This story is all about Claire going through some very awful stuff and Owen being there for her and help her heal as they face everything together. He is her rock. A totally different scenario although it still happens on Isla Nublar and characters are the same.

Chapter 1:

It was still Tuesday just a couple of days away from the Annual Christmas Party and Claire for some reason was feeling particularly festive this year. She was in the mood for this party when usually she wouldn't bother and would only attend just because her position in the company required her to do so, but this year, she had her eyes set on InGen's animal behaviourist. He had been working at the park for almost a year now and Claire had to admit that he had caught her attention the minute their eyes had locked on each other on his day of arrival, and something tells her that Mr Grady or rather Owen as he keeps insisting she calls him, is particularly interested in her as well. She wanted to go to this party and show off her assets in a decent way of course, she is the Operations Manager after all. She wanted to get his attention and see where things goes.

Owen on his part doesn't really hide the effect she has on him, and doesn't even bother to shy away when she catches him staring at her. He just throws her that captivating smile of his and continues on whatever he is doing. She made it very clear to him that she was attending this year's party and expects him to show up, when no one was around. She was so eager and impatiently waiting for this night, that she already had an outfit picked up and ready for the night. Men were obviously asked to attend in a black outfit and Claire could already begin to imagine him in his black outfit and white shirt, with his collar open and that stubble he likes to sport. Damn he is so sexy with that stubble on…he looks like such a bad boy, and whilst Claire always thought she would want a man who goes to work in suits, Owen Grady was starting to change all that for her and Claire Dearing could no longer care what he wears, as long as she manages to get her hooks into him.

Despite all of this though, she still has an image to keep up, and was not going to just give herself to him just like that, even though she can just imagine how good he is in bed not to mention what a good kisser he must be. Men haven't really been a part of her life as she wanted to focus more on her studies and career, but now Owen came along, and suddenly, Claire found herself wanting a man after all this time.

Her phone ringing snapped her out of her thoughts of Owen Grady and the Annual Christmas Party, as she grabbed the phone to answer.

'Hello' she spoke into the phone while she jotted down something in her diary.

'Just a reminder that you needed to go down to the lab and after you have a meeting with the InGen staff' Zara her personal assistant told her.

'Thanks Zara I am on my way' she replied before hanging up.

She got up and made sure she looked good, arranging slightly her skirt and hair, grabbed her diary and other documents and made her way out of the office.

oooOOOooo

Victor Hoskins, Owen and Barry were all back at the velociraptors paddock after the almost two hour meeting they had with the Operations Manager and a few other people, and Victor wouldn't shut up about Claire, while Owen and Barry tried with all their might to just work and ignore the man. Owen was trying to keep it cool and not let him realize how interested in Claire he really was, and definitely made sure it won't slip out that they were actually on a friendly basis. Claire had been the professional as always and whenever she needed to address Owen, she always referred to him as Mr Grady during the meeting or at work in general, but hearing Victor go on and on about Claire and how beautiful she is and how he really wants to fuck the hell out of her, was starting to get to Owen.

The way he was talking about her, was something he never liked. He particularly cannot stand men who treat women like they are some prize to be won and talk shit about them, and Victor had been doing that for the last thirty minutes or so.

'Jesus Vic would you shut the fuck up?' Owen told him as he looked up from behind the laptop 'You are acting like a teenage boy who just found out about the pleasures of sex for the first time' Owen told him 'If not worse'.

'Oh come on Owen, don't tell me you wouldn't love to get your hands on that body of hers' Victor told him.

'It is none of your damn business what I would love or wouldn't love to do. Show her a little bit of respect' Owen defended her honour and Barry glanced his way as if to tell him to shut up or Victor was going to realize that there is something between the two of them or that Owen would like to be.

Thankfully Victor dismissed Owen's reaction with a wave of his hand and walked away but Owen could see him and could see that he had started chatting with some other colleagues and something told him that he hadn't changed the subject at all.

'I hate that man' Owen hissed and Barry chuckled.

'You only hate him because he has eyes for your woman' be told Owen.

'She is not my woman…yet' Owen told him with a wink 'And I am sure that if she was here and heard you say my woman she would tell you that she is her own damn woman. I can just imagine her say that' Owen told him and Barry nodded in agreement.

oooOOOooo

Claire was on her way to the control room, her attention down at her phone, when she almost bumps into Hoskins who had stopped in the middle of the corridor.

'Ms Dearing' she heard him say as she felt his arm snake around her waist and Claire smiled awkwardly at him and stepped back.

'Hoskins…Can I help you?' she asked him while arranging her skirt.

'How about be my date for the Christmas Party?' he asked her bluntly and Claire could swear that if he had asked her that while having a drink, she would have spat everything out of her mouth. What the hell made him think that she would say yes?!

'That is nice of you to ask me but I'm sorry I have to turn you down' she told him feeling very uncomfortable. She could see him eyeing her up and down, he even dared to lick his lips and Claire wanted to puke. How could he be so disgusting and be so obvious? She shivered slightly at the thought of him being her date and went to walk past him, when he grabbed her arm and Claire looked down at his hand on her. She quickly pulled her arm away from him and gave him a death glare.

'Don't even THINK about doing that again' she told him 'Now if you'll excuse me' and with that she went on her way.

After that encounter, Claire found it a little bit hard to concentrate on the paperwork she had in front of her, waiting to be read and signed for approvals. His voice kept echoing in her head. He asked her out. He eyed her up and down as if she was a piece of meat. It almost felt like when a predator was looking at his prey before the kill. She shivered and tried to push the unwanted thoughts away but with no such luck so she got up and made her way out of the office.

oooOOOooo

Couple of hours had passed and Owen and Barry were having a coffee break, and Owen was still somewhat pissed off at Hoskins for the way he started talking about Claire. He would have gotten pissed off even if it wasn't Claire, but the fact that it was her he was talking about got him more upset. That was when Andrew, another bloke from InGen sat down beside them.

'Have you guys placed your bet yet?' he asked them 'Who are you betting on?' he asked.

'What bet?' Owen asked, having a feeling this was bad, as he looked quickly at Barry with a frown on his face.

'On who's going to be Claire's date for the annual party' he told them and Owen almost choked on his coffee. Barry glanced quickly his way and then back at Andrew.

'No we haven't and we are not going to' Owen spat out 'And since when are you calling her by her name?' Owen asked him.

'Oh come on guys, it is just for fun' Andrew went on trying to get them to place a name and chill 'Rumour has it, it will be Hoskins. Apparently, he asked her out' Andrew informed them and Owen could feel his blood boiling in his veins. There was no way Claire was going to take Hoskins as her date. He was sure that she had better tastes.

'I guess we will wait and see. Leave us out of this' Barry replied before Owen could open his mouth again. Andrew huffed at how spoil sport they were being and went on his way.

'You have to watch what you say man if you don't want anyone to find out how you feel about her' Barry hissed.

Pissed off Owen got up from his chair pushing it back with his knees and walked away.