The Girl Next Door

Jurassic World: Dominion

AN: This short takes place after everyone has been reunited. 

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Nothing else mattered as he pulled her from the destroyed truck and into his arms. Not that she had narrowly escaped death twice in the past two hours. Not that she had been kidnapped. Not that he had nearly been shot out of the sky trying to find her. Not even that their lives were still in danger.

None of it mattered so long as Zach had Eva in his arms once more.

Zach mumbled reassurances, pressing soft kisses to every part of her exposed skin. She tightly wrapped her arms around him, tucking her face into his shoulder.

"It's okay, Eva, love," he whispered. "I've got you. You're okay. We're okay. I love you. Everything's going to be fine. I've got you. You're okay. My Eva. I love you so much."

Eva closed her eyes, breathing him in. Smoke and sweat, but underneath that, a scent that belonged solely to him. "Zach."

"I'm here."

"You came."

"Of course, I did, honey," Zach replied soothingly. "I'll always come for you."

She tightened her arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you more," he promised, smoothing her hair. "My Eva."

Eva opened her eyes to find her brother staring at her. She gently detangled herself from Zach, who went to hug Maisie.

Eva stood in front of Owen, unable to meet his gaze. "I, um..." she glanced at Maisie, who was smiling at something Zach had said. "She's okay," Eva finally told her brother, nodding at his daughter. "I kept an eye on her, best I could."

Her brother blinked at her, tilting his head. "Eva."

"But they did separate us, and then there were dinosaurs in the tunnels..." Eva continued, wringing her hands.

Owen cut her off. "You did good, lima bean, okay? You did real good."

"Yeah?" Eva asked, uncertain.

Owen wrapped his sister in a bear hug. "Yeah. I'm proud of you, Evie."

Eva relaxed, all the worry that she had been carrying about Owen being angry with her because she had failed to stop Maisie's kidnapping fading away. Making way for the fear that she had kept at bay with a firm hand. "Oh, Owen..."

"Hey, it's okay," Owen murmured to her. "We're all back together; everything's going to be fine."

"I was so scared I'd never see any of you again."

"I know, bean. I know." Owen kissed the crown of his sister's head. "Nothing was going to keep me from my girls. Especially with Zach looking over my shoulder. He was real worried about you, Evie."

She managed a nod into her brother's shoulder. "Probably worried I was going to do something dumb."

"Worried you were going to do something impossibly brave." Owen corrected. "He was worried we'd find Maisie in one piece, but only because you weren't."

"Oh." Eva's voice was small. Poor Zach.

Claire gently nudged her way into the sibling's hug. "Thank you, Eva. For everything."

"I'd do anything for you guys," Eva replied instantly. "You're my family."

Owen hugged his girlfriend and sister tighter. "And you're ours, lima bean. Don't know what we'd do without you."

"Hire a babysitter, for one thing." Eva quipped, attempting to ease the emotionally tense situation.

Laughing weakly, Claire and Owen released Eva, turning back to their daughter. Zach came back over to Eva's side, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"You good?" he murmured into her hair.

She leaned into him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Zach replied, adjusting her in his arms to face him. He examined her face. "What is it?"

She rubbed smooth the worried crease between his eyebrows. "I'll always come back to you, you know that, right? No matter what."

Realization lighted his eyes. "You mean the world to me, Evie. I'll never not worry about you. I'll always want you safe."

"I'm safest when we're together. I'd do anything to get back to you."

"I'd do anything to get you back."

Eva cracked a small smile at how cheesy they were becoming. "We shall never be parted again."

Zach rolled his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. "Never again, my darling."

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AN: Okay... how are we feeling about the chaoticness? I know it's all over the place, but I write the scenes that play in my head... if that makes sense. If you hate it, well, keep it to yourself lol. But if you'd like some more shorts, let me know!