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Adelaide

Chapter 18: Chapter Eighteen -

Notes:

Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed this story!
I am planning a sequel in the future that will entail more of Adelaide and Ian, plus a Nick/OC storyline too, so please look out for this. Enjoy the last chapter and please let me know what you think!
Thanks!
Jess xxx

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen

 

Epilogue

San Diego, 1996

 

Ian

 

The latest news story screamed out at him in red. ‘Crazy dino-man’ they called him. Not exactly the most original of names, for sure, but enough to cause irreparable damage to his long worked on reputation.

As an academic, he was now considered a laughing stock.

Ian sighed. His resolved had been tested over the years since the incident at the Park. Every time he spoke out against InGen and their ethics, he was rendered a fool who knew not what he was talking about. The headlines in the papers were ridiculously biased and he had Peter Ludlow to thank for that.

Where there was money, there was unadulterated biased. The man had made it his mission to ensure Ian had a battle at every corner, whether it was the papers, the news, some new theory to explain why three people lost their lives in the park. A select few did believe Ian, but they often proved to be conspiracy theory fanatics who made the situation unwittingly worse.

Doctor Sarah Harding had proven herself to be quite useful. Her standing in the palaeontologist community was enough to sway some folks to his side. Ian had hoped her Uncle, the Doctor who had been treating the sick triceratops in the park, would vouch for him too.

It turned out the man had taken an extremely large pay-out from InGen, with a very strict gag-order to boot.

Ian was angry at first, but then soon discovered the man had taken the money to pay for his wife’s hospital bills – she’d been diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was hard to be mad at a guy who was simply doing anything he could for the woman he loved.

Dr Grant and Dr Sattler had gone MIA since the hospital in Costa Rica. Ian suspected they’d also taken the pay-out money and were now doing their palaeontologist thing somewhere in the world. He figured Alan was too quiet and reserved to want to be in the public eye, and Ellie merely wanted to continue with the work she loved.

All the survivors shared at least one thing in common: they wanted to forget.

It wasn’t an easy task, for sure. Ian often had nightmares that consisted specifically of a certain brunette being ripped to shreds by a T-Rex. He’d never told anyone about his dreams, just merely continued with life until they steadily decreased in number. It was a typically male thing to do, keeping his feelings and worries to himself, but it was the only way Ian knew how to cope with emotion.

An overhead announcement alerted Ian to his surroundings. He looked up from the book he’d been reading, watching from the platform as a train rolled into the station. Snapping the hardback shut, he shoved it into his backpack as the door slid open.

A few passengers started to exit the train that was predictably busy. He stood up, towering over most people as he usually did, barely having time to open his arms as a blur of blue denim came hurtling towards him.

“Dad!!” Kelly cried happily as she hugged him tightly.

“Hey there kiddo,” Ian responded, before his eyes caught sight of a mass of dark brown curls. Adelaide was dragging a suitcase behind her as she found his gaze, her mouth lighting up in a bright smile. Lex and Tim were on her heels, the pair chatting excitedly and carrying their own suitcases.

“Do my eyes deceive me, or did you actually turn up on time?” Adelaide chastised teasingly, stopping just short of him with one brow raised.

“I’m usually um, fashionably late baby, it’s not something I’d expect you to know about,” He grinned before taking hold of her chin and planting a kiss on her lips. He heard the kids all make noises of disgust, making both he and Adelaide start to laugh.

They did know how to laugh. That was one of the many things Ian loved about Aida, and there were quite a lot of things. They had their fair share of problems, like all couples did. At one point he was sure they were going to split, but Adelaide wasn’t one to back down and she’d stubbornly refused to let him push her away. Ian admired her wholly for that.

“So, did you kids have a good time visiting Grandpa in New York?”

“We went to see a musical!”

“I ate loads of hotdogs!”

“We went shopping in Macy’s!”

All three kids answered him at once, their faces all red and flustered with excitement. Ian chuckled, taking hold of Aida’s suitcase with one hand and wrapping his other arm around her shoulders. “It was a good trip then?”

“Oh yeah. Grandad was asking about you, told me to say hi,” Adelaide knew talking about her family often caused a strain on both. Unfortunately, she was related to Peter Ludlow, or as she would call him ‘the total wanking bastard’. He’d paid them all a ‘happy’ visit after the incident in the park in which Ian had told him in no uncertain terms to ‘take his money and shove it wear the sun don’t shine’.

John was ok, for now. The old man was getting on with things as he saw fit, and there had been no mention of his ventures in re-opening another Jurassic Park – so far. His health had been failing, recently, which was why Aida had insisted they visit him. Kelly nearly hit the roof with excitement at being invited to the Big Apple.

“He still hates me for being with you,” Ian responded lightly.

“I think he’s slowly coming round to the idea,” She watched as the kids all chatted amongst each other ahead, as the group made their way through the station to the parking lot. “I saw my Mom and Dad too. Nearly died of shock, of course they just acted like they normally do,”

“What, the most superior human beings on the planet?”

“Pretty much. They literally couldn’t be any angrier with me right now…I love it,” Aida grinned up at him, her smile enough to make his heart skip. Even after nearly two years, she still managed to render him useless with just one smile.

Ian squeezed her shoulders. “So, I’m still the um, bad older man who’s taking advantage of their er, precious daughter?”

“Kind of. Now you’re more the ‘insane dino-guy’ taking advantage of their daughter – Tim stay within our sight or you’re not getting any pizza later!”

Ian watched in amusement as the little sprog halted in his tracks, sending them both a sheepish look. “Well…you win some…” He decided to change the subject. “So, babe, you bring me back any – any presents?”

Aida flashed him a sly grin. “I didn’t exactly buy anything for you…but I think you’re going to like it,” Her implication had his mind whirling with possibilities and he tugged her closer.

“My Pa can have the kids um, all day tomorrow,” He whispered into her ear, feeling her shiver under his touch. By now Aida had wrapped her own arm around his middle, having snaked it under his jacket, pressing her much smaller body to his tightly.

“You better rest up tonight then, Doctor Malcolm,” Adelaide smirked. “You are getting on after all,”

“I resent that comment, tree frog,” Ian retaliated, knowing the nickname irked her just a little bit. She rolled her eyes and then squeaked as he pinched her side, squirming in his grip a little.

“Come on you two! I’m hungry!” Timmy said as he jumped up and down with only the energy a child could have. They had a strange little family dynamic going on, but it worked.

Ian pushed his hand into his trouser pocket, to make sure the little velvet box was still there.

He had a question to ask his tree frog tomorrow.