A/N: Wow….so I'm almost done….and I'm very excited, yes I am. Ok….this chapter is about CJ. And only CJ. The others will have their own….but this is CJ's spotlight….oh and Barb…hope this chapter answers your question about how Cole's destiny would be changed….hee hee!!!! ;) Oh and a little note….the next four chapters about Sam, CJ, Rachel and Alex will have songs with them. The songs and the fic are separated by the "*~*~*~*~" so…hope that doesn't confuse me. I tried to match the song with the situation the best I could….so I'm sorry if they don't seem to fit that much. Enjoy!!!
A Given Chance- Chapter 19
7 months later…..December 24th, (who cares about the year…just keep reading…)
CJ slammed the door of his car. He held out his key chain and pressed a small red button on his little remote control. The car's lights flashed for a split second and he heard his horn beep that signaled his car was locked. He smiled. His jacket hung over his arm while his hand held his briefcase. He had just come from his internship job in a law firm. Guess who's footsteps he was following in? That's right…..he was training to become an assistant district attorney, just as his father had been.
'Of course…..Dad was only faking to get to Mom…..but who cares. I want to become a lawyer.' CJ thought as he smirked to himself. He walked up the steps of the Victorian manor that his family has owned for decades. He smiled, knowing that he and his cousins took care of it well, and worked hard to remodel the whole place so it looked as good as new. Once he got to the top of the steps and was at his front door he looked up at the mistle toe above him. He sighed as his heart ached for Anna. He remembered the one and only Christmas they had together……before she passed away.
~*Flashback*~
"Come on…..why won't you give me one little kiss? Do we have to be under the mistle toe or something? Just one little freaking kiss is all I ask for CJ!!!" Anna wailed. CJ smiled and dragged her to the Christmas tree. Sam, Alex and Rachel were all in the kitchen making eggnog and baking Christmas cookies. It was Christmas Eve, and he had something special in store.
"Oh no…..not until the clock strikes midnight, and not until you get my gift. It's 11:55. Can't you wait a few minutes? It'll be worth it once you see my gift!!" he assured her.
Anna smiled and rolled her eyes. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and laid her head onto CJ's chest. CJ wrapped her into his arms and held her tight. "CJ……nothing could be better than a simple Christmas kiss……..Come on. And what did you get me? I told you not to get me anything special…..Being here with you is all that really matters." She said, still laying on his chest.
CJ laughed. "Well I thought I should get you something special. It's our first Christmas together….."
"And it won't be our last…..I'm looking forward to spending so many Christmas's with you….." she whispered.
~*End of Flashback*~
CJ stared at the mistle toe longingly. She died a couple months after that Christmas, and they never got to spend another one together. Another broken promise, and another pain inside of him. He inserted his key into the keyhole and turned the handle. The door opened and as he heard the creaking of the hinges, he could tell no one was home. He closed the door behind him, and walked into his house. He could hear his own footsteps on the hard wooden floor echo the parlor.
He looked around him and looked through the living room. He saw the brightly lit Christmas tree that he and Rachel put up together while Sam and Alex hovered around the room taping the lights around the house. All four took time off of their busy schedule to decorate the house for a happy Christmas for once.
But then a familiar scene came to CJ's mind. He could almost see it happening before his face. He saw him and Anna dancing around the living room, with the bright Christmas lights shining around their faces. He stared at the empty living room as all of it came clearly to his head as if it were yesterday.
~*Flashback*~
Anna laid her head gently on CJ's chest as his arms were around her, and he was rocking her a little bit back and forth, like they were listening to a lullaby. They could hear the faint, slow Christmas music from the radio Sam, Alex and Rachel were listening to in the kitchen. "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire….Jack frost….nipping at your nose…" the man on the radio sung. Anna pulled away and looked at CJ.
"CJ! Dance with me?? Please?? We have….2 minutes before midnight…and it seems like the perfect time!! The room is clear…and lit up……please???" she looked at him with pleading eyes. CJ smiled. "How could I ever resist that face…..and how could I ever turn down an offer like this."
He pulled away and held out his hand. Anna smiled and she took his hand. CJ twirled Anna and then they were both slow dancing to the sweet Christmas song. Their feet were synchronized, and it looked as if they were floating on air. But it seemed like the dance only lasted 2 seconds instead of the 2 minutes they were supposed to have. The big grandfather clock struck twelve. CJ smiled and as soon as he heard the big alarm, he dipped Anna and held his position for a long time.
"CJ? What are you doing?" she asked, excited that her gift was about to come. CJ smiled, and used a free arm to reach something in his back pocket. He pulled out a container that held rings. It was covered with blue velvet. He held it up to her face as his other hand was still dipping Anna. "This is a little something I earned….and Sam chipped in a little bit…but it was mostly me!!" he said, laughing.
Anna stared at the container, her eyes widened. "CJ is this……are you……"
"No." he said simply. He opened it with his one hand and it showed a small carat diamond, sliver ring. Anna gasped at the sight. He pulled her up from the dip, and then held the ring in front of her face. "It's something I call……a promise ring. Something that promises my heart to you. Something that says, I belong to you….as long as I live, as long as you live, even longer, and as long as you keep this ring. And I'll say it again. I love you….." he said quietly to her. He took the ring out of its container, and slipped in on her finger. "I love you."
Tears started to slip down her cheeks. CJ lifted his sleeve to wipe them off her face. She smiled through her tears and hugged him tightly. "I love you CJ……I love you……" she said. "I love you always Anna…." He whispered back. They hugged for a few minutes, savoring the wonderful, romantic time together.
~*End of Flashback*~
CJ stared at the empty room. Tears threatened to come down his eyes. He sniffled a little, his heart still having the same ache for Anna. He rubbed his chest, wanting the undying pain to go away, but he knew it would never stop. It's been a few years now, and he still hasn't lost the image of her beautiful face and the sound of her delicate laugh. He thought of her promise ring. Promise. That word was always a curse in this house because they were never kept. "Promises are pain. Promise are PAIN." He said angrily to himself. He tightly held a fist in his pocket.
He climbed the stairs to the second floor. He opened the door to his room and threw his stuff on the floor. He went to his dresser, and pulled out a t-shirt, and some casual khakis. He also pulled out a sweater, for he thought it was pretty cold in the house. After he got changed, he didn't know what to do. There was nothing to do. He had done all his shopping for the night, and the house was clean. He sat on his bed, looking around the room.
*~*~*~
I believe the love you talk about with me
Is it true, do I care
Honestly, you can try to wipe the memories aside
but it's you that you erase
*~*~*~
He hated being alone in the house. There was never anything to do. And besides, a demon could just pounce on him at any moment. He got up and glanced at his dresser drawers. He walked over to them, and opened the very bottom one. Inside, the drawer was filled with keepsakes. He reached inside and pulled out a face down picture frame. He faced it towards him. A picture of Anna and him holding each other by the Christmas tree.
He remembered when that picture had been taken. Alex gave Sam a camera for Christmas, and Sam was going photo crazy. She insisted that she take one of CJ and Anna, so that they would remember the day for years to come. Too bad Anna died and they wouldn't be together for years to come. He put the picture back in the back of the drawer. He shoved it hard, feeling the anger rising through him.
While he was angrily putting back the picture, he felt something soft by his hand. Something that was covered with velvet. He reached and pulled the item out. It was the promise ring. He closed his eyes tight and held it to his chest. He opened his eyes and opened the container. There was the same ring he had given to Anna Christmas day. It was still shining, and it was like brand new. He took it out, and examined the beautiful platinum that made the body of the ring then, the diamond that had topped it off.
CJ thought of all the money he had saved, and all the money he begged Sam for. He smiled. Sam always helped him in times of need. He was starting to think that all these years, he took her for granted. He looked at the ring and again he felt the hurt in his chest. He buried his face into his knees as he sat on the floor, still clutching the ring and it's container in his hand. He took big deep breaths as he just thought about nothing. "I miss her…..I miss her……." He admitted to himself. His voice wasn't exactly clear since his face was in his hands and on his knees. "I miss her…."
His senses detected a sudden light noise in the attic. He looked up to his ceiling and thought of the possibilities that would have made the sound. 'Demon, spirit, ghost, white lighter, elder, or it could be a rat? Who am I kidding….I'm a witch for pity's sake. Hey, maybe it's our kids from the future that came to warn us……' he said, his sarcasm taking over his mind once again. He sighed and stood up. He shoved the ring in his pocket and walked slowly to the stairs to the attic and then climbed them.
His fists were already formed, just in case the noise was a form of evil, and he assumed that it was indeed. He held the brass doorknob and turned it slowly. He took a deep breath before he burst the door open and screamed his head off. "Come and show yourself!!!!" he bellowed. His cry seemed to echo around the house. He looked around the room and found that it was totally empty. Nothing was moving except for the curtains from the window. The window was open, and the wind blew right in flipping the pages of the Book of Shadows that Rachel had left open, and leaves were swirling around the floor. He sighed, realizing that the sound may have been from his own imagination.
He walked over to the Book of Shadows and closed the book so he could see the cover. The leathery symbol on the front of the book easily amused him. He ran his fingers on it, tracing its shape. While he was doing this, he felt a gust of wind blow against his neck, and a chill ran up his spine. He sensed that someone was with him, but judging from the last experience with his assumption, he decided to ignore it.
*~*~*~
'Cause there's no place that I could be without you
It's too far to discard the life I once knew
Honestly, all the weather storms are bringing
Are just a picture of my dreams
*~*~*~
The chills in his back made him colder and colder. He shivered, hugging his arms and walking over to the window. He was about to close it, until he heard a gentle voice behind him. "CJ." The whisper said. He stopped in his tracks and whirled around to see who it was. What he saw startled him. "Mom…..? and….Dad." he said, unsure of his reaction. There in front of him, were two solid life forms…..well not exactly, since they were already dead. "Dad…." He whispered again. He rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, and when he still saw them standing there, he realized that this indeed wasn't a dream.
"What……what are you doing here?" he asked, more tears threatening to come down his eyes as he saw his parents in front of him. Cole and Phoebe glanced at each other and they both smiled. "Let's just say that the Elders let us to do this just this once?" Phoebe said with a laugh. CJ smiled and ran up to both of them. He embraced them tightly, and they embraced him back. CJ's tears ran down his cheek. "I've missed you guys so much…." He said through his tears. Cole patted his back. "I know son……I know….."
CJ pulled back and looked at the weirdly. "Wait a minute…..what was I just hugging? Why aren't you guys transparent like Uncle Leo was when we went back to the past?" he asked curiously. Cole and Phoebe smiled at each other again. It was like they were having a mental conversation. "Cole…you explain…" Phoebe protested. Cole sighed. "Ok…..Ok….." he said as he gave up.
"Your mother got turned into a whitelighter son, so that's how she's in a solid form. As for me-"
"Wait a minute…..a whitelighter? So….you've been……alive and wandering all this time….." CJ said, in disappointment. " And you…..never came to see me? After all the years I needed YOU???" he said, his disappointment turning into anger. It was a mixture of sadness, anger and hurt in his tone. Phoebe looked at him sympathetically. She walked up to him and ran her hand on his cheek.
"Baby…..you know how much I wanted to…..but god. The Elders never gave me a chance honey…..they said that you needed to learn how to move on your own. But that sure as hell doesn't mean that I didn't want to and I didn't care for you. CJ…..you're my little boy…..I think of you every second of the day…….and you know I didn't want to leave you so quickly. I knew you were a growing boy, but it was just our destinies.…." she said, as they were eye to eye. She sighed as she wiped away one tear on CJ's cheek. CJ took a deep breath as he got over her news. "I just……I wanted you there with me……I never had a chance……" he said through his tears.
"Son….you have no idea how much we wanted to be there to see you grow. To see you grow into a teenager, and to see you grow into a young man. Believe it or not, it hurts us more to know that we haven't been there at all to help you through your tough times, like good parents should." Cole stated, walking over to Phoebe and putting his hands on her shoulders. CJ nodded and realized that Cole's statement was correct. "I know dad…..I know……I just….was being selfish and…..yeah……"
*~*~*~
'Cause when I think of you as mine
and allow myself with time
To lead into the life we want
I feel loved, honestly
I feel loved, this honestly
*~*~*~
"CJ, you have the right to be selfish. We left you, and that's all you've known your whole life. I just wish I had a little more time with you before my destiny took over…….." Phoebe said. She smiled at him and stared at his face. CJ smiled as he saw his mother examining his appearance. Phoebe started to get tears. "Cole…..gosh…..he's so beautiful……." She said, looking up at Cole. Cole smiled and nodded. "I know hon……I know." He said. CJ smiled, taking in the complement. He looked at Phoebe. She was everything he thought she would be. She was beautiful, her hair a golden brown, and her eyes sparkling. It was if she was glowing.
Phoebe suddenly looked up. "Oh no…..one of my charges……I….." she turned away from CJ and looked up at Cole. "I have to go. You stay here and talk to him…..whatever you wanted to talk about……" she whispered, hoping that CJ wouldn't hear her. Unfortunately he did. "Mom? You're…..leaving again?" he said, with more disappointment in his tone. Phoebe faced CJ and nodded sadly. She put his hand on his cheek again.
"I love you always CJ…..and…..I'll be watching you okay honey? You take care of yourself……" she said, taking him into a hug and kissing him lightly on his head. CJ closed his eyes, and felt like a little boy again. Before he went to sleep, she'd always tuck him in and kiss him goodnight. It was like that the night she died too, only she wasn't saying goodnight. She was practically saying goodbye to her little boy, and now history was repeating itself all over again. "Mom……..I don't want you to go…..I don't want you to go."
"I know…..I know……"
"Will I see you again?" CJ asked, sniffling and wiping his tears on the sleeve of his shirt. Phoebe smiled. "I'm sure I'll see you again. They can't keep my little boy away from me forever." she said with a warm smile. He smiled and sniffled again. She kissed him on the cheek once more, before she orbed out of the room. He felt a little gust of wind blow against him when she orbed out right on his cheek and his face fell, knowing she was gone again. He almost forgot that his father was still there.
*~*~*~
I believe you mean the best that life can bring
I believe in it all
honestly, you can try
your heart is just as long as mineis it ours to let go
*~*~*~
"Ahem." Cole coughed to get CJ's attention. CJ suddenly looked up, startled and ashamed that he forgot Cole was still there. Cole saw a slight redness in his cheeks. "I'm sorry dad…..I just……"
"I know son…..you miss your mother. I know I haven't been there for you……the times you needed me most….. but…..I mean……you shouldn't think that I don't love you."
CJ looked at him queerly. "I never really said anything about thinking that."
"Well….it's sort of an angel thing…..you can kind of tell what the heart feels and is longing for…..and yours is really an open book." He said, squeezing his grip a little on his shoulder. CJ looked down at his feet, and nodded. "Well…..yeah…….I don't know why I thought that just……"
"Son, just because I was never there doesn't mean I never wanted you. Hell…..you know…..the day I found out your mother was pregnant I…..I just couldn't wait to hold you in my arms CJ. You know that…..I was always looking forward to this…..and….I just died a few months later. That seriously never changes the love I have for you. You know that right?"
CJ smiled and nodded. "I know I shouldn't be feeling that way, but I never met you my whole life. I mean, I never got to experience what a father actually felt like. To know that I had a dad to come to my football games and cheer me on, or a guy I can share my secrets with, or a guy that takes me out camping, or a guy that really cares…..I just don't know."
"You had Uncle Leo didn't you?"
"But that wasn't the same…..God dad…..I just wanted you there. And when I went back into the past, I felt a really unsure vibe from you."
"I know……I was a hard head jerk in the past….and I'm really sorry. I know…..that I never got to really tell you this in the past…….but…..son….I'm really proud of you. You were always the one sign in my life, that forced me to think that I was good……not evil. You were a sign of mine and Phoebe's love. You are everything I wanted you to be……and you went through life…..facing the hard times. Losing us, losing Anna, fighting demons, going through school…….just…..you make me feel very proud to know that you're mine. And that you will always be mine. You changed me a lot…..and I felt that I needed to give something back to you."
"Huh?" CJ said in a confusing tone. "What do you mean pay me back?"
Cole smiled and sighed. "Son……the elders were totally mad at me for doing this but…..I guess you can say I did a little future changing of my own." He said, laughing. CJ was still clueless. Cole turned around and walked to the back of the attic. He dug through some old boxes and toys and dust was flying all over the place. Cole finally found what he was looking for and dragged the heavy trunk to CJ's feet. CJ watched as he worked hard to get the lock open and when he finally opened it, he stood up and gestured for CJ to look inside. "Go ahead CJ. Go and look."
CJ kneeled down and blew all the dust off the trunk. He slowly opened the top of the trunk and got startled by the sudden dust that splashed onto his face. He coughed a bit and wiped his eyes. What he saw when we opened his eyes were what made his gasp.
*~*~*~
'cause there's not place that I could be without you
it's too dark to discard the life I once knew
honestly, a single wrong is not enough
to cover up the pain in us
*~*~*~
There in the trunk were a bunch of video tapes and portfolios. CJ picked one up and looked at the label. It read: "Cole and CJ at Age 2". CJ looked wide-eyed at the tape but then put that one down to examine the others. The hundreds of titles bedazzled him. "CJ's 5th Birthday Party" or "Kids at Disneyland" or even "CJ with Mom & Dad". CJ stared at these tapes and then picked up a brown envelope. He opened it slowly and found millions of pictures of CJ as a kid and Cole. Either them or of the whole family. He turned around to stare at Cole. "How……How……How did you do this?" he said sternly, with tears threatening to come down his eyes. Cole smiled.
"I knew when I was going to die. So I avoided it. And…..since I was still alive…..I decided to make my time worth while…..so I bought a camcorder and I did all these."
"I don't remember this……"
"Of course you do CJ. You just need to be reminded. Since you've been through time and all…..of course you still remember the time before you went into the past and saved us…..the time when you found out your mother died….and so forth. But you also got new memories, ones that were pushed in the back of your mind. If you can't remember…..then you could always watch the tapes." Cole replied, still grinning.
"But….then…..when…..did…."
"I die? Well…the Elders found out. They still have a memory of the old past too. I had to die eventually……Around when you were six. Destiny kind of repeated itself. My powers were stripped, demons found out, came and killed me. Only, my powers were stripped for a different reason. When you were 5 son, you were kidnapped by a bunch of demons…..they heard of your indescribable power and they took you. I gave them my powers instead…..and then your aunts vanquished them. I gave them up to save you." Cole said, pointing to CJ and lightly pushing his shoulder.
CJ cried more tears. He stared at his father for a minute, processing each and every word he said before finally putting the things in his hand down and just jumped on his father to hug him tight. Cole smiled as he embraced CJ back, patting his back lightly. CJ held on tight to him, never wanting to let go. "I love you dad…."
" I love you too son…."
Cole let go and was smiling even more than he was before if possible. "Don't get all excited yet…..your gift's not all over. There's something more that I protested for you to have…..and the Elders agreed."
"What more can you give me? I've already had all I wanted….."
"CJ, there's still a big place in your heart that neither me nor your mother can fill. Only she can….."
"She?" CJ asked with a confused tone.
"Me." A sudden voice said. CJ flinched at the sound of the voice. He knew he recognized it from somewhere, but once he realized who it was, he didn't want to believe it. The voice came from behind him, and as he looked up at Cole, he saw him look up and smile. "Her." Cole said, gesturing for CJ to look behind him. CJ took a deep breath and turned to look who that voice was. He gasped as soon as he saw the sight of the soul. There……was Anna.
*~*~*~
'cause when I think of you as mine
and allow myself with time
to lead into the life we want
I feel loved, honestly
*~*~*~
She was more beautiful than ever. Wearing all white, and shining brightly being the angel she was. Her beautiful dark brown hair seemed to flow onto her back. Her hair made her look ravishing, and it was just as silky and shiny, as it was first day CJ laid eyes on her. Her eyes seemed to sparkle like diamonds and her lips as red as a rose. She looked absolutely…..perfect.
"A…A…nn….a…." he stuttered. His eyes were widening more every single second. He rubbed his eyes, making sure that it was actually her, that she was actually in front of him. His heart was beating a million times a minute, and he couldn't control it. She smiled showing her white, perfect teeth and the sound of her laugh filled CJ with memories. She walked closer to him until they were about three feet apart and were eye to eye. "Yeah, CJ." She said, with her usual half smile.
CJ couldn't think of anything more but to jump and wrap his arms around her. He closed his eyes, loving the feeling that he had whenever he held her. "Oh baby…." He whispered. Anna laid her head on his shoulder, also savoring the moment. CJ rocked her back and forth, and she kept her arms tight around his neck, not wanting to let go. Cole watched from behind, seeing him and Phoebe a long time ago, when they were still young. He smiled slightly.
"Oh god…I've missed you…..I've missed you so much." He said, his voice muffled since his shoulder was covering his mouth a little bit. "I know baby…I know." Anna whispered back. CJ could feel his tears running down but he didn't care. All he cared about was that Anna was back. Anna pulled apart from him. CJ was surprised to see that she had the same amount of tears slipping down her cheeks. She sniffled and smiled again.
"CJ….We don't have a lot of time." She said, wiping the tears from her eyes. CJ's anger suddenly rose. "What? No….I'm not going to let you go again. I'm never going to let you go." He yelled. Anna looked down. "CJ…."
"NO! It's not fair….It's not FAIR! They take everything away…everything! You weren't meant to die on me. You weren't! It wasn't right…." He said, tears running down his cheeks. Anna came close to him again, and held him tight. She stroked his hair, rocking him a little back and forth. "We were supposed to be together. Forever…..We could have gotten married…and had a family. We were supposed to stay together…..You weren't supposed to leave me….." he whispered. Anna pulled away slightly, and looked into his eyes.
*~*~*~
I'll make a joke so you must laugh
I'll break your heart so you must ask
is this the way to get us back
I don't know, honestly
I don't know, this honestly
*~*~*~
"CJ….you know that it was my destiny to go. And….you know you have to except that…" she whispered. CJ's eyebrow went up slowly and he let go of her. "What? You're taking their side? I thought you WANTED to be with me. It sounds like you WANT to say goodbye." He said, anger taking over instead of sadness.
"Dammit CJ, don't even argue with me about that. You KNOW that I love you and I want to be with you forever, but god we can't change destiny, and I've come to realize that now."
"What? So you're saying that you're ready to move on. Well I'm not, and I'm not going to let you go."
"Why are you making this so hard? CJ….you have to understand that it was my time to leave, and I'll let you know, that I've seen the future. And I'm ready to accept that I'm not going to be in it."
"But I want you to be! I don't want anyone else…I just want YOU!" he screamed. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed. He knelt down, not wanting to fight anymore. He hated how things turned out. He hated that he couldn't be with Anna. Anna knelt down with him. "CJ…you're meant to do great things….and you need to move on." She pressed her forehead against his and they were eye to eye. "I'll never stop loving you…."
CJ looked up at her. "I never stopped loving you." Anna smiled. "I know…."
She stood up and took something out of her pocket. It was a small velvet case, similar to the one in his pocket. She held it out to him. "Merry Christmas." She said as CJ took the case. He opened it, and inside was a silver ring, no diamond, it was just pure platinum. He looked down at it and up to her.
"It's a promise ring. Something that promises my heart to you. Something that says, I belong to you….as long as I live, as long as you live, even longer, and as long as you keep this ring." She said, remembering each and every word that he had said that Christmas. He smiled as she slipped it onto his finger. "I'll always be with you….but you have to promise you'll move on." She said ,taking a deep breath. He sighed.
"I don't think I'm ready."
"There's time for that. And I know that you'll always keep me in your heart….but CJ. I mean god….you got to find someone else." She said with a smile. He looked up at her with a lifted eyebrow and wondered what she meant. She seemed to read his mind. "I told you, I've seen the future." She said with a smirk. He took a deep breath and held her.
"I promise." He said, content with his answer. She smiled. "Then…I guess my work here is done." She said simply. She hugged him, her arms clung to his neck and she whispered in his ear. "I love you so much. And I swear that I'll never leave your side….never." she said. CJ nodded and they shared one single kiss. As their lips touched, CJ remembered the wonderful feeling inside of him. They let go.
Anna walked over by Cole and they held hands. "I love you." She said again. Cole smiled and turned to CJ. "I love you too son." He added. CJ nodded and they were about to leave, until CJ stopped them. "WAIT!" he screamed. Cole paused and orbed back down. CJ took the ring out of his pocket and stared at it for a while.
"You forgot yours." He said to Anna, holding it to her. She smiled and took it. "I'll always keep it with me." She whispered. CJ nodded again. Then finally, Cole and Anna disappeared in blue shiny lights. CJ looked down at his ring again and sighed. He went back to the trunk Cole had left him.
He looked through all of the portfolios and found an envelope with his name on it. It was pretty old, and the paper was very fragile. He opened it lightly and found a letter from his mother.
"CJ,
If you're reading this right now, I've probably left you. And not as in left you to go somewhere else. It means that I left you because I passed away. Now.....you probably hate me for leaving you but I just want to say that you are the greatest thing that has EVER happened in my life and I thank god everyday as I see you right now in the present. You're 5 months old, and your father and I couldn't be happier. Right now, I can't wait to see what you'll look like, what powers you'll have and what you'll be like when you're older. I want to know you so bad....but if you're reading this letter, then I probably didn't get to fulfill any of these things. Your aunts and I decided to write these letters because being witches, and being part of the magical world, there are certain dangers and after going through a childhood without knowing my parents, and ignorant about practically everything, I didn't want you to feel the same way. You have to understand that now that I'm gone... nothing should be in your way of still being the best person you could be. You have a better future than my sisters and I, and you also have an older cousin to watch over you and to be with you in your times of youth and understanding when I'm not there. All I can say is that I wish you a great life and I will never stop watching over you no matter what. You're my son and you're a part of me....you deserve everything in the world. I'm sorry I won't be there to bring the stars to you.
Love, Mom."
CJ looked up to the ceiling and imagined Phoebe writing the letter and smiled, as if he were looking at his mother. "It's okay mom...it's alright." he whispered as he grinned. He looked back to the trunk and sorted some of the video tapes. He picked up some of the tapes and went downstairs to the living room. He slipped the tape into the VCR, and sat back on the couch with the remote. He pressed play, and saw the TV screen suddenly light up with a movie of his youth.
He smiled as he saw the sight. It was CJ's 4th birthday party, and they were outside in the backyard of the manor. He grinned as he saw himself in his father's arms. It seemed that Leo was video taping the whole thing. They had a big barbecue in the backyard for his birthday, and everyone was there. His aunts and his cousins and even Darryl and his family. There were balloons covering the backyard, and it looked as if CJ were about to blow out his cake.
*~Video~*
"Okay you guys! It's time to sing happy birthday already!!!" Phoebe exclaimed, bringing out the cake. CJ jumped in Cole's arms as he held him. Cole had the biggest grin on his face as CJ's face lit up as he saw the chocolate cake. "Cake!! Cake!!!" CJ said happily. Phoebe smiled as she laid the cake down on the table.
"Say thank you to Auntie Piper for making it CJ."
Piper smiled as Phoebe gave her the compliment. CJ grinned and went out from Cole's arms. He ran towards Piper and jumped on her as he gave her a big hug. "Thank you Auntie Piper!!!" he said as he held her tight. Piper hugged him back. "It's not problem CJ. Now come on honey, your cake is waiting for you." She said, pointing towards the cake. CJ ran back to his dad and Cole scooped him up into his arms.
"Okay…ready??" Phoebe said. 8-year-old Samantha was right next to the cake at the table. She was jumping as well. "Yeah! Let's sing already!!!" she screamed. Piper stood behind Sam and had her hands on her shoulders. Darryl was on the other side of the table and his wife and his sons were behind him. Glenn and Paige stood behind Cole. Darryl's two sons were 17 and 19 and were also great friends of the family.
"One and a two, and a three!" Phoebe counted off. Right then, everyone broke into song.
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear CJ….Happy Birthday to you!!!!" they sung. In the background, Sam was doing the "cha-cha-cha's" as Darryl's nineteen year old was helping her. Cole held CJ over the cake, since he was too short to reach it. CJ blew all four candles out in one blow. Before you knew it, everyone was clapping in delight.
After the clapping was over, you could hear crying in the background. Piper's head looked up and she turned to the camera. She went up to the camera and seemed like she was starting to talk to Leo through the camera. "Leo…the baby. Should you or I get him?" she said, referring to the newborn Alex. Leo talked behind the camera.
"I'll go get him, but I need someone to take over the filming."
"I'll take over for ya Leo." Glenn said as he walked towards the camera. There was a little commotion as Leo switched the camera from his hands to Glenn's. After Glenn took the camera he turned it towards Paige to talk to her. "Hey Paige…why don't you check on Rachel…I don't know. She might be crying." He said. Paige nodded and left the backyard too. The camera turned back to the party.
The camera explored the place. From Phoebe cutting the cake, to Cole playing with CJ, to Sam on Darryl's son's back for a piggy back ride, to Darryl and his wide sitting down, enjoying the sunlight. The camera then just focused on Sam and Darryl's son.
"Hey Sam." Glenn said from behind the camera. Sam turned towards the camera and grinned. She waved happily and showed the missing places in her mouth. "Hi Uncle Glen! Look at me! I'm superman!" she said. Darryl's son smiled as she took her around. The camera turned back to CJ and Cole. CJ was on his shoulders now, and Phoebe kept smiling as she handed pieces of the cake around.
*~End of Video~*
CJ smiled as he watched the video. He glanced down at his new ring then up at the ceiling. "Thanks dad." He whispered.
*~*~*~
there's no place that I could be without you
there's no place that I could gleam without you
there's no place that I could dream without you
there's no place that I could be without you
honestly
*~*~*~
A/N:
I'm sorry I took so long to post this up. I've been focused on Separation and my other fics....and I was about to post this but I felt like I still had to add this stuff. Thanks Brooke for giving me the idea for the letter and being sort of like my beta reader. I MISS YOU.
So what did you guys think of it? Too long? Too descriptive? Just plain bad…? Review please? Just a few more chapters to go and it's all done!
And check out my other stuff? Please...?