Chapter VII
Chris and I had been training all day, we were both sweaty and tired. But Chris, as usual, insisted on one more thing. Guided Meditation. Chris and I would meditate together, be in the same place.
First we started out on the beach, in the sun. Then we went into a back woods area, where we sat by a waterfall. Then our minds took us somewhere we had not expect. We ended up in the Manor, but it was in the past, like twenty years in the past. Chris and I stood very still in the darkness, afraid to move. Suddenly a beam of light spread across the floor and Chris watched with wide eyes as his body walked into the room, eyes intent on the form sleeping in the bed. Chris and I followed Past Chris to the bed where he rubbed the back of the person sleeping. My heart skipped a beat when I recognized myself. Chris and I watched with wide eyes as her past self and Chris' past self made love to each other. I looked at the calendar, February 2003. Chris and I both felt something that dropped in our stomachs and we fell back into our bodies.
I fell backward first; Chris landed on top of me. Chris rolled instinctively, placing his hands on either side of my body, pushing himself up. We laid there, bodies tangled together in an odd yet comfortable way.
"2003." I said. "February 2003." Chris cocked his head to the side, memories flashing through his mind. They were like whispering wind, gone in a flash.
"What do we do now?" Chris asked. I shifted her body, so it was slightly more under Chris.
"Talk to Coop, I guess." I said. Chris looked confused. "He has knows the ins and outs of the Love. If my knowledge serves me correctly, this kind of love is forbidden." Chris nodded in confirmation.
"Last I checked, you are right." We laid there for a few more moments, revealing in their newfound knowledge. "It explains a lot, why the people Coop had set us up with never worked." Chris said. I nodded and moved to get up.
"COOP!" I shouted well getting up. Coop teleported in. "We need to talk." Coop swung his hands around and motioned to the seats in the den. The three of us sat down. "We know." The statement was too simple.
"Know what?" Coop asked.
"About us, well about what we shared in the past." Chris said. Coop nodded slowly, looking at both of us.
"We were in a meditation session when our minds took us to the memories or the past, I am not sure." I said.
"You weren't looking for it?" Coop asked, both shook their heads. Before anything else could be said, Chris heard the jingling.
"I have to go," He said. He orbed out, leaving Coop and I in silence.
"I don't get it, Coop. I thought this kind of love was forbidden." I flopped dramatically into the chair whose arm I had been perching on. Coop nodded.
"It was." Coop could have sworn he saw my ears perk.
"Was?" I clarified. Coop took a deep breath.
"After Piper and Leo faced all the trails they did, the Elders realized that, even though there are Cupids in existence," he motioned to himself. "Sometimes, Love itself matches people up. So much came for Piper and Leo's union. Not only did the power of good grow, so did the powers possessed by good." My eyes were locked on Coop, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That had always been the rule, magick people and magick people were never to form a union. It presented too much of a danger to the balance. Before Coop could speak another word, Chris orbed back in.
"The Elders have requested our counsel." Chris said. I felt her heart drop. That can't be good. The Elders rarely dealt with Magick users in person. I stood up and took Chris' hand. I took a deep breath and felt myself being orbed up. It was an odd feeling. Your body breaking down into tiny balls of light and moving to your destination. I was still not use to the while orbbing thing, when we landed, Chris had to wrap his arm around my waist. I nodded in thanks after regaining my footing. The large doors in front of us opened.
"Approach." I felt Chris take my hand. Ominous voices where never comforting to me. I resisted the urge to run away screaming, instead I took a deep breath and walked forward. We entered what appeared to be a courtroom. Right in front of us were three chairs, to the left were seven and to the right were two chairs for them.
"13 people? Are you kidding?" I blurted out.
"No, Jinn, we are not kidding." I felt myself tense up and mentally slap myself for speaking out loud. I watched as all the Elders that were judging us appeared. "13 is not actual an unlucky number. Like many things in The Craft, it is misinterpreted." Said the Elder sitting in the highest of all the chair.
"Forgive me, your honour." I said, bowing my head slightly as a sign of respect. He nodded in return.
"We have brought you here to discuss the issue at hand." Said another Elder.
"Issue? How is love an issue?" I asked. Again, I forgot to think before I spoke.
"Well put, Jinn." Said the first Elder. "Your love for each other is not the issue. We simply fear that it will get in the way of you doing your jobs." He explained.
"Leo fell from grace, he made the choice to become a mortal because he could never give up his family." Said another Elder a touch of bitterness in her voice.
"With all do respect, Leo fell from grace because you offered him an ultimatum. He chose his family. Why is that such a bad thing? We fight to keep other families safe, why is it so bad for us to have the happiness we fight so hard to save?" I argued.
"My parents sacrificed so much for innocents to remain safe and ignorant. How dare you criticize them for what they chose." Chris was fuming.
"That is not why we are here Chris. We are here to discuss your future with Jinn." Said the first Elder.
"Why do you get to decide?" Chris asked. "You nearly destroyed my family and our world because you kept sticking your noses in someone else's life." Now Chris was starting to make them mad. I wrapped my arm around his waist to calm him down.
"We simply want to make sure that you two can continue to do your jobs while being ….. involved." Said another Elder.
"All do respect." I said before Chris could out burst again. "It is not a job. It is our destiny. We don't have the choice to quit." The Elders looked at me. Some with respect and admiration, others with distaste and anger. "Take us home, Chris."
"But we are not finished!" Snapped the female. I spun on her, my eyes blazing.
"Yes we are. You have no right or reason to be intruding into someone else's life because you believe that it could be dangerous for a Whitelighter and his or her charge to be emotionally involved. Well , I say it is bullshit. A witch's power comes from her emotions. You of all beings should know and understand that. A Whitelighter and his or her charge is pair so that the witch can learn to focus the emotions, to use them." I released Chris and stepped forward. The members shifted back into their seats. "The Halliwell family has suffered for a long time and most of the suffering was at your hands. Just because you are the governing council over the Magickal community does not give you the right to interfere where you see fit. There are many other forces at work, forces far beyond your comprehension. I am sure the Angels of Destiny would have a thing or two to say to this council." I reached back for Chris' hand. I felt his fingers intertwine with mine. "Things will work themselves out, just the why it was intended."
"Is that so?" asked the Female Elder.
"Everything in Magick happens for a reason, if you can't comprehend that, you are doing more harm to my kind than helping." With that, Chris orbed out, taking me with him. When we arrived back at my apartment it was dark. I sat down roughly on the couch. "Will I ever get the hang of that?" I asked.
"You will." Piper's voice rang out from the shadows. I jumped up. The Charmed Ones stepped out of the shadows.
"How did it go?" Phoebe asked. I shrugged and Chris' shoulders sagged, like they were being weighted down.
"There is no telling." I said.
"What did you say?" Paige asked. I made an 'Oops' face and recited what had transpired. The Charmed ones were left in awe. No one, not even them had stood that firmly against the Council. "Well, this could get ugly."
