Disclaimer: I don't own Chris and Wyatt Halliwell, although I wish I did. I don't own Charmed either. It's such a tragedy, really. I know you guys agree with me, don't you?

Author's Note: I couldn't do any of this without Jennifer (strikermac), my beta-reader, revisionist, inspirationist (still don't care that it's not a real word), and co-author all in one. I think we make a great team. :) Anyway, this is the second episode in my "Destined" series. If you haven't read the Pilot episode, I'd recommend reading that first, but it's not one hundred percent necessary. It's just very helpful for knowing some of the additional characters that are a part of the series. That and I'm hoping if you go back and read that one, you'll write me a nice review and make me happy. You'll make me super happy if you review this story too!

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Destined: The Charmed Sons

Episode 1.2, Marketplace of Souls

Prologue

Twenty-year-old Christopher Halliwell was sitting on the couch in his apartment's living room looking anxiously at the large, historic looking tome resting on their coffee table. It was his family's Book of Shadows, which just last week had been passed on to he and his older brother Wyatt. The coffee table was such an undignified place for such an important book. Chris couldn't help thinking that their mother had finally lost her mind for giving them the Book now.

Chris had no idea if he could live up to all that the Book meant. It was such a great responsibility and such a huge legacy that had been handed down to them. Their great, great, great, however many greats grandmother Melinda Warren had begun that book. It had been passed down to generation after generation of their family line. And here it was sitting on their coffee table. Which brought Chris back to the start of what had him sitting there staring at it in the first place. Chris rested his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in his hands and sighed, his forehead creasing.

Wyatt Halliwell stepped out of the bathroom, his hair damp from having just gotten out of the shower. A pair of sweatpants clothed the tall, blonde witch's lower body leaving his upper body bare. He toweled off his hair and wrapped the towel around his neck. Wyatt raised his eyebrows when he saw his baby brother staring at their coffee table. More specifically, Chris was staring at the aged tome sitting on their coffee table. The older witch frowned, looking at his sibling in concern.

"Chris, really, you need to relax. You've read the Book cover to cover a hundred times since you could read. Just because its home is here now doesn't mean that it is any different," Wyatt said, walking over.

Chris didn't take his eyes off the Book, "It is different Wyatt. We're the caretakers of the Book now. Evil is drawn to the Book. We are going to have to put a spell on the apartment to make sure no one decides to walk off with it."

"We may need to put a spell on you to get you to relax," Wyatt said, sitting down on the arm of the couch.

Chris looked up at his brother sharply, his green eyes intense. "This isn't a joke Wy, this is THE BOOK OF SHADOWS," Chris said loudly enough to make Wyatt wince. "This means that it is ours now. It is the most important thing in our family and it's sitting on our coffee table like a cheap magazine."

Chris picked the Book up for the first time since it had been placed on the table while their parents were still in town. Leo and Piper had left to return to San Francisco just a few hours ago. Since they had left, all Chris could think about was the responsibility that had just been placed on them. With as much responsibility as Wyatt had by being the prophesied Twice Blessed Witch, he of all people should have understood. Instead Wyatt was looking at his little brother with a lopsided smile. Chris held the book reverently and searched around the small apartment with his eyes. He reached the same conclusion he had a hundred times before when he hadn't been holding the hallowed book in his hands. There was no where in their apartment that would be as dignified as the podium in the Manor's attic. "What was mom thinking?"

"That she was tired of cleaning up after the demons that kept attacking?" Wyatt said. He looked at his brother and sighed. "We'll go look for a podium in the morning if you're so freaked out about this."

"Aren't you the least bit afraid that we are now the caretakers of The Book? That it is up to us to keep evil from getting it? That demons will be knocking on our doors daily to want to fight it out with the Twice-Blessed Wyatt Halliwell and his incredibly handsome and slightly neurotic little brother?" Chris smiled, knowing he had been stressing too much and that Wyatt was worried.

"Conceited much Christopher?" Wyatt asked, giving him a light shove.

"What can I say? But seriously Wy, this is going to change everything. Every generation has taken care of the Book, it's our turn."

Wyatt rolled his eyes and sighed, but finally admitted himself to his little brother, "Fine, I'm scared. Happy? But it's here now and Mom wouldn't give us anything that we couldn't handle."

Chris wrinkled his nose, "She's ready to hand it over so we have to suck it up, that what you're saying?"

The younger Halliwell sat the Book back on the coffee table and moaned, "Fine. Welcome home." Chris reached out to run his fingers over the cover, tracing the triquetra that was their family's symbol. The symbol of the Power of Three that he and his brother had been born from, then looked up at Wyatt.

Wyatt grinned, "Welcome home indeed. Maybe we can get it to…"

Chris cut him off, "It's not a roommate, stupid. We are not getting it to clean the apartment so your lazy ass doesn't have to."

"It was a thought," Wyatt said, then glared, "And keep out of my thoughts, we've been down that road and it gets us in trouble."

"That wasn't me reading your mind, that was me knowing where my slothful brother was about to go with that thought."

"Just like mom."

"Thank you," Chris said, beaming and taking it as a high compliment, but he quickly dissolved into seriousness again, "Now, how are we going to protect it?"

"There has to be a spell," Wyatt said, "let's look it up."

"Where are we going to keep it? No secret space in this apartment," Chris said, looking around again. One hundred and one times and still no revelation of where to store the Book.

"Your room," Wyatt said, standing up. He couldn't help riling his little brother, "You have less overnight guests."

"I also have more sense and haven't made out with a demon," Chris retorted, "So I wouldn't get to cocky."

"Hey, you set me up with her," Wyatt returned.

Chris waved his hand at Wyatt, "Whatever." The dark-haired witch got up and walked across the living room. He opened the door to the small storage closet in the corner of the apartment filled with extra towels, sheets, sports equipment and whatnot. It was a tiny room that he could put a spell on until he could come up with a better idea.

The younger boy's back was towards the apartment, looking into the storage room thoughtfully. He started to set the Book down and stopped, "We need a podium, I can't sit it on a shelf next to our extra towels."

"Neurotic much?" Wyatt asked, moving into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water from the tap. He tilted the glass back and took a swig when the reflection of the apartment in the window caught his eye. Alarm shot through the older witch as he turned, "Chris get down!"

Chris didn't argue, even though he didn't know what Wyatt was shouting at. If his older brother was telling him to 'get down' he must have good reason. So clutching the Book of Shadows to his chest, Chris dove to the ground and rolled. A Darklighter arrow thunked solidly into the doorframe of the storage closet. Chris's eyes went wide as he looked at the swirl of black orbs that dissipated from the attempted assassination.

Wyatt dropped his glass and rushed over to help his little brother up, "You okay?"

Chris swallowed hard, about to answer when the black orbs swirled back in and rematerialized behind Wyatt. The Darklighter, a man with dark features, dressed in all black aimed his crossbow at Wyatt and fired. Chris waved his right hand, sending the arrow telekinetically back at the Darklighter. Again the demon dematerialized before the Halliwell boys could do anything about it.

Chris and Wyatt stood up, back to back and looked warily around their apartment. Wyatt with his hands up and ready now and Chris holding the Book protectively in one hand with his other hand poised for action. This time when the Darklighter reappeared, Wyatt flicked his wrists and blew it to dust with his combustion power.

The younger brother tightened his jaw and gave Wyatt a glare, "Still think I'm taking this too seriously?"

Opening Credits Roll

Theme song: "Gunslinger (Runnin' Out of Time)" - Over It

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