Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Charmed – Tear. –
Author's note: This takes place in the future. The story might seem a bit confusing, but try to stay with it. It'll all make sense eventually.
It was dark, really dark. The streetlights were dim, as if the bulbs were about to blow. It had begun to rain and the rain became heavier each minute that passed. Shivering, a young girl, about twelve years old, quickened her pace. She tugged her coat tighter around her body to keep warm. The girl stopped suddenly, looking behind her. She had a bad feeling that someone was following her. She glanced all around but saw no one.
"Get a grip, Melinda," the girl muttered, "No one's following you. Stop acting like a baby . . ." She quickened her pace once more and hurried along.
A soft thud from somewhere behind her made Melinda stop short. She spun around, her heart pounding against her ribcage. A shadow loomed behind one of the streetlights and someone stepped out from behind them. Melinda screamed and quickly ran in the direction of her house. She heard the person behind her running to keep up. Her breath came in small gulps. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, but the person was still gaining on her.
Melinda turned onto her street, but she had been running so fast that she slipped and fell to the wet ground. She landed painfully on her knee and gasped in pain, but got right up and continued to run, limping as she went.
The rain was torrential, now. It was pouring and thunder cracked every few minutes. The heavy rain obscured her vision. Melinda could still hear the person running behind her, faster and faster to keep up. She gasped for breath and gripped her side. Her legs had begun to cramp up, but she tried to ignore the pain. Two more houses and she'd be home. One more house to go . . . up the driveway . . . onto the front porch. She dug into her jacket pocket for her keys, glancing back towards the street, where the shadow of a person, most likely the one who had followed her, was coming closer.
Melinda grabbed her keys from her pocket, jammed them into the door, turned the lock, and thew open the door. She ran over the threshold and slammed the door shut. Her wet shoes slipped and she once again found herself on her knees as she locked the door and screamed for help, tears glistening in her eyes and sliding onto her already wet face.
A brown-haired woman ran over to Melinda and got down next to her.
"Melinda, what is it? What happened??" Piper Halliwell asked, bringing her daughter close to her and hugging her tightly.
Melinda wrapped her arms tightly around her mother and sobbed. "S- someone was following me!" she sobbed.
Piper's eyes widened. She pulled from Melinda and looked her in the eyes. "Did you see who?"
Melinda shook her head, shivering.
"Go upstairs and get out of those wet clothes, honey, before you catch a cold. I'll bring you some hot chicken soup," Piper said softly, stroking her daughter's wet hair. She stood and helped Melinda to her feet.
Melinda nodded. She hugged Piper once more before walking away and descending up the stairs to her room.
Piper rubbed her forehead in frustration and anger. She sighed deeply before going into the kitchen. She set a pot on the stove, then poured in some chicken soup and set the flame on five. She starred at it for a moment, before turning and crossing her arms.
"Paige! Bring Phoebe with you!" She called.
Blue lights formed before Piper. Seconds later, the lights cleared and Paige and Phoebe stood before Piper, looking worried.
"Piper, hey. What's up?" Paige asked.
Piper sighed. "It's Melinda. Someone followed her home tonight."
"What? A de-"Phoebe paused, realizing how loud she was talking. "I mean . . . a you-know-what?" she asked, whispering it this time.
Piper shrugged, sighing again. "I don't know. I thought . . . I thought binding her powers would protect her. But I guess not." She chewed her lip, trying not to cry.
Paige hugged her sister, then backed off. "Was it Wyatt? Did he . . ."
Piper shook her head. "I don't know. I-"she cut off, a tear sliding down her pale face. "I don't know. It might have been. He'd do anything to get to me, even kill his own sister."
Phoebe was about to ask something when Chris entered the kitchen. He glanced at his aunts and his mom.
"Did I interrupt something?" Chris asked, frowning a bit.
Piper looked down, then at Paige and Phoebe.
"You should tell him, sweetie," Phoebe murmured.
Piper nodded. She looked at Chris, hesitating before saying, "Someone followed Melinda home tonight." She saw the fear and anger in Chris's face and continued before he could say anything. "I don't know if it was Wyatt or one of his men or what. She's fine, though. She's upstairs."
Chris scowled deeply. "He better not try to hurt her. I'll kill him.
Piper leaned forward and poked Chris in his left rib. He cringed and backed away. "You're hurt. Wyatt did that to you the last time you tried to kill him. Chris, it's impossible. Going up against him is . . . suicide."
"But mom!" Chris complained.
"No 'buts' Chris." Piper turned to the stove and shut off the flame. She poured the soup into a bowel and turned to Chris, handing it over. "Put this on a tray, get a spoon, and take it to Melinda. And not one word to her about witches or demons or Wyatt. Or magic at all for that matter."
"Fine, whatever. But you should just tell her, you know. You might have bound her powers and you might have kept magic hidden from her this long. But eventually, she will find out, especially if Wyatt sends his men after her again." Chris grabbed a spoon and a tray and stalked out of the room before Piper could say anything.
"He's right, Piper," Phoebe said. "You can't keep it from her forever. She has a right to know. It's who she is and who our family is. Grams tried to keep it from us. Do you remember how unprepared you, Prue, and me were?"
"Yeah, I do Phoebe. And look at what magic did to us. We lost so many people that we loved, including Prue. I won't let magic destroy Melinda's life, too," Piper snapped.
"Guys, don't argue. We'll never get this solved if we argue," Paige cut in.
Phoebe nodded. "Right, but how can we solve this? We don't know who was following Melinda. It could have been anyone, maybe even a regular person who wanted to rob her or something."
"Maybe we should call Le-"
"No," Piper growled, cutting Paige off. "No. He abandoned us when he became an Elder 18 years ago. I don't want him involved."
Chris entered the kitchen once again. "Melinda finished her soup." He put the tray away and placed the bowl and spoon in the sink, then turned to look at his mom and aunts. "She's sleeping."
Piper nodded. "You didn't tell her about-"
"No, I didn't," Chris replied. "But I still think you should tell her."
"Stop arguing with me. It's my decision and I don't want to. There's no reason to endanger her," Piper replied curtly.
"She's in danger, anyway, without her powers and without knowing about magic. If Wyatt comes after her, she'll be thrilled to see him and she'll willingly go with him. Without powers, she can't defend herself. Don't you realize how bad that is?" Chris asked, eyes narrowed.
"I understand that, Chris. But I still refuse to tell her," Piper snapped.
"Okay, all this arguing is oh so fun. But now really isn't the time," Paige said. "We need to figure something out and soon."
"I know what to do . . .," Piper said suddenly.
"What?" Paige asked, watching her closely. Phoebe and Chris also looked at Piper, waiting for an answer.
Piper chewed her lip for a moment. "Give up my powers to Wyatt."
Author's note: This takes place in the future. The story might seem a bit confusing, but try to stay with it. It'll all make sense eventually.
It was dark, really dark. The streetlights were dim, as if the bulbs were about to blow. It had begun to rain and the rain became heavier each minute that passed. Shivering, a young girl, about twelve years old, quickened her pace. She tugged her coat tighter around her body to keep warm. The girl stopped suddenly, looking behind her. She had a bad feeling that someone was following her. She glanced all around but saw no one.
"Get a grip, Melinda," the girl muttered, "No one's following you. Stop acting like a baby . . ." She quickened her pace once more and hurried along.
A soft thud from somewhere behind her made Melinda stop short. She spun around, her heart pounding against her ribcage. A shadow loomed behind one of the streetlights and someone stepped out from behind them. Melinda screamed and quickly ran in the direction of her house. She heard the person behind her running to keep up. Her breath came in small gulps. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, but the person was still gaining on her.
Melinda turned onto her street, but she had been running so fast that she slipped and fell to the wet ground. She landed painfully on her knee and gasped in pain, but got right up and continued to run, limping as she went.
The rain was torrential, now. It was pouring and thunder cracked every few minutes. The heavy rain obscured her vision. Melinda could still hear the person running behind her, faster and faster to keep up. She gasped for breath and gripped her side. Her legs had begun to cramp up, but she tried to ignore the pain. Two more houses and she'd be home. One more house to go . . . up the driveway . . . onto the front porch. She dug into her jacket pocket for her keys, glancing back towards the street, where the shadow of a person, most likely the one who had followed her, was coming closer.
Melinda grabbed her keys from her pocket, jammed them into the door, turned the lock, and thew open the door. She ran over the threshold and slammed the door shut. Her wet shoes slipped and she once again found herself on her knees as she locked the door and screamed for help, tears glistening in her eyes and sliding onto her already wet face.
A brown-haired woman ran over to Melinda and got down next to her.
"Melinda, what is it? What happened??" Piper Halliwell asked, bringing her daughter close to her and hugging her tightly.
Melinda wrapped her arms tightly around her mother and sobbed. "S- someone was following me!" she sobbed.
Piper's eyes widened. She pulled from Melinda and looked her in the eyes. "Did you see who?"
Melinda shook her head, shivering.
"Go upstairs and get out of those wet clothes, honey, before you catch a cold. I'll bring you some hot chicken soup," Piper said softly, stroking her daughter's wet hair. She stood and helped Melinda to her feet.
Melinda nodded. She hugged Piper once more before walking away and descending up the stairs to her room.
Piper rubbed her forehead in frustration and anger. She sighed deeply before going into the kitchen. She set a pot on the stove, then poured in some chicken soup and set the flame on five. She starred at it for a moment, before turning and crossing her arms.
"Paige! Bring Phoebe with you!" She called.
Blue lights formed before Piper. Seconds later, the lights cleared and Paige and Phoebe stood before Piper, looking worried.
"Piper, hey. What's up?" Paige asked.
Piper sighed. "It's Melinda. Someone followed her home tonight."
"What? A de-"Phoebe paused, realizing how loud she was talking. "I mean . . . a you-know-what?" she asked, whispering it this time.
Piper shrugged, sighing again. "I don't know. I thought . . . I thought binding her powers would protect her. But I guess not." She chewed her lip, trying not to cry.
Paige hugged her sister, then backed off. "Was it Wyatt? Did he . . ."
Piper shook her head. "I don't know. I-"she cut off, a tear sliding down her pale face. "I don't know. It might have been. He'd do anything to get to me, even kill his own sister."
Phoebe was about to ask something when Chris entered the kitchen. He glanced at his aunts and his mom.
"Did I interrupt something?" Chris asked, frowning a bit.
Piper looked down, then at Paige and Phoebe.
"You should tell him, sweetie," Phoebe murmured.
Piper nodded. She looked at Chris, hesitating before saying, "Someone followed Melinda home tonight." She saw the fear and anger in Chris's face and continued before he could say anything. "I don't know if it was Wyatt or one of his men or what. She's fine, though. She's upstairs."
Chris scowled deeply. "He better not try to hurt her. I'll kill him.
Piper leaned forward and poked Chris in his left rib. He cringed and backed away. "You're hurt. Wyatt did that to you the last time you tried to kill him. Chris, it's impossible. Going up against him is . . . suicide."
"But mom!" Chris complained.
"No 'buts' Chris." Piper turned to the stove and shut off the flame. She poured the soup into a bowel and turned to Chris, handing it over. "Put this on a tray, get a spoon, and take it to Melinda. And not one word to her about witches or demons or Wyatt. Or magic at all for that matter."
"Fine, whatever. But you should just tell her, you know. You might have bound her powers and you might have kept magic hidden from her this long. But eventually, she will find out, especially if Wyatt sends his men after her again." Chris grabbed a spoon and a tray and stalked out of the room before Piper could say anything.
"He's right, Piper," Phoebe said. "You can't keep it from her forever. She has a right to know. It's who she is and who our family is. Grams tried to keep it from us. Do you remember how unprepared you, Prue, and me were?"
"Yeah, I do Phoebe. And look at what magic did to us. We lost so many people that we loved, including Prue. I won't let magic destroy Melinda's life, too," Piper snapped.
"Guys, don't argue. We'll never get this solved if we argue," Paige cut in.
Phoebe nodded. "Right, but how can we solve this? We don't know who was following Melinda. It could have been anyone, maybe even a regular person who wanted to rob her or something."
"Maybe we should call Le-"
"No," Piper growled, cutting Paige off. "No. He abandoned us when he became an Elder 18 years ago. I don't want him involved."
Chris entered the kitchen once again. "Melinda finished her soup." He put the tray away and placed the bowl and spoon in the sink, then turned to look at his mom and aunts. "She's sleeping."
Piper nodded. "You didn't tell her about-"
"No, I didn't," Chris replied. "But I still think you should tell her."
"Stop arguing with me. It's my decision and I don't want to. There's no reason to endanger her," Piper replied curtly.
"She's in danger, anyway, without her powers and without knowing about magic. If Wyatt comes after her, she'll be thrilled to see him and she'll willingly go with him. Without powers, she can't defend herself. Don't you realize how bad that is?" Chris asked, eyes narrowed.
"I understand that, Chris. But I still refuse to tell her," Piper snapped.
"Okay, all this arguing is oh so fun. But now really isn't the time," Paige said. "We need to figure something out and soon."
"I know what to do . . .," Piper said suddenly.
"What?" Paige asked, watching her closely. Phoebe and Chris also looked at Piper, waiting for an answer.
Piper chewed her lip for a moment. "Give up my powers to Wyatt."