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 24

Claire's breath caught at what she saw when the door opened.

Lex looked a mess, frankly. The OM could tell she had tried to tidy herself up, but Lex's eyes were still heavy and red, her hair roughly combed. Claire's heart ached to see the woman she cared for in such a state. "Darling... "

"Don't," Lex suddenly said. Making no move to let Claire into the house, Lex stayed rooted in the doorway. Her jaw was set in a straight line, and Claire had a feeling she was on the verge of breaking down again. Claire herself certainly was. Please, please let them fix this.

"OK, OK... I'm sorry." Claire took a deep breath. A tiny part of her was embarrassed; William, the Jurassic World driver, was waiting right outside the house, less than fifteen yards away. But Claire did not care: fuck her pride. She needed Lex back. That was all that mattered. "I... I'm glad you called." Indeed, it was a text from Lex that let the redhead know it was "safe" to return, though she would have come back anyway before it was too late, regardless of if she had permission.

"I need to know a few things," came Lex's strained voice. "Are you here on Masrani's orders?"

"No!" yelped Claire, before she suddenly took another inhale to calm herself. "Lex, I swear on my life I had no idea you even knew who my boss was. And other than reading about... what happened... back in '93 when I first took the job, I'd never even heard of you. I read the incident report years ago, and put it out of my mind. I'm sorry I didn't remember your name - that I didn't put two and two together."

"So you don't care what happened," said Lex icily. "You don't care that people died?"

"That's... that not what I meant," Claire said, holding her head. "Lex, you know that's not what I meant. I... "

"Do I?" Lex interrupted. "How can I believe anything you say?"

"Lex, please... " Claire felt her eyes watering. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry - for everything. For not telling you. I wish I change things but I can't. All I can do is ask you to give me another chance. Please... I, I don't know what else I can say. I really care about you, Lex. You mean more to me than anyone has in my life."

Lex appeared in thought, as Claire held her breath. Then slowly, Lex took a visible gulp. "I want to believe you, Claire." Silence reigned again, until the woman in the doorway eventually continued. "I'm sorry I slapped you."

Now Claire stayed quiet, simply taking Lex's hand - the one that struck her - bringing it to her lips, and kissing it tenderly. "Please don't leave me," she whispered. "I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you, either," Lex blurted. "But you should've told me. How... could you keep it from me?" She was obviously struggling to control her emotions. "You don't understand, Claire. You don't know what it was like... it was... it was a nightmare." A tear trickled down Lex's cheek, which made Claire's heart clench. "I still hear the... I... I can't... why didn't you tell me? How could you not tell me?!"

Claire decided not to say anything about it being somewhat Lex's fault, too - as she knew she was mainly to blame. "I'll make it all upto you, I promise," said Claire reverently as she gently reached out and wiped the tear from Lex's cheek... noticing her lean into the touch. Claire was close, she knew. If she could just get Lex in the car everything would be OK. They could work anything out as long as they stayed together. Claire quickly cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder. "William?" As the staff driver left the car and approached them, Claire tried to allay Lex's confused look by tightening her grip on her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Dearing?" William asked.

"Will you take Ms. Murphy's bag to the car?" asked the OM rhetorically. "It'll probably be upstairs." She highly doubted Lex went onto finish packing, but so what? Claire would get her whatever else she needed when they got to the island. She looked into her beautiful blonde's wide eyes, noticing her heavy breathing. "Everything will be alright, my darling, you'll see. I promi... "

"Don't you have a boyfriend?"

Claire's eyes bulged at William's interruption. What the fuck? She sharply turned her head to see the driver looking at the women's joined hands.

"A... what?" came a tiny voice.

Claire shot her head back and saw a clearly crushed Lex staring at her. Oh no. Oh, no! She was so close!

"A boyfriend... ?"

Now Claire panicked. She was like a deer in the headlights. "No, no, I... " She shuddered as Lex tore their hands apart. "No no, I can explain... !"

"Owen, wasn't it?" William asked.

"William... !" snapped Claire. Clearly knowing the tone, the driver quickly scarpered. Claire returned her attention to a physically-crumbling blonde. "Lex, please, I can explain... " She reached out for her again...

"Don't touch me!" cried Lex, swatting her away and flinching back. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks. "Oh my God... you said you cared for me! But I'm just a BIT ON THE SIDE?!"

"Dammit, NO!" Claire was nearly hyperventilating. "Lex, it was one date... last month... it was nothing! I sw... "

"But the fucking driver knew about it?! Doesn't sound like NOTHING to me!" Lex retreated fully into her house. She then raised her hands and ripped the necklace off, tossing it back at Claire. "Leave me alone! I never want to see you EVER AGAIN!" Before Claire could say anything else, Lex slammed the door shut.

Claire choked as she heard the lock put into place from the inside. "Lex, please! Open the door! Please! It was nothing! It went nowhere! Please listen to me! Just... just open the door! PLEASE!"

Nothing.

Claire rested her forehead against the door, her hands almost pawing at it. "Lex... please... " she whimpered. "Let me in... please... I'm sorry... please don't... don't let it end like... " Her voice faltered. "Please... I... I... need... " She stopped. She closed her eyes, trying to stem back tears.

It was over. She knew it.

Claire stayed by the door for what seemed like an eternity, trying desperately to calm herself. She heard nothing from the inside. Lex was gone, retreated deep into the house or upstairs.

That was it. Time up.

Slowly, incrementally, Claire prised herself away from the door. Taking one last gulp of air, she turned around robotically, gripping the necklace she caught tight, and walked away from the house. She felt numb, her steps almost aching as they took her further and further from the woman of her dreams. When she reached the car, she paused for a moment, looking at the broken jewellery in her hand.

"When we get back," said William, "I'm so fired, aren't I?"

Claire simply glared at him. The driver willowed. Then Claire, without saying a word, entered the car.

Within minutes, they were moving towards the airport. Claire watched as Lex's house disappeared in the rearview mirror. Once it had, she raised the partition window. She slowly placed the necklace on a small table in the car's spacious backseat area, before turning to gaze out the door window as the world went by.

Then, in seconds, Claire burst into tears...

TO BE CONTINUED