Jonny Quest-Heart's Desire: Part 4
DISCLAIMER: These really do get old after the first couple times…okay, no own, no cash, all original characters are mine. Ask permission before using them.
A/N- I know I stated this in the last chapter, but I will say it one more time just for the record: Will is indeed a MAN. I was doing a lot of editing of locations and characters before I posted the story, and Will's character was one of them. He was originally a totally different FEMALE character, and I guess I missed a few changes, which are all fixed now (I hope).
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Early the next morning, Jessie dragged herself into the kitchen. Her legs felt like led. When she got to the kitchen she noticed someone else already sitting at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee and a section of the morning paper.
"Good morning, Jessie, did you sleep well?"
"Morning, Will. No, but I wish I had. I just couldn't seem to get my mind off of the look I saw in Jonny's eyes last night when he faced Irena. I've never seen him like that before. It…it scared me."
"What kind of look?"
"Well, it was like…I don't know, cold, I guess. Yeah, it was cold, and…evil. Like all he wanted to do was kill. It really scared me badly. I honestly thought he was going to kill her." Will could see the look of astonishment in Jessie's eyes as she attempted to describe the way Jonny had acted the previous night.
"Jessie, what happened last night? All I know is that your father called me, pleading with me to come over and check up on you two, and telling me that Irena was here. What happened, Jess?"
"Well, one minute Jonny and I were…well…together in his room…" Will knew exactly what Jessie was hinting at, and could see the blush begin to rise in her cheeks as she continued, "…and the next thing I know, Jonny and I were up against the wall, with Irena standing in the middle of the room, eyeing us. She and Jonny were engaged in a battle of wits and insults, so I slipped out of the room to the bathroom, though I doubt I was unnoticed, with my phone and called Mom, filling her in on what was going on and begging her to contact Dad for me. When I got back to Jonny's room, he and Irena were locked in some sort of staring contest; at least they were until Irena saw me walk back in. She lunged at me, intending on tackling me to the ground, I assume." Jessie took a shaky breath, trying to figure out the best way to relay the full story without falling to peices. Come on, you're a Bannon! Suck it up! Seeing Jessie's discomfort, Will gently urged her on. When she looked up, she saw his eyes gently comforting her, letting her know that it was all okay. Taking one final breath, she continued.
"Well, Jonny saw that and tackled her before she could get to me. Jonny yelled at me to run because Irena was struggling against him and I guess he figured he couldn't hold her down much longer. Apparently, he was right, because she suddenly flipped him over so that she was straddling him in the same way he was with her. That stunned me so bad that I didn't even think to move. I just stood there and watched, which was stupid, because suddenly Milosh, the guy Jonny and I met when we met Irena in Prague, came at me from behind and grabbed me so hard that I couldn't break free no matter how hard I struggled. I quit struggling, knowing that it wasn't doing me any good, and looked over at Jonny and Irena. She had a knife in her hand, and bent over to Jonny and whispered something in his ear. Whatever it was really got to him though, because that is what got him going and brought him to the look he had in his eyes that I was telling you about." At this point, it was getting even more difficult for Jessie to recapthe previous night's events. However, she continued on, knowing thatit needed to get out.
"Milosh relaxed his grip slightly because I had stopped struggling. I took a chance and slammed his foot with mine, then elbowed him in the groin. While he was doubled over in pain, I took the time to turn around to knock him out. I pulled his ski mask off and that's when I realized who he was. Well, anyway, I knocked him out and then turned toward Jonny and Irena, prepared to go at it with her. She noticed this and warned me not to do it, making it a point to be sure that I saw the knife that was in her hand now up against Jonny's throat. She and I just kind of glared at each other for a moment, then I asked her what she wanted, she said that she wanted me dead and Jonny all to herself, then the next thing she knows, Jonny is out of her grip and ready to kill her. Like I said before, you could see it in his eyes. She had focused so much of her concentration on me that she was forgetting about Jonny. That was all he needed to get his chance at getting free of her. Jonny was back on top of Irena again, this time with the knife she had just held to his throat now held against her own. I pleaded with him to stop, telling him that if he killed her, that he would be no better than her. The thing is, he is so much better than her. I just couldn't let her get the best of him. It took everything he had to get off of her and that's when he yelled at her to get out. By this time, Milosh was coming to again, and she motioned to him to follow her and they left through the window. Irena did at one point warn us that there were others like the guy she had with her somewhere hidden in the compound, but I guess it was just a bluff, because we never saw anyone else. And that's pretty much when you walked in, right after Irena left." Jessie took an exasperated breath, signaling the completion of her long tale. She hadn't realized just how much had happened the night before until she had to tell it to someone else.
"Well, Jessie, it seems to me that you and Jonny had quite a night last night. Is he alright?"
"I think so. He was still asleep when I came down. I should probably go back up and check on him, though. I really don't want to leave him alone for too long." Jessie said, and headed back up the stairs after retrieving a cup of coffee for herself and another one for Jonny. Once in the hallway, Jessie noticed that the door to Jonny's bedroom was now open. Hmm, I guess I forgot to close that when I went down to the kitchen. Quickly, she walked toward the room, careful not to spill the two cups of steaming java in her hands.
"Jonny, are you there? I brought you some coffee."
"Hmm? Oh, hey, Jess, coffee sounds great."
"Jonny, are you okay? You were blazing pretty big last night."
"Yeah, Ace, I guess I'm okay."
"You don't sound very convincing, Hotshot. What did Irena say to you last night? Whatever it was had to have been pretty big for you to go off at her like that. I've never seen you act like that. It's like, all you wanted to do was kill her, and you couldn't think of anything else. You had this cold, almost evil look in your eyes. It really scared me to see you like that, Jonny. Come on, you know you can tell me anything."
"Jessie, I really don't want to talk about it! I'll be okay!" Jonny shouted, trying to get her to back off. Jessie couldn't believe he had just yelled at her like that. It was bad enough that he had let loose on Irena last night, but he just yelled at HER!
"Okay, I'll leave you alone, then." She stated dejectedly, the pain evident in her voice and her eyes. Jonny saw this and immediately regretted it. He moved toward her quickly, grabbing her gently by the hand as she turned away, and pulling her into a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry, Jess, I'm so sorry." Jonny kept whispering this mantra into the crook of her neck repeatedly in a shaky voice. He never intended to yell at her, and it killed him inside to know that he had hurt her like that. Not knowing what else he could do to convince her that he didn't mean it the way it came out, he just held on to her.
"It's alright, Hotshot. I understand. You probably need some time alone to sort some things out. If you need me, just let me know." She told him, first kissing him lightly on the forehead, then turning once again to walk out of the room.
"No, Jess, wait. I'm sorry. It's just…argh! What she said to me last night, well, it was the last straw. I'm sorry it scared you, and I'm SO sorry I yelled at you like that. I don't want you to leave, and the LAST thing I need right now is time alone. Please, Jess, stay with me. I need you right now." He pleaded with her desperately, almost afraid that if he let her go now, she'd never come back.
"Now, how can I resist those beautiful eyes when they look at me like that?" And with that, she pulled him back to her and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then, she just held him tightly, never wanting to let go.
"What did Irena say to you, Jonny? You know you can tell me."
"I know I can. It's just so difficult to even think about it, let alone say it out loud. I don't know, Jess. I guess what she said to me was just too much for me to handle."
"Jonny, it will feel like less to handle if you have someone else handling it with you. Come on, just tell me. It's not like things will get worse if you tell me. I can help you, but you need to let me. Don't go through this and try to deal with it by yourself. That's what I'm here for."
"Hmm, fine, I'll tell you. You probably won't leave me be about it until I tell you anyway. You remember how she had that knife in her hand, right? Well, while that guy had a firm grip on you, she motioned toward the knife and said to me 'Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to make you watch while I kill her.' Jessie, when she said that, I snapped. It was like London all over again! I wouldn't let her hurt you again. Like I said before, I CAN'T let her hurt you again." Jonny looked up at her, expecting to see disappointment, or disapproval, in her eyes. That was the last thing he wanted to see in her, especially directed toward him. He was afraid that she would have thought that he had done wrongly by going after Irena like that, or that she would think him weak and unable to hold himself back. But the reaction he got surprised him.
"Oh, Jonny! Is that what pushed you over the edge? Jonny, I'm so sorry! I wish you would have told me sooner. You know I'm always here for you, and you should know that I could never think less of you, especially when you're acting out of love." She said to him, almost as if reading his mind, knowing what he was thinking.
"Thanks, Jess, that's good to know."
"Come on, let's go downstairs. Will's still here, and we could both probably use something to eat."
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"Ok, Benton, we're about ten minutes out yet. Could you call Will and let him know for me?"
"Sure, Race, that's no problem. That's probably a good idea. Besides, I want to let the kids know so that they'll be out at the hangar to meet us."
"You and me both, Benton, you and me both," the burly bodyguard replied.
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It was about ten o' clock in the morning at the Quest Compound when the phone rang. Will Hawkins figured it to be Dr. Quest and Race, so he headed toward the phone to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Will, it's Benton. I just wanted to let you know that we're about ten minutes out from the hangar where we dock the Dragonfly. Were you and the kids planning on meeting us there?"
"Absolutely, Benton, we're on our way." He hung up the phone and called to Jonny and Jessie to get moving.
"Hey, Will, was that Dad on the phone?" Jonny asked, appearing to be pretty much back to himself, although inside he was still far from it.
"It sure was, Jonny. He and Race are about ten minutes away from the hangar. So we had better get going if we want to meet them there."
"Okay, I'll go get Jess and we'll meet you at the door." Jonny flew up the stairs and into Jessie's room, announcing to her that they were leaving to meet their fathers, then back down, with his girlfriend in tow, to the front door, where Will was waiting for them. Together, the three of them skidded out of the driveway and toward the hangar. At once, Will and Jessie knew it was a mistake to allow Jonny to drive. Even though he did now have his license, he had only had it for a couple of months. He took no precautions during this particular trip, and it was obvious to the two with him that he was exceptionally anxious to greet his father.
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"HOW COULD OUR PLAN HAVE FAILED?" The furious young brunette shouted at everyone in the room.
"Chill out, Kafka. We'll have other chances, you know," came the voice of Milosh. He was lounging lazily in one of the many folding chairs lying in the large room they were all now congregated in. Several others in the room, mainly the computer geniuses and more big guys, agreed to the first man's statement with "yeah" and "that's right" being heard all around the room.
"Chill out…chill out? Those two brats almost killed us last night, and you want me to CHILL OUT?" Irena's shrill reply caused everyone to involuntarily wince. With the exception of Milosh, no one in the room could ever guess how she could have possibly appeared so kind and innocent to the Quests for so long. The only traits they ever saw in her were anger and hatred.
"Yeah, actually, I do. Listen, we'll have other opportunities to get those dumb Quest brats, and when we do, they'll wish they never met you."
"Fine…I guess you're probably right. But I'm not going to 'chill out' until we have the heads of the entire Quest family on one large silver platter, and Jonny Quest as mine forever…got it?" Irena stormed out of the room with a huff, determined to figure out a new strategy on how to get everything she wanted.
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The instant Race stepped out of the Dragonfly, Jessie was in his arms. Race wholeheartedly returned her tight embrace, feeling as though he couldn't let go even if he wanted to, which he didn't. The fact that she was here and all right was such a relief to him. He shuddered at the thought of losing her again, especially to Irena.
"Jessie, oh Jessie. Baby, are you okay? God, I was so worried about you."
"Yeah, Daddy, I'm fine. I'm just glad you're home."
"I've only been gone for a day, Jess."
"I know, but after last night, I really need you here." Race could hear the tremble in her voice, even if she didn't show it in her face. That's my girl he thought, never showing others just how bad she's really doing. Maybe she really is a little too much like me.
"It's okay, Ponchita, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Why don't we just go home and we can talk about it then, okay?" His response from her was a quick nod. Together, still keeping hold of one another, they walked toward the others, where Jonny and Dr. Quest were having a reunion much of the same sort.
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Estella's mind kept reeling over the conversation she had just had with her husband hours ago. He had called that morning to let her know that he had gotten home safely and to tell her what their daughter had told him about what had happened. She couldn't believe what he was saying happened. Had Jonny really almost gone off the deep end with Irena? Race said that what Jessie told him was that what Irena said to Jonny is what got him going, although she didn't tell him what Irena had said to him. Both Race and Estella figured that Jessie knew more than she was letting on to, but they decided not to push the matter, knowing that if their daughter were keeping Jessie's behavior when he and Benton arrived at the hangar, and how shaken up she was acting. She knew that for Jessie, whatever happened with Irena had to have been pretty big for her to be behaving like that. She decided that despite the discoveries going on at the dig site, she needed to be home right now. Her daughter needed her now, and she wasn't about to put anything above Jessie. Race agreed to that and told her that he would be there to pick her up within a day. She agreed and hung up, saying that she would see him soon.
Bringing her mind back to the present, Estella continued to explain to her assistant exactly what she expected of him, and made sure to let him know that he needed to call her every day and fill her in on what was going on. He agreed and left her to her packing. With it already dusk, she knew that she needed to hurry up and finish packing. Race could be here at any time and she didn't want to stay any longer than she absolutely had to, knowing that her daughter was back home and needed her.
"There, that's the last of it. Now all I need to do is wait for Race." As if on cue, she heard the sound of a rusty, old jeep pulling into camp. She was outside in an instant, searching frantically for her husband. Without warning, a pair of arms grabbed her from behind, startling her. Although she knew immediately who it was, seeing as how she would know Race's touch and scent anywhere, she used a move he had taught her to flip him over her shoulder onto the ground.
"Gee, thanks a lot, Stel. Well, glad to see you remembered how to do that." Race groaned, lifting himself off of the dusty ground of the excavation site.
"Haha. That's what you get for sneaking up on an edgy redhead." She retaliated with a knowing smirk on her face that drove her husband crazy.
"Haha, very funny, Stel. How did you know that it was me?" Race asked, curious to know how his wife was able to so easily identify him, after he had spend countless months in training while he was in the SEAL's and the agency to ensure that this very thing wouldn't happen.
"Oh, come on, Race, I know your touch, not to mention, your scent. You know, that cologne you always use that never ceases to drive me crazy. If you really want to sneak up on me like that, don't wear that cologne!" Race could see the amorous grin on his wife's face as she said this. Giving a grin of his own, he bent down to her and placed his lips passionately against hers. Together, they remained like that for a few moments until the sound of a throat clearing interrupted them. Looking up, Estella saw Roberto standing there, looking slightly embarrassed at his intrusion.
"What is it, Roberto?"
"Well, um, Dr. Velasquez, I just wanted to give a final once-over with you on the checklist of what needs to be done while you are away."
"Alright, but quickly, we've probably taken longer than we should have, anyway." At this, Roberto gave each of them a knowing look, signaling to them that he figured he knew the reason why they had taken as long as they have. Race watched the two for a moment, before losing them altogether in the conversation. Deciding upon making some use of himself, he made his way toward Estella's tent, where he began retrieving her belongings and placing them in the jeep he had driven to the site. Moments later, he completed his task and turned to see Estella standing before him, obviously prepared to leave, Race concluded, seeing her posture and the almost impatient façade on her face. Together, they hopped over each side of the open-topped jeep, completely bypassing the doors located on the vehicle, and sped off toward the airport where Race had the Dragonfly docked.
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By the time Race and Estella landed, Jessie was already at a run, half-way between the landing point and where she had been standing earlier with Dr. Quest and Jonny. Estella saw this and immediately matched her daughter's pace, just as eager to embrace her as Jessie clearly was. Mother and daughter met and grabbed hold of each other in a tight hug. It appeared to the men of the Quest Team that they would seemingly never let go. It was quite a sight to behold. Both mother and daughter, nearly identical in appearance, locked together tightly in each other's arms. Faintly, they could see Estella's lips moving, signaling that she was speaking to Jessie
"Jessie, are you alright?" Jessie heard the unmistakable worry in the tone of her mother's voice. She was certain of the level of worry her mother was carrying when she was pulled tighter into their embrace.
"Yeah, Mom, I'm okay. Now that you're here, I'm fine." She replied, uncertain of the tone of her own voice. Jessie tried desperately to hide the tremble and the hint of fear in her face and voice. But Estella knew better. If there was anyone who could see past Jessie's façades, it was her. She had spent enough time with Race to figure out when he was hiding his emotions to know when her own daughter was doing it. After all, father and daughter were exactly alike in that sense. Maybe too much alike, at times she thought to herself.
"Come on, let's go home." Together, Jessie and Estella walked toward where the others were standing. At that point, they realized just how much time they had spent just holding each other. When they reached the rest of the team, they noticed that Race had already unloaded the belongings Estella had brought with her, and re-loaded it into the Quest van that was waiting for them nearby. This was one of the few times, to Estella's surprise and amusement, that Race allowed someone other than him to take care of the Dragonfly. She knew that Race trusted no one but himself and the kids with something as important to him as that plane. It was his special toy, aside from his car, of course.
Together, the Quest Team, minus Hadji, piled into the Quest van and started back toward the compound.
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A/N- PLEASE review! I need to know if you all are liking this story. If I don't start getting some reviews, I'll assume you don't like it and I'll quit working on it. Let me know what you're thinking. Is it good? Bad? Too Unrealistic? Too Boring? Tell me, and I'll work on changing it in coming chapters. Also, tell me what you want to see happen. I may need a little help on ideas for upcoming chapters and your input would be a lot of help! FLAMES ACCEPTED...as long as the criticism is constructive at some point ).