Charmed - Generations

Chapter Two

Chapter Two ~ SELFISH TIMES LEAD TO UNSELFISH MEASURES...

"LEO!" Piper Halliwell cried for her husband to take cover, as she stood, rising from the broken grandfather clock that she had just been thrown into. Leo whipped around just in time to see the demon right behind him, weilding an athemay--a sacred knife used to kill and steal the powers of a magical being and import them into the body of the wielder. The demon resembled a human, except he wore all black clothes, and he slashed the athemay towards Leo, attempting to pierce him. But Leo was too quick and he jumped backwards on instinct, causing the demon to fall forward.

The demon took another jab at him, but he grabbed his arm, and punched him in the face with his free hand, releasing the athemay from his grip. Then, kneeing him in the gut, Leo lunged for the athemay which was lying on the floor next to them. Once he had a grip on it, to make sure the demon didnt get it back, Leo shouted, "NOW, PIPER!"

Piper threw out both of her hands in the demon's direction, and he exploded. Piper groaned, and threw up her hands, making her way towards Leo.

"Are you okay?" She asked, noticing that he had a little slash in his shirt.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It didnt get me."

"You know? I really do NOT understand how we fullfilled our destiny years ago and now all of these demons are still intent on killing us. It's fairly obvious that it's not going to happen."

"Yeah, but I don't think it's you they're always after. I mean, you and your sisters fullfilled the Charmed destiny. I, however, did not. They fear you... not me. And if I'm dead, then there's really no one to heal or protect you."

"Okay, but even so--there is the next generation of Charmed Ones. It's not like they'll get rid of us for good." Piper countered.

"Yeah... I don't know, but maybe"-- He started to suggest something, but then he swatted his ear in annoyance. Something that he tended to do when the Elders were "calling" him.

"The Elders?" She asked.

"Unfortunately." He sighed.

"Go ahead. I'll just--clean up, I guess." Piper remembered how she used to feel when she first started dating Leo, and the Elders would call him. He would kiss her goodbye, and then orb wherever the hell he orbed to right in the middle of a kiss. Some feelings never went away.

"Alright. Maybe they have usefull information."

"I don't know whether or not I should say "I hope so" or "I hope not", because if they have information then information usually leads to a battle." She hugged him, and he orbed off in the middle of the hug.

From downstairs, Piper heard Phoebe walk through the frontdoor, and slam it hard. "Piper?!" She yelled.

This should be great, Piper thought sarcastically, because when one of her sisters barged in with a loud entrance, it normally meant something not so good. She turned and met her sister at the bottom of the attic's stairs.

"PLEASE tell me this does not have to do with demons." Piper whined. Then she noticed Phoebe's daughter--also her niece--Melinda Halliwell, was standing right next to her.

"Not technically." She said. "But something really weird just happened and I'm starting to worry about Mel."

"What's up?" Piper asked both of them cautiously.

"Well, you know how right before she was born, Coop and I had that big disagreemet on if we should bind her powers?"

"Disagreement? You two practically almost split becase of it. How could i forget?"

"Well we didnt split, thank you very much. And more importantly, it WAS a disagreement. Just a very loud one--"

"Mom--the point." Mel spoke up.

"Right. The point. I wanted to bind them but Coop did not. Well, Mel and I were out at Walmart just shopping and BOOM!" Phoebe made an explosion hand gesture.

"Terrorists?" Piper guessed.

"NO! Come on, Piper! She has YOUR power!"

Piper was baffled. "Wha--phft--huh? MY power?"

"Mmhm." Phoebe looked distraught.

"And she used it in WALMART?!?!"

"Well, i didnt mean to!" Mel got all defensive.

"Did anyone see?" Piper squealed.

"No... At least.. I dont think so. I was in the bathroom and i washed my hands and i sort of went to flick the water off my hands and--"

"Oh no, no, no, no, no. FLICKING is NOT good. Flicking is a very bad move to make young lady!"

"But i didnt even know i had powers."

"You dont." Phoebe confirmed. "Piper, i dont know whats going on. Shes not even 18 yet, and she wont be for a few more hours yet. The book said that until the clock strikes the exact time she was born--she would be free from her powers. And then she would make a choice to keep them or not."

"I dont see the big deal mom! I want my powers. So why are you freaking?"

"Because i dont want you to be robbed of a future, baby! I hate thinking that someday you might be sucked into a world where all you do is fight demons, risk your life to save the world from darkness, and maybe stumble across a love that you may never be able to kee from death!" Phoebe explained with a sob.

"Mom--chill. Youre way too dramatic."

"As much as i'd love to jump on that wagon Mel, your mom is right. Theres no guarentee that you'll survive even if you have a calling greater than any other. You dont want that."

Mel was silent and Phoebe wiped her eyes. Leo orbed in.

"Hey Pheebs. Mel. Whats up?"

"Talk now, explain later." Piper said.

"The Elders think that something big has just thrown off the balance of

time."

"Like the demon Tempus?" Phoebe asked.

"No... Tempus uses his power to take the entire world back in time, but whats happening seems to be specifically back in time an occuring as we speak."

"So, they think a demon is messing around in the past and its affecting the present?" Piper clarified.

"Yeah. Magical beings and even mortals have begun noticing odd things starting to happen."

"Like?" Mel asked.

"Okay--for example: A woman in LA lost her husband in a fire a week ago. Police and paramedics proclaimed him dead shortly after the accident. They take him to the morgue and five days later, he comes home carrying a bag of groceries--unharmed--like nothing ever happened. So something must have just happened in the 'past' to cancel out his death."

"Thats good though right?"

"They're not sure. Forces of good know how precious the balance of time is and only demons take it for granted. But then the question is why would a demon bring a woman's dead husband back?" Leo said.

"Well, there's no guarentee that it intentionally did. The demon could have killed an innocent that would accidentally start the fire. One thing happens and the events are thrown all out of wack." Piper explained.

"So... Someone--or something--is lurking around in the past throwing everything out of order just because?" Phoebe concluded in the form of a statement.

"No--it has an ulterior motive. They always do. We just have to gather enough odd occurrences to help us piece together what it's up to." Piper said.

"And what better way than to go back and find out for ourselves?" Mel said unexpectedly.

Phoebe, Piper, and Leo looked at eachother--as if it wasnt a bad idea, but it wasnt a good one either.