(Note #1: We completely re-did our profile. Please have a look on it!)
(Note #2: You may wonder why we upload a Christmas Story in June. Well, when we wrote this, we were uploading chapters weekly, and this story was supposed to have it's last chapter post short before Christmas 2007. But since we switched to upload chapters only every 2 weeks we blew up or time plan. Still there is no other way then to post this story now, because well... Story 12 has to follow after Story 11. shrugBut we decided that we want to end this sequel in December at least. Therefore the first chapters will post not every 2 but 3 weeks, so that we can end this story before Christmas instead of November. winkWe hope that this is ok for you. If not feel free to complain within a review. maybe you can change our mind.)
A Charmed Story - Part Twelve:
A Halliwell Christmas Carol
Chapter 1
Global warming. That was the root of everything. Why were the summers hotter every year? Global warming. Why were the springs so dry? Global warming. And why did it rain in the weirdest time of the year?? Of course, global warming. And why the hell was it now snowing in San Francisco? That was the result of the damn global warming!
"It seems we're gonna have white Christmas!" Bianca exclaimed happily as she skipped more than walked by Chris along the main street of the town. She was wrapped up in a huge coat and covered with all the useful elements made to protect the human being from the cold winters in Siberia. Pink and green hat and gloves and scarf. 'Hiding her little face and only showing her beautiful eyes,' Chris thought as he walked quickly, blue with cold, wrapped up in a black jacket and black and grey complements, his hands in his pockets.
However nice his thoughts about Bianca were, his thoughts about the weather spoilt everything else. He grumbled. He hated snow, and cold. He hated being that cold! He had been born in San Francisco, for God's Sake! There it was not supposed to be like that. Snow! Was that a joke from up there? It was not just a thin layer, no... It was like four inches of snow!! "Yeah, great..." he mumbled, annoyed, as he went on treading the white element under his feet.
Bianca chuckled and hung her entire body on his arm, affectionately, as she kept on walking by his side. "Come on, Chris... What is Christmas without snow? Lights, presents, carols, Christmas movies, people doing nice things, Santa and Rudolf and... Snow! This is like a gift! Smile, Chris, and enjoy it!"
The streets were full of people walking in all directions bearing huge boxes and bags with packages wrapped in beautiful and colorful papers. All the shops were lightened, and there were little dwarves, elves and Santas at their entries, ringing bells and singing carols. Harmony and happiness seemed to fill the city.
At that moment, Chris turned to answer something, but he tripped with a piece of ice, and then slipped with the melting snow in one of the kerbs, falling on the ground, and groaning, more annoyed than in pain. Bianca had not let him go, and therefore, she fell with him; over him, actually, chuckling soundly.
"I don't now why this is so funny!" protested Chris, trying to stand up.
Someone came to help them. "Are you ok?" the man asked.
Chris nodded and grumbled again: "Yeah, thanks." But then he fell again, and his hat fell off his head. "Shoot!" he exclaimed, hearing how Bianca, who was still on the ground, laughed heartily now.
The man shrugged and went on his way, seeing that things seemed to be under control, somehow.
Bianca took the hat before Chris could, and put it on his head unceremoniously. "You see?? This is one of the funniest things that snow has!" she said between laugh and laugh.
Chris put on his hat in the proper way and mumbled: "Yeah, sure..." But then his eyes crossed Bianca's, who could not stop laughing, and he himself ended up smiling and shaking his head. "Ok, you win. This was funny... Any idea of how to get up again?? I am freezing, I'd love to buy those presents for the kids, and then go back and have a great hot shower."
Bianca smiled cockily and approached her face to his, without standing up. Then she whispered: "Well, don't know how to give you warm water but I know how to warm you up a little, honey..." And she kissed him softly in his lips.
Chris smiled again and gave her back the kiss, passionately, ignoring how the people walking in the streets stopped and looked at them. They didn't mind at all.
& & & & &
"WYAAAT!" Piper yelled, desperately, with a needle in her hand and thread in the other one, looking at the ceiling. Paige chuckled and shook her head. "Dad is coming and he's gonna be angry because you're not ready, and then, Santa is not gonna bring you anything!!"
"Piper, I understand the poor little kid. That disguise is... well... how to say it... kinda interesting," Paige said, seeing how Piper turned to her angry.
"Well, it is, but this is his disguise for the play in the magic school, which is in a couple of hours and Wyatt has the main role, so... Please, stop looking at me and orb after my son and bring him back!"
Paige raised her hands defensively: "Ok, ok... I'll go. But Wyatt is not going to forgive you this in his entire life!" And then she orbed looking for Wyatt, who had orbed before trying to hide from his mother for the third time.
Piper sighed and sat down tiredly. Little Chris and Hope moaned in their sleep, and she moved their cradles a little bit, but they kept on sleeping. "Good kids, you too. Wyatt should learn from you, huh??" she mumbled, staring pleased at them.
& & & & &
The store was huge, but there was a mass of people inside. Chris looked over the heads in front of him, as Bianca sighed, hanging from his arm and out of any sight behind all those tall people. The line was so long!! And Chris looked kind of desperate.
"Nothing," he sighed, relaxing when he felt defeated. "There must be like 10 of those toys and fifty people to probably get them. I wish I could orb!"
Bianca elbowed him in his waist, and he bent a bit over himself as he laughed: "Watch your tongue, Chris!"
"I can barely hear you, Bianca! No one is gonna hear this," he whispered to her ear.
"Just in case," she said resolute, looking at the front. Chris smiled, but said nothing back. "Ok, I am gonna try something. You just stay here in the line," added Bianca after being thoughtful for some seconds.
Chris frowned: "But..."
But she had already let go off his arm and left. Chris observed her and then shook his head and sighed, skipping a little bit to see how many boxes were left. "Eight... Great," he murmured.
Suddenly, he heard a little cry and then felt a small hand pulling at his jacket. He looked down, surprised, just to meet the eyes of a little girl, around her six or seven. She had long dark hair and her blue eyes were full of tears.
"Sir..." she said once and again, pulling at his jacket, and sobbing at the same time. Chris glanced at the line for a second and then turned to her. "Seven, only seven left..." he said to himself, squatting a little bit to be as tall as her: "Why are you crying sweetie? Are you lost??" he asked, caressing her hair lovingly, and smiling comfortingly at her. She nodded and sobbed again.
Chris looked around: "And your mom was here, in the store??" She nodded again. Then he pressed her cheek between his fingers: "Ok, we're gonna talk to the security guard and find..."
"No..." she sobbed, pulling at him again.
Chris stared at her surprised and frowned: "Well, they will find her more easily than me... I..."
"No..." the girl shook her head again, peremptorily. "Mom always says that you can help me when I am in trouble, that I must look for you and call you."
"ME??" Now Chris was shocked. He looked around, searching for Bianca and her help with his eyes. But she was nowhere to be seen. "Listen..." he looked to her neck. There was a pendant there with her name, probably: "Listen, Annie. You must be wrong. You don't know me, I..." he didn't know how to explain that, without hurting her, but he needed to find that guard and her mother, and then the toy for Wyatt as soon as possible. And if he left now, Bianca was gonna be too worried.
"I am not wrong, I know who you are."
Chris was standing up and about to take her little hand, when he heard that and looked at her, confused: "You know who I am?? And... Who am I?" he asked back, fearing that the Cleaners hadn't done their job well.
"You're my guardian angel," the girl said very confidently, cleaning her tears with her sleeve.
Chris's jaw dropped at that, and he felt her hand pressing his even stronger than before. "I am not... a guardian angel," he said. Well, he wasn't, not exactly... And he was starting to feel that he was stepping on dangerous ground...
But Annie went on: "You are. You are a guardian angel. I can see it, the colors around you. Dad taught me to see them."
"Colors?? Ok, we're gonna find your mom and..." Chris said nervously, starting to walk. What was she talking about?
"Annie!! Oh, my God, thanks God you're here..." a woman had knelt down by her and was hugging her. Annie let go off his hand, but Chris didn't move, still shocked. "Thanks sir... I don't know... don't know what happened. I never lose her, I..."
"It's ok." He smiled. "She's fine. And this is a toy store, the best place to get lost, isn't it, Annie?" he said, stroking her hair.
Her mother smiled, but the girl cut her off: "He's my guardian angel, mom. I found him, as dad said. I saw his colors, don't you see them??"
Chris frowned again and looked at the woman, in search for an explanation, but she just put her daughter the hat on and smiled at Chris embarrassed: "She's just... just a girl... I am sorry..."
Chris nodded, surprised: "It's fine... Don't worry."
The woman smiled again and took Annie with her, saying goodbye. Chris stayed back, staring at them, very shocked and pensive, and then Annie turned smiling and waved at him. He answered back, and kept staring at her.
"Great, Chris! I leave you for a while alone, taking care of the line, and you lose the line and the toys!!"
Chris turned to find Bianca behind him, and no more toys on the shelves. But she waved a box in front of his eyes triumphantly: "Thank that I am here to solve everything!"
"How did you...?" Chris started, but she put a finger on his lips.
"It's my secret..." she winked. Then turned to go to the counter and pay. Chris sighed and looked back, but the mother and the girl had already disappeared among the crowd. Colors... Angels... That had been weird. Then he followed Bianca.
& & & & &
As soon as Phoebe came home from work she took off her coat and boots and entered the living room. Piper was still trying to get her son's costume fixed. The empath smiled enthusiastically: "Oh my little nephew will be sooooooo cute as the snowman!"
Paige looked at her sister and then shook her head about her bahavior. It was like Phoebe was a little hyperactive... She reminded her of a busy elf from a Christmas tale and that thought made Paige smile. "Hopefully he won't forget his text again..." she then said, turning back to Piper smiling.
"PAIGE!" Piper exclaimed annoyed. How could she dare to doubt her son's abilities in acting.
"He has two lines to say in that five-minute kindergarten play... I think he will do it perfectly," Phoebe replied and smiled proudly at the little boy who was now wrapped in some fluffy white fabric.
Piper looked at her youngest sister and smiled: "See... that's how an aunt should behave!"
"Where is Cole?" Phoebe than asked.
"Attic" the other two replied at the same time, while Wyatt used the distraction to orb away again. Phoebe nodded grinning and went upstairs, while Piper looked demanding at Paige who immediately followed the boy.
& & & & &
When Phoebe reached the attic she found her husband standing in front of the shelf with the magical ingredients, a book in one hand and some celeriac in the other. Then he turned back to the table where she noticed some parsley and lots of mustard seeds. Curious she went closer.
"What are you doing here, do you want to beat Piper in making the best sauce for the turkey??"
Cole turned around startled, then he placed the book and celeriac on the table to hug his wife. "Welcome back," he said before he kissed her lovingly.
Phoebe smiled at his lips. "Oh how I missed that, but..." she was still curious, "that doesn't answer my question."
Cole grinned: "No... actually I'm preparing myself for my new job."
"You what? I thought you wanted to work as lawyer again?"
He nodded still looking deep in her eyes. Smiling he rubbed his nose to hers then he said: "Yeah, I will... but our nephew asked me to teach a new subject at the school..."
"An new one? Another new one?" Phoebe said kind of shocked. Since Chris had taken over the control there, he had put lots of new classes on the plan, from casual math (so that the kids didn't only learn magic there) to martial arts/self defending. "What's it this time?"
Cole smiled even more: "Potion-making with..."
"Potion-making? We already have that!" she interrupted him.
He shook his head: "Potion-making with casual ingredients... No spider-legs or fairy-wings... Just what you can find in nature... or the kitchen..."
Phoebe looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh..." she muttered. Then she turned to the table: "And what will this be for? Celeriac, parsley and mustard??" It was a weird combination.
Now Cole grinned mischievous: "That my dear, will be a love potion!"
Phoebe's head shot around to him again. Frowning she asked: "Are you kiddin'?"
"I'm not... see how important that class is?" he said smiling and pulled her in his arms again, kissing her.
& & & & &
Victor was humming 'Rudolf the Red-nosed Raindeer' while he packed the last stuff in his bag. He had never been so excited about Christmas since countless years... the last time he had felt like that, was the last Christmas they had spent as family, before he and Patty got divorced.
But this year would be even better, he was sure about that. His family had invited him to come over for the whole week, to stay there at the new built guestroom... to spent Christmas with all of them and also New Years Eve.
He couldn't wait to see the kids again. They surly had grown a lot since he saw them the last time nearly a month ago. And he was really excited about that school play where Wyatt would be the snowman.
He couldn't wait that Chris and Bianca would come to pick him up. They said they would do that on their way back from the shopping... Victor smiled. Last minute shopping... He himself had bought the gifts for them over two weeks ago...
He had heard in the news that it had snowed in San Francisco, and that the meteorologists were expecting more snow the next days, even in LA. "That will be a wonderful Christmas," he said to himself as he closed the bag and sat down on his sofa. Now all he had left to do, was wait...
& & & & &
"Silas... What are you doing?" Yuri's amused voice startled him a little bit, making him lose his balance and fall from the ladders where he was standing while he had put some ornaments on a huge tree in the middle of the main meeting lounge of the Elder world. Yuri took her hands to her mouth, fearing he would hurt himself, but Silas, who had covered his head with his arms, orbed just in time not to hit the floor. Second later he reappeared lying on it, and sighed.
"Don't... Just, don't do that again... Please," he begged, trying to stand up, still trembling because of the sudden fall.
Yuri burst into laughter and went to him to help him stand. "I am so sorry, Silas! I could not help it when I saw you putting all those... lights and Santas and red cherries in here... This is the first time I see this place so... 'Christmassy'."
"And don't you like it?" Silas asked innocently, once he was up again, as he dusted his long white and golden robe. The entire day he had been thinking about how to ornate the place so that everyone liked it up there, modern Elders as much as conservatives.
"Yes..." she murmured as she took a look around herself, amused. "It's... interesting."
At that moment, when Silas was going to answer, Odin appeared in the room carrying a pile of packets: "Silas, please, could you help me here with this??"
"Yeah, sure, I am..." Silas rushed to his friend, ignoring Yuri for a second, who was staring at them amazed.
"You, too?" she exclaimed. "Oh, my God, is it Christmas spirit, that came here and enchanted you all??"
At that, Odin and Silas, who were leaving the packets under the beautiful tree, started to laugh out loud: "It was the Halliwell spirit, actually: Father and son. They had this great idea. You know Chris..."
"Yes, yes, yes..." Yuri sighed, smiling: "We need more life here."
"Aha," the two Elders answered at the same time.
"So... I guess we just need a Santa!" Yuri exclaimed, approaching them in order to help.
Then, Odin half smiled and look at Silas, who nodded: "Actually..."
& & & & &
"Ho, ho, ho!! Ho, ho, ho!! Ho, ho, ho!!"
Leo rolled his eyes and John laughed heartily. "Jeremiah is completely IN the role," he commented while he helped Leo with the decoration of the magic school for the play. The above-mentioned Elder was walking from one corner to the other, ringing a bell and caressing the long white beard he was now wearing.
Leo shook his head, smiling: "I think he's gonna scare the kids..."
John smirked: "No... Believe me, they're gonna love him, he'll be the best Santa in the entire history." Leo smiled too and folded his arms on his chest, leaving everything just to look at the Elder.
"Ho, ho... ehem..." Jeremiah stopped right in front of them: "You think these "hos" are very loud, or very... round? What do you think?" he grinned, waiting for an answer.
Leo and John exchanged looks and then shrugged: The kids were about to start arriving, and he himself had to go and get Wyatt for the last rehearsal, so Leo just said: "Perfect. You're perfect. The best Santa in the entire history."
Jeremiah smiled and turned his back to them: "Ho, ho, ho!!"
John chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand and turning his head a little bit, as Leo smiled widely and shook his head again: "This is gonna be great."
& & & & &
Victor was about to take a sip from the cup of tea he had just prepared, when orbing lights filled the lounge making him spill it all on the floor: "Oh, no..." he complaint.
Chris ran to him, consternated, and Bianca smiled and went to the kitchen looking for a mop to clean it. Victor smiled at his grandson, who had left all the bags and packets on the floor.
"I am sorry, grandpa... I promise I will never ever orb here again... I..."
But Victor smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, noticing his worries: "It's ok, son. Just forget it. The floor is covered with dust and liquids. This will just add beauty and originality to it."
Chris laughed and stood up helping him do the same, when Bianca arrived and cleaned it as fast as she could.
"So you're ready, Victor?" she asked, going back to the kitchen with the sponge and towel.
He nodded: "Yeah, of course, I wanna be the first one there! Wyatt is going to be awesome." Chris smiled and Bianca did the same, showing her head from the kitchen.
"Do you mind if I go first to the toilet?" she asked, heading to the little bathroom by the kitchen.
"Yeah, sure, just go " Victor said, shrugging.
But then, Chris looked at him very serious: "Can we two sit here for a while? I need to talk."
Victor frowned, but nodded. He didn't like it when Chris sounded that way. That expression was not good. Something had happened.
But the Elder-witch noticed and smiled, sitting down by his side: "Don't worry, grandpa. It's just..." He didn't know how to start. Suddenly, he turned to him very serious and asked: "Do you believe in angels?"
This caught Victor completely by surprise. First, he looked at him with a weird expression in his face; then, he looked at him from head to toe, and finally he smirked sarcastically: "You're kidding, aren't you?" But Chris was serious, so he turned serious too: "Chris, you are... I mean..."
"No, no, no, grandpa, I am not an angel! I mean, I am magic... I am a witch and an Elder, but this is not the same..."
"Well... I always thought that your father used to say that whitelighters are like ang..."
But Chris shook his head energetically: "I am talking about true angels. Guardian angels. Whitelighters and Elders and witches belong to the world of magic, but guardian angels... You know, for me they were always like Santa Claus or the tooth fairy... You know what I mean..."
Chris looked him in the eyes, begging, and Victor was so shocked by the question he didn't know what to say: "Chris... You're magical... And Santa is magical... If another person had asked me that I would have understood, but you... This is your world!"
"You mean you believe in them?" Chris asked back.
Victor took some time to answer. That was very hard. Chris had already told him that they used to talk a lot but he never thought he would have to talk about... Santa! Especially when he was in his twenties.
"Don't you?" he asked, eluding his grandson's question.
Chris smirked sadly: "You mean if I did... I am not a baby..."
Victor took a big breath, and then he laughed uncomfortably: "Of course, I mean... didn't you believe in Santa??"
At that Chris's expression saddened. "Well, yeah... Until Wyatt told me the truth. He said that Santa and the tooth fairy and guardian angels didn't exist at all. That I was a naive and a child and that if I went on believing those things I would die soon."
"Oh, my..." Victor was shocked at that: "How old were you?"
Chris shrugged, uncomfortable: "Four or five... don't remember. I don't know if Wyatt was already starting to behave... You know. I don't know how these things came to his mind, but... It was shocking, grandpa. You used to tell me that guardian angels were always there and all that... I didn't listen to him. I mean, I did, I started to think of it. But then... when all that... You know, when the aunts, and mom... died." He swallowed. "I had believed in guardian angels I had hope, but not even dad appeared."
Victor frowned. That was going to be hard: "Chris... Things are complicated... You are magical. I know, this is real life for you, but for me, you're like Santa, or the tooth fairy." Chris smiled at that, but kept listening: "I believe in you, because I have seen you. But some people believe in you even though they haven't seen you. Some people believe in magic. So for me, if you exist, Santa, the tooth fairy and guardian angels can exist too." He paused, feeling he was more rambling than helping, but Chris looked very pensive at the moment. Victor put his hand on his knee: "Son... Why do you ask this precisely now??"
Chris looked him in the eyes again, with his own teary and swallowed. He was going to answer, but Bianca came back: "Ok... Ready for the performance?"
Chris dried his eyes immediately with his sleeve and stood up: "Ready." Victor nodded, and took his hand, ready to orb.
Bianca went to him, took the packets and looked at his face for a second, but if she had seen his distress, she kept it for her.
"Let's go!"
& & & & &
Steve sighed as he closed another book. He sat in the empty library, still trying to find a way to solve his problem. 'How to vanquish your own family' he thought sarcastically. And the next moment he winced at that thought. How could he do that? But there was something wrong in his own statement. Those demons weren't exactly family, not for him. His mom was family, Nicki was family, Tom was and Veronica too, in a way... even Chris was family, but not them... Not those demons...
He felt again the anger rise inside him, while he thought about that disgusting way he had been conceived. But that didn't matter anymore.
He leaned back and closed his eyes thinking about Nicki. She was somewhere around there. Steve had insisted that they would stay at the school as long as he hadn't found a way to deal with his 'relatives'. It was just safer. And for nothing in this world he would take the risk of her being hurt.
Chris didn't mind that they stayed at the school, because at the moment there was more than enough to do, and every helping hand was welcome. So at the moment Nicki was somewhere backstage to prepare the presentation of the first and second grade.
'Nicki...' he smiled as his mind was spinning around her, his beautiful, lovely, adorable girlfriend. She was even more than that. She was all he ever wanted. She was all he needed.
It was an amazing thing how much life could change in one and a half year. He remembered the day of their graduation, how Phoebe had smiled at them while she gave them their diploma. And how Chris later came to ask him and the others to stay at the school as teachers.
Of course they all accepted, who would have not? At that time life was just great, great and easy. At that time he had thought he was just an ordinary witch.
He shook his head. 'And now? How do we celebrate our first Christmas together?' he thought. 'God, we haven't even a tree.'
'Speaking of this...' Tom suddenly entered interrupted his friends thought, talking to him through their connection, 'we could need you down here in the hall.'
'Tom? God since when have you been in my mind?' Steve asked back kind of annoyed.
'Long enough to notice that you need some distraction, so come down here... the play is starting in a couple of minutes anyway...'
Steve sighed: 'I'm on the way.'
& & & & &
As Leo arrived backstage with Wyatt, Miss Leenett smiled. "Oh there is our little superstar," she said caressing Wyatt's cheek.
Leo smiled proudly and then asked: "Is everything ready?"
Miss Leenett smiled back at him: "There is the usual trouble with the 9th grade, but else everything is ready to start."
The Elder sighed. The 9th grade was a group of trouble makers. He just hoped they would act like adults for just one single day. He so much wanted this to be perfect. His son, and also all the other teachers, had put so much work into this... they all deserved a great play.
Meanwhile Wyatt was walking around among the other kids. Then he spotted Jeremiah, giving his costume the last touch. He went over to him and tugged at his coat.
The Elder looked down and smiled: "Oh, Wyatt... you look cute!"
Wyatt didn't react to this, instead he asked: "Won't Santa be angry when you play him?"
Jeremiah couldn't help but smile widely as he knelt down and hugged the boy. Then he looked in to the child's eyes: "Don't worry... You know, Santa is very busy and... he can't be here on his own, because he has to prepare all the gifts for the kids. So... actually he's happy that people like me are helping him a little."
Wyatt smiled. That explanation was well enough for him. He nodded and added: "You really look like him." Then he returned to his dad.
Jeremiah followed him with his eyes. This was all so amazing. And he asked himself the same question, like so many times before in the last months. 'How could I ever have doubts about Chris?' He shook his head smiling. He really didn't know.
& & & & &
Victor took a deep breath when he and the others finally rematerialised at the school. He already became more used to the whole orbing-thing, but four times in a row (from his home to the manor's living room, then to the guest room, then back to the living room and then to the school) was a little too much for just five minutes.
He looked around, amazed about the mass of people walking around. Victor had been at the school a couple of times already, but only in the afternoon or at the holidays, so he was kind of surprised that there were so much people around.
"Are all those people witches?" he asked.
Piper grinned: "Witches, sorcerers, whitelighters, and also some other magical beings, and some humans, of course."
"And lot's of mixtures," Bianca added, looking down at the baby-girl in her arms with that loving smile only a mother can giver her child.
"Alright... I guess we should go and get a seat..." Phoebe said excited. Cole, who was holding her hand, smiled about her excitement and kissed her, passionately.
"What was that for?" the empath asked after he had released her.
He smiled: "Just for you being you."
The others grinned about the couple. Then Paige turned to Piper: "I hope the potion will work."
Piper smiled understandingly: "Don't worry, it'll bring Kyle here as soon as he throws it to his feet."
"I hope so..."
"Ok," Chris took over the word, "you go and take a seat in the hall... and I go and play the headmaster."
Everyone could hear the little unsureness in his voice. Everyone of them knew that Chris didn't like those kind of speeches at all. "Oh, don't worry," Bianca tried to calm him down, "you're opening speech is great... it will just be two minutes... and then you'll come down to us and enjoy the show..."
The Elder-witch grinned nervous: "Alright... Save me a seat." Then he gave his wife a soft kiss and orbed away.
(Chapter 1 written by Belén and Chrissy.W.x)