Disclaimer: I do not own Jurassic Park! *sniff*

*Peaks out from behind steel door* Erm, hi. So sorry it has been so long since I updated! After the last official update I had hoped to finish this story before the turn of the year. Obviously that had not happened. Again so sorry for the wait! This chapter is for all of you rediculously loyal and faithful readers who have stuck with me, I don't deserve you! Now if only there were a way to send cookies to all of you!

In case you didn't see before, there is a poll on my page concerning this story, the majority vote will determine how much longer this story lasts! Voting also determines what will happen in the next chap, so vote please!

This chap is filler-ish, but it needs to be done (unfortunately). But none-the-less enjoy the chap!

"Billy?" I couldn't believe my eyes, it wasn't possible. My body went into autopilot as I rose from my knees, slowly moving closer to him.

I made my way to him, my hands going towards his face, the smooth planes of his cheeks let me know that he was real, he was actually there. My self control practically snapped as I flung my arms around him. "What are you doing here?" I asked, refusing to relinquish all human contact with him, my mind still trying to accept the fact that the man was actually here.

"After what happened on that island, I don't think we can ever go on with our lives while avoiding each other." he stated, "And I couldn't just go back to the old routine without seeing if you had survived, you got yourself pretty banged up back there." he let a wry smile grace his lips and I had the overwhelming urge to close the gap between us.

"What can I say? It's my specialty." I fought off the urge, choosing instead to step back, in case my self control finally gave up the fight. I turned back, the sight of the grave markers sapping all humor from my mind.

"I'm serious about what I said, there wasn't anything you could have done for them." his voice said behind me. I felt more than heard him approach as a warm hand landed on my shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze.

I didn't respond, I knew in my mind there was something I could have done to spare them both, some action I could have taken that would have them here, even if it meant I was not.

"Hey, remember the good times you had together, they wouldn't want you to dwell on what couldn't be prevented." his hand slid across my back, landing on the opposite shoulder and tucking me under his arm. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because you had time with them."

I tossed a slight, humorless grin at him, "What are you, a philosopher now?" I asked, enjoying the feeling of the warmth that emitted from his body.

"What can I say?" he started, throwing my own words back at me, "It's my specialty." I glanced around the near empty cemetery, there was no way to be at one without feeling the sadness that came with so much loss. "Come on." he started, pulling me around, "Let's go get some lunch."

I pulled myself out of his reach, knowing that if I let myself start down this path, there was no telling how far it would go. "I can't, I've got a job to do, I leave in two hours." I really couldn't understand why I lied as my heart screamed at me to stay with him, but I could recognize the fear there, the fear of getting close to someone again, knowing that they could get ripped away without a moment's notice.

"Hey," he gently grabbed onto my arm, pulling me back into him. "Don't go disappearing again." I tucked my head into his chest, not giving away that that was exactly what I had planned on doing.

Using all of my mental strength, I pulled away, giving him a small smile, trying to memorize every detail of his face before I turned and walked away.

As soon as I reached my truck I jumped in and sped off without looking back, knowing that if I did, my resolve would break.

When I made it home, I felt the need to change something, anything. So I spent hours wondering around, rearranging everything in the apartment. But that wasn't change enough. I still felt like I was going through the motions of everyday life, I needed to change everything.

So I did what I hadn't done since I moved into this place years ago, I packed up all of my stuff. There wasn't anything really personal decorating the apartment, so it was simply a quick, easy matter of packing clothes and weapons.

With a quick phone call to the landlord and loading the boxes into the truck, I left behind a now empty apartment, a place I no longer called home.

I pulled out of the drive and entered the highway. It was then that I realized I had no destination in mind, I had no where to go. So, I decided I would just drive, drive until I was too tired to continue and then find someplace to sleep for a few hours. A small part of my brain was telling me I was running away from something, but I forced that part to shut it, I was simply moving on and starting over somewhere else.

When the sun set, I found myself to wired to sleep, so I kept going, only stopping for gas when the tank ran empty. My mind was racing yet still at the same time as thoughts whizzed through my head yet I was processing none of it. It wasn't until the truck could no longer run on gas fumes and died on the side of the road, with the sun far overhead that I finally broke.

The tears came huge and fast as I cried for everything and everyone that had been lost to me. The emotional instability caused by the rollercoaster that had become my life over the past few months destroyed all attempts and abilities to hold back the tears.

So I sat on the side of a near empty highway, midday with the roasting Texas summer sun overhead and let myself cry until I couldn't anymore. At some point the exhaustion had kicked in and by the time I opened my eyes, the sun was resting on the horizon behind me.

'What the hell am I doing?' I couldn't help but think to myself. My heart was screaming for me to turn around, while my head demanded I keep going. The pressure of the conflict was making it impossible to think rationally, hell, it was making it near impossible to function properly.

Sluggishly, I pulled myself out of the hot and nearly oven-like truck. This section of highway this far away from the city of Dallas meant that there was little to no traffic and I was thankful for the small piece of rational that had been working enough for me to remember to put a full gas can in the back. The few gallons wouldn't get me far, but it should be enough to get me to the next gas station.

I did manage to make it to a lonely little station that wanted four bucks a gallon for regular fuel, but at this point, I really didn't care. The breakdown had left me drained and emotionally numb. If I had enough energy, I might have thought it strange how little I felt. Even though the temperature read 97 degrees, all I felt was a numb coolness spread throughout my body.

"That's a pretty gnarly scar you got there." a voice cracked behind me and suddenly, like coming out of hypnosis, the world snapped back into clarity and my mind broke through the fog.

I hadn't even realized that as I had bent over to fill the gas can that my shirt had ridden up enough to show the injury that now felt as old as the creature that gave it, yet as fresh as the memory that plagued me.

I turned to glance at the old man that had spoken. An old redneck geezer in every sense of the word, complete with missing teeth, dirty overalls and a thickening layer of dust on every inch of him. "How'd ya get it?"

Rain poured down all around, thunder cracked across the sky, echoing off of everything. The river swelled, crashing waves signaling its disdain for being disturbed. A yell, a sharp claw ripping through flesh. A roar that sent spikes of icy fear racing down my skin.

With a brief shake of my head I snapped myself out of the twisted memory and back into reality, "An accident." I stated simply, refusing to elaborate. Not that it would matter, it was unlikely someone who lived so separate from society would even know of the islands and Ingen's creations.

"An accident? Wit what? A chainsaw?" he asked, refusing to give it up.

"Pretty much." I passed it off, a chainsaw…..with way over two tons of angry muscle and primal hunger behind it. Pulling out my wallet, I passed the man a hundred, hoping he would leave me be at the sight of the money.

Thankfully he did, holding the bill up to the sun before passing me what I guessed was supposed to be a 'charming' smile and a 'have a nice day' before trudging back into the little shop.

Tossing the fuel can back into the truck bed, I jumped in, firing up the engine. But now I had to decide where to go. Did I turn around? Back to my old life? Or did I keep going, onto a new start, where the past would not reach me?

The sun had set by the time I pulled out, continuing on my way away from Dallas. I still had not the slightest clue as to what I was doing, but perhaps a good sleep in a musty motel might give me a better idea.

So I drove until midnight, when I reached a small town big enough to have a one lane airport. I pulled into the first hotel I saw, rented a room for the night and collapsed onto the bed. Perhaps the morning would bring some answers. Maybe, with a stroke of luck, I would have an idea of what I should do. But for now I would sleep, lose myself in the bliss of unconsciousness and get a small reprieve from the worries of life.

Again, sorry it's short (and late) but please review! Your comments keep this story alive! And don't forget to vote in the poll, the more votes, the quicker the next update...(I hope :D). I give you all a million thanks for being so patient with me, I will try to update quicker!

Black Wolf-Dog