The Grand Finale...

Two weeks.

I had been awake and imprisoned in the clinic for two full weeks undergoing every test known to man, but today I was being released.

Whether the doctor agreed to it or not.

"Can you double check the bathroom and make sure everything is out?" I asked Owen as I stuffed my clothes into a bag as best I could with only one hand, "After that we can start taking all these flowers and cards out to your car."

"Jo, the doctor said it was possible you would be released today," he told me gently. It did not escape my attention that he had retreated to the opposite side of the room first. "Possible doesn't necessarily mean it's going to happen."

My hands stilled and I slowly raised my eyes. I've always had an uncanny ability to communicate using just facial expressions, and right now I was letting Owen know I was one step away from losing my shit in a big way. He took another involuntary step back.

"I'm leaving. Today. I don't care what Dr. Uptight says. You can help or you can leave."

"You're looking a little crazy babe."

That was probably because I was crazy, and while Owen may have thought he'd reached the bottom of my craziness he was now discovering there was also an underground garage stocked full of even more crazy.

"Owen, I'm fine. All my tests have come back normal," I told him resuming my clumsy packing.

I heard him sigh in response, "Except for having absolutely no memory prior to the accident."

Right. Except for that one, minor detail.

"I may never remember. I just need to accept it and move on. I can do that at home."

He gave me a look that clearly conveyed he didn't believe in my new found coping skills. He was right, not that I'd ever tell him though. I was 100% not OK with the hole in my memory and the fact that I had no way of figuring out why someone had tried to kill me. Again.

Claire had filled in some of the blind spots when she stopped by for a visit yesterday. I cringed recalling her explain how I flew into what she described as a "fit of rage" that culminated with me pinning Dr. Wu against a wall. I'm pretty self-aware and understand that I may, from time to time, have anger management issues, but I wouldn't choke slam someone without a really good reason. Most of the time anyway.

I knew the key to my untethered descent down a cliff had something to do with Dr. Wu, but had no idea why. It could just be as simple as hatred because, let's be honest, Dr. Wu hated me almost as much as I hated him, but he seemed like too much of a pussy to push me of cliff. And if he did, why now? Owen was quick to point out my list of enemies was not lacking so there was no way to decisively say Dr. Wu was behind the accident, but somehow I just knew it had something to do with him. More specifically, whatever transpired that night in Claire's office. Too bad I couldn't prove anything because I couldn't remember anything.

"Hey, are you OK?" Owen asked, sitting down beside me on the bed. He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear gazing at me questioningly.

I smiled at him pulling him forward by his shirt. I brushed my lips against his tenderly before saying, "I'm fine. I just…I can't stay here any longer. I want things to get back to normal or at least normal for me. If I don't get out of this room soon I'm going to lose it."

"I'm going to take some of this stuff out to the car. I'll see if I can find the doc," Owen said as he rested his forehead against mine, "Please try to stay put and not cause trouble until I get back."

"And here I was about to comment on how sweet you are, but then you go and ruin it."

He shot me a cocky grin over his shoulder as he got up, grabbing a couple vases on his way out the door. I felt my heart rate increase and did my best to look unfazed…it didn't work. Stupid, sexy raptor trainer.

Twenty minutes later Owen came back with Dr. Uptight hot on his heels looking none too pleased. Yeah, well, that made two of us doc.

"I don't like ultimatums Ms. King," the doctor huffed, not bothering to even look at me as he filled out paperwork. Moi? Ultimatums? Never. "But, I don't like having you as a patient more, and I have no desire to see you sneak out through the window so you are officially being discharged."

I shot Owen a dirty look. The window escape plan was supposed to be a secret. Traitor. He was casually leaning against the wall not looking surprised by the doctor's discharge orders; it did not escape my attention that he ignored my death glare completely.

"Thanks for everything. It's been a real hoot," I said dismissively as I attempted to sit up. I felt pain radiate as my stitches pulled, and I hissed out a sharp breath. Owen immediately moved to my side helping me sit up, a troubled look causing his brow to furrow.

Dr. Uptight sighed, again. "Ms. King, I'm probably wasting my time, but I'm going to say it anyway. It is against my better judgment that you are discharged today. You sustained severe, life threatening injuries, not to mention your chronic memory loss. Your road to recovery will be a long and hard one." Jeez, don't sugar coat it or anything on my account doc. "That being said, your tests have come back promising and you have shown a resiliency that I have not personally come across in my medical career. You are a survivor Ms. King and that is admirable. I have no doubt you will make a full recovery. I put in an order for your medication, which you can pick up on your way out. I've given Mr. Grady the contact information for your physical therapist, as well as the appointment slip for our follow up visit in a few weeks. Feel free to call my office if anything comes up. Any questions?"

Dr. Uptight was clearly wearing a look that said "please ask yourself if this is textable before calling me for any reason". Just when I thought the man might be warming up to me.

I nodded my understanding as he handed my discharge paperwork to Owen and excused himself from the room with a curt nod. That guy was one tough cookie, and Simon thought I should come with a warning label.

After only 20 minutes, and one profanity laced argument with a nurse regarding me and a wheelchair, I was released back into the wild, or rather I was released into the care of my boyfriend under strict instructions for my continued care, and more medication than was probably legal for one person to have on them. Unless, of course, their intent was to distribute.

I sat uncomfortably in the passenger seat of Owen's Jeep as he loaded the last of my belongings and climbed behind the wheel.

"You ready?" he asked, grabbing my hand and kissing my knuckles softly.

"Yep. Let's blow this popsicle stand."

Owen's lips twitched as he fought a smile pulling out of the clinic parking lot as we headed home. I laid my head back against the seat savoring the feel of the sun on my face and the wind whipping through the Jeep. I took a deep breath, the familiar scent of salty sea air making me smile. Even though I was leaving the hospital after yet another near death experience, or in this case a couple of real death experiences, I'd never really felt better. I was content, happy even. I felt Owen squeeze my hand and I looked at him smiling.

"You good?"

"Never better," I told him. He flashed me his 100-watt grin, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach take flight. Jeez Louise, this man was gorgeous. I know Dr. Uptight said no hanky panky for a few weeks, but clearly he hadn't taken a good enough look at Owen when dispensing those instructions. I wasn't positive I could keep my hands to myself for the remainder of this car ride much less a few weeks.

"Jo, if you keep looking at me like that I'm going to have to show you exactly how creative I can be in a pinch."

Gulp.

"Promises, promises," I sing-songed back at him fighting a laugh. Truth be told, I was very interested in Owen's creative tendencies. Far be it from me to keep that kind of genius under wraps.

"As much as I would love to give every inch of your body the attention it deserves you are in no way physically ready, and even if you were we'd be late."

Late? Late for what?

Before I could begin the interrogation I felt the Jeep slow to a stop at the beginning of the dirt road that led to our houses. I'm sure my face displayed my extreme confusion at the scene before me. There had to be at least 30 cars littered around Owen's bungalow with people spread from his porch all the way to the beach.

"What's going on? Did I miss a memo or something? Are you in trouble?" I asked Owen.

Owen smiled slightly, "I'm not in trouble. It's a party. A party for you if you want to get specific."

My eyes snapped to Owen, silently asking him what the fuck he was talking about.

"A party," I said, hesitantly rolling the idea around in my mind.

"Yes."

"For me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Owen shifted in his seat, and it suddenly hit me. Owen was nervous. I'd never seen Owen nervous. Hell, I bet no one had ever seen Owen nervous. It was like witnessing a rare lunar eclipse or meeting a leprechaun, it just didn't happen.

"Well, it's kind of a two-fold, it's a welcome home we're glad you're OK party, but that part was added at the last minute after the accident," he said, his eyes darting around the Jeep looking anywhere but at me.

"And the other part?" I didn't get his nervous energy. Sure, a 'welcome home we're glad you didn't die in a fiery crash when you fell off a cliff' is kind of a downer theme, but there was probably liquor at the party, which evened out the scales in my book.

"It's for your birthday."

I blinked, staring at him, shocked into silence.

"Today's my birthday?" I asked him quietly.

"Yes, it is," Owen said softly, shifting closer to me.

"How…how did you know?" I didn't even know today was my birthday.

Owen lips twitched up in a sexy smirk, "I have my ways."

Apparently. I looked back towards Owen's bungalow overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions. My birthday, along with every other holiday, had never been a big deal. No one had ever cared enough to even acknowledge it much less throw me a surprise party.

Mistaking my silence as reluctance Owen cleared his throat, "Listen, if you aren't feeling up to it I'm sure everyone will understand. When I planned all this I wasn't anticipating bringing you home from the hospital."

I turned towards him, my eyes softening. "No, I don't want you to do that. I'm not upset about the party, it's great. I just…"

"What? You can tell me anything, you know that."

I dropped my eyes from Owen, licking my lips nervously. "I've never had one before."

"Never had what?" Owen asked quizzically.

"A birthday party."

Man, it sounded so pathetic out loud. What kind of person had never had a birthday party? As a child, it was never a day anyone felt the need to remember, much less celebrate, and once I got older I was so use to it being just another day there were years even I forgot about it.

"You've never had a birthday party?" Owen asked and I shook my head. He leaned forward kissing me softly. "I'm glad I could change that. Come on, we wouldn't want the guest of honor to be late to her own party."

I smiled softly as Owen headed towards his bungalow and the throng of people. The closer we got the more my stomach twisted in knots. As Owen parked the Jeep and made his way around to help me out I realized I was nervous. Or maybe I was excited. Either way, I was standing on a precipice of emotions I rarely, if ever, engaged, and I wasn't too sure what to do next. Turns out getting out of the Jeep was more complicated and painful than I anticipated so by the time I had accomplished it I was no longer nervous. Instead I was panting, tired and fighting a losing battle to stay upright.

"This wasn't a good idea. I'm going to get rid of everyone and let you rest," Owen said as he stood at my side, his arm wrapped around my waist careful, supporting my weight.

"No, please don't. I'll be fine if I can just sit down," I told him honestly. "Plus, I swear I saw some of Marco's trashcan punch over there. If I can get a few cups of that liquid gold I'll be set in no time."

Owen rolled his eyes and it looked so ridiculous coming from him I couldn't help but laugh. I was so rubbing off on him.

"Fine, but try not to overdo it," Owen whispered against my ear just as Barry and Lowery made their way towards us.

"I pinky promise," I told him, holding up my only available pinky finger. Having a cast was so 1999.

"I can't believe I'm doing this in public," Owen muttered as he wrapped his pinky finger around mine. If you really want me to do something the only way to ensure it happened was a cosmically binding pinky promise. All other forms of coercion I mostly ignored.

"Did you just pinky promise?" Lowery asked Owen, the astonishment clear in his tone.

Owen scowled in response as Barry and I fought a losing battle with laughing. Lowery quickly averted his eyes, his face doing a pretty accurate impression of a cherry tomato.

I nudged Owen lightly with my elbow, "Be nice."

"Jo, welcome home," Barry stated, stepping forward to embrace me. He chastely kissed my cheek murmuring, "You scared me to death. I'm thankful you are alright."

"Thank you Barry. I know what you and Owen went through to get to me and keep me alive. I owe you both my life," I replied, my eyes filling with tears.

Owen had told me bits and pieces about the night I went sky diving off a cliff without a parachute while in a car, but I knew he was still withholding details. I didn't blame him. I can't imagine what it had been like when the two of them finally found me covered in blood and technically dead. I suppressed an involuntary shutter pushing my thoughts away. Mercifully, Barry pretended not to see me struggling and I pretended not to see the faraway look in his eye so we could both avoid a miserably awkward conversation no one wanted to have.

"Hey Lowery, thanks for coming," I told him as Barry stepped to the side.

"Happy Birthday Jo," Lowery said, pulling me into my second awkward hug of the afternoon. Man, I hope this trend didn't continue. "You look much better."

"Thanks, I really appreciate you guys coming."

With Owen's help I was able to, slowly, make my way over to a comfortable looking wicker loveseat conveniently located near all the food. Owen wasn't really a wicker furniture kind of guy, but the smart money said Zara was directly involved. I had caught a quick glimpse of her fluttering around, and had no doubt Owen had enlisted her help to pull this off. Smart man.

Owen gently lowered me into the seat, and I let out a sigh of relief. I may have only walked about 15 feet, but it felt like miles. Once seated, Owen was immediately pushed back by a crowd of people who enthusiastically wished me a Happy Birthday, and tried to find a graceful way to tell me they were glad I wasn't dead. I didn't envy them that task. I'm not sure Hallmark makes a 'congratulations on not kicking the bucket' card.

I was amazed at all the people who had given up their free time to be here. Paddock workers, control room technicians, staff from the local restaurants and stores, and pretty much the entire security force. I silently wondered who was running the park right now because it felt like everyone on the island was outside Owen's bungalow. I even saw Simon standing off to the side talking with Claire.

It was too much seeing Simon standing there in a pricey Italian suit holding a Solo cup full of trashcan punch while Claire attempted to swat away the bugs dive bombing her hair. The two of them looked about as comfortable as a whore in church, but damn if I didn't feel giddy they had come.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur filled with great conversation and even better food. Owen had fired up his grill, and along with Barry's help, was cranking out everything from burgers to ribs. If his job as a raptor trainer fell through that man could make a living selling his BBQ recipe.

The only downer was Owen's staunch refusal to hand over any of Marco's trashcan punch. Since I'm nothing, if not resourceful, I had Lowery sneak me a cup when I thought Owen wasn't watching. Before I could even take my first luscious sip a very unhappy Owen swiped the cup from my hand, and replaced it with a bottle of water. I mean, sure, mixing prescription medication with 20 different kinds of liquor was probably not advisable, but why not ride this bus till the wheels fell off? Besides, I'd already died a handful of times in the past few weeks so it was highly unlikely a little alcohol and pharmaceutical mixing would be my downfall. Owen disagreed, vehemently; pointing out my idea of responsible drinking was not spilling my beer. He had a valid point and I abandoned my crusade for trashcan punch, opting instead to just enjoy what was a spectacular day.

The sun was setting, dipping just below the crest of the palm trees that littering the sandy, white beach. There was an orange hue cascading across the ocean creating an ethereal effect. Over the course of the afternoon the gathering had dwindled in line with the setting sun leaving just Owen, Barry, Hamada, Lowery and me relaxing on the porch.

"Thanks for the party guys. It was really great," I told the group.

Hamada reached under his chair pulling out a hastily wrapped present handing it to me. My eyes darted between Hamada and the present slightly bewildered.

"It's not a birthday party without presents," Hamada stated plainly. For the second time today I fought back tears. Jeez, I really hoped this crying thing didn't become a habit. Needless to say no one had ever given me a present.

"I…you didn't need to do that," I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I know. I wanted to."

I felt Owen's hand squeeze my shoulder in support as I tentatively reached out to take the gift. He was the only one who knew I'd never had a birthday party, much less, a present. I methodically unwrapped the paper, savoring the feeling of glee that washed over me. When I was done I sat there, utterly stunned.

"Where…how...how did you get this?" I stuttered, my shock evident. The gift was a framed picture of Hamada and me from our tour in Iraq. We were standing underneath the Arc of Triumph in central Baghdad. I didn't remember anyone taking a picture that day, but the proof was in my hand. It must have been taken right after I said something because Hamada's face is frozen in a laugh as I grinned looking at him. This was just after we'd arrived in country; when we still had something to smile about.

"One of the guys snapped it. I remember him telling me about it, and when you gave me that list to help with the security force I asked around. One of them had a copy," Hamada answered nonchalantly.

"I don't know what to say."

"I think thank you is customary," Hamada responded, humor rolling through his words.

"Thank you," I choked out, "Really, this is amazing."

Hamada dipped his head in acknowledgment as I handed the frame to Owen. He smiled at the picture showing it to Barry.

"My turn," Lowery stated, standing up in a rush pulling a bag from behind his chair. These guys knew how to hide presents. It was like watching a Penn and Teller magic show.

I couldn't help but grin as I dug into the bag pulling out a book by Alan Grant called the Dinosaur Detectives. I had read all of Alan Grant's books prior to setting foot on Isla Nublar, in fact, I had this very book.

I wasn't too sure what the protocol was for accepting a gift you already owned so I tried to muster some excitement as I looked towards Lowery, "Thanks. This is great."

Lowery rolled his eyes, grabbing the book from my hands. "The book isn't the present. It's your book."

Uh, I knew I was fairly new to world of giving and receiving gifts, but since when do you wrap something someone already owned and give it to them as a present?

"Ah, I'm not really sure where this is going," I stuttered.

Lowery opened the cover of the book handing it back to me, "Look, it's signed by Dr. Grant."

Sure enough, he was correct. Right there in black and white was Dr. Alan Grant's signature along with a charming note about us all being certifiable for attempting to open Jurassic World, and some thinly veiled threats regarding dinosaur containment. That part was probably going to hurt the resale value.

"Wow, thank you Lowery. This is really thoughtful," I told him smiling. Just then a thought fluttered through my mind, "How exactly did you get my book?"

Lowery cleared his throat, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, "Well, I, uh, took it one day when you weren't looking. I knew your birthday was coming up, and I couldn't think of anything to get you then I saw your book. I have a friend, who has a friend, who was able to get it signed."

I burst out laughing, impressed with Lowery's cleverness. Seemed like Owen wasn't the only one I was rubbing off on. A year ago Lowery wouldn't take more than two sugars from the coffee cart, and now here he was stealing right out from under my nose. My little boy was all grown up.

"It's OK Lowery. I love it, it's perfect." He beamed at me in return, and I saw Barry get up and make his way over, "You too? You guys sure know how to spoil a girl."

"It isn't much, but I thought your supplies might be running low," Barry said, placing a basket overflowing with every candy imaginable on the table in front of me.

I felt my mouth water and checked my chin to make sure I wasn't drooling. If I could get up without assistance I would kiss Barry. It didn't matter what the question was, candy was always the answer. Those were words to live by.

"You are my best friend forever in life," I declared, reaching forward to swipe a bag of candy. Or two.

"I feel somewhat irrational that I'm jealous over the way you're leering at that candy," Owen chuckled.

"I'm not leering," I declared as I shoved a handful of Sour Patch Kids into my mouth. Oh sweet heaven above I'd missed this. That cardboard crap they fed me in the hospital wasn't fit for the raptors, and that's saying something considering they eat dead rats.

"You just moaned," Owen alleged, standing up.

"I have a medical condition."

Everyone laughed, exchanging good nights as they made their way to their cars leaving just Owen and me on the porch. I laid my head back letting my eyes closed as I soaked in the last of the sun's warmth.

"I'll be right back," Owen said walking inside. A few seconds later I felt him sit down next to me. "Happy Birthday Josephine."

I opened my eyes, looking over to see him holding a small, neatly wrapped gift. "You didn't have to get me anything Owen. This whole day, the party, it's been more than enough."

He simply smiled at me in return offering me the present. I took the gift from his hand placing it on my lap, biting my lip in anticipation. I didn't know why, but I was nervous.

"It's not going to open itself," he teased.

I glared at him then looked back down at the gift taking a deep breath before ripping off the wrapping paper. It was a small, hand carved, wooden box intricately engraved with floral designs. The flowers were orchids; Guaria Morada's to be exact. One of the most common orchids found in Costa Rica. Somehow I just knew that Owen had carved every delicate detail into this small masterpiece by hand. I ran my hands over the designs imagining the hours he'd devoted to sculpting its perfection.

"As flattered as I am that you like the box that's not the present," he told me.

"It's a really nice box," I laughed, noticing the two small bronze hinges on the back.

Owen tipped his head back and laughed, like, really laughed, until he was shaking. It was the first time since the accident I could remember him laughing, and I secretly thought that was the best present of all. I opened the box peering inside, and instantly felt confused. The only thing inside the beautifully carved box was a silver key. If I was being honest, I liked the box better.

"Wow, a key. Thanks," I said awkwardly, looking to Owen for guidance. He flashed me his 100-watt smile in return.

"You have no idea what it is do you?" he queried.

"A key?"

"You're adorable."

I bristled in response, "I'm not adorable. I'm lethal, dangerous, a stealth ninja." I felt the need to flash my extraordinary skills to prove my point, but my inability to move any major part of my body without pain was cramping my style.

Owen snorted, "Calm down my dangerously, lethal, stealth ninja. You're right, it's just a key, but that's not the point either. It's what they key symbolizes that's your gift."

Jesus Christ you needed a decoder ring to have a conversation with this man. I felt like I was trying to decipher hieroglyphics right now. And men thought woman were difficult.

"I don't want you to freak out," Owen said slowly, pausing to assess me. He was treating me like a skittish animal that was ready to bolt. I was suddenly unease to find out the key's hidden significance. "That's a key to my bungalow. I want you to have it. I want you to move in with me. I understand you may not be ready for that, and that's OK. I want you to have the key, and when you're ready I'll be here."

I didn't move. I didn't blink. I'm pretty sure I wasn't even breathing.

"You want me to move in with you?"

"Yes."

"In your bungalow of love?"

His lips twitched. "Yes."

"But, then I would be there, like all the time." I took a calming breath willing myself not to hyperventilate.

"That's kinda the point babe."

I couldn't hold his gaze any longer, and let my eyes fall to the table. I could feel a lifetime worth of self-doubt rushing to the forefront as all my internal defense slammed into place. This was crazy. Owen and me living together? Madness! I felt my breathing come in shallow pants as I saw our entire relationship play out. I would ruin us. I knew it with the same certainty that I knew Hoskins was a complete asshole. My emotions were violently spiraling down faster than Marco's trashcan punch. Owen was right to have treated me with kid gloves for this; he probably should have sedated first.

"Hey, look at me. Calm down Jo," Owen said, taking my face in his hands. He physically turned my head to look at him so I slammed my eyes closed. Some dangerously, lethal, stealth ninja I was turning out to be. "Look at me, please."

I couldn't stand the desperate pleading in his voice so I opened my eyes, and saw him looking at me with nothing but understanding. He wasn't offended I was freaking out over his offer. He knew before giving me the option it might be too much, and he was ready to accept it. I was reminded of a promise I made myself at the bottom of that cliff if I somehow managed to survive, and I felt the tension and doubt melt away. Right there, on his porch, in the glow of the setting sun I finally understood, he accepted me, he loved me, no matter what. My inner snob rolled her eyes at my daftness, and sarcastically welcomed me to an adult relationship. Bitch.

I took a deep breath smiling at Owen, "OK."

"OK, what?" he asked perplexed.

"OK, I'll move into your bungalow of love."

Owen's brows furrowed as he struggled to keep up. I didn't blame him. I was having more mood swings than a woman going through menopause, but I knew without a doubt this was the right thing to do. I didn't know what was going to happen between Owen and me, but I knew I wasn't going to waste another minute being scared about the possibilities.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to think…"

I cut him off, grabbing his shirt and dragging him to me. I pressed my lips against his and felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. I inhaled his scent relaxing into his body as best I could considering my injuries. Kissing Owen felt like what I was missing my entire like, it felt like home.

We broke apart resting our foreheads against each other. As badly injured as I was at the moment I felt ready for whatever the future held, and for the first time in forever I wasn't afraid.

I leaned back slightly, taking in the sight of Owen. I ran my hand down the side of his face softly telling him, "I want this. I want you. I just need to ask you a favor."

"Anything," he declared instantly.

"I won't give up on you, so don't give up on me."

He held up his pinky finger, smiling at me. "Easiest promise I ever made."

The End

Wow, I can't believe this journey has come to an end. Thank you to everyone who supported the story. It means the world that anyone read it, much less, liked it :) To all those wondering, there will be a sequel to this story that follows Jo, Owen and everyone else through the events of the movie Jurassic World. The major plot will not change, but there will be minor differences since Jo will be there doing her thing. That's what AU is all about, right?

Before I start on that story I'm going to post a companion piece to this story which features Owen's POV for certain chapters. I already have 4 or 5 chapters written and hope to have them up soon. If you want to see a particular chapter through Owen's eyes let me know and I'll give it a go.

Again, thanks to everyone for the support. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter and tune in for the Owen POV piece, as well as the sequel when it's posted. Much love to you all!

Cass: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like Jo and find her realistic...it's what I was aiming for :)

sarahmichellegellarfan1: :), right back at ya! Thanks for reading, I really hoped you liked the conclusion. Hope to see you in the future!

jahoney: Thanks again for the great review. You are right, this will add to Jo's already extensive PTSD. She will deal with the aftermath of everything as we continue. I hope you tune in for the companion piece and the sequel. Your reviews mean a lot, thank you!

Desert Vulpes Zerda: You are correct, you can't go more than a few minutes not breathing before your brain turns to mush. Jo wasn't without oxygen for three minutes; that's just how long Owen performed CPR until she started breathing on her own again. How I imagined the scene was Jo losing consciousness on the phone with Owen due to blood loss, she stopped breathing only seconds prior to Owen finding her and he immediately performed CPR thus keeping her heart beating and breathing for her until she could do it on her own. Hopefully that makes sense :) I really appreciate all your support through this journey. It was really great hearing from you each chapter. I hope you come back for the next stories!

BlueEyedPisces: Thanks for another review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. I hope to hear from you again in the future!

Malfoy-Whitlock-21: Thanks for coming back and reading! Hope you liked this last chapter :) Don't worry, Jo will eventually figure it out (one way or another :) I hope you continue to follow the sequel and Owen's story. I appreciate your support through this!

twifan1987: I hope this chapter will tide you over until Owen, maybe, pops the question. I think he's trying to bring Jo along in baby steps since she's kinda a rookie at all this :) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing...I hope you continue!

angelicedg: I know, it was mean to leave it like that, but Jo's a survivor. Thanks for taking this journey with me and I hope to hear from you again!