"Oh no..." Shane said under his breath.
Chris nodded in agreement. "He's trying to take the curse from Rory."
"WYATT!" Shane screamed furiously as he and Chris darted up the stairs. "Wyatt, you get the (censored) away from him!"
Without so much as blinking, Chris and Shane darted up the stairs, gaining a bit of a head start on the others, no doubt due to panic-driven determination, especially on Shane's part. "Wyatt!" Shane yelled angrily, arriving at his parents' bedroom door and pounding on it mercilessly. "Wyatt, open the damn door!"
There was no sign of life from inside. No sound, no movement. Nothing.
"Wyatt!" Shane yelled again. "Rory!" Still nothing. "Dammit!"
"Shane, calm down!" Chris commanded. "At least we know he's not gonna hurt Rory."
"You know that for sure?" Shane snapped. "Chris, to me of all people, how the HELL could you say that?"
"Whoa there boys!" exclaimed Dylan, arriving with Jared, Tristan, and Paige. "You two better put those things away before you stab somebody!"
They both ignored his Freud-based remark.
"Shane," Chris argued, "he's not an eleven-year-old boy anymore."
"You're damn right he's not; he's worse!" Shane snarled, gritting his teeth. "Just 'cause he's not on Hell's payroll doesn't mean he can't be turned."
"Shane, that's not fair." Chris returned. "He didn't know what he was doing."
Paige tried to jump in: "Wait, are we talking..."
"You think I don't know that?" Shane snapped back, interrupting his aunt. "He did it with his bare hands, Chris. His bare... hands. And what's worse, he doesn't even remember. I doubt he knows Rowan ever existed."
Though he was as livid as he had ever been, Shane began to speak softly enough that Lee couldn't hear him. Paige however, witnessing Shane's temper, chose to remain silent.
"It could've happened to any of us!" said Jared, coming to Chris' aid.
Dylan added. "I thought it was decided that he was under a spell."
Tristan felt he had no right to contribute to the conversation, being only two-years-old when the tragic event happened.
"Spell? Curse? What the hell's the difference?" Shane shouted back. "To the dead it doesn't matter."
"Shane, snap out of it!" Chris demanded, gripping him by the shoulders. "No matter what's happening on the other side of that door, you're not gonna be any help to us if you can't calm the hell down."
"Screw this!" Shane bitterly exclaimed. "I can't talk to you people." He knocked Chris' hands off his shoulders and stormed off towards the attic, leaving all who watched in a state of nervous shock.
"Shane!" Chris called out. No answer. Then louder: "Shane!" Feeling like he'd screwed up royally, Chris turned to the brother best suited for these situations: "Jared, I didn't handle that so well. Think ya could..."
"I'm on it," said Jared, taking off after his hot-headed older brother.
"Thank you" Chris said with a sigh.
"What got into him?" asked Paige. "Or is he always like that?"
"Shane took it the hardest." explained Dylan somewhat hesitantly, "He was the only one there." Dylan hoped that Lee was adhering to his self-appointed ethic of not reading minds without permission.
"Took what the hardest?" Lee asked sincerely, having finally made his way down the hall.
"This is kinda close to home for you too." Tristan said cautiously to Chris. "Do you think you can lead?"
Chris knew that Tristan's concern came from his innate tendency to worry, not a lack of faith in him. took in a deep breath. "Yeah," he answered calmly, "I think so."
"Then we're all yours," said Steve, arriving at last with his mother and father in tow.
As if by habit, Steve, Dylan, Tristan, and Lee stood in an offensive-style team lineup as they awaited Chris' suggestions. (Notice I didn't use the word 'orders' in that last sentence. Halliwells generally don't deal well with authority.)
"Okay" Chris said, pacing as he collected his thoughts. "Okay, thinking... thinking..."
Piper, Leo and Paige were all surprised at how little time it took Chris to pull a plan together. They were equally surprised by the degree of self-control he was able to maintain in such a situation, knowing him to be one who leapt before he looked.
"Rory is first priority." Chris affirmed. "If there's even the slightest chance Wyatt couldn't take the curse from him, that's the one we should take. So, first we need to get in that room."
"Can't you just orb in?" asked Piper.
"I've tried several times," said a disappointed Tristan. "Wyatt must've put a shield on the room."
"Lee, can you channel Rory's powers to deaden the shield?" Chris quickly asked.
"I think so but..."
"Just long enough for us to get in, that's all I need." Chris replied. "Tristan, can you take care of the door?"
"Consider done."
"Okay you guys," Chris brought his pacing to a halt, "this could get really messy."
"Hold it!" Piper flatly interjected. "What exactly is the plan here?"
"Piper," said Leo, "I'm sure they know what they're doing."
"Good, then they shouldn't have any trouble telling me."
"Actually," Lee said shyly, "I'm not quite sure myself." Looking at Chris, he asked: "Are you saying we're gonna have to... to go up against Wyatt?"
Though Chris spoke with dire seriousness, there was a steady smoothness as well. "I promise you, we won't do anything we won't have to."
"Chris, you didn't answer him." Piper snapped. "Sure looks like you're 'gearing up' to fight somebody."
Chris responded, somewhat defensively: "Okay look, we don't know how Wyatt will respond to the curse, that is if he's even taken it from Rory. I don't know what it'll do to him, but I'm not willing to take any chances."
Lee began: "But how come Rory..."
"Lee, I know," Chris interrupted, "but there's a reason the Elders didn't let Wyatt take..."
"I don't think I can..." Lee interjected, looking wounded and afraid. "I've never had to..."
"Chris," Steve interrupted on Lee's behalf. "We shouldn't make him if he's not..."
"We may not have a choice." Chris replied, firmly but not angrily.
Steve turned to Lee and put both of his hands firmly on his shoulders. "Lee," he said comfortingly, "No matter what Wyatt says, don't believe a word you hear in there, okay?" As Steve glimpsed the slightest hint of a quiver from Lee's lips, he pointed at Lee's face, and said teasingly: "No quivering, I can't take it! Wait 'til we're done, we'll quiver together, okay?"
Lee grinned thankfully and nodded, though there was still much apprehension in his expression.
"Alright, how 'bout this..." Chris said, himself a sucker for the lip quiver, "Lee, after we're inside, if things get too rough, you run downstairs. Okay?"
Lee nodded hesitantly, a bit disappointed in himself. He prided himself on never chickening out, but he'd never so much as considered fighting a member of his own family. Add to that the fact that he had no idea what was truly happening.
"I'll come with ya." said Paige, bumping Lee's elbow. The light gradually began to return to the young telepath's face.
"Mom," Chris said gently, "if there's anyway to do this without hurting anyone -- we'll do it."
Piper bit her lip, nodded in understanding, and looked away in frustration and disappointment.
Leo put his hand on her shoulder. "It probably won't even come to that." he said, though his voice betrayed him. Piper looked back up at him with a who-do-you-think-you're-fooling expression. Leo sighed mournfully and looked away.
"Okay," said Tristan, "exactly what do we do once we're inside?"
"Haven't quite figured that part out yet," Chris replied.
"Great!" Piper said, "and the hits just keep on comin'."
Chris ignored her, though he was clearly annoyed: "We could really use Shane."
"You've got him. Let's go." shouted Shane, as he and Jared made their way back to the group.
Chris looked thankfully at Jared. "You're gonna have to teach me how you do that sometime." As usual, Jared took no credit, but dodged all edifying glances pointed in his direction.
Shane folded his arms, saying: "Okay, but I'm not apologizing."
All present brothers turned in Shane's direction with looks that called his bluff.
Though embarrassed, Shane fought the urge to smile. "Okay, I'll order the damn 'Blue Butter'later. Can we just do this please?"
"Blue butter?" Piper asked.
"It's a code." Leo explained. "It means that later he'll apologize for 'being an ass'."
"Huh?" Shane questioned, looking at his father.
"That's what the flash card said." Leo nervously replied. "When you order blue butter, you're saying 'I'm sorry for being..."
"Yeah well..." Shane began. "But..."
Tristan scoffed. "Captain Comeback strikes again!"
"Yeah, and he's gonna strike you in a second." Shane responded.
"Ya see." Dylan began, "Where was comment twenty seconds ago?"
"I dunno, but I can tell ya where my fist is gonna be twenty seconds from now."
"Ya see..." Tristan said to Dylan. "Once you get him going..."
"Guys!" Chris shouted, due to urgency and lack of time. He returned to voicing his game plan. "We might need some extra room. Mom, we may have to do some remodeling."
"Do whatever you need, Son." Leo answered.
"He did say 'Mom', did he not?" quipped Piper.
"Well..." Leo anxiously replied, "in the future I'm both: 'Soccer Dad' and 'PTA Mom'.
"Odd." said Piper sarcastically, "I have never wanted you more than I do right now."
"Oh God," moaned Tristan. "I'm so glad my stomach is empty."
"Right!" Chris exclaimed, returning to the plan. "Now, nobody can see the house changing." he insisted. "Dylan, can you cloak it?"
"Sure." Dylan casually agreed, accepting the challenge of spontaneous spell-casting. "Uh...
"Though this house's size and shape will soon be rearranged,
To those who dwell outside it now, it will appear unchanged."
"Wow," Piper remarked. "He must get that from me."
"Thank you ladies and gentlewitches. I'll be here all week. Please try the spaghetti." Dylan gloated.
"Not done yet, humble one." said Chris.
"Oh right... the House." said Dylan, "Let's see... um..."
All you halls and windows, heed the message of this rhyme!
Become the home in which we dwell, in our native time.
Paige was truly impressed by this skill. "Grammatically correct and everything."
Suddenly, the entire Manor began to shift and expand. The door that was under the staircase disappeared to create even more stairs continuing to the levels below, lengthening the spiral. The ceilings on every floor raised and the rooms grew in volume. Even the hallways expanded several feet in all directions, the Main Hall especially.
"Nice work!" Leo marveled.
"I'm glad you think so." said Piper teasingly, "You'll be the one cleaning it."
"Dylan, you're a genius." said Chris, himself a bit surprised. "Ignore what I said before."
"So business as usual then?" Dylan chided.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Chris replied. "Okay, here's the plan: Lee, I need you to channel Rory's power and get the shield down."
"Sure." Lee meekly replied. "I'll try."
"Shane," Chris continued, "Can you brace him? It may be a bit much to handle."
"Roger." answered Shane, stepping behind Lee.
"Tristan," Chris went on, "We most likely won't be able to orb the door away. I need you to ash it for me."
"Done."
"Ash it?" asked Piper. "What's that supposed to mean?" For the billionth time that day, she went unanswered.
"Steve," said Chris, "Soon as Tristan takes care of the door, I need you to frame it and keep it open so Lee won't have to keep the shield down."
"Martha Stewart, eat my dust." was Steve's answer.
"Soon as the door's framed, I'll go in and get Rory." Chris declared. "Jared and Dylan, you two come in behind me in case something happens to me. One way or another, we've got to get Rory out of there."
"And us?" Piper asked, somewhat impatiently, "Should we just go pop some more popcorn? Crack open a can of peanuts maybe?"
"Piper, not now." Paige snapped.
"Actually, Mom, Dad, Paige," Chris began. He stopped short, regrouped, then continued. "Be prepared to deal with any injured."
Piper was already sorry she had asked the question. "Uh, okay."
"Everybody know what they're doing?" Chris asked.
Everyone nodded, with Lee the last to do so.
"Okay then." Chris affirmed. "Let's do this!" He looked gently into his youngest brother's eyes. "You ready?"
Rather than responding, Lee took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and put his hands up to his temples to concentrate. He frowned slightly as he strained to channel Rory's formidable powers, hoping to be able to contain them, and therefore take down the shield. "Agh!" he moaned as he was physically thrust back away from the room.
Shane caught him in his arms from behind and he held both Lee and himself in place. "Easy, little one." he said. "This ain't Mary Poppins, ya know."
Moments later: "It's down." Lee announced with a groan.
Tristan immediately stepped up to the door and put the palm of his hand against the wood. Seconds later, the wood turned to ash and fell quickly to the ground.
"Elemental conversion?" Leo quietly asked his son.
"And reconstruction." Tristan answered with a nod. "Spackling is my specialty, but I do make a decent stained glass window, if I do say so myself."
"I may take you up on that." added Piper, her eyes captivated by the vision.
As soon as the ashes had fallen, Steve waved his hand in the direction of the door. A transparent, glowing blue door frame overlapped and covered the wooden one that was already there, preventing the room's entrance from being closed once Wyatt's force field came back up. "Lee, I've got it." Steve said. "You can let go."
Lee took his hands away from his temples, clearly exhausted, as Shane set him back upright. Though he was weary, he appeared unharmed.
"Our turn." Chris said, looking at Dylan and Jared.
As the three slowly crept in, there was no sign of Wyatt in the room; there was only Rory, fast asleep in his parents' bed, just like they'd left him.
"That's odd," said Jared, continuing to look around. "He must've orbed out; Wyatt's not even in here."
Out of the corner of his eye, Chris caught the dark shape of a man, curled up in the shadows on the floor, just beside the dresser. Wyatt's chest and shoulders were heaving, though he made no sound, and he was sweating feverishly.
Chris stood perfectly still as the piercing, angry eyes glared up at him. Chris spoke as though he were prey, trying to not to alert a predator. "Oh yes he is."
"How many?" Wyatt's voice was deep, dark and cruel. "And don't lie to me... I'll know."
"Oh no..." Chris uttered softly. "Wyatt, what've you done?"
