Been so long I've written in this AU so sorry if it all comes out a little wierd. With that said I hope you all still enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Jurassic Park/World and all OCs except for Kavita belong to Macx.
The rest of the week passed without incident with his new intern and Owen was rather pleased that he didn't have anything to be concerned about. It seemed that this time, maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't so badly. At least this intern didn't bat her eyes at him or thought that menial work was below her. There was still that nagging feeling about her, something that was strange, almost, well almost wrong. He couldn't tell of was a bad wrong or not. Still nothing turned up and so Owen resolved to stay wary but not worry.
Monday found him heading up to Nancy and M.
"Morning Grady!" said Nancy as he came up to the platform.
"Morning!" he said grinning back at her. She handed over a bag and Owen gratefully reached for the muffins inside.
"I could almost kiss you," he murmured smelling the muffin. He was hungry.
"Don't," said Nancy, "Your girls might get jealous and I'm afraid I don't have enough teeth and nails to go against them."
Owen chuckled and bit into the muffin. "Ready?" he asked after he swallowed.
"Sure," said Nancy and they began their weekly routine.
Sometime later Owen took his leave of Nancy answering, "Sure," to her "Don't be a stranger Owen."
He checked his watch and saw that he still had some time to go before he had to get back to the enclosures and decided to pass through M's viewing section. He was startled to find someone sitting on the floor, midway through the corridor.
As he drew closer he realized who it was. "Kavita?" he asked.
"Hey, Mr. Grady!" she replied, not looking up from the sketchpad she was totally absorbed in. "Nancy said I could sketch M if I wanted."
Sure enough when Owen glanced at the sketch pad a partial drawing of M swimming in her enclosure greeted him.
"You draw," he said.
"Yep," she said, "Been meaning to ask you if I could sketch the girls too."
Owen considered. "I'll get back to you," he said and Kavita shrugged. Her pencil never stopped during the whole exchange and Owen watched as she carefully and quickly mapped the mosasaur that was coming closer every second, drawn by Owen's presence.
M came straight up to the glass and then turned at the last second gliding along the glass. Kavita quickly caught M's eye and the patterning of her skin as she glided past. She then grinned cheerfully at the mosasaur and said under her breath:
"Aren't you a beautiful lady?"
Owen smiled surprising even himself. Kavita glanced at him in that moment and said:
"What? It's true. She scores a perfect ten and I'm like a 6 or something."
"Nine," Owen counters, "Blue is a ten."
Kavita snorts with laughter. "Ain't that the truth."
She closes her sketchpad and stands up from the floor. "It's about time to be going isn't it?"
Owen checks his watch and nods. "Might as well give you a drop," he says and feels in his pocket for his keys. "As long as you don't might riding behind me."
She tilts her head for a moment in confusion and then realizes that he came on his motorcycle. "Nah," she says shaking her head. "I don't mind." She slips the sketchpad into a bag, slings the bag onto her back and follows Owen out the building.
In his mind Blue gives him a questioning tug.
A test, he sends back to her. Maybe he'll find out something about his strange intern. Something that'll explain the odd skittering feeling he'd gotten; that one that crawled down his spine for a second when Kavita had locked eyes with M. It wasn't anything malicious, but damn! It was strange.
They arrived at his bike and Owen got on it and handed her the extra helmet. She put it on and swung into the space behind him. She rested her hands lightly on his sides and nodded when Owen asked if she was ready.
"You should hold on tighter," he told her, "I don't want you to fall off."
"I'm good," she said, grinning through her helmet. Owen shrugged.
"Consider that my disclaimer if you fall off."
"Considered," she shot back and Owen revved the bike and they jumped forward.
Owen discovered two things in the next three seconds. One: Kavita had definitely ridden on a motorbike before and two: she had excellent finger strength. She didn't grip him hard but she definitely wasn't going to fall off.
The ride wasn't as bad as Owen thought it might be. Kavita leaned her weight with his when required and pulled back on occasion to provide a good counterbalance. She took the rough spots on the road in stride and didn't encumber Owen while he was driving.
They soon fell into a comfortable enough rhythm that Owen felt safe enough to bring up conversation.
"Why do you want to draw the raptors?" he asked her.
"I suppose it's my default," she shouted back to him after a moment. "You how some people take notes?" she shrugged. "I draw. Helps me get a good perspective on things. Besides the raptors are beautiful."
"They're deadly," Owen countered.
"Yep," she replied. "But beautiful. In their own way. Like lions or tigers…but different. Thiers is a beauty that's…not from our age."
"It's a beauty to be respected," Owen said.
"Wild animals right?" Kavita replied.
"Right," Owen nodded.
Thy fell silent after that but Owen mulled over the conversation for the rest of the ride. Blue nudged at his mind, uneasy. For all that Kavita seemed to get what Owen said, somehow she didn't seem to take it as seriously as she should.
It will get her killed, Blue said calmly.
Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Owen replied. He didn't actually want to see any stupid interns dead.
Her choice, Blue said smoothly.
You know not to kill her, Owen remarked.
But we can scare her, Delta said nudging up against Owen's mind. Owen sent a swell of amusement at them even as he was incensed at the thought of someone going into the paddock again.
They soon arrived at the paddock and Owen as usual sent his wordless greeting to his girls. Kavita, clearly not a preternatural, greeted his girls aloud.
"Morning ladies," she sang out. Her American accent was still firmly in place, no trace of her odd sing-song original anywhere in her voice. Owen still thought it was strange. He shook himself out of the thoughts and went to get his girls started on their first training practice for the day.
The days were warm here in the Costa Rican airspace. Like a typical tropical island there was only two seasons: wet and dry. Start of the year meant some showers but also meant the heat was beginning to pack it in. The days were starting to edge up into the 70s but it was made worse by the humid forest air.
Owen was accustomed to it but Zack, accustomed to the mainland, thought it would be the death of him. Owen had met him up in the café after the workday was finished, quite by accident but the two had quickly settled into conversation.
Zack was chattering excitedly in response to Owen's simple, "So how's it going so far?" At the moment the object of his tangent was the heat.
"I mean," said Zack, "I've felt worse right? I mean, I lived through hotter temperatures but, but the humidity here just kills you. It's like you're stifling. And when there isn't humidity, it's like there isn't even a cloud in sight. It's just plain blue sky with the sun shining straight on your head." His phone chimed and Zack read the incoming message and then said, "Gray's laughing at me."
"Complaining to him too?" asked Owen amused.
"What else is a younger brother good for?" Zack shot back but his eyes were fond.
"He wants to know how you are," Zack told Owen. In his mind he felt Blue give a pleased shift. She held some measure of respect for Gray, for the way the boy had handled himself in the I-rex incident. He was young but he had personality.
"Can you send a voice note on that?" Owen asked.
"Sure," said Zack. He tapped on the screen a few times and then held it out towards Owen. Owen leaned forward and began speaking when Zack held the record button.
"Hey there Gray? How're you doing. I am just fine, thank you very much and so is my girls. Your brother on the other hand," he continued giving Zack a teasing look, "He is practically a puddle. I think the only thing that isn't melted about him is that hair of his. Must be the gel right?"
"Hey!" Zack interrupted but he was laughing. Owen felt his girls flood his brain, clamoring for attention and sending him urgent signals. Clearly they'd figured out what was going on and had decided they wanted in on it. Raptors on social media. Oh dear.
"The pack..uh..the pack says hi."
Zack hit send and they waited for the message to be bounced over to gray. A few minutes later a voicenote popped up on Zack's phone.
Zack opened it only for the two of them to be hit with a splash of Gray's laughter, verging on hysterical. When he caught his breath he yelled, "Cool! Say hi to them too! I'm glad you're okay Owen. I'm fine too. Mom bought be a book about animal behaviors 'cause she said if I read it then Zack would probably get all the info he needs. But I don't mind. I want to read it. Soon I'll be able to come out there with you all right."
"Little squirt!" Zack muttered but he hit the reply button and held the phone out to Owen.
"Sure you can Gray," Owen said, because of course Gray can. He was really, really smart. "You'd have to talk to your aunt about it though but I'm sure when you're old enough you shouldn't have a problem getting in. Take care of yourself aright and if you have any questions about what you read, email me."
"I'll talk to later Gray," Zack added, "The usual time right?" He sends the message and then sets phone back on the table and lends back looking a little empty, maybe a little lost.
"You missing him?" Owen asked him.
Zack snorts but nods after a moment. "Yeah," he says. "But… at the same time I'm glad he's not here, you know. I mean, I need to figure out myself and what I really what and, and who I'm going to be from here on out. We'll talk every night though. It's, it's just enough space and connection for this to work." He ducks his head a little shyly as he speaks the rest. "'Cause I don't think I'll make it without Gray."
"Kid's strong as heck," Owen tells him, "But so are you Zack."
Zack looks up startled and freezes in place when his eyes locks with Owen's, with the alpha of the island. "You've got a lot of steel in you Zack and it shows up when it counts and when it really counts."
Owen watches Zack swallow and then nod. He is only startled, not scared. He trusts Owen too much for that. The preternatural focus slides away and Owen blinks and focuses back on his drink.
"I'm glad you two are working with your situation though," he adds.
"Me too," said Zack and sips at his drink.
Pack, murmurs Blue at the back on his mind as she watches Zack through his eyes.
His brother, his pack. Strong, individual, stronger together.
Pack, agrees Owen, because anyone with eyes could see that Zack loved his little brother dearly and fiercely. It wasn't the equivalent of a raptor pack, it never would be, Zack was human but it was close enough for Blue to call it pack.
The two of the finished their drinks with Zack updating Owen on how his progress with his preternatural abilities was going and took leave of each other. Owen made a mental note to visit Zack a little more often to keep himself updated on his progress.
Owen headed back to his motorcycle feeling the anticipation of girls rise as he made his way back to them. Always to them.
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