The Two Melindas

Piper Halliwell paced the floors of her home angrily, growling and blowing up vases occasionally as her anger grew uncontrollable. She seemed inconsolable, even her sisters, who seemed just as angry, couldn't stop her this time. While Leo and the aunts knew what was going on, the latest generation of Halliwells and Matthews, practicing the out of sight/out of mind strategy, hadn't a clue.

"It's probably your fault," came a deep voice from within the attic. "You burned the bottom of her favorite pan to a crisp on Tuesday!" Wyatt whispered to his brother angrily as they all cringed, having overheard the explosion of yet another vase.

"No, it's you! She got over that after I conjured up a new one," Chris said smugly before whispering back conspiratorially. "Mom probably knows about that girl you had in your room last night!"

"Would both of you, please, please shut up? I'm getting a migraine from your squabbling."

"Come on, Pru. You know it wasn't anything you did—right?" Melinda asked her cousin slowly, cautiously looking the girl over as though the guilt from her previous troubles would have been visible on her face.

Pru just scoffed and glanced at the weary girl that was just two minutes older than herself, yet looked so much younger. "Don't worry, Min-Min, you're not in trouble. You're the perfect child, exactly what all the Charmed Ones could ask for!"

Melinda flinched back from her Aunt Phoebe's eldest daughter, looking hurt and stung.

"Hey! Don't be a jerk to Melinda just 'cause you're in deep shit, Pru—it's not cool." Patrick told his younger cousin, his twin brother Henry chuckling beside him. "She doesn't deserve the heat; she was just trying to be nice, yeah?"

"Whatever," Pru spat viciously, glaring at her cousins. "We all know that when they finally come up here, there are only three people that could possibly be called out, and she's not one of them."

Wyatt and Chris watched the fight with mild interest, knowing if things got nasty they'd have to intervene before the aunts and their mother got involved. The room's other occupants stayed quiet, hoping against all hope to not be incriminated.

"Oh, who's that, then?" Melinda's anger crackled, taking the better of her forcibly calm nature. The twins took a step back and away from her, knowing it would be hard to orb out before she blew something up—which was never a pleasant experience to undergo.

"Me, Henry, or Wyatt."

Melinda glanced around at the other people in the room; many were left out of Pru's group of supposed troublemakers—her brother Chris, Henry's brother Pat, Phoebe's other daughter Penny, and herself. Out of the seven kids, she knew Chris would always get off scotch-free for whatever he did. She knew it was because their family owed him deeply for risking his life, and losing his love, to return to the past and save Wyatt, even if he didn't remember it; he and the others simply believed their mother had middle child syndrome. Henry's brother Patrick was usually the mediator in fights, not the starter. Penny was only fifteen, and there's not much that a fifteen-year-old could do that would aggravate their mothers so, especially since she didn't even act fifteen.

Melinda knew this from just having experienced the particular age not too long ago, being the mere seventeen and more-than-three-quarters years old as she prided herself to be. She was the youngest in her family, but didn't often feel like the baby with all the responsibilities she held. Wyatt was twenty-three and the head of the newest generation, also being the leader of all things powerful. Their brother Chris was just two years younger than him, but still bossed Melinda around like a hypocrite after chewing out Wyatt for doing the same to him. She loved her brothers dearly, and knew they loved her as well. They just showed it in a different way than she did, like by being overly and obnoxiously protective.

She, like her brothers, received her powers at birth, and often had a difficult time controlling them. As a child, when her powers would act up and cause odd or strange and inexplicable occurrences that fluctuated with her emotions, they were the ones who suggested homeschooling or Magic School to their parents. Melinda did both so she could have a degree in the real world, even with no humanly social standing.

When she got to her teens and took to sunbathing to increase her color, as was the trend, her brothers were the ones that scared away all the cute neighbor boys that would flirt with her. That's why she was so freaking pale; they hardly let her outside anymore, especially after her powers' most recent traits of going haywire too often for anyone's liking.

She was to be handled was absolute caution at all times, liking a ticking time bomb—something that never failed to infuriate her. And yet, despite her lack of control and easily swaying emotions, she still wasn't considered a troublemaker. The irony in her life never ceased to amaze her.

.

Paige, being the most even-tempered and friendly of the three aunts, was chosen to head up to the attic. She was to go to where all the kids were hiding out, and nab the one that Piper and her sisters were currently needing to see.

The Charmed Ones were having a bit of a difficult time with their latest notice from the Elders—tackling it wasn't going as well as planned, and not for the first time, it was a family matter. The three sisters sent away their husbands, claiming it was a private matter, for women only. They hadn't taken it very well, but had dispatched nonetheless. Now all Paige had to do was send away the others, too—except, of course, for the one.

"Knock, knock," Paige peeped her currently black colored head of hair in through the door and winked at her sons, sending them a smile that had melted numerous hearts. "Hey, boyos," she greeted, "Why so stressed?"

"C'mon, Aunt Paige. Don't mess with us. Who's all the racket about?" Pru asked bluntly, taking the reins of the conversation and sending her mild-mannered aunt into a fit of frowns.

Beside her, Melinda crossed her arms over her chest, looking worried and interested and anxious all at once. A crease had formed between her brows as she watched her aunt, whose odd behavior didn't quite fit with all the noise coming from below the attic.

"What, no pleasantries?" Paige giggled and smiled, before abruptly turning quite serious. "Sorry, y'all ... But could you head out? The men are down at Grandpa's apartment right now; orb over and join them."

"You mean it's not about us?"

"Nope. Not about you at all, Henry," his mother responded, smiling at her sons, nieces, and nephews warmly before spinning on her heel and stepping into the hallway that led back down the stairs.

"Oh ... Okay," Wyatt stated, obviously startled. This wasn't the normal procedure when dealing with the aunts and his mother's audible wrath. He turned to his relatives and shrugged uncertainly when they looked to him for answers. He didn't know anymore than they did. "C'mon, Melinda. I'll orb you over with me," Wyatt called to his younger sibling, knowing her orbing was usually out of wack, either splitting her into pieces that had to be healed back together, or sending her somewhere she hadn't wanted to go.

"One time!" she exclaimed angrily, throwing her hands in the air as she looked at her brother. "I mess up one time, and you act like I can't do it right anymore."

He smiled at his youngest sibling and ruffled her hair lovingly. Both of them knew he was only being cautious with her safety, despite acting seemingly bemused.

Just as she was about to take hold of her eldest brother's hand and allow him to orb her over to their favorite—and only—grandfather's apartment, Paige casually called from the hallway, "Actually, Melinda, why don't you stick around? We'd like to have a chat downstairs, if you don't mind."

Everyone in the room stopped at her words, startled into hesitation.

The next generation of Halliwell and Matthew children alike knew what chatting meant to the aunts: bad news and plenty of yelling, every time. Usually, their chats were began centered around how Wyatt had stayed out too long, how Pru got detention, or how Henry was seen using magic publicly, and all ended with the particular victim receiving an unpleasant punishment. But never, not even one, were the chats about Melinda.

Why was she the one in trouble? Melinda never did anything wrong—all the Charmed Ones' children knew that and simply understood it, taking it as fact; only her power was slightly defective and flawed, never her. When the time came for some erroneous act, the petite brunette girl either made the right decision or just stayed the hell out of it.

"Okay," Melinda gulped and looked up at her family once, searching for some reassuring face to tell her it was all a joke or a ruse, but she received neither from anyone. Wyatt gave her a comforting smile that seemed a bit pitying, and Pru smirked at her, and then they were gone.

She followed her Aunt Paige down the stairs as she heard the familiar magical tinkle of bells, signifying that a large group of people had all orbed together at once. Melinda was now alone, save for the aunts and her mother. No one else was in the house; no one would be able to stop the fury that would, without a doubt, be relinquished upon her momentarily.

She was in deep, deep trouble—there was not denying that.

"Hi, baby," her mother said, gesturing to the couch across from the one she herself sat on. "You wanna sit down?"

Melinda glanced at her mother, giving the woman an unbelieving stare as Piper smiled back at her sweetly. What had just happened to the woman that exploded those vases in the halls with just her mind and a flick of her wrist? Her mother's usual terse attitude was nowhere to be found, instead leaving something far worse behind: Piper the pitying bad news bearer.

It always happened like that. Piper was the least controlled but most maternal, and eldest, so she delivered whatever needed to be said swiftly and cleaned up the mess she left. Aunt Phoebe, being the empath, was the comforter. Aunt Paige was the youngest, and always had the coolest temperament. She knew everyone's secrets, because they could always confide in her knowing she wouldn't tell and wouldn't ruin the house, like her two sisters would if they were told something instead; Phoebe wasn't known for her mouth, except that it was quite large and was never closed to gossip, while Piper often broke things in a fit of anger.

The last was a trait Melinda herself inherited, not that she exactly prided herself upon her lack of power control.

"No, I think I'd like to stand, actually."

All three women looked at her strangely, as though she somehow knew what was going on, but Phoebe broke the spell quick enough. She smiled at her eldest niece, the small fact of her birth order more prominent than the girl had known before.

"Okay. Do you remember Melinda—Melinda Warren?"

"Of course, how could I forget the prophesier of the Charmed Ones?" the young, almost-eighteen girl recited perfectly, remembering her lessons from the Book of Shadows and conversations with her mother about the same topic. The woman was her namesake, something that she would never be able to forget.

"What about her mother, then? Charlotte?"

"I know you went back to save her. And Mom helped her give birth to Melinda. She later died while Melinda was young, but her death and experience with you three only enabled her daughter to make the prophecy in the first place."

The three elder witches nodded at the story, Paige's more enthusiastic than the others. The old tales of their demon-hunting days were good and fun, but saving innocents of their own blood warmed her heart the most.

"In her town," Phoebe began, telling her niece something she wasn't familiar with, "There were several other covens, one of which was fully male."

Melinda's eyebrows shot up. Fully male? She'd never even heard of that before.

"Yes, it's quite odd to us, isn't it? We're all female, but look now? Wyatt, Chris, Henry, and Pat—it's not just us women, and it never has been." Piper nodded. "In her time, Charlotte wanted to ensure the survival of Melinda and her children, who she knew would later be the Charmed Ones. She knew our magic would grow progressively, but was unsure about our children—."

"And our children's children," Phoebe tacked on, sounding rather reluctant. Piper shot her a glare, which went unnoticed by her daughter.

Melinda ignored her aunt's words for the time being, more focused on Charlotte. "How'd she do that?"

Paige spoke up for the first time. "The male coven was quite powerful, as powerful as we are today. They had left Europe to find a haven from the witch hunts, similar to our own ancestors. Their Power, though, is different than ours. There is only one kind, and they all share it, but it can do anything. When they summon it, their eyes cloud black and It ages the User. Many have reached untimely deaths with sad ends because of the aging." The three sisters frowned, all sharing the same hope; that this aging thing would not affect the course of Melinda's life.

"That's—sad," she commented brokenly, not quite understanding why the male coven was being mentioned.

"Yeah, hon, it is," Paige said, "But that's not all. The Son only gains a portion of his Power at thirteen, receiving the rest at the age of eighteen. It is a painful process when it happens, and after the full power-up, Using the Power is addictive. If used too much, they will age, and ultimately die."

Melinda gasped at the information, realizing that they were limited in using their Power. How sad it would be if she could not use her powers more than once a day! Heck, she used them once an hour, maybe more! It would be awful for anyone to experience this, she thought.

"Melinda Warren actually set the curse that caused the Addiction upon them. They were becoming much too powerful too fast, doing things that humans were never meant to do. They took life and death into their own hands, playing God, and Aging was the only thing to slow down the destruction that surely lied ahead of them."

"I can't believe it came to that," Melinda stated disbelievingly. "Couldn't it be settled in some other way?"

Phoebe smiled at her niece's peaceful ways and patted her hand gently. "I'm sure if she could've done something else, she would have."

"This is all very nice to know, I've never seen them in the Book," The sisters exchanged a well-hidden glance at this, "But—can I ask why? Why are you telling me, of all people, this? Especially if it's such a secret that it's not even recorded in the Book."

"Because," Paige continued gently, recalling all the information the Elders and their ancestors had given them on the subject. "Charlotte wanted to ensure the survival of her line. If the power was to strengthen in every generation, what would come of the Charmed Ones' children? There could be no power greater than our own, or so she assumed, so she sought out security. Not only for her line, but for little Melinda as well. Charlotte knew her time would come soon. Melinda would need protection, and she knew of no other witches that held actual power than herself and the male coven."

"So, she went to the male coven for help?" At their nods she reiterated the question that had been on her mind all evening. "What does this have to do with me, again?"

Piper paused and stood, scooting close to her daughter, and wrapping a warm and familial arm around her shoulders. The young girl would need all the support she could get with the fiery trials ahead. "The male coven had a terrible leader at the time, and he thirsted for more power. He promised only to help Melinda in secret, and that there would be no evidence of their deal, minus the arrangement."

Melinda was almost afraid to ask what that meant; a deal between a dying witch and a power-hungry one sounded bad—really, really bad. Both were desperate, and desperate people did dangerous things to get what they wanted. "The arrangement?" she asked cautiously.

Phoebe nodded gravely. "Yes, the leader wished to make his line stronger as well and believed that introducing dual power-genes would help, even if it would take generations. They made a deal—Charlotte and the male coven—that as soon as the Charmed Ones' eldest daughter came of age, she would be married to the eldest Son of the male coven's newest generation."

"Eldest daughter..." Melinda mumbled, going over her family line until she realized that by two minutes, she was the eldest female of her generation. "You mean..."

"You," Piper stated simply, her lower lip trembling as she watched her youngest child tremble in despair. She hugged her daughter tighter to her side before continuing. "You have to get married."

"Yeah! So you can make powerfully awesome babies!" Paige rooted happily, inserting her own two cents, only to be silenced by glares from her sisters.

Apparently the mention of future children didn't help her thought processes, because Melinda wasn't moving. She didn't even look like she was breathing! Just as Piper was about to slap her to see if she was going into shock, her daughter finally reacted.

She blinked. Once, twice. One more time to level it out at three blinks.

And then, Melinda Halliwell, named for her famously powerful ancestor, betrothed to a stranger, fainted without a single word.

AN: I realize this is in the Covenant section, but it's mostly Charmed-inspired. The Sons will show up in the next two chapters, and then after that it will be mostly Covenant characters, everything you'll recognize. It's AU to both sections, and as I began this before watching the entire Charmed series, not all facts match up with the show. If you aren't an avid watcher of the show, don't worry—I'll make sure everything you need to know about it is included. Any questions, PM me!