Thanksgiving 2021

"Guys, why do you look like you are about to throw up?"

Melinda was standing in the middle of one of the more spacious utility closets of the bunker. The nails of her left hand were leaving almost permanent marks on the skin of her right forearm, her teeth boring on her lower lip. She threw a side glance to the twins, noticing how hard they were clasping each other's fingers, even though Matthew was trying to appear unfazed.

"Mes mignons cherubins," Cassandra cooed and Melinda had the impression she was holding herself back from reaching towards them. "Don't you trust me?"

Melinda tasted copper in her mouth; her teeth had broken the skin of her lip. Cassandra was family, but they hadn't known her all that long. It had been almost a year since she'd showed up at the bunker with her mom. Of course, at that time, the bunker wasn't the bunker yet, it was just the P3 and the resistance hadn't been properly formed; at the time the resistance was simply the grieving Halliwell family. Melinda could still remember the look of utter confusion on Aunt Phoebe's face when she'd seen Cassandra and her mom materialize out of thin air.

"Mes amours," Cassandra spoke softly, her beautiful face growing sad when they didn't answer her.

Cassandra didn't look much like her mother. Her skin was pale enough to appear almost translucent under certain lightening, her eyes not quiet round lifting upwards whenever she smiled, making her look even more beautiful. Her lips thin, but bow-shaped always seemed to be red painted, even though Melinda knew for a fact they couldn't always have been. And yet Cassandra looked so much like Aunt Prue in the way she held herself, how she stood in front of them, how she looked at them.

"Mes mignons cherubins," Cassandra said again, her accent curling around the vowels of her words; Melinda really liked the way it did that. "Look, it's thanksgiving today and I thought, maybe, we could do something fun," she continued, smiling brightly at them.

Melinda's breath came out shaky. She felt an annoying pressure at her chest, which made her heart beat faster. It wasn't something unusual, in fact it had been an almost constant presence ever since the 'incident' last year. The pressure increased and Melinda huffed angrily at it. Her nails started scratching against her skin again. From the corner of her eye Melinda saw the twins looking at each other like they were having a non-verbal conversation.

"There's no need to worry, I promise you! We'll be gone for a couple of hours and we'll stay clear from any and all magic activity," Cassandra said, taking a step closer to all of them and finally reaching a hand out, to push a lock of hair behind Ruth's ear. "What do you say?" she said, her eyes moving between the three of them.

"Yeah, okay," Matt said, speaking for all three of them. Melinda's eyes snapped to him and Matt gave her a small shrug. Cassandra was so surprised she all but took a step back.

"Are you sure?" she asked, as if she hadn't spent the past thirty minutes trying to make them agree.

Melinda's heartrate doubled at the question. Cassandra was older than them, only a year shy of being the oldest Halliwell offspring. She was more experienced and powerful than all three of them and the grownups all seemed to trust her blindly, considering how she was one of the first people they chose to go with them on missions. So, logically, the three teenagers trusted her. But...

It had been almost a year since the last time they were allowed to leave the bunker. Eleven months and thirteen days, if anyone wanted to be exact, since Chris' last birthday, since...the 'incident'. Eleven months since Aunt Prue and Cassandra had shown up at the manor to inform them that the remaining Elders had closed off the Upper Regions, abandoning the rest of the magical community. Eleven months since P3 had been turned into the first bunker and the Halliwell family had started gathering troops for the resistance. Eleven months since the war had started and everyone under the age of eighteen was not allowed to leave the safe-houses, unless they were being evacuated.

"Yes," Melinda whispered, even as her heart gave a lurch at the prospect of leaving the safety of the head-quarters. "We're sure."

"What could go wrong," Ruth said, her voice in a much higher pitch than her usual. "Right?"

"Right!" Cassandra was quick to assure her. All three teenagers nodded in a synchronized move. "I, just...Okay," Cassandra said and cleared her throat. She turned towards the only empty wall of the closet and started weaving her hands. Silvery grey magic danced around her fingers and she grinned at it. Melinda's heart thundered in her chest.

"Close your eyes," she said, once she was done. None of them obeyed. "Trust me," she insisted. She extended her arm, linking her fingers with Matt's. He pinned in her eyes for a long second, before reluctantly his fluttered close. Ruth quickly followed her brother's example.

Melinda drew in a sharp breath and shut her eyes.

At first there was nothing. Then someone was tugging at her hand. And then-

"What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Melinda had expected a freefall.

Melinda had not expected her brother's angry voice.

"Chris, let me explain," Cassandra started, but she was cut off abruptly.

"Not now," Chris' voice was hard, "You'll have time to do that later." Cassandra looked ready to argue, but in the end she closed her mouth, her arms crossing across her chest. "As for you three-"

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Matt exclaimed, straightening his back to stand at his full twelve-year-old height. Sneaking a glance towards her brother Melinda noticed the corners of his lips twitching, whether it was because he was trying to hide a smile or stifle a groan, she couldn't tell.

"I know that," Chris relented after a long second of silence. Matt was still trying to look defiant, but Melinda could see his body relaxing considerably. "What I was about to say, before I was rudely interrupted- "

"I wasn't rude," Matt interjected grumpily.

"-Rudely interrupted," Chris continued as if Matt had never spoken, "Is that you are late for your classes."

"But it's Thanksgiving," Ruth said.

Chris arched an eyebrow, "And?"

Melinda could tell that there was an argument about to break out. Melinda could also tell from the hunch on Chris' shoulders that he was still very angry. Arguing with Chris when he was angry was not a very wise choice.

"Ok, we are going," she said grabbing a hold of the twins' hands. They both looked at her affronted and Melinda made an 'abort' motion with her head, subtly as she could. Matt gave in, reluctantly and Ruth smiled at Cassandra apologetically. "We wouldn't dream of being late for class!"

"Right, of course!" Ruth added with an emphatic nod.

"What they said," Matthew said, half-heartedly, earning a thump on the back of his head. He didn't wince, but his hand squeezed like a vice grip around the fingers he was still holding on to. Ruth didn't even whimper.

"Okay, then, off you go," Chris said, motioning with his head towards the door. He was standing in parade rest, not even bothering to appear calm. Melinda looked worried between him and Cassandra.

"We'll see you later?" Melinda didn't mean for it to come out as a question. Cassandra's face broke into a smile.

"Of course, mes amours."

Melinda couldn't stand the tension any longer. She swiftly turned towards the door, first pushing her cousins out and then following after them. Ruth looked like she wanted to stay and listen in. Melinda shook her head, pushing her gently down the corridor. Ruth set her jaw, glaring at her. Matthew followed her slowly, carefully. He whispered something in her ear. Ruth was still glaring, but she let out a heavy breath, her whole body deflating. She was the first to start down the hallway, not another word spoken to either Melinda or Matt.

Matt looked at her helplessly and Melinda didn't know what to tell him. She reached out towards him, gently squeezing his shoulder. Matt gave her a rueful smile, as they began after Ruth.

It was the first and last time Cassandra offered to take them out of the bunker.

It was the first time the three of them ever thought of leaving the bunker.

After that day it became their mission to, one day, break out of there.

A/N; I've made some moodboards for this story, you could check them out, if you'd like : dvoziki/different-times/