Disclaimer: Please See First Chapter.
Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the reviews. I'm so happy people are reading this. In this chapter I tortured Chris just a little bit more... nothing much happens except that...
It's just so much... hehe... but I'll make him better soon and than I have fun little twist that you're all going to love! )
I hope you like.
The instant the body formed Piper flung her vial at it; and amoment later the man fell to the ground.
"Piper!" Phoebe scolded, running to the now unconscious man.
Piper shrugged, calmly walking over, "Just testing it…" she said softly.
"Did you hear what he said?" Phoebe continued eagerly as she checked the man's pulse.
"I did…" Piper said, smiling a little as she knelt next to her sister, "Is he still alive?"
Phoebe nodded, "Yeah and his pulse is strong."
"Good," Piper stated, her voice full of satisfaction as she checked her watch.
"So he's not loyal…" Chris said softly, he was standing right behind them, his eyes fixed on Lucifer.
"Chris!" Piper scolded standing quickly, "You shouldn't be on your feet!"
To her astonishment—and fear—he nodded, "Yeah, I know…" the words were quiet, just as quiet as his previous words and Piper saw immediately that the walk from the sofa to them had left him drained—and that his body's reaction had surprised him.
He looked shocked to feel so horrible.
Without asking she slipped his arm over her shoulder just in time to feel his knees buckle, she gasped as she caught his full weight, "Phoebe!" she cried in alarm.
Phoebe had already noticed and was quickly slipping his other arm over her shoulders. Together the two maneuvered the young man back to the sofa. Gently they stretched him out; Phoebe picked up the left over snacks and deposited them unceremoniously on the floor.
"How's his fever?" She asked nervously.
"High," Piper answered her voice tight. Her hand gently caressing his face and smoothing his hair, "Too high… get me the thermometer…"
"No, no… it's not so bad," he mumbled trying to sit up; Phoebe paid him no attention and left the room.
Piper firmly pinned him to the sofa, "Do not get up." She said steadily and Chris stopped struggling immediately.
"What were you thinking?" She hissed at him, her worry making her angry.
He sighed, letting his eyes slide shut again, "I didn't think it would… I thought… I didn't expect to feel like this…" he whispered and her anger melted.
She watched him silently; the fear almost overwhelming her. She stayed like that, watching him as his breathing evened out and he fell into a deep sleep.
Phoebe came back quickly, she held in her hand a tray with a bowl of water, towels, a glass, and the thermometer—it was Wyatt's— they had nothing else. Wordlessly, she set the tray down and handed the thermometer to Piper. Wordlessly Piper accepted it and pressed into Chris's ear.
108.
Oh god.
His temperature was up high, much too high…
Her hands were shaking when she handed it back to Phoebe, her breath coming quickly… he was dying…
He was dying right in front of her and there was nothing she could do stop it. The poison was spreading…
She swallowed hard, shoving those thoughts away, willing herself to breath—NO.
He was not going to die.
She was not going to let him die.
She bent and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, "I won't let you…" she whispered, her lips pressed against his burning flesh. She felt a little better saying the words out loud, as though that made them more real.
His lashes fluttered as she pulled away, "Mom…"
The word was whispered sleepily, his eyes half closed… his mind somewhere else—but still it was the first time he'd said it and her heart clenched.
This was her baby.
"I'm here baby," she whispered back, the tears she'd been fighting springing to life, "I'm right here…"
"Is Dad coming?" She barely heard the question, his words were so soft, "I want Dad to come…" he continued, before his eyes slid shut completely.
"He never comes…" the boy finished, the words slurred with sleep, before his breathing deepened again.
She couldn't breathe for a moment; all her breath consumed by the intensity of her anguish…
"We're going to fix this," Phoebe's words registered dully in her mind— and she clung to them, repeating them over and over to herself.
"We have to, Phoebe, we have to…"
The younger woman nodded, she too swallowing hard past the emotions. "We need to get his fever down somehow…" she said.
"It's a magical thing, Phoebe…"
"But it's a poison – and the poison is affecting his body; it stands to reason that we should be able to lower it using medicine for the body."
This said Phoebe handed Piper the glass, "Here, I'll lift him up and you give him this…"
A slight smirk crossed Piper's face as she watched her little sister ease herself behind Chris and lift him into a sitting position, "Colored water…" she murmured glancing at the liquid in the glass.
The smirk made an appearance on Phoebe's face too, as the sisters remembered….
Grams had long ago given up trying to get her young granddaughters to drink any type of medicine… even if she told them it tasted good… the Halliwell girls still wouldn't take the risk… they wouldn't drink it.
So she'd taken to doubling the dosage, mixing it with water and telling the girls it was simply "colored water." The ploy had always worked; and it had been years before any of them had caught on.
They simply thought it was a special treat for when they were sick… after all it was accompanied with a cookie.
Gently Piper held the glass to Chris's lips, "Wake up for a second baby…" she murmured, rubbing his cheek with her hand, "I need you to drink this…"
"Mmmmmm, no… tired… don't wanna…" Chris murmured, shaking his head, his lashes fluttering.
"I know baby, but this will help you… please…" Piper pleaded, tipping the glass until the liquid touched his lips.
His eyes opened a little and he began to drink.
"No… no… more…" he gasped after a few seconds. He'd taken in as much as he was going to she realized, slowly she set the glass on the floor with a sigh—not even half of it was gone.
"… cookie later, 'kay…" he mumbled softly as Phoebe lowered him back down.
Both women froze, their eyes trained on him with surprise; slowly their gazes met and without warning Piper got up and rushed out of the room.
Phoebe sighed as she finished laying Chris down, "You wait here, kid, I think you just dropped the last straw on the camel's back…" she said wryly as she kissed his temple quickly.
She didn't have far to look, Piper was standing at the base of the stairs—staring into space.
She descended slowly, and stood next to her sister silently. Piper wasn't crying, her eyes were completely dry, but there was something in her expression that chilled Phoebe. Something that made her want to weep.
"He wants the cookie later."
Not what Phoebe'd been expecting to hear but she'd take the bait, "Yep, that's what he said…"
"Do you realize what that means, Phoebe?"
"It means you give him "colored water" in the future." Phoebe stated pragmatically.
Piper was silent another moment, before she turned to face her sister, "We were so horrible to him… so horrendous. What in gods name came over us? We never treat people like that… never; demons sure… but people, never."
"I know sweetie, but we've already talked about this. We didn't know who he was, we were suspicious of him and stuff…" she paused, cocking her head to one side, "… you know I really don't mind having this conversation, but I think we'd better have it… you know later…"
"I don't know how much of this I can take, Phoebe," Piper whispered, as she allowed her sister to take her arm and begin pulling her back up the stairs, "I don't know how long I'm going to be able to function when every time I look at him, I see pieces of me, of you, of Leo… things that have always been there… and then…" she stopped at the door to the attic and the tears finally made an appearance, "… and then he says something like that… something that just…"
"Just shows how much he's ours…" Phoebe said softly, sympathetically.
Piper nodded, quickly wiping at the tears.
"You're going to take as much as you have to, honey, because he needs us. He's trusting us to fix this… all of this. And we are not going to let him down."
Piper nodded, drawing deep breaths as she reigned in her emotions. Phoebe was right they had a job to do.
Quietly they entered the attic, both pair of eyes quickly checking on Chris—finding that he was still sleeping soundly.
"Oh look…" Phoebe pointed out, "He's waking up…" Her gaze focused on the prone figure on their floor.
Piper glanced at her watch, "Thirty-two minutes… that's not bad." She said, once again taking a deep breath and bringing her mind to focus on the task at hand.
Phoebe nodded, "It'll do… after all, we just need to get water from a well; how long could that take?"
"It could take more than thirty-two minutes…" a gruff voice answered her, "I'd appreciate not being your test subject though."
Piper walked over to her potion table and lifted another vial, "Then explain yourself, because traitors don't garner our trust."
"Why's is it going to take more than thirty-two minutes?" Phoebe asked.
Lucifer stood slowly, "That thing really packs a punch." He commented.
"Explain."
"And answer."
He sighed, "Garafina is big… gigantic; and she's curled around the entire well… you'll have to climb over her to get to the opening of the well—it might take longer than half-an-hour."
"We'll just orb up there."
"Don't count on that though, magic might not work there."
"How would you know?" Piper hissed, her hand still ready for action.
"I don't. I'm just telling you to be prepared."
"Great, thanks, we'll be sure to succeed now that we've got you advising us." She stated, sarcasm dripping from every word.
He smirked, "Are you going to put that down?"
"Are you going to tell us what the hell you're doing here?"
"I want to help."
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DID THIS!" Piper yelled, her temper flaring at this man's audacity.
"Don't tempt us—Evan. We'll vanquish your ass if we feel like it." Phoebe added, her voice coldly furious.
He blinked at them a moment, before his gaze slid over to Chris, "I didn't think anyone remembered my name anymore…" he said softly.
Suddenly though, his head snapped back to Phoebe, his eyes intent, "I know you could," he told her, "But you won't. I'm not evil."
"There is no evil," Piper spat at him, her hands itching to try the potion again.
"I've never believed that."
"Than how the hell did you become one of his Elite's?" Phoebe asked.
He shrugged, "By keeping my mouth shut. Wyatt doesn't really care why you follow his orders, just that you do. And I always follow my orders."
Piper's eyes narrowed, "I know," she said her voice deadly quiet, "The proof is my dying son."
To her astonishment Lucifer's eyes flashed angrily, "I would not have let him die." He hissed at her, "I would've taken him back—no matter what. Wyatt would heal him."
"Then again: what are you doing here?"
"I really didn't know the antidote… but now… there's a way to help him without me having to take him back."
"And you want to help." Phoebe stated skeptically.
"I am going to help," he said simply.
"Really?" Piper asked, arching eyebrow, "How?"
"I'm going to leave."
Piper finally set the potion down with a frustrated sigh, "Is it the water in the future that makes you all incapable of giving a straight answer?"
Lucifer grinned at her; and the women saw just how beautiful he really was.
Phoebe's eyes widened, "Wait a second! Your face… you're not hurt anymore…" she stated.
"The wind heals me," he answered her, than looked at Piper; "I'm going to leave and tell Wyatt that my portal was compromised before I was able to shoot Chris."
"But won't he send someone else?" Piper asked.
"Yes, but it'll buy you a few more months," he paused than added, "If I tell him that I shot Chris but didn't bring him back… Wyatt will come here. And you don't want that."
"Come here!" Phoebe squeaked, "What for?"
"For his brother," Lucifer answered softly, "He won't just let Chris die. He wants Chris to join him—always has. It's the day that Chris manages to truly convince Wyatt that he won't, that's the day Chris has to fear. Because then… and only then, will Wyatt make an example of him for the others…"
"The others?"
"… the others that won't join Him."
"Oh god…" Piper whispered, "This is just… unreal…"
"An example how?" Phoebe asked.
"Do you really want to know Phoebe?" Piper hissed at her.
The younger woman's eyes sought out her sleeping nephew, before she shook her head softly, "No, I guess not…"
"I've only shown myself to you so you won't waste time trying to find me."
"Why should we trust you?" Piper asked suspiciously.
"Yeah, how do we know that you aren't just trying to get us off guard so you can listen in on everything we do?"
"I can listen in on everything you do whether or not you're on guard," he told them confidently.
"Comments like that will get you vanquished," Phoebe hissed at him.
He actually smiled at her, "I'm only telling you the truth."
"Well it's hard for us to believe you; seeing as how in order for you to have convinced Wyatt of your loyalty you must have killed someone that didn't really deserve to die." Piper hissed at him.
The comment wiped the smile off his face, and the gaze he transferred to Piper was dark, "I do the best I can. I stay on his good graces, I stay alive, I wait… for moments; moments where what I do will truly make a difference in ending his regime." He paused a moment, as if gathering his strength before speaking again; quiet conviction filling every word, "Yes, I've killed good witches… I've killed people who have done nothing but stand up for what they believe in, people that have not deserved to die. I've done things that shame my mother, my education, but what could I hope to accomplish by saving one witch and in the process getting myself killed?—nothing. I've saved as many as I've been able to, without detection. Because when it comes to Wyatt we can't save the world one witch at a time… he's too powerful. We need a coordinated attack… we need to hit his Achilles heel."
"That's still not an excuse for sacrificing innocents-"
"Isn't it?" Lucifer interrupted Phoebe's words, his piercing gaze swinging to her, "Wouldn't you let one witch die if it meant the salvation of an entire city? Wouldn't you sacrifice a crying infant to keep a hideout holding hundreds hidden? If you wouldn't, than you're not very good at saving innocents-"
"It's not our place to choose which innocents live or die." Piper stated, but inside her heart was hammering.
"Sometimes it is," Chris said softly from sofa, "Sometimes you have to."
"Chris," Piper cried, rushing over to him, "How do you feel? Here finish drinking this…" she said once again bringing the glass to his lips.
He didn't protest—and that frightened her. She watched as he drained the glass. "You don't believe me," he told her after she'd set the empty glass down, "You don't believe that sometimes it is our job to choose…"
"Chris, honey, don't worry about it. It doesn't matter. I just want you to rest, okay? You're temperature is too high and we can't call for Leo 'cause he won't hear us… so just take it easy, okay…" Piper fought to keep the panic from rising in her voice.
"I want you to understand," he insisted, the green of his eyes bright under heavy eye-lids, "I need you to understand… sometimes we have to make the choice—I had to." He said earnestly, "I didn't want to, but it was the only way to stay ahead, to stay alive… it's my job, you know… to keep the most people I can alive for the longest time possible, it's my responsibility… it's the least I can do. I never wanted to choose…" tears filled his eyes, and Piper felt her heart breaking. He was trying to explain it to her, to justify his actions in a world that lacked justice, "…oh god, how I didn't want to… to choose… but it was the only way… the only-"
"Oh Chris," she cut him off, "Please honey, don't do this… to me, to yourself… I have no doubt in my mind that you always did the best you could… you don't have to justify yourself to me… I trust you." She whispered, holding his face in her hands.
"It wasn't how you raised," he told her softly.
"Yeah, well I'm sure she didn't raise you to live in a world dominated by your evil older brother, so all bets are off, kid." Phoebe stated ruefully.
Piper nodded in agreement, "Phoebe's right; don't worry about it, honey. Please… just rest okay… I just want you to get better… then we'll talk about everything… but first I need you to get better, okay…"
"Yeah, Chris, just take it easy... we're handling this remember..." Phoebe told him.
The boy nodded a little and let his mother lay him back; he was asleep within seconds, Piper sighed watching him.
Phoebe glanced over at their helpful assassin, and her eyes widened, "He's gone..."
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