Chapter Twenty-Two

4:55 A.M.

"No. No way."

"But—"

"I said 'no,' Chris,"

"But, Mom—I can't just—"

"I don't care! Do you have any idea how many healing potions we had to use on you?! How many cuts and bruises and—and cuts and broken bones you had?! How scared I was?! Do you?! 'Cause I do! And, let me tell you, it was a lot, Chris. A lot."

"But, I'm the only one who can—"

"I said, 'No!' Are—are you stupid or just insane?! He nearly killed you, Chris!"

"Well, I can't just leave him out there!"

"You won't have to!" Piper paused, eyes fuming. "We're going."

Chris scoffed. "You can't take him."

"And you can?!" Piper's eyes, if possible, angled even more sharply. "'Cause, yeah, you did such a good job last time!"

Chris ground his teeth. "I have a better shot at it then you do. I know Brett's moves."

"And he probably knows yours, which leads you no where. At least, with us, we have a chance at surprising him."

"That's just it. You can't. I already told you, Brett's a psychic and he has one of the most focused minds and strongest wills I've ever seen. Add that to Matt's powers and he can force a premonition whenever he wants," Chris stared, unflinchingly, into his mother's eyes. "He probably already knows you're coming."

"And what were you going to do: bore him to sleep? You can barely stand, Chris, and with your concussion...one bump to the head and your out like a lamp! He'd kill you and none of us would even be there to help!"

"I know I can beat him."

Piper sneered. "Funny, seeing as how he completely kicked your ass last time."

"Look. I know for a fact that if Brett wanted to kill me, I'd be dead. Brett's efficient and fast. He's also the one who taught Matt how to use his powers. I'm telling you, he's either one of two things: he doesn't want to kill me, or...he doesn't know how to use Matt's powers. Either way, I have the upper hand."

"Upper hand or not, you're not leaving this house."

"But...Aunt Phoebe, Aunt Paige?"

Paige looked away, arms across her chest, and went to stand near a table.

"Piper, maybe we should—" Phoebe let out in a small voice.

Piper's voice was filled with righteous anger and disbelief, even though it faltered just a little. "You can't be serious."

Chris was kind enough not to smile. "I'll get started on some potions."

Piper's lips thinned and she briskly walked for the attic door.

"Piper—" Phoebe began.

Piper didn't stop walking and her voice was harsh, cold, and swift. "Don't you dare talk to me."

Brett stumbled into the dusty room and fell to the floor in exhaustion, one hand still clutching his left arm, breathing harshly between hisses, when he was met with an energy ball three inches from his face.

His lips curled slightly.

"Alden."

An old man stood between four demons, all dressed in black. He had a haggard face, as if worn down by more than just time, his lips curled down in a frown and his eyes shinning of sympathy.

"Someone told me you were coming," Brett sneered. "Didn't think you'd actually have the balls to face me."

The old man just looked at him, unfazed by the provocation. "Oh, Brett..."

Brett's eyes shone with fury at his pitying tone. "You helped me, so I'm gonna help you," Brett voiced harshly. "Get out of here. Go back. Go back and I won't kill you where you stand."

The old man just looked at him with sadness and regret. "I can't do that, Brett," he said in a low, gravelly voice. "Wyatt is serious this time. My wife and children are at stake. I'm sorry."

Brett had to fight to stifle his laugh. "I don't get a choice in this at all, do I?"

Alden looked away when he spoke as a collar materialized in his hand. "You could come quietly."

A sickening quiet settled over the dark room.

"Alden?" the old man heard and he picked his head up.

Brett's eyes were pure white.

"Go to hell."

Ten minutes later, Brett was quietly cleaning his wound, grimacing every now and then, in the corner of the room as too few tears refused to stay behind his eyelids.

"How is everything?" Phoebe asked as she walked into the attic.

Chris didn't look up as he carefully finished putting in the last ingredient, tongue slightly sticking out in concentration. "Fine. I'm almost done. Aunt Paige is scrying for him in her room. She promised to orb up here as soon as she finds him."

Phoebe nodded slightly as she crossed over opposite the table to rest against the back of the couch so she could meet his eye contact, if he wanted. "She'll come around, you know."

Chris stilled momentarily as the comment registered before resuming with his work, eyes never leaving the cauldron. "Do you really think so?"

Phoebe smiled a soft smile this time. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

They stood in silence for a while as Chris finished making his potion.

"Thanks," Chris said softly, eyes never leaving the potion.

Phoebe smiled just a little brighter.

"Anytime."

"You should really get that looked at," a silky voice said as it came closer to where Brett had positioned himself on the floor in his exhaustion.

"It'll be fine," he said, surprisingly to her, with little venom.

"Really? Because, it wouldn't be a problem for me," it said.

Brett half laughed, half scoffed. "And why would you want to help me? You hate me, remember?"

The voice laughed quietly. "Because helping you helps me," she said honestly, breathily, as she slid down to the floor beside him. "I'd give anything for Wyatt."

Brett didn't say anything.

They sat in silence for a while.

"Did you tell the Avatars?" Brett asked after a while.

She laughed quietly as she shook her head from side to side. "No. That bastard Alden caught me on the way back," she said with an ironic happy tone. "Fucking trounce."

They both laughed.

Silence settled over them after.

Finally, "Want a fag?" she asked as she flamed one into her hand.

Brett chuckled lightly. "Who doesn—oh." Brett gave a sly smile. "I didn't know demons smoked."

She just shrugged, eyes blinking shut momentarily. "Eh. It comes with torturing humans for a few millennia. You pick up a few things."

They sat in silence again.

Then, "So, what do we do now?"

Brett sighed heavily. "Go back and tell the Avatars. Tell them that to assemble their troops. The battle starts, whether I'm there or not, in thirty-six hours."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion she turned to study eyes that were fixated on the floor. "What would you need back here? I mean, this witch your after, the brother, he's not that important, is he?"

Brett half laughed, half snorted. "I really don't know."

She pondered that for a second. "That's really fucked up."

Brett definitely laughed that time. "Sheeyah."

When their laughter died down, "You realize, if you don't make it back, the Resistance won't stand a chance. It'll be a massacre, New York all over again."

Brett smiled a small smile. "Yeah, I know."

They sat in silence again.

"You know, we should really move," she said.

Brett snorted. "Sheeyah."

Silence.

"Can you move?" she asked.

"Nah."

"Hmph."

Silence.

"Can you—"

"Sure."

Silence.

"How did..."

She sighed. "He was the easiest to find. I had some lower class demons shift through dimensions to find him. The other one...her temple's barrier is pretty strong—"

Brett snorted, interrupting. "It should be, all four of us gave up a hell of a lot of power to put up."

"—and, the other one...well, no one ever goes there. Thoron's nice enough to just materialize food for her," she smiled. "He's cool. You know. For an Elder."

Brett smiled.

"It won't be a problem."

Silence.

"Thanks."

She shrugged. "'s a'right."

Silence.

She got up and started walking to the table to pick up a time potion.

"I can't believe we were civil for this long," she said shaking her head. "Hell, I can't believe we were civil at all."

Brett snorted. "You just had to mention it."

She laughed and started walking again.

Then, "Lexa?"

She turned around.

"Would you...do you mind?"

She shrugged again. "Sure. Why not?"

Brett's arm never felt better.

"Alright, then we should..." Chris trailed off as a knock sounded on the door.

Phoebe looked at Paige and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Paige. I need your help on that last potion," she said hurriedly as she dragged Paige towards the door, smiling her fake smile.

"Don't. You don't have to," Piper said in a resigned voice. "Stay."

She turned her determined-to-be-but-failing-miserably nonchalant eyes towards Chris.

"What can I do?"

Here you go. I'll try and get the next chapter up tonight.

Hope you like.

Thanks.

Devil's Archangel