Next morning, they agreed to try out one of the spells Future Wyatt had written while at Brightest Blessings.
The sisters were setting everything up in the attic. A potion bubbled, as Phoebe and Chris pushed the furniture against the walls; Paige set crystals around to be able to set an energy case in a pinch. Piper was saying goodbye to Leo, as he set off to take shelter at magic school, and the children, whom Chris had gone to collect earlier that morning at his brother's home. Wyatt and Sam had said their goodbyes with an impending sense of dread as Chris orbed them away. Things were getting considerably more serious for them all, and having to part with them was getting harder to do.
Wyatt had insisted they stayed behind to try and get Sam to eat something beforehand, but she couldn't go beyond a few grapes. They orbed in the attic not too long after that.
"Whoa, you sure you up to this?" said Phoebe feeling week in the knees as soon as Sam was in the room.
"I'm alright"
"No, you're not. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Phoebe asked them both sitting down on a divan by the wall.
"I got her" said Wyatt. He and Sam had discussed it before orbing in and there was no convincing her to sit this one out. She had insisted that if they were going to try a spell to send Elak back to her time, they would need nothing but the strongest they got. She would need to be there and enhance his or anybody else's' abilities if it came to it. She was absolutely right, Wyatt knew and understood.
"Maybe we can do this some other time then?" said Paige looking at Phoebe feeling dizzy on the divan, holding her head as if to stop the room from spinning around.
"Out of the question" said Sam. "We cannot have another day like that again, one day would be enough for hell to break loose. We do this, we'll all be able to take it easy"
"Fair enough" said Piper seeing how she had no intentions to be talked out of her decision. "If you need a break though, let us know" she looked from her to her son, who nodded.
Future Wyatt orbed in a few minutes after.
"She alright?" he asked after one look at her face.
"Yeah, just a little light headed" said Sam. Future Wyatt couldn't avoid that twinge of guilt in his stomach.
"Ready?" he addressed the others. They all nodded and started saying their goodbyes in case this worked on the first try, which nobody really believed, but were determined to feel hopeful about it.
"Stay safe, OK?" said Piper to her Future son. "Don't give up hope…keep fighting for them… all of them"
"I will, mom" the aunts gave him hugs and thanked him for being so brave and coming to get his daughter back in more than one way.
"I'm proud of you" said Phoebe as she hugged him. Future Wyatt walked to his other self by Sam, who was now sitting on the divan where Phoebe had been.
"Look after her" he solemnly extended a hand to him.
"I will…" he shook his hand, giving him a reassuring nod. Future Wyatt went down on one knee to say goodbye to Sam.
"This bring back memories" she chuckled, tear eyed. She smiled from Wyatt to Wyatt.
"Sam, I'm sorry for…" he wanted to apologize for so many things. Things that hadn't even happened yet and he wouldn't have the time to tell he before she lost her. He could feel his eyes burning and that familiar aching sensation at the back of his throat. She caressed his face tenderly, as she did so often.
"I know" she kissed his forehead lovingly. He stood back up wiping a couple stray tears away. Chris was the last to say goodbye.
"Look after them all, myself included" he gave him a hug.
"You know I will"
"Yeah, I do know you will. Love you" he slapped him playfully on the cheek.
Future Wyatt stood back a little and unfolded a piece of paper. Sam stood up and walked to him, putting her hands out for him. She would hold him to make him stronger, but he couldn't help feeling sorrow along with her touch. If and when this worked, he would go back to a place where most of the people in the room were long passed, specially her and most of their children, which made it all the more difficult to be sent back. He gulped and took a deep breath before chanting the spell.
Remove the chains of time and space
And make our spirits soar
Take us back we who don't belong
Send us forward to a future beyond…
Nothing seemed to happen. They stared at each other and around the room for a moment before saying anything.
"We'll try…" Piper, along with all the rest were thrown against the walls of the attic as Elak appeared before them.
"You're not looking for me, are you?" she said slyly. She threw electric bolts around making them duck and cover, laughing maniacally at them. Paige and Piper took cover, so did Phoebe and Chris. Wyatt ran to Sam and surrounded her with his shield. Them and Future Wyatt were the only ones still standing their ground. Chris tried throwing Elak on her back, but she blocked him raising her palm. She stared at him triumphantly. Piper tried freezing her next and she waved that off too.
"Haven't told them everything, have you?" she talked to Future Wyatt. She walked to a trunk and sat on it calmly crossing her legs and arms. "You just couldn't leave it well enough alone, did you, dad?" she told him.
"What?" said Chris. The sisters turned to Wyatt and Sam. Her knees buckled and Wyatt held on to her keeping her up, all she could think about was that she had killed her twin brother, Edward. Her own flesh and blood. Wyatt was staring at her hoping to God she was lying.
"Oh, you knew…" Elak told the sisters who were exchanging concerned looks. "He didn't though, look at his face!" she laughed at Chris. "And mom…your face?" she clapped. "Priceless"
"That's enough" said Future Wyatt.
"Enough would have been you not tracking me down here. Too late for that now, is it?" she kept staring at her nails unbothered.
"Stop this, please" pleaded Piper to her granddaughter.
"Oh, Grams…" she got up and dusted off her hands as if getting ready for something. "I always hated your preaching"
"Enough!" said Future Wyatt. He threw an energy wave at her knocking her off her feet. "I'm warning you, do not test me!"
"Oh but I already have" she said dusting her pants off. "and you've failed miserably. I mean, we both know you could kill me right now if you wanted to, but we also know you won't cause you're… you know… pathetic"
"Shut up!" said Sam heading her way. Wyatt tried holding her back, but she became so cold he couldn't hold on to her for long as his hands were ice burnt.
"Stop her!" he told his future self, unable to feel his own hands, he tried but Sam blew him away from her.
Sam, frozen tears on her face, attacked Elak with icy water (sort of like liquid ice), but she was ready to receive her attack with flaming arms which rendered it useless.
"Uncle Edward taught me well, mother"
"How dare you…?" Sam tried blowing her away against the wall behind, but Elak controlled the wind and threw it back at her. She was thrown backwards where both Wyatts caught her before she hit the floor, knocking them all down.
Future Wyatt had her by the throat telekinetically a second later. His face torn with sorrow. Even now, as Elak smiled at him between her gagging sounds.
"I'm so sorry, honey…" Future Wyatt said preparing to break her neck. Sam held him by the arm and stared at him, all the pain in the world reflected in her eyes. He hesitated and dropped her.
"Get out of our house!" said Piper having had enough. "You're right, we don't wanna hurt you, but we will if you leave us no choice"
"Don't make me laugh, Grams" Piper tried hitting her with her blasts but she blocked them all, as she went closer though it got harder and harder to do so. Phoebe, Paige and Chris surrounded her with crystals while she dealt with Piper's attacks. Suddenly, she was in the energy cage. "You know… you're really starting to piss me off now" she pushed the crystals out of the way with one look alone.
"As you can see, mom…" she coughed till massaging her throat. "his temper's only gonna get worse" she smiled, her eyes red from the lack of oxygen. Wyatt helped her back up and without so much as a head's up, she threw a would be slap her way, as she threw her hand into the air, a water whip coursing through her arm got to Elak, leaving a slash across her face. She grabbed her bloody cheek in disbelief. She had been sure telling them who she really was would be the ultimate defense against them.
Seething with rage, flames burst forth from her arms at them. Sam and Wyatt held hands making his shield expand as far as the others. Future Wyatt walked away from them and through the moment as he had done when he first arrived at this time and saved Henry. Everything around him was in slow motion as he got closer to Elak to whisper in her ear.
"Don't make her do this… please" he pleaded. She turned as if in slow mode and faced him quite surprised. A moment later time regained its speed and they all found Future Wyatt standing several feet away from where he had been a second ago, behind Elak who stopped her attack and faced him.
"Got some new tricks, I see" she told her father standing very close to her. She electrocuted him grabbing him by the neck. Sam ran to help him before Wyatt could stop her and grabbed her arm wanting to somehow make her stop. To everyone's surprise, Elak started to go pale, electricity disappeared and she fell down to her knees. She shimmered a moment later in utter shock of what just happened.
The moment she left, Sam's knees gave in again. Future Wyatt who was still on his knees from being attacked by his daughter, caught her as she collapsed. Wyatt and the rest of them ran to their side.
"Sam?" Wyatt called on her. Him and his future self tried healing her but there was nothing seemingly wrong.
"To the hospital, you two!" said Piper. Wyatt orbed out with his wife in his arms.
"They'll be alright, honey" said Phoebe to Piper, rubbing the sides of her arms reassuringly. Chris helped his brother up and he started pacing nervously around.
"What are you still doing here?" asked Chris to his brother. "Glamour your butt, like you did at the store, and go with them!" It had totally slipped his mind to do that to be honest. He had yet again decided to end the whole issue with his daughter and yet again, he hadn't been strong enough to do it.
"God, I hope they're all OK" Piper said fidgeting with her hands, thinking of her son, her grandchild.
"It was just too much to take for her" said Paige.
"I can hardly swallow that pill, can't imagine what it was like for them" said Chris. "Wyatt needs us, you're coming with me" he told his brother and grabbed his arm, orbing away to the hospital after them.