Once again, the usual disclaimer, I don't own Charmed, but I do own characters, places, languages, etc that I make up.

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Now, let's get on with the story…

Last time…

"My name is Chris" the stranger said, clearly feeling as awkward as Gabriel felt himself "and I'm here to help you."

Chapter 8

"So, what's your name?" Chris asked the guy standing before him gently. "I'm Gabriel," he said as he held out his hand to Chris, already starting to like him.

"Um… nice to meet you, Gabriel" answered Chris, shaking Gabriel's hand.

It felt pathetically ill suited for a situation such as this one, but nothing doing. It wasn't as if he'd rehearsed this conversation before hand, right?

Chris studied the 'blue eyed innocent'. Dirty blonde hair framed his square jawed face. He was thin, thinner than even Chris was himself. As he had already seen, courtesy of Paige's memory and his own empathy, Gabriel had startlingly brilliant blue eyes, even brighter than his brother, Wyatt.

He saw pain there, lots of it. But also an indomitable spirit, an ocean of rock solid strength. There was a darting play of intelligence in his eyes, swift and thirsty for knowledge.

Chris could also tell that there was a bonfire of power raging inside him, waiting to be schooled, to be harnessed. But that power was tempered by kindness, by the ability to love. He knew for certain, then that Gabriel could never really be turned, thirsty though he was for magical knowledge.

"Did you cast any spells today?" Chris put the question before Gabriel, deciding to cut straight to the chase, feeling that his silent scrutiny of him had gone on long enough.

"Uh, I did, actually. Except that I don't know exactly what it was supposed to do, it didn't harm anyone, did it?" Gabriel answered him, starting to get apprehensive about the spell and its effects.

"No, no, of course not." Chris assured him, thinking it was best not to tell him that the spell had caused him to pass out for a good ten minutes.

"It was just a magical version of an S.O.S." Chris continued, "Where'd you get it? Did you make it up, yourself?"

"No, actually" and with a little hesitation (didn't want to give his potential savior the idea that he was mental), "it came to me instinctively."

"Oh, well, that can happen. And no, you're not crazy" Gabriel's hesitation had not gone unnoticed by Chris. As for the instinctive knowledge of the spell, although it was decidedly weird, it wasn't unheard of.

And that was when he noticed his Gabriel's bruises. As he was currently wearing a thin, white shirt, without anything underneath, the jagged cuts on his body were glaringly visible.

"How did you get those?" Chris asked him, gesturing to his bruises, praying that he was doing the right thing by asking him this.

16 years of living with a part time social worker (a.k.a. Paige Matthews) had taught him that certain things got abused people really upset, which was pretty much the last thing he wanted to happen right now.

Gabriel hung his head in shame for a moment, before saying in a voice which Chris had to strain to hear, "My mom did those." Like it was his fault that his mom was such a bitch! Chris thought angrily.

Unsure of what to do for a moment, Chris finally wrapped his arm around Gabriel's shoulders, trying to offer him some comfort.

Chris wouldn't usually do that to relative strangers, but the person next to him was obviously badly in need of a helping hand, that he didn't hesitate to do it.

And it was as if a dam had broken inside Gabriel. In a rush of tears and words, he recounted everything that he had gone through. All the pain, the misery; everything.

He was vaguely aware that he was crying his heart out in front of someone who he'd just met, but he was totally beyond shame by then.

The deep wounds that his own mother had given him had sort of put things like shame and pride into perspective.

Finally his tears ceased, and he felt a little better. Wiping his tears on the sleeve of his shirt, he mumbled a sheepish "Sorry" to Chris.

"Don't mention it." Chris waved off the apology. "We can all do with a good cry, now and then. No good ever came of bottling up emotions, you know, it isn't healthy." The Halliwell told the other witch soothingly.

"So, now that I've pretty much told you about my life, tell me something about yours. How's your family like?" Gabriel asked Chris, smiling wryly.

"Well, I've got a pair of very protective parents, Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt and an equally, if not more, protective older brother, Wyatt.

I've got two aunts from mom's side, Paige and Phoebe." Chris finished his narrative.

"That sounds nice. And you guys are all witches too?" Gabriel asked the other witch, with a twinge of jealousy.

"Everyone except my dad, he's a mortal" Chris clarified, deciding not to get into the whole fallen angel story right now.

"So do you have any powers, Gabriel?"

At this question, a wave of sadness passed over his face, and Chris instantly regretted having asked the question.

"I used to have telekinesis, but mom used some kind of a potion to block that. God, I still remember the day when she did it. She forced me to drink down a brown colored potion. And when the effects kicked in… it was like this- this vice was closing around my chest- I had to fight for every breath. And there was this piercing pain in every fiber of my being, as if I was dieing.

I passed out then, and I was probably out for a few hours. When I came to, I found that I didn't have telekinesis anymore."

Chris shuddered inwardly. Binding a witch's magick was never a pretty business, more so if the witch was completely innocent, and it was done without his/her consent.

After all, effectively blocking out an integral part of yourself can never really be painless, can it?

"Gabriel, me and my family can help you escape. Believe me, protecting innocents is what we're good at." Chris offered the proposition.

"Really? You will?" Gabriel looked incredibly happy for the moment, and then his face fell. "But what about mom? What if she comes after you guys? Saving me can put you and your family in danger."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much, you know. We'll deal with her, by the by."

Chris grinned an evil grin. Gabriel's mother might be a strong witch, but she can never equal the Halliwells. Any one of the Halliwells would be able to crush her with the power of their little fingers.

Not that he enjoyed vanquishing evil, or at least more than necessary. But Chris was beginning to think that he would particularly enjoy this little battle with that evil.