Chapter Thirty-four:
Back at the resistance, Prue was sitting on the floor of one of the old classrooms while Chris was pacing back and forth. He was obviously tense. Not only was he waiting for his three friends to get back from the youth center, but Bianca was down in the underworld fishing for information. They knew now that Wyatt was looking for her as he was all but positive that she was the one who helped Chris escape, and that made it all the more dangerous for her to be down in the underworld. As much as he knew Bianca could take care of herself, he could not help but worry.
As if fate somehow knew he couldn't take anymore stress Bianca shimmered into the room, and before he could even ask her if she had found anything out, Danielle, Bridget, and Alex arrived as well all with equally somber faces. "How did it go?" Prue asked her three friends, although she could almost tell by their faces that it was not good news. Alex was the first to answer. "The demons were already attacking when we got there. We managed to save three of the boys, the others were already gone." She said with a heavy heart. "But that's not possible, it was evening in my vision, at least it seemed that way." Prue asserted. They had waited to make the potions before they went off because it had only been early afternoon.
The others were not sure how to respond. "It's not your fault Prue, premonitions are often vague, and sometimes you aren't meant to stop them." Bridget encouraged. She knew her best friend was blaming herself for them losing the innocents. "Yes it is Bridge. Average premonitions are vague yes, but mine are advanced. At least they are supposed to be. Damn it what is wrong with my powers?"
Chris was the first to answer her. "There isn't anything wrong with your powers. It's just, you know they are emotion based, and I don't think any of us are in a stable emotional state with every thing that has happened." Prue merely shook her head. She hated the fact that her own fear and grief had resulted in the death of innocents.
"Chris is right" Bridget added. "We have all been through a lot, it is bound to take its toll." She looked at Danielle as she said this, something that did not get past the other witch, who quickly left the room not wanting to talk about what happened. "What was that about?" Prue asked as the exchange between her two friends did not go unnoticed. Bridget hesitated to answer and Prue was going to prod some more when Chris spoke up, changing the subject. "Did you find anything out down there?" He asked addressing Bianca.
"Not really" she answered. "Except that according to demonic rumor, Wyatt is currently not really interested in finding us. He doesn't have any of his demons on it. It is like he doesn't care what we are up to. And that worries me more than anything." Bianca could tell by the look on Chris' face that he was worried too. "Well maybe in his arrogance he doesn't see us as any real threat." Alex put in. Chris shook his head. "He may not see us as a threat but he sees us as traitors, especially me. It does not make sense for him to be letting us be." He proclaimed. "He must have something up his sleeve," Prue said knowing her cousin almost as well as his little brother did. "Yeah." Chris said in agreement. "And we need to find out what it is and fast." The apprehension was clearly evident on all of their faces. They all know that if they did not find out what Wyatt was up to and fast it would be anything but good.
Danielle meanwhile had wandered into the one wing of the school the resistance had yet settle in so she could be alone. The agitation was written all over her face. Not only was she torn up over losing the innocents, young children no less, but she was also conflicted over what Brian had asked of her. "Did he want me to go after Wyatt?" She thought aloud to herself. It didn't make sense. How would stopping Wyatt help Brian, and what did he need saving from anyway. And why would he ask her to go after the Haliwell source on her own. Her mind was telling her that the Brian she knew would never want her to put herself in such a dangerous situation. Her heart however was a different story. Hearing the desperation in the voice of the man she loved each time he appeared to her pierced her soul. She had failed him once before, she had watched him die and did nothing. Now he needed her again, or so it seemed. How could she fail him a second time?
Clearly lost in her own thoughts, Danielle didn't take notice when Prue and Bridget approached her. Bridget had filled in her friend on what had happened outside the youth center, and Prue was clearly concerned. "Hey" she said approaching the older witch, jarring Dani out of her thoughts. "How are you doing?" Danielle shook her head in response. "I just don't know anymore." There was a very defeated tone in her voice and Prue did not like it. "You're seeing him again huh?" Prue asked. Her friend was hesitant to respond. She didn't want to tell them that she had been seeing him all along and had just been keeping it from the others. "I told her what happened earlier Dani, you shouldn't feel you have to hide it from us." Bridget put in. Her comment was followed by another uncomfortable silence.
"You two think I am crazy don't you? You think I have lost it, but I haven't. I am telling you he really needs my help. I have been seeing him. This isn't some kind of psychotic break." Although there was a lot of determination behind her words, she didn't feel it. She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince her friends, or herself. Prue was the first to respond. "Don't be ridiculous of course we don't think you're crazy. It is just…you have been through a lot, we all have. And well we are worried about you, and we want to help. That's all." Bridget nodded in agreement, and the two younger witches waited for their friend's response.
"I know, I'm sorry. I love you two for worrying about me, but this, whatever it is…It's something I need to work through on my own okay." Bridget and Prue both reluctantly nodded. "Okay, but if you need anything we are her got it?" Prue offered. Dani nodded and her two friends granted her the time alone that she wanted. "I'm really worried." Bridget asserted as she and Prue walked back to the gymnasium. They were worried, as they should have been because of what was going on with their friend, but not for the reason they should have been.
Over in Golden Gate Park, Chris and Bianca were taking some rare time to themselves. They were lying together on a blanket in the arboretum that had over time become "their spot." It was one of the few places in San Francisco that had yet to be ravaged by the evil that now roamed the surface freely under Wyatt's rule. Because of that Chris and Bianca knew they should appreciate it while it stayed that way. "When I'm with you the world actually seems perfect, you know that." Bianca smiled at the man she loved as she relayed the meaningful words. Chris nodded. "I wish we could stay out here forever." Bianca echoed his sentiment.
It wasn't too often that the two lovers were able to spend time alone together, not to mention get away from the resistance base for awhile. When ever they did find time for each other they always came to their special spot. They would always set up crystals so they did not have to worry about Wyatt sensing his brother out in the open, or about any random demon attacks. For a short time they could be in their own world with nothing but the two of them. Chris held Bianca in his arms as they gazed up at the stars. And it was just that way that the duo dozed off and slept until morning, not realizing just what the following day would have in store for them and their allies.