Consequences

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"Consequences"
By J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: K

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 6 episodes "Sword And The City" and "Little Monsters".)

* * *

Chris orbs into the manor and finds that things have changed drastically. Prue, Andy, and Cole are alive, the girls don't have their powers, and Leo is nowhere to be found. And what's more, none of them knows who Chris is.

* * *

ONE

Chris orbed into the living room of the manor. As he finished his orbed, he nearly collapsed on the floor, barely keeping himself from falling by grabbing the edge of the sofa. It was a sensation he had never experienced before. Halfway through the orb he had suddenly become dizzy and disoriented. Within a few seconds his head began to clear.

He looked around expecting a demon attack. But the manor was strangely quiet. No demons were about. In fact, the manor looked perfectly normal. He thought for a moment about the dizziness he had experienced. Maybe it was some side affect from moving backward in time. He had half expected to have some repercussions from it. The spell that had sent him back was supposed to have kept his powers intact and so far they had seemed unaffected.

But this was not his time. He finally decided that spending so much time in the past had finally caught up with him. He didn't feel any different so it probably wasn't anything to be concerned with. Still, he'd have to take it easy for a couple of days just to be on the safe side.

No one else seemed to be home. That made sense. Piper was probably out with Wyatt somewhere. Paige was probably off somewhere studying the Craft or at one of her temp jobs. And Phoebe would most likely be at work. He looked around the living room and noticed Wyatt's playpen strangely absent. Piper hadn't say anything about moving it. But after the last few demon attacks she might have decided to move it upstairs to keep Wyatt closer to her.

He thought about the last few attacks. They hadn't netted him any significant information. He still had no clue as to why Wyatt had turned evil in the future. Time was beginning to run out. He had to find out what had happened so he could change it. But the girls were so obstinate. He knew they were but he wasn't prepared for just how stubborn they could actually be.

Chris went into the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. He might be a White Lighter but he still had to eat. And with things relatively quiet right now, he could take some time to relax. Something he rarely got the chance to do lately. As soon as the girls got home they could set out looking for the next demon on Chris' list. Maybe that would be the one he was looking for.

As he fixed himself a sandwich, something nagged at him. He couldn't put his finger on it. He looked around the kitchen but nothing seemed out of place. It looked exactly as it always had. Still, there was something not quite right. If he could only figure out what it was.

He reached into the refrigerator to get a bottle of water and noticed something odd. Some of the components that Piper used in her potions weren't in their usual place. That was decidedly odd. Those components were highly perishable. If she didn't keep them refrigerated, they would go bad very quickly. She'd have to get some more and in an emergency they might not have the time to get what they needed.

Now why would Piper remove the components from the refrigerator? She was always adamant about keeping enough ingredients on hand to create a potion on a moment's notice. It wasn't like her to simply discard any of them. And he was pretty sure that neither Paige nor Phoebe would have either. Although, as a rule, Piper made the potions in the family, any of the girls could make one. And they all knew how important having the right ingredients was.

Eating his sandwich, Chris walked back into the living room. Something still nagged at him. Like the name of a person that was right on the tip of your tongue but you just couldn't pull it out. He knew that whatever it was should be evident. But looking around the living room nothing seemed out of place.

He looked at the clock in the hallway. It was nearly three-thirty in the afternoon. Strange that none of the girls should be home yet. When Piper did go to the club it was usually early in the morning or later at night. When she could take Wyatt with her. And Paige didn't have a full-time job so she spent a great deal of time around the manor. He wondered where the girls were.

Chris wondered through the house finally ending up in the kitchen again. Maybe one of them was outside in the backyard. They did occasionally go into the backyard. The rose bush back there should be in full bloom now. Maybe one of them was out there picking some flowers for the house.

He found the backyard as deserted as the manor. He was becoming concerned. Why would none of them be home? Leo would be off on Elder business so it wasn't so odd for him not to be around. Plus, since he and Piper had split, he tried to honor her wish that he stay away. So that she could sort her life out.

"Okay, Chris, stay calm," he said to himself. "There's no reason to think any of them are in any danger. There are no signs of demonic activity and if any of them were in danger, they'd call for you."

He decided to go back into the house and call one of them. They all had cell phones. He decided against orbing to them because he could never really be sure if they were alone. Yes, a phone call was probably the best course of action right now.

He returned to the back porch and started to open the door. Except the door wouldn't budge. It appeared to be locked. But that wasn't possible. He hadn't locked it and it didn't lock automatically. You had to use a key. Then he noticed movement in the entryway. It was hard to tell exactly who it was but it was definitely one of the girls.

"Piper," he called out, pounding on the door, "Paige, is that you? Can you open the back door? I seemed to have locked myself out."

He could have just orbed into the house. But he had learned that orbing in unannounced could have an unsettling affect on the girls. Besides, he knew he didn't need to use his magic unnecessarily. They'd hear the pounding and open the door for him. After a few moments of him pounding, someone came into the kitchen. It was Piper. She walked up to the door and Chris heard the key turn in the lock. As the door open, Chris looked at Piper.

"Thanks," said Chris. "Somehow the door got locked and I was locked out."

"That's because I locked it," said Piper.

"Oh, that explains it," said Chris. "Are the others home yet?"

"No, not yet," said Piper. "Why? Is there something you need?"

"Piper," said Chris, smiling, "you know there's always something going on. We need to be prepared for an attack at any moment. Wyatt could be in serious danger if we aren't."

"Wyatt?" questioned Piper. "I'm sorry, are you selling something? Whatever it is, we're really not interested. I really should be getting ready for work. So, if you don't mind."

"Piper, are you okay?" asked Chris. "You're acting awfully strange."

"Well, you seem to know my name, so tell me something," said Piper.

"What?" Chris asked, getting a very strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Just who are you?" asked Piper. "And what are you doing in my backyard?"

Chris stared at Piper and realized she genuinely had no idea who he was.

[noazmale]

TWO

"Piper, are you okay?" Chris asked.

"I'm fine," said Piper. "Now why don't you answer my questions? Who are you and why are you in my backyard."

Just then Phoebe came into the kitchen from the entryway.

"The others will be in in a minute," said Phoebe. "We should be able to leave in just a few.... oh, sorry Piper. I didn't know you had company. Who's your friend?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," said Piper.

"Phoebe, what's the matter?" Chris asked. "You act like you don't know me."

"Should I?" asked Phoebe. "Have we met?"

"It's me, Chris," said Chris. "Chris Perry. I've been staying here the last couple of months. Don't you remember?"

"Well, I don't get back to the manor as much as I'd like," said Phoebe. "Piper, isn't he just a little young for you?"

"I never saw him before in my life," said Piper. "And as for staying at the manor, unless you've been hiding out in the cellar or the attic, you haven't been staying here."

"Where's Leo?" asked Chris. "You guys must be under some kind of spell. Maybe Leo can help."

"Leo?" questioned Phoebe. "You mean Leo Wyatt? The handyman who helped fix up the place a few years ago? He hasn't been around here in years. Is he a friend of yours?"

'Years?" questioned Chris. "That's impossible. He was here just this morning. Piper, you must remember. He came to see Wyatt."

"Leo came to see himself?" questioned Piper. "Chris, or whatever your name is, you aren't making any sense. Maybe you've been out in the sun too long."

"I haven't been in the sun too long," said Chris, his temper beginning to flare. "You have to be under a spell. That's the only explanation. I just wonder if Paige is under the same spell."

"Paige who?" asked Phoebe.

Just then the front door opened and three people walked into the manor. Chris didn't wait to see who they were.

"Paige, is that you?" he called out to them. "Is Leo with you? Something's wrong with Piper and Phoebe. Someone's messing with their memories."

"Who's Paige?" said a woman with dark hair walking into the kitchen. "And how and why would someone mess with their memories? For that matter, who are you? Piper, is this a friend of yours?"

"Not mine," said Piper. "He just showed up at the back door saying something about someone named Wyatt and something being up. Then he goes on and on about Leo. You know, that handyman we had here five or six years ago. And he asked about someone named Paige. I think he might be hallucinating. I don't understand anything he's talking about."

"Oh my God," said Chris looking at the woman who had just entered the kitchen.

The other two people who had just entered the house hadn't come into the kitchen. Apparently they had gone into the living room. But there was no mistaking who this woman was. He had never met her but he knew who she was. He had seen enough pictures of her. He stood staring at Prue Halliwell, alive and apparently in good health.

"That's impossible," Chris gasped. "You're dead. You died nearly four years ago fighting the Source."

"The Source?" Prue asked. "The Source of what? And I'm obviously not dead since I'm standing right here in front of you. Are you feeling okay?"

"Honey," said a male voice coming from the living room, "we'd better hurry if we're going to make your appointment."

Chris stared in amazement as he watched another "ghost" walk into the kitchen. Andy Trudeau walked up next to Prue and put his arm around her. She snuggled a little closer to him whether it was from affection or for protection, Chris couldn't be sure.

"Wait a minute," said Chris. "What's going on here? You can't be here. You died a long time ago. You died fighting Shax."

"What's a Shax?" asked Andy.

"Andy, honey," said Prue, "this young man is obviously not feeling well. Can you call the station and have them send someone for him. He thinks I died fighting some source of something."

"It's going to be okay, Chris, is it?" asked Piper, starting to take Chris' arm. "You're just a little confused, that's all. Maybe you hit your head or something. Don't be worried. We're going to get you some help. Just have a seat and we'll get a doctor here to take a look at you as quickly as we can."

"I'm not sick," said Chris. "And I didn't hit my head. This isn't right. You two can't be here. You've both been dead for years. Piper, Leo is, or was, your husband. You have a son name Wyatt. What's the matter with you guys?"

"Who's been dead for years?" asked another male voice as a man entered the kitchen. "And have you been secretly married and not told anyone, Piper? Shame on you."

Chris was struck nearly speechless. Things were getting screwier by the second. Not only were Prue Halliwell and Andy Trudeau still alive, but also Chris was staring at one of the most deadly foes the Charmed Ones had ever faced. Staring at the man who had just entered the kitchen Chris could only utter two words.

"Cole Turner?" gasped Chris as Cole walked up and stood next to Phoebe.

[noazmale]

THREE

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Cole. "Were you involved in one of my cases?"

"You can't be here," said Chris. "You're dead. You died months ago."

"I feel pretty healthy for a dead man," joked Cole.

"He seems to think a lot of people are dead," said Prue. "He also said Andy and I are dead."

"Just take it easy, son," said Andy. "You're obviously suffering from some kind of delusion. We'll get you some help."

"No, this isn't possible," said Chris starting to back out the kitchen door. "It's just not possible."

"Don't cause us any trouble," said Andy. "I'm a lieutenant with the San Francisco Police Department. Just come in and sit down and we'll get you to a hospital right away."

"No," said Chris suddenly.

The small group inside the manor was beginning to move toward him. He raised his hand and a light flashed in front of everyone's eyes. They all covered their eyes instinctively against the flash. It wouldn't last long, Chris new that. It was really only a minor power. He knew that within moments they would recover. Almost as soon as the flash occurred, Chris orbed out of the doorway. When the party's eyes had recovered they hurried into the back yard to see where he had gone.

"I'd better call this in," said Andy. "He might be violent. I'll have the patrols keep an eye out for him."

Chris sat in the cellar of the manor. Orbing to the cellar would protect him for a bit. They wouldn't think to look for him down there. It would give him some time to think. Everything was cockeyed. Prue, Andy, and Cole were still alive. Piper and Phoebe didn't seem to know who he was. And they had apparently not recognized Paige's name either which meant they didn't know who she was.

More importantly, none of them had used any of their powers on him. After six years it was second nature to suspect any strangers showing up at the manor to be a demon or warlock or something. But they had all acted like he was just some other mortal off the streets. That didn't make any sense. Especially Prue, from what he knew about her, would have been openly suspicious of any strangers.

To say that something was definitely wrong was an understatement. He couldn't have gone back in time. Andy said he was a lieutenant. Except that had died before making lieutenant. It was more than a year after his death before Cole had come into the girls' lives. They shouldn't have known each other.

And Leo had apparently not been around for several years. Phoebe had called him a handyman. Which meant they didn't know he was a White Lighter. When he had mentioned Wyatt, Piper had no idea who he was talking about. How could things be so jumbled?

That dizziness he had felt when he had orbed into the manor. It must be connected to this somehow. But how? And what was it? Chris had no answers for the myriad questions that were assaulting him right then. He was going to need help. And the three people whom he would normally have turned to thought he was a raving lunatic.

Chris closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Leo appeared to be across town. At least he was still on the mortal plane. Chris didn't want to orb to the White Lighter realm just yet. Not until he had some answers. Chris glanced at the stairs leading upstairs, and then orbed out of the manor.

He appeared in the backyard of a modest square frame house. Leo was inside and so, apparently, was someone else. Chris would have to be careful. He didn't know why Leo would be here so he couldn't be sure who, or what, Leo was visiting. Cautiously, Chris moved to the front of the house. He walked up on the front porch and tentatively rang the doorbell. After a few moments a young woman answered the door. She appeared to be about thirty, with shoulder-length blonde hair, and was wearing a high button blouse and slacks.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman.

"Yes," said Chris. "I'm looking for Leo Wyatt. I was told he was here."

"Leo, it's for you," said the woman calling over her shoulder.

She looked back at Chris with a perplexed look on her face. After a few moments, Leo came to the front door.

"Yes?" he questioned, looking at Chris.

"Thank God I found you," said Chris. "I need to speak to you, Leo. It's important."

"And you are?" questioned Leo.

"You don't know me?" asked Chris.

"I'm sorry," said Leo. "Should I?"

"Then it's not just the girls," said Chris. "Everything has changed."

"Girls?" questioned the young woman. "What girls?"

"Listen, I know this is going to sound a bit strange," said Chris, "but I need to speak to Leo for just a couple of minutes. It's extremely important and I need to speak to him alone."

"Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of Tiffany," said Leo.

"Leo, please," pleaded Chris, "this is very important. I just need a few minutes."

"Leo," said Tiffany, "I think you'd better talk to this young man."

"Chris," said Chris. "Chris Perry."

"I think you'd better talk to Chris," said Tiffany. "It appears to be very important."

"Are you sure?" asked Leo.

"Very sure," said Tiffany. "Why don't you come in, Chris? You and Leo can have some privacy away from prying eyes."

"Is that a good idea?" asked Leo.

"Of course," said Tiffany. "Chris is a White Lighter."

[noazmale]

FOUR

"You're a witch?" Chris asked in astonishment.

Tiffany pulled up the right sleeve of her blouse to expose a bracelet on her wrist. Hanging from the bracelet was a charm. The charm was in the shape of a crescent moon with a star in the center. Chris also noticed a noticeable scar across Tiffany's wrist.

"Yes, I am," she said. "Leo is my White Lighter."

"How did you know I was a White Lighter?" asked Chris.

"I could see it in your mind," said Tiffany.

"Tiffany has telepathy," explained Leo. "It's one of her powers. She can read the mind of another person."

"I couldn't help but notice the scar," said Chris.

"Yes," said Tiffany, absently rubbing her wrist. "A little memento of my younger days. There was a time when I didn't think I had anything to live for. Luckily Leo showed up and helped change my mind."

"Good thing I did, too," said Leo. "A few more minutes and it would have been too late."

"He can heal that for you, you know?" asked Chris.

"She won't let me," said Leo. "She says it's a reminder of how close she came."

"I see," said Chris.

"So," said Leo, "you're a White Lighter. Well, there are so many of us it's hard to know them all. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So you don't remember me?" asked Chris.

"Should I?" asked Leo. "Have we met before?"

"It's why I came to see you," said Chris. "I just came from the manor and things are totally out of whack there. Apparently it's not just there."

"Wait a minute," said Leo. "The manor?"

"The Halliwell Manor," said Chris. "Don't tell me you don't remember them, either?"

"Well, of course I remember them," said Leo. "I've been keeping an eye on them. But until they get their powers.... "

"Hold on," said Chris. "They already have their powers. Penny Halliwell died about six years ago from a heart attack. Six months after that Phoebe found the Book of Shadows in the attic and read the incantation in the front of it. You've been married to Piper for the last two years."

"Why Leo," said Tiffany, smiling coyly, "a secret wife? You never told me."

"That's because it never happened," said Leo, looking annoyed. "Look, Chris, Penny Halliwell did die six years ago. But the girls never found the Book of Shadows. Frankly, no one knows where it is. All we can figure is Penny hid it somewhere for a future Halliwell generation. She had all ready bound the girls' powers when they were young. Without the book, their powers will stay bound."

"But a witches spells and bindings are broken when the witch dies," said Tiffany.

"Normally, yes," said Chris. "But in this instance, Penny connected the binding to the Book of Shadows. So it's not only Penny's power that keeps the binding in place, it's also the power from the book. As long as the book exists, the binding will remain intact."

"It's kind of like a curse," said Leo. "Normally a curse is connected to a person or place or thing. That's why a witches curse can continue long past the time after a witch dies, sometimes for centuries. Penny may be gone but the power from the book continues to keep the binding in place. Only the destruction of the book or reading the incantation inside it will remove the binding."

"I always wondered why they didn't get their powers when their grandmother died," said Tiffany.

"You know about them?" asked Chris.

"Leo's told me all about them," said Tiffany. "But he's right about them. Their powers are still bound and they have no idea they're witches. Frankly, no one thinks that's going to change. All we can do is wait until the next generation that won't have its' powers bound."

"This is crazy," said Chris. "Look, up until this morning everything was normal. Like I said, the girls got their powers almost six years ago. Since then, they've been a major thorn in evil's side. The even vanquished the Source a couple of years ago and that's put the entire underworld in a complete uproar."

"The Source vanquished?" asked Tiffany. "Now that's a nice dream. But I'm afraid the Source is very much alive."

"That's not all," said Chris. "Prue Halliwell, Andy Trudeau, and Cole Turner are also alive. Except that Prue died three years ago fighting Shax, Andy died five years ago when the girls were fighting Tempus and a warlock, and Cole was vanquished over a year ago. But I saw them alive in the manor just a little bit ago."

"Hold on," said Leo. "You're not making any sense. Andy and Prue couldn't have died fighting demons. They have no powers and demons don't bother them. They've been married for two years and Prue is expecting their first child. And what was that you were saying about Cole? He's an assistant district attorney for San Francisco. He and Phoebe were married six months ago."

"How do you know so much about them?" asked Chris.

"They are connected to the sisters," said Leo. "I told you I keep an eye on them. You said Cole was vanquished? You're talking about him like he was a demon or something."

"He was," said Chris. "Or is. Man, I'm not sure what I'm talking about. Okay, Cole Turner is actually a half demon. His name is Belthazor and the girls vanquished him several months ago."

"Belthazor?" asked Leo, nervously. "Belthazor is an upper level demon. He's a mercenary that specializes in killing witches. Why would he be married to Phoebe?"

"I don't know," said Chris. "He shouldn't even be alive. Phoebe once believed that she and Cole were destined to be together. Maybe she was right about that. Maybe that's why their together in this reality."

"If they were destined to be together," asked Tiffany, "why would they vanquish him?"

"Free will," said Leo. "Just because they might have been destined to be together doesn't mean it will always work out. Things can change depending on the choices people make in their lives.""

"Like I said," said Chris, "he shouldn't even be alive. Just like Prue and Andy should also be dead. None of this is making any sense. Everything is all topsy turvy."

"Chris," said Tiffany, "if this is how everything is supposed to be, why is it that you remember it and no one else does? You sound like the timeline has been altered. If that's true, how come you weren't affected when everyone else was?"

"Maybe because this isn't my time, I don't know," said Chris. "All I know is that things are not the way they're supposed to be."

"What do you mean 'this isn't your time'?" asked Leo.

"I'm from the future," said Chris. "I came back to change things. To prevent Piper's son from destroy them and everything else. Your son, Leo."

Leo and Tiffany stared at Chris in disbelief.

[noazmale]

FIVE

"My son?" questioned Leo. "Chris, I think you'd better start at the beginning."

"Okay," said Chris. "Well, I'm actually from the future. About twenty years. In my timeline or reality or whatever it is, you and Piper are married. You have a son you named Wyatt. In the future, where I'm from, Wyatt has turned evil. He's vanquished anyone who was a threat to him and the world has basically gone to hell. I came back to change that."

"You can't change the past," said Tiffany. "As a White Lighter you should know that."

"I know I can't," said Chris. "But people can change their future. So I've been trying to get the girls to change their future so my past will change."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Tiffany.

"Actually, he's right," said Leo. "I know it sounds contradictory, but it is possible. He can't change his past. But people can change their future depending on the choices they make. If he can get them to change their future, his past will change even though he can't change it."

"This is getting confusing," said Tiffany.

"Just try not to think about it too much, honey," said Leo. "It's really complicated and some people never quite grasp it."

"Honey?" questioned Chris. "Are you two...? "

"Involved?" asked Tiffany. "You might say that. Only don't say anything to anyone. You know how the Elders are about a White Lighter and his charge getting involved."

"Which is another reason this doesn't make any sense," said Leo. "There's no way they'd allow me to become involved with one of my charges, let alone marry one and have a baby with her."

"Well, it happened," said Chris. "It's a long story, but the girls helped stop a Dark Lighter from decimating the White Lighters and the Elders allowed the two of you to get married sort of as a reward."

"That's hard to believe," said Leo.

"Trust me it happened," said Chris. "Except now, that's all changed. None of what I remember has happened."

"Chris," said Tiffany, "you said Prue died fighting the Source. Was that when they vanquished him?"

"No, that was a few months earlier," said Chris.

"Then how did they vanquish the Source?" asked Leo. "No one has the power to go up against him. That's why there was so much hope put in the Charmed Ones. Without them, there's no hope of defeating the Source."

"The Power of Three was reconstituted after Prue died," said Chris. "There's a fourth sister that no one knew about. Her name is Paige Matthews and Patty Halliwell was her mother."

"And her father?" questioned Tiffany.

"Sam," said Chris.

"Sam?" questioned Leo. "Patty's White Lighter?"

"Yes," said Chris. "After Victor Bennett and Patty Halliwell broke up, she and Sam became involved. Paige was born some time later. To protect her and keep the Elders from finding out about her, they gave her up for adoption. After Prue died, Piper and Phoebe learned about her and the Power of Three was reconstituted."

"Tiffany?" asked Leo.

"He believes it," said Tiffany. "He's convinced of every word."

"You've been scanning me?" asked Chris.

"Can you blame me?" asked Tiffany. "You come in here with this fantastic story. What are we supposed to think? For all we knew this was some form of deception to keep us off guard while a demon attacked."

"Well, I guess I can understand that," said Chris. "But everything I've told you is true. Somehow, everything has changed from what it should be. At least three people are alive who should be dead. Four if you count the Source. And everything the Charmed Ones have done over the past six years apparently has changed as well."

"Is it possible he's under a spell of some kind?" Tiffany asked Leo. "Maybe someone cast a spell on him to alter his memory for some reason."

"I'm not under a spell," protested Chris. "I know what I remember."

"We have to consider all possibilities," said Leo. "Frankly, that makes more sense than everything changing like you've described. That would mean someone went back in time and altered the past which as we all know is not possible."

"Unless someone got another person from that time to change their future," offered Chris. "Just like I've been doing with the girls. Maybe someone went back in time and somehow prevented Phoebe from finding the Book of Shadows. That could explain everything."

"It might," said Leo. "But it's also possible that you're the one that's been affected, not everything else. That makes more sense. Especially all that talk about Sam and Patty and Piper and me."

"There has to be some way to find out," said Tiffany. "I could try to cast a spell that would remove any spell Chris is under."

"And if it doesn't work," said Chris, "it won't prove a thing. It's possible you wouldn't be able to remove a spell even if I was under one."

"He has a point," said Leo. "Assuming everything has changed, and I'm not conceding that point, it would be a waste of time to check with the Elders, too. They would have changed as well and there really wouldn't be any way to find out."

"There's a simple enough way," said Tiffany. "Contact this Paige Matthews. Find out if what Chris said about her is true."

"That's a good idea," said Chris. "Even without her witch powers, Paige is still half White Lighter. She can orb and alter her form and some of the other White Lighter abilities. If Paige is the way I say she is, will you believe that things have changed then?"

Leo thought for a moment.

"On one condition," said Leo. "If we find out she's not the way you say she is, you consider that something else if going on. Including that you may be under a spell or something else."

"You mean I might be crazy," said Chris.

"I didn't say that," said Leo. "But if she's not half White Lighter, then you'll have to admit that something else has happened."

"Fair enough," said Chris. "When the girls found her she was working as a social worker at the Bay Area Social Services. She should still be there since she quit to devote herself full time to the study of the Craft. There's no reason to think she'd quit otherwise so she should still be working there."

"Find," said Leo. "It's getting late. I suggest we go there first thing in the morning and check her out. In the mean time, why don't you tell us everything you can about this alternate timeline? It might give us an idea of what's going on."

[noazmale]

SIX

The three of them stood outside the Bay Area Social Services the next morning.

"So, how do you suggest we proceed?" asked Tiffany. "We can't very well just walk in and ask her if her mother was a witch and her father was a White Lighter."

"We have to take this one step at a time," said Leo. "First, we have to find out if she was adopted."

"I have an idea," said Chris. "Paige has always had a soft spot for orphans because she was one herself. I can pretend that I'm an orphan trying to locate my birth parents. That way I can ask her some questions that won't sound suspicious."

"And us?" asked Tiffany. "What are we doing here with you?"

"Well, you're too young to be my adoptive parents," said Chris thoughtfully. "I know. You can be my aunt and uncle. You're helping me try to track down my birth parents."

"Wouldn't it make more sense if we went to a lawyer if we were doing that?" asked Leo. "Won't she be suspicious that we're coming to social services for that?"

"Trust me," said Chris. "I can make it convincing. Remember, I know things about her no one else knows."

"Just don't over do it," said Tiffany. "If she gets suspicious we might not find out anything and then we'll be right back where we are now."

"I won't," said Chris. "Just let me do most of the talking and things should go smoothly."

The three of them turned and walked into the building. Leo and Tiffany, of course, had no idea who they were looking for. Chris, however, had no trouble finding Paige. While he had never been in the building before, he had the hindsight of his months with Paige. He found her at her desk going over some papers.

"Paige Matthews?" asked Chris, walking up to her desk.

"Yes?" Paige questioned.

"Hi, my name is Chris Perry," said Chris. "This is my uncle, Leo, and my aunt, Tiffany. I was told you might be able to help me with something."

"That's what I'm here for," said Paige, smiling. "Why don't you have a seat and tell me what I can do for you?"

"Well," said Chris, "I'm adopted and I'm trying to locate my birth parents. A friend of mine recommended you. She said you might be able to help."

"Wouldn't a lawyer be more useful?" asked Paige.

"Well," said Chris, "I do have a lawyer working on the legal aspects. My friend said you might be able to help in other ways. Maybe suggest some avenues that a lawyer might not use."

"Who was your friend?" asked Paige.

"Melinda Warren," said Chris, gauging Paige's response.

"Funny," said Paige, "I don't remember having a client by that name."

"Well, actually," said Chris, "it was a friend of Melinda's that you helped. She told Melinda and Melinda told me. She never actually said who her friend was only that you had helped her."

"I see," said Paige. "You've come to the right person. Actually, I kind of have a soft spot for orphans. I was adopted when I was only a baby myself so I know how important this is for you."

"I appreciate that," said Chris. "My adoptive parents were killed in a car accident when I was thirteen so they can't give me any information. All I have to go on is what I remember them talking about when I was younger."

"Déjà vu," said Paige. "My parents were also killed in a car accident when I was thirteen. I was with them but somehow I was thrown clear otherwise I would have died, too."

'What a coincidence," said Chris, glancing at Leo and Tiffany. "Do you remember anything about your birth parents?"

"No," said Paige. "Apparently I was given up when I was only a couple of days old. I was found on the doorstep of an orphanage with only a blanket wrapped around me. They never were able to find out who left me there so there's no way for me to track down my birth parents."

"That's too bad," said Chris. "I actually know very little about my birth parents as well. What little I do know I'm hoping will provide some link to them."

"You do understand you may not find them?" asked Paige. "It's even possible they are no longer alive. You have to be prepared for that event."

"I am," said Chris. "I know it's a long shot finding them, but I have to try."

"I can understand that," said Paige. "Now, why don't you tell me what you know or remember about them and I'll see what I can do about steering you toward the right agencies who might be able to help."

* * *

"You were very convincing in there," said Tiffany as they left the building. "I was almost believing your story."

"It wasn't hard," said Chris. "I just used Paige's own story with a few modifications so she wouldn't get suspicious. But it does tell us one thing. That's the same Paige I know as a Charmed One. Her life up to the point where Piper and Phoebe found her is virtually identical to the one I know."

"Which doesn't prove anything," said Leo. "That story could fit any number of people, especially in a city this size."

"She was in the car when her parents died," protested Chris. "The only reason she survived was because she instinctively orbed out of the car before it was hit. She didn't even remember orbing it happened so fast. But that has to prove she's the same person."

"He has a point, Leo," said Tiffany. "And you did say you would consider his story to be true if Paige turned out to be who he said she was."

"We haven't ascertained she's half White Lighter," said Leo. "Frankly, I find it hard to believe that she could have gone this long without the Elders finding out about her. That's not something you can cover up very easily."

"They should all ready know," said Chris. "They never said when exactly they learned about her heritage but they did admit they knew about her before Piper and Phoebe found out about her. That much should still have remained the same."

"Well," said Leo, "I can orb up there and try to find out. I know a few people that can give me some answers without too many questions of their own. If Paige is half White Lighter, and the Elders know about it, I should be able to find out."

"Great," said Chris. "Now all we have to do if figure out why things have changed. And who's responsible for it."

"One step at a time," said Leo. "I'll orb up there once we get home. Then we can decide what to do next."

"Fair enough," said Chris. "Considering the circumstances, would it be okay if I stayed with you guys for a while? I've been living at the manor and don't really have any other place to stay."

"That's a good idea," said Tiffany. "And while Leo's gone you can tell me more of what things are supposed to be like. It might give us an idea of what exactly is going on."

As Tiffany drove home, Chris sat thinking about what was going on. The answers he was able to come up with didn't make any sense to him. But he was sure of one thing. This had to be some form of demonic attack. Which meant there could be a demon after him right now. And he had no idea which one or when it might attack.

[noazmale]

SEVEN

Leo orbed back to the house a few hours later. Chris hadn't expected him to be gone as long as he was but he and Tiffany spent the time getting acquainted. Besides telepathy, Tiffany's other abilities included invisibility, astral projection, and a limited form of shape change. She could alter her basic features but she had to remain a female and the color of her eyes remained the same.

"Well, what did you find out?" Tiffany asked Leo after he had orbed in.

Leo didn't answer right away. He had a concerned look on his face and he thought for a moment before he answered.

"It seems Chris was right about Paige," said Leo finally. "Apparently she is half White Lighter. The Elders discovered who she was when she orbed out of the car in the accident that killed her parents. A mortal doesn't just start orbing without drawing some attention to themselves."

"Then you see I was right," said Chris. "Everything has changed."

"Hold on a second," said Leo. "There could be any number of explanations for that. The Elders haven't said anything because it was a one-time thing. They figure as long as she doesn't use magic she's not threat to anyone and there's no reason to let her know what's going on."

"But everything I told you about her is true," said Chris. "You have to admit, that lends credence to the rest of my story."

"Well, I'll concede that it's possible," said Leo. "But I'm still not completely convinced."

"Maybe the Elders can help figure this out," said Tiffany. "You just need to fill them in on what's been going on."

"I don't want to do that just yet," said Leo. "Think about it? Chris came back in time to save his family and alter the past. While he's in the past, someone else goes even further back in time and alters the past even more. That's a little hard to swallow even for the Elders."

"But they would have to listen to you," said Leo. "After what happened with the Titans and all. And you're being an Elder yourself."

"I'm not an Elder," said Leo in surprise. "And the Titans were locked away millennia ago. They aren't a threat to anyone."

"What?" Chris asked. "But that's not what happened. A demon released the Titans and you had to give the Charmed Ones the powers of the gods to defeat them. Most of the Elders were destroyed and you were made an Elder because of what you did."

"That never happened," said Leo. ""I'm just a regular White Lighter. The Titans were never released."

"I guess even more has changed than I thought," said Chris. "I wonder why the demon never released the Titans?"

"Balance, probably," said Leo.

"What do you mean, Leo?" asked Tiffany.

"Well," said Leo, "assuming everything Chris has told us is the truth, then there are at least four people - or beings - alive now who shouldn't be. Nature has to balance that out. Which means that others who were alive before the change are now dead. They probably died about the same time as the others were supposed to have died."

"So that means that there are four people dead now that are alive in my reality," said Chris.

"That's right," said Leo "Probably people who were close to the ones who are still alive now. A close friend or family member. In the cases of Belthazor and the Source, probably demonic associates. It's possible that the demon who you believed originally released the Titans was a close associate of one of them. When reality changed, as you claim, that demon may have died instead of them. Which means it was never around to release the Titans."

"So who's dead now since Prue and Andy are still alive?" asked Chris.

"That's hard to say," said Leo. "It could be just about anyone. It obviously wasn't one of Prue's sisters, since they're all still alive. And their mother and grandmother died years ago."

"Grandpa," gasped Chris. "Leo, if you watch over the girls, do you know what happened to their father?"

"He died from a heart attack about three years ago," said Leo.

"The same time that Prue would have died," said Chris dejectedly.

"I'm sorry Chris," said Tiffany.

"That's okay," said Chris. "All we have to do is figure out who's doing this and how to put things back the way they're supposed to be."

"Which may not be that easy," said Leo. "There's no way of knowing who did this. What about Tempus? He can manipulate time. Maybe he's the one who's done all this?"

"No, that's not possible," said Leo. "Tempus was destroyed when Prue died. The Source forced him to reset time and he couldn't take the strain. So it couldn't be him. It has to be another demon or warlock."

"So, how do we find out?" asked Tiffany. "We certainly can't just walk up to the nearest demon and say, 'excuse me, but can you tell me who's changing the past?'. And since the girls don't have their Book of Shadows any longer, it won't be of any help."

"What about your book?" Leo asked. "Maybe there's something in there that can help."

"I all ready looked," said Tiffany, shaking her head. "There's nothing in it about any demon that can manipulate time. There's not even an entry on the Tempus."

"Well," said Leo, "each Book of Shadows contains entries on beings that the persons' ancestors encountered. If none of your ancestors encountered Tempus, there's no reason there would be an entry."

"What about the girls Book of Shadows?" asked Chris. "You said it just disappeared. But I know their grandmother kept it in the attic. That's where Phoebe originally found it. How could it just disappear?"

"I can't answer that," said Leo. "Theirs is a magical book and evil can't even touch it."

"Well someone must have," said Tiffany. "No one knows where it is."

"I think we have to pay a visit to the not so Charmed Ones," said Leo. "They might know something that could help us. They may not even know they know anything, especially since they don't know they're witches."

"Oh, that's going to be simple," said Chris. "We just walk right up and ask them. After the little display I put on in the manor earlier, they're bound to think we're all crazy."

"Not crazy," said Tiffany. "Just a lack of medication."

"What do you mean?" asked Leo.

"Well," said Tiffany, "I think I know how we can get into the manor. But it means that Chris is going to have to do a little pretending. And you, Leo, are going to decide to visit some old friends after many years absent. It just might work."

"What might work?" asked Chris, not really sure what Tiffany had in mind.

"Hear me out," said Tiffany. "This is just crazy enough to work."

[noazmale]

EIGHT

"Cole Turner, I don't care what the case is you're working on, you promised this weekend was going to be for us and us alone," said a slightly irate Phoebe as she chastised Cole in the living room of the manor. "Need I remind you that we haven't even been able to take a honeymoon since we got married? You're always having to go out of town on some type of business."

"I know," said Cole, "but I can't help it. This is a really important case and I have to interview a very important witness. It will only be overnight and I'll be back the next morning, I promise."

"Cole," began Phoebe as the doorbell rang. "Oh, you're exasperating. This isn't finished."

Phoebe went to answer the door as Piper was just coming down the stairs.

"Gotta break another date?" she asked.

"Yes," said Cole. "I feel terrible about it. I'm going to make it up to her, I promise."

Phoebe opened the door to find Leo, Tiffany, and Chris standing on the front porch. Leo just smiled at her.

"Hi," he said, "remember me?"

"Leo?" questioned Phoebe, breaking into a big smile. "Leo Wyatt? Well, what the devil are you doing here? We haven't seen you in, what, five years?"

"Something like that," said Leo. "I was in town and thought I'd stop by and say hello. And maybe make a few explanations while I'm at it. Mind if we come in for a bit?"

"No, no, not at all," said Phoebe, opening the door. "Piper, Prue, come look who's stopped by for a visit." Suddenly she noticed Chris standing behind the other two. "What's he doing here?"

“That's part of the explanations," said Leo walking into the manor. "Hello, Piper. It's good to see you again."

"Leo Wyatt?" questioned Piper. "I thought Phoebe was hallucinating. Prue," she called up the stairs, "better get down here. We have an old friend visiting."

"I'd like to introduce Tiffany Morgan, my cousin," said Leo. "And I believe you've already met Chris. He's Tiffany's brother."

"That we have," said Cole. "Hi, I'm Cole Turner, Phoebe's husband."

"Well, belated congratulations," said Leo.

"Thanks," said Cole.

"So, what's this explanation?" asked Phoebe, looking suspiciously at Chris. "He was here yesterday but he was ranting and raving like a madmen."

"That's my fault, I'm afraid," said Tiffany. "I just got so busy I forgot to get his prescription filled. When he came home going on about the three of you, I got it filled immediately. I'm sorry if he was an inconvenience."

"Not an inconvenience," said Prue, coming down the stairs, followed by Andy. "Just a little confusing. Hi, I'm Prue. Hello, Leo. It's been a long time."

"Too long," said Leo. "Why don't we all go into the living room where we can talk. We can make all the introductions and hopefully I can explain what happened yesterday."

"Not to mention what happened five years ago," said Piper. "You just disappeared on us."

"I know," said Leo. "I'll explain everything."

Together, the group went into the living room. Chris was very uncomfortable and wasn't sure if they were going to buy the "explanation" or not.

* * *

"So, Chris isn't dangerous?" asked Piper. "When he was here yesterday ranting about how Prue, Andy, and Cole were dead, I was afraid he might get violent."

"Oh, it's nothing like that," said Tiffany. "Little brother just has a chemical imbalance that sometimes impairs his reasoning if he doesn't stay on his medication. It can even produce hallucinations and delusions, as you saw firsthand. I usually have his prescription filled in plenty of time but I've been busy of late and it just slipped my mind."

"I'm sorry if I scared you," said Chris uneasily. "Leo has told me so much about you all that I feel like I know you. I don't know why I thought you were all dead."

"Hallucinations rarely make sense," said Cole. "I've seen my share of them in my line of work."

"So, Leo," said Piper, "what happened to you five years ago? One day you were doing repairs around the manor, the next you were just gone."

"My father passed away," said Leo. "As I told you, Tiffany is my only living relative, aside from Chris. She was in medical school and he was still in high school. I had to go home to help them. I didn't have a chance to say anything. I was going to call or write but just never got around to it."

"And now you're back in San Francisco?" asked Prue.

"Temporarily," said Leo. "Tiffany has accepted a position at San Francisco General and I helped her move here with Chris. I figured as long as we were in time, I'd stop by and say hi. And take a look at the place again. It doesn't seem to have suffered to badly without me around."

"Oh, we get by," said Phoebe. "Cole and Andy have been a big help there."

"Well, when I can," said Andy. "Being a police lieutenant keeps me busy. And as an ADA, Cole has his share of work to do, too. But between us we're able to stay ahead of things pretty well."

"That's good," said Leo. "Piper, you're not married?"

"No," said Piper. "Too busy with work and all. I'm the senior partner at Quake now. Running the restaurant takes up a lot of my time."

"Phoebe, what about you and Prue?" asked Leo. "What have the two of you been up to?"

"Motherhood," beamed Prue. "Or at least I will be in about six months. Andy and I are expecting our first."

"Congratulations," said Tiffany. "Have you been to a doctor yet?"

"Yes," said Prue. "I go on a regular basis. Don't want anything to happen to this little girl."

"A girl," said Leo. "Funny, I would never have picked you as the mother type, Prue."

"Neither would we," said Phoebe. "But it seems to agree with her."

"And what about you?" Tiffany asked Phoebe. "What do you do?"

"Try to get him to take a break," said Phoebe, poking Cole in the ribs. "Actually, I do volunteer work at the hospital. With Cole's income I really don't need to work but I do have to stay busy. And it is really satisfying helping some of those people."

'I was wondering," said Leo. "If it's not too much of an imposition, since I'm here and all, would it be okay if I had a look around the old place? I did quite a bit of work when I was here. I'd just like to see how the manor is holding up after all these years."

"Oh, absolutely," said Piper, taking his arm. "In fact, why don't I give you a tour? We can talk about old times and get reacquainted."

Almost embarrassed, Leo glanced at Tiffany who only smiled. A tour would give Leo the perfect opportunity to look around the place without suspicion. And it would give her and Chris a chance to talk to the others.

[noazmale]

NINE

"She's attracted to you," said Tiffany as they drove back to her house.

"Who?" Leo asked innocently.

"Don't give me that," said Tiffany, smiling. "Piper. I could tell the minute she saw you. I didn't need telepathy to know that."

"Well, they are married," said Chris.

"According to you," said Leo.

"What did you find out?" asked Tiffany.

"The book isn't anywhere in the manor," said Leo. "The chest that Penny kept it in is empty. There's no sign of it anywhere."

"That's impossible," said Chris. "There was a spell on the attic door. It couldn't be opened until all three girls were in the house together. It was only after Phoebe came home from New York that it opened and she found the book that same night. That's the night they got their powers."

"Then someone must have moved it," said Tiffany. "But that doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Why not?" Leo asked. "It makes perfect sense if some demon wanted to keep them from becoming the Charmed Ones."

"Yes," said Tiffany, "but if a demon came back in time to prevent that, why not just kill them outright? Why move the Book of Shadows and leave them unharmed? It's possible they might find it in the future and everything would start all over again."

"She has a point," said Chris. "Even though very few people knew who they were before they got their powers it's common knowledge in my reality. It would make more sense for a demon to kill them instead of taking the book."

"Or both," said Tiffany. "Didn't you tell us that the book was corrupted to evil a couple of times?"

"Yes," said Chris. "They were always able to change it back, though."

"Well," said Tiffany, "if I were a demon, I'd come back, kill the three of them to ever prevent the Power of Three from happening, and then take the book and try to corrupt it. That would make a powerful force for evil."

"Did you two find out anything?" asked Leo.

"Some," said Tiffany. "Darryl Morris, Andy's old partner, was killed in the line of duty about five years ago. The girls' father, Victor Bennett, died of a heart attack about three years ago."

"Those are about the times when Prue and Andy died," said Chris.

"Balance, I told you," said Leo. "Any demonic indications?"

"None that I could tell," said Tiffany. "Except that I couldn't read Cole's mind. That's only happened with demons. It's not definitive, but it's always worked on humans before. There's something decidedly odd about him."

"Demonic influence," said Leo. "I sensed it the second I saw him. Of course, if Chris hadn't said something, I wouldn't have sensed it. There would have been no reason for me to. He doesn't appear to be anything but another human."

"You see?" asked Chris. "Everything I told you is true. Only it's all changed. Prue, Andy, and Cole are alive when they should be dead. And the girls aren't the Charmed Ones. Someone must have come back and altered the past."

"I'll admit that it does appear you were right," said Leo. "But it still doesn't explain what Cole is doing with Phoebe. Belthazor specializes in killing witches. Except that Phoebe has no powers and so is technically not a witch. We need to find out what he's doing with her."

"That isn't going to be easy," said Tiffany. "We can't just go up and ask him. So far, he has no idea we suspect him of anything. We're just some old friends who stopped by for a visit."

"I'll check around and see what I can find out," said Leo. "There should be some information about Belthazor circulating. A demon of his status doesn't stay off the radar very long."

"Are you going to inform the Elders?" Chris asked.

"No," said Leo. "Not until we have more to go on. If someone has figured a way to alter the past, they're going to want to know who it is and how it was done. Right now, we don't have those answers. And I'm not sure they'd believe me without some kind of proof, anyway. It sounds so incredulous."

"What about a time portal?" Chris asked. "Or a temporal vortex, anything like that? Any reports of those?"

"None," said Leo. "If someone did come back in time, it's possible it may not have registered with the Elders. Changing the past could have affected them in ways we can't even begin to understand."

"Are we sure someone came back to alter the past?" asked Tiffany.

"What do you mean?" Leo asked.

"Well," said Tiffany, "maybe it was an accident. Maybe someone came back from the future and did something that altered everything. We aren't sure there's anything malevolent going on here, other than Belthazor being with Phoebe. It seems to me that if someone were going through all this trouble they would have done more than just keep the girls from becoming the Charmed Ones."

"That's a possibility, I suppose," said Leo. "Let's get some sleep. We can try to figure this out in the morning."

Once home, they all began to get ready for bed. Tiffany had a spare room in her house and Chris was going to be using until they could sort things out.

"Do you believe him?" Tiffany asked Leo. "About someone going back in time and altering the past?"

"Ordinarily I'd say no," said Leo. "But he's been right about so many things. And he is a White Lighter; you confirmed that. I'm just not sure what to think. If someone did alter the past, I'd think there'd be more indications that it had happened. Even a minor change, theoretically, could have numerous consequences. This appears to be limited to just the girls."

"Well, I know he believes what he's saying," said Tiffany. "And he's genuinely concerned about it. Not just for himself, but for the girls and everyone else. And he's extremely confused."

"Aren't we all?" Leo asked. "Let's get some sleep and tackle this in the morning."

As they got ready for bed, a figure hid in the shadows outside the house. Cole Turner stared in the window at Leo and Tiffany.

"A White Lighter and a witch," he whispered to himself. "I thought as much when they showed up at the manor. I'd better keep an eye on them. They could ruin everything. And I've worked too hard to have anything go wrong now."

Quietly, Cole looked around to make sure no one was about, and then shimmered out of the yard back to the manor.

[noazmale]

TEN

The next few days were uneventful. Leo continued to check with his sources to see what he could find out. Tiffany went through her Book of Shadows several times but was unable to find out anything about who, or what, might have changed the past. There was precious little for Chris to do. He tried contacting some of his contacts but found they either didn't have any idea who he was or they were dead. Everywhere they turned they wer4e met with dead ends.

Leo was off checking with his sources again one day when there was a knock at the door. Chris was in his room trying yet again to figure out what was going on. Tiffany opened the door. Whoever it was would have to come back some other time. She was much too busy trying to figure out what was going on to be bothered with some nonsense. When she opened the door, she was startled.

"Hi," said Cole. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by for a visit. Mind if I come in for a minute?"

"Oh, uh, sure, come on in," said Tiffany.

Knowing he was really the upper level demon Belthazor made Tiffany nervous. What would a demon want with her? Did he suspect she was a witch? Had he come to kill her?

"Leo, Chris," she called into the other room, "we have company. Cole Turner is here."

Chris came into the living room, ready for a fight. Leo, hearing Tiffany's call, orbed into the kitchen and walked into the living room moments later. They all stood looking at Cole wondering what he was up to.

"How are you all doing?" Cole asked, smiling at them. "As I told Tiffany, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop in and say hi. It was a nice visit we had at the manor the other night."

"Yes," said Leo. "It was nice to catch up with the girls. It had been a long time."

"By the way," said Cole, turning to Tiffany, "I stopped by the hospital the other day. I was interviewing a witness for one of my cases and thought I'd say hello as long as I was there. They told you me you had taken a leave of absence. Funny you should take a leave of absence so soon after taking the position there."

"Oh, well," said Tiffany, "I, uh, wanted to spend the last few days with Leo. He's, uh, going back home in a couple of days and I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could."

"I see," said Cole. "Everything okay with you, Chris? Staying on your medication I hope. We wouldn't want a repeat of the other day, would we?"

"No, we wouldn't," said Chris, confused. "I'm fine now."

"I'm sure you are," said Cole. "I'm sure you are."

"Just making small talk?" Leo asked suspiciously.

"Not exactly," said Cole. "I was just wondering how long you were planning to stick to this little charade of yours."

"What.... what are you talking about?" Tiffany asked, suddenly very afraid.

"Just that you seem to have been on staff at San Francisco General for the past five years," said Cole. "I checked. Odd that that little fact should escape your memory."

"There must be some mistake," said Tiffany.

"Is there?" asked Cole. "I guess it's a mistake that Leo is standing right here, too, then. Considering he's been dead since 1942. You look remarkably healthy for a dead man who's over eighty years old."

Leo looked at Tiffany and Chris.

"And you," said Cole, looking at Chris. "You don't exist at all. The only Chris Perrys I can find are either too old or too young. No social security number, no drivers' license, not even any school records. That's just a bit odd, don't you think?"

"What do you want?" asked Leo.

"I want to know who you really are," said Cole. "Assuming the identify of a dead man isn't exactly illegal but it is very suspicious. Makes someone wonder what you're running from. Or what you're hiding."

"You're mistaken," said Leo.

"Am I?" Cole asked.

Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Tiffany by the wrist. Leo and Chris were ready to jump to her defense. Instead of attacking her, however, Cole just pulled the sleeve up on her arm, exposing the bracelet she was wearing.

"I suppose I'm imagining this, too," he said, fingering the crescent moon and star. "I noticed it the other day when you were at the manor. It took me a while to remember where I had seen it. Then I remembered. About ten years ago just outside of Las Vegas. So I'll ask you again: what do you want with the girls? Or is it me you're after?"

"He knows," said Chris.

"What?" Leo questioned.

"He knows," said Chris. "That's why he's here. To find out what we know."

"That's right," said Cole. "I know who and what you are. And I'm betting you know who I am, too. Is that why you've come back to the manor? Did you come back to vanquish me?"

"We didn't even know about you until Chris showed up," said Tiffany. "Yes, we know who you are, Belthazor. But we don't want any trouble with you. As Leo said, we just came by for a visit. Nothing more."

"Then why the charade?" demanded Cole. "And why are you pretending to be cousins? If your visit were as innocent as you say, there would be no reason to lie. You're going to tell me the truth. If you know who I am then you know I'm not to be trifled with. And that I'm more than capable of dealing with all three of you."

'Then why haven't you?" asked Chris. "Why the little chit-chat? Why not just shimmer in and kill all of us?"

This time it was Cole's turn to look uncomfortable. Chris had effectively turned the tables on him. Something he was definitely not used to. He looked at Leo, Chris, and Tiffany without saying a word.

"That's a good question," said Tiffany. "Everything we know about Belthazor says that he wouldn't hesitate to kill all of us. So why haven't you?"

"It's too risky," said Cole, after a moment's thought. "I've planned a long time for what I'm about to do and I won't let anything interfere with my plans. But I also won't kill anyone unless I have no other choice. I just need to know if you've come to vanquish me. That's the only reason I can think of that a witch and her White Lighter would show up at the manor right now."

"Like we said," Leo said, "we didn't even know who you were until Chris showed up. What we can't figure out is what an upper level demon is doing with Phoebe and her sisters. They aren't witches. They aren't a threat to anyone. So what's going on there?"

"It seems," said Tiffany, "that we all have our own little secrets. I suspect being with Phoebe and the others is part of one of the elaborate plans you often come up with. Care to fill us in on the details."

Cole thought for a moment. Neither side seemed willing to give the other any useful information. And who could blame them? They had been mortal enemies for millennia. Each side would not hesitate to kill the other if the chance presented itself. They could stand here for the rest of the day exchanging barbs or....

"I'll make a deal with you," said Cole. "I'll tell you why I'm with Phoebe if you'll tell me why you've come back to the manor at this particular time."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Leo asked.

"I could ask the same of you," said Cole. "If we have a deal, I'll go first. If you'll give me your word to be straight with me when I'm finished. If you can't trust the word of a White Lighter, who can you?"

Leo looked at Tiffany and then at Chris. Chris didn't move. Tiffany thought for a moment, and then nodded once to Leo. It seemed to be the only way to break the stalemate.

"Okay," said Leo. "You have my word."

"Fine," said Cole. "I'm with Phoebe because I broke the cardinal rule in my profession."

"What's that?" asked Chris.

"I fell in love with my target," said Cole.

The others just stared at him. Belthazor's reputation was well known. He was ruthless. Especially when it came to his targets. He was one of the Sources' best henchmen. And he was standing here telling them that he had committed probably the worst offense a demon could make. He was in love with a mortal.

[noazmale]

ELEVEN

"You're joking," said Tiffany. "Demons can't love. It's not in their nature."

"He can," said Chris. "He's only half demon. His father was human. So he has a human half."

"You seem to know a lot about me," said Cole, eyeing Chris suspiciously. "More than you should know. How do you know about my human half? There are very few who know about that and they're all demons."

"It's old news to me," said Chris. He glanced at Leo and Tiffany. They both just nodded to him. "I know a great about you because for me, it's ancient history. Leo's not the only White Lighter in the house. I am, too. And I'm from the future. That's how I know about you."

"The future?" questioned Cole. "That's not possible. Time travel is very difficult and I know that White Lighters don't have that ability. The only one I know of, outside of demonic circles, is in the...."

He stopped himself short. He wasn't sure how much they knew and he didn't want to give them information they didn't need.

"In the what?" Chris asked. "The Book of Shadows? The one that belonged to Penny Halliwell? So you know about that. Why was Phoebe your target anyway?"

"You know about them," said Cole. It wasn't a question. Just a simple statement. "I didn't think anyone knew about them. The Source only discovered it a couple of years ago. That's why I was sent in."

"To stop them?" asked Tiffany.

"No, to watch them," said Cole. "A warlock was dating Piper when her grandmother died. He had planned to kill her and steal her power when she inherited them. Only she never did. After a while he figured it was a waste of time and stopped seeing her. He eventually told a demon what he knew and that demon told the Source."

"That's not what happened originally," said Chris. "The sisters vanquished him after he tried to kill Piper. It was their first vanquishing."

"What do you mean 'originally'?" Cole asked. "Just what's going on here?'

"Well," said Leo, "according to Chris, the past has been altered. He claims the girls found the Book of Shadows in the attic of the manor and became the Charmed Ones. For the past six years they've been fighting demons. Now, suddenly, everything has changed. That's why we came to the manor. To see if we can find out what's going on."

"You can't change the past," said Cole, "everyone knows that. Sounds to me like your friend here is delusional?"

"Then explain how I know so much about you," said Chris. "You were born about a hundred years ago. You're a demonic mercenary. And you specialize in killing witches. At least you did until recently."

"Common knowledge," said Cole. "I spent a great deal of time grooming my reputation."

"Then how did I know you were half human?" asked Chris.

"Someone must have told you," said Cole.

"Who?" Chris asked. "You said yourself the only ones who know are demons. Are any of them in the habit of divulging sensitive information to White Lighters?"

"No, they aren't," said Cole thoughtfully. "At the manor you said I was dead. If you're from the future, does that mean I died?"

"Oh, well," stumbled Chris, "in a manner of speaking, yes. Your demonic side was vanquished. That's all I meant."

"You're a poor liar kid," said Cole. "Who vanquished me? Was it the Charmed Ones?"

"In my reality," said Chris, "you were married to Phoebe as well. The Source sent you to kill them and you fell in love with her and she with you. You died to protect her and her sisters."

Chris was hoping Cole wouldn't see through that lie. In a way, he had died to protect Phoebe and her sisters. He only hoped that Cole wouldn't press the issue. Protect them from being killed by him. It was a fine line he was treading but he had tread it before.

"That's good to know," said Cole. "At least my death had some purpose."

"What was that you were saying about your plans?" asked Leo. "Just what are you planning to do?"

"It's very simple," said Cole. "For the last two years I've been convincing the Source that the girls don't have the Book of Shadows, which they don't. But I've done more than that. I've convinced him that the book was destroyed. That their grandmother destroyed it before she died because she didn't think they would be able to handle the power. Not that far from the truth, actually."

"That much is true," said Chris. "Before she died, Penny was planning to strip the girls powers. There were still a lot of ill feelings between them, especially Prue and Phoebe. Penny didn't think they'd ever be able to work together enough to be the Charmed Ones. But she died before she could use the stripping potion. Piper found it a couple of years later."

"There's more, isn't there?" asked Tiffany. "Why go through all the trouble of convincing the Source that the girls will never be the Charmed Ones? Did you take their book?"

'You know I can't even touch it," said Cole. "I don't know where it is. But if it hasn't surfaced in six years, it probably isn't going to. At least, not for quite a while. What I've been doing for the past two years is convincing the Source that he has nothing to fear from them. That way he'll stop watching them."

"Then what?" Leo asked. "Surely he'd send you on an other assignment. You'd have to leave Phoebe behind. How does that work into your plans?"

'Very simple," said Cole. "When the time is right, I'm going to die. Vanquished by a witch out for revenge. And the girls will be safe from the Source forever."

[noazmale]

TWELVE

"Wait a minute," said Chris. "You're just going to let a witch vanquish you? I'm not buying it."

"I won't exactly let her," said Cole. "She's someone I had dealings with some time back. It was a very long time ago. She wasn't my assignment so I didn't kill her when I had the chance. In fact, I let her go. So in a manner of speaking, she owes me. My plan is very simple. When the time is right, she's going to show up looking for her revenge. We'll fight and it will appear that she has vanquished me. Only I'll go into hiding for a while. When word of my vanquishing gets back to the Source, I'll be free."

"Pretty clever," said Tiffany. "The girls won't be a threat to the Source, so he'll stop watching them. And once you're vanquished, the Source will turn his attention to other matters. After a while you just return to the manor and you and Phoebe live happily ever after. With no demonic interference."

"Something like that," said Cole. "That's why I needed to know why you came back to the manor when you did. In a few weeks I'll put my plan into action. Then I can return to the manor and live as a human. And the Source will be none the wiser."

"Well, you know why we came back to the manor," said Leo. "Something is going on and we're trying to figure out what it is. I needed to look around the manor and we figured a visit from a long lost friend was a good cover. Now, the question is, what are you going to do about it? Regardless of what Chris has told us about you, I still don't trust you. Your elaborate plans are very well known. How do we know this isn't part of one of your plans and you'll kill us when we turn our backs?"

"You don't," said Cole. "All I can do is tell you that everything I've told you is the truth. What do I plan to do? Nothing. If you aren't there to vanquish or expose me, you aren't a threat. There's no reason for me to do anything. Besides, I'm trying to be good now. My days as a demonic mercenary are over. As far as the girls know, I'm just Cole Turner, assistant district attorney for San Francisco. I want to keep it that way."

"You might be able to help us," said Chris. "You know more about demons than any of us. It's possible you can help us figure out who went back in time and changed things."

"You can't change the past," said Cole. "Didn't they teach you that at White Lighter school?"

"Maybe not," said Leo, "but if someone can manipulate the right people, he can get them to change their future. That would have the same affect. Or didn't they cover that little aspect in demon school?"

"Okay boys," said Tiffany, "if the three of your are finished with your little testosterone fight, we have bigger problems to deal with. Turner, we'll make a deal with you. We won't expose your cover to the Halliwells if you help us. In return, maybe we can make your 'death' a little bit more convincing. It's not very likely that one witch would be able to vanquish you. The Source may not believe it."

"That's always been a risk," said Cole. "That's why it's taken so long to work things out. So, I help you figure out who went back in time and changed things, and in return you help me fake my destruction? Is that the deal?"

'That's it," said Tiffany. "No one need ever know the truth."

"Okay," said Cole. "If I'm going to help you, I'm going to need to know everything that happened. There aren't many demons that can manipulate time or open a portal to the past. In order for me to figure out who it might be, I'm going to need as much information as possible."

"Well," said Chris, "the first thing that seemed hinky was when I orbed into the manor the other morning. The day before we came to visit you. I became dizzy and disoriented for a moment. At first, I thought it was nothing."

* * *

"That's quite a story," said Cole.

"It's everything I can tell you," said Chris.

"Plus all the speculations and theories we've come up with," said Tiffany. "Frankly, nothing makes any sense. If someone went through the trouble of coming back in time to stop the Charmed Ones, it make more sense to just kill them instead of preventing them from finding the Book of Shadows."

"Well, I know one thing," said Cole. "Who ever did it has to be human. The one who came back in time, if that's what happened, could be a demon. But the person who moved the book would have to be human. A demon couldn't touch the book."

"He's right about that," said Chris. "It protects itself from evil."

"My guess is the book has been destroyed," said Cole. "While a demon couldn't touch it, one could figure out a way to destroy it. And after six years, there's no reason to believe it still exists. It would be much too dangerous to keep around. So whatever changes have been made you can pretty much count on them being permanent."

"Do you have any idea who might have done it?" asked Chris.

"My first guess would be Tempus," said Cole. "He's the master of time manipulation. He's one of the Source's most valuable underlings."

"Was," corrected Chris. "It couldn't have been Tempus. He died when Prue died. So it couldn't be him."

"He was alive and well the last time I saw him," said Cole. "But if he was vanquished as you say he was, then he wouldn't have been around to do this. What about a temporal pixie?"

"A what?" Tiffany asked.

"Temporal pixie," said Leo. "They're sort of like magical practical jokers. They like to bounce around time and make alterations to the timeline. But most of their practical jokes aren't this major. And they certainly aren't permanent. They aren't really evil. They just have a very warped sense of humor."

"You're right," said Cole. "This doesn't fit the pattern that a temporal pixie would use. I'll tell you what. Let me check around the underworld for a couple of days. Like I said, there aren't that many demons that can manipulate time. With a little luck, I should be able to narrow the list of suspects down some. At the very least I might be able to find someone who knows something about the Book of Shadows.

"If a demon did get someone to remove it from the manor, they'll be bragging about it. Even if no one believes them. It will at least give us a place to start. It might take me a few days to get some answers. But I'll contact you as soon as I know anything."

"Don't take too long," said Leo. "Whoever did this may not stop with just the Charmed Ones. He may decide to alter other past events. Who knows what catastrophic results that could lead to? We need to know who's behind this and fast."

"I'll get back as soon as I can," said Cole. "In the mean time, you'd better stay away from the manor. If the Source learns that a White Lighter and a witch have been there, he might reconsider them as threats. That could be disastrous for everyone concerned."

"You seemed more willing to trust him than you were the other day," Leo said to Tiffany after Cole had shimmered away.

"I sensed something from him," said Tiffany. "His demonic half prevents me from reading his mind. But I think I can sense his human half. Not telepathy, exactly. More like an empathic impression. And what I sensed was honesty. I think he was telling us the truth."

"What if he's right?" asked Chris. "What if the Book of Shadows has been destroyed? That means the timeline can't be corrected. I can never go back to my own time because I won't exist in that future. I'll be trapped here in the past."

"What I don't understand," Leo said, "is why you didn't vanish as soon as the changes occurred. If you don't exist in the future, that means you couldn't have come back to the past. You shouldn't even exist at all."

"I can't answer that," said Chris. "I only know that if we can't find someway to return things to the way they're supposed to be, I'll have to stay in this timeline forever."

[noazmale]

THIRTEEN

Three days passed without any word from Cole. Piper called twice in that time asking Leo when he was coming by for a visit. He and his cousins, of course. Leo didn't need telepathy or any other magical powers to know that Piper was still interested. It was kind of a shame, really. If things had been different, he might be with her now instead of Tiffany.

He kept telling her that he was busy and would stop by as soon as he had the chance. He hated lying to her. But he also knew that that was a dead end road. Even assuming things were different, there was no way the Elders would ever allow him to become involved with her. Even his relationship with Tiffany was covert. Finally, Cole called. Tiffany answered the phone and called Leo and Chris as soon as she found out who it was.

"I've got some information," said Cole. "You'd better get over to the manor as fast as you can. There have been developments that you need to be made aware of."

"We'll be there right away," said Tiffany. She hung up the phone. "He sounded concerned. Whatever is going on, I think it's big. Under the circumstances, Leo, I think we'd better orb there. Driving would take too long."

"We should be able to orb into the backyard unnoticed," said Leo. "I hope he has some good news. We aren't any closer to solving this thing than we were when Chris first arrived."

Together, the three orbed to the manor. So that it wouldn't look suspicious, they moved around to the front of the house. The sisters might think it odd if they arrived at the back door. Leo rang the doorbell and they waited. After a few moments, Cole answered the door.

"Good you're here," said Cole. He seemed nervous. "Come in."

Everyone walked into the entryway. Looking in the living room, they saw Prue and Piper sitting on the sofa. They looked around nervously. Leo was beginning to get a bad feeling. Suddenly Tiffany turned to him.

"It's a trap," she said. "Leo, get us out of here now."

"I wouldn't do that," said a voice from the stairs.

They all turned to see a man standing at the top of the stairs. He was dressed in robes and behind stood Phoebe and two other figures. Figures that were obviously demons. Suddenly, four more demons shimmered into the living room, taking up stances beside Prue and Piper. Two more demons came out of the kitchen, Andy in tow.

"If you orb, White Lighter," said the figure in the robes, "I will kill everyone in the house. You and your witch join the others in the living room. This should prove quite interesting."

Leo, Tiffany, and Chris walked into the living room, Cole beside them.

"I'm sorry, Leo," said Cole. "They just appeared. They had Phoebe before I could move. He knows you've been to the manor. And he knows about you and Tiffany. He said if I didn't get you here without suspicion, he'd torture the others to death and make me watch."

"Oh, I'm still going to do that, Belthazor," said the robed figure. "Did you really think your little ploy would work with me? Did you think I would believe your little fantasy about the Book of Shadows being destroyed? It's much too valuable. The witch would never have destroyed it."

"What is he talking about?" asked Phoebe as she and Andy were forced into the living room with the others. "Who is that guy? And what are these.... things?"

"They are demons, my dear," said the man in the robes. "As for me, I am their master. I rule the underworld. And I have for more than five hundred years. And your husband is one of us. Until he betrayed me. Now he's going to pay for that betrayal."

"Leave her alone," said Cole. "She doesn't even have any powers. She can't protect herself against you."

"Cole?" questioned Phoebe, "what's going on? What's this talk about you being a demon? Demons don't exist. They're myths and legends."

"Oh, they're quite real," said Tiffany. "That one," she indicated the man in the robes, "is called the Source of all Evil. He's their leader. And one day someone's going to come and put an end to him."

"Not today, witch," said the Source. "Today, it is your turn to die. After the others have died, of course. The White Lighter," he looked at Leo, "will, of course, have to die at the hands of a Dark Lighter. I shall enjoy watching that. But you others are a different matter. You're as vulnerable as any mortal. And I promise you a long, excruciating death."

"You think you can kill a cop and get away with it?" Andy asked.

"Why not?" the Source asked. "I've had them killed before. When they became an annoyance. But I will take particular pleasure in watching Belthazor die. I will make an example of him. To the rest of the underworld. An example of what happens to those who betray me."

"Why does he keep calling you Belthazor?" asked Phoebe, looking at Cole. "It's not true, is it? You're not one of them?"

"I was," said Cole. "But I've changed. I'm no longer like them. Since I met you, my human half has taken over." He looked at the Source. "I swear to you, if you harm them, I'll see you vanquished before I am."

"Brave words," said the Source. "Arrogant to the end. I would have expected nothing less from one of my best mercenaries. However, it really makes no difference. Not even you can stand against so many demons. You will die, Belthazor, in a manner befitting that of a traitor."

Suddenly, another demon shimmered into the manor. He stood next to the Source. He had long hair and wore robes similar to those of the Source. Only he didn't have the hood drawn. He had long hair that hung below his shoulders. And his face was crossed with lines and creases.

"Tempus," said the Source, "what are you doing here? I didn't summon you. You were instructed to find the source of the interference with your powers."

"I have," said Tempus, turning to Chris. "It is this one. He has somehow blocked my power to manipulate time. It is why I have had such trouble locating the source of the interference. He is not from this time. He's from the future. And his being here has somehow interfered with my ability to manipulate time."

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked. "I haven't got anything to do with you. Time manipulation is not one of my abilities. And I certainly can't interfere with your powers. If I could I would have destroyed them to keep you from using them against the innocent."

"You young fool," said Tempus. "It is your presence here in your past that has interfered with my powers. You must return to your own time if my powers are to be restored."

"Just one more reason for me not to go back," said Chris, smiling. "At least you can't manipulate time for evil any more. Some good has come out of all of this."

"You don't understand," said Tempus. "The interference with my powers is only the first symptom. There will be others, many others. And unless you return to your own time immediately, the affect will only continue to increase. And when it is finished, no being of magic will be safe. They will all be destroyed."

"What are you rambling about?" the Source asked.

"By returning to the past," Tempus told the Source, "this young fool has caused a shift in the magical energies in this realm and all others. If he remains here much longer, that shift will build to the point that it will not be able to be contained. When that happens, all beings that use magic will suffer the same fate. They will simply cease to exist."

[noazmale]

FOURTEEN

"He's talking crazy," said Leo. "Chris isn't the first being to move through time. It's happened before with no serious consequences."

"Okay, hold on a second," said Piper. "You people just barge into our home and start talking about demons and white liners and torturing us to death and all this. Just what is going on here?"

"White Lighters," Leo corrected. "Piper, I know this is all confusing to you and your sisters. Just bear with it for a few minutes. I'll try to explain everything once we've resolved this issue."

"You will not be able to," said the Source. "You will be dead. All of you will be dead."

"As will we, my liege," said Tempus, "unless this young upstart is returned to his own time immediately."

"Well, if that is the case," said the Source, "simply return him to his own time. I will still have the others to deal with."

"I can't," said Tempus. "I don't have the power to do it. If he's to return to his own time, he must do it on his own."

"Which I'm not about to as long as you're threatening them," said Chris.

"Fool," said Tempus. "You have no idea the forces you are meddling with. The White Lighter speaks the truth. Others have moved through time without serious repercussions. But they returned to their own time after only a short stay. How long have you been in the past?"

"A few months," said Chris. "Certainly not long enough to have caused any serious problems."

"Are you such a fool that you believe that?" asked Tempus. "Humans are so arrogant in their beliefs. They believe time to be a linear existence. That it moves in only one direction. And that once you have passed beyond a certain point, that point can never be reached again.

"If that were true, it would not be possible to move through time. Time is a force not unlike a river. It has currents and eddies, many of which connect and interconnect with others. It moves both forwards and backwards. It surrounds everything. Have you any idea how many decades it took me to learn to properly control my powers? To alter time in such a manner that only what I wished would be affected?"

"But I don't have those powers," said Chris. "I simply used a spell that brought me back to the past."

"And had you returned after only a short visit, there would have been no noticeable affects," said Tempus. "But you didn't. You remained in the past. Bending time backwards to accommodate your stay. Without any of the safeguards necessary to prevent it from spilling over into other areas. That is the catastrophe I speak of."

"How?" Leo asked.

"The magic a being uses flows with them through time," said Tempus. "It is not a static power that simply waits to be used. It moves with you as you move through the currents of time. By returning to the past, this young fool has forced the magic he uses to return with him. Bending back upon itself so that he may still have the use of it.

"Only this cannot be sustained indefinitely. It can be for a short time. But to force it to do so for as long as he has is not natural. Because of this, other forces dependent upon magic are forced to compensate. Creating an unnatural pressure that builds with each passing moment. Soon that pressure will be more than can be contained. It will rupture the very fabric of our existence, spilling over into all areas. When that happens, all beings of magic, mortal or immortal, will be consumed by it. We shall be destroyed by it."

"Chris, if he's right," said Leo, "then staying here is too dangerous. You have to return to the future right away. It's the only way to protect everyone."

"No," said Chris. "I can't leave you all here unprotected. As long as I refuse to go back, you're all safe."

"Then the solution is simple," said the Source, forming a fireball. "If he will not return to his own time, I will simply destroy him. That should prevent the magic from flowing."

"That is not an option," said Tempus. "Returning to the past creates a vortex of sorts. One that allows the magic he uses to return with him. Only by returning to his own time can that vortex be closed. If you destroy him, the vortex can never be closed and there will be no way to stop our destruction."

"I'm not going," said Chris. "If I do, you'll just kill everyone. And I'm not about to let you do that."

"Chris, don't you see?" said Leo. "If you return to the future, everything will be set right again. The changes you told us about should correct themselves and everything should be as it's supposed to be. If your coming back in time has caused all this, then returning to the future and closing the vortex should put everything back."

"How do we know he's telling us the truth?" Chris asked. "How do we know this isn't some ploy just to get rid of me?"

"Fool," said Tempus. "If that was all I wanted I would let the Source simply destroy you. But if he does that, then he seals all of our fates. Only by returning to your own time can you repair the harm that's been done. Your White Lighter is correct. Whatever changes have occurred have done so because of your presence. Return to you own time and everything will return to its natural state."

"Chris," said Tiffany, "maybe he's right. We haven't been able to figure out why the changes occurred. Maybe this is the reason."

"If what you've told us is true," Chris said to Tempus, "then why wasn't I affected by the changes? Why am I the only one who remembers things as they're supposed to be?"

"The spell you used," said Tempus. "Did you cast it so that your power would be accessible to you here, in the past?"

"Of course," said Chris. "You don't think I'd come back here powerless, do you?"

"There is your answer," said Tempus. "The protection that allows you to use your powers also protects you from the changes in the timeline. It is why you alone retain the memories of what should be."

Chris looked at Tempus. He knew this could be a trap. That Tempus could be simply trying to dispose of him. But the explanation made sense. No one had ever remained in the past as long as he had. And it was logical that being out of his own time could have repercussions that no one could even guess at. Deep inside him something told him that Tempus was being honest with them, even if he was a demon.

"Chris," said Leo, "at the very least you'll be protected. We can take care of ourselves. But if Tempus is telling the truth, you can't stay here. Too many lives are at stake. You have to return to the future now."

Chris looked around the room at those gathered there. Evil and good alike waited for his next move. To see if he would return to the future and save all those who used magic. Or if he would disbelieve Tempus and refuse to.

"I can't," Chris said finally. "The spell that brought me back only works in one direction. Into the past. I can't return to the future. This was a one-way trip."

[noazmale]

FIFTEEN

"Then you have doomed us all," said Tempus. "While the vortex remains open, the magic you possess continues to flow against the natural order. It is only a matter of time before that force becomes irresistible. The mortal world will be unaffected by this, for the most part. But those beings of magic will not be able to resist its effects."

"There has to be a way to send him back to his own time," said Leo. "Tempus, you can manipulate time. Isn't there any way for you to return him to his own time?"

"Not so long as he remains here," said Tempus. "My power comes from time itself. What little power I still have is because of my demonic nature. But my ability to manipulate time has been severely compromised because of this one.

"Your arrogance goes beyond that of any human. Did you think you could simply move through time as you wished with no repercussions? Did you not think there would be consequences to your actions? In magic, as in the mortal world, all actions have consequences. And your actions will destroy us all."

"How long before this happens?" Cole asked.

"That I cannot say," said Tempus. "There are variables for which I cannot account. But it will not take long. Like the proverbial house of cards, when one falls, it will affect the others."

"I don't believe this," said Prue. "You're all insane. Witches, demons, time travel? What kind of game is this? And what do we have to do with any of this? As Leo told you, we don't have any special powers. Why come after us? I'd think you'd rather go after someone a little more in your league."

"Prue," said Leo, "you three are witches. Your mother was a witch and so was your grandmother. Grams bound your powers when you were little girls to protect you. That's why you don't have any powers. But if what Tempus says is true, that won't protect you. You're still beings of magic, in a manner of speaking. Not even you will be able to withstand the destruction."

"No," said Cole. "There has to be some way to stop this. Some way to send Chris back to his own time."

"If we only had the Book of Shadows," said Chris. "I'm sure there's something in that book that can help us. Something that can send me back to my own time."

"Book of Shadows?" questioned Phoebe. "You mean that big leather one in the attic?"

“Yes," said Leo. "You know where it is?"

"We put it in the cellar with the rest of grams' stuff we packed up," Phoebe said. "I looked at it and it looked like so much mumbo jumbo to me. Spells and demons and warlocks. We thought it was some kind of cult book."

"We?" questioned Prue.

"Okay, Prue did," said Phoebe. "Even after all these years I still can't go down there."

"We need that book," said Chris. "It's the only thing that can help us. Without it, there's no way for me to return to my own time."

"No," said the Source, taking a step forward. "It is too risky. I will not allow them to have access to the book."

"My liege," said Tempus, "there is no other choice. Without that book, we will all die. Because of your power, you will be one of the first to be destroyed. The more powerful a being is the sooner their destruction. If we do not allow them access to that book...."

"No," repeated the Source. "The Charmed Ones will not be allowed access to the book which will give them their powers. I will not permit it."

"Are you such a fool that you would destroy us all?" asked Cole, stepping up to the Source. "This is no longer a question of us against them. This means the survival of all magical beings everywhere. You're afraid if they get the book they might get their powers and they'll become a threat to you. Well, without that book, there won't be any of us left. They won't become a threat to you because you, them, all us, will no longer exist."

"Source," said Tempus, "I have been a faithful servant for a very long time. Each time you have tasked me to do something, I have done it without complaint. You know I would never side with witches. But Belthazor speaks the truth. If we do not get that book, it will matter little if the witches receive their power. We will all be destroyed."

The Source looked at Tempus. He had been a faithful servant. There was no question where his loyalties lie. And if he was right, then the three witches were the least of his problems at the moment.

"Very well," said the Source finally. "But we use the book only to send this interloper back to his own time. Then I will deal with the rest of you."

"No," said Cole. "You will stay your need for vengeance until another time. These are powerless humans. Even the White Lighter is ill equipped to deal with you. You must agree that they are to remain unharmed once we have the book."

"And if I do not?" the Source asked.

"Then we wait," said Cole. "Tempus said you would be one of the first to be destroyed because of your power. If you do not agree to let them go, we will simply wait until you are destroyed before we retrieve the book. Then we won't have to worry about you."

"Very well," said the Source. "My vengeance will wait for another time, Belthazor. But I will not forget your betrayal. You will yet pay the price of a traitor."

"Just remember our bargain," said Cole. "If you try anything - I mean anything at all - you will be vanquished before I am. And you know I do not make idle boasts."

"I will remember," said the Source.

"Come on," said Leo. "Prue, show us where you put the book. There's a spell in it that can send someone through time. It should work to send Chris back to the future."

"It's under the stairs," said Prue. "It shouldn't be hard to find. There's a box of books there and it should be right on top."

They all moved to the kitchen and began to descend the stairs to the cellar. All but Phoebe. Her nightmares of a Woogy that lived in the cellar haunted her still. She knew it was only a childish phobia, but it was still very real to her. She waited at the top of the stairs as the others began looking for the book.

"I don't understand it," said Prue, digging through a box of books. "I put it right here. I was going to take it to get it appraised. It looked kind of old and I thought it might be worth something. I know we didn't throw it out."

"Now, you did not," said a husky voice from the back of the cellar.

Everyone turned to see who had spoken. The voice was barely a whisper. Yet they all heard it clearly. Suddenly a black form moved out of the darkness at the back of the cellar. It was a vague, indistinct cloudlike form that hovered just above the floor. In the center of the cloud, floating as if suspended in midair, sat the Book of Shadows.

"Oh no," said Leo. "It's the Woogy. And it has the Book of Shadows."

[noazmale]

SIXTEEN

"Yes," hissed the creature. "The humans brought it to me. Its power is now mine. All shall bend to my will. All shall serve me and call me master."

"I serve no one," said the Source defiantly.

Suddenly, bolts of lightning shot out from the cloud striking the Source. He was cast back against the back wall of the cellar. Unsteadily, he rose and faced the Woogy.

"This is not possible," said the Source. "No power is greater than mine."

"My power is greater," hissed the Woogy. "With the power of this book, I cannot be challenged. You will all serve me."

"This can't be," said Chris. "Evil can't even touch the book. How can this thing be getting power from it?"

They all noticed the huge crack in the floor of the cellar. The Woogy was kept beneath that crack by the power of the spell Grams had written. The spell that Phoebe had used to lock the creature away again when an earthquake had released it. How it had escaped was anyone's guess. Probably another of the changes Tempus had mentioned.

"It can use the power of the book because of the alterations," said Tempus. "I told you the natural order has been subverted. Enough so that this evil can draw power from the book. It has begun. We have little time left. As each minute passes, the changes will become greater. We must wrest the book from that creature if we are to prevent the catastrophe."

"How?" Leo asked. "If not even the Source can stand up to it, what chance do we have against it? That book is very powerful. If the Woogy can draw on that power, combined with its own, how can we fight something like that?'

No one spoke. Even the Source seemed unsure what to do. In his five hundred year reign he had been unchallenged. No demon, no combination of demons, had ever been powerful enough to challenge him. But now a single creature of evil seemed to have enough power to destroy even him.

"Phoebe," Cole said suddenly, turning to her, "always remember that I love you. No matter what happens, no matter what you may learn about me, always remember that it was our love that made me change."

"Cole?" questioned Phoebe, feeling sick to her stomach. "What are you talking about?'

Cole turned from her and faced the Woogy. Suddenly he changed form. Cole Turner no longer stood in the cellar of the manor. Instead, Belthazor stood facing the evil holding the Book of Shadows. Phoebe suddenly realized what he was going to do. Her love for him was greater than even her fear of the Woogy. In an attempt to stop him, she began to race down the stairs.

"Now, Woogy," said Belthazor, "or whatever you call yourself. You think you're powerful? Let's see just how powerful you really are. You have something that belongs to us. And we want it back."

Belthazor launched himself at the Woogy. Phoebe tried to follow him; to prevent him from attacking the creature. But Tempus grabbed her and held her back.

"No," said Tempus. "You would be destroyed in an instant. Belthazor is powerful. If anyone can wrest the book from the creature, he can."

They all stood and watched the Woogy. Belthazor and the book had vanished from sight. The cloud creature swirled and twisted upon itself resembling a great storm cloud. Lightning flashed inside the cloud but illuminated nothing of the struggle that must surely be going on. They all waited impatiently wondering if Belthazor was truly strong enough to face the Woogy.

Suddenly Belthazor came flying out of the cloud. He struck the back wall of the cellar and fell to the floor, curled up in the fetal position. A great wailing came from the Woogy. Without hesitation the Source cast a fireball at the Woogy, vanquishing the creature in an instant.

Belthazor rolled over on his back. Wrapped in his arms was the Book of Shadows. For a moment nothing happened. Then, Belthazor shimmered slightly and changed form. Cole Turner lay on the floor of the cellar, beaten and bruised.

"Cole," cried Phoebe, rushing to her husband's side.

"Don't cry," gasped Cole. "It was a good fight. And I won. I got the book. Phoebe never forget that I...."

Cole never finished his sentence. He simply lay on the floor staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"No," cried Phoebe, tears beginning to flow.

Chris walked over and took the book from Cole's lifeless body as Prue and Piper moved to comfort their sister. Chris knew how badly Phoebe must be hurting. But time was critical. Every second that passed brought them all that much closer to destruction. Chris looked at the book he was holding. Only the book appeared to be no more than half an inch thick.

"Wait a minute," said Chris. "The book should be at least three times this size. It's like a large portion of it has been removed. Could it still have been in the Woogy when the Source vanquished it?"

"No," said Tempus. "As I told you, time moves in both directions, forward and back. Changes are occurring even as we stand here. Those who have gone before no longer exist or have had their lives changed. Much of what was recorded in that book was never recorded. Quickly. Find the spell you seek. There is not a moment to loose."

Chris began to flip through the book. As he did, he scanned each page looking for the one with the time travel spell he needed. He reached the end of the book and began to search through it again. He searched the book completely three times.

"It's not here," he announced. "The spell is not here. It's gone."

"I was afraid of that," said Tempus.

"What?" Leo asked.

"As I said, when the timeline is altered as it has been," said Tempus, "the most powerful magic is the first to be extinguished. Moving through time is one of the most potent forms of magic. It is no small feat to pierce the veil that separates the years. It takes a powerful force to open a portal and allow someone to pass through."

"Okay," said Tiffany. "We know that all ready. What does that have to do with the missing spell?"

"Because of its power," said Tempus, "any magic connected with time is the very first to be changed. This includes any spells that can be used to alter or move through time. We are too late. The magic to move through time has been erased from history. And without it, there is no way to correct what has been changed."

"You mean we can't send Chris back?" Leo asked.

"No," said Tempus. "The young fool has remained in the past for too long. Belthazor gave his live to save us. It is only a matter of minutes now before the power will be too much for us to withstand. We will all be consumed by it. And there is no power that can stop it now."

[noazmale]

SEVENTEEN

"There has to be something," said Leo.

"I told you," said Tempus, "when this fool returned to the past, he did not take into account the myriad eddies and currents in time. When he opened the vortex which allowed him to return to this time, he did nothing to compensate for the added strain that vortex places on those eddies and currents. Now they swell with magic they were not meant to contain. When they have swelled to capacity, they shall burst as a damn bursts when the strain of the water it contains becomes too great. That magic will then wash back through time consuming all in its path."

"Wait a minute," said Chris. "You're still here. How come you haven't been destroyed if magic connected with time is the first to be destroyed? Yours is the magic connected with time. You should have been vanquished when the spells were."

"I am a demon," said Tempus. "Mine is the ability to manipulate time. My magic comes from time but I am not a being of time. Just as you have the power to heal but you are not a being of that magic. Believe me, my time will come quickly enough. Once the Source is vanquished I will quickly follow."

"I will not be vanquished," said the Source arrogantly. "Mine is the power of the underworld. It will sustain me though all around me are vanquished."

"It is precisely because of that power that you will be the first to be destroyed," said Tempus. "The magic that even now builds is so great that no being of magic will be capable of withstanding it. You will be nothing more than an ant in a typhoon."

"You mean Cole gave his life for nothing?" Phoebe cried, holding Cole's lifeless body. "You have to do something. You're supposed to be demons and God knows what else. There has to be something you can do."

"She's right," said Chris. "There has to be some way to prevent this."

"Why?" Tempus asked. "Because you are creatures of good? Because you believe that good must triumph over evil? It is not a question of good and evil. Morality has nothing to do with it. It is simply a matter of raw power. Raw, uncontrolled, power. Against that, there is no defense."

"That's it," said Leo. "You said you couldn't do anything because your power was blocked when Chris came back in time."

"Not precisely," said Tempus. "My power is blocked, yes. But it is not because he has come to the past. It is a side affect, if you will, of remaining in the past for too long. Without the necessary safeguards to prevent this catastrophe."

'"Okay whatever," said Leo. "What if you had another power source? Some form of magic your could tap into and draw from it? Would you be able to do something then?"

"Perhaps," said Tempus. "But the magic would have to be substantial. Manipulating time is not simply casting a spell and opening a doorway. There are intricacies and nuances that you know nothing of. Which I have spent centuries learning to control and manipulate. But if the power were great enough I may be able to do something."

"Great," said Leo.

He walked over to Cole's body and hesitated for a moment. Then he reached down and pulled the Book of Shadows from Cole's lifeless arms. He walked back over and handed the book to Tempus.

"The magic in this book is substantial," said Leo. "If the Woogy could tap into it's power, you should be able to. You can draw power from the book and stop this."

"It is not that simple," said Tempus. "The Woogy drew power from the book because it is not truly a creature. It is a sentient force. With the timeline polluted as it is, the book would not make the distinction between its power and that of the Woogy.

"But I am a living entity. That which makes me a demon would prevent me from even touching the book. And even if I could draw power from the book, it is but a fraction of what it once was. The power I would draw from it would be minimal. Certainly nowhere near what I require."

"There has to be something," said Chris.

"There is," said the Source. "There is a power that has been locked away for millennia. A power so great that neither side dares use it. A power that can destroy all creatures."

"The Hollow," said Leo.

"The what?" asked Tiffany?

"There's no time to explain," said Leo. "Tempus, the Hollow would have the power you need. It should have more than enough power to allow you to manipulate time."

"Except that it cannot be reached," said Tempus. "As you know, White Lighter, the Hollow was locked away long ago because of the danger it presents to both good and evil. And to make sure that it was never again unleased, it has been locked away in a place outside of time and space. There is no way to reach it."

"There has to be something," said Paige standing next to Piper and Phoebe.

"Paige?" questioned Chris. "Where did you come from? Where's Prue?"

"Prue who?" Piper asked.

"Your sister, Prue," said Chris. "She was here just a minute ago."

"We don't have a sister named Prue," said Phoebe, wiping tears away. "Paige is the youngest."

"Chris are you okay?" asked Leo. "You're starting to imagine people."

"No, he isn't," said Tempus. "I remember the eldest sister, too. It is because of my connection to time. The eldest no longer exists. The changes are coming more quickly now. There is only a matter of moments and soon we shall all...."

Suddenly Tempus doubled over in pain. His cry of anguish reverberated throughout the manor.

'Tempus, are you okay?" asked the Source.

"I can feel the changes in time," said Tempus. "You see what you have done, you young fool? You have destroyed us all."

"No," said Chris. "You said you needed a power source. I know of one. One that should have enough power to allow you to do anything you need to do. A power source that even you should be able to tap into."

"Aside from the Hollow," said Tempus, "such power no longer exists. We are all doomed and there is nothing we can do to stop it."

"Yes, there is a power that still exists that you can use," said Chris. "The manor is still here. That proves the power still exists or it wouldn't be standing here."

"Of course," said Leo, "why didn't I think of that? The manor was built here for a reason. If it was gone, the timeline would have changed again and there would have been no reason to build the manor here."

"Exactly," said Chris. "It's our only chance. Tempus, you have to tap into the power that lies beneath the manor. You have to try to draw on the power of the Nexus."

[noazmale]

EIGHTEEN

"The Nexus would have the sufficient power I need," said Tempus. "Except that I no longer have the power to call it. It rests beneath us and the house is consecrated for good. I do not have the power to break that consecration. Not even the Source has that kind of power or he would have done so long ago."

"No," said Leo. "We're so close. There has to be a way to get to the Nexus."

"There is," said Chris. He walked over and stood next to Phoebe. "She can call it. It will answer her. No one else can do it."

"I don't understand," said Phoebe. "You say I'm a witch, but I don't have any powers. How can I call this Nexus thing?"

"We unbind your powers," said Chris. He walked over and took the Book of Shadows from Leo and then walked back over to Phoebe. "All you have to do is read the incantation in the front of this book. Once you do that, your powers will be unbound and you can call the Nexus. It will answer you."

"No," shouted the Source. "This has been a trick. To give the sisters their powers. I won't allow it. I will destroy you all before I allow that incantation to be read."

"Source," said Tempus, "if you believe that then you are a fool. You have seen the changes yourself. The sister that vanished and the other that appeared. Your vanquishing of the Woogy. It should not have been vanquished so easily. Yet you had no trouble doing so. This is the only chance of preventing all of our destruction."

"No," screamed the Source, "this is a trick. You have betrayed me as Belthazor betrayed me. You are all my enemies. I shall vanquish each of you and claim the Nexus for my own."

"He's insane," said Leo.

"He has been for a long time," said Chris. "But his magic made him too powerful to oppose. Now we have only one chance to stop the destruction and he's going to let it slip away because of his paranoia."

Suddenly a fireball engulfed the Source from behind. He screamed in agony as the flames consumed him. Within moments the flames went out and all that was left was a charred mark on the floor where the Source had stood. Standing at the top of the stairs was the Seer.

"Not this time, my lord," she said. "Tempus, I know you speak the truth. My sight has allowed me to see much of what was supposed to be. I could not allow the Source to destroy us all. Witch," she turned to Phoebe, "you must recite the spell now. Before it is too late. Before we are all consumed."

Chris opened the Book of Shadows to the first page and handed the book to Phoebe. She wiped the last of her tears away and looked down at the book. She glanced up at Chris, and then at Leo. Then she looked at Piper and Paige. Finally, she decided there was nothing to loose and began to read the spell written on the page.

"Hear now the words of the witches, the secrets we hid in the night.

"The oldest of gods are invoked here, the great work of magic is sought.

"In the night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power.

"Bring your powers to we sisters three, we want the power.

"Give us the power."

A soft yellow glow emanated from the ceiling covering Piper, Phoebe, and Paige. It lasted only a few seconds and then went out.

"What happened?" Piper asked.

"Your powers have been unbound," said Chris. "You're now the Charmed Ones. Phoebe, you have to call the Nexus so Tempus can tap into its power."

"How?" Phoebe asked. "I don't know anything about magic."

"Just cast a spell," said Chris. "You have a natural ability to cast spells. All you have to do is rhyme. Just make up something. You've done it plenty of times. Call on the Power of Three. Hurry. There isn't much time left."

"What's the Power of Three?" Phoebe asked.

"There's no time to explain," said Chris. "Just do it. I can explain everything later."

"I call upon the Power of Three," said Phoebe, "to summon the Nexus to come to me."

Suddenly a glowing blue-white orb rose from the cellar floor. Small bolts of lightning shot out from it and small colored lights danced around it. It flashed and blinked as if charged with some tremendous energy.

"Is that it?" Phoebe asked. "Is that this Nexus?"

"No," said Leo. "The Nexus itself it buried underneath the manor. This is only a physical manifestation of the power it possesses. A very small portion of its power."

"Hurry," Chris said to Tempus. "Do whatever you have to now. It won't last long."

Tempus moved up to the glowing orb and spread his arms. The lightning from the orb suddenly began to strike him but the demon was not injure. Instead, the tremendous power of the Nexus began to fill him, recharging him as if he were a dead battery.

"How did you know that Phoebe could call it?" Leo asked Chris. "I've never heard that before."

"It won't be discovered for several years," said Chris. "But Phoebe is the only one who can call it like this. Not even her sisters possess the power to call the Nexus to them."

"Why not?" Piper asked.

"Because Phoebe was the only one who was actually born in the manor," said Chris. "She has a connection to it that not even you have. In the future that connection is going to be very important."

"If Tempus can set things right," said Leo. "Time is almost gone."

"It is done," Tempus announced, turning to the group.

He seemed changed. His appearance had altered little but he looked younger somehow. Younger and stronger. The power that coursed through him had restored him to his former self. Now he was once again the time manipulation demon he had been for centuries.

"Quick," said Leo, "send Chris back to the future."

"No," said the Seer. "It is too late for that. The vortex he opened has caused such a swell of magic that closing the vortex alone will no longer stop it. Instead, that magic must be redirected. Allowed to find other avenues that will more easily withstand its power."

"I understand," said Tempus.

The time manipulation demon moved up to Chris. He closed his eyes and extended his hands. Beams of energy shot from his fingertips engulfing Chris. The strain was nearly unbearable. Chris did not see how he would be able to withstand so much power being directed into him.

But he also felt the tension of the time changes begin to ease. The pressure that had built up over the past few months began to lessen. Bit by bit the magic began to flow through other eddies and currents in time. Within minutes the pressure was completely gone.

"There," said Tempus, nearly collapsing on the floor. "It is finished. I have installed the safeguards that you neglected with your spell. Time should now be restored to its true path."

"Why hasn't anything changed?" asked Tiffany. "If he corrected things, shouldn't everything be back the way it's supposed to be?"

"In due course," said Tempus. "The changes happened slowly over a long period of time. You cannot hope to correct everything in an instant. They will correct themselves in a natural progression. When enough of the changes have been corrected...."

"Oh," said Chris, steadying himself on the banister of the stairs. "I feel light-headed and dizzy. Almost like I did when I orbed into the manor a couple of days ago."

"That is the changes that are correcting themselves," said Tempus. "Your body is readjusting to the true flow of time. It may be a bit unpleasant, but I assure you it is not dangerous."

"Are you sure?" asked Leo. "He doesn't look good."

"I am sure," said Tempus.

Suddenly Chris nearly lost consciousness. He started to collapse on the floor when Leo grabbed him to steady him. He looked up at Tempus wondering if the demon was telling the truth. He was beginning to feel sick. And he wasn't altogether sure Tempus was being honest. Suddenly Chris' vision blurred and blacked out completely. He felt sure he had been tricked. Tempus had done more than correct the timeline. He had destroyed a White Lighter in the process.

[noazmale]

NINETEEN

"Chris, are you okay?" asked Leo, holding him to keep him falling to the floor.

"Yeah, I think so," said Chris as the unpleasant sensations began to abate. "For a minute I thought Tempus had tricked us. I thought I might be a goner."

"Tempus?" Chris heard Piper question. "Did you hit your head or something?"

Chris looked up and found Piper, Phoebe, and Paige standing near him. Leo was holding his arm in an obvious support stance. Everyone looked different. The girls' hair was different and all of them, with the exception of Chris were dressed differently. Chris looked around the cellar and saw the opening where the Woogy had escaped once again sealed over."

"What?" Chris questions. "What happened?"

"That's what we'd like to know," said Paige. "One minute we're upstairs talking in the kitchen, the next we hear you screaming down here like someone was trying to kill you."

"As for Tempus," said Piper, "his sorry butt was vanquished about three years ago. What's the matter, future boy? Did that little tidbit of information escape your attention?"

"What about Prue?" Chris asked. "And Cole and Andy? They aren't here?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Leo asked, noticing that Piper and Phoebe had become noticeably uncomfortable at the mention of the three names. "Are you hurt?"

"Oh, hey, I'm sorry," said Chris, suddenly realizing how Piper and Phoebe must be reacting to what he was saying. "I didn't mean to dredge up any bad memories. Honestly, I didn't. But it's been one hell of ride the past few days, let me tell you."

"Why don't you?" Piper asked. "I for one would like to know why you should suddenly mention those three names. Especially considering the memories attached to them. This had better be good."

"I'll try," said Chris.

Together, the five went up to the kitchen.
* * *

"That's certainly an interesting story," said Piper when Chris had finished talking.

"You're telling me," said Chris. "At first, I didn't know what was going on. I thought I might be going crazy."

Chris has conveniently left out certain parts of the story. Parts that he felt sure would only be a detriment. Such as Phoebe's special connection to the Nexus. Apparently Tempus' magic had worked. The time changes had all been corrected and everything was back to its normal condition.

"I remember Tiffany Morgan," said Leo. "She was supposed to have been one of my charges about ten years ago. Unfortunately, her husband left her when she started developing her powers. Her life just fell apart. She ended up taking her own life one night and I didn't get back in time to save her."

"She said something like that," said Chris. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," said Leo.

"So, traveling in time can actually alter it?" questioned Phoebe.

"Not exactly," said Chris. "It wasn't the time travel itself. It was because I've been in the past for so long. And apparently there are things about time travel that not even the Elders are aware of."

"Well, no one has ever remained in the past for so long," said Leo. "There's never been any problem before. We've never had any reason to suspect there would be."

"It looks like you'd better rethink that," said Paige. "If Tempus is right, it could happen again."

"Not with me," said Chris. "His magic helps compensate for my being here. There shouldn't be any more repeats of what happened. But if someone else moves through time, there could be a problem."

"I'll let the other Elders know about it right away," said Leo. "Chris, you need to come up there and explain everything you can remember about it. They'll need all the information they can get to look into it."

"Okay," said Chris.

"One thing I don't understand," said Piper. "Tempus was vanquished. Won't that cause his magic to become undone as well? Won't that just start the whole cycle all over again?"

"No," said Leo. "It was his magic that set up the safeguards to allow Chris to remain in the past. But once those safeguards are in place, they should remain that way. Think of it this way. Paige uses her orbing ability to orb something from one table to another. Even if Paige should subsequently die, the item doesn't automatically return to where it was in the first place."

"I think I understand," said Phoebe. "So you're sure this isn't going to happen again? You're sure Tempus corrected whatever it was that was wrong?"

"Not completely, no," said Chris. "You can never be sure when you're dealing with demons, you should know that. But both he and the Seer were both convinced that if Tempus didn't correct things, we'd all be destroyed. She even vanquished to Source to help us correct things. But I'm pretty sure Tempus couldn't do anything but correct the changes."

"I wonder if he would have done it if he had known he wouldn't be around?" asked Piper.

"Interesting question," said Leo. "Well, I need to get up there. Chris, I'll see you in a bit."

"Sure," said Chris. "Just give me a few minutes to get myself together."

Leo orbed out of the manor.

"Okay, I'm not clear on something," said Paige. "If the Book of Shadows was in the cellar the whole time, how come not even the Elders knew where it was? Wouldn't they have been able to sense it or something?"

"Normally, yes," said Chris. "But the power of the Nexus must have masked it somehow. You know how powerful the Nexus can be. With the book so close to it it would have been difficult to sense it. I'm just glad you held onto it. There's no telling what might have happened if you had gotten rid of it."

"Well, I think you need to get some rest," said Piper. "Once you check in with the Elders, you're going to take it easy for a couple of days. You seem to have been through a lot."

"I can't argue with that," said Chris. "It's been very taxing."

As Chris orbed to the Elders to fill them in he noticed Phoebe looking at him with a strange look on her face. A look that suggested she had something on her mind but hadn't said anything. Chris wondered what it was.

[noazmale]

TWENTY

"How are you feeling?" Phoebe asked Chris the next evening.

"One hundred percent," said Chris. "I guess whatever Tempus did fixed everything. I certainly hope I don't go through that again. It can be more than unnerving being the only one who knows what's supposed to be going on."

"I can imagine," said Phoebe.

"Everyone else gone to bed?" asked Chris.

"Yes," said Phoebe. "I couldn't sleep. I've been thinking about what you told us. Chris, you didn't tell us everything yesterday, did you?"

"Why did you say that?" Chris asked.

"Well," said Phoebe, "all you told us was that the Source tried to stop you and that the Seer vanquished him. Then you said that Tempus used his magic to fix things."

"That's what happened," said Chris.

"What I don't understand," said Phoebe, "is if time had been all jumbled up and you couldn't return to the future, why wasn't Tempus affected? Tempus' magic was time manipulation. I would have thought that all those changes would have affected him in some way. When Andy died Tempus used his magic to put us in a time loop. My precognitive power was the only thing that saved us. If we had never become the Charmed Ones, I wouldn't have had that power. If time was being altered, why wasn't Tempus affected?"

'I can't answer that," said Chris. "All I know is that he was able to put in the safeguards I didn't know about. With those safeguards in place, time corrected itself."

"But there is more, isn't there?" asked Phoebe.

Chris thought for a moment. He had left out the part about the Woogy and how Cole had saved them all by sacrificing himself to get the Book of Shadows. He wasn't sure how much of that the girls, and especially Phoebe, were prepared to hear.

"Some, yes," Chris said finally. "Nothing that would affect what I've already told you. I just thought it was best if I didn't bother you with all of the details. Some of them could be somewhat unsettling."

"It has to do with Cole, doesn't it?" Phoebe asked.

"How would you know that?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," said Phoebe. "I only have this feeling that Cole was involved somehow. I can't explain why or how. I only know that Cole did something that you aren't telling us."

"Your precognitive power gives you insight into much more than just the future," said Chris. "That's its primary ability, of course. But like when Andy died. You were able to sense the changes in the timeline."

"So he was involved," Phoebe said.

"Yes, he was," said Chris. "Let's just say that he was the way you always wanted him to be. Before the Source possessed him."

"I've often thought about what things might have been like if that had never happened," Phoebe said. "How different things might have been."

"Maybe they wouldn't have been any different," said Chris. "He was half demon, after all. That's a pretty big handicap to overcome. Even after you stripped Belthazor from him, he was still half demon. It was part of who he was. Maybe what happened was destined to happen. I can't say."

"I know," said Phoebe. "I've come to terms with it. I did that a long time ago."

"So this isn't bringing up any painful memories for you?" Chris asked.

"Some," said Phoebe. "None that I don't think about otherwise, though. I think we all regret some things that happen in our past. You can't help but think about those regrets and how things might have been different."

"I know," said Chris. "I have a few of those myself. You know, everything I know about Cole was what I learned growing up. That he was half demon and that you three ended up vanquishing him. I really didn't learn much about him as Cole Turner. I always got the impression that there was more involved than him just being a demon."

"Of course there was," said Phoebe. "I loved him. We were married. He was a very complicated man. I guess in many ways he was the best and worst things that ever happened to me."

"If it's not too painful," Chris said, "I'd like to know more about him. Cole, I mean, not Belthazor. More about what he was like without his demonic half. He was vanquished before I came back so I never had the chance to meet him. There must have been some good in him for you to have married him."

"I think there was a lot of good in him," said Phoebe. "But he had lived as a demon for most of his life and I'm not sure he knew exactly how to express that goodness. It's hard to change old habits especially ones that are over a hundred years old."

"I understand," said Chris. "If it's too painful...."

"No," said Phoebe, "it's not. Not really. Like I said, I think about it from time to time anyway. Like most things, time has a way of dulling the pain. And despite what we went through, I guess I remember the good times mostly."

"That's good," said Chris. "I think we all try to remember the good instead of the bad."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Phoebe. "So, what would you like to know about him?"

"Whatever you'd care to share," said Chris.

"Okay," said Phoebe. "To begin with, he could be incredibly caring when he wanted to be. And he wouldn't hesitate to risk his life for someone he cared for. He did that for us on several occasions."

"So I understand," said Chris.

"There were other things, too," said Phoebe. "Things I've never even told Piper or Paige. Things that might surprise them if they knew."

Chris and Phoebe talked long into the night.

The End