Disclaimer: I do not own Jonny Quest or related characters.

A/N: Yes. My version of Race has scars. How can you go through half the crap he does and not get scars? Also, the curse of being unable to think up a good title continues.

"Daddy, why do you have lines on your face?" Jessie asked one day while she and her father were watching cartoons while waiting for her mother to get home.

"What do you mean Jess?" Race asked looking at the five-year-old confused. Lines on his face? What the...?

"Lines. Like this one." Jessie answered as she reached up and traced the curved scar on his forehead, following the shape of his left eyebrow before curving back to his temple.

"Those are scars, Panchita." Race answered.

"What are scars?" Jessie asked, her emerald eyes shimmering with curiosity.

Race sighed. How to explain this? Honestly it shouldn't be that hard... as long as he didn't have to explain exactly how he got that scar on his forehead, or the one on the left side of his lower lip. "Scars are marks left behind by injuries, like a cut, that were really bad. Even after the cut heals the mark stays." Race answered after a long moment.

"Does it hurt?" Jessie asked her curious face turning into a concerned one.

Race shook his head, "No, scars don't hurt." Usually.

The commercial break ended, bringing Scooby Doo back to the TV screen and distracting the child. Figuring the questions about scars were over Race gave a mental sigh of relief. The relief was short lived however for once the show went to commercial break again Jessie asked, "Daddy, how did you get those scars?"

Of course she had to ask.

"That's a long story Jess, one that's better saved for another day." Race answered.

Jessie pouted in response - already she knew that answer meant either 'I don't want to tell you" or (more commonly) "You're not old enough to hear the answer yet" - but she didn't ask again. She didn't stop pouting either. Not even when the show came back on.

He'd seen her use this technique before. It worked on him better than he'd like to admit. This time however he wasn't going to break down and answer the question. He didn't want to scare her. Eventually she would understand just how dangerous his job was, but he wanted to put that off for as long as possible.

Though, he didn't like seeing her pouting. Fortunately, he had a plan.

Estella unlocked the door and opened it. Moment's later Jessie's shriek echoed through the house. Panic shot through Estella before she realized it was a shriek of laughter. Peering into the living room, Estella found her husband mercilessly tickling their daughter.

Jessie squirmed, trying to get away, but there was no escape from the hands tickling her sides and belly. Then the five-year-old spotted her, "M-Mo-mmy h-he-he-he-help!" She stammered through her laughter.

Race looked up, his eyes widening realizing his wife was approaching with a mischievous smirk. Estella could see the moment the thought of "uh-oh" crossed his mind. While her father was distracted Jessie took the opportunity to attack. Race gave a startled laugh when small hands started tickling his neck, the only real ticklish spot he had besides his feet - which were protected by his boots. He counter-attacked immediately, causing Jessie to shriek with laughter.

"That's right Jessie, keep him distracted." Estella giggled as she knelt down and began taking off Race's boots.

"No. No. No." Race tried to fend off Jessie's tickle attacks while keeping his feet out of Estella's reach. It was harder than it would seem and soon his feet were bare and vulnerable to Estella's tickle attacks. "N-no f-f-fair, t-two a-a-again-st o-o-one!" Race cried through his laughter as he tried gave up tickling Jessie in favor of getting his ticklish feet away from his wife.

It soon became everyone for themself when Jessie decided to give up tickling her father's neck and went for her mother's.

"T-tra-traitor!" Estella stammered through her laughter.

In a flash Race was also off the couch and pinning her down, his hands attacking her ticklish belly.

The three were consumed by laughter as the tickle fight continued on.