The Paradox

Disclaimer: I only own the ones you haven't heard of before.

AN: So, it's been seven years since I wrote fanfiction but this story has been rattling around in my head the whole time, and I can't ignore it anymore. This first chapter is more of a prologue, just catching up on what the characters have been up to and preparing for the meat of the story. If anyone actually reads this after all this time, I hope you enjoy it!

2022

In his eighteen years of life, Chris Halliwell had witnessed and accomplished many incredible feats. Coming from a long line of powerful witches, magic was literally all around him from the moment he opened his eyes for the first time. With his half-whitelighter side, he was able to travel anywhere in this world and through several other planes of existence in the blink of an eye. He'd participated in fighting evil and saving innocent lives from a very young age. He had already experienced several great loves, though of varying natures. None of that compared to the joy and excitement and pride he felt right now as he watched his almost year old son, Lucky, pull himself up on the edge of the sofa and turn to take his first steps.

"Mira, Mira," the boy's mother, Casey, excitedly whispered, lightly hitting Chris' arm repeatedly from her spot on the floor next to him. The petite woman was practically bouncing, causing her long mahogany hair to swing in the high ponytail she had it in.

Chris rolled his light green eyes from behind the camera on his phone. "What do you think I'm doing?" He peeked over the top of the screen to give a big smile to his son. "Come here, Buddy. You can do it. Just let go."

Chris' girlfriend, Molly, who was sitting on his other side couldn't decide whether she was enjoying watching the soon to be toddler with his big, mostly toothless smile as he bounced in anticipation of moving, or his parents, who were wearing identical goofy faces as they tried almost desperately to lure him over to them. She smiled softly, true contentment filling her. She never would have thought even a year and a half ago she could be this happy. She and Chris had been through so much in the last two years. She had died to fulfill her role as a whitelighter. Neither of them had any idea if or when they'd ever be able to see one another again. During their separation, Chris had been devastated, left broken and in more pain than he could handle. One night he'd turned to his childhood friend for comfort, and their lives were changed forever when they discovered Casey was pregnant.

Molly turned to look at the other woman, almost laughing at how wildly different their relationship was now compared to when they first met. She had loathed the tiny latina with every fiber of her being. She'd said horrible things to her. She'd even used her morning sickness to torture her on several occasions. Over time, Molly realized the other woman wasn't a threat. Chris loved Casey but wasn't in love with her. His heart truly belonged to Molly. Once Molly felt secure in her place in his life she was able to see Casey not as some manipulator who seduced her grieving boyfriend, but as a girl who had lost her father and was also in pain. She was a scared, somewhat damaged teenager who had made a bad decision. She'd been able to accept Casey in her life then, and friendship quickly blossomed. The two women were practically inseparable these days.

Casey reached her hands out to the little boy, "Come here, Lucerito. Come to Momma."

Lucky released his hold on the sofa and took one wobbly step forward with his pudgy little leg, his arms out in front of him like a miniature zombie.

"Keep talking," Chris urged.

"Come here, Mijo. You can do it. Yes, you can. Oh, look at you, so big. You're such a big boy. Yes, you are."

The toddler's round face lit up at the sound of her voice, his green eyes dancing as he gave a high-pitched squeal of excitement before quickly teetering toward her, losing his balance and falling into her lap. Casey picked him up into the air giving him an excited wiggle before pulling him back down to her and kissing his chubby cheeks repeatedly.

"Six steps," Chris said proudly. "First time out of the gate and he did six whole steps."

"Did you get it?" Molly asked, trying to get a glimpse at his phone. When he handed it to her, she hit play and watched the whole scene over again. "I told you he was gifted. Look at this. He's a baby genius."

"Takes after me," Chris said, plucking his son from the mother's arms and tossing him up into the air and catching him, causing the little boy to giggle.

Casey quirked a brow, "Really? From you, huh?"

Chris flashed her a roguish grin in response. A throw pillow hit him in the face a moment later, causing Lucky to squeal with delight. Chris tickled him as he asked, "Whose side are you on?"

As Molly rose to join her boyfriend in celebrating the big moment, Casey caught Chris' older brother, Wyatt, suddenly leaning against the doorframe to the conservatory watching with a strange look in his normally bright, cerulean eyes. It wasn't the first time Casey had caught him looking on scenes like these with a guard up. She'd discovered too late which Halliwell brother she was truly in love with, not realizing her feelings for Wyatt until she was already pregnant with Lucky. While he still wanted to be with her, their relationship had not been nearly as easy or stable as Molly and Chris'. It seemed like one of them was always doing something to mess it up.

Casey put a big smile on her face and got to her feet, jogging over to her boyfriend. She greeted him with a chaste kiss. "Hey, you. When did you get here?"

"Little while ago," he answered vaguely, not really looking at her.

"Did you see? Lucky took his first steps."

Wyatt nodded.

Chris glanced over at his friend and sibling and noted the uncomfortable way they were interacting. He looked to Molly for clarification, but his girlfriend merely shrugged, clearly not knowing any more than he did, and returned her attentions to Lucky, snatching him from his father to bounce him playfully on her hip. Chris kept a watchful eye on the other couple suddenly worried.

"Something wrong?" Casey asked her boyfriend, frowning in concern.

Wyatt seemed to snap out of his fog at her question, his eyes clearing to their normal sunny disposition. "No. Everything's good." He looked over her head toward his little brother, "That's exciting – about squirt, I mean. He's growing up so fast."

"You're telling me," Chris said. "It's all a blur at this point."

Molly smiled sweetly over at the blond man. "Chris and Casey were going to whip up something for supper soon. Are you staying?"

"I can't. I promised Dad I would help with one of the advanced magic classes at magic school tonight. The normal teacher is out sick, and he and mom have that fundraiser with Aunt Phoebe tonight."

Casey bit her lower lip, seemingly nervous. Her voice came out unsure as she asked, "Will I see you later?"

The last of the tension in him faded as Wyatt looked down on her lovingly and cupped the side of her face with his hand. He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Absolutely."

She smiled brightly. "Good. I miss you."

Wyatt bent to give her a feather light kiss, pausing after to look deeply into her eyes. "I love you. I'll orb back after class."

"I love you too."

"Molly, Chris," Wyatt acknowledged before going up in a swirl of bright white and blue lights.

The smile on Casey's face fell and she let out a frustrated breath, muttering to herself in Spanish. When she turned around it was to find Chris staring at her, arms folded over his chest and looking irritated. Molly was also staring, but her face held only compassion and confusion. Casey asked, dryly, "Caught the tension, did you?"

"What's going on now?" Chris asked, clearly annoyed.

"Chris," Molly chastised. She then turned to the other woman. "But really, what is going on?"

Casey hugged herself, not meeting their gazes. While it hadn't been confirmed in any way, she knew what was wrong. She'd known for a while, but had no idea what to do about it. She also knew Chris was going to be furious at the very suggestion, and she definitely didn't want the brothers at odds. It was rare for them to fight, but when they did, it was brutal for all parties.

"Case, spill."

"I think," she started, slowly lifting her brown eyes to meet her friend's green, "he has a problem with Lucky."

Suddenly, Lucky's toy truck and several stuffed animals went flying into the wall, which made Molly jump, Lucky giggle and Casey sigh.

Chris' voice was low as he asked, "He said that?"

"No, but he never interacts with him. Never talks to him or holds him or acknowledges him unless prompted."

Molly, trying to pacify the situation, argued, "But, Wyatt took care of him all the time when he was little. He'd give him bottles and change him and rock him to sleep. It's his nephew. He loves Lucky."

"He does love him," Casey agreed. "I know without a doubt he'd die for that little boy, but at the same time. . .I think seeing Lucky kills Wyatt a little bit." She caught Chris' gaze and explained, "It was easy to forget when Lucky was little, just a sweet little bundle of vague features, but the older he gets. . ."

Realization hit Chris and he swallowed thickly, his face falling. "He looks like me but with your smile."

"A living reminder of what you and I did," Casey affirmed.

Chris turned to cast a guilty look at Molly, and felt comforted by the warm, gentle smile she gave in return. He smiled weakly back, conveying his gratitude for the millionth time about her saint-like attitude about the situation he'd put them all in. He then returned his attention to Casey. "So what are you going to do?"

"I love Wyatt, but if he can't get over this. . ." Casey pursed her lips, the pain evident in her features. "I can't be with someone who can't stand spending time with my son. Lucky comes first in my life. Always and forever."

Molly watched as Chris moved to wrap his friend in a tight hug, offering what little comfort he could. The whole scene brought Molly back to a warning she'd gotten from Lucky's future self when he'd come to the past last year. He'd told her four years from now, Chris was going to vanish and under no circumstances was she to let Casey go after him as she would accidentally change the future in some very negative ways. The young man had told her the key was in keeping Wyatt and Casey together and in love, and he'd charged Molly with making sure it happened. Based on the current situation, Molly was fairly certain the future was doomed.

2023

Life had been hectic for Wyatt Halliwell. Ever since he turned 21 he'd been officially handed Excaliber and his destiny as the new King Arthur had begun. When he was younger he'd tried not to think about it much. He already felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders as the most powerful witch to ever live, but to also have to rule over the magical community? It was enough to suffocate him. Unfortunately, the time had come to face it as reality.

It was only 7:30 in the morning when he orbed back to the manor after officiating the coronation of the new fairy queen, Thistle. Unfortunately for him, the actual ceremony didn't even get started until midnight, and Casey had an early morning of work and couldn't come with him. It was a shame. He felt like they hardly saw each other these days. His schedule was full from college and magical obligations and all her time was either spent helping Chris run their catering company or taking care of Lucky. He felt a pang run through him. No matter how much he wanted to be with her, it seemed like something was always keeping them apart.

Maybe his difficult love life was the reason he'd indulged in a bit too much to drink last night. He'd learned quickly fairies make some very potent wine. So much so, he couldn't orb straight for a few hours; otherwise, he would have tried to slip away before now. Who knew beings of such innocence could party with such enthusiasm?

Nursing a bit of a hangover, Wyatt walked into the kitchen to scrounge for food when he found his little brother with his nephew. Lucky was in his high chair, happily using his fork to shoot what appeared to be scrambled eggs at his father, who had fallen asleep in the chair next to him. Chris' face was planted on the table top as he softly snored, and his shaggy, chestnut colored hair was currently riddled with egg particles.

A large smile on his face, Wyatt moved over to Chris, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. "Chris?"

His sibling jerked upright, his green eyes searching around aimlessly for a minute before he realized where he was. He blinked hard before focusing on Wyatt. His voice was still husky with sleep. "Wy, hey. What're you doin' up? Did we wake you?"

"No, I had Thistle's coronation last night."

Chris raised his eyebrows. "And you're just back now?"

Wyatt shrugged. He was too focused on his kid brother's exhausted appearance to answer. Chris was pale, big bags under his eyes, which were glazed over and a bit red. He frowned as he took it in. "You look like hell."

"Yeah, well, the tiny human thinks five in the morning is a good time to play." Chris noticed his son struggling to reach his milk glass and automatically handed it to him. He then leaned back in his chair, returning his attention to his brother. "I've been on Lucky duty the last few nights since Case has been taking extra shifts at the restaurant and prepping for that family reunion brunch today. He's going through a bit of a sleep regression at the moment, so he's been waking up at night again and getting up really early."

"Sleep regression?" Wyatt questioned.

Chris waved him off. "Something I read about online. Anyway, between him not wanting to sleep much and a darklighter stopping by for a visit at two this morning-"

"-Darklighter?" Wyatt asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sitting here aren't I?"

"Why didn't you call me? What if you had been shot?"

"You sound like Dad. I've been fighting evil since I was two, Wy. I can handle a lousy darklighter." He shook his head in frustration, but stopped to frown in confusion as a piece of egg fell down onto the table in front of him. He reached up to pull a larger chunk out. He shot a look to his son who was squishing the left overs between his fingers and babbling happily to himself. "God my life is glamorous."

Wyatt laughed, pulling up a seat next to him. "Where are Mom and Dad? Or Molly? Doesn't she normally help watch him so you can get a break?"

"I try not to bother Mom and Dad if I can help it. They already went through this with us. It's not fair to them. As for Molly, she got a new charge, and apparently, the guy is pretty clueless. He's been calling a lot. Always taking on more than he can handle."

"Hmm, that sounds familiar," Wyatt teased, a grin forming.

"Shut up."

Wyatt stole a pancake from the pile Chris had made and left in the middle of the table. After taking a big bite, chewing only slightly before swallowing he commented, "I'm surprised the Elders gave her another charge. I would've thought with Lucky having such a huge destiny they'd want her attention all on him."

Chris had risen to get a third cup of coffee and got down another mug for his brother. As he filled them both, he answered, "Dad was the whitelighter to the Charmed Ones, and he had other charges. Hell, even when I was their whitelighter they tried to get me to take on another witch."

Wyatt's head whipped around in shock. He stared at the back of his brother's head for a moment. He numbly questioned, "What did you just say?"

"Dad had other charges," he repeated turning around and offering him the mug. When the blond kept staring at him he frowned. "What?"

Wyatt knew about the other timeline. He didn't know all the details, but he knew enough to be concerned. When he started getting nightmares about it, he'd spent months trying to uncover as much as he could. He knew his brother had died to save him. He'd been so terrified of it happening again, he'd tried to push his little brother away, hoping maybe if he hated him Chris wouldn't want to save him anymore, and history wouldn't repeat itself. In the end, he'd realized if it was Chris' destiny, he wouldn't interfere. The other Chris had made the ultimate sacrifice to save their family. Wyatt wouldn't risk wasting that sacrifice by changing anything. Still, hearing his brother start to say things he couldn't possibly know. . .it was like a cold blade had slipped into his gut. The fear of losing his brother was so intense in these moments he couldn't breathe. They were becoming more frequent each year, but Chris didn't ever seem to notice when it happened.

"Wyatt?" Chris asked again.

Wyatt shook his head trying to clear it. "Sorry, just spaced out. Too much fairy wine, you know? Straight to the head."

Chris set the mug of coffee down on the table in front of his sibling, looking the picture of disbelief but said nothing. Then he yawned, hard.

"I could watch Lucky for a bit if you want to rest," the older brother said.

To his shock, his sibling actually snorted at the offer.

Wyatt frowned. "What?"

"You never watch him," Chris said, the hint of bitterness unmistakable. He finished harshly, "You can't stand being around him."

The mighty Twice Blessed Witch, reincarnation of King Arthur, flinched. His blue eyes were soft and hurt as he looked at his kid brother. "I love Lucky, Chris. He's your son. How could I not? I've watched him plenty of times."

Chris noted the hurt look in his brother's face and let out a breath. "Sorry. Forget it. I'm just really tired."

"No, you meant it. Why though? Why do you think that?"

Just then the toddler in question began to whine, holding his arms up. Chris unlatched the tray to the highchair and picked him up, groaning as he realized he forgot to clean Lucky up first and now found his own shirt covered in milk, eggs and applesauce remnants. He looked down at himself and grumbled, "Great. Can I get through one day without being covered in food? Just one."

Wyatt moved to the sink to get a washcloth, handing it to his brother. As the younger man worked to clean himself and his child, Wyatt patiently waited for an explanation. When he didn't get one, he said, "I've been busy, you know. What with the whole being ruler of the magical world thing. And demon attacks. And college."

"Whatever," Chris muttered.

"Not whatever," Wyatt countered. "Tell me what's going on."

Chris shifted his son to one side, regarding his brother carefully. He wet his lips nervously before finally answering, "You're jealous. Casey and I have a child together, and he looks just like me."

"He has her smile," Wyatt argued. He smiled softly at the small boy. "And her coloring. The eyes are definitely yours." He returned his focus to his brother. "I'm not jealous. I was at first but not now. Not after everything we've all been through. It's just. . ."

"Just what?"

Wyatt shrugged. "Sometimes I feel like an interloper. There are these moments when you two are enjoying some special moment with him, and I feel like I don't belong. It's like you have your own little, normal family, and I don't want to ruin it. It's going to be hard enough for the poor kid as it is – his mom is dating his uncle. Not to mention his future version kind of hated me."

"You're not intruding, Wy," Chris argued, firmly. "You're his family. You're my brother, and I want you to be part of my son's life." He added pointedly, "So does Casey."

"Is that why she's been pulling away the last six months? She thinks I have something against Lucky?"

Chris shrugged. "Can you blame her?" When he noticed his sibling's downcast face, he added, "There's still time. Show her she's wrong. Now would be a great time to start. I'm exhausted."

Just as Wyatt looked up, he was handed his squirming nephew. He blinked in shock. "What do I do?"

"He'll need to be changed soon," Chris said backing away with a mischievous grin. "Oh, and he's really into orb and go seek. Have fun."

"Chris," Wyatt called after him, feeling a little panicked. His brother kept walking away. "Chris!"

Lucky looked up at his uncle with dancing green eyes and smiled brightly before promptly orbing away.

2024

Molly watched Chris from her spot on the sofa up in the attic as he flipped through the pages of the Book of Shadows, an irritated scowl on his face. She couldn't help but smile given the reason for his annoyed disposition. She tilted her head to the side finally venturing, "It's already over. Why exactly are you looking through the book?"

"It comforts me," Chris answered without looking up.

"It was just a little spell."

Jade eyes shot up to her face, clearly not pleased with her statement. "My son turned a kid into a lizard."

Molly laughed (not for the first time today), earning an even sharper glare from her partner. She bit her lip, trying to look contrite. "Lucky was just defending his friend. That other kid was a biter."

"A lizard," Chris repeated.

"You fixed it. I used my whitelighter dust to change the memories. Magic wasn't exposed and everyone is fine."

"Not fine. How do I teach a three year old the wiccan rede?" He slammed shut the cover of the Book of Shadows. "You know, I knew he was powerful. I knew that based on the prophecy and all, but this is ridiculous. He's three, and he's got more powers than I do. How am I supposed to do this? What were the powers that be thinking? They should have made him Wyatt's."

Molly, knowing her boyfriend like the back of her hand, knew to ride out the ranting. She sat patiently on the sofa, arms folded, watching him begin to pace back and forth.

"Casey loves Wyatt," Chris went on. "It would have been perfect. They could be a happy little family, and Wyatt could teach him all about being all powerful, since I have no clue what that's like. I'm just your run of the mill, mediocre witch. It's not like I didn't have an inferiority complex with Wyatt already, but now my own kid is more powerful than I am?"

The whitelighter frowned. "Since when have you ever had an inferiority complex with Wyatt?"

Chris didn't seem to hear her. He flopped down on the couch next to her. "I'm going to fail him. Lucky deserves the best."

Sensing the time was right, Molly turned to the man she loved and put a hand to his face, getting him to look at her. "He already has the best. You are an incredible dad, and Casey is a great mom. She's already explaining the wiccan rede to him as we speak, and she can always get through to him. Not to mention, he's got an Uncle who adores him, grandparents who spoil him rotten and a horde of other family who would do anything for him. Also, a pretty great whitelighter if I say so myself," she added with a twinkle in her eye.

Chris gave her a half-smile. "I'm over-reacting?"

"A tish."

He let out a breath, gazing into her hazel eyes and feeling all the fear and stress melt out of him. "I don't want what happened to Wyatt to happen to Lucky. The Cleaners erased him. No one remembered he existed. What if Lucky makes a magical mess and the same thing happens to him?"

"Obviously your parents fixed what happened to Wyatt since he's still here, and we would too."

Chris nodded, absorbing her words. After a moment he confessed, "I don't know how Mom did it. Two magical kids, and she managed a lot of the early stuff on her own. I have a ton of help, and I still feel like I'm drowning." His voice grew soft, his eyes dropping to his hands. "I don't think I'm very good at this."

"Look at me," his girlfriend ordered gently. Once he reluctantly lifted his eyes, she continued, "You are a great father. You love your son like crazy. You always put his needs first. That little boy adores you. Half the battle is just being there for your kids, and you always will be."

"Yeah, I would never bail on him," Chris agreed, a sudden darkness in his eyes. "Not like Leo."

Molly's brows furrowed in confusion. "Leo left you guys? When?"

Just then Wyatt came in holding Lucky's hand, Casey trailing after the two, drawing the other pair's attention. The little boy looked incredibly nervous as he entered the attic, his green eyes focused on the floor.

Wyatt gently nudged him forward. "Go on, Kiddo. Tell your Dad what you told me and your mom."

Lucky looked up through thick brown bangs. His tiny voice came out in a rush. "I sorry, Daddy, I didn' mean to make Harry a lizard. He was mean to Joey, and I got real mad, and it was a acci. . .acci. . ." he looked back to his mom for help.

"Accident," she reminded him.

"Acci-dent," he repeated. His lower lip stuck out pitifully, his green eyes glistening as he said softly, "You still mad?"

Chris' chest constricted at the sight of his little boy so upset. He rushed to kneel in front of him pulling him into a tight hug. The little boy started to cry, and Chris stroked his hair gently. "Hey, it's ok. You don't need to cry. It's alright. I believe you didn't mean to. I'm sorry I got mad earlier." He pulled back to look at the tear stained face of his son. He gently wiped away the last few drops and smiled lovingly. "Having magic powers is hard. I know sometimes accidents happen. Just as long as you know it's not ok to hurt people with magic on purpose. Not ever."

Lucky nodded. "Momma said we help not hurt."

"Yeah, well, your momma is pretty smart," Chris said, shooting a grateful look up to Casey.

His best friend had been so much calmer about this than he'd been. He didn't know what it was about the incident to make him freak out so much. He just kept worrying about all the possible terrible things it could imply. The cleaners taking his son had been one fear, but deep down, he'd had another darker thought. What if Lucky kept using his powers to hurt others and eventually turned evil?

It was ridiculous. Lucky was just a child, and it was an innocent mistake. Besides, Halliwells were always paragons of good. . .right? For some reason his eyes drifted to his older brother just then, and a cold knot twisted in his stomach.

2025

"You look ridiculous," Chris laughed, earning a jab in the ribs from his girlfriend. He rolled his eyes, "Oh come on. Casey is dressed like a wood nymph. The girl who hates frills and asked for leather and biker boots when we were shopping for maternity clothes has a flower wreath in her hair and a flowing dress and no shoes."

Molly rolled her eyes at him. "Stop giving her grief. It's not like she picked it out." She turned to her friend, questioning, "You really couldn't wear something else, right?"

Casey glared at both of them, her coffee eyes narrowing sharply. "It's the annual spring festival, and they asked Wyatt to bless their festivities. Unfortunately, anyone in attendance has to conform to their rituals, including dress."

As her wreath tilted and pushed her hair into her face, Chris bit back another bought of laughter as both women shot him looks. He held up his hands. "Okay, but seriously, this is not you. Can we acknowledge that, please?"

"It sucks, okay?" Casey agreed. "I look like a flake, and the stupid flowers itch, and I hate walking barefoot, but even more than this absurd get-up I hate all these ceremonies and rituals. Every time Wyatt and I finally get a night to ourselves, he gets summoned for something like this. I really want to be supportive of his magical destiny, but it's getting out of hand. There's always something. It never stops."

Molly softly questioned, "Have you talked to Wyatt about it?"

Casey shook her head and shrugged. "What can I say? It's not like he can stop being King Arthur. He didn't choose this either."

Chris folded his arms over his chest, studying his friend with a knowing eye. "There's more. What aren't you saying?"

"It's just. . ." she looked sheepish, her cheeks turning red. "They always call me Guinevere."

Molly frowned, not following. "Who does?"

"The entire freaking magical community," Casey spat. "Every time I go to one of these things with him, they all stare at me and whisper and judge and they always, always call me Guinevere."

"You did have a kid with Lancelot," Chris pointed out. Off her angry look, "Just saying."

Casey flopped down on the white loveseat in the conservatory, head in her hands. "I wasn't with Wyatt then. I never cheated on him. I never would. The original Guinevere had an all-out affair with Lancelot. For years, they snuck around behind Arthur's back. She literally destroyed Camelot, and that's how they see me. Everyone in the magical community thinks I'm a cheating, Camelot-ruining whore."

Molly shot her boyfriend a look, taken back by the outburst. Molly had always been envious of the other woman's confidence and ability to ignore what others thought. Being overweight her whole life, Molly had only recently gained that kind of strength. To hear her friend suddenly so hurt by the judgment of others made her both shocked and angry. She moved to sit next to Casey. "If people really think that they're idiots. Wyatt knows the truth, and he's Arthur's reincarnation, and the love of your life, so isn't that all that really matters?"

The other woman nodded, giving a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't let it get to me. I'm doing this for Wyatt. He doesn't like these events any more than I do. I just need to support him."

"There ya go," Molly said, giving her a brilliant smile. "Just keep focusing on him and how crazy he is about you."

"Speaking of which," Chris gestured to the column of orb lights floating down from the ceiling.

Wyatt was dressed in a loose fitting white cotton shirt with billowing sleeves that was tucked into tight brown leather pants. He turned a death look to his sibling who was struggling for all he was worth not to laugh. "Don't start or I swear I bring out photos from the time you were turned into a girl."

Chris' face fell and he ran a hand through his hair nervously as Molly quirked a brow in question. "I don't know what he's talking about."

Getting a little pay back of her own, Casey said, "You know I actually remember that. We were thirteen, and there was a demon hunting girls in our junior high, and Chris, here, thought he could handle it on his own, so he cast a spell to draw the demon to him, and it backfired." She smirked, "Christine, wasn't' it?"

"I hate you both."

Everyone else burst into laughter.

Chris folded his arms and glared at the mother of his child and his brother. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Actually yes," The Twice Blessed said with a wrinkle of his nose. He offered his hand to Casey. "Ready, M'lady?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully, getting a smile from her as she took his hand. He gave a slight bow to the other two before he and Casey went up in a swirl of light.

Chris moved to sit next to Molly on the loveseat. "Dad is watching Lucky tonight, which means you and I have the whole evening all to ourselves." He smiled suggestively, "Whatever will we do to pass the time?"

Molly feigned ignorance, shrugging slightly. "Gosh. I just can't think of anything."

"Maybe this will inspire you." He slipped his hand behind her head, pulling her in for a passionate kiss, the couple disappearing in their own swirl of lights as he transported them to his room. As they landed on his bed, he lightly pushed her silky black hair from her face before asking, "Got any ideas yet?"

Grinning at him, her hazel eyes sparkling, she returned, "Well, I'm sure I can come up with something."

Pushing him to his back she sidled up next to him, running her hands through his shaggy chestnut hair while she kissed him with a love most people never feel. She moved to nibble his ear and then lightly suck on the tender flesh behind it then left a hot trail of kisses down his neck. She inhaled sharply as his hands ran up her sides, caressing her before slowly, teasingly undoing the buttons of her shirt one at a time. She returned to claim his mouth while her hands worked on his pants. Soon they were both absorbed in their love making falling into the dance they'd done so many times before. They knew all each other's moves by heart, but it never felt any less passionate or loving than the first time. When it was done, Molly lay in her lover's arm feeling safe and loved and beautiful.

Chris, half-asleep, gently stroked her hair, murmuring, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Molly returned, running her finger along his bare chest. "I always have, and I always will."

Little did she know what Chris had already started planning for their future. And what a future it would be.

TBC. . .