BEFORE NIGHT AWAKENS
By Sickle Sword
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Disclaimer: What a surprise, I don't own anything.
A/N: I have a beta!!! I thank from the bottom of my heart to AK8 who kindly agreed to be help me!!!
denna5 : (giggling stupidly from satisfaction) thank you for your warm review!
rafiki : Maybe I'm going to save him, and maybe I'm not. That would be telling. And Dude wasn't offended. Really, I gave so many clues about who he is, it' a real wonder that no one recognized him yet. Oh, well.. . you soon will.
Succubus-69: Don't worry, we all have that unexplained motherly impulse concerning to Chris. He kindda does that to you. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy torturing and killing him, of course, but that's not the point. ; )
It should have been me who had told him the truth, even when I didn't know the meaning of the word truth, for I have lived in a lie. I should have held him close to my arms and closer to my arms and even when he chose to go away, I should have followed. It should have been me who died. Not him.
Chapter 11: Anger Unleashed
Thought and doubts raced in Piper's head. She didn't know anymore what she is going to do. Her son was gone without a trace, and even with all Phoebe's good will, she wasn't able yet to force a premonition to tell them what happened. Frankly, she felt lost.
Paige came near her, handing her a plate. Urging her to eat. She hadn't eaten since . . . everything that had happened.
She simply couldn't.
"Come on, Piper, you have to eat something" Paige told her so bossily that Piper thought her veins were about to explode.
"No, Paige, I don't HAVE to do anything, Wyatt's gone, remember?" she accused her sister in something that wasn't even Paige's fault. But she didn't care enough to see the hurt glimpse that crossed her sister's face before it was changed to deep understanding. It was worse, the pity. She preferred the anger. It made her feel less exposed.
"We'll fix it. . .somehow." Paige said in fake cheerfulness. It was obvious she didn't believe her own worlds.
"No, we can't. You know that" and with that she turned around and went upstairs, leaving the meal untouched.
Paige followed her with her eyes, worried. She could understand her, honestly. After all, Wyatt was her nephew as well, but she didn't think anger would sort this out. She only hoped she knew what would.
"Any luck yet?" she turned to her other sister, who sat frowning on the uncomfortable floor.
"No" Phoebe admitted her face fallen. She was adamant that she could do it. That she could see to where that creature took Wyatt. So far, no luck.
"Come on, take a break" Paige felt the need to comfort her as well.
"Yeah, soon. How's Piper?"
"Not good. She went upstairs. She's hiding again"
Phoebe only moaned as a response. There wasn't a thing any of them could do. They contacted Leo earlier, but even in his grief he preferred to stay Up There under the excuse he needed to check this with the other Elders. Paige could understand him in some level, it was probably easier to stay away, not to be in the same place that screamed his son's name.
"It's been three days already. She's not eating" Paige returned to the reality. Something has to be done. And quick, or Piper was lost too.
"Yeah, I know. I just don't have idea how to help her, you know?" phoebe cried out, frustrated. Useless. She was absolutely useless. She hated to feel that way.
Paige locked her gaze on the wall behind her, the same wall that witnessed everything, and wished it could speak.
"You miss him, huh?" Phoebe asked her, empathically. She missed Chris too. It's been too hard to watch the vortex being opened in the middle of everything and to see his body floating to it, swallowed by the future. He, too, was gone. True, he had been really annoying in the time he's been there, but he cared about them. He died protecting them. Like the whitelighter he wasn't.
"Both. It's empty without them"
Phoebe nodded and said with a sad smile "who's going to order us to hunt demons now?"
"What's the point to hunt them now?"
"True."
"God, we sound pathetic"
"I know"
There was nothing they could do. And they knew it.
"Come on, take a break. You need it. We both need it" Paige offered and helped her sister up, freeing her aching muscles. "I'll make us a tea"
"Thanks" Phoebe smiled gratefully and got up. She didn't notice before she was so hungry, but now that Paige mentioned that, she was starving. Like agreeing, her stomach protested out loud and Phoebe felt the world blackens for a moment as she regained balance again. Needing support, she leaned on the wall, studying without real interest the carving.
"Is everything ok?" Paige came from the other room, in her hands two steaming cups.
"Yeah. I. . "
Flashback
Chris grinned with obvious satisfaction as he stretched his hands, a fireball emitting from his open hand. A young man screamed as the fire hit him.
There was nothing left of him besides the echo of his screams.
An ugly looking demon materialized from the thin air, sharing with Chris understanding glare as he shot him with his crossbow.
End of flashback
" . .That sonofabitch!" Phoebe screamed furiously at the vision she just saw.
"What?" Paige asked her sister, worried that another one went insane, leaving the tea cups secured on the table.
"Chris. He killed an innocent and befriended with the demon who took Wyatt!"
"You're sure?"
"I know what I saw"
Paige was enraged. They trusted that scumbag! They mourned him!
"You think we should tell Piper?" Phoebe asked her, worried.
"Tell her what- that the savior from the future didn't come to save us after all?"
"But that's impossible! Remember, he said that under the influence of a truth spell" Phoebe tried to find reason, her emotions high.
"Maybe they found solution in the future" Paige shrugged, her mind still fuming with anger toward Chris, her sisters, and herself. She was blind. Why hadn't she seen that he was imposter?
"Maybe" phoebe agreed with her, her heart heavy.
"What's all that noise about?" Piper came down, her eyes looking tired and sorrowful.
Nudging her sister, Paige answered quickly, too quickly "Nothing"
Eyeing them suspiciously, Piper didn't buy a word.
Surrendering under the heavy accusation in Piper's glare, Phoebe decided to tell her. There were enough lies being told. "I saw Chris killing an innocent"
"What?!" Piper yelled, her arms moving so frantically that Paige was scared she might blow something up
"Easy there, you don't want to blow us up, do you?" Page told her kindly, securing her hands down.
Piper only shot an angered sight toward her.
"I also saw him with the demon that took Wyatt" Phoebe continued gently, afraid of making Piper mad but more than that, now that a plan was cooked in her mind, she wanted to share her. At last, something to do "I think we should go to the future"
"What?" this time, it was Paige who jumped, unbelieving.
"Maybe Chris would know to where he might take him"
"Chris is DEAD, Phoebs" Piper said softly, her eyes having that watery sight again.
"Only if that what he made us believe" Paige was still angry about him. How could he lie to them?
"You really think so?" Piper stood stiffly, wondering what is has to be done now.
"There is only one way to find out" Phoebe answered enthusiastically.
"Fine. We need a spell" Piper gathered herself and made a mental list of what was needed to be done. "Phoebe, Paige, you work on that. I'll go and find some nice potions for our future boy"
With these words she left.
Shrugging, the remaining sisters went to work on their task.
One hour later, everything was ready. The spell was written and the potions were brewed to perfection, covering any implication they might find.
United, they began chanting
Hear me now the sands of time
Hear these words, Hear the rhyme,
Heed the hope within my mind,
Send me to where I'll find,
What I wish in place and time
Bring me to where I want to be
Precede my destiny
Stepping to the other side, they let the blueness swallow them.
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