Chapter Text
Stiles felt like he was going to vibrate out of his skin, or melt into a puddle of goo, or possibly even evaporate into the nether.
He was just so excited.
“Come on, baby. Come on,” he muttered under his breath.
Stiles watched, wide-eyed as the cracks in the egg shell fanned out like a spider web. They continued to spread out and he bit back a squeal when he saw a curved talon half the length of his little finger poke through the gaps.
“Use those tiny talons, darling. You can do it,” he cheered softly.
There was a soft beeping in his ear and Stiles instinctively pressed the tiny button in his earpiece. The voice spoke softly; people knew better than to spook Stiles when he was in the middle of fieldwork.
“Dr. Stilinski, the Director is waiting for you in her office,” Ian said.
“Gotcha,” Stiles murmured. “Be there in twenty, possibly thirty.”
With that, Ian cut the comm. He also knew better than to engage in lengthy conversation or argue with Stiles, even when he wasn’t sure the man was actually listening to him.
“There we go, sweetheart,” Stiles muttered, focusing back on the task at hand. He let out a little squeak when the baby dinosaur finished tearing through the egg shell with its talons and tried to poke its head through the hole.
It took a few more minutes but eventually, and with an abrupt, high-pitched mewl, the baby dinosaur’s head and upper body finally broke free of its shell. It ended up tumbling sideways, making the rest of the egg crack open, and allowing baby to crawl out. It was covered in blood and membrane as it stretched its long, thin limbs and whipped its head around, big eyes taking in its surroundings for the first time.
“Perfect,” Stiles cheered softly, finally taking his eyes away from the video feed he’d been watching for nearly an hour now.
He blinked his eyes rapidly and then squeezed them shut for a few moments to take away the burn. He would have loved to watch the hatching up close, but he would gladly suffer watching through a screen if it meant he wasn’t going to be tampering with the delicate newborn.
“That was great and all, Doc, but can we go now?”
“Don’t pretend you aren’t as fascinated by this as I am, Boyd,” Stiles said. He looked back over his shoulder from where he was lying on his stomach on the forest floor, his lab coat, brown shorts and brown ranger shirt covered in dirt and mud.
Boyd gave Stiles a frankly unimpressed look from where he sat on the thick root of a tall tree. He was dressed similar to Stiles, save for the lab coat, and instead of a camera, he had a rifle slung across his lap with a finger ready on the trigger.
Vernon Boyd III, or simply Boyd, was one of their park rangers and Stiles’ field bodyguard. The Director assigned him to the job when she realized she had no chance of ever curbing Stiles’ penchant for sneaking out of the OMNE Center, so instead tried to find someone willing to indulge Stiles’ crazy and often dangerous plans.
Boyd never once protested nor mentioned quitting his job in the three years they had been working together. Stiles knew him well enough by now to know that what seemed to be disinterest was actually due to his vigilance against any potential dangers.
“Apathesauruses, as their name suggests, are known to be very apathetic creatures, even to their own offspring,” Stiles said, tapping the screen a few times to get screenshots. “The males, which are usually smaller than the females, tend to seek out… partners… for a quick lust-and-thrust–”
“Please do not say that again… ever.”
Stiles did not have to look back to know Boyd was making a face at him.
“–and after having a roaring good time, the two immediately part ways. In some cases, the females are known to even claw the males off them the moment the pterodactyls have flown the nest, if you catch my drift.”
There was a sigh behind him.
“So after a really awful one-night stand – though I guess we can’t really know for sure if it’s awful or not. I mean, dino sex could be hot–”
“Doctor,” Boyd groaned.
“–but the females are usually rather indifferent to their pregnancy and their young. When the time comes to pop the eggs out – usually five to seven at a time – they just get it over with, even giving birth while walking and just dropping them all over the place. Thankfully, Apathesauruses are sexually active all year long and the females are all incredibly fertile, so the race doesn’t completely die out and a good number manage to survive into adulthood.
“However, the lack of parental imprinting makes them naturally aggressive to every creature they encounter, even their own kind, which only reinforces their solitary natures. They are also antagonistic towards dinosaurs that move in herds, since it’s very contradictory to their nature and rarely engage them.”
“A herd is more likely to overpower a solitary creature after all,” Boyd muttered.
Stiles grinned. He knew his faithful bodyguard was much more curious and attentive than he let on.
He paused for a moment and watched as the baby Apathesaurus finally stumbled off, trying to find a meal. Only time would tell if it survived and, despite being an academic first and knowing the realities of the dinosaur kingdom, Stiles still felt a pang of sadness at seeing it have to explore the world all on its own.
“Boyd, remind me to call my Dad when we get back,” he sighed wistfully.
Boyd simply grunted an affirmative. He could probably guess what Stiles was feeling.
“Now we can go,” Stiles said, straightening on silent feet. He packed his camera and devices away and pulled out a stun gun for protection. “Ian said I have a meeting and Lydia’s definitely going to strangle me if I make her wait any longer.”
Boyd led the way back to their blue Jeep Wrangler that Stiles had lovingly nicknamed Roscoe. They got in and drove off, heading back to the OMNE Center.
Stiles glanced back at the tree line one last time before his earpiece beeped and he returned to work.
After the massive disaster that was Jurassic World, leaders and ambassadors from all over the world decided to put a stop to the theme park madness that seemed to circle Isla Nublar, the Muertes Archipelago, and all of its dinosaur inhabitants. Coming together as the organization AMBER, they worked together against those that threatened to exploit the resurrected creatures and their homes – no more kidnapping, no using them for the military or taking them to the mainland, and no more recreating, cloning, or producing genetically modified hybrids.
However, no one could deny that the place was still a goldmine of scientific possibilities, the kind that could not, and should not, be ignored. Which is why, after years of careful planning, there came the rise of OMNE, a research facility built on the remains of Jurassic World and bound by the strictest of laws to protect, preserve, and study the islands.
As such, OMNE’s researchers all had to abide by the center’s stringent policies. Their entire methodology of study had to be approved months ahead of time, and if they plan to bring a dinosaur into the study, there should be no other dinosaur of the same danger level around. After that, they only had a week at best to do as much research as they could.
That was why most of their researchers had shorter studies or progressed slowly due to the policy’s constraints. Not everyone was like Stiles, who actually preferred venturing out into the islands for days or weeks at a time to observe the animals in their natural habitat.
Some people called it ‘lack of self-preservation skills.’ Stiles preferred to think of it as ‘being dedicated to the job.’
Overall, everyone seemed happy enough to obey the rules. They had had enough disasters from their theme park-loving predecessors, and no one wanted to repeat those mistakes for the third time.
OMNE’s quest to protect such incredible creatures was a cause Stiles supported wholeheartedly. Add to that his fascination with dinosaurs and it became a childhood dream of his to work on the islands.
He was over the moon when, four years ago, Lydia Martin, Director for OMNE, personally invited him to be their head animal (dinosaur, specifically) behaviorist. One month later, he was on a plane headed to Puerto Rico, then a boat headed to Isla Nublar. The day he arrived, he met the people he’d eventually come to think of as family – trainer Scott McCall, engineer Erica Reyes, chief geneticist Kira Yukimura, the whole team…
…including their head trainer, Derek Hale, who introduced Stiles to his first dinosaurs, Holmes and Watson, the Velociraptors, and Cedric, the baby Triceratops.
Stiles fell in love.
You can guess with whom.
Derek didn’t have a free hand to spare so he tilted his head to the side and awkwardly tried to wipe the sweat off his face on his shoulder. He kept his grip gentle just under the baby Parasaurolophus’ middle, guiding her as she shuffled towards her food at the other side of the pen.
The baby girl – nicknamed Panpy – was taken in two weeks ago after her sickly mother passed away. As was policy here at OMNE, there were parameters set to keep the rangers from interfering with any of the dinosaurs and their natural progression. Plus, Parasaurolophus moved in herds and were known to adopt orphans, so it wasn’t like the baby would be left alone.
However, she seemed to have contracted some of her mother’s sickness and was not only born premature and weak, but also with one foreleg shorter than the other. It made balance and basic motor functions extremely difficult.
After getting the green light from AMBER, OMNE took her in and decided to help.
That was where Derek came in.
“Hey, man.”
Derek looked up and nodded in greeting as Scott McCall, one of their other dino trainers, approached. The smiling male stuck to the side of the pen and away from the baby dinosaur. Panpy spooked easily in the presence of strangers, save for Derek, who had gone through great pains to earn her trust.
“Houdini’s gone?” he asked, turning back to the baby in his arms.
“Yep. Finally let the little guy go.” Scott sniffed a little, smile turning into a soft frown. “At least he seemed to get along with the new pack we left him with.”
Scott was in charge of a small Hypsilophodon they nicknamed Houdini, a sprightly little thing that was good at hiding in the oddest nooks, crannies and corners of his pen. OMNE took him in after Scott found an egg while out on patrol, still intact among the carnage of his siblings and parents from a territory war among the dinosaurs. OMNE didn’t usually take in orphans, but Stiles backed Scott up and not even Lydia could say no to the formidable combination of Scott’s puppy eyes and the requests of her head scientist.
Panpy let out a little grunt and took a few wobbly steps towards some leafy greens set out for her, making little snorts and mewls as if her food would come closer if she called for it. They were just a few steps away and Derek spoke softly to her to encourage her.
“By the way,” Scott drawled and even with his back turned, Derek could feel the shit-eating grin he had on his face right now. “Lover boy’s safe and sound, so you can relax.” He paused. “Well, as safe as he could be considering he’s in a meeting with Lyds right now.”
Derek glared at him before turning back to the baby. Panpy’s prosthetic was fitted about a week ago and her progress had been immense. Derek gently kept her belly up, as she heaved the last few steps, mewling happily once she clamped her jaws around a branch of tree leaves.
He grinned and left Panpy to it, making sure she could balance by herself. She wasn’t likely to move until she was done eating, and then it’ll be nap time, leaving Derek with two and a half hours at the most to spend with Archie and Mitchie.
Derek stroked the long crest projecting from the rear of Panpy’s skull before letting her go. She grunted, shaking her head at him as he stepped away. Parasaurolophuses had a naturally pleasant temperament and could be very sweet to those who treated them kindly.
Scott tossed him a towel and nodded. “Panpy’s doing well.”
“We’re lucky to have gotten to her quickly. At this age, she’ll adapt easier and is less likely to start clawing the prosthetic off,” Derek said.
“What’s the time frame then?” Scott asked as Derek exited the pen and waved at the rangers in charge while he was gone.
Derek wiped his arms first before shrugging on his brown ranger polo. His trousers were unsalvageable with dust and Panpy’s slobber, so he would have to make do until he had time to change.
“We want her out of the facility within the week so that she can assimilate back into her old herd as soon as possible. She has another fitting for her prosthetic tomorrow and we’ll concentrate on getting her used to that before testing her balance. Then we’ll take her out on the field for a bit to see how she manages.”
“Tracking device?”
“In the prosthetic,” Derek said. “Isaac and Erica are still torn about what materials to use – something sturdy but flexible that can withstand the baby’s bulk as she grows older and heavier, but hopefully minimize the number of times we have to replace it before she reaches the age of maturity.”
“I guess that explains all the drilling and hammering coming from the warehouse,” Scott said, musing about their resident veterinarian, sweet Isaac Lahey, and materials engineer, the beautiful and vivacious Erica Reyes.
“That, and Erica’s raising hell to get clearance on having a T-Rex step on it as a load test, which will just end up irritating the damn dinosaur, seriously,” Derek muttered. Scott snickered at that.
The two were getting close to Archie and Mitchie’s paddock and shared a look when they heard Finstock’s shrill voice shouting to the high heavens.
“–kick your scrawny butt all over the Muertes Archipelago, Bilinski! Get out of there or I will feed you to a Stegosaurus!”
Derek groaned. “Oh no.”
“Oh, yes.” Scott grinned. He ran off, no doubt excited to watch his reckless best friend and cheer him on. He was such a damn enabler.
“First of all, having me come out from here and then tossing me to the dinos kinda defeats the purpose of it all, since I already am in a dinosaur cage. Second, Stegosauruses are herbivores, which means they will definitely pass on biting my rear end. And third, my butt is not scrawny, though I didn’t know you were even looking, Coach. I’m flattered.”
“BILINSKI!!”
Derek jogged towards the commotion and groaned once more at the sight.
Bobby Finstock, also known as Coach, was the park’s game warden and head of all the park rangers and dinosaur trainers. A former wildlife hunter, he was an eccentric man, but still smart and crafty when it came to dealing with dinosaurs. His methods and demeanor sometimes put him at odds with the Center's scientists and doctors with their often unrealistic expectations, foolhardy methods, and insane ideas.
Case in point: his never-ending war with Dr. Stilinski.
The younger rangers and trainers were wide-eyed and panicking, while the older and more experienced ones were either watching in amusement or continuing their work, far too used to the sight. In the middle of it all was Finstock, standing outside the cages, shrieking and waving his fist threateningly at Stiles.
…Stiles, who was walking along the inner gate of the paddock.
The Center's paddocks varied in sizes, enough to accommodate almost any of the island’s inhabitants. Each one was adorned with plant life and, in some cases, an artificial pond to emulate the dinosaurs’ natural habitat. At any given time though, only half of the cages were full for security reasons.
Speaking of security reasons, OMNE also spent their money on more than just the dinos’ living conditions.
Each of the paddocks had three layers of gates, even the baby dino pen. Gate One, the innermost, was the first barrier to the dinosaur’s domain. Gate Two, which also allowed access to the overhead balcony, was encoded to let only certain individuals get in, such as head trainers like Derek, high-ranking rangers like Boyd, researchers like Stiles, and the dinos' assigned caretakers. Gate Three opened up to let almost any of the staff in. It was the thickest, heaviest gate and had a closing mechanism that reacted faster than the other two to prevent any outbreaks.
Some would think three gates were excessive, but they all knew to err on the side of caution.
Right now Stiles was in between Gates One and Two, which he was technically allowed to be in, but not without the Director’s permission, without Finstock’s permission, without anybody to accompany him, and certainly not when it was close to dinosaur feeding time.
“Dude, awesome!” Scott cheered, arms in the air. He flinched and lowered them when Finstock rounded on him. “Er… sorry?”
The ever dependable Boyd was already at the gates, swiping his pass across the sensor and ready to fish the demented doctor out of the paddock he’d thrown himself in.
Even when at the OMNE Center, Boyd was still mostly in charge of Doctor Stilinski, especially when he was acting like an idiot around dinosaurs… which was all the time. It was a marvel Boyd hadn’t had a heart attack, or tried to shoot the man. Or even toss him to the dinosaurs, as was Finstock’s favorite threat.
“Stiles,” Derek growled. He brushed past Finstock, who was red-faced, panting, and taking a breather from shouting at Stiles to berate Scott for his inappropriateness. “Stiles, get the fuck out of there! If you lose a hand, or a limb, or your face to Archie and Mitchie, I’m going to punch you!”
Stiles snorted and waggled his eyebrows at him. “Punch me with your mouth and I’ll consider coming out.”
Scott chortled in the background. Boyd sighed.
“STILES!”
An ear-piercing trill erupted in the air and made everyone pause. Boyd and Derek glanced at one another.
Even from a distance, Derek could see Stiles’ grin of victory and read the “Oh, yes,” from his lips.
A Guanlong emerged from the shade of the trees and stepped towards Stiles’ direction. It had a red head crest and was snarling and snapping its teeth at its prey, the feather quills on its head rattling in anger. It was accompanied by another Guanlong, this one with a yellow and orange head crest and snarling in the same way.
Archie and Mitchie, with the red and yellow head crests respectively, were mated Guanlongs brought in to OMNE two days ago. They were transported to the Center from Isla Pena for a behavioral research being done by, ironically enough, Stiles, who was obsessed with the three-meter tall, carnivorous creatures.
As a trainer, Derek could understand Stiles’ interest. Guanlongs were smart, agile, and unpredictable. They seemed to display nothing but instinct and extreme aggression, traits that made them one of the most dangerous predators around despite their size.
However, their demeanor changed almost completely when around their pack, mates and offspring. Stiles had even documented several instances over the years where Guanlongs displayed protectiveness over their young, adopted orphans, and even saved pack members in danger.
Family – that was the heart of all of Stiles’ research.
Sentimental it might be, but the study of the behavior of dinosaurs in packs, especially their interaction with their young, pretty much paved the way into reintroducing dinosaurs to the public. Where before Jurassic World focused on the scare factor, Stiles worked hard to present these creatures in a more relatable light.
In effect, Guanlongs became Stiles’ poster children (animals? dinosaurs?) in his campaign – aggressive and fierce, but tight-knit with their packmates, devoted to their chosen mate, and gentle with their young. The positive reception had helped drum up support for OMNE and AMBER, and improved the confidence of researchers to approach these predators.
Derek debated over this constantly. Because the way for Stiles to engage in such research entails observing dinosaur packs in the wild, packs that usually numbered no less than ten, and usually tend to become violent when they find a strange, squishy creature intruding upon their territory.
This was the story of Derek’s life – fully supportive of Stiles’ dedication to his work and constantly pissed off at this idiot genius who seemed to have next to no survival instinct.
Like right now, Derek had to make sure that Archie and Michie didn’t kill him.
Gate Three shuddered to life and lifted a few feet off the ground, responding to Boyd’s passkey.
“Go, go!” Boyd hissed.
Derek wasted no time ducking inside. He moved briskly towards Gate Two and pressed his palm to the console.
He looked up to see the Guanlongs following Stiles’ progress along the gate, beady eyes trained on the man as he walked a little too close to the bars. Guanlongs had three fingers on each hand, tipped with razor-sharp talons. Bars or none, Stiles was still liable to get clawed.
Stiles was calm though and he walked slowly. He watched Archie approach and lowered his eyes.
Archie hissed.
Derek could imagine how furious Finstock was at the sight.
Gate Two lifted off the ground and Derek cautiously headed towards Stiles just as Archie craned his neck, feathered quills rattling.
Derek wasn’t an academic like Stiles, but he was a trainer and he knew dinosaurs. He knew how Archie and Mitchie worked. They were partners as much as they were mates. Archie was the more aggressive of the two, but Mitchie was the boss. Archie was the front liner and Mitchie was the back-up. Archie was the distraction, while Mitchie was the offense and was more likely to seize and claw Stiles in a flash.
Derek knew a lot of their tricks, probably because he’d been almost clawed more times than he could count since the two arrived at OMNE.
The pair had learned to recognize Derek as well in the scant days they’ve spent together, evident in the way Mitchie suddenly snarled at his direction, tracking Derek’s progress along the gate. Archie, on the other hand, never once took his gaze off Stiles. He reared back on his haunches.
Uh-oh.
Derek darted forward just as Archie pounced, jaws wide open, teeth sharp, and a fierce snarl emanating from his core. He grabbed Stiles by the lab coat and tugged him back, pushing the Doctor behind him just as Archie snapped his strong jaws just in front of the steel bars.
Derek barely had time to blink before Mitchie suddenly charged at his other side. She managed to wedge her jaws right in between the bars, snapping and growling at them, far closer than Archie was. Both men barely took a breath before Archie did the same, flinging himself at the bars with a bang and attempting to claw his way towards them.
Derek cursed under his breath. He kept his grip tight around Stiles, pulling him close to his back and taking a few steps away from the rabid Guanlongs. Stiles was pliant against him and Derek almost thought the younger man was spooked when he snaked an arm around Derek and clung to him, but then–
“They’ve only been here for days, but their ability to assess and adapt to their surroundings is outstanding,” Stiles muttered in his ear. “And did you see that teamwork? Did you hear Mitchie do that clicking sound in her throat before Archie’s first attack? This completely supports my profile on their tactical abilities.”
“Stop gawking at them and get your ass out of the cage, Stiles,” Derek hissed.
Stiles draped himself even more across Derek’s back. “What is it about people and my butt? First it’s Finstock, now you? Don’t worry, boo. Unlike Finstock, I’ll let you touch it.”
Derek almost jumped when he felt Stiles’ other arm wrap around him until the man was effectively hugging him from behind. He hooked his chin over Derek’s shoulder and Derek could feel his warm breath against his cheek.
“So heroic,” Stiles teased. “My Prince Charming.”
Derek was going to kill the idiot.
“It’s not like you had to worry so much, boo,” the genius added, slipping into that logical tone that often made Derek want to strangle him. “I was perfectly safe, and not just because the bars are sturdy enough, but because the gap between them allows only a third of a Guanlong’s snout to fit.”
He motioned to the snarling beasts. “As for their talons, not only will they not fit through the bars with their bulk, should they attack it sideways or angled, the length of their forearms would not have been enough to reach me.”
Stiles pressed his grin to Derek’s cheek. “I was perfectly safe, but thank you for saving me. I know you’ll always come for me.”
Derek ignored the butterflies in his stomach and instead rolled his eyes.
“If you try this stunt one more time, I’m going to let them claw you.”
“No, you wouldn’t. I just told you why it’s not going to work. Plus, you like me too much,” Stiles said, a grin evident in his voice.
From the other side of the bars, Archie and Mitchie hissed as they followed Stiles’ and Derek’s progress around the cages towards the exit. Archie hissed and ducked down until he was around eye level with them. Mitchie stalked forward, snout pressing against the bars, snapping her teeth at Derek’s direction.
“Fascinating. They appear to be examining us,” Stiles muttered, unafraid even as both Guanlongs snapped their teeth at him. He didn’t seem afraid even as Archie took a step forward, snout so close to the bars and warm puffs of breath sending Stiles’ hair flying.
Derek held the back of the other man’s lab coat just to be safe. The sooner he took Stiles out, the sooner he – or maybe Finstock – could yell at him for being an idiot.
Moments later and Derek was dragging Stiles through Gate Three and right into an awed-looking Scott, an exasperated Boyd, and most importantly an extremely red-faced Finstock. In fact, Coach was so angry he couldn’t even speak. Boyd just sighed, and went on to calm the other spooked rangers and spectators.
“I’m fine, Coach; nothing clawed or bitten and got all my limbs intact,” Stiles said, patting the man on the shoulder. “You can throw me into a dino cage later, but for now I need to get the footage of this. That was a bit weird. I mean, I’ve spent three years studying Guanlongs; 360 hours in captivity, plus 4,032 hours in the wild. All of that, and this? There is something here. I know it. And do you know what that means?” He asked breathlessly. “New research.”
Stiles turned to Derek, beaming brightly. “You were perfect, as always, babe. Let’s do this again sometime.” He winked at Derek cheekily, grabbed Scott, and ran off without another word.
“That’s so cool, bro,” Scott greeted loudly, punching him on the shoulder. “I mean, seriously, be careful, but it was so cool. Did you see Archie’s eyes and how he…” the words fading as the pair walked away.
Finstock finally snapped out of his rage-induced stupor. He chased after the pair.
“BILINSKI, COME BACK HERE!! I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU!!”
Derek rubbed his face with one hand, sighing, as Boyd popped up behind him.
“What the hell was all that about?” he asked.
Derek just shook his head.
Call it vanity or narcissism, but Stiles knew he was brilliant.
Even without his diploma and awards, it was kind of a given. Anybody who so much as thought about working for OMNE – especially those who wanted to be a part of its research division – needed to be nothing short of genius in their chosen fields. Not to mention AMBER had all their recruits jump through so many hoops of security background and clearance checks before even considering them, so every single person here was loyal, brilliant, and capable to a frightening degree.
Stiles was one of them, and he had to be the best if he wanted to keep his post.
Lydia Martin, the formidable and beautiful Director for OMNE and Ambassador for AMBER, was seated behind her large, intimidating glass desk when Stiles entered her office.
“Dr. Stilinski, did I not say we had a meeting?” she asked, not looking up as she read and signed paperwork.
Toting his computer tablet and stylus, Stiles threw himself on the comfy seat in front of her. “You did. You got a call in the time I was waiting so I stepped out for a moment.”
Lydia signed her name with a flourish and finally looked up at him. Despite being a petite woman, she had the kind of icy gaze that would have giants kneeling before her.
“Based on what I was told, you didn’t just step out. You deliberately endangered your life by entering a restricted gate zone without my permission and decided to piss off the Guanlongs… and Finstock.”
Stiles grinned shamelessly at her, and if it was possible her gaze turned even icier. He was almost sure she was going to strangle him.
Not murder. Oh no.
Lydia had personally invited him to be part of OMNE and serve as its head animal behaviorist. Stiles ended up pioneering a new field of science studying the behaviors of the resurrected dinosaurs.
So, no, she would never kill him. She’d lose all the credit for her discovery of him and his brilliance, lose all of his award-winning, research breakthroughs, and lose part of OMNE’s funding. Losing Stiles would cost her money. Not to mention Stiles actually owed her money.
(They had been at the mainland and he had been so used to everything already being free and paid for at OMNE that he’d forgotten his wallet. He had been really in the mood for a burrito that time, and he’d have asked Derek, but he hadn’t been around. Thank god Lydia had felt generous at the time… except her generosity had a monthly interest. It had been worth it though. That had been a damn good burrito.)
“Finstock is absolutely furious,” she said, tapping manicured nails against the glass tabletop. “You were careless, irresponsible, and terrified everyone present. Not to mention that what you did was a blatant disregard of Finstock’s authority. I have half a mind to expel you from the program because of what you did.”
Stiles knew she wouldn’t, but he huffed, feeling genuine remorse. “I’m sorry, all right. I didn’t mean to worry everyone and overstep. I did apologize – will keep on apologizing to Coach. I wasn’t trying to egg him on or anything. I just really wanted to see how they were doing.”
“Well, Finstock’s threatening to quit… for the seventh time this week. And it’s only Tuesday.” Lydia sighed softly. “This thing with the Guanlongs is just the beginning, and you still have the Kentrosaurus we’re bringing in next month for your next study. So try not to pester the man, for god’s sake.” She leveled a glare at him. “The man’s heart is as strong as an ox, so we’re not in danger of losing him. But if he maims you or, god forbid, tosses you inside one of the paddocks, even I won’t hold it against him.”
Stiles sighed and raised his hands in defeat. He probably did take that one a bit too far.
“Got it.”
“And even Hale won’t be able to save your bony ass,” Lydia added, giving him a knowing look.
“Derek isn’t–” Stiles flushed. “Okay, what is it about people and my butt?”
“It’s a cute butt. Not my type, but probably Derek’s… or a bunch of hungry, wild Guanlongs as it were.” Lydia gave him a stern look.
Stiles opened his mouth to retort, but Lydia interrupted him. “Now, how goes the field work?”
“Pretty good. I scouted Section 57-A with Boyd and we watched an Apathesaurus egg hatching,” Stiles shared, and went off on a short report on what he did that day.
“–which is more evident when you compare the Guanlongs’ behavior patterns with that of others, like say the Centradons and Maiasauras, and most especially with the likes of the Apathesauruses,” he said. “I plan on doing a comparative analysis with all of them, so I’ll probably need a few more hours out on the field. So far though, the evidence leads to some pretty definitive conclusions.”
Even before Stiles became a part of OMNE, he had always known that his research would focus on dinosaur families or packs. The dichotomy of these fierce predators and their caring nature fascinated Stiles to a near manic degree. It was what attracted him to the Guanlongs in the first place, when he first got the inkling that they had a better grasp on the concept unlike other dinosaurs.
“More fieldwork is fine with me. Just make sure to file the necessary paperwork,” Lydia said, looking up from the documents she had resumed signing while Stiles talked. “And I expect the written report and the video log of today’s field work filed before the end of the day.”
“Ugh.” Stiles scrunched his nose at the thought. He hated paperwork. He preferred the required video log since he just needed to press ‘record’ and talked however long he wanted. The paperwork, which was a paper trail Lydia insisted upon, was the real pain in the ass.
“I can also give you clearance to utilize more of your field hours, but use them sparingly,” Lydia warned. “You only have a few dozen hours left for the month, and I am not going to give you more.”
Stiles pouted. “You’re no fun.”
“I’m never fun.” Lydia stood up, straightened her suit and skirt, then motioned for Stiles to follow her.
The control room was bustling with activity when they arrived, though the noise level hushed just a bit when everyone saw the Director coming in.
The control room was the heart of OMNE. It monitored everything that was going on around the research facility, and Lydia had spared no expense to make sure security was especially tight around here, especially after the two major botched attempts to keep on top of things – see Jurassic Park and Jurassic World.
“Yo, crazy man.”
Stiles grinned when Allison popped up behind him, placing a kiss on his cheek.
“Crazy, is right.” Danny snorted from his station. “Then again, where else are we going to find the entertainment? I await the day Coach seriously throws you in one of the paddocks.”
“I’m so happy I light up your otherwise dull life, dude.” Stiles clapped him on the back.
Danny glared at him, but it was probably because the motion dislodged the stuffed Pterodactylus that hung from his laptop screen rather than Stiles’ jab. Isaac had given Danny the toy and the man had kept it faithfully ever since. For some reason though, the two were still tiptoeing around one another. Stiles wanted them to get it over with, but Scott kept mentioning Derek so… erm, Stiles chose not to comment.
Allison Argent was their chief engineer and was in charge of running the entire control center and, in essence, the whole research center. She was under pressure almost every day because of that, but she’s been living up to the challenge flawlessly. Stiles couldn’t imagine a better person for the job. Then again, he might be biased; this was his best friend’s girlfriend after all.
Danny Mahealani, on the other hand, was their head computer engineer. He knew OMNE’s system inside and out, probably because he actually built the whole system, but only a handful of people had the security clearance level to know about that.
Suddenly, there was a loud beep and Allison turned from her sweet self to her professional self.
Allison moved to Danny. “What is it?”
“Message from Commander Argent, Chief,” Danny said. “Secure line.”
“Patch it through.” Allison pressed a button on her earpiece. “Chief Argent, speaking. Come in, Commander.”
Stiles tapped his bottom lip in thought as he watched Allison, but he couldn’t get a read on her. She had a really good poker face, which was why she usually only played cards with people who could hide their emotions well, like Derek, Boyd, and Lydia. Everyone else had stopped sitting in on games with those guys because honestly things got scary.
Stiles tapped Danny on the shoulder. “Chris was at Isla Matanceros yesterday, but I heard he crossed back to the main island this morning. Why’s he still out on the field?”
Danny shrugged. “He’s out on patrol.”
Chris Argent was their head of security operations and was also the commander of OMNE’s Asset Containment Unit or ACU division. He and his team monitored all six dinosaur islands and also ensured the safety of all the employees at OMNE.
(Oh, and he was also Allison’s dad. Seriously, these Argents were scary, but also badass. Stiles would always be impressed that Scott managed to woo Ally and win over her father. The man could just as easily kidnap him and leave him stranded at one of the islands, for god’s sake. Stiles made a mental note to remember to compliment Scott’s heart of gold… and his balls of steel.)
“I’ll patch you through,” Allison said. She turned to Lydia. “Director, the Commander wants a word.”
Lydia pressed her own earpiece. “What do you have for me? And it better be good, Chris.”
Stiles looked at both women in confusion. He wasn’t stupid. He knew Lydia and Allison, as the ones who pretty much ran the whole facility, had their secrets – and so did Danny actually, as the one who monitored everything that went on practically the entire island. They had to keep the peace and manage the dinosaurs and employees, so even Stiles knew not to stick his nosy nose into their secret calls and private meetings.
They seemed weirdly tense at the moment though, and panic usually meant one thing: dinosaurs, specifically out of control dinosaurs.
Chris was still out on the field but the alarms hadn’t been raised, which meant things were most likely under control.
Stiles slipped out of the room silently, leaving them to it. If he had to place his trust in someone to keep them safe, then he was glad that it was these people. He knew he was in capable hands.
It was a little past seven in the morning and Derek was just getting back to his trailer after a long run around the perimeter when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He wasn’t really fond of gadgets. The sharp ring of a phone or the soft beep of an earpiece could easily catch the attention of any dinosaur, and he didn’t really like being interrupted when he was working on training them. It was not because, as Stiles put it, he was a technologically-challenged caveman.
Or rather, a technologically-challenged, but still hot and very lickable caveman, as Stiles specifically put it.
Not that Derek remembered or anything. He could be wrong.
Derek set his phone on speaker and placed it on the counter before he went to the fridge to grab a drink.
“Morning, sweetie pie!”
Speak of the devil.
Derek huffed. “What do you want?”
“Nothing,” Stiles said, sounding much too cheerful considering how early it was. “I just missed you, is all.”
Derek ignored the swoop in his stomach at hearing that. “You sound high. Have you even slept?”
“Maaaybe,” Stiles drawled. “Kira’s due to arrive today. Wanna grab some breakfast, then come with me to welcome her back?”
Derek had to stop himself from giving in too quickly, so he downed his drink before replying. “Fine.”
“I knew you couldn’t resist me,” Stiles teased. Before Derek could reply, he barreled on. “I know you have your rounds, so see you at the Mess Hall in an hour, boo. Byeee!” And with that, he hung up.
Derek glanced at his phone and shook his head, a smile playing across his lips.
After a quick shower, he got dressed, grabbed his bag, and got onto his motorcycle. It was sleek, black, and its fuel tank was painted in white with the Hale family emblem, the triskele, and the initials of all of Derek’s family members. They gave the motorcycle to him as a gift after they found out that Derek was going to work for OMNE.
The other modifications that came after however, those were all Erica’s doing.
The drive to OMNE through the usual route took only fifteen minutes, ten if Derek gunned it, but he preferred taking his time along a scenic, thirty-minute route. It allowed him to tour the other trailers, warehouses, training areas, as well as the dinosaur pens and paddocks before he got to the garage. The route passed OMNE’s main building, allowing him a view of the towering, sleek, dome-shaped structure on the cliffs that overlooked the docks.
Derek made his way through the gates and nodded at the guards and the few people who greeted him. As he drove past the warehouses, he was surprised to see people milling in and out of Warehouse E – which stood for Erica, of course. It was still early and most of the workers were usually still at the Mess Hall eating breakfast.
He parked his motorcycle and jogged inside to find about ten people still on duty.
He walked past shelves of equipment; boxes of parts; long tables covered in laptops, blueprints, tools, other gadgets and knick-knacks; crates of weapons and ammo, as well as vehicles parked inside, some of which were dismantled and popped open.
Derek could see Erica at one of the long metal tables, examining one of the rifles.
Erica Reyes was their materials engineer and field equipment expert. She outfitted all their rangers and guards and was responsible for some of the more kickass modifications on their weapons and vehicles. She was also Derek’s best friend.
“Knock, knock,” Derek said, tapping his knuckles against the end of the metal table as he approached. He knew better than to startle her when she had a gun in her hands.
Erica looked up with a start anyway, pulled out of whatever complicated plans she had for the rifle. Her long hair was in a tight braid at the base of her neck and the top half of her coveralls were unbuttoned. Her face, neck and upper chest were already stained with sweat, grease and oil, so from the looks of things, she’d been here for hours, but her eyes were still lined in black and her lips were a perfect ruby red.
Derek would have fallen in love with her then and there if their relationship wasn’t so platonic, or if they both weren’t already completely devoted to different people.
“You guys are up early.”
“Haven’t slept, you mean,” Erica said. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face as Derek drew nearer. He wiped the sweat off her cheek with his gloved fingers and then kissed her there.
“An all-nighter? What for?”
“Commander Argent’s team went out on patrol twice yesterday – one group was sent out in the morning and another in the afternoon. Both teams came in late last night. We’re going through all their equipment, seeing if we need to repair or restock anything.” She motioned to the weapons in front of her and her team of engineers who were working on the helicopters, the trucks, and other weapons.
Derek made a face. “Couldn’t that have waited until today instead of last night?”
“Nope.” Erica popped her lips. “And you know I got orders from up top to make sure the Commander’s unit is always prepped, so I had to check these bad boys the moment they came in… especially since both teams are being deployed again in a few hours.”
“What? Why?”
Erica blew a strand of hair off her face. “Beats me.”
Chris and the ACU served as the primary security force of OMNE. They weren’t often sent out on consecutive deployments because they left most of the patrol duties to each islands’ DPUs – Designated Patrol Units.
In fact, if Derek remembered correctly, the last time they needed the ACU was three months ago on a rescue mission to Isla Tacaño, when a territory dispute between two warring Monolophosauruses ended up trapping a four-man team of botanists who were retrieving samples of the island’s plant life. The watchtower was too far so they had to resort to taking shelter among the branches of a large tree that overshadowed where the two creatures decided to tear into each other.
Derek looked around at all the equipment and weapons. “Anything we need to be concerned about?”
Erica placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the equipment. “They’re not shooting at anything, that’s for damn sure. I shipped crates of ammo with them on their first deployment to Isla Matanceros and they don’t need a restock. They did ask for more sleepers and flares though, and are borrowing the excavator.”
She shrugged. “They’re probably just casing one of the dinosaurs on the researchers’ queue list.”
It made sense, kind of. They usually put the dinosaurs to sleep before and after taking them in. They tried to keep the dinosaurs unaware of where exactly home base was located, but…
Derek frowned. “That doesn’t explain the excavator.”
Erica shook her head. “The Commander has his methods in cornering and retrieving dinosaurs. He knows what he’s doing.”
Derek rubbed his jaw in thought and let it go. She was probably right.
“All that aside. Have you even eaten breakfast yet?”
“Boyd’s bringing me some,” Erica said, her smile growing fond.
“How sweet.” Derek grinned when she swiped at him with a cloth.
She scoffed. “You’re one to talk. How about your sweet, little, mad doctor?” She grinned evilly. “I heard all about his stunt with Archie and Mitchie and how you gallantly came to his rescue.”
Derek’s ears and neck burned, but he scoffed. “If Stiles was clawed, Lydia, not to mention Scott, would have found a way to blame me. I was saving myself the trouble.”
“Reeeally.” Erica smirked. “Seriously, Der. It’s getting really depressing. I mean, Stiles likes you back anyway, so just grab him, kiss him and go make out by the paddocks or something.”
Derek didn’t know what to address first in that statement. He settled on, “…the paddocks?”
Erica shrugged. “Hey, you’re both into dinosaurs. I thought you’d find it kinky.” She poked his arm. “Just get it over with, for god’s sake. You guys actually make a pretty good pair.”
It wasn’t like Derek hadn’t thought about it. Despite what everyone believed, he wasn’t an idiot. He knew he and Stiles had something going on, and while he acted grumpy about it, he had never denied that he thought highly and fondly of the crazy man. He just wasn’t the type of guy who made the first move. He knew what he looked like, okay? And after years of having to guess people’s intentions and being in a handful of really awful relationships that crashed and burned, he couldn’t find the courage to step up.
He wasn’t really sure what Stiles thought and felt about him anyway, no matter what other people said. They were a little more than friends, yes, but there was still a chance Derek and everybody else could be wrong.
Dinosaurs he could handle.
Stiles’ rejection? No way.
Derek shook his head. “I’ve got to run.”
Erica pouted and he kissed her cheek to show her there were no hard feelings. “Stiles and I are having breakfast together.” When Erica grinned too widely, he added, “And then we’re meeting Kira after. She’s coming back today.”
“That’s today?” Erica bounced on her heels. “I’ll drop by the lab after I get some shut-eye. I’m about to crash. Tell Kira she’d better have brought presents.”
Derek smiled to himself and waved over his shoulder as he made his way out. He got onto his motorcycle and drove off.
He took a detour by the pens first, slowing down to check on Panpy, who was already awake and ready to eat. She gave a little whine when she spotted him and Derek stayed in sight as she munched through her leafy breakfast. It was good to associate himself with a dino’s happy feelings.
Archie and Mitchie, on the other hand, were hard to spot through the plants and foliage in their paddock, but the heat sensors picked up the two dinosaurs rolling around their nest.
The other dinosaurs were also starting their breakfasts, waking up, or playing.
Derek eventually reached the garage and parked his motorcycle. Force of habit made him lock it securely, not that it really made a difference. Everybody knew it was his and they worked together, so it wasn’t likely to get stolen; plus, most people were wary of Derek and his muscles and his bonds with vicious, carnivorous dinosaurs.
That was, of course, except for one person. Guess who.
Derek arrived at the Mess Hall just in time and immediately spotted Stiles. He was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, shorts and his favorite lab coat and was flailing as he talked to Isaac, Scott and Allison. He jogged over to them.
“Morning, Derek!” Isaac and Scott greeted.
“Good morning,” Allison said, smiling.
“Got you a tray, babe,” Stiles said, grinning and waving him to sit beside him. “All your favorites, ‘cept I already took a bite of some, but you’ll forgive me anyway.” He winked.
Derek ignored the knowing looks from the other three and rolled his eyes at Stiles. He sat down beside the man, and almost immediately Stiles pressed close and then continued to regale their friends with stories of his research.
Derek settled in and ate his breakfast, which was a hearty selection of scrambled eggs, cereal with milk, bacon, toast, fruit, and orange juice. One of the advantages of working at a well-funded facility was that they had an excellent menu. That, and the Directress was strict about serving healthy and well-balanced meals. Despite having chosen to be here, they were stuck on an island with the same people twenty-four-seven with predators knocking on their doors; a good meal would go a long way.
Derek worked around the fingers and the fork that kept darting in and out of his plate. Stiles had gotten enough for two anyway so Derek nudged his portions over to the side for easy reach and resolutely ignored Allison’s knowing grin from across the table. He kept half an ear on the conversation.
“–which is why their eggs have a bluish tint,” Isaac was explaining.
“Well, blue eggs or not, lucky that the rangers didn’t step on it,” Scott said.
“We decided to incubate it for now, but we’re going to move it out to the field soon,” Isaac said. “We don’t want to risk the baby imprinting on us instead of an adopted parent or something.”
Stiles snorted. “Dude, the baby will have a hell of a time if it imprinted on you.” He poked Isaac on the shoulder. “You’re like the nicest person ever and you’d probably spoil the thing.”
It was true. Isaac was the youngest of their resident veterinarians, but because of his gentle nature he was usually placed in charge of the delicate matters, like looking after the eggs and newborns.
“Stiles is more likely to train the dinos to do tricks or change the TV channel for him,” Allison teased.
“Or play video games!” Scott exclaimed, wide-eyed.
“Or scare people, like Coach Finstock,” Stiles cheered, and two best friends gave each other a high five.
Derek snorted at their antics.
Suddenly there was the sound of beeping and Derek watched in amusement as everybody save for himself looked through their pockets for their phones or held their hands to their earpieces. Derek’s phone was silent and unmoving in his jeans. See? This was why he avoided those things.
“Mine. It’s Lydia,” Isaac said, scanning the message before standing up with his tray. “She’s dropping by the lab to see the egg.” His phone beeped again and he beamed at the message. “And she’s bringing scones!”
“NO FAIR!” Scott and Stiles immediately whined.
Isaac grinned triumphantly before walking off, waving over his shoulder.
Derek wasn’t surprised. Isaac was actually Lydia’s favorite and not Stiles, despite public opinion. Case in point: scones were actually Isaac’s favorite; Lydia preferred croissants.
“We should be going anyway,” Derek said, holding up the last bite of toast. As he expected, Stiles leaned forward and ate it, tongue swiping lightly against his fingers. Derek felt sparks prickle up his arm at the contact.
“Yeah, Kira’s chopper is gonna be here soon,” Stiles said, speaking through his mouthful. He grabbed Derek’s juice and took a sip before grabbing the whole tray. “I got it, Der.”
Stiles dutifully lifted the tray and ran off to return it. Derek ignored Scott and Allison’s teasing looks.
“You two act so domestic sometimes,” Scott said, pointing his fork at him. “Which is really ironic since you guys aren’t dating.”
“They are dating in their own way. They’re just denying it,” Allison amended. “Like the idiots they are.”
Derek glared at Allison. “Don’t you have a control room to get to?” He turned to Scott. “And don’t you have paddocks to inspect?”
“Spoilsport,” Scott said, while Allison rolled her eyes.
“Come on, Der,” Stiles said, jogging towards them. “Kira just sent me a text. She’s almost here. Later taters.” He wiggled his fingers at Scott and Allison before running off, leaving Derek to catch up.
The corridors and halls were fairly quiet as they walked, with the staff still either at the Mess Hall or getting ready for the day. Derek liked it, liked how it felt like it was just him and Stiles as they walked and talked, hands brushing with every step and Stiles’ eyes big, bright and beautiful as he told him excitedly about maybe getting a week off next month to see his Dad.
“Or maybe he can come here,” Stiles said. “The last time he came was last year. You remember we took him to the underwater observatory to see the Kronosaurus, right? But I really wanna go out and stretch my legs on the mainland, you know? Maybe we could take a trip somewhere.”
“I’m sure that all he wants is to spend time with you, Stiles,” Derek said.
Stiles rubbed the back of his neck, a pleased smile on his face. “Well, yeah, but I’m just really excited.” He looked bashful and sweet, and Derek had to resist the urge to kiss him.
“Um, you’re taking your week off next month too, right?”
Derek nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be going back to New York to see everybody. It’ll be in time for my grandmother’s birthday. I’ll get to see everyone.” He turned to Stiles. “You…” He cleared his throat, already feeling a flush creep up on his neck and blot his cheeks. “You’ll be in California, but you… if you… if there’s time…”
“We can meet up!” Stiles blurted out. For a moment, he looked horrified at having said that, but Derek immediately nodded.
“I would like that.”
Stiles’ expression went from horrified to pleased. He smiled, cheeks pinking up. “Yeah, we could… we could totally hang out. Um, we could even book the same flight and go back…”
“Together? Yeah, I wanted to say the same thing,” Derek said softly. He smiled at Stiles’ absolutely ecstatic grin.
“I’d like that,” Stiles said softly, fingers brushing against the back of Derek’s hand.
Derek was tempted to reach over and hold his hand, but he settled for linking their fingers together briefly instead. Stiles’ grin was blinding.
Stiles felt like he was on cloud nine and was only halfway paying attention as he and Derek watched the chopper descend onto the helipad. He couldn’t believe he and Derek actually made plans to spend a few days together outside of work. Granted that it was weeks away, but it was still something.
Ever since he met Derek a few years ago, Stiles had nursed a massive crush on him that grew as time passed. He had eyes, duh, and Derek was gorgeous from head to toe; even more so when he was scruffy and dirty and looking after dinosaurs. Stiles couldn’t deny that he had half-fallen in love with the man when Lydia pointed Derek out on Stiles’ first day as watched him train with some Velociraptors.
Not that he had much time to ogle or get to know Derek considering how much they used to argue.
During Stiles’ first year on the island, he was crazy busy all day, every day. He had to establish his new practice surrounding dinosaur behavior, set up OMNE’s research policies, train the other staff members, and figure out how they were going to study and treat these creatures. OMNE was also in its first year then and they were all under an extreme amount of pressure to prove just how effective the facility could be; Lydia more so than anybody.
That first year was the foundation of Stiles’ friendship with her. They’d both put in late nights, blood (literally in Stiles’ case with the dinos), sweat, and tears, and been through almost every single scenario and trial together.
That was what solidified them as a family at OMNE as they all worked and struggled together to protect their craft and prove their passion to naysayers.
Stiles’ happy bubble of reminiscing burst the moment the chopper landed and the door was thrown open by none other than his arch nemesis.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Stiles shrieked.
Derek, the jerk, just chuckled.
They watched as Jackson got out of the chopper, dressed to the nines in his tailored suit and pretentiously shiny shoes. He then offered his hand to help Kira down, looking adorable in a floral dress and leather boots. They both headed quickly towards the safety deck where Stiles and Derek waiting.
Jackson gave them both a snooty look and said, voice dripping with disdain, “Well, this takes the welcome out of the welcoming party.”
Stiles glared, and responded with a very mature, “Go jump off the roof, Whittemore.”
Jackson Whittemore, with his flashy hair and ridiculous clothes, served as OMNE’s legal counsel and was always going back and forth between the facility and AMBER’s office on the mainland.
He was Stiles’ mortal enemy, and the feeling was perfectly mutual.
The douche was nothing like Kira Yukimura, their chief geneticist, who was all sunshine, rainbows, and puppy dog eyes.
Stiles set about ignoring Jackson and moved to give Kira a welcoming hug.
“Hey, gorgeous. How was the conference?”
“It was all right,” Kira said, shrugging. “They’ve got some new proposals and projects, so I’ll probably be drowning in paperwork in the next few weeks.”
“And how was the trip? Got bored with Douchemore for company?” Stiles snickered.
“Shut up, moron,” Jackson growled, breaking away momentarily from his conversation with Derek. Stiles still couldn’t believe those two actually get along, but for some reason Jackson held a healthy amount of respect for Derek.
(He would be jealous if he didn’t know that Lydia had her pet… fine, boyfriend, on a very short leash.)
Kira waved a hand between them, abating the impending argument. “Hey, the trip was all right and Jackson was lovely company.” Jackson grinned smugly while Stiles made a face.
“Pleasantries aside, is everything ok here at home base?” Kira asked.
Stiles shrugged. “Well, Coach did threaten to toss me in the Stegosaurus paddock when I tried to play with Archie and Mitchie, but that’s like your average morning.”
“Idiot.” Derek snorted. He sounded too fond for Stiles to take offense though.
“That would have been a good welcome back present,” Jackson said. He stepped back with a frown and a glare when Stiles tried to kick his shin.
“You didn’t happen to see anything from up there did you?” Derek suddenly asked.
“Hm? Why?” Kira asked, looking between Stiles and Derek.
“No commotion? Nothing out of place?” Derek asked. “No dinosaurs?”
Derek had told Stiles about the situation with Erica, then Stiles told Derek in turn about Commander Argent, Allison, and Lydia. Needless to say, they were both suspicious.
Kira and Jackson glanced at one another, confused.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Jackson chimed in. “Our flight was fine, though we had to take another route when a few Pterodactyls and a Dimorphodon crossed our path, but there’s nothing there.”
“Awww.” Stiles cooed. “Look at him pretending to be all knowledgeable about dinosaurs.”
Jackson looked like he was tempted to beat Stiles to death with his suitcase.
(Stiles really was just kidding though, because Jackson couldn’t very well serve OMNE if he was clueless about dinosaurs. Not to mention that Lydia would most likely chop his balls off if he didn’t study up on the creatures.)
“As for the dinosaurs, we didn’t see or hear anything,” Kira spoke up. “And Lydia hasn’t raised an alert, so it’s probably nothing. Nothing to worry about.”
“That is true,” Jackson agreed immediately. “Best we get it out of our heads.
“I’ll head in first, Kira. I’ve set a briefing for later this afternoon around four,” he said, checking his ridiculously expensive watch. Stiles was tempted to throw it inside a T-Rex or something, with Jackson still attached.
“Sure thing,” Kira said, dimpling up at him. “And I’ll set a meeting with the other departments asap.”
“Including me?” Stiles asked. He ignored Jackson’s mutters of ‘unfortunately.’
“Yes, Stiles, including the behavioral research department,” Kira said.
Stiles made a face. He hated meetings, especially meetings with Jackson.
“I’ll go on ahead too,” Derek said. “It was nice seeing you, Kira.” He turned to Stiles, eyebrows rising in question.
“Dinner. I’ll text you,” Stiles said, smiling.
Derek nodded, and then walked off with Jackson, talking amiably. Stiles would never understand why those two get along.
Stiles turned to Kira. “You hungry?”
Kira shook her head. “I’m good. I’d rather go back to my lab, to be honest. I’m experiencing a bit of separation anxiety with my desk. Besides, Jackson brought me breakfast.” At Stiles’ face, she laughed. “You two might butt heads a lot of the time, but Jackson is an okay guy. He has his moments.”
Stiles and Kira walked the other way, talking excitedly about what’s been happening around OMNE and how things were with AMBER. On the way there, Stiles’ earpiece beeped.
Ian’s voice came on. “Dr. Stilinski, I’ve been asked to inform you that the Directress has approved your fieldwork hours with the Guanlongs. Please submit the necessary paperwork the week before your planned observation and take note that this will be your final trip out of the center for the month.”
“Thanks, Ian,” Stiles said. At Kira’s questioning look, he explained.
“You should really be more careful,” she said, pinching his arm lightly. “I know you enjoy fieldwork more than most people, but you’re always too impulsive and reckless.”
Stiles made a face, but conceded that point to her. “Sorry. It’s just… I get so excited. I know it’s more convenient to study them in captivity, but that’s not the point of my work.”
Kira smiled softly. “It’s the difference between our jobs. I do it better in comfort and surrounded by my tech, while you would be perfectly happy stalking through the forest and climbing trees just to watch your babies.”
“What can I say? I’m a passionate man,” Stiles said, waggling his eyebrows and making Kira laugh.