CATEGORIES: A, J&J HR, MF

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Jonny Quest or the team. I don't own "Never Had a Dream
Come True" by S Club 7. I do own the story line.

PERMISSION: By all means

SUMMARY: This is really sad and I am saying that this shouldn't be read by
anyone younger than 13. But it's cool.
 

 It was a dark night, with few stars and the moon covered. The only thing
that a person could make out in the sky was the heavy clouds, which were
scattered everywhere. And all alone, by the shore, there stood a woman who was
absorbing the night air.
 The woman had an attractive figure. In one hand, a bottle of tequila and
in the other, a thin cigar. The wind played and whipped her fiery hair around.
She breathed deeply, then took another drag of her cigarette and then slowly let
the fumes out.
 This is probably unhealthy for me. She thought to herself. Oh well, I need
it.
 Race Bannon walked down to the shore and saw the waves crashing onto her
feet. He then noticed the booze and cigs gracing her hands. He showed a face of
disappointment and than walked up to her. She refused to acknowledge his
existence at first, paying more attention to getting more nicotine into her
veins.
 “Hey Jessie.” Whispered Race. “How are you doing?”
 Jessie looked up at him. He saw that she was still getting over her most
recent hangover. He also saw tears gracing the corners of her eyes. He shook his
head and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I am sorry, Jess.”
 Breathing deeply, she responded softly and slowly to prevent her voice
from cracking, “I am sorry I haven’t been the best company since I got here
yesterday evening. I will try to be better. It’s just… nothing is the same and
everything changed all at once…”
 Race nodded and tightened his embrace. His nostrils no longer snubbed at
the vanilla and nicotine smell and booze gracing the presence of her breath. He
preferred to disregard it and concentrate on something more important.
 “Will you be joining us for a little dessert?”
 Jessie thought for a moment. She knew Jonny would be there. And she didn’t
want to face him right now. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jonny or anything,
but she was too worn out and unstable to handle seeing the blonde again. At the
airport was almost too much, but thank god for waterproof mascara and
sunglasses. But then she looked up at her father and saw he really wanted her to
join, so she succumbed to his request and nodded.
 “Good. I am glad. Dr. Quest wants to make sure everything is going
alright… we haven’t seen you since Buenos Aires…”
 After the words “Buenos Aires” passed through her father’s lips, she began
to block him out and methodically followed him up the path and to the mansion.
Before she entered the house, the cut off the end of her cigar and put the top
back on the tequila. She breathed deeply, trying to fill her lungs with one more
breath of air. She walked into the kitchen to see Jonny and Hadji making the
dessert and Dr. Quest preparing what looked like berry smoothies. She forced a
smile and realized this is the third time she had seen Hadji and Dr. Quest in
the last 36 hours, although she hadn’t left the compound.
 “Jessie!” smiled Dr. Quest. “It’s good to see that you have joined us. I
assume that you still like strawberries?”
 “Yes, of course.” Was her response as she walked over and hugged Dr.
Quest.  Then she proceeded to hug Hadji. When Jonny came to her, she walked
passed him and into the living room. He hung his head in embarrassment and
followed her.
 “How have you been feeling, Jessie?” asked Dr. Quest, who had settled in a
recliner.
 Jessie forced a smile and hid her sadness. “I am still breathing… some
people consider that a good thing.”
 Dr. Quest nodded and left that subject alone. Almost all subjects were to
be left alone and Hadji understood that. Race chose to wait for later to talk to
his mourning daughter, but Jonny was naïve to the fact that Jessie just didn’t
want to talk.
 “How was your stay in Buenos Aires?” he blurted out.
 Jessie shot a look at him, as did everyone else. But Jonny disregarded the
stares and waited for an answer.
 “It was fine, Jonny. Considering it wasn’t much of a vacation. Now if you
will excuse me, I need to go get some rest.” Jessie stood up, kissed Race on the
cheek, then Dr. Quest and walked out of the room. Once she was out of sight,
Race threw a pillow at Jonny.
 “Why did you scare her off?” hissed Race.
 “I just asked her a simple question!” exclaimed Jonny.
 “My friend,” said Hadji. “She is not dealing with Monica’s death very well
and it would be better to let the scars attempt to heal, instead of opening them
up. She cannot deal with this right now. She is in a weakened state. She is also
using everything to make the pain go away: cigarettes, alcohol, you name it.
Anything that makes her forget about the emotional pain she is feeling at the
moment will suffice this hunger to make it go away. I strongly suggest that you
do not bring up Argentina or anything as such…”
 “That is bull Hadj. When my mom died, I had to deal with it and remember
it. I wasn’t allowed to hide from my problems. Why does she get to?” hollered
Jonny.
 Hadji shook his head and went after Jessie. Race and Dr. Quest spent the
time trying to make Jonny understand that Jessie wouldn’t let herself face it.

*          *          *

Jessie grabbed the razor and held it over her thigh. She let a tear drop, and
then she drew it across her skin. Blood seeped out of her wound and streamed
down her arm, just like her tears down her cheeks. More tears came, and she
repeated the process. Over and over again. Unbeknownst to her, Hadji had crept
into her room and was watching her perform the ritualistic mutilation to her
perfect body. He stood in the doorway of the bathroom and cried as well.
 “Jessie, please stop.” He whispered. Jessie turned at the voice and hung
her head in shame. She dropped the razor on the blood-splattered floor and hid
her face in her hands.
 “Hadji…” she gasped, trying to choke back the tears. Her body convulsed
with her crying as Hadji knelt beside her and took a washcloth to her blood.
There were previous markings, and a few burn marks as well. He let a few tears
fall down his face as he finished up. The bleeding was close to stopping by that
point. He looked up at Jessie.
 “I am so sorry. I should’ve been her earlier. I shouldn’t have let you do
this to yourself.” Was all Hadji could say. Jessie wrapped her arms around him
and he carried her onto her bed. Hadji sat down and held Jessie for the longest
time. Jessie didn’t begin to push him away. She was too afraid to be alone and
the comfort of having arms around her made her feel much better. After an hour,
she pulled away and turned to look him in the eyes.
 “Thank you.” She whispered.
 “You are welcome. But, promise me, no more. Please?” said Hadji as he
pushed a lock of hair out of her face. She nodded. Hadji kissed her cheek.
 “I am sorry. I just… I am not feeling anything and to feel pain is better
than nothing. I am so afraid. It’s the only way to make it better…” her voice
trailed off.
 Hadji nodded and pulled her close. He held back his tears as Jessie one
again hid her face in his shoulder.
 “Please don’t cry. I don’t want you to feel pain. I wish you would let me
take it all away. And you do feel something. Don’t you? Can’t you feel the love
I have towards you? That everyone has towards you?” was his response to her
tears.
 Jessie nodded and watched him leave. Again, she was all alone. He room was
dark, and rain was beginning to appear outside. She crunched herself into a ball
and began to cry once more.

*          *           *

Jessie was left alone until 1 in the morning. Race entered her room at that time
to check up on her. She was in the corner of her room, hiding in the shadows.
 “Jess? Where are you?”
 Jessie said nothing. She began to rock back and forth, shaking violently.
Race scanned the room and found her. He smiled and approached her.
 Jessie reacted to this movement by trying to press herself up against the
wall. She clawed violently at the wall, tearing the wallpaper. Race stopped dead
in his tracks and starred in disbelief. He calmly walked away and left the room.
 He rushed to Dr. Quest’s door and knocked, first softly, then more
aggressively. Dr, Quest appeared at the door moments later to find his dear
friend in a state of panic.
 “There is something wrong with Jessie.” Said Race.
 “What is wrong with her? Do you know?”
 “Doc… she is afraid of me. She literally tore the wallpaper trying to get
away from me.”
Race’s knocking woke both Hadji and Jonny up and they all followed Race to
Jessie’s room. Race slowly opened the door, refusing to turn on the lights. They
all looked around. Jessie was still in the same corner, rocking back and forth.
In her hand was the razor. She sat there slowly cutting through the flesh of her
arms and feet.
 “Jessie…?” trailed Jonny. Hadji looked at him calmly and approached
Jessie. Again, Jessie tried to crawl away. Once Hadji was in arms reach of her,
she thrashed out violently, once hitting Hadji in the cheek with the razor.
Hadji grabbed her wrists and threw her against the wall. Jessie stopped. She
didn’t even look like Jessie. She looked like a mad woman.
 “What is wrong with her Hadj?” moaned Race. Jessie made no reaction to his
voice. She was in her own world. Jessie had even begun to try and bite Hadji.
 “She needs mental help. Extensive help.” Hadji whispered. He gently
released his grip on Jessie’s wrists and took away the razor. Jessie began to
look normal once again. She was now lost. She lowered down to her knees and
began crying.
 Dr. Quest made a movement towards her and picked her up. Jessie no longer
fought back at anything. She just kept crying. Race didn’t see her blood.
Neither did Jonny. But Hadji knew it was there and Dr. Quest felt it through his
shirt.

*  *  *

Jessie starred out the window, crying. She reached over and pulled her stuffed
gorilla and held it close. She called it Dizzy Gillespie. It was after a jazz
trumpet player that her music teacher, Mr. Andrew, was obsessed with. They had
gone to Disneyland with the band and he had bought it for her, as a momentum of
the experience and it being her last day in the band. She smiled through her
tears. That had been a blast. She missed that trip. Of course, Monica had been
there with her.
 Monica. She missed her desperately. Whoever killed her would pay.
Eventually. But Jessie wouldn’t get her revenge. She was too tired to care. She
wouldn’t do it. Her thoughts were interrupted. Estella entered her room.
 “Jessie?” spoke Estella, quietly. “Come here dear. I have a surprise.””
 Jessie looked at her mother. She was so young, but she looked so old. Did
I cause that? Thought Jessie. She forced a smile and got up. Estella led her
outside. The rain was hitting down hard. Estella pointed out towards the upper
balcony, where the living room was. Race, Hadji, Jonny, and Dr. Quest were
behind her. They didn’t know what Estella had planned, and she refused to tell
them.
 Jessie looked up. There were 6 figures. 5 appeared to be female, the other
was male. Jessie smiled, a true smile, for the first time in months. She gasped
and ran back into the house. Everyone followed her as she grabbed a bag that her
mother had brought and ran into the bathroom.
 “Who is on the balcony? Should we be worried?” asked Dr. Quest.
 “Don’t be worried, Benton. It will make it better.” Was Estella’s
response. She led them out on the balcony.
 They all starred. There stood the five most beautiful women that they had
ever seen. Jessie quickly ran out of the house and embraced all of them. Tears
streamed from her eyes as she hugged each girl and kissed them on the cheek. An
old man, who was Jessie’s Grandfather, embraced his granddaughter. She smiled.
Jonny looked down and left.

*  *  *

For hours, Hadji, Race, Dr. Quest, Estella, Jessie, and their visitors talked.
Around two, they all went off into various guest bedrooms and normal bedroom,
except Jessie. She went to the lighthouse. Starring out into the sea, quickly
becoming drenched, she stood there searching.
 “Oh blast you stars, for hiding when I want to make a wish.” She said
aloud. A noise from above interrupted her thoughts. Through the corner of her
eye, she saw a blond mop. She smiled, and decided that she could no longer keep
her masquerade up.
 “Stars, I want to wish. I want to wish that I could know Jonny’s true
feelings for me. I wonder if they are as deep for me as mine are for him. But
since you are all hiding, I am going to sing to make you come out.”
 Jonny, who had been thinking, suddenly started paying complete attention
to the object of his desire.
 Jessie gave herself a few tuning notes. And she took a deep breath. “Wait,
stars, before I start, I am just singing the chorus. Ok?”
 Jonny slowly moved closer to her.
“I never had a dream come true,
Till the day that I found you.
Even though I pretend that I moved on,
You’ll always be my baby.
I never found the words to say
You’re the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be
A part of me will always be with you.”

She stopped when a hand gently rested onto her shoulder. The touch made her
shudder. A touch she knew so well, yet not so well. A touch she had wanted for
such a long time. But she was afraid that if she turned her head, she would find
out it was a dream.
 Once the cool lips touched her neck, she felt it was real.
 “Jonny…. I am so sorry….”
 “Hush… I don’t care anymore. Nothing is more important than us.”
 Jessie moaned at the touch against her neck and cheek.
 “Are you going to be better?”
 Jessie nodded and turned her head, leaning it against his shoulder.
 “My scars are going to be healed… both emotional and physical…”
 Jonny smiled and they passionately kissed, for what one might think is
forever. It was worth it. Everything that they had been put through, was worth
it. Jessie smiled. She would get better. She just gained what she needed to have
the courage to get better.