Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, but I felt the need to re-write this chapter a few times.

He couldn't understand it. If his encounter with Wyatt had been a dream, why did he still feel the pain of the fight? Chris' mind raced with the effort of trying to find an answer, and it wasn't until his door opened a crack that he realized someone had been knocking.

Bianca's head peeked inside. 'Chris, are you all right? It's past noon…'

When Chris didn't answer, she took it upon herself to come in and sit down at the end of the bed. 'We've been worried about you,' she said.

Chris tried to smile, reassuringly, 'I'm fine, I've just been thinking…' he lied.

'About what?'

He gave a silent sigh, irritated that she felt the need to pry. 'Bianca, I really need to be alone right now, okay?'

She looked hurt, and he couldn't help but regret his harsh words. 'I'm your fiancée, Chris, there was a time you would have told me these things.'

'I think we both know that things are going to take some time to settle down. In the meantime… just don't force anything.'

She reached out and brushed a stray lock of his dark hair behind his ear. 'We shouldn't have to force it-' He wasn't sure why, but he pulled away from her touch. 'What's wrong?'

'This isn't right, I know it isn't…' His vision began to ripple, as though he was looking at a reflection in a pool of water. A sudden and uncharacteristic wave of claustrophobia hit him- he needed to get out, and soon. Without pausing to think, he ran from the room, down the stairs, and out the door.

*

'The first trial is complete,' Wyatt declared, bending over to pick up his child-self from the hard stone floor. 'Both he and I will need to rest before the next. I will return to the sisters- you stay here and watch him.'

Kirra nodded and watched as her master orbed out of the cave. She then knelt down next to her friend and daubed a wet cloth over his sweaty forehead.

It was just the three of them, sitting in a dark room as they quietly whispered of ways they could unseat Wyatt from his chair of power. Chris and Bianca sat on one side of the shaded space, their hands clasped as a sign of their newly discovered love. Kirra was on the other, playing the part of the supportive best friend, when in truth she would have given the world to be Bianca right at that moment.

'It'll never work,' Bianca was saying, in regards to Kirra's suggestion. 'We'd never get close enough to bind his powers.'

'There is a way,' Chris began, but the sudden appearance of a lower-level demon forced him to cut himself off.

'The master would like to speak with you,' he said, his gaze fixed on Kirra.

The young woman glanced over at her two friends, who were both staring fixedly at her. Chris slowly nodded and she stood, prepared to go wherever the demon needed to take her.

Moments later, she stood before a tall man with sandy blond hair. She hastily knelt on the floor.

'There is no need for formalities between us, Kirra, stand up,' Wyatt said, in such a way that Kirra instantly knew he wanted something from her. Nonetheless, she did as she was asked. 'Now, that's better, isn't it?'

'Is there some way I can serve you, master?'

A rather sickening smile crossed the man's lips, and Kirra dreaded whatever it was he was prepared to say. 'As a matter of fact, there is,' his smile broadened, and he took a seat by a small table of refreshments, then motioned for her to follow suit. 'I know he's turned against me,' he continued, all traces of amusement gone from his face. Kirra knew better than to interrupt. 'My own, dear brother, corrupted by his own weakness. I should have known better… but, there is still a chance that he may be saved- with your help of course.' All this time he had been stirring some sort of exotic drink.

'I'm not sure I understand.'

'Well, that can easily be remedied.' He turned now to address Kirra directly. 'Help me rid this world of Bianca- for I'm sure she is as much a nuisance to you as she is to me- and save my dear brother's life.'

'Why would you want to kill Bianca?'

Wyatt sighed, exasperated, 'because if she's gone then I can hope my brother will give up this misguided crusade of his and continue about the path I have so lovingly laid out for him- meaning I won't have to kill him.'

'And if he seeks revenge?'

'He'll have no idea you helped- I promise you that, and he'll never manage to get close enough to me to do any harm.'

Kirra stared at the floor for a long moment before replying. 'What can I do?'

A spasm of pain ran through Chris' body as Kirra sat there, remembering. Without warning, she got to her feet. 'I'm sorry, Chris, I betrayed you once already. I won't do it again.' She left the cave, pausing only to glance reluctantly back at the ravaged body of the only person she had ever truly loved.

*

Paige sat alone in the attic, having sent Phoebe back to work until there was something more to be done. Her orange head rested in her pale fingers, tired, exhausted, and worried about her nephew. There was a creak over by the door, and she looked up to see a young woman looking severely scared stepping into the attic.

'Who are you?' Paige demanded, instantly, jumping up and preparing for the worst.

The woman pressed a nervous finger to her lips. 'If he finds me, I'm dead.' She said.

'If who finds you?'

'My master… I tried to warn your sister about him, but he caught me before I could. He is an evil man, Paige, and you and your sisters are in danger from him- especially Piper.'

'Hold on, how do you know our names?'

The stranger shook her head. 'There's no time! He's so close… Chris is in danger, he's dying. We're in the magic school, a forgotten part of it… I have to go!' She glanced fearfully around.

'Wait, why is Piper in more danger than the rest of us?!'

'Because of who she has not yet birthed.' and before Paige could ask another question, the strange woman left the room in a strange shimmer of gold and green.

'Drat it, and I only just got Phoebe to go back to work, too.' She was, however, happy to have at least a bit more information- depressing as it was.

And, of course, the reviewers:

Anaxandra ~ Glad you're enjoying it!

NumberoneAdamfan ~ You really like the x-men comics, don't you (gee, wonder why that is?) Oh, and don't say Anywho- or toodles. lol Why french toast?

AJS ~ Of course Wyatt still cares for Chris, I couldn't tear them apart…

cherry7up56 ~ Sorry the update took so long, but I hope you think it was good.

Lonely N Fading ~ Chapter six, as promised.

Magical Princess ~ It took a while, but here's your next chapter!

PentagonMerlin ~ I'd like to think that something of what is coming up is unpredictable, but then again, it's probably not.

Black Ice ~ Yes, I was a little nervous about putting in too much detail for the first few chapters, mainly because I didn't want to give too much away, ya know?

shaz ~ Yeah, I liked those two parts, too, and I'm glad you went to work- it can't hurt to come home early… can it?

the proud canadian ~ Oh, Chris will get his chance, don't worry *plotting grin* And you're right, you did say that Wyatt was still evil, lol

goldstranger ~ Kirra's complicated, there'll be a few more flashbacks explaining her.

desert angel ~ Yes, Wyatt still loves his brother, and there's much more about that to come, too.

Taynna ~ I think this chapter answered most of your questions, *grin* And I agree, most authors make Wyatt far too direct- I figure he'd be subtle and stealthy- brains, not brawn (though I bet, if it came down to it, he could easily switch tactics)

X3 ~ Yeah, I can't believe I made things move so quickly- this is a miracle for me!

Queen isa ~ Sorry I missed you in the last chapter! And Chris didn't mean to create two worlds-but when his consciousness started to find discrepancies in the world he'd almost accepted as reality, it started to fall apart, you see? I'm still working on how that's going to come out in the story, which is why I told you. Oh, was that enough Chris/Bianca for you? I tried, I really did, but I like focusing on his relationship with his family a little more…

AK8 ~ I tried to get it up sooner, but I hope I didn't make you wait too long…

Random insane person ~ You didn't miss anything, this happened before the story opened- meaning he was already dreaming when he was sitting on the bridge and Wyatt came to get him. I love Chris stories too, *grin* He was on the Wyane Brady show the other day- Drew Fuller is so cool! (My sister loves talk shows, which is the only reason I knew about this)

piper+leo4eva ~ Hope you liked this chapter as much, *smile*