As the World Falls Down... (Charmed/Slash, Mature/Adult)

[AntarPrince04]

Title: As the World Falls Down....
Chapter Title: Countin' on it
Author: Chris F.
Email: Antarprince04@hotmail.com
Livejournal: http://www.antarprince.livejournal.com/
Fandom: Charmed
Pairing: Wyatt/Chris Halliwell
Rating: Adult (overall)
Warnings: Slash, Incest (Not in this Chapter)
Summary: “Just Be with me Chris, and I would give you the world....”
Authors Notes: For those of you who won't know, this begins at the climax of Season 6 after Chris is stabbed.
Disclaimer: I hereby own nothing so Don't sue me
==================================

“Release the Boy Gideon”, a voice boomed, echoing thunderously around the dimly lit cavern. It was lit with torches bracketed to the stone walls and half melted candles of black and dark red littered the cavern floor. In the center of the cavern was a clearly immobilized toddler. “Back away and release the spell.”

A middle-aged man – though in truth he was much older by far – dressed in back robes, Gideon, faltered in his progress toward the blond haired toddler. In the Elders left hand he clutched an anathema, which was already covered in partially dried blood. It was clear that Gideon intended to use the Ceremonial dagger on the young toddler Wyatt next. “I'm afraid I can't do that Christopher”, the Elder replied calmly; his back still turned to the younger witch.

“Can't, or won't”, Chris asked. The tonality with which he stoke expressing barely suppressed rage.

Silence greeted the half-white-lighters question. Both, Elder and Witch stood tensely unwilling to yield to each other. Finally the older man broke the silence and turned to face Christopher; his eye's filled with a determined glint. “I won't”, Gideon replied. “The child must die.”

Chris did not look well in the least. He was sallow and pale, drenched in sweat. His eyes had dark circles under them as well, but that clearly was not the worst of his state. A large dark stain covered the boy's shirt on the right side, just next to his kidney and was slowly gaining in size as the knife wound from just minutes earlier continued to bleed. It was clear that he was running on little more then adrenaline at this point.

“ Should Wyatt live, or die is not your decision to make, Gideon!”, he shouted in an angry shuttering breath.

“Oh, but it is Christopher”, Gideon responded smirking in a satisfied fashion making Chris wiry and tense. Gideon was about to act, he knew it in his gut as Gideon continued. He had to move fast if he was going to reach his brother. He'd rather not risk a fight in his current state.

“I am an Elder Christopher”, Gideon was saying. Meanwhile Chris was weighing his chances. “It is an Elders duty to keep the balance. Sometimes, that requires sacrifice...”

The word fell away as Chris focused, pushing his pain back to a dull ache, his entire being alert for his sibling. The dull throb in his head drowning out the usually distinct sound of the orb.

A sharp white hot pain filled Chris as he made his move and he came crashing hard on the cold stone. Gideons amused chuckles filled his ears. “Bravo Christopher”, Gideon said, clapping mildly. “Truly a commendable effort, not many willingly challenge an elder. You truly are a Halliwell.”

If circumstances had been different Chris would have smirked at the comment. The Halliwell line; which until his brother Wyatt had been predominately women, were well known for their... less then exemplary opinion of the Elders.

As it was Chris forced himself to his feet, and to his credit only stumbled slightly. He shot a cursory glance at his magically bound brother; seeing that he looked unharmed if somewhat scared, he turned his focus to the traitorous Elder; the smell of blood, smoke, and now singed flesh reaching his nostrils.

Chris knew what he had to do. He couldn't get past Gideon by orbing or he'd be zapped again. This only left him one other option, but as he stood with his gaze locked on Gideon - bleeding and exhausted – he began to doubt himself, and his fears were not entirely unfounded.

It wasn't as if he feared Gideon; the very concept would have made him laugh normally, but he was wounded – not terrible bad he knew, but the strain and blood loss put him at a disadvantage. He was good yes, but to take on an Elder now? Not for the first time in his life he wondered just which white robed fuck head of an elder decided White-lighters couldn't heal themselves.

He mentally shrugged, it's not as if he had much of an option really. He pushed his doubt aside and focused on his task. Lets do this then, he told himself. He sighed, “You can drop the formalities Gideon.”, he said mockingly. “You really aren't fooling anyone.” He looked at his watch in the act and yawned. “Actually, I am on a timetable really; so, if I could just have my brother we really must be off. Wyatt needs his nap and I need to clean up that lovely mess topside.”

“I think not”, Gideon scoffed.

It was a risk and he knew it, but the only way Chris could get the upper hand in this was if Gideon was off balance and angry. So, he stood there provoking the other man; meanwhile also watching his 'little' brother closely, assuring that the boy remained unharmed. An odd concept considering the current predicament, but this was the demonic underworld and Chris wouldn't put it past the Elder to enlist help.

“Why not”, Chris asked as if genuinely curious. “Ah yes, you wanna kill us. Tell me, what then, you go back and sit on your cloud and pretend it never happened!” he snapped. “How dare you...”

How dare I!?” Gideon asked as his temper began to rise. “How dare you be so selfish, risking the future of magic for one child!” he spat.

Chris smirked mentally and braced himself, moving in for the kill. “So, you would execute an innocent child for crimes he has yet to commit? You're no better then a demon”, he said in disgust.

He saw it coming and acted. A Blue streak of energy, white-hot in it's intensity racing toward him. Chris moved to avoid it with unnatural speed and dropped, ducking into a well-practiced maneuver and rolled away. “Energy bolt!”, he called purely on instinct as he rose to his feet a second later. He'd never used his power in that way before and he hoped it worked as well as Paige made it look.

His magic grabbed the bolt, wrapping is in orbs and Chris smiled in relief. In one swift, angry move he reversed its course and sent it barreling toward the elder, hitting him square in the chest and sent him hurling through the cave, dropping the anathema and slamming into the stone wall.

Alright Aunt Paige, he thought as he began to move forward toward his older brother. “Alright bro, lets get....”

Suddenly his words were cut short as something slammed into his chest – unseen, but still very much solid. His breath left him and he was knocked to the floor, away from Wyatt. “Bravo my boy”, he heard Gideon applauding as he struggled to his knee's fighting for his breath. His lungs burned and he felt as if he'd been hit by a truck. “Again, truly a Halliwell. Always pushing boundaries, fighting the fight”, He sighed disappointedly.

“Just can't leave well enough alone can you?” He reached down casually and grasped the collar of Chris's tattered shirt, lifting the boy off the ground with nearly no effort, letting him hang, feet dangling several inches from the floor.

A million thoughts went through Chris's head as he hung there in the Elders grasp and Gideons rant fell away. So much for that... He began to think. Gideon had him; he felt tired and hurt – the adrenaline began to fade from his system and became dizzy.

He'd lost, he knew it.

He looked over at Wyatt one last time apologetically. I'm sorry Wy...., he thought. Wyatt just looked at him as if he wasn't phased. Chris knew that look and thought it ironic that the little boy would give it to him now. It was the look Wyatt would give him when they were younger, a look of expectancy of some sort. It was as if the boy was saying, that's it? Thats all you got?

Chris smirked at the thought, eye's glinting with fresh determination. Even as little boys Wyatt had always stepped into his role as Older sibling, always encouraged Chris to excel; and it looked like even now, when the roles should be reversed, Wyatt was still pushing him.

Why am I not surprised.... He had one last idea; it was a long-shot, but it would work if he did it fast. Hope my aim's still good.

Chris forced himself to focus on Gideon. '....And you have the audacity to call me a demon?' He heard the man snarl. Raising his arm behind Gideon – one thought clear in his head and snapped, “Arrow!”

“....Disgrace....”

Gideons words were silenced quickly. His eye's widened and he looked down between the two of them and back to Chris in shock. Gideon released Chris who fell down onto the stone. His kidneys throbbed with each breath as he took a moment to stand.

Chris looked at the fallen Elder and smirked. Gideon lay on the floor, a long black Dark-lighter arrow protruding from his chest. “Your problem? You Elders talk too much”, he said casually.

Chris watched, exceedingly tired, as the spell holding Wyatt flickered and faded – Gideons concentration on maintaining the spell falling away. “Hey buddy”, he said as he crouched down in front of his brother, grinning tiredly. He was, not surprisingly, exhausted. “Are you hurt?”

Chris proceeded to look Wyatt over manually – to worn to use Magic. He hoped he wasn't for that very reason. ...Fucking Elders, he thought yet again. He'd gotten lucky with Gideon and he knew it, but if he had been able to heal himself he'd have killed Gideon seven different ways before he hit the ground.

All the while the little boy stood silently. “We're gonna have a talk later about your antics young man”, he teased the boy once he was sure Wyatt was unhurt.

He felt Wyatt touch him and froze, only flinching slightly as his small hand touched the stab wound. “Wyatt...”, he said hastily and took the boys hand in his, making Wyatt look up at him for the first time. Wyatt's hand felt slick and warm stained with Chris's blood. Chris took a deep breath and replaced Wyatt's hand over the bloody shirt, still holding it in his own. “....Be careful”, he whispered softly and smiled to soothe Wyatt having felt the boys body tense as he pulled his hand away.

Chris held his little brother by the shoulder with an encouraging smile. “Go on then”, he said. His breath hitched briefly before he felt a comforting warmth flow through him and sighed. ...Much better.

“You did good”, he told Wyatt and moved to stand easily and far more secure then when he'd arrived. He reached out and took Wyatt's hand in his. “Come on”, he said guiding his charge across the cavern. Lets finish this.

As he approached Gideon he stopped and pocketed the dropped Anathema the man had stolen. Said man lay defeated on the ground, breathing in harsh gasps and weakly supported on his elbows as to not put undo pressure on the black arrow protruding from his back and chest.

With a flick of his wrist the arrow shot from Gideons chest and embed itself in the stone – making Gideon scream and fall onto his back as his chest started to bleed. “Fuck!”, Gideons voice echoed. “God Damn it...”

Chris chuckled as he let go of Wyatt's hand and stooped beside the Elder, proceeding to check him over, this time with magic. “My my, and an elder no less.” A gold grow emanated from his palms, but the wound did not close.

Besides the obvious, Gideon had a concussion, three bruised and 2 broken ribs – presumably from the impact with his own energy bolt. He also had a clapsed lung as a result of the arrow.

“What to do with you”, he said as if scolding a child. “if the poison doesn't kill you first.”

“The Elders will hunt you down like a dog.”

“Oh no they won't”, Chris hissed venomously. “You broke the laws, and might I remind you that said laws were agreed upon by both sided... The child was not to be touched until he came of age and made his choice!” He watched as Gideon stopped as if afraid and smirked menacingly. “To do so is punishable by death.... The only question now is; do I let you die, or heal you and return you to the elders so dad can kill you?” Chris asked, playing with the anathema he'd pulled from his jean pocket.

Gideon was rapidly becoming more pale. Whether from blood loss, or fear of Leo Chris wasn't sure. “I was doing what I must! Wyatt Halliwell – brother or not – will grow to be the most powerful evil the world has known, and he must be stopped while he can be!”

Chris chuckled in amusement and leaned in close, whispering in the dieing Elders ear. “I'm countin' on it.” He brought the blade up and with those words slit Gideons throat and pocketed the knife again, watching Gideon's shocked and horrified eyes as the man died.

When his Gideon's eyes were lifeless and dull Chris stood and turned back to Wyatt who was watching unafraid. “Ready to go home buddy?”

Chris smiled as Wyatt lifted his arms eagerly to be held. Chris smiled lovingly at his brother as he lifted him into his arms and turned away.

“Dispose of him!”, Chris's voice thundered through the cave; and in an instant Wyatt and Chris were gone, not in cover of orbs, but a flash of Flame.

Wyatt never reacted – only cuddled happily into the embrace of his future brother...
===================

Note: Do review, it keeps me going. I will make an attempt valiantly to update, but I make NO Promises.