A/N: I don't own Jurassic World... Which is probably a good thing, because if I did I would probably ruin it with my enthusiasm... Also Im sorry this is so short... Ive been pretty busy
(Also this is the girl Chantel is roughly based on, just for whoever wants to take the time to look it up :P lo/api/res/1. . . )
Aaanyway, thank you so much Mangled Keys and crazykenz for the reviews! They mean a lot to me. 3
So without further ado:
Owen Grady pushed himself up onto his forearms, glancing at the clock: 5:30. He groaned, stretching as he stepped out of bed and walked in the general direction of his coffee pot. He still had an hour before he would have to leave for work, so he took his sweet time.
After finishing concocting the coffee, he gulped down the scalding hot drink and left in search of clothes. Finally he produced a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt, and, of course, his leather vest. He pulled on the clothes and sat down at the small table that he rarely used. It was probably a good idea to go get breakfast but he really wasn't in the mood.
The raptor trainer glanced at the pile if dirty dishes in the sink. He wasn't really in the mood to deal with those either. Owen wistfully stood up again, looking for something to do. It wasn't often that he was bored, in fact he didn't normally have time to be, due to his somewhat odd profession. The raptors kept him pretty occupied for the most part.
He slipped on his belt, twisting it around his waist so that his knife could be easily accessed, should the need occur. With his fingers still on the belt, Owen's eyes flitted to the bungalow across the lake, then to his clock (It read 6:50), and then back to his new neighbor. He could potentially go over there and see what he would be dealing with for the next week...
Owen narrowed his eyes slightly, chewing his lip, before glancing back at the clock, just to make sure he hadn't misread it, though he was almost hoping he had. Before he could decide against it, he was already out the door and walking down the steps.
He walked slowly along the lake shore, his eyes never leaving the cabin which was now only a few yards away from him. Upon closer inspection, the small building was very similar in design, both of the porches overlooking the lake.
He ambled up the stairs, suddenly feeling very awkward as he knocked on the door. No answer.
He tried again. No answer.
He walked around the side of the bungalow, peering into the windows. Inside was pretty neat, the bed made with some effort and a few empty boxes sitting at the side of the room. No one seemed to be inside, which Owen found odd.
Finally giving up, he headed back towards his little home, puzzling over the disappearance of his neighbor. Probably just out for an early morning run or something. He thought to himself as he jogged up his own steps yet again.
By now it was time for Owen to leave for work, thank God, so he grabbed his motorcycle keys and rushed out the door, not because he was late, but simply because he wanted to get there before the others. He cast a final glance at the empty bungalow across the lake before shaking his head and speeding along the road, the sound of his bike roaring in his ears.
Owen had partially been right about the newest employee on the island, she had gone for a jog at around 4:40 (she always had trouble sleeping). She, however, hadn't been on her run when Owen had stopped by, in fact she was long gone. Being the morning person that Chantel was, the woman had run to the raptor paddock, where she was supposed to start her first day (with a map in hand of course). Chantel still hadn't gotten her car; apparently the island security was still checking it before they allowed her to have it.
Chantel stopped in front of the huge concrete enclosure, almost forgetting that she was utterly out of breath as she gaped in awe at the building. The sky was rosy from the early morning sun, and it shone from behind the paddock, illuminating the walls. The woman took in every detail, the metal staircase that led to the spiderweb of catwalks catching her attention in particular.
She stepped forward so that she was at the bottom of the staircase and ran her hand along the cool railing. Chantel slowly made her way up the flight of stairs, marveling at her surroundings. From what it looked like so far, this wouldn't be a boring job.
Chantel had been informed by Simon Masrani that she would be "working for" a Mr. Owen Grady, the park's raptor trainer. At first she had protested but in the end accepted it, deciding that it would be worth it to see the raptors, despite not being able to work the way she wanted to work.
Interestingly enough, when Chantel had mentioned this to Claire, her friend hadn't missed a beat by ranting about how egotistical and irresponsible Owen Grady was. This had caught Chantel's attention. By the sound of it, Claire and Owen had had a little something going on between them.
The animal behaviorist had, of course, scolded Claire profusely for not telling her, then proceeded to ask if this mysterious Mr. Grady was hot (a very critical question). Claire had ignored the last text and went on to talk about the new petting zoo.
Chantel was actually pretty excited to meet the famous (or infamous) Owen Grady.
Once reaching the top step, she glanced back to see a green car pull up. A dark skinned man stepped out, pushed the door behind him, before jogging to the stairs. Chantel leaned against the railing, waiting for the man to notice her presence. Barry had gotten about one fourth of the way up the stairs before he glanced up to see a woman with dark hair, pale grey eyes, and a soft smile on her lips as she watched him. She wore an olive green tank top that was tucked into dark grey cargo pants that seemed to have an endless amount of pockets. She also had on black lace-up boots that sported a multitude of scratches and scuff marks.
"Chantel Mayes." She said, holding her hand out as he drew closer to her. "Barry Dehner," he replied, slightly surprised when she gripped his hand; for a rather delicate looking woman, she was strong. "So you're the new girl I'm guessing."
"You guessed correctly."
Barry nodded and gestured towards the catwalks, "well I'd better give you the tour then." The pair walked along the rim of the paddock, Barry explaining the routine. "I wanted to get here before you, but you beat me to it. Usually I'm the earliest, but then again there's only Owen to compete with," he laughed as he walked. "Guess I'll have to try harder tomorrow." The man grinned.
"But anyways, at around 9:00 we give the girls their daily medicine and check up. Then Owen goes through a few of the basic training maneuvers, and then we'll have to fill in some of the records before we have a lunch break."
Chantel smirked, "so who is this elusive Owen? I've heard a lot about him from Claire," the woman smiled again.
Barry glanced at her. Seems like this girl was full of surprises. "You're a friend of Claire's?" He asked incredulously.
She shrugged. "Since highschool."
Barry's eyebrows raised, stopping and leaning against the railing. "Owen is probably one of the best trainers on this island. What sets him apart from the others is that he has a respect for these animals, and vice versa. The others just see them as things that have to be controlled rather than beings."
Chantel didn't really know what to say to this so she just nodded, resting her forearms agains the metal rail.
The sound of leaves rustling below them caught Chantel's attention. The woman had almost forgotten that she hadn't seen hide nor hair of the animals yet (or their trainer), so she watched the bush carefully.
A creature stepped out of the undergrowth, eliciting a gasp from Chantel. It was the most beautiful animal she had ever seen, with a sapphire blue streak running along it's sides. The raptor locked eyes with the woman, quivering a little as she tilted her head, her eyes narrowing to slits as three more stepped into the dappled sunlight. They each sniffed the air, obviously noticing a new presence.
Chantel was transfixed.
"Ahh here they are," Barry said, turning toward the cage. "I would give you their names but I think Owen should do the honors." He chuckled, glancing down at his clock. "He should be arriving any minute now. Wait here for a second." The man said, jogging back to the rim of the paddock and punching a few numbers into his phone, proceeding to make his phone call.
Chantel had barely listened, nodding absently without taking her eyes of the raptors. "You're beautiful girls aren't you?" She said softly from the catwalk. The one with blue streaks snapped her jaws as if in agreement.
The animal behaviorist laughed, sitting cross-legged on the catwalk, hanging her hands through the bars. "Yes you are," Chantel cooed, already feeling attached to the animals. The raptors flicked their tails, as the one with the deep blue streak stepped forward. She seemed to have the most power over the pack, therefore she was either the Beta or the Alpha, depending on their relationship with this Owen.
The sound of a motorcycle roar interrupted Chantel's trance. She stood, casting one last look at the raptors, before walking to the rim of the paddock and glancing down at the gravel lot. A man swung his leg off the bike, twisting the key so it rumbled to a stop. Chantel glanced at Barry questioningly.
Owen. The man mouthed, turning away. "What the hell are you talking about?" He said into the phone as he wandered off.
Chantel raised a dark brow, returning her attention to Owen. Even from a distance, she could tell he was incredibly attractive. Great. Just what I needed; another distraction. She thought to herself, resting her weight against the railing.
"Owen Grady." She called down to him musingly. He glanced up, startled. "I've heard a lot about you," she smiled as he walked up the stairs. He raised an eyebrow as he reached the top with surprising speed. "You have?"
"Mhmm." She smirked. "Claire had a lot to say about you."
Owen grimaced. "I bet."
"I'm Chantel Mayes, your new employee."
"Mm." He nodded, glancing at Chantel carefully as if he was evaluating her. Making up his mind about something, he stepped past her, "better give you the-"
"Tour?" Chantel grinned, finishing his sentence, "Barry already showed me around." She fought to ignore his perfectly sculpted arm muscles as she forced her face into an expression of indifference.
He looked surprised. "He thought it would be better if you told me their names yourself." Chantel explained, motioning towards the raptors below them.
For once in his life, Owen Grady seemed to be at a loss for words.
Had the circumstances been different, Owen would have certainly been hitting on her by now.
However, he still wasn't entirely sure he wanted her to be there so he remained stony faced for the most part. She was definitely pretty, he would give her that, and she had a certain relaxed attitude that he cherished in his friends; the ability to not take everything completely seriously was something he liked in people.
Interestingly enough, his girls responded very well to Chantel's presence when he took her downstairs where his raptors were muzzled, which Owen was both surprised and impressed by.
The woman seemed particularly interested in Echo; she commented about how she seemed to be the lowest ranking of the four. Owen watched her intently, his arms folded as she held out a hand, giving Echo the opportunity to familiarize herself with her scent. The raptor sniffed the outstretched hand warily, her eyes following every movement.
Chantel slowly brought her hand against the reptile's skin, marveling at leatheriness of Echo's skin. The animal strained against her bonds at first but soon stood still, her pupils dilated and contracted as she watched the woman.
Chantel stepped back, smiling softly at Owen. "You have some gorgeous animals here Mr. Grady," she said, her stormy grey eyes settling back on Echo.
"Trust me, I know." Owen said, the ghost of a proud smile on his lips, the first sign of happiness he'd allowed himself show since meeting her.
Chantel thoroughly confused him. On one hand, he didn't like the idea of extra help, on the other, he found the woman's personality to be both intriguing and very easy to be around.
Owen inhaled sharply and dug his hands into his pockets. He'd just have to wait and see how everything turned out.