Title: A Whitelighter's Priority
Author: rachelAbendstern
Summary: Another peek into Chris' past...
Spoilers: Season 6 Charmed; I forgot to mention BtVS last chapter, 'The Gift'
Disclaimer: Neither Buffy nor Charmed is mine, and I don't make any money with it. Lily though belongs to me XP
10. Aftermath
After all of the fights and the lies
Yes you wanted to harm me
but that won't work anymore
No more, it's over
'Cause if it
wasn't for all of your torture
I wouldn't know how to be this way
now, and never back down
So I wanna say thank you
How could he have been so stupid? He should have known better by now! But nevertheless he had walked right into the trap Wyatt had set out for him! Stupid, stupid, stupid!
And to think that Leo had been the bait... all that after Chris had sworn to himself that he didn't care about the man anymore. He honestly wanted to kick his own ass for this nice piece of work.
Trying to gain a bit more freedom, Chris moved his hands carefully, wincing as the shackles bit into his already sore wrists and the movement painfully stretched the barely healed skin on his back.
The boy didn't know how long he had been here. It could have been a few days; it could have been a few weeks. He had lost track of time after the first few hours that Wyatt's personal dungeon's master had spent with him. His brother had been very clear about his wish that Chris was to stay alive. Broken if necessary, but alive. He wanted his little brother at his side, not dead. Though why Wyatt was so adamant about him returning to his side, Chris didn't know. Mere brotherly love didn't seem to cut it, he thought bitterly as he glared at the painful bonds. He wasn't even able to use his powers since Wyatt had put a spell on them and an anti-orbing-shield around his little prison cell.
As if any Whitelighter or Elder would actually bother to try saving him. It was not as if they ever had approved of Piper's children with an Elder. What the hell did they care if those children now fought a feud? They should though, Chris mused resentfully. If not because of him then because Wyatt was well on his way to be the Source of all Evil – a more powerful, more dangerous Source than Cole ever had been, since the Twice-Blessed would not stop once the Underworld was under his total control. He was not able to stop.
Chris knew his brother almost better than he liked and he was well aware of the fact that the Twice-Blessed was never satisfied with what he had; he always had to have more. More powers, more authority, more minions, just more... Even as children, Wyatt always strived to be the leader, the better one of them. Their parents never noticed or if they did, they would blame it on adolescence or brotherly competition or something like that. Chris himself didn't think too much about it as well then. It was just the way his brother was; until Wyatt started doing things he wasn't supposed to be doing. Taking his little brother with him into the Underworld, vanquishing demons with a vengence with the help of Excalibur and his witch powers when Chris was twelve years old for instance. The younger witch-Whitelighter had already seen a hint of the cruelty then that he showed now. But even then, Chris believed in his brother. He was the older one, he had to know better than him, right? Right, Chris snorted over his own naivety.
It wasn't until after their mother had been killed that those traits had manifested themselves in Wyatt permanently though. At first, Chris had thought that Wyatt's more and more violent behaviour was due to the grief he himself had almost surrendered to. But after he had killed his first innocent Chris couldn't go on pretending he didn't see.
Not that anyone had believed him when he had tried to speak to his seniors. Their aunts finally witnessed one of Wyatt's crimes with their own eyes and consequently tried to bind his powers. But without the Power of Three this plan had been doomed from the beginning. Instead of stripping their nephew's powers, their own powers had been stripped and when another one of the quickly increasing demon attacks had hit them, they had been powerless. Chris had not been there when it happened, but unfortunately he could imagine it vividly enough.
Leo of course had been blind even then. What was more, because of that damn shield the boy wasn't able to call for his father to make him see reason at least now – and possibly help his younger son get away from here.
He was so utterly helpless. No wonder he had never been good enough for his parents... Shaking his head angrily, he tried to get rid of the desperation and depression he saw himself falling into. The situation was getting to him but he could not afford to dwell on these feelings, not right now. If he gave in to the hopelessness that was suffocating this whole place, Wyatt would have won; and the time Wyatt won was the time there really was no hope left for this world.
The sound of the door creaking open brought back memories of fire, of ice water and whips and he flinched involuntarily when footsteps approached the small corner where he was crouched against the wall. Squinting against the bright light that fell through the door Chris didn't really believe what his eyes told him.
"Dear god, Chris!"
Bianca's shocked voice managed to convince him that he hadn't gone off the deep end yet when he had seen her silhouette in the doorframe. The only question was: why was she here? If Wyatt ever found out she was helping him, she would have hell to pay. His empathy told him that she wasn't here to cause him any more harm; worry poured off her in waves. Huh. He had to look worse than he thought.
Kneeling down beside him, putting her hand on his forehead she exclaimed: "You're burning up. We have to get you out of here!"
Wanting to speak, Chris found that his sore throat didn't work the way he wanted it to. After several attempts he managed to rasp out: "What are you doing here, Bianca? You'll get yourself into trouble!"
The woman was already working on his shackles as she answered: "Your grandfather told me that you were supposed to meet with him five days ago and didn't show up." Oh yes. Unlike Leo, his grandfather actually trusted his judgement about the Phoenix. Not that he had had much of a chance to turn down his grandson when he had shown up at his doorstep all those months ago with a wounded woman in tow and bleeding from several injuries himself. Since then, the two adults had formed a curious kind of friendship despite all their differences.
"And Wyatt couldn't stop bragging that he would have his little brother back soon," Bianca continued her explanation. "It didn't take a genius to imagine what happened."
Hauling him up on his feet with surprising strength, the witch held him steady when his knees threatened to give out.
"He'll kill you if he finds out!" he reminded her again. But his own survival instinct was too strong at the moment to actually decline her help. His sense for bravery had been literally drowned days ago; he was just glad to finally get out of here before he really did break, even if he was worried about her.
"I can take care of myself, Chris!"
There was something she was not telling him, the boy saw it by the way her lips tightened and her eyes hardened while they staggered towards the door. Remembering what had lured him out of his hide out in the first place, Chris suddenly felt a cold hand grip his heart.
"Bianca? Where's my father?"
666
Slowly awakening from an uneasy sleep, Chris remained in the realm of semi-consciousness a few minutes longer, not wanting to wake just yet but not wanting to dwell on that particular memory either.
He had found out about his father's death then the young man recalled with mixed feelings.
Learning from an enraged Phoenix witch that his blindness had put his youngest son in mortal danger and helped his eldest son fulfil his dark intentions apparently had made Leo finally see the truth for what it was. According to Bianca his father had tried to make up for his mistake by helping the Phoenix to get his son out of the dungeons; but Wyatt had put Darklighters on duty just on that day. Bianca had refused to tell him more than that, but it had been enough. For what it was worth, the boy at least knew that he had mattered to his father after all. Instead of easing his messed up emotions it only made him feel guiltier however.
Ironically, they had learned a few days later on that that exact day, the day when Chris had lost his father for good, had been the day Wyatt had gone 'up there' – to destroy what was left of the council, leaving the remaining Whitelighters scattered, leaderless and apparently unable to take care of their charges anymore. A mere handful of them had remained on earth with the witches they had been assigned to. The other less brave survivors had sought shelter in places where Wyatt's arm hadn't been able to yet reach them. Places like Valhalla.
Bianca had taken him to his grandpa after their luckily eventless escape, not leaving his side for the next couple of days. Whatever relationship they had had before that incident, had deepened while he had been healing both physically and emotionally under her care. In fact, it had not taken long after his recuperation that they had taken that final step from friends to lovers.
Victor had not been too pleased with the development seeing as Bianca was almost five years older than him and Chris had only just hit seventeen at the time. But the older man had seen it coming even though neither Chris nor Bianca had and there really had not been much he could have done about it. Besides, he had told them afterwards, in the desolate times they lived in, if it stopped two souls from being lonely, then where was the harm?
What had driven them together at first really had been the fear of loneliness, Chris realized that now; but that had changed over the months. And then they had found out Bianca was pregnant. God, to say he had been scared would be something of a bad joke. He had been terrified. He was too young, that thought had clouded his mind for days; that and he didn't want to be the kind of father Leo had been to him. How could they have been so stupid to risk creating a new life in times like these when words like innocence and safety didn't exist anymore and every weak, helpless being was doomed from the very beginning? Not one time though did any of them consider not having the child at all.
And he wouldn't have it any other way, Chris thought with a small smile on his face. True, it had been difficult to hide the pregnancy from Wyatt since Bianca was still part of his inner circle and the first few months with their baby daughter had been exhausting and unfamiliar to say the least, but they had managed and gladly so. What was being part witch good for if you weren't able to cast a few glamour charms, after all?
Lily had been a late birthday present for him. He had been eighteen for one week when his lover had gone into labour. From the first moment on the little girl had become her parents' sunshine. Despite all their fears, the sweet little baby-girl had been – and still was – a ray of hope in a world fallen into darkness; she was her parents' personal reason to keep fighting, to not lose hope and go on despite all obstacles placed in their way. Chris missed both of his two girls so bad...
"Someone's thinking happy thoughts!" The cranky voice startled him out of his memories and he quickly opened his eyes to see a decidedly grouchy looking vampire looming over him.
Trying to come up with some kind of coherent reason why yellow eyes stared at him now, his mind only sluggishly supplied him with the memory of the past two days. Oh, yeah. Piper and Leo had to screw before midnight for him to come into existence. Although there was sunlight filtering through the blinds of the windows and he was sure he had slept for at least a few hours, meaning it was already morning the next day, meaning...
"Seems like you're still stuck with me, huh?" A huge weight lifted of his shoulders at the sudden realisation. He was still alive! Had it not been for the still yellow eyes and his remaining sense of dignity, Chris would have been tempted to attack Spike with a huge bear-hug.
The vampire's grouchy look was quickly replaced however with a worryingly smug expression when Spike withdrew to let Chris sit up on the couch.
He wasn't halfway up when suddenly he was assaulted by a heavy pillow hitting him sharply on the head. Completely bewildered and wide-eyed, he tried to block the blows with his hands while trying to make out his attacker. Willow?
"You scared us half to death, mister!" The outraged witch accused him while delivering a final blow to his shoulders. Chris was utterly out of his depth, not knowing how to react, not even knowing what Willow was so furious over. Looking hastily to the demon for help he was greeted with the sight of a clearly amused Spike leaning back in a chair to enjoy the show. Having little other choice, he just sat there, shell-shocked and let her go at him without so much as a sound.
"You should have come to us when you knew you were in trouble!" Could it be...? Chris cast a part curious, part furious glance over at the vampire who was now opposite him.
But Spike carelessly shrugged his shoulders, explaining: "Didn't know if our plan would work, the nibblet and I. Had to tell her something why we needed a love spell for the witch and the Elder, didn't we?"
Chris just stared at him speechlessly, letting Willow's continued ranting wash over him like the tide. A love spell? But he had tried that, hadn't he? Yeah, but you did it for your own sake, the little voice in his head reminded him nastily.
The redhead's poking finger at his chest made it kind of hard for him to ignore her when she finished her lecture: " Don't you dare pull a stunt like that ever again, you hear me? What are friends for if you don't call us when you need us!"
Sweet little girl that she was, Willow really did frighten him once in a long while. Really.
But even as he thought that, he felt warmth spreading through him at her stern words. Indeed, what where friends for if not for that?
666
Peacefully sipping her coffee, watching the early morning sunlight paint the world in crimson Phoebe sat in the kitchen and waited for everyone to wake up. A few years back it would have been Prue sitting here waiting for her family to come down while preparing the coffee they all needed to start the day.
The Charmed One really missed her eldest sister. Right after Prue's death the feeling of loss had been so overwhelming that there had been times when she didn't think they would make it another year without following their sister. Discovering they had another sister had both helped and worsened the issue at the beginning. But Paige had proven herself a true Halliwell, even if she kept her foster parents' last name 'Mathews', and got Piper and Phoebe over their grief, sometimes without even knowing so. Still, there were these moments of melancholic remembrance that kept befalling her once in a while. With time passing though she was able to remember with a smile rather than breaking down in tears and she was glad for that.
Picturing her brisk independent sister Phoebe wondered what Prue would think of their new Whitelighter. With a smirk the witch thought she would have probably either cornered him until he would have spilled every bit there was to tell or kicked him out on his butt if he refused to cooperate.
The young man still was a riddle to her, even after over four month that he was their Whiteligher. There were times when she wanted nothing more than to kick his ass; but then there were also times when she wanted to cuddle him until that despairing look that he wore sometimes when he didn't think anyone was watching disappeared. If only she could get a reading of him, but every time she tried she was blocked by what she assumed was the same potion her sisters had taken.
Phoebe knew that they weren't really supportive of him; but how could they be if they didn't truly know what he was up to, what they all were up against? It was not as if he told them all that much of the future he supposedly came from. If they knew what it was like, maybe they would have more of a reason to actually help him. Only because of those occasional desolate looks did the witch not take a leaf out of her older sister's book and mistrust his every word. And perhaps they should help him more, she thought guiltily; Chris had looked more than exhausted two nights ago when he had entered the living room to grab Dawn and Spike to get them back to Sunnydale.
Looking up when she heard the door opening the woman saw her father entering the kitchen with still sleepy eyes.
"Daddy!" Phoebe greeted him cheerfully, happy that her old man had agreed to spending the week at the manor when normally he would have fled the line of fire as soon as possible. She knew how he resented the mere mentioning of demons in his presence. All the more hilarious had it been to see his reaction when Piper had explained to him that the 'bleached British punk' that Chris had been about to take home was indeed a vampire. Phoebe couldn't help but smirk remembering her father's sputtering when Spike had flashed yellow eyes and wrinkles at him shortly before Chris had orbed the three of them out. That demon thoroughly enjoyed being the mischief maker, the witch noted with dry amusement.
"And what are you laughing at this early in the morning?" her father asked as he caught sight of her smirk.
"You, actually. I just had to think of how you met Spike the day before yesterday." She had to laugh again when Victor pulled a grimace while serving himself a cup of coffee.
"Don't remind me. I will never understand how you can just invite a vampire in your house and be comfortable around him. I mean, do you really trust him?"
"Trust him?" Phoebe didn't really have to contemplate that question. "No. But he's fun to hang around with!"
Her father had given her something to look up in the book or ask Chris about however. They never had invited Spike into their home.
"So," The man sat down next to her at the table and watched her curiously. "Where were they anyway yesterday? Didn't you invite them?"
"By 'them' I suppose you mean Dawn, Chris and Spike. I think Wyatt's birthday party was a bit early in vampiric terms seeing the whole creature of the night thing. And Chris looked kind of like he needed a day or two off, so..."
The woman cast her father a curious glance when her empathy kicked in and made her experience his concern for the young man first hand. What could have happened between them that made him so protective of the boy?
"You know, you two sure seemed chummy that night. I thought you couldn't stand Whitelighters."
"I don't!" Her father replied almost reflexively.
"Dad..." she chuckled lightly, not knowing whether to be amused or exasperated by his stubborn resentment. The chuckle faded though when she noticed his almost guilty fidgeting and felt the distinct discomfort rolling of the man.
"Dad?" When the older man kept avoiding her eyes, Phoebe knew there was something going on. Trying to make sense of his emotions and behaviour, a sudden idea struck her.
"He told you something, didn't he? He told you about the future he came from, who he is!" The witch didn't even need her empathy to tell her she had hit the goal. Victor looked obviously torn.
"What did he tell you? Why did he tell you?" This was just great! Their oh so secretive Whitelighter had talked to their father but refused to talk to them?
"Why? I guess I'm the least likely to mess something up." He sighed, rubbing his eyes with a tired hand. "And he didn't exactly tell me. I pretty much busted him."
"You busted him? With what? We have been trying to find something to bust him with for the past four month!" Incredulously staring, Phoebe waited for an answer that didn't come.
"Phoebe... it's not my secret to tell, I'm sorry."
"Wait what do you mean you can't tell me? I am your daughter!" Now the witch was livid! Not enough that Chris himself refused to talk, now he had even managed to get her father on his side? That was so not fair!
"You are!" Her father emphasised with surprising passion. "And I want you to be safe more than anything, you and your sisters and the rest of your little family! So I'm telling you as your father: listen to the boy, he is here to help! Even if he might not act like it, he would rather die than let anything happen to you all!"
Taken aback by the man's heartfelt intercession, the witch just sat there thinking for a few moments. "You're serious, aren't you?" She asked eventually, much calmer than before. "You're not only scared for us, you're scared for him, too."
Phoebe knew she was right even though it made absolutely no sense.
"What he told me, Phoebe... The future he came from – it's not nice. And if it's hard for him to trust you then it's because he learned not to trust easily the hard way." Her father looked at her almost pleadingly and again she wondered what had been told between the two men that made him trust Chris so unconditionally.
"He told you all that?" Her tone was slightly wistful. Somehow it saddened her that Chris was able to trust her father with all that but not his charges when it was their trust he needed the most.
But to her surprise, Victor shook his head, smiling melancholically. "No. I could read it between the lines. Call it a father's instinct if you will."
Granting him with a crooked smile, Phoebe silently agreed with him. If only she knew what she could do to make the young man trust her, trust them as well. It would be so much easier to trust him, if this trust went both ways.
"You really should give the boy a chance, you know?"
"I know."
They sat in silence for some time, each one lost in his own thoughts while quietly sipping their coffee until they heard the noise of doors and footsteps upstairs.
"So," Victor looked at his daughter questioningly. "What's up with Leo and Piper? I thought they split up?"
"...They did." The witch confirmed hesitatingly. "At least I thought they did."
She was quite confused herself over their weird change of behaviour yesterday evening. The witch would have guessed there was a spell at work if she had seen a reason for this kind of spell. First they had acted like a couple of jealous teenagers almost all day long and then suddenly they had been all over each other. Phoebe was just glad all guests had already left at the time. She was even more glad for the empathy blocking potion later that night...
tbc
A/N: Sorry guys, there's no way I'll write Leo/Piper other than the few comments here and there. I like them, I really do, but I just wasn't up to writing them, too, at least not this week.
Yeah, on that note: I was kinda lazy this week as I'm sure you noticed. Or rather I was focusing on physics, as I'm really, really afraid of our teacher and his 'harmless' questions – which all turn out to be not so harmless in the end...
Anyway, if more of you wondered what the word 'nephalim' means: it's the child of a mortal with an angel; I heard it both in X-files and God's Army, part, so I think it's an actual word…
The beginning's from 'Fighter' by Christina Aguillera.
And now… a lot of reviews :)
Talkin' of normality: Wow, thanks! Although I like quite a few Chris-centric fics around here :)… even if I don't review as much as I should ;;
mizunderstood writer: Yes they were! Bad Halliwells, bad! ;) Thanks!
phoebe turner: Let Chris die when I have so much in store for him! Who do think I am:D
redfox88: You did? Hopefully in the places where it was intended to be funny :) Sorry, this chapter didn't really answer your questions, did it? And don't hesitate to tell me your ideas. I won't promise I'll use them but it's always nice to see some different approaches, especially when my own don't really work the way I want them to :)
cold-blooded-angel: Thanks! Here it was ;)
mewer44444: You do, but who cares? ;) Certainly not me! Thanks! I got the email this time, but as you see, I didn't really email this week :(
ennui deMorte: Thanks! I just thought Piper was like Angel in some ways, I don't really know why, because they are soooo different… But oh well; this is fanfiction, right?
Sallywags: Thanks! I can't help it, I love Victor!
Night-Owl123: Yeah, you could say that! evil smirk
rcaqua: More? I keep writing, you keep reading, deal? ;)
mel11: Thanks! That's always nice to hear:)
alienangel19852003: Thanks and no prob! As long as I know someone's reading what my twisted imagination brings up ;)
YoshimiWolfspaw: Well, I think you hate me more now, since I didn't really explain anything…:)
Stony Angel: blush Thanks! I know the girls are more or less only guest appearances, but actually I don't think that will change all that much now, sorry. I'll try to get a few scenes with them in though.
Mae: I know that problem. Glad, you found me again though :) Thanks!
Jane Pitchoune: I will. And you didn't really think I let Chris die now!
Lonnie: I know! I make them :) But hey, they were not really better in the show, were they?
hope master: I will! Thanks!
Serene5: Thanks! Mine too! ;) And updates will be once a week, some shorter, some longer than this one ;)
Now that's why I rather email you guys! This is almost as long as the whole chapter... Not that I'm complaining, mind you!
So did any of you catch the phrase I borrowed from another book:P
P.S.: I re-edited the chapter if anyone wonders :)