Title: The Past Takes A Halliwell.
Summary: Haunted by the memories of his mistakes and a mysterious set of dreams, Chris Halliwell ponders start to lose a grip on who he is or was.
Timeline: Set in late 2028, after the Wyatt and Chris's time travel to 2006 in Forever Charmed. Age check: Wyatt (26), Chris (24), Melinda (22), Twins (21), Prue (20), Henry (19).
Notes: This is my own little theory regarding Chris's timeline changes and particular origin and his connection to the Charmed One's past.
Chapter 1:
I spend too much time thinking these days. It's unavoidable really. I've always been a workaholic. And my line of work requires me to be… well, to be a watcher. To keep an eye on things so they don't get out of hand. To prevent the bad from happening or, if does happen, contain it as best as I can. And this just leaves me with a lot of time to reflect on my thoughts… my life. Lately, it's just more than a bit annoying.
So what do I do for a living, you ask?
I'm… well, for lack of a better word, a Guardian Angel. The correct term is Whitelighter. We're magical agents sent to earth to guide people who are meant to do great good in the world on their right path. Most of these people are magical in nature too. They're known as Witches. And are often quite stubborn about listening to us. Lucky for them I also happen to be part witch. And one who has broken more rules than probably anyone. At least anyone who hasn't turned to the side of evil.
The thing is, even if some of my colleagues question my methods, I'm pretty good at what I do. And because I'm willing to go where they won't I'm quite demanded. Not that my bosses would ever admit to that. They know the consequences that come with the way I do things. And they rather not be caught approving any of it. And hey, I can't blame them. I have to live with the choices I made. And frankly, I'm not sure I'll be able to much longer. Not if things keep on like this…
But I can't focus on that right now.
Right now I sit on the ledge of a building. Waiting for my charge. She's a cute kid, bit on the Goth side, just coming into her powers. She's a Fire Starter. Dangerous species in my line of work. They tend to be the ones easier sway to the side of evil. We call it the Hot Head complex. You see, when someone just awakens as a witch, there's a 48 hour window for them to choose a side. They can want to use their powers for the good of humanity or be persuaded into using them on innocents and therefore siding with evil.
Yeah, I know. Who the hell comes up with this stuff, right?
Anyways, I met her and explained what was happening. But she's 18 and stubborn and blew me off. And since I can't force her to be good I had to back off and let her do what she wanted. And what she wanted was to spend time with some little jerk-off called Dave. Who also happens to be a Warlock. That is not a male witch as so many people wrongly assume. A Warlock is a witch, yes, but an evil one. One that uses black and demonic magic. They often gain powers after killing good witches. I'm not sure if this Dave person wants my charge for her power or for a playmate, but neither works for me.
So I stalked them for a while. Didn't really bother warning her anymore. Let her play with fire, no pun intended. How else can she learn, really?
They arrived like I expected them too at the rooftop of a building in the middle of the city and started to make out like the hormone filled teenagers they were. They didn't notice me. Cloaking is a very handy ability for a Whitelighter to have. You can basically spy on anyone you want. Don't worry, most of them are too prude-like to ever try this power in some naughty fashion. And I wasn't exactly enjoying the show in a voyeuristic manner either. As they went on macking I noticed there was a third person at their side. Another girl, around their age, who was bound and gagged.
Guess my charge had chosen a side.
Still… I didn't reveal myself. Not yet. I had to be sure. Maybe there was still hope in her.
Now you're likely judging me. A girl is being held captive by two supernatural creatures that have probably the worse intentions in the world for her and I just plan to sit here and wait and see what happens? Well, yes. I do. As I said before, you may question my methods, but I'm pretty good at what I do.
"I'm not sure about all this…" My charge says after she removes her tongue from his mouth. Teenagers. Ech.
"What is there to doubt? You were given a gift." Dave starts, and I have to admit, his tone of voice and general concerned act is pretty good. "And she tortured you. She humiliated you and your friends. It's time for her to get what she has coming. You can rid this world of her. Of people like her. I'll be here… helping you." It's all the crap teenagers who been bullied want to hear, really. I can see why Dave went this route.
Now the question is what would she do?
She looked at him and looked at the other girl on the floor beside her. She lifted her hand and the fire engulfed her hand, not burning her. She was already pretty skilled despite her short use of it. I didn't move, just watched. She could still choose not to. And call me heartless, but the tied up girl was not my concern, my charge was. Even if she was an innocent.
She pointed the fire at the girl.
I didn't move.
She glared for a long moment. There was hesitation in her still. This is what I was waiting for. There was still a chance she could choose the right side.
Too bad I never got the chance to see what she would've done.
The intended victim disappeared in a familiar shower of blue swirling lights. That's how Orbing looks like. Orbing is the main form of transportation of Whitelighters. With it we can go anywhere in the known worlds just by thinking about it in a manner of minutes or seconds. Of course what I witnessed right now was not a young Whitelighter orbing out to safety. No this was a different form of Orbing. One that's limited to certain people in the magical community. Particularly people who are related to me.
In fact, I knew his cocky voice would appear before he opened his mouth.
"That's enough." He called out as his own form appeared in a different swirl of orb lights behind the now startled teenage couple. He held his right hand out and unleashed what must've been not even half of his full telekinetic power, though you wouldn't know that from how hard Dave hit the brick wall. My charge yelped and seemed to consider using her power against him. Not that my brother gave her the chance. "No." He put her inside a magical force field.
Yes. This blonde endlessly powerful and grumpy looking man is my brother. And this is basically my family's way of butting in when we think someone needs help. Which means I'm going to get lectured in a few minutes.
"Who the hell are you?" Dave the Warlock stupidly asked as he got back to his feet, an energy ball already charged in his left hand. I say stupidly because someone who hasn't even the slightest idea of who Wyatt Matthew Halliwell is can be considered a poor bastard who has no business being evil.
Yes, there's a bit of envy when I say that. What can I say? How can you not have an inferiority complex with this guy? I mean he could use his powers from the womb. Mull that one over.
Wyatt didn't even bother with the guy for long. He deflected the energy ball with his own little orb shield, cause yes, he is capable of that too, thank you very much, and hurled back his own brand of energy attacked, vanquishing the Warlock before he could even utter or hurl anything more. My charge pretty much stood silent and shocked. And who could blame her at this point.
"That is the result of choosing the path of evil." My brother condescended to the traumatized girl as he dropped the barrier he had locked her in. "Go home." The girl didn't exactly need more of incentive than that and was running into the rooftop's door as fast as her trembling legs allowed. "Were you planning on ever intervening on what was going on here?"
That was directed at me. Cloaking is handy for people who aren't that skilled to the detect you, but you might remember me saying my brother is all powerful, so there's no real hiding from him.
"I was." I said, letting my body appear as I walked towards my brother. My eyes gave away just how pissed off I was by his intervention. However I kept a sarcastic smirk on my face. Since I knew that would drive my older brother crazy. "You're the one that stepped in on my plan here."
"Plan?" He spat, almost like I was badmouthing mom or something. "Are you kidding me here?" I simple shrugged. "What is going on with you lately?"
That was a loaded question. And one I didn't really have an answer to. Not that I didn't know the answer. Of course I knew. It was one of the consequences I was having trouble living with now. But it wasn't something I could tell my family. Especially him. So I just stood there for a moment, blinking before I replied.
"I don't know what you're talking about." It wasn't the most convincing way to deflect the topic, but I don't exactly know what Wyatt expected to accomplish by confronting me. He got his way with everyone most of the time, but never with me.
"This thing… you almost left an innocent die. And that's not even the first time you've done this—"
"No one died." I cut before he would list them. I should've expected for those incidents to resurface in some way. I just didn't expect for Wyatt to be the one who would shove them in my face.
"Doesn't make it any right or necessary." I didn't agree, obviously, but I didn't say it. "For the last few months you've been acting completely different. You're cagey, you're putting innocents in the line of fire and you're hanging out with demons—"
"I've always had demonic contacts." I clarify, now showing a little bit more anger than I wanted to. What he was implying bothered me, yeah, but it bugged more that it was him of all people who was doing the accusing.
"Yes, you have. But now that's where most people say that they can find you. Down there." I roll my eyes, and Wyatt controls his urge to punch me, I'm sure. "Something's going on with you and… we're family. I want to help you."
I know he does. But he can't. None of them can. This is my problem to deal with.
"Don't follow me." I say and turn my back to him.
"Chris…" He tries, but I'm already nothing but an orb cloud, drifting in the wind away from his presence. He wants to help. That's good. That's awesome and sweet and the right thing to do. But he can't. None of them know. None of them can understand what it was like.
What it was like to die the way I died.
To Be Continued…