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A Charmed Story - Part Seven:
Hope Dies Last
Chapter 1

Chris was sitting on a white bench in the big conference room. They were sitting in a half-circle, in three rows rising in the height from the first to the last, so that everyone could see what's going on. Everything was white there... boring white.
Chris tried to listen to Odin's speech about the latest demonic activities... but there was nothing he didn't already know... He hated those Elder-meetings.
He couldn't help yawning a little, earning an understanding smile from Silas, who sat next to him. He and the Elder-witch had become kind of friends lately... well, kind of...
Chris sighed and tried to concentrate again. But suddenly he jumped up a worried expression on his face.
"Yes, Christopher?" Odin asked looking at him, same as the other Elders.
"Excuse me, my wife is calling!" Chris replied grinning weakly and orbed away. He knew, that his wife was the only reason they accept for him to go... at least she was pregnant since eight month now...

°°°°°°°°°°

"What's wrong?" Paige asked after orbing into the attic.
"Usual stuff," Piper replied.
The youngest of the sisters sighed: "Oh... what demon is it this time?"
Piper didn't react. Instead she called her other sister again: "PHOEBE!"
Seconds later the woman appeared through the door. "I'm sorry," she said excited, "but... it's so cute to see Cole with his nephews... so cute..."
"Yeah-yeah-yeah... could you now please concentrate?" Piper replied grumbling.
"Where is Leo?" Paige asked.
Piper sighed: "On the way... hopefully for him."
Suddenly Bianca shimmered in. Looking a little exhausted, she sat down on the old sofa.
"Are you alright?" Piper asked worried. "You know, you shall not shimmer on your own, till the baby is born..."
Bianca rose her hands to stop her: "I know but this is important... I had another visit from that little girl..." She pointed at her now really big womb before she went on: "What ever you're doing, we have to go down to the living room."
"What?" asked Paige surprised.
Bianca shrugged a little helpless: "I can't explain it to you, but... Hope said the whole family should go to the living room, now!" Then she looked up to the ceiling: "Chris? Honey, could you come down here for a moment?"
Seconds later Chris orbed in looking freaked out at his wife. "Are you ok?" he asked worried. "Is everything alright? You shouldn't be here, you should relax..."
"I'm fine," she answered and caressed his cheek. It was so cute how much he cared about her, even a little too much sometimes.
Paige couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her nephew. He looked so funny in that stupid white and golden Elder-dress.
"So what did you call me for?" Chris asked still worried, pulling a streak out of her face. She looked so tired and exhausted.
At that moment Leo returned. "Nothing," he said to Piper, but then noticed Chris and Bianca. "What's going on here?" he asked. And turning to his son he added: "Shouldn't you be on a meeting?"
"We really need to go down to the living room... Hope said we shall all be there, together, NOW!" Bianca said again, sounding almost desperate, while Chris observed her still worried.
Piper looked at her husband and sighed: "Well... that demon can wait a little longer, I think." Her sisters agreed.

°°°°°°°°°°

Five minutes later, they were all together in the living room. Bianca lay on the sofa, her head on Chris's lab. The Elder-witch had quickly changed his clothes to something more comfortable. It seemed to him, that he wouldn't return to the meeting anyway.
Leo and Piper had fun with their kids. It was good to see how protective Wyatt for his little brother was. It seemed he liked the job as 'big brother'.
Phoebe sat on Cole's lab, he was hugging her lovingly. Since she knew that he was a witch too, they had become more closer, if that was even possible. And against her usual behaviour, Phoebe had kept his secret.
Paige lend in the doorframe and looked at them frowning: "So what are we doing here?"
Bianca sighed: "I don't know. Really, I've no idea... Hope was just there, suddenly, telling me we should come together here... and it seemed to me that she had a real good reason to do so... I..."
She wasn't able to go on with her answer. Suddenly some little lights appeared... orbing lights... but they were not blue, they were kind of purple.
"What the hell is that?" Piper muttered her hands ready to blow up any evil thing appearing there in front of them.
Leo shook his head confused: "No idea."
It took a little longer, much longer than usual, till a body began to materialise within those lights... or better two.
Completely confused Bianca sat up, looking at the couple in disbelieve, same as the rest of the family.
In front of them stood a beautiful young woman with long dark brown hair and bright and shining green eyes. Next to her, holding her hand, stood a tall man in his mid-twenties, with short blonde hair. He looked at the woman with a dizzy smile. "That was incredible," he said and let her hand free.
"WYATT?" Piper exclaimed.
"Hey mom," he answered grinning and waving to her.
"Oh my God," whispered Chris and struggled to stand up. Slowly he went over to the woman and stopped only inches in front of her, not believing who he was facing.
She smiled. "Hey daddy," she said with a soft voice and nearly jumped to his arms.
Bianca touched her womb, not believing all that. "That's impossible," she muttered.
"Leo, am I dreaming?" Piper asked. But her husband was unable to answer.
Phoebe hugged Cole tightly, who seemed to be frozen in shock. Only Paige seemed cool-headed as always: "Can anyone of you explain us what you're both doing here?"
"Well..." Hope hesitated while separating from her dad and walking over to her mom, "I'm just the taxi." Then she sat down next to Bianca and touched her womb softly. "It's hard to believe that it's me inside there," she said with a smile.
Bianca just looked at her and then, all of a sudden, she hugged her daughter tightly, completely overwhelmed by all this. She hugged her so tight, like she never wanted to let her go again.
"What do you mean with 'taxi'?" Paige kept on asking.
"For me, aunt Paige," Wyatt said.
Hope nodded: "Yeah, and I have to go back now." She freed herself from her mom and went over to Wyatt again. She handed a little vial to him. The liquid inside was shining like the purple orbing lights. "You know how to use this?" she asked. Wyatt nodded.
Then she turned back to her parents. "We'll meet soon again," she said and pointed at her mom's womb smiling. "Bye," she said then and disappeared in those purple orbing lights again.
As soon as she was gone, Piper rose: "Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, I want an explanation!"
Wyatt shrugged: "I can only tell you what I know."
"That would be a start," Cole remarked, but immediately shut up when he saw Piper's gaze.
"Well it happened three nights ago for the first time," Wyatt explained. "I woke up hearing Chris call for me. First I thought it was just a dream but it also happened the following nights... So finally I talked to you, Chris." The Elder-witch frowned looking at his 'big brother' confused like the others.
"I don't know for sure, but... it seemed to me that you knew, or will know, what I was talking about." Wyatt made a short break, then he went on: "You told me, that call came from the past and that I have to go there, or here, to do something... to help you."
"But how...?" Leo asked, but he didn't had to end this question. Wyatt knew what he wanted to know.
"He didn't told me more about this... But he," with this words he turned back to his brother again, "you told your daughter to bring me here. You said I'll know my task when the time is up to. And you said I should enjoy it to be with you for a few days." He grinned about that comment on his own.
"So Hope brought you here?" Bianca asked still confused that she had already met her unborn daughter in the completely growing-up-version.
"Yeah, she did... finally she's able to do it, after the power-binding-spell wear off a few month ago," the blonde man replied. But no one seemed to notice his last comment.
"So that purple orbing was...?" Cole tried to understand all this.
"... orbing through the time, yes." Wyatt answered.
Chris shook his head. He still couldn't believe all those news. His daughter was able to travel though the time... What would the other Elders think about that???
But anyway... his brother was there... again... and he couldn't deny that he was happy about that. So he pulled the blonde man into a tight hug.

°°°°°°°°°°

A few hours later, all the family was sitting in the lounge, staring amazed at a smiling Wyatt and talking all at the same time.
Bianca fixed her eyes at the front, wrapped up comfortably in Chris's arms: "I can't believe yet that she was Hope..."
"Believe it, Bianca... and she will be the most awesome girl in the world," a proud Wyatt answered.
Chris smiled slightly: "I thought I would never see you again... At least... You know what I mean. Here, this way..."
"Now and in this shape," Wyatt concluded, gesturing to show his entire body, meaning that what his brother didn't expect to see was this adult Wyatt in this time.
Chris nodded, grinning. "It's amazing..." he murmured. Then he frowned: "But everything is fine, isn't it?? I mean... in the future..." Bianca, Cole, Phoebe, Leo, Piper and Paige, all of them turned to look at the visitor from the future, expectant.
Wyatt shrugged: "I told you, brother... I didn't come for something related to my time, everything is perfect. I'm not hiding anything, I don't really know why I am here..."
"Ok... So... I'm supposed to call you, some moment from here on, in a few days?" Wyatt nodded at his brother's question, as he continued: "And my future self didn't tell you...?" This time Wyatt shook his head. "But he said you'll know, when the moment comes."
"Future consequences, blahblahblah..." Paige said, rolling her eyes, seeing how Chris blushed.
"Whatever happens, your future self knows that he didn't know when the moment came, so that's why he doesn't want you to know... Why he doesn't want Wyatt to tell him. Probably he can not know why he came here, either. That's the way it has to be," Leo muttered, trying to understand himself.
Cole frowned, leaning forward a little bit: "But if the future is alright, that means that everything's gonna be alright... So you'll succeed."
Phoebe hugged him tightly: "That does not mean that we do not need to work hard, sweetie..."
"So..." Piper sighed, looking at the playpen where the two kids played out of the corner of her eye, "I guess well have action soon again!" Wyatt grinned and nodded at the same time.
But Bianca looked her husband in his eyes: "I don't like this, Chris. Not now..." The idea that he was going to need help from future Wyatt meant that something would be really wrong. And that scared her lot.
Chris kissed her forehead, and caressed her hair. "You don't need to worry, sweetie. I'm sure the problem is that I just missed Wyatt so much, that I decided to call him..." he said in the attempt to make her calm down, and winked at his brother.
Wyatt smiled back at him. But he couldn't lie to him. Not to Chris. His expression was one of concern and worrying...
"Ok..." Cole sighed, jumping on his feet, "I wanted to ask some questions about the future, but I guess it will be useless, so... What if I prepare some tea?? And we talk about... the past?" He shrugged, and the others chuckled.
"Cool, uncle! I'd love to have a hot cup of tea..." Wyatt answered.
Chris was going to say something, but suddenly he looked at the ceiling. "The Elders... They want me back."
Leo looked at him worried. "I hope they don't know about... this," he added turning his eyes to Wyatt.

°°°°°°°°°°

When Chris orbed back to the conference-room he found it empty. The meeting was already over. Chris sighed then he noticed someone in his back.
"We thought we told you and your family what could happen when you travel through the time again?"
Chris turned around grinning to face Silas. "Hey," he just said.
Silas sighed: "Odin is trying to cover your brother but you have to send him back!"
"I can't," the Elder-witch replied shrugging, "he didn't came through a portal or something... and I don't..."
"Actually the Elders agreed with Chris to send me back! And don't worry, my way of travelling didn't effect the time like portals do... it's more natural..." they heard suddenly, then Wyatt appeared in bluish orbing lights.
"Hell... are you crazy, what are you doing here?" Chris asked, even if he enjoyed the puzzled look on Silas face.
"Don't swear brother... not here!" Wyatt teased him, making Chris grimace. Then he turned to Silas: "Well... in my time you're much... relaxed, Silas... You should really try to be more... easy."
Chris couldn't help chuckling, while Silas looked at his brother astonished, and really pale. 'How could someone from down there - even if it was the twice blessed - enter their halls,' he thought.
Wyatt seemed to guess what he thought: "In my time I'm here very often, you know... I think you could say that the witches and the Elders get a little closer... and..."
"Stop!" Chris said harshly. "I don't think you should tell him that much... remember? Fu..."
"Future consequences, I know..." Wyatt replied smiling, "you pray that to your daughter everyday!" Both brothers began to laugh, making Silas finally grinning weakly.
"You should go now... I'll talk to Odin... but you need to go back," Silas said now a little more easier.
Wyatt grinned: "As soon as I have finished what I need to do..."
Silas nodded, not knowing that this meant that the timetraveller would stay a few days instead of minutes as he thought, and left the room.
Then Wyatt turned to his brother again: "You know, that's really weird."
"What?" Chris asked.
"In my time you're like a second father for me, the big brother I never had... but here? Here I feel more like I'm the big brother..."
"Well, maybe because that's what you are."
Wyatt grinned: "You know what I mean, do you?"
Chris nodded: "But hey... even if that's really weird... you ARE my big brother... always and forever!"
Wyatt sighed. Suddenly he felt very emotional by all this. He was standing face to face again, with the man - his big brother to him - who had saved him, who had giving up everything for him, and had earned so much more... Even if Chris didn't knew yet... He, and only he was the great idol of Wyatt... He sighed. Then he hugged Chris tightly. "Yeah ... always and forever," he muttered.
Chris was surprised by that reaction, but anyway... he enjoyed it. It felt good to have him around that way. Nevertheless... suddenly he felt really sad. Sad, because he knew that his brother had to leave him again, sooner or later. But then he pushed that thought aside, because he wanted to enjoy that time he had, as long as it would ever last.
He separated himself from Wyatt and looked at him grinning: "Do you like steak? Because you know... actually I was invited this evening by someone who makes the best steaks in L.A."

°°°°°°°°°°

Piper was flipping through the book when Paige orbed in.
"Bianca is sleeping," she said and went over to her oldest sister.
"Thanks that you brought her back," Piper muttered.
Paige sighed: "I didn't... she didn't want to, so I put her into my own bed."
"She shouldn't be here... I mean... Wyatt said that... I don't want anything to happen to my little grandchild."
Paige nodded, understanding her sister's worries. But then she grinned: "Well, I think she will be alright... we've already seen that."
Her sister smiled: "Yeah..." That had really been amazing.
"So what are you doing? Seeking the demon from this afternoon?" Paige asked looking over her sisters shoulder.
Piper hesitated: "Half way... I... I just want to be prepared for... for what ever brought my son back here."
Paige shook her head: "You should relax and enjoy his visit like Chris does..."
Piper sighed: "Yeah... maybe." She knew her sister was right. But still she was sure that there was something wrong... she could almost feel it.

°°°°°°°°°°

"It is incredible, isn't it?" Phoebe asked, smiling at the sight of Cole playing with the two kids.
They both were sitting on the floor, in the middle of the lounge, with a couple of cups of tea on the nearest table. Phoebe couldn't help grinning and laughing as she observed how much fun they were having, how Cole was throwing little Chris up in the air and catching him again, and how Wyatt laughed out loud, unable to stop.
She sipped a little bit of tea, looking at the three of them out of the corner of her eyes. "It is really incredible... Don't you think so, Cole?" she asked a moment later, noticing that he was so concentrated on the kids that he hadn't even heard her question.
Leo, who was sitting on the sofa, smiled, as Cole turned his head to Phoebe. "Sorry, honey, what were you saying?"
Phoebe laughed: "I only said that this is incredible..."
Wyatt jumped on his uncle's lap, taking advantage of the situation now that he had stopped playing with Chris and was distracted. Cole screamed and laughed at the same time, and Leo couldn't help but smile as he saw Phoebe sighing.
"Sorry, honey, sorry..." Cole repeated, holding Wyatt's arm strongly, and placing Chris on his lap, between the kid and himself. "This little warrior wants to fight! Grrr!!!" he faked a growl and grimaced, feigning the expression of an ogre, which made the kid laugh even more.
"Ok, ok..." Phoebe said standing up. "I guess Mr. Turner is busy at this moment. I'll talk to your secretary and see if we can find a way to make an appointment when Mr. Turner thinks it appropriate."
Leo chuckled: "Be ready for your own children, Phoebe... This is only the beginning, I'm afraid..." She rolled her eyes.
"Wait, wait... It's ok. Wyatt is gonna be a good kid now, and is going to let his beloved uncle talk to Miss Halliwell, future Mrs. Turner, because he doesn't want us to be divorced before we are married..."
Phoebe smiled at his back, and hugged him from behind: "So, will you listen to me now?" she whispered.
Cole stuck his tongue to Wyatt and then turned his face back, to look at her: "Of course, honey. Which is incredible?"
Phoebe walked towards the sofa and sat down by Leo, sighing: "All this! The two kids here, and the two of them there, grown-up... our whole life is incredible! Do you think they will remember this? I mean... If we ask Chris now if he remembers this moment... Do you think he'll do?"
Leo laughed: "Phoebe... I really don't think so... cause they are not the same person, you know that... But I assure you that no Chris in any future will remember this. Look at him... He's just a baby!!"
Cole smiled, as she blushed. "Ok... I didn't pay attention to details," she muttered. "What about Wyatt?"
"I don't..."
At that very moment Wyatt and Chris orbed in the lounge. "Ok uncle, stop throwing little Chris into the air, because even if it seems that I enjoy it, I really freak out... He's my little brother, man. He can hit his head, or something..." Wyatt smirked, and the three adults in the room as well as Chris stared at him surprised.
"How did you know that I was..." Cole started.
"Playing with Chris that way? A few minutes ago? Because I remember..."
"So, here you have the answer..." Leo said, winking.
Chris, however, looked at his brother, and then at Cole, very worried: "Uncle are you really doing that? What if I fall down, what if I hit my head as Wyatt said...? What if...?"
"Relax, brother... It's ok. First it isn't you exactly... and second, I was kidding, that's all," Wyatt cut him off. "He never hit his head or anything."
"But future can change, you know..." Chris insisted.
Phoebe rolled her eyes: "I can't believe it..."
Wyatt shrugged: "That's my brother."
Leo cleared his voice and asked: "What did they want? Is everything alright, Chris? Did they...?"
"Everything was fine, dad... Don't worry that much. Some Elders know, but it'll be ok. We talked to them," Wyatt answered, before Chris could even open his mouth.
"Silas or Odin?" Leo asked again.
Chris nodded: "They'll cover us... Don't worry."
Leo nodded, but Cole was still thinking about something else. He frowned, pensive: "Hey... If you remember that... do you also remember having seen yourself?? Now??"
Wyatt opened his mouth, then he closed it and raised an eyebrow: "I'm not sure... Probably."
"Kids only remember repeated situations, and things like that, Cole..." Leo explained, "Wyatt probably remembers that you used to do that; that you do it very often. That's all. He can't remember something that happened punctually, in a determined moment." Wyatt nodded, and his little self chuckled.
All the heads turned to the two kids who had been playing, not paying attention to any of them. Wyatt had taken some colour pencils and was painting Chris's clothes, making him laugh at the contact of the pencil with his body, under the clothes.
"Oh, my Gosh..." Phoebe said, rushing to take Chris on her arms.
"That's not nice, little warrior!" Cole exclaimed.
Adult Wyatt half-smiled, and Chris rolled his eyes: "You really enjoyed it, huh?" Leo smiled at them.
"Ok Wyatt... We should go... Dad," the Elder-witch added looking at Leo, "we'll be out today. We only wanted you to know. Just call us if you need something, and we'll orb right here."
Leo nodded: "Ok... Be careful."
"Have fun!" Cole and Phoebe said at the same time.
"I guess we'll do..." Wyatt said, pointing at the two kids, who were laughing without rest. Then, they two orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Piper was still flipping through the book, while her little sister checked the sideboard with the potions. This was an useless work, but she didn't want to leave her sister alone, and she also didn't want to stand just next to her.
"Nothing," Piper sighed. "Why the hell are so much demons attacking us that are NOT in this book? That never happened before... well, not that often."
Paige shrugged: "Maybe because of Chris?" Piper looked up from the book and glared at her sister questioning. "Look, what I mean is... Chris is good and powerful, and he wasn't meant to be here... Maybe that attracts demons in a kind of way."
Piper sighed. She wanted to answer something, but she didn't got the chance.
All of a sudden another demons shimmered in, quiet looking like the one form the morning, but not the same.
He threw a fireball to Piper, who grasped the book and ducked. The ball hit the book-rest which started to burn.
Then the demon turned to Paige. But the youngest sister grabbed some potions from the sideboard and threw them at him. Seconds later the sisters saw the demon end up in flames.
"Water," Paige summoned, "over the book-rest!" Seconds later also this problem was solved.
"Thanks," Piper muttered, and then she add looking at the burned wood, "anyway we should by a new one."
Paige just grinned: "Shall I go and get the others?"
"Yeah, I think so..." her sister nodded, "there seems to be more about it..."
"What about Chris and Wyatt? Shall I bring them, too?"
Piper shook her head: "No..." She sighed: "I think they should enjoy the time they have together... I believe they will not have much time for being together THAT way... in the same age, like they should be."
Paige nodded. She knew very well what her sister meant. She felt the same. There had been only less times, that she had Chris so... excited like in the few minutes down in the living room before the Elders had called him. "Yeah..." she muttered and orbed away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris and Wyatt could smell the food as soon as they materialised. Wyatt grinned: "Oh man... I really love that."
"As I said," Chris replied, "the best steaks in L.A."
Wyatt laughed and agreed: "Absolutely!"
That second Victor entered the room with some plates. When he saw the two man he nearly dropped them on the floor, startled. "Chris, damned! How often shall I tell you not to scare me that way," he exclaimed.
Looking at a even more grinning Wyatt, Chris replied: "Well, I'm sure, you will get used to that, like to the orbing-stuff."
Then Victor noticed that his grandson wasn't alone. A little confused he said: "Well... I... I thought you wanted a grandfather-grandson-meeting... I didn't expect another guest."
Chris noticed a little sadness in his voice. He hadn't thought about that this lunch was meant to give Victor a chance to get to know him better. They really hadn't found the time for that before.
"I'm sorry, grandpa," he said, "but... well... he will not stay for long... sadly... only a few days... And I'm sure that you would hate me, if I wouldn't have brought him here, just for a little while..."
Chris grinned at his brother. Wyatt smiled back at him. Then he looked at Victor who was starring at them still confused. The old man had no idea who this person in front of him was. And Chris and Wyatt knew that, and they enjoyed it.
"So, maybe you should introduce your new friend to me," Victor said finally.
Wyatt grinned: "Oh... Come on grandpa... I think you already know me!"

°°°°°°°°°°

"They did it again."
"Perfect."
"Are you sure? We're running out of demons..."
"That's why we created them."
Silence.
The cave was damp and dark. Torches on the walls projected their shadows on the ground, creating a ghostly and supernatural atmosphere that wrapped up its two inhabitants.
The youngest shook his head, but said nothing.
"You don't need any explanation. You only need to believe what I say, and obey. That's all," the oldest continued.
The one who seemed to be his subordinate lowered his head, ashamed, and this softened him a little bit.
He put a hand on the young man's shoulder, and said in a calmed tone: "This is their only mission, boy. To get killed, by the Charmed Ones."
The silent alluded man nodded without raising his eyes, while the other one smirked.
"I'd like to see their faces while searching in their precious book... Three demons, four... None of them in that damned book. The poor girls and their family will lose their self-confidence very soon. They believe they have everything under control, but this will help them to see that they're completely wrong." He stepped back and continued smiling at him: "Let things come when they have to. You'll see which is the purpose of this in good time."
The boy nodded with a grave expression on his face.
"Now you should leave... We don't want them to suspect..."
He nodded again and orbed away, without daring to look at the other one.
The man's lips drew an evil smile on his face, as he observed how his follower disappeared, and then he went out of the cave, to contemplate the moon. The wood was as dark as the darkest abyss, and the wolves howled like lost souls.
"All in good time..." he muttered once again to himself, as he lost his sight in the bright moon.

(Chapter 1 written by Chrissy.W.x and Belén)