A/N: Okay – the chapter you've all been waiting for, or at least I hope you've been wanting to read. Be warned – this chapter has a character death. As to who, well, you'll have to read on.

We're nearing the end folks...FYI, this is the second to last chapter. Again, thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Hope this chapter lives up to everyone's expectations.

Chris Drew Lover: I hope that this chapter was everything you hoped for...butterflies is a difficult expectation to live up to!

Alessa: Glad you like it...and yes, there's a bit of inspiration from the matrix...very perceptive!

Story diva: Thanks – I was having real pains with the flow and pacing. It's all Chris and Wyatt this chapter...hope it doesn't disappoint.

Emma15: Hmmm...I'm not sure what Piper will say to her son either. Glad you liked the chapter.

Pukah: Sometimes I can't believe how spot on you are! When I first wrote my ideas down for the plot, I had for the climax – "Big fight scene! Think LOTR: the TTs!" Seriously...that's a little scary, eh? Re: finding religion...that's my favourite line in that chapter, too...heehee.

CaliforniaChick: Yes, I finally did. There were times when I was re-writing that I thought that chapter would never see the light of day. That was probably the most difficult one I've written so far – pacing and flow were so important. So happy you enjoyed it...makes all the hair pulling worthwhile!

Cat: Hope this update is soon enough. Thanks for the kind words.

Teal-lover: You're excited? Really? Or are you just pulling my leg? Personally, I'm dreading the confrontation – poor Chris.

Calen: Read on and your question will be answered!

Icantthinkofafnick: Hmmmm...that's too bad it's 95 of the time foggy. Yes – it is a good thing this is fictional – or I'd be in BIG trouble with the many mistakes I know are just littering this fic.

Lex: Well – I am continuing, but not for much longer. Hope you like!

Demonman21: Wow! A new reader! Thanks for the review – glad you liked the character portrayal, especially since I know they're not really true to the TV series.

Yourock: Thanks! I would gladly give my idea away for free, if it meant that Drew returned for a couple more episodes. As to why Wyatt turned evil...this chapter should reveal my spin on it. Enjoy!

Chapter 14

"I've been waiting a life time...

For this moment to come...

I'm destined for anything at all."

– Green Day

His hair was a dirty blonde, hanging in tendrils past his shoulders, in an unkempt mess. He was tall, taller than Chris, and spoke with a deep voice that caused Piper to shiver. His pale blue eyes were icy cold, and his entire bearing seemed to personify arrogance.

"Hello, Chris."

"Wyatt," Chris pushed himself away from the safety of his family. His tone was dull, tired.

So this...man...was her son. Piper stared at the man in front of her, the very sight of him filling her with dread, and she had no idea why. Perhaps it was because of the focused, almost cold, quality of his gaze, the sneer of contempt that curled his lip. Or perhaps it was simply because of what she had learned of him, here in the future.

"Is that anyway to greet your older brother?" Wyatt mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm, pacing slowly in front of Chris. The two brothers were watching each other warily, circling each other slowly, like animals sizing up their opponents. "Did you think I wouldn't notice when you got back to our timeline? What's the matter, Chris? Didn't you save me?"

"Wyatt –," Leo reached his hand out towards his other son. "Don't do this. This isn't you."

Sweeping his hand towards his family, Wyatt instantly froze them in place, but allowing them use of their heads. "And what would you know, Dad?"

"Wyatt – don't hurt them," Chris protested, wearily. "You know they need to go back to our time...you don't want to change the timeline too much, do you?"

Wyatt shrugged. "I wasn't planning to. I have to admit though, I was surprised when my spies told me that you had company. Took me awhile to figure out it was the family. What I can't figure out is why you let them come with you? Did you really think they could make a difference?"

"I didn't let them come with me, it was an accident. Somehow they got knocked into the time portal as I was coming through," Chris sighed, his eyes automatically searching, as he watched for an opening.

"I believe you are telling me the truth, Christopher. You always were a stickler for following rules," Wyatt smirked. Suddenly, Wyatt pivoted to his right, throwing a fireball at Leslie, who had been sneaking up behind him. "Oh please – did you think I forgot about you?"

Phoebe screamed as the fireball hit Leslie directly in the chest, picking him off the ground and slamming him into the stones of a ruined wall.

Chris spared a glance at his friend, wary of splitting his attention between him and Wyatt, noted that the wound wasn't fatal, directed his friend, "Stay out of this, Les. This is between Wyatt and me."

Leslie groaned, his body on fire, didn't bother responding. He knew that Wyatt could have easily have killed him with that fireball, but for some reason, chose only to wound rather than kill him. However, he still didn't have the energy to pick himself off the ground, and conceded that Chris was right.

"Wyatt –," Piper pleaded. "Your father's right. This isn't you. Tell us what we did wrong, honey. Tell us how to fix things."

Wyatt rolled his eyes, his gaze never leaving Chris'. "You don't get it. You never did. It's not about what's good and what's evil. It's all about power. And whoever has the most, wins."

"I don't believe that this is you," Leo whispered. "What happened to you?"

"I'm tired of talking," Wyatt snapped, and with a flick of his wrist, Wyatt caught him off guard, using his telekinesis to fling Chris across the clearing.

Piper screamed as Chris' body flew across the open space to land, stunned, atop a pile of jagged rocks. For a moment, Chris literally saw stars. Slowly, he struggled to pick himself up, the rocks digging into his back, as he crawled on his hands and knees, his head spinning, his ears ringing. Damn, I gave him that opening! Chris cursed his reaction time. Gotta move...

Shaking his head to clear it, he flung his arm out and his sword hilt jumped from the ground where it had fallen, into his hand. Bringing it up in a defensive position, Chris blocked everything from his mind, focused entirely on Wyatt, so as not to be caught off guard again.

As Wyatt tried to use his magic again, Chris easily diverted the magical attacks, rather than wasting his energy by trying to meet them head on. While Wyatt had always been more powerful in terms of magical 'firepower', Chris had always been more creative. Chris smiled sourly, remembering something his aunt Phoebe had told him when he was growing up. He had been complaining about his obvious lack of power to his aunt, whom he felt could relate given her less active powers compared to her two sisters.

There's no such thing as 'minor' magic, Chris. It's all about waiting for the right time where a little bit of magic will bring you a big result. Think of it as waiting until your enemy is off-balance, and then you give them a little push. Know your limits, know when to push, and make use of what you have, and you'll get results. Believe me, I should know!

If there was one thing his aunt Phoebe was exceptional at, it was giving advice.

"Enough fooling around." Growling, Wyatt's patience obviously taxed, he called, "Excalibur!"

The sword shimmering in his fist, Wyatt circled Chris, swinging his sword lazily from side to side, looking for an opening. Suddenly, he lunged forward viciously, and Excalibur met Chris' sword with a metal clang. The swords flew in motion, as Chris desperately tried to stop Excalibur each time Wyatt thrust or cut inward – high, low, either side. Chris smiled grimly. Wyatt had always been the better swordsman.

Clumsily, Chris blocked jarringly, almost too late, barely deflecting Excalibur at the last minute. He hissed in pain, as Wyatt's blade cut into his shoulder, and Chris swore, whipping his sword up and around, into a half crescent. Wyatt easily parried Chris' move, his smile gloating, as the two went back to circling.

Blood from Chris' shoulder was running down his arm, onto the ground, seeping into the earth. Piper was crying for both of them to stop, desist, but neither Chris nor Wyatt acknowledged her, so intent they were on each other.

Wyatt brought Excalibur down, under and up, catching the hilt of Chris' sword. Yanking the sword from his grip, it went flying. Weaponless, Chris stared into his brother's fanatical eyes.

"It's all over, little brother," Wyatt's smile was filled with malevolence. "First you, and then I'll crush what's left of the Resistance. You brought this on yourself, you know. You could have joined me. Could have stood by me. Could have been my brother."

Tight lipped, stoic, and almost angry, Chris shook his head, woozy from the loss of blood. "It's not over till I'm underground."

"That can be arranged," Wyatt's evil grin widened. "I'm sure mom and dad will love seeing me put you in the earth. Ashes to ashes, and all that."

While he watched Wyatt move in for the kill, Chris prepared to launch his final attack with magic, hoping that Wyatt would be too distracted with his obsession to end things with Excalibur. He channeled all his pent up anger, rage and resentment, born from the horror of witnessing the countless deaths of his friends and family, Chris pushed with his magic –

And found himself blocked.

He strove against the 'wall' Wyatt had set against him, even as Wyatt was moving forward, slashing at him with Excalibur. Chris dove to his right, ignoring the cries from his family, as Wyatt continued to slowly advance upon him. The wall felt glassy, and Chris could visualize it in his mind's eye, as he pushed against it with every bit of magical energy he possessed, fueled by his anger and rage –

And he felt it buckle, for just a second, as Wyatt's concentration was split between the physical and magical attacks, and he shoved with all his might –

Please let this work!

Light! He thought he cried out as he flung his arm up to cover his eyes as the blast of power reflected back into his face.

And the earth exploded beneath Wyatt and him, sending them both flying through the air, to land with a thud on either side of the clearing.

Pain.

Then darkness.

"Wait for me, Wy!" Chris shouted, as he chased after his brother. They had just finished school, and had been walking back to the Manor, when his brother had broken into a run.

"Come on, Chris!" Wyatt called over his shoulder. "I bet Mom's been baking cookies for us all afternoon!"

"Wait! Wait for me!" Chris yelled back, tripping over his feet, landing in a heap on the sidewalk, his book bag flying open, his pencils and papers spilling everywhere. His eyes filled with tears, as he struggled to get to his feet, but his feet were all tangled up in the straps of his bag.

"Are you okay?" Wyatt ran back and knelt down next to his little brother, who was blinking furiously, trying to hold back his tears.

His lower lip trembling, the ten year old pointed at his skinned knees. "Mom is going to kill me! These were brand new pants."

Sighing, Wyatt reached down to help untangle his little brother, before scooping up the many papers and pencils to shove them back into Chris' bag. "Mom won't kill you. After all, you're the baby!"

"Not funny, Wy!" Chris pouted. A tear escaped from his right eye. "And my knees hurt."

Putting down Chris' bag, Wyatt shook his head at his little brother. "Want me to call Dad? I'm sure he could fix it in a jiffy."

Chris shook his head vehemently. "No! He's got too much to do lately, you know, with all those new charges and stuff." Chris plucked at his pant leg. "I don't want to bother him."

Rolling his eyes, Wyatt sat down on the sidewalk next to his little brother. Putting one arm around Chris' frail shoulders, he looked down at the younger boy, "Chris – you have to meet Dad half way. Just because he's busy, doesn't mean he doesn't care. You could have come with us last time, you know."

Last time Leo had come to take Wyatt 'up there.' His brother's twice-blessed status had made it necessary for him to get training, more than what magic school could provide. Leo had asked Chris to come with them; after all, Leo felt that even though Chris wasn't twice-blessed, he could still learn a thing or two. But Chris had stubbornly refused to go. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with his dad and Wyatt, it was just...he wanted them to spend some normal time together. Like Wyatt took after Leo in so many things, Chris took after Piper in almost every way, including inheriting her desire for a normal life. He didn't hate going 'up there' necessarily – it was just...he wasn't sure he liked it.

Chris sighed. His feelings were all mucked up and at ten years old, he couldn't make heads or tails of it. So instead he pouted. "I don't – they look at me funny." At Wyatt's puzzled look, Chris tried to explain, "The Elders. Like I'm not suppose to be there. Like...I don't know."

Scratching his head, Wyatt said doubtfully, "Are you sure it's not all in your head?"

"No!" Chris glared at his big brother, before heaving a gloomy sigh. "Anyways, I'll never be able to do the things you do."

"Well, it doesn't matter. You know why? Because I'd never let anything bad happen to you, you know that, right?" Wyatt said, seriously.

"Right!"

"Because we're brothers. You and me. Against the world," Ruffling Chris' hair, Wyatt laughed, as Chris tried to duck away, shooting his big brother a dirty look. "So, you want me to call Dad?"

"No!" Chris protested, stubbornly, his chin sticking out, exactly like their mother.

"Fine," Wyatt rolled his eyes again, at the display of temper. "Well, we're almost home anyways. Mom can fix them for you, okay?"

"'kay"

The two brothers trudged home, leaning on each other. Opening the door to the Manor, Chris briefly entertained the thought of running up to his room before his mother could see him. Unfortunately for him, his mother seemed to possess that sixth sense that all mothers seemed to have that told them when their kids were up to no good.

"Wyatt? Chris? Is that you? What took you so long? I've got cookies baking for you," Piper's voice trailed off, as she entered the hallway spying her sons. "Chris!"

With one foot guiltily poised on the stairs, Chris slowly put his foot down, turning to face his mother shamefacedly. "Hi Mom."

Running her eyes over him, Piper's eyes zeroed in on his skinned knees immediately, and exclaimed exasperatedly, "Those were brand new pants, Chris!"

He knew his mother wasn't mad at him, per se. It just seemed that he kept ruining his pants. These were the third pair in as many weeks, and Chris had promised his mother he would be more careful. They may have magical powers, but, as his mother had pointed out dryly, money didn't grow on trees. Even for the Charmed Ones.

"Chris!"

He hated disappointing her.

"Chris!"

Frowning, Chris realized this time his mother's voice sounded...more panicked, than exasperated.

"Chris!"

Chris opened his eyes, almost throwing up, as he waited for his world to stop spinning. Blinking, he lay quiet, still hoping that the dizziness would cease. As he lay there on the ground, dazed, trying to gather his scattered wits, he heard his mother's voice again.

"Chris!" Piper was screaming, her voice full of fear. "You have to wake up, Chris! Chris! Wake up! You have to get up!"

Groaning, he put his hand to his head, trying to ease the throbbing pain in his temple. He blacked out for a moment, before he was able to fight back from the darkness. Struggling into a sitting position, he tasted something metallic in his mouth. Chris spat to his left, leaving blood on the ground from the gnash in his mouth. What the – ?!?

As his brain started functioning again, Chris became aware that it wasn't just his mother who was screaming at him, but the entire family. Right...the fight. Wyatt. He tried to push himself up off the ground, when the pain in his arm made him gasp out loud. Right...shoulder wound. Cursing himself, Chris forced himself to focus, as the screams from his family finally clued into his foggy brain.

"Chris! Get up! Get up!"

Raising his head, he saw what had his family so frantically screaming at him.

Wyatt.

He felt the way Wyatt looked. Bruised, battered, his clothes tattered, Wyatt was staggering his way across the clearing towards him. There was a cut above Wyatt's eye, deep enough that blood slowly dripped down the side of his face, lending him a most sinister air. Obviously, Chris' final magical blast had been a direct hit.

Finally galvanized into action at the sight of his brother advancing upon him, Chris stumbled to his feet. Pain lanced through his body, and it was an effort just to remain on his feet. Wyatt continued to advance slowly, each step an effort, Excalibur swaying in his hand. Searching for his own sword, Chris saw that it lay on the edge of the clearing, to his right. About to use his telekinesis to bring it to him, he stopped.

It was broken, sheared off near the hilt.

Crap!

Jerking his head to his left, to look for a weapon, any weapon, Chris nearly fell over from the wave of dizziness that hit him. Holding his head still, he breathed deeply, moaning, forcing the nausea back.

And still his family was screaming at him.

"What are you doing?!?"

"Run! Chris! You've got to get out of here!"

"Chris –,"

"Wyatt, stop...don't do this! He's your brother!"

"We end this now, Christopher," Wyatt's words were slurred, as he continued to advance upon him.

"Bring it on," Chris' voice was just as slurred, his face pale from blood loss. He wasn't in any shape to enforce those brave words; he swayed even as he stood, his face drawn with pain. Wyatt was only a couple of feet away from him. Chris had no weapon, his magical reserves exhausted from that final attack, and he could barely stand on his own two feet. Is this it? Is this the end? Is this my destiny? To meet my death at the hands of my own brother?

He stared into Wyatt's eyes, unable to look away – the cries of his family seemed almost muted in the background.

Chris saw the blade catch the sunlight, and arc down, and knew it for the one that would kill him.

The screams from his parents escalated, if possible, in volume. Instinctively, he tried to back away, tripping over his own feet to land on his rear.

Chris flung his hand out.

"Excalibur..." he gasped, weakly.

It had been a last ditch resort.

He and Wyatt had always known that Excalibur had belonged to Wyatt. Ever since Chris could remember, his parents had lectured Wyatt on the responsibility of owning the magical artifact. When they had been younger, Chris hadn't begrudged his elder brother's power to wield the sword; frankly, he was glad that it had been Wyatt's responsibility. Chris had never gone near the sword, too awed by its power and beauty, and more than a little afraid. After all, he knew the stories of when his mom had first obtained possession of the sword. The power of the sword had corrupted his mother, because only the ultimate power could handle the sword's power. Anything that could corrupt his mother, the strongest person he knew, he wanted to stay as far away as possible from.

Except...

The blade reappeared in Chris' right hand. And for one moment, sang.

Time seemed to slow.

Chris felt as if he and the sword vibrated together. A humming – somehow joyful, gleeful, almost – filled the back of his head. The sword glowed for a moment, as a line of fire flared, coalescing into script, along the flat of the blade.

The script writhed, then faded. The hum in the back of his mind stilled, and time resumed it's normal pace.

"What the hell was that?" Chris demanded, as soon as he could speak. The dumbfounded expressions on Wyatt's and his family's faces indicated that they too had just observed whatever had just happened. Wyatt stumbled back, his face full of disbelief, as he stared at the sword in Chris' hand.

"It's never done that before..." Piper trailed off, "Even when I finally passed it on to Wyatt..."

Because according to the other Elders, she was only meant to pass it on to whomever it was really meant for.

Well, why is it turning her evil?

Because only the ultimate power on earth can handle Excalibur. That's why the Lady stayed in the lake to insulate herself from the power of the sword.

"But, but..." Paige sputtered.

You once asked me if in the future, if your sons are good. Chris isn't a good man in the future, Leo. He's a great one.

You may be one person, Chris, but you're a key one. It's people like you who make the universe turn, never doubt it. No one here does.

You know, power isn't just about who has the most magic. I think you can measure a person's power in the strength of their relationships. It's about family, friends. A good heart. And from what I can see here, that's a power you've got in spades.

"Excalibur was never meant to be Wyatt's...we got it wrong...it was always Chris'." Piper whispered, stunned. "Because it's not about magic...don't you see? It's about power – a different kind of power. Not the kind from magic, but from inside. From what makes a person strong within. From what makes Chris special."

"But why was Wyatt able to use Excalibur then? If it was never meant for him?" Paige asked, bewildered.

"Because it's just like Piper's situation..." Leo said, slowly, following Piper's thread of reasoning. "He was only meant to pass it on to whomever it was really meant for. Remember? In Chris' timeline, Piper died. So the sword needed a new guardian – Wyatt. Just like the Lady of the Lake needed Piper to take care of it."

Still stunned, Chris shook his head in disbelief, "But Wyatt's always been the most powerful. The sword can only be handled by the ultimate power, remember?"

"It makes perfect sense," Piper shook her head, the words tumbling from her mouth, faster and faster as the thoughts were coming. "Think about it. Arthur wasn't a witch – Merlin was the wizard, after all. If power was about who had the most magic, wouldn't the sword have gone to Merlin? Arthur's power was the ability to rule his people. His strength of character. To be a king. To be a leader." Piper paused, "Like Chris."

"No!" Wyatt screamed, his mouth practically frothing with rage. "Excalibur is mine! Mine!" His eyes berserk with rage, Wyatt whipped his hand out, chanting, calling the sword to him.

With my gift and blood, I bound thee,

With my name, I call thee,

Come now, come to me.

Excalibur jumped, straining towards Wyatt. Chris desperately held onto the hilt with all his strength, knowing that he couldn't let Wyatt get his hands on it again.

"It will come to me eventually," Wyatt said, his smile evil. "And you will follow."

Chris' muscles knotted; he dug in his heels and held. And even though Excalibur was rightfully his, Chris knew it would only be a matter of time before the sword, and him, were within Wyatt's grasp. In the back of his mind, he heard his parents and family screaming for Wyatt to stop. What can I do?

"Wy – stop this, please. We can start over...I know we can. It doesn't have to be this way," Chris pleaded with his older brother. He looked up and gazed into his brother's crazed eyes, looking for recognition. He found none.

This man was no longer his brother.

In truth, he hadn't been for a very long time.

That had been the reason he had gone back to the past. Because Chris knew that his brother had been good. He remembered all the good times, the horseplay...they had had a special brotherly bond. Sure, he had been a bit jealous of Wyatt's twice blessed powers, but as he grew older, he had realized what a burden Wyatt's power was, and had accepted his status as the second, less-powerful child of the Charmed Ones, with good humour. He hadn't known why or how his brother had turned evil, but he did know, did in his gut, that something had turned him.

And now Chris knew.

It was the sword.

A sword that held the ultimate power, which had helped Wyatt with his evil plans, and which he, even now, needed to control his demons. A sword that had corrupted, warped and twisted his brother beyond recognition. Beyond saving.

And it was now Chris' responsibility to keep that sword from him.

Always, it was his responsibility.

He had to make a choice. God forgive me –

And he let go.

The effect was like loosing an arrow from a crossbow. Released from his pull, the sword shrieked as it flew, making everyone want to clap their hands over tortured ears. Wyatt didn't break his calling spell. He didn't even seem to know what he'd done until Excalibur had buried itself in his chest to the hilt.

His eyes wide with disbelief, Wyatt could only stare at his brother, as he fell to his knees, and then, finally, collapsed onto the ground. "Chris –,"

...I'd never let anything bad happen to you, you know that, right? Because we're brothers. You and me. Against the world...

"I'm so sorry, Wy," Chris stumbled over to his brother, tripping over his feet, as he knelt down in the dirt next to his brother. Wyatt didn't hear Chris, for he had been dead as soon as he had hit the ground. Wyatt's eyes were glazed with death, as they stared soundlessly back at Chris. Gently, helplessly, Chris plucked at his brother's sleeve, wishing that there could have been another way. He wanted to cry, but he was hollow inside. Instead, he gently reached down and closed his brother's eyes.

Suddenly free from their frozen state, Phoebe rushed to Leslie's side, gently checking his wounds, relieved that, while painful, they didn't appear to be fatal. Feeling the gentle hands picking up his head, Leslie cracked his eyelids open, staring up into Phoebe's worried face. He tried to smile reassuringly at her, before wincing in pain. Looking up, Phoebe called "Leo!"

Leo, Piper and Paige were standing behind Chris, as he knelt next to his brother's body. Leo could feel the tears well in his eyes for his dead son. Even though his head told him there was nothing that he could have done at that moment, Leo still grieved. He grieved for the loss of his son, and he grieved for Chris' pain. He reached out his hand to Chris, wanting to comfort his son, and then pulled it back. What could he say or do that would comfort Chris?

Hearing Phoebe's repeated call, Leo glanced at Piper, who nodded, tacitly giving him her permission, and Leo turned away with a heavy heart to help at least one person.

Both Paige and Piper stood awkwardly behind Chris, unsure of what, if anything, they could say to comfort him. While Piper loved both her sons – here, in this time, she couldn't reconcile her toddler with the man who had just tried to cleave his younger brother in half. To her, that man had not been her son. She wouldn't let him be her son. So, instead, she shoved all thoughts of her eldest out of her mind, intent on providing what meager comfort she could to her youngest.

"Chris –," Piper said hesitantly.

"Don't," Chris said, hoarsely, his back still to them. "Don't – say – anything. Don't touch me, don't come near me. Just – don't."

Healed, Leslie stumbled his way over to Chris, stopping a few feet away. He gave Wyatt's body a cursory glance, but frankly, he didn't give a damn. After all, the bastard had murdered his family and friends. But he held his tongue, because he cared about Chris. Instead, he said, "Zach says the demons are disbursing, now that Wyatt's...not leading them. It's complete disarray. Darryl said it's a rout. Should just be clean up now."

Chris said nothing.

Awkwardly, Leslie tried again, "Chris –,"

"Can you handle it?" Chris broke in, tiredly. "Can you – please – just...can you please just take care of it?"

Nodding, even though he knew Chris couldn't see it, Leslie offered, "Of course."

"Chris –," Leo took a step closer, "Let me heal you."

Shaking his head, Chris leaned forward, his hand gently sitting on Wyatt's chest, his voice breaking, "Just – leave me alone."

And with that, Chris orbed himself and Wyatt's body, dissolving into a scattering of blue orbs.

To be continued...

Last chapter to go – Leo and the sisters get ready to leave, and Chris says goodbye.

A/N: Re: Excalibur – Did anyone see that coming? Just wondering... Right from the first word in Chapter 1, I knew this was where I wanted the story to end up and tried to drop hints along the way. Was I too obvious? Was it a surprise? Too overdone?