A/N: Okay so here are some more memories. The memories/present are seperated by lines so I hope it isn't too confusing. let me know ifi it is. the first memory takes place after the memory at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 4: Runaway

"Melinda, wait up!"

Chris jogged to catch up with the girl who had spoken up in class.

"What do you want Chris?"

"You, you got a whitelighter? I thought you turned away from all this and were only going to Magic School because you feel close to mom and dad here?"

"It's none of your business what I do or do not do. Alright? Leave me alone."

"No, wait. You sounded happy in there. What happened?"

"Look, I've forgiven you and Wyatt for what happened, thanks to Emily, but that doesn't mean I have to explain myself to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am late for Advanced Spell Writing and Composition."

"You were always good with spells."

"A little late for bonding time, Chris."

With that, Melinda turned on her heel and hurried off, disappearing into a cluster of students down a long corridor.

"Chris? Chris."

Chris blinked his eyes and slowly found everything he was seeing to be on its side. He groggily peeled his face off of the page of the book he had fallen asleep reading and glanced up to see his parents looking down at him in concern.

"Mom, dad, what are you doing here this late?"

"Actually, it's morning." Piper answered. "We're dropping off Wyatt so we can help your aunts go after a demon that attacked the house last night." She waited for his normal paranoid and hasty response but did not find it.

"Did you stay up reading all this all night?" Leo questioned, glancing over piles of books.

"Yeah. I guess."

"So," Piper chimed in, "demon hunting. Are you coming or what?"

"No mom. I think I am going to sit this one out if that's cool with you. I need to do this."

"Since when do you turn down going after a demon, let alone freaking out about it?" Piper asked, worry and slight teasing filling her voice.

"Since now. You can call for me if you need my help but this is important. Sorry."

"Okay. Leo, you want to orb me back to Paige and Phoebe and you…" she nodded and made a gesture towards Chris, instructing Leo to talk to their son.

"Yeah. Sure. Be careful."

"Always" Piper responded as Leo whisked her away with a flick of his hand.

"Chris-"

"Dad, please don't start. I still haven't found what I'm looking for and have tons more reading to do."

"Why do you care so much about her? I've never seen you act this way with a charge with your past history of avoiding, turning down, or, um, sleeping with them."

"I can't tell you, alright?"

"You say that about a lot of things and normally when you do, it ends up turning into a mess and then you tell us anyway. Remember turning into a spider and almost killing me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've told you guys so much already, too much. I just, I just can't. I'll fix it and everything will be fine."

"What if you can't?"

"I can, damn it! I have to."

"Chris, come on, talk to me."

"Melinda, wait!" Wyatt commanded from across the room as he orbed in front of her path and Chris went to the doorway to cut her off.

"Cute, real cute. That's not fair. You know I can't orb."

"Exactly." Wyatt nodded, with an almost sinister sneer that made Melinda's skin crawl.

"So, what are you guys going to do, huh? Keep me here like some prisoner?"

"It's a thought." Wyatt murmured, less sarcastic than Melinda would have liked.

"You can't do this, Mel" Chris warned sympathetically.

"And why not?"

"Because it's dangerous on your own!" Chris shouted. "You know that!"

"It's dangerous here! Hello? Were you in a coma this past month? Our parents are dead! Dead! And why? Because of this! This life! This magic!"

"We miss them too but –"

"Miss them? You were too busy lashing out at dad for never being there. Oh and why was he never around? Because of magic! And you, Wyatt, you're always off doing God knows what, getting into all sorts of trouble! I was the one helping mom with the cooking and the cleaning and the potions. I was the one helping look after Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige's kids! I was the one that – that almost was killed last week!"

"What are you talking about?" Chris questioned, dumbfounded and noticeably concerned.

"Oh, now you're worried. You didn't seem like it when you were off your girlfriend, Bianca or what's-her-name new girl of the month! And who knows where Wyatt was! Venting more rage on demons probably." Wyatt clenched his fists slightly at the comment but Chris put up his hand to calm him, even though it didn't work. "The point is, I needed help, and neither of you were there."

"Sorry we are not there to answer every beck and call, princess." Wyatt snickered. "It's not like we are your personal orb chauffeurs."

Melinda shook off the deriding comment to avoid further arguing.

"I was attacked. I went to our house, I mean, our old house, the manor, to, I don't know, look at things, to be with mom and dad's stuff. There were demons there waiting for someone to show up. I called for both of you, over and over, but you didn't come. You just put me on 'mute' like you always do. I was so scared and I was praying for my big brothers to save me. I thought I was dead until Uncle Coop showed up to do the same thing I was. He grabbed me and got me out. He saved me. A minute later and I would be one more dead Halliwell."

Melinda sighed and rubbed her forehead, as if that story had been burning on her chest since it happened and waiting for the right moment to explode out.

"I'm done with it, all of it. No more using my powers. No more demon hunting or innocent protecting. Nothing!"

"Melinda –"

"Chris, I'm thirteen years old. I heard what Grandpa said and he was right. I am supposed to be doing homework, talking about cute boys, complaining about chores, having sleepovers. I am not supposed to be watching my family die. I can't. I won't. Debby and Paul said they would take me in. I'll still go to Magic School so I can see you guys and the rest of the family, and, and it's where I feel close to mom and dad. Debby bound her powers for Paul so they know about magic and I will still be able to go to school, but I won't have to deal with any of, this. I can be normal."

"Normal?" Wyatt scoffed. "Who the hell wants to normal?"

"Mom did." Melinda shot him a hard glance that would have made anyone else in the family back down, but not Wyatt.

"You'll never be normal." Wyatt countered. "You're one of us. You can't fight it. You can't fight your power."

"Watch me." With that, Melinda ran out of the room, pushing Chris to the side before he even had time to react and stop her.

"Should I orb after her?" Chris looked up to his older brother.

"No. Let her go. If she doesn't want this life, fine. She's either with us or against us and she just chose her side."

Chris looked from the vacant doorway where his baby sister had seconds ago stood and then to the big brother who he once idolized in horror; half in horror of what could happen to Melinda, half in horror of what was happening to Wyatt.