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Love is Strong	By : harry102 Category: +M through R > New Adventures of Jonny Quest, The Views: 8127 -:- 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
- 29
- 30
- 31
AN: So yeah...it's been a while. Hopefully, I have not lost the voice of the characters or confused the timeline too much since so much time has passed. Sorry for errors. I should really get a beta.
The first thing Jessie did when she woke up was look at the clock. The second thing she did was close her eyes again and focus on the feeling of Jonny's arms around her. She could tell by the movement of his chest against her back and his soft breaths on her neck that he was still asleep. She felt a little overheated trapped between his body and the heavy hotel comforter, but refused to move.
Instead, she let her mind wander and could not help but imagine the reunion of the Quest family. It brought an uncontrollable smile to her face. She was so grateful that she would never have to feel her heart break for Jonny again because he was sad about his mother.
She felt totally content and happy in his arms, despite their circumstances. She was beginning to lose count of the times that feeling had overwhelmed her in the last few days. She knew in that moment, with a greater certainty than ever before, that her love for him was not negotiable.
'If this is the feeling Dr. Quest has been missing all this time, I don't know how he did it,' she thought compassionately. Even though Rachael was separated from her family, at least she knew they were alive and safe. Dr. Quest did not have that comfort.
Jessie was happy when she began to hear the rain and wind pound roughly against their window. She was so relaxed in Jonny's embrace that concentrating on the beating sound was the only thing keeping her from being pulled back into sleep. Although, replaying the time they had spent together in the shower a few hours prior helped a lot too. Another hour passed before he moved a muscle or made a noise.
"Jess," he exhaled sharply and then she felt his head drop to her shoulder. It was dripping with sweat and that was when she noticed his arms were very damp also.
"Babe?" she called out softly. "Let's get out from under these covers. I love you, but you are so gross right now," she laughed.
His grip did not let up at her words and that was when she realized he was still asleep. "Shit," she mumbled to herself, knowing that she should have expected the stress and lack of sleep over the last few days would have caused him to have a nightmare.
She pulled herself from his arms then and he rolled away easily. "Wake up," she whispered and cradled the side of his face. She was hoping to do this quietly and without alerting Jade or his mother. "Jonny, wake up," she said again, this time pinching his cheek.
That caused him to spring up abruptly and scan the room wildly. He had a look of pure fear in his eyes before realizing where he was and pulling Jessie onto his lap and into a vice grip. She eventually managed to turn in his arms enough to wrap herself around him completely, but he did not make it easy. He gave her no space… not that she was complaining. She just held him patiently and waited for him to start talking or for his heartbeat to slow down, neither of which was happening fast.
"Everyone is safe," she breathed into his ear. "You've kept us all safe," she reassured.
The entire exchange was less than five minutes, but it felt like much longer to both of them.
"Sorry," he murmured, dropping back onto the bed with her still perched on top of him. She shifted slightly forward to still the hands he was running through his hair and over his face.
"Don't apologize. I love taking care of you," she told him sweetly, sitting back only once she had his full attention.
"Ditto," he responded with a lopsided grin, finally focusing his eyes upon her and then pulling her down for a quick kiss. "You are so beautiful," he sighed, planting his hands firmly on her hips and appreciating the view of her in his t-shirt. He did not remember her putting it on before they went to sleep, but he was glad that she did.
"Don't start," she laughed.
He was about to object when he noticed his mother quietly stick her head into the room. A few things happened in rapid succession after that. Jessie immediately noticed his distraction and jumped off of him in embarrassment. His mother apologized profusely for not knocking and all but ran from the room and Jonny found it all very entertaining and began laughing loudly.
"Oh my God…Oh my God…Oh my God," Jessie muffled into her pillow. "Stop laughing," she whispered fiercely, sitting up on her knees and slapping his chest. "That was mortifying."
"We weren't even doing anything…" Jonny rationalized.
"I was straddling you…we are half dressed… and you are all sweaty…Oh my God," she interrupted herself and then her shoulders sagged. "This is not the first impression I want to be making."
"She already loves you," he smiled.
"How…"
"I know," he cut in. "Besides, you helped save her life. I think that cuts you some extra slack. Now come here, sugar bum."
"No way," she shook her head.
"Well… they obviously aren't gonna come back in here without express permission now, so we might as well take advantage," he teased and raised his eyebrows.
"Not happening," she shot him down and then headed for the bathroom. He allowed himself to start laughing again once the door was shut, but then she popped back out without warning.
"And never call me sugar bum again," she announced and was gone again before he could respond.
He thought about getting up to reassure his mother or to talk to Jade, but felt a stronger pull to stay in the little bubble he and Jess had created in this room.
When she finally came out of the bathroom, she was clearly still distracted and he was still amused. 'This is the best distraction,' he thought. 'She is so cute.'
"Stop stressing," he ordered. "It does no one any good and it's not even necessary. Unfortunately, we weren't even doing anything scandalous."
"Mmm," she acknowledged and then curled back into his arms on the bed. "I just want her to like me."
"She sees how happy you make me," he noted. "That's all that matters to her."
"Tell me about your dream," she interjected with a change of subject.
"Now that is not something that matters," he tried to shut her down.
"Jonny…"
"Please?" he asked. "You know my dreams are stress induced. This is obviously a stressful situation so it's not newsworthy or even worth thinking about."
"Don't you think talking about it will make you feel better?" she asked softly.
"Talking about losing you does not relieve my stress," he raised his voice and then took a moment to collect himself. "Holding you…that makes me feel better," he sighed. "I told you last night…you make everything better by just being there."
"I thought that was just sex haze talk," she teased to lighten the mood.
"One part amazing shower sex haze and three parts straight from the heart," he smiled. "I love you, Ace."
"I love you too."
"We need to get the rest of this day started," he grumbled into her hair.
"Nooo," she said quietly into his chest. Her mind immediately went back to what his mother had walked in on earlier.
"I'm opening the drapes," he warned, pulling away from her and allowing what little light of the day remained into their room. "Come on," he extended his hand. She accepted slowly and then got dressed even slower. She eventually let him pull her into the common room.
She decided that acting like nothing had happened would be the least painful route. She suspected that she may be overreacting, but it was hard to shut off the feelings.
"Lovebirds," Jade announced loudly as they approached. "Finally coming up for air?"
"We WERE NOT doing anything," Jessie yelled. 'So much for staying cool,' she thought. "We were just talking."
"Jade knows that," Jonny interrupted. "She's just trying to get under your skin. Don't let her," he said coolly, sitting across from Jade and pulling Jess down next to him.
"What?" Jade smiled innocently at Jonny, which made Jessie want to rip her hair out even more.
"Sweetie, don't even worry about it," Rachael directed at Jessie. "Benton's mother walked in on us once and we were definitely doing something."
"MOM," Jonny yelled and jumped up from the couch. "What the hell? I don't want to know that. Jesus Christ." Jessie's laughter in the background did not help.
"Give me a break," she waved him off. "It's the circle of life."
"That doesn't mean we need to discuss it so openly," he shot back.
"There is no need to be embarrassed…."
"I'm not embarrassed," he interrupted. "I'm just a little grossed out and quite frankly wish that we had been doing something fun. At least that would make this awkward conversation worth it. I had a nightmare, ok? They get a little intense sometimes… she was just trying to calm me down. Fuck."
Jessie was shocked that he admitted that out loud, especially in front of Jade, but didn't say anything because she knew he would not want to get into details. Instead, she tried to refocus the conversation. "Are we ready to leave?"
"Definitely," Jonny piped in and focused, once again, on his greatest distraction. "I need to get you home before your father forbids me from seeing you ever again."
"Like that would happen," she scoffed.
"He is the one person in the world that scares me," Jonny shot back.
"Well, I'm not afraid of him…so don't worry so much," she smiled. "Let's go," she then said with excitement and made her way toward the door.
Jade followed Jessie out of the room and shot Jonny an amused look. "Shut up," he whispered as she walked by and that just made her laugh outright.
He held back for a moment to wait for his mother.
"I'm sorry," they said simultaneously.
"It's fine," Jonny laughed. "I'm still sleep deprived. I'm much less reasonable on no sleep."
"And these dreams?" she started.
"Same," he shut her down quickly. "It's just the lack of sleep. It happens like clockwork. Honestly, no need to worry."
"Alright," she grinned and he was happy that she let it go.
"Ready to go home," he then asked quietly and it brought tears to her eyes.
"Lead the way," she smiled. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Once they were huddled by a service entrance waiting for Jade to get the car, Jessie realized that she and Jonny had never discussed how they were going to get past IRIS and check his mother's hair against the sample on file without alerting the entire household of their arrival. However, he didn't seem worried at all when she looked over to gauge his state of mind, so she assumed that he had it under control.
A few moments later, she felt him wrap his arms around her from the behind. The warmth that immediately spread through her body felt amazing. "Where's your thermal?" he asked. "You're shivering." She had not noticed the cold until he brought it up.
"In the car probably," she responded, leaning back against him and letting him rub her bare arms.
"You can have mine, if not," he told her. "We should head back into the Compound the same way we left, so we will be outside for a few miles."
"We can't go in the front?" his mother asked.
"I don't want to risk it in case Grobin is watching," he hedged, which was only half true. "Plus, I'd honestly like to give Pop a heads up in person first. He has no idea what's going on and I want to make sure he understands this is for real."
"That makes sense," his mother nodded. "You're such a good boy… I can't wait to see him," she then whispered to herself with eyes closed.
The devotion in her voice made Jessie's heart flutter and it made her turn in Jonny's arms to burrow as close to him as possible. 'I love you,' she thought and then received a quick kiss on her ear in response as if he had heard her.
It was not long before Jade's arrival interrupted the moment, but the interruption was not unwelcome. They were all ready to go home. Jonny quickly helped his mother and Jessie into the back seat and then ran around to the front to sit with Jade.
"You ready for this?" Jade asked him as they got on their way.
"I feel like I've been ready my whole life," he grinned and then sat back to enjoy the ride.
His mind immediately wandered to the last truly good and clear memory he had of the three of them together. His parents were sitting on the front porch of the Florida Compound when he ran out to greet them. They were on the porch swing that was too high for him to climb on himself so his father reached down and pulled him up across both their laps.
"What are you up to, little man?" his mother asked.
"I'm not little," he argued.
"I don't know," his father teased, placing him back on the ground. "I don't think you can get back up here yourself. A big boy could."
"Daddy…come on. I can do it," he laughed, running to the other end of the porch and then turning around to hurl himself at full speed back toward them. He jumped up when he was about three feet away and would have fallen a foot short, but his dad caught him. "See...I did it," he giggled, as they both tickled him.
"Yes you did," his mother cooed and then gave him butterfly kisses. "I think he deserves a big boy present, Benton."
"Yes," Jonny yelled excitedly. "What is it, mama?"
"Are you sure he's ready?" Benton teased.
"I'm ready," Jonny interrupted excitedly.
"Go take a look in the kitchen," his mother whispered in his ear and Jonny quickly jumped off his parents' laps to head back in the house. When he arrived to the kitchen table, he looked around anxiously for a wrapped present. He jumped up as high as he could to see if there was something on the counter and was about to call for his mom again when he heard a noise in the pantry.
"Puppy!" he yelled upon opening the door. "MOM! DAD! We have a baby dog!"
"Don't scream," his mother told him softly and knelt down beside him. "And be gentle, sweetie. He's just a baby. You don't want to hurt him."
"I won't hurt him," Jonny whispered and then cradled the small pup. "I love him."
"Are you going to help me take care of him?" his father asked and Jonny nodded vigorously never taking his eyes off his new friend. "What should we name him, son?"
Once they reached the edge of the Compound, Jonny felt the adrenaline kick in and he couldn't wait to get to the lighthouse. He tried to keep a moderate pace, but quickly found his way in front of the group. He wasn't sure how long they were walking, but it felt too long…like one of those nightmares where you can't get where you need to be no matter how hard you try and your legs feel extremely heavy.
"Hotshot…slow down," Jess called out and jogged a little to catch up with him.
"Sorry…anxious," was all he said.
"So I have to ask," she hesitated. "You're not concerned at all about the troops descending upon us at any second?"
"Nah," he grinned. "I've gotten pretty good at manipulating IRIS to my advantage. Everyone is in the main house right now."
"You'll have to spread that wealth," she acknowledged.
"Not a chance. Trade secret," he shook his head.
"Fine…but how ever will I sneak into your room at night undetected?" she joked. "I guess you'll have to continue sleeping alone…"
"Fuck that… I'm sure we can come to an understanding, baby."
His response made her laugh out loud and push him aside playfully. "Seriously, how are you?" He sobered at her question and grabbed her hand as the lighthouse finally came into his eye line.
"Come in there with me?" he whispered and then felt the soft squeeze of her hand.
"Yeah…let's go. We have a family Christmas to get home to," and she pulled him along the path that led to the back door.
"Mom, Jade…just give us five minutes. I want to figure out where everyone is," he informed them and entered without looking back. His heart was thundering in his ears as he took the steps two at a time. He could hear Jessie's footsteps behind him, which offered a little comfort.
"Is it really possible to do this in five minutes?" Jessie asked.
"Of course….this is my dad's lab. Besides, I've been helping him a lot in here lately since you and Hadj have been gone," he breathed as he set to work. "I know my way around."
"You've never mentioned this," she was surprised, but pleasantly. Watching him concentrate and work like this was something she found very attractive. 'You find everything he does attractive,' she rolled her eyes at herself.
"My dad has several files saved on the mainframe about my mom…pictures, emails…DNA sample. I came across it randomly, but it will make this pretty easy…" he trailed off distractedly.
"Jonny!"
"One second…," he held up a finger. "Ok. It just needs a few minutes."
"You went through your dad's private files?" she accused.
"I came across it by accident and I honestly couldn't help myself," he at least looked sheepish. "He never talks about her. I was so curious."
"Come here," she ordered and then wrapped her arms around him tightly. They swayed back and forth slowly, but he could only focus on the screen as he waited for the confirmation.
Jessie felt his entire body sag in relief a few moments later and felt his lips turn into a smile against her ear. "Let's go home."
They raced down the stairs in excitement and were quickly rejoined with the rest of their group. Jonny asked the girls to keep close and follow him. He knew that one person was in the kitchen, which he assumed was Mrs. Evans, and that four more people were in the family room. If they entered through the garage he would be able to hide his mother and speak to his father in private for a moments. As they ran across the lawn, he fleetingly wondered who the fourth person was, but a sinking feeling in his chest told him that he already knew. 'Hopefully, Estella will wait until I can speak with my father before laying into me,' he thought wryly. His breath hitched once they were safe inside the garage.
"Ok. Mom, please wait here for a few minutes. I'm gonna go speak with dad and then I'll be right back," he grinned, grabbing Jessie's hand and making his way toward the door. "…and Jade, please don't sneak off?" he asked and gave her a pointed look. "At least stay the night so I know you're safe. We need to come up with a game plan tomorrow to make sure everyone stays that way and your input would be invaluable."
"I promise," she said begrudgingly.
As Jonny and Jessie made their way through the kitchen, smiling at Mrs. Evans' slightly disapproving glare in the process, the unmistakable sound of an argument was traveling throughout the house.
"How much trouble am I in?" Jonny hedged.
"THIS BEHAVIOUR IS UNACCEPTABLE. HOW COULD YOU LET IT COME TO THIS," they were interrupted by Estella's screeching from the other room. "I'M CALLING THE POLICE."
"WHAT WILL THAT SOLVE?" Race yelled back. "THEY ARE ADULTS."
"THEY ARE CHILDREN…CHILDREN WHO THINK THEY ARE IN LOVE."
"NOT IN THE EYES OF THE LAW. IF YOU CALL THE COPS, THEY WILL JUST LAUGH AT YOU."
"I'M NOT JUST GOING TO STAND AROUND WHILE THAT MISCREANT IS OFF DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT WITH MY DAUGHTER…"
"EXCUSE ME," Benton then boomed. "That is my son you're talking about."
"Jonny said they would be back for dinner," Hadji jumped in rationally. "Perhaps we should just wait and see…well hello my friends," he switched gears and smiled when he spotted his friends in the entryway holding hands.
"Where the hell have you been?" Race tried to ask patiently. "…and why are you dressed like that?"
"I owe you a serious apology, Race. I also owe you a long explanation, but I need to speak with my dad in private first. Pop, please. Can we talk alone?" Jonny asked.
"Let's go. You owe me a long conversation too," Benton replied and started walking toward his study.
"Good luck with the firing squad," Jonny whispered to his girlfriend and then turned to follow his father.
"Hey Hotshot," she spun around to catch his attention. "It was worth it," and she gave him a smile that would light up three rooms.
"This is over," Estella whispered fiercely.
"Mom," Jessie sighed in exasperation. "It will all make sense in a few minutes. Just please be patient for once."
"Don't be misguided, sweetheart," she tried to start again in a soothing voice, hoping it would help her cause. "I love you more than my life and I just want better for you. Have no illusions that the choices you make now can change your entire future."
"I know where you are going with this and you are wasting your time," Jessie interrupted. "Jonny and I did not run off to a motel room for the day to accidentally make you a grandmother," she stated bluntly. "You are SO off base. Don't worry… I will not be making the same mistakes as you."
"Don't speak to me that way," she threatened. "I am just looking out for your interests. You are supposed to be with a man that makes you better… a man that challenges you and respects you."
"That sounds like Jonny to me," Jade interrupted from the doorway with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
"Where's…" Jessie started with worry, but Jade cut her off sharply.
"She's fine…got tired of waiting. SO…how's everyone doing?" Jade asked too sweetly and did everything she could to avoid eye contact with Race.
"What the fuck is going on, Jess? NOW!" Race demanded. He was done trying to be the patient parent. "What did you get my kids into?" he turned on Jade before Jessie could answer.
"DAD…it's not her fault," Jessie defended and the whole room turned to her in shock. "She was helping…in her way anyhow," she had to add because she was still pissed about the way Jade had handled everything. The ends did not justify the means in her mind since the means hurt Jonny.
"What is not her fault?" Race asked behind gritted teeth.
"Dad…," Jessie smiled. "I know this is gonna sound crazy, but Rachael Quest is alive, well and currently heading toward Dr. Quest's study."
"Jessie," Race started. "Wait…what?"
"She's alive," she choked up. "That's where we were. It's a long story and we didn't want to say anything until it was confirmed."
"Start talking," Race ordered.

"Son, I have done my best to be patient with you the last few months. I know it can't be easy for you to be without Jessie and Hadji for such long periods for the first time, but your behavior has become unacceptable and disrespectful. I know you love Jessie, but the two of you can't be running off. You have to think about how your actions affect other members of this family."
"I know. I'm sorry…from the bottom of my heart and I plan to tell Race the same thing," Jonny started. "…but that's not what I need to talk about. Jess and I did not sneak off to be alone. It's not like that at all…"
"Race told me about… what happened between you and Jessie…," Benton tried to express, using some odd hand motions.
"Sex…Pop," Jonny interrupted impatiently and then sat down. "Look…I promise you that we were careful and…and I will talk to you about this at length tomorrow if you really think it's necessary, but that's not why I'm here. Please sit."
"What's happened?" he sobered.
"I'm going to tell you something and I need you to understand that it is real. I would never joke about this and I would never even think about saying it to you unless I was completely sure, ok?" His father just nodded in response, but remained standing.
Benton's heart began to thunder in his ears at Jonny's serious tone and the sinking feeling that was currently creeping into his stomach was not something he would wish upon any parent.
'Just spit it out,' Jonny told himself. 'There is no way to ease into this.'
"Dad…Mom is alive and I found her," he whispered. "She's alright," he rushed out. "She's here. She's…Pop?" Jonny asked and then jumped up to go to him. The look in his eyes was disturbing and Jonny realized that he wasn't breathing. "Dad?" Jonny urged, shaking him.
Benton's mind began racing the moment those words left his son's lips, but he could not get his body to cooperate. All he could think about was getting to his lab, but his legs were moving too slowly.
"I have to get to the lab," he responded disjointedly. "I'm in the middle…"
"DAD," Jonny yelled. "Did you hear what I said? Mom's…"
"Shut up… just shut up right now. DON'T…talk about my wife," he breathed out. Jonny felt like he was looking at a stranger. The immediate shift in his father's demeanor was worrisome and out of character. It was like he regressed twelve years in a few seconds and Jonny finally fully understood in that moment how much his father loved his mother and why he would never talk about her. His reaction was visceral and gut wrenching to witness even after all the years that had passed. "I have to get to my lab," he whispered forcefully, finding his legs and pushing past his son roughly.
Benton went ashen again, however, when he was met in the doorway by his dead wife. "This is not real…this is not real," he began to chant to himself, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths through his nose.
"Dad…," Jonny started again, but was interrupted by his mother's quiet plea.
"Let me, sweetheart."
A loud voice inside Jonny's head was telling him that his parents deserved this moment in private, but he could not make himself leave. He wanted to be there when his father realized the truth. He was also a little afraid that his dad might lash out again and unintentionally hurt himself or his mother.
"Benton," she whispered so softly and full of relief. "It's me, pooh-Bear. I'm home. I missed you… EVERY moment," her voice cracked and then she tentatively reached a hand up to caress his face. When she touched him, he made an indescribable noise and then pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
"This is not real," he continued to chant. "...but you feel so real and I'm not letting go. Never letting go again," he mumbled.
"Benton?" she prompted after a few minutes passed in each other’s arms. He was clinging to her like a life raft, but still had not given any indication that he understood. "I love you. We have so much to talk about," she became teary-eyed, but recovered quickly. "…that's for later though, when we're alone. For now, I need you to know that I'm here and I'm not going anywhere… not for the rest of your life. Oh…and our amazing son made me take a DNA test before he'd even let me anywhere near you," she added with a laugh and a knowing look at Jonny over her husband's shoulder. "He loves you as much as I do. Benton?" she pushed again.
"You know I hate it when you call me pooh-Bear," he grumbled into her neck just loud enough for Jonny to hear and start laughing loudly. The next thing he knew, all three of them were laughing and embracing. It was surreal, but still perfect.
"How…" Benton started, but could not find the words to finish when clear eyes finally met his wife's. "I LOVE you," he announced loudly. "I love you so much."
"I'll give you guys a moment," Jonny cleared his throat. "I'm sure the others are about ready to track us down so I'll head them off. Take your time," he smiled and then left the room quickly. He leaned back against the closed door for a moment to catch his breath and take stock. He did it. He kept them both safe and now they were all together for Christmas. Witnessing his parents' reunion gave him the overwhelming urge to be back with Jessie, even if it meant dealing with her mother. With that in mind, he walked quickly back toward the living room.
Jessie was in the middle of explaining their absence when he walked into the room and she stopped abruptly to run into his arms. "How was it?" she whispered in his ear. He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing felt sufficient enough to explain how he was feeling. Instead he buried his face in her neck and she smiled when she felt his smile against her skin.
"I love you," he said loud enough for everyone to hear and then started laughing because he was afraid he would cry otherwise.
"Jonny," his brother walked up to him shaking his head all the way, but with a smile on his face. Jonny just pulled him into their embrace and kept laughing.
"This is the best day of my life," he then pulled back with a grin. "My brother, my best friend… my mother," he trailed off in disbelief. As quickly as his smile came, however, it fell and his breathing picked up noticeably.
"What's wrong?" Jessie asked with concern, placing a hand over his chest. "Your heart is going a mile a minute."
"Nothing," he insisted, pulling away from his friends. "Race, can we talk? I need your help with IRIS."
"Let's go," Race responded gruffly and began following Jonny from the room. He was still confused as hell and hoped that Jonny could make him understand.
"Jade, I could use your input too," Jonny stated.
"Gladly," she jumped up from the couch and left the room quickly.
"I think I will let the two of you catch up," Hadji then piped in with only Jessie and Estella left in the room. "A few minutes of meditating would serve me well before we eat."
"Hadj, I may need a witness," Jessie deadpanned.
"I'm sure you'll survive," he responded and then made his way out.

"I…how?" Benton stumbled. "I love you so much," he managed to choke out slowly. "I love you. I never stopped. I… sweetheart please don't cry."
"I'm just so happy to see you and overwhelmed," she cried, pulling herself closer to her husband. They were in the middle of the floor leaning up against Benton's desk and completely wrapped up in each other.
"It doesn't feel real…and I'm afraid it will go away and I'm so angry about the time I missed with you and Jonny."
"I'm so sorry… I had no idea, but I should have known. I still felt you, but I thought…"
"Don't," she interrupted. "There's no way you could have known. Believe me…that bastard thought of everything…please know that I would have contacted you in a heartbeat if I could have. He made it… impossible…" she choked on her words.
"How can you not blame me?" he asked with a disconnected tone. "He did this because of me."
"He did it because he's a sick individual, Benton. I have no illusions about us just picking up where we left off like this didn't happen, but I don't want to waste any more time either," she begged. "It won't be easy, but please tell me that you won't shut down on me? Tell me we can get through our anger and guilt and build a new life together? I know that's a lot to ask…"
"It's not," he interrupted quickly. "I want that more than anything…but I'll need to know everything," he warned her. "I can't move on without the whole truth. Things left unsaid would eat me alive."
"I know," she sighed. "Later… should we head back out there?"
"Not yet," he whispered into her hair and that was all she needed to hear.
"I know that I'm biased…but our son is perfect," she whispered back, hoping to lighten the mood for a bit. "You did an amazing job with him."
"I agree, but I had A LOT of help," Benton admitted. "I couldn't have done it without Race. He was a godsend and Jonny looks up to him so much."
"I can't wait to get to know both of the Bannons better…especially Jessie. He loves her," Rachael smiled. "That is so good to see."

"Jessie," her mother sighed with defeat in her voice. "Please sit with me. I don't want to fight anymore. I just want to make you understand."
"I'm aware of your thoughts on my personal life," Jessie rolled her eyes, but took a seat next to her mother. "Please understand that there is NOTHING you can say that will change my mind. He is the one and I'm not too young to know that."
"I understand that's the way you feel right now," her mother started slowly. "…I only want to make sure that you give yourself room to grow without him too. Love is the most amazing feeling in the world, but it doesn't stop life. Please be careful about making him your first thought every time you make a decision. Don't give up any of your dreams for him."
"You don't get it," Jessie sniffed. "He would never expect that of me and if he even suggested it he knows exactly how much hell he'd catch."
"I don't want the two of you living together up in Boston," she jumped in. "Your primary focus needs to be school."
"We have lived together our whole lives and my primary focus has always been school," Jessie defended. "You need to trust me to take care of myself. You need to trust him too," she added quietly. "… he takes good care of me. He always puts me first… annoyingly so even."
"I really don't doubt that he cares about you," she admitted. "I know some of the things I've said may have indicated otherwise, but I do know that he cares."
"Can we just end the conversation there?" Jessie smiled. "…because I can live with that."
"I still don't think he's the best option…"
"MOM…of course you can't end it on a good note."
"I don't want my feelings on the topic misunderstood," she breathed. "I don't think he would ever hurt you on purpose. I truly don't."
"He wouldn't…"
"…but I still think you will end up hurt as a result of this relationship."
"He's worth the risk. PERIOD."
"Jessie…"
"The conversation is over," she jumped up. "It's over, Mom. We are not discussing this again. If you bring it up, I am just going to walk away because I refuse to waste time arguing when I already know neither of us will change our minds."
"Fine," Estella conceded. "It's your life."
"It is," she breathed, but knew her mother well enough. "Don't say anything evil to him while you are here either," she warned. "I'm gonna go find Jonny."

"Do you think it's enough?" Jonny asked Jade. He was worried that if Jade could get past IRIS than Grobin could figure out a way too.
"I think you have outdone yourself," she smiled.
"You got past my last upgrade in minutes," he shot back. "Is there anything else I should be doing? Please…I need to keep them safe."
"There is no safer place," Race piped in. "Jade breaks the codes so easily because she knows too much about the system…my oversight," he added bitingly.
"He's right," Jade cleared her throat uncomfortably. "This is the safest place for you to be. You guys have more security than the goddamn President."
"I know," Jonny hedged nervously. "Is it too obvious staying here though? Would we be safer in hiding?"
"We can't hide forever," Race interrupted. "We need to draw him out and end this so that everyone can move on. We can't live like hermits. Run one more system check," he ordered as he pulled out this phone. "I will have this place crawling with men from every agency by the morning. If this guy is half as bad as you make him sound…"
"He's worse…" Jade cautioned and Race stiffened noticeably.
"…then he will be on everyone's watch list," he finished angrily and walked away to start making calls.
"Shit," Jade sighed. "I actually don't think I'm safer here kid. I will be heading out tonight," she gave him the heads up.
"No…come on. I can't be worrying about you too," he replied quickly. "This is the safest place. You just said so yourself."
"It is the safest place for your family," she said patiently. "However, between Race's temper and all of the official agencies – both domestic and international- that will no doubt be joining us tomorrow. I need to be on my way. I may be on a few of those watch lists myself. Besides, I don't want to be here when Grobin does make his way back for a second look. As far as I know, he is unaware of my involvement with your family and I'd like to keep it that way. I can't afford the liability."
"Aww… is that your backwards way of admitting that you care."
"Shut the fuck up," she deflected. "You know I care about you…I just care about me more," she added with a flourish.
"Truer words," Race interjected bitterly.
"Race…" Jonny tried to cut in.
"Don't defend her," he yelled. "DON'T."
"Quick call," Jade tried to change the subject.
"Yeah…it doesn't take long to get people motivated when you have a line on an international FUCKING arms dealer."
"No. He deals in high-end art," Jade corrected. "… which is how I got connected to him in the first place. You know I don't get involved with that shit."
"Well," he laughed without humor. "You're obviously losing a step if you missed that and I obviously don't know you as well as I thought. Taking them into a hot zone like that without having all the facts. What were you thinking? What was this really about? What was in it for you, huh? What was worth RISKING THEIR LIVES?"
"It's my fault that Jess was there," Jonny jumped in to give Jade a chance to recover from Race's verbal assault. "I was being a selfish… and insecure asshole. I should've NEVER involved her. I didn't want to…I just... needed… and I literally sprung it on Jade with no notice. I understand why you're so angry. I'm just as mad at myself. I should've never told her what was going on and I swear it will never happen again. I'm the one that allowed her safety to be risked…"
"Do you honestly believe that YOUR safety is any less important to me?" he turned on the young man. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
"I'm sorry," Jonny whispered and took a deep breath, avoiding eye contact. He knew that he needed to man up and work things out with Race. He wanted to so badly, but his body would not cooperate with his head. He had to grab the desk he was leaning against a moment later when he began to feel dizzy and unsteady. "I don't deserve …" he said with detachment and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He felt Race's strong arms reach out to hold him up then and an odd sense of déjà vu quickly swept through his body as he was guided to the ground. He kept trying to grab for his chest. He wanted to rub it and make the pain go away, but Race's grip would not allow it. "Hurts," he choked out.
"I know. Stop fighting me and take a deep breath," Race ordered.
"Jonny!"
"Sweetheart, he's just having a panic attack," Race informed his daughter as she came rushing to Jonny's side. "He'll be fine as soon as he starts taking some deep breaths."
"Baby, stop struggling. Just listen to the sound of my voice and try to inhale through your nose." He calmed down visibly and stopped thrashing when she placed one hand on his neck and the other on his chest. His breathing was still erratic, however, and his eyes were unfocused.
"Do me a favor and think about that time me, you and Hadj took the Questor for a little joy ride," she said with a smile in her voice. "Remember when we got far enough out that the water was ridiculously calm? We engaged the auto pilot and just hung out on the deck all afternoon staring out at the horizon. It was so peaceful. I don't think any of us said a word for about three hours, which is admittedly very unusual for you and me. I wanted to stay out there and watch the sunset so bad like some corny romantic movie, but you and Hadj were having none of it," she laughed and then ran a hand through his hair as he closed his eyes and his breathing evened out a little. "We should do that again this summer. It's been too long."
"I think…"
"Don't try to talk," she interrupted. "Please relax and let someone take care of you for once. I'm sure some sleep would be the best thing for you. I know you must be hungry, but why don't you try to catch a few hours and then we can have a late dinner? If you do that, I think you will have almost slept a full eight hours in the last twenty-four like a normal person…" she trailed off and then got him to his feet with the help of her father. A long ten minutes later, his breathing had calmed enough that she felt confident they could move him without another episode.
"Jade, can you please help me get him back to the house so my dad can finish out here?"
"I don't need a fucking babysitter," he yelled, pulling away from Jess and heading quickly to the exit. "I just need some food and a Tylenol," he mumbled.
"So goddamn stubborn," she yelled after him.
"I'll follow him and make sure he doesn't fall over and smack his head," Jade offered, looking for the excuse to leave Race's presence anyway.
"So how mad are you?" Jessie hedged once she was alone with her father.
"I have never been angrier with you two…"
"…not even the time we took your Porsche for a test drive?" she tried to lighten the mood.
She knew it was bad when he didn't even respond to that. "Well…let me have it then," she sighed.
"What's the point?" he asked with defeat.
"Dad…"
"I don't know what you want me to say, sweetheart. Am I angry? Yes. Am I disappointed? Completely… but I know there is nothing I can say to stop you from doing it again. I know you would run straight into the pits of hell if he ran in first. I just hope you're smart enough to let me help next time."
"I'm sorry. We were afraid you would tell Dr. Quest…"
"YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE RUNNING INTO," he screamed. "I know you didn't because Jade didn't even know Grobin's full history. What you did was unbelievably stupid."
"So you have never gone into a dangerous situation without knowing every available fact?" she accused.
"We're not making this about me," he grimaced. "You are not a trained operative."
"We can take care of ourselves," she sighed. "You have made sure of that."
"The things I taught you were never meant for this. You have no idea how dangerous this man is…"
"He had Jonny's mother," she interrupted. "His mom…that's all I needed to know. The ONLY reason Jonny let me come is because he knew I would tell you if he didn't. I basically blackmailed him… and the ONLY reason he didn't tell you himself was to protect his father. He remembers how bad his dad got. He knows you shielded him from the worst of it, but he still knew," Jessie breathed. "…and…I know this is too much to ask, but PLEASE…please give him a break. He has been running on pure adrenaline for days and he has had himself so twisted up worrying about protecting his dad, keeping his mom safe, keeping me safe and comfortable enough with the situation that I wouldn't rat him out and on top of all that he is petrified at the idea of disappointing YOU or that you won't ever look at him the same way again," she sighed, feeling her heart speed up at the thought of not being able to protect his feelings. She wanted to protect him from everything even though he would hate it. The thought that she would not be able to made her heart clench.
"You have to give me more than a few minutes to not be pissed off," he snapped.
"I know. I'm sorry, but before you yell at him, he needs to either sleep for a solid twelve hours or breakdown completely. Can you promise me that at least? Otherwise, he is going to have another panic attack or he is going to lash out defensively and say something that he doesn't mean because he is running on empty. I don't want the two of you saying things that you can't take back when you don't even mean them. Please daddy?" she begged.
"That's not fair," he sighed. She knew how it melted his heart when she called him 'daddy.'
"I'm willing to pull out all the stops. I know he was wrong and I know I was wrong to go along with it, but I still can't sit back and watch him get hurt if I can help it."
"He's lucky to have you," Race mumbled, feeling momentarily jealous for no longer being the most important man in his daughter's life and because he has never had a woman fight for him like that.
"I'm the lucky one," she said quietly, but so sincerely that it caused him to turn and look at her…really look at her for the first time in a long time. She was not a little girl any longer. "I love him, dad. It's not temporary. Mom doesn't get it, but I hope you still do or will because I really don't want to be fighting you both on this. I really am the lucky one."
"Come here," he relented and then she ran into his arms. "Thank god you're ok," he whispered into her hair. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."
"You taught me to take care of myself," she whispered into his chest again. "You have to trust that I can do that… and I promise not to jump into it on purpose like that again," she added quickly.
"I'm confident that's not true," he sighed, pulling her closer. "You're a goddamn magnet for trouble."
"I have you and Jonny though," she mumbled. "Trouble would be stupid to find me with you two overprotective control freaks watching my every move."
That caused him to chuckle a little. "I'm still pissed off," he clarified.
"Yeah...I figured," she smiled, but had a feeling everything would be alright. "I love you."
"I love you too."

"Kid…wait up," Jade yelled after Jonny.
Jonny paused and waited for her to catch up. He felt like shit in every way possible, but didn't want to take it out on Jade. "I'm sorry about the way Race let loose on you," he apologized. "I know you didn't sign up for this."
"I made my choice," she shook him off. "…and I knew what the consequences would be. I wanted to help you anyway."
"Why?" he asked. "I mean I know this all started because you care about Race, but it took on another life. You could have cut and run. I never would have sold you out to Race."
"I know you wouldn't have," she smiled. "Maybe I just wanted some good karma. I haven't exactly lived my life by the letter of the law." She continued when he just gave her a skeptical look. "You remind me of someone I used to know."
"Who?" he was curious.
"My little brother," she cleared her throat.
"I didn't know you had family," he smiled. "I'm sorry…I guess I was always caught up in my own drama."
"I don't talk about him," she interrupted. "He died when he was your age," and she held up her hand to avoid the sympathies she knew he wanted to offer. "It was a long time ago. Anyway…he was such a good person…a man before most men reach that level of maturity. Like I said…reminds me a lot of you."
"Thank you," he replied, knowing anything else would make her uncomfortable. "Reconsider staying?" he asked, but already knew the answer.
"I will catch some rest before I leave," she promised. "I'd be in your debt if you'd find me some chocolate though," she added quickly. "I'm starving."
"Let's raid Mrs. Evans' stash," he smiled as they headed toward the kitchen.
"Is there any way you could do me a favor…"
"Anything," he interrupted. "…within reason of course."
"Give yourself a break?" she requested. "You can't be all things to all people."
"Sage advice," he sighed, knowing she was right, but also having no idea how to turn it off. He kept trying to tell himself that focusing on Jess was the best thing he could do. At the end of the day, she was the one that he needed to take care of…because he needed to…not because she needed it. His father could take care of his mother and Race could take care of everything else. He wanted his parents together and happy. He wanted Race and Estella to accept his relationship with their daughter, but the only thing he needed was her. He needed to make sure their relationship was his priority. He would do his best to take Jade's advice.
"Oh…get a room," he laughed, walking into the kitchen where his parents were kissing. "These kids just grow up so fast," he quipped.
"We were looking for you," his mother grinned, discreetly wiping at her lips.
"In each other's mouths?" he teased, throwing an arm over her shoulders.
"Son, I'm sorry if I…"
"Pop," he interrupted. "Not necessary. It's just good to see you smile."
Then the family embraced again, but this time there were only smiles and no tears.
Race and Jessie walked in on the exchange and paused at the sight. The smile it brought to Race's face was enough to dissipate some of the anger he felt. Jessie quickly walked into the room and dug into the cookies Mrs. Evans had laid out, but Race hung back and was happy just to observe.
He saw that Jade was fast to leave the room and avoid his glare, while Benton's eyes followed his wife's every move as she doted over Jonny. Benton had a smile on his face like Race had never seen before.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Rachael insisted with worry in her voice and lifted a hand to Jonny's head. "You're too warm and why are you so wet."
"Mom…I'm fine," he insisted, pushing her away with care.
"You look terrible, sweetheart."
"Yeah… that's the consensus," he sighed, giving Jess an apologetic look across the kitchen island. Then he made his way to the stool next to her and grabbed a cookie too. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you," he whispered, nudging her shoulder playfully.
"It's ok," she breathed.
"No," he interrupted, shaking his head. "… it's not… and I'm sorry," he finished sincerely.
"I'll forgive you in time," she teased, looping an arm through his and leaning her head on his shoulder as he ate another cookie. "Hotshot, you really smell bad," she mumbled, but made no move to detach herself.
"Thanks," he laughed.
"Why don't I keep the food warm and you can all have dinner together in a few hours," Mrs. Evans suggested.
"That is a great idea," Race agreed. It was clear to him that Benton needed some long awaited and well deserved alone time with his wife and Race needed to have it out with Jade before she slinked out of the Compound. "Let's meet back here in two hours. Everyone rest up and then we can talk this all out," he announced and then headed in the direction Jade had gone.
He knew that she would gravitate toward the east wing of the house since it was easier to sneak out undetected, but he dialed into the security cameras at the first computer he came across anyway to make sure he didn’t miss her. Shock was quickly followed by concern when he realized that she was in his room. ‘What the fuck.’
Five minutes later they were facing off. “Well?” he asked.
“You actually want me to explain?” she bit back. “What’s the point?”
“Then why are you still here?” he challenged. “I need to understand how you let this happen and why?” he tried to say calmly. “Forget the fact that you flat out lied to me two years ago when I asked you if you knew anything about Jonny’s disappearance. Forget that fact that you have been in my bed countless times since then and NEVER brought up that fact or the fact that Rachael Quest was alive. How could you do that to me a second time when you knew exactly how it made me feel the first time… and involve my DAUGHTER on top of it? Why?”
“When I was sure she was alive,” Jade started haltingly. “… I did call your cell, but Jonny was the one who answered. You and I were not on the best terms at the time and I had blurted out my hand before I even knew it wasn’t you on the line so that you wouldn’t hang up on me straight off. The next thing I knew… Jonny was the one who showed up to meet me and he begged me not to tell you before he was sure. I promised him that I wouldn’t against my better judgment of course, but that kid has a way of getting to me. I’m sorry. You didn’t see his face. He was afraid you would tell his father,” she finished lamely.
“Ok… that explains why you didn’t tell me initially,” he growled. “What about the last two years?”
“There’s no reason I can give that will ever justify it in your mind,” she sighed. “Jonny and I followed Grobin to his home in London and we didn’t find her obviously. After that… Jonny just assumed I was wrong, but I knew all along that she was still alive. I just needed to find her…”
“I would have helped you,” he interjected.
“No,” she huffed. “You would have shut me out of your life completely for putting your kid in danger and then you would have tried to handle it on your own. I know you can take care of yourself, but you don’t know these people like I do. I wasn’t gonna let you put yourself in the middle of it.”
“But it was ok to put my kids…”
“I ALREADY SAID NONE OF MY REASONS WOULD JUSTIFY IT FOR YOU,” she screamed. “…so why do you keep trying to make it make sense. It just doesn’t. I knew I’d find her again eventually…and I wanted to enjoy the time I had left with you,” she continued quietly. “…because I knew it would all end once I found her.”
“Then why didn’t you just let the whole thing die?” he had to know and the look she got on her face almost made him think she was going to cry. Almost.
“Because I’m not always as selfish as you think,” she fired back. “And I care about Jonny too.”
He had her roughly pinned against the wall and his tongue in her mouth before she took her next breath. She gave in immediately as she always did with him. She’s never had an issue with relinquishing control to him in the bedroom because he knows how to make her entire body vibrate with the smallest touch. Sinking deeper into his kiss… she was eager for more, wrapping her hands around his neck and threading her fingers through his hair like she had done hundreds of times before and would do hundreds of times more if he’d let her. She quickly pushed the thought that this could be the last time she had the privilege aside and instead focused on trying to pull herself up his body. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and feel his arousal against her. He wasn’t letting it happen though because he was too focused on getting her pants off first.
He abandoned his attack on her mouth to do just that, removing all of her clothes with the same precision he did everything else. He spent about two seconds looking her up and down once she was completely bare and then picked her up and slammed her against the wall again. His mouth reattached to every open expanse of skin he could reach.
“Don’t stop,” she pleaded. She never wanted him to stop. He just grunted in response. He never spoke much during sex, but it didn’t bother her because he was so good at turning her on with just his body. With that thought still running through her head, he deftly slipped two fingers deep inside her and began rushing her body to a heady orgasm. He knew exactly what to do. “Oh…fuck,” she moaned against his ear and gripped the base of his neck. He refused to let her move against his hand. He had her hips pinned down as he worked her to the edge. All she could do was pant incoherently and let him push her over. “Roger,” she called out when her walls clamped down on him the first time. He immediately added another finger and she had to bite down on his shoulder to keep from being too loud. Then she licked her way up his neck and right to his ear. “No one has ever made me come as hard as you can.”
Her admission caused him to lose enough focus that he released his death grip so she could move with him. She also snaked one hand down in between them to cup him through his jeans. She would have attempted to free him, knowing he must be uncomfortable straining against the zipper, but his relentless fingers made it impossible for her to put any further effort into his pleasure. All she could do was grip him more firmly as the intense waves of pleasure crested through her body and then settled where they were joined. “Ha…ha…ha…ha,” she gasped each time she clenched around him.
As soon as her orgasm began to fade, she set herself back on her feet and attacked the front of his pants. He planted his palms against the wall on either side of her and let his head drop to watch her hands. He closed his eyes and barely managed to hold in a groan when she reached into his boxers. He opened his eyes as quickly as he had closed them, however, when his mind began to wander. He didn’t want to think right now. He just wanted to be selfish, so he didn’t try and stop her as she sank to her knees in from of him.
She took him inside her mouth with enthusiasm and hummed all around him. The breath exploded out of his body from her actions. It drove him crazy to watch her head bob back and forth over him, but he wanted to come inside her. With that singular thought driving him, he reached down and grabbed her under the arms. “Take off my pants,” he ordered. She did as he asked, while he removed his shirt. “You’re beautiful,” were the last words he spoke.

He guided her to his bed slowly and then pushed her down and pounced with no apologies. “Oh…God,” she sighed as he entered her with one forceful thrust followed quickly by another and another. Her body arched off his bed and her hands dug into the comforter. She threw her head back and focused on his body as he repeatedly sank into hers. She knew he was close when his shoulders began to tense and he threw her legs over his shoulders to drive even deeper inside her. They knew exactly what the other needed. He thrust into her determinedly and rubbed his thumb over her clit each time he buried himself to the hilt. She ran her hands roughly through his hair and let him know exactly how good he made her feel. “Right there, baby…I never want you to stop.”

Jade tried to enjoy the afterglow of being with Race. Her body was still on fire, but it was too bittersweet. The light rise and fall of his chest told her that he was sleeping. He had pulled her close and threw a light sheet over them after pulling out. She did not want to leave him, but also knew the window she had to sneak out undetected was small and already closing. She managed to exit the bed and redress quickly without disturbing him, but had to pause at the door. With one last longing look she was gone. “Goodbye Roger.”
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Love is Strong