A/N: Hello all! So, for those who have read my other story "Trick", you will note it's soon coming to an end. I mentioned another idea I had for a story, and this is it…I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: Not mine. Any of it. Well, except for some of the characters in the future…
"Time travel is not a toy, Phoebe!"
Piper stood in the doorway of the attic, lightly chastising her sisters as they stood around the kettle in the middle of the room. Phoebe jotted down notes, trying to write a spell which would allow her to gaze into a portal of some kind and know if Jason was the one she was meant to choose. While Paige was helping her-begrudgingly, due to Phoebe's nagging for the past 5 hours-Piper was trying to dissuade them from it all together.
"I'm not time traveling, I'm taking a peek. What if Jason's the wrong choice and choosing him sends the entire world into chaos? Innocents could die."
Piper's eyebrows shot up. "The fate of innocents hang on whether you choose to move in with your boyfriend or not? Aren't we humble?"
"Shush." Phoebe replied. "Look, I'm going to do this with or without your help so you might as well just help us. Make sure we don't blow the house up or something." She was offering her sister a persuasive grin.
"Let me tell Leo to watch the baby." She finally sighed, giving in. She headed down the stairs, ignoring her sisters hushed cheer of victory as she tried to figure out a way to spin this so Leo wouldn't lecture her. She knew it was a stupid thing to do, with high risks, but she also knew that if she helped with it, she could prevent her younger sisters from blowing themselves up, which was always a plus.
When she began to mention it to Leo, a look of firm disapproval clouded his features, but she quickly moved present her reasoning for her decision. He scowled softly throughout the discussion, but in the end, he agreed to watch after Wyatt for a few hours while she worked this out with her sisters.
"Just be careful." He warned. She nodded. "And that doesn't mean I think its okay; I just know nothing I say will stop you."
"Don't worry, that's why I'm even participating, to make sure they don't do anything wrong."
"You know the Elders will file this under big time personal gain--" He began, but her sharp glance silenced him. "Just be careful." He repeated.
"I love you too." She pecked him on the cheek before turning and heading back up to the attic, where her sisters sat prepared, waiting for her. "Well, don't you move fast when it's about you?"
"I know you're not happy about this, but wouldn't you rather know? I know you would." Phoebe urged.
"Let's just get it over with. You have the looking pool prepared?"
"Well, we decided to do something else." Paige offered. Piper's gaze narrowed.
"I'm not letting you go into the future. That is way too dangerous; not to mention, stupid."
"We just want to look into a portal; not make one to go through. It will give us a clearer view."
"And not be as much to clean up." Paige added with a smile. Piper wasn't thrilled but she offered a caustic smile in return.
"Fine, whatever. Let's just get this over with so I can go spend time with my husband." She replied shortly. She stood next to Paige as Phoebe drew a smaller triquetra on the wall and hurried back. They held up the paper and with a sigh and deep breath.
"With these words, with this day Help us know which decision to make, To help the world, in any way, Show us how to avoid a mistake."
The portal blazed a bright green, different from the blue it was characteristically when transporting people to the future, and the sisters squinted from the color, preparing themselves for what they would see.
A loud bang came suddenly, and it seemed there was an explosion and smoke and the next thing they knew, they were on their backs staring at the ceiling, which was different then it had been a second ago. Phoebe swallowed hard, a sinking feeling in her stomach.
It appeared they were not so much in Kansas, anymore.
--
As the sisters gained their wits about them, they realized they hadn't gotten to just see the future. Something had pulled them into the portal and they weren't in their attic any longer.
Only...they were.
"What the hell?" Piper demanded, looking around at the impeccable neatness of the room. She turned on Phoebe. "What the hell did you do?!"
"I...I didn't mean to." She replied weakly. Piper growled in response, making her way about the room. She realized this attic was different, but she had no idea it they were in the past or the future or how far so in either they may be. Paige rose and dusted herself off.
"Where are we?"
"It doesn't matter; we're going back right now." Piper said, catching the books view in her eye. As she went to flip through it however, she realized she couldn't. "What the...this isn't the book!" She exclaimed fearfully.
"What?" Paige marched over, examining. "It's a hologram." She remarked wondrously.
"Well, I guess that solve the past or future dilemma." Phoebe offered a small smile on her face. Piper shot her a look that would melt ice. "Sorry."
"Yeah, well. We have to find the Book...who would've removed it?"
"Maybe we don't live here anymore?" Paige offered. Piper shook the idea away.
"No, one of us would always stay here. Unless..." She bit her lip, thinking. They were...around, right?
"Guys," Phoebe began, over by a mannequin that hadn't caught their eye yet, hidden in the corner among the clutter. "This is something we've worn."
"What?" Piper asked, walking over to examine it. Sure enough, it was a costume like replicate of something they had worn incognito to fight demons.
"Weird." Paige commented. "We have to get out of here."
"Definitely." Piper said, grabbing her sisters outstretched hand. With her other, Paige grabbed Phoebe and began to orb out.
And found she couldn't. The sisters hit the attic floor with a thud, crying out in shock and pain. "A shield? A magical shield? Why...?"
"What are you doing here?" A gruff voice demanded. The three turned to see an ominous looking man, dressed all in black with slicked black hair. His face paled slightly at the sight of them, but he only recoiled for a moment. "Imposters. What are you doing in the Halliwell Mueseum?"
"Museum?!" The three exclaimed.
He didn't seem amused as he conjured an energy ball. It wasn't quick enough. Piper threw her hands out, hoping the shield wouldn't affect her offensive ability and it didn't. The man burst into nothingness with a yell, and a fleeting thought; he didn't warn Lord Wyatt.
"Okay, so how about we just get out of here the old fashioned way?" Phoebe suggested frantically. Her sisters were already on their feet.
"That is the first thing I agree with you on today." Piper said, bounding down the stairs, prepared to fire at any encounter. "We'll get answers on the outside."
They scrambled down the stairs, hands up and ready to defend themselves if necessary. They gaped at the items on display, marveling at the obvious shrine that made up the home. Something horrible must have happened for the Manor to be left like that.
They almost made it to the door by the time two black clad demons shimmered in front of them. Without thinking in her panic, Piper threw up her hands, blasting them into dust.
"Run!" She yelled, flinging the door open and as they clamored down the front steps and onto the sidewalk, she grabbed onto Paige and Phoebe as more demons shimmered in. "Paige, orb. Now!"
"But, whe--?"
"Anywhere but here, now!" She yelled and without a second thought the three dissolved into blue orbs and disappeared from sight.
They manifested in a small, hidden area of the park, overgrown now with weeds and untouched bushes where there used to be flowers and a path. Paige suppressed a scream as she looked toward the waterfront and her sisters followed her gaze, swallowing their own gasps of surprise.
The Golden Gate Bridge, a symbol of San Francisco itself, stood in ruin, caving into the water in the middle. A pungent odor invaded their nostrils and they coughed, reeling from it. The once beautiful Golden Gate Park looked like a trash bin, and the normal child filled scene was no longer there. The image of the sister's once beautiful home city in such dire straits filled them with panic.
"What in the hell is going on?" Piper exclaimed, tears of confusion and fear springing to her eyes. "Are we in some sort of...alternate dimension or something?"
"Calm down, we need to stay calm..." Phoebe said, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
"How am I supposed to be calm?! Because of you, I am god knows where, and I have a son and a husband that will have no idea where I am! This is all your fault!" She yelled, getting more frustrated by the second.
"Don't fight! We won't accomplish anything if you guys keep arguing." Paige exclaimed, pushing her body in the middle of the two. Piper backed off, but her eyes still blazed. She turned and stalked to the water's edge of a pond, leaving her two younger sisters alone.
"This is all my fault." Phoebe whispered. "If I wouldn't have been so selfish..."
Paige bit her lip. It was true; most of the fault lied with Phoebe. But certainly not all of it. "We had a choice in helping..."
"Oh come on. I practically forced her to stand and help us. She has a kid at home, Paige. She doesn't need this."
"I don't, you're right." Piper interrupted, appearing behind her sister. "But Paige is right too. Arguing and finger pointing will get us nowhere. We need to stick together. And find out where we are, and how to get back. So we need to find people. We need to get filled in."
"Thanks Piper." Phoebe replied quietly. Piper wanted to retort, let her sister know that she was still pissed off, but she stopped at Paige's pleading glance.
"Let's just head towards a shop or something, get a newspaper or a magazine." She said, beginning to head towards the road. They trudged toward up a hill and onto the road, expecting to see people bustling around, shops open with customers and businesses; it was a Saturday after all.
It was a ghost town. They gaped, no words coming to them as familiar stores were boarded up, burned black by god knew what. Papers fluttered around as warm breeze bustled though. They decided to walk, sure of finding a place eventually. And they did; it just took almost a half an hour, much longer than it ever should have.
They walked in, noting the bars on the windows and the weak condition of the shop. A gruff man sat behind the counter, a bright blue pin on his shirt in plain sight, as he sat writing in a journal. He looked up, startled that anyone was entering and his eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing here? And where are your tags?" He asked roughly, eyes finding their chests. All three of them recoiled.
"Tags? We're not dogs, dude." Phoebe retorted.
"Mortal," He pointed at his. "Or Magical." He said, pointing at a large sign behind the counter that read "Everyone Must Be Marked." They stared incredulously.
"What the hell is this, Nazi Germany?" Paige muttered. The man picked it up.
"This world makes Nazi Germany a picnic...at least the Nazi's didn't have magic." He spat. "Now what are you doing here, before I call the clans?"
"The Clans?" Paige asked.
"A newspaper. All we need is a newspaper." Piper said hurriedly, not wanting to know what "the Clans" exactly were. His face screwed up in response.
"A newspaper? Lord Wyatt banned the production of newspapers last year." The old man snapped at them, his voice gruff and irritated. Piper recoiled.
"Lord Wyatt?" She had a sick feeling in her stomach; there was no way.
"Hey, you know what...I finally realized, you three..." The man began.
"Sorry, gotta go." Paige interjected quickly, grabbing her sisters and dragging them from the shop.
As they hurried down the street, scared and worried, they didn't notice the teenage boy running up behind them before he grabbed their arms. Piper whirled around, preparing to strike.
"Whoa, hey! I just want to help you!" He exclaimed.
"Help how?" She snapped.
"Well, you are obviously the Halliwells." He said simply; his mind thought differently though. The Halliwell Sisters had been dead for 7 years; these were just a new set of shape shifters, determined to try and reset the balance. This plan had been attempted before, an idea that if Lord Wyatt saw his family restored, he would see the error of his ways. The boy shook his head. Foolish witches needing to be saved. He was sure Chris wouldn't be too happy about it; seeing a carbon copy of his mother always sent him for a loop, but he wouldn't want them left to Wyatt's minions, like the first group had been. He almost shivered at the memory of the barbaric warning left after Wyatt had disposed of what was left of their bodies.
"You...know us?" Phoebe asked. The boy snorted.
"Uh, yeah. Everyone does." He motioned for them to follow. When they didn't he stopped. "Are you coming?"
"Not before getting an explanation of where we are, what's going on, who Lord Wyatt is--?"
The boy stared at them confusedly, but decided to play along. "How about you come with me without any explanation? Because in about 5 seconds, Lord Wyatt's clans are gonna be here to kill you."
"Where are we going first? I think we can handle a handful of demons." Phoebe asked darkly. The boy sighed; this trio was sure of themselves.
"The Resistance headquarters. It's the safest, most secret place in the area, and I can get you down there safe. So it's either trust me or die."
"Or we trust you and die."
He shrugged. "With that mindset in this world, I'm surprised you're not already dead. You have to take help where you can get it in the day in age. Come with me or not, I'm getting out of here before I end up dead."
"You can't be more than 16." Paige remarked as they fell into step behind him as he hurried away. He glanced behind himself at her before turning into an alleyway.
"I'm 17. What's that have to do with anything?"
"You're just...so bitter."
"Realistic." He corrected. "There's no room for anything else here if you want to live."
"Good God." Piper whispered. She thought back to the Golden Gate Bridge in ruins, the smell of death in the air. Was her Wyatt responsible for this? The golden, beautiful, joyful child had grown into this? She'd never believe it.
"What's your name?" Phoebe asked a few minutes later as they made their way into another alleyway, as they stopped. He looked at her quizzically for a moment.
"Parker." He answered, before waving his hand in front of the seemingly solid wall. "Follow me."
He stepped toward the wall, looking as if he were about to hit it head on but passed right through. The sisters followed.
"You're a witch too?" Piper asked.
"We're all witches in the Resistance. Mortals comply much easier with Wyatt because it's easy for them. He doesn't see them as a threat because they can't do anything and as long as they follow his rule, they and their families stay safe and alive."
"But not witches?"
Parker shook his head. "Not witches. Plus, Chris--"
"Who's Chris?" Piper asked. Parker's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Very convincing." He replied with a nod and a small smile. She mirrored his confused look.
"Excuse me?"
"Chris is the leader of the Resistance." He said simply. There was something off about these three and the more time that passed with them he was realizing it. But there wasn't really time for it. They made their way down a worn staircase to a basement looking area. People sat in small circles, talking, laughing, eating, not even noticing the entrance of others. Piper looked around and gaped.
"Wait a minute...is this my club?!" She exclaimed.
"Observant." He remarked dryly. "Stay here."
He walked away into what had been the back room and closed the door, leaving the sisters looking shaken and confused. The man in the room looked up.
"Hey Park. What's up?" Chris asked from his desk.
"We have a situation."
Chris' grew serious. "What happened now?"
"It's nothing to do with Wyatt," He began. "It just seems that we have another trio of imposters. Of the Charmed Ones."
Chris face darkened. "The third group in three years. Didn't learn from the last two, I see."
"There's something different about these ones though," Parker began. "They're very in character. And they look younger."
"Younger?"
"Okay," Piper burst into the office, slamming the door open. "I don't know why we even stayed out there. This is my club, and dammit, I want answers!"
Parker watched Chris and saw for a split second when it looked like he had swallowed a bug. His face was still white when he spoke.
"So you must be the three trying to undermine Wyatt again. Stupid plan, you know."
"What the hell is everyone talking about?"
"You pretending to be the Charmed Ones to get a rise out of his lordship," Parker remarked, sarcasm evident at the end of the sentence.
"Pretending? Believe me, if I had any choice, it would be to be normal and not a witch, but I don't have that luxury." Piper snapped.
"So, let's just say you are the charmed ones," Chris began, coming around the table. "How is that even possible? The Charmed Ones have been dead for almost 7 years."
The women blanched at that, and Chris immediately regretted it, no matter how much it proved that they were telling the truth. He felt a sharp twist in his gut, and resisted the urge to vomit as he stared into the younger version of his mother's eyes. Suspicion and confusion clouded a gaze he knew usually to be so loving. He looked away. "How did this happen?"
"Well, we had a little mishap with a spell..."
"You had a little mishap with a spell, trying to see your future. This is what I mean about personal gain Phoebe..." Piper launched a tirade, but Chris cut her off.
"Wait a minute," Chris looked at her suspiciously. "You're from the past?"
"2003. Phoebe here decided she wanted to see if moving out with her boyfriend was a good idea."
"I said I was sorry!"
"Come on, guys, calm down..."
Chris pressed his fingers to his temple, eyes closed tightly as the sisters bickered back and forth. "Everyone be quiet...just, shut up!" He exclaimed. The three looked at him, surprised. "Just ...be quiet. I have to think."
"Don't strain yourself." Phoebe quipped, irritated. He shot her a tired look then looked to Parker.
"Can we have a few moments ladies? I need to discuss this with my...associate." Parker raised an eyebrow at him.
"This is my club." Piper repeated.
"Was, your club." Chris corrected, sliding into a guise of uncaring confidence. "After you died, Wyatt sold it to the highest bidder and it was eventually boarded up, abandoned. We charmed it so it still looks abandoned from the outside, and even if he was to come here-which he wouldn't-he wouldn't realize what it is."
"And that is?"
"The headquarters for the resistance." He replied. "Look, 5 minutes. Then we'll get you guys set up and explain what we can. We'll get you back to your time. If Wyatt finds out you're here..." He trailed off. "5 minutes. That's all I ask."
Piper examined him for a moment. He seemed sure of his promise, but shaken all the same. "You'll explain everything to us?"
"Everything I can. You know the consequences of time travel if there's too much revealed."
"You seem to know enough about us." Paige remarked. He swung his gaze to her.
"You're lives are well known. You're somewhat of legends now; tales of what you accomplished during life are somewhat reminiscent of better days." He shrugged.
"Legends? Is that why our house is a museum now?"
"5 minutes, Piper. Then I'll fill you in, I promise." He replied exasperatedly.
"Fine. 5 minutes. And counting." She finished abruptly and turned, her sisters following out of the room. When he and Parker were alone, Chris flicked his fingers, locking the door.
"Well?" Parker asked.
"It's them." Chris nodded, his head falling into his hands. "This could turn into a disaster."
"Wait...are you sure? It's them?" It was Parker's turn to blanch, his mouth to drop.
"Which one of us can sense family, Park? Me. I would know my mother anywhere. The aunts too." He rubbed his fingers together as he stared at the floor, deep in thought. Parker, at the side, sat heavily on the couch.
"What...what do we do?"
"We can't let them know who we are." Chris replied hastily. "So don't even think it."
"But they--"
"Are from the past, and have no idea who we are. And it's going to stay that way."
The younger boy opened his mouth as if to object, but stopped and nodded, knowing the older man would have none of it. "Whatever you think is in their best interest."
"Park," He began understandingly. "You know how they'll get if they know who we are. Do you want them putting themselves in danger for us? We're not even around in their timeline yet! And when Wyatt...if Wyatt finds out they're here, we don't know what will happen."
Parker nodded knowingly. "I know that it's the right thing."
"You sound as if you're trying to convince yourself." Chris replied with a smirk. Parker chuckled.
"I suppose I am." He grew serious. "You want me to talk to Pru and Callie? Get them to whip up a cloaking spell to hide them from Wyatt?"
"Mind reading has always been your forte." Chris smiled. "As soon as possible. They should be at the Wharf Center."
"Care to help me out with that?" Parker stood, arms spread expectantly. Chris sighed, a withering shake of his head.
"Lazy." He laughed. "Just be careful. I'm sure a guard or two was probably vanquished when they were in the Manor, so Wyatt will have everyone on high alert."
"No problem. I'll report back as soon as I can." Parker said with a tight nod. Chris merely nodded back and waved his arm, sending the young man in a flurry of blue orbs to the destination he needed to go.
Like clockwork, on the minute, knocks came at the door and Chris motioned the lock and opened the door. They entered warily, searching the room, but as they were in, he motioned his fingers and closed the door behind them without even looking up, causing them to jump.
"Where'd your friend go?" Paige asked.
"I asked him to run an errand for me." He answered calmly, flipping through some papers. He rose, trying to keep himself calm as he circled the desk and sat on it, arms crossed as he waited.
"We didn't see him leave." Phoebe stated.
"I orbed him out." Chris replied without thinking.
"You're a white lighter?" Piper asked, surprised. He looked down at the floor, biting his tongue and mentally chastising himself for the slip. He was going to have to get used to censoring himself around them.
"Half, white lighter. Half witch." He decided to tell the truth, knowing it would come out sooner.
"Like me?" Paige asked wondrously. He fought to hide a grin.
"Like you. Like Wyatt. And others." He hurriedly supplied. "A few years after Wyatt was born, things changed a little; let's just say the Elders became a little more accepting of the union of white lighters and witches due to some...complications."
It was an easy lie, one that slipped off his tongue. He saw Piper weigh the admittance in her mind, then accept it easily as she shrugged, which caused Chris to sigh in relief. She didn't know him after all, didn't know his mannerisms and for all intents and purposes, was not the mother he would have to fear. This Piper couldn't read him like his actual one could, couldn't tell if he was lying or not. On the contrary, and maybe even a little painful, this Piper seemed disinclined to even care.
"So let's sum up what we know so far. Someone has taken over the city, and has amassed mass destruction upon it." Piper surmised slowly.
"That would be your son." He offered. "Lord Wyatt, as most call him."
"Impossible." She quickly defended.
"To you, yes. But this Wyatt..." He shook his head mournfully. "Please don't make me show you things to prove his misdeeds to you."
"Let's say we believe you," Phoebe decided to interrupt. She could feel the anger and confusion rising in Piper, but could also feel the genuine sorrow pouring from Chris. He wasn't lying about this.
"Fine, let's say." He rolled his eyes caustically but spoke no more, giving her way to continue.
"What now?" She finished.
He sighed, running his hand through his rich brown locks. "That's what I was trying to plan. I want you to stay here; Parker went to work with some of our constituents to brew a potion strong enough to cloak you from Wyatt while we figure out a way to get you back in the Manor, to the book so we can send you back to your time."
"Where will you keep us? Isn't it a little cramped in here?" Paige asked. Chris couldn't suppress his grin this time. He knew they knew nothing of Magic School, of how it's own construction seemed so small and was so large and never ending. They knew nothing of how a small broom closet could become multiple suites if necessary.
"We'll manage." He replied with a chuckle. "We have our ways."
"Magical? It would take a pretty powerful magic to make rooms from nothing." Piper remarked, picking g up on his cryptic message. He scowled inwardly; maybe he wasn't so immune to her intuition after all.
"I've been practicing magic all my life; and my family is pretty powerful. It adds up."
"Your mother let you--" She began critically.
"I will not have you implicating anything upon my mother, Ms. Halliwell, since you know nothing about her." He interrupted her icily. He found it a little moronic, even if she didn't know that she was about to insult her own parenting skills. "My mother was a great woman."
Was. Piper picked up on that and had the decency to look slightly ashamed. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't realize--"
"Of course you didn't. Because you won't accept that that is the reality of the world you now dwell in." He snapped, angry. Emotions he had managed to keep at bay for the past few moments festered below the surface, threatening an overwhelming blowout if he couldn't calm down. He took a few deep breaths.
"Are you saying Wyatt...had something to do--" Paige began slowly, fearfully.
That calmed him. For all that Wyatt was, matricide was not in him. "My mother died years before Wyatt became what he is." He said quietly. "But my other family I have lost...Wyatt is not innocent. And I am not the only child that is mother or fatherless, not the only brother who is sister or brother less. There are countless among the resistance that have dealt with their fair share of Wyatt's wrath. I need you to understand the gravity of the situation you have found yourselves in."
He let himself look up then after his calmed tirade and the sisters saw the raw exhaustion and emotion clouding his eyes. Piper, who had tears in her eyes through all of this, finally lost it and tears streamed down her face. She turned away from him, into the arms of her sisters.
Chris sat back as he suppressed a groan. This was not how he wanted to start this. "I'm gonna leave you all alone for a little bit." He excused himself, walking out of the office for a moment of peace only to face upwards of fifty people standing, watching and waiting for an explanation. He sighed.
This was so not his day.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Any of it. Well, except for some of the characters in the future…