2026

Chris looked up from the book of shadows he was flipping through. Helpless to do anything but wait for Wyatt to return with the girls, when he heard a noise. He was surprised to see his mother but less surprised to see his Aunt Phoebe. He knew she'd show up eventually. Wyatt had been gone almost six hours, so even if she had bought Wyatt's lie she would still be in a panic by now. He had hoped Wyatt could get the girls and be back by now. But when Wyatt didn't return immediately he waited thirty minutes before he started preparing, in case he didn't make it back before his Aunt Phoebe came asking if they had seen or heard from the girls.

"Chris, Phoebe says that Melinda and Little Phoebe are missing. Is that true? Why didn't you tell me?" Piper asked.

"When Aunt Phoebe called earlier we didn't know they were missing. They told us this morning they were heading to the mall for some shopping and maybe catch a movie or two. But when Aunt Phoebe called and said Ladybug was late we knew she would be worried so we started to sense for them and when that didn't work we started looking for them." Chris said keeping his brother's lie going.

The truth was they hadn't seen their sister or cousin in a couple of days. Not since the last family dinner that was held once a week. But he knew their mother would be upset if she knew they weren't keeping tabs on her. "We didn't call and tell you since you have so much to do with P3 and Halliwell's, and we didn't want to worry you unless we had to. You have enough stress we didn't want to add to it."

Phoebe felt guilty now. Since Ladybug was last seen with Melinda, which meant she was missing too, Phoebe felt coming to Piper was the right thing to do at the time. She hadn't thought to consider the stress she was going to be adding to. "I'm sorry Piper, I shouldn't have worried you like this. It's probably nothing."

"No Phoebe, our daughters are missing - you should have come to me, sooner. Chris and Wyatt should have told me when they realized they were officially missing." Piper turned to Chris, "Where is your brother anyway?"

Piper had done everything she and Leo could think of to make sure Chris grew up to be an open and honest person. Although she had grown to love the Chris that came to the past after learning he was hers, she didn't like how secretive he still was. She hoped to make sure this one wasn't as skilled a liar as his previous life, not knowing he developed the skill anyway soon after he started to regain the memories from his other life at age 14.

The memories were small at first, making him question what was real, but after seeing his mother's death in a dream that felt so real he chose to talk with his parents. After talking they asked a few Elders what to do. A few suggestions were to wipe his memories of the past life. However, Chris didn't like that idea since he now knew it was a past life and after discussing it, Piper and Leo agreed they didn't like that idea either as they felt Chris retained those memories for a reason. It was Paige who had suggested he started to write the alternate memories down as it was something she used to do. Chris got a diary-type book with a lock, but just to be sure Wyatt or his parents didn't try to find the key to open it and read it without his permission he cast a spell on it so that if opened by anyone but him it was blank.

He tried not using his ability to lie very often. Like now for example he had no choice. If they knew that Wyatt, Melinda and Ladybug were in the past or somewhere in time, his mother - and probably his Aunt too - would blow their stacks and start looking for a spell or writing one to immediately bring them back.

"He's searching the underworld for them, in case they're there. While I agreed to stay here in case they came back and to keep scrying for them." He had made sure everything was set up to make it appear as though that's what he was doing.

Piper looked at Phoebe and kinda wished they hadn't given the kids the empath blocking potion when they were young.

"Why would they be in the underworld? You know how I feel about your sister being down there." Piper said.

"Look mom, Wy and I care about what happens to Mel. But we can't be responsible for her every move. We came here to research a few demons. You forget that we don't even live here anymore. If we hadn't seen Mel and Ladybug this morning, we wouldn't have even known what they said they were planning on doing."

"You should have made sure they really went to the mall." Piper said.

"Mom, Mel is 19 - she's too old to need a babysitter. Wyatt and I can't and won't watch her 24/7. Between work, college and demon hunting we don't have time to watch her every move. She's always mad when we refuse to take her on demon hunts. You've said you don't want her to go with us so we rarely take her. She thinks it's because we think she's useless, when really it's because you've asked us to not take her. But mom if she doesn't learn from us more instances like this will happen and Wy and I might not be able to get to her in time. You're expecting us to give up our lives, our demon hunts and play babysitter. To someone who is old enough to look after themselves. Growing up we hated it when you made us give up our plans and one or both of us had to follow Mel, and usually Ladybug too, no matter where they said they were going. One of us had to go with them to make sure they stayed out of trouble."

"Chris, I have two businesses to run. I don't have time to watch your sister. I need you and your brother to help."

"I know but…"

"Piper, he's right."

"What?"

"Look, Grams tried to control me and look at what happened. I was basically a juvenile delinquent. It was a good thing I didn't have any of my powers then or we'd have had trouble. I mean look what happened when I accidentally turned myself into a teenager again and caused all that trouble at my high school reunion."

"Phoebe that's different."

"Remember how she also controlled Prue? She wasn't allowed to go away to pursue her dreams, she had to stay and help look after us. Unlike me she accepted it, on the surface. But deep down I think she resented Grams. If you keep Melinda down and don't let her train with Chris and Wyatt, then she's going to keep acting out. Then she'll either end up like me running away and, in her case, start fighting demons on her own, or like Prue bottling it up till it explodes like it did at your wedding. You've always had trouble keeping her down. You did a good job raising her. Unlike me, she's a good girl, with the exception of running off on the occasional demon hunt alone or with Ladybug. I don't think I could have handled what our kids did in going to two different schools. To give up my summer and part of the weekend for magic school while attending mortal school during the week."

"It wasn't that bad Aunt Phoebe. At least in magic school we got to use our powers and learn new spells and stuff."

"Yes and while you and Wyatt go out and fight demons Melinda feels useless. She feels her powers aren't good enough, especially since she was born without any whitelighter abilities, seeing as Leo was human."

"What makes you so sure that's how she feels?" Piper asked.

"Empath, remember. But also because she's asked for advice on how to get Chris and Wyatt to take her seriously and allow her to go on demon hunts with them."

"Why wouldn't she talk to me? I'm her mother. Have I not proved to her that she can talk to me?"

"No Piper, that's not it at all. She loves you and knows she can talk to you. But she also knows how you feel about her demon hunting. After what happened with Chris in the past and knowing what Wyatt would have become you refused to let them do much."

"Yet it took Wyatt constantly sneaking out on demon hunts, despite me trying to talk him out of it, and then one day he came home hurt because he was doing it alone. You made him promise to do everything in his power to keep both me and himself safe." Chris pleads.

"He's right, Piper. I know what Melinda is thinking not just because of what she told me. But also because that's how I always felt. Unlike Melinda who at least got a version of your power, I got premonitions. So when it came to fighting demons I was useless. That's why I started learning martial arts and had Cole train me harder. Even when I got my levitation powers at first I was happy I got an active power. But I soon found it wasn't good enough. I mean after all my training and my levitation it didn't make me feel completely useless anymore. It wasn't till I got my empath powers and learned to use it to send a demons' power back at him that I no longer felt useless."

Piper sighed, she always knew that Phoebe felt useless. She didn't want her daughter to think that and looked at Chris and said, "Fine, after she gets off being grounded you and Wyatt can start training her. But nothing too dangerous."

Chris just smiled as he knew his sister well enough to know that rule wouldn't last long. "You know mom; it would be better if you sold P3. It would greatly reduce your stress."

"I can't. It's our last connection to Prue. I keep hoping that you or one of your siblings or cousins will want to take it over."

"I'm not sure it will happen." Phoebe said.

"Well I'm not giving up."