Turn Around by Chris
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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: I do not own tP or the characters. They belong to NBC and TNT. I only dare to use them for my purposes. This is a piece of non-profit fanfiction, there are no copyright infringements intended. The character of Michael belongs to my imagination (even though he might have some things in common with MTW ;-) )
Title: Turn Around Part 13/?
By: Chris, with help from Traci
Rated: PG-13
The plane to Tokyo
01/04/2000, 1.15 p.m.
Broots felt as if someone was watching him. He was still sitting in the plane, his daughter beside him, sleeping. He wondered what Jarod and Miss Parker would be doing right now and the most important thing, what Sydney would be doing right now. He was glad that he and Debbie had escaped but he wasn’t sure if he had only escaped the building but not the people in it. He didn't feel alone the way he did when he was somewhere in an unknown town. He felt that there was someone in the plane he knew. Be it in the way of a sweeper or someone else he knew. He looked down at his sleeping daughter and then shot a look down the corridor. Nearly everybody in the plane was asleep. He got up and went towards the toilet. All the time he thought that someone else would get up as well and follow him, but nothing happened. He closed the door behind him and the feeling was gone. When he came back to his seat Debbie was still sound asleep and nothing in the plane had changed. So maybe it was his imagination.
Hotel Room in Kisarazu / Japan
01/04/2000, 1.29 p.m.
Parker was still sleeping when Michael and Jarod finished their work. The virus had done its work and Jarod had all the information he needed, mostly from Lyle’s files, some from Mr. Parker’s. Sydney hadn’t betrayed him the way he had thought. Yes, he had told Raines what he had wanted to know, but only because he had threatened to kill him and his family if he didn't. Now it was time to think of a plan to save him. But first things first, they had to finish here first.
The phone rang and Michael looked at his wrist watch. It was half past two, only four hours from their meeting with Broots.
"Hello?"
"Jarod, this is Broots. We can't meet tonight. There is a sweeper team aboard the plane. Forget about us. Debbie and I will take our holiday and then return home. We have to find some other way to meet."
"Broots, let me talk to Debbie."
Broots handed the phone over to his daughter.
"Debbie, listen to me. You're an intelligent child. Do you think you can manage to live without your dad for a while?"
"Without my daddy? Why?"
"It is easier for us to save you first. The sweepers won't search for you, they'll follow your dad. Talk with him about it, I'll call you later."
He hung up without saying another word.
"Michael, there's another problem. There's a sweeper team aboard the plane with Broots. I have an idea how to save Debbie, but Broots must give his OK. Broots will return to Delaware in one week and Debbie has to stay with a family until it is save for Broots to leave again."
Parker opened her eyes and looked at them.
"What are you talking about?"
"There's a sweeper team aboard the plane with Broots. We have to get Debbie."
"A sweeper team? How have they found out?" She slowly sat up. "Broots changed plans on the airport, how could they have known?"
"I don't know, Meredith, but we have to find a way to save Debbie. You can't come with us, what about you looking after her?"
"I am going with you, no matter what you say. I am not looking after a girl in a city I don't know."
"I thought you spent some college time in Tokyo."
"OK, you're right, but I AM going with you."
"Parker, I am not willing to take the risk of having to leave you somewhere in the forest. I think we've had this discussion before."
She closed her eyes briefly and sighed.
"What do I have to do to convince you that I'm really fine?"
"Forget it. You're staying."
"OK. We forget this discussion. We're leaving tomorrow, I have enough time to rest until then."
Her voice was commanding and her blue eyes were piercing his. Jarod and Michael just looked at each other but didn't say a word. Parker was stubborn but they hadn't known HOW stubborn she could be. They dropped the topic and returned to other tasks.
Jarod wanted to take her with him but he was afraid that he had to leave her behind. His thoughts were interrupted by Michael. He was s till sitting in front of his laptop, staring at the screen.
"I don't know if you want to know this but I think you should have a look at this."
They came to stand beside him and looked at the written lines.
************************************CONFIDENTIAL**********************************
****FOR MR. PARKER ONLY****
It has been confirmed that Meredith Parker isn't your daughter. Her real father has been found and all evidence has been erased. Confirm that you have received this message and delete it as soon as you have read it.
The Triumvirate
***********************************************************************************
Parker's eyes grew wide and a glistening in her eyes told him that she was close to crying. He took her hand and squeezed it slightly.
"He knew it. Why hasn't he deleted the message as he was told?"
"It was deleted but I found a copy in Lyle's files."
"He knew as well? How old is this message?"
"It was written about a year ago.
"Everybody except me knew about it. Why?"
"Sorry, Meredith, but I can't answer this question," Michael said.
"I didn't want an answer," Parker barked and sat down on the bed again. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Jarod sat down beside her and looked down on her pale face. The dog was still lying there and sleeping.
"I know a place for Debbie and the dog. I agree on taking you with us."
She opened her eyes and looked at him, a smile playing around her lips.
"Tell me something I don't already know."
Jarod took the phone and called Debbie again. She and her father agreed that it was safe for the girl to stay in Japan while her father returned to America the next week.
"We'll be in Tokyo soon. See you then."
"Take care, Broots."
Jarod hung up and got up. Parker slowly rose from the bed as well and Michael switched off his laptop. It was time for them to leave the hotel to be in time to meet Broots.
They went to the harbour and took the boat, Jarod had rented earlier the day. It was planned to cross the bay and then take another rented car to the airport. Not the airport itself but a little hotel nearby where they would meet with Broots.
Parker looked pale when they reached the other shore but she was standing firm. She even resisted when Jarod wanted to help her out of the boat.
"I'm fine, I don't need any help."
Jarod didn't say anything he just shrugged and turned towards Michael who stayed aboard the boat with the dog to wait for their return.
The hotel was small and hidden behind some huge office buildings. They hoped that Broots would find them easily. When he finally arrived he looked pale and Debbie looked scared.
"We have to leave quickly. There seem to be sweepers everywhere."
"I'll bring you to the family where Debbie will stay for a while. What will you do, Broots?"
"Stay with her for a while, pretend to be on holidays and eventually go back to America. What about you? What are you planning?"
"I'll tell you when we're in the boat."
They stepped out of the hotel room and out of the hotel, always looking for sweepers. Parker hadn't said a word the whole time, Broots didn't mind, but it seemed peculiar to him. Debbie didn't talk much as well and she stayed beside Parker as if she sensed that Parker needed her.
When they arrived at the boat Debbie took Miss Parker's hand to help her in and Parker didn't resist. Jarod and Michael only stared at each other and then looked at Debbie who didn't seem to notice that everybody was looking at her.
"I haven't introduced Michael to you," Jarod said when Michael helped Broots to climb into the boat.
"I know him. He's been a sweeper at the Centre many years ago, right?"
Michael only nodded and took Broots' outstretched hand.
Jarod started the engines and they left the harbour. Parker was still staring at the shore and she was the only one who noticed that someone was watching them. The man seemed familiar to her but she didn't know who it was. He was no sweeper or someone from the Centre. Just an old man who was staring at the boat and especially at her. She turned away from the railing and sat down. Debbie sat down beside her and took her hand. Parker smiled and squeezed it slightly. Debbie smiled back. Broots who was sitting on the other side of the boat couldn't take his eyes of the two and smiled inwardly.
"Why are you here in Japan?"
"We are investigating something."
"What?"
"Broots, keep that for yourself, OK? It is said that there exists a sister company to the Centre here in Japan. Somewhere on the northern island. We want to find out if that's a rumor of if it's true."
"You don't expect me to come with you, do you?"
"No, you have to return to the Centre in a little more than a week, you don't have time for that."
"Thanks. I wouldn't have liked it anyway."
Jarod and Michael only smiled instead of an answer.
Maitreyi Chia Arava was standing at the door, watching the three men, two women and a little dog file out of the car. She had been told that the girl and the dog were to stay with her family for a while. Jarod had told her about the circumstances why she had to be away from home and why she had to be protected. It wasn't the first child she was taking care of for Jarod, but most of the children stayed with her until they were grown up and able to take care of themselves. The little girl was different. Her father was an employee of the Centre and wanted to flee but sweepers had followed him. She had no idea how they could possibly have found out that they had changed flight plans again but the Centre was a mystery. So Debbie would stay with her and her other five children until her father was safe and Maitreyi wanted to make it as easy for the girl as possible. Maitreyi looked at the woman closely. She looked familiar to her. The woman stared back.
"Maitreyi?"
"Michelle?"
Parker walked toward the Chinese woman and hugged her. Maitreyi did the same and Parker moaned.
"Are you alright?"
"Sure."
She bit her lip, once again trying not to scream in pain. Debbie looked at her, her eyes widened with fear. How should Maitreyi and Debbie know of the wound on her shoulder?
"Come on in everybody. There's no need to stay outside. I have prepared some tea."
They followed her inside. The house was small but nobody cared. The five children who were living with her disappeared into their room when Maitreyi told them so. It seemed as if they were trained to obey. Debbie couldn't decide whether she liked the woman or not. Parker knew her that made her confident that she would like her as well but something was there that made her conspicuous. Where was her husband? Where did all those children come from? Every child looked different. One had been black, two were Chinese, a girl had had white-blond hair and one had been like her. She looked around the room and decided that she would like it here.
Parker smiled down at Debbie, knowing what was going around her head. She had felt the same when she had been here. She had gotten refuge here for a few weeks as well, some weeks when her mother had decided that it wasn't safe for her daughter to be in the Centre. Parker put her hand onto Debbie's shoulder and smiled at her reassuringly.
Jarod sat down on the small sofa, putting aside a whole load of children's toys and books. He gestured the others to do the same.
"Mrs. Arava?" Debbie spoke up.
"Please call me Maitreyi like all the others, will you, darling?" she said, with no accent at all. Debbie had anticipated that it would be hard for her to understand everybody but Maitreyi almost sounded like being from Atlanta or somewhere around there.
"Where do all these children come from?" Debbie asked.
"Let Jarod explain that to you he knows everything much better than I do. I'll be in the kitchen."
She smiled and left the room.
"These children are here because they are safe here. They had to flee from the Centre like you do at the moment. And nobody from the Centre dares to look here or try to kidnap the children from here. Her husband's a diplomat and the house is heavily guarded even though it doesn't look like that. It is as safe as Fort Knox. The children all have special abilities. They are all little pretenders. They don't have developed their skills yet and have still much to learn but they have something in common with you. Broots, have you already told her?" he turned towards Broots, who only shook his head.
"Debbie, you have pretender abilities as well and that's why you're here with Maitreyi. She knows much and she can help you find these abilities."
"I'm a pretender?"
It was as silent as a grave and nobody dared to speak or even breathe until Debbie spoke up again.
"Why didn't anybody tell me?"
"We wanted to be sure before we told you that. It was safer for you not to know about it. Your dad didn't know it, don't blame him. I told him about the possibility only before Parker and I disappeared. And I asked him not to tell you until I could confirm it. I've found a note in Mr. Lyle's files that confirmed my suspicion. He knew about it as well."
"Jarod, does he know about me as well?" Parker spoke for the first time.
"I don't know. But I think so, yes. You were part of the red files and Lyle knows about these. We have to be careful."
Maitreyi came back into the living room with a large tray. It contained mugs with steaming tea and rice cookies which she offered to everybody in the room.
"Would you mind if I called the kids in as well?"
"I don't mind," Jarod said.
"Me neither," Debbie said and tried to smile.
Maitreyi called the kids and Faith tried to hide under Parker's legs when everybody wanted to pat her.
"Leave that poor little dog alone," Maitreyi said, "It will be here long enough. It will stay with Debbie. Now be good boys and girls and introduce yourselves."
"My name's Yuen-Yu," a Chinese looking girl said.
"Jack," the little black boy said.
"I'm Lisa," said the girl with white-blond hair.
"I'm Donna," said a girl and pointed towards the smallest of them, a little Chinese boy, "His name's Chow-Yun. He doesn't talk much."
Donna seemed to be the eldest of the children and her dark blond hair curled around her beautiful face. Debbie liked her and all the other children at first sight.
"It's tea-time. Everybody take a mug and sit down. We have to talk about important things. You all know Jarod. He has brought another girl and wants us to take care of her. Debbie and her dog will stay for a few weeks at most but we have to help her like we help every other child that comes to stay with us longer. You know what you have to do."
The children nodded and Donna got up. Without a word the other children followed her and left the room.
Title: Turn Around Part 13/?
By: Chris, with help from Traci
Rated: PG-13
The plane to Tokyo
01/04/2000, 1.15 p.m.
Broots felt as if someone was watching him. He was still sitting in the plane, his daughter beside him, sleeping. He wondered what Jarod and Miss Parker would be doing right now and the most important thing, what Sydney would be doing right now. He was glad that he and Debbie had escaped but he wasn’t sure if he had only escaped the building but not the people in it. He didn't feel alone the way he did when he was somewhere in an unknown town. He felt that there was someone in the plane he knew. Be it in the way of a sweeper or someone else he knew. He looked down at his sleeping daughter and then shot a look down the corridor. Nearly everybody in the plane was asleep. He got up and went towards the toilet. All the time he thought that someone else would get up as well and follow him, but nothing happened. He closed the door behind him and the feeling was gone. When he came back to his seat Debbie was still sound asleep and nothing in the plane had changed. So maybe it was his imagination.
Hotel Room in Kisarazu / Japan
01/04/2000, 1.29 p.m.
Parker was still sleeping when Michael and Jarod finished their work. The virus had done its work and Jarod had all the information he needed, mostly from Lyle’s files, some from Mr. Parker’s. Sydney hadn’t betrayed him the way he had thought. Yes, he had told Raines what he had wanted to know, but only because he had threatened to kill him and his family if he didn't. Now it was time to think of a plan to save him. But first things first, they had to finish here first.
The phone rang and Michael looked at his wrist watch. It was half past two, only four hours from their meeting with Broots.
"Hello?"
"Jarod, this is Broots. We can't meet tonight. There is a sweeper team aboard the plane. Forget about us. Debbie and I will take our holiday and then return home. We have to find some other way to meet."
"Broots, let me talk to Debbie."
Broots handed the phone over to his daughter.
"Debbie, listen to me. You're an intelligent child. Do you think you can manage to live without your dad for a while?"
"Without my daddy? Why?"
"It is easier for us to save you first. The sweepers won't search for you, they'll follow your dad. Talk with him about it, I'll call you later."
He hung up without saying another word.
"Michael, there's another problem. There's a sweeper team aboard the plane with Broots. I have an idea how to save Debbie, but Broots must give his OK. Broots will return to Delaware in one week and Debbie has to stay with a family until it is save for Broots to leave again."
Parker opened her eyes and looked at them.
"What are you talking about?"
"There's a sweeper team aboard the plane with Broots. We have to get Debbie."
"A sweeper team? How have they found out?" She slowly sat up. "Broots changed plans on the airport, how could they have known?"
"I don't know, Meredith, but we have to find a way to save Debbie. You can't come with us, what about you looking after her?"
"I am going with you, no matter what you say. I am not looking after a girl in a city I don't know."
"I thought you spent some college time in Tokyo."
"OK, you're right, but I AM going with you."
"Parker, I am not willing to take the risk of having to leave you somewhere in the forest. I think we've had this discussion before."
She closed her eyes briefly and sighed.
"What do I have to do to convince you that I'm really fine?"
"Forget it. You're staying."
"OK. We forget this discussion. We're leaving tomorrow, I have enough time to rest until then."
Her voice was commanding and her blue eyes were piercing his. Jarod and Michael just looked at each other but didn't say a word. Parker was stubborn but they hadn't known HOW stubborn she could be. They dropped the topic and returned to other tasks.
Jarod wanted to take her with him but he was afraid that he had to leave her behind. His thoughts were interrupted by Michael. He was s till sitting in front of his laptop, staring at the screen.
"I don't know if you want to know this but I think you should have a look at this."
They came to stand beside him and looked at the written lines.
************************************CONFIDENTIAL**********************************
****FOR MR. PARKER ONLY****
It has been confirmed that Meredith Parker isn't your daughter. Her real father has been found and all evidence has been erased. Confirm that you have received this message and delete it as soon as you have read it.
The Triumvirate
***********************************************************************************
Parker's eyes grew wide and a glistening in her eyes told him that she was close to crying. He took her hand and squeezed it slightly.
"He knew it. Why hasn't he deleted the message as he was told?"
"It was deleted but I found a copy in Lyle's files."
"He knew as well? How old is this message?"
"It was written about a year ago.
"Everybody except me knew about it. Why?"
"Sorry, Meredith, but I can't answer this question," Michael said.
"I didn't want an answer," Parker barked and sat down on the bed again. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Jarod sat down beside her and looked down on her pale face. The dog was still lying there and sleeping.
"I know a place for Debbie and the dog. I agree on taking you with us."
She opened her eyes and looked at him, a smile playing around her lips.
"Tell me something I don't already know."
Jarod took the phone and called Debbie again. She and her father agreed that it was safe for the girl to stay in Japan while her father returned to America the next week.
"We'll be in Tokyo soon. See you then."
"Take care, Broots."
Jarod hung up and got up. Parker slowly rose from the bed as well and Michael switched off his laptop. It was time for them to leave the hotel to be in time to meet Broots.
They went to the harbour and took the boat, Jarod had rented earlier the day. It was planned to cross the bay and then take another rented car to the airport. Not the airport itself but a little hotel nearby where they would meet with Broots.
Parker looked pale when they reached the other shore but she was standing firm. She even resisted when Jarod wanted to help her out of the boat.
"I'm fine, I don't need any help."
Jarod didn't say anything he just shrugged and turned towards Michael who stayed aboard the boat with the dog to wait for their return.
The hotel was small and hidden behind some huge office buildings. They hoped that Broots would find them easily. When he finally arrived he looked pale and Debbie looked scared.
"We have to leave quickly. There seem to be sweepers everywhere."
"I'll bring you to the family where Debbie will stay for a while. What will you do, Broots?"
"Stay with her for a while, pretend to be on holidays and eventually go back to America. What about you? What are you planning?"
"I'll tell you when we're in the boat."
They stepped out of the hotel room and out of the hotel, always looking for sweepers. Parker hadn't said a word the whole time, Broots didn't mind, but it seemed peculiar to him. Debbie didn't talk much as well and she stayed beside Parker as if she sensed that Parker needed her.
When they arrived at the boat Debbie took Miss Parker's hand to help her in and Parker didn't resist. Jarod and Michael only stared at each other and then looked at Debbie who didn't seem to notice that everybody was looking at her.
"I haven't introduced Michael to you," Jarod said when Michael helped Broots to climb into the boat.
"I know him. He's been a sweeper at the Centre many years ago, right?"
Michael only nodded and took Broots' outstretched hand.
Jarod started the engines and they left the harbour. Parker was still staring at the shore and she was the only one who noticed that someone was watching them. The man seemed familiar to her but she didn't know who it was. He was no sweeper or someone from the Centre. Just an old man who was staring at the boat and especially at her. She turned away from the railing and sat down. Debbie sat down beside her and took her hand. Parker smiled and squeezed it slightly. Debbie smiled back. Broots who was sitting on the other side of the boat couldn't take his eyes of the two and smiled inwardly.
"Why are you here in Japan?"
"We are investigating something."
"What?"
"Broots, keep that for yourself, OK? It is said that there exists a sister company to the Centre here in Japan. Somewhere on the northern island. We want to find out if that's a rumor of if it's true."
"You don't expect me to come with you, do you?"
"No, you have to return to the Centre in a little more than a week, you don't have time for that."
"Thanks. I wouldn't have liked it anyway."
Jarod and Michael only smiled instead of an answer.
Maitreyi Chia Arava was standing at the door, watching the three men, two women and a little dog file out of the car. She had been told that the girl and the dog were to stay with her family for a while. Jarod had told her about the circumstances why she had to be away from home and why she had to be protected. It wasn't the first child she was taking care of for Jarod, but most of the children stayed with her until they were grown up and able to take care of themselves. The little girl was different. Her father was an employee of the Centre and wanted to flee but sweepers had followed him. She had no idea how they could possibly have found out that they had changed flight plans again but the Centre was a mystery. So Debbie would stay with her and her other five children until her father was safe and Maitreyi wanted to make it as easy for the girl as possible. Maitreyi looked at the woman closely. She looked familiar to her. The woman stared back.
"Maitreyi?"
"Michelle?"
Parker walked toward the Chinese woman and hugged her. Maitreyi did the same and Parker moaned.
"Are you alright?"
"Sure."
She bit her lip, once again trying not to scream in pain. Debbie looked at her, her eyes widened with fear. How should Maitreyi and Debbie know of the wound on her shoulder?
"Come on in everybody. There's no need to stay outside. I have prepared some tea."
They followed her inside. The house was small but nobody cared. The five children who were living with her disappeared into their room when Maitreyi told them so. It seemed as if they were trained to obey. Debbie couldn't decide whether she liked the woman or not. Parker knew her that made her confident that she would like her as well but something was there that made her conspicuous. Where was her husband? Where did all those children come from? Every child looked different. One had been black, two were Chinese, a girl had had white-blond hair and one had been like her. She looked around the room and decided that she would like it here.
Parker smiled down at Debbie, knowing what was going around her head. She had felt the same when she had been here. She had gotten refuge here for a few weeks as well, some weeks when her mother had decided that it wasn't safe for her daughter to be in the Centre. Parker put her hand onto Debbie's shoulder and smiled at her reassuringly.
Jarod sat down on the small sofa, putting aside a whole load of children's toys and books. He gestured the others to do the same.
"Mrs. Arava?" Debbie spoke up.
"Please call me Maitreyi like all the others, will you, darling?" she said, with no accent at all. Debbie had anticipated that it would be hard for her to understand everybody but Maitreyi almost sounded like being from Atlanta or somewhere around there.
"Where do all these children come from?" Debbie asked.
"Let Jarod explain that to you he knows everything much better than I do. I'll be in the kitchen."
She smiled and left the room.
"These children are here because they are safe here. They had to flee from the Centre like you do at the moment. And nobody from the Centre dares to look here or try to kidnap the children from here. Her husband's a diplomat and the house is heavily guarded even though it doesn't look like that. It is as safe as Fort Knox. The children all have special abilities. They are all little pretenders. They don't have developed their skills yet and have still much to learn but they have something in common with you. Broots, have you already told her?" he turned towards Broots, who only shook his head.
"Debbie, you have pretender abilities as well and that's why you're here with Maitreyi. She knows much and she can help you find these abilities."
"I'm a pretender?"
It was as silent as a grave and nobody dared to speak or even breathe until Debbie spoke up again.
"Why didn't anybody tell me?"
"We wanted to be sure before we told you that. It was safer for you not to know about it. Your dad didn't know it, don't blame him. I told him about the possibility only before Parker and I disappeared. And I asked him not to tell you until I could confirm it. I've found a note in Mr. Lyle's files that confirmed my suspicion. He knew about it as well."
"Jarod, does he know about me as well?" Parker spoke for the first time.
"I don't know. But I think so, yes. You were part of the red files and Lyle knows about these. We have to be careful."
Maitreyi came back into the living room with a large tray. It contained mugs with steaming tea and rice cookies which she offered to everybody in the room.
"Would you mind if I called the kids in as well?"
"I don't mind," Jarod said.
"Me neither," Debbie said and tried to smile.
Maitreyi called the kids and Faith tried to hide under Parker's legs when everybody wanted to pat her.
"Leave that poor little dog alone," Maitreyi said, "It will be here long enough. It will stay with Debbie. Now be good boys and girls and introduce yourselves."
"My name's Yuen-Yu," a Chinese looking girl said.
"Jack," the little black boy said.
"I'm Lisa," said the girl with white-blond hair.
"I'm Donna," said a girl and pointed towards the smallest of them, a little Chinese boy, "His name's Chow-Yun. He doesn't talk much."
Donna seemed to be the eldest of the children and her dark blond hair curled around her beautiful face. Debbie liked her and all the other children at first sight.
"It's tea-time. Everybody take a mug and sit down. We have to talk about important things. You all know Jarod. He has brought another girl and wants us to take care of her. Debbie and her dog will stay for a few weeks at most but we have to help her like we help every other child that comes to stay with us longer. You know what you have to do."
The children nodded and Donna got up. Without a word the other children followed her and left the room.
