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Chapter Twelve

- Magic School-

Leo walked into the library looking for his old mentor, "Gideon."

"Leo, what a pleasant surprise. How are you, my boy?"

Leo shrugged, "I've been better. A darklighter attacked the manor, I think he's after me."

"Are you certain?"

"I don't know, he may be trying to get me out of the way to get to Wyatt. I dropped Piper and Wyatt off at the nursery, I hope that's alright."

Gideon was already nodding his head, "Of course, absolutely."

"Alright, I better get back to Phoebe and Paige, see if I can help."

"No, you shouldn't, you should go back up with the other Elders where you'll be safe," Gideon almost snapped.

"What about the darklighter?"

" It's not your responsibility, that's for the sisters to handle, it's what they do."

Leo sighed, "Alright, well, I can't just sit around while someone is after my son, I'm a father now."

Gideon disagreed, "No, you're an Elder now and it's time to start acting like one. Don't you see? You don't just put yourself at risk by staying here on earth, you put all Elders at risk too. If they catch you, they get access to us all."

"I know, but..."

"You can't justify staying here any longer, not with this, not anymore. Stand to fully accept your calling, and the necessary transcends the sins of the flesh. Family, even fatherhood. One that requires you to cut the ties that bind for everyone's sake."

"I can't. At least not until I know my son is safe. I'm sorry," with that said, Leo orbed out


-P3-Back room/office-

Chris was there at the desk sorting through a number of cards.

Clarence, the cleaner, stood in the doorway.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you'd be out and about by now," Clarence commented.

Startled, Chris looked up, "Clarence, hey. Didn't hear you come up."

"You mind?"

"Please, come in."

"Beautiful day outside, isn't it?"

Chris tilted his head to the side, "Is it? I never really noticed. I've been too busy, uh, rechecking something."

"Whole world seems to be too busy now days. Nobody's got time to just enjoy their day anymore."

"Well, it doesn't get any better in the future, either. I mean, I imagine."

Clarence shrugged his shoulder, "Future don't mean squat to me. I'm too old to worry about it. Shouldn't to you either. You're too young."

"Unfortunately, I'm kind of obsessed with it," Chris said as he threw down the card he had been holding.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I just probably need to eat."

"What you need is to get out of this hole. Get some sun, live a little."

"Believe me, I'm trying," Chris responded slouching in his chair.

"Do that," Clarence ordered before he left.


-Manor-Attic-

Phoebe was scrying while Paige was making a potion. The potion exploded gaining Phoebe's attention.

"I thought you were making a love potion?"

"I am."

"Then why did it blow up?" Phoebe asked laughing

"Maybe I'm trying too hard."

Phoebe quietly suggested, "Or maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"Phoebe!"

"Come on, you weren't thinking the exact same thing?"

"No. Okay, fine, but for like a second. The point is Chris is meant to be."

"But not if he changed too much by coming here. You know, messed up his own timeline," the elder sister pointed out

"We're talking about his very existence.""

"I know, but there's only so much we can do. Especially now with that Darklighter out there. I just think that we have to face the reality that Chris's destiny might have been just to come here and warn us about Wyatt, and that's all and Andy's was to save Chris so that he could come back."

Chris walked into the attic in time to overhear the last part.

"Hey," Paige greeted as she spotted him over Phoebe's shoulder.

"Oh my god, Chris, I'm so sorry," the empath apologized.

"No, it's okay. I've actually been wondering the same thing."

Paige was startled, "You have?"

"Yeah. I've had the strangest feeling, like, I don't know, it's really hard to explain. But it feels like I'm, I'm floating, like I'm not really here, you know?"

"Well, that doesn't sound good."

"Well, you have to fight it, we still have time," Paige attempted to encourage him.

"Not much."

The scrying crystal stopped at a point on the map and spun around on the spot. All three stopped their conversation to stare at it.

"I've never seen it do that before," Paige said, eyeing the crystal suspiciously.

Phoebe shrugged, "Maybe that means there's more than one? I'll go get Piper."

Phoebe left to the room to track down her oldest sister.

"I'll go too," Chris offered.

"No, you stay here, okay. Finish the potion, when we come back Leo and Piper will be in the mood," Paige said before she too left.


-Street-

Piper's car pulled up and Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Leo get out.

Piper turned back to her sisters, "You sure this is the place?"

"Yeah, down that alley," Phoebe pointed

"Thank god we didn't orb in."

"Well, we couldn't. They would've know we were coming," Leo said.

Piper added, "Maybe they know already."

Phoebe looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, since when to darklighters hang out in broad daylight like this? It could be a trap, maybe you should stay here."

Leo disagreed, "No, I'm the bait, remember? Besides, if it is a trap, you might need me to help you orb back."

"Well, I've got Phoebe, you get Piper out of here for Chris's... for Wyatt's sake."

"Let's just do this. (They all walk down the alley.) I don't see anything."

A darklighter appeared on the top of a building and pointed his crossbow at them. Piper saw him and blew him up. Two more appeared on top of the building.

"You take Piper," Paige ordered Leo.

Paige orbed out with Phoebe and they orbed back in on top of the building. They each threw a potion at the darklighters, vanquishing them. Damien appeared behind Phoebe.

"Phoebe, watch out!" Leo shouted.

Phoebe turned around and Damien hit her across the face with his crossbow. She fell off the roof and landed on a dumpster. Piper gasped. Damien disappeared and reappeared behind Piper and Leo.

Paige shouted, "Behind you!"

Piper and Leo turned around as Damien pointed his crossbow at them. Piper blew him up with a flick of her wrists. He caused a huge explosion which engulfed Piper and Leo. When the smoke cleared, Piper and Leo were gone.

"Piper!"

Paige orbed out and orbed back in beside Phoebe.

"Phoebe? Oh my god, you're bleeding."

"Yeah. Uh, maybe we should get me to a hospital."

"Yeah."

Paige helped Phoebe up, "I got you."

Paige helped Phoebe to Piper's car and they drove off.


-Ghostly-plane Same Street-

The street was completely deserted. No cars, no people, only empty buildings. Piper and Leo walked out of the alley shocked at what they saw.

"Phoebe? Paige? Where's my car? What's going on? Where'd everybody go?"

"That's a good question."

"We'll, they gotta be here somewhere," Piper stated with determination.

"I think we should get out of here."

"No, not without Phoebe, she's hurt. Didn't you see her fall?"

"Yeah, but at least she's alive," Leo pointed out.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, but I think weneed to get off the street while we figure this out."

Piper had a thought, "The hospital. If Paige couldn't get to you, she'd take Phoebe to the hospital. Memorial's just down the street."

"But Piper, you don't understand, we can't worry about them right now. We need to worry about us."

Behind them, Damien walked out of the alley.

"Leo," Piper grabbed his arm getting his attention.

Damien was surprised to see two people, "Piper, you're not supposed to be here."

"Yeah, well, you're not supposed to be here either. At least not in one piece."

Piper tried to blow him up but her powers wouldn't work.

Leo took Piper's hand, "Come on."

He tried to orb out but couldn't.

"What's wrong with your powers?"

Damien loaded his crossbow and lifted it to aim.

"I don't know. Run. Go, go, go!"

Piper and Leo turned and ran off down the street.

Damien shouted after them, "You can run but you can't hide! You're in my world now!"


-Cave in the Underworld-

A figure was standing in the shadows watching the demons and darklighters when another Darklighter appeared.

"The plan is working. Damien has the Elder but he also managed to trap the oldest sister, Piper."

Murmurs and cheering swept the cave. The figure moved along the shadow and left the cave. Now was the perfect time for his plan. The Charmed Ones and their whitelighter would be distracted and not paying attention. With his plan now in place, the figure shimmered out.