Author's Note: I told myself that I wasn't going to write something for this movie, but Owen and Claire are just too cute! My muse demanded that I write something for them so here we go. Spoilers, obviously, for the whole movie. Enjoy!

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

― Lao Tzu

This shouldn't be bothering her anymore.

Claire is an expert at controlling her emotions. She's adept at pushing her feelings so far down that she can handle any situation, big or small. Growing up, her sister had been the one to embrace her emotions and Claire, as the older sister, had to learn things the hard way. When you wore your emotions on your sleeve after all, you were bound to get hurt.

It shouldn't have surprised her really. The day that she learned that, she had shed her naiveté and learned how the real world worked. She'd been hurt—badly. As she picked up the pieces of her shattered heart and wiped away her tears, she swore that day that she would never again make herself that vulnerable to anyone again.

Thus, the calm and collected, ever cool Claire was born.

And in the course of a day, she died.

Now, Claire doesn't know who the hell she is.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back with us?" Karen asks, placing a warm hand on her shoulder.

Zach and Gray are busy talking with their father, suitcases in hand. They have to board another flight to get home, back to their peaceful, what looks like newly restored family life.

"Claire?" Karen tries again, voice a bit louder and tinged with worry.

"I'm okay," Claire plasters a smile on her lips and pulls her sister in for a hug. "Really. You all need some time back together after all of this . . ." Chaos. Destruction. Plethora of near death experiences. "Stuff." Yep, that's the word she chooses instead. One that totally makes sense and conveys all the trauma they went through.

"Right." Her younger sister raises her eyebrows and crosses her arms across her chest. "But if you change your mind—"

"I know where to find you." She beams and then gently guides her sister towards her family. "Now, get going or you'll miss your flight."

Karen embraces her once more, eyes suspiciously close to shedding tears.

"I love you, Claire." Her sister whispers fiercely, voice low and thick with emotion.

"I love you too." She replies softly, forcing herself to break off the hug. "Go on now. I'll call you when I land."

"You better!" Karen exclaims as she and her family scampers towards the boarding gate.

Claire watches until they're nothing more than a speck in the line and then once they round the bend and are gone. Only then, does she let her grin fade. Her shoulders slump and she runs a hand through her hair.

She doesn't have anywhere to go.

Isla Nublar was her home and Jurassic World had been her life. She'd spent the last few years working, trying to make the park the best place it could be, trying to fulfill the wishes of her crazy boss, trying to increase revenues, trying to be like Wonder Woman, able to do anything at anytime. Her luxury apartment, all her belongings—they were back on that island. She'd probably never be able to go back there again.

Her life as she knows it, is over.

She probably should've told Karen that and gone with her sibling back to her home. But after all the stress that Karen had been under, Claire hadn't wanted to cause her little sister to worry once more. She hadn't wanted to be a burden to anyone, let alone her sister who was surely going to spend this time rebuilding her own family. Claire couldn't ruin this chance for them.

So, here she is, alone in the airport, with nowhere to go.

Around her, people hustle towards their boarding gates. Announcements are made overhead, but they're hard to hear over the din of the chatter and the constant jet engine roars.

She's really on her own here, it occurs to her with a sudden pang of finality.

"Hey."

She nearly crashes into Owen, who has seemingly materialized behind her.

The former velociraptor trainer easily grabs her, steadying her with his quick reflexes. His eyes scan her, almost instinctively, checking for any injuries. Seeing that she's fine, he releases her and shoots her a lazy grin.

"Hi." She murmurs.

She's not sure what her relationship with Owen is right now. They'd been on one official date months ago and then yesterday, they kissed and managed to survive successive near death experiences. Claire isn't even sure if she likes Owen really. Sure, he's easy on the eyes and he's a great kisser, but other than that, she doesn't even really know him. What was his life back before Jurassic World? She'd read in his file that he'd been in the Navy, but she'd never once thought to ask him where he served or what kind of missions he'd been on.

And his opinion of her? It must be bad. Her behavior and actions hadn't been the best ones yesterday. But now that she's trying to figure out who she is, she doesn't have a clue of how to act. The Claire of the past is whispering warnings about how love didn't really last, how the heart can be broken so easily. She wants to wall off her feelings once more, to be numb and able to survive.

But his warm hand in hers feels right and she can't deny that fact.

"You okay?" He's smirking now, his body language relaxed and oozing confidence. "You seem like a lost little lamb."

"A lamb?" She echoes, chuckling softly. "No, I'm just . . ." She gestures to the airport. "Isla Nublar was my home, for lack of a better word. And now that it's gone, I don't know—" It feels like her heart is racing, blood pounding in her ears.

"Easy."

"I'm fine." She tells him.

"No," He interjects calmly. "You're not." He glances around at the crowded airport terminal and shakes his head. "What happened yesterday—what you and I went through—"

"Owen, I can take care of myself." She feels compelled to interject because she's tired of feeling useless, of being unable to control her own actions. She's faced down a T-Rex and should've, by all accounts, died yesterday. Yet, here she is—alive and in control.

"I know you can, Claire." His voice takes on an unnaturally quiet and soft tone. The thumb of his hand holding hers begins to rub comforting circles on the front of her hand. "I mean, yesterday I saw you run from a freaking T-Rex in heels of all things."

She stifles a laugh, surprised at her own reaction.

"I can't believe I did that." She murmurs, shaking her head in disbelief. "I mean, those heels could've been the death of me."

Owen winks at her, "Yeah, well, you caught a lucky break."

"I suppose so."

There's silence for a few moments.

"Look," Owen runs a hand through his hair and she can see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to formulate whatever he's thinking about into a coherent sentence. "If you want, you could come with me."

She blinks a few times.

"Go . . . with you?" She echoes.

"I mean, my apartment isn't much, but it has two bedrooms and my family will probably drop by, but they're pretty nice, you know, as far as family goes."

She hesitates.

She doesn't know Owen enough to really trust him. She doesn't want to pin all her hopes on him and then watch them crash and burn to the ground. She's been through that once before and she can't do that again. Sure, she's attracted to him—who wouldn't be with that roguish smile and well built physique?—but she couldn't allow that attraction to cloud her judgment.

"So," He tucks his hands in his jeans pocket and huffs out a shallow breath. "What do you say?" Then with a smirk, he lowers his voice and adds, "For survival's sake and all."

And God help her, she laughs.

He has that effect on her—easily disarming her and breaking down her walls like it's nothing.

"Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go." She shrugs and then smiling, quickly interjects, "Thank you. It's very kind of you."

"It's settled then." He grins, picking up her bag. "Let's get you a ticket then."

Claire isn't sure where this will lead.

Owen might break her heart. He might turn out to be the guy that she fears he will be—foolhardy, impulsive, and easily angered. She might regret this decision down the road.

Or she might not.

Owen could be exactly the break from reality she needs. He might be her safety net as she tries to navigate these next few complicated weeks. Without her job, what is she really?

Today, she thinks that she might be on the track to figuring that out.

Author's Note: This story will be about Owen/Claire bonding as well as me filling in some gaps in their backstory. And of course, down the road, more Owen/Claire romance. I hope you'll stick with me! Please review if you have a moment.