ADAPTATIONS
17 – The Unveiling
People mingled amongst themselves as excitement was thick in the air as well as their conversing voices. Flashes of woman in lovely evening gowns and men in suits and tuxedos made the event seem more like a formal ball then the unveiling of the Museum of the Rockies' latest exhibit. Grant checked his watch and frowned. It was six-fifty PM. He would have to give a speech and he hated public speaking. He saw his protégé talking with one of the site volunteers, Ellie and Pet not far away. Derek was also nearby, hands folded before him and dark eyes alert in scanning for anything or anyone suspicious of Pet's presence.
Grant couldn't deny his nervousness as well and sometimes had trouble thinking about more present issues, like the reason for being there. His train of thought got derailed, again, when remembering seeing her in the dress for the first time. It was hard to see that fearless dinosaur wrestler through the veil of that form fitting, flattering dress. As he watched her, he found himself wanting to reach out and touch her in some way. Realizing he was admiring the lovely young woman he was seeing and not the hybrid he was used to, he forced his observing to anywhere else in the immediate room.
But one step at a time brought him closer to the hybrid without his realizing it. Then he was standing right next to her and looking into her brighter than normal blue-green eyes.
Grant questioned in a low voice, "Are you wearing contacts?"
The hybrid met his gaze. "No, why?"
He shook his head. "Just wondering."
"I should be wearing them, but they were bothering me something fierce on the drive here so I took them out in the parking lot."
A voice rang out through the speakers set around the crowded room and announced, "Excuse me can I have your attention, please?" Those present in the room closed in around stage set up near a large red satin cover suspended from the ceiling over the exhibit. The voice continued. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am so glad you all could attend this wonderful event tonight here at Montana's own Museum of the Rockies."
The room erupted in an applause as Pet kept her arms around her chest, her noticing Derek occasionally glancing in her direction. She didn't have to look in his direction to see it, her speaking low enough for him to hear. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."
He quietly responded. "I would rather look at the real thing." They met gazes again as Pet shifted in her heeled ankle boots. Damn, were they uncomfortable as hell! Billy shot a warning look at the bounty hunter, Derek getting the hint.
The announcer continued, Ellie and Grant listening to what he was saying. "And with that said, I give you the man who made tonight possible, Dr. Alan Grant."
Again, the room erupted into in applause as the scientist walked to the front of the stage. The announcer stood aside as Grant stood behind the podium and grew anxious under the spotlight of stares. "Thank you for the wonderful introduction, Mr. Bulmer." He fought about what to say for his speech him having two ideas planned in his head. There was the one that Ellie helped him write then there was the one that Pet wrote, him straightening his posture. "A good friend once told me that great things just don't fall out of the sky but rather involve some working for. I agree." Pet paused in her nervous visual scanning for anyone from InGen and looked right at the scientist in appall. "The past five years have been stressful and if it wasn't for the assistance from such great people, I would not have been able to complete this alone. I thank everyone who spent countless hours at the excavation site and the generous funding from such great sponsors for making tonight possible." The room erupted in an approving applause once more as Grant shot a smile towards where Pet stood. The applauding faded into silence as the room grew with more excitement. "If it's one thing I learned from the past ten years is this; dreams are something everyone has and everyone should be able to experience the excitement of when seeing those dreams become reality. Tonight, the dreams of hundreds of volunteers and more than generous donators is a reality as I proudly present to you, the newest prehistoric display at Montana's Museum of the Rockies, The Challenge."
The sheet dropped from its suspension cables to reveal two Velociraptor skeletons poised in what appeared as though a face off challenge. The room exploded with applause and cheers as Grant shot a grin towards the many excavation volunteers situated around the room.
Ellie brought her hands to her face and hysterically laughed back tears of joy. Billy whistled with his own applaud. The paleontologist's focus then went to where Pet had been standing, only to see her not there. She was gone. InGen… did InGen find her? There's no way someone could've snuck off with her, not with Derek standing right there! Regardless of his gut deep concerns, Grant smiled at the audience and shook Mr. Bulmer's hand. Where was Pet? The man then fought his way through the crowd of congratulators and hand shakes to where Ellie, Billy and Derek were.
Ellie hugged her close friend joyously. "That was amazing, honey!"
Grant hugged her in return. "I hate talking in front of large crowds."
"I know. You did great!"
His blue eyes desperately pinged around the many faces congratulating him. "Where did Veronica go?"
Billy noticed the hybrid was gone and shrugged. "I didn't know she left. One minute she's here then the next…"
Grant eyed Derek. The bounty hunter looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I saw no one walk up to her."
"You also didn't notice her leave either!"
Ellie rested a hand on Grant's arm. "I'm sure it's nothing. She probably went to the lady's restroom, is all. I'll go check there."
Grant's mind started running through worst case scenarios. He rushed throughout the crowd in a desperate attempt to find the hybrid. Surely, he hadn't over looked her as would stand out too much from everyone else. There weren't too many people there wearing dark colored dresses and for those that were, they stood out against those wearing brightly colored ones. In his searching he questioned himself. He hadn't been this concerned about where she was since her arriving to the dig site. Why was tonight any different? That's when it hit him, he loved her. He couldn't possibly be in love with her as he didn't think of her that way. This had to be a protective love, is all. He felt the need to keep her safe. That's all it was.
Ellie saw him through the crowd and rushed to tell him the hybrid wasn't in the restroom. She opened her mouth to tell him the news, but stopped when she saw him motionless where he stood. "Alan, what is it? Did you find her?"
He shook his head. "No." He ran a hand over his tense mouth. "Robert is not going to be happy if I leave here without Veronica."
Ellie grabbed her purse that matched her dress and revealed her car keys. "I'm going to go see if maybe she went to the car." She rushed towards the front door, Grant close behind.
They exited the cool air of the museum and out into the warm evening air when the two people saw Pet leaning against the wall. Derek was standing in front of her and trying to calm her down. They stopped their conversing to see Ellie and Grant.
The senior scientist was visibly frustrated as he closed in on the hybrid. "What happened? Did someone try to hurt you?" Seeing how there weren't any traces of blood on her person or clothing let him know that couldn't have been it. No way would she go down without a fight, or at least brutally maiming someone in the process.
Pet blotted her eyes and sniffed back her tears. "No, no one tried to hurt me."
"Why did you just leave, then? You scared the shit out of me! I thought something happened to you!"
Ellie gently hugged the hybrid in comfort. "Are you okay?"
The hybrid nodded. "Yeah." She smiled and returned a hug to the other woman.
Grant asked again, this time louder. "Why did you suddenly up and leave?"
Pet met his gaze. "Thank you."
Grant saw the smile in her eyes and was even more confused. "For what?"
She rolled her eyes. "You used my speech idea."
He was stunned. "All this for a thank you?" He threw his hands in the air as though admitting defeat. "If that's the case then stick with a screw you. It's easier to deal with and I don't have to find you."
Pet smiled again and wrapped her arms around his neck. She whispered into his ear. "I cannot thank you enough for tonight."
Grant exhaled a heavy breath, still trying to calm down from the panic, and hugged her in return. "Come on, let's get back inside before all the champagne is gone." They went back inside to where the night's attendants still mingled, the man refusing to let the hybrid out of his sight.
Nine PM and finally things were starting to wind down. Too bad they couldn't have done it sooner. Grant was feeling uncomfortable with a tie cinched around his neck and his suit coat buttoned up. He was ready to shed the unwanted articles of clothing. His watch cut over to Pet and Ellie giggling about something. His eyes traced the hybrid's figures in another admiration of how lovely she looked.
Grant approached Billy, currently talking to a lovely young brunette in a black dress, and spoke. "I've made arrangements for an after party at a bar up the road from the hotel."
Billy nodded in approval. "Sounds like a plan to me."
Ellie checked the time on her silver linked watch. "I can't be out too long. I have something going on tomorrow morning at the lab."
"Aww, come on Dr. Sattler," Billy whined playfully. "What's at least an hour for a little pool and some drinks?"
Ellie laughed. "I don't want to be out too late. I do have responsibilities."
Billy then looked at Pet who was still smiling but had her attention at the floor. "What about you? You down for a little fun?"
The hybrid met his gaze and shrugged. "The afterparty is at a bar. I don't have an ID to prove my age, remember?"
Grant quietly stated, "I've already spoken to the owner. I explained you're here on a work visa. He's allowing you inside but with the stipulation you're not allowed to consume alcohol."
"He believed you? About the whole work visa thing? What if he asks to see something of an ID?"
Question overload. Grant replied with a small explanation. "I tend to frequent the Bozeman city area on a regular basis when overseeing fossil deliveries from the dig site. Before I leave town, I try to stop by this fellow's bar. We've known each other for some time, now."
"Oh. Well…then sure, why not?"
Billy walked away to spread the news to those present from the dig site. Pet walked over to the where the newly revealed display stood and starred at it in a strange awe. Though she had seen countless raptor fights that terrified her, to see their skeletons poised as such was indescribably beautiful. Memories began to filter into her mind from her time spent around the Big One's pack to the wild packs on Isla Sorna. She rolled her left shoulder remembering the three scars along her shoulder blade, following her own fight with a challenging raptor. Pet adjusted her shawl across her shoulders and upper back, suddenly self-conscious of her scar riddled back from the raptor fight and T-Rex.
Grant joined her and noticed her worrisome guise. "Something wrong?"
Pet shrugged and halfway smiled. "I was just wondering why the challenging pose? I thought you were going for more of the two predators hunting pose since that is what you make them out to be to your fans…cunning predators."
Grant shrugged. "I liked the idea and sketch of the two in a challenging fight. It allows the public to see raptors in a different light. By suggestion of my raptor specialist that is." He then saw the hybrid smile as her cheeks let off a healthy red glow against her golden-brown skin tone. "I should be thanking you."
She timidly bit her lips together. "You don't need to."
The more Grant stood there, the more he felt a heat overcome him. Was he standing beneath a vent? He looked up and around for one, but saw nothing. Then he realized it. The heat wasn't coming onto him, it was coming from him! It had been the whole time since realizing his growing fondness for the hybrid. He anxiously loosened his tie and checked his wrist watch; nine-twenty PM.
"Let's get out of here," he huffed and spent the next fifteen minutes politely making his exit.
By eleven-o-clock, the bar was full of celebrating excavation volunteer workers. To congratulate the many frequent customers on their job well done, the business owner offered a free round of drinks. Mixed drinks, hard liquor, beers and even sodas steadily flowed.
Ellie only stuck around until midnight before leaving, as did a few other workers, but some others who had chosen not to go to the unveiling came to the after party.
Muldoon was in the back corner where the pool tables were, challenging his cocky nephew while Pet kept teasing. Once in a while, she'd get a turn in but she more chose to watch as she wasn't the greatest at playing pool.
At one point, when Grant had gone off to get them another drink, Muldoon took a stand next to the elegant young woman. "You do look lovely, by the way." She bit out a nervous half smile and ran her hands over the exquisite beadwork of the gown. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a supporting way. "Guess you're not my little Pet, anymore, huh? Guess I should start calling you Veronica, then?"
They exchanged amused glances and she nudged him in the side. "Come on, Rob, I'll always be your Pet."
"Is that so? I don't recall seeing a collar around your neck," he teased, not intending his words to strike a sensitive cord with the hybrid. But they did. Subconsciously, she brought a hand to her neck where her beloved collar like choker of a necklace always stayed. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to wear the long-lost item. Muldoon saw her blue-green eyes turn downwards in regret. "Not to worry," he stated and dug into his khaki pants pocket to reveal a ball chain with a single dog tag hanging from the end. "Some wanker with a personality disorder gave me your old collar." Pet's eyes grew wide in their sockets seeing the shiny item. "The leather band itself was shit, so I had to improvise."
He handed her the ball chain necklace and she gladly accepted it with hands shaking in excitement. Her eyes keen to detail examined every portion of it to make sure it was the same one from her collar. Sure enough, there was the little nick under the letter A. She laughed and cried at the same time as she slid it around her neck. It felt right having the tag around her neck, again, whether or not it was on a collar.
