Sorry for the delay! Happy New Year (even if it's practically February) Any way, I realised that I started of the future story line without ever returning to it, and so I have been working to amend my error- I hope you enjoy!


The Future

The Halliwell children made their way down to the main entrance hall, at which point what was happening became immediately clear. Darryl and a number of other senior resistance leaders were all surrounding a demon girl who was trapped inside a crystal cage. She was insisting that she didn't work for Wyatt, and was holding up a small silver key, which they all recognised as the key to the headquarters, which could get you in or out no matter what. There was only one person that had one, so as he would be able to get in and out even when there was an emergency lock-down- so how did this girl have it? They all heard her mention Chris' name when suddenly Parker gave a small giggle as she realised who the intruder was.

"That's Chris' girlfriend." She informed them through her mirth.

"What!?" Asked Penelope, Prue and Philippa in unison, all struggling to believe that their neurotic cousin would ever have time for a relationship. "What makes you think that?" Asked Prue. Her little sister shrugged.

"I saw it." She replied simply. "When Chris got back to the base, before he left with Aunt Paige, and we hugged him, I had a premonition, or probably a flash of a past memory, of him and her on top of the Golden Gate Bridge and they were kissing and stuff." She explained, a look of disgust on her face as she thought about the memory.

Meanwhile the rest of the resistance's focus remained on the girl. She was clearly a demon, as proven by both her shimmering and fact that her presence had set off the base's warning system, but if she had the key, so that either meant she could be trusted, or she was a thief. The base's main guard had all turned up now, holding up athames and vanquishing potions threateningly towards the girl as they carefully surrounded her cage.

"Who are you, demon?" Demanded Darryl, glaring fiercely at the woman. Bianca had no intention of resisting the interrogation, she needed to gain their trust quickly and Chris had already warned her of what she would face if she ever needed to do this.

"My name is Bianca." She told him. "And I'm not a demon, I'm a Phoenix. I'm technically a witch, but your charms would still classify me as a demon."

"How did you get this key?" Continued Darryl, snatching the key out of her hand.

"Ask your leader, he gave it to me about six months ago. He had turned me to be a spy in Wyatt's army and he knew he could trust me. Why don't you go get him, and he'll confirm this." She ordered, not registering the concerned and sad looks in the eyes of everyone who knew where Chris was... or at least when. "Well? Where is he?" She demanded again.

"Chris is not available at the moment." Answered Darryl. If he wasn't going to tell most of his advisors where the boy and his aunt where, then he certainly wasn't going to tell this mystery witch, at least not without further proof of her allegiance.

"What do you mean 'not available'?" Questioned Bianca, a sudden look of fear flashing across her usually emotionless face. "Where has he gone?"

"If he doesn't trust you enough to tell you his plans, then why should we trust you at all?" Pointed out Darryl. Secretly he believed the girl, but needed to talk to her properly without the watching eyes of the rest of the resistance.

"Because Chris does." She answered with a shrug. "And if you don't, then this world, as messed up as it already it, is about to get much worse."


The Present

The moment Wyatt returned to his cave, he let off a yell of fury; kneeling at the place he had left his aunt to examine the empty chains.

"What happened? How did she escape?" He demanded of the cowering demon of fear. Barbas, considered this question for a moment. Certainly he could tell Wyatt what had happened, but he knew if he did, the boy would go after the Charmed ones and Barbas wanted no one to get to the sisters but him- they had defeated him once before, and he would not let this child steel the victory that was rightfully his.

"My lord, there was nothing I could do." He simpered with a small bow, "The witch; she somehow escaped your bindings and overpowered me, you must understand, I tired to stop her, but she's a Charmed one..." He trailed off, trying not to let the small smile on his face be seen by Wyatt.

"When did this happen?" Wyatt questioned, having no reason to disbelieve the demon, "Why didn't you call me?" The demon gave another small bow, edging further away from the murderous looking witch.

"It happened not long after you left sire, and you had given clear instructions that you were not to be disturbed..."

"SILENCE!" Roared Wyatt, telekinetically sending Barbas flying across the room. "I don't want to hear your excuses! You should have stopped her you pathetic imbecile!" Barbas opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't, as Wyatt held a firm telekinetic grip on his throat. "Fortunatly for you, I may have a way of getting her back." He continued after minute's contemplation, "I'll get the sisters to continue their search for her. Prue already suggested a way she could skry for her which could work, and this time I will not be so merciful with her." Barbas nodded in desperate agreement, praying Wyatt would still find use for him in this new plan. Any hope he had of survival, however, disappeared the moment the merciless Emperor locked eyes with him. "And so I guess I won't need you anymore." He sneered cruelly, and with a click of his fingers, Barbas erupted into flames and was returned to the pits of hell from which Wyatt had summoned him, and then without a second thought he orbed back to the manor.


After Chris had secured Adric's help, he orbed him and Prue back to Phoebe and Paige, then returned to the manor. He knew Wyatt wold except a full report as soon as his mission was completed, and he had also sensed Wyatt's anger at discovering Paige's disappearance and knew he needed to reaffirm his brother's faith in him.

As he approached the room Wyatt was in, he heard his older brother muttering softly to another person. Frowning, Chris edged closer to the door, trying to overhear their conversation.

"Now, I know right now you don't believe in what I'm doing yet." He said softly. Chris tried to use his White-lighter powers to sense who his brother was talking too, but the only person he could sense in there was Wyatt. "But trust me, very soon, you'll start to see things my way, and when the time comes, embrace it- it will make you more powerful then you can possibly imagine…" Chris waited for a response, but all he could hear was a soft gurgling noise. "Come in Chris," ordered Wyatt, "I know you're there."

Nervously, Chris edged round the corner and into the room, which he realised far too slowly was his parent's room- where, as babies, both he and Wyatt had slept. The older Wyatt was sat in the rocking chair in the corner. His dark clothes and matted hair looked quite out of place as he gently rocked his younger self in front of the flowery wall paper. Indeed, seeing him here like this, one would never guess he was a tyrannical empire of a subjugated planet.

"Is it done?" Prompted Wyatt, as his younger brother simply stared at the surprising scene before him. Chris nodded his head, and Wyatt smiled- his plan was falling into place. "Good." He said, getting up from the chair, and carefully placing his younger self back into his old crib. After the baby was settled, he strolled out of the room past Chris towards the stairs, clearly expecting him to follow. Chris remained still for a few more moments however, as his mind tried to process what he had just heard.

"What did you mean when you said 'very soon you'll see it my way'?" He called after his brother, hurrying in pursuit. Wyatt paused half way down the stairs, and turned round to glare at his brother.

"You know how I feel about eavesdropping Christopher." He stated disapprovingly.

"What 'time' is coming for him?" Chis persisted, ignoring Wyatt's words. "Are you saying something happened you to make you see the world as you do today?" Wyatt rolled his eyes, turned away from Chris and continued to walk down the stairs. "What was it Wy?" He pressed. "Maybe if you tell the sisters, they could save you!" At these words, Wyatt suddenly wheeled around, swiftly moving back across the room to his brother, until their faces were only a few inches apart.

"And what, pray tell, do I need saving from?" He hissed. Chris swallowed, ordinarily he might retort by once more pointing out the monster his brother had become, but he didn't dare risk it today. He needed Wyatt to trust him, and he had already done enough this trip to put that trust in danger. Instead, therefore, he simply looked at the ground in defeat, and shook his head to dismiss the question. Wyatt nodded in satisfaction at the surrender and proceeded down the stairs.

"Where is everyone?" Asked Chris innocently when he saw that their parents weren't there.

"Mum and Dad are helping me find someone, and I presumed you were with the other sisters." Chris' eyes widened, not certain what Wyatt was implying, his stammered a few uncertain words dismissing the accusation, but Wyatt frowned. "I presumed you might have taken a Charmed one with you to convince him your intentions were honourable." He explained, "How else did you persuade him." Chris shrugged.

"I know him well in our time." He explained, "I was able to tell him thing only a friend would know- so I gained his trust quite quickly." Wyatt nodded, turning towards the kitchen to find a drink. Chris, however, paused for a moment- remembering Wyatt's promise and the act he was meant to be maintaining. "So what did you do with Paige?" He asked. Wyatt spun around to face him, obvious anger in his eyes. "You said we would talk about it if I completed my mission, and I held up my end of the bargain." He pointed out. Wyatt narrowed his eyes, only just realising the compassion Chris still had for their aunt and their family after all these years.

"Why don't you tell me." He suggested darkly, striding over to the smaller boy, and seizing his upper arm tightly.

"What?" Asked Chris nervously. "I thought you had her."

"I did." Agreed Wyatt, calmly. "And then she escaped. I know her, she would run back to anyone she thought she could trust, and right now that is you. So I'll ask you again, where is she?"


Paige was fast asleep back in Chris' protected cavern, under the watchful gaze of Phoebe. She had been sleeping for about an hour before she jolted awake from one of the many nightmares that had plagued her ever since the death of her sisters and brother in laws. After she woke,Paige and Phoebe sat in the cave in silence for a long time, neither of them knowing what to say. Paige was struggling to deal with reuniting with her long dead sister, while Phoebe was more concerned with her own safety, given every time she had spent time with Paige she had either been attacked by demons or by the witch herself.

"I'm really sorry about before." Said Paige after a while. "About attacking you I mean, it's just that..."

"I get it." Cut in Phoebe. "We've dealt with Barbas before and I know how he has a way of twisting things to his advantage." She assured her, although Paige noticed the woman was still avoiding eye contact. "The first time we dealt with him, he nearly killed Prue and me at the same time. He pushed Prue into a swimming pool, and she became so paralysed with fear that she nearly drowned and he forced me to watch. My greatest fear is..."

"Losing a sister." Finished Paige sadly, thinking about how soon that fear would be realised for her. Phoebe looked slightly surprised but nodded. "You never lose that fear, you know. Even after... I join the power of three..." She continued, choosing her words carefully. "...Barbas still uses it against you I'm afraid. Actually you err..." -she gave a small laugh- "you once nearly killed me in a similar situation." Phoebe nodded, but didn't smile. "You don't trust me do you?" Asked Paige eventually.

"I don't know you." Corrected Phoebe honestly, "I mean, no offence, but you come here from... whenever you're from, you make all of these unbelievable claims which you just expect us to believe and then you disappear and put us all in danger in order to rescue you. I trust Chris." She finished, "But I have no idea about you." Paige nodded slowly, but then shook her head.

"You're lying." She stated certainly. Phoebe raised her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry?" She questioned.

"You're lying." Repeated Paige. "Whatever misgivings you have against me, they've got nothing to do with the fact that I'm from another time, nor about the cavern or claims about Wyatt. You don't trust me because you don't want to believe what I say is true. You don't want to believe that you are going to lose one of your sisters."

"You've got no idea what you're talking about." She dismissed instantly.

"Come on, Phoebe." Pressed Paige. "I know you, I've known you for years and I can tell when you're lying."

"Fine." Conceded Phoebe angrily, lowering her eyes to the ground. "I can't trust you, I won't. Because if I do, even for a second, accept your story is true, then that means I have to accept I let one of my sisters die, and there is no way I could ever do that." She stated hollowly. Paige nodded her head, completely unsurprised by this admission.

"You never let them down, Phoebe." Paige assured her. "There was nothing you could do; you were actually taking measures to protect your other sister at the time."

"Thanks." She replied, suddenly able to look at Paige. She wore a weak smile on her face, and for the first time since arriving in this time, Paige saw her sister.

Silence descended on the cave once more, and was only broken when the familiar jingle of Chris' orbs ran through the air, except it was not Chris who returned with Paige, but rather a tall man with dark brown hair.

"Hey." Greeted Phoebe, jumping to her feet. "Where's Chris? Who's this guy?"

"Chris went to see Wyatt, and, this is Adric." Replied Paige as Adric gave a small grin and a wave. "Adric, these are my sisters..."

"Piper and Phoebe, I know- I'd recognise the Power of Three anywhere." He greeted, bowing low in their honour.

"Actually, this is Paige." Corrected Prue, "She came back here with Chris and Wyatt." Adric seemed a little surprised, and maybe even upset at this news.

"Fascinating." He breathed, surveying Paige and her powers to see if he could work out which sister she had replaced, "A switch up in the Charmed ones? And there was me and half the world believing you three to be indestructible." None of the sisters responded to her words, and he quickly realised it was probably quite a tetchy subject.

"And what are you doing here?" Asked Paige, who had been unconscious when Chris had explained Wyatt's mission to the others.

"He's here to help." Replied Prue, "Wyatt thinks he's an ally, and wants his help, but Chris and I were able to persuade him to help us instead. He's in the resistance with you isn't he?" Paige studied the man hard, and it took a few seconds for her to figure out who she was in her time, and then her eyes widened.

"Oh, I think Chris might have mentioned if this man were in the resistance." She breathed, "He's Wyatt's second in command! He's so loyal that Wyatt granted him any country of his choice! He's the bloody king of Canada!"


Thanks for reading!