Disclaimer: I do not own charmed. Only the story and Elizabeth's character.
Some charmed bits finally, told you it would come in. Tell me what you think. R&R.
Chapter 2.
I'd been driving for only an hour, when I heard the familiar ring of my cell. Pulling over onto the gravel on the roads edge. Checking the caller ID I groaned. I answered it anyway.
"Hello?" I said watching the cars as they sped past.
"Elizabeth Anne, Where are you!?" The voice demanded. I cringed. I hated being called by my full name and dad knew it.
"Why should I tell you?" I could hear him grinding his teeth in the background. This made me smile for a minute, I soon stopped.
"Elizabeth, come home now, Or I'll.." he trailed off. I rolled my eyes, empty threats had become his best friend recently, although I knew he would never act on them and there was nothing he could really do, and he knew this too.
"You'll what? Call the police? They can't do anything. I'm old enough to take care of myself. You have no control over me and you know it" I heard him sigh.
"Please, Lizzy, come home" he begged, I held back another sob.
"I'm sorry." I said sadly. Hanging up, I threw the phone onto the dashboard and rested my head on the steering wheel, letting the tears fall.
A few minutes later I looked back up, catching a glance at my reflection in the rearview mirror, I couldn't help but laugh hopelessly. I looked like a mess, my carefully applied mascara had run, and my eyeliner was smudged, the only thing that remained still in tact was the light blue eye shadow I had put on earlier that morning, Shaking my head. I picked up my phone again and dialed a familiar number. He answered on the second ring.
"Hello?" came his familiar voice.
"Hey" I said weakly.
"Eliza?" I smiled at his nickname for me. Chris Perry, or Halliwell being what he went by now, had been my best friend since primary school. We were inseparable. His mum and dad, and aunties were like a second family to me. Right now, they were all I had.
"Got a place I can crash for a while?" I asked, my voice still weak from crying. I heard voices in the background, then he spoke again.
"Always hon., you know your welcome here, what happened?" I cringed at the sympathy and concern in his voice.
"I'll tell you when I get there, same house?" I asked, thinking of the two storey mansion his family currently held possession of and had for generations.
"Yep, meet you here, then you can explain, see you soon" I smiled.
"Yeah, bye" I hung up and threw the phone back on the dash. Starting the car back up I put it in gear and started towards the place I would call home for the next few days at least. My second home since I was little.
A few hours later I passed a sign.
"Welcome to San Francisco" I muttered. Navigating the city streets was easy, I found the familiar old house and pulled the car to a stop. Sighing I got out and walked slowly towards the door. Only to have it open before I could knock. There stood my oldest, best guy friend. He hadn't changed a bit, same dark hair, same brown eyes. Same smile that made my stomach jump. Of course he didn't know I'd had a crush on him for so long. I loved him. He meant more to me then he'd ever know.
I smiled weakly at him. He returned it. Then noticing how crap I looked he frowned, I couldn't help but cringe, why hadn't I fixed my make up in the car, at least make myself look presentable.
"What happened Eliza?" he asked concerned. It was more then enough, I broke. Tears running down my already tear stained cheeks as he pulled me into his embrace. He scooped me up into his arms as I cried on his shoulder. Then he slowly moved me into the lounge room out of public view. I heard the front door shut and wondered how he'd managed to carry me and close the front door, too depressed to care I dismissed the thoughts.
A while later the sobs subsided, I snuggled in closer to him, wanting the comfort more then anything. He reacted by pulling me closer. Leaning down to kiss my forehead.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he whispered. Making me shiver. I nodded. And sat up in his lap.
"I was talking to Jake, and he told me everything, the truth, about my family" I answered closing my eyes as the tears threatened to start again. Chris nodded waiting patiently for me to continue.
"Take all the time you need honey" he said quietly. I nodded. His hands doing comforting circling motions on my back. The other wrapped around my waist. I sighed.
"He told me everything, he didn't mean to, he overheard my parents and his talking and.." I broke off holding back another sob. He pulled me in for a hug, I tucked my head close to his chest and let the tears fall once more.
"I'm so sorry Eliz, if I had known." he broke off mid sentence but I didn't need him to continue to know what he was going to say.
"I know, Chris, I know. Doesn't matter now" I mumbled. I felt him tense, he was angry, at my parents for not telling me the truth, I sighed. If only he knew, how much he really meant to me, how comforting his presence really was. Misinterpreting my sigh, he pulled me in closer and rubbed my back comfortingly. Eventually I pulled away.
"So, where is everyone? Melinda? Wyatt?" I asked. He frowned at my bad job at changing the subject but didn't comment.
"Wyatt and Mel should be back soon" he answered. I nodded. We were silent for a few minutes, eventually he spoke.
"You hungry, thirsty?" he asked. I nodded and got up so he could move. I followed him down the familiar hallway to the kitchen. It had changed a little bit since I had been here last. It was bigger, but then with three kids to accommodate for, plus god knows how many more on the way, it made sense that Piper would get it extended. I stood leaning on the counter as Chris raided the fridge. I had no idea what he was looking for exactly, until he came out of the fridge with a container of Double choc chip ice cream in his hands. I couldn't help the smile forming on my face. Typical Chris, knew exactly what I needed, one of the many reasons I loved him. My oldest friend and boy was I falling hard. Shaking the thoughts from my mind I took the offered spoon in his hand and dug into the container of chocolaty goodness. He watched me as I dug my spoon in, and stuck the contents in my mouth. He did the same. Still watching me carefully, I wondered what he was thinking. He frowned.
"Chris, you have been staring at me for the past 15 minutes, what is it that you find so interesting, and why are you frowning?" I asked getting annoyed. He just smiled at me and stayed silent. I sighed, he wasn't going to tell me anything. Sucking the ice cream from my spoon I dug in for more. His eyes still on me, I raised an eyebrow and considered sticking out my tongue, but thought better of it. Finally he cleared his throat. Digging his spoon deep into the ice cream so it remained standing.
"So, you still haven't explained what happened, you said you argued with your dad" I winced. He smiled sympathetically, then continued. " But you never said what it was over" he added.
I nodded thinking over my answer, as I sucked the ice cream from the spoon.
"Jake overheard his father and mine talking. Debating about the right time to tell me. They knew about who I really was and they never said a word, So I left, I had to get out Chris, I can't go back there" I said holding back fresh tears. He nodded and pulled me into another hug.
"You don't have too" he whispered, I nodded. Trying to get myself under control once more. When I finally gained it once more I continued. " They said something about me not being who I thought I was, that I was different, I still don't know what they meant, they also mentioned something about my real parents. Something along the lines of them dropping me off and leaving, not even bothering to tell them why, just asking that they look after me" I frowned thinking this over. Who was I then? Who were my parents? I sighed, shaking the thoughts from my mind, I smiled weakly at Chris, he seemed to be wondering the same thing.
"So, they didn't give you any helpful information?" he asked. I shook my head sadly. The information they had given me was sketchy at best, how was I supposed to find my real family based on that? I sighed. Wondering how I was going to go about doing this. Chris smiled knowingly and held his arms out for a hug. I walked into them without a second thought, fresh tears forming in my eyes, threatening to roll down my cheeks. Pulling away once more I sighed.
"What am I going to do?" I muttered half to myself. Chris shook his head, a sympathetic smile on his face.
"It'll get better hon. I promise." He whispered soothingly. I nodded, not really believing it but wishing I could. It wasn't that much of a stretch was it? I sighed. Stepping back a few inches. I tried to pull myself together. Catching a glimpse of my reflection in the window I groaned.
"Bathroom?" I asked. Chris laughed and pointed up.
"Upstairs, first door on the left. Same as always" he answered. I nodded mouthing thank you, before I ascended the stairs. Reaching the bathroom I closed the door and stared into the mirror. The face of a 19 year old girl who had just had her world torn apart stared back at me. Would the sadness and pain ever leave my eyes, I wondered, would I ever forgive my parents for lying, what about my real family, what was the deal with them, if they loved me so much why'd they dump me here and never call I thought angrily. I stared at the mirror, almost expecting it to answer my unasked questions, it didn't. Sighing I turned on the cold water tap and cupped my hands underneath It catching some of the water to wash my face. Splashing it up onto my face, I closed my eyes and tried to clear my head of everything bad that had happened today, the last week, and forever. It was a long shot and I knew it but it didn't stop me trying. For a few minutes I imagined I was in a alternate reality where my family loved me, and I was happy and safe and surrounded by friends. I wished it were true. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door.
"Eliza, you in there honey? You have to come out eventually, you can't hide in there forever" Chris joked. I tried to fight the smile forming on my face, and lost.
"Why not?" I whined. He chuckled, sighing I opened the door to find him in the door way.
"Are you sure I can't stay in here?" I asked only half joking. He smiled sadly and shook his head.
"Sorry honey, time to face the world" I groaned. But let him place his arm around my waist and lead me back down stairs. Time to face the world is right. I thought sadly. Time to face reality.
Another chapter finished, tell me what you think. R&R.
DG