Disclaimer- I do not own Charmed, much as I want to. The only thing that is mine is this storyline.

4

Chris woke up from a particularly nasty nightmare where all his family were dying to leap up face to face with Wyatt who was bouncing up and down on his bed. It struck him as amusing to think of the other Wyatt even thinking of doing such a thing. He smiled.

"Happy Birthday lil' bro!" Wyatt called thrusting his present to Chris at him. "I couldn't wait to give you it!"

Chris smiled happily. In his other life he never even got to see what his present was from Wyatt. He pulled the wrappings off hastily to reveal a new CD. He hugged his brother. "Thanks Wy. I was beginning to worry that all my hinting was for nothing." Chris decided to enjoy the morning while he could. The attack would be coming lunchtime. He shuddered inwardly, while keeping a smile plastered on his face.

He orbed downstairs, still in his pyjamas to meet his Mother's un-amused expression.

"I know, I know. Personal gain."

"No. Not personal gain. You Aunt orbs everywhere all the time. Now orb upstairs and get dressed. You nearly spoilt the surprise for breakfast."

Chris decided to take advantage of the fact that his Mum was letting him orb when he liked now.

While he was getting dressed he hugged himself with pleasure. His Dad would be here this time. Maybe everything would be alright.

He decided to walk downstairs this time to alert his family that he was coming. Besides, Aunt Phoebe would be in trouble if he revealed that she had already told him what was coming. He grinned as he walked into the dining room and saw the large pile of presents. He wouldn't be allowed to open them until later as usual, but he could amuse himself by guessing what he had. He wondered if his Aunt Paige had gotten him the potion book this time. Looking at the pile, she had.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled.

Chris acted shocked and pretended to be amazed by the balloons and streamers. And the pancakes. His favourite! His Granddad Victor had managed to make it. Chris realised that he knew and was trying to keep a brave face for him. Looking around the family, all the grown-ups were aware that this was Piper's last day in the other timeline. All of them had brave faces on. Chris decided to ignore it. His plan would have to work anyway. And there were more people here to deal with the demons this time round. As long as Wyatt stayed in the action. His force field would be a great help. And he had boosted the potions in the cupboard on the sly. He just made sure there weren't any potions that could block orbing.

He focused on keeping his secret safe. And with Wyatt around, that was no problem. He was one infectious hyper happy teenager. Totally different to the other Wyatt, even now.

Just as well everyone in his family had taken the anti-empathy potion. There was no way he could have kept it safe from Aunt Phoebe; it was hard enough without an empath.

He beamed as he looked at everyone, especially his Dad. "Thanks! I love pancakes!"

Piper smiled as she hugged him. "Tuck in honey. I even made you some chocolate sauce."

"For breakfast!"

Everyone laughed.

"Yes you can have chocolate for breakfast peanut."

He sat down and proceeded to pour an enormous dollop of chocolate sauce all over his pancakes, causing everyone to laugh again.

Despite how hard Chris tried to slow time, it was soon dinnertime.

"…Happy Birthday to you!"

He sat down in front of his family at the table, ready to blow out his candles.

"Make a wish, little bro." said Wyatt.

The insect came buzzing towards Wyatt.

Chris knocked over his chair to reach the insect first, startling the rest of his family.

It bit him just before he squashed it.

"Damn." He cursed.

"Chris?" Piper asked apprehensively.

Chris decided to throw caution to the wind. "Don't make everyone orb out. You can use Wyatt's and my cousin's help. There's going to be a lot of demons coming. Just get Granddad out."

Piper looked worriedly at him. "Peanut…"

"Look. That insect was magical. It bit me, okay? It was after Wy. And Mum?"

"Yes?"

"I love you…"

Chris couldn't hold the magic off any longer. He collapsed, hitting the ground with a thud.

Wyatt ran to him. "Chris!" He shook him frantically. "Chris! Wake up!"

Chris didn't respond, just lay there limply.

Leo orbed Victor out then came back in quickly as the first demon shimmered in.

Wyatt threw up his force field. "How did Chris know?"

Piper looked worriedly at her husband and sisters. "I don't know."

The demons looked shocked as they met Wyatt's force field.

"He's supposed to be out of the action!" One yelled.

"Yeah? Well I'm not." Wyatt retorted as he summoned Excalibur.

He dropped his force field to let him and his family fight.

Piper began blowing demons up furiously. They had ruined her son's birthday and they weren't going to get away with it.

Paige and her sons began orbing objects at the demons as more shimmered in and Phoebe began channelling their attacks back furiously. The other cousins were hitting demons too.

The demons were hit with the entire combined force of the Halliwells. Especially Wyatt. The room was continually flashing with the intensity of his blue energy balls glinting off Excalibur which became like an extra arm it was being wielded so fast. No-one hurt his little brother.

When the darklighters dark orbed in they were blown up by Piper before they had a chance to load their crossbows. All but one. One of the arrows hit Wyatt.

Phoebe ran over to her nephew and pulled the arrow out of his arm as he grimaced in pain on the floor. Leo orbed over and healed him immediately, turning to throw a demon into the wall.

Jason and Richard were throwing potions till their arms ached. There seemed to be a lot more potions in stock than usual.

The demon attacks soon stopped, to the disappointment of Chris's cousins who weren't allowed to vanquish demons often.

By some miracle, Chris's birthday presents were intact. Unfortunately, the cake wasn't. Paige's son Matt had orbed the cake onto a demon's head, causing his hair to ignite with the flaming candles. The rest of the room was a state. Burn holes were all over the wall. Wyatt grinned sheepishly, having caused the majority of it all.

Piper looked fit to burst, she was so angry. "Stuff personal gain!" She paused for a moment to think up some words to rhyme.

This will take ages for us to tidy up this atrocious mess

So right the room and save us from this unpleasantness

The room tided to its rightful state. Piper looked smug as she realised it had worked.

Chris still lay on the floor unconscious. He wasn't the twice-blessed, so the spell on the insect had more of an effect.

Piper and Leo walked over to him.

Piper looked at Leo. "How did he know?"