Disclaimer: I can't even begin to express how much I do not own Charmed.
Ch. 2:
Chris disappeared while the sisters got Meredith set up in the guest room. While Piper was replacing the sheets, there was a flash of orbs and Leo appeared.
"Piper." He said in greeting.
"Leo." She replied. "What can I do for you?"
"Um, nothing." He said awkwardly. "I just wanted to warn you that the Elders detected another time portal. There might be someone else here from the future."
"Piper, Phoebe managed to find something I could wear for th-" Meredith broke off as she walked in and saw Leo. "Oh, crap."
"Leo, meet Meredith Halliwell." Piper said. "She's from the future."
"Halliwell?" Leo questioned.
"Apparently we adopt her sometime in the future." Piper told him.
"We do?" he asked.
"Phoebe, Paige, and I do." Piper clarified.
"Ah." He replied lamely.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone." Meredith told him, glaring. "So, you can run back off to Elder-land and do whatever it is that Elders do when they're not bugging us mortals."
"What is it with you and Chris and Leo?" Piper asked.
"I don't have a problem with Leo." Meredith replied. "I barely knew him."
"Why did you come back?" Leo demanded.
"Because my husband took over the world and then murdered my daughter." Meredith sneered at him. "So, I came back to help Chris and make the bastard pay."
"All right." Piper said, getting between them. "Meredith, where's Wyatt?"
"With Paige." Meredith said, taking a deep breath. "She said she'd put him down for the night."
"Okay, well you've probably had a long day, so why don't we finish this in the morning?" Piper suggested. "Leo? Follow me?"
Piper didn't wait for a reply, just walked out the door and Leo meekly followed.
Meredith sighed and sat down on the bed.
"Chris?" she called.
A second later, the young witch appeared.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
"Oh yeah, I just saw Leo." Meredith replied.
"Fun, huh?" Chris said, sitting down next to her.
"Secrets I keep in my soul
are only mine to give or hold
and so with this rhyme
Silence round will keep them mine."
There was a flash of light and Meredith breathed easier as her spell took hold.
"What was that for?" Chris asked.
"It was a spell I created so Jenny and I could talk without him overhearing us." Meredith told him. "I figure it will keep the sisters from hearing something they shouldn't."
"Good." Chris agreed.
"How have you lasted this long?" she asked. "I wanted to punch Leo in the face and I've only been here two hours. I've already had to stop myself from saying too much five times! How do you do it?"
"With much difficulty." Chris replied, smiling. "And I know you've always been protective, but please resist punching Leo."
Meredith smiled weakly before the smile fell away.
"Chris, I have to know." She said softly. "Can I fix my mistakes, or did I lose you too?"
Chris sighed.
"I don't know." He told her. "I hope not, but you didn't just betray me. You betrayed the family. You betrayed yourself. I don't know how you begin to fix that."
"But you'll let me try?" she asked. "I don't think I can stand to lose you and Jenny. I don't think I'm strong enough."
"I hope you don't." Chris told her softly. "I already lost you once. I'd like it I could get you back."
There was a flash of orbs and Leo appeared.
"Good, your here." He said, looking at Chris. "I'm removing you as the Charmed Ones Whitelighter."
"What?" Meredith demanded.
"Don't worry." Chris told her. "He does this periodically. I've got other charges and I'm only a call away." He got up and leaned down to kiss Meredith's head. "I'll see you later."
"Chris…" Meredith said softly.
"I have to believe it's all going to be alright." He told her. "That's how I do it."
She nodded and he orbed away.
"I don't trust him." Leo told Meredith. "And I don't trust you."
"And I don't like you." Meredith replied, glaring. "So why don't you orb away, and I'll try to honor my promise to Chris by not punching you."
Leo glared right back at her before orbing away.
"Silence kept and hearts lay bare
By those who now dwell here
Now let silence rise
Let sound abound."
Meredith sighed again and went to get ready for bed.
"So," Phoebe said as she walk into the kitchen. "Have we heard from our newest time traveler yet?"
"She isn't down yet, if that's what you're asking." Piper said, pouring her a cup of coffee.
"I wonder what she said to Chris to make him trust her." Phoebe mused. "I mean, she admitted she married the evil Chris is trying to stop, so what could make him trust her again?"
"Well her husband did kill their daughter." Piper said.
"Ah ah." Phoebe said. "She said he killed her daughter. Remember, she said he found she wasn't his. I wonder who the father was."
"Someone my husband didn't need another reason to hate." Came the reply.
Piper and Phoebe turned to see Meredith shuffling into the kitchen.
"He already wanted Jenny's real father dead." She said, walking straight to the cabinet and grabbing a cup. "I wasn't about to give him another reason to hunt him."
"So, did you love Jenny's father?" Phoebe asked.
"Phoebe!" Piper rebuked.
"What?" Phoebe replied. "I'm curious!"
"It's alright." Meredith interrupted. "The answer is I don't know. The three of us were the best of friends growing up, and when it became evident I had to choose between them, I couldn't. And it tore us apart. I had finally decided to chose Jenny's father when I found out I was pregnant. We were part of the resistance and we knew we were going to lose. I had to protect my baby, so I went to the other side and managed to time everything just right so my husband would believe the baby was his."
"Why do you always call him 'my husband' and never by his name?" Piper asked.
"Force of habit." Meredith replied. "You never said his name unless you wanted to attract his attention. Eventually, it became law that the only ones allowed to say his name were those of us in his inner circle and we tried to avoid it as much as possible."
"So what is his name?" Phoebe asked.
"What the hell?" Paige yelled from the other room.
The other three made their way out into the foyer to find Paige standing in front of a large pile of boxes.
"Where did all this come from?" Piper demanded.
"I don't know!" Paige replied. "I came down, and there they were."
Meredith smiled and walked over to the pile. On top was a small jewelry box attached to a letter.
Mer-
I know you need clothes and stuff, so here you go. I figure you'd be happier with your own stuff then using the sisters. In the small box is just something to remember Jenny by. Don't ask how I got it. You'll be happier not knowing.
Chris
Meredith opened the box to find a sapphire ring nestled inside.
"Oh, wow, that's beautiful!" Phoebe said, looking over Meredith's shoulder.
"It's Jenny's birthstone." Meredith told her, her voice thick.
She silently slipped the diamond on her left ring finger off and slipped the sapphire on in its place.
"Anyone want a diamond?" she asked, holding the other ring up. "Slightly used, three carats."
"I think maybe you should keep it." Piper told her. "If nothing else, you can sell it if you need money."
Meredith seemed to think about it for a moment before slipping the ring into her pocket.
"Paige, could you orb this stuff up to my room since Chris is a loser?" Meredith asked.
"Um, sure." Paige replied.
She waved her hand and the pile disappeared in a flash of orbs.
"Thanks." Meredith replied.
She turned and walked back to the kitchen.
"Does anyone else think it's about to get a lot weirder around here?" Phoebe asked.
"Is that even possible?" Paige asked.
The three sisters exchanged a look before following Meredith back into the kitchen.
A/N: Second chapter done. I hope to start in on the actual story in the next chapter. Let me know what you think, and if you want to see Meredith's ring, you can go check it out through the link on my profile.
Abbey
