Part 8: The Plan All Along
~~
The Charmed Ones were still in the attic, standing before a large circle made by their ever-useful crystals. Chris is standing near the back of the room, near the blank Book of Shadows, and Leo is beside Piper.
A swirl of black, red and gold lights enter the center of the circle as Pyrena and Nethaniel suddenly find themselves in the Manor once again. This time it wasn't on their terms. Almost as soon as they appear Phoebe begins to feel sick again.
Phoebe: Oh God... Not again. (leaning against Paige for support)
Paige: Phoebe?
Pyrena: The poor witch is sick is she? (then seeing Leo) How the hell did you get out?!
Leo: (side-glance towards Chris, yet Leo ignores the questions) I think I know what's causing your sickness Phoebe.
Chris: You do?
Phoebe: Do tell.
Leo: These two demons here, th-
Phoebe: Of course. It all makes sense now.
Chris: It does? (mildly surprised)
Phoebe: Last time this happened these two were in the Manor. They must have cast a spell on me. Chris looks disappointed, but says nothing else for now. They'd eventually reach the same conclusion he already has, right?
Pyrena and Nethaniel watch the Charmed Ones and Leo, un-amused by their summoning and the way they're being ignored. Nethaniel reaches forward, testing out the crystal's barrier. When it shocks his hand he pulls it back quickly and glares violently at Piper who smirks lightly at him.
Paige: Well then they'll just have to reverse that spell too. (turning towards the two demons, while still supporting Phoebe) Care to return our Book to the way it was?
Pyrena: Tell me, did it feel peaceful – nearly dying?
Paige: Well, that's obvious avoiding. Guess she doesn't want to talk.
Piper: Looks like we'll have to do this hard way.
Paige: Is there any other way?
Piper: Never. (looking at Them) Now which one of you did it? Who removed our spells and demonology?
Pyrena: (mocking) Aw, it wasn't to your liking? That's just too bad.
Nethaniel: We thought you'd appreciate it.
Piper: Appreciate it?! You just stole generation's worth of spells that our ancestors passed down to us. Why the hell would we appreciate THAT!
Pyrena: (blue-black flame spreading across her forearms) Wouldn't you rather fail knowing there was nothing you could do, then die with resources available to you that you never fully use?
Piper: Planning to attack us? (not amused)
Pyrena: It might just be me, but I believe we already attacked you before. Why would we hesitate to do so again?
Paige: Because you're trapped in a cage.
Nethaniel: And how long do you think that'll hold us?
Phoebe: Long enough for us to get some answers. (beginning to look pale)
Pyrena: In other words you think too highly of yourselves. (a sharp dagger appears in her left arm and she proceeds to stab herself in the arm with it.)
Paige: Ookay, a little too self-destructive there, thank-you.
Phoebe: (suddenly grabbing her arm in the same location Pyrena had just impaled herself with a knife) How..?
Paige: Phoebe? (looking at Pyrena) What the hell did you just do?!
Leo: They have a connection. (realizing) Whatever's making you sick, it's increasing your empathy. You're feeling physical pain now.
Phoebe: Oh, great, just great. (still grasping her arm, but looking even more sickly than before)
Paige: Alright – no more talk. Just reverse whatever it was you did to our Book and Sister, and we'll let you go.
Phoebe: (whispering) We will? (normal voice) Yes, just use reverse what you've done.
Pyrena: Why don't you.. (pulling the knife out a bit, then pushing it further in, causing Phoebe to cry out in pain).. stop giving us orders. Or your Sister will end up dead.
Nethaniel: (touching the barrier again, this time it doesn't react to him) But feel free to get in line to join her afterwards.
Piper: Oh, please. We're witches! (clearing her throat) Break this link between demon and witch, sever th-
Chris: (interrupting) I don't think that would be a good idea, Mom.
Piper: Why not?
Chris: (moving over to the crystal barrier, while making it a point not to look directly at either of his cousins) They.. Well, you see- That spell wouldn't end in the way you want it to.
Leo: You're not telling us something.
Chris: Just reword it, okay?
Piper: (raising an eyebrow) Reword it? (realizing) Oh... (looking at Pyrena and Nethaniel, then over at her sisters) I see...
Paige: Piper?
Piper: Right, rewording. – That which my sister feels, let her be free of the pain, close this connection and let her be well.
Pyrena: Like that would actually work. (eyeing Phoebe) Such a waste...
Phoebe: (slowly regaining some coloring) I think it's working.
Nethaniel: Laughable. Really. (flicking his wrist, causing the crystal barrier to deflect itself from itself, thus breaking the field)
Pyrena: (shimmers over to Paige, and moves to slam her forearm in to the witch-whitelighter's neck, but Paige orbs out – taking Phoebe with her.) You little.. (finds herself being flung back, thanks to Chris, she slams in to the wall)
Nethaniel: Pyre! (snarling, shimmers over to Chris, black fire orb at the ready)
When Nethaniel appears next to Chris the witch-whitelighter isn't ready to dodge like he was last time. The black fire orb is thrown at Chris and makes direct contact with his chest, causing him to fall back to the floor.
Piper: CHRIS! (flicks her wrists, causing an explosion to send Nethaniel back a few paces. She keeps flicking her wrists, more explosions result)
Paige and Phoebe orb back in, with Phoebe looking to be back at full health. Pyrena gets up and throws the dagger she previously pulled from her arm at Piper.
Paige: Dagger! (the weapon orbs back to Pyrena, impaling itself in her stomach.)
Being stabbed with her own weapon Pyrena staggers back, staring down at the now bloody stomach wound. She shakily reaches for the blade and rips it out, tossing it to the side as it fades away.
Pyrena: You... bitch. (collapsing)
Piper is still blasting at Nethaniel when Pyrena falls, and the demon mix is unable to come to the aid of his sister immediately. He raises his hands to deflect Piper's power back, but she blasts him before he has a chance and he's sent back with so much force he hits the wall, breaking a dresser in the process.
Leo has moved over to Chris, and is now healing his chest wound.
Leo: Come on Chris, it's just a minor wound.. You'll be fine..
Phoebe is slowly moving over towards Pyrena, with Paige in tow since Piper doesn't need any help with Nethaniel. Pyrena appears to be unconscious, but not dead.
Nethaniel sees his 'Mother' going for his sister and freaks, he attempts to shimmer out but just as he's vanishing Piper blasts him again, causing a rather harmful blow. The explosions caused to Nethaniel before were minor, whereas this one seemed to actually burn away some of Nethaniel's flesh on his left arm completely. Pain rushes through his body and he falls down the wall, hitting the ground in a very undignified manner.
Pyrena jumps awake, forcing herself off the ground, eyes fading from full- silver as she looks directly at her wounded brother.
Pyrena: NO! (cringing in pain she lifts her still flame-covered arms and gets to her knees, she sends a fury of mini blades at Piper, all of which are deflected by Paige's simple call)
Paige: Daggers! (they all orb away, harmlessly hitting the walls)
Enraged Pyrena gets up, ignoring the pain from her wound, and moves to attack Paige. Phoebe's in her way though, and the witch takes the opportunity to levitate and spin-kick Pyrena back. She hits the wall with a painful crack, but a beat later makes to get up again. Phoebe moves in.
Nethaniel is all bloody, looking far worse off than his older sister as Piper is still blasting away at him. She was going in for the kill, attempting to vanquish him in revenge for harming Chris.
Leo has fully healed Chris, but he's still out cold.
Leo: Chris, Chris get up!
Pyrena's fist collides with Phoebe's face, but the witch doesn't give up that easily. She returns the favorable blow, but is met with something unexpected upon contact with Pyrena – a premonition.
~~ Phoebe's Premonition ~~
/It was at the moment where Phoebe's last premonition had just ended, where the alternate Phoebe and Piper were before several demons who had just shimmered in. They were horrified, confused, and completely unprepared. In unison they were both flung back in to the Manor wall.
As Phoebe's perception in the premonition focuses on the two hitting the wall, it shifts to the very top of the stairs where a young girl – around 2 or 3 – was watching from the shadows. Her steel-blue eyes begin to fill with a cold look of pain and confusion as she turns and runs down the hall.\
~~ End of Premonition ~~
Pyrena doesn't react to return the blow, as she's been forced by the ferocity of it. She's no longer within striking range.
Phoebe, having just come out of her premonition, stares at Pyrena. Her eyes, something was familiar about this girl's eyes.
Phoebe: Oh my God.
Paige: Phoebe, what is it?
Pyrena: (glaring at Phoebe) Oh, please. Don't get all (wincing as she clutches her stomach wound) wise now. Not when we're this far along.
Phoebe: (repeating) Oh my God. (she turns to look over at Piper and Nethaniel, in complete horror of what she sees – flames are rising up around Nethaniel) NO!
At the sound of Phoebe's voice Piper stops blasting at Nethaniel, also quite shocked at what she's just done. Chris jumps awake, gasping in surprise at what he's seeing.
Chris: Nethaniel! No! (desperately looking at his father) Leo, you have to heal him.
Leo: What?
Phoebe: Do as he says, please, just do as he says.
Pyrena takes this opportunity to shimmer out of the Manor, leaving her brother behind to whatever fate should await him. There was nothing she could do for him, not as badly wounded as she was.
Leo looks confused, but moves over to Nethaniel, who is now completely unconscious, but the flames around him have died down to sparks. He places his hands over the teen's wounds, mainly his chest and arm wounds. Phoebe rushes over, leaving Paige looking rather confused, and Piper looking quite guilty.
The golden glow appears and the wounds begin to heal, but not fully.
Leo: That's the best I can do.. (looking at Chris and Phoebe) You know who he is?
Chris just nods.
Phoebe: Yes. (glance towards Chris) I know.
Paige: You could heal him, but he's a demon? (still confused)
Phoebe: He's not a full demon.
Paige: Like Cole? (finally realizing) You mean – whoa. (offering her hand to Leo) Can I offer any help, like what we did with Cole before?
Leo: We can try. (takes Paige's hand, and tries to further heal Nethaniel's wounds)
Silence rests over the attic as Leo and Paige work on healing Nethaniel. It's a good few minutes later when the teen is finally healed, and gasps as he's pulled back in to the conscious world.
Nethaniel: What the hell?!
Chris: It's alright Nethaniel.
Nethaniel: (putting a bit of distance between himself and Leo/Paige, while looking at Chris) How do you know my name?
Chris: I know you.
Nethaniel: Funny, I don't recall ever-
Phoebe: (unable to stay silent any longer) Are you.. I mean, are you Cole's.. And mine..
Nethaniel: (startled) You know?
Phoebe: So it's true. You are my son, and Pyre? She is my...
Nethaniel: No.
Phoebe: What?
Nethaniel: You.. You're not our mother, just like he isn't our father.
Phoebe: I don't understand.
Paige: He?
Piper: Cole.
Paige: Oh...
Leo: You're not from here, this reality, are you?
Nethaniel: (ignoring them) Where is she? (not seeing his sister) You KILLED her?! (brings his hand around to summon a fire orb, but Chris is quick and knocks Nethaniel out with a telekinetic blow to the neck)
Phoebe: CHRIS?! What did you just do?
Chris: He wasn't going to give you any more answers. Not right now.
Leo: Maybe you should give us answers then.
Piper: Yes, Chris, I think it's time you spilt the info on these two.
Paige: Speaking of which, where'd that girl go?
Phoebe: (looking around) She left.. With severe injuries! O-
Chris: Phoebe, calm down. Pyrena, she can handle herself.
Phoebe: Pyrena? So that's her name...
~~
Some time has passed, Nethaniel is now resting on the couch with the Charmed Ones just watching him from across the room where they're speaking with Chris.
Chris: They weren't supposed to come this soon. In my future, Pyrena and Nethaniel didn't show up until after..
Piper: After?
Chris: After Paige died.
Paige: I died?
Chris: (continuing) With Paige gone they didn't have a reason to seek revenge, and when they found out about Wyatt and I they sort of became our guardians for a time before their own deaths.
Piper: I see, so they watched over you and your brother.
Phoebe: What I don't understand is why they showed up sooner than they originally did...
Leo: By coming back here Chris changed the timeline, perhaps this was one of the things that changed in the process.
Phoebe: Maybe.
Paige: So they blame me for Cole's death? It does make sense, I guess. If Phoebe's right then they would've seen their mother and alternate Piper die, but not me.
Chris: They were different then, things were different then. It was so far in the future too, it just seems too soon for them to be here.
Piper: Maybe in a way they've come here to continue their guardianship over you and your brother?
Chris: That doesn't make sense. I haven't even been born yet, and they didn't even know about me.
Leo: An outside force might have had a hand in helping them arrive sooner. For whatever plan they might have.
Paige: They might be the ones who turn Wyatt.
Chris: (looking at Paige) No, that wouldn't work. In my time they didn't arrive until Wyatt had been turned for several years already. They didn't have a clue that Wyatt was evil until he... (trailing off)
Phoebe: (finishing) Killed them?
Chris: (sadly) Yeah...
~~
Inside the Manor, watching from outside the Attic doorway is Adamant, invisible to the Charmed Ones. Cole appears beside him, looking amused.
Adamant: So this was your plan all along Cole? You wanted to reunite Phoebe with her offspring, give them more power to force Gideon's hand?
Cole: I wouldn't say that, I've just seen what awaits them in this new timeline that the one from the future has created. Nethaniel and Pyrena are a required risk, otherwise we ourselves could become a casualty in this new war.
Adamant looks annoyed, but has nothing to add.
Cole: (cryptically) Very soon, Adamant, you'll see things my way.
Both of them vanish.
~~
-To be continued?
Notes: This is the end of "I Never Claimed To Be An Angel", but I plan to continue this in a sequel which will focus more on the Charmed Ones, the Chris/Leo relationship, the turning of Wyatt, and how Nethaniel/Pyrena/Cole/Adamant play a part in all of it.
~~
The Charmed Ones were still in the attic, standing before a large circle made by their ever-useful crystals. Chris is standing near the back of the room, near the blank Book of Shadows, and Leo is beside Piper.
A swirl of black, red and gold lights enter the center of the circle as Pyrena and Nethaniel suddenly find themselves in the Manor once again. This time it wasn't on their terms. Almost as soon as they appear Phoebe begins to feel sick again.
Phoebe: Oh God... Not again. (leaning against Paige for support)
Paige: Phoebe?
Pyrena: The poor witch is sick is she? (then seeing Leo) How the hell did you get out?!
Leo: (side-glance towards Chris, yet Leo ignores the questions) I think I know what's causing your sickness Phoebe.
Chris: You do?
Phoebe: Do tell.
Leo: These two demons here, th-
Phoebe: Of course. It all makes sense now.
Chris: It does? (mildly surprised)
Phoebe: Last time this happened these two were in the Manor. They must have cast a spell on me. Chris looks disappointed, but says nothing else for now. They'd eventually reach the same conclusion he already has, right?
Pyrena and Nethaniel watch the Charmed Ones and Leo, un-amused by their summoning and the way they're being ignored. Nethaniel reaches forward, testing out the crystal's barrier. When it shocks his hand he pulls it back quickly and glares violently at Piper who smirks lightly at him.
Paige: Well then they'll just have to reverse that spell too. (turning towards the two demons, while still supporting Phoebe) Care to return our Book to the way it was?
Pyrena: Tell me, did it feel peaceful – nearly dying?
Paige: Well, that's obvious avoiding. Guess she doesn't want to talk.
Piper: Looks like we'll have to do this hard way.
Paige: Is there any other way?
Piper: Never. (looking at Them) Now which one of you did it? Who removed our spells and demonology?
Pyrena: (mocking) Aw, it wasn't to your liking? That's just too bad.
Nethaniel: We thought you'd appreciate it.
Piper: Appreciate it?! You just stole generation's worth of spells that our ancestors passed down to us. Why the hell would we appreciate THAT!
Pyrena: (blue-black flame spreading across her forearms) Wouldn't you rather fail knowing there was nothing you could do, then die with resources available to you that you never fully use?
Piper: Planning to attack us? (not amused)
Pyrena: It might just be me, but I believe we already attacked you before. Why would we hesitate to do so again?
Paige: Because you're trapped in a cage.
Nethaniel: And how long do you think that'll hold us?
Phoebe: Long enough for us to get some answers. (beginning to look pale)
Pyrena: In other words you think too highly of yourselves. (a sharp dagger appears in her left arm and she proceeds to stab herself in the arm with it.)
Paige: Ookay, a little too self-destructive there, thank-you.
Phoebe: (suddenly grabbing her arm in the same location Pyrena had just impaled herself with a knife) How..?
Paige: Phoebe? (looking at Pyrena) What the hell did you just do?!
Leo: They have a connection. (realizing) Whatever's making you sick, it's increasing your empathy. You're feeling physical pain now.
Phoebe: Oh, great, just great. (still grasping her arm, but looking even more sickly than before)
Paige: Alright – no more talk. Just reverse whatever it was you did to our Book and Sister, and we'll let you go.
Phoebe: (whispering) We will? (normal voice) Yes, just use reverse what you've done.
Pyrena: Why don't you.. (pulling the knife out a bit, then pushing it further in, causing Phoebe to cry out in pain).. stop giving us orders. Or your Sister will end up dead.
Nethaniel: (touching the barrier again, this time it doesn't react to him) But feel free to get in line to join her afterwards.
Piper: Oh, please. We're witches! (clearing her throat) Break this link between demon and witch, sever th-
Chris: (interrupting) I don't think that would be a good idea, Mom.
Piper: Why not?
Chris: (moving over to the crystal barrier, while making it a point not to look directly at either of his cousins) They.. Well, you see- That spell wouldn't end in the way you want it to.
Leo: You're not telling us something.
Chris: Just reword it, okay?
Piper: (raising an eyebrow) Reword it? (realizing) Oh... (looking at Pyrena and Nethaniel, then over at her sisters) I see...
Paige: Piper?
Piper: Right, rewording. – That which my sister feels, let her be free of the pain, close this connection and let her be well.
Pyrena: Like that would actually work. (eyeing Phoebe) Such a waste...
Phoebe: (slowly regaining some coloring) I think it's working.
Nethaniel: Laughable. Really. (flicking his wrist, causing the crystal barrier to deflect itself from itself, thus breaking the field)
Pyrena: (shimmers over to Paige, and moves to slam her forearm in to the witch-whitelighter's neck, but Paige orbs out – taking Phoebe with her.) You little.. (finds herself being flung back, thanks to Chris, she slams in to the wall)
Nethaniel: Pyre! (snarling, shimmers over to Chris, black fire orb at the ready)
When Nethaniel appears next to Chris the witch-whitelighter isn't ready to dodge like he was last time. The black fire orb is thrown at Chris and makes direct contact with his chest, causing him to fall back to the floor.
Piper: CHRIS! (flicks her wrists, causing an explosion to send Nethaniel back a few paces. She keeps flicking her wrists, more explosions result)
Paige and Phoebe orb back in, with Phoebe looking to be back at full health. Pyrena gets up and throws the dagger she previously pulled from her arm at Piper.
Paige: Dagger! (the weapon orbs back to Pyrena, impaling itself in her stomach.)
Being stabbed with her own weapon Pyrena staggers back, staring down at the now bloody stomach wound. She shakily reaches for the blade and rips it out, tossing it to the side as it fades away.
Pyrena: You... bitch. (collapsing)
Piper is still blasting at Nethaniel when Pyrena falls, and the demon mix is unable to come to the aid of his sister immediately. He raises his hands to deflect Piper's power back, but she blasts him before he has a chance and he's sent back with so much force he hits the wall, breaking a dresser in the process.
Leo has moved over to Chris, and is now healing his chest wound.
Leo: Come on Chris, it's just a minor wound.. You'll be fine..
Phoebe is slowly moving over towards Pyrena, with Paige in tow since Piper doesn't need any help with Nethaniel. Pyrena appears to be unconscious, but not dead.
Nethaniel sees his 'Mother' going for his sister and freaks, he attempts to shimmer out but just as he's vanishing Piper blasts him again, causing a rather harmful blow. The explosions caused to Nethaniel before were minor, whereas this one seemed to actually burn away some of Nethaniel's flesh on his left arm completely. Pain rushes through his body and he falls down the wall, hitting the ground in a very undignified manner.
Pyrena jumps awake, forcing herself off the ground, eyes fading from full- silver as she looks directly at her wounded brother.
Pyrena: NO! (cringing in pain she lifts her still flame-covered arms and gets to her knees, she sends a fury of mini blades at Piper, all of which are deflected by Paige's simple call)
Paige: Daggers! (they all orb away, harmlessly hitting the walls)
Enraged Pyrena gets up, ignoring the pain from her wound, and moves to attack Paige. Phoebe's in her way though, and the witch takes the opportunity to levitate and spin-kick Pyrena back. She hits the wall with a painful crack, but a beat later makes to get up again. Phoebe moves in.
Nethaniel is all bloody, looking far worse off than his older sister as Piper is still blasting away at him. She was going in for the kill, attempting to vanquish him in revenge for harming Chris.
Leo has fully healed Chris, but he's still out cold.
Leo: Chris, Chris get up!
Pyrena's fist collides with Phoebe's face, but the witch doesn't give up that easily. She returns the favorable blow, but is met with something unexpected upon contact with Pyrena – a premonition.
~~ Phoebe's Premonition ~~
/It was at the moment where Phoebe's last premonition had just ended, where the alternate Phoebe and Piper were before several demons who had just shimmered in. They were horrified, confused, and completely unprepared. In unison they were both flung back in to the Manor wall.
As Phoebe's perception in the premonition focuses on the two hitting the wall, it shifts to the very top of the stairs where a young girl – around 2 or 3 – was watching from the shadows. Her steel-blue eyes begin to fill with a cold look of pain and confusion as she turns and runs down the hall.\
~~ End of Premonition ~~
Pyrena doesn't react to return the blow, as she's been forced by the ferocity of it. She's no longer within striking range.
Phoebe, having just come out of her premonition, stares at Pyrena. Her eyes, something was familiar about this girl's eyes.
Phoebe: Oh my God.
Paige: Phoebe, what is it?
Pyrena: (glaring at Phoebe) Oh, please. Don't get all (wincing as she clutches her stomach wound) wise now. Not when we're this far along.
Phoebe: (repeating) Oh my God. (she turns to look over at Piper and Nethaniel, in complete horror of what she sees – flames are rising up around Nethaniel) NO!
At the sound of Phoebe's voice Piper stops blasting at Nethaniel, also quite shocked at what she's just done. Chris jumps awake, gasping in surprise at what he's seeing.
Chris: Nethaniel! No! (desperately looking at his father) Leo, you have to heal him.
Leo: What?
Phoebe: Do as he says, please, just do as he says.
Pyrena takes this opportunity to shimmer out of the Manor, leaving her brother behind to whatever fate should await him. There was nothing she could do for him, not as badly wounded as she was.
Leo looks confused, but moves over to Nethaniel, who is now completely unconscious, but the flames around him have died down to sparks. He places his hands over the teen's wounds, mainly his chest and arm wounds. Phoebe rushes over, leaving Paige looking rather confused, and Piper looking quite guilty.
The golden glow appears and the wounds begin to heal, but not fully.
Leo: That's the best I can do.. (looking at Chris and Phoebe) You know who he is?
Chris just nods.
Phoebe: Yes. (glance towards Chris) I know.
Paige: You could heal him, but he's a demon? (still confused)
Phoebe: He's not a full demon.
Paige: Like Cole? (finally realizing) You mean – whoa. (offering her hand to Leo) Can I offer any help, like what we did with Cole before?
Leo: We can try. (takes Paige's hand, and tries to further heal Nethaniel's wounds)
Silence rests over the attic as Leo and Paige work on healing Nethaniel. It's a good few minutes later when the teen is finally healed, and gasps as he's pulled back in to the conscious world.
Nethaniel: What the hell?!
Chris: It's alright Nethaniel.
Nethaniel: (putting a bit of distance between himself and Leo/Paige, while looking at Chris) How do you know my name?
Chris: I know you.
Nethaniel: Funny, I don't recall ever-
Phoebe: (unable to stay silent any longer) Are you.. I mean, are you Cole's.. And mine..
Nethaniel: (startled) You know?
Phoebe: So it's true. You are my son, and Pyre? She is my...
Nethaniel: No.
Phoebe: What?
Nethaniel: You.. You're not our mother, just like he isn't our father.
Phoebe: I don't understand.
Paige: He?
Piper: Cole.
Paige: Oh...
Leo: You're not from here, this reality, are you?
Nethaniel: (ignoring them) Where is she? (not seeing his sister) You KILLED her?! (brings his hand around to summon a fire orb, but Chris is quick and knocks Nethaniel out with a telekinetic blow to the neck)
Phoebe: CHRIS?! What did you just do?
Chris: He wasn't going to give you any more answers. Not right now.
Leo: Maybe you should give us answers then.
Piper: Yes, Chris, I think it's time you spilt the info on these two.
Paige: Speaking of which, where'd that girl go?
Phoebe: (looking around) She left.. With severe injuries! O-
Chris: Phoebe, calm down. Pyrena, she can handle herself.
Phoebe: Pyrena? So that's her name...
~~
Some time has passed, Nethaniel is now resting on the couch with the Charmed Ones just watching him from across the room where they're speaking with Chris.
Chris: They weren't supposed to come this soon. In my future, Pyrena and Nethaniel didn't show up until after..
Piper: After?
Chris: After Paige died.
Paige: I died?
Chris: (continuing) With Paige gone they didn't have a reason to seek revenge, and when they found out about Wyatt and I they sort of became our guardians for a time before their own deaths.
Piper: I see, so they watched over you and your brother.
Phoebe: What I don't understand is why they showed up sooner than they originally did...
Leo: By coming back here Chris changed the timeline, perhaps this was one of the things that changed in the process.
Phoebe: Maybe.
Paige: So they blame me for Cole's death? It does make sense, I guess. If Phoebe's right then they would've seen their mother and alternate Piper die, but not me.
Chris: They were different then, things were different then. It was so far in the future too, it just seems too soon for them to be here.
Piper: Maybe in a way they've come here to continue their guardianship over you and your brother?
Chris: That doesn't make sense. I haven't even been born yet, and they didn't even know about me.
Leo: An outside force might have had a hand in helping them arrive sooner. For whatever plan they might have.
Paige: They might be the ones who turn Wyatt.
Chris: (looking at Paige) No, that wouldn't work. In my time they didn't arrive until Wyatt had been turned for several years already. They didn't have a clue that Wyatt was evil until he... (trailing off)
Phoebe: (finishing) Killed them?
Chris: (sadly) Yeah...
~~
Inside the Manor, watching from outside the Attic doorway is Adamant, invisible to the Charmed Ones. Cole appears beside him, looking amused.
Adamant: So this was your plan all along Cole? You wanted to reunite Phoebe with her offspring, give them more power to force Gideon's hand?
Cole: I wouldn't say that, I've just seen what awaits them in this new timeline that the one from the future has created. Nethaniel and Pyrena are a required risk, otherwise we ourselves could become a casualty in this new war.
Adamant looks annoyed, but has nothing to add.
Cole: (cryptically) Very soon, Adamant, you'll see things my way.
Both of them vanish.
~~
-To be continued?
Notes: This is the end of "I Never Claimed To Be An Angel", but I plan to continue this in a sequel which will focus more on the Charmed Ones, the Chris/Leo relationship, the turning of Wyatt, and how Nethaniel/Pyrena/Cole/Adamant play a part in all of it.
