Christopher Haliwell had been working at SG-1 for three months now; he had seen things that most would not believe. His coworkers thought it strange how easily the boy adjusted to the fast-paced life of SG-1, and admired his abilities to plan counter measures on the spot. Christopher was especially close to Dr. Daniel Jackson, the resident linguistic expert.
"What do you make of this?" Chris carried a tablet that was inscribed with strange symbols over to the doctor. "I found this on PX-235. I didn't recognize the language, so I brought it to you." He shrugged sheepishly, "I know you're busy, but I would be interested in figuring out what this says."
While it was true that Chris was interested in what secrets the tablet held, it was not the reason for his urgency in rushing the translation.
Chris had come from a family of witches, the Charmed Ones if one were to be specific. His family held great power, both as a family and individually. This power was what made his family a target for demons who wished to possess such power. Chris didn't have many offensive powers, much like his aunt phoebe he had to rely on his hand to hand combat, and the potions he learned from his mother. Like Phoebe, Chris possessed the power of premonition. This gift was the reason that he was rushing the translation from Daniel- he had seen that in some upcoming conflict the secrets the tablet hid would be crucial for their survival. Anytime he thought about it, a feeling of revulsion rose up in him. He had kept his heritage secret from SG-1, he wasn't sure how the team would react, learning that they had been sharing their planet with all manners of creatures for generations.
Unlike the normal situation in SG-1, there wasn't a separation between the alien life form and the witches. Wiccans were normal people. They lived in normal neighborhoods all over the world, and there was really nothing to identify them. For all intents and purposes, they were human- with a different set of beliefs and powers, mind you- but they were human. For people like his team at SG-1, Chris was sure they wouldn't take well to being powerless.
Therefore, Chris had decided to keep his family a secret. When it was time for SG-1 to learn about the Wiccan world he would start slowly, perhaps fairies, or something mostly harmless. The witches, whitelighters, elders, and demons would wait until everyone was adjusted to the thought of magic.
Daniel smiled at the younger man. "No problem, Chris. As soon as I'm finished with this I'll take a look at the tablet. I think it may be a good challenge for me to solve." Chris smiled back as he turned back to the door.
"Thanks!" He called over his shoulder. "I appreciate that, I owe you one!"
As soon as Chris was out of sight from anyone who may be looking, he orbed up to Magic School. He arrived amidst the rush of students heading to class, and was easily swept away by the flood of kids. Through habit, Chris allowed the swell of kids to carry him to an office at the end of the hall, before detaching himself and entering the room.
"Hey." Chris greeted the sandy-haired man behind the desk. The man looked up revealing blue eyes in weary face.
"Hello, Christopher." The man greeted in turn, sharp eyes taking in the stress lines on Chis' face. "I thought you had given up magic?" The question would seem innocent enough to an outsider, but Chris could hear the subtle bite hidden within; it was enough to make him wince.
Chris sighed. "Dad-" He stopped. "I didn't give up magic; I just turned my efforts to something else I am better suited for." The well-worn argument slipped from his tongue with practiced ease, this was a conversation that happened much too often when he was in the presence of his father.
Leo gave a dry laugh. "So you have said." His attention returned to the desk, his shuffling papers a clear dismissal. Chris sighed. His father had never cared for his reasons for leaving the Wiccan world behind; instead, he focused on the fact that Chris had stopped going after demons. Chris understood that his mother and aunts had fought their destiny as the Charmed Ones, nothing good had come out of it. Even his brother had gone through his rebellious phase, which was something Chris never wished to witness again.
It wasn't as though Chris didn't understand his father's concerns, because he did, Chris just didn't believe that it was his destiny. Chris wasn't a Charmed One. He wasn't the Twice Blessed. There was no prophecy that foretold a destiny of fighting evil, only a legacy of doing good. Chris hadn't abandoned his family, he simply turned his efforts to something that he enjoyed more.
He didn't regret joining SG-1. He loved the adrenaline rush he got when the team went to explore new planets; he loved the ever present chaos that saturated the air of the base; he loved the fact that he was still helping people.
He didn't regret his decision. He just regretted his family's response.
"I just wanted to let you know that something big is coming." Chris stared at his father, a silent request to meet his eyes; a request that was denied. "I had a premonition that SG-1 might cross paths with the Wiccan world; this should give the Elders enough time to prepare for such a case." His father remained resolutely silent, though Chris did catch the twitch of his lips. It wasn't much, most wouldn't notice, but for Chris it made coming worthwhile.
"See you." He muttered as he rushed out of the room. He leaned against the door outside, his strength sapped from dealing with his father. Leo's disapproval of him hadn't grown easier to accept with time, and every time he had to meet with him he felt the icy kiss of pain burn deeper into his heart. He forced the pain aside; there was still one more thing he needed to do before he returned to SG-1.
He navigated the labyrinth of corridors with an ease born of countless years spent roaming the halls. The door he finally stopped at was a bright splash of blue, amidst the monotone browns of the doors around it. Gold embossed the borders of the door, and bright jewel colors marched solid lines across the wood. Chris smiled at the familiar random array of colors, hazy memories from childhood nostalgically rising as he brought his fist to the wood.
The door opened almost immediately, bright purple eyes peeking out from the creak. The gap widened, revealing short, bouncy, black hair that framed a small face with a bright smile. "Chris!"
Her effect was immediate; the tension that had lined his muscles released its hold, and Chris felt himself relax for the first time since he had arrived in Magic School. "Hey, Payton."
Payton was a seer he had met in his last year in Magic School. She had been in several of his classes, and through the few years that Chris remained in Magic School they had become very close friends. In Chris' opinion she was one of the best Seer he had ever met, and that included his aunt, with her power of premonition. "What can I do for you?" Payton asked.
"I need your help." He muttered; Chris had always hated asking for help. He was naturally a loner, a fact that infuriated his brother. Once, when he was ten he had been blackmailed by a demon to eliminate a rival clan. He had kept silent until he had to orb home almost fatally injured, where he had been forced to ask his brother to heal him- and to keep quiet about it.
Payton smiled. "Of course."
Chris smiled back and went to sit down in front of her heavy oak desk. "I've been getting vague premonitions of some kind of cataclysmic event. I've tried to get a clearer vision, but I haven't had much luck. It occurred to me that you might be able to get more."
Payton threw her head back and laughed. Chris smiled along with her, knowing that she was laughing at his subtle compliment, rather than him asking for help. "Chris, you know how I feel about flattery."
"I am sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Chris mock defended himself. "So, can you help?"
"Of course." A sigh of relief escaped audibly. Her smile widened, "Surely, you didn't think that I was going to say no?"
Chris shook his head. A petit hand ruffled his hair, it was comforting- the touch proved that she was not upset at his choice to leave the magical world. He hadn't thought she would, but as the years passed and they didn't speak, he began to wonder if he was mistaken. "I didn't blame you, Chris. I understand."
"Thank you." He whispered. "Alright," He clapped his hands and got to his feet, "let's get started."
The room was quickly transformed: The desk was shortened into a short table with large, plush cushions on either side; a large bronze bowl was placed in the center of the low table filled with water; the light was turned down low and candles were lit in the four corners of the room; finally, the two sat on either side of the table.
"You know I can't promise anything." She warned, settling into her spot.
"I know."
She closed her eyes and focused on gaining a vision. Chris kept quiet as he watched the water swirl. He kept his eyes off of Payton in fear that he would interrupt her search. There was so much about the upcoming situation that he didn't know; he needed something more to prepare for the inevitable outcome.
It wasn't a long wait, barely fifteen minutes. It wasn't a piece of flashy magic of the type that his brother was so fond of, but powerful. Chris knew from her expression that she had learned something.
"What?" He asked, trepidation coloring his voice.
Payton shuddered as she pulled herself together. "Well, you weren't joking when you said that it would a cataclysmic event. It would've been if we hadn't seen it before hand." She smiled at the weak joke.
"Payton, what did you see?"
"Chris, you work with creatures that are not from this world, right?"
He nodded. Legally, he wasn't supposed to say anything- but he supposed that Magic School wasn't necessarily part of earth, so it wouldn't be breaking the contract that he had signed for the job. "I do, why?"
"I see that your enemies have gotten ahold of the Aegror amulet, it was created during the early days of the Roman Catholic Church, when Christianity was just gaining power. The amulet gives the victim the ability to curse others by giving them a dangerous illness. The more times the amulet is used the stronger it grows."
Chris frowned. "If the amulet is so powerful, why has it been lost for so long?" It didn't make sense that if the user could become so powerful that the amulet would remain lost for so long. Demons would have been looking for it, warlocks would, and hell, even witches would be looking for it. If it had remained lost, there must have been a price that most found too high to pay.
Anxiety flashed in Payton's eyes. "The longer it stays in the possessions of a single individual the more contact that individual needs to remain immune to the curse. However, if the amulet switches possession too often all possessors are cursed."
Chris whistled. "So that's how it remained lost. Is there any way to defeat the curse?"
Chris had grown up in a family of powerful witches- and an Elder- which brought very powerful enemies. In his experience everything could be vanquished, one just had to have the power and resources to do it. "As far as history goes, no." Payton shrugged. "You would know better than me if your family could fight it."
Chris nodded. There was very little in the magical world that his brother couldn't over power- being the Twice-Blessed came with certain perks. "Thanks a ton," he paused looking a bit sheepish, "I should probably get back to base."
Payton nodded. "Don't be a stranger!" She called after him.
The base was chaotic when he returned, medics rushing around collecting the collapsed people. Chris blinked, the amulet did work fast.
"What happened?" He asked one of the medics that were rushing past- he had his suspicions about the amulet, but he needed to confirm that it was the amulet and not something that was started in the base.
The medic's annoyance at being stopped was palatable, but he did answer Chris' question. "Some kind of contamination. We are not sure what happened. Anyone not affected is being quarantined in the Gateroom."
Chris nodded. "I'll not keep you, then. Thank you." The medic nodded as he moved toward one of the sick, and Chris started to head towards the Gateroom. He made a quick detour to Daniel's office to see if the translation was finished- though Payton hadn't mentioned the tablet, Chris was still sure the tablet would be important. He didn't want to involve his family unless it was unavoidable.
Daniel's office was empty when Chris arrived. He noticed that the tablet was missing, hopefully that meant that the Doctor was quarantined and not one of those who were struck sick. Chris took one last look around the cluttered office before he left for the Gateroom.
The halls around the Gateroom were empty as Chris made his way toward the quarantined area, the medics had made sure to clear that area first. Chris was stopped in front of the entrance of the Gateroom to enter a chemical bath in hopes that the contamination would be stopped. Chris doubted that the bath would do anything if the sickness was magically induced. The bath was quick and soon enough, Chris was entering the Gateroom.
Chris wasn't sure what to expect when he walked in, he didn't know how many people could remain unaffected by the magical illness. At first glance, the room seemed empty. "Hello?" Chris called out. The medic had hinted that there were more people that were not affected- and that they were supposed to be in the Gateroom.
"Back here, Chris!" Jack O'neill called from the back corner of the room. Chris peered around one of the work spaces to reveal the small group of people that were huddled over the tablet Chris had given to Daniel.
"Hey." He greeted the group. "What are you doing?"
Daniel glanced up from the tablet. "Well, I had finished a large portion of the translation when people first started falling ill. I noticed that many of the symptoms had been mentioned in the translation, and there seems to be mentions of a way to stop it."
Chris grinned in triumph, perhaps he would not need to call in his family to help. "So how do we stop it?"
Jack answered this time. "That's the problem, none of us can figure out what the tablet means."
At Chris' inquisitive stare, Daniel elaborated. "It seems to be speaking of a species that we haven't encountered yet. It speaks of powers, of a set of three, of some other entity that it describes as very powerful. I believe that we are missing part of the tablet that may shed more light onto the translation."
"Oh," Chris sat down, his mind whirling with the new information. It seemed that he would need to contact his family for help- Everyone. If it was just his brother, Chris would have felt better about asking for help, but Chris hadn't left on the best of terms with his mother. He wasn't looking forward to seeking out his mother.
He also had to figure out a way to contact his mother and her sisters; he was quarantined so it couldn't be obvious.
He couldn't speak with his brother, because of the potion he had made to block the connection between him and his brother. It was one of the rare times Chris regretted the severity of his independent streak. Chris closed his eyes and concentrated on the future, hoping that he would receive a premonition that would show him how he should proceed. All he received was the premonition of the magical world being revealed.
Chris had always known that the magical world could not remain a secret forever, especially with the creation of the Stargate program. Normal people were becoming more observant and certain areas of the government less likely to believe the outlandish stories that were created to explain magical experiences. However, Chris had never wanted to be the one who had to reveal magic. He had always thought that his brother would have been the one to reveal magic- he certainly had enough power to do it.
Jack had noticed Chris' silence. "What do you know?" He asked. Chris glanced up, noticing that the question had attracted the rest of the group's attention.
"You're not going to believe it." Chris muttered.
Jack laughed. "You know, with everything I have seen in the last few years there's not much that I can't believe."
"This will be one of them." Chris insisted.
Daniel interrupted. "Maybe you should just spit it out."
Chris nodded; make it as quick as possible- like pulling out a darklighter arrow. "I'm a witch." For a moment there was silence- and then nervous chuckles began to circulate around the group. Chris watched as first Jack, and then the rest of the group began to laugh. "I'm not joking." Chris insisted; raising his hand to telekinetically raising the tables throughout the room.
The room quieted. Chris made sure he had everyone's attention and orbed out the room. It was killing two birds with one stone: he offered proof that magic did exist for Daniel and Jack, and he needed to speak with the Charmed Ones and his brother. The house in California was surprisingly quiet. "Mom?" He called.
A tingling feeling on the back of his neck was all the warning he got before he ducked and the painting that was behind him exploded. "Whoa! Mom, it's me, Chris!" He shouted to the room.
A dark head popped around the entrance to the dining room. "Chris?" Piper questioned in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you were working in some Top Secret government factory after you gave up on magic." Chris winced, apparently his mother hadn't forgiven him.
"Well, we- I- need the Charmed One's help." Chris started.
Glaring Piper started, "What do you mean you need our help? You can't leave for months on end without contacting me, expect me to drop everything and go running to the rescue of the government."
"Mom, please." Chris pleased. "The Goa'uld have acquired a magical object called the Aegror amulet, it gives the wearer the ability to curse their enemies with illness. Payton says the illnesses that each individual receives is random, and there is no cure. The only way the amulet can be stopped is the combined power of the Charmed Ones and the Twice-Blessed. I need your help, my friends are dying."
His mother nodded. "Of course I'll help you, but you're not forgiven yet. You have a lot to make up for." Chris smiled and hugged the small woman.
"Where are Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige?" He asked.
"They went out, but they will be here in a few minutes, I called them before you arrived." Piper explained, glancing at the clock.
Chris nodded; he had enough time to call his brother then. As his mother moved towards the kitchen, Chris reached for his phone and dialed a familiar number. "Chris?" The voice on the other side picked up immediately. "What's wrong?"
"Can you stop by the manor? I need some help and I don't want to have to explain twice."
The dial tone rang over the earpiece, "No problem." Chris jumped and glared at his brother. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate his brother's quick response, he just resented the fact that Wyatt was that over protective.
"You didn't have to get here that fast." Chris protested.
Snorting Wyatt replied, "Of course I did. If it was something that made you ask for help, it is a much bigger deal then you're making it out to be."
Chris' reply was cut off by the storm of woman in the doorway. "What is going on?" Paige demanded, quickly followed by Phoebe's, "Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine." Piper hurried to calm down her sisters. "Chris just needed some help."
Both of the women started as they noticed their nephew standing in the corner. Phoebe was the first to respond, rushing over to capture him in a hug, Paige quickly followed. "Hey." They greeted.
Chris remained silent as everyone got settled in the family room, gathering on the couch and chairs waiting impatiently for Chris to tell them what he needed. "Alright." Chris sighed. "Mom, Wyatt, you know I have joined a secret government project. Normally, this would be against the law, but considering where we are going, I think that you should know. The project I have joined is the Stargate project, the team I am on goes to other planets to explore the people and technology." Wyatt started.
"You do what!"
Chris sighed; his brother could be a pain. "I'm fine, Wyatt, may I continue?" Green eyes met blue and held until the elder looked away.
"Right now, we are in a war with an alien species called the Goa'uld; they are a parasitic creature that requires a host body to function. The host's control of the body is subverted by the Goa'uld, often times the Goa'uld are set up as gods." Chris paused to give his family time to adjust to the information before he continued. "Recently, they have somehow gotten control of the Aegror amulet- Mom, I told you this earlier- which gives the possessor the ability to curse their enemies with fatal illnesses. The only way to stop it is the combined power of the Charmed Ones and the Twice-Blessed."
Chris made sure that he met eyes with each member of his family. He had to convince them to come out of hiding, and help him. He was sure that his desperation was visible in his eyes. "Will you help?"
Wyatt was the first to respond. "Of course, anything you need." Chris smiled at his brother; as overprotective as he could be, he always made sure to help Chris with whatever was needed.
He understood the sisters' hesitation, in the past they hadn't always had the best experiences with the government. He could only hope that their desire to help family overruled their fear of the government. Phoebe stood. "Chris, of course we'll help you. You're family."
Chris felt a small measure of relief slipping through the cracks. "Thank you." He rose and spread his hands, "shall we go?"
The family disappeared in a flurry of sparkling orbs-
-and arrived in front of a group of flabbergasted faces.
"Hey." Chris greeted the quarantined people. "This is my family: My mother, Piper, my older brother, Wyatt, and my aunts Phoebe and Paige."
Daniel was the first to recover. "Why did you bring them here?" he demanded. "What about the contamination, they could get sick!"
Chris shifted uncomfortably. "Well, that's why I brought them here. Not so that they could get sick-" he hurried to assure everyone who looked like they objected. "My mother and her sisters form a trio called the Charmed Ones, which was prophesized years before they were born." Daniel made a noise of triumph, illustrating that he had understood the connected to the tablet. "My brother on the other hand, has also been prophesized. He is known as the Twice-Blessed and is the most powerful magical creature in existence."
"Thanks a lot, Chris." Wyatt muttered, which caused a few chuckles from nameless people in the room.
"What are they supposed to do?" Jack snorted from his spot. It was clear that he was skeptical of magic, but that was expected, Chris supposed.
Daniel spoke up before Chris could, "They are the solution that the tablet speaks about." He glanced at Chris to see if he agreed before he continued. "Somehow, you four can combine your powers to heal everyone?"
"No." Wyatt corrected. "Working together we can destroy the amulet. Hypothetically speaking, it should cure the illnesses- but if it doesn't I can try to heal as many as I can."
"More, if Leo deigns to get down here to help." Chris muttered to himself. Piper swiped her hand at him, Chris ducked.
Piper clapped her hands, "so let's get started." She turned to Daniel and glanced at her son for a name.
"Mom, this is Dr. Daniel Jackson. He is translating the tablet for us."
"Dr. Jackson, does the tablet mention anything about how the amulet needs to be destroyed?" She asked. "If there is nothing mentioned we might be able to destroy it with a spell." Daniel shook his head in response. "Wyatt, you can summon the amulet here, and then all of us can say a spell, after we write one, to destroy it."
Chris interrupted. "I have one." He handed a scrap of paper over.
"Should I summon the amulet now?" Wyatt asked. At Piper's nod, he gestured with his hand and a small silver amulet appeared in the air. "On three?" He glances at the sisters.
Chris counted off. "One, two, three." On three Wyatt and the sisters chanted the spell-
Ashes to ashes, spirit to spirit
Take away it's power,
And vanish this evil.
With a flash of white fire the amulet disintegrated, falling as dust to the ground. "Is that all?" Jack asked.
"It seems so." Chris answered. "Let's go see how everyone is doing." He marched out of the quarantined area, ignoring the flustered medics who tried to stop him.
The infirmary was a mess. "How are you feeling?" Chris stopped by Sam's sickbed, knowing that she would tell the truth.
"I feel better." Sam replied in confusion. "What happened?"
Chris just smiled and stepped away, his next target was the General. "Hello, General."
"Hello, Chris." The man studied him. "I suppose you have an answer to what just happened?" He questioned.
"Why would you say that?" Chris deflected, his eyes glinting.
The General grunted as he sat up. "Just a feeling." The man stretched once before he stood. "Let's go to my office, you can share your news there."
Chris nodded. "Alright, I'll meet you there." At the General's questioning look, Chris elaborated. "I just need to pick some things up."
With the General's approval, Chris headed back to the Gateroom to collect his family. He hoped that they had enough sense to stay where he put them so he could finish revealing the magical world. His fears were unfounded, for as he returned to the Gateroom, he could see that his family had remained in the room with everyone else.
"Everything's clearing up." Chris announced as he reentered the room. "Can I have my family come with me? I need to introduce you to someone." His family followed him. He knew they understood that with magic revealed they needed to take a strong stand from the start- Chris would do whatever he could to support them, but he had limits.
The trip to the General's office was quiet, Chris knew that his mother and aunts were thinking about the battle ahead and Wyatt was probably planning on what information he could dig up on Chris. Before they entered Chris turned to his group. "I'm going to introduce you to General Hammond, he is leader of the base, so Wy, please don't offend him."
"I would not!" Wyatt protested, but he quieted under the looks that everyone gave him.
Chris knocked and then opened the door. "Sir, I would like to introduce you to the people who solved the contamination. This is Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Wyatt."
The General looked up from the paperwork, and rose. "How did you get on base?" He demanded.
"I brought them." Chris explained.
"And how did they solve the contamination issues?" Chris shifted. It was hard enough to say it in front of people he was fairly comfortable with, much less than someone that was his boss.
"We are witches." Wyatt spoke up. He had never had a problem with admitting what he was, it was something that Chris had envied during his teen years when he was trying to find a place in the magical world.
The General was quiet for a minute. "Witches." He hesitated. "Who is the leader of your… group?" He stumbled over the question.
"My family can discuss any treaties or sign the necessary paperwork, Wyatt is the leader of the living Magical world and the Elders know better than to go against the Charmed Ones." He gestured toward his family.
"Alright then, let's get to work." The General suggested, sitting back down behind his desk.
A/N: This was a gift fic for Senna Sylvan. I have to be honest, I haven't seen much of SG-1, but I hope that this is enjoyable to you anyways. I have learned that short oneshots aren't my style. Hope you enjoy and RR!
