I

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Snow covered the town along with mountains enclosing this place, the coldness turning people's noses into shade of pink or red, depends how much warmth hugs them.

Then there's me, a woman needing nothing but blue hoodie to keep warm, but to blend in I had to at least borrow one of Claire's jackets, hence having none of mine.

Hood cover my head, also keeping my gaze down on the beer in front of me to avoid letting people in this pub see and recognize my face. That would lead to problems. Nothing I wish for to happen. 

From four years ago, when me with my adopted niece Maisie let the dinosaurs have their freedom, things once again changed and weren't as usual. I continued living my life with my best friends and niece, and my new hybrid child in the human world shared with dinosaurs. But now they're looking for me, Maisie and most probably Izy, because of her not being completely human and me as well.

I never had any much of luck with figuring out what Mills ordered to add into my system, not counting the three DNAs that were already working in me since I was 7. Which was 30 years ago. And now I got way more than only three, and I can't help but wonder if it wasn't supposed to be when Mills wanted to use me on dinosaurs, or better on Izy. 

Zia was kind enough to try and help me, and counted around 20 more DNAs, however wasn't able to identify which kind could any of them be. Said she doesn't have that great leveled equipment. Still she was more of an help than anyone else. 

Unlike before, this time it did harder change in me. Not only my bond to any dinosaur I met got stronger, but also my desire for meat, if cooked or raw, doesn't matter. My muscles grew stronger too, with most things overpowering Owen and he's the strongest out of our little group. I'm a little bit faster. My senses are greater. Smell higher. Quickier reflexes. 

In short, I'm better. And that's what scares me. 

People hunting for me and Maisie, God knows what kind of experiments they wanna do with any of us. They know we are different, connected with these dinosaurs. Some may wanna get to know about them more through us, but I'm sure there's this other evil half that'd like to use us in worse way than I imagine. I'm so not letting that happen.

Charles, the bartender of this little pub and my, you can call it friend, sat across from me and leaned his chin on the palm of his hand, a look that tells me he's ready for that annoying theme.

"My girlfriend left me." Alright, I got it wrong, but he's definitely gonna get to it. My eyebrow lift in not surprised way, visibly already used to hearing this.

"Really? How long were you two together?" I see him rub his face, like this one actually had hard hit on him and he's healing from broken heart.

"Six weeks."

"Six weeks." My head nod, and I must say I'm impressed. "That's good. New record. What was the reason this time?" His cheeks reden, like what I'm going to hear is embarrassing and ridiculous reason of their break up.

"My buddy didn't stand up. Not even twitch. And when I asked her to lick my, um, my ass, she packed her things and left." I almost choke on my beer, coughing shortly. I shouldn't be laughing or give any hint of amusement, but he's got always the stupidiest reasons why each girlfriend left him. He won't listen to me when I unfold options for him.

"I'm sorry. That's..uh...devasting." I try showing sympathy, much for the smile breaking on my face.

"Yeah. I can't figure out where's the problem, if it's me or them or what." As much as possible the attempt to choke the laughter in myself is getting only harder, knowing he's taking this seriously.

"Have you considered of trying it with a man and not a woman? What you know, maybe you will come to realization you like men." For not less than 100th time I'm bringing this up, of course ready for him to tell me, and I imitate, 'Ew, don't be ridiculous, I'm not gay' in his most gay voice. He purches his lips, glancing around and back at me.

"Once you find a partner to yourself, I may consider it." His answer takes me aback, hence I expected totally something else. Sigh leaves me.

"That means never. But I'm not hearing no, so I take that as plus." Quickly I drown the rest of my beer and slam the money in front of him.

"I would love and chit-chat with you, but I gotta go." He's got no room to say anything, me already on my legs walking towards exit with package of beers in my hands. "See ya!"

As I walk up to my motorcycle and throw the beers into one bag attached to the seat, my eyes shift around the town. And like always, 2/3 mind their own business, 1/3 pay attention to me, watching my every movement like hawk waiting for his moment to strike. I hate this.

Yet I'm not done here, needing to pick up my every four-day order. Honestly, that sweet old guy working there now knows me very well to remember what I'm ordering.

As I make my way towards my favourite butcher shop, I catch three little kids running around, full of giggles and free spirit. I feel my chest turn heavy at the sudden feeling of stabbing pain and with shake of head I push both this feeling and thoughts away.

I'm almost past halfway when someone on a bike almost run into me, stopping an inch from my legs. Ready to scold them for not being careful, the anger fades away in blink of eye, replaced with slight surprise.

"Maisie?" It is nothing unusual to see her here. I understand being forbidden to go past the bridge and having no interaction with no one else than her small family for now 4 years is crawling her nerves, nonetheless it's still dangerous for her, more than for me.

"Really? Again?" With crossed arms on my chest I give her the look.

"What did you expect me to do? Stay stuck at home all the time? I'm getting sick of it." And there it is, the tone with attitude when she's pissed.

"I understand it is very annoying. If we could, we would let you go do whatever you want. But you know why we can't." With arm around her shoulders I guide her towards the butcher shop, just so we don't stand in middle of the way on everyone's eyes.

"Then what are you doing here? They want you as much as me, and yet your here almost every day." She's got point, but I'm not giving in.

"First of; I'm an adult, I can take care of myself. Second; I got important things to do here." She gives me what would I call half amused, half 'are you serious' look.

"You mean stealing money and spending them in pub for getting drunk? Is that what you call 'important things'?" I hold my finger out.

"You got two things wrong, missy. I never got drunk in town, for that I would need 5 more beers, if not something stronger. And I don't spend 'borrowed' money only for beer, but also for food and meat for me and my dear boy." She scowl slightly.

"That's three things." What a smart ass.

"I count it as two. Deal with it." The only she does is roll her big eyes, though I can see entertainment dancing in them. No one can resist Auntie Jane.

"Next time you wanna go to town, tell me and I will sneak you past Owen and Claire. They won't do a shit to me." With my index finger I point at her, making her smile and hug me.

"Thanks. Your the best." Chuckle errupt from my throat as I pat her head and she let go.

"Oh, I know. Now, get outta here. I wanna see you home when I get back." She gets back on her bike and ride away, me watching after her form disappearing from my sight when she turn a corner.

She's got it hard. Never having real parents, only her grandpa who raised her with the other woman I forgot name of, and neither of them are here now, leaving only us for Maisie. Well, we're better than putting her in orphanage where the people looking for us would get her easily.

Along the time I had known Claire, I know she loves Maisie as her own daughter and would kill for her, exactly like Owen. They are good parents for her, even though Maisie never admit it out loud. She's also created a really good relationship with Izy and now he's as protective of her as we are, if we don't count the times when he's in really bad mood. They both are teenagers we got to deal with. Well, at least we don't get bored.

Shaking my head with sigh, I open the door that hit the bell, signaling a customer came, and I enter the shop.

~🦕~

The wheels of my motorcycle drift in halt against the dirt covered under thick white cover, the force sending wave of snow to swift up like when stormy water hit rocks.

In quick movoment I get off after turning it down, opening one of the bags attached to seat and pulled out the package of beers. With that in my arms I turn to my little family, Maisie doing handshake and hug with Owen, who came only a minute before me.

"You smell like horses." Maisie pull from the hug, disgusted expression wearing on her face as she back off, me snickering quietly to that, and the place switches with Claire.

"Oh, you like that, don't ya?"

"I do." Claire's more than eager to kiss her husband, arms wrapped around his neck with her head tilted back to be able to look up at him. I cringe.

"Jesus. Gross you two." My best friend sent smirk my way and opened his arms for me to get into in big bear hug.

"Like you don't smell yourself, Jay." But instead of giving in like most of times we greet, I push the package into his chest with disgust of my own and back off back to my machine. I'm so not touching him with him smelling like that.

"Hell nah. I smell delicious." From other bags I pull out meat, my now stronger arms like never before holding the weight with ease. Owen roll his eyes at me, his wife in the back shaking her head at us.

"Yeah, right. Your child can smell you from miles." Before I'm able to open my mouth and throw another remark back at him, a blur of black takes me down into the snow.

"Izy! No-! I washed my hair yesterday!" Large tongue licked my face eagerly. The two adults only stood there laughing and snickering, too amused by my hybrid of like child all excited over me and the meat I brought. 

"Stop!" Despite the little of laugh that escaped my lips, my command forced him to finally stop, his large black form standing over my smaller one with that stupid grin on his face, tail wagging like puppy.

"I'm glad to see you too, Izy. Here." Sighing, I threw one piece of meat into his jaw and he happily got off me, like that was the thing he wanted all along. I watch him with small smile walk off behind the house to his little shelter, however, you can clearly see it's saddened.

He reminds me so much of both Rexy and Inza. Our actions, the fun we experience and things I teach him, it all reminds me of times back at Isla Nublar. Only back there I used to do it with my best friend and very first hybrid child, even though ten times larger than Izy.

I never managed to stumble upon Rexy again from four years ago, and while one side tells me she's okay somewhere minding her own business, the other tells me I should be worried about her. Yet how can I check on her when I got dangerous people hunting my unnatural ass?

"Told you." Snapping me from my zone out, my best friend smirked down at me smugly while holding out his hand for me to take.

"Like I didn't know that already." With grumple I accept the help and let him lift me back on my feet. I sigh, again, feeling the cold wind hit against my face covered in Izy's saliva.

"Great. I can take another shower." To do some payback for Owen laughing at me before, I wiped some of the saliva on his face, making him cringe and groan in disgust.

"Ew! Yuck! Nasty." This time it's my turn to laugh at him with Claire, picking back up the meat.