Owen first priority was Gemma's well being. She had't bothering getting up which made him worry more. Izzy was trying to Gemma to respond.
"Gemma? Gemma?" Izzy calls to her. She looks at Owen. "I think she's in shock…"
Owen rarely seen Izzy this upset. He was always use to seeing her as a strong independent person who can handle anything, even if she admitted to him that the raptors do scare her. However that demeanor seem to disappear because of Gemma.
"Hey Gem," Owen whispers to her, kneeling down to her. He strokes her hair softly.
"Those things are scary," Gemma mumbles.
Owen sighs. "Yeah they can be scary."
"How can you and mom…work…around those things? Don't you get afraid that you'll…" Gem couldn't finish the sentence. She was worried.
"Gem, your mom and I can't afford to be scared." Owen told her. "These are wild animals. They will try to kill if they are given the chance and showing fear is giving them a chance. You understand?"
Gemma looks at her parents and then back at the raptors. One of them was still pacing back and forth near the gate, snarling and growling lowly.
"Yeah, I understand,"
When her parents took the opening jobs at Jurassic World, Gemma barely got to see them with the exception of daily weeknight Skype video calls. But in the last month, those calls got less frequent. She assumed it was because their workload increased and didn't have the time to talk to her. However, Gemma only told herself that they were really busy in order to avoid the fear that they're fighting again and break-up. Again.
Gemma remember since she was 10, her parents had this nasty habit of arguing and breaking up. Her mom would go weeks without talking to her dad while her dad would do the same. However, Gemma could tell that they missed each other. The longest they had been apart was about maybe 4-6 months, which was recently. Her aunt and Izzy's sister, Suzette, said that her dad might not get back with Izzy this time (Gemma found out her father had one date with a scientist who works at Jurassic World during her parent's split). But as usually, her parents got back together again and they promised her they will try to work it out for her.
And she believed them.
Owen hasn't spend enough time with Gemma than he should. Neither as Izzy but it was way more than himself. He feels extremely guilty for not being an active part in her life. But at the time he got out of the Navy, he had a hard time finding employment and barely making a living. Izzy was still in grad school and working a job. When InGen offered him a position with training Velociraptors, he almost instantly took it. He knew it meant he would be away from Izzy and Gemma but they needed the income bad.
"So Gem, how's school?" Owen asks her. He, Izzy and Gemma were sitting on the outside of a Ben & Jerry's location. He was eating a double scoop chocolate chip mint ice cream. Izzy and Gemma settle for a banana spilt.
Gemma shrugs. "It's okay I guess."
"Okay?" Owen said in disbelief. "just okay? C'mon kiddo I know your Aunt Suzette has you doing some exciting things. And I'm sure high school is the best experience…"
She looks at him. "Dad, you know Aunt Susie is soooo boring."
"She's not that bad," Izzy said defensively.
Gemma scoffs. "Yeah alright. She made me spent the last five Saturdays sing to the elderly at a retirement home."
Owen made a face. "Okay that is pretty boring."
Izzy rolls her eyes at Owen. "But you're doing great in school. At least last you told me."
Gemma picks at her ice cream.
"Someone bothering you at school?" Owen asks.
"The problem is that no one is bothering me," Gemma mutters bitterly.
"Huh?"
"I have no friends okay?" grumbles Gemma. "People think I'm too 'weird'.."
Izzy hugs her closely. "Oh Gemma, you're not weird. You're unique in your own way."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better," Gemma accuses.
"No I'm not." Izzy said. "Me and your dad are weird. Right Owen?"
"Oh yell. Me and your mom does weird things. Like…" Owen began to think of something to say that Gemma would find weird. "Sometimes I like to eat pickles with my ice cream."
Gemma gave him a slightly disgusted look. "I don't believe you," She crosses her arms.
Owen had a fake offended look on his face. "Gem I'm hurt that you think I'm lying." He takes a pickle off his half eaten cheeseburger and puts it on his ice cream. "Don't believe me?" Owen uses a spoon to eat the ice cream and the pickle. His face contorted into slight disgust and pain as he felt a brain freeze coming on and how horrible the taste of a pickle and ice cream was mixed together.
"Mm. This is really good,"
Gemma covers her mouth in a fail attempt to stop laughing. Izzy didn't care about if she hurts his feelings and laughs at him.
"How does it taste?" Gemma asks.
"It taste like…" Owen thought about it for a moment. "…like a pickle flavored chocolate chip mint ice cream." He took a swish of tequila. "Actually with the slight hint of cheese and bacon."
"Oh god Owen…" Izzy sighs.
Owen laughs. "So Gem, since this your weekend…what would you like to do?" He looks over at the larger paper map of the park. "You wanna do the petting zoo? You still like petting zoos? I mean I know they're for little kids-"
"There's a petting zoo?" Gemma questions, her eyes seem to lit up a bit. She may be a 15-year-old, but the thought of seeing a dinosaur petting zoo somehow brought out the kid in her.
"Yeah I think they're called "Gentle Giants.." or something like that." Izzy says.
Owen's phone began to ring. He pulls it out and quickly push on the ignore button. The phone rings again and he pressed 'ignore'. The phone rings again and Owen just gave up and answered the phone.
"Grady, who is this?"
"Mr. Grady this is Claire Dearing,"
Owen felt a bit uneasy when he got a call from Claire Dearing. "Why do you call me 'Mr. Grady'?"
"Owen, we need you and your girlfriend, Izabel Perez to take a look at something." Claire said. "If you two aren't busy."
"Oh trust me we are." Owen said, receiving a semi-death threat look from Izzy. He got up to take the call in private.
"We have an attraction," Claire informs him.
"That's not what you said last time."
"I mean a dinosaur." Claire corrects sounding a bit annoyed. "We created a new species."
"So you guys just made a new dinosaur?"
"Um, yes, that is what we do."
"Look can't you get someone else to look at it?" Owen asks. "Me and Izzy are with our daughter right now. It's why we took THIS weekend off."
"I'm aware of that. The exhibit opens in three weeks and Mr. Masruni wants me to consult with you and your…partner."
"Why us?"
"Mr. Masruni is impress with your control with the raptors…"
Owen scoffs. "What is it with you and control? It's not about control with the raptors. It is about mutual respect. It is also why me and you never had a second date."
"I never wanted a second date because your ex-girlfriend at the time threatened to assault me."
"She apologized," Owen said, defensively not wanting to bring up the incident. "Okay fine we will look over at the paddock. But only for an hour. We promise to spend the weekend with our daughter."
"I understand and thank you," Owen ends the call. He goes back to the table.
"Who was that?" Izzy asks suspiciously.
"It was Claire Dearing."
Izzy crosses her arms. "Oh, what did she want?"
"She wants us to look over a new dinosaur attraction." Owen explains.
