Title: Saving

Summary: AU While Chris was in the past trying to save Wyatt, someone was in the future; attempting the same feat. Attempting to awaken the goodness and humanity inside his dark heart. Even the Source of All Power needs saving. WyattOC 'T' for safety. Might go up.

Characters: Wyatt and OC, among others.

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

A/N. Thanks to artisticfan for their great review. And a special thanks to:

Calli2009 for her very positive review and for adding this story to her alert lists and Beautiful-Phoenix75 for adding 'Saving' to both her alert and favourites lists!

I have added a small paragraph back in Chapter One at the beginning explaining a certain concept of this story. And just to mention that this story will contain Ismara is a lot of scenes. There may be some with the Resistance and maybe a few containing Wyatt but the majority, at this stage will contain Ismara. In later chapters there will be a greater variety of locations and characters.

I'm sorry if that offends anyone but at this moment the structure that I've formed doesn't include anything outside the underworld, at least not until after the next chapter or so.

This chapter is sort of a filler so it's a bit shorter than the previous one.

If you feel Ismara creeping towards becoming a Mary Sue if any way, please feel free to tell me. ;D


Chapter Four: Apprehension

"There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality."
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Wyatt looked over the witch's head to the serving girls, two of which had frozen and were looking at the scene before them. Keeping his grip on the witch he fixed them with a glare. "Leave us." His deep and commanding voice caused a shudder to pass over Liz and Bell, and the former nudged the later and they both retreated down the hallway.

Minutes passed and Wyatt released the witch's arm and watched as it went slack. Slowly he walked around to face her, sadistically enjoying the fact that every step he took echoed and caused the girl to flinch. Ismara kept her head and eyes straight to floor, ignoring any gesture that Wyatt made.

Coming about to face her, he gave a sinister laugh. "You have quite a mouth now don't you?"

Mara remained silent and continued to stare at the ground. A smirk now adorned Wyatt's face. "If I wanted you dead you would not have survived this long."

That made sense in Mara's head, but she remained still. She had tempted fate once today, and she daren't risk tempting it once may have spared her, but her attitude remained and at the moment she did not trust her mouth.

Growling Wyatt roughly grabbed Mara's face and forced her to look at him. After a few seconds Mara threw caution to the wind and glared at him intently. A deep chuckle reverberated through Wyatt's chest. "Now there's the defiance I love." He released her face and walked around to the opposite side of the throne.

Mara gently moved her jaw and winced when it clicked. "Ow," she deadpanned, her back still facing Wyatt.

She turned around to see him leaning slightly against the throne. "For some reason, I find your wit amusing." His arms were positioned on the arm of the throne and his head tilted up at her.

"Yeah, you mentioned that already." Mara retorted.

Wyatt looked taken aback for a brief moment. Recognition adorned his face suddenly and he leaned back with a breathy laugh. "Ah. The Resistance witch."

"One of many."

Mara's hands began to cramp and she searched about the room. Locating a stump large enough for the tray to rest on, she headed towards it.

"You seem incapable of remaining silent." Wyatt's eyes followed the witch.

"Fatal flaw," Mara murmured and slowly lowered the tray.

"One would say. And yet, you always seem to have something of value to bestow. To be able to address the entire cavern requires a certain –" Wyatt paused and watched Mara. She turned around and folded her arms in a defensive pose, hands now devoid of the serving tray.

"– insolence." Wyatt sneered threateningly.

Mara gradually began to move away from the side of cavern and towards the middle where the throne stood. "Or some might say bravery." She stood just behind the throne, not daring to place any of her weight on in. She glanced over at the ruler of the underworld. He stared back.

Minutes passed in uncomfortable silence. For a few moments, Ismara entertained the menacing thought that Wyatt had indeed detected her magic as Bell had forewarned her.

Movement broke her thought pattern and within a few strides Wyatt in all his glory stood before her, his added height allowing him to tower over him. "Tomorrow do not collect a serving tray." The witchlighter's sudden movement and statement caused Mara to stumble back slightly, her mind dazed.

"You're firing me? Thanks Skippy, made my day." Mara sharp tongue betrayed her before her common sense could return.

Wyatt raised his arm ready to strike her and Mara felt herself flinch slightly. Wyatt stopped his hand and instead clenched it tightly; his teeth grating and a growl escaped his lips. "No."

Ismara could see his self restraint waning and she subconsciously took a step back out of his range. At her actions, she furiously berated herself. She could be on the opposite side of the room and it wouldn't help her cause.

Wyatt watched her movements with a strange fascination. Shaking his head slightly, he moved several feet away and turned back to the witch. "Another girl will serve. I want you to put your razor sharp tongue to use."

Mara's face went blank and she tilted it slightly to the left. 'What on Earth is he talking about?' Ismara's mind was jumbled and she struggled to make sense of Wyatt's rather vague statement. She despised guessing games. No had dared to play 'Twenty Questions' with her as a child, the game would usually end with her stalking out of the room in annoyance.

"You've been right the past two times. Perhaps you can keep up that streak."

Mara felt her face remain blank and she struggled to keep her mouth from dropping open in shock. He wanted her to what? Offer advice? This was way outside her pay grade. She swallowed and slowly sifted through her thoughts. It could help her. There was a good chance it would give her more freedom, she would be once step closer to escaping.

Ismara shook her head to clear the cobwebs. Wyatt leaned forward slightly. "What? Cat got your tongue?" the dark humour within his voice was clearly heard. Mara felt her lip twitch. "No," her voice indignant.

"You're dismissed." And with a wave of his hand Wyatt turned and walked over to the throne. Mara released a breathy sigh and turned to leave. She had gone nought a few meters when she stopped at the entrance to the tunnel. A sinking feeling filled her stomach. She had no idea where to go.

True she had been working, if you could call it working, in the underworld for a few months but any attempt of hers to memorise the routes often caused her head to ache. The labyrinth passageways seemed to change each day and Ismara swore that someone had enchanted them.

She started forwards but halted after a few seconds. There was no way she was walking through the underworld alone. It was suicide.

A deep chuckle echoed about the cavern and Ismara turned to see that Wyatt had yet to leave the room. "Lost?" he mocked with a smile set upon his lips that caused an uneasiness within Ismara.

Mara's face hardened and she glared at him with as much intensity as she dared. "It's not my fault your corridors are so darn confusing."

Wyatt shook his head at the young witch. She most definitely possessed spark, and openly opposed him. Something he hadn't seen since Chris. An unknown feeling hit Wyatt in the chest and he frowned. Glancing up to see Ismara looking at him he waved his hand and watched as the young witch disappeared in a fury of orbs.

Furrowing his brow he stalked out of the throne room and down a branched corridor. The corridor was barely lit and the walls held darker tones than the rest of the system. Water dripped down from the ceiling every few meters and Wyatt skilfully dodged each drop with a certain elegance.

His stride slowed slightly and a quick left turn saw him descending a flight of stairs deep down into the underworld.

He came to a halt outside a wooden door. It had definitely seen better days, a bolt was fixed across it and two demons stood guard outside. Stopping in front of them, he looked between them. "Open it," he hissed, his hazel eyes flashing dangerously.

One demon waved his hand across the door and a blue force field disengaged, and the second demon quickly opened the door for the twice-blessed, before following him inside the dimly lit room.

Stalking inside Wyatt lit the torch in the corner with an energy ball and glared at the room before him. A large well stood in the centre, filled with a dark liquid and a bundle lay next to it. Walking over to it, he kicked it roughly with his boot.

"Comfortable Seer?" he scorned. The bundle slowly moved and a pale woman stood, her left leg encased within a shackle that was in turn attached the to the well.

"I see your humour remains." Her spite was clear and she shuffled slowly to the edge of the well, careful not to jar her ankle.

Around the shackle black bruises had formed and grazes encircled her pale ankle where the Seer had struggled to escape her bindings. A black sarong was wrapped around her waist and a rather tiny and ripped shirt donned her upper body.

"Well next time you decide to overthrow me," Wyatt leaned over closer, "plan a little better" he mock-whispered and went to stand on the other side of the pool.

"Next time I'll be prepared." The Seer spat at the witchlighter across the pool.

Looking down at her Wyatt grimaced. "Pleasant. Enough stalling, do it," he commanded pointing down at the pool.

"Do what?" the Seer shrugged nonchalantly.

Wyatt growled and leaned across the well and grabbed the Seer by the arm. "Don't play dumb with me. Look into the future or the past, whatever the pool shows you. I don't have time for your games."

The Seer ripped her arm away from his grasp and began to slowly stir the water with her fingertips. "What's wrong?" she teased. "Something spooked you?" Wyatt remained silent. A large smile broke onto the Seer's face. "Or someone?"

The witchlighter glared at her and pointed once more at the water. "Look. I won't ask a second time." Wyatt's fingers began to crackle with energy and he glared pointedly at the Seer.

"Fine." The Seer peered into the pool and sighed. "The future remains uncertain; ever since your brother went back the waters haven't been as reliable. The possibilities merge and split within seconds."

She looked up at Wyatt and sighed. "I'm sorry ok? I wish I could give you a straight answer, the entire underworld is on edge but I can't force the waters. I don't know what your brother's doing in the past but whatever it is, it's definitely changing something."

Stopping the Seer glanced across the pool to gauge the witchlighter's reaction but instead Wyatt's gaze was fixed solely at the waters.

Watching the small ripples move through the water, Wyatt was consumed by his thoughts. The Seer hadn't exactly quelled his uneasiness about the Resistance witch. If she was a plant the Seer couldn't tell.

Wyatt wouldn't put it past the Resistance to allow one of their own to be captured; if they indeed believed that her dry wit and careless attitude would allow them to gain a foothold within the underworld. He remembered stories about similar battle tactics from when he was a child, the library at Magic School had been fraught with knowledge of every previous battle fought.

"The future would be clearer if you allowed us to go back my lord." One of the demons at the door had approached and stood to his left. Wyatt glared heatedly at the being, but the demon continued oblivious to the trouble that was brewing. "Just a strike force. We can get in, kill that meddling witchlighter and get out before anyone even notices our presence."

Wyatt stood back up and turned to face the demon. He held his hands behind his back, and an energy ball gradually formed. "Is that so?"

The demon nodded but a frown formed as he took in the snarl that now adorned Wyatt's face. His hand shot forward and the demon was vanquished in a ball of flame and screaming.

Turning to the accompanying demon he grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and thrust him against the wall. "No one goes back to the past. No one. Understand?" Wyatt's voice rose to an enraged scream and the demon gulped before shimmering out.

Growling, Wyatt swiped at the wall and watched in satisfaction when several large rocks crumbled to the ground. Paying no attention to the stunned Seer he left in a flourish and slammed the door behind him.

Ascending the stairs Wyatt took to muttering under his breath. He didn't need to go back to the past. No one did. Chris would find out that there was no way to 'save' him, because he was never corrupted. There was no evil, no good just power. Why couldn't he see it? It infuriated the ruler to his wit's end.

Emerging from the side tower he slammed his fist into the wall in anger and the entire tunnel shook from the force.

His brother would find out. This future, his empire would never disappear no matter how many demons Chris would vanquish in the past. There was no solution, simply because there was no problem. If Chris and his pitiful Resistance wouldn't listen to reason, then they learn the hard way; Wyatt would make sure of it.


Ismara withdrew the needle from her arm, its barrel half filled with the liquid and disposed of the remaining evidence. Her stomach still felt slightly queasy from her orbing earlier.

To say she had been shocked when she had felt her body dissolve into the minute orbs would be an immense understatement. Her shock had quickly morphed into confusion when she found herself within the bathing room.

After mindlessly cleaning herself, she had followed two other girls to the mess hall and immediately had been all but tackled by Liz and Bell.

They both had feared the worst and were quick to assume that Mara wouldn't return. Her explanation had left much to be desired and neither of them possessed any answers to Mara's worrying questions. What was so special about her? Why was she to be made this advisor-person?

Lying back on the hard mattress she peered over at Liz, who had recently migrated to the bunk that lay to Mara's right. Bell had fallen asleep the second her head hit the pillow and Liz had taken it upon herself to administer Bell's potion. "Liz?" Mara whispered fiercely.

The red head looked over at Mara and rolled onto her side to fully face the witch. "Why does Wyatt need me?" Seeing the confusion upon her friend's face she elaborated.

"My outbursts of so called 'valuable' information could be noticed by almost anyone. Everyone knows about Scabber demon's lairs, and the morality of the Resistance, not to mention countless other things that I," she paused slightly.

"That I would have no idea about. So why me?" she enunciated the final question and furrowed her eyebrows. It didn't make any sense, and that annoyed Mara to no end.

"Truthfully? In all the underworld, you're properly the least bias." Liz held up a hand to stop Mara's protests. "The creatures down here would say anything about each other to get into Wyatt's good graces, even false accusation as you have previously seen. You on the other hand have no such desire." Liz stopped for a second and looked over Mara. "At least I don't think you do?"

Ismara lightly glared at her friend, "No. Of course I don't."

"Good to hear." Liz nodded and waited for a second or two. "I think sometimes even Wyatt craves someone that isn't interested in ass-kissing, someone to notice things that his blinkered vision wouldn't even consider."

Watching the imaginary clogs turn within Mara's head, Liz sighed. "Don't read too much into it. Just get some sleep and see what happens tomorrow. Okay?"

Ismara gave a hesitant nod. "Okay."

Allowing her head to fall back onto the pillow, Ismara attempted to will herself to sleep. Her time in the Underworld wasn't exactly shaping up to what Mara had expected and to be honest? That frightened the young witch more than any encounter with Wyatt ever could.


Please review with any thoughts. Any thought at all. ;D