Sorry for the super long wait. No promises that this is what you want or expect, but here it is anyway. Please enjoy.
Chris stood green eyes sharp and focused, but his whole body trembled from exhaustion. The Soul Collector stood no more than three feet away, and was smiling in victory. He had tried everything, straining his mind for what he had done the first time, struggling to recall how he had escaped with his life, and more importantly his soul.
But he'd been older then, nearly eight, and it was difficult to do the same things in a body as young, and small as he was now. It wasn't strange to have two parallel streams of thought in his head at any time, one was purely childish, and reacted to everything that happened to him in pure childlike emotionalism, but it was tempered by the older stream, the one that knew things, and kept him from completely losing it. He knew that Mommy and Daddy were worried about him, knew that they thought there was something wrong with him, but right now he was glad that this was how his mind worked.
His hands shook, a ruthlessly repressed terror as his younger self allowed his older self to take control, and to deal with the situation in the only was left to him.
The Soul Collectors smile grew wider and a hand reached across and suddenly the demon was right in front of him, face level with his own as long fingers carded through his hair, like how daddy did when they were sitting watching a movie.
"You're never going to see your daddy ever again." The demon said softly, sounding almost gleeful, and even the calm, rational older him could not stop the burst of terror that blazed right through him. The Soul Collector closed his eyes and shuddered in pleasure as the feeling bled into him, and when he opened them again, the eyes that locked with Chris's own were dark and hungry.
"You're never going to see you're mommy, or your brother, or anyone you love or care about ever again Chris. I'm going to take your soul and devour it and you will spend the rest of your existence in loneliness and agony. Do you understand me?"
Chris's eyes never wavered, but even sheer determination could not hide the flicker of fear lurking there. The Soul Collector smiled and leaned forward, closing the gap between them until he could press a loving kiss to his forehead. The older him fought furiously to stop the younger him from giving in to the rising confusion as the demon parodied his two favourite memories of his parents.
"Now to take your soul little one." The demon whispered. "This will hurt. I want you to scream and cry and shake with fear as I tear it from you piece by piece."
"Souls." Chris said, voice rusty and disused, and he could see the word gave the demon pause. "There are two me's."
The demon shifted back, eyeing him for a long moment. "I know Chris." He replied easily. "I can feel the younger you screaming and blubbering like the child it is. I can taste its terror. You are trying so hard to control it, but you are merged too much to find the distance from that terror that you need to beat me."
Chris was silent, but his thoughts were clear. 'I beat you before.'
The demon chuckled. "I win little boy. Concede the game."
Chris fought with his memories, memories of a life no longer his own, trying to dislodge the one he needed, but wherever it was hiding, it was resolute in its decision not to be found. Chris held the demons hungry gaze, and felt a wash of despair.
Finally he dropped his eyes.
The demon just smiled.
Xxxxx
Piper was sobbing quietly into Leo's shirt, trying to smother the sounds so as not to wake Wyatt, who had just fallen asleep no more than five minutes ago. Leo could do nothing more than stroke her hair and stare sightlessly at the wall, praying for all he was worth that Chris would come home soon.
He refused to let himself think that he would not be returning.
Chris was only three, and even with his older self's help, there was only so much strain a child's body could take… No, no. He couldn't think like that. Chris would be fine… It would break him in ways that could never be repaired if anything happened to Chris.
Memories of older Chris's words about his relationship with his father had made Leo swear to himself that he would never treat his little boy like that. He had perhaps taken it a bit far in the beginning, bringing the infant to the underworld while he slew demons in revenge for what had happened to the older version of his son; but he hadn't been lying when he said that it had soothed Chris in some way. Now that he knew about the twinned souls, it made much more sense.
He always made sure that he and Chris had special 'father/son' time for just the two of them; he did the same thing with Wyatt, and while he was doing that, his other son would be spending time with Piper for their special time.
He blinked his eyes in an effort to keep the prickling at bay. Piper needed him to be the strong one right now, and with that thought he determinedly pushed aside his doubts and thought instead of what film he and Chris would watch together on their next special day. It always made him smile at how different his sons were to each other. With Wyatt the day would be spent either playing a sport (his current favourite was baseball) or watching a sport. Chris preferred watching a film with him, and it gave Leo the excuse he needed to rewatch some of his favourite kid's films, or being read to.
Piper often rolled her eyes at the differences between their boys. Wyatt shared no interest in Pipers cookery skills, though he enjoyed the results. He much preferred to learn practical magic from her, and would constantly pepper her with questions about everything magical he could think of. Chris on the other hand loved watching his mother cook, and even had his own easybake oven and bakeware in the corner of the kitchen so he could 'cook with mommy' without Piper having to worry that he would go near the real cooker.
Leo blinked again, but this time it was not enough to stop the prickling and he swallowed hard.
Chris would be fine. Chris had to be fine…
Xxxxxx
Somewhere in the underworld, a little boy screamed.
Ok, the bit with Leo got a little weird, but I just sort of typed it without thinking and I sort of like it. I know Easybake ovens aren't supposed to be for kids under 7 or 8 or something, but I just figured Piper as the sort to encourage Chris in all ways, and it's such a cute image, Piper cooking away on the real cooker, and Chris making cookies with his little oven at the same time.
I hope you enjoyed and that it is in keeping with the other chapters. One or two more chapters and that will be it I think.