The Witch Is Back

It was three o'clock in the morning but the Halliwell manor was still awake. Piper lay sleeping in a chair whilst Leo stood in the door way watching his son and daughter. It was a rare sight, all the family together. It took Melinda's return to draw her brother back into the nest. This, in turn, brought Leo home from the school. Chris and Melinda discussed business and studies. They discussed politics and philosophy. They discussed anything but family. Then Melinda broke from the conversation about the club's line up.

'Chris, when you were looking for Wyatt, did you ever hear that Sebastian and Tyler were still alive?'

'What?'

'When I was at uni, there was… talk. People didn't like to say anything to me but… Someone claimed to have seen them. But other people thought it was just an urban legend. Did you ever hear anything?'

Chris' eyes softened, 'all the time I was looking in that jungle, I never saw a single body. Demons I wouldn't expect, but witches? Three witches don't just dissappear like that. Dad's right – we can't sense them anymore. And we can't find them by scrying or spells. But we can't summon them either. They haven't turned up as ghosts or whitelighters. We can't find anything to say that they've passed over.' He paused anxiously and then said, ' I don't believe we've heard the last of any of them.'

Melinda wished she could share in her brother's hope. 'Have you told mum and dad this?'

'No and I don't plan to. If I'm right, it'll come to light in its own time.'

'You're still looking for him, aren't you?' Chris looked at his sister, guiltily, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't be but he didn't have time to answer her.

There was a bang on the door. Piper woke immediately, 'who's that?'

'I'll go.' Chris was already half way there.

He opened the front door and peered out. There, half in shadow and half illuminated by the porch light was a face he thought he'd never see again.

'Tyler,' breathed Chris.

'Can I come in?' Chris stood back, unable to speak and let his old friend in. Tyler followed him into the living room.

'Tyler!' Piper started. Melinda and her father wore the same shocked expression.

'I'm sorry to call so late but I… There is something of great importance that I must…' He avoided their eyes, he avoided looking at them at all or looking at anything familiar in the room. Instead he looked at his shoes. 'For some time now Sebastian and I have been living as – Sebastian and I did not die in the jungle. In truth, we were never there. You see, we found a… It does not matter. A week ago, we were attacked by demons on a train and an unusual thing happened. A witch, a man, not quite thirty attacked the demon with an axe. At least, I think he is a witch although he has done little yet to prove it. He's an amnesiac. He doesn't remember, you see, being a witch. He is outside. I wanted to bring him here for protection but he is reluctant to… he is afraid.' Tyler avoided the crucial point. He could not bring himself to tell them that Wyatt was outside in the darkness.

'What're you talking about? You weren't at the fight? We thought you were dead? Where have you been? Where's Seb?' Chris was torn between anger and joy.

'Outside. He is outside.' Tyler managed a hoarse whisper.

'Well, let's bring him in. Let's bring them both in,' Leo ventured.

'No!' Tyler raised his voice for the first time.

'Tyler, what is going on?' Piper spoke in a way that forced Tyler to look her straight in the eye. He cracked.

'It's Wyatt, you see. Wyatt is outside.' Tears rolled from Tyler's eyes as he looked deep into Piper's.

'What?' Chris was the first to speak. 'Wyatt!' He ran to the door and outside calling his brother's name.

Piper didn't believe Tyler and looked painfully into his eyes, trying to figure out the confusion and fear.

'I thought he had to die. I thought that's what the prophecy meant – that he had to sacrifice himself. And so we left him. But now he's here. He's here and he doesn't know anyone.' Tyler spoke through sobs, the first tears in a very long year.

The family looked up as Chris came through the doorway, pale as a ghost and then they felt that they really were seeing a ghost as a blonde man edged in behind him.

'Wyatt.' Leo spoke it. His voice was warm, filled with relief but his eyes betrayed the struggle to recognise Wyatt. Sad eyes, thinning hair and pale skin made the man in the doorway seem like a stranger.

Tyler spoke for the last time that evening, 'You are Wyatt now. You mustn't try to be Milton. It won't work. He's not real. This is your home. These people are your family. They'll teach you everything you need to know.' With that he turned to Piper, whispered, 'sorry' and left.

The Halliwell sisters sat in the attic, Paige leafing through the book of shadows.

'So, is that all he said? What prophecy? What did he mean?' Phoebe paced up and down behind Paige.

'I don't know, Phoebe. He didn't make much sense. But my son is back. He's back.' Piper's voice quivered and her last words disappeared into a squeak. She smiled, allowing tears to fall.

'But he can't remember anything. So that's what we need to focus on.'

'Yeah, poor guy,' Phoebe said. 'He's probably freaking out.'

In the hours since Wyatt's return, Melinda had not said a word. 'He's back.' She whispered to herself. 'It's okay. He's alive. He's back.' The more she said it, the less she believed it. She'd watched Milton all night before he went to bed and not recognised a thing. His voice sounded too Eastern. He didn't smile. Tyler was different. Tyler seemed like he had never gone away. His hair was grey and he was beaten but it was the same gentleness, the same softness that she had always loved. But now he'd dissappeared back into the night, without a second glance, and she didn't know if she would ever see him again.

In a room directly beneath the attic, Milton sat upright on his bed. He had been sat there for hours. He had not slept but daren't go downstairs.

'Has anyone called Sophie?' Phoebe asked.

'No. Chris is going to go and see her.'

'Well don't you think he should go? She was Wyatt's fiancé.'

'Phoebe, he hasn't even come downstairs yet. Don't you think he's got enough to deal with? With brothers, sisters, parents? Demons and aunts?'

Milton emerged sheepishly in the attic doorway.

'Good morning.' It sounded stupid – such an average greeting in such strange circumstances. It was all he could manage.

'Hi.' When he was there, Piper could do nothing but look at him. Milton noticed it and it made him uncomfortable. Piper realised this so she tried only to look when he was distracted. 'Paige is looking for a memory spell. Maybe we can help you remember something.'

'TJ already tried. It didn't work.' Milton looked at the strange faces. His mother and her two sisters. He felt sick. 'But maybe I can help you anyway.'

'Sure.' Paige was surprised by this and unsure how he could help. 'This is the Book of Shadows. It's been in our – are you okay?' The blood had drained from Milton's face. He looked at the book aghast.

'Wyatt?'

'That sign – what is it?'

'It represents the power of three – the three of us. Halliwell magic works best when we're united as a family.' Phoebe looked into her nephew's eyes and tried to channel her powers into his mind. 'Have you seen it before?'

'It was scarred on the ground where… Where I was found.'

Paige paused, 'You must have called upon the family magic, in the fight - called on Charmed magic. We weren't there, but our magic was.'

Milton turned cold. He remembered the jungle, he remembered the sun and the desolate landscapes. He remembered being alone. 'Why weren't you there?'