Chapter Four

I parked beside an old truck and four-wheeler before stepping out into Dan's small gravel driveway and waving to a few of the guys who sat under a canopy Dan had set up in his yard. Owen wasn't there yet, I noted, but Steve, Helen, Ashley and a few others were there hanging out. I smiled at the girls and they beamed back. "How'd the girls do today?" I asked, taking a cup of fruity drink that Helen handed me.

"They were really great Natalie, they were so gentle with the kids and made no fuss over anything." I nodded, pushing my glasses up my nose, "They're settled in for the night?" Ashley nodded. This was really great news for me, as I had been worried about how they'd do all week. Granted, I had faith that Thorn and Luna would be fine, they were steady and easy going creatures that I had taught well….but there's always that little thing called anxiety.

Pushing my glasses up my nose, I sat down on a deserted chair and sipped my drink, "This is really good! What's it called?" I asked laughing at Helen's excited face. "It's my concoction! Kind of a mixture of everything," she grinned back at me and I snorted. "Are you even old enough to make alcoholic drinks?" She just shrugged.

Dan grabbed my attention for a moment and I turned towards him attentively, "I heard that the show with Esme went well today Nat, I'm proud of you both." I beamed back, my heart warming at his praise, I really did respect that man and his opinion. "Thanks Dan, that means so much to me. She was fantastic…as usual."

Wondering what time it was and what was taking Owen so long, I drummed my fingers against the table before sitting up and sipping my drink again. Getting ready to stand up and see if I could help Dan with anything, I paused when I heard the familiar sound of Owen's bike coming up the road. Turning my head excitedly, I grinned a little as I waited for the bike to come around the corner.

However, when it finally did I was slightly disappointed, and felt a warm heat come across my face and neck. On the bike was in fact Owen Grady, my best friend, crush, and….I can't believe I'm admitting I have a crush on him….anyways….my coworker….but behind him sat, in a pretty white skirt, blue blouse, and black sports jacket, her red hair still perfect despite getting wind-blown from the ride over. Claire. My nemeses. My enemy. Now, apparently my competition. I was speechless. When had this happened? This whole Claire riding Owen's bike thing? She was a bad word and I positively didn't like her.

Taking a big swig of my drink, I turned into my table and pretended not to notice them like any other mature adult would do. Dan's and a few other voices rang out across the yard in greeting, "Hey Owen, Hi Ms. Claire."

"It's Ms. Dearing,"

"Oh, I'm sorry Ms. Dearing."

I rolled my eyes at the sound of her voice, she was such a snob.

I tensed though when I heard Owen say my name, "Hey Nat Nat, are you ignoring me?" I looked up at him with my blue eyes and blinked, "Now what would make you think that I would ever ignore you?"

Owen frowned a little, "Uh, the fact that you refused to look at me when I waved at you."

I rolled my eyes and couldn't help but smile, "Uh, maybe because you waved at my back."

He grinned back and was about to say something else when Claire came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist possessively. I felt my hackles rise and I took another sip of drink. "Natalie." The redhead said dryly.

I stared at her, "Claire."

She cleared her throat, "Um, it's Ms. Dearing to you."

I ran my fingers through my hair, the affects of the drink working on me. "Well it's safe to say I don't care, Claire…HEY that rhymed!" I chuckled to myself as she fumed behind Owen.

"I heard your dinosaurs managed not to kill anyone today. I'm surprised." My chuckling stopped…"Excuse me?" I asked turning to face her fully.

She stepped out from behind Owen a little, "You heard me. I'm surprised that those creatures of yours didn't crush a child. Considering who trained them."

Oh damn, she did not just say that and she cannot be that mean…can she?

I stood up, "Say one more word and I'll—" Owen stepped forward and grabbed me by my middle, hosting me up and carrying me like a football away from the redhead who glared at us. "Nat Nat lets go away from confrontation! Jeez you're a wild cat these days"

I smacked his side, "put me down Owen. Put me down now!" after we were around the corner of Dan's house did he actually put me down.

I then proceeded to cry angry tears, "Why is she here?" I whined, and then slapped his shoulder halfheartedly, he didn't even wince.

"Don't hit me crazy lady, hey, hey. Calm down. I wiped my eyes with my shirt and felt dizzy, his hand came up to steady my arm but I swatted him away. "Leave me alone, traitor."

Owen just laughed, "How am I a traitor?" you are out with another woman.

"You brought Claire here and stood there while she talked bad about my girls."

He held up his hands in a placating way, "She didn't mean anything by it."

I looked at him incredibly, " You are delusional. She is mean."

I started walking to my house since I was intoxicated. Owen stumbled over his words before following me, "Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Why?"

"My chickens are hungry."

"Nat, stay please." I shook my head and kept walking holding my hand up in his direction, "Nope, byeee," and I stumbled across the yards to my house. I really did need to feed my chickens.

Owen followed me home, but I didn't see him. Too engrossed in my drunken hurt feelings to pay attention, what did Helen put in that drink of hers?

Finally reaching my house, I staggered to the chicken house and opened their feed barrel before going in the pen and filling up their pans. When I came out, I found Owen sitting on my steps with his hands clasped in front of him.

"I'm sorry Nat, I didn't know she would be that rude to you still. We went on a sort of date and I thought it would be nice if she met everyone on a personal setting."

I stood there, and I shook my head, mussing his hair as I walked around him up my steps and opened the door to my house. "I'm going to bed, you're forgiven and I love you." With those words I promptly shut the door. Collapsing in bed only to be awoken four hours later by a phone call.

Grabbing it from my bedside table, I groggily answered it, "Hello?"

Dan was on the other end, "Natalie, get dressed, we have a code 15. Meet me at my house ASAP" he hung up and I rolled out of bed, ignoring dizziness and quickly getting my socks and shoes on as I was still dressed from earlier, grabbing my glasses I ran out the door and across the yards. A code 15 meant that one of the grazing herds had gotten past the fences and needed to be rounded up. How they got past the fences? Do not know, but immediate action was always to be taken. All thoughts of Owen and Claire forgotten now as I hopped into Dan's' vehicle, I prayed the herds didn't somehow get into a predator compound.

A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows! please keep it up!

Disclaimer: I do not own Jurassic World.