This is as subdued as I could make it, but I have to have it this way. I have my reasons.
I DO NOT OWN THIS SHOW…I BARELY HAVE ENOUGH CASH FOR LUNCH.
Mel's POV
Leo dropped me off at an ice cream parlor around the corner, and I knew that I had to cover for some time, so I picked up some Rocky Road and then ate. We were planning to meet at the local pizza shop. It was across the street.
I couldn't wait to see one of my two best friends in the entire world. She was the only one who knew everything that Jerry had done to me. Mary was the one person above all that I could count on for absolutely anything.
We met there and talked for hours upon hours, and I was content to not get too deep. Once again, though, my best friend saw straight through my charade and called me on it.
"What's wrong, Mel? You're upset, and as much as I enjoyed getting a call from you…"
"I had a dream. Jerry kept reminding me that he would come back. NO MATTER WHAT!" Mel answered her friend, shakily.
"You told me he was dead. It's probably some fear that you haven't gotten over." Mary tried to console me, but I knew better.
Chris's POV
I orbed to Mel, after the conversation with Aunt Phoebe. She had seemed really upset when she left. When I saw her talking to someone, I looked for a table close. I wanted make sure she was all right.
"It wouldn't be the first time he came back from the dead. Don't you remember, last time they even found his body." My adoptive mother told her friend. "The guy has the most uncanny ability to survive."
I didn't know what they were talking about but I kept listening. If she caught me, she would toast me. Aunt Mel was always all about respecting other's privacy.
Truth was, something didn't feel right. I could feel it in my soul that something was about to happen. I remembered that she, well her future self, had once told me that she was really out of it for a while before the twins and I were born. The twins had been born about a month or so before I did.
Anyway, they continued to talk about someone, but I couldn't figure out who they were talking about. I was hiding myself and couldn't exactly see what was going on.
After listening for a long while I heard my adoptive mother let out a gut-wrenching scream. I jumped out of the shadow to see a warlock flying backward as a direct result of her telekinesis. She wasn't even looking in that direction though. I looked to see her friend, Mary, lying unmoving on the ground.
The warlock looked familiar to me. It seemed that I had seen or dealt with him before. Of course, it could be just another demon from the book of shadows.
Mel was shaking her hard and slapping her face. I could clearly see the fear on her face. It was then that I remembered her and Ebony, one of her friends, talking about an old friend that had died.
The warlock got back up, and began to stalk toward his prey. She had her back to him, much more worried about Mary. He wasn't getting to her. I wouldn't let him. I threw my arm out and sent him flying.
Mel still hadn't looked away from Mary, but I knew she was in no shape to fight. The warlock turned to me and I threw my arm out once again, but it didn't work due to the warlock's power of deflection.
I hadn't counted on that, but he quickly turned to me and smiled. "No one will get between me and my girl. I suggest you back off young witch"
"Not a chance in hell," I yelled as I rushed him, trying to think of a way to catch him off guard.
What I didn't see was the ball of fire headed my way. At least I didn't see it, until it hit me in the chest. After that I don't remember anything.
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER
I woke up, and it was a few seconds before I remembered what had transpired. I looked over and saw Mary's body. I checked for a pulse only to find none. I had no idea how long that I had been out.
I quickly sensed for Mel, praying that she was still alive. She was in a nearby cave, and thankfully alive. I orbed to the front of the cave, cautiously, in case the familiar looking warlock was still there.
I only took a few steps before I saw my adoptive mother's pants lying on the ground. Why in the world? I had no clue, at least not until I started finding more and more clothes. I nearly threw up just thinking about such a thing.
It didn't take long until I found mom, alone and tied to a bed. I didn't take time to think about it. If I would have I don't know what I would have done. I touched her hand, looking at her as little as possible and orbed her to the couch at the manor.
There wasn't much that could shake me, but I was in tears the moment I realized what was going on. I yelled for anyone close as soon as I got there. At that point, even Leo would have appeased me. Aunt Phoebe and Mom came running from the next room over.
Mom immediately took charge, by putting a blanket over Mel. She told Aunt Phoebe to go get her some clothes. She quickly yelled for Leo, but I couldn't move. Even when she asked me what happened, I couldn't move.
Some things were coming together that I wish weren't. I had seen my brother decimate the world with the flick of the wrist. I had seen whole cities crumble as if they had no foundation. I had seen my brother start on the road to revenge. I had watched my very own brother put a stake through Bianca. My own father had tried to kill me in Valhalla, and I handled it all.
How was I supposed to handle this? I broke completely, unable to do anything. I don't remember feeling this scared, sad, and angry since mom had died. Even Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige's death didn't quite hurt this much. If I was in my right mind, I would probably have gone after the warlock, but that wasn't the case.
She had taken care of me, loved me. Mel had adopted Prue and I, and helped us through the most difficult time in our lives. Yet all I could do for her was stare and cry. I could have stopped it. I should have stopped it.
Piper was still trying to get anything out of me, while Leo was healing her. I tried to say something, anything. Aunt Phoebe walked down the stairs with some of her pajamas, her favorite pajamas.
I could hear Leo's accusations. "What did you to her? Why did you do this?" Both Phoebe and Piper tried to stop him, but neither could. All I could do was sit there, hoping, praying that she was fine. This was why she never spoke of the twin's dad.
I back away from Leo and his accusations until I hit the wall. I put my head in between my legs, and cried harder. I should be doing something. I should be helping, but I can't. Leo was still saying things with Piper and Phoebe trying to calm him down.
"Leave him be Leo." Mom, my second mom, sat up off the couch. Thankfully, she was fully clothed. Leo stopped in his tracks to see the tearstained girl. She slowly stood and walked to me. She ignored the others all the way.
I could see Aunt Paige orb in beside Aunt Phoebe, as she crouched in front of me. It was my fault. Okay, so that doesn't make any sense because it obviously happened in my timeline, but I could have stopped it.
Instead of what she should have done, throwing me out or something more, she gathered my frail form into a hug. All I could do was stutter out, "W.Wh.Wha.What?"
Everyone else had a similar reaction, but she didn't seem to care. She gently whispered that it was okay, before turning to Leo. "I need to go to where I was. He attacked Mary. She could be long dead by now."
"Who?" Piper asked, but was met by her cousin insisting that Leo orb her to her friend. They all followed, bar me. I had already seen Mary, her friend. I did the only thing that I could do, now that my mind was finally starting to get a grasp on what was going on. She said that she would explain after they get back.
That gave him time to plot.
MEL'S POVEveryone else was so worried about me, when all I wanted was to see Mary. She was dead, long dead by the time we got there. I gave my condolences to her mom, as the rest of my family did.
All I could do was cry for Mary. I needed to get home, so that I could get in touch with my family, my stepsister. Jerry would soon find her. First, I have to explain though.
Back at the manor, before I could let Piper and them know what was going on, I went to Christopher. No matter what, he could not hear this.
"Chris, I need you to go research whatever demon you have on that ever-growing list of yours."
"Not until I know who to go kill for doing…that…. to you."
I stood close to him, making sure he could see the resolve in my eyes, "Go, now! I need to talk with them. I have something I need to do and don't have the time to argue with you."
"No, I want to know. I need to know, if only for the twins."
The rest of them had to be staring at us, but he didn't seem to get it. "You are NOT going to be in here. That's it. No discussion. I do not want or need you to know about this. By heaven, it's scary enough telling them, and I need to go get my stepsister. So, do what I say and we'll talk later."
"Why can't he stay?" Leo asked, ever oblivious to the circumstance. Did he not see how Chris reacted earlier? When I tell them it isn't the first time, he'll go catatonic. Not to mention, my future adoptive son does not need to hear this. It's crazy!
"Because she will one day be my mom."
After all this time, he chooses now to say something? I looked at Phoebe, who was amazingly dumbfounded. I looked at Chris and saw that he just realized what he just said.
"After my mom died, Mel adopted me. She saw it in her tiny glimpse of the future and thinks she can still treat me like a child."
Okay, so now not only were they all shocked at the revelation that Chris was related, even if they didn't have the whole story. Well, with the exception of Phoebe who seemed to be digesting the fact that Piper and Leo were going to die.
I breathed in deep, turned to Chris, "I never said you were a baby, but you didn't need to hear this." I turned back to everyone else. "You want an explanation. Okay. Jerry just refuses to die."
I didn't wait for any of their reactions. I stomped out of the house, grabbed my phone and called the airport. I needed a ticket to Birmingham, Alabama. Ebony was not going to be hurt because I'm not punctual.