Disclaimer: Sue me, see if I care… Okay, okay, put the phone down! I don't own Charmed, happy?
"Okay, you guys, ask away."
"Alright," said Phoebe without hesitation. "Who was Jessie? Why was she so important?"
Prue smiled sadly. "Jessie was Jessica Elizabeth, and she was Chris' twin. I'm guessing you're gonna want more than just that, though, aren't you?"
"Tell us their story," commanded Phoebe, smiling. Warmth lit her eyes as she looked upon her once sister, but she also saw how Prue might be uncomfortable. Whitelighters normally had all the siblings as charges, and not just one, so it was obvious Jessica was her charge, too.
"First off," began Prue, eyes narrowing suspiciously, "Did Chris ever tell you what kind of a childhood he had? Like Parent-son relationship---?"
"No," said Phoebe quickly, just barely cutting the other off. "I'm the only one who does. But Chris didn't want them to kno---"
"Of course he wouldn't," said Prue, brushing it aside. "That's just Chris. But you do need to know in order to understand a lot of stuff about him. It explains that much." She paused and took a slightly deeper breath. The others waited expectantly. Apparently it was harder to say than she'd thought it'd be, judging by the way she was suddenly hesitant. At last she spilt,
"Chris and Jessie were abused. By both their parents. At first it was only Chris but once Jess started going to more extreme measures to help him, they started to abuse her, too. Not as badly, but Jess was still really young and didn't understand why her loving parents were suddenly hurting her when she was just trying to help her twin. After a few years of that maltreatment she couldn't take it anymore. She had known a mother's love and a father's reassuring presence, and suddenly it was gone, after she'd already learned to need it and rely on it. She did the only thing she could think of as a nine year old. She got out. Permanently. And in doing so, she severed the bond that twins share, the bond that brother and sister share, and the magical bond that tied them together times ten. She devastated Chris, by her own choice, and because of that Chris has never had any closure in it, or any way to really move on." Pause. "And that's the story of Jessica Elizabeth Last-Name-I-Won't-Tell-You."
The ones from the past gaped. That explained that.
"But-- nine?" repeated Paige in disbelief. "She was only nine and she really hurt that bad that she kill herself--- at nine?"
Prue nodded, but there was a slight underlying coldness in her eyes, through her grim composure.
"Oh, come on," said Piper rather condescendingly. "Dad left us after we had already learned to love and need him. But we didn't mope around for seven years, and still be at a point to where we had break downs. We got over it and moved on with our lives."
"That's because we had each other. We had Grams, and Grams was a great guardian. She never let us down or hurt us. We weren't living in constant pain or fear."
"Don't you think you're exaggerating?" pressed Paige. "I mean, 'constant pain and fear'? Almost half the United States' population has suffered some kind of abuse as children, and over half the world's population. They don't go crying rivers-- they build bridges. Else we'd have one really depressed and frustrating world. What makes it alright for him to hold on to it--? his parents are dead, anyway."
The look Prue gave her sister suggested sudden death. "One, his father is still alive--- people only thought he was dead for a while--- and two, you have no idea what you're talking about so don't you DARE dis him--- he's trying as hard as he can, but when people won't ever get off of a bridge that's only half way constructed it tends to shatter under the weight, and he has tried to build it back and build it back for years with those freaking idiots treading all over it. You can't blame him with that kind of a handicap holding him back!"
Phoebe held out her hand in surrender, reeling from the sudden onslaught of anger and… hate? Why would her sister hate them just because they were picking on her charge? Well, she thought, at least I know I can get a read off her now. "Okay," she impeded the argument. "Tell us--- what the hell is that?"
Prue whirled around, startled, but sighed in relief when she saw it was only a little wolf cub… with raven black wings that were peppered with a few scarlet feathers protruding majestically from its back. "Oh," she said, smiling slightly as creature trotted over to the distraught teen. It rubbed its cute puppy-like snout against Chris' shoulder sympathetically, reassuringly. "That would be Chris' zail."
The Charmed Ones stared at her blankly, but Leo's eyes lit in comprehension, but a suspicious one at that.
"Zails are creatures, magical and --most of the time-- non-magical, that bond with witches. You know the bond between man and animal?" Leo asked. The girls nodded. "Well, that bond is stronger when a witch is a mate, and it helps them to focus their powers, balance their minds and thoughts."
"So it's like a familiar?" remarked Paige, finding the concept worth investigation.
Prue and Leo shared a wry look. "Kind of but not really," said Prue. "Familiars are more like protectors of young witches. They don't bond with them. Zails are like partners, assistants to their mate. The bond they share give both strength and reassurance, and the power of zails comes primarily from that."
"So you're saying if we went out and got ourselves zails," said Phoebe, "we would be more powerful?"
"Putting it simply: yes. But bonding is an experience in itself. Some pairs are meant to be together, others just aren't. And you don't just go out and find one," Prue continued, putting a delicate stress on the quote. "If you were meant to have a zail, then magic would find a way to bring you together. But there's also a down side to having one," she continued, again sharing a look with Leo. She still didn't seem on good terms with him, for some future reason apparently, but was willing to not truly dig in on him until he had something to be sorry for.
Leo, slightly uncomfortable from that look of loathing, picked up, "When two bond, that zail is tied solely to its mate. Whenever someone else touches it, for example, it'd cause the witch to be momentarily traumatized. It would be like someone else directly touched his soul, and it would hurt like there's no tomorrow for the witch. And if someone killed it…" he paused, a slight shudder running through him just imagining it.
After a moment he looked back to the two beside the grave. The strange creature had its head resting in the boy's lap, who was absent mindedly stroking its soft fur, his hysteria completely vanished and replaced with a quiet, aloofness. The zail used its wing to push the white bangs out of the boy's face, who was too lost in thought to notice. They definitely had some sort of a bond going on there. They seemed, too, to find solace in each other's company, even if they had no verbal communication methods.
"What is it though---? I mean, zails aren't a species," Leo asked.
"That, uh, that's a little complicated," commented Prue. "Well, it's, uh, it's a cross, actually, between Chris' original black and scarlet raven, and Jessie's wolf cub. When she died, something happened that fused the two together. And then, since Jess' powers were tied to her cub, when the cub fused to Chris' weirdish raven, Chris somehow also received Jessie's wiccan powers."
"Which ones were hers?" asked Phoebe, finding this all very confusing but going with it for the present. She had a feeling things would unfold themselves in due time.
"Empathy and energy shields," replied Prue. At the look her sisters shared she winced. "Chris didn't tell you about those did he?" They shook their heads as one. "I don't see why not, those are the more harmless ones… well the energy shields at least… he can do some pretty weird stuff with his empathy that, you, Phoebe, never could." Her voice trailed off in thought as Phoebe looked quite affronted. Paige smacked her shoulder playfully, but somewhat warningly, too. Phoebe got the message. 'Get over it before you get Prue mad at us again.'
"So," said Piper. "If Chris isn't evil, how did he flame here?"
Prue snapped out of her thoughts abruptly. "Flame? Oh, that just comes from the fire deemer in him. Did he tell you about that?" They nodded, back on familiar territory. But---
The sight of someone shimmering caught their eye. They looked up barely in time to see another boy, maybe 17 or 18, with mid-length curly brown hair and sharp grey eyes shimmer in before Chris threw out his hand, sending the newcomer flying back a good twenty meters.
"You sick freak!" Chris shouted angrily as the other, older teen swept back onto his feet with feline-like grace. "How could you do this? How could you? She was your sister, too, you freaking monster!"
"Now, now, Christopher. Let's not lose our tempers, here," the more controlled teen lilted, strolling back to the other haughtily. Chris glared coldly at the young man. It was clear to everyone they had history… and if Jessica was Chris' twin and this new person was her brother, too, that meant---
"I never thought of Chris as a little brother," commented Paige, not comprehending what was going on here. Prue, on the other hand, had blanched, her face completely white.
"Oh shoot, oh shoot," she murmured again and again, beginning to wring her hands anxiously. Her sisters and brother-in-law looked at her, perplexed. "Not good, not good…"
"Prue, if you care so much, why don't you go kick that dude's butt?"
"Greylighters can't assist in their charge's-- er-- battles, unless they are specifically asked," Leo informed them, though he didn't seemed wholly convinced that that made standing by idly alright. Prue looked even more agitated than ever.
"I can't help, but I can't just stand by and watch," Prue muttered, attention fixed on the scene in front of them.
"Prue, if that's his brother…" began Piper slowly. "Then what's the worst that can happen?"
She had to ask. The two began hurling powers at each other so fast and furiously (no punt intended) Prue barely had time to throw them all out of the way before the gravestone they had been standing in front of was blown into shards by a ricocheted lightning bolt. "This!"
"Come back from the Resistance!" the older brother shouted, dive rolling out of the way of a well aimed telekinetic blast. He counterattacked with a few extremely evil-- but cool-- slashes of power that sent Chris to the ground, a bloody gash appearing across his face. "Stop your fooling around! Your family needs you on our side! And the Resistance doesn't like you anyway! Hey-- whoa-- no lighter!" He added as Chris pulled out a very familiar lighter, sitting up on an elbow.
Chris flicked it on and, within the blink of an eye, had taken its flame into his hands and expanded it into a roaring blaze which he magically sent flying at his brother. The fire wrapped around the other like a suffocating blanket of death, enveloping him until they could no longer see the brunette curls, penetrating grey eyes, or black trench coat. But it only lasted a moment before the mass of flames began to swirl green, and hiss. Suddenly it turned into a mass of fiery snakes that launched themselves at the younger brother. Chris barely had time to clench his fist, extinguishing the fire before it made contact. The force it had come with remained, blowing his hair out of his face, splattering the blood from the gash on the gravestones behind him.
"So that's fire deeming," mused Phoebe. When Prue gave her a look, she explained, "He told us about it. We've never seen it before, though."
16 Chris looked indignant. "When did you learn how to manipulate fire?" he asked, wounded and affronted.
"Come back to evil and I'll tell you," his brother bargained, brushing his own dark hair from his face.
Chris scoffed, cold and cruel. "I was never on that side in the first place, idiot. You and our dear older brother held me captive against my will, remember? And it was even you who had a hand in torturing me when I 'acted out'. Or did you forget that too?"
"Christopher…" The older said in a warning tone, holding up a magically charged hand threateningly.
"Damien…" Chris replied in a perfectly mimicked voice. He flamed out just in time before the spot he had been on was consumed in a miniature, confined electric storm of brilliant purple lightning bolts. He flamed back in directly in front of his older brother and cocked his head to one side, face void of emotions yet again. A bright red energy shield sprang out of nowhere and threw Damien into the air. The shield disappeared as the older got to his feet for the second time in two minutes.
"Fine," Damien snapped, eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you want to be like this, I'll have no choice but to carry out my orders."
"Ooo, Damien's taking orders now? I've missed a lot, then, haven't I?" Chris teased, but paused, a frown finding its way onto his face. "I'm going to regret saying that, aren't I?"
Damien nodded, smiling. "I follow orders I enjoy. And these particular orders are to my liking."
"And were those orders are to vandalize our sister's tombstone? Or to break me physically on top of that?"
Damien shrugged, nonchalant. That admirable indifference seemed to run in the family. "Eh. They just said for me to get you to turn back. Be creative. You know, drive you over the edge and into our awaiting arms."
Chris rolled his eyes. "And how do you plan on doing that?"
"Blackmail." He replied simply and conjured a sheet of paper with a web address in bold letters on it. He held it up jauntily. When Chris just stared at it blankly, the older rolled his eyes and conjured a laptop. He tossed it to his little brother, who automatically flipped it open and typed in the web address.
Chris' face turned a funny color. His eyes were wide. His mouth opened but no sound came out. The young one didn't seem to be able to breath quite right, and he blinked several times, mute and… stunned.
The ones from the past and Prue waited for some kind of an explanation or clue as to what was happening inside his head, or on the screen. They could hear something being said from the speakers on the laptop, but couldn't make out exactly what it was. For a while time seemed to drag by. They didn't know how long Chris could go without breathing, but they were pretty sure it wasn't five minutes.
At last he released all his breath at once, tearing his eyes away from the screen and they could see the pain… the horrible pain and shock. Phoebe even sensed how he felt betrayed and horrorstricken, though those didn't show on his face as much.
"How--- where did you get this---? How could you know about--- you were never around when--- how could you---?" He stopped, unable to even form simple sentences, yet rambling anyway.
Damien laughed. "Glad I actually got a response. Now wait 'til other people who know you log on to that and find out some rather interesting things about your past. I mean, first not even a last name and then--"
"You really are a sick freak, you know that?" Chris hissed, before letting his voice climax and he screamed, "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? I KNOW YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE HATES ME, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN BRING THEM INTO THIS! THAT INTO THIS! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" With that said he began typing furiously.
Damien looked highly amused by this all and asked, smiling, "What are you trying to do, Christopher?"
"Shut the site down. Now shut up before I vanquish you into oblivion," he replied coldly without looking up.
Damien's smile widened, sending chills down the spines of the ones watching. "I know you hacked into the CIA database when you were eleven, but this, I'm sure you'll find, is going to be just a bit more difficult than that."
Chris' face darkened but he continued typing, nonetheless. Blood spilled from the wound across his face onto the keyboard but he didn't seem to notice. Prue was watching with tears in her eyes. She could feel how hurt and desperate yet hopeless he was feeling. She could feel how his mind was spinning and she knew how he felt sick to his stomach. These things she could feel, yet any empath couldn't. And all of it, the sight, the emotions, tore her heart.
Damien sighed theatrically. "When you can't stand the shocked faces any more, you know where to find me." With that he shimmered out.
For a moment Chris continued typing, but they could see how tears of frustration and hopelessness were forming in his eyes. They could see how he refused to acknowledge them, too.
They didn't know how long he sat cross-legged on the ground typing before he said, "You can come out now, Prue. And whoever those four with you are."
Prue merely sighed, whispering to her family, "Alright, I'm going to glamour you so that he doesn't recognize you. I don't think he can deal with anymore stress right now." She waved a hand and not only did her sisters and brother-in-law look like different people, they became visible to Chris. Before Phoebe had time to ask why seeing them would cause him stress, Prue pulled them forward.
They came out of the shadows. "Hey, sweetie," Prue said softly, coming to sit beside the boy. She glanced at the screen, but he had long since exited out and all they could see now was the computer language he was typing in. It made no sense to the rest of them. "What happened? What did Damien do this time?"
Chris shook his head. "I can't-- I mean, you already know about it-- but I don't want to remind you. And who are they?" he added, turning the attention to the four disguised ones.
"Those are some friends. They need to find the Archeohauge thingy," she said softly, never taking her eyes off her charge.
Chris arched an eyebrow. He seemed to be perfectly fine, now. "Okay, let me assign numbers to call them by while I'm at it. Friend one, friend two---"
"Right," said Prue, snapping out of her semi-trance. "That's Rebecca," she pointed to Piper, "Mika is her husband, Naomi," she pointed to Paige, "and Gabrielle," was Phoebe.
"Nice to meet you," said Phoebe, or Gabrielle, whatever. Chris gave her a half smile. Meanwhile Prue had been stealthily creeping her hands up to her charge's face, clearly intending to heal him, but Chris caught her.
"Prue, as much as I'd like you to so we could start a club, getting your wings clipped is not the answer."
"You had your wings clipped?" cut in Leo, unable to stop himself. The look the boy gave him was withering and Leo immediately regretted opening his mouth. But suddenly they heard Prue's voice inside their heads,
"He was cast down from grace when he was fourteen. So no, his wings weren't exactly clipped." (A/N: whilst you may consider them to be the same thing, I don't. Just go with it, please)
Leo gaped, shocked. He felt his ex-charges' confusion and used the same method of telepathy to explain,
"You are only cast down from grace as a punishment-- not a discipline measure. And the Elders curse the fallen angel, in more than a few ways. Actually, only one whitelighter has ever been cast down from grace before-- and that was for murdering his charge and several other whitelighters in the process. Chris must have done something really bad to be cast down from grace."
Using her empathy to channel the power of telepathy, Phoebe asked, "What do you mean 'curse' the fallen angel?"
Leo shrugged with his eyebrows. "It's only been done once before. I guess for Chris it means he can't be healed. Who knows what else."
"Chris," said Prue, not paying attention to the silent conversation. "We should get back to the base. Can you flame that far again?"
"Prue, it's just in Colorado. I've gone halfway across the world with worse than this scratch. What's up with you?"
"Nothing!" Prue proclaimed, quickly snapping back to herself. "Now, we need to get back and work on getting a handle on that power advancement. You obviously can't do it on your own," she added teasingly.
"Grr." Chris replied, glaring. "Do we have to? It's a stupid power. I'm never going to use it. I didn't use its form before it advanced, either."
"What is it?" asked Paige, prepared to lecture him on the importance of whatever it turned out to be. She only had one power, anyway, not counting orbing, while her sisters both had at least two.
"Something like a cross between retrocognition and astral projection," Chris replied, he and his greylighter locked in a staring contest.
At their blank silence, Prue explained, "He can astral project his memories instead of himself. And its un-advanced form is where he can show people his memories through linking their minds, or even see some of theirs. Complete power over memories."
"Useless. Ha-- you blinked!" Chris added.
Prue stuck out her tongue.
"Useless?" repeated Phoebe as though he were insane. "That is so much cooler than premonition!"
Five sets of eyes rolled.
When they had all gotten back to the base, Prue and Chris spoke to a David Archwood and Nicole Stalwart, who were very prominent leaders of the Resistance (there was a council of 13 leaders, Chris among them-- although he was still kept on a very short leash), and explained what was going to happen. From what the ones waiting outside heard, they didn't leave them very much room to debate. Archwood seemed to be a particular asshole about it, though.
After that, they made their way to the cafeteria. The ones from the past just realized they hadn't had food since breakfast, and they were in a place where it was a little past eight at night. They formally met Paris-- as she came sprinting into the great hall, completely out of breath.
"Chris-- thank God I found you!" she exclaimed. "You have to come now, Archwood just sent three hundred civilians through bypass 34--"
"He what?" Chris shouted. "Of all the stupid, idiotic, anti-brained things to do! Please tell me you stopped him?"
"I tried," she said earnestly, looking desperately to Chris for help. "He wouldn't listen to me! He's a complete prat! You have to come and--"
"Pair," coughed Prue. She motioned to the ones sitting around the table with her. "These are my friends that are going with FU1 to the Archeohauge. That's Rebecca and her husband Mika, that's Naomi," she pointed to Paige, "and that's Gabrielle," she pointed to Phoebe.
"Hey," said Paris catching the drift and shaking their hands. "I'm Paris Whitmire. Would you mind if I stole Chris for just a little while?"
"Not at all, sweetheart," Phoebe replied. As soon as the two had sprinted off, she turned to Prue.
"What's so special about bypass 34?"
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really sorry for the slow update-- it was longer than a week! I'm so ashamed. Anywho, more of older Chris in a bit, this is one of my infamous transition chapters. Don't worry, there won't be too many of them. Especially thank you, people who gave suggestions! They were all really cool-- some even inspired ideas for completely new stories all together! Appreciate it! Thanx everyone, and review, pleaz! Are these chapters too long, now?
Ha, I updated on Halloween. Beat that, J.H.!
Lesphinx: I know… interesting, huh?
Drama Angel: love the suggestion. I'm really thinking about it. Thanx!
Prissy-lady: thinking about your suggestions, too… very inspirational