Disclaimer: Nothing in the Charmed world belongs to me and no copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 2 From the Light Into the Darkness
As Chris stood staring at the small bundle wrapped in Leo's arms a tiny smile touched his lips. He looked at the people surrounding him and felt a sense of joy invade his very soul. His Aunt Paige had said something that stuck the truest cord in his mind.
"It looks like we didn't lose him after all. Either of you for that matter." Chris would never forget the fact that Paige had overcome her hesitancy about healing to help save him. It was true that both in his past and in their present he and Paige had always butted heads over almost everything but none of that mattered. The fact that she was able to use her healing ability to save him was the only proof he would ever need to show how much she truly cared for him.
And then there was Phoebe. She was wrapped up in staring at her new baby nephew. Chris knew that she would dote on the infant just as she had when he was the one who was the child. That's just how Aunt Phoebe was, and the only way he'd ever want her to be. Even if she did manage to embarrass him on several occasions with her smothering.
And his dad. His dad was standing there staring at his newest son in pure amazement. He glanced up at the older version of Chris and the brightest smile he could ever imagine encompassed his father's face and it wasn't easy to miss the tears of joy that shone in his eyes. Why had he ever thought that his father didn't love him? In this moment in time it was obvious just how much the Elder truly cared. Chris wasn't at all sure what had caused his father to treat him the way he had in his original timeline but he was sure without a doubt that it wouldn't happen this time around. Leo would make time for him and he would never neglect him.
When the doctor said that only one of them could go in and see his mom he was a little disappointed but he was glad that his father had went. It was time that his family truly started to become a family again. He still felt a twinge of guilt over the fact that he had split his parents marriage up. But hadn't he done everything he could to rectify that situation. He hoped it would be enough.
He turned to his older brother, who was holding the younger version of himself. He could see the smile that lingered on his brother's face but he could also see a look of melancholy that Chris thought was out of place during such a joyous occasion. This made Chris wonder if maybe something in their future wasn't quite as great as he had started imagining it to be. "Something wrong, big brother?"
Wyatt was jogged out of his thoughts by Chris' question. The expression on his face immediately changed to the one that Chris knew from growing up around his older brother. For a long time there, before The Event that triggered the release of Wyatt's evil side, he had been a great older brother. And that was the version he was seeing now and it was the best thing he could ever imagine. "Everything's fine. Don't worry so much, Chris," Wyatt answered giving his brother a smile that only Chris noticed did not reach his eyes.
A snort of derision came from Paige at that statement. "I don't know what the version of Chris you grew up with was like but telling this one not to worry is like telling the river not to run."
Chris had to chuckle at that statement. His often neurotic zeal to save his brother had certainly colored his Aunt's perspective of himself. "Well starting right now that is gonna change. It's high time I enjoy a little worry free time."
"Okay, who are you and where is our nephew?" Phoebe asked in jest.
"No, I'm serious. No more worrying about the future. No more long nights with no sleep. No more brooding over the next threat. And for the time being, no more demon hunts." His words were spoken as if they were a vow. One he fully intended to keep.
Wyatt's smile strained a little at those words. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all that he would soon be forced to take away what his brother most wanted in the world. Chris deserved better than this after all he'd gone through to save him. But he couldn't put it off forever.
"Okay, we'll believe that one when we see it, Kiddo," Paige said just nodding knowingly. Phoebe nodded in agreement.
Chris just rolled his eyes and turned back to his brother. Wow, his brother. He was still having a hard time reconciling the fact that his brother was no longer that dark creature that had tried to kill him not too long ago. No this Wyatt was everything he had hoped he'd be and he had traveled back in time to heal him. Sure, if this version of himself had died from that athame wound the younger version of him would have lived on, but still it wouldn't be the same. He wanted to see what his future had changed into, first hand. To see the good he had done. "Hey, thanks!" he said slightly timid.
"For what?" Wyatt asked in surprise.
"For coming back for me," Chris answered.
"All I did was heal your wound, Chris. Look at what you did to save me from becoming evil. I'd say maybe I owe you a little bit more than that." Chris wasn't used to his brother being so serious. When they were younger he had always been the jokester. The one playing pranks and Chris had been the one to sit back and worry about whether or not his brother would be caught. So maybe he had already been slightly neurotic before he came back in time. But still this new version of his brother was surprising to say the least.
"Listen, I came back here to save the future for all of us, including me. So don't be thinking I'm all noble or something." He tried to deflect the praise his brother was giving him. He had always been uncomfortable with people praising him growing up and that was one thing he hadn't grown out of yet and probably never would. He had done what needed to be done to save Wyatt and had never thought about what it might cost him. That just wasn't in his nature.
Wyatt just nodded. "Listen, I'm sort of tired. I'm gonna go back to the Manor and rest some. Tell mom I love her and I'll see her soon." With those words Wyatt handed the younger version of his self to Phoebe and turned walking away.
The other three people surrounding him were surprised to hear that. They had all assumed that Wyatt would be biting at the chomp to see his mother after everything that had happened.
"Chris, are you sure that that version of Wyatt is different from the one you knew before?" Paige asked worriedly staring after her nephew.
"Yeah, no doubt about it. He's not evil at all," he rushed to assure them. "But there is something distinctly different about him." Chris had a far away look on his face. This wasn't what he'd expected Wyatt to be like at all.
"What's so different?" Phoebe asked not having the foresight that Chris did into his brother's psyche.
"Well all along Wyatt had a nasty streak in him, leftover from whatever Gideon had done to him but when we were kids I didn't see much of that side of him. He knew how to have fun and make himself happy. He enjoyed life a lot and was very rarely sad until after … The Event," Chris started to explain but paused, still trying to hide parts of his future.
"Chris, we've already talked to Piper about this and we are pretty sure that The Event you keep mentioning was Piper's death, and possibly both of us along with her. You don't have to talk in code. We are all hoping that the changes you've helped make are enough to change that too." Phoebe knew that Chris still dwelled on the possibility of going back to a future where his mom was not alive and she didn't want the worry over it to tear him up inside especially not on the day of his birth.
Chris just nodded, feeling slightly relieved that the Aunts weren't completely in the dark and could offer their support to him on this subject. "After The Event is when Wyatt started to exhibit his evil side. Instead of being sad and mournful he became angry and belligerent towards Grandpa, Dad and I, and then eventually he just left. It wasn't until he returned for Excalibur on his 18th birthday that we truly understood what he was becoming." Chris paused lost in his thoughts of the past. A past that he had to remind himself never came about. He knew he'd probably have to remind himself of that one several times over the next few days. "But now with things changed Wyatt seems sad but only slightly distant, compared to what I knew before, that is. It makes me wonder if…" He couldn't finish the sentence.
"So you are worried that The Event still happened and this is what it has done to him," Phoebe said understanding where Chris' mind was going.
"I hate to admit it but I'm afraid so," Chris said sighing deeply. He like his Aunts had been hoping against all hopes that they would have the opportunity to live happy lives now that his brother wasn't destined to be evil anymore. "But I'm not gonna know for sure unless I can get him to talk to me, or if I go back and see for myself."
"And if the worst is true?" Phoebe asked hugging tightly to her young nephew who seemed to be soaking up everything they were saying.
"I don't know," he whispered, knowing his voice would break if he tried to speak any louder. "After all these months of being with you all again, I'm not sure if I can go back to living a life without you. Without Mom."
"This isn't fair, damnit!" Wyatt shouted as he slammed the cover of the Book of Shadows closed. He wasn't sure what had made him look through the book. He knew there wouldn't be anything in there that he hadn't seen before. No clues as to what he was looking for. But still it had been his first thought upon entering the Manor again.
"What am I gonna do?" he spoke dejectedly as he made his way to the old beat up sofa that stood by the window and slumped into its soft comfort. He had a task to complete but he had no idea how to go about doing it. He had initially wanted to seek out the help of his family from this time and especially from Chris. Chris had done the miraculous when he managed to save Wyatt from turning evil. So wouldn't he be the best bet to solve their current future problem? But now that he had seen them all so happy and heard his brother's wishes to have some peace and quiet it seemed so unfair to drag them into it.
"Why did I ever think that this would be easier on me than the others I left behind?" It wasn't easy. Nothing about it was.
After several long moments of agonizing thought he finally came to a very hard decision. "I have to tell them. I have to stick with the plan. But not until mom is home from the hospital. They are all gonna need each other on this one. And at least Chris can have a couple of days of happiness before I tear his world apart."
A/N: Okay well that's the second chapter. Not very long I know but I wanted to leave it off there. Anyone want to guess what Wyatt is so worried about? Anyhow, let me know what you think so far.