Last night's events flash through my head. Delta, Charlie, Echo: all dead. But Blue, Blue was alive. She was alive, but she had no pack, no alpha. I'm her alpha, and I have to bring her back and find her a new pack. She may survive in the wild alone- she was always the smartest of my raptors- but she wouldn't be happy. But to save Blue meant leaving Claire, and I wasn't ready to do that.
"Hey," Claire whispers, placing her hand on my chest. "It's okay, go."
"I'm not leaving you."
"You think I'd let you out of my sight after yesterday? I'm coming with you. I thought you were supposed to be smart."
She said it so matter-of-factly, leaving no room for argument.
"Okay," I say with a smile tugging at the corner of my lips.
"But, before we head off onto another adventure…" She bites her lip. "I need a shower."
I glance down at myself, at the gas-stained shirt and the dino-poo smeared on my skin.
"Uh-yeah. Me too."
"The hotels are still in tact, over there," Claire points. "And there should be plenty of extra rooms since, well, everyone's evacuating the island."
We turn around and we almost run into Gray.
"You're not leaving with us, are you?" He asks accusingly.
"No, sweetie," Claire says. "We have to find Blue."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not," Zach says as he walks over. Claire shoots him an appreciative look. "Mom and Dad need us home with them right now. They're going to go to counseling and save their marriage. And we've just been through a traumatizing experience. I think we have some much-overdue family time."
Gray barrels toward Claire and throws his arms around her. She can't quite hide the look of surprise on her face, which was quickly followed by love. I can't quite hide my pride as I watch Claire and her nephews. Zach steps in front of me and looks me in the eye.
"Listen, buddy. You better treat my aunt right, or there'll be trouble for you." I suppose he was trying to be intimidating, but it just made me laugh. I don't quite succeed in stifling it, which draws Claire's gaze from Gray to me. I lock eyes with her and stop laughing.
"Don't worry, kid. I will."
"Good," he says, as his parents come over.
"What's going on here?" Karen asks worriedly. Claire walks over to her, enveloping her in a hug.
"Owen and I are going to stay for a little while longer. We have to find Blue. Besides, I should make sure the dinosaurs will be equipped to live on their own. They're animals, after all," she says, sharing a look with me.
"Stay safe," Karen says. Then she whispers, "You and him better get married and have some kids. It'll so be worth it." That probably wasn't meant for me to hear, but Karen didn't have a quiet whisper, and my time in the Navy and at Jurassic World taught me to have keen hearing.
Claire once again meets my eyes, blushing furiously. I wink at her, and am pleased to see that she reddens more.
A/N: Probably the last chapter for tonight...maybe. Hope you guys are enjoying my little story. I have some great ideas.