Wednesday 7th October 2026 7.45am, Conners Home
Chris watched as his husband, Luke led away their little boy. This had been a morning ritual for the last six months or so but it didn't make it any easier. Luke would take young Vic away to magic school where he would spend the day in the magical nursery. Luke would return to spend an hour or so with his husband before heading off to work for the family. The Conners family was immeasurably wealthy; generations ago they had been hotel owners but as their wealth grew the family had branched out into owning planes and boats. They were the single most well known cruise company in the United States. Luke had the rather privileged job of marketing which he loved. He worked in the New York office and his was his job to oversee all marketing designs for television, billboards, radio and magazines.
Chris smiled as he remembered how lucky he was to have such a fantastic life when six and a half years ago it had gone to shit. Sure he still had his family if he returned and he knew they still cared and missed him, hell he felt the same way about them but at the time it had been in the best interests of everyone for him to leave. He knew he had been selfish but it had been necessary. He didn't want to hurt his family and if he had stayed then he would have. He had ran and found his self in New York. Before he had left San Francisco he had planned everything out in excruciating detail. It was one of his many good qualities and it had served him well. The moment he arrived in New York he had managed to secure a flat and job using magical means. He wasn't pleased with his own actions at the time but he had been so low and desperate that he had done it regardless of the consequences. Things had started getting better after six months and then about two years after he had run away he had meet Luke. From that moment on things had been like a dream come true.
Chris shook himself out of the nostalgia that had claimed him as he noticed his husband returned. Luke Conners was a blonde surfer type with a lean yet muscular body, green eyes that matched his partners perfectly and short ruffled bed like hair. Every morning Luke woke and spent at least twenty minutes in the bathroom just doing his hair. During this time Chris would wake their son and start to prepare breakfast. The hair was one thing that both men knew Luke's parents hated. They argued regularly for him to get a more sensible business like haircut but Luke refused. He liked his hair the way it was and whenever it was brought up in conversation he would offer to leave the family business. Family meant everything to the Conners, just like it did to the Halliwells so they would never push their son far enough for him to leave.
"Drifting away again babe?" Luke asked as he pulled his husband to him and wrapped his arms around Chris' neck. "What are you thinking about?" he asked as he laid his head on Chris's chest. Chris was ever so slightly taller than Luke and grabbed his waist holding him close, "Just thinking about us, the life I have now over the hell I once had", Chris admitted. Luke hummed and tangled his fingers into Chris' hair. Chris had told Luke everything about his past about a year into the relationship and surprisingly it had bought them closer together. Days later Luke had proposed and they had got engaged. Barely a year later they got married much to Luke's parents' disapproval. They had met and grown to love Chris dearly but they believed both boys were too young. After a couple of years of being married they had decided they wanted a baby together. Nine months later Victor Conners was welcomed into the family and his grandparents on the Conners side adored him.
"You never have to go back to it unless you want to", Luke murmured sweetly to his husband. He understood the conflict in Chris' own heart. The happiness that his family used to represent had been tainted by memories of another future when Chris had turned fifteen. "I know. I miss them though and it's not fair to Vic to keep him from his other grandparents is it? I wasn't able to cope when I was fifteen but then I meet you babe and thinks became wonderful again. I've finally managed to work through the memories and emotions that overwhelmed me. And now we are starting our own little family I wanna have my family as a part of it", Chris whispered. "So why don't you?" Luke asked confused as he pulled back to look in his husband's eyes.
Chris was silent for a moment as he lost himself in the loving gaze which met his. "I don't know how to bridge the gap", Chris muttered slowly. "It's not like I can just orb back to the manor and say 'Hey mom. Hey Dad' is it? You remember the stories about my mother's temper right? It wouldn't surprise me if she blew me up on sight." Luke chuckled at the stupidity of it. "Babe they're you parents. Sure they will be angry and you will have to deal with that but they also love and miss you. I don't think they will blow you up", he reassured his husband. "They might consider it though", Luke muttered quietly. The two continued to stand silently in each other's embrace for a while in silence. After what felt like forever Chris used two fingers to tilt Luke's upwards. "Babe it's time for you to go", he breathed. Before he could answer Chris leant his lips down to kiss him passionately. Chris slid his tongue across his husband's lips the way he always had. Luke happy to oblige opened his mouth so his husband's tongue could explore his mouth. Luke kissed back just as passionately and sighed when they pulled apart. "I love you", Chris whispered.
"Love you too Chris. Now remember if you go demon hunting I want to know about it. And don't overdo it. I don't want to come home and find you covered in blood groaning again. It's not good for Vic to see you that way either", Luke reminded his neurotic demon obsessed husband.
"I can't promise anything but I swear I will try my best", Chris replied with a wry smile. "Besides if Lucy had been here to heal me Victor wouldn't have seen me that way."
Wednesday 7th October 2026 3.27pm, Underworld
Chris used his telekinesis to direct the fireball back at the demon that sent it but didn't see the one to his right that hit his side. The force of the blast sent him flying into the cave wall. Chris couldn't feel the burning of his flesh which meant the damage was bad. The nerve endings must have completely shut down. As he tried to stand the smell of charred flesh and boiling blood reached his nostrils. Nauseated he stood shakily to confront the remaining demons that had surrounded him, "Well I guess I must have missed something. Since when do lower level demons of opposing factions work together?"
The leader of both factions stood closest to him and sneered at him while the others laughed openly. "You really think we would try and take out a charmed ones progeny by ourselves?" The male leader smirked.
"Oh, we know you Halliwells like the divide and conquer strategy but you're so arrogant that you think attacking us on two different fronts would keep us separated. All we had to do was wait for one of you to come to both of us", the female leader growled. "And once we get rid of you we can deal with the other one", the male leader continued. Chris let the confusion show on his face. Okay so they recognised him as a Halliwell but he didn't understand this talk of two fronts. He had been tracking the female leader's faction. They were his target this time. He knew of the other faction but hadn't made a move to attack them preferring to take one out at a time. The last part of the conversation seemed important though. "Who is this other one you speak of?" Chris asked dreading the answer.
The leader of the male demons tilted his head as he looked into Chris' eyes, "Oh you didn't know", he laughed. "The other one we talk of is your brother the twice blessed. You didn't know he was after us while you went of Milo's faction? Which means he doesn't realise you are after her faction. I'd say that gives us an advantage."
"Enough Fernaz", Milo interrupted. "He has taken the life of enough of my demons. Now he pays with a long and agonised death." Milo pulled the other faction leader back out the way. "Ready", she called and Chris watched as ten or so demon readied fireballs. "Aim for the non vital areas and fire!" she screamed. Chris felt his breath leave him as fireballs hit his arms and legs. Dropping to the floor he felt the pain this time. Agony coursed through his body as he realised he had failed Luke and Victor. He had promised to try and not get himself killed but death was coming and he could feel it. Blood was slowly oozing from all his wounds as he fought to stay conscious.
"Don't worry, you will be dead soon little witch", Milo sneered as she crouched down to his body. "Not if I have anything to say about it", came a familiar voice from across the room. Chris tried to identify the voice but the fog that was clouding his brain from the lack of blood made it impossible. "Get him", roared Fernaz as he threw his own fireball at the newcomer. Chris couldn't see the fight since he had landed looking at the cave wall. He didn't have the strength to move at all so he could only listen to the sound of fighting happening behind him.
Fireballs whooshed through the air and demons cried out in agony at the same time the sound of potion vials breaking caught Chris' ears. The fight ended quicker than Chris could understand after the sheer numbers he had seen. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and he screamed out in agony as the sensation sent a wave of pain through his body. "Chris?!" the same voice from earlier exclaimed in surprise as the owner obviously recognised the dying man before him. Without another word the hand was back on his shoulder and Chris felt the familiar sensation of orbing before he blacked out.