Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, people way wealthier than me do.
Rating: PG-13 or thereabouts.
Pairing: Alan/Billy...who else?
Archive: To elfin if she wants it!

Notes: I swore this time...no new fandoms. I deliberately avoided shows and movies that I thought could have a slashiness that would draw me into their fandom. 'I know,' I thought innocently, 'I'll go watch the new Jurassic Park film, that should be innocent enough!' Yeah...right

This is un-beta'ed, so beware! Oh and I tossed a coin, which came down on the side of using US spelling instead of my native Brit:)

I just hope I didn't get my Sorna's and my Nublar's mixed up:))

Ellie smiled widely as Charlie zoomed past, almost upturning Alan's coffee cup from the table. "And how's Billy?" she asked finally, waiting for 'that' look to cloud his face.

"He's fine," Alan Grant didn't look at her; instead, he stared into his cup, maybe hoping to find the answers to all of his problems in its dark brown depths.

"Does he know yet?"

Struggling with a smile, Alan glanced up at her, "Know what?"

"That you're in love with him."

"Oh that!"

Ellie shifted irritably in her seat, "So the answer's no then?"

"Ellie, it's not that simple..." he trailed off, a familiar blush working its way into his cheeks.

"Yes, Alan, it is that simple. You and I both know that the only reason Charlie here isn't called 'Charlie Grant', is because you fell in love with one of your students after we returned from Jurassic Park. I know I was hurt at the time, and I might have said some pretty unpleasant things to you, especially after I discovered that it was a young guy who'd stolen you away, but time has helped me to see the bigger picture. If Billy is who you really want to be with, you should tell him how you feel."

"He's my student, it's unethical to even suggest a relationship."

"He's not really your student any more."

"No, maybe not, but he is my assistant, and more importantly, he's my friend."

Reaching across the table, Ellie grasped Alan's hand. "Don't screw this up, Alan. Billy deserves to know how much he means to you."

"And if I tell him, he could walk out of the door in disgust."

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen. I've seen you two together, he adores you."

"As a teacher, maybe. I've seen things in real life that he's only dreamt about. It's probably a little hero worship, that's all."

With a sigh, Ellie leaned back in her seat. "Sometimes I wonder how men became the dominant species on this planet, being so stupid n'all!" she smiled.

A genuinely affectionate smile creased the paleontologists face, "I've missed you!" he grinned.

"And I've missed you too. Tell him, Alan, he deserves to know. What if something happened, and you'd never told him how much you loved him. How would you feel?"

"What's going to happen?"

"After the events on Isla Nublar, you have to ask that?"

Alan shook his head, "I only work with dead dinosaurs these days, the kind that don't eat you."

"You're evading the subject again," Ellie studied her old lovers face, knowing each flicker of emotion intimately. "My point is that, we never know what the future holds. Don't you think you deserve a little happiness? Or maybe even a love life?"

The faint coloring of his cheeks, turned into a raging flush at that suggestion. "What we 'deserve' and what we get are usually very different things."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holding the check between his fingers, Alan couldn't help but feel a chill skitter down his spine.

"Wow, that baby is going to fund us for the next two years!" Billy Brennan chuckled.

"Yeah, well, I remember the last time I held a funding check from some big-shot rich guy in my hand, I was almost eaten shortly afterwards." Alan sighed, only too vividly remembering his arrival on Isla Nublar, and the subsequent adventure that ensued.

Billy threw his arm around Alan's shoulder and squeezed, "Oh come on, that shit can't happen twice."

"Tell Ian Malcom that," Alan laughed slightly.

"It's going to be a breeze. You do the tour guide thing, and we get to continue our research for the next two years, without worrying about what we're going to eat, and where we'll sleep. I can live sharing tents with the guys, but a real room, with a real bed would be nice occasionally."

Alan closed his eyes, and momentarily let his mind wrap around that thought. Billy; lying in bed, his elfin face cracking into a wide, expectant smile, as his slim body shivers slightly in anticipation. He slowly turns over, lifting his ass invitingly. Smooth, soft skin beneath Alan's hands as he touches the upturned cheeks, the action eliciting a low moan of pleasure, Billy's breathing hitching at the touch...

"You okay?" Billy's voice suddenly pierced Alan's messy little fantasy.

"Yes! Yes, I guess I'm just a little tired. We should both get some rest if we're going to make that flight tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll say goodnight then," Billy stood up and stretched, "Alan?"

The older man turned slightly, still reeling from the mental images of his assistant naked, and willing. "Mmmm?"

"Thanks for taking me with you."

"It's your damned fault! I wasn't letting you get out of this that easily," Alan laughed.

"Seriously, I really appreciate it. I..." Billy suddenly chewed on his lip a little nervously, "I guess I should get the hell out of here and let you sleep!" He grinned, as he picked up his pack, raising his hand in a small wave goodbye, and heading for the motel room next door.

Alan watched as the door closed behind the younger man, and finally let out the breath he'd been holding. "Goodnight, Billy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The motel room wasn't exactly pretty, but it was functional, and after spending the last three months in a tent with three other men, it was delightfully private. Billy stepped into the shower, and gave a satisfied sigh, as the water cascaded down his back. He couldn't believe that this was all happening to him. He was finally going to see Isla Sorna, albeit from the air. Real dinosaurs, living in their own ecosystem, thriving, breeding...it was incredible.

It wasn't supposed to happen, they were genetically designed to die without a dose of Lysine introduced into their diet by the scientists who created them, but just as Ian Malcom had predicted 'nature will out', and they'd found a way to adapt.

Most importantly, he was going to spend this time with Alan Grant, away from the dig... and the whispered rumors from their fellow scientists.

Surely he wasn't the only one who'd heard the other guys speculating on their relationship?

'Come on, Brennan, we all know you take it up the ass. You trying to tell us you don't take it from Grant?' Conner had slurred one night, after they'd smuggled a couple of bottles of Jack Daniels back to the site.

He'd gotten into a fight over that, ended up with a black eye, and a busted lip. When Alan had asked what it was all about, he'd just shrugged, and said that they were guys and they were drunk; they didn't need a reason to fight.

It wasn't easy being in love with Alan Grant.

The guys at the dig could see it, the students at the university saw it, hell...even his mother could see it, but Alan seemed to remain innocently oblivious to him.

Funny how all of those poems, and songs devoted to love, never really explain just how much unrequited love hurts, isn't it?

Wandering out of the shower, Billy tossed the damp towel onto the bed, and looked at himself in the mirror. 'Maybe I'm just not his type?' he thought a little sadly, glancing at his slim frame and pale skin. "Yeah, you don't have breasts!' that annoying little voice in his head taunted.

"Shit!" he spat, as he picked up the towel, and hurled it at the mirror in frustration.

Why did he do this to himself?

He lay back on the bed, and tried to relax. It was going to be a long flight tomorrow, and he needed some rest. 'When we get back, I'm going to do something about this,' he vowed to himself, 'I can't go on living this way. I have to tell him.'

As sleep finally claimed him, the words 'I have to tell him,' were still tumbling from his lips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alan Grant looked up at the aircraft with slight trepidation. He knew that this was just going to be a simple 'look...dinosaurs!' trip, but he still couldn't help the cold, nervous, trembling coiling in his belly.

When Billy finally came into view, laden with bags, cameras and other assorted sundries that he was sure they'd need, Alan felt a warmth spread through his body at the sight of his assistant.

So young and enthusiastic, and so very lovely.

'Tell him, Alan. He deserves to know,' he heard Ellie's voice in his head. 'We never know what the future holds.'

He hated it when she was right. It was always the most irritating thing about her.

"Billy?" he called over the noise.

The younger man wandered towards him. His eyes were shining like a five year olds, on his first trip to the zoo, and his smile could melt icebergs.

"Yeah?"

"When we get back, I need to talk to you about something, before we go back to the dig site."

Billy's smile faltered slightly, "Is everything okay, Alan? What.... am I getting fired or something?" he tried to laugh, but he was clearly nervous.

"No, nothing like that." Alan clapped his hand on Billy's shoulder. "It's just something that I've been meaning to talk to you about for some time."..............

The End?

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