Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed or any of the characters from the show. I do own Elisa, Matt, Jamie, Morgan, and Alyssa. Hands off!

Learning to Fall

Chapter 1

Chris opened his eyes, realizing that his lifeblood was no longer running out of his body. Was he dead? "You're awake," a small voice said excitedly. Chris opened his eyes and looked around, cautiously propping himself up. A small girl with short blonde hair grinned at him. She ran out of the room yelling "Elisa!" A moment later, a girl came in, relief, annoyance, and amusement fighting for dominance on her face. "Chris, you scared us half to death," she scolded. "Lee?" Chris asked in disbelief. The young woman raised her eyebrows. "You must have hit your head really hard. Not that you don't deserve it, trying a trick like that." As she spoke, she touched his forehead. He felt a rush of magic wash over him. Suddenly, she went gasped and stiffened. Chris' past memories seemed to swirl and flow around the two of them. Elisa staggered back and dropped to her knees. She knelt for a few moments, then stood slowly up. She stared at him as though he were some strange creature she had never seen before. "We need to talk," she said slowly.

Chris spent the next hour answering his cousin's questions. In his timeline, Phoebe's daughter had died as a child. He couldn't believe how glad he was to see her. He also couldn't believe how good an interrogator she was. She asked questions calmly, always appearing serene, but she learned more from him in one hour than Wyatt's demons could learn in a year. He leaned back as he drank his fourth glass of water. "Who's the little girl?" he asked. "That's Billie's daughter, Kari. Mom and the aunts started training Billie when you were a baby, and she just kind of got absorbed into the family, I guess. She lives nearby." Elisa smiled wryly. "She's always been kind of a confidante/protector for all of us. She knows where we buried the bodies, so to speak. Sometimes literally, in the case of missing hamsters." Chris felt his mouth twitch. "Who was responsible for that?"

"I was hoping you could tell me-it was my hamster. I have my suspicions, though." Chris momentarily forgot this wasn't the cousin he knew as he burst out laughing. Elisa's chuckle joined his. "Well, I guess I should fill you in on the family." She paused to think. "Two most important things-Wyatt's good, and everyone's alive. You have a younger sister named Laura. I'm an only child. Aunt Paige has two kids-twins. Their names are Matt and Jamie." A voice yelling their names stopped the conversation. "Follow my lead," Elisa hissed. She caught his shoulder, telling him to orb.

They appeared in the kitchen to find everyone in the family waiting. Three children Chris didn't recognize were chasing each other around the table-he assumed they were his sister and cousins. "We were wondering when you planned to wake up," a familiar voice said behind him. Chris froze momentarily, then turned to face Wyatt. He was at a complete loss for words. Fingers dug into his skin, forcing his attention to the cousin standing beside him. "I told you the two of you shouldn't have gone rock-climbing. I think his brain is damaged." Wyatt snorted at Elisa's comment. "Like he has one to damage." Apparently accepting the explanation, he grabbed a bowl of salad and helped set the table.

Chris said very little throughout the meal. His mother-she was alive!-gave him worried glances, but said nothing. The everyday dinner chatter seemed like a foreign language to him. The Charmed Ones were different than he remembered, but still the same. They teased each other and the kids in what seemed like a familiar pattern for all of them. Laura seemed to be older than she looked; he was having trouble figuring out just how old she was. Matt and Jamie covertly launched pieces of broccoli at each other. Elisa seemed determined to deflect any questions aimed at Chris. He pled exhaustion at the end of the meal and went upstairs.

The next day he went for a walk outside. The sky and the trees were beautiful. He sat on a rock and watched the squirrels search for food. "Hey, I've been looking for you," a female voice said. He looked up to see a dark-haired girl standing behind him. She sat down gracefully on a log. "Wyatt said you fell and hit your head?" Chris nodded, wishing Elisa would come. He had no idea who this girl was. Her eyes were brilliant sapphire orbs. "Remind me to teach you how to walk. It's really not that hard." He smiled politely, wishing she would leave. Her smile turned to a frown. "You know, Chris, I'm supposed to be the moody one," she said abruptly. She got to her feet in one smooth movement, then walked away. Chris stared in shock. Who was she?

After a few hours, he walked back to the house. He decided to look for Elisa. Maybe she was in the attic? He orbed upstairs-and found the strange girl reading the Book of Shadows. He stared at her. "What are you doing here?" She scowled at him. "Looking for something, what does it look like?"

"You're a witch?" He instantly wished he hadn't said that. "As if you didn't know!" She stared at him, her face going suddenly calm. Then she smiled brilliantly. "Can you go get that spell you wrote a few weeks ago for the Kazi demons?"

"Sure," Chris said, not knowing what to say. He would search until Elisa came; she had promised to be back by five. He felt the girl's eyes on him.

Chris sat on his bed, trying to think. Could he call for Elisa? Someone knocked on his door, then opened it. Wyatt walked in, followed by the dark-haired girl and another girl he didn't know. "Did you find that spell yet?"

"I don't remember where I put it."

"Never mind," Wyatt said. Chris suddenly felt invisible bonds wrap around him. Gesturing, Wyatt orbed him out. Chris found himself in the attic, lying in a warding circle. Wyatt and the girls orbed in. The three fanned out around the circle. "Who the heck are you?" Wyatt demanded. "I'm Chris, what are you talking about?" Chris hissed in pain as telekinesis launched him against the barrier. "Let me make something clear. I ask the questions, you answer." Chris swore at him, then was thrown against the barrier once more. Elisa suddenly appeared. "Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, you stop that right now! What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to figure out who this demon is!"

"He's not a demon, he's your brother!"

"Then why doesn't he know who we are," the dark-haired girl demanded. "And why is he acting so strange?"

Elisa stared in shock, then comprehension. "Let him go," she sighed. "He's Chris, I promise." Wyatt looked at her skeptically. She glared at him. "He came from an alternate timeline; his memories haven't switched over yet. The world has changed a lot; so there's a lot he doesn't know. I talked to Aunt Piper about it. She didn't say much, but she did say that he is Chris." Wyatt gestured abruptly, and the circle disappeared. He walked over to Chris, who pulled away. Wyatt held him in a firm but gentle grip as he healed him. "I don't believe this," the girl said angrily. Wyatt looked at her. "Morgan, why don't you go help Jamie with her homework. We'll talk later." The second girl, who hadn't spoken, followed her. She paused to give Chris an apologetic look, then left. Elisa stepped forward quickly. "Chris, I'm so sorry. I should have realized something would happen. Wyatt, can you give us ten minutes?" He sighed and nodded, then orbed out. Elisa looked at Chris hesitantly. "I should have remembered to tell you about Morgan. I'm sorry."

"Who is she? And who's the other girl?"

"Morgan is your best friend." Elisa bit her lip, then continued. "The other girl is Alyssa, Wyatt's girlfriend. We usually call her Lyssa. Both Lyssa and Morgan are witches. Lyssa's known Wyatt since kindergarten." Chris frowned suddenly. "Wait, I do remember Lyssa. Wyatt didn't know her very well, though."

"Well, this Wyatt does. The two are inseparable. Just like you and Morgan were." He caught the sadness in her voice. "I'm sorry I don't remember her."

"Well, maybe you will. Wyatt and Lyssa will talk to her." She grimaced. "You have to understand, Chris. You've known each other since you were twelve, and she trusts you above everyone else. That's why she was so angry. If you were a demon impersonating Chris, it would make sense why you didn't know her. But if you really are Chris…she's just lost her best friend."

I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I'll get there. Read and review, please! Let me know what you think!