Every Mother
Dragonlots aka Dana Bell
Disclaimer: I don't own Jonny Quest of any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them to write this story and there is no profit other than enjoying a show I watched as a child and rediscovered as an adult.
"Did you see the news?" Jonny rushed into his father's office, turning on the hanging wall TV.
Benton turned from his view of the ocean to concentrate on the images being broadcast from, no, it couldn't be! He rose to his feet staring at the burning palace and listening to the gunfire.
A reporter looking frazzled yet energized spoke rapidly into his mic. "Behind me is the Sultan's palace, attacked just moments ago. It's unknown at this time if the royal family escaped before the rebels…" The report got cut short as the man was gunned down and screen blanked before the main office apologized for the interruption and cut to a commercial.
"Hadji," Benton breathed. Fear for his adopted son threatened to choke him and he shook his head. He couldn't allow his emotions to rule his next actions. "Where's Race?"
"Not back from town yet." Jonny's blue eyes reflected his fear. "Do you think Hadji and Jessie are okay?"
"I don't know." During rebellions many times information was withheld. The entire family could be slaughtered and they might not know about it for months.
"What are we going to do?" Jonny asked, waiting for his father to make a decision.
"What we always do." Or at least, Benton hoped they could. Getting into the country might prove difficult and even if they got to Bangalore, would they be able to find Hadji, his family and Jessie?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hadji drove through the darkness, trying not to remember that his mother and Pasha had died in the explosion that had ripped through the palace. The unexpected rebellion had taken them completely by surprise. How he and Jessie had managed to escape he had no idea. He only remembered running out the back entrance and jumping into the first vehicle he could find.
"Are you all right?" Jessie's words cut through his shock.
"No." He didn't think he had to say more.
"We need to get out of the country." Jessie sounded logical, yet a glance at her tensed body told him she knew how much danger they were in.
"That might prove difficult."
"There must be a way."
He didn't need to tell her what would happen if they didn't.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
All flights, even private ones, were cancelled going to and from Bangalore. Reading his friend's body language as he stood in hallway, Benton had a feeling that wouldn't stop Race. "I've tried every connection I have," he told his long-time friend and body guard.
Race took a ragged breath. "That's my daughter." Fear reflected in his ice blue eyes and he ran a hand through his white hair. A strong sign on how worried he was.
"And my son." He knew how the other man felt. "We'd be shot down before we could land." The rebel leader had released a firm warning an hour earlier. "Without our plane, we couldn't escape, let alone rescue our children."
"We can't just leave them there." Race's hands clinched and unclenched. "There has to be a way."
Gently Benton added, "Reports are the entire royal family died in the fire." He waited for Race's reaction.
"We don't know that for sure."
"No, we don't," he agreed. Every part of him wanted to disregard the warning. He couldn't. Not after seeing an entire plane full of refugees being fired upon when they tried to leave. He doubted any of them made it out of the burning wreckage alive.
"I should never have allowed her to go."
"You couldn't have stopped her." They both turned to look at Jonny who sat on the carpeted stairs, Bandit half laying on his thigh. His yellow hair hadn't been combed and his jeans and black top were wrinkled.
The bull dog whined. "Jessie loves Hadji. She wanted to go with him."
"Loves?" Race's tanned face looked shocked. "Jessie loves Hadji?"
Jonny nodded.
"But I thought," he didn't finish his sentence.
Jonny smiled sadly. "That she loved me?" He shook his head. "We're friends. That's it." He sighed and pet Bandit's head. "She told me after the last time we were in Bangalore and Hadji a few days later." He shrugged. "Guess he felt the same way."
Benton wondered about the turn of events. He'd thought the same thing Race had. "Have you heard from them?" Maybe their children had way to communicate their father's didn't know about.
"If I had, I would have said so." Jonny picked up Bandit. "Let me know when you decide what you want to do." He walked upstairs, looking defeated.
Benton and Race exchanged a look. They wanted to take action and knew they couldn't. At the moment, they had no way to get into Bangalore, let along locate and rescue their children.
"They're smart, Race. If they can get out themselves, they will."
"I know." His shoulders slumped. "All we can do is wait. For now."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
They stopped near a waterfall Hadji knew about and they hiked up the narrow trail. He kneeled down and splashed water on his face, trying to stop the tears which threatened to fall.
"So, how are we going to get out of this mess and escape?" Jessie asked. She stood looking out over the foliage, her hands on her hips. She wore pants and top along with practical tennis shoes. They would help with walking.
"We start by spending the night here. It will not take the rebels long to discover a car is missing."
"Maybe they'll think it got blown up."
"I doubt it." He rose and looked around. Not far away was a tree they could sleep in. When the sun rose, they would need to start up the mountain trail to a temple they might be able to be allowed to shelter in, depending on the decision of the leader.
"Where are we going?" She followed him around the pool.
"Someplace I hope we will be safe. At least for a short time."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Jade had no intention of allowing anything to happen to her little girl. She drove like a mad woman away from the smoldering palace, trying to ignore the charred remains. Jessie was smart like her dad. Hadji too. She'd bet both young people had made it out.
Following the dirt road she saw fresh track and grinned. They'd come this way. Hopefully, she could reach them before the rebels figured out they'd escaped.
Night crept slowly over the land and Jade almost missed the car pulled to the side and partially hidden by lush vegetation. "Smart," she murmured, hiding her car the best she could.
In the dimming light, she saw the trail and headed up it. As she remembered, there as a temple that might grant the young sultan and her daughter refuge. Jade needed to reach them before they got there.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Seriously? Spend the night in a tree?" Jessie stared at Hadji.
"It will protect us from predators and we will not be seen."
"Can't big cats climb trees?"
"Not before we see them." He grabbed a limb working his way up. "Coming?"
"If I have to." She followed him up, hoping they neither of them fell.
Further up a nice place to sit appeared large enough for the two of them. Hadji sat and offered his hand when she crawled up beside him.
"It will be fine," he assured her. He still wore his turban with the red ruby attached. His clothes had dirt clinging to them and she figured hers probably did too.
"I hope so."
The roars and squeaks of animals surrounded them along with the buzz of insects. Dampness hung in the air clinging to their skin and clothes.
"Hope we don't get eaten alive," Jessie muttered, slapping at a bug who tried to land on her exposed hand.
"You've camped in a jungle before."
"I have." Not always a pleasant experience as Jessie recalled. She settled against Hadji, her head resting on his shoulder. He shifted putting his arm around her.
"I will protect you, Jessie," he promised.
"How about we protect each other?"
"I can live with that." He stiffened. "Shhh."
A figure appeared below and Jessie held her breath. It stopped near the pools ledge, glancing around before heading toward them.
"Jessie Bannon, where are you?" the voice demanded.
"That's Jade." Hadji stared disbelievingly.
"We're here!" Jessie called, giggling with relief.
"Get out of that tree and come with me. We don't have much time."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Benton looked at the clock again. Only five minutes had passed. He got up and paced, not noticing the bright moon reflecting off the ocean waves and reflecting into his office. Race had decided to try some of his contacts and hadn't had much luck either. No one would risk going into Bangalore.
His friend stomped into his office, tossing his phone across the room. His defeated expression told Dr. Quest the entire story.
"What are we going to do, Doc? In the past seventy-two hours we've contacted everyone we know, who owes a favor…"
"We've done all we can." Benton wanted to comfort Race and had no idea what to say or do.
Pounding steps echoed and in through the door rushed Hadji and Jessie with Jonny not far behind them. Jessie rushed into her father's arms, sobbing, her red hair hanging down her back.
"How did you escape?" Benton managed, giving Hadji a quick hug.
"Jade," Hadji explained.
"Jade?" Race sounded surprised. "Is she still here?"
"Of course I am." The woman stood in the doorway looking sexy in her safari clothes. "Had to make sure they got home safely to their fathers."
"Jade I…how," Race began.
"You know why and you don't need to know, " she answered. "This job was free. Next time I might not be so generous." She winked and left.
"What was that about?" Jessie asked her father.
"Doesn't matter, Ponchita."
Jonny and Hadji awkwardly hugged. "Guess you're stuck here."
"There are worse places."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Jessie stood outside, looking toward the lighthouse and listening to the gulls cry overhead. Salt brine filled her nose. She smiled, happy to be home and safe.
"Going to use Questworld?" Hadji asked as he joined her.
"I thought maybe you and I could take a walk." She extended her hand.
He took her hand, an understanding look on his brown face. "First things first." He took her into his arms and kissed her.
OOOOOOOOOOO
From the front door, Jonny grinned wryly, hoping Hadji knew how fortunate he was to have such a special girl. His brother had better take care of her or else he'd hear about it.
He glanced at his father as the older man with graying reddish brown hair came to stand beside him, his hand resting on Jonny's shoulder. "You sure you're okay with them?"
"Like I said. Jessie and I are friends." No need to tell his dad he felt a bit jealous.
His father nodded. "So you did."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
From Dr. Quest's office, Race watched his daughter kiss the young man she loved. He had no objection. Hadji was the doc's son too. He wondered what they're plans were. Whatever they decided, he'd have to make sure Jade got invited, if they went that route.
He couldn't tell Jessie the truth. Estella was the mother who had raised her. Still, if their daughter followed the normal path, Jade had the right to be there. Every woman had the right to see her only child married.
Author's note: Most of the stories about any type of romance tend to be written about Jessie and Jonny. This seems to be based on the ghost story episode when the two ghosts kissed, not the actual characters. During the second season, there is an interesting conversation between Jessie and Hadji's mother about possible feelings she might have for the young Sultan. It inspired this story along with Jonny's Golden Quest.