A/N: A hella lot of 'notes' this time.

As mjp3 accurately pointed out in the last chapter Chris and the Charmed Ones orbed out of San Francisco even though there's a no-orbing spell in place. My apologies – please pretend that they actually walked (or ran, I'll leave it up to you) back to the city gate and then orbed back to base. Many thanks to mjp3 for pointing out that critical error.

Also – in case you haven't noticed, unlike my other stories, I haven't been adding a 'warning' about character deaths at the beginning of the chapters in this story. I decided I wanted to keep them as surprises and will continue to do so.

Lastly: sorry for the lag time between updates. The first ten pages are always pretty quick – it's the last five that seem to drag on and on. However, I did manage to write slightly more than usual this time so hopefully that makes up for a little bit. Sometimes I wish I could just post in point form!

Thanks go to: nicol-leoraine, Charmed Ravenclaw, Zeria, Kayla, IcantthinkofaFnick, mjp3, Sparkling Cherries and Leigh1986. Your comments and good wishes make it all worthwhile.


The End of All Things

Chapter 11


He was dreaming.

The air was crisp, nipping at his nose as he turned the collar of his jacket up in a useless effort to ward off the cold, brisk wind. Rubbing his hands together, his breath emerged in a mist as he tried to warm his frozen fingers. Stamping his feet, he prayed for warmth as he tugged his coat closer around himself.

A voice from behind beckoned, "Chris."

He turned slowly, his eyes running lightly over the female figure, noting the long chestnut coloured tresses floating in the wind, hands tucked into her slim black jeans.

Funny – she didn't look cold.

"How could you say it doesn't matter anymore?" Bianca glared at him, her hands on her hips. She tossed her long hair over her shoulder, "How could you even think that?"

Chris cringed at her accusatory tone, replying automatically as he crossed his arms defensively, "How could I not? You saw what happened. Les is gone, Bianca. Shot by some idiot we're suppose to protect? Screw that."

Her eyes chided him as she reproved him lightly, "The world's always been full of stupid people. You know that. It doesn't mean you're excused from doing what's right."

He jutted his chin out stubbornly. Oh, he knew it was a dream, but it didn't matter. At least here, here he could still see her – even if it was just to argue. "Yeah? Well maybe it's time we took the Darwin approach to evolution."

"You don't mean that."

"Don't I? I told Dad I was starting to think Kate and Riley had the right of it. Maybe it's not meant to be. Maybe we're just not meant to coexist peacefully." Chris' eyes slid away from Bianca's and he shivered slightly as the wind began to pick up. "Maybe it's time we let the cards fall where they may."

"What kind of bullshit is this?" Bianca snorted. "You're one to talk – you've never let fate stop you before."

Chris shook his head slightly, refusing to meet her gaze, "You don't understand."

"What don't I understand?'' Bianca moved forward to place her hand on his chin, tilting his face upwards to meet hers. Her eyes searched his, "Help me understand."

He jerked away from her touch as if it stung, ignoring the hurt look in her eyes, "I can't do this. Not anymore." He paused, his voice lowering to a whisper, "Not alone."

"Chris…" Bianca regarded him tenderly, "You're not alone. You'll never be alone. You have Darryl and his kids. Lilah. Zach. Duncan."

"It's not the same." His gaze was pained as he stared back at her, repeating softly, "It's not the same."

"It hasn't been for a long time," Bianca pointed out gently. "But you still have a job to do."

Chris laughed humourlessly, "What? Making sure the rest of my friends get killed off protecting a bunch of idiots who couldn't care less about us?"

"Chris, we help innocents because it's the right thing to do. You know that."

Chris felt his anger build, his voice incredulous, "The right thing to do?" He snorted bitterly, his voice escalating with each heartfelt word, "What sort of lame ass reason is that? Doing the right thing won't bring Les back! It won't bring Sheila back! Or Wyatt or Mom!" His voice suddenly dropped to a whisper, "Or you."

Bianca's eyes turned sympathetic, "It's not about me. It's NEVER been about me." She paused, "Or Wyatt. Or your mom. Or even you. It's about everyone else."

Like a child, Chris shook his head, not wanting to hear the truth in her words, "It's not fair."

"Life's not fair," Bianca pointed out logically, echoing the same words he had once voiced himself. "You know that."

His breath emerged in a puff, "Yeah? Well, it still sucks." Shoving his hands in his pockets, he threw a bleak look in her direction, "I'm starting to think nothing ever changes. And maybe nothing ever will."

"You don't believe that."

"Oh?" Chris' eyebrow shot up sarcastically, irrationally irritated by Bianca's easy dismissal of his doubts. "Since you seem to know everything, what exactly do you think I believe then?"

Bianca studied him for a moment before saying seriously, "You believe in love. In friendship. In family." She let her words sink in before continuing, "After all, isn't that what you always told me we were fighting for?"

"Maybe…maybe I did…then," Chris said wistfully. His voice was sad, "But I'm not sure I do anymore…"

"Why?" Bianca shook her head, genuinely puzzled. "You said it yourself, nothing changes. So what's changed for you?"

"I've changed," Chris replied, barely audible. His eyes slid away from hers, "Don't you get it? I've changed." He felt his cheeks heat with shame, "I…I think I've given up."

"You mean you've given up on the future? On saving Wyatt?" Bianca asked him, her tone perfectly neutral. "On saving me?"

"Wyatt's…gone. And…," Chris trailed off as he studied his beloved sadly.

"And?" Bianca challenged him, her chin lifting slightly.

"And you're not real. None of this is real."

Bolting up from his bed in a cold sweat, Chris cursed as he slammed his head against the headboard. Rubbing his head gingerly, he shook his head clear of the cobwebs leftover from his dream and the spots in his eyes from his injury. Swinging his legs over the bed, he made his way unsteadily into the bathroom. Flipping on the harsh light, he leaned over the sink, breathing heavily. He glanced upwards to study his reflection in the mirror, not surprised to see his cheeks were damp.

It shouldn't have disturbed him so much. Ever since Bianca's death, he'd dream of her intermittently. Logically, he knew it was his brain conjuring up her image as a representation of his conscience as he mulled over problems in his sleep. More often than not, he was able to work out whatever was bothering him. She would tease and prod and generally sass him until his mind came up with a satisfactory response. And he'd smile back, savouring her sweet smile, her soft voice and her clear eyes – enjoying the time they spent together, even if it was only in his dreams.

But it still hurt. It hurt because her death was still felt so fresh…like Wyatt's…like his mother's…like Les'.

He had meant every word he'd said earlier to his father – he didn't care. He didn't care because if he didn't care, then he didn't have to feel. He didn't have to feel anger, or sadness, or heartache. Or any emotion at all, for that matter.

And what would Mom say?

He cringed at the insistent voice of his conscience. What would his Mom of fourteen years say if she saw him now? Hell, what would the current version of his mom say? He could almost picture her soft brown eyes studying him sadly, shaking her head at him in disappointment. He'd given up. Given up on the future…on Wyatt. On their family.

His despair swelled up inside him, threatening to suffocate him.

He forced himself to look at his image in the mirror. His eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot. His face was covered with red splotches, running over his neck and the rest of his body. His skin was gaunt…yellow. The illness was taking its toll – slowly but surely stripping away everything that made him, well…him. Everything, that is, except his beliefs.

His beliefs were the only thing he had left. And when they buried him in the earth, it would the only thing he would leave behind.

His fingers clenched around the sink.

His mom would have kicked his ass.

It was time to stop feeling sorry for himself.

It was time to shoulder his responsibilities once more instead of wilfully ignoring them.

Bianca was right.

It was time to change destiny.


3 days left…

"He really scared me…," Piper said softly, recalling the events of the other day. "It was…he was just so angry, Leo."

The two parents, along with Piper's sisters, were sitting together in the mess hall. The early morning hour meant it was relatively empty. A couple of scouts had staggered in for a bite to eat and had sequestered themselves on the other side of the hall, effectively ignoring the only other occupants in the room. That suited Leo just fine. They needed the privacy.

Returning his focus to the conversation at hand, Leo nodded wearily, "He's still angry. And he probably will be for a long time. Something like that…it doesn't go away over night, Piper."

Piper raised her worried eyes over the rim of her coffee mug, "I'm worried about him, Leo. Not just the illness, though that still scares the hell out of me. But…he just looked…so defeated."

"I agree. I think Kate's death and now Les' has really hit him hard," Leo sighed, rubbing his face wearily. "When I spoke with him yesterday…he was…lost."

"Lost?" Paige's forehead crinkled in worry as she and Phoebe exchanged concerned glances, "What do you mean, lost?"

"He's starting to question himself. Question his actions, his beliefs," Leo's face turned sad, recalling Chris' bitter tirade. "Question…everything."

"I can understand that," Piper sighed, pushing her coffee mug away. "When Prue died…" Piper's voice broke, "I was angry too. I…it was…hard." She looked at her sisters, "It was hard for all of us."

As Leo reached across the table to squeeze Piper's hand, Paige cleared her throat rather awkwardly, "So, what are we going to do?"

"We are going to do everything we can to help Chris," Piper said firmly. "Beginning with finding him a cure for this illness he has."

Paige's face clouded, "Piper – do you really think it's possible for us to find one when Ben and Lilah haven't been able to?"

Piper's face hardened as she snapped, "This illness is magic related. That means there's a potion we can brew or a spell we can write that will fix things."

Phoebe cleared her throat uncomfortably, "But what if there's not? What if we can't – ?"

"I don't want to hear that!" Piper said sharply. Catching Phoebe's hurt expression, Piper bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. Her voice lowered, "I can't hear that."

Seeing Piper's expression, Phoebe realized just how close to the edge Piper was. Without hesitation, she reached out with her hand to gently touch her sister's arm in support, "I know." She glanced over at Paige before turning back to Piper, "We all know."

Paige nodded in agreement, "We'll do everything we can, Piper. I promise."

Her smile watery, Piper replied shakily, "Thanks, you guys."

"I hate to interrupt, but while you girls look for a cure, I think I'm going to stick to Chris' side," Leo slanted an apologetic look towards Piper. "You know he's not going to just sit back while we try to figure out how to heal him. I'm worried about the valkyrie situation."

Piper nodded slowly, seeing the sense in what Leo was saying. "No, you're right. You need to stick to our son like glue." Looking at her sisters for agreement, " We'll work on finding a cure." She shot a look at Leo, "After I've seen him, of course."

After his talk with Chris about Les, Leo had told the girls to give Chris some space. Seeing the merit in Leo's advice, Piper had agreed reluctantly. However, today was a new day, and Piper wanted to see her son, come hell or high water.

"Piper, I'm not sure that's a good idea…" Leo started to say.

"Why not?" Phoebe piped in as Paige nodded emphatically. "Why shouldn't Piper talk to her son?"

"I think – if he wanted to see us, he would have sought us out already," Leo tried explaining, feeling uneasy as Piper narrowed her gaze at him. His voice trailed off, "I just…"

"A mother knows when her son needs her," Piper sniffed loftily. "I just want to see how he's doing."

As the Charmed Ones glared at him, Leo felt outnumbered and outvoted. Giving in suspiciously quickly, he nodded, suggesting "All right. Let's go looking for him then."

Making their way towards the door, Phoebe glanced at Paige as she said to the two parents, "You two go. Paige and I will get started on research. The sooner we get working, the sooner we'll find that cure."

As the group came to a consensus, they exited the mess hall. The two Charmed sisters took the corridor to the left and the two parents began their search for their wayward son.


"I need you to prove that she was killed by a darklighter," Chris was saying to Darryl, as the door to the infirmary opened. He ignored the interruption – whoever it was could wait a couple of minutes while he talked with Darryl. "We need to be able to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. The valkyries won't accept anything less."

The two men were standing in front of the body that was currently draped in a white sheet. The harsh white lights glinted off the metallic table and drawers in the room giving the room a cold, hard feel. Overhead the florescent lights gave off a slight buzz, just loud enough to be annoying but not enough to be an issue.

Darryl barely controlled the urge to roll his eyes at his young friend, instead replying patiently, "I know, Chris. I'm working on it."

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, Chris shot Darryl an apologetic look, hearing the slight reproof in Darryl's tone. "Sorry. I'm just a little on edge. We've got three days to come up with some concrete proof. Three days, Darryl. Before everything falls apart."

Darryl nodded, his voice quietly confident, "Everything will be okay, Chris. It will be."

"I'm counting on that." Nodding one last time, Chris looked up, catching sight of his parents in the doorway staring at him. His mouth quirked slightly, "Hey. When did you get here?"

Leo shrugged as Piper studied her son for a minute before replying, "Not long."

Motioning for his parents to enter, he reigned in his impatience, he asking mildly, "Was there something you wanted? I'm kind of in the middle of things here."

Piper exchanged a brief glance with her husband before offering, "We just wanted to see you. Make sure you were okay."

Chris suppressed the urge to respond with a sarcastic quip, reminding himself that they were, after all, his parents. About to respond, Chris was distracted as another person poked his head into the room, "Michael. What are you doing here?"

Nodding at Chris' parents, Michael immediately directed his attention to his father and Chris, "We just got a message in from Sheridan's people. They found another body."

As the group stared in shock, Piper was the first to recover, sputtering, "What do you mean, 'another body'?"

"Sheridan sent a runner over to let us know. Apparently they were performing a lockdown of the area where Les was killed so that they could gather evidence and they found the body in one of the sewer tunnels nearby." Michael handed over the sheaf of papers he was holding to Chris, who began to rapidly thumb through them. "The victim was clearly murdered. It's all in that report."

"Do they think the two incidents are connected somehow?" Darryl asked his son, his brow creased in concern.

As all eyes swung to him, Michael shrugged in response, "If they do, they haven't shared that with us. All I know is what I just told you." About to continue, Michael lost his train of thought as he noticed Chris turning a deathly pale. "Chris? What's wrong?" he asked, anxiously.

Chris' eyes were still focused on the papers in front of him, frantically flipping to the end of the report before swearing, "Jesus."

Alarmed, Piper stepped forward, placing her hand on her son's arm in concern, "Chris? What is it?"

His eyes met hers as he croaked, "Elise."

Piper tilted her head slightly, still not comprehending, "Chris? What are you talking about?"

Pulling away, Chris turned his back on the group for a moment, taking a moment to gather his emotions before turning back. Holding aloft the report, his hand shook, "The body. It was Elise."

"Jesus."

"Oh, fuck."

As Michael and Darryl cursed softly, Piper blinked in surprise. "You mean Phoebe's Elise? Her editor at the paper?"

Chris nodded sadly, "The very one."

"Oh my God," Piper breathed, slightly shocked. While she didn't know the Elise here in the future, she was certainly aware of Phoebe's boss from their present. It was one thing for Piper to hear about the human losses Chris dealt with everyday, but it was entirely another matter when the deaths were people she knew personally. As she reeled under the information, Piper felt Leo's comforting hand on her shoulder. Glancing up, she covered his hand with her own, drawing strength from the small gesture. "Who would want to murder Elise?"

"Good question," Chris replied grimly. His mouth tightening, Chris looked at Michael, "I need you to find out how Jeremiah got that gun and why the hell he was working with Zankou. Find out if Elise's death has anything to do with it."

Michael nodded, "Understood. Anything else?"

"Take D.J. with you. And Kyle."

"I'm not sure I want them going back to that city," Darryl protested, worried about his sons' safety – he was well aware of the tension and general anti-magical-being feelings that were running through the city. "The situation is shaky, at best. With everything that's been going on, is it safe to send our people there right now?"

Chris nodded firmly, "That's why I want D.J. and Michael to go. They're humans. They should get in, no problem. Plus, Sheridan knows them both. And Kyle goes with them in case they need to get out of there."

"You're assuming they can clear the city limits in time if something happens," Darryl growled. "I don't think –,"

"Dad!" Michael interrupted, before the argument could continue. "Don't worry. D.J. and I have everything under control. It'll be fine."

Whipping around, Darryl glared at his son, "Everything is not fine, Michael! Those people killed Les! What makes you think they won't turn around and kill you and your brother!"

"Not everyone is like that, Dad. You know that. That anti-witch stuff is just a small faction. Chris is right – at the end of the day, D.J. and I are humans. No powers. Zilch. They won't attack us. If they did, it would kill any support they have with the moderates," Michael glanced over at Chris. "I'm worried more about Kyle than I am about D.J. and me."

"He's a whitelighter," Chris replied evenly, who had been silently observing the battle of wills between father and son. "Even they know that's practically an angel. Who the hell is going to justify killing an angel?"

"Good point," Michael conceded.

"I still don't like it," Darryl grumbled. "Zach or one of the other telepaths should go with them, too. Just in case."

Chris shook his head, "No. Zach's a witch. He'd be an instant target. I don't want to push my luck too far. Besides, I have something else I need him to do. And I need people I trust to be on the ground floor."

Before Darryl could argue the point further, Michael cut him off, "Dad. Chris is right. If anything, people need to see that they don't need to be afraid of us. Bringing in a telepath would just put everyone on edge. And this isn't anymore dangerous than when we were at war with Wyatt. If we can do anything to prevent that from happening again…"

Running his fingers through his hair in frustration, Darryl sighed, "Fine. But I want you back in 24 hours, max. Or I'm sending out a search party for you."

Michael broke into a grin, "As long as you explain it to D.J. later if you do."

Darryl snorted, well aware of his eldest son's vehement independence, "Let me handle your brother."

Michael clapped his father on the arm before nodding at Chris, "I'll leave within the hour. I know we're on a strict timeline."

Chris paused before asking hesitantly, "You still have your gun from your rookie days?"

Michael nodded solemnly, "You think things could come to that?"

Ignoring the accusatory glares from his parents, Chris' eyes met Darryl's even as he directed his response to Michael, "I think it would be a good precaution to take."

Nodding at his friend one last time, Michael bid his father goodbye and excused himself.

As the door closed, Chris looked over at Kate's body one last time, her profile silhouetted by the white cloth, "We've got three days, Darryl. Let's not waste them."


She had held her silence while Chris and Darryl had finished up, biting her tongue from interrupting. The idea of anyone caring firearms, let alone one of her sons encouraging it…well, suffice to say it was a struggle but she managed.

Just.

Watching her son carefully, Piper could see his red splotches had increased in size and number, creeping past the collar of his shirt and edging towards the nape of his neck. No longer a pinkish tone, the liver spots had started to take on an almost purplish hue. Although the temperature in the room was comfortably cool, beads of sweat were dotting Chris' forehead. His skin tone was a sallow yellow, and his eyes, normally bright and alert were alarmingly dull. The dark circles under his eyes and the sunken cheeks indicated to her that Chris was still clearly experiencing difficulty in sleeping.

What if we can't find a cure?, and for a brief second, she couldn't breathe.

Shaking herself slightly, Piper forced herself to bury her anxieties. There wasn't time to indulge in a hysterical fit. Things were coming to a head with the valkyries and the humans. And Chris needed their help…her help. Phoebe and Paige would find a cure. They had to. There was no other choice.

And at that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around her son and hold him tight.

His conversation with Darryl finally coming to an end, Chris stepped around his parents into the hallway, completely oblivious to Piper's inner turmoil. He paused, realizing they weren't following him, looking back, "You coming?"

Piper exchanged a glance with her husband before they both trailed after their son. She cleared her throat awkwardly, "Where are we going?"

"The command room. I'm suppose to be meeting Duncan there shortly," Chris explained over his shoulder as his long legs ate up the floor. "He's supposed to have complied all our intel on Zankou so that we can start planning how we're going to go after him."

"Is that wise?" Piper asked dubiously.

"Wise?" Chris repeated with an ironic lift of his right eyebrow. "No. But necessary. If we can't prove to the valkyries Kate was killed by a darklighter, I'm going to have to somehow get Zankou to confess."

"How are you going to do that?" Leo asked doubtfully, easily keeping pace with his offspring as Piper cursed her genetics as she resorted to jogging to keep up. "If Zankou is involved, he's been involved for a long time. He's likely had some sort of plan."

Coughing slightly, Chris sounded weary as he tried to shrug nonchalantly, "I don't know. Let's cross that bridge when we get to it, okay?"

Concern marking her brow, Piper picked up her pace to pass her son and cut his path off. Standing in front of him with her arms akimbo, she demanded, "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly?" Chris abruptly came to a stop due to his mother blocking his path. "Not that hot. Happy now?" Manoeuvring himself around Piper, he continued walking to his destination.

Blinking at how easily Chris had sidestepped her, Piper quickly caught up to her son again to plant herself directly in front of him. As he attempted to pass her, she matched him step for step, preventing him from continuing forward until at last, he exclaimed exasperated, "Mom!"

Ignoring the plaintive wail in his voice, she merely directed her gaze at Leo who tried not to grin at the mother-son confrontation happening in front of his eyes. She scowled at her husband, pointing at Chris, "Heal. Now."

An aggravated sigh emerged from Chris' mouth but he wisely choose not to offer any protest as Leo stepped forward, placing his hands on Chris' back. As the golden glow hummed, Piper hovered anxiously, "Any better?"

Chris didn't feel any different; a clear indication to him that the illness was moving into its final stages. However, he knew better than to tell Piper that; instead, he replied earnestly, "Much. Thanks."

Piper's eyes narrowed at her son's blithe tone as she accused, "You're lying."

His eyes held hers, "Yes."

"Chris –,"

"Not now," he replied brusquely, brushing past his mother. He paused as Piper caught his arm, forcing him to turn back. His green eyes met hers, "Not now."

"Then when?" Piper asked a bit desperately. She threw a pleading look in Leo's direction, "Leo. Tell him he needs to take it easy. He needs to rest."

As Leo opened his mouth, Chris cut him off, "There are more important things going on right now."

"More important than your health?" Piper shot back.

"More important than you or me," Chris replied tiredly. He rubbed his face wearily, "You know I'm right."

Shaking her head, Piper could feel a sharp pain in her chest as each word felt like a slap to the face. He was right – there were more important things going on then the well-being of her son.

Just not to her.

Ready to protest, she snapped her mouth closed as she saw the resigned look in Chris' eyes. He knew there wasn't anything more to be done for his illness – they would either find a cure or not. He knew his responsibilities lay with the valkyrie-mortal crisis first. He knew what was important.

She could only marvel at his unselfishness.

"I love you," Piper offered tearfully.

A ghost of a smile flitted across Chris' lips, "I love you too, Mom." He let her pull him into her embrace, allowing her to draw comfort from the small gesture. He glanced over at his father who was watching them both solemnly, "Everything will be okay. I promise."

Leo studied him gravely, "I'll hold you to that."

Releasing her son from her strong embrace, Piper stepped back, studying her son. Reaching out, she tentatively touched the side of his face. She could feel the heat emanating from his skin – too warm to be normal. She searched his eyes, looking for the truth behind that statement and seeing only a resignation that made her want to cry.

"Mom," Chris reached out to catch his mother's hand in his grasp, squeezing it hard. "Mom, you have to trust me."

"Why should we believe you after all the lies?" Leo demanded, his voice ringing with anger.

"Because you have to,"

Piper shook her head, ignoring the pleading tone in his voice, "No, Chris, we don't, actually."

Shaking her head clear of the memories of yesteryear, Piper smiled tremulously, saying firmly, "Always, baby."

Chris' eyes flashed, realizing there was more to his mother's statement than that simple promise, though what exactly he wasn't sure. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he looked for support from his father, "Can we get going now then?"

Leo nodded, "You said Duncan was waiting for you?"

"Yeah. We were suppose to meet yesterday but I just didn't have time," Chris' pace quickened and the trio continued down the corridor, cutting across the base quickly. Turning the final corner, they emerged in the main hall where Chris led the way into the nearby centre of activity.

Like their previous visit, Piper easily identified the large conference centre as the hub of the Resistance. However, unlike their previous visit, the atmosphere in the room was distinctly different. Whereas before there was an almost controlled chaos now there was a feeling of hyperactivity. The room was packed to overflowing; security concerns obviously not a priority anymore. Telepaths were still controlling the communications network but people entered and left the area freely.

Chris intercepted the questioning look from his mother to his father, "Things have changed. Wyatt's not a threat any longer – we can operate a little more freely now." He nodded at group of telepaths currently engaged in a heated conversation with another group of people gesturing wildly, "Our usual emergencies are more on the logistical side – who needs supplies, what kind of supplies they need and how we're going to get it to them. The scout contingent has been reduced – significantly."

"Is that wise?" Leo asked, doubtfully. "After all, with all the problems you've been having with the valkyries –,"

Chris shrugged, keeping his thoughts to himself, "I can't force people to stay, Dad. The war with Wyatt, for all intents and purposes, is over. We're supposed to be in peacetime."

Before Leo could continue the conversation, a head poked out from one of the meeting rooms that offshoot from the main command centre. "Chris? That you?" Duncan's voice shouted over the noisy clatter of their fellow Resistance members. "Over here."

Waving his hand to indicate he had heard him, Chris began to manoeuvre his way through the crowd, weaving his way in and out. Not knowing what else to do, Leo and Piper followed behind, apologizing as they bumped into countless individuals in the sea of bodies filling the room to its brim.

With a sigh of relief, Chris darted into the room where Duncan was waiting, shutting the door on the noise behind them as soon as his parents were inside. Grateful for the muted quiet, he arched his eyebrow at Duncan, "What the hell?"

"Sorry," Duncan offered, "It's crazy out there today. One of the supply trucks that was suppose to make a drop off at New York was waylaid."

"Waylaid?" Leo shook his head, not comprehending. "What do you mean?"

Shooting a questioning look at Chris, who just shrugged, Duncan explained, "We've been trying to move supplies in unmarked vehicles. Somehow, someone found out we were going to make a drop at NYC and forced our vehicles off the road on the way to the drop. They managed to make off with most of the supplies before back up arrived."

"Who would do such a thing? Demons wouldn't need mortal supplies, would they?" Piper asked aloud.

Again, sharing a grave look with Chris, Duncan hesitated before replying, "It wasn't demons."

"If it wasn't demons then who – ," Piper stopped abruptly as the implications sank in. "Oh my God. You mean humans?"

Chris nodded solemnly, "This isn't the first time it's happened. Supplies are scarce here – you can't blame people for trying to survive."

"I can if it takes away supplies from other people who have a right to it!" Duncan bit out angrily.

"In their minds, they have just as much right to those supplies as to the individuals the supplies were ultimately intended for," Chris pointed out, his hand running through his hair in frustration. "Any casualties?"

Duncan shook his head, "No. I told our team we weren't to engage, like you ordered. And luckily, we didn't sustain any injuries on our side, either."

"I can see the sense in that but not being able to defend yourself? Is that really necessary?" Leo interrupted his son's conversation, puzzled.

Chris saw the scowl on Duncan's face, "I know you didn't agree with that decision, but we can't let ourselves be drawn into a fight. Even though these mortals are in the wrong, if one of them got hurt, we'd be seen as the wrong doers here."

"But it basically means our guys are sitting ducks," Duncan complained. "And we can't even get the supplies to the people expecting it. And let me tell you, they aren't happy either."

"No one wins in that situation," Chris said logically to his parents. He turned back to his friend, "But the important thing is to make sure it doesn't escalate into violence – Duncan, I know we're walking a fine line here but I need to know you've made it clear to our side that we can't engage. Period."

Duncan sighed heavily, "I've made it crystal clear. Anyone out of line will answer to me, even if more than half the time I agree with them." Switching topics, Duncan finally got a good look at his friend, "You look like hell."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to schedule an appointment with my beautician," Chris replied sarcastically.

"See?" Piper was quick to jump in, "I'm not the only one who thinks so!"

Duncan eyed Chris carefully before saying bluntly in response to Chris' comment, "Maybe with a mortician more likely."

"Nice to see you, too. Why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Chris responded dryly.

Duncan shrugged, "Sorry – just took me by surprise."

Chris scowled, "Just tell me what you know about Zankou's activities."

"That's just it," Duncan sighed. He waved his hand in frustration, "We haven't been able to dig up anything. He's been laying low – we've haven't got any confirmed sightings in the past month. He could be anywhere, for all we know."

"He has to be in the San Francisco area if he was meeting with Jeremiah, right?" Piper offered, glancing at her son who appeared to be deep in thought. "Chris?"

"What? Oh, right," Chris nodded, obviously not really paying attention.

Not sure what to make of his son's distracted air, Leo offered, "Have you focused your efforts in the Bay area then?"

Duncan pulled out a map, unrolling it on the nearby table so they could study it. "The last sighting we got was about two months ago, here." He stabbed his finger at the point, "And then it's like he dropped out of sight."

Studying the map over his wife's shoulder, Leo tapped his finger against the mark on the map, "Maybe we start searching here, then. Find something that could tell us where he's hiding now."

Duncan nodded in agreement, "I was thinking the same thing – a concentrated sweep in that area and then move southwards." He let his finger trail downwards, running across the surface of the map, "We'd have to set up a hard perimeter though to make sure he doesn't slip past us."

Piper looked up at Leo, not really able to contribute as the three studied the tactical plan. "How long will that take? We've got less than three days, Leo."

Duncan sighed again, "That's the problem. There's no way we can mount such a tactical undertaking in the amount of time we have left. Plus – there's no guarantee that we'd even find him. The intel is two months old, after all."

About to ask Duncan what other options they had, Leo was cut off by a snap of the fingers. The three people crowded around the map turned their heads towards Chris who was pacing back and forth, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Chris?" Leo asked questioningly.

"Duncan – you said the intel's two months old?" Chris stopped his pacing to stare at his friend.

"Uh, yeah. Thereabouts," Duncan nodded, not knowing where Chris was heading with his line of questioning. "I can find out the exact timeframe if you want me to."

"No," Chris shook his head. "That isn't necessary. But I think I have a plan."

Duncan perked up, "Yeah? What?"

"You said it would take too long to mount a tactical search and destroy operation, right?" Chris waited as Duncan nodded in affirmation. "We're going about this the wrong way. There's no way we could go after Zankou with a team. He'd see us coming from a mile away. And frankly, we don't have the resources to spare."

"So what are you suggesting?" Leo was trying to follow Chris' logic. "That we don't need to search out Zankou?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But, but we need to prove to the valkyries it's been Zankou all along!" Duncan protested.

"You're not listening," Chris placed both hands on the table and leaned forward. "We don't need to search out Zankou. We don't have time for that. What we need to do is get him to come to us."

"How?" Piper gaped, her mind spinning at her son's words.

Chris' eyes brightened, "We set a trap."


To be continued…