Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.

AN: I'm so sorry for the long wait, but I've been a little busy (classes started) and since I didn't have a beta, I didn't want to post. Thankfully, I found one for this chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the lovely reviews, too. :)

This chapter was beta'ed by the awesome sunsetdreamer. Thank you so much!

Chapter 7

*Twenty minutes later*

"Pass me the spider's silk, please." Piper said to Paige, without raising her eyes from the ingredients on the table.

Paige passed her the ingredient and then went back to her chopping. A few moments later she raised her eyes and watched the clock. It was eleven forty in the evening. She had found Chris more than five hours ago. It felt so much longer than that. She sighed and Piper looked at her confusedly.

Paige decided to talk about her feelings. Even if she and Piper were standing on shaky ground, she needed to talk to someone. "I feel… confused." She said while she deposited the belladonna in the bowl and grabbed the frog's eyes.

"Confused about what, Paige?" the oldest sister asked.

Paige raised the frog's eyes, stared at them with distaste and then put them carefully outside of the bowl. "I have never been of the mushy type, you know? I even formed part of a small group of anti-sappy people in high school where we made fun of the sweet and lovable people. I'm not very good at comforting people or saying sweet and kind words." She shrugged and stared at her sister, who by this point was paying her utmost attention. "I don't like to talk around the issue, I like to grab the bull by its horns and be done with it. I just… don't do sweet." She finished lamely and stared at Piper, hoping she would understand where she was going.

Piper eyed her. "I know that, Paige. But I don't understand exactly what it is you're trying to say." She finished softly, her eyes pleading her sister to go on, to confide in her, to forgive and trust her again.

Paige saw that look and relented. "When Wyatt was born I felt this amazing feeling in my chest. I loved him instantly and made a promise to myself that I would always be there for him. That feeling has been growing steadily since his birth." She took a pause and stared at the kitchen's ceiling. "When I found out about Chris' identity I felt the same. This huge and irrational love and need to protect. The following days after his secret came out were really hard on me; I felt, still feel by the way, so much guilt and shame for our actions towards him that I had a hard time concentrating or thinking about anything else but him. And… this confuses me and scares me, a lot. At least with Wyatt I had your entire pregnancy to get used to being an Auntie and to having that deep feeling. With Chris it was just… instantaneous and I didn't have time to prepare for this onslaught of emotions." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Piper grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "As I said before, I don't usually do sweet, just sarcastic. But with him, I have whispered sweet nothings in his ear trying to make him feel good. When he smiled at me the other night I melted. I melted, Piper. I feel like… I'm a pile of goo on his hands, and this is a new sensation for me. I used to laugh at Phoebe when she made stupid faces at Wyatt and stuff like that; and now I'm doing those things with Chris. Not the faces, mind you. He would scowl at me and wouldn't talk to me for ages." She finished smiling softly.

Piper laughed softly at that last comment. "Yeah, I can picture his face if you suddenly started to make faces at him." She took a pause and locked eyes with her baby sister. "I guess that your maternal instincts are kicking in."

"But I don't want to have a child yet." Paige said confusedly.

Piper smiled at her confused face. "My maternal instincts kicked in when I was in a biology class in 8th grade. Not that I wanted to have children at the time." She drew comforting circles on Paige's arm. "I'm not an Aunt yet. I became a mother first, which I guess is the ultimate feeling for a woman. Maybe an Aunt love is the next best thing. What you described just now is pretty much what I feel for him or Wyatt. Maybe my feelings are stronger because he's my son, but I'm guessing you will feel that same way when you have children of your own."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." She took a pause and smiled broadly. "Being an Auntie rocks." She said softly, and then frowned. "How can I control these emotions flowing though me? I don't want to smother the kid."

"That's a hard question you got there, Paige. I don't think I have a good answer for that." She took a deep breath and tilted her head. "I guess the best thing is time. Time will help you and I control these emotions. Right now I feel an overpowering need to nurture and protect Wyatt because he's a little and defenceless baby." She laughed at her sister's incredulous look. "He may be the Twice Blessed child and have a shield and the ability to summon a dragon from the TV, but he's still a baby who needs his parents and aunts to love him, protect him and care for him. So yeah, even with all his power he's defenceless in the grand scheme of things. Maybe when he's older, and I mean way older, like thirty or so, I will have a much better control over my feelings and needs."

"Do you feel like that with Chris, even if he's an adult?" Paige asked softly.

"Yeah," Piper started to say softly. "My first born is just ten months old, Paige. I'm not ready to see my child flying out of the nest. Neither of them. Big Chris arrived in a point in my life where I'm new to motherhood, when I'm learning and experiencing new and wondrous things. Just because he's an adult doesn't mean that I don't feel the urge to wrap him in my arms and never let go for fear that something might happen to him while I'm not watching." She shrugged and looked out of the window. "I'm scared for these feelings too, you know. A few days ago I wished he could disappear," her voice broke at those words. "And now I love him so, so much. The past few hours have been hell, Paige. I was just beginning to wrap my head around the image of him being hurt by me, and now he's hurt again, poisoned by a son of a bitch who wanted to teach him a lesson. Seeing him in your bed, bleeding and whimpering in pain…" A sob escaped her lips and she hid her face in her hands.

Paige hugged her tightly. "It's an awful and maddening feeling, this useless. We are his family and the Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches in history, and we can't heal him." The two of them embraced in silence for a couple of minutes, just enjoying being this close again. "He will be ok, Piper. Leo will come back soon with the remaining ingredients, and we will prepare the antidote. You'll see." She said softly while she played with her sister's long hair.

"God, Paige, I hope so. I can't l-lose him."

"You won't. He will be ok and then you will be able to have a chance to earn his forgiveness and trust."

Piper broke the embrace and stared at her sister with blind hope. "Do you think that he'll forgive me?" she asked anxiously.

Paige sighed. "In the premonition Phoebe and I had of him," she swallowed. "He looked broken when he held you in his arms." She paused and squeezed her sister's hand. "I know that he has trouble seeing you as his mother." Piper closed her eyes in pain and guilt. "But, you can earn that place, Piper. Don't give up. He's tight lipped and hard to deal with at times. But he's a good kid at heart, and I'm sure, even if he doesn't admit it for the life of him, that deep down in his heart, he needs his mom." She finished with blurred eyes. "That's why I've been so mad at you. He told Phoebe and me that his mother was perfect. In the couple of times I have been able to talk to him, I have seen that he's in a lot of pain. He hides it well but I was able to see it. And the fact that we helped in that pain, just breaks me." She took a pause, trying to calm down. It wouldn't do to break down at the moment; they still had to do a potion. "Last friday night Phoebe and I managed to break a little through his wall, and then you said all those awful things about him, about us, and that hurt him so much. He tried to deny it to me, but I knew that your words broke him."

Piper sobbed and embraced her sister again. "How am I going to earn his forgiveness, Paige? I screwed up so badly!"

"Be there for him, Piper. Show him how much you love him. Try to understand and help him." She broke the embrace and wiped her eyes. "It won't be easy, but we'll be there for you." She finished and smiled softly.

Piper smiled too. "You forgive me, then?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I forgive you. I have seen you in the last couple of days. I think you're punishing yourself enough. You don't need more recriminations coming from me. As Phoebe said, we're all at fault."

"But you were not so horrible to him." Piper said quietly.

"No, we weren't. But we were not the most helpful either." She raised her eyes and saw that it was ten minutes past midnight. "Let's go; Leo is going to appear anytime, we must have the rest of the ingredients ready."

"Yeah, you're right." Piper said and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. The conversation had been really cathartic for the two of them, but they really needed to finish slicing and preparing the ingredients for the antidote.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Phoebe sighed and stared at her nephew. His cheeks were starting to flush and sweat was forming on his brow. She frowned and she touched softly his forehead.

She swore lowly when she felt his burning flesh. She bit her lower lip in worry; he was getting worse by the minute. A few minutes later he shook his head and moaned.

"Chris, sweetheart." She said in worry, fear gripping her heart at the sight in front of her. They were starting to lose him.

Chris moaned again. "Bianca." He murmured and his aunt frowned.

"Bianca? Who is Bianca?" Phoebe asked herself aloud. Of course, she didn't get an answer; her nephew was delirious in his fever and pain and was trapped in whatever dream he was having.

She sighed and tried to calm down her racing heart. Her nephew's brow was wrinkled and he had a grimace of pain on his face. He was looking more flushed by the second and his breathing was becoming more and more laboured.

She closed her eyes and prayed that Leo would come soon so her sisters could make the antidote.

She stifled a yawn; it had been a long night. Maybe Xanchek's revenge could wait a few hours, until all of them rested a bit so they could plan a better retribution and actually enjoy it.

She focused her eyes on Chris and saw his pained face and heard his pained whimpers; he was calling for Bianca again. "Darn it, Leo, hurry up!" she murmured, itching to do something to help ease the boy's pain.

A minute or so later her pleas were heard and Leo appeared in a flurry of orbs. "How is he?" he asked with a worried voice as soon as he finished reforming.

"He hasn't woken up since you left." She sniffled a little. "He developed a fever and he's getting worse by the minute, Leo." She stopped her rapt contemplation and turned to her brother in law. "Did you get the ingredients?" she asked hopefully.

Leo nodded and laid a hand on the pocket in his pants.

Phoebe let out a relieved sigh. "Good. Now move along and help my sisters. I'm guessing they must be ready by now."

He nodded but didn't speak. He stared at his son for a few seconds and Phoebe could see the depth of his love and worry.

He was going to orb out but was stopped by his son's murmurs.

"Bianca… I want Bianca…" Chris murmured low in his delirious state and Leo looked confused at his sister in law.

"Who is Bianca?" he asked worriedly.

Phoebe shrugged. "No idea." A small pause. "Hurry up, Leo! We will find out who that girl is when he's cured!"

Leo nodded gravely and orbed out. Phoebe gently caressed his bangs. "Everything is going to be ok, sweetheart. The antidote will be ready at any minute and you will be just fine. Just… slow down with the demon hunting, ok? I don't know if we can take more episodes like this."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Leo orbed in the kitchen and saw the two sisters busy checking the ingredients. A cauldron was already boiling. "Finally! What took you so long?" cried Piper while she stood up and snatched the ingredients from his hand.

"Sorry, I had to go to the Patagonia to search for this particular kind of plant."

"Whatever." Paige dismissed him with her hand while she peered at the ingredients. After a moment or two she stared at her brother in law. "They look good, it will have to do."

With those words she started to prepare the antidote, putting the sliced items in the cauldron.

"Did you see him, Leo? How is he?" asked Piper anxiously while she hovered over her sister, alert if Paige needed any help.

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's getting worse. He broke into a fever and he's delirious. He keeps calling for some girl named Bianca, and it's easy to hear his distress." He said worriedly.

"Bianca? Who's Bianca?" Piper barked.

Leo shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a girlfriend." He said hopelessly, staring a hole into Paige's working hands, urging her to go faster.

"A what?" Piper nearly shrieked, feeling an intense jealousy of her baby boy's possible girlfriend. "He's too young to have a girlfriend!" she said.

Paige snorted. "He's twenty two, Piper. That qualifies as old enough to date." She raised her eyes and gazed at them. "Would you stop hovering over me?" She directed at Piper. "And you, stop boring holes in my hands with your eyes. Jeez, you're making me nervous."

"Sorry." The couple mumbled at the same time and did as she asked. Piper went to Leo and he embraced her, both starting to feel hope that everything would be alright for their young son.

Piper frowned. "I don't like this Bianca."

"You don't even know her, Piper." Paige said without taking her eyes off the cauldron.

Piper raised her chin and eyed her sister defiantly. "Well, if it's true and she's Chris' girlfriend… I don't like her. At all." She finished petulantly.

Leo chuckled softly. "Jealous, are you?"

"Very." Piper nearly growled.

The two of them fell into silence and let Paige concentrate in her work. The minutes passed and the youngest sister busied herself in the potion.

"It's done!" she said excitedly while she raised a cup with the antidote on it. She eyed the clock; it was already one fifteen in the morning.

The married couple stood up and got close to her. They examined the greenish liquid with a critical eye. "It is supposed to be this color?" Piper asked sceptically.

"Yes, the entry in the Grimoire said that it would have to be green." Leo said with a concentrated look in his face.

The sisters nodded stiffly and orbed to Paige's bedroom, intent on giving Chris the antidote as soon as possible.

When they appeared in the bedroom Phoebe eyed them with teary eyes and they felt a pang in their chest.

"What is it?" Piper asked afraid of the answer.

Phoebe wiped her eyes and stood up from her spot in the bed. "He's in so much pain and hot at the moment! I managed to give him other medicines; one sedative and another pill to lower his fever, but nothing is working. Do you have the antidote ready?" she asked hopefully.

Paige raised the cup and sat at Chris' side, careful of not spilling the contents. She caressed his flushed cheek. "Little angel, wake up for Auntie, please." She said softly and he moaned lowly in pain.

Piper sat at his other side and grabbed his hand. "Please, baby. Wake up. We made the antidote. You need to drink it now, baby." She pleaded.

After a few moments he managed to open his eyes, and they all gasped at his pained look. "Hurts." He choked.

Paige caressed his cheek again. "I know that, little angel. Take this and everything will be better."

Phoebe and Piper helped him to sit in the bed and then held him. Paige raised the cup to his lips and he started to drink slowly.

A few moments later he stopped drinking. "Don't like it." He wheezed.

"You have to drink it all, Chris." Leo said sharply. They were so close…

"Please, baby, drink it. There's just a little bit left." Piper said while she squeezed his hand and Paige brought the cup back to his lips.

"Don't wanna…" he whined.

"All of it, Chris." Paige's voice broke no chance and Chris finished the cup. Paige smiled broadly and put the cup on the nightstand. Then she and her sisters helped him back into a comfortable position. "You did well, little angel."

"You're such a good boy, Chris." Phoebe said while tears of relief ran down her cheeks. She ruffled his hair and he tried to scowl at her, but didn't manage it. "Sleep, sweetheart." She said softly, and closed his eyelids with the tips of her fingers.

A few moments later he was asleep again, all his family watching him like hawks. Piper kissed his knuckles and then let go of his hand. "He's going to be okay, right?" she murmured, feeling the need for reassurance.

Leo kissed her temple. "He will be. The antidote will start to do its job and he will be fine, you'll see, sweetheart."

She nodded and all of them lapsed into a comfortable silence, content in watching the sleeping boy.

Slowly, the fever started to go down and his pained face started to relax.

One hour after taking the antidote he was breathing normally, his face had color again and he was sleeping peacefully. Piper touched his forehead and it was cool to the touch. "Oh, thank God." She practically sobbed in relief.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and Leo embraced his wife tightly, too overwhelmed with relief and joy. Their son was safe again.

Phoebe looked at her watch. Two thirty in the morning. She couldn't help but yawn. Paige looked at her amusedly. "Well, it has been a really, really long night." She defended herself.

"Yeah, we should all rest." Agreed Piper, but she didn't move from her spot at Chris' side.

"Go to sleep, sweetheart." Leo said softly. "I'll stay with him in case he needs something."

"But I don't want to leave him alone." Piper protested.

Phoebe grabbed her hand. "Chris will be okay, Piper. He will be asleep for many hours. We should rest too." She helped her too stand up from the bed. "If there's something wrong, Leo will tell us."

Piper gazed at her son and then nodded resignedly. Phoebe was right; they needed to rest for a few hours at least.

"Can I sleep with you, Phoebe?" asked Paige softly, mindful of her sleeping nephew.

She nodded and the sisters left the room with a last loving look towards the sleeping boy. Leo moved carefully to the edge of the bed, his eyes intent on his son's face, memorizing every detail and thanking God that they were able to save him.

After a few minutes, the first tears of relief and pent up emotions fell from his eyes.

"To be continued..."