Isla Sorna

[cerhadivision]

2
For bluebetabitch

When you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.

They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.

And then there's Blue and Omega.

The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.

Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.

If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.

For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.

Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.

For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.

Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.

Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.

"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"

Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.

"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.

Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.

"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."

The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.

Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."

The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"

"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."

The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.

Comments

[bluebetabitch]

There was blood on her hands when she woke. And, judging from the scent, no one's she knew. Blue gagged, stomach churning alarmingly. Her head throbbed, her vision was dangerously cloudy and unfocused, and when she tried to move, panic immediately set in when she realized she was chained! A scream rang in her ears, echoed from her own throat, and she whipped her hands up to scratch at the collar around her neck, and a length of chainlink nearly smacked her in the nose. Her wrists were also shackled!

She screamed again, this time the sound carried overtones of murderous defiance, but when she tried to rise, her knees and feet refused, tumbling her back to the cold floor once again. Rising upset her stomach again, and Blue leaned over, heaving up nothing but gagging nevertheless. Slumping back down again, she absently licked the blood from her fingernails and hands, trying to remember just what the hell had happened.

Her last coherent memory, when she focused on it, was coming out of the auto parts store with Barry and Echo, kibitzing over the prices of vehicle parts, then she'd felt a sharp pain in the back of her shoulder and the world had gone white. She recalled Barry whipping out his pistol, Echo screeching nearby, but Blue had been unable to respond, as her legs and arms had gone limp and useless.

...then she'd woken up here, in this nightmarishly familiar steel box.

A snarl rippled her throat, a myriad of scents and sounds revealing to her exactly where she was: Costa Rica, on the island of Isla...Sorna, more than likely. She'd been born and raised on these islands; she'd recognize them anywhere. The smell of damp, of trees, of wet warm earth. She jerked at the restraints out of sheer reflex, not expecting them to give but unwilling to simply lie there and take it. They refused to give, naturally, and she strained against them again, imagining she actually heard one of the links creak, but then a new set of sounds and scents caught her attention and Blue whipped around, a true growl emerging this time as the most hated visage in all of her history emerged on the other side of those steel bars, leering at her.

"Well, well, well, lookit you, little girl." Hoskins leaned his arms through the bars, smarmy smile broad. "Welcome home, baby Blue. We've been missin' you around here, yes we surely have."

The security guards behind him were forced to drop their rifles and press hands to their ears, so piercing was the shriek that bombarded them in response.

[cerhadivision]

Hoskins is the only one who doesn't reel back from the sound. He winces, head lifting from the bars, but his expression is more exasperated than anything else. The screams of raptors... never less than chilling, but after a while, a guy just has to get used to it. He's heard worse.

"Relax, girl. Those chains have held wilder things than you."

There is very little scent to speak of, other than those belonging to the men in front of and surrounding her cage. But hers isn't the only one down here in this white dungeon. The surfaces are suspiciously clean, perhaps scrubbed with bleach. All of the cells have chains, all of them have heavy bars, but in hers the bars are twice as thick. The chains on her barely give her enough room to stand; any taller and she'd be choked if she tried. And the chains themselves are military grade, solid, high carbon steel, scratched to hell and retreated and scraped again; there are telltale scrapes around the bolts, as if they'd nearly been ripped off their hooks once and were then welded to the wall.

"You better relax." Hoskins leans in again, eyeing her with a look of calculating interest, among other things. "Get yourself all worked up in there and you'll only end up hurt. I want this whole experience to be painless, I really do. But you kids shouldn't have run off in the first place."

He draws back finally, gripping one of the bars and raising an eyebrow at her.

"You think InGen's just gonna let its property go?"

[bluebetabitch]

Blue had absolutely no intention whatsoever of bandying words with this asshole. She simply bared her teeth in a vicious snarl, coiling herself like a snake poised to strike. Beneath the fall of tangled hair, her eyes were flat, cold with hate. They zeroed in on Vic Hoskins as if he were the only edible thing left in the world, although Blue would choke herself with these chains before swallowing a single bite of that.

She had no way to reach him, and his presence was only making her queasier, so Blue deliberately took her gaze from the fat man and turned it instead to her surroundings, now that the ketamine haze had more or less faded. She noted the gouges on the chain, as if they'd been repeatedly put through a meat grinder, and she also saw the marks on the wall, four perfect scratches in long white lines.

It hit her suddenly, leaving her cold: this was Omega's cell.

Blue turned Nordic eyes back to the grinning human, her face devoid of all expression, but the fury in her gaze bespoke nothing less than his painful demise should she ever get even half of a chance. Fangs gleamed again, a promising snarl echoing in the silence.

[cerhadivision]

For a moment, there's a gleam in Hoskins' eye that suggests he knows exactly what she just realized, but he says nothing else. He just lingers there for a little bit longer, raking her with that same intent gaze, before he turns away and nods to the ACU guards flanking the cell. They immediately close in around it, and Hoskins walks away, stopping only at the doorway where a technician is on his way in, wearing a white coat and gloves and an anxious expression.

"Keep her on the high end of the dose," he mutters to the tech, fixing him with a very pointed glare. "I want her in good condition. Don't let her damage herself on those chains the way he did."

After all, it's not as though they can resort to more aggressive methods of keeping her in line.

Hoskins leaves then, and the technician moves past him, only to be followed by several more. The one in front is still trembling slightly, but deliberate with ACU all around him, and approaches Blue's cage with the others behind. Stopping outside the cell, the tech withdraws a small tranquilizer pistol, and a dart unlike those utilized by ACU to retrieve unruly assets. The pistol is loaded, and then handed off to the nearest guard.

The guard steps closer to the bars, aims the pistol straight at Blue, and sends the dart right into her chest.

[bluebetabitch]

Had Blue been in full possession of her faculties, that dart wouldn't have had a prayer of striking her, but as it was, she was still just groggy enough to realize too late what was happening. She saw the guard step up to the bars, aim, and only then did she begin to move, but hampered as she was by the earlier drug and the chains, recoiled with a snarled hiss when she felt the prick of the needle, sinking into her flesh.

Blue immediately jerked it out, tossing the loathsome thing aside, but she saw it was already too late; the dart was empty and it was only a few moments before she felt the effects. She fought it for as long as she possibly could, thrashing around like a demon-possessed thing, but within ten minutes, she collapsed on the cold unforgiving floor, weaker than she'd ever felt in her entire life. She lolled, chains clinking only slightly as her vision swam for the second time.

She dimly heard the lock on the cell's door detach, but it was too late; her entire world faded into blackness and she fell comatose once again.

[cerhadivision]

They had to contain her before the first dose wore off, make sure that she was still in good shape (considering) before they even tried to move her anywhere else. Now, on a second, stronger dose, the technicians can transfer their unconscious hybrid specimen to the medical center.

The equipment there is designed, and tested, for patients with a tendency toward violence. Blue is laid out on an examination chair, and her wrists are chained above her head, the collar at her neck attached to a metal lock beneath the headrest. Then they strip away her clothes and slide a medical gown around her instead.

While ACU guards man the doorway with guns drawn, several of the technicians prep their equipment as two of them guide Blue's legs into stirrups and chain her ankles to the iron bars. Once they're confident that the patient is secure, they perform a series of basic physical exams, checking her blood pressure and her heart rate, making sure that neither is at dangerous levels with the tranquilizer coursing its way through her system. One of them has just taken a blood sample when the door opens, and in strides Vic Hoskins once again as if he belongs there just as much as the medical professionals all around him.

"How we doing, boys?"

The lead technician seems surprised to have the man in charge hovering so thoroughly over his work; with the male specimens, Hoskins always closely supervised, but he let the staff do their jobs. This is an elevated level of interest, to say the least. But then, he supposes there is a hell of a lot at stake.

"Just running the last few tests, but she looks good. We should be ready to go here in a little bit."

"Good," Hoskins nods, "that's good." He moves toward the head of the chair, looking the female raptor over as though searching for any sign of imperfection. "You boys keep doing what you're doing. I wouldn't miss this."

[bluebetabitch]

This time, it was the cold sterile smell of a laboratory that she recognized, swimming up from the haze of unconsciousness. Before her eyes even opened, Blue was testing her restraints, realizing her arms were bound above her head and her ankles were shackled as well, almost shoulder-width apart. Eyes flaring open, she tried to turn her head, but the rasp of metal on her throat held her fast.

Fury flared her nostrils, and she screamed out of sheer reflex, straining tight against her bonds, but there wasn't even an ounce of give in the restraints. Not yet. One of the techs which had been reaching over her flinched away, recoiling involuntarily. Her glare followed each of the white-coated men in turn, promising bloody vengeance.

A disgustingly familiar scent hit her nose then, and Blue jerked her eyes upwards to spy Hoskins, leering over her. She bared her teeth, hissing in unveiled rage. She finally unbent just enough to grate at him, "--I'm going to kill you, fat man. Soon."

[cerhadivision]

Surprise flickers across the big man's face, but then he purses his lips in momentary irritation. He turns to the nearest tech, "How much did you give her?"

"20 ccs of MORO-709," the tech replies. "That's standard for her height and weight."

"How much did he need?"

The technician hesitates. "About 25."

Hoskins jerks his head at Blue on the table. "Then give her that."

"But -- she doesn't have a tolerance--"

"Then split the difference, or whatever you boys do," Hoskins interrupts, annoyed. "God damn, son, you want her fighting while you're doing what you've gotta do down there?"

The technician seems reluctant to argue, but clearly feels an obligation to do so. "She's already been dosed twice. And we have to administer antibiotics to counteract the birth control. If we put her all the way under again now it might--"

"Fine." Hoskins is losing patience. "I don't care what you do, but she needs to be sedated."

Nodding, the technician turns away with a mumble. "Yes, sir."

And finally, Hoskins turns his attention back to Blue. "You better get used to those chains, honey." Her threat doesn't faze him in the slightest. She's tied down every which way, after all. He leans over her chair, hands gripping the edge of the sterile cushions, looking her over again. "It didn't have to go like this -- hell, for a while there we were looking good, until Owen lost sight of the big picture."

He shakes his head. That was a damn shame.

"Me, I like to think ahead. We collected specimens from the boys a long time ago, just in case. Selective breeding is gonna give me the best damn hybrids this world has ever seen. And you and Omega are still the best candidates. Imagine something like him as fiercely dedicated to authority as something like you..." He smirks. "And, if it comes out looking like you, well... that wouldn't be the worst thing, either."

[bluebetabitch]

Listening, despite her intentions, Blue slowly went cold as the full implication of the fat snake's words sunk fully in. Horror stole over her like a shroud, cutting off her air and leaving her lungs empty. Horror gave way to terror, which turned into panic, which sent a surge of adrenaline coursing to her muscles.

Blue shrieked again, thrashing as hard as she possibly could in her restraints, and this time, she swore she felt just a bit of give in one of the shackles holding her wrists. She jerked harder, writhing and screaming in the raptor's piercing language, sending all of the techs scrambling in every direction.

But her flat, hateful and reptile gaze never left its intended victim: the paunchy shadow of Vic-fucking-Hoskins, still smirking back at her.

[cerhadivision]

This is far from the first time Hoskins has had an angry, contained hybrid shrieking relentless murder at him, and although it does hurt his ears a little (Jesus) it stopped intimidating him a long time ago. He does pull back a bit to avoid the actual force of her fury, but he still admires her openly, admires her rage and her determination to get free.

"You see that, boys?" he murmurs, almost awed. "That is a beautiful, wild thing right there."

The technicians don't seem to agree. They spent years dealing with aggressive hybrids before, and actually lost a few of their number to the last raptor that was so infamously difficult to control. But none of them are eager to listen to those primal screams, nor suffer her thrashing while they try to follow orders. This is a delicate procedure, for one thing. Ground-breaking, for another. Working for InGen has its share of risks, but it almost means being the first to change the face of the world.

One of the braver technicians bolts quickly up, and the long tip of a needle plunges into the female hybrid's neck. When the plunger depresses, Blue's veins are flooded with the sedative that leaves her limbs heavy, her body numb, her thoughts sluggish and disjointed.

[bluebetabitch]

Blue fought the drug, even though she knew that an increased heart rate only acerbated its flood through her system. Some instincts she simply couldn't repress. But her thrashings gradually grew less violent, and it wasn't much longer before she slumped completely, once more flirting with unconsciousness.

She was only vaguely aware when the techs approached with evil-looking instruments, pushing up the hem of the medical gown. Pain suddenly shot through her lower abdomen, but Blue was too groggy to respond, other than a faint grimace and a low animal moan. Her teeth flashed, but she could only tense her muscles and turn her head back and forth, held under the drug's invisible grip.

[cerhadivision]

The work of the technicians is efficient and professional, considering the task they've been assigned. And Hoskins supervises the whole thing from Blue's bedside. One of them tracks her vitals while another sets up an ultrasound for monitoring, and the technician in charge handles the process of in vitro fertilization. Hoskins looks as though he'd fast forward nine months into the future right now if he could.

It's a good amount of time working in focused silence, only minimal discussion passing back and forth between the technicians, when finally the one in charge straightens up in his seat and stands.

"Is that it?" Hoskins asks with impatience.

"She's implanted," the technician confirms, "but we won't know for a while if it was successful or not."

Hoskins has no doubts that it will be successful -- how could it not? -- but he still asks, "How long does it take?"

"In most cases, the waiting period is about two weeks. But that's for humans." The technician shakes his head slightly, shrugging. "We don't know enough about this aspect of the hybrid's physiology. She might feel it faster."

"Here's hoping," Hoskins says, the excitement audible in his voice no matter how even he keeps it. And he runs a slow, altogether possessive hand over Blue's hair. "Put her back in the cell. Make sure those chains are tight enough that she can't hurt herself this time. I want her as healthy as possible -- and subdued."

[bluebetabitch]

Blue rode waves of pain back to consciousness, biting her lips to keep from shrieking as her stomach turned over and over. She still felt groggy, heavy, and altogether sick. The scent of meat and blood greeted her nose, and she spied a haunch of...something within reach, as well as a bucket of water, but for the first time, the smell of blood made her want to retch.

She discovered shackles still binding her wrists and ankles, the medical gown still covering her, mostly. Far too weak to attempt rising, she discovered it was a moot point anyway, since there was only enough room for her to roll over each way, but not regain her full height.

Taking advantage of that small mercy, Blue rolled to one side and huddled as best as she could, fighting back the nausea and praying for death--or help--to come swiftly.

[bluebetabitch]

Blue sat in the window of her bedroom, gazing silently out over the California mountainside. Summer had finally arrived and the pine trees were thick with needles and cones, birds were rearing their chicks in the branches, and squirrels were leaping from one tree to another, greedily harvesting the food they'd need for the coming fall and winter months.

This--was home. Her sisters and the rest of her family were all here, wonderful, loving, caring, and concerned. Worried about her. Speaking in low voices when they believed her attention elsewhere. It was enough to make her teeth grind. A month. A month since she'd last seen the hills of Big Sur, laughed and loved with those she held most dear in all the world.

But now, a shadow loomed.

Unseen by all, it lurked, waited patiently in the back of her very own mind. Always eager to pounce, it remained hidden just until she believe she might have left it behind entirely, then CLANG!--she was back in that white bare cell, her wrists and ankles bound to the concrete floor beneath that rickety little cot, and a leering, drooling Vic Hoskins was standing over her--

Blue jerked back with a panicked snarl, trying to catch her breath again. She hugged her knees, curled into the corner of her room's large window soaking up the bright summer sunshine, trying to feel warm again. She leaned her forehead against the cool glass, feeling sweat begin to bead all over her skin. Closing her eyes, she fought a sniffle.

Would it ever just...go away? Would it ever stop?

[myraptors]

Owen is wondering the same thing. Not with any sense of impatience -- Jesus, after what she went through, she can take all the time she needs -- but rather the anxiousness of uncertainty. He has faith in Blue, but this is a hell of a thing to bounce back from. Owen wants to make sure that's what's happening. But every time it seems like Blue is making real strides forward, another episode will come along and throw her violently back.

It's not that she isn't doing any better, it's just... not what he'd hoped by now. Her sisters are sensitive to her struggle, although Owen made sure they only received as much detail as they needed to give Blue the appropriate space. None of them really seem to know how to handle something like this, and he certainly can't blame them. What do they ever do with Blue but just... give her some space to get over it? Space just might not be enough here.

The only one of them who actually seems to know what he's doing is, unbelievably, Omega. Owen had advocated good faith when Gwen was worried about the male raptor relapsing without his mate able to temper him, but even Owen wouldn't have banked on Omega handling this with such fierce dedication. Clearly, that was his mistake. It didn't matter how many times Blue screamed at him or lashed out with teeth and claws, Omega remained unshakably within her reach; when she shoved him out of bed, he slept on the floor; when she kicked him out of the room, he sat outside the door. All access to Blue went through him first, and for once Owen was actually glad for it; Omega provided a buffer zone around Blue from stimuli that might well be too much for her. The strain has yet to get the best of him, although it definitely helps to keep interference to a minimum.

But Omega can't fight Blue's own head for her, and Owen is starting to think that a bigger change might be necessary to shock her out of it. Gently, of course... but there is no stimuli around here significant enough to force out the images in Blue's head. Everything is familiar and claustrophobic. Something needs to take her mind off of the trauma, even just for a little while, and there are only so many ways to do that for someone like Blue.

After giving it a lot of thought, and discussing it at length with both Barry and Gwen, Owen finally comes up with a very unorthodox idea.

Omega has been banished to the hallway again, apparently; he doesn't say anything, but they share a look, and then Omega slides sideways to allow Owen access to the door.

Owen raps his knuckles against it. "Blue?" He pauses, and then says, "I'm coming in," with enough time for her to get ready however she needs to be. Then he opens the door, eases carefully through it, and closes it firmly behind him.

[bluebetabitch]

Small gleams of colored light winked up from the floor; glass beads were scattered everywhere. Dr. Gwen had given them to her, saying it might help to keep her hands busy, and that making something was always helpful in the healing process. The power of creation, or something. The woman's sincerity and gentleness had made Blue want to burst into tears, but she'd simply nodded, silently deciding that the first one she made she'd give to the doctor. As a thank-you.

Halfway through, her hands had jerked in a violent flashback of clinking chain, and the thin necklace thread had snapped, sending brightly colored beads flying all across the room. After that, she'd simply given up. And retired her to her by-now usual place, curled in the window, trying desperately to sort out the chaos in her own mind. She absently rubbed at her belly, where a new scar gave testament to the consequences of her return to Isla Sorna. Blue sighed, morose.

The knock at the door, however, had her jerking back into alert wariness, even when she heard Owen's voice on the other side. She didn't rise to greet him when she saw him ease around the door, but she did flinch when it closed behind him. Blue tucked her legs up under her long oversize shirt, crossing her ankles securely and locking her arms back around her knees.

She didn't speak, but then these days she seldom did.

[myraptors]

Silence is fine, relatively speaking. At least she's not showing her teeth. It's been a very long time since Blue used to do that thing of trying to make herself as small as possible -- as though she might disappear for a while, and no one would have to see her in a vulnerable state -- but it's become a common sight over the last month or so. Who can blame her?

Owen steps over the beads and joins her by the window. Gwen had meant well, absolutely, and a technique like that would be very useful under different circumstances, but minute busywork would only frustrate Blue eventually even at her best. Activity was his firm recommendation, but the healing process kept that to a minimum at first, and even after that she couldn't manage it for very long either. Sitting with his back against the glass gives her some space, but remains within a few feet of her, close enough that it would take very little effort on her part to approach him, and likewise little on his to move closer if she wanted him to do so. He's not expecting anything, it's simply a strategic action; he's here to offer her something beside his presence.

"You want to tell me how you're feeling today?"

[bluebetabitch]

A week ago, she'd have retreated back to a different corner of the room, wanting no one, not even Owen, in her space. And emphasizing that with a warning hiss, a growl, and if those caution signals were ignored, a brutal swipe of claws was sure to follow.

As Delta had unfortunately discovered shortly after Blue, Omega, Owen and Dr. Gwen had arrived back home. Blue had cried about it afterwards, locked alone in her room; she hadn't meant to hurt her sister, but she'd just kept coming and the shadows had grown longer and the clink of chain had echoed in her ears and Delta's calm, smiling face had grown hideously evil--and the raptor had responded.

But gradually that had tapered off, and Blue now at least didn't cower away whenever anyone approached. Although she did have her limits of tolerance; it was only so long before the chains began rattling in the back of her hearing, making her edgy, nervous. But she'd begun beating a swift retreat whenever she heard them, disappearing into her room to barricade herself behind a locked door.

Now, however, her toes were wiggling slightly when Owen crossed the room to sit beside her, a good sign, but she only gave him a cursory glance before looking back out of the window. She knew he was there, he'd always be there, but there were also some things that she...just couldn't share. Not even with him. Blue doubted she'd ever be able to bring them to light; the idea was still extremely unsettling.

But the question didn't surprise her all that much, either. Hence her mild shrug, curling her toes back and forth. "'bout the same." No better, no worse.

At least, not yet.

[myraptors]

Owen asks the question not to press her for an answer, but as an opening to give one if she's in the mood for it. Back on Isla Sorna, while Blue was struggling between human and raptor and moods more erratic than all of her siblings combined, sometimes just asking was enough to help. Other times she needed a little space. Owen would give her either one here if he thought they were doing any good at this point.

He nods, clasping his hands and draping them between his knees. "I thought so." For a moment, there's a lingering silence, and then he looks over at her with a furrow in his brow.

"Blue, I want to get you out of this room." No matter what is ever going on with her, Owen isn't going to dance around the point. "But I know there isn't actually all that much to do around here. So, I was wondering how you'd feel about taking a little trip out of here for a while."

[bluebetabitch]

And here we went again... Blue stifled an irritated, exasperated sigh. They'd had this conversation before, and it'd always ended the same way. She didn't want to leave this room; she felt--somewhat--safe here. Alone. And if she could rip out her memories, even better.

Her mountain brought her no joy, now. Always, there were shadows lurking; waiting for her to let down her guard and clap her back into those unbreakable irons. Even being high atop the trees held no appeal, not anymore. And even gaining that precipice was still a goddamn chore.

But then the rest of his words caught up with her, arresting her usual withdrawal. "...what? A little trip...to where?" Instant wariness assailed her. Was she in trouble? Was he tired of her? Was she getting sent back? Oh, God... Blue started breathing a little heavier, incipient panic welling up in the back of her throat.

"...why...?"

[myraptors]

Owen has no idea what she first thinks when he says that, but her distress is clear enough and he immediately seeks to calm it.

"Hey." He holds a hand toward her, not trying to touch her but gesturing slightly for her to stay calm. "Take it easy. I'm not gonna make you go if you really don't want to, but I think a change of scenery will keep your instincts occupied for a while. You could run this whole mountain in your sleep, it's not doing your head any good."

He pauses; her reaction makes him question the wisdom of this idea for a second, but ultimately he does think that this will help. Something to this effect, anyway. He is taking a little bit of a gamble on the specifics.

"My dad lives in Montana," he explains cautiously, "he's got a big farm, with a lot of animals and a lot of space. There are mountains around out by him, too, and not a lot of people for miles." Owen raises an eyebrow again. "How would you feel about taking a little road trip out his way?"

[bluebetabitch]

A week ago, a hand reached out for her would have sent her flying backwards to keep as much distance between it and her as was physically possible. Now, at least, she only recoiled as much as she could without leaping up and running across the room. Owen paused; so did Blue. But her eyes never left him--which wasn't unusual, in a sense.

Ever since he'd become their Alpha, Blue's gaze had always held acceptance, and most of the time, at least a modicum of warmth whenever it turned Owen's way. But now it held wariness, hesitance, and reflected everything it saw, remaining chill, aloof. Mirrored.

Then her brow furrowed, Blue realizing what he'd said. "...your dad?" Owen had almost never mentioned any other family. But the description of the place didn't sound...bad, when she considered it. "Does...does he know? ...about us, I mean?"

[myraptors]

This is a far cry from how Blue was when she woke up in the hospital, and for at least the initial part of her time spent with Marie; that's a large part of why Owen is at such a loss. Blue can't fight this the way she fights anything else. They can barely predict it. At first, she seemed to crave every comforting touch she can get, and now even Owen's hands are enough to send her reeling back in horror.

If only Vic Hoskins survived the first bullet to the head, Owen would gladly follow up with a second. Maybe several. Hell, maybe he'd take a few pages out of Omega's playbook...

He rest his arms across his knees again and nods. "He does. A little. I don't like going into details about you girls with outsiders, even family, but he does know that you exist and what you are." Owen isn't certain how much his father actually understands about all that, but ultimately he doesn't think it would matter. He treats everyone pretty much the same.

"I'd have to warn him about a few things. That you're working through something -- I won't give him details -- and a little about the boys too, just to be on the safe side. He's ex-Navy, like me, and not exactly a friendly guy, but he definitely understands wanting to keep to yourself and handle your own business. We'd all go."

[bluebetabitch]

Blue fell to studying her toes as she listened, watching them as they wiggled up and down. This proposed trip sounded--great, really; she just...wasn't sure she could break out of her own head enough to enjoy it. Unfamiliar places were still...threatening, in the back of her mind.

"Is it safe?" It just came out before she could stop it, and when she heard the words in her own voice, Blue ducked her head, long hair hiding her face away. Why was she so afraid?! She'd never been afraid of anything! But in answer, the clink and rattle of thick chains mocked her with its merry-sounding tinkle, and Blue bit her lip, forcing herself to breathe slow, calm down.

She finally regained enough composure to peer at Owen from around the curtain of loose hair, blue eyes a little brighter than they'd been for days. "...all seven of us?" That was probably a given, considering. "Gwen and Barry, too?"

[myraptors]

He smiles a little at her first question, but gives her a minute to catch herself before he answers it. That's not her talking, it's just the fear in her head. But considering that, it's a fair question -- and truthfully, Owen is happy to answer anything, especially when she looks at him with just a touch of familiar fire in her eyes.

"Barry will probably stay here and watch the house," he explains, "but Gwen will come with us. Your sisters and the boys. And yes, it's safe." However, he does cast a fleeting glance toward the doorway. "But everyone will have to be respectful."