Author's notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter four of "Turnaround." This chapter has some Podcast/Phoebe and Gary/Callie. There will be some smut coming very soon. Stay tuned for chapter five.

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Chapter 4: Engaged in Conversation/Cleaning Up

The entire group was eating breakfast nearly an hour later. Gary sat at the head of the table. Callie was seated on his left. Ronnie was next to her, as was Jeanette. Podcast was on Gary's right. Phoebe was next to him along with Oscar. Trevor was at the other head of the table. The center was filled with breakfast food. Much of it was already gone.

Phoebe picked up her orange juice-filled glass and sipped a bit of it. She put it down and grabbed a piece of her bacon. She popped it into her mouth and proceeded to chew. She heard Ronnie laughing and saw her shaking her head. Callie grabbed her coffee-filled mug. She took a long sip. She put it back down before clearing her throat.

"No way. Johnny Depp's best movie was Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl," Ronnie shouted while holding up her fork. "That put him on the map as a leading man."

"Not a chance. His best movie was Edward Scissorhands," Gary responded with a huff. "He had great chemistry with Winona Ryder. He was engaged to her at the time."

"It's too bad they didn't work out. They were a very sweet couple," Callie whispered truthfully.

"Johnny's longest relationship was with Vanessa Paradis. They were together for fourteen years. They had two children named Lily-Rose and Jack. Lily-Rose works as an actress and a singer. She has her own Instagram page. Jack does not have social media, but he has a band of his own," Oscar pointed out.

Phoebe blinked as she swallowed. "Johnny's biggest mistake was starting a relationship with Amber Heard. She used and abused him. He fell back into drug and alcohol addiction because of her. When he left her, she was infuriated and started a smear campaign against him. She accused him of abusing her. She wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post that cost him Pirates of the Caribbean. He lost his lawsuit against The Sun for branding him a wifebeater. He was asked to resign from Fantastic Beasts. In his own words, he lost nothing short of everything."

"It was a rough time for him. His supporters were bullied and belittled into silence by hers. This includes Lily-Rose. Amber had the media eating out of the palm of her hand," Trevor commented, shuddering in disgust.

"She thought she would get away with what she did. The defamation trial exposed her for the horrible woman that she is. Almost everyone who supported her turned against her. This includes any celebrity who spoke up for her in the first place. Every company, organization, and studio that did business with her shunned her," Jeannette explained and laughed bitterly. "She deserved to lose everything after what she did."

"The biggest loss she suffered was L'Oréal. Her supporters tried to claim its slogan 'You Are Worth It' was hers. Helen Mirren showed a cooling fan with it at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. They saw it as a secret message of support for her. Helen shot that down immediately. They turned on her," Callie added and snorted in a quiet manner. "L'Oréal did not renew her contract when it expired in July. They finally realized she was too much trouble."

Gary cut a small piece of pancake. "Her final movies In the Fire and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom crashed and burned at the box office. She has not had a job since then. She lives in exile in Spain. She has no friends, no red carpet events, no film premieres, etc. She has to pay people to be her fans. She has to call the paparazzi to 'spot' her whenever Johnny or any of his supporters make the news." He popped it into his mouth and proceeded to chew.

"What a pathetic way to live," Podcast said and chuckled humorlessly. "Then again, it serves her right over what she did. Johnny got his life back. He is living it to the fullest."

Ronnie gave a sharp nod. "That he is."

Gary swallowed with a loud gulp. He grabbed his coffee and took a long sip. He put it down while letting out a soft sigh. Podcast got some eggs on his fork. He placed them in his mouth. He proceeded to chew. Oscar nibbled on a small piece of bacon.

"Another target of Amber's supporters was Kristen Stewart. They actually turned on her when they learned she was Lily-Rose's friend. It was announced she would be starring with Johnny in a movie called Flowers and Weeds back in May. It is about a daughter who returns to her estranged father as he is dying of cancer. She admitted she had always wanted to work with him. She believed he was a victim of abuse from the start as Lily-Rose told her about it. She refused to end their friendship," Gary explained.

"The supporters found Dylan Meyer's Instagram page and harassed her. It got so bad that she turned off the comments. They turned their attention toward the Instagram pages of Jules Stewart, Suzie Reimer, and CJ Romero. However, they were unable to harass them because Dylan alerted them and told them to turn off the comments. The trio complied," Callie added.

"Robert Pattinson was not safe from their wrath either. They began to hate him after they discovered he was also Lily-Rose's friend. He revealed he supported Johnny from the start not long after this announcement. So did Suki Waterhouse. They harassed her on her Twitter and Instagram pages. She turned off comments because it got so bad. Both Robert and Kristen called them out for their bullying. He called them demons while she called them monsters," Podcast commented. "Robert slammed his fans for constantly bullying Kristen. He told them to leave his best friend alone."

"If that bitch's supporters think this behavior will get her jobs, they have another thing coming. It is only making people hate her more," Phoebe said, bluntness lining her voice. "In fact, she has not been in the news for months now. Maybe she is finally accepting her fate."

"I don't know about that, Pheebs," Podcast said, looking at her. He swallowed before putting a piece of bacon in his mouth. He started chewing. "She is a narcissist. She craves attention. She will pull a stunt at some point. I know it."

"I hope you are wrong, Podcast," Phoebe replied, eyeing him. "Then again, you hardly are."

"I am proud of that," Podcast said and tickled her chin. He laughed at her swatting his hand aside. "Temper, temper."

"I will show you a temper!" Phoebe yelled and curled her hand into a fist.

"Bring it on," Podcast replied with a smirk. He swallowed before letting out a loud gulp. "I dare you."

"Okay!" Phoebe said and clenched her teeth. "You asked for it."

Phoebe ruffled Podcast's hair. She growled playfully when he pinched her cheek. She swatted his hand aside before tweaking his nose. Callie cleared her throat, causing them to look at her.

"Kids, you know the rules. No playing at the table," Callie scolded.

"Sorry, Mom," Phoebe replied and jerked her thumb in Podcast's direction. "He started it."

"No way. You started it," Podcast said as she turned to him.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, you did."

Gary waved his hands in the air. "Okay, kids. That's enough. Let's finish this breakfast."

"Okay, Dad," Phoebe relented while shooting him a glance. She turned back to her boyfriend. "We'll finish this later."

"Okay," Podcast agreed. "Let's shake on it."

"Sure," Phoebe said, holding out her hand.

Podcast took it and shook it. "Good."

Phoebe began to feel queasy as she and Podcast let go of each other. She put her hand over her stomach. She took slow yet even breaths. The others became concerned about her.

"Phoebe, are you okay?" Ronnie wondered.

"Yeah," Phoebe responded, nodding slowly. She winced as the queasiness increased. She put her hand over her mouth. "Oh, shit. I am going to be sick."

Phoebe jumped to her feet and walked quickly toward the bathroom. The others listened to the door slamming shut and her vomiting. They looked at each other. Trevor raised his eyebrows.

"I thought that part of her pregnancy was done," Trevor whispered, cringing somewhat.

"Morning sickness usually stops at the end of the first trimester, Trev, but it can come back at any time. It is almost never as bad as it is then," Callie replied in a soft manner. "It happened to me when I was pregnant with you."

"I didn't know that," Trevor commented in surprise.

Callie stood up. "I am going to go check on her."

Podcast rose to his feet. "I will go with you."

Gary, Oscar, Ronnie, Jeanette, and Trevor observed the duo heading toward the bathroom. They looked at each other. Gary proceeded to talk about the major box office success of Top Gun: Maverick.

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Phoebe vomited into the medium-sized bathroom's toilet. She was leaned over somewhat. She had her hands on the sides. She coughed twice before panting hard. She tried to rise to her full height, but she couldn't. She threw up the rest of her stomach contents. She put her hand over her face, her body shaking. She felt someone rubbing her back very gently. She looked at Podcast, who had a concerned expression on his face. Callie stood next to him.

"Are you okay?" Podcast asked.

"Yeah," Phoebe admitted while rising to her full height slowly. "Thank you."

Podcast nodded at her. "You're welcome."

Phoebe approached the sink as Podcast flushed the toilet. She looked into the oval-shaped mirror. She turned on the water and slipped her hand under it. She put it in her mouth. She swished it around three times before spitting it out. She turned it off. She returned to the toilet and put the top down. She seated herself on it.

"I never thought morning sickness would return for me," Phoebe whispered, sighing heavily.

"It happens more often than you think, honey," Callie responded and crossed her arms. "Be grateful yours did not become severe."

"I am," Phoebe admitted and emitted an annoyed huff. "It still sucks."

"Many things suck in life," Callie commented and tilted her head somewhat. "One thing that won't suck is your ability to be a mother. You will make a great mother."

Phoebe smiled somewhat. "Thanks."

"Don't forget about me," Podcast said, holding up his hand.

"I won't, Podcast," Callie said, a soft chuckle leaving her mouth. "You will make a great father."

Podcast took Phoebe's hand into his. "Thanks."

Callie uncrossed her arms to place her hands on her sides. She looked around the bathroom twice before settling her eyes on the couple.

"I hate to say this, but I don't think I can finish my breakfast," Phoebe admitted and groaned annoyingly. "I hated when that happened in the first trimester. I hate it now."

"It doesn't matter," Callie said, chuckling softly. "Breakfast was almost done, anyway. I was beginning to get full myself."

"You never want to stuff yourself to the point that you feel miserable," Podcast pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Unfortunately, many people have done that," Phoebe said, looking up at her mother and boyfriend. "That includes me."

"When something tastes so good, you are tempted to eat more," Callie said honestly. "The more you consume, the less satisfied you become. It is the law of diminishing returns."

"It is a good business lesson," Podcast commented.

"Mm-hmm," Phoebe whispered and took her hand out of his. She laid it on the counter and pushed herself up slowly. She straightened her posture once she was at her full height. "Let's get that kitchen cleaned up."

"I bet I will wash more dishes than you will," Podcast teased.

"Sure, you will," Phoebe responded, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"That's enough, you two," Callie scolded, waving her hand toward herself. "Come on."

Callie opened the door, its hinges squeaking. She held it as the expectant parents passed her. She shut off the light before stepping out and closing it behind her. They headed for the kitchen. They found Gary washing the dishes. The dishwasher was open. Ronnie wiped the table with a rag, as did Jeanette with another one on the counter near the sink. Trevor pushed each of the chairs under it on its left side. Oscar did the same to the ones on the right side. Callie went to her husband, an impressed look showing on her face. She put her arm around him. Podcast and Phoebe went over to the bar.

"Look at you washing the dishes," Callie said warmly.

"It's no problem," Gary replied, scrubbing a plate with a sponge. "When I was a kid, women and girls did all the cooking and cleaning in my family. I considered that unfair."

Callie hiccupped twice. "I had to do all the cooking and cleaning when Trevor and Phoebe were young. Dino never offered to help once. After they got older, they were eager to help out."

"Phoebe enjoyed spraying me with the sink hose," Trevor grumbled in an annoyed manner.

"You always retaliated with it," Phoebe pointed out with a smirk.

"You better not encourage Gabrielle to spray me with it," Trevor warned while turning to her.

Phoebe put her hands on her hips. "I will if I want to."

"I will if I want to," Trevor responded mockingly.

"Are you mimicking me?" Phoebe asked, giggling loudly.

"Are you mimicking me?" Trevor demanded with a fierce growl.

"Stop it," Phoebe blurted out.

Trevor laughed. "Stop it."

Trevor and Phoebe blew raspberries at each other. He put his fingers at the corners of his eyes to pull them out. He stuck his tongue out at her. She mimicked his movements with her face. A clearing throat sounded loudly. They saw Callie holding the sink hose.

"Put those away before you get the hose treatment, kids," Callie warned. She smiled when her children pulled their tongues back into their mouths and put their hands at their sides. She put the hose back in its place. "That's better."

"Pheebs, why don't you wipe off the bar?" Gary suggested, grabbing a wet rag and tossing it to his daughter. He chuckled at her catching it easily. "Nice catch."

"Thanks," Phoebe said and started wiping the bar as her father returned his attention to the dishes. "Imagine me cleaning this kitchen with Gabrielle strapped to my chest."

"Baby carriers have been around since prehistoric times. They can be worn on the chest or on the back. They have been made from all sorts of materials," Podcast commented while pushing the first stool under the bar.

"I never had such a baby carrier," Callie admitted. "If anything—"

Callie screamed when water hit her in the side, shoulder, and cheek. She turned to see Gary holding the hose. She felt her job drop to the floor. He laughed in great delight.

"Gary, you scoundrel!" Callie scolded.

"Gotcha!" Gary responded in a proud voice. "You were so distracted with talking to the expectant parents that you didn't notice me grabbing the hose!"

She gritted her teeth. "I will show you distracted."

Callie snatched the hose away from Gary. She sprayed him with a bunch of water. He glared at his wife, who formed a big smirk on her face. He spit it out of his mouth.

"How was that for retaliation?" Callie asked.

"Very nice," Gary said, growling seductively as he leaned toward her. She stopped him by putting the hose against his chest. "What?"

"Not in front of the kids," Callie warned.

"Okay," Gary said, holding up his hands. "You got me."

Callie heard Trevor laughing. She looked at him and sprayed him with the hose. He became quiet and looked down at his drenched black t-shirt. He spit water out of his mouth before glaring at her. She snickered under her breath.

"Very funny, Mom," Trevor hissed irritatingly.

Podcast and Phoebe tried to stifle snickers, but they couldn't help themselves. They stopped when Callie aimed the hose at them. She waved it around, her eyes narrowing.

"If anyone else laughs, they are getting the hose treatment. Is that clear?" Callie asked with a raised eyebrow. Oscar, Ronnie, and Jeanette held up their hands, causing her to smile. She put the hose back. "Good."

"Since you are so good with the hose, you can help me with the dishes," Gary commented, handing her another sponge.

"Okay," Callie replied as she turned around to face the sink. She grabbed a plate and proceeded to scrub it. "Do-do-do."

"Talk about a silly mom you have," Oscar teased and glanced at Trevor.

"Your mom is sillier," Trevor retorted and resumed pushing the chairs under his side of the table.

"Sure, she is, Trev," Ronnie said sarcastically.

"Hush, guys," Jeanette shouted sternly. "Let's finish cleaning up."

Oscar began pushing the chairs under his side of the table once more. Ronnie and Jeanette wiped down their respective furniture. Phoebe ran her rag up and down the bar. Podcast pushed the second stool under it.