Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

AN: Sorry it's been awhile, I've been sick. Hopefully the story will be finished by April. Then I'm thinking of a HP story.

Chapter Thirty-One

Excalibur: The Maker of Kings

Camelot Alleyway: November 10th, 2027

His sister needed the help of the Nexus to travel back in time. But she was weaker than him, both due to him being the firstborn and due to her allegiance to 'Good'. It held her back, and always had.

Wyatt, however, did not have the same fear of his own powers as Kate, and as such was even stronger than he would have been if he too was blinded by the delusions of Good and Evil that had tainted his family's thoughts. Even Phaedra, who had agreed with him, had fallen back under their parents' foolish beliefs at the end of her short life. And of course, like it did for everyone in the family, it had gotten her killed.

Wyatt stood, tapping a foot irritably and taking sadistic pleasure in the fear radiating from the half-manticore drawing the triquetra on the wall. Wyatt had decided to come out in a random location in San Francisco, as he didn't want to alert his sister or her treacherous lover to his arrival. Kate had used up the last of his mercy, and now he was determined to have his vengeance against her. She had defied and humiliated him for the last time.

Finally, Damien stood back and bowed lowly to the emperor, the triquetra finished.

"I will return soon," he told his lieutenant coldly. "Ensure that, if I am gone for some time, no one is aware of my absence. Eliminate any who discover I am gone."

"Yes, my lord," Damien agreed submissively. Wyatt nodded, and stepped closer to the alley wall.

"Hear my words, hear my cry," he drawled. "Heed the hope within my mind. Send me back to where I'll find, what I wish in space and time."

The triquetra lit up, but unlike his sister's portal, which was the same white and blue as her Whitelighter's orbs, this one was black and purple, like a Darklighter's orb. Like his orbs.

With pausing, Emperor Wyatt Halliwell, strode into the portal, and into the past, without looking back.

The Manor: November 26th, 2003

When Piper entered the attic that day, groggy from tossing and turning during her nightmare-stricken sleep, she found Kate, Cole and Niko, standing around the lectern that held the Book of Shadows, like the two time travellers had never disappeared.

"Kate!" she gasped, drawing their attention. She wanted to fling her arms around her daughter, but Cole caught her eye and shook his head firmly, silently warning her not to do it. If she did, she would only risk scaring her off.

"Hello Piper," Kate nodded stiffly, a wary look in her eyes. Piper could see Niko brushing his hand against her, in faint gesture of comfort.

She had never hated her name so much before. Was it so bad to want her daughter to call her Mom? Even just the once? Still, Piper reminded herself, as she had multiple times over the past two weeks, just how hard it had been to see and interact with her mother and grandmother when she, Phoebe and Prue had gone back to the 70s. She had to give Kate time, she told herself again. She had to prove to her that Piper wouldn't leave her. Not this time.

"Are you guys hungry?" she asked, as brightly as she could. "I can make you something, if you are."

"That's okay, Ms. Halliwell," Niko told her. "We're good. We were actually about to go and get you and the others. We need to plan what we're going to do about Gideon."

Piper's expression darkened at the mention of the man who wanted to kill her children, and she gave a crisp nod. "My sisters are eating breakfast downstairs," she informed them. "But we all have the day off. Wyatt is out for a walk, but I can call him now."

"Good, you do that," Kate agreed, giving a sharp nod. She began to say something else, but Niko nudged her slightly. They exchanged quick looks, and Kate huffed, giving an irritated nod.

"We can talk after your sisters are finished eating," she continued.

"We should call for Leo, too," Cole reminded them. Both mother and daughter's expressions soured at the mention of Leo. Kate hated her father for both his actions (and his lack of actions) in her past, while Piper was still furious with him. The Halliwells were a lot of things, but they weren't very good at letting go of their resentment and grudges.

Still, Leo not only knew Gideon and his habits best (though clearly not well, seeing as he hadn't had a clue that the other man was planning to kill his son), but he was also very knowledgeable in his own right, and he was also Wyatt's father. He had a right to be part of the discussion.

"I suppose," Kate grumbled.

"Okay," Piper sighed, running a hand through her dark locks. "I'll just, go and get the others, then." She cast one more longing look over her shoulder at her daughter before heading to the door of the attic.

She hurried to the kitchen, where she promptly told her sisters who was in the attic.

"Oh, thank god she's okay," Phoebe breathed, pressing a hand to her chest. They had all been distraught with worry for their MIA daughter/niece, and it was a huge weight off of their chests that she was back home, safe and sound.

"Yeah," Paige, who had been in process of doing the dishes (for once), said. "W-AAGGH!"

She shrieked loudly and yanked her hands from the water, where the small figure of a woman had just appeared. A swirl of orbs heralded the arrival of Kate, Cole and Niko with her, and everyone fell into defensive stances.

"Help me," the water woman begged. "Please!"

"It is not Excalibur," Piper insisted stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Uh, yes, it is," Paige countered, just as determinedly.

The subject of the sisters' debate was impaled in a large rock, just short of being called a boulder, in the centre of the conservatory. Kate and Niko were pale faced, staring at it like it was about to come alive and murder them all. Wyatt looked uncomfortable, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, while Cole and Leo both had matching looks of awe on their faces.

"We need to get rid of this thing," Kate declared abruptly. "Before the house is invaded by the entire magical world, wanting to be named Ruler of Magic."

"Yeah, but all you have to do is pull it out," Wyatt pointed out, sounding distracted. "Then, voila, everyone knows that you're Queen."

"Me?" Kate's voice went shrill and Niko also looked stunned by the other man's words.

"So, my nephew is the most powerful witch ever, and my niece is Queen of Magic," Paige mumbled. "Seriously Piper, what do you drink when you're pregnant?"

Piper, who was incredibly alarmed as she pictured the various demons and other evil beings who would seek to kill and/or kidnap her 'royal' child, shot her sister a dark look. As far as the eldest Charmed One was concerned, this was a disaster.

"What'd'you mean I have to pull it out?" Kate shrieked. "I amn't the reincarnation of King fucking Arthur!"

Wyatt shot her a stunned look. "You seriously didn't know?" he asked.

"I never touched the damn thing!" she snarled. "Mom always said it would turn me evil because it belonged to, three guesses who, you!"

"Me?" he repeated, looking shocked. "No, I'm Merlin's reincarnation, you're Arthur's."

Piper buried her head in her hands, and Leo looked a mixture of shocked and gleeful.

Kate opened her mouth to deny it again, but Niko stopped her.

"It does make sense, Angel," he pointed out. She glared at him bitterly.

"Oh, who's side are you on?" she spat. He didn't back down, keeping his gaze locked with her.

"You're a natural leader, Kate, and you know it," he insisted. "Everyone in the empire followed Him because they were forced to (the others stiffened), but the Resistance chose you to lead it because they trusted you. Even the people who don't like you, still followed you."

She huffed, crossing her arms and casting a dark look at the sword sticking out of the rock.

"You might as well try," Niko pressed her, in a soft tone.

She scowled but stomped over to the rock. "Fine, but I'm telling you, it won't come out," she insisted as she grasped the hilt. She tugged it, and stumbled back as the sword came out smoothly. A golden light surrounded her in a halo, and an invisible wind blew back her hair. Golden filigree appeared and settled along the blade, making it go from oddly plain (given it was the Maker of Kings), to elaborate and beautiful.

"You were saying?" Niko asked dryly, when the glow and wind had disappeared, leaving Kate standing there with a pale face.

The Manor: November 26th, 2003

Kate didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. The last thing she had expected when Piper had called her was to see Excalibur of all things. That thrice-damned sword was the main feature in most of her nightmares, reliving the many deaths it had bestowed in the hands of her murderous brother.

She should have anticipated that it would happen eventually, as she knew that the sword had come into the Charmed Ones' (and more specifically, into Piper's) possession some time before her birth. But she hadn't, and it took all of her strength to keep her composure at the sight of the long line of creatures attempting to pull it out.

She and Piper both stood, scowling as they watched the line move forward. Cole was on Piper's other side, his blue eyes narrow as he too watched the line's progress.

Everything in Kate urged for her to orb the damn thing to the bottom of an ocean somewhere, to be lost forever. But she knew better. The sword held too much importance, and her getting rid of it would change the future in who knows what ways.

Leo orbed back in, worsening Kate's mood, with her two young aunts.

"Oh, I was afraid that this would happen," Paige winced, as Phoebe went over to kiss her husband in greeting.

Piper cast her youngest sister an irritated look. "And you didn't think to mention it?" she hissed.

"And they won't leave?" Phoebe asked hastily, preventing an argument from breaking out between the other Charmed Ones. Piper shook her head, her scowl deepening.

"Oh, no, no. More show up every minute."

"But no bad guys yet, right?" Paige asked.

"Not yet," Cole confirmed. "But they'll show up eventually. Excalibur will grant a lot of power, magical and political, to its' wielder. And the only thing Evil cares about is getting more power."

"So, we need to get this thing out of here," Piper pressed pointedly, clapping her hands together.

"Hey, the Lady of the Lake gave Excalibur to the Charmed Ones," Leo raised his hands defensively. "I'm not gonna mess with that."

"Well, you might not be willing, but I am," Kate snapped, stalking over to the rock, having reached her limit when Leo had opened his mouth. Truthfully, she'd prefer to be as far away as possible from the damn thing, but at least if she got rid of it, it wouldn't be in the Manor any longer. Locking away pointed mental reminders of the dangers of tampering with time (especially before your birth, as proven by her imminent non-conception), she reluctantly grasped the hilt.

She tugged at it just slightly, intent on orbing it away from the Manor, and stumbled. At her touch, the weapon had slid, as easily as if it were greased with butter, out of the stone. A golden light surrounded her in a halo, and an invisible wind blew back her hair. Golden filigree appeared and settled along the blade, making it go from oddly plain (given it was the Maker of Kings), to elaborate and beautiful.

Everyone, including Kate, gasped in shock, before the creatures, as well as Cole, all bowed deeply to her.

"Hail the Queen," someone said reverently.

Kate shook her head, uncharacteristically stammering from her shock. "N, no. No, it's not possible. It belongs to-Mo-No!" She stared around herself, taking in the awed looks, the creatures surrounding her and bowing in silent pledges of allegiance, and orbed away.