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 21
Phoebe's heart was pounding as she tried to clear her mind. "That can't be right," she thought. "Chris can't be..." Without finishing her thought, Phoebe tried to go back to sleep. It was a hopeless battle, and Phoebe spent the rest of the night replaying the dreams in her head.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris was in the attic looking through the Book of Shadows, hoping to find some information on a new demon that was on the loose. Phoebe walked in quietly and sat down in the chair. Chris turned and jumped after seeing Phoebe there.
"Aunt Phoebe, don't sneak up on people like that!" Chris snapped.
Phoebe smiled. "Since when did you become so easily frightened?"
Chris rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. "Just quit doing that, okay?"
Again, Phoebe smiled, trying to hide her nervousness.
"What's wrong?" the young Whitelighter asked.
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong..."
"Come on, Aunt Phoebe. You're even worse than mom when it comes to lying."
Phoebe looked around, trying to find a way to get out of the situation. "Uhm, let's go check on Piper and see if she needs anything."
Chris extended his hand and blocked Phoebe's way, causing her to jump back, a look of fear in her eyes.
"What's going on?" Chris demanded, tired of the strange behaviour of his aunt.
"Have you ever been to the Underworld?" Phoebe finally blurted out before she could stop herself.
"What?" Chris asked, totally puzzled. "Aunt Phoebe, are you feeling alright?"
"I saw you moving amongst demons...laughing with them...making a deal with them. Did you?"
Chris' mind reeled at these accusations. It was as if his mind temporarily froze, preventing him from answering the question. His heart pounded and his body felt weak.
"Well? Did you?" Phoebe asked, hoping that her nephew would deny it. Her heart sank when Chris looked away, remaining silent. "Why, Chris?"
"Don't get mad, Aunt Phoebe..."
"Who are you, Chris? It's like we never actually even knew you...how many things are you hiding from us?"
"It's not what you think!"
"You made a deal with the demons...an upper-level demon..." she repeated as she ran out of the room.
"Aunt Phoebe...wait!!" he called out in vain.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Are you okay, Chris?" Ryan asked worriedly as his older brother stared at the ceiling.
"Aunt Phoebe found out about the deal..." Chris answered dejectedly.
Ryan thought for a moment before his eyes widened in dismay. "You mean the deal with the demons?"
Chris nodded. "I don't know how she could have known...she wasn't even touching me, so she couldn't have gotten a premonition."
"Wyatt."
"What?" Chris asked, puzzled.
"The only explanation is Wyatt. First it was Aunt Paige. Now it's Aunt Phoebe seeing things that she shouldn't see," Ryan reasoned. He didn't want to believe it but the evidence was becoming increasingly clear. "You know what? I'm going to tell her the truth."
"No, Ryan," Chris protested. "We've already been through this."
"You know what's going to happen if I don't tell her," Ryan argued.
Chris buried his face in his hands, too dejected to put up much more of a fight. "You promised me, Ryan," he said.
Another pang of guilt hit Ryan. He knew that his older brother was right. He did promise Chris that he would not utter a word. But still, the potential consequences were too great. More importantly, however, was whether or not he could go against Chris and tell his family the truth.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
For the next few days, Phoebe did her best to avoid Chris. However, her not-so-subtle way of avoiding her nephew soon aroused the suspicions of Paige and Piper. Although Phoebe did not disclose the reasons for her behaviour, it became obvious that Chris was the key reason behind this change. It was also obvious that neither Phoebe nor Chris would divulge any information voluntarily.
Chris, meanwhile, reverted back to old habits. His defense mechanisms kicked into gear and he was protected behind a wall that he built around himself. Piper could feel the increased distance with her son. Even Ryan, who normally would be unaffected by Chris' tendency to shut himself off, felt a difference, although to a much smaller degree.
Piper became worried about her son's increasingly volatile moods. All the progress that she appeared to have made over the past little while appeared to be in vain. When she turned to Ryan, her youngest son was unable to offer her much assistance, even though she could sense that he knew more than he actually let on.
It was after another tense evening in the manor that Piper decided to turn in early. The constant tension had left her feeling exhausted and any extra rest was welcomed. Piper soon fell into a deep sleep, only to be drawn into a strange dream.
~ dream begins ~
Piper was in the kitchen busying herself with dinner. She was glad that her younger children, Ryan and Rachel, were out for the afternoon. After all, it was rather difficult to get any housework done with energetic kids running all over the house. More importantly, it would have been quite difficult to make two surprise birthday cakes for her youngest children if they hadn't gone out. She smiled, still not believing that she was the mother of 4 children.
Her smile faded as she thought about her second son. She had been worried about Chris lately, with all of his mood swings and his frequent accusations directed at Wyatt. Her arguments with Chris were becoming increasingly frequent. She still hadn't figured out why Chris treated Wyatt this way, but she knew that the "old" Chris that she loved became apparent whenever he was with his younger siblings. They seemed to bring out the adorable and loving side of Chris, just as being in Wyatt's presence seemed to bring out her second son's less desirable side.
It was nearly six o'clock and her kids still hadn't returned. Normally, she would not worry much but somehow, she had this nagging feeling today. It was as if she was expecting something horrible to happen. She began to pace the kitchen restlessly, glancing at the clock every few seconds. She jumped from fright when the front door opened, only to reveal Paige and Phoebe. Her two sisters subsequently did their best to calm her nerves but were largely unsuccessful.
Her children soon orbed into the parlour and Piper immediately felt sick to her stomach. Ryan was in tears and Chris looked like he was crying too. In her second son's arms was Rachel, her body limp and bloodied.
"Rachel?" Piper cried, her voice hoarse. "Rachel!!"
Chris gently set his sister's body onto the floor as he began to sob. "I'm sorry Mom..."
"What happened??" Paige asked, her voice trembling.
"It was an accident..." Chris said, his voice soft, his eyes staring at the floor.
"What accident?" Piper cried, the shock still settling in. "Leo!! Leo!!" she called desperately.
"It's too late, Mom. Rachel's....dead..." he choked as Ryan held onto his older brother's arm for support.
Piper collapsed on the floor in tears. She crawled over to her daughter's body and hugged her, hoping that this was all a nightmare. "How?? How???" she demanded. Silence greeted her question, but she demanded to have answers. "How did this happen??" she asked again, her voice reaching a hysterical pitch.
"A spell gone wrong..." Chris finally whispered, his body wracking in sobs. "I didn't know..."
Piper's eyes became fiery at the revelation. "A spell gone wrong? Rachel was killed by a spell gone wrong? What were you thinking????"
"Wyatt..." Chris began before he was abruptly cut off.
"Don't you dare bring Wyatt into this. You and your obsession cost me my daughter, Christopher!!! You murdered your own sister!!!!"
Chris stared at the floor in shame and agony, trying desperately to remain composed. "I'm sorry, Mom...if I had known..."
"I don't want to see you, Chris. Get out of my sight!!!"
Chris looked at his mom and pleaded with his eyes. He looked to his aunts for support but there was none to be found. The Charmed Ones were united in their grief and Chris knew that the blame rested with him.
"As far as I'm concerned, from this day onward, I only have two sons..." Piper stated. Even Paige and Phoebe thought their sister was going too far, but Piper was adamant. "Now get out..."
~ dream ends ~
~ 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 21
Phoebe's heart was pounding as she tried to clear her mind. "That can't be right," she thought. "Chris can't be..." Without finishing her thought, Phoebe tried to go back to sleep. It was a hopeless battle, and Phoebe spent the rest of the night replaying the dreams in her head.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chris was in the attic looking through the Book of Shadows, hoping to find some information on a new demon that was on the loose. Phoebe walked in quietly and sat down in the chair. Chris turned and jumped after seeing Phoebe there.
"Aunt Phoebe, don't sneak up on people like that!" Chris snapped.
Phoebe smiled. "Since when did you become so easily frightened?"
Chris rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. "Just quit doing that, okay?"
Again, Phoebe smiled, trying to hide her nervousness.
"What's wrong?" the young Whitelighter asked.
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong..."
"Come on, Aunt Phoebe. You're even worse than mom when it comes to lying."
Phoebe looked around, trying to find a way to get out of the situation. "Uhm, let's go check on Piper and see if she needs anything."
Chris extended his hand and blocked Phoebe's way, causing her to jump back, a look of fear in her eyes.
"What's going on?" Chris demanded, tired of the strange behaviour of his aunt.
"Have you ever been to the Underworld?" Phoebe finally blurted out before she could stop herself.
"What?" Chris asked, totally puzzled. "Aunt Phoebe, are you feeling alright?"
"I saw you moving amongst demons...laughing with them...making a deal with them. Did you?"
Chris' mind reeled at these accusations. It was as if his mind temporarily froze, preventing him from answering the question. His heart pounded and his body felt weak.
"Well? Did you?" Phoebe asked, hoping that her nephew would deny it. Her heart sank when Chris looked away, remaining silent. "Why, Chris?"
"Don't get mad, Aunt Phoebe..."
"Who are you, Chris? It's like we never actually even knew you...how many things are you hiding from us?"
"It's not what you think!"
"You made a deal with the demons...an upper-level demon..." she repeated as she ran out of the room.
"Aunt Phoebe...wait!!" he called out in vain.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Are you okay, Chris?" Ryan asked worriedly as his older brother stared at the ceiling.
"Aunt Phoebe found out about the deal..." Chris answered dejectedly.
Ryan thought for a moment before his eyes widened in dismay. "You mean the deal with the demons?"
Chris nodded. "I don't know how she could have known...she wasn't even touching me, so she couldn't have gotten a premonition."
"Wyatt."
"What?" Chris asked, puzzled.
"The only explanation is Wyatt. First it was Aunt Paige. Now it's Aunt Phoebe seeing things that she shouldn't see," Ryan reasoned. He didn't want to believe it but the evidence was becoming increasingly clear. "You know what? I'm going to tell her the truth."
"No, Ryan," Chris protested. "We've already been through this."
"You know what's going to happen if I don't tell her," Ryan argued.
Chris buried his face in his hands, too dejected to put up much more of a fight. "You promised me, Ryan," he said.
Another pang of guilt hit Ryan. He knew that his older brother was right. He did promise Chris that he would not utter a word. But still, the potential consequences were too great. More importantly, however, was whether or not he could go against Chris and tell his family the truth.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
For the next few days, Phoebe did her best to avoid Chris. However, her not-so-subtle way of avoiding her nephew soon aroused the suspicions of Paige and Piper. Although Phoebe did not disclose the reasons for her behaviour, it became obvious that Chris was the key reason behind this change. It was also obvious that neither Phoebe nor Chris would divulge any information voluntarily.
Chris, meanwhile, reverted back to old habits. His defense mechanisms kicked into gear and he was protected behind a wall that he built around himself. Piper could feel the increased distance with her son. Even Ryan, who normally would be unaffected by Chris' tendency to shut himself off, felt a difference, although to a much smaller degree.
Piper became worried about her son's increasingly volatile moods. All the progress that she appeared to have made over the past little while appeared to be in vain. When she turned to Ryan, her youngest son was unable to offer her much assistance, even though she could sense that he knew more than he actually let on.
It was after another tense evening in the manor that Piper decided to turn in early. The constant tension had left her feeling exhausted and any extra rest was welcomed. Piper soon fell into a deep sleep, only to be drawn into a strange dream.
~ dream begins ~
Piper was in the kitchen busying herself with dinner. She was glad that her younger children, Ryan and Rachel, were out for the afternoon. After all, it was rather difficult to get any housework done with energetic kids running all over the house. More importantly, it would have been quite difficult to make two surprise birthday cakes for her youngest children if they hadn't gone out. She smiled, still not believing that she was the mother of 4 children.
Her smile faded as she thought about her second son. She had been worried about Chris lately, with all of his mood swings and his frequent accusations directed at Wyatt. Her arguments with Chris were becoming increasingly frequent. She still hadn't figured out why Chris treated Wyatt this way, but she knew that the "old" Chris that she loved became apparent whenever he was with his younger siblings. They seemed to bring out the adorable and loving side of Chris, just as being in Wyatt's presence seemed to bring out her second son's less desirable side.
It was nearly six o'clock and her kids still hadn't returned. Normally, she would not worry much but somehow, she had this nagging feeling today. It was as if she was expecting something horrible to happen. She began to pace the kitchen restlessly, glancing at the clock every few seconds. She jumped from fright when the front door opened, only to reveal Paige and Phoebe. Her two sisters subsequently did their best to calm her nerves but were largely unsuccessful.
Her children soon orbed into the parlour and Piper immediately felt sick to her stomach. Ryan was in tears and Chris looked like he was crying too. In her second son's arms was Rachel, her body limp and bloodied.
"Rachel?" Piper cried, her voice hoarse. "Rachel!!"
Chris gently set his sister's body onto the floor as he began to sob. "I'm sorry Mom..."
"What happened??" Paige asked, her voice trembling.
"It was an accident..." Chris said, his voice soft, his eyes staring at the floor.
"What accident?" Piper cried, the shock still settling in. "Leo!! Leo!!" she called desperately.
"It's too late, Mom. Rachel's....dead..." he choked as Ryan held onto his older brother's arm for support.
Piper collapsed on the floor in tears. She crawled over to her daughter's body and hugged her, hoping that this was all a nightmare. "How?? How???" she demanded. Silence greeted her question, but she demanded to have answers. "How did this happen??" she asked again, her voice reaching a hysterical pitch.
"A spell gone wrong..." Chris finally whispered, his body wracking in sobs. "I didn't know..."
Piper's eyes became fiery at the revelation. "A spell gone wrong? Rachel was killed by a spell gone wrong? What were you thinking????"
"Wyatt..." Chris began before he was abruptly cut off.
"Don't you dare bring Wyatt into this. You and your obsession cost me my daughter, Christopher!!! You murdered your own sister!!!!"
Chris stared at the floor in shame and agony, trying desperately to remain composed. "I'm sorry, Mom...if I had known..."
"I don't want to see you, Chris. Get out of my sight!!!"
Chris looked at his mom and pleaded with his eyes. He looked to his aunts for support but there was none to be found. The Charmed Ones were united in their grief and Chris knew that the blame rested with him.
"As far as I'm concerned, from this day onward, I only have two sons..." Piper stated. Even Paige and Phoebe thought their sister was going too far, but Piper was adamant. "Now get out..."
~ dream ends ~
~ to be continued ~