As Aeryn, Leo and the sisters reappeared in the brig the first thing the visitors from the past noticed was the putrid smell a mixture of old blood, quartized flesh, rotting corpses and human excrement. They stared at Aeryn in shock as she seemed unaffected by the smell of death and dying that surrounded them.

"Where did you think these came from self-harm" she said holding out her scarred arms.

They looked around the room which appeared empty apart from a canvas camping bed when Paige saw one foot sticking out from the corner of the bed "there's someone over there" she yelled.

Aeryn made a run for the body but stopped just short when she saw the glinting black arrow stuck out of his chest "Paige, Leo stay back" she said backing up away from him.

"What is it" Piper and Phoebe asked stepping into the spot Aeryn had just been in but one look gave them their answer, they immediately went to kneel at his side.

"What's wrong" Paige whispered to Aeryn as she came to stand next to them.

"He's been shot with a dark lighter arrow".

"Piper hold him down" Phoebe said getting a grip on the arrow as Piper gently yet firmly put pressure on his shoulders, Phoebe pulled the arrow out of his chest.

Once it was out she looked up "you three flatten out the way" she said talking to the white-lighters who did as she said. Phoebe then stood and walked with the offending item at arm's length across the cave floor before sticking her hand out the bars and dropping it in the walkway on the other side.

As soon as she heard the clang of the metal tip hitting the floor Aeryn ran to Chris who'd a massive hole in his chest, sweet beading around his forehead. She sat down carefully pulling him up so he was sat leaning against the sloping wall of the cave, Piper reluctantly joined her sisters and ex-husband who were stood just out the way to give the couple some space.

"Chris" she said stroking his bangs out of his eyes "Christopher can you open eyes for me" she said in a soothing tone.

Chris' eyes fluttered open at the familiar voice he thought he'd never hear again "you're dead" he said looking into her eyes.

A soft rumble of laughter rolled through her "rule one of the resistance sweet pea the regime lies, Wyatt would do anything to get you to join him".

A smile flittered across his face as he felt her presence once again in his mind.

"You know Chris you must have made a real impression on the charmed ones and that elder while you were in the past".

"They hate me and don't trust me. To them I'm just some irritating neurotic white-lighter from the future, hell bent on making their lives difficult, they preferred it when they were Leo's charges. As for the almighty Leo he'll probably hold a fiesta when he hears I've returned to my own time. When Mum's not lecturing me she's yelling at me usually to get out and that she never wants to see me".

He released months' worth of pent up emotions in one go which wore him out in his weakened condition causing him to fall silent.

"Have you quite finished, you're wrong Chris they do care for you"

Hiss eyes which had closed against the pain ripping his body apart flew open again "you have no idea what you're talking about, Aeryn".

"Don't I, Christopher you see your sister was giving me the latest update from the sanctuary, she'd just orbed out when I heard that damn floorboard outside the door creak, you know the one you said you were going to fix when you came back".

Chris laughed at the promise he'd made her.

"I opened the door and was surprised at who stood listening on the other side. The sisters and Leo they've come to rescue you from the evil clutches off my cousin".

She looked over at Piper and made a slight motion for her to come over "hey Chris" she said coming to sit on the other side of him.

"Piper" he said weakly.

"Why don't you call me mum" she said with a warming smile light up her face he turned his eyes to Aeryn.

"You told them" he asked breathlessly.

"I'm sorry…" she stopped short as his breathing became laboured.

"Heal him" Piper urged Aeryn to which she shook her head with tears rolling down them.

"I can't".

"What do you mean you can't" Leo snapped moving in a threatening motion towards the young girl who'd seen it all before.

She suddenly felt the oppression of an incoming threat so she found the trigger for her shield. The sisters and Leo gasped as a light pink shield extended around them; Aeryn's fear of harm coming to Piper or Leo which would mean no Chris meant that this was the strongest shield she'd ever risen.

Bianca shimmered in "so the underworld doesn't block that pathetic shield" she said flexing her fingers.

"No because my shield is a witch power" she replied pouring more fear into the shield now she realized who the threat was.

The assassin summoned an energy ball and tossed it effortlessly at the shield where under normal circumstances it would fizzle out but this time it rebounded off and nearly hit her.

"Well aren't we powerful" she was baiting Aeryn knowing that such a strong shield would drain her energy quickly, Aeryn knew it too.

Aeryn looked at the people protected by her shield "what I'm about to do is in defense, I can only access my Phoenix powers when the underworld represses my white-lighter powers" she said as her eyes flashed red.

One of the most powerful energy balls to be summoned appeared in her hand, she effortlessly tossed it at Bianca, it hit with a terrifying sizzling sound.

Aeryn begun to feel the effects of sustaining such a strong shield begin to take its toll "we need to go".

Her tone of voice betrayed how weak she'd gotten "where" the white-lighters asked in unison.

"Our house" Chris said.

Aeryn was just about to lower her shield to preserve her energy when Wyatt shimmered in pissed Bianca hadn't come when called.

That was the signal the sisters and Leo needed clinging to Paige as she grabbed the two kids and summoned her orbing powers.

It wasn't a moment too soon because just as they begun to de-materialise Aeryn's shield faltered and failed leaving them unprotected for several seconds but Wyatt was too hung up on Bianca's crumpled body.