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 28
The air was hazy and the smell of smoke filled Chris' lungs. The young Whitelighter walked hesitantly down the street, weary of his surroundings and vigilant for any unseen danger.
The haze quickly gave way to darkness. It was a darkness with which Chris was most familiar. The brightly-lit city nightscape was a distant memory in the past; cities haven't been well-lit at night for as long as Chris could remember.
The streets were deserted, except for a few courageous ones who dared to roam the streets after dark. Chris' senses were heightened by noises from a nearby alley. For some unknown reason, the young Whitelighter was drawn to the noise, despite the potential danger that it posed.
Walking into the alley, the noise that alerted Chris could no longer be heard. Chris looked around and all he could see was complete darkness. Just as he was about to turn back, a sudden flash of blue lights appeared before his eyes.
"What the." Chris muttered as he tried to determine if he was in any danger.
"Chris," the voice called out.
"Mom?"
"I've missed you."
"Mom," Chris called out, his voice trembling.
"Why didn't you heal your brother?" she asked.
Chris looked down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry. I tried."
"You promised me that you would take care of Ben."
"Mom," he cried out. "I tried."
"Your brother died a very painful death. Do you know that, Chris?"
"Please forgive me," the young Whitelighter pleaded before the light suddenly faded, plunging Chris back into darkness.
"Chris?" another voice called out.
Chris turned to see another faint light coming towards him. "Ben!"
"You promised that you were heal my wound."
"I'm sorry, Ben," he answered.
"Where were you when I got attacked by the demons? I called out for you."
"I tried to save you, Ben," Chris replied, his vision blurring.
"You weren't there when I needed you."
"Wait!" Chris cried. "Don't go, Ben."
Again, darkness filled his vision as the young Whitelighter struggled to stay on his feet. Everything began to spin and he felt like everything was becoming blurry and unstable. "Help me!" he called out. The only response that he heard was the echo of his own cries.
"Chris?" a female voice called out.
"I'm sorry. Mom, please forgive me," Chris whispered, his hair damp from the perspiration. "I never meant to hurt you."
"Chris?" the female voice called out again.
The young Whitelighter felt his body being shaken. He tried to shut out the voice, but it would not stop.
"Wake up, Chris," the voice called again.
Chris groaned as he felt a pain in his abdomen. He tried to get up but the effort was futile. Struggling to open his eyes, he was blinded by the sudden flood of light. "Where am I?" he croaked, his throat dry and burning. He felt a cool, damp towel on his forehead as his vision began to clear.
"It's okay," Paige spoke softly. "Just relax and rest."
Ignoring her advice, Chris again struggled to get up from the bed. Through pure grit and determination, he managed to get into a sitting position, although much of his remaining energy was exerted. Looking around, he realized that he was in Paige's bedroom. "How did I get here?"
"I orbed you here after you," Paige paused as he looked away for a moment. "After you collapsed."
Chris stared at Paige but didn't say a word. As if on cue, Piper and Phoebe walked in. Piper set a bowl of chicken soup on the night table and motioned for Chris to eat.
"I'm not hungry," Chris answered softly, his face pale and his voice void of emotion.
"Chris," Piper began with her motherly tone. "You need to eat in order to get better."
Chris smiled weakly. Not wanting to upset Piper, he took several spoonfuls of soup before setting the bowl down gently. His head was pounding and his body ached. He laboured just trying to breathe and all his strength was sapped from him. Seeing three pairs of worried eyes on him, he smiled and put on his trademark smirk. "Don't take this so seriously. I'm fine, okay?"
Unfortunately, his act fooled no one. "Who are you trying to kid, Chris?" Piper replied seriously.
"I'm fine, okay?" he repeated, less confidently this time.
Paige sat down by the bed as she tried to smooth Chris' damp hair. "Tell me what's wrong, Chris. You're scaring me."
"I." Chris barely got a word out before a sharp pain shot through his body. He let out a cry of pain as he fell back on the bed. His body writhed as he tried to stop the pain. The Charmed Ones looked on helplessly, not knowing what to do.
The pain disappeared as quickly as it came. But the devastating effects were apparent. Not wanting his charges to see him like this, Chris orbed out of the room only to find himself unable to do so. He crashed onto the floor in a crumpled heap as he banged his fist against the floor in frustration.
The Charmed Ones helped him to the bed once again and all three of them sat by Chris' side, determined to find out the cause of the mysterious illness. Phoebe was the first to speak. "Chris, you wanted us to trust you and we did. But now, shouldn't you put the same trust in us and tell us what exactly is going on?"
Chris sighed in defeat, knowing that he couldn't hide the truth from the Charmed Ones forever. He looked over at Paige with a pained expression before beginning his story. "Remember when I told you about why I came back to the present?" he asked Paige. She nodded while the other two witches looked at each other in confusion. "Well, I think my time is up."
"What do you mean your time is up?" Piper asked, still somewhat upset that she had been kept in the dark.
"It's a long story," Paige continued. "But to put it simply, Chris was cursed by a powerful demon and sent back to the present to change history. If he failed," she trailed off.
"Obviously I failed," Chris finished for Paige.
"But how?" Phoebe asked. "What exactly were you supposed to do?"
"I don't know," Chris answered. He had always thought about this question but he never really had an answer. "I was just sent back in time and somehow I ended up in your manor."
"I think he was sent to protect us, to prevent us from making some obviously destructive mistake in the future," Paige suggested.
"So how has he failed?" Piper questioned. "We're obviously still around, alive and well."
Chris' face paled even more after hearing Piper's comments. "You need to prepare yourselves."
"What?" all three of them asked with a puzzled look.
"It's obvious that the demons are planning to launch an attack against you. Arkon is betting that he will destroy you this time."
"Who is Arkon?" Phoebe asked.
"The demon who cursed Chris." Paige answered.
"Okay," Piper cut in. "This is not making any sense at all. You should have told us when you knew, Paige."
"It wasn't her fault," Chris said softly. "I made her promise not to tell."
"Well, we can't do anything about that now," Phoebe concluded. "I think we should work on a plan to face the pending attack."
"Let's go check the Book of Shadows," Piper suggested as Phoebe followed her out of the room.
Paige stayed behind, not wanting to leave Chris alone. The young Whitelighter looked out the window and remained silent for a while. "I'm sorry, Paige," he finally said softly.
"Chris, this isn't your fault. We'll find a way out of this," she replied as she held her boyfriend in her arms. She was appalled at how weak and vulnerable he looked. Her heart ached but there was little she could do to ease his pain.
"I'm scared," Chris admitted.
Paige kissed the Whitelighter, trying to reassure him. "We'll all be here for you."
"Don't leave me, Paige," he pleaded as he shut his eyes.
~ 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 28
The air was hazy and the smell of smoke filled Chris' lungs. The young Whitelighter walked hesitantly down the street, weary of his surroundings and vigilant for any unseen danger.
The haze quickly gave way to darkness. It was a darkness with which Chris was most familiar. The brightly-lit city nightscape was a distant memory in the past; cities haven't been well-lit at night for as long as Chris could remember.
The streets were deserted, except for a few courageous ones who dared to roam the streets after dark. Chris' senses were heightened by noises from a nearby alley. For some unknown reason, the young Whitelighter was drawn to the noise, despite the potential danger that it posed.
Walking into the alley, the noise that alerted Chris could no longer be heard. Chris looked around and all he could see was complete darkness. Just as he was about to turn back, a sudden flash of blue lights appeared before his eyes.
"What the." Chris muttered as he tried to determine if he was in any danger.
"Chris," the voice called out.
"Mom?"
"I've missed you."
"Mom," Chris called out, his voice trembling.
"Why didn't you heal your brother?" she asked.
Chris looked down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry. I tried."
"You promised me that you would take care of Ben."
"Mom," he cried out. "I tried."
"Your brother died a very painful death. Do you know that, Chris?"
"Please forgive me," the young Whitelighter pleaded before the light suddenly faded, plunging Chris back into darkness.
"Chris?" another voice called out.
Chris turned to see another faint light coming towards him. "Ben!"
"You promised that you were heal my wound."
"I'm sorry, Ben," he answered.
"Where were you when I got attacked by the demons? I called out for you."
"I tried to save you, Ben," Chris replied, his vision blurring.
"You weren't there when I needed you."
"Wait!" Chris cried. "Don't go, Ben."
Again, darkness filled his vision as the young Whitelighter struggled to stay on his feet. Everything began to spin and he felt like everything was becoming blurry and unstable. "Help me!" he called out. The only response that he heard was the echo of his own cries.
"Chris?" a female voice called out.
"I'm sorry. Mom, please forgive me," Chris whispered, his hair damp from the perspiration. "I never meant to hurt you."
"Chris?" the female voice called out again.
The young Whitelighter felt his body being shaken. He tried to shut out the voice, but it would not stop.
"Wake up, Chris," the voice called again.
Chris groaned as he felt a pain in his abdomen. He tried to get up but the effort was futile. Struggling to open his eyes, he was blinded by the sudden flood of light. "Where am I?" he croaked, his throat dry and burning. He felt a cool, damp towel on his forehead as his vision began to clear.
"It's okay," Paige spoke softly. "Just relax and rest."
Ignoring her advice, Chris again struggled to get up from the bed. Through pure grit and determination, he managed to get into a sitting position, although much of his remaining energy was exerted. Looking around, he realized that he was in Paige's bedroom. "How did I get here?"
"I orbed you here after you," Paige paused as he looked away for a moment. "After you collapsed."
Chris stared at Paige but didn't say a word. As if on cue, Piper and Phoebe walked in. Piper set a bowl of chicken soup on the night table and motioned for Chris to eat.
"I'm not hungry," Chris answered softly, his face pale and his voice void of emotion.
"Chris," Piper began with her motherly tone. "You need to eat in order to get better."
Chris smiled weakly. Not wanting to upset Piper, he took several spoonfuls of soup before setting the bowl down gently. His head was pounding and his body ached. He laboured just trying to breathe and all his strength was sapped from him. Seeing three pairs of worried eyes on him, he smiled and put on his trademark smirk. "Don't take this so seriously. I'm fine, okay?"
Unfortunately, his act fooled no one. "Who are you trying to kid, Chris?" Piper replied seriously.
"I'm fine, okay?" he repeated, less confidently this time.
Paige sat down by the bed as she tried to smooth Chris' damp hair. "Tell me what's wrong, Chris. You're scaring me."
"I." Chris barely got a word out before a sharp pain shot through his body. He let out a cry of pain as he fell back on the bed. His body writhed as he tried to stop the pain. The Charmed Ones looked on helplessly, not knowing what to do.
The pain disappeared as quickly as it came. But the devastating effects were apparent. Not wanting his charges to see him like this, Chris orbed out of the room only to find himself unable to do so. He crashed onto the floor in a crumpled heap as he banged his fist against the floor in frustration.
The Charmed Ones helped him to the bed once again and all three of them sat by Chris' side, determined to find out the cause of the mysterious illness. Phoebe was the first to speak. "Chris, you wanted us to trust you and we did. But now, shouldn't you put the same trust in us and tell us what exactly is going on?"
Chris sighed in defeat, knowing that he couldn't hide the truth from the Charmed Ones forever. He looked over at Paige with a pained expression before beginning his story. "Remember when I told you about why I came back to the present?" he asked Paige. She nodded while the other two witches looked at each other in confusion. "Well, I think my time is up."
"What do you mean your time is up?" Piper asked, still somewhat upset that she had been kept in the dark.
"It's a long story," Paige continued. "But to put it simply, Chris was cursed by a powerful demon and sent back to the present to change history. If he failed," she trailed off.
"Obviously I failed," Chris finished for Paige.
"But how?" Phoebe asked. "What exactly were you supposed to do?"
"I don't know," Chris answered. He had always thought about this question but he never really had an answer. "I was just sent back in time and somehow I ended up in your manor."
"I think he was sent to protect us, to prevent us from making some obviously destructive mistake in the future," Paige suggested.
"So how has he failed?" Piper questioned. "We're obviously still around, alive and well."
Chris' face paled even more after hearing Piper's comments. "You need to prepare yourselves."
"What?" all three of them asked with a puzzled look.
"It's obvious that the demons are planning to launch an attack against you. Arkon is betting that he will destroy you this time."
"Who is Arkon?" Phoebe asked.
"The demon who cursed Chris." Paige answered.
"Okay," Piper cut in. "This is not making any sense at all. You should have told us when you knew, Paige."
"It wasn't her fault," Chris said softly. "I made her promise not to tell."
"Well, we can't do anything about that now," Phoebe concluded. "I think we should work on a plan to face the pending attack."
"Let's go check the Book of Shadows," Piper suggested as Phoebe followed her out of the room.
Paige stayed behind, not wanting to leave Chris alone. The young Whitelighter looked out the window and remained silent for a while. "I'm sorry, Paige," he finally said softly.
"Chris, this isn't your fault. We'll find a way out of this," she replied as she held her boyfriend in her arms. She was appalled at how weak and vulnerable he looked. Her heart ached but there was little she could do to ease his pain.
"I'm scared," Chris admitted.
Paige kissed the Whitelighter, trying to reassure him. "We'll all be here for you."
"Don't leave me, Paige," he pleaded as he shut his eyes.
~ to be continued ~
