Author's Note: Yeah, I know. It's been a literal year almost. I don't expect anyone to read this because of that, I am very sorry. I do hate when people do this. I just kept pushing it off because school started. Again, I am sorry. I hope you enjoy what's to come though.
Rexy threw out his claw and scratched a long diagonal gash into Owen's chest, the blow flung him across the courtyard, a few feet from Claire.
She ran to him. The blood was everywhere. When she reached him she clung to him, lifting him into her lap. Her white skirt, crimson stained.
"Owen? Owen, please, please look at me."
His eyes were fading, but he looked up.
Blood started to come out of the corners of his mouth, he stuttered over it, " I though-" he coughed," thought we were gonna stick together, for- for survival." His eyes went out. The green was shallow, his chest stopped rising.
Claire burst awake, that same dream from three months ago woke her. She was sweating, and her eyes were wide. This time when she usually would've kept herself from reaching for the phone to call him to hear his voice, this time she got up.
She ran down 2 flights of stairs to the fifth floor. Her heart was still beating like it did when she ran from the T-Rex the first time.
I'll just knock and see he's alive, make sure he's alive then I'll go.
She knocked twice.
knock-knock.
Owen heard the sound come from his door. He looked over at the clock it was 2:20 a.m. He was going over mission plans and escape routes because he couldn't sleep. Possibly he couldn't sleep because he was thinking of mission plans and escape routes, either way he was awake.
Owen got up from his table of papers and went to the door.
This was a bad idea, he's alive. He's just asleep. He needs to be asleep they leave in a day. He needs to rest. He's alive. Claire tried reassuring herself.
Claire started to turn away when the door cracked open. She turned back to the door. She let out a visible sigh of relief when she saw Owen.
"Claire? What are you doing up?" Owen said through clear green eyes. At least he wasn't sleeping. She thought.
"I-I had a dream," she said looking at him like he might disappear if she looked away. He saw the glisten in her eyes from when she'd been crying. A look of recognition came over his face. "Come here," Owen said without hesitation opening his arms to her. She went like a magnet. She slipped her arms around his waist holding onto him tightly. Small tears fell down her face. He pulled away enough to reach down and wipe them.
"I'm alive. I'm fine. We're fine" He whispered to her as he bowed his forehead to hers. She breathed in the scent of him: leather, trees, and a subtle sweetness, almost like molasses.
Time passed as he waited for her breathing to slow.
Her arms still wrapped around his back she became acutely aware of the muscles that smoothed and firmed under the softly worn navy T he was wearing as he breathed.
Drawing away, he saw her cheeks turn that faint blush she always got when she was noticed as well the big T-Shirt she was wearing, or more he noticed the pants she wasn't wearing.
Owen couldn't resist. He kissed her quickly. She was initially surprised and made a sound. Just like the first time I kissed her. Owen thought.
He brought his hands from her back and took her face in them, softly moving his thumbs in circles over her cheekbones as he kissed her.
Owen lifted her up from his hands wrapping around her waist, like a fragile doll. She let out a sigh. She wrapped her legs around his midsection as her hair fell around their faces. It had grown out a bit in the last three months. The curls now tickled Owen's neck. He turned them both into his room, closing the door behind them.
Lying her down, he paused as he hovered over her on the bed. He knew she wanted this. He could see it in her dilated eyes, but he couldn't. Yes, he wanted to. He wanted to let his walls that she built brick by brick every day she was gone to come down. He did. But there was too much pain there, not enough recovery.
He stood up. He could see immediately in the crease between her brows that Claire was disappointed.
"What's wrong?" she asked still breathing a bit heavy.
"I'm sorry, Claire. I just- I just-" he looked away, " I need more time," he finished.
She stood up with her calves backed to the bed and her body snug against his. She wrapped her arms around his waist.
"You don't need to apologize for what I did. It's ok," Claire said. Owen turned and hugged her to his chest holding her head at his collar bone.
"Could you stay? I don't want to go there yet, but would you stay," He whispered into her hair.
"I don't think you could make me leave," Claire said.
They unwrapped just long enough to slip under the covers. Owen lied on his back and Claire curled into his side. Like a lock to a key the fell asleep together. The sleep that had escaped them both for so long finally found them again.
In the morning, Claire woke to the feeling of warmth leaving her. When she heard a shower running relief is all she felt. She always had this feeling that he was just about to leave. Thinking about it, it became clear she may have some underlying psychological issues that seem to try to destroy all of her relationships. That would have to wait for another time, it always seemed like it would have to wait.
While she was going on tangents in her head about Freud, Owen came out in just a towel. He was looking around the room not realizing that she was awake. Finally, spotting what he was searching for he made his way across the room so that the light from the open window shined on him as he slipped on his watch. God, he's so beautiful.
"What?" He turned, a bit startled to see her up. Oh my god, I said that out loud.
"Oh, nothing. Just- just do you want to go get coffee?" Clair rushed out.
Looking at her a bit skeptically, he responded, "I would, but I have to go try out the jet packs-"
"Wait, what? I thought that it was a last resort?" she cut in.
"Well yeah, they are, but if no one knows if they work, or how they work that won't be much of a last resort at all," said Owen as he wiggled a shirt on over his head.
"How are you going to test them?" confusion and a bit of something else creeping into her voice.
"Just gonna press the green button, I guess," Owen laughed.
"I'm coming, I know how to fly planes, I am probably the most certified to try a jet pack for the first time," said Claire as she rolled out of bed moving to leave. Claire's dad was a pilot, he taught her to fly when she was 8, but she got a license for it the year after he died when she was 21. She always felt like flying was one way she could still be with him.
"Uh no that's-"
"If I do recall correctly, I am the manager of operations, so you actually don't have a choice?" she quirked an eye at him as made his way over to her, challenging him to argue it.
Backing down, he came up to her, and bending his head so that his lips were hovering in front of hers, "You know , I do believe you may be on a power kick, and if it ends in you getting hurt, I will have to punish you for it." A smile on both their faces, he gave her a short sweet kiss.
"Well, I have a much better chance of staying up right than you, if I recall correctly you're the one withe the broken rib," she said as she picked up a sock that she'd rolled off in the night.
Laughing, he muttered,"Touche" as she walked out. When the door closed he felt the rib, the pain no less than before. He wasn't ready to be with her yet, but he would be lying if the thought of exerting that type of effort on his rib wouldn't be incredibly painful too. It wasn't healing properly, he refused to think what the consequences could be with the mission looming so close.
Later that day, Owen, Claire, and Lowery were standing at the steps of the innovation center.
"Look its the original three, The OG Three, if you will," said Lowery as Claire strapped on the pack.
Owen adjusting it on her shoulders, said "I won't actually."
"Oh do you like three amigos better, or three musketeers," said Lowery.
Rolling her eyes, Claire responded, "You'd think the state of the art jet pack might draw the attention of the tech nerd, but not so."
"I've already deconstructed the whole thing, and put it back together. So I wouldn't say it didn't hold my interest ever, just on to new things, you know, the next horizon, if you will," said Lowery as he looked seriously into the sun only to pinch his eyes down as the light magnified through his glasses.
"Once again, I will not," said Owen completing strapping her pack. "So what's the plan? How are we going to safely test this?"
"Uh, well I hadn't thought of that yet," said Lowery.
"Can think of stupid band names, but can't figure out important plans, noted," said Owen smiling.
"I don't think it'll be too difficult. I'll just lift off a bit and then figure out from there," said Claire as she examined the control panel.
"I don't think it'll be that simple-"
Before Owen could finish the sound of rushing air filled his ears, and Claire was balancing like a super hero above their heads. A smug smile pressing across her face.
"Just press the green button, as you said."
He could only laugh.
Author's note: And now we begin the mission.