Charmed 1. Chapter 1

Collected Memories

Disclaimer: Do you really think if I owned Charmed this would be just a fanfiction?

(A/N) I really recommend you read 'In His Shadow' before you start this story, as it will make much more sense that way. But, if you don't, I guess you can still get the gist of it. Anyway, let's get down to it.

This story takes place about 17 years after the Charmed Finale in the changed future.

Sequel to 'In His Shadow'. As Wyatt works to finally take on his destiny as the Twice-Blessed, Chris begins to accept his responsibilities as a witch. However, when a simple vanquish goes wrong and causes Chris to lose his memories, the Seer is determined to use this to her advantage to achieve her ultimate goal: killing Wyatt.

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Chapter One

The sound of piercing screams echoed around the large cavern and into the hallway beyond, along with a loud crashing noise. Several things lay broken on the dirty floor, and more were following.

The Seer, her full lips twisted into a snarl, hurled energy ball after energy ball at all the treasures that were in her room. She didn't care about the destruction she was causing, or that some of the breaking items were actually priceless. The only thing she cared about was destroying the Twice- Blessed, and, it was the one thing she couldn't do.

Ever since the Source of All Evil had gotten killed by going after the Twice-Blessed's greatest weakness, the woman had been searching for a way to eliminate this threat once and for all. However, all of her plans had failed.

Tirelessly, she'd worked for several weeks already, looking into her hand mirror for the answer. But every time she made up a new plan, the future showed the same thing: her failing at her task, and ultimately, getting consumed by flames herself.

With another shriek of anger, the Seer flung another attack at a harmless carving depicting the way to summon up yet another form of evil. She couldn't help but blame all the items in her room, which she'd claimed in her many fortune-tellings for demons, but were now ultimately useless.

As the carving slowly burned, instead of exploding like she'd wished, a shimmer suddenly caught her eye. Turning towards the light, the Seer knelt down and lifted a piece of wood that had once been the lid of a trunk. Under it lay her most beloved possession. Her hand mirror, which she used every time she predicted the future, handed down by generations of good witches until it fell into her hands. It was on the floor, unbroken, unlike the Seer.

The mirror, once used by good, had been infused with a lot of magic, which made it so powerful now and gave the Seer an extra edge as she looked forward into the future, being able to see and dissect every detail in her visions to her heart's content. Also, the magic in it kept any damage from becoming permanent. So, although the mirror was hundreds of years old, it still looked brand-new.

Taking the handle of the mirror with her long and delicate fingers, the Seer lifted it until it was even with her face. As she breathed, the glass fogged over, seemingly preparing itself to delve into the mysteries of the future.

The woman then stood up, holding the mirror close to her, as if cradling a baby. Her long curls, which had previously been tangled in her rage, now magically smoothed out into the style that she preferred. Her room began to sort itself, dowsing the fire that still raged on the wooden carving, several boxes reforming themselves, their contents unsalvageable.

The Seer was blind to all of this, only focused on the mirror in her hands. She couldn't believe that she'd lost sight of the bigger picture for a moment, the task that she'd been so focused on for so long. Her frustrations had given way to anger and destruction, distracting her from what she had to do, and all her careful planning.

Taking a deep breath, her large bosom rising and falling as she did so, the Seer calmed herself, only allowing herself to concentrate on one thing, and one thing only. Her plans had to work eventually, since she wouldn't have had that vision if she couldn't change it.

Once more, she lifted the mirror, and as she gazed into her foggy reflection, she remembered the visit the Source had made to her cave not too long ago. His question to her mirror, not seeming to care that it was she who wielded its power, had been about the Twice-Blessed's greatest weakness. His brother, the younger Halliwell son, was the key in all of this. It was thanks to him that the Source had been slain, but he was also the way to break the Twice-Blessed once and for all.

It was imperative to go after the younger boy first, and the Seer had tried over and over, and by now had almost given up completely. However, now her mirror seemed to be telling her that it was time to try again, that the boy was now vulnerable, as he hadn't been for many weeks.

The fog on the glass began to swirl and darken, finally showing the face that had haunted the Seer for so long. It was time to take action.

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(A/N) Oooh, very ominous, right? Anyway, that's it for the first chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed that, even if it was super short. No worries, the chapters will start getting longer! Please review if you can, I love my reviewers so much! Enjoy! And I'll see you guys next week with the second chapter of 'Collected Memories'!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The room was neat and tidy, all set as if the person who owned the place was expecting visitors. A couple of dishes and cups were set out, along with a tea pot, promising a very nice afternoon full of snacks and drinks.

The room was unprepared for the woman who suddenly opened the door, darting inside, before slamming it shut. With trembling fingers she locked it, and then bolted it. She had taken extra precautions when buying this apartment, knowing that if demons were after her she might need to keep them out somehow.

Quickly, she turned and opened a drawer nearby, nearly yanking it out completely because of the strength she used. The woman searched for a minute, finally finding a couple of vials, completely full with a strange liquid but dusty from having been stored for such a long time. Carefully, she took aim at the door and threw one of the vials at it. It exploded into a purple smoke, covering the door and then leaving a gleaming wall over it, ensuring that nothing would come in that way.

Then, the woman turned to the window, launching another vial at it. She didn't wait for it to explode and throw up the shimmering wall, but instead she moved to the other ways into her apartment and began working on those.

Even if she lived on the fifth floor, it was always best to be prepared, especially since demons could usually shimmer in anyway. She didn't have any crystals to ward the place, unfortunately, but she'd found an old spell that could keep her concealed, and that was what she was working on now. However, to complete this, she had to cover every entrance in her home.

She moved through the kitchen silently, once she was done with the living room. Shielding the windows there, she headed to her bedroom. This room had to be well guarded, as it was the place where she was most vulnerable. It had only three windows, two medium-sized ones and one considerably larger, allowing for a gorgeous view and a great deal of sunlight to brighten up the mornings.

However, now it was particularly dangerous. All of these windows had to be covered, and quickly. After throwing the first two vials, the woman turned to the third window, the largest, and prepared to launch the potion. It was at that moment that two forms began to take shape inside the room. Shocked, the woman stood there, unable to move any more, until the figures had become completely solid and visible. They looked like two ordinary men, except for the terribly evil expressions they had on their faces. They seemed determined to get what they were there for, no matter the cost.

The woman gasped, backing away silently. The potion slipped from her hands and landed on the floor, harmlessly bouncing a few times before cracking and spilling the purplish liquid all over the clean carpet.

"Wh-what do you want?" the woman breathed out, still too much in shock to think clearly. This was the first time she faced an actual demon, and, even with all her training, she was not completely prepared.

One of the human-seeming demons chuckled slightly, before raising his hand. "You know very well what we are looking for," he said calmly. As he spoke, his index finger elongated and sharpened, forming a sort of flesh-colored needle.

Seeing this, the woman turned to run. She barely made it out of the bedroom and into the living room before a strong hand grabbed her around the neck and forced her against the wall, face-first. Her nose smashed into the wallpaper, and left streaks of crimson blood all over the yellow design.

"I won't tell you where it is," she blubbered, her fingers scrabbling to grab something that she could use to protect herself. Unfortunately, there was nothing nearby, and her fingers closed on air.

"I'm counting on it," the demon said, before raising his needle-finger and pointing it at the woman's temple. With a sadistically slow motion, the needle began to penetrate the skin, bones, and then, brain.

The woman had been screaming before, but then she suddenly stilled, unable to do anything to protect her own mind from being sucked out of her against her will. Slowly, everything she knew began to fade, and soon, her vision began to blacken. She knew that she had to protect something, but no longer knew what it was. She knew she was currently in her home, but no longer who she was. Then, she couldn't remember anything at all. A couple of moments later, she no longer knew how to move, or how to breathe.

The demon slid his finger out of the woman's temple, surprisingly clean of blood or brains. He watched as she slid to the ground, her eyes open and staring, her nose still bleeding freely, and her tongue lolling out of her mouth grotesquely.

His partner was standing next to him, enjoying the spectacle. "So, did you get it?" he asked gruffly, turning away from the body to stare at the other demon in the eyes.

The demon was grimacing slightly, looking very frustrated. His partner could read the answer in his expression. "She wasn't even a true witch. Her friend is the guardian, this one just knew about it." He paused, concentrating a little as the memories finished settling into his mind. "The guardian is coming over today, and she might be bringing the amulet."

The demon's partner didn't look too miffed. "So we only have to wait here until the guardian arrives." He sat down on one of the fluffy couches, making himself nicely at home in the dead woman's apartment.

"Yep," the other replied, settling down himself and even grabbing a cracker from one of the dishes, making himself comfortable while he waited for the witch who would bring the prize. He had all the time in the world, after all. And after they had the amulet, they would be unstoppable.

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(A/N) Yay for the second chapter! And, wow, I really didn't expect to get such a big reaction for the first one! Sure, I knew that you guys were excited for the sequel, but you truly made my week with your reviews, alerts, and faves. You guys are truly beautiful!

Especially thanks to: Kokoro E. Junnaya, Patry (glad to see your reviews again!), and gift of the gabz. You guys made me so happy and excited to post the next chapter!

Anyway, I'll see you guys next week with the third chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one, and please let me know whether you did or didn't through a review. Reviews are like gold to me, but more valuable! Love you guys, see ya soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Chris was walking along the streets of San Francisco with a steady gait. He had been at the university library when he'd received a call from his brother. Ignoring all the dirty looks people sent his way for making noise in the sacred study place, he'd answered, annoyed at how he couldn't get a little peace and quiet when he was studying, but had instantly snapped to attention at the tone in Wyatt's voice. Chris had already learned how to identify when something was wrong, and this had been one of those times. So, setting his complaints aside, he'd listened carefully.

Wyatt had been scrying for evil, and had come across some lower-level demons in his search. He said that Chris would be able to take them out easily, and that they were on his way home from the university, so it wouldn't take him out of his way too much.

Chris knew that the real reason Wyatt was calling him was not because he was the closest, but because his big brother had his own problems to deal with. He was becoming twenty-one very soon, which was not only the legal drinking age in the country, but the age at which he would be taking Excalibur and ruling the magical realm. It was a great deal of responsibility, and, as such, Wyatt was kept even busier and busier with kingly duties. Also, he had to complete his college degree somehow, which meant that the pile of things to do was starting to reach epic proportions, leaving barely enough time for anything else.

So, it had fallen to Chris to start taking up more demonic hunts, despite his own astonishing amount of schoolwork. However, this was necessary if they wanted to keep their powers, and keep protecting the innocent. Chris never protested, but there were times when he wished he could catch a break.

Melinda also helped occasionally, along with the Charmed Ones and their many cousins; but nobody could deny that, as the Twice-Blessed's younger brother, Chris had to carry most of the burden.

Still, there was nothing he could do at the moment, and with a sigh, he asked Wyatt exactly where the demons were located, so he could take them out. Relieved, Wyatt had mentioned the address and hung up, giving Chris the reminder that if he got into any trouble, to just call for him and he'd arrive, despite all the things he had to do.

Chris knew that Wyatt would be worried sick about this whole situation, especially after what had happened to Chris the last time he'd faced a demon alone. He'd gotten so close to Death that he'd actually met the guy, but had luckily survived the encounter. Still, it was something that kept the whole family worried, although they knew that they couldn't keep Chris from facing demons alone. It was something every single Halliwell had to know how to do.

That was why Chris was now walking to face a couple of demons with absolutely no back-up, or, no physical one, at least. He knew that Wyatt would be there if he needed help, and would orb to his side in a second. It was a comfort, but slightly annoying at the same time. Chris was starting to get tired of his family, especially his brother, worrying about him getting killed all the time. It had just been that one time a few weeks ago after all. Chris knew he was being a little unfair, since it was true that he had truly died once, when he'd come back from the evil future to save Wyatt from becoming the Source of All Evil. That future was over, however, and remade into a good one, so he was likely to live many more years instead of dying at twenty-two, like his other self had.

Keeping his walk casual, and even whistling a tune, Chris walked up to the building his brother had mentioned. His hands were in his pockets, betraying his true emotions as they were fisted around a couple of potions his aunt Paige insisted he take everywhere. His eyes darted around, trying to find something even remotely menacing.

Finding nothing other than a rather threateningly tall pile of newspapers, Chris went inside the building, all his senses alert for what might come out at any moment.

Wyatt had said that the evil had come from one of the apartments on the fifth floor, the last one, so Chris quietly crept up the stairs, wishing that the building had incorporated an elevator after the first couple of flights.

Chris made sure not to make any noise as he walked down the hallway, despite it being completely empty. It wouldn't be a surprise if a demon was lurking in the shadows, just preparing to pounce on the unwary visitor. But Chris was prepared with his potions and powers, so he didn't think that he could be surprised easily.

The apartment he was looking for was obvious after glancing at the door. Wyatt had never specified, but, it was probably the one with the shimmering magical wall keeping any beings from coming inside. Chris wondered why the wall had been put up, and if the evil was outside or lurking on the inside.

The barrier looked like one a witch might set up, so Chris didn't just blast the door open with a well placed telekinetic blow. Instead, he cautiously went up to it and pressed his ear against it, listening for any sign of someone being inside the apartment. He didn't hear anything, however, and Chris frowned slightly, before knocking very quietly, making sure that his blows wouldn't count as a threat to the barrier and wouldn't accidentally send him flying.

His knocks were unanswered, and Chris steeled himself, taking a deep breath, before lifting his arm. Everything was quiet inside the room, which might mean that the occupant didn't want to be disturbed, but it could also mean that they were in grave danger. Under the circumstances, Chris was more inclined to believe the second.

The door flew open, shattering the barrier. Chris stepped inside warily, looking for whoever owned the place. "Hello?" he called, feeling more and more like the dull character in some cheap horror movie. "Is anyone here?"

He noticed that the room was empty, with a few things for lunch set out prettily. The image was completely destroyed by the smear of blood along one of the flowery walls. Chris stepped closer, hoping against hope to find that the person lying on the floor was still alive, but as soon as he saw the woman's face, he knew that the worst had happened.

A small noise suddenly filled his ear, and Chris turned to see a fearsome looking man standing by the doorway. "I didn't know the Guardian was a boy," he snarled, before rushing at the young Halliwell.

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(A/N) You guys have no idea how close this chapter came to not getting posted today. I turned on my computer yesterday afternoon only to get the blue screen of death! Luckily, I have some friends who are very tech-savvie, and my computer seems to be working fine now, so thank those guys that this has been posted! And now we have the first appearance of Chris! I know you guys were all dying to see him, and Wyatt shall be coming in a few chapters after this, no worries.

Anyway, thanks to those who Alerted and Faved, but especially huge thanks to my one wonderful reviewer: Patry! You are so awesome!

So, that's it for today! And I will see you next week with the very next chapter. Please please please review! I love my reviewers so much! Plus, I like knowing your reactions to each chapter: what you liked, what you didn't like, anything! I hope you enjoy this! Bye!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Chris raised his arm and magically pushed the man away, at the same time realizing that this normal looking person was probably the evil that had popped up on Wyatt's radar. The man slammed into the wall and slid down, making yet another splatter, this one black, on the once-pretty wallpaper.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Chris reached into his pocket, grabbing a potion, but was unable to do anything else as a pain suddenly filled his right temple. A hand grasped at his shoulder, keeping him upright as he swayed.

He could feel a hot breath against his neck, ruffling his hair slightly. The grip on his shoulder tightened painfully, but that was nothing compared to the agony that was exploding in his head.

Something had been stabbed in through the weakest part of his skull, and it was currently struggling to rid him of his mind. Chris fought as much as he could, but he couldn't stop a lethargy from invading his senses, causing him to lose more and more focus as his thoughts slowly started to flow away from him and into the invading body. Weakly, he tried to grasp at them, keep his memories intact, and his mind and personality his. Unfortunately, he was unable to fight whatever was doing this, and he couldn't even turn around to see the creature that was causing him so much pain.

The creature, who seemed normal, like the other one, was grinning as he felt the young man he was holding try to struggle, but fail to throw him off. It was useless. Nobody could do anything once he was already invading their minds with his needle-sharp finger. It was his gift, and he could incapacitate anyone with it.

Unfortunately, there were many thoughts to sift through in this young man. He had so many warm, happy memories, which caused the warlock to grimace. Ignoring them as they flooded his senses, he instead focused on the one thing that mattered: the amulet that this young man was guarding. The woman that was laying not ten minutes dead in the next room, had known about the amulet, but not about its location, which was why the warlock had had to find someone else. It had been strange, really, to find out that the Guardian was a boy, but, no matter. The power in his finger worked on everyone, male and female, witch and mortal, alike.

But, the further the warlock submerged himself in the young man's memories, the more he doubted that this was the Guardian. He didn't seem to know anything about the amulet, for one; not what it looked like or what it did. Instead, he seemed to have a very deep knowledge of many other things: demons, witchcraft, and… _The Charmed Ones_.

At this discovery, the warlock began to sift through the man's mind, this time paying attention to what he was seeing. After a while, it became obvious that this boy was not the Guardian, but something else, something much more important. This boy was the younger son of Piper Halliwell.

The boy in question groaned, as if sensing that his valuable heritage had already been discovered. He crumpled even further to the ground, barely kept on his feet by the arm that was now supporting his chest, pressing him to the creature behind him. After draining so much of his mind, it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to hang on much longer.

An echoing moan sounded through the room, and the warlock raised his head from staring at the young man's memories to see that his partner was beginning to stir. He smirked slightly, wondering why the younger Charmed son was so feared when he could barely knock out a demon with his supposedly amazing telekinetic abilities. Sure, there were rumors going around the Underworld that this kid had even managed to get rid of the old Source of All Evil, but, after seeing the boy in action, the demon thought this was impossible. How could he have killed the most powerful evil creature if he couldn't even get rid of a Collector?

The warlock's partner stood up, wobbling slightly as he shook his head to clear it of the blow he'd received. He looked up to see the Guardian in the hands of his friend, and he grinned evilly. "Have you found where the amulet is kept yet?" he asked, watching as the Guardian gasped and moaned, feeling his mind slowly disappearing.

The warlock shook his head. "No, but I found something better."

The other was frustrated at the answer. They'd been searching for this amulet for so long, and now, he was being told that there was something better than that in the boy's mind. What could possibly be more powerful than an amulet that would make both of them able to prey on any witch they desired?

Seeing the obvious frustration on his partner's face, the warlock chuckled. "Trust me, this information is beyond your wildest dreams."

Unable to contain his curiosity, his voice blurted out, "What is it?"

"This boy is the younger Charmed son."

The Collector stood frozen for a moment, unable to believe that after so many years of having struggled to survive and steal information from the many people in their path, their luck had finally turned around. They had within their grasp a witch so powerful and so well connected that most demons didn't even dare attack him.

A large evil smile was starting to appear on both of the warlocks' faces, as they both stared at the man in their possession. His face was pale, and his eyes were closed. Out of his mouth came frail gasps and moans as his whole life was steadily leeched out of him.

The warlock was taking his time, not only because he had to struggle against some of the innate barriers the witch had, but because he wanted to cause as much pain and desperation in the young man as he could. And it was working.

Chris could barely remember who he was anymore, and anything about his life. His memories had all but vanished, and all that he was left with were a few scraps of information, barely enough to form a coherent thought. He knew that he was Chris, and that he had a mother. He knew that he lived in San Francisco, but didn't remember where. He could also recall a few faces in his thoughts, although not to whom they belonged: one of them of a blond young man, the other of a younger brown-haired girl, and the last of an older man with twinkling green eyes.

Chris cried slightly as even these faces were taken from him, slowly blurring until he could remember them no more.

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(A/N) Awww! Poor Chris! He's losing his memories! Poor thing, I kind of feel sorry for putting him in that position, but, oh well! It makes for a good story!

Anyway, once more, thanks to all the people who loved this story enough to add it to their Alerts and Faves, and especially to those extremely awesome people who reviewed: Patry (haha, the wallpaper!) and . You guys are the best!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and trust me, the next one is going to be loaded with Chris angst! I'll see you next week, alright? Until then, please drop me a review if you can, I wanna know what all you guys think of this story so far! See you later!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Tears ran down the young man's face as the pain overwhelmed him. Both the warlocks in the room grinned as they watched, enjoying the spectacle that the violation of the boy's innermost thoughts was causing. The Collector holding him was now keeping him upright, as the boy was now too weak to stand on his own, crippled by the sharp stabs that the needle in his temple kept sending through him.

The other warlock in the room chuckled, seeing the young man wince and groan, crying all the time. His evil spirit loved watching the moment when a person broke under the influence of cruel powers, making what had before been such a strong-willed witch into little more than a quivering heap.

The young man cringed as he felt the needle-sharp finger delve deeper, and the slowness that had invaded him began to darken his vision. At this, the man became frantic, trying to struggle against the weakness, trying to free himself not only from the pain but from the evil glances that both of the creatures in the room were sending him.

It was at that moment that he sensed something deep inside himself… something that throbbed with a type of energy he didn't know. Desperately, he tapped into that power source, and felt something overwhelm his senses as he thrust both of his hands outwards.

Instantly, the creature in front of him flew backwards, flying onto the coffee table and landing with a crash. The pain from the young man's temple vanished, and he turned to see the other creature lying stunned against the wall.

The boy, deciding not to remain in the presence of such terrible beings, ran to the door, opened it, and dashed outside. He found himself in an unfamiliar hallway in an unfamiliar building. Instinctively, he dashed for the stairs, recklessly jumping down two or more steps at a time.

Soon, there were no more staircases, and he headed to what seemed to be the front door of the building. He thrust it open with such force that it crashed into the wall, and he stepped outside into the sunlight.

He was blinded with the brightness for a moment, but then, realizing that he might still be in danger, he rushed forwards, not noticing where he was headed. A loud honk assailed his ears, and he felt a pain against his legs as a large mass slammed into him. Landing on the ground, he rolled, hearing some insults come from the person in the vehicle, but stood up and continued running.

Rushing through the streets, this time more careful not to dash in front of any coming cars, he let himself go. His pounding feet and his heartbeat were the only sounds in his ears as he hurriedly made his way through even darker and emptier alleys.

He had no idea where he was, or where he was going. All he knew was that he had to get away from the people who had attacked him, who hadn't seemed real. The young man couldn't say exactly how he knew that those who had hurt him hadn't been human, but, deep inside there was something that told him that if they were to find him again, they would kill him.

His instincts had taken hold, and with the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he was able to put quite a bit of distance between him and the building where he'd found himself earlier, after having managed to fend off the darkness that had been lying at the edge of his mind.

However, his breath was beginning to come in ragged gasps, and a stitch in his side was forcing him to slow down. A throbbing in his legs indicated that the car had caused more damage than he'd initially thought, and, reluctantly, the young man fell into a trot, exasperatedly brushing his bangs from his face to be able to see where he was going.

Even with his trot, he was still covering a lot of ground, and soon, he found himself heading into a populated area once more. Seeing that the people there were all calmly heading about their business, the man lowered his speed even more, ending up with a brisk walk. A cool wind rushed through the street as he joined the crowds of people, and he shivered as it combined with the sweat on his face, making him cold.

He realized that he was wearing a simple t-shirt, dark green, with some frayed jeans. The fabric on his knees was of a lighter color, and the bottoms of them trailed a couple of loose strings. Frowning, the young man tried to remember when he'd put these clothes on, and began to panic as he realized that he didn't even recognize what he was wearing.

Trying to calm himself down, he raised a hand to his face, breathing deeply. He leaned against a nearby wall for a moment, ignoring the curious stares of passerby, and covered his eyes. He concentrated for a moment, trying to recall where he was, and what he was doing there.

He'd been fleeing from some men who had not been men, he remembered that. He knew that he'd been running for quite some time, but as he stretched his mind back to before waking up in the creature's arms, he could see only blackness. There was nothing there, nothing to tell him what was going on.

Opening his eyes, he stumbled through the street, finding an intersection, and he headed down into a much less crowded area. He couldn't bear being around people at the moment, not when he didn't know who might wish him harm and who might not.

As he walked, he caught a glimpse of a reflection on the glass of a darkened shop window. In the dirty glass, he could see a young angled face, pale, with deep green eyes and wavy brown hair that never seemed to lie still. Lifting his arm, the young man watched as the shape in the mirror copied him, and he tried to flatten the brown locks. They refused, and still stuck out obstinately.

It was at that moment that despair filled the boy, and tears began running down his face as he realized that he couldn't even recognize himself. He didn't know his name, who he was, or where he belonged. He was truly and utterly alone, lost in the darkness, and unable to find who he truly was. He wasn't just someone wandering through the streets. He was nobody.

As he collapsed to the ground, the man found himself wondering if he would ever find out who he was, or if he would die as ignorant as he was now.

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(A/N) Ta da! Sad sad angsty chapter, isn't it? Told ya it was! Also, I'm so glad it's Friday! Exams are officially over, and now I can relax and enjoy myself! Yes! The summer has begun!

Anyway, once more, thanks to those beautiful people who added this to their Story Alerts, Faves, etc. And especially thanks to those gorgeous people who reviewed, and many apologies to because of me forgetting to add them to the list of those who reviewed last time. Thanks to this time's reviewers as well: Kokoro E. Junnaya, Crystalzap, Patry (LOL! I don't think I made your stress go away, since this is also a bit of a cliffie... I'm evil!).

Thanks you guys so much! I'll see you next week with the next chapter! Hasta la vista!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Seer's eyes were captivated by the scene she was watching in the mirror. After calling out to her, the glass had proven that it was time to strike again. Her long hair neatly obscured her face to anyone who might have looked at her in that moment, as she sat hunched in a position she usually didn't take due to its unattractiveness, staring at the scene that played out before her.

The younger Charmed son, Chris Halliwell, had unwittingly walked into a trap set by a couple of Collectors. However, instead of dispatching the demons like he could have done so easily, he'd been caught and all of his memories drained, leaving him with nowhere to go, nobody to turn to, and best of all, no way to consciously access his powers. It was the perfect moment to send someone to strike, now that he was completely oblivious of everything that was going on, and the Seer would have been a fool not to take advantage of it.

As soon as the scene ended, the Seer stood up, stretched slightly, letting her body fall into a more appealing position to male eyes, before snapping her fingers. Immediately, three shapes began to take form in front of her. It took a few seconds for the demons she'd called to become solid, but as soon as they did, they growled menacingly.

"Who are you to summon us?" one of them, the biggest, asked fiercely.

"I am the late Source's Seer, the one who knows it all," she gave a well practiced response in a sultry voice. She was used to dealing with alpha demons, and still managed to have them wrapped around her little finger most of the time. There was no evil that truly scared her, the only thing she feared was her own vanquishing, and he whose hands it would come from.

"The Source is dead, your position is lost," the demon answered, still very much insulted to have been forced to a place against his own will. Worst of all, he'd been called there by a woman who wasn't even a demon. It was humiliating, to say the least, which was why he was making up for it with a great deal of bravado.

Flipping her hair, the Seer narrowed her eyes as she carefully inspected the demons. The two in the back were obviously deferring to the bigger one, their leader, and waiting for him to control the situation. Without him, they would have nobody to turn to, and would be easily controlled.

With a smirk on her face, the Seer snapped her fingers once more, and the larger demon began to scream as he felt his body attacked by a large flame. His skin was slowly consumed, and with a final yell, he disintegrated, vanquished into eternal torture and suffering. His minions stared at where he'd stood only a second ago, their raised eyebrows on their heavily tattooed and distorted foreheads betraying their fear and shock.

"Well, that was not very nice of him," the Seer said, carefully brushing her hands together, as if trying to rid them of the ashes of the leader. She stood up, allowing the demons' eyes to turn to her and study her gorgeous body carefully. A sexy look on her face, she approached them and raised her arms to set her perfectly manicured hands on their shoulders. "You are nicer, though, aren't you?" she asked of them, her nails softly raking their tough skin, an unspoken threat lingering in the air.

Both demons hesitated slightly, before nodding, trying not to make this woman any angrier than she already was.

"Good," the Seer said, letting go of their bodies and turning to pick up her mirror from her luxurious chaise longue. She felt a couple of hungry stares at her behind, and she smirked while her face was turned away from the demons. Males were so easy to control if one knew what they wanted.

She looked at them once more, appearing both sexy and cute as she peered at them over her shoulder, her long waves of hair swishing over her neck and back. She made a small sign to them with her finger, indicating that they should step closer to her.

Soon, she felt their hot breaths against the bare skin of her back, and, resisting the urge to destroy the two disgusting creatures, she lifted the mirror so they could have a good view of the glass. "I need you to go after this young man," she said, intentionally not mentioning that he was one of the Halliwell sons. The Seer knew that if the demons were to know that, they would demand much more for doing their job, and might not do it at all, allowing their fear of the Charmed Ones to take over. "He's currently wandering around the streets all alone, and he has no powers or memories."

One of the demons scoffed behind her, his snort letting her know that he judged the job to be extremely easy for a creature of his caliber. The Seer smiled, knowing that if they were to destroy this poor boy, their reputations would rise immensely, putting them forever in her debt. It was not a bad deal at all. She would be rid of the threat to her life, and have a couple of demons serving her for eternity. Not bad at all.

"What do we get in return?" the other growled, trying not to let the easiness of the task cause him and his partner to do something for free. They were hired guns after all, and they would not do something for nothing. They needed a decent payment, or they wouldn't do the job.

"I have a few powers here," the Seer murmured, her lips teasing the demon's cheek. She gestured at a box that plainly depicted in the demonic language the strength of the powers inside. The demon's eyes widened, and he heard the Seer's voice once more. "If you kill the boy, these powers are yours." The Seer then remembered something, and added, "Oh, and do me a favor while you are at it. A couple of Collectors are hanging around the area. Dispatch of them as well, as they're after the boy too. Complete these tasks and you will get your reward." There was no way the Seer would leave any loose ends in her plan that could potentially ruin everything. She'd worked too hard to get to where she was.

Both demons had no idea what they were getting into, but the prospect of such an easy job in exchange for such fantastic powers was enough to get them to both instantly shimmer out in the search of the apparently magicless and weak boy, and his other hunters. They both believed the Seer to have gone mad to dish out such a simple task for them to do, but they were not going to question it. They were demons after all, and all they hungered for was blood and more power. With this job, they'd have both.

As soon as the demons vanished, the Seer settled down into her couch once more, grimacing slightly as she felt the hot spot on her back where the demons' pungent breath had struck her. She raised her mirror and gazed into it, searching for the young boy, and eager to watch how he would be killed. She would not fail this time; she had made sure of it. Chris Halliwell was about to die, and he had absolutely no idea. In fact, he didn't even know who he was.

The Seer clapped her hands, making a stolen bowl of popcorn materialize in her lap. She began to eat it slowly, watching her mirror as if it was a movie, waiting for the moment of the kill. This was all too easy.

* * *

(A/N) Sorry, no Chris or Wyatt in this chapter, but a whole lot of the Seer! No worries, both brothers make an appearance in the very next chapter, where Wyatt will finally find out that something is wrong with his little brother.

Thanks once more to those lovely people who add this story to their Alerts or Favorites, and to those amazing people who review: Crystalzap, vampfreakwithMPD, The Flaming Bird, and Patry (sorry about this tiny little cliffie... and the last couple... trust me, this won't be cliffie-free for a while!). Anyway, I love you guys, you are truly awesome! And, I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, and I will see you with the next one, next week! See ya!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The brown-haired young man looked up as a curious young voice asked, "Are you ok?" He didn't recognize the voice at all, but he could sense the kindness in it. It was somehow comforting, and the man's green eyes looked up at the little girl who had her small hand on his knee.

"I'm ok," he said, a small break in his voice betraying exactly how not ok he truly was.

The little girl frowned, feeling the lie in his sentence, but she didn't reproach him, and instead, she held out a small item in her cold little hand. "Here, you can have my lollipop," she said kindly, knowing that this man might need it more than she did. Her mom had always told her to give to those who didn't have as much as she did, and she could tell that this man was devastated for reasons unknown to her. So, she didn't feel bad about losing her little lollipop, even if she was very fond of the sugary sweet.

The young man looked surprised at her gesture, and he took the candy gently. "Thank you," he said, his eyes wondering just what had prompted this little girl to give up her snack. For some reason, he felt a small tug in his mind as he looked at the sandy-haired little girl, almost like recognition. But, he was sure that he didn't know the child, so, instead of continuing to stare at her, he looked down at the wrapped candy in his hand. It was a grape lollipop. For a moment, he hesitated. Did he like grape lollipops? Shrugging slightly, he tore the wrapper off and stuck the hard candy into his mouth. It wasn't really very good, tasting more like chemicals than actual grapes, but the young man sucked at the purple sweet appreciatively, making the little girl smile.

"Meg, we have to go!" a woman's voice suddenly sounded, and the child looked up.

"That's my mom," she explained, not noticing how the young man's eyes suddenly filled with grief. He didn't even know if he had a mom, and was wishing that he could see his own mother in front of him. "I have to go," the little girl continued, and she waved at him as she hurried to where her mother was waiting. "Bye bye!"

The young man glumly watched as the child skipped away. Slowly, he took the sweet out of his mouth, grimacing, and then he stood up. He had no idea where he was, but he certainly wasn't going to get any answers if he just remained sitting on the sidewalk. So, instead, he began to walk. He tossed the candy into a nearby trashcan and tucked his hands into his pockets, protecting himself from the sudden breeze that had picked up.

As he walked, he stared intently at his surroundings, trying to see if he could remember anything about them. Unfortunately, everything was a blank, and, wearily, he continued on his way.

Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see two overly large men hurrying after him. For a moment, the young man was unsure if they were following him, or just heading in the same direction he was. To find out, he accelerated his pace, looking back to see that they had begun to move faster as well. His fears confirmed, he began to run once more, listening as the footsteps behind him picked up.

A ringing suddenly sounded from his pocket, and the young man nearly stumbled as he tried to take out the small device making the noise. It was a cellphone, that much he knew, and he wondered if the person calling him knew who he was.

But now was not the time to answer. Two men were following him, and he had no idea why. The caller soon gave up, and the phone quieted. The young man continued running. He swerved into an alley, and leapt behind a dumpster. He sat there, stilling his breath as he heard the stalkers come into the street, where they proceeded to look for him.

He'd hidden himself well, and he had calmed down enough to keep from his gasps for air from being heard. He was sitting as still as a statue, and as silent, waiting for the men to leave so he could continue on his way.

The silence was suddenly broken by another shrill ring, and the boy instantly leapt out of his hiding place and started to run once more. As he went, he threw the cellphone away, reluctant to lose any connection to someone who might know him, but more eager to survive.

-)-(-

Wyatt paced through the living room, lowering the phone as his brother didn't answer once more. He couldn't believe that Chris wouldn't answer his cellphone. He knew better than to do that, as it always caused a lot of worry, especially in their line of work. If Chris wasn't answering his phone, it meant that he was unable to, which meant that he was in danger. Wyatt wanted to just orb there and save his little brother, but he knew that Chris might resent his doing that, which was why he was currently wearing a hole through the floor instead of using his powers to defeat whatever evil was rising.

His actions were carefully watched by a small girl sitting on the couch. PJ Halliwell, sometimes called Ladybug by her mother, Phoebe, was watching her oldest cousin worry incessantly about his brother. PJ wasn't too afraid herself. She knew Chris would be ok, since he was extremely powerful, but Wyatt was starting to make her feel frustrated. She was currently lying on the couch, pretending to read a book on magical transportation while she waited for Wyatt to leave the room so she could talk to her friends on the phone.

PJ was staying with her aunt Piper because her mother had had to go on a work-related trip. Rather than go with her parents and younger sisters, PJ had decided to stay and enjoy some time by herself. However, her time kept being interrupted, and now she was getting annoyed.

Sighing loudly, she lowered her book and glared at Wyatt, who didn't even notice as he paced. "Wyatt, if you're so worried, why don't you just orb to him and find out what's going on?" she asked, letting her frustration show in her voice.

Wyatt stopped his relentless pacing and turned to look at his little cousin. Her nose was wrinkled, and her lips were pursed. Wyatt knew enough to read all the signs that she was going to get angry if he kept this up, so, he instead sat down on a couch.

"Chris would understand if you said you were just worried about him," PJ continued, knowing the reason that Wyatt wouldn't just automatically head over to protect his little brother. She was good at reading emotions, she was the daughter of an empath and a cupid after all.

"Are you sure?" Wyatt asked, not embarrassed by the fact that he was taking the advice of his much younger cousin.

"I'm sure," PJ answered, and smiled as her large cousin nodded and orbed away. Sighing contentedly, she grabbed her book and the phone that Wyatt had been relentlessly holding on to earlier. Dialing a familiar number, she settled down to an afternoon full of gossip and giggly conversations, her favorite combination.

* * *

(A/N) Ta da! Both Chris and Wyatt made an appearance, and little PJ made a guest appearance! Isn't that awesome? BTW, Meg, the little girl, is my own creation, as well as her mother. Oh, and I'm not sure if PJ is in character or not, since I've never seen her before in my life... she has only two appearances in the show, but barely says anything, so, yeah. That is my idea of what PJ might turn out to be like, but it might not be true. Just my imagination.

Once more, thanks to all those lovely people who add this to their Faves or Alerts. And, as always, a very special thanks to my wonderful reviewers: Patry (LOL! As always, your reviews make me laugh), Crystalzap, and vampfreakwithMPD. You guys are the best!

Anyway, please read and review! Reviews are like pure gold to me, better than that, even! Reviews are diamonds! How's that? See you next week!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The young man kept running from the two large men who relentlessly followed him. He'd already covered a lot of ground, and yet, his attackers were showing no signs of slowing. They didn't even seem to be out of breath, which was unfortunate, as the young man himself was starting to exhibit signs of exhaustion. His breath was coming in short gasps, and, try as he might, he couldn't help it as his pace grew slower and slower. The men following him began to draw nearer, and the boy tried to put more speed into his frantic race, but was unable to go much faster.

The men behind were grinning, sensing that their prey was beginning to get tired, and would soon be within reach. The job that they'd been sent on wasn't even difficult, and they were easily keeping up with the target, enjoying the thrill of the chase, and actually wishing this was harder. They wouldn't argue with such a simple task, however, and would finish the job to get the amazing powers they'd been promised.

Believing that the chase had gone on long enough, one of the demons then formed an energy ball in his hand, carefully checking that no mortals were within sight. Not slowing his run, he threw it at the young man, who ducked it instinctively, yelling as he saw a trash can explode as the brightly colored attack hit it.

Now, the boy was even more terrified, and his speed increased despite his exhaustion. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and his face was red and sweaty from the effort he was making to escape the terrifying people behind him.

A shimmering light suddenly appeared before him, and he staggered to halt before reaching it. He slid on the moist ground, and fell onto his back in front of the figure that was slowly forming inside the light. It was another man, this one with short blond hair. Terrified, the boy raised his hands to cover his face, waiting for his inevitable death.

"Chris?" a voice asked, before the two large attackers came into sight. The blonde's eyes narrowed and he lifted his hands. A force left them, and the following men screamed as they felt their bodies blasted with such power, and then, they disintegrated, falling as ashes to the already dirty ground.

The young man on the ground saw this demonstration of power, and couldn't stop a frightened squeak from leaving his mouth as he quickly tried to scramble away from this new threat. That sort of thing wasn't supposed to be possible. Nobody could kill just by raising their hands. It wasn't natural… it wasn't _right_.

The blond seemed confused by the young man's actions, and he crouched down, trying to get a good look at the other man's face. "Chris?" he asked again.

The young man didn't stop trying to escape, and he hurried to his feet, cringing slightly from the pain in his ankle and backside from his rough contact with the ground. He stood with his hands in front of him, as if trying to protect himself. "Keep away from me," he said, his fear causing his voice to quiver slightly as he began to walk backwards and away from the terrible force he was facing.

"Chris, it's me, Wyatt" the blond said earnestly, reaching out a hand to the young man, feeling quite worried now. Chris was acting very strangely, almost as if he didn't recognize Wyatt, his own brother. He took a step forward, trying to keep a reassuring look on his face.

Chris cried out as he saw the other man take a step, and he fell to his knees, holding his hands in front of this supernatural force. "Please, don't hurt me," he begged, not knowing what this terrifying creature might do.

Wyatt was now feeling afraid himself. If Chris didn't recognize him, that could only mean that he'd somehow managed to forget who he truly was, which put him in a great deal of danger. Cursing, Wyatt wished that he had done a little more research on the demons that he'd managed to track down before sending his younger brother after them. They must have been more powerful than he'd first suspected. It was the only explanation for how Chris was acting right now.

The young man was still on the ground, his breath quick and shaky, trying to prepare himself for his inevitable doom. What he didn't expect was a sudden hand on his shoulder, and he ducked instinctively, trying to escape from the grip.

Wyatt didn't let go, however, and he used his other hand to grab his brother's chin, and force him to look into his eyes. "Don't you recognize me?" he asked sadly, trying to prove his obviously true theory wrong.

The terror in the young man's eyes was enough of an answer for the Twice-Blessed, and Wyatt's face became serious as he straightened, pulling Chris up by his shoulder as he did so. To fix his brother, he'd have to find out which demon had done this, and to do that, he'd have to go back to the manor. Closing his eyes, he searched for his orbing ability, and he let it take over his body and flow into his brother's.

The young man's eyes widened as he felt the strange force invade him. He yelled and tried to pull away, but was unsuccessful, and was finally pulled into a strange dimension.

-)-(-

The only sound in the living room was PJ's voice as she happily chatted with her friends on the phone. Apparently, one of the cute guys in her class had asked the friend of a friend about what she was doing that weekend, which obviously meant that he liked her, and that he would be off limits for a while, which meant that all of the girls would have to pause in their relentless chase.

PJ was just consoling her broken-hearted friend when she heard a loud crash coming from the door. Not bothering to get up, she merely raised her head to see what all the commotion was. As soon as she saw what was going on, the phone slipped from her fingers, leaving her teary friend to wonder why she was so suddenly abandoned.

Wyatt was holding a struggling Chris, who was so obviously frightened by him, and was trying to reach the door. His flailing had managed to knock over the umbrella stand already, and many other objects within his reach were in danger of getting broken.

His face was wet, and covered in tears. His voice rose in yells as he tried to grab onto the door handle, which was getting farther and farther away.

Wyatt pulled against his straining brother, and caught a glimpse of PJ in the living room. The desperate expression in his eyes conveyed what so obviously were the words, 'Help me'. The young man in his arms, his brother, PJ's cousin, was lost to them.

* * *

(A/N) The part everyone has been waiting for! Finally, the meeting between Wyatt and Chris! So, what did you guys think? Was it angsty and dramatic enough? I know I enjoyed writing it, personally! Oh, and I realize it may have come as a surprise to a lot of you to find that PJ is gonna be a part of this story. Trust me, it was a surprise to me too! She just popped up out of nowhere and insisted to be a character. How could I say no to that? I honestly had nothing to do with it, it was all her doing.

Once more, thanks to those beautiful people who add this to their Alerts and their Faves, and the exceptionally gorgeous people who left me their wonderful reviews: Patry (a lollipop for you too, in case you run into any mean demons!), vampfreakwithMPD, Crystalzap. Seriously, you guys are wonderful.

Oh, and sorry for updating this a tiny bit late today. I just started work and am on my lunch break at the moment, which was the earliest I could get this up. So, yeah. It's probably gonna be like this for the next 5 or 6 chapters. Sorry! And, see you guys next week with the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The young man pulled at the grip which was relentlessly pulling him backward, trying to escape from the being that had kidnapped him with his strange power. He was filled with fear and desperation, not sure what might happen to him now that he had been caught by such unnatural creatures, and he was trying against all odds to escape the doom that would probably follow.

At that moment, he sensed the strange force within himself, and he reached into it, remembering what had happened the last time he'd used it. The other men, the ones who had been hurting him so much, had left him alone. Maybe it would work this time as well. Closing his eyes, he let the strength fill him up, and then, as he opened them, he let out a small gasp as he felt the strangeness leave him.

It was at that moment that the older man flew back, rising to nearly touch the ceiling, and landed quite a bit away. The young man didn't even pause to think about what had happened, instead focusing on the fact that he was free once more, and he darted towards the door to escape.

PJ, still on the couch, had seen what had happened, her mouth open in surprise. Never before had she seen her cousins fight like that, and the way Chris was acting was so strange. It wasn't something that made sense, especially the obvious terror on his face.

Wyatt was lying, groaning on the ground, trying to recover from the blow that he'd received. As he lifted his head, he saw Chris reach to the door. "No," he gasped out, and reaching out his hand, he called on his own telekinetic abilities to slam the door that Chris had already managed to open.

Chris, seeing that the door had closed and wouldn't open once more, began to yell, pulling at the doorknob, knowing that it was useless but seeing no other way to escape. PJ quickly stood up, knowing that something had to be done, and quickly, before Chris accidentally blasted the door open with his powers, or worse. Grateful that she had just learned the basics of the creation of spells, she searched within her well-practiced mind for something she could use.

Ignoring her friend's cries from the phone, she stepped over it and approached Chris, knowing that her spell would be better if it was cast within close range of the target.

Chris, seeming to sense her, turned around, his eyes still wide with fright. He stared at the little brown-haired girl in front of him, not knowing what to make of her. Was she a captive, like himself, or a new menace?

His mind was made up as soon as she lifted her hand, much like the other man had done to destroy his attackers. Thinking that he was about to die, he shielded himself futilely with his arms, trying to protect himself from the girl's own power.

A soft voice reached his ear:

"This man is lost, and his fears run deep,  
So send him into the land of a peaceful sleep."

The young man felt a huge wave of exhaustion engulf him, and unable to fight against it, he gave in and let the darkness take over.

Wyatt sat up and used his powers to gently lower his brother onto the ground. "Thanks," he said to PJ, as he carefully stood up, moaning slightly as his back cricked unpleasantly from his rough landing.

PJ was still staring at Chris's sleeping body. "What's wrong with him?" she asked worriedly.

Wyatt looked at his brother himself, worry filling him up once more. "I don't know," he admitted. "All I know is that I found him this way. He doesn't remember me, or much else, I think."

PJ looked up at her older cousin, shocked to hear such sadness in his voice. It was unlike Wyatt to act that way. He always took control of a situation, and he always knew what had happened and what to do. Now that he didn't know what was going on, PJ felt as if things had taken a severe turn for the worse.

"We should call Aunt Piper," she said quietly, knowing that the eldest Charmed One would surely know what to do in this situation.

Wyatt nodded, before looking up. "I'm surprised she's not here already, given the noise we've been making. Did she go out?"

PJ nodded. "She went to the store really quickly, but she should be back soon."

Wyatt heard his cousin speaking, and he half-listened to her as he crouched next to his brother's still body. Carefully, he lifted him up in his arms, and said, "Call my mom, and tell her to hurry back. I'm going to take Chris to his room."

PJ watched Wyatt vanish in a swirl of white lights, before going over to where she'd dropped the phone in her surprise to see her cousins acting so strangely. She hung up on her friend without a comment, knowing that a much more important situation had arisen, and quickly dialed her aunt's number.

-)-(-

The white lights reformed in Chris's tidy bedroom. Wyatt, careful not to jostle his brother, even though he knew that he wouldn't wake, took a few steps forward before setting the younger man on the bed. Chris sighed slightly as he was set over the mattress, instinctively curling on his side. Wyatt was sad to see a small frown appear on his brother's face, belying the fact that his brother was feeling nervousness and fear, even in his sleep.

"Chris, why did this have to happen to you?" he asked quietly, as he watched his brother make himself comfortable on the bed. It wasn't fair that Chris had to be the one who was hit the hardest by all these demon attacks, especially after what had happened such a short time ago. Because of Wyatt, Chris had nearly died. In fact, he had died, but had returned to his body in the last second. Yet, Wyatt couldn't forget those moments when he saw his brother's spirit standing outside of his body, and slowly heading towards the dark man that was Death. It was something that haunted him in his worst nightmares, and something he couldn't escape.

Wyatt's greatest fear was the loss of one of his family members, and he'd nearly had to live through it, through Chris's death. In the end, Chris had been fine, but it was something that still terrified Wyatt. He didn't want to lose his younger brother, or anybody, but now, it seemed that in his rush, he'd managed to send Chris after some very dangerous demons who'd harmed him a great deal.

Wyatt hoped that his mother would know what had happened, and how to help Chris regain his memories. Wyatt didn't know what he'd do if the younger man would be unable to remember, and live frightened of his older sibling. In fact, if Chris's memories didn't return, he'd probably run away, scared of those who claimed to be his family.

Wyatt sat down on the bed next to his brother, putting his hand on the young back comfortingly. "Don't worry, Chris, we're going to get you back."

He sat there quietly for a moment, thinking over everything that had happened. Then, his thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of his mother's worried voice downstairs. With a small groan, Wyatt stood up, heading to the door. "I promise I'll fix this," he said quietly as he closed the door behind him, leaving the young man in a deep sleep.

* * *

(A/N) Aww! Poor Chris and Wyatt! Very angsty and awesome, huh? Personally, I love the little scene at the end. It just screamed to be written! Oh, and have you guys seen the new Image thing? I might be putting up some images for my stories, if I find some that suit them well enough. Oh, and about FFN strictly enforcing the rules... because of this I might increase the rating of my stories, just in case. So don't be surprised if that changes.

As always, thanks to those lovely people who have read this, added it to their Faves, Alerts, etc. But, especially thanks to the wonderful people who reviewed the last chapter: Patry (aren't the boys adorable?), Crystalzap, and vampfreakwithMPD. You guys make me so happy and excited to put this story up where everybody can see it!

Anyway, I'll see you guys next week. Until then, enjoy! And have a lovely weekend! (I know I will!)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Reluctantly, the young blonde man descended the steps towards the living room, from which his mother's voice could still be heard along with his cousin's more reassuring tones. It came as no surprise to Wyatt that his mother was making such a big deal out of this, as she seemed to be expressing what he himself was feeling, but just couldn't put into words. He just couldn't believe that once more, he'd managed to put his younger brother in danger. As the oldest, he was supposed to protect Chris, and not send him after demons who were apparently too powerful for him. It was Wyatt's duty to keep such tasks for himself, and keep his siblings safe.

Sighing, Wyatt passed his hand over his face, as his feet finally left the stairs to arrive on the ground floor of the manor. He still didn't want to face his mother's anger, which was the reason why he'd walked downstairs instead of orbed. He knew who she would be taking her worry out on, and he wasn't willing to stand it.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped into the room, Piper turned around, her hair escaping from the ponytail she'd pulled it in. The black strands framed the worried face as she looked at her older son. Her mouth opened to begin speaking, when Wyatt interrupted, knowing that if she got started, she would not be able to stop. "Don't worry, Mom, I'm handling it."

As soon as the words left Wyatt's mouth, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. His mother's face colored, and he saw her take a deep breath to begin her lecturing.

"Handling it? Is that why your brother is lying upstairs without any memories?" she exclaimed, unable to stop herself. Piper had only wanted one thing ever since she'd become a witch: to lead a normal life. Now, that she had to pass on the dangers of her magic onto her children, she couldn't help but resent herself, and sometimes take that frustration out on those who were closest to her, especially her older son, who already held too much responsibility.

Realizing this, she stopped herself, and took another deep breath. She noticed Wyatt cringe slightly as he prepared for more yelling, but she surprised him as she said to him. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm just really worried. Does he really remember nothing at all?" She turned her dark eyes onto her son, and then glanced to her niece, needing confirmation. PJ nodded, and Piper fell into one of the couches. "My poor peanut," she said sadly, hating how her son was suffering. Every time her children suffered because of her magical life, she hurt so much, burdened with the guilt of handing this responsibility over to them, and with the need to keep them from harm.

There was a slight pause, and PJ went to sit next to her aunt. She patted the woman's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, Aunt Piper," she murmured, "Wyatt will figure out how to fix it." PJ looked at her cousin, narrowing her eyes slightly, communicating to him without words.

Seeing PJ's expression, Wyatt nodded. "Yeah, definitely. I was actually just going to look into the Book. Hopefully there will be something in there about the demons that sucked out Chris's memories."

As soon as Wyatt said this, Piper's head, which had been previously hanging down staring at the hands clasped in her lap, jerked up. Those words had brought up a memory inside her… something that had happened more than twenty years ago, when she and her sisters had just received their powers. Phoebe had stumbled across a particular kind of demon that had the power to take people's memories, and it was through this process that three weeks of her sister's life had been completely erased.

"What? What is it?" PJ said, recognizing her aunt's expression. She'd learned to pick up on these signs that demonstrated Piper's mood, especially as they could serve as a warning to pranksters that they were in for a rough time.

Piper stood up, and began walking towards the stairs. Her son and niece hurried to keep up with her. "There was a demon who sucked out memories in the Book. Prue, Phoebe and I had to face them once, and they had these really sharp needle-type fingers." Pausing mid-step, as a thought occurred to her, she said, "PJ, go and wake Chris up. Ask him if he remembers anything about the demons that attacked him. If I'm right, and it was these demons, there should be a potion to bring his memories back."

PJ hesitated, and then asked, "But what if Chris tries to escape again?" She had seen the anxiety in her other cousin's eyes, and the fear he had felt as he'd noticed her approach. If she woke him up now, she was certain that he would once again try to run, and this time, he might access his telekinesis again and really injure her.

Piper faltered as she heard about her son's attempt to escape. Was this true? Was Chris really lost enough that he had tried to run away from his own family? Ignoring the blame shouted in her ears, she replied brusquely, "Wyatt, you go to the attic and start looking these demons up. PJ and I will go to talk to Chris."

Wyatt nodded before continuing his ascent. He waited until he was outside of his mother's sight before orbing. There was no reason to postpone seeing the Book, so it made sense to use his powers to get there.

Piper's fantastic hearing caught the faint jingling of the orbs, and a slight smile brought up the corners of her mouth as she began to follow PJ over to Chris's room. She was eager to see her son, and felt her motherly instinct rear up and prepare to comfort him, and convince him that he was safe. Soon enough, he would realize that he was with his family, and that there was no reason to escape. Hopefully that would keep him calm and safe enough until the potion was made. Then, he would drink it, and become her son once more. But, until then, she would have to tread carefully.

PJ arrived at Chris's closed bedroom door. She raised her hand as if to knock, but then remembered that her spell had put her cousin to sleep. There was no way he would be able to tell them to come in. Feeling slightly guilty, she pushed the door open, and then stopped.

Two demons were surrounding Chris's bed, and their hands were raised with energy balls inside them. They were poised to destroy the younger Charmed son. Yelling, PJ launched herself forward into an attack taught to her by her mother. With a vicious kick, she managed to knock one of the demons out of the way, making the power it had been holding fall to the ground and only destroy the edge of the carpet, instead of the oblivious man on the bed.

Piper raised her hands, and quickly blew the second demon up. It vanished with a yell that echoed around the room for a few seconds, the fire further smudging the practically brand-new carpet. Pushing her need to mourn for the carpet aside, Piper quickly blew up the second demon, before helping PJ up from the ground. "Are you ok?" she asked, having seen how her niece had fallen after delivering the kick.

"Yeah," PJ answered, rubbing her arm. "I just didn't expect the demon to be that strong." She'd managed to surprise it and knock it out of the way, yet, her kick had somehow managed to knock her to the ground once it landed against the demon's hulking mass. It was only thanks to Piper that she was ok now.

Piper, reassured that her niece was ok, turned to look at her son, who was still sleeping on the bed. With a motherly gesture, she pushed the hair away from his forehead, combing it back in a way she knew he hated, and yet she always protested that it let her see his big green eyes. "He's not safe here," she said quietly, devastated to realize that her son could not be protected in his own home.

"What do we do now?" PJ murmured, noticing the strange look in her aunt's eyes.

"We take drastic measures."

* * *

(A/N) What measures could Piper possibly mean? Why are the demons after Chris (well, you should know this by now)? How will he get his memories back? What does the Seer actually want? All these questions and more shall be answered very very soon!

Now onto the wonderful people who added this to their Alerts, to their Faves, and most of all, to my gorgeously fantastic reviewers: Crystalzap, Patry (what do you think of Piper's reaction?), vampfreakwithMPD, and my new reviewer, charmedtomeetyou (charmed to meet you too!).

And, that's it for this week! I will see you all next Friday, with a brand new chapter! Yaay! Bye!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Aunt Piper, are you sure this will work?" PJ asked as she watched Piper and Wyatt put the finishing touches on the crystals they had set around Chris.

After having vanquished the last of the demons in Chris's room, the trio had come to the conclusion that he wasn't safe there, so, they'd orbed him onto a couch in the attic, and they'd set a protective circle of crystals around him, modified to not only keep demons away, but to keep him inside.

"Yes, I'm sure," Piper answered, blowing a stray hair out of her face. It lifted only slightly, before falling once more and tickling her nose. Fighting the urge to sneeze, she pushed the black strand back impatiently and then retreated a step to survey her handiwork. The crystals were glowing around her sleeping son, and as she bent to set the last crystal into position, the others gleamed in reply. The shining was then gone abruptly, but Piper was sure it had worked.

Now that that was done, they could turn to the other matter at hand: finding out which demon had attacked Chris. Motioning towards her son, Piper said to her niece, "Wake him up."

Luckily, PJ had had time while Wyatt and Piper were setting up the perimeter to work on a counter-spell, and now, she pulled the scrap of paper out of her pocket and began reciting.

"What was done, was done for his sake,

But now it is past, so let him awake!"

Hearing a snigger, PJ turned brusquely. She noticed Wyatt covering up a very obvious grin with his hand. "What?" she demanded of her cousin, feeling quite sensitive at the moment.

Wyatt snorted slightly, trying to restrain his laughter, before saying, "You sound like you're from the fifth century whenever you make a spell up," he answered, his voice quavering slightly from the merriment he wanted to let out.

"Well, you'll have to put up with them. I don't see you writing any spells yourself," PJ sniffed, trying to sound disdainful and superior at the same time.

The blade hit home, and Wyatt's face reddened as his mouth opened to protest. It was actually true. He usually preferred not to use spells, as his tended to backfire horribly. So, whenever he needed magic, he tended to use those already created or just use his power of projection. They always worked, so he could count on them. However, his inability to create spells on the spot was something that embarrassed him, and he wished PJ had not jabbed him in that particular place.

"Shush, you two," Piper's commanding voice suddenly said, "he's waking up!"

Wyatt's mouth snapped closed, and after shooting a glare at his smug cousin, he turned to look at his brother on the couch.

Chris was groaning and blinking, trying to shake the heavy sleep from his head. Carefully, he sat up, his hands on his forehead, and he squinted in the light of the attic. As his eyesight cleared, he saw three people standing before him. Two of them he recognized as his attackers, and the other looked scary enough by herself. It was a woman with a dangerous look in her eye and long black hair. It was obvious that she was used to getting her way, and by the manner in which she had her hands planted on her hips, she was clearly in charge.

Filled with terror, Chris tried to back away, hitting the plush back of the couch. Seeing that he couldn't retreat any more, but that the strange people hadn't moved in his direction, he decided to make a run towards the wide-open door close by.

The woman's mouth opened as she noticed what he was about to do. "No, don't!" she said, before Chris slammed into what felt like a solid wall, except there was nothing there. His eyes wide with fear, the young man felt at the space around him, and then realized that even if he seemed to be free, it was a lie. He was locked into an invisible cage!

Piper felt as if her heart was breaking as the first thing she noticed in her son's cloudy eyes was fear, and the way in which he'd tried to run away from them was just so desperate that Wyatt's statement was confirmed. Her son had lost all of his memories and all of his knowledge about his life and his family.

After he slammed into the border of the crystals, she could see how panicked he was becoming, and she couldn't help a sob from forming in her throat. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry, but you have to stay in there," she said sadly, knowing now more than ever that if they canceled the barrier, he would run as far as he could, and probably get himself killed.

Chris didn't react as he heard the words from his mother, other than to cringe away from her. He had no idea who this woman was, and why she was referring to him with such tenderness. All he knew was that he was trapped in some sort of invisible room, and that there was no way to get out.

A voice interrupted his frantic search for a break in the wall, and he glanced back at the group to see the brown-haired girl talking to him. "Chris," she was saying quietly, "do you remember anything about the demons that hurt you?"

The young man was bewildered. What was the girl talking about? He hadn't been hurt by demons… had he? All he knew was that some very large men with strange powers had tried to kill him, much like these people here. Afraid, he shook his head violently, his hair swishing this way and that and ending up in a worse mess than it had been previously. "W-what are you talking about?" he gasped out.

The tall man in the room decided to take a different approach, and Chris cringed as he saw him take a step nearer. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Chris strained his mind, trying to figure out what these strange beings wanted. Had he seen something that he wasn't supposed to have seen? Was this why he couldn't remember anything now? Was it possible that these people had erased his memory? "I don't remember anything, I swear!" he stammered out, raising his hands to protect himself against the blast of power that would surely come.

Nothing happened, and Chris lowered his hands to see the group talking amongst themselves, seeming worried. They were talking about him, that much was obvious from the way they kept glancing in his direction. Chris would have probably been able to hear if he'd gotten closer, but as afraid as he was of the beings, he decided to settle into the farthest point he could get from them, and duck behind the couch. At least this way, if they tried to kill him, they'd have to go through a very large and fluffy piece of furniture, which would probably take them a while.

"How can we confirm it was the demons you're talking about?" PJ asked her aunt anxiously. "He can't tell us, and if we try the potion on him, it might not work."

"It will work," Piper said adamantly, as if just by pronouncing those words while sounding so sure of herself would make them true. "It has to," she added more quietly, before taking charge of the situation once more. "Wyatt, you stay here with your brother and try to figure out what happened to him. He has to remember something, and if anybody can gain his trust, it's you," she ordered, a meaningful look in her eye. She, more than anybody, knew of the particularly strong bond the brothers had, and she was sure Wyatt would be able to use it now to glean useful information from her son.

Wyatt nodded, and Piper, convinced that he would do as she'd told him to, walked over to the stand. She picked the Book up, and, tucking it under her arm, she nodded at PJ as she headed out of the attic. "Come on," she said, "it's time to teach you something about potion-making." PJ's groan was heard before the door closed behind the pair. Wyatt glanced over at his brother, who was still hiding from him, and sighed. Hopefully, he'd be able to bring Chris back.

* * *

(A/N) Poor Chris, huh? He's really frantic, the poor guy. I don't blame him, honestly, especially since he's been 'locked up' now. But it's for his own protection. And next chapter, Wyatt will try to talk to Chris. How do you think that will go? The brothers do have a bit of a bond between them, but will it be enough for them to overcome Chris's sudden memory loss? Yeah, I like asking questions!

Anyway, once more, as usual, my very grateful thanks to those people who added this to their Alerts and Faves! You rock! But nobody rocks more than my reviewers: Crystalzap and Patry (No worries, I found your reviews, and loved them! Making me laugh again! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I promise not to say 'very very soon' again).

I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please review! I love reviews! They are like gold to me! Or diamonds! Or some equally expensive mineral! And I'll see you guys with the next chapter, _relatively_ soon. (Patry, how's that?)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The Seer nearly screamed in frustration as yet another of her plans to eliminate the Charmed son was thwarted by the witches. She was beginning to get very angry now. She had sent several demons already to deal with a boy with no memories at all, how hard could it be? Apparently, very hard, due to the protection he was under. Obviously, getting into the Halliwell Manor was a daunting task, especially if one was trying to not get killed, but it was still not too difficult. Scary, yes… hard, no. The family could hardly be in every single room all the time, and shimmering in and out in just a few seconds couldn't be considered as a particularly herculean task, and yet, the demons had failed.

Now, the boy had been placed into a crystal cage, which would be impossible to break due to the amount of raw power injected into the magic. The Seer knew that her chance was over, and that she would not be able to get at the boy again.

And yet, she could not resist picking up her mirror and calling forth the image of the Charmed attic, watching as the elder Charmed one and her niece left the boy in the hands of the Twice-Blessed. They seemed intent on getting some part of the younger man back before they fed him the potion they kept yammering about. The Seer infused her mirror with more power to hear the proceedings and not only watch them. Her mirror gleamed, almost as if in approval of her current course of action. Persuaded by her mirror's reaction that she was doing the right thing, the Seer listened in to the private conversation the boys were having, hoping to gain some bit of useful information.

-)-(-

Wyatt stared at the couch behind which his brother was relentlessly hiding. It was a ridiculous situation, and yet, Wyatt couldn't blame him. Ever since he'd lost his memories, Chris had been subjected to true horrors, which no doubt caused him to be so distrusting and afraid now. Wyatt regretted his blatant use of his powers as he vanquished the demons, as that had only served to make Chris more scared of him. Perhaps if he hadn't destroyed the demons so fantastically, Chris would be able to trust him now.

As it was, Wyatt now had to somehow talk to Chris and get the truth out of him. Clearing his throat, Wyatt began to walk around the crystal circle, intent on seeing his brother eye-to-eye before beginning to talk. Chris heard his brother coming, and hurriedly crawled away, trying to avoid getting killed. Wyatt paused, before heading the other way. Chris darted in the opposite direction as well.

Wyatt couldn't help but roll his eyes at what was happening. They must look so ridiculous now, him chasing Chris around and around the couch, while they were in such a dangerous situation. Finally, he tired of the relentless hiding, and threatened, "If you don't get out from behind the couch right now, I will make it disappear." He would make good on his threat too. He couldn't talk to Chris if he just kept running from him.

Chris's disheveled head popped out from behind the couch, green eyes wide with fear. "Don't hurt me, please," he pleaded pathetically, as he stood up, still crouching slightly, and prepared to hit the deck in case the blonde man raised his hand.

"I promise I won't hurt you," Wyatt said, his heart aching as he saw his brother so scared of him. Luckily, Chris believed his promise and made his way around the couch until he was standing only a few feet in front of Wyatt. His terror was apparent on his face, and he kept glancing behind him longingly at the hiding place he'd left.

"I just want to talk," Wyatt stated, making a gesture at Chris, asking him to sit, as he himself settled into an armchair nearby.

Chris looked around, as if a trap would suddenly spring out of nowhere before he finally sat down, marveling at the softness of his seat. He wondered if he'd ever been somewhere that nice before.

When he looked up, he noticed ice-blue eyes staring at him intensely, and he fought the urge to cringe away. The blonde was looking at him with an expression so full of sadness that Chris almost felt sorry for the man, and yet, remembered how he'd so easily dispatched his followers, and how easily he could get rid of him.

"You really don't remember anything, do you?" Wyatt asked sadly, as he watched his little brother fidget on the couch in front of him.

Chris simply shook his head emphatically, hoping to appease the dangerous being in front of him. Maybe if he convinced them that he didn't remember what he'd seen concerning these people, they would let him go to search out his past once more.

"You don't remember me?" Wyatt knew that he was only basically repeating the same question, but he couldn't help it. He had to search for any bit that was left of Chris inside that body. He just couldn't believe that his little brother was completely gone, all his memories wiped away. Chris had to be in there somewhere, Wyatt just had to find him.

Chris looked up despite his fear at the blond, wondering why his voice had suddenly gotten so quiet. Was it possible that this man was sad at what was happening to him? But after such a demonstration of power, he surely wanted to do no good to Chris!

Once more, the young man felt the urge to hide behind the couch, especially as the blonde leaned forward and stared even more piercingly. Finally, Chris could do it no longer, and he backed away slightly.

Gulping down all the questions that he wanted to ask, Wyatt decided to stick to a single one. "Do you remember who attacked you?"

Chris glanced at the blonde man, trying not to appear too terrified. He'd decided to take a different approach to this whole situation, hoping that maybe it would help him to get out of it quicker. "Besides you, you mean?" he asked.

At that, Wyatt blinked in surprise. "I didn't attack you," he protested. "We're trying to keep you safe from the demons that tried to kill you." When he saw that Chris looked even more astonished by that last sentence, he amended himself, "From the men who were following you."

"How am I protected?" Chris couldn't help but shoot back. He was letting his fear get ahold of him, and he was now fighting, backed into a corner as he was. "You locked me in an invisible cage!"

"It's just until we find who's trying to kill you," Wyatt said sadly. "Demons can't get to you in there. Only a witch can remove the crystals." He then shook his head, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to get anything more out of his brother, not when he was taken over by anger. Chris was just going to get more and more aggressive, until the point where he might lash out with his powers again and only get injured when they backfired.

"I just wish you could remember," Wyatt whispered, as he stood up and left the young brunette staring at the spot where he'd been sitting. His questioning had failed, his brother was lost. The potion was their only chance of getting him back, but that was only if the demons were the ones his mother suspected. Sighing, Wyatt closed the attic door behind him, casting one last regretful glance at Chris before he headed downstairs. He could do no further good in there.

* * *

(A/N) I had a really fun time writing this chapter. I actually laughed at the scene when they were running around the couch, but the end was quite sad. Anyway, did anybody catch the loophole in the cage spell? The loophole that the Seer is probably going to exploit? If you need an extra hint, I suggest you re-read the second chapter of In His Shadow. It should become very clear then. If you do find the loophole, send me a message as to what it is, and if it's right, I'll send you an extract of the next chapter! Yup! You get to find out what will happen in the next chapter! Isn't that awesome?

Anyway, once more, thanks to those who Faved and Alerted, but especially thanks to my two brilliant reviewers: Crystalzap and Fanycharmed (aka Patry!). You guys made my day! I was honestly getting worried that everyone had stopped liking this story, but now I know that they haven't! Thanks guys! And if anybody else is willing to make my day, drop me a review in the new interesting-looking comment box below! You know you want to!

Anyway, I will see you guys next week with a brand new chapter. Until then, enjoy this one, and leave me your thoughts! And don't forget to try and guess the loophole for an exclusive sneak peek at the next chapter. See ya!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

The Seer could hardly believe it. The path that she was to take was now laid out in front of her. The solution to all of her problems was found, and in no other place than in the words of the Twice-Blessed! In her mirror, she had seen how the two brothers had talked, and how the elder had tried to convince the other that he was safe, and mentioned a bit of valuable information: the crystal circle could be broken by a witch!

A terrible smile flitted about the Seer's lips as she stood up, a new plan forming in her mind. With a snap of her fingers, her dark clothes swiftly changed into a long white, almost angelic gown. Lifting her mirror, she gazed at her reflection as her powers changed her hair until it was no longer sexily straight, but curled in a way that seemed to wreath her head in a red halo. The dark mascara framing her eyes was quickly erased, and so was the crimson on her lips, replaced by a much lighter color.

Soon, the Seer was completely transformed, nearly unrecognizable. There was only one thing left to do. Still looking at herself in the mirror, proud of her change, the Seer then practiced adopting a softer expression that would make her appear both innocent and irresistible. Having had much practice with the male sex, she achieved this easily, before taking up her usual grin once more. The young man's face appeared in the mirror again, and the Seer pursed her lips. "I'll see you soon, Chris Halliwell," she said, almost mockingly, before laying her mirror down and vanishing from her room of treasures.

-)-(-

Chris paced restlessly in his cage. Ever since the blond man had left, he'd searched for a way out, for an exit, despite knowing that they wouldn't have left him one. As he searched, his mind was racked with doubts as the words of the being sounded in his mind. His voice had been so sad and worried that Chris was beginning to believe that maybe the man didn't mean him any harm, and truly wanted to protect him.

But still, he had such unbelievable power, as well as the other two beings. They had somehow built an invisible cage to keep him in, and put him to sleep against his will. It was something incredible and terrifying, to know that they could do such things with just a few words or motions.

Chris sat on the couch once more, his head between his hands as he tried to think about what had happened. His thoughts were hazy and unfocused, the fear and doubt clouding them as he tried to concentrate.

Suddenly, he heard a sound. The name that everyone kept calling him, Chris, but said with a different intonation, with a different voice. Looking up, Chris's eyes widened as he noticed a shape take form in front of him. He squinted as the blurred features composed themselves, and then gasped as they became the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

She was dressed all in white, and her red hair flew about wildly despite the lack of wind. Her eyes were green, and her face radiated such calmness and serenity that Chris was certain that he must be looking at an angel.

As soon as the angel saw him, tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "Oh Chris," she gasped out, her musical voice making Chris break out in goosebumps. "What have they done to you?" she reached out, as if to touch his face.

"Don't," Chris said uselessly, as her hand knocked against the solid but invisible barrier. Her face twisted, and she put both palms against the wall.

"Oh my dear Chris," she whispered, looking so devastated that Chris felt his heart go out to the woman.

He also felt his curiosity stir, and he couldn't help but ask, "Do you know me?"

The angel gasped sadly, her white hand going to her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks. "You don't remember?" she asked pitifully, crumpling slightly as if in pain. "My dear Chris, how can you not remember?"

Chris shrugged, and the woman turned towards the attic door as there was noise heard downstairs. "Did they do this to you?" Compelled by her voice and beauty, the young man simply nodded. "I'll get you out of there immediately," the vision said, tucking her hair behind her ears as she prepared to get to work. She looked even sweeter that way, and Chris stared openmouthed at her as she bent down and inspected the crystals. "A crystal cage, to keep you prisoner," she murmured, before setting a long finger on the stone and whispering something that Chris couldn't understand. The crystals glowed once, and then, a pressure was released. Chris knew that the beautiful woman had freed him, and she stepped into the circle with him, pressing a cold kiss against his cheek.

"W-who are you?" Chris asked, his voice shaking not in fear, but in amazement and wonder.

The woman smiled radiantly, before simply stating, "I am Jezebel."

-)-(-

Wyatt fidgeted nervously as he watched his mother carefully pour some of the foul-smelling potion into a vial. It had taken them several minutes to get it ready, and finally, it was done. The remaining potion steamed gently on the stove as Piper placed a small cork to stopper the vial and handed it over to her son.

"This should work," she said seriously, as she put it into his large hand.

"Hopefully," PJ added meaningfully, as she looked over at Wyatt with large brown eyes. She knew that if the demons that Piper thought had attacked her son weren't the real ones, the potion wouldn't work. Still, she had hope. There couldn't be that many memory-sucking demons, could there?

Wyatt's fist closed over the vial and he nodded. He carefully walked out of the kitchen, leaving his mother and cousin behind as he then orbed to right outside the attic door. He didn't know what it was, but something made him hesitate before he opened it. Maybe it was the reluctance to see his little brother's blank and terrified stare again, or the fear that he himself felt thinking that the potion might not work.

Either way, as soon as he opened the door he froze in shock. There was a beautiful red-headed woman standing in the room, her arms around Chris's neck, their lips pressed together. The young man's eyes were closed in bliss, as he held the stranger close to him.

Wyatt made a small gasping noise, at which the couple drew apart. Chris seemed dazed, still reeling from the kiss; yet the woman seemed utterly unfazed, and maybe more than a bit menacing, despite the innocence of her beauty. As soon as she saw Wyatt, she took Chris's arm and pulled him out of the protective circle.

"No!" Wyatt yelled, moving his arm back and preparing to attack her. The woman simply stepped behind his younger brother and sent him a smile that boded no good.

Before Wyatt could do anything about it, the two people in front of him began to fade. Chris's face turned surprised as the loving touch on his arm suddenly turned into a vise-like grip. Wyatt could only watch as his brother was taken from him, this time more physically than the last. Yet, this time, he was utterly and totally devastated. The potion in his hand slipped and crashed to the floor, forming a useless puddle of a murky liquid. The loud calls from behind him did nothing as he slowly fell to his knees in front of the space where his brother had just been standing, unable to believe what had just happened.

* * *

(A/N) Yes, I leave you with a terrible cliffie once more! I have to say, I'm rather fond of them. There's something about ending a chapter with so much tension that is so exciting! Oh, speaking of chapters, did anybody guess the loophole in the spell? Well, two people did! Congratulations to Eaglewind13 and Fanycharmed! They both realized that Wyatt said that "only a witch can remove the crystals". The Seer is a witch, isn't she? Well, I made her one in the second chapter of In His Shadow! Anyway, congrats to them both!

Oh, and to all the people who read my story, thanks so much! Thanks especially to those who Alerted or Faved, and super awesome thanks to all my reviewers. I was honestly floored by the response I got for the last chapter! Thanks so much to: Kokoro E. Junnaya, Crystalzap, Eaglewind 13, Fanycharmed, and crlncyln. You guys gave me the best week ever!

Ok, and now I have a bit of news. I have decided to continue these two fics that I started, going on with another story focusing on the Halliwell brothers. In fact, if all goes well, there should be several stories following the Charmed family! But, I have a bit of a problem. I have no idea what to call this small series of fics. So, I'm asking for your guys' help. Over the next three weeks, you guys are going to have a chance to submit your ideas for the name of this series. Once the three weeks are done, there will be a poll up on my profile and you guys get to vote for your favorite name. So, go crazy with the names! I will consider each and every one of them carefully, and they will all be voted on! You can submit as many as you like, as long as there is no other series of fics named like that. I've always been terrible with titles, and you guys are the ones reading this, so I figured you should be the ones picking it!

And now that that incredibly long author's note is over, I say goodbye to all of you, and I will see you next week with the next chapter. Love you guys, and please leave me a review if possible! I love reviews, they make me smile! See you!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Chris yelled and struggled against the bonds around his wrists. As soon as they had arrived to a dark cavern, Jezebel had handed him over to the care of two terrifying and vaguely humanoid creatures. Their bodies seemed normal enough, but their horribly distorted faces caused Chris to cringe in fear every time he saw them. It didn't help that they didn't treat him all that gently either. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it every time he squirmed or yelped with pain as they relentlessly kicked him.

The demons snorted in laughter as they watched the younger Charmed son curl up, having had the air knocked out of him with a well-placed blow. Oh yes, they were definitely having the time of their lives, reaping revenge for all their lost brethren to the hands of this boy's family.

A sharp voice pulled them out of their fun, and they turned to see the Seer, once more in her regular attire. She walked closer to them and inspected the groaning body on the floor with no more interest than she would inspect a piece of gum stuck to her shoe. "Don't beat him up too badly," she said clearly. "I need him recognizable and healthy enough for the exchange."

One of the demons nodded while the other protested. "We're jis havin' a bit o' fun wi' 'im. 'E'll be a'ight."

The woman's hand shot out and grabbed the demon's shirt. She pulled him down to her level and stared him in the eye, her long fingernails poking holes through the cloth. "He better be," she said menacingly, allowing a little power to flow into her fingertips and singe the shirt.

The demon backed away, cursing, before nodding himself. "Yeh, Seer," he said.

Satisfied, the Seer stepped away, casting one last glance at the figure on the floor before snapping her fingers at one of the demons standing by, waiting his turn. "You, come here!" she demanded imperiously. The creature looked at her, obviously frustrated to be pulled out of the line, but went to her anyway. Jezebel smiled at him, before pulling out a glass orb from her pocket. "Take this to the Halliwell Manor," she began.

"That's suicide!" the demon growled out, shocked that she would suggest such a thing. Only a few demons had ever managed to leave that place unscathed, and they were all upper-level, which he was not. He tried to back away, but the Seer glared at him.

"You're just taking them a message. Tell the Twice-Blessed that unless he turns himself over to me, his brother will die," she said, her eyes practically boring holes into his own. If looks could burn, he would be a crisp already.

Intimidated by her stare, the demon barely noticed as the woman pressed the cold ball into his hand. "Give him this," she whispered. "It will help to persuade him." Then, she turned, the demon no longer of any importance to her.

The demon hesitated slightly, turning to look at the beating up of the Charmed boy longingly, before sighing. He could not disobey the Seer, not with her power, and especially not after she'd gotten so close to achieve the goal that the whole Underworld had been after for about twenty years. Finally, he shimmered out, wondering if he would ever return to the Underworld again.

-)-(-

Wyatt shivered as he was carefully led over to a chair by his cousin and mother. They held the witch's arms protectively, desperately trying to hold him up despite his superior height and weight. Finally, the young man was seated, and the women could rest. They watched as his blue eyes drifted over to where the crystal circle had been guarding his younger brother.

"Wyatt," Piper began, firmly but kindly, "what happened?"

"Chris, he's gone," Wyatt said haltingly, still shocked that his brother had been snatched away under his very nose.

"How did it happen?" Piper said, shaking herself in fear for what might have happened to her younger son. She had no idea how he'd been kidnapped from his own home, but from Wyatt's face, she was scared to know the truth.

"Th-there was a woman," Wyatt explained. "She had red hair, and she… she was kissing Chris. Why was she kissing Chris?" Wyatt turned his bewildered blue eyes to look into his mother's brown ones.

Piper shook her head. "I don't know Wyatt."

"What happened then?" PJ pressed.

"She just shimmered out with him, and he didn't even know who she was. Oh God," Wyatt's face suddenly paled. "What if she tricked him into believing that he knew her?"

"That's probably what she did," Piper stated, before starting to head towards the attic door. "You stay here, I'll be right back." Piper knew her son well enough to know that he was currently in shock, and that he would make no more sense until he had time to relax. Unfortunately, with Chris gone, time was one thing they did not have, so Piper intended on quickly making her older son some special tea to help him focus.

PJ watched her aunt leave, and she sighed quietly, watching her oldest cousin. He seemed so devastated with having lost Chris all over again, and she had no idea how to fix this situation.

However, her help wasn't needed. Suddenly, a demon shimmered into the room. PJ frowned, lifting her arm and preparing to severely maim the horrid creature, before it bowed. "Spare me, witch, I'm carrying a message to you from the Seer."

Surprised at having a demon address her, PJ didn't answer. She had never actually spoken to a demon, only having been involved in the actual vanquish.

Wyatt, despite his shock, was the one to answer. "What is your message, and who is the Seer?"

The demon bowed even lower as he began to sing praises of she who had sent him. "The Seer is she who sees all; who knows what happens before it does, and who knows how to take advantage of it."

The demon's leer was disconcertingly fierce, especially when combined with his servile attitude, but Wyatt kept himself looking every bit the Twice-Blessed as he continued listening.

"It is she who has taken your brother," the demon continued, oblivious to how Wyatt's hands tightened on the arms of the chair as his brother was mentioned, "and it is she who will return him, but only for a price."

"What is her price?" Wyatt demanded, keeping his voice steady. Inside, though, he was terrified of what the woman would ask, but determined with every fiber of his being to pay it, whatever it was.

The demon's grin grew even more pronounced as he said the next words. "It's you."

PJ paled as she heard the demon say that Wyatt had to exchange himself for Chris. Sure, she wanted Chris back, but she couldn't believe that this Seer woman would ask for that sort of thing. However, as she looked into Wyatt's face, she could tell that his mind was already made up. "Wyatt, you can't do this," she protested, taking hold of his arm. "We'll find some other way to save him, you'll see."

"How do you know, PJ?" Wyatt asked, turning to look at her. "What if he's dead by the time we find him? What if this time we're too late?"

The demon watched the two argue for a bit, before clearing his throat. He pulled the glass orb out of his pocket, before setting it on the table. "The Seer said this might provide a little incentive to do as she asks," he said, before taking a step back. Seeing that he was in the clear, he promptly vanished, his task done.

Wyatt and PJ turned to look at the object lying on the table. It seemed to be a clear glass ball at first glance, but the more they looked into it, the more they could see shapes inside. PJ gasped as she recognized Chris's face, scrunched up in pain. She watched, unable to tear her eyes away from the terrible scene as her cousin was punched and pummeled by several demons. His silent groans nearly caused her heart to stop.

Wyatt made a small noise and she turned to look at him. "I accept," was the only thing he said, and the orb began to glow.

* * *

(A/N) Oooh, very ominous, right? The Seer is pretty sneaky! Honestly, I have to admit, I have a blast writing her out and letting her act on her evil plans. But, anyway, what did you guys think about this chapter? Chris is being ransomed for Wyatt! And Wyatt has agreed to exchange himself for his brother! And, yes, I know a bunch of you have been annoyed by the constant cliffhangers I throw in nearly every chapter, but come on! Isn't the end of this chapter awesome? I mean, cue the dramatic music!

As usual, I want to thank the super awesome people who added this story to their Alerts or Faves. I love knowing that you are enjoying it! And, super special thanks to my lovely reviewers! I love you guys: Crystalzap, Madlenita, and Fanycharmed. Incidentally, Fanycharmed has been offering some interesting titles up, and you guys will get to vote on them later! For now, keep throwing in more submissions! The more the better!

And, I will see you next week with the next chapter. Try not to feel to angry with me for the ending to this chapter, it had to be done! See ya!


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Wise choice, Twice-Blessed," a female voice sounded from the crystal orb on the table. The images of Chris's torture were still going on, his grunting and screaming now providing a background to the Seer's voice. "I will be awaiting you eagerly," she promised, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the yelling.

"Stop it!" PJ suddenly demanded, unable to watch the scene any longer. "Stop hurting him!"

Against all reason, the beating ceased, and the demons quietly vanished, leaving Chris groaning on the floor, curled up. His tied hands were protecting his stomach, and he was obviously crying from the pain. Wyatt's face steeled up at the sight. He was determined to save his brother from any further torment at the demons' hands. "Where do I meet you?" he asked, sounding strong and in control despite the fear that had filled his senses. He was going to exchange himself for Chris, but that didn't mean that he wasn't afraid. He knew the Seer had done all of this for one simple reason, to destroy him, but that didn't sway him from his current decision. Nothing would.

"Sense for your brother, and you will find me." The Seer's voice was so expressive that Wyatt could almost see the smirk on her full red lips. "I will wait for you one hour, otherwise, the torture continues." Wyatt didn't have time to reply before the Seer spoke once more. "If you come accompanied, he dies." In the orb, Chris's head was suddenly pulled up by his brown locks. The young man cried out as his neck was bared. A knife came into view, held in a perfectly manicured hand. The blade touched the witch's chin, before gently scraping against the skin of his neck. Both Wyatt and PJ yelled out in horror as the sharp edge drew some blood, which ran down Chris's neck as he whimpered. "One hour," the voice hissed once more, before the orb was silent again. The image flickered and was gone, leaving the two people in the attic horrified.

Wyatt shook off his fear as he decided that he could wait no longer. Despite the Seer's promise, he didn't trust his brother long in the hands of those demons. Concentrating, he closed his eyes, searching for Chris.

PJ noticed what Wyatt was doing, and she gently touched his arm. "Wy, are you really going to sacrifice yourself for Chris?" she asked sadly, already knowing the answer. Wyatt nodded, not even opening his eyes. "Wouldn't you rather wait for us to come up with an idea? I bet Aunt Piper could come up with something."

At that, Wyatt turned to look at his cousin. "You can't tell her what I'm doing, not until I'm gone," he commanded, knowing that his mother would certainly come after him, guns blazing, and surely get Chris killed.

PJ's eyes widened, and she nodded slightly. "You do know that you're probably going to die," she commented, trying to keep herself from bursting into tears.

Wyatt shrugged before sighing. "At least Chris will be safe," he said sadly. "Make sure he gets his memories back, will you?" Wyatt waited until PJ had agreed before he closed his eyes once more, searching for the bright glow that was his brother. He couldn't find it anywhere, which only gave him one conclusion. "He's down in the Underworld." PJ gasped as she heard that, but Wyatt wasn't deterred. "I'll see you," he said fondly to his cousin, setting his hand on her head for a moment, before allowing his orbing power to take over and make him take the form of white lights.

PJ sobbed quietly as she watched her cousin disappear. As soon as he was gone, she concentrated herself, before beaming downstairs. She thanked the stars for her Cupid father, before she headed into the kitchen. With any luck, she and her Aunt Piper would be able to save Wyatt.

-)-(-

Wyatt reformed in a dark cavern, much like the hundreds there were in the Underworld. Wyatt had never cared much for the dark, dirty tunnels, and wondered how demons could stand to live in such an appalling place. But he wasn't in the underworld to criticize the décor, he was there to save his brother.

In the middle of the cavern stood the Seer, surrounded by several other demons. In her hand was an athame, the blade of which was touching Chris's throat. Wyatt suppressed a gasp as he saw his younger brother. He was terrified and bleeding, not only from the neck wound but from his nose and lip as well. His eyes were red, no doubt from tears, and puffy from having received blows to the face. He would probably have black eyes later on. His arms were bound with thick ropes in front of him, uncomfortably tight.

Wyatt made as if to take a step in his brother's direction, but a slight huff from the Seer stopped him. One of the demons flanking her stepped forward, tossing Wyatt a small object. The witch automatically caught it in his hand, realizing that he'd been tossed a small vial, filled with some strange liquid.

"Drink it," the Seer commanded, before pulling at Chris's hair sharply and pressing the blade against his neck, "or he dies."

Wyatt hurried to uncork the potion as he saw more blood coming from the cut the athame was making, but then he paused. "How can I make sure that he's safe as soon as I drink this potion?" he asked of the Seer, not trusting her to keep her end of the deal.

"I swear upon my blood and that of my ancestors that if you drink the potion, Chris shall be deposited in the exact state he is now in the Charmed Manor, where no further harm shall come to him from me," the Seer said, obviously having prepared for such a circumstance. She let go of Chris for one moment to slash at her exposed arm. The wound dripped steaming blood onto the floor, sealing the deal.

Nodding, Wyatt raised the bottle to his lips, ignoring the pleading look coming from his brother's eyes. Chris might not have understood everything that was going on, but he did know one thing. The blond man was sacrificing himself for Chris, keeping him safe despite the young man being so terrified of him. That explained everything that Chris had been told ever since he'd been taken to that house. He obviously knew the people who lived there, and loved them enough for one of them to die for him. It was a cruel way to discover some part of his past, and yet, there was nothing he could do.

Wyatt gulped at the potion, grimacing slightly at the taste. Suddenly, a strange feeling surged through his body, and he groaned as he bent over, clutching at his abdomen. The vial fell to the floor as the Twice-Blessed felt invisible ropes wind around his powers, his very soul. The potion had bound his abilities. He could no longer use his powers!

"It is done," the Seer said, before pushing Chris into a leering demon. "Take him to his home and leave him there," she commanded. The demon nodded before vanishing with the protesting witch. Jezebel didn't watch, as she stared at what had formerly been the Twice-Blessed. "Well, this is going to be fun," she commented, prompting several sniggers from the other demons. She twirled the athame in her hand as she stepped towards Wyatt, who was defenseless. He was unable to stop her. He was now doomed to die at her hand.

* * *

(A/N) Ta da! There you go! yet another cliffhanger, and this one is pretty bad, huh? Poor Wyatt has sacrificed himself to save his brother, who doesn't even remember him, and he's lost his powers to boot. That cannot be good, in any way shape or form... especially when the Seer is coming at you with a knife. What do you guys think will happen? Will Chris regain his memories in time to save Wyatt? Or will Wyatt find some way to save himself? Is this truly the Seer's end game? And why has she been wanting this for so long?

And as this story begins to draw to a close (yes, only a couple of chapters are left after this one), I want to know your thoughts on what has happened so far. Thanks to all the people who added this to their Alerts or Faves, but special wonderful thanks to my gorgeous reviewers, 'cause you guys make my days lovely: Crystalzap, Fanycharmed, Vero Diaz, and Heather Dew. You guys make me super duper happy!

Oh, and about the chapter titles, since only Fanycharmed has given them, I've decided to pick my favorite one and just use that. But, thanks anyway to all you guys, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Leave me your thoughts... there's a little box right under this, so how about you lemme know what you thought? And, see you next week! Love you guys! Bye!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The house was eerily silent as the demon shimmered in, holding the young man with his clawlike hands fiercely. As soon as they were solid, Chris fell to the ground, gasping from the horrible sensation of his body disintegrating and reforming again. He hated that feeling. He clutched at his stomach, concentrating on trying not to be sick.

The demon smirked at the witch lying on the wooden floors. The Seer had sworn that he would be deposited in the Charmed Manor in the exact state that he was when he left, but she'd made no promises regarding his well-being once he was in the walls of the magical place.

"Well, witch," the demon growled, causing Chris to turn and look up at him. The young man's eyes widened as he noticed the energy ball forming in the claw, and the leer on the ugly face. "Looks like it's just you and me now, and there's no one here to protect you."

Chris raised his arms to shield himself, covering his face. A loud yell was heard, and suddenly, a wave of heat passed over the young man. He gasped as he lowered his arms, seeing the remains of the demon burn and vanish. The older woman was standing behind him, her hands raised, obviously having just attacked. As soon as she noticed the man on the ground, she hurried over to him and knelt.

"Are you ok, Chris?" Piper asked, keeping her hands from brushing over his injuries even though she could feel her motherly instinct want to cover them with kisses. She had noticed, however, the look on her son's face in time to realize that it might scare him even more, and cause him to run away. So, she didn't get as close as she wished, or inspected him as well as she might have otherwise.

Chris nodded, a little nervous. He knew now that the people in this house only wanted to do him good, and yet, there was some part of him that couldn't help but be terrified at the fact that they could do superhuman things. It was unnatural and rather scary, but, for some reason, Chris had begun to feel more comfortable thinking about these magical powers… almost as if he'd already known that it all existed.

A small voice was then heard, and Chris and Piper turned to see PJ standing in the doorway. "What happened in here?" the young teenager asked worriedly, looking around to see what all the commotion had been. She noticed Chris on the floor, and she gasped slightly. "Oh, thank goodness you're back!" she exclaimed, not having any qualms about running to her cousin and throwing her arms around his neck.

Chris froze as he felt the young witch's arms encircle him, yet, feeling the love radiate from her, he couldn't help himself as he returned the hug. It just felt so right.

PJ was ecstatic to receive such a gesture of affection from her amnesiac cousin, and her aunt was pleased as well. Beaming, PJ stood up, helping the young man to his feet, as she began to babble happily. "I'm so glad you're back. Aunt Piper and I made a potion to help you remember, and then you can help us save Wyatt!"

Hearing her older son's name, Piper's face darkened, and she took her younger son by the hand and began to lead him to the kitchen. "Chris," she said to him quietly, as the bewildered young man let himself be pulled through the rooms of the house, "tell us what happened."

Chris hesitated slightly before talking, his voice rough from the yelling he'd done during his beating. "The woman took me to a cave where there were all these… horrible… creatures," Chris barely managed to restrain a shudder as he remembered their terrifying faces, and how much they had seemed to enjoy hurting him. "Then, um, Wyatt, arrived. He drank something and then I was brought back."

Piper sighed, shaking her head slightly. Unfortunately what her younger son was telling her wasn't too helpful. Of course, he couldn't remember what different potions looked like, or what kind of demons there were in the world, so she really couldn't blame him for the uselessness of his information. She just didn't know how they would find Wyatt with so little to go on.

Noticing her aunt's reaction, PJ gently patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, Aunt Piper," she said in her quiet voice. "I'm sure Chris will be able to tell us more as soon as he drinks the potion."

They were in the kitchen by then, and PJ took a vial that was lying on the counter. She pulled the stopper out and handed it to the young man, who stared at it quizzically. "Drink it," PJ instructed, and Chris hesitated for a moment before tipping the vial into his mouth and gulping at its contents.

He gagged at the taste, lowering the small glass bottle back to the table. PJ and Piper watched him expectantly. Chris looked back at them, wondering what was supposed to happen now. Suddenly, a harsh pain filled his head, and he backed away from the counter as he grabbed at his hair, trying to stop the pain. He could see a white piercing light despite his eyes being closed, and he groaned as the brightness increased. A ringing noise filled his ears, covering up the sounds of the two women approaching him and asking him what was wrong.

Images began to shoot at him from everywhere. Chris could see himself as a young boy, running after an older blond one… Wyatt. He could see himself lying in his mother's lap, wrapped up in a blanket as his father read a story to him. There he was again, teasing his younger sister as she struggled to levitate her doll for the first time.

There was so much to absorb, so much to remember. His parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins… they all swarmed back into his head, along with hundreds of memories tied to each one. Then came many more people that Chris had known in his life, had seen a few times, or had merely glanced at once.

Knowledge poured into his mind: every book he'd ever read, every problem he'd solved, and every class under his teachers and family. It all came back.

As all these scenes flooded into his brain, Chris realized that what Wyatt had drunk seemed to be a power binding potion, and, as such, his brother was now defenseless at the hands of several demons and the woman, Jezebel, whom the brutes had referred to as the Seer.

The memories slowed down, and Chris was able to blink and straighten up, his green eyes filled with tears of the pain he had just endured and the realization of the danger his older brother was in. Piper and PJ took his arms as they noticed Chris, steadying him as he shook slightly. "Did it work?" PJ asked, hardly daring to believe it was true.

"Yes, it did," Chris voiced, before sitting down heavily in a chair. "But it might already be too late to help Wyatt."

* * *

(A/N) Dun dun DUUUUN! Anyway, what do you guys think? Yeah, I know, another cliffie, but I just love them so much! I think of them as hooks... they keep you wanting to find out what happens next! So, how do you guys think Wyatt is doing? Sure, he's the Twice-Blessed and all, but without his powers, can he face the Seer?

As usual, I want to thank all the lovely people who keep reading this story. You guys rock! Thanks to those who added this to their Faves and Alerts, and super special thanks to my gorgeous reviewers: Fanycharmed and Crystalzap. You are the very best!

So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And, I will try very very hard next week to post the next one up on the correct day, but if I can't, please be patient. I am going to be on holiday and am not sure how well my internet signal will be working. Trust me, I will do everything I can, though. And, see you next week, hopefully. Bye!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Wyatt could still feel the magical bonds around his powers, their constant presence causing the little hope he had left to wither and die. He knew that without his incredible abilities he was at the Seer's mercy, and she would have her way with him until he was dead.

Even with the hopelessness of the situation, Wyatt still couldn't fight his survival instinct, as he dodged fire balls left and right. The Seer only seemed to be playing with him at the moment, grinning and laughing manically with each new attack. Wyatt couldn't even imagine what would happen to him when she turned serious, and at the moment he hoped that she would just keep toying with him for a bit longer.

He'd asked PJ before he orbed out of the Manor to restore Chris's memories and let his mother know where he'd gone, and he trusted that his family would soon find him and save him. Yet, with each second that passed, he couldn't help but feel more and more desperate. If his family didn't arrive soon, there would be nobody left to save.

Wyatt ducked behind a large pillar that would protect him and allow him a moment of rest from the relentless fire balls. He pressed his back against the cold and dirty stones, hoping that it would hold against the attacks. A mocking voice sounded through the cavern, the feminine lilts sounding distorted as it teased the prey. "You can't hide forever, Wyatt," Jezebel said. "I will have your life eventually."

Wyatt shuddered as he heard this, and he quietly whispered a call to his family. "Where are you guys?" he asked desperately. "I can't hold on for much longer!"

Wyatt turned just in time to avoid another fire ball from the Seer, who had gone around the pillar to be able to aim better at the young man. "There you are," she sneered, before forming another attack in her hand. Wyatt ran for his life, hoping that he would be rescued soon.

-)-(-

"What's wrong?" Piper's frantic voice followed Chris as the young man ran up the stairs and to the attic. He had no time to waste if he intended on saving his older brother from what could very likely be his death. His quick dash made the stairs creak as he rushed up the last few steps and into the dusty room. He made a beeline towards the Book of Shadows, which he opened and began to flip its pages relentlessly.

Piper and PJ ran into the room not too long after him. The older woman's face was red with worry and the effort she'd just made in following the quick young man up two sets of stairs. "Chris, tell me what is going on!" she begged, eager to help in any way she could.

Chris heard his mother's anxious voice, yet he didn't look up from the Book. "The Seer bound Wyatt's powers, so I have to find a way to return them to him." Frustrated with how long it was taking him to look through every page, Chris took a step back and stretched his hands out, using his telekinetic abilities to flip through the Book in rapid succession. Both PJ and Piper stared at that. Never before had they seen Chris so desperate to find what he was looking for that he would actually use his powers just to quicken things. He usually firmly stuck to doing everything he could non-magically, and now that he was breaking his own rule it could only mean that Wyatt was in grave danger.

As she watched, a memory came into Piper's head. It had taken place about twenty years ago, when another Chris was around. That particular Chris had been attacked by the Phoenix Bianca, and had lost his powers. After being taken to the future, Piper and her sisters had created a spell to return his magic to him, so he would be able to escape and return. After then, the spell had remained hidden, just in case it would ever be needed again.

As she remembered this, Piper walked towards a large chest of drawers, full with magical paraphernalia. She opened one of them, unnoticed by her son yet watched curiously by her niece. "What are you looking for, Aunt Piper?" PJ asked, and Piper didn't answer until she finally found the small scrap of paper.

"This spell will return any witch's powers," Piper said, walking to Chris and handing the paper to him. "It might need a few modifications, but it should work," she added, not mentioning to her son how much his life had once depended on that spell, and how once it had been used to thwart Wyatt, instead of save him. The other future had no influence on the current one at the moment, and Piper thought that it would be better to wait before telling Chris everything he had gone through in that alternate time.

Chris's eyes darted over the small paper before a small smile curled his lips upward. "Perfect," he said, before orbing out. His mother cried out and reached a hand to grab at the vanishing orbs. She hadn't expected her younger son to leave so suddenly and to leave her there. Turning, Piper looked at PJ, who was standing there, not completely sure what had happened. There was no way Piper was staying behind once more!

-)-(-

The Seer flung yet another fire ball at the Twice-Blessed, laughing loudly at the realization that she had the most powerful witch in the world at her mercy. It had been so easy, as soon as she'd used his weakness against him. It was really ridiculous how vulnerable he was once she'd taken his brother. The Twice-Blessed was now reduced to nothing more than a scared man, running from his inevitable death.

"Well, Wyatt," the Seer began as she cornered the young witch, "it's time to die." She raised the athame in her hand, watching the Twice-Blessed flinch as she came even closer. It was useless; she was too powerful for him.

The Seer walked closer and closer to Wyatt until her lips were close enough to brush against his neck. Since he was so tall, that was the highest the Seer could reach, yet she was not intimidated. Despite the man's superior height, he was weaker than she was. "I had a nice time," the Seer murmured, her breath tickling Wyatt's skin. He gasped, not knowing what to say, before the knife was plunged into his chest up to its hilt.

A choking noise filled Wyatt's throat and he slowly fell to his knees. The Seer pulled the athame out of the man's chest, ignoring his small groan as more pain was caused to his wound. Blood pooled out of the small hole in Wyatt's body, and he began to feel lightheaded. Slowly, almost gracefully, he fell to the ground, gasping for breath as his lungs struggled for their intake of the precious oxygen they needed.

"That was all too easy," the Seer leered, wiping her knife methodically against the young man's already dirty shirt. In the end, she'd expected more of a fight from this powerful individual. She was even a bit disappointed.

A bright light filled the cavern, and a loud yell suddenly sounded. "No!" The Seer turned to see Chris standing there, a shocked look on his face.

"It's too late," she purred. "His end of the deal has been carried out."

Chris could only watch as his brother bled in front of him. The woman was right. He'd been too late.

* * *

(A/N) The end! Nah, just kidding. Still one more chapter left to go... one more and this story is over! Isn't that exciting? I know I'm excited, also because I got an internet signal and was able to upload this chapter for all of you guys to enjoy! Poor Wyatt, though... do you think Chris will get there in time?

As usual, thanks to everyone who read this story, Faved and Alerted. And, especially huge thanks to my two reviewers, who are the best ever! Fanycharmed and Crystalzap, you guys rock!

Anyway, I'll see you next week with the last chapter! And, it should be posted as normal since I'll be back home by then! Until then, enjoy this chapter, and please please please comment! There's a lot of commentable material! LOL Anyway, see ya!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"No, it can't be," Chris whispered, staring at his dying brother on the ground. After all they had gone through, this couldn't be happening again. It just wasn't possible! Chris felt his world crashing down around him. It was his fault that Wyatt was dying right now. If he hadn't lost his memories to the Collectors, he wouldn't have been tricked by Jezebel into leaving with her, and Wyatt wouldn't have had to trade himself for his brother.

The Seer grinned, sensing what was going through the younger man's mind. "I can assure you, it is happening," she said, nudging the Twice-Blessed witch with her toe. He groaned slightly, and with a savage kick she turned him over, allowing pained blue eyes to stare into guilty green ones. She'd miscalculated, however, because as soon as Chris saw how badly his brother was mistreated, his face hardened and he flung his arm out at the Seer. Her mouth opened in a little 'o' of surprise as her feet left the ground and she flew through the air to crash against a wall. She slid down, leaving some blood marking the place where she'd hit, and lay on the ground unmoving.

Chris knelt next to Wyatt, lifting his older brother's torso to cradle it in his arms. "Don't worry, Wy, you're going to be ok," he cried, not wholly believing his statement. He clumsily pulled the paper his mother had given him out of his pocket, and held it out. "You can get your powers back and heal yourself," he murmured, his hand shaking slightly as Wyatt's hand didn't lift to take it. "Come on, Wy, you need to read the spell."

"Chris," a quiet gasp reached his ear. "You know that healing doesn't work like that. I can only heal others, not myself." Wyatt's eyes began to close. He felt oddly tired, and he could no longer feel the sharp stabbing pain in his chest. It was surprising how easy it would be to simply close his eyes and leave it all behind. Death was just one step away.

"I'll take you to Aunt Paige, she'll be able to help you," Chris said fervently, struggling to lift his brother slightly off the ground, but stopping as he realized that Wyatt's hand was now clutching at his arm.

"It's too far, I won't make it," Wyatt said, knowing that even while orbing, the journey would take too long and he would probably die halfway through the trip.

"There has to be some way," Chris begged of his older brother. "I can't lose you, Wy. Who will bother me endlessly if you die?"

Wyatt grinned at that, his laughter turning into harsh coughing. A bubble of blood formed between his lips, before running down his chin. Chris's face paled, and he lifted his head and began to yell. "Paige! Aunt Paige! Somebody!" His voice broke as he realized that no one was coming. "Anybody," he asked, hoping against all hope that his family would appear.

Wyatt's breath began to slow, and his eyes to droop once more. "Don't die, Wyatt," Chris begged, lying his hand on his brother's chest. "Don't." A soft glow began to emanate from the young witch's hand as he sobbed into the dirty shirt. The skin under his fingers began to knit together as the healing power found its way into the Twice-Blessed's body.

Unnoticed, Jezebel stood behind him. Her face was running with blood from the head wound that her crash against the cavern wall had inflicted, and yet she was lucid enough to notice what was going on. Using her demonic strength, she tore the younger Charmed boy away from her prey. She pressed him against the wall, the athame in her hand. "You always ruin everything," she spat in his face, "but no more." The Seer pulled her hand back, her face forming a wordless snarl as she prepared to plunge the knife into Chris's body.

Suddenly, she gasped and turned. Her back was smoking slightly, having suffered an energy ball hitting her right on her spinal cord. Behind her, Wyatt was standing, the hole in his chest healed. One of his hands was raised in an attack position, the other was holding the spell Chris had dropped. "I wish I could say that this was fun, but…" he said, throwing the Seer's words back at her. He formed another energy ball in his hand and launched it, hitting the woman right in her beautiful face.

The Seer screamed, clutching at her burning flesh. This was the scene she'd witnessed in her mirror over and over again. It was because of seeing this very moment that she'd turned to evil, to protect herself from the Twice-Blessed. And yet, her plans had been thwarted over and over again, until her vision finally took place.

Jezebel's body twisted as it was engulfed by flames. It took no more than a few seconds, but to her, it was like an eternity. Finally, the flames reached her core, and with a final shriek of pain, she exploded. In the next room, a small hand mirror shattered, its shards flying out and landing on the floor, briefly showing flames on their dark surface before turning into smoke. The Seer was gone.

Wyatt sighed in relief as the woman who had nearly killed him disappeared. His eyes then turned to his younger brother, who was still pressed against the wall. Chris's face was full of relief and confusion, not knowing how his older brother was currently standing. Wyatt smiled, before placing his hand on his chest, indicating how the skin was whole once more.

Chris's eyes widened as he noticed the gesture. "W-what-?" he stuttered, unable to complete the sentence that he'd begun to form with his lips.

"Looks like you've finally found your healing power, little bro," Wyatt said, walking over to Chris and giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "And about time too, I was starting to think that I was just going to die there," he joked, trying not to think about how close he had actually been to death.

Chris couldn't believe that he'd finally developed his healing abilities. He'd thought it would take many years before they finally arrived, at least as long as it had taken his Aunt Paige to find them. It had just been another thing in which Wyatt was superior to him, but now, they were evenly matched in that department. He could heal!

Chris grinned and turned to say something at his older brother when he was interrupted by a woman's voice. "Are we too late again?" it was asking, frustrated. Both brothers turned to look at PJ and Piper as they materialized into the dark cavern.

As soon as she was solid, Piper ran to her sons and enveloped them both in a big hug. "You boys are so grounded," she said as she clutched them tightly to her. The young men protested both their punishment and the fact that they could not breathe because of the strength of Piper's hugs. After a moment, their mother finally released them. She looked around the cavern, noticing the dark smudge where the Seer had finally met her demise and the red one where Wyatt had nearly died. "So what happened?" she asked them.

Wyatt smiled slightly before saying, "How about I tell you back at the Manor? I would like to get out of the place I nearly died at as soon as possible."

Piper's gasp of horror and PJ's frustrated huff at being excluded of yet another thrilling vanquish were lost as Wyatt orbed back to the surface. Both women turned to look at his younger brother, who merely shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me. I just saved his ass," he said, before vanishing as well.

Unable to do anything else, PJ grabbed her aunt's arm and followed her cousins to the Halliwell Manor. She would get the whole story from them, if it was the last thing she did! And when her sisters returned, she would tell them what had happened, after embellishing it a little bit, that is. They would be so jealous of not being here! PJ's smile vanished in a pink light as she imagined her sisters' reactions. Who knew that a few days with her cousins could be so much fun?

* * *

(A/N) Ta da! The end! Of this story... Anyway, did you guys enjoy that little insight into the Seer? I thought it was ironic, how she turned evil to save herself, but it was what caused Wyatt to vanquish her. Ah, fate. That just goes to show that you can rarely escape your destiny, as is mentioned so many times in the Charmed universe. Oh, and Chris got his healing powers! I decided to even the playing field a bit, you know, and make Chris feel more equal to his big brother. Instead of having him be in Wyatt's shadow, he has to learn that he is great enough himself, and hopefully that will happen with the little series of stories that I've planned. Speaking of series, I have chosen among the many names that the wonderful Fanycharmed gave me. This series is now going to be called "League of Brothers". Although, trust me, you can expect appearances from other characters. Fanycharmed will obviously get a prize, in thanks for all the help in finding a good name for the series. Haven't decided the prize yet, but it's going to be awesome!

As usual, thanks to all the people who added this to their Favorites or Alerts. I was also extremely flattered by the reception I got for the last chapter. You guys made my holiday even better! Thanks to my wonderful reviewers: Fanycharmed (of course!), Eaglewind13 (thank you so much for your review, and I'm glad you've liked my story so much!), Kokoro E. Junnaya, milkchocolatehot64, crystalzap, and Flaming Man of Iron.

So, anyway, the next story in this series is called "Halloween Spirits", unless I change the title suddenly. I should be posting it either next week or the week after that. As usual, you guys are so awesome for having stuck around and read this story, I was so happy with the reception it got. Thank you so much for all your support and reviews, since knowing that you were enjoying it made me more eager to post this! Anyway, I hope to see you soon, in my next story, and stay tuned for more in the series "League of Brother". Love you and thanks!


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