Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is chapter sixteen of "Turnaround." This chapter has some Podcast/Phoebe. Winston makes his return. I felt it was time to bring him back. Stay tuned for chapter seventeen.

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Chapter 16: Unaware of Being Watched

The midmorning sun beamed its rays on Downtown New York City. A rock pigeon flew downward and landed on the sidewalk in front of Ray's Occult Books. It pecked at the crack there. Ray was gathering change for a young man, who had gotten a copy of Tales of the Mysterious by Rocky Kirks. Podcast and Phoebe stood nearby. They were discussing Dino and Mina.

"Five dollars and twenty cents is your change," Ray announced and handed the man his change.

"Thank you," the man answered.

"No, thank you," Ray said with a soft chuckle. "Have a nice day."

The man grabbed the book and turned around. He headed outside and down the sidewalk. Podcast and Phoebe went to the front of the desk. They and Ray watched until the man was out of sight.

"I hope he enjoys that book," Podcast said while crossing his arms.

"Me too," Ray agreed. "It doesn't feel like a year since we started Repossessed, Podcast. It feels like only yesterday."

"It was fun to do, even if we didn't get a million views per episode," Podcast responded, a warm chuckle leaving his mouth. "Since business has taken off here, you don't have time to do it."

"I never thought this place would turn a profit, despite Winston said he was confident it would happen. Garraka's defeat increased people's interest in the mysterious and unusual tenfold," Ray said, smiling.

"It is also a good place to hang around when the team is handling a ghostbust," Phoebe added.

"Phoebe and I were just getting ready to come here when Janine informed us a ghost was terrorizing people in Central Park. Oscar, Trevor, Ronnie, and Jeanette decided to take care of it," Podcast explained.

"I have a feeling the next ghost will be one that throws trash at people," Phoebe said, putting her hand on her back. "If a prank-pulling ghost can exist, why can't a trash-throwing one?"

"Who would have thought Mayor Peck would become a believer in the paranormal?" Ray wondered. "It is amazing how just one encounter with a ghost can change a person's perception completely."

"Lucky was right about Dino and Mina living under a rock," Podcast answered, rolling his eyes. "The Ghostbusters were very well known in the eighties and nineties. They are still fondly remembered. How could that couple not notice?"

"Not everyone knows about the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer," Phoebe pointed out.

"True," Podcast agreed.

The sound of the overhanging doorbell jingling caught the trio's attention. They turned to see Winston coming toward them with two coffee-filled cups in his hands. He stopped before the cash register.

"Hey there, Winston," Ray greeted.

"Hey yourself, Ray," Winston responded and handed him the first coffee. "Here is your sugar-filled coffee from Dunkin Donuts just like you ordered."

Ray chuckled. "Thanks."

Ray sipped the coffee and nodded in approval. He put it down with a contented sigh. He, Podcast, and Phoebe observed Winston taking a sip of his black coffee.

"There is nothing better than black coffee," Winston said, chuckling to himself.

"What a joy to know two people who drink that in my inner circle," Phoebe commented and blew a raspberry.

"It is interesting how you went from loving coffee to being repulsed by it, Phoebe," Winston replied.

Phoebe played with one of her curls. "I also went from not being fond of pickles and ice cream to craving them constantly."

"She ate ice cream with ketchup last night. Trevor was repulsed when he saw it," Podcast said and held up his hands. He wiggled his fingers. "He ran out of the kitchen after a few minutes."

"Unfortunately, I got sick not long after finishing it," Phoebe grumbled annoyingly. "It sucks ass."

Winston exhaled. "Look on the bright side. It's nowhere near as bad as it was during the first trimester."

Winston set his coffee down next to the register. He rubbed his chin before putting his hand on the counter. Ray rubbed the back of his neck. He emitted a heavy sigh.

"You won't believe this, Winston, but we encountered Callie's ex-husband and his girlfriend at Hobbie's Place last night," Ray said seriously.

"What?" Winston asked shockingly. "I thought that guy was out of her and her kids' lives."

Phoebe shook her head. "Not anymore. They moved here recently. They are actually living in Dana's old apartment on the Upper East Side."

"That's not far from the Firehouse," Winston said and mumbled obscenities in Spanish.

"It sucks, but what can we do? We can't exactly force them to leave," Phoebe pointed out.

"Unfortunately," Winston agreed.

Ray knocked on the counter. "The encounter went like this. It all started…"

Unbeknownst to the group, Dino and Mina were walking down the sidewalk. They eyed the window and came to a stop. They peered inside, seeing Podcast, Phoebe, Ray, and Winston.

"Well, well, if it isn't part of the group that we encountered last night," Dino whispered and formed a big smirk on his face.

"That must be Winston," Mina added as she gestured toward Winston. "Ray is telling him something, but I can't make it out."

"It is likely he is telling him about what transpired," Dino suggested and shook his head in disbelief. "I have no doubt he is wording it to make himself look good."

"Something tells me Podcast and Phoebe visit this dumb store on a regular basis," Mina commented, her finger drawing a circle in the air.

"Why wouldn't they? They are weirdos," Dino responded and rubbed his nose. "Who knows how long they will be in there?"

Mina cupped her chin in her hand and tapped her finger against it. She appeared to be deep in thought. An idea came to her mind. She looked at her boyfriend eagerly.

"Why don't we follow Podcast and Phoebe wherever they decide to go next?" Mina suggested.

"That is a good idea," Dino said, a soft chuckle coming from him. "Of course, it could be while before they leave."

"Then we will go into a place a few doors down and wait for them to pass it. The we will follow them," Mina pointed out while jerking her thumb in the direction of the sidewalk.

"We better go before someone notices what we are doing," Dino said, eyeing her.

"Good idea," Mina agreed. "Come on."

Dino and Mina walked off. Winston was still listening to Ray, who imitated Gary's grabbing Dino's t-shirt by balling his fists in the air. Podcast and Phoebe bit their lips.

"Gary demanded Dino to leave Phoebe alone. Dino told him to punch him. Hobbie intervened and believed everything Gary told him. He threatened to throw Dino and Mina out if they did not leave us alone. They agreed to do so and left," Ray said, placing his hands on the counter.

"Thank God a fight didn't break out," Winston whispered in relief. "Who would've thought Gary would display such rage?"

"That guy has a gentle nature until you threaten any member of his family. Then he goes after you," Ray said, his eyebrows raising.

"Ghosts are scary, but humans are scarier," Winston commented and shook his head in disbelief. "Humans have done so much damage to the environment over many centuries that it may never recover. They will declare indigenous tribes the enemy to justify taking their land to mine it for minerals. They will falsely accuse others of wrongdoing to get back at them for ending relationships."

"Like Amber Heard did with Johnny Depp," Ray hissed in disgust.

"Exactly," Phoebe said, her teeth clenching. "She had no right to destroy his life. Look at her now. She is rotting away in Spain as an exile. She seethes with jealousy as talented actresses like Lily-Rose Depp and Kristen Stewart snatch projects and do photoshoots for fashion brands such as Chanel."

"Her fanbase is the worst we have ever seen. The nutty robsessed, krisbians, and robstens are angels compared to them," Ray added and rubbed the back of his neck.

"One thing is clear. Johnny and Kristen never deserved to be bullied so horribly. They have their flaws, but they own them. Amber will never admit to hers. She lost the best thing that ever happened to her. She has no one but herself to blame," Winston said bluntly.

"Right," Podcast agreed.

"Amen," Phoebe chimed and breathed deeply. She began talking about when she started craving pickles.

00000

Podcast and Phoebe laughed as they exited the store in the late morning. They slipped their hands inside their pockets and made a left turn. They started walking down the sidewalk. A young woman bumped into her. They mouthed 'Excuse me' to each other. Podcast and Phoebe took one hand each out of their pockets. They held them somewhat tightly.

"It's funny how Kevin Sorbo got so jealous of Xena: Warrior Princess being more popular than Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. He thought he would be the next Harrison Ford after achieving worldwide fame as the heroic demigod," Podcast said. "It was never meant to be."

"His attitude was what killed his career, not his religious beliefs. You don't go around badmouthing a co-star without consequences. You just don't," Phoebe responded in a blunt voice.

"His most ridiculous claims were Lucy Lawless was a lesbian and had an affair with Robert Tapert that led him to divorce his first wife. There is literally no evidence of either," Podcast grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"When your career is in the toilet, all you have is making wild comments to get attention," Phoebe said and made a funny noise.

"He does that often," Podcast said, giving a shrug. "Sometimes, his followers call him out because his comments are that ridiculous."

Podcast and Phoebe passed a small store. They did not see Dino and Mina coming out of it. Dino and Mina looked both ways before going after them. They walked slowly to keep them from noticing. Podcast spotted a hotdog stand on a street corner.

"Look at that hotdog stand!" Podcast blurted out as he pointed his finger at the cook.

"Wow. You want to get one?" Phoebe wondered, coming to a stop along with him. "I am kind of hungry."

"Sure," Podcast said, nodding fast. "I want mine with onions and mustard."

"I'll take that combo too," Phoebe announced with pride.

He huffed. "Copycat."

She scrunched her nose. "I heard that."

Podcast and Phoebe looked both ways before crossing the street quickly. They reached the stand. Dino and Mina ducked in an alleyway between two buildings. They peered around the corner. They observed the couple ordering two hotdogs on Podcast's dime.

"Look at how pathetic they are ordering from a hotdog stand," Dino said disgustingly.

"Tell me about it. A better place to get a hotdog is at a fast-food restaurant. You don't have to worry about the risk of your stand getting hit by a vehicle," Mina replied, flaring her nostrils. "Of course, one could go out of control and hit the restaurant."

"That rarely happens, but it is no less scary," Dino commented and scratched his throat.

"There is a hotdog stand on just about every corner in Downtown New York City. You see people selling various items as well," Mina added while pulling her hair behind her neck.

"That reminds me of Kevin buying four necklaces from a man because Harry and Marv were chasing him in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. He broke them apart and dumped the beads on a sidewalk in full view of people. They slipped and fell when they stepped on them," Dino explained.

"KAWPOW! WHAM! SPLAT!" Mina said and imitated an explosion.

"Right," Dino said, chuckling softly.

The duo continued watching Podcast and Phoebe. The cook handed the expectant parents their hotdogs. Podcast handed him a ten-dollar bill. He mouthed 'Keep the change.' He received a nod from him. He and Phoebe bit into their hotdogs. They chewed quickly and swallowed with loud gulps.

"Talk about a good hotdog," Podcast commented with a smile.

"No kidding," Phoebe agreed. "I wasn't excited about living in New York at first. Now, I love it."

"It astounds me how big this city is," Podcast said, taking another bite out of his hotdog. He proceeded to chew. "There are so many fun places to visit. Among them is the Central Park Zoo."

"We went there with the rest of the family on a Saturday not long after our return from Florida. We saw a four-month-old tiger cub snap at a zookeeper out of annoyance. Age is not a barrier to animal aggression," Phoebe said truthfully.

Podcast swallowed. "It never was."

"There are thousands of videos of people trying to pet wild animals and getting attacked by them on video sites. They thought the critters were cute and cuddly like the ones in a zoo. They were shocked when that turned out not to be the case," Phoebe mumbled with a roll of her eyes.

"If you think only Americans have done something that stupid, you're wrong. People in just about every developed country have done this with their native animals. I have no sympathy for them," Podcast said.

Phoebe bit into her hotdog and started to chew. "Me neither."

Dino and Mina narrowed their eyes at the couple. They saw Phoebe swallow and heard her gasp softly. They ducked back into the alleyway. She emitted a shudder. Podcast looked at her and became concerned.

"Pheebs, you okay?" Podcast wondered.

"Do you get the feeling we are being watched?" Phoebe responded uncertainly.

"By what, the streetlights and lampposts?" Podcast commented with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know," Phoebe said, her body shaking a little bit. "I think we better get home."

"Okay," Podcast whispered, nodding. "We can eat the rest of our hotdogs on the way there."

"Yeah," Phoebe said, smiling. "Thanks for not getting mad at me for cutting our outing short."

"No problem," Podcast assured sweetly. "We can head out another time. Come on."

Podcast and Phoebe watched two cars pass. They looked both ways before crossing the street quickly. They proceeded to head in the same direction they had been going. Dino and Mina came out of the alleyway. They resumed following them.

00000

Podcast and Phoebe reached the Firehouse within ten minutes. They put the last bites of their hotdogs into their mouths. They chewed quickly while heading over to the dumpster and tossing the cardboard baskets into it. Dino and Mina came upon the building. They ducked into the alleyway next to it as the expectant parents approached the doors. Podcast opened it and walked inside, followed by her. He closed it, its hinges squeaking loudly. Gary and Callie came up to them. She held the laundry basket against her side.

"Hey, guys," Gary greeted.

"We weren't expecting you back so soon," Callie added.

"You won't believe this, but Phoebe believed we were being watched and wanted to come home," Podcast answered, putting his hands behind his back.

"What?" Gary asked in shock.

"That's strange," Callie said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Who would be watching expectant teen parents?"

"You might think I am being paranoid, but I really do think someone was watching us," Phoebe said, swallowing hard.

"This city has a lot of alleyways where people can hide. They can peer around corners and watch from a distance," Gary pointed out.

"That may be, Gary, but I am not sure about this at all," Callie murmured, her brow furrowing. "We can't…"

As Callie continued talking, Dino and Mina were listening with their ears pressed against the doors. They formed big smirks on their faces. They eyed each other closely.

"The little girl and her boyfriend have no idea we followed them home," Dino whispered, wiggling his eyebrows.

"This was so much fun," Mina squeaked in a soft manner. "We need to do it again soon."

"Yeah," Dino agreed. "The question is when that will happen."

"Podcast and Phoebe went around to the other side of the building. I believe they threw their trash in a dumpster there," Mina said and cleared her throat.

He smacked his lips. "We better get over there and dig through it to find their phone bills."

"Good idea," Mina said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Last one over there is a rotten egg," Dino said with a snicker.

She winked at him. "Let's go."

Dino and Mina raced away from the doors. Callie moved closer to Podcast and Phoebe. She kept the basket steady.

"You can't let yourself become paranoid about being followed every time you go out, Pheebs. It is not healthy for you or Gabrielle," Callie said, seriousness lining her voice.

"I know, Mom, but I can't help having that feeling," Phoebe whispered, her body shaking a little bit.

Podcast clasped his hands together. "After all, a woman's intuition often proves to be correct."

"We understand your feelings, honey," Callie replied in a gentle way. "If you do not feel good about going out, stick around here for a day or so. It might put you at ease."

"Okay," Phoebe agreed with a nod. "I am sorry about—"

"Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry about," Gary assured, stepping forward. "It is good to stay aware of your surroundings. You never know what might happen."

Phoebe nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"Forget about the probability of being followed for the time being. Let's pick a movie to watch tonight," Gary suggested eagerly.

"Okay," Phoebe said.

"How about we watch X-Men: Days of Future Past?" Podcast wondered hopefully.

"That's a great idea," Callie agreed with a soft chuckle.

"We just have to ask the others when they return home," Phoebe pointed out and bit her lip.

Callie snorted. "I am sure they will agree."

Gary raised his eyebrows. "Yeah. Let's get upstairs."

Podcast, Phoebe, Gary, and Callie headed for the stairs. They proceeded to go up them at a slow pace.