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!
Just a few notes as the story progresses:
1) In this story, Bianca does not and never existed. 2) In this story, Piper does not die when Chris is 14. Instead, she dies when he is 17.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Pain of Future Wrongs – Chapter 16
Chris did not sleep that night, instead spending the hours being tormented by his memories. An internal battle raged in his mind. The forces that were pushing him towards depression vied for control with the forces that were threatening to push Chris towards a vicious feeling of bitterness and anger.
This was how Piper found her son when she woke up the next morning. At first, she thought that her son was up early searching for demons again. As she walked closer, she realized that he was deep in thought. When he failed to respond to her soft calls, she knew that something was not right. Her motherly instincts guided her to her son's side. She placed her hand on his shoulders and felt him flinch at the touch.
"Chris?" she called out, trying not to let her worries show.
"Mom..." he whispered without turning to look at Piper.
"What's the matter, honey?" she asked as she sat down beside Chris.
Again, there was silence as Chris retreated into his shell. The young Whitelighter felt his head pounding as the internal struggle continued.
"Chris?" Piper called out again, not quite sure what had caused Chris' sudden change in behaviour. She tried to recall anything that might have triggered her son's sudden relapse into this state. "Talk to me, honey..." she pleaded.
"Why?" he asked to no one in particular. "Why doesn't anyone want me?" he asked, his voice hoarse. The question pierced Piper's heart. The sadness and anguish behind the question was too much for Piper.
"Chris," Piper comforted. "You know that's not true. We love you..."
Chris shook his head as he got up from the position that he had been in all night. Piper gasped as she saw her son, his eyes bloodshot and full of sorrow. "Why, Mom? Why did I always have to be the last priority? Why did I always have to come in second?"
Piper knew what Chris was referring to but she had no answer. She also had no answer as to why this became an issue all of a sudden. "Chris honey...I don't know...but we won't let it happen..."
"You're lying...." Chris cried out, refusing to take his mother's words. "It'll always be about Wyatt...always, Mom. Why can't it be about me just once?" he accused, though it was an accusation of sorrow, not of anger.
Piper could see her son struggling between anger and sorrow and it killed her to see her son like this. She couldn't possibly imagine what he had gone through in his time, but it was obvious that the price her son paid for the forces of good was far too great.
"Chris," Piper pleaded once again. "You have to know that I love you for who you are. Don't forget that..."
"Stop it," Chris cried, clutching his head with his hands. At first Piper was stung by Chris' outburst, but she soon realized that he wasn't directing the comment at her. It became apparent that he was actually talking to some internal force that he was fighting against. "You abandoned me..." Chris continued, this time directing the comment at Piper. "You. Abandoned. Me," he accused before orbing out, leaving Piper shocked and distressed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris orbed into a dark cave where he fell to his knees. The pain that he was feeling from the internal struggle was taking its toll. "Why are you doing this to me???" he cried out. "I'm your brother, damn it!!" His outburst did little to stop the pain. In fact, the level of pain only increased.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Phoebe ran down the stairs, eager to reenergize herself with one of Chris' gourmet breakfasts. The house was unusually quiet for this time of the day but she didn't give it a second thought. It was only when she found an empty kitchen that she felt something wasn't right. Walking into the parlour, she found a distraught Piper crying. Immediately, she rushed to her sister's side, eager to comfort her.
"What's wrong, Piper?" Phoebe asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Chris..." Piper answered between her sobs.
"Is he hurt?"
Piper only nodded.
"Where is he? Get Leo to heal him!!"
"It won't do any good," Piper replied, causing Phoebe to gasp in horror.
"Oh no! He's not...." she stopped, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"No..." Piper answered. "He...he says that no one wants him."
"What? Where did that come from?"
"I don't know," Piper answered in frustration. "I think it's from his memories...memories that he can't forget. He said that I abandoned him," she continued before succumbing to her tears again. "That can't be true," Phoebe reasoned.
"I think it is...somehow in the future, that's what I did..."
As the two sisters conversed, they failed to notice Ryan standing by the door. He closed his eyes and slid to the floor upon hearing Piper's words. He knew this would happen. He just didn't think it would happen so soon.
Ryan felt a sharp pain and for a moment, he felt like he could not breathe. Knowing what this meant, he closed his eyes and focused his concentration. Within minutes, Ryan found himself far away from San Francisco, in a dark uninviting cave.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"We'll fix this, Piper," Phoebe comforted her sister. From her own premonitions, she knew a bit about what Chris had to go through, but somehow she felt that there was much more that she didn't know about.
"How come he won't believe me when I tell him that I love him?" Piper asked. "I love him so much!!"
Phoebe didn't want to tell Piper any more about her premonitions, so she just hugged her sister instead.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ryan cautiously made his way deeper into the cave. He didn't have to move very far before he saw Chris sitting on the ground. He immediately ran up to his brother and hugged him tightly.
"What happened, Chris?" Ryan asked, relieved that he was okay.
"I can't do this anymore," Chris said softly, his eyes dull and defeated.
Ryan shook his head in denial. "No...don't give up now. Please, Chris. You can't give up!"
"He's too strong..." Chris admitted.
"Wyatt is strong," Ryan admitted. "But you're just as strong, if not stronger."
"He's the firstborn, Ryan...I'm....I'm nothing..."
The words struck Ryan like a lightning bolt. He had never heard Chris sound so defeated before. "You're not nothing, Chris. You're my brother, my amazing brother," he answered, stressing the word amazing.
"I can't go through it again, Ryan..." he said. "I just can't...having them reject me, cast me away...one by one..."
Ryan knew what Chris was referring to because he remembered those times very clearly. He had experienced first hand the events that Chris feared, and he knew that immense pain that they brought.
"It won't happen again," Ryan assured his brother. "They already know about it and you'll win, Chris. I know you will."
Chris shook his head furiously. "It's already begun, Ryan. I can feel it. He's changing the timeline."
Ryan stopped as he contemplated Chris' words. He had never considered the possibility that Wyatt could work against them even from the future. It had seemed like a remote possibility, but with Wyatt, almost anything was possible.
"He's playing with your mind," Ryan replied. "You can't give in to him!"
"I can't stop him!" Chris yelled out angrily, though the anger was more directed at himself than at Ryan. "Aunt Paige is avoiding me already. And you know it'll be Aunt Phoebe next, and then Mom..."
Ryan sat in silence, realizing that Chris may be right. History may indeed be repeating itself, and if what Chris said was true, there may be little that they could do to stop Wyatt. "There has to be a way to stop him...." Ryan paused as a thought occurred to him.
Chris turned and looked at Ryan's face, his own eyes widening in horror. "No....don't even go there, Ryan Halliwell!" Chris ordered.
"It may be our only choice!" Ryan argued.
"No, Ryan. We agreed that under no circumstances were we to go there..."
"Chris, we have to let Mom know!"
"No!" Chris glared at Ryan. "We can't let Mom know about Rachel..." With that, Chris grabbed Ryan's hand and orbed back to the manor.
~ 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!
Just a few notes as the story progresses:
1) In this story, Bianca does not and never existed. 2) In this story, Piper does not die when Chris is 14. Instead, she dies when he is 17.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Pain of Future Wrongs – Chapter 16
Chris did not sleep that night, instead spending the hours being tormented by his memories. An internal battle raged in his mind. The forces that were pushing him towards depression vied for control with the forces that were threatening to push Chris towards a vicious feeling of bitterness and anger.
This was how Piper found her son when she woke up the next morning. At first, she thought that her son was up early searching for demons again. As she walked closer, she realized that he was deep in thought. When he failed to respond to her soft calls, she knew that something was not right. Her motherly instincts guided her to her son's side. She placed her hand on his shoulders and felt him flinch at the touch.
"Chris?" she called out, trying not to let her worries show.
"Mom..." he whispered without turning to look at Piper.
"What's the matter, honey?" she asked as she sat down beside Chris.
Again, there was silence as Chris retreated into his shell. The young Whitelighter felt his head pounding as the internal struggle continued.
"Chris?" Piper called out again, not quite sure what had caused Chris' sudden change in behaviour. She tried to recall anything that might have triggered her son's sudden relapse into this state. "Talk to me, honey..." she pleaded.
"Why?" he asked to no one in particular. "Why doesn't anyone want me?" he asked, his voice hoarse. The question pierced Piper's heart. The sadness and anguish behind the question was too much for Piper.
"Chris," Piper comforted. "You know that's not true. We love you..."
Chris shook his head as he got up from the position that he had been in all night. Piper gasped as she saw her son, his eyes bloodshot and full of sorrow. "Why, Mom? Why did I always have to be the last priority? Why did I always have to come in second?"
Piper knew what Chris was referring to but she had no answer. She also had no answer as to why this became an issue all of a sudden. "Chris honey...I don't know...but we won't let it happen..."
"You're lying...." Chris cried out, refusing to take his mother's words. "It'll always be about Wyatt...always, Mom. Why can't it be about me just once?" he accused, though it was an accusation of sorrow, not of anger.
Piper could see her son struggling between anger and sorrow and it killed her to see her son like this. She couldn't possibly imagine what he had gone through in his time, but it was obvious that the price her son paid for the forces of good was far too great.
"Chris," Piper pleaded once again. "You have to know that I love you for who you are. Don't forget that..."
"Stop it," Chris cried, clutching his head with his hands. At first Piper was stung by Chris' outburst, but she soon realized that he wasn't directing the comment at her. It became apparent that he was actually talking to some internal force that he was fighting against. "You abandoned me..." Chris continued, this time directing the comment at Piper. "You. Abandoned. Me," he accused before orbing out, leaving Piper shocked and distressed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris orbed into a dark cave where he fell to his knees. The pain that he was feeling from the internal struggle was taking its toll. "Why are you doing this to me???" he cried out. "I'm your brother, damn it!!" His outburst did little to stop the pain. In fact, the level of pain only increased.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Phoebe ran down the stairs, eager to reenergize herself with one of Chris' gourmet breakfasts. The house was unusually quiet for this time of the day but she didn't give it a second thought. It was only when she found an empty kitchen that she felt something wasn't right. Walking into the parlour, she found a distraught Piper crying. Immediately, she rushed to her sister's side, eager to comfort her.
"What's wrong, Piper?" Phoebe asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Chris..." Piper answered between her sobs.
"Is he hurt?"
Piper only nodded.
"Where is he? Get Leo to heal him!!"
"It won't do any good," Piper replied, causing Phoebe to gasp in horror.
"Oh no! He's not...." she stopped, not wanting to finish the sentence.
"No..." Piper answered. "He...he says that no one wants him."
"What? Where did that come from?"
"I don't know," Piper answered in frustration. "I think it's from his memories...memories that he can't forget. He said that I abandoned him," she continued before succumbing to her tears again. "That can't be true," Phoebe reasoned.
"I think it is...somehow in the future, that's what I did..."
As the two sisters conversed, they failed to notice Ryan standing by the door. He closed his eyes and slid to the floor upon hearing Piper's words. He knew this would happen. He just didn't think it would happen so soon.
Ryan felt a sharp pain and for a moment, he felt like he could not breathe. Knowing what this meant, he closed his eyes and focused his concentration. Within minutes, Ryan found himself far away from San Francisco, in a dark uninviting cave.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"We'll fix this, Piper," Phoebe comforted her sister. From her own premonitions, she knew a bit about what Chris had to go through, but somehow she felt that there was much more that she didn't know about.
"How come he won't believe me when I tell him that I love him?" Piper asked. "I love him so much!!"
Phoebe didn't want to tell Piper any more about her premonitions, so she just hugged her sister instead.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ryan cautiously made his way deeper into the cave. He didn't have to move very far before he saw Chris sitting on the ground. He immediately ran up to his brother and hugged him tightly.
"What happened, Chris?" Ryan asked, relieved that he was okay.
"I can't do this anymore," Chris said softly, his eyes dull and defeated.
Ryan shook his head in denial. "No...don't give up now. Please, Chris. You can't give up!"
"He's too strong..." Chris admitted.
"Wyatt is strong," Ryan admitted. "But you're just as strong, if not stronger."
"He's the firstborn, Ryan...I'm....I'm nothing..."
The words struck Ryan like a lightning bolt. He had never heard Chris sound so defeated before. "You're not nothing, Chris. You're my brother, my amazing brother," he answered, stressing the word amazing.
"I can't go through it again, Ryan..." he said. "I just can't...having them reject me, cast me away...one by one..."
Ryan knew what Chris was referring to because he remembered those times very clearly. He had experienced first hand the events that Chris feared, and he knew that immense pain that they brought.
"It won't happen again," Ryan assured his brother. "They already know about it and you'll win, Chris. I know you will."
Chris shook his head furiously. "It's already begun, Ryan. I can feel it. He's changing the timeline."
Ryan stopped as he contemplated Chris' words. He had never considered the possibility that Wyatt could work against them even from the future. It had seemed like a remote possibility, but with Wyatt, almost anything was possible.
"He's playing with your mind," Ryan replied. "You can't give in to him!"
"I can't stop him!" Chris yelled out angrily, though the anger was more directed at himself than at Ryan. "Aunt Paige is avoiding me already. And you know it'll be Aunt Phoebe next, and then Mom..."
Ryan sat in silence, realizing that Chris may be right. History may indeed be repeating itself, and if what Chris said was true, there may be little that they could do to stop Wyatt. "There has to be a way to stop him...." Ryan paused as a thought occurred to him.
Chris turned and looked at Ryan's face, his own eyes widening in horror. "No....don't even go there, Ryan Halliwell!" Chris ordered.
"It may be our only choice!" Ryan argued.
"No, Ryan. We agreed that under no circumstances were we to go there..."
"Chris, we have to let Mom know!"
"No!" Chris glared at Ryan. "We can't let Mom know about Rachel..." With that, Chris grabbed Ryan's hand and orbed back to the manor.
~ to be continued ~