In Love, Actually.
A/N: So here's the deal, if you read Back to the Past, you can skip this author's note and get to the good stuff. On the off chance there are new readers well you don't need to know much. I'm planning on re-introducing the characters as I go along and generally summing it up but if you think it would help go read BttP, or at least just the epilogue, that will probably sum most things up.
But hopefully if you can't be bothered it should affect you too much. If you have any questions or anything that is unclear just ask and I won't hesitate to clarify it for you.
Oh but you should probably know this quick little family background, just in case it isn't all that clear as I go along.
1st of all this is the good future where Wyatt isn't evil, that's kind of an important one. But instead, in a cruel twist of fate (for Chris and Patricia) he became the good one who is an excellent student and rarely gets into trouble.
Patricia is Wyatt and Chris' little sister who is about 14, who like Chris seems to have a flair for encouraging her parents to ground her at regular intervals.
Phoebe is married to Jason which whom they have 1 daughter, Polly, 11.
Paige's boyfriend Adam is also a witch and they have a daughter Petulia, 12.
Katie is Chris' best friend but has recently started going out with Wyatt much to Chris' discomfort.
As I've said if you need anything cleared up just ask.
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Chapter 1: Graduation
"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, get your graduating ass down the stairs this instant!" yelled Piper Halliwell.
"No!" came the muffled reply from upstairs.
"Piper, sweetie, you've been yelling at him for ten minutes," said Phoebe. "I don't think he's coming down. I think he can sense the cameras."
"Oh he's coming down alright," said Piper determinedly."We worked so hard to get to today, making reservations, managing to get Chris to wear a tie, vanquishing all the demons that could possibly attack . . ."
"Ssh!" said Paige. "They'll hear you and come and ruin the day!"
"In fact, that's probably them now," said Chris, going over to the door, glad of the distraction.
He opened the door to find his best friend Katie standing there all dressed up.
"Hey," she said giving him a quick hug before walking on in to the hallway.
"Hey yourself," he said closing the door behind her.
"Hi Katie," said Phoebe, giving her a little wave.
"So where's the man of the hour?" asked Katie looking about for Wyatt.
"Cowering in his room," said Patricia, coming down the stairs. "And refusing to come out. Sorry mom I tried."
"It's ok sweetie," said Piper, through gritted teeth.
"Chris, should we be worried that the vein in your mom's head is throbbing like that?" Katie whispered to Chris.
"Oh, no happens all the time when she's intensely angered or irritated. It may be the first time Wyatt has ever provoked 'the vein' before though," said Chris.
"He's just being stubborn and refusing to leave his room in that ridiculous graduation gown. Like we care!" said Patricia, walking over to them. "I swear my brother can be such an idiot at times," she said. "And Wyatt isn't exactly being Mr. Rational right now either," she said grinning at Chris.
"Hey!" he protested. "I'm not an idiot."
"That's it!" said Piper, who was by now tapping her foot impatiently. "Wyatt if you are not in this hall within the next thirty seconds I swear to God I will ban you from ever leaving this house ever again."
"But I look like an dork!" whined Wyatt, who had now made it out of his room and onto the landing.
"No change there then," said Chris.
"Hey!" said Katie, swatting Chris with the back of her hand. "His girlfriend, standing right here! And I'll have you know that I happen to think he's one very cute dork."
"Well I always have said you needed glasses," said Chris who was rewarded for his comment with a swift dig in the ribs.
"Well the faster you get down here, the quicker we get to the ceremony where you can blend in with all your dorky looking friends. We all had to do it so suck it up and don't make your entire family and your girlfriend, wait on you any longer," said Piper. "We're getting more and more impatient and with every growing second you are not in this hall the chances of you ever seeing daylight again are getting progressively slimmer!"
"Wow she's good," said Katie.
"I know," said Chris and Patricia simultaneously, both with similar looks of contempt. Both had suffered severely at the hand of their mother's disciplinary flair.
"No they're not!" insisted Wyatt. "Most of them don't care! Dad, Jason and Adam are in the living room watching the game and I'm sure my graduation is the most unwanted thing ever right now from the cheers and groans which keep coming from in there. Polly and Petulia, well I don't know where they are but I know they're not in the hall and so don't care."
"They're in the car, which we sent them to twenty minutes ago so if they die from oxygen deprivation you know who we're going vanquish!" said Paige.
"Vanquish?" asked Katie as Phoebe quickly stood on Paige's foot. "Yeah, just a fancy word for kill."
"They're 12 and 11!" said Wyatt. "They're smart enough to know to crank open a window!"
"Wyatt, if you come down now I won't be angry," said Piper in a sweet voice.
Really?"
"Really," assured Piper.
"Are there cameras down there?" asked Wyatt, who sounded like he was getting closer to the top of the stairs
The Charmed Ones all looked at each other and slowly placed the cameras they were all holding in their bags or behind their backs.
"Ok then," said Wyatt coming down the stairs with his arms folded. As soon as he came into view, Patricia let out a large snort of laughter while Chris tried to muffle his laughs by placing his hand over his mouth, even Katie was smiling.
Wyatt automatically turned and started walking back up the stairs. "Hold it there mister," said Piper.
"My little brother and sister are laughing at me!" exclaimed Wyatt.
"Just get down here, sweetie," said Piper, smiling at him.
Wyatt reluctantly descended the stairs and as he passed his Piper, she slapped him round the back of the head.
"But you said. . .!"
"I know what I said now get out of this house before I hit you again," she said.
"Dude, you look, ridiculous," said Chris.
"Shut up," said Wyatt, hitting his brother with his hat.
"Well I think you look adorable," said Katie, going on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss.
"Great that's really the look I was going for," said Wyatt, rolling his eyes as he went out into the driveway.
"Ok, now for the hard part," said Piper, marching into the living room. Her sisters followed suit, knowing she was going to need all the help she could get on this one.
"Ok we finally got all the kids out of the house, so you can all go now," she said to the three men on the sofa, who didn't even so much as look away from the TV screen.
"Ok, ok, after the next inning," said Leo.
"Let me rephrase," said Piper. "Get out of the house now."
"In a minute," whined Adam.
"Try now!" said Phoebe, marching over to the TV and turning it off.
Tutting, Jason lifted the remote and turned it back on.
Paige, waved her hand at it, "Remote," she said as it disappeared in a swirl of blue lights.
"Where'd you put it?" asked Jason.
"Oh somewhere in the Amazonian Rainforest, where it will remain if you don't move," said Paige, rationally.
Suddenly Adam's head drooped and his astral self appeared. Then it dematerialised in soft red lights and when it appeared again, it had the TV remote in it's hand. It then walked over to it's sleeping form and become one with again, turning on the TV.
"Oh no you didn't," said Paige, folding her arms.
"Finally! A use for the progression of astral projection!" said Adam to Jason and Leo.
"Leo Wyatt!" yelled Piper in shock. "It is your eldest son's graduation and you can't even be bothered to remove yourself from the TV!"
"So we'll be a little late," said Leo.
"You did not just say that!" said Piper. "Get of that couch now!"
"But sweetie, it's Giants versus the Marlins!"
"But sweetie, I don't care," said Piper, blowing up the remote with a swift hand gesture. "The TV's next," she warned.
The three men literally got up and sprinted out of the room as Piper dusted of her hands, a certain sense of self satisfaction taking over.
"Nicely handled Piper!" said Phoebe, giving her sister a round of applause, and Paige joined in.
"Yeah, screw the club owning business you should be like a prison warden!" said Paige.
"And on that weird note, let's not be hypocrites and keep everyone back. To the cars, before we're late!" said Piper, ushering them out of the house.
"Oh and Wyatt," said Katie, just as he was about to get into the car. "We lied," she said, quickly raising her camera and taking a picture.
"Give it here!" said Wyatt, as he chased her around the garden.
"Chris!" she yelled throwing the camera over his head and into his brother's hands.
"Chris . . ." warned Wyatt, slowly advancing towards him.
"Say cheese!" said Chris, taking another picture before running round to the other side of the car with the camera, his older brother chasing him. "Chris don't be so immature give it back!" said Wyatt.
"Uh ok," said Chris, stopping, as Patricia came up behind him.
"Really?" said Wyatt.
"Nope," said Chris, braking out in a grin as he passed it to Patricia who took great pleasure of taking another few pictures before scrambling to the other side of the garden.
"Mom! Will you make them stop!" said Wyatt, seeing his mother and aunts leaving the house.
"Aww Wyatt are your little brother and sister picking on you?" asked Piper. "Patricia! Chris! Stop it at once," she said to them sternly. "Give it here," said Piper, gesturing for it.
Patricia reluctantly handed the camera over to her mother, who smiled at took a picture of her son in his graduation robes.
"Mom!" complained Wyatt.
"Oh get over it," said Piper, ruffling his hair. "Now get your ass into the car."
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"I can't believe I actually did it," said Wyatt. "I actually finished high school."
"Yeah neither can I," said Chris. "Then again I think we all did have our doubts, especially towards the end there," he said jokingly.
After the ceremony which they had just about made it in time for, the entire family plus Katie went out to a big fancy restaurant to celebrate.
"Ignore him, we're all very proud of you honey," said Piper.
"Thanks mom," said Wyatt. "It's a little scary that in a few months I'm heading of to college but, onwards and upwards I say."
"Really?" asked Chris. "I say good riddance," he said causing them all to break out a smile and Phoebe to gently swat her nephew on the arm.
"But in all seriousness I'd like to propose a toast," said Chris, raising his glass and looking around the table sincerely. "To Wyatt, for being the first and from looking around this table probably the last Halliwell to graduate with honours since mom. For being accepted into a good college and going of to further his education. Here's to me getting the room to myself!"
They all laughed at Chris' toast and followed it up with a "Here, here."
"Well if you'd care to stop mocking me long enough for me to go to the bathroom I'd much appreciate it," Wyatt told him brother with a smile before getting up and heading for the toilets.
"You know for a second there I thought you were actually going to make a sincere toast," said Katie.
"I was sincere! I meant every word of it," Chris assured her. "I've wanted my own room for years! It's just full of trophies and certificates and sports equipment! It's awful."
"Well you have to say that there have been no further additions since I started dating him," said Katie.
"And for that I am eternally grateful," said Chris. "You Katie Hennessey, are a bad influence. No wonder we are friends."
"Wyatt?"
Wyatt spun round upon hearing his name and smiled when he saw that the voice belonged to his friend Aaron.
"Hey man, what's up?"
"Nothing much, the parents just brought me out a celebratory dinner," said Aaron.
"Same here," said Wyatt. "I mean I said they didn't have to but they insisted, said I'd earned it. I don't think they understood that I just didn't want to go anywhere remotely public dressed like this."
Aaron laughed, "Yeah I know what you mean, seriously if I could find the guy who designed these robes he'd be dead meat."
"Uh I think he died a considerable amount of time ago," said Wyatt.
"Yeah you're probably right," said Aaron. "So I see Katie's here. Is it not weird having her sit with your family, it must be really uncomfortable for her."
"No not at all, I mean her and Chris had been best friends for years before we started going out, so she knows them all pretty well, you know," said Wyatt.
"Do you ever worry about them two?" asked Aaron as Katie gave out a loud laugh at something Chris had said.
"Who?" asked Wyatt turning around, "Chris and Katie? God no, they're just good friends."
"Wow, that's original I've never heard that one before," said Aaron.
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Chris was bored, something that happened very rarely outside of his physic's classroom. Well it wasn't so much that he was bored, but that ever since Wyatt had came back from the bathroom, he had been subjected to listening to Wyatt and Katie talk about coupley things and it was driving him nuts.
Patricia was at the other end of the table, where she had been placed by Piper when a food fight had almost broken out between herself and Chris and although Chris would usually just chat to someone else he couldn't. The sight of Wyatt an, not to mention the queasy feeling it was creating in his stomach.
So excusing himself from the table, he went to the bathroom. He checked that there was no one else there before orbing back to the manor. Upon materialising in the kitchen, he loosened the tie him mother had insisted he wore and threw his jacket to the side.
"Get a hold of yourself man, she's your brother's girlfriend, she's your brother's girlfriend," he mumbled to himself while pouring a glass of water. Just as he was about to start channel surfing, he heard a noise from upstairs. He stopped and listened again, he could definitely hear footsteps . . . and chanting.
Moving quietly, he went into the kitchen and lifted a few exploding potions out of the cupboard. He orbed into the attic to find three demons standing over the book, chanting.
"Surprise!" said Chris throwing to potions at them. Unexpectedly, the glass broke, the potion splattered but nothing happened.
"Uh oh," said Chris. The three demons stopped and two of them began advancing in his direction. He waved his arm and sent them flying across the attic and crashing into the wall.
"Uh Paige!" he yelled calling for his aunt.
"I was worried that I was going to run into the legendary Charmed Ones. Instead I get nothing more than a half whitelighter, a pathetic breed really. You don't have the spirit for the fight in you," said the third demon, who seemed to be the leader.
"Hey! That's half elder, dipshit and my pacifist side isn't exactly thriving," said Chris, looking about the attic.
"Axe," he said with his arms outstretched, calling for the axe he had spotted in the corner. "Lucky for me," he said as he orbed out and then in behind him before swinging the axe and decapitating him, erupting flames. "Not so lucky for you," he told the scorch mark.
"You took your time," said Chris to the blue lights that were appearing in the attic.
"What is the matter?" said Paige, materialising in the attic.
"Demons!" yelled Chris, tossing her the axe as another five demons appeared in the attic as the other two got up.
"I can see that," said Paige, swinging the axe around as they closed in on her and Chris threw them about the attic telekinetically. "But why'd you call me?"
"Cause you can hear me and I didn't want to drag Wyatt away from his graduation party and mom was so insistent that it would be a demon free day that I didn't want to shatter her misguided delusions," said Chris moving one of the demons into Paige's axe.
"Ok, we need to get to the book to find a spell or something," said Paige.
"I've a feeling that is going to be easier said than done," said Chris, as another three demons appeared, surrounding the book and began chanting again.
"Wow, that's getting annoying," said Chris, as he diverted a fireball that was heading towards him with a wave of his hand and sent it back to the demon who had sent it.
"Chris, we are going to need some back up here," said Paige. "We have to stop them and whatever they're doing to the book, but more of these demons keep showing up."
"I know," said Chris reluctantly, as he avoided the sword that was being swung at him. He orbed out just in time before using his telekinesis to trip him up before calling for the sword and using it to vanquish him.
"Patricia!" he yelled at the ceiling. "And bring Aunt Phoebe," he added as an after thought.
"I still hope we can get through this without involving Wyatt or mom," explained Chris.
"Good thinking, Piper is going to blow as gasket when she finds out demons attacked on Wyatt's graduation," said Paige. "Though you know, they are the ones with the most firepower."
"Yeah but they're the last resort," said Chris.
"Woah!"
Chris and Piper turned round upon hearing Patricia's voice and found that the room was frozen.
"So this is what you were up to," said Phoebe. "I was hoping it wasn't demons," she said.
"Yeah well it is and seeing as we all know my freeze doesn't last for very long let's work quickly," said Patricia, looking at the frozen figures about the attic. "So what's the deal with these guys?"
"Don't know," said Chris. "Exploding potions didn't work on them and more of them keep popping up. They seem to be doing some sort of spell on the book."
"Then, quick, grab the book," Phoebe ordered Chris who went over and lifted out of the circle the demons surrounding it had formed.
"Trish, take the book downstairs and find a spell or a potion to get these guys out of here and don't come back until you do," said Paige. "If any of them show up call for us."
"Ok," said Patricia, taking the book of her brother just as the room unfroze. "That's my cue," she said orbing out of the attic and into the kitchen where she frantically began flicking through the pages of the book, looking for demons who matched the ones upstairs. Every time she heard a crash or a yell she fought the instinct to go help out and instead just kept going through the book.
"Hey."
Patricia gave a little yelp upon hearing the voice and squinted before she even saw who it was in the kitchen.
"Oh my God, Adam, I'm so sorry," she said, rushing around to help him of the ground.
"Oh it's ok, this is just my astral form," he said brushing himself off. "Everyone was disappearing so I figured you could use some help. Piper's getting pretty suspicious, she thinks there's demons, not that she said anything, Katie being there and all," he said.
"Well she'd be right," said Patricia going back to the book. "They're up in the attic fighting them right now. They seemed to be after the book so I took it down here and have to figure out a way to get rid of them cause for every one we vanquish another one seems to take it's place," she said trying to catch him up.
"Are you ok here or should I stay and help," he asked.
"Uh, I'm good, go help them," said Patricia.
"Are you sure?" asked Adam. "What if they show up down here looking for the book?"
"I'm a big girl Adam, I can take care of myself," said Patricia. "I've got two active powers plus orbing and I can yell really loud," she added with a smirk. "Go," she insisted.
With that Adam raced for the stairs and Patricia continued to look through the book. "Ah ha!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "Minooki demons, have the ability to . . . oh who cares," she said, scanning on down for the spell to vanquish them.
"Ah crap it's power of three," said Patricia. "I'm going to have to get mom. Ugh she's going to be so pissed," she said orbing out.
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"Patricia, sweetie, there you are, I was wondering where you got to," said Piper. "I don't suppose you've seen your brother or your aunts?" she asked. "Even Adam's disappeared on us!"
"Sorry, no haven't seen them, but mom can I see you over here for a moment," she said.
"What about?"
"Uh, I'm having hair issues, my clips keep coming loose I swear it's like they're demonic or something," she said, hoping she'd take the hint.
"Oh," sad Piper, taking her napkin off her lap and placing it on the table.
"You know, I can help you with that," offered Katie.
"No, no Katie, don't worry, I'll go," said Piper, getting up and taking her daughter's hand as they rushed off into the bathroom so they could orb out.
"You're family have a serious habit of going of like that," said Katie. "Including you."
"Yea," said Wyatt, shifting in his chair, listening carefully in case some one called for him. "What can I say, we're flaky like that."
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"Huh, and you didn't call for me why?" asked Piper as she strolled into the attic after freezing the room.
"Uh, hi Piper," said Phoebe, detangling herself from the demon she's been fighting.
"We didn't want to bother you," said Chris, glaring at his little sister.
"Oh, don't look at me like that, it was a power of three spell," said Patricia.
"Yeah can we please say it and get back before Katie gets anymore suspicious?" said Piper, taking her sisters' hands.
"We call upon all the magic throughout time,
To vanquish this evil and with this rhyme
May they cease to exist for all of eternity,
We do this now with the Power of three," they read from the piece of paper Piper had taken from Patricia.
The room unfroze as the demons in the room exploded in flames, leaving nothing but scorch marks and ashes.
"Ok people, let's orb out!" commanded Piper.
"Uh guys?" said Phoebe. "I'm not feeling so well," she said as she began to sway.
Thinking quickly, Chris moved the sofa telekinetically across the attic so Phoebe landed on it.
"I'll go get her some water," said Patricia, leaving the room to head for the kitchen.
"Sweetie, are you ok?" asked Piper with concern, as both her and Paige moved to sit beside their sister.
"Uh I think so," said Phoebe. "I just feel really light headed, and nauseous."
"That's not like you," said Paige, stroking her hair. "Have you done anything out of the ordinary, eaten anything funky?"
"You didn't happen to eat that casserole that was in the fridge did you cause Wyatt made that," said Chris.
"Did you? Cause Chris is right, that'll probably do it," said Piper. "I mean I love my son dearly but he clearly got his culinary skills or lack there of from his father."
"No, nothing!" said Phoebe, putting her head in her hands. "I know better to eat anything Wyatt has been near!"
"Here you go," said Patricia, handing her aunt a glass of ice cold water.
"Thanks honey," said Phoebe, taking it of her.
As they did, they touched fingers and Patricia was pulled into a premonition.
"Oh my God Aunt Phoebe!" she squealed excitedly, "You're pregnant!"
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A/N: Ok, crap opening chapter, I know but I'm one to slowly ease into things such as plot! Besides I couldn't think of any other way to start this story so I figured you'd rather have a bad chapter now than an acceptable one several months later.
Well there you go, please review!