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!
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Anguished Soul - Chapter 27
Chris sat on the floor, his back leaning against the wall. His face was pale and his right hand clutched his left arm in an attempt to cover up the wound.
Despite his protests, the three witches carried the injured Whitelighter to his bed. Using a spell that they had recently learned, the Charmed Ones closed the wound to stop further injuries. They were unable, however, to heal their Whitelighter completely.
"What happened?" Paige whispered as she sat on the bed, holding Chris' hands.
Chris struggled to calm his erratic breathing. "I think I lost," he paused slightly before continuing, "too much energy from the orbing." The young Whitelighter looked up and noticed the worried expressions on his charges' faces. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," he answered as he tried to put a smile on his face.
"This is serious, Chris," Phoebe replied, not buying Chris' reassurances at all.
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself."
"How?" Piper asked. "You can't defend yourself. You're injured. And you can't orb without losing large amounts of energy."
"Geez, you really know how to make a guy feel incompetent," Chris replied, again trying to lighten the mood as he slowly regained his strength.
"Chris," Phoebe began before being cut off.
"I know, I know. This is serious, right?" Chris cut in. "Listen, I'm fine. I can't summon energy balls but other than that I'm fine. And for your information, I can orb. I just didn't prepare myself properly back at the manor before orbing, that's all."
"And we're supposed to just take your word for it?" Phoebe asked skeptically.
An incredulous look appeared on Chris' face. "Yes! That's the idea." Chris looked around and it was apparent that he failed to persuade his charges. "I think the more important thing to do now is to prepare yourselves for further attacks. Those demons didn't attack you for no reason, you know. I have a feeling we've just seen the tip of the iceberg."
"We can deal with them. We were just careless back there," Piper asserted. "It's you that we're worried about."
The young Whitelighter sighed in frustration. "Listen, I'm fine!! Look at me! No scratches, no bruises. I'm perfectly fine!"
"You're not." Paige began.
"Can we change the subject now?" Chris pleaded.
"Fine," Phoebe relented. "Let's talk about destroying those demons."
"Actually, you won't have to worry about them for now," Chris answered, drawing puzzled looks from his charges. "They're not around anymore."
"What do you mean they're not around?"
"I sensed them leaving. They've gone back to the underworld."
"Why would they come to attack us and then leave just like that?" Paige asked, obviously confused.
"I don't know," Chris admitted. "Which is why I think you should be prepared for whatever comes next. It may not be pretty."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Surprisingly, a few days passed without a single sign of the attacking demons. It was now Christmas Eve and the festivities temporarily took everyone's minds off demons and magic.
"Chris, have some more turkey," Piper suggested as she helped herself to some stuffing.
"No way," Chris said, shaking his head. "I'm totally stuffed. I haven't eaten this much in ages."
"Well, that explains why you're so skinny."
Chris made a funny face before responding. "I am not skinny."
"Okay, fine," Phoebe joined it. "Then you're scrawny."
Chris gasped dramatically, pretending to be insulted. "That was so uncalled for."
"Well, I really wouldn't mind if you put on a little more weight," Paige added.
"This is so unfair, you three ganging up on poor little me," Chris protested.
The Charmed Ones laughed at the comment, with Wyatt joining in the laughter. "Ganging up on you is half the fun, you know," Phoebe concluded.
"That's it," Chris said as he stood up from the table. "I'm going to bring out the dessert," he announced with a serious look, although the smile on his face made his attempted seriousness hard to believe. The young Whitelighter opened the fridge and brought out a tray of pastries. The room gradually started to sway, forcing Chris to hold on to the counter to steady himself. After several seconds, the swaying stopped and he rejoined his charges in the dining room, trying to wipe out any sign of his dizzy spell.
"Are you okay, Chris?" Piper asked as the young Whitelighter emerged. "You look kind of pale."
"I'm fine," Chris answered. "I'm just a little tired."
"Didn't I tell you not to spend all afternoon making pastries in the kitchen?"
"But it's Christmas Eve," Chris whined like a teenager. "I can't just sit on the sofa and do nothing while you're all busying yourselves."
"You can always relax and rest up," Phoebe suggested, earning her a glare from Chris.
"Don't worry," Chris reassured the witches. "I'm fine."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris sat on the sofa in his empty apartment, staring out at the night sky. Christmas Eve. It used to be one of his favourite times of the year. He remembered not being able to sleep all night, wondering what he would find under the Christmas tree the next morning. He remembered how he and Ben used to wake up together on Christmas morning, rush down to the tree, and open their presents together.
Ben. He was everything that an older brother could ever dream of. More than that. Ben was Chris' best friend. The two of them shared everything and knew of each other's every secret. There wasn't anything that Chris wouldn't do for Ben and Chris knew that Ben felt the same way about him. A single tear slid down his face as he reminisced.
It was now getting close to midnight and the radio played softly in the background. Even though the weather was warm, Chris felt cold. He had felt like this every Christmas Eve since he became an orphan. When all the other kids would have dinner with their families, Chris would be all alone, wishing and hoping that he could have the same. Christmas time reminded the young Whitelighter of how much he had lost.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he again berated himself for causing his parents' death.
Taking a sip of tea, he again stared out into the bright San Francisco skyline as the song played in the background:
"Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee; I wrote to you my childhood fantasies. Well I'm all grown up now, can you still help somehow? I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream.
So here's my lifelong wish, my grown up Christmas list. Not for myself but for a world in need.
No more lives torn apart, and wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts. Ev'ryone would have a friend, that right would always win, and love would never end: this is my grown up Christmas list.
As children we believed, the grandest sight to see was something lovely wrapped beneath a tree. Well, heaven surely knows that packages and bows, can never heal a hurting human soul.
No more lives torn apart, and wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts. Ev'ryone would have a friend, that right would always win, and love would never end: this is my grown up Christmas list."
As the song ended, Chris felt a pair of arms wrap around him, holding him tight. "I thought you were putting Wyatt to sleep," he said softly as he realized who it was.
"Not when my boyfriend is hurting," she said as she hugged him again. "I know it still hurts."
"It'll never get easier, will it?" Chris asked as he snuggled close to Paige.
"I don't know," Paige admitted.
Chris sighed as he closed his eyes. "It still feels like it happened yesterday. The wounds are still so fresh," he whispered.
Paige could only hold onto Chris tightly, trying to make him feel safe. She knew that things have been so rough for him and she only wished she could make it easier.
"If only I could do it one more time, I wouldn't let them die."
"Chris, there was nothing that you could've done to save them," Paige reasoned.
Chris shook his head at that suggestion. "No, I could've saved them. They died because of me, Paige."
"You're not making any sense, Chris. The demons killed your family."
"But only because I alerted them to our location," Chris argued. "I orbed out of the cave. I should've walked away first."
"Chris, don't do this to yourself," Paige pleaded.
"My family died because of me, don't you understand?" Chris cried out, his voice full of anguish and frustration. "I'm the reason they died!!"
"Stop it!" Paige commanded. "Just stop it, Chris. You did NOT kill your family. This was NOT your fault!"
Chris wanted to retort but he didn't get a chance. Chris clutched his head with his hands as the room began to spin. He shut his eyes tightly, hoping to stop the nauseous feeling that threatened to overwhelm him. He heard Paige call out his name, but the voice sounded distant. Everything started to blur but they continued to spin. In the distance, he could make out the shadows. Familiar shadows. He knew this place, he could recognize it from a mile away. The destruction, the chaos, the distress, the evil. It was his world - the world that Chris tried so hard to escape and forget.
~ 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!
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Anguished Soul - Chapter 27
Chris sat on the floor, his back leaning against the wall. His face was pale and his right hand clutched his left arm in an attempt to cover up the wound.
Despite his protests, the three witches carried the injured Whitelighter to his bed. Using a spell that they had recently learned, the Charmed Ones closed the wound to stop further injuries. They were unable, however, to heal their Whitelighter completely.
"What happened?" Paige whispered as she sat on the bed, holding Chris' hands.
Chris struggled to calm his erratic breathing. "I think I lost," he paused slightly before continuing, "too much energy from the orbing." The young Whitelighter looked up and noticed the worried expressions on his charges' faces. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," he answered as he tried to put a smile on his face.
"This is serious, Chris," Phoebe replied, not buying Chris' reassurances at all.
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself."
"How?" Piper asked. "You can't defend yourself. You're injured. And you can't orb without losing large amounts of energy."
"Geez, you really know how to make a guy feel incompetent," Chris replied, again trying to lighten the mood as he slowly regained his strength.
"Chris," Phoebe began before being cut off.
"I know, I know. This is serious, right?" Chris cut in. "Listen, I'm fine. I can't summon energy balls but other than that I'm fine. And for your information, I can orb. I just didn't prepare myself properly back at the manor before orbing, that's all."
"And we're supposed to just take your word for it?" Phoebe asked skeptically.
An incredulous look appeared on Chris' face. "Yes! That's the idea." Chris looked around and it was apparent that he failed to persuade his charges. "I think the more important thing to do now is to prepare yourselves for further attacks. Those demons didn't attack you for no reason, you know. I have a feeling we've just seen the tip of the iceberg."
"We can deal with them. We were just careless back there," Piper asserted. "It's you that we're worried about."
The young Whitelighter sighed in frustration. "Listen, I'm fine!! Look at me! No scratches, no bruises. I'm perfectly fine!"
"You're not." Paige began.
"Can we change the subject now?" Chris pleaded.
"Fine," Phoebe relented. "Let's talk about destroying those demons."
"Actually, you won't have to worry about them for now," Chris answered, drawing puzzled looks from his charges. "They're not around anymore."
"What do you mean they're not around?"
"I sensed them leaving. They've gone back to the underworld."
"Why would they come to attack us and then leave just like that?" Paige asked, obviously confused.
"I don't know," Chris admitted. "Which is why I think you should be prepared for whatever comes next. It may not be pretty."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Surprisingly, a few days passed without a single sign of the attacking demons. It was now Christmas Eve and the festivities temporarily took everyone's minds off demons and magic.
"Chris, have some more turkey," Piper suggested as she helped herself to some stuffing.
"No way," Chris said, shaking his head. "I'm totally stuffed. I haven't eaten this much in ages."
"Well, that explains why you're so skinny."
Chris made a funny face before responding. "I am not skinny."
"Okay, fine," Phoebe joined it. "Then you're scrawny."
Chris gasped dramatically, pretending to be insulted. "That was so uncalled for."
"Well, I really wouldn't mind if you put on a little more weight," Paige added.
"This is so unfair, you three ganging up on poor little me," Chris protested.
The Charmed Ones laughed at the comment, with Wyatt joining in the laughter. "Ganging up on you is half the fun, you know," Phoebe concluded.
"That's it," Chris said as he stood up from the table. "I'm going to bring out the dessert," he announced with a serious look, although the smile on his face made his attempted seriousness hard to believe. The young Whitelighter opened the fridge and brought out a tray of pastries. The room gradually started to sway, forcing Chris to hold on to the counter to steady himself. After several seconds, the swaying stopped and he rejoined his charges in the dining room, trying to wipe out any sign of his dizzy spell.
"Are you okay, Chris?" Piper asked as the young Whitelighter emerged. "You look kind of pale."
"I'm fine," Chris answered. "I'm just a little tired."
"Didn't I tell you not to spend all afternoon making pastries in the kitchen?"
"But it's Christmas Eve," Chris whined like a teenager. "I can't just sit on the sofa and do nothing while you're all busying yourselves."
"You can always relax and rest up," Phoebe suggested, earning her a glare from Chris.
"Don't worry," Chris reassured the witches. "I'm fine."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris sat on the sofa in his empty apartment, staring out at the night sky. Christmas Eve. It used to be one of his favourite times of the year. He remembered not being able to sleep all night, wondering what he would find under the Christmas tree the next morning. He remembered how he and Ben used to wake up together on Christmas morning, rush down to the tree, and open their presents together.
Ben. He was everything that an older brother could ever dream of. More than that. Ben was Chris' best friend. The two of them shared everything and knew of each other's every secret. There wasn't anything that Chris wouldn't do for Ben and Chris knew that Ben felt the same way about him. A single tear slid down his face as he reminisced.
It was now getting close to midnight and the radio played softly in the background. Even though the weather was warm, Chris felt cold. He had felt like this every Christmas Eve since he became an orphan. When all the other kids would have dinner with their families, Chris would be all alone, wishing and hoping that he could have the same. Christmas time reminded the young Whitelighter of how much he had lost.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he again berated himself for causing his parents' death.
Taking a sip of tea, he again stared out into the bright San Francisco skyline as the song played in the background:
"Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee; I wrote to you my childhood fantasies. Well I'm all grown up now, can you still help somehow? I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream.
So here's my lifelong wish, my grown up Christmas list. Not for myself but for a world in need.
No more lives torn apart, and wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts. Ev'ryone would have a friend, that right would always win, and love would never end: this is my grown up Christmas list.
As children we believed, the grandest sight to see was something lovely wrapped beneath a tree. Well, heaven surely knows that packages and bows, can never heal a hurting human soul.
No more lives torn apart, and wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts. Ev'ryone would have a friend, that right would always win, and love would never end: this is my grown up Christmas list."
As the song ended, Chris felt a pair of arms wrap around him, holding him tight. "I thought you were putting Wyatt to sleep," he said softly as he realized who it was.
"Not when my boyfriend is hurting," she said as she hugged him again. "I know it still hurts."
"It'll never get easier, will it?" Chris asked as he snuggled close to Paige.
"I don't know," Paige admitted.
Chris sighed as he closed his eyes. "It still feels like it happened yesterday. The wounds are still so fresh," he whispered.
Paige could only hold onto Chris tightly, trying to make him feel safe. She knew that things have been so rough for him and she only wished she could make it easier.
"If only I could do it one more time, I wouldn't let them die."
"Chris, there was nothing that you could've done to save them," Paige reasoned.
Chris shook his head at that suggestion. "No, I could've saved them. They died because of me, Paige."
"You're not making any sense, Chris. The demons killed your family."
"But only because I alerted them to our location," Chris argued. "I orbed out of the cave. I should've walked away first."
"Chris, don't do this to yourself," Paige pleaded.
"My family died because of me, don't you understand?" Chris cried out, his voice full of anguish and frustration. "I'm the reason they died!!"
"Stop it!" Paige commanded. "Just stop it, Chris. You did NOT kill your family. This was NOT your fault!"
Chris wanted to retort but he didn't get a chance. Chris clutched his head with his hands as the room began to spin. He shut his eyes tightly, hoping to stop the nauseous feeling that threatened to overwhelm him. He heard Paige call out his name, but the voice sounded distant. Everything started to blur but they continued to spin. In the distance, he could make out the shadows. Familiar shadows. He knew this place, he could recognize it from a mile away. The destruction, the chaos, the distress, the evil. It was his world - the world that Chris tried so hard to escape and forget.
~ to be continued ~
