Chapter. Four

A/N: I do not own Charmed, nor do I own the characters (despite how much I want to)

Description: After Chris is discovered as Piper and Leo's son, the girls and that very hot elder notice that Chris is spending far too much time down in demon land. He's too pale and too thin. Can the Power of Three and a witty Elder stop Chris from embarking on the dreaded path of self-destruction?

Piper was furious. Chris was gone, again. Paige had unlocked his door after they all got up and saw that he was gone. Leo was currently trying to calm her down.

"Hey, maybe he stayed the night and just left early."

He stopped as blue lights swirled around in the kitchen and revealed Chris. He wasn't in good shape. Bruises everywhere, cuts and scrapes, and not to mention what looked like broken bones. But the worst thing seemed to be the two black arrows sticking out of his arm and chest.

"Chris!" Paige yelled. She had been scrying for him for the past hour, and was surprised when the crystal landed on their house. Chris started to sway, and Paige hurried to his aid. Piper held her back.

"Paige, those are Darklighter arrows. You are half whitelighter. Call Phoebe."

"PHOEBE!"

"You know, I was only in the bathroom for five minutes. You could have waited." Phoebe said, and then stopped on seeing Chris. The shock ended fast, as Chris swayed and almost hit his head on the table. Phoebe ran to her nephew and pulled out the two arrows as fast as she could.

"Leo, heal. Now!"

"I'm—" Chris began to speak but Piper beat him to it.

"If you dare say fine, I will ground you for a year. Understand?"

Chris nodded and was silent while Leo healed the wounds from the arrows and from the other demons as well. Chris got up, felt around to make sure everything was in reasonable shape, and started to head towards the attic.

"Chris!" Leo said, and grabbed his arm.

"Don't touch me." Chris hissed, loud enough for only Leo to hear.

"You need to eat something, Chris. You're way too thin." Paige said. The annoyance and slight hatred of her wayward whitelighter had been replaced with concern and worry.

"Look, I'll eat something once I've brewed a potion to vanquish an upper level demon. No, you guys stay," he said, as the Power of Three made to stand. "This is something I need to do alone. Besides, I'm not that hungry."

Everyone else looked shocked as Chris left the room. Paige shook her head.

'You know, I'm starting to miss his mantra of 'future consequences'. This one's worse."

"Yeah. Is Chris ever hungry?" Phoebe asked. She was a little put out that he didn't even thank her for pulling out those arrows.

"I think we need to perform a spell to find out what's going through Chris's mind. Hear me out." Piper said, knowing that her sisters and husband were going to protest. "Do any of you know when the last time he ate was? Or slept? He's going to get himself killed, and we'd be responsible if we don't slow him down soon."

"I agree." Leo said, his handsome face marred with a frown. The four walked upstairs to find Chris hunched over some potion while muttering to himself.

"Hey, Chris. Need help?" Phoebe asked. She was the best potion maker of her family.

"No, I'm good. Thanks though."

Paige and Phoebe exchanged shocked looks. Chris actually thanked them. The three sisters stood next to each other and began to chant.

On this day and on this hour

We call upon the ancient power.

Ease this whitelighter's pain

So that we may be free of this bane.

Before Chris knew what happened, he was suddenly knocked unconscious. As if they were at the movies, a screen was pulled down, the lights lowered and the gang could see the beginning of Chris's recurring nightmare.

"Chris, you take the south wall. Me and Penny will take the north wall." A young girl said. She looked around 18 or 19. Chris seemed to be around 17 or 18.

"Aren't they a little young to be doing any fighting?" Leo asked.

"I wonder why this is his worst … memory, I'm guessing." Paige asked.

" Remember: Do not use your powers unless you come face to face with Lord Dickwad." A young boy around 13 said, repeating orders given to them by the leader of the resistance.

"Hey! Language!" Phoebe scolded.

"Paul! Language!" His sister said. She seemed to be around 15. All these children seemed much too young to be so well trained, but war will do that.

"Wow, those poor kids." Paige said, the social worker in her coming out. She hated when kids lived in abusive societies, and this one took the cake.

"Hey, Aunt Phoebe and Paige don't know I'm taking you with me on these missions. Don't get hurt, you know I'm rubbish at healing, and don't die." Chris said. Even though the eldest girl seemed to be in charge, Chris was the most experienced at this. He'd been fighting ever since he was 14.

"That's Chris? I was expecting someone…?"

"Younger." Piper finished for her sister.

"Okay. Go."

The first part of the mission went smoothly. Of course, not only were these the top fighters in the resistance, but they were also Hailiwells. They made it all the way to their recon point.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Chris asked.

"Patty and I are here." The young girl named Penny said.

"Me and Lizzie are here too." Paul said. The fighters began to relax; the hard part was over. Now all they had to do was rescue their comrades.

"Hang on. That was easy." Leo said, the father in him coming out in spades.

"Almost too easy." Piper finished for him.

"Well, well. Isn't it a family get together." A cold voice could be heard from around the corner. A golden headed child came out from the shadows. Chris stepped in front of his cousins.

"A modern day Cain and Able story." Phoebe muttered, trying to lighten the tension. Piper was shocked. She knew that Wyatt would turn evil, but she never dreamed he would threaten his own family.

"Wyatt."

"Chris. I'm surprised you came. Maybe you really are a part of this so called resistance like they've told me. Oh well. Good bye to bad rubbish, as I say."

"Hey, be nice to your brother young man." Piper scolded, forgetting that he couldn't hear her.

Suddenly a large explosion went off around Chris. When the smoke cleared, he saw the bodies of his cousins scattered around the hall. He felt his body fall as he landed on his knees.

"No!"

"Those poor children." Phoebe said, sobbing. Even though it was a memory, she could still feel Chris's pain. The memory stopped. When the lights came up, the four of them could see that their whitelighter was gone, once again. He'd taken the potion with him. Piper sighed. That boy would be the death of her.

TBC

A/N: Longest chapter yet! Thanks to everyone whose reviewed and/or added this to their favorites list/ alerts list. Please review, or I will hunt you down and sic Piper on you. Don't worry, I'll have Leo heal you.