Sixteen-year-old Christopher Peregrine Halliwell always knew that he was different; like there was something about his family, about himself that he wasn't allowed to know.
Little did he know, he was right.
ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzChris lowered himself into the steaming hot bath, he sighed as the water began to loosen painfully stiff joints and aching muscles; he looked at the bruises developing on his torso, these were going to be really hard to hide from his brothers.
Wyatt, Christopher and Daniel Halliwell had been sharing the same room for as long as they could remember and the three of them were as thick as thieves. Chris couldn't picture himself moving out of their room, even if it was a tad inconvenient at times. But they were brothers and the bad always came with some good.
When he opened his eyes again the water was stone cold, climbing out he wrapped himself in a fluffy blue towel and walked out to his room in a sort of trance. Still only half dry the dark haired teen crawled into bed and fell promptly back to sleep only to be woken by his younger brother Danny jumping on top of him.
"C'mon Chris, mum said to get up."
"Did she say to kill me?" Chris muttered sarcastically.
"She said… to tell you to get your but downstairs and have tea."
"Well tell her I'm asleep." He huffed, "Or at least I was until some little rat decided to jump on and squish me."
"Wyatt!" Danny called, he looked down at his older brother, "You know Wyatt wont take no for an answer so I suggest you get up while you have a chance."
"How about no."
Wyatt walked into the room and smiled there were his two baby brothers, Danny, the youngest was thirteen and Chris was sixteen. Danny was sitting on top of Chris who showed no intention of getting up.
"Chris I suggest that you get up." Wyatt laughed.
"Or what?" He growled, " You gonna squish me too?"
"If it comes to that."
"You can shove it up your…" Before he could finish his sentence Wyatt jumped on the bed too. Chris yelped in pain, "Get off! Please!" he begged. His brothers acquiesced then Wyatt pulled Chris's doona off the bed and they all saw the bruises on his torso.
Wyatt narrowed his eyes, "Chris what happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it okay?"
"No it's not okay. Tell me what's going on." Wyatt said, his voice full of concern.
Chris stood up and grabbed his sleep pants and T-shirt and slipped into them, glancing at Danny he murmured, "Dan, could ya give us a sec?" Danny gave his older brother a warm smile and walked out closing the door behind him.
Wyatt sat his brother down on his bed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling the shaking brunette into him he asked, "Was it him again?"
Chris simply nodded, Wyatt knew someone was picking on Chris but his brother always refused to name names, Wyatt knew all to well Chris liked to handle his fights himself. Which meant that he would have hidden, or at least tried to hide the bruises rather then show his brothers.
He always played the martyr. Not today, Wyatt was going to get the answers he wanted and then he would go out and find the ass hole that had been inflicting pain on his baby brother.
No one got away with hurting Chris.
"I, I think it's time I told you who it was that did this to me Wy." Chris said quietly.
"Who is it Chris?"
"Richie Williams." With that Wyatt's hands balled into tight fists and he hugged Chris closer dropping a kiss on the top of his head.
"It'll be okay Chris, I promise."
"I know you heard everything Dan, so get your but back in here." Chris called softly.
With a sheepish smile Danny walked back in, "Chris I'm sorry… it's just, you're my brother and…."
"It's okay," He looked at his brothers, "lets just keep this between us for the minute okay?"
The three brothers hugged tightly. "Promise me guys…"
"We promise." They said quietly.
Then Wyatt and Danny did something that Chris noticed but didn't quite comprehend, they each held a hand over the sixteen-year-olds gut and healed it, he didn't see the golden glow but he felt the warmth. He felt contented as they helped him up again like what they'd just done was the most natural thing in the world, little did he know for his family, it was.
Chris squinted as the light from the hall hit his eyes, Chris pulled his head into Wyatt's shoulder. "Hey Chris, what's the matter?" Danny asked softly.
"My eyes, they really hurt." Came the muffled reply from Wyatt's shoulder.
"Kit, why don't you go back to our room and we'll bring something up for you." Danny suggested opening the door to his room. Chris, eyes closed walked back into the dark the brunette whose eyes were now wide open was feeling around for the edge of his bed finding it he sat down.
"You'll be okay till we get back?" Danny asked scared, he had never seen his older brother like this. Even though he didn't have any powers Chris had always been the strongest member of the Halliwell family this was scary. Danny pulled the covers back up over the brunette, before his younger brother left Chris reached out and grabbed Danny by the wrist, "Dan, I'll be okay." He gave him one of his trademark grins and said, "Go, someone's gotta bug Wy if not me than you."
"You sure?"
"Yes!" He laughed.
Danny walked out and half closed the door behind him, Chris could hear his brothers talking about him in hushed whispers as they made their way down the stairs. Chris laughed softly at his brothers, the two of them would go gray prematurely with the amount they worried about him.