A/N: I wish you all a happy New Year. I know it´s been a while since I uploaded a new chapter. My studies took some time away. But I fully intend to finish this story, so even if it takes a while I will continue.
Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of its characters.
It was about a week of two since their mom had kicked them out. Piper had also made sure they wouldn't stay in the club. So they had to find a place to sleep. Luckily they had soon found an abandoned warehouse to make their 'home'. It was terrible; mold on the walls, dust everywhere and worst of all, the place smelled like a sewer. But it was okay for the time being, it wasn't like they spent a lot of time there. Their days and many of their nights were filled with demon hunts and investigations.
Like tonight, Melinda had orbed into the manor to compare her notes with the Book of Shadows. As long as Piper wouldn't find out that she was there, she could continue her work. But next to Wyatt there was another problem Melinda started to worry about. Mom and Dad were still not together and she really wanted the brother who didn't want her dead to be born.
She walked down the stairs. As she pushed the door of Wyatt's room open the baby immediately brought up his shield. She grinned softly.
"Hey, little man. Don't be scared, it just me."
A pair of big eyes stared at her for a second before the boy let down his shield. Melinda walked to the crib and looked at him.
"What do you think Wyatt, do you want to help me to get mommy and daddy back together?"
The baby chuckled and clapped his hands.
"Good, because I need your help. Little kid in the cot, now you will feel very hot."
As she laid her hand against his forehead, she could feel the heat rising. The fever would be so high that Piper would need to call Leo, she was sure of it. Not long after the little boy started to cry. Melinda orbed to Phoebes room before her mother could bust her. Soon she heard her mother rush to the nursery. About half a minute later she sneaked after Piper to listen at the door.
"Sweetie, what's wrong. How did you get so hot?" Her mom's voice sounded so worried that Melinda got a knot in her stomach. She never wanted to hurt her mom, but she had to get her and Leo together.
"Leo", her mother yelled. "Leo get down her, you son needs you."
A whirlwind of orb lights announced the arrival of her father. "What is going on", he asked worried.
"He has a fever. Heal him!"
She assumed the Elder did as Piper told him.
"Feeling better, son?", Leo said gently. "Is everything else alright?", he said to Piper.
"Yes, we haven't any demon attacks in weeks."
Of course there hadn't been any demon attacks, Melinda thought. She and Chris had worked really hard these weeks.
"Good. Well, I have to go. You always can call if you or Wyatt need me."
"Thank you", Piper said while Leo orbed out.
Melinda sighed disappointed. It wasn't what she had hoped for, but at least he did come when his family needed him. That wasn't how she remembered him.
Well it was time to go back to work, so she orbed away.
- The Next Morning at the Attic -
Piper had called her sisters after she had found a small notebook next to the Book of Shadows. She was certain that Chris and Melissa had something to do with Wyatt's sudden illness last night.
"I want answers", she yelled at her sisters.
"I have written a spell that might get something out of them", Phoebe said. "The only problem is to get them here."
"Well, Chris is still our whitelighter. So we just could call him. His sister will probably follow."
Piper looked doubtful at her youngest sister. "Trying wouldn't hurt, I guess."
"Chris, Melissa, come here. We need you", Phoebe yelled.
As soon as the orb lights appeared they started to chant.
"Truth concealed from the start.
Show what has been hidden in their heart"
As they had spoken the spell a girl from a year of twelve appeared. Her face was a horrible gray color. Two dark braids hung over her shoulders.
Chris's eyes went wide as her stared at the girl, while Melissa whispered: "Penn."
The girl looked at her with eyes that looked like dark pools of death.
"Mel-Mel." Her voice sounded childish, but gave Piper the chills. It was cold like a winter wind.
"You said I didn't have to be afraid. That you would always protect me", the girl continued. "But you weren't there when my stomach started to ache. When the poison started to kill me. When I died I was all alone. I was really scared and hurt, but you didn't care, did you?"
Who was this girl? What was she towards their whitelighters? And most importantly was it true what she said about Melissa abandoning her?
"Of course I cared. I'm so sorry, I couldn't protect you. If I had known that Riley would have been a threat to you, I would have kicked him out."
"You should have known. You would have known, if you just were a better leader."
Piper could see the tears glistening in Melissa's eyes as she whispered that she was sorry. Chris softly said: "You did what you could."
Suddenly the girl turned to him.
"Maybe it was all your fault. You left us alone after all. How could you expect us to be alright? Wyatt wanted us dead more than ever. Mel-Mel had to protect hundreds of weak people. How could she keep us all safe? You just left your family to fight and die."
"No! No, I didn't have a choice. This is the only way to save everyone." It sounded more like Chris was trying to convince himself then the little girl.
"No, you just abandoned us, Chrissy."
"No, he didn't. The real Penny knew that", Melissa said softly.
The girl stepped away from them as her body started to change. A few seconds later she had morphed into Bianca. She looked exactly like when they had met her, except for the large piece of wood sticking out of her stomach.
Chris gasped his breath.
"It's your fault I'm dead', she said right in his face. "I believed in you, I did everything for you. I even tried to make a deal with Lord Wyatt so you could live. And all it did was getting me killed. I wish I never meet you. My life was good, when I was evil. Being good is for the weak."
Tears where running down Chris's cheeks.
"No, you're not real. The real Bianca believed in our cause. She wouldn't say that."
"And you would know, Mel", Bianca said with a sharp voice.
"You called yourself my friend, but all you are about is getting you and your family out alive. You don't care about who gets hurt in the process."
"No, you are not real." Melissa yelled.
Like the girl before, Bianca backed off and changed her appearance. This time she turned in a girl about sixteen years. Her auburn hair was pulled into a high ponytail. She had an arrow sticking in her shoulder.
Paige gasped her breath.
"That's one of my daughters", she said breathless. "She said they had kept them safe."
Melissa turned to look at Paige. "I'm really sorry, but how could we tell you the truth."
"Yes, Mel, how could you have told them the truth", the girl said sarcastically. "Told them how you abandoned me. You always claimed that Kat and I were like your sisters, but you never cried for her. And you weren't there for me when I was grieving for my twin sister. I didn't tell you that I wanted to avenge her death, that I wanted to kill Wyatt, because I know you didn't even care enough about me or Kat to help us. And when I returned with a darklighter arrow in my shoulder, you did nothing. All you cared about was making sure your brother would survive, not me."
"There was nothing more I could do then hold your hand", Melissa whispered crying.
"Why didn't you find the trigger for your power? Within a year you learned how to use your healing power. You just didn't love me enough, did you?"
Weeping Melissa fell on the knees.
"I'm sorry, Tam, I am. I wish I could have done something, anything. I prayed that I had learned to use my healing power earlier. I'm so sorry."
Chris turned around to face the Charmed Ones. His face was tearstained.
"Please, make it stop."
He sounded so broken, almost like a lost child. How old were their whitelighters, actually? For the first time Piper saw how young they actually were.
When the girl changed again her face stayed the same. The ponytail made place for loose curls and the arrow disappeared. This time the girl's throat was cut. Blood stained her blouse.
"Guided spirits,
Hear our plea,
Annul this magic,
Let it be", Piper said.
– – – – – – – –
It felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest, seeing all these people they had loved. They had failed to protect every one of them. Chris kneeled next to his little sister and laid his arm around her shaking shoulders. As soon as he touched her he felt that they shared the last memory of Kat.
He was shackled with chains that drained him of his magic. It had been months since Wyatt had captured him. For months he had been helpless. He just hoped Melinda and his cousins were alright. Leading the resistance wasn't a job for a sixteen year old, but he was sure his little sister would do better than most full-grown men. She was a Halliwell after all. But how long would they last? How long would he have to stay in this dungeon? Why didn't Wyatt just kill him, like he had done with most of their family? Apparently it did mean something that he was Wyatt's little brother.
At that moment Wyatt entered the cell. Chris's heart stopped as he saw that his brother dragged Katlyn with him. The sixteen year old held her head up and bit away her tears, but he could see how scared she was.
"Hello, little brother. How are you", Wyatt said devilishly.
When he remained silent Wyatt said: "Aren't you glad to see your dear cousin after almost three months?"
"Let her go, Wyatt."
"I will let her go if you quit with the resistance and will be my right hand."
"Never!", Chris yelled almost in a reflex.
He gasped for air when Wyatt put a knife against Kat's throat.
"Chris don't you dare to change your mind", the girl said with steady voice. "My life isn't worth more than the people you and the resistance save every day. Just promise me that when you get out, you tell Tam not to give up." A single tear rolled over her cheek. "Tell her that I love her. I love all of you. And Chris, this isn't your fault."
"If you are that sure he won't change his mind", Wyatt said while a monstrous smile appeared on his face.
"Wyatt, no!", Chris yelled.
Then his big brother cut the throat of their cousin. Kat's limp body fell on the ground in a pool of blood.
"Remember little brother; Melinda will be the next one to die", Wyatt said before walking out of the room.
Crying he was dragged into the present. The pain of Kat's that was entwined with the fear that he wouldn't be able to protect Mel.
"Are you alright?", Phoebe asked.
Chris nodded to answer his aunt, although he felt horrible, before helping his sister up.
"Why didn't it work?", Paige asked.
"It worked, just not as you suspected", he said. "The spell said to show what was hidden in our hearts and it did. It showed you the pain, the grieve and the guilt we have to hide to keep going."