Dsiclaimer: I do not owned Charmed

AN: This is a changed future story and I know it has been done many times before but I hope this story has the right combination of angst, humour, romance and whump to make it a winner.

Chapter 1

Piper Halliwell was in a good mood. It was a beautiful morning Melinda had been slightly less moody and full of attitude last night and she had both her boys home for the semester break. Melinda was just finishing her final year at school and her resemblance to Grams was uncanny. Whether that was a compliment would depend on her mood. Chris her 22 year old had just finished his exams two days ago and orbed straight home. Her oldest Wyatt wasn't at school anymore and was now a "probie" with San Francisco police department. Not only were her boys living their independent lives one being a police officer and the other in med school but they were also taking care of most of the demon problems that seemed to constantly arise around their family of witches. This left her with plenty of time to look after her club and her new restaurant. Yes, life was looking good.

Deciding to get started on the copious amount of washing her sons had brought her; Piper didn't think twice when she knocked softly on Chris's door.

"Chris honey, don't mind me. I'm just getting you're dirty…"

It was only after she had walked in and started picking up clothes that Piper noticed the item in her hands was a lacy green bra. She quickly found the owner of the lingerie, lying naked under the covers with her equally unclad son.

Sensing the disturbance in the room Chris opened his large green eyes to his shocked mother and yelled, "MUM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?"

Hurriedly he threw the covers more completely over himself and the girl just as she awoke and squealed. Luckily for her she was able to spin out of the room in a whirlwind of flowers and leaves vanishing along with her clothing from the floor.

"Oh God, I'm going, I'm going." Placing a hand over her face Piper hurried out of the room taking her laundry basket with her.

In her haste Piper didn't notice her husband standing at the top of the stairs and nearly brought the pair crashing down the three flights. Leo grabbed Piper's arms to prevent the accident and looked down into her shocked face with concern.

"Whoa, Piper what is it? Is it a demon?"

Piper just looked back at Leo blankly and said, "Huh?"

"What's all the commotion about up here? Was it a demon?"

"No…No. actually it was a wood Nymph"

Now it was Leo's turn to be confused, "Huh?"

"Well it seems our second youngest, wasn't alone last night, and silly me I just walked in on him and… well the wood Nymph."

Leo quickly choked back a laugh and replaced his smile with the proper parental sternness. "Really… Chris and a wood Nymph?"

"Oh shut up." Piper gently slapped Leo on the arm before continuing down the stairs to start breakfast.

XXXXXX

By the time Chris came downstairs, breakfast was complete. Thinking it the best approach Chris tried to act as if nothing had happened, greeting his mother in a friendly manner before heading straight for the coffee pot.

Unfortunately Piper had another idea, "So, that's how you're going to play it? Just pretend nothing happened." This sort of thing never happened with Wyatt. Chris had always been the ladies man of the family and just like Phoebe very rarely missed having a date on Saturday night. Wyatt was much shyer around girls and had only had a couple of long term girlfriends.

"Yep" Chris said flippantly without turning from the coffee pot.

"Well I don't think so mister. You've been home two days. Do you have nothing to say for yourself?"

Chris sighed. It seemed he wasn't going to get off so easily this time. "Ok mum. I'm sorry that you had to walk in on us. I DEFINETLY wasn't planning it, but I guess my alarm wasn't set properly."

"Well good. Now let's forget this ever happened. Just don't bring anymore girls back to the house… or wood Nymphs"

"Fine by me." Finishing making his coffee Chris went to lean on the island counter where his Mother passed him a plate of gourmet breakfast comprising of toasted sour dough bread covered with sautéed mushrooms. Having a chef for a mother definitely had its perks.

Hoping to get a conversation going after the last awkward topic Chris spoke between mouthfuls "So where are Wyatt and Dad?"

"You're Father's having a shower, and Wyatt had an early shift. How come you didn't ask about Melinda?"

"Mum it's 8 A.M. on a weekend. Unless she has replaced her blood with caffeine since we last talked I don't think Melinda is capable of getting up before 10. So I guess it's just you and me. Just like old times eh?" It was a rare event in which Chris got to spend some alone time with his mother. He had a large family full of very busy people including himself. If it wasn't the club or the restaurant Piper was with her sisters or the rest of their family. When he was younger Chris used to get up especially early on weekends just so he could help his Mother cook breakfast. Considering he used to stay up until obscene hours studying it wasn't so much about the cooking then it was just spending time with his Mother alone. Chris also gained a good appreciation of afternoon naps during his teenage years.

"Don't worry honey, we've got the entire break to catch up."

"Yeah I guess you're right." Suddenly Chris swore and turned his head up to look at the sky. "…Or maybe not."

"Why what is it?"

"The Elders. Who else?"

"But you've only been back two days?"

"Well the deal was I wouldn't have any charges while I'm at Uni and technically since the semester is over... I guess its straight back to work. "

"Well that sucks."

"You're telling me."

Walking over Piper bent down and brushed Chris's hair away from his forehead, kissing it tenderly. Usually Chris would swat her away before she was able to administer this bit of embarrassing motherly affection but today he allowed it. Piper guessed Chris had missed his family more than he was letting on during the semester.

"Ok well make sure you're back before tonight, because the entire family will be over for dinner."

"Is Grandpa coming?"

"He may be…"

"Then I'll be there." With a final mouthful of breakfast Chris disappeared in a flurry of blue orbs. Leaving Piper hoping the Elders weren't getting her youngest son in too much trouble.

XXXXXXX

It was only when most of the family had arrived and dinner was well on its way to being ready that Chris finally managed to get home. Heaving a sigh Chris half collapsed onto the couch immediately after orbing into the lounge room, startling his aunt and cousin as they sat watching television.

"My lecturers at UCSF have nothing on those Elders… I swear they could put red bull to sleep."

Phoebe looked concernedly over at her nephew but upon realizing he wasn't injured and just tired swatted him on the shoulder for scaring her.

"Hey what was that for?" Chris glared at his aunt only to back down quickly when he noticed the death stare she was throwing him.

"Having a long day is no excuse for scaring you're aunt and cousin half to death. "

Realizing what had happened Chris apologized for his abrupt entrance.

Quickly forgiving the tired withlighter Phoebe's curious nature came quickly to the surface "So hun, what did the Elders want with you?"

"Oh you know the usual. They lectured me about being careful, and then they lectured me about on coming danger and a time of turmoil… yadda yadda. And when they were finished giving me cryptic clues about this supposed threat without telling me one thing that could actually help they gave me a new charge."

A small smile grew at the corners of Chris's mouth at the thought of his new charge. Although he could already tell her case was going to be a difficult one there was just something about her. He knew even after only watching her for the afternoon that he would do anything to save her.

Although Chris and everyone else in the Halliwell family had taken empathy blocking potion it didn't stop Phoebe who had dedicated her adult life to understanding relationships and was also married to a cupid from noticing Chris's reaction. She noticed the subtle smile pulling at his face and the way his eyes became somewhat distant as his thoughts drifted to her.

Chuckling to herself Phoebe innocently asked, "Oh so is this new charge of yours going to give you much trouble?"

"What do you mean?" Chris asked suspiciously. His aunt could be inexorable when she thought one of her now large family was falling in love. She felt the need to be thoroughly informed about every one of their relationships. And Chris could tell by his aunt's knowing tone that she was onto him.

"Nothing, it's just I can already tell you're smitten with this girl." Damn Chris didn't think she would catch on this quickly. "She is a girl right? I mean… she's not a demon or anything? What's her name? What are you protecting her from…or are you more her trusting guide than her white knight?"

Now that the conversation had turned away from boring elders to Chris's secret crush, Phoebe's youngest daughter of 10 years had suddenly become interested.

"Yeah Chris what's her name?" Penny taunted jumping up onto the couch in order to annoy her cousin to get the information she wanted. Chris really thought a terrorist organization would do well in hiring Penny. Her ability to annoy people was much better than any torture in getting information out of people.

Chris threw a hand over his face sighing in exasperation. Halliwell women were unrelenting and being one of the few men in the family nobody understood that as much as he did. "Arhhh… Two against one is not fair."

"Come on Chris, just tell us her name and we'll leave you alone." Phoebe negotiated.

Suddenly Piper's voice rang out from the kitchen announcing that dinner was ready. Thinking he had been saved by the bell or so to speak Chris immediately rose in order to make a clean get away. He was half way to the door only to be snagged by Phoebe grabbing his sleeve.

"No you don't mister, name first and then dinner."

The smell of Piper's dinner was too good to be stuck in this room any longer than necessary, so Chris decided to admit the inevitable defeat. "Fine her name is Bianca. Happy?" and with that Chris quickly left the room following his nose to the scrumptious feast laid out on the dining table. He never noticed the sudden look of concern and worry which crossed Phoebe's face.

"Oh no!" Phoebe didn't need her premonitions or the elder's warning to know that something big was on the way for her nephew. Whether it would end better than last time though was the question.

TBC...

AN: Now that you have read the chapter here's some extra information. I don't like Melinda as a character at all but I have now accepted that she exists in the Charmed universe. She only has Witch powers in this story with no active powers since Leo was human when she was conceived. She is pretty much a normal teenager who doesn't care about anything but herself. Chris has only the powers we have seen in season 6 that means he can't shoot lightening (I know they gave him that in a novel but I don't think he needs it). He has telekinesis and orbing that is all. Wyatt still has lots and lots of awesome powers too many to describe because he is the blessed one. The rest f the cousins have a few active powers here and there but none as powerful as their Charmed mothers. I might give Phoebe's oldest a cupid power we will see. When you need to know about a cousin I will give you the information but I couldn't be bothered writing about every single one of them all at once. They aren't really important to the story. This story is less about Chris being powerful and more about him being awesome.