Blessed
A family legend continues.
Disclaimer: I do not own any thing except maybe the plot and obviously my original characters.
1x02- The Cuckoos Nest
Scene opens in the hall.
- Chris lays Melanie onto a bed in a dark bedroom and immediately turns leaving. Wyatt and Penelope stand next to each other in the hall as Chris joins them closing the bedroom door quietly. The worn out trio let moment's slip.
Chris:She's just tired. She'll be fine.
Wyatt:(Nods) Good. (Looks down at his clothes) I think I need another shower. (Says half smiling)
Penelope: (Half smiles) I'll make something for dinner.
Chris:No I can do that. You should get some sleep.
Penelope: Mel's gonna need somebody there when she wakes up. Considering everything, I don't think Wyatt's the best choice and if I get comfortable, I'll fall asleep in seconds.
Chris: (Wyatt goes towards the bathroom) Kay. (Penelope goes down stairs and Chris goes to Wyatt pulling on his arm lightly to get his attention) You okay?
Wyatt:(Shakes head) It just hit me that she is going to be scared of me.
Chris:It's going to take a while but I'm sure she'll come around. (Wyatt nods and ducks into the bathroom, Chris whispers) I hope she does.
- The scene moves to a damp dark alley with faint sounds of rats and the smell of rotting vegetables. Andrea moves slowly down the narrow walkway. She looks down and narrowly misses dead road kill with rats feasting. She covers her mouth. Looking up, she moved forward again. A rustling noise came from ahead of her.
Andrea: Hello? (Pause, more rustling) Lo? (Pause) Anyone there?
- A sudden burst of fire threw Andrea to the ground. She lays there unmoving.
Break
Scene opens to the kitchen.
- Penelope stands over the stove flipping pancakes one at a time. Melanie sits quietly watching from the table. A mug of coffee sits in front of her steaming but her eyes remain flitting around the room. Penelope places three pancakes on a plate and turns to Melanie. She walks over to the table and places the plate in front of her friend.
Penelope: You want butter or margarine.
Melanie: (Shrugs) I don't remember the difference.
Penelope: (Reaches into the fridge and pulls out both placing both in front of Melanie) Try it and see.
- Melanie glances at both choices as Penelope turns back and returns to the stove. Bright orbs fill the air as Melanie spreads the butter onto one of her pancakes. Wyatt and Chris materialize Melanie stiffens at the site and switches her knife to her other hand so that the blade points at the two. Wyatt moves silently to the end opposite Melanie as Penelope turns to greet Chris.
Penelope: Where the hell were you this morning?
Chris:(Sneaking a piece of a pancake from a plate) The elders called.
Penelope: Charges come first. (Hands Chris the plate he just stole from) That's yours.
Chris:(Smirks and goes over to the table) Penny says that's yours.
Wyatt: Very funny. (Pushes the plate away as he grabs the perfectly folded paper, looks to Melanie) Want the comics?
- Melanie surprised, shakes her head and reaches for the syrup. Chris is in the refrigerator, pulling out the orange juice. Penelope finishes the last of the pancakes and Wyatt opens the paper.
Chris:So what was your dream? (Pours himself a tall glass)
Wyatt:Dreams? That's the big important conversation we had to have?
Penelope: No one was talking to you nosy. (Places a mug of coffee and heaping plate of pancakes in front of Wyatt, turning to Chris) OJ please.
Chris: (Pours another glass) So?
Penelope: (Takes the new glass, whispers) Later.
Wyatt:You do realize we can hear you, right?
Penelope: The reason I'm waiting for later. (Sits down at the table next to Wyatt) Private conversation Wyatt.
Wyatt:Private conversation? Your not planning on keeping it in the family are you?
Penelope: You're retarded. (Wyatt laughs)
- A jingle sounds and both boys hesitate in their individual actions. Penelope watches as they ignore it. Wyatt goes back to reading and Chris sits down between the girls at the table with his breakfast.
Penelope: Why are you ignoring them? (asks conversationally)
Chris:No reason.
Wyatt:We're hungry.
Penelope: (Looks at Wyatt's untouched plate) Really?
- Wyatt shrugs and continues reading.
- Scene moves the a bright white cloudy place. About ten men are standing around in their golden robes clicking their tongues back and forth to each other. The debate is heated some of the men seem frantic. Others are trying to be more calm. Chris orbs in.
Chris:What? (Practically yells)
- One man in a golden robe steps forward.
Man #1: Where is Wyatt?
Chris: Seething. We will not give up Melanie. And he definitely won't.
Man #1: It's necessary. She isn't supposed to be here.
Chris: Neither are you according to the story. Elders were supposed to be killed in the battle of the titans, but my father saved you. Our entire family has done for you. Now, you do for him.
Man #1: It's not our decision to make. Destiny will have it's way.
Chris:(Steps toward the elder with a confident and angered stride) If destiny has any help from you, the Halliwell family will not be an ally of yours. (Orbs out)
Break
Scene opens to Penelope's bedroom.
- Penelope stands at the foot of the bed while Melanie sits on it. The walls have scattered posters for bands, like Bloodhound Gang, Ben Folds, and Coheed & Cambria, tacked onto the walls. Melanie looks around at the posters and smiles. Penelope packs some of the clothes from her drawers into the box in her hands.
Penelope: If you need anything, I will just be in the next room.
Melanie: Thanks for the room.
Penelope: I figured you wouldn't want to be so close to Wyatt given everything you've been through.
Melanie: (Nods) I'm sorry. I know he isn't…. but…. jus…
Penelope: I get it. (Closes the box) Wyatt's getting your stuff from storage. For what it's worth, he loves you. Beyond the meaning of the word. (Melanie looks down at her feet and Penelope picks up the box) C'mon.
- At the storage facility, Wyatt sits in the dark holding a pink lace pillow. Light seeps in from one window high in the side of the wall creating a dim ray in the darkness. His phone rings with his "Highway to Hell" ring tone.
Wyatt: (pulling out his phone and glancing at the ID) What's up?
Penelope: What's up? C'mon. Where are you? I'm practically moved out all ready. What's going on?
Wyatt:Traffic. (Rises to his feet and drops the pillow atop the box he had previously been sitting on)
Penelope: Don't give me that. I know you. You've been gone for an hour and a half.
Wyatt: I'm gonna be there in a bit.
Penelope: (Pauses) Are you going ta be okay?
Wyatt:I'll be there in a minute. (Pulls the phone from his ear and hangs up)
- The sunlight of the day never quite reached the alleyway, but slowly the unconscious Andrea, still groggy, awakes. She sits up, covered in garbage.
Andrea: (As she gets her bearings) Oh. Oh god. Morgan? Morgan! (Looks at her watch) Damnit. (Looks up and down the alleyway) Morgan?
- She stands and while brushing the filth of the city off of her. The sun beat down on her as she exited the narrow alley. People bustled on the streets under the mid of day. Those within nose shot quickly avoided Andrea. She hurried down the street glancing at her watch every five steps. She ducked into another alley a few blocks away.
Andrea: Crap (As she orbs out)
- At the manor, Wyatt orbs into Penelope's room with boxes and boxes of stuff. Melanie is not in the room but Penelope stands at the door expectantly.
Penelope: Well?
Wyatt: Well what? Here are her things.
Penelope: She'll come around.
Wyatt:(Sits down on the bed) I know! (Breathes) I know. Everybody keeps saying that. I know. She's…
Penelope: Broken. But, it will get better.
Wyatt:She stiffens. Whenever I'm in the room. It's like she's waiting for me to go ballistic.
Penelope: (Goes to sit next to Wyatt) It will get better.
- Wyatt nods, his head down, eyes to his feet. Suddenly a scream sounded from downstairs. The pairs heads shot up. They bounded down the stairs to find a shocked Melanie being crushed by a crying Andrea.
Wyatt:(As he pulled his cousin to her feet) Andy?
Andrea: (Wiping her eyes) I'm (Sobs) I lost (Sobs) charge.
Penelope: (Pulls Melanie to her feet) You lost a charge?
Andrea: (Sobs) All my (Sobs) fault.
Wyatt:(Almost laughs) Shh It's okay.
Andrea: (Calming) You.. You don't understand. She's.. well she's nuts, but she's new. To the craft. She doesn't know what's happening. And, on top of everything, she has this.. (Wyatt guides her to the couch) I don't know. I guess it's a disorder or something. Trauma Disorder.
Penelope: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Moves to the front of the couch, Melanie follows)
Andrea: Yes! Yeah.
Melanie: (Sits down next to Andrea) What happened to her?
Andrea: (Looks up and over at Melanie) Huh? (Distractedly) Oh Morgan. Kidnapped a few years ago. The DA thought she might have been sexually.. But she never said anything.
Penelope: She's alone? (Andrea nods) How old?
Andrea: 16.
Wyatt:And you can't sense her?
Andrea: (Shakes her head) I haven't developed a relationship yet.
Melanie: (Contributing again) How did you lose her?
- The scene moves to the top of a bridge. Chris stands rigid as another jingle plays and another. He walks closer and closer to the edge. One step at a time. Arriving, he looks down. Another jingle. Chris breathes. Once. Then twice. He looks unsure. Another jingle. He falls.
Break
Scene opens in the attic.
- Andrea stands at the table, a map laid out in front of her and a small cast iron with a slight strain of smoke billowing into the air. She dips the end of her crystal into the bowl as she pulls a comb from her pocket. Comb and crystal in hand, she begins to scry, swinging the crystal. Penelope sits on the couch carefully measuring out the ingredients for her mixture on the coffee table in front of her. Melanie stands at the book flipping through the pages uninterestedly. She looks up every few seconds, her gaze falling on Andrea. She continues flipping.
Penelope: Almost ready with the potions. Got anything?
Andrea: Not yet. (Pauses) I don't understand. I've done this a million times. I usually get a hit by now.
Penelope: (Shrugs) Maybe you're blocked.
Andrea: I don't know why I would be.
Penelope: You're upset. You're worried. I'd be concerned if you weren't. (Stands with two potion bottles in hand) I have a stun potion and a binding potion.
Melanie: (Steps forward) Is that necessary? Maybe if you just talk to her and explain what's happening. (Stands next to Andrea)
Andrea: (Stone falls to the map) That would be fine, but Morgan has some issues. (Turns to Penelope) Got it. (Turns back to Melanie) She'd need years of therapy to even begin to handle this.
Melanie: But what if you're wrong? What if she can handle it?
Penelope: (Appears next to Melanie) Are you okay?
Melanie: (As Andrea looks on) I'm fine. (Says abrupt)
Andrea: Look. (Melanie looks at her) We'll use the potions as a last resort, okay?
Melanie: (Nods) It's just.. magic is a gift. That's what everybody always said.
Penelope: That's right. It is. (Approvingly) Now, we just have to help Morgan see that. (Smiles)
- In the clouds, Wyatt appears in front of the ever anxious elders. The lot, though surprised, recovers quickly.
Man #1: Wyatt.
Wyatt:You rang?
Man #1: Well, yes actually.
Man #2: We spoke to one of the angels of destiny and --
Wyatt:I will not give her up. (Calmly)
Man #2: (Steps forward) No. You don't understand.
Wyatt:No! You don't understand! (Calms) I won't cry over her again. I won't stand there idly by while you bastards rip her away. I won't lose her. Not again. (Orbs out)
- At the house, he orbs into what is now Melanie's room. Looking around, he smiles at the little trinkets and things unpacked onto the cluttered and chaotic dresser. Making his way to the bed, he picks up the pink lace pillow from the floor. He raises it to his face allowing himself to really look at it. He sits down on the bed. Hearing a rumpling beneath him, he rises again for a moment and reaches under the covers, recovering an open diary. He smiled and began reading.
- The scene moves to a dock. The late afternoon breeze flows over the land. Water sloshes against the beams holding the wooden walkway up. A single figure, a young woman, stands at the end. The three witches orb in behind her.
Andrea: There she is.
Penelope: Okay Mel. Go do your thing.
Melanie: (Slightly panicked) What thing?
Penelope: You said talk her down, so (Motions to dock) go talk her down.
Andrea: (Melanie looks to her) Go ahead Ace.
Melanie: But.. No. She's your charge.
Andrea: (Smiles) This was your idea.
Melanie: (Turns back to Penelope, hushed whisper) She lost her!
Penelope: It will be fine. We're here if you need us. (Head cocks slightly to the side, comfortingly) Don't worry.
Melanie: Huh. (Scoffs) Yeah right.
Break
Scene opens on the dock
- Melanie stands behind Morgan. She turns her head making sure her back up is still in place. Turning back, she takes a deep breath.
Melanie: Morgan?
Morgan: (Whips around) Huh? (Panicked and wide-eyed) Who.. Who are you?
Melanie: (Holds hands up) Whoa. My name is Melanie. Just take a deep breath. (Breathes) That's it.
- Back at the other side of the dock, Penelope and Andrea stood talking.
Andrea: She might actually pull this off.
Penelope: Well, she's great. (Smiles) Even if she is broken.
- Morgan backed away from Melanie.
Melanie: I know what you're going through.
Morgan: (Tearing) No. No you don't.
Melanie: Yes! I do. I know how hard it is.
Morgan: How hard what is? (Yells)
Melanie: To trust. To listen. I know. I went through the same thing, but you don't have to be afraid. If you're afraid of life, if you're afraid of the good stuff, the bad stuff is just gonna seem that much worse.
Morgan: (Falls to her knees) What's happening to me.
Melanie: (Kneeling) Something magical. You just have to trust it, listen to it. It will guide you.
Morgan: (Sobs uncontrollably)
- At the other end of the dock Andrea and Penelope begin to walk down the way as Melanie helps and sniffling Morgan to her feet.
Melanie: There's someone I want you to meet. (Andrea reaches the pair) Morgan? This is Andy. She's gonna help you.
Morgan: (Looks up) What about you?
Melanie: I have another girl I need to help. (Hugs Morgan) Just remember. Listen.
- Andrea holds her hand out. Morgan slowly reaches out and grasps the outstretched hand. Penelope leads Melanie away. Leaving the witch to her white lighter.
- The scene moves to the restaurant. The table is filled with gifts. Wyatt, Andy, Penelope, and
Amanda sat around the table laughing. The rock band in the background started a new creepy slow song.
Chris:Hey. Did I miss anything. (Pulls up a chair)
Penelope: Chris! Where have you been!
Chris:(Shrugs) Around.
Andrea: (Smiling) You should have been closer around. You could have seen Mel work her magic.
Wyatt:(Perks up) What magic?
Andrea: She talked down my psychotic charge.
Chris:What psychotic charge?
Penelope: The one that tried to kill her.
Andrea: And she did it in like fifteen minutes.
Chris:Mel?
Penelope: (Nods smiling) Yep. (Pauses to take a sip) It was goddamn beautiful.
Andrea: (Looks into the bottom of her now empty glass) Oh (Looks up smiling) I think I'm tipsy.
Amanda: Better hurry this up then, right. (Raises her glass) To the beautiful, yet slightly slow, Penny. (Table laughs) We love you. Happy Birthday! And, give our love to New York. (Takes a gulp from her glass.
Penelope: (Laughing as Amanda stands) Oh you going? (Amanda nods) Shoot. You would have been so entertaining with a few more drinks in ya.
Amanda: I know. I have work early tomorrow.
Wyatt:Wanna ride.
Amanda: (Nods looking at her sister) I don't think Andy can orb straight.
Andrea: (Raises her glass) Here here!
Wyatt:(Hugs Penelope, whispers) Love you girl
Penelope: (Releases Wyatt and Hugs Amanda) Bye guys.
Amanda: (As she leaves) Have a great vacation.
- Wyatt and Amanda leave into a closet and white orb lights emanate from the behind the door for a moment.
- The scene moves to Melanie's new room. Melanie sits on the bed her pink pillow in her hands. Music plays in the stereo. "We Danced Anyway" by The Dixie Chicks. She looks over to her dresser at the diary her other self had written. A sad look was in her eyes.
- A noise. Melanie looks up to the door as Wyatt comes into view. She watches as his step hesitates and slows. But he continues on his way, past her room. Melanie tears and wipes her eyes.
- An alarm beeps. Melanie moves to a cup sitting on the side of her dresser. She pulls out the stick sitting inside it and reads.
Melanie: (Whispers) God.
- The stick reads 'pregnant'.
TBC?
Sorry about the hiatus. Family vacation. I have another one next weekend, so i have to skip another week.