Callisto Nicol - I think I failed you on the updating quickly part for this chapter, but hopefully, you enjoy the mass confusion of time travel and alternate timelines in this section. :)

Anthony - Thanks for your review, and I must say, I am super impressed with your memory. That line is incredibly important in this story, but I'm not going to say what it applies to just yet ;)

Chapter 6

"I can't. . ." Chris shook his head, the pain and hope and confusion suffocating him. He took a step back from her, his vision blurry with tears he would never allow to fall. "You're not Casey. She's . . . you can't be real."

Before anyone could say another word, Chris went up in a swirl of orb lights.

Lucky, noticing the sadness creep onto his mother's face took her hand and tried to comfort her. "It's okay, Momma. He didn't know who I was either." He shrugged lightly. "You get used to it."

Casey looked down at her son and couldn't help but smile. She should have known he was just fine. Her child was nothing if not resilient. A trait he'd definitely gotten from his father.

Although it seemed this version of his father wasn't holding up very well. As soon as Casey had seen him she'd known he wasn't her Chris. He didn't have the same relaxed, cocky stance she had grown up seeing. This Chris had been rigid, on guard, like he was ready to flee or fight at a moment's notice. His eyes were so much harder and older even underneath the obvious pain and shock her presence had wrought. This Chris had obviously survived hell, but still, the mere sight of her had pushed him over the edge.

"Alright, future girl," Piper said sharply, "care to tell me what just happened?"

The younger woman reluctantly turned to find the Charmed One in full momma bear mode. Her arms were folded over her chest, her fingers tapping impatiently on the tops of her arms as she glared at the person she deemed responsible for sending her son into emotional turmoil. There was not a force on this planet more frightening than Piper Halliwell on the war path.

"I wish I could," Casey started, keeping her eyes trained on the other witch's hands, watching nervously for signs she was about to get blown to pieces. "I don't know why he reacted that way. I don't know enough about his timeline to even guess."

Piper frowned. "Come again? What do you mean his timeline?"

"Lucky and I are from the changed future," Casey explained. "The one Chris created by coming here and saving Wyatt."

The Charmed One lowered her arms, her eyes going soft. "You mean. . .we do it? Wyatt's okay?"

Casey nodded, smiling softly. "He's perfect. I promise." Then, she let out a deep breath explaining, "It just came at a cost. See, Chris creates a paradox when he saves Wyatt, so our Chris ended up vanishing right when this Chris would have left for the past to fix it. They're somehow linked together."

Piper suddenly looked at Lucky then back to his mother and asked, "So, you're not from further in the timeline? You're from 2026 too?"

The younger witch suddenly felt uneasy. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like where this conversation was going. "Um, yeah . . . why?"

"Seventeen?" Piper shrieked. "He has a baby at seventeen?"

Casey winced, feeling a very strong sense of déjà vu. Only the first time Piper had found out about the pregnancy, she'd at least known who Casey was and cared about her. Right now, the younger woman had no such safety net. This was not going to be good.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe in seventeen years I'm going to be a grandmother. What is the matter with you two?" Piper asked, throwing her hands up in frustration. Her wild gesturing caused the corner of the cabinet to explode into chunks, flying through the air. Both Casey and Lucky just ducked, long used to Piper's powers wreaking havoc on the furniture.

Lucky whispered to his mother, "Grams looks like she did that time I got mad and orbed Grandpa Leo to China. You guys are in troooooouble."

"Lucas," his mother warned.

He just shrugged and smiled innocently back at her. "Just saying."

"Yeah, well don't."

Piper was still ranting, "You were just kids. You're still just kids." She paused, freezing in place for a moment to ask, "How old are you anyway? "

"Twenty-two," Casey reluctantly answered.

"Twenty-two," Piper repeated, shaking her head. "How did this happen?" She waved off her own question, "I mean I know how it happened. Just explain to me how you convinced my son to do something so monumentally stupid because at this point I'm blaming you, Missy."

Casey held up her hands. "Okay, Mrs. Wyatt, I need you to calm down and remember it's already over and done. After all, the baby is standing right next to me five years old and happy and healthy, so clearly, Chris and I took responsibility for our actions. I can't tell you more than that, or I risk it not happening."

Piper let out a huff before her eyes drifted to her grandson, and the last of her shock and anger were instantly erased. She would never wish this sweet, adorable little boy away. No matter the circumstances. She sought out the other woman's eyes and relented, "Fine."

"Okay then, as much fun as it was for me to relive the terrifying experience that was you finding out about my teenage pregnancy, I need to find Chris and explain what's going on," Casey said. "Could you, please, watch Lucky for me?"

"Yes," Piper replied slowly, "but what makes you think Chris wants to see you? He didn't exactly react well to you being here."

"True, but I have to try. Chris is my best friend, and he's Lucky's father, and he looked like he was in so much pain. I think if I can just tell him what's going on, it'll help."

"How do you plan on finding him?"

Casey turned to Lucky. "Lucky, can you sense him?"

Her son closed his eyes for a minute before nodding. When he opened them, he wrinkled his nose. "You aren't gonna like it."

"He's on the damn bridge, isn't he?" Casey muttered.

Lucky's eyes went wide. "Momma, you said a bad word."

"Sorry, yes, I did. Sometimes, grown-ups use bad words when they're scared or frustrated."

Lucky nodded understanding. "It's okay. I know you are super scared of heights. You can say another bad word if you need to, and I won't tell. Dad says a lot of bad words, and I don't tell on him."

"Oh does he now?" both Piper and Casey questioned at the same time.

The little boys' eyes went wide, and he covered his mouth with his hands while shaking his head repeatedly.

"Spend a lot of time together in the future, do we?" Piper asked, obviously not thrilled with the idea.

Casey smiled sheepishly. "See, right now, you probably don't have the best impression of me, but I swear future you actually loves me like a daughter."

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

Realizing she wasn't getting anywhere with Piper, Casey took a deep breath, gathering her courage. She bounced on her heels a minute, her eyes closed. When she opened them she said, "Okay, I can do this. It's only a few hundred feet in the air. I'll be fine. Es bueno. Chris would never let me fall. I don't think. . ." She gestured vaguely at Lucky, "Orb me quick before I change my mind."

Lucky waved a hand at her, and she instantly went up into a swirl of deep blue lights. He then turned to Piper, and let out a big sigh, his hands folding over his chest. "My parents are so crazy."

000

Chris felt like he was losing his mind. The girl he'd grown up with was dead. It was fact. He knew it was fact because he would never forget how it felt as Casey had bled to death in his arms while he screamed for his father, Paige, Wyatt and pretty much every whitelighter and Elder whose name he could think to call. How he'd begged and pleaded for his own latent healing ability to kick-in, just this once, so he could save her, but it hadn't. He remembered how when both hers and his mother's bodies were long cold, he'd still screamed until he lost his voice.

The warlock was collecting powers. He'd already stolen telekinesis from some nameless witch. Next, he wanted the ability to freeze time. His mother had been more than he'd bargained for, putting up one hell of a fight despite being all alone. In the end, he'd used telekinesis to hurl her through the banister from the top landing. She'd broken her neck and died instantly, and with her, her power died too, enraging the warlock.

Chris had asked Casey on a date – their first official date, and they'd planned on going to a movie that night using the birthday money he'd gotten from his Aunt Paige, but he'd forgotten his wallet on the kitchen table that morning. He was just going to orb home and grab it, but Casey said she wanted to come with. He'd brought the warlock exactly what he was after – a time stopping witch.

As soon as the orbs solidified in the entryway, Chris spotted his mother's body and rushed to her side. As the horrifying realization hit him that his beloved mother was already cold with death, he had allowed himself to fall apart, tears pouring down his face as he tried to heal her, despite knowing she was already gone, despite the fact he'd never had the ability. In his total grief, he hadn't realized he'd left Casey unprotected until he heard her scream. The warlock had blinked in behind her and used an enchanted athame to stab her in the back, stealing her power in the process. Not that he ever got to use it. Chris made certain of that. Chris wasn't the strongest witch, but enraged, he was still lethal.

Sitting on the support beam of the Golden Gate Bridge, Chris stared down at the traffic below, trying to get a grip on his whirling emotions. He welcomed the cold slap of the wind on his face. It grounded him, and he desperately needed it.

Every woman in his life he'd ever cared about had died. His aunts, his mother, Casey and even Bianca were all dead. He closed his eyes as he pictured Bianca. She was the last one he'd failed. The similarities were uncanny really. His first love and his last both tan, dark haired, and with big, soulful brown eyes. . .both bleeding to death in his arms because of his weakness. Only now one of them was seemingly alive and the mother of his son. It didn't make sense.

Orb lights drew Chris from his dark thoughts. The lights formed a few feet away from him on the cross beam, and as soon as Casey materialized she looked like she was going to be sick. Her face drained of all color and she started hyperventilating. He watched as she looked down at the traffic below and saw the flash of panic in her face right before she dropped to her hands and knees, clinging to the beam and shrieking, "Jodeeeeerrrr!"

Chris's brows shot up, not used to hearing that voice use such a harsh curse. In fact, he didn't remember Casey ever cursing before. Then again, she was only thirteen when she'd died in his time.

"Ay dios mio," she cried as she half-opened one eye only to immediately squeeze it shut again. "Why? Why did it have to be the bridge?"

Despite her obvious blinding fear, Chris didn't immediately move from his spot. He stared down at her, keeping his face devoid of emotion. Part of him truly believed this whole thing had been a trick from Wyatt. It wouldn't be the first time his demented sibling had played mind games. After all, it's why he'd assigned Bianca to Chris in the first place. She looked like Casey enough to get under Chris' skin. So what if Wyatt had created this whole scenario? A cute kid and his long lost first love back from the grave telling tales about how he'd already saved the future, and it was okay, he could come back home now. God, had he really been such a sucker as to believe he had a son? That he would ever get to have a happy family? It would be nothing for Wyatt to have conjured the child, and this imposter could be any number of Wyatt's minions – a shapeshifter or witch under a glamour. It would be so like Wyatt to do this. Chris had betrayed him, so death wasn't punishment enough. He had to break his spirit first.

Chris kept his tone neutral as he questioned, "How did you get here?"

"There's this nifty thing called orbing you might be familiar with," she sarcastically retorted.

He leveled a dark look her way. "Don't be cute." He was a little surprised to see a flash of hurt in the imposter's face. He still didn't relent. "How did you get here? Who sent you?"

"Sent me?" she repeated. Finally, she answered, "Well, Lucky orbed me here if that's what you mean."

Chris finally rose to his full height and slid from the beam to stalk slowly toward her. He squatted in front of her, his green eyes flashing dangerously. He plucked one of her hands from the support beam and held her wrist tightly, ignoring the terrified look in her soft brown eyes as she realized he had pulled her off balance. With one gesture, he could easily toss her from the beam. He stared coldly into her face. "Don't play with me. Tell me what the hell Wyatt is after this time. Answer fast, or you're going to get a firsthand look at San Francisco traffic during morning rush hour."

"Chris?" her voice came out tiny. "Please, let me go. You don't want to do this."

Her big brown eyes were wide with panic and confusion. He almost cracked seeing the familiar face look so stricken. Almost. He shifted her backward, and half her weight was teetering off the edge of the beam. "Last chance."

Tears in her eyes, the woman cried out incoherently, "Alternate timeline! P-p-please, God, d-don't d-do this!"

He frowned down at her but pulled her forward slightly, so she was firmly on the beam. "What did you just say?"

The Casey look-alike was clinging so tightly to the beam now her hands were white with the effort. She was gasping in panic, tears pouring down her face. She was shaking, and her words came out in a rush as she explained, "Lucky and I are from an alternate timeline you created by coming here and saving Wyatt."

Chris' mouth parted slightly as he took in her words. Then, his eyes narrowed again. "Alternate timeline? You really expect me to believe that? How stupid does Wyatt think I am?"

"Wyatt?" she repeated, looking lost. After a moment, she seemed to realize something. "You think this is a trick?"

"Wyatt really is an arrogant son of a bitch," Chris replied. "You know, he almost had me with the kid. He really did, but he just always has to take it one step too far. He over-played his hand this time. Using my dead friend to screw with my head was a mistake."

"Dead?" She blinked dumbly. "I'm dead?"

"You're not Casey," he repeated, though with less heat. Those big brown eyes were getting to him. They looked so much like hers. He was going to kill Wyatt for this.

"I am," she argued, her voice raw. "I am her. Just look at me, Chris. Really look. You damn near hurled me off a bridge, but I still love you – also seriously pissed at you, but I love you. You have to be able to see that. Evil can't love. They can't even pretend very well. This isn't a trick."

Chris forced himself to study her gaze, and under the fear there was affection. Love shone deeper than he ever remembered seeing in his friend's eyes before. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He'd been fooled before. He could only think of one way to find out for sure if she really was from an alternate timeline. "What happened the week I turned fourteen?"

The woman frowned trying to remember. "When you turned fourteen?" A minute passed before something seemed to come to her. "I remember now. There was an attack. Everything had been so quiet on the demon front when we were growing up no one saw it coming. Paige was attacked by a darklighter, and some warlock was after your mom. You, me and Wyatt were about to get tickets for the third Griffen Blood movie when he cried out in pain. He was making such a scene I had to freeze the theatre. Turned out he was feeling Paige's pain and hearing your mom calling for help. Since he knew Paige was hurt, he went to help her and told us to get to your mom. We got there just as your mom came flying over the banister. You were able to orb her to the couch before she hit the ground. Then just as the darklighter popped in behind me, Piper was able to get a clear shot and blew him up. We were really freaked out though because if we had been just a few seconds later . . . I don't' even want to think about how differently it could've turned out."

Chris closed his eyes, moisture licking his lashes. His voice was barely a whisper, "I was too late. She broke her neck."

"No," his companion breathed, horrified. "Piper died in your timeline?" Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her. "I'm so sorry, Chris. Oh God, I'm sorry. I know how much you love Piper. Seeing your parent like that . . . it's awful."

The witchlighter felt one of her hands gently stroke his hair while the other wrapped under his arm pulling them together. The embrace felt incredibly natural, and he found himself succumbing to it despite his previous mistrust. Then, when the breeze went through her hair, he was overcome by the smell of mango. He couldn't help himself from closing his eyes and just breathing it in. It was amazing how many feelings and memories a scent could evoke. His entire childhood unleashed by something as simple as hair conditioner. In this moment, everything about her was so painfully familiar, and his heart skipped a beat, fully recognizing what his brain had refused to believe. Somehow, someway . . . the woman sitting before him was Casey.

"I'm so sorry," he offered, returning her embrace. "Wyatt has done this sort of thing before, so I thought. . .I'm so sorry."

Casey pulled back to look at him, smiling softly at his guilt ridden expression. "I'll forgive you on one condition."

"Name it."

"Get me the hell off this bridge."

Chris kept his hands on her arms and orbed them out immediately, but he wasn't ready to go back to the manor yet. He had far too many questions for Casey, and he couldn't risk any of the sisters overhearing information about the future. Not to mention how confusing it might be for Lucky if he heard it. So, Chris picked the one other place he could think of to go.

As they rematerialized in the back room of P3, he noticed the surprised look on his companion's face as she took in their surroundings. She suddenly shot him a grin. "P3? Feel the need to drink, do we?"

"Uh, no," he answered, though a small grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. "I'm actually sort of staying here." He gestured to the cot as evidence.

"Piper's okay with her precious baby boy sleeping in the backroom of her club?"

He shrugged. "Didn't know who I was until a while ago. Now, everyone's just used to it."

"I see."

Chris took a deep breath and gestured for her to take a seat. When she'd hopped up on the edge of the desk, he moved to sit on the cot. He shook his head as he took in the sight of her with new eyes. Now he'd determined she wasn't some horrible apparition sent by Wyatt to torture him, but truly his friend alive and well and all grown up, he couldn't help but realize how grown up she looked.

Casey had always been a pretty girl, and he'd often wondered what she would've looked like had she been given the chance to grow up. Now, he knew. She still had the same long mahogany hair, but instead of being in a messy ponytail or left in wild, untamed waves, it was styled into soft curls. Her features were still quite delicate but more mature. He was pretty certain she hadn't grown even an inch, which was somewhat amusing, yet she was definitely not a little girl anymore. Her figure was all sensual curves, and he couldn't help but notice it. His tomboy best friend had grown up to be absolutely stunning.

It was only when he truly studied her gaze that he found something concerning. Her coffee brown eyes, while still soft and loving didn't have the spunk he'd always attributed to the girl he'd known. They seemed hardened and a little haunted like she'd been through too much and seen terrible things. They were the eyes of someone who had been broken at one point. He could recognize it easily as the same look staring back at him from every mirror.

"Chris, uh, you're kind of staring."

Chris ran a hand through his hair, letting out a breath. "Sorry, it's just so surreal."

"It's okay. I get it," she said lightly swinging her feet from her perch on the desk. "You look like my Chris, but you are definitely not my Chris. Almost like he had a twin brother I didn't know about."

"An evil twin?" Chris asked, ashamed.

To his surprise, Casey answered, "No. Paranoid and scary intense, maybe." She leaned back on her hands, tilting her head as she regarded him with a studious eye. "I get it, though. The world you come from has got to be pretty terrifying. I can't even imagine the kind of things an evil Wyatt would be capable of doing. You've probably had to harden yourself just to survive, so it makes sense you're not like my Chris."

"What's your world like?" Chris couldn't help but wonder. "I mean, you said you're from the future I make by being here, right? So . . . Wyatt's always been good?"

Casey made sure to look him directly in the eye as she promised, "I swear to you, Chris, you really do save Wyatt. In my time, he has always been a great guy. He's kind and thoughtful and sometimes, he can actually be such a dork. It's his way of coping. He's never liked the idea of being all powerful, so he compensates with eternal optimism and lame jokes."

Chris smiled at the idea of his brother becoming the person Casey was describing. While he couldn't reconcile the two versions of his brother in his mind, it gave him incredible hope.

"He loves you very much," Casey continued, noticing the softer look on her companion's face. "You two are more than brothers. You've been best friends for as long as I've known the two of you, which is pretty much forever."

"We were always close," Chris said, drifting back to his own memories. "That wasn't the problem. Just, he always seemed so guarded. I know he went to the Underworld a lot, even when we were pretty young. I think he was hunting demons as a way to feel powerful. That was his obsession – being the most powerful. He thought it meant he could control everything and none of us would get hurt."

"Like his protective nature got twisted?" Casey asked.

Chris nodded. "Yeah, and it only got worse when Mom died. My grandpa moved into the manor and was technically our legal guardian, but he got sick a little over a year later and died. Wyatt took care of me, and I'm pretty sure he was using magic to do it. Conjuring money and anything else we might need. I wasn't thinking very clearly at that point, so I didn't stop to ask where it was all coming from, or why the social workers only came once."

"Social workers?"

"I was only fifteen, and Wyatt just seventeen. They were going to put me in foster care, but suddenly everything just worked out, and no one ever checked on us again." Chris pursed his lips, clearly troubled by the next part. "I think he threatened them, or used magic to coerce them. There's one that went missing though, and I always wondered if maybe. . ."

Casey's mouth fell open. "Wyatt killed them?"

Instead of answering, Chris just smiled softly. "I'm glad you find the idea of Wyatt doing that completely unbelievable."

"More than," she confirmed. "The Wyatt I know has a hard time swatting flies. He feels bad and says they don't know they aren't supposed to be inside."

Chris' eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, that's going to take some getting used to." A thought suddenly struck him. "If Wyatt is that different, then what am I going to be like? I mean, I have no idea what's going to happen when I walk back into the future. I could cease to exist or merge with your Chris. None of my research really told me for sure."

"Well, Chris . . .You? He?"

"Let's call other me he or him just to keep it less confusing," Chris suggested.

Casey nodded. "Okay, well, he is a great guy too, so you don't have to be scared about that."

Chris leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. "So, what's he like? What's his life like?"

"Well, he's fiercely protective of the people he loves," Casey started, "and very loyal. He is a bit cocky and impulsive which has been known to get him into trouble. He can also be infuriatingly stubborn. Uh, let's see, we run a catering company together."

"That's what Lucky was talking about," Chris realized. "So, other me can cook? Like really cook?"

"You can't?"

"Does nuking things count?"

The young woman pulled a face. "No. No it does not." She frowned, obviously trying to piece something together. "Why didn't Piper teach you? You and I were under her feet constantly when she was in the kitchen, and when we were older we worked in her restaurant."

Chris broke out into a wide smile. "She got her restaurant?"

"Yeah, she opened it when we were kids. She didn't before?"

Chris shook his head. "No, I guess she always had too much going on. That's probably why she didn't have time to teach us how to cook in my timeline either. I'm guessing your Wyatt didn't get into much trouble when we were growing up, huh?"

"No, that was mostly you," Casey teased. She shrugged admitting, "I may have helped."

The witchlighter's face suddenly fell as he realized something. "Lucky. "

"Yeah, I definitely helped with that one."

Chris wasn't really listening at that point. "Lucky said his Dad went missing, and you told me you were from an alternate timeline, and you're my age . . . it's an alternate but parallel timeline. No, no, no. You have got to be kidding me. I succeed in saving the whole freaking future only to wind up turning myself into a teenage parent?" He shook his head, floored by the realization. "This is unbelievable."

"Well, I can safely say my Chris is better at math than you are if you're just figuring that out now."

Chris shot her a look. "You're hilarious, you know? For your information, I was working under the assumption he was from further in the timeline than I was. I mean never in my wildest imagination would I have ever even considered the idea I was a father at seventeen. Seventeen, Casey? What were you thinking?"

The latina's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me I wasn't the only one on that bar top that night."

"Bar top?"

She blushed fiercely but leaned over on the desk to point out the door toward the bar at P3. "Yeah, over there to be precise."

Chris' mouth fell open, his eyes wide. "We conceived Lucky on my mother's bar?"

"Technically," Casey drew out, uncomfortable, "yes."

"Oh my god," Chris dropped his head into his hands, horrified. He shot a look at her. "Firstly, have you no self-control? Secondly, do they not have condoms in your timeline?"

The woman wrinkled her nose at him, narrowing her eyes. "You're kind of judgy for a guy who tried to toss the mother of your child off a bridge not ten minutes ago."

He had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry. Lucky seems like a really great kid and all, but I don't understand how we could've been so reckless."

"Well," Casey said taking a breath, "we were both in really bad places that night. I was a complete mess after Papi was killed and you-"

"-Lorenzo is dead?" Chris cut-in too shocked to filter himself.

The young woman's face fell, her skin growing pale. "He's not in your world?"

"No, though he often wishes he were," Chris answered softly. "He was never the same after you died."

Casey was fighting tears. "I can't believe he's alive in your time."

Seeing her pain, something she'd said on the bridge registered in Chris' mind. "You knew how awful it was for me to lose Mom because in your timeline you lost your father. You were talking from firsthand experience back there."

Casey nodded. "One of the worst moments of my life was identifying my father's body. A demon had ripped him apart – literally. I used to have these horrible nightmares. I still get them sometimes."

"I have them about the day you and Mom died."

Casey let out a big breath, taking in the information. "I died in the same attack. I guess that makes sense. If your mom died, she wouldn't have blasted the warlock, and I would've been stabbed. I would've died at thirteen. Wow . . . that sucks."

"I am so sorry," Chris told her, his voice cracking. "It was my fault. I brought you right to him, and then I left you standing there all alone, and he. . ."

Casey shook her head. "Chris, no. Firstly, we had no idea he was after my power. Secondly, you had just found out your mother was dead. Of course you weren't going to be thinking about the warlock or me or anything else."

His head remained hanging low, so she slipped from the desk to stand in front him, lifting his face with her hands, locking her brown eyes on his green. "Listen to me," she softly ordered, "since your Casey didn't get the chance to tell you this, I'm going to do it for her: My death was not your fault. Okay?"

Chris let the words wash over him, feeling a weight he'd been carrying for years suddenly lift. He let out a deep, shaky breath before nodding. "Okay."

"Besides," Casey said, "I'm apparently destined to die young in any timeline, so there's that."

"What?"

"Yeah, our darling son has your knack for time travel apparently, and he popped in from the future a few years ago. He let it slip I wasn't alive in his time, so by my estimate I have at most about ten good years left." She gave a little twisted smile, "I really should max out my life insurance, huh?"

Chris' tone was low as he commented, "That's not funny. Don't make jokes about it."

Casey sighed, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "Sorry. Bad habit. My sense of humor got a bit morbid after Papi died."

Chris realized then why her eyes looked so haunted. Her father's death had left her broken, and he imagined becoming a teenager mother had changed her too. She'd been through a lot. It was no wonder the fire had dimmed somewhat in her gaze. A knot twisted his stomach as a dark thought came to his mind. "Please, tell me he didn't use your father's death to sleep with you."

"It was complicated." She hugged herself, and he was struck by how very young she looked. Her eyes were focused on the floor and shame colored her cheeks. "He was in love with someone else, but she wasn't in the picture at that point, and we were both hurting so much, and we'd been drinking and . . . it just happened."

"Let me get this straight," Chris said, holding up his hands. "Not only am I reckless and irresponsible in your timeline, I'm also a cheater?"

"In your defense, she was sort of dead at the time," Casey offered. When he just folded his arms over his chest and frowned at her, she explained, "Molly was a future whitelighter, and when she died you were completely devastated. It's the only reason you did what you did with me – you were hurting just as much as I was."

Chris asked in complete disbelief and a little disgust, "I dated a whitelighter named Molly?"

It was the woman's turn to frown. "You don't know Molly?"

He shook his head. "No. Never heard of her, but then again, I'm not a fan of whitelighters either."

"Well, that's going to be awkward when we get home," Casey mumbled.

Chris leaned back on the cot, her words triggering a question. "Speaking of home, how did you get here in the first place? Lucky is a Halliwell, and our family line only gets stronger with each generation, so it made sense for him to be able to cast the spell, but no offense, Casey, I know my version of you didn't have anywhere near the power to travel through time, needless to say this far back."

"Please, don't freak out, but Wyatt sent me," she answered, looking nervous.

Chris rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to freak out. Now that I understand you're from a different timeline, it makes sense Wyatt would want to help save his nephew. Actually, that's really good news because he has the power to create a spell going both ways, so we can get you guys home." Off her sheepish look. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I sort of didn't let him," Casey replied.

"What?" Chris cried. "You trapped yourself here? Why? Why would you do that?"

"A demon had tricked my son into walking into a time portal, Chris," she said arms folded and eyes flashing. "I had no idea where he was going or if he was okay. I was a mess. All I could think about was getting to him as quickly as possible, and my own personal safety really wasn't much of a priority compared to getting to Lucky." She gave his chest a hard poke with her finger, "So back off."

Chris raised his eyebrows and lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay, has anyone ever told you you're a little scary in momma bear mode? "

"Just imagine what I put poor Wyatt through. He was the first on the scene."

"Which explains why he caved," Chris deduced. He frowned, "Any idea why the demon wanted Lucky in the past?"

"Wyatt and I think he was trying to change the past again. Distract you so you wouldn't have time to figure out who turned Wyatt, and then evil would have their future back."

Chris nodded. "Good theory. Speaking of which, you don't happen to know who turned Wyatt, do you?"

Casey shook her head. "Sorry. No. No one told me."

"So I've still got nothing." He put his forehead in one hand. "Great."

Casey sat next to him on the cot, instinctively wrapping her arms around him and putting her head on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Lucky and I are proof of that. You just keep doing what you're doing, and I'll make sure Lucky doesn't get in the way of your research or demon hunting or anything else you might need to do."

Chris smiled down at her enjoying the feel of her against him more than he'd admit. "He needs his Dad though. Based on what the Angel of Destiny warned me about before I came here, I'm guessing when your Chris vanished he essentially merged with me somehow, so I am still his Dad, sorta. I don't want him to ever feel like his father doesn't care about him, so I can play the part for now. We'll just need to tag team it, so I can still find the threat against Wyatt."

Casey lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled. "You may not remember this, but you and I are an excellent team. This is completely doable."

When she put her head back on his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her and silently prayed she was right. Because at the moment, he wasn't worried about how much of a distraction Lucky would be. He was concerned by the way Casey was making him feel right now – vulnerable, hopeful and definitely distracted.

TBC . . .

Next time: I play with Spin City because clearly Leo needs to meet his adorable grandson :)