Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, written by a fan, for the purpose of self-entertainment and the entertainment of other fans. All entities included in this work which are affiliated with Jonny Quest and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest have been used without permission and belong to WarnerMedia (Hanna-Barbera). This author makes no claims otherwise. No monetary compensation has been requested by or received by the author of this fan work.
.
Warnings: Overall Series Rating of Fiction T (movie rating equivalent of PG-13). Contains mild language, some mature themes, and some violence.
.
A Note from the Author: Seventh in a series, this story follows Play Against Danger. The Author's Note in Industry of Intrigue applies to the entire series, but there is something I'd like to make note of here before getting into this latest installment.
Did you know it has been 19 years between posting the first installment and this one, the seventh? Well, it has. The thing is, far less time has passed for our characters during the series. How much time? Let's do a rundown of how much time has passed for the characters between each installment and this one.
23 months have passed since the series began in Industry of Intrigue.
Matthew left for Peru 12 months ago in Back from the Dead.
The Quest team searched for Jesse James's gold 9 months ago in Outlaws.
Jessie and Maggie had their Montana adventure 8 months ago in Continental Divide.
It has been 4 months since the Wraith III prototype was stolen in Day of Reckoning.
2 months have passed since the Vermont ski weekend in Play Against Danger.
Hopefully you find this little list helpful. For one, it serves as a quick reminder of events prior to this installment. For another, it puts into perspective just how relatively little time has passed within the story. As always, I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading! ~Sapphire
.
.
.
.
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Judgement Day
By: Sapphire
.
.
.
.
Prologue: Muddling Through
.
…...
.
Late January 2001
Location: Quest Compound, Rockport, Maine
"Maggie?" Maggie nearly jumped out of her skin and turned to the person standing in the doorway, taking measured breaths in attempt to slow her racing heart.
"Uncle Benton?" He entered the dark living room, careful to avoid the shadowy shapes of the furniture.
"This is the third time I've found you sitting in here, alone, in the dark, since you got back from your ski weekend. Did something happen that you haven't told me?" Benton Quest asked, taking a seat on the chair opposite the couch she sat curled up on.
"No," Maggie said with a shake of her head. "I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Would you like to talk about it?" Benton offered. "I can make a good listener."
"I've already talked about it with someone," Maggie said quietly. "I just need to think." Dr. Quest sat quietly for a long moment, carefully observing his niece as best he could in the almost absent light. She didn't seem upset, just introspective.
"I'm glad you've confided in someone, but if you need another perspective, or just someone to listen, I'm here." If she didn't want to let him in, all he could do was be available if a time came that she wanted to unburden herself.
"Thanks, Uncle Benton." When she said nothing more, Dr. Quest knew the conversation was over. He rose from his chair and quietly left.
.
…...
.
Early February 2001
Location: Quest Compound, Rockport, Maine
Jonny was just finishing clean-up after dinner when Maggie came in, crossed the kitchen, and started putting on her coat and boots. He was fairly sure he knew where she was headed. He was equally sure, based on the facts she hadn't acknowledged him and that she seemed completely wrapped up in her thoughts, that she didn't even realize he was there. He glanced out the kitchen window at the outdoor thermometer. Twelve degrees.
"The lighthouse catwalk isn't the best place to be right now," he said. Maggie jumped, startled, proving Jonny had been correct. She hadn't noticed him.
"What?" Maggie said, looking up at him.
"It's twelve degrees and getting colder," Jonny said. "With the wind up at the top of the lighthouse, you'll freeze. You probably shouldn't go out. Not tonight." Maggie stared at him for a long moment, then gave a defeated sigh and dropped the boot she was holding.
"You're right," she said. "I didn't think about that." She started taking her coat off and putting her things away on the hooks, shelf, and shoe rack.
"You've been spending a lot of time out there," Jonny observed.
"I've had a lot on my mind."
"You know my dad is worried about you, right?" Jonny watched Maggie wrap her arms around herself and sigh deeply.
"Yeah, I know."
"Should I be worried? I mean, you used to talk to me about stuff, but you haven't for a while now. I've been wondering if I maybe did or said something to-"
"No," Maggie interrupted. "It's not anything like that."
"Then what's going on?" Maggie sighed and took a seat on a stool at the counter. Jonny sat down on the other stool next to her.
"There are a lot of things, really. I'm still trying to put my life back together after losing my mom. It's… not easy," Maggie said. "I know I can't go back, but it's hard to go forward when I don't know what it'll look like, or how it will feel. Jonny, I don't even know how I want it to be. I'm stuck."
"You're right, it's not easy," Jonny said, thinking about that dark time after his own mom died. There were parallels between them. Jonny knew what it was like to form new relationships after tragedy- Race, Bandit, Hadji, and eventually Jessie. But he'd also had a foundation of people to lean on from before; his dad and grandpa Doug. Maggie, though, just had new relationships and no one from before. What's more, not everyone new in her life had been a stable presence. Jonny acknowledged there was no fault or blame in that, it just was, but that didn't help Maggie.
"I don't know what to do," Maggie said, breaking the silence between them.
"I don't think you have to have all the answers," Jonny finally said. "It's okay to figure it out little by little. You're family. You belong here, and this is your home as long as you want it. Take whatever time you need to sort things out. Dad, Hadji, me, Race, Jessie… we all feel that way."
"I know you do, but it's hard," Maggie said. "It doesn't feel like home without my mom and grandpa."
"We can't replace them," Jonny said with a nod. "I know."
"And I do know I belong here," Maggie said, "but I'm not… comfortable with it, yet. Knowing it and feeling it are two different things, you know?" Jonny nodded. "And… I know Uncle Benton said it's not my fault, but the fact is, I'm the one that brought Connor Hovand into your lives. It's hard to believe all of you just accept that, and a part of me keeps holding back because of it, and I can't help it."
"We've brought trouble of our own into your life," Jonny said. "This family had enemies before you ever came into the picture. We live with the threat every day. And think about the ski trip. Dr. Mansfield tried to kill you, and the only reason you were in danger at all was because of me and Dad."
"I know. I don't blame either of you," Maggie said. "And I know it's contradictory to think that you couldn't be just as accepting of me as I am of you. I'm trying, Jonny. I really am."
"I know you are," Jonny said. "We all know you are. You'll figure things out, eventually. Just… remember Dad worries, and it's a lot easier when you talk to us than it is trying to guess what's going on with you." That got a smile from Maggie.
"I'll try and remember," Maggie said. Jonny got up and gave her a hug. When he let her go, she headed out of the kitchen toward the back stairs. Jonny heaved a sigh. She hadn't told him everything weighing on her, he knew, but she hadn't needed to. In time she'd figure that out, too. As much as Jonny wished he could fix everything with a snap of his fingers, it was really up to her to figure it out. He headed for the living room, hoping that's where he'd find his dad. He'd appreciate knowing how Maggie was doing.
.
…...
.
Maggie went to her room and didn't bother to turn on the light. She made her way to the chair in front of the big window in the dark, curled up on it, and stared out at the snow-covered night landscape. She hadn't been completely open with Jonny. Not that she'd lied. Everything she'd said had been the truth; it just hadn't been everything. Jonny probably knew that. He was well aware of her situation with Price.
Thanks to Jonny's mention of the ski weekend in Vermont, her last conversation with Scott kept looping through her head. "Tell him how you feel. Get it out in the open and then go on from there." Initially she had dismissed his advice. Price had been engaged to someone else. Disastrous end to that relationship aside, it was clear that Price wasn't interested in her. What would be the point in telling him how she felt about him? Now, though, she was thinking that if she sat down with Price and talked about what happened with Claudia, and she apologized to him for her part in the debacle, maybe she could at least get some closure and finally let go of her feelings for him. Anything was better than the current state of things, right?
.
…...
.
Mid-February 2001
Location: Quest Compound, Rockport, Maine
Maggie looked out the kitchen window to read the outdoor thermometer. It was a balmy 30 degrees, a break in the exceptionally frigid cold snap that had gripped New England for the last week. It was a beautiful day, and despite the foot of snow on the ground, Maggie felt like getting outside after being cooped up indoors. She grabbed her jacket and outdoor things from beside the back door before heading outside.
From the back step she looked out at the vista offered by the property. Sea birds circled just beyond the lighthouse against a backdrop of grey clouds and the darker waters of the rough sea. A shadow at the top of the lighthouse caught her eye. It didn't take more than a glance to realize exactly who it was. It surprised her to see anyone, let alone him, up in her favorite place of refuge. It made her wonder. Why was Price up there?
Then again, she did notice he was much quieter and withdrawn over the last couple of months than he used to be. Understandable, when she considered what had gone down at Thanksgiving. He had to have loved Claudia if he'd proposed to her. It certainly wasn't his fault that Claudia had been playing him the whole time, but it also couldn't be easy to cope with that kind of betrayal. Having been the catalyst in exposing that betrayal, perhaps he held a little bit of anger toward her, too. Maggie decided it was finally time to apologize.
Actually, it was probably the ideal time. Race and Uncle Benton were at the Camden office. Jonny was at school. Mrs. Evans was out at the supermarket. She and Price were alone. The only thing that could stop her was her own cowardice. Or Price. There was always the chance that Price wanted nothing to do with her.
.
…...
.
At the top of the iron spiral stairs, where the light used to be but was now a sitting area with wrap-around windows, Maggie paused, unsure. She could see Price through the glass, his back to her, the wind whipping around him. Not an ideal place for a conversation, at least, not outside on the catwalk. Price seemed to sense her gaze on him and turned around, surprised to see her. He left his place at the railing and let himself back inside.
"You must be freezing," she said, after he closed the door behind him. Stating the obvious was their typical start to an interaction. Nothing unusual in that. "How long have you been out there?"
"A while," Price said with a shrug. "Maybe too long. It's probably time I came in. The catwalk is all yours." He turned to the stairs to go.
"Wait," Maggie said, touching his arm to stop him. She noticed how his muscles tensed beneath her hand. He stopped, but he didn't meet her gaze. She swallowed nervously, but knew it was past time they talk. "I'm sorry."
"What?" Price clearly hadn't expected that, his gaze finally meeting hers.
"I said I'm sorry," Maggie repeated. "I owe you an apology and it's long overdue."
"For what?" Price asked, sounding as confused as he looked.
"For what happened in November," Maggie said.
"What do you mean?"
"Claudia," Maggie said. "I'm glad you found out the truth, before it was too late, but I'm sorry that everything happened the way it did- because of me."
"Maggie, none of that was your fault," Price said. "You didn't think-"
"I'm not taking responsibility for what she did," Maggie interrupted. "Just the things that I did. I'm not proud of how I handled myself. I wasn't the most welcoming person toward her- I mean before we knew what she was really doing. There's no excuse for that. And you. I'm supposed to be your friend. I should have talked to you about my concerns, because if she had been everything you thought she was, you both would have had the chance to correct my misimpressions. As it is, if I'd said something, maybe we could have figured it out before we ended up out there on the catwalk. I didn't do that, and I'm sorry."
"You don't owe me anything. I never should have brought her here. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. The things she did to you…" Price trailed off, but Maggie was shaking her head.
"A lot of it could have been avoided if I had just said something," Maggie said, "but I let my jealousy cloud my judgement. I should have-"
"Jealousy?" Price interrupted. Maggie breathed in a tiny gasp. She hadn't meant to let that slip. Well, it was too late now. She might as well just confess everything.
"Yes," she admitted. "There was undeniable chemistry between us the moment we met. And last March… We almost kissed. I didn't imagine it, did I?"
"No," Price said with a slight shake of his head.
"Well, I fell for you. Hard. And then you started dating Claudia. I was still trying to work through my feelings when you brought her home for Thanksgiving. It… hurt."
"At Thanksgiving? But you were seeing other guys," Price said, surprised.
"What other guys?" Maggie was confused.
"The cowboy in Kansas, for one."
"Jared Hadley?" Maggie was surprised. "No, never."
"But in the chat Jonny said he liked you-"
"Jonny was just teasing me. There was never anything between Jared and me."
"Was it also nothing when Jessie teased you about Scott from Montana?"
"No," Maggie admitted. "He did ask me out, but I turned him down because I was in love with you." Price was a little stunned by that. "And before you ask, Rich Lang is just a friend who tried helping me get back out there after you brought Claudia home. If he ever thought we might be anything more he never said so to me."
"Maggie, I…" Price trailed off and reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers, giving it a squeeze.
"No," Maggie said, pulling her hand out of his grip. "Not unless it means something. I'm still working through things where you're concerned."
"I fell for you, too," Price said. "But I…" He reached for her hand again, but hesitated. Maggie wondered what he'd do. She had just told him what it would mean to her if he held her hand. "Maggie, I…" he didn't seem to know what to say.
"Price, do you…still have feelings for me?" She couldn't help but hope, just a little. Her heart was hammering in her chest, both hoping for and dreading his answer. His hand reached closer, but then slowly returned to his side.
"No."
Maggie felt crushed. The rejection hurt, but it hurt more that she got the sense he'd just lied to her. She wasn't sure why, but something told her that he was holding something back. He didn't trust her enough to simply tell her the truth, whatever it was.
"I'm sorry," Price said.
"Me, too," Maggie managed to say. "I need some space," she said, then turned and descended the spiral stairs without looking back.
.
…...
.
To be continued…
.
.
