The next day I was up without being asked with my backpack all ready to go. Claire knew me well enough that she knew I wasn't excited about getting a head start on my school work. I loved going in to work with them, not just because of the socialization, but because I found it all fascinating. I guess being a clone of my mother meant I had many of the same interests.

"Make sure you're not getting in the way," she reminded me as we pulled into the parking lot of the research center.

"I won't," I groaned, practically ready to leap out of the car. Not waiting for Claire, I marched towards the front door, where the security guard gave me a friendly wave. I smiled and headed back towards the lab, where Dr. Malcolm was working. He was one of my favorite people in the world.

"Anchiornis huxleyi" he told me, keeping his eyes on the computer he was working on. Next to his work station sat a small next of tiny eggs. It was the latest in the research center's effort to produce a variety of dinosaurs. "A cousin of the modern bird."

"It had feathers?" I asked him, watching as one of the eggs wobbled slightly.

"Sure did," he told me. "And a bad attitude."

I looked closely at the egg, noticing it had a different color than some of the other eggs I'd observed.

"Umm...Dr. Malcolm?" I asked, looking around to make sure Claire wasn't nearby. She didn't want me bothering the scientists, but the truth was I think they liked having me around.

"Uh-huh," he said, distracted.

"Can you tell the species of a dinosaur from its egg?" I asked curiously.

"You can get pretty close," he told me as he began shuffling through some papers. He looked over his shoulder. "Would you grab me that blue manual over there?

I nodded and found the manual, handing it to him. He began checking through some text and I could tell he was busy. As far as the other scientists went, Dr. Malcolm was probably the one I could trust the most. Still, I didn't think I'd be able to tell him about my dinosaur nest. I thanked him and then headed towards my dad's office.

You'd think it was the office of a twelve year old. On his shelves, he had toy dinosaurs, LEGO dinosaurs, dinosaur art...you name it. His feet were up on his desk as he talked on the phone and tossed a ball up in the air, catching it. He saw me walk in and passed it to me.

I held onto it and walked around his office, looking around at some of his toys. I took a look at his disorganized desk and smiled when I saw a picture of the two of us, smiling with Beta between us.

Owen said goodbye and set down the phone. "You survived, I see," he commented as I took a seat.

"I guess," I shrugged, pulling out my laptop from my backpack. "Should I hang out in here?"

"That would work," he told me, tucking his cell phone into his jeans pocket. "Or you can hang out in the coffee shop."

Owen pulled out a $20 bill and handed it to me so I could grab something later. Claire would tell me not to get any coffee, claiming it stunted my growth. But who could pass up a T-Rex Latte?

"Have you met the new intern yet?" I asked, trying not to look too interested.

"Not yet," he told me, picking up a notebook and pen. "I'm about to go to a meeting where they're introducing him."

"Can I come?" I asked, already knowing the answer. He gave me a look. That would violate so many protocols, not to mention the top secret clearance. I sighed and started typing in my password on my computer. "Fine."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he told me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head before leaving his office. The door closed behind him and I sighed, with nothing but silence and a long list of assignments.

After about ten minutes, I was already bored and not in the mood. I set my laptop aside and decided to head to the center's coffee shop. After ordering a T-Rex Latte, my favorite, I decided to wander around and see what I could see. Most people knew me by name so I had a few side conversations.

Owen had mentioned their new intern would be at his meeting, so I decided to see if I could get a look. If Claire and Owen saw me sneaking around, they'd be ticked, so I approached carefully, making sure I couldn't be seen.

The meeting room had a large number of windows. I could quickly see Owen and Claire, who both happened to be facing away from me. Looking from person to person, I recognized everybody until my eyes found a young, dark-haired man, speaking confidently and gesturing towards a Google Slides presentation.

I watched as his face became animated. I could tell he was passionate about whatever it was he was talking about. The others watched him, obviously interested and nodding periodically. I took a look at the presentation and could see he was talking about some sort of new initiative. I saw the words maternal, offspring, bonding.

From what I could gather, he was really interested in finding out more about mother dinosaurs and their babies. This was perfect. Maybe he was someone I could confide in about my little egg nest.

The meeting seemed to be heading for a break, as people began shuffling around and closing notebooks. Owen exited quickly, throwing me off. I ducked behind a corner, hoping to make myself scarce. Claire hurried to catch up with him and could see him sigh.

"Owen, I'm wondering if I could take Jake with me tomorrow on the site visit to Cedarburg," she told him. "It seems like he has a lot of background with this."

"I don't know, Claire," he rubbed the back of his neck. "He just started today. Don't you think you should give him a chance to settle in?"

"Time is not on our side, Owen," she told him. "If we want to get that grant, we're going to need to show them a solid plan. I think Jake could really help with this."

Jake. That must be the new intern's name. I watched as he stood, wandering out of the meeting room, checking his phone. His phone case was a raptor design. I smirked as he made his way toward the stairs. Maybe he was going to the coffee shop.

With Claire and Owen turned the other way, I dashed towards the staircase. I followed him down the stairs, where he indeed walked towards the coffee shop, looking up at the menu. As casually as I could, I took my place in line behind him. What was I going to say to him? I was practically a kid compared to him.

I hesitantly cleared my throat. "The T-Rex Latte is to die for," I recommended to him. He turned and smiled at me.

"Is that right?" He asked. "I was debating between that and the Stegosaurus Blend."

I grinned and bit my lip.

"Do you work here?" He asked me, which surprised me. I was in jeans and a hoodie with my well-worn red Chucks on. Did I really look like a scientist to him?

"Oh, no," I told him. "My parents do."

"Oh, who are your parents?" he inquired as we moved up in line.

"Owen Grady and Claire Dearing," I told him.

"I was just in a meeting with them," he acknowledged. "They seem to know their stuff. I didn't know they had a daughter."

"Well, foster daughter technically," I told him. "I've lived them since I was ten."

He held out his hand and I took it. He firmly shook my hand. "Jake Reynolds," he told me. "Nice to meet you."

"Maisie Lockwood," I told him. I noticed his eyes - dark but kind. The person in front of us finished ordering and he stepped up to the register.

"I think I'll take this young lady's recommendation," he told the cashier. "Two T-Rex Lattes, please."

The cashier looked at me, who had seen me only 15 minutes earlier. "Back so soon?"

I blushed in embarrassment. My cup was still two-thirds full. "I can't get enough," I chuckled uncomfortably. I thanked Jake as he paid and we stepped to the side to wait for our drinks.

"So, Owen and Claire are your parents," he said. "I have to ask...are they...easy to work with?"

"Well, Owen definitely," I told him. I decided I shouldn't get into how difficult Claire could be. "Well, they both are really. They're really passionate about what they do."

"It seems so," he agreed. "I have to confess, one of the reasons I really wanted to intern here was because of them. I really admire their research. And your dad, working with raptors like that...I mean...wow."

I smiled, proud of Owen. It really did take a special person to have the guts to do something like that. But I also admired how well he bonded with them. They had a mutual respect for each other.

"Is it true that they're working on a new grant?" He asked, dropping his voice. "About expanding the dinosaur sanctuary?"

I wasn't sure how top secret it was, but since he was working here I figured it was okay to spill the beans to him. I nodded. "Yes," I confirmed. "They want to expand it by fifty percent. The population has been expanding."

"That's amazing," he told me, his eyes lighting up. I loved how excited he was about this. The barista called out Jake's name and he picked up the two drinks. I took the cup, now with one in both hands. I blushed again, embarrassed. Was I that obvious that I was stalking him a little?

"Well, I better get back to the meeting," he told me. "It was nice to meet you Maisie Lockwood."

I told him goodbye as he disappeared up the stairs. I sighed as I watched him go. He was good looking, smart, AND passionate about dinosaurs. For the first time in my young life, I had a major crush.