This is "Predictable" by Good Charlotte in The Chronicles of Life and Death .
Disclaimer: If I owned Charmed, I'd be flaunting around expensive jewelry and designer clothing in DC instead of wearing my pajamas and typing THIS. Does it LOOK like I own Charmed?? No.
Something isn't right,
I can feel it again, feel it again.
This isn't the first time,
That you left me waiting.
Sad excuses and false hopes high,
I saw this coming, still I don't know why,
I let you in.
I turn to my left, kicking the demon with full force. Without a moment to spare, I swerve again to the right, ducking a blow from its clone and blowing it up. Is it over? I survey the foyer. No, not yet. There are two more. With a cry of pure rage I round on them both, taking them out with a kick. I gasp for breath. It was yet another demon attack from the evils that wanted to possess the Charmed One's children.
But I couldn't let that happen. It was now officially my purpose in life to protect them. "Make the object of objection become but a dream, and cause the seen to become unseen." (Wow, I remembered that off the top of my head!) The demon bodies disappeared somewhere in hell, I guess.
I collapse onto the couch. I wasn't that hurt, just a few scrapes, but a battle like that can take a lot out of you. Besides, Leo had done enough damage under that damned spell. "You guys, you can come out now," I wheeze.
Andy came down the stairs first, leading little Catty and Cassie down with him. Prue followed behind them. They looked shaken but otherwise used to the cycle of demon attacks. Usually it was about one everyday now.
Bianca basically wrecked our lives.
I knew it all along,
You're so predictable.
I knew something would go wrong... (Something's going wrong...)
So you don't have to call,
Or say anything at all.
You're so predictable... (So predictable...)
There was a knock at the door. My ears perk up in surprise. Nobody ever came by to visit since they were all dead or ignorant like Leo. It was probably someone at the club that couldn't reach us by phone, or a friend of the girls'.
Oh no! We could be discovered. I didn't tell anyone about their deaths. Some social worker could be coming through those doors...and having us all shipped off to foster homes was the last thing I needed.
"Who's there?" I ask, finally catching my breath. The four kids froze, staring at the door.
"Darryl. Is that you, Chris?"
"Yeah." I sigh in relief and open the door.
"What happened to you?" Darryl demandsthe instant he sees me.
"Huh?"
"Was there another--" He lowershis voice, looking around the neighborhood--"demon attack?"
I nod. "Yeah, but we're all fine now. It was minor."
"You should get those cuts checked out," Darryl advises me. "Too bad Leo isn't around anymore. Hey, do you know where the girls are? I have a case they may want to check up on."
My face turns pale. "They're not home," I say quickly.
So take your empty words,Your broken promises.
And all the time you stole,
Cause I am done with this.
"Chris?" Darryl asks me. "You can tell me, you know. Where are the girls?"
I look down on the floor. "They're dead. They've been dead for three weeks. I'm sorry, Darryl, but I...I couldn't tell you."
Tears form in his eyes. "D-dead?" he stutters. "And you guys are living here alone?"
"Please don't tell anyone," I beg. "They need me. They can't go anywhere else, demons will find them anywhere. I'm the only one that can protect them!"
"He's right."
I whip around to see Bianca standing behind me.
I could give it away, give it away,
I'm doing everything I should've.
And now I'm making a change,
I'm living today.
I'm giving back what you gave me,
I don't need anything.
Anger shoots through me like an arrow. "What the hell are you doing here?" I scream when I finally get a hold of the situation.
"Chris, I'm--"
"Leave us alone! You've already wrecked everything, just go away!"
"Chris--"
I throw up my hands as if to blow her up and she squeaked, shimmering away. Darryl looks shocked.
"I was bluffing," I mutter, "I wouldn't really blow her up."
"Chris, I've known you all your life," says Darryl. "I know you can handle this, but there's only so much you can do on your own. Sooner or later other people will notice and they'll all be taken away..."
"Not if I can help it."
"God, you're just like Piper when you act all stubborn like that."
My gaze hardens and I stare at my feet, not able to face a comment like that. "She sure never tried to rub off on me. Anyways, Darryl, thanks for stopping by. Is there anything we can help you with?" he asked stiffly.
"No, but...well, call me and Sheila if you need anything, alright? We'll check on you guys."
"Thanks," I say gratefully, glad that he's on my side. Maybe things will okay.
I knew it all along,
You're so predictable.
I knew something would go wrong... (Something's going wrong...)
So you don't have to call,
Or say anything at all.
You're so predictable... (So predictable...) Now everywhere I go,
Everyone I meet,
Every time I try to fall in love,
They all want to know why I'm so broken.
Once Darryl leaves, I turn to the younger kids. "Everybody all right?"
They nod. "Chris, why do the demons come? Was the girl a demon?" asked Andy.
"The demons come because they come," I sigh. It's too complicated for me to explain that he was considered powerful. I don't want to corrupt them like Wyatt and tell them all how special they are. Not until they're old enough to understand, at least. "And the girl wasn't a demon. She was just a very dangerous person that might as well be, and you all need to stay away from her."
"What's wrong?" asks Prue, seeing my expression.
"Nothing," I lie. "Why don't you all head up to bed? I'll come in a minute or two. Be sure to brush your teeth."
They run up the stairs and I watch, wondering if I'd ever be so carefree again.
"Chris--" Bianca comes out of the shadows, smiling slightly through her tears. "Did you really think I'd fall for that? You'd never blow me up."
"Just watch me," I challenge, throwing up my hands again.
Why I am I so cold,
Why I'm so hard inside.
Why am I scared?
What am I afraid of?
"See? You can't. Because we're in love and you know it. Can't we move on?" she pleads.
"Move on?" I whisper. "Move on?! How can we possibly move on after what you've done? Piper and the aunts are dead and if I make one wrong move, it's off to the orphanage for all of us!"
"I had no choice. It was either them or you."
"Then you should've killed me! I'll be as good as dead anyways, with Wyatt and these damned demons and--"I stop.
"Leo?" she provides softly. "I know. I've been watching. You're doing all that you can, Chris. But you can't do it alone...I want to help."
"Are you crazy? How stupid do you think I am? You got close to me and killed my mom and their parents. Now you want me to believe that if you get close to them, they'll be safe, too? I don't believe it. I don't even know WHAT to believe anymore!"
"Chris, I never meant to--"
"But you did. It's as simple as that." I turn my back on her, heading up the stairs to tuck the kids in. "Leave."
But as she shimmers away, a part of me wants to follow her. Out of habit, I suppose. But I know the truth. I could never follow her anywhere, ever again. It's just too wrong. What she had done was unforgivable.
I don't even know, this story's never had an end.
I've been waiting,
I've been searching,
I've been hoping,
I've been dreaming you would come back,
But I know the ending of this story.
And you're never coming back,
Never...
"Chris, we're hungry. We skipped dinner," Andy complains. I force a smile. "Alright, then I'll get us some. Stay up here and keep them under control for me, will ya?" I start to walk back down the stairs and realize just how hungry I am, too. It wasyesterday morning I last ate. I've been so busy with these demons--checking the book, protecting the little ones, vanquishing. Fortunately I still managed to keep food on their plates.
I look into the cabinet and sigh. There's only two cans of soup left--they could all share one tonight and the next could be breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I could go without food one more night until we stocked up again.
I brighten slightly, knowing that the paycheck from the P3 will be coming tomorrow, too. And if we were really desperate, we could always poke into the P3 kitchen when no one was looking and steal some of the food.
"Dinner's ready," I call after a few minutes of cooking. I pour the soup into bowls for them as Cassie, Catty, and Prue orb down in an instant, and moments later Andy come running down the stairs with a sheepish grin.
"I tried to stop 'em," he pants, sitting down at the table. I laugh.
BAM!
The three girls shriek and Andy nearly falls off of his chair. A demon, teeth bared and dripping with fresh blood, shimmers into the room threateningly. An energy ball is immediately aims at Andy, which I quickly shoot back at him with telekinesis. It only wounds the beast slightly.
Never, never, never, never...Never, never, never, never...
Never, never, never, never...
I panic, deflecting all of the energy balls. Catty and Cassie flee for the bedroom, orbing on their own, while Prue orbs Andy. They know the drill by now.
"Stay up there!" I yell, still dodging the blasts and trying my hardest to fight this thing off. It won't give up, though, and keeps fighting as if my counter attacks are mere flies.
"What do you want?" I growl through clenched teeth.
"Power," it hisses.
"This is not the place to find it!" I duck away from another energy ball when I hear a shriek from the top of the stairs. I take a split second to divert my attention to Prue, who's standing there and pointing at me. That split second was all it took for the demon to gain his advantage.
I knew it all along,
You're so predictable.
I knew something would go wrong... (Something's going wrong...)
So you don't have to call,
Or say anything at all. So predictable... (So predictable...)
The ball of energy was bigger than all of the others, passing right through me. It was cold, like slipping through ice. I let out a groan and dropped to the floor, only barely able to see the demon self-destructing from the power use.
Prue is running down the stairs, still screaming for Andy. "No," I moan, "stay. Please."
They don't understand. It doesn't matter if I die here; other demons are sure to pop up in a moment and they need to be up in the attic where the demons won't find them. But Prue keeps coming and Andy follows...
My vision blurs and I feel as if I'm drowning in my own blood. "Stay..."
It's too late. Just as I predicted, three demons shimmered in...and in less than a moment, they were gone.
Then, oddly enough, the phone rings. I lift my hand, using all the strength I have left. Maybe somebody could help us...Anybody...
Everywhere I go for the rest of my life,
Everyone I love, (So predictable...)
Everyone I care about,
They're all gonna want to know what's wrong with me
And I know what it is... (So predictable...)
What it is is right now.
"Hello?" asks a voice on the other end. "This is Darryl. Is somebody there?"
"Help..." I moan, barely audible.
"Chris?" His voice is strained. "Don't worry, I'm coming back. Are you there?"
I can't answer.
Hehe. Saaaaaaaaaaaadness.