Disclaimer: All characters affiliated with JQ: TRA are owned by Hanna Barbara. No infringement of copyrights are intended. This is a work of fiction written by a fan for other fans' enjoyment. No money was made off of this fic.
.
Warnings: Overall Rating of PG. Contains mild language, and some mature themes, and mild violence. (Honestly, there isn't anything worse than what you might find in a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery.)
.
A Note From the Author: 8-30-2013 Welcome to installment five of my JQ:TRA series! This story was originally completed in the summer of 2003 or 2004, but was never posted because I stopped updating my FFN account sometime in 2006/2007. Several things have spurred me into posting again (most of which are neither here nor there). I recently acquired the first season (both parts) of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on DVD. I haven't come across Season 2 yet, but that's not much of a loss. I never much liked the changes between the first and second seasons, and I'm not talking about the animation style. Hadji is a sultan? Bandit is immortal? What? Sure, the series was always a sci-fi fantasy, but it had a solid base in reality. Season 2 lost most of what made the series great. And they dressed Jessie in pink. Really, really icky pink. Need I say more? ~Sapphire
.
.
.
.
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Day of Reckoning
By: Sapphire
.
.
.
.
Chapter One: Homecoming
.
…...
November 2000
Location: Quest Compound, Maine
It was the Monday night before Thanksgiving and getting late, but Maggie was sitting at the kitchen table, engrossed in editing one of Dr. Quest's proposals for Quest Enterprises. He had not written the proposal to gain permission for his project like most people did, but rather, it was a way of keeping paper records of the stages of his work. Not to mention, it would be useful to have on file whenever the United States Government decided to go poking it's nose in his business, which happened regularly enough. So Maggie sat, red pen in hand, scrutinizing everything from grammar to specific content.
Objective:
To adapt the Wraith 3 prototype for military aircraft use.
Detail:
Wraith 3 prototype (electronic cloaking device) limitations include size and speed of the moving unit. Should the moving unit exceed size and speed parameters, detection by security personnel or sensory equipment becomes highly probable…
The doorbell rang. Maggie stayed where she was, sure someone else would answer it. The doorbell rang a second time, and then a third. Then it struck her. Jonny was over at Todd Wilkins' house working on a big History project. Jessie and Race were out in Illinois visiting Race's parents. Dr. Quest was in the lighthouse working in his lab. Mrs. Evans had gone home hours ago. Maggie was the only one home. She jumped up to answer the door. Bandit met her there, barking jubilantly.
"Who is it, boy?" Maggie asked the excited dog, curious, as she pulled open the door. Bandit only got this excited when it was someone he knew. She knew it couldn't be Jonny, he wouldn't ring the doorbell, and Hadji (who also wouldn't ring) wasn't due to arrive until later in the week. The little bull terrier ran out the door as soon as it was cracked open far enough for him to squeeze through. He jumped up on the tall man that was standing there. The man bent down and gave Bandit an affectionate pat on the head, picking him up as he stood up straight.
"Hey Maggie," said a familiar masculine voice. She stared at him in stunned silence. "Glad to see me?" Bandit barked, wiggling to get free.
"Price!?" she exclaimed as he put the little dog back on the ground. "What are you doing here?" she said as soon as she had collected her senses. "Of course I'm glad to see you. I missed you." Price smiled as she gave him a welcoming hug.
"Sorry to just show up unexpectedly like this. When I found out I was being sent back to the U.S. I booked the first flight available. We had twenty minutes to pack before leaving for the airport, but we made it," Price explained.
"We?" Maggie asked in confusion, slowly backing away from him.
"I brought Claudia. I wanted everyone to meet her," Price said. Maggie noticed, for the first time since opening the door, a beautiful blond woman standing behind Price in the shadows. Maggie could see Bandit sniffing suspiciously at her shoes. Price motioned for her to step forward into the light and she clasped onto his outstretched hand as she did so. "This is Claudia Müller, my fiancé."
"Fiancé?!" Maggie was utterly speechless. This was her worst nightmare turned to reality. Ever since she saw that conversation between Price and Matt in the Questworld chat room during her stay in Kansas, this had been what she feared.
"You weren't supposed to tell," Claudia said in a heavy German accent, playfully hitting Price with the glove she held in her free hand. Maggie could hardly comprehend what was happening in front of her. "We were going to surprise your family at dinner."
"I forgot, Claudia, I'm sorry," he said, realizing his blunder. "Maggie, please don't tell anyone else. We want to surprise my mother." Maggie just nodded her head mutely.
"Come- come in," Maggie managed to say after a long moment. As Price and Claudia stepped forward, Bandit stood before the woman baring the way and growling viciously at her. Claudia jumped back, startled, and let out an alarmed shriek. Maggie snapped out of her dazed state. "Bandit! Bad dog!" Maggie scolded. She scooped him up into her arms to restrain him, holding tightly to his squirming body so he couldn't get away. She had no idea what had gotten into him. "Don't be afraid of Bandit. He just doesn't know you," Maggie said to Claudia reassuringly.
Price stared at Maggie in confusion. Bandit usually liked everyone, and it wasn't like Maggie to blatantly lie. He figured she had her reasons, so he kept his thoughts to himself. "So where is everyone?" he asked instead.
"Uncle Benton's in his lab, Jonny's doing a school project at the Wilkins' and Jessie and Race are in Illinois for Thanksgiving with the Bannons. Hadji and your mom won't be here until Wednesday night. That just leaves me and Bandit here by ourselves," Maggie told him. Bandit started barking furiously as she spoke, cutting off all other attempts at conversation. Maggie had no choice but to shut him in the library.
When she returned, Price and Claudia were having what appeared to be an argument. Maggie felt she was intruding and began to back away out of the room. The couple noticed her presence before she had gotten far and their argument ceased.
"You'll want your usual room I expect," Maggie said to Price. He nodded. "Claudia can have the extra room next to mine. It'll take me about ten minutes to have them ready. You can get your things while I'm busy." Price and Claudia went to get their bags, and Maggie ran upstairs to the seldom-used guest rooms.
Claudia entered her room while Maggie was making up the bed for her. She eyed Maggie as she smoothed down the comforter with a flair of her hand. "Just give me a minute to dust the room, and it's all yours," Maggie said looking up. She couldn't miss the hard look on Claudia's face. "Is there something wrong?"
"What makes you think anything is wrong?" Claudia snapped at her. Maggie was taken aback by the distasteful look the German woman was giving her.
"I- I just thought you might not like something about your room," Maggie stammered, picking up the dust rag and wiping off the nearest surface.
"I simply expected something more…lavish in the famous Dr. Quest's home. I expected servants at the very least," Claudia told her.
"I'm sorry, my uncle doesn't keep servants. There is a housekeeper who comes in five days a week. Mrs. Evans manages the household and takes care of things we don't have time to do for ourselves," Maggie said without any sympathy.
"Hmmm," Claudia breathed with raised eyebrows.
"I'm done now. The room is yours. The bathroom is down the hall and to the right. There are plenty of clean towels in the cabinet. The kitchen is down the stairs and to the left. That's where I'll be the rest of the evening if you should need anything. Any questions?" Maggie asked. Claudia slowly shook her head. Maggie left the room with relief.
"Where are you going?" Price asked as Maggie passed by his guest room.
"To the kitchen. I was busy with some work when you got here. I'm going to see if I can finish it sometime tonight," she answered.
"I'm hungry. I'll come with you," Price said. They walked down the stairs together, a comfortable silence settling over them. In the kitchen, Maggie sat down at the table and went back to her editing. Price rummaged around in the refrigerator for a while, then made himself a sandwich. He sat down across from Maggie to eat.
"What's that?" he asked between bites.
"It's a proposal for Uncle Benton's most recent project. I have to finish editing it tonight so he can do the final draft before morning. Then I have to take it over to the Quest Enterprises branch office in town tomorrow and clean it up, copy it, and send it on it's merry way to the corporate offices," Maggie said.
"You sound pretty busy," Price said with a laugh.
"Not really. After that's done, I'm free the rest of the day. I just wanted to get all my work done so I could have the rest of the week to get ready for Thanksgiving. Hey, would you like to come along with me tomorrow?" Maggie asked. "I could use some help with the groceries, and I have to pick up something for Race since he's in Illinois and can't do it himself. Jonny'll be in school, and Uncle Benton will be busy in the lab all day."
"If you don't mind me tagging along after you," Price agreed.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll get some hard labor out of you. It won't be a day at the park, I guarantee it," Maggie replied with a mischievous laugh, turning back to the proposal.
Claudia appeared at the door. From the moment the blond beauty entered the room, all eyes seemed to be magnetically drawn to her. Maggie was no exception, and she watched her from the corner of her eye. She could see the contemptuous look the woman's ice blue eyes were directing her way. Maggie could tell the woman clearly didn't like her very much, it was obvious as Claudia approached the table.
"Here you are," she cooed sweetly to Price. He looked up with a smile as she lay a hand on his shoulder and took a seat beside him.
"Did you get settled in upstairs?" Price asked.
"Just fine, darling," she purred. "I see you've gotten into the refrigerator again."
"I haven't had anything since dinner on the plane, and I hardly ate any of it. You know how bad the plane food was," Price told her with a frown.
"If you say so," Claudia said. "So, what are our plans for tomorrow?"
"I'm helping Maggie with some errands. It won't take all day, though," Price told her quickly. "I thought you and I could go out for the evening."
"You aren't leaving me here alone are you?" Claudia asked, biting her lower lip with worry.
"Not for long," Price said. "You would be bored out of your mind if you came with us, and we'll be back after lunch sometime, I'm sure."
"I won't let you go," Claudia said with a pout. "I won't let you leave me here with nothing to do and no one to talk to. I can't believe you would be so mean. This is a strange place, and these people are strangers."
"Claudia," Price said, carefully choosing his words. "I'm not going to leave you here all day. Only for the morning. And you aren't among strangers. These people are almost family."
"But I want to be near you," Claudia pleaded, looking at Price with puppy dog eyes and hanging on his arm.
"Mrs. Evans will be here tomorrow. She'll be glad to keep you company, I'm sure," Price said. Claudia was about to argue when a shout came from the front door.
"Hey Maggie, I'm home." It was Jonny.
"Excuse me," Maggie said to Price and Claudia. "I'll be right there!" she shouted to Jonny. She ran out of the room and headed to the living room.
"Jonny!" she said urgently, twisting her hands uncertainly. "Jonny, Price is here."
"Really?! That's great-"
"You don't understand. He's brought someone with him. He brought his fiancé." Jonny stared.
"Fiancé?" he asked.
"That's right," Maggie said. "Price accidentally mentioned it to me. The news was supposed to be a surprise for Thursday. Jonny, I had to tell you. I hope you can understand-"
"I know," Jonny said, holding a hand up to silence her. "I used to think you and he- but I guess not." For one second Jonny was certain Maggie was going to cry. She didn't. "Are you going to be okay?" Maggie was silent until he touched her shoulder lightly.
"I'll be fine. Now that you know how things stand-"
"Don't worry. I'll rescue you if you need it. Just let me know." Maggie smiled at her tall, bleach-blond cousin. He gave her a lopsided grin in return.
"Where are they? I want to say hello. Did you tell Dad?"
"They're in the kitchen. I didn't get the chance to tell Uncle Benton. He's been in the lab all evening," Maggie said as they headed for the kitchen.
"I'll tell him after I say hi." Maggie nodded, and led the way into the kitchen. When he saw her, Jonny was immediately struck by the beautiful woman sitting at the table next to Price. "Price," he said, "Good to see you again." The two shook hands in greeting. "This must be Claudia. Maggie just told me you were here." Jonny shook Claudia's hand as well. "I thought you were stuck in Germany indefinitely."
"I got transferred back to the U.S." Price said. "Mother mentioned she was coming here for Thanksgiving so I flew out right away. I brought Claudia with. I thought everyone would like to meet my girlfriend." Jonny just nodded.
"Why did you get transferred back?" Jonny asked.
"Special project," Price told him. "I'm supposed to work with some scientist somewhere on the east coast. My orders won't come through for another few weeks. Until then, I'm on leave."
"Maybe we'll see more of you from now on," Jonny said with a grin, "and not by webcam either." The two of them laughed. "Hey, I have to go talk to my dad. I'll see you later." Price nodded, and Jonny headed out the kitchen door and up the path toward the lighthouse.
"Price, I'm bored. Show me around the house, please. If I'm to be left here all day tomorrow, I should at least know where things are," Claudia persuaded.
"Sure," Price said. "If you will excuse us, Maggie."
"Of course," she replied. "I still have work to do. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Let's see, that would be 0600 hours to you, and six a.m. to the rest of us." Price laughed.
"See you then," and he and Claudia wandered off, leaving Maggie alone in the kitchen.
.
…...
.
To be continued…
.