One More Time - Chapter 8

by shjohnso.

Summary: Future Chris risked his life to save his brother from a fate worse than death—evil. But did it work? Or will he have to do it all over again? This is my take on the events that followed his birth.

Rated PG

Disclaimer—I don't own charmed, or any of the characters from the show, so don't sue me because I get no money from this.

AN: Sorry I took so long to update, but I didn't realize it had been quite that long. But don't blame me, blame my teachers, blame my boss, blame anyone who prevents me from doing anything fun--like writing. And this is the last chapter before the end by the way. I don't want to hold this up anymore. So, if you're kind enough to still be with me, on with the show….

Wyatt awoke to find himself tucked under the arms of the creature. His head hurt from the constant bouncing of being carried, and he wished it was his father's strong arms wrapped around him instead. His big blue eyes watered as he thought of his father, who always carried him with such gentleness. He wanted to orb to him, but the creatures grip didn't seem to allow it. Maybe when they stopped, he would be allowed to see his daddy again.

Chris instantly regretted saying anything to his father at making him remember the day he died.

Phoebe noticed Chris' change in demeanor and grabbed his hand with a squeeze. As he smiled back gratefully at her reassurance, she then guided his hand down to hover over her injured leg. "How about it, Mr.?"

Chris flushed with embarrassment and spoke even as the yellow light emanated form his hands, "Oh. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." As soon as he finished healing Phoebe's gashes, he glided over wordlessly to Paige and healed the bump on her forehead.

Chris glanced at his father who seemed locked in a trance as he held on tightly to the infant in his arms. He wanted to take his mind off what he said to upset him earlier and decided to joke with him a bit, "Dad? I think I'm feeling kind of faint, cause I'm pretty sure you're suffocating the boy."

Leo looked up startled, "Huh? Oh. I'm sorry. Piper, why don't you take the baby for while. I don't want to hurt him."

Piper stroked the baby's cheek tenderly as she passed them on the stairs, "No, it's ok, Leo. Chris was only joking--you won't hurt him. I need you to look after him right now because the rest of us have to concentrate on finding our son. I won't loose him." She hurried up the stairs to the attic followed swiftly by her sisters and adult son.

Leo pushed himself off the steps as he snuggled the baby closer to his chest and headed for the rocking chair. He remarked absently to the child, "I wonder why they didn't just orb upstairs?"

Just as he bent his legs to sit down, the two disappeared in swirl of blue lights.

Phoebe looked around with her hands on her hips as she surveyed the destruction in the attic. "How are we going to find them?"

Paige bent down in response and collected a few drops from the floor, "I wounded it. There should be some blood on the floor that we can use to scry for them. Maybe even make a vanquishing potion."

Before Phoebe could respond, Leo suddenly appeared with a familiar jingle next to her. Unfamiliar however, was the way he landed, which was not on his legs.

Piper rushed to pick him up and make sure the baby was alright. "Leo! Are you alright? You orbed?"

Leo blinked in confusion, "We're fine, but No. It wasn't me." He looked down hearing the giggle from the child in his arms, then to the older version across the room. "Apparently that perceptiveness that Wyatt has runs in the family. I just mentioned that I wondered why you guys just didn't orb to the attic, and here we are."

The two younger Charmed sisters ran over to them excitedly.

"He orbed? He never showed us any powers before. We thought it would be a long time before he had them."

Phoebe pinched the boy's cheeks, "Awww, that's my little guy. He's so smart, yes he is." She suddenly jumped back in surprise as she asked Leo, "Did he just roll his eyes at me?"

Leo chuckled as he looked into the deep green eyes across the room, "I think they both just did."

Piper huffed angrily, "Focus people! We need to find Wyatt!" She softened her tone as the startled baby began to cry. Running her fingers through her hair, she turned around in frustration and bumped into her adult son when Chris walked up behind her. "I'm sorry for yelling, Chris. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Don't worry about it mom. I know you're just tense right now. Besides, I'm not the one crying." He looked down shyly, his eyes twinkling, "Did I ever mention that he's kind of sensitive?"

Piper hugged him, "No, you sure didn't."

Leo cleared his throat to get her attention, "Piper? The older one's ok, but the younger version here is not going to calm down until you come over here and show him that you're not mad at him."

Piper reached down a hefted the child into her arms. As she rocked him gently, she stroked his hair causing his eyelids to droop. "Mommy's sorry, honey. I didn't mean to make such a fuss." Turning to her sisters, "Can the rest of you get started on scrying for Wyatt and making the potion? I'm going to put him down for a nap."

When the bouncing finally stopped, Wyatt felt himself tumbling toward the floor. Luckily, he was able to use his telekinesis to lower himself gently. His head shot up at the voice he heard shouting angrily from the shadows.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING! I told you not to risk hurting him. Now get out of here until I call for you. WELL! What are you waiting for? Didn't you have somewhere else you wanted to go?"

The creature snarled and stalked off, leaving the boy under the watchful eye of the shadowy figure.

He quickly threw a potion at the toddler's feet, rendering the twice-blessed's powers inactive for the moment.

"Smile for the camera, Wyatt. There is someone back home who is just going to love seeing those adorable baby blues."

Paige asked her nephew, "I take it you still can't sense Wyatt either?"

Chris shook his head, "No. Whatever has him is blocking me out. At least I know now that it's not my Wyatt's doing. He wouldn't have kidnapped himself."

While Phoebe and Paige were busy making the potion and scrying, the doorbell rang incessantly as if someone was desperate to see them.

Chris started to orb, but Leo called him back. "No, wait Chris. That could be Inspector Sheridan or something. I don't want to risk anyone seeing you that shouldn't be seeing you. I'll get it."

As Leo opened the front door, he was surprised as the taller figure brushed past him angrily into the foyer. "Where are they?" he demanded.

Leo stammered, "Darryl? What are you doing here?"

Darryl spun around on his heels, "I asked you a question! Where the hell are they?"

Leo bristled and decided that he wasn't going to make any questions easy for the man, "Who might you be referring to?"

Growing angrier by the second, Darryl tossed his head arrogantly, his eyes narrowing. "You know who. Your wife; your sisters in law? You know--those witches-rhymes with another female species! Them!"

The blonde man's face contorted in barely controlled rage, "Wait just a damn minute there, MR. MORRIS! I don't appreciate you coming into MY house and calling my family names!"

Darryl snarled sarcastically, "OH, I didn't call them anything yet. But if they don't get down here right now, I'm busting all of them! Including you for aiding and abetting!" He shoved past Leo again and started up the stairs when he was pulled from behind, but he continued yelling for the oldest sister, "PIPER!"

Leo wrestled the man to the floor. As he sat on his back and pinned his arms to restrain the unusually violent man, he was silently glad that he remembered his military training in hand to hand combat. "What is wrong with you man! Are you under some kind of a spell or something?"

Sheila raced in the front door crying hysterically just as the Charmed Ones came racing down the stairs at the commotion, "DARRYL! Stop it! It's not their fault! Piper, I'm sorry. I had to tell him. It came back…"

Darryl was seething when he stared at them accusingly, his face burning brightly with rage. "You got us into this mess, and now that thing came back and took MY SON! If anything happens to him, I swear that I will make sure that you all burn at the stake!"

Leo gasped in shock at the venom spilling from the lips of his former friend. "Darryl, please, you don't mean that. I'm so sorry--but we'll get him back. It took Wyatt too, and we don't know why. We're trying to find him now. So you need to calm down. Because, we can't even begin to do that if we're too busy fighting you."

Chris hung back just out of sight from Darryl, but peeked down to watch the scene unfolding. He looked from one adult to the other before finally settling on his Godmother, who looked strange in some way. He looked her up and down to try and figure out what the difference was when he finally spotted it. She was nursing her arm that hung at an odd angle. He sighed in realization that she had probably gotten it when trying to protect Robbie from the creature. He tried to whisper to his mother to freeze the mortals, but she didn't hear him. Seeing no other option, he ignored his father's earlier words of caution and orbed to his Godmother's aid.

Chris reached down and took her arm, "Aunt Sheila. Your arm is broken. I can heal it for you."

Sheila's eyes darted nervously between her Godson and her husband. Worry shone in her deep brown eyes at Chris unveiling himself before her husband. After he finished healing her, he squeezed her hand and nodded in reassurance, just as his Aunt had done for him earlier. "Did it do this to you?"

"Not exactly. I was trying to hold onto Robbie when it suddenly pulled him back from me, and I fell down the steps."

Chris gasped worriedly, "Are you ok? Do you need any other healing?"

"No. I just need my son back. Please find him…" the woman pleaded with him.

Chris held her tighter and kissed the top of her head, "We will, Aunt Sheila. I promise. We'll find them both…"

TBC...