Note: Short chapter - sorry.
Phoebe's Bedroom...
Mel watched her father shimmer out with her sister. Sighing, she turned to face her mother and aunts. This is not going to be good, she thought to her self.
But unimaginable relief had flooded through her, and even the risks of future consequences seemed trivial to her compared to the greater scheme of things. He father was alive, her sister was alive, and her fiancé was alive. Life was, once again, all right (considering her cousin was an evil dictator ruling over the world and she was stuck in the past, this is saying something.)
Piper and Paige, however, were not feeling so happy and forgiving of the world. Cole, their sworn nemesis, was going to be resurrected in the near future and once again marry their sister. This day, as early as it was, was not turning out to be a fine one in the least. Plus, they were deprived of their much-needed beauty sleep. That was never good.
One hour later...
"So…" Phoebe said, drawing out the word as she studies the others.
She, her sisters, Melody, Chris, Jonas, and Bianca were standing in the living room. Chris, Jonas, and Bianca were wearing similar expressions of that of her daughter: joy. Phoebe assumed that the news that Cole and Ella lived meant that some of their loved ones were also safe.
Paige simply looked exasperated, and all the news that bombarded her an hour ago was having trouble sinking in. Piper was hollering for Leo, glaring angrily at the ceiling.
The disheveled elder orbed in a few minutes later, and his normally sparkling and clean robes dripped with slime. Mel burst out laughing, and Leo shot a fierce look at her, only causing the giggling to step up in intensity.
"Honey, what happened?" Piper asked gently, forgetting for a moment that they were divorced.
"She," he pointed to Melody, "can use athames to steal powers from demons."
Leo looked around triumphantly. "And," he continued, "She has a darklighter crossbow. She's evil!"
"Hey!" Phoebe defended her daughter, and was rewarded by a smile from Mel.
"Um, Leo?" Piper interrupted, "we have another problem. Cole is her father."
"What!" he exploded. The Charmed Ones shrunk back slightly.
"Yeah," Paige took up, "and he's here."
The elders face went from confusion to shock to rage in less than five seconds. Bianca cracked a smile, as she thoroughly enjoyed Leo's psychological torment. Chris nudged her gently, as if telling her to save it for another time. However, he too was entertained by his father's horror. Wait 'til he finds out that his second son is to be married to a demon, he though wickedly.
"I have a confession to make," Phoebe announced, and the expressions of every future person in the room changed. Chris cringed inwardly, Mel rolled her eyes, Jonas's eyes lit up in pure joy, and Bianca huffed.
"What?" Leo and her sisters asked.
"Chris is-- ," She was cut off by her nephew, who leapt forward in a futile gesture to cover her mouth. Piper, however, shoved him back. Not wanting to fight with his mother, he stayed on the ground, looking up in panic.
"Mom!" Mel yelled. Phoebe looked over apologetically at her.
"They should know," she said, "it would help protect Wyatt, which is what you want to do, right?"
"Ok, if it's 'spill all' time, we get to do it." Jonas proclaimed. Chris and melody gave up, and accepted their fate. Jonas began to speak:
"Chris, Melody, and I are the second generation Charmed Ones."
"What!" Piper, Paige and Leo exclaimed.
"Please, no interruptions." Jonas asked prissily, as if he was a schoolteacher. All nodded in dismayed agreement.
"I am Paige's son, by a father whom I won't say. I have a little brother named Michael, and a girlfriend, Teresa."
"More like girl-fiend," Mel injected.
"I said no interruptions, Melody," Jonas glared, "I meant you, too."
She rolled her eyes.
Paige, however, was startled. He was her son?
"Chris, over here," he slung his arm around one of his cousin's shoulders, "is my cousin, the second child of Piper and Leo. Ta-da! You've been suspicious and cruel to your own child. The good one, too!"
Leo's jaw slacked.
"Catching flies?" Jonas remarked, and he shut it.
"Wyatt, in our time, is an evil, calculating dictator who uses Excalibur to reek havoc in the street of San Francisco, his base of operations for ruling the world. All people, from U.S. to China, are under his rule. Only the brave ones, the Resistance, fight back. Chris heads it, and we are his second in command. He is, after all, twice-blessed. He just doesn't show off his powers like his bratty older brother."
"You're lying!" Leo yelled in outrage, "My son would never be evil."
"Oh yeah?' Mel said coldly, and removed her cloak. She rolled up one of her sleeves to reveal old battle scars that ran up and down her arm.
"Not all of these were made by him directly – mostly his demon minions. But," she trailed off, and pulled up the other sleeve, "oh, here it is."
Phoebe whimpering in pain for her daughter as Mel showed off her muscular shoulder. Upon it was what first appeared to be a messy tattoo. But as the sisters and Leo looked at it closer, it was black because of a burn, like as if someone had used iron prongs on her skin. It bore the name 'Lord Wyatt.'
"He was experimenting with new torture techniques, so when he caught me on a raid of one of his factories…" she trailed. The sisters were shocked.
"Sweetie," Phoebe cried, and embraced her daughter.
"Do you believe us now?" Chris demanded.
"Yes," Phoebe replied almost immediately. Paige nodded as well, but it wasn't because of the mark alone. Her old social worker instinct had told her something about the girl once Mel had opened up to them. She had so many symptoms of being hurt by those close to her. A cousin fit perfectly into the equation.
Piper also showed her agreement. Chris was her son… she raised such a brave boy…
Leo was the only one who still had doubts.
"I'll discover the truth," the elder vowed, "just you wait."
In the future, Wyatt eagerly awaits advancements in the search for his little brother…
"Come on, old man," he demanded. "Talk."
Victor mumbled something incoherent. Greedily, Wyatt leaned in closer.
"What did you say, Gramps?"
Victor peered up at his grandson with bloodshot eyes. The cut on his cheek ran freely, and his forehead was bruised heavily. A crude rope hanging from the ceiling bound his hands, and his wrists were tender to the touch – a result from being suspend in a cave for several hours.
"You're scum," he muttered more audibly. Wyatt sneered.
"Sticks and stones, Gramps," he said wickedly, "sticks and stones."
A demon appeared in the room. Wyatt glanced at him impatiently.
"What is it?"
"My liege," he addressed shakily, "there was a… miscalculation."
"A mistake!" Wyatt roared, and the demon realized with dread that he now had the Dark Lord's undivided attention.
"No, no, sir" the demon said hastily, "merely a fixable problem."
"Then fix it," he hissed.
"But, sir, it's beyond the demons' power. You are needed."
"What is it that you cannot possibly handle without me holding your hands?" Wyatt. Tired of this little game, just wanted an answer.
"Your cousins, the 2nd Charmed Ones," the demon said quietly, "They live."
"WHAT?"