All at once Piper was met by a surge of images; in a series, running in fast forward and still her mind could comprehend it all. The events of the last few weeks, but shining brightly were the images of the last few minutes: Her own son calling her heart out of her body, her sisters going rigid and a coldness creeping through her entire body before it was all over.
"Fuck me," Jeremy's memories sound over the flood of memories. There were more, not just the memories of her own timeline but of countless others. She focused on just moments after she'd died in a few iterations of a particular timeline.
"I'm sorry," said Chris as he looked at Phoebe.
"You killed us!" said Phoebe in twelve iterations. Prue and Piper shifted: Prue getting to her feet and clenching her hands in fists while Piper let herself slump, looking at Chris and feel an abject sort of terror.
"I did," Chris said, looking at Piper. "Mom, you have to believe that this is for the best. I was trying to figure things out in the wider scale. The other me is going through the motions of figuring out how long until the angels figure out that you three are dead, how they'll react first and indirectly dealing with the Cleaners. Getting them off my tail."
"But you didn't discuss this with us," said Prue.
"Because you guys are thinking through this emotionally," said Chris. "Mom, the best way through this is being cold, logical, seeing the greater picture, what we're trying to achieve."
"That's a good way of losing sight of the trees for the forest," said Phoebe.
"Do we have a choice?" asked Chris. "Every time we hold back is a whole host of timelines where universes get destroyed."
It wasn't like before this time. There were too many timelines for her to just review them all at once. Which meant she had to pace herself. Jeremy looked to be in the thrall of his own vision fit, the man running his temple while he sat: He looked in tremendous pain.
No doubt Grams hadn't loved transferring that batch of memories.
"How warded is this place?" asked Piper.
Jeremy grit his teeth before he shook his head. "Not enough. If they're really looking they'll be able to see us."
"Hide us," she said:
"I love you," said Jeremy. Piper couldn't love him, she'd stopped feeding that side of her a long time ago. She'd gotten what she wanted from this, someone that she could actually love.
"Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the seen to be unseen," he said. The room didn't disappear, but a golden light passed at the boundaries of the room. "You could have said that yourself," he said when the spell had taken effect.
"I'm not supposed to know the spell," said Piper. "Leo will have noticed that I've disappeared from his sight and he'll have my sisters calling me back. We have a few minutes."
"We do," said Jeremy. "Melinda—"
"Mommy," the little girl, her skin slightly tanned with curly black hair. Piper reached low and accepted her into her arms. The cold was periphery at this point, the spells doing their work until Melinda had full control over her ability.
"—is she safe?"
An arrow flew through the air only to be intercepted by a table; the air in front of the woman suddenly turned to plasma and she was instantly engulfed by fire. The scream filled the air before she disappeared.
Another man appeared and Jeremy flung him back only for the man to stop himself; an energy ball appeared and was thrown forward, Piper froze the air in front of the thing and it detonated on impact; even so the detonation was large enough that it managed to hit Jeremy.
A spell came at Piper's lips to dispel the fire but he had to jump to the side as three energy balls were flung in her direction. She quickly came to her feet and flicked her hand, changing the air's state: the man stumbled back only to be hit by another explosion, not enough to vanquish him but enough that she could say, "Chris!"
The boy appeared only to be struck by an energy ball in the air. He flipped through the air, landing in a clump.
"Heart!" he shouted and the demon slumped.
"Give me a minute," said Piper and she pushed.
Melinda was older, her hair cut short and wearing an extremely deep shade of red. She had a hard expression but Piper could see tears at the end of it all; Peter stood beside her, holding the girl's hand and Chris, looking much older, stood beside both.
"Are you ready?" asked Chris as a deep thrum passed through the room.
Melinda and Peter gave a short nod.
"Then begin," said Chris.
"Shifting space and time…"
"They got out before that timeline could be destroyed," Piper answered. It was so easy to get lost in it all as she thought about it, as, in the timelines in which she lived, she was as the spawn of the Charmed Ones pushed themselves back in time.
"All that work," Jeremy muttered under his breath. He rubbed his temple. "But this time we're playing it for keeps, right? No more going back?"
"Chris pretty much…" Piper stopped as she felt herself starting to shift. "Yes," said Piper before she moved. "We're playing this for keeps. Melinda will contact you, show you one of the opening to our dimension. You're not to let anyone else in."
"Of course," said Jeremy. "I know the risk."
All at once everything shifted. She felt herself moving before she stopped and then she was standing in the attic with Prue, Phoebe, Paige and Leo standing waiting for her.
"I didn't sense you all of a sudden," said Leo:
"This is crazy," said Leo. "What you want us to do is crazy."
"Are you really prepared to let iterations of our sons die?" said Piper. "This is the only way, Leo."
"No," said Leo. "I can talk to the Elders. I can explain this and they can put a stop to it." Leo disappeared before Piper could say anything. It wasn't a little longer that everything disappeared.
"Jeremy knew I manifested," said Piper. "He's a warlock. It's a good thing you called me here."
"I think that will be all," said Prue. "Thank you, Leo."
Leo gave a short nod. "I'll get things started on my side," he said. "I know some people that might be open for us taking Eldership."
"Dad, don't," said Chris, in another iteration, having dispelled his invisibility.
"Dad? Piper, what's going on?" asked Leo.
"Leo, this is Chris," said Piper. "Our youngest son from the future. He's staying here because his timeline was destroyed when it didn't match up to the Grand Design. But above and beyond that the Elders know, I can show you."
Leo slumped, running a hand through his hair. Piper and Chris shared a look, knowing that in one timeline they'd no doubt died.
Leo orbed away only for Chris to materialised. "We'd better get you guys inside," he said. "The others are waiting."
The sisters shared a nod. Chris waved his hand a portal opened, revealing a wondrous world beyond.