Victor stood in Bianca and Chris' quiet apartment, gazing out at the slowly rising sun. He had awoken before the dawn; his many worries preventing him from getting any refreshing sleep.
He had not seen Chris in two days and he had heard from Leo that Bianca had been captured by some crazed follower of Wyatt…he had no idea what was going on…no idea if the girl that he had come to love as a granddaughter was going to be okay…
For the hundredth time in the past few months, Victor felt hopelessly left out. He had always known that his girls were different; that Wyatt and Chris were different- but he still couldn't suppress his nagging desire to become a part of their world. He wanted to understand magic. He wanted to be able to help…
But it was too late now.
It was too close to the end…
And he was so far out of the loop that he knew he could never be let in.
He was just a useless mortal…
Mortality.
That was a word that he had spent a considerable amount of time dwelling on in the past few days. It was a word that had suddenly become very real…
As he watched the beautiful glow of the sun spread across the horizon he could not help but wonder how many more sunsets he would be alive to experience. He wished that he had taken a little more time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life- even the most expensive of wines, the most luxurious of cars- were nothing compared to the beauty that sprang from the natural world…
The beauty that had surrounded him everyday…and that, miraculously, he had always failed to notice.
The doctor's words had changed all of that in an instant.
Suddenly, everything had become so overwhelmingly wonderful…so perfect…
"You're dying." The doctor had said sombrely. "Cancer."
And boom, just like that, the flowering buds in the trees had filled him with unimaginable joy…the sweet song of the crickets had given him peace as he had made his way home…now that he knew his time was limited, everything contained so much more meaning.
He wondered briefly if every person experienced this in their old age. Did everyone see what he saw now, as they counted down the days until the end?
He hoped so.
Everyone should feel this way…he wished that he had taken the time to feel this way sooner…
"Four months." The doctor had continued. "You have four months."
Victor knew that he should be terrified…he was about to venture into the unknown, after all, leaving everything familiar behind…but the only word that he could use to describe his current state was contentment.
He was ready for this.
He had been for a very long time.
Nothing had been the same since his girls had left him.
What still kept him rooted, however, were his worries about Chris and Bianca. He hoped that it all would work out…somehow. He would die happy if he knew that they were both safe…that their baby was safe…
But all of the news about Wyatt made these hopes seem almost unobtainable. Witches were being viciously hunted, parts of the city lay in ruins from the daily battles that took place between Wyatt's troops and the witches they targeted, and the majority of the population continued to follow their leader blindly.
Wyatt had recently begun expanding…first moving across the west coast and then slowly making his way inland. According to the newspapers, he had also set up various meeting with prominent world leaders- the President of the United States was said to be attending the New Years gala, along with the head of the European Union, King William of England, and the newly elected Prime Minister of Canada. Victor knew that Wyatt would have no problem manipulating these people for his own benefit- perhaps even turning to mind control spells so that his authority could continue to grow.
Many had already speculated that Wyatt would have the continent by the end of next year.
Realistically, Victor did not think that anyone could really stop Wyatt now.
But he continued to hope.
Hope that Chris and Leo managed to achieve at least one small victory…
With a sigh, the old man placed a hand on the crib he had given Chris and Bianca for Christmas and a new array of thoughts flooded him.
Maybe this baby would be the answer they were looking for.
Maybe he would posses enough power to bring an end to all of this chaos. And even if he didn't, he would still achieve something very important…the birth of this child would foster the hope that still lived inside of him…it would show him that even in these dark times, new life could flourish.
Just as Victor would leave this world, a new child would enter into it.
No matter what Wyatt did, the cycle of life and death would continue.
If that wasn't hope, he didn't know what was.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I figured that it was about time that I paid you a visit." Wyatt said with a smirk as he entered Bianca's dark chamber. "But don't worry- Barbas will return later- he tells me that you two have been having quite an enjoyable time together."
Bianca could not find the strength to reply. It had been three days now. Three long days with hardly any sleep or nourishment…three days with only a demon for company.
Barbas had continued to show her a variety of horrible scenes- some from her past, some from her possible future. All of them had been terrifying…all of them had reminded her of her many flaws…but she still refused to succumb to them.
There had been many times that the images had over whelmed her- brought her to tears even- and yet the demon had been unable to fully convince her that Chris' love was false. She still felt it- deep inside her…it was all that kept her going now…
"You know," Wyatt began again, pretending to look thoughtful. "I would have thought that Chris would have charged in here by now…maybe he doesn't care for you as much as I thought…"
She refused to believe it.
"Why don't you just kill me, Wyatt?" she asked quietly, not having enough strength to turn her head towards him.
He laughed. "No…I won't kill you. That would be too easy…and besides, if I did that then I wouldn't be able to achieve my ultimate goal. You see, Bianca, this really isn't about you. It's about me- and my desire to see my little brother at my side. I need you alive so that you can make him join me."
Bianca absorbed his words with confusion. She had wondered several times exactly why Wyatt was doing this to her…she still could not be entirely sure, but it seemed like this torture was his attempt to turn her…so that she could turn Chris.
"You're sick…" she spat, her words fuelled by her deep hatred of the man in front of her.
"No I'm not." He replied evenly. "I merely see things differently than most. That doesn't make me deranged…or evil. You, on the other hand, are going to be extremely ill if you continue to resist much longer. Your child is already struggling to survive." Wyatt grinned and took a few steps forward, placing a hand on Bianca's rounded stomach. "But I certainly don't care about him. I fully intend to let him die…"
Bianca felt the familiar sensation of tears growing in her eyes. The thought of loosing her child- loosing this symbol of her love for Chris- was devastating.
No matter what he said, Wyatt truly was sick if he was willing to let an innocent baby die.
"How can you say that? He is your nephew, Wyatt. Your blood." She managed to hiss, hoping that she could at least make him think before he acted.
Wyatt laughed again. "Exactly." He stated, taking a few steps back. "I don't suppose you are familiar with Arthurian Legend."
He took her lack of answer to be a negative response.
"According to the myth." He began to explain in a tone that suggested that this one of his favourite topics of discussion. "The great King Arthur- the bearer of Excalibur- was finally killed by his nephew, Mordrid. I cannot very well sit back and watch this child grow up knowing that one day, he may be the only one who can bring about my end."
Bianca could hardly believe her ears- Wyatt was basing his decisions on an ancient myth…a story that, in all likely hood, had never really happened.
"You are not King Arthur, Wyatt. You're just deluding yourself." The young woman said, forcing her self to lock her teary eyes with his cool blue ones.
"Oh Bianca," he said, shaking his head in mock pity as he began to pace back and forth across the small cave. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. The sword was given to me by the Lady of the Lake…and only the true king- the true Arthur- can posses it."
"How can you be Arthur if he has already lived?" she retorted- still hoping to make him realize his own errors.
Unfortunately, there were none to be found. Wyatt had spent far too much time researching- theorizing- and thinking it through.
"Hic Iacet Arthurus, Rex Quondam Rexque Futurus." Wyatt said, reciting the Latin verse he had memorized many years ago. "That is what was written upon Arthur's tomb; here lies Arthur, the once and future king. Another may have lived before me but it has always been known that his spirit would return again. The once has passed…but I am the future."
Bianca felt a slight chill run down her spine. His words echoed in her ears and she could not help but see the grain of truth in them.
He was the bearer of Excalibur.
Fulfiller of the prophecy.
He was the future…
She saw a smirk spread across Wyatt's face; he knew exactly what she was thinking. Knew that she was beginning to see. "Don't worry Bianca-" he stated. "I will allow you to keep the child for a little bit longer. Today is not the day."
She felt the anger surge in her again. She was growing tired of his games. "Why? If you're going to do it, why not do it now?"
"Because," he replied as he turned and slowly made his way towards the door. "I want you to do it yourself…trust me, in due time, you will want it dead just as much as I do…"
The cold fear she had become so accustomed came rushing back…she knew he had something planned and she could only begin to imagine what it was…
Her only hope now was that Chris would come. That the mission they were about to lead would be a success…
"Oh, and Bianca," Wyatt said, glancing back towards her. "Don't be too alarmed if you hear screams tomorrow night. I imagine that it is going to be quite chaotic when Chris and my father lead their little attack on me."
He paused and enjoyed the look of terror that spread across her face.
"It's actually quite convenient, Chris will be walking right into my grasp…" he paused. "I'll send Barbas back in now so that you two can continue right where you left off…"
And with that Wyatt walked out of the dank room, leaving Bianca full of overwhelming dread.
Wyatt knew that they were coming….and there was nothing she could do to warn them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Don't touch those ones!" Katie exclaimed, jumping in front of Chris before he could place his hand in the box. "Those are the potions with darklighter poison in them…they could kill you!"
Chris' eyes widened and he instantly drew back. "Oh. Thanks." He muttered, regretting his carelessness. The last thing he needed was to be weakened by poison just before they were about to execute their attack.
It was the night of December 30th…at this time tomorrow, they would be preparing to go down to the underworld…in twenty four hours, the battle would begin.
It had been a difficult few days, but somehow, he had managed to pull through. He remained focused on the task- spending every waking moment making preparations. Everything he did, he did for Bianca. He did it to get her back.
He had become more of a workaholic than Leo.
"Is there anyway to make you temporarily immune?" Katie mused, looking up between Chris and Leo and then glancing back down at the box which sat among others on one of the library tables. "I mean…what happens if you accidentally get hit?"
"There's no way to avoid it." Both Leo and Chris replied in unison, causing the girl to give a short laugh.
Chris scowled and Leo tried to hide his smirk.
"You two are so much alike at times…it's scary." Katie quipped, still smiling.
The elder shook his head with amusement before returning to his serious expression. "Unfortunately, there is no way to get around it…" he explained. "That's the down side of the whitelighter blood. Chris will just have to be careful…and if something does happen, he can call for someone to heal him."
The girl nodded, wishing that there was a better way to ensure the safety of her friend.
But she knew that as far as this mission was concerned, nothing was really safe.
They were all taking a huge risk, and she could only hope that it all turned out okay.
"Alright then." She said with a sigh. "I think all of the potions are now officially sorted…everyone is getting a goodnights rest, and we have our schedule for tomorrow planned down to the last second…what do you say we get some rest our selves?"
Chris nodded in agreement. "Yes, we'll be no good tomorrow if we're tired."
"You two go then." Leo said, giving them both a warm smile. "I'll see you in the morning."
"You have to sleep too, dad." Chris said, his voice laced with concern.
"I'll be fine." He replied. "You know I don't need that much."
The boy gave a reluctant nod.
There was a long pause as none of the three made any sings of movement.
None of them truly wanted to go to bed, because they knew that the sooner they did, then the sooner it would be morning….and that soon after that, they would meet their fate.
They knew that they may never get another chance to simply enjoy each other's company ever again.
"I'm proud of both of you, you know." Leo said suddenly, looking between Chris and Katie. "You've done so much these past few weeks…we never could have made it this far without you."
Katie stared into the man's bright green eyes and tried to fight back the tears welling in her own. "You too, Leo." She said, painfully aware of the lump forming in her throat. "You've worked tirelessly…I've never met someone so committed."
She walked up to him and enveloped him in a warm embrace. "It has been an honour to work with you…an honour to meet you." She paused and drew back, wiping the stray tears away from her eyes. "You saved my life, Leo. Literally and figuratively. You gave me refuge…you reminded me what it was like to have a father after so many years of being alone…" She trailed off, unable to continue.
"Thank you Katie." Leo replied, truly touched by her words. "I am glad to have met such a wonderful young woman." He paused and smiled briefly. "Now go on…get to bed." He said, his tone like that of a parent to a child. "You'll need all the rest you can get."
She nodded with a weak smile, and slowly made her way out of the library.
Leo watched her leave before looking up towards his son.
There were so many things he wanted to say at that moment…so many things he did not want to leave buried if he were in fact to meet his end tomorrow.
He had always loved his son so much- more than Chris would ever know…there was nothing he regretted more than not being there…not allowing Chris to see all of the love he possessed.
"You know," Leo began quietly. "If someone had asked me twenty five years ago if I was ever going to be a father, I would have old them that they were crazy. I never was much of a rule breaker…but then, I never knew what love could posses a person to do until I met your mother." He paused and gazed distantly out the window as his mind wondered back to his fondest of memories. "We fought so hard to be together…and we fought so hard to have children. When Wyatt was born…when you were born…I could hardly believe all that we had accomplished. A whitelighter and a witch…allowed to keep the beautiful children they had created…twenty five years ago, that was a thought that was inconceivable."
The elder looked back at his son- looked into the eyes that mirrored his own. "Even when I see you now, it's hard to believe how lucky I've been." He said with a small smile. "And I'm so sorry, Chris. So sorry that I couldn't let myself believe what I had been given…you- both of you- were too good to be true…and it was easy to forget because it was hard to fully grasp that it was real…" He trailed off, feeling overwhelmed by his emotion, and slowly moved towards his son.
The boy was so perfect…a combination of himself and the woman he had always loved. He saw Piper in his face, and he saw himself in his eyes.
"If I could do it all over again, Chris, I would." he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'd never have left you…I never would have gone away. I love you. I always have…I just hope that one day you'll understand that."
The dark room filled with silence.
Leo could hardly breathe as he watched his son take it all in. He didn't know if he had gotten through or not…didn't know if Chris could ever really understand…
"I know." The young man whispered, breaking the calm. "I know that you've always loved me, dad…and I've always loved you."
Leo felt as if he were about to burst with joy.
Despite everything they had been through, despite everything they were faced with, his son cared- in the end, that was all that really mattered.
Without another word, Leo pulled his son into a tight hug and kissed him tenderly on the top of his dark hair.
"Goodnight Chris." He said quietly as they stepped apart. "Sleep well."
Chris gave a slight nod and orbed out of the room in a swirl of bright blue.
With a sigh, Leo sat down at one of the many tables in the large library.
It felt good to say what he had been holding in for so long.
He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but he did know that, right now, he was satisfied.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A/N tear I had so much fun with that one. I'm such a girl; I love the emotional stuff…but never fear, as you may have guessed the next bit is all the action. I don't really know if two guys would actually have such an emotional exchange…but the way I see it they're whitelighters, and whitelighters are a bit better with the touchy feely stuff than most guys :) Ah yes, and in regards to the Wyatt part- the King Arthur mythology comes straight from the source (Le morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory)…it is however, somewhat debatable whether Mordrid (who kills Arthur) is his nephew or his son…it's usually believed to be his son, but for the purposes of my story the nephew idea works better (obviously). Annnnnyyyyway…sorry for babbling on, hope you liked it, PLEASE REVIEW!!
charmedchick4eva- Thanks for the review. Glad you liked it! I am so touched by what you said (that this story made you like Chris and Bianca as a couple)…I can't believe that I've been that successful! The truth is, I never liked show Bianca either, and when I decided to do a fic I didn't really want to use her…but generally I hate it when people make up love interests so I decided to do it anyway…I guess I have changed her, but hopefully she will eventually become a bit more like she was on the show, because my over all goal is to lead directly into what we saw in chris-crossed. Thanks again, I'm still smiling!
Angry Girl- YAY! A new reviewer! I'm very impressed that you read it all at once; I imagine that would take awhile. I know it takes me a loooog time to read a long fic start to finish! Anyway, glad that it caught your attention and very happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
phoebe turner – yep, I'm getting fast again, now that school's back, lol. Thanks for yet another review!!
mizunderstood writer- lol, that was a confusing review. SO sequel good or bad? Not to sure…but don't stop eating chocolate, it's much too yummy!!!
Chris Drew Lover- thank you once again for all of the enthusiasm. So glad that you like the sequel idea!!
