Tooth and Nail

Ankle Biter

They were walking through what to Olivia seemed like a jungle. They're were many protests from Gennaro and many questions from Tim.

All of a sudden Allen stoped dead in his tracks, everyone stopping with him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Everybody wait here." He instructed.

He walked off, Tim following his tracks. "Tim!" Ellie called along with Lex.

Being the stubborn person that she is, Olivia followed closely behind Tim, not letting her brother go off by himself. Especially not in a dinosaur infested park.

"Liv!" Ian called to her. "Olivia!" She snickered as she heard him let out an exaggerated sigh. "What have I gotten myself into?" He muttered, running to catch up with her.

As they stepped into a clearing, Olivia's breath caught in her throat at the Triceratops laying in front of her. "Oh my God, Ian... that's a Triceratops." She grinned pulling on his arm.

"Don't be scared. Come on, it's okay. Muldoon tranquilized her for me. She's sick." The park worker said.

Olivia's knelt down beside the animal, dragging Ian along with her. Ellie was cooing to her from the front, while Allen was laying against her side.

"She's beautiful." Olivia whispered.

"Stunning." Ian agreed, but he wasn't looking at the dinosaur. No. He was looking at something much prettier.

He was looking at Olivia. With that gorgeous red hair, and perfect lips. He loved her pale skin and slight double chin (Ian loved a girl who could eat). And those eyes.

Ian loved her eyes. They were quite possibly the most beautiful things he had ever seen. They were dark and dangerous, but all the more enchanting.

"There's only one way to be positive. I'll have to see the dinosaur's droppings." Ellie's words Drew Ian back into the real world.

"Dino... droppings? Droppings?" Ian asked.

The group found themselves standing in the same place the Dino took its bathroom breaks. "That is one big pile of shit." Ian sighed.

Olivia elbowed him in the ribs, signaling for her to be quiet. "Ow." He whispered, rubbing his side. "Ankle Biter." He muttered, referring to her short size.

Olivia gasped dramatically. "Listen here you Skyscraper." She scoffed.

"Don't flip your lid Ankle Biter." Ian chuckled. He leaned over to Allen. "She's got a temper."

"You have no idea." Allen sighed. Olivia just rolled her eyes, watching Ellie stand up.

"You will remember to wash your hands before you eat anything?" Ian asked Ellie.

"Doctors, if you please... I have to insist that we get moving." Gennaro said as some thunder sounded overhead.

"Oh. You know if it's alright I'd like to stay with Doctor Harding and finish up with the Trike. If you know...." Ellie trailed off hopefully.

"Sure, I'm in a gas-powered jeep. I can drop her off at the Visitor's Center before I make the boat with the others."  Harding smiled.

"Great. Then I'll catch up with you if you want to go on." Ellie grinned right Allen.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yeah, I want to stay with her a little longer." Ellie nodded.

"Okay, then." Allen sighed.

Allen ended up getting drug into the car with Tim, Lex, and Gennaro, leaving the second car to Ian and Olivia.

As they rode on, Olivia decided to make small talk. "So you're not married?" She asked.

Ian shook his head. "I am every once in a while. But at the moment, no." He answered. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"I am every once in a while." Olivia grinned. Ian rolled his eyes. "No I've been single for a while now." She looked down at her hands.

"How?" Ian asked. It was a genuine question. He wasn't trying to flirt it just kind of slipped out.

"What?" Olivia asked, chuckling a little.

"How have you been single for a while? No way men haven't asked you out. I mean you're young..."

"I'm 28."

"Young." Ian repeated. "Beautiful, and might I add, you have a wonderful personality." Olivia blushed.

"It's not that nobody's asked me out. It's just... I can't find anyone that wants more than sex. I mean yeah. Sex is great, but there's so much more to a relationship than just sex." She sighed.

"I understand that." Ian nodded. They sat in a condo silence until a questioned popped up in Ian's mind. "Why did you flinch earlier?"

Olivia furrows her brows, until she realized what he meant. "Oh... it's uh, it's nothing." She said.

"No it was. You didn't just flinch, I mean... you were genuinely worried." He scooted closer to her. "Did I scare you?"

Olivia met eyes with Ian. She felt like she had to tell him. "I was in an abusive relationship. Like I said... they only want sex."

Ian nodded, his eyes growing sad. "I'm sorry. Did he... did he hit you?"

Olivia nodded. "I would be tired or just simply not in the mood but he would want it. I couldn't... I didn't know how to stop it." She sniffed a little, him being the first person she told since her brother. "Not even Ellie knows."

"I don't understand how people can be so cruel." Ian shook his head.

"Maybe that's why I haven't been in a relationship since. I guess I just wasn't ready." She shrugged.

"Maybe I could-." Ian stopped short when the car stopped. "We stopped." Ian muttered.

"Yeah... no shit." Olivia said, turning to look at the goat that was still bleating in the T-Tex paddock. She could have swore she saw something moving in the bushes... "SHIT!" She jumped as Allen opened her door.

"What the actual fuck!?" She yelled, slapping his shoulder. "You just scared the living daylights out of me." She reached over and smacked Ian who was laughing in the passenger seat. "Shut it Malcolm."

After Allen stopped laughing, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "Gennaro said to stay put. Is your radio out to?"

"Yeah." Ian said through chuckles. He had laughed so hard he was now sideways in his seat, his hair sticking up everywhere. "Are the kids ok?" He asked.

"I didn't ask. Why wouldn't they be?" Allen shrugged.

"Kids get scared." Ian said.

"What's scary? It's just a little hiccup in the power." Allen raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not scared."

"I didn't say you were scared."

"I know."

Allen shook his head. "Ok... we'll I'm gonna head back to the jeep. Try not to die, ok?" He patted his sister on the shoulder before shaking his wet hair at her and leaving.

"That son of a bitch." She scoffed. "Now I'm soaked."

"Watch your language ankle biter." Ian chuckled.

"Shut up."