FIVE
"You're mistaken," said Melissa.
"Michael, what are you talking about?" asked Paige.
"There are only four White Lighters named Morgan right now," said Michael, "and none of them are assigned to San Diego. In fact, two of them aren't even assigned to the United States. And your first attack against Logash was before he attacked you. Which means you couldn't have absorbed his attack as you claim.
"You also told Logash 'not this time'. A peculiar choice of words, especially considering no one had ever seen him before. And by your own admission he wasn't even detected until just a few weeks ago.
"You also said they couldn't afford to loose me, not us. You didn't include the sisters or Leo in that. Your statement was aimed directly at me." His eyes narrowed for a moment. "You know, don't you?"
"Michael are you insane?" asked Phoebe. "She saved all our lives and now you accuse her of lying."
Melissa was looking at the table. She had a look on her fact that implied she had just been caught exposed. As if some deep dark secret had suddenly been exposed.
"Tell us I'm wrong," Michael said to Melissa. "Tell us I'm imagining all this."
"No, you aren't," said Melissa. "And yes, I know. That's why I attacked when I did. I couldn't let you destroy yourself. You're too important to the Elders as Malevant."
"How?" demanded Michael. "Not even the woman who raised me knew about that. I've never told anyone, not even the Elders."
"Time out," said Piper. "Would you two care to let the rest of us in on what's going on? I, for one, am totally confused."
Michael looked around at the others. He knew if he could trust anyone, he could trust them. He knew his secret would be safe with them.
"As you know," said Michael, "I'm half White Lighter and half demon. What no one else knows, except our guest here, is that those two sides are constantly at war with each other. I have to keep them separated inside me. If I should ever relax the restraints, even for a second, the magic from each would annihilate each other. Including me and anyone around me at the time."
"My God, Michael," said Leo. "None of us ever suspected anything like that."
"My question," said Michael, looking at Melissa, "is how you could know something I've never told anyone."
"I really am a witch," said Melissa. "And I do have the power to absorb and recast magical attacks made at me. I've lived in San Diego nearly my entire life. And my White Lighter is named Morgan."
She took a deep breath, and then looked around the table.
"Except," she continued, "that right now Morgan is a podiatrist in New Jersey. He won't be a White Lighter for another four years. I'll be one of his first charges."
"Okay, now it's my turn to be confused," said Paige. "Your White Lighter hasn't died? How is that possible? I thought that was like a requirement to be a White Lighter?"
"It is," said Leo. "If he's still alive, he can't be a White Lighter."
"As I said," said Melissa, "he will be in about four years."
"You've come back from the future, haven't you?" asked Michael.
"Yes," said Melissa. "I misjudged the time. I planned to be here before Logash attacked. When I got here he had just attacked you and was turning on Phoebe. I knew what you were going to do. To release the magic inside you as you orbed out with Logash, effectively destroying both of you."
"You've come back from the future?" Piper questioned. "Are....are you my daughter?"
"No," Melissa said. "I was born about the same time as your baby was but I can assure you I'm not your daughter."
"So you came back to save Michael?" asked Piper.
"Partially, yes," said Melissa.
"Partially?" questioned Piper. "What else did you come back for?'
"To save all of you," said Melissa. "Michael sacrificed himself to protect you. But he died in vain. All of you died during this battle. My coming back has prevented that."
"You're mistaken," said Melissa.
"Michael, what are you talking about?" asked Paige.
"There are only four White Lighters named Morgan right now," said Michael, "and none of them are assigned to San Diego. In fact, two of them aren't even assigned to the United States. And your first attack against Logash was before he attacked you. Which means you couldn't have absorbed his attack as you claim.
"You also told Logash 'not this time'. A peculiar choice of words, especially considering no one had ever seen him before. And by your own admission he wasn't even detected until just a few weeks ago.
"You also said they couldn't afford to loose me, not us. You didn't include the sisters or Leo in that. Your statement was aimed directly at me." His eyes narrowed for a moment. "You know, don't you?"
"Michael are you insane?" asked Phoebe. "She saved all our lives and now you accuse her of lying."
Melissa was looking at the table. She had a look on her fact that implied she had just been caught exposed. As if some deep dark secret had suddenly been exposed.
"Tell us I'm wrong," Michael said to Melissa. "Tell us I'm imagining all this."
"No, you aren't," said Melissa. "And yes, I know. That's why I attacked when I did. I couldn't let you destroy yourself. You're too important to the Elders as Malevant."
"How?" demanded Michael. "Not even the woman who raised me knew about that. I've never told anyone, not even the Elders."
"Time out," said Piper. "Would you two care to let the rest of us in on what's going on? I, for one, am totally confused."
Michael looked around at the others. He knew if he could trust anyone, he could trust them. He knew his secret would be safe with them.
"As you know," said Michael, "I'm half White Lighter and half demon. What no one else knows, except our guest here, is that those two sides are constantly at war with each other. I have to keep them separated inside me. If I should ever relax the restraints, even for a second, the magic from each would annihilate each other. Including me and anyone around me at the time."
"My God, Michael," said Leo. "None of us ever suspected anything like that."
"My question," said Michael, looking at Melissa, "is how you could know something I've never told anyone."
"I really am a witch," said Melissa. "And I do have the power to absorb and recast magical attacks made at me. I've lived in San Diego nearly my entire life. And my White Lighter is named Morgan."
She took a deep breath, and then looked around the table.
"Except," she continued, "that right now Morgan is a podiatrist in New Jersey. He won't be a White Lighter for another four years. I'll be one of his first charges."
"Okay, now it's my turn to be confused," said Paige. "Your White Lighter hasn't died? How is that possible? I thought that was like a requirement to be a White Lighter?"
"It is," said Leo. "If he's still alive, he can't be a White Lighter."
"As I said," said Melissa, "he will be in about four years."
"You've come back from the future, haven't you?" asked Michael.
"Yes," said Melissa. "I misjudged the time. I planned to be here before Logash attacked. When I got here he had just attacked you and was turning on Phoebe. I knew what you were going to do. To release the magic inside you as you orbed out with Logash, effectively destroying both of you."
"You've come back from the future?" Piper questioned. "Are....are you my daughter?"
"No," Melissa said. "I was born about the same time as your baby was but I can assure you I'm not your daughter."
"So you came back to save Michael?" asked Piper.
"Partially, yes," said Melissa.
"Partially?" questioned Piper. "What else did you come back for?'
"To save all of you," said Melissa. "Michael sacrificed himself to protect you. But he died in vain. All of you died during this battle. My coming back has prevented that."