Disclaimer:  I don't own Charmed or any of its characters; my story is fan fiction and no breach of copyright is intended.

Background information: Ben Williams (Turner) is 15 years old; he has the power to shimmer and has premonitions.  Melinda Cottle (Halliwell-Wyatt) is 18 years old and can freeze time (+ she can orb which she currently is unaware of).

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The past (2006):

The Manor:

"That was very weird," exclaimed Melinda.

"Was it really?" taunted Ben sarcastically, he didn't mean to be rude, but it wasn't everyday you got sucked into some 'thing' that was floating about in the air!

"You are so annoying" Melinda stated as she glared darkly at Ben.  She left the attic, heading to the front door, ignoring Ben who was following her out.

"What is it now" Ben groaned, as Melinda stopped so suddenly in front of him, that he nearly ended up pushing her down the few remaining stairs.

"Something's changed" Melinda looked around confusedly.  "The house looks, different" she stepped down the last few steps and glancing around quietly walked into the living room.  Shocked and hardly able to trust her eyes, she walked hesitantly towards a crib in the centre of the room, peering in she gasped and turned to look at Ben who was still standing in the doorway, "it's a baby!"

"What?" he strode towards the crib peered in and saw that there was indeed, a baby.  "The baby wasn't in here earlier" he declared and then unsure continued, "Was it?"

"No, definitely not, I would have remembered" As the baby in the crib began to fuss; Melinda gently pushed Ben out of the way, scooped the child up and held it close. Ben still seemed to be in shock at the sudden appearance of a baby

"Is it a boy or a girl" Ben asked, watching the baby as Melinda tried to calm the small infant. 

"No idea" Melinda replied.  She was about to add that the baby had just 'appeared' in the living room, and Ben seemed more concerned about was whether it was a boy or a girl, when a little girl ran in, saw Melinda & Ben and stopped dead in her tracks.

The little girl stared defiantly at them and demanded in a threatening voice; well, as threatening as a three-year-old child can make it.  "Who are you?"  Taking a hesitant step forwards, she then added, "She said it was my turn to hold him"

When the little girl had first come in, Melinda thought she was dreaming.  It was impossible.  Then she saw on the wall the picture, the one she had smashed into a million pieces, but it wasn't in a million pieces now.  The picture that contained the frozen memory of a day in the park with her parents, the most recent picture of them she had, the one which she had removed from its frame so many times that it was worn and tatty, now looked like it had been printed just the previous week.  Looking at the girl in front of her, the girl from the picture, she concluded that it probably had been printed just last week.

Whilst Melinda stood rooted to the spot staring at the wall, Ben knelt down so he was at the same height as the little girl, who was nervously pulling at her bunches.  "My na.." he trailed off, as he thought of his visions and the things they had shown him over the years, dangerous things; demons and evil.  What if this was all a trick?  "My name's Tom and this is my friend Sarah, What's your name?" 

"You're a stranger" she began, beginning to look scared.  Ben then made his biggest mistake so far, he reached out to reassure the girl.  She screamed.  Piercing screams.  Ben stood up, fast, when a man shimmered into the room, "Uncle Cole" the girl half shrieked, half sobbed as she threw herself on him and clutched his leg.

"Put my son down" Cole spoke in barely a whisper, but the danger radiating from him was unmistakeable.

 Ben could only watch in fear as Cole held out his free hand, the other arm in a protective hold around the girl.  A fireball began to form on his hand, "Put him back" Ben whispered loudly and urgently to Melinda not taking his eyes off Cole.  Feeling the panic beginning to rise up inside, he turned to Melinda, she wasn't moving, she was going to get them killed, he knew Cole would kill her, kill them both, if she did nothing.  Moving forwards slowly so as not too surprise Cole he prised the baby boy from her arms

As Melinda stared at the girl, at herself, she remembered her uncle for the first time in years; she remembered how he used to read stories to her when her mum and dad were not there, how he looked after her when her mum and dad went places.  Melinda was lost in forgotten memories of her past, when she felt hands lifting the baby from her arms.

Ben took a couple of shaky steps towards the crib, the tiny boy beginning to wriggle in his grasp, as he lay him in the crib he spared a glance at Melinda, she seemed awake and aware of everything again.  She looked shell shocked.  Ben's eyes rose to meet Cole's as he took a retreating step from the crib, and then as if in slow motion, he saw Cole's arm go back, he was going to throw the fireball!  Ben dived towards Melinda and as his body crashed into Melinda's he shimmered them both away from the house.

Cole watched the fireball hit the wall with the departure of the two demons.  He was angry, beyond anger, he was furious, his son and his niece could have been hurt, could have been killed.  He reached into the crib and hugged Ben, his son to his chest, and then bending down he embraced Melinda who had now calmed down. 

A door slammed and he heard his wife and her sisters return, glancing at the new and first burn mark in the freshly decorated living room, he whispered to the children, "I think they are going to be very cross".

Phoebe walked into the living room and smiled at her husband, she noticed the recent tears still visible on Melinda's cheeks as Piper's voice behind her asked "Melinda, honey what's wrong".  Melinda ran into Piper's arms and Piper picked her up and held her.

From behind them a loud and annoyed voice rang out "Cole, what is that?"

Piper and Phoebe spun around to see Paige pointing at a rather large, rather fresh black mark burnt into their fresh 'new' decorated room.  "Um…" Cole began, thinking how best to word this "first you'd better call Leo"

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Thanks to everyone who reviewed my story so far;

Magic-Amethyst80, BabyGyal21, Beba Turner-Halliwell, Katriona, A. Windsor, countertiger-x, tje-82871, charmedgal005, Wrinklepiggy

Lanfear: I'll try to fit it in somewhere.

I know I haven't updated in forever and I haven't really got an excuse (well I could make one up but it wouldn't be true) but I am definitely going to finish this story eventually.  I have the storyline written down right through to the end it's just a matter of writing it!