Who I am…

Chapter 10

By: teal-lover

Summary: How Chris learned the cunning and duplicitous behavior we saw for over a year. Alternates between the past, unchanged future, and the changed future.

AN: Background in previous story is that something terrible happened to Chris and changed the way he saw things and learned to survive. This is the prequel/sequel to "Do You Really Want to Know", but can stand alone. Spoilers for all of season 6.

Rating: PG-13, T

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters or get any money from writing this fiction.

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Bianca returned a few weeks later, wearily complaining out loud to herself. "That had to have been the sloppiest vanquish I've ever done." She shook her head as she thought back to the narrow escape she had made.

She found her target easily enough but was unable to shimmer in close enough, and getting out afterwards with his minions hot on her heels was a bit more difficult. If she had taken time to plan her attack out carefully, none of them would have posed even the slightest threat. But her anxiousness to get back to her temporary charge pushed her further than her normal comfort zone.

For the past few days, Bianca had endured a strong foreboding feeling that only intensified when she shimmered back into the sparsely lit apartment. Cautiously, with her athame in hand, she weaved her way in the dark toward the back bedrooms where she heard muffled voices.

Voices? More than one? She thought to herself. So Wyatt's not alone. She couldn't tell what they were arguing about, only that the voices were getting progressively louder just before she hears the distinctive sound of furniture crashing against the wall.

Her heart began pounding wildly as she considered all of the possibilities. She crept down the hall quietly and checked all of the other rooms. Chris wasn't in any of them. The only conclusion she could come to was that Wyatt had purposely gotten rid of her for the past few weeks. That way, he could have his brother killed without interference from his newly appointed guardian. She only hoped that wasn't the case.

The door was flung open and practically started the Phoenix, a seething Wyatt in the doorway blocking her view. "What?" he growled.

Before she could answer, a book flew at the back of his head and he spun around angrily, motioning with his telekinetic power to throw whoever was behind him. As he stepped in a little closer, she was both surprised and relieved to find Chris pinned to the back wall several feet off the ground and glaring at his brother heatedly. At least he was alive.

Wyatt warned in a dangerously low tone, "The next time you throw something at me, I will break every bone in the arm you threw it with. Do you understand?"

Chris continued to glare before crossing his arms petulantly and turning away.

To emphasize his point and demand an answer, Wyatt raised his arm and threw his brother into the ceiling, deciding to let gravity do its job. Chris crashed back to the ground and practically bounced off the carpet.

Wyatt only smirked as he watched Chris crawl back to his feet, obviously in pain from where his back hit the ceiling. "Do you understand now?" he asked calmly, his tone belying the earlier threat.

Chris muttered under his breath, his words sounding suspiciously like curse words directed at the older man. But as Wyatt moved to raise his arm again, he spoke louder and found it difficult to quell the rebellious streak. "Fine. No throwing things at your big head. I got it."

The blonde moved to strike again, but Bianca spoke suddenly in the hopes of distracting him. "Wyatt, I have completed the task you sent me out for."

With one raised eyebrow, he focused his attention on her, instantly forgetting the argument with his defiant sibling. "Already?" He had expected her to be gone much longer.

"Yes. I have the requested proof as well," she said and handed him a trinket.

"Good. You may return to your other duties. I have business to attend to."

As soon as he left, Bianca breathed a sigh of relief and helped Chris to sit on the bed. "What was that about? When I left, you barely spoke two words, now you're antagonizing him like this?"

"I can't take it anymore! I can't stay here with him. I just want to go home. I wanted to go up there with my dad, but Wyatt made that impossible since he killed all of the Elders."

"Chris—"

"No! I can't keep sitting around wondering all the time if this is going to be day when he decides to sell me off to the next highest bidder. All it'll take is one wrong move on my part and I may as well have signed my own death warrant."

Bianca frowned listening to his rant that was growing more agitated with each passing second. She reached for his arm, "Let's get out of here for a bit. You need something to help you calm down."

Chris' eyes darted around quickly as he whined, "I don't want to go."

Bianca understood his hesitance, having not been out of the apartment in months. She wanted to reassure him, "Do you know what I am?"

"Yes. Wyatt told me."

"What?"

Chris sighed showing his irritation, "You're a Phoenix."

"Exactly. Do you know what I do?"

"You kill people."

Bianca hardened her expression and stared at him, unblinking, "Exactly. And as long as you're with me--NO ONE is going to come near you without experiencing my line of work first hand." She held out her hand for him and shimmered away as he took it cautiously.

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When they shimmered in behind a bush, Bianca dropped his hand and walked over to a bed of roses.

Chris looked around in wonder, "What is this place?"

Bianca bent down to touch one of the delicate flowers with a smile on her face, "My mother used to bring me here when I was a little girl. Before she taught me how to kill. I come here whenever I want to feel--human--again. When I just need to get away from everything." She stood up and walked over to the marble bench.

Chris took a seat next to her as he basked in the sun on his face. He laughed as a ball rolled up to his feet. Bending over to toss it back, he smiled back at the child who waited for it expectantly. "It's nice here."

"Yes it is. You're welcome to it any time. Of course, that means that you'd actually have to leave the apartment once in a while." Chris just smiled back at her.

"So what where you arguing about?"

"He wants me to start going down to the underworld with him. You know, he needs a trained lapdog."

With all of her training and experience, Bianca understood the bitter sarcastic words far more than he seemed to. "I know after everything that's happened, you don't believe this—but he only wants to show that you're not as unruly as they think you are. You have to go with him, if only to prove to the outside observer that you listen to him. They'll leave you alone if they see that."

Chris snorted in disbelief. "They're not going to believe that. You didn't see me when they came back. I was practically turning blue from holding my breath, I was so scared. That's not going to tell them that I can be controlled."

"They didn't…"

Chris avoided her eyes suddenly, flushing with embarrassment at her hesitant question. "No. Wyatt promised that if I did my best impression of a servant, bowing on command and all, nothing would happen. But how long am I going to be able to keep that up? What if I slip up? Then what?"

It broke her heart to see the panic in his eyes return and it suddenly came to her how she could help. "Chris, you won't slip up. I'll teach how not to. I'll teach you to even fool Wyatt."

His eyes grew large with wonder and awe. "How?"

"By going against everything you've ever learned. I'm going to teach you to fight, for one—"

He interrupted indignantly, "I already know how to fight. And even if he didn't give me my powers back, he did at least give me back the ability to orb again."

She smirked with genuine amusement before turning serious.

"But can you fight dirty? Have you ever lied to get your way? And I'm not talking candy bars here Chris. Cheated an honest person out of something simply because it was something you needed? Stole when you couldn't lie or cheat to get it? Have you ever struck fear into a person's heart simply by walking into a room? Vanquished someone that had done nothing for the sole purpose of making a point? Have you done any of that?"

Chris shook his head slightly. The reality of what she was saying was finally sinking in. He thought about the possibilities of learning from her, an assassin, and they were staggering. He mouthed to speak, but the words refused to come, drawn in by her low tone and seductive voice. It seemed to glide over him dangerously, and he thought, this is a whole new ballgame.

"Or have you always just used the name Halliwell to get you what you want. Being the son of a Charmed One, I'm sure that you've always been taught to fight on the offensive. And when you ever needed to do the opposite, you simply burst through the front door brazenly. Well that's over now. You're going on the defensive. And most of the time, it will involve doing things covertly. It's not going to be pleasant. You won't even recognize yourself in the mirror. So are you up for it?"

Chris found himself nodding in trance-like agreement before he even had a chance to voice an opinion.

She let him mull it over for a while. They sat enjoying each other's company for a long time before heading to the apartment.

When they approached, the door was flung open from the other side.

Wyatt stood in the doorway raging, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!"

Chris replied simply and pushed past him into the apartment, "Out."

Wyatt turned and glared at Bianca for an explanation.

"I just took him out for some fresh air." She back peddled in a convincing display of nervousness as he advanced on her, "And I wanted to get him used to people again--so he'd stop moping around here and annoying you."

Wyatt turned and watched his brother saunter off down the hallway into his room. He took notice of the fact that he hadn't been drawn into yet another one of their tiresome arguments--even though they had both been in the same room together for well over two minutes. The longest in weeks. A grin nearly escaped, but fortunately, he was able to steel his gaze when he focused again on Bianca. "Take him again tomorrow."

TBC…