Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
Chris quietly came up the steps to the Manor. He couldn't wait until this day was over. Man, today was a bad day. Nothing was going right. He was so tired. All Chris wanted right now was to go to his room, lock his door, and hide under his covers until tomorrow came.
Carefully, he turned the doorknob and entered the Manor. He didn't want to disturb his mom and aunts. The less they knew the better. Turning around as he took his jacket and backpack off, he faced the dining room and froze. In an instant, he knew how much worse this day could get. Laying on top of the dining room table was an envelope. Chris didn't have to see the handwriting on it to know who it was for, who it was from, and what it was about. While Chris was trying to process the pain that the envelope was arising in him, his mom entered the room.
"But it's my birthday," Chris whispered, tears forming in his eyes.
"I know, sweetie. I'm so sorry."
"It's my thirteenth birthday! You said it was a milestone! You said he'd have to come this time!" His voice was more forceful this time.
"Maybe he can still make it," Piper tried to reassure her son.
Chris walked past her to pick up the envelope. "No he won't. He never does. Why should now be any different?" Defeated, he turned around to head up the stairs. As he reached the second step, he heard his mother call him back.
"How was school today?" Her tone was nonchalant, but Chris didn't notice. He did however, register the question. Mom never asked about school. Suddenly fearful, he turned to face her.
"Fine," he tried to keep his voice steady.
"Nothing new happen today?"
"No," his eyes shifted down to the floor. Did she know? "Can I go now?"
Piper watched her son. She sighed, "Sure, honey." She watched as he turned and raced up the stairs, as if he couldn't wait to get out of her sight. Behind her, Paige and Phoebe entered the room.
"I can't do it. I can't confront him with this right now."
"You have to, Piper. You have to find out why he's not going to school. Not to mention where he actually is going," Phoebe informed her sister.
"It's his third school. Maybe I should just pull him out. Teach him myself," Piper fought the feelings of distress this idea would mean. How could she teach him when he couldn't even look her in the eyes? Chris needed far more than she could give him, even if he didn't know it. Piper had spent all of his life trying to keep him from learning too much about what she and her sisters did at home. It was far too dangerous for him, and Piper wanted to keep at least one of her children safe. School was the perfect answer. It kept Chris out of the house, and gave her time to work without worrying about him finding out too much.
"Why on earth doesn't that boy ever talk to us?" Paige vented to no one in particular. Chris was spectacularly good at keeping things secret, a fact that frustrated his family to no end. Paige knew even if Chris needed help, he'd never tell her, let alone Piper. He was so amazingly reticent when it came to asking for anything, even money. It was like he didn't want to bother them for anything, even the normal things families did for each other.
"He's not a burden," Phoebe spoke aloud, echoing Paige's thoughts. "I can't read him. His body language speaks volumes, but his mind is so closed..." Phoebe let the thought trail off.
"He's my baby. I'll deal with it," Piper finally spoke. "But not right now, he's got too much on his mind. Sometimes I wish Leo could just let go. It kills me, that look in his eyes, when he first sees the envelope. I wonder if he ever actually reads them." Piper looked at her sisters. "Dinner. Lasagna. It's his favorite. I'm going to give him a nice meal tonight, and a happy birthday tomorrow if it kills me."
Paige and Phoebe smiled. "How do we help?" Paige asked as they all returned to the kitchen.
Upstairs, Chris entered his room and closed the door. He walked over to his bed and slumped onto it, staring at the envelope in his hand. Chris struggled with this every time, and every time was the same: Should he read it? Keep it? Throw it away? Would this be the time it says something different? Or was it like all the others? Wiping away his tears, he stood up and put the envelope on his dresser. Like every other time, he'd just put his decision off until later. Chris knew it wouldn't make any difference if he read the letter now or later. Dad still wasn't coming.
Chris walked back over to his bed intending to get his books out when he realized he left his backpack downstairs. Panicking, he frantically tried to think of what to do. It would be disastrous if his mom or aunts found out what was in his backpack. He couldn't go downstairs, that would definitely raise suspicions, but how else was he going to get it back?
Finally deciding, and praying no one was in the entryway to see, Chris did the only thing he could: He orbed the backpack up to him. Nervously, he waited to see if there was a reaction. Mom would freak if she knew he could do that. After several moments of silence, Chris breathed a sigh of relief. If anyone had seen the orb, he would surely know about it by now.
Downstairs, Piper stood in shock. Her body literally could not move and her mind could not think. Chris' backpack had just orbed out, and she was certain that Paige wasn't the one doing the orbing. She knew Chris could orb, but she didn't know he could also orb other objects. Paige was the only current occupant in the house known to have that particular talent, and she could only do it because she was a telekinetic and part whitelighter. Piper, her mind now racing, called to her sisters. "Paige! Phoebe!"
Both came running out of the kitchen. Piper had gone to set the table for dinner, why would she need their help for that? "What?" Phoebe asked, worried. She could empathically feel Piper's shock and confusion, and wondered what had happened to upset her sister so much.
"Chris just orbed his backpack upstairs," Piper told them, dropping the silverware in her hands onto the table in a heap. "I was setting the table and I glanced over towards the door just in time to see his backpack dissolve into a cloud of orbs. Unless there was some reason you wanted it, Paige?" Piper asked, a little too hopefully.
Paige's jaw had dropped. When she recovered, she answered, "No."
Phoebe walked over to Chris' jacket, which had been on top of his backpack. "That's, uh, pretty impressive. Especially since he's never shown any active powers since we bound him when he was a baby. You didn't unbind him by any chance, did you Piper?"
Piper, eyes still wide, replied, "No."
Phoebe sighed, "I didn't think so. That would be too easy."
Chris quietly came up the steps to the Manor. He couldn't wait until this day was over. Man, today was a bad day. Nothing was going right. He was so tired. All Chris wanted right now was to go to his room, lock his door, and hide under his covers until tomorrow came.
Carefully, he turned the doorknob and entered the Manor. He didn't want to disturb his mom and aunts. The less they knew the better. Turning around as he took his jacket and backpack off, he faced the dining room and froze. In an instant, he knew how much worse this day could get. Laying on top of the dining room table was an envelope. Chris didn't have to see the handwriting on it to know who it was for, who it was from, and what it was about. While Chris was trying to process the pain that the envelope was arising in him, his mom entered the room.
"But it's my birthday," Chris whispered, tears forming in his eyes.
"I know, sweetie. I'm so sorry."
"It's my thirteenth birthday! You said it was a milestone! You said he'd have to come this time!" His voice was more forceful this time.
"Maybe he can still make it," Piper tried to reassure her son.
Chris walked past her to pick up the envelope. "No he won't. He never does. Why should now be any different?" Defeated, he turned around to head up the stairs. As he reached the second step, he heard his mother call him back.
"How was school today?" Her tone was nonchalant, but Chris didn't notice. He did however, register the question. Mom never asked about school. Suddenly fearful, he turned to face her.
"Fine," he tried to keep his voice steady.
"Nothing new happen today?"
"No," his eyes shifted down to the floor. Did she know? "Can I go now?"
Piper watched her son. She sighed, "Sure, honey." She watched as he turned and raced up the stairs, as if he couldn't wait to get out of her sight. Behind her, Paige and Phoebe entered the room.
"I can't do it. I can't confront him with this right now."
"You have to, Piper. You have to find out why he's not going to school. Not to mention where he actually is going," Phoebe informed her sister.
"It's his third school. Maybe I should just pull him out. Teach him myself," Piper fought the feelings of distress this idea would mean. How could she teach him when he couldn't even look her in the eyes? Chris needed far more than she could give him, even if he didn't know it. Piper had spent all of his life trying to keep him from learning too much about what she and her sisters did at home. It was far too dangerous for him, and Piper wanted to keep at least one of her children safe. School was the perfect answer. It kept Chris out of the house, and gave her time to work without worrying about him finding out too much.
"Why on earth doesn't that boy ever talk to us?" Paige vented to no one in particular. Chris was spectacularly good at keeping things secret, a fact that frustrated his family to no end. Paige knew even if Chris needed help, he'd never tell her, let alone Piper. He was so amazingly reticent when it came to asking for anything, even money. It was like he didn't want to bother them for anything, even the normal things families did for each other.
"He's not a burden," Phoebe spoke aloud, echoing Paige's thoughts. "I can't read him. His body language speaks volumes, but his mind is so closed..." Phoebe let the thought trail off.
"He's my baby. I'll deal with it," Piper finally spoke. "But not right now, he's got too much on his mind. Sometimes I wish Leo could just let go. It kills me, that look in his eyes, when he first sees the envelope. I wonder if he ever actually reads them." Piper looked at her sisters. "Dinner. Lasagna. It's his favorite. I'm going to give him a nice meal tonight, and a happy birthday tomorrow if it kills me."
Paige and Phoebe smiled. "How do we help?" Paige asked as they all returned to the kitchen.
Upstairs, Chris entered his room and closed the door. He walked over to his bed and slumped onto it, staring at the envelope in his hand. Chris struggled with this every time, and every time was the same: Should he read it? Keep it? Throw it away? Would this be the time it says something different? Or was it like all the others? Wiping away his tears, he stood up and put the envelope on his dresser. Like every other time, he'd just put his decision off until later. Chris knew it wouldn't make any difference if he read the letter now or later. Dad still wasn't coming.
Chris walked back over to his bed intending to get his books out when he realized he left his backpack downstairs. Panicking, he frantically tried to think of what to do. It would be disastrous if his mom or aunts found out what was in his backpack. He couldn't go downstairs, that would definitely raise suspicions, but how else was he going to get it back?
Finally deciding, and praying no one was in the entryway to see, Chris did the only thing he could: He orbed the backpack up to him. Nervously, he waited to see if there was a reaction. Mom would freak if she knew he could do that. After several moments of silence, Chris breathed a sigh of relief. If anyone had seen the orb, he would surely know about it by now.
Downstairs, Piper stood in shock. Her body literally could not move and her mind could not think. Chris' backpack had just orbed out, and she was certain that Paige wasn't the one doing the orbing. She knew Chris could orb, but she didn't know he could also orb other objects. Paige was the only current occupant in the house known to have that particular talent, and she could only do it because she was a telekinetic and part whitelighter. Piper, her mind now racing, called to her sisters. "Paige! Phoebe!"
Both came running out of the kitchen. Piper had gone to set the table for dinner, why would she need their help for that? "What?" Phoebe asked, worried. She could empathically feel Piper's shock and confusion, and wondered what had happened to upset her sister so much.
"Chris just orbed his backpack upstairs," Piper told them, dropping the silverware in her hands onto the table in a heap. "I was setting the table and I glanced over towards the door just in time to see his backpack dissolve into a cloud of orbs. Unless there was some reason you wanted it, Paige?" Piper asked, a little too hopefully.
Paige's jaw had dropped. When she recovered, she answered, "No."
Phoebe walked over to Chris' jacket, which had been on top of his backpack. "That's, uh, pretty impressive. Especially since he's never shown any active powers since we bound him when he was a baby. You didn't unbind him by any chance, did you Piper?"
Piper, eyes still wide, replied, "No."
Phoebe sighed, "I didn't think so. That would be too easy."