Chris loved Piper with all his heart. It was a shame he couldn't show her. She knew that he cared for her but put that down to his job as a whitelighter. It didn't help that Leo was still hanging around, whispering lies about him to her.
Chris hated lying to her – to them, but he knew it was for the best. He had a mission to complete. If they discovered his identity then they would be distracted from the inevitable problems at hand. At least, Chris preferred that excuse to the niggling terror that they would reject him as Leo had done in his own time but sometimes he just wished he could show them his true self.
It was this line of reasoning that led to the large mirror he recently added to his small room at P3. He now stood before it. Chris sighed and closed the door behind him.
He had mastered the art of glamouring whilst on the run from Wyatt. Chris had been wearing this current one for months but at times like these he wanted to examine his real appearance.
Chris closed his eyes and raised his hand in front of his face. Concentrating hard he lowered his hand to one side and muttered.
"Show a face that once was lost, reveal my truth despite the cost."
When he re-opened his eyes his mouth gaped open in surprise. All the scars he'd amassed over the years covered his body, but it was not this that surprised him. It was the new cuts and bruises that littered his face that startled him. Chris' left cheek in particular was an ugly purple colour, probably thanks to the Xarol demon he'd taken on last night. He was shocked that he hadn't noticed the pain in his jaw sooner, but then again he'd become used to all sorts of pains lately.
He was thin, far thinner than he remembered being but this did not surprise him. He had little time for eating inbetween all the demon hunting. That was how it'd been before and after his visit to the past except before he'd had Bianca to slow him down. He was also unsurprised by the darkened circles that lay underneath his eyes.
Chris sighed. He'd forgotten how short he was in real life! With his glamour Chris had made height a priority otherwise he knew the sisters would never believe he was in his twenties. In reality he was only eighteen but he knew they would never allow him to be their whitelighter if they realised.
He smiled at himself. He may be battered and bruised almost beyond recognition, but this was the real him; take it or leave it. Suddenly the door swung open and Phoebe barged in.
"Hey Chris –" she began, then paused as she took in the battered kid before her. Chris froze, unsure of how to react. "Who are you?" she asked.
Lying had almost become second nature to Chris and he spoke without thinking.
"Ben Woods."
Chris' alias was a real person but he hadn't even been born yet. Chris was glad of this, it meant that maybe he'd be able to change his friend's gruesome fate. He knew his mission was supposed to be for the greater good but considering how his brother was the cause of the greater bad it made several things more personal.
"What are you doing in here? This is a private room."
"I just needed to get away from the crowd." Chris lied.
Phoebe narrowed her eyes but could sense nothing from the stranger.
"Aren't you a bit young to be clubbing?" she asked eventually.
Chris turned away from the mirror to face her properly.
"For your information I am eighteen!" he snapped.
Phoebe gasped and Chris immediately regretted his actions. She could now see his purple, swollen cheek and in turn he could see the cogs turning in her head. Although Wyatt was the one with telekinesis Chris had always been better at reading people. He could tell that Phoebe was currently thinking: innocent to deal with.
"What happened to you?"
"It's fine." Chris said quickly.
"No it's not!" Phoebe exclaimed and grabbed his arm. "You're coming with me!"
Too tired to struggle Chris was dragged along to a table where the other sisters sat.
"Erm – Phoebe? Who's this?" asked Piper.
"Never mind who he is, look at his face!"
Paige gasped.
"Honestly, I'm fine, I should really be going – " He turned and found himself face to face with Phoebe. "Sit." she commanded.
He took in her expression and sat.
"Who did this to you?" said Piper in a voice so tender and concerned it made Chris want to tell her everything.
"No one." he lied.
"You can't honestly expect us to believe that."
Chris said nothing.
"At least let us help clean you up." added Paige.
"Thanks but I can manage." Chris replied, determined to get away from the sisters before they figured him out.
Paige frowned.
"Your voice sounds familiar. Have we met before?"
Chris violently shook his head ignoring the throbbing. He winced.
"You should get something put on that cheek." said Piper.
"Piper I'm fine, it's nothing."
The sisters froze.
"How did you know my name?" she asked.
"It's your club isn't it?" he replied, unperturbed by the question. "I've been one of your regulars ever since my eighteenth birthday."
"I don't remember seeing you." said Piper, but there was clear doubt in her voice.
"Well I am kind of short. You'd have probably heard me rather than seen me amongst everyone."
The sisters seemed to reluctantly accept this story but Chris grimaced. Now he was weaving them two lies; one of Chris the whitelighter and another of Ben the unfortunate teenager. This was the opposite of what he'd wanted.
Phoebe mistook his grimace for one that showed he was in physical pain. He was, but he was too used to it to bother complaining and was far more concerned with the issue at hand.
"I'll get you something for that." she said, standing up.
"Phoebe I'm good, you don't have to – "
"How do you know my name?" she instantly interrupted.
Chris cursed inwardly at his stupidity. There was no talking his way out of this one.
Phoebe re-joined her sisters and stared him down.
"Who are you really?" asked Paige.
He sighed. To him, that was such a big question. He couldn't tell them the entire try but he could try part of it.
"It's me. Chris."
His exhaustion was draining his powers but he managed to replace his glamour. Any remaining sympathy the sisters may have had for him was abruptly replaced by anger.
"Why did you lie to us!?" screeched Piper.
"Again." Phoebe added.
"I'm sorry. I just couldn't let you see – "
"Your latest disguise?" Piper interrupted.
"It wasn't a –" he began but Piper wasn't finished.
"Why should we believe anything you say? I know a glamour when I see one and that was –" she reached out to poke Chris' cheek and he yelled out in pain. Piper quickly withdrew her finger. "Chris?"