Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the television show Charmed.
All characters belong to Spelling Television, and The WB.
This is my first Charmed fic. I apologize if I get any of the show's details wrong. I'd love to get feedback! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. Please continue to review the story or e-mail me at jeff_langdon@hotmail.com!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Anguished Soul - Chapter 17
"Uh," Chris mumbled as he struggled for an answer. "We, uh, I. Oh what the hell," he finally gave up, "I was thinking of how to tell you."
Piper did not look amused at all. "And how long."
"I know it was a stupid thing to do to go about this behind your back," Chris continued, cutting Piper off.
"You know, the one."
"I know. The one thing you hate is having people do things behind you back," he answered, again cutting her off.
"And I just."
"And you just can't understand why I couldn't be up front with you about it."
"You're always."
The young Whitelighter interrupted again. "I know. I'm always so secretive about everything. And you can't stand it because I'm never straight with you."
Phoebe and Paige were struggling not to laugh, and Piper just found the whole situation ridiculous. "Are you quite ready to let me talk now, Christopher?"
Realizing what he had been doing, and feeling utterly embarrassed by his behaviour, he could do little but to nod. "Go ahead," he answered sheepishly.
"Yes, you're right. I don't understand why you couldn't tell me up front. And going behind my back was just - wrong." Chris looked at the floor like a child who was being chastised by his parents. "I absolutely hate it when people do that, do you understand?" Piper demanded.
A moment of silence followed as Chris tried to decide how to respond. His thoughts were interrupted by Piper's laughter. "I finally got you, Christopher! As you always like to say, relax! You're taking things so seriously!"
Chris could not help but laugh at the situation. "Okay, so you got me," he conceded. "I can admit it when I've been beaten at my own game."
"The expression on your face was priceless," Piper beamed triumphantly.
Paige walked up and playfully smacked Piper's arms. "Are you bullying my boyfriend?"
"Well, someone's becoming rather protective," Phoebe teased. "I thought it was his job to do the protecting?"
The bantering went on for a while before everyone decided to head home for the night. Once back at the manor, Piper went to check on Wyatt while Phoebe headed off to bed.
"Want some tea?" Paige offered as she poured herself a mug.
"That's okay, I'm fine," Chris answered. As Paige joined him in parlour, he noticed that Chris was unusually quiet.
"Is everything okay?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.
"I think we need to talk," Chris finally answered after a moment of thought. "About us, I mean."
"Okay," she answered tentatively. "I'm listening."
"About tonight," he began, "when I was singing to you."
Paige felt her heartbeat quicken as she had a bad feeling about what Chris was about to say.
"I," he paused again. "I really meant what the lyrics were saying. I know this sounds really stupid, but I really need to know how you feel about this. I don't want put myself in a position where I would be hurt again. It's selfish and it's dumb, but that's how I feel."
Paige relaxed somewhat at those words but noticed that Chris was nervously fidgeting with his hands. She reached over and took his hand in hers. "When I told you that I really liked you, I really meant it. And after tonight, I know that I'm falling in love with you. It sounds really cheesy but I really think that I'm in love."
"There's also something else I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I'll be honest with you. I still have feelings for Annette. I know that I shouldn't, but I do. I don't love her anymore, but she still holds a special place in my heart. Having said that, I want you to know that I'm not using you as a substitute for her. I really want you for who you are, not because of who you remind me of."
Hearing those words made Paige want to cry. She pulled Chris close and hugged him tightly. "You may be a smart-ass sometimes, but I think you're also the sweetest guy I've ever met. Thank you for being honest with me."
"I'm not very good with knowing what to say or what to do when it comes to situations like this," he continued, somewhat embarrassed at this admission.
"Well, that makes two of us then," Paige replied in response. "I guess we'll just have to learn together, won't we?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Good morning!" Paige greeted her sisters cheerfully as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "And how are you all doing this morning?"
Piper looked at Paige like she was from another planet. "Well, someone is rather cheerful this morning," she observed with a smile.
"Could this wonderful mood be attributed to a five letter word?" Phoebe teased. "Starting with 'C' and ending with 'S'?"
"And the answer to that question, Phoebe, is yes," Paige responded promptly before grabbing a bagel and sitting down at the kitchen table.
"Oh my," Phoebe continued with a smirk, "Princess Paige has finally found Prince Charming. How touching!"
Paige shook her head at her sister's amusing behaviour and thought back to the events of last night. The memories were still so vivid. Chris singing, Chris gazing at her, Chris holding her, Chris hugging her. In fact, the only thing that occupied her mind was her Prince Charming, her guardian angel.
"Yoohoo! Anyone home?" Phoebe's voice broke Paige from her thoughts, causing her to nearly spill her coffee. "I can't believe you're THAT obsessed with him."
"I am not obsessed."
"If you say so," Phoebe answered, totally unconvinced. "Well, I'm off to work. Any plans today, Piper?"
"Grocery shopping," she replied. "And then interview for a new bouncer. Tommy quit."
"Another one? That's the third one this month."
"Hey Piper, I'll go with you to the supermarket. I want to pick up some things too," Paige cut in.
"Sounds good. I can use an extra hand with the groceries. Let's get going before it gets too crowded."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So which pasta sauce is better?" Paige asked as she studied the shelf.
"The garden vegetable with mushroom is quite good," Piper answered as she loaded some canned fruit into the shopping cart.
"Good. How hard is it to make decent pasta?"
"Not too hard. Why?"
"I think I want to give it a try," Paige announced.
"You? Cook?" Piper asked, genuinely surprised. "Oh wait, I forgot. For Chris, right?"
"How did you know?"
"Well, when you've been talking about him non-stop for the past hour, it wasn't too difficult to guess."
Paige blushed at Piper's answer. "Well, he is really cute, don't you think? And sweet too. And those eyes."
"I'm not even going to respond to that. Where is he this morning anyways?"
"Working."
"So what exactly is it that he does at work?"
"Good question. I don't really know," Paige replied as they waited for the cashier.
Suddenly Piper burst out laughing. "Oh my god!!"
~ to be continued ~
This is my first Charmed fic. I apologize if I get any of the show's details wrong. I'd love to get feedback! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. Please continue to review the story or e-mail me at jeff_langdon@hotmail.com!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Anguished Soul - Chapter 17
"Uh," Chris mumbled as he struggled for an answer. "We, uh, I. Oh what the hell," he finally gave up, "I was thinking of how to tell you."
Piper did not look amused at all. "And how long."
"I know it was a stupid thing to do to go about this behind your back," Chris continued, cutting Piper off.
"You know, the one."
"I know. The one thing you hate is having people do things behind you back," he answered, again cutting her off.
"And I just."
"And you just can't understand why I couldn't be up front with you about it."
"You're always."
The young Whitelighter interrupted again. "I know. I'm always so secretive about everything. And you can't stand it because I'm never straight with you."
Phoebe and Paige were struggling not to laugh, and Piper just found the whole situation ridiculous. "Are you quite ready to let me talk now, Christopher?"
Realizing what he had been doing, and feeling utterly embarrassed by his behaviour, he could do little but to nod. "Go ahead," he answered sheepishly.
"Yes, you're right. I don't understand why you couldn't tell me up front. And going behind my back was just - wrong." Chris looked at the floor like a child who was being chastised by his parents. "I absolutely hate it when people do that, do you understand?" Piper demanded.
A moment of silence followed as Chris tried to decide how to respond. His thoughts were interrupted by Piper's laughter. "I finally got you, Christopher! As you always like to say, relax! You're taking things so seriously!"
Chris could not help but laugh at the situation. "Okay, so you got me," he conceded. "I can admit it when I've been beaten at my own game."
"The expression on your face was priceless," Piper beamed triumphantly.
Paige walked up and playfully smacked Piper's arms. "Are you bullying my boyfriend?"
"Well, someone's becoming rather protective," Phoebe teased. "I thought it was his job to do the protecting?"
The bantering went on for a while before everyone decided to head home for the night. Once back at the manor, Piper went to check on Wyatt while Phoebe headed off to bed.
"Want some tea?" Paige offered as she poured herself a mug.
"That's okay, I'm fine," Chris answered. As Paige joined him in parlour, he noticed that Chris was unusually quiet.
"Is everything okay?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.
"I think we need to talk," Chris finally answered after a moment of thought. "About us, I mean."
"Okay," she answered tentatively. "I'm listening."
"About tonight," he began, "when I was singing to you."
Paige felt her heartbeat quicken as she had a bad feeling about what Chris was about to say.
"I," he paused again. "I really meant what the lyrics were saying. I know this sounds really stupid, but I really need to know how you feel about this. I don't want put myself in a position where I would be hurt again. It's selfish and it's dumb, but that's how I feel."
Paige relaxed somewhat at those words but noticed that Chris was nervously fidgeting with his hands. She reached over and took his hand in hers. "When I told you that I really liked you, I really meant it. And after tonight, I know that I'm falling in love with you. It sounds really cheesy but I really think that I'm in love."
"There's also something else I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I'll be honest with you. I still have feelings for Annette. I know that I shouldn't, but I do. I don't love her anymore, but she still holds a special place in my heart. Having said that, I want you to know that I'm not using you as a substitute for her. I really want you for who you are, not because of who you remind me of."
Hearing those words made Paige want to cry. She pulled Chris close and hugged him tightly. "You may be a smart-ass sometimes, but I think you're also the sweetest guy I've ever met. Thank you for being honest with me."
"I'm not very good with knowing what to say or what to do when it comes to situations like this," he continued, somewhat embarrassed at this admission.
"Well, that makes two of us then," Paige replied in response. "I guess we'll just have to learn together, won't we?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Good morning!" Paige greeted her sisters cheerfully as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "And how are you all doing this morning?"
Piper looked at Paige like she was from another planet. "Well, someone is rather cheerful this morning," she observed with a smile.
"Could this wonderful mood be attributed to a five letter word?" Phoebe teased. "Starting with 'C' and ending with 'S'?"
"And the answer to that question, Phoebe, is yes," Paige responded promptly before grabbing a bagel and sitting down at the kitchen table.
"Oh my," Phoebe continued with a smirk, "Princess Paige has finally found Prince Charming. How touching!"
Paige shook her head at her sister's amusing behaviour and thought back to the events of last night. The memories were still so vivid. Chris singing, Chris gazing at her, Chris holding her, Chris hugging her. In fact, the only thing that occupied her mind was her Prince Charming, her guardian angel.
"Yoohoo! Anyone home?" Phoebe's voice broke Paige from her thoughts, causing her to nearly spill her coffee. "I can't believe you're THAT obsessed with him."
"I am not obsessed."
"If you say so," Phoebe answered, totally unconvinced. "Well, I'm off to work. Any plans today, Piper?"
"Grocery shopping," she replied. "And then interview for a new bouncer. Tommy quit."
"Another one? That's the third one this month."
"Hey Piper, I'll go with you to the supermarket. I want to pick up some things too," Paige cut in.
"Sounds good. I can use an extra hand with the groceries. Let's get going before it gets too crowded."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"So which pasta sauce is better?" Paige asked as she studied the shelf.
"The garden vegetable with mushroom is quite good," Piper answered as she loaded some canned fruit into the shopping cart.
"Good. How hard is it to make decent pasta?"
"Not too hard. Why?"
"I think I want to give it a try," Paige announced.
"You? Cook?" Piper asked, genuinely surprised. "Oh wait, I forgot. For Chris, right?"
"How did you know?"
"Well, when you've been talking about him non-stop for the past hour, it wasn't too difficult to guess."
Paige blushed at Piper's answer. "Well, he is really cute, don't you think? And sweet too. And those eyes."
"I'm not even going to respond to that. Where is he this morning anyways?"
"Working."
"So what exactly is it that he does at work?"
"Good question. I don't really know," Paige replied as they waited for the cashier.
Suddenly Piper burst out laughing. "Oh my god!!"
~ to be continued ~
