“Well? What did it say?” Jackie didn’t answer Alex’s question. All she did was look down at the ashes. “What did it…”

“It was sent to me. I don’t have to tell you anything.” She pushed her way by him. The thought that Alex would actually kill her brother was still fresh in her mind and she couldn’t seem to get past that anger.

Alex thinks of a reason why she wouldn’t tell him and comes up with the idea that he wasn’t supposed to know. “He told you not to tell me, didn’t he? He doesn’t want me to know.”

She keeps walking. “Believe what you want. It doesn’t matter to me what you think of Michael anymore. I obviously won’t be able to change your mind.”

Alex stands there until he can’t hear her footsteps anymore. Then he goes to sit down next to Luke, who was sitting in an empty chair in the kitchen. Luke looks up at Alex and he starts to chuckle.

“What’s so damn funny, Luke?”

Luke stops laughing. “It’s funny that Michael was scared of losing you and Jackie. It’s funny that it turned out you’re the one who lost them.” Luke gives Alex a look.

“Funny? You think this is all a joke?” Luke stops laughing and apologizes. “But you’re right though. I have lost them both: Michael to evil and Jackie to Michael. Man I never thought she would go against me on something like this. I mean, I know it’s hard but…but it’s our destiny.”

Their destiny; Luke realized what he had said and decided to test his theory. Luke knew that deep down, Alex would still continue fighting. “I thought you said you didn’t want any of this anymore? I think your exact words were ‘Keep fighting…after this? The Elders still expect their ‘precious Charmed Ones’ to fight evil when evil is our own brother? No Luke. I don’t think I can. I quit. I lost my mother and father to evil and I just lost Mike. Tell them to find someone else.”

Alex realizes that he had to keep going but now that he imagined he was losing Jackie as well who was he supposed to fight with? “Yeah. Those were the words exactly. But even now, Luke, how am I supposed to fight by myself?”

“What do you mean by yourself?”

Alex looks down at the floor and readies himself for what he’s about to say. “Jackie’s gonna join Mike. I know it. That’s what was probably in that message.”

“Would she do something like that? I mean I know you three are very close but…”

“Come on Luke. You’ve known us for almost a year now. To protect Mike, Jackie would probably have the strength to kill me.” Alex stops for a second. “We’re both very protective of him because he was always trying to be there for us. Since the day I’ve met Michael…even before we knew we were related…he was always there when I needed him. And ever since we’ve known Jackie, he’s done the same for her.” He stops again as memory takes a hold of him. “You know he saved her life once. He stopped a guy from shooting her about three years ago. The gun just flew to his hand. We had no idea how but Michael always seemed to know he was different that way. Jackie swore to always be there when he needed someone and from that day on Jackie and I were like his older brother and sister. Weird how life throws you signs like that. Even though he’s turned evil Jackie would still protect him.” He picks his eyes up from the floor and Luke notices the tears threatening to come out. Alex doesn’t look at anything in particular, just straightforward into nothing. “And I’d still protect him as well…but that would mean joining them.” He grabs the cross on his chain. “I can’t join them, Luke. I can’t.” Tears begin to run down his face. “As much as it’s gonna hurt to do so, I’ll eventually have to…kill Michael.”

Blue orbs surround Alex and he lifts into the air. As he’s orbing to his room Luke sees the clutter break apart into nothing. He calls for Alex but doesn’t get an answer. After trying to use his white-lighter sense to try to find him he orbs to the elders to ask what happened.

Jackie didn’t notice what happened with Alex. All she could think about was the conversation she just over heard. “Damn it. What do I do, now?”

-------------------------

The Elder’s:

The Head Elder sat in a discussion with Baram Nihorosa, head of the arch-council of mages with two of the other arch-mages. Because the Order of The Elders has fallen, the Head Elder had asked if it was possible to allow Alex and Jackie into the Order of The Arch-Council. “So your decision?”

Baram Nihorosa stood up. Her emerald robe gave off a light. It appeared to be thick but the garment was very light and moved with the wind. “The council has agreed to allow the six most powerful of witches under your order to become The Undecided.”

The Head Elder stood up with a concerned look on his face. “Six? We’ve only asked you allow the two white ‘Charmed Ones’ to be allowed into the order of mages.”

“Allowing just the ‘Charmed Ones’ to cross into the New Order would cause a disturbance in the balance of power. All six would have to cross.”

He gives a sigh of defeat. “Very well. Our only hope is that they will grow stronger as…mages.”

Oh they will but not alongside each other. The oracle’s vision comes back to the present and she leaves the elders, the green light off her robe slowly fading into nothing.

----------------------------

The next day, JC’s home:

JC closes his eyes and thinks of the four guys until he locates their minds. He finds them and using mind-speech asks them to return to his house. ( Guys. Get over here A.S.A.P. I got some new information from the council. )

A couple of seconds later Justin apparates into the room followed by Chris, Joey and Lance. Justin looks over at Chris with a cocky smile. “Beat ya, old man.”

Chris looks frustrated and annoyed at the same time. “If you don’t shut up I’m gonna really beat ya…with my fist.”

They start to fight but Lance walks so that he’s in between them. “Could both of you shut up?” He tries to sound annoyed but fails terribly. “This is important.”

JC continues. “Right. Well the council just told me that The Old Order of The Elders has fallen and The Arch-Council will rise as The New Order.”

This statement grabs all of Lance’s attention. “And the witches?”

Again JC continues. “This is where it gets kinda bogus. All of The Elder’s witches will become mortal and live a life based on the karma they gathered while they were witches…”

“So the evil ones will live shitty lives and the good ones will live…not shitty lives?”

Trying to make Lance finally have a duel with him, Chris says… “Good Joe. You figured that out all by yourself?”

“Not now Chris. I told you we’ll dual later,” already knowing what Chris was thinking. “Keep going Jayce.”

Justin becomes annoyed having problems of his own to deal with. “There’s more?”

“Yeah. Actually I shouldn’t have said all of their witches. The ‘Charmed Ones’, the three strongest witches, and the ‘Dark Charmed Ones’, the three strongest warlocks, are going to become The Undecided.”

“So three black and three white?”

JC hesitates before he answers the question. “No Lance…. Two of the three white witches are prophesized to become evil before the change of order.”

Joey, Chris, and Justin look at Lance.

“WHAT?”

--------------------------

The Manor, 8 O’clock in the evening:

Orbs come out of nowhere and come together. When they reconstitute they disappear and Alex falls about ten feet and hits the attic floor. Luke was there waiting for him with Jackie. He gets up and holds his back in pain. “What the hell happened?”

“Your white-lighter side was released.”

“What? Why?”

“The order has fallen. All white-lighter are turning mortal first, followed by the dark-lighters, then the witches followed by the warlocks. We all get to live a life based on karma.” Luke sounded disappointed but also not surprised.

Alex looks at Jackie. “Did you go through this too?”

She doesn’t answer so Luke answers the question.

“No. Because you were the one who called for your powers first, your white-lighter side was connected to Jackie’s and Mike’s. Theirs left with yours.”

Jackie decides to talk and asks Luke a question that pops into her head. “So we’re half mortal then?”

“For the time being, yes.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not allowed to tell you yet.” He looks up then back at Alex and Jackie. “They’re summoning me. I guess it’s my turn. I’ll see you guys in a bit.” Luke becomes surrounded by the blue orbs and rises through the ceiling.

After watching Luke leave, Alex goes to the book of shadows to see if there was any change to Jackie’s part of the triquetra. It was the same. He walks past her and doesn’t say anything.

“He said he wants me to go meet him tonight at eleven. At the mausoleum.”

Alex stops walking and turns around. “Are you going?” She doesn’t say anything. “Have fun.”

For some reason this comes as a shock to Jackie. “So you’re not coming? You’re not even going to try and stop me?” He just keeps walking. “Alex… Alex. Damn it why don’t you care?”

He stops and looks at her. His mouth opens to yell something but nothing comes out. Instead he grabs his chain, something he’s carried for as long as he can remember, and throws it at Jackie. Then very calmly he says…“I know there’s nothing I can do to stop you from going. And I know he doesn’t want me there for some reason. That chain is the only thing I can do for you. Hopefully it’ll keep you from darkness.”

He leaves.

Jackie stands there then sits in the old chair by the window. For the next couple of hours she sits there thinking of what she should do: protect her younger brother as she swore she would always do or fight alongside her older brother ridding the world of evil. It was 10:30 when she got up and went to find Alex.

After he left the attic, Alex went down to his room and searched under his bed for a box. After finding it he took out the picture with the three of them as infants, a picture he found while cleaning out his grandmothers closet months ago. It must have been a hospital picture. Andrea, their mother, was in those hospital robes they give people. In her arms she held three children, the three of them. Next to his mother was his grandmother and to her other side was a lady he didn’t know. Behind her was Alexis, their father. In front of the unknown woman was a young boy. He couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old at the time. The boy seemed familiar. He couldn’t really place it but Alex knew that he’s seen this person before. He turned the picture over and read the inscription for what had to be the millionth time:

“1986 – Andrea, Althea, Alexis and Diane. The day of Michael, Jacqueline, and Alex’s birth.”

“Guess they forgot to write his name.” He looks at the center of the photo where he and his brother and sister were. “Can’t believe I’ve lost them. Or have I? I’ve lost so many it’s hard to believe I won’t anymore.” He put the picture down after what felt like hours and went down to the living room. A couple of minutes after he sat down Jackie sat down next to him.

“We need to talk.”

--------------------

The Underworld:

Leo orbed into a conversation the Haliwell sisters were having.

“Look, we don’t know why he’s going to meet his sister. All we know is he is. If he hasn’t told us it’s probably because it’s none of our business.” Piper started to feel annoyed at Paige and Phoebe for their snooping around.

“Or maybe it’s just because we didn’t ask.” Paige had a very seductive look on her face. Before she goes Leo stops her already knowing what she’s planning. “I don’t think you’ll get an answer that way.”

Paige stops and turns around. “What do you mean? Being “charmed” and all I think using my ‘charm’ will get me an answer.”

Leo laughs a little. “No it won’t.” They look at him for an explanation. “Guys, Michael is gay.” They all start scoffing at him for saying something like that. There was no way that Mike was gay...Right?

“No he’s not,” this from Paige.

“Yes he is. I can tell.”

Phoebe looks at Piper then back at Leo. “Don’t you have to also be gay to be able to tell?”

Leo looks at Piper and smiles wicked like. Piper gets a little worried. “I didn’t marry a homosexual did I?”

“No you didn’t. I am not a homosexual.” A sound of relief comes from Piper. “I’m bisexual.” Leo steps back ready for anything Piper could throw at him, verbally and magically.

“WHAT? Why…how? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He relaxes and walks towards her. She pushes him away a little but then realizes that it’s still Leo. It’s still the person she’s known and loved for more than four years. This is just something else she knows about him. “Does it matter? I mean I still love you and it’s not like I go around looking at people. You’re the only one for me Piper no matter what.”

“Well alright. Like there’s anything you can do about it anyway.”

Paige still doesn’t believe any of it. “Lies. There’s just no way and I’ll prove it myself.” She walks off to the main chamber where Mike sat thinking.

--------------------

The Haliwell Lair:

Paige walks into the lair to find Michael sitting in the Source’s old throne. He doesn’t see her when she walks in front of him because he’s lost in thought. Tired of standing there and getting no response from him, Paige moves closer and sits on his lap. She puts her hand under Michael’s chin and pulls his face up to kiss him. He puts his hand in front of his mouth and she misses.

“Hey, what gives? I was about to kiss you.”

“Yeah I know. Sorry Paige but I don’t really go that way.”

Paige gets up from his lap and looks at him all shocked. “Wait, are you saying you’re not straight?” He shrugs his shoulders in approval. “Damn. I knew we should have gone with your brother instead. It’s funny though. You really don’t seem the type. You don’t act feminine at all. And you fight all man like.”

“Yea well not all of us are feminine, alright. That’s just a stereotype.”

“Knowing you…that’s an understatement. So anyway what were you thinking about?”

He walks over to one of the ceremonial altars and leans on it. “Thinking if Jackie will actually show or not.”

Paige looks at her watch. “Well you got about half an hour before eleven o’clock. You’ll find out then.”

“Yeah but with Alex there and the way he can talk about evil it’s likely he’ll change her mind.”

“But didn’t you tell her not to say anything?”

“Yeah but I’m pretty sure she’s going to tell him anyway.” He looks at Paige. “Two things can happen tonight. One, Jackie doesn’t come at all. Or two, Jackie comes with Alex. There is no way she’s gonna show up alone.”

She walks over to him. “So are you gonna go to the mausoleum or leave her there waiting for you?”

He sighs. “I got to go. If by miracle she shows up alone I’ll have the chance to talk to her.” Paige takes the opportunity to ask the question she and her sisters had. “Why are you doing this, anyway?”

He doesn’t say anything at first. Then he realizes that there wasn’t a point to hiding it. “Jackie swore to protect me always. How can she protect me if she’s on the side of good? If things go the way I plan, by the end of the night Jackie will be on our side and my brother will be dead.”