All this writing has seriously inspired me to have a nice wee day re-watching all the old Charmed episodes of Season Six. You know, to get in character…
I'd also just like to say that I'm so thankful for all the feedback and I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying my story.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
No-one knows what to say, the reality of all that (E) Wyatt confessed just barely sinking in. Standing before them. The Source of All freaking Evil. The one Chris told them about. The one who wiped out half the world.
He is the mysterious threat from the future. Wyatt.
Their nephew. Their son.
Their shadow self.
Understandably, it's not long before (G) Wyatt cracks. "What the hell is the matter with you?" he yells in devastation. "How could you do that to him? To your own br-" Abruptly, he stops, gagging. "Oh God…I'm gonna be sick…" Turning away, he just about makes it to the trashcan before violently retching. In mother-mode, Piper hurries to his side, rubbing in his back in comfort.
(E) Wyatt, on the other hand, eyes him with blatant repugnance, wrinkling his nose and saying in distaste, "Eugh. You are so weak. And what have you done to your hair? How can that possibly be me? Which begs the question," he faces his family, brows furrowed, "Why is my doppelganger here? And why-" he cuts off, eyes tightening.
"Is that….?" He inhales sharply. Then, dumbfounded, "Chris?"
"Hello, Wyatt," Chris responds tonelessly, arms folded across his chest. "You know," he begins somewhat contemplatively, "I must say I'm kind of hurt you didn't notice me sooner. Though, I guess you have a valid excuse, considering how completely absorbed you were by mini-me." His lips curve into an involuntary half-smile. "I haven't decided yet whether I'm pleased to see you again or not. Given the circumstances." Chris shrugs matter-of-factly. "But I can't say I'm surprised."
"What…?" For once, it would appear that (E) Wyatt is completely speechless. "How…?" He shakes his head. "What do you mean again?"
Baffled by his brother's behaviour, little Chris tugs on (E) Wyatt's black pants and says happily, "Look, Wy Wy. It's me aw gwown up! You'we fwom a diffewent futuwe, awen't you, Kis?" Without waiting for a response, little Chris continues, "He was kind of mean to me, but I wike him anyway, Wy Wy, 'cause it wouwd be siwy not to wike youwself." He giggles. Then, with a troubled frown, he suddenly asks, "You do wike me, don't you, Kis?"
Chris smiles. "Of course I do, buddy."
"Good. 'Cause I wike you, too."
"I'll tell you what," Chris suggests as an idea begins to form in his mind, "Why don't you go into the living room and watch some TV while Wyatt and I finish our little grown-up chat and I'll come with you when you go to the park later?"
"Awight," little Chris heartily agrees, flicking at glance at (E) Wyatt who seems to be in shock, and holding out his little finger, "Pinky sweaw?"
"Pinky swear," Chris replies solemnly, trying to keep the dismay off his face as he wraps his finger around his own. Man, that's a strange thought...
Once little Chris is gone, Rainbow Brian in tow, (E) Wyatt murmurs, "I don't understand…."
Chris sighs, lost in his thoughts. "All my life I felt like something was off, like there was something missing, but I could never quite pinpoint exactly what it was. Then, when I turned twenty-two, I started having these dreams. Memories, flashbacks… nightmares, even. Call them what you will. It doesn't matter. And it was so hard to make sense of it all."
With a sad smile, he looks at (E) Wyatt briefly before his gaze suddenly turns unfocused. "And in the heart of it all…. There you were. Not my Wyatt. The person I had grown up with, my best friend, the person who was there for me through everything. Something… other. And yet still the same. In a strange, twisted kind of way, I think I missed you."
He laughs humourlessly. "I don't know… And talk about an identity crisis. That was… complicated in and of itself. I've just had to accept that, essentially, I'm both Chris from your timeline with all of the experiences that come with that, and the Chris who got to reap the rewards of everything his counterpart fought so hard for." Chris starts to pace - unaware of how attentively he's being studied by all the other occupants' of the room, eager for some insight into man who is downrightly uptight and closed off as a general rule.
Chris talking about his feelings… Wow.
"And then to meet that counterpart. Words can't even describe how weird that was. And knowing that everything he's feeling, everything he's thinking, I'll soon have access to in my own mind. As soon as I return to the future, I'll get to remember firsthand what it was like to be a twenty-two year old three year old, because his memories will become mine! How totally and utterly bizarre! Never mind the fact that we don't know how much damage we've caused, so God knows what the future holds."
Chris suddenly glances up as though remembering where he is, and what he's doing, and everyone can visibly see the weight of their problems fall on his shoulders as they droop and he grinds to a halt.
Swallowing hard, he declares, "But I'm getting off topic."
He refocuses on (E) Wyatt, almost amused as he says, "You know, I really should punch you in the face for turning me into a toddler and then manipulating me with the one toy you knew my younger self couldn't resist. Hell, you don't even know the half of what you've done. You've screwed up everything!" Chris presses his lips together broodingly. "And yet… in your own, perverse way… it was all in my best interests." He laughs weakly. "The irony!"
(E) Wyatt frowns, "So, let me get this straight, you are from another future of…. What?"
"See, this is the bit that really peeves me off! I am from the future where you are good!"
Rolling his eyes, (E) Wyatt replies, "You mean that wimp over there? That's not good. Good does not exist. All I see is someone who has never known the true meaning of power."
"That's where you're wrong," Chris argues heatedly, "Wyatt is the kindest, most compassionate person I've ever known! He has power, alright. It's what he chooses to do with it that matters. And this Wyatt's chosen to do good! You know why?"
"Oh please, enlighten me."
"Because I saved you from being turned! The amount of times we've argued about this! I am so sick of hearing about power and how stubborn and foolish I was for refusing to go along with your world domination when I can prove I was right all along!"
"You've proved nothing," (E) Wyatt snarls. "What is so great about this other future that would give you the idea that what I've done was so wrong? For all I know, we're all miserable doing good deeds and without my supremacy, we are like sitting ducks for the taking!"
"Well, for one thing, you've never had to lock me up for months on end just to get me to stay with you! Therefore, I never had to escape from my own home!" Chris lists petulantly. "You aren't nearly as fixated with my safety which is great for me because I no longer feel like I'm being supervised by my self-appointed, surrogate parent!"
"Yeah," (E) Wyatt mutters. "You're gonna need to come up with a lot more than that to convince me."
"I'm on my way to fulfilling my dream of going to medical school and you've literally just graduated from college!"
"Hmm… not enough…"
"The world is still blissfully intact, and families haven't lost loved ones and millions of people haven't died at your hands! Doesn't that mean anything?"
"Nope," (E) Wyatt says dispassionately with a unabashed shake of his head. "Not particularly. All that matters to me is my family. And all I have left is you."
Chris ducks his head, unable to maintain eye contact with his brother now.
Tears welling in his eyes, he whispers, so softly that they just about hear, "Mom's still alive."
(E) Wyatt's face pales. "No, no, you're lying-"
"It's true. All of them. Alive. Happy. Together..."
"...You mean it?"
Chris nods.
Rushing forward, (E) Wyatt squeezes Chris hard, pulling him into his arms. Frozen in shock, it takes Chris a full minute to react, tentatively raising his arms before hugging him back with equal fervour.
"Thank-you," he whispers sincerely. "Thank you so much. I'll help now, I promise. I'll help you set things right… If that's true, I'll do anything to make sure that happens."
"What do you mean…?" Piper suddenly cuts in, her broken voice - so utterly unlike her - slicing through the air. "What do you mean 'Mom?' Mom as in our Mom?"
The brothers look towards their mother and Aunts who, caught up in the moment, they had completely forgotten.
Chris gulps, looking panicked. He starts to speak - to summon some lie out of nowhere that might ease her suspicions, but for the life of him, he can't think of a single thing.
And looking at him. In those deep, green eyes…
Feeling that profound sense of completeness…
That's all the verification she needs.
Thanks for reading.