CHAPTER FOUR

Chris could see his Mother getting more and more upset each time he was put through the excruciating pain that the demon was causing. What she didn't know, was that every time the demon touched the crystal strapped to his hands, the rope that held his right hand to the wooden stake would loosen a little bit more. Chris just hoped that he could somehow stay conscious to benefit from his hand being freed.

"I can't watch this anymore," Piper said to Phoebe, sounding completely distraught.

"I know," Phoebe agreed. "Maybe we should summon Paige and then take our chances. We've always managed to find a way out before."

Piper didn't hesitate as she called, "Drask, enough! We'll do what you want, just please leave him alone."

Chris was both relieved and scared at hearing his Mother's words. He definitely didn't want to go through any more pain, but he didn't want to watch his Mother die either. When Drask moved over to Piper and Phoebe to hear what they had to say, Chris took the opportunity to move his right hand around, desperately trying to free it from the loosening rope.

"Well it's about time! Although it has been fun." Drask said, barely getting his last word out before he was thrown across the cave with great force, hitting the opposite wall and falling unconscious to the ground.

Phoebe and Piper looked up surprised to see Chris had managed to free one of his wrists and that he had been the one to telekinetically throw Drask.

Still with one hand tied, and now the other one freed, Chris called to his Mother, "Watch out, Mum, I'll try to move the crystals with my powers."

Before Piper could say anything, Chris telekinetically motioned with his free hand and one of the crystals that had been carefully placed around her, rolled across the ground, breaking the forcefield immediately.

"Well done Chris!" Piper called as she ran toward him, kicking one of the crystals surrounding Phoebe along the way. When she got to Chris she reached up to give him a big comforting hug. Chris, forgetting how big he was, collapsed into her welcoming arms, as Piper struggled to support his weight. "Chris, honey, you're crushing Mummy." Piper said to him as Phoebe seeing her dilemma helped her support his weight. Chris immediately tried to stand up, but was finding it difficult. "Sweetie, you can barely stand!" She said to him sympathetically, "Come on let's get you out of here. You've been so brave."

As Phoebe tried to untie Chris's other hand while Piper was keeping him upright, they heard a very welcome voice call them, "Piper! Phoebe!" Paige called as she entered the cave with Wyatt. "Thank God you're all okay." Paige said relieved.

"We may not be for long." Phoebe said indicating to Drask, now starting to wake up on the other side of the cave.

"Wyatt, take your Brother out of here, while we take care of the nasty Demon." Piper said just as Phoebe managed to finally release Chris's other wrist. "And help him, he can barely stand."

Wyatt nodded as he put Chris's arm around his shoulder and helped him to walk outside the cave. Once outside they both leaned up against the wall, waiting for their Mother and Aunts as instructed.

"What happened to you, Chris? You don't look so good." Wyatt enquired, sounding quite concerned.

"That demon kept hurting me, hoping that Mum would summon Aunt Paige, and let me tell you the pain was way worse than that hangover thing I had this morning." Chris told him.

"Wow! That was pretty bad." Wyatt commented, remembering how he'd felt that morning when he woke up. "It couldn't have been as bad as the energy ball that hit me, though. That was the worst pain I've ever felt."

"Is Dad okay?" Chris asked, suddenly remembering his Father also being injured.

"Yes, he should be fine, I healed him. Although I couldn't heal him completely because I was too badly hurt."

"Wyatt, some more demons!" Chris said to him anxiously as he saw a group of demons approaching them.

"I see them," Wyatt replied as he looked around trying to work out what to do. Quickly, seeing no other option, Wyatt put his hand around Chris's shoulder and now being free of the cave, was able to orb out.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige approached Drask who was trying to stand up. "What are we going to do?" Phoebe asked, "We still don't have a vanquishing potion."

"I have the strongest potion I could make, and I've written this Power of Three spell. I'm hoping the combination of the two will be enough." Paige told her sisters.

Paige threw the potion at the feet of the surprised Demon, who was knocked back, but not vanquished. Immediately they started reciting the spell Paige had written, and the relief shown by Drask at not being vanquished was short-lived as he started to be engulfed by flames, and then completely disappeared.

"Finally!" Piper said, relieved. "Now, let's get Wyatt and Chris and go home."

They all turned to leave the cave, but were confronted by a group of demons at the entrance.

"I really don't have time for this!" Piper said as she used her explosive powers to vanquish all of them. "Nobody's going to come between me and my boys." She yelled as she ran through the dusty remains of the vanquished demons to the outside of the cave.

Paige and Phoebe followed, but all were dismayed when Wyatt and Chris were nowhere in sight. "Wyatt! Chris!" Piper called, hoping they hadn't wandered off too far. But there was no reply.

"I don't think shouting down here is a good idea," Phoebe cautioned her, "Zankou might not be far away."

"Maybe they orbed back home." Paige suggested.

"Maybe." Piper said, not sounding convinced. But she did not have the luxury to look around any longer as she all of a sudden saw Zankou appear in the distance.

"Piper, we've got to go." Phoebe called to her, also seeing Zankou approaching.

"I know." Piper said as she continued to look around, hoping her boys would magically appear. Finally realising she had no choice, she said, "Okay, Paige, orb us home."

A few seconds later they all materialised back at the Manor, where Leo, who was resting on the couch, was anxiously waiting for them. "Thank god you're okay!" Leo exclaimed as he slowly tried to get up.

"And you too!" Piper exclaimed as she ran to hug him.

"Where are the boys?" Leo asked

That was the exact question Piper was dreading. "They're not here?" She asked as she frantically looked around.

"I don't think so." Leo said, not entirely sure.

"I'll check Magic School." Paige said as she orbed out.

"I'll check upstairs." Phoebe said as she ran upstairs calling, "Wyatt, Chris, are you up here?"

It only took about ten minutes for everyone to realise that Wyatt and Chris were nowhere to be found.

"When Gideon took Wyatt to the Underworld, Wyatt wasn't strong enough to orb out. That's probably what's happened again this time. He's orbed away from the demons that were coming after you, but he wasn't strong enough to come up here, so has ended up in another part of the Underworld." Leo surmised, sounding very worried.

Piper was pacing up and down, now almost hysterical. "I don't believe it, my babies are lost in the Underworld! What kind of a Mother am I to leave them down there alone? We've got to go back, now, and find them."

"The Underworld is a big place, Piper, how will we know where to start looking?" Paige asked her.

"It's not like they're lost in a shopping centre or an amusement park, where most normal children get lost. I have to lose them in the most dangerous place in existence!" Piper ranted, now completely hysterical.

"They're both powerful witches, Piper, I'm sure they're okay." Phoebe said, trying to be positive.

"But for how long? I refuse to sit here and do nothing. Come on Phoebe, Paige is going to orb us back down there, and we're not coming back until we find them." Piper demanded, sounding more determined than ever.

"I'll wait here in case they find a way out. Keep checking back with me, Paige." Leo told them as he walked over to Piper and gave her a supportive and loving hug. "Don't worry, we'll find them."

Piper nodded, enjoying the security of his arms for a few seconds before returning to her sisters and orbing out.