Disclaimer: I don't own the TV-series Charmed or any of the original characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.
A/N: I know that I'm a complete newbie when it comes to writing stories for this specific TV-show, but I just re-watched most of the ''Chris'' season, as I like to call it, which is a big thing for me, since I've never watched an entire season of Charmed before. Anyway, I thought that Chris's character was a very interesting one and that is why I decided to write a one parter that is centered around him and where I create a more detailed past for him and go a little deeper into the ''emotion avoidance'' part of his persona. I would really like it if you gave this a chance. I like to try new things. :)
Looking Back At the Future
''Things are done changed.''
It was on an unclouded afternoon that it happened: she came falling from the sky and landed ungracefully on the hardwood floor of the Halliwell's living room in her short leather skirt, white tank, silver heels and long silver chain around her neck. Chris didn't notice any of that; all he saw was the tattoo on her ankle, a coronet of thorns in black ink, and as she began to push herself up from the floor with her hands, he roughly yanked her up the rest of the way. Her brown curls went flying everywhere and, before the Halliwell sisters could protest against his actions, he had her pushed up against a wall.
''Chris, what are you doing?'' Piper asked while placing a hand on his arm to calm him down.
''Yeah, let her go,'' Paige chimed in.
''She's a witch hunter,'' Chris told them. ''You can tell her kind apart from the tattoo they all have on their ankle. She's a threat for you in the future.''
''She specifically or just her kind in general?'' Phoebe wondered.
''Does it matter?'' Chris inquired, his eyes never leaving the girl he had trapped before him.
''I don't know, does it?'' Phoebe looked to Paige and Piper.
''You're hurting me,'' the girl said, causing for everyone's eyes and attention to return to her. ''Don't kill me,'' she pleaded with them. ''I didn't have a choice when it came to the tattoo. I was born with it, but I swear I'm not a witch hunter.''
''But you'll become one, in the future, whether you want to or not. It's in your nature,'' Chris explained to her while tightening his grip on her.
''Chris,'' Piper sharply warned him. ''We don't kill innocents, remember?''
He shook his head. ''She's no innocent. She may look like it now, but—''
''I don't become a witch hunter in the future,'' the girl defended herself. ''I don't hurt anyone in the future.''
''Oh yeah, and how can you be so sure?'' Chris asked her.
''Because I am from the future, just like you.'' She set her big brown eyes on Chris's. ''I thought that I could help preserve a better world for the future.''
''How do we know you're not lying?'' Chris looked back at the three sisters. ''I say we kill her.''
''No, don't, Chris, please.''
''Wait,'' Paige began her inquiry, ''how do you know his name?''
''Because I know him. We're from the same future. I was friends with your brother,'' she looked back at Chris, ''until he turned. He came after me when I didn't choose his side, so I thought that if I went back into the past, I could prevent that version of the future from happening and I could stop him from becoming the man he is there. And, if my spell worked correctly, he's still protected by all of your goodness, and you,'' she nodded at Chris, ''haven't been born yet. How could I know that if I wasn't from the same future as you?''
''You tell us,'' Chris countered.
''Chris!'' Piper exclaimed. ''Let her go.''
''Yeah, she seems harmless enough,'' Paige agreed.
''Fine, but if she ends up killing us all, don't say I didn't warn you.''
''Noted,'' Piper said.
Chris let go of the girl, though she immediately reached for his hand again. ''Wait.'' She began bringing his hand to her stomach.
''Wow,'' Phoebe remarked. ''What is she doing?''
The girl lifted up her shirt with her free hand and revealed a wound that had stopped bleeding, but still looked fresh enough so that the sisters could tell that it had happened just recently. ''I don't know anyone else like you in the future,'' the girl shared with Chris. ''And you left. It really hurts a lot. Please?''
Chris's eyes sought out hers and he nodded, allowing her to continue to place his hand on her stomach. She watched as he healed her, her skin renewing and returning to its flawless state. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as he took a step back. ''Thanks, that's much better. My name's Aly,'' she offered. ''How come you don't remember me?''
Chris shrugged. ''Might be a consequence of traveling between different times, who knows?''
''Or maybe you've changed the future already by being here,'' Piper said. ''And, in the future, you would no longer know her, so that's why you don't remember her.''
''You did leave before she did,'' Phoebe added.
''Let's hope it changed for the better,'' Aly remarked quietly.
''Why don't you go back and see.''
She ignored his comment and shook her head. ''I can't risk it. If Wyatt's guys find me, they'll take me to him and he'll kill me without a second thought.''
''Yeah, that does sound like him,'' Chris stated.
''My baby wouldn't do that,'' Piper defended her son.
''Not yet,'' Chris disagreed. ''But he's a different person in the future, a person he hopefully won't become now that I'm here.''
''Well, he hasn't changed so far,'' Aly informed them.
''So, you're also here to change the future and keep Wyatt from turning evil?'' Phoebe asked.
''Something like that.'' Aly hugged herself tighter. ''I definitely don't want him to turn into who he is in the future, but more so, and I know that it sounds selfish, I just want to get the chance to grow up, and I don't think I'll get the chance to where I'm from.''
''Because of…''
Aly looked at Phoebe and nodded.
''How old are you anyway?'' Paige questioned.
''19,'' Aly answered. ''I know it seems young, but I'm very mature for my age,'' she eyed Chris as he snorted at her remark, ''and more than capable as a witch.''
''Right 'cause that's why you ran from Wyatt instead of actually doing anything about it.''
''I am doing something about it by being here, and, like I said, I don't kill people, no matter how evil or mean they've become,'' she directed towards Chris before lowering her eyes.
Piper immediately turned on her heels and headed for the stairs.
''Where are you going?'' Phoebe asked.
''I'm going to check on Wyatt and lay down the rules of good and evil for him.''
''And how exactly are you going to put it?'' Paige continued the questioning.
''In clear terms.''
''Right… Maybe I should come with you to keep it G-rated, huh?'' Paige offered.
''I don't think we should worry about a silly thing like language with a baby who is the king of death and destruction in the future,'' Piper replied over her shoulder.
''Good point,'' Paige agreed and followed Piper up the stairs.
''Oh, and you're more than welcome to stay here!'' Piper yelled the proposal down the stairs.
Aly shook her head. ''No, I can't. I don't want to impose myself on anyone.''
''You won't be imposing, honey,'' Phoebe assured her. ''We don't mind. Besides, do you even know anyone in the past, well, of course you do, but anyone who won't have some kind of freak-out when they see the future you?''
''Actually, I do,'' Aly said with a smile. ''My boyfriend's a warlock. He'll understand.''
''Yeah, okay, only he's not your boyfriend yet, nor is he even born yet, so…''
''Oh, he's old in the future, well, he looks young, but really he's much older. He had this spell done on him by some demon… friend,'' Aly quickly added. ''A demon friend. He'll understand, believe me.''
''Well,'' Phoebe began,'' you are 19 and you claim to be responsible, so I can't really stop you, but I do hope that you know what you're doing, sweetheart 'cause mixing the past and the future's always a tricky thing.''
''I know. I'll be back,'' Aly told Phoebe and left.
''I can't believe you actually let her walk out that door,'' Chris spoke out.
''Well, yeah, she isn't exactly my responsibility and it's not like we don't have more important things to worry about. Plus, she seems to know what she's doing, and I don't think we could have stopped her. The girl did travel back into the past and all.''
''But—''
''Why don't you go with her if you're so worried about her,'' Phoebe suggested.
''Because I'm not a babysitter,'' he responded while crossing his arms.
''She's 19, Chris. You're what, three years older than her.''
''I'm still older,'' he mumbled as Phoebe left the room.
Aly returned only an hour later, storming into the house like it was her and wanting to disappear up the stairs as quickly as she could, but Piper stopped her, reminded her that it wasn't her home in the past. ''Where do you think you're going?''
''I'm sorry. I forget that I'm not at home anymore,'' Aly explained while raising her head up ever so slightly so that only the one who was standing the closest could catch a glimpse of the tearstains on her face.
''I know you miss home, sweetie, but—''
Aly shook her head. ''It's not that. Things are just so different.''
''So, isn't it that?'' Paige asked while looking at Phoebe.
''Well, yeah, that's the past for you,'' Piper replied with a nod.
Phoebe took a step closer to Aly. ''What happened?''
''I'm thinking things didn't go so well with the future boyfriend,'' Paige remarked.
''Devin didn't believe me when I told him. He doesn't even know that he's a warlock yet. He laughed at me and then called me a freak,'' Aly shared. ''I can't believe it's the same person. Everything's so different here.''
Chris opened his mouth to speak but Piper threw him a look and shushed him for the time being. ''Well, I'm sure that it's only for a matter of time,'' she continued to try and calm the girl down. ''We were also late to discover that we had powers.''
Aly nodded. ''Yeah… I just have to get used to being here, and to the house not being my home anymore, but yours.''
Phoebe raised her eyebrows and Paige looked at Piper who ignored them both and instead kept focusing on Aly. ''Oh, honey, you're free to go upstairs if you want. Pick any room you want.''
Aly nodded. ''Thanks. You guys are nice.'' She gave them a faint smile before going upstairs.
Once there, she went into the nearest room and threw herself on the bed, hiding her face in a pillow to get a hold of herself again. Afterwards, she turned onto her back and began to call for Chris. ''Chris… Chris!''
''Okay, just so you know, you don't have the right to call for me.''
''You still came,'' she observed.
''Yeah, obviously I didn't know what I was thinking.''
''No, wait,'' she stopped him from leaving by reaching for his hand. ''I need you to heal something else for me.''
Chris sighed. ''What do you want me to heal?''
Aly kept looking up at him and placed his hand, palm flat, on her heart.
He chuckled, openly ridiculing her. ''Are you really that naïve?''
''It doesn't feel like it should. Something's wrong and you can fix it, take the pain away?''
Chris eyed her and sighed again while removing his hand. ''Look, I don't know if this is for real or not, but heartache is something I can't fix.''
Aly nodded and moved herself further back onto the bed. ''I know, but you could have put it differently.''
''Excuse me?''
She rolled her eyes. ''Everything and everyone's different here, except you. It's unbelievable.'' She let herself fall back onto the bed. ''It's not really your fault, how you turned out. It's your dad's, I guess. He wasn't around that much, not as often as he should. It's something we have, or had, in common.'' She looked up at him. ''My parents never showed an interest in me, especially not after I told them about how I didn't want to become a witch hunter, so we related to each other, meaning you and me.''
Chris rolled his eyes and Aly hid a smile. ''You'd never admit it, of course. You were never big on sharing your emotions and you didn't like it when other people were. I remember you would let me cry in my room and you'd never even come in to see what was bothering me.''
''Why would I—''
''Because you watched over me after my parents had rejected me, believe it or not,'' she answered his question before he could even finish asking it. She sat up again. ''Wyatt did it at first, but after he got in with the wrong crowd, he went out instead, and you, wanting to be more responsible than your brother, decided to look after me, even though you're only a few years older. And I remember you being strict with me, but not cold, like you are now.''
''I don't remember you,'' Chris repeated.
''Oh, right, so things change and I just have to deal with it, accept that I no longer have anyone to go back to now. Not my parents, not Wyatt, not you? I'll work on it, then,'' she said when he didn't say anything back.
''Aly…''
''Just leave me alone. Go orb or something.''
She got up and wanted to leave the room, but he grabbed her by her arm and didn't let her leave.
''What are you doing?''
''Nothing, but you're making a scene in an ice-cream parlor,'' Chris said after they had orbed.
She looked around the place and he saw her features straighten themselves out. ''Ice-cream? You're really naïve enough to believe that ice-cream will make everything better?''
Chris shrugged. ''Phoebe and Paige think so.''
''And you?'' She looked at him.
He ran a hand across the back of his neck. ''I never really had a sweet tooth.''
She smiled and looked over at the counter. ''It's good to know some things never change. Me, on the other hand, I love ice-cream.'' She let go of Chris's hand and took a step towards the counter. ''Look at all the flavors, there aren't as many as in the future, but still.''
''Just hurry up, will you.''
Aly glanced at him. ''Again, go orb or something, will you. I'll call you when I'm ready.''
He sighed and raised his hand above his shoulder, his thumb pointing at one of the tables behind him. ''I'll be at one of those, waiting.''
She put a hand on her hip. ''I don't need you to watch me. I'm old enough now.''
He snorted.
''Besides, you obviously don't want to be here, so I don't need you to be here. Apparently we're strangers anyway.''
''Well, what do you want me to do? Apologize for having changed the future, because I won't. That's what I came here to do.''
Aly nodded. ''To save Wyatt, I know, but you could've considered me more in the process, because, I know you don't remember me and think that I'm a pain or whatever, but I do remember, and I also remember how awful life got for me once you left,'' she confessed to him. ''There was no one left to protect me, Chris.''
''I thought you didn't need anyone to look after you?''
''I don't, but I have no one in my life right now. Do you know how lonely that is, and don't even have the nerve to say yes because you don't. You don't. You have the sisters here and, if all goes well, you'll also have them in the future.'' She crossed her arms and turned her head away for a few second before saying, ''I missed you, and that's also part of the reason why I came here.''
''You traveled into the past because you missed me?'' Chris asked disbelievingly.
''Yeah, but I know you can't appreciate that because of the issues you have with your emotions and whatnot, but I just thought you should know.'' She looked away from him again. ''Can you take me back to the house. I'm not in the mood for ice-cream anymore.''
Chris didn't react and Aly nodded. ''Fine, then I'll walk.'' She walked passed him, but just before she was completely out of his reach, he circled her wrist with his fingers and awkwardly pulled her into a hug. ''If it helps, I'm sorry.''
''It does some.''
''I can do better than that,'' he said, though it was more for himself than anyone else. ''How about, after I'm done fixing things here, we go back… together.''
''I won't be alone,'' Aly thought out loud.
''That's the idea.''
''I'd like that, and, Chris?''
''Yeah?''
''Can you not orb us yet, I'm in the mood for ice-cream again.''
''Sure,'' he said with just the hint of a smile on his face. He let her go and sat down as she went to get her ice-cream. He had to admit that there was something familiar about it all, but he wouldn't admit it to her.
Aly was right, some things did never change.
Please review? (: So, this one parter (so please note that the story ends here and that there won't be another chapter) is the reason why I didn't get anything else done this week, writing wise I mean, and I really hope that, at least, a few people will read it and let me know how I did because I'm always curious about what people thought, especially since this is my first Charmed attempt ever. So, thanks for giving it a shot if you did. :)