The words hung there in the air for a few tense moments as Wyatt processed Chris's simple statement. Everything seemed to fall into clarity with this one revelation and he marvelled at the fact he had missed it for so long. All those times he had caught Chris freeing prisoners or killing demons and Chris had played it down to insignificance. All those time the resistance had known his plans even though they were known only to a few. All those times Chris had stood up for his family, and yet for some reason had chosen to stay with him. Chris had been playing Wyatt since the beginning and now, in his time of victory, he had come to gloat.
"You." Wyatt breathed, almost to himself. "You." He repeated with slightly more venom, but he could summon up no real emotion at the news. For the first time since his mother's death he felt hollow and defeated. Despite every loss he had experienced since coming to this time; it was only now, faced with his little brother's treachery, that he felt truly defeated.
Chris just sat there frozen, as if any slight movement could snap Wyatt out of his contemplation. His brother was still bound in the magic-blocking chains, but they were made with Wyatt's magic and he doubted they would actually hold him. The phoenix had taken away most of Wyatt's most dangerous powers, but there was still a great power imbalance and Chris knew that with all the emotions Wyatt must now be feeling; he would struggle to win if Wyatt reacted violently to the news. He wanted to say something to defend himself. To defuse the bomb before it went off, but there was nothing to say. He had no defence that Wyatt would accept. He had betrayed his brother's beliefs and had actively deceived and undermined him every day of his reign. So he waited.
"Of course it was you." continued Wyatt in a hushed voice. His eyes were darting around the room, watching and re-watching all the times he had personally witnessed Chris defy him and yet each time he had forgiven him. Wyatt could only imagine how Chris mush had laughed at his foolishness, his naivety. Well no more.
With a single blast of his powers; the chains that bound him flew away. Chris shot to his feet, backing up the stairs towards the door, but Wyatt was faster. With a vicious swipe through the air, he sent his brother flying across the room into the far wall. He heard the crack of ribs as Chris impacted it- hard- but he didn't care. Chris sank to the floor, momentarily dazed, and Wyatt gave him no time to recover. Up the stairs they could hear the sound of the rest of the family frantically banging on the door, trying to get to their beloved traitor, but Wyatt wasn't ready to let him go just yet. He shot out one hand; magically sealing the door as, with the other hand; he pulled Chris towards him, using nimble twists of his fingers to painfully contort his brother's limbs. Manipulating him like a cruel child would a rag doll. Chris let out an anguished cry of pain but Wyatt didn't care. He didn't even stop when he heard his little brother's left arm snap but simply let it fall flaccidly to his side as he turned his attention to a different appendage. Chris didn't bother to struggle; instead he focused all his energy to build up one burst of power that might free him from his brother's grip.
The brothers were almost nose to nose by the time Chris felt he had enough power. He let out a yell, allowing the magic to explode out of him in an undirected volley of energy. Most of the magic defused ineffectually around the room, but enough hit Wyatt to send him stumbling backwards a few paces- disorientating him for just long enough that he lost his hold on Chris.
If Wyatt thought he had time to recover from this blow, then he was sorely mistake. Ignoring the pain radiating from his every muscle; Chris didn't even bother getting up from the floor before striking back. He struck out at Wyatt with both hands, forcing all his power straight at Wyatt. The pain from his left arm almost made him pass out and white dots appeared in his vision, but he ignored it as he forced Wyatt backwards, only relenting when Wyatt stumbled backwards over a chair, lading on his back. Chris felt like he was going to be sick, but he refused to concede his sudden advantage. Limply pulling himself from the floor, he staggered to where Wyatt had fallen, but he wasn't there.
Chris wheeled around just in time to see Wyatt orb to the top of the stairs, apparently hoping that the upper ground would give him back his advantage. He was mistaken. Before Wyatt could properly materialise, Chris scattered his orbs, sending him sprawling at Chris' feet. Wyatt shot out his hand, but Chris dived out of the way. He landed on his un-injured arm and rolled to the side, letting the heat wave Wyatt fired at him fly over him and instead impact an old table- shattering it into a thousand pieces. Then Chris jumped back to his feet, shooting out his right arm and telekinetically seizing Wyatt's heart before his brother had time to raise his shield.
Chris could scarcely believe he was winning. Any other day, Chris knew he would have lost but today Wyatt was weakened by the loss of his usual power, he wasn't used to fighting without his demonic abilities and was out of practice using solely his witching powers. Despite the fact that Wyatt still technically had more power, Chris was able to use his to better, more efficient effect and so had the advantage.
Wyatt gasped as Chris tightened his fist. He tried to raise his shield to block out Chris' magic, but Chris' grip was too strong, and his body was still weakened by the Phoenix's magic. Chris pressed Wyatt against the nearest wall and could feel his brother's quickening heartbeat as it desperately tried to maintain its vital work.
"Go on then." Spat Wyatt, defiant till the last. "Kill me. You might as well, you've taken everything else." He glared hatefully at Chris, no longer seeing his brother as anything more than the deceitful little conspirator it turned out he had always been. Chris tightened his grip on Wyatt's heart slightly more, but this time Wyatt refused to cry out. He stared stoically at Chris, waiting for the end, but it never came.
"I'm not going to kill you, you idiot!" Cried Chris, releasing his grip on his brother and stumbling back a few paces. "You may be an evil little git, but you are my brother. You are a Halliwell. And I am going to help you back to the right path!" Wyatt sneered, but didn't bother getting up. He could scarcely breathe and he was still recovering from his run in with Merlin and the Charmed Ones, let alone all the energy he had lost trying to repel the phoenix and the residual effects Prue's knock out potion was still having on him. He had no allies left, no plan and, for now, his brother was stronger than him. He had lost. He knew it. But he would be damned if he was going to surrender.
"That's sweet Chris." He belittled. "But I think it's a little late for that."
"No." Chris objected sincerely. "It's never too late. You can still undo what you've done. We'll need your help driving back the demons, and you need ours too. We can work together." Wyatt laughed derisively.
"And what then?" He asked. "You form a new government? Bring world peace? The world is forever changed by my actions, your army sees me as a threat and even if you succeed; your people will call for my head. There is no reason I should join you."
"There is every reason." insisted Chris, staring imploringly into his brother's eyes. "It's the right thing to do." Wyatt sneered once more. He turned away from Chris, resting his head slightly more comfortably against the wall but Chris didn't give up. "Come on Wyatt!" He pressed, hesitantly inching closer to his fallen brother. "I understand why you did what you did. You always believed it was the right thing to do for the world. For our family. However much you hate me right now, you can't deny that a world run by un-restrained demons isn't the world you fought for. What they will do goes against your ideals just as much as it does mine. We can work together. Fight against the evil that will have taken over your empire. We need each other, Wyatt. Please." Wyatt gave no indication that he had even heard Chris. He was tired suddenly- the fights, the betrayal, the defeats were all too much for him and he just wanted to breath for a minute. Chris sighed, standing up to leave. Just as he reached the staircase, however, Wyatt gave his answer.
"That always was your problem Chris." He murmured, somehow still sounding superior and condescending even half asleep. "You can't see there is so much more than good and evil."
Chris emerged from the basement feeling just as exhausted as Wyatt. He was drained. Emotionally as well as physically, but he couldn't rest. The moment he opened the door (Wyatt's shield had dropped when he lost consciousness) the rest of his family were upon him, berating him with questions and concerns. He tried to answer, but his mind was still back in the basement with Wyatt. A part of him knew his brother was right. The resistance wouldn't accept letting him go free no matter the circumstances. But that didn't mean Wyatt should just give up- there must be something, some way that they could all come through this and make the world a safer place. Chris was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Leo fix his broken ribs and arm, nor him healing all the other bruises and scrapes he had earned in the battle.
"Chris!" insisted Piper, leading him over to the sofa, and kneeling down in front of him. "Chris! What happened?" Chris tried to focus on Piper, pulling his mind back to the present.
"He... he said no." Chris didn't have the energy to describe his confrontation with Wyatt right now. He considered what Merlin had said. It was his job, his destiny to guide Wyatt to the right path, but he had failed.
The room fell to silence as everyone contemplated their next possible cause of action. Paige firmly believed they needed to return to their own time. They had done all that they could possibly do here and now it was time to leave and examine the consequences. It was impossible to plan for a battle that was twenty years in the future when, as far as they knew, cataclysmic events had already swayed the war one way or another. The only real question left to answer here was what to do with Wyatt. They had to take him back, of course. He belonged in the future and so was their responsibility, but what then? Most of the world wanted him dead and, unless he performed some miraculous redeeming action, Paige doubted she would be able to keep him safe indefinitely and she knew Piper would not permit her son to return to the future if it meant signing his death certificate.
She therefore decided not to mention this thought to her sisters. It was for her and Chris to deal with in the future. Right now their only concern had to be getting her sisters to help them send her and Chris home, intact, with Wyatt, either incapacitated or as an ally, in tow.
"I can't deal with this anymore. I need sleep." declared Chris rubbing his eyes. All the adrenalin that had been fuelling since arriving in the past had been used up in his confrontation with Wyatt and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. He had scarcely had a chance to pause for days now and before then he had been locked in a dungeon which hadn't exactly been restful. Right now what he needed was a horizontal surface, a blanket and at least of four or five hours sleep. (He hadn't slept more than six hours since he had started his double life.)
Some of the others seemed reluctant to follow through with this anti-climactic plan, but the emotional trauma of the last few hours seemed to have pushed Piper's maternal instincts into over drive. She over ruled any complaints and quickly bustled Chris off to the camp bed in baby Wyatt's room- the one on which, only the other night, the Adult Wyatt had slept. She grabbed one of Leo's shirts for him to sleep in and sent him off to the bathroom to wash up. When he returned he found Piper had also prepared him a sandwich as "it has been too long since you have eaten properly any you are looking far too skinny". Chris let her mother him without complaint. He couldn't deny he had missed her every day since his fourteenth birthday and although this version of his mother was twenty years too young; the way he cared for him was exactly the same.
Piper didn't allow anyone to disturb Chris until he got a good night sleep and she also suggested everyone else followed his lead. Phoebe and Cole agreed slightly too enthusiastically, retiring to Phoebe's room and Leo suggested Piper should follow her own advice. Only Prue and Adric resisted the call of their beds. Prue suggested Paige should use her bedroom, and then the pair of them stayed up, flicking through the other grimoires Chris collected from Wyatt's cave and bouncing ideas off of each other. Or at least that's how they started.
When Chris came down the stairs the following morning; he found Prue asleep on Adric who was sprawled out on the sofa. They both had garments of clothes missing, but the moment Chris cleared his throat; Prue started awake, pulling a blanket over her and moved away from Adric, hitting him on the arm to wake him up as well.
"Mmmm...Morning." He groaned, rubbing his bleary eyes.
"Good night?" asked Chris grinning. He didn't know Prue that well so it wasn't so traumatising to see her in such a position.
"Not bad." nodded Adric, a smirk on his face. Prue hit him again.
"Did you have any ideas?"
"Yeah, a couple." He replied, winking at Prue.
"About Wyatt." clarified Prue, rolling her eyes though the corner of her mouth was twitching. "And no." She added for Chris. "We err... we got a little distracted." Chris wanted to be happy for both of them- as far as he knew Adric had never met anyone he connected to the way he did with Prue, and, of course, Prue would never really get another shot. Even so it was difficult to be happy about anything with his relationship with his brother so shattered and with the whole future in jeopardy.
"Maybe we should try talking to him again." suggested Chris glancing towards the basement door. "He might have rethought his position in the night." Both Adric and Prue seemed doubtful of this hope but when the others began to emerge from their rooms it was generally agreed that it was the only idea left. Paige insisted that they would have to return to the future by the end of the day, so it they were to turn Wyatt this would be his final chance.
Everyone agreed that Chris shouldn't go alone this time. Wyatt had had all night to prepare for his second attack and no one doubted that this time he would win. So it was therefore that the group descended the steps of the basement together for one final confrontation.
They couldn't see Wyatt at first. He was skulking in the shadows behind the stairs waiting for them to arrive. He had smoothed his crumpled shirt and had tidied up his hair. Any sign of fatigue or defeat had vanished from his face as he stood tall and proud before them. To anyone unaware of the context; it would almost seem as if he had the upper hand.
"I am prepared to offer a deal." He said, is if it were some benevolent gesture. "I will do as you say- side with you to ensure the resistance prevails over my demons but I want something in return. I can leave. There will be no trial or holding my head up to the cameras to show that I am defeated. I help you and then you let me go my own way. I won't disturb you again and you don't disturb me. Adric too." He added, glancing over at the man he still believed would one day be his greatest ally.
"How very generous of you." sneered Adric. Clearly this deal did not satisfy his lust for vengeance and although most of the Halliwells seemed to find it fair, it was also plain that Paige was not satisfied either.
"Do you really think you are in any position to set conditions?" She demanded. "How can I believe you when just yesterday you seemed to prefer to watch the world burn than to side with us?" Wyatt shrugged, as ever unperturbed by her resistance.
"Christopher said a lot of things to me yesterday, but one thing really stuck out. Well- two things." He considered. He seemed to be looking anywhere but at Chris, though as he said that his eyes flicked for just one second coldly towards him. "I fought for a long time to do what I believed was right- not good or evil; just right. If the demons do end up taking control then it will undo everything I worked hard to achieve. As difficult as it might be for you to believe, dear aunt, I do still have some ideologies and a world where demons have free reign goes against mine just as much as it does yours." Paige scoffed. As far as she was concerned demons had had free reign over the world for years.
"How about a compromise?" offered Prue. "You can leave but you relinquish the rest of your powers. You help to stop the demon threat and then you live the rest of your days as a mortal." It was a fair deal- much fairer than Wyatt deserved, but Chris knew he would never take it. Despite what Wyatt claimed he valued almost nothing above his powers and Chris suspected that Wyatt had a second plan in place- one that would hinge on his remaining powers.
"Or how about you agree help in exchange for nothing and I won't kill you right now." said Adric through gritted teeth.
"I'll ignore that but only because one day we are going to be great friends." Said Wyatt, not answering Prue's offer straight away- Chris couldn't believe he could actually be considering it. "If anything happens to me, here, then it will be you who will suffer most of all." Adric shrugged- he knew enough about his future to not take this threat seriously.
"You murdered my family. I couldn't care less what happens to me in twenty years if it means I get the satisfaction of avenging them today." He spoke with a steely certainty that left no one in doubt that he was telling the truth. The men stood, locked in a murderous stare, each refusing to blink first.
"No!" stated Piper. She flicked her fingers hard at Adric several times. The first few times she only succeeded in channelling her freezing power, but eventually a large blast of energy sent Adric flying across the room. Piper moved to meet Wyatt's glare, and he turned away.
"Paige, you need to reach an agreement here." Cut in Phoebe. She stood with Cole and he had his arms wrapped protectively tightly around her. "I think Prue's deal is fair."
"You have no idea what he's done!" argued Paige. She didn't agree with Adric that her nephew should die, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him go free. Wyatt killed her sister, her husband, and had captured and tortured her brother in law. He forced her family into hiding and killed dozens of innocent witches and mortals. If anything death was too good for him. "He needs to face justice and I am not going to just let him go!"
"How will you bring me to justice when your precious resistance is obliterated by my former armies?" pointed out Wyatt smugly.
"You are just one witch, and now you are scarcely more powerful than me or any other. You can't honestly think you are that crucial to my cause?" argued Paige. No one else offered their opinion. They simply didn't have the knowledge of the future to make a convincing argument. This was between Wyatt, Paige and Chris but Chris seemed reluctant to weigh in.
"Power comes in many forms." retorted Wyatt. "I may not be the source any more, but I still technically command the army. I have strategic knowledge of every move the demons will take and I can help you defeat them with far more efficiency than you can ever hope to do alone. You may win without me, but how many of your own people could you save with an alliance? And all I ask in return is that I get to keep my freedom as well. A small price to pay for the thousands of lives it could save."
"And you expect me to just trust you?" asked Paige, becoming slightly hysterical. She could feel the mood of the room. Almost everyone truly believed she should agree to the deal- even let Wyatt keep his powers, but she knew how cunning Wyatt was. For him to give in this easily must mean that he had a plan b.
"No." conceded Wyatt. "But you're not going to kill me and you're not going to win without me so what real choice do you have?" Paige had no response. She turned to Chris in hope that he might have some insight, or at least a witty retort to throw at his brother but Chris didn't meet her gaze. He was staring down at the floor, clearly as lost as her in this moral quandary. "What's the matter brother?" asked Wyatt with mock concern. "You say you're in charge too, so you can't let Aunt Paige have all the fun. Come one, speak up. What do you think they should do with me?" He still didn't look at Chris, preferring to keep his eyes fixed on Paige, but Paige wondered whether, despite all he had learned, there was still a part of Wyatt that trusted and relied on his brother. Chris looked up, his gaze falling just to the right of where Wyatt stood. He paused before answering, clearly deeply considering his response.
"I think you're right." He stated, ignoring Paige's cynical noises. "You're are best chance of removing the demons with as little blood shed as possible, but Prue is also right." He added. "You're too ambitious to be satisfied with just freedom. Eventually you'll want more and with your power and your intelligence you will always be a threat. If you want your freedom then you can't be trusted to also have your powers. You have to choose."
Paige sighed. She was out voted. Her family wanted so desperately to believe there was still some good in Wyatt that they were prepared to overlook everything he had done, and still could do, just to give him one last shot at redemption. She, however, was not so benevolent. Here she was overruled, but when they returned to their own time things would be different. Wyatt had been responsible for so much loss in her life that she was going to force him to face justice even if it meant going against her sister's final wishes. She only hoped Chris would understand.
"Fine." She spat, giving no indication of her planned betrayal. "But I want some assurances that you won't double cross us."
"I believe I can help with that." Said Adric who had until now been smouldering on the side-lines. Apparently he too had admitted defeat.
In one hand he was holding one of the vials of the knock out potion he and Prue had created the night before. He gestured flamboyantly, murmuring a few inaudible phrases. He cupped the vial in both hands, concealing it from view, and when he opened them again; the vial had disappeared and had been replaced with a silver band about an inch wide. "Here." He said, offering the band to Wyatt who frowned and took it. Adric then walked over to Prue, leaning in close to her so that the almost kissed and then reached behind her ear, appearing to pull out a small cylindrical object from it which he threw to Paige. "It's simple. The murderer wears the band and you hold the button. If he does anything you deem suspicious then you press the button and the emperor goes to sleep... or something will happen to incapacitate him anyway."
"Something?" questioned Wyatt, still examining the silver band which was decorated with intricate patterns. Adric shrugged.
"Well I'm angry and I don't like you." He explained. "There's a chance that my magic may have added a slightly more lethal component to the spell but... hey. What does that matter? You're not going to give Paige here any reason to press that button." Wyatt smirked, giving Adric a small bow of respect as he slid the band on to his wrist. The band glowed momentarily, shrinking so it attached itself perfectly to his wrist. "Oh, incidentally, if you try to remove it by magical or physical means it will instantly activate." Wyatt nodded again and so, miraculously, an accord was reached.
Paige wasted no time in getting them ready to depart. She claimed it was because she was worried about her family and needed to get back to make sure everything was ok, but Chris knew the truth. She couldn't handle being surrounded by all these ghosts for a moment longer. In a strange way it had been easier when they had shunned her. That way she had been forced to keep her distance but now, just as she had regained her sisters; she once more had to say good bye and Paige knew that if she waited too long then she may never let go.
In a rare moment of usefulness; the elders recreated the spell that had no so long ago given Prue, Piper and Phoebe their own taste of a very different future. As the rest of the family gathered together to say their good byes- Prue pulled Paige off to one side, a serious look on her face.
"You know." She began in a whisper, looking around to make sure that their other sisters were out of earshot. "There's one final thing we need to do before you leave." Paige bit her lip- she had been thinking the same thing. The sisters, Leo, Cole and all the others had far too much knowledge of the future and that could have some serious consequences.
"We don't have to, you know." She replied, looking imploringly into her older sister's face. "Now you know what... what happens, maybe you could change it?" Anyone over hearing their conversation might think they were talking about Wyatt, but both sisters were aware of the real subject. Prue shook her head.
"It doesn't work like that." She stated smiling wisely at the little sister she would never truly meet. "We can't change what is meant to be. And I don't want them risking their own lives trying" Paige sighed. Prue was right- Phoebe and Piper would do everything in their power to protect their sister now that they knew of her fate but that could put them in danger as well, besides, if they did succeed then Paige would never join the power of three and all the innocents she had saved would suffer in turn. She stared at Prue, unfettered admiration on her face. "What is it?" Questioned Prue, bemused by the look. Paige shrugged, unabashed.
"It's just… when I started out as a witch; I heard so many stories about you. I was always so jealous of you; I worked for a year on nothing but my spell work just so I could attempt to be you. Leo always said that I needed to stop making the comparison; that the Prue I built up in my head was just a fantastical exaggeration but he was wrong. I underestimated you in every element. You are amazing, Prue and I'm just so happy I finally got to meet the real you even if I see that I was never had a chance at reaching your level of wisdom and understanding." Prue smiled graciously at her words, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Paige, you are the strongest person I have ever met." She replied. "You have been through so much and yet you are still fighting. Without my sisters I would be lost, but you... you have sacrificed everything for our family and the greater good and you are mistaken if you think you are in any way inferior to me. I am so happy to be your sister and I only wish we had the chance to truly know each other. " The girls broke away from their hug, Paige frantically blinking back tears, as they returned to business. "You'll have to do It." said Prue. "Just before you go back. You Chris and Wyatt ought to have enough power combined to wipe all of our memories. For us it will be as if none of this ever happened." She glanced briefly over at Adric, and Paige knew what she was thinking. If the past few days never happened then she would never meet him, and Paige knew she didn't have time for another.
"You're right." agreed Paige sympathetically. "But you will need to help me write the spell." This wasn't strictly true. Paige was more than proficient at writing such spells- she had practically re-written the book of shadows for the resistance after all- but she wanted just one experience of practising magic with her oldest sister.
As the sisters worked on the spell; Wyatt and Chris said their final good byes to their parents. Piper hugged Wyatt first- despite everything she now knew and accepted he was still her son.
"Please." She implored her eldest boy. "Please, for me. Take this chance they have given you and make what you did right and then forgive your brother- he did all of it for you!" Wyatt hadn't spoken another word to Chris since they had been in the basement and when Leo had brought baby Wyatt into the room, he had raised his shield as if even he was aware of the future treachery. Wyatt gave no response; he accepted the hug but quickly turned away he nodded at Leo who nodded back and didn't even bother to say a word to any of the others.
Piper then turned to Chris, her eyes glistening. "I am so proud of you!" She whispered, hugging him tightly and for much longer than she had hugged Wyatt. Chris smiled a more genuine smile than he had in a long time, but didn't know how to respond and instead silently forced back tears at the fact he was once more losing her.
Leo stepped towards Chris as well, but they didn't hug. Leo could sense a distance between them that was deeper than simply the time difference. Instead he held out his hand and Chris shook it. They locked eyes for a moment, but then Chris looked away.
As it turned out; Paige and Prue, when working together, were unstoppably efficient. In no time at all they worked out a powerful memory wiping spell that should affect all those that the future dwellers had encountered and had then moved on to mixing a power-stripping potion as well. Paige only wished that she had more time to spend with her eldest sister. Clearly if their times as Charmed Ones had ever overlapped the demon population wouldn't have stood a chance. Once they were done with their work however; Paige knew she could up it off no longer. It was time to say goodbye to her sisters.
First she hugged Prue and they exchanged their final regrets that they would never truly know each other, but the truth was that as they never would it was the easiest goodbye. They hugged, they smiled and then they moved on. Next came Piper and Leo. It was a surreal experience for Paige as her emotions whirled inside of her- uncertain how she should really feel. Although they had been such an important part of her life for so long now they were ghosts to her and she was a stranger to them. She hugged them both tightly and Piper made her promise to look after her boys. Paige promised she would take care of them- surely seeking justice against Wyatt would help him in the long run. And then the moment was over. Piper sought comfort in Leo's arms and Paige continued making her way around the room.
Cole was still wound tightly around the woman that would one day drive him to madness but he uncoiled as Paige approached. He thought she was their just for Phoebe, but then she held out a hand to him, pulling him closer when he took it.
"When you hurt her... and I know you will. I will kill you." It wasn't a threat, it was a fact. She knew it. She had done it. But it felt good to finally say it to him after spending the past few days as his ally, even if he wouldn't remember.
Cole frowned but Paige gave him no time to question her as she moved on to Phoebe. Out of all the ghosts this was the hardest goodbye. Perhaps it was because Phoebe had been prepared to accept her from the start or perhaps it was because Phoebe had been with her almost to the end, but either way; Paige couldn't summon up the words that expressed how sorry she was to have to finally say good bye to her sister. The first time she had lost Phoebe had happed during a battle. She didn't ever realise until the retreat, then she looked around and realised she was gone. Chris came a few weeks later and told them all the news but she had already known. She had felt it when it had happened. She had felt Phoebe's pain and when it left all that was left was the hollow space her sisters had once filled. It was from that moment onwards that she knew Wyatt was irredeemable. It was for that reason that she was going to betray him now. But Phoebe, knowing none of this, hugged her in just the way her sisters had done and said pretty much the same things as they had done.
Paige knew it wasn't the same for her. They still had it all to come. They didn't truly comprehend how close they would all one day be. They hadn't even lost one sister yet so they couldn't possibly imagine the pain Paige felt at having to say good bye to all three. She considered replying to Phoebe by saying all the things she wished she had said before the battle. Saying the proper goodbye that she had never had the chance to say to her Phoebe, but she restrained. She knew this Phoebe would just smile and hug her again. And it would probably kill her to see the blankness in Phoebe's eyes upon hearing the words that haunted Paige every day, so instead Paige turned to Chris and Wyatt who were stood waiting by the doorway to the attic. She held out a hand and they each took it. Then, not turning back, she orbed them away.
Silence descended as the orbs cleared. No one knew what to say. Only Prue knew that soon they would forget all of these events so she allowed the others to mull over all they had learnt. She could feel the looks both Phoebe and Piper shot her when they thought she wasn't looking but she didn't caution them against trying to stop her fate- in a few moments they wouldn't remember anyway. Instead, she pulled Adric into the hallway outside the room. He seemed to have guessed what was about to happen so Prue wasted no time with an explanation.
"You need to go." She said, kissing him quickly but passionately. "If you're not in New York or where ever you would normally be when the spell hits then it will start to raise questions about what's been going on." Adric nodded, returning the kiss with a longer and, if possible, more passionate one.
"I'd say I'll miss you but we both know that's not true." He said despondently. "Instead I'll just say it was fun and thanks for the moments if not the memories." Prue smiled, he bowed, kissed her hand and then, after flashing her one final grin, vanished in a puff of smoke.
Prue took a moment of sorry contemplation before returning to the attic. Phoebe and Cole were enjoying their final few moments together as well- if Cole didn't return to the underworld before it recovered from Wyatt's interference then the brotherhood would notice his absence. Prue wondered at all she had learned and all she would miss. Piper was going to have more kids. They had another sister. Cole would break Phoebe's heart and there was nothing she could do about it. For a second she wondered if she had made the right decision. They had so much information now that surely they could wield it for good- change Wyatt's future before millions died and, maybe, maybe even change her own fate.
Even as the idea entered her mind, however, a subtle wind blew through the attic and the thought was replaced with another.
'What are we all doing up here?'
