So, yeah, only nine reviews last chapter. Sorry if it sucked.
This chapter was actually beta'ed by my friend Bookfreak13, so hopefully there will be not so many mistakes now. :)
Review Responses :
Wesdrewlover - Well, I hope you enjoy the music video as much as I did. I have it pictured in my head, and this is just the shooting aspect of it. There will be a better display of it later on :) And Wyatt and Chris aren't going to have the close relationship right off the bat, they've been apart for five years with no contact. I'm sorry if Wyatt came off as sad about going on tour with Pariah, he isn't. And the relationship will, hopefully, start rebuilding itself. Thanks for the review!
LooneyTLuna - Its alright, I understand that reviewing every chapter is a pain-in-the-butt and sometimes you just forget to, I've been guilty of that. And while Jared does direct the 30stm videos, that wasn't the reference I was looking for, sorry. Should've been more clear. But, you can have another chance :). The reference I was referring to happens when Chris and Tyler visit Piper, Wyatt, Sam and Paige at the manor after they get back from Europe. And if you get, I'll write you another reward fic :). Thanks for the review.
Also, my friend (and now beta) did draw a picture of Chris from Pariah, the URL is in my profile if you wish to see it. Leave a comment on it, its beautiful :).
And if anyone else had done any work pertaining to Pariah let me now, and I'll go check it out and leave a URL in my profile :). Thanks :D
Also, a big thanks to Meyli Vaisyl for translating Pariah into French.
And now, enjoy the third chapter of A Beautiful Lie.
Chapter Three : A Decorus Recubo (A Beautiful Lie)
The Halliwell family found themselves nestled in front of a myriad of TV screens, each of them numbered and showed the bedroom set, just at different angles. People surrounded the screens, all of them wearing headsets and barking orders.
"Is everything ready?" Chris asked, coming around the corner.
Piper blinked at her topless son, silently wondering where her son's shirt went in the five minutes she was gone. She also noticed that his hair was recently brushed and eyeliner surrounded his eyes. When he turned his back to her, her eyes widened when she saw the Triquenta tattooed on his left shoulder.
"Yes, we should get all the shots if you and Jaiden act correctly," Tracey stated.
Chris rolled his eyes, "Because we've gotten the shots on the first try before," he stated sarcastically as he peered at the TV screens, "Number nine needs to be moved slightly to the right."
Tracey sighed, but spoke the command to into her microphone, "Anything else, sir?"
Chris sent the blond a small glare but shook his head, "Hopefully those four years in a classroom will actually amount to something."
Tracey growled but Chris glared harshly at the girl before walking away, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Man, Chris can be an asshole when he chooses to be," Paige muttered.
"He hates her," Phoebe whispered, "I don't know why, but there's some strong resentment between those two."
"Did you pick something up with your empathy?" Melinda inquired.
Phoebe shook her head, "I didn't need my empathy to get that much."
Piper frowned and focused on the scowling blond. The woman was tweaking something on the dashboard in front of her. "I don't get why he hates me so much,"
The brunette guy, Eric if Piper recalled correctly, snorted. "You only tried to kiss him, and then when he denied you, you tried to get in bed with Jaiden, wh is his boyfriend. He probably thinks you're just a slut."
Tracey looked at her co-worker in shock, "I'm not a slut."
"Really? Because your behavior speaks otherwise."
Tracey frowned but ignored the brunette and she spoke into her microphone again, "Marker, opening, take one."
The loud clack of the marker echoed in the distance as a worker shouted the same thing. "Queue play back!" Tracey shouted.
A series of piano notes began, before a loud chorus of guitars started. Glazing the screens, Piper watched her son act.
His eyes were open, the emotion downcast and withdrawn. An arm – who she can assume belongs to Tyler – was wrapped around her son's bare waist. As the first words of the song, "Lay awake in bed at night…Think about your life" played into the warehouse, Chris turned on to his back and looked at the ceiling, devoid of any happiness.
"Do you want to be different?"
The door eased open, catching Chris's attention. Slowly, Chris sat up, his eyes slightly narrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. Standing in the threshold was a young boy, a mop of chocolate brown hair sitting on top of a childish face, his green eyes wide. The boy was nervously chewing on his finger and innocently rocking back and forth on his heels.
"Try to let go of the truth,"
Chris glanced at Tyler, the man still looking as if he was asleep before looking back at the boy. "Hey," he mouthed, "what are you doing here?"
The boy looked up at him with shocked eyes, as if he was seeing Chris for the first time.
"The battles of your youth,"
Chris pushed the blankets off of his legs and threw them to the side.
"'Cause this is just a game,"
The little boy took a few steps back before turning and bolting. Chris threw his arm out, and yelled out. Promptly, he stood, and with one final glance at Tyler, ran after the boy.
"It's a beautiful lie,"
"And cut!" Tracey yelled a few seconds after Chris ran out the door, "Kill the play back," the music stopped, "That should be good."
"Is it?" Chris asked as he reappeared and sat down in Eric's seat. "Playback?"
Tracey rolled her eyes but did as she was told, quickly rewinding the tape and watched the scene all over again. Chris sighed, shook his head halfway through the scene. "We have to reshoot it."
"What? Why?" Tracy asked, her eyes analyzing the screens, "I don't see why."
"Jaiden!" Chris exclaimed, the man stretching his neck around the TV screens to look at his boyfriend.
"Yeah?"
Chris gestured that he should come closer, and pointed at the screen, "Do you see what I see?"
Tyler chuckled, "Oops."
"What?" Tracey said.
"He's smirking." Chris answered, shaking his head, "Knew we couldn't get it in the first take."
"Sorry,"
Chris just shrugged and stood, "Go get Brian and let him know we have to re-take the shot. And Jai, please keep the smirk off your face." Chris said, patting Tyler's cheek.
Tyler smiled, "I'll try, but no promises."
"Knowing us, I'll probably mess up this take,"
"Third time the charm," Tyler said with a smirk.
Chris looked at his boyfriend, "Not funny."
Tyler smiled, "I thought so," he said before throwing an arm over Chris's shoulders, "Now, come on love, we need to get back to bed so a creepy kid can suddenly appear and you can bolt from my arms."
Chris chuckled and let himself be led to the bed, "Sounds like a plan."
After four more takes of the opening scene, the interlude part of Chris bolting after the boy during the first chorus only took two takes. Although, the first take will forever be kept as blackmail since Chris tripped over Brian – the boy – and the two landed in a pile. The next scene was up next and the scenery has changed from a bedroom to a hallway, the walls lined with mirrors.
"It's time to forget about the past,"
Chris's sprint had slowed down to a slow walk, his eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. Chris stopped in front of one of the mirrors and ran a hand down it, "Wash away what happened last," the playback sang as Chris brought his hand back to his face, acting as if he was shocked at what he saw.
"Hide behind an empty face,"
Chris took a deep breath and any emotion on his face vanished. Turning, he continued his trek to find the unknown boy. "Don't ask too much, just say."
Chris mouthed the next words to the song, "That this is just a game."
Chris spotted the boy and once again, Chris sprinted after the boy as the chorus rang out around the warehouse. "It's a beautiful lie, it's the perfect denial, such a beautiful lie to believe in, so beautiful, beautiful lie" Chris stopped in his tracks as the boy stood on a ledge as the last words were screamed out, "It makes me,"
Chris shouted, his arm stretched as if he was going to grab the boy and the song turned into desperate calls.
From behind the scenes, the Halliwell family watched as crew moved in mirrors to make the hallway into a circular room.
Chris stood in the middle, his eyes wide as the ledge disappeared and he found himself trapped in this room. "Everyone's looking at me, I'm running around in circles baby,"
Chris's eyes shot from one mirror to another, the young man looking as if he was disgusted by what he saw. Then he stopped on one, his eyes wide and his chest heaving. "A quiet desperation's building higher, I've got to remember this is just a game," A second or two of silence filled the air, and then a loud, angry yell came from both the playback and Chris as he sent his hand through the mirror.
Chris sank to his knees as the play back continued to play and the mirrors ruptured around him. When he spotted an opening, he quickly got up and jumped out as the notes fell. "End scene!"
Chris sighed and stretched. It was well into the night, but the video was in its last scene, and if they were lucky, they could finish shooting tonight. All he had to do was film the last scene with Tyler and then he could call it a wrap.
Back in the bedroom set, Chris yawned into his fist. "Its two in the morning," he heard Tyler murmur from beside him, the man half-asleep and he cuddled deeper into the sheets.
Chris chuckled and ran a hand through Tyler's long hair, "One more shot and then we're done and we won't have to come back."
Tyler smiled, "That sounds nice."
Chris continued to run his hand through Tyler's straggly hair, "I thought you would like that. A whole day to ourselves before the VMA's and our next tour,"
"A day of not doing anything?" Tyler mumbled.
"Yep."
"That means no editing, no acting, no music, just lounging in the apartment doing whatever we want?" Tyler asked, "No five o'clock wakeup call?"
"Yep."
"No annoying press? No interviews? No press conferences? No Virgin breathing down our necks? No schedules?"
"That's the plan."
Tyler grinned and opened his eyes, "That sounds like heaven."
Chris smiled at his boyfriend, "I'm looking forward to sleep."
Reaching up, Tyler grasped Chris's hand, "You and I need it. Maybe you can finally get over that cough"
"One good night's sleep isn't going to get rid of an annoying cough," Chris drawled lightly, "I just hate that it only happens when I'm lying down; trying to sleep."
Tyler rolled his eyes, "You think you would be used to them,"
"One would think," Chris snorted as he continued to pet Tyler, "So, Wyatt's bringing his girlfriend on tour."
"Is he?" Tyler said incredulously.
"Yeah, I was shocked as well."
"You seem…troubled by it."
"I don't know," Chris sighed, "It just seems like our…connection isn't there anymore."
"Chris, you've been gone for five years, its gonna take time to reconnect with everyone. You've changed. They've changed. Everything will settle eventually."
"I hope so," Chris frowned, "It just seems like too much has changed."
Frowning, Tyler sat up, "What do you mean "too much has changed?""
"Like, they're expecting me to be one way, but I'm not that way. I…don't know."
Tyler pecked Chris's temple, "Everything will be fine,love."
"Love?" Chris raised an eyebrow at Tyler, "You're not British."
"Nope, but Zach is, and yeah."
""And yeah?" That doesn't count, when have you heard Zach say 'love'?"
Tyler shrugged, "When he's talking to family and fans, and I don't know, I guess I picked it up and yeah."
Chris shook his head, "You're weird."
"You say as if that's a bad thing,"
Chris smirked, "It would be, if I wasn't as well."
Tyler smiled and leaned down to kiss Chris, the younger man's arms reaching up to wrap around Tyler's neck.
"Whoa! Whoa! This isn't a sex scene!"
Chris broke the kiss and glared at Eric.
Tyler smirked, "I'm sure the fans wouldn't mind."
Chris turned his glare onto Tyler, "I'm not a porn star."
Tyler snapped his fingers, "So close,"
"Not even in the ballpark," deadpanned Chris, "Are we ready to shoot?"
"Yep."
"Alright, let's get this over with. I would like to go to bed while the sun still down,"
"So, that's it" Samantha asked once Chris had announced that the video was a wrap and after thanking everyone.
Chris snorted, "No, the easy part is. Now, I have to labor for about three weeks editing and putting in the special effects."
"Three weeks?" Piper gasped, "But you'll be on tour."
"I know," Chris answered as he pulled on a black t-shirt, "I've done it before, I'll be fine."
"Yeah, that's what you always say and then a cold turns into something serious." Tyler drawled as he handed Chris his coat.
"No one asked for your opinion," Chris lightly snapped, 'So, is Aaron coming on tour with us?"
Piper nodded, "Yeah, so, how is this going to work…"
"Each family will get a bus. Mom, Wyatt, Wyatt's girlfriend, and Aaron will get one. Aunt Paige, Sam and Uncle Henry get one. Aunt Phoebe, Uncle Coop, Mel, Pay get one. And then Violet, Ty's sister is just gonna be on our bus since we have an open bunk."
Piper nodded, "Is that it? Zach's family isn't joining?"
"We asked but Zach's parents said no, and he's an only child so, "Tyler finished with a shrug.
Chris yawned, "Alright, we better head out before I end up falling asleep at the wheel. Are you guys okay to drive back to San Francisco."
Piper smirked, "Who said we drove?"
Chris shook his head, "Says the woman the drove personal gain into my head since I was three,"
"I'm old, I'm allowed to have my son orb me from home to another place every now and again, thank you very much," Piper responded.
Chris rolled his eyes, "Yes, mom." He said, "Well, I guess I don't have to worry about you getting into an accident then."
Piper chuckled and hugged her son, "See you later Peanut."
"Night Mom." He replied and then went through the rest of the goodbyes.
"Oh and Chris?"
Chris looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, "Yeah Aunt Paige?"
"I would suggest not making out with your boyfriend in front of your family."
Chris blinked, "Why?"
Paige smirked, "Teasing is a way families bond."
Chris sighed, "Should've known."
"It was so cute," Paige feigned gushed, "You two are so cute together," she cooed.
Phoebe slapped her sister's arm although it was obvious that she was holding back chuckles as well, "Stop it Paige. That's not nice. Although the hair petting was pretty cute."
Chris groaned and turned around, "Good night!"
"Remember Chris, don't bite!" Paige exclaimed.
Chris gritted his teeth, "Ignore them, ignore them." He chanted.
Tyler chuckled and threw an arm over Chris's shoulders, "Oh, you can feel the love."
"Keep it up and you can feel the love by sleeping on the couch, alone."
Tyler sobered immanently, "Your aunt is right though."
"About what?"
"Biting isn't fun."
Chris sighed, "Just get in the car and shut up."
