All We Have is Now- A Chris fic

[Nite Owl]

A/N I hate doing these at the beginning- but it has come to my attention that something may be causing confusion so I’d like to clear that up. The conversation that Wyatt had with Elizabeth in the last chapter was defiantly supposed to be AFTER Elizabeth came to see Bianca- I realize now that my wording was off, and it was a bit confusing. The way I see it, Wyatt had been forming alliances in the underworld for awhile, and thus had already spoken to Elizabeth about her coven’s loyalties awhile ago…when he summons her, that is for a more direct purpose; he is informing her that he will soon need her services, not just her allegiance. I may go back and edit a few lines later to make this clearer. Thanks!

***********

One month.

It had been exactly one month since Chris’ world had come crashing down…<br>
…since he found out that his only brother- the person he had always looked to most, had turned.

The images of the slaughter were still fresh in Chris’ mind, and they often kept him awake late into the night. When he closed his eyes, he saw slain bodies, blood stained floors…and Sam’s lifeless face…they were all haunting him to no end.

Worst of all, he knew that it had been his fault.

He had told Wyatt about the meeting.

He was the reason Wyatt knew when to attack…the reason so many had died…he had helped to create his own hell.

The past month had been an extremely emotional, and tiring one. He had put a lot of his energy into helping Leo re organize magic school so that the few remaining whitelighters, and any endangered witches, could seek refuge there. On top of that, he had been on call day and night to heal those who needed it- he and the ten surviving whitelighters had organized shifts, each taking full duties sixteen hours a week, and helping out when ever more aid was necessary. A handful of whitelighters doing the work of a thousand was an almost impossible task, and Chris knew that many witches had been unnecessarily lost.

Demonic activity was reaching an all time high - the news of Wyatt’s success had spread quickly through the underworld, and all were eager to attack as many witches as possible now that they were unprotected by their whitelighters.

More were dying…because of Wyatt…and because of what Chris had told him.

Victor and Bianca had both tried to convince him that it wasn’t his fault at all. He didn’t know that Wyatt had turned, and what he had told him had been completely innocent in its intent…but Chris couldn’t accept this…he wouldn’t. Innocently or not, he had contributed to the slaughter.

‘Maybe you’re not so innocent’ a voice in the back of his mind whispered.

Chris felt a wave of nausea over come him…this was yet another dark thought that had haunted him for the past thirty days. He still had no idea why Wyatt had turned, and somewhere deep inside, Chris worried that he was at risk of heading in the same direction. Chris had always been under the assumption that as the sons of a charmed one and an angel, they were both incorruptible by evil…but Wyatt’s recent behavior had shot that theory out the window…and he knew that if Wyatt was capable of such horrible acts, then he was too. They were brothers….and even more than that; they were the only two witch- whitelighters in existence….the only male ones ever born…<br>
A distant memory echoed in Chris head as he stared up unblinkingly at the dark ceiling. He had once over heard a conversation between his mother and his great Grams during one of her visits. ”I know we’ve gone over this before Piper” Grams had said “But you still have to keep a closer eye on them…men can’t handle power the way that women can….”<br>
Maybe Grams was right, maybe Wyatt had turned because he couldn’t handle his powers…they had corrupted him…and they could corrupt Chris too.

“Chris.” He heard Bianca’s voice calling from outside the room. “I know you’re in there!”<br>
Chris sighed; he could tell that she was annoyed. He could hardly blame her, their relationship had not been given priority lately…he had been too distracted. But yet she stuck by his side, and he knew that their love was as strong as ever.

She was the reason that he kept fighting.

*****************

“Chris.” Bianca called as she knocked on the wooden door of her bedroom, where Chris had gone to relax. “I know you’re in there!”<br>
She sighed with frustration as she received no response. Chris had been moping for the past month. She couldn’t really blame him; he had been through a traumatic experience, and she knew that he held himself responsible for it…but she also couldn’t help but wonder when it would end. She wanted her Chris back- the innocent, sweet, loving Chris that she had fallen for.

“I’m going to shimmer in there if you don’t come out this instant.” She shouted.

Bianca knew that she was being impatient but her mood was not being helped by the slight flu she had had for the past two weeks. She was feeling rather disoriented at the moment, and was not prepared to stand in the hall way while Chris lay wallowing in sadness.

Thankfully the door then swung open. “Sorry, I was sleeping.” He muttered his eyes slightly red and his hair disheveled.

“Good. You needed some rest…but now you need some food, and we need to talk.”<br>
Chris frowned. “I’m not hungry.” He muttered.

“I don’t care. You’re getting to skinny, you do need to eat at least sometimes you know. I won’t have my boyfriend wasting away into nothing. Come one, I ordered Chinese.”<br>
“Oh,” Chris replied, his expression brightening somewhat at the mention of his favorite cuisine. “I guess I could eat a bit.”<br>
*******
“…every Prince should prefer to be considered merciful rather than cruel. But, to be feared is much safer than to be loved. For it is a good general rule about men that they are ungrateful, fickle, liars and deceivers, fearful of danger, and greedy for gain...” Wyatt read aloud from the small beaten book in his hand. The small table of upper level demons, his most trusted allies, began to stir.

“So we shall take them by brutal force alone? Cause fear?” inquired a particularly nasty looking demon to his left.

Wyatt smiled. “No, no, Nicaea,” he muttered, turning to face the demon “Allow me to finish.”<br>
All were silence once again as he looked back to the book.

“No Prince should mind being called cruel for what he does to keep his subjects united and loyal; he may make examples of a very few, but he should be more merciful in reality…a prince should make himself feared in such a way that, even if he gets no love, he gets no hate either; for it is perfectly possible to be feared but not hated.”<br>
Wyatt placed the book down on the stone table and surveyed his companions. Most appeared confused by what he had read; he sighed with frustration.

“This book brings to light many good points which I intend to follow as we move forward.” Wyatt explained slowly “Taking over the human world by pure force alone will only cause more problems. We must establish not only fear, but also a sense of stability- if we are to rule them, they must believe that we are providing something in return for their loyalty…or our rein…my rein…will be short lived.”<br>
There was a long pause.

“Lord Wyatt, have you basing this approach on the theories of a past source? Because if so…”

Wyatt burst out into laughter, and the demon instantly stopped speaking. “These,” Wyatt began, regaining hic composure and gesturing to the small book he had been reading from “Are not the theories of a demon. They are much to complex to be that.” (He muttered the last part under his breath) “They are the theories of a human, a man by the name of Niccolo Machiavelli. He understood human nature, and what kind of ruler was necessary to control it. There is mush to be learned from him.”<br>
The demons looked unconvinced. It was clear that they did not believe a human to be capable of any valuable insight…Wyatt himself had believed that at one point too, but this book, The Prince as it was called, really spoke to him.

“I think Machiavelli is correct. I want people to fear me, but I know that pure fear will only cause unrest. What we must do next is offer them protection from a fear which we propagate…a fear of witches.”<br>

[Nite Owl]

A small buzz of noise began to fill the room. “So, we expose magic” Seleucid, a particularly bright demon began slowly “…make the humans believe that witches are the true threat, and then gain the loyalty of the humans by establishing ourselves as their protectors.”<br>
Wyatt grinned, glad that at least one of his demons was catching on. “Exactly.” He replied “We will offer protection from other things too; humans are always caught up in such stupid international conflicts…we will give them an end to all that. I will be the one power; the one ruler…all will be united under me.”

“That is a brilliant plan, my lord.” Seleucid, said, a malicious grin across his face. “They may be apprehensive of your power, but you are giving them something in return…you will feared but not hated.”<br>
“Exactly.”<br>
“So what do we do now?” another demon asked.

Wyatt grinned again. “We expose magic.”

*******
Chris placed down his fork and grabbed a near by napkin. “That was great.” He said with a small smile “Didn’t you want any?”<br>
Bianca shook her head. “No. I’m not feeling too well. I might have some later.” She paused. “Now that you’ve finally eaten something, there is some thing I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”<br>
He slowly looked up and met her eyes, a worried expression on his face.

“Look, Chris, your grandfather and I have been talking,” Bianca began “And we both agree that you can’t carry on like this. You’re depressed, you don’t eat, you hardly sleep, you’re always orbing all around the world to help everyone else…we think it’s time that you help yourself.”<br>
Chris said nothing, but she could tell that he was not willing to change.

Bianca sighed. “We know that you won’t listen to us, so we think that maybe its time for you to talk to someone else.”<br>
“There is no one else!” Chris exclaimed suddenly, his eyes slowly becoming red. “Who do you suggest? My Father?! He doesn’t understand, he’s useless…”

“No Chris,” Bianca cut in “We weren’t thinking your father…we were thinking that you should talk to your mother.”<br>
There was a long pause as Chris tried to absorb what she had said.

“My mother is dead, Bianca.” He muttered, looking sadly down at the table.

“I know…but you can summon her. Remember how you told me that you’re aunt came, where you weren’t sure what to do about me? Well, it was her that came; because she could offer the most relevant advice…I think that your mother will come this time, because you truly do need her.”

Chris drew several deep breaths, and she knew that he liked the idea. Bianca had liked the idea too when Victor had come up with it the other day; she knew that if Chris was going to listen to anyone, it would be his mother. A conversation with Piper was their best hope of drawing him out of his depressed state.

“I…I…Yes, I have to try.” He stuttered, standing up abruptly. He gave Bianca a quick kiss, and orbed out of the small kitchen.
************
A/N The lines Wyatt recites are actually from The Prince by Machiavelli. For those of you who don’t know, Machiavelli was a political philosopher who lived during the Italian Renaissance, and in this particular book, he describes the ways in which a prince can acquire and maintain political power.

Hope that part wasn’t too confusing, but I thought it would be neat to bring some non- fantasy stuff into the story, to make it a little more realistic.
Plus, I’ve found that most stories portray Wyatt as a completely horrific ruler (but then why would people be in awe/ want to visit the Haliwell museum…?) I’m going to attempt to make it a bit more believable...
Chris appeared seconds later in the manor’s attic, and instantly began to search for what he needed.

His heart was racing.

He would finally see her again.

He missed her so much.

There was, of course, the possibility that she would not come. He had tried many times in the past six years with no success…but if Bianca was right, then the powers that be would be wise enough to realize that he really did need to see her.

Chris set the crystals in their formation, and slowly took a step back. Drawing a deep breath, he began to recite the spell.

“Hear these words, hear my cry,
Spirit from the other side,
Come to me, I summon thee,
Cross now the great divide.”<br>
The boy stood in silence, staring at the pentagram he had formed, hoping desperately to see a faint glimmer of light.

Nothing happened.

He drew in several sharp breaths and fought back the tears that were now treating to overflow. He had been foolish even to hope.

“Hear these words, hear my cry,
Spirit from the other side,
Come to me, I summon thee,
Cross now the great divide.”<br>
Chris closed his eyes and recited the spell again, his voice full of emotion. A brief image of Piper flashed through his mind as he spoke…he could see her…his beautiful, perfect mother…<br>
But when he opened his eyes again, he could the attic remained empty.

He knew she wasn’t coming.

Giving a sigh of both sadness and frustration, Chris turned towards the door; a talk with Victor would have to suffice for the moment.

“Maybe if I wasn’t such a poor excuse for a witch…” he muttered bitterly as he placed a hand on the brass door knob. “I’m a failure.”<br>
“Please don’t say that, Chris.” A soft voice whispered from across the room. “I’m so proud of you.”<br>
Chris turned around abruptly, and he could hardly breathe as he caught sight of the other figure in the room.

“Mom.” He cried, running into her embrace, his knees weak with shock. It had worked…he had done it…she was here.

“I miss you so much.” He muttered, burying his face in her shoulder- just as he had done so often when he had been a child.

She lovingly stroked his hair, and allowed him a few seconds to gain control of his emotions. Tears were running freely down his face- but for once they were tears of happiness.

“I miss you too Chris.” She soothed, placing her hands on his shoulders, and gently pushing him back so that she could see his face. “You’re even more handsome up close.” She said, smiling up at her youngest son. “A true Halliwell.”<br>
He blushed and briefly returned her smile, before retuning to his usual somber expression. “So much had happened Mom.” He said quietly “Wyatt-”<br>
“I know.” She cut in; knowing that it was painful for him to describe what had taken place. “We’ve been watching- and we knew awhile ago that he had turned. Phoebe wanted to tell you, but she couldn’t. We’re not allowed to interfere like that any more…I wish there was something we could have done…”

“It’s okay. And Aunt Phoebe did warn me…sort of. I was just too stupid to realize what she meant.”<br>

[Nite Owl]

Piper frowned slightly, and led Chris over to the couch were they could sit down. “You’re too hard on yourself Chris.” She began, sadly looking into his beautiful green eyes; the only trait he had not inherited from her. “You’re not stupid. And you’re most defiantly not a failure. I know that you blame yourself for what happened, and it hurts me to think that you are putting yourself through so much pain.”<br>
“But it is my fault!” he exclaimed “I told Wyatt. I contributed just as much as he did.”<br>
“No, Chris.” Piper said sadly. “He was the only person responsible. You had no idea, and if had known what he was planning, I know that you would have done anything to stop him. You’re good and you always will be.”<br>
Chris scoffed, and avoided his mothers gaze. “You can never be certain, can you? I mean, we all thought Wyatt was good too, and look how he turned out.”<br>
“I know it hurts you to see Wyatt behave this way, it hurts me too.” Piper replied “…but just because he’s like this doesn’t mean that you will be too. You may be connected by blood…but you have to remember that people are formed by the choices that they make. Wyatt has always chosen aggression- and now he had chosen evil. You’ve never been like him, Chris; you’ve always chosen to help. You chose to be a whitelighter- you’ve chosen good.”<br>
There was a long pause as Chris tried to absorb what his mother had said. In some ways, it was what Bianca and Victor had been telling him all along…but somehow, when it came from her- the mother he had always loved- it all made a lot more sense.

He knew that she was right.

He could never choose evil.

“Yes,” he whispered, turning to make eye contact with her once again. “I’ll never be like Wyatt.”<br>
Piper’s eyes were full of tears as she looked as her baby boy- she couldn’t express in words how proud of him she was at that very moment. He had become such a wonderful young man- so brave, strong and pure. He represented everything she and her sisters had ever fought for…he was the true heir of the Halliwell line.

“Chris,” she said sadly, taking his hand in hers “I am so sorry that you are burdened with all of this…I wish I was still here, to help…”

Chris sighed. “I wish you were too. I miss you so much.”<br>
“I miss you too, but I watch over you when ever I can…and you have Bianca now. I’m so happy that you found such a wonderful woman. Please don’t push her away Chris; you need to be there for her.”<br>
“Bianca doesn’t need me.” He said jokingly, a smile crossing his face “She’s pretty self sufficient…scarily so at times.”

Piper smiled back. “Yes, I know. But you have to trust me; she’s going to need you really
soon.”<br>
The boy shot her an inquisitive look. “Let me guess, you’re alluding to something that you know, but can’t tell me.”<br>
“Yes. But this time, it’s nothing bad.”<br>
Chris shook his head with confusion and took a moment to savor the time he was spending with his mother. After six years the pain of loosing her had not gone away, and he knew that when she left again, his grief would quickly return.

“Mom?” he asked quietly, looking at her with sad eyes. “Do you really have to go back?”<br>
Piper nodded sadly “I’d love nothing more than to say with you forever…but dead people don’t really have that option.”<br>
“Dad’s been dead for eighty years, and he’s still here!” Chris exclaimed with frustration. “You and your sisters did so much good…why couldn’t you be brought back as whitelighters too?”<br>
“Because, that’s not how it works. Our destiny was to become the charmed ones…and we did that…we fulfilled our purpose.”<br>
Chris looked sadly down at the floor, feeling stupid for having such a childish outburst.

“Speaking of Leo…” Piper began slowly. “You really need to give him more of a chance Chris. I’m glad to see you two talking again, and working together to help witches in need…but there is still so much you need to work out. He loves you, and I know he was never around much- but he wanted to be, trust me…he’s your father, you need to forgive him…”

She trailed off as she caught sight of Chris’ annoyed expression.

“Come on.” She whispered, giving his hand a tight squeeze. “Try…for me…”

Chris sighed. “Okay, I’ll do it for you.”<br>
“Good.” She glanced up at the ceiling suddenly, and gave a loud sigh. “They’re calling me back Chris…please don’t forget what I’ve said. You’re not to blame for anything…you need to think of the future and move on with your life. I love you so much, and I know you can find a way to stop Wyatt. Never give up.”<br>
Chris nodded slowly and bit back tears as he and Piper stood up and began walking back towards the crystals. “Okay” He choked.

“Good. I love you Chris, you’ll always be my little angel.” Piper leaned towards him and gave him one final hug. He wished that it could have lasted forever.

She drew back and stepped into the crystal pentagram. “Oh, and Chris…Sam says hi.”<br>
“Sam? He’s up there with you?” Chris asked with amazement.

“Yes,” Piper replied with a small smile. “And he’s told us all about the wonderful things you’ve achieved over the years…he’s proud of you too.”<br>
Chris nodded and tried not to let his tears overflow. “Tell him I miss him.”<br>
“I will. Good bye Chris. I love you.” And with that she dissolved into a swirl of beautiful white lights.

“Love you too Mom.” Chris called, as the last of the lights dissipated, leaving him alone in the attic once again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bianca shimmered down into an abandoned cavern in the underworld. She had been coming down here whenever she needed to release her pent up rage over the past month- she hated to see Chris suffer like this, at the hands of his own brother- and the darklighters that had assisted him. Since she had no hope of finding, let alone defeating Wyatt, she had decided to take revenge on every darklighter she came across.

So far, she had quite a good success rate.

She crouched down behind a nearby rock and waited in silence. She had discovered that they often traveled through this cavern, and she knew that if she waited long enough she was bound to annihilate at least a few.

Sure enough, after only a minute, three large and brutish looking darklighters sauntered in, talking and joking loudly.

“I’m gonna get one for myself, and watch as it burns to death slowly.” The largest of the three chuckled, his mud brown eyes glinting maliciously.

“Good luck with that.” Another muttered. “I bet the humans will be the ones doing most of the witch burning…once Lord Wyatt exposes them, the humans won’t rest till they’re dead.”<br>
The big darklighter shrugged. “Well, either way, they’ll all be dead.”<br>
Bianca gave a small gasp as she listened to their conversation. She was yet to figure out what Wyatt was planning next…she had many theories, but it had never occurred to her that he would expose magic to the human world.

What the hell would that achieve?

Witches…<br>
Burned…<br>…Wyatt must have realized that if he exposed witches, then the humans would do his dirty work for him…they had always feared what they could not understand…and they would not hesitate to eliminate anything that that saw as a threat. Bianca gave an involuntary shudder at the thought. They’d come after her…after Chris. She knew that she could not allow this to happen.

She averted her attention back to the darklighters, noticing that their conversation had come to an abrupt stop. The largest one had closed his eyes and he appeared to be trying to sense something…her heart began to beat faster…maybe they would be able to sense her…<br>
“Whitelighter.” He hissed suddenly, opening his eyes and glancing around the cave. “I sense whitelighter.”<br>
“Impossible.” One of the others replied. “We’ve killed them all.”<br>
The darklighter frowned “Not all.”<br>
Bianca was too shocked to leave. There must have been a whitelighter somewhere in the room…she had to do something before it was too late.

“Hey.” She called, stepping out from behind the rock. She tried to adopt a calm demeanor- the one she had used when she had gone on missions with her coven. “Which one of you wants to die first?”<br>
All three turned around, evidently surprised to see a girl standing there, threatening them with their deaths. “Who are you?” the one on the right growled, taking a few steps towards her. “A whitelighter?”<br>
She laughed. “Far from it.” And with that she shimmered towards him, athame in hand, and stabbed him in the gut before he could so much as blink an eye.

The other two stared at her in shock as their comrade crumbled to the floor in a pile of ash. “Whose next?” she asked, her face set with a cruel grin. She may not have liked being a hired assassin, but killing demons could still give her a thrill- especially when those demons were a threat to someone she loved.

One of the darklighters took that as a cue to dark orb out, and she watched in disgust as the coward ran away.

Only the large darklighter was left now- the one who had been doing the sensing. He did not move from his spot, but rather stared at Bianca in awe. “You shimmer. But I sense whitelighter.” He muttered, obviously trying to make sense of the situation in his unfortunately small brain.

[Nite Owl]

Bianca stared back at him for several seconds, confused by his remark. “Nope, not me.” She replied, coming back to her senses. Bianca took two large steps toward him before he had any time to react, and he soon joined the other vanquished darklighter as a smoking pile of ash on the cave floor.

The girl stood in silence, starring down at the two piles. What he had said made no sense…she was most defiantly not a whitelighter…but she could tell now, from her own sensing, that no one else was in the room. There was only her. He had he had sensed something…from her…in her.

She gasped.

No.

It wasn’t possible.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Bianca shimmered out of the cave.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Wyatt nodded somberly as the darklighter finished telling him about a strange girl that had vanquished two of his companions. From the description he could safely guess that the girl was Bianca- and that was most defiantly not a good thing.

The darklighter said that they had been discussing his desire to expose witches to the human world…and, assuming that she had been hiding in the room, this meant that Bianca had now heard at least a fraction of his plan. She would undoubtedly tell Chris, who would then tell their idiot father and all of the witches he could find…Wyatt knew that time was now working against him.

“I am glad you had the sense to report this.” Wyatt muttered, not bothering to look up at the demon. “We will now have to go ahead with the plan, earlier than I had intended.”


xxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N Phew. That took me a while to write, hope it was ok. This will be either the last or second last update for awhile, I have exams next week, and I really should study…gah, school sucks sometimes. (Just some friendly advice to anyone who is reading this- don’t take anthropology in University- it’s boring as hell) I’m bitter, can you tell?

[Nite Owl]

Bianca stood shaking in the centre of her living room. She had just shimmered back from the underworld, and was still trying to come to terms with what the darklighter had said.
She placed a gentle hand on her stomach, and drew in several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. She couldn’t be sure if her suspicions were correct yet, but it all made so mush sense. Her nausea over the past couple of weeks...the darklighter…<br>
He had sensed a whitelighter.

And she was the only one in the cave.

That could only mean one thing…<br>
She was carrying Chris’ child…<br>
…a child with whitelighter blood.

Bianca managed to stagger over to the couch and she sat down heavily, placing her head in her hands. Her mind was racing. They didn’t need this now, there was already enough to deal with- what would Chris say? Would he be able to handle it? Should she tell him now?

‘No.’ the rational part of her mind screamed ‘Make sure you’re right before you tell him.’<br>
Yes, that was what she would do. She didn’t need to worry him for no reason.

As if on cue, the familiar sound of orbing filled the room, and Chris appeared, looking much happier than he had before he left.

“It worked!” He exclaimed happily, walking across the room and giving her a deep kiss. “You’re brilliant.”<br>
Bianca did not respond right away, her body was still shaking, her mind still wandered.

Chris, thankfully, was too happy to notice, and he continued to speak. “I summoned her, and we had a great talk. It was horrible to see her go…but I suppose I’m lucky, I mean, humans don’t get to see their relatives after their gone. Plus I can always see her again, if I really need too.”<br>
“That’s…great.” Bianca stuttered, trying to act as normally as possible. She didn’t want to arouse suspicion.

“I’m so glad you suggested it…I’m so sorry I’ve been so distant lately, I swear I’ll make it up to you. How about we go for dinner tomorrow? We could go back to the same place as last time.”<br>
Bianca tried to smile. “Sure.” She replied quietly.

Last time…that restaurant…that night…that was probably when it had happened. They should have been more careful.

“Excellent.” Chris said, heading towards the kitchen. “I’m going to grab a coke and go talk to Grandpa, so he can call his friend and make arrangements again.”<br>
“Okay.”<br>
Bianca watched as he left the room, and listened as, a minute later, he orbed out of the apartment. She gave a sigh of relief- she was alone again.

She was happy to see Chris in a better mood; obviously the talk with Piper had been exactly what he needed, but she knew that he would fall back into this former state if she was indeed with child.

They did not need this extra burden.

Bianca placed her head in her hands once again, and allowed her self to be over come by uncontrollable sobs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Thank you.” The young witch whispered as she slowly sat up, trying not to put too much pressure on her freshly healed leg. She brushed her mid length dirty blonde hair off her face and took several deep breaths to steady herself.

Leo smiled, glad that he had been of some help. “You’re welcome, it’s a good thing we took you out of there when we did.” He paused. “I think we still have a few rooms left, if you want to stay here for a bit. It looked like your house was pretty badly damaged.”<br>
“Yea, that might be a good idea.” The girl replied. “It’s obviously not safe there.”<br>
Leo nodded, and slowly helped the girl to her feet. He had found her alone in her apartment, bleeding badly and screaming for help as pack of scabber demons encircled her. “I’ll have another whitelighter take you back so you can pack what you need.” He looked around the room only to see no other whitelighters in sight. He sighed. “I’ll call my son, he’ll take you.”<br>
The girl looked at him in disbelief. “You have a son? Aren’t you an elder?”<br>
“Yea, special circumstance.” Leo muttered before looking up at the ceiling “Chris!” He called “Christopher, I need to come here right now.”<br>
Seconds later Chris appeared in a swirl of blue orbs, looking very annoyed. “What do you need dad?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest. “I was talking to Grandpa.”<br>
“Sorry.” Leo replied “But you need to take-” he trailed off and looked down at the girl.

“My name is Katie.” She said, as an amused smile across her face.

“Right. Sorry.” Leo continued sheepishly. “I need you to take Katie to her house so she can pack her things. She was attacked there this morning, and I think she may be a target, so she’s going to be staying here.”<br>
Chris nodded and his expression softened slightly. “Okay. Where do you live?” he asked, turning towards the girl.

“Three eighty nine, Hampton Street.”

He gave slight nod, and stuck out his hand for her to take. She gave him a strange look- obviously confused by his gesture. “Umm, what?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

Chris laughed, and even Leo looked slightly amused. “You need to take my hand.” Chris explained, grinning. “It’s the only way I can orb you to your house.”<br>
“Oh,” she blushed, instantly grabbing hold of him. “I forgot. Let’s go.”

The two instantly disappeared in a swirl of blue, and reappeared seconds later in the chaotic living room of Katie’s house. Chris sadly surveyed the scene. It was evident that the earlier attack had caused much damage.

“Home sweet home.” Kate muttered as she stepped over some of the debris, carefully avoiding a sharp shard of glass from her broken coffee table.

“Do you live here alone?” Chris asked quietly, hoping that no one else had been in the house during the attack.

Katie sighed. “Yep. My parents were killed three years ago, when I was 18, so now it’s just me.”<br>
“Oh,” Chris replied, his eyes downcast. “I’m sorry to hear that. My mom died six years ago. I know the feeling.”<br>
“At least you still have your father.” The girl returned, looking up at the attractive young man who she already felt strangely comfortable around. “He seems like a nice guy.”<br>
Chris shrugged. “I guess…but he’s never been around much. My mom was the one that actually raised me.”<br>
“So, um, was she a whitelighter too?”<br>
“Hell no.” he laughed. “She was a witch.”<br>
Katie’s eyes widened, and she was obviously impressed. “Wow.” She muttered. “So you’re-“<br>
“Part witch, part whitelighter.” He cut in with a sigh. “Yes, I know, I’m strange.”<br>
Katie smiled. “I don’t think that’s strange. I think it’s cool.”<br>
“Oh, well, thanks.” Chris replied, returning her smile. He was beginning to like this girl. “We probably shouldn’t stay here too long; the demons may come back to try and finish the job…why did they attack you anyway?”<br>
“I don’t know. I may have been something to do with my power- I have very advanced premonitions. Demons always want to use me for their own benefit.” She paused and looked sadly around. “I’ll go pack now. Help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen.”<br>
“Thanks.” He replied as he watched the girl turn and leave the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wyatt surveyed the dark cavern. Hundreds of demons stood in silence, waiting for him to give his next command. “Tomorrow, it begins.” his voice boomed, echoing off the walls. “We will be freed from this condemned place- we will rise up, and make all those weaker than us cower under our power.”<br>
A loud cheer rose ups from the crowd, and Wyatt could not suppress the satisfied smirk growing on his face.

“At 7 pm, all of those who are capable of possessing another’s body shall rally here, and join me as we force every witch in San Francisco to cause terror among the foolish humans.”<br>
Another cheer erupted.

“Then, in due time, we will help the humans to eliminate them all...”<br>
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N Yes, I know that this chapter was a bit strange. I hope that the character of Katie is okay, I was reluctant to make up my own character, but I need her for later…so yes, that was my attempt…if you really hate her I will try to use her as little as possible. Like I’ve said, this is my first attempt at creative writing, so for all I know, my character development skills are crap.

I know I said I wouldn’t, but I think I may write one more chapter today (I’m such a horrible procrastinator)…I wanted to stop it at a certain point, but I couldn’t make it there in this one…<br>

traci- thanks! glad to see that someone is still reading this!!

PLEASE REVIEW (thanks to all of you that already have. I love getting comments, they’ve all been so nice. I would like to hear what you think needs improvement too, as long as you’re not downright mean, I’d really appreciate some criticism. Does anyone think that this is dragging on too long? I just looked at my word count and I was sort of surprised I had written so much…and there is much more plot left.)

[Nite Owl]

At 9 am the next morning, Bianca shimmered back into her apartment.

Her knees weak, and her body shaking, she sat down on the couch and attempted to calm herself down. She knew that panicking would not achieve anything.

It was already too late.

There was nothing she could do.

The doctor had confirmed it.

She was going to have a baby…<br>
Chris’ baby.

Silent tears began to run down her face. She didn’t want this- she was not meant to be a mother. She had no maternal instincts, no desire to raise a child…especially not now, in the midst of all of this…Wyatt was about to rise…she didn’t want her baby to grow up in a world where he or she would be constantly hunted, simply because they were born with powers…<br>
She could not help but wonder what kind of powers this baby would have. A witch-whitelighter-phoenix…was that even possible? Bianca felt another wave of nausea over come her; this child would be an out cast, even by magical standards. Such a combination would never be accepted…What would her coven say? What about Chris’ father? As far as Leo knew, she was just an ordinary witch…Chris had said that it would be better if they just let him believe that. But Bianca knew that her secret would soon be out…what would Leo do if he saw his little grandchild shimmer?

Bianca shivered as all of the haunting thoughts that she had tried so hard to bury came flooding back. This should never have happened- being with Chris was one thing- but having a child with him was something completely different. This child would be a combination of good and evil.

This child wasn’t meant to be.

She knew that she had to tell Chris. As much as she desired not to, she knew that he would figure it out anyway…he’d be able to sense it soon, just as the darklighter had. It would be better if she honest with him from the beginning.

She’d tell him tonight.

During dinner.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wyatt sat in his private chamber, nervously awaiting the coming evening. He was fairly confidant that all would go as planned, but he could not suppress the small part of him that was filled with doubt.

Tonight would either be his great victory, or his great downfall.

He looked up suddenly as he heard a knock on his door. “Come in” he called, straightening his posture and adjusting his expression to its usual arrogant appearance.

The door opened, and Wyatt instantly recognized the figure as the darklighter he had spoken with the previous day- the one who had told him about Bianca.

“My lord.” The darklighter said, giving Wyatt a low bow. “I have remembered something that may be of some use to you.”<br>
Wyatt raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and the darklighter continued. “Just before we encountered the girl, my comrade said that he sensed whitelighter in the cave. I think I may have sensed it too…but the girl, as I have told you, shimmered…and yet it seemed that the aura was coming from her.” He paused. “I don’t know if that is logical in any way…but I thought that you should know.”<br>
“Yes.” Wyatt whispered, his eyes suddenly growing wide. “Thank you for informing me. You are excused.”<br>
With another bow, the darklighter left the chamber.

What he had said was almost impossible…unless…<br>
…No.

It seemed completely irrational to Wyatt, but there was no other explanation. The only way they could have sensed whitelighter from Bianca was if…she was carrying one inside of her.

Wyatt frowned. This was certainly an unexpected twist, and it was one that he was not happy about. If his suspicions were correct, and Bianca was indeed carrying Chris’ child, Wyatt did not even want to fathom what kind of power this child would have.

A whitelighter.

A charmed one.

And a phoenix.

It was possible that this child would be even stronger then he was…and he certainly couldn’t allow that.

With a wave of his hand, Wyatt summoned the darklighter back into the chamber. The creature looked around in confusion before remembering his manners and giving another bow. “I have a mission for you.” Wyatt said his voice firm and demanding. “I need you to find that girl that attacked you, and shoot her with a darklighter arrow.”<br>
“But my Lord, she is not-” the darklighter began to protest.

“Do as I say,” Wyatt cut in. “Shoot her. In the stomach. Tonight.”<br>
The darklighter nodded silently.

“Do not mention that I sent you. And if you sense a male whitelighter, do not harm him- or you will not live long enough to regret your actions. Now go, prepare for your task.”<br>
Bowing, the darklighter dark orbed out of the cave to gather what he needed.

Wyatt slouched back in his chair and stared blankly up at the ceiling- hoping desperately that the darklighter would successfully complete his task…because if he didn’t, then Wyatt knew that he would have to take matters into his own hands.

“Forgive me little brother.” Wyatt muttered into the emptiness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chris and Bianca orbed into the alley way behind the restaurant at exactly 6:30 that evening. Chris gave his girlfriend a somewhat worried glance- she had been acting strangely all day, and when he had asked what was wrong, she had replied that she would tell him later that night. He was getting a little anxious- what ever she had too say must have been pretty major- he had never seen her act like this before.

“Shall we?” he asked, taking hold of her petite hand and leading her inside. After a brief discussion with the manager- they soon found themselves in the same room they had occupied several weeks earlier. It was just as beautiful as it had been then.

“I love it here.” Bianca whispered, taking in her surroundings. Feelings of contentment overcame her, and she wished that they could stay together in this warm, safe little room- together- forever. But that was wishful thinking. They would soon have to leave- have to face the world- face the evil that lay outside these walls.

She looked up to see that Chris was starring at her, his expression concerned. “Bianca?” he asked “Are you okay.”<br>
“Yes.”<br>
He did not look convinced. “So…do you want to start with some wine?” he inquired, picking up the wine list as a distraction.

“Sure.” She replied. She had always loved a good glass of wine with dinner. “I’d like-” Bianca trailed off as she was struck by a sudden thought. “No!” she exclaimed. “No wine.”<br>
Chris shot her another strange look. Something was defiantly wrong. Placing down the menu and taking both of her hands in his, he looked into her deep brown eyes. “Bianca.” He began quietly. “What’s the matter…you can tell me…anything…you know that.”<br>
She nodded slowly, and he could see tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

His heart sunk. Was she angry with him? Had he upset her? He internally cursed himself for being too self absorbed this past month. What if she was going to leave him because of it?

“Please, tell me.” He whispered, searching her eyes for some indication of what was causing her distress.

Bianca gave him a watery smile. “Chris, I’m so sorry…I-” she trailed off and her eyes suddenly became wide with fear. “Darklighter!” she exclaimed suddenly.

Chris turned around, and much to his surprise he found himself face to face with a brutishly ugly darklighter whose cross bow was raised menacingly. “I’ve found you.” The creature said, a triumphant smile on his face.

Chris’ instinct was to orb out, but he knew that he could not leave without Bianca. He looked over at her- she was frozen with fear. What was wrong with her today? She defiantly was not acting like her self.

“Step aside boy.” The darklighter growled, pushing him roughly into the table. Chris hit it with a loud crash, and quickly tried to steady himself again. This didn’t make sense…he was the whitelighter…he was the target.

But the darklighter didn’t seem to be after him- he was advancing on Bianca.

“No.” Chris cried, flinging the creature at the wall, not caring who heard. “It’s me you want.”<br>
The darklighter laughed. “Not this time.”<br>
What happened next was a blur.

The darklighter fired his arrow at Bianca’s stomach, just as Chris threw himself across the room- desperately grabbing for her hand, and orbing them away.

They appeared in a heap in a near by park- the same park that had gone to the night they had discovered each others true nature.

Their park.

“Bianca.” Chris groaned as he rolled over. She was lying beside him, and as his vision came back into focus, he could see that the darklighter had not missed his mark. An arrow was lodged deep in her stomach and she lay moaning in pain. Without another moments hesitation he orbed it out of her and placed his hands over the wound. The golden glow came quickly- fueled by his love for her- and seconds later her agony subsided.

Many questions were swimming through his mind; there was so much he wanted to ask her. She had seemed afraid, but not overly surprised, that the darklighter was after her. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, looking down at her with concern.

There was along pause, and he watched with confusion as she closed her eyes- just as she did when she was trying to sense something. “It’s okay.” She whispered suddenly, a relieved smile crossing her face. “It’s okay.”<br>
“What’s okay?” Chris inquired, feeling even more bewildered. She wasn’t making any sense.

Bianca gave another sigh and slowly sat up. “Chris. Don’t be mad.” She began, looking up into his adorable green eyes. “It’s what I wanted to tell you about-” she trailed off, obviously looking for the right way to continue.

“What?” he urged, his heart beating rapidly.

“I…we’re…pregnant.”<br>

[Nite Owl]

Chris mouth dropped open in surprise. This was certainly not what he had been expecting her to say- he never would have guessed that this was what had been bothering her all along.

“You…really?” he stuttered.

Bianca gave a small smile. “Yes, really. I checked with the doctor today. It’s official.”<br>
“Oh.” He replied, dumbstruck. “It’s…it’s mine?”<br>
She rolled her eyes and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. “Of course it’s yours you idiot. Who do you think I am?” she paused “And why else would the darklighter have been after me? He must have known.”

The young mans jaw remained open in disbelief for several seconds, and she was unable to tell from his expression what he was thinking. Unable to stand the silence any longer, she began to speak. “I’m so sorry, I know that you don’t want to deal with this right now…and I understand-” she trailed off and tears began to run down her face. This was a disaster.

She looked down at the ground to avoid his gaze, but much to her surprise she soon felt his hand come towards her face and gently wipe away her tears.

“Shhh, Bianca, don’t cry.” He whispered comfortingly in a way that only he could. “I’m not angry, shocked, but not angry. This is wonderful news.”<br>
“Wonderful?” she choked, the surprise evident in her face. “Chris, I don’t think you understand…”

Chris stared at her with confusion, and she took a second to marvel at how innocent he looked just then. As his honest green eyes stared into her dark ones, she felt a familiar sadness return. They were two very different people, different beings. He was pure good- she was far from it.

This could never work.

“Understand what?” he asked, pulling her away from her thoughts.

“What this means.” She replied sadly. “A baby…this never should have happened. My…my coven will know about us…they’ll be able to sense the good growing inside of me. They’ll know that my child is part whitelighter- and then they won’t hesitate to kill any of us. You. Me. The baby.” Bianca paused for a moment and tried to fight back the tears. She had been thinking about this all day- even though she was trying to cut her ties with other phoenixes, she was bound to run into at least one of them in the next nine months.

What would happen if Elizabeth came back again? Asking for her help…<br>
She felt him tenderly take her hand in his, and she summoned the strength to continue. “Phoenixes are only supposed to create new phoenixes that can help the coven kill. As soon as they find out who and what my baby has for a father, they will consider it useless, and consider me a traitor. This should never have happened, Chris. This wasn’t meant to be.”<br>
Chris shook his head slowly, unwilling to believe what he had been told. “My parents weren’t supposed to be together either, but they overcame all of the difficulties facing them because they loved each other. I know that we love each other Bianca, we can overcome this.”

“But Chris-” she began to protest, but he silenced her with a long kiss.
“I don’t want to hear it.” He said quietly as they drew apart. “We love each other, that’s all that matters. We can do this.”<br>
Bianca gave him a watery smile. She knew that it was foolish, and she knew that he was being overly optimistic…but she could not stop herself from believing every word he said.

She wanted to believe it.

“You’re sure he’s okay, right?” Chris asked, placing a hand on her stomach.

She raised an eye brow. “He?” she scoffed. “SHE is fine. I can feel it.”<br>
Chris laughed. “It’s a boy. I can feel it.” He paused. “And maybe if we have another boy in two years, we can be exactly like my parents.”<br>
She retuned his smile. He was taking this surprisingly well- he seemed genuinely happy about the entire situation. She too felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders…the only thing left to worry about now was…<br>
“Wyatt.” She gasped suddenly, bringing a hand to her mouth. “Oh my God. Chris, I was so distracted that I …I forgot something I head yesterday. Wyatt…he’s planning to expose magic.”<br>
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Katie placed the last of her belongings on the dresser and stared at her reflection in the old mirror. She could see the dark rings around her eyes, and she knew that she was in desperate need of some sleep. The last couple of days had certainly been eventful, and between being viciously attacked, and moving into magic school, she had had hardly any time to rest.

She glanced at the small clock on the wall. It was only 6:55, but she knew that her eyes would not stay open much longer. Katie silently made her way over to the bed, and sat on the edge to remove her shoes. The room she had been given was small- but it did have quite a bit of character. Chris had told her that he and his brother had loved playing in here when they were little and she could easily see why. It was full of exciting and strange gadgets that would have fascinated any little boy. Letting her shoe fall to the ground, and tenderly reached out to touch an oddly shaped device on the bedside table. She could not remember seeing anything quite like it before.

As her fingers gently brushed the smooth bronze, she felt a familiar tugging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She was being thrown into a premonition.

A man, dressed all in black, stood on a platform, looking out upon a burning city. People ran franticly below him- screaming, yelling, chasing…<br>
She watched as a woman was tackled to the ground by several large men.

‘Die witch.’ A faint voice whispered.

‘Die’<br>
Her attention was snapped back to the man on the platform. He was smiling, laughing, as he watched the horrific scene. He did not notice someone coming up behind him- ready to attack. Katie looked at the second man- she recognized his face.

Chris…<br>
The girl awoke with a start. She knew from experience that her premonitions were never wrong…and she also knew that that what she had seen was to take place in the very near future.

“Leo!” She called, suddenly feeling very awake.

The elder instantly orbed in to her room “What?”<br>
“We have to go.” Katie replied “Quickly. Something terrible is about to happen.”<br>
xxxxxxxxxxxxx

“What do you mean you were down in the underworld!?” Chris exclaimed, pacing in front of the small stone bench. “What about the baby?”

“That’s not the point Chris!” Bianca shot back. “And I didn’t even know I was pregnant! The fact is, I over heard them talking about Wyatt’s plans. He wants to expose magic to the human world and scare them into killing every witch they can find.”<br>
Chris turned to face her. “No.” he muttered under his breath. “I have to go tell dad.”

He took a step towards her and was about to orb them away, when a bright flash from across the park caused them both to freeze. They listened as the sound of screaming echoed through the trees.

“Chris,” Bianca whispered her eyes wide with fear. “I think we’re already too late…”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N Muhahaha, good place to end, right? Don’t expect an update until next weekend…but you never know, I may decide to take a break from studying at some point.

Notes:
-It has occurred to me that the wine thing doesn’t make sense…Chris is 20, and I believe the drinking age is 21 in America…but I’m not American, so just go with it
-I hope that I’m dealing with the pregnancy issue okay. I’ve always intended to write it in, and I didn’t want it to seem like a totally random twist…trust me, it will be important later. I’ve read other fic’s that have Bianca getting pregnant, and I haven’t like many of them…but I’m gonna try my best not to make it seem too stupid.


traci- thanks again! I do like your whitlighter idea, but i already have most of the story worked out, and I don't think i can work it in



REVIEW!

[Nite Owl]

Chris grabbed Bianca’s hand and they took off, running full speed in the direction that they had seen the flash. More lights flickered in the distance, and they were followed by even more screams.

Chris’ heart was racing as they continued to move forward. He hoped that Bianca had been wrong…but somewhere, deep inside, he knew that she wasn’t. Wyatt was moving forward- exposing magic- and there was nothing they could do to stop him.

“Hey.” Chris called, as the two emerged by the parks central fountain. Several people- men, woman, and children- were cowering behind the nearby trees and benches, watching in terror as a woman sent energy balls flying in all directions.

The woman froze at the sound of Chris’ voice behind her, and turned to face him. Her eyes were narrowed, and her expression was unlike any he had ever seen on a human face. There was only one way to describe it; demonic.

“Do you challenge me boy?” she growled, her voice not suiting her appearance. “A mortal stands no chance against a witch.”<br>
Chris glanced at Bianca and gave her a look that clearly said ‘take cover’ before calmly advancing towards the woman. A look of confusion crossed her face. She quickly formed another energy ball in her hand and flung it directly at Chris.

With a slight smirk, he stuck out his hand and telekinetically redirected it harmlessly into an old oak tree.

“Witch.” The woman hissed eyes wide with surprise.

Chris stopped walking and flashed her cocky grin. “Not exactly.” He replied. And with that he disappeared in a swirl of blue, only to reappear seconds later at her side. He took advantage of her shock to tackle her to the ground and fired a low voltage lightening bolt at her chest. The woman’s menacing reddish eyes closed and she fell into an unconscious state.

With a small sigh of relief, Chris stood and looked down at the woman. Something didn’t seem right about the situation. She had claimed to be a witch- and yet she had not looked or behaved like one at all. No witch would ever expose her magic like that in a public place- let alone use it to terrorize humans.

Wyatt must have had something to do with this.

Chris’ attention was suddenly snapped back down to the woman at his feet. Her body had begun to glow a strange yellow colour, and he could only watch with surprise as a second figure began to form at her side- collecting itself from within the light.

He knew instantly what the second figure was- and it suddenly made perfect sense. This witch had not willingly acted this way; she had been possessed, by a demon, and forced to expose her self. Chris gave the creature a disgusted look, and waited for it to completely reform, before blasting it with a full strength bolt. It gave a scream of agony, before disintegrating into a pile of dust.

He knew that this was Wyatt’s doing. It truly was ingenious- in a sick and twisted way. He was using his demons to possess witches- making them look like the threat…<br>
Sighing, Chris bent down and healed the witch with a golden glow, and helped her to her feet. “What happened?” she muttered, looking around with confusion. “I was walking down the street- and then- I can’t remember…”

Chris tried to give her a comforting look. “You were possessed, by a demon. But don’t worry, he’s gone now.” She nodded slowly and smiled thankfully at her rescuer.

“What the hell was that!?” a male voice exclaimed suddenly, from a position a few meters away. Both Chris and the woman turned towards it.

A balding, middle aged man emerged from behind one of the benches, looking both shaken, and enraged. “What are you people?”<br>
Chris’ heart sunk. In his haste to stop the woman, he had not really considered the consequences of demonstrating his own magic in the process. As he surveyed the scene, he could see that most of the people looked just as afraid now as they did before he had stopped her. They didn’t understand that he had, in fact, been saving them.

“I…umm…” Chris stuttered, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. “I mean you no harm. I’m here to help. You have to listen to me…go home. Stay inside, you’ll be safer there.”<br>
The man narrowed his eyes. “Why should we believe you?” he probed, his voice more confidant than before.

“Because…” Chris began, frantically searching his mind for a good answer. “Because, I’m a guardian angel- my job is to protect. Please listen to me- it is for your own good.”<br>
There was a long pause, and Chris listened nervously as a quiet hum began to build in the crowd. He hoped that, somehow, they would buy his answer…it was, after all, the truth…sort of. “Leave while you still can.” He pleaded, trying to get a sense of their reaction. He could almost feel their shock- their apprehension…but he could also feel something else…<br>
“Are you pulling my leg?” The man asked, giving Chris the once over.

“No. I know that it’s hard to believe…but I am telling the truth. Now go home, you have to trust me.”
Chris sighed; he did not have time to keep explaining himself to this crowd. He was sure that many scenarios like this were playing out in the city at that very moment- and he had to try and stop as much destruction as he could. He surveyed the crowd once again and, taking the witches hand, walked to towards the spot that he had left Bianca; she too grabbed hold of him.

“Um, blessed be.” He said to the crowd, before orbing all three of them out in a heavenly swirl of blue.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They appeared seconds later in an abandoned section of the park, and Bianca instantly threw herself into Chris’ arms. “I’m so sorry. I should have helped you.” She whispered, clutching onto his shirt.

“No,” he replied, “I didn’t want you involved too. In fact, I think that you should go home…it’ll be safer, for both of you.”<br>
Bianca drew back and flashed him her most stubborn look. “No. That’s out of the question. We’re going to fight this, together.”<br>
“Um, I hate to interrupt.” Another voice cut in. “Who are you, and do you know what’s going on?”<br>
Chris turned abruptly; he had almost forgotten that he had brought the witch with him.

“Oh, of course. Sorry.” He said, lacing him arm around Bianca’s back. “I’m Chris Halliwell, and this is Bianca Perry. And no, I can’t tell you for certain what’s going on, but I know that it has something to do with the rise of a new evil. Wy…he wants to expose magic, and we think he’s doing so by possessing witches. Like you…”

“Wow, a Halliwell.” The woman gasped, looking at Chris in disbelief. She appeared awe struck for several seconds before bringing herself back to reality. “Exposing magic? This…this is horrible. What should we do?”

[Nite Owl]

Chris shook his head sadly. “I don’t know.” He replied. “But I think it would be safest if I send you home. Set up crystals around your house…and be careful.”<br>
The woman sighed, obviously not pleased at the suggestion. “Alright.” She said hesitantly. Somehow, she could not help but believe this strange young man…there was just something about him…<br>
“Good.” Chris said hastily. “Now, picture your house and close your eyes.”<br>
She did as she was told, and with a wave of his hand, Chris orbed her out of the park.

“That was not good.” He muttered, looking down into Bianca’s eyes. “Imagine how many more witches he’s done this to…”

“I know. Humans are never going to believe that witches are good. You saw those people at the park. They were terrified.”<br>
Chris frowned and he glanced wistfully off into the trees around them. He knew that this night was the beginning of the end. Wyatt would rise up- he would allow demons to live freely on the earth- he would eliminate witches…just as he had eliminated the whitelighters.

“Let’s go.” Chris whispered, taking Bianca’s hand. “We have to do as much as we can.”<br>
XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wyatt stood in the center of one of San Francisco’s’ main streets, on top of a podium that had- until less that ten minutes ago- held a large stone statue. He had taken great joy in blowing the statue to pieces- it was so satisfying to watch the shards fly in all directions- smashing everything in their path. He saw it as a sign of all of the destruction to come.

Soon, he would overthrow all of the foolishness on which the human world was based.

He would create a new order.

A new world.

One in which he was the absolute ruler.

No one would dare to question his power.

A smirk crossed his face as he surveyed the chaos around him. After months of planning, forming alliances, and eliminating those who would stand in his way- his goal was finally within his grasp. It all began tonight.

People ran below him; some screaming in terror, others screaming with rage. He could see many running for cover. They cowered behind cars, inside shops…<br>
They were afraid. And they had good reason to be.

Another flash of fire erupted to his left, and he watched as a witch, possessed by one of his loyal demons, set fire to a nearby hard ware store. Terrified humans came rushing out- all screaming.

Wyatt loved to hear their screams.

He laughed as he caught sight of a different scene taking place to his left. Several large men had tackled a young witch to the ground. She kicked and screamed, but Wyatt could see that their grip on her was tight. A small puff of smoke escaped her body and disappeared- the demon possessing her had fled, knowing that the girl was doomed. Wyatt watched triumphantly as the men dragged her towards the raging fire that had engulfed the hardware store. “Die witch.” He heard one of the men roar. “Die.” And with that the group heaved her body into the flames. Her screams died down and her body became nothing but a pile of ash.

It was all working perfectly. The city was terrified- and people were showing their true nature. Men truly were cowards; willing to eliminate anything they did not care to understand…willing to eliminate witches. They would soon seek new leadership; to rescue them from this new ‘threat’…they would turn to anyone who could offer them a quick and easy solution.

They would turn to Wyatt.

He took a small potion vial out of his pocket and consumed the contents.

It was time to move on to phase two.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chris and Bianca ran through the terrified crowd. They were surrounded by complete chaos- worse than any they had seen before.

It was a truly horrific scene. People were frantic- trying to seek refuge where ever they could- and several trampled bodies littered the streets. Chris wanted to stop and help all who had fallen, but he knew that he couldn’t- he had to keep himself focused on his ultimate goal.

He had seen a figure up ahead, standing above the crowd- watching… and he knew instantly that it was Wyatt.

He could feel his brother’s presence.

“Bianca, you stay down here- try to hit witches with low powered fire balls- enough to knock them out, but not kill them.” Chris said, turning toward her. He didn’t want to leave her side, but he knew that it was for the best. He had to take this opportunity to weaken Wyatt.

She nodded, and he began to turn away. “Where are you going?” she asked her brown eyes wide.

“I…have to do something. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” He lied, not wanting her to talk him out of it.
She began to protest but he held up a hand to silence her.

“Shhh, I’ll be back soon.” He whispered, giving her a re assuring kiss.

Chris turned away and took a few steps towards the podium. He knew that his best chance was to orb up there and tackle Wyatt from behind. There was no doubt that Wyatt was more powerful, but with surprise on his side, Chris knew that he had at least a fraction of a chance. He was tempted to turn back and give Bianca one final glance- he hoped that this would not be his end. He wanted to see her again, he wanted to see his child grow up…but he knew that if he didn’t stop Wyatt before it was too late, then both of the things he cared about most would never even stand a chance.

[Nite Owl]

Drawing a deep breath, Chris began to orb.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leo and Katie appeared on the busy street and began to push their way through the crowd. Neither one knew what was going on, but they could see that acts of magic were taking place all around them. Something had gone seriously wrong.

“Wyatt.” Leo whispered bitterly at her side. She followed his gaze up to the man on the podium- the man from her vision.

Leo must have known who he was.

“Can you sense Chris?” Katie asked the elder, who now appeared to be in some sort of trance- his eyes not moving off the man.

“Yes.” Leo said suddenly snapping back to reality. “He’s close.”<br>
The girl began to survey the crowd, looking for any sign of the young witch- whitelighter she had recently befriended, but she could not make out any faces in the mob of terrified people.

Then, she saw it; the stream of blue orbs that only a whitelighter could make- heading up towards the podium.

Chris.

“There!” she yelled, forcing Leo’s attention in the right direction. “You have to stop him.”<br>
Without another moments hesitation Leo dissolved in to a swirling mass of blue and took off after his son. Katie could only watch as the two clouds of orbs collided and- thankfully- began to head back down towards the ground. Seconds later, both Leo and Chris materialized in front of her.
“Dad?” Chris said with confusion. “What the hell is going on?”<br>
“I had a vision.” Katie cut in, not wanting Chris to be mad at Leo for what she had made him do. “I saw you, about to attack that man up there- and I could sense that it would not work out in your favour. We had to stop you Chris.”<br>
The boy turned his attention to the young witch, and she could tell that he was not pleased. “Damn it!” he muttered angrily “You should have let me go! I had a chance!”<br>
“Chris, please. Katie’s right, you can’t take on Wyatt.” Leo said, moving forward in hopes of comforting his son.

Chris drew back. “Why? Because I’m weak?” he yelled, his eyes flashing dangerously at his father. “Because I got your powers and not mom’s? Because I’m not the twice blessed?”<br>
Leo said nothing, taken aback by Chris’ out burst.

“I could of surprised him” Chris continued “I might have had a chance…I have to stop Wyatt somehow.”<br>
Katie glanced between the two, her mind swimming with questions. They both seemed to know who this Wyatt person was. The person who had caused all of this chaos. “Who is Wyatt?” she blurted out suddenly, unable to keep it in anymore. “Do you know him?”<br>
Both Leo and Chris stopped fighting and turned towards her. Chris opened his mouth to answer, but another voice spoke before he could.

“Of course he knows me.” The voice said coolly “He’s my brother.”<br>
Katie froze in fear as she saw who had spoken. It was the man from the podium.

It was Wyatt…<br>
XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N I am so bad, but my exam is not till Tuesday…and I really have to get this out of my system. Ack! I should have waited till Christmas break to start this. Oh well, hope you enjoyed it!

I’m not gonna lie, chances are there will be another chapter soon…I’m horrible.

traci- I'm so happy to have your wonderful input, and so relieved that you like it. Thanks!

[Nite Owl]

Chris stared back at his brother-his heart was pounding in his chest, his throat was dry, he could hardly breathe…but somehow, he managed to keep a defiant expression under Wyatt’s steely gaze.

He glanced briefly behind him. His father had stepped protectively in front of Katie and the girl stood in shock, her blue eyes wide and unblinking.

He could sense her fear- and the fear radiating off everyone around him.

An unfamiliar feeling of hate rushed through his body as he stood face to face with the man who had caused him so much pain- the man responsible for all of this.

The man that his brother had become.

“You should be proud to call me your brother, Chris.” Wyatt said coolly, taking a few slow steps towards the group. “Soon, the world will bow before me…before us if you wish…”

“I won’t join you Wyatt.” Chris spat, his words coming out more bravely than he felt. “But I will stop you.”<br>
Catching Wyatt by surprise, Chris managed to telekinetically throw him off his feet with a violent gesture of him arm. The older brother hit a near by lamp post with a sickening thud but miraculously stood back up only seconds later- his expression had turned from confidant to annoyed.

“You can’t defeat me, don’t even try.” Wyatt hissed, his eyes narrowed. “I’m offering you a chance, brother, to take your rightful place at my side. We can achieve great things.” He buried his anger and extended his hand out to Chris, hoping desperately that the boy would make the right decision. “Take my hand Chris.”<br>
There was a long silence as the boy stared at his older brother’s out stretched hand. A small part of him wanted to reach out and take it. This was his brother…the person who had always protected him…stood up for him…no matter what. If he took Wyatt’s hand and accepted his offer he would be safe. It would be easy…<br>
His mother’s words suddenly echoed in his head.

‘…people are formed by the choices that they make…’ she had said.

It was true.

And right now he did have a choice…and as tempting as it may have been, he knew that the easiest choice was not always the right one.

“I choose good, Wyatt.” Chris muttered, staring at his brothers out stretched hand in contempt. “I am good.”<br>
Wyatt scoffed and gave him a pitying look. “No Chris, you’re not good…you’re just ignorant.” He replied sadly, drawing his hand back. “One day you will realize how deluded your ideas of ‘good and evil’ really are.”<br>
He paused and glanced over in Leo’s direction. “You too father. Now that the other elders have been disposed of you are free to think for yourself…for once…if it pleases my brother, then you will be given an important place in my new order as well.”<br>
Leo narrowed his green eyes and tried to suppress the anger he felt towards his oldest son. “You’re the reason the other elders are dead Wyatt. I can never forgive you for that.”<br>
The young man merely shrugged; it was evident that his fathers feeling were of no importance to him. He only kept him alive to prevent more hatred from Chris. Turning back to his little brother, he gave a deep sigh of frustration. “I hope you realize your errors soon, Christopher, before my patience is drawn too thin…I’d love to stay in continue this little chat, but I must deal with some more pressing issues.” He glanced around at the chaos surrounding them. “Wish me luck.”<br>
And with that Wyatt disappeared in an extremely bright swirl of blue.

Chris stood starring at the spot where his brother had stood in confusion. Wyatt had turned…he had seen his orbs become dark…and yet they had somehow become blue again…

The boy was torn away from his thoughts seconds later as he saw Wyatt reappear on the platform he had been occupying before; his orbs so bright that most of the crowd turned towards him. For the first time since Chris had arrived, the noise on the frantic street began to die down as the people looked up with curiosity at the mysterious man who had appeared above them in a display of heavenly lights. Wyatt stood before the crowd, his posture and expression giving all present a sense of his extreme power and authority.

“Good citizens.” His voice boomed, magically magnified. “I have come to offer you peace.”

Chris was too shocked to move. So this was Wyatt’s plan…his reason for exposing magic…he was going to gain his authority by offering protection from the fear which he had propagated.

“I will bring an end to the terror that has stricken this fair city…shield you all from the threat that these witches have created.” Wyatt paused and gave a dramatic wave of his hand, summoning Excalibur, the legendary sword he had been destined to wield, into his out stretched hand. “Do not fear me; for it is my fate to defend you, I am your king Arthur. I have pulled the sword from the stone.”<br>
A mummer arose from the crowd as the confused people tried to make sense of what they had been told. On a regular day, it would have been unbelievable to most…utterly ridiculous…but after what they had just seen- the magic and the terror that the witches had shown them- the fear they felt made what this strange young man was saying more acceptable. This was a threat that needed to be eliminated, and if this man was willing to do it, then many would follow.

There as a deep sense of power coming from him…and the sword he had called to him magnified the effect…there must have been some truth in what he had said.

Maybe he would bring them their Camelot.

Maybe he was meant to be their king…<br>
With a confidant smirk, Wyatt surveyed the crowd. He could sense that many were beginning to believe him. Humans truly were gullible when afraid. “I call forth all pure witches.” He roared, raising both hands above his head and closing his eyes to focus on his task. “Come to me. Meet your fate.”

Chris looked around frantically; he could see a few individuals around him begin to drift upwards towards Wyatt, as if being pulled by an invisible hand. He himself felt a slight tug but he easily threw it off; Wyatt had been specific in his demand, he had called for pure witches, not witch- whitelighters.

He had worded it so that Chris would not be included…<br>
“Help.” A voice to his right whispered with terror.

Katie.

She was beginning to be forced upwards. Chris was about to run in her direction but Leo beat him to it and quickly grabbed the girls leg, orbing them both far away from the scene to safety.

Chris gave a small sigh before a devastating thought stuck him, causing his body to go numb with terror.

“Bianca.” He gasped, suddenly remembering that she had come to the street with him. He instantly sensed for her and began to push his way through the hoards of people.

His blood was pumping in his ears. He could hardly breathe.

He had to save her.

If he lost her, he’d never be able to go on…<br>

[Nite Owl]

His green eyes darted around the area…she was close, he could feel it. “Bianca!” he cried, hoping desperately that she could hear him. “Bianca, where are you?”

Seconds passed, and he received no response.

“Bianca!” he cried again, his voice wavering as tears began to well up in his eyes. The world was beginning to spin around him. Figures were in the air…being drawn closer to the stone platform where they would meet their death…people were all around…watching, starring…no one cared that lives were about to be lost. That his Bianca was in danger…<br>
“Chris. I’m okay.” A soft voice said behind him.

He turned around.

“Bianca!” he choked, relief spreading over him. “I thought…”

She cut him off with a feverish kiss. “I know.” She replied, her brown eyes wide. “But he saved me.”<br>
Chris stared at her with confusion, unsure of what she meant. “What? Who?”<br>
“The baby.” She replied, a slight smile playing across her lips. “I felt a pull upwards, but he orbed me back down…I don’t think he liked the idea of his mommy meeting an early death.”<br>
He placed a gentle hand on her stomach, scarcely able to believe what she had said. “He…he orbed?” Chris stuttered. “He’s just over a month old.”<br>
“I know. He takes after his daddy…”

The two suddenly were drawn away from their tender moment by the sound of a loud scream. Glancing upwards, it was evident what had caused it. All of the witches had been summoned to Wyatt now, and they stood, bound in chains, behind him…and one was tied to an old fashioned wooden steak, reminiscent of the ones used in Salem.

“No.” Chris whispered, his heart sinking. Wyatt was really going to do it…he was going to kill them all.

“This is what you deserve, witch.” Wyatt bellowed, creating a circle of yellow flames around the young woman.

Chris began to orb.

He couldn’t allow this…he had to stop it…<br>
But he was quickly pulled back down before he could entirely dissolve. “You can’t, Chris.” Bianca whispered, releasing his arm and turning to him with tear filled eyes. “You can’t save her, he’ll kill you too. He has Excalibur.”<br>
Chris wanted to protest, but he knew that she was right.

He was no match for Wyatt.

“I need you, Chris. Our baby needs you.”<br>
Chris gave a slow nod, but he could not suppress the guilt growing inside of him…this innocent witch was going to die…and there was nothing he could do.

Her screams filled the air.

The heat slowly peeling back the layers of flesh.

Burning her until there was nothing left….

Until she had died.

Chris felt his knees grow weak. So many emotions were welling inside of him. He hated Wyatt…he mourned for the witch…he feared for the others…and he dreaded the future.

If this was a sign of things to come, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be alive to see it.

“She is dead!” Wyatt declared his voice triumphant. “And I will be sure to take care of the rest.” He gave another dramatic wave of his hand and the other witched were whisked away- probably to some dank prison he had created in the underworld.

The crowd cheered.

They cheered.

A life was lost, and they cheered

Chris wanted to throw up. He had always thought that he had a pretty good understanding of human nature. He had thought that deep down, almost everyone possessed some degree of good- some regard for other people.

Respect.

Altruism.

Pity.

Now he wasn’t so sure. They had cheered for death. They thought only of themselves. They were ignorant….

For the first time in his life, he was happy to be something other than human.

“Let’s get out of here.” He whispered, grabbing Bianca’s hand and orbing them both far away from the crowded street.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N Sorry that that was such a long break between chapters, and sorry that this one was so strange. Exams are over now, so I can get back to working on this.

I had a hell of a time with this chapter, and I hope that it doesn’t come off as too stupid, it’s kind of a transition between parts one and two, and it came out a bit awkward...but oh well, I wanted to put it up anyway. There are probably going to be some questions, feel free to ask about anything, I’ll do my best to justify it. (Ex. It may seem odd that they left without attempting to save the witches, but I assure you that Chris is not ready to give up yet. Oh yea, and if it wasn’t clear, Wyatt’s orbs are blue because of the potion he drank in the last chapter…shall explain more later.)

traci- thanks again for the review! And thanks for your concern about my finals, lol, Yes, I did manage to study and I think they went well

Merry Christmas!

[Nite Owl]

Katie steadied herself on a near by table as she and Leo orbed back to the Magic School. Her head was still spinning from the strange force that had begun to draw her upward- summoning her towards Wyatt…Chris’ brother…Leo’s son…<br>
The man that wanted all witches dead was related to the two angels that had saved her life; it was almost unbelievable.

“He…he’s your…” The girl stuttered, looking up at Leo with wide eyes, her mind was swimming with questions.

Leo sighed and began to pace back and forth across the room “Yes.” He replied softly, knowing exactly what she was about to ask. “He is my son.”<br>
“But, why…?”<br>
“I assure you, he wasn’t always like this.” Leo cut in, the pain evident in his voice. “He was a good kid, I loved him so much…but somehow…suddenly…he’s become someone else. I don’t know what has filled him with all of this hate and anger…I don’t know what to do…”

Katie rushed over to the man’s side and enveloped him in a tender hug. She could tell that seeing Wyatt like this was tearing him up inside; it must have been so difficult for a parent to see their child turn against everything they stood for.

Turn against good.

No matter what his oldest son was like, Katie had no doubt that Leo was a man full of righteousness. He was, after all, a whitelighter- a protector of all things pure in the world; he had been good in life, and even better in death.

“I should have seen this.” Leo whispered, tears beginning to fall from his green eyes. He had been holding his emotions in ever since the day he had learned of Wyatt’s turning- he had shed few tears, and allowed himself little time to grieve- but as he watched his son stand haughtily above the crowd, manipulating those below him, the reality had truly sunk in.

The Wyatt he knew was gone.

He was evil.

Leo could not help but place some of the blame on himself. He had been so busy trying to protect the world that he had failed to protect the one thing that mattered most; his family. In the end, he had paid a high price for his neglect- he had lost Piper, he had lost Wyatt…it was only a matter of time before he lost Chris too.

“I’ve failed.” He choked, clutching onto Katie for support. If she had not been there, he would have collapsed onto the floor in grief.

“Don’t say that Leo.” Katie soothed, wanting noting more then to ease his pain. During the time she had spent at magic school, Leo had become a second father to her- he was so gentle and kind and he had always taken a bit of time out of his busy schedule to help her adjust to her new home. “You’re not a failure at all. You’ve achieved so much here- you’ve rescued so many…cared for them.”<br>
“But I couldn’t rescue my son.” He protested, looking up at her with reddened eyes. “And because of that more are going to be lost than can be saved.”<br>
There was along pause.

Katie did not know how to respond. In a way he was right- Wyatt’s turning did not just affect one person, it affected an entire city and, eventually, it would affect the entire world.

It would cost many lives…<br>
The sound of orbing caused them both to draw apart and they turned to face the new arrivals in the room. Chris and Bianca appeared before them, both looking sad and defeated.

Chris wordlessly made his way over to a near by couch and Bianca followed, placing a comforting arm around his shoulders.

“You’re okay.” Leo sighed, the relief evident. “The spell…”

“Didn’t affect me. He called for pure witches.” Chris cut in quietly, looking down at the floor. “And Bianca…managed to escape it too.”<br>
Both Leo and Katie exchanged a confused glance. “You orbed her out in time?” Leo asked.

Chris shook his head and met his father’s eyes. “No. I didn’t.”

“Then who…?”<br>
The young lovers exchanged a quick glance- it was evident that they were hiding something.

“Just tell him Chris.” Bianca muttered.

With a nod of agreement, he began to speak. “The baby.” he whispered, gently taking Bianca’s hand in his. “The baby orbed her out.”<br>
A look of realization hit Leo’s face and he stared at his youngest son in disbelief. He felt as if he was riding an emotional roller coaster- first the pain over Wyatt’s turning, and now this bit of unexpected news….it was almost too much to handle.

“Your…your baby?” Leo stuttered, his mouth agape.

“Yes, my baby.” Chris replied, sounding slightly annoyed. “It orbed her out of harms way.”<br>
“How long have you known?”<br>
“Just a few days.” Bianca began. “And Chris found out tonight.”<br>
Leo sat down heavily in a chair and tried to absorb what he had been told; on top of all the chaos that Wyatt had caused, they would now have a baby to look out for…he could not suppress the feelings of dread, but he also felt something else…and for a moment he allowed himself to be happy; he was going to be a Grandpa.

“Wow.” He breathed, his eyes not moving off of the couple. “This is…”

“Poorly timed, we know.” Chris cut in, locking eyes with his father. “But we’re still happy.”

Bianca beamed at his side.

[Nite Owl]

“What about the other witches?” Katie asked, unable to wait any longer to hear what had happened after they had left. “Did he get them?”<br>
Chris jerked his head towards her, his expression becoming suddenly bleak. “Yes. He got them. And he killed one in front of the crowd…then he sent the others away, to be tortured later.”<br>
Both Katie and Leo gasped- Wyatt’s plan had thus far been a success.

They had been unable to stop him.

“We have to do something!” Katie exclaimed, her heart racing. More witches were going to die if they didn’t act soon.

“What the hell can we do?!” Chris shouted, his voice growing angry. “He’s too powerful! No one can stop him- if we go, he’ll just kill us like he’s going to kill all of the others! It’s too late. It’s over. We’ve lost.”<br>
He let our a roar of rage and sent a stream of blue lightening into one of the old wooden book shelves, causing the various books and objects to explode into tiny pieces. “I hate him!”<br>
Katie stared at Chris in shock after he had completed his out burst. She hadn’t known him too long, but in the time she had spent with Chris she had gotten a fairly good idea of what he was like. He was not a person who lost control like this.

And he most certainly was not a quitter.

“What’s wrong with you? What do you mean, it’s over?” Katie shot back, eyes flashing. “We’re not going to give up yet. We can’t there are lives at steak. We can’t turn our backs on them!”<br>
The girl’s words echoed off of the old walls of the school before a tense silence enveloped the room. No one knew what to say…what to do. It had been a long, horrifying day and all of their emotions were running high.

“She’s right.” Leo whispered. “We can’t just leave them at his mercy. We have to at least try.”

Chris scowled and drew in several deep breaths to calm himself. “Of course, I didn’t expect you to understand Leo.” He said coolly. “I have a family to worry about now and I can’t risk my life like that anymore. Unlike you, I actually want to be there for my child.”<br>
Leo’s green eyes filled with hurt and he was stung deep by his son’s words. “I….I wanted…”

“Save the excuses dad.” Chris muttered “I’ve heard them all before.”<br>
Katie threw up her arms in disbelief. She did not like the way Chris was behaving- he had no right to insult his father after everything Leo had just been through, and child or no, he had to help them rescues those that Wyatt had imprisoned.

“This is enough!” She snapped, stepping in between father and son. “We don’t have time for petty arguments. We need to come up with a plan…I understand that you’re worried about the baby Chris, but do you really want him to grow up in a world that Wyatt rules? A world in which witches are hunted and killed? Quite frankly your child isn’t going to live too long if we allow this to continue.”<br>
Bianca gave a small cry of pain at the thought of harm coming to the baby, and Chris’ green eyes slowly widened as he thought over what the girl had said.

After almost a minute, he began to speak. “Yes.” He started in a whisper “I…I don’t know what came over me. We can’t stand back and watch this happen…I’m sorry.”<br>
Katie gave a small sigh of relief. It seemed that he was finally getting control of his impulses and coming back to reality. “It’s okay.” She replied. “I know that this must be difficult for you, but we really do need your power and input if we’re going to get anything done.”<br>
Leo nodded in agreement. “So what should we do now?”<br>
“We find a way to save as many witches as we can.” Katie replied, her voice full of determination.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was almost two am when Wyatt orbed back into his underworld chamber.

The exhilaration was still flowing through him. He had achieved yet another success- the humans had fallen for his every word, more witches were dead and he was on the verge of taking complete control of the city.

“Today San Francisco, tomorrow the world.” He muttered happily to himself as he began to neatly put away the various papers strewn across his desk. If all went well, this victory would be one of many to come. He realized, however, that he would have to take it slow. Once he had established a firm base for himself in California, he would gradually draw the rest of the continent into his power- and from there continue his expansion over seas. He had to be careful not to over exert himself too soon; he had learned that from the legendary leaders of the past. Alexander the Great… Napoleon…they had made the same mistakes…their great ambition had got the better of them, and they had been stretched to thin…they had met their downfall.

Wyatt was determined not to fail. He would achieve his goal, even if it took him a hundred years. It was safe to say that he would live to be at least two hundred; he had his father’s immortal blood to thank for that. His aunt Paige had been in her forties when she had died, but she looked just as she had at twenty eight; half whitelighters didn’t age at a normal rate...his rein would be the longest in history…<br>
He gave a loud yawn and decided that it would be best to get some rest; he had a long day ahead of him- reporters would be flocking from all over to see the mysterious man who had saved the city- he had to be ready to charm audiences across the globe.

Walking into his bed chamber, Wyatt’s mind briefly fluttered to thoughts of his brother. Once again, Chris had been the only downside of his success. The boy was proving to be much more stubborn than he had anticipated, and Wyatt knew that if he didn’t come up with a plan soon, Chris would become his most dangerous enemy.

Killing him, however, was out of the question. No matter how hard he tried, Wyatt could not stop loving him…he was not ready to give up on his vision of Chris ruling at his side as his most trusted general…his Lancelot. There had to be another way to convince him, simply talking about it was not going to work. He needed to resort to more drastic methods…<br>
And there was still the matter of the baby, he had found out later in the evening that his darklighter had failed to eliminate it. The baby would defiantly become a threat if he allowed it to survive…<br>
“I’ll persuade you yet, Christopher.” Wyatt muttered as he climbed under the covers and turned out the light.

The whispers of a plan were already echoing in his head.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
A/N Okay. Another one down, sort of a filler, I know, but I need it to build up to my climax. I realize that Chris was acting a bit strange, but you will soon hear his thoughts on the events and that should clear some things up. Hope it was okay, thanks for reading!

traci- Thanks for the compliment.You know where I'm going? Hmm, now I'm worried that I'll dissipoint you, I still have a few twists in mind...sorry if you are hoping for it to turn out a certain way and it doesn't...don't hate me. Thanks so much for all of your great reviews!

p.s. Any one other than traci reading this?

[Nite Owl]

“Lord Wyatt has managed to imprison three more witches this evening after a police raided a so called apothecary that was, in fact, dispensing ingredients to practitioners of magic. This brings the number captured to almost one hundred, and Lord Wyatt’s forces are working around the clock to capture even more. We can all sleep a little easier tonight with the knowledge that Lord Wyatt shows no signs of relenting. And, as the Christmas season approaches…”

The man switched off his television and gave a loud yawn. It had been a long day and, although it was only eight o’clock, he was just about ready for bed.

The reporter had been right; he was going to sleep a little better tonight, knowing that Lord Wyatt was out there protecting the city. He had always been a man who believed in order and regulation; and those were two things which Wyatt had provided. He was slowly getting rid of the witches which threatened the well being of all regular people- and along the way, he had won the hearts and minds of many.

The thing that was somewhat bothersome was the fact that Lord Wyatt himself possessed the magic which he was claiming to purge the city of. In a series of interviews, he had explained that he was the son of an angel and ‘a charmed one’…which sounded suspiciously like a witch. But he had also stated that his mother and her two sisters were the most powerful beings in existence- who had secretly fought to protect all innocents…a job which Lord Wyatt had now inherited. They may have been similar to witches, but they, like him, had fought for good…fought against the evil, dark witches who desired nothing more than power over all those weaker than themselves. That evening a fortnight ago had show how despicable most witches really were, and if Lord Wyatt had not arrived, San Francisco would probably be in chaos right now.

The man gave another loud sigh. He had personally witnessed some terrifying events that night. He had been taking an after dinner stroll in the park when a crazed witch had begun firing off blue balls of energy at everyone in the area. Luckily, he had managed to take refuge behind a tree to avoid injury, but the confusion and fear had welled up inside of him as it never had before. The situation had become even more bizarre when another figure arrived on the scene- a young man- who had disappeared into blue lights and managed to put a stop to the witch.

He had summoned up all of his courage and questioned the young man…<br>
And the young man had claimed to be a ‘guardian angel’ before urging them all to return home.

He had taken the young mans advice, too confused to do other wise…and as he sat at home for the next few day, watching all of the news coverage, there was no doubt in his mind that the strange young man had not been lying to them. Lord Wyatt said that the blue light thing was the way in which angels traveled…but he had also said that he was the only one left…that the rest had been brutally murdered by witches…<br>
That explanation did not seem to add up…the boy in the park had been an angel too…maybe Lord Wyatt had been lying…maybe everything he said was a lie….

No, that couldn’t be…he had done so much good, he had protected them all. It was possible that he just didn’t know about the other young man.

“John, are you coming to bed?” His wife’s voice called, breaking him away from his thoughts.

“Yes honey, I’ll be right up.” He replied, turning off the lights in the living room and making his way up the stairs.

Despite his questions, he trusted Lord Wyatt. He had established order; he seemed genuinely concerned for their well being.

He was the king Arthur of the 21st century.

And because of him, the citizens of San Francisco could sleep easy tonight.
XXXXXXXXXXXX

“What do you think?” Bianca asked, holing up both a red and a green Christmas garland.

Chris looked briefly up from his book and gave a small shrug. “Don’t care…red I guess.”<br>
She smiled. “Excellent, red is my favourite colour.” The girl placed the green garland back in the box and proceeded to drape the red one around the small plastic tree she had found in her storage room. It had been years since she had actually decorated for Christmas…and years since she had spent it with anyone else. Despite everything that was going on around them, she hoped that she would be given one day just to enjoy the company of the man she loved.

They had had a hectic two weeks and this was one of the first afternoons they had managed to get some time alone…and even now, Chris continued to work. They were yet to formulate a sure way to rescue the witches that Wyatt had taken- but the contacts they had established in the underworld had assured them that most were still alive. Wyatt seemed to enjoy keeping them locked up- only making examples of them when absolutely necessary. There was still a chance that they could all be saved…and they knew that the sooner they came up with a plan the better.

“What about a portal?” Chris muttered, flipping through the pages of the old book he had borrowed from magic school. “We find someone who can open a portal directly into the prison and send them all to safety before Wyatt has time to react.”<br>
Bianca turned to face him. He looked exhausted and pale, and she wished that there was something she could do to stop him from over working himself. She knew, however, that it was simply in Chris’ stubborn nature not to relax until he had done all that he could. “I don’t know if a portal will work.” She replied. “We could try, but I’m guessing that he’s anticipated it.”<br>
Chris sighed. “Yes, you’re right. He’s probably thought of everything.” He moved the book aside and placed his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do Bianca, we’ve all been researching for two weeks, non stop, and everything we’ve come up with had failed. And everyday Wyatt is winning more and more support…even if we do rescue the witches they’ll be hunted down by the authorities. Everyone is convinced that Wyatt is good and witches are evil.”<br>

[Nite Owl]

He was right; after magic had been exposed, Wyatt had managed to charm people into thinking that he was their rightful protector. There were still sceptics, but in general, the people absorbed his every word.

The girl placed down the ornament she was holding and moved over to Chris’ side. “You can’t beat yourself up over this Chris.” She began, placing an arm around his back. “We’ll find a way…but you do need to take a break every so often or you’ll wear yourself out.”<br>
There was a pause as Chris thought over what she had said. As much as he wanted to keep researching, he was reaching a point when the words on the page were making no sense.

“Fine.” He replied, closing the book. “I’ll take the night off. But I’m getting up early tomorrow to meet with dad; he says he has something to discuss with me…maybe he’s come up with something.”<br>
Bianca could not suppress her happiness; Chris was actually taking her advice for once. “Great!” She exclaimed, getting up and heading back towards the tree. “You can help me decorate.”<br>
He gave her a weak smile and followed her across the room. “I can’t remember the last time I decorated a Christmas tree.” He stated, lacing his arm around Bianca’s waist.

“Me neither.”<br>
They both stared ahead in silence as they tried to recall happy memories of their childhoods. There were few to be found.

“My mother hated holidays.” Bianca began quietly. “She said they were a senseless waste of time and energy. We once went over to my grandmother’s house- she had gone soft in her old age- I remember her house being pretty, and full of lights.” She paused and gazed distantly out the window. “I still miss my mother though, around the holidays. She may not have been good at the parenting thing…but she did love me, I know that. She died just before Christmas- if I had been older, I would have tacked down whoever did it…but I was twelve…I still don’t know what happened.”<br>
Chris nodded and gave her a sympathetic look. “When we’re done dealing with Wyatt, we’ll figure it out who did it Bianca. We’ll figure out what happened…”

“I’d like that.” She muttered, before cutting him off with a deep kiss. “So what about you? What do you remember about Christmas?”<br>
Chris smiled. “We’d usually summon my Grams and Great Grams on Christmas Day. But the holidays were never really that happy- some sort of demon would take my mother and aunts away from the celebrations- and even when it was a quiet year, my mother would get depressed and sit for hours, calling for my father to come. She missed him so much, and she always hoped that he would be able to take a few hours off to visit his family for Christmas.”<br>
“Did he?”<br>
“Once. It’s kind of hard to remember, I was only five. He came on Christmas morning and mom was thrilled. He even brought presents. That was defiantly my best Christmas.”<br>
Bianca smiled and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Even though Chris still denied it, it was evident that he loved his father- no matter what he had– or hadn’t- done.

“I’ll never let that happen Bianca.” He whispered, placing a gentle hand on her stomach. “Daddy will always be there for you, little guy.” He said, addressing her torso with a slight smirk.

Bianca gave a small giggle. “I know that Chris. You’d never leave us.”<br>
He nodded in agreement. “Never.”<br>
He had only known that Bianca was pregnant for two weeks, but he already felt a strong sense of protectiveness over the child. The knowledge that they had created something so wonderful, as a symbol of their love, filled him with such joy even in these dark times. By this time next year he would be the proud father of a precious little baby, and he would do everything in his power to keep him or her safe.

“All of the lights are broken.” Bianca stated with a sigh as she bent down and unplugged the last faulty strand. “I guess we’ll have a pretty boring tree.”<br>
Chris glanced at the rather pathetic plastic pine. It was crooked, bent, and quite obviously fake. The ornaments she had put on were all a bit worn and dusty.

It was sad tree indeed.

He smiled as he was struck by a sudden idea. “I think a little magical help may be necessary.” He said, shooting Bianca a mischievous look.

“Chris-” she began in a warning tone. The last thing they needed was the backlash of magic used for personal gain.

“Don’t worry Bianca.” He cut in.

Holding his hands out in front of him he concentrated, and several seconds later a mass of beautiful blue orbs appeared- sparkling like stars in the night sky. With another gesture of his hands, they were sent flying into the tree, and dispersed themselves among the branches.

“It’s beautiful.” Bianca whispered, taking a step back to admire his work. In only a minute the tree had gone from plain to heavenly. The orbs glimmered brightly, drawing her eye away from everything else on it. “Perfect.”<br>
He gave a slight chuckle. “Thanks. And don’t worry about the personal gain…that only applies to Wiccan powers.”

“Good to know…” She paused and an impish glint flashed in her eyes. “So, since you’ve decided to take a break this evening, why don’t we make the most of it…?”

Chris grinned widely as he realized what she was implying. “I think that’s a brilliant idea.” He replied, wrapping his arms around her and preparing to orb them out.

They had just started to dissolve when a loud thump from across the room caused them to rematerialize.

“Grandpa?” Chris gasped as he caught sight of the bloodied figure that had made the noise. Victor had appeared, grievously injured, on the living room floor, his eyes clouded over in pain.

“Wy..Wyatt.” He groaned, rolling over onto his side.

With out hesitation, Chris rushed over to his grandfather and desperately began to heal him with a golden glow. For several seconds nothing appeared to be happening, but thankfully the power eventually began to take effect. The various wounds on the old mans body began to close, and he was soon as good as new.

Chris gave a sigh of relief, and both he and Bianca helped the man sit up.

“What happened?” Chris asked, searching his grandfathers eyes for some indication of what had gone wrong.

[Nite Owl]

“Wyatt.” He replied, sombrely looking down at the floor. “He orbed into the manor just as I was finishing up dinner, and he and his demon lackeys demanded that I get out. I told them that it was my house now, so they bashed me around for a little bit before Wyatt ordered them to stop and orbed me away. It’s lucky that I landed here.”<br>
Bianca placed a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder; it was evident from his voice that he had been badly shaken by the experience.

Chris had gone deathly pale and he stood up abruptly, pacing the room in anger.

“I’m gonna kill that bastard!” he exclaimed, his usually gentle eyes flashing with rage. “How dare he hurt his own grandfather. How dare he…”

“Chris,” Victor cut in, worried for his youngest grandson’s sanity. “You have to calm down, please don’t do anything stupid…I’m okay, thanks to you, that’s what matters.”

“But he hurt you!” Chris shouted, his anger making him incapable of rational thought. His grandfather meant so much to him…the thought of loosing him was almost too much to handle.

He should have been there.

He should have stopped it.

“I can’t let him get away with this!”

Bianca did not know how to react. She had seen Chris get angry…but she had never seen it get this bad. It was as if he was possessed by his own rage. Small bolts of blue lightening were crackling in his fingers- she could almost feel the magical tension he was emitting.

He had been pushed too far.

“IT ENDS HERE!” he roared, over come with emotion.

With that, he orbed out of the room before Victor or Bianca could stop him- set on taking his revenge on Wyatt.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Chris orbed into the manor. He could sense that his brother was still there.

There was only one thought echoing in his head.

‘Kill Wyatt.’ It screamed. ‘Kill him for what he did.’<br>
Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that he was being stupid; he was no match for the twice blessed. But he had to try…no one hurt his grandfather and got away with it…not even his brother.

A demon shimmered into the room, knife in hand, poised to attack. “Who the hell are you?” he asked in a low raspy voice.

Chris gave him no answer and with a bolt of lightening, fuelled by his immense rage, he blasted the creature into oblivion. Stepping over the smoking pile of ash, he began to walk towards the stairs.

He could sense Wyatt.

He was in the attic.

Four more demons shimmered into the room; blocking his path and causing more anger to bubble up inside of him. Wyatt knew he was here- he would be able to sense it…<br>
“Come and face me Wyatt” Chris shouted, looking up towards the ceiling.

“No one gets to Lord Wyatt without getting through us first.” The largest of the demons stated, taking a step towards the young man and peering down at him menacingly. “Who are you and what do you want?”<br>
He gave a slight smirk. “Christopher Halliwell, and I want all of you dead.”

Chris took advantage of their shock and managed to vanquish two of the four with more lightening bolts. Their screams of pain gave him great satisfaction; they deserved what they got after harming his grandfather. “Tell Wyatt his brother wishes to speak with him.” He said coolly, advancing on the other two.

To his surprise they did not back down; demons may have been evil, but they usually fled when they realized that their death was near. They merely crossed their arms across their chests and continued to stare him down. “Fine, don’t tell him.” Chris muttered, telekinetically sending a knife one of the others had dropped into the demon on the right- causing him to burst into yellow flames.

The remaining demon looked fearfully down at his comrade and powered up a fireball. Chris orbed out of its path and appeared behind the brute, finishing him off with a blast of energy.

Drawing several deep breaths, he looked down at the scorch marks on the floor. It had felt good to take out some of his pain and anger. He had been holding so much of it in for so long.

Now, it was time to move on to his ultimate goal…<br>
The sound of a single person clapping suddenly echoed from the stairwell.

“Very good Chris.” A familiar voice stated. “I can see that you’ve been practicing.”<br>
Chris turned around abruptly and found himself face to face with Wyatt- the man who had been the cause of all of his rage.

He could hardly breathe.

This was it.

One of them was going to meet their death tonight.

“I always had you pegged as a weakling, Christopher. You used to hate vanquishes, and I was ever so disappointed when you chose to take on whitelighter duties…but I see now that you can kill when you have too. You’re very good at it…mom would be proud.”<br>
“Don’t you dare bring her into this.” Chris spit back, not taking his green eyes off Wyatt’s grey ones. “The only person I will take pleasure in killing is you.”<br>
Wyatt gave a small flinch, but he managed to keep his cool. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He stated evenly. “I still love you Chris…I’m still willing to let you join me.”<br>
“Join you?” he scoffed. “After what you did to grandpa?”<br>
“The demons did that…I stopped them…I sent him to you.”<br>
Chris was in no mood to hear his brother’s excuses. “What kind of person throws an old man out of his house? His own grandfather? Do you even feel human emotion anymore, Wyatt?”<br>
“It’s my house. It always has been. I’m the oldest; it went to me…I’ve just been letting him stay in it. But now, I need it back.”<br>
“Why?” Chris asked heatedly “So you can set up your new evil head quarters?”<br>
Wyatt gave a small laugh and took a few steps away from his brother, glancing around their old ancestral home. “No, Chris.” He began slowly. “I am going to make it into a museum.”<br>
The younger brother was taken aback- this had certainly not been the answer he was expecting. “A…a museum?” he stuttered. “Why?”<br>
“It will help solidify my power. It will be a tribute to the charmed ones- and humans from all over can visit it- reminding them all of the power from which I was born…from which we were born.”

Chris’ eyes darted around the room as he tried to imagine his childhood home as a tourist attraction.

“We’re both special Chris.” Wyatt continued, approaching him once more. “Our family is unlike any other…it is only right that we rule over those less powerful then us…”

[Nite Owl]

“There is no ‘us’ Wyatt!” Chris exclaimed. “I refuse to get involved in your sick little plans for world domination. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that…. just because you have enough power to vanquish anything you want does not mean that you have the right to control people’s lives.”<br>
“Yes Chris, it does.” Wyatt countered his tone still steady. “And we both have that power.” He gestured silently to the four marks on the floor that had once been demons. “We are the same Chris, and there are no others like us. It is…”

“That’s enough!” The younger brother roared. Wyatt’s last comment had pushed him too far; he wasn’t like Wyatt…he never would be…<br>
With a wave of his hand he sent Wyatt flying into a near by wall; the force of the mans body breaking the old grandfather clock upon impact.

Wyatt slowly stood back up and squared his shoulders- “I can not tolerate this behaviour Christopher.” He warned, advancing towards him.

The boy ignored the comment and sent a bolt of lightening at his brother’s chest.

Unfortunately, Wyatt was prepared his time and he managed to block the attack with his shield. “That is enough.” He stated, and with a wave of his own hand, Chris was sent hurling back into the coffee table.

Chris could feel the blood seeping down his back; the wood had splintered under his weight and pierced his skin painfully.

“You can’t defeat me.” Wyatt said with annoyance as he walked over to his brother. “Your attempts grow tiresome.”<br>
Chris tried to sit up and look him in the eye, but a burning pain shot through him when he moved.

“This was your last chance.” The older brother continued. “I can no longer guarantee that I will not hurt those you love most.”<br>
A sickening fear rushed through Chris’ body and the consequences of his actions suddenly hit him.

In his rage he had come here to face Wyatt.

And now he had put others in danger.

His grandfather…his father…Bianca…<br>
At least Wyatt didn’t know about the baby, there was no doubt that the child would be the first to go.

With a cool expression, Wyatt bent down and slowly healed his brother. “Leave now Chris. Leave now and I won’t hurt you.”<br>
Wordlessly Chris stood up, knowing that of he stayed any longer he would only be risking more pain. He had been foolish to think that he could stand up to Wyatt alone.

Chris began to orb out, but was stopped suddenly by an invisible force.

Wyatt had pulled him back; a small smirk was now playing across his face.

“Before you go, I just wanted to tell you to wish Bianca good luck with the pregnancy. I hear that the morning sickness is really bad in the third month…”

Released form his bothers hold, Chris instantly left the manor; a deep fear growing inside of him.

Wyatt knew…<br>
XXXXXXXXXXX

Later that evening, Wyatt stood up in the attic flipping through the book of shadows. He was enjoying his time, reminiscing as he looked through the old magical tome that had been in his family for generations.

He was still reeling from his encounter with Chris, and he felt regret over what had happened to Victor- not because he was concerned for the old man’s well being, but because it had pushed Chris farther away from him.

There was no doubt that he would have to resort to the plan he had formulated…the plan which involved manipulating both Chris and Bianca until they had cracked beyond repair....

Something caught his eye as he continued to flip the dusty pages.

Something that would be of some use.

‘Phoenix’ the title of the page said in large black letters.

He began to read the entry, which turned out to contain facts he already knew from talking with Elizabeth; the leader of the coven….but the bottom of the page contained things that he had not been aware of.

He recognised his mother’s neat script and he scanned the list that she had written many years ago. It seemed that the sisters had vanquished quite a few members of the coven back in 2014, and had recorded the names of those they had eliminated.

Wyatt read over the first ten names, all of which were completely meaningless to him…<br>
But as read the eleventh and final name, his heart to almost stop beating.

“Lynn Perry.” His mother had written in tiny scrawl, and next to the name she had continued with “Chris’ first vanquish.”<br>
Wyatt began to laugh quietly as he realized what this meant.

Lynn Perry was Bianca’s mother…<br>
…and Chris had been the one to vanquish her.

It was all too perfect.

This little tidbit of information would undoubtedly work to his advantage…<br>
His victory suddenly felt very near.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N That’s one of the big surprises I’ve hinted to earlier, muhahaha, evil twist, I know.

Hope you like it, I think this is my longest chapter yet. Oh, and if it wasn’t clear, the first part of this chapter were the thoughts of the man who questioned Chris at the park the night magic was exposed…I just wanted to give some insight into how an average person was viewing Wyatt’s uprising.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!

CanadianHalliwell- Hope you're right, lol. Thanks for taking the time to review this time. LOVE your name by the way, I'm Canadian too! (*Go Toronto*)

tata

-Leigh

[Nite Owl]

“Morning Leo.” Katie greeted with a yawn as she walked into the large magic school library. It was barely seven am and she would have much rather been in bed, but Leo had requested that she meet with him, bright and early, to discuss some sort of idea he had had.

“Good morning.” The elder sighed, pulling a large old tome out of the pile of books in front of him and slowly beginning to flip through it. “Chris should be here any minute.”<br>
The girl nodded and took a seat at one of the large wooden tables. She was still slightly confused as to why Leo had asked her to come; it wasn’t like she was particularly powerful or special, and yet he had insisted upon her presence. In a way, it made her feel important…the most powerful being at the school obviously trusted her, and possibly even valued her opinion.

She, Leo, Chris, and various other people they had recruited had worked tirelessly since that horrible night two weeks ago when Wyatt had managed to capture the witches. She was yet to come up with anything useful, and quite frankly she was beginning to loose hope; maybe their time would be better spent helping un captured witches seek refuge…maybe there was noting to do to help the ones that were already imprisoned…<br>
She really hoped that Leo had come up with something good.

The sound of heavenly bells from behind her marked the sudden arrival of Chris, and Katie looked up to give him a warm smile. When she caught sight of him, however, her warm greeting quickly turned into an expression of concern.

She had never seen the young man look so tired and worn.

“Chris, what happened?” she asked, her blue eyes full of worry for her friend. “You look terrible.”<br>
Chris sighed and sat down next to his father. “Yea, I know.” He muttered, glancing down at the floor. “Had a rough night.”<br>
“What’s wrong son? Does it have anything to do with Wyatt? Is Bianca okay?” Leo inquired, placing a comforting hand on Chris’ shoulder.

Chris shrugged it off and sighed again. “Bianca’s fine.” He began slowly. “But last night Victor appeared at the apartment…he had been beaten up by Wyatt and his demons…they took the manor, and threw him out.”<br>
“Is he alright?” Leo asked worriedly.

“Yes, I healed him.” Chris replied “…but seeing him like that…I kind of snapped…so I orbed to the manor, wanting my revenge on Wyatt-”

The elder’s mouth dropped open in surprise, and he stared at his youngest son in shock. He looked as if he was somewhere in between yelling and crying. After a quick glance at Katie, he turned back to Chris and said something angrily, in a strange clicking language the girl had never heard before.

Chris looked insulted by what ever his father had said and quickly responded in the same type of clicking.

“Okay…” Katie muttered under her breath, looking back and forth between father and son with confusion. “What the hell was that?”<br>
Chris’ green eyes suddenly snapped towards her and a look of realization crossed his face. “Oh, I suppose you didn’t understand what we said.”<br>
She shook her head.

“That was the whitelighter language.” He continued, shooting a glare at his father. “I guess Leo didn’t want you to hear him call me a jackass.”<br>
“That’s not what I said, Chris!” Leo protested.

The boy shrugged. “That was the gist of it…and yes, I know it was a stupid thing to do, but it’s not like I can go back and fix it now. Not even we can travel back in time just to change the unfortunate things that have happened. Trust me, if that was possible, I’d do it…”

“Yes, I know.” Leo replied, his voice becoming somewhat calmer. “And I’m sorry for getting angry…but you do have to learn to control your emotions better, Chris.” He glanced over at the section of the library Chris had destroyed in his fit of rage two weeks ago. “We can’t afford any more bad moves.”

There was a slight pause.

“So, Leo, why are we here?” Katie asked, cutting through the tension.

The elder pushed aside the book he had been looking at and placed a small piece of paper on the table in front of him. “I’ve been talking to several contacts all week and I’ve uncovered some interesting information that I think we can use.” He paused and looked over at Chris. “I’m guessing you already know why Wyatt took back the manor…he wants to turn it into a museum.”<br>
Katie furrowed her brow in confusion. “A museum? Why?”<br>
“He thinks it will solidify his authority...” Chris replied quietly. “Remind people of our family’s great power.”<br>
The elder nodded and looked back down at the sheet of paper. “That’s right. And I’ve also found out that he is planning to open it on new years eve…evidently he thinks it will be representative of the ‘new era’ he wishes to establish under his rule. My contact said that he is going to be holding a huge public ceremony, to be broadcast coast to coast.”<br>
“So what?” Chris muttered, already growing tired of sitting around. The events of the past night had made him highly irritable and he was not willing to listen to his father ramble on. “What’s your point?”<br>
“My point,” The elder continued with a hint of annoyance. “Is that Wyatt and many of his most important minions will all be distracted that night…it’s our best chance of breaching his prison and taking back the witches. We may never have another opportunity like this.”<br>
Katie’s heart suddenly began racing as she thought over what Leo had said. He was right…there was a chance that they would have success. There would surely be demons guarding the prison, but most upper levels demons would be spending their time at the manor that evening…showing their support for Wyatt. And Wyatt himself would be less likely to attack them if it meant loosing his calm façade on national TV.

“It could work.” Chris muttered quietly. “We’ll still need a hell of a lot of potions, spells and people…but it could work.”<br>
Leo gave a weak smile before rubbing his tired eyes. But, despite his fatigue, Katie could sense a fresh optimism in his expression.

“Excellent. Glad you agree.” Leo stated with relief. “I’m going to need a lot of help…from both of you.”<br>
“What do you mean?” Katie asked, intensely curious about her purpose in all this.

“I’m going to need you both to execute this mission.” He began to explain. “I can’t just send people into the underworld to vanquish demons. We need tactics, and generals to help carry them out. I cannot think of two witches who I trust more…”

As he trailed off, Katie stared at him in disbelief. Her? Leading a mission? She did not feel capable of such a responsibility. “Are you sure?” she squeaked.

Leo gave her a warm smile. “Yes, you and Chris are the only ones who can do this. The only ones devoted enough to the cause. You were there when they were captured, you saw Wyatt…I know that you can do this.”<br>
“Dad, I…I can’t.” Chris said quietly, starring down at the table. “You can find someone better than me…I’m not a fighter. I save people, not lead them into battle. I’m a whitelighter-”<br>
“And a witch.” Leo cut in. “A Halliwell. I know that you don’t have a lot of experience, Chris, but Halliwell’s have always been able to fight when they need too. I know that you’ve always been more in touch with your whitelighter side…and I’m so proud of what you have achieved…but you can’t forget that you’re a witch too…it’s part of who you are…you can and will do this.”<br>

[Nite Owl]

There was a long pause as Chris and Leo locked identical sets of green eyes.

Neither knew what to say next.

“He’s right Chris.” Katie whispered after almost a minute had passed. “I know that you can do this…plus, it’s your best chance to get revenge on Wyatt. Weaken him. You’ll protecting Bianca and the baby.”<br>
Chris gave a slow nod, and his expression slowly turned from worry to determination. It was evident that he was beginning to be swayed. “Yes.” He muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. “For them.”<br>
The elder gave Chris a reassuring pat on the back, unable to suppress the wide smile forming on his face. “Good. We’ll have to start work right away…you’ll each be in charge of equipping one half of our number with the resources they’ll need for the mission, and filling them in on what we’ve planned.” He paused and shuffled a few of the papers in front of him. “I’ve been working on a strategy, but I’ll need both of you to help me perfect it. We will meet here every morning at seven for the next two weeks to begin preparations. I suppose you can take some time to enjoy Christmas…It’s really a shame we don’t have a few more weeks…”

“We’ll be okay.” Katie said reassuringly. “We’ve already archived a whole bunch of useful spells, and I know that the room next to mine has a good supply of potions.”<br>
Leo nodded, glad to have her optimism. “Good. I’m going to continue going through these books.” He stated, gesturing to the pile in front of him. “Take a day to rest. I expect you here, bright an early tomorrow.”<br>
Both Chris and Katie stood up. “I’ll see you later Leo.” The girl said quietly, making her way towards the doorway.

“Um, Katie?” Chris said, causing her to stop in mid stride. “I was just wondering, if you’re not busy…if you’d like to spend Christmas with Bianca and I? We won’t be doing much, but the more the merrier.”<br>
The girls face instantly brightened. She hadn’t spent the holidays with anyone since her parents had been killed. “I’d love to!” she replied quickly.

“You too dad.” Chris continued, turning to face his father with a gleam of childlike hope in his eyes. “I’d like it if you could come.”<br>Leo sighed and opened another tome. “I’m sorry Chris; I really can’t afford a break.”<br>
The hope in the boy’s expression instantly faded. “Right. I was stupid to ask.”<br>
“You know that I would if I could.”<br>
Chris shot his father a glare and said something in the strange clicking language they had been using earlier. Leo looked hurt and muttered a few word in response before Chris disappeared in a swirl of blue.

With a slight frown, Katie watched as the last of the orbs disappeared. “What did he say?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Nothing really…it’s just…he’s still mad at me for not being around when he was growing up.” Leo sighed. “I suppose I can’t really blame him…I just wish that he could understand how much I wanted to be there…how much I love him.”<br>
Katie gave the elder a sympathetic smile. “Maybe he’ll get it one day.” She turned and began to walk back into the hall way when she was struck with one final thought.

“Leo?” she began quietly.

“What?”<br>
“Um, if the three of us are going to be working together please don’t to the clicky whitelighter thing…it drives me nuts when I miss parts of conversations, and I think you’ll agree that all three of us need to know everything involved in the mission.”<br>
Leo smiled slightly and looked back up from his book. “Of course. I’ll make sure that we don’t do it again.”<br>
Satisfied, Katie left the room, ready to enjoy the last day she would have to rest before they forged ahead with the plan that could quite possibly bring an end to her short life.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Phew. This did not turn out exactly how I intended, but oh well. SORRY about the long break. I’ve been distracted with friends and Christmas and all of that…I figure that once school starts up again I’ll return to my former pace as I look for any excuse not to do my homework. I’m determined to finish this fic, no matter what…the reviews really do keep me motivated, so please spare a few seconds to tell me that you’re reading this. The end is slowly coming into sight and I hope that I will be able to write it was well as I have planned it. If any one cares, I intend to finish this one and then resume work on my other fic (Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now) so don’t expect me to update that for a while.
Right, sorry for rambling for so long…hope you all had and awesome Christmas!

CanadianHalliwell- Montreal, eh? Not quite as cool as T.O. but a close second, lol. (I have a lot of friends at McGill, yay!) Thanks for another review! And yes, Chris was young when he vanquished Bianca’s mother…I’m going to put in a flash back at some point and all shall become clear. (P.S. in my universe, Bianca is only about 3 years older than Chris…so she was 12 and he was 9)

RedPhoenix- GASP! 2 months without out a computer would kill me, lol. Glad to see that you’re back! Thanks for the compliments.

Traci- thanks again!! Sorry that the update took awhile, hope it was okay.