It's Not The Raptor DNA

Chapter 24

A/N

I am sorry this chapter is a little shorter, but it was a little harder to write than I thought.

As always, thank you for your wonderful reviews, and helpful criticism!

And guys! We broke 1,000 reviews! Holy moly, I wish I could give you each an Oreo and a bag of Cheetos! I have no words to describe how humbled I am.

Please, please, enjoy the next chapter all you wonderful people!

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"Show Some Respect."

Owen felt his jaw drop, and he couldn't help quietly asking, "Dr. Grant?"

A smile pulled at the lightly bearded face, and Grant slyly said, "I didn't think the six foot turkeys would like Oreos. Good to know you learned a little respect."

Owen could only blink in surprise; he couldn't remember the last time he had actually seen Dr. Grant. Maybe a few times after Grant had scared the life out of him with the fossilized raptor claw, but that had stuck with him his entire life.

Owen couldn't believe Grant still wore the red handkerchief around his neck. Did Dr. Grant still dig up dinosaurs? Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Hart cleared his throat, and said, "Your Honor, I object to using Dr. Grant on the grounds that he is bias-"

"I am just as biased as you are well mannered," Dr. Grant snapped before adding, "I haven't seen Mr. Grady since his parents stopped digging with me. That was a couple months after the Jurassic Park incident."

Owen couldn't help his smile; Dr. Grant was just as crabby as he remembered, maybe even a little more so. Marie seemed amused by him, and she said, "Overruled, Dr. Grant hasn't seen Mr. Grady in over twenty years. You may proceed with your questions, Dr. Grant."

Elise flickered her gaze to Owen; he seemed warm towards this dusty smelling human. He didn't cross the line on the ground, and he was mannered. She relaxed her posture, and Grant seemed to notice that. He shoved cracked, calloused hands in deep pockets, and cleared his throat before saying, "I want to know how you think, Elise. I already know that you are highly intelligent, but I want to know how you go about your thought process."

That went over Elise's head, but Grant was aware that she was smart; that was enough for her. She would answer his questions, and she briefly glanced down to see Blue giving Echo a playful nip on her tail. The bronze raptor gave a warning growl before retreating further into the thick ferns, and Elise turned to Grant when he said, "Now the best way humans measure that is through puzzles. I brought a puzzle, and I just want to see how you figure it out."

Owen watched Dr. Grant move over to a large box he missed in all the excitement, and the older man pulled out a metal ball, about the same size as a large beach ball. It was shiny with several holes in it, and Grant unscrewed the top half from the bottom as Tim held it. Elise was watching him intently, and Grant pulled out a white, rubber bone the size of his arm before squeezing it. He chuckled when Elise tilted her head at the squeaking it made, and he tossed the bone inside before closing the ball again as he said, "I want you to open the ball. You get the toy if you figure out how to open it."

Grant rolled it over, and Elise sank her talon into a hole before dragging it over. She saw him unscrew it, so she would do the same. She would just have to be careful because she didn't want to break Grant's ball, but she wanted the squeaky bone.

It almost sounded like Small One.

Elise turned the ball over as she looked for the line that divided it; it was a little difficult because it was small to her, but she found it eventually. It was harder to sink her talons in to keep the ball still, and she let out a huff of frustration when her large talons kept slipping.