Chapter 7

"How'd it happen?"

Bianca raised her eyebrows at Chris. They were alone, the sisters having granted them some rare privacy. "I told you."

"I know, but I want the details," Chris replied, his face tightening as he said it.

"No, you don't," she said gently, leaning her head against his shoulder. She knew it would only hurt him to hear what Wyatt had done to her.

"Maybe not, but I need to know," Chris replied persistently. His stubbornness had never bothered her before; in fact, she had always found it one of his best qualities. He fought for his beliefs no matter what opposition he received, and she liked that he wasn't weak. Still, she had become too sick to resist him, and it frustrated her.

"Fine," she relented, and she caught the sadness that flashed through his eyes. He recognized it too, that she wasn't nearly as strong as she used to be. "He healed me, and then he said he wanted me to go back into the past to find you again. I said no, and he imprisoned me for awhile in the Underworld."

She saw his jaw clench as he reached out to her. She allowed him to pull her into his embrace. "God, Bianca, I'm sorry. If I'd known…."

"You would have tried to stop it, and he would have killed you," Bianca interrupted firmly, pulling back to stare into his eyes. "Which is exactly why I'm glad you didn't."

He nodded and let go of her, but they stayed only a few inches a part. "So what happened next?"

"Not much, for awhile," Bianca said, shaking her head as the memories tried to take over. Wyatt hadn't been kind to her, but Chris didn't need to hear about that. "Then one day he came to me with a vial. He told me to drink it; I said I wouldn't."

"He forced you?" Chris asked, mouth tight and eyes hard.

She didn't bother trying to sugarcoat it. "Yeah. Then he told me that if I didn't bring you back, I'd die. I think he expected me to value my life more than yours."

Chris smiled wryly at that. "He never understood you." Then his expression turned sad. "I wish you did."

"No, Chris," she said simply, shaking her head at him. "Even if I didn't love you, all hope of a better future lies with you."

His shoulders slumped, and she was startled by his sudden dejectedness. "But it hasn't changed at all, had it?"

She understood his question, and she shook her head unwillingly. She knew how hard he'd been working in the past, and she wished she had a different answer for him. "No. It's still the same."

"Dammit," he cursed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. She touched him lightly, hoping to comfort him. His hand closed around hers.

"So did he say where the potion came from?" Chris asked after a moment, his eyes focused as he opened them again. "Did he get it from a demon?"

Bianca nodded thoughtfully. "He must have. At least, I don't know any witches who would cook up something like this."

"Then maybe we can find that demon," Chris said quickly, and his eyes lit with sudden hope. "Maybe we can force him to give us the antidote."

"I don't know, Chris. Trying to find a demon that works for Wyatt twenty years into the future? It's not going to be—" She broke off when she saw the anger and panic welling in Chris' eyes. He was terrified for her, and she knew he was desperate to find a way to help. "But maybe it's worth a shot," she finished, for his sake.

"Okay," he said quietly, and she knew he was trying to convince himself that his plan could work. She hoped it did, more for him than for her. He had lost so many people, and she didn't want to be another scar. "So tell me your symptoms."

"Chris…." She protested, knowing it would hurt him again, but he just stared at her unbendingly. She sighed. "At first it wasn't that noticeable. My heart raced a little, and my temperature was a little higher than normal. But then I started to lose my powers, and now I can feel it constantly—all my muscles ache, and I can't do anything strenuous. Sometimes my chest tightens and I feel like I can't breathe."

He released a shaky sigh and pulled her to him gently, like he was afraid he would break her. She hated being treated like glass, and she hated that his assessment was all too accurate. She was weak, and she didn't feel like she would be able to keep pretending much longer.

"I'm sorry," she said, blinking back the first tears that had filled her eyes since the day Wyatt had almost killed Chris. It was funny, the way she never really cried for herself.

"For what?" he asked, pulling back enough to look at her. "For being sick? For the way Wyatt's using you? None of that's your fault. You're the victim here."

She hated that even more than she hated being fragile, but she let the comment slip away. He hugged her again, and she let him. He needed this, and deep down, so did she.

"I love you," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I love you, too."


The emotions tugged at Phoebe's heart, and a watery knot formed in her throat. She blinked away unexpected tears, trying to focus on her task. She was here to make sure that neither of her sisters overheard Bianca and Chris' discussion.

She took one more look down the deserted hall and then peeked inside the room. Chris held Bianca in a careful hug, his arms around her waist and hers around his neck. Both had their eyes closed, and Phoebe knew that neither was aware of her presence. They were too wrapped up in each other.

Despite the situation surrounding Bianca's reappearance, it warmed her to see Chris reacting so openly to another person. He had been completely cut off from everyone since he'd come to the past, and Phoebe knew it was really hurting him. She had tried to get him to open up, to push through the barrier of protectiveness he had created around himself, but she hadn't made any progress. She knew his reservations stemmed from hurt, sorrow and loss, but she wished he would give her a chance. Still, he had Bianca now, and she could tell that the Phoenix's presence helped soothe Phoebe's tortured nephew.

Yes, he had Bianca now. And he would keep her, Phoebe thought, clenching her jaw hard in determination. Phoebe would make sure of it.

"Hey, Pheebs? What are you doing?"

Phoebe jolted in guilty surprise, whirling around to face Piper. Phoebe cast a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure that Bianca and Chris were unaware of Piper's sudden presence.

"Hey," Phoebe said finally, trying to smile. It fell flat, and Piper raised her eyebrows.

"What's going on?" Piper asked suspiciously, inching past Phoebe to look into the room, herself. She stayed quiet for a moment, surveying the scene. Then she stepped back and shook her head.

"Chris and that girl," Piper scoffed quietly, and Phoebe felt her expression tighten.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked, as casually as she could.

"Nothing," Piper said, shaking her head again and shrugging her shoulders. "Just, I'm glad he's not my son."

Phoebe tried to stop her reactions, but she couldn't. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. "What?"

Piper stared at her, obviously confused by the extreme response. "You know, so I don't have to deal with… all of this." She gestured vaguely to the doorway for emphasis. Phoebe blinked at her uncomprehendingly. "Oh, you know what I'm trying to say! What if Wyatt fell in love with a girl like that?"

Phoebe's face hardened, and Piper looked surprised. "So let me get this straight. You'd be upset if Wyatt, who turns evil and takes over the world in the future, fell in love with a Phoenix? The same Phoenix who, despite being an assassin, fought against Wyatt and risked her life to send Chris back in time and ultimately save the world? Is that what you're telling me?"

Piper's self-righteousness gradually left her expression, replaced by a sheepish look. "Alright, fine, I get your point. But if none of that happened, if Wyatt was just a healthy, happy, good boy, are you really saying that you'd be okay with him loving someone like her?"

"I don't know," Phoebe said honestly; she couldn't deny that she had her own reservations about Bianca. "But I know that in Chris' future, Wyatt's not a good boy, and I know that Bianca was there for Chris even when his own family wasn't. She may be a lot of things, but she loves him. And he loves her."

"Since when do you know all this?" Piper asked, a flicker of anger lighting her face. "Has he been telling you things again?"

Phoebe realized that she'd said a lot more than she had meant to. "No! Look, I'm an empath, alright? I can just…. feel things sometimes. And that's what I feel when I look at them. So please, Piper, back off."

Piper's expression wavered for a moment, as if she couldn't decide whether to be furious or ashamed. Then she shook her head, and weariness won out over both emotions. "Whatever, Phoebe. I'm helping the girl, aren't I? I think that's pretty big of me, considering the last time she was here she cast a spell on us, held a knife to my throat and attacked our Whitelighter."

Phoebe wilted a little at that. "Well… yeah. I guess you have a point. But let's just save her, alright? Regardless of how we feel, Chris needs her. And he's already lost too many people he needs."

Piper narrowed her eyes, looking as if she wanted to start questioning Phoebe again. Then she gave up and shook her head. "Fine. I'm going to make dinner."

Phoebe watched Piper walk down the hall. "Wait," Phoebe called, and Piper turned around, eyebrows raised. Phoebe hurried to catch up with her.

"The disapproval over Bianca dating your son?" Phoebe began, realizing she was toeing the line but knowing it needed to be said. "You should probably work on getting over it."

Piper's eyes narrowed even more, and her lips thinned. Phoebe was sure she would ask more questions, but after a moment, Piper just nodded. As her sister walked away, Phoebe breathed a sigh of relief. Then she moved back to the room that Bianca and Chris occupied. After listening for a moment, she knocked quietly.

"Guys?" She called, poking her head in again. They were separated now, Chris leaning casually against the table and Bianca standing stiffly next to him. "Piper's making dinner. It'll be ready soon."