Epilog

Saturday, April 16

Quest Compound

Admiral Bennett was surprised to find the main gate of the Quest Compound standing open when he approached it on that evening in early spring. Around him, the snow had melted and the first signs of new leaves and spring flowers were still visible in the rapidly dying daylight. After a moment's hesitation, Bennett drove on through and headed toward the main house. Benton Quest was expecting him and he assumed that was the reason the gate was standing open. However, he revised that analysis the second he emerged from the trees and saw the main house. It was fully reconstructed . . . looking as though it had never been damaged at all. It was ablaze with lights and everywhere he looked he saw cars parked bumper-to-bumper. He ended up parking his government-issued Ford Taurus clear back near the tree line and crossing the final distance up to the house on foot. As he neared the house, the sounds of music and laughter could be heard on the early evening air. He crossed the front terrace and knocked. After a moment, the door opened to reveal the laughing countenance of a young woman that he had never seen before.

"Hi!" she greeted him gaily. "Come on in. No one's being real formal, so make yourself at home. Food's in there," she said pointing toward the kitchen, and then gestured toward the family room and said, "and the band's in there. Just help yourself!" With that, she wandered off, leaving Bennett standing in the open doorway. He stepped over the threshold and looked around, somewhat bemused. The house was packed. Everywhere he looked he saw teenagers milling around, laughing and talking. And the din was incredible. It appeared the band the girl referred to played alternative rock music and the volume was impressive. Bennett closed the door behind him and moved slowly through the throng. Friendly smiles greeted him as he struggled through the crowd, looking for anyone that seemed familiar. Finally, he stopped a young man, and raising his voice above the music, he yelled,

"Excuse me, but can you tell me where I can find Benton Quest?"

"Haven't seen him in quite a while," the young man yelled back. He turned to a girl who stood nearby and called, "Hey, Cyndee, have you seen Jonny's dad?"

Cyndee shook her head but then motioned toward another girl standing in the doorway listening to the band. "Ask Mary," she mouthed. The young man nodded and, catching Bennett's arm, he drew him toward the young woman. She seemed to sense their approach and turned to greet them. Bennett stared at her, startled. Her dark make up, excessive jewelry, and black clothes seemed out of place in this mob of clean-cut, all-American kids. However, his escort didn't seem the least bit put off by her appearance.

"Hey, Mary, how you doin'?! I didn't see you come in!"

She smiled up at him and replied, "Been around. I'm good. How about you?"

"Five-by-five!"

"Cool." She looked at Bennett speculatively. "Who's your friend?"

The young man shrugged. "Got me. Lookin' for Dr. Quest. You seen him?"

"In the kitchen, last I knew."

The young man turned to Bennett. "You might try there."

"I will. Thank you," Bennett replied, turning away from the couple.

"No sweat," the boy replied and turned back to his gothic companion.

Shaking his head slightly, Bennett turned and pushed his way through the crowd toward the kitchen. As he approached the swinging door, it opened and Kefira backed through it, carrying a large tray loaded with finger food. She turned and then stopped abruptly, eyeing Bennett in surprise.

"Admiral! How good to see you again, sir."

"At last, a familiar face!" he exclaimed in relief and Kefira laughed. "I'm hunting for Dr. Quest. He should be expecting me. Do you know where I can find him?"

She shook her head. "I have not seen him in a while, but Race is in the kitchen and perhaps he knows where Dr. Quest is." She extended the tray to him. "Can I offer you something?"

Bennett grinned and snared a couple of the hors d'oeurves, then pushed the door open and stepped into the kitchen. This room was crowded with young people, too. Many of them stood around the kitchen table snacking on the various trays of food that filled its surface. On the far side of the room, leaning against the kitchen sink, Bennett spotted Race Bannon. With him were Jonny Quest, Hadji Singh, and a familiar-looking young man of medium height and brown hair. As Bennett approached, he heard the young man say,

"The doctors are finally saying that he will recover, given time. There'll be a lot of surgery and stuff, but they seem to think he'll be good as new eventually."

"How much of the accident does he remember?" Jonny asked.

"Most of it, actually. It's been coming back to him, piece-by-piece, ever since he woke up. It's been slow going, but he says it's all pretty much clear to him now. He even remembers her making him fall." The young man sighed. "And he says that the whole thing was his own fault. They'd been fighting and he was mad. She didn't want him to make the run and he was determined to do it to prove a point. He said he knew he was in trouble from the instant he hit the slope and realized how icy it was, but by that time it was too late."

Race glanced up and spotted Bennett. "Admiral! I heard you were planning to stop by today."

Bennett took the proffered hand and shook it firmly. "Didn't expect it to be quite this late, though. Got delayed getting out of Washington. I hope I'm not interrupting anything . . ."

Race laughed. "Not for me, you aren't. I'm just an innocent bystander tonight. This is the kids' doing."

Bennett grinned at the two young men. "I take it this must be your belated Christmas party."

Jonny grinned. "Yeah. What with the damage to the house and then Hadji and Kefira heading off to school, this is the first chance we've had to reschedule."

"Good crowd."

"Not bad," Jonny agreed. Turning to the other young man, he gestured to Bennett. "Do you remember Matt Evans, Admiral? Matt, this is Admiral Bennett."

"Of course, although I'm afraid we weren't formally introduced the last time. Pleasure to meet you, son," Bennett said, shaking the offered hand.

"Thank you. Although I wasn't really very with it then, I do remember you. And I'm glad to have the chance to thank you for your help at Christmas."

"You're quite welcome."

Jonny turned back to Matt. "You say Bobby remembers the entire day?" Matt nodded. "She had nothing to do with it, then?"

"You mean, did she instigate it? Not according to Bobby, and I have to say that I'm starting to believe him. She's been nothing but attentive and caring ever since he woke up."

"Whom are we talking about?" Bennett asked.

"Francesca Hamilton," Jonny replied distastefully.

Matt shook his head. "You hit it on the head with what you said at Christmas, Jonny. The instant any of us said a bad word about her, Bobby began pulling away. He simply won't listen."

"Then, perhaps, it is time that you quit trying," Hadji said softly. Matt looked at him in disbelief, but Hadji held up his hand, forestalling Matt's heated comments. "A wise man knows when and what battles to fight, my friend, and which ones to walk away from." Hadji looked at his friend sadly. "All of us may be correct and Francesca may be using him for her own purposes, but the fact is, Bobby is not prepared to acknowledge that. At this time, it is probably better to allow him to go his own way. We can prove nothing against her and to continue insisting that she has bad intentions will do nothing more than alienate Bobby and drive him further away."

"What about Marla?" Matt demanded.

"There is nothing you can do about Marla, Matt," Race said gently. "I know it upsets you to see her so unhappy, but the relationship between her and your brother is not your business. Be her friend and be as supportive as you can be . . . to both of them. It's really all you can do."

Matt sighed. "I suppose." Then he looked up at Jonny. "You know that Bobby wanted me to bring her tonight."

"Who?"

"Francesca."

"He wanted you to bring Francesca here? Tonight?" Jonny replied, incredulously. "Why?"

Matt sighed again. "It was a test, I think. To see if you really meant it when you told him that you were prepared to accept his decision about being with her."

"What did you do?" Jonny demanded.

"Told him I couldn't bring her . . . that I already had a date."

"Who did you bring?" Hadji asked curiously. "I did not see you arrive."

"Marla."

All of them winced. "I'll bet that didn't go over very well," Jonny commented.

"No, not much." Matt frowned in frustration. "You know, I just don't get it. He was the one who broke off their relationship, but for some reason he seems to be angry with Marla . . . like it was her fault or something. She hasn't given him any grief about it. In fact, she's made it a point to stay out of their way. He was seriously pissed when I told him I was bringing her to this, and we argued about it. But as I pointed out to him, Marla has lived in this community all her life and she's been a close friend of Jessie's since she started staying here. Marla wouldn't have come alone. She's still too devastated from the breakup with Bobby. But I managed to talk her into coming with me."

"Was Bobby still angry about it when you left?" Race asked.

"Well, he said he wasn't, but I don't know. It's hard to tell what he's thinking these days. But I think he saw the logic in my argument."

"I hope so," Jonny said.

A short silence ensued. Finally, Hadji stirred. "I wonder what happened to Kefira? She should have been back by now."

An evil grin appeared on Jonny's face. "She wasn't planning on coming right back."

Hadji looked at his brother with misgiving. "Why? Where was she going to go?"

"To find Jessie. I believe story hour has begun."

Race looked mystified as Hadji stiffened. Jonny's grin widened. "You know that Jessie promised to get all of the girls together at this party."

"No!" Hadji gasped, suddenly turning pale.

"Yep. By this time they should be deeply into swapping Hadji stories." Without another word, Hadji turned and fled. Jonny laughed and the others joined him.

Grinning, Race commented, "I take it my daughter is putting Hadji on the hot seat." "You betcha," Jonny agreed with a grin. "Kefira's been dying to hear stories about Hadji's former girlfriends and Jess promised to give her a good dose of them."

Bennett shook his head, chuckling. "You two are quite devious when you put your minds to it."

"Lots of practice," Jonny laughed.

Bennett grinned as he picked up his briefcase. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep Dr. Quest waiting any longer. Do you gentlemen know where I might find him in this throng?"

Race shot a quick glance toward Jonny, as all the humor fled from the young man's face. Jonny stiffened and his eyes grew stormy and dark, as he replied coldly, "No. I'm not my father's babysitter." He straightened and started for the door. "I'd better go after Hadji." With obvious effort, his mouth twisted into a cruel imitation of its usual wry grin as he gestured at Matt Evans. "He'll make a fool of himself if I don't. Coming, Matt?"

With a puzzled look from Jonny to Bennett, Matt replied hesitantly, "Sure . . . I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Forcing one last bit of courtesy, Jonny nodded toward Bennett, "See ya later, Admiral," then hastily made his way out of the kitchen with Matt trailing behind him.

Mystified, Bennett's gaze lingered on the swinging door for a long moment after the two young men had disappeared. At last, he turned to Race with a confused expression. "What just happened?"

A shadow of weariness and pain crossed Race's features for a moment, then quickly disappeared. "Nothing you need to be concerned with, Admiral."

Bennett hesitated, then decided that whatever was going on was probably not any of his business. Clearing his throat, he tried again, "I really should find Dr. Quest..."

Race shook himself and replied, "Of course, Admiral. He's around here somewhere. Let's see if we can find him." Leading the way, Race left the kitchen. As they passed the family room door, Race tapped his guest on the shoulder and gestured. Bennett spotted Benton near the big picture windows talking to a young woman he didn't know. Race raised his hand and waved. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Benton looked up. Race pointed toward the study and Bennett saw Benton nod. Turning back to Bennett, Race said, "Come on, Admiral. He'll join us shortly."

Race had just handed Bennett a snifter of brandy when the study door opened and both Benton and Estella slipped in. As the door closed, the din from the party became little more than a dim background murmur. Benton crossed to his desk and began to pour two additional glasses of brandy, as Estella joined her husband. Handing one of the glasses to Estella, Benton sank gratefully into his large desk chair with a sigh.

"Whew! What a madhouse."

"I thought the original guest list was only about 25 people or so," Race commented .

Estella laughed. "It was. But the business at Christmas caused a real sensation. Then there was all the suspense of rebuilding. It became such a source of interest that the whole thing just kind of snowballed. I think the final invitation ended up being a poster on the school wall that became "come one, come all" and everyone seems to have taken them up on it. Jessie said that there are kids here from all up and down the coast."

"Looks like our wedding reception," Race agreed with a laugh.

"Is this a good idea?" Bennett questioned, frowning. "IRIS isn't even screening visitors at the gate."

"Take it easy, Admiral," Race said. "The place may look open and undefended, but it's not. All the security has been repaired and upgraded and IRIS is screening all guests for weapons. I've also got all the security-sensitive parts of the house and the lighthouse locked down."

"Furthermore," Estella added softly, "our kids deserve this. It's not often they're allowed to throw a party and they need to unwind, too." She glanced worriedly toward Benton. "It hasn't been an easy six months for any of us."

"That's true," Bennett agreed absently as he followed her gaze. He was disturbed by what he saw. Benton Quest looked even more worn than when Bennett had last seen him at Christmas. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and he appeared extremely tired and strained.

"Things are secure enough, Admiral," Benton commented neutrally. "So what brings you here today? You didn't say when you called to let me know you were coming."

Bennett leaned back, trying to relax. Taking a sip of his brandy, he replied, "Nothing dire. This is just the first break I've had recently and I thought you would like an update about the outcome of the mess at Christmas." Everyone nodded. "I'll start with the bad news first. We've been totally unable to locate either Julia or Lorenzo. They both seem to have vanished off the face of the planet."

"No surprise there," Race said. "Julia's always had the knack for disappearing when she wants to."

"I guess the one consolation is that she doesn't seem to be actively causing mayhem these days."

"That's something," Estella said with a grimace.

"What about Baxter's organization?" Benton asked.

"Gone," Bennett replied with obvious satisfaction. "Mr. Singh's computer virus obviously did the trick. His people must have scattered like rats from a sinking ship. We caught a number of them, including some rather big fish. One of them was a research scientist by the name of Nydek. He seems a bit addled, but we got some interesting stuff from him."

Benton sat forward abruptly. "Peter Nydek?" he demanded harshly.

Bennett looked startled. "Yes. Do you know him?"

"Only by reputation. That man is vermin!" Benton spat. The other three stared at him in astonishment. This wasn't like Benton Quest at all. After a moment, Race asked carefully,

"Who is he?"

Benton's eyes flared with anger as he turned toward his friend. "You should know him, Race. He was Surd's mentor. Specialized in nerve and poisonous gases. Started his work during WWII and never stopped. Used to like to experiment on human subjects at any opportunity." He looked back at Bennett. "There's the source of the gas that was used at Brattleford Prison. I'd stake my reputation on it! Trust me when I say, Peter Nydek is no more addled than you or I. It's an act."

Bennett looked grim. "It sounds like I'm going to need to have another chat with the good doctor."

"What did he tell you?" Race asked.

"Gave us a few other names. One of the reasons I'm here is that I wanted to run those by you to see if they meant anything. He also gave us the locations of a few of Baxter's hidden facilities - including the one in Portsmouth - and told us about what happened when the computer virus actually began to attack their systems." Bennett looked at Benton hopefully. "I don't suppose there's a chance in hell that you'd be willing to give us that code . . . ?" His half-hearted query was met with absolute silence. "No, I didn't think so." Bennett shrugged philosophically. "Oh well, it was worth asking . . ."

Race snorted. "What did you find at the Portsmouth facility?"

"It was seriously eerie. The place was neat enough . . . just looked like everyone had gotten up and walked away. But everything electronic was dead . . . nothing worked. And from what our computer analysts tell me, all of the hardware was destroyed. Nothing salvageable. That was a nasty bug, Doctor."

Benton nodded. "Hadji designed it to be. Even down to the hardware. He told me later it was the best way he could find to ensure that no one could stop the action of the virus and analyze it. I take it there's no sign that it spread beyond the boundaries of Baxter's systems."

"Not a trace of it anywhere else, and we've been watching for it very, very closely ever since we got a look at Baxter's operations center. Gave me a few sleepless nights, let me tell you."

"Hadji would never have released it if there was any chance it could spread beyond its target," Estella commented.

"No, he wouldn't have," Benton agreed. "It goes against his very nature to even design something like this. It was one thing to create it as a failsafe for QuestWorld, but something totally different to alter it into a virus that was to be deliberately released to do damage. Anything less than a direct threat to this family and he probably would have refused to do it."

"So what else did Nydek tell you?" Race asked, leaning back and making himself more comfortable. The four of them settled in and quickly became engrossed in their conversation.

* * * * *

Jonny shoved the kitchen door open and paused, listening to the silence. The house seemed like a tomb compared to the chaos of the last several hours. It was nearing 1:00 a.m. and guests had been drifting out for the last hour. Wondering where Jessie was, he walked toward the front of the house. The low murmur of voices from the family room caused Jonny to move in that direction. He stopped in the doorway and leaned against the jamb with a grin.

"Hey, guys. Still here, huh?"

"Yeah," Mike Short replied lazily from his reclined position on the sofa. "Haven't worked up the ambition to leave yet."

Mary Oldham, who sat on the floor beside him, laughed and leaned her head back against his arm. "It has nothing to do with ambition. He's just had a good time and doesn't want it to be over."

Jonny chuckled. "Good. That was the idea." Shoving himself upright, he crossed to his father's reading chair. Reaching out, he caught Jessie's hand, drew her to her feet, and then sat down, pulling her into his lap.

"Well, that's one way to find a place to sit," Marla said with a laugh. "Although, I'm sure Mike would give you a spot on the sofa."

"What fun would that be?" Jonny replied, cuddling Jessie. Eyeing Hadji, who sprawled comfortably on the floor not far from the fireplace, he added, "If anyone needs a seat, it's probably Kefira. It's not nice to make guests sit on the floor, Hadj."

"Mind your own business," Hadji replied without heat. He tightened his arm around his fiancée and leaned more firmly against the large hassock, sliding a bit further down on his tailbone. Kefira just grinned and snuggled contentedly against his shoulder. Everyone chuckled.

"Well, guys, this party was a smashing success," Matt said. "Congratulations. Definitely worth waiting for."

"We did have a good crowd," Jessie agreed.

"I'll say," Jonny said. "I'm not even sure I knew everyone that came. There were a lot of faces I couldn't place at all."

"Yes, but I do not believe there were any complete strangers," Hadji commented. "I paid attention after I began to see people I did not know and the strangers seemed to be dates of friends or acquaintances."

"I'm a little surprised you opened it up as much as you did," Mary said. "I mean, with what happened at Christmas and all."

Jonny shrugged. "What are we supposed to do . . . shut ourselves up and hide behind the fences? That's no life."

"But weren't you worried about one of your enemies taking advantage of the opportunity to cause some trouble?" Mary insisted.

It was Jessie that replied. "Not really. The people we had the trouble with at Christmas aren't a threat any longer and no one else right now seems to have it in for us."

"That you know about," Matt added dryly.

Jonny laughed. "Trust me. When someone decides to take a dislike to us, we generally find out about it pretty quick."

That got a laugh from everyone. For a while, idle conversation drifted around the room. Finally, Matt looked at Jonny and said hesitantly, "Hey, Jonny, I was wondering . . . "

"Yeah?" Jonny replied sleepily.

"Well, I kinda noticed . . . earlier . . . that you . . . well . . ."

Jonny raised his head and looked at his friend quizzically. "What?"

"Well, I noticed that you were kind of short with Admiral Bennett earlier . . . when he asked about your dad . . . and I was wondering . . ." Matt trailed off as Jonny's face suddenly froze.

"You were wondering what?" Jonny asked irritably.

Matt glanced over at Hadji who was gesturing at him frantically. As Hadji caught Matt's eye, he shook his head violently. "Oh nothing," Matt said hastily.

Jonny glanced over at his brother and then back at his friend again. "No, ask your question."

Matt took a deep breath and said, "Are you and your dad having problems?"

Tension slowly stole over Jonny's frame and his jaw set in a hard line. "Yeah," Jonny replied tersely. "We don't have much to say to each other these days."

"But . . . what happened?" Mary asked, bewildered. "You and your dad always got along so well . . ."

Jessie flicked an unreadable look toward Hadji, then snuggled up against Jonny, wrapping an arm around his waist and rubbing his back soothingly. "Let's not go there," she replied quietly. "Not tonight. This has been such fun. I really don't want to spoil it."

"I agree," Hadji put in quickly, glancing anxiously at Jonny.

Matt looked at his three friends for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Sorry, man. None of my business. Forget it." After a minute, Jonny nodded in acknowledgement and Matt felt the tension in the room drop by degrees as his friend started to relax again. He was beginning to understand how Keanu Reeves felt after diffusing the bomb in "Speed".

"Well, I'm just glad everything went so well tonight," Marla said awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "And I'm really glad I came."

"I'm glad you came, too," Jessie said, sitting up slightly. "I was a little afraid that you wouldn't."

Marla's smile dimmed and she shrugged. "I guess I've finally come realize that I can hide or I can get on with my life. Hiding doesn't seem to serve much purpose and it hasn't made me feel any better, so I guess I gotta move on."

"Marla . . . " Jessie began earnestly, but Marla cut her off with a swift shake of her head.

"No, Jessie. It's over. Bobby's made his choice. I have to respect that."

"It won't last, Marla," Jonny said quietly.

Matt rose from his chair and crossed over to the loveseat. Sitting down beside her, Matt took Marla's hand and squeezed it sympathetically. Returning the gesture, she smiled sadly. "It really doesn't matter, Jonny. Whatever happens, I can't go back. All I can do now is hope that he finds happiness with Francesca and move on with my own life."

"Well, I hope he stays out of trouble," Matt said darkly. "Aunt Martha calls Francesca a devil and I'm not so sure she isn't right about that. Bobby's changed since he's gotten involved with her and none of it is for the better."

"Changed how?" Hadji asked.

Matt shrugged irritably. "It's hard to put your finger on, but there's a difference." Matt frowned, thinking hard. "He's restless and discontent. All of a sudden, nothing seems to be good enough. And it's like there's anger simmering under the surface all the time. He and Dad fight almost every time they're in the same room, and he's recently taken to snapping at Mom. Hell, he even got into it with me the other day."

"Over what?" Jessie asked, surprised. "The two of you never fight!"

Matt shifted uncomfortably and Marla tightened her grip on his hand, "It was my fault. I lost my temper with him after he yelled at Mom. Not that it helped any . . . it only makes him more angry."

Jonny shook his head. "He must be crazy. I'm really sorry about all of this. I feel responsible."

"What for?" Mary demanded. "You didn't cause this. If anything, you've tried your best to warn all of us about what she's like."

"Yes, but I get the feeling that she came back here because of me. And that put her in Bobby's path." He looked at Marla soberly. "I understand how you feel, Marla . . . about making choices and needing to move on. I wish you luck." None of the others missed the swift, uneasy look that flew between Jessie and Hadji. "If you need anything," Jonny added softly, "all you need to do is ask, okay?" There was a murmur of assent from the others, as well.

"Thanks," she replied softly.

After a moment, Matt sighed and said, "I suppose we should think about heading home, Marla. Are you about ready?"

Marla glanced around the room at the mess and turned back to Jessie. "You need help cleaning up?"

Jessie shook her head. "No, thanks. I don't have the heart for it tonight. It'll keep until in the morning. I'll just warn Dr. Quest that we're leaving it and that we'll take care of the clean-up tomorrow . . . or, well, later today!" Matt got up and walked into the other room as Marla rose and smiled at Jessie.

"Okay. I'll be happy to come back out later and help, if you'd like."

"Why don't you give me a call after lunch and see how far we've gotten."

"Sounds good."

"Here's your jacket, Marla," Matt said, appearing suddenly from the foyer. He held it for her as she shrugged into it. "Was there anything else we needed to take with us?" She shook her head. "Okay, then I think we're set. Thanks again, guys. This was great." He grinned and shook his head at Jonny. "No, don't get up. We know our way out."

"We still planning on going climbing next weekend?" Jonny asked, settling back again.

"Sounds good to me," Matt replied. "Give me a call later in the week and we'll confirm."

Jonny nodded. "Later!"

Matt put his arm around Marla's shoulders and guided her toward the door. After a moment, the remaining friends heard the front door close and a car start. They all listened quietly until the sound of the car had faded into the distance.

Finally, Mike murmured, "Oh man, did you see his face when he held her coat?" After a moment, he added quietly, "How long do you suppose that's going to go on before it all blows up?"

"Not long," Jonny replied heavily. "A better question is how long has Matt had a thing for Marla?"

"A long time," Mary replied. "At least since their freshman year in high school."

"I had no idea . . ." Jessie said, surprised.

"No one else did, either," Mary sadly. "I may have been the only one who knew. It was only by sheer chance that I found out about it, and I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone. He never would have said a word, you know. He would have stood back and let Bobby have her, no matter how much he cared or how much it hurt. But now he's floundering. He doesn't know what to do any more. This business with Francesca really blindsided him."

"Yeah, it would," Jonny agreed. "He's not good at shielding himself from the pain of people that matter to him."

"It's just killing him seeing her so miserable."

"Has he said anything to Marla?" Kefira questioned.

Mary shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Does he need to?" Jonny asked. "It's so obvious . . ."

"Not to Marla," Jessie responded with a shake of her head. "She's just starting to get back on her feet and she's not really conscious of things like that right now. To be honest, I'm not sure how she'll take it once she realizes the way he really feels."

"I wondered the same thing," Kefira agreed. "He may not have a chance with her. In her place, I am not sure I would be willing to consider dating the twin brother of the man who just broke my heart. I do not think I would be able to look at him without thinking about his brother and everything that had happened between us."

Everyone was quiet, thinking about that. Finally, Hadji shook his head. "I do not know. The two of them are so different. Perhaps, because she has known both of them for so long, she can see beyond their physical appearance."

"Maybe," Jonny replied, "but I don't like to think about how much this will hurt all three of them. Bobby and Matt have been like Siamese twins from the day they were born. This has the potential to shatter that closeness forever." He paused and then added bitterly, "Another notch on Francesca's bedpost."

"I believe you are right, Jonny," Hadji said. "Even though Bobby was the one who chose to break off the relationship, I doubt he will take this well. Matt said his decision to bring Marla here made him angry. I do not like to think of how he will take the news that Matt really cares for her. And if he and Francesca do not work out, things will only go from bad to worse."

"You got that right. I have the feeling things are going to get really ugly." Mike agreed. With a sigh, he sat up and looked at Mary. "You ready to head out, babe? I think I have just enough energy to get us home."

"Yes, I'm ready. I'll get my coat."

Mike nodded. "Well, guys, we're out of here. Thanks again for the great time."

Everyone else rose, as well, and they all moved out into the entryway. Arm-in-arm, Jonny and Jessie moved to the front door and opened it, leaning lazily against the doorjamb as Mike helped Mary put on her jacket. They all wandered out into the front courtyard, following the couple out to their car.

"Call me if you get a clean up detail together, Jessie," Mary directed as they got into the vehicle.

"I'll let you know if we need the help," Jessie promised. Suddenly, she stopped. "Wait! I need to get all of those serving trays you brought. We ended up not needing them and there's no reason to leave them here. Hang on for a second and I'll go get them." Slipping out of Jonny's arm she hurried back into the house. As Hadji and Kefira chatted quietly with Mary, Mike gestured to Jonny. Rounding the car to the driver's side, Jonny leaned against the door and said,

"What's up?"

Mike gave him a long, hard look. Finally, he replied in a soft voice, "Just this. I don't know what the trouble is between you and your dad, but whatever it is, when you're ready to talk about it, all you need to do is call. I'm here to listen." Mike quickly held up a forestalling hand as he saw Jonny stiffen again. "I'm not gonna push you, okay? I'm just saying that when you need someone outside your family to talk to . . . someone who's been down that road . . . you know where to find me. Got it?"

Slowly, Jonny nodded. "Got it. Thanks, man. I may take you up on it one of these days."

Just then, Jessie returned and handed the various pans through the window to Mary. With a chorus of goodbyes, they waved as their friends drove off, then turned and reentered the house.

"IRIS, allow the car to clear the main gate, then secure the perimeter and run a complete Compound security check. Notify us of any abnormalities," Hadji commanded.

"ACKNOWLEDGED," the computer replied. "FRONT GATE SECURE. COMMENCING SECURITY CHECK."

"Has anyone seen Dr. Quest, Race or Estella recently?" Kefira asked as the four of them wandered back toward the family room.

Hadji laughed. "They abandoned us as soon as Admiral Bennett showed up. Is the Admiral still here?"

Kefira nodded. "He was about half an hour ago. I walked Cyndee and Becca out and I noticed his car still parked by the treeline."

Hadji looked startled. "What was it doing all the way out there?"

"I would say that was the closest he could get. Most of the guests were already here before he arrived."

Kefira chuckled suddenly. "You should have seen his face when I ran into him hunting for Dr. Quest. He looked very lost."

Jessie grinned. "I don't imagine he was expecting the chaos he found when he arrived. What do you say we go find them and see what's up? They're probably in the study."

Jonny had been silent all the way back to the house, but at this suggestion, he finally spoke up. "You guys go ahead," he replied wearily. "I'm gonna make sure that the perishable stuff got put away and then head on up to bed."

"Jonny . . ." Hadji started, but Jonny cut him off with a shake of his head.

"Please, Hadj, we've been through this already and I just don't want to talk about it any more."

"He is very sorry, Jonny. I am sure he is. And he knows that he made a mistake. You need to give him a chance . . ."

"Do I?" Jonny snapped. "Why? What the hell did I ever do to deserve this?" With an impatient gesture, he waved his brother to silence. "I agree with what Jessie said earlier. This has been a good day. Let's not ruin it by going over old ground again." With that, he turned and disappeared into the dining room.

Hadji turned a pleading look on Jessie. "Can you talk with him? Make him see reason? This estrangement is half killing Father."

Jessie bowed her head, staring at the floor for a long time. Finally, she sighed and looked at him again. "What would you have me say to him, Hadji? What can I say that won't sound like I approve of what Dr. Quest did? It was wrong, Hadj. We all know that. And it's shaken every ounce of faith that Jonny ever had in him. There's nothing I can say that will fix this. Only the two of them can work it out."

"But Jonny won't even talk to him!"

"And Dr. Quest won't admit that what he did was wrong."

"Both are going to have to give a little bit if this situation is to be resolved," Kefira put in quietly. "But one of them will have to make the first move."

"And neither are prepared to do that yet," Jessie replied. She shook her head. "I've tried to be reasonable, Hadji, and I've tried to find ways to soften things. But I'm out of excuses. And when it comes right down to it and I'm forced to pick sides, you know the way I feel." She nodded toward the study. "Why don't you and Kefira go find out why Admiral Bennett's here. I'm gonna go check on Jonny."

As Jessie disappeared into the kitchen, Hadji's shoulders slumped in defeat. Kefira reached out and pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him and murmuring soft soothing sounds. After a moment, Hadji pulled back and looked at her helplessly. "What do I do, Kefira? We cannot go on like this. Our family is being torn apart and I can think of no way to stop it!"

Kefira gazed at him with compassion and love. "There is nothing you can do, beloved. They must work this out for themselves." She reached up and touched his face gently. "It will be all right, Hadji. You must just give it time. Come. Let us see why Admiral Bennett is here."

* * * * *

Serious discussion had died away to desultory conversation long before the knock on the door interrupted them.

"Come!" Benton called.

The door opened slowly and Hadji and Kefira entered. "Hello," Kefira said pleasantly. "May we join you?"

"Is everyone gone?" Benton questioned, waving them to chairs.

"Mike and Mary just left," Hadji agreed. "They were the last. You all disappeared early. You were welcome to stay."

"Too loud for me," Benton replied, glancing at the door again. After a moment, he asked cautiously, "Where are Jonny and Jessie?"

Hadji and Kefira exchanged a swift look before Hadji replied, "They are putting away the last of the food and then I believe they were going to retire."

"I see," Benton replied flatly.

"So, Admiral Bennett," Hadji said hastily, "what brings you out to see us again so soon?"

"A little of this and a little of that," the military man replied, pretending not to notice the sudden tension in the room. "Actually, one of the reasons I'm here is to talk with you."

Hadji raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Me? I will certainly help in any way I can, but what could you possibly need from me?"

"Information." Bennett contemplated the young man for a long moment. "My Asian operatives are getting a bit concerned about some of the rumors that are coming out of Central India . . . particularly those from Bangalore, and I was hoping you could shed some light on what is going on over there."

"What kind of rumors?" Hadji asked carefully.

"Unrest, possible insurrection, and a building power struggle."

Benton made a sound of distress as Race sat forward swiftly and asked, "Hadji, is this true?"

The young man leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap, and replied, "It is true that Bangalore is struggling right now. Change is difficult at the best of times, and there is a very sharp line between the older conservatives and the younger, more progressive people of my country. It also seems there are very few who take a middle ground, so it makes compromise exceedingly difficult. But I do not believe that the situation is incendiary enough to be concerned about a possible insurrection. At least not at this time."

"Do you know a man by the name of Arun Birla?" Bennett persisted.

"I know him," Hadji acknowledged noncommittally.

Bennett stared hard at the younger man. "Who is he?"

"Why do you wish to know?" Hadji countered, somewhat coldly.

"Is there a reason you don't want to answer the question?"

Hadji frowned at the older man. "You mean aside from the fact that I object to you coming into my home at 2:00 in the morning and demanding answers to questions about the citizens of my country with absolutely no warning and no explanation? Tell me, Admiral, would you show the same discourtesy to the Queen of England or the Prime Minister of Canada?"

Bennett blinked in astonishment, caught off-guard by the harsh rebuttal. "No, of course not. But I thought . . ."

"You thought to trade on a family friendship," Hadji interrupted, rising to his feet. "Not to mention that you do not recognize me as the ruler of Bangalore."

"Well, you are here rather than being in Bangalore and I assumed . . . " Hadji's eyes flashed in fury and Bennett realized too late that he had made a serious mistake.

"You assumed . . . and you know what that makes you, don't you, Admiral?" he questioned angrily. "Like it or not, I am the Sultan of Bangalore," Hadji said bitterly. "I have a council that advises me on issues, I have a Regent that handles the day-to-day duties in my absence, and I have a telephone bill that is the size of the government budgets of some third-world countries. I am here because it is in the best interests of my country that I complete my education with all possible haste. The woman who is to be my wife is here for the same reason. As for details concerning my countrymen, I would suggest that if you have a valid reason for needing that information, you should go through the proper channels to request it. Now, if you will excuse us . . ." Hadji extended his hand imperiously and said, "My lady . . ." Kefira rose immediately, placing her hand in his. As one, they turned and bowed briefly to Benton Quest. "If you will excuse us, Father, I believe we will retire now, as well." Benton nodded and the couple turned and walked out of the room without another word.

After a long moment, Bennett cursed softly and shook his head. "I seriously blew that."

"Yes, you did," Benton agreed. He grimaced and rubbed his face wearily. "Hadji's not a child any longer. Neither of my boys is."

Bennett frowned and exchanged a worried glance with Race. "Are you alright, Dr. Quest? You don't look very well this evening."

"I'm tired, Admiral, that's all." Benton sighed and levered himself to his feet. "I believe I'm going to follow my son's lead and go on to bed." He waved vaguely. "You'll stay the night, of course. It's too late for you to leave now. The room you used at Christmas is made up and ready. Make yourself at home."

Bennett rose and replied, "Thank you," but he doubted that Benton Quest heard him as he left the room. Spinning to face Race and Estella, he demanded, "What's wrong with him?"

"You heard him, Admiral." Race replied. "He's tired . . ."

"Don't give me that! This is a hell of a lot more than just tired. He's aged 10 years since I saw him a couple of months ago."

"He is tired," Estella said quietly. "Tired at heart and tired in spirit. The business at Christmas hit him harder than any of us realized."

"He hates killing, Admiral," Race said, as he refilled the brandy glasses again. "You know that. Do you have any idea what the final death toll was here? Close to 200. And that doesn't count Baxter and Leeds. One hundred and ninety-three men, the majority of them killed by systems he invented."

"You're telling me he's having a crisis of conscience over the business at Christmas?" Bennett asked incredulously. "That wasn't his fault. Good God, all he was trying to do was defend his family!"

Estella shook her head. "You don't understand. The very reason that he stood his ground and fought at Christmas was to prevent people from using his work to harm others . . . the very thing, he himself, ended up doing. Couple that with the emotional shocks he's been hit with over the last two years and it is no wonder he's tired and depressed."

"Has Dr. Mason taken a look at him?"

"She's keeping an eye on him," Race replied. "So are we."

"What about he and Jonny? Something's wrong there, too."

Race and Estella exchanged looks again, and Race acknowledged, "Yes, there is."

Bennett easily recalled how the entire family had rallied around Benton Quest as they made the decision to stand and fight Baxter and his men. He remembered the way that solidarity had made him feel and he was suddenly very sad. "What's happened?"

Race shook his head. "I'd rather not say, Admiral. It's a family matter and I think it's best left that way."

Bennett nodded and rose, setting his untouched glass on the edge of the desk. "Please tell Dr. Quest that although I appreciate the offer, I won't stay the night. I really need to be back in Washington tomorrow and getting a head start on the drive is probably a good idea." Bennett held up his hand, cutting off Estella's protest. "I also think that having strangers around right now is probably not a wise idea, particularly since I have angered Mr. Singh. If you'll be good enough to extend my apologies to he and Ms. Subramanian, I would appreciate it. He was absolutely right and I will notify the State Department that we owe him a formal letter of apology."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, Admiral," Race replied.

"Nevertheless . . . And Race, if there is anything that I can do to help, don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you, Admiral. I'll remember."

Bennett waved the two back toward their chairs. "Don't get up. I can see myself out."

Race and Estella stood listening until they heard the front door close. Then Race said quietly, "IRIS, monitor Admiral Bennett until he gets off of the Compound property, then close and lock the gate and run a security check on the entire facility. Notify me of anything out of the ordinary."

"ACKNOWLEDGED."

Race leaned wearily against the desk and drained the brandy from his glass in one long draught before setting it down. He shook his head sadly. "My god, Estella . . . what's happening to us?"

Estella wrapped her arms around her husband and laid her head on his chest. "I don't know, Race. I used to believe that nothing could ever touch this family. Even in the most dire of circumstances, I've watched you all pull together and draw the necessary strength from each other to beat impossible situations again and again. But now . . . " She trailed off, unable to complete the thought.

Race felt Estella's tears soak into the front of his shirt, and he clung to her like a lifeline. "But now . . . " he finished in a choked voice, " . . . nothing is ever going to be the same again . . ."

THE END
(for now)

(c) 2000 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 2000 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.