"CLAIRE! OH, GOD! DON'T PASS OUT!"
Owen held me against his scaly chest. My arm flopped down, hanging limp in his embrace.
"Owen . . ."
"You're losing a lot of blood. I need you to stay with me, okay?"
I tried to nod, but my dizziness would only allow for a blink. Owen gave me a squeeze, then plowed through the hospital doors. He placed me gently on a cot, and I was rushed to the emergency room. He tried to follow, but got stuck in the entrance. Changing back into a human, he freed himself and dashed forward, only to be separated from me by another set of closing doors.
"CLAIRE!"
"Owen . . ." I choked.
Suddenly, Moonwatcher was standing over me with a giant bottle of glue.
"Welcome back."
***TSJWFKFEW***
Let me rewind for a bit.
My life with Owen was better than it had ever been before. Eli was right about Owen having changed while I was away. All of a sudden, everything that had once stood between us melted away, or at least didn't seem to matter that much anymore. For once, Owen didn't act like he was ashamed to be around me, and he rarely ever made comments about wanting to change me, or how much he didn't like me, or how life would be easier if I was human. Come to think of it, I'm not sure why I thought the old Owen was ever good for me. The new Owen, however, was everything I could have asked for, and for a while, life was like a dreamland, practically perfect in every way.
I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that Owen could become a dinosaur now. Moonwatcher had infused him with DNA from an old jawbone she found, plus some extra stuff to numb his predatory instincts, so now he was an Indominus-Stegoceratops, which was similar to my own genetic makeup. The first time I saw him fully transformed, however, part of me wanted to run. I still had unresolved issues with Indominus-type animals, it seemed, so seeing one standing in front of me nearly made me wet myself. Then again, a bigger part of my subconscious was telling me to approach him, because he kind of smelled like me, but also like himself . . . that being the human Owen, I mean. It's hard to explain, but something inside of me recognized him, maybe on a deeper level than when he was human. He looked down at me shyly.
"I guess we kind of match, huh?"
Instead of answering, I walked forward and rubbed my head against his chest, purring loudly. He blinked.
"I've never heard you do that before . . . Kind of a bad sign."
I stopped.
"Oh."
He shook his head quickly.
"No, I mean, it's a bad sign that you haven't done it until now, because it means you haven't been this happy before."
And he was kind of right. For once, I was confident that the two of us would get along, no matter what. The attraction-smell wafting from between his scales was thick as butter, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before we got back on track.
And then, one day, I was sitting in bed next to Owen, reading a book, and he leaned over and asked-
"Do you want to have sex?"
He said it like it was no big deal! And, I mean, it shouldn't have been, but it had been so long since the last time, and he had been so hesitant to try it, and- Well, my answer was "yes", but it took me a second to get it out properly, because I wanted to scream "YESYESYESYESY-"
Ahem. Anyway.
After talking things through, we decided it was time to be intimate again. We discussed how to go about it, since we had a few options to choose from, and decided to try dinosaur-on-dinosaur, as it were. Owen and I had slept together before, so it wasn't that hard to get into the swing of things, but on top of the familiarity was a layer of strangeness, because Owen had never had sex as a dinosaur, and I- Well, I had never had sex with Owen as a dinosaur (in both ways that can be taken).
So I lay flat on the bed, lifted my rear, and-
You know what? I'd better not go on. Moonwatcher might be listening.
Anyway, it was good.
Very good.
Mmm.
Oh, right, the hospital part!
Remember how I mentioned that my privates were designed oddly? Well, Owen's were even weirder, because-
. . . Um, okay, so you know how cats trigger ovulation by pulling out?
. . . You know, because their junk has . . . barbs . . .
Well, as soon as we found out, Owen rushed me to the hospital, and that's where we left off.
He burst through the emergency doors just as Moonwatcher was about to squeeze the glue bottle. Startled, she gripped it too hard, and it squirted all over her hand.
"JESUS, OWEN!"
He knelt beside my cot, weeping.
"Claire, oh, Claire, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault . . ."
Moonwatcher rolled her eyes, extending her arm to lean against the wall.
"You shouldn't be so rough."
I glowered at her.
"Hey! It's not his fault! He can't help the way his-"
Owen waved his hands.
"Shhh!"
Moonwatcher frowned.
"Hang on, are you saying that this was caused by the barbs?"
I nodded slowly. Moonwatcher sighed.
"Then you don't need to be here."
She tore herself away from the wall, leaving a dent behind.
"You're designed to withstand that kind of mating," she explained, chipping away at the plaster glued to her hand, "It'll hurt for a few minutes, but you'll be fine in an hour or so."
I blinked. It was true that the pain had mostly faded away. And I wasn't bleeding anymore.
"Oh. I see."
Moonwatcher nodded.
"Yeah, so if you don't have any further questions, feel free to-"
"Can we do it more than once?"
She seemed surprised by my query, but Owen was even more so. His eyes almost popped out of his head, I swear.
I cleared my throat.
"In a day, I mean. Can we do it more than once in a day?"
Moonwatcher nodded.
"Sure, knock yourself out. Fuck twenty-four-seven, for all I care. Just don't hold up the healthcare system with pointless trips, you horny lizards."
Owen turned to me with worry.
"Claire, you don't have to-"
I placed a claw over his lips.
"Owen. I want to."
He batted his eyes.
"What! Even after-"
"Yes, even after that. I can handle it."
As Owen took this in, Moonwatcher stuck out her tongue in disgust.
"Blech, you must be in heat or something . . ."
I gulped.
"Well, it's been a while since I last felt that way, so I imagine I'm due for a comeback."
She rubbed her chin.
"Huh. I guess it's possible that you're making up for a dry spell. When was the last time you went into heat?"
That was a good question.
"God, I don't even remember," I muttered, rubbing my forehead, "Before I left, anyway. Wasn't much to get excited about in the wilderness, I guess."
Moonwatcher frowned.
"That seems odd. We should figure out when the last time was, precisely. Maybe Eli would remember-"
I cleared my throat.
"Can't you just do some bloodwork or something?"
Moonwatcher shrugged.
"Fine, Miss Hormones. Whatever gets you out of my hair."
She pulled a syringe out of her pocket.
You know, for all her flaws, Moonwatcher sure does have a lot of unexplained medical training.
***TSJWFKFEW***
After my crisis-vacation (the six months I spent on the lam, I mean), I figured there was a lot to catch up on, starting with greeting my old friends. Most of them contacted me first. Gunnar, in particular, seemed anxious to see me again, and sent five emails asking if I was ready for visitors. I told him yes, and he sent three more emails announcing that he was on his way, though each was phrased differently. He was overly-excited, I figured, but a part of me wished he would just text like normal people.
I suppose that would require fingers, but still.
When Gunnar finally reached my room, he was flushed and out of breath. His tongue hung out of his mouth like a sock from a drawer, and his eyes were glazed with exertion.
"Boy, you sure do live high up . . ."
I cocked my head.
"Is the elevator out of service or something?"
He shrugged and cantered into the room, suddenly full of life.
"Gee, I don't think I ever saw where you lived before."
"No?"
He ran his paw over a fancy chair in the corner of the room.
"Naw, I'm pretty sure I haven't been to a suite this fancy. The ones on the bottom floor are pretty junky compared to this."
"Is that where you live, now?"
He shook his head.
"Zia, Franklin, and I moved into a beachside property. It's a little cramped, but kind of cozy, too. Wheatley and Iris live nearby."
My eyes went wide.
"They're not-"
"No, they aren't," Gunnar interrupted gravely, "Never in a million years. Wheatley didn't get the memo, though. Put the moves on her last month, and she punched his teeth out, no exaggeration. But that's all over and done. They get along fine . . . or as fine as they can. They have to, since they're working together."
"What?"
"They run a bar on the beach," he explained, "Wheatley converted his arm into a blender. Iris helps him out, because he does NOT know how to mix drinks. He put cilantro in my smoothie by accident, and I wouldn't have cared, normally, except cilantro makes me gassy . . ."
I took all of this in, eyes darting back and forth.
"Wow. A lot happened while I was away."
Gunnar shrugged.
"Yeah, I suppose things have changed since you left . . . but we can still graze together, right?"
I nodded emphatically.
"Of course. I wouldn't want it any other way."
He smiled warmly and placed his paw on my shoulder.
"It's good to have you back, Claire."
"Yeah. I should probably tell everyone I'm here."
And then a horrifying thought dawned on me.
"Gunnar . . . None of my family back home knows I'm here."
He nodded.
"Me neither. They think I'm dead, probably. And Moonwatcher won't let me talk to them."
"Oh, no. I didn't realize you had family . . ."
He smiled nostalgically.
"Yeah, I have sisters. Four now, but there used to be five. Greta, Agatha, Vanessa, Ethel, and little Ruthie. She's the one who passed away. Fell into a grain elevator and sunk when she was six."
I covered my mouth.
"And that's why you're afraid of elevators . . ."
He snorted.
"What? No! What do you think a grain elevator is?"
I tapped my claws.
"Um . . . an elevator for grain?"
He shrugged.
"Well, I guess you're not wrong. Anyway, I miss them like you wouldn't believe. They used to practice putting makeup on me, back in my school years. I got called horrible names by my classmates, but I never paid them any mind because I knew that they were just trying to upset me. I guess it hurt when they called me ugly, because that one was true, but my sisters didn't think so, and that was what mattered most to me."
I felt my heart sink.
"Oh, Gunnar . . . Are you sure you can't contact them?"
"Positive. It stinks, but that's life. Life with Moonwatcher, anyway . . ."
"Well, we could always try to convince her to let you visit."
He shook his head hastily.
"Probably not. All of this interdimensional chaos has her spooked. We're finding more and more changed humans, and sentient dinosaurs as well. She's hired someone to evaluate the situation."
I growled impatiently.
"If things are already a mess, what does it matter who contacts who?"
"Claire-"
"I'm going to speak with her about it. You should come, too."
"Can we take the stairs?"
"Gunnar!"
"I'll just catch up with you, then . . ."
I huffed with frustration, leaving Gunnar behind. I felt guilty, of course, but if I was being honest, my flippant exit had more to do with my own hang-ups than anything Gunnar was up to. Once again, I'd left my family behind. What a Claire-ish thing to do. But if I asked Moonwatcher and she said that communication was impossible, I'd at least have an excuse. Not that it erased the fact that I hadn't tried to contact my family before this . . .
I perked up when I heard something shifting above me, freezing in the hotel's entranceway. Without warning, a moderately heavy object dropped onto my back, and I yowled in panic before realizing that it was a saurian Maisie. She giggled fiercely, slipping down from my back.
"You should have seen your face! That's the best I've ever done, and Iris falls for it every time!"
My eyes darted back and forth.
"Very funny, Maisie, but you'd better hurry up and change back before Owen sees you."
She stopped laughing.
"Why?"
Before I could answer, Owen himself stepped out of the hotel. A million excuses flooded my mind, but before I could utter a single word, he grinned and walked right past me, hunching over in front of Maisie (who was a little taller than usual).
"Got Claire, did ya?"
"Mhm!"
"You've been waiting for a new victim."
"She didn't expect a thing!"
Owen laughed and scooped her up in his arms. She crawled onto his shoulders.
"Geez, you're heavy!" he grunted.
"I'm all muscle."
Owen changed into a dinosaur, picking Maisie up by the scruff of the neck and flipping her onto his snout. He tossed her in the air a few times before setting her down in the grass. As she rolled over, he nuzzled her belly.
"Don't you go giving anyone a heart attack, okay? We don't want a lawsuit on our hands."
Maisie twinkled her fingers.
"Paws."
Owen rolled his eyes, shaking his head with exasperation.
"Can you believe this girl?"
Actually, I couldn't believe any of it. I was expecting Owen to lose his temper, but here he was, playing dinosaurs with Maisie like it was a common occurrence. And maybe it was, in the months I spent away from the island.
All it took was me leaving . . .
My heart quivered as I watched Maisie chasing Owen's tail. They both looked so happy, and I felt like an intruder in their relationship. Owen noticed my expression and gulped.
"Claire, are you- YOW!"
He lifted his tail, which Maisie was dangling from. She batted her eyes, then spat it out, dropping to the ground.
"I thought you would lift it away in time!"
Owen groaned, then turned back to me.
"A-ny-way. Is everything alright, Claire?"
It was . . . no thanks to me.
I forced a smile.
"Everything's great. I'm just thinking."
"About? . . ."
Shit. I hate follow-up questions.
"About what we should do today. It's been so long since I-"
Not helping, not helping!
". . . you know," I finished weakly.
Owen nodded.
"We have lots to show you. Wanna grab a drink at the beach bar?"
"Sure!" I chirped, hoping my voice didn't sound as fake as I felt.
He turned his head.
"Alright, then. Follow me."
I realized that he hadn't changed back into a human yet, and wondered if he even noticed anymore.
***TSJWFKFEW***
If I was a dinosaur- and I am- the absolute last person I'd want deciding my fate would be Ian Malcolm. Of all the people in my own world, he was probably the biggest obstacle in ensuring the safety of dinosaurkind, specifically because he was unfortunate enough to have had a few close calls with the wild ones. But that was back when dinosaurs were animals, so bringing him back into the dinosaur debate now would be ludicrous.
It was unsurprising that the idea came from Moonwatcher.
I wasn't the only recent arrival on the island, it turned out. Moonwatcher had hired the chaotician himself to, quote, "Assess the interdimensional damage, because that's math, right?"
Anyway, he was somehow a metaphysical safety inspector now, despite having no qualifications for the job. In case it wasn't painfully obvious, this made me sour.
"It's unfair!" I snapped, slamming my paw against the table.
The other patio patrons gave us questioning looks as Franklin choked on his ham and mustard sandwich.
"Claire, calm down! He doesn't have any real power."
I growled.
"The man's a menace! You remember what he did to our cause!"
Zia shrugged, bobbling the cone around her neck (she had been treated for a twisted stomach while I was away, much to my everlasting guilt).
"Well, he's apparently a lot better in this universe."
I snarled.
"But we're not dealing with the Ian Malcolm from this universe. Our new safety inspector is the same . . . poopyhead who messed up our plans at the DPG!"
Owen picked at his fingernail.
"Well, I don't see what the problem is. We're doing fine, here."
"So what happens when he goes to Sorna and sees dinosaurs behaving like wild animals?" I countered, "He could use that as propaganda!"
"I thought you liked the idea of Sorna."
"I do! And I think that dinosaurs should be free to choose a traditionally saurian lifestyle if they want to, but it's going to look horrifying to an outsider who's been told that we're basically all humanoid."
Owen shrugged.
"I dunno. I got used to the idea. It just took a while."
"Yes, but we don't have a while, Owen, and- Hang on, what?"
He smiled sheepishly.
"I'm used to wild dinosaurs. While you were away, I went to Sorna to visit Dory. Thought it might help to have some insight on where your instincts might take you. Dory didn't know much, but we had a nice chat. It's really interesting how things work on that island. The prey-animals get eaten, but just as often, they take down predators, and when everyone dies, they decompose, and that makes grass, just like they said in The Lion King! It's the Circle of Life, except it's dinosaurs, not lions."
I stared at him, utterly baffled. He grunted dismissively.
"I've been watching a lot of cartoons lately."
Maisie popped up behind him.
"I make him!"
Owen grinned.
"You're a real pest, you know that?"
She giggled.
"You can't get rid of me."
"Wanna bet? Maisie, go long!"
Owen pulled a dead mouse out of his pocket and tossed it across the beach.
"YEET!" Zia remarked.
I watched in stunned silence as Maisie leapt into the air and caught the catapulting critter. Owen smiled when he noticed my shock.
"Don't be too impressed. We practiced that one a lot."
I sputtered.
"I mean . . . That's not the shocking part . . ."
Owen realized what I meant and looked away uncomfortably.
"Yeah, I guess it's a lot to take in. By the way, I only use mice. I have this thing about rats . . . Actually, there's something I should tell y-"
He flinched as a hunk of metal emerged from the earth, cracking the patio in the process. An oryctodromeus wearing a hardhat poked his head out of the ground, followed by two more dinosaurs, both holding shovels. Owen crossed his arms.
"Let me guess. You took a wrong turn at Albuquerque?"
The lead digger glanced from side to side.
"We're working on a new expansion of the subway system. Are we almost at Mount Sibo?"
"Not even close."
The dinosaur snapped his claws.
"Damn. Well, better safe than sorry. Don't want to dig into a magma deposit by mistake."
They fell back into the abyss, leaving a terrible mess behind. Owen quirked a brow.
"Hey, Claire. You ever notice how weird this place is?"
***TSJWFKFEW***
That night, I awoke from a terrible nightmare. I was back in the woods, covered in frost and near death. I had lost control of my limbs. A mob was after me. I didn't know who they were, but I had a vague sense that they wanted me dead. I woke up before they reached me, and as the echoes of the howling wind faded from my mind, I slipped out of bed and crawled towards the bathroom.
I splashed water over my face, pausing to look at my reflection. It's funny how you don't realize how unreal a dream is until you're back in the waking world. When you're awake, you know that everything around you is real, but in a nightmare, it's impossible to tell if you're really there, or if it's all in your head.
My quills bristled when I picked up the sound of rustling sheets. There was a sharper sliding sound, and I poked my head through the half-closed door to see what was going on. Owen was sitting up straight in bed, hand grabbing the sheets where I had been sleeping. I churred gently to get his attention, and when he noticed me standing in the doorway, relief washed over his face. I hopped up on the bed and assumed my previous sleeping position. Owen kissed my cheek, then wrapped his arms around me, just a little too tightly. As I lay there beside him, guilt ate away at my heart. It was rare to see Owen so vulnerable, but for a brief moment, I had glimpsed a genuine reaction to his worst fear. I now knew how afraid he was of losing me again. For a second, maybe less, it seemed as though I had utterly destroyed him. But I hadn't left, and that meant everything was okay . . . only that wasn't true, and I knew it. I could smell fear coming off his body, not only because of his strong reaction, but because it was still being produced. He was thinking about me . . . about losing me. He was worried.
I wanted to assure him that I was here to stay, but something was stopping me.
I wasn't entirely sure that I would.
***TSJWFKFEW***
I could feel Owen lying on top of me. During the night, he had shifted onto my belly. I initially assumed that he had done so to pin me down and keep me from leaving, but his position was haphazard, and his pants had half fallen down in the climb. I placed a claw on his chin and closed his mouth, which was oozing drool. He snorted and looked around woozily.
"Wha? 'S time to geddup?"
I curled his hair around my fingers.
"Good morning, Owen."
He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and pulled up his pants. I was bold enough to lick his cheek, and he kissed me in return. There wasn't a single kiss from Owen that I hadn't enjoyed. Even when he kissed me so fiercely that his stubble felt like fire on my lips, he made my knees weak.
"I'm sorry about last night."
It just kind of slipped out. I didn't mean to address it directly- or at all- but there it was.
Owen scratched my chin pleasantly.
"Don't worry about it. You did nothing wrong."
I cooed softly.
"Are you mad at me? For leaving the island, I mean?"
Jeez, I couldn't stop myself. But Owen didn't even hesitate.
"No, absolutely not. I'm mad at myself for . . . for making you feel like you had to."
I tried to argue, but he put his finger over my beak.
"We both know, Claire. We don't have to pretend like it was something else. Part of taking responsibility for my actions means admitting that it was my fault."
"Not entirely," I argued feebly, "I was going through a lot of stuff at the time."
"Stuff that was also caused by me."
I licked his nose.
"Owen, it's okay. You don't have to beat yourself up."
"No, but I think we should admit that I messed up. A lot. I'm sorry."
I curled my tail around him.
"I forgive you."
He seemed like he wanted to say something else, but instead, he shivered as my tail snaked up his pant-leg. He moaned softly and ran his hand down my side.
"Did you get me up early for a reason?"
I smiled coyly.
"Maybe . . ."
He laughed and rested his chin on my chest.
"Oh, god, I missed you."
***TSJWFKFEW***
After lunch, Owen took me on a long walk down the beach to see the rest of the gang. We bumped into Gunnar along the way. He wagged his tail cheerfully when he saw us coming, then bounded forward, kicking up clumps of wet sand.
"I was going to meet you at the hotel, but I must have been going up just as you were leaving!"
I laughed.
"Take the elevator, Gunnar!"
He hummed.
"Yeah, well . . ."
"OWEN!"
We all jumped as a gruff voice interrupted our conversation. Well, Owen didn't jump. He looked angry, in fact.
A large pig was trotting up to us, ears flapping as he bounced. I shook my head with confusion.
"Owen, I thought you said-"
"I forgot to mention that Moonwatcher cloned my father from a hoof she found in Zia's stomach, but it doesn't matter because he's not welcome here, as I've mentioned several times."
Owen's father slowed down, ears drooping.
"I- I heard that your lady-friend was back, and I thought-"
"This doesn't change anything between us, and you know it. You're just looking for an excuse to force your way back into my life when I explicitly told you that you aren't welcome in this family."
"Son-"
"I have enough problems without you. Beat it."
The pig nodded slowly, then turned around with a sullen expression.
"Well, if you ever change your mind-"
"Not interested."
"Yeah, but maybe someday-"
"Never gonna happen. Leave me alone."
The pig licked his tusks sadly, then trotted away. He looked over his shoulder once more before disappearing into the jungle. I turned to Owen with concern.
"That was . . . something . . ."
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Claire," he stated monotonously, "I thought I had shaken him for good, but he's still trying."
"Owen . . ."
"I didn't want him back. I was fine with the way things ended, but . . ."
Gunnar bit his beak.
". . . Moonwatcher had other plans," he explained.
Owen nodded.
"It doesn't matter, though. He'll be staying far away from us. I'll make sure of it."
I gave him a concerned look, and he turned away with guilt.
"It's for the best, Claire. I can't have him in my life. It's wrong."
I wasn't quite sure that he was approaching this in a healthy way, but I didn't feel like arguing.
***TSJWFKFEW***
Well, I was having trouble settling into my life on the island, but although the past few days had been stressful, at the very least, I didn't have to deal with any unexpected crises.
Until Iris came bounding up to me in panic during an otherwise peaceful breakfast, that is.
"There's been an accident! Someone dug a tunnel under the hotel and tampered with the power box! Gunnar is trapped inside one of the elevators!"
You bet your ass I was on the scene as soon as I heard the news. The elevator doors on my floor were parted slightly, and the box itself was just below floor-level. A maintenance worker paced back and forth nervously as I climbed through the window at the end of the hallway, sucking leathery wings back into my arms.
"The power's shut off, and it's stuck in place! He refuses to climb out!"
I peered into the darkness.
"Let me try."
I swiftly stepped onto the elevator and heard a feeble whimper below me. I unlatched the escape door and dipped my head down, noticing a very panicked Gunnar curled up in the farthest corner. His pupils were pinpoints, and he was staring at me like I was about to bite his face off. I dropped down into the elevator.
"G-"
Before I could utter a single word, he wheeled around and pawed at the walls like a rat in a trap, trumpeting with terror. I reached out for him.
"Gunnar, it's okay. We're gonna get you out of h-"
I yelped as he struck me with his back leg. He tossed his head and lowed frantically.
"Gunnar!"
I gasped as he pinned me to the wall. My neck was caught between his horns. He had almost impaled me. Worse still, he hadn't given up. Though a sharp tug revealed that his horns were firmly rooted, he clicked his beak, trying to nip at my chest. I attempted to clamp his mouth shut with both paws.
"Gunnar, you- OW!"
He caught my arm in his beak. I withdrew my paw, whimpering. I could feel tears stinging in my eyes. Without thinking, I placed my foot on his chest and pushed him away. He landed on the other side of the elevator, collapsing into a trembling heap. I grazed the fingers of my uninjured arm over the holes that his horns had left behind in the wall. If his aim had been better . . .
I turned to see him huffing on his side, limbs splayed out like a broken toy soldier. I didn't approach him this time, but as his breathing steadied, his eye flicked over to me.
"C-Claire? . . ."
"No, it's the Easter Bunny."
He bit his lower beak as he caught sight of my bleeding arm.
"Oh, no . . ."
"You're pretty nippy, for a herbivore."
My sardonic scowl became a worried frown as Gunnar started shaking. With each shudder came a sob, growing louder and louder until it filled the entire space. I lowered my head to get a better look at him, biting my beak with worry.
"Gunnar? . . ."
"I've done a terrible thing . . ."
I gulped.
"Uh . . . Well, if it's any consolation, I've been there before. You're lucky you don't have razor-sharp teeth, at least . . ."
He wailed and covered his face with both paws. I reached out for him, slowly this time.
"Hey, Gunnar, don't be upset . . ."
"I'm a terrible friend!"
"No, you're not."
"I . . . I can't do anything right! All I had to do was ride in an elevator, and- and- and- . . . What's wrong with me?!"
I patted his head gently.
"Nothing's wrong with you, nothing's wrong with you . . ."
He slammed his foot against the floor.
"Yes, there is! Why can't I do something as simple as sit still for ten seconds? I know it's safe. I know nothing will happen. Why can't I be like normal people?"
I shrugged.
"Well, you're a dinosaur, for one thing-"
"I'm still a person. But not a very good one."
I pressed my beak against his side.
"Gunnar, you're a wonderful person."
"But I hurt you."
"It was an accident."
"Yeah, well, it wasn't the first time, was it?" he hissed, tears trickling down his cheeks.
I shook my head.
"The past is in the past . . . Besides, you were nowhere near as bad as Eli."
"I guess you're just drawn to the people who hurt you the most."
After a beat, his eyes went wide.
"Sorry. I didn't mean that as a dig on you. I was-"
"Yeah, I know. But I think you're right. Sometimes, I hate myself so much that it feels satisfying when people validate my fears, and I surround myself with them because of it. But I'd much rather have friends like you, who love me for who I am. And everyone else, I can cut out of my life."
"I don't know why you'd settle for me, though."
I smiled.
"You should love yourself more, Gunnar. All of your friends do."
Suddenly, the elevator jerked into motion. Gunnar dropped to the ground and curled up in a ball. I sat beside him and placed my paw over his.
"It's okay. I'm here."
He trembled as we ascended, and as the doors opened, he covered his eyes, devolving into a whimpering blob. When nothing happened, he peeked between his toe-nubs, then bolted through the doors, collapsing in the hallway. Zia and Franklin rushed to meet him, hugging his neck from both sides. As they spoke words of comfort, Gunnar's face softened, and he started crying again. Before anyone could ask if he was okay, he scooped his friends into a big hug, weeping with relief. I trotted up to him serenely.
"Feeling better, Gunnar?"
"Mhm," he squeaked, nodding with a quivering lip.
I smiled and gave him a nudge.
"Next time, give us a call before you visit. One of us will come to walk you up the stairs."
After a pause, he started bawling happily. I was so touched that I almost didn't notice Moonwatcher burst through the floor of the elevator. She batted her eyes innocently.
"Ah, I see everything is resolved, then. And what's more, I've fixed the elevator . . . with the exception of the hole I just made."
I cocked my head.
"Was this another one of your evil plans, Moonwatcher?"
". . . 'Evil' is a relative term. But to answer your question, no, it was not a planned event. This was a complete accident. I don't want to look bad in front of our new safety inspector. Or whatever the new Ian is doing. I dunno. I just hired him to do pointless surveys. Anyway, it's all fixed now. The elevator, not the world. That's still crap."
I hummed.
"So, have you come to tell us something, or . . ."
She shook her head.
"Nope. Just wanted to see you all getting along. Makes me happy."
"I see."
"Yeah, it's small potatoes compared to the Eli arc, though. Speaking of, have you checked up on him recently?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, breakups are hard, and he has a . . . history. Best make sure he's not pouring sugar into his gas tank."
I blinked.
"Or cutting his brakes," Moonwatcher added.
I twisted my mouth.
"Killing himself, Claire! My god, you're bad at metaphors!"
I gasped. Moonwatcher covered her mouth.
"I'm sorry. That must have been distressing to hear. I promise never to confuse metaphors with figures of speech again."
She ducked as my tail swung over her head, but I was already bolting towards the window by the time she started cussing. Sprouting wings, I shot towards the setting sun, praying that I wasn't too late.
***TSJWFKFEW***
I burst into the garage, heart pounding as I prepared to walk in on a grisly scene. Eli, who had been screwing his eyebrow in place, lifted his head rapidly, startled by my sudden appearance. His head made a metallic clang as it collided with a ceiling-pipe.
"Ow . . ."
"Eli, you're okay . . ." I sobbed.
He frowned with concern as I wrapped my arms around him. His paws slipped down to my shoulders.
"Claire, what's going on? . . ."
"Moonwatcher said . . . Oh, Eli! She said you were about to- to-"
"To what?"
". . . To die . . . To kill yourself."
He batted his eyes.
"Huh?"
I buried my snout in his chest.
"Eli, I thought after what happened, you might be pushed over the edge, and-"
He shook his head quickly.
"Claire, no! No, no, no! A million times, no! I wouldn't kill myself just because we broke up. And if someone ever did that, it wouldn't be your fault."
"But you . . . I mean, in the past, you-"
"I'm better now, Claire, and it's mostly thanks to you. Sure, I get sad every once in a while, but I haven't thought about doing myself in since . . . Well, since before we got together, I think. And it's not like you're the only thing keeping me alive. I still have my friends, my job . . . a life. And you're still a part of that life. Just in a different way. I'm not about to give that up."
I bit my lower beak.
"Eli . . ."
He placed a claw under my chin.
"Claire, I'm fine. Yes, breakups are messy, and yes, it made me sad- I even find myself regretting it, at times- but I'm sure that I made the right decision, for once. Knowing that you're happy makes me happy. That's almost better than having a relationship . . . and there's more to life than having a girlfriend, you know."
"I suppose . . ."
He shrugged sheepishly.
"If it makes you feel any better, it was a tough call, and I would have been proud to be yours, but you belong with Owen. It's like the universe wants you two to be together . . . it probably does, come to think of it . . . because narratives? . . ."
I gulped.
"I know I should be happy, but in a way, I still love you, and I feel awful, leaving you alone."
He shrugged.
"Like I said, I'm not alone. Maybe I'll find someone else, maybe I won't, but I have a lot of love in my life at the moment, in any case, and that's enough to keep me going."
I swallowed.
"But Eli . . . I shouldn't have left you . . . Before, I mean."
He nodded.
"Yeah, it was kind of hard, at first, waking up without you lying there beside me, but I'm fine now. And I think we'll all be better off if you're with Owen. I really, actually, honestly believe that. You two are gonna be great."
"And you?"
"I'll be your friend. Yours and Owen's, I mean. And I'll probably find something new to fill the extra hours. The world's my oyster."
After a long silence, Eli lowered his head.
"Claire, what's this really about?"
I closed the door behind me to make sure that no one was listening.
"What I did was wrong. I abandoned you, and then I came back and broke your heart."
"My heart is working just fine."
"But I did something terrible."
"Claire, we've all done something terrible. You, me, and Owen . . . we're broken people, all of us. But we can fix ourselves. We're fixing ourselves right now. You shouldn't have left, but you did, and you're back now, so everyone's fine, and I don't see the problem. I forgive you. We can move on."
"Can we?"
"We always have. Always will. Because we'll always be friends."
"Even if we do shitty things?"
"Even then, but something tells me it'll happen less and less as time goes on. Look at where we started, Claire. Look at where we are now."
I cocked my head when I heard someone calling my name in the distance. Eli heard it a few seconds later.
"Sounds like Owen."
"Yeah. I should be going soon. Don't want him to catch me here."
"Why not?"
"Well, he might be . . . uh . . ."
Eli gave me a skeptical look, but I didn't finish the thought, because Owen knocked at the door.
"Eli, is Claire with you?"
I gulped.
"I'm here, Owen."
He opened the door, sighing with relief.
"Good. Moonwatcher said that I would find you here, but I was worried that . . . Well, I was worried."
He turned to call over his shoulder.
"Maisie, peanut, Claire's in the garage!"
A saurian Maisie scampered through the door and flung her arms around my neck.
"Mummy, I was so afraid! . . ."
I felt my throat quivering.
"I'm here, Maisie. Just wrapping things up with Eli."
"Oh. Are we going to see him less, now?"
Owen rubbed the back of his neck, then let his arm drop.
"I think I should wait outside for a bit."
I wanted to tell him that there was no need, but decided that it might be better to have a private talk with Maisie and Eli. I crouched in front of my daughter, wrapping my tail around my legs awkwardly.
"Maisie, Eli's still my friend, but we-"
"I know you're not with him anymore, but will we ever see him again?"
Eli laughed.
"Maisie, I'm not going anywhere. I mean, statistically, we'll be spending a little less time together, but I'm here if you ever need me."
Maisie nodded.
"I think I'm going to miss the way things were."
"But they'll be better now."
"I suppose. Are you going to miss this, too?"
Eli waved his paw.
"Nah, I'll get over it pretty quick. But for the record, you would have been a pretty cool daughter."
She hugged his wheel.
"And you would have been a pretty cool dad."
Suddenly, Eli's face fell, and I could tell that he was on the verge of tears. I was about to step in and suggest that we leave, but he bit his lip and patted Maisie on the head.
"Thanks, honey. Could you tell Owen to come back in for a second? There's some adult stuff we need to discuss before you go."
She nodded and skipped out the door. While we waited for Owen, I tried not to notice how much of a struggle it was for Eli to hold back his tears. When Owen entered the room, he brightened up a little.
"Hi."
"Hey. Maisie said you wanted to talk?"
Eli nodded.
"Now that Claire's back, we need to sort out a few things."
Owen gave an understanding nod.
"Right, right . . . If this is about Friday Night Drinks, it's still on."
I did a double-take.
"Excuse me, what?"
Eli smiled.
"When you were gone, Owen and I went out for drinks every Friday night. We caught up on our progress in finding you, discussed potential sightings, came up with search plans . . . but I guess later on, we did it just to loosen up a bit."
"That part can stay the same," Owen declared.
I scratched my wrist awkwardly.
"Oh. I guess it must have been hard for you, figuring out who Maisie would stay with while I was gone."
Owen shook his head.
"Whenever one of us was searching or unavailable, she stayed with Iris and the gang."
Eli shrugged.
"I mean, sure, it was rough now and then, but we managed okay."
Owen nodded in agreement.
"This one time, we had to take Maisie bra-shopping, and she started crying because-"
The way he cut himself off led me to believe that I was the reason for her breakdown.
". . . Anyway, we calmed her down, and it was fine. We helped each other. Everyone pitched in, and . . . Well, she's doing okay. Maisie is well-adjusted. She'll be even better, now that you're back."
Somehow, I doubted that.
Owen yawned.
"Well, it's time we left. But Eli, you know that you can visit whenever you want."
He nodded.
"Will do. Get home safely. Don't stay out too late. Lots of weirdos running amok."
"My ears are burning."
I leapt around in surprise as Henry Wu came stomping down an oversized staircase, wearing a set of large, striped pyjamas. His casual attire confused me, at first, because I would have otherwise assumed that he was up to no good, but he seemed to be at home in this building. Eli smiled sardonically.
"Right, Claire, you weren't told! Henry's my upstairs neighbour now. He's working as a genetic . . . Shit, what was your title, again?"
Before Wu could answer, Eli waved his paw.
"He edits genes on the fly. He's saved countless lives, and he prevented a serious outbreak of Monoceratonucleosis on Sorna last week."
Wu rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm a hero. Are we done here?"
Eli snorted.
"Are you really gonna pass up an opportunity to boast?"
"It's late. I'm tired. I'll brag in the morning."
Wu yawned, then gave me a nod.
"Welcome back. Maybe Mills will finally stop whining about how lonely he is, now that you've returned."
Eli's lips tightened.
"Um, Henry-"
Owen uncrossed his arms.
"You know they broke up, right?"
Wu blinked.
"Oh. Well, buy yourself a blow-up dinosaur, then. I don't care."
He slithered back upstairs. Eli shook his head, laughing.
"He's nicer than he seems. He just doesn't show it well. And everything I said about him is true. He's really turned over a new leaf."
Since I left, of course. What a surprise.
Owen laughed and nodded to the door.
"Come on, Claire. Let's get Maisie home."
***TSJWFKFEW***
Getting Maisie home turned out to be a harder task than anticipated. Being an Indoraptor-ish dinosaur meant that she could cover a lot of distance if she wandered, and that night, she sure did wander. We found her at the beach, sitting next to a big, pink blob, which turned out to be a pig, I realized as we got closer.
Disaster.
Owen's frown evolved into a scowl, and he rushed forward to- I can only assume- slap his father until he turned into bacon. He managed to dodge the attack, however, and instead of going in for a second attempt, Owen promptly scooped up Maisie and kicked sand in the swine's face.
"If you ever talk to my daughter again, you're a dead man. No more warnings!"
The pig squealed sadly as Owen marched away. Maisie peeked over his shoulder.
"He wasn't hurting me."
"No, but I'll bet he said some nasty things about us."
"He told me that he wanted to see you again, and that he's sad that you don't like him anymore."
Owen's frown deepened.
"Yeah, well, he sure didn't feel that way when he beat me black and blue."
Maisie seemed horrified by his remark. Owen took notice of her worry. Gulping, he handed her off to me.
"Claire, can you take Maisie home? I need some time alone to think things through."
"Sure."
He nodded, then promptly turned away. As he marched down the beach, I could see his fist clenching and unclenching to match his dark thoughts. His father watched him leave too, and when his son had disappeared into the jungle, he took a step towards me. I snarled.
"Back off!"
"You know Owen's being unreasonable . . ."
"So what if he is! You're a monster!"
I noticed that he did a quick scan of my body.
"I'd like to think that I'm better than that, now," he grunted.
"No. You had your chance. Some acts are unforgivable."
The pig stared at me in silence, then turned away, plopping his rump in the sand. I heard him sobbing. Maisie, who had changed into a dinosaur to match my defensive posture, shot me a worried look. I picked her up by the scruff of the neck.
"Hey, you!"
I tensed up. Moonwatcher came barreling through the sand, pushing Lockwood in his new chair. He grasped the foot rest (hand rest?) in panic as she charged across the beach.
"Don't let the pig leave! We have something important to do!"
She came to a lurching halt in front of Owen's father, much to Lockwood's displeasure. After a pause, she waved her hand.
"Say the line."
"Why?" Lockwood snuffed.
"Just say the line!" she growled.
He frowned.
". . . That'll do, pig?"
Moonwatcher snorted with glee.
"Golden! Okay, we're done here."
Maisie cocked her head, and her grandfather shrugged. When he realized that Moonwatcher had left without him, he did a double-take.
"Wait! I can't roll on sand!"
I trotted up behind him.
"Don't worry. I'll get you home."
As I pushed him forward I felt something tugging on my tail. I kicked Owen's father off of me.
"Piss off, pig!"
"Wait! Please! Just give me a chance!"
"It's Owen's decision, not mine."
He squealed in panic and tried to cut me off.
"Listen, lady, I know we don't have a good rapport, and I probably look delicious to a . . . person such as yourself, but-"
I snapped my jaws.
"I don't eat trash."
He gulped, intimidated by my exposed teeth.
"I just want a second chance. Please let me see my granddaughter. I don't have any other family."
"And you never will."
The pig looked down with regret, but his face soon hardened. He glared at me with unfiltered hatred.
"You should have stayed in the wild, dinosaur! You don't belong here!"
Although I understood that he was lashing out at me for the sake of it, and that he didn't know me very well at all, his words struck a nerve. I carried Maisie away from the vile creature, accompanied by her grandfather, who rolled freely when off the sand, heading back towards the hotel, hoping that I could be alone with my thoughts for an hour or so. I was disappointed, however, because as soon as I entered the lobby, I saw just about everyone I knew gathered by the fireplace. They were sharing drinks and laughing about something I probably wouldn't understand, like an inside joke they came up with in my absence, or a funny story that I hadn't been around to experience. Their voices rang in my head, and I felt my quills bristling with anger. Gunnar noticed that I had arrived and trotted up to me gleefully, unaware of my sour expression.
"Claire! I rode the elevator today! Zia and Franklin offered to come with me whenever I need them, and I'm not afraid anymore!"
I growled.
"I'm sure they were very helpful in solving your problem."
He bit his lower beak.
"I thought you'd be happy for me . . ."
"WHY DO YOU CARE WHAT I THINK?! YOU WERE ALL BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME!"
The room fell to a hush. Suddenly, I felt very small, surrounded by so many friends whom I hadn't seen in months. They were practically different people, now. Not my friends at all, even. Everything had changed while I was away, and changed for the better. Without me, life would have been perfect from the start. But not only had I ruined these people's lives, but I had come back when I was clearly an unwanted burden. I was ruining their perfect existence.
I felt tears stinging in my eyes. Bowing my head with shame, I tried to hold them back, but it was too late. My cheeks became wet, and I felt myself preparing to turn away and flee, but Gunnar approached me before I could run. I was about to brush him off, to pretend that everything was somehow okay, but instead of concern, I saw something else in his face. He frowned sadly.
"Claire . . . you have this all wrong. We didn't get here because you were gone: you're what brought us together in the first place. Without you, I don't think I would have ever left my pasture. I owe everything to you."
Franklin nodded.
"Yeah, Claire. You started the DPG. You brought me to the island, taught me how to be brave, and stood by me when everyone else had given up on me. If there's even an ounce of confidence in me, it's because of you."
Zia smiled.
"We may not have always been easy on each other, but it was all worth it, in the end. You helped me ditch dolphin meat, first of all, and . . . Well, I don't know if I've ever told you this, but I admire your patience, and your ability to listen. There's a lot in this world that makes me upset, and even if I don't show it, I get scared sometimes, but when you're around, I feel like it's all gonna be okay, because you're so put-together. I should tell you these things more often . . ."
I bit my lower beak, choked up. As I hugged Zia, Wheatley stepped forward.
"I don't know you very well, but I'm only out of jail because you set that precedent. Thanks."
Wu scratched his neck.
"I got a cat because of you. That's nice, I guess."
Lockwood rolled towards me, eyes filled with warmth.
"You took care of Maisie, and because of your guidance, she's become a fuller, more sincere version of herself than I could have ever imagined. And because of you, I got a second chance. I didn't know how good things could be until you showed me a better way. When we first met, I didn't know how important you'd be in restoring my relationship with Maisie, but now . . . we're happy. I'm better off for having known you."
As I turned to Eli, he smiled sadly.
"Well, what do I even say? . . . You know what you did for me, and . . . and I don't think I could ever put into words how much I appreciate it."
I gulped.
"But, Eli-"
"No but's. You changed my life. Everything I have now is because of what you did. I can't even begin to thank you for what you've given me, but . . . I just want you to know how much you mean to all of us."
Owen put his hand on my horn.
"We love you, Claire, and don't you ever, ever think otherwise. For six months, we've missed you more than we'd miss the air we breathe. It was like a part of us was torn away, and now that you're back, we're finally whole again."
Gunnar wrapped his arms around my neck.
"We love you, Claire. Now and always."
Slowly, everyone gathered together in a not-quite-group-hug, because the dinosaurs among us were purring and rubbing snouts. Still, it was a miracle that I was now surrounded by a crowd of former enemies, and forever-friends. I was so lost in thought that I barely moved as they wove around me, but when Owen put his forehead against mine, I came back to life.
"I . . . I don't know what to say . . ."
Franklin smiled.
"You don't have to say anything. We got this."
Tears of relief trickled down my cheeks, and I returned each and every hug. When we finally broke apart, we stood idly in the room, glancing this way and that.
"So . . . what do we do now?" I asked.
Owen shrugged.
"Probably stick together. I mean, we're friends, after all."
Wu snorted.
"Took us long enough."
I bit my beak, smiling. Suddenly, Franklin perked up.
"Hey, does anyone wanna go for a movie?"
Everyone muttered in agreement, and they slowly filtered out of the room. I nearly forgot to follow them, but Eli nudged me with his tail.
"Hey. Sleeping Beauty. You coming, or what?"
I grinned and followed him, letting Owen walk with his hand on my side. We stepped into the night, forming what could be described as the strangest herd that's ever existed.
But now that we were together, I realized that this was the way things ought to be.