Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed (sadly)
Past Mistakes
Try as he might, Chris couldn't remember what it was Dan had done in the future, and so, he had, reluctantly, let the matter go. Besides, he was back in town for a while, and his mother seemed happy to have him around. While this made Chris slightly happy, as he felt he had caused her nothing but misery since he had arrived here, it was also with a growing sense of trepidation that he saw how close she and Dan were becoming. After all, a guy had to get conceived, and he would find it rather difficult to do that if his mother shacked up with another bloke. As such, he decided to adopt a more diplomatic approach to the affair.
"Don't you think it's going a little too fast?" he asked as he watched his mother get ready, his little big brother in his arms as he did so.
Piper gave him an amused smile.
"What is the matter with you? Ever since Dan showed up you've been acting like a mother hen." She said, and Chris rolled his eyes. She was a fine one to talk. He'd had a friend who was a girl when he was twelve, and, being incredibly overprotective, she had scared the living daylights out of the girl thinking she was his first girlfriend.
"There's just something I don't like about him, that's all." He protested, and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What's not to like?" she asked in confusion as she put on her lipstick, sighing in irritation as Chris shook his head to keep her away from a deep red.
"He's, I don't know, I think he's too perfect. He has one of those annoying 'I'm so great, everyone look at me' smiles that just make you want to punch him." He grumbled and Piper laughed. He smiled a little. It had been a while since he had made her laugh.
"Let me guess...you're a younger sibling?" she asked, and he froze, fearing she was on to him.
"Um, yeah, why?" he asked nervously.
"Because I used to want to knock Prue's teeth out because everyone thought she was so great. Dan isn't that bad Chris. He's a nice guy." She assured him, and he looked down at the floor.
"I'm just...worried about you." He said softly, and she smiled at him.
"You are sweet. Right, be good. Paige should be home soon, so if you want to foist Wyatt off on her, you can. See you later." She said, and kissed him on the cheek.
Chris watched as his mother left the room. She had been in such good spirits since Dan had come back. But he knew that he would eventually have to ruin her life yet again if he wanted to be born. Either way, there was still something he didn't quite like about Dan. It wasn't loyalty to his father, he knew that much. But something about Dan just ran wrong with him. Perfect hair, perfect chin, perfect personality...
"Alright bro, why don't we see what aunt Paige has to say when she comes home?" he asked, and his brother looked at him curiously.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. There was a time when you wanted a baby brother. You still do, in an evil, twisted sort of way. So if you want me, you better buckle up and help me, got it?" he asked, and to his surprise, Wyatt agreed with a nod.
"That's alright then." He said, and took his brother downstairs.
XX
"I'm glad I got you away from the house. There's something I wanted to talk to you about." Dan said nervously, and Piper hesitated as she poked her salmon en croute.
What could this be about? Was he leaving early? She hoped not, she was enjoying herself, spending time with him, being treated well and spoiled a little, and not having to worry about the other man in her life. Or...well it was Dan. And she knew he had her best interests at heart. Which meant this was probably something to do with Chris.
"It's about the guy you have at the house. Are you sure you can trust him?" he asked, and Piper hesitated before she answered.
There was a loaded question. While he said he was here to help them protect Wyatt, which she did believe, and while he seemed nice enough and dedicated to what he was doing, there was the fact that some of his methods were a little questionable. And there was also the fact that he refused to tell them anything about the future or anything that he was hiding.
"Yes, I'm sure." She said loyally, her voice not entirely as firm as she would have liked it to be.
Dan leaned closer to her, and looked around.
"Now, don't get mad, but when I saw him the other day, I got a little worried. I know it's like a broken record Piper, but he just didn't seem right, so I asked my brother to check up on Chris. I'm only doing it to protect you." He said, and Piper constrained the urge to roll her eyes.
His brother won't have found anything. After all, as far as they knew, the kid hadn't even been born yet, which she supposed added another mystery to the enigma that was Chris. Why would he come back to before he was born to save someone he had no connection to?
"And?" she asked in a bored voice.
"There isn't any record of a Christopher Perry anywhere."
Well duh. He wasn't born yet.
"Dan...I know you're only doing it to look out for me, and I appreciate it. Really I do. But Chris is harmless. He's just a kid from out of town who's helping out, that's all. He's sort of named himself Wyatt's bodyguard."
Dan nodded, but still looked suspicious.
"So you're just letting some random kid stay with you?" he asked, and Piper could tell he was thinking about Leo.
"Dan, this isn't like with Leo. I'm not in love with Chris or anything, so stop worrying. He's just a kid who wants to help, and since he can't go back home," she realised she'd have to explain that, "since his family have kicked him out because he's the only decent one, he's staying here. Nothing more than that." She said, and Dan looked concerned, but nodded reluctantly.
"All right. If you're sure he's trustworthy, then fine." He said, but his worried expression remained.
They had dinner, and he still seemed slightly distracted when he dropped her off after their movie later that night. She entered to find Chris reading a story to Wyatt, despite her telling him he should have been put down for the night hours ago.
Suddenly she was annoyed with him. He hadn't done what she had told him, and because of him, her date with Dan had had a pall cast over it. She knew the last bit wasn't his fault, but still, it reminded her of the many reasons she was initially reluctant to have him around. He just seemed to mess things up by being here.
"How was your date?" he asked as she came into the living room.
"Oh fine, expect he's concerned about you." She answered shortly, and he looked at her in confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked, and she narrowed her eyes as she took Wyatt from him without ceremony.
"I mean he thinks you're up to something, that you can't be trusted. He's also discovered that you don't exist, and is concerned about it." She said as Wyatt yawned widely.
Chris cast his eyes down. That was something else he would be getting blamed for then.
"I'm sorry Piper." He said, casting his eyes down.
"Well you should be. I told you to put him down hours ago, why didn't you?" she asked him sharply, and Chris glared at her angrily.
"I did put him down, but he wouldn't go to sleep, so I told him a story to make him drop off." He snapped.
Why was she treating him like this was his fault? It was nothing to do with him, the fact that her new boyfriend was a jealous, possessive idiot.
"Oh." Piper said, the wind taken out of her sails, but Chris continued to glare at her.
"You know Piper, I'm only trying to help. And I'm sorry your ass of a boyfriend obsessed over me all night, but that isn't my fault. Neither is the fact that Wyatt didn't go to sleep when I put him down. But just like everything else that goes wrong in this place, it's all my fault. Tell you what. Next time you need someone to babysit so you can go out and relive old times with that idiot, don't call me." He said angrily, and orbed out before she could stop him.
Piper sighed. She had been unfair, she knew that. Like he said, it wasn't his fault that Dan couldn't let things go, or that Wyatt had been fussy. Did he really feel like they blamed him for everything? She supposed sadly that he could be quite justified in thinking that. She would make it up to him tomorrow. And maybe talk to Dan about loosening up a bit.
XX
Chris woke late the next day, his anger still simmering in the general direction of his mother. He grunted and was about to go out to get a shower, when he saw Dan sitting in the middle of P3, waiting for him.
"Chris, I thought we could have a little talk." Dan said, pointing to the chair beside him.
Chris narrowed his eyes angrily. First of all, he shouldn't be here at all, the club wasn't meant to open for hours. Secondly, it was his mother's club, not his, so who the hell did he think he was telling her son what to do? The fact that she didn't know he was her son was irrelevant, Dan still had no business being in here or telling him what to do.
"How did you get in here?" he asked coldly, remaining where he was, and pulling a tshirt over his bare torso.
"One of the barhands let me in, they're doing a stocktake in the back, and they recognised me. Sit down." Dan said, his tone polite but the look in his eyes was anything but.
"Think I'll stay where I am thanks." Chris growled, and Dan stood, coming over to him.
"What's your deal with Piper?" he demanded, coming a little too close for Chris' liking, so he stepped back, green eyes narrowed dangerously.
"That's none of your business. But you can relax Romeo, I don't fancy her or anything." He sneered, and Dan glowered at him.
"Actually, it is my business. I care about her too much to let anyone hurt her." He said, and Chris rolled his eyes.
"Believe me pal, I'll care more about Piper than you or Leo ever could." He said, the image of his mother's dead body haunting behind his eyes, the devastation he had felt when he had lost her threatening to overwhelm him.
"Somehow I doubt that." Dan said coldly.
"Look Dan, what do you want? I've got stuff to do." Chris growled, and Dan flexed his fingers.
"You ought to learn a little respect kid." He said coldly, and Chris rolled his eyes.
"You sound like my dad. News flash. You want to get me to do something, don't act like him. I hated my father." He said savagely.
"Figures. What I want is for you to leave Piper alone. Go home. Get out of her life, she can do without you." He said, and Chris was astounded by the sheer cheek and rudeness of this guy. What the hell did she see in him?
"Who the hell do you think you are? I have a job to do, and I'm not going to leave just because her new boyfriend asked me to. And besides, I can't and won't go home." He said stubbornly.
Dan nodded.
"Alright Chris. Let's just leave it there. But if you keep hanging round, I'm going to be on your case. I saw Piper get hurt by someone she trusted once before, and I refuse to let it happen again. Got it?" he asked.
"Got it. But..." Chris said, as Dan had turned away, and now he was forced to turn back, "you hurt Piper and I'll make you regret it." He vowed, and Dan gave him a smug grin.
"I'm scared. Later." He said, giving him a curt nod as he walked towards the entrance.
Chris glowered at Dan's retreating back. Arrogant asshole, implying he didn't care about his mother. Who the hell did he think he was? He wouldn't tolerate that crap from Leo, and he sure as hell wasn't going to tolerate it from some jumped up mortal with paranoia.
But the fact remained that Dan had just threatened him. He wished he could remember what Dan had done in the future. Cursing his own lack of memory, he headed for the shower. Maybe a look at Dan's file would provide him with a clue. Darryl would help, he knew it.
XX
"Honey, I know you like him, but don't you think you're moving a tiny bit too fast? He only came back a few days ago, and you want to bring him home?" Paige asked sceptically as her sister pottered around in the kitchen.
Piper smiled slightly.
"You sound like Chris. He's worried about me too." She said teasingly, laughing at the look of outrage on her sister's face as she said it.
"I am not like him! How, what's he saying?" she asked curiously, and Piper shrugged.
"Much the same things as you are. But Paige, it's different with Dan. We know everything about each other, and we're reconnecting." She explained, until Paige looked at her sadly.
"Yeah, he knows everything except from the fact that you're a witch and Wyatt's Twice Blessed." She said, and Piper frowned.
Yeah, there was that.
"I know." She said sadly.
"Chris might be right. And whatever else we think of him, its clear he just wants you to be ok." Paige said, and Piper winced.
"Maybe not so much anymore." She said sheepishly, and Paige raised an eyebrow at her expectantly.
"Well last night, he still had Wyatt up when I came in, because Wyatt hadn't settled, but I got all bitchy with him for that. And I was annoyed that Dan had spent the night obsessing over him when we were on our date and I sort of took it out on him. So, can you watch Wyatt tonight?" she asked hopefully, and Paige looked uncertain.
"Sorry Piper, but I'm on my new temp job today, I'm working in a bar all night." She said guiltily.
"And there's no point asking Phoebe, she's too obsessed with this libel thing she's got going on."
"You could always ask Leo." Paige suggested, but Piper shook her head.
"No, I wouldn't do that to him, especially when it's Dan I'm seeing. Dad's out of town and Darrly and Sheila are going to the theatre tonight." She said, and Paige smiled, knowing the only choice her sister had left.
"Well then, you're just going to have to apologise to Chris then aren't you?" she asked smugly, and Piper sighed.
"Yeah I suppose so. He might not want to hear it though." She said, and Paige rolled her eyes.
"Give him a break Piper. He was doing something nice for you, letting you do what you wanted, and all of a sudden you're attacking him for what probably seemed like no good reason. He's entitled to be a little pissed off." She said, and Piper supposed she had a point.
And she did feel guilty. Maybe apologising would make her feel better.
XX
"Hey Chris, what can I do for you?" Darryl asked as Chris approached him in the police file.
Chris had always gotten on with Darryl. Aside from Henry, he'd been his favourite uncle. Coop was too much of a sell out to his wife, who Chris had fought with even before coming to the past.
"I know you're not allowed to do it, and I know it's asking a lot, but could I possibly look at someone's file?" he asked hopefully.
Darryl's eyes widened in surprise, and Chris supposed that whatever he'd been expecting to hear, that hadn't been it.
"You know I can't just let you take a look at someone's file just because you want to look! What's this about anyway? A demon the girls are looking for?" he muttered, and Chris shook his head.
"No, not this time. This is strictly me. And we doubt that he's a warlock or a demon, he's just a jerk." Chris said, and Darryl looked at him curiously.
"Really? Who?" he asked, as this sounded much more like a normal case, which was refreshing when he dealt with the sisters.
"Dan Gordon." Chris spat bitterly, and Darryl racked his brains for the information.
"Wait, the guy Piper dated?" he asked, and Chris nodded grimly.
"And is dating again, even though he's a jealous, obsessive, paranoid jerk." Chris said sourly.
"Jealous?" Darryl asked after a moment.
"Why does everyone assume that? No, I'm not jealous. I'm just, protective of her that's all." He said, and Darryl chuckled.
"Seems fair. Alright, hang on." He said, and entered the data onto his computer, bringing up Dan's file.
"Nothing here of any interest to you buddy, not so much as a parking ticket...hmm, that's odd." Darryl said musingly.
"What is?" Chris asked, and Darryl pointed at the screen, and Chris bent over him to check it out.
"Turns out he was meant to be involved in a court case, but suddenly the case was dropped. Doesn't say why it was dropped or what position he was in though." Darryl said, trying to access the file with no success.
"Hmm...ok, thanks Darryl. If you find anything else out, can you tell me?"
"Yeah sure."
"Thanks." Chris said and left the office.
That was what he liked about Chris. Unlike the girls and Leo, he always said thank you. Bless him. His mother did a good job on him. Smiling, he got back to work.
XX
"Aren't you worried about her Paige?" Chris asked as he met her in town for lunch, and was pleasantly surprised when she bought him a wrap for lunch.
"Slightly. I think she's going so fast with Dan because she wants to get over Leo as soon as possible." She explained, and Chris frowned.
He supposed that made sense. And typically, meant it was his fault. Just like everything that was wrong in their lives was.
"I just don't like him. Something is off about him." He said, tucking in to his chicken wrap.
"Off how?" Paige asked, consuming her own falafel wrap.
"I don't know. He's just one of those annoying, perfect people who thinks they're so great and feel the need to interfere in anything and everything. He had his brother check me out." He said, and the response he got from her wasn't the one he had expected.
"You should be flattered, older man..." she said teasingly, and he glared at her.
"Not like that! No! He got him to check me out within the state department, and surprise surprise I don't exist." He said, and she did take it seriously this time, looking concerned.
"You reckon he could expose us?" she asked uncertainly, and he shrugged.
"He could do, or at least expose me, and then that will lead back to you." He said, and she pondered how the hell they would explain about a kid who hadn't even been born yet if the press came calling.
"Hmm. Look Chris, I know you're worried about her, but she's a big girl, she can look after herself." She assured him.
Chris fought down a sigh. He knew part of his problem with Dan was the fact that he needed to get himself conceived, which couldn't happen if his mother was shacked up with Dan, but still there was something else that was making him nervous about Dan, and not just the conversation this morning or the event in the future that he couldn't remember.
He then heard a jingle, and sighed.
"Great, round two. Place your bets." He grumbled.
"You'll be fine. And she knows she treated you unfairly last night. Just go and talk to her. I'll see you later ok?" she asked, and he nodded, before giving a look around and orbing out.
XX
"I'm sorry Chris. I shouldn't have taken it out on you, I know you were only trying to help." She said, and he shrugged slightly.
"It's ok. Are you seeing him tonight?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Yes I am." She said simply, and seeing where this conversation might very well end up, he decided to steer away from it.
"Piper, I'm sorry, but I just have a bad feeling about him. And besides, you know full well that he won't be able to accept the witch thing." He said, and she turned, her eyes hard.
"Yeah, well I don't care what you think about him Chris. I'm dating him, he isn't dating you, so why can't you just let me be happy?" she demanded, and he flinched, hurt.
Did she actually think he didn't want her to be happy? She was his mother, of course he wanted her to be happy, but preferably with a guy that he liked. And he knew that Dan was bad news. He couldn't figure out how, but he was.
"What? How can you even suggest that?" he demanded, his tone hurt and angry as he glowered at her.
"Well I don't know. Maybe because you took my husband away. Maybe because you keep telling me someone is after my son. And maybe because you're interfering with my relationship with Dan." She said scathingly, and while he was hurt, he was also angry.
"Firstly, your saintly husband didn't actually have to accept the promotion, he could have stayed down here but he put his job over you. Secondly, someone is always after Wyatt, so me telling you shouldn't be a bad thing but a good thing. And thirdly, I'm just trying to protect you!" he shouted, and he could see that she was slightly taken aback by his retort. Good, he thought savagely.
"I don't need protected Chris. Why is everyone trying to protect me all of a sudden? Aren't I one of the most powerful witches in the world?" she demanded.
"The best." He said loyally, and her face softened slightly at that.
"Exactly. I think I can handle an overprotective boyfriend without assistance Chris, ok?" she asked, her tone less harsh than it had been before.
"I'm just worried you're falling for him too fast Piper." He said desperately, and she sighed.
"Like I told Paige, it's not like it would normally be. We're starting again, and we already knew a lot about each other. And he actually treats me good, he's been great. Can't you just be happy for me?" she asked, and he looked down sadly, and she could tell that she had hurt him by implying he didn't want her to be happy.
"Of course I want you to be happy." He said softly, and she nodded, satisfied.
"Well there you are then." She said with satisfaction.
"Want me to watch Wyatt?" he asked, and she looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to offer, especially with the way she had just attacked him.
"Yeah, sure, that would be great." She said, and he nodded and went to get him.
Why was Chris so dead set against Dan? Dan was a great guy. Good looking, he treated her very well, he was kind, almost perfect actually. So why was Chris so opposed to him?
She pondered this question as she got ready for yet another date.
XX
Dan was standing on the other side of the door when Chris opened it, as Piper was still getting ready.
"I thought I told you I didn't want you hanging around Piper anymore." He said as if in greeting, shouldering past Chris.
Chris resisted the urge to knock him on his ass by flicking him out of the house. Jerk.
"Look Dan, I told you, I'm not going anywhere. So you might as well live with that because it isn't going to change." Chris said.
Dan gave him a small smile, then shoved him against the wall, and suddenly it clicked why Dan had been arrested in the future. Domestic violence, he had nearly killed the woman he had been with at the time. Dan forced himself closer to Chris, eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You don't get it do you? I'm dating Piper, and something makes me think she'll take me over you. So, if I go on about it long enough, she will get rid of you. I want you gone. I'm not going to let you hurt her. I did that with Leo and I refuse to allow that to happen to her again. I won't let you hurt her." He snarled.
"You really don't get it do you? I would never hurt Piper." Chris protested, which wasn't strictly true. Apparently, giving birth to him had been a nightmare. But it wasn't as if he could do anything about that.
"Make sure that you don't. And I better not see you around here again." Dan warned, letting go of Chris.
Chris glowered.
"You can't tell me what to do." He spat venomously, and Dan shrugged.
"No. But I can imply it. I'm with Piper, and no matter how much you don't like me, I'm here to stay." He said smugly, pulling his hair behind his ears, making him once more look like perfection, and he knew it.
Chris didn't see that though. All he saw was a vain, vapid thug, who was now dating his mother. He had to protect her. Because if Dan laid one finger on her, there would be no telling what he would do to him.
"If you ever hurt her-" Chris warned, and Dan raised an eyebrow.
"Me? No Chris. You're the one who might hurt her. I never will." He said, glaring at the younger man.
"If you hurt her I will kill you." Chris vowed, his green eyes narrowed in intense dislike.
Piper came down the stairs at that moment, and kissed Dan in welcome. Chris looked on in despair. He remembered it all now. Dan was violent, angry, beneath his so called perfect exterior. And his mother was right in his firing line.
He knew that Dan probably had been a decent guy once. But losing Piper to Leo had made him angry and bitter, and he had just gotten worse over the years, and when he found out his wife had been cheating on him, with a man who treated her with respect and not like a prize, he had been furious and had nearly beat her to death. And now Piper was in danger.
"Thanks for this Chris. See you later." She said with a smile, before heading for the door.
"Piper..." Chris protested as Dan linked his arm within hers, and she looked at him curiously.
Dan however glowered furiously, and Chris felt his voice fail him. He couldn't accuse him without proof. After all, give her a choice between her annoying whitelighter who she blamed for everything that went wrong and the man she was all too quickly falling back in love with, he was bound to lose. Hating himself, he looked at her.
"Have fun." He said softly, and Dan gave him a self satisfied grin as they left the house.
Chris thought. His mother was in trouble. Dan could hurt her. This was more than getting himself conceived now. He had to make sure Dan didn't hurt her, had to protect his mother. He had failed that once, and he had lost her. He wouldn't do it again. Dan. The threat to getting him convceived, the arrogant smug Mr Perfect that his mother had tried to fill the void in her heart with once before, and now he remembered just what he was capable of. He remembered his mother reading the paper that morning and being sickened by what he had become. He had to save her, prevent it from happening. Even if it meant his own existence was erased. Wyatt was important, sure. But his mother was even more important.
But if he was going to do this, he would need help. He needed Paige and Phoebe. Maybe even Leo. He knew one thing though. The bastard wouldn't get his mother or hurt her without a fight.
Here we are with the second chapter!
Looks like Dan has changed a lot since season 2, the jerk. And now he's trying to force poor Chris out of Piper's life the scumbag. Will he succeed? What will Chris do next? And will Piper be alright with a potentially abusive boyfriend?
What will happen next? I feel bad for what's going to happen next chapter.
Anyway, I'm off to have some lovely roast pork for tea, so please read and review! Oh, and can you also tell me what you think of the pic of Drew Fuller I have for the story pic? I think hlook socks great. Bye for now!