A/N: Here's the next Chapter! After reading, please tell me what you think about it! Please? Okay? Thanks! Suggestions, Criticisms, Encouragements, Comments, I'm open to all of them! I know the pacing is a bit slow, but I'll try to work on that. Promise! I haven't got the hang of making the pacing just right yet. Thanks for bearing with me! I'm really glad people take the time to read my story… ;-) Thanks so much!
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Disclaimer: I obviously don't own CHARMED. Please don't rub it in! ;-) I really wish I did though, but I guess we all do! I forgot to disclaim in the first chapter. I'm really, really sorry about that!
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DESTINY'S PULL
CHAPTER 2 – An Uninvited Visitor
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Previously on Destiny's Pull:
Chris was about to jerk open the refrigerator door when he heard a strange sound behind him. He turned around to see a tall, dignified man in black clothes. He looked so familiar, yet Chris was sure that he had never met him in his life before. Well, he was partially correct. In his present life, he had never met him…
"Christopher…" The man said warmly, and Chris' could hear a stab of sadness in it. "It's remarkable to finally see you again…"
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Chris stared at the man, unable to reply. He did not know why but he felt fear creep into his nerves when he made eye contact with the unknown visitor.
"Chris," Continued the man with a hint of quiet mirth in his voice. "Of all the mortals and immortals in this world, you were the one I expected to not fear me. Do not fear me Christopher."
Chris backed away as the man tried to come near him. "Who are you?" Chris asked in a voice not louder than a whisper. But the man heard him, nonetheless.
"Don't back away Christopher. I'm here to help…"
Again, the man took a step closer to him. Not too close, yet close enough to see sweat dampening the teenager's forehead. This time though, Chris did not back away. Aside from wanting to show the visitor that he was not weak, he moreover felt the weird sense of familiarity again and knew that he had trusted this man once upon a time.
"Who are you?" Chris asked again, louder than before but still not in his usual volume. Then, as if he knew this man was of a higher power, he added "Please Sir?"
The visitor looked at him with apologetic eyes and regret for what he was about to say. "Christopher," he said slowly, trying to make it easier for the teenager. "I am the Angel of Death…"
Chris felt himself freeze at those words. "N-n-no!" He exclaimed stuttering, when he finally recovered control over his body. "No!" He exclaimed again, though, firmer than the first. "You can't be! I'm just sixteen! I mean, I-I-I'm not dead!" Chris reasoned out as tears started to spring up his eyes in panic. He wiped them away quickly so as not to show any weakness to the Angel of Death.
"Of course you're not, Chris." Death replied patiently. "And don't mask your weaknesses from me, boy! I know you more than you know yourself…" His voice abruptly stopped and silence fell between the two men. Then, as an afterthought, Death continued "Oh, and in terms of dying, do be aware that age does not matter to me Christopher."
Chris was startled by the buoyancy in Death's voice. He took a deep breath and regained his composure. He then asked in an obviously forced, calmed voice. "What do you want?"
"As I said, to help you Christopher Perry Halliwell..." The slightest pause could be felt in the air, then, he continued. "…fulfill your destiny…"
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Wyatt felt fear pass through his body as he was mixing chemicals in the school's science laboratory. He didn't think twice about it though because he had just learned of his new power, empathy. Someone in the room was probably scared of mixing two poisonous compounds together.
His Aunt Pheobe, who was also an empath, had taught him how to push these feelings to the back of his mind. This was exactly what he did at that moment in the lab. Because of that, he never realized that the feeling was more than a product of his new power. It was the effect of the brotherly bond he shared with Chris.
"Halliwell!" A voice behind him shouted.
Wyatt turned around to see who called him. "Yeah?" Wyatt asked, rolling his eyes. It was fairly obvious that Wyatt disliked this guy.
"Stop staring into space and finish the stupid process already! I want to get out of here!" It was Danny Breen, one of his most pessimistic group mates for the project. A group wherein he was the unlucky leader. Wyatt hated to be in control too much. He didn't like responsibility except if it concerned Magic specifically.
Wyatt controlled himself from blowing the guy up. Life would have been easier without the added pessimism but he knew Magic was not for his own gain. He simply retorted, "You can go if you want Breen, it's your grade on the line anyways…"
Danny made a face as Wyatt turned his back on him. He didn't have the time and energy to play silly games. The fear Wyatt felt was getting harder to ignore but he succeeded in doing this anyways. His Aunt Pheobe was a pretty good mentor. He couldn't help wonder though who the hell was so scared of mixing compounds…
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"H-h-help me fulfill my destiny?" Chris asked confused and wary. "What are you talking about?"
The Angel of Death shook his head as if exasperated by how ignorant Chris was. He knew, of course, that Chris truly did not have any idea on what he was talking about. He did not blame him at all. He knew Piper and Leo's reason for not telling Chris. It was very practical and logical and even the Angel somewhat agrees with their decision. But nonetheless, Chris had to know. It was destined.
As unlikely as it may seem, the Angel of Death had Chris' best interest in his heart. He had gotten to know the boy and even be concerned for him due to the many times Chris had nearly died in his past life. Chris had outrun Death so many times that even the Angel himself was astonished.
"Chris," The Angel started after releasing a deep breath. "Destiny has a way of going about things. When something – or someone – disrupts its supposed path, it needs to be disrupted again to regain balance. It's been like that since forever."
"Yeah, I know that crap. I've read it in the Book of Shadows." He said with annoyance in his tone. Chris was well known for his short patience, even in the face of death… Literally.
"Patience, Christopher, is a virtue." Said the Angel of Death, sounding very much like a guardian. The irony of the situation made Chris more impatient, though he did try to hide this. No matter what happens and what his instincts tell him, the Angel of Death was still the ANGEL OF DEATH. And that itself was already something to be cautious of.
Chris looked at the floor as an indication of 'trying to be patient'. The Angel couldn't help but smile at seeing the old, neurotic, sarcastic Chris in him. The Patience-Thing was also one of the Future Christopher Perry's worst attitudes.
"Yes, this crap, as you call it, is all written in the Book of Shadows. Written in there by a very special person, actually. If truth be told, Piper didn't want it written in the book but he did it anyways. He wrote it in the book, causing your mom to burst and expel that famous Piper Halliwell Wrath on him." The Angel said with cordial chuckling.
Chris gave a sheepish grin at the thought of his mom's wrath. Suddenly, something clicked inside him. "Did I hear you right?" Chris asked baffled. "You said HE?"
Chris did not give the Angel time to reply as he continued confused. "That's impossible! There has never been a guy in the Halliwell line till Wyatt was born! How could a HE write in the Book of Shadows?" Chris really stressed the word HE. "Unless, of course, we have this secret Uncle that we've never heard about. Jeez, it would be great to have another guy witch around." Just as if he were talking to his mortal friends, he finished the outburst with a sarcastic comment.
The Angel raised his eyebrow at the comment and answered. "Yes Chris, a MAN wrote in the Book of Shadows. A man with the Halliwell bloodline." The Angel's voice was somewhat forceful, as if he was trying to press Chris on remembering something. "And that man, young as he was, died to save the world from eternal hell. He DIED, Chris. Though," He shook his head knowing that what was coming next would sound unfathomable to the teenager. "He never really existed at the moment of his demise."
"What do you mean?" Chris asked mystified by the cryptic statement the Angel chose to end with. "He was never meant to be there?"
"You are smart, Christopher. It is what kept you alive for 23 years…" The Angel let his voice trail into silence as he casually anticipated Chris' reaction.
"23 years? That's absurd!" Chris exclaimed bewildered. Then, he responded as only Christopher Perry could – Sarcastically. "I guess time runs faster in your realm than in ours, huh Angel?" Chris could not understand why but calling the Angel of Death so informally seemed to slip out of his tongue.
"Chris," The Angel said quietly as if treading on thin ice. "YOU were that man who saved the world. YOU died on your 23rd birthday. YOU were the one who was never meant to exist at that time."
Chris tried to interrupt but the angel held up his hand as a gesture of asking Chris to listen. "You have to listen, Chris. This is as hard for me as it is for you. I had to stop all death operations at the moment to cater to destiny's will, to talk to you, to make you understand. What I am about to show you would tear a normal witch apart, but I know you are strong Christopher. Please, be open to this and make it easier for the both of us."
"W-w-what?" Chris asked, having not processed the information overload yet. "Why? How?"
"Take my hand, boy." The Angel said as he reached out his white gloved hand to Chris. "And I will show you your past life."
Chris was uncertain and hesitated for a moment. Then, for once in his life – his present life, that is – he decided to give in fully to his instincts and grasped the outstretched hand of the Angel.
At the exact moment of contact, Chris felt his body rip into two. The pain was so excruciating that Chris considered it as dying. He screamed as he fell to the floor in agony. He felt as if knives were slowly slitting him open, inch by inch, with no care for tenderness. Then, in a blink of an eye, it all seemed to halt and Chris felt himself being pulled into a dark hole that had formed next to him. He was sucked deeper and deeper and deeper until the body – his body – that was left behind could no longer be seen…
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The Angel of Death sadly watched as Chris felt his soul parting with his body. He sadly watched as the teenager dropped to the ground screaming. He sadly watched as Chris' soul was sucked by Destiny's Hole. He did not want to hurt Chris at all but it was the only way he could see his past life. By being dead, even for just that moment. It was the only way to make him understand. The Angel could easily return the soul to its body once the past memories are intact.
Death looked around the Halliwell manor and hoped that no one would arrive before Chris returned. He wouldn't want to be summoned again by the Halliwells. Piper's wrath was truly something to marvel at, given that you were just a spectator and not the victim.
The Angel gave one last glance at the body before flicking his fingers, causing all the lights in the manor to shut off. The house was instantly in darkness. The Angel then followed Chris' soul into Destiny's Hole and he too began to fall deeper and deeper and deeper, though with the ease of someone who had done this numerous times already.
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A/N: Thanks for thoroughly reading the Chapter! I'm glad people still made it this far! That would mean my story's not that crappy. Thanks so much! Now, could you do me a favor and send a review? Thanks again! ;-)