A/N: Uum... So, I started writing this story ten years ago. I begun editting it almost five years ago. At this point in time this story has trully gotten away from me. I have no idea where I intended to go with it, originally. I still have no idea what's going to happen with it. I'd promised myself I would NOT upload it before it was done, because I've already left this story hanging for so long, but... I couldn't do it. I had to let you guys read this new version, even if I never manage to finish it. I uploaded it as a new story because it's soooo different from the original one.

Chris had been standing by the nursery's door for almost an hour, his watchful eyes never straying from the baby's sleeping form. Lately he found himself more and more drawn to Wyatt; every second he didn't spend chasing shadows in the Under World, looking for clues that could help his mission, he would spend overlooking the toddler, making sure he was safe.

Safe, the word resounded, bitter and ironic, inside his mind. Wyatt didn't need to be safe, everyone else needed to be safe from him. People kept trying to drill this into Chris' brain, but it wouldn't stick. And that's going to be your downfall, a familiar little voice whispered in the back of his mind, making Chris clench his teeth in annoyance. He shook his head, vainly attempting to clear his thoughts. The muscles at the base of his neck protested at the motion; these past couple of days had been extra rough and his body was in serious need of some down time. But there was simply no time for that. Biting back a groan, Chris pushed away from the frame of the door, readying himself for another unpleasant conversation with the sisters. He had almost orbed out when he felt it; the change in energy.

Standing to his full height, his back straight as if an electric current had just gone through him, Chris spun around on the heels of his shoes. The dark figure was easy to spot in the sunlit hallway, residual magic sparking all around it. The kind of magic that portals usually left behind. With no time to form a plan Chris reacted the only way he knew. He attacked. His fingers flexed and the figure collided against the wall closer to it. A small scream came from them and Chris cursed through his teeth as he orbed in and out, quickly pressing his palm over their mouth. His eyes flew to the staircase; the last thing he wanted was for the sisters to get caught in the middle of a fight with one of Wyatt's cronies. The person whimpered thrashing against his hold and Chris clenched his fingers, intensifying the pressure against their body. His attention was split between holding his magical grip on the intruder and the noises coming from downstairs. His breath hitched in his throat for a second before his ears registered the faint chatter coming from downstairs. Reassured that the sisters were elsewhere occupied he focused on the intruder, looking at them for the first time.

It was a girl he didn't recognize, a new recruit probably. She looked awfully young and frail, unlike the rest of his brother's followers. Chris felt something tightening in the pit of his stomach.

"Who are you?" he demanded, risking to take his hand off her mouth. "Why did he send you?"

The girl looked at him mutely and Chris could see the reflection of her confusion shining in her eyes. He didn't have any time for that. He clutched his fingers into a fist and the girl made a choking sound, her eyes pinning into his, filled with fear. Chris moved a step closer, entering her personal space.

"I asked you something." It was uttered in a loud whisper and it came off way more menacing than any whispered word should sound. Chris had mastered this move during the war back home. "Tell me who you are."

The girl looked at him, her expression turning from scared to pleading. Chris had no idea what she was playing at; she'd just dropped in the middle of the house out of nowhere and she wanted him to take mercy on her? His fist tightened.

And then something exploded inside his head.

Coming out of the portal Melinda stumbled forward, blindly. She reached her hands out afraid she was going to fall and braced herself against a wall. She gasped in a breath, allowing her body weight on the wall. The air around her crackled with magic. Melinda felt disoriented, her head was swimming and she couldn't focus her gaze.

Breathe.

Melinda took in a deep breath, holding it for a second longer than necessary. Her heart was still pounding in her ears. She pressed her eyes shut, to stop the world from swiveling and took another breath, exhaling heavily. When she blinked the world wasn't as blurry as a few seconds ago. She tried again to catch her bearings, quickly noticing the door to her left. It led to a bedroom, that much was easy to tell. Out of the window, across from where she was standing, she could see a familiar road. Melinda tried to place it, but it was like attempting to remember a dream. She brought her fingers up to massage her temples and breathed deeply again. Her lungs burned in response.

She'd fallen through a portal. She'd gone out to the hunting-zone, alone and she had fallen through a portal. Melinda felt so stupid. Desperation clawed at her insides; where the hell had she ended up to? How would she ever get back?

Steady now, breathe and figure out where you are, the thought came swirling from the back of her mind, and Melinda nodded in agreement. First find out where you are, then panic, then hack a plan to get back home. She could do this. She pushed against the door and straightened her body, inhaling deeply.

She sensed the attack only mere seconds before it landed. She almost managed to orb out, but then her back slammed against a wall. An involuntary cry of pain came out of her lips and Melinda felt her eyes filling with tears to the brim. She tried to orb, but she was so tired, so hurt and whoever was holding her against that wall was too strong. A hand pushed against her mouth and Melinda felt her breaths getting quicker; panic surging through her.

She whined in distress, belatedly realizing it was a bad move. The pressure against her body intensified and Melinda was so close to giving up. It would be easier, so much easier. If she gave up, there would be no more fighting, no more war, no pain….

"Who are you? Why did he send you?"

Melinda knew that voice. She'd recognize it anywhere. Chris turned his face to look at her and she felt her heart plummeting to her feet. Why was Chris attacking her?

"I asked you something," Chris whispered threateningly, entering her personal space. Melinda's body went rigid; this person, whoever it was, wasn't her Chris, he only looked like him. "Tell me who you are."

Melinda looked at him. She wasn't sure what he could see in her face, she was never quite good with emoting. Still, he looked back at her, not breaking the contact and she knew she had to be fast, if she wanted to get out of this alive. Gathering whatever scraps of energy she still possessed, Melinda focused her gaze. He never saw her coming.

Something red bloomed behind his eyes and for a split-second Chris feared he might be going blind. He blinked rapidly only to realize there was nothing actually wrong with his sight. She was in his mind and she was burning like lava and rage and- and... red everything was so red as if his whole brain was bleeding. Chris tried and failed to raise his mental shields and he cursed internally. This would've never happened back home; no one had ever caught him off guard so easily. But coming to the past had ruined him, it had relaxed him, it had given him a false sense of security and-and…

Red filled the forefront of his mind and Chris physically stumbled backwards. His hands came up, ready to fight, but no attack came. She was too preoccupied, moving around inside his head, searching for something. Chris made an attempt to force her out, but she was too strong and he was so tired. He was tired and his time in the past was edging towards the end and he was getting desperate -

"Did Wyatt send you?" He managed through gritted teeth, just as she said;

"Are you working for Leo?"

There was a pause and then,

"What?" they exclaimed in unison.

Sooo, that was that. Not much for a first chapted, but bear with me. Till next time.