Piper Halliwell couldn't help shed the happy, exhausted tears as she looked down at her newly born baby. "Christopher Perry Halliwell," she murmered contently as she caressed the baby's face with her forefinger. "I promise you a normal life. One as far away from magic and demons as possible. I might not be able to keep your big brother or even myself out of that world but you I know I can."

Five years later...

"Mom! Mom! Guess what!" An exctited little blonde boy bounced up and down in front of Piper.

Piper smiled widely at her eldest son, Wyatt. "What is it, love?"

"Chris got a new power!" Piper couldn't help the slight flinch and dimming of her smile at that exclamation. "He blow things up like you!"

"That's wonderful. Where is the little birthday boy at so I can congratulate him?"

Timidly the five year old boy poked his head into the kitchen. Whispering softly, "Hi mommy."

Piper smiled warmly at Chris and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, "Happy Birthday, Peanut. Wyatt told me you got a new power, you can blow things up."

Chris lowered his eyes, light brown hair concealing most of his face. "Yeah, sorry about the vase.." A perpetuating frown glued to his face.

"So that was you. I thought your Aunt Pheobe had knocked it over during that last attack." Piper ran her hand through her hair, "So, does the birthday boy want any clown pancakes?"

Sometimes in a world full of love and happiness all you can feel is the seclusion and unhappiness. There were times when Christopher Halliwell felt as though he weren't really a member of the Halliwell lineage. Through out his entire childhood he could point out several handfulls of times when he could swear up and down that there really wasn't much purpose of him even being in that family. Afterall, where did he fit into the new charmed ones and the twice-blessed children? Even if Chris, himself, is a twice-blessed child nobody ever acknowledge it. Sure he had received the gifts that being twice-blessed brought, like his older brother had, but Chris had learned when he was very young that nobody was really interested in knowing about his powers. That everybody was content with the idea of Chris being the 'normal' one in the family. Maybe that was what really seperated Chris from his family. From the moment Chris was conceived Piper had done everything she could to make certain that everything about him would be a normal as possible, from his birth in a hospital to going to a public school instead of Magical School to making certain that Chris was around as little as possible when demons attacked. In the end it just alienated Chris from the rest of his family.

And right now was one of those times where Chris didn't understand why they even bothered trying to pretend like his presence made any difference. Chris was slouched in the living room chair as the rest of the family, including absentee father, spread out onto the couch, lounge chair, and floor.

His father, Leo Wyatt, only ever showed up to either train Wyatt or to dole out new missions to the Charmed Ones (new and old) and Wyatt that the elders needed help on. He never understood why he even stuck around for these meetings; other than the fact that his mother would automatically scold him for not showing up to a family meeting.

It seemed to Chris that the only person that even really tried to notice him or ever made him feel as if somebody even wanted him there was his mom, Piper Halliwell, even if all she did was baby him.

"There is a new powerful demon that is trying to organize the underworld and the elders fear that he might actually succeed," Leo informed the small group of witches in front of him, "..."

Chris tuned the man out and chose to think of things that were much more important in the scheme of his life. For example, the party that was happening that very night at Lucinda Richards' house. He glanced anxiously at the grandfather clock a few feet away. Twenty minutes until Mik and Holly were supposed to pick him up. If only the would show up a little early.

Leo narrowed his eyes as he glanced in his youngest son's direction. "Chris, are you listening to me?"

Blankly, Chris looked up at him and replied sardonically, "Yes, big new bad is coming to town. What else is new?"

"Chris," Leo spoke warningly, "This is extremely import-"

That's when Chris finally heard the horn of salvation, his ride honking the car horn. Swirling around to face his mother he gave his best puppy dog face and begged, "Please mom.."

Piper worried her lip. "I don't know peanut.."

"But you said I could mom! Please! I told Lucy I would be there! It's her birthday and I missed it last year! Please!" Pro-like, tears gently sparkled his eyes.

"But this new threat.."

"You guys can handle it without me. Besides I doubt you'll be fighting it tonight."

One more puppy eyes and Piper crumbled. "Oh, alright but-"

"If anybody calls my name I'll be here in a second."

"No-"

"Drugs, alcohol, or sex."

"Be-"

"Home by midnight," Chris smirked, "or you'll cast a truth spell on me and ground me for a month. I know the rules mom."

"Piper, you're not really letting him go out, not with this new threat, are you?" Leo asked, "What if it tries to attack Chris when he's at this party?"

Chris raised an eyebrow and snorted in condensation, "And when does a demon ever come after me?"

Piper ignored her ex-husband and Chris' comment and got up from the lounge chair to kiss her son's cheek, "Be good peanut and have fun."

Chris grinned at her. "Thanks mom. I should get going. They are starting to get impatient with all that honking."

Fifteen year old Chris dashed out the door and towards his new future.