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

Jonny Quest:  The Real Adventures

Desert Serenade (Part 4)


The light was fading as Rachel sat on the steps of the ranch house.
Watching the sun drift slowly from the horizon, she felt her heart
sinking with it.

"Where could he be?" she mumbled.

Rachel ran a hand through her long, slightly tangled, golden hair and
nervously began twirling a strand around her finger.  She thought about
everything that had happened the last two months.

Work had kept both of them busy.  Benton had a lot of research to do,
and work around the ranch occupied much of Rachel's time.  However,
they spent every free moment together.

They had wandered around Old Town for hours.  Benton was
fascinated  with the antiquated buildings and rustic scenery.  They
had shared lingering kisses beneath the shade of the old wooden
gazebo in the plaza.  Walking hand-in-hand through Mesilla, they felt
as though they had been transported back in time.

White Sands had captivated Benton.  They spent an entire day
scrambling up and sliding down the pure white dunes.  After a few
hours, they were covered with the soft, warm sand, but neither of
them seemed to mind.

One night, the Sands had remained open late.  When darkness fell,
millions of stars lit up the jet black sky.  Huddled together with a
blanket over their shoulders, Rachel and Benton tried to pick out
familiar constellations among the countless heavenly lights.

They had even traveled to Carlsbad Caverns.  Exploring the caves
and analyzing their origins consumed Benton.  They often fell behind
the rest of the tour group because Benton would stop to examine an
unusual formation.

He had desperately wanted to investigate some of the sealed off
sections of the caverns.  Benton tried explaining to the tour guide
that he was a scientist, and he knew what he was doing.  The tour
guide threatened to call security.

Eventually, Rachel interrupted the heated debate and managed to
calm Benton down.  "After all," Rachel had told him, "not everyone
is able to recognize a brilliant scientist when they see one."  She
kissed his cheek, and he agreed to stick to the regular tour route.

No matter how many places they traveled, Dripping Springs
remained their favorite spot.  At least once a week, they would
hike into the mountains.  Soon, Benton knew the paths so well
that he inadvertently left Rachel behind sometimes.  Although,
they usually walked the trail side by side.

Rachel hugged her legs to her chest as she reveled in all the
enchanting memories she had of Benton.  Ruefully gazing at her
watch, she knew that tonight would not be added to that list of
happy times.

Benton's research finished today, and he was leaving New Mexico
early tomorrow morning.  He was supposed to meet her this
afternoon for a final farewell.  Now, it was evening, and he still
had not shown up or even called.

Hearing the loud footfalls behind her, Rachel cringed.  The last
thing she wanted to hear right now was a lecture.  Doug sat down
beside her and asked, "So, he's still not here?"

"No, Dad," Rachel countered with a wry smile.  "You know that
Benton's a scientist.  Well, he's invented an invisibility formula, and
he's right here beside me.  As a matter of fact, you're sitting in his
lap."

"There's no need to use that tone with me," Doug warned.

Rachel's shoulders slumped, and she looked at her dad with tears
in her eyes.  She murmured, "I'm sorry.  I just . . ."

Doug moved closer to his daughter and wrapped a strong arm
around her.  "Honey, I know this is hard, but maybe it's for the
best.  It's pretty foolish to get so worked up over someone who
might not care for you."

Rachel opened her mouth to reply, but a pair of blinding headlights
cut through the darkness.  Her face beamed as the lights flicked off,
and Benton stepped out of the car.

"Just remember what I said," Doug whispered as he stepped inside.

At first, Rachel wanted to rush to Benton, but she restrained herself.
Her face darkened as she looked at him.  "You're late," she stated
flatly.

"I'm so sorry," Benton hurriedly explained.  "Packing up took longer
than we expected.  I got here as quickly as I could."

Although he seemed truly sincere, Rachel felt a gnawing in the pit
of her stomach.  Thinking back on all of the happy times they had
shared, she realized that he had not once really said how he felt
about her.  In all that time, they had never discussed what would
happen when Benton left.

"Well, it's too late to do anything tonight.  Maybe you should just
go back to the hotel.  You have an early flight in El Paso tomorrow,
and you should get some rest."  Rachel turned and started to enter
the house.

Reaching for her arm, Benton asked, "Rachel, why are you doing
this?  What's wrong?"

Rachel spun around and cried, "What's wrong?  Benton, you're
leaving tomorrow.  We may never see each other again."

The confusion and pain on Benton's face made Rachel's heart
ache even more.  She steeled herself against the tide of emotions
that were overwhelming her.

Still holding her arm, Benton inched closer to Rachel.  "Of
course we will see each other again.  We can visit each other.
We'll call and write."

"At first, but them we'll get busy.  We'll meet other people.
You'll forget about me," Rachel gasped.

Benton struggled for the right words.  Half of him wanted to hold
Rachel close and tell her that he loved her.  The thought of being
away from her made him want to scream.  The other half told him
that he should walk away now without looking back.  Rachel was
so much younger than him, and she deserved so much that he could
not give her.  Unable to make a decision, Benton just stared at
Rachel in silence.

Terrified of the conflicting feelings that were tearing her apart,
Rachel rushed to the front door.  If they were breaking up, she
wanted it to be quick and complete.

Rachel forced herself to speak.  Even as the words tumbled from
her lips, she could not believe what she was saying.  "Benton, we
never promised each other anything.  It's been fun, but now it's over.
We should just say goodbye."

Speechless, Benton turned away.  "If that's what you want," he
uttered as he walked to the car.  "Goodbye," he called while opening
the car door.

"Goodbye," Rachel softly replied.  They both forcefully reminded
themselves that this was for the best.  They each thought that they
would just hold the other down.

After driving for awhile, Benton looked back.  He had hoped that
Rachel might still be on the porch.  If he saw her, Benton knew he
would turn around and hurry to her side.  Unfortunately, Rachel was
gone, and Benton kept driving.

As soon as he had pulled away, Rachel had ran inside and slammed
the door behind her.  Tears streaked down her face as she sped
to her room.

The End of Part 4