Please, Aunt Phoebe
By: Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell
Phoebe sighed, walking into her bedroom, standing mere inches away from her bed. She could still feel Chris's emotions over Bianca: confusion, hesitation, betrayal, and many more. At times like this, she wished she could only have her own emotions and not those of others too.
She tried, as hard as she could, to force Chris's emotions out of her mind. After a couple of minutes, she thought she had because the only emotion she felt was her own tiredness.
She suddenly gasped. The emotions came back at full force and almost knocked the wind out of her. She held her head tightly and fell against the bed in a Premonition…
Chris looked at her, quickly flipping through the Book of Shadows. "There's got to be something in here."
"Chris, calm down," Phoebe said, wrapping an arm around him. "I'm sure Wyatt's come to his senses by now," she said, placing her hand on the open page.
"What senses, Aunt Phoebe? He has none!" he yelled, but his next sentence was harshly calm. "He murdered her in cold blood."
"He was just…"
"Just what?" Chris fumed. "Confused? Misguided? He's much more than that and now we're the only ones left!"
"What's happened to him? He never used to be this way."
Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You still don't get it, do you? He wasn't afraid of killing his own mother, so what'll stop him from hurting us, Aunt Phoebe?"
"Phoebe," she heard in the distance, but her mind was still hazy. "Phoebe," Chris said more clearly, placing his hand on her shoulder.
He'd walked past her room, seeing her body at an odd angle on her bed. He knew she was having a Premonition, but wondered why she was clutching her chest, worried something might really be wrong.
He pulled her up to a sitting position, grabbing her wrists. "Phoebe."
Phoebe's eyes came back into focus. The fact that he'd called her Aunt Phoebe, had registered in her brain, but something more prominent overrode it right now. "Chr—Chris?" she asked, pulling away from him and rubbing her temples.
"Yeah?" he asked, rubbing her shoulders. He could see how upset and worried she was. "What's the matter? Is it another innocent?" he asked as tears fell down her face.
"Not exactly…" she tried to explain. Phoebe was positive what she'd seen had been Chris's future, but, at the same time, if she confronted him about it in front of everyone, he'd never reveal anything. "Can you do something for me?"
He wiped her eyes with his thumbs. If there was anyone who could completely break his barriers, it was his Aunt Phoebe. He'd always had a special connection with her and no one in the family knew exactly why. "Anything," he whispered, hoping her tears would stop. If he made his mom cry or if she cried in front of him, he always wanted to make her stop. With his Aunt Phoebe, if she cried, he felt like crying too. He had to use everything he had not to now. "What do you need?"
"First, can you close the door?"
He nodded, standing and walking over. Immediately, Chris had a feeling this conversation was going to be painful, but deep down, he wanted someone to know – he wanted someone to trust him. But he knew how dangerous that was. He hadn't even figured out who turned Wyatt yet, so technically, it wasn't safe to tell anyone who he was yet.
This was Phoebe though. This was his aunt that taught him all his tricks to stealing cookies and candy his mom was making without her noticing (which usually involved one of her hand-written spells). He'd learned his best puppy dog face from her to use whenever he didn't get what he wanted (which he was sure she regretted teaching him now—oh the stunts he pulled and got away with).
He heard the door close with a click, barely registering making it that far, or putting his hand on the door. He turned around, sighing. The look in his eyes made Phoebe regret asking anything. He looked so miserable—so broken.
He walked back over. "What do you want to know, Phoebe?"
"I – uh…" she struggled. " I did have a Premonition, but—"
He ran his hand over his face, masking his emotions, but Phoebe took his hand, pulling it away. Her eyes – they were just as curious and warm as he remembered – they seemed to be searching him, begging for the truth. He didn't have to tell her, but if she knew, she'd trust him. But if she knew, would she keep his secret?
He knew he'd regret asking this. "But what?"
"It wasn't exactly an innocent. They weren't—" she tried. She took a deep breath, holding his hand tighter. "Please, Chris you've got to promise not to run this time."
He looked at his feet, but Phoebe guided his face to hers using her free hand. "Okay, Phoebe."
"In my Premonition, you and I were in the attic, looking through the Book of Shadows," she studied his face and she knew she'd hit a nerve, so she tried to continue gently. "I seemed to think he'd come to his senses after he murdered someone—"
"—in cold blood?" he asked and she nodded. Oh boy, why did she have to get that memory from me? She's been so in love with Jason since becoming an Empath, I thought she'd get a memory with me and Bianca, he thought.
"Who was it, Chris?" she asked. "I know who you are."
He swallowed. "Y—you do?" He was nervous, but was confident.
"Yes. In my Premonition, you didn't just call me Phoebe."
"I called you Aunt Phoebe, didn't I?" she nodded. He flinched, expecting her to squeeze the life out of him, but she only hugged him.
"What?" she asked, pulling away. "Oh, I get it. You don't want me to touch you. Okay, then," but Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"No, Au—Phoebe, I—" he noticed how her eyes lit up when he almost slipped. He gave in and hugged her. He'd missed her so much. "Aunt Phoebe, that's not it."
"Then what is it?" she said as he pulled back to see her face.
"What you described it was right before…" he couldn't say it. He just couldn't. She was the last one to stand by him. First Paige, then—then Piper…
"Chris, I can keep your secret," she said, causing him to roll his eyes. "I see I don't change much," she laughed.
"No, that's one thing that never changes," he smiled. "But whenever things were serious, you never slipped up—not once."
"Do you think now is one of those times?"
He bit his lip. "I—I don't know."
"Well, what does heart tell you?"
He smiled. "Now you sound like my Aunt Phoebe. I think you can."
She hesitated. Even though she'd broken a critical barrier in getting him to confide some things, she didn't know if she wanted the answer. "Who—" she swallowed the lump in her throat and tried again. "Who did Wyatt kill?"
Chris avoided her eyes. This was something he'd never wanted to have to tell any of them. He took a deep breath. "He—he killed m—my…" his whole body trembled. He swore he'd never tell any of them exactly what happened. He shook his head. "Aunt Phoebe, he—he killed…" he held back the words that nearly caused him to vomit at the thought.
So much so that he placed a hand over his mouth. The look on her face, her weak voice…begging, pleading for Wyatt not to kill her. Saying how she'd love him even if he did. He just…couldn't…
Before he knew it, he tasted acid in his mouth. He doubled over…in front of a garbage can? When did that get there? He wondered, briefly, as another shiver of pain ripped through him bringing up more acid he spit into the garbage can. He felt someone beside him rubbing his back. After about five more minutes, his body's defenses stopped and his stomach settled as he leaned into her.
"Chris?" she asked, brushing his hair off his sweat-slicked forehead. "Are you feeling all right?"
He shook his head, resting it in her neck. Those memories just took hold of him sometimes, but he hadn't been sick like this for a long time. "I haven't been this sick since it happened. Since she died."
"Chris, he killed someone in your family—our family—didn't he?"
He looked her in the eye, knowing he looked as weak and helpless as he felt. "Yes, but you really don't want to know. Trust me."
"Chris, just tell me. It's eating you up inside."
He sighed. "He killed…mom."
Phoebe sat there, her mouth hanging open in shock. "M—mom? As—as in Piper? No!" she stood up backing toward the door. "He—he wouldn't! He c—couldn't!"
Chris stood up and walked over. "I know it's hard to take—to even comprehend, but—" he didn't have a chance to explain before she fell into his arms crying. He slid down the door, pulling her with him. She shook as he tried his best to calm her down, but knowing there wasn't much he could do.
"Wh—why would he do that?"
"He thought without her there, no one could stop him. But we tried—we tried so hard—Aunt Phoebe. And that was what you saw—us trying to stop him, but—" he choked up, knowing right now, he couldn't continue.
"But what? What happened, Chris?"
He shook his head. "No, I can't!"
She looked him in the eye, cupping his chin in her palm. "Show me."
He orbed over to her bed. "No Phoebe, I told you, I can't!"
She stood up and walked over. "So I'm just Phoebe again?" she asked hurt. "I must not be one of your favorite people if you can't even be honest or call me properly," she said, sitting down beside him.
He shook his head, wiping his eyes. "You have no idea—at all—what you mean to me. You were the one who encouraged me to keep fighting."
"I did?" she asked. "Even against Wyatt?"
"Yes. The rest of that memory is horrible, but I'll show you if you want to see."
She thought for a moment. "So what I saw was right before I—"
"Yes, which is why you don't have to see this," he said. "Aunt Phoebe, if you see this I don't think you'll sleep well for a while."
"Probably for the rest of my life, but I want to know."
"Okay," he said taking her hands…
"Maybe he'll be kinder to us, Chris," Phoebe said. "After all, he could've killed us when he killed P-Piper," the sentence nearly stopped her heart, "but he didn't."
"Yeah, only because he wanted us to suffer and fear him so much in the hopes we'll join him."
A sizzle caught his ears and he pulled her to the ground. "Wyatt!" he screamed.
He laughed as he formed another energy ball. "What? Can't I just stop by to say hello?" he smirked.
Chris stood, pulling her with him. "Cut the crap, Wyatt!" Chris seethed, pulling his aunt closer. "What do you want?"
Wyatt walked closer. "I've come to give you one last chance, Chris," he said emphasizing the name. "A chance to redeem yourself. A chance to no longer be known as the Source's Traitor."
"Redemption?" his aunt asked. "How is killing innocents good? How is Chris the bad guy for helping people—how you were both raised?"
"Oh, wake up, Phoebe! There is no good vs. evil anymore. There hasn't been for years. There is only power. Me and those who stand against me."
"Wyatt, what'll happen to Aunt Phoebe? Why is this offer only for me? She's a Charmed One. She's powerful."
"She would try and stop me, no matter what the cost."
"What makes you think I won't try to stop you?"
Wyatt smirked. "You're my brother. You wouldn't turn your back on me."
Chris's eyes became as cold as ice. "You turned your back on your own mother, Wyatt! Our mother!"
He laughed. "There was no reason for her to be kept alive, Chris. Her powers were waning daily because without the Power of Three she saw no use to keep her powers strong. She—" he yelled, feeling pain in his head.
Chris looked around and saw his aunt in the air right above Wyatt. There was electricity in her hands. "She begged. She pleaded for you to stop, but you wouldn't listen. All you care about is power."
Wyatt snapped his fingers ans two minions formed behind him.
"Aunt Phoebe!"
"Wha—" she began, but ended in a painful scream as one of them hit her directly in the chest with a fireball. Chris used telekinesis the vanquish them against the wall as Phoebe crashed onto the attic floor with a sickening crack.
Wyatt laughed, Orbing out. Chris ran over. "Aunt Phoebe! Aunt Phoebe!" he dropped to his knees beside her.
"Chr—Chris-s-s-s—" she hissed. "Ca—can't move," she said as she tried to turn her head.
Chris paid particular attention to how her body was positioned and noticed her head was bleeding and her neck was severly swollen. "Oh no!" he tried to pull her to him, but noticed it only caused her more pain. "Aunt Phoebe, this is gonna hurt, but if I get your body aligned properly I think I can heal you."
"'kay," she breathed as she felt excruciating pain when he moved her arms and legs to a lying down position.
"I wish I knew what was broken," he muttered as he placed his hands over her.
It took about a half hour, but he'd managed to heal her broken bones.
"Does that feel better?" he asked.
"Yes, but my chest still burns."
He pulled shirt down a bit and noticed the burn was eating a hole through her skin. "Whoa! What the hell?"
"What?" she asked.
"It's eating through your skin." She turned white, feeling for the injury, but Chris pulled her hand away. "Don't do that! It'll spread quicker!"
"How do you know?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "I just have a feeling."
She sighed.
Suddenly, he felt like he was 5, not 15. "Please don't go, Aunt Phoebe!" he cried, hugging her tightly. "I need you!"
Tears streaming just as greatly, she hugged him back. "I don't want to go either," she kissed his cheek, "but you don't need me."
"Yes I do!" he said. "There's got to be something I can—I'll try to heal you again," he raised his hands over her, but she grabbed his wrists.
"Chris, the toxin's already st—starting t—to stop my heart. Sweetie, there's nothing you can do!" she said holding his face in her grasp.
"No! You're wrong! I can—I can," but even as he tried to think of a possible solution, he knew it was hopeless. "You can't die! Not now!"
"You have to keep fighting. It's up to you. there's a time-travel spell somewhere in the BookofShadows you can use. Go back in time and stop this. You're strong. I know you are," she felt like her body was shutting down.
"Time travel?" he asked. "I can't do that alone, Aunt Phoebe, I need you!"
Phoebe's tears wouldn't stop. "Yes…you…can…"
"But—" she held a finger to his lips.
"I'm always with you," she placed her hand over his heart, "I love you," she said as her eyes closed.
"I love you too," he said as the Angel of Death walked through the door.
"Will you fight me?" he asked.
Chris shook his head, seeing her spirit leave her body. The Angel of Death left and Chris sat in the attic crying as the memory ended…
"Now do you understand why I can't tell everything?" he asked as tears streamed down both their faces.
"Yes I do. And now is one of those times I won't slip. I love you, Chris."
"I love you too, Aunt Phoebe."
'Always and forever' he vowed in his heart.
THE END
Author's Note: So what do you think?
That70'sShowLova helped me a bit to get started.
Please read and review!
Piper Chris Melinda Halliwell
