new day, new chapter...R&R

The Halliwell house stood on its little hill as always. Chris didn't orb inside because he thought that was a stupid thing to do anyway; orbing right inside houses or apartments without knocking or anything - but this was a Halliwell-thing to do. Tara pulled him to the door and rang constantly stared at by Chris. He was doing his best, to give her a big variation of "pissed"-looks to express how he felt. The upcoming situation would be exactly like going to school again -or worse, living with his parents again. Piper, who was always complaining and Leo, who was always telling him, to learn his lesson from (oh, guess from whom!) Wyatt.

As they entered the family conference was already sat at the main table. Sitting there and waiting for Chris to explain or better, excuse himself were his parents, Wyatt, Phoebe, Tara who joined them, and Paige. It was even a 'power of three'-conference, he thought with everyone starring at him. Piper finally ended the silence.

"Where have you been? We've been worrying about you, young man! Why'd you just disappeared from our family-dinner?"

Chris was shaking his head in disbelief: "You really didn't get it, did you?"

"Get what, Chris?"

"I'm sick of those 'family'-dinners! I'm sick of being ignored by everyone in this room.". he got louder, he never really pronounced his thoughts that clearly and right now, he was like vomiting his feelings out, "You guys play cool all the time and you don't even notice nothings cool for me. I'm twenty years old and I don't have a job because I'm always needed here, doing some wacky job that nobody else want's to do and I refuse to become a teacher like my cousins, I don't have my own house because you had me move in with Wyatt so I could help him 'saving the world' or whatever he does, I can't go to collage 'cause I attended to magic school and don't know some basic things I'd need to know...Don't you realize? I don't have a life. You've took it away from me right when I was born. But instead of making it up to me with caring, you let me grow up just by taking lessons from Wy or learn it all alone. I'm sick of playing happy-family like this. I am not happy, Mom"

He looked at his mother, her face was motionless, until she got up.

"Chris, I'm not letting you tell me that we didn't care for you or that we don't care now. That is not true, you are free to get a job wherever you like and you could catch up with the learning matter to attend collage. You just don't do those things because you are lazy and you are taking it out on us."

"Don't do that, Mom...", Chris was about to burst in rage.

"Chris, I am your mother and I'm not letting you claim that your situation is our fault. All I did, since Wyatt was born, was giving my all to enable my children to have beautiful life and you see, Wyatt and Julie are very happy with it."

"Yeah...". Chris laughed, "as long as Wyatt is happy, everything is fine"

Wyatt didn't look into his brothers eyes, he was hurt and irritated, he never knew, that Chris as feeling like that.

"Christopher", his dad said, "it's true, you are turning twenty-one in a bit and I see, why you think that you don't have an own life. But all Halliwells feel and have like that from time to time"

"Exactly!", Paige entered the conversation, "You know how much the twins miss out on a normal life, but it is not possible the way they wanted."

"We are special", said Phoebe and stepped beside Piper who got up from her seat.

"Son", she said, "take your time out, that's okay, but mess with your destiny"

Chris' head sank, he was putting hard effort into controlling himself, he was furious, more than ever. They still didn't see his point.

He spoke through his teeth: "I need to see the book of shadows" and he walked upstairs.

"Chris, this conversation isn't ended!"

"It is, Mom, it is.", he took two steps at once and was in the attic a second later. He locked the door behind him and leaned against it. He wanted, but couldn't move, his whole body was shaking, he was tired of it all. They didn't understand, they refused to see why he was like this. He hated himself for being it. He wanted to as good as Wyatt, he wanted to walk inside the lines and for once be the one that could watch the others in front of Halliwell-court. But they wouldn't let him, they wouldn't. Thinking this he realized he was crying. Crying with rage and sadness and disappointment.

Piper walked behind her husband into the kitchen.

"You know, I think I know, why he is like that", he said.

"Leo, it is just a phase, every kid has this..."

"No, Piper. This is not just a phase. We both know, the situation with Wyatt is complicated, but maybe Chris misunderstood our worries about Wy as putting him beside."

"But we didn't", Piper was bullheaded on this.

"I know, we didn't but he can't know our reasons. Piper, don't you think we should tell him? I mean, that would certainly make it easier for him to understand..."

"No! We are not telling him."

"I don't agree with you, Piper."

"I don't care about that. Leo. We are not telling them, it would lead to so many problems, and it would be no good for Wyatt. It would kill him, if he knew, that he almost..."

"...for Wyatt...", he repeated, "I think I really see Chris' point now."

Leo left the room and piper with a guilty look on her face.

Chris sat in front of the door with his head in his hands.

"Hey, bro...", Wyatt said faltering behind the door, "I'm orbing in, okay"

Chris did not react.

"Can I do something?", Wy asked, know inside the attic.

"Just leave me alone"

"Why haven't you told me about your feelings, I could've got you a job or taught you stuff so you could go to college."

"Dammit! Wyatt! It is not about friggin' college and you know that!", he looked at his brother that seemed uncomfortably knowing what Chris meant.

"I know. But what can I do?", he asked kneeling down to him. "I didn't choose to be this. I'm carrying this burden of being some kind of a savior on my shoulders every day. I don't have a life as well. But, different from you, I can't just orb away and have a good time. I can not go somewhere without worrying about demons and charges and whatever. I'm so bonded to my powers, they are all I have and all I'm reduced to. I was never Wy the person with flaws and stuff...I always was 'Wyatt Halliwell, the chosen one'. I mean chose for what? For a life in a golden cage? I'm imprisoned. You are free to go, take your tome off, like Mom said. They wouldn't let me take a time-out from being me. And about this, I envy you..."

"I do see that. Wyatt, I am not mad at you. We were born the same. Born into this crazy family with all the insane people belonging to it", he smiled, "but I definitely am hurt. I just feel no one cares. No one came to me, but you, no one saw my point, but you..."

"And no one ever treated me like a human being instead of a magic hollow, but you, Chris"

"I'm not mad at you...", Chris cried, "I'm mad at them..."

"They don't mean it.", Wyatt opened his arms and Chris hugged him.

They sat there in brotherly hug and managed to tell without words, that they loved each other and that they were still bonded together.

Thanks for reading this, and in case I can't update tomorrow, Merry Christmas, everyone!!