𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻;
𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁

The moment stretched between them, their friendship restored and somehow deeper than before. There was something unspoken hanging in the air, feelings that were more than friendship but not yet ready to be voiced. The way Ben looked at her, the way her heart raced when he smiled, maybe someday they'd find the courage to explore what that meant. But for now, having each other back was enough.

Then Rocky snorted impatiently, reminding them that they weren't alone.

"Right," Vera said, stepping back but keeping hold of Ben's hand. "We should probably get back to the others."

Rocky rumbled low in his throat, and Bumpy added her own vocalization, as if the dinosaurs were commenting on the proceedings.

"Yeah, yeah," Vera said to Rocky, "we know you're ready to go save everyone."

"Are we though?" Ben asked, suddenly serious again. "Good? Really good?"

Vera considered this, looking at their joined hands, at the dinosaurs who'd become their partners, at the jungle that had tried to kill them but had also brought them together in ways they never could have imagined. She thought about the feelings stirring in her chest, the way Ben made her feel safe and understood and maybe something more that she wasn't quite ready to name yet.

"Yeah," she said finally. "I think we're better than good."

They began the walk back toward the helicopter, their dinosaur companions flanking them like the world's most unusual honor guard.

But they walked closer now, their shoulders brushing with each step, and when Ben's fingers tightened around hers, Vera knew that whatever came next; rescue missions, helicopter confrontations, or the uncertain future beyond the island, they would face it together.

"Up for one last battle, old friend?" Ben said, petting Bumpy. She bellowed in response, nudging his leg affectionately.

"Brooklynn! Hey! I've got the laptop!" A voice echoed through the clearing. Kenji came into view, running towards the helicopter with urgency.

"Huh! I thought Darius was making the exchange," Ben questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I thought so too," Vera said skeptically. It wasn't like Darius to switch up the plan last minute—something felt off.

"Guess the plan's changed. Let's hit it, Bumps." Ben shrugged before mounting up and riding off. Vera followed in pursuit, Rocky's heavy footsteps thundering behind Bumpy's.

They ran toward the herd of Ankylosaurus, their calls and movements coaxing the massive creatures to follow them. The duo charged into the clearing with their armored allies, dust and debris flying in their wake.

"Wow! Yeah! Let's go!" Ben shouted, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Woohoo!" Vera laughed, her heart racing with excitement.

"Ben!" Brooklynn gasped, relief and surprise mixing in her voice.

"Remember Bumpy? Well, how do you like her asymmetry now?" Ben said with a triumphant grin.

Hawkes grabbed Brooklynn roughly, dragging her toward the helicopter. Kenji tried desperately to fight him off, but the mercenary's strength overwhelmed him. The ankylosauruses thundered forward, their massive bodies creating a living barrier that blocked the helicopter's escape route, sending Dr. Wu and Hawkes scrambling for cover.

Kenji managed to break free and grab Brooklynn, running with her away from the chaotic stampede as dust clouds swirled around them.

Dr. Wu stumbled and tripped in his haste, causing him to drop the precious laptop. Before he could scramble to retrieve it, Ben and Vera stepped into his path, mounted on Rocky and Bumpy like ancient warriors.

"Guess who? Whoo!" Ben taunted, his confidence radiating.

"I got it!" Sammy alerted before snatching up the laptop and sprinting away.

"No!" Dr. Wu shouted in desperation, his carefully laid plans crumbling.

"My patience is wearing thin! The laptop, now!" Hawkes yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos as he approached Sammy and Yaz menacingly.

"Oh, you want this? Catch!" Sammy threw the laptop high into the air. Hawkes lunged forward to catch it but had to dodge an oncoming dinosaur at the last second, causing the device to crash down and shatter against the animal's armored head.

"Oh yeah!" Vera cheered, high-fiving Ben enthusiastically. The pair made their way back to regroup with the others, victory sweet on their lips. Their celebration was short-lived, however, as the helicopter rose ominously, banking sharply and charging directly toward them.

They ducked and weaved between the towering trees, branches whipping past their faces as they tried desperately to avoid the helicopter's pursuit. The aircraft's rotors chopped violently at the canopy above them. Eventually, it pulled up and flew away from the group, its threat finally receding.

They all sighed collectively and laughed in relief, the tension finally breaking.

"You did great today, Bumper Car," Ben said tenderly to Bumpy, patting her weathered hide.

"So did you," Vera smiled warmly, elbowing him playfully.

"But... I guess this is goodbye for good." She walked up to Rocky, her expression growing solemn.

"I'm gonna miss you, pal. Thank you for everything," he said, resting his head against Bumpy's massive neck, feeling the steady rhythm of her breathing.

"We're gonna miss you," Brooklynn chimed in, her voice thick with emotion.

"Be good, you two," Yaz said softly. The group gathered around the two creatures for one final embrace, their bond transcending species.

Ben and Vera walked alongside the dinosaurs toward the jungle's edge before stopping, watching as their faithful companions disappeared into the dense foliage. Ben's face fell with sadness, and Vera noticed immediately, reaching out to grab his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. Together, they watched as Bumpy and Rocky joined the rest of their herd, becoming one with the wild once again.

The group walked back to the boat in contemplative silence, deciding to rest before their journey home. When morning rolled around, they set sail for Costa Rica, the familiar coastline growing larger on the horizon. For the first time in what felt like forever, Vera finally felt at ease; truly at peace.

𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘳𝘪 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴！
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Final chapter!!! Im so glad I was finally able to finish this book. To be honest school and life had drained me so much I lost my passion but it's gotten better and im back! (hopefully permanently) Sorry to the ppl who thought I discontinued the book and thank you so much to all the people who sent sweet messages the past year and stuck by me in my writing journey. I am forever grateful!! Season 4 should be out in the next 1-2 weeks (give me a bit of grace school isn't completely over). I will try my best to pump it out sooner but I want to have at least the first 3 chapters written before I publish so if I need to take a break I can without missing uploads and I want to finish adding all the missing gifs and things to this book. I also will try to go back to my 2-3 uploads a week. With that being said chapters might be shorter 1000-2000 words which means ill cut each ep in half. Itll allow me to produce more chapters and also make sure each one is even better and more thought out. Anyway you know the drill, comments and critiques can be posted on my board, chat book, or in here and don't be a ghost reader! Voting supports me and my books!! See you all in June!

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©-CRETACEOUS , 2025