Clawen ♡ Second Time's the Charm

Chapter 25: Love is Reunited

Owen was steering his motorcycle desperately out of the forest when he heard distant sounds. He assumed it was the van of the InGen workers. The bloody cowards had fled immediately after the raptors sided with the Indominus. Just the thought of that made his heart ache. He had worked with those raptors since their birth, and their betrayal cut deeply through him like a knife.

It's over and done with, Grady. It's too late to do anything. You need to focus on things that can still be prevented. Owen glanced over his shoulder and was relieved to find that he was no longer being pursued by a vicious Blue. He caught sight of the edge of the forest, letting out a shuddering sigh.

Suddenly, the same distant sounds filled the air. As Owen drew closer to the source, he recognized the faint noises. Screams. Claire's screams. Oh, my God. Claire... she doesn't know where the raptors are. She doesn't have anyone with her to help defend her nephews!

Owen pushed the motorcycle to go faster, rotating the throttle with his wrist. His heart beat quickly. It was extremely dark, even with the lights of his motorcycle. As he veered onto the dusty road, he relied completely on the lights.

There was a dark mass lying in the middle of the road. Owen swerved to the side in order to avoid hitting it. Just as he passed it, a cold horror struck him. It was Delta. She seemed to be dazed as she scrabbled wildly on the road, unable to stand. Owen felt a strong urge to steer his motorcycle around, but he suppressed it with the thought of Claire.
         
Delta's fine. Her senses seem to be screwed up for some reason, but she's getting back on her feet. I need to find Claire. That's all that matters. Find my Claire, find her nephews, and stick with them until the end.

Up ahead, Owen caught sight of several shining lights. He squinted and realized that it was an ambulance. The back doors swung open and inside, two terrified boys clung to each other. An overwhelming wave of emotions coursed through Owen's veins. He felt like shouting in relief and laughing and grinning and waving at them all at the same time. They're safe! That means Claire is safe, right?

"Owen!" Gray screamed in his high pitched voice, waving his arms madly. Zach began to cheer loudly. Owen's alive! Owen's alive! Owen's alive!

Owen grinned at them boyishly, his fear and stress melting away for a brief moment. He zoomed past the ambulance and glanced at the driver's window. He would never forget Claire's look of shock when she caught sight of him.

"Owen!" she gasped. Her vision blurred with tears as she gazed down at Owen. He's alive. Oh, my God. He's alive! Her heart was racing, the butterflies within her were dancing for joy.

"We need to get indoors! Follow me!" Owen shouted. He knew to set aside his feelings for now; their safety had to be the first priority. Claire nodded quickly. She clenched the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. A single tear trickled down her cheek as she kept her eyes on Owen, who veered in front of the ambulance.

Within minutes, the ragtag group arrived at the abandoned ruins of the resort. The sight of it alone was enough to bring on a fresh wave of tears in Claire's eyes. But she fought it back, knowing that there were other things to focus on. Crying never helped anyone, Claire.

Owen hopped off his motorcycle and held his rifle tightly. At the same time, Claire turned the ambulance engine off and threw open her door. She leaped out and rushed toward Owen. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his neck. Owen was surprised but didn't hold back. He brought a hand up against the nape of her neck; the other one he placed on the small of her back.

"My God, you're alive. I thought I'd lost you again," Claire whispered. She inhaled his sweet smell and sighed in relief. Burying her face into his chest, she allowed her tears to trickle into the fabric of his vest.

"The way you're hugging me makes me feel like I just returned home from the Navy or something," he chuckled, gently massaging her neck. He didn't mind it though, not even the tears.

"I hate you so much for scaring me like that," Claire breathed heavily, half wishing he'd take her more seriously.

"How can you say you hate me when you can barely keep your hands off of me, huh?"

At this, she pulled away from Owen indignantly to look him in the eye. He was gazing intently at her, and a flutter of excitement indicated that this could be the perfect moment. Should I say it? Should I tell him that I love him? Is it too soon? What if he doesn't love me back? Oh, God. There could be a million bad things that could happen. Maybe I won't say it.

Owen tilted his head at her. "What do you want to tell me? You look like you're doing some hard math or whatever."

Claire blushed. He can read me so easily by now. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? You can't hide nothin' from me, princess."

"Princess?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "You got a problem with that, princess?"

"Don't call me that. It's... it's very cheesy... and kiddish."

"I can call you whatever I want, princess," Owen snorted. He leaned down and whispered seductively in Claire's ear. "You're all mine, after all."

"Owen-" she began in mild exasperation. Just then, the faint roars of the Indominus echoed from far off. Claire stopped mid-sentence and shared a worried look with Owen. Now is not the time to snuggle up with your boyfriend and banter about silly pet names.

Zach and Gray quickly joined the couple beside the ambulance, Gray throwing himself at Owen with a muffled yell. Owen slung an arm around him and tousled his hair affectionately. God, I never knew how attached I'd become to these kids. Even "cool" Zach came and accepted a brotherly one-armed hug from Owen. He didn't attempt to hide his relief. There was no need to.

Claire watched this interaction with a strained smile. She stepped forward to plant a kiss to Owen's cheek before placing her trembling hands on Gray's shoulders. I won't let anything harm my nephews. And I know Owen won't either. That thought alone warmed her heart, and she glanced in the direction of the roars of the Indominus with renewed courage.
        
The nightmare may not be over, but I won't be facing it alone.
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