Author: Meach

Category: Alternate universe and I'll let the reader decide what other
categories it may fit in.

Rating: PG-13

Warnings:  language

Disclaimer:  All characters relating to Jonny Quest are trademarks of and
copyrighted by Hanna-Barbera or whoever currently retains the license for
these characters.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are
products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead is entirely
coincidental. This piece was not written with the intent of publication or
distribution. Any compensation that the author receives will be strictly in
the form of comments received by its readers. I retain ownership only to the
characters Wilhelmina "Will" Stoker Harkness and T.C. "Terry" Caines. This
is strictly the work of someone's very vivid imagination and nothing more.
No profits are being made from this story.

Archivers permission: Only those that have received permission in 2001.

WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE

"Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"Does it hurt, much?"

"Only when I laugh, ha, ha, ha, OUCH! What are you doing?"

"Checking to see how many broken ribs you have."

"Bruised, maybe cracked but none broken."

"You know, what you did was stupid. You could have gotten away and saved
yourself, they would never have caught you."

"I don't leave my friends. Now, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to put my belt around your ribs so it will give them a little
support in case one is broken."

"That's nice of you but it's not necessary."

"Just like it wasn't necessary for you to come back for me."

"I told you, I don't leave my friends."

"You know, we're going to die."

"Maybe not."

"You didn't have enough time to get a message out to I-1."

"Don't be so sure about that."

"And if they don't get here in time?"

"Then I can't think of a nicer person to spend my last hours alive with than
you."

"Ha, ha, ha! Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Look, when the guards come for us, I'll attack them and you make a run for
it."

"I'll never be able to move fast enough with these ribs. Besides, I have a
better idea."

"What?"

"I'll attack the guards and you run."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Don't be stupid. I don't have a reason for making it out alive but you've
got your beautiful wife and an adorable little girl to go home to."

"Boy, are you pessimistic."

"Well, you have to agree that in the relationship department I'm batting
zero."

"So the FBI agent was a pervert and Drake was a rat."

"I can think of worse things to call Francis Xaiver Drake than a rat."

"Ok, so Drake was an asshole."

"HA, HA, HA! Ow, I told you not to make me laugh."

"You can't give up hope on finding him."

"I haven't but I'm not holding my breath."

"I mean look at you, you're smart, funny, caring and cute."

"Oh, God! I'm going to die an old maid!"

"Why do you say that?"

"You used the 'c' word."

"Huh?"

"You called me cute. That word is reserved for babies and animals . . . When
you call an adult that, you're trying to spare their feelings from telling
them how ugly they really are."

"You're not ugly. Is sweet and adorable acceptable?"

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to call me either one of those."

"But you are. After all, you've taken the time to get to know everyone's
wife. I don't know of any female agents in the other agencies doing that."

"It was important to me because I wanted them to feel comfortable about me
working with their husbands. Besides, if I had to go tell one of them that
their husband was dead, I wanted to do it as a friend and not some cold
government official."

"See what I mean, you've got a lot of love in you and the right guy will
notice it."

"Not hardly."

"Hey, who organized around the clock babysitters for Glenn and Karen when he
was in intensive care?"

"I knew Karen would want to be with Glenn and there was no way she could do
that and take care of the baby."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to do that, or organize people to help with the
house and yard work along with preparing meals after Glenn was released from
the hospital either."

"No, but . . . "

"And you filled in for me when Estella was in labor until I could get
there."

"It was no big deal."

"Maybe to you it wasn't but you've done a lot of nice things that you didn't
have to do for people."

"Is this your way of apologizing for what you said about me the first time
you heard my name."

"Huh?"

"Don't tell me that you forgot what you said about me?"

"I guess I have. What did I say?"

"Quote, 'With a name like Wilhelmina Stoker Harkness, she's got to be a
six-six, ball busting, man hating dyke with unshaven legs and hairy armpits.
Her hobbies include shot-putting and emasculating men. She probably keeps
trophies from all the men she's emasculated too,' unquote."

"I said that?"

"Yes, you did."

"I'm sorry, I guess I was just upset over the prospect of having to work
with a woman."

"Don't worry about it, you're not the first guy to say something along those
lines."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's no big deal. Maybe it's my name that scares men."

"Don't give up, Will. He's out there somewhere."

"Yes and he's either gay or married."

"Don't talk like that."

"I'll tell you what, Bannon. If you find him, I'll marry him."

"You're, kidding right?"

"Nope. If you find some poor guy willing to marry me, then I'll do it.
Deal?"

"Deal."

"Brr, it's cold in here."

"No, it's not. Harkness you're freezing and you feel clammy too."

"Hmm . . . "

"Hang on, Will. Don't you dare go into shock on me."

"So here's where you two slackers are hiding while the rest of us are
getting shot at. Just wait until I tell that sexy Colombian wife of yours
that I found the two of you cuddled up together."

"Can it, TC. Harkness is hurt, bad."

"You don't look so great yourself."

"It's just a broken arm and my shoulder's messed up but Will's in shock."

"Then what are we waiting for, let's get out of here. Are you mobile?"

"Yeah but I can't carry Harkness."

"I'll get her."

"Hey, TC. Do you want to hear something funny that the Brat told me?"

"Sure."

"She said if I could find some guy to marry her, she'd do it."

"Sounds like she also suffered a head injury to me."

"Yeah, that's what I thinking."

"Let's go home."

"Sounds good to me."

********************************************************
Author's notes: Ok, the thing about the ribs depends on the doctor, or so it
seems. I've known people that have had fractured ribs and been taped up from
their underarms to their waist and then I've known people who have actually
broken a rib and the doctor didn't do anything, go figure.

Thank you, Spense and Helen for beta and proofreading, along with the kind
comments.
Regards,
Meach