Yes, another long wait. But I'm coming up on the ending chapters and I wanted it to be juuuusssttt right! Your patience and reviews mean more to me then you'll ever know!

Happy Easter Everyone!

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They hadn't arrested Owen... yet. Claire didn't care about the particulars, nor about the ruptured vein in her eye or the soreness ready to do her in. She was with Maisie and Owen, that was all that mattered. Though she wasn't with them at the moment. She had made her way to holding, where Dr. Inger was recovering... and under arrest. She had been placed there after Zia and Franklin had connected her to the InGen lab. Franklin was in the middle of debriefing Colonel Placer and the others over all the data being collected; but that was his headache.

They had been escorted back at the base while the army cleaned up the mess on 136. Claire had had to shock the images out of her mind, needed clear thoughts for when she talked to Dr. Inger. Yet, it was the same gut wrench that hit her when she first felt life leave the brachiosaurus at the park. Boy, did that feel like ten years ago, rather then three.

Claire steadied her breath, walking through the front flap. There was a solider seated across from Dr. Inger's cot. She was cuffed at the wrist, hair down, but braided back. She wasn't laid up like Owen, but still a very different picture from the corporate face Claire often saw. Dr. Inger's chin was stitched, her clothes beyond rumpled, and a collapsed expression over her face. Like she couldn't even believe where she was. But taking note of Claire, her posture straightened. "What brings you here, Mrs. Grady?"

"I just identified Dr. Wu's body." Claire bit out. Dr. Inger's expression barely rippled. Claire narrowed her eyes. "You have nothing to say?"

"What brings you here?" Dr. Inger posed to her again, steel falling over her eyes. She'd chosen to wake up from whatever daze she'd been in. Clair supposed she could give up on an honest answer now. She checked over her shoulder, putting more distance between her and the guard. "I need to know what your next move is."

"Hiring the right lawyer." Dr. Inger said dryly.

"You cut up a child!" Claire hissed at her, the image of Maisie's arm burned in her brain. "You shot Henry and you were willing to let me die. Name one lawyer that's going to argue against that."

"You make a fair point." Dr. Inger scoffed, then winched from the strain on her chin. Claire wished she'd look at her for more then three seconds. She needed to see this woman's eyes, try and gleam a fraction of understanding from them. "Why? Why would you take it that far? After everything my group has risked, for the future of InGen."

Dr. Inger let her fingers fall from her bandage. "If you don't understand my reasons by now, you never will. My entire life has been about progress, Mrs. Grady. That, and overcoming the obstacles that would threaten it."

Claire knew that feeling, that cold-hearted drive. She used to be at the center of it... and she still chomped the bit for it sometimes. Claire's blood iced with the thought of being in Dr. Inger's place. Her reflective silence however, encouraged Dr. Inger, who raised her disheveled head. "I've watched you work, Mrs. Grady. Hard. Imagine... watching all that hard work and pride fall backwards... erased from existence."

Her voice went even quieter, conscious of the guard. Unquestioning, Claire moved over to his post. "I'm sorry, but could you give us a minute?"

He furrowed his brow. "Ma'am, I don't think-"

"You'll be outside the door if I need you." Claire reasoned. He lingered, but then nodded. "Right outside."

Claire thanked him, walking back up to Dr. Inger. "You knew about Maisie, before any of us. I need to know how."

Dr. Inger's eyes told that story, but Claire was unable to decipher it. "What do you have to lose? You won't talk to anyone else."

"According to you, they don't deserve to know." Dr. Inger bit out, her vulnerability retreating.

"You and Gavrill are proof that they shouldn't." Claire threw back. "But how did you find out?"

Dr. Inger leaned her shoulder onto her pillow. "Edwin was my mentor from the minute I stepped inside InGen; the year after he helped Benjamin Lockwood. He was brilliant-"

"And he had Alzheimer's." Claire cut in, showing she was capable of an internet search. Dr. Inger took personal offense to that, yanking on her cuffed wrist. "And I suppose you were there to watch him lose all that brilliance? His future discoveries and innovations... all gone."

She made the loss sound much deeper then a mentor to a mentee. But that wasn't what she was here for. Dr. Inger pushed her hair behind her shoulders, like brushing the memories aside. "Still, Dr. Hill had some sense. He wrote out a journal, documenting the experiments and equations that led to Maisie's- birth. All six years of them."

Six years. Claire's brow furrowed at the number. Dr. Inger saw the reaction and squared her jaw. "What, you think they turned out a perfect genetic model the first, second, or twelfth time? How many gaps of Gloria Lockwood's DNA needed to be filled before they found the perfect code?"

Claire felt sick at the probabilities she was raising. But that was what Dr. Inger wanted, so she swallowed the weakness in her legs. "And when you found the journal, you recognized which codes were pure and which weren't."

Dr. Inger nodded. "The pieces didn't fit together at first, but I figured it out. And I saw a chance..." Her eyes hardened on Claire again. "A chance to help Dr. Hill and others like him. You see a little girl Mrs. Grady, but I see a gateway. To a world without disease or death. Longevity, as it were. You and your husband are preventing that."

"You're willing to kill to make it happen." Claire told her, gazing just as hard. Dr. Inger pulled at her cuffs again, looking mad enough to spit. "Get off your high horse! How many times have I heard you talk about sacrifice?! Or did you lose track of how many workers you lost at the park."

Claire's cheeks flared. "You've got nerve throwing that-"

"Choices had to be made!" Dr. Inger rose, hissing in Claire's face. "The outbreak happened and I saw what I'd been waiting three years for! I had approached Mr. Mills, but of course he recognized the value of what he had. I needed to pay if I even hoped to see Maisie. The only leverage I had ensuring she wasn't pawned off somewhere else was Dr. Hill's journal."

Did she hear herself? Claire didn't hide her look of disgust or fear at what Maisie might've endured. "Does Mr. Gavrill know about the journal?"

"He knows nothing." Dr. Inger rubbed her temple. "But seeing Maisie... he'll search for more."

Claire's throat dried. "You realize what you've exposed her to?"

Dr. Inger raised her chin in defiance of her disgust. "You want me to take it back? To put on my mommy glasses, and call her darling? She's not Claire."

Claire reined in her composure, matching Inger's chin. "And that's why you'll never get within five feet of her."

"And you expect me to take that lying down?"

"I expect that you won't want anyone else taking credit for Maisie's research." Claire backed off as the guard re-entered.

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Owen's ribs were stiff under their wrappings, but nothing compared to the ache he had with the stitches in his gashes and gunshot wound. He was hooked to an IV that matched Maisie's. A Private Seaver had been working between their cots, a great help in letting Maisie stick near them. Since they'd all arrived, Seaver and the rest of the base moved with the same finality as their injuries. It was all ending. The t-rex was dead...

Blue's dead. Owen pinched at the bridge of his nose. He'd prepared himself a million times for it, from the moment he'd heard about the volcano. Heck, he'd said it out loud before, that Blue was going to die. And that he was fine with it.

Then why had he tried to stop the bleeding?

"Another needle?"

Owen popped his eyes open. Seaver stood in gloves, a syringe in her hand. She smiled assuredly at Maisie. "Not you, kid; Daddy."

"Uh... no." Owen straightened up. "I told them no pain medication."

"Mr. Grady, you're not only severely injured, but haven't eaten in over twenty-four hours." Private Seaver pointed out. "These are extra vitamins, nothing more."

"I typically find my vitamins in a cheeseburger."

Private Seaver shrugged. "Just sold the last one. Now c'mon."

Owen caught Maisie eyeing him, on her side with a hand propping her head. "Better you then me."

"You're such a comfort." Owen rolled his eyes as Seaver shot him up. She had him press on the gauze when Claire appeared, clicking her cell off. Owen thanked Seaver, trying to read Claire's face as she walked away. "What'd Inger have to say?"

Claire dropped on the edge of Maisie's cot, exhausted. "Plenty. I asked Zia to check some of it. But Inger doesn't plan to tell anyone else. Maisie's 'discovery' is too important for her."

For all the wrong reasons. Owen growled as Claire stretched her legs. Even if Inger did want to keep a lid on it, there was still Gavrill and Wu... no, Wu was dead. Another fatality.

"Mum, leave it." Maisie waved Claire's hand off her IV drip. Claire shrugged awkwardly, smoothing Maisie's hair back. "Sorry. Just eager for you to feel better."

"I'm okay." Maisie directed this at both of them.

"Okay's a broad term." Owen threw in. Claire nodded in agreement. "Do you need anything?"

"A cheeseburger." Owen hoped.

"And french fries!" Maisie added in excitedly.

"Right on." Owen pointed at her, getting a giggle. It was light, but it lifted his heart. Claire got Owen to note her serious expression. Owen swallowed and asked. "So what's Inger's deal?"

"She knew before any of us." Claire lowered her voice enough for the three of them. "And she wants to keep it that way. If anything, her pride keeps her from sharing any vital information."

"About me." Maisie specified. There was no putting it past her; that kind of relieved Owen... and saddened him. He watched Maisie cover the gauze on her right arm. Claire's expression matched his rage and regret that someone actually cut Maisie. He wouldn't want to revisit that feeling either. Claire breathed deep, rubbing Maisie's leg. "Whatever happens, whatever we do- or don't do- you'll know about it, Maisie. We won't keep secrets from you."

Maisie kept a grip on her gauze, thinking. "I'm going to have to answer for it... what I am."

"Don't say it like it's a bad thing." Owen pushed himself up, getting eye level with her. The girl's eyes were weighted and watery. "Would other people... If they knew, would they help me like you guys did?"

Owen wanted to offer a hopeful answer. He wanted to keep his brain from deflecting to the negative; heck, that was Claire's department. But after the cycles they'd lived through, why would he- or Maisie- draw any other conclusion? All the more reason to give her a hopeful answer.

"I don't..." Maisie shook her head as the tears started. "Want to be treated like that again."

Claire pulled her in, catching Owen's gaze over Maisie's head. He eyed the tent door, like a row of enemies might show themselves right then. He felt the need to punch something.

"My DNA," Maisie composed herself, wiping her blotchy cheeks dry. "it could help people?"

"Maybe," Claire hesitated. "If it's researched properly."

"By the right people." Owen threw in. Which didn't lift Maisie's face any. "Dr. Inger said that Grandpa needed a new organ. He could've made one."

"Maybe he chose not to." Owen told her; it wasn't the first he'd thought of what had to have gone through Benjamin Lockwood's mind. "He already had what he needed."

Maisie rested her head on Claire's chest, contemplating that. Claire cleared her throat. "Despite his reasons, Owen and I are glad you're here."

That put a visible relax on Maisie's face. "But if I can help people... I want to."

Claire looked at Owen, fear entering her eyes. Owen tilted his head at her, a reminder of how they wanted to handle this. We let her decide.

"When I'm ready." Maisie finished firmly.

"Ok." Owen and Claire assured her, Claire's shoulders relaxing. It wasn't a definite answer, but what was right now? Owen watched Maisie lay back, visibly more at ease then an hour ago. Two minutes and her lids were closed. Owen gestured and Claire crossed to his cot, where she sat and released her breath, chin dropping to her chest. "Can this day end already."

They shared a dry laugh. Owen reached up so he could brush her bangs from blocking her eyes. "You're still the hottest post-apocalyptic chick in here."

Claire snorted. "I hate you."

"What's not to hate." Owen shrugged with his slickest grin. Claire shook her head, but leaned in and kissed him anyway. Owen put his arms around her, enjoying her lips. Claire smiled between kisses. "Told you. You're a better man then you think."

"I better be if this is the reward."

She pinched so he'd let go. Her smirk lightened as the levity passed, her gaze back on Maisie. "You think Lockwood was right?"

Owen watched as their kid got some much deserved sleep. "I don't care."

"I don't either." Claire stated. She became thoughtful, until Owen pinched her back. "What?"

"Thinking..." Claire said, her mood dampening. "Protestors like to accuse InGen of going against God. What if Maisie hears that?"

"We'll be there when she does."

She looked at him, massaging her neck. "She know about Blue?"

Owen nodded. Claire placed her gentle hand in his. "I'm sorry."

Owen rolled his head back, wary of the subject. "It couldn't have ended any other way."

"But nobody wanted that for her. Not even you."

"Course I didn't." Owen said rather sharply. He rubbed his chin, wishing there was an easy way to feel about this. "I told Placer to burn her body."

"Owen!" Claire started off his cot. Owen held onto her arm, leaning forward. "Where was it doing to end, Claire? My own research put Blue as the key to InGen's research. She never would've gone to the sanctuary. Blue would've been held for testing and her blood duplicated."

Claire settled herself back down, head going in her hands. That was the same as saying she agreed. Owen didn't know what any of this meant for the DPG or InGen, but if they were to avoid a repeat of the last few years, they couldn't allow InGen or anyone access to its progress. Claire raised her head, tips of her fingers pressed to her nose. "What'd you think... about reasons and God, Owen?"

Owen was caught off guard. "Is this a spiritual awakening?"

"I'm just... baffled." Claire threw up a hand helplessly. She eyed Owen now with puzzlement. "I was going to manage Jurassic World until retirement. I never planned on seeing you after that awful first date. Yet, we keep finding ourselves together. I run an activist nonprofit..." She noted her ring and blew out her breath. "And now we're married."

Owen rolled his eyes. "Is it that hard to believe."

"That you asked or that I said yes?" Claire lowered her hand. "But, I love you, so..."

Okay, she was starting to hurt his feelings! "Don't make it sound too forced."

"Well it's hard when there's nothing chasing us!" Claire joked. Owen laughed at that. "Good point."

Claire turned his chin so his eyes were back on her. "I do love you. You're..." she searched the words. "good for me."

Owen drew her lips to his. "You're good for me too."

Claire went along for a minute before stopping. "There's so much to do."

"Later." Owen was far from done. Claire pushed him back into the pillows. "Owen, you're-"

"I'm feeling better." Owen insisted.

Claire sighed, almost growled in frustration. But let him kiss her.