Reality Bites

Disclaimer: Don't own anything apart from the plot, Kate, Danni and Meg

Chapter Twenty One – Sorting

Then Chris's lips were on hers, and the world once again tilted on its axis.

Meg gasped softly as Chris's mouth slanted over hers, the unexpected reaction taking her completely by surprise. She sat there in a frozen stupor, her eyes open and her lips still as his mouth caressed hers, moving this way and that, looking for a response. She didn't give one. Chris sighed against her mouth, pulling back slightly and brushing butterfly kisses against her lips, once, twice, his hand stroking her cheek. When she still didn't react, he pulled back fully and began to turn away.

"Sorry. I didn't mean… Fuck. Yeah, I'll just-"

Meg's trembling hand shot out and grabbed him by the shoulder, jerking him back around again. Chris let out an unintelligible sound of surprise, the end of it cut off by Meg's mouth. She pulled him forward and kissed him hard, her hands shaking and her lips moving frantically over his. Chris groaned softly as his eyes fluttered shut. He pulled her into his lap.

Meg sighed as he began to kiss her back. She let him have his head and they attacked each other, mouths fused, tongues battling and movements wild and forceful. Her already racing heart took on a whole new rhythm, pounding out of control. Heat pumped through her veins and her head spun as Chris's teeth sunk into her bottom lip, his tongue sweeping out to sooth the hurt. He rumbled in approval when she whimpered, diving into her mouth once more.

Round and round and round her senses went, and finally Meg had to pull back. She panted and fell forward to bury her face in his neck. Her heart boomed in her chest, the light-headedness not going away as she expected it to. She frowned dizzily. Where did all the oxygen go?

"Meg?"

His voice was a whisper, low, throaty and rough. Meg went to pull back, but her limbs were too heavy. Her head swam, her heart rat-a-tat-tatting far too fast, the heat that she'd attributed to the kiss flooding through her, increasing her dizziness. Her breath caught as darkness began to creep over her vision.

Shit. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This wasn't from Chris's kiss. This was more than that.

The shock and adrenaline from the near miss, and then the kiss, and, and…

When did she eat last?

"Christopher," she whispered, the word slurring as her body folded in on itself.

"Meg? Meg!"

Then the world was gone and so was she.

~0~

Meg woke in a hospital for the second time in the same week. She blinked open her eyes, her vision wavering as she slowly took in her surroundings. She licked her lips and swallowed roughly. Her throat felt like the Sahara desert.

A straw appeared before her, and Meg eagerly took it, her eyes shooting up to meet the person providing her with the much-needed wetness. Chris stood above her in his glamour form. He stared down into her eyes and didn't say a word as she sucked down the water.

"Thank you," she croaked after she'd had her fill. Chris's single nod conveyed nothing of what he was thinking. He put the glass down and sat in the chair beside the bed, his eyes never leaving hers. Meg swallowed again, not knowing what to say. The silence thrummed for a long moment, before, finally, he spoke.

"Your blood sugar bottomed out."

She sighed. Yeah. She'd figured it had.

"So, your kisses don't actually have the ability to make a girl pass out?"

Chris was silent. The joke was weak and inappropriate, but Meg was nervous. His gaze was so intense. She had no clue if that was a good or bad thing. She cleared her throat.

"Chris, I-"

The door opened and Danni, Kate and a doctor came in, shutting her up. Danni's face immediately broke into a sunny smile when she saw her best friend awake. She ignored the tense atmosphere and skipped over to the bed.

"M! You do have to stop this, you know. A hospital bed really doesn't look all that great on you. Washes you out."

Meg's smile was as weak as her joke to Chris had been. She turned as the doctor approached and for the next ten minutes, listened to her spiel about taking care of herself and staying on top of her disease. Meg had heard it all before, many times since she'd been diagnosed, but she paid attention anyway. She didn't like waking up in a hospital bed any more than Danni did.

"So, can I go home today?" she asked once the doctor had finished. She got a slow nod in response.

"Yes, you're fine now. But you must eat as soon as you get home and no stringent activity. It was the adrenalin that threw everything out of whack – though the skipped meal didn't help."

"Hear that, Meg, no stringent activity," Danni said with a smirk and a sly glance at Chris. Beside her, Kate snorted. Meg ignored them both and smiled at the doctor.

"Thanks. Ah, I was wondering, since I'm here already, can you take the stitches out of this?" Her hand went to her cheek and tapped her bandage. "I was due to go back and get them removed in a day or so anyway, but since I'm here…?"

The doctor pursed her lips. "I had a look at that when you first came in, and you're right, they're due to come out. I can do that, and I'll let them know in New York that you don't need to go back."

Meg's smile showed her relief. Her cheek no longer hurt, or at least not all that much, but the skin did pull whenever her mouth moved. And it would be good to get rid of the bandage. The doctor turned to speak to her nurse – who thankfully was no way near as chipper as the one in New York had been – and Meg reached for Danni's hand. She really wanted to hold a certain whitelighter's hand, but didn't know if he'd welcome the move, despite the activities that had led to her landing here.

"Where's Leo?" she asked her friend quietly.

"He stayed with Gran," Kate answered for her with a smile. "She's a tough old bird, but she sometimes has turns, so she can't really be alone." She rolled her eyes. "She doesn't agree with that of course, but when it comes to her safety, her protests usually go ignored."

She pulled her phone out of her pocket. "As she made me swear to call her the instant you woke, I'll just do that now. She'll worry otherwise, and then badger and nag me for not doing as I promised."

Meg nodded. "Go ahead and tell her I'm fine. No need to worry."

She glanced over as Chris made a minute movement, but when she met his eyes, he was calm and collected, his face blank and closed. She swallowed hard and turned back to Danni as Kate left the room. Her friend smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"So, all that excitement get to you, puddleduck?"

Meg snorted quietly. "Something like that."

Danni grinned and opened her mouth to retort, only to be interrupted by the doctor stepping up to the bed. The room was quiet as the woman quickly removed the bandage. A couple of minutes later, the stitches were gone.

"Your cheek is still healing, so you'll still have to be careful. And you're going to scar, though it won't be big," she said, taping a thin strip of gauze over the site. "I'm only putting this on as extra protection, but it doesn't need to stay there longer than a day or two. It'll come off the first time it gets wet anyway."

She stepped back and smiled, handing the tools and the leftover pieces of suture to the nurse. "If it reopens, go straight back to the hospital. I don't expect it to, it's healed up quite nicely, but sometimes these things happen."

Meg nodded, smiling slightly when she didn't see a flash of white under her eye, the smile widening when her cheek didn't pull. The doctor patted her arm.

"I'll get your discharge papers organized. Keep a closer eye on your blood sugar in the future. You're lucky your friends were around when it bottomed."

"I will," Meg promised. She intended to stick to it as well. She'd had more dizzy spells and episodes since Chris arrived than she'd had in the whole time since she'd been diagnosed. He was messing with her body as well as her heart. It had to stop.

Though I wouldn't mind if he messed with my body in a completely different way.

She shook that thought out of her head and threw back the covers as the doctor left. She wanted her home and her own bed. Danni moved to her side.

"So let's get you dressed, and then we'll…"

She trailed off and quickly stepped back, a wide grin breaking across her face. Meg frowned at her and then stiffened when a hand took her arm in a gentle grip. Meg looked up into Chris's eyes. He didn't say anything – surprise, surprise – just helped her out of bed, his body angled behind hers. She took a shaky breath.

"Thanks," she whispered. He nodded and followed her closely as she headed for the bathroom. She stopped at the door and looked back over her shoulder. "I think I've got it from here."

Chris looked torn. He hesitated, making Danni snort.

"It's a tiny room, tiger, and you'll be right outside the door. You can rush in if she even so much as squeaks."

Chris glared at Danni, but did step back. Meg hurried in and closed the bathroom door behind her, more confused than ever.

Where the bloody hell do they go from here?

~0~

An hour later, the living room formed around her and Meg sighed, the blue fading from her vision. She reluctantly stepped out of Chris's arms and turned to face him. They really needed to talk.

Not of the first time, she thanked whatever lucky stars she had that Danni was so perceptive. Her friend had insisted that Leo take her home straight away, just as she'd probably insist he stay for a while. In her words, told to Meg just before they'd left, she was "giving you and Hero time to sort yourselves out, and maybe share another one of those freaking hot kisses."

Chris and Meg didn't say a word for a long moment, just looked at each other, and Meg sighed again. Someone had to push play, or they'd never get off the ground. She opened her mouth, stopping when Chris held up his hand.

"Sorry. I just have to…"

He strode forward and took her face between his hands, crushing his lips to hers. Meg gasped as he once again took her by surprise. Chris took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth. Meg moaned quietly and melted against him, kissing him back eagerly. She fisted his shirt in her hand and rose onto her toes, her head beginning to spin again, though for an entirely different reason this time. They pulled back only when the lack of oxygen forced them too.

Chris panted and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.

"If you ever faint in my arms like that again, I will personally make your life a living hell."

Meg breathed out slowly and carefully stepped back. His words should have sounded exaggerated, but she sensed the truth under them. It didn't help her confusion. She licked her lips, trying the slow her heart rate down, and clearing her throat, she once more opened her mouth to speak. Only to frown and stop again as Chris abruptly turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Chris?" she called, confused over whether she should follow him or not.

Her question was answered when he came out a couple minutes later, a plate of leftover salad and a fork in his hand. He walked over to the couch and put it on the coffee table, taking a seat in the process.

"Eat."

Meg blinked and then slowly walked over to sit beside him. Chris picked up the plate and handed it to her silently. She stared at it for a moment, then took it and forked some up, her eyes widening as she began to chew.

"What did you put in here?"

"Pineapple," Chris answered. "Though you're back where you should be, the doctor suggested you have some natural sugar in the first meal."

She blinked again and then sighed. "Thank you, Chris."

"Why do you not call me by my full name anymore?"

She stilled with another forkful of salad half way to her mouth. She looked at him and Chris grimaced.

"Sorry. Eat."

"What about you?" Meg asked.

"Danni forced something on me at the hospital. Eat."

"I can talk at the same time, you know," the mortal murmured, looking down at her meal. The pineapple tasted pretty good mixed in with all the savoury stuff. She looked up when Chris sighed.

"Okay. Well, I, ah…" He reached up to rub the back of his neck.

Meg grinned. "Just spit it out, Chris."

He looked at her and Meg watched him patiently, absently eating her meal. If he wanted to take the reins, she was more than fine with that. As long as they talked. She glanced down and chased the last bit of pineapple around the plate.

"I think I'm in love with you."

The plate slipped from her lap, the fork soon following as every bit last of her went numb. Slowly, her head came up again and she stared at him blankly.

"You… think you're… in love… with me."

"Pretty sure."

The quiet words made her blood pound and she quickly got off the couch, no longer able to just sit. Energy surged through her and she began to pace.

"Meg?"

"If you think you love me, why the fuck did you pull away when I went to kiss you?"

She spun around just in time to see Chris's eyes widen.

His brown eyes.

"Will you remove that bloody glamour?! This is a rather important discussion, and I'd like you to actually be you!"

He scowled and clicked his fingers, the blond hair and brown eyes quickly being replaced with his original brown hair and green eyes. Meg folded her arms and tapped her foot, hiding her pleasure at seeing those gorgeous orbs focused so powerfully on her.

"Well?"

"Get right to it, don't you?" he muttered, glancing away.

"Hey, you were the one who spontaneously put the L word on the table, buster!"

Chris grimaced again. "Fine. Okay. Umm. Well, it's, it's just…"

"Chris!"

"Bianca!" Chris blurted out, looking back at her and making Meg freeze in place. "It's Bianca, okay? I pulled away because of Bianca."

"Oh."

The whitelighter let out a bitter laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, oh."

"Do you still love her?" Meg asked carefully, her words a little hesitant as she retook a seat on the couch. Chris looked away again.

"Yes," he answered softly, and though the reply sent a shaft of pain through her heart, she appreciated his honesty. It was always best to know where you stand.

"So you pulled away because… you felt it was a betrayal to her?"

"Yeah," Chris responded, turning back to her and sending her a weak smile. "Weird, huh? She quite happily betrays me, and yet I balk at doing the same."

"I think it speaks highly of your character," Meg said quietly. And it did. Chris was entirely good. Though his brother had influenced who he was a little – as had Leo, though she suspected he wouldn't like hearing that – his mother, aunts and then his grandfather had raised him right, instilling values in him that couldn't be broken. She'd expect something like this from him.

At her words, the weakness of his smile evaporated.

"So why did you kiss me outside Adele's then?" Meg continued.

"Because seeing that car coming straight at you, it hit me that anything could happen and I might never see you again," Chris answered quietly, looking down at his hands. "That… well, that was too painful to imagine. I had to kiss you, to prove to myself that you were alright."

"And now?" Meg asked, her tone just as quiet. He shrugged.

"Same thing, really, You freaked me out when you fainted." This time his smile held a hint of a smirk. "I would have kissed you at the hospital, but then the doctor, Kate and Danni came in. I wouldn't have minded the audience, but I'm sure your opinion would have been different."

"Probably," Meg agreed with a small smile, though privately she wasn't so sure. Chris grinned and then sighed, shook his head and sat back.

"Look, I'm sorry for announcing it like that, pilling it all on top of you out of the blue, and I realize you probably don't feel the same, but-"

"Who says I don't feel the same?"

Chris's hands stilled at her interruption, halting in their process of rubbing his face. They lowered slowly and Meg stifled a gasp at the heat and intensity in his eyes.

"Say that again."

"Who says I don't feel the same?" Meg repeated, a shiver running down her spine at his husky reply. "You're not the only one who's been bombarded with foreign and confusing feeling, you know."

Chris abruptly reached for her and Meg shot backwards out of her seat. "Oh, no. No, no, no."

"No?" he murmured, the word pure sin as he slowly got to his feet, his eyes locked on her. Her breath caught in her throat as her blood pressure skyrocketed. She hurriedly took another step back, shaking her head in panic.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're going home, that's why!"

Chris cocked his head. "Not for another three weeks."

"So, what, we screw for three weeks, and then you continue on your merry way?"

"What? No!" Chris snapped, the smouldering in his eyes vanishing instantly. "Is that what you think of yourself?"

"Of course not," Meg sighed, rubbing her temple. "But anything that happens will have to come to an end in three weeks' time, Chris." She pushed aside her guilt over the meaning and reason for the spell. She couldn't tell him yet. Chris was focused on saving his brother. To him, that was all that mattered. Though he'd used the L word, she didn't want to tell him until she was sure she was just as important as that, if not more.

And wasn't that just incredibly selfish?

You'd cut down the selfishness if you went with him and helped, chickadee.

Lord, she was far too close to Danni if her friend was becoming her conscience.

"So it's the whole 'not worth it' thing again."

Meg blanched at the monotone and scrubbed at her face hard. "God, Chris, I just-"

"Because I don't care if you think that. I'll just have to change your mind if that's the case."

Her arms shot down and she jolted at how close he was all of a sudden. She hadn't even heard him move. She looked up into bottle green and gulped, instinctively trying to edge away. Chris stopped her by grabbing her hips.

"I never thought I'd feel this way again, Meg. This isn't really the betrayal I thought it was, because though I loved Bianca and still do, she's dead. Seeing you nearly end up the same way made me realize that. My family's always believed that when you love, you embrace it with your whole heart and don't waste it. You take the happiness where you can and run with it, as you never know what could happen in the future. That's very much what I'd like to do now, with you, if you'd let me."

Oh God.

"When did you get to be so eloquent?" Meg whispered. Chris smirked at her.

"Never saw me beyond wanting to save Wyatt, did you?" he murmured, his mouth slowly lowering.

"No," Meg breathed, her heart swelling up to choke her as the atmosphere thickened.

"Well then, you have much to learn."

Then his mouth was on hers once more, and giving in, Meg threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

A/N - Huge, HUGE apologies for skipping a week, guys. God, I hate that dreaded block! I knew exactly where I wanted this chapter to go, but just couldn't seem to get it there! Ugh! But it's here now, and I hope you all enjoyed. Fingers crossed it won't happen again. :D