A/N

Hey guys! I'm sorry you didn't get a chapter yesterday; I had no idea the site would be down all day.

Kim K's Butt, I'm glad you love Sobek; I think he's hilarious, and I'll look up the Leaellynasaura if I get the chance.

ReginaDC21, I'm glad to hear you finally got some AC!

RainbowKittyRune, you'd probably freak Blue out.

Nightmare Moon, I could see Blue getting Rexy to go steal the vending machine for her.

Unknown, it's good to see you again; I'm glad you didn't get eaten by the bear.

Amanthya, I intend to finish this story so no worries, but I don't think you missed much on the third movie.

Schaduw, I'm sorry, but I love cliffhangers! Forgive me!

Guest, you OC sounds like he'd get eaten pretty quick, and Jackie and Dr. Gerry are not who I am. I have no idea where I got the inspiration for Jackie, and Dr. Gerry is heavily based on my own vet. He's passed away, and I wanted to preserve his memory in a way.

Most importantly you guys, thank you for your reviews and comments. I love them and I love you guys. I hope school is going great for you, I know it's stressful for me. For those of you not in school, well, I hope you have a wonderful day. All of you!

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"Ohana."

Owen didn't exactly process the shrill shriek, but he yelped loudly as he snatched his hand away from the wrapper like it was the one screaming at him. Blue leapt out of her skin before landing on Elise's snout as she looked around quickly. She was in react mode, and all she needed to see was Stupid Alpha startling away from the shiny thing fluttering to the ground.

Owen nearly fell over when the flash of blue scales suddenly attacked the intruder, and Blue made a furious cry for death as the leaves around her scattered into the air. She was thrashing her head back and forth to snap the nonexistent neck, and Owen stumbled back. Elise snapped her head up with a startled clap of her teeth while Echo and Delta shot up at Blue's shriek. The two raptors were ready to maul the stupid trespasser, and Owen flinched back when Elise rose with a dangerous growl bubbling from her throat.

"Owen!"

Owen jumped at having his name yelled again, and he paled at his girls mauling whatever it was they had caught in the bush.

Whoever they had caught.

That was enough to force Owen to give a sharp, shrill whistle for their attention. Echo and Delta snapped their heads up at his order, but Blue continued to shake her head before she made a startled chirp. Owen raised an eyebrow as she slowly lifted her head before allowing the silver shreds of the wrapper to fall from her mouth.

Her look said it all.

Stupid Alpha had been startled by plastic, and Elise gave Owen a hard look for causing such chaos. Owen stared back at Elise; he had no idea what to say to her, but the Indominus flinched back at another delighted shriek.

"Uncle Owen!"

Blue did not care if she wasn't supposed to hunt the humans; this human had scared the life out of her, and she curled her lip at the hatchling bouncing around delightedly. Elise stared at the bouncy curls as the child focused only on Owen. Elise had never had a child ignore her in favor of Owen before, and she tilted her head.

This hatchling was far too excited, but Elise snapped her gaze down when Owen yelled, "Rosie!"

The man dove onto Elise's hand, and she paused for a second before assuming Owen wanted up. She didn't even get the chance to put her hand very close to the rails before Owen simply made the jump over. Elise gave a reprimanding garble at the man for being unsafe, but she blinked when Owen scooped the child up into a tight hug. Owen made a small circle as he smooshed the girl close to his chest, and Elise blinked when she heard quiet sniffles from Rosie.

Elise felt the raptors quickly scramble up her side as they stared at their Alpha quietly holding Rosie with all the tender love they all knew so well. Blue perched directly on Elise's head as she tried to make sense of this situation, and she gave a chirp at Elise for an explanation. Elise only made a soft sound.

She wasn't sure either.

Elise turned her gaze to see Claire giving a sincere smile while she watched the reunion, and Elise made a soft croon. Claire looked at her before gently smiling, and Elise turned her gaze to the other guests she had never seen before. Rosie pulled back just the slightest with tears of joy spilling over before she gave a fierce kiss on Owen's cheek, and declared, "I missed you, Uncle Owen!"

Owen only smiled as he gave another tight squeeze on his niece, and murmured, "I can't believe how big you got, Booger..."

Elise blinked before she realized that this was Owen's family who was coming to visit. Owen had always referred to his niece as Booger, and Elise knew she was coming today; she had just expected her a little later.

The Indominus relaxed tremendously as she chittered to Blue. The pack was never in danger, Alpha was just reuniting with his hatchling. Elise didn't have a word for niece, and Owen had said he did his best to act as a father to Booger. Blue paused before giving a sharp bark at Owen for keeping any pack apart. This was the second member Stupid Alpha had kept from the main pack; his hatchlings needed to be raised in the safety of their watchful gaze. Blue wasn't going to be very welcoming of more human pack members, but this was Stupid Alpha's hatchling. This one was important.

She was far too loud, and was very lucky White One was here to frighten away any predators. Blue had no intent of personally training this loud hatchling, but she had faith in White One to make a respectable pack member out of the Loud One. Blue flared her nostrils to catch the scents while Delta and Echo kept a watchful gaze from Elise's shoulders.

Owen finally set his niece down but laughed when she immediately latched onto his leg hard enough to cut off circulation; she still had nothing on Blue's grip. It took all of Owen's willpower to not cry either, but he startled at hearing his mother softly say his name.

He blinked at her for a few seconds before blurting, "You got shorter, Mom..."

It wasn't until he heard a snort that Owen realized that his father was standing next to her. Owen startled at seeing him, but his mother was overjoyed at seeing her son again. She would ignore the short comment in favor of wrapping her arms around her son. She stood at an imposing four feet and five inches, but Owen never doubted she could still kick his butt if ever needed.

He laughed when he had to bend over to give her a hug, but winced at the sharp tug on his ear as his mother lovingly said, "That is not the first thing you say to your mother after how many years of not seeing her."

Elise tilted her head when Owen only chuckled, "I missed you too, Mom."

Blue wasn't sure what to make of the adult humans she didn't recognize, and she chittered at White One for more explanation; White One understood these garbles. Blue didn't smell a threat in the air, but she knew better around clever humans. She knew they could be just as tricky as herself. Blue listened intently as Elise made her chitters and barks before Delta and Echo stood taller to get a better look.

The little old human was Owen's mother.

Blue scooted forward to get a glimpse of this human female. Stupid Alpha was their parent, and this little human was Stupid Alpha's parent? Blue couldn't comprehend the thought of raising Stupid Alpha; this little human was something else if she could keep Stupid Alpha alive through childhood.

Blue would admit Stupid Alpha was a good parent himself, so this human had done well.

But that didn't mean Blue would exactly allow her to roam this territory without supervision. She was a stranger, and Blue didn't like strangers in her home; it was an opportunity for danger to sneak in. Loud One would be permitted only because she was still young and able to adapt easily to their rules. If she was to stay with them, she would stay close to the nest until she could defend herself like Stupid Alpha.

Adult humans were not trustworthy; they always held weapons, made attacks, and gave Blue unpleasant feelings. She had learned to ignore them when hunting the goat with Stern One only because they were not in her reach.

And Stern One ignored them so Blue would do the same.

Rosie continued to hug Owen's leg tightly, but she finally turned her head to blink at the dinosaurs curiously staring at her. The pack's gaze focused on her when Rosie trotted over to the edge of the railing, and she gave a wide smile before exclaiming, "You're all so much prettier than Uncle Owen had said!"

The Beta of the pack gave a firm glare when Rosie focused her gaze on her, but Rosie only said, "Wow...Blue, you have the prettiest scales I have ever seen!"

Blue recognized her name, but she also knew the tone. It was admiration, but it was still nice to get confirmation from White One. Owen couldn't help his snort when Blue gave a knowing chirp; she knew she was beautiful.

He turned back to give that ornery grin to his father, and a quick but tight hug before saying, "I thought only one of you guys was coming."

His father snorted, but gave a fond look at his granddaughter as he quietly said, "Your very lovely girlfriend brought us here. She said you saved this park; you deserved to see your family."

Owen blinked but turned his gaze to Claire, and she gave a smile with a shy shrug of her shoulders. It was such a relaxed movement, but it was so unlike her to shrug, and Owen found himself smiling at her. He didn't know how to describe how much it meant to him to see his family again, and Claire had gone out of her way to make it happen.

Owen loved Claire.

Elise surprised when she melted under the adoring smile Booger gave her. Did Booger have any idea of how she smiled just like her uncle? Booger was giving her the smile that made her feel good about herself.

Elise knew she had just discovered another, precious treasure, and she would protect this one with her life.

Rosie turned back to her uncle when he walked over, and a hand on Rosie's shoulder as he said, "Booger, this is Elise, Blue, Delta, and Echo."

Elise tilted her head when the small child nodded with a smile, and pointed as she repeated what her uncle had taught her during their calls.

"Elise is the Co-Alpha, and is in charge when you're not around. She loves kisses and drawings; Elise is good. Blue is the Beta, Betas keep the pack in line when the Alphas aren't around. Echo is the youngest, but she's the only one brave enough to tell Blue when she's overreacting. Delta is close to Blue, but she keeps the peace in the pack."

Owen felt a swell of pride as he smiled at his niece; he didn't have the words to describe how happy it made him to know Rosie had remembered everything. She had memorized everything she could about his girls.

But she had always been the most interested in Elise.

Blue shifted on Elise's head when Owen's mother walked over before saying, "There's the two guardian angels."

She gave a warm smile as she looked over the raptors before chuckling, "I can't believe my baby actually has a Velociraptor pack. I remember when the skeletons gave you nightmares."

Owen gave a crooked grin as his father looked over each attentive raptor. His green gaze seemed to memorize each pattern, each sickle claw, and he finally said, "I never pictured them as anything other than fossils, but now that I'm seeing them...they are beautiful."

Owen beamed proudly, and Elise tilted her head at him. Claire was reminded of a proud mother hen showing off her fluffy little chicks. Owen was a mother hen sometimes, and Claire couldn't stop her smile from growing; she wondered if the girls had followed Owen around like little chicks when they were babies.

Blue snapped her gaze towards the thick trees when she heard Rexy's roar. She knew that one, and she gave a graceful jump before landing on the ground. Owen's father whistled quietly, and Blue snapped her gaze to glare at the man. She had a feeling Stupid Alpha was related to this human as well; he looked very much like Stupid Alpha.

It didn't mean she would listen to him though. Stupid Alpha had to prove himself. He had to prove he was willing to meet her without barriers between them, he had to give her his trust, and she had finally accepted him fully when he had put himself in between her and White One so long ago.

But Blue wouldn't forget that, and she accepted that Stupid Alpha, as stupid as he was sometimes, was a good Alpha. That was all this pack needed.

Blue glanced up when Owen pulled out the resonating chamber before giving a low chittering sound. It was still rough around the edges, but Blue understood, and she made a graceful turn as she chittered the sound back to Owen. Delta and Echo were eager to get back to a quiet paddock, and Elise curled her lip when the raptors made to leave. They paused when she gave a stern snarl that caused Claire to raise an eyebrow. Blue shrieked at Elise, challenging her order just because it was what Blue did, and Elise gave a sharp snap of her teeth before lowering her head to Blue's level. Owen sighed quietly; this was a normal occurrence with the construction going on, but Elise did it every time the girls left.

It was working so far; Blue only physically fought Elise over this once, and no worker had been attacked. Granted they were on high alert at all times, but Elise did her best to keep the girls away.

Owen frowned when Blue seemed to bunch her muscles under herself, ready to launch an attack, and Elise made a deep, dangerous hiss with a shiver of her jaws. Elise dared Blue to challenge her authority.

Echo and Delta ducked their heads submissively, but Blue was feeling fiery at the moment. She was feeling good, but she snapped her teeth instead of barreling into Elise's nose. Blue had learned that never worked out completely after being pinned for the fifth time. They stared each other down, both refusing to back down before Owen finally cleared his throat, and firmly said, "Blue."

The Velociraptor huffed, but broke the staring contest. Owen had learned very quickly just how important it was that he and Elise were always on the same page when it came to decisions or orders. When he made an order that Blue was feeling like fighting, Elise would support Owen, and Blue would back down more easily. Owen did the same with Elise; they were a team, and Blue had yet to fight both Alphas over anything.

Owen was not looking forward to the day where Blue decided she was going to challenge both Alphas, but he was glad that day was not today.

He wished Rexy would allow the gate to stay closed; to keep the raptors on her side of the paddock while the construction went on, but Blue decided that was not going to happen. Rexy had smashed through the gate twice in one week before the Repair Team gave up.

Blue was not going to allow anything to keep her pack's territory divided nor would she risk the chance of being separated from Rexy during a patrol. Elise had stepped up with a firm order, and no one was going to complain.

Until someone got eaten, but the overhanging threat had pressured the workers to get done faster. They had learned very quickly that Rexy would not tolerate late night construction. She didn't care about early morning for whatever reason, but the construction crew went home the moment the park's speakers shut off.

Or else.

Owen repressed a small shiver at the memory; he had heard the furious roar all the way from his own bungalow. It hadn't been a happy roar.

Elise gave another firm chirp, and Blue lashed her tail as she garbled in response. The Indominus seemed satisfied with the answer, and she gave her permission to leave. Elise trusted Delta and Echo to make sure Blue wasn't tempted, but that's wasn't what concerned Elise.

It was Rexy losing her temper, and Blue being right behind her. Elise didn't think she would be able to fight Blue and Rexy; that was a hellish team that couldn't be stopped. Elise had never given an order at Rexy; she had relied heavily on her natural charisma around other animals. She had yet to figure out all of the humans' language, but she would get there eventually. She was determined to learn.

Rosie intently watched the girls dart into the brush before she asked, "Where are they going? I thought the pack stayed together always."

Owen couldn't stop his snort; this pack went by different rules, but they worked for him.

"They're off to go visit Rexy, Booger. She's part of the pack too, but I don't have any authority over her."

Owen glanced at Elise before adding, "And I don't think Elise does either."

Claire smiled when the Indominus gave a rumble to confirm this; no living creature held authority over Rexy. Claire found herself wondering how Sobek and Rexy would react to one another. She knew it would happen eventually even if Rexy never patrolled Elise's paddock.

One bark from nosey Blue would change all that; it was the main reason for the stronger fence being put up.

Claire had talked to Owen about it, and the man seemed to lick his lips nervously whenever the subject came up. Sobek was rightfully the Big Boss on Isla Sorna. He was that island's Rexy. Owen had wondered how Isla Sorna would fare after their head honcho retired to this island. Owen really couldn't imagine this island without Rexy.

It felt wrong.

He wondered if Isla Sorna would be that sensitive. Maybe it was because there wasn't another Tyrannosaurus on this island. Claire had yet to give the order to create a new one. They had the embryos ready to go, Claire just wasn't ready to give the word.

Because it would mean Rexy was nearing the end of her life, and no one wanted to acknowledge that.

Owen just hoped Rexy would be willing to ignore Sobek because of the strong fence.

A tug on his pants cleared all troubled thoughts, and Owen grinned widely as he scooped up his niece. She gave a delighted laugh, but shrieked when Owen suddenly fell over the railing. Owen's mother paled to a bone white, but Claire shook her head.

Elise garbled quietly as she lifted her catch for the others to see, and Rosie blinked at the hands around her before she gave laughed loudly. Elise liked this laugh, and she liked this little human.

Owen adjusted himself comfortably in the scaled palm, and he sighed contently while playing with the large fingers protecting them. Rosie showed now fear as she smiled widely, and Owen finally looked up at Elise as he said, "Elise, this is Rosie. She's my niece."

Rosie immediately tackled the long finger with her hands, and pulled it down in a shake as she said, "Nice to meet you, Elise. I like you, and I'm really glad you make sure Uncle Owen doesn't die."

Elise couldn't stop her snort; that was an important job in her life. She had to make sure Owen didn't die. Claire quietly giggled at the truth of it, and Elise turned her gaze to Owen's parents when he said, "That's my mom, Charlotte, and my dad, Ted."

Elise wasn't sure how to greet them because they were Owen's family. She felt a little shy; she didn't want to give them a bad impression, but Charlotte walked onto the railed platform before she sincerely said, "I can't thank you enough for saving my son from Lilly. I know you two had a rough start, but I'm so happy you're watching over him."

Elise supposed that was a good start, and she was warmed by that sincerity. She gave a small croon before leaning a little closer. She wanted to catch Charlotte's scent, but she wasn't sure about shoving her nose onto the woman. She looked little for a human, and Elise knew they had a thing called personal space. She didn't care most of the time because it was the little ones she was interacting with, but Elise paused when the elderly woman stretched out her palm.

Charlotte smiled at the scales under her hand, and she sighed, "What a creature you are, Elise. I've never seen such a pretty shade of red before; I can't imagine how hard it is to keep these snowy scales so clean."

Owen poked Rosie's side, and the child giggled loudly as he said, "We try to give her a bath at least once a week, Mom. She likes being clean."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow as she retorted, "Well that certainly proves she isn't your child. You insisted a bath could be taken in the largest puddle outside, without soap."

Elise blinked before cocking her gaze at her human, and Owen grinned sheepishly as he defended, "Hey, I'm a guy."

The Indominus turned her gaze over to Claire and wondered if that was another reason why they didn't have boy dinosaurs on this island. It seemed like males were messier; she wondered if Sobek was a messy creature or if he liked to keep himself respectably groomed. Elise hoped so; she didn't want a smelly neighbor.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when Rosie peered over the edge of her hand, and that child asked, "What's in the box?"

Owen stared at his niece before shifting to follow her gaze. He pressed his lips carefully as he tried to think of a way to word his answer in a tasteful but truthful way. He didn't want to sweep Elise's sister under the rug like she wasn't important, but Owen wasn't quite sure how to explain it to his seven year old niece who still believed her goldfish had gone to the ocean through the toilet instead of the neighbor's nosy cat's belly.

Owen didn't get a chance to explain because Elise decided to take matters into her own hands. Rosie kept an attentive gaze on the dirt while Elise carved her words out. Owen glanced at his parents when he father breathed, "She can write...my God...she can write."

Elise either didn't hear that or ignored it, but she gently set Owen and Rosie onto the ground to add her finishing touches on the words. Rosie blinked a few times before staring up at massive Elise towering over her. The size difference was massive, but Rosie quietly asked, "Your sister is in the box?"

Elise gave a single nod, and Rosie turned her gaze back before walking over. Elise kept a careful eye on Rosie, but the girl was very quiet as she stared at the plain, wooden box. She turned her brown gaze to stare at the fragile plant still growing strong in its jar. Owen hoped Rosie would be distracted by a pretty flower or something, but he winced at the innocent child.

"Is your sister sleeping? Because I can't hear anything; maybe we should check on her."

Owen slowly glanced at Elise, but she wasn't staring at him. She had an unreadable expression on her face as her gaze rested on the small child next to the coffin. Rosie was waiting for an answer, and Owen felt his heart break at the long sigh that quietly exhaled from Elise.

Elise knew a small child like Rosie probably wouldn't react very well to seeing a skeleton; she did not know Death. Something always broke in the little ones after their first meeting with Death. Elise knew she herself had been broke, and she knew she would have still broken even if she had Owen to comfort her when her sister had died.

Elise didn't want to break Rosie.

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"I'm trying my best, Mr. Bridges; I really am, but these records take a lot of time to work around. Especially if you don't want any loopholes in them."

Bridges kept his face neutral as he stared at the balding lawyer; Hart was losing weight, and Bridges knew it was from stress. He didn't like it when people he had to rely on didn't work well under stress.

It made them the weak link.

He relaxed into his chair gracefully as he quietly asked, "But you will get me the results I want, correct?"

The lawyer looked like he really didn't want to promise anything, but he was relying on Bridges more than he really wanted to. The man pulled out a clean handkerchief and wiped his forehead as he sighed, "Yes. I will certainly do everything that I can, Sir."

Bridges waved his hand as he purred, "You know there's no need for that kind of formality, Mr. Hart. We're both just two people doing our best to survive in this harsh world. I need a good lawyer who is willing to bend a few things for me, and you need my finances to pay for very hefty expenses."

Hart internally grimaced; it was always the green money that got him into these kinds of situations, but he nodded quietly before sighing, "I am grateful for everything you've done, Mr. Bridges. This just takes time is all, and I don't want you to think I am...putting this off."

Bridges shook his head before assuring, "Not at all, Mr. Hart. I know you wouldn't put this job off."

Hart seemed to grimace at the underlying threat, and Bridges was fine with that. He wanted the people working for him to be afraid of him, but he didn't want them too afraid. There was a little balance that needed to be kept because people who worked in fear grew resentful. Resentful people would get sloppy in their work, and Bridges didn't need any more slop.

He leaned on the desk with a relaxed posture as he added, "But I know you need breaks sometimes to be with your family. I know I'm a little harsh sometimes, but I think of myself as an understanding person."

Bridges felt he was a very understanding person. He understood when someone wasn't working as they should be, he understood that sometimes messier measures had to be taken to get his point across, and he understood that Hart was not someone who needed to live in complete fear of him. Bridges would prefer Hart to think of him as a close friend or even family.

Because a lawyer who was fond of someone would always be willing to work a little harder for that person.

The balding man blinked before saying, "Of course, Mr. Bridges. I'll do my best to get the legalities taken care of; I just wish I had some records to help back it up."

Bridges felt his smile lessen slightly; he wasn't getting any more out of Wu for a very long time, and he had promised he wouldn't ask for more records.

Bridges was a man of his word; when he made a promise, he kept it.

Hart stared at the man for a few seconds before getting the message, and he wiped his forehead again as he asked, "Dr. Wu continued to remain diligent in taking his secrets to the grave?"

Bridges glanced behind him when he heard Carnifex pacing under the railing; the fiery male was on edge today, and Bridges didn't care for it. He wasn't about to tell Hart that Wu was willing to take his secrets to the grave, just not to Carnifex's paddock, but he answered, "Even my persuasive methods are pretty much useless."

Hart pinched his nose before tiredly asking, "Judge Knight still wants Dr. Wu; the longer we keep him, the harder it's going to be to cover your tracks."

Bridges wasn't thrilled about that either, and he replied, "I have men already hired into the labs; it's just a matter of time before we find one who knows what they're doing. I am hoping that in all the chaos of hiring new geneticists there might be a new prodigy. Someone who can easily catch up to Wu as opposed to us finding someone willing to give up his secrets."

Hart raised his eyebrows as he asked, "And if we do happen to find someone like that?"

The lawyer pretended not to notice the way Bridges' eyes went flat, and the perfect smile flashed brilliant white teeth as he purred, "Then we do the right thing, Mr. Hart, and turn Dr. Wu over to the authorities, but we seize the laptop first. If we find a prodigy then he or she will be able to make sense of Wu's research. I know he purposefully writes it in a way that is incredibly difficult to understand, and I'm sure Miss Dearing will be ecstatic to have her park running the top research labs again. We can stop with this hybrid nonsense for a while, and discover more dinosaurs."

Hart slowly nodded as if he hadn't heard correctly; Bridges was one of the top supporters of genetic hybrids, but he paused when Bridges added, "Because clearly we lack the correct dinosaurs to create something easy to work with. We have Elise, but we'll never touch her. I have no intent of creating anymore Indominus."

Hart frowned as he quietly asked, "Does Dr. Wu have more Indominus embryos? Because if we get caught with those, Mr. Bridges, that is a hole I cannot dig us out of; especially if they're like Elise. If they have human DNA, it is my professional opinion to strongly encourage you to get rid of them."

Bridges would agree with Hart on that one, but he said, "I don't know if he has Indominus embryos, but I do know he has a few, smaller genetically modified hybrids. Pointless little things that we have no use for. He was the one in charge of making sure the proper embryos were sent back to Jurassic World. No hybrids were sent back."

"But are there Indominus embryos, Mr. Bridges? That's what Judge Knight is really asking for; she wants them if there are any, but I suggest we just get rid of them before someone discovers them."

Bridges raised an eyebrow before saying, "They're embryos, Mr. Hart. I have no idea if we have any, but I don't see why Judge Knight would get all flustered about. Embryos are easy to get rid of."

"Judge Knight is pro-life, and if those embryos have human DNA... She won't allow them to be terminated on the chance that they'll turn out like Elise. She might even go as far as handing them over to Elise to decide on bringing back the population."

"Bring back the population? Mr. Hart, there was never a population to begin with. Elise is a fluke, everyone knows that, she even knows that. The Indominus is a highly aggressive, dangerous animal who doesn't fit into any ecosystem because of the massive size."

Hart opened his mouth, but Bridges waved his hand as he said, "Look, I'm just as sentimental as the next guy, but is the world really ready for another Indominus? A massive animal with the ability to communicate with humans and others? We're struggling enough as it is with our own population, but we think we can support our own while adding this massive, highly intelligent creature to the equation? It may not matter now, but one Indominus turns to two, and so one and so forth. Before we know it, the human race will be competing with a population that can easily rival us in strength and intelligence. That's not thinking rationally."

Bridges didn't think that would happen for a very long time; he imagined a population like Elise's would be slow to grow, but it was his argument. He just didn't want to deal with another Indominus Rex.

Bridges raised an eyebrow when Hart gave him a deadpan look before pulling out a cylindrical tube from his briefcase. He handed it over wordlessly to Bridges, and the blonde was confused as he opened it. He peered inside before pulling out the rolled lithograph paper. He unrolled it to reveal the simple serenity before him, and Hart dryly asked, "Do you really think the world is going to deny that a child? Because I don't."

Bridges pressed his lips; he was struck by this photo. It was stunning. Elise's snow white scales had caught the sun just right, and there was something about the way she wasn't aware of her photo being taken that made this so much more precious. The quality was incredible, and even the tiny praying mantis standing proud on Elise's ebony talon was easily seen. There was something about her smile that seemed to take away from her ferocity; she looked gentle.

The world would not deny her a child.

Bridges sighed quietly, and Hart nodded; he was glad he was able to get his point across, and the blonde said, "I will make sure we do not have any Indominus embryos; Elise, as much as I adore her, she can adopt like Rexy does. She can raise the next Tyrannosaurus; it will probably be easier for her as well. Who knows what kind of health problems those embryos have."

Hart nodded in agreement, but both jumped when Bridges' door suddenly burst open. Jack was wide eyed and terrified, but Bridges snapped, "For the love of privacy, Jack!"

"Sobek cornered Romano!"

Bridges froze before a furious roar shook the windows. All he had to hear was the gunshots before he bolted out of the office with a speed Hart had never seen before. Jack was smart enough to move to the side, but he gave a terrified look at the lawyer before following. Hart sighed quietly as he shook his head.

He wasn't brave enough to run out there, but he would wait by the safety of a sturdy building. He collected his things while Carnifex gave a furious roar, but Hart decided to leave the lithograph photo for Bridges; the blonde seemed to like it. He was going to need something pretty to look at if Romano died.

Romano was the only one brave enough to tell Bridges when he was wrong.

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"Elise?"

Elise looked down at the curly haired child before she tapped her talon against her chest in thought. She knew Owen was uncomfortable with how she always talked so much to Small One all the time, but Elise knew no other way to keep her sister alive until the sapling could be planted.

Owen watched the Indominus beckon his niece over before she carved into the dirt. Rosie remained attentive before she asked, "Why is she sleeping in the box then?"

Elise loved children's curiosity, but this was a subject she wasn't so sure about giving all her truthful answers to. Elise glanced to Owen for some help, and the man internally sighed as he walked over before sitting on the ground. Rosie crawled into his lap when she felt the seriousness in the air, and Owen carefully said, "Rosie, Elise's sister isn't sleeping. She was born really sick, and...her body just stopped working. She...died."

Rosie glanced up at Elise, but the Indominus had tuned Owen out. She wasn't listening to this, but was staring at the little box like her sister was just sleeping in the box. Rosie glanced back as she asked, "So why did Elise say her sister was sleeping?"

Owen stared at Elise; he knew when she was ignoring him. He wanted to say it was because Elise hadn't wanted to upset Rosie, and he was sure that was a reason. But he had a feeling she just wasn't ready to completely acknowledge the fact that her sister was dead and gone. She wasn't here anymore and she wasn't coming back.

Owen also believed Rosie, as innocent as she was, shouldn't be lied to. She was a smart girl, and Owen wanted to treat her like that. She had a good head on her shoulder and a heart of gold to brighten the world.

Owen squeezed Rosie's arm gently as he stared at Elise, and quietly said, "Because Elise had a hard life, and her sister was all she had for family. Elise..."

Owen paused to really think about what he was going to say because Rosie was going to remember it for the rest of her life. Elise could be half listening, and Owen didn't want to hurt her. He finally looked at Rosie as he said, "Elise is still hurting, and she just really misses her sister. She does what she can to make herself feel better, and that's why she keeps her sister nearby."

Rosie glanced at the box before whispering, "Shouldn't her sister be buried? That's what Kylie said happened to her dog when he was put to sleep."

Owen risked a glance at the Indominus before he said, "See that little plant over there? Elise wants it to grow before she buries her sister. We're doing everything we can to help Elise not feel so sad, but we probably shouldn't touch the box, okay?"

Rosie nodded as she crossed her heart; she wouldn't touch the box. Owen chuckled, and made to stand before Rosie suddenly asked, "Does Elise have other family? You're her family, right?"

"Of course. Elise has lots of family now. She has me, Claire, Rexy, Blue, Echo, and Delta. She has other family too; she's not alone."

Rosie was satisfied with that answer, and she stood before walking over to the Indominus fearlessly. Owen glanced at his parents to see them attentively listening to Claire as she gestured to the box. He turned back when Rosie suddenly patted the massive leg as she called out Elise's name.

The Indominus carefully stepped away as she lowered herself to the child's level, and Rosie smiled before she suddenly said, "Ohana."

Elise blinked at the child, and Rosie proudly said, "Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

The Indominus continued to stare at Rosie before Owen suddenly smiled. He could see Elise trying to understand the sudden wisdom from such a little child, and he quietly said, "Booger, Elise hasn't seen that movie. She's never seen a Disney movie."

Owen immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, but the blasphemous words had already fallen from his mouth. Elise grew confused at the utterly crestfallen look Rosie gave her; she didn't know what a Disney movie was. Was it really something so important? It obviously was to this child, and Owen pressed his lips when Rosie turned on her uncle before putting her hands on her hips angrily. Elise blinked at all the stern sass oozing from Rosie, and the child scolded, "Uncle Owen! It's no wonder she's so sad!"

Owen grimaced at seeing his mother's sharp bite in Rosie's temper, but the child turned back to the dinosaur to assure her she was in good hands now.

"Don't worry, Elise. You're my ohana now, and I won't leave you behind or forget about you. I'll make sure you see all the important movies before I leave. I think we can be sisters."

Rosie suddenly brightened before she exclaimed, "I always wanted a little sister! Want to be my little sister?"

Elise continued to stare in confusion. Rosie was bouncing around from subject to subject a little too quickly; Elise was still trying to make sense of this ohana word. Why would she be the little sister? She was bigger and stronger; by all rights she would be the bigger sister, but Elise glanced at Owen when he chuckled, "Rosie is a year older than you, Elise..."

Elise snorted; it was very clear that Owen would not be going out of his way to correct or deny Rosie what she desired. She adored this little girl and her resemblance to Owen. Rosie had a heart of gold, and Elise would always protect that.

If it meant she had to be the little sister, then so be it.

Rosie gave an excited gasp when Elise nodded, and she made a happy little dance in a circle. Claire glanced up when Ted sighed, "Oh boy..."

Charlotte smacked her ex-husband playfully as she dryly said, "Don't be a stubborn fossil in the mud, Ted. Rosie always wanted a sister, and now she has one. Elise is someone good to look up to."

The elder snorted before saying, "I know, but that's not what I'm talking about."

Claire raised an eyebrow when Ted plugged his ears, and said, "Brace yourself; Rosie likes to scream when she's really happy."

Claire turned her gaze back to the ground, but Owen had already covered his ears to brace when Rosie took a deep breath.

------------------------------------------

The piercing shriek echoed loudly, and Bridges grimaced as he ran past the panicking people. Security wasn't sure what to do except keep people out. Bridges slid to a stop when the Commander hoarsely said, "Sobek already killed two of my guys; I don't know how Romano keeps dodging him."

Bridges didn't flinch when Sobek smashed into the thick walls that shuddered but refused to give. He only pushed the Commander aside before bolting into the massive room; Bridges knew his men were too afraid to follow him, and the blonde was momentarily struck by all the blood on the wall. It looked like a massacre, and the two, fallen men had been tossed aside in favor of a better chase. The wood shavings were disturbed from running, and the blood soaking it didn't help. Bridges didn't understand where so much blood could come from until a furious roar grabbed his attention.

Sobek snapped his jaws onto air as the Italian made another dodge. Bridges could see Romano was hurt, but it was Sobek who was bleeding; there was a slash on his nose. It wasn't a lot of blood for the Spinosaurus, but it was still a lot of blood.

"Daemon!"

Romano made another quick turn before Sobek could snap him up, and Bridges gave a shrill whistle to grab the Spinosaurus' attention.

Sobek snapped his gaze onto the blonde before slowly rising to his full height; Thief had angered him for the last time. This human was not welcome here, and Sobek let out a long, low growl to warn his human to go away.

Bridges knew how to really keep Sobek's attention. Anything loud always aggravated Sobek, and Bridges gave another shrill whistle. The Spinosaurus seemed to pause, as if astonished that Bridges defied him, before the carnivore charged in all his fury.

"Find a door!"

Romano glanced around desperately; there were four doors in total here, and the two closest to him were broken from Sobek crumpling them; Romano didn't want to waste time trying to clear the door away. He just had to hope that he could get to the one across from Daemon. If Daemon could hold Sobek's attention long enough at the other door, then Romano could get out.

It would help if his damned leg hadn't been slashed by the grazing of lethal claws. His was running out of stamina quickly, and adrenaline was going to wear out.

Bridges held his ground for as long as possible; he knew how to play chicken with Spinosaurus. He was great at it, and it was a thrill. He just needed to keep Sobek focused on him as long as possible. Bridges could see Romano running for the half ajar door out of the corner of his eye, and Sobek lowered his head before Bridges dove through the door. He landed with grace just in time to see Sobek smack his snout into the open door. People flinched back in terror, but Bridges darted forward to give a fierce smack on the nose. He knew it wouldn't hurt, and he felt terrible for riling his dinosaur like this, but he had to keep Sobek's attention.

The Spinosaurus was livid over the fact that his lesser prey had the audacity to actually fight back. Death was not permitted to intervene here; this was between him and Thief. The man had aggravated him for the very last time, and Sobek turned his attention back to the injured man.

He was so close to his exit, but Sobek was closer, and he snarled with a swing of his tail. His tail didn't hit Thief, and Sobek cursed his bad eye for ruining his aim. If he had both his eyes, Thief would have been smacked square in the center, and flung back.

Romano stumbled in his haste to duck under the tail, and he heard his ankle give a painful pop when it twisted wrong. Romano let out a cry of pain as he landed hard on the ground before doing his best to get back up. His ankle wasn't taking any weight, and Romano let out a shaky breath when his stumbled onto his knee. He glanced up to see Sobek standing proud in all his rightful glory. Old age had only given this king experience in surviving in the world, and Romano cursed himself in thinking Sobek was still sick. He cursed how this building was built to be longer than it was wide in the case of an emergency like this; it wasn't built as wide to give people a chance to scramble to doors, but it also meant Sobek wouldn't have to chase as far either.

Sobek ruled an island where there were no sick creatures; only dead or alive, and Sobek was very much alive.

Romano wiped his face; he was so close to the exit, but there was no way he could escape in time with his ankle. Sobek lowered himself to charge, but a shrill whistle startled the dinosaur before a flash of red light bounced off the scarred snout.

Sobek roared in fury in his haste to back away from the red fire. He remembered the red fire that burned his legs so terribly. It had seemed like a harmless thing, but it had exploded into raging flames when it hit the water. It would do the same here, and Sobek would not be caught in the flames again.

Sobek's good eye caught sight of Death bolting through the door and towards Thief. Sobek had hesitated to stare at the hissing, red fire before realizing this flame would not explode.

Death had faked him, and Sobek would not forgive that.

"Get up, Romano! Get! Up!"

Romano could not believe Daemon was actually running across the room, but Sobek's shrill roar forced the man into pushing himself up. He wobbled, and tried to stumble towards the door as the earth shaking steps drew nearer, and he yelped when Bridges suddenly tackled him. The duo slid on the cement when they landed on the ground, and Bridges looked up in time to see Sobek smash into the wall. He held his breath as the Spinosaurus charged a few more times before giving an unforgiving roar, and Bridges let out a sigh as his head rested on the cement.

He was getting a little too good at this, but Romano was quietly gasping in pain. Bridges let go of the man though he kept a hand on Romano's shoulder. Security rushed over, but Bridges waved them off; he wanted a few seconds to catch his breath.

"Sei matto, Daemon!"

Bridges couldn't stop his breathless chuckle as he slowly sat up, and replied, "You know I don't understand Italian, Romano. I told you to watch yourself around Sobek; we all know he wants you dead before anyone else."

Bridges sighed at the swearing the aggravated Italian was spewing, but he rose with a calm grace that he knew his workers needed to see. The only reason they tolerated sharing a building with Sobek was because Bridges was so calm around the dinosaur. He had to prove that he was a capable handler, and he turned to Romano before helping the man up.

Bridges glanced at his Commander as he said, "Go put sedatives in a good chunk of meat, and give it to Sobek. Once he's down, we can collect the bodies."

The man nodded gravely, and Romano hissed in pain before putting his weight on Bridges. He was still grumbling in his native tongue, but he finally wheezed, "Sobek decided he was ready to go, Daemon. There's no way we can keep him here any longer."

Bridges nodded in agreement as he walked Romano over to a smaller jeep; he would get Romano to their little hospital. Romano heaved a sigh when he sat down, and Bridges frowned at the bleeding leg before shaking his head. The vet glanced down when he felt the pressed jacket being tied around his leg to slow the bleeding, and he jokingly said, "You are going to ruin that jacket, Daemon. Tell me it was a cheap jacket."

Bridges shrugged as he sat in the dusty jeep chair before answering, "It's Ermenegildo Zegna, but I got it for cheap."

Bridges was just talking to keep the Italian awake, and he was glad the hospital was nearby. Romano blinked at the name before asking, "What's cheap for them?"

The blonde ran a hand through his hair as he tried to recall the price before answering, "I think I got this suit for around three grand; that's a good price for them."

Bridges couldn't help chuckling when Romano tried to shake the expensive bandage off his leg. Bridges knew how much of a penny pincher Romano was. This wasn't Romano's first trip to this hospital; he had been slashed by a younger raptor across his arm. Bridges remembered seeing the white bone, but the Italian had fought it. He had tried to say he would do his own stitches until Bridges had pointed out that he didn't have those supplies at the moment.

Romano had then tried to duct tape a sock onto his arm to stop the bleeding. That was the first fight where Bridges had won after he dragged a swearing Romano to the hospital. It wasn't until Romano found out that he wouldn't have to pay anything that he started to cooperate.

The jeep pulled to a stop as Romano held the expensive jacket away from him with ill hidden disdain, and Bridges teased, "Easy, Romano; you won't have to pay for that one."

"I will chop off my own leg before I pay for that!"

Bridges snorted; he loved pushing Romano's buttons, but he needed Romano's help in figuring out how to convince Sobek to stick around here for a little while longer. Bridges had a few ideas, but for now he just needed to make sure Romano didn't die.

It wasn't really a joke when he said that Sobek wanted to kill Romano before anyone else.