While I'm Alive (An Owen Grady Story)

Chapter Twenty-Two

A/N: Sorry for the delay!! The new job has been seriously kicking my ass. Haven't had a chance to really sit down and do any writing until now. So here it is...hope it was worth the wait. Thank you forever for all the love and support Owen and Rylan have been given. This story took off way more than I ever expected it to.

<3

Nikki

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

"AT THAT MOMENT, MY TANGLED MESS OF EMOTIONS SUDDENLY STRAIGHTENED AND I REALIZED WITH AN UNEXPECTED, LURCHING THOUGHT WHAT I WAS FEELING

SONG TO LISTEN TO: HERE TO MARS BY COHEED AND CAMBRIA

The elevator doors slid open with a 'ping' that was far too cheerful. Using the wall, I pulled myself to my feet and staggered out into the control room. The lights were still blazing and the huge screen on the far wall showed an empty, trashed main street.

"Rylan?" A shocked voice asked.

I whirled around to see Lowery had emerged from behind a desk, eyes wide behind his thick framed glasses. "Lowery! Why aren't you out of here yet? Didn't they tell you to evacuate?"

He rushed to my side, putting an arm around my waist and helping me sit into one of the empty desk chairs. I pushed back my hair, which had been sticking to my skin with sweat. "Yeah, but somebody's gotta run the control room." He was answering me absentmindedly as he assessed my less than pleasant battle wound. "Christ, kid. What the hell happened? Sit tight and I'll grab the first aid kit."

I nodded, more glad to see him than I'd ever imagined I would be. I leaned back in the chair, swiveling to face the screen. A tiny gasp escaped me as four familiar faces appeared on the screen. I leaned forward over the control desk, mouth hanging open as I watched as Claire, Owen, and the boys were surrounded by three raptors. Claire and Owen pushed her nephews in between them and the fear on Gray's face crushed me. Owen carefully lowered his gun, setting it on the pavement between him and the raptor with the colored streak...Blue, I remembered.

"What are you doing, Grady?" I whispered under my breath, shaking my head. I could taste acid in my mouth as I gripped the control panel tightly. I'd never felt so helpless in my entire life. Watching Owen approach Blue made me wish I could leap through the screen and put myself between them. I wanted to watch, but I didn't. The notion of something terrible happening to Owen made my head spin and my insides ache, especially my heart which felt as if it might shatter if I never got to touch him again, smell that pepperminty, earthy scent, or see that boyish grin that made his eyes, pools of perfect blue, glow. At that moment, my tangled mess of emotions suddenly straightened and I realized with an unexpected, lurching thought what I was feeling.

Oh, jesus.

Lowery came back just then, holding the white first aid kit in between his hands. He crouched on the ground next to me and started unwrapping the torn shirt fabric from my leg.

"I think I'm in love with Owen Grady." The words slipped from my mouth in an amazed, low tone.

Lowery's eyes snapped towards me as he froze in the middle of cleaning my cut with an antiseptic cloth. "Excuse me? What the hell now?"

I was already looking back at the screen, feeling a thrill go through me. I was in love with Owen Grady. And he was out there and I was in here. "Can you hurry up?" I said to Lowery, looking back at him. "I need to do something."