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Love is Strong	By : harry102 Category: +M through R > New Adventures of Jonny Quest, The Views: 8124 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Jonny Quest, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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'Calm down. She's fine. Calm down. She's fine.' That was the mantra repeating in his head while he tried not to let his erratic mind and heartbeat affect his better judgment.

It had been exactly five minutes since he found out she wasn't safe, and he easily cleared the mile Jade had driven to meet him in that short period. He was hoping to run into her on the way back. He was hoping she was trying to get back to him by foot, but every step he took only convinced him further that he should have never let her come. It was the most selfish thing he'd ever done. He needed her too much and he let her risk her life because of it.

Once he reached the previous location of Jade's car, he began to backtrack through the woods from the direction he thought the girls had run from the house. If she was hurt, he wanted her to see him coming so she wouldn't be afraid. The thought of her lying somewhere hurt and scared made his heart constrict violently, but it made him run faster. He was breathing so heavily that someone would hear him coming a mile away, but there was no way in hell he could stop to catch his breath. He was half a minute from making an half hysterical call to Race when he heard them.

"You have ten seconds to tell me who you are and why you're here?" an angry voice whispered loudly, followed by a resounding slap.

"Go fuck yourself," Jonny then heard Jessie exhale defiantly. Another slap quickly followed and the brief moment of relief he felt was washed away.

"Did you call for back up?" a second guy asked in a thick German accent.

"Nein," the first guy emphasized. "Ich werde nicht sterben. Wir müssen finden Rachael. Diese Hündin ist unsere einzige Hoffnung. Wir werden gesetzt werden, wenn wir bringen Rachael zurück."

"Whatever," the second guy laughed.

"You have no sense of self preservation do you?" the first voice asked in disbelief.

"Just let me play with her when you're done. I like them feisty," the second guy whistled.

Jonny continued moving slowly through the trees as the men argued. They came into view a few moments later. There were only two of them and they had not called for back up yet, assuming his German wasn't too rusty. They both had their guns drawn and about forty pounds on him. He unconsciously checked that his gun was cocked and ready to go upon this realization.

"Where is Rachael?" the first guy started yelling again and got in Jessie's face. "Taking her will provide you no leverage. Only death," he warned. "You are not the first to try it and you won't be the last."

Jessie just kept her eyes on a fixed point behind the men and ignored the question. She didn't even look at him when he slapped her across the face again.

Jonny had trouble watching him touch her without reacting, but just took a deep breath and held his ground. He knew it was safer for them both to pick his moment, but it wasn't easy with a red welt forming on her face.

"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear," the man laughed without humor. "Tell me or I will let my partner here play with you as he so delicately put it. I can assure you that you won't enjoy the games he has in mind. Women tend to find him…intrusive."

"Bring her back to the house once you get what we need," the second guy laughed as he began to walk away. "I want to fuck her before you put a bullet in her head. It's more fun when they fight back."

"Breathe," Jonny whispered to himself. 'Wait until this asshole is out of earshot.' Jonny didn't want anyone's death on his conscience. He had promised himself that if he was going to kill anyone it would be Grobin, but he was almost at a breaking point.

"Talk," the man sneered, leveling his gun at her head

'Come on, Jess. Distract him. I need more time,' Jonny thought.

"So what is Grobin gonna do to you when you come back without her," Jessie mocked.

'Easy baby. Don't make him angrier,' Jonny thought, willing her to feel him.

"It won't be half as bad as what I'll do to you, bitch. After I let my friend have at you," he threatened again. "Last chance. I'm serious you little whore."

"There's nothing you could do to me. I won't give her up," Jessie breathed. "She means too much."

Jonny felt like she just punched him, but in a good way. God the way he loved this woman.

"It's your death," the man growled, pointing his gun at her thigh. "Slow death."

"You probably shouldn't do that," Jessie then heard Jonny whisper in a tone she didn't recognize. The man threatening her immediately stiffened and turned toward the sound.

"That's your second mistake," Jonny breathed heavily, taking advantage of the man's momentary distraction and punching him in the throat. The gun fell softly to the forest floor and Jessie grabbed it without hesitation.

"Got him," Jessie whispered loudly, leveling the gun at her attacker's head. The man made a move as if to scream, but thought better of it when Jessie cocked the gun. "Are you sure you want to make mistake number three," she then mocked.

"Please do," Jonny sneered holding the man's wrists firmly behind his back. He had never been so angry in his life, never so willing to take another's life. The combination of this man's involvement in his mother's captivity and the way he was touching Jess made him livid.

"Let's get out of here," Jessie whispered. Her voice brought him back to the present, but he still wanted to beat the shit out of the guy. "Now," she stressed. "We're not exactly alone out here."

"Let's go," he answered briskly. Then he kicked the man's knees out and dragged him behind the nearest tree. "Mistake number one was touching my girl," he whispered in the man's ear before slamming his head against the tree and effectively knocking him out.

"A sleeper hold would have worked just fine," Jessie sighed

"Let's go," he said again in an angry tone. He was not mad at her. He was mad at himself. Jessie knew that, but it didn't help the sting. 'Later,' she thought. 'We have to get out of here.'

Then they started at a mad dash in the direction of the third car.

Her heart was beating wildly as they ran. She was afraid that someone would come out of the shadows at any second. The wooded area around the house was massive, but there were still several of Grobin's men out there looking for Rachael. Jessie could hear them in the distance and it scared the shit out of her. She just tried her best to focus on her breathing and the man she loved in front of her.

When they reached the car, her heart skipped a beat and she got that feeling that shoots through you when a roller coaster falls. They had a couple of close calls during the last quarter mile and her entire side was covered in mud courtesy of a ten minute visit they had with the damp ground as Grobin's men closed in around them. Sheer luck or the grace of God kept those men from discovering the car. All she remembers clearly is that Jonny had a death grip on her and she felt safer despite the danger.

"Let me drive?" she asked when she took a look at her boyfriend. "You're shaking."

"Get in," he ordered. "I'm fine." She knew there was no point in arguing. She just wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.

They drove in silence for forty minutes, while Jonny breathed heavily and took the most roundabout way to the rendezvous point imaginable. He was so tense and focused that she didn't want to distract him, but couldn't hold back much longer.

"Is your mom alright?" she asked when he stopped at a red light.

He just shook his head 'yes' and that was her cue to shut up. She turned her head to the window then and tried to fight the tears she needed to shed…tears of relief, tears of fear and tears of anger.

Jonny brought the car to a stop about an hour later. Jessie didn't see the motel, but guessed it was within walking distance. She didn't even realize she was still in the car until she heard him open her door. She felt like she was treading water, but couldn't reach the surface. She didn't hear him call out her name either.

He pulled her from the car then and into his arms before he let her feet touch the ground. She held onto him like she was afraid he would run away and then gasped, finally taking a breath into her tense body. Tears began flowing again without explanation and tears quickly turned into sobs due to the erratic way she was breathing.

She's not sure how long he held her. She just knows he never let up his grasp. When she felt human again, she was embarrassed for getting emotional.

"I'm sorry," she choked out quietly. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. This has just all been so crazy and I was so scared something happened to you."

"Don't," he whispered, holding her impossibly closer. "Don't apologize. Not ever."

She just enjoyed his embrace for a while longer, wishing they could stay like this forever. "Is your mom alright?" she asked again, wanting to change the subject.

"Are YOU alright?" he sighed, pulling back only enough to stroke the side of her face softly. It was red, but didn't look like it would bruise. He swallowed loudly and had to close his eyes for a moment to get the imagines of her being hit out of his head.

"I'm fine," she smiled hesitantly. "I've had worse."

"Yeah. Don't remind me," he responded sadly and trained his eyes on the ground. "I don't think I've ever been more afraid in my life. When you weren't with Jade…"

"You're not getting rid of me," she promised, finally meeting his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You can't scare me like that," he almost begged, pulling her as close as possible again.

She just held him tighter in response. "You made everything alright," she whispered. "You promised me you would and you did."

"I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner," he said softly, kissing her shoulder.

"You can't protect me every second," she stated rationally.

"Tell that to my heart," he chuckled. "It's not cooperating with that logic."

"I knew you'd come for me," she then whispered in his ear.

"I love you," he mumbled, nuzzling her neck and then searching out her lips. The kiss was soft, but lingering, and she never felt more loved. He didn't try to deepen the kiss, but he didn't give her much room when he pulled back either. He could feel every breath she took against his mouth.

"It's so mutual, babe." He kissed her again before she could say another word. This time he found his way inside her mouth and she responded in kind. He had her moaning softly into the kiss before she knew what hit her.

"We should go before Jade freaks out," Jessie sighed against his lips a few minutes later, pulling away reluctantly. "I'm sure your mom is worried too."

"Yeah," he swallowed.

"Have you had a chance to talk to her?" she asked.

"No. I was too worried about you," he smiled, pushing some hair out of her face.

"I will ride back with Jade so you two can have some time alone," she offered.

"I have no desire to be a car's length away from you," he breathed quickly.

She couldn't help but smile at his words and wrapped herself in his arms again. She never wanted to leave them anyway. "You sure know how to make a girl feel special," she exhaled.

"I just can't be away from you right now," he admitted quietly.

"You will get no arguments on that one," she smiled into his chest.

"That's a first," he joked.

"Shut up," she laughed. "Are you avoiding talking to your mom?" she asked a few moments later, finding it odd that he wasn't anxious to see her again.

"I'm a little petrified," he said quickly into her hair.

"Why?" she wanted to know.

"I don't know what to say to her…how to apologize," he paused. "I just…"

"None of this is your fault, Jonny. Besides, it's pretty clear how much she loves you," Jessie interrupted. "I was in the same room with you guys for only a minute, but it was overwhelming. I think all she's gonna care about right now is getting her family back."

"…but what she must have gone through…" he started again.

"Your dad will help her adjust and get through anything upsetting her," Jessie pointed out. "That's his job, babe. I'm sure he'll be so happy to do it too. I can't wait to see them together."

"Me too," he smiled, imaging his father's face. "What if she feels different somehow though? I think I would have to go dead inside if I lost my whole family. I don't know how else I would survive?" he worried again.

"Then your father will bring her back to life," she whispered. "I don't see how he couldn't. The way he loves her…it's magic."

"I love you like that," he said barely above a whisper.

"I know the feeling," she grinned.

"When did we become so cheesy?" he asked.

"No complaints," she sighed.

He just kissed her in response.

"Come on," she giggled, pushing him toward the motel.

Hand in hand they approached the door for room 69 with caution. There was nothing but quiet surrounding them and it put Jonny on edge. The door swung open as he prepared to knock. The sudden movement startled him and he pulled Jess behind him instinctively.

"Did you go sightseeing or some shit?" they heard in a loud whisper.

"Good to see you too Jade," Jonny replied dryly, making his way inside. A quick sweep of the room told him that his mother was not there, but the bathroom door opened before his panic could set in.

"Jonny," his mother cried and rushed toward him. She had him in a vice grip and didn't appear to be letting go anytime soon. He couldn't say that he minded.

Jessie and Jade stood back observing. Jade had a huge smile on her face and it surprised Jessie a little.

"You actually do care about him, don't you?" she realized. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, but was leaning toward being unhappy about it.

"Are you ok?" Jade deflected. "Do you need a first aid kit?"

"Nothing a shower won't fix," Jessie replied, looking away.

"Thank you," Jade mumbled. "You saved my life."

"Yeah," she huffed. "I won't tell anyone if you don't."

"Deal," Jade responded quickly, going back to her lookout post in the corner.

Jessie wanted to know what the next step of the plan was, but didn't want to interrupt Jonny's reunion with his mother. She decided to go for a quick shower, hoping they would just tell her what to do when she got out.

Once behind a closed door, she breathed a sigh of relief and had one of those moments where everything in your life feels surreal. It took a few minutes for the water to warm up, but she welcomed the additional time to herself.

A knock on the door almost gave her a heart attack, but it was only Jonny making sure she was alright. She stepped under the spray then and felt herself relax for the first time since she found out Jonny's mom was alive.

Meanwhile, in the other room Jonny still couldn't get over the presence of his mother.

"Sorry," he apologized, coming to sit by her on the bed. "I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"Of course," his mother smiled and then he noticed her eyes filling up with tears. "I've missed so much," she said sadly.

"We have the rest of our lives to make up for it," he promised. "Jess and I have been best friends since we were six. She has all the dirt on me and won't mind sharing," he laughed. "Believe me."

"I can't wait," she smiled through tears. "I love you so much."

"I love you too…and I think dad loves you more today than ever," he added quietly. He found it odd that she hadn't asked about him yet and watched her reaction closely.

Her eyes were closed tightly and she kept taking deep breaths, trying to get out what she wanted to say without tears.

"I was afraid to ask," she said quickly. "…it's been so long. I wouldn't expect him to mourn me forever. I didn't want him to. I had hoped he found someone to make him as happy as he made me…found someone to help him look after you."

"I've never even seen him look at another woman, Mom. He didn't know how to let you go. I'm glad he doesn't have to try anymore," he told her quietly. "And don't worry. I may not have had a traditional family unit growing up, and believe me I missed you every second, but I have an amazing family. I know you will love them as much as I do."

"Tell me about them?" she asked.

"I don't know where to begin," he smiled. "Uh…Race came to live with us a few weeks after…everything that happened," he hedged. "Dad spent most of his time in the lab, blaming himself for everything I think. It took a really long time for him to start… functioning again. I think it hurt him to even look at me."

"You were so little," she cried. "You shouldn't have had to deal with that alone."

"I didn't," he smiled. "Race was there. He helped me understand what dad was going through and that he wasn't upset with me. He was just…so sad. You were gone and he felt like it was his fault. I can imagine how that would feel," he whispered, unconsciously glancing at the bathroom door. "It was easier once I understood."

"I'm sorry you had to learn a lesson like that at all…let alone at such a young age," she said.

"It's not your fault. I'm just glad to have you back," he grinned. "And don't get me wrong…dad has been as good a father as any. Better even. I know how much he loves me. He just went through a rough time…"

"I can't wait to see him," she swallowed. "I've missed him every moment I've been away. Thinking of you two is the only thing that got me through. Tell me more."

"Well…I have a brother…adopted," he added quickly. "His name is Hadji and he is one of the smartest and kindest people on the planet. We found him begging in the streets on a trip to India. Dad and Race couldn't leave him there. He has an interesting family tree…" Jonny laughed. "He is so much like dad. You have to see it to believe it. They are like peas in a pod."

"And what about the best friend," Rachael smiled, tilting her head to the bathroom door.

Jonny's face lit up just at the mention of her. "Jess came to live with us about a year after Race. She's his daughter. She's…," he smiled and shook his head, hearing movement in the bathroom quickly followed by the door opening. "…everything," he said softly just for his mother's ears.

"Shower is free," Jessie said slowly, uncomfortable that everyone's attention was on her. "So what's the plan? Should we get going?"

"It will be light soon. I think we should stay," Jade spoke up.

"The Compound is like a fortress. All we have to do is get behind its walls," Jessie argued. "My dad could be here in an hour."

"I think it's safer to move at night," Jade argued back.

"We are sitting ducks if they find us here," Rachael stated with fear in her voice.

"Don't worry," Jonny reassured her. "Jade always has a Plan B."

"…and a Plan C," Jade jumped in.

"Which are…," Jessie inquired.

"All the rooms in this motel are adjoining," Jade started in a business-like tone. "We have this room obviously and the one to the right and the left. All the rooms have a bathroom in the back with a window large enough to fit through. All of those windows are open and there are cars behind the motel. If I give the word, Jonny and Jessie go left and we go right. They can't approach us from the front without being seen from this window and I have cameras in the back that are feeding live to the laptop in front of me."

"Cameras are not going to matter if forty armed men are coming at us," Rachael almost yelled. "I know how this world operates."

"So do I," Jade promised patiently. "There's a police station less than a quarter mile down the road. They will be here in two minutes if I call and those men with guns will scatter."

"I would feel safer at home," Rachael shot back and then paused and got an odd look on her face. "I want to go…home." She choked on the last word.

"I agree," Jessie piped in. "I want to go home, Jonny."

"I agree with Jade," Jonny responded with his eyes on Jessie's face and his hand on his mother's shoulder. "I want to go home too, but I trust her instincts. Also, she is obviously the most objective right now."

"Jonny, our dads and Hadj will be up in a few hours. What do you think they're gonna do when they realize we're not home?" she said heatedly and threw her hands in the air.

"I will leave Hadj a message right now. I'll say we got up early to take a drive and will be back late," Jonny assured her.

"My dad will know something is up," she argued.

"I'm just asking for a few more hours, Ace. Please give them to me?" he asked.

She would do anything for him, but she didn't have to be happy about it. "I'm gonna try to get some sleep then," she sighed, moving quickly to the bed furthest from the door and Jade without making eye contact with anyone. It wasn't the first impression she wanted to make on Jonny's mother, but she would worry about that when they were all safe.

Jonny couldn't stand the fact that he had to go against the women he loved, but he had to do what he thought was best. What he thought would keep them safe. He was just glad Jess didn't put up a fight. He was too tired to fight.

"Try and get some sleep," Jonny told his mother. "Please trust us. We will keep you safe."

"I just want my family back," she whispered.

"We will all be together in less than twenty-four hours," he grinned and tried to convey a confidence he didn't completely feel. "We are gonna spend Christmas as a family and it will be the best Christmas ever."

"I am exhausted," she admitted. "I want to talk to you more though," she cried, grabbing his hand.

"Me too," he smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

"…but you look more exhausted than I feel," she interrupted and pulled back. "When all this is over," she paused. "I want to spend a whole day just the two of us."

"I can't wait for that. I know exactly where I want to go too," he said, leading her toward the other bed.

"I love you," she whispered, pulling him close one more time.

"I love you too," he breathed.

Once she was settled, he dimmed the lights and made his way over to Jade.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I'll survive," he deflected and tried to stop a yawn in progress.

"Get some sleep," she ordered. "You're mom was right. You look like hell. When is the last time you slept?"

"I just need a shower to wake me up," he told her. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?" he asked. "I don't think we should stay here all day."

"I agree," she said. "There's another reason I wanted to wait awhile before heading back to the Compound. Grobin is smart. He's so close to you guys. He will definitely send people to check it out."

"They won't get past IRIS," he dismissed.

"They won't try to break in," she explained.

"They will just want to see if anything is out of the ordinary," he interrupted.

"He can't get her back until he figures out who has her," Jade continued.

"…and if we go back to the Compound after being crossed off that fucker's list it buys us more time," he finished.

"We should work together more often," Jade smiled. "So what do YOU think we should do?"

"Can I borrow your computer?" he grinned and raised his eyebrows.

"I love it when you get that look," she laughed softly. "What are you doing?"

"Securing us a safe place to hide out tomorrow," he told her without looking up from the screen. He was typing away furiously.

"I wish I had your hacking capabilities," she said longingly.

"It would make your life easier," he joked. "Here," he said, handing the computer back about ten minutes later. "I'm gonna take a quick shower and leave a message for Hadji."

He started the water while dialing Hadji's number. The voicemail came on after three rings.

"Hadj, sorry to do this to you but I need a huge favor. Jess and I decided to get up early and go for a long drive today. We just need some time alone to talk and figure everything out. I was hoping you could run damage control with dad and Race. We're gonna shut our phones off, but we'll be home before dinner. Thanks."

He hated lying to his brother, but it was a necessary evil. He just needed a little more time to think. "Fuck," he whispered, splashing cold water on his face. Jess was mad at him and he was lying to the rest of his family. He had to believe it was worth it though. He knew Jade was right and he didn't want to say anything to his father or Race that would make them act out of the ordinary. Even if he explained his logic to them it wouldn't work. Race would want to see that Jessie was alright and his father would want to be with his mother. They wouldn't wait… not even a few hours. He knew they wouldn't because he wouldn't wait either.

Looking at his reflection in the dirty motel mirror, he felt like he was looking at a stranger…a very tired stranger. "You just have to keep them safe for one day."

He stripped down quickly and jumped in the shower then. The warm water felt refreshing, but he couldn't relax. He just rinsed off quickly and then got back into his clothing a little damp.

When he opened the bathroom door the exhaustion finally hit him full force. He leaned against the wall for a moment and couldn't help the tired smile that graced his lips. His mother was safe and asleep. Jess was safe and pretending to be asleep…and beautiful.

He made his way back over to Jade to offer to relieve her, but she waved him off before he could open his mouth.

"Get some sleep, kid. I will wake you up in a few hours," she ordered.

He just nodded his thanks and then made his way toward the bed. He was just going to lie on top of the covers, but wanted to be closer to Jess. He tried to get in without jostling the bed too much. He took a deep breath once he was on his back and then angled his body toward her so that he was on his side.

She had her back to him, but he could feel her warmth and that was good enough for him. He was just about close his eyes when he felt her rolling toward him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and gripped his t-shirt tightly. He put his hand behind her back and pulled her flush against him.

"Thank you for letting me keep my promise," he whispered so only she could hear.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," she mumbled against his collarbone and then kissed it. "But there's no where else I'd rather be."

"Go to sleep beautiful girl."
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Love is Strong