A/N: Sorry it took so long. Writer's block. And I'm trying to finally update all my stories. I updated "Breaking Point." I also posted a one shot that got only one review. Disappointing – pouts. – I'm going to do "Déjà vu Never Again" after this and I think I'll do a couple chapters, not just one. And then "Generation Charmed."

Wyatt333: Wow, I never even realized! – Grins evilly as she gets an idea . . .- Wyatt and Chris have girlfriends? Did I say that? Hm. Well, either way, it's a sure bet that they do. Look for the girlfriends in future chapters, if I can find an appropriate place to bring them in.

The Cheese Fairy: Chris is mean! And yes, Poor Melinda and long bus ride!

CursedBlondie: Lol. Thanks for the happy birthday and love all the faces!

Charmedluver: Lol. Thanks for the happy birthday! Even though you did strangle me after . . .

Matt91: Lol. Glad you liked!

FutureEditor: Who knows . . .? – Innocent shrug. –

PiPeRAnGeL39: Lol. Chris and Scott were mean, weren't they? How can you ask me not to be evil? – Mock shock and anger – I live for being evil! Lol.

Dr. Magic: Lol. Little input on all the characters, there. Lol. Well, glad you like it!!

CharmedChick4eva: Not a problem. Glad you liked it!

Kay, hope I didn't miss anyone!

Please enjoy and please review!

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Someone was shaking her awake. Melinda swatted her hand, annoyed. Wyatt and Chris knew not to bother her – especially early in the morning. They knew that they weren't allowed to just come into her room uninvited.

Or maybe it was Scott. Maybe she'd fallen asleep at his place and he wanted to give her a kiss before he left for work.

On that happy note, she opened her eyes – and wished she hadn't. Oh, sure, the sight before her eyes wasn't horrible. It was just, well, it wasn't who she wanted to see. And opening her eyes also reminded her of what she'd done.

Eric sat next to her in the seat on the bus taking her from California to New York City.

She'd run away from home. She was going to be living with a complete stranger. She was a pregnant eighteen-year-old. She'd voted for Kerry . . . Oops, did I say that out loud?

"Hey, sleepy head. We're almost there," Eric informed her.

Melinda groaned. "So I wasn't dreaming? I really did run away from home?"

Eric squinted at her, as if just seeing her. "You ran away from home? That part you neglected to tell me."

Melinda's throat went dry. She'd just told a cop that she had run away from home. Great.

"I'm eighteen," Melinda croaked, as if that would make it okay.

"Still. Did you leave a note or something?" Eric asked. Melinda shook his head. Eric sighed and said, "They'll be worried about you."

Melinda shrugged. She was about to speak when her cell phone rang. She glanced at it. Home was digitally scrawled on the little Caller ID screen. She tried to hide this from Eric, but he saw anyway.

"Pick it up and tell them where you are and what's going on," Eric demanded, but gently.

Melinda opened the phone, went to press send to pick it up, and hit end instead, turning the phone off.

Eric glared at her.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Wyatt hit the end button on the house phone and looked at Chris, shaking his head.

Chris said come pretty colorful things, pacing the kitchen.

"I shouldn't have been such an asshole to her!' Chris berated himself. "I should have been nice and-and I shouldn't have been so hard on her about what happened but-"

"Chris!" Wyatt said loudly. Chris stopped pacing and looked at Wyatt and Wyatt said, "It wasn't just because of you that she left. I think it was a combination of everything, including Scott breaking up with her. I think that was the big reason why she left. I think you being an asshole to her was just one more thing on a long list of problems she's been having."

Chris frowned. That didn't make him feel better, or help them find her.

"But how do we find her if she'd blocked us and she won't pick up her cell?" Chris asked – okay, more like whined. He was on a major guilt trip.

"Maybe she'll screw up and use her powers," Wyatt said, then frowned. "No, wait, if she's used a blocking spell, we won't even be able to detect her powers."

"So then what?" Chris snapped.

Wyatt sighed and shrugged. "We have to hope she calls us or comes home on her own."

Chris eyed his brother angrily. "What if that isn't for years?"

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She'd fallen asleep again. Well, you would have, too. A bus ride from New York from California was loooooong. And not too comfy.

She would have slept another hour or two, also, if she didn't suddenly have the rug to pee – really badly, as if she'd have ten glasses of Vanilla Coke instead of one.

Eric had fallen asleep and to get to the bathroom, she'd have to crawl over him. (a/n: I know buses don't have bathrooms. But . . . it's a long trip, so work with me here and pretend it's a special bus that does have a small bathroom in back. Lol). Awkwardly, Melinda stood up and placed one leg on one side of his legs. She was about to put her other leg over when Eric moved his legs and knocked into her, her feet coming out from under her and she fell, in straddle position, onto Eric's lap.

That woke him right up.

"Melinda-" He said, blinking in confusion.

Melinda blushed bright red, stood quickly, and clambered over him, nearly running to the bathroom, and not just because she had to go so badly.

When she got back, he was still awake and, it seemed, he had been waiting for her. He stood to let her by, then stared at her after she'd sat.

"What?" Melinda demanded, but not harshly and she was blushing. She was also avoiding eye contact.

"Nothing," Scott replied, shaking his head. "But you should have spoken to your cousins. They must be so worried about you."

"Oh yeah?" Melinda snapped. "If they are so worried, why haven't they come to get me and bring me home?"

Eric blinked. "Because they don't know you're on a bus headed to New York City?"

Melinda gulped. Right. Eric didn't know about her special status as a Child of Light. He didn't know that her cousins could just sense her and orb to her whenever they wanted. So, this time she asked herself: Why hadn't they? Sensed for her, or scryed for her, and orbed to her? Why, why, why? She wasn't going to go crawling back to them on her own. They had to come get her.

Then it hit her.

Maybe they hadn't come because, well, because they didn't want her back. Maybe her being gone was a relief to them. It meant they didn't have to deal with her and her baby.

Could that be it?

Melinda shook her head, feeling tears prick her eyes. If that were true, then her cousins could go screw themselves for all she cared. She didn't need them, or Scott. Because if her cousins didn't want her around, then Scott probably felt the same way times one hundred.

Well fine. She didn't need them. She didn't need any of them!

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Wyatt and Chris both pulled the front door open at the same time. Melinda wouldn't knock, they knew. She'd just come in or orb in. But they still had hope that it was their little cousin knocking on the front door to Halliwell Manor.

But it wasn't.

"What the hell are you doing here, Scott?" Chris snapped, except he didn't exactly say 'hell.'

Scott took a step back. Frightened for his life, maybe?

"I wanted to apologize to Melinda. I was really horrible to her earlier and last night. I never gave her a chance to explain and I should have. Is she home?"

Chris gritted his teeth and made fists with his hands, his eyes narrowing angrily.

"Melinda isn't here, Scott," Wyatt said before Chris could beat Scott into a bloody pulp.

"When will she be back?" Scott asked.

"I don't know if she's coming back," Wyatt said coldly.

Scott frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Melinda ran away, Scott, and we have no idea where she is," Wyatt replied curtly.

Scott paled. Melinda had – had run away? Because of him, no doubt.

"We have to file a missing persons report," Scott insisted.

"We can't," Wyatt said, shaking his head.

"We have to!" Scott snapped. "We have to find her!"

Wyatt frowned. "Melinda had to come home on her own. Even if the police find her, she'll just run again."

"No. They'll get her and bring her home," Scott insisted.

"Scott, no one can force Melinda to come back. She can easily escape again. She- we-" Wyatt frowned. Should he tell Scott? Melinda really should, and she'd probably kill him if he told. But what choice did he have? Scott would go to the police if he didn't get a proper explanation.

"Scott, we're not exactly – well, normal."