Yummy, toaster strudel…Oh! When did you all get here? If you're reading this, then I'm already in hiding. I'm wondering how people are going to react to the events that take place in this chapter. For my safety, my top-secret location under my bed cannot be revealed. And ow, I think I just sprained my wrist pushing tubby the cat away from my strudel. Anyway, onto the chapter.
Riley came to a decision about what needed to be done. With both Reese and Chris. She took Wyatt into her arms and made her way slowly up to the attic, rethinking her plan one more time before she mentioned it to the sisters. She stood in the door, listening to their plans, none of which sounded promising.
"We could cloak ourselves, orb in, and throw the potion to give Leo back his powers." Phoebe suggested. Chris shook his head.
"That won't work. She can sense orbs. And if she senses orbs, and nobody to claim them, she'll go on the defensive." Chris told them. Paige sighed.
"None of our plans are going to work. What do we do?" Paige asked, and Riley stepped fully into the room.
"I have an idea." She said quietly, walking up and depositing Wyatt onto Piper's lap.
"What's your idea?" Chris asked, hoping it wasn't what he though it was. But a second later his hopes were dashed.
"I want to go fight her. She bested me once, she won't do it again." She growled. Piper automatically shook her head.
"That's to dangerous. We can't let you go alone." Piper told the blonde haired girl standing in front of her.
"If you try and hold me back, I'll go anyway. This way I can at least take some potions with me." She told them. Piper looked at her as Phoebe spoke.
"Do you have a death wish? From what Chris said this chick is a ruthless killer." Riley took a deep breath.
"I am too. Well, it's in my blood to be a killer of demons. So maybe I can tap into that." Riley was suggesting becoming the very thing she hated.
"But you said you would never do that." Chris protested.
"Things change." She said simply.
"Fine. If you'll take potions, we'll help you." Paige said, knowing the girl was determined, and at least this way she'd be semi-safe.
"I'll go change clothes, and then I'll be ready." She made her way to the bathroom and stood, hands on the sink. She stared at herself, trying to ready herself. She knew what was going to happen; she could feel it in her bones. She slowly changed clothes. She pulled on a white shirt and olive colored pants with her usual black boots. She threw her hair into a ponytail and opened the bathroom door. Soon, she was back in the attic, listening to Piper as she gave her the potions, and told her what each did.
"This one will take you to the Underworld, this one will bring you back. This one will strip her of Leo's powers, and return them to him. And…" Riley cut in.
"I can handle this Piper." She said, taking all the little vials. There were only two potions she was planning on using. She threw the one to take her down at her feet. She disappeared in white smoke.
Underworld
Riley appeared right in front of Reese. Reese gave her a sweet smile.
"I was expecting you." Riley nodded.
"I know." She replied backing up enough to give herself breathing room.
"I'm going to kill you." Reese said smugly while Riley nodded.
"More than likely. But I won't go without a fight. A damn good fight." She replied. She was going to wait until the last possible moment to throw the potion to free Leo's powers. She didn't want the Charmed Ones to come until it was too late, and Chris wouldn't come until Leo got his powers.
"Let's go then." Reese said as she threw a kick at Riley. Riley dodged and punched her. Score one for Riley.
Manor 10 minutes later
"I wonder what's taking her so long." Piper said and Chris looked at her.
"She'll be fine. It'll take longer because Reese is pretty strong." Chris explained. Phoebe nodded.
"She knows to call for Paige if it gets to be too much." She said.
"I know you all are right, just something feels so wrong." Piper replied.
"Let's talk about something to get our minds off Riley." Paige suggested. All eyes turned to Chris.
"What?" He asked, raising his hands to chest level.
"Let's talk about why you didn't tell us we were your family." Piper said and Chris sighed. This is the one thing he could tell them, but how would they take it?
"Would it have made any difference? Family or not, you didn't trust me. You all said some pretty harsh stuff to me. A few times I wanted to tell you, but I didn't." He told them.
"But why? We would have been nicer if we had known." Paige told her nephew.
"Exactly. Because I was your nephew. Not because you trusted me. You all would say I was doing this because my big brother picked on me." He said. Piper crossed her arms.
"Is that why you're doing this? Because Wyatt picked on you?" She asked, not trying to be mean, but honestly wanting to know.
"No. Yes he picked on me, but I could handle my own. I came back to the past because he picked on the world!" He exclaimed.
"How did he get so evil?" Leo asked and Chris shrugged.
"If I had knew that I wouldn't be chasing demons left and right." Chris said tiredly.
"That's not what I meant. Why didn't we stop it?" Leo asked.
"Because your future self refused to believe it. Leo you were never around except for Wyatt anyway, so you refused to believe your perfect kid could do any wrong. And Piper's future self just refused to believe it until it was too late." Piper's face froze in realization.
"He killed me." Chris nodded.
"The day I turned fourteen, you finally busted him having one of his demon meetings, and you confronted him. He killed you with Excalibur." Chris said gravely.
"What about us?" Phoebe asked.
"You died long before that. Mysterious, unexplained deaths. And Leo, you didn't even blink, just refused to believe Wyatt did it. Riley was the only one to stick by me. She knew how he was, he killed her parents, though she didn't know it was him." Leo wanted to ask one more question.
"Am I still alive in the future?" He asked and Chris shrugged.
"I don't know. After mom died, I cut all ties with you. Now, I've probably already screwed up the future, so I'm not saying anymore." Chris said.
Underworld
Riley felt the knife plunge through her chest. She hit her knees, not screaming, or using any magic. She still had one more task to complete, and she had to save all her energy until she was ready. As Reese watched her opponent slowly die, Riley's thoughts drifted to Chris. Finally, they would both be happy. She wouldn't have to decide what to do about him, and he wouldn't have to pretend to like her anymore. She could feel her body getting weak, and she decided it was time. She fumbled for the right potion and pretended to see someone behind Reese.
"Help." She said and Reese turned around. Riley had to grin; evil villains always fell for that. While she was turned around, she threw the potion, and watched Leo's powers float upwards until her vision was consumed by darkness, and her breathing stopped completely.
Manor
Everyone saw Leo's body flash with blue light, signaling hi return of powers. Everyone waited expectantly for Riley's return, but she wasn't appearing. Leo closed his eyes and tried to sense hr. She wasn't his charge, but he might be able to sense her anyway.
"I can't sense her." He said as panic filled Chris.
"We have to go get her. NOW!" He said as the sisters nodded and grabbed Paige. They orbed to the Underworld, hoping for the best, expecting the worst.
Underworld
Chris had a few second lead on them, so he was already there when they got there. Reese was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Chris.
"Chris!" Piper called, and a muffled response was heard around the corner. The sight that met their eyes was heartbreaking. Chris was holding Riley in his arms as tears streamed down his face. An athame was on the ground next to him, covered in blood. Her once white shirt was crimson. Chris turned to them, grief on his face.
"Can you heal her Leo?" He asked brokenly. Leo moved closer and kneeled next to them.
"I can try." He held his hands over her chest wound, and gold light came from his hand. A minute later, he pulled his hand away, the wound still there.
"I'm sorry but she's already gone." A cry that sounded like a wounded animal tore itself from Chris's throat.
"I'm so sorry Riles. This is all my fault, if I hadn't let you come." He whispered to her as he stroked her hair. Nobody else in the room could hold back their tears as they watched Chris's heart shatter.