Author's Note: Here's the second chapter of my story, I hope you like it. The next chapter should have some action in it, and hopefully I can get that up soon. Thanks for the reviews.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Charmed.
Background Info: Piper and Leo live in the manor with their two children, 14 year old Melinda (nearly 15) and 10 year old Peter.
Phoebe and Cole are married and have one daughter, 12 year old Rebecca. They live down the street from the manor. (Cole never had his powers stripped, and so he never became the source, so he's still a half-demon.)
Paige has one son, 8 year old Martin. Martin's father was a mortal who died and they live with Phoebe and Cole. (You don't really need to know what the kids powers are at the moment, you'll find out later in the story.)
Piper groaned to herself as the loud buzzing of her alarm clock woke her up. She was still half asleep and had to struggle blindly for a few moments before she was able to turn it of. Leo had been called away on some whitelighter business the night before and had not yet returned.
After lying still for a few moments, she finally found the strength to get up, and slowly made her way to the bathroom.
When she got back to her room, she quickly got dressed and then headed downstairs to start getting ready for the day.
After making herself some coffee and glancing through the morning newspaper, Piper headed upstairs to wake up her children for school. She reached her 10 year old sons room first and entered the room.
"Peter. It's time to wake up." Piper called as she gently shook him. When he opened his eyes, Piper smiled and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'll have your egg and toast ready in 10 minutes. Don't be late."
After making sure that he was getting up, Piper headed out of his room and to Melinda's room which was at the end of the hallway.
"Melinda honey, it's time to get up." Piper called through the door as she knocked. She waited a few moments and when there was no reply she entered the room. "Melinda, are you awake."
Piper halted halfway through the door, confused to find the room empty. She took a few more steps into the room and glanced around.
The bed didn't look like it had been slept in, and as Piper examined the room closely she saw that a few of Melinda's things were missing. Her eyes finally returned to the bed and it was only then that she noticed the folded note on the bed.
It took a moment for the note to register in her mind and when it did, Piper fearfully reached out and took it. She gently lowered herself onto the bed as she began to read.
Dear mum and dad,
By now you must know that I've left.
I know it will be hard for you to understand but this is something that I have to do. I need time to figure out who I am and find a place where I feel I belong and while I have no clue where that is I do know that it's not here in San Francisco, with you.
I don't know where I'm going, but I don't want you to worry.
Take care and know that I love you all.
Melinda
Tears fell from Pipers eyes as she finished reading the note. She couldn't think, the only thought running through her head was that her baby girl was gone.
Minutes passed as Piper struggled to comprehend what she had read, finally she managed to stop crying long enough to call Leo.
Leo orbed in quickly and immediately went to comfort his wife.
"Piper, what's wrong?" Leo asked as he hugged his wife close to him.
Instead of answering, Piper just handed him the note. As he read it he felt his eyes tear up, threatening to fall.
"You can sense her, right? You can find and bring my baby home?" Piper asked desperately as she clung to her husband.
"She's not a witch Piper. You know I can't sense her." Leo replied sadly. Right now he hated the limitation of his powers. It felt so unfair that he couldn't use them to find his daughter. His flesh and blood.
Piper broke down in tears again as Leo held her, both taking comfort in each others arms.
* * *
So I've finally left the manor.
It was easier to do than I expected, and I wonder now why I didn't leave sooner.
I know I should be feeling sad or regretful but I'm not.
Melinda stopped writing for a moment and stared out the window of the coach she was on and watched the scenery fly by. After a moment she took a firmer hold on her pen and, tearing her eyes away from the scenery, began to write.
I'm not saying that I don't miss my family, because I do, even if I did see them just a few hours ago. But I can't help feeling the tinge of excitement that I've felt since I left.
I'm more sure now then ever that I've done the right thing, by leaving, and I know that somewhere out there I'll hopefully find what I'm looking for.
A place to belong.
Melinda stopped writing and closed her diary, returning her eyes to the window and the passing scenery, thinking of where she was headed.
When she had gotten to the coach station she had brought a ticket on the first coach that was leaving, which happened to be heading for New York. She'd always wanted to go there, but had never had the opportunity before now.
The journey was a long one and she knew that she should try and get some rest but she couldn't stop thinking about what she had done.
She had left the manor, her home. She had left her family, her parents, everything she had ever known, and she had to admit that it scared her. But Melinda knew that she couldn't go back now. She had come so far, and she didn't want it all to be for nothing.
Tiredly, Melinda carefully put her diary back in her bag.
She had never had anyone that she could talk to throughout her life about her thoughts and feelings. Her parents and family could never understand, and so she had started keeping a diary.
Into it she had put down all her thoughts, fears and feeling's for the past five years. It was through her diary that she was able to understand the feelings of loneliness that she had felt her whole life, and until recently it had helped her to deal with them. Sometimes it felt like her diary was an extension of herself and Melinda took great care of it.
She had gone through several diaries in the past five years, all of which she had tucked away in her bag. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving them behind, so she had packed them.
Closing her eyes, Melinda willed sleep to come, hoping that after a few hours sleep she would start to feel rested and better able to handle what she knew she would have to deal with later.