Karen sighed in exasperation as she dragged three duffel bags down the staircase. In the family room to her right, Lowery and Gray were engaged in an intense game of Mario Kart. They leaned left and right with scrunched-up faces, determined to emerge victorious.
"I'm totally gonna kick your butt," Gray taunted.
"Nobody messes with Waluigi," Lowery retorted.
"Statistically speaking, Wario has the best chance of-"
Gray was interrupted when a red shell hit his character. He frowned bitterly.
"Was that you?"
"If it was, I wouldn't say."
Karen rubbed her forehead.
"Any chance you two could help me with this?"
Gray groaned.
"We can't, Mom! Lowery beat me on the last track, and we have to make it even."
"Can't you pause the game?"
"No, Mom. Be cool!"
"Yeah, Karen. Be cool!" Lowery echoed in an equally whiney voice.
Karen rolled her eyes emphatically. As she did, Zach pushed past her, wearing his headphones (as usual). Karen put her hands on her hips.
"Zach . . . ZACH!"
He looked at her in surprise.
"You calling me?"
"Yes, I am!"
Zach smiled.
"No need to shout, Mom. I'll help you . . . unlike Dorkus and Dorkus junior."
"I resent that!" Lowery shouted without taking his eyes off of the screen.
"Whatever," Zach muttered, "Just give me a bag, Mom, and I'll put it in the trunk."
Karen narrowed her eyes.
"You seem uncharacteristically helpful today. What's up?"
"Nothing."
Karen crossed her arms. Zach bit his lip.
"Well, nothing except . . ."
Karen sighed.
"This is about the trip, isn't it? Like it or not, you're coming with us."
Zach gulped.
"Look, I'm fine with visiting Aunt Claire, but I'd rather do it at her cabin. The last time I went to an island full of dinosaurs, I didn't have the greatest experience."
Karen looked at him sadly.
"I'm sorry about that. Really, I am. But this is going to be different. I'm not letting you out of my sight."
"In other words, you'll see whatever is about to eat me."
Karen put her hand on his shoulder.
"Zach, things are going to be okay."
"How do you know?"
"Because Jurassic Park is a lot safer than Jurassic World."
Over on the couch, Lowery snickered.
***TSJWFEW***
A few hours later, the whole family (plus Lowery) was on a boat to Isla Nublar. Gray darted back and forth across the deck, trying to get a good look at all of the dinosaurs. He stood in front of a baryonyx that was reading a newspaper and grinned cheerfully.
"Hi."
The dinosaur looked down at him.
"Hey."
"Did you know that baryonyx have an opposable hallux toe?"
The dinosaur stared at him in confusion.
"Look, kid, I only changed this morning. I don't even know what I am."
"Baryonyx."
"Yeah, got it."
Karen dashed over and pulled Gray away from the dinosaur.
"I'm sorry, sir. He's just a little excited. He's never been to this world before."
The baryonyx snorted and lifted his newspaper again. Karen dragged Gray back to the front of the boat.
"Stay close, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you."
Lowery grinned.
"Lighten up, Karen. The dinosaurs are perfectly safe here. They're just people, after all."
Karen rubbed her forehead.
"Lowery, the things you say . . ."
"No, seriously! They're just like Claire, only they're carnivores. Well, except for Vic."
"The one who bakes cookies?"
"Mhm. You can't get a lot friendlier than that."
Karen sighed.
"Still, it's all so overwhelming. I mean, first there were dinosaurs, now there are dragons . . . What's next? Fairies?"
"Actually, they discovered a colony of fairies not too long ago," Lowery said, "Mr. Masrani is in charge of them."
"And he's-"
"A tiny white tiger. He was changed by the magical hair of a blue Sumatran tiger who was also related to the Chieftain of the Raptors."
Karen frowned.
"Wait. If the hair was blue, why is Masrani white?"
Lowery scoffed.
"Oh my god, Karen! You can't just ask people why they're white!"
Gray pushed between them.
"Hey, Lowery! I named a Pokémon after you."
Lowery beamed.
"That's really nice of-"
He looked at the screen and gave a sardonic frown.
"Bidoof? Seriously?"
"He kind of looks like you," Karen laughed.
With a sassy grin, Gray hopped away and started talking to the dilophosaur that was driving the boat. Karen looked over her shoulder with worry. Lowery nudged her gently and smiled.
"Relax. He's perfectly safe. This world is completely different from ours."
"I know," Karen said quietly, "That's what worries me."
***TSJWFEW***
Henry sighed as he waited outside of June's room. He tapped his fingers anxiously on the wall and frowned.
"Is there a reason you don't want to come out?"
"Yes."
Henry waited. Soon, it became clear that June wasn't going to elaborate.
"Can you tell me why you won't come out?"
"Claire's here."
Henry twisted his mouth.
"I thought you liked Claire."
"I do, but she has a daughter now."
"So?"
"I don't want her to think that I'm going to . . . I mean . . ."
Henry gulped.
"Oh. Okay. Listen, June, I know you're a little sensitive about all of this, but you have to realize that Claire has forgiven you. I'm sure she doesn't suspect-"
"I don't want to risk it. I'd much rather stay in here, anyway. People look at me funny whenever I go outside."
"They just need to get used to you. You can't hide forever."
"I can try."
Henry sighed.
"Would it help if I invited a friend over?"
"I don't have any friends."
"You could make some."
"No, I couldn't."
"What if you went to school?"
"That's a terrible idea."
Henry grumbled impatiently.
"June, to you, everything is a bad idea."
"No, just the ideas that involve me going outside."
Henry pressed his head against the wall.
"What can I say to get you to come out?"
"Nothing. You can't make me."
Henry turned around.
"Alright, I'm gonna go check on your brother."
"You can't make me come out, you know."
Henry sighed.
"I know."
***TSJWFEW***
When Zach and Gray climbed down from the boat, Claire was waiting for them. She ran over hastily, shaking the pier with each step, and gave them a big hug, nearly crushing them in the process.
"Zach! Gray! How have you been?"
"Mphmphmph!" Gray mumbled, his face buried in a large chunk of Claire.
"I've missed you so much!" she continued, "It's been so busy here . . . Oh, right! There's someone I want you to meet!"
Claire dropped the boys and trotted down the pier to where Owen was standing. She took a small, beige dinosaur from his arms and placed her on the ground in front of her nephews.
"Zach, Gray; meet Lily. She's your cousin."
Zach and Gray looked down at the baby dinosaur, who hadn't yet seen them. Claire kneeled down and turned her towards their feet.
"Lily, say hi to Zach and Gray."
She looked up at them vacantly, shoving her fist in her mouth. Deciding that they were of no interest to her, she started to walk away.
"Oh, no you don't!" Claire scolded, picking her up, "Be polite, Lily. Zach and Gray came a very long way to see you."
Lily blinked and stared at her cousins.
"Zabbagay?"
Claire hummed.
"She has trouble with new words," she explained, "I'm sure she'll learn your names soon enough."
Meanwhile, Karen and Lowery were busy dragging their luggage down to the pier. Owen jogged over to take it away. When Karen was no longer in the shadow of a tightly-stuffed bag, she was finally able to see her niece. She stared down at the strange dinosaur-human and blinked.
"She's . . . interesting."
Claire sat down and picked up Lily.
"I know it's hard to get used to, but if you knew her like I do, you wouldn't want her any other way."
Karen's eye twitched as Lily yawned, opening her weird brownish-gray beak-lips.
"I . . . I guess she's kind of cute . . . in a dinosaur way . . ."
Claire seemed very unimpressed by Karen's lack of enthusiasm, but before she could say anything, Ellie tumbled down from the sky. Claire handed Lily to Owen (who balanced his child on a pile of bags) and stood at attention.
"We have a problem," Ellie announced, "Remember how we asked the citizens of Isla Nublar to vote for a slogan?"
Claire nodded.
"Did someone make a joke motto?"
Ellie frowned sardonically.
"Well, the top result is: Jurassic Park 3 is worse than cancer."
"And the second result?"
"Cancer is worse than Jurassic Park 3."
Claire winced.
"Third result?"
"Cancer."
Claire sighed.
"I'm sorry, but I can't deal with this right now. I promised Karen I'd spend the day with her."
Ellie frowned.
"Alright, but you'd better get this done as soon as possible. There are more and more prank slogans popping up- Oh, Jesus Christ."
Claire tried to peek at the holographic tablet that Ellie was checking.
"What is it?"
"I can't say this one out loud. Or this one. Why are they all about Jurassic Park 3? . . ."
Claire watched as Ellie stormed away grumpily.
"Jurassic Park 3 is one big pile of shit . . . Jurassic Park 3 is the most disappointing thing since my son . . . Jurassic Park 3 is the most significant disaster of 2001- Oh, real classy, guys! Why did I even let them suggest slogans? . . ."
Karen gave Claire a worried look.
"Is she gonna be okay?"
Claire smiled.
"Yeah. We deal with this kind of thing every day. You'd be surprised how many negative things Jurassic Park 3 is compared to."
Karen bit her lip.
"Claire, I don't want to keep you from your job. If you have something more important to do-"
Claire put her foot over Karen's face.
"Karen, please. Nothing is more important than spending time with my family."
Karen's jaw dropped.
"Who are you, and what have you done with Claire Dearing?"
Claire laughed.
"Very funny. That's all in the past, you know. The purpose of having a job is not to let it govern your life. I used to believe that Asset Management was the only thing I was good at, but I think this is much more rewarding."
Karen blinked.
"Okay . . . So, does that mean you're happy to be a dinosaur?"
Claire shrugged.
"I'm happy to be a mother, and I'm happy with my life. I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could."
"Not even Lily?"
Claire froze.
"What?"
"Would you change Lily? I mean, she's kind of a hybrid, so-"
Claire frowned.
"There's nothing wrong with Lily."
Karen backed up.
"I never said there was . . ."
"You implied it."
Karen held up her hands.
"Look, forget I said anything. She's perfectly acceptable."
Claire stomped her foot.
"Acceptable?!"
Seeing that things were turning sour, Lowery shepherded the kids towards Owen, then jogged over to break up the fight.
"Hey, guys. Is there a problem?"
Claire snorted.
"Karen thinks that there's something wrong with Lily."
Karen clenched her fists.
"I never said that! You're jumping to conclusions."
"I am NOT!" Claire barked, whipping her tail aggressively, "You think she's weird because she's a hybrid!"
"She is weird!" Karen growled, "I know you love her, but you can't deny that she's a little creepy."
Claire tossed her head, pushing Karen back with the side of her horn.
"Lily is not creepy. She's the most perfect child that ever lived, and you have no right to criticize her!"
"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?"
Claire lowed furiously.
"I have never exaggerated anything in the history of the universe!"
Lowery stepped between them.
"Guys, calm down. There's no reason to-"
"Shut up, Lowery!" Claire growled, "Nobody cares what you think!"
Lowery's mustache twitched.
"Okay, fair enough, but-"
Claire mooed loudly and stomped her feet. Karen and Lowery backed up nervously.
"Claire, stop it!" Karen shouted, "You're acting like a cow!"
Claire pawed at the ground.
"You're the one who's a cow, Karen!" she snarled, "You think you know it all, just because you're still human!"
Karen crossed her arms.
"Why do you always have to be the best, Claire? Can't you just accept the fact that your kid isn't exactly norm-"
Before she could finish, Claire charged forward and pushed her off the dock. Karen screamed in fright, grabbing onto her horns instinctively. They both fell into the water with a big splash. Claire's head didn't go under, but Karen resurfaced with dripping mascara. She sputtered and coughed as Claire dog-paddled over to the pier, grunting in concentration. Lowery helped Karen out of the water and handed her his coat. She draped it over her shoulders and stared bitterly at Claire as she shook herself off.
"You really are an animal."
Claire gave her a hateful glare and left to join Owen and Lily. When she did, she pushed Zach and Gray to the side, taking her family down a separate path.
***TSJWFEW***
Ellie groaned as ten more poll options appeared on her computer screen. She felt like banging her head against the keyboard. In doing so, she could probably come up with a better slogan than anything that had been suggested so far.
"You looking at the slogans?" Elkay asked as she trotted into the newly-renovated lab.
"Uh-huh."
"Anything good?"
Ellie moaned and turned the screen around so that Elkay could see. The dragon pulled her head back in surprise.
"Wow. I didn't think there were so many variations on the word 'shit'."
Ellie tossed her tablet to the side.
"This was a terrible idea! Why did I think people were mature enough to take this seriously?"
"Too much faith in humanity?"
Ellie sighed.
"Maybe. Anyway, I need to find a way to fix this."
"Time travel?" Elkay suggested.
"Well, as long as we're going with the most reasonable alternative," Ellie sassed.
"I'm sure you could find a way to get out of this situation with magic."
Ellie shook her head.
"That sounds lazy. Besides, I don't have enough energy. I've been struggling with my rations."
Before Elkay could open her mouth, Ellie held up her hand to silence her.
"Don't. I already know what you're going to say, so you may as well keep quiet."
Elkay frowned.
"Alright, but if you ask me, you're making a big mistake."
Suddenly, Claire burst through the door. Her clothing seemed to be wet, and she was sobbing heavily. Elkay cocked her head as she pulled off her blazer, slamming it to the ground angrily. She wiped her mascara-stained cheeks and spoke in a shaky voice.
"I'm here now. I can help with the slogan problem."
"Claire, are you okay?" Ellie asked.
"I'm fine. Just let me work."
Elkay dipped her head down.
"Is this my fault in any way?"
"No," Claire replied, shaking her head.
"Good. I see no reason to be here. Tootles!"
Elkay hopped out the window, leaving Ellie and Claire alone. Pulling off the rest of her clothing, Claire sighed and sat down in front of the glowing tablet.
"Do you need a towel?" Ellie asked.
"I need Karen to stop being such a bitch!" Claire barked sourly.
"What happened?"
"She made fun of Lily. She's not the only one, either. I know what people are saying. They're always whispering about how weird it is that Owen and I are together. They laugh at us like we're freaks or something."
Ellie shook her head.
"Claire, I know for a fact that most of the people here have accepted your family's circumstances, especially now that Zara and Vic are the talk of the town . . ."
Claire choked.
"But there are still some people who look down on us. I wouldn't mind if it was just Owen and me, but poor little Lily didn't do anything to deserve this!"
Ellie put her hand on Claire's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. This prejudice is just something you have to deal with. It's not right, and I'll do everything within my power to stop it, but this kind of gossip is bound to happen."
Claire sniffled.
"What can you possibly do? Change everyone's minds?"
"Maybe. If we get them used to it-"
"That'll never work!"
"It might. If I can convince them to see things differently-"
"Impossible. They'll always hate us."
"Not always. We can change their minds."
"The only way to do that would be to make me human again."
Ellie fell silent. Claire sighed dolefully and lay on her belly.
"But I guess that's impossible, isn't it?"
Ellie cocked her head.
"Should I talk to Karen?"
Claire shook her head.
"I'll have a little chat with her when we've both had time to cool down. In the meantime, tell Owen to come up here. I need him right now."
Ellie nodded.
"Alright. I'll go. Don't worry about the rumors, Claire. Everything is going to be okay."
Claire looked down.
"If only that were true . . ."
***TSJWFEW***
Vic sat down in front of Lily and made a funny face. He crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue, waving his hands back and forth rapidly. Unimpressed, Lily turned to leave. Vic sighed and spun her around.
"Don't go running off, pumpkin. Your daddy is counting on us to keep an eye on you."
Lily frowned bitterly and crawled over to Zara, who was fast asleep. She climbed up on her belly and started bouncing.
"Auntie Zara! Auntie Zara! Up! Up! Play!"
Zara grunted and brushed her off. Vic ran over and caught her.
"Shhh, pumpkin. Zara doesn't want to play. She was up all night performing."
"Purf?" Lily asked.
"Yes, that's right," Vic cooed, "She's very tired, and she doesn't need freaky little babies bouncing on her belly, okay?"
Zara yawned noisily.
"Don't call her freaky, Vic. Claire might push us off a dock."
Vic hummed.
"Yeah, I heard about that. Has anything improved since then?"
Zara shook her head.
"I haven't seen Karen all day. She's probably in the hotel."
At that very moment, Karen stepped into the clearing. When she saw Zara, she had to suppress a gasp of surprise. Ignoring her jagged teeth, she walked over to Vic and Lily, wringing her hands nervously.
"Hi. Don't tell Claire I came here. I thought if I could see the baby alone, I might be able to get used to her."
Vic nodded.
"Sure. You wanna hold her?"
He tried to hand Lily over to Karen, but when she saw her tiny dinosaur hands reaching out for her, she backed away awkwardly.
"Not yet. It's still a little weird for me."
Vic placed Lily on the ground. She wagged her tail and ran over to Karen, who stumbled backwards.
"Oh god! Hold her back a little!"
Vic grabbed Lily and dragged her away from Karen. She gave a distressed whine and punched his face.
"Okay. Ow."
Lily jumped out of his arms and trotted away. When she was out of grabbing-range, she started grazing peacefully.
"Is she supposed to eat grass?" Karen asked uncertainly.
Vic nodded.
"She's half dinosaur and half human. She takes after both sides."
Karen stared at Lily nervously. Slowly, she approached her, leaning backwards like the child was covered in active grenades. Lily continued to graze, unaware that she was being watched. While she was chewing on a large dandelion, Karen reached out and picked her up by the armpits. Lily squeaked in surprise and dropped her snack. She stared at Karen in puzzlement as she held her in front of her face. Karen forced a smile. Lily smiled right back at her, but suddenly, she belched, and Karen dropped her in surprise. When she landed on the ground, Lily coughed twice, then started to cry. Karen backed away nervously as she bawled.
"I didn't mean to drop her . . ."
Vic ran over and started making funny faces to distract Lily. She grimaced, still crying, and pushed him away. Zara scooted closer and dipped her head down to examine Lily.
"Is she hurt?"
Karen gulped.
"Oh, no! Claire is gonna kill me . . ."
Vic tried to stop her as she ran away, but Zara put her wing on his shoulder and shook her head.
"Let her go. She needs some time to think about this."
***TSJWFEW***
By the time Claire filtered out the profane and inappropriate slogans, she was about ready to drop. Her eyelids drooped unevenly, and she had to clap her plates together to stay awake. She lumbered away from the computer with exhaustion, noticing that the sky had grown very dark. Discouraged by her lack of significant progress, Claire wandered out of the lab and took an aimless walk down the road. She passed several buildings, some old and some new, but when she reached the former garage that now served as June's home, she paused. She could see the purple spinosaurus sitting on her bed. She was staring ahead, wrapped up in troubled thoughts. Claire sighed and kept moving.
A loud scraping noise indicated that Zara was nearby. Claire waited for her to appear on the path. Sure enough, she pushed out of the underbrush, carrying a sleeping Lily on her head. She jumped when she saw Claire.
"Oh, hi! I was looking for you. Lily was relatively well-behaved today. She had a little fall, but she isn't hurt."
Claire smiled and caught Lily as Zara dropped her in her arms. Lily hummed quietly and crawled up to Claire's neck as she let her front feet drop to the ground.
"Thank you for looking after her, Zara."
"No problem!" Zara trilled, "Let me know if you need me again."
"I will."
Claire continued to walk down the path as Zara departed, heading for the lagoon. The night grew quiet. Claire became aware of her footsteps, which rumbled like thunder. She began to walk at a pleasant speed. On her back, Lily was dozing off again. She would jerk every few seconds in an attempt to stay awake, but it was a futile effort. Claire smiled as her tiny hands went limp on her neck. She was so small, so fragile, and yet she had a fighting spirit. The way she strutted around gave the impression that she saw herself as being no less threatening than a T-Rex.
When Claire arrived at the hotel (she didn't yet have a permanent residence on the island, as she spent most of her time on the ranch), she saw Zach and Gray sitting gloomily in the lobby. She slowed to a stop and cleared her throat. They looked at her unenthusiastically.
"Hey, boys. What's up?"
Gray crossed his arms.
"Mom is crying. We're supposed to wait here until she's done, because it will be psychologically damaging for us."
Claire blinked.
"Why is she crying?"
"She thinks she doesn't fit in," Zach explained, "I overheard her when she started shouting at Lowery."
Claire gulped.
"What did she say?"
"Something along the lines of: I never asked to be a part of this goddamn crazy community. If Claire wasn't a dinosaur, she wouldn't have to surround herself with these freaks to make herself feel better. She's gone completely and utterly insane, and now she's trying to drag me into her psychotic delusions."
Claire bit her lower beak.
"She said all of that?"
"She yelled it, actually," Zach said casually, "And that's only what I heard."
Claire frowned.
"Well, that's not fair. She can't just decide to ignore Lily like she's some kind of hindrance. She needs her support."
Zach hummed.
"Yeah, I imagine it would be difficult to have an aunt who's never around because she thinks she's too important for her own family."
Claire rumbled in warning.
"Lily needs to sleep. Tell your mother I want to talk to her in the morning."
Without waiting for a reply, Claire marched away. She didn't think she was particularly mad, but her forceful slamming of the door to her room proved otherwise. Startled by the noise, Lily coughed and looked around drowsily. Claire sighed and picked her up by the scruff of the neck, placing her in her cradle. She was about to lift the wall to enclose her, but Lily reached out and touched her beak. Claire sighed and leaned in. Lily rested her cheek against her snout gently.
"Oh, Lily. What am I gonna do?"
Lily looked up at her with a blank, amber stare. Claire felt tears pricking at her eyes.
"They think we're animals. They think we're monsters. And the things they say about your father, Lily . . . they break my heart. It's my fault. I shouldn't have let him love me, but I did. Now he's stuck with the labels they give him. And it's all because of me. And you . . . you never had a chance. I thought you'd have no problem fitting in. I loved you so much that I couldn't imagine how anyone could hate you. I still can't. You're perfect, Lily. I look at you, and I don't see anything terrifying or abnormal. You're the most wonderful person I've ever known. But the others don't see that. I don't know why. Why don't they love you, Lily? Why don't they love you like I do?"
Lily nuzzled her mother, then slipped away from her face and curled up to sleep. Claire sniffled, feeling tears sliding down her face, and ran her front foot over her daughter's back.
"I don't know what to do, Lily. I can't change you, and even if I could, I wouldn't want to. I love you just the way you are. There's no way to make you better. So, what am I doing wrong?"
Lily groaned and shifted anxiously. She was clearly trying to sleep. Giving up, Claire closed the crib and lumbered over to the bed. She pulled a blanket over her back using her beak, then crawled deeper into the covers.
"It's all me, isn't it? If you were on your own, they'd think you were beautiful, but since they know where you come from . . ."
She closed her eyes tight.
"Nobody likes a stegoceratops. I'm neither here nor there. I'm not a dinosaur, I'm not a human, and I'm not an animal. Just when I think I know what I am, I'm proven wrong by a quirk in my biology or a physical aberration. If I'm not something, then I must be nothing. That's why people laugh or cringe when they see me. They make fun of me because I'm a nothing trying to be a something. I'm trying to go back to being Claire Dearing, but I can't. Claire Dearing doesn't have horns or plates or a tail. Claire Dearing is a human, and nothing else. But I don't even know if I want to be her, anymore. Probably not, because she isn't a mother . . ."
Lily was fast asleep. Claire stood up, letting the blanket slip down from her shoulders, and walked over to the crib.
"I'm your only problem, Lily. The people here know that I used to be something. Now that I'm nothing, they keep trying to imagine me as the something I used to be. But you're already a something. You're Lily. I know what you are. Even if I can't be something, you can. You'll be the best something that ever walked the earth. Everyone will love you, I guarantee. We just have to make sure that they get to know you. Once they do, it will be impossible for them to hate you."
Realizing that she was whispering too loudly, Claire fell silent. Lily's face scrunched up a little, then softened. Claire smiled.
"I love you, Lily. I'm going to make this right, just wait and see. You're going to be better than Claire Dearing ever was."
She backed away from the crib.
"I promise, Lily. I promise. Everything is going to be okay."
***TSJWFEW***
"DISASTER!" Elkay shrieked as she skittered up to Ellie, "THE FATE OF THE WORLD HANGS IN THE BALANCE! HOW DO I TURN OFF CAPS LOCK?!"
Ellie groaned and spun around in her chair. She had had a very sleepless night, trying to come up with a way to solve Claire's lack of self-confidence.
"What's the crisis?"
"Bonobella, an Asterparan gibbon, is wreaking havoc in Fiction!" Elkay explained, "She'll be passing by here soon, and when she does, she'll defeat us both and move on to the Overworld, exposing all of our secrets!"
Ellie blinked.
"Did you say gibbon?"
"Yes, she's a pale purple gibbon with a nasty attitude. She takes pride in her operatic singing, which is just plain awful. That's why she's screaming at the top of her lungs: she hopes to make everyone deaf so that they'll appreciate her music."
Ellie blinked again.
"That doesn't make sense."
Elkay tugged on her ears in frustration.
"I know! The point is: she's a crazy old coot who is dead set on destroying our eardrums! If we don't stop her soon, bad things will happen!"
"Bad things?"
"Bad. Things."
Ellie sighed.
"Okay. I'll see what I can do to reason with her once she gets here. There's no point in chasing her, since she's coming to our world on her own. In the meantime, I need to help Henry. June refuses to come out of her room."
Elkay growled.
"This is kind of important, Ellie."
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, "End of the world. Got it. Take my calls while I'm gone."
Elkay slammed her head against a table as Ellie trotted away casually.
***TSJWFEW***
Owen grinned as Lily blew a spit bubble. She gurgled happily and clapped her hands. Owen reached out and popped it with his index finger.
"Boop!"
Lily smiled and tried to chomp down on his nose. Owen yanked his head away, and she snapped at empty air.
"Not this time, Lily. I'm learning."
They both turned their heads as Claire lumbered into the clearing. She was no longer wearing her clothing, which concerned Owen greatly. Whenever she made a drastic change in her appearance, it was a sign that she was in the middle of an existential crisis. Having been out all night with his friends, Owen wasn't sure if she had truly recovered from her spat with Karen. He was willing to bet that her nakedness (as appealing as it was) was somehow linked to the fight.
"Hey, Claire. What's new?"
She smiled.
"Nothing much. I just came up with a brilliant idea to improve our public image, that's all."
Owen's eyes went wide.
"Claire, whatever this is, it doesn't sound good . . ."
Claire turned her head to grab a scroll that she had been balancing on her shoulders. When the lower half dropped, the page revealed a picture of Owen carrying Lily on his shoulders. He smiled nostalgically.
"I remember that. What do you plan to do with it?"
Claire smiled, transferring the scroll to her front foot (which wasn't very good at holding things).
"I'm going to make sure that everyone knows how happy our family is."
Owen raised his eyebrow.
"By doing what, exactly?"
"I'm going to convince Ellie to use this photo for advertising. That way, we'll normalize our untraditional-ness."
Owen rubbed his chin.
"So, your plan is to plaster our faces everywhere in a vague attempt to win sympathy? Generally, I like it, but we should take different pictures. We can't have the same one over and over again, after all."
Claire grinned.
"Good idea. I'll get my camera."
Owen stood up, holding Lily.
"I'll find a photographer."
Claire waved her front foot.
"No need. I'll do it myself."
"But then you won't be in them."
"That's the idea."
Owen froze. Turning around slowly, he gave her a nervous look.
"Claire . . ."
"Well, I don't want to ruin the photos," she said dismissively, "No one wants to see an ugly thing like me all the time."
Owen placed Lily on the ground. Kneeling in front of Claire's face, he took her cheeks in his hands.
"Claire, I'm only going to say this once: I am not going to allow you to remove yourself from this family."
Claire snorted.
"I'm not removing myself. I just don't think I fit in the picture. The literal picture, not the metaphorical one."
Owen shook his head.
"You're doing it again, Claire. You're letting them get to you."
She tried to pull herself out of his grasp.
"It's not about that. This is what's best for Lily."
"How."
"She should be free of the negative aura I bring to our public perception. If I'm gone-"
"-Lily will think that her mother doesn't have enough confidence to believe that people will admire her family if she's in it," Owen finished.
Claire looked down.
"I wish you wouldn't poke holes in my logic . . ."
Owen kissed the ridge of her beak.
"Claire, you are an integral part of this family. Don't let yourself believe otherwise. Come take a picture with us and show the world how amazing you are, you melliferous saurian Aphrodite!"
Claire sighed.
"Why do you always have to go and make me feel good about myself?"
Owen smiled.
"Because I love you."
Claire nuzzled his chest.
"I love you, too. You used the world 'melliferous' wrong, by the way."
"Did I?"
"It means honey-producing."
Owen shrugged.
"Well, if milk can come from your horns, I wouldn't doubt that you can produce some kind of honey."
Claire smiled.
"That would explain why you're always so sweet."
Just as they were getting wrapped up in their tender moment, a giant foot landed nearby, causing the earth to shake. Lily darted beneath Claire's belly in fear. Before any of them could react, they were blasted with a sound unlike anything they'd ever heard.
Then, everything went silent.
***TSJWFEW***
Ellie exhaled sharply as Henry paced back and forth behind her. She knocked on June's bedroom door again, letting her wings tense up in agitation.
"June?"
"I told you, I'm not coming out!" she shouted from the other side of the door.
"Don't make me come in there!" Ellie barked.
June sniffled pitifully.
"I don't wanna go outside. I might run into Claire."
Henry pulled Ellie away from the door.
"Thanks for trying, but it's a lost cause. June is adamant. I think we should leave her alone for a little while."
Ellie growled.
"Don't enable her. She needs to learn to socialize."
Henry sighed.
"I don't think this is the way to reach her."
Ellie crossed her arms.
"What do you suggest we-"
Suddenly, a loud shriek pierced the air. Ellie felt her feathers standing on end. When the shock wore off, Henry looked around with wide eyes.
"What was that?"
Ellie frowned.
"No idea. Did it sound like a gibbon?"
Henry shook his head slowly.
"I don't think so . . ."
"Alright, then we're probably safe."
Henry blinked.
"Ellie, why did you think it was a gibbon?"
She shrugged.
"I'm supposed to be keeping an eye out for an Asterparan criminal. It's no big deal."
"You sure?"
"Mhm. I have time to help you."
Henry twisted his mouth.
"If you say so . . ."
***TSJWFEW***
Karen was on her way to the Visitors' Center when Claire burst out of the jungle. At first, she thought that she was going to yell at her again, but her facial expression indicated that she was very much distressed. She choked and coughed as she tried to speak, sobbing helplessly.
"She took Lily! The monster took Lily!"
Karen gasped.
"Oh my god! Claire, what happened?"
"I can't hear you, Karen. It made a sound and- Look, that's not important. We need to find Lily. The monster took her away. It's big and purple and it looks like a monkey."
Karen frowned in confusion.
"Claire, you're not making any sense. There are plenty of monsters on this island, and I have no idea which one you're referring to."
Claire sniffed, her beak quivering weakly. Karen was alarmed to see that two trickles of blood were pouring out of her earholes. She took a deep breath and began to mime out her words as she said them.
"Come with me. We'll find the wing-lady you're always talking about and ask for help. She'll know what to do."
Claire nodded rapidly.
"Find Ellie. Yes. That's what we have to do. Get on my back. I run faster than you."
Karen's eyes went wide.
"Claire-"
"Just do it!" Claire barked, "My baby is missing, and I don't have time for your stupid reservations!"
Karen gulped and swung her leg over Claire's neck. When she started to gallop down the road, Karen shrieked and grabbed onto her frill.
"I know you can't hear me, Claire, but when we find Lily, you owe me big time!"
***TSJWFEW***
Ellie tried to walk backwards as she held June firmly by the tail. They had made it to the front door, but June was hanging onto the frame with all of her might. Her claws made long marks across the wall as Ellie tried to drag her outside.
"Come on, June, this is for your own good!"
The spinosaurus wailed in agony.
"Please, don't make me! I can't do this!"
"You can!"
"I can't!"
Henry tried to push Ellie away.
"She's upset! You're hurting her!"
Ellie growled.
"Goddamn it, Henry, if you could only think back to all of the times Seri had to drag you outside, you'd realize-"
"This is different, Ellie! Let her go!"
Ellie gnashed her teeth.
"I will not let go! There is nothing you can do to-"
Ellie was knocked off of her feet by Elkay, who was in the middle of a clumsy landing. As soon as June was released from her grasp, she skittered up to her room and slammed the door. Ellie wiggled out from beneath the dragon and sneered.
"I was so close! Why'd you have to go and do that?"
Elkay lifted her head.
"I'm sorry, Ellie. I can't hear you," she shouted loudly, "Bonobella arrived, and since you seemed wrapped up in your little quest, I decided to dump the work on your half-cousin."
She pointed to the sky, where a black and white figure was spiraling out of control.
"He's a dragon now, by the way. It just kind of ha-"
"The gibbon is here?!" Ellie shrieked, yanking Elkay's horn.
"Ow! Careful! Look, I thought I could defeat opera with opera, but what Bonobella is spouting just happens to be a sound worse than any boyband of the 90's. This is gonna get real messy if you don't intervene."
Ellie let her wings droop sadly.
"Oh, no . . . This is all my fault."
"Yeah, you should have listened to me. Now it's me who can't listen, because my ears are broken."
"Then how are you hearing what I say?"
"I can read lips."
Ellie turned around.
"Alright. I'm going after the gibbon."
Elkay rolled her eyes.
"Make sure you have enough magic left to restore everyone's hearing!"
***TSJWFEW***
Claire and Karen found the gibbon deep in the forest. They had given up on searching for Ellie, since a giant primate would be easier to locate, anyway. Owen was obviously looking in the wrong place, since he was not present. They could certainly use his rifle savvy at the moment.
The fluffy, humanoid creature was holding Lily with her tail. Although Claire was currently deaf, she could tell that her daughter was screaming at the top of her lungs. The gibbon gave them a sideways glance as they approached. Karen dismounted Claire and cleared her throat.
"Um, hello," she said quietly, "That dinosaur is ours."
The gibbon frowned.
"Go away. Me want to be alone."
Karen gulped.
"We'll gladly leave, but you have to give us the baby first."
The gibbon shook her head.
"She sings beautifully. Has perfect pitch."
Karen listened to Lily's wailing, and wondered if this primate had ever heard actual music.
"Listen, that child is my sister's daughter, and she needs her back."
"Why she no ask for her, herself?"
"She's deaf. She says you screamed at her."
The gibbon sneered.
"Funny-looking cow no appreciate musical ability. Is not screaming: is singing."
A third voice rang out from across the clearing.
"Really? According to a very reliable source, you're trying your hardest to make sure that people don't hear you."
Ellie glided down from a tree and stood in front of the gibbon defiantly.
"Give it up, Bonobella. You're no match for a Queen."
The gibbon bared her teeth.
"Queen no have full power. Will be defeated easily."
Ellie clenched her fists.
"I may not have much magic, but I have enough to-"
The gibbon let out a piercing shriek, causing everyone who wasn't already deaf to stumble backwards. Ellie held her ears and yelped.
"Jesus Christ!"
The gibbon prowled forward.
"It's time to end this, Ellen Sattler."
Ellie wiped the blood from her ears.
"I can't hear you, you crazy primate! You're not even a real gibbon! What kind of an ape has a tail?"
Bonobella grabbed her by the waist.
"Any last words?"
Ellie blinked.
"What?"
"Any last words?" the gibbon repeated.
"WHAT?"
As the gibbon rolled her eyes, Karen dashed forward and removed Lily from the crook of her tail. Thinking fast, Claire rammed her head into the monster's thigh. The ape howled as Claire's horns sunk into her fur, then dropped Ellie. As she hit the ground, she rolled over and called out telepathically.
'Elkay!'
The dragon tumbled into the clearing.
'Ellie, why are you talking to me via telepathy? Haven't you used enough magic alrea-"
Without missing a beat, Ellie hopped onto Elkay's head. The Star arose from her chest and clicked into place between the dragon's horns. A beam of light shot from her beak, sending the gibbon into the sky with a small twinkle of light. When Ellie pulled away from her grandmother's horns, The Star made a snapping sound, like a cosmic can of Coke. Ellie caught her breath, then let her wings droop.
"I guess that's it."
Elkay blinked.
"Okay, even as far as Deus Ex Machinas go, that was really forced."
Ignoring her, Ellie raised her hands, restoring everyone's hearing. With heavy steps, she walked over to a fallen tree and sat down.
"You were right about my magic, Elkay. I needed it. I just didn't think I was ready. Whether I can handle it or not, this power is my responsibility. I have to learn to live with it."
Elkay folded her ears back.
"So, the secret to removing your limitations was sharing The Star? That's kind of prissy."
Ellie nodded.
"My magic is back now. I'm everything the world needs me to be."
Elkay cleared her throat.
"You're the hero we deserve, but not the one-"
Ellie cuffed her angrily.
"I feel shitty enough as it is. Don't make this stupider."
On the other side of the clearing, Claire was rocking Lily back and forth.
"Oh, sweetheart, it's okay. I'll never let anything happen to you ever again. We'll go find your father and take a break from all of this craziness."
Lily bumped her nose, then pointed her front foot at Karen, who was crying for some reason. Claire placed Lily on her neck and walked up to her sister.
"What's wrong?"
Karen wiped her eyes.
"I feel really stupid. I was judging Lily for no reason-"
Claire sighed as Karen broke into a shrill whimper.
"Don't worry about it. It's over now."
Karen shook her head.
"No, it's not right. I shouldn't have been so awkward about it. I thought I was bringing you down because everyone here is crazy, but I guess I was doing it because I don't like being the boring one."
Claire smiled.
"There's nothing wrong with being ordinary. Nothing wrong with being weird, either. We're proud to be family, no matter how silly it seems."
Claire mooed in surprise and fell backwards as Elkay zipped up to her.
"That's brilliant!"
***TSJWFEW***
The next day, Ellie and Elkay mounted a sign that stated "Welcome to Isla Nublar! We're proud to be family, no matter how silly it seems!". Owen, Lily, and Claire all made appearances on the billboard. Everyone agreed that it was very touching, although maybe not as good as what they had suggested. Karen eventually apologized for everything she had said and done, and began to tolerate Claire's family . . . mostly because she was too weirded out by Zara and Vic's relationship to care about anything else. Bonobella was arrested by Asterparan officials, and was sentenced to three months in rehabilitation therapy. She still can't sing. June came out of her room briefly, which was progress. Charlie and his thirty children baked the world's largest pie, despite the fact that literally no one paid attention to them for the whole chapter. Yannick later ate the whole pie by himself, and proceeded to vomit all over Robin, who threw up in turn. Elkay never found the lost city of Atlantis, and stated, "I didn't really try, but I want people to think that I'm good at exploring or whatever". After a period of intense scientific research, raptor scientists discovered that Jurassic Park 3 is, in fact, worse than cancer. When asked how they came to this conclusion, they simply replied, "watch the movie". Vic and Zara are still going strong, and Vivian has speculated that they are secretly having sex. Nobody dared ask, however, as it's something no one should ever have to think about. Ever. Zach and Gray found another portal to Shmarnia, where they discovered that all of their Shmarnian friends were dead, and the world was taken over by a Spanish regime for some reason. The Narnia books never made sense, anyway. Ellie learned that final summarizing paragraphs should be kept to a minimum, lest the reader get bored of the deadpan jokes, especially ones that pertain to serious maladies. Dr. Richthofen died of cholera shortly after.