Binding Ties

Synopses for the TPFICT Archives: Kevin seeks the help of a fortuneteller to develop his precognitive abilities in order to prevent a future tragedy. However, it isn't just the future that troubles Kevin as a tragedy from his and Megabyte's past comes back to haunt him.

Disclaimer: The characters and concepts of the Tomorrow People, specifically Adam Newman, Kevin Wilson, Jade Weston, and Megabyte Damon are not mine. They belong to Thames/Tetra Television (I think) and are the creation of Roger Damon Price. This story is to be archived on the TPFICT archives page, but may not be archived elsewhere without my permission. Please do not distribute this story without the disclaimer. The characters of Merilee Winslow and Josh Bairnsby are my own.

Please send me feedback. I really like it when people tell me they've even just read my stuff.

Thanks to my betas Megan Freeman and Temesha Chatman. (Especially a nod to Temesha for info on computer programs.

Binding Ties

The nail polish was pink this time.

Kevin spotted Merilee from the door of the coffee shop. He joined her at the corner table she had chosen which faced the plate glass window.

It had been a week since Kevin had met the fortuneteller in a street fair in Brocksford Corner. He and Jade had had an unusual encounter with her. Merilee Winslow had been dressed in a garish yellow and red robe, with scarves of various shades hanging down her shoulders. The sign there bore her stage name, Esmerelda. Her eyes were a dark brown coffee color, appropriate for where they were, and her hair was a slightly lighter brown. She had surprised the Tomorrow People by hearing their telepathic argument. Following Jade's insistence, Kevin had allowed the fortuneteller to read their Tarot cards.

It was then that his doubts had been shaken.

While Merilee read their fortunes, Kevin had the strangest feeling that there was some truth behind her visions. He saw the ghost of something between the cards and him; and between the cards and Merilee. The reading of Jade's final card set him over the edge of his doubts.

The final card, which represented Jade's future had been The Hanged Man. When Kevin had seen that card turned over he had had a vision and now he was here to find out if Merilee had had the same vision. And if there was anything that could be done to stop it.

"Hello," Merilee said, "I'm glad you decided to get in touch with me."

"I was hoping you could give me some more information."

"About what?" Merilee folded her napkin onto her lap and stirred her tea.

A young woman came and took Kevin's order. Giving up on black coffee, he decided to try cafe mocha.

"About what you saw when you told my fortune," he said, looking up at her through narrow eyes, "and Jade's."

Merilee looked down at her spoon, then out the window, then finally forced herself to look at Kevin.

She sighed deeply before she spoke, "I don't think that it's your future you're worried about."

"No," Kevin kept his eyes locked on hers. "Did you see the same thing I saw in Jade's future?"

"I'm not sure what I saw," Merilee replied. "It's hard to know for certain what is real and what is imagined."

"Stop being mysterious," Kevin said in a low voice. "Tell me. Did you see the same thing that I saw?"

"I saw a flash of light and Jade turning to look at someone. The only thing I could see clearly was her turning and looking over her shoulder. She was older. A little taller. She was wearing a green jacket and her hair was pulled back by a clip. That was all I saw."

"But it worried you," Kevin said. "Why?"

"I don't know," Merilee responded quietly. "I felt something connected to the image that made me uneasy. I can't be any more specific. It doesn't work that way."

"I need you to teach me how to see the future," Kevin said simply.

"Why should I?" Merilee asked.

"Because it may mean saving Jade's life."

*********

The early summer day was threatened by the shadow of a thunderstorm scraping across the sky. Kevin accompanied Merilee back to her flat in Kennington so that they could talk more privately about developing Kevin's divinatory abilities. Merilee's flat was small but comfortably furnished. A white cat skirted out across Kevin's toes, causing him to jump back a half step.

"Cassandra, you little twit," Merilee called out good-naturedly to the cat. "Never mind her; she frightens easily."

Kevin let out a small "Hmmph" and said, "So do I, apparently."

"Have a seat," Merilee pointed to a cushioned monstrosity that might have been a chair or a bean-bag at some point. Now it was covered in clothes. "Sorry bout the mess."

"No problem," Kevin said, clearing a bit of the mound away.

"So where should we start?" Merilee said, perching on a chair across from Kevin.

"How about you tell me a bit about your background?"

"All right," Merilee replied. "I was born just outside of London. I've lived around the city my entire life. My parents have both passed away. I don't have any siblings. I have a few cousins in Southampton and an aunt in Salisbury. My grandmother was Rumanian. That's where I get my gypsy blood.

Merilee shifted on her seat and continued, "My grandmother sometimes heard voices. Occasionally they would tell her things about the future. Her predictions often came true. My grandfather was uneasy about them, but Nan' learned to hide it from him. My mother grew up believing that there was nothing strange about these voices, but she herself never heard them.

"My grandmother died when I was ten years old. At the precise moment she died I heard the sound of shattering glass. I saw my grandmother's reflection in a miror, except that the reflection was shattered while the glass was still intact. I blinked and the vision was gone."

"Since then, I have had random flashes of visions. I've learned to anticipate when a vision will take me over. With a bit of practice I learned to take control of the visions. The more experience I've had with the visions, the greater my other skills have developed."

"What skills do you have exactly?" Kevin asked.

"Well, you *did* ask that before, but I suppose I could go into a bit more detail," Merilee said. "I can see ghosts, the echoes of those who've lived before. Sometimes I can't quite see them, but I always feel them when they're near. On very rare occasions, I've actually spoken to one."

"You've spoken to a ghost?" Kevin said, almost scornfully.

"Yes," Merilee replied a bit tersely. "It wasn't much different than hearing someone else's thoughts."

"So, it didn't actually speak?"

"No, I suppose it didn't," Merilee relaxed a bit. "More as if it thought at me."

"So, what else? You mentioned reading minds. Can you read mine?"

[Not if you're blocking me that effectively,] Merilee projected at Kevin. [Am I doing this right? Can you hear me?]

The shock on Kevin's face was answer enough for Merilee. She laughed.

"Well, it looks like I broke up that stuffy expression on your face," she said.

[How come we couldn't hear your thoughts before?] Kevin asked.

[My mind reading isn't that strong. It's taking a lot of effort for me to maintain this..,]

Merilee pathed, "in fact, I don't think I can maintain it any longer."

"That's strange," Kevin said. "It's pretty effortless for us."

"Perhaps with time and practice my skill with telepathy will get better," Merilee sat back a bit deeper into the chair, catching her breath. "But you wanted me to help you get better with fortunetelling, not for me to do parlor tricks."

"It was strange," Kevin said, "but I could almost see something when you were handling the cards."

"An aura?" Merilee shifted a bit in her chair.

Kevin nodded.

"Okay, that's a start," she said. "The way I like to think of it is that psychic abilities utilize a specific type of energy. The Chinese have something like it called Chi, and the Egyptians called it Ka. Friends of mine who are into witchcraft describe something similar when they draw power."

"I suppose it makes sense. When we.." Kevin was about to mention teleportation but stopped.

"What?" Merilee asked curiously.

"Nothing. Something I can do, but I shouldn't mention it."

"Kevin," Merilee stared him directly in the face, "if I'm going to teach you, I have one rule. Honesty. Don't hold anything back with me about what you can do. I have been, and will be, completely honest with you. I can't teach you unless I know what you're already capable of. And not knowing what you can do may be more dangerous than my knowing any secrets' you might have."

Kevin weighed it over in his mind. The danger to him wasn't important, but he needed Merilee's help if he was to save Jade. It wasn't as if she was going to find a way to exploit him and the other Tomorrow People, was it?

"All right," Kevin said, "but I'm not going to say anything about what my friends may be able to do. Just what I can do."

"Fine."

"Well, I was about to mention that the idea that there is a specific sort of energy makes sense because when I teleport from place to place there is this field of energy that surrounds me."

"Teleport?" Merilee looked surprised, "Like in Star Trek'?"

"Yeah, but I have to yell Beam me up' first," Kevin said sarcastically.

"Can you show me?"

"Sure," Kevin said, "Now you see me . . . "

A flash of white-blue light blinded Merilee. When it faded, Kevin was gone. A few seconds later a second flash came from across the room.

Kevin stood across from Merilee holding a backpack in his hand.

"Sorry," he said, "I went home first to pick up my bag. I'm heading somewhere after we're done."

"That's amazing!" Merilee said. "How does it work?"

"I'm not really sure," Kevin said. "You sort of imagine yourself being somewhere else. Then you think about where you are. And you sort of imagine yourself being in both places at the same time. Then you think really hard about being where you want to go and not being where you are. After a bit of practice, you don't really think about it anymore. You just sort of do it."

Merilee sat quietly for a few moments, humming to herself, then looked at Kevin with inspiration on her face.

"Hmm. Perhaps you could try something similar to see into the future. Imagine yourself in the future, then draw on that energy you use to teleport and focus on seeing images from the future."

"I suppose I could give it a shot," Kevin said. "But if I accidentally teleport out, you might want to have a towel handy for when I get back."

"Towel?"

"Long story. Never mind."

Kevin closed his eyes and concentrated. He thought about the aura he'd seen surrounding the Tarot cards and how it might be similar to the aura that surrounded him when he teleported. He focused on bringing those two auras together. He felt something moving at the edges of his awareness. He reached for whatever it was and felt a connection being made.

He opened his eyes, and had no idea where he was.

*********

It appeared to be a beach with sand dunes and some sort of reed plant growing among the dunes. It obviously wasn't the island. It wasn't warm enough and the water was a grey-blue. The sun was either just setting or rising. Kevin wasn't sure which direction it was going. It felt like sunset to him, though.

He turned and was surprised to see a woman a few feet away from him. She was wearing brown khakis and a green pull-over. The hood was down and her dirty blond hair was pulled back by a clip. Pale hazel eyes stared over at him.

"Jade?" he questioned.

She didn't seem to notice him. She was looking off at Kevin's side. Kevin looked down and saw a piece of metal buried in the sand. Jade was coming near him.

"Jade, wait!" Kevin shouted, then tried switching to telepathy, [Stop!]

Jade continued moving towards him, towards the metal object. As she moved, Kevin could see behind her. There was a figure about ten feet away. It was a man with long black hair pulled back into a pony tail. He was wearing a red coat and blue jeans. He turned his face towards Kevin, towards Jade. He seemed to see something wrong. The face looked familiar to Kevin, but he wasn't sure why.

"Jade! Stop!" the man screamed as Jade reached the spot beside Kevin.

As she was bending down she looked back at the man who was shouting at her.

"What is it, K –" her reply to him was cut off by a sharp blast and a flash of blinding light.

Kevin's sight was blinded and the world went silent. All he could see was white. Then slowly, the vision faded and he found himself back in Merilee's apartment.

"How long was I gone?" he asked frantically.

"Gone?" Merilee asked confused. "You never vanished. You were here the whole time."

"I saw something," Kevin started shaking.

"What was it?"

"Jade, older, like before," he said, "but this time I saw myself. I tried to warn her."

Kevin paused and took a deep breath.

"But I was too late."

----------------------

Merilee brewed a pot of herbal tea to calm Kevin's nerves. He pushed the cup away.

"Take it," she said. "It's my own blend of chamomile and rosehip."

Kevin took a hesitant first sip, then emptied the cup in a few deep draughts.

"Is it always like that?" Kevin asked, voice shaken.

"No," Merilee said. "It's rarely that strong."

"Does the strength of the premonition have anything to do with the likelihood of its outcome?"

Merilee turned away from Kevin and stood by the window, fingering a maroon paisley drapery that served as a curtain. Slowly, she turned to him and nodded.

"I was afraid of that," Kevin said. "Still, there's nothing to say that what I saw is certain, right?"

"Yes," Merilee said. "Even strong futures can be changed. But often they involve great sacrifice."

"Well, that's nothing new," Kevin said. "I've lost a friend once, no *twice* before. I don't intend to see it happen again."

*********

"Megabyte, you are impossible!" Jade shouted at him from across the ship.

"I really don't see that it's any concern of yours, Jade," Megabyte replied at the same volume. "Why don't you just mind your own business and leave me alone?"

"This is your friend we're talking about," Jade tried to cross around the ship's central column to Megabyte, but the red-head circled around opposite her.

"It's nothing that concerns you, Jade," Megabyte said levelly. "It happened long before you broke out. You barely even knew us when it happened."

"What could he have done that you refuse to talk to him?"

"I'm not the one who broke off contact with the group," Megabyte put up in his own defense, "he did."

"Well, he must have had a reason," Jade insisted.

"He did," Adam's warm voice drifted out from the entrance port of the ship.

"Adam!" Jade said startled. "How long have you been out there?"

"Long enough to get a headache from listening to you two shouting," the Australian responded, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Adam, tell her it's not my fault Kevin broke away from us," Megabyte said, voice nearly whining.

"I would if I could," Adam said, "but that would be a lie."

"It's *not* my fault," Megabyte insisted.

"Not entirely," Adam said.

"Will someone please tell me what happened?" Jade felt again as though she had missed a lifetime of adventures, despite the fact that she broke out only about a year after Adam and Megabyte.

"It's a long story," Megabyte tried to brush her off.

"I've got time," Jade said, setting her shoulders and hips in a way that indicated she would not be so easily brushed aside.

Megabyte sighed and began to tell how he and Kevin had ceased to be friends, and how this had caused Kevin to avoid the rest of the Tomorrow People. Jade sat quietly for once and took it all in. She had made an effort to know Kevin since they lived so close to each other and since he was the only one of the Tomorrow People who never came to the ship. Now she began to understand why.

*********

Leaving Merilee's flat, Kevin shifted the backpack on his shoulder. The damp air made it feel heavier, as though the nylon was soaking in the moisture. Kevin went into the Underground and waited on the platform for the train. It was four stops to Megabyte's from here. Kevin could've teleported there faster, but he told himself it was an unnecessary risk. In reality, he was trying to delay the confrontation that was likely to occur. The train arrived with a screech and a roar. Cold air pushed down the tunnel as the train slowed. Kevin got on and took an empty seat. He rested his head back against the glass and let his mind drift back three years. It had all started then.

Kevin was not looking forward to his first day of school. His parents had just moved to the city and he didn't like leaving his friends behind. He knew he'd see them when he would go visit his Aunt Ruth, but it wasn't as if he could hang out with them after school every day. To top it all off, he was in the lowest grade of the school they were sending him to. Given his small size and the fact that no one knew him, he felt sure he was in for a rough year. Naturally, his mother missed this, noticing only how little he was eating.

"Kevin finish your toast. There's no telling what sort of food they'll try to give you at that school. So you better eat what I give you to make sure you'll tide over till supper time."

"Yes, mum," Kevin glumly said, forcing down the last piece of dry toast.

"Now, straighten out that shirt. Tuck it in a bit more. That's it."

"Mum, why do I have to go to school here?"

"Well, we can't very well send you back to Brocksford every day for school, now can we?"

"Why not?"

"It's too far away, for one. Besides which, they'd never allow it," Kevin's mother adjusted his clothes a bit further. "Now stop with that sniveling. You're too old to be whining about like that. In just a few months you'll be a teen-ager."

"I can't wait," he mumbled.

A ripple of concern flashed through his mother's mind as she looked hiim up and down. It was attached to a thought concerning Kevin's slow growth.

"I'm fine, mum," Kevin said. "I'm sure I'll start growing any day now."

"Sure you will, dear, and .. " she broke off suddenly. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

Concern had shifted tone to fear. His mother had asked him not to do that anymore. Not that Kevin was completely sure what it was he'd done. He sometimes heard his mother and father in his head when they weren't speaking. Sometimes it happened with other people, but more often than not it was his parents that he heard. His mum thought he was a witch or something. She'd made him promise not to ever do anything unusual. Needless to say, Kevin had been confused as to what exactly she meant by unusual.

Kevin changed the subject, "I guess I'd better be going, or else I'll miss the bus."

Kevin's mother remained silent, watching as he left the kitchen. She didn't move until after she'd heard the front door shut. He was a strange child, she knew. She just hoped that it wouldn't cause him any trouble.

***********

"Well," Megabyte said, "it began when Kevin and I met on the first day of school."

He thought back to that day three years ago, shortly after his family had moved to England, supposedly permanently. He wondered how much of the story he should tell Jade, then decided to tell all of it.

"I was a little late getting ready for school . . . "

"Marmaduke Damon, get down here!" Mildred Damon shouted up the stairwell.

There was an answering thud and a quick scuffle of feet.

"Coming," a muffled voice replied.

"Marmaduke, you're going to be late," Mildred glanced at her watch then back up the stairs. "Millicent's already left. Your sister's only ten, but somehow *she* managed to get herself ready in time."

A scrawny red-head on the verge of puberty emerged half- dressed from an upper room. "Well, I would've been ready if she hadn't hogged the bathroom," he said, trying to put on an already buttoned dress shirt.

"The buttons are there for a reason," his mother said as his arm got stuck. "And you could've gotten into the bathroom earlier if you hadn't spent so much time reading the funnies in the paper."

Marmaduke came down the stairs, unbuttoning the shirt and putting it on correctly. His mother helped him with the buttons to speed him up.

"I wasn't reading the comics," he said. "I was reading a story. There was a boy at the train station who disappeared."

"What a shame," Mildred said, exiting to the kitchen to retrieve her son's lunch. "Bet the parents are worried sick. So, did he run away or was it a kidnapping?"

"Neither," Marmaduke raised his voice, "he disappeared into thin air."

"Nonsense, Marmaduke," his mother said. "No one disappears into thin air."

"But Mom, this happened in front of witnesses," he insisted.

Mrs. Damon reentered with his bookbag. "You've been reading too many comic books," she said handing him the bag, "or else watching too much Doctor Who."

"All right, I'm ready."

"Good. You have bus fare?"

"Yes, mum."

"All right. Have a good day."

"Thanks," he headed for the door.

"Marmaduke," his mother's tone was a bit sharp.

What did I do now?' he thought, but said, "Yes, mom?"

"Are you too old to give me a kiss goodbye?"

Yes,' he thought, but wisely went over and kissed his mother. He ran out the door and sprinted to the bus pick-up, seeing the double decker already pulling up.

*********

The train lurched to a stop, jarring Kevin out of his reverie. He was three stops from Megabyte's house. The Underground let out right near the bus pull-in. That bus route had been the one he'd taken to school that first day. It was on the bus that he had met Megabyte for the first time.

Kevin saw a boy with red hair and a Cartwright school blazer get on the bus just as the doors started to slide shut. He looked a few years older than Kevin. He made his way down the aisle, stopping in front of Kevin's seat.

"Mind if I sit here?" his accent labeled him an American.

"Sure," Kevin said.

"I'm new here," the red-head said. "What's Cartwright like?"

"I don't know," Kevin said, "this is my first day."

"Cool. What year are you?"

"First."

"No way! So am I."

"Aren't you a little old for first year?" Kevin asked.

"Well, I'm a bit behind," he said. "My dad travels a lot and I've missed some school because of it."

"What does he do?"

"I don't know," the American boy said. "Works for the government. Beats me what he does."

The bus lurched to a stop. "Hey," the red-head said, "isn't this our stop?" "Yeah," Kevin said, "I think it is." "Cool," he sprung up and headed for the doors. On the way down the steps he turned his head back to Kevin, "Hey, what's your name?" "Kevin. Kevin Wilson." "My name's Marmaduke Damon, but I think I need a better name," he said, stepping off the steps. "Back in Vermont they called me Rusty." "Rusty?" Kevin said, voice rising in amusement. "Because of my hair," he said. "Eh, we'll work on it." The two of them headed towards school, Marmaduke spouting out possible nicknames. Kevin laughed at a couple of them, unsure if his new friend was serious or not.

*********

"Out of the way, Daybie!" an upperclassmen pushed Kevin and Marmaduke aside.

"Ya gotta love the way they make that sound like baby,' " the American said with a snicker.

"We're at the bottom of the rung here. Not only are we first years, but day students. They don't like day students here," Kevin said.

"I didn't think this was a boarding school," Marmaduke said. "My parents told me this was a public school."

"It is," Kevin replied.

"Then why do people stay here? Why is there tuition?"

"Well, that's what a public school is."

"At home you don't pay for public schools and you live at home, not the school."

"Oh!" Kevin said, realization dawning, "You mean a comp school."

"Huh?"

"Comprehensive school," Kevin explained. "That's the government funded school system."

"Well then, why do they call a boarding school public school?' "

"To confuse Americans?" Kevin said with a devilish grin.

Marmaduke gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder and said, "Come on, let's get to computer class."

*********

"All right, gentlemen," the instructor, a Mr. Kovasinzky, said, "take a seat."

Kevin and Marmaduke sat at the same table in front of a computer.

"Don't get too comfortable in your current seats, however," Mr. Kovasinzky continued. "As I call the roll in pairs answer here' and the first pair will move to the first station, the second to the second station, and so on. This will be the arrangement for the semester, barring any disciplinary actions requiring relocation. Understood?" "Yes, sir," the class responded quietly. Kovasinzky rattled off the roll. Marmaduke was paired with a boy named Joshua Bairnsby. Kevin wound up at the station behind them without a partner.

Kovasinzky assigned them a program type Kevin had never heard of. Something called a Mandebrot set. The problem took up the entire chalkboard. Kevin wasn't even sure where to start. And of course, he was alone. "Sucks being at the end of the alphabet, huh?" Marmaduke said after about ten minutes, turning away from the screen. "Well, you can work with us, right?" Joshua was about to say something when a ruler clattered onto Kevin's desk. "Name?" Mr. Kovasinzky said to Marmaduke. "Muh..Marmaduke Damon, sir," he said, "but you can call me Rusty." "Young Master Damon," Kovasinzky glared. "I require you to respect my authority in this class. This means no talking when I am talking, or in this case, when you are supposed to be working on a program." "Um, yes, sir,' the American said, face turning shade to match his hair, "but we're finished." "What?" Kovasinzky said startled. He examined the screen and checked the lines of code. "Yes, well, good job. However, if you finish early, please respect others' need for silence. Just sit quietly until then."

"Yes, sir."

Kovasinzky stared around at the class, as if just remembering where he was. "Well," he said, "don't just sit there all of you. Get to work."

The class resumed typing. Megabyte shifted in his seat, not able to keep still.

"I think that was supposed to take us the whole period," Josh said.

"It wasn't that tough a program."

"Are you some sort of computer whiz?" Josh asked.

"I dunno," Marmaduke replied. "I'm just kind of good with machines."

"I guess I've got the right partner, ey Marmaduke?"

"Don't call me that!" Marmaduke said under his breath.

"Why not? It is your name, right?"

"I'm not a big fan of it. I'm trying to find a better name to go by. Maybe Red?"

Josh raised his eyebrows a bit, "Needs a bit of work."

"I'm open to suggestions," the American said just as the bell began to ring.

*********

"It's because of what happened to Josh that Kevin went away," Megabyte said.

"Josh?" Jade was puzzled. "Who's that? The kid from your computer class?"

"Sorry, I'm jumping ahead of myself," Megabyte said. "Josh was the first person aside from Kevin to be friendly to me. I never knew I could feel like such a foreigner in a country where they speak the same language as me."

"You mean you think you speak the same language I do?" Jade asked in mock disbelief.

"Very funny," Megabyte said. "Anyway, Josh made me feel less an outsider at school. It started that first day at lunch."

"You know," a British voice behind Marmaduke said, "you can eat with the boarders if you want. It's not like you have to eat in this stairwell."

Josh Bairnsby was standing a few steps above him.

"I know," Marmaduke said, "but I've had enough snooty looks for a day, thank you very much. Are all English people like that?"

"I think it's reserved for the rich," Josh said sitting down next to Marmaduke.

Marmaduke laughed, "So why aren't you turning your nose up at me and muttering American' under your breath like the rest of these guys?"

"Because you seem like a decent bloke," Josh said, "despite the all English are snobs' bit."

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean you."

"That's not my point," Josh said. "Do you think the other kids know what to expect of Americans? Are they all like the ones on TV or are they all a bunch of smart- alecks, like you?"

"Hey!" Marmaduke was starting to get offended.

"See what I mean?" Josh asked. "Why don't you give them a chance before you call them all snooty'?"

"So why aren't *you* in there eating lunch?"

"Not hungry," Josh replied. "I thought I'd take a walk. Want to come along?"

"Sure," Marmaduke said. "Maybe we can cause a little trouble."

Josh smiled, letting the comment slide, "You know, I've been thinking on a nickname for you. Considering your talent with computers, how about Megabyte?"

Marmaduke considered it thoughtfully, "Hmm, Megabyte. It has potential."

They headed out of the school and onto the grounds, walking through a maze of shrubbery. In a corner of the garden they came across Kevin sitting upon a stone bench.

"Another anti-social student," Josh said lightly. "We should pair the two of you together. You could be antisocial together."

"Heh," Kevin grunted.

"Hey, Kev," Marmaduke thought Kevin wasn't amused by Josh and decided to change the subject. "How does Megabyte sound for my new nickname?"

"I like..," Kevin started, then glared at Josh. "You come up with it?"

"Yes," Josh said, startled at the intensity of Kevin's look.

Kevin turned to Marmaduke, "I guess I'll just have to get used to it."

In the distance the first class bell rang.

"We'd better get going," Josh looked at Kevin with sad eyes, then turned and walked towards the school.

"Coming, Kev?" Megabyte asked.

"Yeah," Kevin said reluctantly.

Why doesn't he like Josh?' Marmaduke wondered.

"He just irks me," Kevin said quietly. Josh was a good ten feet ahead.

"Huh?" Marmaduke asked puzzled, not sure if he'd spoken aloud or not.

"You wanted to know why I don't like him," Kevin said, "That's why."

"Maybe you should give him a chance," Marmaduke said, echoing Josh's words. "There might be more to him than you expect."

Kevin gave a resigned shrug, "All right, Megabyte, I'll give him a chance."

*********

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

"Kevin, look out!" Josh said over Kevin's shoulder.

"Thanks," Kevin sighed in reply, "you saved my life."

"No prob'," Josh said, "Is that the right expression, Megabyte?"

"Yeah," Megabyte said without taking his eyes off the TV.

Megabyte and Kevin were playing the video game version of "Attack of the Killer Cucumbers", Megabyte's favorite movie. The three of them had been spending a lot of time together. Kevin had grown to like Josh once he realized that the other boy was no threat to his friendship with Megabyte. In fact, at times Josh seemed to like Kevin better. Josh got annoyed sometimes with Megabyte's irreverent sense of humor. Kevin found it harder to be annoyed with the American, or to stay annoyed with him. One exception came the time that Megabyte hacked into the school's computer console system and set the class bell to go off every five minutes. Kevin and Josh had thought it was hilarious - until the fifth time the class bell started ringing and then wouldn't stop. A full day later Kevin swore his ears were still ringing.

"So," Josh said to Megabyte, "you going back to the States for Christmas."

"Yeah," Megabyte pounded on one of the joystick buttons in irritation. "We're going to my grandmother's in Vermont."

"What about you?" Kevin asked.

"We're going to Switzerland," Josh said. "My father has some business there, he says. And he won't make it home otherwise, so we're going with him."

"Sounds like fun," Megabyte said. "What's your dad do?"

"Insurance."

"Sounds unfun," Megabyte laughed, then switched to outrage, "No way! I just got killed."

"Does that mean it's my turn?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Megabyte reluctantly handed over the controller.

"How bout you, Kev?" Megabyte perched behind them. "Where are you going for Christmas?"

"We're staying at home," Kevin said.

"Bummer," Megabyte said.

"Tell me about it."

The Cucumber Defenders' theme began playing, indicating that Kevin and Josh had won. Megabyte grunted something, then asked who wanted to play again.

********

Another lurching stop, just two more until he got off for Megabyte's house. Things had been fine with him, Megabyte, and Josh for that whole year. They'd grown really tight. It wasn't until Kevin started to break out that there were any real problems. If Josh had come to Megabyte's that night he'd first teleported then none of it would've happened. He'd still have al his friends. Something he still dreamed of from time to time.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The dreams began just after Christmas. A black girl thrashing about in the water, getting tangled in her dress. Kevin always woke on the verge of screaming, knowing it was the girl's name he was about to scream but waking before he could think of it.

"Who are you?" Kevin whispered to the darkness, then returned to sleep.

It wasn't until February that he brought it up on the bus with Megabyte.

"So, who is she?" he asked.

"I don't know," Kevin said. "I think she might be American."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just think she is."

"So why are you dreaming about her?" Megabyte asked, then smiling mischievously said, "Were you having a wet dream?"

"Well, she *was* in water so I suppose ..." Kevin began, not understanding what Megabyte meant at first. "Bloody hell no! You think I'd tell you if it was .. THAT kind of a dream."

"Lighten up, Kev. It was just a joke."

"Megabyte shifted the topic and they spent the rest of the bus ride conversing about television. Mostly Megabyte complained about the quality of British shows compared to American ones. Kevin didn't watch much television, so he had a hard time arguing with Megabyte. He gave it a try, though, more out of national pride than anything else.

********

(A few months later)

"I think we should tell him," Kevin said.

"I don't know. Adam thinks the less people that know the better," Megabyte said.

Kevin sat on the floor of Megabyte's cluttered room, his back against the bed.

"Josh is our friend," Kevin said. "Why shouldn't we tell him?"

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Megabyte said.

"Maybe he's one of us too," Kevin said hopefully.

"Josh? A Tomorrow Person?" Megabyte said skeptically.

"Why not?" Kevin said. "You wound up being one even though I broke out first."

"Yeah, and I nearly got fried for being associated with you."

"Hey if two kids come to rescue a Tomorrow Person and one of the two turns out to be a Tomorrow Person, wouldn't you assume the other one was too."

"Yeah, but I didn't know I was one at that point."

"So," Kevin said, "it could be the same way with Josh."

"Or he might just be a normal person," Megabyte said.

"You're right, I guess," Kevin said, "but if he shows any signs, I say we should tell him."

"All right," Megabyte said. "We'll give it some time. Hell, I'd think it'd be cool if he was."

*********

"Kevin really wanted to tell Josh," Megabyte said, "but Adam didn't think it was a good idea. After our experience with Colonel Masters and nearly losing Lisa and me to that Lady Mulvaney he thought we should keep a low profile. Kevin was hoping though that Josh was a TP too. He thought that since I'd wanted to be one so much, maybe that was all that was necessary."

"Well," Jade said, "if you think about it, that's how it happened with me. Maybe people can become Tomorrow People if they just want to hard enough."

"I don't think so, Jade," Adam said. "We all have a specific anomaly in our brainwaves. Dr. Connor thought there was likely a genetic trigger or pre-disposition towards being a TP."

"But that hasn't been proven," Jade said. "And does anyone have an EEG of a Tomorrow Person

*before* they broke out. Maybe the anomaly doesn't appear unil after we break out. And who's to say Josh didn't have the anomaly?"

"Well, at any rate," Megabyte interrupted, "covering it up got harder and harder to do, especially after Kevin wound up in the hospital after that Culex incident."

- - - - - - - - - -

"Megabyte!" Josh shouted from down the hospital hallway.

Megabyte turned away from two other teenagers; one a tall boy with black hair, the other an attractive black girl.

"What happened to Kevin?" Josh asked when he reached the group.

"He's fine now," Megabyte said, putting his hand on Josh's shoulder. "He was bitten by a mosquito and .. um, had a bad allergic reaction. He's fine, but he's resting now. I thought you were on vacation with your family?"

"I just got back from Spain. My father took us on holiday for the week. I was supposed to meet Kevin today, but when I got to his aunt's a neighbor told me that he was here."

"They're letting him go tomorrow," Megabyte said.

Josh didn't say anything. His attention shifted to the two strangers flanking Megabyte. They made him feel like the stranger, rather than one of Megabyte's best friends. The black girl's eyes widened while looking at him, as if she knew what he was thinking. She glared at the back of Megabyte's head and gave him a slight shove on the shoulder.

"Oh .. yeah .. right," Megabyte startled, "Um, Josh, this is Adam here and that's Ami." Megabyte pointed to his left and right respectively.

"Hello," Josh said. "Nice to meet you."

Adam shook his hand, echoing the nicety. Ami settled for a smile and half-wave, followed by a quiet giggle.

[Megabyte,] Ami pathed, [you never told me you had such a cute friend.]

Megabyte swung and glared at Ami, on the verge of speaking.

"Well," Adam said before Megabyte could speak, "we'd better be going, right Ami?"

"Yeah," Ami said. "I guess so."

"We'll talk to you later, Megabyte," Adam said. Josh wondered if the tall boy was Australian. The accent seemed to fit there or possibly New Zealand.

"Right," Megabyte said, "see-ya."

"Hope to see you later," Ami said to Josh with that smile still on her face.

When they were alone Josh asked, "Who are they?"

"Some friends Kevin and I made recently."

"Oh," Josh said, feeling very alone at the moment.

"Want to see if Kevin's awake?" Megabyte asked, his normally high energy seeping towards Josh.

"Sure," Josh smiled and moved toward Megabyte. The lanky American wrapped an arm around Josh's shoulder.

"So, tell me about Spain," Megabyte said as they headed in. "See any gorgeous girls?"

"Not in Spain," Josh said, looking over his shoulder at where the mysterious strangers had just left.

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

Momentum brought Kevin's shoulder roughly into contact with the side railing of the train car. This was the stop he was to get off on. Couldn't they find an easier way to stop the train than these sudden jolts?' Kevin wondered.

When the doors opened, Kevin dropped down from the car, feet thudding on the metal steps. He headed for the exit as quickly as he could. All the train stations looked basically the same, and it was at a train station that it had happened. Up ahead Kevin saw a blond head moving away from him. The set of the shoulders and the walk looked eerily familiar.

Josh?' Kevin thought, then broke into a run, darting between people.

Kevin was drawing closer when he felt a tingle crawl up the back of his neck. His vision blurred and he saw the blond man's head turn towards him. Suddenly Kevin saw this young man in a hospital bed with restraints. Megabyte was standing over him. He saw the young man's face. It wasn't Josh. Kevin shuddered and the vision faded. As his normal sight returned he saw that the young man with Josh's walk was gone. Kevin was standing on the landing of the stairs, people streaming around him.

He started moving up the stairs to the exit, wondering if he'd seen a ghost. He'd have to ask Merilee about it. She would know. On his way out, Kevin bumped into a woman hurrying downwards.

"I'm sorry," Kevin said, bracing her up, his hand brushing across her grey trenchcoat.

"It's all right," the woman said in an accent Kevin couldn't identify; a mix of Scotch -Irish and French perhaps. She grabbed a hold of her coat and smoothed out the side Kevin hadn't touched.

His eyes drifted to her hands.

She's afraid I noticed something there," Kevin thought, picking up on the woman's unease. But what? A weapon? A gun .. or maybe ..' "Excuse me," the statuesque woman sprinted down the stairs, deep red hair streaming behind her.

Kevin stared after her in shock.

She knew I was picking up on her peripheral thoughts,' Kevin realized. She left because she was afraid I might try to probe her thoughts! But how did she know that I could even do that?'

Another mystery, but Kevin decided to keep this one to himself. He wondered if perhaps it would be better to avoid taking the Underground from now on.

*******

They got off the train and headed for the stairs. Kevin and Josh were on their way to Harrod's to check out a new video game system Josh was thinking of getting.

"So," Josh said, "you and Megabyte have been spending a lot of time with this Adam guy and that girl, Ami."

Kevin stumbled over his own foot, "Um, I guess so."

"How'd you meet them?"

"Um, well, I guess Megabyte probably mentioned it to you right?"

"Never mind what Megabyte might or might not have said," Josh replied. "I want to hear it from you."

Great,' Kevin thought, *that* was subtle. I could've left Megabyte out of my story and not had to worry about what Megabyte said.

"Well?" Josh asked.

"I met them in a cafe over on the East End."

"Was Megabyte with you?"

"No," Kevin said, then seeing Josh's eyebrows lower said, "Yes, I mean yes."

"You're not sure?" Josh didn't sound like he believed Kevin.

"No, I'm sure," Kevin said. "He was there. Why? Why are you asking all these questions?"

"Kevin, if you and Megabyte are in some sort of trouble, tell me. Maybe I can help."

"Why would we be in trouble? What did Megabyte say?"

"Megabyte didn't say anything," Josh said. "I just thought it was strange that you started hanging out with these people. They're not exactly like the rest of your friends."

"Meaning you?" Kevin thought he understood now. Josh was feeling left out and was jealous of Ami and Adam.

"Not just me," Josh said. "You two haven't talked to anyone in school for the past two months. You're always rushing off who knows where. And how many times has Megabyte's father come in to talk to the headmaster?"

"Listen, it's not like that. Megabyte and I aren't in any trouble," Kevin said. "Adam and Ami can be trusted."

"That's not good enough for me," Josh said. "I want some sort of proof that the two of you haven't gotten in up to your necks into some mess."

"Let me explain," Kevin said, pulling Josh into a shadowed recess of the tunnel, away from any passersby.

Kevin began to explain to Josh about the Tomorrow People. He told him about the dreams Lisa had sent him and how that had led to his break out. He explained how Megabyte had gotten involved and how if Josh had been a day student like them maybe he would've been involved too. He explained about being telepathic and teleporting. He told Josh the real reason he'd been in the hospital and how Ami had joined the group.

"No," Josh backed away slightly. "It's not true. It's not possible."

"Josh, it's the truth," Kevin said. "If you don't believe me, watch this..."

There was a bright flash of light and a crackling sound followed by a sudden rush of air into the empty spot where Kevin had just been standing. Josh took a few more steps backwards. The process reversed itself and Josh felt a small breeze of air pushing against him as Kevin rematerialized surrounded by a blue flash of light.

"What are you?" Josh said, fear breaking over his face.

What happened next was a jumble in Kevin's head. Josh turned, as if to run, stumbling over something on the ground. Josh fell off the platform as Kevin shouted for him to wait. There was a flash of light, but not from a teleportation. Kevin ran to the edge of the platform, feeling as if he was trudging through a swamp of mud. Josh lay prone on the tracks, his head and hand directly on the electrified third rail.

A security guard, who'd missed seeing the teleport, was just in time to see a blond kid trip over a discarded garbage bag and plummet onto the tracks. There was a flash of light as the kid hit and very suddenly stopped moving. A much smaller kid with dark brown hair rushed to the edge of the platform and looked about to jump after the first kid, but the guard closed the distance between them and grabbed hold of the sobbing boy.

"There, there, lad," the guard said. "There's nothing you can do for the poor kid now. Stay here while I get some help."

Kevin nodded numbly as the guard ran off, shouting for them to cut the power to the rails. Minutes later the emergency medical services had swarmed onto the tracks, trying to revive Josh. They transferred him to a stretcher, maintaining CPR, and carried him to the hospital. When they arrived at the hospital he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Kevin stood in the waiting room of the emergency room, waiting for Josh's parents to arrive and wondering what he could say.

----------------

It was a clear evening on the island. Stars shone clearly through clean air. Infrequent gusts of wind warned of an approaching storm. Megabyte skipped stones across the gently lapping water. A slight electric prickle running up his spine warned him of the imminent arrival of a teleporter. Less than a second later, Kevin appeared standing next to him.

"Hey, Kev," he said. "What's up?"

Kevin tried to speak, but couldn't. His mouth refused to move. Tears pushed against his eyes, a tangible weight.

"What's wrong?" Megabyte asked.

[Megabyte,] Kevin pathed, [Josh is dead.]

[What?! How?] the boy stood up, shock fanning across his face.

[He fell off a subway platform onto the third rail,] Kevin pathed.

[Oh my God,] Megabyte felt a tingling spread across his body as if the shock was spreading down in waves. [How? How did it happen?]

[He was asking about Adam and Ami,] Kevin pathed. [I told him about us.]

"You mean he *did* show signs of being a Tomorrow Person?" Megabyte asked excitedly, apparently not willing to believe that Josh was dead.

"N..no," Kevin stuttered as he spoke. "I juh-just thought I should tell him."

"But we agreed not to," Megabyte said, starting to feel angry. "And what does this have to do with how he .. fell."

"He was frightened by it," Kevin said, "of me. He was running, away from me, but he tripped and ... fell."

Megabyte sat silently for a few minutes. Kevin could feel his friend's mood darkening. When Megabyte turned his face toward Kevin the face had darkened as well.

"It's your fault he died," Megabyte said, voice sharp as a knife.

"Megabyte, I'm sorry. I..."

"Get out of my sight," Megabyte said in a fierce, quiet voice. "I don't want to see you."

Kevin opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and teleported out without another word. Megabyte started crying on the beach. When the sun rose, he finally stopped. He ported home and tried to sleep. Kevin tried to contact him telepathically, but Megabyte shut him out. That was the last time he heard from Kevin.

********

"And that's the last time you saw or spoke to Kevin?" Jade asked.

"Yeah," Megabyte sighed. "He blocked himself off from us after I refused to talk to him. He hasn't been to the island since. I don't think he's even teleported since then."

"Didn't you see him at school?" Jade asked.

"After the funeral Kevin and I transferred," Megabyte said, "to different schools."

"He's kept himself walled away from us," Adam said. "He never responded to cries for help from any of us. Not during the Ramses affair or Colonel Cobb or to your cries during the alien pod invasion. He may have blocked himself up so much that he couldn't even hear us."

"Why didn't you tell me this when I went to find Kevin?"

"You didn't ask, Jade," Megabyte said. "Besides, why would it matter?"

"Because, you moron, I've talked about you and Adam as if you were all still friends."

"I have nothing against Kevin," Adam said, "but I respect his wish to stay apart from us."

"Boys!" Jade shouted it like a curse word. "Didn't it ever occur to you blockheads that he *wants* to be part of us still, but he can't because he hasn't forgiven himself yet?"

"Did he say..." Megabyte started.

"He doesn't have to," Jade broke in. "I've been trying to figure out for months what it is inside that's hurting him so much. It's obvious. He still feels responsible for the accident."

"But he ..." Megabyte began again.

"And he won't be able to forgive himself until you can admit it wasn't his fault either."

Megabyte looked painfully at Adam for help, but the Australian just lowered his head.

"Damn it, Megabyte," Jade said, eyes flashing in anger. "You've got to give *him* a chance now. Doesn't he deserve at least that much?"

Without another word Jade teleported out of the ship.

Adam and Megabyte stood in silence for a long time.

***********

The doorbell rang once, then twice at the Damon house. Mrs. Damon opened the door in mid-sentence.

"... that hard to put the book down and answer the door, Millicent?" Turning towards the now open door without really looking, she said, "Yes?"

"Hello, Mrs. Damon," Kevin said. "Is Megabyte here?"

"Kevin!" she said. "My, we haven't seen you here in quite some time. I keep asking Marmaduke about you, but most of the time he doesn't seem to hear a word I say."

"Is he here?"

"I'm not really sure. Let me find out," she said, raising her voice. "Marmaduke! MAR-maduke! Kevin's here to see you. Where are you?"

There was no reply.

"Hmmph," Mrs. Damon snorted. "Of course, if he's locked in his room with the stereo on or playing video games he might not have heard me."

Kevin doubted that was possible.

"Why don't I go up and see if he's in his room?" she continued.

"That's all right, Mrs. Damon," Kevin said. "I'll just try to talk to him later. Um, don't even mention that I dropped by. I'd like to surprise him"

"Well, all right, I suppose," Mrs. Damon said, "but don't be such a stranger, Kevin. Marmaduke misses you at school."

"I miss him too, ma'am," Kevin said, turning to leave. "Bye."

The door closed silently, but Mrs. Damon's voice boomed an order to Millicent before the door closed completely, blocking out the sound.

********

Kevin's thoughts on the grey, rainy day were invaded by a telepathic voice.

[You alone?] Jade projected.

[Very much so,] Kevin replied.

[Right. Be there in a sec'.]

An electric tingle spread its way up the back of his neck as Jade teleported in. Kevin's room was incredibly neat compared to the average teen-ager. Everything was ordered and arranged. It didn't feel lived in to Jade. It made her feel sad.

She frowned, saying, "I talked to Megabyte."

"Oh," Kevin kept his tone level, trying to keep emotion out of his thoughts as much as his voice.

"He told me about why you never come to the island," she said carefully.

Kevin said nothing.

"It wasn't your fault, Kevin," Jade said, "but I'm not going to be able to convince you of that. You need to do it yourself."

"I'm trying, Jade," he said. "I .. I went to Megabyte's today. To try to talk."

"Good," Jade said smiling, "but he was at the island with us. There's an easy way to talk to him, you know. Just reach out ..."

"I don't know if I'm ready to open up to everyone again."

"But you *want* to try?" Jade asked.

"I want to."

"All right then, when you're ready."

"Jade?" Kevin said, his eyes brimming.

"Yes?"

"I miss him so much," Kevin said, the tears cascading through.

Jade hugged him close to her, kissed his neck, and whispered, "I know."

"I don't want to lose you too, Jade," Kevin said between sobs.

"Don't worry," Jade said, "I'm not leaving any time soon."

_'Even strong futures can be changed .. a great sacrifice'_ Merilee's words echoed in Kevin's mind.

Outside, thunder cracked, drowning out sound. Kevin held onto Jade even tighter, as if to somehow hold back the future.

End