Chapter 6
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Charmed except my own.
Alonna blinked at him, unable to comprehend what he just said. Chris wanted her to wear his ring. Why? "Chris, I'm not so sure about this," she said cautiously. "You're not sure about this either. You don't even remember proposing to me. Why would you want me to wear your ring?"
Chris thought about what she said for a moment. He knew she was right, but he couldn't help what he felt. She was basically a stranger to him, but she didn't feel like one, not now that he knew she was his wife and carrying his child. All of a sudden, he felt strangely possessive. "No I don't remember proposing to you, but the fact still remains we're married," he told her. "And...I don't know...I just think you should be wearing your wedding ring."
Alonna smiled softly at him. "Okay, I'll wear the ring, but not on my finger," she said. A scowl appeared on his face and she reached a hand up to caress his cheek. "Oh Chris...this situation is new for the both of us," she said. "Why don't we give it some time and see. In the mean time, I'll wear my wedding band on the chain around my neck." Alonna pulled the ring out of her pocket and unhooked the clasp of her necklace. She slid her wedding band on the chain and hooked the chain back around her neck. She fingered it for a moment before letting it fall against her chest.
Chris stared at the ring and then glanced at her face. He nodded. "Alright, if that's what you want," he said, his tone begrudging. She reached over and grabbed his hand. He looked down at their clasped hands and began to slowly rub his thumb softly against her knuckles. Her skin was so soft...like velvet...and she was his...all his. His eyes widened when he realized what he was doing and what he was thinking.
"Chris...what's wrong," Alonna asked, as she saw the strange expression on his face.
He shook his head. "Oh...nothing....so you're stomach's feeling better now," he asked, as he tried to change the subject.
Alonna's eyes narrowed. He was avoiding her question, but she would let it slide for now. "Yes, my stomach is feeling better," she answered finally, sneaking a look at Phoebe, who was sipping her tea slowly. "How about you Phoebe," she asked.
Phoebe smiled and held a hand to her stomach. "Oh it feels much better," she replied. "This tea definitely helped." Just then Piper came back into the room looking a little green herself. Chris jumped up from the couch when he saw her and put a hand on her arm to lead her to the couch. "Mom...what's wrong...are you okay," he asked, his voice filled with concern. Piper nodded as Chris helped her to sit down carefully. She began to run slow circles on her stomach in hopes to calm it down.
"I'm just feeling a little nauseous," she said. "I only went to pee, but then I just started feeling this sick feeling go through my stomach. It's calming down now. Damn it! I thought this nausea was finally over with." Chris looked contrite and he mumbled a 'sorry' to her. She smiled weakly at him. "It's okay sweetie...it's not your fault...well it is but not really," she reassured. "So what have you guys been talking about while was in the bathroom?"
"Oh nothing much...just Chris demanding that his wife put her wedding band back on," Paige chimed in, with a cheeky grin.
Piper looked up at her son, a little startled. "Mom don't start," he warned, before she could say anything. "We're married. I just felt it wasn't right for her not to wear it." His mother nodded slowly, but she still appeared surprised.
Alonna patted Piper on the knee. "It's alright Piper," she said. "I agreed to put it back on, but I'm wearing it on my necklace instead of on my finger. I just didn't feel comfortable putting it back on...it's just a little too weird right now." Chris opened his mouth to say something, but the look Alonna threw his way stopped him.
Paige looked from Chris to Alonna as she could feel the uncomfortable tension from the two of them filling the room. She cleared her throat loudly. "Sooo....Alonna...I was wondering about your powers," she said, her tone cautious, hoping to possibly change the subject. "That's so great that you have that healing ability...Wyatt used to heal Piper when she was pregnant with him. She was pretty indestructible." Chris rolled his eyes, but Paige ignored him and continued. "And the way you fought, that was incredible! Where did you learn to fight like that? And another thing...you teleported....you didn't orb. What's up with that?"
Alonna's eyes darkened for a moment. How could she explain this? She slid a glance at Chris, unsure of what he would think if he knew...if he knew what she really was. She sighed loudly and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, everyone was looking at her, waiting for her to answer. "I-I learned from my mother," she began, choosing to look down at her lap. "My mom was a...she was...I'm part demon." Phoebe choked on the tea she was swallowing and Paige gave her a strong pat on the back. "I'm also part witch," Alonna rushed on. "I was never raised to encompass my evil side. I was raised as a witch...it was what my mom wanted. She had turned her life around when she met my dad. They got married and had me, which caused her family to turn their back on her. She was the one who taught me how to fight though. I learned everything I know about fighting and martial arts from her. She's gone now though...been gone for years."
Piper placed a hand on Alonna's hand. "Oh sweetheart I'm sorry," she said quietly. "How did she die, if you mind me asking?"
"I don't mind," Alonna replied, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Her family...they had her killed. They figured she had betrayed them; after all she was vanquishing their kind as well as other demons. I was 18 years old when it happened. Both her and my father had went to some abandoned warehouse because they had gotten a tip on demon activity, but it was a setup. My dad was stabbed trying to protect her. He later died at home...in my arms."
Paige's face fell. Great. She had tried to change the subject. Well she had done that all right...she had changed it to an even more uncomfortable subject. "Alonna I am so sorry," said Paige. "I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories."
"No it's okay," Alonna said quickly. "I'm glad you asked. I needed you guys to know what I am...or at least part of what I am...especially you Chris. I don't want there to be any more secrets between us." Chris blinked at her. It was a little bit of a shock, but not much. He had dated someone who was evil before...had even proposed to her. His mind strayed to Bianca. The pain of her death had diminished, but it was not gone entirely. He pushed her from his mind so that he could his place his attention back to the woman who was alive...the woman who was carrying his baby.
"I'm glad you told us...that you told me," he told her. "It doesn't make a difference to me, so you can stop giving me that look." Alonna smirked at him. He could be so blunt sometimes. It was part of what drew her to him. She was quieter...subdued...unless she was protecting her loved ones. That was when you would see the other side of her...the more aggressive side...the side that would do anything to protect her family.
Phoebe peered at Alonna closely, before asking a question of her own. She knew Alonna was forcing herself to act as if she was okay with her parents' death, but Phoebe could feel flashes of pain in her heart. No wonder she and Chris had gotten together. They were two peas of the same pod...both of them hiding their true feelings behind facades. "What type of demon was your mom," Phoebe asked. "Is her type in the book?"
Alonna's face scrunched up as she tried to remember. "Maybe...I think so...she was a Pheremone."
"Pheremone," Chris questioned.
"Yeah...they are demons that have feral abilities, like their instincts are impeccable...a keen sense of smell and hearing," Alonna explained. "They are trained to hunt and kill their prey. I received all of my feral abilities, my ability to teleport, as well as I can summon energy balls."
Chris's eyes widened. She was so similar to Bianca....she too had been trained by her mother to fight...to be a killer. "So that leaves your telekinesis, telepathy, and your healing....do those come from your witch side?"
Alonna nodded. "Look, I'm not ashamed of what I am. I used to be, but my mom always reassured me not to be. She would constantly tell me I'm a good person and I finally believed her, but that demon part is still inside me. I was not raised that way, so I only choose to use those powers for good. In my mind, I'm a witch...and a damn good one...thanks to Paige."
Paige finally gave Alonna a warm smile. "I'm glad that I could help you," she said. "But you know what...you're right. Just because you're part demon it doesn't mean you're going to be automatically evil. Chris must have seen all the good in you if he married you. Besides, it's not the first time he's been with someone who contained evil." Paige grimaced and shut her eyes tightly, instantly knowing that was the wrong thing to say.
Alonna got up from the couch and swept a shaking hand through her hair. She then turned her eyes to Chris. "What is she talking about Chris," she asked, her voice suddenly sounding so hollow. Chris's mouth opened and then closed. From the look on her face, apparently his future self had not told her about Bianca. Shit! Chris moved forward to get closer to Alonna, but she held her hands up and backed away. "Just tell me she," she demanded.
Chris sighed. "I was engaged to a Phoenix," he said, as he held her gaze. "Do you know what Phoenixes are?"
"Yeah...they're a coven of witch assassins," she answered, her voice shaking slightly.
"Exactly...in my time I met Bianca when she was working for Wyatt," he began, his tone flat. "We fell in love and she turned over a new leaf so to speak. I proposed to her on the same day I came to the future."
"And then she turned back over to the old leaf," Piper mumbled. Chris glared at his mother and she mumbled an apology.
"She followed me to the past months later and tried to take me back with her," he continued. "Wyatt somehow got to her and turned her back evil. She stripped me of my powers and I was forced to return with her to my future."
"But-but you're here now," Alonna stated.
"Yeah...I am...and it's because of Bianca," he said sadly. "Wyatt had promised her that he wouldn't hurt me, but when I refused to side with him, he went back on his promise. My mom and my aunts found a way to send a spell to me to return my powers. Bianca stepped into help me and...well because of that she's not around anymore. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to return back to this time period."
"I'm sorry," Alonna whispered. Chris gave her a sad smile.
"It's okay...it happened," he said. "I'm fine now. It was rough when it happened, but life goes on right." Chris cautiously walked up to her and reached out a hand to touch her hand, but she flinched.
Alonna shook her head. "I'm sorry that she died Chris, because I hate for you to be in pain, but it doesn't change the fact that you didn't tell me. I thought I was the only woman you ever proposed to. I distinctly remember asking you if you had ever proposed to anyone and you said no. You lied to me. I can't just let that go."
"But I didn't lie to you," he shot back. "That was my clone, not me."
"I thought you said he was an exact copy of you," she said sarcastically. "What...did you lie then too?"
"No," Chris replied, aggravated at his situation. "I didn't lie too you. He is an exact copy of me. Look I'm sorry my future self lied to you. If I know myself and if you know me too, then you know I try hard to avoid things and it's hard for me to talk about stuff."
"Yeah...I know but this is too much...I thought we had moved past that," she said, her voice shaking again. "I guess I was wrong."
She brushed past him to walk back over to the couch. "Piper I'm really tired and I want to lie down upstairs please," said Alonna. Piper glanced over at her son and she was pulled between her loyalty to him and her concern for her new pregnant daughter-in-law. Phoebe saved her from making that decision though by jumping up and running over to Alonna. She took her by the arm and quietly led her up the stairs.
Chris ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He then threw a glare at Paige. "Thanks a lot Aunt Paige," he spat, deliberately stressing the word 'aunt' in a mocking tone.
Paige got up from the couch and walked over to him. "I am sooo sorry Chris," she said, her voice apologetic. "I was just trying to make her feel better and it just came out. I didn't know. I'm really sorry."
Chris stared down at the ground, as he felt some of the anger leave him. To be truthful, he was only mad at himself. Lying to his wife just to avoid talking about his past is exactly something he would have done...that he was quite sure of. Alonna had every right to be angry, but that didn't make him feel any better. His stomach was clenching in knots as he pictured the heart broken look on her face. For some reason, this woman was affecting him already and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"It's alright Aunt Paige," he relented as he finally looked into his aunt's eyes, feeling instantly sorry for barking at her when he saw how sorry she was. "I know you were only trying to help and I...well...I love you for it. Thanks."
Paige looked absolutely stunned. That was the first time to her knowledge that Chris had ever said he loved her. He told Piper all the time, but they had that mother/child bond. Paige's eyes filled with tears and she wrapped her arms around her nephew. Chris returned the hug, sighing at the little bit of comfort she offered him. Paige rubbed his back soothingly. "I love you too," she whispered to him. He squeezed her tighter for a moment before pulling back, wiping away a tear as it slid down her cheek.
"Oh come on Aunt Paige," he whined. "No crying...god I can't handle it when women cry."
Paige slapped in on the arm playfully. "Well then don't make us cry you big dolt." She ruffled his already unruly hair. "Don't worry...she'll come around," she told him. "She's just upset...hormones and all...but don't give up on her yet okay."
Chris nodded. "I wouldn't dream of giving up," he stated firmly.
***********************************************************************************************
Phoebe frantically searched through Paige's drawer looking for something that looked appropriate for Alonna to wear. Phoebe held up a particularly skimpy nightgown and shook her head. Apparently, her sister didn't seem to own any normal pajamas. She finally found a pair of extra short boxers with a matching tank top. She also found a package of underwear unopened and she grabbed that as well. She turned around and glanced at the woman sitting forlornly on the bed. Phoebe's heart sank. She was trying hard to ignore the sadness she was feeling from the other woman, but she couldn't. Alonna's pain was radiating throughout her own heart and she couldn't seem to stop it. Maybe she could get Chris to get that empathy blocking potion for Alonna too. She immediately crossed out that idea from her mind. It was the only link she had to the girl, and she would treasure it. After all, that was what made them best friends in the future. She would just have to deal with it as best she could.
"Alonna honey I found some clothes for you," said Phoebe. "Why don't you go down to the bathroom and take a hot shower? That should make you feel a little better." Alonna only nodded and took the clothes from Phoebe's grasp. She then shuffled out the door. Alonna looked right and then left, wondering where the bathroom was.
"What are you looking for," she heard a familiar voice ask. She turned to Chris and stared at him. She removed her eyes from his and looked down instead at the bundle in her hands. "I'm looking for the bathroom," she said quietly.
"It's the last door to your right," he answered. "Look Alonna..." he began.
"Don't," she interrupted. "I can't talk about this right now. I just want to take a shower and rest...okay."
"Okay," he replied, sounding disappointed. She stole a glance at him and got caught up in his blue-green eyes. She closed her eyes to shut him out of her vision. When she opened her eyes, he was orbing out. She took a deep breath and walked in the direction Chris indicated. She found the bathroom and placed the clothes on a nearby shelf, before stripping and stepping into the tub. She recited a spell under her breath that would tie her hair up in a ponytail by itself. She then turned the water on cautiously; stepping back as the water came pouring down. She carefully took a shower, trying not to let her hair get wet. She was too tired to wash it now...she would do that in the morning. She finished up quickly and dried herself off with a clean towel she found in the bathroom.
Alonna pulled on the clothes she was given, wishing that the boxers were not as short as this were, but still grateful for having clean clothes to put on. She picked up her blood stained clothes and exited the bathroom, nearly bumping into Chris.
"I-I was just waiting till you were done," he sputtered. He couldn't seem to pull his attention away from the vast amount of legs that were visible. He raised his eyes to her face, a small blush rising to his cheeks. "I wanted to make sure you didn't pass out or anything since you was dizzy earlier. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she said softly. "Do you know where I can take a nap?"
"Uh...Piper told me to put you in Wyatt's room," he said. "She had put a bed in there so that I could sleep over sometimes."
"You don't live here," she questioned.
Chris shook his head. "No, I have my own apartment, but I've been thinking of moving out." They looked at each other in silence, both wishing for something to break the awkward silence. Chris finally ran his hands down the sides of his pants nervously. "Come on...I need to get you to bed," he announced, and then promptly blushed at how it sounded.
She nodded and followed him down the hall and into Wyatt's room. He led her over to the bed and turned the comforter down. She got in the bed and he placed it over her shoulders, stopping to run his hands through her hair. Her eyes closed and she was asleep in minutes, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up with her. Chris stood watching her for a while, until he felt someone hug him from behind.
"Hey mom," he whispered. Piper came around him and gazed at the sleeping form in the bed.
"It will all be okay you know," she told him.
"Yeah I know mom...I know," he said, not taking his eyes off of the woman lying in the bed he had often slept in these past couple weeks. Piper grabbed his hand and attempted to lead him out the room but he pulled back.
"No...I want to watch her sleep a little longer," he said. Piper nodded and leaned over kissing him on the cheek. "See you later," she whispered.
"Okay mom," he whispered back. Piper left the room closing the door softly behind her leaving her son to stand guard over his wife. As she headed back down to the living room, she wondered if he could handle this...if he was ready.
Note: I know it's been a while. I've been busy updating my Angel story. It has me captivated! I'm trying to update this and my One Tree Hill story more, even though I had lost interest in my Charmed story. I'm trying to get my inspiration back, because I honestly love these characters and the show. I'll just have to try harder. Alright enough of that...please review.
