Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Quest team. I am NOT making any money
off of this story.


"Friends are Friends Forever"
by Angie


       The sun shined brightly in the clear sky, as the fierce, cold wind blew
with a vengeance. Jonny shivered slightly under his modestly thick coat.
A tear trickled down his frozen rose red cheek. Jonny closed his eyes and
the whistling wind seemed to fade as his thoughts drifted back to over a year
ago.

*******
       "Brain Cancer?!" Race repeated desperately, "no!" He collapsed into the
chair.
       "Is there anything you can do?" Benton asked Dr. Castell.
       The doctor's eyes softened in sympathy as he answered, "I am sorry Mr.
Bannon but the tumor is terminal."
       Race asked in a low monotone voice, while starring down at the floor.
"How long?"
       The doctor glanced around desperately at the tortured souls inhabiting
the small room. "Six weeks," he answered, adding softly, "I'm sorry but there
is nothing we can do."
       Race began to shake uncontrollably, as tears streamed down his creased
face. Benton excused the doctor and turned back to Race. Between convulsions 
of tears, Race managed, "why?...She's to young to.....Why?"
       Jonny sat, to shocked to cry, on the cold, hard floor, in the corner of
the room. He could only shake his head and murmur, "no....No...No.."

       Jessie's eyes slowly opened as she groaned in pain. "Oohh...What a
headache....uhhh."
       Race tenderly took her small hand in his and cooed softly, "hi Poncheta,
how are you feeling honey?" His voice was strained and about to crack.
       Jessie slowly became aware of the two figures keeping their distance.
"Hi Jess." Jonny croaked on the verge of tears.
       Jessie could see, hear, and sense their sorrow. "What's wrong?" She
asked sitting up.
       Race turned away hiding his uncontrollable tears. "Daddy?" Jessie
pleaded, Race shuddered with violent sobs. "What's going on?" Jessie asked 
again.
       Benton and Jonny carefully approached her bed. Jonny took her hand in
his, she looked at him. Tears streamed down his face. Jessie's expression
saddened as painful understanding pierced her heart. "Am I going to die?"
Jessie asked in a small voice.
       Jonny nodded solemnly, before embracing her with a death grip.

**********

       After only two days in the hospital Jessie was home. Hadji and Estella
had flown in to show their support. For the first few days, everyone fussed
over Jessie, constantly asking her how she felt. Until Jessie finally
screamed in frustration telling them all to "get lost!" After that Jessie
went back to school, tried out for the basketball team, got her driver's
license. She even picked out a song for a solo contest that was three
months away. Things were painfully normal. Jessie made the most of her
life, constantly smiling, never giving into self pity. She was a fighter
to the end Spirited and stubborn.
       The last eight weeks of Jessie's life flew by too fast. Painfully Jonny
remembered the last night he and Jessie spent together. He remembered the
breath taking beauty Jessie possessed in her emerald green velvet dress.
Remembered the graceful way she floated down the stairs to meet him. His
father took an infinite number of pictures of the formally dressed couple, 
before Race commented. "Benton we had better let the kids go before the
dance ends."
       Later that night, Jonny and Jessie danced on the converted lunch room
dance floor. He could feel the soft velvet under his finger tips, the
comforting warmth of Jessie's body pressed close to his. He began to
sing, softly into her ear, along with "Lady in red"  "I never will forget the 
way you look tonight." His voice was surprisingly smooth and melodic. As 
the percussion of the song imitated a heart beat Jonny whispered the last 
three words with deep sincerity. "I love you."
       Jessie lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his impossibly
blue eyes. Jonny repeated softly, "I love you Jessie." Before their lips
touched, she answered, "I know."

       The next morning Jessie wasn't up at her usual 8:00 A.M. Jonny carefully
opened her bedroom door and crept inside. Jessie lay still in her bed, her
long red hair spilled over her pillow, Mr. Bear, Jessie's favorite teddy
bear, lay beside her. Jonny smiled softly as he looked upon her, she looked
so peaceful, so alive. Jonny called softly, "Jessie? Are you awake? Jess?"
Jonny shook her gently, she didn't respond. His breath caught in his
throat. Jonny placed two fingers on her neck, she was still warm, he probed
for a pulse. "Oh god no." Jonny screamed, "NO!!" He ran from the room and
through the front door. Race, Estella, Hadji, and Benton, confused by
Jonny's outburst, followed. Jonny now in the front yard, staggered and
fell to his knees in the damp grass. His family surrounded him with concern
and confusion plain on their faces. Through uncontrolled tears Jonny
stammered, "She's gone....Oh god she's dead!"
       Race and Estella embraced crying desperately for their lost daughter.
Benton held Jonny tightly as he cried. Hadji sat cross-legged in the
grass, placed his head in his hands, and cried.

******

       Jonny reopened his eyes staring down at the marble head stone. Life had
gone on without Jessie, sort of. Race and Estella were engaged, somehow
in the mist of their daughter's death they had found each other. Hadji
returned to Bangalore, and his father was working on some new
state-of-the-art equipment for N.A.S.A. Jonny started his Junior year of
high school and had finally received his driver's license.
       A constant ache remained in Jonny's heart, everyone assured him that the
pain would lessen with time, but it was a lie. His nights were spent
tossing and turning in his bed until he finally cried himself to sleep
out of pure exhaustion. On particularly bad nights when the pain in his heart
made it nearly impossible to breath, Jonny would slip into Jessie's
deserted room. He would crawl into her bed and intangle himself in the
covers, clutching Mr. Bear close to his chest.
       Jonny closed his eyes and shuddered in pain, *soon it would be all
over.* Jonny opened his eyes and bent down on one knee. He kissed the rose, the
velvety petals reminded him of the unexpected softness of Jessie's lips.
He shuddered again in the pain of his loss. "No matter what happens. I love
you," he whispered hoping that Jessie could hear him. Tenderly he placed
the two blood red roses on Jessie's grave. Jonny stood took one last look
around, and turned.

**********

"But we'll keep you close as always;
It won't even seem you've gone
Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong"

The speedometer steadily increased, surpassing 80 M.P.H.

"And friends are friends forever
If the lord's the lord of them.
And a friend will not say "never"
'Cause the welcome will not end.
Though it's hard to let you go
In the father's hands we know-"

The care didn't make the last sharp curve and raced off the Cliffside,
plummeting to the ground a hundred feet below.

"That a lifetime's not too long
to live as friends."

*I love you Jessie* Jonny promised before the blackness enveloped him.


THE END


Comments?
Bye,
Angie

* "Lady in red"
       -forgot the artists name  [archiver's note:  Chris DeBurgh]

  "Friends"
       -Michael W. Smith


© 1997 Angie