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CHAPTER 37

Taking Back What Was Lost

Chris Halliwell glanced around the Underworld Tavern, his eyes sharp as he studied each of the other patrons, analyzing them, determining in half a moment whether or not they could know anything about Nyru or his minions. A few possibilities had emerged so far. A dark haired woman with deep chocolate eyes, olive skin and a figure to kill. Yet, for all that nobody was near her. A looker like that all alone was a sign of power and respect. She was an upper level demon, no doubt. Chris made a mental note of her immediately. The other patron that had caught his attention was a dark skinned demon wearing a business suit. Chris recognized him as some politician from the paper. Another upper level that he would keep tabs on.

"Hey there cutie."

The witchlighter turned toward the soft soprano voice to find himself face to face with the upper level female demon he had spotted earlier. He hadn't seen her move. He assumed she teleported over. For a brief moment, the idea of a demon choosing him out of a crowd worried him, but he remembered he was currently glamoured to look like a blonde haired blue-eyed surfer type in his twenties, so there was no way anyone could recognize him. Perhaps she was just lonely? Could work to his advantage.

"Hey back."

The demon grinned, "I know you."

"Oh?" Chris kept his voice unconcerned. "How's that? I'm pretty sure I'd remember a pretty demon like you."

"The name is Meia. I'm a seer. A powerful one. If the Source were still around I'd probably be working for him," She went on, sounding rather bubbly for a demon. She winked, "Meaning I know who you are. I saw it."

"Is that so?" Chris' hand moved slowly toward the inner pocket of his black leather coat, where he had a few potions stored just in case.

Meia rolled her eyes, "Oh, don't go getting all paranoid with the potions, Chris. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you."

Finally, letting the mask of calm slip, Chris leaned forward, his jade eyes just slits of anger as he pulled her forward by her purple cloak strings, "Give me one good reason not to vanquish you. Tell me who sent you. What are you after?"

"Nobody sent me, and like I already said, I want to help. Geesh, get a grip would ya?" She brushed his hands away as he let his grip loosen. Then, flipping back her long mane of hair, she continued, "My twin sister was a seer, too. She told me she was going to your family for help because she knew she was going to die. She liked you guys from what her visions showed her. Said you were good people. For some reason she was fascinated with good. Especially your aunt Phoebe, the one with the visions like us. I guess in the end her and your aunt got to be friends. Innywho, when I heard how your family tried to protect her, I promised myself that if ever an occasion came up where I could return the favor I would. So I am."

Chris blinked, completely thrown off by her attitude, "You're serious?"

"Yeah, I mean I know she died and all, but I figure your family at least tried. Besides, chances are all you guys are gonna die too, but I can at least try to stop it, right?"

Chris was truly shocked. For once, his family's long history of trying to save people was actually going to do some good. For once, someone actually appreciated everything his family did and was repaying the favor. He decided to take advantage of the rare gift, "How can you stop it?"

The pretty demon smiled, "I got a really great vision about Nyru. Well, one of his hench-demons anyway. The guy's name is Gon. He's one of those demons with the tattoos that don't get much sun. He came in here yesterday, and he got a little too close to me, and I got a flash that showed me where he is going to be in a few minutes from now, and I figure you can get the drop on him. Force him to take you where you need to go."

"Where?" Chris asked, the desperation leaking into his voice.

Meia rolled her eyes, "I was getting there. He's going after some old British woman. Gon kills her in this yellow painted room, and there's a rolling pin that says Cramer's kitchen." Off Chris' drastically paling skin, " I get the feeling that means something to you?"

Without responding, Chris orbed out.

000

"Wyatt! Grandpa Leo! Anybody that can orb get your butts over here and take us back!" Alex screamed at the top of his lungs at the ceiling. When no one came, the teenager leaned his head back against the wall, sliding down it. He put his head on his knees, "Bugger."

Anne stood in the doorway watching him with sad eyes, "I know how you feel."

Lifting his head, Alex shook it slowly, "How could he do this to us? How?"

"He is terrified," the mother answered, taking a seat next to her son, "your dad thinks he is protecting us by sending us away. I absolutely loathe that he feels it necessary to push us all away like this, but I do see the reasoning behind it. I want to protect you and your sister as well, and perhaps, having you two away from the problem is for the best."

Alex glared at his mother, "We could be helping."

"Your sister is not doing well, and you nearly died," Anne countered.

The boy let out a breath, "Fine. So I can see why he might be crazy-scared enough to do this, but I can't agree with it. Besides, he had no right to bind Emma's powers, and he should have helped restore mine before shipping us off. Being witches is part of who we are, and Dad had no right to deny us that heritage."

"Demons would have sensed you, and the whole point was to save you two."

Alex opened his mouth to respond when all of the sudden orb lights filtered down through his bedroom ceiling forming into his little sister. He ran to her side, "Emma? You ok?"

"Yeah," she answered softly, her blue eyes fluttering open as she sat up on the bed, "just confused. Why'd dad send us all here? And how come I can't sense anything? Or orb?"

Her brother turned to his mother, "You wanna explain it to her, or should I?"

"Explain what?" Emma asked nervously.

Anne stroked her daughter's dark hair lovingly, relieved that her little girl was ok, "Your father must have healed you then stripped your powers and sent you here–to Grandma Cramer's– in order to protect you–us– from Nyru."

"Oh."

A pregnant pause followed before Emma asked, "When is Dad coming for us?"

"I..." the mother hesitated, her mind wondering something she never thought she would even have to consider...that maybe Chris wouldn't be back. The way he had been acting–cold, distanced, angry– how he told her to take the children, change the names, and never contact him or his family, maybe he wasn't just saying it all in a moment of fear. . .maybe her husband was going to abandon them. However, looking into her little girl's big blue eyes, Anne couldn't voice her concern. So, she lied, "He'll be back as soon as he can."

"Bollocks," Alex challenged, rising to his feet. "I heard what he said to you, and now, with what he's done I don't think he plans to come for us. Ever. You hesitated, so you must think it too."

"Alex, enough."

Emma's gaze shifted between her brother and her mother, her eyes welling up with tears, "Daddy would never leave us." She fixed her sights on her brother, saw his anger fading into sorrow and her bottom lip started to tremble, "Alex? Daddy wouldn't leave us, right? He loves us. He sent us here for protection, like mum said." Tears started to trickle down her cheeks, "He loves us."

"Yeah, I was just being dumb," Alex amended, wrapping his arms around the petite girl, his head resting on hers. "Dad sent us here because he loves us, and when he fixes everything, he'll come for us, and everything will be like it was before."

Anne caught the sadness in her son's eyes, and she knew then that her oldest child knew nothing could ever be the same again. Too much had happened. The loss was all around them, and the deaths just kept compiling. No one was going to go unchanged. Her husband was already morphed into a different person all together. Something had broken within him, and she honestly did not know what he would do. She only prayed that the love of her life was safe. As long as he was safe, she could fight to bring him back from whatever cliff edge he was falling from.

A scream of horror cut through the apartment, and before she knew what she was doing, Anne was on her feet, as well as Alex. The mother turned to her son, "There's a dagger in the drawer. Stay here and protect your sister."

Alex nodded, immediately heading over to the drawer and pulling out the weapon.

Once her son had the dagger, Anne tore out of the room, down the hallway. Hearing sounds of a struggle coming from the kitchen, she turned left, pushing open the door slowly and staying low, hiding around the corner of the refrigerator. Peeking around it, the woman saw something that made her heart clench so tightly she thought she may pass out from the pain.

Her mother was laying face up on the tile floor, her kindly blue eyes frozen open in terror, the cause of her death the large bloody burn of an energy ball in her now unmoving chest. The attacker was standing over her, his moon-pale face shining with pride as he smiled down on his latest victim.

Anne glanced around the room, spotting the kitchen knives, she moved slowly, trying to avoid detection. Her hand reached up, fingering the butcher knife. Carefully she slipped it out of the block. Remembering everything Chris had taught her about fighting demons, Anne knew her best chance was to take him by surprise. So, taking aim, she prepared to throw the knife into his chest, but just as she made to do so, one of her children sneezed.

A smirk grew on the monster's face.

"No!" Anne rose up from her hiding spot, fear for her children causing her to panic, and react without thinking. An energy ball headed straight for her, and would have killed her instantly had orb lights not appeared in front of her, and an outstretched hand hadn't redirected the attack to hit the wall instead.

"You," Gon commented, "I didn't expect you to figure it out."

Chris took a step forward, "Yeah, well in a second you won't be expecting anything anymore." The witchlighter raised a hand, tightening it into a fist, causing the demon to grab his throat and slowly sink to the floor as his air supply lessened and lessened. Just as Gon was about to meet his maker, Chris let up, "One simple answer could save your life."

"I'll never tell you anything."

"You so sure about that?" Chris flicked his hand, causing the demon's inner left thigh to explode.

Gon cried out in pain.

"Next time I move a little further left, and you can kiss your family jewels good-bye."

The demon's eyes grew wide in the most pure terror imaginable. "No! Not that! Anything but that!"

"Where is Nyru?" Chris questioned, his hand poised and just itching to make someone else feel the pain he and his family was feeling.

Gon held up his hands, "It's cloaked from good magic, but I can take you there. He's meeting your past self and Bianca there right now."

Chris moved to the demon, grabbed him by the hair, "Shimmer. Now."

"Chris, wait," Anne moved toward him, grabbing his arm, her pain stained face begging him silently. "My mum...and then this demon...I can't protect them, and you've made it so they can't protect themselves. You can't just abandon us. Please."

"I didn't know he knew about your mother," Chris answered. "I thought you'd be safe here, but he must have researched everything about all of us." His gaze lowered, "I sent word to Wyatt. He'll protect you until this is over. Which, will be soon."

"Says you," Gon spat.

Chris jerked the demon's hair hard, "Do you want to ever have sex again? If not keep talking."

"Say you finish this," Anne began, "then what?"

"Tell the kids I love them."

Anne shook her head, "You can't do this. You can't just abandon us, Chris."

"I wish I didn't have to," he answered, his eyes darkening with morbid thoughts.

His wife understood then. He wasn't just planning on never contacting them again when this was over. Chris Halliwell would never abandon his family that way. No, he'd just go on a suicide mission instead. Her husband was going to die to save them all. "Chris-"

Without warning, Chris pulled her close, capturing her lips with his. In an instant it was over, and Anne watched as the father of her children shimmered out to his death. She touched her cheek and felt the wetness...the tear hadn't been shed by her.

000

Piper Halliwell set down the purple candle in the middle of the circle of five white pillar candles, lit it and stepped over to the Book of Shadows. Taking the athame setting on the stand, the Charmed One checked over the spell one last time making sure she had taken care of all the details.

"Piper, you can't do this," Leo started in again, "it's against the rules."

"Screw the rules, Leo," Piper snapped, "we've broken them before when the situation demanded it, and the situation demands that I do this."

The baby fussed in her uncle's arms. Leo bounced her lightly without even thinking. His attention was all on his wife and trying to talk her out of doing something that could go horribly, horribly wrong. Though, he had the feeling that no one could talk her out of this. When Piper Halliwell had her mind made up nothing could change it.

"Piper, Leo?" Phoebe's voice cut the tension as she entered the attic a moment later. "What's going-" she halted her sentence as her eyes landed on the precious bundle in her brother-in-law's arms. "Oh my god, it's Pearl, isn't it?"

Leo frowned in confusion, "Pearl?"

Phoebe nodded, moving to hold the bright eyed baby, "Yeah, Chris said Paige named the baby Pearl. At least in his future. I think Paige was going to in this one too. Oh, she's so sweet." The now youngest surviving Charmed One looked over to her big sister, "Looks like Paige left us a little ray of light in all this darkness."

"Yeah, she did," Piper agreed, "and it's up to all of us to protect her. And Melinda, Chris, Wyatt, Alex and Emma too."

The shorter haired brunette frowned, "You have a plan don't you?"

"Yup, and you're going to help me with it," Piper responded, pricking her finger with the athame laying on the book's stand and squeezing the blood into the green potion also resting on the stand.

Phoebe handed over the baby and moved to her sibling's side, "What are you doing? Summoning candles, a blood to blood spell, and what's the potion?"

"To revive the dead," Piper answered.

Leo started again, "It's impossible, Piper. It's not the natural way of things. It borders on dark magic, and if the Elders find out-"

Phoebe cut in, "Could it work?"

"Like Grams always used to say, we're witches, we can do anything."

"Then let's do it."

Leo shook his head, "You guys, this is serious. You could end up summoning truly dark beings devoid of souls. Ancient evil created by the unnatural nature of what you're doing. Not to mention you'll be throwing off the cosmic balance between good and evil. Stop thinking with your hearts and think with your heads. You can't cheat death. You've all had that lesson taught to you before."

"I am thinking with my head, Leo," Piper answered, "this is the only way I can think of to defeat Nyru. Do you have any other ideas?"

The Elder sighed, "No."

"Then let us try this," Phoebe answered, pricking her own finger and adding her charmed blood to the potion.

The two sisters took hands and chanted the spells Piper had merged in all out effort to do the impossible. "Power of the sisters rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to us we call you near, come to us and settle here. Blood of our blood we summon thee, blood to blood return to me. Spirits on the other side, cross now the great divide."

As bright silver lights swirled inside the circle of candles, everyone held their breath. Slowly, one figure took shape. Paige, frowning in confusion took a step out of the circle becoming corporeal once she did so. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

Phoebe took a sharp breath and started over to her baby sister, ready to envelope her in a huge hug when another set of lights went off in the middle of the circle. She halted and turned to Piper, who was already crying and smiling. "Uh, Piper, what's going on?"

"I worded the spell spirits," Piper answered simply.

It was then that the second set of lights formed into another woman. The dark haired woman stepped out from the circle becoming corporeal and immediately folded her arms, her lips quirked up in a grin, "'Bout time you guys summoned me again."

"Prue," Phoebe breathed.

Piper tossed the potion she had made at the ground between her two dead sisters and watched as they glowed golden for a moment. Each took a deep gasping breath, stumbling slightly.

"What did you do to us?" Prue managed to ask.

"Yeah, I feel–wait, I feel," Paige exclaimed.

Prue put her hand on her chest, felt her heart beat for the first time in forty-odd years. Shaky from her experience, the eldest Charmed One breathed, "Oh my god. . .we're alive again."

tbc...