Disclaimer: I won't ever own Charmed.

Chris Also Impresses

Phaith walked up to the manor door and rang the bell. Her report to Zarlena had made Zarlena ecstatic and she immediately sent her to increase the feelings on Chris; to get him to fall at her feet like Wyatt did. Phaith smiled. Wyatt had been very energetic with her, and she knew he got ripped into for getting home so late.

Piper opened the door. "Oh, hi Phaith," she said cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Is Chris here?" Phaith asked.

"No," Piper said. "He grabbed his notebook and guitar and said he was going to the park."

"Which way to the park?" Phaith asked disappointed.

Piper joined her on the porch. "One block that way," Piper pointed. "When you find him please tell him that it doesn't do any good to call him if he leaves his cell phone." Piper handed Phaith his phone.

"I'll do that Mrs. Halliwell," Phaith said, pocketing the cell phone.

"Call me Piper, Phaith."

"Okay, Piper." Phaith played with the sound in her head. "Well I'll go find Chris now."

When Phaith finally found Chris he was sitting on a bench strumming a rapid chord construction. As she got closer she could hear him faintly singing while playing. "I'm impressed Chris," Phaith said startling him.

"Hey Phaith," Chris said, shuffling some of his papers together to make room for Phaith to sit down. "How'd you find me?"

"Your mom," Phaith said, sitting next to him and handing him his cell phone. "She told me to give it to you. What was that song you were playing before I got here?"

"Oh you don't want to hear that," Chris said, blushing slightly. "I only have part of the song done."

"Let me hear what you have," Phaith insisted. "Please."

Chris huffed. "Why not?" Chris started his song with a very rhythmic progression and then came in with his first verse, "You have changed me so much/I can't remember who I used to be/Oh darling, I don't want to go back/From now on it's just you and me/Chorus: You set me free/Free as a bird/I want to fly away with you/You gave me life/Life so strong/It must be your simple magic/"

Chris stopped playing to see Phaith staring at him with tears in her eyes. "That was beautiful," she said at last. "You could be in Triad with that song."

"What's Triad?" Chris asked, remembering the demonic use of that word.

"It's my band," Phaith said smiling, knowing why he had been alarmed.

"You have your own band?" Chris asked. "Why didn't you perform with them at P3?"

"It was too short notice, and it was our day off of work anyway," Phaith said. "But we're performing tonight at the Devil's Lounge across town. Why don't you come listen?"

"Are you going to play any of your original music?"

"Not tonight," Phaith said. "Triad was booked to play some rock classics. Hey I got it!" Phaith exclaimed.

"What?" Chris asked alarmed.

"Why don't you play with us?" Phaith asked him, hope shining in her eyes.

"No, I couldn't," Chris said.

"Oh, don't be so modest. I can tell that you know how to carry yourself in playing. Come on," Phaith said. "Please?"

"Okay," Chris said. "Why not?"

"Great! Let's go rehearse for tonight," Phaith said, helping him pick up all his musical sketches and the case for his guitar.

Phaith, Chris, and the rest of the members of Triad took the stage. After much convincing from Phaith, Chris wore a charcoal grey button up shirt, open with no undershirt, and black leather pants. Phaith was stunning in a red blouse coupled with black jeans and denim jacket.

"How's it goin' y'all?" Phaith asked, getting the crowd started. She turned to Jack, Triad's drummer, and nodded her head. Jack counted off, and Chris leapt into the soaring electric lead guitar solo of Eric Clapton's "Layla." Phaith gathered herself and belted it out, moving every now and again to keep the audience focused. What'll you do when you get lonely/No one waiting by your side/You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride./Layla, you've got me on my knees./Layla, I'm begging, darling please./Chorus: Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind./I tried to give you consolation/When your old man had let you down./Like a fool, I fell in love with you/Turned my whole world upside down./Let's make the best of the situation/
Before I finally go insane./Please don't say we'll never find a way/And tell me all my love's in vain./CHORUS/CHORUS

After the applause from "Layla," Triad's bass player Luke, began the band's arrangement of only guitars and drums for Gloria Estefan's "Turn the Beat Around." \Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn the beat around/Love to hear the percussion/Turn it upside down/Love to hear the percussion/Love to hear it/Blow horns you sure sound pretty/Your violins keep movin' to the nitty gritty/When you hear the scratch of the guitars scratchin'/Then you'll know that rhythm carries all the action, so/Woah yeah/Turn the beat around/Love to hear the percussion/Turn it upside down/Love to hear the percussion/Love to hear it/Turn the beat around/Love to hear the percussion/Turn it upside down/Love to hear the percussion/Love to hear it/Flute player play your flute 'cause/I know that you want to get your thing off/But you see I've made up my mind about it/It's got to be the rhythm, no doubt about it, woah woah/'cause when the guitar player start playing/With the syncopated rhythm, with the scratch, scratch, scratch/Makes me wanna move my body yeah, yeah, yeah/And when the drummer starts beating that beat/He nails that beat with the syncopated rhythm/With the rat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat on the drums, hey/Turn the beat around/Love to hear the percussion/Turn it upside down/Love to hear the percussion/Love to hear it/Love to hear it/Love to hear it/Love to hear it/Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn it up, turn it up, turn it upside down/Turn the beat around/Love to hear the percussion/Turn it upside down/Love to hear the percussion/Love to hear it/

After the applause for "Turn the Beat Around" finished there was a slight pause. Phaith turned and gave Chris a thumb's up. Chris took a deep breath and began the introduction to Rainbow 44's "Man on the Silver Mountain." I'm a wheel, I'm a wheel/I can roll, I can feel./And you can't stop me turning./Cause I'm the sun, I'm the sun/I can move, I can run./But you'll never stop me burning/Coming down with fire, to lift my spirit higher./.
Someone's screaming my name./"Come and make me holy again!"/I'm the man on the silver mountain./I'm the man on the silver mountain./I'm the day, I'm the day/I can show you the way./And look! I'm right beside you/I'm the night, I'm the night/I'm the dark and the light./With eyes that see inside you./Coming down with fire, to lift my spirit higher./
Someone's screaming my name./"Come and make me holy again!"

After the performance Phaith moved over to Chris and took his guitar. "Take a bow Chris, that was impressive for only three hours rehearsal," Phaith said, pushing him slightly forward. Chris bowed, and the crowd cheered. "Encore! Encore!" the crowd yelled.

Phaith spoke into the microphone. "A'ight. Triad will do an encore. But," Phaith stressed this to get the crowd's attention. "Do you want me doing vocals or would you prefer my good friend Chris here?"

The crowd cheered, "Chris! Chris!"

Chris looked at Phaith in disbelief, and sheepishly took the microphone. "Roxanne," he whispered to her, as she put the guitar strap over her shoulder. "You got it sweet cheeks," Phaith whispered back.

Chris moved to center stage as Phaith began ripping through the opening chords to the Police's "Roxanne." Chris, though visibly nervous, didn't miss a note. And halfway through the song became comfortable enough to move. Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light/Those days are over
You don't have to sell your body to the night/Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight
Walk the streets for money/You don't care if it's wrong or if it's right/Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light/Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light/Chorus: Put on the red light, put on the red light/Put on the red light, put on the red light/Put on the red light, oh/I loved you since I knew ya/I wouldn't talk down to ya/I have to tell you just how I feel/I won't share you with another boy/I know my mind is made up/So put away your make up/Told you once I won't tell you again it's a bad way/Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light/Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light/You don't have to put on the red light/Put on the red light, put on the red light

Chris bowed again to the crowd, and turned the applause to Phaith, who also bowed. After they finally got offstage, they were given a quieter table toward the back of the club so they could relax. After the waitress was out of earshot, Phaith turned to Chris, "That was incredible."

"What?" Chris asked, fanning himself slightly with his shirt.

"The way you performed Chris," Phaith said. "You rock, literally! I mean you didn't miss a single note singing or playing."

"I've had over five years of lessons so I'd better hope so," Chris stammered.

"Your drinks," the waitress said, looking at Phaith, who looked her back straight in the eyes. "Thank you," Phaith said.

After light chit chat, Phaith pulled the curtains closed on their booth; the Devil's Lounge and P3 were known as the only clubs in that area of San Francisco to have curtains around the booths. "Chris," Phaith began, almost timid. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Yeah," Chris said, taking another drink. "What is it?"

"Would you forgive me if I cheated on you?" she asked, showing tenderness in her eyes.

"It would probably depend on who you cheated on me with," Chris said, bring his attention more fully to her.

"With Wyatt?"

"Yeah," he said. "Wyatt's always trying to take my girls. I just take it out on him, not the girl. Why?"

"I did," she said flatly, not looking at him directly.

"Oh," Chris said. "Did you enjoy it?"

"What?" Phaith asked. "That's one of the last questions I would expect to hear from you."

"Did you?" Chris pressured.

"Well, yeah," Phaith admitted. Secretly, she thought it was some of the most fun she'd had in years.

"He's nothing compared to me," Chris said, moving forward on top of Phaith. Phaith ran her hands up his abs and onto his chest. "Not as strong as Wyatt," Phaith commented. "But definitely not as weak as he portrays you."

"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Chris said, moving down and kissing her gently on the neck. Phaith moved into his kiss, and smiled at the ceiling.

A/N: Y'all know what to do here.