Chapter Text
Ben is a new man.
That may seem like old news- he was a new man after he spent weeks on Nublar practically alone, and he was a new man after he accepted that scaredy-cat Ben and jungle-boy Ben can coexist.
But once again, he’s gone through another reinvention: Positive Outlook Ben.
Now, that’s not to say that he was pessimistic before or anything, but he certainly wasn’t a glass-half-full kind of guy. It’s just that after going through what he has, and reaching an all new emotional low recently, he’s decided enough is enough. No more moping and crying for him, no siree.
To achieve this, he simply isn’t going to think about you-know-who at all for now.
Nope, Ben is going to focus solely on stopping Mr. Kon’s plans and helping the others out however he can. Easier said than done, of course, but positive-outlook Ben thinks it’s possible!
That’s why he decided not to go on the pyro-centric mission like he normally would have, and instead opted to be on team ‘Destroy The Blueprints.’ A new Ben needs a new MO, don’t you think?
If Ben were to guess, he’d say that Darius and Brooklynn have finally said something and the two are officially together. They’ve been openly holding hands and sneaking quick kisses when they think nobody's looking. It’s so cute it makes his teeth hurt. It occurred to him after the fact that he may have been overstepping by volunteering himself on this specific mission, and thus third wheeling the new couple, but no one made a stink so he went with it.
Besides, if the previous night where Yaz and Sammy snuck away to be alone is anything to go by, those two need the break from Ben.
If only a certain someone were around. At least then, Ben wouldn’t be–
Stop that. No thinking about him.
Anyway, team ‘Blueprints’ definitely had the harder job in retrospect. Yaz and Sammy only had to deal with the quadruped BRADs while the three of them had to deal with an army of the BRAD-Xs. It’s a good thing Brooklynn is cracked at hacking and was able to get into Kash’s computer. In addition to deleting the blueprints, she was able to disable all BRADs and even change the password to the computer, just in case.
If it were at all an option, Ben would ask the girl for some lessons on some of these computer skills she has. They're very useful, apparently. Granted, Ben has his own set of useful skills, but still.
By the time they were done and met at the rendezvous point, Yaz and Sammy already built a fire and were in the process of destroying the remaining chips. Which means, per their bet, team ‘Blueprint’ has to roast the marshmallows.
To pass the time while they wait, Brooklynn suggests they all play ‘Two Truths and a Lie.’ Ben will admit, he is as excited as he is nervous to be playing- he’s never been to a sleepover before, so he hasn’t played a lot of games he’s sure the others have. The only real experience he had playing this kind of thing was on the first night of camp all those months ago. The six of them did several rounds of ‘Never Have I Ever’ and Ben lost pretty quickly. This is sure to be a more fair game. Hopefully.
“Okay, I’ll go first.” Ben says. The others look surprised by this, but they all seem eager at what he’s going to say.
“This should be good.” Darius tells Brooklynn, the girl grinning at him.
“I have a collection of fanny packs,” Ben starts, already earning him a few giggles. “I’m allergic to coins. I am an only child.”
“Huh. All of those sound like the truth.” Yaz thinks out loud.
“I’ve heard of people being allergic to nickel, so I don’t think the coin thing is impossible.” Darius muses.
“I’m just gonna guess- You’re not an only child!” Sammy cheers, already convinced she’s correct. Ben shakes his head and she immediately deflates.
“Coins, then. That’s so… weird.” Brooklynn chimes in.
“Sadly, it’s the truth.”
“Wait, so what? You pay only with card back home?”
“Yup. I didn’t really have to worry about money growing up, but when I started middle school, my mom got me a debit card and an ‘emergency credit card.’ Just in case.”
“Wow, that’s insane.”
“Gotta say, the fanny pack thing sounds plausible.” Yaz speaks up.
“Not for me. I’ve had this one since the third grade and kept it in good shape since! The only time I didn’t have it was after monorail.” The others look a little solemn at that, so he laughs it off. “Hey, that was a while ago, right? Besides, I got it back now.”
“I think they’re down because of who was holding onto it for you til you came back.” Brooklynn says softly- so soft, Ben is convinced she didn’t mean to say it out loud at all.
See, it’s kind of hard to completely block out you-know-who since he’s so ingrained into all their lives at this point. He gets the feeling that the others are avoiding thinking about him, too, but they shouldn’t feel like they need to tiptoe around Ben when it comes to the taller teen.
So, he tells them as much.
“Hey, I just want to throw it out there: You guys can talk about him. I’m fine.”
“You sure Ben? We don’t want to upset you.” Brooklynn replies.
“I’m a big boy. I can handle hearing his name in conversation.”
“Well, it is kind of hard avoiding that topic…” Yaz muses, earning her a playful slap on the arm from the girl next to her. Suddenly, Sammy’s face lights up.
“I wanna go next!” Sammy crows, raising her hand like she’s in class.
“Go for it.” Brooklynn says as she checks on the marshmallows.
“Okay, okay.” Sammy straightens herself up and puts her hands up for dramatic effect. “I have three sisters. I have never gone on a date before. My favorite cow’s name is Bessie.”
Darius immediately jumps on that.
“Ooh! The Bessie one!”
“Noooo, D. I guess you weren’t there. She literally thought Kenji was that cow when she was poisoned. That’s gotta be the truth.” Brooklynn tuts. Ben, to his credit, did not flinch at the mention of the taller teen’s name.
“She’s right, D. Sorry.” Sammy confirms.
“Well, it’s obvious isn’t it? The ‘never gone on a date’ one.” Yaz says confidently. Sammy looks at her in shock.
“You know I only have two sisters! Sweetie, I’m hurt you don’t remember.” Sammy says, feigning disdain. Yaz laughs lightly, but a look seems to glaze over her eyes.
“Wait, you mean… you’ve never been on a date before?”
“You kidding? I never left the ranch unless it was for school. When would I have had time for that? Before you, I’ve never even had a crush! Well, none that weren’t country music singers, but those don’t count.”
“Huh.” is all Yaz says.
They continue until they’ve all had turns, but Yaz never seemed to recover from Sammy’s confession about never having been on a date. She looked distracted, even during her own turn. Ben puts the image on his mental backburner, planning to bring it up to the girl should he get the chance later.
And, if you were wondering, the marshmallows were delicious. The only thing that would have made this evening better were if they weren’t the ones roasting it.
That, and, if a certain someone were here with them all, laughing the night away like they used to.
Yeah, this isn’t going to be easy…
---
The next day sees them enjoying hot cocoa in Mae’s place, chilling on her couches. Well, couch with armchair, of which, Sammy and Yaz are sharing.
They’re all racking their brains about how they can keep the dinosaurs on this island safe. Darius worries that even though they’ve accomplished everything they needed to, Mr Kon will find a way to undermine everything, thus their need to find a way to keep them safe.
Ben will defend his ‘disguise the dinos’ idea until he’s blue in the face. Besides, no one else seems to have any ideas.
“This is so nice. All of us warm and cozy, sharing hot cocoa together.” Sammy chimes, dispelling the growing anxiety among the group. Brooklynn and Darius share a look, as do Yaz and Sammy. The sight both warms Ben’s heart and makes him feel lonely as heck. “Too bad we can’t do this for the dinosaurs. It’d be a lot easier to keep them safe if they were all in one place.”
Oh.
He and Darius have an unspoken understanding, both of them on the same page.
Some time later, they’re all gathered at the site of their soon-to-be watering hole. Back on Nublar, the only place the dinosaurs weren’t at each other’s necks was at the shared place, and if they can replicate that here, they’ll be golden.
Now, if the dinosaurs also had disguises, then Mr Kon wouldn’t stand a chance. The others still don’t share Ben’s sentiment, sadly.
“We need to act fast.” Brooklynn emphasizes. “We don’t know when Mr Kon is coming back.”
“Okay, so, what we need is a way to fill up the area and the dinosaurs.” Darius summarizes.
“I got the second one covered. I can grab my girl Firecracker and pick up Pierce on the way.” Ben says confidently. He hasn’t checked on the Brachiosaurus in a few days, so it’d be nice to see her again. Yaz playfully slaps his arm, earning her a grumble from Ben.
“Sweet. I’ll tag along, and we can grab Angel and Rebel from the arctic biome, too.”
“Cool. Also- Ow.”
“Baby.”
“Alright! The three of us will work on the water sitch then.”
As Ben turns to leave, Yaz calls out for Sammy, putting her hand on her head like a maiden in distress. The sight confused Ben at first.
“Sammy! I’ll miss you!” She groans, earning her a laugh from the other girl. Ben playfully rolls his eyes as he begins to drag Yaz away.
“Oh! Not as much as I’ll miss you!” Sammy begins to fake sob, and though they’re already on their way, Yaz still laughs to herself at the sound.
The walk out of the forest is silent, neither of them saying anything. Ben really wants to break it, and ask the girl what that look was last night. She doesn’t seem off or anything right now, but the sight was weird enough to make him want to know what’s up.
Yaz, of course, finds a way to stop those plans without realizing it.
“Dude, I know we haven’t really hung out all that much, but I just want you to know, I’m willing to listen to whatever if you’re down.” She tells him, her tone serious.
Huh? Where is this coming from?
“Thanks? Me too, by the way.” He says, hoping that last part prompts the girl to spill. She doesn’t.
“I’m serious. I know you’ve been pretty chipper the past couple of days, but… sometimes, I see you with this really sad look on your face.”
What.
“Really?”
“Yeah, not like all the time or anything, but often enough.” She tells him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Ben doesn’t know what to say. He had no idea his face was betraying his emotion- that he was doing well in keeping his feelings under wraps. He wonders if any of the others have noticed this, or if resident-meddler Yaz is the only one. Considering how often they're all around one another, it wouldn’t be unthinkable the others know too.
Positive-Outlook Ben is trying his best, but it seems like it isn’t the perfect facade he thought it was.
“It’s nothing. At least, nothing I want to talk about right now.” He tells her. She raises an eyebrow at him, but he smiles and waves it off. “Don’t worry. If I really need to talk, I’ll come bother you first.”
“I’m holding you to that, dude.” Yaz tells him, nudging him in the shoulder.
“Again- Ow.”
She laughs.
He’s tempted to segue into asking her if she has anything she wants to talk about, but before the words can leave his throat, they’ve arrived at the exit and he loses his nerve.
Eventually, Ben thinks.
---
The arctic is just as stupidly cold as Ben remembers it. It’s a good thing the baby dinos were easy to find and they were able to escape that place in short order. Getting the little scamps to move along is the tricky part, but with a few gentle nudges they’re able to get to the jungle biome. Pierce, big as he is, was easy to find, and not long after, Firecracker joins them, completing their little party. Or, as Yaz calls them, ‘The Crew.”
As they move along, Yaz speaks up.
“Firecracker is keeping to herself. She's normally so outgoing.” She points out.
“Well, this is the biggest group of other dinos she’s ever been around.” He explains. “It always takes me to warm up to a large group, too. Remember how I was at the beginning of camp?”
“You mean, how we both were.” Yaz chuckles. Ben smiles at that.
“It’s a good thing we had the others, huh? Especially Bumpy for me. Sammy was like that for you, right?”
“Right…”
There. That’s that look again. That’s the look Yaz had last night at the campfire, after Sammy was talking had her turn.
Maybe now is the time.
“Hey, you know how I said you could also talk to me about whatever?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, how about now? I’ve seen that look on your face before.”
“What? What look?” Yaz asks, her tone suggesting she doesn’t want to get into it. Ben, if nothing else, is persistent though.
“The one you had last night and the one you’re wearing now? Just spill, Fadoula. I’ll have you know I’m a great listener. Just ask Bumpy.” That statement was meant as a joke, but Yaz looks at him like he’s crazy.
She doesn’t respond for a moment, but with a sigh of defeat, Yaz squawks.
“Okay, so, you know how Sammy said she’s never been on a date before?” Ben nods. “Well, I was thinking how… unlucky she is that she’s going out with me?”
“What??”
“I know how that sounds, but hear me out.” Ben resists making a comment and just nods. Yaz continues. “So, if it wasn’t obvious, I’m pretty new to all this dating stuff.”
“I think all of us are.” Ben tells her plainly.
“I know. But still! It caught me off guard that Sammy- sweet, wonderful, friendly as heck Sammy- has never dated before. And, I guess I just don’t like the idea that her first experience with all this is with me, who’s about as romantic as a rock.”
Ben sighs at that.
“I don’t know, Yaz. That whole ‘I’ll miss you’ schtick you guys were doing was pretty cute.”
“Yeah, but it’s not romantic!” Yaz, exasperated, takes a seat on a nearby log. Ben tentatively joins her, distracting the dinos with the branch of berries.
“Sammy was persistent. She didn’t give up on trying to be my friend back at the beginning, and she hasn’t called it quits with me in our relationship. I don’t know if it’s because she’s just too nice, but sometimes, I feel pretty insecure and think that she should be with someone else- someone who's as wonderful as she is, you know?”
“Well, she's got slim pickings here.” Ben jokes.
“Haha." She laughs dryly. "You know what I mean.”
“Look, Yaz. I know the feeling of letting your insecurities take over, as well as the feeling like our messed up circumstances are the only reason someone is staying with you.” The girl groans into her hands at that, but Ben presses on. “But regardless of how my relationship is turning out, I know for a fact that he genuinely cared about me. You know Kenji- he isn’t exactly the kind of guy who would do things unless he wanted to, right?”
“Yeah, he’s so lazy.” Yaz laughs lightly.
“Well, I imagine Sammy is the same. Sure, she’s nice to everyone, but she isn’t dating everyone. She’s dating you.” Yaz looks up at that. “Lemme guess, she confessed first?”
“Yeah… and like a dummy, I rejected her. I was feeling insecure then, too. I definitely felt the same, but I didn’t think we would have lasted if we got to the mainland. I guess... I didn’t want to start something that I thought it was going to end, you know?”
“Trust me, I get that. But then, you told her the truth and have been together since, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well there you go. If you’re still together and still want to be, it doesn’t matter how much or how little experience you have dating.”
Yaz goes silent again, though she’s no longer buried her face in her hands. Ben really hopes that talk actually helped and hasn’t made her even more confused. He also may have talked a little too much about his own relationship, but since it was in relation to the topic, he figures it wasn’t out of place.
Suddenly, Yaz is standing, scanning over their gaggle of dinos.
“Where’s Firecracker?”
Huh?
Oh, no. Where the heck did she go??
---
Of all the places she could have ran off to, she had to sprint into the swamp biome, huh? If only Ben hadn’t fallen flat on his face, he could have grabbed her. Realistically, even if he got hold of her, there was no way he was gonna be able to stop her. Still.
He just really doesn’t want to be here.
The last time Ben was in the swamp was when they first ran into Mr Kon. And since that day, things have gone from bad to worse. This place is cursed, as far as he’s concerned. Plus, those freaky frilled dinos are still here, as far as he knows. Wouldn’t want to run into them.
As he and Yaz trudge along, following the vague outline of Firecracker’s tracks, he notices the girl, once again, has that look on her face.
“Are you staring at the ground to look for tracks? Or are you still in your head from earlier?” Ben asks with a bit of playfulness in his voice. The girl grimaces at being caught.
“Obvi, huh?”
“Like an open book.”
“Well.. I guess I am. I just… I normally would talk to Sammy about my feelings, but since they involve her, I can't exactly do that, y’know?” She says, all in one breath.
“What would you say if you could talk to her about it?”
“I don’t know…”
“Wait, I got an idea.” He wraps an arm around hers, locking them together. Yaz looks shocked by the sudden gesture. “Yaz, darlin’, you know you can talk to me about anythin’. Whatever it is, we can talk through it, cuz’ talkin’ is mah thing.” Ben lays the accent on thick, sure that he isn't getting the cadence right.
Let Ben remind you that he is definitely not good at accents or impressions. Still, from the way Yaz laughs at his poor attempt at replicating Sammy’s charming speech patterns, his efforts don’t seem unappreciated.
“You sound nothing like her, dude.” Yaz says through laughs. After she recovers, she goes silent again, and Ben fears he’s back at square one. Then, without looking up from the apparently very interesting treeline, she finally speaks.
“When I’m with her, I feel awesome. I think we’re perfect for each other- we compliment each other so well and I honestly cannot imagine how I would have survived this whole… situation without her. ” She sighs before continuing. “I know she wouldn’t stay with me unless she also liked me, but I really wonder if I can keep her happy. I…”
Ben doesn’t interrupt, waiting for the girl to continue.
“I just really want to do my best to be the best girlfriend.”
“Okay,” he starts. “What can you do that you haven’t already done?”
“Well… I know it’s ridiculous but I was thinking maybe I can take–” The girl stops mid sentence, and mid stride. “Is that Firecracker?”
The little brachiosaurus runs out of the brush, fast. It’s then that the two figures that were chasing her make their appearance. The second Ben lays eyes on the frilled dinosaurs, the ones he was dreading running into, his first instinct is to-
“Run!”
---
After a hellish run-and-dodge through the swamp- with several close calls, mind you- the three are able to escape and catch up with Pierce and the twins. Thankfully, with the right amount of food, they’ll stay exactly where you leave them.
Well, with Rebel, more or less.
Yaz, bless her, makes sure that Firecracker is following along this time. Now that things are calm again, Ben decides now would be a good time to finish that earlier conversation.
“So, what was that idea you were telling me about earlier?”
“Oh. You remembered, huh?” Yaz says sheepishly.
“You were saying it’s ‘ridiculous’ or something?” Ben presses.
“It is… I was thinking about… having a date? With her? She’s never been on one, so I was thinking about throwing together a little something. Something back at the compound, maybe? Or even at Mae’s hideout. I don’t know…”
Ah. A date. Ben almost went on one of those not too long ago, but because he was busy snooping around, he didn’t make it. While he still thinks he did the right thing and that Mr Kon is certainly the one at fault for pretty much everything, Ben still wishes he could have gone. From the setup, it looked like Kenji had gone all out and if nothing had gotten in the way, it would have been the perfect first date.
…
He’s gonna make sure Yaz and Sammy get that perfect first date.
“I’m gonna help.”
“Dude, what? I’m just thinking out loud, I don’t really–”
“Nope. It’s happening.”
“Ben.” She insists
“Yaz.” He insists back.
They walk in silence for a bit before Yaz sighs in defeat.
“Okay. Yes, please.”
“A wise choice.” he tells her, a hint of smugness in his voice.
“Just don’t do anything on your own, yeah? I’ll get around to asking her and then I’ll let you know.”
“Sounds good. And don’t worry, my friend. With my help, Sammy isn’t gonna know what hit her.”
“No explosions.” Yaz warns.
“Well, now you're just asking for a boring date.”
Yaz, despite the tone of her earlier warning, laughs at that all the same, prompting Ben to join her.
---
Sammy did an amazing job at filling the reservoir- a job she did herself, for some reason. If anything, that makes her handiwork all the more impressive. Yaz is also impressed, if the way she’s looking at her girlfriend is anything to go by. She always has this lovestruck look to her every time he catches her staring at the other, but now, as the Texan is laughing as she helps the baby dinos drink some water, she looks positively head over heels.
Ben is equal parts happy for them and equal parts jealous.
He pointedly ignores that second part.
Darius and Brooklyn eventually join them, with the Eaties in tow. At first, they assumed their plan was a bust when the Rexes approached aggressively, but soon enough, they too are drinking from the watering hole.
With a job well done, all of them head up to the top of the waterfall. The sun is already setting when they get there, and despite the weather all being artificial, the sight is certainly beautiful. From this height, this would make a sweet diving point. If Ben is right, the water below should also be deep enough.
Darius, apparently throwing caution to the wind, grabs Brooklynn’s hand and the two leap together. Ben swears he can hear the pink-haired girl complain about her shoes getting dirty before the splash of water comes.
Yaz and Sammy stand at the ledge, the pair smiling at each other. With the sunset casting a orange halo around them, the sight itself is picturesque. They join hands, share a quick peck of a kiss, and the two are hollering as they jump down.
All that’s left up here now is Ben.
Alone.
Of course he wishes he wasn’t. Of course this would be better with the taller teen with him here.
But since he isn’t, and there isn’t anything he can do about it right now, Ben decides he can still have fun regardless.
With a running start, he leaps, whooping his whole way down. The water is cold and feels especially refreshing after spending a good chunk of the afternoon running. When he breaks the surface, the setting sun is in his eyes. He turns, and is then greeted with the sight of Darius and Brooklynn splashing each other, with Sammy and Yaz sitting on the bank already.
The whole scene has him smiling.
They’ve all been through so much. They deserve this respite. They deserve to have fun and not have to worry about all the bullcrap they normally do.
And if Ben has anything to say about it, Yaz and Sammy are going to have that date.
---
A few days pass, and so far, there’s been no sign that Mr Kon is on his way back yet.
But more importantly (relatively speaking), there also hasn’t been any sign that Yaz will ask Sammy out on that date, much to Ben’s chagrin.
So far, their days have been spent checking Kash’s computer and the drone footage, playing around the watering hole, or chilling in Mae’s hideout. Darius and Brooklynn have been diligent with that first part, though it’s pretty obvious the only reason they volunteer to do it is so they have some alone time. Ben can’t say he blames them, but what that does mean is he’s left alone with the other couple who he can’t help but want to meddle with.
Then, one glorious morning, Yaz comes sprinting at him, a smile on her face. Honestly, the sight was kind of terrifying- mostly due to the fact she leaped over him like he was a hurdle. He gave her his most unimpressed face possible for the scare, to which she flops herself on the ground and laughs at his reaction.
“I really missed running.” She sighs.
“We do that all the time, though.” Ben reminds her, his tone flat.
“Yeah, but that’s cuz we’re running away from something. I love the thrill of running just for the fun of it.”
“Can’t relate, but as long as you’re having fun.” Ben jokes.
“Gah, I’m feeling great right now. You know what? I’m gonna do it.”
“Do what?”
“I’m gonna ask Sammy on a date.”
Oh, thank God.
“Finally!! Yes, yes, yes! Oh, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that. I’m so happy for you guys.”
“Thanks, Ben.” Yaz smiles. “Though, don’t congratulate me just yet. She still has to agree to it.”
“Oh trust me, she will. The real question is: what kind of date do you want to set up?”
“Something really simple. I was thinking of a picnic, but when I suggested that idea to Kenji for your date, she didn’t really care for the idea.” Ben is glad that the others took his words to heart and aren’t shying away from talking about the other boy. That said, being reminded of that failed date doesn’t exactly bring a smile to his face.
“Okay, but you’re thinking outdoors?”
“Definitely. I figure something with the sunset in the background. Or, is that too cheesy?”
“Nah, she’ll love it.” He dismisses her comment. “Okay, so outdoors at sunset. Besides a picnic, what else would you wanna do?”
“I… Um…Gosh, I don’t know…” Yaz, for the first time this morning, drops her smile.
We can’t be having that.
In the distance, Ben spots Sammy carrying a large slab of meat. She’s probably on feeding duty for the Eaties. If Ben believed in such things, he’d say this was serendipity.
“Well, why don’t you just ask her?” Yaz looks at him incredulously. “I don’t mean outright. Just subtly ask what kind of things she’d like for fun. Maybe even suggest things and gauge her reaction?”
“None of that sounds subtle, dude.” Yaz deadpans.
“It’s that, or have no idea what to do. Just saying.” Yaz stares at him nonplussed before shaking her head in resignation.
“Ugh fine. I’ll do it.”
“Well, she’s right over there. Why not ask now?”
“What–” Before she can properly respond, Ben has her shoulders in his hands and he’s pushing her in the direction Sammy went. When they get close enough, he gives her a gentle shove towards her girlfriend which earns him a not-so-subtle glare from the track star.
If you’re wondering, Ben makes no attempt to make himself scarce. Dare he say, he’s straight up eavesdropping, not three feet away from the pair.
“Sammy?”
“Oh! Hi, didn’t see you there.” The girl drawls.
“So, listen, I was wondering… what kind of stuff would you do for fun back home?”
“Well, that’s random.” Sammy chuckles. “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just curious.”
“Hmm, well when I’m really bored out on the ranch with nothing better to do, I’d either cook with my abuela or go hang out with the cows.”
“U-huh.” Yaz says flatly. Ben almost facepalms. They may not have cows here, but they do have adorable baby dinos they can play with. That might be fun! Heck, even the cooking thing might be nice, since they now have full access to the kitchen sans any BRADs. Yaz just needs to get with the program and get the ball rolling.
Before they can talk further, Brooklynn and Darius show up, the pair apparently done with their mission this morning.
As inconvenient as this timing is, it’s still early in the day. Yaz will have another chance to ask since apparently she didn’t care for Sammy’s current answers.
The two youngest are literal geniuses, Ben decides. They were able to set up drone surveillance around the island perimeter so they can know exactly when Mr Kon returns to the island. Honestly, where would they be without these two? Dead, probably. Not Ben, though. The others? Definitely.
Anyway.
Brooklynn, control tablet in hand, realizes the thing can be used just like any other tablet. Meaning, she can use it to take photos and videos. For a second, it seems like Brooklynn returned to her influencer persona, but instead of turning the camera on herself, she uses it to film the four of them and hype them up.
They use the opportunity to share what horrible things they’ve survived and all the crazy situations they got themselves into. But, of course, Brooklynn also uses it to hype up the good they’ve done- like get the dinosaurs on the island to coexist peacefully.
“Hey, you don’t want to be in the shot?” Sammy asks. The pink-haired girl grimaces at that.
“Nah. Being in front of the camera doesn’t feel like me anymore.”
“I guess we all have changed since the beginning of camp, huh?” Ben muses.
He’s thought about it a lot, and a truer sentence couldn’t be said. They all start going off on how much they’ve changed.
Yaz was an introvert who wanted nothing to do with them. Brooklynn was a self absorbed celebrity who only wanted content. Darius was a bookish nerd who only cared about dinosaurs- well, that’s still true, but he’s now a bookish nerd who’s studied dinos for months and has almost mastered Mae’s communication technology. Sammy was a spy for Mantah Corp, though her personality hasn’t changed at all.
“And Kenji was a loudmouth who was always bragging.” Ben muses aloud, his words met with silence. He looks around him, the others looking at him sadly. Brooklynn turns off the camera after that.
Ah, Ben just had to go and say that, huh?
Darius- good ol Darius- changes topics and the awkward moment passes. They all get to work on setting up his plan to trap Daniel on the island. Since they don’t know they’ve moved all the dinosaurs, they could trap them in one of the empty biomes and take the plane home. The plan, of course, assumes Kenji will be trapped as well, and as much as Ben knows that it's the safest way to make sure everything goes right for the rest of them, it still doesn’t sit well with him.
Still, at this point, there’s nothing that can be done about that.
Before they can even figure out how to lock the doors, the ground begins to shake again. This time, though, it doesn’t feel like an earthquake. The hallways are flooded with flashing red lights.
Something is definitely wrong.
---
So, Ben finds himself riding an elevator with Yaz and Sammy.
Oh, and the Nothosaurus.
Yeah, apparently the island’s geothermal core is going haywire, and Brooklynn and Darius are going down to fix it. Seriously, again, what would they do without them?
Anyway, the nothosaurus, which was living down on the sewer levels, got knocked out by some of the gas that’s leaking from the malfunction, so Darius saw this as an opportunity to get her out of there. While he and Brooklynn do their thing, the rest of them are to get the dino to her new home i.e. the swamp.
The ride up is incredibly slow, but in being so, it provides a certain someone the opportunity to finally ask some questions.
Ben clears his throat, catching Yaz’s attention. He nods his head at Sammy and the girl seems to immediately catch what he’s getting at. With a tight smile, she approaches the other. As she does this, Ben decides to show some semblance of shame and turns around, facing one of the walls, but not before giving the girl a double thumbs-up.
He’s still definitely within earshot. Just saying.
“Hey, Sammy?”
“Hm? What’s up, sweetie.”
God, they’re so cute. Ugh.
“I’m not exactly the best at this kind of thing. So, sorry to Ben, who I know is listening because he’s literally right there.” Ben offers the pair a wave, his ears burning. “But I think I’m gonna ask you straight up.”
“Ask me what?”
“Okay, so I have no idea how to date. This is literally the first relationship I’ve ever been in, and it’s yours too, so I just… I really wanted to set up a nice first date for us. I was gonna subtly ask what kind of stuff you’d maybe wanna do on a proper date, but I’m not exactly a subtle person, if you haven’t noticed.”
Sammy doesn’t reply. Yaz, undeterred, keeps going.
“So, even though I don’t have a plan and don’t really know what we’d do- I was wondering if… If you’d like to go on a date? A nice, proper date.”
Sammy, once again, is silent. From the expression on Yaz’s face, the other girl must not be smiling or anything. Ben can’t tell because the Texan is faced away from him.
Then all of a sudden, Sammy is yanking Yaz back, the nothosaurus' maw missing her by a hair.
Of course it woke up.
What started as a slow elevator ride has now become a nightmare as the three of them have to avoid the long-necked dino. In a series of whacky events, all three of them somehow end up on top of the thing, all of them holding on for dear life.
Finally, the light from the swamp biome appears, and they’ve arrived.
The nothosaurus collapses on the ground soon after, whether it be residual weakness from the gas or because it tired itself out trying to eat them, Ben doesn’t know. What he does know, however, is the increasingly familiar chirp of a certain frilled dinosaur. A dilophosaurus, right at that moment, shows up- because the universe just loves messing with them as often as possible it seems, today especially. The moment the thing rattles and screeches, the nothosaurus is back on its feet, snatching the smaller dino by the neck and dragging it into a nearby pool of water.
Well. That happened.
“Yeah, we should go.” Ben suggests, and all three of them book it out of there.
They don't stop running until they’re in the safety of the forest biome, right where they agreed to meet with Brooklynn and Darius later. All of them collapse on the ground, even Yaz. He’d tease her about the whole ‘running is fun’ thing from this morning, but that would require more energy than he’s got right now.
Sammy, though, is in particularly high spirits.
“Whew! A cold shower sounds good right about now, huh?”
“Tell me about it.” Ben agrees.
They take a moment to catch their breath, and soon enough, they’re back on their feet.
“Say, Yaz?” Sammy starts. “You were trying to tell me something in the elevator, right? What was it?”
“Oh. Uh…”
Sammy doesn’t reply, the girl waiting for the other to continue.
Yeah, this is Ben’s que to put some distance between them. He shuffles on over to a nearby bush, but once again, not before giving the track star a double thumbs-up. It should go without saying at this point that Ben is still close enough to hear every word.
“So, what was it?” Sammy asks.
Yaz shyly rubs her arm, but finding her courage again, she looks Sammy straight in the eye with steely determination.
“Okay. So, to make things short- I really want to take you on a nice date. I know this isn’t exactly the most ideal setting and all that, but it’s still something I want to do. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Sammy. I want to make you feel as special as you make me feel.”
For a second, Sammy doesn’t reply. Again. Ben briefly wonders if the dang nothosaurus showed up again and they’re gonna have to start running. Finally, Sammy’s voice raises in glee as she grabs hold of Yaz by her arms.
“Oh, sweetie! That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard!” She pulls the other into a kiss, and Ben looks away, smiling all the while. Just because he’s eavesdropping doesn’t mean he has no decorum, thank you. When they finally pull away, Sammy smiles at Yaz with the most endearing look on her face.
“Sweetie, you don’t gotta plan a fancy date to make me feel loved. Just being with you is all I need.”
“Sammy…”
“Aw, c’mon. Don’t get too mushy on me. We got the rest of our lives to do all that. And, to have a proper date, too.”
Yaz nods, a bright smile with tears threatening to spill in the corners of her eyes.
“And by the way, I heard everything you said in the elevator. I just wanted to hear it again.” Sammy admits, earning her a laugh from Yaz.
Ben is so happy for them. Yaz still hasn’t told Sammy about the insecure feelings that lead her to want to take her on a date, but that confession from Sammy should pacify her. They’re whole courtship, from when Sammy wanted to get Yaz out of her shell, to when Yaz was angry at Sammy for lying about Brooklynn’s phone, to their slowly budding friendship, right to where they are now- everything about it is so them and just feels so good to have been witness to it.
You’ll forgive Ben for having a moment of weakness and thinking that he wishes he were in their position now- his boyfriend by his side, kissing his worries away. Looking at them is like looking into a rosy mirror, showing him how good life can be- the kind of life he doesn't have at the moment.
Before Ben can get more into his head, Brooklynn and Darius finally join them. Impeccable timing as always, these two.
“Omg. Did I hear that right? You guys are gonna go on a date??” Brooklynn squeals, her voice rising in pitch.
“Maybe? Who knows.” Yaz says nonchalantly, putting an arm around Sammy, who leans into the touch.
The nonanswer- because that’s what it is- still makes Brooklynn squeal even louder. The pink haired girls influencer instincts must kick in, because once again, the tablet is out, and Brooklynn is taking pictures of the happy couple.
The tablet suddenly starts flashing red.
“That’s the proximity alarm. They’re back.” She tells them darkly.
Oh, man.
Despite his earlier thoughts, he isn’t sure he’s ready to see him again.
Yeah, positive outlook Ben has checked out, sadly.
---
Brooklynn warned him that they were bringing dinosaurs from Nublar back with the intent on giving them to BioSyn. The CEO of that company is very interested in the technology that controls the dinos, thus why they’re on this island again.
Ben doesn’t know why he thought Bumpy wouldn’t be one of the dinosaurs they’d take.
He literally felt his heart drop into his stomach the moment he saw his friend trudging out of a shipping container, her movements robotic. She’s still cooing like she always does, but it’s clear she’s been chipped as is being controlled.
His heart might as well have been ripped out the moment he sees another familiar figure march alongside her.
Kenji.
Did he use her familiarity with him to lure her and get her chipped?
Why else would she be here? Why else would she be picked out of all the ankylosauruses on Nublar?
That means… he let them take her.
If it wasn’t a horribly stupid idea, he’d have screamed at the top of his lungs and charge at the mercenary currently controller his ankylosaurus. Regardless, it feels like he did it anyway, what with the pain in his chest he’s currently feeling.
He was just thinking how much he wanted Kenji here with him, even after what he’d already done. If he came back to them and apologized, he’d be willing to give him another chance. If he came running back to Ben, and kissed him until he forgot the last few days and everything that happened, he’d have let him.
But this?
This is too much.
So you know what?
Forget Kenji.
He needs to save Bumpy.
