U N O F F I C I A L
H O M E P A G E
Okeydokey, here is the next chapter in the long-delayed, much-requested "Where Do You Start" series. Winnie Note: You will probably despise me by the end. Where Do You Start 6: Crossroads by Winnie Lim Jonathan Quest pushed his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, and frowned at the thick manual before him. After the Madagascar incident, Ray Larson had had the bright idea of upgrading the security system at the Company. Sitting on Jon's lap were 243 pages detailing exactly the 34 steps Jon had to go through to get into his office. A flash of light caught Jon's eye, and he turned his head slightly. A hologram of Jessica smiled at him, and he let his gaze linger before reluctantly returning his attention to the manual. The phone rang, startling him. Glad for the distraction, he noted the number on the Caller ID box beside the phone. He smiled and picked up the receiver. "Hi, Hadji." "Jonny!" His friend sounded excited and slightly panicked. "Sonja is -- I mean, an hour ago -- she -- baby -- labor --" "Breathe, Hadji," Jon said, his smile widening. He'd never heard his friend quite so flustered before. There was silence for a moment, and then his friend's voice burst out. "It's a girl!!!!" "Congratulations, Hadj!" Jon said, grinning. "You're a dad!" "I know, I can hardly believe it," Hadji said, and Jon could hear the excitement building in his voice again. "That's great, Hadji," Jon said. "I can't wait to meet her." A thought struck him. "How's Sonja doing?" The baby wasn't supposed to be due for another three weeks. "Sonja is perfectly fine. I think she may even have forgiven me by now," Hadji said, a hint of a laugh entering his voice. Jon smiled. "Jessica and I have a free weekend coming up in a few weeks," Jon said. "We'll let you know when we'll be in Bangalore, okay?" "Of course," Hadji said. "Thank you for calling." He hung up, leaving Jon to stare at the buzzing phone in bemusement. He allowed himself a chuckle, and then clicked a button to disconnect the call. A second click dialed another number. The phone rang once before a familiar "Jon?" answered. "Hi, Jess," he said. "Cancel New England. We've got warmer waters to cross." It was decided that Jon and Jessica would meet in New York on a Friday afternoon, and take the Concorde to New Delhi to save time. The flight took slightly over five hours, and they finally arrived at Bangalore International Airport at around ten o'clock on Saturday morning. A limousine was waiting at their gate to whisk them to the royal palace. The government had declared a month of celebration in honor of the birth of the royal heir, and there was a carnival atmosphere in the city. Lamp posts were festooned with glittering gold banners, and street signs were wreathed with colorful garlands. Banana leaf fronds were suspended above the streets, and happy music played in the distance. Hadji was waiting for them at the entrance. Their friend looked a little sleep-deprived, but he gave them an enthusiastic greeting. "You must be exhausted," he said, noting their rumpled appearance. "I will show you to your rooms --" "No way, Hadji," Jon said, laughing. "Not before we see the baby," Jessica added. Hadji beamed proudly. "Of course. This way." Sonja was walking around the nursery, cooing to a muslin-wrapped bundle in her arms. She looked up and smiled as her husband appeared at the door with his friends. "Jon, Jessica, how nice to see you again," she said. Like Hadji, she looked like she was in desperate need of sleep, but her eyes were shining. She looked down fondly at her child. "This is Devi Kaur." Jon and Jessica bent reverently over the child. "Hi there," Jon said softly. Devi blinked sleepily at the two visitors. Soft wisps of ebony-black hair curled around her small, pointed face. Her gold-flecked brown eyes were fringed with long dark lashes. "Hi, sweetie," Jessica whispered. Devi yawned and blinked again. "She's so beautiful," Jessica told Sonja. "She takes after her mother," Hadji said proudly, putting an arm around his wife. "Flattery will get you nowhere," Sonja replied. "It's still your turn to change her diaper next." The four of them laughed. Devi looked at the four adults quizzically, and then a toothless smile spread over her little face. "Just look at her," Jon observed. "Bright as a button." "Would you like to hold her?" Sonja said, holding the baby out to Jon. "Oh, boy," Jon said nervously, carefully accepting the precious load. "Hi, honey. Hello." He looked at Jessica beside him, and smiled sheepishly. "How'm I doing?" "Just fine," she smiled up at him, putting an arm around his waist and bending over the baby. "Hey! What do you think of Uncle Jonny, hm?" Jon gently jiggled the baby, and she laughed. Hadji and Sonja exchanged a look, and then Hadji spoke. "She likes you," he said. "Well, we like her," Jon replied, and Jessica nodded. Hadji smiled. "You have no idea how glad we are to hear that." Something in his voice caught Jon's attention, and he looked at Hadji closely. Hadji had a smile on his face, but his eyes were serious. Jessica had picked up on it too, and raised an eyebrow, looking at both her friends in turn. Jon grinned nonchalantly at Sonja. "I think she's falling asleep again," he said, reluctantly handing the baby back to her mother. Hadji exhaled. "There's something you want to talk about, isn't there?" Jon asked Hadji when they were out in the corridor. "Yes." Hadji nodded. "But not now. You've had a long flight and you need to get some rest. We can talk about it later." Jon grinned. "Whoa. For a moment I thought I heard Dad somewhere in there." Hadji smiled. "Have you heard from him?" A shadow passed briefly over Jon's face, and Jessica squeezed his hand. "No." "I'm sure he's just out of range," Hadji's reassuring tone sounded forced. "Yeah," Jon said. He brightened. "You should have seen what Race sent along with us." "Dad's sorry he couldn't be here," Jessica added. "He couldn't find anyone he trusted enough to run the ranch while he was gone." "I understand. I'd feel the same way about Bangalore," Hadji smiled, and they all laughed. By then they had reached their usual rooms, which were a few doors from Hadji and Sonja's royal suite. Their bags were waiting there for them. "I will see you in a few hours," Hadji said. It was dark when Jessica awoke. For a moment she couldn't remember where she was, as unfamiliar sounds and smells flickered at her senses. Presently she remembered that she was in Bangalore, and that there had been a strange noise that had woken her. She sat up quickly. A strange noise? She got up and padded over to the door that connected her room with Jon's. It stood ajar as it usually did when they stayed at the palace. Carefully she pushed it open and looked into Jon's room. He seemed to be sound asleep. As she watched, he turned over with a grunt and settled back down. She was about to return to her room when she saw something move in the shadows. "Hey!" she said instinctively, stepping into the room. The something ran across the room to the window. By then Jon was awake, and he saw it too. He jumped out of bed, taking a flying leap at the retreating figure, but was a moment too slow and hit the ground just behind the escaping form. He caught hold of something, and pulled. It came loose in his hand, and he found himself grasping something soft as he rolled to a stop. By now Jessica had turned on the lights. She ran to the window and peered down and out into the darkness. She thought she could hear running footsteps, but they were so soft that she couldn't be sure which direction they were going. "Intruder!" she yelled. Almost immediately, spotlights went on all over the palace's exterior. She turned back to Jon, who was still sitting on the floor. "Are you okay?" she asked. There was a commotion at the door. "Jonny! Jessie!" Hadji's voice was calling. Jessica went to the door and opened it. A worried-looking Hadji was standing there with two palace guards flanking him. "What happened?" he asked. "There was someone here. He ran out the window," she told him. "Did you see who it was?" Hadji asked. "No," Jon said. "But I pulled this off him." He held up the object he had pulled from the intruder. It was a piece of black fabric. "I will have that analyzed at once," Hadji said, taking it carefully. They heard the baby crying. Jon slapped his forehead. "Oh no. Sorry, Hadj," he said. Hadji shook his head. "No, no," he said. "Under the circumstances, it is a welcome sound." "Do you think...?" Jessica didn't know how to continue. "It is possible," Hadji said, his face worried. "Are you both all right?" "We're fine, Hadj," Jon assured him. "Go help Sonja with the baby." One of the guards said, "We should have this room examined, your highness. The intruder might have left other clues." "Of course," Jon said. "I'll get out of your way." Hadji nodded to the guard. "All right then. Keep me posted," he said to the guards, and left. Jon was shown to another room across the hall from Jessica's. She followed him in, and shut the door. "Are you okay? You took quite a tumble there." "I can't believe I didn't hear him," Jon said, shaking his head. "You were tired. Dad always said that I have unbelievable hearing, anyway," Jessica tried to reassure him. Jon went over to the window and looked out. The palace grounds were lit up almost as bright as day. "Still..." "It's no use beating yourself up over it, Jon," Jessica said, putting an arm around him. "And relax," she added. "You're wound up tight as a spring." "Sorry," he apologized. "I just can't stop thinking about what happened." "Me neither," she confessed. They looked at each other for a long moment. Then they both headed for the door and straight for Jon's former room. Two palace guards were systematically going over the scene of the attempted crime. Most of Hadji's palace guards were former policemen, and he kept them supplied with the necessary equipment to do their work. "Have you found anything?" Jon asked. "No, sir," one of the guards said. "The intruder was obviously careful to leave no trace of his presence." "A professional?" Jessica mused. "Quite possibly," said the other guard. "His highness has strived to cleanse the country of the assassin guilds, but a few individual assassins still exist for hire to the highest bidder." "They are the most dangerous," the first guard added. "Mere mercenaries. They are accountable to nothing but their own greed." "Who do you think might want to hire such a person?" Jessica asked. The first guard answered, "Vikram loyalists. They long for the days when they had power." Jon frowned. "I wasn't aware that there was anyone left who was loyal to Vikram." The second guard shook his head, his expression unreadable. "His highness Sultan Hadji granted amnesty to the surviving members of Vikram's court. Our Sultan is sometimes too merciful." He added hastily, "A fine quality, to be sure, but in this case, extended to the wrong people." "Perhaps," Jon murmured, going over to the window that had been thoroughly dusted with fingerprint powder. He looked it over with a critical eye. No fingerprints had turned up, but that was not surprising. He looked out the window. Guards were going over the grounds, and he could hear tracking dogs baying in the distance. "When will we have the results of the fabric analysis?" Jessica asked. "Tomorrow afternoon," the first guard answered. Jon looked to Jessica. "We should leave these gentlemen to their work," he said meaningfully. His fingers signed -We need to talk to Hadji.- Benton Quest and Race Bannon had insisted that all three learn sign language in addition to the six or seven languages that each already spoke. Jessica nodded. "You're right." They found Hadji and Sonja in the nursery. The Sultan placed a finger to his lips when he saw them, and nodded down at the crib. Jon and Jessica tiptoed in and looked into the crib. Devi was fast asleep. -We need to talk,- Jon signed to Hadji. Hadji nodded, and looked to Sonja. She made an affectionate little dismissive gesture. He took Jon and Jessica to his study, and closed the door. "We were talking to the guards," Jon began. "They think that it might have been an assassin -- and that he might have been hired by Vikram loyalists." Hadji shook his head. "I have been concerned about such a thing happening ever since Sonja announced she was expecting." He frowned. "But I did not expect them to strike so soon." "I wish there was something we could do to help," Jessica said. "Thank you. Your being here with us is enough," Hadji smiled. "What did you want to talk to us about?" Jon said, remembering something. "It can wait until the morning," Hadji replied. "Now is probably not the time to discuss it." He refused to say any more, and sent them back to their rooms. "Ohh! He can be so inscrutable," Jessica complained good-naturedly as they approached her room. "Some things never change," Jon grinned. "Well...I'm glad some things do," Jessica smiled, reaching up to kiss him. "Me too," Jon replied, returning her kiss. "Would you be terribly offended if I told you that all I want to do right now is go back to sleep?" "I was going to kick you out anyway," Jessica assured him. "I'll see you in the morning." The morning sun was shining brightly into the room when Jessica awoke. She dressed quickly, and left her room. Jon and Hadji looked up as she came into the royal family drawing-room. They stood as she entered the room. Sonja was feeding Devi, and smiled a greeting. "Sit down, guys, it's just me," she smiled, going to the sideboard and helping herself to a cup of tea. "It's not easy to just forget six weeks' intensive training at Miss Elizabeth Broomly's Charm School," Jon said as she sat down beside him. Hadji smiled. "Or that wooden yardstick she carried around. My knuckles still sting in memory every time I even consider using the wrong fork." He and Jon chuckled, and Jessica grinned. Jon and Hadji had a long history that she'd had no part in; she had initially resented their shorthand conversations when she'd first moved to the Quest compound, before she realized that they hadn't meant to exclude her. "We were talking about the reception tomorrow night," Hadji said. "Sounds like it's going to be quite a party," Jon said. "Seven heads of state and the U.S. Vice-President are attending." "And your mother?" Jessica said to Hadji. "She will be returning from Amritsar later this evening," Hadji said. Neela had gone to the holy city to say prayers at the Golden Temple for both her late husband and her new granddaughter. "We should introduce her to Grandpa Doug," Jessica commented with a smile. "We'd never be able to keep up with both of them," Jon said. Then his face grew serious. "Hadj, if you need any help with the security arrangements..." Hadji shook his head, smiling. "Thank you for the offer, Jon, but I do not think anything untoward will happen tonight. We have all but extinguished the assassin guilds, and Vikram is most definitely no longer a threat." "I'm glad to hear that," Jon said. "Just - reflex, I guess." "How's the investigation going?" Jessica asked. Sonja shook her head. "Nothing new. I have increased security around the palace, and Hadji has investigators making the rounds of the city." Jessica nodded. She had seen a few extra guards patrolling the living division of the palace that morning, and Jon's old room was completely off-limits. Devi finished her breakfast, and Sonja handed her to Hadji as she rearranged her clothing. Hadji expertly placed Devi up against his shoulder and patted her back until she burped. "Oh, that reminds me," Jon said, fishing a small velvet box out of his pocket. "This is for the baby." "Thank you, Jon," Sonja said, accepting the box and opening it. Inside was a finely-tooled gold bracelet. "Why, it's lovely." "It's gold-plated titanium," Jon explained as Sonja lifted the bracelet out of the box. "Pretty tough stuff for a little girl," Jessica smiled. "As I remember, little girls can be pretty tough," Jon returned her smile. Hadji gently fastened the bracelet onto Devi's wrist. The clasp allowed for a secure fit, but could be adjusted as the years passed. "She will treasure it always, I'm sure. Thank you, my friend." The palace was a hive of activity. Along with the extra security laid on after the previous night's events, additional staff had been hired for the evening festivities. This was in addition to several of the more important guests' security personnel, who insisted on sweeping over the entire palace not just once but several times throughout the day. Hadji and Sonja were torn between keeping an eye on Devi and making sure the preparations did not conflict too much. In the midst of the party preparations, Neela returned from Amritsar. The older woman took one look at the confusion, and immediately took command of the situation. Even the hardnosed security guards from various nations quickly learned to snap to at her approach. "You really ought to rest, Mother," Hadji said half-heartedly. "Nonsense, Hadji. Did I not run Bangalore for 10 years?" Neela said. "Attend to your wife and your child." Her eyes softened for a moment. "I know that you will appreciate the moments with them better than herding these cattle." She turned, and strode over to an American Secret Service agent who was closely inspecting a potted palm. "Young man, I assure you that I personally grew that palm from a seedling, and that its root system ensures that no explosives or listening devices of any kind can be planted in the soil." Hadji shrugged as the woman shooed away the agent, and smiled at his wife. "Mother seems to have everything under control, don't you think, dear?" Jon straighted his band collar and ran a hand through his hair. A soft knock sounded at the door, and he called "Come in!" "Ready to go?" he heard Jessica say. Jon turned, and sucked in a breath. Jessica was resplendent in an emerald-green traditional Punjabi dress. It consisted of a long-sleeved tunic that ended at her knees and matching harem pants, modestly trimmed with a delicate gold braid. Gold sandals completed the outfit. A garland of fragrant jasmine blossoms were braided into a lock of her auburn hair, the rest of which hung free. "You look great," he stammered. "So do you," she smiled, looking him over. "What, no tie for me to straighten?" "You know I..." "...hate those things," she completed, straightening the lapels of his charcoal suit. "Okay, you're presentable. Let's go." Jessica's face grew sober. "You think there might be another attempt tonight?" Jon shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll be keeping my eyes open." The Crown Princess napped peacefully in an ornate crib, oblivious of the well-wishers that filed into the small receiving room across from the ballroom. Jon stood a few paces away from the crib, watching covertly as Hadji and Sonja gracefully accepted various congratulatory messages. "Jonathan Quest! How are you?" A hand clamped down on Jon's shoulder. Jon nearly staggered under the impact and mustered a polite smile as he turned around. "Dr Von Lerner," he acknowledged his father's old friend. "I'm fine." "Glad to hear it, glad to hear it," Von Lerner said heartily, and Jon neatly sidestepped another backslap. Dr Von Lerner was a large man. "I haven't seen you since... now, the millennium celebration? What have you been up to?" "Oh, this and that," Jon said, leading the man further away from the crib. Von Lerner's voice matched his size, and Jon did not want the baby to be rudely awakened. "Ah. Still the millionaire playboy? What would your father think?" His tone was light, but his eyes were serious as they looked pointedly at the younger man. Jon cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to change the subject gracefully. "Who's a millionaire playboy?" Jessica said, coming up and linking her arm through Jon's. He smiled down at her, glad for the interruption. "Why, Jessica," Von Lerner said. "How have you been, my dear? I hear wonderful things about Bannon TechCommunications all the time." Again he glanced at Jon. "Thank you, Dr Von Lerner," Jessica said. "I need to steal Jon from you for a moment." "Of course," Von Lerner said as Jessica steered Jon away. "I must pay my respects to the Sultan." "Thanks for the save, Jess," Jon said when they emerged out into the hallway. "It was getting a bit hairy there." "Don't let him get to you, Jon," Jessica said. "Your dad was always proud of you." Jon nodded. "I know he was." "If Von Lerner knew what you really do..." "That's just it. He doesn't know," Jon said. "And he can't know. No one can." Jessica was struck by the bitterness in Jon's voice. She had always thought that he rather enjoyed his "secret identity." "I thought you didn't care what people thought of you," she said at last. "I didn't," Jon shook his head. Not until we got ... involved." Jessica was confused. "What do you mean?" "I mean that it can't be doing your reputation any good to be linked to a millionaire playboy," Jon answered. Jessica opened her mouth to reply, and was interrupted by a sudden popping of flashbulbs. She blinked rapidly as phantom blobs obscured her vision, and felt someone shove between her and Jon. A short woman with bleached-blond hair had suddenly appeared at their side. And had latched on to Jon's arm, eliciting a startled "What the hell -" "Talk to me, Jonny," the woman intoned nasally, and Jessie recognized the voice. It was Jean Waters, the nationally syndicated gossip columnist. She had brought what looked like a platoon of photographers with her, all of whom were snapping pictures like crazy. "No comment," Jon replied shortly, trying to shake off the woman's hand as politely as he could manage. But she held on like a leech. "Tell me, how long have you two been involved?" Waters continued. "No comment," Jessica repeated, taking Jon's other arm and pushing through the wall of photographers into the ballroom, hoping to lose the press in the crowd. She noted with embarrassment that all eyes in the ballroom had been drawn to the commotion. Fortunately, so were the eyes of a pair of guards, who hurried up to the small crowd around Jon and Jessica. "Is there a problem here?" one of the guards said sternly. "Yes," Jon said. "This woman is bothering us." "You and your crew will have to leave now, madam," the first guard said, motioning to his partner. Later in the evening, the party was in full swing. The Sultan and Sultana had put their daughter to bed -- guarded by half a platoon of palace guards -- and were now mingling with their guests. "Your highness! Your highness!" A young woman ran into the ballroom, looking around frantically for the Sultan. "The baby's gone!" "Devi!" Sonja gasped, running to the door. "They can't have gone far," Jessica said, as she and Jon followed Hadji and Sonja out into the hallway. Jon hit a button on his watch. A 3-D map of the palace formed in the air, and he pointed to a rapidly moving dot in one of the holographic passageways. "There she goes!" Jessica recalled the bracelet that had been Jon's gift to the baby. It must contain one of the miniature trackers that Dr Quest had invented, she realized. Hadji, Sonja, Jon and Jessica took off at a run. "This way!" Jon said, leading them down a corridor. Hadji tapped a button on his own watch. "Guards! The kidnapper is heading down the south passage." They heard running footsteps ahead, and the wail of a crying baby. "That must be the kidnapper!" Jessica said, taking the lead. As they rounded a corner, they saw a woman hurrying along. She was dressed in long robes, her head covered with a scarf, and she was carrying a small bundle. "Stop!" Hadji shouted. The woman paid no heed, speeding up. Two guards stepped into the woman's path, bringing her to an abrupt stop. She whirled around, turning her head from side to side in search of an escape route. There was none. The guards stepped forward and gripped the woman's shoulders firmly as Sonja and Hadji caught up with them. "Devi!" Sonja cried as she snatched the bundle out of the veiled woman's arms. Jessica glanced over the baby quickly. Aside from a flushed face, Devi seemed unhurt. Jon turned his attention from the happy reunion to the prisoner. Her black eyes glittered at him. "She's all yours, Hadji," he said, stepping back from the woman. Hadji nodded, his eyes blazing. He unwound the scarf from the woman's face, and his face hardened. "Anaya," he said. Anaya Zin was as beautiful as ever, and as she looked at Hadji, her eyes softened. Hadji was not so easily swayed. "Who sent you?" he demanded. "Why did you take my child?" "Our child, Hadji," Anaya said, a beatific smile forming on her face. "Devi is our daughter. Don't you remember?" Her eyes took on a faraway cast. "Our wedding in the springtime? We were so happy. And you were so handsome. Father gave me away..." Her captors exchanged confused looks as the woman babbled on. "She is completely mad," Hadji realized at last. "Could it be an act?" Jon wondered. "I don't think so," Jessica said slowly. Turning to one of the guards, Hadji said, "Take her away. I will decide what to do with her later." "Hadji, my love! How could you do this to me?" Anaya screamed as the guards led her away. "I am your wife! I love you!" Her frenzied cries faded away as the doors closed behind her. Hadji shook his head and turned back to his wife. Sonja was rocking Devi gently, and Devi's wails had dwindled to a soft keening. "Is she okay?" Jon asked as Hadji placed a protective arm around his family. "Yes," Sonja nodded. "She's just confused and scared." "Hopefully she won't remember any of this," Hadji added. They stood in silence for a long moment. "We'd better get back to the party and reassure the guests," Jon said at last. Hadji nodded reluctantly. Still with his arm around Sonja, he turned and led the way back where they had come. Jessica took Jon's arm wordlessly, and followed Hadji and his family. A collective sigh of relief rose from the ballroom as Hadji and Sonja entered, carrying Davi. Neela came up to her son and daughter-in-law, tears streaming down her face. She kissed Devi gently on the forehead, and grasped the hands of Hadji and Sonja. The near-tragedy averted, the party soon returned to its former revelry, albeit at a more subdued level. After dodging a few questions, Jon and Jessica escaped to a secluded balcony. "Well, that was a blast from the past," Jon commented. "I'd wondered what happened to Zin's kids." "You'd better put out the word to your contacts to keep an eye out for Melana," Jessica said. "How do you know so much about my contacts?" Jon asked. "You forget who raised me," Jessica reminded him. "Dad taught me a few ways of finding information." "Do you want to dance?" Jon asked abruptly. "No changing the subject, Quest," Jessica tapped his chest sharply. "You know that as long as any of the Zin dynasty's on the loose, there's bound to be trouble." Jon caught her hand and held it against his chest. Looking deep into her eyes, he asked softly, "You enjoyed that, aren't you?" "What? Of course not!" Jessica tried unsuccessfully to retrieve her hand. "Hadji and Sonja nearly lost their daughter, and we found out that Zin's still a threat, and -- " "I didn't ask if you enjoyed that chase," Jon pointed out. Jessica took a deep breath. "Would you think I was a terrible person if I said yes, I did?" The words all came out in a rush. Jon shook his head, smiling. "I'd think you were being honest with yourself." He released her hand and followed her as she walked over to the ornate railing. "I don't know, Jon. Sometimes I feel like I took a wrong turn somewhere." She turned to face him. "I've got my own company, a job that I'm good at and that I actually like, more money than I can shake a stick at..." "And a man who adores you," Jon put in. "And that," Jessica smiled. "Most women would kill to be where I am. And yet... overseeing mergers and signing off on shareholder statements doesn't really do it for me." She sighed. "For a moment -- back there, when we were chasing Anaya through the palace -- I felt like I was me again." "Running for your life is not something you'd want to do on a daily basis," Jon said. "If *you* didn't do it, you'd go stark raving nuts," Jessica pointed out. "I probably would," Jon agreed. "But it's not the life for you, Jess." "How can you be sure?" Jess asked. "My father was in the secret service. My mother's an archaeologist. And me -- I'm a CEO, the wunderkind of the information superhighway. It's not enough, Jon. It's too safe. It's not me." "So what do you want to do about it?" Jon asked. Truth be told, he wanted Jessica safe, and as far away from the dangers of the world as he could get her. "I don't know," Jessica said. "I'll..." Her eyes lifted to his. "I'll take some time off. Pick out a star and follow it for a while." "Do you want me to come with you?" Jon asked, though he already knew the answer. Jessica looked at him for a long moment. Then she shook her head. "No. This is something I have to do alone." Jon felt his throat tighten. "Come back to me?" he asked. She smiled, raised herself on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned away and walked back to the ballroom. His eyes followed her as she made her way through the crowd and out the door. The end, for now Winnie <running for the hills:>
Your comments on this page are appreciated.
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 on this page. I and this page are in no way affiliated with, approved of or endorsed by Hanna Barbera or Turner Productions. This page is created by a fan for other fans out of love and respect for the show, and is strictly a non-profit endeavor.
