Chapter 1 – The Event

The fourteen year old boy shook his mop of dark hair out of his eyes as he iced another brightly coloured flower to the top of the cake he had made. It was his mother's birthday tomorrow and both she and his older brother seemed too preoccupied with other things to care about it this year. To Chris birthdays were an important occasion as his family had little time for celebrations elsewhere in the year, what with work, school and demons attacking every five minutes. Chris had already had his fair share of demon attacks in his life but although it was a nuisance to put his life on hold whilst he and his family fought them, it had given him a great opportunity to help control and use his powers effectively. He had inherited his father's powers of orbing and the ability to sense others whereabouts and from the witch side of his family the power of telekinesis, which was the ability to move matter with his mind, although he used his hand to direct movement.

"Hey Honey," his mother said entering the kitchen and planting a kiss on the top of his head before putting her shopping bags on the side.

"Hi Mum," Chris replied placing the finished cake inside an airtight container.

"Hey, you finished it," she said. "Let's see."

She lifted the lid and cried out in delight at the thick vanilla cake delicately decorated with hundreds of tiny, perfect flowers.

"It's beautiful," she exclaimed dropping another kiss on his head and hugging him tightly.

"Aw, Mum," Chris' indignant muffled voice came from her chest, although he was pleased she liked it. His mother was his whole world and nothing made him happier then to see her pleased with him, or anything for that matter.

She started unpacking the shopping bags and Chris helped her.

"Is Wyatt here?" she asked.

Chris shook his head. "No, he went out."

"Again?" his mother replied.

Chris decided that his mother's question didn't need answering and he hid behind the fridge door as he added various items to it. When he emerged he saw his mother looking at him as if she knew something was bothering him.

"He's changed, hasn't he?" Chris said quietly.

"Well he's getting older," she explained. "He needs to be allowed to become a little more independent. He's almost seventeen."

Chris shook his head. "No, I don't mean him spending less time at home, but everything…" he stopped, "since Auntie Phoebe died."

"Well he was very close to her. To both of them. Death reminds us of our mortality, and it effects us all differently."

"But it was two years ago," Chris said. "I'm scared for him."

"Aw Sweetie," his mother said hugging him again. "Don't be silly. There's nothing wrong with him. It's his hormones, trust me."

Chris flushed as he pulled away from her feeling foolish.

"Have you done your homework?" she asked, swiftly changing the subject. Chris pulled a face pretending to think but his mother saw through his cover instantly.

"Christopher Halliwell!" she cried. "Go upstairs at once and do it. You know perfectly well homework comes first."

"I started it," Chris argued weakly.

His mother returned his comment with an icy glare causing Chris to surrender.

"Ok, sorry Mum," he said and fled the room.

Chris opened his maths book with a sigh, and bent over the page of sums. He was good at the subject but never enjoyed it unless he used it practically which was something his maths lessons never did. He worked swiftly through the page until he was distracted by an almighty crash from downstairs. Sometimes this meant a dish had been dropped or a vase knocked over but more often then not it meant there was a demon in the house. Upon hearing the crash therefore, instantly Chris orbed into the kitchen and was greeted by three demons who were expertly launching golden energy balls at his mother.

Distracted by Chris' arrival, his mother took the split second opportunity to blow up one of her assailants with a flick of her fingers. He disappeared in a column of flame with a roar of pain and two more demons appeared in his place.

One demon hurled an energy ball at Chris, who directed the flaming ball into the back of another demon. As this demon met the fate of its comrade another three materialized in the room.

"Mum we can't beat them," Chris noted with a sinking feeling as she vanquished another one and another two shimmered into view. "More just keep coming."

His mother never liked to leave a job unfinished, but without the power of three anymore they would have to find another way. She held her hand out as she registered what he son was saying.

"Quick, orb us," she said blowing up an energy ball as one sailed her way.

Chris realised that this was easier said then done. They were surrounded by demons and at opposite ends of the room. He could orb to her but the demons were in a too closer proximity for this to be successful without being hit. He lifted his arms slowly into the air as his mind bore the weight of a demon and sent it crashing into a cupboard. Chris sprinted through the gap towards his mother, fending off the balls of energy as best he could. He could feel them falling around him, burning holes into furniture and leaving hideous black marks on the floor. He ducked suddenly as one shot over his head singeing a few of his hairs that stuck up excitedly. His mother's scream made him look up. A mass of burned material and flesh in her side held evidence that an energy ball had met its mark and Chris made an even more desperate attempt to reach her. He never made it. In his frenzy to reach his mother he became less concerned about the demons attacking him and consequently received a sharp burning sensation as a ball of energy burnt painfully into his shoulder. The impact caused him to fly along the floor and crash into the heavy wooden table in front of him. He didn't wait for the demons to finish him off but scrambled as quickly as he could towards his mother on his hands and knees. Chris estimated that there were now around thirteen demons in the room and the number was increasing which indicated the rate his mother was vanquishing them at. He had lost sight of her in the black forest of legs but thankfully the demons seemed less interested in him now and only a few energy balls were thrown his way. The air was thick with the crashes, whizzes and bangs caused by both his mother and the demons and he followed the trail to the centre of the sound where he hoped he would find her.

Then, it was over. One by one the demons suddenly shimmered out in a black wave leaving the wrecked room full of dust and smoke.

His mother was lying in a crumpled heap next to the counter Chris had been working at half and hour ago. The splattered remains of her birthday cake on the worktop were steaming and the melted icing dripped steadily onto the floor next to her turning the blood pink.

"Mum!" Chris cried out in horror and ignoring the throbbing pain in his shoulder ran to her side. She had taken another energy ball to the chest and judging by the blood trickling slowly from her mouth it had been at close range.

"Chris?" she murmured.

"Yes Mum?" he asked anxiously.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course Mum!" Chris replied. "But your not. I'll call Dad."

"No…" she began but Chris had already opened his mouth.

"DAD!" he yelled to the ceiling. "DAD, PLEASE DAD, COME HERE! MUM NEEDS YOU!"

"Chris," his mother whispered.

He looked down, his face streaming. "Why isn't he coming?" he sniffed.

"I don't know Honey," was his mother's reply.

"WYATT! DAD!" Chris screamed. He was beginning to get hysterical. Although he was half Whitelighter he didn't have the power to heal. He knew they needed help now. His mother needed help now. "DAD! WYATT! ANYONE? PLEASE!"

"Chris," his mother whispered again touching his arm softly with her fingertips.

"Mum," Chris said, gently lifting her into his arms. "Don't worry, Dad'll come soon."

"I love you Chris," she murmured.

"No," Chris interrupted.

"Tell Wyatt I love him too."

"No," Chris repeated, "hold on. Dad'll come."

He paused for a second in a futile attempt to stable his sharp, rapid breathing.

"DAD!" he screamed. "PLEASE DAD, FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE LISTEN TO ME! MUM NEEDS YOU NOW!"

"Be brave Honey," his mother whispered even softer than before. She coughed weakly which caused a fit of them to follow. Blood sprayed everywhere, flecking her son's top with the deep red substance.

"Mum, please," Chris wept. "Please stay, don't leave me."

She relaxed in his arms, her eyes flickering closed for a moment. "Be brave," she breathed.

Chris lowered his mother to the floor again and held his hands over the gaping hole in her chest.

"Heal," he urged his hands through gritted teeth. "Come on, heal."

Nothing happened. His vision swam and he wiped away the tears with bloody fingers.

"DAD!" he called again.

It was then when he realised just how much blood there was. His own trickling down his back. As warm and as salty as the tears that stained his face. His mother's, seeping onto the kitchen floor beneath her, drenching the two of them.

"Mum, I'm going to orb for help," Chris decided.

"Sweetie, you can't…orb up there," his mother murmured.

Chris knew he wasn't allowed to seek the Elders, but he also knew his mother was fighting to stay conscious.

"Watch me," he burst out and orbed away in a shimmer of white light. Suddenly he felt himself pushed heavily to the floor which he made contact with, with a thud.

"Chris?" he heard his mothers anxious whisper.

"I'm ok," he replied, although he felt anything but. "I don't understand, there seems to be a shield around the house. I can't break through it."

His mother sighed and her eyes drifted shut. Chris sunk to his bloodstained knees and took her hand in his own.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you Mum," he whispered defeat sounding bitter to his lips.

"You already have," she breathed with a faint smile before the final Charmed One slipped away.

Chris shook his head violently, not wanting to believe she was gone. He felt dizzy from the loss of blood and blackness threatened to engulf him. He fell forward, burying his head into his mother's stomach where he had once been cradled safely and lovingly. His body shook with sobs. He couldn't stop, didn't want to stop. "Dad!" He gave a strangled cry one final time, in the hope, the vain hope that he would come and everything would be alright again. But the only thing that joined him was the faint splat as the icing hit the floor.

Chris woke from the comforting depths of nothingness to see his brothers golden locks and concerned brown eyes gazing down at him. For a moment he returned the gaze before everything came flooding back. He clambered quickly to his feet using his mother's cold body for support. He swayed on the spot; he had never felt so terrible in all his life. Wyatt wrapped his arms around him and held him close as Chris wept.

"Dad!" Wyatt called and instantly there was a swirl of white lights and his father's form appeared. It only took him a second to absorb what had happened and fall to his wife's side his golden Elder robes instantly stained scarlet.

"No," he whispered.

Chris moved slowly behind his brother and pressed closely against him.

"No," he heard his father whisper again.

He looked up at them, his face drained of all colour. He was shaking.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice betraying his emotions.

"Demons," Wyatt replied unnaturally calm. "At least I think it was. I came in a minute ago to find the kitchen wrecked. Chris and Mum were lying on the floor. I managed to heal Chris but Mum was…" his voice cracked but he forced himself to continue. "Mum was dead."

Chris gripped his brother's hand tightly.

"You were here?" his father asked him.

Chris nodded.

"Well?" his father continued. "What happened?"

"Demons," he croaked. "They-they attacked. There were so many."

"Why didn't you orb yourselves out?" his father asked beginning to sound like an interrogator.

"I tried," Chris replied tearfully. "I really did try, but I couldn't get to Mum in time. I tried to save her, I called you but you didn't come. You never come," he added.

"I never come?" his father repeated.

Chris couldn't tell by his father's expression whether he'd hurt him or not but at this moment in time he didn't care. What he had said was true. His father hardly seemed to notice him; he was there when his mother called, when his brother called and even half the world when they wanted him, but not Chris. His mother told him that his father was a busy man and had other responsibilities besides his family, but Chris knew his father didn't seem to love him as much as he loved everyone else. Chris continued.

"There was a shield around the house. It stopped me orbing out. Maybe that's why you didn't hear."

His father glared at him. "If I had heard you I would have come straight away," he snapped. "Why didn't you try the Book of Shadows?"

The Book of Shadows was a powerful book containing hundreds of spells and facts on demons. Demons had tried to steal it many times but anyone evil could not lay a finger or claw on it. The Halliwells had used it on countless occasions to fight and beat demons as well as for other uses.

"There wasn't time," Chris stammered.

"Wasn't time!" his father repeated disbelievingly.

"Oh just stop it!" Wyatt suddenly yelled. "This wasn't Chris' fault, these were demons that attacked! Demons kill Dad. Even us. They killed Auntie Paige, then Auntie Phoebe and now Mum. You Elders won't help. No. so if it's anyone's fault it's yours."

Chris saw his father open and close his moth like a fish.

"Living all high and mighty in your perfect world watching the rest of us struggling to keep out families safe. You don't care about us or protect us!"

Their father stood gob-smacked for a second before quickly regaining his composure.

"It's ok to be angry," he said.

"ANGRY!" Wyatt screamed and waved his hand viciously through the air sending his father crashing into the wall behind him. He held him a couple of feet in the air his legs dangling.

"I'll show you angry!" Wyatt continued.

"Wyatt stop it!" Chris yelled, he had never seen his brother this furious before.

Suddenly his father orbed out. Wyatt could have stopped him but he didn't.

"That's it!" he cried after his father's fading figure. "Run off and leave us again."

Wyatt turned to face his brother, Chris stepped hurriedly backwards. Wyatt's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm going out," he mumbled and with a swirl of bright light he disappeared.

He was alone again. Chris forced the tears back, wondering if there was anything to do other than fall apart.

With one last look at his mother he orbed out too. This time he was successful in leaving the house and reappeared behind the garden shed in his grandfather's back garden. Grandpa was a mortal. He wasn't entirely keen on magic but he accepted it as part of his family's life. Chris knew that orbing into his house wasn't allowed as he was rather skittish and hated it when family members suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Chris ran up to the back door and knocked sharply on the glass. He loved his grandfather. He always knew the right thing to say and Chris needed that now. Someone to hold him in his arms and tell him it would all be alright and support him. His grandfather smiled when he saw who was at the door, but Chris couldn't return the gesture and as the gleaming barrier between them parted, Chris took refuge in his warm embrace, burying his face into his chest as the tears fell once more.