"You stabbed her?" Aurelia chuckled, Chris' arm hooked around her waist in a protective manner as Paige smiled, pouring Chris some champagne. They were in Magic School, and Aurelia would have been lying if she said she wasn't underwhelmed by the place; she'd expected something like Hogwarts, not some rinky-dinky endless hallway.

"Oh, you would have, too." The woman smiled, turning toward Phoebe and pouring her a glass of champagne, since Piper couldn't drink due to her pregnancy.

"She was pretty obnoxious." Chris laughed, placing a light kiss to the pink haired woman's temple. Paige and Phoebe sent them wide-eyed looks, and they'd almost forgotten that the sisters were unaware of their. . . relationship.

"When the hell did that happen?" Piper asked, motioning between the two.

"Uh," the brunette began, "after I stole that car."

"Like a fucking idiot," Aurelia muttered, causing Paige to snort before she took a sip of her champagne.

The women nodded, before turning her gaze back to Chris. "So, we're 100% sure these were the demons we were looking for all along?"

Her sisters, and Chris nodded, before Phoebe extended her glass. "To our nephew. May he always be safe."

Those of drinking-age clinked their glasses together, "I can't believe it's finally over." Chris muttered, resting his head against the nineteen year old's.

"Believe it." Leo smiled, "You just saved the future."

A lump formed in Aurelia's throat as a realization dawned over her: was he gonna have to go back? And, if so, would she be able to follow him?

...

Gideon sat at his desk, watching the group through a small glass sphere; he looked defeated, on the point of giving up, but then Sigmund's pacing broke him from his daze. "We were successful, today." The Elder said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself, more than his accomplice. "They're off our trail. Even better, their guard is down, which makes it that much easier to eliminate the treat."

"His name is Wyatt." Sigmund said, shaking his head in disappointment; he'd finally realized the severity of the situation, silently cursing himself for so blindly following the Elder. Wyatt was a child -- a child that he was trying to help kill. "What if Phoebe was right? What if Future Wyatt isn't turned evil by a demon? He's just an innocent baby. What if, in trying to eliminate the threat, we are actually creating the monster?"

Gideon shook his head, not meeting the man's gaze, and causing him to continue. "That's such a tender age to be betrayed by those who have sworn to protect you. What if that's what turns him?"

"It's possible," Gideon admitted. "Anything's possible! But armed with this future knowledge, we have to try and make sure that it doesn't happen this time."

...

"Hey, Freckles," Chris began, gently grasping her hand in his own as they entered the apartment. "what's wrong? You've been off ever since Magic School."

"Do you have to go back to the future?" She whispered, her glossy eyes locked onto his chest as she spoke; she couldn't look him in the eye, knowing that he would watch her heart shatter depending on his answer. "And, if so, is there any possible chance that I could come with?"

Chris gulped, his mind racing as he tried to think of an answer; he hadn't even thought that far. He knew he was going to stick around until right before his birthday, just to be safe, but he'd never even started to think of what would come after.

If he really did -- or does -- manage to save the future, Bianca will be alive again, but now that he'd fallen so deeply in love with Aurelia, he wasn't sure he wanted his late fiancé to be back. Besides, if the future changes, so does, well, almost everyone's personality.

"I don't know." He admitted, his heart clenching as he watched the tears pool in her eyes. "I'll admit, I haven't thought that far. . . but what I do know, is that no matter where we end up -- whether we're together, decades apart, or even dead, I will never stop loving you, Aurelia. You're going to stay in my heart, ok? Forever and always."

She held up her pinky finger, her glossy eyes slowly moving up to meet his. "Always and forever."

He engulfed her into a hug, to which she'd immediately returned. They stood there, the mid-October air trying to pry through the apartment windows as they warmed each other's hearts, bodies, minds, and souls; Aurelia was afraid to lose him, and vice versa. They both hoped that, whatever spell the sisters come up with to send him back, would be able to send them both.

...

November 14th, 2004

Two days until Chris' birthday.

Less than two days until he has to go back.

Less than two days to make it possible for Aurelia to go with him.

He'd left Magic School, needing a break after hearing Piper remind Paige of just how many diapers she'll be having to deal with; the brunette layed back on the bed, listening silently to the running shower and the soft hum of Smells Like Teen Spirit. A familiar scent tickled his nostrils, and the man released a small chuckle before orbing into the bathroom. "Are you seriously smoking in the shower?" He asked, causing Aurelia to squeal. She hid herself behind the shower curtain, poking her face out as a joint dangled from her lips.

"Yes! Are you seriously peeping on me?" She retorted, making it a point to only show her face. The brunette raised an eyebrow, gently plucking the joint from her lips and placing it between his own.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before," he smirked, causing the nineteen year old to roll her eyes. "Didn't you take a shower, this morning?"

"Yeah, but, uh. . . Paige dropped something off for me. . . and it just so happened that I needed to take another shower. Get out!"

Chris narrowed his eyes, taking a fifteen second hit from the joint and leaning forward to place it back into her mouth with his own; this had, for some reason, become on of their favorite things to do. "What'd she drop off?"

"You'll see in a bit!" Aurelia chuckled, "Just, let me finish showering."

"Fine," he sighed, orbing back into the bedroom.

Five minutes later, Aurelia stepped from the bathroom; she was wearing one of Chris' shirts, as usual, shorts, and her hair was wrapped in a towel. "So," he began, "what's with the towel?"

She smiled, unwrapping her hair and revealing a head of brown-black hair, the longest strands ending at the bottom of her spine; the man widened his eyes, approaching her. "Holy shit. . ." He muttered, causing her to furrow her brows in confusion, and her face to suddenly morph into a self-conscious expression.

"Is it bad?" Aurelia whispered, nervously searching his eyes for any sign of disliking. She found none, and when Chris released a smile and captured her lips with his, she knew that he loved it.

She knew that he loved her.

He knew that she loved him.

They just underestimated how much.