Chapter 9: The Witch is Back

In Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692. Melinda Warren watches as her cell door opens and Matthew Tate walks in.

Melinda frowns, "Matthew."

Matthew smiles, "Hello, Melinda."

Melinda shakes her head, "Why? Why did you betray me?"

Matthew nods, "You got what you deserve."

Melinda sighs, "So you've never loved me? All the passion, all the heat?"

Matthew smiles, "I had to make you trust me. It was the only way to share your powers."

Melinda frowns, "And so now you have them. So why would you turn me in? You know I'll burn."

Matthew laughs, "I had to keep my secret."

Melinda nods, "Well, you can keep your trinkets too." She pulls off a locket that was around her neck and throws it at him.

Matthew nods, "I'll find another witch to give it to." He opens the locket.

Melinda smiles, "Maybe not."

Matthew takes out a little piece of paper and it catches on fire. He throws it on the ground. "What magic is this?"

Melinda nods, "I'm taking back the powers you stole from me. Outside of time, outside of gain, know only sorrow, know only pain."

It gets really windy and Matthew gets sucked into the locket.

300 years later in Prue's office at Buckland's Rex puts some jewelry on Prue's desk. He picks up the locket and tries to open it.

Prue walks in. "Rex?"

Rex nods, "Ah, good morning, Prue. I've, uh, left a few things for you to catalogue. A marvellous shipment from an estate back east."

Prue nods, "I'll get right on it."

Rex smiles, "Thanks." He leaves.

Prue sees the locket and picks it up. She opens it. The door slams shut and

Matthew comes out of the locket. "At last, freedom. The world has changed. What time is this?"

Prue frowns, "Excuse me?"

Matthew nods, "Where am I?"

Prue shakes her head, "Who are you?"

Matthew smiles, "Matthew Tate, and if you freed me from that locket you are descendant of Melinda Warren." He walks closer to her and she uses her power and he flies across the room. "Thank you."

Prue frowns, "For what?"

Matthew nods, "I tricked you into using your power on me. Now, I have it." He uses her power and a chair pushes her against the wall. He then disappears, she runs in the middle of the room and he appears behind her. "Behind you, witch."

Prue frowns, "How did you do that?"

Matthew smiles, "I can share your power but you can't share mine."

Prue shakes her head, "What do you want?"

Matthew nods, "I want what Melinda took from me. I want all three powers back." He grabs her. "Defend yourself. Stop time."

Prue shakes her head, "I can't."

Matthew nods, "Ah, so you're not alone. There are others." He disappears and appears in front of the desk. "And the family name is now Halliwell."

Rex from outside the door, "Prue, are you okay in there?"

Matthew uses Prue's power to break the glass on the window. He jumps out the window and floats down to the ground, landing on his feet. He walks away.

In the kitchen at the Manor Leo's under the sink, fixing it. Phoebe and Buffy's sitting at the table and Piper's standing up.

Piper nods, "So I suggested we add crab satay to the, uh, lunch menu and it was great. Sold out. Do you like crab, Leo?"

Leo nods, "You know what I'd love, Piper?"

Piper smiles, "What's that?"

Leo nods, "Is the, uh, ratchet extension. Could you hand that to me?"

Piper smiles, "Sure." Piper looks in his toolbox but doesn't know what it is. Phoebe walks over and pulls out the ratchet extension. "I knew that." She takes it off Phoebe and gives it to Leo. "Here you go."

Buffy shakes her head, "Pheebs."

Leo nods, "Thanks."

Piper whispers to Phoebe, "Stop it. Go away." She tries to get Phoebe to leave. "Be right back, Leo."

Leo nods, "No problem."

Buffy, Piper and Phoebe go in the dining room.

Piper sighs, "Stop it."

Phoebe smiles, "My sentiments exactly. Stop hinting around and ask him out already. Give him some of your crab."

Piper sighs, "Don't be disgusting."

Buffy nods, "Yeah Pheebs."

Phoebe nods, "Don't be so shy."

Piper frowns, "What if he says no?"

Phoebe nods, "Yeah, like that'll happen."

Piper nods, "No, I'm serious."

Buffy rolls her eyes, "You'll never know if you don't try, Piper."

Phoebe smiles, "So am I."

Piper sighs, "I'm very serious. I've never... you know..."

Buffy blinks, "You are kidding, right?"

Piper sighs, "No."

Phoebe nods, "You've never asked a guy out before?"

Piper sighs, "Not on a real date, no."

Phoebe smiles, "I don't understand. Am I the only person in this family who's inherited the take-a-chance gene?"

Buffy shrugs.

Piper nods, "Probably. 'Cause if I remember my biology correctly, it's attached to the can't-mind-my-own-business gene."

Phoebe laughs, "Ooh. Go." She pushes Piper back in the kitchen.

Leo comes out from under the sink. "Well, part of the pipe is stuck. I'm almost finished here."

Piper smiles, "Terrific. Can I get you some tea?"

Leo nods, "Yeah, that'd be great." Piper gets the tea out of the fridge. Phoebe and Buffy walks back in.

Phoebe nods, " What would be great?"

Piper shakes her head, "Nothing." Piper puts the tea on the bench and Phoebe accidentally knocks it off. Piper freezes if before it falls on the floor. "Leo?"

Phoebe smiles, "Frozen. Quick, have your way with him."

Buffy shakes her head, "Pheebs you have a dirty mind."

Piper frowns, "Do you never stop?"

Phoebe laughs. Piper holds a bucket under the tea. "Looks like a Kodak moment to me." She pretends to take photos.

Piper sighs, "Phoebe, you're such a help."

Phoebe nods, "Smile."

Buffy swats at Phoebe's hands, "Your embarrassing, Piper."

Leo and the tea unfreeze.

Prue walks in. "You guys, we are in serious trouble." Buffy points to Leo. "Uh, hi, Leo."

Leo smiles, "Hey, Prue."

Prue nods, "Hey, uh, sisters and cousins. Upstairs now."

They head upstairs into the attic.

Piper frowns, "What did you say his name was?"

Prue nods, "Matthew Tate. And somehow he knows that we're related to Melinda Warren."

Buffy blinks, "The Book of Shadows Melinda? Our ancestor?"

Piper frowns, "The one who burned at stake and started this whole mess."

Prue nods, "Uh, he came out of the locket. And he has strong powers. Stronger than mine, I mean, he did the weirdest thing. One minute he was in front of me, the next he was behind me and then twelve stories down landed right on his feet."

Phoebe nods, "If it walks like warlock, and talks like a warlock..."

Prue sighs, "Yeah, well, he's powerful and he means business. And he wants all three of our powers."

Phoebe nods, "Can I see the locket?"

Prue hands the locket to Phoebe. "We have to figure out who he is before he finds the two of you."

Phoebe opens the locket and has a premonition. "You said Matthew came out of the locket? I think I just saw Melinda put him in."

Prue blinks, "You saw the past?"

Buffy shakes her head, "But you only see the future."

Phoebe nods, "Not anymore."

Prue nods, "We always knew that our powers would grow."

Phoebe sighs, "Yes, but somehow I thought I was gonna get to fly."

Buffy, Prue and Piper smile.

A short time later Phoebe's looking at a photo album and Piper's looking through the Book of Shadows.

Phoebe smiles, "I was right. It was Melinda in my vision. Isn't she beautiful."

Buffy nods, "Very pretty, she kind of looks like mom."

Prue nods, "She does kind of look like Aunt Joyce."

Piper nods, "Listen to this. And because the warlock had stolen her love, she cursed him into the pewter heart, where he could spend eternity knowing the sting of betrayal."

Phoebe nods, "That must be what I saw."

Prue frowns, "And I let him out early. Great."

Buffy shakes her head, "It's not your fault, Prue. You couldn't have known."

Piper nods, "You're not kidding. The legend says that the warlock must never be freed or he will destroy the Warren line. That'd be us, all of us including Buffy."

Phoebe nods, "Yeah, well, he'll have to take a number and get in line behind the others warlocks."

Prue sighs, "We've never been up against anyone like him before."

Buffy nods, "So, what do we do?"

Piper smiles, "I say we hide."

Prue frowns, "No, we have to find out exactly what we're up against. And we start with the locket and how it wound up on my desk."

They walk downstairs into the conservatory.

Leo's watching the TV, "Hey, Prue, your work's on the news, check it out."

Reporter on the TV, "This morning witnesses claim they saw a man fall twelve stories. He apparently got up and walked away unharmed."

Prue frowns, "We gotta find him before he hurts somebody else, especially an innocent."

Phoebe nods, "There's that I word again."

Buffy smiles, "Look, Andy's on TV."

Phoebe nods, "He's here, too." The doorbell rings. Phoebe answers it. "Andy, what a surprise. How you been?"

Andy nods, "I need to talk with Prue, Phoebe."

Phoebe smiles, "Prue, wow. How out of the loop am I? And here I thought you guys broke up."

Andy shakes his head, "It's not about that. It's police business."

Phoebe nods, "Oh, well, uh, she's not home. She's at work."

Andy shakes his head, "No, she's not."

Phoebe nods, "Well, then, I don't know where she is, but I'll tell her that you stopped by, okay? Ciao!"

Phoebe tries to leave but Andy grabs her arm. "A man fell out of Prue's office window. Which is suspicious enough. But then a man matching the same description went and killed a lawyer down the street. A lawyer named Halliwell. Now I know she knows who he is. One more time, Phoebe, where's your sister?"

Phoebe frowns, "Where's your warrant?" She goes back inside. Andy leaves.

Prue frowns, "Great, so now I'm being hunted by a warlock and the San Francisco P.D."

Buffy shakes her head, "Nobody ever said you led a boring life, Prue."

Piper nods, "Maybe Andy can help."

Prue sighs, "Oh, yeah. You want to have that conversation with him? Hey Andy, I hate to bother you but this seventeenth century warlock is trying to kill me and my sisters. Any thoughts?"

Piper nods, "Okay, it was a bad idea. But the point is we need help."

Prue frowns, "Yeah, well, unfortunately more than Andy can give."

Phoebe nods, "What we need is someone who's done this before, someone like Melinda Warren."

Prue sighs, "Okay, so what are we supposed to do? Reach back in time, grab her and tell her that we need her help?"

Buffy smiles, "Yes. And I know exactly how to do it. As long as you don't mind losing a little blood."

A short time later in the attic Buffy, Prue, Piper and Phoebe are sitting around a table where they have placed candles, a dagger and other items.

Piper shakes her head, "Am I the only one having the second thoughts?"

Phoebe nods, "Yes."

Prue nods, "We don't really have any others options."

Piper sighs, "But aren't we, like, raising the dead? What if she's all..."

Buffy shakes her head, "I read The Book of Shadows very carefully. She will come back as a real live person, flesh and blood. She will have her powers too. Well your powers. I guess it's possible she could have mine but I doubt it." She picks up the knife.

Piper frowns, "What's that for?"

Buffy smiles, "Well, the spell works by blood calling blood, so it shouldn't hurt... much."

Buffy hands the knife to Phoebe who stabs her finger. "You liar. Okay, come on guys. It'll be just like the summer by the lake. Remember when we made a blood oath to be friends forever, not just sisters?"

Prue takes the knife off of Phoebe.

Piper nods, "I remember my finger got infected."

Buffy frowns, "Ouch."

Prue stabs her finger. "Ow. Yeah, but the oath worked."

Prue holds out the knife for Piper. "And I couldn't go in the water for three weeks. Don't hand me that knife."

Prue frowns, "How are you gonna cut yourself?"

Piper shakes her head, "I'm not."

Buffy sighs, "Piper..."

Piper nods, "I can't stand the sight of blood."

Prue shakes her head, "Evil beings have blown up in our attic..."

Phoebe nods, "Disintegrated to dust right before our very eyes..."

Prue smiles, "And you're afraid of a little drop of blood?"

Piper sighs, "Okay, just cut my finger." She holds out her hand.

Prue looks to Buffy, "You do it." She hands Buffy the knife.

Piper covers her eyes and Buffy stabs her finger. "Ow!"

Buffy then takes the knife and pricks her own finger.

Prue nods, "Okay, here."

They squeeze their fingers and the blood drips into a locket.

Buffy closes it and places it in a bowl. "Melinda Warren, blood of our blood..."

"Our great, great, great, great, great, great, grandmother." Buffy, Piper, Prue and Phoebe said.

Buffy nods, "We summon thee."

Stardust floats through the air and Melinda appears. "Oh, blessed be."

Short time later in Phoebe's room. Buffy, Phoebe and Melinda are there. Phoebe unzips a dress.

Melinda shakes her head, "No, don't-don't rip the dress to make it fit me."

Phoebe smiles, "Oh, no, no, I'm not ripping it. It's called a zipper, see?" She zips up the dress.

Melinda smiles, "Oh, a wise witch made this." She takes the dress off of Phoebe and plays with the zipper.

Buffy nods, "Yeah, and wise witches in this century keep a low profile. You slip that dress on, you'll blend right in."

Melinda starts putting on the dress. "It's so odd to be here again. To breathe and feel. What sheep has wool so soft?"

Phoebe nods, "A synthetic one."

Melinda nods, "Oh!" Phoebe zips up the dress. "So did it, did it take you long to make the dress?"

Phoebe frowns, "Make it? No, no, I bought it."

Melinda nods, "Oh, you must be rich."

Buffy shakes her head, "I wish."

Prue and Piper walk in.

Prue shakes her head, "No, she's got credit cards."

Piper smiles, "Oh, wow, Melinda, you look great."

Buffy nods, "You do, Melinda."

Melinda smiles, "Thank you. Oh, but how do you keep your legs warm?"

Prue nods, "We drink coffee."

Buffy rolls her eyes, "They drink coffee. I drink hot chocolate."

Leo approaches the doorway. "Oh, sorry, I let myself in and it didn't occur to me."

Piper shakes her head, "Leo, uh, it's okay. This is, uh..."

Phoebe smiles, "Our cousin, Melinda."

Buffy nods, "Yeah my older sister." She gives Phoebe a look.

Leo nods, "Nice to meet you."

Piper smiles, "Leo's fixing our plumbing."

Melinda nods, "What's that?"

Prue smiles, "Uh, we've got to go now."

Melinda smiles, "To work with one's hands is a great gift."

Leo nods, "Well, I am a true laborer. I earn that I eat, get that I wear."

Melinda smiles, "Owe no man hate, envy no man's happiness."

"Shakespeare." Leo and Melinda said.

Melinda giggles.

Buffy rolls her eyes.

Prue nods, "Wasn't that fun? Okay, let's go now."

They walk out of the room and Leo walks in.

Melinda nods, "He is a treasure, Piper."

Piper looks at Melinda, puzzled, "Why you telling me?"

They make their way downstairs into the dining room. Piper, Phoebe, Buffy and Melinda are sits at the table. Prue puts the locket around Melinda's neck.

Melinda nods, "Once Matthew had what he wanted, he told the town council I was a witch and they arrested me. Then they burned me at the stake."

Piper shakes her head, "Why didn't you save yourself?"

Buffy nods, "Yeah, why didn't you use your powers to escape?"

Melinda smiles, "I had a daughter. Her name was Prudence. She meant everything to me. If I had used my powers, I would've proven Matthew's charge and Prudence would've burned too. So I thought, I'll accept this and pray some kind soul will take pity on my daughter and raise her in a safe home. Only then could the Warren line continue. And it must've worked because here you are."

Phoebe nods, "Why do Warren witches lose their moms so early?"

Buffy nods, "Yeah."

Melinda shakes her head, "Phoebe… Buffy, I can't change the past but I think I can protect the future."

Prue sighs, "How? Matthew is so strong and he has this wild power. He can be at one place and then another."

Melinda nods, "In the blink of an eye?"

Prue nods, "Exactly."

Melinda smiles, "It's called blinking. He must've copied it from another witch. I stripped him of all the powers he copied from me but who knows what other powers he still has?"

Phoebe frowns, "What you mean copied from you?"

Melinda nods, "Matthew's gift is to copy the power of a good witch when it's used against him."

Prue frowns, "Then he definitely has mine."

Buffy shakes her head, "It would probably be a good idea he not get mine."

Melinda nods, "Once he's copied a power, it has no effect on him. Should he gain all three powers, he will be impossible to vanquish. So Buffy what is your power?"

Buffy smiles, "Probably something you yourself don't have." She powers up a fireball.

Melinda nods, "True indeed. In fact I wouldn't have thought it possible for someone of the Warren line to have such a power."

Buffy nods, "With Prue, Phoebe and Piper having your powers. There had to be something for me right? And with me being the Slayer…"

Melinda blinks, "You are a Slayer? That explains how you probably got that power. The Slayer within influenced the witch within and made it so you would have an active power to help in your duties as a Slayer."

Buffy nods, "You know about the Slayer?"

Melinda nods, "Yes I actually met one."

Buffy smiles, "Anyways that's what we thought about how my powers manifested."

Prue nods, "So what do we do, about Matthew?"

Melinda smiles, "We curse him back in the locket."

Piper nods, "And if we can't?"

A short time later they walk in the attic.

Melinda sighs, "I can't believe I don't remember all the ingredients."

Prue nods, "It's been a while since you cursed Matthew."

Phoebe smiles, "Yeah, like three hundred years."

Piper nods, "Whatever you don't remember should be in the book."

They walk over to the Charmed Book Of Shadows.

Melinda smiles, "The Book Of Shadows. Oh, my, it's gotten so thick." She notice's Buffy's Book of Shadows on the nearby podium. "Two?"

Buffy nods, "We don't know exactly why there is two but that one is mine. It's nearly identical some pages in Prue, Piper and Phoebe's book are missing from mine. Others the spells are just plain worded different. All the spells in it are geared for me alone."

Prue nods, "It wasn't always, big?"

Melinda shakes her head, "No, no. But obviously each generation of Warren witches has added to it over the years and has made it so. Have you added anything?"

Phoebe shakes her head, "Us? Are you kidding? We're new at this. We can't just make up our own spell... wait, can we?"

Buffy smiles, "Nope we haven't added anything to either book."

Melinda nods, "All things in time, Phoebe. The book will grow as you grow. Sometimes you add to it, sometimes it teaches you. Oh, here's the curse."

Prue hands her a pencil and paper. Melinda looks at it confused. "Just start writing."

Melinda nods, "No ink?"

Prue shakes her head, "No."

Melinda starts writing. "Ha!" She smiles.

Piper looks at the book, "Grams must've added this one."

They look at the opposite page.

Melinda nods, "To Increase Patience."

Buffy flipped through her book, "Mine doesn't have that one. But it does have Melinda's spell."

Phoebe smiles, "I bet she used that spell a lot raising us, huh?"

Prue sighs, "We weren't all troublemakers, Phoebe."

Phoebe shakes her head, "I was not a troublemaker. I was just..."

Piper nods, "A pain."

Phoebe: A free spirit.

Buffy rolls her eyes, "You see what I have to put up with?"

Prue shakes her head, "A handful."

Melinda smiles, "A Warren. It's a family trait. So are the short tempers, the great cheekbones, the strong wills, and of course the powers. All blessings, all signs of where you came from. This book… These books are your connection and it all began with me."

Prue nods, "Well, let's make sure it doesn't end with us. We need to get going."

In the kitchen everyone's there. They are making a potion and Prue is staring out the window. Buffy walks into the kitchen.

Melinda nods, "The curse is really simple as long as you have the ingredients I need."

Piper smiles, "Phoebe can do the spices and I'll chop the scallions."

Phoebe nods, "This is so cool. We've never done a curse before."

Buffy nods in agreement, "After what Amy's mom did to me I really don't want to do one ever."

Melinda nods, "Oh, I'm glad. They're not to be taken lightly."

Phoebe nods, "I just feel like there's so much we could be learning or doing if we had the right teacher."

Melinda nods, "I'd savor my first gift before I move on to the next one."

Buffy nods, "I really hope your not saying being the Slayer is a gift. Cause having a destiny that says I could die before I'm eighteen. Well let's just say that's not fun."

Phoebe nods, "I see pictures. What's to savor?"

Melinda smiles at Buffy, "Being the Slayer is a gift, Buffy. Just as being a witch is. Don't let what happened to previous Slayers cloud that. Just because they died before they were eighteen doesn't mean you will." She looks Phoebe, "No, but you see visions of the future and the past. That'll allow you to protect and to heal."

Phoebe smiles, "Hmm. Did you hear that Prue?"

Piper nods, "Prue, stop looking for Andy, he should be long gone by now."

Prue sighs, "Yeah, he'll be back, probably with a warrant."

Phoebe shakes her head, "Yeah, like Andy would ever arrest you."

Buffy nods, "Yeah he wouldn't Prue."

Prue walks over to them. "So do we have everything?"

Piper nods, "Actually there's a few herbs we don't have but I can get them at the restaurant."

Phoebe sighs, "The only problem is the feather from the spotted owl."

Melinda frowns, "Is that a problem?"

Prue nods, "Well, they're an endangered species. Um, certain animals from your time aren't really around anymore."

Melinda shakes her head, "Why?"

Buffy sighs, "Deforestation, pollution... it's a long story."

Piper nods, "Do you think they have one at the zoo?"

Melinda frowns, "What's a zoo?"

Phoebe nods, "In theory it's this big garden kind of place where all the animals are caged and..."

Prue sighs, "You know what? I'll work on the feather. Piper, can you handle the herbs?"

Piper nods, "Uh, yeah, after I get to Quake, though I might have a problem getting out because I'm supposed to work the night shift."

Phoebe: Well, I'll come with you and bring back the stuff if you get hung up.

Buffy nods, "And I'll go with you Prue. Safer in pairs."

Melinda shakes her head, "No, you can't leave the house. You are the three Matthew needs. Buffy your power would make him invincible."

Piper nods, "We'll be fine. How could Matthew even know about Quake?"

Buffy nods, "How would he know to look for Prue and I in the zoo?"

At Quake. Piper and Phoebe walk in.

Piper nods, "You go ahead into the kitchen, I'm gonna cough on Martin and tell him I'm highly contagious so can I go home."

Phoebe smiles, "Love the plan."

Phoebe goes in the kitchen.

In the kitchen Phoebe is holding a rolling pin and Matthew is backing her into a corner. Phoebe goes to hit him with the rolling pin but he grabs it and throws it on the floor. He then grabs Phoebe and she has a premonition.

Matthew smiles, "Now I have your power. And I see Melinda's here. Good. She will die at my hand. Oh and there is a fourth member of the Warren line. Not a sister but a cousin. Interesting. Her power shall become mine also." He pushes her on the ground and he blinks out of the room.

Piper comes in. "Are you okay?"

Phoebe nods, "Yeah. It was Matthew. He's gone, but he copied my power. And he knows about Melinda and Buffy."

At the manor Buffy, Prue and Melinda are walking down the stairs.

Prue nods, "All right, I found a spotted owl at the museum where I used to work. Stuffed."

Melinda nods, "But we only need one feather."

Prue smiles, "Good. Maybe that'll keep it down to a misdemeanor. Look, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Buffy rolls her eyes, "We'll be back as quick as possible."

Melinda nods, "Okay."

Buffy and Prue leaves.

Outside Prue and Buffy drives down the street. Andy follows them.

Awhile later at the manor Phoebe, Piper and Melinda are in the kitchen. Melinda's scooping the potion into a small pouch. "We're ready now. All we need is the feather."

Piper nods, "And Prue and Buffy. What's keeping them? You don't think..."

Phoebe shakes her head, "No… They're fine. He already has Prue's power. He doesn't know Buffy is with her."

Melinda nods, "Besides, I sent him to the zoo."

Phoebe nods, "She's probably stuck in traffic."

Melinda smiles, "When they return, we'll add the feather and seek out Matthew."

Phoebe nods, "Do you think he's gonna be hard to find?"

Matthew appears. "Not at all. I have waited too long for this moment, to hide."

Melinda frowns, "This is our battle, Matthew. Leave them alone."

Matthew smiles, "I will have what I came for." He uses telekinesis and Piper moves towards him. He grabs her. "Your powers and your death. Then I will search out the last of the Warren line and take her power before I kill her."

Phoebe frowns, "Piper!"

Matthew smiles, "Freeze me, witch."

Piper shakes her head, "In your dreams."

Matthew gets out his gun and points it at Phoebe's head. "I said freeze me. Save yourself. No? Then save your sister."

Piper frowns, "Phoebe!"

Buffy and Prue walks in.

Buffy smiles, "Save yourself." She powers up a fireball. "And there are ways to keep you occupied without actually using my power on you."

Matthew lets go of Piper and she runs back over to Phoebe and Melinda. "Give me that feather."

Prue uses her power and the gun flies out of his hands. Then a chair flies up, Buffy throws her fireball at the chair which catches on fire. The flaming chair hits him knocking him back. She runs over and hands the feather to Melinda.

Melinda puts it in the pouch. "Piper, now!" Piper freezes Matthew. "Outside of time, outside of gain, know only sorrow, know only pain." Matthew unfreezes and wind surrounds him. "It's what you deserve."

Matthew frowns, "This is not the end!" He gets sucked into the locket.

Melinda smiles, "Yes it is. This is for eternity."

Buffy smiles, "Nicely put, Melinda.

The next morning at the Manor. Piper runs down the stairs. Leo's there.

Piper smiles, "Leo. You're here. Why are you here?"

Leo nods, "I thought I'd work on the plumbing in the downstairs bathroom."

Piper nods, "Oh, now's not really a good time. We're getting our cousin Melinda ready to go away. Can you come back later? Like, tomorrow?"

Leo nods, "Sure. No problem." He turns to leave.

Piper nods, "Uh, Leo?" He turns back around. "Would you like to go out sometime? With me, that is."

Leo smiles, "I'd love to. Give me a call."

Piper nods, "Okay." She goes back upstairs in the attic.

Buffy nods, "Who was it?"

Piper smiles, "It was Leo."

Prue nods, "Is he gone?"

Piper nods, "We're perfectly safe."

Melinda smiles, "Then let's begin."

Piper joins the others around the table. Melinda is dressed in her normal clothes. She hands Phoebe's dress back to her.

Phoebe shakes her head, "Oh, we can't take those back."

Melinda frowns, "Why not?"

Buffy smiles, "Because that means you're leaving"

Melinda nods, "Well, I have to go."

Phoebe sighs, "Why? Why can't you stay here and have the life that you should've had?"

Melinda shakes her head, "Because this isn't my time. It's your time, and Prue's, and Buffy's and Piper's."

Piper nods, "We don't mind sharing."

Buffy smiles, "Yeah."

Melinda smiles, "You four give me great joy. I've seen the Charmed Ones and the Charmed Slayer. Good witches. Women of strength and grace."

Phoebe takes Melinda's hand and holds it up to her heart. "Tell me what you see."

Melinda smiles, "I see the future. Many more generations of my beautiful daughters. I see my dreams fulfilled. Oh, thank you for that." She holds out her hand to Buffy who takes it. Melinda smiles, "And you I see that you indeed will become the longest living Slayer. And you like your cousins will have many more generations of my beautiful daughters." She puts on the locket and they all join hands.

Prue starts to recite the spell only to be stopped by Buffy.

Buffy smiles, "Please." Prue nods understanding. "Melinda Warren, blood of our blood, we release you."

Melinda smiles, "Blessed be, my daughters. I love you."

Buffy nods, "Blessed be."

Stardust surrounds her and Melinda disappears.

Phoebe sighs, "I'm gonna miss her."

Piper nods, "Me too."

Buffy nods, "Me three."

Prue: We can always bring her back.