A/N: Whew, sorry for the wait. Here we go. Let's do this.

Devi Bellezza: Yep, good for all, for now. I might decide to be an asshole later. Haha.
purplepidgeoncommandbase: This will definitely tie into the movie, but with altered events.
Actual-Grendel: OMG. Haha... I'll keep the raptor cuddling in mind. ;)
TasTygerGal: Oh I'm so glad! I haven't looked too much into the fics posted on this site, but I know there are a few good ones on AO3. Specifically 'Gone Wild', comes to mind.

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Blue looked up through the trees, bent flush to the ground. A smattering of light that managed to get through the canopy above her speckled her hide, and her eyes glowed in the shade. Her Alpha was here, somewhere above them. He stayed up there during the more important games they played, or when he was testing their obedience. She chittered to her sisters softly, throat thrumming low.

There were two males with him, both of their scents somewhat familiar. Second hand scents were never the same as the real thing, and though she knew they were safe, she hesitated. Their Alpha had once introduced another male to them, a greedy man who tried to take them away when Owen refused him something. Blue didn't understand what had happened, but one moment they were safe within their Alpha's den and the next there were others, capturing her and her sisters in nets and barred cages. She remembered he had tried to fight it, but he had none the less invited the man in to begin with.

The memory was burned into her mind, of the time she had to be Alpha. It wasn't… unpleasant. Blue had managed just fine, ensuring her sisters had someone to look to in the time of trouble. They had mourned together, and apart, separated into their own quarantined cages. The walls were thin, and they spoke to each other in the dead of night, and cried in the day while strange men ran tests and diagnostics.

And then Owen had returned. And Blue could still remember how fiercely he had cradled her against his chest. She pounced out of the cage, her claws digging into his flesh and her snout pressed hard against his neck, clinging as though he might disappear forever. She had been smaller then, no taller than his leg. He hadn't stopped to clean his wounds, and instead carried her out of the lab in his arms, muscles straining with her weight. Blue could still hear his snarls, as she purred into his neck, the horror over.

And this feeling persisted even now, when there was a newcomer.

The raptor wasn't stupid; she knew they were caged here still. She knew they were there to do tricks for the other men and women who came to see them. But her Alpha was there, and he took care of them. She wanted him close by always, to ensure his protection as he ensured theirs. With rapt attention she peered upwards at the scaffolding, inhaling sharply at a new scent carried towards her on the breeze. This was a scent she knew, and it churned her stomach. There was no time for being wary now, and she flew out of the bushes into the light with a cry. To warn her Alpha and her sisters. Blue stood at her full height, calling towards him and flexing her talons.

He's coming Alpha.

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Zach gasped and nearly fell backwards at the sudden movement from the trees. They had been watching the foliage for some time and though Owen had assured them the girls were in there, he almost didn't believe him. The creature that had bounded out of the trees was all muscle and grace, thick tendons covered in storm scales. A stark blue stripe ran from her eyes to the tip of her tail, ringed in white and shifting across her throat with each sound that escaped her.

He caught her golden eyes, and she shook her head, seeming to call with more urgency than before. Zach turned to look at Owen, who appeared to be in a slight panic.

"Is she okay?" Gray gripped the bars tightly, looking up at the raptor trainer with wide, concerned eyes.

"Hoskins," Owen murmured, moving to push the boys back towards the small office attached to the upper part of the enclosure. "My boss. He's… well he can be a pain. I hoped he wouldn't be here today." He hesitated but began urging them towards the building on the opposite corner of the path, "He's an ass, really."

Below, Blue had disappeared, but the sounds of the others could be heard clearly.

Owen heard Barry before he heard Hoskins, sharply urging the man to go back, that the raptors were having an off day. The raptor trainer felt the urge to take the kids and jump into the enclosure below, if only to escape the man for a while. But there was no telling how the girls would react to them, especially Gray. They knew he had a soft spot for Zach, but Gray wasn't someone they had… discussed. It was with urgency that he hustled them into the office, closing the door without saying anything else. He turned and strode towards Hoskins, who approached him from the opposite side of the enclosure's bridge, Barry in tow.

"Hey Hoskins," he greeted, attempting for nonchalant. Perhaps he hadn't seen him usher the boys into the office.

"Owen, where's your report?" He put a hand on his hip, stopping and leaning to one side with over exaggerated relaxation. He was antsy around the raptors, whether he admitted it or not, and being on a metal sheet above their enclosure always made him nervous.

Owen smiled at the thought despite himself.

"Oh, I was just working on it actually," he lied smoothly, glancing back at the office. Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn't see the boys through the small steamed windows, and he was grateful they weren't trying to snoop. Maybe bringing them here was a bad idea… "I'll have it to you by the end of the night, alright?"

"No. Not alright. It's a week overdue. We need to get this show on the road. What do you think this is?" Hoskins scoffed, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head, clearly irritated, "Owen I hired you because I thought you were the man for the job. You gonna prove me wrong?"

Owen felt himself bristle, and then regained his composure. "Fine, I'll go get it for you. It's not done, but you can have what I got, okay?"

"Fine."

With a last glare, Owen spun on his heel and strode towards the office, opening it and slipping inside smoothly. Gray sat in the corner, coats partially hiding him from view, reading a book from Owen's desk. Didn't take the kid long now, did it? Zach stood on the opposite side of the room, peering cautiously through the filthy windows. He startled when Owen walked in, and looked at him from beneath his bangs.

"Owen?" he murmured, looking back through the window, "is that Hoskins?"

The man gave a curt nod, before heading towards his messy desk. Papers and books littered the top and the floor, and it took Owen a lot longer to find a pen in the mess than it should have. Gray remained quiet, but Zach watched him. Owen found the report and signed the bottom quickly, folding it in half as he turned back towards the door.

"Sorry about this guys, we'll get back to the girls in a bit, alright?"

"It's okay Owen! I found a cool chapter in this book and I-"

"Gray! Sh!" Zach scolded, giving his brother 'the look'.

Owen couldn't help the small smile tugging up his lips as he whispered before he left, "I'm not sure how long he's going to hang around. But stay in here and stay quiet. If you need something to do…" he trailed off, looking around the room, "Organize."

Gray cocked his head as Owen left, but returned to reading the book on velociraptors studies. It wasn't really a book, more of a journal of a previous trainer who had since retired; it seemed he studied their intelligence.

For Zach's part, the teenager was managing to maintain his calm relatively well. He sent a text to Zara telling them they were having a good time, and sighed before leaning against the wall and sinking to the floor. The shack was oddly… homely. If more offices were like it, he thought perhaps he wouldn't mind a job where he stayed in one. It was also… Owen's. It was something about the chaos. There were books and files everywhere, on the floor, resting on shelves, and the chairs in the corners. The windows were filthy, and the one that was open in the back allowed for humid air to enter. It was warm, but not quite stifling, and the wooden floors were a change from the hard metal of the enclosure scaffolding. It smelled like Owen too, Zach decided, like oil and dirt and wild. A scent that was uniquely Owen, and he didn't fight the urge to grab a discarded t-shirt from the floor and smell it. Yes, this was Owen.

He looked up in time to see Gray's eyes fall back to the pages of his book, small smile gracing his lips. Unwilling to address it, Zach stood and brushed the dust off his jeans, looking around the room with hands on his hips. Owen had said if they wanted to they could organize. It was more a question of where to start. He decided it would be best to start with the floor, and get everything, well, off of it first. He'd be at this a while.

Zach didn't know how long it took to organize the room, but it must have been a while. It was hot, but Gray wouldn't let him open a window just in case someone could see them from outside. The eldest Mitchell wiped sweat from his forehead, wrinkling his nose when his hand came away glistening. "I'm going to need ten showers after this," he muttered, none the less carrying a large stack of books over to where Gray was. The boy had taken it upon himself to organize the books and notes alphabetically, reading bits and pieces as he did.

"Do you think there was a velociraptor before Blue?"

"Not sure, why?" Zach asked, plopping down beside his brother with a groan.

Gray humed seriously, putting a finger on the dusty page in front of him, "Alphabetical. That's why they're named like that. Like the alphabet. Blue. Charlie. Delta. Echo. There has to be another one, right?" He looked at Zach with big eyes, as though he might have the answer. Zach wished he did. "I'm not sure Gray," he responded slowly, "but I think Owen would know."

"You're right. He knows everything."

"Yeah, maybe even too much."

"What d'you mean? Is he in trouble? That's what that show said. When people know too much they get into trouble."

Zach smiled, rubbing his face with both hands and rubbing his nose to remove some of the dust he had breathed in, "I don't think it's that extreme. But he is pretty smart. For a raptor trainer."

"He's the only raptor trainer you know!"

The indignant tone of Gray's accusation made Zach chuckle, and he mussed up his little brothers hair affectionately. He was about to inquire what he was reading when the door opened, and the brothers went quiet. Sitting on the floor they were in plain view anyway, but when Owen strode into the office they let out their breath.

"Hey guys, sorry about that. It was like, almost an hour."

He walked in and kept the door open, and Zach was grateful for the cool breeze that began to make it's way through the room. Owen's lip quirked up in one corner, and hands on his hips he turned to look at the boys on the floor. "I see you made good use of your time. Learn anything?"

Gray practically jumped up at the question, clambering to his feet with the journal in his hands, "Yeah, I learned a lot! Did you know that velociraptors might even be smarter than humans?" Owen raised an eyebrow, and smirked down at Zach who had almost been tipped over in Gray's excitement. The man offered a hand, which Zach took reluctantly. He definitely didn't notice how seasoned the calloused hand was, or how it seemed to linger on his longer than necessary after he was standing.

He definitely didn't blush.

"I did know that, you'll see when you meet them." Owen jutted his chin towards the door, smiling when Gray bounded out into the sun. Zach hesitated a little, and then against his better judgement asked, "They won't hurt him will they? He gets excited about this stuff. I don't…" he swallowed, looking away from Owen's eyes, "I don't want him to lose interest in something he loves because he got scared." Still looking down, he felt himself tremble a little as heavy steps made their way towards him. But it was okay, this was Owen. It wasn't someone who was going to hurt him. He could trust him. He could. He cou-

"Zach."

He felt a warm hand on his face, gently urging his chin upwards. Zach did not flinch away from the touch, and allowed his head to raise and look at the man in front of him. Owen's eyes were heavy, but sincere, his mouth turned upwards in a kind smile. Zach watched the man look first into his own eyes, and then glance downwards at his slightly parted lips. He licked them unconsciously, and Zach thought he heard a sharp intake of breath from the raptor trainer.

When their eyes met again there was something else there too, besides the budding trust. A heat that caused Zach's face to flush and an ache to form in his belly. How was Owen feeling right now? The same way? God, if he would just keep looking at him like that…

"Zach," Owen repeated, and this time the boy got to see his name on the mans lips. "I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't think you were safe. If I'm here nothing will ever hurt you, do you understand? Not you, not Gray."

It was so honest and raw and Zach felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes but he just couldn't let them fall. Not in front of Owen. Instead, he swallowed thickly and nodded, glassy eyes closing as he allowed himself to press against the warm hand beneath his chin.

"You guys coming?!"

Zach jumped back with a gasp, but gave a soft smile to Owen as he left the office building, "Coming Gray!" Owen took a moment to stare at where the boy had been standing, before wiping the sweat on his palms off on his pants, heading out towards the paddock. Show time.

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Blue watched from the bushes as Alpha and the other two humans went down the stairs. She could hear their steps even when they went out of view, and she took a slow pace towards the ground entrance. The sun was warm on her scales and she released a small hum in pleasure as she found a place only partially shaded but still close enough to the trees in the center. Taking her place, Blue kept still and watched for her guests. Somewhere her sisters watched from the shadows, ever curious about Alpha and his friends.

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Owen opened the first enclosure with a passcode he hardly remembered and knew mostly by repetitive use. He could feel Gray vibrating beside him, while Zach hung back. Since their… encounter, in the office Owen had noticed a not-so-subtle change already. There was trust there now, much stronger than before. But even so Owen knew trust was easy to break, and once broken never easily restored. It was like porcelain, and he had no intentions of letting it shatter.

He headed into the entrance way first, making sure he was the first thing his girls saw and smelled. Old habits died hard, and he remembered in the beginning when their bond had only just begun; letting them know he was there first was a sure-fire way to ensure their relaxation. Raptors were often high strung without their Alpha around, and would often become aggressive when he wasn't around.

"Okay guys, don't put your hands through the bars, stay close to me, and don't make any sudden moves. Be gentle with them."

"Be gentle with them? Shouldn't you be telling them that?" Gray giggled, but signified his understanding by a short salute. Owen grinned and looked to Zach, who was trying not to look excited. But the raptor trainer knew. He whistled, still looking at the teenager, before grinning at the cries coming from the enclosure. Of course his girls were already waiting. He was, after all, their Alpha.

Gray saw a raptor first, her scaled glowing near orange in the sunlight as she approached. There were faint blue stripes decorating her hide, bright eyes staring right at them. Gray yanked on Owen's sleeve excitedly, staring in awe as she continued her pace forward. "Who is that?" he whispered, fighting the urge to dig in his bag for his camera. "This is Echo, she's a troublemaker. Aren't you?" He called the last part to the girl in question, and she called out in acknowledgement. She knew they were talking about her. "She isn't afraid of anything, got into nasty fight with Blue a while back." Now she was close, and Zach could easily her every breath the creature took. Owen reached out between the bars, the hypocrite, and scratched the scaled between her nostrils. A long white scar trailed across her snout, fully healed but clearly a bad wound. Zach put a hand on Gray's shoulder to keep him close just in case.

And then remembered Owen was there. Nothing would hurt them with Owen around.

"You wanna touch her Gray?"

"Yes please!" Gray whispered harshly, straining to keep his voice from a shout. Owen reached down and took Gray's hand in his, never stopping the scratching with his other hand. Slowly he raised Grays hand up and towards Echo. The raptors breathing changed pace, but she didn't snarl or move as Gray's soft fingers touched her snout. Owen removed his hand, but continued holding Grays so their scents were mingled. Echo began making a strange sound, and Zach made to yank Grays hand away until Owen stopped him with a grin, "She's purring."

Zach had no idea reptiles could purr. But he supposed that these raptors weren't exactly the pure thing, either. He took a moment to look at her, and took a few steps towards the bars to get a better look. She was beautiful, and he found himself smiling in admiration the longer he looked. Gray was ecstatic, and Owen was all too patient in showing the kid where Echo liked to be scratched and petted the most. This included her chin, the end of her snout, and just below the ridge of her jaw. The raptor in question had her eyes half closed, pressed against the bars to get as close to the skilled hands as she could.

"So eager," Owen said fondly, and the raptor chittered in return, opening her eyes wider for only a moment. And then she was standing, turned in a half circle and at complete alert. Gray pulled his hand back instinctively, and Owen put an arm around Gray to shield him from whatever was coming. But, to his immense relief, it was only Blue. Since their fight Echo had become entirely submissive to the Beta, and often gave her the full sign of respect by giving her full attention. Gray went from scared to amazement in the span of two seconds, and it took Zach that long to realize what it was they were staring at.

"What?" he muttered, hunching his shoulders slightly and turning towards Echo. He followed her gaze to a creature which stood no more than a foot from him, and easily several feet taller. Her scaled were dark, and a blue stripe climbed her neck to the top of her head.

"It's only Blue. Just…" Owen hesitated, trying to find the right word, "relax. Move slow." He kept Gray at bay, as Blue tended to be a bit more guarded than Echo. Zach breathed out in a rush of air, but carefully turned to face the raptor fully. She hadn't moved, and continued to watch him with her bright golden eyes. There was intelligence there, and Zach now understood what Gray had been saying about velociraptors being smarter than humans. "Hey, Blue," he whispered softly, hoping the use of her name would help the situation. She opened her jaws menacingly, growling and narrowing her eyes at the slight raising of his hand. He took it back, fear beginning to pool in his stomach. The bars were so thin…

And then he remembered again, not for the first time in the last hour, what Owen had said. He was safe. Nothing was going to hurt him while Owen was around. Blue wouldn't hurt him, and Owen trusted her. So Zach would have to.

Taking a deep breath, Zach tried again, this time with more confidence. Blue didn't move, and her jaws closed with each inch the boy got closer. It seemed an eternity, but Zach left his hand just short of touching her scales, hand steady as he looked at her. "Hi, Blue." She closed the gap herself after a pause, pushing her snout against his hand. She went so far as to push against him, forcing his hand back into the cage. He found himself chuckling and pushing back, making her purr as he scratched hard against the small scales. "You're not so bad, huh?" he continued, smiling full on and allowing her to snuffle against his palm and sleeve.

Owen watched the exchange in pleasure. His girl and his… well, his girl and Zach. He let Gray go, who again approached Echo and began to coax her towards him. Now that these two knew their scents, it was unlikely Delta and Charlie would be a problem. He knew they were around, probably watching. At the thought as though they had been summoned, Charlie emerged with Delta in tow, heading towards where Blue stood. Owen felt his heart swell with pride, his girls were so well behaved. Not to mention how well everyone seemed to be getting along. Blue had been… well, pushy for Owen to take a mate even before the boys had come along. But has he watched Zach interact with them he had the urge to take him into his arms and hold him. He was so proud, so proud of Zach. They'd met only a few days ago, and already the boy trusted him. He was hurting, and scared, but every time Owen saw Zach come out of his shell, he loved what he saw. He wanted more of it. He wanted to know Zach better than anyone else.

It seemed Blue and his girls weren't opposed to the idea, and he chuckled as Delta blew a gust of breath into Zach's hair and ruffled it up. Gray jumped over to where Zach was and Echo followed, until the boys had one hand on each raptor, giggling and talking in hushed whispers to them. Owen stood back and watched it happen. There was no sense in ruining their moment.

Blue stood to her full height and looked him briefly, almost a smirk before bowing back down to receive more scratches.

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A/N: Thanks for your patience guys. I really wanna get Owen and Zach's relationship going. Let me know what you think! I love the encouragement. Let me know what I did well or poorly and I'll do my best to fix it. :) See you next chapter!