Claire directed her team of farmers from a tall boulder, shouting out commands and instructions for all to hear. She would rise up on two legs every now and then to emphasize important remarks, then pace around with an air of authority. They had been working for the good part of the day, and the field was finally starting to look farmable.

"Faster, Stone! You can do it! Keep up with the group! Good! Don't get too out of line, Blossom! Move to the left . . . No, your other left . . . That's backwards . . . Just move closer to Root, okay?"

Claire puffed out her chest proudly. Now, this was what she was supposed to do. Directing people, making good things happen . . . It almost made her feel human again.

"Good job, Bo! Everyone, follow his example!" she shouted.

Owen skittered up to her perch and sat on her foot, arching his tail behind him.

"Wow, Claire! You're doing a really good job."

She grinned.

"Thank you. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this."

She turned back to the field and yelled sharply.

"Leaf! Keep in line!"

Owen winced.

"Um . . . Not to take away from my previous compliment, but could you ease up on the shouting a little?"

Claire snorted.

"Do you want things to get done efficiently or not?"

Owen folded his ears over his back shyly.

"Well, you can get things done, but maybe you should be a little gentler about it. These guys aren't machines, you know."

"I know."

Owen nodded.

"I know you know. Just tone it down, okay?"

Claire sighed.

"Alright. If you think their sensibilities are getting- AH!"

She turned around to see Flower looking up at her, standing motionless as though she had been waiting to be noticed.

"Ah! What the- Don't sneak up on me like that!" Claire spat.

"I brought you a flower."

Claire blinked.

"What?"

"I brought you a flower," she repeated, holding up a small, pink daisy. Claire smiled politely and took the flower in her mouth.

"Thank you."

The child smiled sweetly and sat down on her rump.

"I got it for you so that you'll think of me whenever you see it."

By the time she finished her sentence, Claire had already chewed up the petals pretty badly. She jolted and spat out what was left of the flower, folding it with one foot in an attempt to make it look less eaten.

"Thank you for thinking of me," she said awkwardly, "I'll get my assistant to bring it back to the cave."

Owen raised his eyebrow.

"So, I'm a delivery boy now?"

Claire handed him the chewed-up daisy.

"Just go, okay? I'll stay here with Fl-"

Owen held her beak shut.

"Claire. Don't say that."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Riiiiiiiiight."

Owen hopped away on his twiggy feet, carrying the flower like a bindle. Claire turned back to Flower, who wagged her tail happily.

"I like Owen. He's really nice to me."

Claire smiled.

"I like him too."

Flower cocked her head.

"Are you two married?"

"No," Claire laughed.

"Are you going to get married?"

Claire shrugged.

"Maybe someday. Don't tell him I said that."

"I won't. Are you going to have kids?"

"Maybe."

"After you get married?"

"Probably."

"When are you going to get married?"

Claire laughed.

"I told you, I don't know."

"Can you ask him?"

Claire sniggered.

"I can't just ask him when we're going to get married . . ."

Flower shook her head.

"No, no. I mean, ask him to marry you."

Claire blinked.

"I . . . I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Flower pouted.

"When will you be ready?"

Claire put her front foot on Flower's shoulder.

"Listen, Fl- . . . Sweetheart . . . You can't rush these things. I'll know when it's the right time."

"Don't you love him?"

Claire nodded spiritedly.

"Of course."

"Then why don't you marry him?"

Claire gave a half-smile.

"Sometimes, you need to test things out a little . . . see if you're compatible . . . etcetera."

Flower frowned.

"I don't understand."

Claire smiled.

"You'll understand someday, Sweetheart. I promise."

Flower crossed her arms.

"My name isn't 'Sweetheart'."

Claire gave a humming laugh.

"I know. 'Sweetheart' is something you call people for fun."

"Can I call you 'Sweetheart'?"

Claire chuckled.

"I'd rather you not."

"Can I call you 'Mom'?"

Claire froze.

"Oh . . . Um . . . I don't know if that's-"

Flower stared at her with an innocent mien as she tried to fumble through whatever it was she was trying to say. Claire was relieved to see Owen hopping back, and promptly took the opportunity to scoot away from the child.

"Oh, look! It's Owen. I think he needs my help. Go find your uncle, Sweetheart. I'll see you later."

Flower looked up at her with an expression of absolute disappointment and shame.

"Okay . . ."

Claire jogged away briskly, trying her best to ignore the sniffling stegoceratops. When Owen hopped up to her, she bent down to speak with him.

"Hey, Owen. What took you so long?"

He cocked his head.

"I'm tiny. I can't travel as fast as you. The cave is pretty far for me."

Claire blinked in surprise.

"You actually kept the fl- the thing?"

Owen nodded.

"Of course. What did you think I was gonna do with it?"

Claire shrugged.

"I dunno. Throw it in a bush?"

Owen crossed his arms.

"But Flower gave it to you."

Claire gulped nervously.

"Owen, I think she wants us to be her parents."

"I know."

"She just asked me- Wait, you know?!"

Owen nodded.

"Yeah. She asked me if I planned on having kids, and I told her I would, someday. Then she brought up the fact that she has no parents, and that she wouldn't mind having some, even if one of them was a rodent."

Claire winced.

"Oh god. Now we have to come up with a way to tell her 'no'."

"Do we?"

After a beat, Claire turned to gawk at him with disbelief. Realizing what he had said, he folded his ears back and kicked a pebble away shyly.

"I mean . . . we could maybe not say 'no', exactly, but . . ."

He fell silent. Claire narrowed her eyes.

"Owen . . ."

"It's just that I, uh, I was thinking . . . I really wish someone would interrupt me right now so I don't have to explain myself . . ."

Claire frowned.

"Owen, she needs to stay with her uncle. She can't come back to the surface with us."

Owen shrugged.

"Well, maybe we could stay here."

Claire's jaw dropped.

"Owen, we can't stay here! We have lives!"

"You mean at Jurassic World, which will most likely close down?" he asked bitterly.

Claire took a deep breath and stroked his ears.

"Even with all of the crap going on up there, we can't run from our problems. This place was meant to stay hidden. Fl- that kid belongs here, and we belong in civilized society."

Owen laced his fingers together and rocked back and forth on his feet.

"But she's so cute and all alone . . ."

"She has her uncle."

"He ignores her. She told me."

"That's not our problem."

Owen pouted.

"Claire, we can't just leave her down here. Flower is the sweetest, kindest, most adorable kid I've ever met. It's our responsibility to-"

Owen squeaked in fear as a large foot landed next to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I almost squish your rat?" a dark blue stegoceratops said insincerely, kicking Owen to the side, "You'll have to forgive me. I have big feet."

Claire frowned.

"You're Water, right? What do you want?"

The stegoceratops snorted sharply.

"Cloud, the tribe's elder, has requested that you meet with her. I'd do it, if I were you. She's very wise. Wiser than you, even."

Claire frowned. She didn't know what this stegoceratops was up to, but she didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Alright. I'll go see her, but I seriously doubt that she's wiser than me."

Water sneered with contempt.

"Being smart does not make you wise."

Claire lifted her chin and swished her tail around behind her authoritatively.

"Alright, Water. Show me where this 'Cloud' lives."

***TSJWFEW***

Claire lumbered up to the cave where Cloud was waiting for her, leaving Owen at the base of the mountain with Water. Unlike her own (rented) cave down in the valley, this one happened to be on a large, rocky hill. Claire had no idea how an old dinosaur was able to make this hike every day, but she didn't really care. She just wanted to get this over with.

"Hello?" she called.

"Come in, Claire," an old voice quavered from inside the cave.

Claire stepped inside and looked around. The cave walls were adorned with crude paintings and strange symbols. There were a few holes in the ceiling, so it wasn't completely dark. At the very back of the cave was the albino stegoceratops, who looked up at Claire with tired eyes.

"I've been expecting you."

"Yes, Water told me-"

"For the last eighty years."

Claire blinked.

"Oh . . . Are you some sort of sage, or-"

The old stegoceratops laughed.

"No, no. I'm a stegoceratops like any other. The wisdom of the ages has been passed down to me from generations long gone. I've been waiting to meet you since I was a child."

Claire gulped.

"Oh . . . That's, um-"

"I know that you are not what you say you are."

Claire went rigid.

"You . . . You know?"

Cloud nodded.

"I know, and I am not afraid."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Does anyone else know?"

Cloud nodded slowly.

"Water knows. He won't tell a soul without my permission."

Claire looked away.

"I didn't mean to lie. It's just, if I tell them, they're bound to panic and-"

"I know. I do not judge you for lying. Sit down, and we will talk."

Claire lowered herself to her knees, then sat down. She tried to ignore the pressure of her belly spilling over her feet as she made herself comfortable.

"You are very special, Claire," Cloud began, "Not because you are a queen, mind you, but because you are dedicated, hard-working, and intelligent. The tribe needed someone like you to take charge, as you learned today."

"Thank you."

The old stegoceratops held up her foot.

"Of course, you aren't perfect. You lack the ability to sympathize with my companions, even though they look to you for guidance."

Claire stared down at her toes humbly.

"I'm sorry. I've tried to be patient, but I have a life to get back to."

Cloud nodded.

"I understand. You don't want to be stuck here forever."

Claire sighed with relief.

"Exactly! That's why-"

"Like we are."

Claire bit her lower beak and rumbled uncomfortably. Cloud reached forward and put her front foot on top of Claire's.

"I'm sorry you had to be saddled with our troubles, but that's just the way it has to be. You are a resourceful woman. You can find a way to overcome these obstacles."

Claire nodded.

"I'll try."

Cloud patted her hand.

"Good. I think you ought to head back to your cave before it gets dark. Your friend is already home. If you hurry, you won't have to meet Sandy on the way back. She tends to ramble about Rock when she eats too much milkweed."

Claire gave a gentle laugh.

"Thanks for the advice."

She stood up to leave, but paused at the mouth of the cave.

"Cloud . . . Does Sandy like Rock?"

"Very much. She hasn't yet found the courage to tell him how she feels."

Claire rubbed her chin.

"Do you think she'd make a good mother for Fl-"

"Don't say it."

Claire nodded.

"Do you think she would make a good mother?"

Cloud took a deep breath.

"That's entirely up to you. I know you want to have children of your own, someday."

Claire tilted her head to the side.

"Can you read my mind?"

Cloud smiled.

"I didn't have to."

***TSJWFEW***

Claire yawned as she entered her own cave. She leaned forward, stretching out her front legs, and shook herself off, steadying her sloshing stomach with one foot. After blinking drowsily a couple of times, she heard Owen's voice coming from deep in the cavern. She headed towards it, and sure enough, he was telling Flower a bedtime story.

"And then the third billy goat crosses the bridge, and- Oh hi, Claire. I was just telling Flower a story."

"I can see that," Claire said pleasantly, "It's getting kind of late, though. Shouldn't she be heading home? I'm sure Rock is worried sick."

Flower shook her head.

"Nope. I got permission. Olive is sleeping over with his friends, so I came here."

Claire hummed in a very high-pitched tone.

"So, this is a sleepover?"

Owen nodded.

"Yeah, if that's okay with you."

Claire shrugged.

"Yeah, it's fine, I guess. But I'll be going to bed soon, so . . ."

She lowered herself onto her side and closed her eyes. Before she could fall asleep, she felt Flower wiggling under her arm. The child snuggled up against her chest and gave a contented moo. Claire was about to push her away, but Owen skittered over and curled up between them.

Sighing with defeat, she closed her eyes and drifted off.