These Shattering Memories

Chapter Twenty-One

Whilst Wyatt was at Paige's Chris sat in the club at the bar with another alcoholic beverage, the drink that now had Wyatt scared every time he saw one in Chris' hand but not how most people got scared when a certain person drank alcohol. Some people were scared of how it affected someone and how it made them act whereas Wyatt was just terrified that Chris would become dependent on it, he was scared Chris would become an alcoholic. Chris was drinking a whiskey this time instead of a vodka shot when his mother walked in, it was still early morning around nine o'clock.

"Chris, are you drinking whiskey? It's like nine in the morning," Piper asked as she approached him at the bar.

"Yeah well it tastes nice and takes the edge off," Chris answered as he took another sip of it, his knuckles in full view for his mother to see and question him about it.

"It's a bit early to be drinking alcohol don't you think?"

"Nope not really, it's not like I'm gonna drink loads and be drunk all day," Chris told his mother as if she wasn't someone to be respectful to.

"What happened to your knuckles?" she continued with her list of questions without his tone or words even fazing her.

"Nothing," he tried to lie but it was quite obvious something had considering they were black, blue and swollen.

"Chris don't lie to me I'm not stupid," Piper scolded her fully grown son and he finally looked at her properly.

"I had an altercation with a brazen punter, happy?" Chris lied again with a lot more ease as it was a believable lie this time, he wasn't going to say he battered Wyatt and he was sure Wyatt would cover for him as well.

"Why don't you get your brother to heal them? They look painful," Piper asked when he winced upon trying to unclench his fist from holding the glass.

"I don't need them healed, it's just some bruises," Chris told his mother before pouring himself another whiskey.

"They're swollen as well and a couple of cuts," Piper added helpfully which earned her a glare from Chris; she was shocked because a part from when Chris was in the past with them he had never acted so cold and distant towards her. "Why are you being like this Chris? I don't understand what we did wrong for you to want to stay away from all of us."

"You didn't do anything wrong mom, I just need some space at the moment. I need to deal with everything on my own," he explained to his mother, his cold exterior faltering momentarily before going back up as he began drinking again.

"Well if you do want to talk, remember that I'm here ok?" Piper sighed and put her arm around her little boy.

"Thanks mom," Chris replied and wrapped his arms around her so she put her other around him and they embraced the moment and didn't care what was going on around them even though that was absolutely nothing, "for understanding and not trying to make me talk."

"That's what I'm here for sweetie," Piper replied, stroking his hair before kissing the top of his head; if he was a teenager and his mom had done this in public he probably would have been embarrassed but right then, in that moment, he drank it in happily because for a moment all of the horrible memories disappeared and he had only happy ones from both timelines. Piper left Chris so she didn't push him away because that what usually happened when someone out stayed their welcome in Chris' presence and just after she left Wyatt orbed in.

"Hey," he said sullenly and sat on the stool next to his little brother who had the empty whiskey glass next to him and Wyatt's expression went from plain sad to worried in a second. Chris narrowed his eyes as he saw this action and he followed his eye line to the glass.

"What's wrong Wy?" he asked still looking at the glass in confusion as to why it seemed to worry his strong elder brother as if it were some unknown demon.

"Why do you keep drinking alcohol? You used to tell me I drank too much but now you seem to drink it like every day," Wyatt questioned simply, not seeing the point of beating round the bush. "I don't know what you mean, I don't drink every day and it's not like I drink a lot of it," Chris responded, he knew that was a lie and he knew that Wyatt would be able to find out that he drank 3 glasses of the strong spirit just by looking at the cash register seeing as he paid for the stuff.

"You used to hate drinking and now you're drinking whiskey at half nine in the morning, I don't get it," Wyatt continued unfazed by his brother's input.

"It takes the edge off ok; it makes me feel better is that so wrong?" Chris questioned harshly, the drink helped his mind to not be so alert so that he didn't have everything going at a hundred miles per hour, and it slowed all of his thoughts down and pushed some out.

"That's what I'm afraid of Chris," Wyatt stressed his worries to an unsuspecting Chris, never once had alcoholism crossed his mind until then.

"You think I'm becoming an alcoholic? Wyatt, are you crazy? Just because I like to drink doesn't mean I'm going to abuse it," Chris told his brother sternly, he was quite adamant that nothing of the sort was going to happen.

"See you're in denial," Wyatt began but Chris quickly cut him off mid-rant.

"Wyatt you're paranoid, I promise to stop drinking as much as I am, happy?" Chris assured his brother but knew that wouldn't satisfy him.

"How do I know that? With you here and me at home still I can't know that as soon as I leave you won't have a drink," Wyatt was acting like a really paranoid parent whose child had been caught disobeying him.

"Fine, I'll move back into the manor… does that satisfy you?" Chris told him begrudgingly and instead of a vocal reply Wyatt hugged Chris tightly, lifting him off of his feet.

"That makes me really happy! We've missed you at the manor," Wyatt disclosed happily with Chris still in his arms.

"You can put me down now Wy and I've only been gone a few days," Chris responded awkwardly, again he was fine with a short hug as a show of affection but a long, tight hug made him feel kind of uncomfortable.

"Right sorry," Wyatt said sheepishly as he released his brother from the bear hug, he thought he'd see his Chris' glaring face but he was wrong, Chris was smiling fondly at him. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because I like that you care so much, the other Wyatt didn't show his love quite as often or outright like you do and though I sometimes feel uncomfortable with it I do appreciate it," Chris told him truthfully which was a stretch for the young man as he often found lies tumbling out of his mouth. "I saw mom earlier actually and I told her I got these bruises in an altercation with a brazen punter, not by battering you," he explained, gesturing with his aching hand.

"I will make sure I back that story up then, we should probably tell Aunt Paige as well in case she accidently slips up," Wyatt suggested and Chris nodded so they did exactly that: let their aunt know not to tell anyone what happened.

A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I've never written a chapter straight onto the computer without it being on paper first so I hope this is ok. I just felt it was necessary for a scene where Piper sees Chris' knuckles plus it's been a lot of just Wyatt and Chris lately so I need to write other characters into it a little more! Let me know who you want to see more of! Review!