DISCLAIMER: Jonny Quest and the Quest Team belong to Hanna-Barbera and Turner Entertainment. I didn't ask permission to use these characters, nor am I making any money.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story picks up shortly where "Why Did It Have To Be
This Way?" left off. You don't have to read it to understand this story,
but I still recommend it! =) This story would also be of interest to those HR's
who believe Jonny and Jessie were meant to be together.
TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH
by lil'nix
Jessie Bannon breathed a sigh as she entered the kitchen of the Quest Compound. She had gone looking for her father, hoping to have a serious talk with him. She found him sitting on some rocks below the cliff, looking out over the ocean waters. She called out to him. When he didn't answer, she climbed down to join him. He was deep in thought, Jessie realized, and reconsidered her actions. Maybe now was not such a good time to talk to him. But when he saw her sitting there, he seemed. . .relieved. She asked what he was doing and he told her he was thinking about things, particularly the divorce.
She looked at the clock on the stove. They had talked for at least two hours under the cliff. She had finally told her father how she felt about the divorce. It felt good to finally have her feelings -- all the anger, all the pain -- out in the open, but Jessie still had a lot on her mind.
There was something very special she needed to discuss with. . .someone. She had called her mother several times on the cell phone, but there was no answer -- she was in the heart of the Amazon. Her father was her next choice, but after their discussion, she couldn't bring herself to tell him what was really on her mind. Hadji was visiting his family in Bangalore. Dr. Quest was her next consideration, but could she really discuss it with him?
It was about his son, Jonny, after all.
Jessie sighed again as she made her way into the family room. She stood in the doorway for a moment. The fire in the fireplace was almost out, indicating that the last person in the room had left at least an hour ago, probably Dr. Quest. Bandit was curled up on the floor not far from the heat. He took little notice of Jessie's entrance. One eye popped open, then slowly closed as he realized who it was. Jessie patted the dog on the head and sat across from him on a deflated bean bag chair.
"You know, Bandit," Jessie said. "I always thought I could talk to anyone about anything. But I can't."
Bandit made a mumbling noise, but didn't move otherwise.
Jessie stretched out on the bean bag and closed her eyes for a moment. In her mind, she could see a woman, with blond hair and blue eyes looking at her. The woman's mouth moved, but made no sound. She thought the woman was trying to tell her something, when realization dawned on Jessie.
Her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up. The first thing she saw was the painting above the fireplace. It was a blond woman, probably in her thirties, with stunning blue eyes Jessie knew she had seen someplace before.
Rachel Quest.
Jessie thought about the things Jonny had said about his mother. Rachel was a scientist, like her husband, specializing in botany. She was kind and loving, adventurous and spirited, beautiful and graceful. . .a lot like Jonny in some respects, Jessie thought. Unfortunately, she died when Jonny was very young. Race had been assigned as the family's bodyguard a few months later. Jessie never got to meet her.
"I'm really sorry," Jessie said. "It seems so cruel that you died so young."
Jessie then remembered a trip to Canada and a strange ghost island where she met Lady Caroline. Another tragic death.
Life, in general, seemed so cruel.
But something good did come out of that experience. Jessie and Jonny had been possessed by the spirits of the island. The spirits were in love, and Jessie realized that she was in love, too.
With Jonny.
Well, maybe love was too strong a word. But she certainly had feelings for Jonny. Strong feelings. And she needed to get them out of her system -- to tell someone. . .anyone!
Rachel would listen.
*What choice does she have?* Jessie asked herself. *She's dead.*
Jessie made herself comfortable in the bean bag. She glanced around again as a sound came from the kitchen. She saw her father walk by, smiling and looking a little refreshed from their discussion. He didn't notice her in the family room as he walked through the hallway to the staircase. Jessie could here him ascending the stairs. When she knew she was alone again (except for Bandit), she began pouring out her thoughts to the painting on the wall.
"I really need to talk to someone. I've got so many things going through my head." Jessie felt nervous as she began. "But, to tell you the truth, I don't know where to start.
*J*Q* *J*Q* *J*Q*
Jonny Quest stepped out of his friend's car and closed the door.
"Thanks for the ride," Jonny said. "For some reason, the pins just didn't agree with me tonight."
"Excuses, excuses, but don't mention it," his friend replied leaning towards the open window of the passenger door. "Next time, drag Bannon with you. I'm sure you would have had a better time if she'd been with us."
"Right." Jonny smiled at his friend. "See you later."
"Catch ya in school on Monday!"
His friend drove off. Jonny watched the car pull away before heading into the house. What made him go bowling? It wasn't a bad sport, but it wasn't Questworld either. And his friends were fun to be around and easy to talk to, he just couldn't tell them what was on his mind.
How could he tell them when he couldn't tell Jessie? After all, Jessie was the one who was on his mind.
Jonny sighed as he entered the house. He started up the stairs to his room when he heard a voice coming from the family room. He abandoned his jacket on the stairwell post and quietly walked towards the voice. He saw Jessie sitting in front of the fireplace; Bandit was lying across from her. He thought she was talking to the dog, then noticed what she was looking at.
The painting of his mother.
Why was she talking to his mother?
"I guess it started a few months ago when Jonny, Hadji and I were taking the Questor II on her maiden voyage." Jonny heard Jessie say. "I suppose it's pointless to go through all the details of the trip. The important thing is that Jonny and I were possessed by the two spirits haunting the island. They were so much in love, but died so tragically. . .needlessly, really. The spirits made peace eventually and the three of us came home."
Jonny remembered that night too. He was hoping for a delicious lobster dinner, but instead had one terrific adventure. It had a few set backs however; Jessie getting possessed and nearly killing him for starters. He ended up possessed, too. It wasn't something Jonny wanted to experience again any time soon.
Jessie continued, "The spirits, Caroline and Jean, kissed. So, in essence, did Jonny and me." She smiled shyly. "To tell you the truth, I kind of liked it, but I shrugged it off like Jonny did. He already accuses me of being amorous. Why add to it? Anyway, we've joked about it a couple of times since then. Lately, though, I find myself thinking about what happened on the island."
Jonny had been thinking about that as well . He wouldn't admit it to Jessie or Hadji, but he kind of liked the kiss, too. It only added to his confusion of girls, Jessie in particular, but it stuck in the back of his mind, making him smile from time to time.
"I've been thinking about Jonny a lot, too. He's been withdrawn lately, ever since Hadji left for Bangalore a few days ago. I've tried to get him to talk to me, but he won't."
Jonny wasn't trying to hurt Jessie's feelings by not talking to her. He had been thinking about all those things, and Jessie. . .he just didn't know what to say to her. Before Hadji left for Bangalore, Jonny told him what he was thinking and feeling, hoping his friend would be able to help him. Unfortunately, Hadji didn't have any witty proverbs or advice. It was something the two of them had to figure out on their own.
"I need to tell him how I feel," Jessie told Rachel. "I need to know if he feels the same way."
Jessie looked at the painting. It just stared back at her, unanswering.
"To tell you the truth," a tear fell from Jessie's eye, "I'm scared."
"So am I, Jess."
Jessie was surprised to see Jonny standing in the doorway. At first she was angry. How long had he been standing there, listening? But then the anger subsided as she saw the look of sadness on Jonny's face.
"You're home early," Jessie commented.
"Yeah, well, bowling just isn't my game," Jonny replied from the doorway.
Silence.
"Look, Jess," Jonny said, coming into the room. He sat down next to Bandit and looked at her in earnest. "I didn't mean to upset you by not talking to you. I just. . .I didn't know what to say. I still don't, to tell you the truth. Please don't be mad." He cupped her face in his hand and wiped away the tear running down her cheek. "Please don't cry."
Jessie could only stare at Jonny. Where were the words she wanted to say to him? She smiled.
"I'm not mad at you." She touched his hand with hers. "To tell you the truth, I could never stay mad at you for very long, no matter how hard I tried."
"Good," Jonny smiled back. He grabbed both of her hands and held them in his. "Because I could never stand to see you cry."
Silence.
"So. . .where do we start?" Jessie asked.
Jonny thought for a moment. "Hadji would say that the beginning is a good place. Let's start with our little 'ghost quest' in Canada."
"Fair enough," Jessie said. "You've already overheard what I was thinking about when I was possessed. What were you thinking about when you were possessed by Jean?"
Jonny grinned and he raised his eyebrows. "Well. . .to tell you the truth. . . ."
Bandit stretched sleepily beside Jonny. He heard Jonny and Jessie talking happily. He opened one eye and took a quick look around. He stared at the picture of Rachel Quest above the fireplace for a moment. The picture only smiled in return.
END