CHAPTER XII: Conning you softly

Manor- Outside

Eric was pacing outside the manor, he was forcing himself to cry, inconsolably.

Human are such fools, letting themselves being controlled by stupid emotions! He thought to himself. He thanked the evil powers that he had being raised since he was a baby in the underworld and looking like a poor innocent child had forced him to learn all the arts and skill fast.

His mom had been an expert at conning and deceiving and had taught him all about that craft. When he was a child, she would let him there… near a witch and ordered him to cry. No witch could resist the cute little demon with blue eyes, they will all come to him, and then he would burn them. He used to love listening to them cry in agony. His mom would be so proud. He smiled smugly.

"Show time!" he said when his eyes were red and swollen enough.

He walked to the door and rang the bell, putting his most miserable face, he waited patiently for the charmed ones to fall into his trap.

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Manor-Outside Wyatt's room.

C.J walked his way up, trying to come up with something to say, something to tell his mom.

"Is he ok?" Piper greeted him as soon as he walked into the Attic.

C.J nodded. "He is sleeping. Mom… I was thinking… and I think I heard Chris saying something about meeting with Markus today, so… I could go looking for him and ask him if he has seen Chris, maybe they are together and they are just shielded from the rest of the world… you know those two." He tried to sound natural.

Markus was one of Chris' few friends, they had met in magic school's grad school, where they both taught some classes. Markus was one of the wisest witches alive, he was like a thousand years old, but still looked like he was twenty five. He always said that the elderly witches that allowed themselves to look millennially old did so, so they could look wise, because they weren't confident of their knowledge, he thought it was stupid to look old and weak, when you have the power to look young and healthy.

Many people didn't understand the friendship between the whitelighter and the legendary witch, but they didn't care, Chris and Markus loved to spend hours and hours discussing about magic and they really enjoyed their company. The Halliwell family, on their side, was just pleased to see Chris had a social life outside the manor.

"That's a great idea, C.J… do you want someone else to go with you?" Piper said.

"No, mom." He smiled nervously, he didn't particularly enjoyed lying to his mom like that. He had sensed Markus at his house and he knew Chris wasn't there, even if he was planning to go and ask him.

"Ok, go then… Paige already talked to Jake and asked him to go up there, and the girls will be home in any minute." Piper said eagerly, C.J could see a little ray of hope in her eyes, and felt horrible for giving her unfunded expectations like that.

He walked to her and hugged her tightly. "Don't get your hopes up, mom." He said sadly "He is probably not there."

"I know" she said, but she couldn't help hoping he was.

"Someone should probably go get D.J and Emma too… just to be on the safe side, mom." C.J said kissing her forehead, he was about to orb away when the bell rang.

"Who is it NOW?" Piper said exasperated, grabbing C.J's hand they both orbed down to the door.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Underworld-Wyatt's Lair, Chris' chambers.

"I don't know… but if anyone can make an extensive list of Wyatt's flaws those are his brother and wife." Chris chuckled. "Especially his wife, right?" He teased shuffling her hair intensely.

Emma laughed amused. "Chris stop it!"

They had been thinking about possible weakness for over an hour. Chris already looked tired, but was refusing any of Emma's petitions for him to lay down and continue thinking from the bed; or her offerings for liquid or food or… anything.

"He is pretty much like my Wyatt, right?" Emma asked Chris at one point.

"Yeah in many things he is." Chris shrugged.

"Basically cuz I am your Wyatt, my love!" Wyatt said smiling, leaning against the arch of the door.

"Wy… What are you doing here?" Emma asked surprised.

"I had a few free minutes and I decided to come visit the love of my life and see if my brother has been thinking over what I told him." He looked at Chris sternly; he didn't even bother to look back at him.

Emma walked to him and hugged him, scared he might have listened more than he should have. Wyatt hugged her back and pecked her lips adoringly, giving no signs of having overheard anything potentially dangerous.

"Why don't you set the table while I conjure something to eat? I would love to have some of your great food, sweetie… but I don't have time to wait till is done and I thought it'd be nice to have a nice family meal. What do you think?" Wyatt smiled at her and she whished she didn't love him so much.

She kissed him shortly and left to set the table.

"Isn't she great? Don't you wish you had someone that answered to your suggestions like that?" Wyatt asked Chris as he watched her walk away with an "in love" gaze.

"You are good to her… you are a good boyfriend, Wy… she gives you what you deserve." Chris said tiredly and absentminded, he was telling him the truth, and he just didn't care enough about the subject to annoy Wyatt out of that.

Nevertheless Wyatt beamed at his statement, walking to him.

"What would you like to eat, bro?" He asked.

"I am not hungry, thanks."

"You need to eat! You need to gather strength." Wyatt said worried.

"I am not hungry, Wyatt, thank you!" Chris repeated a little more energetically.

"I didn't ask you if you were hungry… I asked you what would you like to eat. You'll eat… cuz I say so… hungry or not!" He ordered.

"What are you? My father now?" Chris said annoyed.

"I am the closest thing you ever had to a father… so don't you dare use that tone on me, do you understand?" Wyatt got irritated.

"I have a father now… Wy…out there… probably looking for us, he is probably worried sick and probably so is mom." Chris looked at him pleadingly.

Wyatt walked to him and wrapped his shoulders with his arms. "Don't worry about them… we'll be with them soon, bro… I promise." He said caringly, kissing his nape.

Once again Chris wondered about his brother's mental health.

"Are they nice to you, bro?" Wyatt asked caringly. "They seemed to care a lot about you in the other Wyatt's memories I saw."

"Yes…that's why, Wy… they are probably worried sick by now!" Chris used any excuse he could find.

"I am glad you finally got the father you deserved, and that you have mom back, Chris…you were always such a good boy, and life had been so unfair with you." Wyatt caressed his hair paternally.

Chris swallowed hard. "Wy, please, stop it…you were a good boy too, and life has been unfair with you too…They will forgive you… if you go there, they'll receive you with open arms, I promise I'll make sure of that." And that you go see a good shrink, he thought.

"Soon, bro… soon… but now you need to eat, to stay strong." Wyatt kissed his nape one more time. "Come on… you'll eat something with me and Emmy and then you'll take a nice nap, and you'll be as good as new." Wyatt said concerned, caressing his temples and checking his fever.

Chris repressed his urge to punch him, mainly cuz Wyatt might punch him back and he was in obvious disadvantage.

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Manor- Foyer.

"Can I help you?" Piper said barely opening the door enough to look at the stranger.

Eric sobbed uncontrollably, but didn't answer.

"It's ok, honey… it's ok…tell me what happened?" Piper said soothingly, opening the door and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Eric saw his chance and ran to Piper hugging her, sobbing like someone had just killed his mother, but then… that was going to be his cover story.

"Shh… it's ok, it's ok" Piper said drawing comforting circles in his back. "C.J go bring him some water. Everything is going to be ok, sweetheart, just tell me what's wrong." Piper used the tone she had been perfecting for years with her kids.

"My mom…" Eric sobbed.

"What happened to your mom?" Piper said sweetly, giving him the glass of water C.J had brought.

He refused the water. "They killed her… they killed my mom… she was trying to protect me… and they killed her." He sobbed.

"Who killed your mom?" C.J asked caring.

"The demons…the demons that are after me… I am so scared… I didn't know where else to go." He sobbed louder. "My mom… before she died…" And even louder. "She told me… that if something happened to her… to come here, she gave me this address… she told me "They are going to protect you! They are the charmed family…They will protect you."" And with that Eric collapsed to the floor in agony.

C.J tk closed the door and kneeled beside the boy, placing a hand on his back.

"Everything is going to be ok. We will protect you… we won't let anything happen to you, and we will take care of you, right mom?" C.J said touched.

"Of course, honey, why don't you let C.J orb us to the attic, and there we'll see what we can do for you, ok?"

Eric sobbed a little more, he was a REALLY good actor.

"Ok? Hold my hand, I'll take you to the attic. I am C.J by the way."

Eric held his hand and gave him a sad smile. "I am Eric."

&&&

C.J orbed them both to the Attic, there he found that Paige had brought D.J to the manor and had just gone to get Emma.

He comfortingly leaded Eric to the couch, beside D.J. Eric was pretending to try to stop crying.

"Hey man, how are you doing?" C.J asked D.J.

"A little freaked I must say… Paige said that I seriously needed to drop everything and come to the manor with her. What's all this about?" D.J told him.

"We'll tell you in like five minutes, don't worry D.J, we have it covered." Phoebe told him with a reassuring smile.

"Where is my man, Wyatt?" D.J asked.

"Long story, they will fill you on that too…I gotta go now… I'll be right back. Take good care of Eric for me, you know how scary it can be to be with those three alone." C.J teased comfortingly, patting Eric's back. Eric smiled weakly. "It will be ok, man… I'll be right back, ok? D.J here will provide enough testosterone in the room, ok?" He teased, waving at Emma as she orbed in with Paige and orbing out to Wyatt's room.

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Manor- Wyatt's room.

C.J orbed to Wyatt's room, in the darkness he could see his brother twisting and moaning, with another nightmare.

He thought about leaving him there, sleeping, he knew Wyatt was going to kill him later, but Wyatt had been looking ill for days and these recent events seemed to have taken a dreadful toll on his body. When he had left him in the room, Wyatt looks were enough to worry someone that didn't even know him. For him, that he knew how his robust, vigorous and hearty brother looked, he wasn't even a shadow of what he used to be. He looked pale, as frail as his athletic, 6"4' body structure would allow him to, his circle under his eyes were so big, they almost occupied his whole face, he looked gaunt and absolutely broken.

He was still deliberating what to do when Wyatt screamed in agony, his blankets were a knot around legs and arms, he was twisting and crying in pain and C.J couldn't take it.

He launched himself beside his brother. "Shh…it's ok, bro… I am here… everything is fine. It's just a dream." He said soothingly and he felt his hand soaked by Wyatt's sweat and tears when he tried caressing him soothingly.

Still, it did nothing. "You are not evil, bro… calm down… you are good, and I am here beside you." C.J tried one more time. "Nothing will happen."

Wyatt let go another sob, with his hand on his chest, C.J would feel his breathing was erratic, and he would actually stop breathing for fearsomely long periods of time.

"Nooooo!" Wyatt pleaded in his dream.

"It's ok, Wy!" C.J tried shaking him, only Wyatt gathered strength from some unknown place and managed to push him so hard, he flew of the bed, hitting the floor with a heavy thump.

"Ouch." He said rubbing his head and getting up, only to find his brother looking at him in fear, tears in his eyes. He ran to him, hugging him reassuringly when he saw he was in shock. "It's ok, Wy… it was an accident… calm down… it's ok!"

"I hurt you!" Wyatt said broken hearted.

C.J chuckled, trying to cheer him up. "Come on… I am tougher than that! Do you really think a lame push to the floor would hurt me? It'll take a lot more from you to hurt me!" he said cockily.

"I don't want to hurt you or anyone!" Wyatt sobbed.

"I know that, Wy!" He whispered, drawing comforting circles in his back.

"And I am scared of what I might do!" He sobbed uncontrollably.

C.J cupped his face and forced him to look at him in the eye. "Wyatt… I know you, you won't hurt anyone… please, please bro…don't be scared of that…it won't happen." Wyatt looked at him thankful, but not believing a word he said. "Don't be stupid Wy… be scared of turning into the king of all sappiness… be scared of turning into a gentleman…be scared of being voted the most popular, annoying guy at school…" Wyatt couldn't help laughing a little. "but you are anything but evil, bro." C.J said with a reassuring smile.

Wyatt engulfed him in his arms. "Thanks…I love you, bro."

"See… I told you "the king of all sappiness"!" He said hugging him back.

Wyatt sniffed and composed himself. "What took you so long?" He said slightly punching him.

"LONG story! But it didn't take me that long, Wy… you are just too exhausted… do you really think it's a good idea?"

"Orb!" Wyatt commanded him, gripping his arm.

"Emma and D.J are in the attic…Don't you want to see them?"

"Good… they'll be protected here." He gulped "Now orb!"

"I know you want to see Emma, Wy…please… and D.J was asking for you… you haven't seen him in ages! Come on… you really like those two!" C.J pleaded.

"Yeah, I do… that's why I am telling you to ORB! I am not going to let anything happen to them!" Wyatt said firmly.

C.J sighed resigned and orbed to Cole.

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laura817

"i have missed your stories!" Thanks!

" this is why i hate moving house - no internet for weeks." Yeah any reason that doesnt allow you to get online for weeks… really sucks!

No… thank you for your marvelous reviews

Victorious Light

"Thanks for the offer, but I'd only spoli it for myself, like peeking at presents before the big day! I can hold my suspense, I find it's part of the reading experience and only adds to it, plus keeps me coming back for more!" Yeah… probably… I am too anxious usually

"I loved the beginning of this chapter because we got to see Piper and her relationship with a sons, it's a really sweet combo too! Your Piper makes a really good Mum. Although she can be a tad overprotective, understandable really with her family and kids!" I am glad you like her… I just make her the way I would imagine she would be (ok, its not exactly how it appears in the show… that for instante in Chris first bday… not only she didn't care about the birtday, but the fact that she didn't even thought about the son that died that day… come on!)

"I also liked the way that you explained Emma's reasoning for staying by Wyatt's side. What a vely way, through the bad and good. I praise Emma for her promises! She's a good character!"

I am glad you like her… she somehow manager to gain a more and more important role in this fic.

"Now I'm sensing trouble, what are the boys up to?" Hmmm.. well they are going to look for Cole and get more than what they expected from him…a lot more.

Nathy1000000

"Ah...gran capítulo. Me encantó lo desesperado que está Leo por encontrar a Chris. El demon informante se portó bastante cool...dentro de todo." Todo para qie no lo maten… ya ademas… quien se puede resistir a Chris?
"Me gusta que Eric esté planeando traicionarlo, al fin y al cabo cuando uno es evil, es evil hasta morir, no? Sigue siendo simpático igual." Bueno, Eric ya empezo a mostrar su darkside
"Así que cuando uno está loco las cosas son más fáciles...y como sabría usted a eso? Seguro te lo contaron, no debe ser de primera mano, no?" YOOOO Never!
"Pobre Wyatt, en cierta forma es bueno que haya contado a todos las pesadillas que lo perseguían...por más que se hayan hecho realidad no es bueno que se aguante todo solo. Me encantó la reacción de Piper, toda protectora y en denial...no mi bebé no...je. " Que Bueno que te haya gustado :)
"Me gusta mucho cómo describís el conflicto de Emma...ella lo quiere...además es su esposa...pobre! De nuevo, decile que ayude a Chris pero que no hay apuro..." Hehehe si Emma es un gran carácter… ademas tiene su re encanto tener dos versiones de Chris, Wyatt y Emma para escribir, verlas como son muy parecidas pero no iguales y como reaccionan frente a situaciones muy distintas!

" Y podrá little Wy entrar a las chambers de Chris...una idea nada más..como solamente Wyatt puede entrar..."

Hmmmm esa es una brillante idea, que no se me habia ocurrido… pero que ahora lo agregue, es mas creo que Wyatt trata de hacer dos cosas que solo Wyatt puede hacer (Ya ni me acuerdo las escribi apenas me mandaste la review…)

"Me encanta Cole, espero que Wy no se entere lo que su "tío" está ahciendo." A partir del capitulo que viene Cole empieza a volver al estrellato… y te lo COMES… mal… ya tengo mil escenas escritas… de las de cuando van ahora a hablar con el, Cole con Prue. Cole diciendo a Prue quien es… Cole y Phoebe… no muy cute!

JadeAlmasy

Heheheh THANKSSS I hope you liked this too!

Sparkling Cherries

""Yeah… they do… and if they don't its ok, we can give them some nonetheless… and if they don't want to… well they can give us some… I won't complain, would you?" - hey, either way it works for me! the latter thing you suggested would be better tho. Lol" Agreed… totally agreed.

""Topher would you come with me for a sec.?" - claps yey, you're still using it smiles till it hurts"

Ohh You are soo sweet… I am glad you like it! I will keep on using it.. so I am glad it makes you happy.

" oh I hope wy and cj are gonna be ok." The little ones? Yeah for the time being… I mean… Cole is going to give them a heart attack with all the unexpected things he will tell them, and Wyatt might have one or two nervous break down… but they'll be considerable fine :P!

Nikki14u

"C.J is such a sucker for Wyatt (hell so am I)" Yeah… poor boy, give him a break… you should understand him better than anyone… and I promise… no evil gotee and the only way that Wyatt looks any different than in Chris Cross is right now when he is about to have a nervous break down.. but I think its still kind of cute that he is so worried that he might done sth evil!

"and I can see something major happening in the next chapter or the one after it." This story is a BIG puzzle, I have all the major piece already and they have to come together. But I won't tell…my lips are sealed.

"Are they going to run into evil Wyatt?" Hmmm I can't tell you that…or I could… if you want.. but you probably don't. so I wont

" And by the way where's Eric and what's he up to?" Funny thing… I promise this chapter was already written by the time you sent this review…but here is Eric… chilling in the manor!

"I'll be your best friend :)" I'd LOVE that : )… you need to update soon too.. I miss you…

Regarding your questions… I usually know the answer… so tell me in BIG capital letters… answer me with what is going to happen and I will.

And regarding your question if big Wyatt will turn little wYAtt evil…he will turn him insane, thats for sure…

Altaira

I am glad you liked it! Ohh hell will start to run loose when Chris escapes… but that won't happen for a little while!