Chapter 20: Blood of our Blood

A/N: I did it! Darn wouldn't let me upload anything...finally I figured it out. Had to export a chapter...delete it all...then copy andpaste. Finally it worked! This chapter itself took me solong, but I thinkit's quite good. I actually remember where it was going. Now that stupid school's out of my way, I should be able to finish this soon enough. Enjoy the chapter! I enjoyedit (although i accidentally deleted most of it, and had to write it again)

It took me a moment to realize why I was lying on the cold hard floor. Slowly it came rushing back, and I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. At least for now, the source was no longer a threat. There would still be many difficulties in getting home, but for now, the toughest was behind us.

I got up slowly, so the blood wouldn't rush to my head. As I peered around the room, I saw that Melinda and Aidan were still unconscious. I could see that they were breathing, which was an enormous relief. Waking them up would have to come later. It was time to move on to some pressing matters. The Grimoire was still sitting where we had left it, and it was open to the correct page.

Now was as good a time as any to look at it. My eyes scanned the page, and I felt more and more hopeless. The majority of the ingredients we had, and together we were powerful enough to say the spell. In fact, there was only one thing that we were missing. This spell required the blood of all three Charmed Ones. What were you going to do? Just walk up to them and poke them with a knife? That would so screw up the future.

I read the page over and over again, but there was no way around it. We needed their blood if we were ever going to go home. I sat down on the sofa and tried to figure out away that we could do this. I guess we could start by calling Grams, and asking what she thought, but I wasn't sure how far that would get us.

I buried my head in the pillows, closed my eyes, and tried to block everything out. I just wanted it all to be over, to go home, and to sleep. Since we had been here, there hadn't been any time to just sit, and relax. Sure, it had been fun for a while. We were here because of a mistake, at least I thought so, and it was about time we got back. The longer we were here, the harder that became.

I kind of wished Melinda would wake up. She always used to know what to say to make me feel better. I did it again, referred to our time in the past tense. The time before we were thrown forty years into the past was becoming like another life that someone else had lived. We were as out of place as someone could possibly be, and it was all my fault!

It had always been that way, and nothing would ever change it. It was always stupid Patience screwing things up for everybody. Because of the whirlwind of events that had occurred since we were thrown her, I hadn't even thought of my mother. Now that I was alone, and it was quiet, I couldn't help but think of her .We fought a lot, which was sure. There were times that I said I hated her, and times that I felt I did. Despite that, I would give anything for her to be here and comfort me. She would point me in the right direction, and say everything would be all right.

Just thinking of my mother made me feel a sense of overwhelming hopelessness. What if I never saw her again? What if I never saw anyone in my family again? Large salty tears began to flow down my cheeks, and I didn't try to stop them. In this situation, I felt I should be crying. It kind of made me feel better, to get it all out like that. At thirteen years old, the majority of the time I wanted to be considered grown up. Right now, I wanted nothing more to be held by my mother and have her smooth my hair, like she did when I was small.

I noticed Melinda stirring, so I did the best I could to stop my tears. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she saw me crying. Melinda couldn't think that I was worried. I wasn't the type to worry over nothing. Seeing I worried basically let people know there was cause for concern. The tears just would not stop! Everything was just so difficult.

Melinda got up shakily, and looked at me with concern. "Patience, what's wrong?" she asked softly. Instead of answer her, I turned away, and buried my head in the couch cushions. They did very little to stifle my tears. Melinda didn't say anything more. Instead, she got up, and sat down beside me. It was a mark of what a good person she was that she didn't ask anymore questions.

What she did, was she pulled me into a hug, and let me cry my eyes out. My tears now came out in great gasping sobs. Melinda held me close, and just whispered a comforting 'sssshhhhh'. She would let me calm myself down before I told her what was bugging me. It was very hard to talk. "We're…stuck…and…it's…all my fault", I managed to choke out before I started crying again.

Melinda looked at me in concern. "That's not true", she whispered firmly. Despite her confidence, I couldn't believe her. She just didn't understand. We were here because of a mistake I made. I was just being the stupid old Patience, always screwing everything up. Now the only way we could possibly get home seemed impossible. I just wanted everything back to the way it was. Since that was basically impossible, I felt so…hopeless.

"Patience, look at me", my cousin insisted. I did not want to look. I was afraid that Melinda would do what she always did. She would bail me out when I was in trouble, and make me feel reason. I didn't want to be the one who caused the trouble anymore. I didn't want her to be the reasonable one anymore. "Please Patience", Melinda repeated. I looked up then, not because of her words, but because of her tone. She sounded so desperate; almost as desperate as I felt.

Reluctantly, I let my deep brown eyes meet her clear blue ones. I didn't see any superiority in her eyes as I expected. Instead, I only saw worry. Melinda was worried about me. It wasn't me she should be worried about. She should be much more worried about everyone else. My cousin just didn't understand! I had to make her understand what real trouble we were in. "Look in the book", I pleaded with her. It was crucial that she understand. She looked a little sceptical; however, she made her way to the book. It was still opened to that dreaded page.

As her eyes scanned down the page, her confident expression faltered a bit. She stopped looking so optimistic, and began to look a little concerned. Very slowly, she closed the book and sat back down. "We'll be okay Patience, we'll get home." she said. I couldn't help but notice that she sounded a little uncertain as she said this. I wanted to believe her, really I did. However, I understood just how difficult this would be. "Please…" Melinda whispered, "We will get home. We have to believe it, or it'll never happen. I know it'll be hard. Heck, it seems almost impossible. But we've got to try." Slowly, I nodded. However hopeless it may seem, it would be better to keep a positive attitude. If one thing could be said for us Halliwells, it was that we were resilient.

Melinda made me feel a little better. It was almost like old times. I would have a problem, and Melinda would help me with it. Being slightly older, she had always been protective of me. This was different then not learning my letters fast enough, or loosing my favourite Barbie. In some ways, I wished it wasn't different. I missed the almost simple way things used to work. My life had always been filled with magic and demons, but it had always seemed so normal. Life before we had been thrown into the past seemed so far away, like it had happened to a totally different person. It had been a charmed life, but it had been simple.

At that moment, we saw that Aidan was finally stirring. Melinda smiled and said, "It looks like your sleeping beauty is finally waking up." Despite my horrible feelings of hopelessness, I began to giggle uncontrollably. I just found that horribly funny. Aidan got up shakily and looked around. He then walked over to us and sat between us on the couch.

"What's so funny?" he asked jovially. I stifled my giggles enough to answer him. I was going to answer honestly, but I couldn't help being a little mischievous

"We were just laughing on how you were snoring", I said with a smile. This made Melinda burst into a fit of giggles. Aidan's face turned beet red and a small fire appeared on the carpet. Aidan quickly stamped it out. I missed when he used to do that for some reason. Aidan now noticed the Grimoire, which had by itself fluttered to the page we needed. He got up, and looked at it. He frowned momentarily at it.

"This is hard, but all we need to do is call Grams", I said, "She'll get ...um…the Charmed Ones here." Then it'll be fine." He didn't usually take charge like this, but I appreciated this. He immediately went to the phone, and made the call. Melinda decided to get all the other ingredients we needed for the spell. Most of them were in the kitchen. I knew that I should do something useful, but I just couldn't bring myself to move. I wanted rest.

Aidan came back from the kitchen phone and sat beside me. ""Well, they'll be here in half an hour; we have until then to think up a reason to want their blood. We've covered up worse than this." I wanted to tell them he was right, but this was different. Taking a sample of someone's blood couldn't be explained by the stock explanation of "coincidence", or "internet". I tried my best to think of an explanation, but each seemed more unlikely than the next. The only reason we could want their blood was if we were vampires, or doing DNA tests (Which of course hadn't been invented)

This wouldn't work. The minutes were passing by very quickly, and we still hadn't thought of an explanation. If they were just to walk in, and we were just to stab them or something, they were sure to be a little upset. I was pretty sure my mother would never speak to me again if I did that. Just thinking about my mother made me feel a pang of regret. I wish she was here, as a grown up, she would know what to do. I tried thinking of what my mother or my aunts might do, thinking that might help.

As far as I knew, they had never been in that situation before. Each of them had to be convinced differently. The best way I could think of doing this was thinking back to the way they had reacted when they first found out they were witches. My mother had been immediately very accepting, so I felt I could talk to her almost honestly, although she was only twelve years old. Aunt Piper and aunt Prue would be much harder to convince. I remembered being told that they had been reluctant about being witches, going as far as believing that witches were evil. This was harder than I thought.

Aidan was staring at the clock, watching the minutes slowly pass. I knew that if I did this too, the time would pass much more slowly. Melinda was in the kitchen, preparing the other ingredients. Like Aunt Piper, she was always most comfortable in the kitchen. According to the clock, we had ten more minutes. I thought and I thought, but still I thought of nothing. Then suddenly, it came to me! I remembered a story my mother used to tell me, when she was trying to emphasize the importance of sisterhood. It was the perfect solution. "

What is it Patience? You look like you've just had an epiphany or something."

I smiled it him. I was happier, and everything seemed so much clearer. My plan wasn't a fool proof one, but it had a good chance of working. My mother told me about the summer by the lake where they made a blood oath not to just be sisters, but friends first. That would be a perfect thing to do. I t might take some time, but it could work. I couldn't tell Aidan what I wanted to do, because he would just be too obvious. "Yeah, something like an epiphany." I said.

The ten minutes before my mother and two aunts were due to appear passed very quickly. When the door bell rang, I nearly jumped out of my seat. Aidan's eyes too darted towards the door. Melinda however appeared from the kitchen, looking more chipper than ever before. If I didn't know any better, I would swear she was under some sort of spell. "I'll get it", she said extremely cheerily.

She indeed opened the door, to see a very confused looking Grams, and even more confused looking set of sisters. "Why'd we come back Grams?" Asked the young version of my mother, tugging on Grams skirt. Grams was looking at me hopelessly, as if wishing for a way out. I just shrugged hopelessly. I didn't know what to say. Melinda, however, felt that she could take control.

"Now's not the time for questions!" Melinda said. Her tone was almost creepily cheery. I reconsidered whether she was under some sort of spell. Her smile seemed pasted on, and very fake. Without batting an eye, she raised her hands and flicked her wrists. Prue, Piper and Phoebe froze in place. Grams looked to Melinda, then back to Aidan and me again. She had still not lost her suspicious nature, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"What'd you do that for?" she asked angrily. Of course, she did not freeze, just as Aidan and I hadn't.

Melinda just shrugged. "We need to do a spell", she explained, "it's the only way we'll leave, and too do this spell, we need their blood." Well, that was a pretty matter of fact way to explain it. Grams just made a motion, somewhere halfway between a sigh and a shrug, and slumped down on the couch. She must have really wanted to get rid of us.

Melinda pulled a small athame from her pocket. I had no idea she kept one. This girl was full of surprises. She approached Prue first. She was frozen sulking, very close to the door way. She held the athame close to the crook of Prue's arm. She hesitated for a moment before pricking her. Melinda was so like Aunt Piper in certain ways. My aunt Piper had always been very squeamish about the sight of blood. "Just do it!" I yelled. All of this suspense was killing me!

Melinda quickly pocked Prue in the arm. No blood came out. Melinda went a little deeper until Prue definitely should have been bleeding a little. Still there was no blood. My cousin pocketed the knife, looking perplexed. "Why isn't she bleeding? Only warlocks don't bleed", Melinda said. I wondered that too. I was pretty sure Prue wasn't a warlock.

Then it hit me. We were being so stupid. Of course she wasn't bleeding. Her body was frozen, which meant that her blood must be as well. "Unfreeze her", I insisted. Melinda flicked her wrists and the Charmed Ones were reanimated. A gash appeared on Prue's arm. I t was quite deep, and it immediately began to bleed profusely.

Prue looked at her arm in confusion. "Why the hell am I bleeding?" she asked angrily. I was at a loss. How on earth could we explain this?