Epilog -- Bright Promise
There's no way this will die.
Jessie stood in front of the mirror and did a
pirouette. The soft, silky fabric of
her dress flared out from her hips, shimmering like green fire in the warm
light. As she came to a halt, it fell
again into soft folds just above her knees, accentuating the clinging nature of
the bodice and sleeves. The wide
neckline and low cut of the front and back combined to form an image that
Jessie wasn't quite sure her father would approve of. But she loved this dress . . . she'd never had one like it.
A few days before, her father had announced that he and her
mother had something special to tell the family. They wanted to make a celebration of the announcement, so they
were going to take the entire family out to a really fancy dinner in
Augusta. It was to be the same day as
the annual Rockport Christmas Festival. As she thought about it, Jessie decided she was going to buy a new dress
for the occasion. And she knew that she
wanted it to be something really exceptional.
So, Jessie had gone to her mother, and, for the first time,
she had talked to her about the way she had been feeling. Estella had listened to her daughter in
silence, allowing her to talk until there seemed to be nothing left to
say. When Jessie was done, Estella had
told her to go pack an overnight bag, and the two of them had gone to New
York. For two days they had shopped,
had their hair and nails done, gotten massages, had facials, and did things the
two of them had never done before. And
while they were there, they had bought this dress.
Jessie remembered standing in front of a mirror in one of
the best stores in New York, staring at herself in disbelief. The young woman who looked back at her was
no one she had ever seen before. She
was slender and poised, with gleaming red hair, flashing green eyes, and long
shapely legs. The shimmering green
dress accentuated all of these things, and Jessie was suddenly reminded of the
old fairy tale about the ugly duckling and the swan.
Jessie had turned to her mother, not quite sure what to
say. But Estella seemed to
understand. She smiled and said gently,
"I want you to remember this, Jessica. Beauty is not something you are born with. A woman with a perfect face will never be beautiful if she
doesn't believe in herself and make the most of who she is. Confidence and poise come from the knowledge
that you have done your best and are happy with yourself; not from having been
born with a pretty face." She waved her
hand around her vaguely. "All of this .
. . the clothes, the salons, the fuss . . . is fun, but it's not necessary." Estella rose and walked up to her daughter.
"All that is really important is what is up here," she reached out and tapped
Jessie's temple gently, " . . . and what is in here," and she tapped Jessie's
chest with the same finger.
She took Jessie's shoulders and turned her back to the
mirror. The young woman in the
beautiful green dress was still there. But beside her now stood a tall, slender, red-headed woman in faded blue
jeans, well-worn running shoes, and a long-sleeved blue workshirt. And looking at the two of them, Jessie
realized that this woman was as beautiful as anyone she had ever met. This was the woman who had captured Race
Bannon's heart so many years ago. Unbidden, Jessie's memory supplied her with other images, as well . . .
of her mother covered in sweat and dust, of her coughing to clear tomb dust
from her lungs as she stood so covered in grime you couldn't even tell what
color her hair was, of her soaking wet and slimy after falling in a tropical
river . . . and the same aura was there, through it all. Jessie smiled as understanding dawned, and
she knew then that if her mother could do it, so could she.
Estella had smiled as she saw Jessie's acceptance of the
lesson she had tried to teach. "So,"
she asked, "do you like the dress?"
"I love it!"
"Then we'll get it."
"But . . ." Jessie
hesitated.
"What?" Estella questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"What's Dad gonna say?"
Estella snorted. "You leave your father to me!"
So now, Jessie stood in front of her mirror wearing that
dress, heels, and good jewelry, feeling like a million bucks. But then, she'd felt that way ever since she
had walked out of that store. Everything is right with the world, she decided.
A sudden knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she
heard Jonny's ask if she was ready. Calling for him to come in, Jessie reached for her handbag, which lay on
the bed. As she straightened, she
caught sight of him standing in the doorway. The expression on his face was almost identical to the one he had worn
that school morning so many months before. Smiling privately to herself, she spun again, saying, "It's new. You like it?"
He stepped inside, closed the door, and crossed the room
quickly. Taking her in his arms, he
replied, "It's nice . . . but I like what's in it better."
She laughed breathlessly as he kissed her, and she responded without hesitation. They had been doing a lot of this since their trip to the cave. In those ten days, their relationship had changed . . . become deeper, more loving. She knew that came from a confidence in the feelings they had for each other, and their mutual belief in their joint future. From the looks they were getting both at home and at school, they knew that other people were starting to recognize that something had changed as well. But they didn't care, and to this point, no one had asked any personal questions. Maybe, after tonight, no one would need to.
"So are you all ready?" Jonny asked, reluctantly releasing her.
"Yep. You?"
"Well, I won't lie and say I don't have some butterflies,
but nothing severe."
"That's the way I feel, too." Jessie agreed. "But I
have to admit, I'm looking forward to it."
Jonny grinned impishly. "So am I. It should cause quite
a sensation."
Jessie laughed. "Yeah, I suspect it will." She
looked him up and down, taking in his dark navy suit, snowy white shirt, and
splashy tie. "Very nice. You look great."
"So do you. I really
do like that dress. Has Race seen it yet?"
"No. Not yet."
"I'll let you go down the stairs first, then. Say, do you know what Race's big
announcement is?"
"No! Both he and Mom
are being very close-mouthed about it. I do know that Mom's gonna be leaving for Colombia again the day after
tomorrow."
"Is Race going with her?"
"I have no idea. They aren't talking."
"Oh, well, we'll find out soon. Come on. We'd better go
before they send out search parties."
"I'm all set." As
they walked down the hall, Hadji stepped out of his room and joined them. He was looking pleased.
Jonny grinned. "So,
when is she arriving."
"Three weeks from tomorrow," he said in satisfaction. "She is coming early."
"Cool! Have you told
Dad yet?" Jonny asked.
"Yes. We discussed
it yesterday."
"And what did he say?" Jessie asked with a grin.
"He was . . . disconcerted," Hadji replied carefully.
Jonny laughed. "What
you mean to say is that he just about had a heart attack!"
"Well . . ."
"Hadj, we're both growing up on him a lot faster than he's
ready for right now. Why do you think I
haven't used words like 'engaged' or 'married' around him?"
Hadji stopped and stared at the two of them. "You are planning on getting married?" he
asked, stunned.
"Well, of course we are," Jessie said, shaking her head at
him in disgust. "What else would we
do? But it isn't going to be any time
soon."
"Four . . . five years from now, probably. Maybe even more, depending on what we end up
doing about school," Jonny added. "But
we know it's gonna happen. We're just
letting both our dads get accustomed to us being together before we start
talking about it."
"After all," Jessie pointed out practically, "it's no
different from what you and Kefira are doing. It's just that in Bangalore there's a name for it, and here, there
really isn't. 'Betrothed' just isn't
used, and 'engaged' has a whole different meaning."
"So we just don't talk about it," Jonny finished.
"Well, judging by Father's response to my announcement, you
are probably wise," Hadji agreed. He
caught Jessie's arm in one hand and Jonny's in the other, saying, "It will
remain our secret for now."
Laughing joyfully, the three of them descended the stairs
arm-in-arm to join their parents.
***
"Okay, everyone. Can
I have your attention, please?" Race
picked up his fork and tapped it against his water glass. The laughter around the table slowly
subsided as everyone turned their attention to him. "This evening is a celebration. And as I've sat here tonight, I've realized just how much we have to
celebrate.
"Jonny is still with us . . ." Jonny saluted him with a grin.
". . . he and Jessie appear to have resolved their
differences . . ." Everyone laughed and
Jessie executed a mock curtsy from her chair.
" . . . and Hadji has found himself a lady, who we are all
looking forward to meeting." Everyone
at the table applauded and Hadji smiled.
"To all of this good fortune, I want to add one more. Estella has agreed to become my wife . . .
again. I have no doubt there will be
sparks . . . between us, it seems there always is . . . but it is going to work this time. We have no doubt of it." As everyone applauded and offered their
congratulations, Jessie jumped up, ran around the table, and hugged both of her
parents joyfully.
When things had calmed down a bit, Benton commented, "I hope
this doesn't mean that you are planning to leave Quest Enterprises, Race. I would hate to lose you. You are a part of this family."
Race shook his head. "We've talked about it a lot, and we both agree that I should stay with
the organization. I will be returning to Colombia with
Estella, but only to help her wrap things up."
"My meeting with members of the museum funding committee
last week was to notify me that funding for the project had dried up. Money is available for only about two more
months," Estella explained. "That will
be just enough time to complete the preliminary survey of the new burial
chamber we had opened right before we left, and to get the most valuable
artifacts out of it and safely to the museum. Then we'll seal up the chamber, secure the other excavation locations,
and shut down the site. When funding
becomes available again, they can put together a new excavation team."
"But I thought the Calderone family had agreed to fund the
entire dig!" Jessie exclaimed in surprise.
"They changed their minds," Estella responded shortly.
"But why?" Jessie asked. "Did they tell you?"
"It seems there were some strings attached that they
neglected to mention when they offered me the funding."
"Like what?" Jonny asked curiously.
"It seems the employment of their son, Ruben, was a
requirement. And since I had already
fired him . . ." Estella shrugged.
Jessie sat very quietly, gazing at her mother. She had never mentioned the incident with
Ruben that day at the dig to anyone. She had never seen the need, because she had dealt with the situation
and had it under control. And since she
had no intention of returning to the excavation, particularly if he was still
there, she had kept quiet about it. Surely, her mother hadn't found out about that . . .
"I thought he was your best excavator," Benton commented in
surprise.
Estella looked grim. "I discovered that Ruben likes to take a bit more on himself than he should. I don't need that grief. I was also beginning to suspect that some of
the smaller artifacts were disappearing from the site. I couldn't prove it, but they were items
that only Ruben had access to. So I got
rid of him . . . and the funding went away with him." Suddenly, she grinned at Race. "You will also be happy to know that I've gotten rid of Blain, as well."
Race snorted. "About
time."
Laughing with relief, Jessie added, "He probably wasn't
having any more fun anyway, since he didn't have a camera."
"At any rate," Race continued, "once we close down the dig,
we'll both return here and settle in."
"I'll take the opportunity to relax," Estella said, "analyze
my data, write the final excavation report, and consider what I want to do
next."
Benton studied Estella for a moment. "Well, while you're at it, I'd like for you
to think seriously about accepting a position with Quest Enterprises." Estella looked at him, stunned. "Why are you surprised? You know that I've been looking for a good
archaeologist for the organization for quite some time now. Hell, Estella, I've even asked you to
recommend people to me. You have always been my number one choice for the
position, but I never brought it up because I didn't believe you would
accept. This position would allow you
to work in your own field, as well as try new areas. You'd be working directly with me most of the time, but you might
also work for extended periods on the sites of specific projects. You'd have a lot of latitude in your work
schedule, as well as input into which projects we accept. Most importantly, you'd have the funding to
excavate thoroughly . . . and to completion, no strings attached. I'm not looking for an answer immediately,
just think about it. If you're
interested, we'll talk more about it after you get back from Colombia."
Estella looked thoughtful. "That is a very interesting offer, Benton. I will definitely give it serious consideration."
Jonny glanced at his watch and said, "I hate to break this
up, but we really need to head back to Rockport. We've still got the Festival to attend."
Benton looked at his son. "You've certainly been looking forward to the Festival this year,
Jonny. What's the special attraction?"
Jessie and Jonny exchanged a look. "Well, we kinda got roped into being part of the entertainment
this year."
"Surely, you are not participating in . . ." Hadji trailed
off as both Jonny and Jessie grinned at him. "Oh, my . . ."
"What are you two up to now?" Race asked.
"Well," Jessie said, "a bunch of kids at school were trying
to figure out something new to do at the Festival this year. You know, something other than the usual
carol sing-along and cheezy local bands."
"It was actually Matt and Bobby Evans' idea." Jonny explained. "It took a while for it to take off, but now there's about 15
groups participating. It should be
pretty good."
"What is it?" Estella asked with trepidation.
"A karaoke contest," Hadji said dryly.
"You're kidding!" Race laughed. "And I suppose you two are one of the 15 entries."
Jonny and Jessie simply grinned.
"Well, in that case," Benton said, as he rose from his
chair, "we'd better get going."
***
When the Quest family arrived, the activities were already
in full swing. Most of the population
of Rockport appeared to be in attendance, along with many families from
surrounding communities. The Quests
were welcomed warmly, with many people laughingly congratulating Jonny on his
miraculous 'return from the dead'. Soon, they separated, talking animatedly with different people
throughout the room.
Jessie was with Becca Harris and a group of girlfriends when
a silky voice insinuated itself into their conversation. "Hello, Jessie." The voice dripped
saccharine sweetness. "Welcome back."
A dead silence fell over the group. Without even turning around, Jessie replied
with indifference, "Francesca."
After a brief pause, Francesca walked around to stand
between Jessie and her friends. "It's
been a while," she continued in the same sweet voice.
"Yes, it has. I
heard you were back in town."
Jessie sensed Becca and her friends backing away, as the two
young women faced each other like wary dogs eyeing the same bone. Jessie had not seen Francesca face-to-face
since their confrontation in the lighthouse two years earlier, and looking at
her now, Jessie's internal radar began to sound clearly. Despite her claims to the contrary,
Francesca was as dangerous as ever. She
looked exactly the way Jessie remembered her . . . petite and exquisitely
groomed . . . an image of perfection. But something was different this time. Slowly, Jessie began to smile. Francesca may not have changed, but she
had . . . and this woman no longer had the ability to intimidate her.
"Did Jonny tell you about me?" Francesca asked with feigned
innocence.
Oh ho, is
that maliciousness I hear? Jessie
thought with amusement. "Yes, he
did." Smiling condescendingly, she
continued, "I hope you find what you're looking for here, Francesca. I know it's hard."
"I don't need your pity!" Francesca countered sharply,
raising her voice. Several people in
the immediate vicinity looked over, staring at the two young women.
"Well, after all, it must not be pleasant to have your only
relative in jail and no place you can call home." Catty, Bannon, she
chided herself. Very, very catty. Jessie
heard snickers from the people surrounding them and thought she saw Francesca
flush slightly.
"Oh, I've already found what I'm looking for," Francesca
purred, recovering her composure quickly. She looked Jessie up and down pointedly and said, "He just doesn't know
it yet. But it's only a matter of time
. . . he'll come around." She smiled
confidently. "They always do."
In the uneasy silence that followed, Becca's sharply indrawn
breath could be clearly heard, and others in the surrounding group stirred
restlessly. For a long moment, Jessie
simply stared at Francesca . . . then, to the shock of everyone around them,
she threw her head back and laughed.
"You go right ahead and do your worst, Francesca. Try whatever you think will work. But I'll tell you right now . . . you won't
take Jonny away from me again. That's
the truth and you know it." She smiled
and gestured magnanimously. "However,
if you want to try, you can be my guest." Then Jessie's smile faded and was replaced by an ominous look. "We both know you're here for something
other than just trying to land a boyfriend. And my guess is that it's related to Quest Enterprises. Just know this, Francesca . . . nobody
messes with my family." Jessie stared
at her coldly, finishing with quiet, deadly finality, "Nobody."
"Is that a threat?" Francesca hissed.
"No, it's a promise. If you try anything, I will
make it my personal mission in life to hunt you down and see that you get
thrown into the deepest, darkest jail on the face of this planet . . . no
matter how long it takes."
Turning her back dismissively, Jessie looked around for
Becca. Suddenly, Jonny pushed his way
through the dissipating crowd. "What's
going on here?" he demanded angrily.
"Not a thing," Jessie replied easily, catching his arm and
turning him away from the other girl. She smiled up at him. "Are we
on?"
He returned the smile, Francesca completely forgotten under
Jessie's loving gaze. "Yeah, just
about. We should get up there."
Jessie smiled at her friends and waved cheerfully, "See you
guys later!" The young couple walked
off arm-in-arm, laughing.
Becca looked at Francesca and said matter-of-factly, "You're
way out of your league, girl."
And one of the others added, "You had your chance, and you
blew it."
"I'd move on, girl. Ain't nothin' more you can do," Becca finished as they all faded into
the crowd, leaving the dark-haired girl standing alone.
Francesca stared at Jessie's retreating back
malevolently. Finally, she murmured
softly, "You think this is over . . . but you're wrong. I don't lose . . . especially to you. If you want a war, you've got one . . . just you and me. This was just a
skirmish, Bannon. I swear to you . . .
this is only the beginning . . ."
***
Jessie took center stage holding a microphone. Jonny stood behind and to one side of her,
talking quietly to the DJ who was coordinating the music. Among the sea of faces in front of her,
Jessie spotted her family. She smiled
and began, "Good evening! I want to
welcome everyone to the 74th Annual Rockport Christmas Festival. Are you all having a good time?" A roar of approval greeted her question.
"Great! When Jonny
and I agreed to be a part of this latest edition to the activities of this
Festival, no one told us we were going to have to be the ones to kick it
off. But I guess someone has to be
first, so here goes . . .
"As you all know, this is a karaoke contest. Prizes will be awarded to first, second and
third place. Each individual and/or
group will be asked to introduce themselves, say a few words about the song
they have chosen, and then get to it.
"So . . . my name is Jessie Bannon and my partner back there
is Jonny Quest." A smattering of
applause and cheers caused her to chuckle. "Yes, reports of Jonny's demise have been greatly exaggerated." Everyone laughed. "The song we've chosen to do for you tonight is one that is very
special for us. It describes our
relationship to a tee, and we hope you like it. With profound apologies to Deana Carter and Chris Farren for some
minor lyric changes, it's called How Do I
Get There?
At that cue, the DJ started the music and a bright,
rollicking country melody began to emanate from the speakers. As the intro played, Jessie glanced over to
reassure herself that the teleprompter was operating, just in case she needed
it, then looked out over the audience. The stage lights went out, leaving her standing centerstage in a single
spotlight as she began to sing.
We've
always been the best of friends,
No secrets
and no demands.
But
suddenly from somewhere out of the blue,
I see a
different light around you.
Suddenly, behind and to the right of Jessie, another
spotlight flared, illuminating Jonny. She turned slightly and looked at him. He began to move toward her slowly, as though mesmerized, as she
continued to sing.
One thing I
haven't told you,
I just want
to hold you.
And never
let go, I need to know . . .
As Jonny came up beside her, Jessie moved away from him,
singing questionningly to the audience,
How do I
get there from here?
How do I
make him see?
How do I
tell him what my heart's been tellin' me?
Lost in his
lovin' arms, that's where I wanna be.
She turned back to look at Jonny longingly and reached out
her hand toward him, singing,
You know I
love you.
How do I
get there?
Jonny gazed after her with a look of wonder on his
face. Raising the microphone he began
to sing.
You
probably think I've lost my mind,
Takin' this
chance, crossin' that line.
Jessie stared at him with a growing look of joy forming on
her face. Hesitantly, she began to move
toward him again, as he continued.
But I
promise to be truer than true,
Dreaming
every night with these arms around you.
I can't
wait any longer,
This
feeling's gettin' stronger.
Help me
find a way.
Jonny looked at her pleadingly, then turned back to the
audience.
How do I
get there from here?
How do I
make her see?
How do I
tell her what my heart's been tellin' me?
Lost in her
lovin' arms, that's where I wanna be.
As Jessie came to stand beside him again, he turned and
caught her hand, staring down into her eyes sincerely, singing,
You know I
love you.
How do I
get there?
Jessie's eyes locked with his as she replied,
I know, the
shortest distance between two points is a straight line,
But, I'll
climb any mountain that you want me to climb.
Jonny's gaze never wavered as he responded with heartfelt
sincerity,
The perfect
combination is your heart and mine,
Darlin'
won't you give me a sign?
Putting their arms around each other, the young couple
turned back to the audience with radiant smiles and sang as one,
How do I
get there from here?
How do I
make you see?
How do I
tell you what my heart's been tellin' me?
Lost in
your lovin' arms, that's where I wanna be.
You know I
love you.
How do I
get there?
Jonny and Jessie finished to a rousing standing
ovation. They stood, arm-in-arm,
laughing joyfully, and waving to the crowd. Then, without embarrassment, Jonny leaned down and kissed Jessie soundly
in front of the entire population of Rockport, Maine. It had been a long, hard road, but they both knew that whatever
the future held in store, they would face it together . . . today, and for all
time to come.
The battle was over, and love had won.
We are strong,
No one can tell us we're wrong.
Searching our hearts for so long . . .
Both of us knowing,
Love is a battlefield!
**** M.
Chapman/H. Knight ****
THE END
(for now)
"Love is a Battlefield," M. Chapman and H. Knight, 1983,
Chrysalis Records, Inc., from Best Shots by Pat Benetar.
"How Do I Get There?", Deana Carter and Chris Farren, 1996,
EMI Princeton Street Music, from Did I Shave My Legs for This by Deana
Carter.
© 1998 Debbie Kluge
DISCLAIMER: The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and all
characters, logos, and likenesses therein, are trademarks of and copyrighted by
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc., and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc., a Turner
company. No copyright infringement is intended by their use in this story. All
other material, copyright 1998 by Deborah A. Kluge. All rights reserved. Characters and stories are in no way affiliated with, approved of or
endorsed by Hanna Barbera or Turner Productions. This is created by a fan for other
fans out of love and respect for the show, and is strictly a non-profit
endeavor.