Categories:  BQ/RQ HR, P, A (a little)
Synopsis:  Benton discovers more than he expected while researching the
desert.

Disclaimer:  I don't own the characters, and I'm not making money.



Jonny Quest:  The Real Adventures


Desert Serenade (Part 1)


The heat was smothering Benton Quest.  His clothes were wet and
itchy from his perspiration.  He reached up to absently scratch his
beard.  It felt so uncomfortable that he almost wished he had not
grown it.  Still, it did make him look more distinguished and mature.
At least, he hoped it did.

With a sigh, Benton stood up and stretched.  He mopped his forehead
with an old handkerchief and was shocked by the amount of dirt and grit
that covered him.

"I'm in hell," he declared.  Actually, he was in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
However, in the middle of June, and in the middle of the desert, it could
easily be mistaken for hell.

Benton wondered for about the millionth time what had brought him here.
A colleague had invited him along to study the desert ecosystem.  He
had thought it would give him a chance to relax and unwind.  He could
research the desert and drink in the beauty of the untamed land.  So
far, he had discovered very little beauty.

Many blooming yucca and green mesquite bushes dotted the landscape.
Even a few tall saguaro stood proudly in the distance.  To Benton,
however, everything seemed barren and dead.

Not to say he had not encountered anything in the desert.  He had
become well acquainted with scorpions, rattle snakes, cacti, cacti
needles, and sand.  The sand had to be the worst.  After a long day of
field study, sand layered his clothes and his body.  Sometimes, it even
seemed to cover the inside of his throat.

"Oh, well," he muttered, "only two more months.  Then, I never have to
return to this horrible place."  He bent back down and studied the plant
samples he had collected.  His scientific curiosity got the better of him,
and he was soon fully engrossed in his work.

A low rumbling jolted him back to reality.  At first, he thought it was
thunder and hoped it might rain.  Then, it continued to grow louder as
he noticed a cloud of dust coming towards him.  Through the sand,
Benton vaguely recognized an animal, a bull.  He realized that the
bull was charging directly at him.

He dropped the samples and tried to run.  However, the sand
squished beneath his feet and made it impossible to move quickly.
The dirt swiveled under him, and he fell.

Raising his sand-covered face, Benton saw the huge black bull
approaching.  The animal snorted, and Benton swore he could feel
its hot breath.  As he frantically tried to think of a plan, he saw a flash,
and a rope landed neatly around the bull's neck.  The animal pulled
away from Benton just inches before he would have been trampled.

Quickly, Benton brushed the sand from his face and beheld his
rescuer.  Gracefully, she slid from her horse to subdue the wild bull.
Other riders soon joined her and helped control the animal.

The woman grinned at Benton, who was still lying in the sand, and
walked towards him.  She was the most beautiful woman he had
ever seen.  Her long blond hair was pulled back in a tight braid.  Her
tall and slender frame was encased in a white T-shirt and faded blue
jeans.

What really fascinated Benton were her eyes.  They were deep blue,
and they sparkled and shimmered like jewels.  He drank in her cool
gaze like fresh water.  Suddenly, the exhausting heat from the desert
seemed to vanish.

She crouched beside him and asked, "Are you okay?'

"Just fine," Benton exclaimed.  He wanted to seem confident and strong.
He tried to pick himself up, but instantly faltered back to the ground.

The woman giggled.  Benton thought her laugh sounded like a thousand
chiming silver bells.  She held out her hand and helped him to his feet.
When their hands released, Benton felt horribly sad.

"I'm so sorry.  That bull is ours.  We have never had an animal act that
way.  I guess, it's a good thing we found him when we did," she
explained.

After a few moments, Benton recovered his voice.  "It was very fortunate
for me.  Thank you," he squeaked.

Carefully, the woman looked him over.  "You seem kind of beat up,"
she proclaimed.  Benton suddenly began dusting himself off and
straightening his hair.  "Why don't you come back to the ranch and
recover?"

Benton quickly nodded.  "This is silly," he scolded himself inwardly.
"You are here to do research and focus on scientific inquiry.  You
should stay here and finish . . ."  His train of thought faded as he looked
into her eyes.  "I'd love to go with you," he murmured.

She strode to her chestnut-colored horse, mounted, and reached to
Benton.  He looked at her quizzically.

"Well, you don't seem to have any transportation, and I didn't think
you wanted to walk to the ranch," she said with a smile.

Benton shrugged and awkwardly struggled to sit behind her.  As she
eased the horse into a gallop, Benton had to clutch her waist to keep
his balance.

She turned a little, so she could look him in the face.  "By the way,
my name is Rachel Wildey."

Benton dreamily thought that was the most wonderful name he had
ever heard.  He continued to stare into her eyes as she looked at him
expectantly.

Finally, she queried, "And you?"

"Me?" he asked.

"Well, I like to know the names of the people I rescue," she responded.
Her blue eyes gleamed even brighter as she laughed.

"Oh, I'm Benton . . . Dr. Benton Quest."  He immediately kicked himself
for adding his title; he did not want to sound pompous.

"Dr. Benton Quest," Rachel repeated.  "I like the sound of that.  So, tell
me what type of doctor you are."

As they began to converse, Benton was surprised to discover how easily
he was able to talk with her.  Usually, he got shy around women, but
Rachel made him feel perfectly comfortable.  He thought he could talk
with her for the rest of his life.  Suddenly, this desert did not seem like
such a horrible place after all.


The End of Part 1