Hello all, Books here with chapter 15!
Before I get started, I would like to say some things.
First, I would like to give a big thanks to my readers. When you all reviewed on my latest chapter and claimed that many of you were either crying, or were close, I was completely astounded. Never was I expecting for my work to give such a impact, and am so glad that it did.
So thankful for your guy's support as well.
Second, in response to some reviews, not this is not anywhere near the end of "Why So Blue?". The adventure has only just begun and much has yet to come, so do not loose hope!
(Thank you to those who stated it would have been a good ending just the same. :) I like where everything has gone so far but my plans at this time go far beyond that.)
Third, I would like to give a shoutout to my dear friend "wild heart warrior of the pen." and her JW fanfic "The Navy Boy and The Horse". It's pretty much set around Owen and Blue's relationship but in a Montana horse ranch setting. Like all of us, she appreciates any thoughts so if you think you'd like it, pop on over and give a thought on what she's got to read!
Thank you again everyone, and enjoy! This chapter will be shorter but the next update will be following shortly!
"Jurassic World: Why So Blue?"
Chapter 15
"Though I May Leave"
He could remember what it was like before; when he was still with the Navy as a member in the Marine Mammals Program, and didn't work under the employment of a multi millionaire and booming genetics company that brought extinct animals to life.
He trained dolphins back then, so you could call it a big step to his more recent career of raptor trainer...which even now wasn't official now that the park fell. Heck he didn't even get paid anymore.
Owen often found himself wondering why they picked him. Surely with such a thing as carnivorous dinosaurs, Ingen would have preferred someone more experienced with ferocity. Lions maybe?
Was it because the dolphins were intelligent, and they needed somebody with the knowhow to deal with antics that came with smarts?
Owen didn't know why, but Ingen sought him out and oh, they made sure their offer was clear to him. He wasn't interested in their generous payload or whatever they had in it for him, but when they told him of the project; how smart his animals would be and how all previous attempts at controlling them had failed miserably….
That was what caught his attention. "Failure to control".
It wasn't about control with him. It was a bond of trust and a relationship with the animal you had to strive to hold. If they trusted you, the possibilities were endless.
The more proud of Ingen's staff scoffed at him and told him he would die within the first week with that kind of thinking. They told him of the deaths already caused by the raptors and how aggressive they could be, but he didn't care. As required of him he signed all the wavers to guarantee the company would bear no fault if he should be wounded or otherwise, killed, on the job.
It didn't bother him much. He had his fair share of witnessing such dangers with his dolphins, believe it or not. There were many accounts across the world, in which the dolphins and orcas in marine animal parks were trying to bash or drown their owners…either in fun or intentionally. Many times they succeeded, and Owen remembered such a close 'incident' with one of his dolphins named "Clicker" all too well.
He knew what he was getting into and was cool about it, but for some of the more anxious of staff his lack of caution was rather annoying.
Within a few weeks of his agreement, Ingen pronounced that a clutch of eggs was ready for hatching and his presence was required in order for there to be an imprinting. Around noon in the day they called him over from the hotel, then proceeded to lock him inside the incubation room.
At first he was confused and vaguely concerned by this, until the head scientist Dr. Henry Wu explained calmly that he was the only soul allowed into their contact for the first few hours. It assured that they would imprint on him and him alone; giving him the advantage in the project to begin a "relationship" early on.
Henry Wu was a smart man and being the head geneticist whom led in the dinosaur creation, Owen didn't question him. If the hatchlings were immediately exposed to their trainer and told it was a being to trust and depend upon, work with them in the future would be easier.
This only meant that, if there were to be complications with one of the specimen's health, no assistance could be given from outside the room. No speakers with voices, no personnel…
He was on his own, so they gave him strict instruction.
Advice was given for the hatching process; how to feed them, how to interact with them, and how to hold them properly. They told him these things as if he were completely ignorant to the care of a young creature. As if he had never held a baby of any kind before.
The staff reminded him in repeating insistence, "Don't fall for the innocence; it's a lie they'll soon grow out of." Or "Don't expect them to stay small forever. Remember what they are."
Oh Owen remembered well…the anticipation he felt as he sat himself in a chair and waited impatiently for the eggs to show signs and their inhabitants to begin breaking free. He could remember how tired he was and how frustrated the scientists were as the night drug on.
It was midnight, before the first egg began to shudder and the first hatchling fought its way into the world. They were all girls, as he was told, and the first one had a set of lungs if he ever heard one.
Wriggling free of her shell with limbs flailing and jaws parted in shaky cries, the tiny raptor yelped and stumbled out into the dried grasses spread about in the incubator. Her eyes were sealed shut like a newborn bird's, which the scientists reassured would begin to open within a few hours.
Her head and neck were tilted upwards in attempts to sit up, and her entire body trembled with weakness like a leaf in the wind. Pieces of eggshell stuck to her scales and from what Owen could tell from under the red stained egg fluids, they were grey.
Carefully, grabbing a towel from the nearby medical cart, Owen reached out to the tiny creature and spoke softly, "Hey there little one. Welcome into the big world…"
She sensed the movement above, and from her mouth came a shrill cry before it was followed by a flutter of movement. The hatchling tried to face him; lifting her head only to clamp her eyes shut harder against the above lights. Her efforts were frantic trying to find the creature present for her birth. Surely he meant something of importance to her.
Owen chuckled and gently picked a piece of shell from her muzzle, then opening his towel he let it fall around her. The hatchling was startled by this at first, but he took her in his hand, and lifted her up off the incubator before sitting down in his chair once again.
So fragile…so tiny she felt in the palms of his hands as Owen proceeded to rub the hatchling down. He ignored her stutters and cries detesting the restriction, and simply shook his head.
"Strong little feisty girl, you are."
Wiping her head clean, the fluid was dried away and visibility of the scales became more clear. What Owen had thought was a solid grey raptor, became grey with two thick blue lines running on either side of her back.
These lines began at the corners of her eyes, and went down to the middle of her tail; accentuated with an outline of thin bright white.
He complimented her scales, and spoke little purls of encouragement as he continued to clean her off. He spoke as if there wasn't an entire room of scientists watching him like hawks from the next room over but he didn't care. His rubbing touches were a stimulate and eventually, nostrils quivering in tiny breaths, the little raptor squirmed for all she was worth. She replied to his every sound in a short whine and attempt to seek him out.
It was in her programming from all those millions of years ago; to be active and mobile as soon as possible. Safety came with the ability to run from danger, much as a young horse was required to run within hours of its birth.
Again Owen chuckled and stroked her chin with his thumb.
"That's my girl, Bravo."
Bravo…
Before the hatching, Ingen requested that Owen's animals be named after the NATO alphabet…kind of a dedication to his previous affiliation with the navy. They also thought it would be a sort of theme, if the project ever advanced to where the raptors could be displayed to the public.
He was to be the Alpha, and the 'girls' were to be Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo.
The "Raptor Squad" as a staff member in the control room named Lowery had told him ever so enthusiastically.
Owen's eyes drifted over the little raptor in his hands, and fixed on the markings running boldly down her back. His lips slowly turned up into a smile and he cooed again, "Blue…."
Blue, much better than Bravo. It was less official; special.
At the sound of his voice, Blue had gurgled softly and nuzzled the end of her snout into his thumb before licking it; breathing in a puff of breath. From this point on she would know his voice, his smell, and….Owen realized with unsettling amusement….his taste.
Hopefully she recognized him as a thing to depend on; not just as a hatchling but far into her later years.
And that was it. The memories stopped there. Owen didn't want to go any further in fear of the pain that awaited him with the hatching of the other three eggs. The previous moments had brought him warmth and a feeling of happiness, but anything beyond that was deep water. He didn't dare try to tread in it after the other three died…...
Shaking his head, refocusing on the real world, Owen remembered he still sat in the shelter of the trees where he had been left. The paved road was still ahead, and the birds sang around him as though everything were bright and cheery in the world.
More or less. He had mixed feelings about whether or not it was cheery right now.
His eyes drifted down the road, where his raptor Blue had disappeared following her new pack. She was gone….he could hardly believe it and part of him wished it weren't so. Part of him just wanted a little more time; to make sure she was truly safe and remove the feeling of being torn away.
He said it wasn't goodbye, so why did it still hurt?
Slapping his palm onto his knee slightly, Owen sighed and shifted so that he could crawl free of the bushes and get to his feet. After wiping the dirt from his pants and shirt he straightened his shoulders, and taking a deep breath he muttered to himself.
"She'll be fine."
The pack seemed strong, he kept reassuring himself. Blue was concerned and hesitant at first but the hatchling Star adored her; Owen knew that was the one reason she finally gave in.
She went, and was given what he wanted to give her this whole time. His hope was to renew the proper family she lost, and to allow her to live in the world with no fear of finding enough food or protection. She needed to be safe.
"Raptors are pack hunters" as he always said. He couldn't stay with her forever and keep her alone…so what else was he to do?
Suddenly, as Owen stood unmoving on the pavement, a voice rose from the trees nearby and made him flinch a bit. His eyes shifted, and he recognized the tone almost immediately.
Loud and shrill, it called out for him.
"Owen! Owen where are you?"
It was Claire; shouting and being ever so ridiculous. He had told her before shouting in this kind of place was a bad idea and could get them into trouble, but did the woman ever listen to what he said? No….probably not.
After the shout came a quiet controlled voice, and spoke what he so desperately wanted to say, "Quiet down Claire, I'm sure he's fine."
"But he just left! What if he ran off into the jungle with that raptor of his?"
This brought a frown to Owen's lips, and he turned to face the trees where he presumed his friends would appear. He could hear Barry try to reason with Claire but the woman was ahead of him; breaking through the brush with occasional exclamations of pain or frustration.
Eventually, her bright red hair became visible through the foliage, and Owen crossed his arms before tilting his head, "Took you guys long enough to catch up. Mind keeping it down Claire?"
She stumbled somewhat into the opening, and fixing her eyes up on him she gasped, "Owen!"
Barry followed behind a little more gracefully and nodded in relief, "You been waiting here this whole time?"
Owen kept his eyes on Claire, eyebrows low, before he shook his head softly, "No….uh….we had an incident. Everything's fine now."
Claire frowned as she plucked a twig from her hair and glanced around at their surroundings, "An Incident? What is that supposed to mean?"
It meant she won. Owen didn't like to admit to that and he wished quite heavily it wasn't the situation.
Turning he saw Barry giving him a concerned look, just before the other man nodded, "Where's Blue?"
Barry always knew if something was up. He was an excellent judge of hidden emotions and that was why he did so well with the raptors. Whenever one of them was in their nasty moods, he'd have a talk with them in the restraint chutes, and they'd come out bright and a little more controllable.
Lately Blue was hard on him, but after the fall of the park everything had changed.
Reaching up to scratch the back of his neck Owen replied with a cool tone in an effort to hide his distress, "She's gone."
This caught Claire's full attention, and Barry frowned, "She ran off again?"
"No."
He couldn't bring himself to say it now that he was required to. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to just claim she went missing and they needed to go after her.
Claire stepped forward, "What are you talking about? Where is she?"
He was disgusted a bit, when he saw a flash of hope in the woman's eyes as if she wanted the raptor to be gone. It put some tension in his voice but he exhaled.
"Star's pack was searching for her. They tracked us back to the village and when they found us here, Blue left with them. I….let her go…."
For a long moment there was silence, and Owen turned his eyes to the ground. He was positive it hurt now, and he was beginning to get frustrated with himself for regretting his actions because of it.
Blue was in a better place, he chanted in his head. Be a man and just deal with it.
"Don't fall for the innocence; it's a lie they'll soon grow out of. Don't get attached." Old words from the scientists whom created Blue…words he failed to abide.
Breaking the silence, Barry spoke softly, "I'm sorry."
This caused Owen to look up, and he found his friend gazing over with understanding in his eyes.
He could always see hidden emotion.
Owen pursed his lips and nodded, "Thank you….."
~...~
"Who is this Star you two keep talking about?"
Time had passed agonizingly slow as Owen, Barry, and Claire proceeded to leave the area; making their way to the abandoned village to gather their supplies. They used the road as a walkway to ease their travel, but it did not do much to ease Owen's distress.
Claire strode slowly beside him; eyes turned over as she continued to await his response. She had been quiet most of the way but Owen was expecting at least one question. Apparently, she didn't know who or what Star was.
Had the woman not seen her with Blue when the helicopter landed?
Unclenching his jaw Owen kept his eyes ahead and nodded, "Blue found a raptor hatchling out in the jungle yesterday evening…..we took care of her overnight and she followed Blue around until her pack came searching for her."
Claire blinked, then crossed her arms, "I didn't see any hatchling."
A chuckle came from behind, and Owen glanced over his shoulder to see Barry shake his head. He was walking a bit behind and Claire kept close to his side; glancing about at the thrumming jungle with anxiety in her eyes.
"You were too busy biting off Owen's head to notice."
She blinked, and shooting her gaze to the man she gasped somewhat, "I was not!"
Claire's head tilted up and her red hair swung in its short pony tail. Her eyes snapped a bit and her lips went into a firm line.
It made Owen grimace and roll his shoulders, "Well…."
She did have a bit of fun tearing him up when she arrived. He still fumed a bit at what she said but Owen knew better than to start Claire up again.
He heard her faint mutter of disagreement, and he simply shook his head before refocusing on the road ahead. The village wasn't far now…..just around this bend.
As they walked he wondered just what state the place was in, if Star's pack had been out this way. Had they found it? If they did, did they do anything?
His guess was yes, when they arrived to find an entire section of the chain link gate ripped clean away from its frame and bent in a jagged pile. It looked to have almost been tossed to the side, and scattered over the dirt were countless sets of two toed raptor prints shown storming into the village.
The pack had been here…..he was positive now.
Barry looked down at the mess and blinked, "It's quite a large group...maybe 8 raptors?"
Owen shook his head promptly and moved to step through the new break in the fence, before he made his way towards the buildings, "10. Five were males, five were females."
"That specific huh?"
"I wanted to know everything I could before I sent Blue off with them. The Alpha of the pack was a male, meaning acceptance into the pack would not be hindered by same gender threat. Three of them were younglings, and two were older. One seemed to have a broken leg by the looks of him."
Owen explained this all plainly, and acted unaffected while inside he was wincing. He wanted Blue to have a chance with them...he never wanted anything else so badly...
Responding to his 'facts' Claire stepped daintily over the metal scraps of the fence and followed him in, "Aren't you the raptor expert."
Her eyes lifted to him, and he held back a huff.
He didn't like her wisecracks...she pulled them a lot more often lately and every single one was focused around his raptors. His alpha defenses wanted to rise but she was Claire, so he forced them down and put up with it.
Barry saved him by nodding as they passed the first building and saw it's door in ruins, "Seems they were pretty thorough..."
They were worried for their youngling, and being raptors quite a lot of aggression waited behind that worry. The further they went into the village the more buildings they found were turned over in the search, until they came to their temporary camp.
Like the others, the door's old wood had been bashed open and what was left of it lay in pieces on the deck. Here there seemed to be more activity, and upon entering into the front room Owen knew this was where the pack spent most of their time. It looked like a criminal came in and threw the entire room upside down.
The table was flipped onto its side; the supplies Barry had tried so hard to keep away from Blue scattered all over the floor into the kitchen, some eaten, while the pillow Blue used as a cushion was torn apart in a rage.
Blinking, putting his hands on his hips, Owen sighed, "Seems they found where Star spent her night."
He heard Barry grumble to himself as he moved over to the table and grabbed a flashlight from the floor. His face was distorted with frustration and his voice came out tight, "Anything and everything that is breakable, they broke."
"The pack really did this?"
Owen snorted somewhat to Claire's horrified doubt as she stepped up behind him , "Wouldn't you if you thought you found the person that stole your child?"
Silence came in reply, and sighing he then moved foreword to see just what they could salvage. Barry was already getting to it but even now Owen knew it would only be one bag's worth. The guns, the flashlights, and some of the lanterns would go back with them. Everything else would stay.
As Owen proceeded then to gather up the necessities, he began to hope.
He hoped that such a pack as this, willing to go beyond their territory to search for a lost youngling and fight whatever comes in their way, would be the same pack to show the same protectiveness to Blue. He hoped that soon they would truly accept her, and she would again know this kind of bond after what happened to her sisters.
As it was with his girls, Owen supposed it was what he admired of the Velociraptors. They were a strong intelligent animal, and their pack as a family was their top priority. They gave their all to protect and they were wiling to go down fighting if it meant keeping that protection.
Lord help anyone who dared to try interfering with the pack.
~...~
When they left the village to return to the helicopter hours later, Owen was exhausted, and he felt about ready to grab onto a tree. Claire could pull and shout at him but she wouldn't ever be able to pry him off. He was leaving something precious on this island and it was killing him.
As they exited the tree line into the clearing the aircraft was landed in, Owen shuffled slowly through the grass and held tight to his rifle as Claire moved ahead and Barry remained behind. The woman was glowing with relief and she wasted no time in telling the pilot to prepare for flight.
Owen was surprised she got the man to come back...maybe she waved a check in his face...or gave him one of her moving 'pep talks' similar to what he received earlier that day. If that was the case Owen felt bad for the guy.
But, slowing somewhat as he approached the clearing's middle, he rubbed the back of his neck and inhaled slightly. Just one foot in front of the other. Keep walking, don't look back. These were all encouragements he chanted in his head but they fell upon a distressed conscience.
Suddenly, a hand came to his shoulder and Barry stopped beside him.
"You alright?"
Owen blinked, but recovering he nodded, "Yah...i'm fine..."
"Right. You sure look it."
His friend smiled weakly and raised one eyebrow, which made Owen shrug off his hand and chuckle, "You're not worried?"
Barry paused a moment in hesitation before shaking his head, "Maybe only a little...but I have faith in Blue. She's stronger than you think."
There was a pause and he grinned, "She helped take down the Indominus didn't she? I bet in a few weeks she'll have that pack wrapped around her claw. Remember how much of a control freak she was?"
"She wasn't a control freak. Don't you remember what trouble Charlie and Echo would get themselves into? She had to be hard on them lest they brought the whole enclosure down."
Both men laughed, and Owen felt a small amount of his worry decimate. Barry was right. Blue was strong and he didn't have to worry this much. He'd be back in a few months to check on her...she could be completely fine...
She was strong little Blue.
So, taking in a deep breath Owen went back to approaching the helicopter; nodding in greeting when the Pilot tipped up his head and smiled weakly. The man was brave for coming back. His helicopter still bore the cosmetic scars from Blue's talons, but it seemed he got the fuel tanks repaired.
Just out of curiosity and mild concern Owen set his gun within the copter's seating area and nodded, "Nobody asked any questions?"
The pilot shook his head without a pause, "I have a dependable mechanic. As long as he doesn't ask me where the damage comes from, he gets his money."
Just like the pilot was going to get his money. He couldn't speak of this mission to anyone.
Owen stated that with a confident voice, "Make sure word of this stays with you and you alone. I'll find you if you don't."
He meant it, and the pilot shook his head in vigorous agreement, "No sir; the mission never happened, sir."
Perfect. That's what he wanted to hear.
Climbing up into the helicopter cockpit, Owen joined Claire and was soon followed by Barry who threw the remainder of their supplies onto the floor. The door was shut, and as the pilot got himself situated everyone took their seats.
The engine whirred to life, and the propellers above began to rotate with growing speed. Wind rushed outside and just slowly Owen could feel them rise off the ground.
His eyes drifted to the jungle, where his eyebrows furrowed, and Barry leaned closer. His voice came low so that Claire could not hear. No need to get her riled up and mad again before they even left the island.
"How you going to find her when you come back?"
How? That was a good question.
Looking up over the trees Owen saw the valley in which he had shot a Gallimimus for Blue. Even from their distance he could see the massive herds and the great black ridges on the coast line. He remembered finding her there the day before...wounded and distressed.
Immediately his mind linked that moment with the pack, and he spoke in a murmur.
"I think I have an idea where I can find her next..."
