"What are they doing here?"

"It's really them? The Charmed Ones?"

"Maybe they can stop him..."

Chris sighed and rubbed his face roughly as tons of different words and voices came at him. He didn't want to hear what they thought, or wanted. As much as he hated to say it, this particular incident was a family issue and none of their concern.

As he looked up, though, he softened and realized, this was indeed a very public issue. All of the faces that came into view represented a person who had lost something because of Wyatt, and what Wyatt had become, and whether it was impossible to know or not, Wyatt may not have become what he did with the Charmed Ones guiding him. With the Charmed Ones now in the future, it seemed an advantage had appeared.

But his mother and his aunts could not be pawns. They could not know certain truths. He sighed.

"Everyone quiet! I have told you what I know as of yet, and that remains that they are from the year 2003, through a mishap of Phoebe's. And they don't know who neither I, nor any of their other family is, and it stays that way. Anything of a personal nature that could affect the future adversely will be kept quiet. Understood?"

All of them muttered, affirming. They all knew the rules of time travel; even a minute bump in the wrong direction could have drastic consequences in the later years. Plus, many who were friends of Chris knew the mere presence of his long dead mother would be stressing him out.

"So what are you going to tell them?" A voice cut through the crowd and his eyes met a middle aged man. Chris sighed at the sight of him. Gemini.

"Well, what they need to know. But my main concern is getting them back to their time."

"They could be useful," Gemini began, cutting through the crowd. "I mean, they could change things in a positive way."

"I'm not involving them in this." He replied curtly. Gemini was always a problem, a man constantly looking for an answer to the Wyatt problem. Chris could understand; Gemini had lost his twin brother, as well as his wife and two daughters to Wyatt's wrath, one of the ones who had lost most.

"Isn't it worth a try? Isn't it worth saving everything we've all lost?" An angry, desperate glint lit his eyes. Chris walked toward him, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear.

"I want my family as much as you want yours. I do. I want my brother to be normal and my mom to be alive but that's not the way it happened, or it's supposed to happen. We will fix this, but not like this." He walked backwards, speaking louder to the whole congregation of those gathered. "Without knowing the root of Wyatt's evil side, it's impossible to know what to change, and we don't have the time to keep them here and figure it out."

"So what do you need us to do?" A girl with blonde hair broke the silence, round blue eyes staring at him.

"For now, I just need you to act like nothing is wrong. We don't need to tip Wyatt off, and we don't need to make the Charmed Ones suspicious of anything. We will discuss more plans later, between all of us. Take suggestions and stuff. This is not run like a dictatorship, you know that. But they can't be here. And they can't know about me." He licked his lips with a pause. "And they're my family. I'm sure you understand the difficult position we're all in because of that."

Another mutter of approval moved through the audience. He nodded.

"I appreciate you're understanding." He replied softly. "I'm going to go talk to them. Try to not interrupt, unless it's an absolute emergency." He turned and left as the group disbanded, slight titters flowing among them.

Bianca fell into step next to him as made his way back toward the backroom of what used to be P3. She grabbed his hand. "Chris, come here."

"I can't right now, I have to..."

"Hey." She squeezed his hand lightly. "Come here. Talk to me real quick. Only for a minute."

His gaze traveled to the door; another minute or so wouldn't hurt. He followed Bianca to a darker corner where they couldn't be watched or heard unless interrupted, but where he could watch the door. He looked down at her. "What?"

"How are you doing with this?" She asked softly, brushing a lock of hair from his eyes.

She was the only person who could ask him something like that and have him not shut down in front of it. Tears filled his eyes for a moment. "This is impossible." He whispered, blinking them away. "Just...how do I do this Bi?"

"It's gonna be okay." She hugged him and he let his face fall into the crook of her neck as he bade the tears away. He pulled away soon, and looked at her, his eyes shining just a little less. Sometimes it just helped to have someone ask him if he was okay, to give him a hug.

"We will talk about this later." He replied softly. "But I really have to get in there. I'm sure they want answers."

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked.

He hesitated. "I need to do this on my own. I need to learn to do this. Train myself. They shouldn't be here for more than another day or so anyway."

"Okay." She replied with a nod. "Just let me know if you need anything."

"Just..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Let me know what goes on out here, how everyone feels. And make sure Gem tells me when Parker comes back."

"No problem." She arched up and kissed him. "I love you."

He smiled. "Love you too."

He moved away from her toward the door, and with a sigh to prepare himself, entered the room, closing the door behind him.

Piper was on the couch at the side, her sisters at either side. They were murmuring among themselves, but looked up as he entered.

"Sorry...about that. They had some questions...I wanted to give you some time."

"Well, we have questions too." Paige spoke softly, rising.

"Understood." He nodded, swallowing. "Well, I guess you guys can go on with it. Did you all want something to drink or anything?"

"Not really hungry right now." Piper replied, looking at her hands despondently. He felt a stab of grief for her, but moved past it.

"Well, then. What do you want to know? Within reason."

"What happened?" Piper asked, her eyes meeting his and he looked away quickly, for they were red-rimmed and distraught. He couldn't stand looking at her eyes like that.

He cleared his throat. "Um well. After the three of you...died, Wyatt seemed to get this idea that as long as he was all powerful and could control every aspect of his life and those around him, he could prevent himself ever losing anything ever again. It just kind of escalated from there."

"How do you know that? Is that something he broadcasts?" Asked Phoebe. Chris shrugged.

"I...Wyatt and I were really good friends before all this happened. Like, best friends." He shrugged. "He was like a brother to me." He finished softly, his gaze meeting the floor.

"Well, I guess that kinda takes care of our next question." Phoebe replied.

"Not really." Piper interrupted. "Who are you, Chris? Other than apparently, Wyatt's best friend?"

"Ex-best friend." He corrected. "After he started going off the rails, I kind of decided to jump that ship. But me, I'm...well, I'm a witchlighter, like Paige. I run this Resistance. I kind of started it, with a few of our other mutual friends, and it grew."

"Did you know us?"

He licked his lips and dipped his head before answering. "Yeah...yeah, I did. Like I said; best friends. I was over at the Manor a lot when I was younger, hanging with Wyatt. My mother and you all were really good friends. I don't think you've met her yet though." He lied quickly, to bar any other future questions.

"We bond over our shared dilemma of being in love with a whitelighter, huh?" Piper asked with a small smile. He couldn't help but smile softly back.

"You could say that."

"So, what are the clan's Parker warned about earlier?" Paige interrupted, pushing on with the questions. Chris was thankful for it, for getting him back on track.

"The clans are Wyatt's own personal police force. Or, rather, the only police force. Many of them are either demonic or darklighters; and they can shimmer or orb and can be anywhere in a second. They're dangerous and unmerciful. But I think you've already run into a couple of them." He tried to suppress a grin.

The fresh memory of the three black clad figures they had taken care of earlier in the morning came back to them and they couldn't help but grin wryly. Phoebe continued the questioning.

"And these markers we've heard of?"

"Ugh, those are the worst." Chris sighed, rolling his eyes. "After the first year or two, it was getting hard for Wyatt to differentiate between magical and non-magical. All of us magical beings were able to start learning to cloak themselves. And you'd think we could just figure out a way to glamour them, but no. Wyatt charmed them, pretty well, so non-magical folk can't wear magical buttons and vice-versa." He sighed, shaking his head, avoiding the look of horror on Piper's face. "Everyone has to be marked. That's why we stay underground, with the resistance."

"So what exactly does the Resistance do?"

"We fight, when we have to." He replied simply. "But only when forced, like when there's a clan attack or Wyatt get's his Irish up. What were doing now is trying to figure out what was the root of Wyatt's turning."

"I thought you said it was our...deaths." Piper choked out, still not comfortable with the fact that not only was she dead, but that their deaths had apparently turned her only son into a raging megalomaniac.

"No, I said that's when he went off the rails. But I-" He cut himself off, trying to think of something else to say. "I think," He began, trying to word what he was about to say in a way that wouldn't tip them off. "We think, really, that something must have happened in Wyatt's childhood to support such a notion. Because there were others..." He bit his lip, trying to find away around explaining about their children.

"There were others...?" Paige urged.

"Your...kids." He finished, knowing there was no way around it, but he hurried on at the sight of intense interest on their faces. "I mean, you guys had other children. They didn't turn all crazy. And no Phoebe, you can't meet them." He cut her off before she asked.

"Wow. He does know us." Paige muttered to Piper.

"Why not? They're our kids!" She exclaimed.

"And you're dead." He replied deadpanned. "And you're not coming back. And they know that, and they can't have you trying to be their moms again. You two haven't even met your kid's fathers in your time." He winced; that part wasn't supposed to come out.

The sisters gaped. "Well, I guess that answers the Jason question."

"What Jason question?" Chris asked.

"Well...that's kind of the whole reason this little mishap happened." Phoebe began.

"It's the complete reason this 'little' mishap happened, Phoebe." Piper replied. Chris stared at her.

"What? You wanted to come to the future to see if moving to China with him was the right decision?"

"We didn't want to co-wait. How did you know that was my problem? That's a personal matter."

Chris cleared his throat. "Um, well...many of your personal life stories that might affect your magical lives-like moving across the world, for example-are all included in the Histories."

"The Histories?"

"Yeah. They're a collection of the Halliwell line's history. Wyatt worked hard to produce them; if you hadn't noticed the museum you landed in earlier, he's a little pre-occupied with proving a point by showing the world from 'the power from whence he was born'." He said, air quotes and a note of sarcasm tracing his last few words.

"That's his reason for such...memorials? Are you kidding me?" Paige replied.

"He's nothing if not sure of himself."

"Arrogant's more like it." Phoebe snorted, earning a hard look from Piper. "Sorry. It's the truth though."

"Let's go back to the whole, you accidentally blowing yourselves into the future to figure out whether you should move out with Jason. You know better than that." Chris interrupted. Phoebe scowled.

"Oh come on, I've been getting this from her all day. I know, I'm stupid, give it a rest." She paused, wanting to change the subject. "You still haven't given a good reason why we can't see the rest of our kids."

He raised an eyebrow. "Their tearing emotional pain isn't enough for you? Wow, you were harder back in 2003."

She lowered her gaze. "I didn't mean that...I just...how do you know, for sure?"

"I know." He said, more sure than anything else in his life. "I told you I grew up with Wyatt, with all of them. I know. Besides," He sighed. "They're in hiding, from Wyatt. There are only a few of us who know where they reside." He was lying through his teeth, but it was a way to explain their absence and to pass off their children as mere namesakes for the greatly revered Charmed Ones.

"Why are they hiding? Do they have reason to?"

Chris bit his cheek. "I'm not answering that."

"Take that as a yes." Paige muttered under her breath.

"This is unbelievable..." Piper whispered. "How in the world could we come to this?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. But until then, we need to worry about you getting back to your time, and out of any danger."

"But what if we could-" Phoebe began to suggest they help, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Without thinking, even hoping to interrupt her offer, Chris made a motion with his hand and opened the door. Parker stood their, blinking owlishly.

"Oh, hey. Um...I brought them." He held up a box in the air containing the potions.

"That was quick."

"Yeah, well, we have quite the reserve built up." He walked in, handing it to Chris.

"What are you guys talking about?" Paige asked.

"These are the cloaking potions Chris wants you to take." Parker replied simply. Chris winced and sucked in a breath, closing his eyes tightly as the sisters eyes grew wide. "Oh. You haven't mentioned these yet?"

"Cloaking potions? To cloak us from who?" Paige asked.

"Once Wyatt knows it's you for sure, he is going to look for you. And we can't let him find you." Chris began to explain. "I was getting to that though."

"Why can't he find us?" Piper asked suddenly, rising sharply from the couch. "You know, you tell us all these things but how do we know it's not all a trick? That my son isn't the evil one, but you are, and you're tricking us, trying to keep us away?"

Parker bit his lip behind Chris, willing him to be strong. His mother's accusation would be a hard one to handle and while he knew Chris could handle it, he just hoped he would. He watched as Chris squared his shoulders and looked straight at her.

"I wish, with every single fiber of my being, this was a trick. I wish you weren't here right now Piper. I wish, that I could be normal, but I can't because your first born has started the apocalypse and the we seem to be the only ones who care to stop it." He replied icily. "So if you would just take the potions, if not to protect you and your sisters, to at least protect everyone who finds refuge here, that would be awesome. And tomorrow, if you decide I am still the liar here, I'll drop you off on Wyatt's doorstep myself, and he can deal with you."

He was so angry, and hurt; Phoebe could feel it pouring off of him, so when Piper slid a shocked look toward her to find an affirmation, Phoebe nodded. "He's telling the truth."

"Of course I am." He snapped. "Now, if you don't mind, I have some things to get in order if we're going to take our time to help you get back to your time. Park, get Bianca and have her help you get them settled." With that, he orbed out, not allowing for any time for argument. They stared at Parker, eyes wide and surprised.

"I was worried about that." He sighed. "Sometimes, when he gets really stressed, he can like, flip out. He'll cool down."

"Where'd he go?" Paige asked.

"There are two other sites where members of the resistance can meet, at the wharfs and at an underground location just inside the city limits. He's gonna want to update everyone on what's going on, and that we're going to have to divert our efforts for awhile to get you ladies home safe." He headed over to the desk, placing the potions on the coffee table in front of the girls. He began shuffling through the papers on the desk as the three sisters looked warily at the vials before Phoebe picked one up, swallowing it down without a word. Her sisters followed. He looked up, papers in hand and a smile on his face.

"Decide we can be trusted?"

"Maybe not trusted completely, but for now, we'll believe you. Either way, he said he'd take us to Wyatt if we wanted." Phoebe replied. He smile escaped Parkers face.

"That is something I can promise you don't want." He threw the papers down with a sigh, running his fingers through his brown hair. "How about I take you to your room and get you settled in? Bianca will help you if you need anything."

"Bianca?"

"Chris' girlfriend." Parker replied with a nod. "She's very nice, you won't have a problem with her. Follow me."

He exited the room, leaving the sisters to stare at each other for only a moment before they very resignedly followed him. What choice did they really have?

In an office building overlooking the cove, a man clad in black sat in his swivel chair, staring at the sea. He was brooding, angry. It was never good when he was angry.

A knock came, scared and unsure at first, but later relaxed. The man in black closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Enter."

The door opened and he turned around in his chair, facing the occupants. Two of his men flanked an older looking man, whose bright blue pin on his chest signaled to him that he had nothing to worry about. "Yes?"

"Lord Wyatt, we think we have found a lead as to who vanquished the men earlier."

Wyatt's ears perked at this; it had been irritating him all day. Someone-probably someone's of Chris' Resistance, he had thought bitterly-had killed three of his best guards at the museum and he wasn't very happy.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" He snapped. The men seemed to fumble over their words for a moment before pushing the scared old man forward with a soft shove. He stumbled over himself and fell, his knees hitting the floor as he gasped in pain. Wyatt shoved him backward onto his haunches.

"There were women...in my shop earlier." He began. Wyatt's face darkened.

"What does that mean to me? Some women came into your shop and suddenly it's the answer to my problem?" Wyatt growled. "You better give me something better than that, old man, or this is going to be a one way visit for you."

"They-they weren't wearing markers!" He exclaimed, shaking. "No markers, and they asked for newspapers, because they needed to know what the date was."

"There are no newspapers."

"That's what I told them, sir! And then I recognized...that they looked like the Charmed Ones, except younger. When I began to say something, they left quickly."

"Is that all?"

"A boy went after them. I heard their conversation. They had no idea where they were, when they were...I told them I was going to call the clans and they had no idea who they were. They left with the boy though."

"A boy?" Wyatt asked, suspiciously. "What did he look like?"

"Uh...brown, brown hair and um...brown eyes. Looked about...high school age? Maybe even a young college kid." He stuttered out. "He told them to follow him, to the Resistance."

Wyatt's eyes brightened, and then narrowed. "Parker. Dammit." He spun toward the window. "Thank you old man. For your help, I'll let you leave. Please, see him out."

The men left, the old man eager to leave a soon as possible. He knew he was a lucky man; Wyatt usually killed anyone who entered the office, but they usually didn't walk out. As he left, he thanked whatever God there was for giving him some useful information. It was only an instant later, as he crossed the street, that an energy ball hit him in the back, killing him instantly. He never saw it coming.

In his office, Wyatt sat in his chair, staring deep in thought. The two clansmen from before shimmered in. "We took care of him sir."

"Good. We need no liabilities." He said placidly, swinging his chair toward them. "So it appears we have another group of imposters. Have you been able to study the surveillance tapes yet?"

"The transmitters were down for a few hours, but we just got them up and running and were just about to deliver them to you."

"Good. I need them as soon as physically possible." He stared at one of the men. "That means go get it!"

"Yes...yes sir." He stumbled, before shimmering out, leaving his partner alone with Wyatt.

"So they could be imposter's?" The man asked softly. Wyatt nodded.

"The only problem is, if they were in the Manor and killed my guards, there is a very slight possibility, implied by their confusion the shopkeeper spoke about, that these very well may be the Charmed Ones, from an earlier time period. Imposter's wouldn't have the power to vanquish the men in that house."

The man looked down, an unreadable look crossing his face.

"What?" Wyatt snapped. The man bent his head, nervous suddenly, then spoke.

"Nothing, sir. We just...is it possible for them to actually be here?"

"It wouldn't be the first time they transported themselves to somewhere in time accidentally." He replied acidly. "You doubt me?"

"Never sir." He quickly replied. "Sorry, sir, for giving you that impression."

"I need you to scour every inch of the city looking for them. If I know Parker-and my brother, who I'm sure is with them wherever their hideout is-they've probably already worked on a blocking potion." He cursed inwardly; he hated that his brother, of all people, was against him; not only against him, but clever at spell writing and potions. While Wyatt had gotten much more superior powers innately, Chris made up for it in other magical venues.

"And if we don't find them, sir?"

Wyatt's lips pursed. He wanted to threaten him and his clan, tell them they would pay dearly, but he couldn't. He couldn't punish them for their inadequacies merely because of the fact that he couldn't lose anymore of his top ranking men. He sighed, irritated. "Come back and let me know. But there will be consequences worse than death if you don't."

The man nodded and shimmered out, leaving Wyatt to his own thoughts. If it were true, if their mother and aunt's were in this time, Chris would want to get them back to whatever time they came from as soon as possible. And he would need the book to do that.

Wyatt's gaze found the Halliwell spell book in its magical cage against the wall. He knew Chris would want to conjure it to the home, which would mean they would be going to the attic of the Manor. Wyatt hated going into the Manor if he didn't have to, but he knew he was the only person that he trusted to trap them.

He roared angrily, waving his arm and sending vases and other decor crashing to the floor. This was so inopportune. He'd bet money it was Phoebe who had done it; she was always quite the slip-up when it came to spell making. Her or Paige; his mother would never fault like that.

A thought struck him; his mother. Depending on the time period she came from, he could use her to his advantage. If Chris wasn't around in their time yet...he smiled at the thought. He could eliminate the obstacle keeping him from complete and total domination.

He sprang from his chair, suddenly relieved of his stress. Perhaps this slip up wasn't such a disaster after all.