Subject: JQ: [FIC] Ripple (11/?)

August 6, 1998

Disclaimer: JQ characters belong to HB & Turner Productions. Charles
Wallace, Meg 
and everything associated  to the "Time" trilogy belongs to Madeleine
L'Engle. Characters used without permission. No $$ made for this venture.
Enjoy! ^_^.
Category: Adventure, Episodal, X-over, a touch of Fantasy
Rating: Some language and concepts for mature audiences
Archivers: Not a problem, as long as you tell me where you put this baby! ^_^.
Summary:  

This is a continuing series. It is advisable to read the preceding chapters
before reading this one if you haven't done so. The earlier chapters are
available in the fanfiction page of my site at:
http://members.xoom.com/inachan/jqfics.html 
or at your request at 	[email protected]

The Ripple Effect (11/?)
by: Ina-chan

	The room was engulfed in an uncomfortable tomblike silence.  Hadji sat
across his best friend... but the other boy has not even made any effort to
acknowledge anyone's presence after they picked up his passive frame from
the floor. Hadji looked up and met Jessie's gaze. Without another word, the
girl turned around and walked to the far side of the room with the rest of
their companions. 
	Hadji returned his attention to the blonde boy and watched his friend for a few
more moments before making a deep sigh. "Well..." He began
uncharacteristically, "This
really sucks."
	"Have I ever told you..." Jonny voiced quietly, "... how much I hate it
when you're right?"
	"Not particularly."
	"I hate it when you're right."
	Hadji forced a smile on his lips, "You have no idea how long I have waited
to hear those words."
	But Jonny failed to notice his friend's effort to lighten the situation, "I
should have
listened to you."
	The Indian boy's expression fell, "There is no use beating yourself up---"
	"You don't understand," Jonny cutted  in fiercely. He looked up at his
friend, "It's like it knows everything. It knows the right buttons to
push... it almost seems like it knows everything that would stop me... Like
a big elaborate plan. First it separated us... then it used Jessie against
us... then... then..."
	Hadji clenched his fists in sympathy, as he felt his best friend's
frustration welling up inside of him as well.
	"I couldn't stop it," Jonny bowed his head again, "I can't stop it... and
it knew. It was mocking me 'cause it knew I was helpless to stop it."
	"Jonny..."
	"I couldn't stop it..." Jonny repeated again in a whisper as he buried his
face in his hands 
	Hadji can only watch mutely. He can only try to suppress his own sorrow over
scene he was painfully watching. 
	"I couldn't protect her..."
	He can only watch the tiny slow moving rivulets of clear liquid seep and crawl
through his friend's pallid fingers...
	"...i couldnt protect her..."
	He can only watch the vitreous fluid collect and fight against the pull of
gravity...
	"...i was supposed to protect her..."	
	He can only watch it struggle, miraculously hang suspended in the air for a
moment... 
	"...iwassupposedtoprotecther..."
	...before falling and splattering on the floor.
	"...heleftmeincharge..."
	Hadji took an involuntary intake of air, as he finally realized that this
battle his best friend was fighting... is from a war that begun six years*
before. All these years... Hadji always found words or ways to divert
themselves away from awkward situations. Whether they be a distracting magic
trick, a witty retort, or a word of wisdom... but at this particular
moment... for the first time... in a long, long time... he began to feel...
again... the suffocating grip... of helplessness. 
	He felt the stirrings of feelings that he thought he had long forgotten
returned... and the memories of what accompanied those old feelings
followed. Memories that he believed he put behind him... 
	Without another word, the boy stood up abruptly... knocking down his stool
to the floor. With a determined stance, he marched to the figure that
started their disastrous venture. Charles Wallace merely met his steely gaze
unflinchingly. 		
	"Do something," Hadji demanded in a dangerously low voice
	"I can't," Charles Wallace stated a-matter-of-factly
	"Tesser after her."
	"I can't."
	One would be easily deceived with Hadji's philosophy regarding physical
violence. His actions, however, only manifested the fact that though he may
be reluctant to use his skill due to his beliefs, it did not mean that his
years of  judo training had gone to waste. Before anyone can even blink,
Charles Wallace found himself painfully pinned against the wall.
Anticipating his action, Jessie moved to break up the fray... only to be
held back by the other woman.
	"He's going to hurt Charles," Jessie cried out as she struggled to break free
	"He won't. Trust me, I don't think he will." Meg whispered, eyeing the two, "I
hope..."
	"What is this?" Hadji continued in his low tone,  as he tightened his grip
on the other boy's collar, "You said you were supposed to be our guide. You
were supposed to help us. What are we supposed to do now? Just sit here and
wait until Jonny... until we... Why can we not just go after her?"
	Charles Wallace watched him passively. His expression didn't even change, "The
last time... it was stronger... didn't you feel it?"
	"Feel what?" Jessie asked
	"The ripple effect."
	Hadji stared at the boy in shock and loosened his grip... but did not let go.
	"You mean... that earthquake?" Meg queried
	"Time changed again," Charles simply stated
	"What's going to happen to here? To now?" Meg asked, with a twinge of fear in
her voice
	"I don't know," Charles whispered, "That's why we can't take the chance to
tesser again. I already told you that we only had one shot at this..."
	"But if we don't do anything..." Jessie's voice trailed
	Hadji clenched his teeth and glared at their guardian, "I do not care."	
	Jessie froze and stared at her friend in surprise.
	"Before I met Jonny... Before Dr. Quest took me in... In Calcutta..." Hadji
began desperately , "I did not know what it was like to have someone love
you unconditionally. I did not know what it felt like to belong... Dr.
Quest... Jonny... gave me a family. Jonny... Dr. Quest... Race... Jessie...
Bandit... they are my family." He dropped his hands to his sides and bowed
his head, "If Jonny did not exist..." 
	"If Jonny did not..." He forced himself to continue as his voice quieted
down to a whisper, "Please... do not take my family away from me." 
	The room was engulfed again with a longer wave of eerie tomblike silence.
Jessie
shifted her gaze between her best friend and their strange companion, before
turning her
attention back to Jonny. The blonde still remained in his withdrawn state...
as if he didn't even notice Hadji's uncharacteristic outburst. 
	"Even if we could tesser..." Charles' solemn voice caught her attention
again, "We wouldn't know where to go. The Ecthroi could have sent her
anywhere... anywhen."
	"If only we had Dr. Quest's 'Rachel' program...'' Jessie murmured out loud, "Or
some kind of tracking device..."
	"Tracking device..." Hadji repeated absently as he moved toward one of the lab
tables. He stopped and stared at the University student, "Meg... tracking
device."
	Meg looked at the boy strangely, "Pardon? I don't understand..."
	"That telepathic communication you mentioned..." Hadji clarified
	"Kything?"
	"What are you talking about?" Jessie probe puzzledly
	"It could work... What do you think Charles?"
	Charles Wallace simply smiled.
	"Wait a sec," Meg stopped, "I know I mentioned that you have a natural
ability to kythe. But even if you're an expert on it... you'll need to have
some form of attachment to the other person in order for you to make a
connection."
	Hadji looked back at her levelly, "I never said that it had to be me."
	Meg stared back at him before instinctively turning to their reclusive blonde
companion.
	"You did say that anyone can do it," Hadji reasoned, before turning to the
other
Murry, "If we find a way to locate her... will you tesser us to her?"
	Charles Wallace frowned and started to protest until he caught his sister
giving him 'the look.' He dropped his serious demeanor with a deep sigh and
shrugged, "This
timeline is already all messed up anyway."
	Meg smirked and looked over at the quiet boy, "So what'll be Jonny?"
	The boy didn't make a move to lift his face. The slow movement on his lips that
began to form a weak makeshift of his familiar impish grin was indication
enough, that the determined fire in his eyes was sparked aflame with renewed
passion, "What do you need me to do?" 
	Jessie frowned and crossed her arms in annoyance, "Hello? Did I just miss
something here? What exactly is going on?"
	Meg her arm around the girl and gave her an reassuring pat, "Just turning the
tables around to our favour, my dear. Just turning the tables around."
		
(To be continued)

Comments, criticisms, bricks to [email protected]

*Approximated time

Author's squawk:

	I know the shift in emotions regarding this situation is too sudden. But I
didn't want to make this into a painfully long angsty chapter... since this
storyline isn't supposed to be angst in the first place anyway. ^_^.  AND
Meg is definitely going waaaay out of character now! Heh-heh... I certainly
hopeno one in this ML is connected to Madeleine L'Engle in any form...
	BUT happy news! Almost there Meach! ^_^. If things go my way... I'd say this
baby will be over within 5 chapters (I HOPE! I HOPE! I HOPE! ^_^.) and one
epilogue.
WHOO-HOO! I'll be so happy when this is all over.  TO BE FREE! ^_^. Well...
I hope
you guys aren't bored to tears yet. And thanks for bearing with this
incredibly LOOOONG
fic. 

Ja!
Ina-chan