Disclaimer:
Chris (+ducking+): DEMONS!
Wyatt: Stay put! I've got him! (+vanquishes the raging demon with an energy-blast+)
Chris: That was a damn near thing, brother!
Wyatt: You bet, Chris! What on earth was that ugly, slimy thing?
Chris: I really don't know, but I'm mighty glad that it's gone. Who knows what it could have done to poor old dragons, you know!
Wyatt: While we are on the subject…Chris…!(+points behind his brother+)
Hey guys! Have you seen my friend somewhere?
Both: …Your… what?
My friend, you know…big, handsome…coming right out of the shower?
Chris(+stutters+): W…we didn't know that…
…What do you think? That I'm waiting that the two of you end your little "vacation" at crazyDFFgangs place? Dream on boys!
Wyatt(+abashed+): There is something we need to discuss…
What? That
you don't belong to me
and can do therefore whatever you want to?
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!
Chris: No, the thing with your friend…ehm we really meant no harm but…(+whispers+) Wyatt help me…!
Wyatt: You know, now we will stay here! You won't need him anymore!
+dragons stumbles over a pile of ashes+
crazydff ! Come and save them...NOW…I can't guarantee for anything!
Both (+crestfallen+): Come on…please… we will make up for it!
Wyatt: Don't send us away, we like it here. It's so much fun…!
Chris(+cheeky+): Yeah, apart from this strange demon…
Wyatt (+mutters+) Don't push it, bro! Think about crazydff´s tofu…yak…icky!
Chris (+ruefully+): Oh yeah, I see! So come on dragons, don't be mad about us…We'll find a spell…and…and he'll be as good as new!
Wyatt: PROMISED! Friends again?
dragons(+pouts+)!
And now let's see how the Chris in the present is doing….
Chapter ten / part seven:
Chris lay in the dirty old fabric hall tossing and turning as he was trapped into the nightmarish world that was his past. The dreams had their claws buried deep into his consciousness as if they would never release him again.
Cold shudders were running down his spine and he was caught in the middle of a shivering attack when silent blue-white orbs filled the air and left two fairly clueless people in the middle of the hall.
"Whoa there, I think something went definitely wrong again." A puzzled Piper exclaimed while she looked around to get an impression of where they might have landed now.
First they had orbed to a dingy backstreet full of dump (which they had searched through TWICE, because Leo had insisted, that his elder senses would not fail him. But nope. You are getting old, oh-so-blessed-elder´ Piper thought someways gloating.
After that smelly interlude, Leo's apparently haywire senses lead them to a stop in a big deserted dormitory, which they left instantly, as an outraged young woman started to chase them away.
And now THAT…!
"For the hundredth time, Piper: There was nothing I did wrong…!"
"I can see that – again!" Piper said dangerously low.
"I still don't understand why you are so mad about me now? He is the one who messed up everything! I left the damn little troublemaker that night, because he pissed me seriously of, and…"
"Don't you dare to speak that way about him, Leo! Chris saved our sons live, while you got managed to get caught by some stupid shapeshifting demon."
"Ooohh, look who's having a guilty conscience now, but be honest, honey, you think like me, that he is a hell of an annoying pest."
In someways Leo was right, that was the way she had thought about the boy, but now…
"Oh Leo, you should have seen him there, He was so desperate and sad. I think we should all think our behaviour against him over. If I reconsider how mean and distrustful I've been…
And he doesn't hesitate in saving my baby nevertheless. He risked his life for Wyatt, and all I did was stand and stare. I haven't even said anything.
Piper's eyes wandered through the hall during her laments.
"Leo I think you should orb us home this is so…Oh my god, Chris!"
Piper hurried besides the young whitelighter she had espied just that moment.
She ran a tremulous hand gently over his clammy forehead.
"He's so cold Leo!" Piper said while she shook the boy gently.
"And he isn't waking up!..."
Leo took a closer look at the weak form that lay huddled up on the dirt covered ground.
He seemed to be in a dreamlike state, but nothing Piper had tried so far managed to wake him.
"Let's take him out of here first!" Leo stated and orbed Chris and Piper into the manors living-room. The youth remained lain on the carpeted floor without as much as a stir.
The older man knelt besides the young whitelighter and turned him carefully onto his back.
It was the first time he entirely apprehended the severe injuries the boy had suffered and was shocked.
The burns and cuts he found would have been enough to knock out a rock of a man not to say someone in Chris anyhow desolate state. This was enough to put him…
Oh god, not a coma! ´ Leo thought. If the boy really had gone into coma it would be entirely his and the sisters fault!
Carefully to do no further harm he lifted the boy up into his arms and placed him onto the couch where the elder started his check up and immediately began to heal the heaviest burns and cuts.
Some were so nasty, that he had to summon up all of his powers to slowly make them fade.
Leo although sensed some broken or cracked ribs. These injuries took him fortunately only seconds to mend –
Broken bones were easy to heal.
To speak of broken bones…
"What's that?" Piper asked as she carefully unfolded the arm Chris clutched tightly to his chest.
"A broken arm? Oh my…"
Chris winced in his sleep as Piper had painfully moved his arm. He was not able to stop the movement but the pain shot full force into his dreams.
"…this fracture is older then the rest" Leo continued still in full medic-mode.
"I think he broke it as we met on the bridge last time. My… does that kid hate me so much that he would rather run around with a broken arm then to ask me for help?
And same for the other injuries, he could have died if we had not found him yet. Damn stubbornness!"
The elder was not sure what feeling stung him more - resentment or sadness.
But he'd wasted enough time.
Every second ticking by was a moment more in pain for the youth.
So he healed his arm and tried again to wake him. He hoped he would be more successful now as there was no physical pain anymore that Chris body had to protect him from through unconsciousness.
Chris once more didn't as much as blink in his "sleep".
Under the worried glances of Piper, Leo disappeared into the lavatory and came back with an old leathern bag. Out of the bag the former doctor fingered a small torch. He lifted one of Chris eyelids gently and shone the light into the eye – the pupil showed only faint reaction! The other was no difference!
"He's in some kind of comatose state, but I can't explain to myself why. There was no head wound or something else that I healed that would have lead up to such a state. But wait…!"
Leo once again placed the golden glow of his powers over the unreactive body.
"There is a potion running in his system…it's almost vanished…"
"Someone poisoned him?" Asked Piper incredulous, while her eyes widened at the thought.
"I'm not sure!" Answered Leo as he started to do further exams.
Chris vitals were worryingly weak.
After rummaging through his old med-bag, Leo fingered out a syringe and took some blood samples of the young whitelighter.
"Maybe you can figure out what's circulating in his blood and find an antidote."
"I'm right into action! Paige…! Phoebe…!"
After a few moments the youngest charmed one orbed in with her sister in tow.
Meanwhile Chris was still trapped in the side effects of the withdrawing sleeping-potion.
He simply wasn't able to wake up…!
…
…Chris awoke with the strong sense of someone coming. Even with his empathic powers
bound he could feel the precursors of Wyatt's threatening vibes. So did Bianca.
Hastily the two parted, sharing a glance that sealed the secrecy of their approach. Wyatt would never find out about it.
"Morning brother!" Was the grumpy greeting Chris got from his brother. Coming from Wyatt this was almost a gushy salutation, he never was an early riser.
The sources next glance went over to Bianca, implying the silent question if his brother had behaved well in the previous night.
He took a silent nodding of the young assassin for an answer and smiled inwardly – so she was able to tame his little brother's explosive temper.
He had expected that Chris at least would try something.
But Wyatt had no more time to contemplate about that. There was a schedule he had to fulfil.
"..So Chris, you will among other things attend to my first meeting today. You know my rules! Just look, listen and learn! Understood!" Chris nodded silently.
Had everyone lately lost their voice, the source thought wondering, but was delighted about the fast changes he seemed to reach in his brother's behaviour.
+Moooooooorning sleepyhead+
+Serena! Don't you ever shock me that way in the early morning+ Chris sent out after the initial fright of feeling someone ruthlessly popping into his mind.
When he was back with the resistance he would have to work out some telepaths- etiquette with Serena.
…
After an opulent breakfast, Chris felt slightly sick. His stomach simply wasn't used to have so much food anymore.
Living with the resistance was full of privation and the lack of enough food was one of the harshest parts.
So Chris took the opportunity to get what he could, full aware that the fat times would soon come to an end – at the one way… or another.
The sickness of a stomach full as a tick combined with the weakness and pain he still felt from the demon attack of the previous day wasn't quite helpful to produce the best of moods in the young Halliwell. But the prospect to maybe see the headquarter today kept him wide awake and at attention.
After fishing this he could finitely work at a plan to get out of this nightmare.
Wyatt watched his brother gloomily from the other end of the large dining-room table. The boy seemed to be deep in thoughts.
If Chris only would understand his world – his way of thinking.
Everything could be so great.
How he longed to take care of his little brother again.
Watching him almost die yesterday had broken up old feelings again.
He remembered livid the time after their moms dead, when he had been the only thing that prevented his brother from going over the edge. And so Chris was for him.
But today he was going to make it… today he would show Chris his way of living and convince him of his ideas. And at the end of the day he would join. Everything would be the way it should be again.
He didn't dare to think about the possibility that his little brother could reject him again…
…
+Its Showtime, Serena+
Chris felt the attention of the telepath grow, as they walked through the wide building. The young whitelighter tried to memorize every little detail of the building, every little thing his brother mentioned – just in case.
He surely knew that everything he sent through Serena would be recorded and processed immediately but you never can tell…!
+By the way hotshot, it's good to see you up onto your two legs again! You know you really worried us+
+Thanks Serena. Ready to do a little spy-work now, or do you need some more moments to pity me+
+Whoa there is someone really out of humour today+
+Want to change places+
+All right, all right I got it Christopher; just make sure to look into the right directions. I'm always with you, and Chris…+
+What+
+Could you please try not to work up your brother today?
Try to not get damaged anymore, Ok sweetie+
+You don't say! ...If my dearest brother knew what we are doing here, I would not have to worry about any damage - I would be dead in an instant +Chris chuckled.
Wyatt interpreted this as a sign, that Chris enjoyed the sightseeing and his company.
+This is not funny, Christopher Halliwell, not funny at all+Serena scolded.
+Oh Serena get a coffee, your sense of humour seems to be still asleep+
+…says Mr. grumpy! Very funny! By the way, how's your back doing – and don't get me with that I'm fine´ crap young man+ Chris could formally see Serena menacingly furrow her brows.
+You know what Serena…sometimes you sound right like my mom+
+That was no answer+
+I know+ Chris grinned and ended the topic with that.
Serena knew that she had not the slightest chance to push the young man to something he did not want to tell.
Sometimes the caginess of the whitelighter with the saddest eyes shed ever seen worried her. If times were like they had to be, he would be in high school now and the only thing he should worry about should be what to wear for the next party or how to get the girl of his dreams.
She hated to see what life had done to this boy.
"Hey little brother, don't drift away! As soon as we reach the command central we will take a break, so we can talk."
Chris walked through the corridors like in trance. This was it. The thing he had risked his life for. And there would be a long way to go till he was out of the woods – if ever.
All he hoped for was that his sacrifice was worth it and the resistance could use their newly achieved knowledge for some damn good moves. But even if he saved only as much as one life then his mission had fulfilled itself.
Too fresh were the memories of his capture and the following rescue branded in his soul that had happened only a year ago.
Without their plans of the old headquarter, the resistance had never been able to rescue him.
The same time Chris walked through the floors of the sources HQ, the holographic plan in the resistance database grew.
Every time he crossed some remarkable points like doors labelled with signs as "ENERGY SUPPLY" or "MAIN SERVER ROOM" he could hear loud cheers and applause over the connection.
But the most time went on in tensed silence.
As they had reached the heart of the headquarter, it was like a big collective intake of air. He was there – They were there! The corridor of power!
The doors opened and presented a view of a real beehive of activity.
Everywhere monitors computer systems and all kind of technical toys Chris could imagine. This plus the huge amount of magic powers made them a millennium away from the standards the resistance was able to summon up.
Wyatt led Chris to the middle of the hall where a cubicle of smoked and mirrored glass enclosed the holy of holies – Wyatt's main office.
As they entered the murmur that had begun to grow as Wyatt's employees had espied the sources brother- known as resistance leader- walking freely behind him, stopped immediately.
The room was totally sound-proofed.
The youngest Halliwells apprehension he must discover that even the connection with the resistance wasn't able to get through these shimmering walls.
A true piece of work this was!
Now the whitelighter was indubitably alone to face the evil.
No powers, no backup – NOTHING…
TBC…