2019
"Ow." Melinda said, as she tumbled out of the vortex. The vortex closed quickly, and she immediately went looking for her family. "Hello? Anyone home?" She called, walking down the attic stairs. The house was silent. Everyone was asleep, and no one heard her call. Not thinking much of that, she stepped into her room to get some sleep of her own. Lying on her bed was her mother. Melinda gently shook her mother awake. "Mom, I'm home."
Piper awoke with a start. She gave her daughter a big hug. "I'm so glad that you're back
"Me too." She said, returning the hug. "Where's dad?"
"Work." Piper answered. Melinda's face fell. She was looking forward to seeing both of her parents. "So, tell me everything, and then we can erase your memory. Am I correct is saying that you don't want to remember this?"
"Yes." Melinda said. She wanted to erase her memory then, but she knew she had to tell her mother what happened. "Well, I woke up, and there was Aunt Phoebe standing over me, saying Piper, Piper wake up…"
* * * * *
"Paige," Leo said, approaching Paige, up there. "The sisters, thank you. They don't know it, but I remember before their slates were wiped, they wanted me to pass that message on to you. But the elders are an almost different story. They were half upset with what we did."
"Only half? Are you sure you heard that right?" Paige asked in disbelief.
"And half glad, if you hadn't been there, they would be dead. The Charmed Ones owe you their lives. But were upset by allowing the past me into now, and how past Piper got sucked in too. And they're upset at me allowing you down there."
"The elders are happy with breaking the rules?" Paige said still in disbelief.
"Yes, kinda, I'm not sure, but they were grateful, and they thought I was right for sending you to the past."
"There's a first for everything. But why?"
"Because they are going to wipe their memories of what happened, so you met them, getting you wish, and they won't remember."
"Oh." Paige was disappointed. She wanted her sisters to know who she was. It was exciting for her, to have sisters that knew who she was.
"But to the happy news." Leo said, in an effort to cheer Paige up.
"There's happy news?"
"Yes. I already told you that the elders were happy to hear that you saved the lives of the girls."
"Yup. Oh, when you see my sisters, tell them 'you're welcome.'"
"And they came up with a reward."
"A reward? That's cool, and a first."
"Second. Once, the girls saved all whitelighters, and they allowed Piper and me to get married."
"Ok. Second."
"They are going to allow you to live down there, forever, as a sister."
Paige stared at him in disbelief. She had problems understanding the words that came out of his mouth. Leave there? She grew up there. As a sister? It was a dream come true. It was a ying and yang problem. It hit her hard. Like a wrecking ball, hitting her in the stomach. She was going to live with her sisters. She erupted, like Mt. St. Helens, "AAAAAAAAA!!!" She screamed, jumping up and giving Leo a big hug. "When?"
"Paige, there is one thing I forgot to mention. Your past self will be the one to be privileged enough to live down there, which ultimately means that you will be down there in about eighteen years. It's a direct consequence of the time travel thing."
"I'm the one who saved them, how come my past gets to be that lucky, when they did nothing?" Paige asked.
"I don't know. There are some things that I don't question the elders about."
"Ok."
"See you down there Paige." Leo said, with a smile and he orbed back down to Earth.
Paige was left sitting there, absorbing what all she just heard. She needed to tell someone. Anyone. Suddenly, she stood up, and went looking for Sara. She passed familiar faces on her quest. She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever see them again.
* * * * *
"Hi dad!" Melinda said, giving her father a big hug.
"Hey how was it?" Leo asked, his smile spread across his face.
"How was what?" Melinda asked. She and Piper had already wiped her memory of the day's events. Leo's smile faded.
"Dinner, at Aunt Phoebe's?" Leo quickly lied.
"Jessica got sick, and Aunt Phoebe decided to cancel. A sick one year old is not fun." Melinda said.
"Oh ok. What are you doing up so late?" Leo said, looking at his watch. It was almost four in the morning.
"What time is it?"
"Almost four."
Melinda looked around the hall and stared in confusement. "You know, I really don't know. I just remember getting home from, lets see, school, yesterday, and then next thing I remember is waking up in the attic. What did I not want to remember?" She then realized what just happened.
"If you wanted to forget it, why are you asking me what it was?" Leo said.
"Never mind." Melinda said. Turning to go to her room.
"Ow." Melinda said, as she tumbled out of the vortex. The vortex closed quickly, and she immediately went looking for her family. "Hello? Anyone home?" She called, walking down the attic stairs. The house was silent. Everyone was asleep, and no one heard her call. Not thinking much of that, she stepped into her room to get some sleep of her own. Lying on her bed was her mother. Melinda gently shook her mother awake. "Mom, I'm home."
Piper awoke with a start. She gave her daughter a big hug. "I'm so glad that you're back
"Me too." She said, returning the hug. "Where's dad?"
"Work." Piper answered. Melinda's face fell. She was looking forward to seeing both of her parents. "So, tell me everything, and then we can erase your memory. Am I correct is saying that you don't want to remember this?"
"Yes." Melinda said. She wanted to erase her memory then, but she knew she had to tell her mother what happened. "Well, I woke up, and there was Aunt Phoebe standing over me, saying Piper, Piper wake up…"
* * * * *
"Paige," Leo said, approaching Paige, up there. "The sisters, thank you. They don't know it, but I remember before their slates were wiped, they wanted me to pass that message on to you. But the elders are an almost different story. They were half upset with what we did."
"Only half? Are you sure you heard that right?" Paige asked in disbelief.
"And half glad, if you hadn't been there, they would be dead. The Charmed Ones owe you their lives. But were upset by allowing the past me into now, and how past Piper got sucked in too. And they're upset at me allowing you down there."
"The elders are happy with breaking the rules?" Paige said still in disbelief.
"Yes, kinda, I'm not sure, but they were grateful, and they thought I was right for sending you to the past."
"There's a first for everything. But why?"
"Because they are going to wipe their memories of what happened, so you met them, getting you wish, and they won't remember."
"Oh." Paige was disappointed. She wanted her sisters to know who she was. It was exciting for her, to have sisters that knew who she was.
"But to the happy news." Leo said, in an effort to cheer Paige up.
"There's happy news?"
"Yes. I already told you that the elders were happy to hear that you saved the lives of the girls."
"Yup. Oh, when you see my sisters, tell them 'you're welcome.'"
"And they came up with a reward."
"A reward? That's cool, and a first."
"Second. Once, the girls saved all whitelighters, and they allowed Piper and me to get married."
"Ok. Second."
"They are going to allow you to live down there, forever, as a sister."
Paige stared at him in disbelief. She had problems understanding the words that came out of his mouth. Leave there? She grew up there. As a sister? It was a dream come true. It was a ying and yang problem. It hit her hard. Like a wrecking ball, hitting her in the stomach. She was going to live with her sisters. She erupted, like Mt. St. Helens, "AAAAAAAAA!!!" She screamed, jumping up and giving Leo a big hug. "When?"
"Paige, there is one thing I forgot to mention. Your past self will be the one to be privileged enough to live down there, which ultimately means that you will be down there in about eighteen years. It's a direct consequence of the time travel thing."
"I'm the one who saved them, how come my past gets to be that lucky, when they did nothing?" Paige asked.
"I don't know. There are some things that I don't question the elders about."
"Ok."
"See you down there Paige." Leo said, with a smile and he orbed back down to Earth.
Paige was left sitting there, absorbing what all she just heard. She needed to tell someone. Anyone. Suddenly, she stood up, and went looking for Sara. She passed familiar faces on her quest. She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever see them again.
* * * * *
"Hi dad!" Melinda said, giving her father a big hug.
"Hey how was it?" Leo asked, his smile spread across his face.
"How was what?" Melinda asked. She and Piper had already wiped her memory of the day's events. Leo's smile faded.
"Dinner, at Aunt Phoebe's?" Leo quickly lied.
"Jessica got sick, and Aunt Phoebe decided to cancel. A sick one year old is not fun." Melinda said.
"Oh ok. What are you doing up so late?" Leo said, looking at his watch. It was almost four in the morning.
"What time is it?"
"Almost four."
Melinda looked around the hall and stared in confusement. "You know, I really don't know. I just remember getting home from, lets see, school, yesterday, and then next thing I remember is waking up in the attic. What did I not want to remember?" She then realized what just happened.
"If you wanted to forget it, why are you asking me what it was?" Leo said.
"Never mind." Melinda said. Turning to go to her room.