Disclaimer: It makes me sad that I have to say this, but, strikermac and I don't own Charmed. We don't own Chris or Wyatt either. We just own our original characters that have joined the cast and of course, this plot and story.
Author's Note: Things are going to get extremely hectic for me coming up shortly. They aren't going to slow down, unfortunately until the end of March. So, the next couple of updates won't be nearly as quick in getting to you. I have a gallery show to prepare for, thesis papers to write, and graduation to look forward to. I know strikermac will still be thinking about the stories and working on them, I'll be thinking about them too, but like I said, my 'free time' is going to be very restricted over the next several weeks. I'm glad that all of you have been enjoying the stories thus far, and thank you so much for your continued encouragement!
Oh, Sarah… look at the bright side of the boy's adventure… technically it hasn't happened to your fair city yet, being as this is set in the year 2021. I will say this, yes, the end to the path of destruction in sight. One more official chapter after this one and the epilogue to go!
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The three American teens were running, panting breaths misting fast white plumes into the air. Christopher Halliwell was at the back of the trio, unsure of exactly how far behind them the demons were. Wyatt jumped over a large, fallen tree branch like a track hurdle with D.J. right behind him. Chris grunted when he landed on the other side of it, not nearly as graceful, but he kept going. He wasn't that far past the natural hurdle when he stumbled and fell on the uneven grassy surface. A quick outward thrusting of his hands kept him from too hard of a fall. Right now, with demons chasing them he was just a liability to Wyatt and D.J.
Wyatt stopped quickly and turned when he heard the sound behind him and saw Chris go down. He hurried back to Chris's side and rested a hand on the younger teen's shoulder, "You okay?"
"Can't keep this up Wy. I'm sorry, I just can't," Chris panted out. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and rubbed his leg, nearly in tears. His leg felt like it was on fire. Wyatt was silent, keeping a hand rested on his little brother as he looked around the darkened park. It wouldn't be long before the demons caught up and found them.
"You and D.J. keep going," Chris said quietly.
Wyatt stared at him, "Sure. I'll leave my little brother to the mercy of demons whose main purpose is to kill him tonight. Not gonna happen Chris." Wyatt helped his brother to his feet, frowning as he noticed the careful pressure Chris was putting on his leg.
Chris waved Wyatt's hands off, stubbornly wanting to stand on his own, "I'm holding the two of you back. They are going to find us. Just go…"
"Shut up Christopher," Wyatt said fiercely. "So, we have to fight. You wanted to fight, so now we have no choice. Choose our ground and come up with a plan of attack."
The muscular blonde began to pace, raking his hands through his wavy hair. D.J. took the time to lean heavily against a tree, cleaning fog from his glasses. Wyatt looked at Chris, noticing that the brunette was smiling now as he worked something out in that brainiac mind of his. The older boy narrowed his eyes, "What? I hate that look. That look is never good."
Chris knew Wyatt wasn't going to like what he was about to say, but the sooner he got it out, the sooner he could argue his point and convince Wyatt that it was the best option, "You want a plan of attack? How about using me as bait?"
"You have officially lost your mind," Wyatt said, looking at him with an intense blue gaze that said that he had indeed lost his mind. "No. No Chris. They. Want. To. Kill. You. First," Wyatt said each word so slowly and precisely that it caused Chris to sigh in frustration.
"I get that Wy. It's the very reason that I'm the perfect bait," Chris explained.
Wyatt shook his head. "Mom would blast me into a billion tiny bits."
"This is Piper's Park," Chris said, motioning around them. "We chose our ground. Fate wouldn't be so cruel to kill us in a place named for our mother would it?"
Wyatt Halliwell glared at his brother and looked away. He hated the logic in it and hated even more the fact that his brother always seemed to think about such things before he said them so he had arguments to back his ideas up. Case in point, Chris was looking at Wyatt now.
"Now using me as bait makes sense, don't deny it," Chris said.
"I hate you," Wyatt mumbled.
"I know Wy, I hate you too," Chris said with a smile.
Neither one of them really meant it of course, though Wyatt did hate the idea of Chris using himself as bait. Wyatt rubbed his hand over his face and sighed, "Alright, let's hear the rest of your brilliant plan."
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Victor Bennett smiled as he walked into the manor with bags full of groceries. When the boys stayed over at his place, he and Chris usually made a big brunch. Actually, Chris did most of the cooking, but the point was that they made brunch together. His grandson was a natural in the kitchen just like his mother. Victor nudged the door closed behind him with his foot and walked further into the quiet home.
There was nothing more important to him than all of his grandchildren, but Chris and Wyatt were just really special to him. It might have just been because they were the first grandchildren he had been blessed with and he had spent so much time with them when they were toddlers while their mother and her sisters were battling demons. He had a special bond with those two, and especially with Chris. There was really nothing more he'd rather do than spend time with those two, even when they tricked him at every turn.
"Anyone awake yet?" Victor yelled up the stairs. When there was no answer he sighed. "Oh well, guess I'll wait a bit."
He made his way into the kitchen, putting away the groceries that he'd just purchased. When he was done with that he fixed himself some coffee. Grabbing a doughnut and his paper, Victor ambled into the conservatory and sat down. He'd just have to wait for some signs of life to come from the upper floor.
As he was heading to the conservatory the phone rang. Victor chuckled and set his coffee down on the table so he could grab the phone, "Hello, Halliwell residence."
"Hi Dad, it's me, just calling to say that Leo and I are getting ready to board our plane. I won't keep you long," Piper said.
"Okay honey. The boys are still sleeping, I'll let them know you're on your way," Victor said, "You have a good flight."
Victor hung up and grabbed his coffee.
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"I don't like it Chris. You could get yourself killed. There are too many variables," Wyatt said as he looked at his little brother. The demons only had two hours to kill the two of them before transportation came back and Chris wanted to use himself as bait. D.J. still leaned against the tree, not interrupting and instead chose to gnaw on his lower lip. It was a wonder that he even had a lip left after how many times he had bitten it over the last umpteen hours.
"There are always too many variables. They are demons Wy," Chris retorted, rolling his eyes like his brother was worrying for nothing. "They don't exactly play by the rules."
"Exactly my point," Wyatt said, "One little slip in the plan and I'll be an only child. I'm not looking forward to going home without you, know what I mean?"
"Better me than you Wy. I'm an acceptable loss. Now me going home without you…" Chris trailed off and shivered. When he looked into Wyatt's piercing blue eyes, he shivered again.
"I ever hear you say that again and I'm going to beat the crap out of you. Losing my little brother is never an acceptable loss," Wyatt snapped. He walked over and grabbed Chris by both of his arms, "What do I have to do to convince you that you matter? That you are just as important? Tell me!"
Wyatt shook his little brother slightly, trying to shake some sense into him. D.J. pushed himself off from the tree, no longer leaning casually, but he didn't move any closer than that, watching the exchange. He was startled by it, but this tension had been building between the two since Chris had healed Wyatt and had said that he didn't matter. D.J. knew better than to get in the middle of it.
Chris didn't fight back against Wyatt when the older teen grabbed him, green eyes meeting his brother's blue. He did open his mouth to speak, "You're…"
"You tell me that I am the twice blessed witch and I have to survive again and I swear Chris…"
"You are! You are Wyatt! You're important and you do have to survive! I have no great destiny Wyatt. I have no significant importance in the future of magic. I'm just your little brother and Mom's baby, other than that, I mean nothing!"
Stars exploded behind Chris's eyes as Wyatt punched him, sending him to the damp grass with a thud.
D.J. had grown up with the brothers and in all those years, he had never seen Wyatt harm Chris in any way. Sure, Wyatt had done things to his little brother that now seemed cruel - just typical big brother pranks usually - but never had he hurt him on purpose. That would have been like hurting himself. So when Wyatt punched Chris, D.J. gasped in utter dismay.
"You mean everything you stupid idiot!" Wyatt shouted down at his stunned brother. Then the blonde turned on his heel and stomped off into the darkened woods, shaking his hand out and leaving Chris and D.J. alone.
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Wyatt stormed away into the darkened woods. Once he was a good enough distance away he let out a growl of frustration and kicked a tree. His hands raked through his blonde hair and then he turned, squatting in front of the tree. He'd just struck his brother. He had allowed harm to come to his little brother. Even worse, he caused it. And this time he hadn't been under a spell. Wyatt hit his head off the tree, punishing himself for hurting Chris.
He just couldn't understand how Chris could sit there and say that he didn't matter! It infuriated Wyatt that his brother could think that. Wyatt leaned his head back against the tree again, grinding his teeth together. How long has Chris felt this way? What the hell am I supposed to do to change his mind? Doesn't he know he's important? The problem was that Wyatt doubted anything he said was going to do anything to get through to his stubborn little brother. But even as frustrating as Chris was, he shouldn't have hit him.
Wyatt was glad his hand hurt. He deserved for it to hurt. The only person who could make him feel calm, safe, and sane was also the only person who could infuriate him so completely. Chris was always the one to diffuse things when Wyatt was nearing his breaking point; he'd been the one to bring some sort of truce between Wyatt and his parents after they had failed to trust him back in October. Wyatt dipped his head forwards and sighed heavily.
He'd promised his parents that he'd always take care of his little brother. He had promised that he'd never hurt him.
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"Have you lost your mind? You allowed your little brother to orb to Tanzania? For a game?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" Piper yelled at Wyatt as the ten-year-old stood leaning sullenly against the refrigerator. Wyatt was staring up at both of his parents with wide blue eyes.
"You're the older brother, which means you have to take care of him." Leo said, "What if a demon had attacked him while you were playing this little game? Or another of those beings took him to sell him on the black market again?" Leo built off of his wife's argument. There were so many scenarios going through his head right now about what could have happened, "Wyatt, do you have any idea how many horrible things could have happened to your brother?!"
Wyatt shrunk back against the refrigerator, "I'm sorry. We were just playin'."
"It is a dangerous game Wyatt." Piper said, "You were It, who was looking out for Chris?"
"I'm sorry," the boy said "I didn't think."
"No, you didn't." Leo looked at his oldest son, anger burned in his eyes. "You are responsible for Chris. If anything happens to him, it is your fault. Chris is special Wyatt, but he's younger and doesn't have as many powers as you do. You have to always remember that you are the older brother and must protect him, look after him!"
Piper laid a hand on her husband's arm, then fixed her chocolate gaze on her son, "How long has this little game been going on?" Piper asked.
Wyatt looked down at his shoe and chewed on his bottom lip. "A while."
"How long is a while?" Piper pressed.
"A couple years."
"Years?!" the woman exclaimed.
"Uh-huh."
"How old were you?" Piper demanded, no longer restraining her anger. Not that she had been doing that to begin with. Leo's jaw was clenched so tightly that she could see a muscle jumping in his cheek.
"Six," Wyatt said quietly.
All the windows in the kitchen shattered simultaneously as Piper's hands flashed out in shock. "Six? SIX?!" Piper screamed. Oh, she felt like such a horrible mother. Her children had been orbing all over the planet playing games for years and she hadn't even had a clue!
"Wait, let me get this straight," Leo said, his voice low as he looked at his son, "You allowed your little brother to orb anywhere in the world… when he was FOUR?" Leo paced the kitchen. Wyatt flinched and ducked his head, both at the shattering glass and the raised voices of his parents.
Piper touched her stomach, feeling like she wanted to throw up.
"Go to your room. I'm very disappointed in you," Piper said. "You and Chris are not allowed to play together for a while." She watched Wyatt look up at her with intensely blue eyes. "If you can't be trusted to look after your brother and care about his well-being, you are not allowed to play together. You're old enough to know better Wyatt!"
"I'm sorry, I really am mom, but I didn't mean it, I'll look after him, I promise. Don't keep us apart," the boy protested.
"To your room!" Piper shouted. Wyatt looked panicked as he left the kitchen in a hurry. Piper's hands were still shaking long after her son was out of sight and Leo walked over to wrap his arms around her, "My God, Leo… all the things that could have happened to him… to both of them. I know they're just kids but…"
"They're not just kids, Piper," Leo said, "They're witches, but we don't just have demons to worry about… there…"
"I don't want to think about it any more right now Leo," Piper said. She moved away, "I'd better go up and separate those two."
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Wyatt wrapped his arms around himself. He was responsible for Chris. Chris could say that he didn't matter all he wanted, but he did matter. He mattered to Wyatt. He mattered to their parents… Wyatt heard a rustle of some leaves and lifted his head. He looked up and saw the demon approaching him and blasted it. The explosion of the demon into flames brought a nod of satisfaction to Wyatt.
Then Wyatt thought of D.J. and Chris alone and got up quickly. He'd promised to take care of his little brother, and had left him alone again.
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D.J. bit his bottom lip almost hard enough to draw blood. He had nearly tried to remind Wyatt that they were still in a little bit of trouble and that he shouldn't go wandering into the woods alone. But that would have led to Wyatt turning on him as well… and that was even more scary than the demons who were looking for him. Instead he moved over to Chris and bent down, "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Chris grumbled. He rubbed his jaw and reached for D.J.'s outstretched hand to get up. "He's just so stubborn!"
D.J. wanted to tell his friend to look in a mirror, but doing so might result in him being turned into a slimy creature and stuffed inside someone's pocket. The Halliwell brothers were more alike than either of them thought.
"It's a good plan. The only one that will allow Wyatt time to blast them," Chris said. He raised an eyebrow at D.J. who was uncharacteristically quiet, "What?"
D.J. eyed the red mark on the side of Chris's jaw and sighed, he moved back over to his tree and leaned against it. "Nothin'."
"You think I'm wrong?"
D.J. hesitated, then said, "Yes and no."
Chris folded his arms over his chest, "Care to explain?"
The half-manticore sighed softly, "I see both of your points of view so I'd rather not get into the middle of this fight."
"You're always in the middle D.J. You're like a brother, so just spit it out," Chris said.
"The plan is good and I agree that it is the best we have. But you do matter Chris," the older teen said, looking towards the younger Halliwell.
"But not like Wyatt."
"You…" D.J. started, but then he saw Wyatt returning. The blonde's jaw was set, his eyes cold.
"We'll go with your plan, but I swear… you get yourself killed and I'll summon you and kick your summoned ass," Wyatt said harshly, not quite looking at Chris.
"Sounds like a plan," Chris sighed, "So can we shelve this argument for now? We have more important things to worry about."
"Fine, but it's not done Chris. Not even close to being done."
Chris looked at his brother and tossed at him, "Never thought it was."
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Victor lifted his coffee cup and took a sip. There was still no sign of any movement coming from upstairs. Victor turned the paper to the next page. Well, Piper had said to let them sleep, so he was letting them sleep. He turned to look over his shoulder with a crease in his forehead and his lips threatening to form a frown. He worried about Chris. Coming home from school to find your parents lying in pools of their own blood at age fourteen was a traumatic experience. It still made Victor feel guilty that he could have said something to prevent it.
Future Chris had told him that Piper died when he turned fourteen. But Piper hadn't died. Nor had Leo… and Chris had come to the past again with Wyatt. Things had changed and had been changed. He had seemed happier then, but having an older brother who wasn't an evil tyrant probably had a lot to do with that. He knew those versions had to have been the very grandsons that were upstairs sleeping right now. The first Chris had changed history and saved his family. That had a lot to do with why Victor felt so attached to the younger of the two brothers. He had given up everything for his family and for the world, and Victor knew the boy sleeping upstairs now would do the same thing if he had to. Victor didn't fully agree with Piper and Leo's decision not to tell their sons about the time traveling Chris that had spent almost two years with them, but he respected their wishes.
He had no idea how his Piper and her husband, or her sisters could keep that from the boys. Victor sipped his coffee again as he settled back onto the couch. Both of his grandsons carried the weight of the world on their shoulders too much. He chuckled to himself though. Piper wanted them to act like normal teenagers, so they had orbed to a bar to hear a band for Wyatt's birthday and had gotten drunk. So what had his daughter done? She had punished them for being normal teenagers. Fair enough that normal teenagers couldn't have orbed into the bar, but where there was a will, there was always a way. "So, they're normal magical teenagers," Victor mused thoughtfully.
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted his reading and he raised his eyebrows, "Now, who could that be?"
Folding his paper, Victor climbed to his feet and finishing off his coffee he walked towards the foyer to answer the door. The bell rang again. Standing on the doorstep was a pretty girl about Wyatt's age. Her sandy hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and there was a sparkle in her brown eyes, she was plucking at a loose thread in her violet sweater when Victor opened the door. She lifted her eyes and smiled.
"Hi, is Wyatt in?" the teenaged girl asked.
Victor raised his eyebrows, "Well, he is, but he's sleeping not to mention grounded until who-knows-when."
The girl looked amused by that, "I don't know that I want to ask what he did to get grounded, but when he wakes up, could you let him know that I came by?"
"Sure," Victor said, "and who are you?"
"Oh, right," she said with a laugh and held out her hand. Victor was surprised by the confidence in her grip as she shook his head, "Andrea Payton. I go to school with Chris and Wyatt. I just wanted to see if Wyatt wanted to go ice-skating, but I guess he can't."
"No, I'm afraid not," Victor said, "I'm Wyatt's grandfather. If his parents weren't going to be home in two hours, I'd have said he could go." Victor smiled, looking towards the street where a young man who looked a few years older than the girl in front of him had just gotten out of a blue SUV to wave at her. Andrea looked over her shoulder as the guy beeped the horn and waved at her.
"Wyatt mentioned you," Andrea said with a smile, "I should get going. My brothers are impatient."
She started quickly down the steps, waving to Victor over her shoulder, "You'll tell Wyatt that I stopped by?"
Victor nodded, shutting the door. He chuckled to himself as he walked back to the conservatory, shaking his head. Normal teenagers. Just what his daughter had always wanted.
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Chris ran. Although, it was more like Chris limped along quickly. The plan had been a complete and total disaster. If he made it through this, Wyatt was going to kill him. He looked over his shoulder and the three demons were catching up rather quickly. As he broke through the brush he ended up at the water's edge and nearly fell in. Chris turned around and inched a bit closer to the water as the demons came through the brush. The three of them laughed chillingly and smiled.
"Finally, we have the little witch." The middle demon produced a fireball and another stepped forward.
"Why do you get to kill him?" the third demon asked with a hiss.
"I saw him first!" the second demon growled.
Chris watched the confrontation and stepped backwards into the water. The cold shot through him like a bullet and caused him to gasp aloud. That brought the demons attention back to him rather than arguing between themselves over who was going to kill him. Chris's foot caught on something beneath the surface of the water. The third demon shot a fireball at Chris just as he fell into the water with an icy splash. The fireball went over his head. Chris stayed under the water as long as possible, holding his breath when he remembered the potions in his pocket.
Until now he had forgotten all about them. He had taken the two vials from his grandfather this morning and stuck them in his pocket, or was that yesterday morning at this point? Not that it mattered. It was a miracle that they weren't broken. He grabbed one and pulled it out and broke out of the surface of the water and threw it at the demons. It struck the first demon, causing it to burst into flames. Then the other two started their assault as Chris dove under water again.
Wyatt Halliwell saw the fireballs and his heart started racing. He and D.J. ran through the woods and toward the water's edge where the demons had Chris trapped. Wyatt's heard was racing. Just as they started toward the brush, D.J. grabbed Wyatt's arm.
"What?"
"He's over there," D.J. gestured. Chris had some how gotten behind the demons and threw the remaining potion at the first demon and then telekinetically tossed the other into the water.
Chris jogged slowly away from the water. He was freezing, shivering from his soaked clothes, but it was nearly worth it to watch the demon flailing in the freezing water. Then he saw his brother and smiled.
"Hey," Chris said as Wyatt and D.J. emerged from the trees and reached him.
Wyatt's blue eyes were blazing, "What the hell was that?"
Chris shrugged his shaking shoulders, "Plan B."
"You're so not funny." Wyatt said as he looked at Chris shivering. "You're going to catch your death."
"What happened to the others?" Chris asked Wyatt and D.J. Only three of the demons had actually given chase after him, but he knew there had been more. The answer to his question came a second later.
"Did you miss me Christopher?" Rebecka asked coolly as she appeared from the tree line. The three teens backed up. The blonde demoness smiled slowly, looking at Chris, "I've been looking for you all weekend. Such a clever little witch, too bad you'll never live to see quite how clever you'll become."
"Guess this is our spot," Chris said through chattering teeth.
Wyatt stood next to his brother, hands coming to a ready position at his sides as he said, "It's as good a place as I any I guess." The three teens stood facing Rebecka and at least twelve other demons. The odds weren't exactly in their favor.
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Author's Note: Next Chapter -- the moment you guys have been waiting for, the big battle with the demons. So, what did you guys think of this chapter? Write a review to say what you liked, maybe what you didn't like, what you're expecting from the next chapter… you know the drill: just click the button!
