DISCLAIMER: I can't own this TV show, I'm barely on the verge of adulthood.

A/N: This leads into the next chapter that will go in between these episodes and the genie episode.

True Lies

Chapter 8

The Weirdest Family in the Universe

I have to say that I was born into the weirdest family in the universe. Most families write names and phones numbers on things that they misplace. Not our family. Grams cast a spell on her hippie boots to 'return to sender,' which would be fine if it hadn't sent Paige reeling into the past.

Grams' first husband, grandpa, was killed by a dear friend of hers that had turned out to be a warlock, and Paige stopped it. That turned Grams in the present into a major "hippie." What were the people in the 70's thinking? Anyway, everything was fixed that week, and Chris spent plenty more time arguing with his father. They fight as badly as my mom and I did, before she died.

The next week was just as weird. I swear that this family relies on magic way too much. It was Piper's birthday, so she did the only thing she could do, renounce men. Go figure. Chris's two hour rant about it was hilarious. It was like he was debating with his mother's imaginary self in front of him.

Anyway, so instead of a normal birthday or even just setting Piper up on a date, Paige and Phoebe created her the 'perfect man,' whatever that means. So Chris realized just how useful this would be and made each charmed one fall in love with him. The "perfect man" made them all believe that they wanted to bind baby Wyatt's powers.

It never happened, though. I also had a serious discussion with Chris about manipulation. We seem to have that talk quite a bit. Of course, it always seems to go in one ear and out the other.

Relationships in the Halliwell manor are always shaky at best. They were definitely put to the test last week when Jason witnessed Paige orbing, At the same time, Richard decided to use the Book of Shadows to "cleanse his karma," after Paige specifically told him not to do so.

The spell backfired, big surprise, and turned Phoebe into a French spy. Paige was mad at him, but not too much. Jason ended up being scared of spy-Phoebe, and was about to get hurt. Phoebe became herself again, though, just in time to save Jason's life and after he covered for her and thanked her, he left.

To cap off a "great" month, we had a headless horseman running through the manor and chopping off Piper's head. Piper said some really hurtful things to Chris lately so he hasn't showed up around here that much. I've been sneaking off to see him at P3. Phoebe actually asked if I had a crush on him one time. That's just gross to think about.

So, Piper was a head. Paige was teaching a class at magic school with the kid that has conjured the thing that decapitated Piper's head. Chris was doing Chris things. Leo gushed about his mentor, Gideon. The guy looked like a fruitcake, but that's just me. Wyatt stayed in the nursery at the school, which left me to follow Phoebe while she follows this really odd-looking animal, in my opinion.

So, I followed Pheobe until the animal turned into a girl, a student. She explained something about us needing to see something that would help us see more clearly. We were to go on a vision quest, separate vision quests actually. I followed her instructions, and soon felt like I was surrounded by fog.

I walked into a room that I knew. It was my room back home. Why was I there? I watched a younger version of myself cross the room. What was I doing?

My heart started to beat faster as I saw Jerry enter the room and grab my younger self. I remembered this day, and I most certainly didn't want to see it. I ran to Jerry and attempted to punch him, but it didn't work. He turned away from little me, and sent an energy ball toward me that knocked me backward.

He smiled largely at me, and I couldn't figure out why he saw me. I knew what came next but he simply seemed to relish in making me a nervous wreck. These were the things that I had tried so hard to forget.

Just when I thought I was going to have to watch, I felt a tug at my stomach and then found myself at school. It was my freshman year. I remember that day perfectly. It was the day he took it further than anyone ever should.

I hadn't done anything wrong that day, other than exist that is. I guess it was enough of a simple reminder, because I was then pushed forward to the day on the balcony. Mom hadn't believed me. I was simply 'acting out' in her mind. How a child of thirteen explain something that vividly though? There was a simple explanation, according to Jerry, that darn TV. My mom bought it, go figure.

The balcony incident was all about that, but it wasn't the balcony that I was taken back to then. It was beforehand with Jerry. "I will haunt you forever," he had said.

Once again, I felt the tug. I didn't recognize this place though. It had a dreary feel to it almost like a cave. Underworld? Why would I be in the underworld? His voice repeated the quote from the memory, "I will haunt you forever."

Well, at least the tug was starting to get easier on my stomach. I was in the manor, but things had changed a lot. Toys were all over the floor. Two boys sat trying to figure out some puzzle, while two identical girls fought over a toy purse. "You can share that." I heard myself talk.

I looked down to find that I had grown up about six years. The little girls looked to be five or six. The younger of the boys seemed to be about the same age. The older one was probably seven or eight. It wasn't until then that I saw his piercing green orbs that I had grown so used to by now. It must have been Chris and Wyatt. That would have made the girls my twins, which would be why I just told them what to do.

I looked up to see Piper walking out of the room with Paige in tow. Paige was talking about some new beau and Piper was tidying up as she listened. I looked over to see a very pregnant Phoebe. She was still as beautiful as ever, though.

Chris looked up into her eyes and spoke to her, "We need your help Aunt Phoebe." The twins stood beside me, "Mom, can we go with Chris to Jamie's party?" One twin asked. "We'll talk about it later," was my automatic response.

At that point, I was pulled out of the vision quest. Phoebe was still going through hers because she had fought it the first few times that she tried. When I woke up, I noticed that the girl was gone.

It wasn't long before Chris orbed in front of me, "What's going on, Christopher?" I asked.

"We need both of your help." He walked over in front of Phoebe and began to shake her ever so gently. "Phoebe," he whispered, "Phoebe."

She still didn't stir, so he spoke louder, "We need your help, Phoebe." She opened her eyes slowly and I caught a small glint of recognition in her eyes, but I let it go. It wasn't important at the moment.

We both took Chris's hand; one on either side. We were orbed to the manor, where the charmed ones concocted a magnificent scheme to fix the situation. Well, it didn't work. So, instead of simply having a headless Piper, we also had headless Phoebe and headless Paige.

The rest wasn't that important. They got their heads back on their bodies, found the boy who did it, and sent him home. That was the whole point; the boy had wanted Gideon to let him go home. It still amazes me that people tend to ignore requests like that until they become lethal. If the crazy-looking elder would have just listened to the boy in the first place, there would have been no need for headless anybodies.

So, I was sitting in the back room on Chris's bed, later on that day. For some reason, I couldn't get that vision quest out of my head. The truth was that Jerry always has and always will scare me, even when he isn't really here.

"When are you planning on telling them, Chris?" I had been pushing for weeks especially since one of my two favorite nephews would soon cease to exist.

"You know good and well that I won't." He answered just like he always did, and it infuriated me.

"Well, I will. I'm not lying to them, and they need to know." I answered as I stood and opened the door. Instead of going to the Charmed Ones, I was stopped by Phoebe standing in the doorway.

"Can I talk with the two of you?" Phoebe inquired.

I walked backward to sit down, hoping that she wasn't going to tell Chris about the "crush." I think that it would probably hurt her feelings if we both burst out laughing like I knew that we would.

"Are you going to kick me out of here too?" Chris asked with an underlying hurt that I didn't fail to notice.

She didn't really give him an answer. She just started in on her speech, "I need to ask you something, and I want the truth. No running. No lies. Just the truth. Can you do that?"

There was definitely hesitation, so I started to chime in, "Chris, this is the time to start, even if you don't do it for yourself."

He glared at me, then turned to Phoebe and nodded, conceding.

"Are you Wyatt's brother?" It didn't even sound like a question really, and we sat in stunned silence for many long moments.

"Only if I can get Piper and Leo back together in time," his voice was so small and quiet, but it seemed to resound in Phoebe's ears.

Phoebe's eyes were fierce as they turned to look at me, "And you knew?"

"Yea, I did. Sorry Phoebe, but he asked me to keep it a secret. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I agreed. How did you know?"

"Vision quest," was her simple answer.

"You can't tell Piper. Please!" Chris pleaded with his aunt.

She let out a sigh, but when she looked into his watery eyes she just couldn't say no. "I won't, but no more secrets!"

"There will be more secrets. Future Consequences. I screwed up letting the two of you know. I'm sorry, Aunt Phoebe, but it has to be this way." Chris said.

"Aunt Phoebe, I like the sound of that." She walked up and began pinching his cheeks and mumbling about what a cute baby he was going to be.

I smiled as I watched Chris shrink away, laughing the whole time. I think that he missed his family, and at least this was somewhat close. Phoebe kept asking questions, only to get sarcastic comments thrown back at her.

I started to sneak out, and leave the two alone. That was when Chris walked up to me, and stopped me. "Don't leave."

"You two bond. You need to." I told him.

"We never got around to talking about what was upsetting you; this can wait." His comment seemed to pique Phoebe's interest.

"We'll talk about it later. I really need to go." I tried to get out before empathic Phoebe kicked in, but I didn't.

"You're afraid." She stated, as if telling me what I was feeling was absolutely normal. In this house, though, nothing is ever normal.

"I'm fine." I said as I walked out.

The truth was I kept seeing Jerry's face flash in front of me. As much as I loved getting a glimpse at my girls and future nephews, I wished that I never took that vision quest. I walked out, phone in hand.

"Mary"

"Melinda, is that you? It's been a while."

"Where are you this weekend?"

"Actually, I'm in a small town in California. Why?"

"How far is it from San Francisco?"

"A half an hour or so. Why?"

"Get ready California. I'm headed your way. I need to talk, and as much as I love this family, no one can help me like you and Ebony can."

"See you soon then."

"See ya"

I hung up the phone and immediately yelled at the sky for no apparent reason, "LEO!"