What Do We Do Now?
by heavensgirl

Just watched Jurassic World during opening weekend and what can I say, I actually enjoyed the film. I particularly loved the characters of Owen and Claire and that romantic spark between them… so I thought: why not write a few stories about these two?

Reviews would be highly appreciated! Enjoy!

He was quite surprised when he easily found her among the throngs of people in the evacuation center. A little turn of his head to the right and he saw her staring at him a few rows away, a blanket draped over her shoulders and her eyes glossy with unshed tears. Next to her, he saw Zach and Gray reunited with their parents.

Owen slowly made his way toward the center aisle, never breaking eye contact with her as she started making her way towards him. When they finally met, they were mere inches away from each other – so close, in fact, that Owen was extremely tempted to kiss her.

Claire sighed; she looked like she wanted to cry. The incident just the day before was weighing heavily on her shoulders. "So, what do we do now?" she asked Owen.

The first idea that popped into his head was to take a much-needed sleep – the ordeal they just went through didn't give them the opportunity to rest. There was so much running, jumping, tripping, hiding, and more running…

"Probably stick together," he finally said, "for survival."

He knew she immediately caught on the meaning behind his words: Claire's eyes lit up and for the first time after leaving the island, she gave him a shy smile.

They sauntered towards the entrance before they decided to take a seat on an empty cot near the doorway. Owen glanced at Claire who was looking outside, deep in thought.

She closed her eyes. "This isn't going to be the end for me."

"What do you mean?"

"After what happened, some of us will have to pick up the pieces," Claire started, her jaw tightening as if she was fighting back the tears. "I was the park's operations manager. I will have to take responsibility for what happened back there."

"Claire, this wasn't your fault."

She gazed at him, eyes weary and grieved. "I knew the lab was concocting these modified… creatures and I just went along with it. I was too focused on how they were going to help the park's profits and reputation that I didn't see what kind of consequences would happen from such an idea… it's only until the Indominus Rex escaped that I realized how wrong it was… how wrong I was for accepting that idea."

"It's everybody's fault," Owen said. When Claire raised an inquisitive brow, he continued, "It's not entirely your fault alone – it's also the company's, the employees', the scientists', and even the visitors'. We all contributed to the shit we just went through. We all got caught up in the power of that park that we thought we were the ones in control. Those dinosaurs showed otherwise."

Claire shifted in her seat, absorbing Owen's words. "I'm sorry," she finally said, pursing her lips as she gazed at Owen.

"What?" Owen asked, slightly confused. "What are you apologizing for?"

"You almost died because of my poor choices," she replied. "When Lowery said that the Indominus Rex was still in the paddock, I panicked because I knew there were people in there… you were in there. You could've died."

The tears started spilling down her cheeks as she said the words to him. He hated seeing her cry, but he also hated the fact that she was beginning to bury herself in guilt.

"Look, will you cut that out?" he said, his tone a little irritated. "You keep focusing on the bad things. Don't tell me you already forgot what you did back there? Your decision to let the T-Rex loose was a big risk, but it paid off."

He reached for her hand. "You saved our asses," he added, his mood lighter.

Claire couldn't help but smile slightly at his use of jargon. "So… where are your plans?" she asked.

Claire's earlier question echoed in his mind: What do we do now? Honestly, he absolutely had no clue what his next step would be. Most of his personal belongings were in his bungalow in that God-forsaken park, and he had no plans to return there anytime soon (maybe ever). He could call in a few relatives or friends if they can let him stay with them for a while until he finds his place in the world again.

He shrugged. "Well, for starters, I need to find a new place. Then find a job. Or maybe the other way around: find a job first so I can afford a place."

"You can stay with me, if you'd like," Claire said hurriedly, her voice sure and confident. Claire knew she needed someone to help her go through the madness she was sure would be catching up with her when the initial chaos subsides… and she knew that someone would be Owen. She needed Owen, and she knew he needed her, too. They stuck by each others' sides throughout the whole thing; they weren't going to stop now.

Owen raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You can stay with me," was Claire's straightforward answer.

Owen's suggestive smirk almost made Claire take back her words. "I didn't think you wanted me that badly, Claire," he said with a wink.

Claire rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Mr. Grady."

"Owen," he corrected. He realized she enjoyed calling him in that formal way knowing it irritated him. He could get used to their bantering.

A comfortable silence followed as they watched several trucks full of supplies screech to a halt outside. "I'm serious about what I said," Claire said to Owen, her eyes observing the crowd that gathered near the supply trucks.

"Are you sure?"

The look she gave him was bright and full of hope and it made him happy. "Of course. 'Stick together,' remember?"

Owen nodded. "For survival."

Claire smiled, placing her head on Owen's shoulder. "For survival," she repeated.

Owen returned her smile as he pulled her close. He grabbed the blanket from her shoulders and draped it over the both of them before placing a chaste kiss on her temple.

"Guess you're stuck with me."

Short and sweet. I have so much feels for this pairing.

Yours truly, HG

Edited: 2/13/18