Amy stood on the back steps of the visitor's center, looking out onto the world they had just left. The center looked just as she had remembered, from the elaborate, steaming pools and poisonous ferns to the grand fossil-engraved entryway. The singing of the Brachiosaurus herd thundered like a receding storm, and just like before, she could see their silhouettes moving between the canopies, although they were far closer than what they had been when she first witnessed them from this very spot. It had only been a few days, yet to Amy, it felt like years since then. She almost laughed at the memory of the evening spent with Alan, speaking of trivial things such as illustrations and partnerships and whether or not they were single and she felt a flush to her cheeks. Then she remembered their shared concerns for the safety of the island. How idiotic the conversation was, all things considering.

She heard Alan call out for any other personnel that happened to be wandering the building as he finally opened the door into the center. She took a step forward, yet she found it suddenly very hard to take her eyes from the wild world before her. There was a sort of sadness at having to leave, for she knew this would truly be her final look onto the world she had dedicated her entire life to recreating, even with the trauma that had come with it. One some level, it was worth it. On the other hand, she couldn't have been more eager to get back on that helicopter and never set foot on any island ever again.

With one last, longingly sorrowful look, Amy turned away from the poolside and she entered the building. The inside was just as the outside; exactly how she remembered, only without any workers roaming about. The building was bare of anything other than the towering skeletal display and the discarded power tools and lumbar and wires. Alan called out again, yet no one answered. "I swear, if they forgot about us," Amy trailed off, not daring to finish her empty warning.

From within Alan's arms, Tim moaned. The boy had grown awfully weak during the last half mile. With nothing more than part of a butterfinger chocolate bar in his stomach and the mid-day humid heat baring hatefully down, the kid had begun lagging behind the group, stumbling on wobbly legs. So, Alan had scooped him up and carried him the rest of the way. Now Tim laid limply against Alan's chest, his head lulling weakly against his shoulder. Alan marched past the prehistoric mural and straight to where Amy remembered the kitchen and cafe was. Amy followed as quickly as she could, trying to ignore her aching limp as Lex tightened her small hand within Amy's grasp. Once in the cafe, Amy all but collapsed into a chair, a long sigh escaping her as she felt her body fully relax for the first time in ages.

"Okay, I'm gonna have to find the others," Alan said, grunting slightly as he re-positioned Tim. "Get you and Amy to a doctor," he lowered Tim onto Amy's table, settling the boy on the corner.

He turned to leave, but Amy lunged forward, capturing Alan's wrist within her wrapped, sore fingers. "Alan, wait," she begged. The very idea of him leaving sent a spark of fear through her, even though she knew that help was needed. He ignored her, and instead he turned to Lex.

"Lex, look after these two for me, will you?"

"Okay..."

"Alan," Amy tried again. Still, he would not look at her. He began to walk away, completely disregarding her, and he only stopped when another hand grabbed at him. Timmy had weakly reached for the older man, his small hand pathetically slipping against Alan's arm. Alan paused, his eyes searching up and down the boy, who could now only look at the floor. He pursed his lips and leaned down to eye-level with the kid and he ran his large hand through Tim's dirty hair.

"Your hair is sticking up," he said softly, jokingly. "Big Tim, the boy who fought dinosaurs." The corner of Tim's lips quivered into a small smirk of pride at that. Alan's hand moved down to Tim's shoulder, to which he gave a short squeeze. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

"I'm coming too," Amy jumped from her seat.

Finally, Alan acknowledged her presence, though it was abruptly curt. "You're staying here."

"I'm not," she bit back, crossing her arms firmly over her chest.

Alan rounded on her very suddenly, though he still refused to make any eye contact as his head remained bowed. "Amethyst, I am not arguing with you about this. Stay here."

The way he said his words in that tone, a tone Amy had yet to hear from the man, took her utterly by surprise. She didn't understand what had caused him to become so aggressive and it hurt her, but it also made her angry. "You can't order me around like that, Dr. Grant. You really think I'm gonna let you go back out there alone while I just sit here?"

"It doesn't matter what I do so long as you and the kids are safe-"

"I don't need protecting! I don't need you protecting me."

Alan was upon her, then, his large hands coming down upon her shoulders heavily. His breathing was slightly ragged and he kept his face down and to the floor. Amy wanted to shove him away, to force him to stay with the kids while she went for help herself. She understood that she had been absolutely no help during their entire ordeal. She tried to be strong and she tried to protect everyone, yet all she had managed to do was slow everyone down by continuously getting herself hurt. She wanted to prove herself - she had to fix things - but to be honest, she simply couldn't come to terms with reality. Amethyst Young couldn't admit that she was a nuisance at best, that she really was weak and did nothing but cause further danger. It was embarrassing and shameful and she had to redeem herself. She had to...

Amy geared herself up for her counter against Alan, her mind racing with what exactly she would say. However, she couldn't have prepared herself for what he did next. Instead of yelling and shouting at her, or maybe forcing her back into her chair and storming out, Alan did something different. He leaned forward and placed his head against her shoulder. With this touch, the rest of his body drooped and relaxed against her own rigid form. "I can't risk it, Amy," he whispered to her, his warm lips brushing against her neck and spreading goosebumps across her skin. "I can't risk you or the kids. I can't."

Amy was rooted to the ground, her body as still as a looming statue along with her silenced heart. All resistance from before left her, then, leaving her drained and hurt. She had no answer to this, no prepared dialogue or action. All she could possibly think to do was limply wrap her arms around his shoulders. She was so stunned that she couldn't even bring herself to properly hug the man, even when tears began to form within her eyes. Amy sniffed and she placed her head against his own, and she mumbled a quiet, "okay."

Alan pulled away from her and he cupped her flushed cheeks, his beautiful blue eyes finally meeting hers. "I'll be back, I promise." Amy couldn't help but to feel that this was somehow a preemptive goodbye. Neither one knew what Alan would find once he left the cafe, and to expect something good would be foolish. She did not voice these concerns, though. Instead, she gave him a bleary-eyed smile.

"God, I get so emotional around you. I hate it."

"I just have that effect on people."

Amy let out a sad laugh at that, her eyes flickering down shyly. "You really are one cocky bastard, Dr. Grant." Alan laughed as well and he placed his forehead against her own, causing her caramel eyes to look back up at him. There was a new seriousness to his look, yet Amy could still feel the thick air of uncertainty with his next words.

"I will come back."

All Amy could manage to say was, "okay." Alan's gaze remained on hers for one, lingering second longer. Then, he placed a kiss against her brow and he was gone. Amy watched him go, her skin now feeling cold with his missing presence and she had to wrap her arms around herself. There was a tiny tug on the hem of her shorts and Amy turned to see Lex. Her round, blue eyes were filled with a sad understanding as the young girl nibbled her lip.

"Tim found some food, if you want it."

Amy formed a smile and she wiped away a stray tear with the back of her hand, forcing away the heavy ache that had rooted deep within her chest. "Great! I could go for some food." Lex smiled back and she took the older woman's hand within her own and she led her towards the open food bar on the opposite side of the room.

The table was filled with towering mountains of multiple varieties of foods, ranging from fluffy bread and salads and slices of meat to fresh fruits and bright desserts. Unsurprisingly, Tim went straight for the dessert table, but Amy made sure to make him a ham and cheese sandwich as well. With their plates filled with balancing towers of foods, the three went back to their table and after nearly three days without food, they finally began to eat.

Amy hadn't truly realized how hungry she was before. Now that she was eating, it took everything to keep herself from stuffing her face like some ravenous animal. Lex had filled her plate with strictly fruits and salad while Tim mainly ate sweets. He went from thick spoonfuls of pudding to enormous shovels of ice cream and it took Amy a few minutes to realize that the kid had scarfed down nearly half a cake before she could make him eat his sandwich. Amy, Lex, and Tim all passed around happy, food-filled smiles and Tim happily kicked his feet while he hummed. With her fruits finished, Lex moved on to her own dessert with a lime green jell-o. She placed the spoonful in her mouth and her eyes did a small double-take. She took another bite and she paused, her brow scrunching in confusion. Amy's own brow furrowed at Lex from across the table. The woman kept casting quick, worried glances at Lex as she ate. The girl was eyeing something, but Amy wasn't sure what. It must not have been anything too concerning, though, as Lex continued to eat herself, but there was something that had definitely caught her attention. All of a sudden, Lex's eyes went wide and she froze, her next spoon of jell-o hoovering mere inches from her lips.

"Lex?" Amy asked, her own fork of food hesitating. There was no answer from Lex, only the quickening of her breath and the onset of terrible shakes. The girl's eyes were glued to one singular spot directly over Amy's shoulder. Amy raised a brow, her own eyes following the direction Lex was staring at. At first she didn't see anything but the dull green mural paintings of the dinosaurs among a grassy field. Then, the silhouette of the raptor painting moved. All the blood from Amy's head pooled down to her toes and she nearly dropped her fork. With the sound of Tim's gasp, Amy jumped into action.

Ignoring the great surge of pain in her arms, Amy scooped up Tim and urged Lex to follow her. The group raced towards the only other exit from the cafe; the kitchen. The room was a mass of shining metal tables, cabinets, and utensils that twinkled brightly with the hanging lights. Lex flipped the light switches, bathing the room in instant darkness, and they continued to run. In a split decision, Amy snatched Lex by the arm and dragged her behind a cabinet furthest away from the door. Lex and Tim huddled as tightly to Amy's body as they could and she curled herself around them, their little bodies vibrating with their terror.

There was an odd, almost purring sound coming from the door. It was muffled, but loud enough to still be heard. Tim inched his head from Amy's shoulder, peaking around the counter. He gasped and Amy forced his head back against her chest as she shushed him. A metallic clicking echoed through the quiet air and Amy instantly knew what the sound was. It was trying to open the door. There was a harsh growl, then the door was flung open and the three humans flinched at the sudden banging.

"Timmy, what is it?" Lex whimpered.

"It's a Velociraptor."

"It's inside," the girl breathed out, the ragged words making Amy's blood run cold. She tried shushing them again, but her quivering lips did little to calm the children. Every last word of warning from Dr. Robert Muldoon replayed in her mind in that moment, echoing like her skull was a never ending cave. There was a booming, almost barking that seemed to shatter the very air that hung around them and it sounded all too wrong. The rough clicks and scrapes of its claws were like a train screeching down its tracks closer and closer to its helpless victims.

"Follow me," Amy murmured to the children and she pushed them forward. The three crawled as quickly as they could without making a noise, heading in the opposite side of the kitchen as the raptors. If things were to go in their favor, Amy could lead the kids around the kitchen and back to the front door, getting them all out safely, but that would have been too easy in their world of misfortune. From above the tables and piles of plates and bowls, Amy could see the tops of the raptors swaying heads and waving tails in the aisle parallel to them. Wait, there were two raptors?

The raptors were getting too close. Amy had no idea just how powerful their scent was, but from what she would assume, it could be highly sensitive. Their only hope was the scent of the freshly baked food to mask their own. Suddenly, the kids stopped in their tracks, both completely petrified by the horrid creatures towering only feet from them. Amy pushed them forward, but the very moment they returned to their crawling, a stack of bowls was sent tumbling down right over their heads. The three jumped and scrambled frantically, their slipping hands and legs sliding over the mass of fallen dishes. Amy slipped around another counter and she grabbed Tim's ankle, pulling him back against her as they pressed themselves against the cold, metal surface. Large ladles and spoons dangled and rattled softly around their heads and Amy could only hope the sounds wouldn't give them away.

Amy had never felt this kind of fear before in her life. Before when facing the Tyrannosaur trying to devour her or when she was dangling in a crashed car nearly fifty feet high or even when climbing the highly electrified fence, she had never felt something like this. Those situations had come and gone so quickly; something that hadn't allowed the time to process until everything had already happened. This was different; this was a fear that was allowed to grow and fester with every single second spent waiting for her oncoming death. These creatures were calculating and precise, waiting for the exact second to strike. They knew Amy, Tim, and Lex were in here, there was no question about it. They were only biding their time, and once they finally attacked and actually caught Amy and the kids, the death would be even slower.

A ladle fell. The sound shattered through the atmosphere like broken glass, shredding whatever pitiful security there could have ever been. The raptors growled and hissed, followed by loud bangs as their search became more desperate. Amy and the kids raced across the floor, trying to find a new hiding spot. However, when Amy rounded another corner, she realized they were missing someone. Tim was gone. The woman's heart leaped into her throat and she peaked back around the counter. Tim had only made it halfway down the aisle. The boy was huddled against the side of a cabinet, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Amy waved her hands, trying to get him to come to her, but he refused. He was too scared to move.

Dark, misshaped shadows appeared around the corner, dancing mockingly where the three had been hiding mere seconds before; only feet away from Tim. Amy began to panic. How could she have not noticed that Timmy wasn't with her? How did she allow him to get separated? There was an odd metallic clicking sound from behind her. Lex had picked up a ladle and she banged it along the ground harshly, gaining the attention of the raptors. By the time Amy turned around, though, Lex was gone. Now she'd lost both children.

Amy had no time to dwell. The raptors were treading down the hallway, and she had to find somewhere to hide. Amy rolled herself around the counter and she crawled down the opposite aisle of the raptors until she eventually was behind them. By the time she was completely down the hall, she would be far enough away from them to grab Tim and run before the raptors even noticed she was there. Amy arrived at the end of the tables and she inched her head from around the corner. Tim was in the same position as before, his back still pressed against the table. One of the raptors had jumped over the table and into the same aisle as the boy, though neither one had noticed Tim yet. Instead, their attention was solely on something else down the hall; something that sent pure terror terribly down Amy's spine. Lex was inside a metal cupboard, yanking and pulling desperately on the door, trying to get it to close. It wouldn't budge. The raptor hissed and charged. All Amy could do was scream, watching as the horrible beast raced down the aisle. Then, it slammed right into Lex. Or, rather, a reflection of Lex. The table's side bowed and crinkled with the weight of the creature's head and it instantly crumbled to the ground. Lex jumped out of the cupboard and scrambled away.

Blood raged within Amy's ears, the realization of what had just happened causing her head to swim sickeningly. Then, Tim was running. The second raptor took off after him. Amy jumped up, a strangled cry escaping her burning throat. "Timmy!" Tim hobbled as quickly as he could as his own scream echoed through the building. Amy took off, every muscle in her legs pushing her towards the open doorway Tim and the raptor disappeared through.

Amy was running so quickly that she had to grab onto the door frame to keep herself from stumbling over herself. Laying on the floor of the freezer was Tim. Behind him was the raptor, which slipped and struggled to stand on the melted ice scattered upon the floor. Without a thought, Amy reached in and snatched Timmy by the collar of his shirt and she dragged him towards her. The raptor pounced, a terrifying roar mixing with Amy's and Tim's horrified cries. Amy yanked Tim from the fridge and she slammed the door, right onto the raptor's head. Amy forced all of her weight into the heavy door, fighting against the thrashing, powerful creature on the other side. She leaned forward and slammed herself back so hard that she nearly thrusted the air out from her own lungs. The raptor screeched out in pain and fell back into the fridge and the door finally shut.

Tim's little hands fumbled with the lock as he tried handing it to Amy, though their matched fear made the handoff nearly impossible. Lex ran past, her hands flailing as she screamed wildly, but Amy had to ignore that for the moment. All she had to do was get the damned lock into the latch... It clicked in!

Timmy stumbled back from the freezer and he had to catch himself on the edge of a table. His tiny hands clutched at his chest as he tried settling his breath while Amy did the same. Though, with the distressed groans of the first raptor, which was beginning to wake from its unconsciousness, Amy knew there was no time to relax. Amy snatched up Tim within her arms and once she did a quick look-over of Lex and determined she was alright, they rushed out of the kitchen.

Standing in the cafe next to the mural were two people. Their backs were turned to Amy and the kids, though she knew exactly who they were. It took everything within herself for Amy not to fall to the floor at the sight of them as the reality of everything hit her. No matter where they went in this damned place, nowhere was safe. The only thing she could view as safety was that one man with sandy colored hair and ocean-filled eyes. "Alan," the woman weeped. At the sound of her voice, Alan and Ellie spun on their heels, their eyes instantly going wide in an awful shock at the sight of her and the kids. Alan rushed forward, meeting Amy halfway as she fell into his chest. The man threw his arms around the brunette and the child, clutching them as closely as he could manage.

Before he could question what had happened, Lex barreled into his side and she pointed shakily to the kitchen, whimpering a repeat of, "it's in there!" Alan unwrapped his arms from the sobbing woman and boy. Only then did Amy realize he was holding a combat shotgun, which he instantly pointed in the direction Lex had pointed.

Ellie took Tim from Amy. It must have been obvious just how exhausted the poor brunette was, and once Tim was out of her grasp Amy's arms felt numb and they dropped feebly to her sides. Ellie's face morphed into a soft understanding and she gave the other woman a single nod. "Control room," she said and they were off, following her direction as Alan casted continuous, suspicious sweeps with his weapon from behind. This man and his weapon were their sole barrier until they could reach the control room, and Amy prayed it would somehow be enough.