Chapter 1: The White Flower

"What did you do?" Chris asked through gritted teeth. Looking around, he saw a dismal landscape of decrepit buildings and litter strewn throughout the alley where he stood with the Charmed Ones.

"Uh oh," Phoebe quietly said.

"What did you do?" Chris repeated.

"We recited a spell . . ." Paige replied.

"To do what?"

"To find out about you," Piper answered.

"You went along with this?" Chris asked.

"Of course I did," Piper shot back. "After what we just went through, yeah, Chris. We decided to know whether we can really trust you or not."

"So we're in the future?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes," Chris responded coldly.

"How?" asked Phoebe.

"We said we wanted to see the future that Chris lived. This is how we're seeing it." Paige realized. "We need to get back to our time."

"That's going to take a powerful spell and that's going to take time," Phoebe commented. "How did you do it before?"

"I used a page from the Book, which I ripped out. It's in the past now," Chris said. "The magic you three just used is going to attract attention. First things first, we need to get out of here right now."

Piper glared at Chris suspiciously.

"This is a world without Elders and Cleaners. Evil magic is being used out in the open. Do you want to take your chances by being alone?"

Chris proceeded down the alley with the sisters following reluctantly. He guided them through a path of back roads and walkways until Paige stopped.

"Do you know where you're taking us?" Paige asked.

"There are a couple vacant warehouses up ahead. You three can stay there to work on a spell to get us back home. I think it's far enough that it'll be safe."

Phoebe noticed a cluster of white flowers. She bent down and picked up a stalk from the ground. "Well, it's nice to see that not everything here is so bleak."

The group suddenly heard light footsteps running.

Chris quickly whispered a spell and his appearance began to change, followed by the appearances of the sisters. However, the source of the footsteps, a young girl, managed to catch a glimpse of the Charmed Ones' real forms before the glamour completed.

"Hello, there," said Phoebe.

"You're the Charmed Ones!" the girl exclaimed.

Chris started to look anxious.

"What's your name?" asked Piper.

"I'm Sela. Did you come back to save us?"

"We're going to try," replied Phoebe, earning a grimace from Chris. She handed the flower to Sela.

"Let's just stick with this building here," Chris said. "I'll go grab some food for you three and take Sela home. This isn't a safe place to be alone. Work on the spell, but don't try it until I'm back."

"Glamour?" Paige soon asked.

"Seems so," Piper answered.

"Who are you?" Sela asked Chris as he guided her away.

"I'm their Whitelighter. How much do you know about the Charmed Ones?"

"A lot. I grew up listening to stories about them."

"Are you a witch?" Chris asked.

"I'm a gypsy. I'm so excited they're here!"

"I didn't know there were any gypsies left in this area," Chris remarked.

"After my parents died, my mom's brothers and sisters wanted to move away, but my dad's sisters convinced us to stay to carry out my parents' wishes. I've been practicing spells and now that the Charmed Ones are back, we might succeed."

"I'm sorry about your parents. I was only fourteen when my mom died. My dad died last year."

"Thanks, but I'm getting over it. My mom always says that we Jilricks are always strong and resilient."

Chris frowned. "Jilrick? Who are you parents?"

"Eamon and Milla Jilrick."

Chris exhaled. "Good. That makes this less difficult."

"What?" Sela asked.

Chris made a fist with his right hand and clenched it tightly. Sela began to gasp.

"You might not believe it and even if you do, it might not mean anything, but I am sorry. The world can't know that the Charmed Ones are here and the Jilrick line can't continue. Your parents' plan was crazy. Wyatt did the world a favor by killing them."

Sela soon collapsed onto the ground.

Chris looked around and noticed an awning that had fallen. He put the flower on Sela's chest and placed the awning over her. As Chris got up, he heard someone shimmer into the alley. Chris closed his eyes, knowing that he was going to face the last person he wanted to see.

"Chris?"

Chris turned around. "Hi, Wyatt."

The two brothers stared at each other for several moments before Wyatt slowly approached Chris and hugged him.

"I wasn't expecting this kind of reaction, not after last time," Chris commented.

'You know how things work when there are other people around."

"You were about to kill me."

"I was just upset. You know I wouldn't have done it. I just wanted you back."

Wyatt broke the hug to look Chris in the face.

"Did you get all that out of your system?" asked Chris.

"For now."

"Good," replied Chris. He then punched Wyatt across the face with one hand and then punched Wyatt in the stomach with the other. Using his telekinetic powers, he launched Wyatt into a wall, and then another.

"Did you get all that out of your system?" Wyatt asked.

"You killed Bianca!"

"I didn't mean to! I was just trying to get her off of me!"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Chris yelled.

"No, but you know that I never wanted to hurt you. You know that."

Chris hurled Wyatt into another wall and let out a scream.

"I'm sorry," said Wyatt.

Chris sat down on the ground next to Wyatt and buried his forehead into his hands.

"That's not how I wanted things to happen. I was trying my best to keep everything under control. I'm sorry, Chris. Chris, look at me."

Chris looked at Wyatt.

"I'm sorry," Wyatt said. He waved his right hand and removed Chris' glamour.

Chris closed his eyes.

"You've forgiven me for worse," said Wyatt. He pulled Chris into another hug.

"Just . . . give me more time," said Chris. "A lot more."

"I made a mausoleum for Bianca, like the mausoleums that you made for some other dead people. You can say good-bye to her."

Chris exhaled loudly.

"What are you doing back here, anyway?" Wyatt asked.

A look of frustration and disappointment quickly swept through Chris' face. He reprimanded himself for the expression because he knew that Wyatt was able to read it. Knowing that Wyatt could tell otherwise, Chris had to concoct an explanation that was true, in a way.

"They sent me back because they didn't trust me and they couldn't believe that you would end up ruling the world."

"I thought I felt the Power of Three. I've been looking for it. How could they not trust you?"

"I never told them who I was."

"They treated you like a stranger," Wyatt realized.

"Yeah."

"So, you're done?" asked Wyatt.

"Yeah," Chris answered, knowing what Wyatt meant.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, let's go home," Wyatt said while getting up onto his feet.

"Just like that?"

"I've forgiven you for worse," Wyatt answered.

Chris stood up and Wyatt put his arms around Chris and shimmered both back to his palace.

Wyatt and Chris reemerged in Chris' suite.

"Nothing's changed," Wyatt informed Chris. "I kept it all the same."

Chris glanced around.

Wyatt broke the silence. "What do you think about seafood for dinner?"

"You're just going to act like nothing's happened?"

"You're back," Wyatt answered. "That's what's important, so let's just enjoy that and move on."

"That's really it?"

"For our own sakes, yes."

Chris sighed. "Seafood would be good, then."

"Good. After dinner, I want you to accompany me out."

"You know I never liked doing that."

"You've been gone for too long. People have started to wonder about you."

"Why didn't you just use a glamour?"

"I couldn't do that while still trying to get the real you back."

Hours later, the Charmed Ones grew restless.

"I'm going to get some fresh air," said Phoebe.

"Don't go too far," Paige warned as she untangled some cords by an old television set she found. "Chris will freak if he sees you out there and I won't want to hear it. Where is he, anyway?"

"Hopefully he's all right out there," Piper commented. She was glancing over eight possible spells to open a portal back to the past.

The TV suddenly sprung to life.

"Ah ha!" Paige exclaimed. "It still works. Now, let's see what's going on around here."

"Oh, Chris is going to love that even more," said Piper.

Phoebe walked around the alleys and soon noticed shoes peeking out from under an awning. She slowly lifted the awning and gasped as she saw Sela with the flower on her chest. Phoebe dashed back to her sisters, only to see them transfixed on the television screen.

Wyatt and Chris were on TV observing the construction of a new building.

"Duke Christopher makes first public appearance in several months," Phoebe read from the screen.

"They-they said he prefers to stay away from the spotlight," Paige told Phoebe. "He liked being behind the scenes of Wyatt's kingdom. He's a part of it."

"We need to go," Phoebe realized. "We need to go right now."

Thank you for reading. I realize that there are a few other stories like this and I was going to wait until at least a couple of them were finished. However, I notice that they haven't updated in a while, so I decided it was time to post this story. I have to admit, though, that it has been a while since I've seen an episode of Charmed. Please excuse me if I'm a bit off with history, the mechanics of powers, or the like. Finally, this will likely be a revelation story, but that's not set in stone yet. Thanks again.