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 22
Piper awoke with cold sweat on her face. She was shaking uncontrollably and she struggled for air. After sitting on her bed for nearly an hour, she decided to make herself a cup of tea to soothe her nerves. She glanced at the clock and it was nearly seven in the morning. She walked into the kitchen to see Chris pouring himself a cup of juice. He looked up to see Piper walking into the kitchen, her face pale.
"Mom, are you alright?" Chris asked, his face full of concern.
"Bad nightmare," Piper answered with a weak smile.
Chris' face clouded over as Piper mentioned the word 'nightmare.' However, his mastery at covering up his emotions once again served him well. "You want a cup of hot tea?"
Piper nodded and Chris proceeded to pour the tea into a cup.
"Ryan's still asleep?"
"Yeah, I think all this time travel thing has worn him out a bit," Chris laughed.
"Chris, let me ask you a question."
"What is it?"
"So you've traveled back here to the past and now Ryan is here too. So who's going to take care of Rachel?"
The cup that Chris was holding dropped and shattered to the floor. Immediately, Chris busied himself cleaning up the mess. "I'm such a klutz," he laughed nervously.
The commotion caused Paige and Phoebe to come downstairs, afraid that it was another demon attack.
"How come you never told me about Rachel?"
"You never asked," Chris answered, trying to change the subject.
"So how is she? Does she look like me?"
"She's fine, Mom," Chris replied hastily. "She has your eyes."
"What are you two doing here?" Phoebe asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "It's only seven in the morning!"
"Sorry for waking you," Piper apologized. "We just got carried away as Chris was just about to tell me about my daughter."
"What daughter?" Paige asked, confused.
"Rachel, Ryan's twin sister," Piper answered.
This revelation immediately rekindled Phoebe's suspicions about Chris. She narrowed her eyes and glared at her nephew. "Another secret, Chris?"
That comment drew more confused stares by Paige and Piper. "There's more?"
Phoebe remained tight-lipped but the expression on her face told the entire story.
"So who's taking care of Rachel now, Chris?" Piper resumed her questions.
"Mom, you look stressed out. Why don't we talk about this later and you go get some rest, okay?" Chris suggested, hoping that everyone would agree.
"Can't a mother worry about her children? That is...unless they're no longer alive."
Chris stared at her with a look that Piper would never forget. His eyes had a combination of pain, fear, and sadness. "Mom..." he began.
"She's dead, isn't she?" Piper whimpered, her voice trembling as she feared that her nightmare was actually a reflection of the future.
"Mom..." Chris whispered as he stared at Piper. "I..."
"You killed her?" Piper finished for him.
The question completed floored Chris as he stumbled several steps back.
"Is that why you kept insisting that Wyatt turns evil? To cover your tracks?"
"NO!!!" Chris protested. "Mom, you don't...."
"Just answer me, Christopher Perry Halliwell. Were you responsible for Rachel's death?"
Chris stared at his mom and aunts in pain and confusion. He felt exposed and vulnerable. "Mom..." he stammered as he stared at the floor.
"How could you lie to me? About this of all things?" Piper yelled, shaking in anger.
"I didn't know how to tell you," Chris explained, hoping that she would understand.
"You killed your sister and you didn't think that I had a right to know about this?" Piper continued. "When were you even planning to tell me? Or did you even plan to tell me at all?"
"I'm sorry..." Chris whispered in tears. "I'm sorry, Mom..."
"Just leave, Chris," Piper said as she closed her eyes.
"No..." Chris pleaded. "Mom...don't throw me out...please..."
"Piper," Paige intervened, "don't do something that you'll regret. You need to calm down."
"Leave, Chris," Piper said once again, "before I lose the little control that I still have and blow you up myself."
Chris stood there staring at his mom, stunned. Unfortunately, he realized that he wasn't dreaming. This was all very real. "I'm sorry..." he muttered before orbing away.
"Chris!!" Paige called out, but it was too late. "What did you do that for?" she yelled at her sister.
Piper glared at Paige. "He killed my daughter."
"He also happens to be your son!" Paige retorted. "You didn't even give him a chance to explain himself."
"He admitted to killing my daughter. He's a murderer!"
"...who also deals with demons..." Phoebe muttered.
"What??" Piper yelled, getting even angrier. "Why didn't you tell me??"
"I just found out myself," Phoebe defended herself. "It seems like we never really knew him at all."
"I can't believe you two!!" Paige yelled in frustration. "He is your son!" she repeated, pointing at Piper. "And your nephew," she said, pointing at Phoebe. "He's family, not a criminal!"
"I don't think Wyatt turns evil at all. I think it's Chris who turned evil," Piper rationalized. "But somehow some forces intervened to save us from falling into his trap."
As the conversation continued, Ryan emerged from the basement. "What's going on here? I heard all of you from downstairs!" he said as he stared at the expressions of the Charmed Ones' faces. "What happened? Where's Chris?" he said, his voice betraying a rising panic.
"Chris is gone, Ryan," Piper answered calmly.
"Yes, your mother just threw him out," Paige spat, furious at her sister's actions.
"WHAT???" Ryan hollered. "What happened??"
"We found out some things about Chris that he had hid from us all this time," Phoebe explained, ignoring Paige's death stares.
"Things?" Ryan asked as the colour began to drain from his face. "What things?"
"That he dealt with demons...and that he killed your sister in the future. Why didn't you tell us the truth?"
"And Chris wasn't even given a chance to explain before your mother threatened to blow him up," Paige added sarcastically.
Ryan's face became contorted with rage. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???" he yelled before storming out of the manor, slamming the door so hard that the manor shook.
"Wonderful, I hope you two are very happy now," Paige fumed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile...
Chris rematerialized on top of a remote mountain, tears streaking uncontrollably down his face. "Why? Why me?" he asked. "All I wanted was to save my brother and my family. Was that so wrong?" He began to pound the ground with his hands, ignoring the pain and the blood that began to flow from his wounds.
"WHY????????" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He glared towards the heavens as if daring the gods to strike him. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
He extended his right hand and a huge lightning bolt struck a nearby forest, setting the trees on fire. He raised his left hand and ferocious winds began to howl.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Back in San Francisco...
The three sisters continued to glare at each other, with no one willing to back down. Paige could not believe how blind her sisters were while Phoebe and Piper thought the same of Paige. Before anyone else could say anything, the sunny sky suddenly became pitch black.
Lightning started to light up the sky and thunder pounded relentlessly. The manor began to shake as the winds howled, slamming debris against the house. A massive downpour began and within minutes, the sewers on the roads were backing up.
"What's going on??" Phoebe asked. "It was totally sunny just two minutes ago!!"
Paige walked over to the window to make sure that everything was secure. "Oh my god," she gasped as she watched the television. Her reaction immediately brought her sisters into the room. They watched in awe as the news showed San Francisco harbour. The waves were pounding the shoreline like a massive hurricane. Boats were overturned and the water was rushing onto shore. The winds were so strong that even the Golden Gate Bridge was wavering.
"Quickly, to the Book of Shadows," Piper commanded. Paige took her sisters' hands and orbed them to the attic.
When they rematerialized in the attic, they were greeted by an even more frightening sight. The Book of Shadows was glowing and the pages were flipping at lightning speed, even though no one was by the Book. Phoebe reached out and was thrown back by the Book.
Another loud noise startled the Charmed Ones as they realized that massive hail was now pounding the city.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In the Underworld...
"What the hell is going on?" the leader demon asked as his domain shook violently. He looked around as his followers looked on in fright. Occasionally, one demon would just erupt in flames, causing even more confusion and panic.
"I have no idea," one of the followers answered. "But similar chaos is happening up in the mortal realm."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Up There'...
"What is the cause of this upheaval?" an Elder asked as they looked down at the carnage.
"We don't know at this point. But it is definitely caused by a most powerful magical force," another answered.
"Let me go and see if I can find out anything," Leo offered before orbing 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!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Pain of Future Wrongs – Chapter 22
Piper awoke with cold sweat on her face. She was shaking uncontrollably and she struggled for air. After sitting on her bed for nearly an hour, she decided to make herself a cup of tea to soothe her nerves. She glanced at the clock and it was nearly seven in the morning. She walked into the kitchen to see Chris pouring himself a cup of juice. He looked up to see Piper walking into the kitchen, her face pale.
"Mom, are you alright?" Chris asked, his face full of concern.
"Bad nightmare," Piper answered with a weak smile.
Chris' face clouded over as Piper mentioned the word 'nightmare.' However, his mastery at covering up his emotions once again served him well. "You want a cup of hot tea?"
Piper nodded and Chris proceeded to pour the tea into a cup.
"Ryan's still asleep?"
"Yeah, I think all this time travel thing has worn him out a bit," Chris laughed.
"Chris, let me ask you a question."
"What is it?"
"So you've traveled back here to the past and now Ryan is here too. So who's going to take care of Rachel?"
The cup that Chris was holding dropped and shattered to the floor. Immediately, Chris busied himself cleaning up the mess. "I'm such a klutz," he laughed nervously.
The commotion caused Paige and Phoebe to come downstairs, afraid that it was another demon attack.
"How come you never told me about Rachel?"
"You never asked," Chris answered, trying to change the subject.
"So how is she? Does she look like me?"
"She's fine, Mom," Chris replied hastily. "She has your eyes."
"What are you two doing here?" Phoebe asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "It's only seven in the morning!"
"Sorry for waking you," Piper apologized. "We just got carried away as Chris was just about to tell me about my daughter."
"What daughter?" Paige asked, confused.
"Rachel, Ryan's twin sister," Piper answered.
This revelation immediately rekindled Phoebe's suspicions about Chris. She narrowed her eyes and glared at her nephew. "Another secret, Chris?"
That comment drew more confused stares by Paige and Piper. "There's more?"
Phoebe remained tight-lipped but the expression on her face told the entire story.
"So who's taking care of Rachel now, Chris?" Piper resumed her questions.
"Mom, you look stressed out. Why don't we talk about this later and you go get some rest, okay?" Chris suggested, hoping that everyone would agree.
"Can't a mother worry about her children? That is...unless they're no longer alive."
Chris stared at her with a look that Piper would never forget. His eyes had a combination of pain, fear, and sadness. "Mom..." he began.
"She's dead, isn't she?" Piper whimpered, her voice trembling as she feared that her nightmare was actually a reflection of the future.
"Mom..." Chris whispered as he stared at Piper. "I..."
"You killed her?" Piper finished for him.
The question completed floored Chris as he stumbled several steps back.
"Is that why you kept insisting that Wyatt turns evil? To cover your tracks?"
"NO!!!" Chris protested. "Mom, you don't...."
"Just answer me, Christopher Perry Halliwell. Were you responsible for Rachel's death?"
Chris stared at his mom and aunts in pain and confusion. He felt exposed and vulnerable. "Mom..." he stammered as he stared at the floor.
"How could you lie to me? About this of all things?" Piper yelled, shaking in anger.
"I didn't know how to tell you," Chris explained, hoping that she would understand.
"You killed your sister and you didn't think that I had a right to know about this?" Piper continued. "When were you even planning to tell me? Or did you even plan to tell me at all?"
"I'm sorry..." Chris whispered in tears. "I'm sorry, Mom..."
"Just leave, Chris," Piper said as she closed her eyes.
"No..." Chris pleaded. "Mom...don't throw me out...please..."
"Piper," Paige intervened, "don't do something that you'll regret. You need to calm down."
"Leave, Chris," Piper said once again, "before I lose the little control that I still have and blow you up myself."
Chris stood there staring at his mom, stunned. Unfortunately, he realized that he wasn't dreaming. This was all very real. "I'm sorry..." he muttered before orbing away.
"Chris!!" Paige called out, but it was too late. "What did you do that for?" she yelled at her sister.
Piper glared at Paige. "He killed my daughter."
"He also happens to be your son!" Paige retorted. "You didn't even give him a chance to explain himself."
"He admitted to killing my daughter. He's a murderer!"
"...who also deals with demons..." Phoebe muttered.
"What??" Piper yelled, getting even angrier. "Why didn't you tell me??"
"I just found out myself," Phoebe defended herself. "It seems like we never really knew him at all."
"I can't believe you two!!" Paige yelled in frustration. "He is your son!" she repeated, pointing at Piper. "And your nephew," she said, pointing at Phoebe. "He's family, not a criminal!"
"I don't think Wyatt turns evil at all. I think it's Chris who turned evil," Piper rationalized. "But somehow some forces intervened to save us from falling into his trap."
As the conversation continued, Ryan emerged from the basement. "What's going on here? I heard all of you from downstairs!" he said as he stared at the expressions of the Charmed Ones' faces. "What happened? Where's Chris?" he said, his voice betraying a rising panic.
"Chris is gone, Ryan," Piper answered calmly.
"Yes, your mother just threw him out," Paige spat, furious at her sister's actions.
"WHAT???" Ryan hollered. "What happened??"
"We found out some things about Chris that he had hid from us all this time," Phoebe explained, ignoring Paige's death stares.
"Things?" Ryan asked as the colour began to drain from his face. "What things?"
"That he dealt with demons...and that he killed your sister in the future. Why didn't you tell us the truth?"
"And Chris wasn't even given a chance to explain before your mother threatened to blow him up," Paige added sarcastically.
Ryan's face became contorted with rage. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE???" he yelled before storming out of the manor, slamming the door so hard that the manor shook.
"Wonderful, I hope you two are very happy now," Paige fumed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile...
Chris rematerialized on top of a remote mountain, tears streaking uncontrollably down his face. "Why? Why me?" he asked. "All I wanted was to save my brother and my family. Was that so wrong?" He began to pound the ground with his hands, ignoring the pain and the blood that began to flow from his wounds.
"WHY????????" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He glared towards the heavens as if daring the gods to strike him. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
He extended his right hand and a huge lightning bolt struck a nearby forest, setting the trees on fire. He raised his left hand and ferocious winds began to howl.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Back in San Francisco...
The three sisters continued to glare at each other, with no one willing to back down. Paige could not believe how blind her sisters were while Phoebe and Piper thought the same of Paige. Before anyone else could say anything, the sunny sky suddenly became pitch black.
Lightning started to light up the sky and thunder pounded relentlessly. The manor began to shake as the winds howled, slamming debris against the house. A massive downpour began and within minutes, the sewers on the roads were backing up.
"What's going on??" Phoebe asked. "It was totally sunny just two minutes ago!!"
Paige walked over to the window to make sure that everything was secure. "Oh my god," she gasped as she watched the television. Her reaction immediately brought her sisters into the room. They watched in awe as the news showed San Francisco harbour. The waves were pounding the shoreline like a massive hurricane. Boats were overturned and the water was rushing onto shore. The winds were so strong that even the Golden Gate Bridge was wavering.
"Quickly, to the Book of Shadows," Piper commanded. Paige took her sisters' hands and orbed them to the attic.
When they rematerialized in the attic, they were greeted by an even more frightening sight. The Book of Shadows was glowing and the pages were flipping at lightning speed, even though no one was by the Book. Phoebe reached out and was thrown back by the Book.
Another loud noise startled the Charmed Ones as they realized that massive hail was now pounding the city.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
In the Underworld...
"What the hell is going on?" the leader demon asked as his domain shook violently. He looked around as his followers looked on in fright. Occasionally, one demon would just erupt in flames, causing even more confusion and panic.
"I have no idea," one of the followers answered. "But similar chaos is happening up in the mortal realm."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
'Up There'...
"What is the cause of this upheaval?" an Elder asked as they looked down at the carnage.
"We don't know at this point. But it is definitely caused by a most powerful magical force," another answered.
"Let me go and see if I can find out anything," Leo offered before orbing to the manor.
~ to be continued ~