When Carter arrived with eight troopers in full combat gear and the medical emergency response team, barely ten minutes had passed.

It was still raining steadily, thick, fat drops, driven on by the gusts of wind.

Everyone was armed to the teeth, wearing helmets and body armor, and they fanned out to surround the compound like a well-oiled machine.

Claire had watched the raptors the whole time, like frozen to her spot behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, talking to her security chief. She was looking at Owen, trying to see if he was conscious, but he hadn't moved at all.

The pack stood over him, next to him, trying to shield him from the weather while they waited.

With the arrival of the troopers, the pack became more tense, nervous, hissing at the men and women in black. Rows of sharp teeth flashed, claws flexed, but none of the four made a move toward the troopers. They just shifted their positions to keep Owen in the middle while watching everyone with sharp eyes.

"What's your plan?" Carter wanted to know, voice even, calm and pure professional air.

"They're protecting him, Dan. That's all they do. I don't think they hurt him. They were the ones you brought him here."

Carter looked at the scene in front of him. The rain was still coming down, drenching everyone who was out in the open. He was in Claire's living room with her, talking to his team on the radio, while the medical team was standing by.

Blue was watching everything, alert, tense, but not threatening. Water ran off her nose, her back, her whole body. The others were a little more nervous, but they were standing their ground. One was hissing at the guns pointed at them, clearly threatening, but she wasn't ducking down for an attack.

It was a warning. Clear and simple.

It was also a Mexican standoff.

The tension would stay with neither going forth or retreating. This could go on for hours, but Owen might not have those hours. He was unconscious and hurt. He needed help.

Claire made a decision. She squared her shoulders and reached for the handle of the glass door leading into her garden.

"Ms. Dearing…"

"Do you want to shoot them, Mr. Carter?" she asked, words clipped.

"No."

"Do you have a different plan?"

Carter met the hard eyes. "Not yet. We could subdue them with narcotics."

"They would attack you before it gets them. Blue, Charlie, Delta and Echo aren't like the other park animals, Dan. They are highly intelligent. They made a conscious decision to bring Owen here. For a reason."

"You don't know that."

"I do. You've met Owen, right? You've seen him work with them?"

"Yes, but…"

She simply gave the man a hard look and Carter's lips thinned.

"Someone has to do something and I can't think of anyone else volunteering." She held up a hand when Carter wanted to say something. "And even if you did, Dan, it wouldn't work. Owen is their pack leader. I think I'm the best option while he's out."

"What about another preternatural?"

Claire shook her head. "I'm not risking that. It will be me."

He nodded once, though he looked far from happy.

"They so much as twitch the wrong way…"

"No lethal force. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Claire opened the door.

Blue's head swiveled to look at her.

Water was running in thick rivulets off her skin.

Her claws flexed a little.

Claire fought her flight reflex when those sharp eyes were on her, that singular focus unnerving. She pushed back the cold terror this evoked, her mind reminding her of the i-rex, of facing the hybrid she had helped create. The way she had been sized up and declared prey within a second the first time she had looked at the new creation.

This wasn't the same.

"Blue," Claire called out over the steady rushing sound of the rain.

The raptor tilted her head a little, then snorted water off her nose.

"He's safe. Owen is safe. Let us help him now."

She rumbled, tail swishing, and her gaze tracked the men and women of InGen Security surrounding them.

Claire held up her hands, palms out, copying Owen's gesture. "Stand down. Let them help. They'll let you retreat. Let us help your alpha. Please!"

She rumbled. One of the others hissed at the troopers, who had moved a little.

Claire hadn't approached any further. She was still not too far from the house, probably close enough to maybe make it back inside should the velociraptor in front of her decide to attack. The small roof that protected the terrace kept her mostly dry.

"Blue…" she coaxed. "Blue, you brought him to me. You know I called help for him, not to hurt you."

They had acted unlike animals up until moment, but now there was a new threat. They would have to give up control, would have to let others treat their helpless alpha, and the animal instinct broke through.

Owen chose that moment to move, fingers twitching over the wet grass. Blue's attention was suddenly on him and she took three steps back, bringing her right next to him.

Claire watched, adrenaline still racing through her, as something seemed to happen between alpha and beta, then Blue barked sharply.

She held up a hand as she caught one of the troopers moving. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Damnit, no!"

Blue snarled, but Owen's hand flailed, eyes barely open, his lips moving haltingly.

And then three of the raptors started to retreat, steps unsure but they were leaving.

"Let them go!" Claire shouted as guns rose and postures grew more tense. "Just let them go!"

Carter was suddenly at her side, talking into his radio, telling his men to stand down and let the pack leave. He had his rifle in hand, but he wasn't pointing the weapon at the pack.

Blue was still there, a steady rumble coming from deep within her chest, and she was almost standing over Owen, who was visibly clinging to consciousness. Her tail lashed out in agitation and the tension in her body was clear to see.

She would attack.

She would defend Owen.

"Blue, you can leave," Claire called out to the pack beta. "Take the pack and go. We'll take care of Owen. I promise!"

The cool eyes had her shiver. They reflected a human intelligence, an understanding that she hadn't even seen in the i-rex's eyes. The i-rex had been cunning and psychopathic. The raptors were different.

Blue snarled softly, like she promised pain should Owen not be treated right or one of the pack get shot, then she slowly retreated. One measured step at a time.

She disappeared in the murky darkness like a ghost.

Claire expelled a breath, feeling fine tremors run through her.

The medical team rushed past her, troopers surrounding them to make sure they were protected against a possible raptor attack. She could see Owen, barely conscious. Someone was yelling for an umbrella and the security team erected a quick protective cover.

"Damn," Carter said as he joined her. "That was more than intense."

She could only agree.

"Let's get you inside. You look frozen."

She was. Not just from the weather, which wasn't that cold. Claire felt the tremors more.

"Owen first," she decided and walked out into the rain, hearing Carter's exasperated sigh.

She walked over to the throng of people, soaked through within minutes, and looked at Grady, who was still clinging to consciousness with an effort. An IV had been pushed into one arm, his obviously broken arm wrapped in an air cast to secure it until he could be x-rayed, and his head wound had a pressure bandage on it.

Their eyes met; his were cloudy and pain-filled.

"Good work, Ms. Dearing," he whispered, voice rough, breathy.

She smiled shakily. "You raised good girls," she replied.

"Ma'am," one of the medics said and gently moved her aside.

Claire took her cue and stepped back. Carter was there and he led her back into her house, made her sit down. He wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

"Drink this."

Claire looked at the mug of steaming tea, wondering who had made it, then that thought was chased away again.

"Breathe, Claire" Dan told her. "You were good out there. Really good. I'm impressed."

"Good under pressure," she said shakily.

He smiled tightly. "Job description?"

She felt her corners of her mouth twitch a little. "Probably." After facing a monster of her own design, looking into the coldly calculating eyes of a creature that knew what it wanted, the raptors had been, well, not easy, but easier than the i-rex.

Lights flashed outside, red and white, and the ambulance pulled away.

"You should get checked out, too, Ms. Dearing."

"I'm fine. Just a bit damp."

"Try sopping wet."

"I'm fine."

Carter didn't look convinced. "I'm leaving a security detail. Just in case."

Claire frowned. "Blue and the others won't come back, Mr. Carter. I'll be okay."

"Humor me."

And then Carter was gone.

Claire shook off her nerves and got up. She walked into her bedroom and changed into dry clothes, checked her phone for emails, then grabbed her raincoat.

Her eyes fell on the muddy ground outside her living room windows. There was hardly any grass left. Just mud. A large area of disturbed ground where humans and velociraptors had been.

Claire steadied herself, pushing back her nerves again.

When she opened the door to the outside she was greeted by two troopers.

"Ms. Dearing," one greeted her. His name tag said Martinez.

"I'm going to the hospital," she announced, voice hard and unyielding.

"We'll drive you," Martinez answered, not even arguing. He had probably been briefed by Carter.

Claire nodded sharply and followed the men to the black SUV.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

"You were lucky."

"I don't feel lucky."

Owen sat on the examination bed, trying to stop the world from spinning. He had woken about three hours ago, in the middle of the ER, people moving around him, and it had made him dizzy.

His heard hurt.

His left shoulder hurt.

All of him hurt; everywhere.

He felt like shit.

Stay calm.

Blue was there, in his mind, like standing right next to him. She was balancing him, kept him coherent, but he knew that the moment she pulled back he would crash.

He wanted to go back to sleep.

Not yet.

And he had no idea how he had gotten here. Everything was fragmented.

"This could have easily crippled or killed you."

Dr. Annika Svenson shook her head. She had come to Isla Nublar about four months ago, one of several doctors employed by Masrani Global who worked at the hospital on the island. She looked a little frazzled. That was probably due to the situation she had been called for.

Owen would have reassured her that everything was okay if he was in better shape.

Blue's presence enveloped him, soothing his mind, and he relaxed a little. Acceptance. Just accept that he had made it back in one piece.

"Can I go home now?" he asked.

"You've got to be kidding me, Grady! You broke your arm, you have a bruise the size of a melon on your shoulder, you wrenched that joint, and your face looks like someone took a shovel to it! You're staying the night for observation. At least!"

Owen knew all that. He had the cast to prove it and his arm was in a sling. It felt numb, like it wasn't his own limb. The deep laceration running from his forehead to his temple had been stitched. There was a bandage taped over it.

He just wanted to lay down and never get up again.

"I can sleep better at home," he murmured, sounding like a petulant child.

"You can sleep just fine here, Mr. Grady," Annika told him sternly.

We'll be fine.

He sighed.

"Do as Dr. Svenson ordered."

He blinked owlishly at Claire, who had appeared in the room. His still concussed brain tried to make him focus on her, but she was blurry around the edges. Dressed in pristine white, looking calm and composed, Claire met his gaze levelly.

Still, even in his state, Owen saw that something had rattled her. He tried to make himself remember, but there was hardly a blip.

Damn, damn and double-damn again.

"You look like the worst kind of roadkill. Worse than after the incident."

Oh great.

"You need rest and we need to know you're okay. Will the pack stay out of sight?" she asked, voice business-like. And still not right. Owen made a note to dig deeper when he could hold more than a thought together.

"Yeah. Completely out of the way," he answered, getting Blue's confirmation.

"Good. Now get some sleep, Owen. We'll talk about what happened tomorrow. I have a park to clean up after the storm."

With that she was gone, like a ghost his imagination had made up.

He sighed and Svenson took that as her cue. She called a nurse, who manhandled him into a wheelchair, pushed him into a room, and then helped him to bed.

It was a nice room. With a view, even if there was nothing to see. The storm was still going on, but with less force, and it was raining. Trees bowed in the wind outside.

The pain medication they had doped him up with had Owen feel like he wasn't really there. He felt fuzzy, not from this world.

Blue?

We're here. You'll be okay.

Thanks, he told her. For everything.

You protect us. We protect you.

And with that warmth spreading through him, Owen dropped off like a stone.

Outside it was still raining heavily. The sky was gray, the clouds thick and impenetrable, but the cyclone had been downgraded to a storm again.

tbc...