Yeah, yeah, it's been forever and a day since I updated. But with Forensics season starting, and the Scholastic Art Show just around the corner, it's hard t find time to sit and write. But here it is! And that you ALL for all the great reviews! I feel a little bad for spoiling things about Leo for our overseas friends though...
Also, Chris/Bianca in this chapter, though it's strictly PG rated, of course! Don't like her? Oh well. I love her, so I'm putting her in! Lol.
Also again. I swear to whatever being took pity on my poor little soul and put it on earth, that starting at tonites cliffie, there WILL be meat to my story! Not just the dry, crumbly stuffing in the turkey, but the actual white/dark meat, gravy and all! (AND, YES, I am VERY HUNGRY. We have a half gallon of milk, some Kroger cheese, spaghetti sauce, no spaghetti though, and some BBQ sauce in our fridge. Turkey with the trimmings sounds reeeeealll good right now...) And I must admti, I'm glad to finally be done with the filler! This chapter was Hell on a stick to write!
A/N. My new favorite show is Supernatural. Why say that? You'll see.
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"Leo? Are you coming to bed?"
"Yeah, in a little bit," Leo responded to his wife, staring out te window into the velvety black California sky, sprinkled with a light dusting of stars. He remembered his mother, all those years ago, taking him to the Fourth of July picnic every year. It was dark, pitch black, and when the stars started to shine and twinkle, she'd pull him close, and whisper, "Make a wish..."
"Leo, it's one in the morning. You need to sleep." Piper pulled her nightgown close around her, setting herself down on the balcony chair, next to her husband, taking his hand.
"Maybe I should just orb over there, see if he's sleeping OK.."
"God, Leo, paranoid much?" Piper half heartedly joked. Halfheartedly. The other half of her heart was breaking. "I'm worried too, Leo. But Chris needs to rest, and he won't get any of that if we keep popping in and out of his room all night."
Leo nodded, still staring off into space, pondering his thoughts...
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"Hey, Wyatt?"
"Yup"
"What's a three letter word for mule?"
"Good God, are we back on that kick again?"
"Yup."
It was just after Chris's little accident, and Wyatt was keeping him company. He flipped through the channels, and found another old show. This one was pretty good. It had two brothers, Don and Sal, or something like that, who drove across country doing the ghost hunting thing. The 'ghosts' where actually pretty well done, and the writing was very dramatic.
"Donkey."
"Three letters, Einstein!"
"Jesus! Gimme a break!"
"Ok, if that's too challenging, how 'bout...a six letter word for prostitute? That should be right up your ally!" Chris prompted.
"Bianca."
"Watch it, you sonofabi-"
"Now, now, Chrissy, don't talk about mom like that! Hooker."
"Oh, you lecture me about parental respect, then call mom a hooker!"
"A six letter word for prostitute. Hooker."
"Oh. Um, right, yeah..."
"What kind of magazine has 'hooker' as an answer anyways?" Wyatt wanted to know.
"Dunno. I only stole one page from the cart," Chris gnawed on the eraser of his pencil, referring to the cart that a nurse would bring around in the afternoon, and sell papers for fifty cents.
"You stole it?" Wyatt guffawed. "Brother Chris, can do no wrong, stole a newspaper off the cart!"
"God, Wy! It was a fifty cent paper! If you ask me, taking that fifty cents away from us invalids is an injustice!" he stated, smirking, as he wrote in another answer. "Besides, I wanted to get back at the nurse who brought the cart around."
"Why?"
"Came in about three times this afternoon, asking if I wanted a sponge bath."
"Hmm, doesn't sound like a bad idea." Wyatt responded, his mind in the gutter. "You find that a bad thing?"
Chris brought the paper down, glaring at Wyatt. "His name was Anthony" he dead panned, causing Wyatt to wince.
"Yeah, ouch!" He said then decided to go all smart ass and asked, "Think he'd look good in a mini skirt?"
"Ass"
"Hey, I was just being funny!" he defended.
"Not you! The mule!"
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( earlier, like...sixish...)
"Hey, Chris! Guess who I picked up off the street?" Wyatt laughed as he entered the room.
"A hooker" Chris mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes. He wasn't asleep, just resting. His dad had helped him change into a clean gown, and his bedding was changed. After all the getting up and walking (when walking to the bathroom and washing turned into cardio, he didn't know) he was exhausted, weary, and ready for another nap.
His humor, though, wasn't appreciated. In fact, his attempt at wit was met with an exaggerated "Hooker? You call your girlfriend a hooker!"
"Bianca?" Chris gasped, open eyed and gaping mouthed. He was rewarded with the effort, though, as Bianca, looking fine as always, came quickly up to him, and wrapped her arms around him warmly.
"Mmm. How'd you know I was here?" he asked, suddenly feeling a lot better, a rather goofy grin on his face.
"Wyatt called me a while ago. Mom gave me the message." she answered, holding him close. He returned the gesture, contentedly breathing in the scent of her hair. Coconut. Her hair always smelled like coconut...
"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, he embrace loosening into a welcome hold. She could feel the heat from his cheek against her own, reminding her that this wasn't just another afternoon for the two of them.
"Ehh...I've been better," he admitted, giving Bianca puppy-dog eyes.
Wyatt nearly choked on his coffee. Had Chris just admitted to not feeling well? Damn, did he feel THAT bad?
He realized, though, in a matter of seconds why Chris hadn't pulled his "I feel fine!" schtick...
Bianca, 'awww'ing, settled herself down on the edge of Chris's bed, placing her hand delicately on his cheek. "You poor thing, Wyatt told me you weren't feeling well at all. I came over as soon as I got his message. Anything I can get for you?"
My brothers a genius! Wyatt thought, trying in vain to keep from laughing. Takes after me! Knows just what to say to make the chics turn to mush!
Chris winked slightly at Wyatt over Bianca's shoulder, indicating that his train of thought perfectly matched Wyatts.
Chris leaned into her touch, putting on the parr, sickly little-boy act...though it really wasn't an act at all.
"Mmmm...I gotta headache," he offered the information, and was rewarded with a warm kiss on the forehead. Then the cheek, then the...
"Hel-lo Bianca, sweetie! How's your mother?" quipped Piper, entering the room once more, Paige and Phoebe following close.
She'd seen where Bianca's lips where heading, and she wasn't having any of it!
"Oh! Um, hi, Mrs. Halliwell! Uh, nice to see you again!" she stammered, quickly pulling herself away from Chris.
"You too hon," Piper said, her voice more sincere now that she wasn't lip locked with her youngest.
"Hey, Bianca, ever think he mighta been contagious?" Phoebe smirked, thinking the situation was rather cute!
"Hey, yeah," Paige agreed, slinging a welcoming arm around her nephew. "Hey, Piper? They ever check him for mono?" and Phoebe and Wyatt burst out laughing.
"Yeah, yeah, REAL cute! Tell you one thing, Chrissy, I find out you have mono, and you'll be grateful to already be in the hospital when I kick your a-"
"-And who might this young lady be?"
Piper turned a deep scarlet color as Chris's doctor cut off her words. 'Sure, Piper, good going! Make a total ass of yourself!' she thought bitterly.
"I, um, I'm Bianca, are you Chris's doctor?" she got straight to the point. Chris smiled ever-so-slightly to himself. If anyone could light a fire under the hospital staffs feet, it was Bianca!
"Yes, I'm Dr. Ollrich, pleased to meet you," he extended his hand, but Bianca either didn't see it, or didn't care.
"So what's wrong with him?" she asked, her voice authoritative. Chris caught his Aunt Paiges eye, and they both smirked at each other. Paige knew all too well from experience that when Bianca was on a roll, she didn't stop until SHE wanted to.
Dr. Ollrich, slightly taken aback by her bluntness, blinked for a moment. "Well, we don't know yet, but we're still doin–"
"He's been here since Saturday, and you still don't know?"
The doctor then did a very good impression of a wide mouthed bass flopping on the shore. Before he could try to defend himself, Piper called of the dogs.
"Bianca, sweetie, please don't hit the doctor. It's not helping Chris's case if his physician ends up in trauma." Piper smiled slightly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She'd taken her seating at Chris's bedside, and had gently draped her hand across her sons. She knew he still had the 'Moo-oom!' response about being coddled by his mother in front of the ladies, but she couldn't help herself.
Bianca, who still had the fight instinct of a Phoenix, backed down reluctantly, then, nudging him over, crawled onto the bed next to Chris, nestling up against him.
"So, you still don't know?" Piper sighed audibly.
Dr. Ollrich shook his head. "I'm sorry, we don't. We've run tests for most common illnesses he could have contracted, some more rare diseases; we checked him for chronic diseases, all came back negative,"
"Hey, yeah, 'him' is in the room, and doesn't mind if people talk to 'him' directly" Chris announced to all present. He waved his arm for added effect, though halfheartedly, as though it took to much energy...
"Jeez, Chris, get all touchy!" Bianca laughed, pulling him close.
"Yeah, cause we all know what an emotional train-wreck Chris can be!" Phoebe smirked, cackling. It was more of an inside joke than anything, though. This Chris was open, more honest about how he felt (without jeopardizing a chance to look 'macho') Though the first Chris had done everything in his power to hide his emotions.
Bianca smiled at the attempted humor, though she didn't get the real joke behind it. "God, Chris. Maybe I should buy you a box of tissue for your birthday!" And everyone laughed politely.
Everyone except Chris.
Chris stiffened noticeably in Biancas arms. He suddenly jerked out of her grasp, and glared at her with chilling blue eyes...
"How can you be so cold?" he demanded of her, his voice biting like acid, as though he meant to hurt her with words.
Piper sucked in a deep breath, knowing-hoping-that this would pass soon. But...what if he couldn't shake it this time? He was a Halliwell, after all, and the Halliwells lived under a strict code of Murphy's Law.
"Ch-Chris? What did you say?" Bianca stammered, shocked more than anyone at the color of Chris's eyes, the hatred in his voice.
Chris took a moment to shake off his mothers touch, and glare at her. Hurt, she backed away, her breath catching in her chest.
"You heard me, you little witch!" he snapped threateningly. "I cried for you, Bianca, when you died. I cried for weeks on end! And then you have the nerve to come back, and talk to me like this?"
"Christopher, what in the name os God are you talking about!" Bianca shrilled, getting off the bed, away from Chris. "What's wrong with you!"
Suddenly, Chris's entire demeanor changed. His eyes turned back to a beautifu; jade green, and he smiled sadly. " 'Haven't we been here before?' That's what you asked me. Haven't we? I've been here, but I just don't remember!" He broke down in tears, pulling his knees up to his chest, his hair gripped tightly in his hands. "I just don't remember any of it!"
Chris started to sob openly. He knew he had scared Bianca, frightened his aunts and mother, but mst of al...he was scaring himself. He knew when he was having another outburst, and tried to say something, ANYthng else, but the words that came from his mouth where not his. Well, they where...he had the oddest feelings of deja vu when this happened. He felt like he was quoting from a movie he'd seen years ago, very vivid and yet...so distant, so long ago that he couldn't even remember the metaphorical title.
Bianca stood there, in the middle of the floor, as both Piper and the doctor rushed towards Chris. Piper wrapped her arm around his shoulder, holding him, and Dr. Ollrich tried his best to get Chris to calm down enough to speak coherently again.
"Bianca?"
The young Witch turned around at the sound f her name. It was Phoebe speaking to her. She hid her pain well, masking it with a calm mask.
"What?" she whispered.
"I don't think we're needed in here right now," she hinted, and she, Bianca, and Paige filed out of the room, each taking one last glance at the three still in the room.
"What's going on? What's wrong with him!" Bianca demanded, smears of make up running down her cheeks. It wasn't Chris's words that had her upset..well, not entirely. It was the looks in his eyes. He had looked so lost, so frightened. She had never, ever seen him look so vulnerable before.
"Sweetie, why don't you sit down?" Phoebe suggested, leading her down the hall and into an empty waiting room.
"What's wrong with him?" she asked again, her trademark temper beginning to flare.
"Hon, we don't know yet," Paige said quietly. "But...Bianca,...' she paused, not knowing how to put this.
"Bianca, we don't know what Chris has yet, but he's gotten very sick," Phoebe said, just trying to get it over with quickly.
"No, he's not!" Bianca argued. "He was fine when I first came in"
"It was an act." Phoebe continued, not stumbling at all with her accusation. "You know how Chris never wants anyone to worry, doesn't want to cause trouble. He hides how ill he feels, so his parents won't get worried."
"But what was up with him back there? If he doesn't want to worry us, then he's doing a piss-poor job of it!"
Paige and Phoebe stole a glance at each other, that meant more than Bianca could decipher. Each could tell from the other : they knew. They knew now what Leo had discovered, only hours ago.
"It's like we said, honey, he's sick, and.." Paige couldn't keep her voice from breaking. "And he's not getting any better, since we don't know what he has yet. But I promise, he's going to get better, 'cause that's just the way Chris is!"
Bianca nodded, wanting to believe them SO badly!
"Why don't you get yourself cleaned up, get something to eat. We'll call you if anything changes." Phoebe offerd gently. She wasn't trying to get her out of the way, she just didn't think this was the best time for her to be here. And they needed to talk to Piper, see if she knew...
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When they walked back into the room, they found Chris, calm now, laying on his side, Piper cradleing his head in her lap, Wyatt sitting at his side as a nurse swabbed the skin right above the crook of his elbow, and deftly inserted a needle, slowly emptying the contents. Piper looked up long enough to bring her finger to her lips, a sign for her sisters to stay quiet.
When the nurse was done, she made her exit, leaving Dr. Ollrich to talk to the girls and Chris in private.
"What did you give him?" Paige asked quietly, closing the door behind he.
"Antipyretic. Should bring his fever down faster." the doctor responded, gesturing the sisiers to take a seat.
"How do you feel peanut?" Piper asked gently, not moving from her position.
Chris sighed softly. "OK, I guess." He knew that he looked like Hell, and that no one was going to take his word, but...old habits die hard.
In truth, he felt horrible. He was cold...so cold, and he shivered slightly. His head hurt terribly, pounding with every beat of his heart. He wasn't tired at all, yet...he kept feeling himself drift off. He probably would have a difficult time explaining it, but... he just felt out of it.
He'd listened to his family talking earlier, and when he'd put in his two cents worth, it turned out tha t what he said wasn't at all what they had been talking about. It happened about four times that afternoon, and each time, his father would immediately lean over and feel his forhead, trying to coax him into taking a nap.
"Well?" he heard his mother prompt, a note of annoyance in her voice.
"Well," Dr. Ollrich continued. " I think he-you-" he saved himself with a glare from Chris. "Are just disoriented. You're body's weak, and is having trouble fighting off the illness, which explains the high temperature, of course, and I think you're just not quite coherent."
"That's it? We could have figured that out ourselves." Paige 'duh'ed.
"Look, I know you're stressed out, all of you are, but until we find a diagnosis, there isn't much we can do. His fever's high, and he's a little out of it. That's all there is to the aspect at hand."
Piper was about to throw a little snark his way, when his pager went off, and he excused himself.
After he left, Paige said, "Piper? Um, can we talk to you a sec?"
"What about?" she asked, her gaze focused on her son, who was starting to drift off.
"We just...need to talk to you." Phoebe continued, wringing her hands.
Piper, kowing her sisters nervous habits, nodded once, and gently eased herself away from Chris, kissing his cheek, and promising to be back soon.
"'Kay," her mumbled, nearly asleep.
Out in the hallway, Piper started in, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Well, I...we...um, maybe we should call Leo. And Wyatt." Paige suggested.
"Leo, yes, but not Wyatt."
"Will somebody please fill me in!"
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"What are you saying? That Chris is experiencing the Ghost of Lives Past or something?" Piper asked, more than a little peturbed. Nuts! The where all nuts! They,they just had to be...
"I don't know sweetie," Phoebe consoled her sister. "But I just don't see any other explanation."
"But I don't understand!" Piper shrilled, grasping her husbands hand tightly. He hadn't said a single word..."Why would he be remembering all of...that..."
"Piper, we all knew he was reincarnated into this Chris when he died," Paige started.
"And if my past life...and Paiges...and Leo's...could al come back to bite us in the ass, then why not Chris's?"
"Yeah, it's like a family right of passage! Turn evil, wear an ugly wig, try to kill your siblong, and fight your past life! Heh.." Paiges withering wit made her say.
"I just...Maybe it's not that! Maybe he's just delirious, like Dr. Ollrich said..."
"Then how would he remember Bianca dying?" Paige countered, her voice barely more than a whisper.
"And that you said you never wanted to see him again," Phoebe continued.
Piper couldn't handle this. The fact that her baby boy, her youngest, was reliving all those horrors..he knew what had happened, sure, but they never EVER told him the details!
"It just can't be true...it CAN'T!" she declared, her voice final.
"'You don't know me.'"
"What?" all three sisters asked at once, turning towards Leo. He had been totally silent until now.
"You don't know me. That's what he said 23 years ago, in the Spider Demons lair? Over and over again, he yelled 'You don't know me.'" He looked up at Piper, tears filling the green orbs that his son in question had inherited. "He said it again this afternoon, in the bathroom. He turned cold, and he yelled it at me. 'You don't know me.'
"But...but...why now? Why is he suddenly remembering everything?" Piper asked, her voice quivering.
"I don't think he's remembering, hon. He seems just as baffled as we are."
"Then WHAT is going on!" Piper demanded, raising her voice higher than she should.
""Piper calm down," Leo requested. "I..I think that, well, when Chris was reborn, the other Chris was re-born into his body, right?" the girls all nodded. "Well, I think, as he grew, and acquired memories of his own...maybe..." he furrowed his brow concentrating. "Maybe he repressed those memories into his subconscious, like people do when they're abused, you know?"
"Then why are they all coming back now?"
"He's weak, like his doctor said, we can all see that! And he's disoriented. He-hewell, maybe since he's so weak, so out of it, they're...I dunno...resurfacing?"
Piper sighed, running her hand through her hair.
"Sounds plausible, I guess. But, one thing. We are NOT telling Chris that these are memories, got it? We're not!"
All three nodded in agreement.
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"Wyatt?" Chris mumbled, stirring.
"Yeah, what is it?" Wyatt asked, going to his other side, to hear him better.
"'m thirsty," He said, voice slurring slightely.
Wyatt poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the table, then asked, "Can you sit up?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can you sit up, Chris?" he repeated.
Chris pushed himself up on his elbow, then gfell back down with a flump.
Wordlessly, Wyatt eased his arm behind Chris, lifting his torso off the bed, and against him.
"Here, drink," he urged softly, holding the cup against Chris's lips, as Chris drank avidly. When he was done, Wyatt set the cup back down, and lowered Chris onto his pillow.
"Wyatt?"
"Yeah?"
Chris blinked a few times, nearly asleep again. "I'm tired. Will you ask Eric to take note for me in class today?"
"Chris, it's night. It's not time to g to class," Wyatt said softly.
" I know mom'll get pissed, but I'm really tired. Eric'll take notes for me," and he fell asleep, leaving Wyatt to keep watch over his brother.
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"Leo, come on, you need sleep just as much as I do." Piper insisted standing up.
Leo sighed, and followed siut. They had left the hospital hours ago, promising they'd be back early tomorrow. He'd been sleeping soundly as they left, but Leo, as he had told Chris, had picked up his worrying from Piper.
Piper took his hand, and they started up the stairs. I was late, really late, and she was right, they both needed sleep. Paige and Phoebe had gone to bed hours ago, and Wyatt too. Though Piper had a suspicion that none of them were actually asleep.
Leo had just crawled into bed, with Piper about to do the same, when the phone rang.
If the sound of a ringing phone could be heart stopping it was now.
'Wrong number,' Piper told herself as she reached for the receiver. '
Just a wrong number.
Leo
s eyes stayed on her like a hawk, as she picked up the phone, brought it to her ear and said a shaky, "Hello?"
"Hello? Is this Mrs. Piper Halliwell?"
Pipers heart beat wildly in her chest, pumping ice cold blood throughout her body.
"Yes," she answered, he voice small and strained.
"Mrs. Halliwell, this is Dr. Ollrich. I'm afraid... Chris's condition has taken a turn, and...and I suggest you get to the hospital as soon as possible."
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Yeah! Cliffies! Oh, by the way, that wasn't the Chris/Wyatt moment I have planned. Mine's longer. I hope you enjoy the LONGEST CHAPTER I EVER WROTE! And please remeber to feed the author. She lives on a steady diet of reviews.
ALSO...I think, emphasis on THINK, that next chapter is when we find out what's wrong with Chris. Stay tuned!