Title: A Broken Crown
Author: Child of Twilight
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Summary: How far will Wyatt go to get his brother back? And can Chris resist the temptation? Can he turn his back on being ruler of the Underworld alongside Wyatt and turn his brother back to good? Or will the temptation of evil make him fail?
Author's Note:
Warning: This is slash people. That means male on male action. If you do not like that leave NOW. No flames accepted by homophobes after this point.
This story deals with incest, and rape. If you do not like that leave NOW. No flames accepted on the subject after this point.
I am very sorry for the delay but circumstances intervened to make my life super-busy and stressful and this fic kind of fell by the wayside as I struggled to keep up. I humbly apologise and promise to try to do better.
CHAPTER FOUR:
TORN
The teen leaned against his brother. Wyatt pressed a soft kiss onto the dark hair, and then led Chris over to the couch. "We need to talk about a few things, little bro," he said, keeping the witch close to him as he sat down. "It's time to make things official…."
Shadowed green eyes rose and looked at him, "What do you mean?" Chris asked warily, tensing up.
Wyatt hushed him gently, not wanting to startle him out the door. Chris could be very hard to calm down once he got riled and his little brother hated being backed into a corner. "I think you know what I mean, Chris," he said softly, eyes intent, "It's time to make us official."
As he expected, Chris immediately stiffened and tried to pull away but Wyatt's firm grip held him in place. The teen shook his head in denial, "No," he whispered, "No, you can't. You can't Wyatt!"
Wyatt regretted the fear he could see in the suspiciously bright green eyes, but this was the best thing. For both of them. Not only would his own power and influence be boosted considerably, but also his reckless baby brother would finally be under his complete protection. The latter was a consideration that he gave much more thought to than Chris would ever realise.
Chris could deny it all he wanted to but deep down, he needed Wyatt. It was the way that their family worked. They were always stronger together and this way, they would be the strongest of them all. Not to mention that it would firmly dismiss all the tentative suggestions by the higher ranking demons that something be… done about the threat his little brother posed. The only other Halliwell living.
The only one who could possibly depose him.
Easily containing the struggles of the younger man, his eyes narrowed as he spotted the darkening bruise on Chris's arm. Grabbing it, despite the protests, he examined it carefully, anger burning at the thought of his dear, soon to be departed father. Letting his healing wash over Chris, he watched as the bruise disappeared before their eyes. "Better?" he asked. "He will pay for that I assure you."
Chris just looked at him, and slowly shook his head, "I just don't get you," he said, staring at the other man, "You can talk about killing people so easily and yet you still say you care for me. For crying out loud, you are plotting your own father's death! Do you have any idea how twisted this is?"
Wyatt just looped an arm around Chris's shoulders and gave him a pointed look, "I am hardly the only one to imagine doing nasty things to Leo," he said, watching Chris flush guiltily, "And no one is allowed treat you that way."
Chris grimaced, "Except for you." he muttered.
Wyatt frowned in displeasure, "Chris, I don't know what you think fighting this is going to accomplish," he said, leaning close to whisper in his ear even as Chris froze up in denial and terror, "I am not playing games with you. I will not hurt you if you stop trying to destroy everything that I have built. I want you beside me, Chris, not under me. And I know you're scared, but you have to trust me."
Green eyes flared with an angry fire, "Trust you?" Chris hissed, trying to move out of Wyatt's hold, "Trust you? The new Source of all Evil? The one who is killing the Elders? The pervert who is trying to shack up with his little brother? Or how about the murderer? The torturer? I have absolutely no reason to trust you, Source," he snarled, evading his brother's grasp.
Wyatt felt his own anger flare up at his brother's cutting words, "And you're still stuck on your misconceptions of good and evil," he said, trying to keep his voice level as he stood up. Chris immediately put the sofa between them, and he had to grit his teeth not to lose his temper, "I do recognise your dilemma and I am trying to be understanding," he continued, "But I am not about to be told off by my little brother. You have no understanding of why I do what I do."
"Then why don't you enlighten me?" Chris demanded, "Or is that against the demon code? Come on, what turned you Wyatt? What made you fall, Mr Twice Blessed? Weren't you supposed to be the strongest one, huh? What got you, Wyatt?"
"Someday, when you're ready to hear it, I'll tell you," Wyatt said, advancing on Chris, who circled around the furniture to stay out of his reach, "But for now, you're like an untamed lion roaming around and I can't allow it. You will only end up hurting yourself more than you'll hurt me. Someone has to keep you in line."
"I'll never be your slave, Wyatt." Chris hissed, eyes flashing.
Wyatt just looked at him, "If I had wanted a slave," he said dryly, "I'd be taking more advantage of that potion, wouldn't I? I would be giving you orders. Instead, being my generous self, I am giving you the chance to do things the easy way. And you keep throwing it back in my face. My patience won't last forever, Chris."
The dark-haired teen didn't care, "I will not do what you ask of me," he said firmly, holding his ground, "I can't."
Wyatt just smirked, and noticed the slight tremble in the slighter frame, "How can you when I haven't told you what I want yet?" he said, and took a step forward, grabbing his brother by the arms and surprising him with the strength of his grip.
"I want you to be my consort and in time, my equal," Wyatt said softly, his breath ghosting over Chris's face as he pulled him closer, "When you're more… amiable to the idea, you will get your powers back. But trust has to be earned Chris. You can deny it all you want but you will be mine. I think you know this."
Chris shook his head, "No…" he said and his tone was pleading, "Please, Wy…"
"Can you deny that you care for me?" Wyatt demanded, "We may have a love-hate relationship going on here but I know you care. Otherwise, you would have tried to kill me sooner. I know you feel that it's your duty to stand up for what's 'good', but it's time to put that behind us and become what we were born to be."
"Tyrants?" Chris said bitterly, "Giving out orders that kill people we were supposed to help?"
Wyatt hugged him softly, "I know it's hard Chris, but you have to trust me. I know what I'm doing." He tugged Chris's hair to get him to look at him, "I know you don't understand why, but you have to trust me. Everything will be okay, I promise."
Chris desperately wanted to believe that but he could not give in. He couldn't. Wyatt was his beloved elder brother, the one he had always looked up to. And when he turned, it had devastated him. But he couldn't turn his back on everything that he had been raised with, everything that he knew was right. Even if a growing part of him wanted to believe Wyatt, the rational side told him to be careful, that it was all a ploy.
The struggle between head and heart was clearly written on his face and Wyatt left him alone for a couple of moments to process the confusing swirl of emotions that were going through his little brother.
Chris shuddered and sighed, and most of the tension left as Wyatt soothingly rubbed circles on his back and he knew that he had won this round at least. "That's it, Chris," he coaxed, "Trust me. And everything will be okay. This is for the best."
Chris did not reply. He only closed his eyes wearily, and after a long minute he spoke, "I haven't agreed to anything." he pointed out.
"But you will," Wyatt said, "You will…"
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While Chris struggled with the myriad of emotions and dilemma that his brother stirred up with such galling ease, Wyatt was not so prepared to leave things to chance.
Chris was a lot like their mother, in temperament as well as colouring. He was stubborn as a mule when he believed that he was right, and the whole concept of good and evil seemed to be stuck in his head. Wyatt would have rathered coax him round to the true way of thinking, but he simply did not have the time.
There were those that did not look on Chris joining his side with any joy. The demons distrusted him but would do what he said. He knew that only a fool would cross him. But the cursed 'light' side would not think twice of harming Chris if they thought that by doing so they could get to him or prevent the two brothers' powers from reaching their full potential. Despite what his little brother believed, the resistance could be ten times worse than his demons. They only cloaked their deeds under Gideon's favourite phrase, 'for the greater good'. Which made them much worse in his opinion. At ;east he acknowledged what he did.
And he would not allow those righteous little nuisances to destroy what he had built. Or to harm the only remaining family that he acknowledged.
No, Chris had to be brought around. For both their sakes.
Making sure that the door to the room where Chris was watching TV, was closed, he spoke, "Magic to magic, mind to mind. Plant the thoughts I want him to find. Let his dreams show him the way. Let him see the truth before they make him pay."
The strong course of magic through him let him know the spell had worked, and he knew that it would take effect that night. He had promised to tame Chris to his touch, and this was only part of it. His little brother too often underestimated him. Too many had made that mistake.
Leaving a note for Chris, he flamed out to his council.
It was time to start putting preparations in place.
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Zzzz DREAM zzzzz
Chris ducked as the arcing bolts of electricity slammed into the wall where he had been. Staring at the Elder in shock, he was forced to dodge again as another round of lethal bolts was aimed in his direction. He could not understand it. He knew his father hated him, but enough to kill him? He had not thought that things were so bad.
Another one of the Elders joined in, and their voices condemned him and shook him to the core. "You should never have been born," one said sternly, face impassive, "A witch and a Whitelighter should never have been allowed to be together. The offspring was too powerful. You must die."
Cursing, Chris tried to orb out but was quickly forced back into physical form and unable to just stand there and take this abuse, he let his own powers out to match theirs.
Sending them flying with a wave of his hand, he wavered in the process of deciding to blow them up or not, but he just couldn't do it. He didn't have it in him to kill them. Especially not his own father, whatever the state of their relationship was. Cursing again, he froze them and took off, hoping to get away before he was forced to make the choice between murderer and victim.
But he had not gotten two blocks before he was confronted.
A witch he had befriended, who was pretty high up in the resistance, blocked his path along with two others. The man didn't even bother to say anything before they chucked a potion in his direction. Quick reflexes blew it up in mid-air but before he could orb out to safety, something painful burned into him from behind.
As the impact of the electricity bolts lanced through him painfully, he collapsed to the ground as enemies he never knew he had closed in around him, and before darkness closed in around him, he called out for the only one who could help, and the only one who would come….
"Wyatt!"
Zzz END DREAM zzzz.
"Wyatt!" he cried out, bolting upright, chest heaving for air as he desperately felt at the whole skin on his back. Whole, not charred. And not paining him either.
Beside him, his brother bolted awake at his pained cry and instantly taking in Chris's distressed state, he embraced him, holding him tight.
"Shh…" he said soothingly as he tried to calm Chris down, "It's ok… it's alright." he cooed, rubbing Chris's back softly. Eventually his brother's breathing slowed down enough for him to try to get a coherent answer out of his obviously terrified little brother. "Chris? What happened? What's wrong?" he asked with concern.
Chris looked at him, green eyes wide and haunted, but he shook his head in the negative, "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered.
But Wyatt would not let him be that easily. "Chris, I know something's upsetting you. Tell me!" he said, knowing that Chris would have to heed the command.
As expected, his brother glared at him, temper starting to surface, but the potion forced him to comply, "It was a nightmare," he said eventually, struggling to keep from saying more. Wyatt just looked at him, and Chris, too shaken to put up more than a rudimentary fight, caved. "They tried to kill me." he said at last.
"Who?" Wyatt asked softly, gently tugging Chris's head onto his chest while he comforted the younger man.
Chris closed his eyes, "Da- Leo," he said, "The Elders. Everybody."
Wyatt held back the small smile that wanted to surface. His spell had worked. And while Chris might be suffering now, in the long run, he was saving his baby brother. "Chris," he said gently, "The Elders never liked the idea of the Halliwells having kids. And especially not with a Whitelighter. And now that we're too strong for them… well, they would rather us gone. I didn't want you to find out so I never told you of their plots. I'm sorry you had to find out the hard way."
"You mean it's real?" Chris asked, looking at his elder brother, "It's really true?"
"It would not be the first time they tried it," Wyatt said grimly, "But don't let it worry you. You're with me now and I am not going to let anything happen to you."
And though he hated himself for it, Chris was reassured by that thought.
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Chris felt that he was losing an uphill battle.
And every day it got harder to remind himself that he was still fighting.
As much as he tried to remind himself that Wyatt was now the Source, that he had turned to evil, that he was the enemy, his heart kept overruling his head.
He had no real family left except for his brother. He was not so big a fool as to think that Leo had ever really cared for him. And the thing was, after a lifetime of being the afterthought; he could not deny that the attention reaped on him by Wyatt was appealing. Welcomed even. If only Wyatt could be content with just being brothers, Chris would probably be ok with it. But Wyatt had to always want more than he could give.
He had to constantly remind himself that he agreed with nothing Wyatt did in his quest to become world's biggest overlord but every time he reminded himself that Wyatt murdered people for a living, and now ruled the demons that he had been brought up to stop, his brother would do something nice that would make everything else seem like it had all been a bad dream.
He was good witch and Wyatt was pretty much head warlock, but though he knew he should hate him, especially for the controlling potion and for keeping him here against his will, he just couldn't do it. He knew that he was duty bound to stop him and yet he had been here for so long already without doing anything to try to accomplish that.
He just couldn't forget the older brother who had played with him when they were younger, who had always cared. Who had always noticed him, and had always been there to talk to and when he needed help. It was not something easily forgotten.
He hated feeling this conflicted. And he hated himself for being this weak. How could he be so far gone as to actually be conflicted? There had been a time where he knew that Wyatt had to be stopped at all costs.
He knew what he had to do, but every time he was near Wyatt, all thoughts of stopping the Source went out of his head. But though it was going to near kill him to try, he knew what he had to do. He loved his brother, but not in the way Wyatt wanted. And, he hoped, not enough to risk all the people that could be saved if Wyatt was deposed.
Not to mention that the very thought of what Wyatt wanted sent chills down his spine. He couldn't be that. Ever. He was not helping Wyatt to rule the underworld. And yet every time he decided to do something, his own weakness prevented him.
There could only be one solution.
He had to learn to hate Wyatt. Had to learn to hate him enough to ruin him. Or else die in the process. Because he could not keep living in this state of never ending hell. Or else he would be torn in two.
He didn't care for Wyatt in that way. He couldn't. He was his brother, for crying out loud! Anything he felt was because of that damned potion of Wyatt's. It had to be. He just couldn't believe otherwise. Those feelings were wrong with a capital 'w'. And he was not going to let Wyatt trick him into believing otherwise. He knew that his brother only cared for power; he didn't, - couldn't -, really see Chris in … that … way. It was just wrong.
Stubbornly, he held onto those beliefs and steadfastly ignored the nagging voice in the back of his mind, which pointed out that some part of him didn't really feel that way.
Because he was so not ready to face that.
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Response to reviewers! Thank you all!
Alienangel19852003 - thanks!
Anonymous - I'll try…
Bakuraangel - Well, if I kill Wyatt now, there goes my plot, doesn't it? And this is set before Chris went back to the past.
CaliforniaChick - I think the question is 'what is Wyatt not planning to do to Chris?'
Christina - 27 times? Wow! Thanks!
DawnAurilain - thanks for reviewing!
Eloise - then here's your requested fix! And thanks! And I don't think the dictionary considers 'official' a dirty word…
Evilgoddess1990 - thanks a lot!
Faith, Love and Penny Candy - thanks so much!
Gloria - thanks, I think. And I fully get what you mean. But then again, isn't the reason we hide behind pen names is so that we can read, write and consider things we're not supposed to? We all have to push the boundaries. After all, according to Stephen King, you have to keep the alligators fed after all. (Never mind. It was just something I read about why we always feel the need to look at 'sick' things. Very interesting btw.) About the rating issue, on this site, I can't rate it any higher. And I've put the huge warning at the top of every chapter. After that, I can't stop what people decide to do. But no, I'm not underage myself.
Good Witch - the long wait is over! And in reply to your question, no they haven't.
Jess - wow! Thanks! Thank you for all your comments! They were really encouraging!
Kali - It is always a compliment to convert someone! Thanks for your comments! I know what you mean about the pairing but I read a fic and got halfway through it before I realised that C/W meant pairing and not main characters and I accidentally got hooked. This is the result of that contemplation.
Kiki - thanks!
Lex - here's the update! Hope that satisfies!
Lynx Sark - (cringes) Yeah, I know, I suck with the updating! But I'll try to do better!
Mi-au - cool name! And thanks!
Mizunderstood writer - thanks! And your fic is great!
Sabbath - thanks! I do know what you mean. there is a severe shortage of good Charmed fics out there! And a control freak? I suppose he is. But he is an evil overlord, and Chris seems to bring out his nicer side, so I don't know. Muse hasn't decided yet apparently.
Sam - thanks a lot!
Sarah - don't worry I'm not abandoning it! Sorry about the lack of seasonal gift! But this one is in time for St Patrick's Day.
Shadow Dark Night - wow! Thanks! Your review had me blushing! Thanks!
Sue - thanks!
Susan - sadly, his life tends to be one permanent cliffhanger!
SSJ - don't fret! I'm still working on it! And let's just say that Leo is permanently blind…
Tamurl - sure! As soon as I've got time!
Thequeeneb - yep! I am definitely continuing this story!
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A/N: Please review!