Writing Charmed Again: The Power of Four [PG-13 -- V,L]

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This is a [b]Charmed[/b] fanfiction; set about twenty years in the future. There's no Chris or Wyatt -- please respond.

[u][size=2][b]Chapter One[/b]

[/u]The cursor haunted him from the screen, egging him on, picking his brain. He stared at it for a moment. Drawing his hand to the keyboard and in one swift movement, he typed ?A Story of a Kiss by Everett Dean?. He hit the ?enter? button and the cursor responded, allowing him to start his article. His first paragraph began, ?Over the past two weeks, four bodies of young women were found, dead. ?

?No violence found.?

?The victims were not raped.?



?All the women had been reported as being seen with a handsome young man, mid twenties. Now the police are asking, when does a sensual relationship go too far??

This article was easy enough, he thought. Within an hour he?d be out of the office and into the confinements of his apartment. If the past week had been normal, he might?ve gone out partying, but it hadn?t and it left him exhausted. Everett had recently been exercising his new found gift, or power if you will, of telepathy. And with each exercise came consequences, usually consisting of headaches and enragement. Whenever he opened his mind, he?d walk into any and everybody?s mind who was near him.

Thus, he kept his mind closed for most of the time.

He didn?t know where he had received his power from, or why. He didn?t even believe in ?powers? before a week ago. It?d take some time to get used to it, walking into others? minds wasn?t something he did everyday.

He typed the last paragraph of the article almost thirty minutes later and sighed. He?d print it out and give it to his editor, then head out of the office.

*** *** ***

When Everett arrived at his San Francisco apartment, he saw his older sister?s car parked in front. Lydia Dean was a spitting image of her mother, Phoebe. She had light curly hair and a beautiful smile with an intellect to go along with it. Everett took his looks from his father, Jason. He was tall, dark, and handsome, with semi-long curly hair. What Everett didn?t take from his mother in looks, he took in talent. Phoebe Halliwell had once worked for the Bay Mirror, as an advice columnist, and now Everett had taken a similar job. Instead of advice, he gave his opinions.

Everett hadn?t wanted her company tonight. He wanted to go in and relax, not having to worry about prying into someone?s mind. Especially his sister?s. His door was unlocked, which wasn?t a surprise as he had given her a spare key when he first moved in.

?Make yourself at home,? Everett said to his sister as he walked in and saw her on the couch. He didn?t wait for her to respond when he moved into the kitchen.

?Mom called today,? she said, following him. ?She wants us to meet her at the Manor tomorrow for a get together.?

?Alright.? He reached in the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of tea.

?Alright? Is that all you have to say?? She put one hand on the counter and another on her hip.

?What else am I supposed to say, Lydia? I said alright, which means I?m coming.? He sighed and took a sip of his tea. He wasn?t in the mood to argue or have some deep conversation. He wanted to sleep.



?What is your problem??

?I don?t have a problem.? He left the kitchen and sat down on the couch. As before, she followed.

?You?re acting differently lately. Something?s up.? She sat down in a chair across the room. He didn?t say anything. She sighed like she had been arguing with herself and surrendered. ?I know something?s different, Everett. I feel something building inside of me, growing, wanting to escape.?

Everett?s eyes were suddenly glued to his sister. Was she saying she had received something similar to his telepathy? Had she been hiding it longer than he had? Whatever the case, he wasn?t going to tell her about it. He had to sort it out for himself first.

?Well, then, I?ll see you tomorrow.? Lydia had been turned off by her brother?s silence, so she stood up and headed for the door. She turned as she opened it and said, ?Everett, I love you. Whatever you?re going through, I?ll be here every step of the way.?

Although he didn?t want to, Everett wanted to know if his sister had received a power or if she was talking about an instinct that a lot of people had. He sat up, closed his eyes, and opened his mind. Suddenly, in his mind?s eyes, he was in a field of flowers. He looked around. There were many different species of flowers and they were as far as the eye could see.

He looked down to see a dirt road, and followed it with his eyes. It opened up into a small circular space, and there was a figure sitting in the center. It was his sister. When she was five. He made his way to her, and quickly saw that she was crying, holding her head. Electricity was sparking from her hands.

?What?s wrong?? he asked, his voice echoing through the imagery of Lydia?s mind.

?I.. Don?t get near? I?m going to hurt somebody!? she shouted. Everett wanted to hold his young sister, but didn?t want to tamper with her mental being. ?Get away from me!? she yelled. This time, Everett was pushed out of her mind.



That hadn?t happened before. And he hoped it wouldn?t happen again because he was left with a bad migraine. He laid back down and went to sleep.

*** *** ***

?I don?t know what?s wrong with him,? Lydia told her mother. ?Or me. I can feel things I shouldn?t be feeling. I felt him inside me after I left - inside my mind.?

Phoebe Halliwell walked through the Manor as she had done many times before when her daughter was worried about something. She?d dust here, fix a picture that was crooked. Anything to keep her daughter?s worries from getting to her. Although she knew what was going on, Phoebe wouldn?t tell.

?I?m sure you?re just imagining this,? she lied. ?How could your brother be inside your mind? And those feelings? You?re just becoming a woman.?

?Mom, I?ve done gone through puberty. I know what I?m feeling and I know what I felt.? Lydia knew what her mother was doing. She was hiding something from her. She?d done it multiple times before, but this time, she wasn?t going to let it go over. She quickly stepped in front of her mother before she could leave to another room.

?Lydia-?

?You?ve always told me everything happens for a reason. Well, help me find this reason.?

Her mother simply nodded. ?You?ll know tomorrow.?

Phoebe sidestepped her daughter and continued her cleaning. Lydia didn?t think her mother was lying, but she didn?t want to wait another day to find out what was wrong with her and her brother. She sighed and left the Manor.

*** *** ***

Phoebe Halliwell had aged gracefully. She still looked young and had the spunk that she always did have. Even after having two kids, she was able to live her life to the fullest. She had married when she was still a full-time Charmed One, to her boyfriend Jason Dean. The two had a romantic awakening after their relationship break. And then Lydia Kylie Halliwell was born. The couple soon left the Halliwell Manor, but didn?t travel far. A year after they left, Phoebe gave birth to Everett James Halliwell-Dean.

Piper, on the other hand, never left the manor. She had one child, Prudence Melinda Halliwell-Wyatt, with Leo. Prudence - or better known as Prue - was just a few months older than Lydia. When Prue was five, Leo became an Elder after a savage attack that killed most of the Elders. Becoming an Elder meant he had to stay in the Heavens, not with his family. At first, he had put a spell on Piper to heal her pain, but soon her sisters broke it because of her odd behavior. The couple never reconciled and Leo never visited, partially because he didn?t age, and Piper wanted no suspicions raised.

Paige and Richard broke up before they were married. For four months, Richard began to revert to his old, power-hungry self. The Charmed Ones eventually had to bind his powers for good, which slowly made him into his calmer self. The two finally got back together, and shortly gave birth to Alexander Damon Halliwell-Montana. They now reside in Richard?s inherited mansion.

*** *** ***

Everett woke up in the early hours of the next day. He walked into his room and changed into pajama pants, leaving his upper body naked. For someone who never worked out, he had a nice body. He crawled into bed and fell asleep.

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When he woke up in the morning, he wasn?t as drowsy as he usually was. Possibly because he didn?t feel alone with his new discovery. He knew his sister was going through something similar to him, maybe something worse, but nonetheless, he wasn?t alone. He showed and dressed and headed for the Halliwell Manor.

When he arrived, there were several cars outside, which meant the whole family had arrived. He seemed to always be the last one to arrive when the family got together, which made him think he was destined to be bickered at by his cousins.

When he opened the large wooden doors, he heard laughter coming from the living room. When he rounded the corner, he saw his Aunt Piper with his cousin Prue, his mother, father and his sister, and his Aunt Paige and Uncle Richard with his cousin Alex. They all greeted him and invited him to join them.

He sat back in the couch. He was struggling to keep his mind closed. He wanted to go deeper into Lydia?s mind, but if he even opened his mind a little, he?d be getting into his family members? minds, which was what he wanted to avoid. He had to talk to someone. Even if they didn?t believe him, it?d be nice to have someone else know about his oddity.

?Mom-?

?Listen, children, we need to tell you something important,? Piper said, standing up. Although she was in her early fifties, she was still beautiful. His mother, along with Paige, stood up. Jason and Richard stayed seated, but acted as if they were about to tell something important.

Everett sighed. Something was coming, he knew it. Even without using his telepathy.

Suddenly, an annoying ringing filled the room, and Alex took out his cell phone. ?One minute,? he said and he left the room. The three sisters looked at each other and sighed. Seeing their annoyance, Lydia and Prue followed.

?What are you doing?? Prue asked, ignoring the fact her cousin was on the phone.

?I said one minute,? Alex said, staring Prue in the eyes. The two had always been rivals, though they were a year apart. Prue grabbed the flip phone and closed it, hanging up on whoever was on the other end.

?Our mothers were trying to talk to us, and you knew it was important. They?ve done enough for our ***** to get at least a little respect. Is that too much to ask??

Alex sighed and took his cell phone back, then walked back into the living room. Lydia smiled at Prue, who now had a mischievous look on her face.

When the cousins returned to the living room, the sisters had sat back down, and acted like nothing had happened. Everett was in his own world, trying to keep from opening his mind, and Lydia was trying to understand her mother and aunts. Alex was pouting; Prue was bathing in her accomplishment.

As the day went on, Everett began to explore the house. He had never lived in it, but spent a lot of time in it when he was a kid. He had never been able to explore the whole house, partially because he was too small and the house had been too big, and partially because his mother and aunts wouldn?t allow the kids in the attic. Now he was twenty and the house wasn?t too big. Now he was allowed to go to the attic.

*** *** ***

Phoebe and Lydia sat across each other in the living room. They had been chatting about random things, but Lydia wanted to know what was happening. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige had been acting weird earlier, and made the cousins even more curious to what they didn?t tell them.

?Mom,? Lydia said, interrupting. ?Why are you afraid??

Phoebe paused and stared at her daughter. ?Lydia. I?ve been hiding this for some time. You and your cousins? are witches.?

*** *** ***

As Everett approached the attic door, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around, but didn?t see anyone. He shrugged it off and put his hands on the doorknob and turned. It was locked.

?Damn,? he muttered. He backed up from the door and kicked it, but it didn?t budge. ?Goddamn door.?

?You know, that door is protected by magic.? Everett turned around and saw his Aunt Paige walking towards him.

?Oh come on, Auntie Paige,? he chuckled, although the idea wasn?t beyond his belief. ?I don?t fall for those things anymore.?

Paige came to stand in front of her nephew. ?Oh, you don?t believe me? Fine then. Door in front of us that keeps us out, show us what you are hiding. We want behind you without a doubt, open without us fighting.? The door creaked open.

*** *** ***

Lydia stared at her mother. Witches? Yeah, right.

?Lydia, are you alright?? Phoebe asked, putting a hand on her daughter?s knee. Suddenly, Prue and Alex came hurrying into the living room, with Piper not far behind. They stopped when they were on the other end of the room and Piper was beside Phoebe.

?What the hell are you?? yelled Alex.

?What?s going on?? Phoebe asked her sister.

?I was washing dishes and one fell. They saw me freeze.?

?Oh.? Phoebe said, turning to her nephew and niece. ?Well, um, surprise??

*** *** ***

Everett, Lydia, Alex, and Prue sat across from Piper, Phoebe, and Paige. Jason and Richard had gone out by a request from their wives. Prue was sitting with her face in her hands, Alex was staring at the ceiling, Lydia was tapping her finger on the arm rest, and Everett was staring at the girls.

?We?re sorry we couldn?t tell you before,? Phoebe said, ?but it was for your own protection.?

?We didn?t find out until we were in our mid twenties,? added Piper.

?And I didn?t find out until years after that,? Paige said.

?So let me get this straight,? Lydia said, leaning forward. ?Mom, Aunt Piper, and our dead Aunt Prue were the Charmed Ones? And then Prue died, and Paige came into the picture? And you all have powers??

Piper used her foot to knock off a vase that was sitting on the coffee table. Before it hit the ground, she threw up her hands, and the vase froze in mid-air. Then she threw up her hands again, and it blew up. She threw her hands up for a third and final time, and the vase reconstituted itself on the ground. The four cousins were speechless.

Phoebe leaned forward and looked at the cousins individually. ?Lydia, you?re skeptical. Everett, you?re content and somewhat relieved. Alex, you?re somewhat angry. And Prue, you?re confused.? Then she stood up and lifted into the air and sat herself down. Then she rose her hands and electricity generated from her fingertips. ?I?m also clairvoyant and can call upon premonitions when I need to.?

Paige suddenly disappeared in a mass of blue orbs and appeared behind the cousins, scaring them when she said ?Hello.? She orbed back to her seat, lifted her hand, and called, ?Cell phone.? Alex?s cell phone appeared in her hands in the same blue orbs. She set it down, and when she was sitting back in her seat, her appearance changed to her younger self. ?I?m part Whitelighter,? she said. ?So I can glamour and heal, as well as orb. Because the third Charmed sister has telekinesis, I do too, but a different type.?

The sisters looked at each other and at the cousins. No one was saying anything. Lydia stood up and walked into the kitchen, while Prue ran upstairs to her old room.

[i]?That was too much for them,? [/i]Everett said telepathically to his mother. [i]?You shouldn?t of showed us your powers until the fact that we were witches settled in.?

[/i]Everett?s eyes met Phoebe?s, and she looked down in grief.

?Well, alright, so what?s my power?? asked Alex. Everyone in the room looked at him as if to say, ?shut up.?

[u][b]Chapter Two[/b]

[/u]Prue laid on her old bed, her eyes closed. This was too much - too bizarre for her. Her own mother and her aunts were witches. She was supposedly a witch herself, and so were her cousins. But she didn?t have a power, or at least she didn?t think she did.

Her cell phone rang and she struggled to get it out of her tight pants in time to answer. She finally did and answered it in time.

?Prue Wyatt speaking.?

?Prue, babe, how ya doin?? a masculine voice came through.

She sat up and smiled. It was her boyfriend, John. ?I?m alright. How you doing??

?I?m good, on my way to your apartment as we speak.?

?Um, no good honey. I?m at my mother?s.?

?So tonight is off?? She heard disappointment in his voice.

?No, no, hon. We?re just having a get together. Meet you at P3 around 9??

Prue had taken the club from her mother, and had been running it - it?d become the most popular club in San Francisco.

?Yeah, sure. See ya tonight, love.?

?Yeah.?

She hung up and sighed. She wasn?t in the mood to go on a date but she couldn?t blow him off. He was the perfect guy - handsome, smart, and a damn good kisser.

*** *** ***

?I don?t know what your power is, Alexander,? said Paige, scorning her son for his immaturity.

Everett stood up and walked to a window at the front of the house. Everything he had once known, everything he thought was normal -- wasn?t. But a week ago, he knew something was wrong with him. Something was different.

He was a witch.

?We?re not done talking,? Paige said. ?There?s more you need to know. The Book of Shadows, demons, warlocks, Elders-?

Phoebe put a hand on her sister?s thigh. ?No, no, let them get used to it.?

?They?ll never get used to it.? Everett turned to the sisters. ?I got this power - my power - a week ago. It took me a day or two to be able to block the voices from my head, to stop walking and prying in people?s minds. It still takes all my energy to keep my mind closed.? He paused. ?I?m twenty years old. I know myself by now, and I know that no matter how long I have this gift, I?ll never get used to it. Yes, I may be able to control it or learn how to use it, but I will never get used to it.?

Everett turned away from the window and sat in a chair diagonal from the sisters. Alex had been quiet since he had spoken.

?You?ve got a damn fine boy there, Pheebs,? whispered Paige.

*** *** ***

Lydia returned from the kitchen, obviously not in a good mood, and with a cup of coffee. She sat down beside Alex and crossed her legs, not even glancing at the sisters.

?Alexander, go get Prue for me,? Piper said. ?The rest of you, follow us to the attic.?

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige got up and led Everett and Lydia up the stairs and to the attic, and were soon joined by a less-than-happy Prue and a silent Alex. The sisters stood before a bookstand which held a large, leather bound book with loads of old pages. On the cover was a symbol with three ?slices? together within a circle.

Piper put her hand on the symbol and said, ?This is the Book of Shadows. Our ancestor, Melinda Warren, was the first witch in our line. She held the powers of telekinesis, temporal stasis, and premonitions. She prophesized that each witch in the Warren line would grow stronger as the generations grew, eventually producing three sisters who would be the most powerful witches ever.?

?One would hold the power of telekinesis,? said Paige.

?One would have premonitions,? said Phoebe.

?And one would freeze time,? said Piper.

?When Prue died, we thought the Charmed Ones were no more,? said Phoebe. ?Then Leo told us that our mother, Patty, had an affair with her Whitelighter and had a child - Paige.?

?Wait, hold on a minute,? said Prue. ?Leo? [i]My[/i] father? What the hell is a Whitelighter??

?A Whitelighter is a witch?s guardian angel,? Paige said. ?I?m half Whitelighter because my father was one. Prue, you are half Whitelighter also. Alexander, you are one-third Whitelighter. Although you are, you will not have all the powers I posses or your father possesses.?

?You talk like my father?s alive,? said Prue.

?Prue,? Piper said. ?He is.?

*** *** ***

?Prudence Melinda Halliwell-Wyatt, you stop right now!? yelled Piper as her daughter stormed down to the first level of the Manor.

Prue turned around in a rage. ?Why don?t you just freeze me? That [i]is[/i] your power, right??

?I can?t use my power on family.?

?Well, then you?re not an all powerful witch, are you??



?Prue! Don?t talk to your mother like that!? yelled Phoebe, coming down the stairs, followed by Paige and the cousins.

?Then I?ll do you a favor and leave,? Prue said, walking out of the Manor.

?Want me to get her?? asked Paige. Piper shook her head and walked out of the room, while Alex and Everett helped Lydia into another room.

*** *** ***

Prue walked into P3 in her cutest black dress. She had calmed down after the scene with her mother and was now ready for a night with John. If she was a witch, she?d deal with it later. Tonight was hers. Nothing could stop it.

She looked around the crowded club for him, and it didn?t take long to find him standing by the bar. He was tall with short brown hair and green eyes. He was her dream man. When she reached him, he placed a kiss on her cheek and she smiled.

?Hey, babes, I was wondering if you wanted to go back to my place for some? quiet time.? He smiled, showing his teeth. It drove her crazy.

In her sexiest voice, she said, ?Sure, sounds like a good time.?

He led her out of the club by her hand, fighting his way through the crowd. She felt something was off, but thought it was just her anger at her mother from before. How could she tell her that her father was dead when he was alive? She put it in the back of her mind as they raced out of the club.

*** *** ***

On the damp, dark streets, the two walked hand in hand. She felt safe enough with him, but if he wasn?t there with here, she might?ve thought twice about walking the streets. This man would protect her from everything, she thought. Even her own life.

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in. He looked into her eyes. ?Well, are you going to kiss me?? she asked.

?If you?re ready to die, then yes, my dear.? His eyes began to glow a dark red and Prue realized she wasn?t in good company. She began to try to get out of his grip, but he was strong. She then brought her knee up and hit him in the gut, letting her get loose and run.

She ran into a dark alley, though she had thought it a stupid move when she ducked behind a dumpster. She buried her face in her hands and felt a strange feeling inside her.

Suddenly, she was in front of her mother in the Manor. Her mother, who had been as surprised at the sudden arrival of her daughter as Prue was herself, jumped in her seat.

?Astral projection,? said Paige, who had seen her niece appear as she walked out of the kitchen.

?What the hell?? Prue yelled.

?No time to explain,? said Piper. ?Where are you??

Before Prue could answer, she disappeared and returned to her body.

Everett, Lydia, Alex, and Phoebe were now standing around the living room, hearing the commotion.

?Can you sense her?? Piper asked Paige.

?Yes, but we have to hurry, she?s in trouble.? Paige began to be covered in blue orbs, and she disappeared, along with her sisters. Then the cousins felt lightheaded and saw themselves turn into the same blue orbs and whisked away.

*** *** ***

When the cousins felt themselves on solid ground, they felt more lightheaded than before. They were now in a dark alley -- their mothers and aunt were tending to a crouched Prue.

?What the hell is this?? yelled a masculine voice. The trio turned around to see Prue?s boyfriend, John, walking towards them. Piper cut through the cousins and stood in front of them.

?I don?t know what the hell you are,? she said, referring to his red eyes. ?But leave my daughter alone!? She threw up her hands and an explosion knocked the man backwards.

?He?s an upper level demon,? said Phoebe. ?Paige, go back to the Manor and check the Book of Shadows. Come back with a spell.? Paige disappeared in blue orbs again while Piper kept trying to blow the demon up. Phoebe lifted her hand and a bolt of electricity erupted from her palm and hit the demon in the chest, knocking him into a wall.

Lydia tended to Prue while Everett and Alex stood behind Phoebe and Piper.

?I thought the Charmed Ones were too old to fight demons anymore,? the demon said. Phoebe responded with another electricity bolt. The demon stood up and gathered an energy ball in his hand and threw it at the group.

Suddenly, Alex stretched his arm out and a thin blue bubble surrounded him, his cousins, and aunts, blocking the energy ball from hitting anyone.

?What the hell?? Alex asked, seemingly to himself, while looking at his hands.

?Force field generation,? said Piper, turning to her nephew.

?Piper!? yelled Phoebe. Piper turned around just in time to freeze another energy ball. Just when she did, Paige orbed in beside them.

?Okay, I?ve got the info,? she said, reading a piece of paper. ?He?s a Cyssan Demon. An upper level demon who lures witches in by his good looks and charms, and then kills him with his kiss.?

?Do you have a spell?? Phoebe asked.

?Yes, but we have to read it together.? The sisters gathered, held hands, and read the spell off the paper.

?Cyssan Demon in our eyes, we can see through your disguise. Now we banish you to Hell, you will not take a Halliwell.?

The demon began to scream and began to be engulfed in flames, then exploded. The Charmed Ones sighed a breath of relief and looked at the surprised cousins.

*** *** ***

Everett felt relieved when he walked into his apartment hours after the incident with the Cyssan Demon. Prue?s gift of astral projection had left her sick. Lydia had been overwhelmed with all the emotions between the family, but their mother had told her that since she was meant to be an empath, she?d soon be able to block everyone?s emotions. Phoebe had also explained that Aunt Prue had become an empath once, but since she was not meant to be one, she was overwhelmed and could?ve died. Alex had still been more quiet than he usually was, but when he displayed his force field generation, he had lightened up.

*** *** ***

But Everett had reacted differently to everyone else. All four cousins had found out that they were witches and had displayed unique powers -- which could be overwhelming to anyone -- and Prue had found out her father was alive. He was surprised on some level, he knew. But something didn?t make him want to freak out like Prue and Lydia had, or withdrawal like Alex had.

He was different. Even more so than being a witch.

He sat down on the couch and sighed. So many things had happened within 24 hours, he hadn?t stopped to think. And when he finally had, he realized something. The article he had written the day before -- about the mysterious murders -- finally made sense. He had been writing about the Cyssan Demon all along, which meant now he knew who the murderer was.

But how could he explain?

*** *** ***

Phoebe and Piper Halliwell sat in a love seat that resided in the Manor attic. Paige stood over the Book of Shadows, looking through random pages.

?I don?t get it,? Phoebe said. ?We know that book like the back of our hands, and we?ve never seen the Cyssan Demon page.?

?It?s at the end, so it was the last to be added,? said Paige, turning to the back. ?But we didn?t add it.?

Piper stared at the floor. She didn?t add the page and neither did her sisters. But she knew who did. She hadn?t wanted to succumb to the thought, and she didn?t want to have to call for him. She hadn?t seen him since Prue was five, which was sixteen years ago. She didn?t know whether or not she could handle seeing the love of her life again.

?Spill it,? said Phoebe, breaking the silence in the attic.

?Spill what?? Piper said, standing up and moving across the floor.

?I?m an empath Piper. I know what you?re feeling.?

Piper let out a heavy sigh. ?Leo must?ve added the page.?

?Why would he do that?? Paige asked, coming out from behind the book.

?Because I told Prue he was still alive.? Piper looked out onto the street in front of the house. ?For sixteen years, his name hasn?t been mentioned in this house. Sometimes I feel his presence. I know he?s checking in, waiting for the moment I tell our daughter. I finally have, and when she needed him most, he came through.?

?Good ol? Leo,? Paige said, smiling to herself.

?You don?t think we?ll have to call Leo, do you?? asked Phoebe.

?If I know Prudence, she?ll want to see him,? Piper said. ?And I can?t tell her no.?

*** *** ***

Alex hadn?t felt the same since Saturday. For three days, he?d skipped his college classes and stayed in his dorm. His roommates didn?t really pay attention to him, which wasn?t abnormal. They weren?t really friends anyways.

Alex had always been the laid back, fun loving member of the family. He didn?t take many things seriously because, hey, life was short, why not live it up? But he had seen the seriousness in Everett?s eyes, he had known that maybe it was time for a change. When he had learned that he had another aunt whose life had ended tragically, he knew this magic thing was to be taken seriously.

He sat on his bed. It was the only place he had felt comfortable. He?d catch himself staring at his hands. When he used his power, he felt important, like he meant something.

Maybe he did mean something.

*** *** ***

When Everett returned to his office that week, he found Lydia sitting in one of the two seats in front of his desk. She had her hair pulled back in a pony tail with a few strands hanging in her face and was wearing tight jeans and a black shirt. She had their mother?s radiance, that was for sure.

She didn?t hear him enter and was surprised when he appeared behind the desk. Fact was, he was glad to have some alone time with his sister after the bombshell had been dropped. Maybe he would be able to talk to her about his calmness about the subject, and just might be able to rub off on her.

?Everett,? she said silently as he sat down.

He smiled. Lydia, when with something on her mind, could easily say something with just one word. ?I know we need to talk about this, but can?t we wait? I have work to do and I?m sure you have a class to get to.?

?I took the day off,? she replied, crossing her legs. ?And I suggest you do the same.?

?I took Monday and Tuesday off sis, I can?t afford taking anymore time off.?

?Well we do need to talk.?

?About what, Lydia? We?re witches. Our mother is a witch. We have one more aunt then we had thought, and they?re witches too. We pretty much talked enough about it Saturday.?

?That doesn?t mean there?s not more. I talked to mom last night and she said there are more things we need to know, important things.?

?Then I?ll drop by the Manor after work,? Everett said, turning to his laptop, turning it on.

?Everett-?

?I?ve already told you what I?m going to do. Lydia, I love you. But I can?t drop my life and work just to go and become Mr. Witch. I?ve accepted what I am, that it?s a part of my life. It?s a part of my life that I haven?t fit into my schedule just yet.?

Everett looked into his sister?s eyes. He would, if he could, drop everything and take her to the Manor. But he couldn?t and she?d just have to accept that.

Sometimes he felt like she was the younger one.

?Okay Everett,? Lydia said with a sigh. ?Promise be you?ll be at the Manor tonight??

?Promise.?

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