Chapter 14
It was his fault. It was Chris's fault. He knew it was.
He had let Angelica and Jamie die that night. He hadn't called out for help or done anything soon enough to save them. The moment he had orbed in, he should've killed those demons that captured him or brought someone with him. But he didn't. And he lost two more people that are important in his life. He lost his mom, his cousin, his best friend, and the love of his life.
It was his fault.
Chris didn't care where they were once, they arrived in another memory. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care if Piper founds out that she is his mother or Wyatt's younger brother. He didn't care anymore. Nothing else matters. Chris didn't know where they are or what they were about to see. What was going to happen in the new memory didn't matter anymore. He had been forced to watch that again.
The guilt in his heart was weighing him down and Chris found himself struggling to breathe as his legs gave out. Chris allowed himself to collapse on the floor when he was up against a wall. Chris didn't care if Leo or the sisters see him like this, a vulnerable young adult, ready to cry. His emotional fascia was no longer up. They will finally see how he feels after everything that he has been through for the past seven years of hell.
Wyatt, however, stood where he was. He never actually knew what happened to his childhood friends, but he knew the people that were responsible for it. When Paige and Chris left, the demons came, and Wyatt made sure they got the most severe and painful punishment he made. Ever since that night, Wyatt would try and forget that look in his younger brother's eyes: rage, agony, and hatred.
What Wyatt feared the worse from becoming the Source of all Evil was that his siblings would hate him because he betrayed them. But he was wrong. They hate him for what he has turned himself into –someone worse than Cole when he became the Source. But they didn't see it. They didn't see that he did this to protect his family.
Power is the only way to protect them.
Taking a deep breath, Chris drawled up his knees to his chest and put his head in between them to cover the silent tears that were falling on the ground. He knew he shouldn't give up now. After years, it finally hit Chris how much he had lost and how little he was fighting for. In the future, he still had a few close friends, his younger cousins, and his Aunt Paige alive.
But what if Wyatt did change, would everyone else still be alive? Would his parents still be together? Was Chris meant to lose his soul mate?
Phoebe was the first one to recover from that dreadful and vivid memory. When she turned around and saw Chris, it broke her heart. This wasn't the Chris she and her sisters knew. He was their neurotic white lighter. Nothing could tear him down. But apparently, she was wrong. They were all wrong.
Even though, Chris blocked his emotions from Phoebe, she knew his pain and knew what it was like to lose a loved one. She lost Grams, Prue, and then Cole. But she grieved for them and she didn't know if Chris had time to grieve for the people he loved. When Chris was in the future, he never revealed any emotion to them other than an annoyance but now, he might as well be an open book. He was in emotional and physical pain. It was the second most traumatizing moment in his life and now, she knows why Chris shut himself off from everyone.
Piper turned her head and stared sadly at Chris. She knew what it was like dealing with the loss, the need to put up a wall and to shield the heart. But it wasn't healthy. Piper could see that a part of Chris died along with Angelica. Piper didn't know what possessed her, but she sat next to Chris and ran her fingers through his hair. She noticed the flinched that went through his body. Chris knew it was Piper because she used to do that with him whenever he got upset.
"Chris, sweetie," She said in her motherly tone. "Are you going to be alright?"
Chris didn't answer; he didn't know how to respond to his mother. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't say that what they had just witnessed had changed him and haunted him for the past three and a half years. It was engraved in his soul and mind, never letting him forget that fateful night. Every time, he closed his eyes and think about Angelica and the happy times they had together; it would always go straight to her death.
Chris lifted his head, the tears now gone from his eyes.
"No," Chris choked out and it made Leo and Piper flinch because they never heard him with such pain emotion. He cleared his throat and smiled at Piper. "But I will be."
Chris lifted his head and stared at his brother. "How about you, Wy?" Chris asked but in an unsympathetic tone.
"I'm fine, thanks." Wyatt lied and ignored his brother's tone. But he didn't dare to look at anyone. Like Chris, Angie's death changed Wyatt; it made him grow more hunger for power because he couldn't save them.
"So, Chris, if you're okay you don't mind if we ask you a few questions?" Paige asked. She knew that Chris didn't want anyone to baby him because he wanted to mourn alone. She understood because that's what she did when her parents died.
Chris couldn't help but smile, "You never change Paige." He muttered and everyone smiled. Chris stood up and stared at his family, "So what do you want to know now?"
"Why didn't your dad come when you called out to him?" Paige asked.
Chris's smile fell when Paige mentioned the "d" word. "He didn't care." Chris snarled as his fingers curled into a fist. "He never cared to come for my mom when she was dying. Why would he come for my fiancé?"
"I'm sorry," Leo said. He couldn't imagine ignoring Wyatt's calls for him for Piper.
Chris shrugged, "It doesn't matter."
"You and your dad had problems?" Piper asked.
Chris snorted, "He only cared for his work and never kept his promises to his family." Chris whispered, remembering the times Leo promised to be there for Chris and never showed.
"So where are we now?" Phoebe asked, changing the subject.
"My room," Chris answered.
They found the nineteen-year-old sitting on the edge of his king-sized bed, holding a picture. Days after Angelica's death, Chris brought the courage to go inside her room that she shared with Alexandra and found the picture of him, Wyatt, and herself a year before Wyatt was turned evil. It reminded him of her last words to him about Wyatt.
He got out of his trance when someone knocked on his door. The door opened and showed little Adrianna. Adrianna is the youngest daughter and cousin of the Halliwell line. Her raven hair went straight down to her back and her chocolate brown eyes were filled with sadness and fear.
"Andy, what's the matter?" Chris asked using her little nickname. He got out of the bed and bend down to her height as the past onlookers' eyes widen when they saw a whole new Chris…again. Chris's jade eyes were filled with pain, loss, anger, and loneliness and they knew it had to do with Angie's death.
"I can't sleep," Andy confessed. "Angie would always sing to me when there's a rumble of thunder but – "She jumped and ran into her cousin's arms when the thunder spoke out to the rain.
Chris chuckled and faced the eleven-year-old. "You know, I'm pretty lonely in my big bed."
"Thank you, Chrissie!" Andy said and kissed him on the cheek before running to the bed and going under the covers.
The door opened furthered when Chris saw all the daughters of the Power of Three standing outside. Ever since, Henry Jr's death and their fathers' death; Chris, Wyatt, and Leo were the only males left but since Wyatt turned evil and Leo was never around, Chris was left alone with the younger females.
"Please don't tell me that all of you are afraid of a little thunder?" Chris asked.
Melinda pouted at her brother, "Please Chris." Melinda begged.
Chris sighed, "You're lucky I have a huge bed." Chris told them and the past onlookers chuckled when the girls ran to his bed and went under his covers.
Chris shut the door and took off his shoes, "Chrissie do you miss Angie?" Andy asked and ignored her cousins and sisters' glares.
Chris sat down on his chair and smiled sadly at Andy, "I do. I miss her a lot. But she and Jamie are in a better place just like your mom and dad."
Phoebe gasped, "You mean, she's an orphan?"
"Her parents were murdered by demons also," Chris said and it was true. Phoebe and Coop died together in death a couple of years ago. Henry and Paige also died but Paige was reborn as full white lighter.
"But I have you, girls, to help me get through it." Chris smiled.
"We will never leave you alone, Chrissie," Alexandra promised.
Chris chuckled sadly, "You better not, Ladybug. If all of you are gone, I have no reason to live anymore."
Melinda crawled out of the bed and hugged her older brother, "Please don't say that."
Chris hugged her back and soothed her back," I'm sorry, Mellie. It's just…why does the Angel of Death have to take everyone I ever loved and cared for from me. Doesn't that bastard know there's a war going on? Wyatt is growing stronger and – "
"No, he's not." Pandora interrupted.
"Pandora's right," Patricia said. "Wyatt isn't getting stronger because there's something that power doesn't get."
"And what's that?" Chris asked.
"Love," Annabelle said. "Wyatt loved Angie, but she didn't love him back. If power is so important to him, then why couldn't he save her? If he really loved Angie, he would have saved her. But he didn't."
"Neither did I?" Memory Chris thought but he didn't want to upset his family anymore. Andy hid behind the covers when the thunder roared again.
"So where am I going to sleep?" Chris asked. "I am not sleeping on the floor."
"You can sleep between me and Mellie," Andy said.
Chris smiled, "Okay so you better move or else I'm going to jump on you." But the girls didn't move because they didn't think he was serious. Chris shook his head, "You asked for it." He jumped on the bed and the girls screamed at him. They begin hitting him with the pillows. Piper smiled to see this Chris smiling again as the girls was hurting him.
"Okay! Mercy!" Chris yelled. "You win. I surrender. Move over Mel."
"Night Chrissie," All the girls said.
"Night girls."
The memory changed and Paige smirked teasingly at the half whitelighter near her. "So, Chrissie is your nickname, huh?"
Chris groaned, "Only Adrianna could call me that. I just let those girls slide."
Wyatt snorted, "Chrissie."
"Moron." Chris snapped.
"Loser"
"Freak"
"Nerd"
"Mommy's boy"
"Daddy's girl –"
"Alex, are you sure about this?" Memory Chris's voice interrupted the brothers. They were all inside to what it looks like, a mansion filled with more than five rooms. Alex opened a door and there were more stairs. Suddenly, about twenty demons shimmered in.
"Get out of my way." Alex hissed.
"Lord Wyatt does not want to see visitors." The demon snarled back.
The sisters turned to face Wyatt and Chris. "Please don't ask you will see it soon," Chris said sadly.
"I don't care. Get out of my way." Alex repeated.
"Alex, we don't have time for this." Chris said as he took a deep breath and he held out his hand and easily electrocuted ten demons. "Go and find Wyatt. I'll take care of the rest of these scum bags."
Alexandra nodded her head at her older cousin before running up the stairs as fast as she could, ignoring the pain in her thighs. Right now, the only thing that matter to her is to find Wyatt and use him for her advantage. She found another door, but it was locked.
"Behind you!" Phoebe screamed to her when demons shimmered behind the teenager. She didn't know why but she had these mother instinct feelings towards the teenager and the need to protect her. And of course, Alex couldn't hear Phoebe when someone's arm went around her neck, choking her.
Using all her strength, Alex flipped the demon over her head, and he landed hard on the ground. Alex then did a backflip when a couple of fireballs were about to hurt her. "I really hate demons." She said as she deflected the fireballs and flew back at them. Angrily, Alex kicked the locked door and found her cousin at his desk, reading a book.
"Alex?" He looked up surprised. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"You really need a new team of bodyguards, Wyatt." She answered and ignored her cousin's groan of frustration.
"So why are you here, Alexandra?" Wyatt asked.
"You know, I hate that name." She scowled at him but sighed. She needed to be on his good side now –not like he had one. "Look, Wyatt, I need –" Suddenly, her body was thrown straight to the ground as an energy ball hit her in the back.
Several demons shimmered in the room behind the demon that attacked her. "No trespassing." The demon growled.
Wyatt looked up surprised to see Chris hold hostage with his demons and couldn't help but let out a groan. Alex yelled and struggled as a demon pulled her off the ground. "If you're not here to change your minds on which side you're on, then don't let the door hit you on your way out. I'm in a good mood right now." Wyatt said.
"No, Wyatt! Let go of me!" Alex screamed as she punched one of the demons. "Adrianna needs you!" That stopped Wyatt in his tracks.
"Leave us," Wyatt ordered.
"But my lord –"
"Leave!" And they did, releasing Chris and Andy.
Alex sighed as she walked toward her cousin. "Wyatt, the witch hunters have her and they're going to burn her at the stakes. Please help me. Andy needs you and you know that. You've always doted on her. Help me, help her."
Wyatt looked at his cousin and didn't want to show that her words hit him in the core. He always cared about Adrianna because she was just a little girl. But he knew that Alex went to him, not as an older overprotective sibling, but someone who had power. "What are waiting for? Let's go save a witch." Wyatt said as he took Alex's hand and orbed them out.
They all arrived in front of a huge crowd and once again, it involved demons and witch hunters. The sisters grabbed each other's hands, afraid what's going to happen next in this memory.
"Alex!" Someone screamed in the crowd.
"Anna?" Alex ran through the crowd and hugged her crying sister. "Where is she?"
Annabelle didn't say anything but stared shockingly to see Wyatt with her sister and Chris. She couldn't help but hug him around the waist, happy to see him. Wyatt stood there surprised but grabbed his cousin's shoulders, "Where is Andy?"
Annabelle pointed her finger, and everyone saw Adrianna up on stage, tied to a metal pole with a look of pure fear on her young face, just like Angelica. She was being burned at the stake. Anna and Alex ran through the demonic crowd and their cousins followed, praying they were not too late. A witch hunter was reading right now. "There are several charges for performing witchcraft, proved to be guilty of aiding the Resistance – "
"Get out of my way!" Wyatt roared. This was his baby cousin and he loves her. After what he did to Henry Jr, this family couldn't lose another member.
"Andy!" Alex screamed as she pushed the demons out of her way.
"And failure to join the witch hunters, Adrianna Gonzalez is sentenced to death."
"Andy!"
"For justice, for San Francisco, and for her own salvation it is my honor to send this unholy witch back where she belongs!" He said as he threw his torch in the haystack.
"NOO!" Alex screamed as she watches the fire circle around her baby sister.
"Andy!" Wyatt roared.
Andy lifted her head, her vision already blurry and could see her family running towards her. "Wyatt," She coughed. Chris grabbed onto Anna and Wyatt grabbed onto Alex, stopping them from getting killed too.
"Let go of me, Wyatt!" Alex demanded as she kicked and punched her cousin. She didn't care if she was hurting him. "Let me help her! She's my baby sister."
Phoebe gasped when Alex mentioned that piece of information. "It's too late. We're too late." Wyatt said, sinking to the ground with Alex as she collapsed, her sobs wracking her body. "I'm sorry."
"AAAAHHH!" Andy screamed as the fire now burns her skin.
"Adrianna!"
Alex's screams still echoed when they all transferred to another memory.
A/N: I know. I'm a horrible person for writing that death scene. It hurt me too.