A/N: Thanks for the reviews and support! I have to get to bed – ten minutes ago! Lol. So the reply to reviews will be from Ch 46 only, questions only.
I can't answer any of the questions because they are things you need to read to find out! Lol. So please enjoy and please review!
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Melinda shook her head from side to side and forced away her tears.
"I-" Melinda began, unsure whether or not to yell at Phoebe or confide in her.
Then it happened.
Melinda cringed and gasped, a hand flying protectively over her belly, and her legs going out from under her. She sank to the floor.
"Melinda!" Phoebe cried, rushing to the younger woman's side and grabbing onto her arm.
What was going on? Melinda thought desperately. What was happening to her? The baby was fine; she'd know if it were hurt or something. The emotions she'd feel would be so twisted that even Phoebe wouldn't be able to decipher one from the other. So what was this feeling she felt? This utter horror and despair that something wasn't right?
"Scott-" Melinda thought suddenly, her chest aching and her lungs on fire, as if she'd had the wind knocked out of her.
"Who's Scott?" Phoebe asked, worried sick. "PIPER! PAIGE! GET IN HERE NOW!" She watched with increasing worry as the pain etched on Melinda's face worsened, and the pain Phoebe felt vibrating of the girl worsened.
Piper and Paige were back in Phoebe's room in a flash.
"What's wrong with her?" Paige asked, her tone sharp.
"I don't know. Melinda, what's going on?" Phoebe asked, shaking Melinda slightly.
Melinda didn't respond.
Then she blacked out.
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When Melinda awoke, she was in Phoebe's bed and the sun burned her eyes. Birds were chirping outside like everything was fine and happy and cheerful.
It made her sick.
"You're awake."
Melinda glanced in the direction of the worried and relieved voice. Phoebe was sitting beside the bed.
"What happened?" Melinda slurred.
Phoebe filled her in, then added, "I was so worried."
Melinda's throat felt dry. She wondered if she'd said anything in her sleep to give herself away. She wondered if Chris had been by to visit.
"Before you passed out, you said a name – Scott?" Phoebe questioned.
Melinda's heart felt as if it were shattering into a thousand pieces at the mention of Scott.
"Who is he?" Phoebe asked curiously, hoping it would give her a clue into the girl's life.
Melinda shook her head. "No one."
Phoebe nodded. "Fine. I won't keep pushing. You'll tell me if I need to know." She held out a glass of cold water. "You must be thirsty."
Melinda forced herself to sit up, then gladly accepted the water and gulped it.
Phoebe took the glass with a hesitant look at Melinda, feeling guilty and ashamed.
It was only then that Melinda realized what had been done: The water had been mixed with a truth potion. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt more betrayed than now (not counting everything Wyatt had done). The look she gave Phoebe said so much.
"I'm sorry," Phoebe said, truly sounding so. "But I didn't have a choice." She paused before beginning the interrogation.
"Who are you?"
Melinda tried to fight it, but couldn't, and tried to blank her mind to the relation between her and Phoebe. At least if she could hide that . . .
"Melinda. I'm the Source of all Evil in the future – my time."
It pained Phoebe to see Melinda struggling against the spell. "Why are you here?"
Again, Melinda fought. "I came to warn Chris about the Phoenix assassin, sent by W-w-w- My Master to kill him." Sweat beaded on her forehead from the effort of fighting the potion.
"Who's Scott?"
"Scott is my boyfriend of two years. He's one of the few good creatures left my time. He's not magical, though. Most humans – mortals – have been killed or enslaved, but I've been protecting him from My Master."
Phoebe frowned. "And last night?"
Melinda felt tears prick her eyes. "He was killed."
"What else are you trying to hide? What's with you and Chris?" Phoebe asked.
"Chris is my cousin," Melinda accidentally let slip. Well, the potion made it happen but she had been trying to fight to not say it.
Phoebe nodded slightly. "And that pain in your stomach? The one I felt the other day?"
Melinda bit her tongue to try and not reply, but only tasted blood. "I'm pregnant. With Scott's child."
Phoebe's eyes widened in surprise. But she could question Melinda more fully later on. She had one more thing to ask, the most important question.
"Why am I constantly feeling such weird emotions from you? Fear, overwhelming love for me, and so on? And why do you act so weird towards me sometimes?"
No, Melinda thought in alarm, panic rising within. She couldn't tell Phoebe who she was! She couldn't! Everything she had fought for would be ruined.
Tears filled her eyes and this time she didn't care. She shook her head. "No, no! Please reverse the potion – don't make me say anything else! Please, Phoebe, I'm begging you!" she cried, feeling her body and mind being twisted by the potion; any second, she'd admit to being Phoebe's daughter. And then, also, she'd be giving Chris away as the son of either Piper or Paige.
Phoebe felt guilt eat its way through her and she quickly handed Melinda a vial of pink liquid. Melinda grabbed it and gulped it down, seconds before the three worst words imaginable had come out of her mouth.
The urge slipped away and Melinda panted, exhausted from fighting the potion.
"Maybe next time you can tell me the truth without forcing you to with a potion," Phoebe said softly. "Maybe next time you'll trust me."
"Trust you? You tricked me into drinking a truth potion!" Melinda cried furiously.
"It was my sisters' idea. I tried to talk them out of it, but they were just as fed up with your lies as I was," Phoebe replied.
They were both silent for a long time.
"So, you're pregnant?" Phoebe finally asked.
Melinda nodded, defeated.
"And Scott – you're boyfriend – was the father, uhm, before someone killed him? And you felt it last night?"
Again, Melinda nodded.
"And Chris is your cousin. No wonder you guys hugged-"
Oops.
Melinda frowned. "How do you know about that?"
"Paige – she saw you and him in my room the other day. She, uhm, heard the whole conversation," Phoebe said, figuring their was no point lying now.
Melinda winced, thinking back to that day and trying desperately to remember what she and Chris had discussed, and if they had said anything to give themselves away (not that it mattered much anymore; However, Phoebe and her sisters didn't know everything yet and Melinda would prefer they didn't).
"Don't worry; you didn't say anything too confidential – except for the fact that you are good, despite being the Source, and you . . . you've killed good witches to hide that you aren't bad," Phoebe said.
Melinda glanced at her. "That's right. The most important thing is to hide my being good from My Master and his followers – and my followers, as well. If they knew I was good-"
"What?" Phoebe pressed.
Melinda sighed. What was the point in lying? "If they found out, they'd want Chris and me dead. If My Master found out, he'd kill Chris and probably enslave me. I wouldn't be able to protect the few things left that are good in my future, and I'd loose the last of my family. Chris is all I have left. My parents, aunts, and other cousin are dead . . . and now Scott is, too. I'd loose my baby to My Master, too. I'd be alone."
"Who's your Master?" Phoebe asked.
"Someone who was once close to me, and who is now my enemy," Melinda replied gloomily.
Phoebe frowned. "Melinda, you need to trust me. I know telling me more would screw up the future. But you need to tell me everything or I can't help you. If you're one hundred percent honest with me, I can save you and Chris and your baby. Maybe even the whole future. We have a deal?"
Melinda hesitated, thinking over her options. She had so few left. Just because she was the Source didn't mean she wasn't weak. She missed Phoebe holding her in her arms and telling her everything would be okay. She missed helping Aunt Piper cook in the kitchen. She missed joking around with Aunt Paige and asking her for advice. She missed being carefree and innocent and happy.
She didn't want the future to end up the way it was.
So she looked at Phoebe and nodded once. "We have a deal."
But she regretted saying it the second after she had.