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I know some of you mentioned that the last chapter was quite short n im sorry but lifes a little hectic at the mo with exams coming up so I'll try my best to make the chapter longer but i cant promise anything.
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Chapter 15: Compromising The Balance

Previously:

"During the first cross-over between world's the good Wyatt in this world orbed up here to get Chris, but this Wyatt was half-darklighter; he would have black-orbed, not white-orbed. And the Overworld is supposed to be protected from that. How did he get up here? We must have a flaw in the protection spell." Explained Leo.

From his position of sitting on the hard wooden floorboards of the Halliwell Manor's attic, Wyatt smiled; the first expression other than frustration that he had felt since Leo and Chris had orbed to the Overworld. "Got you." He hissed triumphantly as he was finally able to sense Leo.

Wyatt stood up and calmly picked up an athame from a nearby display before orbing out to find his father in Magic School.

Leo blew dust cautiously off an old and faded book careful not to disturb the loose sheaves of paper in it. He flicked through the yellowed pages searching for anything that looked vaguely like the spell he was looking for.

This was the tenth book he had looked in and as Leo closed the book and replaced it on the shelf he realised that he was never going to find the spell this way.

Looking around Gideon's office Leo could see five bookshelves, all of them reaching to the ceiling. It would take a very long time to search all the books and time was something Leo did not have.

Leo surveyed the room again trying to cut down the places he should be looking. 'The spell wouldn't be all that old' Leo decided, mentally disregarding the centuries-old books he could see around him, 'and it probably wouldn't be anywhere where just anybody could find it.'

At this thought Leo felt his eyes drawn to Gideon's desk. "Of course." He muttered to himself, his words sounding louder and more distance that he would have expected.

As Leo realised the significance of the echo, he turned to face the mirror, which was standing opposite the desk. Its cover was still off and Leo found him face to face with his evil counterpart from the alternate world.

They stared at each other for a moment, neither of them able to speak.

"It must be in the desk." They both said at the same time.

They both nodded awkwardly and turned to search through the drawers, most of which were already slightly open.

After a while both Leos triumphantly pulled out a piece of paper from the top drawer. It was a handwritten spell and untitled but after reading through the spell in his head Leo realised this must be the spell he was after.

"Found it!" both Leos exclaimed in unison.

"Congratulations Dad." Sneered a cold, hard voice, its echo through the mirror leaving both Leo's in no doubt who it was.

"Wyatt."

Back in the overworld Chris yelled in frustration and slammed his fist into the wall. He was bored. He was locked in a room with nothing in except a table and chair, both of which were now laying in pieces around the room.

Chris walked over to the nearest splinter and hefted it in the air. 'Pity these won't kill whitelighters' he sneered before throwing the splinter at the wall. Chris watched it hit the wall, cracking down the middle but leaving the wall unmarred.

Chris slumped dejectedly down to the ground. "Let me out!" he yelled to the ceiling.

"So you found out how I got into the overworld." Remarked Wyatt apparently unconcerned.

"Are you surprised that I did?" asked Leo.

"Not really." Shrugged Wyatt, "Once you'd realised that I'd managed to orb into the overworld before – and you would with Chris there – then it wouldn't take much logic to guess that Gideon would have had the spell. It's a pity; I could have used it again if I reworded it slightly to make it so I could use all my powers up there instead of just orbing."

Leo looked away from Wyatt, his eyes meeting those of his evil counterpart. In his eyes Leo could see the faint despair that he knew would be mirrored in his own expression. Wyatt was probably done playing nice. He was probably getting desperate.

Wyatt slowly drew out the athame, tilting it so shafts of light glinted off it. Leo swallowed, inwardly praying. Being a whitelighter, the athame wouldn't kill him, but it would still hurt and if Wyatt was capable of deliberately hurting him then he was terrified of what he might do to Chris if Wyatt got impatient of Chris resisting him.

"So. What are you going to do now?" asked Leo trying to be calm.

"Well, I could force you to take me to Chris." Wyatt told Leo, "or you could take me of your own free will. Either way will suit me."

"Unfortunately neither are in the best interest of Chris." Retorted Leo.

"Really?" questioned Wyatt, "So you think that keeping him locked up in the overworld is in his best interests? He doesn't even belong in this world."

"You were the one that brought him here in the first place!" exclaimed Leo.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." Wyatt admitted softly.

Wyatt's voice sounded dead on Leo's ears. He frowned, trying to determine what sounded wrong about that, when his evil counterpart spoke through the mirror.

"There was no echo."

"Wh…" Leo began, then as everything clicked into place an expression of worry spread across his face, "Our actions are beginning to separate; the worlds are not in complete balance any more."

"You and Chris have to swap back, now." Exclaimed both Leo's, identical fear in their voices.

"It's only a tiny difference." Said Wyatt, "And I haven't got what I came for."

"A tiny difference now, true." Agreed Leo, "But it will grow. The longer you are in this world and they are in yours the more the balance will shift. The longer you are in this world the more likely you are to do things that will shift the balance."

Wyatt hesitated before he spoke. He could see the truth in Leo's words but didn't want to admit defeat after everything he had tried. However, he could see more danger in shifting the balance so they returned to a different world.

Wyatt nodded reluctantly. "Ok. Bring Chris to my penthouse and I'll open the portal."

"No," Leo shook his head vehemently, "You go through the portal and then I'll let Chris go through." Leo frowned considering what he had just said, "Actually, it would be better if Chris went through first so he can leave the penthouse before you return."

Wyatt smiled coldly, "I'm insulted. But the only way you'll get a deal is if we both go back together; at the same time. Otherwise I'm afraid that we'll have to hope for the best about the balance shifting."

Wyatt met Leo's gaze squarely, hoping that he wouldn't be able to see that Wyatt was bluffing about not being worried about the balance. Wyatt had known the dangers when he started this and shifting the balance irreversibly was not something he wanted to happen.

Leo sighed, knowing he had to accept the compromise. "Ok." He agreed, "I'll get Chris and bring him to your penthouse."