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“Mom is going to kill you when she finds out what you did.”
Alan Grant hums, smiling tightly as he considers his step-son’s words for a moment.
“Maybe,” He acquiescence with a nod of his head. “Which is why, if she calls before we finish here, we’re not going to tell her until we get home.”
“Right,” Charlie drawls. “I think she might notice the extra hunk of metal in the driveway, Alan,” he laughs. “I can’t wait to see her face when she sees you roll up on this.”
Alan lets the young man have his fun at his expense. He could already anticipate his wife’s reaction anyway, and he knew it wouldn’t be exactly favorable, though he chose to remain optimistic that it would all work out in the end, and she wouldn’t be too mad at him. At least until she knew why he’d gotten it in the first place.
“Alright,” Alan says once Charlie’s finally calmed down. “You okay?”
Charlie lets out an honest to goodness giggle and he can barely contain the mirth dancing in his vibrant blue eyes. Both of Ellie’s children had inherited her ability to laugh with their whole body, and Alan was charmed by them all.
“I’m doing just fine, Dinosaur Man!” Charlie huffs a laugh. “You might not be though in…” He makes a show of checking his watch for the time, “Twenty-two minutes.”
Which is exactly the time it would take them to drive home, and Alan rolls his eyes. .
“Will that be all, Dr. Grant?”
His attention is pulled back to the man at the counter, “Yes, thank you,” Alan says as he signs his name on the final few pieces of paper.
Once he’s done, he claps Charlie gently on the back, leading him in the direction of the shop’s exit before he can give any further comment.
—
A loud revving sound coming from somewhere outside Ellie Staller’s office window, startles her from her deep state of concentration. She had been so focused on her task, typing up several pages of research, that she had completely lost track of time.
Ellie takes a few breaths to calm her beating heart, as she comes back into the room.
A few beats pass before she hears the roar again, followed by the pop of an engine.
Oh no , she thinks to herself.
Ellie gets up from her desk, suddenly no longer interested in work and heads into the living room.
“Mom?” Her daughter, Edith, asks from her position on the couch. She had been watching a movie when she was also disturbed by the sound.
Both of her kids were home from College for the summer, and Ellie was thrilled to have them. She knew it was only a matter of time before they got too wrapped up in their own lives and careers to make it back home as often as they still do.
“Did you hear it too?” She turns her head to look at her mother. “What was that?”
“I’m not sure, honey.” Ellie moves in the direction of the door, “But it better not be what I think it is.”
Edith pauses her movie and gets up to trail behind her mother, and almost collides with the other woman’s back as she’d come to a sudden stop in front of the driveway. She steps out from behind Ellie to see what the fuss was about, and her blue eyes immediately widen in shock, matching Ellie’s expression.
Ellie’s eyes ping pong between her son and her husband as they pull up into the driveway.
Alan, clad in leather pants and a bikers jacket –– clothes she knew he hadn’t been wearing when he left with Charlie earlier that day –– looked a little too comfortable on the motorcycle he was riding, as her son parked the car behind him.
“Oh my God,” Edith’s voice breaks through her stupor.
For the second time in her life Ellie felt truly speechless –– the first time being at Jurassic Park when she set her eyes on a living and breathing Brachiosaurus.
“Alan,” She finally finds her voice. “What is that ?”
For a moment she loses her train of thought as Alan takes off his helmet, and tussles his hair back in place. Ellie purses her lips in a thin like, trying to school her features into a scowl but she hadn’t been as quick as she thought, and Alan had the audacity to look smug about it. A grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“It’s a motorcycle,” he says simply.
Ellie frowns. “I can see that, honey. But what is it doing in our driveway?” She pinches the bridge of her nose, as if that’ll stop the throbbing she’s beginning to feel at her temples.
“It’s mine, sort of.” Alan responds, and then adds, “But I can explain.”
“Yeah, you better.” Though Ellie doesn’t really give him a chance.
“Alan,” she huffs, moving towards him with her hands on her hips. “All you had to do was dissuade Charlie from buying a bike, not get one for yourself.”
“Actually mom,” Charlie cuts in and Ellie turns around to give him a sharp look, “Don’t think I didn’t know you two were teaming up on me.” If Charlie hadn’t found this whole thing hilarious, he might have withered at her stare, but he also wasn’t the one in trouble.
“But Alan did do that,” the young man continues, “We talked about it and he put up some convincing arguments. Now, did it go exactly the way you saw it?” He pauses for dramatic effect and smiles cheekily, “No, but at least I’m not the one with the bike.”
Alan can’t help but roll his eyes as Charlie finishes.
Edith elbows her brother in the stomach, and he makes a show of sputtering for breath, “God Charlie, read the room, you idiot.”
“You’re really not helping, buddy.” Alan says at the same time Ellie sighs out his name with a shake of her head.
Edith starts to pull a laughing Charlie away. He was bigger than her so it took some effort to actually push him in the direction of the house.
“Let’s go, Charles.”
“But I want to see this play out,” he protests as Edith pulls him away, making everyone groan in response.
Once the children were inside, Ellie turned towards Alan again, “Honey.”
“Sweetheart.”
They hold each other’s gaze for a moment before Ellie breaks it by rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. She can feel her irritation waning. Charlie’s ability to find the funny in just about any situation had helped to diffuse some of the storm inside her, but now that frustration was giving rise to worry.
Her chest suddenly feels tight and her eyes burn. She almost struggles to catch her breath.
“What were you thinking Alan?” There’s no bite in her words but her eyes well up a bit with emotion and she tries to keep the tears at bay.
Alan softens. He kicks the kickstand into place and swings his leg around the bike, reaching for Ellie’s hand and drawing her towards him. She doesn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist.
“What’s the matter, El?” He asks, lips pressed to her temple.
Ellie shrugs, “It’s silly.”
Alan pulls back to look at her, concern etched all over his face, “No it’s not. Not to you it isn’t.”
Ellie pauses before responding. She couldn’t help but marvel at how far Alan’s come in showing his concern for her, and it shouldn’t really surprise her at this point. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it countless other times before in their past.
But the Alan Grant she knew thirty something years ago, wouldn’t have pushed her for more. He would have accepted her answer at face value and let it go until she brought it up some other time.
It still bowls her over sometimes, the strides he’s made in truly asking her what was bothering her, getting to the heart of the matter and no longer accepting her one-worded answers or attempts to brush away whatever it was.
And this extended to her kids as well, Alan had made it a point to check in with them often. And Ellie loved him so much for it, she didn’t know what to do with it.
But right now she also wanted to be mad at him even if felt like someone was squeezing her heart inside her chest.
She lets out a breath, “What were you thinking Alan?” Her voice is just a hint above petulance but she didn’t care.
“Ellie, the boy was just curious. I don’t think we have to worry about Charlie getting a motorcycle any time soon.”
“Well, thank goodness for that,” she scoffs, shaking her head. “But you know that’s not what I meant.”
Maybe time had mellowed them out, but their fights were different now too. If you could even call this a fight. She certainly wouldn’t, but God did she want to be mad at him.
In their younger years Ellie and Alan were much quicker to react. Often talking around issues that could have been resolved much faster if they hadn’t been so stubborn, and though she was often the one to brake first, getting Alan to open up… well, you would have better luck weathering a rock.
These days they hardly ever fought, not like they used to anyway. If they did have a disagreement, they gave each other space and then talked about it like two rational adults invested in making their relationship work.
“You know,” Ellie says, “When I was talking to Charlie about all the dangerous reasons he shouldn’t get a bike, I didn’t think I needed to talk to you too.”
“Those same reasons apply to you Alan,” she pouts and Alan tries to hide his amusement. “And it would probably be worse for you,” she mumbles.
“Honey,” Alan hands flex at her hips. “Are you implying that I’m old?”
Ellie rolls her eyes, “I’m saying, I rather have you all in one piece.”
Alan lets a small smile grace his breaded face. “El, I run a higher risk of getting eaten by a dinosaur than falling off this bike.”
It was a fucked up joke and he knew it. But it rang true of their past experience, facing down dinosaurs twice, and living to tell about it. It was also true of the world they lived in now, and it was enough to draw out a hint of a smile on his wife’s face, even if she tried to fight it.
“If you’re trying to reassure me, my love, you’re doing a horrible job,” Ellie snorts in spite of herself.
“That thing is a death trap Alan,” she huffs. “I can only think of all the things that can go wrong,” her eyes welled up with tears again. “But at least if something were to happen to Charlie, he’d bounce back quicker than you. And I just got you back, you old fossil.”
She begins to pace in front of him, rambling, “God Alan, what if you have an accident? I nearly lost my mind when we rolled over at Biosyn. This is so much worse than that.” She turns on him abruptly with an arched brow, “Is this some sort of delayed mid-life crisis? Did you subconsciously save that for me?”
“We’re not keeping this,” she continues firmly. “I refuse to lose you over some dumb late mid-life decision when we’ve barely had enough time.”
Her last words are like a bucket of ice water getting dumped on his head, and for the first time all day – all week really – he doubts his plan.
Alan watches Ellie go back and forth for a few more moments before finally trying to get her attention.
It’s time to tell her the truth.
“Ellie,” he starts.
“What Alan, what?”
He reaches for hand again and she lets him take it, “It’s not my bike.”
Ellie’s brows furrow together in confusion. “Well, it is mine, but only for a few days. I didn’t actually buy it. I rented it.”
“Why would you rent a motorcycle?”
Alan exhales sharply, “I wanted to surprise you.” He casts his eyes down to his boots. “We’ve been so busy these last few weeks, we haven’t had much time alone, and I wanted to take you out on a date.”
Ellie gasps, “You what?” Her frustration with Alan and this whole situation disipitating rapidly. Slowly being replaced by the warmth blossoming in her chest.
“Oh, Alan.”
“And then Charlie thought it was a good idea for us to get away for a few days, so he sort of helped.
“So, this thing about him getting his own bike…” Ellie asks, trailing off.
“No, that part was true. But it sort of all worked out. Though he promises to stand down for now,” Alan laughs lightly. “But he’s definitely your son El, once he sets his mind on something, there’s really no talking him out of it.”
Ellie closes the gap between them to stand between his legs. Alan wraps his arms low on her hips and she places her hands on his chest.
“I should have talked to you about this though, we don’t have ride it if you don’t want to.”
“Tell me your plan,” she whispers against his temple.
Alan huffs a breath. “Well, I thought we’d take a ride out to Rock Creek Park. Catch the sunset today. We could hike up Valley Trail tomorrow, since it’ll be too dark soon, and have a picnic, go horseback riding. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been on a horse, but I remember how much you loved to ride.”
Ellie pulls back to look at him, “I still do,” she smiles brightly at him, blue eyes glassy.
She strokes his cheek with the pad of her thumb, and her love for him grows.
“And you planned this.”
Alan hums, scratching the back of his neck, bashful.
Ellie grabs his chin, forcing his gaze to meet hers, “You old romantic sap,” she says before kissing him soundly on the lips and it only takes Alan a fraction of a second to respond in kind, deepening the kiss when she opens her mouth for him.
“So,” Alan says against her lips when they break for air, “You’re not mad about the bike?”
Ellie lets out a breathy laugh, “Oh, I’m furious, honey,” she gives him a mock glare. “But I love you, and I appreciate the thought you put into this. I have so many questions for you though.”
“And I can answer them.”
“I can’t believe you just let me go off on you like that.”
Alan waves the comment away with a shake of his head, “Your concerns are valid. I am old. But I’m not dead yet.”
“God, let’s talk about something else,” Ellie responds, cutting him off from further comment with another kiss. This one more intense than the last.
“I’d love to go out on a date with you, you old fossil.” She whispers against his lips.
Alan and Ellie are so wrapped up in each other, neither of them hear the kids come back.
“Gross,” Charlie’s voice serves to break them apart instantly. “Guys, c’mon. We have neighbors.”
Edith slaps her hand across her brother’s chest, “Charlie grow up.”
“I’m going to let that go because I know you were in on Alan’s surprise.” Ellie turns slightly away from Alan to look at her son but doesn’t move out of his hold.
Charlie beams her, puffing out his chest proudly. “You deserve a little romance, mom,” he says honestly.
Ellie softens, and for a moment she thinks she might actually cry. She takes a step away from Alan to hug her son, “You’re the best son.”
“Yeah, yeah. So you say,” he says, suddenly demure.
Ellie laughs and kisses his cheek, “I mean it.”
“I packed your bag, mom,” Edith says, handing it off to Alan. “Charlie brought me up to speed.” She smiles brightly at her step-father, “You did good, Dinosaur Man.”
Alan can’t help the color that rushes to his cheeks at Edith’s compliment.
“We’re leaving now?” Ellie asks, still a bit incredulous at this sudden turn of events.
“Yes,” he responds. “If you’re up to it. What do you say, want to take a ride with me? We could just as easily take the car if you’re not comfortable.”
Ellie shakes her head, “I’ve had enough adventures to last me a lifetime, but I trust you. I’d go to the ends of the earth with you, honey.”