Story of My Life
Disclaimer: I SO don't own Charmed. I don't own 'Breaking the Habit' by Linkin Park.
Set after 'O My Goddess Part One' and in the middle of Season 6 'The Power Of Three Blondes' or 'Dirty Blondes'. Chris is just tired of no one listening to him. It wouldn't hurt considering he came all the way from the future for them.
-X-
It's seriously exhausting trying to convince the sisters to listen to me. They're just suspicious about everything I do. They think I'm just paranoid and neurotic. I mean seriously! Piper, I came from the future to stop YOUR son turning evil. You could show some concern. Maybe I should send you guys to the future. It might teach you a thing or two.
But that would require a similar spell to the one I used on Leo to send him Valhalla. He might recognize it. No, too risky. Not that he's helping any.
Piper is busy ignoring me right now. She thinks I broke up her family. I know she's my mom and that she doesn't know that I'm her son, but it still hurts. Aunt Phoebe used to keep saying I was one of her favourite nephews and that she would keep me safe from anything. Ha! If only you could see yourself now. You would be shocked.
Aunt Paige is the only civil one to me. I guess deep down she senses I'm her godson. Or something. she tells me when lunch or dinner is served and leaves me a mug of coffee and a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich every morning. Piper and Phoebe can't understand why she does it. But I'm thankful. She even gave me some of Leo's old clothes and a pair of old khakis and jeans. She even bought me a belt. Since I don't have a paying job.
She was the one who convinced Piper to let me sleep in the back room of the club. Must be her whitelighter and social service worker side.
Right now, Piper is at the club with Wyatt, Phoebe is at work and Paige is at another temp. job. It's just me on my own in the kitchen. I turned the radio up slightly while mulling over the past few events. An old – well, they consider it new right now – rock song Aunt Paige used to listen to, starts playing. I turn up the volume as memories fly before my eyes.
Memories consume
Like opening the wound
I'm picking me apart again
You all assume
I'm safe here in my room
Unless I try to start again
Flashback
I was five years old and waiting for Wyatt to let me play with MY birthday present. He was hogging up the game boy XP my mom just bought me. It was the latest model in 2010. Well it was actually the tenth model to come out after the game boy sp. We had some difficulty defeating the ninjas. Actually Wyatt had some difficulty destroying the ninjas. He never let me play with any of the cool stuff I received.
So I just worked on my 2000 piece puzzle, Aunt Phoebe got me. I used to love puzzles. Every night after typing up her column we used to work on a puzzle for one hour till it was my bed time. Even if she didn't finish it, or if little Prue was bothering her, she would still put some time aside for me. She used to watch football, baseball, basketball or any other sport for that matter, with Wyatt, and me. I joined in only sometimes. I was never that interested in sport. Anyway, that was their thing.
I continued, it was almost done. Little Prue who sat beside me, to my right, handed me a piece of the little pile in front of her. I put it in a pile to my left. The 'I-don't-need-this-piece-right-now' pile. We continued like this, till mom came in and told Wyatt to give me my game boy XP back. I took it from him. He didn't look happy. But went and flopped down in front of the T.V . I switched it on and started playing. But when I reached the fifth level I got stuck. I had beaten it, but why wasn't I going to the sixth level ? I checked the box. It said I had ten hard to defeat levels. Okay that wasn't the problem, so I went to Wyatt.
"Hey Wyatt, what level did you get to?" I asked.
"What?" he sounded annoyed at the question.
"I said, what level did you get to?" I repeated.
"Oh. Five. Haven't beaten it yet." he said.
"Oh. I beat it, but it won't go to level six." I explained.
"What!" he exclaimed in disbelief. He snatched the game boy from me. The screen still said 'loading'. "You really did it?" he asked again.
"Yeah," I said. It had been really easily. My victory had been swift, quick and methodical. Like a puzzle. You could say. That's why I was good at video games. I quickly worked out what method to follow. I followed different methods for each different puzzle.
"The game sucks." he declared handing it back to me. After I took the game boy from him, he waved his hand at me. I thought I was going to go flying back telekinetically. But instead, the game boy was enveloped in orbs. Suddenly the next level loaded. Then it hit me. He didn't want me to get to the next level, before me. So he put some kind of block on the game. Typical.
End Flashback
I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside I realise
That I'm the one confused
I sighed, and orbed up to the attic to check the Book for some demon. I could still hear the song up here. This is what I do in my free time now. I remember what used to do then.
I used to read my comics, try to finish up some puzzle, practice using my powers with mom or do mock spells with Aunt Paige. She said I had a talent for writing them. I even managed to conjure a dove. Something Aunt Prue, and Wyatt, never managed.
I knew Wyatt was very jealous of me for this. I don't know why though, he had all this power, and every single spell he did went right. Even the personal gain ones. He could orb real easily. It took me one year to learn. And then three months to get the hang of it. But it was one of those rare things I could do that he couldn't. One of the two things he was jealous of: one was this and the other was little Prue liked me over him. It was just because he kept showing off to win her attention. He used to lift me into the air, make my orbing go wrong by orbing the orbs I turned into to another destination, use his powers to win MY video games, make my food come alive at the table when mom and Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige wasn't looking, and so much more.
Flashback
"Hey Bumble-Bee !" chirped Aunt Phoebe as she picked up her little three year old daughter.
" Hey Mommy," replied little Prue.
I was eight and working on a hundred piece puzzle Aunt Paige had given me for Christmas last year. I really liked it. It had Batman on it. It used to belong to Aunt Paige back when she was eight. She had traded a baseball mitt she won in some contest for Glen's Batman puzzle. She had kept it all this time. I even got an autographed poster with it. Glen had traded that Harley-Davidson sunglasses she had won in some charity draw.
Aunt Phoebe sat on the couch in the sun-room with Prue on her lap.
"Hey Rug-rat!"
She was referring to me.
"Hey Aunt Phoebe!" I answered.
"Hey Puff!" She came up with Wyatt's nick name after he had made a dragon come to life.
"Hi," he mumbled.
"Who's your favourite member of the family?" she asked Prue.
"You." answered the little girl.
"Next?" she questioned.
"Chris," she answered with a big grin.
I looked up at that. Surprised. I thought Wyatt or Mom or Aunt Paige would be next.
Wyatt, now nine was sitting on the couch watching T.V . he snorted at the answer.
"Why honey?" Aunt Phoebe was curious as well at what this answer would be.
I will never forget the answer.
"Because he's always nice and plays with me and doesn't use his powers all the time. Wyatt always does that and he's never nice to Chris. So I wanna be his big brother and be nice to him."
Aunt Phoebe smiled at the answer. She looked at me and at Prue and just smiled.
"Who's next?" she asked.
Prue understood where this was leading and answered.
"Aunt Piper and Aunt Paige and Wyatt and Uncle Leo."
Wow. Wyatt was second last on her list. He looked so shocked, he thought that he would be next, but turned out that mom and Aunt Paige beat him. Aunt Phoebe didn't expect this order as well by the shock on her face.
End Flashback
After that Wyatt tried twice as hard to get her attention. Little Prue loved baseball. So he used to orb the baseball out of the live games. He used to orb down to match, get the autograph and get out of there and anyone who saw him had their memory erased by him. He orbed her favourite cartoon characters out of the television set and made them perform for her. She still liked me better. She used to help me with puzzles by giving me the pieces. Once she even jammed two of the wrong pieces together in an effort to make them fit. That was because, Wyatt, in one of his tantrums had ruined half of my nearly finished puzzle. She wanted to make me feel better so she had tried to work on it herself. I'll never forget that.
She used to always ask me to read to her, because Aunt Phoebe always did that before bedtime for Prue. When she was busy, Prue wanted me. Problem was I couldn't read myself. So I used to make them up. I think she always knew but didn't say anything. She loved them. Even after Mom, Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige died, she asked for them.
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm
Breaking the habit
Tonight
Flashback
I was fourteen and Prue was nine. We were at Grandpa's house mom had died three months ago. It was Valentine's day. Prue's birthday. Aunt Phoebe did everything in her power to make sure of that. I gave her an old porcelain doll that had belonged to Grandma Patty and then to mom. She had planned on giving it to her this year. I had orbed all the way to our desert house. I had brought back some other precious belongings to Grandpa Victor's house. We already had the Book, I had collected that, a few clothes, some old D.V.D's, two or three books, a box of crystals and candles, Aunt Phoebe's old notebook of spells, Gram's old notebook of spells and some of my birthday cake.
I handed her the doll wrapped in a silk scarf that belonged to Aunt Phoebe and the legendary baby blanket which Grandma, all four Charmed Ones, Wyatt, then me and finally Prue had used. When she opened it a locket fell out. It had a triquetra on it. It was what Aunt Phoebe had gotten made for Prue. She had shown me the locket six months ago. So I knew where it was.
Tears came to Prue's eyes as she rubbed her thumb over it feeling the indentation slowly. My hands went automatically to my arms where I had scars in the outline of a triquetra on each forearm. I could faintly make out her scars by candle light. I thought of the knife in my sneakers. The knife that had drawn blood.
I gave her a hug. She was weeping onto my shirt. I didn't care she was taken away from her mother. She had a right to cry. I felt my eyes tearing up as well but I brushed them away. I had to be strong for Prue.
"Thanks," she whispered.
I pulled out and lead her to the couch. I heard the lock turn and saw grandpa walk in. I smiled at him. Prue got up and hugged him. He reached behind him and took out a box and two packages.
"Happy Birthday," he wished her and handed her a package. I knew he was going to give her a picture frame with a family portrait in it. I had helped make it. We had magically photo shopped everyone into it. I got walked into the kitchen.
"Wyatt !" I called loudly. But not loud enough for Prue to hear me. He didn't answer so I called another two times. Mom always said that three was a very powerful no. He answered on the third time.
"What?" he asked annoyed.
"Where were you?" I asked angrily.
"Taking care of demons."
"It's Prue's birthday. At least wish her if you are not going to give her anything!" I scolded.
"I'm ridding the world of demons. What more does she want ?"
I couldn't believe how conceited he sounded. "Aunt Phoebe said WE had to take care of her. We swore to her on her dying breath." I said trying to remind him of our promise to her.
"I AM taking care of her. I'm making sure she is safe. Okay? Demons may attack her." He answered.
"What if you get hurt?"
"I've got a shield. I'll be fine."
"Just wish her." I pressed.
"Fine. You sound more and more like mom." He told me. He always made fun of me when we were younger because of that.
With that he walked into the living room.
"Happy Birthday Prue!" he said happily. It sounded forced.
He orbed off before she could stand up. Lately, Wyatt had been spending more time in the underworld vanquishing demons than here with us. At first I thought it was for revenge. But now I was worried. He was turning into a sort of demon; shutting off all his feelings.
I felt more like how mom must have, when they were younger, trying to make sure Aunt Prue and Aunt Phoebe didn't fight. I also felt like Aunt Prue, when she had to raise her sisters after their mom died and like Aunt Paige, when she lost her foster parents. Prue probably felt like her mother. Aunt Phoebe had been sad because she didn't have any memories to keep her alive in her head.
" At least you tried," she said smiling at me.
Grandpa leaned forward. " Chris, I know I missed your birthday, but, I got you a gift." He handed me a flat package. I opened it up. It was another picture frame and a picture album. Except this frame was the one that had held the family portrait of Wyatt, me, mom and dad. The picture was there, except for one thing. The people were moving. We looked like a happy family in it. Laughing and joking. I'd give anything for that. The album held more moving pictures. Pictures of grams, grandma and grandpa, mom, a rare one of dad, Wyatt, Prue, Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige. We looked like one happy family.
I looked up and smiled at them and hugged them.
"Prue made them move, I just dug up the pictures," grandpa explained.
"Thanks," I said. Grandpa opened up the box. It had my birthday cake it. Well, just the part that said 'Happy Birthday' in green icing. It was made out of chocolate, my favourite. Mom had baked it herself. The writing was in green because she said my eyes were green. 'It's a perfect match,' were her words exactly. I don't know why she said that. But she did. But this was what was left of it. I placed ten candles on them and lit them.
"Sorry, I don't have another for good luck," I said.
"I thought you said the cake was destroyed," she said.
" I kept this part for your birthday. You were SO excited for it. I wanted it to go perfect." I explained. "Well . . . as perfect as I could make it."
"It's perfect. Don't worry about a thing. I love it." she answered.
We lit the candles and sang happy birthday. Prue made a wish and blew out the candles.
"What did you wish for?" asked Grandpa Victor.
"Well . . ." Prue started.
"Don't!" I yelled out. "It won't come true," I explained.
"I know it will," she said quite earnestly. "I wished for a bed time story tonight."
"Well," I said with a smile at how innocent she still was. "Sure anything for you ladybug." It was my nick-name for her. I took her upstairs after we were done eating. It was a real feast by the standard of living we managed now. I had a chicken sandwich, well just one half of it. I split the other I half into two and gave them to Grandpa and Prue. We followed with a piece of banana and half a chocolate each. Then we had a sliver of cake each. We were trying to save it. So it would last longer.
Grandpa said he would clear up while I told her a story. I tucked her in. She was using Aunt Phoebe's old pink quilt. It had bunnies on it.
"Why do you want a story?" I asked.
"It reminds me of how it used to be before IT happened," she said. "It's the one thing that is normal in our life, and now that everything we have is gone, it's the one constant thing we still have. Plus it keeps those happy times alive for us."
"Really?" I asked her awed by how much she comprehended about the world around us.
"Yeah," she answered.
I then told her favourite story. The one about 'Wanda the Forgetful Witch'. She used to say the spells in it along with me. The spells were actually a vanquishing, a protection and the woogie-man vanquish spell. There was even one to make objects disappear. I taught her the spell to teach her how to protect herself, how to vanquish a demon, and how to disappear. I even gave her a little kit, it was actually a purse which you slung over your shoulder. But I filled it with protective herbs, three all-purpose vanquish potions, a miniature switchblade, a few crystals and a mirror. I even rolled up a couple of spells and amulets in there.
After mom and Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige had died, I made her a crystal bracelet to enhance luck, protection, power and when you said the protection spell, a force-field would come around you. I had Wyatt bless it. But I didn't trust it so I blessed it and I also asked Grams to bless it. But just for good measure. Prue and Grandpa were very important to me, so I made them bracelets. I have one as well, but not as effective. But that was okay. I could orb.
I made sure she had the kit on before I left her. She was in deep sleep. But in case there was an attack, she would be prepared. I sighed and went downstairs.
End Flashback
Clutching my cure
I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again
I hurt much more
Than anytime before
I had no options left again.
Fine. If they were not going to co-operate, then I would have to make them.
I was back in the kitchen, I had found a group of scavenger demons who were trying to make Wyatt their new leader. So I probably had to get working on a potion and a spell in order to vanquish them. The song was still going on however.
I stood over a potion which was at a slow simmer. If they were not going to make the potions, write the spells or bother with the demons, then I would make the potions and write the spells for them. But they had to vanquish them. It seemed like a fair deal.
Suddenly I heard someone orbing behind me. As a first reflex, I tried to blow whoever it was up. But I remembered the Charmed tenet in time and controlled myself. I had grown so used to having that power. It was hard to go back to telekinesis now. I had to make sure no one saw me do that either.
The orbs took shape and Aunt Paige stood there.
My sensitive nose quickly picked up the foul odour she emitted.
"What smells so foul?" she asked. "Oh wait it's me. Not whatever it is you are cooking."
Ouch. She was cranky right now. I knew how to read the signs but . . . as much as I hated it I had to. So I tried to make conversation before making her vanquish a demon.
"Bad job?" I asked trying hard.
"You think?" she replied sarcastically.
"What did you have to do?" I asked again.
"Perfume girl, at the mall. I don't mind it, but the stuff reeks. I can't smell anything now, but me. And I've got a head ache the size of Russia. Not to mention all the sleazy guys I attracted because of this."
"Well-" I started, but just then I heard the front door slam. Followed by heels clicking on our hard wood floor.
"Hey, anyone home?"
It was Phoebe. It didn't sound like she'd had a good day.
"My day was crap." she exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen. "I was late for a dead-line, I couldn't even come up with any answers to five questions today- five out of SEVEN!"
I was about to tell them about the demon that had tried to attack Wyatt earlier today morning. Later, of course, I discovered that it was a scavenger demon. I heard the door slam again.
"Where is everyone?" a voice called out. It was Piper. Paige was sitting at the counter drinking the orange juice she had received from her job at the fruit packing factory. Phoebe was looking for ice cream in the refrigerator. Piper walked in with Wyatt on her hip. He was licking a lollipop.
"I took him for a shot," she sounded exhausted and cranky. "He kept putting up his shield, and orbing himself and the injection around the doctor's office."
"Well I hope he is okay."
I said quite curtly.
"Because he certainly was not okay today morning." I continued.
"What do you mean?" asked Piper.
"He was attacked." I said simply.
"Noooo . . . Chris . . ." moaned Phoebe.
"WE have to do ALL the work!" argued Paige.
"So I took care of it for you." I answered cockily. I was pleased I had foreseen this. I took out a sheet of paper from my pocket and handed it to Phoebe.
"The spell," I explained.
I poured out the potion into eight small bath-salt bottles. I put on the corks. And handed it to them.
"Potions." I finished.
" Fat," said Phoebe as she handed her potions and the spell to me, and walked off.
"Chance." Aunt Paige said, and with that she handed her potions back to me.
Piper was the only one left. She kept the potions down and said, "If you are so big on this, you go vanquish it. You have everything ready."
"But it needs the charmed ones. The power of three." I argued.
She raised her free hand as if to freeze me. But instead when she flicked her wrist, blood came out and splattered on me. She had a cut there.
"There you have the blood. Now you're charmed."
With that she went inside. I stood there in silence. Tears came to my eyes as I remembered the ritual. The song continued to play in the background. And I realised how true the words were.
I'll paint it on the walls
'Cause I'm the one at fault
I'll never fight again
And this is how it ends
Flashback
"I want my mommy," said Prue as we waited at home. Mom, Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe would be home soon. It was my fourteenth birthday. Wyatt was out at magic school. He had some after school project to work on. Aunt Phoebe had recently had a premonition about demons attacking us today. So we were waiting inside our protective circle for them to come home.
"They'll be here soon," I reassured her. And I was right, they were home in the next ten minutes. Prue ran out of the circle and hugged her mom. Aunt Phoebe put down her bags and gave her a hug. Aunt Paige had a pile of presents in her arms. But they were for 'later'. Mom was in the kitchen putting the cake away. It was made of ice cream and the flavour was – my favourite flavour – mint chocolate chip.
I orbed up stairs to continue with my homework. I was working when suddenly I heard a crash and a scream. Prue! I orbed downstairs, into the living room. There was a demon to my left. It looked like an upper level one. Mom and Aunt Paige were behind the couches. Aunt Paige kept orbing it's dangerous energy balls back it. It on the other hand kept deflecting them.
Unfortunately for me, I orbed into the middle of this exchange. He grabbed my neck and held me hostage.
"So this is the all-powerful son of the charmed ones. Doesn't seem like much. But then again never judge a witches power by how they look." His breath stank like a fish market.
But the next moment is the single worst moment of my life.
Mom jumped out and tried to make him explode but he was too fast and hit her with an energy ball. The explosion hurt him none the less. I was able to orb to mom in the time frame given. Tears came to my eyes as I saw what happened to her. She was injured, badly. Just then three other demons, who looked just like this one shimmered in.
"Take her upstairs," advised Aunt Paige. I orbed her upstairs, to the attic.
"Make a protective circle," mom instructed me weakly. I did as she said. Then I orbed her in with the book and lit some candles to enhance healing.
"Dad!" I yelled I wanted him here immediately. Mom was DYING. Nothing. Not even a jingle.
"Get Wyatt and Prue . . ." advised mom. I didn't want to leave her, but I did as I was told. I yelled for Wyatt as I orbed downstairs. I saw Aunt Phoebe unconscious when I orbed into the kitchen. Prue was hysterical next to her. I orbed them into the attic and put them into the protective circle. I orbed down to find Wyatt helping Aunt Paige. Suddenly, she was hit. I orbed her back to the attic and called for dad many times. Wyatt had gone off after the demon.
"Mom . . . don't leave me . . . I can't protect myself . . . or Prue . . . and Wyatt won't listen to me . . ." I wept like never before.
"Honey . . . get that knife on the table . . . quickly . . ." she said.
I grabbed it and handed it to her. She cut the sigh of the triquetra onto both her and my arms.
"Repeat after me," she said, and I did.
"Blood to Blood
From you to me
Blood to Blood
The Power of Three"
She wiped the blood from my cut to hers and vice versa. I felt more powerful.
"Now you have my powers . . . I love you honey . . . now go help your aunts . . ." she said.
I did the same with Aunt Paige who had regained consciousness. She had told me to. I soon had her powers as well. I helped Prue and Aunt Phoebe who was now very, very weak but just conscious with this ritual too. Now we had the power of three in our veins. Aunt Paige blessed us before she died. Wyatt orbed in now all tattered and torn. Mom blessed us and died. Aunt Phoebe then made us promise to do take care of Prue with our lives and to raise her well. After we said yes, she too blessed us and died. Prue and I held each other and wept. Wyatt was in shock. He finally yelled for dad, who actually showed up. He yelled at him for not coming to my help. When I had called. Prue showed him a premonition, and mom had told him about that.
Dad then orbed off. And we called Grandpa, packed up and moved in with him. It was virtually the worst birthday ever.
End Flashback
I touched my scars. After that I had blown up demons, orbed about more easily and my spells were better. But it was mom's sacrifice that made it so. Prue and I never showed Wyatt our powers. We were worried, in case he turned evil. We were right about that, he did.
I was sick, sick and tired. I just wanted to prevent that future. But no. No one trusted me, so fine! I walked into the conservatory and blocked their view of the T.V.
I took a deep breath.
"Piper . . . I'm your son. Get a DNA test done or something. Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige; yeah I am your nephew. Wyatt's little brother." I used my telekinesis to throw a vase off the table. Piper froze it on reflex. I then orbed out before they could say a word. I didn't have that power because I was in a time where that power was with the original owner. I sighed. I hope I didn't complicate things any more. But honestly I don't give a damn!
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
But now I have some clarity
To show you what I mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
So I'm
Breaking the habit
Breaking the habit
Tonight
-X-
Well that's over now. I had to get that off my chest. YAY! My 1st finished story! My 1st song fic YAY! Please R/R!