I know there was some confusion on who's who. Younger and Older are
listed by the names. In case of Melinda, Melinda One is the one who
summoned her parents and Melinda Two is the one who talks to Peter.
Piper looked around the attic. " Are you sure we left?" The attic looked exactly the same.
" Yeah, we left," Paige said. She had found a photo album in the attic and was randomly flipping pages. " Jeez, we are old. How old are we?" Paige counted her fingers. " I am…forty-one? 41? Oh, god. Can I at least hit twenty-five first?"
" Hey, hey, I'm forty-six, you bite your tongue," Piper told Paige.
Melinda One rolled her eyes at her relatives. " Get over yourselves." She began to head down the stairs. " It's three o'clock. We should be home by now."
As soon as Melinda One said that, the door opened. Everyone ran back up the stairs and peered out to see what was going on. Older Piper came through the door, carrying groceries. There were lines around her eyes and mouth, and a single gray streak in her long hair. A little blonde child bounded in, dressed in a Girl Scout uniform. Her eyes were the bright, clear blue Prue's had been. She was followed by Melinda and a handsome boy with dark curly hair. He had eyes like emeralds that sparkled.
" That's our son?" Younger Phoebe asked. Melinda One nodded. Looking between Melinda and Peter, it was hard to believe they were related. They looked like the "before" and "after" ads for a Neutrogena commercial.
" Your mother is going to be so mad when she hears what you did, Peter," Older Piper threatened. " Setting a desk on fire with magic? She's gonna be mad."
As older Piper and little Prue headed into the kitchen, Melinda Two leaned over to Peter. " I know A.J. was being a dick," she said. Younger Piper gave her daughter a look for her language, which Melinda One ignored. " Why'd you go and set his desk on fire?"
" You don't get it, Mel." Peter's eyes gleamed like jewels. " We've got great powers. Why aren't we using them?"
" Because we're good witches, dumb ass," Melinda Two told him. " What the hell happened to you down in the Underworld?" He suddenly became angry and hurled a fireball at the couch. Quickly Melinda Two froze it.
Older Piper came in from the kitchen. " Peter." Her voice was low and deadly. "I'm calling your mother right now."
A rope of fire came out of Peter's hand and he wrapped it around Piper's neck. Younger Phoebe grabbed onto Cole so hard his hand went numb. " Peter!" cried little Prue. With the wave of her hand, she sent Peter into the wall. He disappeared and reappeared in a puff of black smoke behind the elder Piper. They both disappeared. Younger Phoebe fainted.
***********************
The gentle, soothing sensation of Younger Leo's magic woke up Phoebe. " Are you OK?" asked Younger Paige.
" Yeah," Younger Phoebe struggled to sit up. The flood of images of her son nearly killing Piper came back, and she nearly passed out again. " What's happening?"
" Dad!" Melinda Two was crying. " Dad!" Older Leo orbed in, running his hands through his blond-gray hair. Before Prue could say anything, he held up his hand. " I know. Did you call Aunt Phoebe?"
" She's on her way, with Aunt Paige." Melinda Two began to tremble. " What's going to happen to Mom?"
" Nothing," Older Leo told his daughter firmly, wrapping a warm arm around her. "Nothing at all."
Older Paige orbed in with Older Phoebe. The younger Paige raised an eyebrow at her older self's sophisticated business suit. " What happened to me?" she wondered.
" You're the best social worker in California," Melinda whispered.
" Am I married?"
" No, but you have tons of boyfriends." Younger Paige found this upsetting.
The older Phoebe looked at the elder Leo, steely-eyed. " What happened?"
" Peter captured Piper and took her somewhere." Leo frowned. " Maybe if you bound his powers as a kid-"
" If I had done anything? It's very hard being a single parent. I try my best!" Older Phoebe argued.
" Single parent?" Younger Phoebe said hoarsely.
" Uncle Cole died when I was six, during a bank robbery," Melinda explained sadly.
" It's not my fault," Older Phoebe was saying. " It's the blasted Seer! If we had only killed her years ago when we had the chance-"
" This isn't helping," Paige informed her family. " We have to go save Piper. NOW."
Leo turned to Melinda. " Stay here."
" No way," Melinda argued.
" Melinda-"
" Dad you have to let us go, at least me." A faint but visible smiled crossed her face. " She's my mom."
Tears welled up in Leo's eyes, but he squeezed his eyes shut, blotting the tears. "Fine." Phoebe grabbed Paige's arm, and Prue, her orbing powers weak, clutched her big sister. They all orbed to the Underworld.
" Let's go," Phoebe ordered. Phoebe and Cole grabbed Paige, and Piper clung onto her daughter. In a flurry of blue orbs the family descended into the Underworld.
Piper looked around the attic. " Are you sure we left?" The attic looked exactly the same.
" Yeah, we left," Paige said. She had found a photo album in the attic and was randomly flipping pages. " Jeez, we are old. How old are we?" Paige counted her fingers. " I am…forty-one? 41? Oh, god. Can I at least hit twenty-five first?"
" Hey, hey, I'm forty-six, you bite your tongue," Piper told Paige.
Melinda One rolled her eyes at her relatives. " Get over yourselves." She began to head down the stairs. " It's three o'clock. We should be home by now."
As soon as Melinda One said that, the door opened. Everyone ran back up the stairs and peered out to see what was going on. Older Piper came through the door, carrying groceries. There were lines around her eyes and mouth, and a single gray streak in her long hair. A little blonde child bounded in, dressed in a Girl Scout uniform. Her eyes were the bright, clear blue Prue's had been. She was followed by Melinda and a handsome boy with dark curly hair. He had eyes like emeralds that sparkled.
" That's our son?" Younger Phoebe asked. Melinda One nodded. Looking between Melinda and Peter, it was hard to believe they were related. They looked like the "before" and "after" ads for a Neutrogena commercial.
" Your mother is going to be so mad when she hears what you did, Peter," Older Piper threatened. " Setting a desk on fire with magic? She's gonna be mad."
As older Piper and little Prue headed into the kitchen, Melinda Two leaned over to Peter. " I know A.J. was being a dick," she said. Younger Piper gave her daughter a look for her language, which Melinda One ignored. " Why'd you go and set his desk on fire?"
" You don't get it, Mel." Peter's eyes gleamed like jewels. " We've got great powers. Why aren't we using them?"
" Because we're good witches, dumb ass," Melinda Two told him. " What the hell happened to you down in the Underworld?" He suddenly became angry and hurled a fireball at the couch. Quickly Melinda Two froze it.
Older Piper came in from the kitchen. " Peter." Her voice was low and deadly. "I'm calling your mother right now."
A rope of fire came out of Peter's hand and he wrapped it around Piper's neck. Younger Phoebe grabbed onto Cole so hard his hand went numb. " Peter!" cried little Prue. With the wave of her hand, she sent Peter into the wall. He disappeared and reappeared in a puff of black smoke behind the elder Piper. They both disappeared. Younger Phoebe fainted.
***********************
The gentle, soothing sensation of Younger Leo's magic woke up Phoebe. " Are you OK?" asked Younger Paige.
" Yeah," Younger Phoebe struggled to sit up. The flood of images of her son nearly killing Piper came back, and she nearly passed out again. " What's happening?"
" Dad!" Melinda Two was crying. " Dad!" Older Leo orbed in, running his hands through his blond-gray hair. Before Prue could say anything, he held up his hand. " I know. Did you call Aunt Phoebe?"
" She's on her way, with Aunt Paige." Melinda Two began to tremble. " What's going to happen to Mom?"
" Nothing," Older Leo told his daughter firmly, wrapping a warm arm around her. "Nothing at all."
Older Paige orbed in with Older Phoebe. The younger Paige raised an eyebrow at her older self's sophisticated business suit. " What happened to me?" she wondered.
" You're the best social worker in California," Melinda whispered.
" Am I married?"
" No, but you have tons of boyfriends." Younger Paige found this upsetting.
The older Phoebe looked at the elder Leo, steely-eyed. " What happened?"
" Peter captured Piper and took her somewhere." Leo frowned. " Maybe if you bound his powers as a kid-"
" If I had done anything? It's very hard being a single parent. I try my best!" Older Phoebe argued.
" Single parent?" Younger Phoebe said hoarsely.
" Uncle Cole died when I was six, during a bank robbery," Melinda explained sadly.
" It's not my fault," Older Phoebe was saying. " It's the blasted Seer! If we had only killed her years ago when we had the chance-"
" This isn't helping," Paige informed her family. " We have to go save Piper. NOW."
Leo turned to Melinda. " Stay here."
" No way," Melinda argued.
" Melinda-"
" Dad you have to let us go, at least me." A faint but visible smiled crossed her face. " She's my mom."
Tears welled up in Leo's eyes, but he squeezed his eyes shut, blotting the tears. "Fine." Phoebe grabbed Paige's arm, and Prue, her orbing powers weak, clutched her big sister. They all orbed to the Underworld.
" Let's go," Phoebe ordered. Phoebe and Cole grabbed Paige, and Piper clung onto her daughter. In a flurry of blue orbs the family descended into the Underworld.