BLINDED BY THE WHITELIGHTER BY ASHA DREAMWEAVER

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Summary: Gideon goes after the Halliwells. The Elders have decided that the Charmed One's progeny is too powerful to let live. Unfortunately he meets an unforeseen complication in the form of adult Wyatt, come back from the future to collect his wayward brother, Chris.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews! They're really appreciated!

Review responses:

99MT - I'll certainly have to take those ideas under consideration. Could be fun.

Buffspike - I think the majority has ruled that Wyatt will be more sneaky and cunning for this fic rather than resorting to physical violence. I am thinking about doing another fic where Wyatt is more nasty and threatening, though the jury's still out on whether or not I'll have time to write it.

Calen - um sorry, but I'm a little confused here. Who's future exploits? Did you mean Wyatt or Chris? I didn't know so I'll answer for both. The part of this story set in the future goes up to when Chris left for the past. It will then switch to just after 'The Courtship of Wyatt's Father' and will kick off the next round there. Wyatt comes back for his unruly little bro and much mayhem ensues.

charmediscool - Yeah, I kinda add them in where it's appropriate for the chapter.

evendim - Thanks! I was thinking that way too.

Lotamoxie - You're reviewing me! Wow, I'm honoured. 'Best Laid Plans' was awesome.

Night time reading - You're very close to the mark.

NoAlias - Sorry about the wait between updates but Real Life always interferes. And I totally agree with the Wyatt using trickery thing. Saw an old episode of Charmed, 'Long Live the Queen' which gave me a few ideas.

Painted Smile - Thanks so much. It's nice to know that my version of Wyatt is going down well after all he only really appears in one episode in season 6.

Roswell26 - Yeah, but after all Wyatt's probably done. I think the resistance has a right to be a bit wary. You might not feel so sorry for them by the end of the chapter though.

Shoequeeny - Ok, torture out. P.S. - when are you gonna update 'presently futuristic'?

Sickle Sword - Too true. That's something that has to be built up to.

Slain - I wasn't mad on Bianca either. But to at least somewhat adhere to canon, she has to be in this fic. As I hate writing romance, mainly because I stink at it, it will be very general and not delved into in depth or something given much time to. But Chris gay? I think he proved not-so when he slept with his charge Natalie in the past. Unless he's bi. I'm in no way opposed to slash but it doesn't work for this fic, which is to be as romance free as possible. Your ideas are interesting for other stories though.

Twisted Flame - Wow, thanks! You had me blushing!

Willows2 - blushes Thanks!

And major thanks to:

Dannyblue, Denna5, GwEnDoLyN P. MaLfOy, Kelly, Paula, YoshimiWolfspaw,

CHAPTER THREE: THROWN TO THE WOLVES

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.'

- Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887.

"FIND HIM!" Wyatt bellowed to the gathered group of demons. They all shimmered out immediately. Their Liege had been in a foul temper since he discovered that his brother had ran away, and if he got really angry, they wouldn't be the first demons to die at his hand today.

Wyatt hadn't been so angry in a couple of years. Betrayed by his own brother! How could Chris do this to him?! Similar thoughts had been filling his mind ever since he realised that Chris had done a runner. He'd tried scrying and sensing for him, but little bro had him blocked off somehow. He didn't think his brother would be foolish enough to stay in the city, but then again he could be anywhere by now! And it would be a stroke of luck on the part of his demons if they were to find him.

He hadn't expected this. How could he? He'd taken his brother in, protected him, loved him and then Chris comes along and stabs him in the back.

Across the room, a bookcase exploded, an outward display of anger from the fury of magic bubbling inside him. Angry with himself now for losing control, he took a series of deep, deliberate breaths, forcibly calming himself.

He had to think now, think and find a solution to this mess that didn't involve the shedding of blood.

But by god, Chris was going to be sorry for this.

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Chris was still a child in so many ways, he assured himself. A dangerous child, but a threat nonetheless. He would pay for his betrayal. If it had been anyone but him, they'd be a scorch mark on the floor, but for Chris, he had something else in mind.

His little brother had made a very big mistake. And being the big brother, he was going to make sure Chris knew exactly what would happen to people who betrayed their own flesh and blood.

Chris was going to pay, and pay dearly, for this little escapade.

Summoning one of his assassins, a Phoenix called Bianca, he outlined her mission, "Find where he is, make sure he stays there and come and get me once you've got his location. Don't let him know what you are, he'll vanquish you quicker than you can shimmer."

"Of course, my Liege," Bianca said before shimmering out.

Moving over to the window, to look out over his city, he wondered how his brother would fare handling that vixen of a Phoenix.

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Four months later, he found Bianca waiting for him. "I've found him as you ordered my Liege," she said.

Finally, he thought. He'd been beginning to think he was just going to have to go and get the job done himself. "Good. Tell me, where's the little rascal been holed up?"

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, judging his mood, "He was with the resistance, my Liege."

So, betrayal had gone one step further. From leaving Wyatt to actively working against him. It cut deep and it galled him. Betrayal always was a bitter pill to swallow. "Doing what?" he demanded coldly.

"They took him in, despite the risk of him being a spy, because he is second in power too you. He refused to strike against you my Liege. In return for his sanctuary he used his powers to keep them hidden from you. I have infiltrated them and know their location now. Do you want me to retrieve him my Lord?"

Wyatt sat back, steepling his fingers thoughtfully. "No, not yet," he said after a moment, "I want this pitiful resistance too. Let it be known that no one stands against me and lives." Shooting a shrewd look at Bianca, he issued his orders, "You are to go to them with an offer of amnesty. Tell them that if they hand Chris over, I'll leave them alone."

Even Bianca's impressive poker face couldn't hold under that shock, "You plan on leaving them alone, my Lord?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course not," Wyatt said somewhat impatiently, "As soon as Chris is back here, they all die. But it serves my purpose to let them believe their safe. Chris will see that he has been betrayed and should know better than to run off to them again. And people will see that there is no so-called 'resistance' that going to rise up and save them. I'm in control now and that's the way it's going to stay."

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After telling Wyatt how the resistance had agreed to his proposition, Bianca, expecting to be dismissed, headed for the door. She never made it that far.

Wyatt grabbed her by the elbow, hauling her round to face him with a grip tight enough to be painful, "Stay away from him Bianca," he hissed.

She stiffened, "I don't know what you're on about," she said, "You're the one who sent me after him. I was only doing my job."

"Don't try to lie Phoenix," he said after a moment, "Did you think I wouldn't know?" Wyatt seemed amused at her feelings, "Who knew the big bad Bianca could fall in love?"

"It's none of your concern!" Bianca snapped, forgetting herself for a moment. Her back impacting hard with the wall reminded her of her mistake.

"Getting above our station are we now Phoenix?" Wyatt snarled angrily, throwing a low-volt energy ball at her. "You forget to whom you speak! For all intents and purposes, I am your master and what I say goes. I'll let you off with your little dalliance for now but stay away from him. He doesn't need to associate with people like you. Not to mention he doesn't like murderers."

Wyatt's words were calculatingly cruel and struck Bianca's weak spots as intended. "You've had your one and only warning, my servant," he sneered, "If you choose to disregard it, you'll be dead before you have a chance to regret it. Leave."

As Bianca scrambled up, clutching her burnt shoulder, and shimmered out, she wondered exactly what in the name of all hells she had gotten herself into.

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Casting the final spell on the room, he stood back and surveyed his handiwork with satisfaction. No one would be able to get out of this room. He'd cast anti-magic and anti-orbing spells and a whole a whole host of other enchantments to keep his crafty little brother where he put him instead of running off who knows where.

Now all he had to do was go fetch him home.

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Chris never saw it coming.

One moment, he was flicking through an old spellbook, jotting down notes on a refill pad. The next, he was surrounded by a dozen demons. Raising his hands to fling the ones in front of him away from him, he was stopped abruptly by pressure gripping his throat. Sinking to his knees, gasping for breath, as the pressure increased and his windpipe was blocked, he was seeing black spots before he was released.

Greedily sucking in air to his starved lungs, he looked up when a commanding voice, a familiar voice, laced with anger spoke, "You have been a very, very bad boy Christopher," Wyatt said. Throwing a potion at him that made all his limbs feel as weak as a baby, he was unable to do anything when someone stepped up behind him and bound his hands together with the enchanted rope his aunt Paige had invented. It blocked the captive's magic from being used. Ingenious at the time, possibly deadly now.

He'd been found out and he wasn't sure if Wyatt wouldn't kill him or not. Judging by his expression, it was a definite possibility.

The person hauled him up and he turned his head to look. He could have sworn he literally felt his heart shatter. Bianca, his girlfriend Bianca, dressed up in leather and looking at him like he was a slug, had betrayed him.

Wyatt didn't miss his anguished look, "Ah, I see you've met Bianca already," he said vindictively, "One of my best assassins."

Chris felt his throat constrict again, this time with the effort of holding back the emotions inside him as the resistance leader, Vida, walked over to Wyatt. "There," she said coldly, "He's yours. Leave."

Apparently he could trust no one.

Wyatt reached over and grabbed Chris tightly by the arm, daring him to try and run, "Time for us to settle some matters, brother," he hissed menacingly, and orbed out.

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Throwing Chris onto the bed, he crossed his arms over his chest and glared sternly at the runaway. Chris tried to scramble to his feet but failed miserably. Wyatt took a deep breath, "If any other had tried what you just did, they'd be dead by now," he began, "What possessed you, my own brother, to betray me? Why did you do it Chris?"

Chris looked him directly in the eye before speaking, "Because I can't condone you being a tyrant," he said quietly but firmly, "You've changed Wyatt and not for the better. I don't know what happened to you to make you this way but I can't follow you down, brother or not, I can't."

"So you ran?" Wyatt said mockingly, "Doesn't sound like the Chris I know. You didn't even have the decency to tell me to my face! Instead you schemed, you lied and you ran. Did you really think I wouldn't find you?"

"I had hoped you would leave me alone. I can't stand by and watch you become a murderer. You've gone against everything our family stood for. I didn't want to watch you become a monster."

"Everyone in our family died early deaths because of that belief." Wyatt said scathingly, "Did you think I was going to make the same mistakes?"

"And you think dealing with demons is not going to end with them stabbing you in the back?" Chris sneered sarcastically.

"They know who's stronger. They know they can't bring me down."

"So said several Sources. Funnily enough, I don't see them around anymore."

Wyatt glared at him reproachfully, "You're just determined to be awkward aren't you? You're not going anywhere Christopher so I suggest you get used to it. Why do you really want to leave so badly anyway? The world is the way it is, no matter where you are. And there's nothing you can do to change that."

"You've gone over to evil. I don't want to have to vanquish you."

"You may be powerful little bro but you are nowhere near good enough to kill me, even if you didn't have the goody-two-shoes thing going on. But, I'm hurt Chris, you're already plotting my death? Such an example of brotherly love."

Chris closed his eyes wearily, not wanting to look at Wyatt any longer, "Just do whatever you're going to do or set me free. I can't be what you want from me."

Wyatt knew that when Chris got into this stubborn mood of his, there was no reasoning with him. His brother was determined to win but he'd forgotten Wyatt's very own stubborn streak. What Wyatt wanted, Wyatt got. Chris may have forgotten that but he sure as hell hadn't. "This room is magic-proof," he said shortly, "You can't orb, you can't cast spells, you can't leave without my permission. Don't even bother trying to leave again, the consequences won't be nice."

"You can't hold me here forever, I'll find a way."

"By the time I'm through, you won't want to. And anyway, what have you got to return to? Betrayal, false promises, false love?" Wyatt said, expertly hitting Chris's weak points, "I have a surprise waiting just for you. It's a pity that you won't like it half as much as I will. You have no idea what power could be yours," Wyatt said before he left, "But you'll learn."

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Locking the door behind him, Wyatt figured that meeting had gone as well as could be expected. At least neither of them had had to use their powers on the other. His little brother was going to be a right pain unless he got creative. Chris was as stubborn as a mule, as long as he believed that Wyatt was trying to turn him, he would be as co-operative as a brick wall.

But memories were dangerous things, especially when they could be taken away.

After all, if Chris couldn't remember some of the worse things he had done, then how could he hold a grudge against Wyatt because of them?

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Staring at the door his brother had just exited, Chris let out a relieved breath. He had been afraid Wyatt would lose his temper with him while Chris was unable to fight back. But it seemed that Wyatt had something more sinister planned. Exactly what sort of surprise did he have in mind? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Wyatt had been too pleased.

Now that he was gone, he immediately tried to test out his powers, despite Wyatt's warning. He soon saw his brother had been smug for a reason, he was powerless in here and if Wyatt had been right about that, he wasn't going to try to pick the lock until he was sure the door wouldn't try and zap him or something. One never knew what Wyatt could dream up.

The room he was in was fairly average sized. It had a bed, a locker, a table, a chair and a bookcase filled with books. Obviously Wyatt had decided that he was going to bore Chris into submission. The bed was comfortable though and he was finally sure that Wyatt wasn't lingering outside the door, waiting for Chris to break down.

He had been right when he had called it 'false love'. Apparently Bianca had never cared for him at all. She'd just been using him. And god it hurt. He'd been halfway in love with her and to find out it was all a lie…

And on top of that, the very people he'd been helping with their demon problems had just handed him over to Wyatt like he was some inanimate object that could be bought and sold. Talk about loyalty!

He was locked in a room, magic-less, and to top it all off, his brother was plotting against him and that was never a good thing. Things were just going from bad to worse for him. Wyatt seemed perfectly content to leave Chris sweating about what 'surprise' he had in store for him. Because one thing that had never changed about Wyatt was that he didn't like being fooled by anyone, Wyatt never liked anyone getting the better of him and Chris felt sure that he was in for some payback for his actions.

He just wished he knew what.

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Author's Note: Well, what do you think? Please READ and REVIEW!

Question: would any of you be interested in a Charmed/Harry Potter crossover? Because I have an idea floating around my head but I'm wondering whether to go forward with it or not.

Basic gist of fic idea: Prue got pregnant in college. Hid it from everybody and gave the baby up for adoption. That baby went on to be Harry Potter. But what happens now that Prue's dead, Harry's Halliwell powers are kicking in and Leo's stuck in the middle, wondering should he disclose Prue's secret to her sisters while they're trying to deal with Chris?