Chapter 7

Megabyte's eyes widened. "You want to run that by us again?" he demanded.

Nathan sighed. "It was my older half-brother Chad. He's been doing this for months. I did some digging around the house and I found his stash of rohypnol."

"So, you found his stash of the date rape drug," Adam echoed. "What was the stupid thing that you did next?" He sounded calm, but Megabyte and Jade knew better. They could both tell he was angry.

"Hales and I went to my dad," Nathan replied. "Big mistake on our part; turns out he already knew."

"Worse than that; he gave him the stuff," Haley finished for him. "That's when Nathan decided to emancipate himself and go live with his mother, but that's another story."

"Dad decided to send Chad here to England, hoping he'd lay low until everything calmed down back home," Nathan added glumly. "But knowing him, he won't be able to ignore that itch."

"I don't think anything's going to calm down back in Vermont if what you're saying is right," Bill interjected. "Nathan, your brother killed someone, no matter how unintentional."

"Yeah, that's why we came here together."

Haley nodded. "We're hoping to stop him before his perversion spree goes global."

Brooke felt herself spacing out when she heard Nathan say that Chad was in England. If what he was saying was true, could he also be planning to come after her a second time?

"Brooke?" Jade's voice sounded so far away. "Brooke, it's going to be all right. You know we won't let him hurt you again."

She nodded, coming back into the present. "Guys, I'm going to take a walk. I need to clear my head."

"You want one of us to come with you?" Adam asked softly.

She shook her head no. "I need to be alone for a while, Adam." She left the room and the next sound they heard was the front door closing. Megabyte, Adam, and Jade just stared after her and the silent tension in the room was so thick it could've been cut with a knife.

"Guys, she's going to be okay," Bevin cut in, startling them. "London's a huge town, so I don't think Chad would find her." She scooted close to Adam and Megabyte and whispered, "I don't have to be a Tomorrow Person to know that you're worried about her."

"Bevin, what's going on?" Haley asked. "Is there something else going on we don't know about?"

"Nothing major," she replied and winked at her new friends. Their secret would be kept safe.


Brooke lost track of how far she'd walked. She knew she was in downtown London. Her exhaustion, both physical and emotional, finally caught up with her and she found herself sitting on a bench in Hyde Park.

Almost without realizing what she was doing, she teleported to Jade's house in Wiltshire. While she knew that Jade probably wouldn't be there, she needed someone to talk to, someone maternal; a woman who could help her make sense of all this. Penny Weston fit the bill completely.

Scanning the area to make sure she wasn't seen by nosey eyes, she made her way to the front door and knocked.

"Brooke, I thought you would still be at your uncle's house in London with Jade," Penny said in surprise.

"I think she's still there with my cousin and the others," Brooke replied. "But I wanted to talk to you."

Penny nodded, sensing Brooke needed some motherly advice. "Shall I put the kettle on then?"


Jade also decided to take a walk through Hyde Park. Ever since breaking out, it became one of her favorite places to go. Of course, she would never teleport there directly. But whenever she needed to clear her head and she didn't feel comfortable going to the Ship since that was Adam's second home, she would usually teleport a couple of blocks away and walk through the park.

Her head was spinning from all that they'd learned about Brooke's attack. The fact that her attacker's own father was working to cover his son's tracks made her nauseated. She shook her head. At least she, Ami, Megabyte, Brooke, Adam, and their new friends had all been raised with integrity and had been taught the difference between right and wrong. It was more than she could say for this Chad character.

And now he was here in England. Well, England a large country, she thought. What are the chances that he'd come here to track Brooke down?

Jade suddenly realized she wasn't alone when she heard the faint crackling of a teleportation a couple of blocks away. A few minutes later, Adam was sitting with her on the bench.

She chuckled. "How did you know where to find me?"

"I know that when you want to go clear your head and don't want to invade my space on the island, you usually come here," he replied with a grin.

"I've become predictable since breaking out haven't I?"

"No, not quite." Adam instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders protectively. "Jade, you know I would do anything to protect you, right?"

She nodded and moved closer. "I know."

"I was saying to Megabyte after you and Brooke left that first time that we spend most of our time going after mad scientists, ancient enemies, extra-terrestrial beings, and agents who want to exploit us." He sighed. "I've learned since Brooke's breakout that someone doesn't have to be any of those to be evil."

"I know. The thought of what happened to her sickens me." Jade shuddered. "And the fact that his father is helping him to get away with it makes me so angry.

"I mean, we were all raised by parents who had integrity, who taught us right from wrong. Why would a parent cover up their child's crimes?"

Adam shook his head and held her close. "I wish I had that answer that for you, but I don't."

They sat together in contemplative silence for a few minutes. And then he turned to her.

"Jade, we need to talk."


AN: Yep, those four dreaded words in the English language. Wait to see what happens with them...please review. :)