Neurotic


Summary: "My name's not Chris Perry," Chris said, as if it was the hardest thing he'd ever had to say. "It's Christopher." He paused, almost reluctantly. "Christopher Halliwell."

Disclaimer: Charmed and Chris don't belong to me, doo dah, doo dah, I'm not making any money from this, oh, dah doo dah day.


Chapter The Twenty-Fifth


"So you didn't know you were even related to them until three years ago?"

Paige shook her head, and then realised Dan couldn't see her as she was behind the changing screen. "No, not a clue. I'd apparently used my magic before, though, when I was younger and didn't realise it."

Dan tucked his shirt into his pants. "How could you not realise it? I would have thought-"

"Well, did you notice Piper using magic on you?" Paige question roughly.

"No," Dan said softly.

"Sometimes you don't see what's right in front of you," Paige said softly. "Besides – I used my magic to escape the accident in which my-" and her voice hitched "-parents died."

"Oh, god," Dan breathed, whirling around to stare at the screen even though he couldn't see her. "I'm so sorry!"

"Nah, don't be," Paige said, matter-of-factly. "One of the upsides to this magic business is I actually got to see them again."

Dan couldn't see her face, but he could hear the smile in her words. "This magic business," he repeated slowly. "Doesn't sound like you're that enthralled with it." He picked up the tie, and stared at it blankly. He'd never really learned how to tie a tie – if he'd needed one in San Francisco, Jenny had done it for him.

"Well, at the moment, I don't have a job, I'm a full-time witch-stroke-babysitter," Paige admitted softly. "It can get a little monotonous. Not that I mind," she added hurriedly. "I can put my tension with the whole thing aside for at least the next month, for Wyatt's sake. For the world's sake. Any discomfort I have- well, it's going to be temporary. I have to believe that. Because if we fail-" She trailed off.

"Chris' version of the future doesn't sound very nice," Dan said, frowning a little. "I know there's not much I can do, as a- um, what do you call non-magic people?"

"Freaks," Paige intoned solemnly, but broke out laughing before she could completely pull off the 'serious' act.

"Please don't say I'm a muggle," Dan said, and if it was a little bit whiny, Paige ignored it.

"Nah. I think 'mortal' is the term," Paige said. "Or maybe 'human'. Or maybe just plain 'normal'."

Dan didn't like the tone of her voice. It sounded as if she thought she was a freak, and not normal. "I'd probably call it 'useless'," he said, a little self-deprecatingly, giving up on the tie and leaning against the wall as he waited for her to come out. "But what I was trying to say- Well, I know there's not much I can do, but I want to do what I can. It's- uh- my world too."

"Well, I'll hold you to that," Paige said warmly. "You got the gun from behind the counter, yeah?"

"Yeah," Dan said, a little uncomfortably. "I get that this is a fictional world, and all… but those bullets from before felt pretty real."

"Heh, but at least we got to break into a clothes shop and vandalise it, knowing we won't get it into trouble back home," Paige said, sounding amused. "When are we ever going to get the chance to do something like this again?"

She stepped around the corner, dressed in a pale, sparkling gown.

Dan blinked, felt his cheeks heating up a little and then wondered if she would see him blushing. And what colour would my blushing BE?

"Um, we did this to fit in, right?" Dan questioned, feeling very stupid all of a sudden. "Don't you think you're going to…stand out a little, Lana?" Yeah, that's the suave thing to say, Gordon…

Paige smiled, and took it as a compliment. "Well, we might as well have a little fun while we're here, right? Besides, I hope you mean Lana as in Lana Turner from 'The Postman Rings Twice'."

"The good version, yeah," Dan said, still blushing awkwardly.

Paige looked at him, and misinterpreted his blushing to embarrassment over his tie. "Do you need help with your tie?"

Feeling even stupider than before, he sheepishly held it up. "I don't know how to do it," he mumbled, embarrassed.

Paige rolled her eyes a little, and walked demurely over to him, and took the tie. She started to tie it for him as she spoke. "Well, my reckoning is that we have to find out what the target of this plot is. I'm guessing we have to end the story to get out of it." She finished tying the tie and took a step back. Dan was suddenly, painfully aware that she wasn't close anymore, and he tried to ignore analysing that abrupt feeling as she tilted her head and smiled. "Perfect."

Dan opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it shut when he heard police sirens. He looked at Paige. "Do you think they're after us?"

Paige glanced around. "Let's not stay around to find out."


"Uh, okay, why didn't you orb us straight to the manor if you-" Cole started, his sky-blue eyes searching Chris' face. He was wary – Chris suddenly looked really nervous.

"Well…" Chris looked down at his feet, then up at Cole. "I'm sort of nervous."

"No kidding," Cole said softly, an edge in his voice.

"I just don't know how they're going to react," Chris explained, looking even more worried. "See, in my timeline, you weren't resurrected. From the stories I got told, I always got the impression it would be a- well, not a smart thing to do."

Cole blinked at him. "Stories you were told?"

"Uh, I was really close to the Charmed Ones' children growing up," Chris said, very quickly.

"Children?" Cole inhaled, as if hurt. "Does Phoebe-"

"No, no, not yet," Chris said, awkwardly. "She does, though. Not by you."

Cole tried to take that news in his stride. He'd tried to accept he had to move on. "Well, I know I need to give her space," Cole said, a little tentatively. "I realised that before I died." He looked into the distance, lost. "Maybe I have to just accept that I'm here only to save her, and that's it."

Chris found himself moved by the raw honesty and pain in Cole's voice, and he stepped forward awkwardly, putting one hand gently on Cole's arm to reassure him. "Maybe there's a chance," he said softly. "My future sucked. Maybe you were supposed to be around. We'll never know. But for now- we have to get Phoebe back. And Paige."

"Yeah," Cole said, a little more determinedly. He cocked his head at Chris. "You look a little familiar, you know."

Chris nodded. "I know." He started to walk, and Cole slowly followed him, hands in his pockets. "The sisters don't know who I am. Perhaps it will be easier if you don't, either."

"All right," Cole said, surprising himself by agreeing so readily. "You're not Phoebe's-"

"God, no!" Chris responded, turning and looking at Cole with an expression of horror on his young face.

"Just checking," Cole said with a grin. "All right. I'll trust you for now. But, I will have to add, with that reaction to my question, you have horrid taste in women."

Chris muttered something under his breath and shook his head. "I'm from twenty-odd years into the future," he explained. "And I'm twenty-odd years old. So unless Phoebe really really likes babies…"

Cole wrinkled his nose a little. "Yeah, I get that." They walked in silence around the corner, to the street where the manor was. "You said that a force more evil than the Source will destroy the world?"

"Yes," Chris said, his face grim. "Piper and Leo's first son, Wyatt. Sometime in the next twenty-six days, he's going to be turned, and we don't know who by."

Cole blinked. "Piper and Leo had a boy?"

"And Piper's very due with her second boy," Chris informed him. He looked up at the manor, and exhaled. "Well, I guess I'd better show them what I did." He still looked embarrassed and nervous.

"You had to do this," Cole informed him dryly. "But if they vanquish me again, I'm not going to be too pleased with you."

"Hah, thanks," Chris muttered darkly. He walked up the stairs first, and tried the door. It was open. Swallowing, he pulled a face at Cole, and then steadied his expression. "Here we go," he muttered, although Cole suspected it was mostly to himself than anything.


Phoebe sank into the chair next to Piper, frustrated. She'd tried everything. Going up to the Book of Shadows to cast a spell (only she couldn't turn the pages), shouting as loudly as she could ("IT'S GIDEON! HE'S GOING TO TURN WYATT!"), trying to focus her powers on Piper and Pippa and Paul, but nothing worked.

And it didn't look like they were doing anything to find her, either!

Paul and Pippa had been in heavy discussion since Paige and Dan went into the book (Phoebe had tried to climb into the book, too, but to no avail) and were writing notes on a notebook. From what they were saying, it seemed like once the book was neutralised, they could write in plot twists to get Paige out.

Apparently Chris was away on a mission to get someone to neutralise the book – an avatar. Phoebe thought the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. Had they met avatars before?

"Hi, everyone."

Phoebe twisted on the chair, and was relieved to see Chris standing sheepishly in the doorway to the living room.

"Chris!" Pippa exclaimed. "Did you-"

"I got an avatar," Chris said, but he looked like he was going to throw up.

"So..?" Piper prompted. "Where is it? In your pocket?"

"Not exactly," said a way too-familiar male voice.

Phoebe stared in horror as Cole stepped into the doorway. He was just like she remembered. His blue eyes, soft like a summer's sky, far-off like the sea, his shock of brown hair landing on his forehead, making her want to run her hands through it…

"Cole?" Piper looked like she was going to faint, and Phoebe definitely agreed with her there.

"Uh, well, we needed an avatar-" Chris said weakly, and gestured at Cole with his hands. Phoebe weakly got to her feet and stood in front of Cole, staring up at him in astonishment and feeling as sick as Chris looked.

"And you resurrected COLE?" Piper spluttered. "Man, when we get Phoebe back-" She looked absolutely stricken. Cole bristled.

"Look, I know you don't like me," Cole said, his voice hard, "but you damn well need me. Chris did a brave thing getting me back. Apparently me being here could completely screw up the future he knows, so I'm going to do whatever I can to get Phoebe back, Paige back and help you find who turns that son of yours, and then I will be out of the way. I promise." His eyes were pleading as he locked gazes with Piper, obviously recognising her precedence in the household. "Just let me help her." His last words were breathless, and anguished. He looked to be in so much pain.

Phoebe stepped back as he moved forwards. "Cole-" she whispered, brokenly, as if he could hear her. There was no indication he'd heard her. She'd had a brief thought that maybe, as an avatar, (whatever THAT was, and WHAT was Cole going to be NEXT?) he could hear her. But no. He couldn't. And apparently, she was turning as neurotic as Chris, according to the pattern of her thoughts over the last day. But it's justified, right? We're just over three weeks until Gideon turns Wyatt and the whole future goes to hell…

"All right," Piper said, a little unevenly. "We need that book de-activated."

Paul got to his feet and solemnly handed the bright "Crossed, Double-crossed" to Cole. Cole blinked at Paul, and then at Pippa, and then blinked again.

"There's two of you?" Cole blurted at Piper.

"Don't ask," Piper said dryly. "It's been a long week."

"I see," Cole said, a little waveringly. He opened the book, and the pages started to shine.

"Don't do that, that's how Paige disappeared!" Phoebe yelled. However, Cole ignored her and continued to stare at the book. Then she noticed movement behind her, and saw two other figures standing there with their hands outstretched. She had an ominous feeling when she saw them. Okay, that doesn't feel right… Light blazed from their outstretched hands, and the light receded into the book and it suddenly stopped glowing.

"You did it!" Pippa exclaimed happily. Cole turned blank-eyed to her.

"COLE, LOOK OUT!" Phoebe yelled, as the two figures advanced on him menacingly, their hands still outstretched. None of the others could even see them! Cole turned, his eyes wide, and Phoebe was sure in that exact second he'd heard her, for his mouth dropped open.

"Phoebe?" he whispered, his voice broken, but it was too late as the two figures stepped even closer to him. Cole was enveloped in a furious blue light and he collapsed to the ground, and the two figures disappeared.

Paul was the first to reach Cole, although Phoebe was just as fast as she scrambled over.

"Cole?" She whispered, and tried to shake him but her hands passed through him, and she stood up, frightened. What was the matter? Did Chris resurrect him only for THIS only just to let him die?

"He's alive," Paul said softly. "We need some more blankets."

He got to his feet, crossing the room.

"I'll help," Piper offered, "there's one in the tumble dryer that should be nice and warm."

The two exited the room. Phoebe glanced between them.

"Can you get him onto the couch?" Pippa asked Chris, looking between him and Cole worriedly. Phoebe was touched by the obvious worry for Cole on Pippa's face. Piper did finally accept that I loved him.

Chris moved over. "Sure, mom," he said gently. He touched Cole's arm, and orb lights blazed over him, only for him to reappear a foot away on the couch. Pippa instantly began to make him comfortable, arranging cushions under his head so his neck wasn't at such a bad angle.

Phoebe knelt down next to the couch, and wished she could take his hand. She looked at his pained, unconscious face and hated the flashbacks she received. She'd seen this before, too many times.

Of course, it was only when Chris helped tuck Cole's feet onto the couch when she realised exactly what he had called Pippa.

Mom.