Gargoyles/JQ Xover Part Three     Hadji stared out the plane's window, next to him Elisa was asleep.  Her chair reclined to it's farthest point.  Looking out the window he managed to smother a grin as he recalled her plan to get the Gargoyles aboard the plane.
    Somehow she had convinced Xanatos to open up a new branch of Xanatos Enterprises in Bangalore, with Eliza supervising security as a favor towards him.  Hadji's part fit into it by convincing Dr. Quest that there were a few crates of eguipement much to valueable to be flown over under anyone else's supervision except his and Eliza's.  Though it was clear that Dr. Quest felt there was something he wasn't being told he agreed, much to Hadji's relief.
    Now they were almost at the Banagalore Airport, the crates' precious sleeping cargo safe in the hold.  Owen, Xanatos' aid, had already flown ahead to ensure that a safe haven would be established for them.
    That eleviated most of his worries but not all.  His major anxiety had to do with his mother's ill health.  In his blood he knew that it was probably magic, like the Gargoyles had suggested, that was probably the true cause but he didn't feel right about presenting that theory to anyone, especially Dr. Quest, without having some proof to back it up.
    Slowing his breathing he allowed himself to enter a meditative trance.  Around him his spiritual body drifted in the bondless matter of the astrial plain which was alight with a callidiscope of colors, more vivid then anything his mortal eyes had ever come across.  But unlike his previous encounters there seemed to be another presence with him. Turning he face a spirit that had taken on the form of a white-haired, pointed-eared human-like creature.
    Being in the spirit plain he didn't need to form words in order to communicate, all he had to do was focus and he could be heard.  **Good day, friend.  And who might you be?**
    The being smiled lope-sidedly.  **My name is Puck and I have much to discuss with you Hadji Singh... much to discuss.**
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    Elisa awoke to find that her seat companion had fallen sound asleep.  Carefully, not wanting to wake Hadji, she got to her feet and moved toward Dr. Quest.  When he looked up at her she smiled pleasently, "Do you mind if I join you Doctor?"
    The red-haired professor smiled, "Not at all Detective.  By all means make yourself comfortable."
    Elisa's nose wrinkled in distaste.  "Please call me Elisa, having you call me Detective on my so-called vacation makes me think of work."
    Dr. Quest laughed, a deep heart-felt sound.  "Only if you call me Benton."
    Elisa grinned, "You gotta deal Benton."  Slowly she slid in next to him.
    "Is this a private pow wow or can anyone join?"
    Slightly surprised Elisa blinked and met eyes that reminded her a great deal of Goliath.  "No.  Not at all, feel free to jump in."  Dr. Quest's bodyguard, Race, crouched in the aisleway.
    It was Dr. Quest that took control of the situation." How's Hadji doing?"
    Elisa's brow furrowed in thought.  "How can you tell?  He must be the most controlled teenager I've ever come across.  How old is he anyway?  Nineteen?"
    At that both men chuckled.
    Race just shook his head as he cast a glance in Hadji's direction but it was Dr. Quest who answeredd.  "He's always been that way.  Ever since we first met."
    Tossing her black heair over her shoulder she arched a delicate eyebrow.  "He started to explain that but it..."  She gave a helpless shrug.
    "Confused you?"  Dr. Quest asked, his voice warm with memory.  "Well, let's see... maybe I can give you a better explaination.  It all started when we were visiting India, investigating a series of disturbances.  While we were there a Peddler named Pasha helped us a few times..."
    "We thought he was doing it for free but then nothing is free in this world, everything has a price."  Race chipped in from his place on the floor.
    Dr. Quest nodded in agreement.  "Too true.  Pasha wanted us to take Hadji with us.  He never gave us a real reason as to why but he had helped us and as he continued to remind us we owed him a favour.  So in the end when my son, Race and I left India, so did Hadji.  Now, this all happened so fast that none of us really got to know him or vice versa.  Except Jonny, who quickly became his best friend."
    "Jonny and Hadji are two completely opposite people.  Like a hummingbird and a dove."  Race once again mumbled as Dr. Quest took a breath.
    "That statement is all too correct."  This time the Doctor sighed, looking slightly older than before.  "You see, Hadji caame to us when he was about nine and Jonny was eight.  Race and I were absolutely ready for a quick temper, explosive outbursts, acting without thinking, brashness, bluntness... well, things that Jonny would do.  Both Race and I waited an entire week for Hadji to cry or yell or anything.  I mean, it was understandable, we'd just taken the boy from the only family he couldn remember, not to mention his only friend... and yet there wasn't so much as a twitching muscle to let us know how he felt.  That is until about a month afterward.  He came up to Race and I somtime after Jonny had fallen asleep, he walked up to my desk and said, 'Dr. Quest, Mr. Bannon.  I do truely appreciate what you have done for me but I can not in good concienous accept anything more without repaying you in some way.  Good intentions and courtesy can only extend so far and I will not become a burden to anyone who has extended them to me.' "
    Race laughed, "Hoo boy, do I remember that.  He hadn't said more then two words to either of us in that entire time and my jaw dropped to the floor when he used all of those big words.  Incredible."
    Dr. Quest's face was lit up with mirth.  "I wasn't much better.  He took me by such surprise that I offered him a 'job' as my assitant to keep him happy.  I had no idea he would take it so seriously!  In fact it was about a week after that that we got a phone call from their school.  I thought for sure that Jonny had gotten into another fight or misbehaved in class.  Instead, the principle told me that he wanted to skip Hadji into the nineth grade because nothing they threw at him was challenging enough.  At that point I decided it best to check into it myself and..."
    "Damned if they weren't right."  Race bellowed as he cracked up in another spurt of laughter.
    "Oh that they were.  In fact I started to think back to things over the last few days and was forced to admit that Hadji had become my assistant for real.  He'd even transferred all of my files into the computer and created a program that would sort them and bring up the ones meeting specific criteria that I ask for.  From then on I took over his education."
    This time Elisa had to ask a question that was burning in her mind.  "Didn't Jonny feel upset about you spending time with Hadji?"
    The two men exchanged a look she couldn't read and as before it was Dr. Quest who answered.  "That's the strange thing.  You see, my son, is quite intelligent but he tends to react more physically than mentally and therefore follows Race's training rather than mine.  But we thought he would become, well, almost violent towards Hadji because of this..."
    This time a new voice interrupted as a blonde head appeared above the seat in front of them.  "But I didn't.  Mostly because Hadji explained everything, in great detail to me and even if he hadn't... well Hadj is like the older brother I never had.  Sure he's my best friend and all but well, it's just really hard to get mad at him.  Even when Jessie and I are fighting or rushing into something that'll get us killed, he's always there, keeping us from going overboard.  Even despite the fact that he says it's dangerous he always comes with us because he won't let us face it alone.  He says that that's what friends do, they stick by each other through think and thin."
    Elisa took in the three of them and shook her head.  "You all respect him?"
    "Yep, but for different reasons.  He's a friend and brother to me, a collegue and protege to dad and a companion and adventurer with Race."  Jonny's smile made him look a lot like his dad.  "Hadji is... Hadji.  He knows what people need him to be and he does his best to be that."
    Though the topic changed Elisa's mind filed away the infromation for later use.