Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.
AN: Thank you very, very much for the reviews! I was hoping to update last Friday night... but oh well. Here it is the next chapter, I hope you like it.
This chapter it's not beta'ed. I'm sorry for any mistakes there.
Chapter 6
"Leo! LEO!" Paige yelled hysterically before her orbs reformed in her bedroom. She yelled again when she reformed fully and helped Chris in a more comfortable position in her bed. A pained frown marred his face and she touched softly his bloodied cheek. "Shh, it's ok little angel. Leo is going to heal you and you're going to be just fine."
Leo appeared in a flurry of orbs just as the door opened and Piper and Phoebe banged in. "What's hap…" Piper started to ask but let out a gasp when she saw Chris. Phoebe bit her lip and grabbed her sister's arm tightly.
Leo's face blanched when he saw his son's state. He reached for him and extended his hands to heal him. "What happened, Paige?" he asked and then released a breath when his hands started to glow with his healing touch.
Piper and Phoebe reached Paige's side and peered anxiously, waiting impatiently for the healing to work. Piper felt her eyes burn with tears, just three days ago she had seen her son in that state, bleeding and in intense pain. Now he was like that again and she felt a cold shiver down her spine. She felt Phoebe's hand in her arm and hold onto her tightly, afraid that if she didn't have Phoebe's support her knees would fail.
Paige wriggled her hands nervously. "I don't know," she choked. "I found him like this in P3." They stood in silence for a few moments, hoping desperately that Leo's healing glow would save Chris.
Leo frowned, he could feel that the energy ball's burn and the knife wound were healed, but Chris was still hurt and unconscious. There was something really wrong there. He closed his eyes and focused more in healing his boy.
"Leo, what's happening?" Piper started to ask with an anxious tone. "Why is he still unconscious?" She stared at her son's face and the tears fell. He looked so hurt and vulnerable and that broke her heart.
Leo didn't answer for a while, too focused in healing his son. After a couple of minutes he opened his eyes and his shoulders slumped. There was something really wrong in his son's body. He raised his eyes and saw the three scared and worried faces of the sisters. "I-I don't know. There's something really wrong at his end." He stared at his hands. "I healed the knife wound and the energy ball injury, but he's still injured and in grave danger."
"Then heal him!" Piper yelled, the grip of fear taking hold of her heart.
"I can't, Piper! There is something inside of him blocking my power! I don't know what it is, but I know it's serious." He finished brokenly and stared at the boy. He felt incredibly scared for his son's life, besides his own sense of failure. He was failing his son… again.
Piper let out a sob and freed herself from Phoebe's grasp. She sat at her husband's side and took hold of Chris' hand. "Baby, please, hold on." She said while tears fell down her cheeks. "Wake up, please. Wake up."
Paige left the room and ran to the bathroom. She opened the cabinet and grabbed a basin. She filled it with water and then grabbed a couple of towels. She swiftly walked back to her bedroom and sat at her nephew's side, opposite Piper and Leo. Phoebe was watching anxiously behind the distraught parents.
Paige put the basin in the nightstand and started the process of cleaning and refreshing Chris' face. She couldn't stand to see him bloody and dirty, it was too much for her. Besides, she needed to do something for her nephew. Maybe the water in his face would rouse him.
Seeing her sister's actions, Piper got up and walked to the other side of the bed, where Paige was cleaning Chris' face. She grabbed the other towel and helped her sister. She touched her son's cheek for the first time and felt that she could burst from emotion.
Paige saw her and nodded stiffly, knowing that Piper needed it too. She didn't want to upset the temporary truce that they had reached the day before. Suddenly she was hit by an idea. She looked up and locked eyes with Phoebe. "Please try to get a premonition out of him, see who did this to him." She pleaded softly and the parents looked at Phoebe with blind hope.
Phoebe nodded and reached for Chris' hand. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her nephew, trying to get a premonition from him. A couple of minutes passed and nothing happened. She frowned and concentrated harder, desperate to do something to help her nephew.
Almost five minutes later she opened her eyes and her shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, I can't. I try and try and I can't." Tears of disappointment fell down her face.
Leo squeezed her arm. "It's ok Phoebe, we know you tried your best." He tried to hide his disappointment and worry from the empath.
He stared at his son and saw that the boy was frowning in pain and his heart clenched. "Hey buddy, are you with us?" he asked softly and raised his hands to try to heal him. It wouldn't cure him but hopefully it would ease his suffering, at least a little bit.
Chris moaned softly and all the family closed on him, paying him their utmost attention.
Phoebe squeezed his hand. "Please sweetie, wake up."
After a few moments, Chris managed to open his eyes and Piper gasped at the pain present in his green eyes. The boy tried to move but could not do it and whimpered in pain when he felt his insides turn.
Paige swallowed and finished rinsing his face with careful and soft movements. Piper did the same and folded her hands in her lap, she was itching to grab her boy and never let go, but was scared of his reaction and didn't want to upset him in his present condition.
"Hey there, little angel," Paige said softly while she caressed his long bangs. His eyes rolled trying to focus on her and she moved to sit in front of him. She grabbed his free hand and squeezed softly. "We need to know who did this to you, honey. Do you remember anything? Can you talk?"
Chris swallowed. "H-hurts." He choked out.
"I know you're hurting, buddy, but I can't heal you. There's something blocking my power." Leo said with sympathy and Chris stared at him confusedly. "Please, try to remember who did this to you so we can search for a cure."
Chris closed his eyes and his family was scared that he was losing consciousness again. They let out a relieved sigh when he opened his eyes again and locked eyes with Paige's. "Xanchek… Knife… Poison…" he gasped and then coughed up blood. Paige grabbed a tissue from her nightstand a cleaned the blood while she cried softly.
"What else, Chris? Do you remember anything else?" asked Piper urgently, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of his blood. Chris slightly shook his head. "Leo, go get the Book of Shadows." She prompted and Leo orbed out swiftly.
The sisters stayed in silence for a few seconds, too overwhelmed with Chris' dire situation. Finally Phoebe opened her mouth to speak. "I can't stand his pain, I'm going to search for sedatives or something." She stood up and got out from the room.
A moment later Leo appeared with the Book and Piper took it gratefully. She started to pass the pages rapidly, her eyes moving wildly searching for Xanchek's entry.
Leo sat again at his son's side and tried to heal him again. Chris opened his eyes and stared at him confusedly. "W-what are you doing, Leo?" he asked with a raspy voice.
Leo flinched at the sound of his name. Never in his life had he thought that his name sounded wrong, but now he did. "I'm trying to make you feel better, buddy." He said softly while looking warmly at his son.
Chris coughed again, but thankfully didn't bleed this time. "Don't bother," he wheezed. "Not working."
Leo tried to hide his hurt expression, but couldn't manage it completely. It hurt him his son's treatment, but he would have to take it because he deserved it.
In that moment Phoebe entered the room with a glass of water and various tablets. She put the glass on the nightstand and chose two sedatives. Piper stopped searching the Book for a moment, looked up at Phoebe with pleading eyes and she relented it, giving the pills to her older sister.
Piper smiled softly in appreciation and touched softly her baby's arm. "Baby, I need you to drink some pills that will make you feel better, ok?" Chris looked at her though narrowed eyes and then closed his eyes, ignoring her. "Chris, please!" she pleaded.
"Don't wanna." He wheezed and his family sighed.
Paige took the pills and decided to try herself. "For me, little angel? Would you drink those pills for you Auntie? Pretty please?" she asked softly, hoping that he would accept.
For a few seconds nothing happened and Paige was starting to come up with another route to convince him. Then, he opened his mouth and she gave him the pills and a few sips of water. "Good boy, little angel."
Piper felt deeply hurt by her son's rejection. She took a deep breath trying to calm down and resumed her reading. At least he had taken the sedatives.
Paige caressed his hair fondly and a few minutes later he succumbed into sleep, thanks to the sedatives in his blood. She let out a sigh of relief; at least he wasn't hurting so much anymore.
Piper looked at him with longing, wanting desperately to have the relationship that her sisters had with him, but it would have to wait, she would have to be patient and earn that place. She kept searching in the Book and finally found the demon's entry. "Found it!" she murmured excitedly. Maybe they could save her son now. Her sisters and husband closed on her, all with eager expressions on their faces.
She read the entry slowly and lowly, mindful of the sleeping boy. "Xanchek, high level demon. He was vanquished by the Source in 1689, but was brought back to life by the new Source in 1913 as an ally. His powers are: energy balls, fireballs and shimmering. Rumoured to have a rivalry with the Source who brought him back because he wants the throne for himself. Needs the Power of Three to be vanquished."
Piper turned the page and found no more information. She let out a frustrated growl, that didn't help them in any way to heal Chris.
Phoebe turned to Paige, who was still caressing softly her nephew. "That was the demon whom he was meeting last week, right?"
Paige nodded. "Yeah, but the information in the Book doesn't help us in anything." All of them agreed with her. "The only helpful thing that says is that we have the power to vanquish him, so we will plan our revenge once Chris is out of the woods."
Piper contemplated her son for a few minutes and was hit with sudden inspiration. "A spell!" she exclaimed and everyone looked at her confusedly.
"A spell for what?" asked Phoebe.
"Too see though his memories! That way we will know what Xanchek did to him." She said excitedly, already starting to think up the spell.
Leo hated to burst her bubble, but had to do it. "Honey, I don't think we have time to see all through his memories right now."
Piper rolled her eyes. "Of course not, Leo. The spell will be for this specific memory. Besides, I don't want to kill off completely whatever relationship I have with him right now." She took a pause and looked at all of them. "Look at him, whatever it is, is eating at him. I have a feeling that he won't," her voice broke. "Last much if we don't do something. I think a spell is the only option."
All by one agreed to her logic and Phoebe stood up. "I'm going to look for a pen and paper. I will write the spell in a jiffy." She left the room.
Paige locked eyes with Piper. "I think you should call Darryl and see if he and Sheyla can take care of Wyatt. I don't know how long this is going to take us and right now Chris needs our utmost attention.
Both parents nodded and left the room to take care of Wyatt. Paige kissed her nephew's temple softly. "You'll see, little angel, everything is going to be alright."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Fifteen minutes later they met in the attic. Paige had decided to stay and watch over Chris. Leo had already orbed Wyatt to Darryl's.
Phoebe checked for one last time the spell and clucked, it wasn't her best ever but it would have to do. She handed it over to Piper and she nodded after reading it. They joined hands with Leo and recited the spell.
"Blood of our blood is in need of our help
A memory of him is what we need to see
So we can know what was made to him
And in turn bring him the relief he needs"
A few moments later they all gasped and closed their eyes. The memory they were looking for was playing in their minds.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Xanchek walked slowly to him and knelt at his side. "Nice of you to wake up, kid. You've been 'asleep' for over twelve hours." He paused and eyed him with hate. "I have to admit it boy, you're hard to get. My minion followed you for many days until your reflexes were low enough for him to make his move against you." He smirked maliciously and eyed the pile of ashes of Caleb's burned body.
Chris scowled at him and tried to move his hands to toss around the demon. He felt searing pain and bit his lower lip to stop the cries of pain.
Xanchek laughed out loud. "I wouldn't move much if I were you, boy. I have put on you a nice pair of bracelets that will block any of your active powers, so don't even try to hurt me, kid."
Chris frowned when he saw the bracelets on his wrists. "What have you done to me, demon?" he asked upset.
"Nothing that you don't deserve, you lying and manipulating boy. Did you think that I wouldn't realize that you are half witch, half whitelighter and the son of a Charmed One?" he asked harshly and Chris swallowed, realizing for the first time that he was in a dire situation. "I will have to teach you a lesson, boy, so you won't mess with your superiors ever again."
Chris couldn't help but laugh at Xanchek's last words. "My superiors? You've got to be kidding me, disgusting piece of filth. You're just a Source wannabe that won't get anywhere. I won't allow it," he finished saying, trying to sound sure of himself while he desperately tried to plan his way out of the mess.
Xanchek smirked and an energy ball appeared in his hand, he threw it at Chris' right leg and the boy screamed in pain, feeling his leg burning. "That's rich coming from the boy who is lying in my cavern helpless and screaming in pain. I will teach you real pain for trying to best me, kid."
With those words the high level demon pulled out an athame from his robe and stared to trace Chris' face with it, enjoying it when the boy started to bleed and swallowed hard. "You know, the blade of this knife is poisoned with Tronemeheride, a powerful substance that will destroy your internal organs in the space of fourty-eight hours," he smirked. "I have heard that it's quite painful for the victim." He shoved the knife in Chris abdomen and smiled in satisfaction when the young man screamed in pain and tears fell down his face, mixing with the blood and dirt.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"Oh God!" Piper cried when the memory finished. "That frigging bastard! I will kill him with my own hands!" she was so upset that a flower vase exploded behind her. Leo and Phoebe were so overwhelmed that barely noted the explosion.
Leo was pulled out from his homicidal thoughts by his wife's screams. He grabbed her by the shoulders and talked to her with a steady voice. "I think I know which poison is Tronemeheride, it's a really dark one. I will have to go and talk to the other Elders, ok?" she looked at him confused, not understanding why he was going to leave their son. He shook her a bit. "They will know about the antidote, Piper! That's why my healing is not working, we need an antidote and the Elders will know about it." Piper finally understood and nodded. He orbed out.
Phoebe squeezed Piper's hand, sympathising with her sister's pain. "Let's go. He needs us." She said quietly.
Piper nodded and started to walk out of the attic. When they were reaching Paige's bedroom she stopped. "I will make him some soup or something. Maybe that will make him feel a little bit better." She said while biting her lower bit.
Phoebe nodded and Piper walked swiftly down the stairs.
Phoebe took a deep breath to calm down her rapidly beating heart. She had felt so much rage while watching the memory playing in her mind. She felt helpless and desperate to save Chris from that pain. She entered the room quietly and smiled softly when she saw that Chris was conscious again. He was leaning against Paige's shoulder and she was murmuring endearments to him.
She sat at his side and took hold of his hand. He looked at her and managed to smile a little. "Hey there, sweetie. Do you feel any better?" she asked.
"A little." He rasped out. "Although, I have been better."
Phoebe caressed his forehead. "I can imagine that, sweetie. Just, hold on, ok? We already know the name of the poison so Leo is investigating for the antidote, ok? Hold on a little bit and we will save you." She finished while squeezing his hand, trying to give him some strength. He looked too small and vulnerable in that bed, his cheeks pale, pained eyes and laboured breathing.
Chris squeezed her hand back, starting to feel drained again. The sedatives he had taken a while before were running out of effect and he felt that it was getting more and more difficult to stay conscious and alert. He thought about what she had said and a small frown marred his face. Leo was looking for an antidote. Then any hope of surviving this ordeal was lost. He didn't trust Leo because he had never delivered before in his life. Time after time he had been let down by his so called father, and this would not be an exception to the rule.
"Won't work," he started to murmur, and his aunts had to strain their ears to hear him. "Leo won't deliver and I will die."
Both sisters sucked in their breaths at his words. He thought he was going to die and he didn't trust his own father to cure him.
Phoebe found her voice and spoke with a calming tone. "Leo loves you, Chris. You are his son. He will find the ingredients of the antidote and we will make it, ok? Then you will be alright and itching to get out of our grasps."
"Don't know," he choked out. "He's never been there for me." He finished saying and closed his eyes in pain; the girls thought that he was probably remembering Leo's futures failures.
Phoebe was surprised at this. She remembered a few nights ago when he got defensive when they mentioned Leo, but she didn't know it was this serious. She still was upset with his brother in law for his treatment of Chris, but she didn't think he was a bad father. "Chris, sweetheart, I know Leo loves you. You haven't seen him this past few days, he hates himself for the way he treated you and is capable to do anything, anything to earn your forgiveness and love." She took a pause and draw comforting circles in her nephew's wrist. "I know you and I have had problems in this timeline, but I have trouble understanding how he could be a bad father in the future." She paused at his glare. "Not that I don't believe you, because I do. It's just…" she shrugged. "He's such a good father to Wyatt and loves you already." She finished saying.
Chris opened his mouth to respond but closed it again when a wave of pain travelled down his body. Paige offered him some water and he took a sip or two. "Well, he's not a good father in the future. Not to me or Wyatt." He wheezed and then coughed.
Paige helped him into a more comfortable position. "Shh, take it easy, ok? Try to rest and don't talk too much." He nodded weakly and she glared at her sister, silently admonishing her for upsetting him.
Phoebe nodded and kept caressing his wrist, offering him silent support and love. They all stayed in silence for some time while Chris tried to control his breathing.
Phoebe looked at her watch and realized that it had been one hour since Leo left to investigate the antidote and three hours since Chris appeared in the backroom of P3. A thought suddenly hit her with the strength of a truck. The poison ran its course in 48 hours. How much had Chris left? Her breath quickened when she thought about the possibility of losing her nephew. No, no, no!
She closed her eyes and tried to calm down; she didn't want to upset him further. "Sweetheart, do you remember what time it was when Xanchek hurt you with the athame?" she asked trying to hide the anxiousness and terrible fear she felt in that moment.
Chris frowned trying to remember. "Monday, I think. Noon maybe." He managed to say.
The empath let out a huge sigh of relief. They still had time. "Thank God!" she exclaimed and kissed her nephew's temple.
"What are you talking about, Phoebe?" Paige asked confused. She hadn't seen the memory, so she didn't know the properties of the poison running in her nephew's bloodstream.
Phoebe opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Piper's arrival. She entered the room carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and some crackers.
"Hey!" she greeted softly. "I made you some chicken soup, it will make you better." She said with a light smile, her eyes begging him to accept it and not reject her again.
"Sorry, I don't feel like it." He said and winced a little at Piper's broken expression.
Phoebe tried to sooth the situation. "Piper is right, Chris. You haven't eaten in days. Try to eat something." She said softly and patted his wrist.
Chris smiled softly at his aunt and Piper felt her heart clench. She longed for him to smile at her like that.
Seeing his aunt's pleading expression, Chris relented. "Ok, I will try some." He said and both aunts helped him into a reclining position in the bed. Piper sighed and put the tray in his legs. He tried to raise his hand to grab the teaspoon but felt too weak. He let out a frustrated sigh.
"I will help you, baby." Piper said eagerly and he scowled a bit at her.
"No. I can do it myself. Thanks anyway." He said. With a supreme effort he managed to rise the teaspoon and tried some of Piper's soup. He couldn't help but feel better at this. This was his comfort food, his mother made it to him every time he felt sick. He locked eyes with Piper and saw her hurt eyes. Some part of him felt some vindictive pleasure, but the other part of him felt a bit bad. He sighed and decided to be a little less cold, at least for the time being. "Thanks, Piper. It's good." He said softly and kept eating.
A couple of tears fell down Piper's cheeks. Lately she could do nothing but cry. The sound of her name in his lips sounded horrible and the looks he sent her way were painful. She could see he was really hurt by her past actions and that broke her heart.
But, even if he was hurting because of her, he tried to ease some of her pain a moment ago by thanking her for the soup. That made her smile though her tears, he was good like that. "You're welcome, Chris. You'll see it will make you better." She responded sweetly.
He couldn't help but remember one of the many times his mother had said something like that to him when he was a child.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Eight year old Chris whimpered in pain and clutched his stomach. "Mommy, hurts." He chocked.
Piper pulled him into her lap and kissed his forehead. "I know, Peanut. If I could take away your pain I would do it in a second, baby. Now eat some soup, it will help settle your stomach and you will feel better, ok?" she asked softly and he nodded weakly.
Piper smiled in satisfaction and sat him in the bed against a pile of pillows. She put the tray over his legs and he grabbed the teaspoon but didn't eat. "Go on, Peanut. It will make you feel better." He nodded but stayed put. "Do you trust mommy, Chris?"
He looked up. "Yeah, I trust you mommy."
Piper smiled and ruffled his dark mop of hair. "Good, because mommy would never lead you wrong. Eat something and then I will give you your medicine, ok? But you need some food on your stomach. Please, baby, eat something."
He took a deep breath and filled the teaspoon with chicken soup. He started to eat slowly and Piper let out a relieved sigh.
"You're such a good boy, Peanut." He smiled at her and she returned it with a goofy smile of her own. "Mommy loves you very, very much, Peanut. You'll feel better after this, I promise." With those words she kissed him in the head and watched him fondly while he ate the soup.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
He sighed and the three girls looked at him. He flushed slightly and put the teaspoon in the tray. "No more, please." He said.
"Are you sure?" asked Piper. He had eaten very little. Just a few teaspoons and a cracker.
He nodded and laid back against the pillows. Piper took the tray from his legs and stood up. "I will be back in a jiffy." She said and walked out of the room.
Chris closed his eyes and tried to rest. He had felt incredibly uncomfortable a moment ago when he had remembered his mother. He couldn't compare his mother with Piper just because she had made him food. They were completely different and he wasn't ready to give Piper a chance to become the mother he remembered from his childhood and early teenage years. He still felt hurt by her past words and actions and wasn't ready to forgive her.
He felt a caress in his chin and opened his eyes. Paige looked at him with a sad smile. "Rest a bit, honey. Everything will be better when you wake up."
He nodded weakly and closed his eyes again. He didn't think that things would be better when he woke up. If he woke up. He was feeling worst by the minute and didn't trust in Leo to come up with the antidote.
Phoebe and Paige watched over him for a few minutes until he fell asleep. Both sighed, got up from the bed and got out from the room.
"Where is Leo, Phoebe? What's taking him so long?" Paige asked her urgently in the hallway.
"I don't know, sweetie. I just hope he gets here soon. The poison is eating at him." She finished brokenly and both embraced tightly, trying to give and receive some sort of comfort.
A couple of minutes later Leo appeared in a flurry of white and blue orbs. The sisters separated from the embrace and looked at him with blind hope. "Find anything?" Paige asked.
Leo nodded gravely. "Yes. I talked to the Elders and they told me that the poison and the antidote appeared in the Grimoire. So I went to West Andes and searched for the Source's Grimoire." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fortunately, the poison it's in there, so I copied down the ingredients needed to make the antidote." He pulled out a piece of paper from his shirt.
The girls sighed in relief and Paige snatched the piece of paper, her eyes moving rapidly over the contents of the paper. "We have almost everything here. I will start immediately on the potion." She moved to Leo and signalled a couple of ingredients in the paper. "I will need some of these. Can you get them?"
"I will get them. You go and start with the rest of the ingredients. She nodded and with a last look at the occupant of her bedroom moved down the stairs. Leo took a peak at the sleeping figure. "How he's doing, Phoebe?" he asked worriedly.
"Not good, Leo. He managed to eat some soup, but he's really in bad shape. The sedatives ran its course but we didn't give him some more for fear of an overdose."
"How much time do we have?" he asked remembering the memory.
"A day or so, I reckon."
He let out a sigh a relief, they still had time. Everything would be ok, had to be ok. "I will go and find the ingredients that Paige needs. Be right back." With those words he orbed out.
"Hurry up, Leo. Chris needs you." She murmured and walked down the stairs to see if she was needed in the making of the antidote.
Five minutes later she sat again at her nephew's side. Her sisters had everything under control in the kitchen. She sighed and grabbed his hand again, not really knowing if she was doing that to comfort him or comfort herself.
"To be continued…"
AN2: Don't forget to review, please ;)