Disclaimer: I still do not own any Charmed related characters.

So, this is the chapter with Barbara. I hope you like it.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter. I really appreciated it.

Special thanks to Margot for all the work. I modified your suggestion a bit, so it fitted with my thoughts. Nothing against your thoughts, of course, but I guess this is a good solution.

Now, enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 24

Chris lay on his brother's bed watching the older witch, who stood at the window where he could see who was at the front door.

Leo had told them that morning that they'd have a guest over for dinner tonight. They hadn't had any guests except for the family for months. But when Piper was still alive lots of people visited them.

Wyatt seemed to be very angry at Leo again. Maybe because he wasn't allowed to go out that night. Chris didn't understand why it was so important that both of the boys had to take part in the dinner, but he knew that Wyatt hadn't been as surprised as he had been about the guest, which could only mean that Wyatt knew more than Chris. That was not unusual. As the youngest child, you were never told everything.

"Who's coming over tonight, Wy?"

"A friend of dad's." Barbara coming for dinner had to mean Leo and she were serious. They being serious meant that she'd be around more often. Wyatt sighed.

"Dad has friends except for Larry?"

"Of course, he has, Chris. He's not only our father, he's his own person."

"I know. I'm just wondering who it could be. Dad never has friends over for dinner."

"Chris, why don't you go downstairs and see if you can help dad with anything. I have to call Carolyn."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Are you attached to the hip?"

"Move it, Chris!" Wyatt didn't want to call his girlfriend. He just couldn't stand having his brother ask question after question which he could only answer with excuses and lies.

Wyatt stared out of the window again. A silver grey car stopped in front of the Manor. Wyatt recognized Barbara's black hair. She was carrying a large blue plastic bowl. She came for dinner and brought her own food. Wyatt saw her walking to the front door. She wore high heels and a long green skirt and a jeans jacket. She looked really good. She had the same style as Piper. Before she could use the bell, Wyatt orbed to the front door and opened it. Barbara smiled at him.

"It's good to see you again, Wyatt; now finally we can talk."

"Yes, I'm really looking forward to talking."

Wyatt let her in and led her into the dining room.

Chris placed the last plate on the table. He frowned at the dark-haired woman.

"Hi, Chris! It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Chris, this is Barbara. Dad's friend."

"Oh, hello."

"Don't you want to say hello to dad? He's in the kitchen," Wyatt suggested. He himself would have loved to orb her far far away.

Barbara nodded and left the brothers.

"Dad's friend is a woman."

"No shit, Sherlock!"

"I expected a man."

"Lots of single men have female friends."

"Do you think they are more than friends?"

"No." It was not a lie. Wyatt knew they were more than friends.

"Well I think so." Chris sat down in his usual chair. He rested his head in his hand. The younger teenager didn't like the image of his father being with anyone else but Piper.

Wyatt crouched down in front of his brother. "Who cares about her?"

"Wyatt, could you get the last bowl from the kitchen?" Leo asked. He carried one in himself. So did Barbara. "Have you met Barbara yet, buddy?" he asked Chris, who nodded.

Leo couldn't read his son's expression, but no yelling, no crying and no disrespectful words meant it couldn't be too bad.

Wyatt placed the bowl on the table and sat down next to his brother.

They began to eat in silence.

"Where did you meet each other?" Chris asked, suddenly. Straight forward.

Barbara smiled. "I was in magic school because I needed a book."

"Barbara's a witch, too," Leo explained.

"And how long have you guys known each other now?"

"For about 3 years."

"So, did you know my mom?" Chris asked.

"I did. She was wonderful," Barbara replied, smiling reassuringly. "Leo told me how sad you all have been."

"Yeah, well, she was our mom."

"Of course. It's so terrible that you had to go through this. Your father told me everything."

"Oh, really," Wyatt put his fork down. "Did he tell you that while he was lying on your couch and we had to deal with everything on our own?"

Chris' eyes grew large. Lying on her couch? Didn't Wyatt tell him he knew nothing about Barbara's and Leo's relationship?

"Barbara is a psychologyst," Leo hastily replied.

"Dad's shrink. What did you think, he has been doing something on her sofa?" Wyatt asked his brother. "They are using ours for that."

"Wyatt!" Leo glared at his son, but Wyatt only stared back.

Chris took a sip from his water. That was not an image he needed in his head.

"I imagine that this is very confusing for you boys," Barbara said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Oh, no, not really. We know exactly what is going on. No confusion at all." Wyatt told her smiling brightly. "The only thing that still strikes me is our dad always told us how much he loved our mom. We had to listen to the damn 'forbidden love' stories time and time again. But only a few months after her death, it's alright to get a new woman."

"That is not fair, Wyatt. You know I loved your mom more than anything," Leo defended himself.

"Right, but you should love your wife, always."

Barbara set her napkin down. "Excuse me a second. I need to go to the bathroom, you should talk for a bit. Alone."

Leo let her go. He looked at his sons. Chris was playing around with his food, avoiding the scene and Wyatt was leaning back in his chair, his eybrows raised.

"What's with these nasty remarks?" Leo asked, but before Wyatt could answer, Chris spoke up. "So, are you an item now?"

"We don't know yet. But we do like each other very much. She was a great help to me."

"A great help?! Wyatt repeated. "Well, that's her job as a shrink isn't it?"

"You should shut up," Chris told his brother. "Didn't you tell everyone what a great help Carolyn had been in Washington? And look what you're saying now?"

"But I haven't just lost my wife."

"Mom's not coming back, Wy."

"Do you think, I don't know that? Damn it!"

"Should I leave?" Barbara asked. She had just arrived back in the dining room to hear Wyatt's frustrated exclamation.

"No, come in. Let's eat," Leo squeezed her hand.

They finished their dinner in silence.

Chris wasn't used to his brother being mean to someone. Especially an adult.

"I have a question," Wyatt said into the quiet. He knew that he had no right to treat Barbara like this, but he wanted her to get out of their lives. "Are doctors even allowed to sleep with their patients?"

At least his father had the decancy to blush, whereas Barbara only smirked at him.

Leo coughed. He took some empty plates. "Wyatt would you please help me a second," Leo said, clearly trying his best to stay calm.

"Sure, excuse me," the blonde teen replied sweetly, taking the other dishes.

Chris leant back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. What a nice evening! Stupid bitch Barbara! She must be the reason, why his brother and father had been fighting for the last few days. There must be a way to get rid of her. Maybe they could vanquish her. Didn't Leo always tell them to train their powers?

"Chris," Barbara said. "Would you be so kind as to give me a tissue."

Chris sighed. Man, she had a really big purse with her, couldn't she have put a fucking tissue in there?

He stood up and walked to the small sideboard. He opened the first drawer and got a packet. When he turned around again, Barbara stood right in front of him. Too close. Suddenly Chris felt himself being pinned to the wall by his neck.

He couldn't breath.

"You're act worse than a child tonight. Can't you show some respect?" Leo asked angrily while fixing the coffee.

"No." Wyatt answered simply, crossing his arms over his chest. "We don't want her here."

"We? You mean, you. I didn't hear Chris complaining."

"Then look at him properly. You can see it in his eyes."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Don't put this on your brother. You have a problem with Barbara. She's still really nice though. You don't have to like her, Wyatt, but me and Piper raised you better than this."

"Don't you dare use mom's name in the same sentence as her's."

Leo took a deep breath. "Wyatt, you don't have to defend your mother. She'll always be in my heart."

"You know what? I don't want to hear that. Let's bring the coffee outside and get this dinner over with."

"Okay," Leo answered equally angry. He took the tray and the two left the kitchen.

"This was even more easy than I thought," Barbara said.

For what seemed like an eternity, but surely was only a few seconds, Chris fought against the strong hand around his neck, desperate to get some air into this lungs. With his last strengh, he kicked her.

But she only laughed. "Really weak new source of all good, don't you think, sweetheart?" She tightened her grib around the teen's neck, deciding to end this quickly. But she was interrupted by the deadly calm voice of the twice-blessed witch. "Let him go!"

Barbara let Chris go indeed, making him drop to the ground. Chris coughed heavily.

Leo joined his oldest son. This was not his friend Barbara, he could tell. "Wyatt, blast her!"

"What? It'll kill her. Do you want me to kill your girlfriend?"

"Listen to your father, little boy," she conjured a fireball throwing it at the ex-Elder, but Leo ducked it. Then she finally showed her real face.

"Shapeshifter," Leo said. "Wyatt!"

A blue energy ball appeared in Wyatt's hand, but before he could send it at the demon, the shapeshifter dragged Chris up using him as a shield.

Wyatt's blue eyes widened, he looked at his father helplessly when the demon suddenly had an athame in his hand, holding it to the youngest Halliwell's neck.

"You don't want to kill your brother, do you?"

"Don't hurt him," Wyatt said, almost pleading.

"What do you want?" Leo asked, terror written all over his face.

"What do I want? I want to stop the new greatest good power, before it is too late," the shapeshifter answered matter of factly.

Wyatt didn't know what to do. He couldn't use his powers, but he couldn't just stand there watching as the demon killed his brother.

Chris could feel the cool metal of the athame threatening to cut through his flesh. But he wouldn't die today. No way. He knew somewhere above him, there was a lamp on the wall. He flicked his wrist slightly and the lamp broke off the wall, crashing onto the demon's head and knocking him out.

Chris fell onto the floor as well, but he crawled away from the demon's body and Wyatt could finally blast it with the same gesture his mom had always used. He ran to his brother's side.

Chris neck was turning red where the demon had gripped him and blood trickled out of a tiny cut, but other than that Chris was unharmed.

Wyatt sighed in relief, hugging his brother tightly, running his hand through the boy's chocolate brown hair.

Leo knelt down next to his sons. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Chris nodded.

"Thank God. I'm going to go check on Barbara. I'm sure the demon got her on the way to the bathroom."

"And who cares?" Wyatt demanded bitterly, but Leo walked away nevertheless.

"Wy, let me go. I need some water," Chris said. His throat felt like sandpaper, his voice was husky.

Wyatt let him go but followed him into the kitchen. Chris took a bottle of water out of the fridge and emptied it with a few gulps, enjoying the cool feeling of the liquid.

They could hear their father say in the other room: "Wyatt can heal your head."

"Over my dead body," the blond witch muttered.

Leo and Barbara entered the kitchen as wll. The woman had a large swelling on her forehead. "Really, Leo, it's not too bad."

"Still. Wyatt, would you please heal Barbara's head?"

"No." Wyatt answered simply. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Our powers are based on our emotions and right now, I feel pissed. I could blast her. On accident."

"Wyatt!" Leo got closer to his son not believing what he was hearing. Wyatt never refused to help innocents.

"No, dad. Listen, I can deal with you inviting her over, although, I asked you not to. I can accept that you fuck her. But if a demon can use her to get to my little brother, it's over. Your needs are not more important than ours."

Wyatt took Chris arm and orbed them out of the Manor. "Where are we going, Wy?"

The two brothers rematerialized in the Golden Gate Park. It was dark. Wyatt had brought them into a part of the park where there were no street lamps. A soft wind caused undefinable noises. It was spooky. Even more so, if you just had been attacked by a demon.

Wyatt began walking very quickly, letting go of his brother's arm, trusting that he would follow him wherever Wyatt headed. Chris tried to keep up but Wyatt was very fast and just kept moving for a while.

"Wyatt! Wyatt, where are we going?" Chris asking, finally jogging along next to his brother. "Man, it's spooky."

Wyatt sat down on a bench. Chris did the same and looked around. He didn't understand why they were here. But his brother only stared ahead. Wyatt seemed far away. "Wy…"

The blonde teenager pulled his little brother tightly against his chest.

"Wy, it's okay," Chris whispered. He could feel his brother shaking slightly, and knew the almighty twice-blessed was crying.

Leo lay awake in his bed. He listened carefully, but there was still no sign that his sons were finally back.

God. He was so worried. He had no idea where the teenagers had orbed to. He couldn't even ask his sisters-in-law as they probably react like Wyatt.

Leo was so tired. The worry about his sons, the action at the dinner table plus the demon. It had completely exhausted him.

Leo jumped out of bed at the noise he heard in the hallway. He took a look at the alarm clock. He must have fallen asleep for a few hours.

Leo went into the hallway while putting on his bathrobe. The door to Wyatt's room was open but his oldest son wasn't there. He peered into Chris room. He saw his brunette son sleeping and Wyatt sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You're back," Leo whispered. "Is something wrong?"

Wyatt shook his head. "I heard a noise and was afraid there was another demon."

Leo sighed. "Come on, son. You need to get some sleep."

Wyatt knew his father was right. But he didn't want to leave his brother alone. If something happened to Chris now, it would be his fault. He was the twice-blessed witch; he had the power while Chris was still trying to figure out how to handle his own magical powers.

Leo took him by the arm, leading his oldest son out into the hallway. He closed the door to Chris' room.

"Wyatt, you can't protect him from everything. It's what you told me."

"I know, it's just so scary."

"I know."

"Dad, I'm sorry for the way I acted towards Barbara. I'm sure she's nice. But not as your girlfriend. Not yet." Not always, but Wyatt decided to keep this thought secret.

"I know."

"You do?" Wyatt asked, surprised.

"I do. I needed a friend. A non family member. A grown up. And Barbara is a good friend. She has never been more. I don't love her the way I loved your mother. I love her as a friend, as someone who helped me. We talked and we decided to stay friends. Everythings else wouldn't be fair towards you and your brother, her and me as well."

Wyatt nodded. "I never wanted to hurt you. Or her."

"Yes, you did. You wanted to hurt me. And you succeeded. It really hurt. But it really hurt so much because you were right. There's nothing more important to me than you guys."

Wyatt smiled at his father. "And for me, there's nothing more important than you guys."

Leo hugged his son. It seemed like he finally could bond with his sons again.

"By the way, don't worry about your brother. If he turns out at least a bit the way I expect him to, he'll handle his powers even better than you do."

"I'm fine with that. It's not all about powers."

"I'm really glad to hear that from you."

Wyatt turned around but stopped once again. "By the way, Chris said he liked her. He said, 'She's a nice lady but a crappy girlfriend for dad.'"

Don't forget to leave your thoughts on this.

I'll have another update by tomorrow, I guess, as the next chapter is already finished.