the possibility of her being injured.

"What happens if I stay here, waiting for you… and you never come back?" Her mind envisioned how horrible that thought would be. She finally found someone that made her happy- not matter what Matthews said about her choice to be with him, she knew it was something more than just desparation. Life was so much different in the week since they left Isla Nublar. Granted their feelings might have been heightened by the events that brought them together, but Claire still doubted that they were going to fade.

Sitting safely, forced to watch on a screen again while she knew he was fighting to save his odd choice in a child/pet, and to ensure that the military didn't get their weaponized Dino-materials, would be near impossible. During the raptor offensive, sitting in the truck with her nephews, she had felt worthless. All she could to was touch the screen as he put himself in danger. With her involvement, she knew the possibility of one or both of them not returning from the insane expedition could still happen. However, they would be together.

Owen didn't know how to answer that question. He thought most of the horrors of her injured, running for her life if things got bad, or the worst case, seeing her die. He would probably just end it right there. Trying to follow her into whatever afterlife existed would be better than living knowing he couldn't save her… he wouldn't live like that. Realizing that she couldn't either improved his disposition somewhat.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a stalemate." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, still not looking at her.

"It appears so."

"We're going to have a lot of these, aren't we?"

"Is that going to be a problem?" She asked, wondering just how much she really would be able to compromise on certain things. The same went for him. He loved her, it was clear, but would she eventually ware him down with her stubbornness and need for control?

"Nah, it will make things interesting. Just remember to let me win from time to time, huh?"

"I will try." She replied turning on her side to look at him. His eyes looked tired and still a bit worried. She longed to take that away from him, and yet she could not. "Like you said the other day, it's worth it. You're worth it."

She curled up as close as she could in the awkward bedding arrangement. Owen smiled and rested his head on hers before drifting off to sleep.


Oh the next chapter means DINO-TIME! Super excited and pumped to get the action part of the story going! Stay tuned for the fun! And keep those reviews coming! They do make the bunnies work faster!