Return-Path: owner-jq@edc.ml.org
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 15:43:06 -0500 (EST)
X-Sender: sgthead@digital.net
To: jq@edc.ml.org
From: Liza Hearon 
Subject: JQ: FIC: "Reality Check" (2/3)
Sender: owner-jq@edc.ml.org
Reply-To: jq@edc.ml.org

Hey guys,
        Here's the second part of my fic. This part's kinda mushy, but don't
worry, the 3rd part will make up for it with action. Oh yeah. Hadji
Groupies: You may not like my portrayal of The Man. Send all flames to
sgthead@digital.net :)   --Liza

STORY SO FAR:
The Gang is in Manchester for a phenomenology conference. Hadji's about to
go off to college. They meet an orphan street girl named Corina D'amato.
They're attacked and she saves them. They take her to dinner to repay her,
and on the way Race realizes that her father, Tony D'amato, used to be his
partner.	

"Reality Check" Part 2

------

        "Sorry, Doc, lost in my thoughts. Corina?" Race said.

	"Yes?"

	"Do you know anything about your father?"

	"Yes, his name was Anthony. I have a picture of him. I... keep it with me
all the time," said Corina, passing up a picture.

	Race looked at it. It was Tony, all right! His same dark features and wry
grin. But there was no time to discuss it as they were at the banquet.

	When the kids got out of the car, Jonny gallantly offered Corina his arm,
beating Hadji to it. Corina whispered in Hadji's ear, "I believe Jessie
needs an escort."

	Hadji shot a mean look at Jonny, then ofered Jessie his arm.

	The dinner was interesting. Corina needed on the spot coaching in the finer
parts of her manners. Her ignorance of the things Jonny and Jessie found
obvious made them realize how the rest of the world really lived. They were
amazed how funny and pleasant she was, despite her lifestle. They laughed
many times. Hadji mostly kept to himself. Jonny thought he was sulking.

	After dinner, a band started to play. Jonny stood up, and asked, "Corina,
may I have this dance?"

	"It would be my pleasure," she anwered.

	"Since when did Jonny dance?" whispered Hadji to Jessie.

	"Since he met Corina," replied Jessie. 

	Hadji lapsed back into silence.

	When Corina and Jonny got to the dance floor, Corina hurridly whispered in
Jonny's ear, "Jonny, I can't dance! I'm terrible at it!"

	"Yeah, me too," grinned Jonny.

	The two held each other in a very proper way at first, but then moved
closer and closer together as the night wore on.

	"Jonny?" asked Corina during a slow dance.

	"Hmmm?" he mumbled, contentedly. 

	"Do you think Hadji likes Jessie?"

	This question startled Jonny. He really liked the way she felt in his arms,
her slim, strong body, her unassuming grace and striking features. He didn't
even want to think that she would fall for Hadji.

	Corina felt his sudden tenseness. "Please, don't take it in the way that I
think you're taking it," she said quietly. "I just want to know."

	Jonny instantly felt reassured. "Well, I don't think he's ever thought
about her in that way. He's more into older women."

	Corina mumbled a kind of affirmitive, and started to plot ways to get
Jessie and Hadji together, but soon her mind lost focus and she buried her
head in Jonny's shoulder. She realized that she liked being with Jonny. She
was always running, cold and scared, with no one who cared about her. Now
Corina was in Jonny's arms, and she didn't need to run or hide or fight.

	They both wished that moment would last forever.

	"Ah, Race. You see it happen everywhere, but you never think it'll happen
to your own kid," said Dr. Quest quietly.

	"Hmmm?" Race Bannon tore himself away from staring at Tony's picture. The
memories of the good (and bad) times kept on coming back to him.

	"Look at Jonny. He fell for that street girl. It'll crush him when we leave."

	Race grinned when he saw Jonny. "Benton, we knew this would happen one of
these days. Jonny's a real ladies' man. Kinda like his dad." Race
affectionately punched Dr. Quest in the arm.

	"Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't mean that I'm comfortable with it." Dr.
Quest went back to staring.

	Benton Quest wasn't the only one staring at the couple. Hadji couldn't take
his eyes off his traitorous best friend. How could Jonny do this to him?

	Jessie's voice cut into his thoughts. "Hadji, what's wrong?"

	"Oh, it's nothing," said Hadji.

	"You like her and you're jealous of Jonny because she likes him and not
you." It was a statement, not a question.

	Hadji opened his mouth, about to deny it, then sighed. "For once, I don't
have an enigmatic saying."

	"You could get anyone you wanted. Maybe you should let Jonny have this one."

	Hadji was silent for a moment. "But I don't want Jonny to have her," he
said uncharacteristically.

	All of a sudden Jessie's temper flared. "You know, Hadji, I bet you don't
even like her. You just think because you're so great everyone loves you.
But sometimes you're so blind!" Jessie could feel her voice rising but she
didn't care. "It's right under your nose!" With that, she stormed outside,
leaving a puzzled Hadji behind.

	"Corina, I'm tired of dancing. Wanna take a walk?"

	"Sure, Jonny." Corina took his arm and they went outside in the cool air.
It was a beautiful night, and they sat on a bench in the hotel's garden.

	Jessie had just left, not knowing where she was going. Now she saw Jonny
and Corina. She sat out of their line of sight, thinking about her desperate
love for Hadji and him totally overlooking her. Unwittingly, she heard Jonny
and Corina.

	"Corina, what will you do when this is over?"

	"I don't know. I guess I'll go  back to living they way I was until I'm old
enough to find a good job. Right now, no one will hire me because I don't
have a legal guardian. Plus, I'm wanted by the police."

	Jonny looked shocked. "Really?"

	"Ever seen Les Miserables?"

	"Oh." Jonny put his arm around her.

	"OK Jonny. I hardly know anything about you. Tell me about yourself."
Corina smiled up at him.

	"Sure. Well, there's really only one thing you need to know." Jonny tilted
her head up gently towards him. Now he could feel her breath, could almost
taste her lips....

	"Oh, Jonny! I hear someone crying!" Corina pulled away quickly.

	It was Jessie.

	They quickly found Jessie. Almost at once, they said, "Jess, what's wrong?"

	"Jonny," she sobbed, "you don't even know the half of it."

	"And Corina does?" he asked, astonished. They'd only known her a few hours!

	Jessie nodded.

	"Girls!" said Jonny. "I'll leave you two alone." He walked away. Corina sat
down next to Jessie.

	"What did he say to you?" said Corina without preamble.

	"That he likes you and he's jealous of Jonny because you like him and he
expects to get you," said Jessie between sobs. Corina listened patiently.
"He just ignores me! I'll just be a friend to him, nothing more. He doesnt't
realize we were meant for each other!"

	Corina said, "You know I don't like Hadji, right?" Jessie nodded. "Well,
what should we do about this?"

	"I don't know. I said some mean things to him."

	"Then the ball's in Hadji's court. Meanwhile, I'll make it clear that I'm
not interested. But we can't force him into anything, and you wouldn't want
to lose him as a friend," Corina finished. "You wouldn't want to lose a
friend who's in such a high place."

	Jessie smiled. Corina gave her a hug, and Jessie seemed to be feeling better.

	Back inside, some scientists were talking to Hadji. Dr. Quest tuned to Race
and said, "Race, was that attack on the kids planned?"

	"Hmmm? Oh, yes, I think so," Race said absentmindedly.

	"You've been on another planet since we met that girl."

	"Yeah, Benton. I've, uh, been thinking."

	"Does it hurt?"

	Race shot Dr. Quest a dirty look, and grinned. "No." His expression turned
serious. "But I think I want to adopt this girl."

	"What?!?"

	"Yeah. She's got her father's skills and instincts. I'm thinking that I
could get special permission and train her for the CIA. She's 16, old enough
to begin training."

	"This is so sudden. I mean, we have money and resources, and the kids seem
to love her," said Dr. Quest.

	"I can't leave her on the streets. She'll die. I owe Tony that much. Let me
save his daughter," Race said.

	"I'll think about it, Race."

	"Hey, where did Jessie go?"

	"Oh, probably chaperoning Corina and Jonny outside."

	Race chuckled. "Hope they aren't getting into trouble."

	Jonny was opening the door to go back inside when he heard a sound behind
him. He turned around sharply, and was immediately knocked out by a large
object. Jonny's world faded to black.


TO BE CONTINUED!!!!

feedback to sgthead@digital.net

	



---
Liza Hearon, sgthead@digital.net  sXe
Space Ghost RULES!
Oh, bite me, it's fun! 
"If I knew what was going on I'd really be indignant." -Crow. #403(City Limits)


********************************************************************
* The Jonny Quest mailinglist                        jq@edc.ml.org *
********************************************************************
* To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to:          majordomo@edc.ml.org *
* with the message: unsubscribe jq              subject is ignored *
********************************************************************

    Source: geocities.com/televisioncity/3324

               ( geocities.com/televisioncity)