I licked Maisie's cheek as she sat at the edge of a marsh, knees pressed against her chest. She had stopped shaking, and was currently staring down at the murky water with distant eyes. Nuzzling her gently, I draped my chin over her head.

"Maisie, everything is going to be okay. We just need to figure things out."

"I don't want to lose you."

I swallowed.

"You won't. Your grandfather-"

"He called you a monster, Mum. He's trying to keep us apart."

"Well, I won't let him."

"But do I belong to him?"

"You don't belong to anyone. You have the right to choose."

She whimpered.

"I'm afraid! . . ."

I gave her a hug.

"Don't worry, Maisie. I'm going to go back in there and sort this out. In the meantime, why don't you stay with Zia and Franklin?"

She peered at the two of them, who were grazing in a field adjacent to us, pretending not to be listening in on our conversation. Slowly, she nodded.

"Okay, Mummy. I love you."

I tried to keep my voice from breaking.

"I love you, too."

***TSJWFKFEW***

As Claire disappeared into the tall grass, Maisie stood up and wandered towards the grazing dinosaurs. She kicked a rock into the marsh idly.

"Ow!"

She stumbled backwards with surprise when Moonwatcher appeared from underneath a lily pad, wearing a snorkel.

"Don't tell your mother I'm following her. She thinks I've limited the narration to a few select passages."

"Moonwatcher, go away!" Maisie shouted.

She rolled her eyes, stepping out of the water.

"Fine, fine . . . but just so you know, someone needs your help right now. You'll find him in the barn."

Maisie frowned with puzzlement, then turned to an old, rickety building across the marsh. She looked back at Zia and Franklin, then made her way up the hill.

When she reached the barn, she noticed that the door was ajar, and that something had scraped the edges on its way inside. She ran her fingers over the splintered wood, then squeezed through the narrow opening. The building was dark, but she could make out several stacks of hay. A reddish shape lay among them. She knelt beside Eli's head and started stroking his snout.

"Are you okay? . . ."

He didn't so much as blink.

"No, Maisie, I'm not okay. But this is all my fault, so don't you worry about it. Go find your mother."

"She's talking to grandpa. I'm supposed to be with Zia and Franklin."

"Then go find them. Just don't stay here, or-"

He bit his lip.

"Or, what?" Maisie asked.

"Or your grandfather might get angry."

"Oh."

She looked back at the glowing crack between the doors, then rolled onto her elbow.

"I'd rather stay here."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid, too."

Eli frowned with puzzlement.

"Maisie, you have no reason to be afraid. You didn't do anything wrong."

"That's just it, though. I may not have done anything wrong, but I don't think he's happy with the way that I am."

"Well, you don't have to come out to him, if-"

"It's not just that. I mean, I'm not his. Maybe he made me, but I'm not the same person as his daughter . . . my mother was."

"Yeah, but-"

"I belong to him as much as I belong to anyone else, and I'm not sure he's the parent I want."

"Oh. I see. Well, it's up to you, sweetheart."

She twirled a strand of hay around her finger.

"People keep saying that, but it's not really my decision, is it? I know how much money he has, and if he finds a way to buy me back-"

"Sweetheart, he's a dinosaur locked in a cage. I don't think he has the power to buy you back, right now, even if that was legal."

"Well, I don't know much about laws, but I know that he wants me, and I know that he hates you, and he doesn't seem to like Claire that much, either."

Eli closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I messed this up for you. I guess you would've been better off with Owen, huh?"

"I don't want to choose. And I'd rather not have to choose between Claire and Grandpa, either, but I don't think he's going to cooperate."

Eli stared at the ground.

"Maybe if I was gone, this-"

She poked his nose.

"Stop it! Mum would be miserable without you."

He sighed.

"Oh, Maisie, things would have been so perfect if I hadn't messed it all up. If I had just stopped myself before it was too late, I could have raised you with Claire, legally, and-"

"But you would have never met her, if you didn't try to sell the dinosaurs."

Eli stood.

". . . Well, then, maybe you'd have been better off if I'd never come into your life at all! I should have died before any of this happened. If I was gone, things would be a lot better, but every time I come close, I somehow stay alive, and I continue to ruin everyone's-"

He fell silent as she hugged his wheel.

"Don't say that! We need you!"

"No, you don't. Owen would be better for you, anyway, and- Christ, I shouldn't be having this conversation with a child. Go home, Maisie, and don't bother me anymore!"

He was about to leave, but he heard Maisie sniffling, and turned his head slowly. She stared up at him with wet eyes, lip trembling.

"Oh, Maisie, don't cry . . ."

She started sobbing, and he bent over to give her a hug.

"I'm sorry, Maisie. I didn't mean to yell."

He sighed as she continued to weep into his treads. He reached down to pat her back.

"You just ignore me, Maisie. My problems have nothing to do with you. If you need me, I'll be here for you, okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay," Eli muttered, "I'm sorry about all of this. But I promise, Maisie, I'm going to try to make things right. Whatever happens, I'll make sure that you end up with Claire. You need your mother, and she needs you. Everything's gonna be alright. You'll see."

He didn't believe his own words, but-

They yelped as a beam broke above them. Moonwatcher dropped to the ground.

"Ow . . ."

"MOONWATCHER!" they shouted in unison.

She stood up slowly, rubbing her back.

"Agh . . . Well, YOU try narrating in secret, and see how well it works out! Gosh, you people are finicky!"

***TSJWFKFEW***

Explaining my situation to Benjamin Lockwood was an experience I never want to relive. I don't think I've ever been so stressed during a conversation before, but then again, the stakes were high. If things turned south, I could lose my daughter. Presently, I had explained my new body, but I had avoided discussing Owen and Eli, the former because his presence in our parenting web was questionable, and the latter because . . . Well, you know. Being an elderly person, Lockwood was having trouble adjusting to this sudden change of pace . . . Hell, I was in his place a few months ago, so I have no room to judge.

"But I'm . . . I'm not supposed to be a dinosaur. Can't someone change me back?"

He honked with surprise as Moonwatcher dropped from the ceiling, out of breath and covered in hay.

"We can't- change you back- but you're not- entirely a dinosaur."

"I'm not?"

She tapped his plush forehead.

"You're part pillow, and if I had to guess . . ."

She pulled a device out of her pocket and tapped it quickly. Lockwood's skull began to buzz.

"Yeah, part phone. You become whatever kills you."

"I wasn't killed by dinosaurs."

"The virus probably detected that dinosaurs were missing from the equation, and filled them in for you."

"But I never even touched-"

"Just accept my explanation, okay?"

I frowned.

"Wait, if he became what killed him, why is he not a goose? I assume there were feathers in the pillow. Why is he not part air, part bed, part clothes-"

"Or part Eli? I dunno."

Oh, shit. Why'd she bring that up?

Lockwood's face hardened.

"Have you caught him yet?"

Moonwatcher blew a raspberry.

"Naw, there's no reason to chase him, since we consider him a 'good guy' now. Also, he's dating Claire and is on his way to becoming Maisie's parent."

My jaw dropped.

"WHY WOULD YOU-"

"Gotta break it to him sometime. Anyway, thanks for leaving me on a deserted island, ya cunt!"

She ran out the doors, flipping me off with both hands. I tried to avoid Lockwood's stare, but it burned through me like I was made of paper.

"Is this true?" he whispered.

I nodded.

"Yes, but-"

"You think you can just take my child and raise her with the man who killed me? Look at you! You're not fit to be a parent!"

I growled through tears.

"You're wrong! . . ."

"You will give Maisie back right now, or-"

I snapped at him. He stumbled backwards.

"Or what? You'll come charging out and take her back? You're never getting out of there! Maisie is happy with her family, and you're not a part of it!"

I know I was upset, but in hindsight, I regret saying that. Lockwood wasn't too pleased with me, either.

"You're a monster . . ."

"Maisie doesn't think so."

"Maisie is a child. You're ruining her."

"She's happy with me. She loves me."

"Only because she doesn't know any better!"

Suddenly, Moonwatcher came running through the doors.

"I forgot to mention that Eli used to have AIDS and is bisexual, and Maisie is bisexual, too. Also, Claire has violent impulses."

I made a grab for her, but she shimmied up the wall like a spider.

"SEE? SEE?"

A loud stomp got our attention. Henry Wu glared at us from his cage, sail flushed with blood.

"Will you two stop it?! Moonwatcher, I know you're trying to get a rise out of Claire, but it's gross, so shut your mouth! And Claire, don't give her the satisfaction! You're better than this!"

I grumbled under my breath and stepped away from a panicked Moonwatcher. She slipped to the ground. I was about to take another snap at her, but I heard someone weeping softly. It was Lockwood. His head was bent low, and dinosaur-sized tears were pouring out of his eyes. I approached him cautiously.

"Mr. Lockwood? . . ."

"Why have you done this? . . ."

"Mr. Lockwood, I-"

"I did my best to raise her right, and you had to go and undo it all."

"I didn't-"

"It's bad enough that you had Eli raise her, but now he's corrupted her, and-"

I glared at him.

"Now, hang on! Eli being bisexual has nothing to do with Maisie. I'm willing to bet the first Maisie was also-"

"SHE WAS CONFUSED! I TOLD HER THAT WE COULD FIX HER, BUT SHE WOULDN'T LISTEN, AND SHE DROVE AWAY IN A PANIC, AND- AND-"

He fell to the floor of his cage, shaking hysterically.

"I had a second chance, and now you've taken that away from me."

I crouched down to meet his eyes.

"You can't make her into something she's not."

He wailed.

"And it's my fault . . . It's my fault . . . John told me it was a sin, but I- I thought-"

He covered his face with his front foot.

"I was wrong. It was an affront to God, and now Maisie's suffering, too."

Moonwatcher cocked her head.

"Hey, how did that go down, exactly? I mean, Maisie was born AFTER Hammond died, so- Oh, OH! I get it now. Subtext!"

She blinked as we stared at her.

"I'll show myself out."

As she waddled away, I turned back to Lockwood.

"Please . . . I know you love Maisie, and I don't want to take her away from you, but I love her too, and . . . and I think we can find a way to make this work. Please, Mr. Lockwood, don't tear us apart."

He turned his head away.

"Take her, then. If you're set on breaking my heart, be done with it. Then you can let me die, and you'll have everything you ever wanted."

"No . . ."

He lowered his head.

"Leave me."

I bit my beak.

"Maybe I could bring Maisie here? . . ."

"I would like to speak with Mr. Grady."

"About what?"

"Nevermind. Just bring him to me."

I nodded and lumbered out of the lab, tail dragging.

***TSJWFKFEW***

Benjamin Lockwood wasn't sure exactly which part of his condition was the most upsetting. Having a pillow for a forehead seemed a cruel twist of fate, but the wheelchair was . . . well, something else. He didn't actually take issue with being in a wheelchair, on its own. He'd been using it for years before his death and return to life, along with a plethora of other devices and medicines he needed in his old age. They hadn't interfered with his ability to take care of Maisie, or his estate, after all! But since becoming a dinosaur . . .

To put it plainly, Moonwatcher hadn't bothered to adapt the wheelchair to his saurian body. He was still using the same one he had as a human, which forced him to crouch awkwardly with his legs folded at a difficult angle, tail squeezed through the back like a hunk of celery stuck in a cheerio. He'd asked about it once or twice, but Moonwatcher had asserted that it was important for him to keep using this one, uncomfortable as it was. When he asked why, she simply waved her arms and said, "symbolism."

Whatever the reason, he was not in an excellent mood, which made his meeting with Owen Grady perhaps more difficult than it should have been.

"Mr. Lockwood? You wanted to see me about Maisie."

"Yes, thank you for coming. It's a matter of her custody."

"Of course. You must've had plans in place before . . . all of this happened."

"Naturally so. She has no surviving family other than myself. She's both a daughter and granddaughter to me, but I'm an old man. I knew full well that I wouldn't be able to care for her for much longer. Iris, of course, would have been her primary caretaker after that, but I'd hoped that Mr. Mills would, as you say, step up to the plate. Now that we know about his actions, however . . ."

". . . He's not exactly your ideal candidate. I understand. Claire and me, though, we've been doing the best we can, and Iris is still around, taking care of Maisie and stuff."

"I appreciate the effort you've put in. I truly do. I believe that you're a good man, Mr. Grady, but I'm not sure Maisie is best off being raised by . . . well, by a woodsman."

Owen stiffened.

"I'm ex-Navy."

"Dishonorable discharge, I'm told."

"Well, technically yes, but I took the fall to protect-"

"How would you describe Claire's relationship to Mr. Mills?"

Owen scratched his neck.

"Claire and Eli have . . . grown close," Owen admitted reluctantly.

"I understand that you and Claire were involved with one another, on a few occasions. In your own opinion, is Claire in a stable relationship now?"

Owen wasn't sure how to respond. If all this weirdness hadn't gotten in the way, he and Claire might still be together. On the other hand, she seemed to be doing alright without him, as much as he hated to admit it. That being said-

"It's not my fault I'm not attracted to dinosaurs!" he blurted out, "She's with Eli now because he's a dinosaur too, and I'm . . . not able to be one. I don't even want to be one. I'm happy with who I am, but somehow, that's a bad thing from Claire's point of view. I want to be the man she deserves, but . . . but I can't be what she needs right now."

"Perhaps, but maybe the situation is somewhat more nuanced. Nonetheless, I do like Claire quite a lot, but her involvement with Mr. Mills is concerning."

Owen tried to look confident.

"Claire's very capable. She can take care of Maisie, whether Eli is there or not. She's not like she was when she first transformed. She can control her impulses."

Lockwood sneezed, plucking a down feather out of his nose.

"I understand your position, but you must understand that I will put Maisie's safety and well-being before all else. Claire would have been an ideal guardian before we were all subject to these strange circumstances, but the situation has changed to the point where I'm not sure who to trust. We are no longer the people we once were. The odd girl who runs this place ensured me that I cannot die unless it is- ahem- dramatic enough, but Maisie is an energetic child, and I simply cannot keep pace in my current state, being in a new body and all that. If I were given a wheelchair which suits my current frame, perhaps I could care for Maisie myself, but in this shape, and as you all are now, I believe it's best to consider . . . other alternatives."

The doors opened, and Eli rolled in, looking slightly out of breath.

"Sorry! I know I was supposed to be here sooner, but I-"

He stopped, looking between Owen and Lockwood.

"Am I . . . interrupting something?"

Owen shook his head.

"Naw, you go ahead. I'm sure you have a lot to talk about."

Eli gulped.

"Maisie's waiting outside."

"Alright."

Lockwood craned his neck to try to catch a glimpse of his granddaughter, but was disappointed. Instead, he turned to Eli with tired eyes.

"Before we begin, I must warn you that my voice carries, and if you try anything-"

"I won't, sir."

He gazed at him skeptically.

"I'm not sure I trust you, Mr. Mills . . ."

"In your place, I'm not sure I would, either. But I promise, I mean you no harm."

"I highly doubt that. Was this your plan from the start? To take my life because you felt that I had taken yours?"

"No."

"Then you intended to carry out the murder as vengeance?"

"No!"

"Why, then? Why did you kill me?!"

Eli tossed his head.

"I don't know! I've asked myself the same question so many times, but the answer I always come to is that I was desperate, that I was a coward, and I did it to protect myself! I didn't plan it out- I didn't even WANT to do it! So there's my big secret: I'm just a terrible person, and there's nothing more to it!"

He turned away, weeping. After a pause, he lifted his head.

"You might not believe it, but many times, I've imagined what I would say to you, if we somehow met again. I ran over all the possibilities in my mind, but I never expected it to be real. And now we've been talking it over, and I haven't even managed to tell you that I'm sorry yet."

Lockwood looked down. Eli sniffled, then stood up straight.

"Listen, this isn't about me. You can hate me for as long as we're living, and that's fine. I can take it. But don't take it out on Claire. She loves Maisie, and Maisie loves her. They deserve to be together. I'll do anything it takes to stop them from being separated, even if it means . . . even if it means stepping out of the picture. Do what you must, but don't take Maisie away from her mother."

After a long silence, Lockwood lifted his head.

"Eli, I can't condone your continued involvement in-"

He didn't stick around to hear the rest. Bursting through the lab doors, he sped down the hallway, then rolled into a bright afternoon glow. Claire was on her way to the lab, and he was glad that she had decided to come back, but at the same time, his heart ached with regret. He collapsed in front of her, and she cradled his head with concern.

"C-Claire . . . I'm s-so sorry . . ."

"What happened?" she whispered.

"It-it doesn't matter. You'll get to be with M-Maisie."

She frowned.

"Eli, what did Lockwood say? . . ."

He sniffled.

"We can't be together anymore," he quavered, "I'm sorry, Claire, for messing this up, but I made a mistake, and I need to pay for it. You've been the best part of my life. I'm going to miss you."

She nuzzled his forehead as he burst into tears. Running her paw down his neck, she glared in the direction of Lockwood's new home.

"Eli, I'm not going to let him do this."

He shook his head fiercely.

"No, Claire, don't fight it! You can't lose Maisie! She needs you, even if . . ."

She scowled as he started sobbing again.

"Eli, you're a mess."

"I know!" he wailed.

"You don't deserve this. You've changed. Let me help you."

"But Maisie-"

"I'm not giving you up, and I'm not giving Maisie up, either."

"But Claire-"

She shut him up with a kiss.

"Eli, I love you, and I'm not going to let some old man stand between-"

She fell silent as Lockwood rolled out of the lab. After a short struggle, he managed to drag himself towards them using his front feet.

"Claire, Eli . . ."

Eli stood.

"I was about to leave-"

Lockwood tried to grab his tail, but settled on a stern trumpet.

"Stay."

Eli turned around hesitantly. Lockwood took a deep breath.

"I don't know what to do. Everything's changed now, and I . . . I'm struggling to keep up."

Claire nodded.

"I understand. It may take some getting used to, but if you just wait and see, I'm sure you'll come to accept the way things are now."

He didn't reply. Claire closed her eyes.

"I know this is hard for you, but Maisie is happy, and I think she has a good life with us."

". . . Can I see her?"

"Of course. She's with Owen right now, but we can call her over."

"No need!"

Owen emerged from behind the lab's side wall.

"The gang's all here."

Maisie peeked out from behind Owen's waist. She shrunk away when her grandfather made eye contact with her.

"Maisie . . ."

She gulped and stepped into view.

"I'm here, grandpa."

He reached out, and she tiptoed towards him hesitantly. After a pause, she agreed to a hug.

"Maisie, are you happy here?"

"Yes."

"Are you happy with Claire?"

"Yes."

"Are you happy with Iris and Owen and Eli?"

"Yes."

". . . And do you need me anymore?"

"Yes."

He sighed.

"Then I suppose we're all staying."

Eli did a double-take.

"What? Just like that?"

Lockwood nodded sadly.

"Yes, just like that. I think we've all suffered enough. I'm not thrilled about this, but if Maisie's happy, I can learn to be happy, too."

Eli cleared his throat.

"I just want to make it clear that I'm really sorry about-"

"I said you could stay. I never said you could talk."

Eli bowed his head in shame. Lockwood frowned.

"That was a joke."

Eli blinked.

"Oh. Because if you want me to shut up, I can-"

"Actually, that would be nice."

He tried to pull himself forward, but the wheelchair collapsed beneath him. He sighed.

"Can someone get me a cane?"

Claire reached out and picked him up by the waist, draping him over Eli's head. The two of them sat petrified for a moment, but Lockwood gave up and let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. Just take me to Iris."

The five of them began their journey to the hotel, not in the greatest of moods, but not in the direst of situations, either.

Considering everything that had come to pass, it was a fairly decent ending to their day.