Chris- The Dream;
"Chris? You ok up there?" Piper called up the stairs, concerned. Strange muffled sounds, like voices where coming from Chris's room, and though he was 18 and well able to look after himself, she still worried about him.
"No. No!" the voice came again, and she realised it was him. Chris was in trouble.
"Leo!" She yelled as she ran up the stairs. "Get Wyatt!"
Piper burst into his room, power at the ready, the light she switched on piercing the darkness. But Chris was alone, tossing in his bed. He didn't look well. He was flushed, sweaty, and his eyes were open but glazed, unseeing. He spoke again, voice panicked, urgent "Stop hurting her! Please!"
She stood back as Wyatt orbed in and ran to the bed. Even in her panic she still felt a flicker of pride, looking at them both. Her sons, so strong and handsome and brave.
Wyatt placed his hands round Chris' head, the golden glow a testimony to his recent mastery of healing- the only thing he had learned after his brother. Chris seemed to have an affinity for it, and his soothing presence had settled many an argument before they began.
"What's taking so long?" Piper asked desperately as minutes crawled past, and Chris showed no signs of improvement.
"I'm looking, but there's nothing to heal!" Wyatt replied, voice sharp with fear for his little brother. "He's stuck in his own head, but nothings doing to him!"
Suddenly Chris blinked rapidly, arching up in bed as if under attack. His limbs flailed, socking Wyatt on the jaw before he gained control of himself. Then he looked up, eyes horribly rational and full of fear. "Mom." He said quietly, voice urgent. "We have a problem."
*
They were all downstairs at the dining table. It was four in the morning, but Chris had insisted it couldn't wait. Even Paige and Phoebe had been orbed in, but Piper was more worried about Chris. He was pale, sweaty, and there were scratches and bruises on his face that hadn't been there minutes ago. Even as she looked another one bloomed on his forehead, and she winced.
Leo spoke first, his hand a comforting weight on her shoulder. "Chris, tell us what you saw."
"A girl. About my age, quite tall. Painfully thin. She's been captured by demons, I don't know how long for. She's got bruises and cuts all over her and they just kept on hitting..." She paused, and they all saw him swallow the tears. Wyatt laid a hand on his shoulder over Leo's, giving him the strength to keep going. "They put this thing on her leg and told her it was time to destroy the "Twice-Blessed," which I'm guessing is you Wyatt. They did something and the shackle on her leg glowed, and she sent off a bolt of energy, like they were controlling her or something. And then you woke me up." He shuddered. "She was in so much pain..." he trailed off, and Leo pulled him close, letting him cry into his shoulder.
Phoebe turned to Paige, worry in her eyes as she felt Chris' pain from across the table. "How did Chris know she was there? He's never seen her before."
Paige shrugged. "I have an idea, but its kinda stupid."
Piper looked up, desperate. "What?"
Paige still looked dubious. "Well... I think he may have used two powers at once. You know you astral projected once, Chris?" He nodded, remembering the incident. He'd been late for a date, but had been stuck in detention. Desperate not to stand Alyssa up, he had focused on her so completely he had accidently projected. It had been a good date, but she'd moved away shortly afterwards, and though he'd tried, he'd never been able to project again. "Well, you got Phoebe's sensing power too, and they... combined to show you this because it's important. So he kinda astral projected.... into the future."
Phoebe looked stunned. "Paige, that's brilliant." Then she grinned in mischeif, and Piper rolled her eyes.
Paige mock glared. "Thank you. But what are we gonna do?"
"Do?" Chris looked up sharply, incredulous but emphatic. "We're going to get her out of there. Not least because of the danger to Wyatt." They all looked at him, surprised at the force in his voice.
"But there's something else, isn't there?" Leo asked quietly. He and Chris were so close; Piper sometimes wondered if they were telepathic.
Chris nodded once, not looking at any of them. "Yes. She needs help."
Leo sighed. He knew Chris wasn't telling him everything, and it worried him. They were so close, nearly as close as Chris and Wyatt were. Since the Chris from the future had been so antagonistic towards him, he had been so careful with his son, never wanting to feel the hate that Chris had had for him again. So it made him doubly nervous when Chris lied to him, but he could feel his tension under his fingers, so he didn't push it.
Wyatt frowned, looking thoughtful. "We can't just go barging in. It's obviously a trap. So how are we going to do it?"
"It would help it we knew who the demons were and where they were." Piper added. "Wyatt, can you go through the book of Shadows?"
Chris made as if to get up. "I'll do it." But his knees buckled and Leo pushed him back down.
"You're not going anywhere. Look at you, you're covered in bruises and you can hardly stand!" Piper insisted. "We'll do the heavy work, you just sit." When he made to argue, she glared at him. "Don't make me ground you." Chris sighed but remained seating.
She rose and went to the door, but was stopped when Chris spoke to her. "Mom. No matter how bad I look, promise you'll let me go with you. I think I'm the only one who can reach her."
Piper erred, worried about how pale he was. "I don't know, sweetie, maybe..."
He cut her off. "Mom please."
She looked at him, the determination bright in his face. "Ok, sweetie, just rest up first. Promise?"
She left the room to quickly to see him slump on the table, exhausted.
