“Owen walked into his bungalow and changed back into the shirt he was wearing earlier that day at the paddock.” - I'm so glad you pointed out that he changes back into what he was wearing earlier. I don't get how this is an improvement over his other outfit, when she's say's it's sensitive to smell. I mean he had a very stressful encounter in this outfit, did he not sweat during the whole raptor thing?

“And the other...bouquet?" He grinned with delight, "Take me to the raptor paddock after we finish, and I'll show you.” - Oh man, I wish this had happened in JW. In that deleted scene, that Blue had refused to get into her harness at first, insisting on getting the flowers. Sigh... Wouldn't mess with anything else in the plot. :)

Barenaked Ladies, "Call and Answer” - always nice to include some Canadian content :)

I like this story more and more every time I read it. It's raw and real and honest and even knowing that in FK they've broken up (again), it still *works*. The development of their characters in here easily carries through into FK. The stress of the fallout of JW is enough to overpower anything else they were thinking and hoping for. Time to get to those missing years... ;)

“He sounds like a good man. If given the chance, he might risk his life for you, too.” - Aw, Karen. I like the dynamic between the two in this. Very sibling like - calling the other out on their behaviour, and knowing them deeply, and wanting the best, even if you don't see eye to eye.

“Owen thought about how much worse he would feel if he lost that fight. The devil on his shoulder told him things, too.” - :( I feel for Owen here. It's so much harder to act when you can easily see both sides.

“You looked like the Goddess of Jurassic World in Time. Now, you look like a cross between Prince Valiant and a comic book villainess.” - hahaha

“Oh, so you finally noticed the velociraptor. That's intentional. He's heartbroken.” - I love Lowery.

“Blue dropped the bundle on the paddock floor opposite Ellie. Owen was mortified but had to reward Blue for doing as she was trained.” - I love that Owen taught this to Blue. And I love that in this chapter, we are really understanding just how much Owen actually wanted to be with Claire.

Oh Ellie. I love that you gave some thought to what happened between her and Alan. I feel bad for Alan in this story, but it works. If they bring him back in JW3, I don't really know how I want to see him or what I think he should be doing. But someone life hasn't been kind to I would get (even if it'd be sad).

“Claire kept her eyes wide and nodded her head as if hanging on Zara's every word, but she was really having an out of body experience.” - Oh man, have *so* been there.

“She wanted him to contact her first as a test to prove that was true. Claire was frankly disappointed that he only sent the formal report and didn't bother to make a personal call to her. He was probably just tired, she thought to herself. Claire realized that she didn't make excuses just for herself when it came to intimacy.” - Never a good sign when you're setting up "tests" and/or making excuses for them.

“Race you to my place."
"See you there”
- No no no Claire. You caved. And you guys still aren't talking.

“Claire wanted him to stay the night. More than that, however, she wanted him to want to stay the night.” - Well, sure Claire, but you're not ever requiring that from him. Ahhh these two idiots that we love. :P

“The engineers are helping me build my bungalow this week. I can't wait for you to see it when it's done.” - "Do you want to consult here? Or in my bungalow?"

“It was time to develop their relationship beyond the physical.” - :(

Okay, the chunk I wanted to quote next is gigantic. But the conversation when they go back up to her place after the date. Including: “Why are you suddenly being so hard-headed? You've been easy so far.” Sigh, the angst is so wonderful and yet hurts so much.

“If you actually believe that, then...you're right, there is no us." Owen was done for the night. He needed to leave before he said something he couldn't take back. He needed to leave before she said anything else to make it worse.” - I love this, because it's clear that Owen really does want more, even if he's been wishy-washy in his own thoughts and actions up until now.

Sigh. Even knowing it can't end happily (movie), I still want it to.

“He's my boss."
"So what? You still have to be able to say no or, at least, think for yourself. Otherwise, you could to end up going along with something very wrong.”
- I love this setup for JW. :)

“What? No. That is the exact opposite of what I need." Owen wouldn't look at her as he responded, "It's what I need.” - Ugh, part of me hates that you make me dislike Owen, but another part of me loves it.

“He had the sobering feeling that he might push Claire away before figuring out what he wanted them to be.” - Growth!

“Someone recently told me to think for myself, so I'll get what I want." She hung up on him." - lol Go Claire!

“I want to be able to count on each other when the chips are down. If that's not something you want, too, then...then, there's no point.” - Communication! Not that it goes very far. But it's a start.

“It's the only dress shirt I own," Lowery answered sheepishly.” - Lowery is me.

“It suddenly occurred to him that being with Claire felt like home.” - Aw.

“A baker's dozen on day twelve.” - Setting the bar high. :P

“Claire took a bagel out of the bag and left it on the table next to his phone. It was more mature than carving "I was here" on the table top.” - Ah, for every good move Owen makes he then does something so stupid. Setting up his board shorts moment.

“Owen didn't know her well enough to predict her reaction.” - I like this mention, because it's a reminder that as much as they seem to be building up a relationship, they really haven't. And as much as both of them acknowledge separately that they want more and that they need to talk, neither of them are making the move to fix it.

“He sighed, "We need to talk more...in general.” - And so he mentions it, but then they both brush it aside, and Owen can't even bring himself to follow through on his thought that he'd jump at the opportunity to go to her when she asks. Claire's not perfect in this, but Owen is currently coming off worse.

“I said I was sorry. What do you want from me?"
"To feel important to you. The bagels were very sweet, but...I need more than that.”
“Were you choosing me or sex?"
"That's what this is about," he sighed and continued to hold her hand. "Look, I didn't...last night...I'm sorry." ”
This whole exchange... sigh. And Claire, stop giving him an out.

“Really?" Owen seemed genuinely surprised. Claire was reminded yet again of how little they knew each other." - I think one of the things I really like from this whole story, is that you're staying true to the movie timeline. You're not artificially fixing their relationship or setting them up to appear closer or more *something* then makes sense given the movie.

“Claire smiled to herself and hoped she'd be back on top soon.” - And lines like this are just so much fun.

“Some days, he wished he never asked her out; and other days, he was blindingly jealous of Barry and Genevieve's happiness.” - I feel like I should feel some sympathy for Owen here, but I don't.

“Ravi said that Mr. Masrani had full confidence in Claire's business savvy and wanted her to reach out to the division on his behalf.” - And poor Claire, her own cleverness coming back to bite her. Oops.

“She told herself it was too late and that tomorrow was another big day to get through. Claire frowned, realizing that she often used that excuse not to reach out to people. There was always something. It was always a "big day.” - This Claire is so relatable. And so understandable. And so a Claire that *fits* with all we know about her.

“And here, I thought we were having a moment, not keeping score." Owen could hear the genuine disappointment in her voice, and he realized he went too far for this stage of their relationship.” - I like that Claire called him out on it. And that Owen is a big enough/mature enough person to get it.

“It's just that...guys like you...usually aren't interested in me."
"There's no other guy like me.” - I love Owen's response, that it's not the traditional "what? of course they are." BS.

I always find it interesting that Claire doesn't raise the Times stuff right away. And I'm not sure if Owen knows about the contact prohibition being lifted at this point or not. It adds another layer to their relationship that they're still not as open as they could be with each other. Miscommunication, the staple of clawen angst.
“They both clearly needed to establish a healthier work-life balance.” :)

“He caught one of her hands and whispered, "You own me." Claire licked her lips, "You owe me.” - :)

The idea of a suspension is so interesting. Because it feels like it hurts the IBRIS team as much if not more than just Owen himself. Is two weeks without the main alpha a really good idea? But, I don't know that you could give a punishment of two weeks you have to work for no pay...

“he mused that this was not likely a good starting point for a relationship.” - Probably not. But you know I love the idea they were friends or something before JW. I also really enjoy this idea. That they were well aware of each other. Were hitting it off but weren't really able to actually make it into anything real. It's a good setup for their behaviour with each other in JW.

“In twenty years," Dr. Malcolm said while watching the carnivore, "everything has changed but nothing is new." - Yep. I like the visit and conversation between the two. That as much as he can make jokes, there are things that get to him. And that Claire manages to hold her ground and be confident through it all, even when his behaviour is unsettling.

“You're over-thinking again. Life is too short for that. I wish I could show you a picture of your face after you met her in the gardens.” - Barry is such a good friend.

“How can this park teach humility to guests if its leaders don't possess that quality?” - The conversation between Malcolm and Claire at the end is so great. Him trying to push things and Claire protecting herself. I'm impressed Claire didn't respond with an immediate horrified 'no' at the question of her sleeping with Billy. I can tolerate Malcolm in this, more so than the movies. And you didn't put in his annoying laugh.

“Always reflect that soon you will be no one, and nowhere.” - This feels kind of morbid. Also - I totally don't remember reading this quote before.

“You had to learn the hard way.” - Yeah, this rings true for Owen. I can see him pushing the limits as much as he can. I think it's a line in consulting saves lives, about how he's attracted to danger. Fits my hc version of him.

“Pathetic, driven loser," she thought to herself.” - No Claire! Think better of yourself. Also, those were a pretty great three hours.

“Omega caught Barry's motion” - Smart dino, not falling for the trick of smelling the rag, when she could watch Barry. Not that it worked out well for her. But it was still a "clever girl" moment.

“Intellectually, this was perfectly reasonable. Emotionally, this was much harder to process." - I know nothing about pack behaviours. I wonder what the normal response is. Would they grieve at all, even though they didn't want her?

I love that Owen broke the wall. And that Henry called him out on not reading the protocols fully. I love Owen's character in this. He's very multi-dimensional.

“She told Claire that she wanted equality with her ACU brethren and not special treatment or attention." - I relate to Allison so much.

“Barry reminded him that he can't be at the paddock 24/7 and that people are careless sometimes. Owen fired back angrily, "I'm not supposed to be."" - I like this Owen. That he actually seems intelligent and really thinking through his actions (even if he's too hard on himself). This is an Owen that makes sense with Claire.

“The velociraptor situation had, after all, "blown over." Ticket sales and public interest were back on track. Focus groups in New York and San Diego even indicated that they wanted scarier attractions.” - I love this setup for the indominus.

“My job description seems to be fluid.” - She rolls with this so much better than I do. And with less frustration / anger.

“He made a mental note to apologize to Barry for how he treated him after the incident with the tech.” - I don't think I've mentioned Barry yet in my reviews. But I actually really like that they're not immediately best friends. I like that Barry stands his ground and is willing to tell Owen what he needs to hear (even if he doesn't want to hear it). And that Owen, in return, is slowly learning to actually listen. I love imperfect characters.

“The mainland hotels became a more popular choice for many guests, as if people believed that raptors would only attack at night.” - I love this detail. It's *exactly* how people would think (stupidly).

“ Lowery took his cue to say, "Predators, not otherwise specified." I love Lowery.

“Allison told Claire that she felt like she had to adhere to higher standards and was constantly having to prove herself" - way to real. :(

“You think it's gonna be easy for me to walk away from you? It never is, Claire.” - Unless you insult my van. :P I'm glad they met up in this chapter again. I feel like Claire would get really lost in her thoughts and doubts over everything if they didn't have occasional contact.

“It's called Dracorex hogwartsia, Dragon King of Hogwarts.” - I think this is such a cool addition and *totally* something JW would be looking into. Big spike in attendance. :)

Ahh, I continue to love Wu's character in this. Smarmy, slimey, and slippery as ever, but yet also there's some good in him - or at least he likes Claire enough.

“Zara studied psychology in college and argued with Lowery in a past conversation that Dr. Malcolm was simply "Personality Disorder NOS.” - lol.

“Claire worried that Owen regretted what they did and questioned if he truly trusted her.” - I so identify with Claire here and overthinking everything. Also, as always, I enjoy how you write Lowery. Such a fun character. Would love to see him in JW3.

"Against all odds, Zara had agreed to give Jacob Staley" No Zara! Claire called him a predator. :(

I love Rosa's character. :) Not just that she helps them out. But that it shows that Claire is not this cold boss lady who doesn't know how to interact or treat her employees. I mean, her interaction with Lowery in JW, to me, showed she wasn't all high and mighty about it.

"She didn't know about the NDAs, so she was taking a big risk" - wouldn't this make it a smaller risk?

“Not so 'wholesome' now, are we?” - hahaha. Love it. :)

"contemplated whether or not this confirmed he was a stalker." lol. Oh Owen. Only to then say to her: “Did you look in the mirror before you left your home today?”

"I stay away from all that" I totally agree that Owen would avoid, and Claire would *want* to, but wouldn't be able to help herself.

“and decided that, if she had the same preferred boat, maybe that meant something about their compatibility.” - Oh, how we've all done this sort of justification.

“His ploy backfired, so he hasn't commented much ever since." I like this idea. Let's remove Malcolm from needing to be a voice we hear.

“Owen suddenly felt guilty about his voyeurism and decided that he was firmly sliding into stalker territory now.” hehe

I love the flipping between Claire and Owen, and both struggling to do what's right, but also being pulled by their own wants. Multidimensional characters! Yay!

"characterizing them as "wholesome, driven loners." - I don't know why I love this description of them so much. But I can totally buy it.

And "blank slates on which each of their companies can write their own version of the truth." is such a perfect media line. I love all the implications in it.

Making Wu the messenger just gives his character so much more in the story. Puts him in a position of power over the two, probably unintentionally on their part.

"newest predator on the island" - Oh the real world. I really enjoy Wu in this. Such an underrated character.

“What?" exclaimed Claire. "I mean, we need the public to trust us. Trust that the park will keep them safe. People need to know that the park and InGen are working together.”

I *love* this. :)

This chapter makes me rethink the IBRIS project even more. Why was it on Nublar? Why not go back to Sorna for it? I can understand the Indominus on Nublar - it was suppose to be an attraction. But why the raptors?

“He was even more enticing now that he was forbidden fruit." Oh Claire... :P

“Time, stress, and financial troubles had not been kind to Dr. Grant. He had retired from field work a few years ago and lived alone in a remote area of Montana. Most of those involved in the incidents on Isla Nublar and Sorna had either moved on with their lives, started working for InGen or committed suicide.” Not a good thing to be involved in a JP incident. I like this - they always seem more glorified, but it probably didn't work out that way.

“It was nice to believe that they might have something in common, something to justify his attraction to her.” I love when fics go into Owen's thoughts. We know so little about it.