Reese got on board the Black Pearl and headed to its lab. She took the metal plate out of the Alpha Scanner and the ones that were lying on the table, spending a few hours finishing them.

Once she was done, she needed to test them out. She went into the room where the dinosaur cards were kept. For a brief moment, she stopped, looking at a giant needle that was hanging on the wall. It used to belong to her father; he gave it Dr. Z before the last group-time travel.

A soft smile formed on her face as she recalled several fond memories.

Reese took one of the cards and put it to the metal plate. A green beam flew to the floor and turned into a small Parasaurolophus. She looked up at the blonde, nuzzling her leg. Reese knelt down, stroking her head. "Hey, Paris. I've missed you too."

Paris growled happily.

"Don't be too excited; I'm not going to stay here forever... I'll come back to the present one day." The Parasaurolophus tilted her head confusedly. Reese shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

She straightened up and put one of the plates in the Alpha Scanner, took the other one with her and left the last one in the room with a note reassuring everyone that it's working and can be used as pleased.

At that moment, the door opened. Chibi Spiny and Tank rushed in and started playing with Paris. Reese turned to the door and saw Ed. "Oh, hi."

"Um, Reese? I might need your help," he said nervously.

"Help with what?" she wondered.

"Zander hasn't come back yet... I'm starting to worry about him. Could you help me look for him? Ursula won't go with me. I'm sure."

Whatever happened on that last mission felt like it was her fault. "Alright." Reese nodded firmly. "Lead the way."

They headed in the Alpha Base hangar with their dinos and got into one of the Alpha Crafts, flying back to the place where the last dinosaur appeared.

They landed and started looking around, calling out Zander's name. He wasn't around anymore...

"What actually happened?" Reese asked.

Ed frowned and glanced away. "Ursula just said something she shouldn't have."

"I see."

"She really dislikes you... We mentioned that we'd do better if you were with us, but that just made her angrier. She claims that you made the metal plates broken on purpose, that you're hiding something, that we can't trust you."

"She might be annoying, but she has a point, don't you think?" a deep voice in Reese's head asked her.

"Be quiet," the blonde whispered.

Ed continued. "In anger, she reminded Zander something that really hurt him."

Reese frowned thoughtfully. "We should fly around and look for him from above."

"Great idea!"

After a while, they got back in the craft, flying around while still looking.

Unknown to them, Zander was sitting on a bus on his way back home, looking out of the window. His sister's voice repeated in his head over and over again.

"She's NEVER going to love you. She'll leave you just like Ellie did."

He closed his eyes shut; that one name was echoing in his head, torturing him. He wished to talk to her, to know why...

Where did he go wrong?

Ellie... That one name...

—

Meanwhile back in the city, Rod got himself ready to go out. With all the stuff he took, he knocked on Laura's door.

"Sis, are you ready yet?"

"No. I'm not going!" sounded behind the door.

"What do you mean you're not going?"

"I'm not ready to go out... I'm...I'm worried."

He leaned on the door. "About what?"

"I don't know... It's been a long time since I've been here or since I've had a normal conversation. I don't even know how to live anymore..."

"Don't say that!" he growled, "you've been avoiding meeting new people these past two weeks. You can't hide for the rest of your life. I understand that going from your real age back to the moment you've lost your life is hard, but I'm here for you to lead you through it. I'll always be by your side, no matter what."

Suddenly, the door opened; Laura was looking up at him with tears in her eyes and a weak smile on her face.

He hugged her tightly. "That you're immortal doesn't mean I am not your older brother anymore; I'm here to help you."

She sobbed into his shoulder. "Just...give me some time and we'll go out, okay?"

"All the time you need." He nodded reassuringly.

—

Despite having a bird's point of view, they didn't spot Zander at all. Without any positive results, they didn't even talk for a long time.

Reese then broke through the silence. "I know that you three tend to attract troubles, but why are you so worried about him? He can take care of himself."

"Well..." Ed frowned unsurely. "He is my brother... I do care about him..."

"Understandable." She smiled softly.

"This isn't even the first time he's missing like this..."

"This happened before?"

"Not exactly like this. When we were in the past on one of our missions almost three years ago, we lost him when we fell with a waterfall in Africa. We found him after a whole week in Mexico."

That immediately rang the bell.

"So, that's how he got there," she realized.

"Oh, right! You were there. That's where you two first met!"

She nodded. "Exactly. I saved him; he-"

"He fell in love with you, sang you that song to get to you and grab the egg fossil he thought was a dino card capsule; you two went looking for the real capsule. I know...I know... I've heard that so many times. Zander wouldn't stop talking about you. You're really everything he could think about."

"Am I?"

"Yeah! Even if he was with Ellie you were everything one his mind."

"Ellie? Who is that?" she asked him.

Ed quickly glanced away, blushing. "N-no one! No one..."

She let him be, figuring that it might be a sensitive topic.

—

"So, what would you like to do?" Rod asked his little sister as they were walking through the city, "watch a movie? Play mini-golf?"

"I don't know..." she murmured sadly.

He took her hands. "Do you want me to repeat that whole speech from before?" he wondered.

She looked up at him and a slight smile formed on her face. "Please, don't. It was so cheesy."

"Hey, I'm trying to help you here." He pouted.

"I know. ...but you can't give me back my youth."

"C'mon, you're still young!" he tried to cheer her up.

"Rod, I am 116. I'm technically your big sister; you can't change that."

"You might be an old lady-"

—

Back in the Alpha Base, Ursula swiftly got up in her spa bubble bath. "I heard those words!" she yelled, "what brat wants a piece of me?!"

—

"-but that doesn't matter. You are still my little sister and you deserve a proper childhood. Don't even try to convince me that you don't feel like a normal 16-year-old girl when you are in this body."

Laura stayed silent and lowered her head.

"Um, Laura?"

"...Let's play minigolf then," she decided, smiling.

Rod sighed in relief. "Are you sure? You know I'm going to beat you as always."

She smirked up at him. "We'll see about that."

He chuckled. "That's the confidence I missed."

—

As they continued their search, Reese suggested looking in the where Zander spends a lot of time, since she assumed he'd head back into the city.

She was walking through a park with Ed; they were sure that he isn't at the base because somebody would call them.

"If he isn't here I'm not sure where he'd be," Ed admitted.

"I'm sure he is going to be fine. Though, you three tend to attract troubles."

"Yeah... It's like we're cursed with bad luck. But for some reason, it's gone when you're with us." He looked up at her.

"So, I'm your lucky charm?" she wondered.

"Well, we did not crash now." He shrugged. "I guess you are!" He smiled widely.

Seeming him smile like that made her happy, but then she realized that this happiness cannot last forever. She made friends, but she must leave one day.

He panted softly. "We walked a lot... Can we take a break?"

"Of course."

They sat down on a bench, looking around the park. It was hot and beautiful for March. Reese picked Paris up and put her beside her.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that plants are greener than in the present," Reese said.

"They actually are!"

"No way."

Ed nodded. "A lot changed since your time. The environment is much cleaner; everyone has a home, water, and food. Some laws regarding the population were applied, but those times are already over."

"I see. People started to care about their surroundings." She watched the nature around them, wild animals—ducks napping near the water, squirrels climbing trees; happy pets—dogs running around, playing with their owners. Spiny and Tank were playing together while Paris was lying on Reese's lap.

People were walking around them and then there was a blonde woman heading to the bench they were sitting on. She was making small but fast steps while moving her arms less than a normal person would. Her long, shiny, blonde hair was strapped into a ponytail with an elastic band; they were brushing against her back. Her figure wasn't as slim as Reese's and was covered by a dark blue dress.

When she was too close to the bench she started to tiptoe. She looked at Reese who was watching her—her chocolate brown eyes and freckled face could be seen; she must have been a few years older than Ed. She put her index finger to her lips, begging her not to bust her.

She grinned devilishly and grabbed Ed's shoulders. "Hi!"

The fat man yelped in surprise, jumping in the scare. He jerked his head to the woman. "Ellie...?"

The woman giggled—she was so childish, maybe like Max, Cole or Sue.

"Sorry for interrupting your date, Ed; I just wanted to say hello," she said.

"A-a date?!" Ed gulped, glancing at Reese for a second nervously. "No, no, no, no! This is in no way a...a date...! E-Ellie, this is my friend Reese. Reese, Ellie..."

"Nice to meet you." Reese nodded firmly.

However, Ellie didn't do the same; she was examining Reese carefully and then she spoke up. "It's you?"

"E...Excuse me...?" Reese raised her eyebrow. Ellie knew her? How? She was confused and curious. The answer was served to her immediately.

"Zander's talked about you so much. You really are as beautiful as he said."

Reese blushed. Those words made her wonder how he really feels about her—she was aware of his crush on her, but if he talks about her that much... She shook her head; she couldn't let anything like that deepen.

She just...couldn't...

She turned her attention back to the conversation.

"And how is he?" Ellie wondered.

Ed looked at her with the most honest glance. "Since the last time you've seen him...he's been feeling really down... Though, since Reese is here, he's like himself again, except for right now..."

"What happened?"

He sighed deeply. "Ursula spoke up..."

"I see..." Ellie glared in a certain way that said it all; she's been met with her attitude.

Unknown to them, the person they forgot they were looking for was nearby. Zander was standing not far away from them, watching quietly.

The three continued talking.

"And how are you?" Ellie asked Ed, smiling.

"I'm okay. I'm glad to see you again."

"Me too... I'm sorry for what I did to him; I'm sure he hates me..."

Ed took her hands. "That's not true. He can't hate you, but...you should explain yourself to him."

"I know, I know. He's a big cinnamon roll." Ellie smiled more at him. "You both are."

Looking right into her eyes, Ed blushed bright red.

"Anyway, I gotta head away," she said, "I'll tell Jeremy you're sending a hello." She waved, walking away.

Ed stumbled when he heard that name. "Wait, and how is he?"

"You'll see for yourself!" She winked at him. "See ya!"

Ellie left—Ed watched her every step; he couldn't get his eyes off her.

Reese noticed that; it was really sweet. "She is nice."

"Yeah..." he agreed, "she's wonderful."

She smiled at him smugly, raising her eyebrows.

He saw her and blushed, panicking inside. "Wh-what's that for?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. So, that was Ellie." Strange; why wouldn't Ed want to talk about her before? She seemed okay.

"Um, yeah. She..." He frowned. "um...she is Zander's ex-girlfriend."

So that was it!

"He was so heartbroken when she left him a few weeks ago without telling him the reason."

That's right; he seemed upset until the moment he spotted her.

"So, he actually talked about me with his girlfriend?" Reese wondered; strange... That might have been the reason.

"No wonder; you are amazing after all!" Ed beamed up at her, making her blush.

Paris roared in agreement.

That was enough for Zander; he turned around and left as unnoticeably as his arrival. Those two got along so well...

"I can't even count how many times I've heard that lie," Reese admitted.

Ed gasped. "What lie?! It's true."

She smiled at him. They continued talking for a while when they received a message telling them that Zander got back to the base, so they don't have to look for him. With all honesty, they forgot about him.

—

Soon, they came back into the base. They were caught in a hyped-up conversation, so they didn't realize actually walked past Zander.

"It isn't that much..." Ed tried telling her.

"I think a realistic simulation like that is neat; you shouldn't underestimate yourself."

"Well, I can show it to you if you want to."

"I'd like that." She smiled warmly.

Zander cleared his throat to get their attention. They both shot glances at him, noticing that he's been there the whole time.

"Oh, Zander."

"There you are! We were looking for you!"

"Sure..." the tall man murmured sarcastically at his brother's words, his hands in his pockets.

"It's true! We were worried."

"It sure didn't look like that when I saw you two and Ellie chatting happily," he sounded so uncharacteristically angry.

Reese figured that this isn't something she should be in the middle of. She excused herself and walked away with Paris. She could hear their soon-to-be-argument as she was leaving the room.

"What do you mean? What's the matter with that?" Ed questioned.

"Don't look like you have no idea; the way you keep looking at Reese and the way she looks at you. I know exactly what you're trying!"

"Good for you 'cause I don't."

Reese would walk as far away as possible to leave them privacy for the conversation, but Paris wouldn't stop running back. She picked her up and she was about to head away when Zander's words caught her attention.

"Ursula was absolutely right; you're crushing on Reese!"

"What?!" Ed half screamed and Reese whispered.

Was that actually true?

Knowing that she shouldn't, Reese stayed hidden behind the door, listening to every word.

"Where did you get that from?!" Ed asked him a little offensively.

"I am not blind, Ed!"

"I think you are because there's literally no crush!"

"Then what is all that happy chat and your eyes all over her about?"

"I'm happy around her because she is my friend; she is one of the few people that actually appreciate me. Plus stop doing like she's yours!"

Zander completely ignored that last part. "Do you think that convinces me?"

That was when Ed lost his patience; there was only one way to shut him up. "I don't have a crush on Reese. I can't because I like Ellie!" His face was so red in embarrassment and fear of his brother.

"You what...?" Zander's eyes widened behind his sunglasses. His hand curled into a fist. "Is that...is that why she left me? Because of you?!"

"No! O-of course not!" Ed panicked; he knew it wasn't the best idea to tell him, but there wasn't really anything he could do. He'd swear he saw a tear running down Zander's cheek.

It didn't take long until the black-haired turned around and left without a single word.

Ed only stood in one spot, feeling guilt swallowing him.

Reese leaned against the door with a deep sigh. She had no idea Zander could be like this. What's got into him...? It was such an asshole thing to do.

—

Zander shut the door from his room and collapsed onto the bed, screaming into a pillow, tears running down his cheeks. In less than 24 hours he was backstabbed by two of his siblings.

The worst thing about that was that they were both right...

—

Ed was standing in complete silence until a door opened. He looked and saw Reese with a concerned frown on her face. "You heard everything..." he realized.

She nodded. "It was hard to overhear."

He hummed sadly.

"Has he ever been like that before?"

"A few times..." He sighed and shook his head. "I shouldn't have told him anything...!"

"You did nothing wrong." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Things like this happen. I've been in the middle of two siblings crushing on me as well."

"Have you?"

"Yeah... My close friend Kyra and my assistant Justin were motivated by Zoe and Max to ask me out at the same moment."

Ed chuckled; he recognized the actions of the brats. "And?" he wondered.

"I disagreed—she's 16 and he's 12—they still have time to understand these things."

"...I understand that Zander's mad at me and that he's jealous... Ellie cared about him so much; she liked him for who he is and when she left him he thought that there wouldn't be anyone who'd love him. I feel the same way about myself... The moment he first saw you again, he was the happiest I've seen him in a long time. He cares about you more than about anyone else in his life and losing you just like he lost Ellie would destroy him completely."

Assumptions like this were a little rushed; she has barely known Zander. How could he feel that way about her? Sure, she saved his life but is that enough to fall in love with her?

"The only thing you can do is talking to him once he calms down," Reese suggested.

"I don't think he's ever going to speak to me again... I've had a crush on his ex-girlfriend since they started dating; how can he forgive me?"

"Forgiving you that you fell in love? Nonsense."

Ed sighed.

"Everything's going to turn out alright, I'm sure," she reassured him and headed to her room.

She laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was full of confused and concerned thoughts; she got too close to the gang...

Paris curled on a pillow next to her head.

Reese closed her eyes, thinking. However, then somebody knocked on the door. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly got up to open.

She was immediately met with several blue flowers held by Zander. He had a wide grin on his face, but that was quickly swiped away by her tone.

"What do you want here?"

"Reese...?"

"No, Zander, I can't accept these."

He gasped in shock, panic filling him. "Why?! These aren't stolen!" He made a step forward. "I swear."

"Stop."

"But what did I do wrong? Just tell me and I'll fix it! Is it because of how I acted towards Ed? I was just trying not to lose you-"

"This isn't about you," she stopped him, "I can't accept those flowers; I can't give you hope."

"What do you mean?"

"Just leave me alone," she demanded, "stay away from me." She closed the door, leaving him standing there sadly.

She leaned her back against the door, biting her lip.

"Well, well, well, isn't this interesting? You still keep scaring others away from you, pretending like you don't care. I see that you don't need me to be a horrible person after all," that deep voice echoed in her head once again.

Reese slammed her fist into the door angrily. "Shut up! Leave me alone!"

"I can't... You've brought this upon yourself."

The devil was right...

"I don't have another choice. They're my friends; I don't want to hurt them..."

—

And that's it! So, we have a new character—not the last time seeing her—Laura gets herself back into society and Zander's broken-hearted again.

This took me longer than the previous chapters and it isn't too much either, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!