Of All the People

Chapter 15

By teal-lover

Summary: Wyatt reflects on the events after Chris Crossed and decides to do something about it.

Rating: PG-13, T. Please be warned that this chapter (and the next) may not be suitable for all audiences due to content, which is not graphic—Wyatt is being somewhat bad again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed, just borrowing, promise to give them back when done, don't get any money for this.

€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€

Manor…Day 6…August 26, 2003

Piper allowed her former husband to lead her to their room. She sat down on the bed and Leo bent his legs to do the same. She fussed at him, feeling the need to mother someone since her intended target was no where to be found.

"No no no no—Don't you dare sit down!" she yelled and startled him back up.

"What?"

"You know the rules, you haven't be gone that long. We DO NOT sit on a any furniture in this house when we're covered in demon filth."

He started to apologize but she interrupted him with her angry tirade, "You know better than that! You think that just because you're an Elder, that you can just do whatever you please? SIT wherever you want?"

"Piper, I'm sorry, ok? Look, I know you're just upset right now, but yelling about anything and everything isn't going to fix it."

"Then what will?" she asked him exhaustedly. "I have two sons out there that need my help. One to stop him from turning evil, and the other to save him from the one that turns evil! I'm going to be a terrible mother, and this proves it."

"No, you won't Piper. This is going to work out. We'll save both of our sons."

"How do you know that?" she wiped her eyes and sniffled.

His eyes locked with hers, his expression deadly serious. "Because I refuse to accept any other option."

Piper nodded. His eyes held so much promise and determination, that she felt more secure in her own beliefs that just maybe, things would turn out all right for the Halliwell family. "Go take a shower," she said changing the subject while ushering him toward the bathroom.

He dragged his feet, "But, I don't have any clean clothes to change into…"

She stopped abruptly, suddenly reminded of how things had changed between the two of them. They were divorced now, so there was no real reason to have any of things stored in the house. Except that she hadn't been able to let them go. Looking down sadly, she spoke softly, "I have some of your clothes. Now go."

€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€

Mausoleum…Day 6…August 26, 2003

Chris looked surprised momentarily, but finally laughed sardonically. "And just what hoop would I have to jump through for you to do that?"

"For starters…"

Chris sighed again as he looked at the vial that Wyatt held in his outstretched hand expectantly. He tapped his chest, "Look at me, Wy? I'm practically invisible. Would me being evil for the last few moments of my life really mean that much to you? Do you just feel the need to control me that badly, that you have to make sure that I'm your servant until the second I die?"

Wyatt's eyes were pleading, "I swear you won't, Christopher. You'll be of your own free will. Whatever that may be."

"Well if it's not going to turn me and it's not evil, then why does it prevent me from using any of my powers that are good."

He threw his hands up in exasperation, "That's the whole point of the potion, Chris. It suppresses all inherent powers to allow you to choose freely, without any preconceived notions of who you are supposed to be."

"Then why can you throw fireballs? That's an evil power…"

"I picked it up from a demon who tried to borrow my powers to control Excalibur. I simply turned the tables on him."

Chris seemed to accept the explanation reluctantly, but demanded more information on another item that had been bugging him. "And the shimmering?"

"Some things are inherent to practically all witches and merely lie dormant. If you had ever studied your wiccan history, you would know that shimmering was a power imbedded deep within the soul. If demons were able to travel by shimmering, blinking, or flaming, how do you think witches were meant to get around? There had to be some level playing field, don't you think?"

Wyatt smiled pompously at the flash of doubt that suddenly crept into his brother's features before he continued. "So-called good witches avoided the method of transportation for fear of being labeled a witch during the trials. Your so-called evil witches simply didn't care, and used it freely, thus branding the power as an evil one. Shimmering is simply what I chose rather than orbing. It's more well received given the abilities of the minions I command."

"Then what was all that talk about it making me more aligned with my family's interests."

"Because I believe I know how you will choose, Chris. What's inside of you. We were always meant to be on the same side. Whatever it may be. Now take it," he said agitatedly as he shoved the vial toward his brother again.

Chris narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "How is taking this potion now going to save me? It's too late for me to be conceived. And even if it weren't, I have no control over whether or not mom and dad—you know."

"I'll take care of that. If you take care of your part…"

"Which is?" he groaned impatiently.

"I will tell you if you stop interrupting me…" Wyatt hissed in frustration through clenched teeth.

€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€

Sometime later…

Chris stared at his hand, amazed that he could see straight through while it hovered over his knee. It was frightening to say the least, but it didn't hurt. He just felt weakened. "Are you sure this is going to work?" His brother's lack of response did little to ease his worry. And when he was worried, he tended to babble like his Aunt Phoebe. "I feel so drained, right now. This really may be it, you know. I know it won't hurt or anything. I guess I can tell you this because if it doesn't, then you won't be able to tell anyone that I'm kind of loosing it…but I'm a little scared."

Wyatt stared at him, amazed at how similar he could be at times to certain members of his family. He's definitely been spending too much time with them. He ordered the younger man, "Calm down, Christopher. I know, ok? I'll be back soon."

The brunette jumped up and grabbed his arm. "I thought you said you could do it from here? Don't leave, please? I don't want to be alone."

Wyatt silenced him with a stern look. He added to calm him further, "You won't be, trust me. I said if I needed to do a spell, I could do it from here. I'll be back before anything happens…But there's just something else I have to do…"

€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€-€

Wyatt took a deep breath, transforming what little bit of compassion remaining on his features into the stony gaze of the iron-fisted ruler once again. He concentrated for a moment, allowing the essence of his power to reach out to anyone in close proximity. It was a technique that he was quite familiar with. In the future, he would mask that essence in order to lure anyone near that intended to betray him. It always lulled them into to a false sense of security. At least, until he allowed it to wash over them as he did now. They would cower in fear for the remaining brief moments of their lives.

The half-whitelighter strode purposefully into the heaviest concentration of demonic activity in the underworld. He wanted only the strongest and most resourceful to do his bidding, and they tended to congregate. Glancing around the dimly lit room, he noted with satisfaction that most of the demons froze with a combination of wonder, fear, and interest when they looked at him.

He had no respect for the ones that feared him from the beginning. They were cowardly, and as of yet, had no reason to fear him. But that would soon change. To show his authority, he blinked once, vanquishing several of them in one swift move.

When dozens of others attacked him, he sighed and deflected all of their combined strikes as he effortlessly vanquished other's that he didn't need, restraining the ones that he had use for. Pinning them telekinetically to the wall, he addressed a brute demon that seemed to be leading the others. "You, will secure the first item on my list. You have 20 minutes to get it," he said, waving his hand and materializing a list of ingredients into the demons palm, "divide it up amongst your followers, bring them back here to me, and I'll let you live. Should you fail me, I will not make your death quick, nor painless. Are my instructions clear?"

The demon glared at him and hissed, "Why should I help you? You're a witch! I can feel it!"

Wyatt narrowed his eyes, his impatience clearly visible. He exaggerated his motions while he looked down to the demon's feet dangling in the air. Blinking again, he concentrated on small sections as he moved up toward his neck. When he was done, the demon watched in horror as his own body began to disintegrate slowly from the bottom up until it reached his lips, killing the scream as soon as it passed.

He eyed the others coldly as they tried to flee nervously, but he held them in place. He focused his attention on the one who seemed to be second-in-command. "That was not the correct answer. As I have now killed your former master, his task now falls to you. You now have 18 minutes. And be warned. Do not think you can simply hide from me. If you're not all back here in precisely 18 minutes, I will find you, and you will die in 19."

Wyatt smiled to himself as they all transported out of the cavern in a rush. He could have searched for the ingredients to the potion himself, but he was certain that he would have run out of time. With so many different hands on the task, he had little to worry about and leaned back against the wall, waiting patiently for the next phase of his plan to commence.

TBC…

Thank you all so much for the reviews. Ok, let me know what you think--both of it, and what's going to happen. If you like it, I guess I'll be brave & post the next chapter soon. If not, I guess I won't until I re-write it. But I'm a little nervous. Haven't quite written something like it, but I've given you some clues here to tell you what's gonna' happen, so let me know? Please? Pretty Please? I know, I'm babbling like Phoebe. Sorry.