Piper's heart beat wildly in her chest as she stood starring at the new arrivals in the attic. Her body was in too much shock to move and even though she knew that she should be taking some sort of action against the intruders, she couldn't quite bring herself to do it.
Cole, Mel…
Phoebe…
They were family. She loved them dearly…and yet it was clear from the cool expressions on their faces and the deadly weapons in their hands that they were here for one destructive purpose…
They were here to kill…
They had already hurt Paige…
She remained in her frozen state for several seconds- hardly noticing as Wyatt rushed to his fallen aunt's side and began to heal her wound.
This wasn't happening…
This wasn't real…
They would never turn against the family like this…
She still didn't want to believe it…
It wasn't until Phoebe spoke that Piper was finally snapped out of her state of shock.
"Surprised to see us, Piper?" she asked a slight smirk across her face.
Piper noticed briefly that the joy that usually shone in her younger sisters eyes was dead and gone…even though her changes were not as physical as her husbands and daughters, something was very different about her…
She had turned...
"Don't worry." Phoebe began again- still looking directly at her older sister. "We're not here for you…we're here for everyone else…"
A cool fear washed over Piper and she waved her hands frantically hoping to freeze them before they could do anymore harm.
But, instead of freezing, the four attackers sprang into action, each focused on taking out their next victim.
Piper was knocked painfully onto the floor by the unfamiliar demon as he bolted past her to get to Leo. Her vision darkened slightly but she refused to let herself pass out. She needed to help save her family…they all needed her help…
She drew in several deep breaths, and attempted to get back onto her feet.
She couldn't give up so soon.
She needed to ignore the pain.
She needed to fight…
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Mel immediately turned her attention to the other side of the attic.
She could see him there…his eyes wide with confusion and fear…
Chris.
She needed to eliminate Chris- only then could she be completely free. As soon as he was dead she would have no reason to fight the demon inside of her
She quickly shimmed to where he stood and, upon her arrival, was surprised to see that he was not alone. There was another…like him…standing timidly behind Chris, tears welling in her big blue eyes.
Jenny.
Mel recognised her from school.
What was she doing here?
Was she a whitelighter too?
It certainly appeared that way…that was quite an unexpected twist…
All Mel knew for sure was that the girl was afraid- afraid of the demon that was here to bring her end…
The young demon gave a satisfied smirk, glad to know that she had been the cause of fear in another.
Slowly, she raised her crossbow and aimed it steadily towards the two pitiful creatures before her. They were weak…useless…
Whitelighters served no purpose and deserved nothing but death.
"Mel." Chris said quietly, his gentle voice containing note of apprehension as he stared straight at the cousin he had once loved. His emerald eyes were full of disbelief. "Don't. This isn't you."
The young demon hesitated ever so slightly, and a look that was almost human briefly crossed her face. His words were so full of love despite what she was about to do. What she had done to him earlier…
No.
She would not be weak. She would do what she had come to do…
Not even he could change her mind.
"This is me Christopher." She said, her voice harsh and her face hardened once more. "This has always been me…the real me…"
"No Mel," He replied, his tone that of unwavering determination. "You're not a demon. You're a witch, a good witch. You know that…deep down, I know you do…you just have to fight the spell…"
She gave a cool laugh and studied the cross bow once again. "That's enough, whitelighter." She hissed dangerously. "Now…which one of you wants to die first?"
Mel looked between her cousin, and the terrified girl behind him. Perhaps she would start with Jenny…she could sense that Chris cared for her…it would be much easier to kill him once his beloved had been hit…
Before she could fully contemplate her next move, she was forced back into action as Jenny suddenly reached out for Chris' hand, probably hoping that he would be able to orb them away to safety before Mel conducted her final attack. The demon moved quickly and managed to knock the female witch-whitelighter onto the floor with the side of her deadly bow.
The girl moaned in pain, and Mel was pleased to see a surge of anger well up inside of her cousin.
She had been right…he cared for Jenny quite a bit…
"You first." Mel growled, lowering the cross bow and aiming it directly at the girl.
What happened next, was a blur.
Her finger moved to the trigger and pushed down, just as another figure dashed in front of the speeding arrow, stopping it before it could hit its intended target. Mel froze in confusion for a brief second before she managed to comprehend what had happened.
Chris fell to his knees in front of her, his green eyes wide with pain as the arrow in his chest began to spread its poison through his body.
He had intercepted her attack.
He had given up his own life to save another…
Something snapped inside of her as she stared at the dying boy.
She had caused this…he had brought pain to one that was so pure…so good…
Her own cousin- the boy she had always loved so deeply- was going to die because of her actions. Chris slowly looked up at her, his face portraying both his pain and his pity.
He pitied her.
Pitied her for what she had become…what she had done…
"Mel…" He choked, his eyes locking on hers briefly before he collapsed onto the ground, his hand weakly gasping at the poisoned arrow.
The sound of his voice caused a fresh wave of sickness to wash over her. There had been love in that one uttered word- love so strong that it could overcome even this. She had been the cause of all of his pain…his death…and yet he continued to love her as he always had.
He alone knew that this person…this demon…wasn't what she was meant to be. It was a façade, only masking her true self.
She was good.
A witch.
She always had been…
"No!" Mel exclaimed as the gravity of the situation hit her all at once. She had been weak and given into desire…and now Chris was dying…
It was all her fault.
She flung the crossbow across the room and threw herself at his side, tears welling up in her red eyes. He was already so pale. His eyes were beginning to close…
He looked so calm and innocent as he lay on the attic floor. His heavenly white wings fanned out beneath him, and Mel was suddenly overwhelmed with the divine splendour he embodied. He was the pinnacle of good. An angel…
She had shot an angel…
"Chris," she whispered, her voice wavering as she looked down at him. "Hold on please…I'm so sorry Chris, please hold on…"
Mel brought a shaking hand towards his wound…she needed to remove the arrow and stop the poison…then, she needed to find someone to heal him. He wouldn't die, she wouldn't allow it.
Before her hand could grasp the arrow, however, someone roughly pushed it away. It took her a second to remember that Chris had not been not alone.
"Don't touch him." Jenny said, her eyes flashing in anger and panic as she looked up at the young demon. "You did this to him…you're a monster."
Mel's stomach churned at the sound of the girl's emotional statement. Her instinct was to defend herself, but as she absorbed the words, she knew that Jenny was right. Only a monster would harm a creature of such good…
"I…I…I'm sorry." she stuttered, unable to find anything else to say.
Looking away in disgust, Jenny placed a tender hand on Chris' chest, her eyes red and brimming with tears. "It'll be okay…" she whispered, brushing a few stands of dark hair off of his sweaty forehead. Shaking with grief she slowly reached out to remove the arrow, but Mel sprang back into action before she could.
"Don't." Mel snapped forcefully, locking eyes with the other girl once again. "That arrow is poisonous to whitelighters. Touch it, and you'll die too."
Jenny's eyes grew wide, and despite herself she trusted what Mel had said. She had never encountered such a thing before, but judging by its strange effects it had on Chris she knew that it must contain some sort of deadly substance.
Reluctantly she drew back and allowed the young demon to finally pull it out. Chris groaned in pain, causing both girls to flinch. Despite their differences, the one thing they could agree on right now was saving Chris.
Neither could stand to see him hurt.
Mel frantically looked around the room. She couldn't see Leo anywhere and Wyatt was occupied with Demetrius on the other side of the attic…
Her heart beat quickened as she was once again hit with the painful reality that Chris could die if they didn't get someone to heal him soon. She knew would never be able to live with herself if something happened…she should have fought the spell harder…she should have realized what Chris had known all along…
Deep down, she wasn't really evil…
"Uncle Leo." She called, hoping that the whitelighter could somehow hear her. "Please…Chris needs you."
There were several long seconds of silence. Chris' increasingly ragged breathing was the only thing she could hear…the sound pounded in her ears, reminding her of his pain…
Of what she had caused…
She knew that no one was coming…they were all too tied up in the heat of battle…
Maybe Leo wasn't even alive…
Tearing her eyes away from the dying angel, she looked back at Jenny who had now returned to her feeble attempts to comfort Chris. Mel wanted to comfort him too, but somehow it felt wrong to invade on the private moment between the two whitelighters.
She watched as Jenny leaned over him, still shaking and whispering reassurances under her breath. If the situation hadn't been so serious she may have admired the beauty of the scene…it was such a stark contrast to everything else she had experienced that night. She could sense that the love between them was so strong…
"Chris," Jenny whispered, her blue eyes overflowing with tears. "Please don't leave me…don't let go…"
He drew in another weak breath and slowly opened his emerald eyes. A faint smile crossed his angelic face and his hand weakly griped Jenny's. "I'm sorry." He breathed his voice barely audible. "I'm so sorry I can't stay…"
And with that, his eyes closed once again and his breathing slowed even further.
"No!" Jenny cried, sobs finally over taking her body. She knew that he couldn't hold on much longer, it was powerful poison, he couldn't fight it. She knew that death was near…
"No, you can't go…not yet." She whispered as she tenderly brought her hand to the side of his face. "I love you…"
Mel's heart broke as she continued to watch, her body numb.
This was it…
This was the end…
Her cousin- this gentle angel who had never done anything but love her wholeheartedly- was going to die because of what she had done…
Just as all final hope was about to leave her, Mel's eyes widened in shock as a faint golden glow suddenly began to encircle the two young whitelighters. The light intensified, slowly at first, until finally erupting into one last brilliant flash…
She blinked several times in an attempt to clear her vision. She had never seen anything like that before…she didn't know what it was…what it had meant…
"Jenny?" a familiar voice asked suddenly, causing her to snap her gaze forward. "Mel?"
Chris…
As her eyes managed to focus once again she could see that Chris was slowly sitting up.
He had said her name…he was alive…
Her heart beat quickened and relief washed over her as her brain began to make sense of what had occurred.
He had been so close to death…but the light…the golden light…it must have healed him…somehow, he was okay…
She watched as an equally relieved Jenny fell into his embrace and buried her face in his shirt. "You're okay!" she cried, her tears still flowing, only now they were tears of happiness, not grief.
He smiled and wrapped a comforting arm around her. "Yeah." He replied, his green eyes still slightly hazy form the poison. "You healed me…I think."
"Don't scare me like that again." Jenny said, her words slightly muffled by his shirt.
"I'll try not to." He replied with a slight laugh as he kissed her gently atop the head. When he looked back up, his gaze slowly wondered over to Mel who remained frozen in her place.
Relief, shock, guilt and pain were all whirling around inside of her. She didn't know what to say, or how to feel…
"Hey," Chris said, grinning slightly in her direction. "Glad you're back."
There was a brief pause as the tow Halliwell's locked eyes.
Mel finally drew a deep breath and forced her self to speak. "I'm so sorry Chris." She whispered, her voice still shaking.
She was happy he was okay, but she was burdened down by the guilt of what she had done…she didn't understand how he could be so forgiving…
Chris continued to look at her thoughtfully. "It's alright." He replied, glancing briefly over at the discarded darklighter bow. "I'm fine, and I know it wasn't really you."
She nodded slowly, not wholly convinced…sure, she was under a spell…but it was a spell that was supposed to bring out true nature…she knew she wasn't evil- she choose not to be- but she also knew that a part of her was capable of extreme harm…the thought made her sick.
"Really." He said again, his voice slightly more serious. "I'll be fine- don't beat yourself up over this…things happen. You're not really a demon, and you know it."
She gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, I just look like one at the moment…it sure beats my Halloween costume, don't you think?"
Chris recognised the slight humour in her voice and returned her smile. "Definitely."
Before there could be any more apologies or reunions, a sudden bang from across the attic snapped all three teenagers back into the reality of the situation. In all of the drama they had almost forgotten about the battle being waged by the rest of the family.
A loud scream echoed through the attic and, after exchanging a worried glance, the three took off took off into the chaos…
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A/N Next chapter; the other half of the battle. You'll see what's going on with everyone else, and see the final outcome…muhahahaha. Plus, I shall explain more about how Chris was healed; include some fluff, and a few sweet cousinly moments.
Sorry to divide it up…I still have a lot of work (I SHOULD NOT be working on this right now…I'm so bad) putting the whole battle in one Chapt. would have taken me far to long. I shall update next week. (Thursday or Friday)
Oh, and in case there is any confusion, the 'love' I speak of between Chris and Mel is just cousinly love…this is NOT 'that' kind of story. Eww.
Please Review!
(I'll respond to the wonderful reviews for the last chapter next time…I must get back to my essay now. Grrr.)