Thanks for all the support with this story so far! For those of you who may be looking for another Clawen and Maisie story I started another story that takes place after Fallen Kingdom. It's called Beautiful Disaster. Check it out!
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It seemed like we were in the air forever before we finally landed at the Costa Rica airport. One of the hangers were being used for triage.
We were escorted off the chopper. Medics swarmed us, I instructed them to check over the boys first. Maisie, still asleep in Owen's arms was checked over without waking up.
I followed Owen slowly through the sea of injured park goers and employees. They were in this state because of me. I felt like I should be walking around helping, but there were three kids who needed me even more.
Owen seemed to have caught on to my internal debate. "You sit with the kids, I'll make some rounds."
Without a second thought, I sat on a cot. Zach and Gray collapsed beside me.
"Relax you guys, your parents are on their way." I tugged on Gray's arm and he slumped down, resting his head on my lap. I ran my fingers through his hair, removing clumps of dried mud. Zach leaned against my side. Owen laid Maisie down beside Gray. She stirred, but didn't wake up. Gray draped his arm over her side and he closed his eyes.
The kids rested for a few hours before I saw my sister's tear streaked face. I patted the boys, waking them up.
I choked on my words. "Your parents are here."
Seeing my sister, I wanted to fall apart. Growing up she was my protector, my big sister that made everything better.
The boys jumped up, not even disturbing Maisie. Doctors said she will probably sleep off the stress her body was under.
I held myself together until my sister moved towards me, a new round of hysterics erupted from her as she reached for me.
I fell into her open arms.
"Shh," she soothed.
"I'm so sorry, Karen. You can hate me."
She hugged me tighter. "You saved my kids. I could never ask for anything more. You're alive. This is enough. Love you, Claire Bear."
I laughed through my sobs. "Love you, too."
I wiped my eyes when I leaned away from her. "There's a hotel near by we have set rooms aside for guests."
Karen shook her head. "I want to get these guys home. Our flight leaves in an hour."
I nodded. I wish I could take my family home.
"Come with us, Claire."
Tears welled up in my eyes again. I couldn't get my voice above a whisper. "I can't."
She took my hands in hers. "I know you'll have a lot of press to deal with, but when things settle please consider coming home."
"I'll talk it over with Owen."
She smiled and hugged me again.
"How's my niece?" She asked, kneeling down to kiss Maisie's cheek.
"Traumatized," I sighed. "I don't think I will ever get her screams out of my head."
"You will. It'll take time, but the sound of her laughter will soon replace those screams. She's young, she will be ok."
What would I do without my big sister. I hugged her again and they were gone.
I sat back down, lifting Maisie up to cradle her in my arms. She curled into my chest, her hand gripped the top of my tank. I took a few moments to hold her. I stared at her face, letting the world around me disappear. She was center in my thoughts. Images of her filled my mind. My baby girl just born, plopped down on my chest. Her messy smiles from her highchair. The echo of giggles as she splashed in the tub.
I felt like the luckiest woman on earth that we survived. That Maisie was safe in my arms.
"Let's get her out of here," Owen's voice brought me out of my thoughts. He was kneeling in front of me, his hands on my knees. "I just spoke to Zara, she checked us in to the hotel and there's clean clothes waiting for us."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at him. "What do we do now?"
He took my face in his hands and kissed me softly. "Stick together. That's all we need."
"Ok," I took a deep breathe and let Owen take Maisie from me.
We made it to the hotel without being stopped. A security officer stood at the elevator on our floor. I smiled at him knowing he was there to make sure we had our privacy.
Our room was large enough for the three of us. A bedroom separate from the living area and kitchenette. Two bathrooms one in the bedroom and another just off the kitchenette. The couch was already pulled out and made up for Maisie. Her pajamas folded at the foot of her bed. Wondering into the bedroom I found clothes for Owen and I as well. Zara, knowing exactly what I would need had the closet packed with professional outfits for the coming press conferences.
"Thank you, Zara." Owen smiled looking through the dresser drawers.
"Let's get Maisie cleaned up and in bed."
Owen handed her to me and went to start the water in the tub. I sat her on the bedroom floor, trying my best to wake her up.
"Come on, sweetie, let's get cleaned up." I tapped her lightly on her cheek.
She groaned, but didn't open her eyes.
"The warm water will probably wake her up. I'll go see what I can do for something to eat." He gave my arm a squeeze as he walked out of the room.
I undressed Maisie and sat her up in the tub. She blinked, bringing her hands up to rub her eyes. I left the light in the bathroom off, just letting the light from the bedroom shine in.
"Where are we?" Maisie croaked.
"In a hotel. We are safe."
"Gray? Zach?"
"They were picked up by Aunt Karen and Uncle Scott. They went home."
She yawned, "We didn't die."
I shook my head, "No, we didn't."
"I'm tired."
"I know, honey. You can get into bed as soon as you're done here. Dad went to go find something to eat."
Maisie yawned again. "I'm not hungry."
"Ok, then you can have something to drink and go to sleep."
She clicked her tongue in her mouth and I knew she was just realizing how thirsty she was. I jumped up and grabbed her a glass of water.
She drank it quickly and let me finish cleaning her up.
Owen walked back in the room with a to go bag of food from the restaurant downstairs.
Maisie ran to her bed, crying when she saw her stuffed raptor Zara brought over for her. She hugged it tight.
Owen handed her a container with chicken strips and fries. Though she said she wasn't hungry she couldn't deny the food in front of her. She sat in her bed eating while Owen flipped through the TV channels for a kid friendly program.
"I'm going to shower." I informed them.
I shut the bedroom door, immediately stripping from my clothes. Glancing in the mirror on my way to the bathroom I cringed at the site of dirt covering every part of me.
The shower was hot and I lost track of time as I washed myself once, twice, a third time…
Shutting the water off, I stepped out and wrapped the towel around me. I caught my reflection in the mirror. Clean as if nothing happened. We would be home right now if it wasn't for me. If I didn't authorize the creation of a monster, our life would have never changed.
I wrapped my arms around my torso, falling to my knees. I sobbed harder than I have ever done before. My chest hurt, I couldn't catch my breathe.
The bathroom door slowly opened and arms wrapped around me, pulling me into warmth.
Owen smelt clean, his chest bare against my skin, my hands gripped his sweatpants. He must have used the other shower.
He didn't try and calm me down, didn't pat my back. His arms were tight, keeping me grounded against him.
My chest rose and fell as the sobs ripped through me. Owen was silent.
He let me cry for a few minutes and then I felt him scoop me up into his arms. I opened my eyes and tried blinking away the tears. He carried me to the bed.
I looked at the closed door.
"Maisie ate, she's asleep," Owen nodded towards two boxes of food on the dresser. "You need to eat something."
I sat on the bed, my fingers digging into his arms. His eyes dropped to look into mine. I wasn't hungry. I was alive— we were alive.
I started breathing heavily again, but for a different reason. I was done crying. I wanted to feel alive.
Owen was quick to read my mind. I jumped to my feet, throwing my arms around his neck at the same time he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting my feet off the ground.
Our lips met in a fierce battle for dominance. I wrapped my legs around his hips as he climbed onto the bed, lowering me down. I kept my legs around him and he leaned back on his knees, ripping the towel off me.
I yelped as the towel burned my back from the force.
Laying in Owen's arms made it easy to forget the outside world. I found myself drifting off to sleep as he trailed his fingertips across my back.
"Hey," he whispered into my hair.
"Hm," I mumbled against his chest.
"We should probably get dressed. Just incase Maisie wakes up."
He was right, but I didn't want to move. I didn't want the moment to end.
Realizing I wasn't moving on my own, Owen sat up, forcing me to slump down on the mattress.
He tossed me my clothes and I dressed quickly, wanting to be back in his arms. He must have felt the same way because he was quicker than I was, by just pulling on his sweatpants and climbed back in to bed.
We quickly let sleep take over.