A Charmed Story - Part Two:
Brothers Love Through The Times
Chapter 8

"What the hell?" one of the Phoenixes said surprised.
Chris didn't lose time. He blew up one of them. "Can we talk now?" he asked, prepared for any attack.
"What do you want?" the leader said.
"Bianca," he answered shortly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her mother smiling. She had been really shocked at the first moment, but now she was beginning to understand.
The Phoenix-leader looked at him very evilly: "Who are you?"
"Well... you must be Bogus, right?" Chris noticed satisfied that the Phoenix turned to be surprised about his knowledge. It seemed that he was right.
"Me?" he went on, "I'm Chris... And believe it or not, I'm from the same future as the girl you imprisoned..."

°°°°°°°°°°

Steve couldn't hear all the things that Chris told that Phoenix. He was completely scared about all that. What was his plan?
Then Steve saw that the Phoenix, who seemed to be the leader, sent the others out, except that woman next to Chris. Whatever his head teacher was doing, it seemed to be working. So Steve thought it would be the best thing to stay calm and just observe.
After about five or ten minutes, he wasn't sure, the leader Phoenix shimmered away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Phoebe and Leo looked at Nicki. Closely and seriously. The girl pawed the ground with her feet. Still silence. She began to feel uncomfortable. 'Was my plan stupid? Yes. I bet it sucked….' She though while Phoebe and Leo exchanged some looks.
"You noticed that your plan is sorta dangerous?" the empath asked, feeling the insecurity of the clever girl.
"Yes."
"You know that you have a big responsibility?" Leo asked again.
"Yes."
"Do we have other plans?"
Nobody said anything.
"Ok..." the Charmed One sighed, "let's do it."
She and Leo went on making some potions, just in case they needed protection spells, and Nicki sat down on the floor. She concentrated and started to focus her mind on Piper and Cole. In her hand a picture of both of them. Quite a rare pic. She started to embrace her powers and fell asleep.
Reaching out for someone that was sleeping wasn't hard for her but reaching out for awoken people was tough to do but she did it. She entered first Piper's mind and looked for any clues about how they could find them.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Ouch."
"Piper?" Cole looked worried at her: "What's wrong? Told you it's a trap..."
"No, no. Something in my head. It hurts."
"Hearing voices again?" Cole smirked.
"No moron. Keep on looking through the stuff."
Both returned to their search through the lair.

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki felt a harsh stroke and flew out of Piper's mind. "Damn it!"
Phoebe turned around: "You made it?"
"Nearly, she kicked me out," the girl was breathing hard.
"Take a break."
The girl shook her head: "I'll try again."
"Don't wear yourself out."
Nicki focused again. This time she tried to enter Cole's mind. He is a human, not a powerful witch as Piper, so maybe it was easier to 'look around'.

°°°°°°°°°°

"What do you want, Bogus?" Bianca asked. "Will you tell me that you've killed 'me'? Ot that you will kill me...?"
"I just met your friend..." he said with a voice that showed that he wasn't sure about all that himself.
"Chris?" Bianca asked glad to know that he had survived the smoke and at the same time afraid that they could have killed him, already.
Bogus nodded: "Yeah and he told us a lot of things... about the future."
"And? Have you killed him?" Bianca asked.
Bogus smiled evilly: "No... not yet... I'm here because I want to know your part of the story."
Bianca narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure about what to say. Had Chris told him about the reason for their return to the past? Of course he had told him something, otherwhise Bogus wouldn't now stand in front of her... But had he told him about Wyatt and that they were in love...?
"Well... I'm waiting..." Bogus remarked.
Bianca sighed, then she started to tell: "We came from the future, as you know. We both came from there... And none of us can return."
"And why did you come here?" he asked.
"Because there was someone, a witch, who had become very evil and destroyed everything. He was a kind of evil that was much stronger than the source or whatever you can imagine. He wasn't just evil; he knew no evil, nor good. For him there was only power."
"You're talking about his brother, right?"
Bianca swallowed. She hadn't thought that he would tell a Phoenix that Wyatt, his brother, was the one who could become that great evil. But what should she do? So she nodded.
"And?" the Phoenix asked her to go on.
"We came back to make sure that he'll not turn out that evil person, 'cause he's been born as a good one..."
While Bogus was watching her, she had an idea.
"We came together, because Wyatt was a danger for both sides, good and evil. And we stayed 'cause there are still possibilities that he turns, even if we saved him from the one that turned him in the first time," she lied. "We are still here, because this is our only chance... 'cause when we tried to kill him once, we failed and became the reason for all that on our own... The only chance to keep the world like it is, is to keep him good. That's what you told me short before he killed you in the future, that's why I'm here. Me and Chris, we are the only ones who know enough about all this to see the problems before they happen. No one else can do that."
Bianca was really surprised about herself. She was lying to the leader of her kind. If he found that out, she'd be dead... But what else could she do?
Bogus was looking at her. It seemed that her words, especially the part of his death, had impressed him.
"But what about your feelings for that witch?" he asked.

°°°°°°°°°°

She did it. Nicki was in Cole's mind and in fact it was really much easier to keep on being in his mind. She saw the big and grandiose lair and as for Piper, she was there too. First they were trapped and then they could free themselves. Now they were looking through stuff. 'Have to go back...' She thought, going backwards through the memories. "Stop."

°°°°°°°°°°

"What?"
"What what?"
"Didn't you just say 'stop', Piper? "
The witch looked at Cole in disbelieve. "Who's hearing voices now!" Her face was smiling but her eyes grew darker and a shadow fell over her worried eyes.

°°°°°°°°°°

Nicki looked closer. She saw Belthazor. He was shimmering in with the surprised and overpowered Piper and Cole. She rewound and saw the moment they crossed. "Got it!"

°°°°°°°°°°

"Show me."
"Show you what Cole?"
He rolled his eyes: "You told me you got something and I... ouch!" He threw his hands up and covered his head in pain.
"Cole? Cole!"

°°°°°°°°°°

"Damn it." Nicki was thrown out of his mind. She woke up and looked into Phoebe's eyes.
She was sitting next to her and caressed her skin, trying to calm her down, but Nicki could hardly breathe, sweat ran over her face and her eyes were glassy. Then she fainted.
"Leo!"
Leo rushed next to them: "What?"
"I think it was too much for her… Her powers, the distance, the fact that they were not sleeping…help her."
Nicki's body started to shiver and to move erratically. It was like she had epilepsy. Leo tried to heal her and Phoebe held her tight and tried to stop the shaking.
"I got it" Nicki stopped shaking and her breath normalized. She opened her eyes, still tired. "I... Saw it..."
"Don't worry honey, you're ok. Shhh... take a break."
Leo went back to make some potions, while Phoebe hugged Nicki and stayed with her.

°°°°°°°°°°

"It stopped," Cole was lying on the floor, his head on Piper's lap.
"You're ok?"
"Yeah... I think... It hurt and it felt like... like..."
"Someone was looking through your head? Or walking through it?" Piper finished his sentence.
The man looked at her surprised: "Yeah…how?"
"The 'voices I heard'" she said aping Cole's voice, weren't 'voices'. They were steps and it hurt like hell. Something was in my mind. Something that didn't belong there…"
They stood up.
"Maybe it was one of your sisters?"
"I don't know…we have a large variety of powers at school but…I don't know."
They looked through the room, scared that something was in there.

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris was standing next to Bianca's mom, waiting for Bogus to return. They were still alone. The woman observed him for a while then she smiled again.
"Now I know why she turned," she whispered to him.
Chris looked at her turning red.
"I had almost forgotten about it... but... now I remember your visit... What if I tell my little daughter to forget about whatever you told her?"
Chris felt like she was trying to see inside him, inside his soul.
"Then I would probably die... We're out of all the other timelines now, so I'm not sure, but it's possible," he answered, after he decided to tell her the truth.
"You love her?"
Chris nodded: "She's everything to me... I couldn't live without her... and I know she feels the same."
Bianca's mom smiled a bit: "Take care of her, if your plan works."
It was a sad smile and it seemed to Chris that she had tears in her eyes.
He nodded: "I will."
Then they kept in silence.

°°°°°°°°°°

After about 10 more minutes Bogus returned... with Bianca.
As soon as she materialized she jump to Chris and hugged him and kissed him.
"Are you o.k.?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Go now," Bogus commanded, "and stick to our arrangement. You know what will happen otherwise."
Bianca nodded.
"What arrangement?" Chris asked worried.
"Nothing important honey, nothing that has something to do with you," she answered.
Chris knew there was more about it, than what she wanted to tell... And he knew she wouldn't tell him, even if he asked her a billion times. So he nodded: "O.k."
Then he turned around: "Steve, come here! It's safe."
Bogus and Bianca's mom were looking surprised at the boy, who was hiding in the dark and now went over to them.
Chris just smiled: "You didn't think that I'd come here alone, did you?"
Then he orbed himself, Bianca and Steve away.

°°°°°°°°°°

Wyatt looked serious at Paige. So did Tom.
"Aunt Paige? You know? This is bullshit."
"Watch your tongue young man," the witch remarked.
"No. Serious! This plan is not good."
"Do you have a better plan?" she asked a little freaked out. "No? So we'll take mine and it'll work."
"It's too dangerous. I won't let you..."
"I'm the older one and smarter one. Listen to me. It will work. I figured it all out."
"Well, you might have had those good plans last time, and you were cool-headed one but now you're going nuts!"
Paige widened her eyes. "What did you just..?"
"I mean you've gone crazy, you lost it!" Wyatt's voice rose.
Tom watched them and decided not to interrupt them.
"I mean it, I won't let you go."
"It's the best." Her voice was determined. "Don't even try... "
"But..."
"No. No buts."
"Listen. I'm stronger than you, let me do that! I can't put you in the line! Chris will kill me! Just like Mum, Dad and Aunt Phoebe…I won't even start about Kyle or..."
"Kyle?" Paige said confused.
Wyatt realized what he had just said. "Never mind."
"No, no, no, man," Paige placed herself in front of Wyatt and put her hand on his chest, making him stop abruptly, "Just explain. Sorry about the future consequences crap... You already let it out! So... who's that Kyle?"
"Oh, come on, auntie..." said Wyatt showing her his puppy eyes, "we have more important things to do now..."
"No! Hey, you said Kyle. If Leo is Piper's husband, and Cole is Phoebe's..."
"A cousin?"
"A cousin?" repeated Paige, shocked. But she looked him in the eyes, and knew he was lying. "Phoebe's son?"
"Guys..." interrupted Tom, feeling something strange in the atmosphere.
"Naahh... You're lying..."
"Aunt Paige! Focus, this is important!"
"Guys! Listen to me, please!" insisted Tom, becoming very nervous.
"I like the name..." smiled Paige, turning to go on walking and carry out her plan, "yes... It's a good name. Is he a witch? Or half witch, half whatever? Is he..."
"Paige, please..." begged Wyatt.
All of a sudden, the doors around them closed, and the lights turned off. Tom let out a scream of panic, so Wyatt looked for him, and caught him: "Be quiet. Nothing's gonna happen. Paige?"
Paige didn't answer. Wyatt then started to breathe heavily. Something was closing the entrance of air to his lungs.
"The smoke," he mumbled, "we've got to get outta here, buddy. Paige!"

°°°°°°°°°°

Chris, Steve and Bianca orbed in the classroom where Leo and Phoebe were taking care of Nicki. Leo turned quickly, prepared to use his bolts of ray.
"Wowowowow, wait..." cried Chris, placing his hands in front of his chest in a defensively attitude.
"Bianca!" exclaimed a very happy Phoebe, running to the girl and hugging her tightly. "Girl, we thought you had... the smoke first, then the Phoenixes! I'm happy you at least are fine!"
Bianca smiled sadly, and looked at Leo, who showed a worried expression too.
"What do you mean, 'at least'?" asked Chris, suspicious.
Then he looked around: "Couldn't you find them? None of them? And what about the others? Haven't they come back?"
Leo shook his head, and Phoebe's eyes filled with tears.
"Not yet..." answered Leo, "but we were about to."
They all turned to Nicki.
"Well I... I think I got it..." the girl said, feeling a little bit stronger now.
She looked at Chris and smiled. This young teacher and headmaster wasn't like the others. She looked up to him so much! And now she felt very good if she could help him. She knew she was too young for him, and that Bianca was his fiancé, and all... But she felt some kind of... love for him.
She wasn't jealous at all. All the girls felt like that in the school, besides, so she was lucky to be the chosen one to help him. Chris smiled back at her, reassuringly, and this gave her the strength she needed to go on.

°°°°°°°°°°

Silence. Cole and Piper looked at each other. It seemed there was nobody there, after all...
"Do you feel better?" asked Piper.
Cole nodded: "I think no one is messing up with my mind anymore... for the moment, at least."
"Ok... then what do we do?" asked Piper again.
Cole shrugged.
"What do you think Belthazor is doing? You know him better than I do..." the witch went on.
Cole frowned, trying to think the way Belthazor would have thought. And the Source, if there was not enough with one of them.
"He'll trick them out. He'll make them believe he's going to some place, but he'll go to the opposite one."
Piper nodded: "And about us? Where are we?"
"We're not in his lair... I think... we're still in the magic school."
Piper stared at him, surprised: "Do you think so? But how could he know about that place, when even we had no idea about it...?"
Cole was about to answer something when they heard a noise like metal smashed on metal. They turned around.
"That came from the other room," Piper said.
Cole was scared: "Maybe he's back..."
"Cole, come on... did you hear him yell or something? I think he would have done this if he found that cage empty."
Cole rose an eyebrow. That was possible, but he didn't feel good about that anyway.
"Follow me... I will have a look at that," Piper commanded and went warily over to the other cave.

°°°°°°°°°°

Paige opened her eyes. The first thing she saw were some bars. She turned around and looked at Wyatt who was just helping Tom to stand up. They were imprisoned.
"Great job," Wyatt remarked.
"Hey, buddy... I couldn't have known that this was gonna happen. You should be happy that we're still alive."
"If you hadn't asked me..." Wyatt yelled, but was again interrupted by his aunt.
"Oh yes... Who is Kyle?" She asked again with a smile.
Wyatt shook his head. He didn't want to tell her that Kyle would be her husband in about 12 years... He knew that it would be wrong to tell the sisters so much... But didn't he also told a lot to Cole?... But that was Cole... with the sisters, that was another problem.
"So you won't tell me?" Paige asked again.
"Right," Wyatt answered.
"Tell you what?"
Paige turned around.
"Mom!" Wyatt yelled surprised. Piper and Cole were walking over to them.
"What are you doing here?" Paige asked conmfused.
"I wanted to ask you the same," Piper replied, "especially because I thought I had blown up that cage just ten minutes before."
Paige and Wyatt frowned.
"Are you o.k.?" he asked then, looking worried at his mom.
She nodded, and Cole too.
"Come on Paige, orb out with them," Piper ordered.
"What?" asked the youngest of the Charmed One surprised. "I don't think that..."
"Just do it, it'll work," Piper commanded.
So they did... and it worked.
"What can that be?" Wyatt asked.
But Piper turned to Tom first: "Are you o.k., young man?"
Tom nodded.
"Fine..." she said and turned to her sister again, "so tell me, what happened."
Paige was still speechless about all that. So Wyatt started to explain: "Well we had a little discussion. Then the smoke attacked us... The next thing we knew is that we were here."
Piper nodded, then frowned.
"And you?" Tom asked. "We were searching for you."
Cole let out some air: "We were at the office when Belthazor appeared. I can't tell you if he attacked us... The next thing I knew is that we were here in that cage, too."
"That's mysterious," Paige remarked.
"Not, if I'm right," Cole answered, "not if we are still in the magic school."

°°°°°°°°°°

"Did you hear that?" Bianca asked.
Everyone kept silence just listening to every little noise.
"Paige!" Phoebe exclaimed.
Leo nodded and orbed to them. A few seconds later he returned.
"They are gone."
"What?" Phoebe started to breathe hard. "Oh no. No, no, no, no. This can't be true."
"Phoebe, calm down," Leo stood next to her.
Steve and Nicki looked at each other. Fear in their eyes. "First, Piper and Cole and now Paige, Wyatt and Tom..."
Chris was frowning. Bianca hugged him and closed her eyes. "We have to find them..." he said, "fast!"

(Chapter 8 written by Chrissy.W.x, Dark Angel and Belén)