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HALF AN HOUR PASSED WITH NO SIGN OF ELLIE OR ROBERT, AND IT MADE ROBYN'S STOMACH CHURN. John had redressed her bandaged, checking to see if the bleeding had stopped which it had, thankfully.
As John was checking up of Ian's leg, the phone rang. The phone rang. The electricity was back on. John rushed over the telephone, still in shock.
"Hello?" John spoke through the receiver. Whoever spoke must've caused John to become incredibly anxious. "The children alright?" The children - that must've meant Alan was alive. "Fantastic!" John breathed out. And the children were alive!
John dropped the phone and ushered Ian and Robyn off of the table. Robyn could hear the distant sound children's screaming and gunshots through the phone before she painfully hobbled up onto the solid ground.
It hurt, obviously. The pain shot right through her leg up to her hip. But her flight or fight instincts kicked in and pushed the pain to the back of her mind so she could help Ian walk.
However, once Ian saw the discomfort pressed into Robyn's face, he decided that his leg was in much better condition then hers was. He stood up, the pain aching only briefly as he focused on Robyn. His long, muscular arms scooped the smaller woman into his grasp, lifting her off of her feet and holding her close to his chest.
Robyn wanted to complain, thinking of Ian's leg, but she was also thankful to not walk, knowing that if she tried to support herself and Ian that she would only cause more damage.
Ian achingly carried Robyn to John's jeep, sitting in the back seat with her on his lap, knowing that they would need the space for the four others.
John hastily drove up the front of the visitor centre just as Alan, Ellie, Lex and Tim ran out of the entrance. The four sprinted to the car, all jumping inside. Alan jumped into the front seat, Lex landed next to Ian and Robyn, Ellie next to her. Ellie handed the battered Tim over to Robyn so she could comfort him. Tim cried into Robyn's chest.
"It's ok, Tim. It's over now. You're safe now, I promise," Robyn whispered down to the little boy, her hand smoothing down his ruffled hair, her hand catching onto the dried blood trailing from his ears. Ian's arms were wrapped around Robyn's middle as he watched in awe at Robyn's motherly instincts.
"You're gonna make one hell of a mother one day, Robbie," Ian whispered in her ear, remembering their conversation about children from earlier in the day.
A blush blossomed across her face. It was something she always wanted but never had the chance to get. So hearing it was the best compliment she had ever received.
"After careful consideration," Alan began as John started the jeep. "I've chosen not to endorse your park."
"So have I," John responded.
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The jeep stopped at the same place they arrived - the helicopter landing spot. They all rushed to get in. Robyn handed Tim over to John as Ellie got Lex. Alan first carried Robyn to the chopper first, then went back to help Ian. They were in the pretty much the same sitting arrangements as before, except Jimmy's previous seat was taken up by Lex and Tim, and Gennaro's was now occupied by John. Alan and Ellie sat together again, the two children separating them. And Ian and Robyn sat side by side, just like before.
Robyn leant her head on his shoulder in exhaustion as Ellie carefully brought Robyn's leg up to rest upon her thigh, doing the same with Ian's but resting it on her armrest instead. "Well, that was quite something, wasn't it?" Robyn muttered, all her emotions eating away at her insides now that she was free.
Ian sensed this and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, just like he did when they arrived. "What, uh, what are you gonna do now, Robbie?"
"I'm quitting palaeontology for now," she smiled, a dry chuckle leaving her lips. "I'll just focus on my zoology and photography for now. What about you?"
"Well, I was, uh, relying on your invitation to join your, uh, your digs," Ian laughed, jokingly. "But since you're quitting that, I'll just stick by your side. That, uh, that is if you want me to-"
Robyn grinned at his fumbling. She placed one of her hands on the side of his face, turning him to face her. She pressed her lips to his softly, her head tilting to the side to deepen it.
It was a small and tender kiss but one that both indulged in. A kiss that started a whole new relationship for the them both.
