Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter. I'm really sorry I couldn't answer you all but I was so busy. Still, I hope you enjoy this one as an apology.

Thanks a lot to (Auntie) Ann.

Chapter 51

Wyatt waited in the hallway for his brother to emerge from Josh's bedroom. Chris closed the door behind him and sighed.

"How are you?" the older of the two asked.

"Good. Considering I was dead for about an hour."

"Sometimes, I'm really glad that we are magical."

"Why?"

"Because tell me one other family of non-witches where the dead wake up again."

"Right. It would have sucked if I were dead now that I finally have some luck."

"It would have sucked anyway. What happened?"

Chris shrugged. "I was in limbo. With Kat," he added.

"Really?" Wyatt frowned. "Why? And shouldn't she be somewhere else?"

"I don't know, Wy. All I know is I was with Kat in limbo. We talked and then suddenly I got transparent and ended up back here."

"And you heard Josh?"

"Yeah. Like far away, but I heard him."

"I called for you too, why didn't you come back when I called?"

Chris shook his head. "I don't know, Wyatt. I have no idea how I got there. I have no idea how I got back. All I know is that I'm back. And actually, that's all that matters to me."

"I'm right with you at that. Though, your son must be a really powerful witch if he can bring back the dead. Even more powerful than me. I feel offended."

"I'm pretty sure that it had nothing to do with Josh's powers but with him being my son. But I don't know. I know nothing."

Wyatt laughed. "Not the first time. I better head home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What is tomorrow?"

"Bachelor night."

"Right, bachelor night. Shouldn't I be the one organizing you a bachelor night as your best man. I know how to party."

"The party was planned when you hadn't decided to be my best man yet. Moreover, I know your way to party," Wyatt smirked. "I'll see you then."

"You know, you can still stop the wedding. Actually, you can until you said yes." Wyatt rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying that because I don't like Rachel. I just don't want you to make a mistake. Sometimes, people get along better when they are apart, you know. It's not bad if you change your mind now. It is in fact better than if you wait until you have a crowd of kids."

"Chris, no matter what you say, I will marry Rachel. And if you want to do me a favor, please talk to her and try to get into good terms with her. I mean you guys obviously like to fight but you are my brother and she will be my wife that makes you the two most important people in my life and I wish you could be friends. Or at least stop fighting."

"Oh, I already thought of another present." Chris replied. But he understood that it was difficult for Wyatt to live with two people constantly fighting. What he obviously didn't know was that they were fighting for his attention mainly.


Chris had to understand that Wyatt's friends still weren't the kind of persons that he liked a lot. But for a night they would do. It was the first party outside the Manor Chris attended since he was back home. It was not really difficult for him to refuse every drink he was offered but it was stupid that everyone expected an explanation. Why couldn't people just accept that he said no to something? But apart from that it was pretty funny. They had the party in P3 as Rachel was meeting with her girls in the restaurant. Piper really did everything to make even the night before the wedding a success. Unfortunately, a successful wedding didn't mean much towards a successful marriage.

But obviously neither Wyatt nor Rachel thought so.

Piper had given Chris the difficult task to make sure Wyatt wouldn't come home too late. But the brunette found it was harder than expected. In the end, Chris left the party and went to the restaurant checking if the girls were still there.

It showed that obviously not only the boys could party long and hard but girls as well.

"Is your party over already?" one of the bridesmaids said giggling from too much alcohol.

"No, I took a break but they already with the stripper so I think they'll be done soon."

"A stripper? That is so cliché."

Rachel obviously was in a good mood because she didn't even blinked hearing her boyfriend was watching some naked woman dancing. She stood up and approached Chris and for a moment he thought she would be upset.

"Is everything ready for tomorrow?" she asked.

"What the hell should I know? I wasn't helping with anything." Chris sighed. "I guess. Mom was so busy for the last weeks, I am pretty positive she thought of everything."

"I'm really curious what kind of suit you got for Wyatt."

"I considered buying a clowns costume but I thought I won't hurt you that much."

"Thank you."

The 22 year old pushed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Can we talk for a moment? Not for real long. I won't keep you from your friends."

"Sure." They walked over to the bar.

"I promised Wyatt to clear a few things between us. I guess he isn't having as much fun when we fight as we do."

Rachel smiled at him. "Do you think I like it?"

"Well, I do. At least a bit." Chris said. "I'm sorry, I'm just skeptical that you and I will ever become friends, but as I am kind of close to my brother I think I owe him to have a relationship with his girlfriend, make that wife, that he can live with as well."

"Okay, so what do you suggest?"

"Not talking to each other ever again?" Rachel glared at him. "No, that's bad you are right. Okay, how about I tell you why I have issues with you and you tell me why you have issues with me. Maybe we can work that out."

"Okay, fire away."

"I hate that you behave like you always were family. Since you and Wyatt are together you act like you were part of our family. You are not. At least not yet. You maybe will build up a family with Wyatt but you are not my mother's daughter or anything. You are just Wyatt's girlfriend. You play this role towards my parents like you were the perfect daughter they never had but at least you are generous enough to become their daughter-in-law. You are so fake. You switch personality all the time. I don't like that you try and make me feel like I'm the worst, incapable person ever, like I'm so much lower than you, that you know what I'm doing wrong and what I should change to make it better. I hate that you try to keep me away from Wyatt. And why are you doing that anyway? You don't like when we spend time together, you don't like when he spends time with his nephew. Which leads me directly to the next thing. How are you treating my son? You are so bad with kids, I can't understand how you became a teacher. I don't even want to mention that you were the one calling social service, that by the way check on me every now and then ever since. Do you know how that makes you feel? I think you have no right to feel as if you were so much better than the rest of us."

"That's what you think? That I feel like I'm better than you? That is not true. But I think that maybe me as an outsider, who doesn't feel the need to protect poor little Chris all the time, I maybe have a better idea on what is going on. I'm glad I called social services because it made you see that you act like a fool and that your behavior has consequences. I'm truly sorry if you feel like a loser because of me, that is not and was never my intention. I maybe acted a little like I belonged to your family from the beginning but I only did that because I never had a family of my own and I felt so welcomed and so much at home with you all. And I thought that I deserved to finally have a family. I never wanted to steal them from you or anything. I don't want to steal Wyatt from you. I admit, I tried to keep him away from you for a while because I didn't want him to feel responsible for your mess.

"And now, I'll tell you what I hate about you. I hate that you want to appear like the perfect father when in fact you have no idea what you are doing. I hate it that everyone is always worrying about you when everything that happened to you is your own damn fault. I don't like your sarcasm. I think that you affront people with your offending and rude remarks. You are really unfair to me considering you don't even know me. You always treat me like some bitch."

"You are." Chris said. Rachel crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I'm just joking."

"I don't understand your jokes. And I don't like them."

"Now what do we do?" Chris asked. "We will never like each other. Can we just stay with that?"

"Yes, we can. But I think we try to at least be polite. For Wyatt."

"Yes, for Wyatt and only for Wyatt and under one condition."

"What?"

"If you should split up, I'm allowed to say I told you so."

"And if we won't, I say it."

"Sure. Although that will never happen."

Rachel smiled at him sweetly and went back to her table when one of her friends called.

Chris turned around and ran into a waitress with a tray with glass in her hand. It fell down and shattered in pieces.

"Not again," she mumbled. "Your son has at least the decency to make me drop empty glasses."

"I'm the improved version," Chris replied.

"I don't think so." Amy started to pick up the broken glass and Chris bent down to help her. "Don't you have a party to attend?"

"It's not that much fun, actually. I'm only waiting a few more hours to drive Wyatt home so he can get up in time tomorrow. Although, I think being in coma is the only way he will be able to live through that day."

Amy gave him a scolding look. "Be nice. It's big day for them and your mom seems really excited about it."

"Anxious is the correct word."

Amy took the tray with broken glass. "Thanks for giving Sandra the job to do the bridesmaid's dresses and Wyatt's suit."

"And mine."

"And Josh's. So cute. And thanks for mine as well. It's gorgeous."

Chris shrugged. "It's nothing but a piece of cloth. When you wear it it'll be gorgeous."

Amy laughed. "Don't work yourself up. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Sure. If there'll be a wedding. If not, we could do something more fun instead."

"A wedding is fun."

"Depends on which part you have."


The Halliwell Manor was decorated in white and light green. In the conservatory chairs were lined up and in the family room was a large buffet. Bunches of flowers and candles were placed all around the house. In the garden stood white chairs and tables. One of the barkeepers from P3 was behind a bar that was organized on a white pavilion. Everything was ready to celebrate the wedding. Apart from the bride and groom.

"Whose stupid idea was it to do a bachelor night the night right before the wedding?" Wyatt asked. "I really could have done with a few more hours of sleep."

"Wyatt, we all wished we wouldn't be here," Chris said watching his brother binding his tie the wrong way for the 10th time.

"Shut up, Chris. It's a fucking happy day," Wyatt replied tossing the piece of cloth on the floor. "Shit."

The younger brother couldn't help but grin. "Come on, let me help you. Sit, relax and tell yourself that this is what you want."

Wyatt dropped on the armchair in his brother's bedroom – formerly known as his bedroom when they were kids. "It's just…I can't believe it's really happening. I can't believe we are not 14 anymore and our worse problem was to stop Mom from cutting our hair."

"That's still a problem," Chris said. He finished Wyatt's tie. "So, you look good."

Josh ran into his father's bedroom. Already dressed in the little suit he had gotten just for this day. He was really glad that he could wear his sneakers with it, though. Because the other shoes hurt.

"Daddy, Henry says I'm too little to bring the rings," he said unhappy.

"Henry is stupid. You are the exact right size."

"Daddy, that's not what he meant." He looked at his uncle and frowned. "Are you sick, Uncle Wyatt? You look sick."

"No, he's not sick," Chris told him seeing his brother's face. "Now, let's go through your part in the wedding once more."

Josh nodded. He took the little velvet pillow that would later carry the golden rings. "So, I sit with Grandma and when the minister says 'May I have the rings'," the 4 year old imitated an old man's voice. "I give Uncle Wyatt the rings."

"Very well. See, you are not too little for that."

Josh nodded. He already knew that he was not too little. He could do this really fine.

"Can I have some cake?"

"No, Josh, cake is for after the wedding. It's when everybody says 'Oh God, they did it', okay? Why don't you go and play a bit in your room? But don't get your suit dirty."

Josh nodded but was disappointed. It was the biggest cake he has ever seen in his life and it had a lot of cream on it.

Wyatt looked at his watch. "Tell me, it is not the worst mistake of my life."

"It's not the worst mistake," Chris answered seriously. "It can work, okay? I'm pretty sure you guys can make it if you really want to. Really."

There was a knock on the door and Leo stuck his head in. "The groom should come downstairs already." He smiled brightly. "I can't believe you are going to get married. I'll see you downstairs."

Wyatt took a deep breath. "Even Dad is excited. Okay, that means I can't go back. Everyone expects us to do it, so we do it."

"Fine, then let's go."

The blonde brother led the way down the stairs. "What if I'm going to faint?" he murmured.

"You won't faint. Go and stay at the front and do nothing but wait. Got it?" Chris shook his head watching his brother leave.

"I thought you said you won't talk him into doing this?" Amy asked.

"I changed my mind. Maybe they really have a chance."

"You are a romantic, I always knew it."

"Don't make me kick you out."

"You wouldn't dare." She smiled at him reassuringly. "Now, whose looking gorgeous?"

"Thanks, I got up really early," Chris replied straightening out his jacket.

Amy hit him on the arm. "I meant me."

"Of course, you look gorgeous. You really do. More beautiful than the bride. Not that I have seen her yet." That was the moment one of Rachel bridesmaids descended the stairs and walked up to the couple and told Chris that Rachel asked for him. "I knew she was going to blame me for something," he said but walked into his parents' room where the bride was getting ready.

"I know what I'm going to ask you may sound strange," she started.

"Everything you say sounds strange to me."

"Can you be serious, please. I'm nervous enough as it is."

Chris shrugged. He could say that he was serious but she really looked nervous. "Sure, what is it?"

"You know usually the bride's father walks her to the front, but I was thinking as my father is dead unfortunately, maybe we do something totally different and the groom's brother takes that role."

The 22 year old wrinkled his nose. "I don't know. Moreover, I'm already the best man I can't do two things. Why don't you ask my father?"

"Because I already did and he told me to ask you."

"That was a bad idea of him."

"Please. I don't want to go there alone."

Chris shook his head. "Rachel…" He looked at her and finally shrugged. "You know what, whatever. Sure, I'll walk you there."

"Thanks a lot."

"Yeah, you guys won't change your mind anyway so we rather get it over with, right? By the way, you look amazing. No one's more beautiful than you today."

"That's so sweet, thank you so much."

"Yeah, I have my moments. Ready?"

She took a deep breath and nodded.

Don't forget to use your last chances to tell me your thoughts on this story. I really appreciate it.