Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to Hanna-Barbara. So don't sue me. Please? I'm a college student, and I have no money. Archivers: If you'd like my story, you're welcome to it. A NORMAL VACATION By Katherine Bare "Hard aport!" Jonny Quest called out. The boom swung out, sail flapping in the wind, and he ducked his head as it whooshed by. Then it settled into place and they were sailing off in another direction. On the deck beside him, an irate red-haired figure was climbing to her feet. "Jonny Quest. Of all the idiotic things. What on earth possessed you!" Jonny spared a puzzled glance at his friend. "What's the matter, Jess?" "You could have DECAPITATED ME!" " Well I SAID `Hard aport!' Are you getting deaf?" "Very funny! It was like one second before!" "So you should have ducked!" "You didn't give me any TIME!" Scowling, she turned away. "Oh, why am I bothering to argue." Jonny didn't bother to answer. Instead, he focused his attention on sailing the boat. The Quest team was on vacation at their villa in Palm Key, Florida. They'd all spent yesterday at the beach, and he and Jessie had decided that today they'd go sailing instead. "It'll be cool!" Jessie had said. "We can sail around and have a picnic on an island and go exploring. What do you think?" Jonny snorted quietly to himself. He should have known that when Hadji got sick from some bad fish and couldn't come, they'd never make it through the outing without at least one fight. So far they'd had two. Still, he decided, it was really too nice out to let a fight with Jessie spoil his day. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, with thick cotton-ball cumulus clouds drifting across the sky. A brisk breeze ruffled his hair and sent the Quest's little private sailboat scudding across the blue-green ocean like a waterbug on a pond. No, he concluded contentedly, he just couldn't let an argument ruin a day like this. Just then a shout from Jessie interrupted his reverie. "Jonny! Hey, Jonny! You're heading straight for those rocks!" Jonny blinked and glanced up, only to see the rocky tip of an island that much too close for his comfort. "Duck!" he shouted, and tacked hard. Jessie hit the deck, and the boat began to veer. Were they going to make it? He tensed. The rocks were coming nearer - nearer - he could see the water dripping on them - and then he let out his breath in a gasp of relief as they just barely scraped past the rocks and into open water. Jessie got to her feet again for the second time in minutes. Silently counted to ten. "Jonny," she said authoritatively, "I think you'd better let me steer for a while. You're going to get us killed at this rate." Jonny opened his mouth to protest. She gave him her most lethal glare, and he grinned sheepishly. "Yes, ma'am." Handing over the tiller, he stretched out on a bench. Shutting his eyes, he sighed, letting the gentle bouncing of the boat and the warm sun on his face relax him. Grumbling softly, Jessie Bannon tucked a strand of fiery hair behind an ear. "Lunatic," she muttered, without rancor. Sometimes Jonny was so reckless and crazy it made her want to scream. Still, she reflected, life without Jonny would undoubtably be much less exciting. She sighed and was concentrating on the boat she controlled when a shrill squee off the side of the boat caught her attention. Half-turning, she glanced over the side. What she saw made her eyes widen in wonder. "Jonny!" she whispered, reaching over and shaking him. Jonny groaned. "What'd you do that for?" he complained sleepily. "I was just about to fall asleep!" "Shhh!" Jessie hissed. "Look!" Jonny leaned over, following her finger. His eyes widened too. Glancing up, he and Jessie exchanged awe-struck looks. "Dolphins!" he whispered. "Slammin'!" Jessie made no reply, her gaze returning to the sleek, curving shapes that slid through the water. One leapt up, arcing through the air and then landing back with a splash. "Wow!" Jessie whispered. Jonny grinned delightedly. Noticing something out of the corner of his eye, he looked over the other side. "Look!" he exclaimed. "They're on this side too!" Jessie glanced over. Sure enough, several dark shapes were playing beside the other side. Suddenly a thought struck her, and she leaned on the tiller. As the boat turned, so did the dolphins. Jessie laughed in delight. "They're following us!" "No," Jonny said. "They're playing with us!" Sure enough, the dolphins were leaping and gamboling beside the little boat, exactly like children at play. Jessie shifted, letting one hand trail in the water while the other held the tiller steady. A curious dolphin rose up, nudging at the strange object, and Jessie giggled at the feel of the smooth, wet skin. Jonny grinned, and stood up. Standing poised on the seat, he called out mischievously, "Should I go swimming with the dolphins?" Jessie looked up, green eyes alarmed. "Don't!" she exclaimed. "You might scare them away!" Jonny stood for a moment longer, then sat down. "Oh, all right. Just for you, Jess," he added, eyes sparkling teasingly. Jessie swatted at him. "Ow!" Then another squee from the dolphins caught their attention, and they both looked back at the playful creatures again. The two teenagers spent a happy hour with the dolphins. They was scarcely aware of where they sailed, only keeping enough of an eye out to watch for other sailboats and islands. Most of their attention was on the delightful animals. It was only when they suddenly disappeared, diving deep into the depths, that Jessie and Jonny looked at each other in puzzlement.. "What? Why'd they go?" Jonny asked, looking bewildered. Jessie only shrugged, as perplexed as he was. Then a cool breeze gusted, ruffling their hair, and Jonny looked up in alarm. His eyes widened. "Cripes! Jess, look!" he exclaimed, pointing to the north. Jessie followed his gaze, and paled. On the horizon, dark clouds were massed ominously together. And they were headed their way. Already a cold wind was pushing at them, whipping the waves into white-capped rollers. "Oh, great!" Jessie cried out. "Idiot!" she remonstrated, hitting her forehead. "I didn't even think to watch the weather!" "No time!" Jonny yelled. "We gotta get home quick! That storm's moving fast!" "Right!" Jessie answered. Swinging the boat around, she added, "Get some life jackets!" As Jonny ducked into the tiny cabin, she took a firm grip on the tiller. The waves were getting rougher. How far from their villa were they? she wondered nervously. Glancing at her tracker-watch, she removed one hand from the tiller long enough to set it for home. She winced. They were several miles from home. Looking back at the storm, she bit her lip. Could they outrun it? She didn't think this little boat could survive in a huge storm like the one behind them. Adjusting the tiller slightly, she turned the boat just enough to get the most of the wind. They weren't going in exactly the right direction, she thought, but better to get the most out of the wind and be a little off course than be headed directly for home without the most wind they could get. Jonny ducked back out of the cabin, his arms full, and glanced up anxiously at the rapidly darkening sky. Quickly he made his way over to the thin, determined girl crouched over the tiller. "Jess!" he called out over the gusting wind. "Here, put these on! I'll steer!" "Put them down first! I don't want to let the tiller loose!" she shouted back. Nodding in agreement, Jonny set the bundle on the deck and grabbed the tiller firmly. Only then did Jessie let go, ducking out of the way so Jonny could take her place. Pushing the bundle along with her foot she scrambled into the more protected cabin, and let out her breath as the wind disappeared. Bending over, she picked up an object from the pile, and then had to drop it as the deck lurched and she grabbed frantically for balance. "Whoa!" she exclaimed, teetering. Finally regaining her balance, she pressed herself into a corner for support and scooped up the object again. It was a rain poncho. "Hey, good idea. Jonny actually used his brains for once," she said aloud. Awkwardly, because of the wall at her back, she tugged it over her head and snapped it up, and fastened the bulky life vest over it. "Alright. Here we go," she told herself, and scrambled back outside again. Jessie had no sooner stepped outside than she had to grab for something to hold. Bracing herself against the wall, she looked swiftly around, and frowned worriedly. The weather had changed drastically from the sunny blueness of an hour before. The sky was gray and lowering with storm clouds. Heavy wind gusted, whipping the ocean into choppy white-tipped waves. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Jessie glanced nervously in that direction, then, balancing carefully, crossed the deck and sat down across from Jonny. Jonny looked up at her momentarily, then returned his attention to the boat. "How far away are we?" he asked. Jessie glanced at her tracker. "Still a ways to go," she replied anxiously. "Think we'll beat it?" she asked, absently pushing a wind-whipped strand of red hair away from her face. Jonny forced a lopsided grin. "Sure! With this little thing we can beat any storm." He freed one hand long enough to pat the hull. As if in direct contrast to his words, a great bolt of lightening flashed overhead, followed in a split second by a roar of thunder. With this dramatic prelude, the skies opened up and a torrent of rain sheeted down, drenching the two teenagers despite their protective ponchos. Jessie wiped her eyes fruitlessly. "You sure about that Jonny?" she yelled over the storm. "Well..." Jonny shrugged helplessly, and bent over the boat. Suddenly the boat jerked, almost pulling the tiller out of his hands. He grabbed at it frantically. Managing to regain his hold, he held it steady with all of his strength. Not that it did much good, he thought. This little boat was fine for an afternoon's outing, but in a storm he was totally helpless. They were being bounced about like a rubber ball. He watched the waves around him grow higher and heavier, the wind roar around them, driving the rain into their faces, and tried to desperately control their little sailboat. It was no use. He could barely hold the tiller steady, let alone hold any kind of course, he thought angrily. The next flash of lightning showed Jessie huddled across from him, clinging on for dear life. "Jonny!" she screamed over the wind. "We'll never make it home! Either we'll hit some rocks, or we'll take on too much water and sink! We have to take refuge in one of the islands!" Jonny chewed his lip. She was right, he realized. Already waves were slopping over the sides, and the rain was pouring in water too. "Fine!" he shouted. "But can you see any place to go?" Jessie peered around through the blinding rain. Nothing. Frantically she wiped her eyes and squinted harder. "There!" she finally shouted, pointing at a darker blur off their port side. "Isn't that an island?" Jonny spared a glance in that direction, focusing on the barely visible blur. "Might as well check it out!" he yelled. Wrenching the tiller around, he tried to head them in that direction. The wild waves fought him, tossing the little craft about, but he wrestled with the tiller and managed to keep them heading toward the island. Slowly but surely they drew closer. Holding them on course required much of Jonny's attention, and he barely looked at the island they were slowly nearing until Jessie's shout of alarm rang out over wind and rain. "Jonny!" she shouted. "It's rock! We're heading toward rock! Turn the boat!" Jonny glanced up and saw the jagged promontory, barely visible through the rain, jutting out into the ocean only a few yards from their boat. The waves that bore them along crashed against it, sending spray into the air to mingle with the rain. "CRIPES!" Jonny yelled. Desperately he slammed his body against the tiller, wrenching the boat around. It was too late. Just as the boat turned, a huge wave caught it. The last thing Jonny heard was a splintering crash as they slammed into the cliff, just before he was hurled into the storm-tossed ocean. Author's note: So there it is! The first part of my first fanfic. What do you think? Do you want more? Or is it totally terrible? Bounteous praise, vicious name-calling, and ordinary comments are all welcome.