Chris and Sarah disappeared as Piper threw up her hands warningly. Reappearing on top of the Golden Gate Bridge Chris began to speak.
"Oh! I just snapped! Now they'll never trust me! And… Sarah?" he turned to find Sarah pressed very close to the support beams, a look of absolute terror plastered over her face.
"We are very- very high." She gasped, looking down and closing her eyes.
Chris tilted his head and smiled, he'd forgotten she was afraid of heights.
"Come here." He said, holding out his hand for her to take. She refused; he was far too close to the edge for her liking.
"Trust me Sarah."
She took several shaky steps towards him and took his hand. An electric jolt flew through Chris' body.
"What are we going to do Chris? They don't trust us anymore and some evil cult is trying to turn Wyatt."
He sighed and let the wind flow through his hair, "We make them believe it is a good thing to bind his powers."
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"We need to go back to the manor. Mr. Right can change as long as we add the right things to the potion. We make the sisters fight over him and believe that binding Wyatt's powers is a good thing."
"Right- Chris I knew you were a little screwed up in the head because I pushed you over when we were younger but that is suicide! Piper would kill us!" Sarah said, still refusing to look down; clutching Chris' hand like there was no tomorrow.
He turned to her, "Sarah, how much do you trust me?"
Sarah looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"How much do you trust me?"
She answered him without hesitation this time, "Chris, I trust you with my life."
"Then trust me when I say that I won't let anyone lay a finger on you."
Sarah nodded and Chris began to formulate a plan.
"We'll have to wait until later; they'll probably be fuming now. We'll just wait here until we can slip in unnoticed- maybe during the party."
"Wait- as in- wait up here? In this really, really high spot above solid ground?"
Chris let go of her hand and stood behind her. Sarah whirled around but Chris held her in place.
Wrapping both arms around her stomach he whispered in her ear, "The only thing to fear is fear itself. Trust me Spazzy- I won't let you fall."
Sarah smiled at the use of her old nickname and slowly opened her eyes, looking down at the cars passing below them. She wasn't scared anymore- but she wasn't going to tell him that- not yet anyway.
Chris felt Sarah's muscles relax slowly under his hold but he still held onto her. Every day he woke up and was afraid that everything had been a dream; he was still trying to convince himself that she was real.
"Sarah?"
"Yes Chris?"
"Why did you help them with Mr. Right. She has to get back with Leo."
Sarah turned her head slightly; "Well I figured that she'd need some help getting back into love after she gave up. Mr. Right is designed to do that. Or I designed him to do that."
"What?" Chris said, startled by her words.
"Phoebe and Paige saw me put the hot Latin type ingredient in but when they weren't looking I secretly added an owl's feather."
"Which brings on wisdom…" Chris began, realization gracing his face.
"That when mixed with a love potion gives the wisdom to love which is what Piper needs. She needs a man who will talk to her about real love. Maybe it will bring her around."
"You are brilliant." Chris praised.
Sarah smiled and nodded her head.
"I am aren't I?"
XXX
Piper stormed around the house, things blowing up as she walked.
"I. Can't. Believe. Them!" she screamed.
Leo and Paige hurried after her, ducking as the shards of glass flew over their heads; Piper had been on a wild rampage ever since Sarah and Chris had left but it had gotten worse when a demon had shown up impersonating Darryl to get to Wyatt. Apparently, Piper was angry about both and still refusing to believe that Wyatt had resurrected Shax. She had accepted that he was evil because the demon attack had opened her eyes that he could be turned but… Shax. She didn't want to believe it.
The doorbell rang and Phoebe emerged from the kitchen with David to answer it.
"Darryl hi! Are you sure you're okay, those demons didn't come anywhere near you or Sheila?"
"Yeah," he said, walking inside, "they didn't come anywhere near us. How's Piper?"
Phoebe blanched, "Uhm, next question."
"That bad?"
"Worse," David said, as Piper walked into the room.
"Darryl, hey. I'm really sorry but-"
"Oh come on Piper! The demons will have to wait. It's your birthday and we are going to celebrate!" Phoebe said.
With a resigned sigh, Piper nodded her head and the guests all sat down at the table while Shelia talked to David about how long he had known the sisters.
"Fourteen- Fifteen hours?" he said.
And that's when the questioning began.
XXX
Sarah leant her head against the cool metal of the support beam and sighed. They had been up here for hours and Chris was still pacing around muttering to himself.
Sarah sighed again and thought about what Chris' life had been like. He had grown up in VERY big household. The sisters hadn't wanted to be separated so they had placed a glamour on the manor. On the outside and inside of the house it looked the same but it had been magically extended. Magical inhabitants of the house could walk through the walls to a different wing of the house. Paige and Henry, Phoebe and Coop and Piper were in the actual house while Paige's children (Pandora, Patricia and Henry Jr.) lived in the Eastern Wing and Phoebe's children (Prudence, Melinda and Phoenix) lived in a wing through the walls of the basement.
Wyatt, Chris and Sarah had rooms in the Western wing due to Wyatt's vampire like attitude to the morning sun. All together, there had been around fourteen people in the house.
Sarah heard Chris mumble something that sounded suspiciously like 'like he actually watched me grow up' she knew he was talking about Leo. A memory flashed through her mind as she placed her head back on the cool metal. Hers and Chris's twelfth birthday.
"Happy Birthday Sarah and Chris- happy birthday to you!" the Halliwell clan sang.
Sarah laughed genuinely for the first time in months, this was her first birthday without her mom.
Chris handed the knife to Sarah and she cut the cake, letting the knife hit the bottom.
"Oohh, Firecracker! You touched the bottom! Gotta kiss the nearest boy!" Wyatt grinned happily.
Henry Jr. jumped back and Sarah smiled.
"Right now I suppose that'd be you Wy!"
Wyatt looked around and saw that Chris was standing several feet away. He jumped back and Sarah walked over to Chris, kissing him on the cheek.
She saw Chris look around hopefully and then watched his grin fade. He slunk out of the kitchen and Sarah frowned; she knew what was wrong.
Memories
Later that night, Sarah walked down to the kitchen where Chris was waiting for her, eating a slice of their birthday cake.
"Hey Spazzy."
"Hey Halliwell." She grabbed the spoon off him and took a slice of the cake, popping it into her mouth.
"Hey!" he said playfully, taking the spoon back and eating his cake.
"Time?" she asked, this was how it always went. Usually on the day after Chris's birthday and the day before hers, they shared a party and Sarah spent the night but now she was there permanently.
"Eleven thirty-six." He answered quietly.
"Three…two…one." Sarah whispered quietly. A snowy white envelope appeared on the table in a shower of blue orbs.
"Right on time." Chris mumbled, ripping open the letter and reading it aloud.
Dear Chris,
Sorry I couldn't be there for your birthday buddy, I had an emergency meeting that was unavoidable. I'll make it up to you I promise. See you at Wyatt's party later this year. I hope you've stopped hanging out with that Sparrow girl Chris, she's nothing but trouble.
Love Leo.
"Scumbag!" Sarah said angrily. Leo had never liked her.
Chris shook his head and ripped the letter into small pieces, "He's never got the time. He's always got time for Wyatt, but he's never had time for me. I can't believe he thinks you're evil."
Sarah just glared at the remains of the letter and looked at the clock, eleven fifty-nine.
"Happy Birthday Sarah." Chris whispered, finishing off the cake.
Chris and her got up and walked to his room and talked. Nothing important really, they just talked about stuff that was going on in their lives.
Sarah's eyes were fluttering closed, Chris noted as they lay on his bed. Her breathing evened and he gently pulled her body next to his and fell asleep.
The next morning, Piper went to wake up Chris and found Sarah asleep on his bed, Chris's arm draped protectively around her waist and her face was snuggled into his chest. With a smile, Piper left them there- a few more minutes couldn't hurt.
Memories
"Sarah, it's time for her dinner, we better hurry." Chris grabbed her hand and they orbed into the attic.
Chris strode over to the potion and began to scribble things onto a piece of paper.
"Magic… lives nearby…strong." He mumbled as he threw them into the pot; he had clearly thought about this.
She walked over to the table and saw a small jar, "Aahhhh, the pheromones! What the hell!" Sarah upended the jar into the pot and it crackled.
"Now, in order for them to be happy, they want to bind Wyatt's powers." Chris said, throwing the piece of paper into the cauldron.
"What now?" Sarah questioned but her question was almost immediately answered when Piper's voice was heard from downstairs.
"Hey! Keep your hands OFF my birthday present!"
"Phoebe!" Chris and Sarah chorused with a grin.
Seconds later, a shriek was heard and Chris looked up worriedly.
A door was heard opening and closing followed by a splat of something hitting a wall. Giggles and shrieks of delight floated up the stairs.
Out of nowhere, footsteps were thumping up the stairs and Chris grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her behind a wardrobe. Their faces were mere inches apart and Sarah could feel Chris's warm breath on her face.
"Piper, it seems like a good idea to bind Wyatt's powers. That way, he cannot harm anyone." David said as he walked into the room. Judging by the amount of footsteps, Piper, Paige, Phoebe, David and Leo were now in the attic.
"You know what David, I think you're right." She said, bouncing Wyatt slightly on her hip.
"I agree!" Paige and Phoebe said together.
Leo looked around suspiciously, something wasn't right. He slowly looked around and a demon appeared out of nowhere.
With a scream, Piper threw up her hands but missed by a mile. The demon conjured an energy ball and prepared to throw it at her when he was sent flying across the room.
Sarah and Chris emerged from behind the cupboard and the demons scattered, one of them pointed the scepter at Wyatt and his eyes glowed red. Piper yelled and rushed forward, only to be propelled back by Wyatt's force field.
The demon grabbed Wyatt and shimmered away. With a cry of rage, Piper advanced on Sarah and Chris.
"What did you do to my son!!" she screamed.
"We didn't do anything!" Chris protested, "We're here to HELP him! We're the only ones who can!"
Paige looked at him skeptically, "We're listening."
"Like hell we are!" Piper yelled, flicking her hands in Chris's direction. Sarah; reacting on instinct, grabbed his hand and flamed out only to flame back in moments later.
"Hey! We're here to HELP Piper!" she shouted, her red streaks glowing a little.
Piper took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "I'm listening."
"The demon changed Wyatt's views of good and evil. That's why he brought up his shield around you and not them. That's why we're the only ones who can help him. He brings his shield up against us." Chris said.
"I don't need your help Chris. I will get my son back and when I do I don't want to see the two of you again. Because I find it amazing that we all suddenly decide to bind Wyatt's powers and you turn up in our attic." Piper drawled.
"But we're good people and we're here to help Wyatt!" Sarah protested.
Piper snorted, "Yeah, you're a good person. Your father is the Source!"
As soon as the words left her lips, Piper knew she had made a mistake. The atmosphere in the room changed completely and Sarah's eyes darkened asitems from the shelves around them went flying onto the floor. She just shook her head and flamed out.
Chris rounded on Piper, "That was low! She doesn't get a say in who her parents are. As I recall, your father wasn't exactly the best dad either!"
He stopped as Piper's eyes glazed with a hint of tears.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, orbing out.
XXX
Phoebe and Paige were preparing the potion for the demons while Piper cooled off from her encounter with Chris.
David stood back, watching Leo comfort Piper. He knew that the two still desired each other deeply.
Paige looked up, "It's done!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
Piper stood up, "Right, let's go."
Paige nodded and grabbed Piper's hand Phoebe took Paige's other one and Leo orbed away alone.
The Cave was dark and dank, the cobwebs strung from the ceiling had been abandoned and the circle of robed figures surrounded Wyatt and the leader.
"He has led us before- and will lead us again!" he chanted. He opened his mouth to say something but the Sisters orbed in, throwing potions at the demons around them.
The leader picked up Wyatt as Piper approached and she was thrown back by his force field.
"He protects ME now!" the man proclaimed as the sister and Leo watched.
Suddenly, orbs appeared inside the shield, and Chris appeared inside, throwing a potion at the demon, making him erupt in flames.
Electricity flew past the sisters and they saw Sarah vanquishing the rest of the demons.
Panting, Chris looked at Piper, "Pick up the scepter and point it at Wyatt."
Piper just looked at him.
"Trust me."
She walked forward slowly and picked up the rod, pointing it at her son's eyes. They glowed for a moment before his shield fell down; allowing the sisters to go and get him.
Phoebe looked at Chris, "Why didn't he bring his shield back up for you?"
Chris just sighed and looked at Sarah, "Looks like he trusts us at least.
XXX
Chris stood on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, Leo beside him.
"Do you trust me?"
"It's not my trust that matters Chris, it's the sister's."
"I know, but do you trust me?" he said.
"For the record, yes, I trust you. Although I have to say, I have my doubts about Sarah."
Chris's head snapped up, "If you trust me, you have to trust her."
Leo rolled his eyes and looked at him, "Fine, I trust her- but I will be keeping a VERY close eye on her." He smiled slightly, "Like the eye she was keeping on David."
"Why was she keeping an eye on David anyway? I mean what is it that Sarah sees in Piper's birthday boy toy?" Chris ranted on to Leo, forgetting that moments earlier they had been on bad terms.
Leo raised an eyebrow, "Do I detect a hint of jealousy in that statement?"
"No! Not jealousy, concern. He's not even real!" Chris covered.
"Yeah, and you're jealous!" Leo said calmly.
"No I'm not, why would I be jealous?"
"Because you like Sarah."
"No, I don't!"
Leo sighed, "Sure Chris, whatever you say, but remember that I'm watching you."
Leo orbed out and Chris rolled his eyes.
XXX
Piper stood in her room, watching Wyatt sleep. Her eye caught a brightly coloured box sitting on the bedside table. Opening the card, she saw the familiar flowing script of Leo's handwriting. Inside the box was a small charm bracelet- the one Prue had lost ages ago.
"You must never give up on love Piper," a soft voice whispered in her ear.
She spun around and saw David standing there with his hands behind his back.
"It is eleven fifty-eight Piper. I will be going soon."
Piper nodded, "I won't give up on love David."
David tilted her head and kissed her lightly. The clock struck midnight and he faded away, leaving Piper alone in the hall.
XXX
Sarah and Chris sat at a table in the back of P3 playing poker.
"They don't trust me anymore." Chris said irritably after Sarah's second win of the night.
"Yes they do. They'll just be keeping a closer eye on you from now on. Besides, you're male that's why they are probably so suspicious of you in the first place. Most of the males in their life are evil." She replied, shuffling the cards before dealing them again.
Chris rolled his eyes, "That's the problem."
"Don't you roll your eyes at me!"
"Make me stop." Chris taunted playfully.
Sarah's eyes narrowed and she pounced on him, the two of them rolled over the floor giggling hysterically. Chris tickled Sarah's sides and she laughed. These two hadn't acted like this since they were fifteen.
Chris pinned Sarah to the ground and she stopped laughing.
"Get off me!" she exclaimed with a grin, wiggling around beneath him.
Chris gritted his teeth as Sarah squirmed, unknowingly pushing their lower bodies together and causing a problem for Chris.
"Sarah," he said thickly, "could you please stop that?"
She stopped wriggling and Chris's lower body locked onto hers as his hand slipped off the floor. Sarah gasped and a light blush tinted her cheeks.
"Sorry!" she whispered.
Sarah realized how close their faces were and her breathing slowed.
"CHRIS!!" the sisters called from above them.
Chris scrambled off Sarah and looked at her, "I better… yeah." He orbed away and Sarah blew a strand of hair out of her eyes- what the hell had just happened?