ObsessedwReading - Thanks.
Eillibsniknej - Yeah I suppose it was about time. I agree, this is how Billie should have reacted in the tv series as well... they really screwed that up big time -.-
CharmedOpal - loool I loved that line as well! And you'll find out about Wyatt in the next Chapter! :)
KahlanDanvers1988 - Thank you!
Missou64 - I'm glad you like Chris and Mel's relationship because I adore it as well :) loool I don't know if it's bad but I'm sure Chris doesn't like it that much himself xD
lizardmomma - There might be something else you didn't expect at the very beginning of this Chapter... lol
WiseGirl133233 - Thanks!
inx23 - And you have no idea how happy your review made me! I'm so glad you started reading the fanfic even though you thought it was abandoned :) But I can assure you: I finish all my fanfics! And I agree on everything you wrote... Bianca, Christy and of course Billie/Chris. Sometimes things need to move a bit faster to work for a fanfic but I always try to find the right balance :)

Many of you complained about Chris cheating on Bianca... and I agree, it's not right. But the thing is: Even good people sometimes make mistakes. Especially if they really really want to make that mistake xD I sincerely hope you can forgive Chris and Billie and, well, me for taking that turn ;) And I hope you'll enjoy Chapter 10! (I was close to tears a couple of times.)

Chapter 10 » The Price for Happiness

Billie hadn't felt this peaceful in a long time. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she had ever felt this way... at the same time of course she knew that this moment was about to be destroyed rather quickly. By herself.

Right now, however, she just lay in the bed and her head rested on Chris' chest. Her eyes were closed and she blocked out everything that had happened and was about to happen. For this very moment she just let herself be happy.

She hadn't planned on anything actually to happen with Chris, except of course for the kiss. That had been something she'd just needed to do before she died. But there had been no way she could have known what that kiss would lead to... before she'd known what was happening Chris had kissed her back and there hadn't been a single rational thought inside her head left. Things had heated up in a matter of seconds and at some point Chris had orbed the both of them to her bedroom.

None of them had said a word since. They silently lay in the bed but Billie was sure that Chris was also awake. She knew very well why she was silent and she had some ideas of why he was... he was still with Bianca. He had cheated on her. Even if he wasn't in love with her anymore this wasn't right. But if she was being honest to herself; as less as she had been able to think about anything, a part of her had been aware of what they were doing to Bianca. And yet she hadn't stopped. It wasn't that she despised this woman so much that she'd wanted to hurt her... Billie would never intentionally do that to a person, no matter how less she disliked someone. But she had been selfish. In a way, for her, it didn't matter anyway, because she wasn't going to be around much longer.

Chris on the other hand had to live with what he did.

In this moment Billie realized that she had only made matters worse. This had been a mistake. One she was happy to have made, but still a mistake. And it was time to correct it. Because if she didn't it would destroy Chris even more. Of course this meant she needed to find the courage to talk first...

"So..." Okay, maybe that wasn't a very bright thing to say but it was a word.

Apparently Chris was on the same page because all he replied with was another: "So..."

Great. The ball was back on her court. "This was... unexpected."

"Yeah. Pretty much."

Billie raised her head to look at him. She couldn't help but smile a bit and allowed herself another mistake when she leaned forward to give him another kiss. Her hand rested on his chest now and she could feel his heartbeat going faster, which caused her to break the kiss off.

Frowning Chris asked: "Everything okay?"

Answering as honest as she could Billie shook her head and said: "No. I mean... yes... in a way. But then again... really not."

"Look, I'll talk to Bianca if that's-"

"No, that's not it..." Before she could tell him what it was they heard Piper yelling from downstairs, asking if anyone was home.

Chris sighed. "I guess we're going to have to talk about this another time." Billie hesitated for a moment but then nodded.

A couple if minutes later they were both dressed and on their way downstairs. Everyone was back in the living room – well, everyone except for Bianca. As soon as Piper saw Chris she exhaled in relief. "Oh good, you're awake."

"And you found Billie." Phoebe noted.

"Actually she's the one who found me." Chris explained. "She came back here."

Melinda lightly punched Wyatt saying: "I told you! Next time you're going to listen to me instead of chasing me all over San Francisco!"

"This family seems to have real issues when it comes to listen to someone who's right." Paige pointed out.

"Anyway" Piper cut in and walked over to Billie who had reached the end of the stairs by now. "It's nice to see you back home." Billie had to restrain herself not to cry but she managed to simply smile at that. But of course Piper wasn't done. "Why would you even run from here?"

Billie took a deep breath. "I needed to clear my head. This whole thing with Christy, it turned my whole world upside down."

"I understand. We've actually been in a similar situation before..."

Phoebe moaned. "Oh, will you let it go already?!"

Ignoring her Piper went on: "What I mean is... you don't have to run. You can talk to us. You know that, right?"

Before Billie could answer the front door got opened and Bianca walked in. Seeing Billie she said: "Oh, good, you're back." she said but Billie had trouble believing that she was actually happy to see her. Whether it was the tone in her voice or the fact that she had her arms crossed, Billie wasn't sure.

Right after that Bianca couldn't have cared less about her very existence and walked right up to Chris. "So... have you made up your mind?"

Billie could basically feel the tension Bianca was under and she was really scared that Chris was going to break things off with her right now. He couldn't. Not because of her anyway.

"Actually, yes, I have."

Damn. Billie needed to act and she needed to do it fast. Unfortunately every time she had to do this she acted like a crazy person. "Hey, is anyone else craving orange juice?" Basically everyone looked at her either confused or frowning – or both. "I'll just get some. Chris, will you help me?" She gave him no chance to protest, grabbed him by his arm and pulled him into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" he asked once they arrived there and Billie closed the door.

She didn't lose any time and got the point right away: "You can't break up with her."

Chris frowned. "I'm sorry... what?"

"I mean... you shouldn't. You and me that's crazy.You can't break things off with a girl you can actually have a future with for a girl..." who's going to get killed by your family. "For me."

She had come to the manor to tell the sisters who the Ultimate Power was – not Chris. He didn't need to know this, he couldn't... knowing that all that stood between the future he now knew was Billie, it would hurt him. She needed to do everything in her power to spare him his pain and make sure he would have a chance of happiness.

"Let me get this straight... are you saying you want me to marry Bianca?" Chris looked as if someone had just told him the earth was flat again.

Billie was having a harder time to keep her tears locked up by the second. "This isn't about what I want. This is about the choices we do have and the ones we don't." She walked over to him and drew his facial features with her fingers, as if she was trying to imprint them in her mind. She smiled. "I think we had everything we can have. And now it's time we stopped kidding ourselves and moved on. You a bit faster than me."

Chris was silent for a moment but then shook his head. "This is insane. I know you're right you and I it's... I don't know if it's actually impossible but it sure seems that way. But even if you were out of the picture I still wouldn't love Bianca anymore. At least not the way I did."

"But you did. Once. And I think you can love her again. I want you to be happy, Chris and you can be. Just not with me."

If things were any different Billie would never push him toward Bianca, but she needed to. She was going to die, the sisters would kill her, they would get Leo back and Melinda would be born... if she didn't die none of this would happen and Chris would lose his family again. She wasn't going to let that happen. Doing the right thing sometimes meant to sacrifice oneself.

Before Chris could say anything else the door to the kitchen got pushed open and Billie managed to let go of Chris and be by the fridge fast – but not fast enough. Bianca must have seen Billie pulling away from Chris... and yet somehow it didn't seem like she did.

"What's going on here?" she asked impatiently.

Chris didn't say anything but Billie jumped in and slammed the door of the refrigerator shut. "I'll tell you what's going on: There is no orange juice. What is wrong with the world?!"

"Actually I'm kind of starting to wonder what's wrong with you." Bianca said.

"Hey, play nice will you?" Melinda walked up from behind Bianca.

"I don't have to play nice! That bitch is clearly coming on to Chris! And if anything you're supporting her."

Melinda didn't say anything else but she shrugged her shoulders and her eyes seemed to say: So what? Sue me!

At this Chris interfered. "Okay that's enough! No one is coming on to anyone... in fact..." he paused and Billie almost felt the strength he needed to keep looking at Bianca and not her. "Like I said, I made up my mind. And what you said earlier... I think it's a good idea."

Bianca's facial expression softened. "You mean...?"

"We should get married. Here. Tomorrow."

While Bianca seemed to forget about Billie, screamed and hugged Chris, Melinda's jaw dropped in disbelief, but Billie hardly noticed any of this. Hearing Chris saying these words hit her hard and it felt as if she was falling through space. She told herself that this was right, this was the correction of the mistake they had done before... and yet she could basically feel her heart breaking into pieces. She'd sure learned her lesson. As happy as she had been just about ten minutes ago... Sometimes the price for happiness was desperation.

oOoOoOoOo

After everyone had heard the news Billie hadn't gotten the chance to talk to the sisters alone. Not that she would have been able to talk. Maybe the news of Chris getting married to Bianca here and that she needed to watch it, had given her some kind of stroke. All she knew for sure was that she was definitely calling in sick for that wedding...

Okay, so she had told him go ahead with the original plan and marry Bianca. But she didn't tell him to do it here! This was just cruel. If she was lucky she could get the sisters to kill her tonight and this would all be over... But up until now everyone was planning that wedding. They still had Christy to worry about, of course, but they seemed to be happy to forget about her for one day. And they deserved this break, Billie really thought so, but this break turned out to be living hell for her.

In the evening she was finally able to get Piper away from all the wedding planning. They went up in the attic to talk alone.

"Okay but we don't have much time. We still need to find that priestess who married Bianca's parents, she really wants her to do the ceremony. And since no one of her family is going to be here that seems more than fair." Piper kept rambling on as Billie gathered her courage.

"Sure, yeah. This won't take long... or maybe it will, I don't know."

"Billie. Calm down and just say what you want to say."

"Okay. Here it goes. Do you remember this whole thing about the Ultimate Power you need to defeat? So that Leo will be unfrozen and everything will be peachy?"

"Yes, of course."

Billie took a deep breath. "Well. As it turned out... the Ultimate Power... it's Christy." Shutting her yes she added: "And me."

Silence. She didn't dare to open her eyes again for a while until Piper finally said something: "Come on, Billie, that's crazy."

"It's really not. Think about it... you're sisters... Christy and I are sisters... it makes sense."

"Why would you even think you were the Ultimate Power?"

"Christy told me. That's why she came back to the past... to get me and with me the Ultimate Power. To destroy you guys."

"But you would never do that..."

"Of course not! I came back to you the moment I found it. But that's besides the point... you need to defeat the Ultimate Power if you want to get Leo back. And if you kill one of us that should be enough. Without me there won't be any Ultimate Power."

Piper frowned. "Are you saying we should kill you?"

"It's either me or Christy and as much as I hate her for what she did... I don't want her to die." Now she couldn't help tears running down her face. "I know it doesn't make any sense. But I can't help it, she's still my sister. I can't let her die. So it has to be me." As Billie spoke she had sat down on the couch and by now she was staring at the floor. She couldn't bring herself to look at Piper right now.

Suddenly she sat down next to Billie and put a hand on her shoulder which made her look up.

"I understand you. Sisterhood doesn't stop just because one of them makes wrong decisions. You are always going to be family. But as you know my sisters and I think of you as family, too and we protect family. No one is going to kill you, Billie."

"But, Leo-"

"We'll get him back. I know that now because I'm going to have another child. And whatever solution the future-me found to get Leo back, I will find it, too. Come here." When Piper leaned forward to take Billie into her arms she lost it and let all the tears, all the pain and the heartbreak out.

After what seemed like hours, but must have really been minutes, Piper let go of her and gave her an encouraging smile. "We'll get through this. I promise."

"Should we tell the others?"

Piper thought about it for a moment. "Yes. But not until tomorrow night. We'll deal with all of this after the wedding. I think all of us need a day off. Including you."

Right, like she could have a day off when the guy she loved was marrying someone else... but she lightly smiled and nodded. She had already shared one shocking news with Piper today. The fact that she was in love with her son and had actually slept with him today was a nice surprise for another day...

oOoOoOoOo

"I have a question: Are you freaking kidding me?!"

Melinda was completely outraged. All day long she'd had to listen to everyone around her planning the most wrongest wedding in the history of weddings – she was so mad, she didn't even care that wrongest probably wasn't real a word. The entire day she'd sat there and listen to this nonsense but now she was going to talk to Chris. This madness had got to stop now!

It appeared, however, that Chris wasn't too keen to talk to her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, really? Okay then. Let's play a little game. Situation: My stupid brother is about to marry a girl he doesn't love while ignoring the feelings he has for the girl he actually is in love with. Find the mistakes!"

"Will you turn it down?!" Chris quickly closed the kitchen door. "Melinda, believe me, you don't know what you're talking about, so just stop it."

"Not a chance. You're making the biggest mistake of your life, I won't let you! And how do you suppose Billie is going to feel having to watch you marry Bianca?!"

"I assume she's going to be fine. After all she's the one who suggested it." He walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.

For the first time since the wedding announcement Melinda really tried to calmed down a bit because she saw that Chris was suffering. He didn't need her to kick him while he was down. She took a few deep breaths before she felt calm enough to walked over to him and sat down as well. "What do you mean, she suggested it?"

He shook his head. "Well, not exactly to get married tomorrow. That was Bianca's idea. Billie... she told me that I should stay with Bianca. She wants me to be happy."

"But – you're not. A blind, deaf-person in a coma could see that!"

"I know. But she had a point... Billie and I can't have a future, not together. I can with Bianca. And maybe I will come to love her again. I have before, right?"

Melinda couldn't help but snort. "Yes, but only god knows why..."

"All I know is what I said before: Marrying Bianca is the right thing to do. I admit, I lost track of this for a while... But we need to follow the timeline. Coming here was never the plan... the plan was for me and Bianca to have a future. And that is what's going to happen. End of discussion." With that he jumped up and stormed out of the kitchen.

Never had she seen her brother like that. He had had his heart broken before but this time it seemed to her that his entire soul was broken as well. She could almost feel the pain he was in and even though he didn't admit it, Mel knew why he went back to marry Bianca again: To mend his broken heart. She also knew that this was the wrong way... but she wouldn't be able to talk some sense into him. At least not tonight. She'd try again tomorrow.

For tonight she decided to let things be the way they were, even if they sucked. However, she still needed to get rid of some serious anger and she remembered that there might still be some fighting equipment in the basement. A sandbag – and maybe a picture of Bianca on it – would be just the right company for her right now.

Melinda walked to the door which lead to the basement, opened it – and hesitated. There was someone down there. She frowned and instinctively was quiet as she listened to the conversation.

"...-ut we did it. Tomorrow it will all be over." It was Bianca's voice. But who was she talking to?

"Next time though", Bianca continued. "Try not to kill the groom, will you?"

"Oh, relax. Wyatt saved him, didn't he?" Melinda's heart nearly stopped beating. That was Christy!

"Yes, barely! If he'd died all of this would have been for nothing!"

"If I were you I wouldn't worry about the past and worry about the future."

"There is nothing left to worry about. It worked, he'll marry me!"

"But you're not married yet. Things can still go wrong. Don't feel too save, Bianca. Pride will always have a fall."

"I know. Speaking of, you should probably go now. I'm not sure it's a good idea if you hang around the house for too long."

After wishing Bianca good luck Melinda heard glass bursting – probably a potion – and then there were no more voices. Still shocked over what she'd just overheard she turned around again – and nearly screamed out of shock when Wyatt stood right in front of her.

"Gee, you scared me!" she whispered and gently closed the door to the basement. "But I'm glad you're here. You won't believe what I just overheard!"

"What is it?"

"Bianca is working with Christy! We have to tell Chris, we have to warn him! Something is going to happen at the wedding tomorrow, I don't know what but it can't be good!"

Wyatt sighed. "I really wished you hadn't heard that."

Melinda frowned but before she could even ask what he meant by that he hit her and everything went dark.