Disclaimer: I don't own the Quest Team. Wish I did. No money, no credit. Oh, and I don't own "The Little Mermaid" (Well, I own a copy of the movie!)

This a fic I submitted to the JQML years (literally) ago. (for more info, look at my info page.) I hope you enjoy!

Set back in their younger years, and, yes, Hadji isn't in this one.

YOUNG FIGHTS

Roger "Race" Bannon walked into the house and dropped his bags on the floor. The ex-CIA Agent had just returned from flying some top-secret equipment to Sydney, Australia.

Race walked into the kitchen and listened carefully. There were no sounds of life in the Quest Compound. Benton Quest, the scientist Race was assigned to protect, probably went to pick up Race's daughter Jessica, and Benton's son Jonathan up from elementary school.

He poured himself a glass of water and went into the family room. He plopped down on the couch to wait for his family to return. He didn't have long to wait.

The door leading to the garage opened and seven-year-old Jonny walked in with another little girl. Her long black hair fell across her shoulders in waves of curls. Jonny saw Race and grinned. Jonny grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her over to Race.

"Race! This is my new best-friend, Brittany!" Jonny sat down on the couch next to Race and looked at Brittany. "Race is my hero!"

Race smiled at the little kids, wondering why there were marker smears, paint smears, and glue all over Jonny's body. "Thank you, Jonny." He glanced toward the door, watching and waiting for Jessie. "Where'sJessie?"

Jonny shrugged, too busy with his new best friend to answer.

Race stood up and walked swiftly out the door. He was Benton unloading some stuff from the Quest van.

Race walked up to him. "Hey, Benton. Where's my daughter?"

Benton sighed. "She's on the front porch. She and Jonny had a huge fright at school today. Neither will talk to me about it. Mrs. Smith, their teacher, told me about it. She's not sure what happened though."

Race frowned as Benton continued. "She was so quiet all the way home. I think part of it has to do with Brittany. Who, by the way, is spending the night. Her mother had to fly to New Jersey for a family emergency."

Race nodded. "I'm going to go talk to her. Thanks, Benton."

Benton watched as Race walked away. Benton shook his head and turned back to his task.

Just before Race turned the corner, he stopped and listened. A soft voice was talking, and a puppy could be heard.

"Poor Bandit. He forgot about you again, didn't he?"

Race peeked around the corner and saw Jessie sitting on the porch steps, scratching Bandit behind the ears, as she talked to him.

"He's too busy with his new best friend to take care of you. He even forgot about you during show-and-tell. But I didn't. Mrs. Smith really liked you. She thought you were my dog." Jessie laughed softly."Then Jonny got mad at me because I showed you for show and tell. I got mad at him because it was his fault and he was trying to blame it on me."

Jessie wiped a tear away. Bandit sat up in her lap and licked her face.

She giggled. "I love you, too. But I don't love Jonny anymore. He can just love his new best friend. She's a meanie. She kicked dirt in my face when we were playing. And she tripped me when we were going to lunch. And during show and tell, she kept making mean faces at me."

When Jessie started crying, Race couldn't take it anymore. He ran to his little girl and held her.

"Ponchita? What's wrong, honey?" He held her close and stroked her hair.

"Daddy, I hate Jonny. And I hate Brittany. I wish they would go away."

She kept crying.

"Honey, what did they do to you?" he asked, although he already knew.

"They were mean to me. I'm never going to talk to them again." She looked up at him, and for the first time, Race noticed her face. There were a bunch of colored streaks on her face.

"What is on your face?"

Jessie grinned. "Me and Jonny got into a fight with markers and glue." She laughed. "I won!"

Race shook his head. "Why don't you go take a bath, and then we'll go someplace special tonight."

Jessie's eyes lit up. "With out the meanies?"

Race sighed. "Without Jonny and Brittany."

She jumped up and hugged her father. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"You're welcome, Ponchita." He hugged her back.

"I love you, Daddy."

Race smiled. "I love you, too."

As he watched his daughter run off with Bandit, he thought to himself, Those are my favorite words.