"Look, I can't stand here arguing with you anymore. I need to find Raven before anything happens to her." Future Chris snapped at Peyton and his parents.
"Oh, so now you're worried about your children? I thought you didn't do that." Peyton sneered at her future cousin angrily.
"I have always loved and cared and worried about Raven. About all my children. I'm not really the heartless bastard you all seem to think I am. I tried to save Reilly from himself, long before the situation came to this. You can all paint me as a horrible villain as much as you'd like. It doesn't change the fact that Reilly rebelled against everything that denoted him a Halliwell. He refused to learn, refused to even try. He was trouble, he'd committed dozens of petty crimes, and was just a step away from juvenile hall. He simply didn't believe in good needing to defeat evil. Instead, he had the skewed notion that he could create a world immune to the forces of good and evil- and that he could lead it! So, tell me, does that sound familiar?" Future Chris stare into Piper's eyes, willing her to remember the first time he had time-travelled and why.
"Whatever! That is such a crock. How 'bout we discuss the merits of nature versus nurture? Let's face it, Reilly was the walking epitome of the debate. Maya actively nurtured the evil. But his natural, innate goodness found a way through the evil. Maybe he did commit petty crimes. What were they, Chris? Shoplifting? Graffiti, maybe? Attention grabbing crimes, maybe?" Peyton demanded.
The question hit far too close to home. Future Chris stared, then ignoring her question, started to orb away.
"Oh, no you don't!" Peyton yelled, reaching into his orb, stopping it. She glared at him. "Try that again, and I'll ground your orbs."
Future Chris shrugged out of her grasp. "Look, I have to find Raven. And, just for the record, my orbs haven't been grounded since I was seventeen, and even then it took the power of Three. Somehow, I doubt you can stop me now."
"Oh, really?" Peyton narrowed her eyes and stared directly into his eyes as she spoke.
"Cousins of a future hour
I now call upon the ancient power.
Hold them fast, but them them move
Don't let them orb in white or blue."
Peyton grinned impishly. "You can go now. Go ahead, go get Raven."
Future Chris confidently closed his eyes, and tried to orb. "What the? You don't have the power to do that to me…to us!"
Wyatt laughed as he walked down the stairs with Phyra. "She does when I'm saying it, and offering my powers telepathically."
"Wyatt, reverse it…NOW. I have to find Raven." Future Chris shouted at this younger version of his brother.
"Jesus H Christ! You lost her too?" Wyatt lost his grin. What the hell kind of father was his brother anyway?
"She left after Reilly…disappeared. She wanted to be alone, but it's just not safe."
"Yeah, well, don't' worry about her. She's fine." Phyra said confidently.
"How do you know that?" Future Wyatt asked, a hint of scorn buried in his voice.
"Because your Phyra has a strong connection to Raven. Right?" She asked her future self.
"Well, yeah, but I can't sense her right now."
"Of course you can't. There are only two places that make it impossible to sense a person at, right? One is the Underworld. The other is Up There. You know, Elderland A.K.A. Heaven. She went to be with her brother."
"Get rid of this damn spell, NOW Wyatt! I have to find her, I have to go get her! She's in the Underworld, she'll be killed!"
Phyra narrowed her eyes and before either Future cousin could react, slugged Future Chris as hard as she could. "Reilly didn't go to Hell, you asshole! He wasn't evil! Why can't you get that through your thick retarded skull? I swear you have got to be the dumbest box of rocks on earth!"
Wyatt pulled Phyra into his arms, holding her tightly. "Phy, calm down. You're…sparking."
"Huh?" Phyra looked down at her hands. Tiny orange sparks were shooting from all ten fingers. Her jaw dropped in astonishment. "Wy…I don't…how…what is going on?"
"I'd say your powers are evolving more." Wyatt answered simply.
"Hey! That's not fair! She just barely got a new power! It's my turn." Peyton protested.
"Pey, honey, if this timeline runs like mind did, Phy is going to get all of her powers really soon. But don't worry. You get powers too- strong ones. Yours will just come spaced apart a little. And you will always be her best friend, you know, no matter what powers either of you possess. In fact, that solid base of both sisterhood and friendship will forever ground and magnify your powers, just like it does for Chris and Wyatt." Future Phyra spoke to the past version of her sister.
Phyra laughed aloud at the last comment. "Yeah, just like Chris and Wy only way less powerful." Peyton nodded her wholehearted agreement.
Future Phyra grinned. "You'd be surprised" was her only comment.
"Hey, if the admiration society meeting is over, could one of you be so kind as to tell me where my daughter is!" Future Chris yelled in frustration.
Upstairs, a baby started to cry. Paisley glared at Future Chris as she walked past him to go to Phiona.
"Look, Raven is with Reilly. And Reilly is at peace, ok? Don't worry about her, Raven is fine." Phyra answered slowly.
"Hey- by the way, where is Chris?" Leo asked suddenly, noticing that he hadn't come down with Wyatt and Phyra.
Phyra and Wyatt shared a look and grinned at each other broadly. "He's in the attic, dad. He's…uh, communicating with spirits." Wyatt answered carefully.
"That's so weird." Paisley reappeared at the top of the stairs. "Phiona is still sound asleep. I must be more tired than I thought. I could've sworn I heard a baby cry."
"So did I." Piper answered, training her steady gaze on Wyatt. "So, Wy, you said Chris is communicating with spirits. Has he reached any of them yet?"
Wyatt didn't hesitate as he answered his mother. "You could say that he has the situation safely in hand."
Piper smile at the affirmation of her hopes. "So the spell worked?"
Chris orbed in, a bundle cradled in his right arm, and Raven's hand firmly clasped in the left. The bundle was wriggling and crying loudly. "Pais! Help! He's hungry, I think. Can I borrow a bottle and some formula?"
Paisley nodded, a bit shocked, and ran into the kitchen.
"Daddy, look! It's Reilly!" Raven exclaimed excitedly, calling to her father.
"Chris…what did you do?" Future Chris demanded, staring into the face of a familiar baby.
"What does it look like? I got my son back. When you go back, he'll be different. Hopefully, you will be too." Chris answered coldly, not taking his gaze off the baby he was bouncing gently in his arms.
"Why would you do that? Didn't you see what happened here? Were you blind? Reilly was my son and I loved him, but evil was in his blood. He is…was evil and that doesn't change. Once the seed of evil has been sown, there is no turning back!"
"How can you stand here, in the middle of this family and say something as stupid as that? Look at Aunt Phoebe and Cole! Cole was the Source- the purest form of evil there is! He tried to kill our entire family line, and was vanquished over and over again. But their love was stronger than the evil inside him, it brought him firmly over to the side of good. He is a demon, but he is good. And for that matter, how many times in this family has the 'seed of evil been sown'? What about twice a year every year for all of us? It's a rite of passage in this family, for Christ's Sake! Wyatt was even the Source in the other timeline! Having been evil, or having demonic powers, doesn't make you evil forever. It can, and does change. Love changes it. In case you still don't know, love is the purest and strongest force on earth or anywhere else. It's stronger than good, and more powerful than evil. The future will change this time. I'll make it change for the better. Reilly won't have his powers suppressed- any of them. He'll have my full attention, and won't have to worry about the persuasion of an demonic mother. Got back to your future, and just love your son. Hate Maya if you have to, but love Reilly. He's earned it. He literally gave up everything for this family, including his life." Chris' voice was strong with passion and conviction, as he held the infant tight to his chest.
Paisley came back in, handing Chris a warmed bottle of formula. Chris watched a look of awe on his face as the baby immediately started sucking hungrily on the rubber nipple. He smiled a bit sadly as he kissed his son's forehead and said softly to the air, "Thanks, Maya."
Future Chris closed his eyes tightly again the emotions roaring through him at Chris' words.
Patience held her head as emotions assaulted her empathically. "Whoa! Chris, put a lid on the emotional storm, huh?"
Chris looked up, distracted from his son. "What? I didn't do anything!"
"Not you, him!" She pointed to Future Chris. Abruptly, her eyes filled with tears.
"Honey, are you okay?" Phoebe asked concerned.
"He's just in so much pain, Mom. He just realized how much pain and regret he caused Reilly. He's so guilty, and horrified. Oh, God… He's…he's wishing that he could change time again, so that he could change himself."
Future Chris refused to look at anyone except Raven. "Raven, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I was so blind. I wouldn't believe you or him, or anyone else that tried to tell me. If…I could change it, I would Raven. Please, believe me. I would." He folded his daughter in his arms holding her close.
"You have the chance now. Reilly won't know anything about his other life, other than that his mother was evil and that she died before he was born. Chris said quietly. "You'll have the second chance you just said you wanted, if you truly do want one."
"Thank you, Chris. I…Just…Thank you." Future Chris whispered hoarsely. He turned to Future Wyatt and Phyra. "Let's go, okay? I want to see my son." He looked at Chris holding Reilly. "I need to hug him." Future Wyatt, Future Phyra and Raven gathered around Future Chris.
"Wait!" Wyatt called out. He look his future half in the eyes. "I didn't help Chris just to give Reilly a second chance. I did it to help Keira and Phiona too. I'll do everything in my power to make sure both of them are waiting for you when you get back."
Future Wyatt smiled. "Suddenly, I can't wait to go home." His face grew serious. "Be careful. Don't forget about Konix." At Wyatt's nod, the four disappeared in a shower of white and gold orbs.
"Aw, how touching. It's so nice to be remembered." Konix sneered as she shimmered in with a group of demons behind her.
"No! Phyra, take the babies, and just keep orbing. Don't stop until I say its safe. Pey, you take Patience, and do the same." Chris ordered, handing Reilly to Phyra.
"No, Chirs, we want to help. We're safe!" She protested as the demons began to spread out.
"I don't care! Go- NOW!" He yelled. Paige added her own command. "Get out of here! Chris changed the future, so that potion may not work now! GO!"
Phyra finally nodded and orbed up to grab Phiona. Peyton grabbed Patience's arm and orbed away.
"You may as well leave now. If you don't we'll vanquish you." Wyatt threatened darkly.
"That's a chance we'll take. Konix made a swishing motion with her hand. Abruptly, Chris was in the middle of a circle of assassin demons! "Our original orders were to attack all but you. But, now. We have higher orders." Konix leaned in closely to Chris, intentionally releasing pheromones into the air. "Jagni! Keep the others occupied while I deal with this one." She ordered, as he deflected an energy ball from Wyatt and a knife thrown by Phoebe.
A large male demon took a step back and threw a round bomb-like object into the center of the room. As it hit, smoke filled the room. He grinned as the smoke cleared, revealing the Halliwells encased in glass shells.
Konix licked Chris' cheek. "Wonderful little creation, isn't it? Your family is immobile, encased in unbreakable glass, but they are still completely lucid. They'll be able to see and hear your demise."
Chris forced his heavy eyelids open. "You won't defeat me."
"Don't be ridiculous." Konix laughed harshly. "The only way to defeat us is to be in love when we attack. You killed your wife, that's hardly an act of husbandly devotion."
"That's what you think. I love Maya. Even though she's both dead and evil, I always have. Which means, I still have the power to do win. With or without my family's help." Chris brought up a hand, and shot an elder bolt directly between Konix's black eyes. She screamed in anger as she erupted into flames. Chris turned quickly, and called for the nearest weapon he could find- Excalibur. With a shaky quiver, he speared two demons with it, burying it deeply into the wall. From experience he knew that it would stay there until Wyatt retrieved it. He pivoted quickly and reflected Wyatt's energy ball power into Jagni. As he erupted into a column of fire, the family unfroze. Piper immediately began blasting as Wyatt tossed energy balls into the remaining demons.
Chris put his hands on his knees and bent over, trying to catch his breath. "Chris! Are you okay?" Wyatt rushed to his side, as the lone remaining demon shimmered away in surrender.
Chris nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Do me a favor though? Call Phy and get her and the rest of the kids back here okay? I have a horrible feeling that this isn't over. Not by a long shot."