(AN)- Thank you very much for the views, everyone. Again, I still have this on hiatus with five chapters done, but hopefully my brain can figure out how to go with the rest of the story.

Chapter 2: The Incident

Before the raptors woke up, Javelin went back to the nearby office and took the patties out of the freezer. Placing them in the microwave, he heated them up until the ice was completely melted. He took them out and drained some of the juices off. Once he saw the meat was perfect, he brought them outside.

Fortunately, the pack had just awoken from their slumber. While Delta was waking Charlie, Javelin opened the outer gate and stepped into the "airlock" as it was called. Whistling to call them out to him, he greeted them. "How are you girls? Did you have a good night's sleep?" When they chirped in response, he revealed the patties. "Good. This ought to get you going. Sorry it's not that much."

One of the morning shift guards was standing on the wall, watching as his chief handfed the four velociraptors through the inner bars. Don't know what that guy is asking for, he thought.

Owen Grady always fed Blue last so she would remember he was in charge. Javelin never did that. He understood the raptor pecking order and respected it. Whenever he brought a treat, he'd feed Blue, then Delta, Echo, and Charlie in that order.

Javelin also made sure to project his trust and security. "I lost my entire squad long ago. I won't let that happen again. I will gladly give my life to see all of you safe," he said that to them every day not just to gain their trust, but also keep his mind calm. To show he meant his words, the raptor paddock security always stood next to the door in the airlock. Intruders would have to go through him.
_

Sometimes he would ask Blue if he was allowed inside with them for the day. At first, the Beta would respond with a hiss, which was met with a respectful nod and a return to his position. When she allowed his entry a month after that, Javelin once again gave a respectful nod followed by "Hold on."

He called Barry over to tell him to close the inner gate once he was inside. The former set his rifle against the wall before going to the gate controls. The gate rose slowly after he pressed the button. He rolled underneath it when it was high enough and signaled to Barry to lower it back down. "Are you sure about this? We don't need to lose you," the man asked nervously.

"I'm not, but Blue trusts me enough to be in here," Javelin answered while getting up. Echo snarled at him, but Blue growled her sister to submission. The two other raptors could be heard in the brush.
_

Blue sniffed the security chief and determined he wasn't a threat. Then again, he was defenseless and left his rifle outside the paddock, which was a smart choice in the first place. The man asked where she wanted him, and his answer was a bark and her looking at a wall away from the inner bars.

Surpisingly, he nodded in acknowledgement with an accompanying gaze, then walked to the open patch of wall. To both of them, it was the perfect spot. He would be in the open for the pack to see him and was quite far from his only escape route. Javelin saw it as a great oppurtunity to gain the pack's trust.

Once he sat down against the wall, Blue dashed into one of the brush patches. Strange. His kind don't ask to be in here, not even Alpha, but he did. She watched him as he closed his eyes and pressed his right hand into the ground. His head turned to survey the paddock, then look at the raptors.

Charlie and Delta were playing, running through the brush and open ground. His eyes were closed, but his head followed them. He looked in Echo's direction, even though the brown raptor was sleeping in the bushes. The security chief rotated his head further to the right to stare at Blue. How?

Javelin nodded in respect to the pack beta before opening his eyes. His hand returned to his lap as he smiled. Although they still had yet to accept him into their family, he already accepted them into his.
_

That encounter had been nine months ago. In that time, the girls learned to and now gladly allow him with them. He also learned when they wanted him, though he would still ask Blue for permission. Give respect to gain respect.

Javelin, still in the airlock, felt a vehicle approach the paddock. Two tires, good. He immediately got up and went to the exterior door, keeping to the side. The raptors ran to the inner gate, awaiting their Alpha.

"Morning, Owen," Javelin called out.

"Morning, Javelin," Owen responded while approaching the gate. "Hello, girls. Miss me?" Blue gave an affirming chirp. Grady flashed a smile before turning back to his security man. "I still don't understand what it is with you and the girls."

Javelin gave a chuckle before counting out the reasons on his fingers. "Well, let's see. I'm always around when you or Barry aren't. Respect, and lots of it. A snack every now and then. My hatred of Hoskins. And maybe my desire to protect them."

"That it?" Grady asked.

"Hmmm, maybe I've also helped them out on the pig runs." Might as well go out and say it.

Owen thought about the last one for a few seconds. "That explains why they got the pigs three times in a row." Javelin only chuckled.

Blue and Charlie let out some barks and chirps. Javelin turned and smiled at the two. "Just a sec, ladies." He looked back at Grady. "Guess we better get to work, then. See you later, boss."

"Yeah. Don't get yourself killed in there," Owen said before walking to the side of the paddock to get set up. He heard Javelin ask Blue if he could come in, to which she gave a quick chirp. The inner gate was opening as Grady climbed the stairs. When he got up to the walkways, the gate was closing and Javelin was with the pack. He hugged them as they accepted him as part of their family.
_

The morning passed by quickly. The girls were fed and now resting for the upcoming pig run. Sitting against the wall opposite of the airlock was Javelin, obviously sleeping with his head tilted to the side. Charlie had come out of the brush to rest alongside the new packmate. As she dropped onto her side with her head nudging against his leg, Javelin rubbed her neck. "Hey, girl," he whispered before returning to a nap.

Javelin got up earlier than the rest and after taking a quick stretch, started his routine. He patrolled the interior of the paddock, as Delta usually did, making sure there were no threats. The rest of the pack awoke during his second walk around the edges. Delta took over to make sure he didn't overlook anything.

He went over to one of the pig chutes and did his scanning. Pressing his hand into the dirt and closing his eyes, he could see the tracks the previous pigs made during the "hunts." The man did the same with all the chutes. Analyzing the tracks, everything.

Today's run had ended with the pig escaping physically intact, as Owen called his raptors to him. He rewarded them for their attention with dead rats.

Javelin was scanning the area with his arm before he stopped at a regrettably familiar man. Hoskins. Great.

He went forward to tell Blue the InGen security chief was here, but she already knew. His scent was unmistakable. Javelin heard Hoskins on the walkway above trying to sell his idea of field testing the raptors. They were standing in front of the airlock when it happened.

"Pig loose!" someone called out. Echo nabbed the pig just as an intern got a loop around the unfortunate mammal. As soon as he hit the ground, the whole pack, minus Echo, stared at the intruder.

"Get out. Now!" Javelin ordered, even though he knew the man was doomed. While young man was crawling back to the airlock, Owen had opened the inner gate and rolled underneath.

As he ran to the intern, he held his hand towards the approaching security team. "Hold your fire! Hold your fire," the raptor trainer shouted as he put himself between pack and prey. "Put twelve amps in these animals, they'll never trust me again."

"Put those things away, you idiots!" the security chief yelled from below the walkways. He just watched as Owen began backing up, telling Barry to get the intern and close the gate. Grady made a dash for the descending bars and got through.

"You know why there was a job opening?" Owen asked the intern. The inquired turned his head to see Delta growling at him through the bars. Javelin watched the guards go back to their normal positions. He glared at Hoskins before turning to make sure the pack was okay.

While the raptors rested, Javelin got out of the paddock to enjoy a much deserved sandwich. His stomach growled for the BLT. Halfway through his lunch, he felt Hoskins approaching. "What do you want?" he growled before taking another bite.

"Just a friendly chat," Hoskins said as he sat down opposite Javelin. "Man to man."

"Please," Javelin spat out with hostility. "If you're looking for a man to man talk, wait until I'm finished eating and up above the paddock. I have some friends I'll personally introduce you to."

Hoskins ignored the statement. "I just wanted to suggest an improved field test."

"Fat chance. Literally," Javelin scoffed around a mouthful of food. He swallowed before continuing to speak. "What is it that makes your plan improved?"

"High tech tracking, recovery teams, and the like."

"Still no, Hoskins. And before you pull out your authority crap, I work for Owen Grady, not you. My job is to keep the raptors safe," He pushed his palm towards Hoskins before he could interrupt, "as well as the people around them."

Hoskins chuckled. "Yeah, you did a good job of that earlier."

"That kid was lucky Owen was in the airlock. Otherwise, he'd be dead." Javelin finished his lunch, then turned to be with his family. Hoskins watched on.