Chapter 11: Back to The Past

"Eric! Stop! Put me down!" I shouted thrashing against him in a vain attempt to free myself. Bright lights flashed around me as he released me the lights faded.

"You wanna know the type of monster he is? Fine. Cast a spell. Bring us back in time to when he was human. Get to the beginning, okay? Then, and only then make your decision." Eric had orbed me up to the attic. Looking over I saw the book sitting there on it's pedestal.

"You… want me to go back in time?" I asked feeling out of the loop. He sighed taking a seat on the stool that was beside the pedestal. "Yes." He sighed again holding his head in his hands.

"I-I've never. I mean. Not alone." I began my words jumbling together.

"Mel. You can do this." Eric said looking up at me. "You have to."

"Why?" I asked feeling my anger boil over. I'm so sick of people telling me what to do. I thought as I walked up to the book and started idly flipping the pages telekinetically. After a few minutes I grumbled something about not being able to find the stupid spell that would take me back. Suddenly the book took on a life of it's own and it began flipping the pages by itself.

"Whoa…" I said with a glance to Eric.

"Did-Did you-?" He started slowly.

"No." I shook my head glancing over the page it was turned to. "Who the hell is Balthezor?" I asked feeling dumbfounded.

"Cole." Eric said with a smirk. "Cole? My- my Aunt-?" My shock was pretty evident in my voice.

"Phoebe's ex-husband? Yeah." He said coming in closer to the book and I.

"Stop." I said as I jerked the book and myself a step back. He paused looking a me with a confused expression.

"What's wrong?"

"You- You're not phased by this at all because you knew-. You knew this whole time I was a witch." I began splaying my hand over the page in the book while my other went to my hip.

"Ohh… so that's what this is about." He said taking a few steps back to sit down.

"Well, yeah. You can't just drop that kinda of surprise on someone and expect them not to have any feelings on it." I said with an eye roll. "You lied. You lied the whole time we've known each other."

"I had to…" Eric trailed off. "I couldn't just come out with it. There are rules. You weren't in the kind of danger your putting yourself in now."

"Danger?!" I asked feeling mixed emotions. "What is it with you people and worrying about everything." I said slamming the book shut. "I know how to handle myself. At least around Aaron." He's not as dangerous as you all make him out to be. He-He's different." I defended. This growing anger in me was confusing.

"Yeah. He's a regular real-life Edward Cullen." Eric huffed.

"I didn't mean it like that!" I yelled crossing my own arms now.

"How stupid can you get? He's a vampire! They're all the same!" Eric yelled now standing up. Taking a deep breath I realized the anger I've been feeling wasn't mine. It was Eric's. "All he wants and all he'll ever want is you and your family dead. You know this. C'mon how many years have I been watching you fight demons and monsters…" His voice quieted the further along he got in his sentence. He came closer staring into my eyes. "I know you can take care of yourself. I've seen you do it. Many, many times." He began as I felt his hand caress the side of face brushing my hair behind my ear.

"What infuriates me with all this is that you're not even thinking about protecting yourself with him." His voice was much softer now, our eyes seemed to be locked on each others searching for the other's thoughts to show through. "What infuriates me is that your not caring to take precautions for yourself, and I- I can't always be there to save you from him."

"Eric…" I trailed off not really knowing what to say at this point. My hand slid over his in a caring gesture.

"I-I can't lose you." He muttered his eyes tearing from mine. I could hear the emotion in his voice at the admission. "I just can't." He repeated his head hung.

"Eric." I said hoping to get his attention. "Hey…" I started as my hand tilted his head up to meet mine. "Listen, you won't. Now that I know your my white lighter. I know that we're a team, and it won't matter where I am you'll always sense me when I'm in real danger."

He started shaking his head, "No, you're not getting it." He said pulling away. "It's not that I won't. I can't anymore. This last time was it. The-The elders won't allow me to."

My mouth opened to argue, but I was cut off. "They say that you're walking a very fine line, Mel. They believe that you-. You want to be turned. That's why you keep going back."

The silence in the attic was deafening. "…What?" Was all I could ask. Eric looked miserable. He sighed running a hand through his shaggy hair.

"They say that if I go down to the vampire caves again for you that I'll be assigned another charge, and you- you won't be getting a replacement whitelighter. That-that you'll lose that privilege that witches of good get." He finished stressfully.

"Oh. Uhm…" I stated dumbly staring off into space, still not believing the news Eric was telling me.

"You- You need to stay away from there. Away from him." Eric said facing me now. "It's the only way." I just stood there still dumbfounded.

"Yeah? How do we even know that your telling the truth, and not spouting off some lies to get her for yourself, Revere?" A new voice came from the door to the attic. I jumped turning to find Aaron there. He looked awful. His face had been beaten raw. I could see the dried blood all over him.

"Aaron?!" I called starting forward alarmed by his appearance.

"Mel! No!" I Eric shout as he stood between us suddenly. "You can't…" He said softly "I'm not lying. They are very serious up there."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… Angel boy. Move it." Aaron said coming up behind him. "Mel, I- I needed t see you."

"How'd you get away?" I asked from behind Eric.

"I…" He started. "They- they let me go, but You. You're in danger." He said his eyes showed sorrow. I could feel the guilt rolling off of him in waves.

"Yeah, she's in danger. No thanks to you!" Eric yelled his anger spiking.

"I-!" Aaron began, but the guilt was overwhelming. I could see it plainly with out my newly developed power. "I know." He said hanging his head. I watched Eric suddenly lash out. He cocked his fist back and just pelted Aaron in the face. "Eric!" I yelled jumping into action. My new powers seemed to daze me.

"Stop! " I yelled grabbing at any part of him that I could. "Can't you see he's had enough?" I said pointedly gesturing to his face.

"Well, if he's really had enough why would he come to this house? He's not gonna find any sympathy here." Eric said glaring daggers, "From anyone." He finished with a deep breath.

"E-Eric. Maybe… Maybe you should go." I said my voice betraying my unsureness.

"Are-Are you kidding me, Mel? After everything I just told you? You're still gonna pick him over saving yourself? Your life is about to fall apart because of the stupid decisions you've made. He's brought you nothing but, pain and hurt. He- he lied to you this whole time!"

"Eric! Enough!" I said now more concerned with Aarons injuries. "He needs help, and I'm going to help him." I stated feeling firm in that decision at least. "If your not going to help me than just… go." I finished turning my attention back to Aaron and helping him off of the floor.

Eric sniffed, "Fine." He let out a sigh, "But, best of luck to you when your family gets home." With that he left I could see the bright lights swirling behind me as I half carried Aaron down the stairs to the nearest bathroom.

"I-I'm gonna need your help so... lets-let's get you cleaned up." I mumbled rounding the corner.

"Help? Help with what?" He asked glancing to me then focusing back on putting his feet in front of each other.

"I need to go back to the past, and your gonna come with me." I muttered.

Whooo! This is a record for the first time in years I've written something twice in one day! Go me, guys! My years of writers block is broken. Only gotta try with all my other stories now...