DISCLAIMERS

1. I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

2. This is a femslash story. If you don't like that sort of thing, you won't like this.

PART 22

Lex stayed on her knees for a long, long time.

All the while her mind was simultaneously racing, and a jumble of incomprehensible noise.

She could not believe what had happened. In just a few minutes, her world collapsed.

The woman she cared so much for, the woman she was ready to give her heart to... worked for the one place Lex hated more than anything.

How could this happen? How could it all go so wrong, so quickly? In the space of mere moments, she had gone from the happiest woman in the world - to being utterly destroyed.

Never in a million years - or 65,000,000, she thought bitterly - would Lex connect Claire with Jurassic Park/World. Sure, she knew - and avoided the fact - Claire worked at a theme park. But what were the odds it would be the one place on Earth Lex feared? Fate could not be that cruel, surely?

Apparently so. The woman Lex fell harder for than anyone in her life worked - obviously lived - on Isla Nublar. The place that feuled Lex's fears for over two decades. And the fact was Claire lied to her. Kept things from her. No matter if she was trying to protect Lex's feelings... no matter if Lex continually avoided the subject... Claire should have told her. Jurassic World was not just any amusement park. It was the biggest and most successful, arguably of all time. How could the redhead keep that from her?!

Though... Lex certainly kept quiet about her grandfather. But that was different. John Hammond died just a few years after the initial Jurassic Park imploded. And as Lex never considered Claire worked there, why would she even think the redhead would know who Hammond was? And even if she did, Lex was never in the mood to talk about it. She loathed the brief-but-intense attention she got from the press when they found out she was at the infamous Jurassic Park.

How could Claire work at that hellhole? It only hurt more that it was obvious just what type of role she had there. Her money and almost-cavalier attitude towards it - it was clear Claire had a high-ranking spot. To Lex's disgust, there was even a chance the redhead ran the place. If that was the case, how could she? Claire seemed far too intelligent not to see the island as the deathtrap it was. Was she not as kind or - daresay - moral as Lex thought? Especially if she was just playing a part all week.

Lex had surely never felt this bad. Claire Dearing was the most beautiful, intelligent, caring and thoughtful woman she ever met... but it was all a lie. It had to be. She was just using the blonde. She was just following orders - a pawn in Simon Masrani's sick con to get her back to the island.

But... did Lex really think that? Could Simon really be that conniving? Lex despised what he did, but he at least always seemed to genuinely care about the park. Even in the face of the petitions Lex, Alan, Ellie and Ian did in protest of Jurassic World's opening, the billionaire never fought them. At the time the blonde simply thought it was arrogance on Masrani's part, knowing he could not be touched. But when she and her fellow survivors/protesters actually met him, it was clear his heart was in the right place - it was just terribly misguided.

So could he really be so sick as to pay Claire to seduce Lex? What would be the point? Simon would have no reason to. Despite the man's pleads for Lex to return to the island, there was no actual need on his part for her to do so. Jurassic World certainly did not require her in PR terms - Lex and the others' protests fell on deaf ears ten years ago. The attraction was a commercial and critical juggernaut.

Was it just anger leading Lex to such a conclusion? Was it her blind fury at Claire that made her leap to the worst possible reason? The pure rage and hurt remained, of course, but now Lex thought about it somewhat-rationally... she knew it was not the case. She only met him a few times, but... her gut told her Simon was just not that cruel. Logically, he was not, and had no reason to be. It would be clear to anyone Simon was trying to help her.

Lex realised she should not have slapped Claire. Not for that: Masrani had nothing to do with it.

But the agony remained. Whether intended or not, Claire betrayed her. Betrayed Lex's trust.

Indeed, the more Lex thought about it, the more obvious what was really hurting her: Isla Nublar. She could never go back there. It was out of the question. Though of course, it was "out of the question" beforehand that Claire worked there. Lex thought back to her time at work today, and how she intentionally kept herself busy. Why? So she would not have to think about going back to a theme park. She was on a high from the knowledge she and Claire would spend more time together - which could lead to much, much more time together - but a part of her was still uneasy about going to a park. What got her through the day was knowing she would soon be with Claire, work and the mantra that it was just a theme park.

Only, it was not. It was Lex's worst nightmare. The woman she was crazy about worked for the one place on the planet Lex would not... could not... ever return to. The mere idea made her almost go into a panic.

How could Clare not tell her? How? Did the redhead not care? Did she just forget Lex had a problem with parks? Yes, Lex intentionally kept quiet about it... avoided it... but it was Jurassic World! Claire worked at the biggest theme park in history, and never told her. How callous was that? Anyone with a shred of common sense would know it was not something to be blase about. But apparently for Claire, it was. She must be insane.

And Lex must have been insane for ignoring it. A whole week of avoidance... but for good reason, as it turned out. For Lex would never, ever go back to that island. Not for any reason in the world. Even... her heart.

Lex could not go back with Claire. Not after she betrayed her. Lex never wanted to see...

The blonde could not finish that thought. She knew it was untrue. Despite the anger, the fury... she found the thought of never seeing Claire again unbearable. Lex slowly raised her head - and saw her painting of the gorgeous redhead. Lex remembered trying to imbue all the kindness and beauty she saw in Claire into the piece... to put as much care and affection into it as she felt for her.

Did Lex still see that? Did she still feel the same? Did she still want to be with her?

Lex had to see Claire again. It could not end like this. They had to sort it out. One way or another...

TO BE CONTINUED