A/N

This is it, the end of Dear Diary. You all have been wonderful in your reviews, criticisms, and critiques. Thank you for the encouragement that I needed to keep going on to finish this story. I hope that the end doesn't let you down and leaves you with a sense of closure and happy endings.

Ayrlee

Chapter 16

"Melinda, why are you doing this?" Tony asked helplessly.

"Because I can," she replied.

After her magical outburst in his shop, all of the customers cleared out quickly. They weren't quite sure what had happened, but most of them rationalized that it was an earthquake although that didn't explain all of the bikes turning themselves on. Tony stood in amazement as she turned the open sign around and locked the doors with her mind.

She had him sitting in his office, out of view of the public eye imprisoned by fear. He tried to leave, but he suddenly flew through the air and landed with a thud against the wall. The woman that he had grown to love over the past few months was gone, and another being stood staring at him with hate in her eyes.

"I swear, I wasn't going to stand you up." He told her. "I was going to come to your house and ask your dad properly for your hand, and prove to him and your family that I'm not a loser!"

"Why would you do that?" she asked him, seeming to soften a little.

"I have a friend, he got ordained and we were all set to go get you and elope. But your uncle came in and he told me to go talk to your dad instead, he said that it would be easier that way and that it would make everyone happy. I don't know why, but he really seemed to know what he was talking about."

"Which uncle?" she asked.

"Coop. He's a good guy Melinda, he really knows what he's talking about." Tony thought he saw the old Melinda coming back to him. He figured that if he just kept talking maybe he could draw her completely out. "He says that we were meant for each other, and even though I already believed that, after we talked I wanted to do right by you and your family. Melinda, don't you understand?"

"Coop? Do you know why it seemed as if he knew what he was talking about?" she asked softly.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because," she said walking toward him. "He's a pansy! He's the most unmanly man I've ever known! He's always been all caught up in wildflowers and love. It makes me sick! Love only hurts people, Tony. Love KILLS!"

The scary Melinda had come back full force, no longer did Tony see even a glimmer of the woman he fell in love with. She paced back and forth as if trying to sort things out. She mumbled to herself, paused to cock her head to one side as if listening, then shook her head and started pacing again. Every once in awhile, she would look in Tony's direction with an evil sneer across her face which caused chills to run down his spine.

Phoebe looked at her daughters as they stood together completely willing to take on their destiny as the true Charmed Ones. First hand experience told her that her girls were in for a wild ride, and a dangerous ride. The thought of her children going out into the world to fight random demons and warlocks was one thing, but once the Underworld knew that these three were Charmed there would be another uprising that they alone would have to deal with.

She sighed and figured that it did make sense. They all had the power of empathy like herself. On top of that Priscilla had the gift of projection coupled with the power of moving things with her mind which allowed her to control things that she could physically see, and things that she couldn't. Patience like Piper had the power to freeze but it had evolved to freezing time, not just people and bad guys. And of course Patty, the youngest had vivid premonitions and could levitate long enough to almost fly. To top it all off, since their father was a cupid, they all were led by their heart to do what was pure and good.

"Don't worry," Prue told her as she sat next to Phoebe on the couch. "They won't be alone like we were. They've grown up as witches for one, and they have their cousins to help them. Sure, they're the Charmed Ones, but they essentially have their own army. They'll be fine."

"I know," Phoebe said. "They're good girls, I guess I just figured that Wyatt, Chris, and Melinda would take on that role after we were gone… and my kids would be a part of their army, not the other way around."

"Did you know anything about this?" Phoebe asked Chris. Chris had gone to the past to save the future many years before, and on his 24th birthday those memories came flooding back to him and Wyatt as time caught up with itself.

"No," Chris said. "In that other future, you only had one child."

"I didn't have anything to do with it," Wyatt said. "You just had Priscilla in that life."

"Chris's destiny was to ensure the lives of the Charmed Ones," Melinda Warren spoke up. "And he fulfilled it to it's fullest."

"What about me?" Wyatt asked. Although being the twice blessed child was always a bit overwhelming to him, now that he knew that he wasn't the top dog kind of left him at a loss for where he belonged.

"Wyatt, they weren't wrong about you. Given the timing of your birth, and your parentage, you are the single most powerful being there is." Melinda told him. "The girls are most powerful when they're together, but to stand alone could be fatal. They need you."

"And my kids?" Paige asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Prue asked her. "Your kids immediately went to make potions just in case they were needed. Where was the first place your kids went when they were at a loss of what to do? They went to magic school to find the answers. The twins have a connection that all of us should envy, and Henry is free spirited and fun loving. Your kids are not only going to be the brains, but they're also going to be the glue that keeps this family together. Just like you have been."

Paige didn't know what to say. She had never known Prue, and had always figured that Prue would resent her for taking her place in the trio of sisters. With that single statement, Paige knew that Prue truly accepted her as her own blood.

"When I was killed I was worried about Piper and Phoebe," Prue told Paige. "I was terrified of what they would do without me there. But, when Grams and Mom met me on the other side, they told me about you. I was shocked at first, but then I came to understand. Do you think that it was a coincidence that my obituary pretty much flew into your face the day of my memorial?"

"I don't know what to say," Paige said.

"Tell me that you love me as much as I love you," Prue said. "You'll never know how grateful I am to you for coming in and putting my family back together."

"I love you," Paige told her. "I wish that you were solid so that I could hug you."

"I have to save my energy for the ritual," Prue told her. "But if you summon me, I'll come back and we can get together. You'll just have to wait awhile before you do it."

"I summoned you a hundred times!" Piper said. "You never came for me."

"I couldn't," Prue told her. "If I had, you would have depended on me and not Paige. You needed to trust in her."

Piper nodded. "I understand, but this ritual. We have to get started before my daughter does something horrible."

"Yeah," Phoebe perked up. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "How are we supposed to know which one of us is which element?"

"Paige?" Prue asked. "Do you have any clue?"

"Well," she said unsure of herself. "I would think that Piper would be Earth."

"Why?" Prue asked.

"Because, she's as close to mother nature as any of us can get."

"Good," Melinda smiled. "And Phoebe?"

"Obviously Phoebe would be Fire. She's so full of life and passion, that's a no brainer! And you would be air, Prue. That only makes sense, you know, since you're uh… made up of air."

"Yes," Prue replied. "Which would leave you as Water, because you're calming and peaceful, but also a force to be reckoned with."

"Now, the only thing we need to do is find Melinda." Billie said. "I can scry some more, or maybe go drive around and try to find her."

"No," Melinda Warren told her. "You can't go. We need you here to complete the ritual."

"Umm, okay." Billie said. This seemed like a family affair, and she couldn't understand what use she would be, but she was more than willing to be there for her surrogate family.

Just then Sandra, an elder that had remained on friendly terms with the sisters throughout the years orbed into the room. She looked calmly at the family as she stood there in her white and gold robes. Directing her attention to Chris and Wyatt, she motioned for them to speak with her in private.

"No," Chris told her. "We're busy right now."

"Chris," Sandra told him. "This is important. We have a new charge for you and it's imperative that you help him."

"A charge?" Leo asked incredulously. "Sandra, we're kind of in the middle of a crisis. Can't you give it to another whitelighter for a moment?"

"This charge is very important, Leo. He is a whitelighter to be and he's in danger." Sandra told him calmly. "And it's even more important that Wyatt and Chris go to him now."

"Why do they both need to go," Piper asked.

"Because that is the only way. He's in serious danger, and he's very important to us. One of them needs to get the charge out of the imminent danger, and the other needs to protect the threat from being harmed." She told them.

"Why would we protect the thing that is harming our charge?" Wyatt asked in disbelief .

"Because your charge is Tony, and the threat is your sister." She told them simply.

"Tony is destined to be a whitelighter?" Chris spat. "That guy is a dirtbag!"

"No, he's not Chris." Sandra told him. "He's got a heart of gold, and not only is he to be a whitelighter, but he is also the one that has been chosen to take my place when I move on."

"I also have a great personal interest in him," Sandra added.

"Why?" Prue asked.

"Because, he's my great grandson which is why he was chosen by the council to receive the transfer, but if you don't go now then he will never make it."

"Go," Leo told them. "Go now, save your sister and save Tony."

Chris and Wyatt orbed into Tony's office just in time to see Melinda holding a terrified Tony against the wall with superhuman powers. His feet were dangling about two feet off the ground and Melinda was holding him up with one hand by the throat. In her other hand she had a ball of electricity ready to thrust it into his chest.

"Melinda!" Chris yelled.

She turned around. Her eyes were completely black and her skin seemed to hang from her beautiful face.

"How did you find me?" she growled. "There's no way you could have tracked me down so quickly."

"Melinda," Chris said slowly. "I know that you're in there somewhere. Fight him, fight Anton with everything you have. Don't fall victim to him like Pearl did. I know that you can hear me."

Melinda rolled her head to one side as if she were trying to work out a cramp. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and the energy ball lessened.

"Chris?" she asked. "Chris he's too strong. I --- SHE'S MINE!" Anton interjected. "She's too weak to fight me off. She doesn't want to fight me, she opened herself fully to me. She doesn't want you to control her anymore."

"That's not true, is it Melinda?" Chris asked ignoring Anton. "Melinda, I know that we've all let you down. I know that we've all underestimated you, but you have to trust us. You have to fight him."

"Shut up," Anton said through Melinda. "She can't hear you. She doesn't want you."

"You're just scared." Chris told him. "You're scared that she will fight you and send you back to the depths of Hell!"

"She can't," Anton sneered.

"Then I will," Chris told him.

"What are you going to do, kill your sister?" Anton taunted.

"If it means sending you back, I'll do what I have to." Chris replied coolly.

Chris could see Anton losing control. He could sense his sister was fighting to regain control, but he also knew that Anton was incredibly strong. They had all sheltered her for so long that she didn't know how to fight him properly.

Anton knew that Melinda was fighting him and it infuriated him. He had to get rid of the brothers before he could finish what he had started with the boyfriend. As soon as he killed the innocent, their souls would combine and he would once again be able to live on the earthly plain as a human. He knew that Melinda's powers were strong, and he needed them to exact his revenge on the sisters. He dropped Tony to the ground and faced Chris with a menacing glare.

"Go," Chris hissed at Wyatt.

Wyatt quickly orbed to Tony's side. "It's alright man. You'll be safe, just trust me."

"Dammit!" Anton screamed as Wyatt orbed Tony to safety. "Now look what you've done!"

"You have no idea what I can do," Chris replied.

"Chris," Melinda's voice escaped through. "Stop him!"

"Melinda," Chris said straight into his sisters dark eyes. "Melinda you can regain control. Just concentrate."

Melinda collapsed onto the ground in a heap. Her eyes had gone back to normal and she looked up at her brother weakly.

"I can't hold him off long," she told him. "He's too strong."

"Just concentrate," Chris told her taking her arm.

At the manor everything was in order and waiting for Chris to return with Melinda. Priscilla, Patience, and Patty stood in the middle of the circle. Priscilla held a piece of paper with a spell written on it, and her sisters stood to each side waiting. They would have to act fast when Chris got back. Piper stood in the North fidgeting while she anxiously awaited the return of her children. To her right Prue stood calmly waiting, Phoebe stood directly across from her with anxiety written all over her face, and Paige was to her left holding strong. Melinda Warren stood behind Phoebe, and Billie stood behind Piper.

"When they get here Melinda and I will become solid," Prue explained. "We all have to join hands, and no matter how hard it gets we can't let go… do you guys understand?"

All of the sisters nodded.

"Do you understand what you have to do, Billie?" Prue asked.

"Yeah, the second you guys become corporeal I drop the crystals with Melinda which will form a vaccum that will suck Anton out of Melly, and back into the afterlife for good."

Chris orbed in with Melinda. She stood up quickly, Anton already taking control of her body back. Chris and Wyatt focused their powers on her and orbed her to the circle in front of Phoebe's girls.

Prue and Melinda Warren became solid, the elemental sisters joined hands, and Billie and Melinda Warren dropped the crystals. The crystals lit up as if four tiny suns had entered the house and streams of pure white energy rose from them forming a triangular vortex. A giant ball of energy formed around the elementals. Wind blew within the house in all directions and their hair blew into their eyes. The sparks that flew from the energy force field burned their skin and the sound of the wind was deafening.

"Evil spirit that controls the soul" Priscilla, Patience and Patty chanted together.

"NO!" Anton screamed through Melinda.

"Your time in this body is over and it's time to go"

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" he cried trying to fight against the virtual whirlwind inside the circle.

"We send you back we vanquish thee. We send you back by the Power Of Three!"

Anton's soul shot out of Melinda's body. It got sucked up into the vortex that the crystals formed above the sacred circle. Melinda collapsed and lay limply on the floor in front of her three cousins.

"Melinda," Piper yelled.

"Don't let go of my hand," Prue yelled. "None of you let go, not yet."

The wind became unbearable and they all fought to stay standing through it. Anton fought his way back through the vortex and tried once more to occupy Melinda's body.

"We send you back, we vanquish thee. We send you back by the power of three!" The girls yelled against the force. He screamed and was once more sucked up into the crystal cage that would send him back to the afterlife. The energy field that was formed by the sisters dissipated and the crystals stopped glowing and the streams of energy receded back into them.

"Is it over?" Paige asked.

"Yes, it's over." Melinda Warren said peacefully.

Melinda Haliwell stirred and sat up. She looked around at her family and started to cry openly.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I am so very sorry!"

"It's okay," Priscilla said kneeling down to her cousin and cradling her in her arms. "You're safe now and that's all that matters."

"Tony?" Melinda asked looking around.

"I'm fine," he said. He had watched the whole thing from the stairs. Wyatt and Leo wouldn't let him near the whole scene. Although he didn't understand what had just happened, he did understand that it wasn't Melinda that had just tried to kill him. He rushed down the stairs and took her into his arms. They shared a tender kiss and he hugged her tight. Not letting go of her, he looked over her head at Leo.

"Mr. Wyatt," he said to Leo. "The timing may be bad, and I know how you feel about me, but I swear to you that I love this woman and I would never do wrong by her. May I please have your daughters hand in marriage?"

Everyone turned to look at Leo. He was fully aware of the high tension in the room given everything that had just happened, but he was also aware of what a good man Tony must be, and how much courage it must have taken him to ask that question.

"Well," Leo said thoughtfully. "Do you think you can handle what this family is really all about considering you just saw it first hand? This is an all the time occurance."

"Yes, Sir I do."

"Tony," Leo said trying his best to puff out his chest and look threatening. "We've never liked you much."

"With all do respect," Tony said defensively. "It doesn't really matter if you like me or not, just so long as I have Melinda's love."

"Tony," Leo said no longer able to suppress his amusement. "I couldn't think of anyone better to give my daughter to!"

"Really?" Tony asked, truly shocked.

"If you can handle magic like that without blinking an eye, you can handle anything." Leo told him.

"That was some magic!" Tony said, releasing a nervous chuckle.

"That was Warren Magic," Melinda Warren said smiling.

"Well, Warren Magic plus one," Billie said.

"No," Melinda Warren said. "That was Warren Magic all the way through or else it wouldn't have worked at all."

"But, I'm not a Warren…" Billie said confused.

"Pearl's baby!" Melinda Haliwell exclaimed.

"Yes," Melinda Warren said smiling. "Billie is a direct descendant from Pearl's baby that was given away at the convent in the 1920's. She's as much my daughter as the rest of you are."

"What?" Billie asked in disbelief.

"Wait," Melinda said. "the cousins cursed the baby. They took the powers away from the baby."

"It backfired," the older Melinda answered. "The spell made it so that every other generation was left without powers, but what the cousins didn't consider was that the generation that got the powers would be doubly as strong."

"Which is why the Triad tried to use me and my sister to take out the sisters!" Billie exclaimed. "Warren magic pitted against Warren magic!"

"Exactly," Prue said. "Luckily, you were more Warren than you were warlock!"

"I'm confused," Tony said into Melinda's ear.

"Don't worry, Baby. We've got a lifetime together to figure it out."

2 weeks later…..

"Melinda!" Wyatt yelled from the attic. "Melinda, hurry!"

Melinda rushed up the stairs to see what was going on. Wyatt stood before her, dazed, hurt, and hurriedly flipping through the Book of Shadows. He didn't look up when she came in, but he motioned for her to come to him with his hand.

"What's going on?" she asked worriedly.

"That warlock, the one that we told you about a few weeks ago… Chris is still in the underworld, I need your help!"

"What the Hell, Wyatt! You left him down there? Where are the girls?" she asked.

"The girls have bigger things to deal with than a clan of warlocks. You'll see when we get there." He answered.

"Okay then," she replied. "Then why did you leave Chris alone?"

"There were too many of them, I had no choice. I had to come back and get you!" he said. "There is no time to explain, just come on!"

He ripped a page out of the book, grabbed her arm tight, and orbed to the underworld. Chris was huddled under a precariously perched boulder and put his finger to his lips to tell them to be quiet. Melinda and Wyatt rushed to him and kneeled next to him.

"Did you show her?" Chris hissed at Wyatt.

Wyatt shook his head and showed Wyatt the page that he had ripped from the book.

"You tore a page out of the book!" Chris exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Wyatt and Melinda hissed at him.

"Okay, we don't have much time." Chris whispered to Melinda. "So I'll give you the short version. The ring leader of these bad guys is a high level warlock."

Chris pointed to the parchment. "He was banished to the underworld by his lover, a witch that he fell in love with hundreds of years ago. When she found out what a danger he was she banished him and killed herself."

"Look at the drawing," Wyatt told her excitedly. "You look a lot like her!"

Melinda stared at the etching in disbelief. There were definitely similarities between them. "The demon isn't Anton is it?" She asked.

"No… it's Mikal." Wyatt answered.

"Was the witch related to us?" Melinda asked, wondering if the spirits of Pearl and Anton were coming back to haunt them again.

"No!" Chris said exasperated. "Just listen. He's Hell bent on taking us down. He's got a flipping Army of warlocks. At first we thought they were just warlocks, another uprising, but he somehow managed to clone himself. ALL these warlocks are Mikal. We need you to say this spell so that we can flush out the original!"

"Why do I need to do it?" she asked.

"Because according to the book, only a woman that is full witch can say the spell." Chris said annoyed at all of his sisters questions.

"Why me?" she asked. "Why not Mom, or Aunt Phoebe or Aunt Billie?"

"Because you LOOK like her Melinda!" Wyatt said. "And," he added, "because we know that you can do it."

"You have to draw him out before you say the spell," Chris told her. "We don't think he knows that we have another sibling."

"Me?" Melinda asked, her heart beginning to pound. "I can't. I—"

"You can do it," Chris told her.

Wyatt thrust the parchment into her hand and winked. "You better memorize this real quick!"

"Here they come," Chris whispered. He and Wyatt looked at Melinda with anxious and hopeful eyes.

Melinda felt as if all of the bones in her body had turned to rubber. She felt goose bumps on her arms, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"Ha! Charmed Sons!" a gruff voice said from behind the boulder. "Cowards! Every time they run away like cockroaches!"

Wyatt nudged Melinda. Slowly she eased herself from behind the rock and positioned herself in the shadows.

"Who's there?" Mikal growled.

"It's me, Mikal." Melinda said calmly, although her insides were knotted up from nerves. Hundreds of Mikals came into sight from all around. They all stood and stared at her with a mixture of fear, love and rage smitten on their faces.

"Alejandra?" they all asked.

"Yes, it's me." She replied still staying partially hidden in the shadows. "I've come back to be with you."

"You banished me here! Now after all of these years I've gained enough power to rise again! That is no coincidence you traitorous witch! You've come to bring me down!" they all raged.

"No, no my love!" Melinda said. "I made a mistake, I want to be with you."

"Prove to me that you are who you say! Tell me our secrets." Mikal and his minions demanded.

"Not until you show me yourself!" Melinda replied stubbornly.

"Tell me our secrets and I will show you myself," he replied.

"I have no secrets to share with you—" Melinda said. She bit her lip.

Mikal and his minions started laughing. One by one they started to dissipate until only one in the far back was left.

"Alejandra! You've come back to me!" he said, delighted.

"Heart of black

I send you back

To the world you left behind

Vanquished forever from land and time!"

Mikal turned to run, but he burst into a ball of flames. He looked directly into her eyes and screamed a deathly scream before his form of ashes collapsed to the ground.

"Very cool!" Wyatt said to her.

"Yeah, that last line was supposed to be 'banished forever from land and time'!. Nice improvising, Sis!" Chris said putting his arm across her shoulders.

"Well," she said. "It seemed to be the right thing at the time. I mean, he was already banished to the underworld…"

"I'm proud of you, Melly!" Wyatt beamed.

"Next time, just stick with the plan." Chris told her smiling. "That seriously could have backfired."

"I'm just glad I could help," she said beaming.

"You did it!" Wyatt smiled. "You kicked warlock butt!"

At dinner that night, Wyatt and Chris retold the story of how well Melinda had done on her first trip to the underworld. Leo told her that he was proud of her, and Piper smiled approvingly.

"It felt pretty good," Melinda mused over her mashed potatoes.

"What felt good, Honey?" Piper asked. "Being a part of the action with your brothers?"

"No," Melinda said. "Knowing that my brother's had faith in me to do it in the first place."

The End.