Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the television show Charmed.
All characters belong to Spelling Television, and The WB.
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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The Pain of Future Wrongs – Chapter 8
Piper tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep even though she was completed exhausted. Her mind was working overtime as a thousand thoughts begged for her attention. She still could not understand how her relationship with Chris could have deteriorated to a point where he would think that she hated him.
After hours of restlessness, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
~ dream ~
"Is that you, Chris?" Piper called out from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner.
Fourteen-year-old Chris walked into the kitchen holding his books with one hand as he grabbed a can of pop from the fridge. "You need help, mom?"
"That's okay, honey," Piper smiled. "Why don't you get some rest? Dinner will be ready once Aunt Phoebe comes home."
Chris nodded and hugged his mom, giving her a kiss on her cheeks. Piper smiled as she saw Chris walking upstairs. Of all the children, Chris was the one who was closest to her. He loved spending time with her, even if it was just helping out with chores. Wyatt, on the other hand, was the most outgoing. He was constantly involved with all sorts of activities and rarely could he be found at home for any prolonged periods of time. Piper was broken from her thoughts by a loud cry from the living room. Immediately, she recognized the voices of two young children. Piper shook her head as she dried her hands, preparing to act as peacemaker. She emerged from the kitchen to find her two young children taking up their grievances with Chris, who was sitting on the floor between them.
"Ryan, you know that it's not nice to hog the toys to yourself, right?" Chris asked gently as he looked lovingly at his younger brother.
Piper smiled as she watched Ryan nod sheepishly, a guilty look on his face.
"And Rachel, you know that you shouldn't call your brother names, right?" Rachel pouted, but nodded in acknowledgement.
Chris smiled at his siblings. "Now, do you have something to say to each other?"
Ryan took his teddy bear and handed it to Rachel. "I'm sorry for hogging the bear," he said with an innocence that was genuine. "We can play together."
Rachel's eyes lit up as she took her brother's peace offering. "And I'm sorry for calling you names."
Piper quietly went back into the kitchen, knowing that the conflict had been resolved. As she turned towards the kitchen, she saw Ryan and Rachel hugging Chris with such love and adoration.
The room suddenly became blurry and Piper soon found herself in the second floor of the manor. It was now dark outside and Ryan and Rachel had both gone to bed. As she headed towards her room, she noticed a light coming from Wyatt's room. She walked towards the light, wanting to say goodnight to her son. She was stopped when she heard Chris and Wyatt arguing inside.
"You can't do this," Chris protested.
"Says who?" Wyatt shot back.
"That money was Ryan and Rachel's birthday gift from Grandpa!"
"I'm just borrowing it. It's not like I'm not going to pay them back."
"That's their money. You can't just take it just so you can go to the casino with your friends!"
Piper gasped as she heard the conversation, but decided to keep on listening.
"Look, Chris, you really need to loosen up. As if Ryan and Rachel actually needs this money now."
"You're not taking their money," Chris stated firmly.
"Well," Wyatt replied, "I'm going to the casino no matter what. Either you let me take this money or you can give me yours because I've already used up mine."
Chris stared at his brother with disbelief. "You're not serious," he said softly.
"Look at you," Wyatt laughed. "You're so protective of Ryan and Rachel's money but when it comes down to your money, you're not so willing to protect them anymore."
Chris stared at the floor, looking like he was on the verge of tears. "How much do you need?" he asked softly.
Wyatt grinned triumphantly. "I think $500 should do."
Chris looked up in shock. "That's my whole summer's saving...I was saving that money for mom's birthday present."
"Well, I guess you'll just have to put in a few more extra hours at work now, won't you?"
Chris sighed and reluctantly handed over the money to Wyatt. He turned and left the room without saying another word. As he opened the door, Piper quickly hid herself in the study. The last thing that she wanted was to have her sons find out that she was eavesdropping.
~ dream ends ~
Piper opened her eyes to find sunlight filling her room. Looking at the clock, she realized that it was already nine o'clock. "Oh no...they are going to kill me!" she muttered as she hurried up to get dressed. She walked downstairs as quickly as her pregnancy would allow her and headed towards the kitchen, only to be met by the aroma of pancakes.
She walked in to find Chris putting the final touches on a gourmet breakfast. He looked over to find Piper standing in the doorway. "Hi mom," he smiled as he walked over to help her to the table. His sudden protectiveness caused her to smile. "Hey, I'm a pregnant woman, not an invalid!" she joked.
"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly. "Anyways, I was going to bring breakfast up to you, but I guess you saved me a trip," he said as he set a plate in front of her.
"Morning!" Phoebe announced cheerfully as she entered the kitchen. "Mmm, that smells good," she commented while pouring herself a cup of coffee. "But didn't we tell you to take it easy, Piper? You really shouldn't be doing these things now."
Piper smiled sweetly at her sister as she savoured the pancake. "Who said anything about me not taking it easy? Do I look like someone who just finished cooking a gourmet breakfast?"
Phoebe was about to reply when she realized the meaning behind Piper's words. "Oh Chris," she exclaimed excitedly. "That's so sweet of you to make breakfast for your mom. That's so cute!!"
Chris rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the pancakes. "Just eat your breakfast, Aunt Phoebe," he replied in a serious tone, but he couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face.
Paige eventually showed up and finally everyone was eating breakfast. Piper found it too cute that Chris even made mini-pancakes for Wyatt. "So," she finally said as she finished her breakfast, "what are we planning to do today? It's such a nice day outside."
"Let's take Wyatt to the park," Chris suggested, earning him disbelieving looks from everyone.
"Did you just suggest an outing to the park?"
"What? That's what the books suggest for pregnant women!" Chris defended himself.
"You've been reading books on pregnancy?" Phoebe asked, trying to keep herself from laughing out loud.
"Hey, I have a personal stake in this, in case you haven't noticed," Chris answered back, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Stop teasing my son," Piper admonished her sisters as she came to Chris' aid, although the expression on her face indicated that she too was trying hard not to laugh.
"Okay, okay," Chris finally shushed the Charmed Ones. "Just go and get ready," he said as he got started with the dishes. The three witches obediently did as Chris said, although the absurdity of the situation didn't escape them.
Chris finished the dishes and sat down in the sunroom. "Geez, how long does it take to get ready to go to the park? It's not like we're going to a royal banquet or anything," he muttered to himself. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash in the attic. Immediately, Chris orbed to look for the cause of the commotion.
He orbed into the attic and immediately, he paled and his knees felt weak. The wall was glowing and before he could process the thoughts, a person came flying out of the portal, landing at Chris' feet.
The Charmed Ones arrived at the attic just as the person emerged from the portal. They had no idea of what was happening. The only thing they could hear from Chris gasping and his voice trembling. "Ryan??" the young Whitelighter called out in disbelief.
~ to be continued ~
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!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Pain of Future Wrongs – Chapter 8
Piper tossed and turned in her bed, unable to fall asleep even though she was completed exhausted. Her mind was working overtime as a thousand thoughts begged for her attention. She still could not understand how her relationship with Chris could have deteriorated to a point where he would think that she hated him.
After hours of restlessness, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
~ dream ~
"Is that you, Chris?" Piper called out from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner.
Fourteen-year-old Chris walked into the kitchen holding his books with one hand as he grabbed a can of pop from the fridge. "You need help, mom?"
"That's okay, honey," Piper smiled. "Why don't you get some rest? Dinner will be ready once Aunt Phoebe comes home."
Chris nodded and hugged his mom, giving her a kiss on her cheeks. Piper smiled as she saw Chris walking upstairs. Of all the children, Chris was the one who was closest to her. He loved spending time with her, even if it was just helping out with chores. Wyatt, on the other hand, was the most outgoing. He was constantly involved with all sorts of activities and rarely could he be found at home for any prolonged periods of time. Piper was broken from her thoughts by a loud cry from the living room. Immediately, she recognized the voices of two young children. Piper shook her head as she dried her hands, preparing to act as peacemaker. She emerged from the kitchen to find her two young children taking up their grievances with Chris, who was sitting on the floor between them.
"Ryan, you know that it's not nice to hog the toys to yourself, right?" Chris asked gently as he looked lovingly at his younger brother.
Piper smiled as she watched Ryan nod sheepishly, a guilty look on his face.
"And Rachel, you know that you shouldn't call your brother names, right?" Rachel pouted, but nodded in acknowledgement.
Chris smiled at his siblings. "Now, do you have something to say to each other?"
Ryan took his teddy bear and handed it to Rachel. "I'm sorry for hogging the bear," he said with an innocence that was genuine. "We can play together."
Rachel's eyes lit up as she took her brother's peace offering. "And I'm sorry for calling you names."
Piper quietly went back into the kitchen, knowing that the conflict had been resolved. As she turned towards the kitchen, she saw Ryan and Rachel hugging Chris with such love and adoration.
The room suddenly became blurry and Piper soon found herself in the second floor of the manor. It was now dark outside and Ryan and Rachel had both gone to bed. As she headed towards her room, she noticed a light coming from Wyatt's room. She walked towards the light, wanting to say goodnight to her son. She was stopped when she heard Chris and Wyatt arguing inside.
"You can't do this," Chris protested.
"Says who?" Wyatt shot back.
"That money was Ryan and Rachel's birthday gift from Grandpa!"
"I'm just borrowing it. It's not like I'm not going to pay them back."
"That's their money. You can't just take it just so you can go to the casino with your friends!"
Piper gasped as she heard the conversation, but decided to keep on listening.
"Look, Chris, you really need to loosen up. As if Ryan and Rachel actually needs this money now."
"You're not taking their money," Chris stated firmly.
"Well," Wyatt replied, "I'm going to the casino no matter what. Either you let me take this money or you can give me yours because I've already used up mine."
Chris stared at his brother with disbelief. "You're not serious," he said softly.
"Look at you," Wyatt laughed. "You're so protective of Ryan and Rachel's money but when it comes down to your money, you're not so willing to protect them anymore."
Chris stared at the floor, looking like he was on the verge of tears. "How much do you need?" he asked softly.
Wyatt grinned triumphantly. "I think $500 should do."
Chris looked up in shock. "That's my whole summer's saving...I was saving that money for mom's birthday present."
"Well, I guess you'll just have to put in a few more extra hours at work now, won't you?"
Chris sighed and reluctantly handed over the money to Wyatt. He turned and left the room without saying another word. As he opened the door, Piper quickly hid herself in the study. The last thing that she wanted was to have her sons find out that she was eavesdropping.
~ dream ends ~
Piper opened her eyes to find sunlight filling her room. Looking at the clock, she realized that it was already nine o'clock. "Oh no...they are going to kill me!" she muttered as she hurried up to get dressed. She walked downstairs as quickly as her pregnancy would allow her and headed towards the kitchen, only to be met by the aroma of pancakes.
She walked in to find Chris putting the final touches on a gourmet breakfast. He looked over to find Piper standing in the doorway. "Hi mom," he smiled as he walked over to help her to the table. His sudden protectiveness caused her to smile. "Hey, I'm a pregnant woman, not an invalid!" she joked.
"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly. "Anyways, I was going to bring breakfast up to you, but I guess you saved me a trip," he said as he set a plate in front of her.
"Morning!" Phoebe announced cheerfully as she entered the kitchen. "Mmm, that smells good," she commented while pouring herself a cup of coffee. "But didn't we tell you to take it easy, Piper? You really shouldn't be doing these things now."
Piper smiled sweetly at her sister as she savoured the pancake. "Who said anything about me not taking it easy? Do I look like someone who just finished cooking a gourmet breakfast?"
Phoebe was about to reply when she realized the meaning behind Piper's words. "Oh Chris," she exclaimed excitedly. "That's so sweet of you to make breakfast for your mom. That's so cute!!"
Chris rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the pancakes. "Just eat your breakfast, Aunt Phoebe," he replied in a serious tone, but he couldn't help the smile that was forming on his face.
Paige eventually showed up and finally everyone was eating breakfast. Piper found it too cute that Chris even made mini-pancakes for Wyatt. "So," she finally said as she finished her breakfast, "what are we planning to do today? It's such a nice day outside."
"Let's take Wyatt to the park," Chris suggested, earning him disbelieving looks from everyone.
"Did you just suggest an outing to the park?"
"What? That's what the books suggest for pregnant women!" Chris defended himself.
"You've been reading books on pregnancy?" Phoebe asked, trying to keep herself from laughing out loud.
"Hey, I have a personal stake in this, in case you haven't noticed," Chris answered back, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Stop teasing my son," Piper admonished her sisters as she came to Chris' aid, although the expression on her face indicated that she too was trying hard not to laugh.
"Okay, okay," Chris finally shushed the Charmed Ones. "Just go and get ready," he said as he got started with the dishes. The three witches obediently did as Chris said, although the absurdity of the situation didn't escape them.
Chris finished the dishes and sat down in the sunroom. "Geez, how long does it take to get ready to go to the park? It's not like we're going to a royal banquet or anything," he muttered to himself. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash in the attic. Immediately, Chris orbed to look for the cause of the commotion.
He orbed into the attic and immediately, he paled and his knees felt weak. The wall was glowing and before he could process the thoughts, a person came flying out of the portal, landing at Chris' feet.
The Charmed Ones arrived at the attic just as the person emerged from the portal. They had no idea of what was happening. The only thing they could hear from Chris gasping and his voice trembling. "Ryan??" the young Whitelighter called out in disbelief.
~ to be continued ~