Team QueSt: The Next Generation

Trouble in Paradise Part 5

	"No..." Hadji gasped in his sleep.  "No!  Where am I?!?" screamed
Hadji as he was waking up, totally disoriented.  He got up and kept
looking around frantically, trying to get his bearings.
	Jessie came in and popped her head into his tent.
	"Hadji?  Are you ok?  You must be dreaming again."
	"Dr-dreaming?  Miana nad Derrick.... I saw them... they were..."
	Jessie came up and put her hands on his shoulders.
	"Hadji, you were dreaming.  We're in Columbia, remember?  Your
imagination is working overtime since it's been so long since you've
talked to her.  What were you dreaming, anyway?"
	Hadji then told her the nightmares that had been plaguing him.
	"Well, Derrick McCleod is a real person-- my mother has worked
with him before, and he is published in many archaeology journals.  But
don't panic-- we don't know anything yet.  The project is almost finished,
so Mom can finish it up from here.  I suggest we leave at daybreak so you
can get the story straight and put your troubled mind at ease."
	Hadji was relieved that the scenario he thought he had witnessed
was just a dream, but he was still uneasy as to the uncertainty as to what
was really going on.

*******************************************************************************

	The next morning, Jessie, Hadji, and the boys left for Scotland.
They reached there late evening, just before dark.  The jeep that they
pulled up in went unnoticed by the work crews, and Jessie had a time
keeping the boys quiet, as Hadji didn't want them noticed immediately.
Hadji recognized Derrick from behind, and saw his arm around what looked
like Miana from behind, leaning over their work. Derrick put his arm
around the girl and pulled her into a kiss.
	"Miana..." he thought, tears coming to his eyes.
	Then, anger took over, and he went to reach for Derrick, then he
heard a woman calling his name.
	"Hadji!" squealed Miana with great excitement.
	Hadji's mouth dropped as he saw Miana coming out of the lab with
Jonny.  Miana ran up to him and jumped into his arms.  Hadji's mouth
dropped in confusion.  Derrick and the woman stood up, and Hadji saw that
the woman was obviously someone else who had Miana's build and haircolor.
	"Hadji, what are you doing here?  What a pleasant surprise!  I'm
so glad you're here!"
	"What--how--who..."
	"Hadji?" asked Miana in confusion.
	"I need to sit down."
	"Is this your husband?" asked Derrick.
	"I don't know.  He looks like Hadji, but certainly isn't acting
like him.  Sweetie, are you ok?"
	Jessie came up to them after her reunion with Jonny.
	"Hadji?  Miana, he looks green."
	"What's going on?  What brought you all here?  I didn't think
you'd be able to get away at all."
	"Hadji's been having some horrible dreams about you and Derrick."
	"OOOhhhhh, now I get it.  He saw Merria and thought it was me..."
	Hadji started coming out of his fugue.
	"Hadji, I would like you to meet Derrick McCleod, and his wife
Merria."
	"Wife?"
	"Yes.  They've been married almost as long as we have!"
	Hadji's mouth dropped in relief.
	"Nice to meet you." said Derrick, extending his hand.  "So you're
the lucky man that stole my girl's heart."
	"Hadji, what's going on, love?"
	Hadji sat down with them and told them his dream.
	"My God!  No wonder you came here in such a hurry!" exclaimed
Derrick.  "I would to in your position.  I would apologize, except I can't
control what I do in other people's dreams."
	Hadji smiled.
	"Well, sweetie, let me tell you the real story.  It is true that
Derrick was an exchange student in my classes.  It is true we were
engaged.  It is true that he never came back due to the death of his
parents, and it was true that I was hurt when I came here, and that we
made our peace.  However, he outgrew his arrogant streak, and he met
Merria shortly after his return here.  They became friends, and she helped
him deal with his grief.  They fell in love, got married, and the rest is
history!  Derrick and Merria are good people that I have become good
friends with."
	"Miana, I cannot apologize enough for not trusting you... and
Derrick, I owe you..."
	"Don't worry about it." said Derrick, slapping Hadji on the
shoulder.  "Being half a world away can do that easily to a person."
	Miana sat in front of Hadji and took his hands.
	"Hadji Singh-- you are my life!  I could never, ever picture
myself with anyone else in this, or any other lifetime.  I love you."
	Hadji pulled Miana into his arms and wept with joy and relief.
	"Miana," started Jessie.  "How has your project here gone?"
	"Amazing.  We discovered recent remains of a plesiosaur on the
bottom of the Lochness, and they match fossils we have been excavating."
	"You mean it's not extinct?" asked Jessie.
	"Well, we have not seen the Lochness monster since we've been
here.  However, we also know there has been soghtings of more than one,
so it's highly doubtful that the remains we found are those of the last
one.  We have concluded that the Lochness Monster is indeed a living
plesiosaur, and we are speculating that there are still more somewhere in
the lake."
	"Amazing!" exclaimed Hadji.  "This will be a wonderful discovery
to publish and publicize."
	"We know." said Derrick,  "And it would not have been possible
without the help of Miana and Jonny.  It has been good working with you,
Miana."
	Derrick pulled Miana into a big hug.
	"Hadji, you're a lucky man.  Take care of my girl."
	"I have been doing well so far." smiled Hadji.
	Just then, the four children ran by, with an exhausted Moniri
chasing after them.  Jessie and Miana grabbed the kids, and gave Derrick a
good look at the boys.
	Days later, the project wrapped up, and good-byes were said as
everyone went their separate ways.  Miana was relieved that an unfinished
chapter of her life had a happy ending, and Hadji was relieved that things
didn't turn out the way he feared.  The QueSt team returned to Maine, all
together, and all were happy to be home together once again.