"Have a nice nap," Race asked. He was seated at the kitchen table, sipping a small glass of sake.

Jessie stretched. "I dunno. You think ten hours is long enough?"

"Why don't you ask Jonny. It looks like he's going for the record."

Jessie giggled. "I bet. He looked like a zombie when he got up to go to the bathroom."

She poured herself a glass of orange juice and sat across from Race. It was three o'clock in the morning, but to her it was three in the afternoon.

"Are we going to have dinner with Professor Bernard today?" she asked.

"Yeah. We're meeting him at six at Toshimichi's. It's supposed to be some posh restaurant so we have to dress formally. Before then, we were thinking of going to the National Museum of History and Folk Culture like you wanted."

"Sounds good." Jessie looked out the window. "I'm going to try to get some work done. I'm too awake and I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep."

Race held up his bottle of sake. "That's what this is for, Ponchita."

She laughed. She took the bottle and put a little bit in her orange juice.

"I don’t think that it works like vodka, Jessie," Race said, chuckling.

"It's worth a try."

They heard shuffling footsteps start to come down the stairs. Jonny appeared in the doorway, haggard and pale.

"You look like something the cat dragged in," Race observed.

"I feel like something the cat coughed up," Jonny said, his voice rough. His eyes were glazed and there were dark circles under them.

Jessie chuckled. "I guess it wasn't a good nap then."

"No. Far from it," Jonny poured himself a glass of sake. "I don't think this time change is sitting well with me."

"You used to be fine with it, Jonny," Race said, frowning. "In fact, you didn't have any trouble at Portugal last month."

"I guess twelve hours is my limit."

Race looked skeptical. He moved to place a hand on Jonny's forehead.

Jonny managed a small laugh and ducked away. "Race, I'm not thirteen anymore."

"Doesn't mean you can't get sick."

"I'm just tired," he assured Race.

"We were going to the museum later," Jessie said. "Do you want to stay here and rest?"

"I'll go. Don't worry about it. I just need to shower then I'll be fresh as a--a…"

"Daisy?" Jessie offered.

"Right." Jonny yawned. "What time are you planning to go?"

"After lunch. You have lots of time to sleep until then."

Jonny was already standing. "Wake me up at around 11."

"Sure," Race said. He watched Jonny make his way back up the stairs. "He doesn’t look too good."

"He'll bounce back, Dad. He's just getting old."

"I hope so."

Jessie knocked lightly on Jonny's door. When he didn't answer, she just walked right in. He was sprawled on the bed, snoring softly. He didn't have his pajama top on and his well-defined muscles were on display for Jessie's benefit. She silently approved. With the dangers he'd been through and will face again, he needed to be in the best shape he could possibly be. And, she allowed herself one little stray though, he looks great in a t-shirt. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

Jonny was up like lightning and before Jessie knew what was happening, she was pinned underneath him. She blinked.

"Happy to see me?"

"Sorry, Jess," he said, rolling off her and onto his back. "I just got used to doing that."

"It must come in pretty handy," she said conversationally. "Next you should learn how to turn it on and off."

"I'll remember that."

Jessie put a hand on one hard bicep and smirked. "Somebody's been working out."

He propped himself up on one elbow and she mirrored his movements.

"I didn't want to get chunky. Besides," he began modestly, "I like being buff." He grinned widely.

"I guess you're feeling better," Jessie said dryly.

"Much."

He got out of bed and stretched. She let out a wolf-whistle. He couldn't help laughing.

"Jess, you're making me blush."

She laced her fingers behind her head. "Go get dressed. Dad's almost done with lunch."

Jonny stuck his head out the doorway and took a deep breath. The scent of Race's deep fried chicken legs filled his head with thoughts of hunger.

"My mouth is watering."

"Then hurry it up. I've been smelling that for ten minutes and I make no promises. I'm hungry enough to eat all of it."

Jonny grabbed his towel and bathrobe. A second later, Jessie heard the shower running. She rested on his bed and smoothed the rumpled sheets with her hand. She wondered how many women have seen Jonny the way she had just seen him. Of course, she wouldn't just go and ask him that. It was too personal and he would more than likely ask her the same question. And that was one thing about herself she didn't want Jonny to know about.

 The Quests and Bannons made their way to the restaurant. When they walked in people stopped to admire their clean-cut American good-looks. Race, Jonny, and Benton opted for dark suits, looking like they stepped out of the pages of a magazine. Jessie wore a dark red dress and her hair was pulled back in a neat chignon. Her hand was tucked into the crook of Jonny's elbow and they looked like the classic American couple. This fast was not lost on their fathers, who'd exchanged a significant look behind their backs.

They were led to a circular table and Jonny held Jessie's chair out for her. He glanced around and saw two extra chairs at their table.

"Is Dr. Bernard bringing someone?" he asked his father.

"I guess so," Benton replied. "Perhaps he's bringing a fellow professor."

When they were settled in, the waiter politely inquired if they would like anything to drink.

"White wine," Jessie said.

"Same as the lady," Jonny said.

"Red wine, please," Benton said.

"Beer," Race spoke up. "I'm the uncultured one."

The others laughed. The waiter smiled only because it was expected of him.

"That's one uptight penguin," Race remarked when he left.

"Dad," Jessie scolded after choking back a shriek of laughter. "What if he heard you? He might spit in your food or something."

"I can assure that won't happen," said an unfamiliar voice behind them.

They all stood and turned to greet Dr. James Bernard. He was a half a head shorter than Dr. Quest, but had the same bearing. He had a head full of snow-white hair, but one could see he used to be a brunet. But what shocked all of them was his date. It was the stewardess on the airplane, Barbie. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she was wearing a navy blue Chanel suit, but it was her. Jessie snuck a teasing look in Jonny's direction. He ignored her and only smiled politely.

"This is my fiancée, Jill," James was saying.

"We've met," Race said. "She was our stewardess on the flight over here."

Surprising them, James and Jill laughed.

"You must be speaking of my twin sister, Joan," Jill said. Her voice was very different from her sister's. It was more cultured and deeper. "I'm an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo."

Race shook her hand. "I apologize, Jill. I'm Race Bannon." He gestured to Jonny and Jessie. "These two are Jessica Bannon and Jonathan Quest."

The shook hands and exchanged niceties. James and Jill took their seats and chatter filled the air. After they ordered, the two doctors seemed to forget the others as they were caught up in their stories. Race, Jessie, and Jonny had take to entertaining the beautiful Jill. Race was busy telling her about the first time he went horseback riding. Jill was laughing at everything he said.

"There goes my dad," Jessie whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "Turning on the charm again."

"He's very good at it," Jonny whispered back.

"I know. You don't know how many times he charmed me into going to bed early when I was little."

"Jonathan," Jill said. "Didn't you write a book? I believe it was called The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest."

Jessie chortled. "I told him to change the title."

Jonny threw her a wry look and replied, "Yes, I did. Have you read it, Jill?"

"I have actually and I think it's a great book. You have talent. I'm striving to be a writer as well."

"Really? What do you write?"

"Mysteries. James says I have the mind of a Rubix cube," she said, touching James' arm as she said it.

Race, Jessie, and Jonny laughed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Jill."

"Are you planning to write more?"

"If my dad keeps this up I will." A thought struck Jonny. "Then again, I could just ask Race about his life and write a book about him."

He looked excitedly at the older man. Race was waving both hands at him.

"No way, Kid," he protested. "If I told you everything I know and did we'd both get into a lot of trouble."

Jonny sighed. "There goes my next bestseller."

Their food arrived moments later. Small talk littered the air when Jonny suddenly felt his vision blur. He blinked rapidly and tried not to draw attention to himself, but Jessie noticed. She touched his arm lightly and looked as though she was telling him a story.

"What's wrong, Jonny?"

"Nothing…I just got a little blurry back there."

"Are you still blurry?"

He blinked. "No." He smiled at her. "Don't worry. I get enough of that from Dad."

They turned back to the others and Dr. Bernard said, "I can't believe you took these kids with you on some of your trips, Benton. And to the North Pole too. How old were you then, Jonny?"

"Thirteen and I was having the time of my life. Couldn't go back to a calm, unexciting childhood after that."

Jessie raised her wineglass in salute. "Hear, hear. The great Quest speaks." She smiled at Dr. Quest. "Quest number two that is."

"Of course we couldn't have done anything without the Bannons here, and don't forget Hadji," Jonny said. "We sure had a lot of fun times back then."

"By fun, he means trouble," Race said. "This boy found trouble and threw himself face first into it. I've never seen anything like it in all my living life."

Jonny grinned. "Well, I was taught to deal with my situation intelligently, and carefully."

"Not that he ever did," Jessie interrupted.

"Hey! I got out of all of it, didn't I?"

"Not without help you didn't," Jessie argued. "Remember when…"

"Alright Kids," Dr. Quest said calmly, seeing an argument brewing. "We don't want to James and Jill to think that Race and I were careless fathers."

Dinner was cleared away and they sat for a while drinking coffee before leaving. Hands were shaken all around and Dr. Bernard promised to meet them the day after next to show them some of the excavation sites at Osaka. They would have to fly there and it would take around two hours, but Jessie, Race, and Dr. Quest were all for it.

Jonny wasn't too anxious to go, but didn't show it. There was something about Dr. Bernard and Jill that niggled at the back of his mind. He didn't understand it, they seemed nice enough, but Jonny knew enough about his instinct that he shouldn't ignore this.

"What's on your mind?" Jessie asked as they walked to the car.

He turned to her. "Nothing. You looked great tonight, by the way."

"Thanks. You look pretty snazzy yourself."

He wiggled his tie and winked. "I do what I can, Miss Bannon. For you viewing pleasure only, of course."

She chuckled. "Charmer."

On the drive back to Komai, Jonny's head suddenly fell back and his eyes closed. No one thought anything of it. They assumed he had fallen asleep. He came to five minutes later, and realized he had passed.

I must really be needing some sleep, he thought.

Race pulled up to the house and they all climbed out. Jonny felt a wave of vertigo overtake him and his hand clamped on to whatever was close by. Jessie felt his hand slam down on her shoulder and she hurriedly put an arm around his waist.

"Jonny?"

"Jonny…You okay?"

Race's voice seemed so far away. Jonny was vaguely aware that Race had moved to support his other side. His father's voice called to him, but Jonny couldn't bring himself to answer.

Jessie and Race laid him down on his bed. By then, he was barely conscious. He was sweating profusely and his skin took on a pasty hue. Dr. Quest came back with a thermometer.

"One hundred and four," he said after checking Jonny's temperature.

"Help me here, Jess."

Race began unbuttoning Jonny's shirt. Jessie hesitated before moving to Jonny's feet and removing his socks. They didn't stop until Jonny was in his boxer shorts. His entire body was covered with sweat. Dr. Quest returned with a bottle of antipyretic pills and managed to get Jonny to swallow them. Race had called an ambulance.

"What's happening to him, Dr. Quest?" Jessie asked, brushing her friend's hair from his forehead.

"I'm not sure, but it looks as though he's been poisoned," Dr. Quest replied, suddenly looking very old and very tired.

The ambulance arrived within minutes and Jonny was loaded onto a stretcher. Dr. Quest rode in the ambulance with him while Jessie and Race took the Pathfinder.

"Who would do this?" Race asked. "I swear, if I ever get my hands on the culprit…"

His ice-blue eyes narrowed and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Jessie stared out the window, her knuckles white from her grip on the door handle.