Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or Staind's lyrics
Spoilers: Chris-crossed. Bad Bad World if you read into it
Summary: Wyatt's here. Funny, how two words--three without the contraction--can invoke such fear, anger, love, and sorrow.

The Betrayals of Devotion

You just refuse to bend
So I keep bending till I break
-Staind, Right Here

Wyatt's here.

It isn't a fear or dream, it's a fact. Wyatt's here and Chris is screwed, unless he somehow thinks of a solution that involves Wyatt not killing him. With a totally half ass plan in mind, Chris orbs to Wyatt.

He reformed in the Manor attic immediately facing his brother. Chris didn't sense the sisters and was grateful because Wyatt was pissed. When Wyatt's angry he yells and tends to kill things, but when he's pissed? Then he gets quite, still, cold, and anyone who wants to remain alive should ran like hell. Chris wasn't suicidal by any means, yet here he was glaring right back at his brother. Well, if Chris was here, he might as well be the first one to speak.

Chris threw Wyatt's own words back at him, "Et tu, Wyatt."

Wyatt's eyes narrowed even more and Chris could see he was trying extremely hard to not throw Chris into a wall. "You are the one who betrayed me, Christopher."

Him using his full name was yet another sign that Wyatt was pissed. "So what I betrayed you, so you thought it was only fair to kill my fiancé?"

"You should have joined me when I gave you the chance." He went on to casually say, "Besides, she betrayed me, she would have died anyway," as if that made it right.

"She was my fiancé, Wyatt. Doesn't that matter to you?" Chris asked in disbelief and disgust.

Wyatt slowly explained as if he was talking to a five year old, "It's unfortunate, but she betrayed me and paid the price."

"Is that why you're here," Chris asked already knowing the truth, "to kill me, too?"

Wyatt, having never broken eye contact, stared at him with the same ice blue eyes that could make any creature, good or evil, run away. But Chris wasn't any other creature, so he starred right back. Wyatt's ever present frown, turned upwards as he realized Chris was as stupidly brave as ever. "I'm willing to give you one last chance to do the right thing and join me."

"I am doing the right thing, Wyatt." Chris honestly wanted Wyatt to see that.

"By coming here," he brought his hands from behind his back to gesture at the attic. "And betraying me." It wasn't a question, or accusation, but a statement.

"Not betray, Wyatt. Save."

"Christopher, Christopher." Wyatt shock his head sadly. "When will you learn? There is nothing to 'save' me from, because there is no good or evil."

Chris was losing his temper. "Really, then why are you here? If you believe there's no good or evil, then why stop me from saving you?"

"I know you, Chris." He almost looked sincere when he said, "You won't stop until you 'save' me and since there's nothing to save me from, you'll just screw up the past. It's safer for both of us if you just come back."

He really looked at Wyatt and tried to make sure his next words sunk through the thick skull of his. "I will never join you, Wyatt."

Wyatt could see that Chris was completely serious, but so was he. "Then you will die."

Chris then took out the same athame, that Wyatt had given him for his birthday so many years ago, and held the hilt out to his brother. Locking eyes, he said unwavering, "Then kill me."

Chris saw the surprise and then suspicion take surface.

"What are you playing at, Chris," he asked truly not knowing what his little brother was up to, but knowing it couldn't be good because it never had been.

"Nothing," his voice held surprise at being questioned. "You said so yourself that I would die and we've been through too much for you to let anyone else kill me." Chris held the athame out more. "So, go ahead and kill me."

Wyatt didn't know what his brother was up to, but he didn't like it.

Chris took the five steps that separated them, placed the athame in Wyatt's right hand, and curled his unresponsive finger around the blade. Then Chris took a step back, spread his arms wide open, raised his chin, and looked into his brother's eyes. "Kill me."

Wyatt only stared.

"You can't kill me, can you?"

His lips moved, but no sound escaped; Wyatt was shocked at the realization.

Chris on the other hand, was overjoyed. He smiled, not smirk, or slightly smile, but smiled. There was still a part of his brother in there with the all powerful overlord of the world. "I will save you, Wyatt." It was a promise that he meant with every fiber of his being and they both knew it.

Wyatt sighed. "Chris--"

Chris looked at the floor unable to face those ice blue eyes that still held his brother in its icy depths. "I know, but..." he looked back up at his brother. "I can't leave until I save you."

"Chris--" Wyatt tried again but was cut off, yet again.

"I can stay here and try to save you until I'm born, but then I have to go back no matter what." Green eyes peered at Wyatt with hope. "So what if I stay here till then and then go back with you." Before Wyatt could respond, he rushed to continue. "I'd join you, willingly, and stay by your side forever--promise."

The promise was extremely tempting to Wyatt, but there was no way he could just let Chris stay here medalling in the past.

"Please, Wyatt."

He used that tone and soulful pleading eyes that always made Wyatt read him another bedtime story when they were kids or play another game of hide and go orb. The real kicker was that Chris didn't even know he could do it.

But they weren't kids anymore and Wyatt had a world to rule. "Chris, you have to come back with me." His tone was gentle, but still serious.

"I know and I will, but just not until I'm born. It won't even really be that long, just a couple of months."

Wyatt pointed out the flaw in his logic, "That's six months, Chris."

"Six is a couple of months and they'll go by quick," he tried.

His little brother never begged and he hated being the one to make him. If it was anything else, Wyatt could give in, but this was the past and Chris could seriously screw something up. The price was too high. Chris had to come back with him, whether he wanted to or not.

Chris tried again. "If you make me go back, then I will never join you and you know it. Let me stay and we both win. Please Wyatt. I'll stand by your side and we can be a family again. Just let me stay."

Chris was being sincere and truthful, but they would be years apart and he would have no way to make Chris return home. It had taken him weeks upon weeks to be able to find all the ingredients for the portal to open again, but almost all the ingredients were now extinct so there was no way he would be able to gather all of them again.

"Blood to blood binding," Chris suddenly said.

"What?"

"We can use a blood to blood binding spell so no matter where we are, I will get summoned to you," Chris said as if he should know what he's talking about and since Wyatt didn't he continued, "We can combine and modify a blood to blood spell and binding spell so that I get bound to you and then can be summoned to you through time."

Wyatt was impressed at his brother's quick thinking and also missed it. "That could actually work."

Chris smiled again and then searched the book for the spells while Wyatt retrieved the materials they would need.

Fifteen minutes later, they had a spell written together. They sat cross-legged in a chalk circle surrounded by burning candles. Then Wyatt took the same athame that Chris had minutes ago told him to kill him with, and cut a long shallow cut on Chris's right palm; Chris did the same to Wyatt. Next, they clasped right hands, with their fingers' interlocking, and blood mixing. With each other's blood flowing into each brother, they said the spell.

As their words strengthened so did the power in the room. Suddenly, the spell was done, and a gust of wind extinguished the flames of every candle. While the smoke swirled in tentacles and then disappeared, each brother was unknowingly thinking the same thing: I've missed this.

Then the moment was gone and it was back to business. They both stood up, neither offering the other a hand knowing it would be rejected.

"I'll see you in a couple of months," Wyatt said already opening the portal.

"Yeah."

Wyatt looked one more time at Chris, probably making sure he meant it, then turned his back and walked through the portal.

Chris smiled again. Not because he was still alive, that his plan had worked, or even that he actually made a compromise with Wyatt, but because he saw another glimpse of his brother. His brother was still in there somewhere and Chris was going to save him, whether he liked it or not. Sure, he just made a deal with the devil, but it was all worth it if he could save his brother and even if he couldn't, then he at least would be able to catch glimpses of his brother from time to time.

I've made a commitment;
I'm willing to bleed for you