Lunch was great, he was sure not as good as when his mom ran the kitchen years ago, but definitely satisfying. That was going to be his first major acquisition, he decided there and then. When he finished his degree and was finally left completely in charge of P3 he would buy Quake for his mother so she could turn it into the dream restaurant she always wanted.
"Earth to Chris… money bro, this wasn't a treat-your-little-brother-to-lunch date." Wyatt snapped his fingers in front of Chris' face. "What's with you? You dropped out on me again. Where do you go when you do that? You're not playing with magic are you?"
Chris hated it when Wyatt used that singsong voice on him. It reminded him of when they were still ankle bitters running around wreaking havoc on the manor.
"Nowhere… here," Chris tossed some bills on the table, "cheap ass!"
"Hey don't worry I'll give you a chance to win it all back when we play pool. Oh, that's right you've never beaten me at pool, not once!"
The brothers headed a few blocks west toward the pier. Separately they were each thinking, even though they should be doing something more productive, how great it was to have this time together. Chris especially knew how different things could be between him and Wyatt and was grateful for this new, likeable, non-threatening brother. He knew Wyatt still had far too much waywardness in him for his own good, but the moral pendulum we all have tended to swing back to good more often then not. For Chris that was the victory.
"Okay, you grab a table and I'll grab the beer," Wyatt said trailing behind his brother as they entered Mickey's.
"Do you need money?" Chris asked skeptically.
"You're funny. No, I don't because my wonderfully generous brother is treating for the pool."
Mickey's was pretty empty since the lunch crowd had thinned out. Chris was able to slip between the tables to the back effortlessly. He dropped several quarters into the slot and started grabbing balls from underneath the table and racking them. As soon as Wyatt reached the table Chris seized the beer and called out, "stripes!"
"Now little brother you know I'm always stripes."
"Not this time… I paid, I racked, I'm stripes… deal with it dude."
"This isn't going to change the outcome you know."
"Less talking and more shooting. Go ahead and break. I wanna show you what it really means to be the bigger man."
Wyatt broke and the game continued playfully aggressive and for far too long. They were each three beers in now and both of their shots were looking a little shaky at best. When they finally stopped and Chris realized what time it was he almost spit out his last swig of beer.
"Okay, I'm crying uncle… the fat lady has sung… game over! You win! We are so horribly late. Talk about buzz kill."
"Relax. If dad were there already he'd of called us or sensed us and been here in a flash."
"That's not better. Let's go."
They headed back toward the bar and let themselves out into the crisp late afternoon air. Chris started heading toward the alleyway.
"Okay, I know I encouraged you to be a little more wild, but I've gotta tell you peeing in an alley is not what I had in mind."
"Don't be common. I'm just making sure it's a cool spot to orb from."
"Hello did you forget we drove?"
"Did you forget how many beers we each had?"
Chris found a dumpster between Mickey's and some Thai spot next door and grabbed Wyatt's hand. When they rematerialized in the kitchen they heard a similar sound come from the dinning room. They walked in to find Leo heading toward the steps to undoubtedly look for his sons.
"Looking for us?" Chris said as a startled Leo turned around.
"Yeah, where'd you come from?"
"Lunch… well, do you have answers?" All the edginess and tension Chris had let dissipate over the last hour returned from its hiding place deep in the recesses of his mind.
"Quite a bit actually, let's go to the attic. We'll need the book."
"Finally something interesting in this little mystery of yours," Wyatt had been quiet during his brother's exchange with their father. But at the mere mention of the BOS his ears perked up and he was immediately interested in the conversation again.
"I don't like the idea of putting them through this. Not to mention Piper and the sisters will want me dead for agreeing to it. They've been through enough and who knows what the consequences will be for doing something like this. It could make things worse not better."
Leo had been up with the Elders for a while since dropping Piper back at their hotel. He couldn't allow his brain to wrap around the idea of once again screwing with the past and potentially altering the future. He didn't have the memories of the alternate future the way Chris did, but from everything his son had described to him risking turning things around again didn't seem like the best idea he'd heard to date.
"Leo we wouldn't risk this kind of maneuver if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Your sons are the only ones we think will be strong enough to protect this young one. Keep her safe for their future. Once the threat is removed from her time we'll send her back. No one has to know least of all the Charmed Ones. Actually it's better if they don't know. This isn't supposed to be their fight."
"You want me to call forth this girl from the past. Hold her here for an undisclosed amount of time. Not tell my wife or her sisters and keep her in my house in the care of my sons. So far everything about this seems like it's their fight. And why can't you tell me more about the girl? Why does she need to be in the future? Why not the past and more importantly why not have her own family protect her? Believe me my boys will have those same kinds of questions and more."
"And hopefully the mission will be more important then the cause. It's a lesson they could learn as well as the girl. Now here is what you'll need to call her forth and please hurry. She's under attack daily and has little will or fight left in her."
This was the most unbelievable thing he could think of that they'd done thus far. He was in shock as he took the papers from Omar, the Elder in charge these days.
"Will anyone be looking for her? The last things we need are demons or Charmed Ones from the past time traveling to retrieve her."
"Not to worry. They will be occupied with removing the threat and when it is done the girl will be returned in, what I know will be, perfect condition. Just when they start coming up with a plan to get her back she'll be back, none the worse for wear."
Leo continued standing there even though he knew the conversation was clearly over. They would have three weeks to get this resolved before Piper came home from Paris. With no idea what he was truly getting them all into Leo orbed out and settled in his dinning room prepared to drop this news on his sons.
When everyone was upstairs Chris started nervously pacing and Leo could hardly maintain eye contact with him. Even if it wasn't true, he felt like he was about to not only betray his son, but seriously let him down. Wyatt was propped up on edge of an old card table that had books and papers spread all over it. The attic was per usual decorated with boxes and old furniture. Little bits of the past and the future commingled to create the history and essence of the many generations of magic that had resided here at one time or another.
"Okay, the suspense is killing us, Chris… literally!"
"I just want to start by saying that I don't agree with the method, but I do trust and believe in the reasons even if they haven't all been explained. And I'm asking you both to trust me that this will be for the greater good."
"See I don't like anything that begins or ends with that statement." Chris venomously stated. "The greater good usually means the present worse for us."
"Hey, I'm always open and up for a new challenge. Bring it on dad. All things and all magic happen for a reason." Wyatt was really getting into this and he really had no idea what this was.
"We're, rather you two will be responsible for a new charge. She's…." Leo was cut off by Wyatt's next comment.
"She… it's a girl. Enough said I won't leave her side!" He held his hand up in some sort of scout salute.
"Grow up you delinquent." Chris clearly saw no humor in any of this.
"This is serious boys. And it will require you two to work together very closely and more importantly it will require you to agree on how to care for her. I'm skipping ahead. The most important thing for you to know is this girl is from the past. She's 15 and apparently in a lot of trouble both in the underworld and her world. The Elders have put the Charmed Ones from her time on the case to protect her and vanquish her demons, but evidently she's more of a detriment to her own cause then a help. They believe you can protect her and teach her a thing or two about her magic to steer her back to the right path."
Chris just started to laugh. Both Leo and Wyatt thought this a strange response to the task at hand. But he was into full hysterics. "I can only imagine what you said to them. Did anyone actually fall over in shock? They must have been completely out of their minds to think you'd agree to something so crazy. This is complete lunacy. So, really was it a polite and dignified 'no' or was it more outraged?"
Leo walked over to Chris and put his hand on his shoulder and it was as if Chris could sense everything his dad was about to say before a word came out. His own voice was quiet and shaky every word its own underlined question.
"Oh, my God you said yes. You told them we would do it! Are you insane? No. No. No, there is no way in hell I'd get involved in this. What kind of audacity did it even take for them to ask? This is so over the top and out of line that I can't even comprehend it… I'm literally at a loss."
"Dude, aren't you a little over the top with this. Sure it's unorthodox, but this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. They are intrusting us with a life, from the past no less, this has ramifications like you wouldn't believe."
"Oh, I could believe and envision all the ramifications… trust me! And I won't do it." Chris walked to the large stain glassed windows on the other side of the attic and just stared out. He knew he had to pull it together somewhat. Wyatt must think he's gone around the bend. So, he turned back to his dad and with the deepest subtext he could muster uttered the words, "dad, please don't make us do this. Please find another way?"
"Son, I would if I could. But it appears that there really are no other options."
Chris just turned back to the window and it was Wyatt who in turn inquired about his mother and the Charmed Ones of his time.
"What about mom and Aunt Phoebe and Paige? Will either set of sisters know what's going on?"
"No, that's the other part of the plan. Neither set of sisters can know which is why they want to do this while your mother is in Paris. It'll be easier to keep Paige and Phoebe at bay since they no longer live at the Manor."
"Mom is going to flip out. She's blown you up for less." Wyatt said sympathetically to his father. Chris still had no response. His mind was racing and the energy he was giving off was palpable. He was beginning to feel physically ill. Grabbing onto the sill he tried to steady himself before he turned around again.
"Once she's here what are we supposed to do with her or for her?" Chris wanted details. He had to know how bad this could all in fact turn out.
"She needs shelter a safe place if you will. She goes into hiding sometimes and Paige isn't able to find her for days. With no family she's pretty much on her own. There will be no one to look for her except the sisters and hopefully not until after they vanquish her demons."
"Who are her demons exactly and will they be able to just track her and kill her in this time." Chris seemed to strain every syllable in every word. He was clearly hoping to point out enough danger to him and Wyatt to have Leo do a complete about face with the Elders and end this fiasco before it started.
Leo walked over and placed a hand on Chris' shoulder making every attempt at eye contact before he finished. For a moment their eyes met and Leo felt he could continue.
"I wasn't given those details, but as far as I know her demons have no reason to even suspect that she'd be in the future. She is a very powerful, but misguided witch who has gotten herself into some trouble she can't get herself out of right now. The best thing for everyone is for her to cool her heels where she can cause the least trouble. You just need to contain and entertain her so to speak until we can send her back. And of course you have to do all this together, without revealing too much information, always mindful of future consequences."
Chris ran his hands through his hair and then shoved them in his jean pockets. Then he took what felt like the longest walk ever across the attic to the BOS. Wyatt was elated.
"I knew you would get on board brother. Good deal."
"I'm not on board at all Wyatt I'm just stuck as usual between a rock… and no other choice. So let's do this."
Leo handed his eldest son the list of things needed he had gotten from Omar, the Elder earlier that day. Looking at it Wyatt knew most of the stuff was up here or in the kitchen. And on the back of the paper were specific directions for laying everything out. They'd need a potion and a spell to pull this off. Wyatt was nowhere near as good at potions as Chris, so he figured he would work on the spell.
"Buddy I think you should take potion detail while I work on the spell."
"Well, you won't really need a new spell. Look in the back of the book. I believe the Elders left you exactly what you'd need."
Chris flipped the books pages until he got to the spell he'd never seen before this moment. He drew in his breath and put his head down on the book. He couldn't believe he was going to be tweaking around with the timelines again. Picking up his head he walked over to Wyatt and grabbed hold of the list. Looking it over he let his father and brother know he'd be done with it in a half hour.
Time did not move quickly. Leo went to check on Piper and Wyatt went to call Kayla and do exactly what he knew he would have to when he saw her this morning, break their date. When Bianca entered the attic and found Chris alone making a potion her heart skipped a few beats. She knew and accepted that he wouldn't be giving up his magic, but it still frightened her to no end that he would be coming into contact with so many demons. During their brief periods of demon-free or demon-light times she often allowed herself to believe in their future and the normal life they would carve out for themselves. Then something came up and blew those fantasies right out of the water. She knew not to ask for specifics, but she couldn't just walk out of the attic pretending all was well.
"Is it really bad baby?" She looked at him with pleading coal black eyes that revealed just enough fear to kick his guilt into high gear.
"No, there's nothing to worry about. Just a new charge, in a manner of speaking he thought, Wyatt and I have to team up for. You know his infinite powers and my infinite charm…." He tried to make his voice sound light and calm. Worrying her wouldn't help this situation at all.
"You sure that's it?" She wanted her voice to mimic his but feared she was unsuccessful.
"Positive, but you better go because Leo and Wyatt will be back soon and the quicker we start then the faster we finish."
"Okay. I love you." She said as she turned to walk away.
He reached for her had and pulled her close. Looking right in her eyes, "love you more," he said and gave her a quick kiss. She passed Wyatt in the attic doorway just as Leo orbed back into the room.
"Ready?" Leo asked.
"As I'll ever be," Chris replied. He capped the last vile and handed one to Leo. Wyatt went and got the spell that he had copied from the book. Standing on the outside of a circle they had created with candles Chris and Leo held the potions in a throwing stance. Then he and Wyatt began to recite the spell.
Calling forth through time and space
This special girl from another place
Bring her to us body, spirit and mind
To keep her safe in all our times
At that they hurled the potion to the center of the circle and saw before them billowing clouds of smoke. When the created haze cleared what stood before them was a wisp of girl with a strong stance, fiery eyes, and a blaze of red hair.
She was the first to speak, "who are you and what the hell am I doing here?"