HALLIWELL 2024

"Where is he? Where's Chris? Victor asked as he rushed past Sheila and into the foyer.

"Hello to you too Victor," Daryll said, clearly annoyed by Victor's abruptness.

"I'm sorry," Victor said apologetically. "I've just been so worried about him."

"It's alright Victor. We understand," Sheila responded, giving her son a disapproving look as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "He's OK. He's a little banged up but…"

"What happened?" Victor demanded, cutting her off. "Was it Wyatt?"

Before Sheila could respond, Chris entered the foyer from the kitchen.

"Grandpa?"

Victor was horrified by his grandson's appearance. He hadn't seen him in over a month and had only spoken with him a couple of times in brief telephone conversations. Every time they had talked, Chris had assured him he was fine and that he shouldn't worry. But now, looking at him, it was evident that Chris had been lying to him. He looked hurt, frightened and exhausted…anything but "fine".

Victor rushed to his grandson and wrapped his arms around him-squeezing him tightly.

"Oh Chris. Thank God." He said, still holding him tightly as he kissed the top of the boys head. "I was so worried about you."

"Grandpa…" Chris managed weakly, "You're hurting me."

Victor immediately released his grip and Chris winced and clutched his side.

"Oh God, I'm sorry." Victor said and then reached out with both hands to cup his grandson's face gently.

"What happened to you? Did your brother do this?"

Chris closed his eyes as he tried to stop the tears that were now streaming down his cheeks. He said nothing but rather wrapped his arms around his grandfather, buried his face in Victor's chest and began to sob.

"Oh honey, please talk to me!" Victor begged as he tried to gently comfort the boy.

"He killed him! And it's all my fault!

"What?" Victor asked-confused.

"People always get hurt because of me! Why won't he stop?" Chris continued.

Victor sighed a gently stroked his grandson's back. He had no idea what Chris was talking about and he was getting frustrated.

"Chris…buddy…you have to calm down. I can't understand you when you're this upset. I want to help you but first you have to tell me what happened. What did Wyatt do to you?"

"Wyatt didn't do this to Chris," Sheila explained as she stepped toward them. "It was a police officer."

"What? Why?" Victor demanded, not letting go of Chris.

"Apparently, he suspected Chris was a witch and when Chris wouldn't admit it…"

"…he decided to beat it out of him." Daryll finished for her.

"Oh my God! What the hell is going on in this city?" Victor said.

"He was rookie." Sheila continued. "A young kid…not much older than Chris. He thought he was doing his job."

"Doing his job?" Victor nearly screamed. "I thought the job of the police was to protect and serve the community. Chris is no threat to anyone! It's Wyatt they should be going after!"

Furious, Victor let go of Chris and started pacing back and forth across the foyer.

"It's bad enough I have to worry about demons going after him…now I have to worry about the police hurting him. This is ridiculous!"

"I don't think you'll have to worry about the Police bothering Chris anymore." Daryll stated matter-of-factly.

Victor stopped pacing and looked up at him.

"Oh really? And why is that?" Victor asked him.

"Because Wyatt killed him." Chris said softly as he stared down at the floor.

"He what?"

"Wyatt killed the kid. Incinerated him right in front of me! " Chris said angrily looking up at his grandfather. He had stopped crying by this point. Now he was just full of rage. "He said he did it for me! Can you believe that? What kind of twisted freak does something like that?"

"Wyatt." Daryll answered him – even though he knew Chris wasn't really expecting an answer.

"Daryll!" Sheila snapped at him.

Victor shook his head.

"This is crazy." He lamented. "I…I'm at a loss here!

Victor suddenly looked very tired and began rubbing his chest as he paced back and forth again.

Concerned, Chris rushed to his side.

"Grandpa, sit down."

"I'm OK. I'm OK." Victor insisted, brushing him off.

"Then why are you rubbing your chest." Chris demanded.

It was something Chris had seen Victor do a lot in the weeks leading up to his grandfather's heart attack 3 months earlier. And it scared the hell out of him to see Victor starting to do it again.

"Chris is right Victor." Sheila agreed. "You should sit down. Come on." She said, taking him by the arm and leading him to the living room sofa.

Chris and Daryll followed them into the living room, where Victor took a seat on the couch.

Exhausted, Chris took a seat beside him.

"I'm sorry Grandpa." He said sadly without looking up at him.

"Chris, you have nothing to be sorry for." Victor insisted. "None of this is your fault. You know that. Right?"

Chris could feel all three sets of eyes staring at him as Victor, Sheila and Daryll all waited for him to respond. But what was he suppose to say. Did they want him to lie? This was all his fault. If he was strong enough…powerful enough to stand up to his brother, none of this would be happening.

Later that night…

Wyatt opened his eyes and was surprised to see his younger brother staring at him from where he stood in the open doorway of Wyatt's bedroom. Chris just glared at him as he leaned against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest. There was something different about him, Wyatt realized, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. What is he doing here? Wyatt wondered and was about to speak when Chris finally spoke up.

"If I can't save you…I swear to God I'll stop you."

There was a clap of thunder and Wyatt jolted upright in his bed and looked around in a panic. The room was completely dark. His door was shut. Chris was gone. It was only a dream.

Wyatt sighed and slumped back down on the bed , running his shaking hands through his damp hair. As he tried to calm himself, Chris' words kept echoing eerily in his mind. If I can't save you…I swear to God I'll stop you.

This wasn't the first time Wyatt had had this nightmare and for some reason, it terrified him. It seemed so real…so familiar. Almost as if it was not a dream…but a memory.

"Wyatt? Are you OK?"

The sweet voice of concern, and the gentle touch of her hand, caught Wyatt's attention and he rolled over on the bed to face the beautiful brunette laying beside him.

"Yeah…I'm fine." He smiled at her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, reaching over to brush back a wisp of blonde hair that had fallen into Wyatt's eyes.

He reached up and took her hand and gently kissed it.

"Yeah. I'm sure. It was just a dream."

"Was it the same as last time?" She asked, raising herself up on her elbow.

"Pretty much," Wyatt sighed.

"What do think it means?

"It means I need to get a handle on this Chris situation," Wyatt replied with a hint of frustration. "He belongs with me. I gotta get him back!"

"Oh, don't worry baby. You will," she reassured him, edging closer so she could wrap her arms around him.

"No," Wyatt corrected her as he backed away so that he could look her in the eyes. "We will. I need your help Bianca. You're going to help me get my little brother back."

To be continued