Disclaimer: Well, since none of the Quests are in this one, you can't
sue
me.   Heh, I can finally say CN sucks.  Oh, damn, that's Jonny's name
at the
top isn't it.  Oh, well, please don't sue me HB and CN.  Though
technically
you're not allowed to read any of this for legal reasons anyway.  I'm
making
no money off this, (or anything else for that matter.) and Jonny Quest
is
owned by the God-like HB.  Look, if you and CN can't be bothered to
renew
the show, then sell the bloody licence to someone who will.  (not to
FUNimation, please.  They bite more than CN does.  Only kidding, CN.
You'd
crush my young little life if you sued me now.  But FUNimation still
sucks.
'Specially since they can't sue me at all.)

Thanks loads to Becks for Beta reading this for me, and for convincing
me to
do one more part.

If anyone's missed the rest of the fic, E-mail me privately and it's
yours.

Archivers: Suze and Aspen are welcome to it, of course.  Everyone else
ask
and it's yours.

Categories: Angst, mature language, violence, HR.

Summary: Flashback!  Barone mansion, two years ago....(wavey lines)
***********************************************************************
Claire lay concealed in the hedgerow, her eyes scanning the pale cream
walls
of the mansion, taking in the darkened windows that ran vertically down
the
building. There was no sign of security cameras on the outside, but
Barone
was a clever man. Getting in here had not been easy, and she severely
doubted anyone else had gotten in here alive.

She grinned with relief as she felt a change in the air.

*Okay, other than him.*

"Hey, Davis."

The man behind her laid his hand on her back, trailing his fingers down
her
spine. She giggled, eliciting a wicked grin from Davis.

"Claire, I thought we knew each other better than that."

She slapped him playfully on the arm; ignoring the danger they were
both in.

"Fine, *Mark.*"

Then her tone suddenly turned serious. "Any ideas on how we're going to
get
in there?" She indicated the mansion.

He leaned closer, until they were almost touching. She could feel his
breath
against her lips. "Mmm....One or two."

He grinned against her lips. Without checking for security measures, he
suddenly straightened, sprinting across the pathway to the mansion.
Claire
paused, stunned. Shaking her head, she smiled, and then heaved herself
off
the ground to follow.
***********************************************************************
David Barone smiled. He was laying languidly in his bed, the woman
beside
him snuggling closer. The nearby window cast a square patch of light on
her
face, highlighting her features. Her soft blond hair cascaded over her
darkly tanned shoulders, her eyes closed. Her mouth formed a vague
smile;
she was content just listening to his heartbeat. He smiled as his eyes
continued down her body, the silk gown doing nothing to hide her
figure. As
he watched her, Barone realized he loved this woman more than anything
in
the world. He would die for her.

The sudden ringing of the phone made him jump. Cursing, he reached for
it,
the woman raising herself on her elbow silently. Her eyes searched his
face,
a slight worry pervading her otherwise perfect features. He avoided her
look.

He listened intently to the man on the other end of the line. After a
moment
he frowned and hung up.

She was still looking at him.

"Work?"

He continued to avoid her eyes as he stood, pulling on a pair of tight
black
jeans.

"Yeah. Look...Marie...I'm…," he finally held her gaze. "...I'm sorry.
I've
got to go."

Marie sat up, her eyes never leaving his face.

"I want you out of this. Everyday you go out there. Everyday I expect
some...some lackey to come in here and tell me you're dead."

His frown deepened as he pulled on a shirt, frantically doing up the
buttons. "You know that's not possible. I'm in too deep to back out
now."

She grabbed his hand. "David, please. There must be some way...you've
disappeared before. We could just leave. You're smart. We could get out
of
here, I know it."

He looked deeply into her soft hazel eyes, not saying a word.

Her eyes were pleading. It was all he could to not resist. Marie ran
her
hand down his arm. "We have Christine to think about, too. I don't want
her
to be brought into this."

David closed his eyes. No, he couldn't bring her into this.

"David, I love you. I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen..."

Cupping her chin, he leaned closer and kissed her. After a few moments
he
noticed she hadn't responded. Pulling away, he saw the sadness in her
eyes.

"David, please. I'm scared. I want you out of this....business."

Smiling, he took her hand. His wedding band glancing off hers. It
slowly
dawned on him that his wife and daughter were the most important things
in
his life. He suddenly didn't care about the money. For the first time
in his
life, he was happy.

"We'll be out of the country by tomorrow." He smiled warmly. "I could
never
let anything happen to you."

She pulled him closer, kissing him passionately. There was a knock at
the
door, causing both of them to break away out of reflex.

"Yes?"

A seven year old girl entered. She shook her head clear of raven dark
bangs,
a habit learned off her father. "Daddy? Mommy?"

David frowned. He was never going to get used to this.

"What is it Sweetie?" Marie said as she smiled at her daughter.

"I'm thirsty." The girl said simply.

There was a momentary silence before Marie playfully jabbed her elbow
in her
husband's stomach.

"Oh, right. I'll get it." He was still a little put off by the fact
that he
now had to do....things. Normally he would have called a butler, but he
felt
an odd kind of responsibility towards his daughter.

Taking her by the hand, he lead her out the door, pausing to mouth "I
love
you" at Marie.

In a sudden shower of glass, the window exploded inwards. The man that
came
through was well built, wearing the tight fitting black bodysuit I-1
was
becoming famous for. David’s eyes barely had time to register the gun
in the
man's hand.

"Put your hands on your head!" Mark took a step forward.

David's mind raced. He had seen I-1 operate before. If he didn't act
quickly, this man would kill all of them, regardless of their following
his
instruction or not.

"Put your hands on your head! I'm not going to ask again!"

He looked at his wife. Her eyes pleaded with him. She knew she was
already
as good as dead, and he knew what she was asking. He forced himself to
act.

Placing one arm across his daughter, he sprang sideways, sweeping her
out of
the doorway. Using the momentum, he swung his other arm across her,
lifting
her against his chest.

There was an angry curse from Mark, now hidden from view. David closed
his
eyes as he heard the expected gun shot. His daughter was struggling
against
him.

"Daddy, what's going on? What was that noise?"

He forced back the lump in his throat. Reaching the stairs, he grabbed
the
railing, swinging himself over the banister, still holding Christine
and
landed heavily on his feet. There was no time to think, he was working
off
instinct alone. Some distant part of his mind felt a sharp searing pain
in
his shoulder. David ran through the open door into the family room, and
placed Christine on the floor. He started grabbing at the handle on the
set
of drawers. Pulling it out, he grabbed the handgun inside.

He then opened the door to the servants passage-way which led to the
kitchen
door, located behind him.  “Christine,” David said, “I need you to do
something for Daddy.  I need you to go and wait for me by the kitchen
door,
OK?”

“OK.”
***********************************************************************
Mark slid down the banister, grinning. For a while he had thought this
would
be too easy.

*Thank God he's an evil *Genius.**

Landing lightly on his feet, he paused. Barone was well known for his
intelligence, and Mark's next move was probably already figured out. He
could enter through the door, or find another way in. Either way,
Barone had
probably predicted his actions. He felt Claire appear beside him.

"What's up? Afraid?"

He gave her his wicked grin before springing through the open doorway.
***********************************************************************
David felt an overwhelming grief at the back of his mind. He fought it
back.
His daughter needed him right now.

The black suited figure sprang through the door. David leveled his gun
at
the man's head.

"Revenge. Great thing, isn't it?"

Mark's eyes widened as he realized he was about to die. He didn't hear
the
shot which killed him, his lifeless body falling backwards. He didn't
feel
Claire catch him, or hear her cry as she realized he was dead.

Claire looked up, realizing that Barone was still armed and in the
room.
She'd make him pay...

Barone was nowhere to be seen.
***********************************************************************
David dropped the gun. He allowed the horror of his wife's death
finally
overtake him. He barely felt the small tug on his hand. All he could
hear
was the crack of the gun as his wife died...he kicked his own gun away
in
revulsion.

Christine tugged his hand again.

"Where's mommy?"

Tears were flowing freely. He pulled his daughter closer, unable to
admit to
her or himself that Marie was actually gone.

"She'll be coming home soon. I promise."
***********************************************************************
Comments? Suggestions? Flames? Praise? Send 'em all to
SchmittVanDean@hotmail.com

Anyone see this coming? What, all of you? Oh, for Pete's sake...and I
wasted so much lovey-dovey HR rubbish in this too....

<shivers> I doubt very much I'll work up the nerve to do that much
romance
stuff ever again. Man, it was almost painful writing some of that. That
whole David/Marie scene....gah!

This part was centered more on my crazy made up characters. Just felt a
few things needed clarifying, is all...next up's the Epilogue!

Tip For The Day: Never, ever call yourself Bronze Love God when you're
on
the web. The E-mails I've gotten....<shudder>

And that's only from friends of mine. ;)

-Schmitt

*********************
Learn from yesterday,
live for today, hope for
tomorrow.
-Anon
*********************