O.O

Inner Demons:

Chapter 2: Facing The First Of Many

Chris looked around himself only to see white. A lot of white.

"Where are we?" Chris asked, looking around.

"Anywhere. Nowhere. Who really knows?" Prue said, also looking around.

Chris stared at her. "Okay . . ."

Prue smiled. "I meant that we're wherever we need to be. For you to confront the earliest moment that makes you scared," she said, smiling as the scenery around them began to get blurry, like a TV that was on a channel that it could barely get.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked, looking confused.

"Watch," Prue said, motioning around them, which was now clear.

They were standing in the manor living room. In front of them was a six year old Chris, playing blocks with a seven year old Wyatt.

Leo orbed in, smiling. "Hey! How're my two favourite boys in the whole world?!" he asked as Little Chris and Wyatt ran to him, hugging him tightly.

"Daddy, are you going to be staying for my birthday party?" Little Chris asked hopefully.

Leo smiled. "I'm going to have to leave soon, but I'll be back in time for your party."

"Promise?" Little Chris asked, smiling widely.

"Promise. I wouldn't miss it for the world," Leo said, hugging Little Chris tightly.

Chris watched the scene in front of him, feeling the tears in his eyes threatening to spill over.

Prue looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

"He never came. He left, and he never came back for my party. I didn't see him next until Wyatt's birthday. He didn't even apologize that day. He just ignored me," Chris said as a tear fell down his face.

Prue put a hand on Chris's shoulder and squeezed it sympathetically. "Well, let's just keep watching."

Chris sighed and turned back to watch his younger self get his heart broken, being forced to feel the pain all over again.

There came a jingle.

Leo looked up and sighed. "I have to go now, buddy."

"I can't wait until my party, Daddy! I wanna spend the whole time with you!" Little Chris yelled excitedly.

"I'm looking forward to it," Leo said, kissing both his sons on their heads before orbing away.

Chris turned to Prue as they followed Leo. "Why are we following him? Isn't it a memory? Shouldn't I only see what I remember?"

Prue shook her head. "No. You see what you're meant to see. And what you're meant to see isn't just your memories. It's bigger than that. Now, watch."

Chris turned and watched his father walk up to the elders.

"Leo, we need to talk to you about something very important," an elder said as Leo sat down in a seat in front of them. "You need to pay more attention to Wyatt than to Chris."

Leo looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Wyatt's too powerful for his own good. Chris isn't all that powerful. You need to keep a close watch on Wyatt so nothing happens to him. We've gotten word that a demon is after him," the elder said, looking down at Leo.

"A demon is always after him. Why is this one so much more different?" he asked, standing up and crossing his arms.

"Because, Leo, this demon has captured so many magical children that we've lost count. He's become a threat to the greater good. And if he catches Wyatt, we're looking at the extinction of all the good in this world. Of all the elders, all the whitelighters, and all the witches. Then he'll go after mortals who cause a threat to him. And we can't let that happen."

"So I'm just supposed to ignore Chris? I can't do that," Leo said, staring at them like they were crazy.

"We can make you. And, as for tonight, you have to work with another charge," the elder said, crossing his arms.

"But then I'll miss Chris's birthday party! I can't do that! I promised him that I'd be there!" Leo yelled, storming over to the elder.

"Calm yourself, Leo. I'm sorry. But this is all for the greater good," the elder said, putting up a hand to Leo, signaling him not to come any closer.

"For the greater good?! It doesn't even make sense!" Leo yelled.

"Leo, if Wyatt wasn't so powerful, we would make it so you wouldn't be able to spend time with either of your sons. So feel happy that Wyatt is as powerful as he is, or you would be left without any son," the elder said.

"And what if I refuse to stay away from Chris?" Leo asked, crossing his arms again.

"Then we will erase his very existence in this world, Leo. And you will only have one son to do anything with," the elder said, raising his eyebrows at Leo. "It is your choice."

"I can't believe you're making me do this. Chris is my son. He can't grow up without a father," Leo pleaded.

"He will have his uncles there. And his mother can raise him properly without your help," the elder said, looking down at Leo.

"His uncles and my wife can't replace me in his life. He needs me there. Please. Don't make me do this," he pleaded.

"We are very sorry, Leo. But we must. For the greater good," the elder said, grabbing a velvet bag from the table behind him. "And if you want to keep your son that badly, and still do not wish to cooperate, we will make you." He grabbed a handful of powder from the bag and threw it on Leo. "There. No go assume your duties to your charges, Leo. And don't go to your son's birthday party. You will pay dearly if you do."

Leo nodded and orbed away, not realizing that he was under a spell that could never be broken.

"Those bastards!" Chris yelled as the scenery started to become blurry once again. "How could they do this to me?! How could they make me go through so much pain in my life because my father wasn't there?!"

The scenery around them turned to white once again, and Prue pulled Chris close, hugging him and stroking his hair.

"How could they do that?" Chris asked, a single tear flowing down his cheek.

"You have to move on from that, Chris. You can't hold a grudge at the elders. If you don't move on and battle your inner demons, then you can never leave this place. You will be stuck here, while your body sleeps. Forever," Prue said, looking him in the eyes.

"What time is it at home?" Chris asked, starting to calm himself down.

"I don't know. Let's see what's happening there, shall we?" Prue asked, waving a hand, causing the scenery around them to change to that of Chris's current room.

Phoebe, Paige, and Leo were surrounding Chris, who was shaking on his bed, sweat covering his face.

"Chris, please wake up," Phoebe pleaded, kneeling next to him, tears streaming down her face.

"That must be one hell of a dream," Paige said from the end of the bed, staring down at her nephew.

Phoebe looked up at Leo. "You were the first one here. How long has he been doing this?"

Leo had tears in his eyes. "I've been in here for about ten minutes. I don't know how long he had been doing it before I heard him, though."

"What time is it?" Paige asked herself, glancing at Chris's clock. "One in the morning. Nice."

"Paige, don't you even care that our nephew could be dying?!" Phoebe yelled, looking up at her sister.

"Of course I care, Phoebe! But there's obviously nothing we can do! We just have to wait it out!" Paige yelled back.

Leo ignored the two's bickering and knelt down next to his son, stroking his hair gently. "What's going on in that head of yours, huh? You better be okay when this is over. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't."

Chris looked back at Prue. "I'm ready."

"Ready to go face the next inner demon that you have to conjure?" Prue asked, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms.

"No. I'm ready to go home," Chris said, looking back at his father and two aunts.

"I'm sorry, Chris. We can't yet. Not until all of your demons are conjured," Prue said, sighing and taking Chris's hands in her own as the scenery began to become blurry once more.

"How many are there?" Chris asked pleadingly, wishing that he had never gone to sleep that night.

"I don't know. Only time will tell," Prue said as the scenery around them changed once again, pulling them into another moment that Chris had to face.

O.O.O.O.O

Wow. I just realized how difficult making long chapters is with this kind of story. That's why I had to add that thing of him looking at his body "sleeping" with Leo, Phoebe, and Paige surrounding him. And don't worry about Paige. She really is worried. That's why she's being a bitch. Because she's so worried. Anyway, review please! Ciao!

Hannah