Title: You Once Loved
Author: frickangel
Summary: He had it all wrong. Now it was up to him to fix his mistakes as well as the world's; he was going to protect his older brother. Part three of the 'Angel in my Arms' series.
A/N: Finally got number three up. Yay me.
Timeline: Exactly during 'It's A Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World (Part ii)'; Chris and Wyatt in the attic as Leo goes to see Piper in the hospital—oh, you get the picture.
Warning: Totally Un-beta'd.
Disclaimer: Don't know, don't own and don't I wish.

"Don't make me sacrifice you both."
-It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World (Pt II)

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Since he was a child, from the moment he could grasp the meaning of its existence, he had always loved this place. The way the sunray's flitted through the many generations-old stained windows; the way the colours clashed and yet matched, casting it upon the wooden floorboards and dancing on the soft velvet rugs. The warmness that it brought along with the cool comfort was a unique mix of un-worded delight.

There were times he'd sneak up the wooden stairs and quietly creep into the room just to lie in the shower of lights, basking in its brilliance. No wonder his mother had always insisted that the Book be placed on its stand, right before the windows.

Now, standing right before the Book—as an adult and finally understanding the meaning of family—he once again bathed in the coloured glow of the stained glass.

If only he could ignore the fact that the reason he stood there was to save his family and destroy some ultimate evil, Chris would've relished every second. Unfortunately, as his mother was incapacitated in the hospital, his aunts suddenly on a happy-pill trip, and his father trying to save the world, and he was trying desperately to find the answer to their problems.

The one thing he always hated was how it got lonely up there among the clutter of the attic. Even now—in the past—sometimes if he closed his eyes he could pretend he was back where he belonged, and with the way he always dreamt it to be.

His fingers felt the rough pages as he flipped through carefully, eyes scanning from end to end the already familiar spells and paragraphs.

The distant sound of rattling reminded Chris of something.

No, he wasn't alone.

Looking over to his side, he remembered the blond toddler in his playpen; a contraption meant to protect him from harm—at least the worldly kind and nothing close to magical.

Chris tried recalling the time when he saw Wyatt and felt anger and resentment. Though now only the bitterness of guilt remained lingering within him, already losing its grip it once held so tightly.

With a sigh and a slight slap against the thick pages, the half Whitelighter moved towards the child. Crouching down before the boy who was already leaning against the edges of the pen, he reached out to hold his fingers. To say that he felt odd seeing his evil sibling so vulnerable would be an understatement. All Chris had ever really known about Wyatt was his power quest, insatiable appetite for glory, and his cold heartedness. And here he was, the twice blessed; his family fights for his future while he tries to understand but doesn't comprehend.

Wyatt maybe the twice blessed, but just possibly Chris was the lucky one.

"You weren't always like that," Chris spoke to the boy, as if he understood. "There were things you liked and people you loved a lot."

Then everything changed.

"After mum died…" Chris blinked and watched the blue-eyed child look on in blissful innocence. After Piper had died, Wyatt fell into this dark corner of the world and saw only the evil that obliterated anything good. Chris not only lost his mother but his only brother he once looked up to. "Things will change," he stood up and promised, "I'm going to make it happen."

Swallowing hard, he left his brother as he was and went back to the Book. As the sunlight shone upon his back and warmed him, Chris read every spell again. He threw a glance at the toddler once more before taking a deep breath.

He was going to protect his brother.

Even if it meant dying.

Thanks for reading.
-Cheers
Jo