This Damnable Place

by seasidewriter1

After taking a proffered job at Jurassic World, Gwyn Grant finds herself thrust back into the world of living dinosaurs and paranoia. Throw in a raptor trainer, a full time job, a concerned father, and a brand-new dinosaur, Gwyn's got her hands full. Now she's got to strike the perfect balance between glancing over her shoulder and actually doing her contracted job Eventual Owen/OC

36. Thank You For Visiting Jurassic World

Disclaimer: I do not own the Jurassic Park/World franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind.

36. Thank You For Visiting Jurassic World

The pounding of Gwyn's boots against the damp pavement echoed against the walls. They occasionally splashed through a puddle, sometimes sent a piece of gravel skittering aside. Her arms pumped madly at her sides, the flare clutched in one hand, the walkie-talkie in the other. Breath hissed in and out of her mouth in harsh intervals. Sweat started to trickle along the back of her neck. In the distance, the crack of gunfire disrupted the humid air. Screeching and roaring echoed like thunder. The culmination of this nightmare was upon them. The conclusion of it was swiftly approaching, and there was still time to sway that outcome in their favor. That ability sat in Gwyn's hands, and it was the heaviest responsibility she'd ever had to shoulder. But she needed to do it, she had to.

The next time her right arm swung up towards her face, she held the walkie-talkie poised at her mouth. Her finger clicked a button and she heard a slight hiss as the channel opened.

"Lowery!" she panted. Her voice was choppy, jostled by her footfalls. She sounded winded, scared, and determined.

"Gwyn, where the hell are you!?" came Lowery's muffled exclamation.

"Open paddock nine!" Her finger lifted off the button and there was a crackle of static.

"Paddock nine…" There was a pause, and then a sputter. "Gwyn, are you crazy!?"

Gwyn came to a stop at a massive industrial door made of reinforced steel. It loomed over her monstrously, like a mouth that threatened to snap her up. In the distance a growl ripped through the air and reminded her of what was behind that door. Her hands tightened around the walkie talkie and the flare. Was she crazy? The answer to that was easy––yes, yes she was. And she really hoped that this kind of crazy was what they needed to conclude this nightmare. Gwyn lifted the walkie-talkie to her mouth.

"Is there a security camera around here? Can you see me?" she asked, breathing heavily.

"Up to your right."

Sure enough, when Gwyn looked up and to the right, there was a camera angled down at her. Her gaze remained fixated on it, as though she was maintaining eye contact with her friend. "Lowery… the only way any of us are getting out alive is if you open this door. You've been saving people's asses all day––do it one last time. Please."

The hiss of static cut into the air as she lifted her finger off the button again. After a moment, there was a buzzing sound. Red lights situated around the door and along the service alley started to flash in warning––because the door was opening.

"You're a badass, you know that?" came Lowery's shaky voice. Gwyn smiled up at the camera, a flash of a look that brightened her face for only a moment.

"Nah––I'm just crazy."

With that, Gwyn tossed the walkie-talkie down. It hit the ground with an unceremonious clatter. The smile dropped from her face. She turned her attention to the door, which was steadily beginning to rise. She passed the flare into her right hand and allowed her left to grasp its cap. The jungle interior of the paddock started to reveal itself. Then the ground trembled under foot. A puddle in front of Gwyn's feet rippled.

Thud.

Ripple.

Thud.

Ripple.

The sound of monstrously familiar footfalls rattled her sternum. It choked her up. Her left hand curled over the cap as a memory swirled to the forefront of her mind. Her father, stood in a haze of red light, waving a flare through the stormy air. A heroic silhouette forever burned into her memory. Alan had been brave for her. Put his life directly in the path of danger to save herself, Lex, and Tim.

Perhaps stupidity wasn't the Grant family curse––maybe it was bravery.

That thought made Gwyn's heart swell––bravely, determinedly. She ripped the cap off the flare, and it hissed to life in a puff of smoke. Red light illuminated the right half of her face, across which was scrawled determination. A resolute decision not to be scared. To be brave, dammit. She stared, with teeth gritted behind pursed lips, as the paddock door finished opening. A figure came lumbering out of the darkness, intimidating in its size and its presence. One that was awe inspiring, no matter the fear that it instilled deep in Gwyn's heart. Because this was their only hope. Amongst all the memories of bloody teeth, deafening roars, and grasping claws, there was one wholly unlike the others; a memory of Rexy being the reason they'd all lived.

"C'mon…" Gwyn muttered to herself. She held the flare out, level with her right hip. Smoke drifted past her on the wind, and the heat of the sparks tickled her skin. Rexy's sight had clearly honed in on the flickering bright light in her hand. "You saved the day once…" She started to back away, heart throbbing as it clawed its way into her throat. Rexy lumbered closer, breath huffing noisily from her nose. "You can do it again."

For a moment, human and dinosaur met one another step-for-step. Each one Gwyn took backwards, Rexy took one forward. This next part called for finesse. Because one misstep could mean disaster. If Gwyn tripped while running, she was done for. If she was too slow, she was done for. For as much as this t-rex could be their saving grace, she was not their toy. They didn't control her. She didn't have to listen or follow or do anything. Everything from this moment on had to go just perfectly, otherwise she was screwed. They were all screwed. And as Rexy's attention shifted from the flickering red light, to the woman that held it, Gwyn's chest tightened. This was it. The only way out was forward, and there was no chance of backing down now.

So as Rexy bowed her head to duck through the door, Gwyn started to turn away. A chill ran down her spine as her back fully turned on the dinosaur; and as that shiver hit her tailbone, Gwyn ran. She took off into a life-preserving sprint, as she had done too many times before. Behind her, Rexy's footfalls grew faster. They shook the ground beneath her feet, made some of her steps wobble. It felt like she was trying to run during an earthquake. She could hear Rexy's breath huffing through her nose, hear the rumbling vocalizations from deep inside her chest. And then, she roared. Gwyn's shoulders curled up towards her ears, the only reaction she could have to try and block the sound out. All of those sounds––the breathing, the rumbling, the roar––were enough to trigger a stiffness in Gwyn's body.

As Gwyn ran, chased by the same t-rex that had tried to eat her as a kid, it felt like she was being chased by her past. When she'd arrived on Isla Nublar, she'd arrived with the image of her terrified eleven year-old self clinging to her back. A memory that haunted her. Weighed her down. It was what she saw in the mirror staring back at her, what she thought others saw in her. The time she'd spent on Isla Nublar was meant to banish that ghost. She'd spent her time on the island making desperate attempts to run away from that terrorized little girl, to leave her in the dust and accept who she was now. But who she was now was all thanks to that horrified child. It wasn't long ago that she'd come to accept that Isla Nublar was part of her, and that was why it haunted her so. It had defined so much of what Gwyn had become. And that wide-eyed, bloodied, terrified little girl was always going to be part of her too; and there was no shame in that. That eleven year-old version of herself was brave. She was strong. She was scared––and that was okay.

So instead of running away from her and trying to shove her back, Gwyn ran alongside her.

She was the legacy of Jurassic Park––and she'd be damned if she didn't make it out alive.

By the time that Main Street came back into view, Gwyn had never felt so much adrenaline pumping through her system. Smoke trailed behind her as the flare sputtered and sparked. Her heart was pounding in her throat, and her lungs were burning. She felt like a marathon runner in the most dangerous race on earth. The finish line was Main Street, and she was so close. And when Gwyn saw what was happening, her heart seized in terror. The Indominus had half-destroyed the souvenir kiosk. The counter was bent, there was stone scattered across the ground, a gun abandoned on the pavement, and no sign of anyone––not even the raptors. So she grit her teeth as she ran between the legs of a skeletal spinosaurus display. She hurled the flare at the Indominus, the force of the throw hyper-extending her shoulder. It pinched painfully, but it was worth it. Because where she associated that bright, flickering red light with her father, Rexy associated it with food.

There was a thunderous cracking sound from behind Gwyn, and she willingly threw herself to the ground to avoid what she knew had happened. Once she tumbled across the wet pavement, she looked up to find that Rexy had, indeed, crashed through the skeleton, as she had done years ago. Fragments of bone scattered and fell like rain, skittering across the pavement; Gwyn curled in on herself to avoid getting hit, and listened as Rexy roared right at the Indominus Rex. There was an answering, screeched roar, which spurred the paleontologist to lift her head. Both massive dinosaurs were squaring off with one another, tails swishing dangerously. When Gwyn cut her eyes towards the souvenir kiosk, she was immediately greeted by Owen's wide-eyed gaze. He had appeared in the dinged-up booth window, and a wash of relief settled over her for a second. That relief only grew as three more faces appeared––Zach, Gray, and Claire. They were all okay. She'd gotten there in time. But it still wasn't over. Because Rexy had lumbered towards Ingrid, the two roaring simultaneously at each other. They were gearing up to fight, and there was every chance that each human there was going to get caught in the crossfire.

Gwyn started to push herself up, watching wide-eyed as Rexy sank her teeth into Ingrid's throat. Tails whipped and knocked over lamp posts in sprays of sparks. The ground shook as the two creatures moved one another around with the sheer weight of their own bodies. The tremors left Gwyn, who had just gotten back to her feet, wobbling unsteadily. She scrambled backwards, heart pounding, as the dinosaurs stumbled back her way, slashing at one another with wickedly sharp claws.

Ingrid managed to snap her jaws around Rexy's neck, and, with a flick of her head, brought the tyrannosaurus rex to the ground. The impact knocked Gwyn off her feet and onto her ass, half obscured by a display of faux fossils. She watched as Ingrid savagely swung Rexy's head into the side of the souvenir kiosk, which crumbled around the predator's snout and neck. There was a pained roar, and a deep growl. Through the kiosk window, Gwyn caught sight of her companions huddling in the corner. Rexy was back on her feet and squaring off against Ingrid––and there was a slim opportunity for everyone to get out of there unnoticed.

"Run!" she screamed, grabbing hold of the display to haul herself into a crouch.

There was a scramble as Owen, Claire, Zach, and Gray all darted through the destroyed wall. They flashed past the two dinosaurs just as Ingrid knocked Rexy down, straight on top of the kiosk. It crumbled under her weight, and surely would have killed anyone who had been inside. A mournful, pain-filled roar filled the air as everyone bolted to shelter alongside Gwyn. Claire curled her arms around Zach and Gray, shielding them protectively. And Gwyn felt Owen drop into a crouch behind her, his hand coming to rest on her hip.

They all watched as Rexy, neck bloodied and half torn to ribbons, twitched amidst the rubble in a feeble attempt to stand up. Ingrid stalked towards her with an unforgiving, calculating gate. She placed one hand on Rexy's neck to hold her down, and brought her widening jaws to hover over her face. Gwyn felt her heart jolt as she watched Rexy give one final attempt to lift her head; the t-rex then let it flop tiredly to the ground. It was a moment of catastrophic weakness. One that the Indominus had taken stock of, one that she was happily to take advantage of. Ingrid placed her other hand on Rexy's snout, and lowered her mouth in preparation to deliver a killing bite––but then there was a sound that froze Ingrid and had her lifting their head.

It was a scoffing, coughed cry, followed by a screeched hiss.

Gwyn's head whipped around to see none other than Blue and Echo come tearing around the corner. They trotted towards Ingrid before both lowered their heads and stretched their arms forward, creating a streamlined silhouette. They screeched a war-cry as they charged the much larger dinosaur. Blue leapt onto Rexy's neck and pushed off of it like a spring-board. She was tearing at Ingrid's neck something vicious, claws slashing, teeth biting. Echo stood hunched in a fiercely defensive position as Rexy as she started to recover. And as Rexy got to her feet, Echo leapt onto her back and screeched valiantly.

"Holy shit," Gwyn breathed, voice cracking.

They were watching two velociraptors and a t-rex gang up on a common enemy. The minute that Rexy clamped her jaws back down around Ingrid's throat, Echo trotted up the length of the t-rex's neck and leapt onto the Indominus. She and Blue started to deal serious damage as Rexy half-restrained the squirming Indominus Rex. Blood spattered across the pavement as claws tore and teeth pierced. This was a fight till the end, and it was going to be vicious.

"We gotta move," Owen urged under his breath. The fight was very clearly stumbling their way, and if they didn't move, they were going to get squashed.

They all scrambled off of Main Street and into a gift shop. It was the one that, what now felt like a lifetime ago, Gwyn and Owen had traversed into to goof around in. The toys and products they'd snickered at sat unheeded on the shelves, where they'd likely remain forever. The shelves provided a perfect place to hunker down and wait––but they didn't stop moving. The time for hiding was over, it was time to move, and keep moving till it was safe to stop. They were half-way through the shop when the window shattered and, in a spray of glass, Blue came skittering inside. Gwyn nearly tripped over her own footing, but Owen snatched her back into his chest, an arm tightly curled around her waist. Both her hands found his forearm and squeezed as she watched Blue squeal and leap back into the fray. With her out of the way, they were all moving again, feet kicking glass shards and plastic toys across the floor. Just as they were about to run into the street, they tripped to a stop again.

Beside them on the street, Ingrid and Rexy were in the heat of battle. Ingrid had just been slammed into the Margaritaville building, which sparked and groaned as its integrity was ruined. Gray had stumbled off the curb, collapsing to his hands and knees. Gwyn shot forward, lurching downwards to wrap her arms around his middle. At the mouth of the side street they'd come out onto, Echo stood, hunched defensively. Her head whipped around to meet Gwyn's eyes––and in that look, she realized something. Echo was acting as their line of defense in case the fight got too close.

"C'mon, c'mon!" she murmured to Gray. She heaved him back up to his feet, and got the both of them back onto the curb. Once there, Owen ushered her behind them, standing in front of the group as they all huddled together around a support beam, ready to run in any given direction.

Rexy threw Ingrid to the ground, her teeth dripping with blood. The haunting white of the Indominus' skin was predominantly red now. Her leathery hide had been slashed and torn at unforgivingly. Her movements were sluggish and defensive. The battle had weakened her significantly, and it was starting to show. That was a dangerous thing, to show weakness to these creatures. Because as she struggled back up to her feet, Blue leapt up and onto Ingrid's face. Echo, who sprinted forward as the massive dinosaur tromped too close, had started to nip and claw at one of her front legs. Both held on till Ingrid flicked Blue away with a throw of her head, and tossed Echo aside with a shake of her arm.

Gwyn reached out and grabbed Owen's bicep. His arms had been stretched out to hold everyone back; but one of them reached a little farther back to grasp her elbow. This was more than anything that she'd ever seen. It was like watching two gods trying to tear one another down. They watched as Rexy tucked her head under the Indominus' chest and knocked her off balance. Ingrid toppled to the ground, and crashed into the barrier of the mosasaurus lake. The fence sparked and crackled as the metal broke away. Ingrid shook her head and got back to her feet. Blood dripped from her nostrils. There was a gaping wound in her left shoulder. The sinister gleam of her red eyes was enhanced by the glistening rivulets of blood that dripped from the slashes across her face. Gwyn shuffled a step back in preparation to run the other way. Because if Ingrid got back up, the anger-fueled destruction she'd surely wreak would be devastating.

But Rexy stood tall and resolute, ready to continue the battle. Blue and Echo skittered back into view, proudly taking a stance beside the t-rex––but in front of their humans. Ingrid reared her head and body back before lurching forward, letting out an ear-splitting, enraged roar. Both velociraptors and the t-rex answered the cry, the air filling with a cacophony of violent sound. Everyone shied away from it, eyes squinting, shoulders rising. But Gwyn's narrowed eyes widened when she saw a spray of water launch into the sky. And in that spray was the mosasaurus, whose jaws were wide open.

Those jaws snapped down around Ingrid's neck as the aquatic dinosaur half beached itself on the pavement. There was snarling and snapping from the Indominus as the mosasaurus wiggled around. Gwyn watched, wide-eyed, mouth gaping, as the mosasaurus leaned back and hoisted the Indominus into the air. It was like she weighed nothing, a mere toy to be thrashed around. There was one final moment, where she felt their eyes meet again––and felt the chill of accusation screech from Ingrid's mouth. It had her clinging to Owen's arm tighter, huddling herself closer to him. Gwyn felt like she understood the unspoken message: you did this. And with a chill running down her spin, she watched as Ingrid, who squirmed, screeched, and flailed, was dragged into the water with a mighty splash. Suddenly, everything was quiet, save for the sloshing of the water. Then, from beneath the frothing, choppy waves, they heard a low, finalistic groan.

And then silence.

Gwyn's eyes snapped to the remaining three dinosaurs before them. Echo and Blue turned to face Rexy, who was battered up pretty badly. The tyrannosaurus rex loomed over the velociraptors, dripping blood and growling lowly. In response, Blue tittered a sound deep in her throat and Echo dropped her head low. Panic spiked through Gwyn's body. She'd witnessed a fight between this t-rex and a pair of velociraptors before. It hadn't ended well for the raptors. And once they were out of the way, there was no doubt on this earth that the humans would be Rexy's new target. But, then, something unexpected happened. Rexy's body seemed to relax, suddenly, as though moved with a sigh. Her head slowly––tiredly––swung around as she turned away and started to lumber off.

Gwyn gaped at her retreating figure, straightening up out of her defensive hunch. Her hand slipped away from Owen's arm as she turned to watch Rexy go. She almost stepped off the curb, but Owen prevented her from doing so, his hand tightening around her elbow. A disbelieving, quiet half-laugh pushed past her lips. She watched Rexy's retreat, felt the ground tremble beneath her feet with each departing step. When she'd re-arrived on the island, Gwyn had a new found respect for the tyrannosaurus rex. A respect for its size, its might, and its predatory prowess. But now, that respect had grown to encapsulate something else––its intelligent ability. Rexy had read the room; she'd taken care of the threat, realized there was no longer a fight to be had, and left. It was remarkable.

The amazed look on Gwyn's face was quickly turned towards the surviving members of the raptor pack. Both Blue and Echo had turned their attentions to them. Owen stepped forward and off the curb, bringing himself closer to the last two of his Girls. Blue had a cut curling over her snout, bloody and raw. Echo had a few lacerations across her side, which would garner her some new scars. With a tilt of her head, Blue seemed to ask Owen a silent question. Gwyn watched him give a slow, small shake of his head. The velociraptor's lips pulled back over her teeth a little as she tittered. She started to turn away––but then paused and looked back at Owen, a reluctance shining in her eyes.

Echo took a step forward, nostrils flaring as she sniffed the air. She scoffed a little, confused sound, and turned her head to look between Owen and Blue.

Unprompted, Gwyn stepped off the curb. The sound of rubble crunching underfoot drew Echo's attention. In that moment, she understood what the velociraptors had been asking: can we come with you? Because she saw that quiet kind of inquiry in Echo's eyes. In the way her head perked up hopefully. Half of their pack was gone, and they were looking to their alpha for instruction on what to do next. And Gwyn's heart started to break. Because she, too, shook her head––and Echo looked taken aback. Gwyn came to stand beside Owen, and she reached out to thread her fingers between his. The action didn't seem to go unmissed by either raptor, both of whom tilted their heads to acknowledge the gesture.

It was then––and only then––that Blue made that bone-chilling coughing sound and bucked her head at her sister. Echo chirped quietly and, with one last look at her human companions, turned to follow Blue. Both velociraptors started to trot away down the ruins of Main Street. Together, Owen and Gwyn moved to stand in the middle of the street, amongst the rubble, the blood, and the embers that flickered by in the wind. Quiet had settled over them, leaving only the sound of crackling fire and shifting rubble to surround them. The light from the roof of the Innovation Center cut a beam into the night sky victoriously. Smoke drifted around them in heavy swaths. Blue and Echo disappeared around a corner, tittering to one another as they went. What had once been a human-dominated, human-created world, had been returned to the hands of the dinosaurs.

Gwyn stared at the ruins of Main Street and tears rushed to her eyes. Those tears immediately began to fall, cutting clean streaks over dirt-streaked skin. It was over. Her knees felt weak and her bones like jelly. And as she beheld the destruction before her, a smile split across her face. It fell almost as quickly as it came, and a hand rose to cover her mouth. Her expression crumpled as everything that had happened that day crashed in on her. Everything from how the day had started so normally, to the amount of death that she'd been forced to behold. But the nightmare had finally concluded. She had survived again. Miraculously, she had made it through the hell-scape of Isla Nublar again. A relieved sob wracked her body and her head bowed. Knotted, dirty hair fell around her face, hiding it from her companions as her shoulders began to shake.

Gwyn felt herself being pulled into Owen's embrace. But it wasn't a slow pull; it was a quick tug, which had her colliding against his chest in an almost desperate movement. Her arms were fast to curl and squeeze around his torso, just as his flew to wind around her. They embraced with a mutual ferocity, fingers curling against skin and fabric, frantically wanting to assure themselves that the other was okay. Gwyn cried now, not only in relief that it was all over, but in relief that he was okay. And, against her body, she could feel his shaking. Feel the way Owen's chest jolted and froze, before collapsing and repeating the process. A sure-fire sign of someone attempting not to cry.

She pulled away far enough to peer up at Owen's face––and found that his eyes, too, had gone glassy. His nostrils had flared in an attempt to keep tears at bay, and his upper lip twitched at the effort. When their eyes met, his quickly cut towards the last spot that they'd seen Echo and Blue. His jaw tightened and a sharp intake of breath rushed in through his nose. With her own expression crumpling, Gwyn dropped her head against his chest, staring down the length of Main Street. She squeezed him tightly and let out a shaking breath.

"They'll be okay," she whispered. "They've got each other."

There was a rush of breath as Owen exhaled. His arms curled around her even tighter, gathered her even closer, till there was no conceivable space between their bodies at all. A pair of lips dropped down to press a kiss to her forehead. She could feel the shakiness of his breath, and that alone was enough to inspire a frown to pull across Gwyn's face. It had been an awful day for her––but it had also been downright terrible for everyone else, too. Owen had lost not only two of his Girls, but he'd also watched the island he'd called home for a little over two years fall to ruin. He was out of a job, now, and a home; not to mention that he, too, had witnessed the horrors that she had.

"What do we do now?" asked Zach quietly. The voice of someone at a loss of what was going to happen next. Because in the wake of disaster, nothing ever seemed certain.

Slowly, Gwyn unfurled her arms from around Owen's middle just enough to take a step back and survey the ruins of Jurassic World one final time. A gust of wind blew a swath of smoke across the street, carrying with it a crumpled up park map. An air of finality settled over them all, as heavy as the humidity that beaded sweat on their foreheads. Back in '93, Gwyn had been unconscious and bleeding out when they'd made their escape. That final part of their horrific adventure was swathed in dizzying darkness; This time, she'd get to watch the island shrink into the distance, into a speck of something that couldn't hurt her again. With a shake of her head, and with the infamous Grant deadpan, she said,

"We get the hell away from this damnable place."

Afterword: It's bizzaro-land having reached this part of the story. Like… really strange. I've been working on this chapter for days, figuring out how to end it. Originally, this chapter was much longer, but I couldn't figure out how to end it in a satisfying spot. So I truncated it––like last time––at the natural conclusion of the action. I think starting the next chapter with them all in triage is a good way to transition, instead of harshly just cutting away to them being off the island mid-chapter. I also realized I've been scanning over this chapter obsessively, trying to get everything just right. I've gotten to the point where it's just little things I'm tweaking, so I'm taking that as a sign that, for my own sanity, it's time to get this baby posted.

Review Replies!

MsRosePetal: I didn't want to end it there last chapter, but it would have been hideously long if I hadn't! The horror is finally over… for now. And next up for our intrepid heroes is coming to terms with the fact that they've all gotta go home. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

ZabuzasGirl: Gwyn's not quite there to give Echo a hug! But, who knows, maybe in the future that'll change. Her attitude towards them has changed drastically, so it'll be fun to see her discuss that with varying people (namely Alan). I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

arianapeters18: I'm glad I kept the tension up over multiple chapters! And I hope that you enjoyed this one, too; thanks again!

EnJay: I'm so happy you've been enjoying the story so much! It feels… so surreal to have reached this point. So surreal that I was like 'I don't know if I can bring myself to post this yet, it's so weird.' I hope that the culmination of the action-packed part of the story was enjoyable! Thanks again!

AmericanNidiot: I endeavoured to give the Indominus reasons to do what she did––and no one listening to Gwyn's advice on how the Indominus should be handled. And it surely isn't the last we've seen or heard from Wu… I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

KatietheEggie: Thank you! I've been building up to the Indominus-Gwyn moment for ages; it's gonna be something that sticks with Gwyn for a good long while, if not forever. I hope you enjoyed the chapter––thanks again!

xenocanaan: Gwyn never once in her lifetime thought that she'd at all be friends with a raptor, the target of anger of a frankensaur, and running to go get Rexy. It's something of a fever dream to her. And our girl Echo lives to see another day! I didn't have the heart to kill her. Not after all the bonding that went on. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

godofall: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

supboyyyyy93: I've been worried that after the slew of last chapters, that this one is kinda 'ehh.' It's… shockingly hard to write a battle between two dinosaurs, as well as try and keep it in Gwyn's POV. But I hope that it was enjoyable nonetheless! Writing the final bit of banter between Hoskins and Gwyn was so much fun. Because you can bet your ass that, had Hoskins survived, he'd be hounding Gwyn down to get her to work with him. He was annoyingly persistent before, but he'd really have gone in for it after seeing what she did. And, y'know, that footage of the stuff in the jungle was being recorded… it's entirely possible that it works its way through the InGen channels to the higher-ups… maybe even the Lockwood Estate. And I really wanted to find a way to justify Ingrid's actions throughout the film. Because we had a reason for all the stuff in JP––power failure. But JW had been a fully operating park for years; a simple oversight couldn't have just led to the disastrous outcome. So, I figured, if Ingrid is as intelligent as they let on, then there had to be an emotional reason. So. I gave her one! I feel that it gives the situation, in hindsight, more depth than just 'it's smart, it got loose, it's wreaking havoc.' I am so, so happy that you've been enjoying the story, and so, so flattered by how much you've been enjoying it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

NicoleR85: I, too, cannot believe we've finally reached the end of the film events! I've got lots more planned, though, and quite a bit for the interim between JW and FK. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

Morrowsong: Gwyn really could've had something good going with Ingrid––but, alas, we love it when the institution doesn't listen to the people. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

kitsunelover300: The bond that Gwyn now has with Echo is one of the biggest triumphs of this story, I think. It was such a joy to write the progression of Gwyn literally being knocked on her ass out of fear of them, to this final moment where she sadly tells Echo that she and Blue can't stay with them. And there's definitely going to be some fun stuff with Fallen Kingdom, and how people from the Lockwood Estate react to Gwyn being part of the equation. And we're gonna see Gwyn struggling with the newfound realization of the fact that Ingrid had lashed out partially because of her. So now, unlike in '93, she's gonna be shouldering some guilt coming away from the island. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

Fidjie: When I sat down ages ago to plan out how this story would go, I decided that Gwyn going to get Rexy was something very important for her to do. It's a moment of closure. And I'm happy you enjoyed the passage with Ingrid! It certainly developed from how I originally wrote it, so I'm glad that it reads well. I've got a lot of stuff planned for Fallen Kingdom, so I'm excited for you to get to read it! And, ahh, I've always wanted to visit France! I was only a train ride away when I lived in London, but I never got the chance to pop down on a visit; I hope to be able to once everything in the world settles down again! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

AkariWolfPrincess: Gwyn's gonna have a lot of stuff weighing on her mind once they're off the island. Because she's definitely going to feel guilty, even though the reason that she wasn't able to help Ingrid at all was because InGen barred her from doing so. And Echo does, indeed, live! Fallen Kingdom is gonna be one hell of a fun time. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

Leafnova: Thank you so much! I'm happy you've been enjoying it, and hope you enjoyed the newest installment!
msbeku1: There are a vast handful of things that happened during the fall of JW that have really nudged Gwyn and Owen's relationship along; and one of those things is certainly them getting separated in the jungle. Because, while the situation was already tough, Gwyn getting lost brought a very harsh reality to the situation. And a realization that he really didn't know what he'd do if she got anymore hurt than she already was. I also had to give them a moment before shit kicked off again. Because both of them are stubborn. And neither of them want the other in harm's way because of them.

The dinosaur fight was a bitch to write. I agonized over editing it for the last few days, and I'm still not wholly satisfied with it. But Ingrid's story has finally come to an end. She had a tragic life, that probably always would have ended tragically any given way.

And I write a lot of this story in thinking about parallels with other films, and my own prequel story. I'd always loved the idea of Gwyn getting to mirror her father's actions with that flare (if it were a canon thing in the movie, I'm just picturing a silhouette in hazy red light and, ugh yes). And next up we've got that scene at the triage center; and I'm trying to figure out a way to get Eric in there, because I'm still in love with that concept.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

Makokam: All the research I did on what raptor was where in the film led me to the conclusion that Echo was the one killed by the bazooka blast. But I took some artistic liberties and switched them around. And thank you for the critiques! I, myself, have never held or fired a gun, or had to use it in a combat situation. I have read first-hand accounts of soldiers from various wars, where they talk about going kinda tunnel-vision in moments of high-stress, so I was pulling from some of that. And, I agree on the location of command central––however, in the film, they run directly into the Innovation Center and a canon line is Claire telling them to get to C.C.. So, I figure there are probably some no-public-access tunnels that get employees there, kinda like Disney World.

Ingrid's hatred for Gwyn has a damn good foundation, and an understandable one at that. And that's the wonderfully sucky thing about it––Gwyn knows that she tried so damned hard to present all this from happening, but Ingrid doesn't. And Wu has a huge hand in this built-up anger that Ingrid's got… and we haven't seen the last of him.

The whole 'worried aunt' thing is what I'm playing on as a trigger for Gwyn to go get Rexy. I know that if I was in Claire's situation, I'd want to stay put and protect my family. I also, partially, have been thinking about the way this movie parallels the other films. The yelled 'run' paralleling Ellie's hissed 'run' to Alan, the shot of the Indominus' pupil narrowing directly paralleling the shrinking of Rexy's pupil in JP. So I thought it would be a fun, cool parallel to have Gwyn echo what Alan did in holding the flare. It's also a nice moment of a strange kind of closure for her. And while Gwyn has no authority over Lowery, there's other reasons that he'd open it for her. I think he trusts her a lot more than he trusts Claire, so he'd open the door for her because he'd figure 'she's gotta have a plan, she's been through this kind of shit before.'

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, which I understand isn't terribly different from the film, and a little too short. Thanks again!

monkeybaby: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Angel JJK: History sure likes to repeat itself on Isla Nublar; and it's been fun getting to write that stuff, especially this chapter with Gwyn running with the flare. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

WriterGirl1198: I figured that, come the end of the film, the raptors are like 'these people are good people.' I'm glad that the Ingrid-Gwyn moment had its intended impact! It's an important little tidbit about their relationship. I've got loads planned for Fallen Kingdom, so I'm excited to eventually get to it! I'm incredibly flattered that you've called this the best JP/JW story you've read, and that you hail Gwyn as one of the best OFCs! This story has been a labor of love for years, now, and she, as a character, is now one of the favorites I've ever written. I've got an amazing little playlist for her, too, with music that I listen to while writing; I'm in deep with these characters and their stories! I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter; thanks again!

Briella J: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Guest 1: I've got a nice list of stuff that's gonna span the time between JW and FK! Lots of Owen and Gwyn goodness, lots of Alan, and some appearances from other OG favorites. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

Guest 2: I'm so glad you've had a blast reading this story; I've had a good ol' blast writing it. But there's more to come! And Echo will certainly be around for it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!

Guest 3: I don't often delve into Owen's POV, but I'd like to do it more. And I probably will, now that the action has died down. I struggled with figuring out how to get Gwyn linked back up with the others. So I mentally mapped everyone's movements and went 'it's feasible that she'd stumble onto a road and almost get hit by Claire, let's work with that.' I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

CJ/OddBall: That reunion hug between Alan and Gwyn… I wrote it the other night while watching JPIII. It's emotional AF, I got teary writing it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!
M: Ahh, thank you so much, I'm very flattered! Gwyn and Owen both are fiercely independent individuals, and I think they both know that arguing with each other, especially in this kind of circumstance, will get them absolutely nowhere. And I figured if Claire was there with someone else that she knew could go get Rexy, she'd opt to stay behind with the boys. I know that I, as an aunt, would never let my niece alone in a situation like that unless it was absolutely necessary. And, with Gwyn there, it wasn't absolutely necessary. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

RJNorth: These last few chapters have really been the culmination of all the characters bonding. It's been a long time coming, but it feels good to finally have all of these relationships well established. And I've got some fun stuff planned for the time between JW and FK; we're gonna have a lot of fun with all the OG park people popping up every so often, as well as playing with Gwyn and Owen's relationship. I'm really excited to get back into dialogue driven stuff, 'cause I'm, honestly, a lot better at writing it. I always feel like my action written stuff is just a list of things happening. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!

MageVicky: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this way too action packed chapter, too; thanks again!

And thank you to those that added this to their follows/favorites; it means a lot!

Well. We finally made it. After literally five years of writing this story, we finally got to the end of the first film. I'm sorry that this chapter was shorter than usual, and mostly just… action. But next chapter we've got a tidbit of the film left, at the triage center, and then we'll be venturing into the brave unknown of the time between JW and FK. Lots of stuff planned! Thank you all, again, for being so completely lovely!

~Mary