Authors Notes:

You are welcome to read the notes or do as I do most of the time do skip them and read the story!

Note 1: Thank you all those that have written to tell me that they are enjoying the story and suggestions for making it better. Several people have said that they enjoy dialog more than narrative and I will try to provide more dialogs however I have to say I am new to the writing thing and narrative comes easier then dialog.

Note 2: I was not aware that there was so much dislike for Wyatt's and Chris's little sister Melinda. I was under the impression that she was part of the canon and you couldn't leave her out and even though this story is an AU I wanted many of the concepts to be there. For those that are worried don't be, this is a story that will mainly (99%) focus on Chris and we'll see about his interaction with others - meaning I have not thought that far ahead. I know Wyatt will play a major role but for the supporting roles I have not decided. This story gets written when it comes.

OK, enough rambling without further ado on with the story!

Chapter 11

Derek was enjoying an afternoon in the city of Capa. Capa was an underworld city under the underground cities of Cappadocia located in Turkey. It was surprising that the surface world had actually found some of the underground cities of the underworld and he knew that there were a bunch of beings from Capa involved with keeping the so called archeologists away from discovering the real entrances to the underworld.

There had been several fake earthquakes in the last few years making the many of the archeological sites unsafe to excavate which Derek thought was the point. There had been excursions by the surface dwellers into the tunnels and enough tunnels had been collapsed in the last few years then there apparently had been in the last millennia.

This place was one of the twelve that had a physical connection to the surface world and the officials of Capa were reluctant to give away their connection to the surface world.

Derek's good friend Lara lived here. It was surprising to find out that she was a Capain. In the underworld you were from whichever city you were born in or chose to live in, there was no concept of countries and the educated spoke the language of the surface world that they lived under just in case. But growing up in the monastery you gave up all you were and learned what they thought you and they all spoke to each other in Latmik a demonic language that belonged to the monastery. Lara was four years older than Derek and she had opted to rejoin her family after her mingling year, it was surprising how little they knew of each other outside of the monastery. Now that Derek was living on the surface he was free to go anywhere he wanted and he had tracked down Lara to her home city and they were known to spend quite a bit of time together. Although he had a feeling his freedom was going to be cut down to almost nothing when Salek returned from seeing the Charmed Ones.

Derek had escaped to Capa after receiving the letter from the Charmed Ones. If you were educated you knew who they were and you also knew who Wyatt Halliwell was meant to be. Camelot was one of the strongest cities of light magic there was, along with Avalon. Camelot was the only known surface city that had cut contact with everything and was hidden with the strongest magics. Avalon was its connection to the surface and the underworld, being half on the surface and the other half down below. Although Avalon had also cut the contact to a minimum for almost two millenniums ago, there was on occasion news from both cities by travelers who had gained access to Avalon.

The fact that Camelot's legendary sword had resurfaced and was with their next king who was supposed to be the twice blessed Wyatt Halliwell was common knowledge to most of the underworld.

Many said these were the signs that a great swift was coming. If Camelot was rejoining the world that meant the balance would swift. The past Kings of Camelot were known to unite many beings or cities, hence the round table of knights. It wasn't just knights that sat around the table, while they were known as the knights they were actually beings of immense power and with them came their own followers, sometimes their cities, sometimes thousands of their warriors followed them. When united the power of Camelot was enough to shape the world. Many were afraid of the change that was coming. Salek had told him that change was unstoppable it would happen whether people wanted it or not so the best thing was not to worry about it.

However many in the underworld were worried about the meaning that was behind Camelot's rejoining the world although it had yet to happen. There were whispers and rumors of powerful beings that were coming into being. One rumor stood out in particular about an unknown power source and whenever Derek popped up a new power all those around him would look at him funny, like he was supposed to be this powerful being that all the rumors were about. Derek knew that was not the truth, if it were the case would he have spent his early life as a slave? If he was all so powerful wouldn't he have been able to escape or break the collar right away?

Slavers were known to pick up mediocre magical beings. There were two reasons for that; one, mediocre magic users would not be noticed among hundreds of other slaves, two, powerful beings tended to have powerful parents and they were known to come after their offspring. No one had come after Derek or maybe his family had even sold him off for a few coins to the slaver in the first place. If he were powerful wouldn't they wanted to have kept him instead of sold him off?

Sometimes Derek wanted to find his family so he could just ask the question; why? What was so wrong with him that they did not want him? But Salek told him to live in the present and he tired but he wanted to know, was that so wrong? He knew Salek had looked into his family especially after they found out that he was part whitelighter which meant that either his mother or father was an angel. One of them was from up there. A world that was not available to him. He was a creature of the underworld and on most days proud to be. What would his father or mother think of him when they found out that their son could kill someone without blinking or torture them for hours for information?

Or maybe they had already seen the darkness in him and that is why they had decided to get rid of him, they couldn't bring themselves to kill him so they decided that he could be of use, of less danger if he spent his life as a slave in the underworld away from the heavens. He wanted so much to remember what they were like. He wanted to know, it was one of the reasons that he had gone for that book even when he knew he should not. It had felt so right just touching it. It had sung to him, he knew that the book belonged to him. It was his.

But now he was afraid of finding out how he was connected to it.

Bruno had been unsettled when he had been back and Derek had seen him looking at him in a really weird way as he was seeing him for the first time. He had asked that he speak with Salek alone and that he make himself scarce for a while. When he had looked at Salek for conformation he was told to go visit some friends for a few days and that he would come for him.

Derek had a bad feeling about this. He knew what he had done was not wrong however he knew that he had been trespassing but it was not something to get in a fight about. He wanted to know what was going on but he trusted Salek and would wait until he was told. He entertained the idea of going to see the Charmed Ones himself but for only a second, Salek and Bruno could be frightening when angry although throughout the years neither had ever laid a hand on Derek and they had been more than kind to him, he did not forget that they could.

He had seen enough students in the monastery who had very stick masters and that they suffered the consequences of their actions and he did not want to be in those positions no matter what the cost.

Therefore he had come to visit Lara; she came from the governing family of the city of Capa and had an upper level demon for a mother and a wood nymph for the other mother and yes she had two mothers. Derek was given the explanation on how it was however did not want to think about it. It made him stare and wonder every time he looked at her mothers and he blushed whenever he was thinking about it, they were both unearthly beautiful also making Lara beautiful too but that was something Derek never noticed having grown up in the monastery with the same clothes and the shaven heads.

After coming to the surface he had visited with her and had an open invitation to stay at their house which he was taking advantage of. Lara spoke Turkish and she and Derek had dressed and pretended to the surface tourists and explored and joined in with all the tourists of the above ground.

They had spent and enjoyable afternoon laughing as they visited each underground city and listened to the guide explain what each thing was. It was funny how wrong these people were. They were eating ice-cream and looking over the beautiful landscape that the guide was telling them about when Derek felt Salek coming. He looked around and spotted him walking through the tourists like he belonged there. It was amazing that Salek could blend in so easily, one would ever think that he was so ancient or had so much power just by looking at him. He was wearing blue jeans and a blue t-shirt and looked like he was an ordinary twenty something college student out for a walk. It was only when you looked into his eyes that you knew you were looking at someone who was not mortal.

He came up to them and sat down like he had no bones on to the bench they were sitting on. He had told Derek that he wanted to teach a course on spreading one's self over various pieces of furniture but was asked by the other masters what was the point. Derek was never sure what Salek was on about, one minute he would be talking about Napoleon and the importance of strategy in a battle next he could be explaining the right way of cooking a duck in ancient Roman times.

After a minute off all of them staring at the landscape Salek raised his eyes to Lara and said, "could you possibility give us some time? And I don't think Derek will be returning to Capa so whatever he may have, needs to be returned home."

Lara was not going to argue with a Salek of all people, "yes master," was all she said, gave Derek a smile and a look that said tell me everything later and got up and gave a little bow to Salek and left to find some place that she could shimmer down to the underworld.

It was a while before Salek spoke, "we have found out the reason you were drawn to the Book of Shadows as well as the reason the Charmed Ones insistence on meeting you."

Derek never even turned to look at Salek just continued to stare out at the landscape. After a minute Salek went on, "Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt have been married for a while and they are supposed to have three children."

Derek picked up the meaning behind words without turning to look at Salek, "supposed to have three children?" he did not like where this was going.

"They have an older son; the twice blessed child you have heard about, and their youngest a girl who is by far an old soul and an annoying one at that." There he stopped to smile a little; the girl's parents had no idea what they would have to put up with raising that one, he sobered up and continued,

"And once upon a time they had a middle child, a son that they believed to have died in a demon attack almost sixteen years ago." And there Salek stopped; Derek was smart enough to put two and two together and know what he was trying to tell him.

There was no easy way to break this to Derek and no matter how he phrased it Derek would still be hurt in the process.

Derek turned to look at him, "died in a demon attack?"

"His room was totally destroyed however the Charmed Ones themselves searched for a while even as everyone told them that the child was dead. You see he fell of the magical detection grids and could not be found. And the only way for that to happen is if the person is dead."

"And now they think…" Derek let the rest of the sentence hang off knowing that Salek would answer the unasked questions.

"Not only do they think, they know that you are their middle child. I was a little reluctant to believe it myself however when someone knows you," at that Salek turned around fully to face Derek and went on, "and meets them, the resemblance is uncanny. Add to that the fact that the fame Book of Shadows cannot be used by anyone other than family and presto you have the missing Halliwell child."

He waited a beat to let that one sink in and then, "although there are magical and mortal ways of making sure if you would wish for a confirmation," he added.

Derek was looking at Salek in disbelief, what he was saying could not possible. The Halliwells were the strongest light magical beings of this century, a demon slaver; even the most crazy daring demon slaver would be out of his mind to go after one of their progeny. They would not lose a child that easily.

"You are thinking that they are powerful and anyone would be crazy to attack them," Salek seemed to be reading his mind, "however they were not always this powerful and I have told you everything happens for a reason. The Halliwell line is powerful however it has been in the last fifteen years or so that they became unmessable. Before that demons took a shot at them every other week to get the glory of killing a Charmed One and suddenly after a tragic situation they found a reason to be more resourceful and powerful."

Derek was listening to Salek as if in a trance. "The magical community has never been told of the great tragedy or what had befallen them, however we knew that there was something." Salek smiled a tiny bitter smile, "if they were not this secretive perhaps we would have found out who you were when we figured out that you were part whitelighter."

"Not when I killed Coltac?" asked Derek out of the blue. Salek was momentarily surprised he was not sure if Derek ever had made that connection. Salek really thought about it before giving his charge an answer.

"No. If I was to find you and take you back to your family it would have been someone else that would have come for you."

"Really you would not have been tempted to take me back?" Salek turned to look at his son. Over the millennia's he had many charges and raised a number of children as well, he believed creatures whether they were good or evil had in their hearts a place to love and he loved this boy with all his heart. True the love didn't happen like it would happen with a parent but had gradually grown but that did not mean it was not as pure as a fathers.

"No," he said with clarity, "although I would have then raised you in the knowledge of who you were and what your heritage was just like those that know who they are at the monastery. So…" with that he reached over to grab Derek around the neck in a head lock, "when you were drawn in by the Book of Shadows you would have made the conscious choice of going there instead of the blind one you have been forced to make." His actions made Derek smile despite the circumstance.

Salek released Derek and once again became serious and he grabbed Derek by sides of his face so he could look directly into his eyes. "I swear to you that I would do everything in my power so when you have to make a choice you are aware of all your other choices and what their consequences would be."

Derek could feel the power behind the stare that was aimed his way as well as the power behind the words that were being spoken to him. He knew no matter what he choose, what he decided to do about this new and strange situation he found himself in, he would always have Salek's support. However he needed sometime by himself to sort through his thoughts, feelings and choices.

"I think I need to be by myself for a while," he informed Salek and Salek released him turned his attention to the landscape and was nodding his head.

"Take as much time as you want, I will be at home when you are ready to deal with this, I am not going anywhere. I paid good money for that house; damned I would be if I did not get at least a lifetime's worth back!"

Derek gave a slight smile to Salek's comment and got up to stare at the beautiful landscape that was laid below his feet, an hour ago his life seemed simple, alas he had no idea what he was going to with it but everything was in its place. He was to complete his education, goof of as many of his friends did and then decide what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Now he suddenly found himself in turbulent ocean waters not knowing what to do. He knew there were a lot of people he could trust and would be willing to help him but he needed to figure out what he wanted at least for the foreseeable future for himself before he did something about it.

With a nod to Salek he made his way to the public toilets. They were the best place to magically disappear from as not many people really paid attention to those that went in and out. Perhaps there was a reason why he chose to shimmer out rather than orb out even though orbing had always been rather easy like breathing but he would dwell on those thoughts after finding Marcus and getting drunk got out his mind and killing something, anything!

Well here it is I know it is not long but for this story I want majority of the scenes to belong to different chapters.

If anyone was wondering "Cappadocia" actually exists and it is an amazing place, part of the world heritage and so on. Actual cities underground from 2000, 3000 years ago. As big as having 5000, 6000 people living in them and going down 8 floors, like huge apartment complexes under the ground. I was visiting them when the inspiration of Chris growing in the underworld hit and I could not but help add the real inspiration to the story. And the fact about earthquakes and tunnels collapsing is true. Apparently there are many cities in the area, they have found 40 of them and you can visit 3 of them, they are rumored to have tunnels that connect all of them under the ground but can't be travelled through because they are either collapsed or don't have oxygen.

The next chapter is on the way! The Halliwell's finally meeting their lost son. I have to say I had many of it written and over rode the file with an older version by mistake therefore losing some of the scenes. I have to rewrite them so the next update should be coming in two weeks. Hopefully!