D.A.R.Y.L. - Back Where He Belongs

by David C. Chipman

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character's from the original Paramount Pictures film "D.A.R.Y.L." (or the novelization of an early draft script, adapted by N.H. Kleinbaum) . Any other characters I choose/need to add are mine.

Hanging Out

Daryl finished up having his supper, along with Joyce and Andy.

"Daryl?" Joyce asked.

"Yes, Mom?" Daryl replied.

"What do you want to do now?" Joyce enquired.

Daryl shrugged, "What's Turtle up to?"

Joyce shook her head, "I don't know. They may still be having supper, but you could go over and see if he's busy,"

Daryl nodded, standing up, "Want me to put my dishes in the dishwasher?"

Joyce shook her head, "No, I'll do that,"

Daryl nodded again, "Alright, thank you Mom. It really is good to be back home,"

Joyce nodded, and embraced Daryl, "And it's good you're back,"

Daryl nodded, and hugged Joyce back, then he released his embrace, and headed for the back door, "I'm just going to Turtle's,"

Joyce nodded, "Alright, see you later,"

Daryl nodded, going through the back-door, holding it so it didn't slam as it closed behind him.

Elaine was shaking her head, "I just can't believe it! His own birth parents put a computer in his head?"

Turtle nodded, "I know, Mom, but it's true,"

Sherie-Lee nodded.

Elaine looked at her daughter, "You believe this too?"

"Yes, Mom, I do," Sherie-Lee said, "He beat my video-game score, with no practise,"

Elaine nodded, "I think I remember you two telling me that,"

"As soon as this Dr. Lamb lady told me, it all made sense," Sherie-Lee said.

Turtle agreed, "Yeah, it does,"

Someone was knocking on the back door. "Turtle?" Daryl could be heard calling tentatively.

Turtle quickly got up, saying brusquely, "I'll be back in a sec," he quickly left the dinning-room table, where people were talking, "Oh, hi, Daryl!"

"Busy?" Daryl asked.

Turtle shook his head, and opened the back door, "No, what is it?"

Daryl shrugged, his hands in his pockets, "I just wondered if you and Sherie-Lee were busy,"

Turtle shook his head, then turned to Sherie-Lee, "Can we use your computer?"

Sherie-Lee nodded, "Sure, I don't need it this evening,"

Turtle grinned, "I want to see if Daryl can beat his old score at Pole Position,"

Sherie-Lee frowned, "Just don't break my computer, boys,"

"Yeah, whatever Hookie," Turtle said, tauntingly and unconcerned.

"Turtle!" Sherie-Lee snapped, "Don't call me that!"

Turtle tittered, grinning at Daryl, expecting him to share in the joke, for a moment at least.

Daryl remained nearly impassive, "Turtle, she doesn't like it. Why do you keep on doing it?"

Turtle shrugged, frowning, disappointed that Daryl wasn't joining in his joke about his older sister, "You should know why, Daryl,"

"You do it because she doesn't like it?" Daryl asked, surprised, still not understanding how siblings interact.

Turtle nodded, "Of course! And because she's always going out with boys,"

"And why shouldn't I?" Sherie-Lee asked indignantly, giving Turtle a knowing look, "Just cuz you're not interested in girls yet,"

Turtle shrugged, suddenly no longer interested in bothering his big sister. Turtle had started showing shy interest in Andrea, after Daryl had returned to TASCOM, and Sherie-Lee knew enough that she could tell, "Let's go, Daryl…,"

Daryl nodded, following Turtle upstairs, "Coming,"

Turtle turned toward his sister's bedroom, "Let's go and see if you can beat your old score,"

Daryl followed Turtle to Sherie-Lee's room.

Turtle put in the Pole Position disk, and turned on his sister's computer, calling out toward the door, "Thanks, Sherie-Lee,"

Daryl sat down on the swivel-chair in front of the desk, waiting patiently.

"This probably seems really slow to you, doesn't it?" Turtle asked, watching Daryl.

Daryl shook his head, "No, why? It's got to load the game program,"

Turtle shrugged, "Oh, OK,"

The game was loaded.

Daryl sat there, doing seemingly nothing, as the lights on the screen counted down, and things started moving.

Turtle watched, "Aren't you going to play?"

"I am," Daryl replied distantly, staring intently at the screen, as things moved faster and faster…

"Oh," Turtle said, suddenly figuring things out, "That's how you beat my sister's score!?"

Daryl nodded, almost imperceptibly, "I guess so,"

Turtle sighed, his head drooping, then he looked at Daryl, frowning, "But that's cheating!"

"Oh," Daryl said, not quite understanding, "How am I doing that?"

"By-I don't know. Can you control the computer with your mind!?" Turtle asked, surprised at the thought, even as he expressed it.

Daryl nodded, "Yes, I can… I guess,"

Turtle flopped back on his sisters bed, groaning with frustration and disappointment, then he sat up, "That's not fair to us, Daryl,"

"Didn't you notice the last time I played?" Daryl asked.

Turtle shook his head, "No, I guess I was so busy watching you're car on the screen. It certainly looked amazing at the time,"

Daryl frowned, "I'm sorry, Turtle,"

Turtle nodded, asking quietly, "At TASCOM, nobody told you about cheating?"

Daryl shook his head, "I guess not,"

Turtle nodded, understanding, "Well, it's not fair to others,"

Daryl nodded, "I remember that girl got in trouble with Mr. Nesbitt, for cheating on the test,"

Turtle nodded, "I guess you would remember that, now wouldn't you,"

Daryl nodded, "I guess so,"

Turtle shook his head, "But that didn't let you know that cheating was bad?"

"That was at school, doing a test," Daryl tried to explain.

"Daryl," Turtle started, "I know you like making your Mom and dad happy, by being so good at baseball, but I wonder if you're not cheating there, too,"

Daryl looked cross, for a moment, then relaxed, "Andy didn't say it, but he might feel the same way too,"

Turtle almost started, seeing Daryl's initial reaction, then almost relaxed, but felt uncomfortable with what he was saying, "They still care about you,"

Daryl nodded, "I love them, too,"

Turtle nodded, silently acknowledging what Daryl was saying, "I hoped things would be the same as they were before you returned to that place they put the computer in your head,"

"Sorry. You still like me, don't you?" Daryl asked, feeling nervous.

Turtle nodded, "Yeah, sure. I just didn't know there was stuff you still didn't know,"

"Oh," Daryl said, "Like about cheating?"

Turtle nodded.

"That's a big deal, isn't it?" Daryl said, Mr. Nesbitt's reaction over the test.

Turtle nodded.

"I don't mean to," Daryl said.

Turtle nodded, "Maybe you don't,"

"I don't!" Daryl protested.

Turtle nodded, "All right, then!"

Elaine knocked on Sherie-Lee's bedroom door, which was ajar, "What's going on, boys?"

Turtle sighed, not liking it when his mother interrupted him having an argument with a friend. Turtle worried that his mother might take it the wrong way, making more of it than he thought necessary, "We're just talking, Mom! I now know how Daryl beat Sherie-Lee's game score,"

"Oh?" Elaine enquired, "Sounds like you're not happy. What's wrong?"

Turtle frowned at his mother, "Daryl could control the computer without the joy-stick. That's how he made it go so fast, and that's how he beat Sherie-Lee's score,"

Daryl nodded, to Elaine, "Turtle said I cheated, but I didn't mean to,"

Turtle nodded, "I know, Daryl,"

Elaine nodded, understanding, as she spoke to Daryl, "Howie's been telling me what that doctor from the lab told him and your adoptive parents about you," she turned to Turtle, "including, dear, things I can't tell you,"

Turtle nodded, "Oh, all right,"

Daryl shrugged, "Some of it, I knew already, of course,"

Elaine nodded, "I'm sure, Daryl. We'd be happy to do what we can to help you, if you need it,"

Daryl nodded formally, "Thank you, Mrs. Fox,"

Elaine smiled warmly, "You're welcome, Daryl,"

"Thank you, anyway," Daryl said.

Elaine nodded, "Well, what are you boys going to do now?"

"Maybe," Turtle said, talking to his mother, but watching Daryl. Daryl was watching them, "Daryl might try using the joystick, this time?"

Daryl nodded, "OK, Turtle, I'll try,"

Turtle handed Daryl the joystick, "You make the car move left and right by moving the joystick left and right, you make it speed up by pushing the joystick forward, and slow down, by releasing the joystick,"

Daryl nodded, "I think I can do that," he took the joystick, holding the base in the palm of his left hand, and holding the stick itself with his right.

Turtle restarted the computer.

Daryl prepared to play the game.

Turtle watched him, somewhat warily, "Now, use the joystick, not your mind-control thingy,"

"I won't," Daryl said, as the game started, and things began to move on the screen.

Turtle nodded.

Daryl controlled the car with the joystick, with somewhat reduced response times.

Turtle smiled, seeing as the game was not accelerating as quickly as it had a few moments before, "That's better,"

"Thank you," Daryl said, without turning from the screen.

Turtle nodded, grinning, watching Daryl play, "Sure thing,"

Daryl continued playing the game.

Turtle watched Daryl's score climb, "Wow, you're doing really good, even with the joy-stick!"

Daryl nodded, "I guess so,"

Turtle watched Daryl's hand moving faster and faster, and he got worried about the joy-stick, watching how Daryl handled it, "Try not to break it! Sherie-Lee'd kill me!"

Daryl looked perturbed, "I thought she cared about you?"

Turtle shrugged uncomfortably, "Well, she wouldn't murder me, no, but she would be really angry with me!"

Daryl nodded, "I understand, I'll try to be careful,"

Turtle nodded, "OK,"

Daryl continued playing, eventually finishing the game. He turned to Turtle with a grin, "That's still a lot of fun!"

Turtle smiled, "At least you did it honestly, this time!"

Daryl nodded in agreement.

Sherie-Lee walked into her room, unannounced, "Was Daryl doing something dishonestly? I thought computers couldn't lie-sorry, Daryl,"

Daryl said, looking directly at Sherie-Lee, Turtle followed his gaze to watch Sherie-Lee, in reaction to the interruption, "I told Turtle that I didn't mean to, but it seems I cheated the first time I played Pole Position,"

Sherie-Lee frowned, you weren't supposed to be able to cheat at computer games. It wouldn't let you… "How did you do that?"

Daryl continued, "Sherie-Lee, I didn't know at the time, but I can control computers with my brain. Nobody knows how, I don't think… I think they were trying to figure it out when Dr. Stewart helped me escape again,"

"Who was Dr. Stewart?" Sherie-Lee asked.

"He was the man we met at TASCOM when me, Joyce and Andy went to visit Daryl," Turtle said, then turned back to Daryl, "Right?"

Daryl nodded.

"Daryl, where is he now?" Sherie-Lee asked.

"He died helping me escape," Daryl said.

"Oh," Sherie-Lee said, her face dropping, "I'm sorry,"

Turtle nodded sombrely, agreeing with his sister, "Me too, it seemed like Dr. Stewart really liked what he was doing with you," he said, remembering Dr. Stewart's enthusiasm for the work being done at TASCOM.

Daryl nodded sadly, "He really did care about me, but I didn't really know it until the end. He and Dr. Lamb, are my Mom and dad,"

"We know, Daryl. We were their when she told you. It's alright," Sherie-Lee came to Daryl and put an arm around his shoulder, followed by Turtle on his opposite side.

Daryl shook his head, "Thank you, both of you. But no, she told Joyce when she came to help me last night. I asked them on the plane to TASCOM, but they wouldn't tell me then,"

"Daryl," Sherie-Lee said, trying to bring things back to the local things said, "Joyce and Andy really love you too,"

"I know," Daryl nodded, "I love them, too,"

"We know," Turtle said.

Daryl nodded silently.

Elaine stuck her head into the room, "Daryl?"

Daryl looked to Elaine, "Yes, Mrs. Fox?"

"Your adoptive mother just called, she'd like you to come home," she said.

Daryl stood up, "Alright, I'm coming,"

"Alright," Elaine nodded, beckoning to Turtle, "You can you show Daryl out, Turtle,"

Turtle nodded, glumly standing up, "Alright, let's go, Daryl,"

Daryl nodded.

"Bye, Daryl," Sherie-Lee said.

"Goodbye, Sherie-Lee," Daryl replied.

Turtle beckoned to Daryl impatiently, "C'mon!"

"Turtle!" Elaine scolded, "That's not how we talk to guests!"

Turtle nodded, understanding, "Are you ready?"

Daryl nodded, following Turtle out of Sherie-Lee's room, "Yes, I'm coming,"

Elaine followed them downstairs, "I hope you had fun, Daryl,"

Daryl nodded, "Yes, thank you,"

Elaine smiled, opening the front door, "Good bye then,"

"Bye, Daryl," Turtle said.

"Good-bye, Turtle," Daryl said.