Disclaimer: Jonny Quest belongs to Hanna Barbera and Turner Productions. I am not affliated with the mentioned companies in any way. The JQ characters here are used without permission of the owners. No cash is made from this.

(Warning: Maybe HR scented to certain people�s POV. For the record, I did not intend any HRism when I was writing this fic. Any people who do find HRism in this fic is just delusional . ^_^)

A Question of Identity: Chapter 4

by Ina-chan

Not a single word can describe what Jessie Bannon was feeling. She was vastly annoyed. Actually, she was beyond annoyed, she was very, very irritated. Irritated to the point of aggravation... Jessie was just plain P.O.ed. Why is it that men can be so dense?

Jessie closed her eyes and tried to calm her anger, just as how Hadji taught her. Hadji was right in some ways. Amanda had her moments. At one particular fleeting moment, Jessie even felt guilty that she asked Hadji to do what she wanted him to do. Of course that was just one fleeting moment. Amanda�s gift to charm is equal to her gift to irk. Whatever sympathy Jessie felt for her was fading. Fading fast.

Jessie opened her eyes and gave her best friend�s back a boring glare. Jonny was not helping the situation either. It was obvious that he shared Jessie�s feelings in one situation or another. To Jessie�s astonishment, Jonny glowed with the patience of Buddha each time. Since when did Jonny develop patience anyway?

�Sure picked a fine time to exhibit it as well,� Jessie muttered under her breath

�Did you say something Jessie?� Jonny asked as he sat on the grass beside her

�Nothing,� Jessie replied aloud, �What are we doing out here anyway?�

�You didn�t have to come along you know. I thought you were excited about watching the project.�

Jessie shot daggers at him.

Jonny backed off, �Aren�t you even a bit tired of being cooped-up indoors?�

�It doesn�t really make much of difference in a change of setting anyway,� Jessie replied eyeing Amanda�s direction, �Why do you follow her around like a sick puppy anyway?�

Jonny raised an eyebrow, �Jealous, Jessie?�

Jessie made a face, �You wish.�

�I do not follow her around like a sick puppy,� Jonny retorted

�Well, I�m not jealous either. �Jessie started, �She... worries me�

Jonny frowned, �Meaning?�

�I can�t explain it. I did get Hadji to check up on her.�

�Are you serious?� Jonny said looking at her incredulously. Seeing her neutral expression, he snorted sarcastically, �How typical of you.�

�You gotta admit, she�s not always all there, isn�t she?�

Jonny didn�t answer.

Both teens watched the blonde girl run around in circles, yelling something about purple ostriches, with a small bull terrier playfully barking after her. They let a few moments of silent contemplation pass.

�I don�t know,� Jonny said suddenly

Jessie looked at him questioningly.

�I don�t know why I feel so drawn to her, I mean,� Jonny clarified, looking ahead with unseeing eyes, �It�s like what you said earlier, I can�t explain it. I can�t even describe it to myself. I just feel this connection...� Jonny finally looked at her and gave her a lopsided grin, �Maybe Hadji has a term for it.�

�Do you like her?� Jessie asked with a significant look

�Sure,� Jonny replied without hesitation. But his grin melted when he realized what Jessie was asking him, �But nothing like THAT.�

�You do understand that despite how you feel, I still don�t trust her,� Jessie reminded him with a sigh

�I also know that whatever I say or do, nothing will change your mind,� Jonny replied with a similar sigh

Jessie gave him a sarcastic smile, �I�m glad we see eye to eye.�

They both turned to watch Amanda again, who was now in all fours and was talking to Bandit.

�You see that bush over there,� She said pointing to a nearby shrub, �It�s really a big mean grizzly. Got it? Now, ATTACK!�

Bandit sat down and tilted his head with an almost human-like puzzled look.

�KILL!�

Bandit licked her face.

Amanda sat up with a defeated sigh.

She turned to Jonny and Jessie�s direction with a playful grin, �Can�t we trade him for a cooler dog, like an Irish Wolfhound or something?�

Jonny gave her an evil grin and pointed at her, �Bandit, attack!�

Amanda squealed as Bandit relented to the command and started to lick her face frantically. Jessie decided she had enough of Amanda�s pathetic cutenss for a while and stood up to go to a more private place to check with Hadji.

Jonny watched his best friend leave with a defeated sigh. He turned back to Amanda who was looking at him sympathetically while petting Bandit affectionately.

She walked over and sat on front of him, �She�ll understand once we figure out who�s behind all this.�

He reached over and scratched Bandit�s head absent-mindedly. Of course he respected Amanda�s decision of not involving other people in her �private investigation� on who was trying to hack into her Dad�s files. But that didn�t mean he liked the idea of leaving his friends in the dark. He didn�t want her to plunge headfirst into trouble with this all alone either.

�So, what did you find out?�

�I think it�s an inside job,� Amanda concluded, �Someone who�s familiar with the security, access codes, and all the tricks on how to make detection a big wild goose chase in order to make it look like access is from the outside. Well, he or she did run into some trouble with your Dad�s temporary security program.�

�Which means that they�re going to make another attempt soon. Before Dad installs the new program he created,� Jonny added

Amanda nodded silently, then gave him a nervous smile, �It�s getting exciting now, isn�t it?�

Jonny grinned back.

�The funny thing is that, I�m more nervous about my Dad finding out than the bad guys catching us first. He always freaks out at the thought of me flipping through his files.�

Jonny reached out and squeezed her hand reassuringly, �The first sign of trouble, we tell our dads or at least Hadji and Jessie.�

Amanda nodded and concentrated on giving her full attention on Bandit.

Jonny blinked as he realized what he just said. Since when did he start acting so sensible?

�Uhhmmm, hey you.�

Both blondes looked up and saw a tall lanky man in a lab coat looking down at them nervously.

�I-uhhmmm. I have a message for you,� the man said nervously

Both looked at him expectantly

�Your --ahem-- your father is asking for you. He --uhmm, asked me to fetch you.�

�Why?� Amanda asked suspiciously

�Hey look! I�m just a messenger here. Your father just asked me to fetch you and your brother!� The man said defensively

Amanda and Jonny looked at each other in alarm. But before the two of them can move the guy brought something out from his lab coat. Once again, Jonny saw himself looking up at a barrel of a gun. Only this time, the shiny metal that glinted menacingly in the light was very real.

(to be continued)