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 !
The Pain of Future Wrongs – Chapter 33
The two brothers continued to hug each other tightly, enjoying the restoration of their brotherly bond. "Wyatt..." Chris finally said as they pulled apart.
Wyatt noticed a guilty look on his younger brother's face and became puzzled. "What's wrong, Chris?"
"I'm sorry for some of the things that I said about you..." Chris began.
"Don't be silly, Chris. Besides, most of them were true."
"That's besides the point..." Chris protested.
"Do you have to put up a fight every time?" Wyatt asked with mock exasperation.
Chris just stared at Wyatt with his sad eyes.
Wyatt sighed and pulled his brother into another hug. "Come on, we need to have a nice, long chat."
"Okay," Chris answered as he took Wyatt's hand and orbed to a secluded garden in a city park.
Wyatt smiled when they rematerialized. "Thank you. I was starting to get a little queasy up there."
Chris smirked at the comment. "The great Wyatt Halliwell afraid of heights?"
Wyatt playfully punched Chris in the arm. "In case you've forgotten, I don't have my powers anymore, so play nice."
Chris' smile faded and once again took on a sad look. "I'm sorry..."
"For what?"
"I..." Chris stammered, not knowing what to say. "I never meant for you to lose your powers..."
Wyatt's grin widened. "You worry too much, Chris. I'm totally fine with this."
Chris didn't look convinced and he eyed his older brother with a skeptical look.
"Look, Chris," Wyatt continued. "Power was what turned me evil, in a way. It feels great to be without powers...it's liberating, if you know what I mean."
Chris shook his head, indicating that he didn't understand. "You're Twice- Blessed, Wyatt."
"So?"
Chris felt confused. On the one hand, he felt relieved and elated that Wyatt was now good again. On the other hand, he felt immense guilt for everything that has happened. The war between relief and guilt raged in his mind, wreaking havoc and internal turmoil. "This isn't right," he told himself. "Wyatt is supposed to be the one with the powers...not me..."
Wyatt stood there watching his younger brother curiously. Even without any magical powers, he could tell that Chris was struggling with conflicting thoughts. Somehow, Wyatt had a good idea of the source of these struggles. "Want to talk about it?"
Chris snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Wyatt. "Maybe another time," he mumbled.
"You know I'm here for you, right?"
Chris nodded and managed a weak smile.
Meanwhile, back at the manor...
"They've been gone an awfully long time," Piper said once again as she eyed the clock.
Leo pulled her into a hug and comforted her. "They've both adults, Piper. They can take care of themselves."
Piper stared at Leo as if he had gone mad. "Hello!! Wyatt was an evil tyrant and Chris..." her voice choked as she mentioned the name of her second son. "What if something happened to them?"
"Mom," Ryan interrupted, "quit worrying. Chris can take care of himself."
"But..."
Ryan rolled his eyes in exasperation. His resemblance to Chris when he did that was not lost on everyone else in the room. Once again, Chris' influence on the younger Halliwell was clearly on display.
As everyone continued to grasp the events that have unfolded, blue orbs appeared in the room. Piper sighed in relief as Wyatt and Chris rematerialized. She immediately ran towards Chris and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Mom..." he gasped. "I can't breathe...."
Piper, feeling embarrassed, released Chris from her embrace. Tears streaked her face as she took in the face of her second son. Despite his youth, his face wore the scars of the pain that he had suffered through the years.
Chris felt increasingly uncomfortable as his mother stared at him. Suddenly, he felt enclosed and trapped. His eyes darted around the room and everything seemed to be have stopped moving. "Uh...I better get going now," Chris muttered as he turned to leave, only to be held back by Piper.
"Don't go, Chris..." she half-pleaded, half ordered. Her eyes begged for forgiveness, her lips quivered as Chris took in her words.
"I have to," Chris said sadly. He turned his eyes away from Piper, not wanting to see her reaction to his words. He closed his eyes as he imagined how his mother's heart was being shattered by his words. "I don't belong here..." Chris heard Piper inhaling sharply and he could feel her trembling.
"Chris, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for everything!" Piper cried out, releasing her pent up emotions. "I can't change the past. I would give anything to take back all the cruel words that I ever said to you and all the cruel things that I ever did to you, but I can't!"
Chris' resolve weakened slightly at his mother's pleas. "I've done what I came to do...I've already served my purpose."
Wyatt flinched at Chris' words. He hated how Chris viewed himself with such poor esteem, although he knew that he was the cause of this. He walked over and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "This is what you risked everything for, Chris. Don't you think you should now enjoy the fruits of your labour?"
Chris smiled sadly at these words. "That's not how things work around here."
"Things change," Ryan interrupted. "You've changed everything, Chris."
"I've changed things," Chris acknowledged, "but not everything, Ryan. Some things will never change." Knowing that continuing the discussion would be fruitless, he orbed out of the room, leaving a Piper heartbroken and a very confused and frustrated Halliwell family.
Wyatt hesitated before running out of the room and charging up the stairs as far as he could. He ran into the attic and sure enough, Chris was poring over the Book of Shadows.
"I don't get it," Wyatt mused. "Isn't this what you've always wanted? Why would you push everything away now that you've finally gotten what you had always wished for?"
"What I want doesn't matter," Chris replied. "It never did, never will."
"Damn it, Chris! How many times do I have to tell you? You're just as important to the family as Ryan or myself," Wyatt answered, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "And you're just as stubborn as any Halliwell."
Chris chuckled at the comment and unfolded the sheet of paper in his hands. He stared at the words, giving second thoughts to what he was about to do.
"Don't, Chris..." Wyatt pleaded desperately, knowing what his brother was about to set in motion.
"It's for the best," Chris answered not too convincingly.
"Mom and Dad need you. Ryan needs you," Wyatt tried again. "I...I need you, Chris."
Chris willed himself not to cry. He could hear the rest of the family coming up the stairs. He took a deep breath and took a final glance at Wyatt. "Take care of them, Wy..."
"No...." Wyatt cried as Chris disappeared before his eyes. "Noooo!!!"
Only after he had disappeared from the attic did Chris allow himself to cry. He was ecstatic that he had succeeded in his mission, but leaving everyone behind was painful. True, this had been the plan all along – to come back to the past, save Wyatt, and return to the future. Still, knowing this was the plan did not make the experience any easier or less painful.
"It's for the best," Chris told himself as he tried to quell his anxiety. Having convinced himself that he had made the right decision, Chris began to observe his surroundings.
His first reaction was surprise. Then shock. Nervousness. And finally – fear.
"Where the hell am I???" he whispered to himself as he looked around with bewilderment.
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 !
The Pain of Future Wrongs – Chapter 33
The two brothers continued to hug each other tightly, enjoying the restoration of their brotherly bond. "Wyatt..." Chris finally said as they pulled apart.
Wyatt noticed a guilty look on his younger brother's face and became puzzled. "What's wrong, Chris?"
"I'm sorry for some of the things that I said about you..." Chris began.
"Don't be silly, Chris. Besides, most of them were true."
"That's besides the point..." Chris protested.
"Do you have to put up a fight every time?" Wyatt asked with mock exasperation.
Chris just stared at Wyatt with his sad eyes.
Wyatt sighed and pulled his brother into another hug. "Come on, we need to have a nice, long chat."
"Okay," Chris answered as he took Wyatt's hand and orbed to a secluded garden in a city park.
Wyatt smiled when they rematerialized. "Thank you. I was starting to get a little queasy up there."
Chris smirked at the comment. "The great Wyatt Halliwell afraid of heights?"
Wyatt playfully punched Chris in the arm. "In case you've forgotten, I don't have my powers anymore, so play nice."
Chris' smile faded and once again took on a sad look. "I'm sorry..."
"For what?"
"I..." Chris stammered, not knowing what to say. "I never meant for you to lose your powers..."
Wyatt's grin widened. "You worry too much, Chris. I'm totally fine with this."
Chris didn't look convinced and he eyed his older brother with a skeptical look.
"Look, Chris," Wyatt continued. "Power was what turned me evil, in a way. It feels great to be without powers...it's liberating, if you know what I mean."
Chris shook his head, indicating that he didn't understand. "You're Twice- Blessed, Wyatt."
"So?"
Chris felt confused. On the one hand, he felt relieved and elated that Wyatt was now good again. On the other hand, he felt immense guilt for everything that has happened. The war between relief and guilt raged in his mind, wreaking havoc and internal turmoil. "This isn't right," he told himself. "Wyatt is supposed to be the one with the powers...not me..."
Wyatt stood there watching his younger brother curiously. Even without any magical powers, he could tell that Chris was struggling with conflicting thoughts. Somehow, Wyatt had a good idea of the source of these struggles. "Want to talk about it?"
Chris snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Wyatt. "Maybe another time," he mumbled.
"You know I'm here for you, right?"
Chris nodded and managed a weak smile.
Meanwhile, back at the manor...
"They've been gone an awfully long time," Piper said once again as she eyed the clock.
Leo pulled her into a hug and comforted her. "They've both adults, Piper. They can take care of themselves."
Piper stared at Leo as if he had gone mad. "Hello!! Wyatt was an evil tyrant and Chris..." her voice choked as she mentioned the name of her second son. "What if something happened to them?"
"Mom," Ryan interrupted, "quit worrying. Chris can take care of himself."
"But..."
Ryan rolled his eyes in exasperation. His resemblance to Chris when he did that was not lost on everyone else in the room. Once again, Chris' influence on the younger Halliwell was clearly on display.
As everyone continued to grasp the events that have unfolded, blue orbs appeared in the room. Piper sighed in relief as Wyatt and Chris rematerialized. She immediately ran towards Chris and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Mom..." he gasped. "I can't breathe...."
Piper, feeling embarrassed, released Chris from her embrace. Tears streaked her face as she took in the face of her second son. Despite his youth, his face wore the scars of the pain that he had suffered through the years.
Chris felt increasingly uncomfortable as his mother stared at him. Suddenly, he felt enclosed and trapped. His eyes darted around the room and everything seemed to be have stopped moving. "Uh...I better get going now," Chris muttered as he turned to leave, only to be held back by Piper.
"Don't go, Chris..." she half-pleaded, half ordered. Her eyes begged for forgiveness, her lips quivered as Chris took in her words.
"I have to," Chris said sadly. He turned his eyes away from Piper, not wanting to see her reaction to his words. He closed his eyes as he imagined how his mother's heart was being shattered by his words. "I don't belong here..." Chris heard Piper inhaling sharply and he could feel her trembling.
"Chris, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for everything!" Piper cried out, releasing her pent up emotions. "I can't change the past. I would give anything to take back all the cruel words that I ever said to you and all the cruel things that I ever did to you, but I can't!"
Chris' resolve weakened slightly at his mother's pleas. "I've done what I came to do...I've already served my purpose."
Wyatt flinched at Chris' words. He hated how Chris viewed himself with such poor esteem, although he knew that he was the cause of this. He walked over and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "This is what you risked everything for, Chris. Don't you think you should now enjoy the fruits of your labour?"
Chris smiled sadly at these words. "That's not how things work around here."
"Things change," Ryan interrupted. "You've changed everything, Chris."
"I've changed things," Chris acknowledged, "but not everything, Ryan. Some things will never change." Knowing that continuing the discussion would be fruitless, he orbed out of the room, leaving a Piper heartbroken and a very confused and frustrated Halliwell family.
Wyatt hesitated before running out of the room and charging up the stairs as far as he could. He ran into the attic and sure enough, Chris was poring over the Book of Shadows.
"I don't get it," Wyatt mused. "Isn't this what you've always wanted? Why would you push everything away now that you've finally gotten what you had always wished for?"
"What I want doesn't matter," Chris replied. "It never did, never will."
"Damn it, Chris! How many times do I have to tell you? You're just as important to the family as Ryan or myself," Wyatt answered, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "And you're just as stubborn as any Halliwell."
Chris chuckled at the comment and unfolded the sheet of paper in his hands. He stared at the words, giving second thoughts to what he was about to do.
"Don't, Chris..." Wyatt pleaded desperately, knowing what his brother was about to set in motion.
"It's for the best," Chris answered not too convincingly.
"Mom and Dad need you. Ryan needs you," Wyatt tried again. "I...I need you, Chris."
Chris willed himself not to cry. He could hear the rest of the family coming up the stairs. He took a deep breath and took a final glance at Wyatt. "Take care of them, Wy..."
"No...." Wyatt cried as Chris disappeared before his eyes. "Noooo!!!"
Only after he had disappeared from the attic did Chris allow himself to cry. He was ecstatic that he had succeeded in his mission, but leaving everyone behind was painful. True, this had been the plan all along – to come back to the past, save Wyatt, and return to the future. Still, knowing this was the plan did not make the experience any easier or less painful.
"It's for the best," Chris told himself as he tried to quell his anxiety. Having convinced himself that he had made the right decision, Chris began to observe his surroundings.
His first reaction was surprise. Then shock. Nervousness. And finally – fear.
"Where the hell am I???" he whispered to himself as he looked around with bewilderment.
to be continued