Disclaimer: Nothing in the Charmed world belongs to me and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: All words in italics are internal conversations between both versions of Chris. Regular print will be their interaction with others. I will call our lovable non-evil witchlighter simply 'Chris' and the other evil version will be 'Dark Chris' I use that term in a future fic also and tend to prefer it over 'Evil Chris'. As a warning this fic is gonna give a new meaning to the words 'talking to one's self'.
Chapter 7 Getting to Know Each Other
Chris immediately slammed shut the barriers that he usually used to block his mind from others prying. He couldn't risk the evil surrounding him being able to search through his thoughts.
"Who the hell are you?" Chris heard echo through his mind.
"I'm shocked. Don't you know yourself when you see you?" Chris asked casually never letting his guard down.
"Well it isn't as if I can actually see you, now is it?" the angry voice snapped at him. "And since I can just barely feel your presence that's no help either. Now how the hell did you get inside my mind?" The truth was he could feel the similarity between himself and the intruder inside but that still did not allay his suspicions.
Chris wondered exactly what he should tell the dark version of himself. If he didn't give enough information his counterpart would clam up and quick and he'd lose all hope of gaining the information they needed. But if he gave too much information and his darker version discovered what he planned, well Chris hated to think of the consequences.
"So how much do you know about time travel?" he asked casually.
"Not much, but it seems you do," Dark Chris answered.
"Yes well, I've done some in my time," Chris answered cryptically.
"Are you from another time?" Was the immediate question.
Chris paused for a moment. How to phrase this. "Not another time, but a changed time. This time period but things were different before."
"Different, how?" Dark Chris asked in curiosity.
"That's too much information right now. I don't want to overload your mind. Let's just say I went back in time to change some things and it worked. Now I'm back here and I have to merge with you." Chris hoped that it would be enough to hold his dark self off.
This seemed to appease Dark Chris, slightly. "I don't know how to time travel. How were you able to go?"
"Let's just say that I knew some people who knew a spell. You don't know those people in this version of time." Chris didn't want to even mention The Charmed Ones yet.
Chris could sense that his dark version also had barriers up an he knew he would eventually have to break them down to see the information he wanted but that could take some time. So instead he decided he'd have to get him to trust him first and that he'd have to do very slowly. "So, any thoughts on this situation for you?"
The dark version of himself paused thinking for a moment and then his answer was only half encouraging. "I don't like having someone else in my head, even if it is me. But you do have knowledge that I might be able to use. So I won't try to destroy you yet."
"I appreciate that. So since we are already up, mind telling me what we like to do for fun?" Chris asked almost dreading the answer. He had to convince this Chris that he was similar to him if he was ever gonna trust him enough to drop his guard.
"Ah, that is easy. Very easy. I'll even show you," Dark Chris answered and Chris could see the cold calculating smile on his face.
With that the image in the mirror shimmered away and when they reappeared Chris could see that they were in an alley somewhere in San Francisco. "What are we doing here? Don't tell me I've been reduced to rolling drunks in this new timeline."
"Not hardly," Dark Chris snorted in derision. "You'll see." With those words he moved to the end of the alley and across the street there was one shop left lit up. Chris could see that it was a Mystic Shop. Honestly it seemed as if he had visited it a time or two in the past timeline. It hadn't existed in his original timeline though. Wyatt had destroyed every source of good magic imaginable.
"Honestly, I have minions that would do this for me, but I enjoy the hands on approach myself," Dark Chris whispered a smile of glee touching his lips as a young woman in her early twenties exited the shop. "Perfect, there's one now."
"One what?" Chris asked anxiously.
"A witch of course. I can smell it on the night air. Can't you?" Dark Chris said breathing in deeply. With those words he moved out of the shadows and silently slipped up behind where the woman was walking.
Chris began to feel panic grip him. What was he gonna do. Chris hadn't managed to gain control of his body yet and he knew he couldn't stop whatever was about to happen. "And what exactly are we gonna do to said witch?"
A small evil chuckle sounded from his lips causing the witch to turn his way.
"Who's there?" Who are you?" she asked looking at the figure still in the shadows a few feet behind her.
"Oh, I'm just an admirer of yours," Dark Chris said in a voice full of fake adoration.
"Don't come any closer or I'll…" She couldn't finish the sentence as he stepped from the shadows.
"You'll what? Scream. Call for help. Die of fright," he teased wickedly.
The witch sucked in a deep breath and then dropped the packages she was holding as she turned to run from the demonic figure.
"Awe, why do they always run?" he cackled in delight. The truth was, he loved to see them run. To actually think that they could get away for a few seconds. It increased the thrill of the hunt.
He waited until she was almost to the next alley opening before he shimmered in right in front of her causing her to turn down the alley just as he had hoped she would and then he followed behind her at an easy relaxed pace. He knew the streets and alley's like the back of his hand and this particular alley was a dead end he knew.
He could see her scrabbling over leftover debris and boxes at the end of the alley, trying to find a way over the ten foot chain link fence that was constructed there. "There's no use trying to get away. I can find you anywhere you go."
"Please don't," she whimpered in fear.
"Oh how I love when they beg," Dark Chris informed his inner self.
His other version wasn't fairing as well with this display. He could see the terror written across the woman's face and there wasn't anything he could seem to do to stop this. His other version had complete control of his body. And if he said anything to alert him to his derision it would be tantamount to commiting suicide. 'Please forgive me,' he thought bitterly to himself.
Without blinking Dark Chris held up his hand and a fireball formed in his palm dancing to and fro as he seemed to enjoy teasing his prey with the sight of it. "Is begging the only thing you got, witch?"
"I have no… active p-p-powers," she stuttered over her own words.
"Ah, what a shame. Give my regards to the afterlife," he said finally releasing the fire ball and letting it sail quickly towards the witch engulfing her in flames.
'Oh god, no,' Chris thought to himself as the witch seemed to disintegrate before his very eyes. 'Wyatt, didn't exaggerate.'
"So was that fun enough for you?" Dark Chris asked in a smirking tone. "Or should we find another?"
"No!" Chris said too quickly. "I think I'd rather see our domain instead," he added knowing he didn't want to seem at all squeamish in front of his other self even though he felt very ill at the moment."
After several hours of fruitless searching for information Paige slammed the cover of the Book of Shadows closed. "Now, I know why Chris was always so frustrated by this thing. Anytime you want to find something it's as obscure as mud, but if you don't want to it'll open right to the page you need."
Piper turned to her younger sister and could see the frustration growing there. Wyatt had joined her at the podium trying to pick out the demon who took Chris. He had spent over two hours shaking his head discounting the ones that he knew had been vanquished in the future. Which seemed to be all of them in the book. "I'm sorry, Aunt Paige. I've been through this book a million times in our future and never found any clues as to which one it could be."
"That's okay, it's not your fault. I'm just frustrated," Paige answered sadly. "Speaking of neurotic nephews, where is Chris? We could use a fresh perspective on this."
"Try calling him. He's probably had enough time to think things over by now," Piper suggested.
"Chris," Paige called out and waited for the tell tale blue and white orbs to appear, but when they didn't she looked surprised. "Chris!" she shouted a little louder this time. When once again he didn't answer she looked to Piper.
Piper looked towards the ceiling a growing look of fear in her eyes. "Christopher Perry Halliwell!" she snapped. But still no answer. "Can either of you sense him?"
Both Paige and Wyatt concentrated hard but the only being similar to Chris was the baby who Piper had been bouncing on her lap. They both shook their heads at the same time. "Mom!"
Piper then turned her head upward again. "Leo! We need you."
Blue and white orbs filtered into the room and formed into Leo before them. "What's wrong?" he immediately said in panic.
"We can't find Chris. They can't even sense him," Piper said in a rush her words laced in fear.
Leo sighed in relief for a second. "That's because he's at Magic School. He told me he was gonna do some research there."
Paige shook her head. Phoebe may be the Empath but she still could tell when things weren't completely right. "But he's not answering our calls. He should be able to hear us there."
Leo frowned. She was right. Chris should be able to hear them. "Maybe he's got you on mute again. I'll go check." With that he orbed out to Magic School.
Leo appeared in the main library at Magic School and looked around scanning for his son. "Chris!" Then he saw it. He walked quickly to the far wall that was normally blank and placed one hand on the chalk drawing of the Triquetra. "Chris, what have you done?"
Then he turned scanning the room again. "Chris, oh god, please tell me he hasn't. Chris!" But as his eyes traveled the contents of the room he noticed the envelope sitting on the desk. He quickly walked over and picked it up tearing it open and scanning it.
The letter drifted from his hands as he slumped backwards against one of the couches in the room. "No, no, no!" he screamed to the empty room. "Why couldn't you trust us to fix this?"
A/N: Okay anyone liking what I'm doing with Chris? I know I haven't showed the others' reactions yet but I'll get there in next chapter. An evil plot bunny hit me so I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve. Next chapter in a few days. And yes I know it is a short chapter but I knew the next bit was gonna be longer and I like leaving it at Leo's reaction.