Edward could hear the thoughts of Carlisle, and turned to have his beloved run into his arms. He held Bella dearly, letting their thoughts mingle together, ignoring the symphony of horror around them.

"Where's Alexis?" Edward asked when they broke away.

"She-she's gone, Edward, we couldn't find her," Bella said. "O-Our daughter is gone."

"She can't be!" Edward cried. "I saw her in the plaza," Edward said. "With two boys. I think they were with that woman that looks like Victoria."

Bella shuddered imperceptibly at the thought. "The manager? I thought she was rather awful. We need to-"

"They wouldn't let us through," Carlisle interrupted. "We're remaining in this site."

"That woman better know what she's doing with my child," Bella snarled.

Hoskins looked over at the sixteen-year-old girl with the raptor eyes.

"All of the other members of Project VH have been evacuated," so said. "And we're already going to release the raptors. It only makes sense that we use you and your abilities as well."

Lex frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling uncomfortable.

"Hoskins, I don't like this," Owen commented. "I already gave on the raptors. VH was a failure. It won't be needed after today. The park failed. This failed. This isn't a good idea."

"Sign me up," Lex said, her voice quiet but strong.

Everyone looked back at her in surprise.

"Alexis," Claire began. "You don't have to do this. You can stay with the boys. You don't owe us anything."

"No, I want to help," Lex replied, her voice a little stronger, a little more sure. "If I can help, why shouldn't I? Give me a weapon, we'll see what I can do."

"This isn't some little game," Owen reminded her. "This is real."

"I know it's real," Lex replied. "I'm ready. I can do it."

"Then it's settled. We'll get her a gun and she'll run alongside the raptors," Hoskins said, seeming satisfied.

Lex nodded and watched as the others dispersed. She first walked to Zach, out by the van.

"Hey," she mumbled.

"Hey."

"So, are you riding in the back of the van?" Lex asked.

"Yeah," Zach answered. "There's really nowhere safe for us to stay."

"That's cool," Lex said, and her eyes flickered to her muddy shoes. She glanced back up to find him doing the same thing. "I guess you and Gray will be going back to Minnesota after this."

"Yeah," he said. "It's gonna be kinda tense though, with our parents getting a divorce."

"Your parents are divorcing?" she asked, taken aback.

"Yeah," Zach answered. "Gray's been pretty upset about it. I guessed, but I didn't know for sure until today."

"That sucks," Lex said, unable to comprehend the idea of love dying. It was just the way things were in her household. The immortality of youthful love with fireworks and roses. Watching her friends talk about divorces, and watching Zach talk about his parents, she began to realize that the fireworks weren't enough. She didn't want that. She wanted a mustard tree, small at first that would grow to a giant tree. She wanted the feeling of growing old with someone, a sort of different love.

Aunt Rosalie had been trying to tell her that all along, she realized. She looked back at Zach with a new understanding.

"I'm just sorry everything turned out this way," she said quietly. "John Hammond's park. All he wanted to do was make people happy."

"Yeah," Zach agreed. "But I'd rather be home right now."

"Me too," Lex said softly. "I think I'd miss talking to you, though. You and Gray are pretty cool."

"I guess," Zach replied, allowing himself a dorky smile. "Maybe we can text each other when this is all over."

"That would be nice," Lex agreed as they became quiet again. She then remembered what she was going to say to him and unslung her backpack. "Could you take this? I think you'll be a lot luckier with it then I will."

"Sure," Zach said as he slung it over his shoulder. "Thanks for helping me and Gray get out of the old park. You're pretty cool, for a nerd."

"And you're pretty cool, for a loner," Lex replied with a smile. She looked around for a moment, and then took a chance. She kissed him.

It was a small peck, nothing fancy. It was more of a I-might-die-tonight-and-this-was-on-my-bucket-list kind of thing. What surprised her was that he was kissing her back. She had a feeling it might've been for the same reasons she was kissing, but hell, the chances were that she'd die anyway. Either of them could.

When they broke away, they silently seemed to come to some agreement. Zach then looked over to a pale, wide-eyed Gray and put an arm around him. Lex managed a smile, and then looked over at the raptors. She could hear the hisses of hunting, of Owen, of hatred. What the raptors had to say was disturbing.

Lex never wanted to be anything like that.