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CHAPTER SEVEN

John had been taken to the laboratory and sat on a bench, with Stephen, Cara, Russell and Charlotte hanging around while Irene ran some tests. He looked at each of them closely, while projecting an image of being at ease. He'd memorised their faces and details about them but he didn't remember meeting any of them before. Jedikiah had told him that they would consider him a friend, so that was the role he had to play. "This really isn't necessary, guys,"he commented lightly.

"I agree,"Irene confirmed. "All tests show that you're in perfect health."

Stephen awkwardly stepped forward to stand eyeball to eyeball with John. "So…you're back then."

John nodded. "Hear you're in charge of this bunch now."

Stephen managed a brief smile. "Just following your example."

"Can't do worse than follow in the footsteps of the original Top TP,"Russell interjected. "In fact, when I find myself in a spot, I often find myself asking 'What would John do?'"

"What happened to you, John?"Cara asked, her tone cautious. "I sensed you, breaking out. You've got your powers back, right?"

"It was Jedikiah,"John replied. "He worked out a way to transplant powers from one person to another. It doesn't hold with a normal human but when you're already genetically a Tomorrow Person like me..."

Irene nodded. "The research Jedikiah and I did showed that. It's how I got my powers back." She shrugged awkwardly. "Plenty of dead TPs around that day to act as donors."

"So where is old Jed now?"Russell asked.

"He's left town,"John told them. "Figured there was nothing left for him here."

"What about you?"Cara asked. "Where have you been?"

"I went looking for all the kids that were fostered with me." It was the story he and Jedikiah had worked out, one that had the right amount of sentimentality that people wouldn't pry too much. "Being human again made me curious. Some had worked out okay. Some hadn't. I went to the lair when I first came back to town but there was no sign of you. That's when I thought of this place."

Stephen smiled. "Took me a while but I finally led us to the Refuge."

"I made you a room,"Charlotte interrupted. "Do you want to see it?"

John smiled at her. "Yeah, I'd like that." He let her take his hand and lead him away.

Stephen looked after him before turning to Cara. "What do you think?"

Russell put his arms around their shoulders. "Are you kidding? The gang's back together! This is gonna be great."

Charlotte presented John with the room she'd prepared. "What do you think?"

John looked around. There wasn't much to look at: a few clothes in his size, some old photos. But it was obvious that it meant a lot to this girl what he thought of it. He smiled at her. "I love it."

Charlotte smiled back and hugged him. "I'm glad you're back,"she told him, before dashing away.

John sat down on the bed, going over his first opinion of the Tomorrow People. They seemed friendly but they were clearly chaotic, no sense of order. They could be a danger if they weren't properly controlled.

He heard footsteps and got up. A dark-skinned girl in her late teens appeared in the doorway. He searched for the name from the files and remembered it: Astrid. She stared at him for a moment then ran to him and hugged him. She held him for several moments before disengaging enough to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Irene told me you were back but I didn't believe it until I saw it myself."

"Well, it's true,"John confirmed.

"Where have you been? You went off with Jedikiah and then nothing. I've been so worried."

John nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I had to help Jedikiah with a few things and then I had some old friends to catch up with."

Astrid paused awkwardly before asking "So…have you met anyone?"

John looked at her closely. It was obvious he'd had some sort of relationship with her before. Part of him wanted to dismiss her as a fantasist, looking to date one of the new breed of humans because it seemed cool, but it didn't really fit his impression of her. She seemed too soft for that. He took her hands and gave her a smile that he hoped seemed warm. "No-one as interesting as you."

"You're very quiet,"Cara remarked as she and Stephen made their way back to the office.

Stephen shrugged. "Just wondering what John being back means."

"What, you're afraid he'll want to take the office?" They headed into the room. Stephen carried on walking. Cara paused just inside the doorway. "Or are you worried he'll take me back?"

Stephen turned round. "Well, he's got form."

Cara looked at him coldly. "I'm glad to know what you think of me."

Stephen instantly realised his mistake. "No, no, no, that's not what I meant! I trust you and…and I trust him, I just…This is kind of new to me, okay, and I'm worried things are going to go wrong. And I don't want them to go wrong, okay? You're too important to me." He gently rubbed her arm.

Cara nodded slowly. "It's important to me too, okay? I…love you." The words sounded awkward and unfamiliar coming from her mouth but Stephen smiled anyway.

"Can you say that again?"he asked.

Cara found herself smiling despite herself. "No,"she said firmly.

"I apologise for the interruption,"interjected Tim,"but I have information on another emerging Tomorrow Person for you."

All business again, Stephen and Cara turned to face him. "Go on,"Stephen instructed.

Tim displayed images of a boy in his mid teens. "I have been cross checking bursts of paranormal activity with security footage of those in the area at the time and this individual has been sighted in the vicinity of no fewer than fifteen separate incidents. I calculate a 94% chance he is a Tomorrow Person."

"Does he have a name?"asked Cara.

"Andrew Forbes."

John had closed the door to his room. He didn't want any interruptions. He began changing out of the clothes he had arrived in into one of the outfits provided: It provided a useful excuse for shutting himself away. A laptop was mounted on a table. John entered the proper passcodes and stepped back. Jedikiah's image appeared on the screen. "Has insertion been successful?"he asked.

John nodded. "The Tomorrow People trust me. They think I'm still their friend."

"What have you found out?"

"They've turned this building into some sort of refuge. Most of them are living here. They've got the laboratories and computer working and they have access to the armoury."

"Give me as much information as you can on the layout and use of the building. We may need to raid it. What else are they doing?"

"They're tracking new Tomorrow People."

"Now that could be very useful to us…if we can get there first. Keep monitoring and let me know."