Author's Note : Before we get started and you keep reading, I am so so sorry about the wait. I really am, but between real life, friends and school it kind of got pushed aside and then I was trying to update my series (dramatic sigh) and then the next thing I know, it's basically another month before I update. And it wasn't because I didn't know what I wanted to write, it was because I didn't have the time - anyone else agree there should be more hours in a day? So without any more wait, I present you with the next chapter!
Chapter Ten : If You Ever Need Someone
Once again, the Charmed Ones found themselves walking around the future version of San Francisco, which was nothing but debris. Alongside them, walked Leo - who was walking beside Piper, their hands touching every so often - and Chris, who was trailing behind them quietly. They all felt that there was something that they should say. There had to be some word that would push aside everything they had done; but such a word did not exist.
And sorry did not cut it.
No one knew what to say to break the eerie silence that engulfed them all once they had left the last memory. All the onlookers - even Leo - knew was that Chris had told them the truth. Sure, along the way, he had told lies and half-truths but he had also told them some true facts since he had arrived in their lives. He had said that Wyatt terrorized people, that was true and he had told them that Wyatt was evil. One of the few times he had told them the truth, and they had not believed him.
Instead, they had accused him of being a liar and chucked him out of the Manor, telling him that they never wanted to see him again. And for what? Later that very same day Chris had orbed back in to save Wyatt - the very man that it seemed Chris had every reason to hate. Wyatt, the little boy they had been intent on defending, had sent the world to hell and Chris had been forced to watch as his world was destroyed. All the while, he had to watch one of his closest friends become a monster.
Chris had been forced to grow up to quickly, that was the one thing they could all agree on and while they did not trust him completely, they now understood him more. He had valid reasons for everything he did; Chris was a man with nothing to lose. What they did not understand was why the weight had been placed on the shoulders of Chris and his friends. Who were the rest of the people to place the weight of the world on their shoulders? They had been nothing more than children and they had been expected to save the world.
Sure, Chris had been the one to form the Resistance, but why was he and the others left to save Wyatt? Sure, Paige had been seen there helping, but what about the others? Was there no family left that cared enough to attempt to help, or were they all dead?
They did not dare allow those thoughts to continue.
Nevertheless, when the Resistance had been formed, Chris had been a boy of fifteen. There was no excuse for him being forced to fight against his friend; he had barely been a man then. Only fifteen and he had been responsible for providing people with hope and shelte, forcing him to grow up quickly. Since he had been in the past, the sisters had tried to get him to relax, but he had always said no. he said he did not have the time, and in his home, he did not. With his life, it was not wonder he was so mature.
While Chris was no older than twenty-two, he had aged to the point that he was more mature than the sisters' were. His life had forced him to age, not only in his mind either his appearance had aged.
Paige frowned as she looked at the young half-witch. There was no way that anyone would believe him to be twenty-one, let alone almost twenty-two. He was malnourished and the dark spots under his eyes only aged him farther. That was something that caused her to frown did the boy ever eat? What about sleep, how many hours a night did he get a night to just rest? She sighed, his sister had been right; Chris would not be able to continue like this forever. It was only a matter of time before his body could not take his schedule anymore.
Thinking along the same lines as he baby sister, Piper glanced back at Chris, who had not said anything since they had been transferred into this memory. Now that she realised that Chris was someone's boy, someone's son, she felt a pang of guilt. Could she even call herself a mother now that she had been responsible for the abuse of someone's child? More than that though, she felt the need to comfort Chris, and she did not know why. She knew it was terrible, but even though Chris had said he was from twenty years or so in the future, it had never occurred to her that he was nothing more than a boy.
Hell, Chris was younger than her son, Wyatt, who was not even a year old yet. She had just never thought of such a fact before. Back in her time, she was willing to go as far as to say that either he was in the safety of his mother's womb (not knowing the terrible future he would have) or he was not even conceived yet.
It was because of that she wanted to comfort him, but she couldn't. She knew he needed it, and she felt a motherly pull towards him, something that felt foreign to her, but felt right. But how could she give him comfort when it was basically her fault that his life had turned out to be so screwed up? She hadn't raised Wyatt well enough, she hadn't laid down the law and because of that, the future was in chaos.
Unaware of the negative thoughts running through his mother's mind, Chris just walked along unable to speak. Well, he could speak but he did not know what to say to comfort them. It had never been his intention for them to know about Wyatt, he and the others had agreed that it was for the best, but now because of his stupidity they had seen it. Hearing about it was bad enough, but seeing it was far too much. Sure, there was a part of his mind (the majority) that said that it had been their own fault. That they had brought this upon themselves the moment they had went to the Elders. At the same time though, he could not help but feel like he had failed somehow. The moment he had seen his family in the past he had sworn that they would never have to learn about Wyatt.
That was the one thing he had wanted to protect them from.
Nevertheless, like always, he had failed in protecting the ones he loved.
"Chris…" Phoebe began, feeling the need to break the silence that had engulfed all of them. She was stopped, however, when a loud cheering could be heard. In silent agreement, the onlookers from the past took off, running ahead with a reluctant Chris behind them. The ones from the past did not notice though, they needed to know what the cheering was about, simply because they had a not so good feeling about this.
As they ran through the crowds, the Charmed Ones came to halt as they found themselves in a large clique of people, frowning as they looked to Leo in confusion, and the Elder knew why. The crowd there were in consisted of demons and witch hunters alike, and they were all gathered in some kind of audience that was cheering, howling, screaming and laughing as they looked to a large man in front of them, reading from a list.
"...the accused is guilty of witch craft and…"
That was all Chris needed to hear to know what he was about to see. While such occurrences were not all that rare in the future, he had only been a witness to one, and it was one that he did not want to relieve. "No," he whispered, shaking his head. He had already seen Melinda's death over; of all things, he could not see this as well. As the colour faded from his face, he felt his stomach sink further. After Melinda, he knew he would not be able to hold it together if he saw this as well. "Not this too."
Paige closed her eyes and held in her groan as she turned and looked at Chris, who was shaking his head his face slowly losing colour. What caught her attention was the fact that Chris was not watching the scene; he was looking directly at Phoebe with a look of pure regret and shame. It was as if whatever happened here, in this memory was linked to her, at least that was the feeling in her gut. And if she had learned one thing since she became a witch, it was that she should always trust her instincts. "Chris?" She called out, causing the younger half-witch to blink and look at her. "How much gloom are we talking here?"
Chris did not even answer, simply because he didn't hear the question as his eyes searched the crowds. The onlookers from the past followed his eyes, only to stop when the noted they could see Memory Chris standing just pass their Chris. He looked a little bit older than the other memories, but not much. The same look of anguish rested on his face, but also hatred, lots of hatred, which was the same on the faces of his party. Henry and 'Charlie' were stood to the side of Memory Chris, both looking as if they were about to force their way through the crowd.
"No," Prue whispered with wide eyes as she looked to her cousins, unaware that the past versions of her family were watching her without really knowing who she was. They thought she was simply Charlie, but she was so much more than that to them whether they knew or not. "We have to stop them."
Leo frowned, "stop who?" He asked, looking at Chris as if he was expecting an answer. All he got was a withering glare though, something that caused let to huff. That boy was always trying to test his limits, and what bothered him was the fact that Leo did not know what he had done to earn Chris' hate. Sure, he had not saved Chris' sister, but that should have fallen to his father, not Future Leo. "Chris, who is she talking about?"
Before Chris could formulate a response though, they all noted that Memory Chris was nodding to the two people beside him. "You stay here," he ordered as he dissolved into a million blue and white orbs, something that caused someone to the right of them to faint at the sight of a witch her eyes rolling up in her head.
The Charmed Ones frowned at Leo, silently asking what was going on, but before it could be answered, they noted that the images around them blurred until they were no longer in the crowd, instead they appeared to be in some kind of mansion. Actually, looking at the décor and size of the place, mansion seemed to barely suffice.
"Nice digs," Paige said simply as she appreciated her surroundings, nodding as she looked around. Frowning, she walked over to what appeared to be a frame and smiled sadly, as she looked down at the picture within the frame, it was one from some sort of picnic she assumed. Piper, Phoebe and herself were in the picture with an eleven looking Wyatt. More than that, Chris, Leo and Melinda could be seen in the picture as well as Victor and several other children and parents. They almost looked happy, she sighed, and at least Wyatt has at least one good birthday in the future.
"Okay," Piper said slowly as she looked around, frustration evident in her voice. She was tired of all of this jumping around; she just could not help it. Up to a few years ago, she had been the civil sister the mediator. That had been when Prue was alive, that was before she was the oldest and before she was a mother, she could be as bitchy as she wanted now. She had to be the strong one. "So, where are we?"
"Wyatt's house," Chris said thickly, almost chuckling when he saw his parents and Aunt Phoebe's mouths drop while Paige nodded in approval as she let out a low whistle. That was when their attention was drawn to the stairs where blue and white orbs could easily be seen, only to form into Memory Chris. Seeing his other self take off running up the stairs, Chris sighed and started walking, "are you coming or what?" He asked, not bothering to stop, only to chuckle when he heard the clicking of heels as they ran up to him. They were hesitant to see what this memory was, and he could not blame them; his reaction had not been the best of one, but he would hold it together this time.
"Are you sure about this?" Piper asked quietly, a frown marring her features as she struggled to keep up with Leo and Chris as they bound up the stairs two at a time - damn longer legs. She knew she could not leave Chris alone, whatever this was, it was obviously a painful memory for him (and him reliving it was their fault to begin with.)
"It's okay," Chris murmured as he reached the top of the stairs, shaking his head. "I know what's going to happen anyway," he said, meaning to be assuring, but all efforts failed when tears formed at his eyes. He sighed and looked up frowning when he saw Memory him standing in front of a large oak door, but only he knew what was behind that door.
"Oooh, that's not good," Phoebe commented as she pointed to the half dozen demons that had just shimmered into the room.
Memory Chris would not have any of it though. "Get out of my way," he hissed, his voice authorative as electricity began dancing around his fingers. He stood there, his shoulders squared and his eyes narrowed, ready to strike down the first demon that got in his way. "I said get out of my way," his eyes narrowed further. "Now."
A vicious looking demon to the right of the door smiled smugly, barring yellow teeth. "Lord Wyatt," he sneered as he narrowed his eyes at Memory Chris, imagining the fun he could have torturing the half-witch. "Doesn't wish to be disturbed."
The sisters frowned as they met each other's eyes; Chris had gone to see Wyatt. That confused them, why would Chris go see Wyatt? The wondered frantically, especially Piper and Leo - they were dreading the thought of seeing their very grown up, very evil son again. A parent could only take so much.
"I don't have time for this," Memory Chris muttered as he took a deep breath, his eyes flashing white as he held out his hand and easily electrocuted four of the demons - including the one that had been smirking. Bet he wished he had let him through now. He smirked as he looked to the other demons, "so, are you going to move now? Or do you want to end up like your friends?"
The remaining demons looked down at the ashes that had once been their fellow demons, only to look back up at Memory Chris - something that caused the sisters to chuckle while Leo allowed a shadow of a smile to appear on his face.
Seeing one of the demons stupidly aim an energy ball in his direction, Memory Chris waved one of his hands to the right, sending it colliding into one of the demons. Leo frowned when he noted that the force of Chris' telekinesis sent another demon into the path of the blast, effectively killing two demons with one simple gesture.
The sisters and Leo all had to blink upon seeing that, barely aware that each other their mouths were hanging open in shock. In one gesture, one wave if his hand, Chris held that much of a punch? It was official, no longer were they going to try to piss him off.
That was when another ripple of shimmers appeared in the room, causing Piper to gasp as Phoebe held her hands at her side - knowing Piper's powers wouldn't work and her sister was about to try regardless. Memory Chris let out a frustrated huff without looking at the demon, he just simply made a gesture with his hand and took an Athame straight out of the demon's hand. Only to whip it back at the demon, embedding it straight in his neck.
Paige let out a low whistle while Phoebe frowned, throwing her arm out to gently smack Chris' arm. "Why the hell didn't you tell us you packed this much punch, Mister?" She demanded, "this would have come in handy with all the vanquishes you send-" Phoebe stopped mid sentence and tilted her head to the side. "-Used to send us on?" She finished slowly, and that was when the people from the past finally noticed. Ever since Chris had come back from the future and they had learned he was half-witch, he had been taking it among himself to search for leads and vanquish demons. Nowadays, the only time he came to them was when he needed the Power of Three. Damn, she thought sadly for not noticing it before, the neurotic bugger has a death wish.
Before they could answer Paige's statement, another demon shimmered in looking to be in his early to mid twenties, but that was not what surprised him. It was the fact that it was Wyatt's friend Caleb, the one that had been in the hospital. He was a demon; they had willingly allowed Wyatt to be friends with a demon. Hadn't they been by enough demons in the past? Phoebe knew she had, even now that wound still hurt. She had moved on, but it still hurt, and something told her it always would, no matter how in love she fell with Jason, or the guy she ended up with.
Phoebe smiled, but she really wanted it to be Jason.
"Chris," Caleb greeted happily, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he smirked at the younger man. Sidestepping to block Memory Chris from entering the room, he ignored the glare. "What are you doing here?" He asked, frowning, "I mean, you don't really speak to Wyatt anymore…" he trailed off, his grin suddenly widening. "Oooh! Are we having a movie night like the ones we used to have when we were kids? I suppose you could invite Emily as well, rumour is she ran off to be with you. Shocking really moving from one Hall-"
"Don't finish that sentence," Memory Chris growled something that caused Chris to sigh in relief. Caleb had been about to say 'shocking really, moving from one Halliwell brother to another' and his secret would have been out. If he made it through this, he would never lie about anything -other than his identity- ever again. He swore he wouldn't. "It's not like that," he had Bianca. "Now, get out of my way, Caleb," Memory Chris hissed in such clarity that Caleb would have done well to heed his warning. "I wont ask again."
The sisters frowned when they heard the tone Memory Chris was using with Caleb. They were not used to Chris talking to someone -anyone- like that. Even when they refused to hunt demons, Chris never spoke to them like that - something they only noticed now. Apparently, Chris had better manners than that, they had to admit, his mother had taught him well. Still, hearing his voice like that sent shivers down their backs.
Leo on the other hand felt himself paling slowly as he though over what he had just learned. In the first memory, he had been fine with Caleb being Wyatt's friend, but now he knew the truth. The boy was a demon, not something he was all too fond of. As children, he had allowed that … thing to play with his son. He had let a demon hang out with his son. No wonder Wyatt had grown up to be evil, being around such a being at such a young age. It was a miracle it had taken so long for Wyatt to turn if that had been the case. Talk about bad parenting.
"Awe, is Chrissie in a bad mood today?" Caleb asked an arrogant smirk on his face as he walked in front of Chris. "Are you PMS-ing?" He taunted as he moved closer to the half-witch, but that was proved to be the wrong move. While Chris was nowhere near as muscular as Wyatt was, he was not weak. Meaning, the next thing Caleb knew his arm was twisted behind his back as Memory Chris held him in an iron grip. The half-demon winced, "Chris…"
"I'm really sorry about this," Memory Chris stated, something that caused the onlookers to frown. Before Caleb could ask what Memory Chris meant though, the half-demon was pushed forward and Memory Chris jerked his hand roughly to the left. Instantly slamming Caleb into a wall, where he slid to the floor in a heap. Caleb did not stir something that caused Memory Chris to sigh as he looked at his old friend. "I really am sorry about that."
With that, the onlookers rushed to keep up with Memory Chris as he opened the doors and entered the room. The ones from the past, however, were not ready for the sight in front of him. There, sitting at the desk, was Wyatt Halliwell who had looked up upon hearing the slamming of a door. Surprise was the only word that could be used to describe the look on his face, but he did not get a chance to comment before he was telekinetically slammed against the wall.
Seeing her nephew pined in place, Phoebe frowned and looked over at Chris before leaning in to whisper into her baby sister's ear. "Wyatt was kidding, with Chris on his side, they would be invincible." She shuddered at the mental image; things could have been so much worst if Chris had joined Wyatt. "Wyatt can't even get out of Chris' hold on him," she commented, but what she did not know was that Wyatt could have gotten out of the hold if he had wanted to bad enough. Sure, it would have taken a lot of effort on his part because despite being Twice Blessed, the power gap between him and his brother was not that big. "He really his powerful."
Paige nodded along with her sister.
Hearing his sister-in-laws conversation, Leo only nodded. For the life of him, he could not figure out how Chris had became so powerful. For the young half-witch to have so many powers, his family had to be powerful; that was a given. More than that, Chris was part white lighter. Despite this knowledge though, Leo could not think of any powerful witches or white lighters with the surname Perry for the life of him.
"Chris…" Wyatt trailed off as he starred at Chris; there was something different about his baby brother. He was not a baby anymore, first of all. And second of all, he had never seen his brother so pissed off before in his life - only when their family had been slaughtered. "What are you doing here?" He asked carefully, but that hadn't gotten a response out of his brother, something that caused his icy blue eyes to narrow. He had said he did not want to be disturbed, that caused him to frown. "Chris, how the hell did you get in here?"
"Let's just say you're going to need a new team to guard you door, and leave it at that," Memory Chris answered as he starred back at his older brother - at least what was left of him. And it wasn't much. Seeing Wyatt's arched eyebrow, he rolled his eyes, "let's just say your other lackeys are ashes by now," ignoring Wyatt's groan of frustration he continued on talking. "Oh, and Caleb? He may have a few broken bones when he wakes up, but he was really asking for it."
Instead of commenting on what his brother had just admitted too, Wyatt sighed. He just was not in the mood to have another fight with Chris - it never ended well. Each time, every argument only widened the rift between the two brothers, and if Wyatt ever wanted his brother to join him, then he had to be civil on occasion. Because frankly, all they seemed to do over the past few years was fight, and he was tired of it. Still, that did not mean he was all too comfortable being in his brother's hold.
"So," Wyatt began, arching an eyebrow as he prepared to ask his brother a question. Something that was uncommon for him, he was the older brother, as children he had bossed Chris around for the most part. "Want to release your hold on me then?"
Piper frowned at her son's tone. Though it had been stated as a question, to her, it sounded more like a demand. Something she was not all too fond of, not by any means. Who the hell did Wyatt think he was? What gave him the right to order Chris around? She clicked her tongue in disapproval, Chris used to be Wyatt's friend - he was no lower than Wyatt was. What really bothered her though, was how cold they were acting towards each other.
How could the two of them act as if they did not care about each other?
"Thank you," Wyatt said sincerely, smiling slightly as Chris listened to him and he was placed back on his feet. Brushing off imaginary lint from his black shirt, Wyatt met his brother's eyes. "So, why are you here Chris?" He asked, a little shimmer of hope shining in his eyes - something that caused the Chris looking on to wince. For he knew that shimmer was about to disappear, and was sure as hell not in future Wyatt's eyes. "Finally came to your sense and now you're going to join me?" He questioned, only to frown when his brother sent several things into the walls using his telekinesis. A sure sign Chris was losing his temper. "Calm down, Chris."
"I'm not here to join you, Wyatt," Memory Chris said simply.
The ones from the past noticed the look of disappointment that appeared on Wyatt's face before they looked over at Chris, only to note that he wasn't looking at the scene. Why the hell did Wyatt want Chris to join him so badly? They understood that Chris was powerful and that they had been friends earlier in life, but they couldn't shake the nagging feeling that it was more than that.
Surely there had to be more to it, right?"
Realising that believing his brother was here to join him was a foolish thought, Wyatt sighed and stood to his full height. Walking closer to his brother, his frown deepened when he saw how his brother was slowly backing away from him. What really got to him was the frantic look in his brother's eyes - they were wild, jumping from surface to surface. "If you're not here to join me," he began. "Then what are you doing here, Chris?"
"The witch hunters-" Memory Chris began, only to stop mid-sentence, causing the people from the past to frown, watching the scene carefully as Memory Chris fell to his knees in his pain. As they watched him clutch his chest in pain, it was easy to see that Memory Chris was feeling a great deal of pain. It looked as though someone was trying to literally tear his heart out of his chest. Clutching his chest, Memory Chris could not help but cry out in pain.
"What the hell is happening to him?" Paige demanded, looking to her brother-in-law who had been a Doctor in his past life. If anyone knew what was happening, it had to be Leo, but Leo shook his head. He was just as stumped as the others were; they had not seen the boy be injured. Whatever it was, not even Wyatt seemed to know since he was now stationed at Chris' side, trying in vain to heal the half-witch. "Chris," Paige continued as she turned on the half-witch, "what the hell is the matter with the past you … the future you? The other you," she finished, gesturing to the Chris on the floor in pain.
What stumped Leo even more was the fact that the golden glow emitting from Wyatt's hands had stopped - as if Chris had been healed. Nothing had changed though; it was as if there was nothing physically wrong with him. Memory Chris was still in pain though (something that bothered Leo more than it should have) but it did not make sense - healing Memory Chris should have gotten rid of his pain.
"Chris," Wyatt said frantically, only to grow more worried when his brother did not answer him. "Chris, what's wrong?" Wyatt asked, concern sweeping through his body like wild fire on dried wood. Whether he ruled the world and Chris let the Resistance or not, Chris was still his baby brother. Whoever dared to hurt Chris (or any other family member) was going to pay. No one hurt his family and lived - ask the bastards who had killed his mother and aunts. "Chris, answer me!"
"Witch … hunters," Memory Chris panted, still clutching his chest as he tried to get his breathing under control. They did not have time for this; this was not a social call. He needed to get this out so he and Wyatt could go back to Henry and Prue. They had to prevent that witch burning they just had to.
That caused Wyatt to frown, his eyes momentarily flashing into an even colder hue of blue (if that was possible) showing his family from the past just how far he'd gone. Well, they had found it out earlier, but with each new memory, it was just reinforced.
"They did this to you?" Wyatt demanded, furious flames dancing beneath his blonde eyelashes. He was purely livid, he hated the Witch Hunters - they were one of the top downfalls to his little regime. What really got to him was the fact that they hadn't learned their listen yet. They should know by now that going after a member of the Warren line meant death - their death.
"No," Memory Chris wheezed, feeling his heart constrict in pain. "Not me," he whispered, "Katy."
That was when everything clicked for Wyatt. It was not Chris that was in pain, it was their cousin, Katy. That made all of the sense in the world; they had always been able to tell when each other was in pain. It had only gotten stronger over the years - or at least it had, before Wyatt and Ana had severed their bonds from their family. Still, it only made sense that the bond continued to grow as time moved on, with or without them.
As children, there had been nothing stronger than the bonds of the Halliwell children (last name or no) not even the bond of the Charmed Ones, making the next generation more powerful that their parents. In addition, their powers had not been bound at any point in their lives, meaning that they had plenty of time to get a handle on each of their powers. Thinking it over, Wyatt closed his eyes as a memory flashed before his eyes.
"Wyatt," a nine-year-old Chris complained loudly as he sat down on his Great Aunt Pearl's (no one really knew how many Greats it was) couch. It was going on three in the morning, and if their mother caught them up at this hour in the night - he would never get his license. He would not live to make it to puberty. "Come on, why are we doing this?"
"You'll see but tone it down! Otherwise Mom will hear you," came eleven-year-old Wyatt's cryptic answer as he looked up to look at his baby brother who was sitting on the couch, his arms crossed across his chest as he frowned at him. "Chris, you'll see!"
"Okay," Chris dragged on, sighing - not liking being left out one bit. He knew he was younger than Wyatt was, but it was not even two whole years! He was a bog boy now at least that had been what his mother had told him on his birthday. "But, why are we doing it now?"
"Because if mom knew, she'd kill us," Wyatt admitted as he walked over to his brother and plopped down on the floor beside the sofa. Seeing his brother slide onto the floor beside him, Wyatt smiled while Chris looked at the random things Wyatt had in front of them. Seeing Chris stare at the paper, he shook his head. "Don't start, Chris."
"I didn't say anything!" Chris whined, rolling his eyes at his older brother as he picked up the piece of paper. Checking the spell over a few times and one more for good luck, Chris nodded and handed it back to Wyatt. "I don't think it'll backfire … this time."
"Didn't I tell you not to start?"
"Ask next time."
"Yes mom," Wyatt said sarcastically, looking up when he saw the familiar shimmer of blue and white orbs, for a brief moment he thought it would be his dad, but it was not. It was a seven year old Henry with his four year old sisters, as well as Prue and Katy, who were struggling to hold a two year old, Elizabeth between them. "They're here."
Hearing his brother, Chris nodded, "yeah, but why are they here?" He asked, looking over to the door, only to frown when he say Melinda standing in the door way wearing her High School Musical nightgown, holding a stuffed Eeyore. With her long brown hair and brown eyes though, she looked identical to their mother at her age. Melinda Halliwell was Piper growing up all over again at five years old. "Melinda," Chris scolded, "you're supposed to be in bed."
"Well so are you," Melinda fired back as she ran into the room to sit by Wyatt. "And everyone else is here," she pointed out, looking to all of her cousins who were joining her and her brothers on the floor, the nine of them sitting in a circle. "So, what are we doing here, Wy?"
"I like the close bond we have," Wyatt said simply as he took out an Athame, causing Calllie to groan as she stared at the Athame in disgust. Whatever it was, Wyatt had obviously cooked up another brilliant plan - oh joy. "That's why we're here."
"Wy," Callie began, looking over at her oldest cousin from where she sat holding Henry Jr's hand. "Are we always going to be so close?" She asked, her eyes widening at the thought of it, "forever and ever?"
Wyatt frowned, "Of course, Callie."
Katy bit her lip, something about that sounded wrong. Either way though, she loved her sisters and her cousins, she wanted nothing more than to be with them forever and ever. So they could always been together like their moms. "How do you know?"
"I just do," Wyatt answered, and being as young as they were, the others simply nodded along with Wyatt. He was the oldest, he had been alive longer than they had, and because of that, he knew everything. Well, not everything, but a lot of things. It was the mommies that knew everything - according to Uncle Henry, their mothers were always right. "Now," he said as he gently made a small cut on his palm and passed the Athame to Chris. "Want to make sure we're always close?"
The others nodded, and one by one they all made small cuts on their hands (small enough that the moms wouldn't suspect anything) all except Elizabeth, who had Katy hold her while Prue made a little cut on her finger. They then all held hands and began to chant;
"Here we do guarantee,
Forever bonded we shall be,
From now 'til eternity."
Seeing the understanding in Wyatt's eyes, the ones from the past felt at a lost, once again. Unlike Chris and the ones in the memory, they did not understand what was going on - they did not know about their blood oath as children. All they knew was what they could see, meaning they only knew that somehow, Katy was in trouble, and it was causing Chris pain, or all the people.
That was what confused them. They had heard of twins -whether identical or astral - sharing a bond, to the point they could be knocked off their feet if their twin was in pain. Friends, on the other had, just did not seem probable. Then again, they had learned a long time ago that they were witches and as long as magic was involved in their lives, anything could happen.
Blinking, Wyatt nodded and helped Memory Chris to his feet, a look similar to love shining in his eyes as his eyes flashed in his icy blue eyes. "Come on, Chris," he said rudely, but Chris sighed as he watched on. He knew the tone wasn't associated with him - at least not in this memory - but the Witch Hunters. His brother hated them with a passion, something that only grew and grew after this event. "Let's go get her."
With that simply statement, they could clearly see how Wyatt was orbing him and Memory Chris our in a fury of orbs. What caught their attention was the colour of the orbs; they were dark blue and black - another piece of information showing how far gone Wyatt had gone.
That was when their surroundings once again blurred, only to blur back into the rally that they had left just moments ago. The crowd was back, but in the background, you could see a group of people protesting against the actions taking place, but they could barely be heard over the cheers.
"Chris, can you please tell us what the hell is going on?" Phoebe demanded as she felt a tug on her heart as she watched the scene. She did not know why, it was not as if she had her powers in the current moment, but she still felt emotionally connected to what was going on. If she only knew, it was her family in danger. "Chris, seriously, answer me. I need to know what's going on. What was-"
"Phoebe," Paige began, trying to get her older sister to stop talking for a moment. She would even admit to rambling on certain occasions, but there was no way she as bad as Phoebe when she started. "Why don't you-"
"Can it, woman," Piper hissed.
That was when they all saw Memory Chris who was being placed up against the wall by Wyatt who was looking around frantically for his other family members. Seeing Henry and Prue, he let out a whistle, causing the other man to see Wyatt and head over, pulling Prue with him. What surprised the ones from the past was the fact that Prue was the one that did not look all too happy to see him, despite the fact he was here to help.
"What the hell are you doing here, Wyatt?" Prue demanded as she looked over at her older cousin, narrowing her eyes at Wyatt. Hearing Chris, she looked over at her older cousin, only to frown when she saw that Memory Chris was leaned up against the wall, "what the hell did you do to him?"
"You think I did this?" Wyatt demanded, his eyes flashing at Prue's accusation. Prue was his family, and Wyatt loved her, but he was not going to tolerate being accused of harming his own brother. Never in his life had he laid a hand on his brother, not once. Hell, not even his demons were allowed to harm his family, especially not his baby brother.
"Yeah, I do."
"Stop it," Henry pleaded as he walked over to Chris, placing a hand on his shoulder as he shook his head. "I told you to take it easy," he stated, the tears building up in his eyes as he kept his voice low. Despite being evil, he knew that the overprotective big brother was still buried in Wyatt somewhere, and the last thing Chris needed was to have Wyatt harping on him. "That's why you can't block out the pain; you're tired so you're not focussed."
Memory Chris avoided Henry's eyes as he looked at Prue, who was still sending a withering glare at Wyatt - much to the confusion of the onlookers from the past. "Where is she?" He asked looking at Prue, not getting an answer, Memory Chris walked over to her, almost rolling his eyes when he noted that Henry and Wyatt were watching him. It was as if they were afraid he would fall over from exhaustion or pain, didn't they realise they weren't here for him? "Where is she?"
Prue looked at Memory Chris with tear filled eyes, and gestured to a stage that was set up where a man could easily be seen talking. Looking to where Prue was pointing, the onlookers and Memory Chris were appalled at what they were seeing. Katy, the young woman from the Resistance, was up on the top of a stage tied to a metal pole with a look of pure fear on her face. What caused them to want to be sick was the fact that her hands and ankles were clasped tightly to the pole, a pile of wood resting at her feet. That was when it clicked; she was being burned at the stake.
The man standing on the stage smiled cruelly at her, and Phoebe got the distinct feeling that she knew him. As he read though, she found herself frowning as Henry and Wyatt both headed off into the crowd as Memory Chris began doubling over in pain again, apparently, Katy was in pain.
"...several charges of performing witch craft, proved to be guilty of aiding the Resistance, openly mocking the Witch Hunters…"
"Get out of my way!" Wyatt roared, trying in vain to get to the girl he loved, she was his cousin. One of his baby cousins, and he wasn't going to tolerate this, no by a long shot. They all had a bond, well all of the others except him and Ana, so by killing Katy they were killing a part of each and every person Wyatt loved. And that was not allowed, everyone knew that.
"... and failure to join the Witch Hunters, Katy Valentino is punished by death."
If Chris had cared at all, he would have been grateful that Prue and her sisters had decided to go by their father's last name instead of Halliwell once the Witch Trails came back, he would have almost smiled. If it were not for that, they would have known that they were their relatives. That would have complicated things, but if he was being honest he would much rather explain how Katy had been Phoebe's daughter if it meant she had not died.
"No," Prue yelled attempting to get to her sister, only to have Memory Chris hold her back. "No, Chris, let me go," she demanded as she began blindly hitting Memory Chris in every place she could reach. She did not care anymore; she really did not care if she was harming Chris. He was preventing her from saving her from saving her sister. "She's one of the only people I have left Chris," she shouted, she had lost her mother and father. While she still had her cousins and Elizabeth, she could not lose any more people. Especially not one of her little sisters. "Let me help her!"
"It's too late," Memory Chris said sadly, sinking to the ground with Prue as she collapsed in his arms, her sobs wracking her body. She should not have had to deal with this, he knew the pain of losing a sister, and so did Henry and Callie in a sense, but he had wanted to save the Prue and her sisters from such a loss. "I'm sorry."
The ones from the past blinked from that piece of information, they had never noticed that all the people in the Resistance were as close as this; it was as if they were a family. That was when they realised that there were bonds that existed in the Resistance that they would never know about. That was when they saw the executioner hold out his hand, and to the surprise of the people from the past, a fireball appeared. Her executioner was a demon, one of the demons that had joined the Witch Hunters.
Smiling to himself, it was easy for everyone to see the demon's cruel enjoyment as he threw the fireball at the wood at Katy's feet. It was sick - mortals and demons were working together to kill witches.
"AHHHHH!" Katy screamed as the fires burned her skin, but there was no way to get to her. As Memory Chris had said, it was too late. That was when the ones from the past, as well as Chris, were sent off to another scene, marking the end of that memory.
Wyatt's Abode ; 2026
In 2026, a tall, muscular blonde man stood in his apartment and contemplated what his next move would be. Wyatt Matthew Halliwell; Badass ruler of the future, the new Source, the leader that brought the mortal and magical worlds together. Those were only a few of the things he was known as, to his minions and followers he was known as a saviour, and to others, such as the Resistance, he was known as a heartless creature that sent the world to hell.
Well to most of the Resistance anyway. There were some members, such as his family and Emily who knew he was not heartless, yet they refused to join him, or in Emily's case, refused to come back to him. They would rather fight him, to fight everything he created, and for what? The mere innocents that had never done a damn thing for their family. The very things that had caused them to lose members of their family.
To him, it was pointless but they refused to let go of the petty thoughts and ideas that had been drilled into their minds through out their childhood. There was no good, nor was there such thing as evil. There was simply power, it really was that simple, but the others would not believe in his ways.
Out of all of them though, the most persistent of all was his brother, Christopher Perry Halliwell. The one person alive that could install fury and irritation in him like no other, and stay alive to tell about it. Thinking about his brother, Wyatt was brought into a stream of thoughts that often plagued his mind a lot recently.
As he thought back to his last confrontation with his brother, an eerie silence filled his mansion again as he looked over the destroyed city. Even to people who had known him for years, his expression would be unreadable to them.
Christopher, the annoying little runt that led the resistance. The one that led the foolish attempt to save the innocents and 'save' his brother from the evil that had somehow embedded itself into the very mind of Wyatt Halliwell. Nevertheless, in doing so, Chris had committed the ultimate crime. He betrayed his flesh and blood.
"I didn't go back to betray you, Wyatt. I went back to save you."
In the mind of his brother, a mind that even their mother had had trouble to decipher, he truly believed that someone had done something to his brother. That he could go back and save him, and ruin all of this. That somehow he could go back, change a few events, and 'fix' him, as if he were some toy that had gotten broken.
The fact that his brother had done something to ruin his hold on the future that did not surprise Wyatt in the least. Since his reign had started, Wyatt knew Chris did not approve with most, if not all, the things he did. Before this though, his brother had never so fully betrayed him before. Chris was more known to barge into Wyatt's mansion, kill every minion in his path, and then demand it of Wyatt to stop whatever he was doing.
It was the fact that Chris had resorted to sneaking back to the past with the help of that vile fiancée of his that had Wyatt stumped. The only explanation was that Bianca had gotten in his mind somehow. While he regretted he had caused Chris pain, when it came to Bianca, it was inevitable. Once his demons caught her, it had only taken her a few weeks to snap until she went back to his 'side.'
This only proved to him that she had been using his brother, and then she betrayed him. Therefore, he felt no remorse for killing his would have been sister-in-law. But sadly, he feared his actions only created a greater rift in the Halliwell brothers; the one that deserved to rule alongside him. Chris was the only one that rivalled his powers, at least now he was. Their sister Melinda had come close, even without white lighter abilities, but she was gone now. Stolen from him like every other one he held dear.
Three years ago, a little over five years after the death of his mother, just after he had turned twenty-one, Wyatt Halliwell lost his only sister, Melinda Victoria Halliwell. Melinda Victoria Halliwell, named respectively for her ancestor, Melinda Warren and her Grandfather, Victor Bennett was killed by the rogue demons; dark lighters more specifically.
She had been fifteen.
The Rogue demons were one of the down falls to his rule. There were some, consisting of species that varied from dark lighters to demons that were once scum of the Underworld, but they all had one thing in common. None of them wanted to serve him, nor did they want to join the Resistance and take orders. Apparently, they were anti-Halliwell - refusing to serve under either brother.
Most magical creatures, especially witches, could easily be found on one side or the other, not in the in-betweens. Witch hunters were the simple reason for that. That was another downfall to his rule. The trials had come back and witches, or anyone believed to be anyway associated with witch craft was burned at the stake; but that was only after they were interrogated, in other words tortured for information.
That was why all magical creatures either found themselves part of Lord Wyatt's rule or the Resistance. It was the simple fact they would not survive on their own, the numbers of the witch hunters were too great. That was one problem Wyatt Halliwell was trying to solve, but they were too many in numbers. Not to mention that many witch hunters were hidden.
They were known as sleepers. They did not associate in any way with their other colleges until such a time that their help was needed. And those members were the most plentiful, hidden away from sight. So it was pointless to wipe out witch hunters because there were always ones to replace what them.
Sadly, Melinda had not been the only one lost over the years. The Halliwell family had also lost Victor Bennett, Henry Mitchell, Coop Valentino, Billie Jenkins, Daryl Morris, and his Aunt Phoebe's middle child, Katy, along with several other close friends. The part that irked Wyatt the most - though he would never admit it - was the fact that he did not know if the rest of his family was all right. For all he knew he could have lost several other family members and not know it.
To his knowledge the only members that survived was the two boys of Piper himself and Christopher. Prudence, the eldest daughter of Phoebe who he believed to be the leader of the Resistance in Chris' absence, and Phoebe's youngest child, Elizabeth. Henry Jr was also alive, like he said, that was only to his knowledge. His Aunt Paige's twins, Oriana and Callie, were also alive but still separated.
From the beginning, after the death of her mother and father, Oriana, or Ana, had seen the sense in Wyatt's plan and joined him. Even though a few short months after her death, Paige came back as a full white lighter, the damage had been done. Therefore, when Wyatt had taken dominance on the one-year anniversary of his mother's death, Ana followed while Callie, the younger of the two, had stayed with the rest of the family and Chris. Chris.
Everything always came back to Chris.
It amazed Wyatt how his train of thoughts always traveled back to his wayward brother. His brother was the key, if he could get Chris to join him, the rest of the family would follow. Nevertheless, that was not the reason that Wyatt wanted his brother with him, it was the fact that as brothers they should be on the same side. Moreover, with Chris being against him, there were only so many lengths Wyatt could go to in order to protect him.
Yes, despite being against him, Chris always had been and always would be his brother. His baby brother, the one he had sworn to protect. The one that would turn to Wyatt when someone was picking on him as a child. The brother that would come to him at night after a visit from their estranged father. The little brother who's attitude and witty comments had never ceased to amaze him. More over, Chris had been the baby brother that, like their sister, looked so much like their mother, the baby brother whose brilliant Jade eyes used to hold so much mischief, but were now void of any feelings he had.
The baby brother, who like the rest of his family had been trapped in this black and white world, and felt the need to hide his feelings to protect himself. For there were people who would find out his weakness and use it against him, and in doing so, find a way to cause the Halliwell family even more pain.
Wyatt had been so lost in his thoughts; he had not even noticed that someone else had come into the room. When he sensed another presence in the room, he sighed as if it was a hassle. "Caleb," he said indifferently without looking away from the window, "how long have you been there?"
"Long enough to know that you're going to drive us both insane without that over-working brain of yours," the voice said from the shadows. Knowing that Wyatt probably wasn't in the mood for games, the half-manticore walked out from the shadows and smiled at his best friend. "Should I even bother to ask what you're thinking about, or should I assume from the pulsing vein that you're thinking about Chris?"
"So I take it you tracked down the witch hunters," Wyatt commented, deciding it was best to avoid Caleb's question about his brother.
"Yes sire," Caleb taunted, arching an eyebrow at the fact that Wyatt was refusing to talk about Chris. It didn't surprise him really, Chris always had been a touchy subject for Wyatt - mostly because Chris had never joined him. Not even in the beginning, as Emily had, Caleb sighed. Emily, he shook his head at the thought of the psychic, she was another touchy subject. "You'll be pleased to know that the witch hunters who dared to go near your baby cousin are now nothing more that scorch marks on a wall."
Hearing the distinct tone of sarcasm in Caleb's voice, Wyatt allowed a shadow of a smile to appear on his face. Caleb was taunting him, he knew it just as well as the fact that Caleb knew that very few people would get away with taunting him. "You know, Caleb," Wyatt began, deciding to voice his thoughts aloud. "Very few people would get away with taunting me like that."
"I know," Caleb said happily, as he grinned. "But I am not every other person, and you've learned to put up with me this long, so why would you vanquish me now?" Caleb asked, feigning confusion. "So, oh humble leader, may I ask you what the hell crawled up your ass to make you so God damn moody lately?"
Wyatt arched an eyebrow, "I didn't know you cared." Nevertheless, when Caleb looked him directly in the eyes, he knew that was a lie. Caleb was one of the few people he actually trusted, and they had been inseparable as children ever since his mother and Aunts killed his mother.
"Yes you did. So, tell me what the hell is going on in your twisted mind that seemingly only I understand."
Wyatt smiled, but instantly got rid of it as soon as it appeared on his face, but not quick enough.
"Too late," Caleb taunted again. "I saw the emotion, no denying it now! Call the presses people! Wyatt Halliwell showed an emotion! An honest to God emotion, he isn't heartless after all!"
Wyatt rolled his eyes and looked back at the city. "Chris, he's in the past."
"I know," Caleb stated, rolling his eyes. "That would be why you had Bianca tortured for a few weeks on end, and then had her do your dirty work, before you sent her back to get Chris." He seen the way Wyatt tensed, and he rolled his eyes. "Dude, let it go! She loved Chris, to most that would be all they want for their baby brother."
Wyatt narrowed her eyes, "if she loved him, she would never have betrayed him. You know that."
"Yes, but you are forgetting that Bianca only knew the cruel side of you, she had never seen any compassion from you before. Meaning she had no way of knowing that you were bluffing when you said that if it she didn't go back and get him you would send someone else. I believe the thing that got to her was when you said 'and I don't care how they get it done, as long as Christopher is home. Even if they only have a body to bring back'," Caleb pointed out as he smirked. "So, she betrayed him, as you say, because she believed that it was the only way Chris could make it back alive."
Wyatt glared at his friend, "whose side are you on?" He demanded, seeing Caleb shrug though, Wyatt shook his head. Looking over to the wall, Wyatt snorted as his eyes once again became unfocussed. "As if I would kill him."
"Yeah," Caleb said slowly, dragging on the word as he crossed him arms. "You know normally I would believe, because normally you wouldn't try and kill, Chrissie-boy. But tell me, if you weren't trying to kill him, then why were you throwing energy balls at him left right and center?" Caleb countered, one of his eyebrows rising as he sighed. "And if killing Chris wasn't your intention, then why were you strangling him? I believe your exact words were, 'I don't need you.' And we both know that's a lie."
"What?"
"Here me out dude," Caleb said, ignoring Wyatt's snort as he called him dude. "If it were anyone else who formed the Resistance, they would be dust in the Underworld. If it had been anyone else who rebelled so fully against you, they would have been thrown to the demons by now. If it were anyone else who went to the past you would have sent a demon with no history with said person so you only would have gotten a cold corpse back. And lastly, if you didn't need him, would we really be having this conversation right now?"
Wyatt shrugged and sat on the arm of a chair and watched Caleb, waiting for the smug little bugger to continue talking, while Wyatt resisted his urge to vanquish the half-demon who had no regard for boundaries or rules. "Your point?"
"Dude, wake up!" Caleb yelled in exasperation. "You still need your brother, you still care for him. That heart in there," he said pointing at Wyatt's chest, "the one you pretend is dead is still there and beating. You care for your family you know it is true. So why the hell couldn't you have a civil conversation with Chris? I seen it you know, you used your powers first, and granted Chris did not have any, so there was no need for you to use yours. Even without powers you would be able to kick the runt's ass," he sighed, finishing his rant, "just like there was no need for you to snap that day with Emily-"
Wyatt's eyes flashed as he remembered the day that he had grabbed Emily's arm, resulting in the psychic losing all faith in him and moving on to the Resistance. "Caleb," Wyatt hissed, his eyes narrowing at the half-demon. Once again, the half-manticore was testing his limits. "You are crossing the line. If you think-"
"-You didn't have to physically harm her, but you did. So just like always, you let your temper get out control, " Caleb continued, not caring if he was stepping out of line. It was about time Wyatt knew that it was his temper - the one that had been there since childhood - was the reason he was dangerous. "That was why Emily left, and that is what makes you a jerk sometimes. So please tell me what twisted plan you have forming in that screwed up head of yours."
Wyatt took a deep breath; trying in vain to keep his temper in. the last thing he wanted was to prove Caleb right, his temper was not that bad. It was not worst than had been when he was a teenager, that much was certain. Even in the early years of his life, Wyatt had been a bit more reluctant to trust people than most; it had also been easy to spark his anger. "I need to find a way to get to Chris."
"You mean going to the past?"
"No," Wyatt stated, frowning at the thought of him leaving and going back to retrieve his wayward brother. It was too much of a risk for him to leave and sending someone had proved to be useless in the past. Thinking it over, Wyatt shook his head, going to the past was not what he meant. "I mean, I don't care what I have to do, I am finding a way to get my brother to come back."
"Well you wont be able to drive him to you," Caleb snorted, frowning uneasily at Wyatt's thoughtful expression. "I hate to break it you, but that wouldn't work. If anything, you have one hell of a stubborn brother who will not give up."
Wyatt nodded.
Caleb stood up and starred at Wyatt with a neutral expression. Seeing Wyatt was seriously considering finding a way to get Chris back, something he had done since Chris left the first time, Caleb sighed. "Wyatt, I'm your friend, and I know you know that. Therefore, I am going to be honest and beg you to rethink whatever plan you have cooking, because if you are not careful you will only succeed in pushing Chris away.
With that, he shimmered out leaving Wyatt alone in his musings. How could he get his brother to come home? Sure, he could simply go to the past and bring Chris back kicking, screaming, and cursing but there had to be another way. There had to be a way to drive Chris to him.
Then a thought hit him, there was a way to get Chris to come to him, and in fact, the answer was so simply it was almost ingenious. All he head to do was use Chris' greatest fear against him, with that he dissolved into black and blue orbs.
"I don't want to talk about it," Chris said instantly.
This caused the onlookers from the past to nod at his request. Even though they had questions concerning what they had just seen, it had hurt Chris to see it over again, and Chris seeing it was their fault. Not discussing it was the least they could do.
Back in the memories, Phoebe pouted as they appeared in another memory. Looking around though, Phoebe had to squint when she saw all the bright lights as well as the bright white wall. "Now where are we?" She asked, shielding her eyes from the offending light. She was not used to this; this was going from one extreme to another. She was used to Chris' other memories, the ones where they had to struggle to see what was happening as a result of being in dark, dank Underworld. "I mean, this is ridiculous. Are they trying to blind people?"
Chris snorted at his Aunt's complaint that was a character Phoebe comment. "If you think this is bad," he said as he looked at her, "you haven't been 'Up There', have you?" His Jade eyes traveled upward as he remembered that day all to well when he had gone 'Up There'. It was after his father had gone 'Up There' and Chris was nine. All he could remember of the day was that all the children had been at the Manor and his aunts had been there. The next thing he remembered was that demons had attacked and Aunt Paige had waved her arm sending all the children somewhere 'safe.' Moreover, to say the least, the Elders had been surprised when nine children appeared in the middle of their meeting - Leo had been pleased though, he'd gotten to see Wyatt.
Leo looked at Chris, trying not to look too interested, knowing Chris would never tell him what he wanted to know. "You've been up there?" He asked casually, even though on the inside he was dying to know what had caused Chris to go Up There in the first place, not many people were allowed there. "You mean, other than when the Titans were attacking?"
Chris looked wearily at his father, "can't say, Future consequences." He said, smirking when he seen his father's disapproving look. Not that that was anything new to him, but in that moment, all because of that look, Chris felt more homesick than he had in a long time.
He missed his family, not the living people in the past, which were nothing than ghosts in his time. No, he missed his family, the family he loved. Sure, he loved these people; he would even say he had a higher respect for Leo. These were merely the people that would become his family. Here and now, even though he knew them, he was nothing more than a stranger to them. They did not know him. He was a stranger in his own home, but since Wyatt had turned it into a museum, it hadn't been his home in a long time, had it?
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Chris' head jerked up, effectively bringing him out of his thoughts. Seeing the man enter the hallway, Chris frowned when he saw the man in the lab coat, looking down at the clipboard. Could this day get any worst?
Frowning, Piper and Phoebe concentrated on the figure in front of them. They both had this nagging feeling that they had seen him before, but they did not know from where. Their looks though, caused Paige and Leo to share a confused look, but Chris did not have to think very hard. He knew exactly where he was and what they were about to see. His mother - no, Piper - had been right. They were going to see this, even if he wished they were not.
"This one was caught by accident," the man stated as he walked alongside the man who the others were staring at. "There were four others with him, and by the way they disappeared in blue lights, I would say they were witches too." He stated, causing the man beside him to sigh, and that was when Phoebe got sight of his face - causing her to gasp.
"Phoebe, are you okay?" Leo asked in concern he looked over at his sister-in-law, the one that had been there since the beginning. Seeing her pale, he reached over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, hoping it would be enough for her to know it was not real and that she was not alone. "Phoebe, how do you know him?"
Phoebe did not answer Leo, she just simply carried on staring at the man in surprise, something that caused Leo and Paige to frown - they did not know what was going on. Piper on the other hand, looked closely at the man standing in front of her, wishing with all her might that she had her powers back. Because if she did, she would show that man just what she could do with a flick of her hand. Oh, she knew who the man was and she knew why Phoebe had reacted in such a way. The man was a good fifteen years older, but she would remember that man's face anywhere. "Nathaniel Pratt."
"Nathaniel Pratt?" Paige frowned at the name, she knew the name but it was so unsuspected. Actually, overall she was just happy that one of her sisters had finally answered them, giving them an idea as to what was going on. "As in the Nathaniel Pratt that was going to burn Phoebe at the stake but you, Phoebe and Prue went to the future to stop if from happening, only to watch it happen anyway? That Nathaniel Pratt?"
"Yeah, that's him," Phoebe stated quietly as she nodded, staring at her would-have-been murdered. Why the hell was he of all people in one of Chris' memories? The very thought of it made her stomach churn, making her feel as though she was going to be sick. She only prayed that he was not here for the reason that she thought because if he was, it meant that Nathaniel Pratt was the one in charge of the Witch Hunters. "Chris," she began hesitantly, not sure if she wanted the answer to her question. "What is he doing here?"
"You were the ones that wanted to know about the Witch Hunters," Chris said bitterly as he crossed his arms. He had no sympathy for them at the present moment, them seeing this was their own fault. Adding the pain and emotional strain that was building up, Chris was not in that pleasant of a mood. Besides, were they really that surprised that Nathaniel Pratt was the one in charge? He had been in charge in the other future, why not in his? "Well now you get to see the man behind all of the executions."
Thinking it over though, Chris frowned when he realised that when his mother had encountered Nathaniel Pratt with his Aunt Prue and Aunt Phoebe, they had gone to the future to find out what they had to change. That was when a thought hit him, what was it with his family trying to change the future all the time?
"So the prisoner," Pratt began as he took the clipboard from the man accompanying him, only to begin reading over the information. "Who is he?"
That simply sentence caused Chris to sigh. "This can't be happening," he muttered, as he looked away, praying to every deity that they did not call him a Halliwell. If they did, his life was over; it was as simple as that. If they said Halliwell, which there as a small chance of, everything that he had tried to keep a secret over the past few months would have been for nothing. More than that, he would still be in the spell, meaning that he would not be able to orb away and run. He wanted them to say Perry, because much like how his cousins went by their father's last name, he went by his middle name. It was his alias in the future, only the members of the Resistance and Wyatt's minions, as well as close family friends, knew who he was. Being a Halliwell was not something to be advertised in the future, they had enough enemies without people blaming everything on them. It was not as if they controlled Wyatt, sadly people did not see it that way.
"Some man that we caught while scavenging for witches," the man stated.
"Subject 342341," Nathaniel Pratt stated as he read from the file, reading it over though, a small smile appearing on his face. Re-reading over the numbers, his smirk became malicious, causing the Charmed Ones' skin to crawl. Only Piper and Phoebe knew what Nathaniel was capable of first hand, but even Paige and Leo did not like that smirk on his face. "So, he's mixed blood," Nathaniel Pratt mused, still looking at the file as he walked. "Is he?"
"Yes," the man nodded as he walked along, happy that he had a chance to impress his boss. If there was one thing one should not do in the future, it was mess with Nathaniel Pratt. While witches such as the Halliwell kid were their biggest fear, Pratt was far up the list. "He's part witch, part white lighter."
"Elder," Chris muttered as he rolled his eyes, but none of the people from the past heard him. Not that he was complaining because he did not want his identity revealed, but didn't those people know anything? Wyatt was the part white lighter, he was part Elder - there was a big difference. There was a reason he could shoot electricity out of his hands, and it was not because he had stuck his hand in a power out-let.!
The man continued hesitantly, knowing that Pratt was not going to respond well to this news. Still, he had to be informed, he was going to find out eventually. "The others that were with him seemed to be mixed as well, one of the others orbed away, while the two women shimmered away - they're still unidentified though, Sir."
"So, they got away?"
The man swallowed, picking up on the low, dangerous tone in Pratt's voice. He knew that Pratt was not going to like that piece of news, the only thing he hated more than witches were free witches. At least when they were here, in captivity, they could not interfere with the way the world was meant to run on. "Yes, it seems so." The man took a deep breath, "Christopher," he stated, seeing Pratt's looked, he sighed. "342341," the man corrected, knowing that Pratt hated the witches being referred to as people. They were not people; they were insects that needed to be squat. One by one if need be. "He held off the Hunters until they were safely away."
Stopping at the door, Pratt frowned at the man, causing the ones from the past to almost pity that he had to endure Pratt's anger. It did not last long though, when they remembered that he was partially responsible for the capture and torture of witches. "Is there anything else I need to know about our guest," Pratt said, almost as if he thought Chris was there willingly. "Before I talk to him?"
"He's a leader of the Resistance."
"Well this is an honour," Pratt stated as he smiled evilly. From the number at the end of the code, he had known that he had someone how been associated with Wyatt Halliwell, but him being a part of the Resistance meant he was one of the fools that believed that the Halliwell kid could be saved. Pathetic, optimistic fools. As he opened the door, the onlookers rushed to get into the room as Pratt continued talking to the man. "Well, I can't very well leave him waiting, now can I?"
Upon enter the room; Paige had to cover her mouth when she saw the sight in front of her. She suddenly felt herself become nauseous again, and it was not a result of jumping from one memory to another. It was the fact that Memory Chris was strapped to a bed, much like they did with mental patients, but looking closely she noted that his restraints were so tight that they were drawing blood. Swallowing, Paige could honestly say that she wished that had been the worst she saw, but it was not. Memory Chris had bruises all over his body, blood leaking from his lip, and there were crisscrossed cuts that covered his exposed torso and around his neck.
Phoebe too found herself having to look away from the sight with tears in her eyes. These memories were really starting to get the best of her, hadn't Chris suffered enough in his life? Pratt, she almost growled at the thought of him, why the hell did that son of a bitch have to make it worst? No wonder Chris always did his best to cover himself with long sleeves and more than one layer. The tattoo, or brand, as well as the cuts, she shuddered. She did not doubt the evidence of the cuts were still there; scars left behind as a constant reminder of what he had went through.
Still, she forced herself to look back as Pratt went to stand beside Memory Chris, fear sweeping through her entire body. Swallowing, Phoebe looked to the Chris that was stood beside her, his face remaining unfeeling as he tried to block it all out. "Chris," she began, causing her unknown-nephew to look at her. "They … they did that to you," she stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she made the statement. It should have been a question, but she knew it had been them.
Chris nodded.
Piper frowned at that knowledge. She could not understand how anyone would be able to take Chris unwillingly; she had seen how much power he possessed. That was when she closed her eyes in understanding, the other man had said there had been others, but Chris had held off the Witch Hunters until they were safely away. He had known he would be caught, he had willingly allowed himself to be caught in order to save the ones he loved. Damn, it seemed as though Chris would sacrifice anything for the ones he loved, which didn't seem fair to Piper. Chris deserved so much more than he had been given during his life.
"Chris," Leo began, his throat going dry now that he knew what it meant when the Witch Hunters caught people. He still could not understand how the Elders had allowed it to get so out of control, surely they had tried to stop this. "How did you get out of here?" He asked, once again fearing for the safety of the young man. It surprised him that he was worried about Chris, but the feeling was not foreign to him. He had felt the same thing when Bianca had been back in his time, when they had been faced with the possibility of losing the young half-witch. Looking at this scene though, Leo did not know how Chris had managed to get out of this one. Memory Chris was bound to the bed, and from the look of him eyes, they were pumping something into his system that barely left him conscious. Only aware enough for them to get answers out of him, Leo realised.
Chris looked away, deciding it was best to pretend he had not heard Leo. It had been Wyatt that had gotten him out of here. Once he had learned what had happened to his brother, Wyatt had orbed in to get him - refusing to lose another family member to the Witch Hunters. Moreover, while Chris was thankful to his brother for it, deep down Chris blamed Wyatt for it in the first place. After all, it had been his fault to begin with; Wyatt had been the one to expose magic.
Memory Chris glared hatefully at the man in front of him, the man that was responsible for the death of his cousin. Nathaniel Pratt, Memory Chris' eyes narrowed even further, he was so fortunate that he could not fight back. Otherwise, Memory Chris was sure that he would be locked up for murder in the next few minutes.
"Are you going to be a problem?" Pratt asked as he sat down in the chair beside Memory Chris' bed. He had seen the anger that had flashed in the younger man's eyes, and he had a feeling that he was going to be a problem. The ones from the Resistance tended to be.
Memory Chris remained silent.
"It's childish, giving me the silent treatment, don't you think?" Pratt asked when the vile witch refused to answer him. Looking at the man carefully, his eyes narrowed in thought as he bit his lip. There was something familiar about the way that the man was staring at him, as if he knew him from somewhere. Then it clicked. "I remember you," he stated, seeing Memory Chris' eyes widen, he nodded. "You're the one that orbed in with the Halliwell kid at the Valentino execution," he realised, smirking when Memory Chris struggled against his bonds. "I see she was close to you."
Memory Chris still refused to answer Pratt, but proceeded to glare daggers at the man. If Pratt said one thing about Katy, Memory Chris would plead innocent. He could not be responsible for his actions if Pratt edged him on, not when one of his baby cousins was involved. Family was off limits.
"It was such a pity, having to kill that one," Pratt said in mock sorrow, almost smiling when Memory Chris formed his hands into fists. It was only a matter of time before 342341 snapped and began talking, and when he did, it would be only a matter of time before he spilled everything. "It's always harder with the younger ones, and she was what? No older than seventeen?" Memory Chris' knuckles started turning white, "but sadly, she wasn't good at this game. She refused to give up any information, and when I gave her the opportunity she wouldn't join me." Pratt frowned when he saw Memory Chris' eyes blazing beneath his brunette lashes, he knew from that moment that 342341 was going to be the same. "I'm hoping you wont be as difficult."
"And let me guess," Paige began as she rolled her eyes at her youngest male nephew, even though she was unaware of the fact. "You were that difficult, weren't you?" She questioned, and somehow she already knew the answer. She shook her head and rolled her eyes when she saw Chris smirk. "You do realise that you make things harder on yourself, don't you?"
"Yeah," Chris shrugged, knowing that because of his stubbornness that he made things more difficult than they needed to be. "But if he thought I was giving him the satisfaction of reeling me in, causing me to spill my guts, he had another thing coming." Chris stated stubbornly as he crossed his arms, letting out an annoyed huff - reminding Paige of someone she knew, but she could not place who it was. It did not matter though, because she forgot all about it when her attention was drawn back to Pratt as he spoke.
"So, will you join me?"
"What is with everyone asking me to joining them?" Memory Chris demanded, his head falling back onto his rock-hard pillow as he rolled his eyes. He really did not understand why everyone wanted him to join them, what he said though, it caused the onlookers, even his future self to chuckle.
Talking though, had been the worst thing for Memory Chris to do, no matter how innocent the comment. "Ah," Pratt purred gleefully as he smirked at Memory Chris, "So you do talk," he stated. "Now that we have that confirmed, why don't we get to the questioning?" Memory Chris took a deep breath and locked his jaw, "come on, they're rather simply. I mean, being a leader of the Resistance, you must know where their Stronghold hold is, am I right?"
"The Stronghold?" Memory Chris echoed as he struggled again his restraints. Feigning confusion when his struggling didn't work, he arched an eyebrow- something that caused Phoebe to groan as she covered her face with her hands. She knew from experience that Pratt didn't like it when you acted clueless, even though she really hadn't had any idea what was happening when she had visited the future. "What the hell is that?"
"I know you know," Pratt blared as he narrowed his eyes, his temper slowly going out of control as he glared hatefully at the younger Halliwell brother, even though the two Chrises present were the only ones aware of the face. "No, I'll ask you one more time. Where is the Stronghold of the Resistance?!"
Rolling his eyes, Memory Chris did not even bother to lie about it this time. "Bite me," was his simple response as he glared at Pratt. There was nothing Pratt could say to get him to talk; after all, the Resistance was where everyone he loved was. Moreover, he would not betray them he would never talk. It did not matter what Pratt did to him, they were safe and that was all that mattered.
"Watch you mouth boy," Pratt warned as he glared at the boy. "One of these days, that tongue of yours will get you into trouble."
Watching as Pratt lay the clipboard aside so he could stand up; Memory Chris rolled his eyes at Pratt's comment. He had heard the same thing from Wyatt and Leo over the years and by now, it really did not bother him, simply because it was probably true. "So," Memory Chris began as Pratt walked over to table, now it was his turn to ask the questions. "What do you have against us magical folk anyway, what have we ever done to you?"
Pratt chuckled bitterly, "what have you done?" He looked at Memory Chris with a look of pure haughtiness, "have you looked outside?" He questioned as he arched an eyebrow, "your kind did that," he pointed out as his eyes never left Memory Chris'. "You and your kind are a danger to everything good. You and the rest of your precious witches represent all I hate and all that is wrong with this world. The world was fine before the Halliwell kid came into his powers, and deep down, I know all of you are the same." His eyes narrowed into slits. "You're nothing more than a threat and you have too much power - it gives you an advantage over us normal people."
Chris rolled his eyes at Pratt's self-righteous speech. They were the threats because his brother had taken a dive off the land of the sane. Did Pratt not notice that he was the one burning people to death and locking them up? Chuckling bitterly, he rolled his eyes, "doesn't make us evil."
Memory Chris shook his head in disbelief as Pratt's words filtered into his ears, was the man serious? That was the reason his cousin, Katy, and countless others had died. Simply because Pratt thought they were a threat and he feared them, as if that was a reason. "Just because you're afraid of something, because you don't understand it, doesn't make killing us right and you know it!" He accused, "being different doesn't make up evil."
Hearing the similarity in the two Chris' answers, Paige frowned and looked between the two. "Creepy," Paige muttered, even though she knew that she was secretly beaming on the inside that some of the old Chris had survived - and not just his sarcasm. Underneath the surface somewhere, the old Chris was there, buried beneath pain, but he was not unreachable. That was enough to make her smile.
Pratt rolled his eyes at Memory Chris' response, "it doesn't make you safe to us either," he pointed out as he picked up a needle and walked over to Memory Chris - causing the onlookers from the past to frown. "I should have known you would be difficult," Pratt muttered as he held Memory Chris' arm and slid the needle in, a smirk on his face as he injected the contents of the syringe into Memory Chris' arm. "Such a pity."
Seeing the syringe be pulled from the younger Chris' arm, Leo frowned at the sight. He had been a doctor in his previous life before he died, so seeing such things were not foreign to him, but something told him that this was not something to aid Chris in any way. Something told him it was just the opposite, "What is that?"
How to explain this one, Chris mused as he rubbed his eyes. All of these memories were wearing him out and it was to the point that he was sure he could not argue with Leo anymore - at least not without a cause. If Leo got him riled up again he would argue until he was blue in the face and passing out, but he decided that now would be a good time to be civil. Besides, it was not as if he could kill Leo - he still needed him, even though that was way to gross to think about. "It's a serum that Pratt had created that basically temporarily binds a witch's powers," he explained simply. "It's a real pain in the ass," he muttered as he crossed his arms. "Because by this point, I really wanted to fry his ass."
Paige snickered at that comment, Yeah, she mused. The old Chris was still in there, but there was something in her smile that caused Chris to wince. It was almost as if she was proud by that comment, something that made his heart ache. When he had made a sarcastic comment in his childhood, his Aunt Paige had always winked at him while she smiled proudly at him. That was when he winced, this Paige was so much like his Aunt Paige, and while they would be the same person in the future, it still made it hard to look at Paige. Phoebe and Piper not so much, because they were dead in his time, so long now that sometimes he found it hard to remember what their mannerisms were - so he found it easier to convince himself that they were different people. Paige, on the other hand, was still there in the future and it was slowly killing him every damn day he could not confide in her as he had done over the years.
Seeing Pratt walk away, Memory Chris struggled against his restraints as he felt his mind go hazy. He would not allow himself to pass out, otherwise he would wake up in a tub only to realise that he was missing a kidney, that thought made him chuckle as he made a half-hearted attempt at glaring at Pratt. "What's the matter Pratt?" He asked cruelly, narrowing his eyes. "Can't take me when I'm sober?"
Phoebe chuckled at Memory Chris' attempt at making a joke, and in all honesty, it was not a bad one. From what she had seen, it appeared as though Chris let the jokes out of him when he was nervous, either that or he went on some rant. Talk about being dramatic, she mused, only to wince when a loud alarm suddenly sounded.
As the alarm sounded, Pratt frowned, looking around wearily. As he moved away from Memory Chris, Pratt headed to the door to peak out, intending on finding out what was going on - only to freeze and whirl around when he heard the jingling sound of orbs. He did not have the chance to blink though, before he was flung into a wall as the orbs materialized.
Seeing the orbs form into a person, Piper let out a gasp as she realised who it was. It seemed as though the war had not just taken its tole on Chris, it was to the point she barely recognized the man in front of her. His shoulders were stiff, his back straight - but his eyes were lifeless. "Wyatt," she whispered quietly, her eyes going wide as her hand instinctively sought out Leo's hand.
Seeing Pratt fall to the floor, Wyatt shook his head and ignored the son of bitch who he knew he would take pleasure in killing. Taking a calming breath he walked passed Pratt and headed to his brother, only to grind his teeth when he saw the state of his brother. While he untied the restraints, Wyatt shook his brother. "Chris?" He asked carefully, not getting a response from his brother, his worry increased as he gently shoved his brother again, "are you okay?" Getting an irritated groan from his brother, Wyatt allowed a shadow of a smile of his brother as he orbed away with his brother in a blur of blue and black orbs, and the onlookers once again watched as the scene around them shimmered into a new one.
Though they would never admit it, the onlookers from the past were slightly worried about Memory Chris being alone with Wyatt in his current state. Something they wished was not true, but it was. Surely, Chris was safer with Wyatt than he had been with Pratt, right?
Here was to hoping.
Author's Note : Wow, so this chapter was almost another thirty pages typed up - we'll use that as my excuse for it not being updated so soon, okay? I really am sorry about the wait by the way, it wasn't intentional. But with the end of another school year (thank the lord) my teachers were rushing to get all of the required work done, meaning it was one test after another until it was like BAM - finals. So, I have a science final tomorrow (worth 35% of my grade in the course) so I'm going to leave you with this update. Hopefully the next wont take so long, but you know what to do in the mean time. Please review.