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The Ties That Bind
Chapter Four

"Caden! What did I tell you?!" Chris had orbed them atop Golden Gate Bridge and was now pacing up and down one of the horizontal metal bars.

"We couldn't just let him do it!"

"We? Whose idea was it?"

"Well, mine, but we were brainstorming and this was the best there was with such short notice! Would you rather now not exist?"

"Caden the Resistance is not made up of you, Ryan and Jenna alone! There are people more experienced in these matters! Why you?"

Angry, Caden orbed from her beam to his and halted his pacing, sarcasm dripped from her voice once again, "Geez I'd almost think you were unhappy to see me, Perry!
"Who went with Jenna was between Ryan and me 'cause we know the most about this time and the others decided Ryan could help better in our time because he is more experienced and I would be better this time because I have telekinesis. Do you think I wanted to leave? Chris, I can barely remember her and there she was! Right in the same room! I so badly wanted to hug her and tell her how much I missed her but I couldn't because she can't know who I am! I got the future consequences lecture! I don't know how you did it or how they know who you are now but I can't! I had to be in the same room as Leo knowing what he did to you and Ryan and Brennan and Ben and then to Wyatt! I wish there was someone else who could've come, but there wasn't! It was just supposed to be an in and out thing! Not this!"

Chris pulled her into a bear hug, barely noticing the wind that buffeted them and tried to knock them off the bridge, "Hey don't cry Cadey, I'm just worried about you, not pissed off. Not at you anyway, at Wyatt. C'mon… you know me. I'm always worrying. And now I've got to look after Wyatt and you… when I came back and left our time I knew that you were safe, between Ryan and Jenna and Oliver and Ally… And if anything did happen it wouldn't matter so much, because it won't have ever happened, so we'll get through this. We always do, right?"

Caden tugged on his jacket, twirled it around her fingers so she had something to look at, "I'm not a baby like this Wyatt, I'm nearly twelve now, remember? I'll help you. We'll stop everything that comes Wyatt's way!"

Chris laughed, "No, you're not nearly twelve and how are you gonna do that if we're gonna avoid more future consequences?"

"Well, I'm Cadey, uuh, Pearson. Witch extraordinaire, amazing telekinesis girl! Oh… that reminds me, Ryan and me found out a few things since you came back to fix you know… everything…" she trailed off, fiddling about in her pockets.

"Which is…" he watched her carefully as she continued to dig around, pulling out bits of string, a few small crystals, several vials containing potions, a Swiss army knife, hang on. A knife? "What did I tell you about those?"

"You told me not to get one. But you also told me that if I span around clockwise six times in the sunroom and hopped on my left leg twice that Santa would come. It's good to have handy, it's not just a knife. Now where is it? Can you hold these?" She handed over the bits and pieces and rummaged in her jacket pockets, "Aha!" She pulled out a colourless potion; in fact, it might have just been water for all he knew. He gave her a sceptical look.
"We found out how to reverse the binding's that Wyatt performed on us, and Ally and Miles made these potions… so we can all have all our powers back. Ryan already took his, and I took mine too, that's how we found out about his plans 'cause he doesn't know yet…" She held out the potion, "If you want them. You gotta be bored of orbing and t-k by now, Chris."

Now there was an offer he found hard to refuse… if he had all his powers it'd be much easier to protect Wyatt and the sisters, but they'd want answers. He wasn't twice-blessed, he was second born. He couldn't explain it all to them, not if he wanted the perfect future, not if he didn't want dire consequences… but he did miss a few of his powers, astral projection was especially one he sorely wished for. But what if, with his powers newly returned, he turned, just like Wyatt? He would possibly be facing the same evils that turned his big brother… and now Caden would be too. What if they turned? What if -

"Chris? Hello? Perry? You there? You're not worrying again are you? C'mon… snap out of it! I know what you're thinking, you're worrying we'll turn but we won't! Think about it… Wyatt was always being treated differently and he'd had that seed of evil planted in his since before you were born, he grew up thinking that since he was 'twice-blessed' he was twice the person… helloo, earth to Chris. You in there? Don't make me full name you, mister!"

Chris let his eyes re-focus from the nothingness they'd slipped into gazing at, and found her hovering at his eye level for the first time since they were younger. So it was true. And she was right, he supposed. He'd just have to be careful not to let the sisters see.
"It would be nice to astral project again," he said, swapping the bits and bobs for the potion and twisting the top off the glass bottle, "Well, bon appétit."
Throwing back the potion in one quick gulp (in his experience they never tasted nice, no matter who made them or what their purpose) he felt it run down his throat. It wasn't water, it was heavier, thicker…nothing felt different. He looked at her expectantly,
"I don't think it's working, Cadey."

"It takes a few seconds to work its way throu - uh oh."

Chris had stumbled backwards clutching his stomach, very close to toppling off the very high up bridge. White light was filling his skin; blazing out from underneath his clothes… she understood that. She didn't understand why it hurt him. It wasn't supposed to! He cried out again, digging his nails into his skin as he wrapped his arms around himself, taking another gasping step backwards…
"Chris! No don't -"
It was too late; he'd already tried to put his foot down on something that wasn't there and started to fall. She reached after him desperately but he slipped her grasp, he was falling too fast and he was too preoccupied to orb himself to safety… he'd die…
"CHRIS!"
She couldn't loose another brother… she just had to remember how to orb. Years of no use meant she'd pretty much forgotten how, so she thought about how much she wanted to be where Chris was right now and where she wanted to be… somewhere safe. The attic. She wanted Chris and then she wanted to go to the attic. Finally, when she was screaming after him and desperately hoping it would work, the familiar sensation of every molecule in her body separating, mind moving everywhere and nowhere came to her and her blue and white orbs dived after him, racing gravity and daring it to try and beat her. She grabbed him, about ten metres from being a sea-tossed pancake, and orbed him to the attic.
Thankfully, it was now empty but Cadey wasn't stupid. The clatter she'd made on landing would bring them up here in no time. How would she explain the orb if they guessed how she got here? How would she explain why Chris was now (thankfully) unconscious? She couldn't very well mention Wyatt bound his powers a few years ago and when they unbound them Chris became a miniature white-coloured sun and almost died when he fell off the Bridge, could she?

"Oh my god! What happened? What did you do?" Piper, it seemed, was the closest. She rushed over to Chris, giving Caden an accusing glare and stroked a lock of brown hair from Chris' forehead as he twisted uncomfortably on the floor, a reminder of the pain he just felt etched into his creased, sweating, forehead.

Cadey looked at Piper, felt the angry gaze and her throat constricted, tears welled up in her eyes and she had to look at the floor to stop them from falling. She couldn't take Piper being mad at her. "I -I -I'm sorry… it wasn't supposed to… I…"

"Chris!" Paige and Phoebe orbed in, Wyatt on the latter's hip. Within seconds they too were at the witch-whitelighter's side. Caden backed away slowly, not wanting any more of Piper's attention or any from Paige or Phoebe. When she reached the door she ran out to the hallway and orbed out.

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Author's Note: Nobody likes my story any more :( Oh well, Chris angst, Piper angst and a few near-death experiences coming up :)

Review Thank You's To:
Queen of the Elven City: Aaah my faithful reviewer :D Oooo you like it that much? Well I'll have to make sure Chris' parts are living up to what you think :D

Calen: Well that's who she is... lollums...

Slayer: Kinda soon-ish ) Might put chapter 5 up in a few days, monday or tuesday if I get a chance :)

Magical Princess: :)

Angel Black: Hey! You're back! Can you spot the plot yet ;) ?

melissa-p: You can do them if you want, but just don't be surprised if i run and hide behind my Chris Muse ;)! Does this lessen the confusion? Even a little bit?