Summary: In a changed future the Halliwell family has to deal with the repercussions of a past that was changed. As the effects and memories rush forward to greet them how will Wyatt, Chris and Sara cope with not only that but a new and powerful evil? A sequel to 'Once Charmed'.
Disclaimer: I, Jules, state for the record that I do not own Charmed or any of the characters. Just the plot, Sara and her cousins!
A/N: I have so many different angles I could take on this story but I have finally decided on one with a twist! Hope you are enjoying.
Angelic Prefect: I was thinking about that but I am trying to avoid it because my poor mind might explode from the stress of jumping back and forth through time too many times while writing these stories. It is possible though.
Happybear2005: Sorry for the cliffhanger! It was kinda evil. I hope you enjoy.
IcantthinkofaFnick: Yeah, reading 'Once Charmed' will help you out. Hope that you enjoy that one and this. Thanks for your reviews. They made my night so much better than it had been so far.
Teal-lover: Yeah, that last line came to me while I was at work, shivers and all. I am glad you liked how I wrote Wyatt, Chris and Sara's relationship. I figured that they would be as close, if not closer than the Charmed sisters. I am still debating about letting Wyatt receive memories from before. I might just leave it with Chris and Sara. Poor Wyatt.
Chapter Two
"It's happening again." Chris, Wyatt and Leo looked up sharply at Piper. She was sagging against the wall, a distant look on her face. "My babies are dying all over again."
"What the…" Leo and Wyatt quickly glanced back at Chris when they heard his shaky words. "Mom?"
Chris stared at his mother. Why was she all of a sudden so much younger? She was gazing at him with sad eyes. Only when he looked closer did he notice that not only was his mother young again but she was pregnant. He couldn't fathom why he was seeing her like this. Sara was twenty-one and he could recall no memories of his mother when she had been with child. Yet there she was gazing at him with such sad eyes.
Phoebe and Paige, both looking as youthful as his mother, soon joined her. He was startled when he heard his own voice discussing something with them. Strategy? How was he able to be talking strategy with his pregnant mother and her sisters? Suddenly Wyatt was there and Chris was alarmed by his older brother's appearance. Everything from his muscular figure fitted in tight black to his cold and steely blue eyes told Chris that this was not the brother he knew. This had to be a very bad dream.
Memories that were not his own began to assault Chris' mind. A tyrant of a brother, dislike for his father, his parent's deaths, Sara's injured form calling out to him in a dream, going to the past to save his power hungry brother, Bianca dying before him, each memory hurt and confused him more. Wyatt was good, right? Sara wasn't dead, right? His parents were alive and loved him, he was sure. Chris knew that while he was sure he had never lived any of this, that it must have happened, but as the memories kept flooding his mind and soul Chris was finding it hard to decipher what was real and what wasn't. Pain, betrayal, grief, hopelessness…
As suddenly as the vision began, it ended, leaving Chris hurt and confused. His father ad brother were staring at him with bewildered expressions and his mother, once again as he knew her, was rushing toward him, worry etched into her features.
Startled, he pulled Sara close and scrambled back away from his family. What is happening to me? It was like he was remembering a whole life that he had already lived.
"Chris?" Wyatt asked, concern filling his voice. "What's gotten into you?"
"Stay the hell away from us, Wyatt" Chris growled as his brother began to move in his direction. In his arms, Sara was beginning to whimper softly, her words to soft to hear.
Chris was only confused more when Wyatt's expression was hurt and not in any way filled with the anger and rage Chris had just witnessed. It became apparent to Chris that whatever was happening to him, his parents knew about it. They were holding back, gazing at him sadly. His mother's eyes were gazing at him the same as in his vision.
"What's happening to me?" he whispered softly.
Their answer was drowned out by Sara's cries of grief. "CHRIS!" she yelled as if she didn't know he held her cradled in the safety of his arms. It was as though she thought he was hurt. "Stop it Wyatt!" she screamed, making them all jump. "You're killing him!"
Wyatt froze when he heard his sister's screaming pleas. His face paled as he looked back to his parents. What the hell was going on? Him killing Chris? Wyatt shook his head and turned to look back at his brother. Chris met his gaze with one of fear and loathing. Then in a swirl of orbs both Chris and Sara disappeared.
"Please tell me you know what all of this is about." He whispered to his distraught parents. "I know for a fact that I would never hurt Chris and he has never looked at me like that before! Not even when he was possessed by that demon a few years ago!"
"It was a long time ago, Wyatt." Leo sat his wife down on the bed and moved to his stunned son's side. "Before Chris or Sara were even born."
"That makes no sense," Wyatt growled. "She was screaming for me to stop…"
"When you were just a infant we had a visitor from the future," Piper began before Leo could gather his thoughts. "A neurotic and sarcastic whitelighter by the name of Chris Perry came back to change future. We didn't trust him and gave him grief when all he wanted to do was keep baby you safe and good."
"Good?" Wyatt asked baffled by the fact that he was hearing this at all.
"Yes son, good." Leo added before Piper could continue.
"Our new whitelighter told us that you were going to become in a phrase, the lord of darkness. That you were going to become a tyrant that ruled the world with an iron fist." Piper sighed. This was not easy; telling her son that in another timeline he had been the source of all evil and did awful thing's, including killing his family and tormenting his siblings all in the name of power.
She watched his face become paler and paler as she told him what they knew of Chris Perry's future. She wasn't surprised that he was freely crying when she finished. She felt tears steam down her own cheeks as she told him of his sibling's deaths. Sara's from the demonic virus and Chris' in the arms of his devastated brother and father."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Wyatt choked out. He felt betrayed by his parents. How could they have kept something like this from him? Why did Sara and Chris remember this other timeline all of a sudden while he did not?
"Would you have wanted to know, Wyatt?" Leo asked his son who was still fighting his turbulent emotions.
"I guess not." Wyatt whispered as his mother stood and pulled him into her warm embrace.
"It wasn't you Wyatt." Piper assured his as him shamelessly cried.
"I would never hurt them, mom."
"I know precious, I know."
"We've got find them." Leo said when Wyatt pulled away from his mother after a few minutes of silence. "He's confused and Sara isn't in very good shape."
Wyatt nodded and began to concentrate on his brother's presence. After a moment he sighed and looked back up at his parents. "Golden Gate Bridge."
"I should have known." Leo whispered. "Well, lets get moving."
"Leo, Wyatt." Piper stated as they prepared to orb. "I think I should be the one to go. Chris is likely to not want to be anywhere near you two."
"What?" Leo asked startled. He knew Chris wasn't going to be thrilled to see Wyatt but why would he be so leery toward… Leo cringed as he remembered how the Chris that came back from the future to save his brother had loathed him. He had thought he would never have to face those issues with this Chris. He had worked so hard to keep his promise to his son. A promise to be a good father. "You go, Piper."
She nodded to both of them as Leo waved his hand and orbed her to her confused and hurt children. She had no idea what she was going to say.
Piper found herself atop the Golden Gate Bridge in a matter of moments. She had only ever been here once and she still found it as frightening as the first time. Heights, she could deal with but being up this far with all of San Francisco laid out before her was a bit much. Gathering her wits she looked around and her eyes quickly found Chris and Sara.
Chris sat with his back to the steel of the bridge; Sara nestled in his arms with her back to his chest and head upon his shoulder. She was still asleep and mumbling incoherently as Chris tried his best to ease her distress.
"Sara?" Piper listened as he tried to rouse her, tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of losing them again. Not when life finally seemed to be going so well, so normal. All of her Wiccan days had been spent fighting for normalcy and stability amongst demon battles and keeping their identity as a magical family secret. Why did it all have to fall apart now?
"Mom, why?" Piper turned startled back to her children. Chris' voice sounded so much like his other timeline's self, and not much like the son she had raised these last twenty- three years. In fact, now that she had a good look at him she was taken aback. Sitting before her was her son yet she hardly recognized him. His always happy and mischievous green eyes were hardened and without their trademark sparkle. His vibrant personality was non-existent and Piper found herself wondering which Chris she was gazing at.
"I'm so sorry, Chris."
"For not telling me?" Chris mused coolly. "Or for choosing not to believe him when he told you that your precious son was going to grow up to torment people?
"That's not far." Piper whispered as tears began falling down her flushed cheeks. "How much do you know?"
Chris was silent for a moment, staring out at the night-lights of San Francisco before looking back to his grief-ridden mother. "I have all of his memories. From his timeline and when he came back to save Wyatt. Even his death."
"Wyatt doesn't remember being evil, Chris." Piper said softly as she sat next to him. "You saved him and the future."
"Did I?" He asked looking deep into his mother's eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Sara died from a demonic fever and now she's sick again and it happens to her on the exact date twenty-three years later? If she dies again, than I failed. I promised her then and in this timeline that I would always keep her safe. I don't think I can handle losing her again."
"Chris," Piper put her arm around his shoulders as she spoke. "This might not be a demonic anything. Sara has been over doing it lately and was feeling lousy for a day or two."
"She never said anything, though."
"She wanted your birthday to be special, Chris." Piper tried to make him see reason and praying that it was indeed the truth. "Plus you three never admit when something is wrong or you're not feeling well."
"Wyatt ok?" Chris asked after a few moments of silence.
"He's worried and horrified." Chris looked back at her sharply. She had said Wyatt didn't remember anything from the other timeline. Piper seeing his confusion explained. "We told him everything we knew. He's horrified that he ever did anything to hurt you two or any of his family. This isn't that Wyatt, I saw the his evil counterpart when he came to collect his 'wayward siblings' this Wyatt, your brother, is nothing like him.
"I know that Mom," Chris whispered. "I was just so surprised. It was just such a shock. I still can't come to grips with some of it yet."
A hour after his mother had gone to retrieve Chris and Sara; Wyatt was pacing the attic, having given up on the Book of Shadows. There was nothing in there was of any use to him in this situation. His father had orbed out to get Phoebe and Paige. They had decided on if anything, a spell, to help Chris sort the memories he had just been dumped with. Sara as well. They were going to need all three sisters and the power of three. Wyatt could only hope that it would be enough. He didn't know if he would be able to handle Chris looking at his with such sorrow and contempt ever again. What had his other timelines self put them through?
The sound of orbing brought Wyatt out of his maddening reverie and he looked up anxiously. Before him, his father materialized with Phoebe. Paige was only a minute behind them.
"So, they got slammed with memories huh?" Paige stated as she nodded in greeting to Wyatt.
"Not the nice kind either." Phoebe said solemnly. "I think I only ever saw Chris truly smile once or twice when he came back."
"Yeah, he was kinda sarcastic and closed off."
"An always going on about 'Future Consequences' this and that."
"Hey, do you mind?"
Phoebe, Paige and an eerily silent Leo and Wyatt jumped at the sound of an all to familiar voice. Chris stood behind them, helping Piper make Sara as comfortable as possible.
"Hey Chris." They all seemed to say at once.
"What is everybody doing here?" Piper asked as she sat down next to her shaking daughter.
"We think that a with a spell, we might be able to ease their stress and help them sort through the memories they just received from the ones that are truly theirs." Phoebe squirmed under Piper and Chris' gazes. It was just so unnerving for her to look at him knowing that her futuristic, smart-ass of a nephew was lurking behind those haunting green eyes.
"Let's do it then." Chris said startling them all. After seeing their surprised expressions Chris tried again. "As much as it may seem like it, I am not having very much fun here and the sooner we do this the faster I can try and forget about all of this. I don't want these memories."
"And the faster we do that the better chances we have of finding out what is wrong with Sara." Piper said with determination as she walked over to her sisters grabbing the written spell they had and going over it before nodding her approval.
Chris was staring into his older brother's soft blue eyes when they began to chant the spell.
"We call upon an ancient power,
To help us in this darkest hour.
Somehow lost between then and now,
Memories find their place not knowing how."
Chris was about to groan upon hearing the spell the sister's chanted. Was that the best they could come up with, he wondered? Just as he was about to launch into a tirade bright light filled the attic, temporarily blinding him as well as the others.
"So, everything back to normal?" Phoebe asked before her eyes had adjusted to the regular light of the attic again.
"Are you kidding me?" Chris asked as he struggled for sight as well. "What kind of spell was that?"
"I agree," a bemused voice stated causing everyone turn and stare. "I would have thought that after twenty-three years, you guys would have gotten better."
"Chris?" Leo whispered. He had been staring at his son when the voice had spoke and though it sounded just like his, Chris had not spoken. He too, was eyeing the attic's corner warily.
"Long time no see Dad." The voice stated softly. Whomever the voice belonged to was hidden in the shadows of the attic. "Thanks for keeping that promise."
With that the owner of that hauntingly familiar voice came into the light, causing everyone to gasp. The other timeline's Chris stood before them smiling sadly. He was dressed just as he was the last time they had seen him. Yellow shirt, gray jacket and jeans all the same as they were years before.
A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed! Oh and I kept Chris' clothes the same as in 'It's a bad, bad, bad, World." Even though the ending to 'Once charmed' happened a little differently. Well let me know in a review. Who else would you like to see…Wyatt or Sara from the other timeline?