Morality Takes A Bite Back…
Based on two stories that are part of "Charmed Heritage",
a series written by StoryGirl83
Written by GZV969 and edited by JustEs
With StoryGirl's permission and dedicated to her.

DISCLAIMER: We do not own anything Charmed. This story ignores the Charmed comics.

Note From JustEs: This story started as my try to rewrite one of the stories in StoryGirl's next-generation series. The story was based on her idea that and presumes that the little girl seen with Wyatt and Chris in the flash-forward at the end of 'Forever Charmed' is not their sister but one of their cousins, that Leo and Piper only had the two boys, while both Phoebe and Paige each had three kids. StoryGirl wrote this particular two-part story as a way to include Prue and Andy – and Melinda from 'Morality Bites'. I asked for permission to rewrite it from Melinda's point of view and she agreed. Then GZV read my version and did her own rewrite, making Melinda and the boys quite a bit younger, with Melinda only acting as narrator, turning it from a next-generation story to a Charmed Ones story. After I edited it, she agreed to let me post it here, again after getting StoryGirl's permission.

We all hope you enjoy it.

Chapter One

I've just gotten off the school bus, excited for the long weekend. Teachers' seminar both tomorrow and Friday, so no school for four whole days! I'm heading to the apartment I share with my mom, a place we've called home for the past three years. Before Boston we lived in Denver, and Los Angeles prior to that. Originally we lived in San Francisco, but that seems like ages ago, even if it was only ten years.

For all that it's the day before Valentine's Day, neither my mom nor I have a sweetheart who could make tomorrow night special. Well, Mom does—my dad—but they've been divorced for a long time and never spend a lot of time with each other. They can't risk Pratt finding out where we are and capturing us and burning us to death on national television. It doesn't matter where we go. There's always someone out there looking for us to report to him and collect the million-dollar reward he's put on Mom's and Aunt Prue's heads.

Hence the reason why none of us look anything like ourselves when we're not home and why we have to keep very low profiles. It's a pain, but after ten years of doing it, I'm used to it. My poor cousin Vicki's had to do it all her life. She doesn't know what it's like not to have to do it. At least I can remember what it was like before.

Before Pratt.

Of course Aunt Prue and Uncle Andy have each other. But if I know Aunt Prue, she's long forgotten what the date is and Uncle Andy knows his wife. Every afternoon when I return home from school, Mom is usually either at Aunt Prue's or Aunt Prue is in our apartment, both working out some plan to save another innocent from Pratt.

It's been this way ever since the Source of All Evil and most of his demons decided to live aboveground shortly after Aunt Phoebe's execution. Running organizations and businesses, posing as humans and people in high places so they can control most human activities. Thanks to that, there's no one we can truly trust outside of family. Especially now that we know for sure that the Source has taken over Nathaniel Pratt and is using him to run his organization. It's why we just call him Pratt and not the Source. We never know for sure when the Source will hop from him and possess someone else. Another reason why we can't trust anyone outside of family. I'm just glad Mom and Aunt Prue came up with a magical shield that prevents him from taking over one of us. That would really be scary.

So as I open the door to our apartment, removing my glamour as I close and lock the door, it doesn't surprise me to hear a lot of chatter or to see Aunt Prue sitting on the couch. But why are Uncle Andy and Vicki also here? It's been so long since they came over. If we're all together, we're usually at Aunt Prue's because our place is so small with Mom and me needing to share the same bedroom.

They seem to be in a deep discussion about something, and the Book of Shadows is sitting on the coffee table. But that book has never been in our apartment, only Aunt Prue's. When not in use, Aunt Prue hides it somewhere. Always in different places. The last thing we need is for Pratt to get a hold of it. If that ever happens, whatever is good in the world will shortly be no more.

As I enter the room everyone stops talking and looks up at me. Well, except for Vicki, who is playing with her doll in the corner of the couch.

"Hi, sweetie," my mom greets me. "How was school?"

I shrug. "Good. Nothing eventful. Just glad I don't have to go back for four whole days. But why's everyone here? What's going on?"

That serious look comes over Mom's face. "We were waiting for you, Melinda. We need to talk. Go drop your backpack in our room and come and join us."

Oh, oh. Whenever Mom calls me Melinda and not sweetie, it usually means she and Aunt Prue are about to embark on a mission to save another innocent from Pratt. A mission that is usually dangerous and often leaves me wondering if this will be the one that Mom or Aunt Prue or both don't return from.

As I go into my room I hear Uncle Andy ask, "Are you sure this will work?" and Aunt Prue's reply: "It's the only solid plan we have, so it has to." Oh, oh. Whatever Aunt Prue and Mom are planning, it has to be big. And this one sounds more dangerous than usual.

I quickly drop my backpack on my bed and hurry back to the living room. As I go in, both Aunt Prue and Mom look at me intently like they have a lot to tell and somehow it involves me, although I can't figure out how. Uncle Andy just has that worried look on his face that he often has whenever they're planning a mission. As a whitelighter he always worries any time Aunt Prue is going to try to save an innocent.

I quickly sit down, anxious to find out what's going on. "So, what are you guys planning this time? I assume since the Book of Shadows is here, it has to be a serious one."

Aunt Prue takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out before speaking, again telling me just how serious this is. "Honey, your mom and I believe we have come up with a plan that could end all the witch trials and help us reset everything back to how it was before Phoebs was executed."

"But it's a dangerous plan," Uncle Andy warns me. "One that I'm not too keen on going along with."

"So, what is it?" I ask. "Can't be any worse than all the other plans you've tried over the years."

This time it's Mom's turn to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, sweetie, this one is different. Your Aunt Prue and I believe that we need to cast a spell to take us back in time to when this whole thing got started in order to find out what went wrong so we can fix it."

"You mean to what started the trials?" I ask, my eyes wide in surprise. They've never tried something like that.

Aunt Prue shrugs. "Sort of. In a way. But we have been more worried for some time that some other force apart from Pratt may have also been involved. It all points back to February 26, 2009, when Phoebs was executed. Remember we told you we were present at the execution?"

I roll my eyes. Mom has never let me forget how horrible witnessing that event was. "Yeah, I remember."

Mom sighs. "Well, what I didn't tell you was that Prue and I have no recollection of how we got there. Or the events of a lot of that day, for that matter. I remember resting on the couch while waiting for your ride and the next thing I remember is seeing Phoebs burning, not our plan at all. I was going to freeze the place; we'd free Phoebs, and then run to the other side of the country, the reason I left you with your dad."

Aunt Prue nods. "As you know, that was also the day Pratt learned that we were also witches with powers, the reason he hasn't stopped hunting us down since that day. We believe something possessed us, and we also believe that whoever or whatever did that must have also possessed Phoebs and compelled her to murder Cal Greene. We knew your Aunt Phoebs was angry after he got away with murdering her best friend, but she was never angry enough to murder and expose magic. She was always smarter than that. That's why she pleaded temporary insanity during her own trial—not that Pratt believed her, of course."

Mom nods. "So we have written a time-travel spell to take us to the time when whoever or whatever possessed us. Hopefully we can vanquish it or at least stop it before it possesses Phoebs, which will hopefully reset all this."

"Well, so far that seems like a good plan," I admit. "But isn't it obvious that it had to be Pratt?"

Mom shakes her head. "No, no, couldn't have been him. We've checked and we're sure that at that time he was still just a human. The Source didn't take over his body until later, after he and the other demons came aboveground. And Phoebs said her empathy let her feel that some other force was at play when she was possessed, and it wasn't Source-like or even evil-like. She would have known that immediately. She said it was a stronger power. At the time we didn't know what to believe."

"So why don't you cast the spell right now and get it over with?" I ask.

Uncle Andy frowns. "First of all, it's a dangerous spell and they don't know what or where it will take them. Secondly, it requires the Power of Three, which, of course, hasn't existed since your Aunt Phoebe was murdered. But Prue and your mom believe it could technically be recreated with them and you, since you are twice-blessed."

"But, Mom, I'm your daughter, not your sister. You always taught me that a Power of Three spell can only be cast by three sisters descended from Melinda Warren."

"Well, we still think we might be able to cast the spell with you," Mom explains. "Yes, I know. There are some things we will never be able to do without the Power of Three and we can only hope this isn't one of them. And even if it does work, it probably won't work as well. Hopefully not as well only means we don't arrive at the exact place or time, but close and shortly before, not shortly after. And if we can do this and save Phoebs, then we'll have the Power of Three—again be Charmed."

"So let's cast it!" I exclaim, eager to finally have the chance to help them do some good—even though I'm now sixteen, they've never let me join them before.

Uncle Andy sighs. "But the main problem is that since you three aren't sisters, we'd need more power. So they've decided that it has to be cast with the Book of Shadows on its pedestal."

I understand immediately. "Which is in the Manor attic, directly over the Nexus where we'd be our most powerful. And we know the Manor is constantly being monitored by Pratt's demons."

Our family ancestral home sits on the nexus of both a wiccan pentagram and a spiritual one, making it the center of great power, power that can be used for either great Good or great Evil. A power the Book of Shadows can tap into, the reason why we can't let it fall into Pratt's hand. We've found other nexuses over the years, like the one over which Aunt Prue and Uncle Andy are now living or the one in Denver or the one in LA, the reason the Book has always been with her. But the one in San Francisco is the only one we've found that's both the nexus of a wiccan pentagram and a spiritual one, so we've always called that nexus "the Nexus".

He nods. "Going in there would be suicide."

"But that's why we need to fight our way up to the attic," Aunt Prue insists, "and hope we can fend them off and cast a protection spell around us long enough to cast the time-travel spell. We can't orb in there since the only form of transportation that can get through Pratt's shield is by shimmering. We know—Andy tried to orb in and no such luck. So we will have to go through the front door."

I nod. "So you're going to basically blast our way through the front door and then we will fight our way up to the attic, then lock ourselves in the attic and cast the spell."

She smiles proudly. "Exactly, smart girl."

"But," I ask, "if we are able to get in through the front door, then why not at that point I orb you all upstairs to the attic?"

Mom nods thoughtfully. '"That could work. Or Andy could."

"Uncle Andy is coming along?" I ask, surprised. Usually Mom and Aunt Prue go alone.

He glares at me. "Well, I'm sure not standing by and letting you three go to the past where I wouldn't be able to heal you if you're hurt."

"And we're also taking Vicki," Aunt Prue insists. "If Andy's coming with us, we can't leave her behind. We need to be sure we keep her safe."

I'd almost forgotten that my little cousin is here. Now I glance at her to see her looking up from her doll, a huge smile on her face. I realize that she's been sitting quietly playing with her doll, pretending not to listen, but I'm sure she understood everything. Vicki is only five but a very smart little girl. Almost as smart as me and I just turned sixteen eleven days ago.

Now I grin. "Let's do it."

I can tell my Uncle Andy still doesn't like the plan but is willing to play along. I was about to ask Mom if we should tell Dad, but I know what he would say and that's "NO!"

As usual, Dad is off on one of his own missions, taking care of his other charges, checking in on us periodically once or twice a month for a few moments or two. We understand. Much as he wants to be with us, this is what he has to do so Pratt doesn't connect him with us. Besides I'm sure that just like Uncle Andy, he would just try and talk us out of it. And unlike Uncle Andy, if we didn't agree, Dad would probably do something that would prevent us from trying.

Mom stands and points towards the kitchen. "Okay then, people. Eat up. We'll go over the plan one more time and then go in late tonight when they will least be expecting activity. That's why we've decided to do it tonight, Melinda, since you don't have school tomorrow. Doing it on the weekend would be too obvious."

Yeah, I was right. The fact that tomorrow's Valentine's Day hasn't even dawned on her or Aunt Prue. The look Uncle Andy gives me tells me that he knows better, but also knows better than to say anything.

It's now 11 p.m. Mom brewed some potions and packed a number of them for her and Aunt Prue. Initially, she wanted to give me a couple of potions, too, but decided she didn't want to tempt me into engaging any demons. My part of the mission has changed somewhat. Now it's just to carry the Book of Shadows and orb up into the attic with it once we get inside the Manor, then cast the protection spell around the attic while Mom and Aunt Prue fight their way up, giving me enough time to do that.

One of these days, they'll let me battle demons and save innocents, too, but this won't be that day, even though I have a lot of powers they don't. But I still need a lot of training from Uncle Andy on how to properly use them, so the only ones they'll let me use on my own is my orbing and my glamouring and the blue shield I've had since I was a baby. The others are all bound unless we're training. It's Mom's way of making sure that I get some sort of a normal childhood. Even if I'd prefer getting to help battle demons and save innocents.

But ever since Aunt Phoebe's execution and Pratt seeing Mom and Aunt Prue there, he's been relentless trying to find them, forcing Mom and me to abandon the Manor and forcing Aunt Prue to abandon her company to her assistant CEO. To our knowledge, Pratt doesn't know about me or Vicki, and Mom and Aunt Prue want to make sure that stays the case as long as possible. That's why I have to use my glamour to look tall and fat and blonde and blue-eyed whenever I'm out of the apartment or Uncle Andy and Aunt Prue's home—so I look nothing like my mom.

That's also why I'm Melinda Wyatt now and not Melinda Halliwell as I was when I was very young, just like Mom is Piper Wyatt and Aunt Prue is Prue Trudeau and Vicki is Vicki Trudeau. The fact that we're still alive proves to us that Pratt knows nothing about our connection to Dad or Uncle Andy, something else Mom and Aunt Prue want to keep from Pratt for as long as possible.

Now we hide out in Boston, like we hid out in LA and Denver, always ready to move if Pratt finds out about us. But for the past three years he hasn't succeeded, mainly thanks to those glamours, glamours we've changed with each move. Aunt Prue has more than enough money in different bank accounts that Pratt doesn't know about, so we've always had enough cash to live on. Which is a relief with the amount of innocent-saving Mom and Aunt Prue do and Uncle Andy's inability to get a job since technically he's dead.

Now we all gather together in our living room, ready to embark on this mission. One that we have no way of knowing whether we'll succeed.

Aunt Prue goes into what Mom always calls her 'General Prue' mode, taking charge like she always does. But neither of us care because she's so good at it and then we don't have to worry about what to do next. Mom says she's always been like that since they were kids, and I believe it.

'General Prue' looks at each of us. "Okay, so this is the deal. Andy? You orb us to the Manor's front door. I'll blast the door open. Piper, you freeze the place, and then we go in blazing, using our potions to vanquish any demon we see. Melinda, as soon as we're in, you orb to the attic, set the Book on its pedestal and extend your shield. I've been thinking about it and that should work even better than a protection spell. Andy, once we're in, you make sure Vicki stays safe. Orb her out of there if necessary. Everyone, got it?"

Mom, Uncle Andy and I nod in agreement. Aunt Prue blasting and Mom freezing before both using potions to vanquish demons is a common battle tactic; one that has always worked. I just pray that t will work this time.

Aunt Prue picks up the Book of Shadows and puts it in my backpack which I'm already wearing, then we all take hands. I hold Mom's; Mom holds Aunt Prue's; Aunt Prue holds Uncle Andy's; he holds Vicki's and she holds mine. After we all squeeze hands for luck, Uncle Andy orbs us out. .

Rather than the front door, we're now behind some bushes next to the Manor, which was a good idea on Uncle Andy's part, since it takes a bit for our eyes to get used to the sudden darkness, since it's now almost midnight. I can't believe we're really here. I haven't been near the Manor in nearly ten years, when I was only six. It still looks the same but no one lives here now. Aunt Prue pays a cleaning service to regularly clean the place. Someone they can't trace back to us. I don't even know which service she uses and I doubt that Mom or Dad know. Uncle Andy might not even know. I'm sure my neatnik mother is the one who talked her into doing that.

We all go out from behind the bushes. 'General Prue' goes ahead first and looks around. Everything must look quiet, because she turns to nod at us, so we tiptoe to the front door. Again 'General Prue' turns to look at each of us, quietly telling us, "This is it. Andy, remember, keep Vicki close," and he nods as he picks up Vicki and she puts her arms around his neck.

'General Prue' raises her hand. Hesitates for a moment, obviously realizing what she's about to do. I'm hoping she's remembering her powers can get very explosive at times. I remember seeing the damage it can do. The attic window above us was repaired ten years ago after she mistakenly blasted through it, almost destroying the entire attic.

Although she insists she doesn't remember doing that, because she'd never do such a thing which could expose magic.

She waves one of her hands at the door. At first it merely budges, probably due to the protection spell Pratt put on the house to prevent us from getting in and taking advantage of the power of the Nexus.

"What's wrong?" Mom asks.

"I don't know," Aunt Prue admits, words I've hardly ever heard her utter. "Step back."

We do and this time she waves both hands, obviously putting a lot of might into it. This time there's an explosion and the doors blow right off the hinges, smashing the colored glass in the door, letting us run in through the front door.

But no sooner are we through the door than two demons shimmer in. Mom quickly flicks her hands, freezing them, then Aunt Prue waves her arm, sending them flying across the room. Mom throws one of her potion vials and they both combust in midair. Since we're inside the Manor where the shimmer-only rule is no longer in effect, Uncle Andy quickly orbs out with Vicki as three other demons shimmer in.

"Just lower-level ones," 'General Prue' announces.

Mom nods and freezes them before taking Aunt Prue's hand. They cast a quick spell which vanquishes all three demons, before making their way down the hallway towards the stairs.

But first Mom turns to glare at me since I'm just standing there watching, almost forgetting what I'm supposed to be doing; I'm just so fascinated watching them, something I've never gotten to do before. But I know that glare a little too well and quickly gain control of myself, orbing up into the attic with the Book still in my backpack.

Uncle Andy and Vicki are already next to the pedestal where the Book of Shadows used to reign. We can hear the explosions coming from the stairway, letting us know that Mom and Aunt Prue are slowly but surely making their way up here, even though more demons must keep shimmering in, since the explosions mean they're in full-on combat mode.

Even as I hurry over to the pedestal, I quickly remove the Book from my backpack, so I can place it on the pedestal as soon as I reach it. No sooner do I let go than the Book starts glowing, protecting itself as it taps back into the energy forces of the Nexus. Since we're here, I'm not surprised when the Book starts flipping pages, ending up on the protection spell Mom found for me before we left. I look down and smile to see that the words have changed to fit our current situation. I know who had to have done that. I quickly look up. "Thanks, Aunt Phoebs!" then look down to chant the words I see:

"When in the circle that is home
Where safety's gone and Evil roam
Keep all Evil from these four walls
Use my protection shield, protect us all."

No sooner do I cast the spell than my blue magical force field expands from surrounding me to surrounding the entire attic, blocking the entrance door and windows. No sooner is the spell working than Aunt Prue runs through the door, which she can do as the protection spell only protects against Evil. A demon tries to follow her through and is blasted backwards. We smirk at each other as we hear him clunking against each step as he falls down the stairs.

I just heard Mom's "Oops!" and I'm guessing that the demon nearly knocked her over as she ran up the stairs. As I see her reach the third-level landing, another demon appears right in front of her, right at the attic door. Mom tries freezing him so she can get by him but he quickly fights through her freeze and she's still not in.

Omigod! No! Mom! No!

My mom is now on the floor, blood pouring out of her stomach and then out of the corners of her mouth! The demon's hands grew sharp claws and even as Aunt Prue ran towards the door to help, the demon stabbed my mom in the stomach!

"Mom!" I run towards the attic door. But the demon quickly shimmers out before any of us can vanquish him. But not before he actually smirked at us, obviously satisfied with what he did to one of the ex-Charmed Ones who Pratt wants dead.

Aunt Prue and I drag Mom into the protected attic, next to the Book's pedestal, over the Nexus, both of us hysterical and crying. Mom's bleeding through her mouth and is having trouble breathing. All Aunt Prue can do is moan "No, no, no. Not again. This can't be happening!"

Even as Vicki stares in shock and horror, Uncle Andy quickly hurries over and puts his hands over Mom's stomach, trying to heal her. But his hands stay dark. He looks up at us, tears of frustration in his eyes. No! The demon's claws must've been laced with some sort of poison that he can't cure! Damn Pratt for being able to figure out something like that!

Mom opens her eyes just long enough to say, "Take care of Melinda, Prue."

Even as she closes them again, Aunt Prue goes back into 'General Prue' mode, shouting at me. "Melinda! The spell! It may be the only way to reverse all this."

Touching my mom's cheek just once, tears rolling down my cheeks, I jump up even as I reach in my pocket and pull out the sheet of paper that Mom used to write down the time-travel spell, rewritten to include all of us. I lay the sheet on the Book, grabbing Aunt Prue's hand as Aunt Prue reaches down to take Mom's. Hoping this improvised version of the Power of Three will work with the help of the Book and the Nexus, Aunt Prue and I chant:

"Hear these words, hear the rhyme
Heed the hope within our minds
Send us back to where we'll find
What we wish in a different time."

Again white lights swirl in front of my eyes and even as the attic fades out, I see a number of demons forming at the attic entrance, instantly breaking through the attic door's force field. Without the genuine Power of Three, we knew it wouldn't hold them for long and it was just a matter of time before they got through. Had we waited any longer we'd all be dead.

The swirling lights have faded, but we're still in the same room. Doesn't look like we went anywhere. But Mom isn't on the floor anymore. Only me, Aunt Prue, Uncle Andy and Vicki. Somehow Mom disappeared or didn't travel with us and I think I know why, but I don't want to think about it.

But as I look around, I realize that something is different. Although I know this is our attic, it looks nothing like the attic we just left. It's more like it was when I was a kid—nice and fresh and neatly arranged. To top it off, the wonderful smell of freshly-cooked food is coming from somewhere. The Book of Shadows is still on its pedestal, and there's no demons at the attic entrance.

"What just happened?" I ask. "Did it work? Where's Mom?"

"I don't know," Aunt Prue reluctantly admits—she hates those words! "But we went somewhere. Same attic, different time maybe, like when my sisters and I went back in time and saw ourselves as children. Hopefully it's before Phoebs was possessed.…"

"If Piper didn't time-travel with us…" Uncle Andy starts, but he doesn't finish it. We all understand.

But just how can we figure out when in time we are and how to finish what we started? If we can, not only will Aunt Phoebs be alive again, but so will my mom!

Oh, I just remembered the story about Mom and Aunt Prue and Aunt Phoebe going back in time and Aunt Prue going down the stairs to see a very young Great-Grams, her grandmother, the one who raised her and my mom and my Aunt Phoebs after their mom, my own grandmother, was killed. I'm about to volunteer but I hear someone coming up the stairs, whistling.

'General Prue' has her hands up, ready to attack.

But in through the door walks a dark-haired, green-eyed boy a bit younger than me. Maybe 12, 13, 14, 15 years old. I don't know. I've never been good at guessing ages. He stops in his track at the attic entrance, as shocked as I am and as I'm sure the others are. He just stands there, staring.

"Who are you?" Aunt Prue demands. "And what are you doing in our home?"

"Mom!" the boy shouts at the top of his lungs. "There are strangers in the attic!"

So? What do you think so far? Before going onto Chapter Two, please leave a review and let us know.