Sorry this took sooooo unbelievably long to be updated, but I'm back at school and things are too hectic for regular updates. Thank you bunches to those who reviewed. You guys are the only reason I'm even attempting to update with life as crazy as it is.

CHAPTER 29

Nyru's First Win

Sitting on the trusty couch up in the attic, Anne just stared at the opposite wall, not really seeing it, but instead, the look on her husband's face upon seeing his long lost love returned. Shock was expected, but the other emotions– love, passion, frustration– well, perhaps she should have expected those as well, but she hadn't. And to have seen them all flash in his eyes with such intensity...it had hurt. Almost as much as his belief that Bianca was his true love.

After fifteen years of marriage, two children and countless perfect moments how could Chris not believe and feel with all his heart that Anne was the one he was meant for? How could he not love her more than Bianca? She had given him trust when he asked her to believe the impossible. She had given him a home when he wanted to be close to the baby. She had given faith in his ability to care for both herself and their child. She gave him her heart and showed him that love was still an option. She gave him a son and a daughter. Apparently none of that meant much.

The woman wiped roughly at the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to march downstairs and punch her husband in the face for being so stupid as to think any other woman could possibly love him as much as she did. Mostly...mostly she wanted him to hold her and tell her it was a mistake.

Phoebe's empathic ability never made mistakes. Those were his feelings. He was still in love with Bianca. Bianca was his true love– not her.

Her breath hitched as she let out a small sob.

After her sobbing had ceased, Anne began to wonder how long she had been up in the attic. A long while she supposed. She wondered vaguely what was going on downstairs. Raised voices had erupted a while ago. Even if she had tried to there was no way she could have made out who was talking or what they were saying. All she knew was that their family was not doing well at the moment. Part of her felt she ought to go back down to try to help smooth things over. The other part was too sad to care. After quite a while of debating, the first part eventually won out.

Rising from her spot on the couch the woman moved slowly out the door of the attic. She paused in the hallway as she saw her husband sitting on the top of the steps with his head in his hands. Anne stood fixed in her spot, watching him as he took one shaky breath after another. Her anger and her love for him were battling to decide whether to let him rot or to pull his head into her breast and hold him until he returned to the strong, stubborn, neurotic man she knew.

Before she could make a choice one way or the other, Chris' head snapped up and he turned to look at her through anguished jade eyes. "Annie."

Anne closed her eyes as the word washed over her. So much pain and guilt entwined with so much love and hope was too much for her right now. Especially in that name. "Do not call me that."

If her eyes had been open the wife would have seen the man wince.

When she did open her eyes all she saw was the top of his chestnut hair. "You only call me Annie when we make love. Before when you have used that nickname it always made me feel like that name held all the tenderness and love in the world. I felt special. . ." Anne lowered her head, her black hair falling into her face, hiding the tears that were threatening to spill down again. "It means nothing now. Just a word. Your voice."

Chris lifted his head then, his face looking stricken. "I'm sorry."

Anne smiled darkly, her tone bitter when she spoke. "No need. You cannot possibly help how you feel. You love Bianca."

"Anne– "

"– No, really it isn't your fault. You told me she was the love of your life all those years ago. Told me you would never find love again. She was the one for you. This is all my fault really. Silly me, I thought I could make you happy. I thought you could love me like you loved her. I should have known I was just a poor man's Bianca. A pathetic attempt to replace her."

Chris rose from the stairs. His jade eyes had been starting to blur in sorrow, but now were sharp with indignation. "I love you, Anne. You are my wife and the mother of my children. The love and respect I hold for you couldn't be described with mere words. You know that."

Anne pursed her lips and turned her head away. "She was the love of your life, though."

When after several failed attempts to get her to look at him, green eyes finally locked with blue, Chris continued. "What I had with Bianca is over. The woman I knew is dead. That teenager is no one to me. Never will be. If anything she's the soul-mate of a different self. Our nephew."

"It doesn't matter." Anne replied, starting to get equally angry, her sadness evaporating with the heat rising in her face. "You wanted her, Chris. You were dying to take her in your arms. To hell with all the wonderful things you said about your love for me. I heard what Pheobe read off you."

Chris' temper flared. "I'm sorry your feelings were hurt by what I felt, but damn it, Bianca was important to me! To see her after all this time. . .well, how was I supposed to feel? Honestly, Anne, how would you have had me feel? Indifferent? I loved her. She was my fiancee. My friend and confidant. I can't just forget about her or what we meant to one another. I won't. Not any more than I would forget about or stop loving you if– God forbid– anything were to happen to you."

"I'm not asking you to forget about her. Never forget about her. I just. . ." Anne wiped away a stray tear, using the motion to turn her gaze from him again. "I just wish you could understand how terribly inadequate I feel right now. If she had been here in the past, alive and your own age, you would have chosen her. No doubts about it. It's just hard to accept that I'm not the love of your life."

As hard as the woman had been fighting not to, she started to sob.

Without warning, the witchlighter wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He stroked her long black hair, then whispered into her ear. "You are the love of my life, Annie. Everything happens for a reason. Bianca's death, Alex's conception. . .we were meant to be. I know that without a doubt. You wanna know why?"

She nodded weakly.

"Because without you, I'm lost."

Anne pulled away, unsure what to think or feel or decide regarding her husband. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to forget the image of him and Bianca that kept springing to her mind. She just wasn't quite ready. So, instead of continuing this heart-breaking conversation, the woman opted to gaze past him, down the stairs toward the entrance to the kitchen. She wiped away the stray tears rolling down her cheeks from the last utterly heart-swelling statement he had made. "Do they know?"

Chris nodded numbly. He had to fight to keep his voice from shaking. "Yeah. They do."

"How did Alex and Emma handle it? Are they all right?"

"Alex feels he ruined my life. That his life is a lie, and his existence a cosmic mistake. He's up on the bridge thinking and hopefully calming down. Emma's just worried about him and Wyatt right now. I think she's okay with the truth."

Anne closed her eyes, letting a sigh escape her lips. "Oh, Alex. How could you think that you were anything but a blessing?"

"He's just angry, and I can't say I blame him. We did lie to him."

Anne finally turned to look at her husband again, concern furrowing her brows. "Wait. You said Alex and Wyatt? What's wrong with Wyatt?"

"He found out he was evil. I mean, other him was evil."

"Oh good Lord. Poor boy."

"I never wanted him to know."

Anne nodded, returning her attention to the kitchen door. "It's so quiet now. All the yelling earlier, I had imagined some raised voices would still be going on now."

"Paige went into labor. Mom, Dad, and Aunt Pheobe took her to the hospital."

"Bloody good timing that was."

Chris couldn't help but grin at her sarcasm. "Yeah."

Emma appeared from the kitchen. She paused at the bottom of the stairs. "Dad? I'm sorry to bug you, but Uncle Jason called from Hong Kong, and said that he just got attacked by one of the tattooed demons. He vanquished it with a potion, but he's afraid more might come."

"That's just great." Chris muttered before thanking his daughter for letting him know.

Emma turned around to leave, but paused. "Oh, and Dad? Chris–err– younger you just orbed out, and I can't sense him."

"Even better."

"Chris, I'm sure he's fine. After all, aren't you two connected somehow? You'd know if he weren't. It is most probable that he is just blocking her. Go make sure Jason is protected. I'll stay here and hold down the fort." Anne paused. "You are sure that Alex is okay, right?"

Chris nodded. "If at any point he goes off my radar I'll let you know. Then we'd have something to worry about. Right now, he just needs some time alone to sort it all out."

"Ok."

As her husband started to dematerialize into shining blue lights, the war going on between Anne's hurt and the love for Chris was decided. She loved him. He loved her. They would work this out.

She grabbed his arm, effectively bringing him back into a solid form. When his jade eyes asked her why she had stopped him, Anne offered a small tearful smile. "Just because I'm angry with you beyond words doesn't mean you can leave for a possibly dangerous situation without me telling you I love you first."

From the bottom of the stairs Emma smiled and let out a relieved breath. Neither of her parents noticed as she slinked out of the room to leave them alone.

"You're an amazing woman, Anne Halliwell." Chris replied, tenderly cupping her face with one hand and caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"I'm not amazing. I'm a jealous shrew. I'm sorry I reacted so poorly. I just want to keep your heart all my own, I suppose. I know that you love me. That's all I need."

"My heart is yours. Forever and always."

"Go. Jason needs you. We'll finish this later."

"Forever and always." Chris repeated, his deep green eyes staring into hers with such intense passion that until he dematerialized into a swirl of light, she couldn't break his gaze. When he was gone, she let out a sigh, and decided to head into the kitchen to check on the girls.

When she reached the kitchen she found her daughter looking like she had just gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Anne raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Um..."

"Emma Halliwell, you tell me right this instance."

The young girl swallowed and glanced out the backdoor. "I tried to stop her, but...well, she wouldn't listen! She wanted to see him and with everybody distracted..."

"She?" Anne frowned, temporarily at a loss. "Melinda?"

A nod.

"She used a family crisis as a chance to rendevous with her scummy beau?"

Another nod.

Anne rolled her eyes heavenward. "Wonderful." She held out her hand. "Orb me to her. Now."

Knowing better than to question her mother, Emma reached out and took hold of her mother's hand, orbing them off to the home of the unsuspecting skater boy. Boy was he ever in for a surprise...

000

Glamouring had to be one of the coolest powers ever. At least that was what Chris thought when he morphed into a taller, more muscular, black haired, blue eyed twenty year old. Not that he liked the look better than what he really looked like, just that the demons wouldn't recognize him and try to kill him, which was always a bit of a nuisance. Especially when he was looking for someone.

Taking a seat at the bar of the pub he and Alex had just visited earlier that day, Chris wondered if it was possible he had been wrong. Perhaps she wouldn't return here, ready to take up the search for the monster that killed her mother. Maybe, just maybe, he would never see her again. That thought caused a strange dull ache to rise in his chest.

As if in answer to his question, Bianca walked through the door. Her chocolate brown eyes scoured the room, then suddenly, they settled on him. A small smile crept up her face. She shoved her way forward, slipping past the various regulars until she reached Chris' side at the bar. Without saying a word she sat down beside him and then stared at him. Her gaze was so intense that he couldn't help but shift nervously.

"Is there a particular reason you are blatantly staring, or are you just weird like that?"

Bianca smiled. "Suspicion confirmed." She leaned forward, her hot breath brushing against his ear when she whispered. "Didn't you piss off your mom enough the first time you came down here, Chris?"

Chris pulled back. Now, it was his turn to stare. "How'd you know?"

"I felt it. Just like you felt me when I came in here. It's the natural connection between us."

The hot blooded teen grinned. "So we're connected huh?"

Bianca leaned forward, her lips almost touching his ear this time. The feeling of her breath sent shivers down his spine and her closeness was enough to send the blood rushing south. "Yes, though, not in the way I think I would like."

"Oh?" Chris swallowed hard, trying not to lose focus of the conversation and to keep his eyes on her face rather than drifting over her perfectly formed figure. "Any suggestions on how to remedy that?"

"Oh, yeah."

Five minutes later...

"Demon hunting? Your idea of getting closer is demon hunting?"

Bianca shrugged right before ramming an athame through the heart of a brute demon. "How a guy vanquishes evil says a lot about him." She grabbed another demon tossing him towards Chris, who was ready with his own dagger, jamming the point into the demon's back. The brute went up in a fiery demise just like his friend before him. Bianca smiled. "Nicely done."

"Thanks."

"Behind you."

Chris whirled around, coming face to face with one of the tattooed demons his family had been searching for. "You guys again." He gestured with his hand, flinging the tall, pale demon into the wall, pinning him there. "Where's Nyru?"

"You don't need to know little witch."

"I beg to differ." Chris started clenching his hand into a fist, squeezing off the demon's air supply. "Now, where is Nyru?"

At that moment another three of the pale skinned, tattooed demons appeared, surrounding Bianca. With each armed with fireballs, the Phoenix was having a hard time dodging them all. "Chris!"

The young man whirled around and gestured widely with his arm, sending the three demons flying into the opposite wall; however, the demon he had been interrogating used the opportunity to ignite his own fiery ball of death and sent it at Chris, who was too distracted with the other two to notice.

Bianca threw an energy ball at the demon just before her new friend met with an ill fate. She then returned to battling hand to hand with the other three demons. However, she wasn't able to vanquish them on her own. Chris orbed in behind the trio, flicking his wrists and blowing one up. The second shimmered out before he could get a good hold on their molecules. The third, Bianca kicked in the stomach, knocking him backwards onto the ground. "Where's Nyru?"

"Die Bitch!" The demon howled flaming out and appearing right behind her.

Luckily, Chris had anticipated this move and upon the demon's return, flicked his wrists causing him to explode. After all the demons were effectively vanquished, Chris sighed. "Should have kept that one alive for questioning, but I didn't want to give him a chance to hurt you."

"I don't need protection." Bianca replied, a slightly cold tone appearing in her voice for the first time.

"I noticed that." Chris replied, ignoring her obvious change in demeanor. He wasn't feeling too warm and friendly with her at the moment either. "Where the hell did you learn all the moves you were pulling, and how to throw an athame like that? And correct me if I'm wrong, but did you at one point throw an energy ball?"

Without warning, Bianca slipped her hand around his head and pulled his lips on hers. She parted her lips immediately, seeking out his tongue with hers. He tried to resist her kiss at first, tried to remain weary of her, but as soon as she had succeeded in caressing his tongue with hers, a spark flew that neither of them could resist keeping alive. All thoughts of suspicion disappeared as Chris' mind filled with images of her. He wanted her. He needed to have her. End of discussion.

Shimmering them into her apartment, Bianca didn't care that she had just blown part of her cover. She doubted that the young man would remember anything he'd noticed when she was through with him anyway. So, pushing him onto her bed, she straddled his waist and pinned him down, crushing his mouth with hers before suddenly letting up in order to pull off her shirt. As she did this, Chris made fast work of his own, tossing it aside before pulling her back down to him.

By the time they were done, both were more satisfied than they ever had been before and also more exhausted then they ever had been before.

Chris was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. But he had to know a few things. He had to find out more about her. That's why he had gone looking for her in the first place after all. "Bianca? Who are you? Really."

The woman sighed and rose from the bed, grabbing her clothes from their scattered positions on the floor and started to dress. "You know who I am."

"No. I really don't." Chris forced himself to sit up, though the energy required seemed almost too great. "I know what I heard. About you and me being lovers in a different time-line. You were the love of my life. My future self seems to love you still, and that says a lot considering the new life he's made for himself here." Chris narrowed his eyes. "Then I know what I saw. You threw an energy ball and shimmered."

Bianca turned around, the look in her eyes unreadable. "Do you think I'm evil?"

Chris paused, unsure what he thought. Had she made love to him just then because he had started questioning her? It seemed that way. However, the actual act itself had been so passionate...was she just that good of an actress or was that connection between them real? It sure as hell felt real. "I don't think I would fall in love with evil in this time line or any other."

"Love?"

"I meant in the future. My futureself and you." Chris quickly rectified.

The older woman shook her head, grinning before pulling on her tall black boots.

After a moment, the younger witch ventured a question. "So...what are you?"

Bianca sighed from her spot on the edge of the bed, lifted her arm to show him her wrist, which featured a large red bird tattoo. "A phoenix witch. My clan rose from the ashes of Salem. Some of them turned to evil because of their anger and hatred for the humans that had murdered them. They developed demonic powers. I inherited them."

"And all the fancy moves you used? Inherit those too, did ya?"

The Phoenix gave him a look. "No."

"Well, where'd you learn them?"

"My mother." Bianca replied, the pain in her voice causing Chris to regret bringing it up. "She taught me to protect so that I could have some protection from demons. In the end it didn't protect her though..." Tears suddenly sprung to her eyes, and Chris moved to hold her close.

As he held her warm body against him, Chris whispered into her ear. "I promise I will find Nyru, and I will make him pay for all the pain he's caused you."

Bianca smiled wickedly behind his back but forced her tone to remain soft. "Thank you."

000

Nyru turned around as his personal assassin shimmered into his private quarters. "Status?"

Bianca grinned. "You were right. He and his futureself are connected. It's as though he can feel all the love and passion his futureself holds for me whenever I'm near him. I've already managed to seduce him. A little adrenaline rush and he was ready for bed. Getting him to comply with phase two should be just as easy.

"And the son?"

Bianca grinned. "My next stop."

Nryu turned his back to her, nodding his head. "Excellent."

tbc...