Title: A Whitelighter's Priority
Author: rachelAbendstern
Summary: A little chat between Paige and Chris. And Bianca comes to visit...
Spoilers: Season 6 Charmed; I forgot to mention BtVS last chapter, 'The Gift'
Disclaimer: Neither Buffy nor Charmed is mine, and I don't make any money with it. Lily though belongs to me XP
12. HellboundAch und könnt ich doch,
nur ein einz´ges mal,
die
Uhren rückwärts drehen.
Denn wie viel vom dem, was ich heute weiß,
hätt´
ich lieber nie gesehen.
Sunday morning found a tired-looking Chris orbing into the kitchen of the manor after a long night spent at the Bronze in Sunnydale. After two weeks' worth of research in the Magic Box and vanquishing demons at a daily basis the Scoobies had unanimously decided that he needed a break – if only to give them a break from his constant fretting – and had convinced him to spent a little quality time with the gang; well, actually Spike and Xander had all but dragged him to the club, but oh well. It had been quite fun once he had let himself relax enough. The young witch couldn't remember the last time he had danced or played pool or hung out just for the heck of it. He had even managed to ignore his general dislike for noisy and crowded places for the evening.
"Oh thank goodness, you're here!"
Chris heard Paige's grateful voice almost as soon as he materialized. Turning around, he saw the witch awkwardly attempting to set the table with Wyatt on her hip. "You're a godsend, Chris!"
What? Since when was any of them relieved to see him?
"Come again?"
Instead of answering him straight away, the older half-breed quickly strode towards him, dumping the infant in the young man's surprised arms. Luckily for the baby boy Chris' arms tightened their hold around him on their own accord while Chris himself was staring at Paige in bewilderment. Looking in turn at the witch and the kid, he suddenly shook his head vigorously.
"Oh no! No! No way! I won't baby sit Wyatt again!" He declared forcefully while already moving to put his brother into his baby seat.
Paige was back to setting the table when she replied: "Oh don't get your feathers all ruffled! I only need you to hold him until Piper gets back from the bakery or Phoebe is done with her shower!"
Straightening back up, Chris looked at her curiously, arms crossed over his chest. "Why hold him when he can just as well sit in his chair?"
The Charmed One looked up at him, a clearly amused smile tugging at her lips as she cast a glance at the baby. He received his answer a heartbeat later when Wyatt unexpectedly orbed himself back into his arms. His older – younger – brother was only just able to catch the small boy, and Chris suddenly was glad for his honed reflexes.
"That's why!" Paige grinned wickedly, only to get back to work a second later.
"Every time I tried to put him in his chair or in his playpen this morning, he just orbed back to me a moment later."
"Huh." Accepting his fate without any further complaints the young Whitelighter sat down, arranging the infant more comfortably on his lap and watching Wyatt play with his fingers in amazement.
He had absolutely no memories about his brother being so small except some old photographs from before his time; from this time in fact, the time he was stuck in right now. In Chris' every memory of Wyatt the older boy was always towering over him, both literally and figuratively speaking. Wyatt was taller, Wyatt was more popular, Wyatt got all the attention, Wyatt was the Twice-Blessed – as if Chris wasn't the child of a Charmed One and a Whitelighter – Wyatt had Excalibur, Wyatt was more powerful than him, Wyatt was...
The young man sighed in resignation.
Wyatt was Wyatt; and Chris had always been second-best. He had loved his brother – and to be honest he still loved him even if he wished he was able to hate him – and he loved his family; but sometimes he really wanted nothing more than to hex their stupid asses into next year for ignoring him, for not listening to him. The half-breed partly understood why they had always been more lenient with, more protective of his brother but at times it had been as if they didn't even remember that Piper had had another son. And as understanding as he might was about the reasons, it stung; a lot.
If he succeeded in his mission, if he found the demon that would kidnap the toddler before it actually happened, maybe that was something that would change as well. At least he hoped it would. It was not one of the reasons he had been sent here for but it would be nice nevertheless.
Feeling his neck suddenly tingle in that uncomfortable way it did when someone was watching him, he looked up to see his aunt staring at him.
"What?" Chris asked her a bit irritably.
Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Paige replied: "Nothing!"
At Chris' pointed glare she receded. "You just had that funny expression when you watched Wyatt. Like you couldn't believe what you were seeing."
"And you find that surprising?" The young man countered sarcastically. "I am from the future, you know. I saw that guy at twenty-four and he actually is a head taller than me...was... well... he will be. God, that time-travel-thing gives me a headache!"
"What? Mr. 'Future Consequences' admits that the subject grows over his head as well?" There was a definite gloating smirk on Paige's features now.
Only just able to keep from squirming under her gleeful gaze, Chris finally admitted defensively: "Sometimes. It's not like it's one of my favourite pastimes. And if you comment on that now, I'll find a way to make you regret it. Dearly!"
That threat however only made the witch's smirk grow even wider than it was before.
It felt good bantering with her again. Like old times. Paige had always had a way of keeping him grounded with her sarcasm and quirky sense of humour. For a few minutes he could almost forget the hell they – he – had been through. It didn't last long though.
"Wait! You knew Wyatt in the future?" Damnit! He did say that, didn't he? Silently groaning over his own stupidity he looked down at the toddler-version of the man in question who was still holding onto his hands and avidly watching his aunt standing in front of the fridge.
"Why didn't you tell us? Have you been friends?" Then, a bit more wary "Have you been enemies? I thought you said he was dead!"
"I said he was harmed not dead!" Chris answered the one question he could answer honestly. He had been lying a lot around them recently; but only because he had grown to be a good liar didn't mean he liked it.
The younger half-breed watched in trepidation as his aunt crossed her arms in front of her and put on that stern expression he had learned to fear in his youth. "So. That answers one of my questions. What about the other ones?"
"Paige..." Chris wished he could tell her, he honestly did, but it just wasn't possible; even if her knowing didn't change the future in even worse ways it could still jeopardise his mission. Besides he was as weary of giving the ever same explanation as the Charmed Ones were to hear it. "You know I can't tell you. Fu-"
"Future consequences, I know, I know."
In a seriously frustrated gesture the woman threw her hands in the air and exclaimed angrily: "That's all you ever say when things get personal! You know what? I think you're more afraid of the consequences for you than for the future!"
And maybe she was right. But that didn't really matter either way because there was no way in hell he would tell them his true story. If he had his way, his family would neither know of nor experience the kill-or-be-killed-place the world had become in his timeline.
"Did you ever consider that I keep things from you for your own good?" Chris asked her aloud before his mind had been able to censure his mouth.
"No, actually that never occurred to me." Her anger vanished almost as fast as it had risen as she eyed her Whitelighter speculatively.
"But even so, it's not your place to decide that. We are all adults, Chris, we faced more than our share of weirdness and evil and what-not. You might be our Whitelighter now, but that doesn't mean you have to protect us from everything. Why can't you just trust us to be able to handle the truth and be responsible about it? We may have made some mistakes in the past but we are the Charmed Ones for a reason, you know?"
Again, she was right of course. But there was too much at stake for him to take the risk.
"What does your gut tell you?" He asked her instead.
"What?" He caught her off guard, he could tell; which partly was the reason for his question.
"About me, I mean." Chris clarified, keeping his eyes on Wyatt instead of her.
"I don't know!" Paige admitted with a sigh, running both hands through her hair in order to calm down. "I never know with you. I like you well enough but I just can't seem to decide whether or not to trust you. There is something you're not telling us, something big! I guess I would feel more comfortable about you if I knew everything there is to know."
Chris looked up at her again in astonishment. That had been unexpected. He had been half prepared for a tirade on why she didn't trust him in the least.
Heaving another sigh, Paige gazed at the two of them a few moments before she continued. "But seeing as Wyatt trusts you and Victor seemed to trust you as well, I'm willing to believe that you're not here to harm us. Although I still don't understand why you didn't tell us before that you knew Wyatt. It's not like that knowledge would have changed anything about the future."
Staring at Paige for a few moments after her declaration he tried to come up with something to tell her. Now, he wanted even less to lie to her. The sound of orbing startled Chris out of his thoughts and he looked down to see Wyatt happily suckling on his pacifier which had lain next to the sink only seconds ago.
"We had been friends." He finally admitted quietly. "A long time ago."
666
"You don't command me, Hammond!" Chris seethed. How dare that – that arrogant damnable human mortal major give him orders? Much less this set of orders! "I don't have to do anything you say!"
"Listen, you selfish little brat!" The burly older man was not far behind the boy with his anger. "You should be glad that we tolerate you in our middle at all! After all you're endangering everyone here with your mere presence. This is your brother out there who is doing all the damage and all you do is let him do it! Brave and honest men have let their lives out there for all our safety. It's time you do your share to repay their efforts! Either that or you and your little family will find yourselves kicked out of here!"
This wasn't happening. Did that man even realize who – what – Chris was?
"Are you even listening to yourself? You want to guilt me into this! Are you forgetting who you are talking to, major? Fine then. Why don't I just give up on the shields over this place that has kept you safe from Wyatt and any demons he sent for the last two damn years? Or better yet: why don't I just use my powers to kick you out of this place? Do I really need to remind you that this club where you have set up your headquarters in against my will is still mine! Only because I let you stay here doesn't mean I don't have the power to throw you out!"
The glasses rattling around them should have been an indication to the stubborn soldier that he better made for a tactical retreat. Chris was very close to let his powers loose on the man. How dare he threaten his family! But Major Hammond disregarded the signs of the witch's anger – or plainly underestimated him – and spat:
"Damn witch! If you ask me you sorcerers and witches are no better than the demons you claim to fight! If it was for me, I would let you burn, the whole lot of you! You wouldn't be so self-confident without your powers!"
Sadly, the major's opinion was not that uncommon among those without any 'gifts'. Many people had learned to be afraid of witchcraft ever since Wyatt's rise to power. Nevertheless it made Chris angry. His family had fought for generations to protect those people, those innocents as his mother had liked to call them, although many of them were far from innocent, and now that arrogant mortal had the audacity to tell him...
"No one asked for your opinion." Chris told the other man dangerously calm. "And I wouldn't say it quite so loud if I were you. The witches in these times are not afraid to defend themselves anymore. This is not Salem. And we have learned to fight for us and those we love. Witchcraft was the only thing that has kept you alive for the last few years, if you want to believe it or not. Right now, witchcraft is the one weapon that you base all your hopes on. So don't tell me how much you despise magic if you don't want to lose the small chance that you have at convincing me to let you stay!"
He would not throw them out of course. The annoying brute of a major just needed to be reminded of his place now and again. Chris knew as well as everyone else that Wyatt had to be stopped and he felt he owed those people out there to contribute to the small hope that the resistance had given them. That didn't mean though that he would go along with this particular plan!
666
"Gutter, gutter, gutter!"
Piper laughed at her youngest sister's words. It was late evening and they were sitting in the P3 at the bar, talking about – men. What else could they be talking about when Paige had so kindly advised them to get their minds out of the gutter. The youngest Halliwell sister had met a new guy a few days ago and Phoebe and her had wanted to know how things stood between the two lovebirds.
Piper herself kind of missed dating as well; but everything considered that had happened as of late she wasn't quite ready to start that whole game again. Getting herself and her kids safely through this pregnancy was somehow more important to her at the moment.
"What are you girls talking about?" A well-known voice from behind them interrupted their little chat and the witch turned her head to see Chris passing them by.
"Stuff." Phoebe answered him, a grin still firmly in place.
"Hey, where are you going?" That question came from Paige and they all looked at him curiously when he turned around to face them.
"I'm gonna go work on the next demon." Piper had to keep from laughing as she saw the look on his face when he suddenly realized just where he had said that explanation out loud.
"– stration." The young man amended a second too late.
Sometimes, Piper wondered if there ever would be a time when her Whitelighter would think about something other than his demon hunts. It reminded her of a wild goose chase now and again if she wasn't preoccupied with being pissed off with him.
Phoebe's next words proved that her sister had been thinking along the same lines.
"Chris, why don't you relax and come have a drink with us?"
But the young Whitelighter was already on his way to the little room in the back of the club which Piper let him use.
"Thanks, but I didn't come here to relax." He told them over his shoulder when he walked away.
Exasperated, Paige groaned and looked at her sisters almost pleadingly.
"That is one bitchy Whitelighter!" Piper actually couldn't tell if Phoebe sounded more tired, annoyed or amused. She for one really did not want to bring up the energy to be more than slightly ruffled by Chris' behaviour. "You're telling me."
"Piper, why don't you go talk to the guilt-machine over there?" Paige asked her with a hopeful look on her face.
Well, they were all tired of hunting, but – why her?
"Why me?"
"Because he's more likely to listen to you." Paige told her in her no-none-sense-voice. Thinking over what she had just said, she then wryly admitted: "Not that he ever listens to anyone. Well except for Spike."
"You noticed that, too, huh?" Phoebe snorted.
Even Piper had noticed. As far as she could tell from the few visits the demon had paid them, Chris might not actually do what the vampire told him but William had more of an influence on her Whitelighter's decisions than anyone else she knew could claim. Who would have thought; a Whitelighter who was darker than any other she had ever met and a demon who claimed of himself to be evil. Strange as it seemed, they were two of a kind; acting as father, brother and friend all in one.
Still contemplating the curious relationship the two of them had formed, the oldest Charmed One opened the door to Chris' room, only to find a strange beautiful woman obviously attacking the young man. If her glowing hand in Chris' chest was any indication.
Quickly recovering from her initial shock, Piper snapped her hands and the startled witch or warlock or whatever the hell she was exploded into millions of tiny pieces while her Whitelighter slid down to the ground with shock and surprise written all over his features.
666
"No, Bianca, not you, too." Chris pleaded with his lover.
How in hell had the major convinced her to speak to him about this ridiculous plan? Going back to the past to kill his own brother as a baby! There was no way he would do such a thing! He would not kill a baby, much less his brother! Aside from that, he knew better than to tamper with the past. It was simply too risky. He could majorly mess things up for all of them if he unintentionally changed something he didn't want to change!
"Chris, this might be the only chance that we have left to change things for the better."
The half-breed stared incredulously at the woman he loved. Major Hammond was an insensitive jerk, hearing the idea from his lips had not been that surprising for Chris. But now Bianca was telling him to...
"I won't kill my own brother, Bianca! Especially not his baby-self!" Chris hissed through clenched teeth, keeping his volume down despite his anger to not wake up his sleeping daughter.
"And I don't suggest you do!" The Phoenix looked at him with that expression that clearly told him to hear her out before he exploded in her face.
"The major can order all sorts of things, but in the end he won't be there to make sure you stay with his plan." She paused a moment, making sure that Lily was still asleep in the adjacent room before she sat down beside him on their small bed, taking his hand into hers.
"Remember that one conversation we had with Victor? That something might have messed with your brother's mind when he had been abducted as a kid? What if he's right? What if he had been traumatised so much that your mother's death had been a trigger to set off his sleeping dark side? He had never been that stable to begin with from what you told me. If we could prevent his abduction from ever happening wouldn't it be worth the risk if we were able to create another – better – timeline? A timeline where we didn't have to worry who will be his next victim, where Lily would be able play outside on the streets with other kids her age without them being in any danger..."
She had him with this argument and she knew it. He would do anything – anything – to keep his little family safe. And it was not just about them. There were so many innocents out there, so many who would die if they were not able to stop the Dark Lord. If there really was a chance that this plan could work they had to try it. And Chris was the logical – and only – choice to do so.
"What if grandpa's wrong? What if it wasn't the abduction that turned him?" Chris asked quietly although he already knew the answer himself.
"Then you have to do what you think best."
tbc
A/N: Umm… I'm alive? Anybody missed me?
So yeah, I took my time with this update, didn't I? I was on vacation, unfortunately so was my muse. Sorry…
I'm not prticularly happy with this, though.
This chapter and the next one will be heavily leaned on Chris-crossed, I know, but I think after that the resemblance with the series will stop. Except for a few things :) Although, the encounter of Chris and Bianca didn't go quite the way it did on TV :) -as you'll see soon.
Anyway, the intro was from 'Kein Zurueck' by Wolfheim and here is the translation if you're interested:
Alas, if only I could turn back the clocks
One mere time.
Because how many of the things I know today
I'd rather have not seen at all.
And now the reviews (I know, I have been lazy not to write any emails this time):
Karone Evertree: Don't sweat it. It gave me a hard time uploading today as well. As for Chris, you know I didn't mean it like that. And Piper did take it back in a way. Anyway, I suppose you won't like this or the next chapter very much seeing as you don't like Bianca. It's necessary for the plot though... Thanks for the praise on the last chapters though :) I almost forgot: yeah, that was an oops. I didn't notice I wrote two 'sons'... let's just say it's mother's intuition, why don't we? ;)
Night-Owl123: Sorry, that was not really soon :( I'll try to be better though ;)
DrewFullerFanLife: Thanks!
redfox88: Of course I had to slip that in. It has to get interesting sometime ;) Thanks!
Martina: Thanks! You have point with what you said there. But we still love them, don't we?
alienangel19852003: Thanks! Although unfortunately this isn't quite 'next week'...
anianka: Thanks! Glad you like it so much! As for Gideon, he is in for a nasty surprise (Although, that might be a while). And don't hold back on my behalf. I'm not to say I always consider the ideas you guys have, but sometimes its really a boost in the right direction to see what you guys think will happen next ;)
phoebe turner: Thanks! Sorry I took my time. But why did you review twice for the same story?
Meraculas: Thank you!
mewer44444: well you just have to wait and see ;)
starra86: Don't fret. I thankful for every review I get, even if you only review once throughout the entire story :) And Drusilla did sire Spike, as I found out a few days ago. I just had seen that one episode of 2. season (School hard) where Spike told Angel something like 'you were my Sire, my Yoda' when I wrote the chapter. So, thanks!
YoshimiWolfspaw: Thanks! I have to read them some day soon...
rcaqua: Thanks a bunch!
hope master: Wow, thanks!
Lonnie: Yeah, poor Chris. hehehe that's why I love Spike!
KlownKid-131: Thanks, I'll keep trying! I never actually looked it up, but I did surf the net and came up with some very obscure sites. Oh well, I still like the word ;)
Stony Angel: Thanks, you flatter me! Anyway, as I said before, one of the main reasons I started with the story was because Spike and Chris seemed to make for some nice moments. In my opinion at any rate, so there will be a bit more of that :)
Serina Kat: Thanks a lot! Glad you like it even though you don't know Buffy :)
Shoequeeny: Thanks for reviewing! I really hope I do the series honor, because they are two of my favourite as well :) The girls will stay oblivious for some time yet, however ;)
BlackNightWolf04: I don't know what to say except thanks! A lot!
wickedwms: Thank you! I'll do my very best ;)
Nacoutte: I can't promise to update as much as you would like me to, but I'll certainly try. There aren't really that many Charmed-Buffy Crossovers, are there? So, thanks a bunch:)
God, I really feel terrible for making you wait so long! I just hope it was worth it.
And a huge thanks and kisses to all of you who reviewed for my Oneshot 'Just a Boy'. Don't be mad, but I'm really tired right now.
So, see ya all! (Hopefully this weekend, but I don't promise anything!)