Part 1

CATEGORIES: A, J&J HR, DBN HR

DISCLAIMER: ok, i don't own the quest team, but i do own a few people. I am not
getting any money, though some would be appreciated

PERMISSION: What?? Hell, no!! Wait, wrong web-site
archievers~have a ball, it's all yours

SUMMARY: well, no! it is bascially a plot twister with Jessie and a big secret
kept from a lot of people

NOTES: Well, i wrote this is a brief moment. It came to me in the shower. This
one is rated PG, but the later may be PG-13
 
 

Laying in the Flowers
Part 1
 

"God, Dammit!" exclaimed Race. The Quest Team, minus Jessie, we sitting around
the living room at the Quest Compound.

"Now, you just calm down, Race," calmly said Hadji, handing Race a cup of tea.
"After all, Estella is Jessie's mother. It is understandable that she would want
to spend some time with her."

"Yes, Hadji, it is, but not two months! I have barely heard from her in that
time and, hell, I don't even know where she is!  Then, I get this phone call
from Estella saying that Jessie is going to be at least another month? No, gang,
I have to see my daughter!"

"Race, I am sure there is a legitimate reason for Estella requiring Jessie for
such a period of time. Thank of it, maybe they are on a dig and Jessie
discovered something incredibly fascinating." Explained Dr. Quest, also in a
calm voice.

"Come on, Race. You must have an idea of where she is. Where was she originally
going?" asked Jonny, whist in the midst of downloading something on off the
internet.

"Well," thought Race. A moment of silence came over the crew as Race did
something rare and thought hard. "Estella was saying that she and Jessie were
planning on visiting relatives in Argentina. But that was two months ago and
they probably aren't there anymore."

"But, doesn't Estella hold an apartment over there?" asked Hadji. He got up and
reached for the address book and looked up Estella's card. "Yes. It says right
here that Estella has an apartment there. Maybe we can see if they are still
there. Isn't it worth a chance?"

"Yeah, Race. If you want to see her that bad, why don't you go and visit
Estella's apartment?" said Jonny. He got a mischievous look on his face. "And
take us along!"
 

The next day, Jonny, Hadji, Race, and Dr. Quest, along with Bandit, left
Rockport and flew over to Argentina. They looked around the crowded city for one
hour and came across a quaint apartment building that was white with a light
blue trim. It had about four stories and a charming little flowerbed.

"Who wants to knock?" asked Jonny. Race looked at him and walked up the steps.
He rang the doorbell and looked around. He looked back at the team and gave them
an awkward smile. The door unlocking made him jump in his boots.

When he turned back he saw a large man wearing a butler-like tuxedo. He looked
down his nose at Race. Race shifted positions and cleared his throat.

"Which room can I find Estella Velezque in?" asked Race.

"You will not find her here today. She is gone. May I leave her a card or a
name….?" Asked the man.

"Well, is Jessica Bannon with her?" asked Jonny, coming up the steps.

"Who?" asked the man, clearly unhappy with Jonny's outburst.

"A red-haired girl…"trailed off Race,

"I am sorry, but there is no red-haired girl here, nor has there been all
winter. Now, would you like to leave a name?" suggested the man, irritated by
them all.

"Where," asked Dr. Quest in a calm voice. "Might we find Dr. Velezque?"

"She is at the Garden Rose Cemetery. About five blocks that way. That is, if you
wish to disturb her there." Replied the man, pointing west.

"Thank you." Said Dr. Quest. He pulled Race and Jonny down the steps and led
them to the car.  Snow started falling, landing in their hair as they entered
the automobile.

Back in the house, the man entered a lavishly decorated drawing room. As he
entered he saw a pile of red hair done up in hundreds of little braids, pinned
in every which way. She slightly turned her head, showing a diamond earring.

"Who was at the door, Mayhew?" said a voice, with a strange accent and said in a
hurried manor.

"No one, miss. Just some people looking for Madam Velezque. I sent them to the
cemetery." Replied Mayhew, picking up the empty teacup on the table beside the
chair.

"Who were they?" asked the women, pulling her hanky up to her eyes.

"I haven't the slightest. They were looking for a Jessica… Brandon? Cannon?
Bannon! That's it. Bannon."

The women sat straight up and started shaking like she had heard a gun shot. She
quickly retreated out of the room. Mayhew looked around in confusion. He knew
better then to ask. After all, his employer and her daughters had done many
things in their time since they hired him. He had comforted the girls when they
needed it, but he knew better then to get involved with this. He picked up the
teacup and left the room.

Between the snow from before and the snow falling now, there was a blanket of
white everywhere around the cemetery. It was quiet and empty, except for a
single dark figure next to a large tombstone. And next to that there was a large
marble structure. There was a mess left over from a funeral earlier that day.
The footprints were still pressed into the snow. A woman with red hair stood
over the casket, which was still above ground, but it looked as though they
weren't planning on putting it in the ground for there was no hoe beneath. Snow
had fallen onto the glass top, but she didn't remove it. Tears ran down her
face, eyeliner running everywhere. It was Estella. Yet you could barely tell it
was her.

As the Quests walked through the gates, then saw the sobbing figure of Estella.

"Estella?" asked Race and they briskly walked over to her. Race placed his hands
on her shoulders, but she pushed him away. She fell to her knees and raised her
hands on either side of her.

"Why, God?" she pleaded. "Why did you do this? This wasn't suppose to have
happened!"

Race looked at Jonny and Dr. Quest. They just shook their heads. Race turned and
watched as Estella got up and walked away. She turned back and looked at Race in
the eyes, her piercing green eyes giving him a glare that gave him shivers,
which he was sure weren't from the cold. They were full of anger,
misunderstanding, hatred, and sadness.

"You are a murderer!! All of you!! You were the ones that killed her!!" she
screamed and she ran out of the cemetery. No one went after her, but watched as
she got into a limo and left.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the Quest Team. Hadji looked
at the casket and walked over. He brushed away the snow and rubbed away at the
fogged up glass. Everyone crowded around him and looked inside.

There was Jessie. Her eyes closed and her hair descending down her shoulders and
arms. Flowers were on either side of her. Jonny swallowed hard. He turned his
head the other way. When he looked back, she was still there. A single tear fell
down his cheek.

Everyone stood in silence until the graveyard attendants came over and took the
glass casket. They placed it in a large, aboveground tomb and closed the gates.

"So," said one of the attendants, "who has the key for this?"

"I dunno. One of the Velezques, no doubt." Said the other. "God, it was a pity.
So young and so beautiful."

"I pity her mother," said the first. "and her family. You know, being from one
of the richest families in South America was one thing, but to sit there and
hand it out to the poor and needy… few people do that now."

"Yes… her grandfather, when he found out that Estella was planning to return to
Argentina, he announced that they were to be the Argentine Rosadas. He is taking
it hard too." Replied the second.

"Almanzo, the whole country will take it hard. Especially tomorrow when the
papers find out that she is dead. The whole country will agree… death to those
that are blamed. Estella can chose anyone she wants to take the blame. I wonder
who she will pick…" trailed off the first.  They turned and looked at the Quests
and shut the tomb door hard. Ashamed that they had been caught talking, they
made a quick escape and ran out.

Jonny looked straight ahead. His mind was fuzzy and his heart was broken. Being
that it was late and the others had so much energy taken out of them in the past
few moments, they decided that they would retire for the evening. After all,
what they could find out today, they could find out tomorrow with the rest of
the world. Even though Jonny knew that it was going to kill Race, he had a
feeling that Race was in too much shock to object.

The others walking ahead of Jonny, he quietly turned around and went back to the
marble tomb. He touched it, making sure that it was real.

She is dead. Thought Jonny.  No matter what I do now, I cannot bring her back;
She is dead, like mom. She is dead. Oh, god, this is how Juliet felt when Romeo
died. Oh, happy dagger! I wish I could bring myself to do it. I can't. She is
dead.

End of part 1

Ok, this is my first, so what do you thing so far? I hope that you guys can live
with it. Anyway, comments are always welcome!!!
~Najarra
Quote of the day…. "IRS- we've got what it takes to take what you got"