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I sigh in relief as the line I’m in for the hotdog stand finally starts to move.
God, I hate Fridays! Not only is it the busiest day of the week but it's also the most aggravating. There are always so many freaking tourists out on Fridays! Lots of screaming kids and self important idiots pushing and shoving to get wherever it is they want to go. Why were people such assholes anyways? ‘Thank god I have my girls. I’d probably go insane without them.’
I heave out a heavy sigh. At least the line at the hotdog stand is reasonably small. Everyone else must be going to the more fancy places in the park.
Finally making it to the front of the line, I make and receive my order and make my way to the fountain in the middle of Main Street. It’s undoubtedly the best place in the park to have lunch. I sit down with my two Dino-dogs with everything on them and begin to chow down. The mist from the fountain making the air about 10 degrees cooler. I practically stuffs half of the 1/2 pound hot dog in my mouth at once I’m so hungry! Damn stupid half raptor metabolism!
Thank god the girls decided to take advantage of the mild weather earlier and take a nap. That morning had been crazy! Since the park had officially reopened, he and his girls had been doing multiple shows a day! How many times did a velociraptor have to dance to Beyoncé’s Single Ladies until it finally gets old?! And he swears, if one more person requests they dance to ‘Old Town Road,’ he is going to maim someone.
That song isn’t even a true country song, damn it!!!
Finally, I finish with my meal and decide to sit back and people watch for a bit. I got a whole 2 hours left of my break so I might as well just chill.
Thankfully Barry and the rest of the Paddock staff went to go eat at the employee lounge so I actually have some time to myself for once. My eyes glance around, dancing from one person to the next. But it soon becomes boring. ‘Maybe I should call Zach and see what he’s doing? The last T-Rex feeding should be ending soon.’
Digging out my phone, I quickly unlock the screen. I go to bring up my text app only to see that I have a notification from one of the Bluetooth almost go pro-esc cameras I had the park place around inside the paddock.
“What the hell?” Opening the app, I comes face to screen with a huge yellow eye and a loud screech.
“SHIT!!”
SPLASH
God damn it, I must look insane digging around in the fountain. Grumbling about dropping my phone and crazy raptors. Like hell I actually care though. Decidedly ignoring the looks i know I’m getting from some of the tourists, I check my phone for any damage, sighing thankfully when I don’t find any. Thank god Zach talked me into one of those otter box things. I’ve actually been able to keep this phone for a couple of months now, instead of needing to ask for a new one every couple of weeks.
I reopen the app only to see a weird blotch off green and brown. I cycle through the other feeds, trying to see what’s going on in with the other camera. Finally locating the camera immediately across from the first one, I spot my culprit. “Echo!" I engage the speakers, yelling her name. She flinches "What are you doing?! Get down from there!”
She’d scaled the fence! How was that even possible?
She flinches again, probably at the sound of my voice but doesn't move as she lets out a warble. [No!] She says. [Camera!]
My eyes widen. “No! No camera, Echo!”
[Echo camera!] She goes to grab it and gets her teeth on it only to lose her balance and fall.
“Echo!” I shout, now worried she might of hurt herself. But she’s fine. She’s up in seconds and is dancing around with the tiny camera in her mouth. Then she's running around the compound in wide circles chanting, [Echo got camera! Echo got camera!] The camera is sitting backwards in her mouth, showing me a “lovely” view of her tongue and teeth.
“Echo! Echo!!! Damn it all!!” Where the hell are Blue and the girls?! Surely they aren't still asleep with all the noise Echo is making?
Finally having seen enough, I get up and run to my bike cursing the air blue. “Damn it! If I don't hurry, Echo’s going to break the camera! And the last thing I needs today is Claire on my ass.” Thank god she’s not as bad as she used to be. After learning about Zach and I things had been a little tense. She didn’t outright say anything, especially after Zach and even Gray had laid into her about it, (and hadn’t that been a sight) but she still sends me dirty looks from time to time.
I don't have the luxury to slow down when I finally reach my bike. I hop on, kick it into gear and tear off into the jungle. When I finally get there, I race into the enclosure. The other girls are still curled up in the corner near the food door. But Echo was nowhere to be seen. ‘She must be hiding in the bushes.’
“Echo! Get out here and give me that camera right now!” I shout, startling the girls out of their nap. I’d feel bad if this wasn’t an emergency.
Nothing.
Getting angry I glare at the bushes. “Echo, don’t make me come in there!”
Silence.
‘Damn it! What can I say to make her come out?!' I think, looking around. 'If she breaks that camera, Claire’s going to eat me for dinner!’ At that thought I stop in my tracks. ‘That’s it!’ I smile. “Echo!" Feeling smug, I call out her name loudly. “If you break that camera, I’ll sick Firelady on you!"
Her head pops up from over top a bush, her eyes wide. [WHAT?!]
“Ah ha!” I open the inner gate and race over to try and grab her but she dodges out of the way. Practically prancing out of my grasp with the camera still in her mouth. My eyes narrow as I glares at her. "Echo! I swear!"
[Mine!] She calls out as she turns to look at me. [Mine, mine, MINE!]
I take a deep breath for a moment, trying to calm myself. "Echo, please.” I say calmly. Trying not to yell. “Give me the camera. It's not a toy." I say, trying to reason with her.
Echo shakes her head and turns. [Mine!] She calls out and takes off again.
"Echo! Damnit!" I scramble to follow and practically trip over myself. But I recovers quickly and look over at the other girls. "Don't just stand there! Stop her!"
~
Blue, Charlie, and Delta move closer. All three tilting their heads, watching in confusion. They watch as Echo runs by first, followed closely by Alpha. Blue rolls her eyes in a very human-like manner, Charlie breathes out a dramatic sigh, and Delta just blinks, bored.
Echo turns and doubles back. She darts in behind her sisters. [Hide Echo!] She says, crouching down.
Owen slows and rolls his eyes. "Echo! I can see and hear you!"
Blue turns sharply and snaps at Echo, decidedly done with all this nonsense. All she wanted was to sleep! [Echo listens to Alpha!]
Echo's eyes widen as she dances back out of Blue's reach. [No!]
Delta laughs, ‘this looks fun’. She head butts Blue out of the way and turns to Echo. [Run, Echo!] She calls before pouncing on a very surprised Blue. The beta raptor lets out a squeal and attempts to wrestle Delta off.
[Delta!!! Off Blue!]
Echo laughs as her sisters wrestle. Just as Dad tries to grab her again, she darts off moving towards the line of bushes to hide. She’s best at hiding in bushes!
Charlie looks around, unsure of who to actually help. She glances between Alpha and Blue, torn. Deciding that she was too tired to deal with all of this, she goes and lays down where she was before. Wanting to go back to sleep. It was still too hot.
~
I sigh, frustrated beyond belief and take off after Echo again. Clearly, none of the other girls are going to help. What good is being the pack Alpha if they don't listen to me?! When this is all over, they are all going to sit down and talk about who's in charge here. Again. Seriously! At this point, he's getting tired at having to remind them! I watch as Echo's tail vanishes into the brush.
“Oh no you don’t!” I say diving in after her.
After Delta finally let Blue up the girls move over to where Charlie is sitting and decide just watch. It was too hot and they were so tired. They have to wonder where Echo gets all her energy. As they watch the bushes they can see bits and flashes of both Alpha and Echo but there gone faster than they appeared.
Soon they both tumble out of the trees, bits of foliage clinging to them. Charlie whines, she knows that Dad will be upset about that later. Owen tries to pin Echo to the ground but she uses her weight to roll out from under him causing him to trip. But Alpha dad is smart and he shifts his weight so he trips on top of her. While Echo is trying to get away, Alpha finally gets a grip on Echo’s tail and an hand around her neck. Echo is keeping him back with her legs and arms, stretching her neck out of his reach. The way things were going the girls have pretty much given up on going back to sleep any time soon. Deciding to just give up and watch what happens.
I got a grip on Echo and smirked down at my unruly youngest. ‘Finally!’ I think. “Ha! Caught ya you little...”
“What ... are you guys doing?” Interrupts a distinctly amused male voice.
I snap my head up to where the voice came from, noticing the girls doing the same, only to see Zach leaning against the gate to the paddock.
Oh boy.
————————————————————————
Despite the overall insanity of Fridays, it had been a reasonably normal day at work. If you could call feeding a giant T-Rex a $500 premium steak lunch while around 50 people take videos and pictures normal.
Yeah, who am I kidding, my life hasn’t been normal since I first stepped foot on this crazy dinosaur island all those years ago.
Not that I’m complaining, considering that, while my life is not nearly what I thought it would be, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Especially considering who I’ve got waiting for me when works done.
I can feel myself smile as I think about my awesome and gorgeous mate and our adorable, if crazy, girls.
I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. “Nope. Wouldn’t change it for anything.”
“Hey Zach!” I quickly look up from where I had just been hosing off the feed platform from lunch, (Rexy liked her meals still bleeding.) only to see a girl half hanging from the fake tree log.
“Hey Zia! What’s up?” Zia was one of my classmates from college, and admittedly one of my best friends along with Franklin. She’s training to be Rexy’s, the twins and the girls personal vet. If I trusted anyone with mine and Owen’s girls, it would be her.
“Franklin and I were going to go to that crazy new taco place on main, you coming or what?” She shouts.
I thought about it for a minute, tacos did sound nice but I already had an idea about how I wanted to spend my break. “Sorry Zia! Got other plans! Maybe tomorrow!” I shout back, turning off the hose and putting it away.
“Gonna go see your boyfriend?~” she singsongs teasingly. I give her a look. But she only laughs at the blush on my cheeks. I huff, “Whatever!”
She holds up her hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine! Go have fun with your raptor daddy.” She says slyly.
I could feel my face practically explode. “ZIA!!!” But she only runs off, cackling madly. I grumble and finish cleaning myself off.
If I wanted to go to the Paddock to see how Owen and the girls were doing that was my business! Their last show for the day should have ended by now. I smile, ‘Plus it would be nice to have lunch together after how crazy busy this last weeks been.’ I think.
Heading out of paddock 9’s employee door I decide to take the long way and jog to the paddock through the jungle. It’s a nice enough day for it, hot but not to muggy. I could feel my heart flutter as the girls paddock came into view. It’s been close to 2 years and just the thought of my mate still fills my stomach with butterflies. I jog a little faster only to stop a few yards from the paddock when I hear the girls chittering and squawking. I blink, while I may be better than I was I’m still not completely sure what their saying. Though I can still understand a few words. And I know I just heard Delta yell “Echo”.
I sigh, deciding to walk the rest of the way. “Oh boy, what has that girl done now?” I can feel myself sigh. ‘Well, there goes my nice lunch with Owen and the girls.’ When I’m about 10 feet away I can hear some thumps and growls.
“Oh no you don’t!” ‘Owen? What the hell is going on?’ I think to myself.
Finally making it inside I can see that the inner gate is open. Closing the outer gate behind me I walk over to see the girls minus Echo watching the bushes and trees in the middle of the paddock from where they’re laying near the pig gate as they move and shudder. That is, until Owen and Echo tumble out of them, obviously wrestling, bits of mud and leaves all over them. I can’t help but chuckle at how ridiculous they look. Suddenly something catches my eye. I can see something in Echo’s mouth glint in the sunlight. I blink and raise my eyebrow, ‘What in the world?’ I ask myself.
Finally Owen seems to get a good grip on her neck and tail but Echo is keeping him at bay with her arms and legs, keeping her head out of reach. Even though it’s taking me all my self control not to break down laughing I decide that this has obviously gone on long enough. Putting on my best “Mom face” as Zia calls it. I lean against the side of the open gate.
“What... are you guys doing?” I ask, unfortunately unable to keep my amusement out of my voice.
Everyone starts at my voice and whips their gear towards me, even Blue and Delta look startled!
Owen, however, looks the most gobsmacked. “Uh, um.” That’s when I finally get a good look at Echo’s mouth. ‘Aha, now I get it.’
“Echo, what do you have in your mouth?” She flinches and bows her head. Trying to give me her best innocent look, but I know better.
As Owen let’s go of Echo and let’s her get up, I walk over to where the other girls are, everyone fallowing me with their eyes.
I send a look at Charlie and motion to the little scrap of orange and white fabric on the ground and she immediately picks it up and gives it to me. I could here Echo squeak. Thanking her and hiding a smile, I walk over to the front gate again and hold up Echo’s Nemo plushy.
I look at her with my best disappointed look, “Echo, you know your not allowed to touch the cameras and phones. Those things are very easy to break and no matter how careful you are, you still are very strong and have very sharp claws and teeth.” She bows her head even more and tries to hide behind Owen.
“Now, give Owen the camera or no Nemo, both the toy and the movie, for a week! Is that understood?”
She quickly nodded her head squeaking out what I could understand as, [Yes, momma.]
She delicately drops the camera into Owens waiting hand and looks at me. I nod and hold out her toy. She squeaks happily, races over to take the toy and once she has it races back to where her sisters are laying down. Yawning all the while. It looks like she tired herself out with her little game of keep away. Chuckling and snapping a quick picture of her and the rest of the girls cuddling up to sleep. I look over to Owen only to see him with a big goofy smile.
I can feel myself blush. “What?”
His smile only gets wider, starting to walk towards me. “‘What?’ he says, like he didn’t just do in 2 minutes what I’ve been trying to do for the last 20.” He says while rapping his arms around me in a hug. “You’re amazing you know that? So good with our girls. Such a good momma and mate.” He purrs. I blush harder but smile.
“Well, one of us has to be the level headed parent of all these crazy lizards.” He just throws his head back and laughs. “Anyway, now that the girls are asleep and we still have about an hour and a half left of our break, why don’t we go see how the twins are doing and go out for an early dinner?” I said smiling.
Owen pretends to think about it for a second before loosing the battle with his own face and cracks a soft smile. “I think that’s a lovely idea.” He said giving me a peck on the lips. “Where do you wanna go?”
I hummed happily at the kiss and thought about it. “How about that barbecue place you like so much?”
He smiled “Sounds perfect.”
‘Yeah absolutely perfect.’ I thought smiling.