Chapter 5

"Do you have a Keith in your reality?" Leo asked.

"Yeah," Melinda replied. "He's Paige's fiancée."

"Well, he was in this reality too," Cole said. "Then Paige found out that he was having an affair. She called off the engagement, and she was heartbroken."

"Evil decided to take advantage of Paige's vulnerability," Andy said. "They captured all of you, except Paige."

"Evil said that the only way for her to get them back was to turn evil," Prue said. "To turn into the new Source."

"Paige agreed, only to save you all," Leo said. "She turned evil. But then evil betrayed her. They wanted to get the Charmed Ones on their side. They captured you all once more, and they said they would steal the power to orb, and go kill the Elders and Whitelighters. They blackmailed you into going to the bad side."

"You were denied your rights to Whitelighters," Prue said. "And Leo and Piper got divorced."

"Everything is beginning to make a little more sense," Melinda said. Then she paused. "Wait a sec. If I got transported into this reality, where did the Melinda from this reality go?"

***********************

"This book tells us nothing on where she might be," Paige said, shutting the book.

"I can't believe this," Piper muttered.

"She's only been gone for ten minutes," Wyatt said. "She'll be back."

Out of no where, a girl appeared. She looked exactly like Melinda; only she wasn't their Melinda.

"Melinda?" Phoebe questioned.

The girl pulled a knife from her belt. "Stay back!"

"Or not," Paige muttered.

Back in the alternate reality, Melinda was prepared to ask her second question.

"Earlier," she started. "Mom said we served the Source. What exactly do we do?"

"When Paige turned evil," Andy began. "She wanted her evil sisters by her side. But Piper and Phoebe were determined to bring you, Wyatt, Tori and Blake with them. You all are her warriors. Your jobs vary. Tori is her personal physic, you're her bounty hunter, and so on."

Melinda nodded. "Last question. Is there any way to turn them back?"

Back in the other reality, the family was not having much luck restraining their visitor.

"Piper, freeze her!" Paige yelled.

"What if I blow her up?" Piper asked.

"Who cares at this point?" Wyatt exclaimed. "That girl is not my sister!"

Piper froze "Melinda" and turned to her family. "What the heck was that all about?"

"Is there anything in the book?" Tori asked.

"I think so," Prue replied. "Alternate Realities."

"And?" Blake asked.

"I think we transported our Melinda into an alternate reality," Prue said. "And the Melinda from the other reality got sent here."

"But why is she attacking us?" Phoebe asked. "She should recognize us."

"I have a hunch," Prue said. "It's a long shot, but it might be true."

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"She started attacking us after she found out we were good," Prue said. "So what if in the reality she's from, we're evil?"

"That's crazy," Tori replied.

"But possible," Leo replied.

Back in the other reality, Melinda was waiting for an answer from her father. "So? Can we change them back?"

"We've been through something like this before," Cole said. "It was when I was the Source and Phoebe was my queen. You make a choice to be evil. You can't be changed to evil. You make a choice. It's the power of freewill. Freewill is the one power neither side has control over."

"So you're saying the only way to turn them back is to try to influence their freewill for good?" Melinda asked.

"Exactly," Leo answered.

"Huh," Melinda said. "I better be heading back. We still need to talk though."

"Meet us tonight at P3," Prue said.

Melinda nodded, and forced a smile as she orbed back to the manor.

Once in the manor, she headed downstairs.

"There you are!" Piper exclaimed meeting her at the foot of the stairs. "The Source wishes to see you."

"Don't you mean Aunt Paige mom?" Melinda asked.

"Melinda," Piper said harshly. "We address her as my queen, or my liege."

"Sure," Melinda said, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Piper led her down to the basement, where Paige sat on her throne.

"State your business," one of the guards demanded.

"The Source wished to see my daughter," Piper said. "I've brought her."

"Very well," the guard said.

Melinda walked towards Paige, and bowed. She looked around and noticed her mother had gone.

"I have another kill for you Melinda," Paige said.

Melinda nodded. "Who is it, my liege?"

Paige waved her arm and a picture of a boy appeared in front of her. "Josh Patterson. He's a future Whitelighter that I want out of the way."

Melinda couldn't speak. It was Josh, the boy that liked her. He was a future Whitelighter!

"Say something Melinda," Paige said.

"I'll- I'll get right on it," Melinda stammered.

"Only you won't be going in for the kill alone," Paige said. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Whom am I working with?" Melinda asked.

"Bring him to me!" Paige exclaimed to her guards.

The guards brought a demon into the room then, and Melinda almost fainted. It was the demon who had done this to her.

It was Tyvan.