Title: What Could Have Been
Author: Angel LeeAnn
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What went wrong between Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler?
Disclaimer: I am not the owner of anything Jurassic Park related except for my fan fictions, which I am NOT making a cent off of. Instead, the marvelous creators of Jurassic Park are the writer of the novel and screenplay, Michael Crichton; and the director of the movie, Steven Spielberg.
NOTES: I incorporated things from the movie and the novel. Here is the list:
What I kept from the movie: 1.) Grant and Ellie have a unique relationship. 2.) Ellie is older than the 24 she was in the book. (I made her 28). 3.) Grant isn't a fan of children.
What I kept from the book: 1.) Grant had a wife who passed away a long time ago. 2.) Grant is forty. 3.) Ellie is his student. 4.) Ellie was engaged to marry a "nice doctor" from Chicago. 5.) Grant's accident, which will be explained in a later chapter, occurred at the ravine.
Chapter One
Discovery
Gazing across the desolate rolling hills of sand and rock, Doctor Alan Grant felt a sense of growing pride as the sun settled to bed off in the distant. He wore his custom outfit of light brown hiking boots; tan khakis; green and blue flannel shirt with the top buttons undone; red bandana wrapped around his neck; and his brown cowboy hat securely settled over his chestnut hair. He had just passed his fortieth birthday, but looked and felt five years younger.
A charming grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and in his thoughts he praised his students for a job well done. Today they had not only found the remains of a velocirapter, but also the remnants of a baby othnielia. The othnielia was a splendid discovery because the hypsilophodontid herbivore had since been only excavated in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. His crew was in the Badlands of Montana.
Grant was reluctant to turn in doors, but as the last of the day's rays seeped from view, he knew there wasn't much else he could do. He trekked down the slope towards the trailers and was greeted enthusiastically by the small number of students and colleagues he passed on the way to his laboratory.
He swung open the screen door and hopped up the three steps with renewed energy. He couldn't wait to sink his teeth into the data printouts of the othnielia. He understood the importance of being patient and he usually was a relaxed worker, but this find was just too thrilling to take in stride.
Grant rummaged through the material on the island in the middle of the kitchen for the report. It didn't bother him that his laboratory was housed in a basic trailer. It actually had its conveniences. He could stay in here for days working; never having to leave to shower, sleep, or eat.
He sensed a presence enter the kitchen from the "living room", but ignored it. He knew who it was by the faint smell of her lilac perfume. Doctor Ellie Sattler enjoyed getting dirty almost as much as he did, but she was conscious of the stench that it brought with slaving away in the sun. So every couple hours she reapplied her lilac-scent deodorant. At the end of the day – usually after showering – she sprayed herself with a light mist of lilac perfume.
Ellie wandered over with eyebrows raised and a tease to her small smile. "Are you looking for this?" She held up a folder with the words 'BABY OTHNIELIA' written in black magic marker on the cover. "Because if you are, you can't have it."
Grant chuckled at her tease even though he felt irritation welling up. "Why not?" He was a man of few words unless you got him on a subject of which was an immense interest to him. Her little display of restraining his access was not amusing him.
"I'm just as tenacious as you are, Alan. But this isn't a normal day."
"Damn straight. We've just made our own personal greatest discovery. This has been a remarkable day." Sensing her defenses were down, he made a hasty grab for the folder and managed to snatch it from her. "Now I'm going to make tonight an evening of profound study."
Ellie sighed then unconsciously licked her lips despondently. "Alan, that's not what I was…" she released a heavy puff of air. "Never mind." She gathered up a pile of printouts and headed out of the trailer. "Goodnight, Alan."
She couldn't find it in herself to be angry with him. Alan was Alan and she had learned to accept that and love him for it. When she had first joined his team she had arrived as a college senior intern. She stayed for the required summer, then returned to school and finished her doctorate in botany. After graduating she decided to continue her studies: broaden her area of expertise. She made a deal with the university that she would learn in a hands-on environment. They handed her the proper material and replaced her with Dr. Grant's excavation team.
Alan had been a tough but enjoyable teacher. He interacted with the others, but never revealed much of himself. He didn't say much unless he was conversing about theories, dinosaurs, or the latest "damn" equipment. Yet, Ellie had wiggled her way in with much persistence, patient, and care. Overtime, Ellie and Grant had formed a unique friendship that stretched out in the realm of intimacy on occasion.
Ellie sighed again, tapping the pile of papers against her thigh as she trudged up to the trailer she shared with Grant. Since she was now a permanent member of the team (no longer a student) she didn't feel comfortable being in the trailers with the younger college students. However, she was the only female member of the team and there wasn't enough trailers or money to give her a private housing. So Grant (who had the largest trailer) had cleaned out the second bedroom and had offered it to her. She had gladly accepted.
Ellie plopped herself down on a stool at the kitchen's small table. Today marked the first anniversary of when she became an official member of the crew. She had hoped Grant and her would have gone out to dinner at the diner in the town twenty miles away. Yet, she should have known not to expect such a show of affection.
Maybe next year, she thought without believing it.
End Chapter One