Chapter twenty-three: You think he's asleep?

Chris old apartment, early morning

The tension in the room was almost unbearable.

After Chris had finally come back, Benji and Chris had gathered everyone back together in the living room.

They all looked terrible. Pale faces, huge bags under the eyes. 24 hours without or just a little bit of sleep could do that to you.

Therefore Benji could have hugged Adrianna for making some coffee for all of them.

The coffeine it held was sure needed as Wyatt dropped the latest bomb shell about Nicky contacting him in his dream.

The relief about knowing the boys were ok was however short lived as Wyatt filled them in about the things he'd learned.

They were glad that the twins had discovered a way to communicate with them (at this point, Chris was smiling with gratification), but it didn't make getting them away from Lara any easier.

Finally, it was Anna who asked out loud what they all wondered:

"How are we supposed to get them back?"

Chris shook his head. "We aren't getting them back. I will. It's too dangerous for you. I had a little chat with our demon-friend back at your place.", he nodded to Adrianna. "Lara's manor is better protected than Fort Knox. There are magical barriers, both magical and non-magical alarms, a high tech security system and last but not least our beloved probes." Chris was shooting his brother a nasty glare as he said the last part. After all these flying spys were his creation.

Wyatt was smart enough not to reply.

Adrianna jumped up. "I don't care how dangerous it is! I'm going with you! I want my son back! "

"Yeah, me too!" Jesse agreed as he and Anna went to stand next to Adrianna for emphasis.

"The hell you will!" Chris barked.

"Watch us!"

"Ok, enough!" Benji interfered as he put himself between his friend and the seething parents.

Bianca stood up, too. "Benji is right. This doesn't get us anywhere."

Adrianna shot Benji a desperate look.

Taking a deep breath, Benji stepped towards her and took her hands in his. Having picked up a thing or two from Chris, he looked intently in her eyes and said: "Adrianna. I know exactly how you feel. I care about him as much as you do. But you don't stand a chance against Lara and her hunchmen."

It worked. Adrianna's anger was melting faster than ice in the sunshine. Her eyes teared up. "You gave him to me that night, Benji. You placed him in my arms, begging me to take good care of him..."

"And you did. For the last thirteen years you did. But now it's Chris turn - and mine, too." Seing she was about to protest he added. "You are a wonderful mother Adrianna. And I promise you we'll bring him back to you. But you have to trust us on this one. Please Adrianna. I can't let anything happen to you."

That did it. It seemed to take forever, but finally Adrianna surrendered.

Benji then shifted his gaze to Nicky's adoptive parents. He realized that Jesse was staring intently at Chris and vice versa. The two of them seemed to have some sort of unspoken communication. "You'll bring him back, won't you?", Jesse's look seemed to say. And Chris' answered "I will."

After a final huff, Jesse relaxed.

Feeling the tension in the room ease, Chris got back to the task at hand.

"But how do you wanna get them out of there?", he questioned his older self.

"I'm going to pay Lara a little visit.", Chris replied grimly.

Bianca narrowed her eyes at him. She had heard what Wyatt had said about Lara telling Nicky that she wanted them to be a family again and she clearly remembered that demon she had vanquished talking about his queen and how pleased she would have been to have Chris back. She didn't like the idea of her fiancé going to meet that slut that seemed to be hell'bent at getting her filthy hands on him one bit!

"If you do this, you'll play right into her hands!", the young phoenix witch stated, barely able to keep the jealousy out of her voice.

"You think I don't know that?!", Chris spat.

"Chris you can't do that!" Benji shouted. "That's exactly what she wants!"

"No, it's what she thinks she wants." Chris declared calmy. "Well, she should be more careful what she wishes for!", he added with a grim face.

Wyatt who had restrained so far, now raised an eye brow at his older little brother. He had spent enough time with Chris to knew that tone. His brother had a plan!

The boys bedroom, early morning

Nicky stared dumbfonded at his twin.

They had just told each other about their little dream trips – although in Alex case it had sounded more like he had been on drugs.

"Ok, I'm trying to comprehend that.", Nicky muttered as he paced around the room. "We did this spell to get into Wyatt's head. But because there are apparently two versions of him in this time and we didn't say which one we wanted to talk to, the spell split us up and sent one of us to the present version and the other to the past version of our dad."

"That'd be correct.", Alex confirmed.

Nicky flopped down next to him. "Jeez, Wyatt wasn't kidding when he said that magic sometimes works in mysterious ways."

Alex couldn't help but grin.

"Talking about Wyatt", Nicky continued. "What's it with this whole Labirinth-with-White Ladys-and-Black Widdows-who-try-to-kill-you-crap? I mean why would someone be dreaming such a thing? Granted, I have had enough weird dreams myself, but this is just too crazy!"

That sentence set Alex a while he answered: "I don't think that's Wyatt's creative imagination. It is... more like someone had put this whole stuff in his head, you know?"

Nicky looked curious at his brother. "But who would do such a thing? And why?"

"Why?" Alex frowned. "Good question. Maybe to relegate him to the background? I mean, think about it. Your adoptive dad believed Wyatt was dead. But now we know for sure that he's alive – had been the whole time for that matter. So, why did he disappear? And why didn't he come back?"

Nicky realized where this was going. "Because someone prevented him from doing so."

Alex nodded. "That's exactly what I think."

Now it was Nicky's turn to frown. "But why put this weird stuff in his head?"

His brother was silent for a minute. "When I talked to our father he seemed to be... a little crazy. He rambled about things... he said something about being trapped there. That he couldn't get out. What if... what if this dream somehow prevents him from waking up?"

Nicky gaped at him. "You think he's asleep? Like sleeping beauty?"

Alex snorted. "Dude, you read to many fairy tales!"

His twin just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. But if someone had put this dream in his head to prevent him from waking up, don't you think he would have died from starvation or dehydration by now when he's sleeping the whole time?"

"Not if it's a magically induced sleep. As far as I remember, sleeping beauty didn't die in her sleep either – and she was sleeping 100 years!"

Nicky shrugged. His brother had a point in here. "But why put him to sleep to get rid of him? Why not just kill him?"

"Because our father is the most powerful magical being in the whole world. I'm pretty sure he can't be killed that easy. It surely requires great power to beat his magic. Maybe his attacker wasn't powerful enough to do it. So, he put a sleeping spell on him to get him out of the way."

"And why not kill him in his sleep?"

"Because our powers are self-defensive."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean they seem to activate themselves everytime the owner is in great danger."

Seing Nicky's surprised look, he continued: "Listen, the first time I used my pyrokinesis was to defend myself. I didn't even plan it. I was pretty upset, you know? School isn't exactly the safest place on earth. There was this big bullie. He was pretty keen on making mincemeat of me. He pushed me to the ground hard. I turned over and my gaze fell on his shoes. Next thing I knew, his shoelaces were burning."

Nicky grimaced. "Outch!"

Alex grinned a bit. "Yeah, I guess you can say that loud. But back to business. As I was saying, dad's powers would prevent him from being murdered, so instead he's now taking a nap time."

"But who would do this to him?"

At that moment, their aunt shimmered in.

Chris old apartment, early morning

"So, what are you going to do?" Wyatt pressed. "How do you wanna get into that building? Are you taking Benji with you? Is he supposed to drain Lara to death like he did with that demon back in that ally?"

"Wait a second, you did what?!", Chris asked surprised as he turned to his friend.

Benji didn't look at him. He didn't want to see the disappointment that was written all over his friends face.

He deserved it, though.

He had promissed Chris to not use this power anymore. Not after what had happened the last time.

He clearly remembered that incident with Calleion.

It had been in the beginning. Chris had just became his whitelighter and Wyatt and Isabelle hadn't been together then. Calleion had been a very powerful demon, not willing to surrender to Wyatt. And to prove his point he had hurt Chris – badly. Of course, Wyatt had healed Chris - thanks to Isabelle finding him so quickly! When Isabelle had returned to their current appartment, Benji hadn't taken the news well. He had started to love Chris like an older brother, owing him big time.

*flashback*

Benji was fuming. "I'm going to kill that bastard!"

Isabelle quickly stepped in his way. "Forget it! I'm not letting you go after this demon! That would be suicide!"

He was staring hard at her. "Move, Isabelle!"

She shook her head vehemently without letting him out of her sight. "No!"

He tried to push her out of his way.

Isabelles hands were gripping his arms tightly, trying to bring his forward momentum to an halt.

"Isabelle, I mean it! Get out of my way!"

"So you can get yourself killed? Sorry, not going to happen little brother."

Benji pushed harder, causing his big sister to stumble a few steps back.

Knowing that trying to beat her baby brother with pure strenght wasn't getting her anywhere, Isabelle then changed her tactics.

Instead of pushing against him, she let go of his arms, squated down and strechted her leg out in an half circle to pull him off his feet.

Benji tumbled to the floor. She was on him in an instant pressing her lower arm down hard on his back to prevent him from getting up.

The young man struggled hard beneath her. He eventually managed to turn on his back.

His sister was straddling him, pinning him down with all her weight. He managed to grab her arms but couldn't get her off of him.

His anger then got the best of him along with his powers. Isabelle went suddenly rigid, staring at him in shock as she went limp and collapsed to his side.

Benji then blinked, unsure of what had just occured.

He rolled on to his side to come face to face with his big sister as she layed motionless next to him.

His anger quickly turned into shock and then horror as he realized that he had just drained her energy with his powers. He had just hurt his big sister! He had used his powers against her!

He started shaking her, hoping against hope she would wake up. "Isabelle? Wake up! Oh God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to... how could I.... come on, wake up! Please wake up, please!"

But it was useless. His sister continued to lie limply in his arms, like a broken doll. The guilt threatened to swamp him. He felt sick to his stomach.

Benji was horrified. He couldn't loose her! Not like this! In his panic he did the only thing he could think of: He screamed for Chris.

By the time the tiny white and blue orbs started to form into a body the tears were flowing down freely from his cheeks.

*end flashback*

Benji clearly remembered Chris shocked expression at finding the woman he had started to consider as an older sister lying motionless in his arms.

But he had reacted quickly. He had lifted Isabelle up in his own arms and had brought her to Wyatt.

While he had healed her, Chris and him had talked about what happened. That day, Benji had sworn not to use that power anymore. That shock in Isabelles face and the disappointment in Chris' was something he had never wanted to see again.

Too bad that things never go the way you plan them.

"I didn't do it on purpose.", he finally muttered as he risked a glance at Chris. "I was defending myself and it just... it just happened."

He noted Adrianna's slight frown and prayed with every fiber of his being she wouldn't say anything.

He knew she had seen him draining that demon who had attempted to kill him back at her place off his life energy. Even though he had done it again to defend himself, he couldn't deny that this time he did it on purpose. It was hard not use a power when your life was at stake, even if you knew how much damage it could do.

That was why he had connected to Wyatt quite easily. His brother-in-law with all his powers knew exactly how Benji felt and what he was going through.

To his luck Adrianna remained silent.

Chris finally huffed. Letting it go for now because they had greater problems, but with a we-are-so-going-to-talk-about-that-one look at Benji he focused back on his brother.

"Benji's staying here with you guys."

Seing the black haired mans head shot up he quickly continued: "Besides Bianca, he's the only magic defense you have. And you will need it! Lara doesn't things by halves! After getting the real parents out of the picture, she'll now wipe out the parent-substitudes and every other person who stands in her way of creating her own little family."

Bianca noticed the look he was giving her as he said the last part. Apparently his younger self noticed it too, seing as he protectivly put an arm around her waist.

Anna furrowed her brows. "Her own little family?!", she echoed. "You mean she wants to raise the twins by herself? Together with you and Benji?"

Benji let out a bitter laugh. "I don't believe she wants me in the picture. Lara and me have never been on good terms."

He didn't bother to tell her that Lara didn't really want the twins either. She just wanted them as long as she didn't had an heir herself. But if she would get Chris, Benji was sure that was going to change soon.

The queen's manor, early morning

Lara let her hand slide over the soft material of the tiny sheets.

Jerek had returned a few hours hour ago with the ingredients of the love potion.

There had been full moon tonight, so she had decided to not waste anymore precious time and had immediately started with the potion.

Now she carefully placed a little red vial in the center of the tiny pillow.

"Soon Chris, soon.", she thought.

After finishing the potion, she had slept only two or three hours, but that wasn't bad – she had never needed much sleep. It was one of the first things Chris was going to find out about her, she thought lecherous.

About half an hour ago she had gone to wake the twins, only to find them up already and chatting. She had given them 30 minutes to shower and get dressed properly.

As she now made her way to take them to the dining room for breakfast, she once again let her hand slide over the soft sheets.

She spared a last glance at the little vial.

It rested secure in the cradle that was forming the front part of her large bed.