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twelve - van chase
claire held open the doors to a van, instructing the kids to get into the back of it. they did as she said, elle ending up on the floor beside zach, allowing the brothers to instead take the makeshift seats.
"if you need me, i'll be right up front," claire announced. "just open that window. okay?" she pointed behind them. "put your seat belts on."
"i don't even have a seat, claire, how am i gonna have a seat belt?" elle retorted.
"okay, so just... hold hands," she ordered, closing the doors.
there was second while no one moved before gray held out his hand to zach. elle smiled at the brothers, glancing around for something she could grab on to. she noted that there were weapons dotted around but nothing to stop her from rolling out the van if they went too fast.
"nothing's getting in here, right?" gray asked, his voice small.
elle listened as zach recalled a time he made a battle axe out of a ruler and paper plate, assuring gray that he would always protect him and always go back to him because they were brothers. she stayed silent and as still as possible as they hugged, not wanting to interrupt the moment.
she'd seen how zach had become nicer to his brother as the trip went on. near death experiences had helped them bond.
when she was sure it was safe to move again, she squeezed between the brothers to watch the monitor through the small window in the back. she made sure to be quiet about it, knowing claire wouldn't want them seeing any of it.
"your boyfriend's a badass," zach commented.
elle bit her tongue, not outing anything about claire and owen's... complex relationship. elle wasn't that old but claire had confided in her about the shitty date her and owen had had.
"you know what?" claire began, pulling the window closed. "you guys are not going to watch this. keep the window closed."
she ignored their arguments.
"stupid," elle muttered, waiting a few minutes before pulling the window open again. she watched closely as the raptors and indominous started communicating before they started shooting at it.
"oh fuck," elle exclaimed. "that things part raptor."
claire jumped turning to elle, "i told you to keep the window closed."
she shrugged, "i'm a teenager. i didn't listen."
"is everybody dead?" gray spoke up. he opened the window more, so claire could see him.
she hid the tablet showing everyone's camera's "no, no, no. everyone is fine."
"don't lie to him," zach argued.
"he's scared. it's okay to lie when people are scared," claire yelled.
"i want to go home."
elle's heart broke as she heard how scared gray was, his voice was small, smaller than it had been all day and he looked exhausted.
claire reached her hand out, caressing the back of his head, "sweetheart, you will, okay? i promise. tomorrow you will be home and your mother will never let me see you again."
a bang at the window caused claire to whip her head around, arm falling. elle crained her neck to see a bloody hand print on the window as claire screamed. elle slammed the window shut, sitting back down, this time on the makeshift seat with zach.
the back doors flew open and a man yelled at them as he tried to climb in. charlie jumped on top of him, grabbing him by his teeth. elle threw her arm up, covering gray's eyes as the dinosaur began eating the man. claire started the van driving away.
"just hold on back there," she yelled before a ear-piercing scream sounded. the van swerved and the screaming stopped.
"you okay, claire?" elle yelled. she received no reply but the van continued driving steadily, so she took that as her answer.
she let her eyes fall on charlie, who was running quickly towards them, the doors swinging as they drove. she did the maths and knew she would be in the van and soon. zach started forward, grabbing an oxygen tank, rolling it out of the van. it missed charlie and delta. delta overtook the van, which swerved.
charlie was still running towards them. elle eyed the van, remembering she'd seen an electric cattle prod. she began crawling towards it, gray already ahead of her. he stood up, trying to turn it on. zach helped. both body couldn't figure it out.
charlie was gaining on them.
elle snatched it from them, "give it here. gray get back." she stood, walking slowly towards the doors, feeling someone loop a finger into her belt loops. "three, two-"
she pressed the button as charlie jumped, mouth snapping at them, trying to scramble into the van. she thrust the cattle prod forward into the dinosaurs stomach. charlie fell backwards out of the van.
elle fell backwards into zach, the pair landing next to each other.
"you would be dino food without me," elle quipped, her voice low, as she realised how close her and zach's faces were.
he searched her eyes, "i know."
zach knew why he got so nervous around her. it was obvious. the answer was in the ocean eyes that stared at him and even though her mascara was smudged under her eyes and she was shiny with sweat, she was the prettiest girl he had ever met.
he leant towards her pausing as his lips almost brushed hers. he hesitated to give her time to pull away. she didn't, so he closed the gap, lips pressing gently against hers. she closed her eyes, pushing herself closer to him, letting her hands rest on his waist as his found her neck.
their lips moved slowly against each other until there was a little cough behind them.
elle pulled away, seeing gray, who had a hand over his eyes. that he can't stand to see.
"are you kids okay?" claire shouted.
"hey did you see that?" zach responded, obviously talking about electrocuting a dinosaur and not the kiss.
"i can't wait to tell mom," gray added, however, he was talking about the kiss.
"please, no. do not tell your mother about that, ever," claire pleaded.
the familiar sound of a motorcycle distracted them. owen was alive, and he was driving behind them.
"owen," elle cheered, rolling out of zach's arms, crawling to the back of the van.
