Disclaimer: I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind.

5. End Day One

"So, when do you think you'll start observations on the girls?" Owen asked as he hooked the closed-top jeep around a right turn. Gwyn chuckled under her breath and stuck her arm out the window so she could grip onto the roof the vehicle. Glancing at the man who so graciously agreed to take time out of his schedule just to drive her to the hotel, Gwyn smiled and adjusted her sunglasses.

"Eager to have me back to invade your workspace?" she joked. Owen chuckled deep in his throat and placed one hand on the top of the steering wheel, letting the other dangle out the window. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye before directing his gaze back to the road in front of them. The gates to the resort were approaching, and he could just make out the gate guards at the top, boredly keeping watch of the road and the jungle.

"More like planning on preparations for when you do. Gotta be ready for when you decide to storm the castle," he told her, increasing their speed as they crept up a hill.

"I'll probably be around in a week or two. I'll start off slow, you know––brachiosauruses seem a good place to start." Owen chuckled at her response and waved a hand up to the guards as they approached the gate. Once they rolled to a stop, he leaned his head out the window and squinted up into the sun.

"Afternoon, Donny, Jason!" he called up to the men. There was a shouted response and a 'one moment.' "I'll get you through the maintenance alleys and I could walk you to the resort if you like?"

"Only if you want to."

"Why not? My shift ended half an hour ago and I could do with a beer."

Park maintenance staff roamed the spacious, concrete alleys, toting clipboards and some drove forklifts with crates piled up on the front. They wore blue jumpsuits and blue hard hats, which set them aside from other park employees. Owen waved to a couple of them here and there, driving at a snail's pace to make sure that they wouldn't hit anyone. He stopped the jeep in front of a large set of doors that she assumed led out into the park. They hopped out and passed through the maintenance doors, stepping onto one of the side streets of the main resort. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, quietly avoiding running into packs of tourists as they went. Then Owen cleared his throat and pushed his hands into his pockets, drawing in Gwyn's attention. He flicked his thumb across his nose, sniffing as he chose the right words to use.

"So, I've gotta ask… your last name––Grant––you wouldn't happen to be related to…?" Owen trailed off. Gwyn smiled and looked down at her dirt-scuffed boots. So it had been recognition.

"Alan Grant, paleontologist extraordinaire?" she laughed. Owen nodded with an added chuckle.

"Yeah, him."

"He's my dad," Gwyn confirmed, sounding proud of the statement. Owen's brows inched upwards. He'd suspected niece, maybe, if any relation at all. But daughter? The prospect honestly hadn't crossed his mind. But, thinking back on it, on the books Alan had written––particularly the one detailing Jurassic Park––he had mentioned a daughter.

"So that means that… that you were here when… when this was all…"

"Jurassic Park, yeah," Gwyn finished for him, nodding her confirmation. Lifting a hand, she traced the length of her scar, from her left collarbone to the top of her right breast. The finger that ran across it was curled in the shape of a claw, purposely drawing his attention to the ribbon of pink flesh. "Where did you think this came from?"

"I dunno, a cat, maybe. But a dinosaur? Not really most reasonable conclusion to jump to," Owen pointed out. He ran his fingers over his mustache and then stretched them out to rub at his jaw, thinking over the whole of the situation he found himself in now. He was walking beside a Jurassic Park survivor; and a Grant at that. A Grant who had willingly agreed to work on the very island that had likely caused her a shit ton of trauma. He glanced down at her scar again thinking about the endless list of traumas she'd likely been exposed to. "What kind of dinosaur was it?"

Gwyn pursed her lips and raised a hand to scratch up at the back of her neck. Ducking her chin so her face was conveniently hidden by the brim of her hat, she quietly said,

"Velociraptor."

Owen stopped walking completely. Gwyn walked a few steps more and, once realizing she was no longer walking beside anyone, she stopped too. A couple annoyed huffs came from a group of tourists behind them, but they moved around the paused duo, noses buried in their park maps. The paleontologist turned around to face the raptor handler, who was gaping at her. The woman before him had been attacked and scarred physically––and probably mentally, too––by a velociraptor; and what had he done earlier? Propose she meet them in what would have been an up-close and personal encounter. And, sure, he hadn't known at the time who she exactly was, but, god, did he still feel like an ass. No wonder Gwyn had seemed so skeeved out by the prospect of meeting them, why she'd seemed so hesitant and antsy the entire time they were at the paddock.

"Velociraptor?" he questioned, splaying a hand flat out in front of him. Gwyn nodded, one hand still placed on the back of her neck. Owen's eyes fell shut and he shook his head, a grimace pulling on his lips. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Gwyn's tone of voice was dismissive and flat, which spoke of years of people saying 'I'm sorry for what happened' and 'you must have been so brave.' Owen's blue eyes flicked open again and he found her offering him half a smile. "It was a long time ago."

"I wasn't apologizing for that," Owen said, waving a hand as though he were gesturing to the past. Gwyn's brows shot upwards in genuine surprise. "I was apologizing for earlier, when I asked you about seeing the raptors."

"Again, don't be sorry. You didn't know and I didn't make it a point to tell you; besides, it's not like you forced me into the viewing area and made me look them in the eye." They started walking again, turning left in order to step onto Main Street. "But, thank you anyway for the apology; it was very considerate of you."

Most of the silences that had formed between them before had been fairly comfortable, but this time it was considerably awkward. Awkward because there was one question that Owen wanted to ask but didn't know how to properly pose. Awkward because Gwyn knew what that question was and was waiting for him to ask it. After another couple moments of tense, unbearable silence, Gwyn inhaled sharply and asked,

"Do you want to know how it happened?"

"Well, uh… yeah, but I don't want to push you into talking about something you don't want to talk about it. We could exchange raptor stories over drinks sometime," Owen told her. She nodded slowly and pushed her hands into her pockets as the awkward silence returned in full force. Turning his head to the left so Gwyn couldn't see his face, Owen winced at how stupid that had sounded. 'Exchange raptor stories...' "What made you come back? I can't imagine it was an easy decision."

Gwyn exhaled slowly, shrugging her shoulder as she veered a few steps to the right, allowing a child to sprint between them, her mother following after with a worn-out look on her face.

"A lot of reasons. Time to face my fears… prove to myself that this place can't hurt me… make sure history doesn't repeat… understand dinosaurs on a new, intimate level… take your pick. I'm sure everyone will make their own speculation about why I've come once it's found out a Grant is working at Jurassic World," she chuckled under her breath. "I'm sure a few conspiracy theories will crop up."

"Like, what, you're here to shut us down?" Own asked with a smirk and a laugh. Gwyn shrugged and smiled.

"It would make sense, wouldn't it?" Owen thought her words over, forehead crinkling as he realized how plausible that thought could be. But he'd spent an hour with this woman and he could already tell her intent wasn't malicious. He knew malicious intent when he saw it… he saw it every time Hoskins showed up at the paddock. "But, you know, my dad and I already tried to shut this place down. Sent in dozens of complaint letters when its reopening was first announced. Clearly didn't work. But, you know, live and let be." Up ahead, the resort came into view. "Well, that's my stop. Thanks for walking me this far, but I won't bother you by making you walk me to the door; besides, I don't want to keep you from that beer you said you're interested in having."

"Right, yeah. You're welcome; anything for a fellow employee," Owen assured her with a nod. He proffered a hand to her. "It was real good to meet you, Gwyn. Don't make yourself a stranger––stop by the paddock anytime you like."

Gwyn accepted the handshake and smiled at him. "It was a pleasure to meet you, too, Owen. Don't know when I'll get back to the paddock, but I'll try and drop by soon. Till then, keep the girls in control for me, will you?" Gwyn inquired with a jokingly serious tone. Owen raised a hand and gave a mock two-fingered salute.

"Yes, ma'am."

With one last exchanged smile, Gwyn turned and moved towards the hotel, leaving Owen to watch her walk away. He turned on his heel and made for his favored bar, sparing a glance over his shoulder just in time to see Gwyn disappear into the crowd of tourists. His brows furrowed as he pictured her on the run from a raptor hunting party. Pursing his lips as he kept on moving, Owen tried to recall where he'd put all of Alan Grant's books.

OOOO

Gwyn held up her room key to the scanner next to the hotel suite door. When she'd come to the front desk and gave her name as Masrani instructed, she had honestly thought that they had made a mistake. She had been placed in the Hammond Suite, which was the biggest, most expensive suite in the whole of the hotel. When Gwyn had told the front desk she thought it was a mistake, they'd just smiled at her and said that Masrani had left specific instructions she stay in the suite as a revered guest at no cost. That was how she found herself standing at the door of said room on the top floor of the hotel.

The room was lavish. That was the only way to describe it. It was decorated in rich, varying shades of brown, with wicker based furniture, plush cushions, soft carpet, and well-kept orchids and ferns dotted what was, essentially, a penthouse. Her bags were pressed flush against the wall adjacent to the door, placed there with care by hotel staff. Picking up the bags, Gwyn walked navigated her way to a sitting room, where she sat down and went about fishing out her laptop. She placed it on the small coffee table and then extracted her phone, shooting her dad a text.

Will Skype you in five minutes.

~Gwyn

Next on her list was to find a proper table to sit at. She found one placed right next to a wall of windows that looked out over the whole of the park. Gwyn placed her laptop, charger, and phone on top of the table and then placed both hands on her hips. A lake glittered below, surrounded, on one end, by a number of stadium style seats. It was likely for the 'Mosasaurus feeding show' that Gwyn had seen advertised numerous times around the park. Directing her eyes back down to the mahogany table, Gwyn spotted a complimentary map and a neatly printed card, which she snatched up to read.

Welcome to the Hammond Suite, named after our illustrious founder John Hammond. This suite has been occupied by heads of state, celebrities, royal honeymooners, and even our park owner Simon Masrani!

With a gentle sigh, Gwyn set the card down and made for the kitchenette she'd spotted when she had walked in. The room was honestly far too much. She could've dealt with the cheapest room on the lowest floor, but she wasn't about to turn down Masrani's hospitality. In the kitchenette, she spotted a small, stainless steel mini fridge that was fronted with glass. Pulling it open, she crouched down and took stock of what was inside. Different types of beers, wines, chocolates, snacks… they really pulled out all the stops, it would seem. She removed a bottle of beer and took note of what she might snack on later. Placing the bottle cap on the edge of the counter, she sharply tapped the bottle with the side of her hand, which popped the cap right off. It was a technique she'd gotten accustomed to using on site and it just sort of stuck. She took a long sip from the bottle as she made her way back to her laptop, sitting down cross-legged on the upholstered chair.

After a moment of quiet where Gwyn just sipped at her drink and relaxed, she shrugged off her button down and clicked into Skype. Picking Alan's contact, she clicked the call button and waited. There was a moment where the screen was black, but eventually it made a dinging sound and the camera feed on the other end flicked to life, revealing her father's face. He was seated in the living room of her childhood home judging by the deep grey-blue paint on the walls. She smiled broadly, but tiredly, and waved a little bit.

"Hey, dad," she said. Alan smiled back at his daughter, returning her little wave before leaning forward a tad.

"Hi, sweetheart. How are you?" he inquired, clearly watching her intently. Gwyn sighed, still smiling, as she adjusted her laptop so the camera angle was better. There was poorly disguised worry in Alan's voice, and Gwyn could see the gleam of it in his eyes.

"Oh, you know… tired. Overwhelmed. But, uh, I'm here and I'm okay," she told him, hoping it sounded at least a little reassuring. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept much in the last day or two; and she hated to think that she might have been the cause of it. Alan nodded and pursed his lips as he considered her words.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked, voice more serious this time. Gwyn looked away from the screen and took hold of her beer bottle. Glancing back up at the camera, she smiled again, less convincingly this time.

"Yeah. I'm sure. It's really different here, now. It's like they… simultaneously fulfilled and bastardized Mr. Hammond's dream." Her father gave her an intrigued look, a frown setting itself into his lips. "There are… dozens more dinosaurs than the first park, so that's…. surpassed what Hammond would have wanted. But there are… rides now. He had specifically said that Jurassic Park didn't need rides, didn't need that sort of thing to be as enrapturing as it could be. There are also…" She snatched up the brochure and map, flipping to one of the inside flaps. "Thirty two tennis courts… a golf course… and a spa and gym amongst other things."

Alan snorted and shook his head, reaching around his own computer to grab a glass filled with amber colored liquid––his favorite brand of beer, undoubtedly. Gwyn held up her own bottle in some form of 'cheers' before they both took a sip.

"What kind of rides do you have at a dinosaur park?" Alan deadpanned, setting his beer to the side. Gwyn unfolded the map portion of the pamphlet and spread it across the keyboard.

"They've got… a botanical garden you can walk through. Two hundred years of flora and fauna to see." Gwyn smiled down at the map, a certain paleobotanist coming to mind. "Ellie would love that… Uh… they've got… oh, the Mosasaurus feeding show, gyrospheres––whatever those are… the 'cretaceous cruise,' a Pachy arena… oh, and what I'm sure would be your favorite––" her tone was flat and blatantly sarcastic, "––an aviary."

"Pterodactyls are pesky, deadly creatures," Alan pointed out flatly, referencing the time he and a number of other people had to fight their way through the Isla Sorna aviary. He then arched an eyebrow as the conversation fell to more serious topics. "So, what do they have you doing over there?"

"Monitoring and documenting dinosaur behaviour. It's… definitely different from what I'm used to, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. It's just going to get… tough when I have to do the raptor paddock," she said, nursing a sip from her beer bottle. Alan's brows shot upwards and concern over took his face again.

"They've still got raptors?"

"Of course they do. They haven't opened the paddock up to the public yet, though. There's a man who's working with the raptors, trying to get them ready for public viewing," she explained, pulling her knees up to her chest. Alan shook his head in disbelief and scoffed, leaning back in the creaky chair he was sitting in.

"What are they going to do? Jump through hoops, run an obstacle course?" Alan deadpanned. Gwyn snorted and offered up a faint smile.

"From what I understand, Mr. Grady is getting them used to human contact. There isn't going to be any… hoop jumping or obstacle courses." She took another sip before murmuring, "I hope… But, uh, Mr. Masrani said that they have one-hundred plus security protocols and a hundred more protocols within each protocol…" Alan narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side in question.

"Do you really think––do they really think that that's going to help in the middle of an outbreak? Look what good security protocols did for the first park."

"Well… I'll just have to whip them into shape if they think they're immune to tyrannosaur sized destruction," Gwyn said wryly, sipping at her beer. Alan chuckled on the other end of the video feed and raised his glass to hers in another 'cheers.'

"That's my girl."

OOOO

On the other side of the island, just as the sun began to dip towards the horizon, Owen was reading over the spines on the books that were shoved haphazardly into a bookshelf in the corner of his bungalow. His finger slid along each spine, reaching book titles and author names, pulling a face everytime he thought he'd found the right one only to discover he was wrong. He just knew he had some of Alan Grant's books… he knew for a fact that Dinosaur Detectives, Alan's first book, was somewhere in his office, but he knew that he had his other books somewhere in the damn mess of his bookshelves. Owen shoved a pile of books to the side and made a sound of triumph as he found what he was looking for. He withdrew the book and made for his deck, where, on a small table, an open bottle of beer and take out from the park's steak house waited for him.

The book in his hand was entitled Jurassic Park: The Events of Isla Nublar as documented by Dr. Alan Grant. After discovering that Gwyn had been the little girl mentioned in Grant's book, Owen found a curiosity sparked as to what she'd been through. He slipped into a chair and held the book up at face level, eyes narrowing at the dust-covered cover; the book was fairly old––he'd had it for a good long while. But he'd only ever read it once a very long time ago and he couldn't recall all the thrilling, gory, tiny details of what had happened that day in Isla Nublar. And Gwyn's arrival sparked a renewed interest in it; he also thought that, perhaps, he could spare her the ritual of having to retell the story. Owen flicked the book open and he read the first few sentences and found himself drawn in, Owen sipped his beer and settled in for an evening of light-reading on a not-so-light event; but then he paused, wondering if this were, perhaps, an indirect invasion of privacy. Some part of his head told him it didn't matter because half the entire world knew the story of Isla Nublar, knew what had happened to those on the island. Another part of his head told him it was Gwyn's place to tell him her story when she felt up to it. And that was the part of his head that won the argument… but not before he decided he would read the first couple chapters.

Afterword: And there we have it! I have this problem with being like 'I know exactly what'll happen next chapter!' and then it doesn't happen. Like, Lowery was supposed to be introduced in this chapter, but then it got away from me. Anyway, he'll appear next time!

Review Replies!

Pompeii1224: And now he knows! I had a completely different way he was going to find out, but I like this way better. The other one involved raptors and they're coming in a bit later and I figured he'd find out who she was far before she started to work with the girls. Thanks again, hope you enjoyed!

NicoleR85: Thank you! I'm very happy that you enjoyed last chapter! Thanks again!

MidnightPenguin: Your review actually inspired the last scene, where he's looking for Jurassic Park. And Owen is incredibly intelligent, so he put it together that she was probably related to Alan, he just didn't know… how, as he mentions. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

CarlyJo: Thank you! I was worried I wouldn't peg down Owen; also, I'm glad that Barry––in the few moments he was in––was in character. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

crazykenz: Indeed they have, met! I was sort of aiming for the kinda-awkward/kinda-flirty/kinda-Idunnowherethisisgoing first interaction, and I'm glad it came across! We're catching a glimpse at his reaction… just wait till he finds out how she got attacked by a raptor. They will have a time where they just go out for drinks and she talks about the first park. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

d0 it like a dude: I'm glad Owen stayed in character! The Jurassic World events will tie in… in… I dunno how long, but I suspect this story starts about a year before the movie events. When the Indominus starts to get mentioned, you'll know that it's getting closer :) I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
madimoo13286: I'm very happy you enjoyed it! Thank you very much!

katy1986: He did (sorta) know who she was and now he definitely knows. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

Spelllesswonder29: I hope that you're enjoying the prequel! And I'm very glad Owen doesn't seem OOC; that was a really big worry of mine. I tried to picture Chris Pratt saying the things I was having Owen say and rewrote it if it didn't seem right. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967: I'm glad you're enjoying it all so far! Thanks again!

Lanariel Greenleaf: I'm glad you've enjoyed the chapters thus far! I'm having a lot of fun with this story and I'm glad that you're enjoying it. Thanks again!

InfinityMars: I figured that Owen and Gwyn meeting for the first time would just sorta be what it was. Two new co-workers meeting, beginning to bond, being a bit awkward, being a bit flirty. And now they've left off on a fairly awkward note, we'll see how it picks back up. I love playful banter. It, too, is my downfall. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

The girl with no life: I'm defnitely gonna have a chapter where she tells him about Muldoon and how she thought Owen was going to be like him and whatnot. It's gonna be hilarious. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

donchrl: I'm glad you like the story! Thanks again for taking the time to read and review!

Night-Weaver-369: I'm happy you're enjoying the story thus far! I love writing Gwyn and Alan and now Owen; their interactions are all so much fun. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

heroherondaletotherescue: It's totally fine! When they work together… oh, boy, that'll be fun. So, so, so much fun. There shall be sass, jokes, arguments both serious and playful, and, of course and eventually, flirting. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

And thank you to those who added this story to their favorites/follows; it means a lot to me!

Seriously, thank you, to every single one of you; I didn't think many people would like this story or even give it a chance. I hope that you all have been having fun reading what I've posted so far and are looking forward to what's going to come. Thanks again, everyone! You rock!

~Mary