cerhadivision | Isla Sorna

Isla Sorna

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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.

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His nuzzle tickled, making her duck her chin in response, but she simply gave a soft little laugh and gave in. "All right. I can reach most of you from right here, then." So Blue continued her methodical work, rubbing her wet soapy hands down Omega's back and sides, still cradled in the circle of his arms. It wasn't as thorough as she'd have preferred, but it was acceptable enough, if only to get the river residue off of his skin.

That she could stand here with him and not be afraid was monumental; Blue did hear the hiss of her own personal demons lurking in the back of her mind, but she replaced their noise with the soothing sound of the shower, and switched the cold chill of metal chain for the warmth of her mate's arms, twined so protectively around her.

When he was soaped to her satisfaction, Blue grinned slightly and offered him the small white bar, saying, "Now it's your turn." She nibbled at her lip, adding, "...if you want," in a tiny voice.

If he wants? How could he not want? For a moment, he wants so much that he doesn't actually take the soap from her; instead, his hands run slowly up her back until he can take her face between them, and tilt it back toward him. He still doesn't kiss her, not after he told her he would only touch her the way she wants him to, and she's only given him this much so far. But his eyes drift shut again for a moment or two, as the water and her scent dissolve more of him away.

Then he reaches out without opening his eyes and curls the soap out of her hand.

He rolls the bar between his palms, and then begins to run them very slowly over her body. He keeps the soap in one hand and rubs it over her back in small circles, almost a massage; spread fingers and a flat palm stroke the suds across her collarbone and down her arms. Every caress is reverent, and he takes great care not to touch her in a way that might suggest more, but he keeps his head tilted down toward hers, enveloped in their own little world.

Blue kept worrying her lip with her teeth, endeavoring to keep still and just...enjoy her mate's reverent touch, so worshipful as it moved across her skin, leaving goosebumps hidden under frothy soap bubbles. Their foreheads rested against each other; Blue moved her arms accordingly so Omega could lather every inch of her that he could reach.

Unlike their usual trysts--wherever they happened to be--there was no...expectation of more, right now. It was surprising, but Blue honestly didn't feel cornered or pressured by such proximate nearness this time. Omega's hands were just rubbing soap into her skin, and although they tingled her where they touched, there was no hidden urgency communicated in those long fingers. And she'd missed the comfort of touch, so very much. In a relationship as tactile as theirs, she'd been veritably starving.

Her soft purring resumed, thrumming in her throat, and Blue just touched her lips to Omega's, a tentative silent offer of her never-ending affection.

Omega never thought he would crave being touched, until she came along. Any hand laid on him would have been taken off if he could reach it. But then he met Blue, and even though the first contact between them was bloody and violent, he never stopped needing it after that.

Being able to do the same to her is just as important to him, if not moreso at times like this. If all she wanted was for him to worship her, he'd simply prove that he already does; Omega knows the shape of her blind, not missing a soft curve or smooth plane, but running his hands over her without any intention of arousal may actually be a first. If Omega doesn't think about how long it's been -- and all the things he would be doing to her, if he could -- then it really makes no difference. What he really wants is for this to last. He doesn't want her to shove him away again. That's what might kill him.

But the touch of her lips sends a shiver through him nevertheless, a ripple that travels down his body underneath his skin. His own lips part slightly, brushing hers again, the barest nuzzle nearly turning it into a kiss. As the water rinses her clean, Omega sets the soap aside, and slides his hands back over her hair instead, drawing his fingers through the thick black curtain plastered against her back.

Blue remained calm enough to allow Omega to rinse the both of them beneath the warm spray, then she assisted him with toweling them both dry, and silently reached for him once the lights went off and the room fell into cool darkness. But instead of letting him hold her close and safe, she instead cradled his head against her breast, wrapping both arms around him tightly and leaning her cheek atop his damp hair.

She gently nuzzled the top of his head, feeling him settle against her as perfectly as he always did, and Blue sighed. Would things ever be as they were? She didn't believe so, because they weren't the same as they'd been. Life...moved on. Nature did not stagnate. Nor, she determined with a hard frown into the darkness, would they.

A leering grin loomed wavery in her mind's eye, but she snarled defiance at it, and it faded away, leaving her alone with her beloved mate, the storm to her sea, and holding him close against her beating heart, Blue finally slept.

That night he sleeps better than he thought he would, with his mate soft and her heartbeat strong beneath his head. He doesn't dream about Hoskins or InGen. Just Blue, her happiness returning, and the life they've built together gathering itself forward again. The sky overheard is open wide.

+++++

Nothing else disrupts them on the rest of the drive northeast. They pile back into the cars the next morning, and Omega stretches out (mostly) in the backseat of the truck once again, while his mate joins her Alpha up front. That's fine. She's doing much better this morning, and from the back Omega can scarcely take his eyes off of her.

Hours go by. Thousands of signs, buildings, trees blur past. Then little by little, Omega notices that the trees are spreading out, the buildings shrinking, the blue sky starting to yawn overhead. He sits up in the back and watches the landscape roll away from them over smooth plains and distant hills, and far in the distance are the rising purple ridges of the mountains. The sun is into its descent; Owen had said they would make it to the farm by sundown.

Big Sky Country.

The impatience to reach their destination is palpable every time they stop to stretch their legs, and the breaks don't last as long as they did yesterday. Omega wasn't very concerned with the farm to begin with, but such wide open spaces make him restless. He could pull Blue out of the truck right now and run the rest of the way. Run anywhere.

Nevertheless, the towns they pass through become smaller, and the lands between more rural; here and there are horses, cows, more horses (no bison yet, and Omega does look). Somehow the sky remains gigantic above them even as the mountains grow larger, and finally they pass a round sign on the side of the road that reads Thompson Falls.

The little town is populated almost entirely by small businesses, even the gas station at the corner; they drive past a family cafe, a hardware store, a grocery store with fruit in bins on the sidewalk. There are more pedestrians than cars, and the entire place seems to be surrounded by the plains and the nearby forest, protected by the mountains now close enough to touch. Owen guides them through it, into the busiest hub and out the other side, well past the businesses, past the homes, past the edge of the town proper. The road takes them out under the sky again, where they start to pass more animals than people, guarded by wooden fences and heavy brush. Sometimes there are farmhouses, visible but tucked away from the road past long dirt drives.

After a few miles, Owen suddenly guides the truck over to the side of the road -- indiscriminately, as far as Omega can tell -- and waits for Gwen to pull up behind them before getting out and beckoning the others to do the same. He lets the entire pack gather around, whereupon he gives them one last rundown of the protocol ahead.

"Now remember, he doesn't have much of a sense of humor and even less patience, but don't take it personally if he's short with you, he's like that with everyone. He goes by Captain Grady, not Mister, and never by his first name. He runs a tight ship, needs to be completely certain about what anybody on his property is doing and where. If you want to wander around and explore, let him know -- or better yet, ask permission. And the most important thing you need to do, over everything else, is be respectful." Owen makes eye contact with each of them, and then comes back to Blue's sisters, with am emphasis on Charlie. "And don't try to pet the dogs until they're used to you. They're working dogs, not pets, and won't be very cuddly to strangers."

Eyes around again; the boys are rapt with attention, and even Omega is listening without a sour look on his face. "Understood?"

Never a morning person in any case, Blue spent the first several hours of the drive curled up in the back of the truck with Omega, cuddled under a fleece blanket with her mate's arms holding her close. When she finally got enough sleep, however, she traded the back seat for the front, gazing eagerly out of the window at the ever-changing scenery as it rolled by.

The sun moved across the ever-widening sky as their little caravan rolled on northeast, and Blue's heightened anticipation just kept right on climbing. She could hardly take her eyes off of the rolling hills which eventually became shadows of high mountains in the distance, snow-capped and reaching for the expansive blue, blue sky high above them.

Even when they stopped for gas or to eat, Blue felt it. The pull of the unknown, the urge to run across that wide-open terrain just to discover what might be hiding beyond the limits of vision. She knew Omega felt the same; they stood together some distance away from the others, holding hands and silently gazing out across the empty plains. All it would take is one step... But thankfully, Owen called her back, breaking that enchanting spell.

Thompson Falls was just as Owen had described it; Blue doubted anything had changed since the last time he'd been here, so many years ago. This was no doubt one of those places "untouched by time", as she'd read about, a small town where everyone knew everyone else, people still waved and called greetings to each other on the street, and where people were associated not with their own individuality but rather with that of their family.

It didn't take them long to drive into town and out the other side, still heading north towards the mountains which dwarfed the big pines on either side of the road. Owen pulled off at a turnout and Blue got out of the truck and gazed with wonder at the view, which drew her eye for miles. She felt as if she could almost reach out and touch those rocky peaks, so clear was the air. But Owen's voice drew her back in yet again, and she turned to rejoin her family as her Alpha went over the rules once more.

Standing next to her mate, his hand warm and fingers threaded with hers, Blue listened with a bit of growing trepidation. This sounded, honestly, like a repeat of Isla Nublar, the only different being the climate. She knew Owen believe this trip would be helpful for her, but to Blue it seemed as if they were all being inducted to boot camp or some semblance of it. Nevertheless, they were here and there was no use in turning around now, and besides, perhaps after a day or two of careful integration, she could just vanish off into those deep pines with a backpack and her mate, to investigate this wild new territory on their own.

Blue watched her sisters nod appropriately, Chi following suit with Psi wearing no discernible expression, as usual. When Owen's eyes fell on her again, she did the same, gently squeezing Omega's hand as she did so.

It really isn't altogether unlike Isla Nublar. There are rules and protocol to follow here just like many places where the girls have spent their lives, even if it's been a while since the last time they had to follow them. He tries to give them a talk like this one anytime he wants them to be clear on the behavior he expects. Hell, they did the same thing whenever the girls went up to the park for the day.

But he pays close attention to how they look at him now. He knows that three of the girls are excited, and so is Chi; Psi is off in his own little world, but any lack of panic is a good sign. It's really the eldest siblings that he's still worried about, no matter how smoothly the drive up here had gone. Omega's brow is furrowed, but he seems less angry and more thoughtful, and Owen expects he's simply waiting to proceed to the next step.

Blue, he thinks, is a little nervous. Which is to be expected, and in any case she doesn't show it enough for most people to notice. He still thinks that this will be good for her, and no matter how intimidating his father can be sometimes, he knows that the Captain won't deliberately antagonize them. Certainly not with the consideration of why they're here.

Satisfied that everyone will conduct themselves appropriately, Owen ushers them back into the cars, and they resume the very last leg of their journey. It isn't far at all now, following the country road into the secluded hills, and Owen doesn't mention it out loud when the landscape finally drops within the invisible boundaries of the Grady farm. Not long after that, he turns them off the main road onto a long, dirt drive, rolling up a hill toward the brown roof just peeking overhead about a mile in the distance, rising above a large farmhouse as they close in.

Eventually they reach the yard fence, which boasts a small wooden gate to one side of the drive, and a wide metal one stretched across it, set on a spring and a simple motor which allows it to mechanically open and shut at the push of a switch. The house is bigger than Owen and his father rightly needed while Owen was growing up, but Owen recalls learning that his mother had always imagined a big house with a large family; he would likely have had several siblings if she hadn't died. So the growth of the house was a labor of love on his father's part, sort of an homage to his wife and the dream she had. It's well constructed, with a wide front porch, split level on one side where the hill slopes downward; that side of the house boasts a sliding glass basement door leading right onto the front yard, concealed within by a heavy curtain.

Owen parks on the outside of the gate and climbs out of the trunk, pausing for a moment under a wave of nostalgia. There are sheep in the distant fields and the air smells like horses; from here he can see the barn -- well familiar -- and the stables -- not nearly so large when he left home -- and a few hundred yards in the other direction, several long rows of large trees weighed down with cherries. On the other side of the house, he knows there is a small garden, the only "crops" grown on Grady land and meant specifically for the household, and there is a guest house for farmhands on one side of the barn, and goats and cows and chickens.

He lets Gwen gather the others and heads to the gate himself, where he purses his lips and lets out a sharp, trilled whistle, a specific sound he learned before he could walk. Almost at once, two large dogs burst from the side of the house and the porch, a German Shepherd and a thick-furred Rottweiler mix, alert barking as they barrel across the yard toward the intruders. Owen doesn't so much as twitch, but sinks down to one knee and lets out a shorter whistle, palms spread for the dogs to investigate. Ears and tails up, the dogs seem to find this especially curious and circle him, attention quickly switching to the alarming number of strangers now following the first through the gate.

Two farmhands appear near the barn to see what the fuss is about, but then suddenly the front door of the big house bangs open.

"RUBY! DUKE! That's enough, get back here!"

Both dogs turn immediately and haul back to the porch, where Captain Paul Grady thumps purposefully down the front steps and strides across the yard toward them in dirt-covered jeans and a dusty hat. A weathered man in his seventies, he appears every bit as gruff as Owen has described him to be, and he eyes them almost skeptically as they approach the house. Owen notices his father's eyes flicker across each hybrid in turn, and linger for a beat on Gwen. Well, he did warn her.

The Captain lets them get within a few feet of the porch before speaking to Owen directly.

"You shoved all of them into two cars?"

"They're roomier than they look," Owen answers without missing a beat, and beckons for the girls and boys to come forward. "Dad, this is Delta, Echo, and Charlie--" he indicates the girls one by one, "--and Chi and Psi." The two of them look as attentive as they always do in the presence of strong authority, and Owen wonders if it's him or his dad this time. "This is Omega."

Omega is watching with bland disinterest as Ruby circles him uneasily, her ears flat and a low, suspicious growl rumbling in her throat. Owen deliberately moves on.

"This is Blue," he says, gesturing to their reason for being there at all, "and Gwen." He's honestly not certain which one of them his father will focus on more while they're here, although he has a sneaking suspicion..

The Captain purses his lips like he doesn't expect to remember any of that, but he just looks them over again, very obviously examining the dog's reaction to Omega, looking Gwen over in frank appraisal, and finally observing Blue for only a moment longer, without fixing her under that stare. Finally, he nods. "Grab your stuff, bring it inside, come on."

Blue gazed at the farmhouse and surrounding outbuildings with avid eyes, instinctively committing each and every one to memory. When the truck rolled to a stop and she automatically opened the door, a myriad of scents and sounds washed over her, assaulting her senses so swiftly she had to pause just to process them all.

First and foremost was the scent of prey. The very air was saturated with it, and it was all she could do not to keep from purring in hungry anticipation. But she forced back the teeth, getting a firm grip on her animal instincts, and slipped out of the truck to follow along behind Owen with Omega close beside her.

They fell in with the others and Dr. Gwen, and the arrival of the dogs had all seven raptors involuntarily tensing, but then a ringing voice barked out orders, halting the canines' advance. Blue looked towards the house, getting her first glimpse of her Alpha's father.

Blue blinked. The resemblance was uncanny, and Blue felt she was looking at a preview of what Owen would look like some thirty or forty years from now. Then Owen went through the group, making introductions, and Blue stiffened when she felt the Captain's hard eyes turn her way. They moved on before she became unnerved enough to lift her lip and she let out a covert breath of relief.

Then Owen was directing them to fetch their belongings, and she thankfully returned to the truck to pull out her duffel, slinging it over a shoulder as she somewhat demurely followed her Alpha into the house, her mate close on her heels and the rest of their siblings keeping instinctively close.

Blue stepped further inside, letting Dr. Gwen come in behind all of them, the doctor stepping up to Owen's father with an extended hand and a friendly smile. "Hello, Captain Grady," Blue heard her say. "I'm Doctor Gwen Carruthers, and it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Thank you for allowing us to visit, these kids have been nothing but excited the entire trip."

There are four rooms inside the big house that conceivably function as guest rooms, as Owen understands it. One is a legitimate guest room, and will belong to himself and Gwen, of course (although there is a part of him that almost expects his father to forbid him from sleeping in the same room as his girlfriend). There's a study with a wide floor (big enough for several sleeping bags, or a couple mattresses laid side by side), and an upstairs living room with a large sectional couch containing a foldout bed. And then, of course, there is the basement bedroom that belonged to Owen while he was growing up.

Owen had informed both the girls and the boys that Blue would get first pick of wherever she wanted to sleep. Doesn't matter if it's in the middle of the kitchen -- he'll make a case for it to his father if that's what Blue wants to do. The dogs escort them up into the house, like herding young calves who better learn not to wander where they're not allowed to be. He's just giving the raptors the layout of where they're going to be staying when he hears Gwen speak up behind him, directly to his father.

That is... a little nerve-wracking. Owen had warned Gwen that the Captain could be a tough guy to swallow, and definitely didn't sugarcoat his opinions, especially in his own home. And his first marriage left a bad taste in his mouth about the readiness of women to jump on a nice uniform and solid assets without much regard for the man possessing them. Owen has been very clear about his feelings for Gwen and how well it's going and how long he's known her, but his father always, always prefers to draw his own conclusions.

So. Owen holds his breath a little.

But Captain Grady doesn't refuse the hand, although he eyes the doctor carefully as he shakes it, never one to disguise his appraisal of another person's character. "Nobody better be expecting any hotel service. What do they call you?"

Blue knew--as all of them did--that the doc was hardly a pushover, and the beta raptor saw that her handshake with the Captain intimated as such. Gwen's calm smile remained as she replied in the same warm tone of voice, "Doctor Gwen. Or just Gwen, depending in the situation. And we'll all be glad to earn our keep, Captain." That said, the doc stepped back and picked up her medical bag again, giving the girls a gentle smile and urging them to move further on into the house.

Blue ended up in what had to be the living room, standing uncomfortably in the middle of it, almost afraid of bumping into anything or knocking something over. The feel of this house wasn't at all welcoming, but Owen had told them that his father seldom bothered with visitors. Judging from the first five minutes in his presence, Blue could definitely understand why.

The others drifted in shortly after and Blue moved over to one of the windows, gazing out over the grounds, wondering if she had to actually bunk down in the house. Maybe Owen would let her sleep out in the barn--there had to be a hayloft, right?

Omega stays close to Blue, but so far has about the same amount of interest in their surroundings as he did when he was only hearing about it. The house is certainly an improvement over the CERHA Division facility, but compared to the house back on Big Sur, it certainly doesn't carry much... warmth. What a strange concept. Then again, Omega can tell that a place like this is comfortable to the person who owns it, and he can appreciate that very well.

And if nothing else, this territory will be incredibly fun to explore. He's already feeling claustrophobic without the endless sky over his head.

Nearby, Doctor Gwen has a very brief introduction with Captain Grady, and Omega can sense just a little bit of tension edge its way through Owen's body. Humans are ridiculous. Why should he care whether or not his father gets along with his mate? It's not going to stop them from being together, or at least it shouldn't. There is a depth of interaction here that is completely beyond him, and his patience is rather considerably worn down for everyone and everything that is not Blue.

She won't want to be shut up in here the entire time, because unfamiliar surroundings and a warden will make her uneasy about coming and going as she pleases. Omega looks back toward father and son Grady. "Can we sleep outside?"

Nearly identical raised eyebrows answer him. Before Owen can say anything, the Captain asks, "Are you gonna upset my animals?"

"Not unless they upset me first," Omega answers, quite honest.

Captain Grady's eyebrow turns critical, and Owen sighs. "He won't cause any trouble, Dad," Owen says, which almost offends Omega a little bit. "They sleep outside a lot when it's warm."

"I don't care where you sleep," Captain Grady informs Omega, not cold but very blunt, "as long as you don't get in the way, make a mess, or harass the animals. Got it?"

"Deal," Omega mildly replies.

Watching the conversation between Owen's father and Omega, Gwen suddenly felt a rush of warm pride towards the beta hybrid standing at the tall male's side. Blue had done an amazing job of integrating her mate into the pack and by association, other humans as well. It wasn't surprising that neither of the eldest raptors wanted to bunk down in the house; they spent as much time outdoors as they did indoors, if not more, back at home in California.

It also wasn't too surprising that after receiving permission, the two eldest raptors slipped outside and headed off to explore their new nesting site, leaving Owen, Gwen and the rest of the pack to sort out their own sleeping spaces. The three girls claimed the upstairs living room, Echo and Charlie playing 'paper-rock-scissors' for the foldout bed.

Gwen helped the boys get settled in the study, thankful that she'd brought two large air mattresses, still stowed away in the Tahoe. Even if Blue and Omega did opt to return to the house to sleep, there would still be more than enough room. Provided...

She caught Owen a moment in the hallway, asking softly, "Your dad all right with us bunking in together, babe?" Shaking her head, she chuckled wryly. "I can always throw in with the girls, if need be."

Owen watches Blue and Omega leave, because he's fine with them sleeping where they please, but he really wants to make sure that Blue is okay before he leaves them to their own devices. There will be an ice-breaking period around here, for everyone. Owen is fully convinced of his girls' ability to charm his grumpy father, but Blue is in a more fragile place. She might not be able to warm up so easily.

But giving her a moment to herself seems more prudent than hounding her at the moment. Instead he chaperones the sleeping arrangements, making sure that the girls actually settle on where they're each going to set up camp as opposed to squabbling about it at midnight. Everyone also gets a refresher on picking up after themselves, and how everything better be in exactly the same place when they go home, Charlie.

He's just heading out to grab some of the luggage when he runs into Gwen, and he immediately grins at the question.

"Let's just see if he notices." If his dad did pull rank about it, Owen is positive that it would only be to fuck with him. He tugs Gwen closer and leans in for a kiss, taking advantage of a safe opportunity while they still have it. "Thanks."

Gwen returned it with no less enthusiasm that she always did, although she did give Owen's chest a bit of a thump, mildly admonishing for playing that sort of stunt on his patron. But, well, Owen and his dad. Their dynamic would be an interesting observation in anthropology, that was for sure.

"You're welcome." Stepping away to toss her duffel gently in the guest room's door, she returned to head back down the stairs with him. "Do you think he'd mind my med bag sitting out of the way in the kitchen? It sort of needs to be in a general area, easily reachable." Which was why she kept it in the kitchen back at home.

Owen doesn't know a whole lot about what Gwen's father was like, other than a few anecdotes here and there, but he figures at least some of it will seem familiar from the perspective of a military family. His dad's personality just adds a certain flavor to it.

"He won't mind it being there. He'll mind if you don't ask." He checks briefly in on the boys as they pass by; Psi is testing the air mattress, while Chi is brimming with energy to get back out of the house. They might as well, as long as they remember the rules.

"Just so you know, it's going well so far," he informs her, knowing that very few people could possibly tell. "Either my memories are completely exaggerated, or he's dialing back a little for them. Or maybe he's just mellowed with age." What a weird concept.

"Of course I'll ask," she chuckled, sticking her head in the study for her own visual on the boys. She laughed outright seeing Psi jouncing a little on the air mattress. "I don't think they've ever played with one of those before." Following Owen back down the hallway, she nodded to his observation about his father.

"I think the kids will do all right. As long as Blue and Omega are allowed to wander in and out, although I think they'll stay out more than in." Which was probably a blessing in disguise, really. "I think Blue might need the extra space, at least for the first few days."

"Bet we won't be going home with the same number of those we brought up here," he comments as they move on.

And he nods as well, in regards to Blue. "That's my best guess, yeah. I don't know if anyone will settle in right away and she might have some trouble for a bit. But there's a lot of space to be had out here. It's a big difference from the island or the west coast, and it should distract her, one way or the other."

After slipping silently out of the house proper, Blue with Omega close by, drifted out of the main yard and paused near Owen's truck to just...look. She'd never before been in a place like this; everything was so new and different. The same scents as before washed over her--prey--but she kept her focus on simply observing, and began to automatically compartmentalize what she saw.

Horses, sheep, goats, chickens--all animals she was familiar with, but had never really interacted with before. Smell of oil in machinery, diesel and gasoline. Scent of pines from far away, flowers and other plants closer, near the house. Smell of dust, sweat, leather... Out of the corner of her eye, Blue spied two lanky-looking men, presumably workers here on the Captain's farm; one was leading a black and white horse, the other carrying what she figured was a saddle. She returned their stare with no hint of self-consciousness, but neither did she miss the slight change of their path as they veered somewhat away.

Hmm...

Nevertheless, there was still much more exploring to do. The barn wasn't far away, the hayloft open and inviting. And if they were going to sleep up there, then it was definitely time to do a little exploring, right? A very slight smile curved a corner of her mouth then Blue set off at a brisk walk, aiming unerringly for the building's wide open doors.

Omega certainly hadn't failed to notice the buffet wandering around the property, and it makes his teeth ache to know that he can't catch and kill something even if he wanted to. Then again, it wouldn't be a challenge of any kind, and that does take a lot of the fun out of it. There's bound to be things worth chasing in those distant trees.

Not caring much about the layout of the farm itself, he's just dying to explore elsewhere; they've only just touched down at their destination and already Omega is ready to leave, to run off toward those mountains and see how long it takes to reach them. Maybe the sky would swallow him. Standing beside the truck with Blue, he's captivated by the landscape around them, letting the wind breeze past them from the miles of grass, the scent of everything new mixing with the scent of his mate to create an aroma he could chase without ever touching the ground.

But Blue heads in the other direction and he promptly follows. She still has to decide where she'd like to sleep, after all, because that's exactly where he'll be. The barn ahead of them smells like cow and hay and sawdust. Omega considers suggesting that they just sleep out on the hill under the stars.

Blue wanted to see everything. Touch everything. Run her hands over the rough textures of weathered boards, breathe the grasses waving beneath that wide open sky. She managed the first, pausing just inside the barn, one hand on the roughened wooden door. It was dim within, and smelled of bovine and sawdust; she bit back a sneeze.

Hmmm...

She turned eyes to her mate, standing beside her looking unimpressed. She had to stifle a smirk. "Where should we sleep? There's a hayloft up there, might be warmer than anywhere else." She sniffed again. "It does smell a lot like cow in here, though." Which wasn't exactly the best thing to wake up to in the middle of the night when one was hungry.

Rather than answer immediately, Omega does stroll inside and take a very thorough look around. It's large, and the cows are on the opposite end of the barn; the wide doors both on the ground and into the hayloft do create a decent airflow, so even though the smell is noticeable, it's not smothering. And the hayloft itself is above the main doors, so they have the privacy of hearing someone come in well before anyone might be able to see them.

"It's fine," he concludes, glancing sideways at her. "We're not gonna find anything as good as our tree out here, anyway."

Still, he looks back out into the yard, and at the fields beyond, and the trees and the mountains beyond that, and after a moment or two he regards his mate again with the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

"But we don't have to decide right now, do we?"

Blue simply watched her mate investigate inside the barn, an odd little smile on her face, and shrugged to his query. No, they'd definitely not find anywhere to nest as perfect as their tree back on the California bluff.

Owen's pragmatism suggested that they settle their duffels in the hayloft, make sure everything was prepared before moving on to something else, but Omega's apparent enthusiasm to burst all over this particular valley was almost tangible.

"I don't guess, no."

She shoved her hands in the pockets of her cutoffs and leaned a shoulder against the edge of the big wooden door. "What you wanna do instead?"

For a harsh instant, she is so unbelievably irresistible that all context completely flies out the window of his own head, and he might have tackled her into the nearest pile of hay if he didn't come to his senses a second later. But he still comes back to her with that smirk growing across his face, and leans against the inside of the door with his arm against the frame.

Omega has never had duffels before. He's barely even had supplies. Hell, he's never traveled with more than the clothes on his back until now, and he feels nothing tying him here, to the barn or the house or even the farm itself. His only tether rests with Blue, and he'll go where she does.

Of course, he's been coaxing her to run away with him since the day they met. Why stop now?

"Anything." He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head briefly toward the fields. "Let's see what this place is hiding."

It was still more than enough to arrest her breath, watching her mate...prowl as he did. There was not a day that passed in which she didn't find him incredibly appealing, regardless of his moods. Which, granted, had been conceivably smooth of late, although Blue felt that she was the grouch most of the time.

Nevertheless, her breath did catch in her throat as Omega sauntered up to lean against the door himself, and she watched the thoughts play over his face--readable as a book, at least to her--and her return grin was just as coquettish, almost sly. Blue took a step forward, bringing them tantalizingly close, and placed five fingertips to Omega's chest before she rose up on her tiptoes to capture his mouth for a heated, albeit frustratingly brief, kiss.

"I like the sound of that," she breathed hotly across his lips. Then blue eyes sparkled and she grinned outright. "--race you!" And quick as a flash, she whirled and took off for the wide open fields, long dark hair flying out behind her.

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