Jonny Takes a Nap (1/1)
January 4, 1999
Note: Courtney is not on the ML. All comments should be sent to her at 
chfmitchel@hotmail.com. Comments sent to the list will be forwarded by 
your ever humble hostess, Peggy. ^_^ Courtney sent this to me privately, 
and I thought it was too good to die unloved. So I'm sending it along to 
you guys, complete with a title (that makes very little sense, really) 
and my lovely comments. Plus I stuck on a Rating, Disclaimer, Date,  
Byline, and all that lovely stuff. Yadda Yadda Yadda. Enough out of me. 
Disclaimer: Courtney no own. Please no sue.
Rating: Vignette
By Courtney (chfmitchel@hotmail.com)

	Jonny sat on his bed, staring at his Quest watch. So much had happened 
since the last time that he had worn it.  He thought back to the moment 
that Dad had given it to him.  It had only been Dad, Race, Hadji and 
him. So long ago.  A tear slid down his cheek.  Now Dad was gone, five 
years.  Race had been killed in that plane crash, teaching Jer how to 
fly without instruments.  Jer may have lived through the crash, but he 
was different.  Blamed himself for Race's death.  He left Jessie, and 
the last that Jonny had heard, he was working in France at the Sorbonne.  
Hadji had returned to India, and was teaching computer science at the 
high school two blocks from where he had been born.  Although they still 
talked, they were not nearly as close as they had been, and, thought 
Jonny, probably never would be again.  The Quest watch fell to the 
floor.  
	Only Jessie was really left.  After Jer had left, she had moved in with 
Jonny.  David, who had been 14 at the time, still called Jonny "Uncle 
Jon." Jonny had tried to raise him as his own, and, he reflected, not 
done too bad. Now David was in graduate school, going for his masters in 
English literature.  Jessie worked at the institute, researching 
biomedicine.  They still talked, and Jonny was relieved that she was 
doing well after all that she had been through.  Only Jonny was alone. 
He didn't have work, since he was the sole heir to his father's estate. 
He didn't have a mate, and didn't know if he really wanted one.  All he 
really wanted was to be able to go back, and relive the best times, when 
they had all been together.  He wanted to hear Hadji quote Emerson, and 
Dad explain how it worked, and Race shout "Fur on a catfish!".  He 
wanted to see Jessie without lines around her eyes, and Bandit again. 
God, he missed that dog.  He wanted to be 14 again.  
	Jonny thought back to when he had removed the Quest watch.  Dad had 
just announced his retirement, which meant that the Quest team was 
officially disbanded. They were still a family, and would remain so.  As 
long as they could. Which, it turned out, wasn't nearly as long as Jonny 
would have liked.  Jonny had ripped the watch off of his wrist, and 
flung it at his father. 
	"Fine!" he screamed. "Quit! Give up! Just because Surd is gone (Jer 
cleared his throat, but Jonny ignored him), and Rage is dead, and Zin 
and Vostok have both died, that doesn't mean that people still need 
help!"
	"Jonny," his father had began, but Jonny stormed out and went to his 
room.  The remaining part of his family exchanged glances, and Hadji 
followed him. 
	"Jonny," he said softly, knocking at the door.  "May I come in?"
	"Whatever," Jonny growled through the door. 
	Hadji walked in and sat at Jonny's desk.  He swung the chair around, 
and began to speak. "Jonny, we have done much good for many years.  But 
it is time to grow up, and move on.  Your father is growing old.  Even 
Race is slowing down.  We are about to go off to college.  Race can't 
tutor us forever. He only knows so much.  You knew that it had to end 
sometime."
	Jonny looked up. There were tears in his eyes. "I guess so Hadj. 
But...". His voice caught. 
	Hadji stood up, and pulled him to his feet.  Embracing Jonny, he 
whispered, "Brother". And Jonny knew that they were. They had both stood 
there, in Jonny's room, with the TransformerŽ posters from their 
earliest years hanging on the walls, weeping together.  Jonny remembered 
when they had shared that room.  He could remember climbing up onto 
Hadji's top bunk on Saturday mornings, and watching cartoons on their 
Quest watches.  Now it was all different. 
	And now, the older, wiser Jonny reflected, it was all different again. 
He ran his fingers through his still-blond hair, and sighed.  He picked 
the Quest watch up from the floor, and put it on his left wrist.  He 
turned and laid down on the bed.  With tears streaming down both cheeks, 
he closed his eyes and fell into a troubled sleep.

(c) 1999 Courtney Mitchel


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