Present day author's squawk:

Awww! One of my favourite Benton & Rachel vignette pieces! .

July 30, 1998 (revised Oct. 31/04)

Disclaimer: JQ and its characters belong to HB and Turner productions. "I'll Be Seeing You" is by Frank Sinatra, "Hey Jude" is by The Beatles. They are all used without the owner's permission. No money is made from this venture.

The Challenge

by Ina-chan

"This is boring!" Rachel's voice echoed through the Reference room's vast halls

"You're not supposed to raise your voice like that in a library," Benton's soft voice warned her

Rachel crossed her arms stubbornly, "It's after office hours, and we're the only ones on this floor." She playfully pussyfooted behind him and started to impishly tug on his hair, "Benton... Benton... I wanna go home... please?"

The young man just turned a page on the volume he was immersed in didn't even look up at her, "You don't have to wait for me."

The young woman pouted childishly, "But I thought you like hanging out with me."

"Not at the moment."

"You're so mean!" Rachel scoffed as she straightened up and put her hands on her hips

"It's just a couple more pages."

"You said that five books ago."

"Well then do something while waiting."

"Like what?"

"I don't know... sing."

"We're in the library."

"We're the only ones here."

"What about Mr. Richardson?"

"He went home."

"What? Then how are we going to get out?"

Without missing a beat, Ben fished out a set of keys from his pocket and waved it in the air. Rachel leaned on a bookshelf and gave him a suspicious look, "If I didn't know better, I'd think this is a set up."

Benton shook his head, "I always research here until late so Mr. Richardson lent me the spare."

"Is that so?"

The young man simply turned another page.

"Benton!"

Benton closed the volume and folded his hands, "All right. We'll leave if you sing."

"What?"

"We'll leave if you sing."

"Are you serious?"

"One song."

"No."

"Sing."

"No."

"Sing."

"No."

"Sing."

"Benton!" Rachel exclaimed before dropping her voice into a whisper, "I can't sing."

"Just one song."

"I'm serious Benton. I really, really... CAN'T sing! I suck!"

"Hmmm, that's just too bad," The young man hummed thoughtfully before making a big show of picking up a particularly thick volume on the table and started to slowly leaf through the first few pages.

"All right!" Rachel sighed, "One verse."

"Half a song."

"Two verses."

"Three verses."

"One verse and a chorus, that's it!"

"Very well," Benton agreed as he closed the book

"Don't make fun of me."

"I won't."

"And don't laugh."

"I wouldn't think of it."

"You promise?"

"I promise to give you my total honest opinion."

"Okay... here goes," The young woman said as she stood up straight and took a deep breath. "hey jude... don't let me down... sing... a... sad... song... and make it bet--terrrr.."

Benton frowned and pounded his palm on the table while making motions of turning an imaginary radio knob with his other hand.

"RE-MEM-BER..." Rachel made a face as her monotone voice croaked louder, "...to let her into your heart... then we can sta-- crack --art to make it better."

Rachel shifted uncomfortably, "So... let it out and let it in... Hey Jude... begin... something-something-something... der"

"Hey! You're cheating!"

She simply stuck out her tongue before continuing, "'Cause don't you know... out of tune that its a fool... who plays it cool... by making his world... a little colder... There, its over."

"No, its not."

"What do you mean its not? We agreed on one verse and a chorus."

"The chorus isn't done yet."

"What do you mean 'The chorus isn't done yet'"?

"You didn't sing the na-na-na's"

"What?"

"Na-na-na..."

"You're being totally ridiculous!"

Benton started to reach for the thick book again.

"NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAA! Happy?"

"Very," The young man replied as he started to collect his papers and put them neatly inside his case.

"That's it? That's all you have to say after putting me through all that torture?"

"Well, what do you want me to say?"

"You promised your total honest opinion."

Benton paused and looked at her thoughtfully before answering, "You're right. You suck."

Rachel, stunned, gaped at the red head as she watched him return the books he used to the shelves. She crossed her arms and gave him a peeved glare, "Have you ever been told that you have a tactless impertinent mouth."

"Constantly. At least five or six times a day."

"I suppose you believe that you're John Lennon's long lost brother."

"No. I just know that I can sing."

"Oh really? Just how good are you at it, may I ask?"

"A whole lot better than you."

"Prove it."

Benton turned to her and raised an eyebrow, "Is that a challenge?"

"Are you chicken?" Rachel countered with a smug look.

For the first time in the night, the young man dropped his serious demeanor as he made his way to a more spacious clearing. Rachel grinned and hopped on the table. From there the young man suddenly started a series of steps, the tapping of his shoes on the polished floors echoing throughout the halls.

"Hey! What's that supposed to be?"

"The song's dance number intro."

"Show off."

Benton simply winked at her, made a sleek turn and brushed his fingers through his hair before starting in a smooth baritone, "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places. That this heart and mind embraces all day through."

He grabbed an invisible mike stand and continued his crooning, "In that small cafe. The park across the way. The children's carousel. The chestnut trees... The wishing well."

He looked up, playfully pointed his index finger, and started to walk slowly toward her, "I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day. In everything that's light and gay. I'll always think of you that way..."

"I'll find you in the morning sun and when the night is new..." His voice rose into a dramatic crescendo, pausing as he looked deep into her eyes with an unreadable serious expression on his face.

Rachel just stared back at him, her breath caught in her throat... as he sang the last line in a soft, emotional manner.

"I'll be looking at the moon but I'll be seeing you."

There was a long pause of silence before Rachel grinned, "Not bad, Red. So I guess you're right about the singing..."

"But?"

"Well... I may not be much of a singer. But I hafta admit that I'm one hell of a dancer."

"Is that a challenge? Just how good do you think you are?"

Rachel gave him a inflated smile, "A whole lot better than you?"

"Oh, really? Then get off the table."

"Why?"

"Because you'll have to in order to prove what your claim."

"What?"

"I need you to dance with me."

"What for?"

"The song's instrumental dance number."

Rachel threw back her head and laughed, as she let the young man pull her to her feet.

FIN

Comments, criticisms, brick launchers to

Author's squawk:

Heh-heh... I was listening to my Dad's Frank Sinatra tape collection and this shortie just popped into my head. This is also my most favourite Frank Sinatra song. Its not my first full-blown HR theme, but its the first one I ever finished that left me satisfied. Now if only I can get satisfied with the J-J HR I promised. depressed sigh As you can tell by now, I have an unconventional perception of what I think is romantic. My Dad actually sang and recorded this song in a blank tape (the whole tape back to back is just filled with this single song) and he gave it to my Mom before she left for Canada (she left three months earlier than the rest of us). Its one of the sweetest things that my Dad has ever done that actually didn't make me want to hurl... so that's why, of all of "Blue Eyes's" songs, I like this the best.

Oh yeah... Benton's musical ability is inspired by that one scene in the Comico series . I can't recall the issue at the moment, but its the one with the taping of "life in the Quest Compound" that had Benton singing and tap-dancing to Gene Kelly at the very last bit of the video before the camera shut off. .

Ja!

Ina-chan