Disclaimer:
"Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.
Author's Note:
Please note that I am making Bianca's age closer to Chris' for story purposes. I am fully aware that this deviates from the show, as will many details; it is not a continuity issue.
This is another of the original stories running around in my cranium. There will be one or two original characters, but if you've read my stuff you know I lean toward the family drama side with Piper, Leo, Chris, & Wyatt. If you take the time to read and enjoy it please review it for me. If you take the time and don't enjoy it please tell me why.
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Piper spun around on her heels so fast she almost lost her balance. As her younger son's orbs settled he reached out his arms to brace her.
"Should I just remove the steps all together? Then we can all orb around and pretend that 'silly' notion of personal gain has no bearing on our lives."
"Sorry mom." Chris had landed directly in front of his parent's bedroom door attempting to block her path in order to delay her call to his aunts. "I had to ask you something before you spoke to Phoebe or Paige."
Cocking her head to the side she stared at her son with an exasperating glare. "What now?"
"Don't say it like that. It's a small detail. Bianca told her mom that she needed this week to think and her mom agreed. She said she was staying with a friend and would be home tomorrow to pick some things up. The only problem is that Bianca doesn't have many… any friends she could stay with, even for a couple of days."
Piper looked up at her son and began to chuckle. "So, let me guess what your next request is going to be… mom can't she stay with us? How am I doing?"
"Pretty good," Chris said sheepishly. "Mom I know it's a lot, but I swear it's the last thing. Where will she go? You can't put her out on the street!"
"Lower your voice. Chris we are not running a home for wayward witches. Now I'm drawing a line. The answer is no."
"Can't I plead my case?"
"No. Where would she stay Chris? Did you forget about the tall blonde that already shares your room? Not to mention I think taking in a killer witch is… well… suicidal." Piper was losing her patience and she hated feeling this way or lashing out at any of her children. But there was absolutely no way this would work. She couldn't even entertain the idea.
"I want to bring it up at a family meeting after dinner then. It's a magical problem… sort of and that means a meeting can be called and a majority rule can override an arbitrary decision."
"This isn't arbitrary and this is my house. You didn't really think I'd agree to let your girlfriend, who I met all of an hour ago, shack up with you in your room. Assassin blood not withstanding." Piper was rubbing her temples and Chris had his shoulders rounded and head hung low in a submissive and obedient fashion even though he knew that would be the last thing he'd be if ultimately his mom did say no.
"Of course she wouldn't stay in my room. I figured she could bunk with Melinda. It's just for a week. You could get to know her better."
Finally she pushed her son out of her way and entered her room. She couldn't stop laughing. "And you think Mel is going to agree with this scheme? Do the words FAT CHANCE mean anything to you?"
Piper picked up the phone receiver and looked at Chris hard. "Go downstairs and make sure they don't destroy my kitchen. I'm calling my sisters, unless you forgot to tell me anything else."
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Chris ran downstairs to the kitchen and just hoped against hope that things would work themselves out. His mom was acting strange and even more obsessive protective than usual. For some reason she held on to him so tight. Sure he knew, it seemed from day one, that Wyatt was more powerful but he was no slouch in the power department either. Although he could handle himself completely she always seemed to hold her breath around him. Like she was afraid that one wrong move and he'd shatter into a million pieces. She didn't even treat Melinda that way, and she refused to use magic. Well, he would have to convince her that he could deal with whatever was coming and help protect Bianca.
As he rounded the corner and went into the kitchen he couldn't believe what he saw. Melinda and Bianca were laughing and tossing things into a salad bowl. All types of linen were out to set the dinning room table and one of them had started making a fresh pitcher of tea.
"You guys are having way too much fun." Chris said walking over to Bianca and leaning over her shoulder to pick a tomato out of the bowl.
Bianca shooed him and his sister added… "We don't know where your hands have been!"
"Very funny Lindy," Chris chided and went to the fridge to see what his mom had taken out to prepare. He spotted the chicken on the bottom shelf and pulled it out. Helping with this could only add to his points with his mom, so he was glad it was a dish he could do something with. Chris had acquired his mother's skills in the kitchen for both recipes and potions. Wyatt didn't have the attention span for cooking and Melinda refused to be domesticated. Anything that made her seem to girlie she rejected wholly. She only helped out when it was part of her "chores" and she treated it exactly as such.
"Okay you two I'm going to get this started for mom and I need you to set the table and clean up this mess. Oh and leave out some extra settings something tells me Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige may be coming for dinner."
"Cool. Why?" Mel rarely took things at face value.
"Because mom wants them to… that's why."
"Come on Lindy…."
Melinda's body tensed and she turned back in the kitchen doorway to address Bianca, overly sweet smile plastered on her face. "Please don't call me that. It's Mel or Melinda. Chris is the only one that calls me Lindy." With that all of the joviality that had been in the room seemed to be vacuumed out and Melinda walked pass Bianca into the dinning room calling over her shoulder, "well are you helping or not?"
Chris shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes letting them leave without another comment.
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Back in the attic Paige had orbed in Phoebe and they were sitting at the table with Piper endeavoring to come up with a solution. They truly wanted Leo to be right about Bianca, but they couldn't let go of all they knew about her.
Paige played devils advocate. "Maybe we should sit them down and tell them. Armed with knowledge their decisions could be different."
Phoebe leaned on the side of chance. "Let her stay and play it out. If she's lying or things aren't above board then at least she's here. If he runs off someplace with her we could be leaving them both vulnerable."
Piper, when it came to Chris especially, always opted on the side of caution. "I am not going to pull the rug from under his life with all of that information. What if he can't handle it and just… I don't know… cracks up?"
Grabbing her big sister's hand Phoebe said, "I don't think he's that fragile sweetie. You have to trust him a little bit more than that. I know you worry but he's a big boy."
"Phoebe do not patronize me. I know exactly how old he is and I know what could happen if all of those memories converge with his life now. Look he still has nightmares every now and then. Leo and I reassure him, calm him, and then the next morning he barely remembers the incidents. If those memories can wreak havoc on his subconscious what do you think they would do to his conscious mind. No, telling him is definitely out of the question."
Paige weighed in again. "So if telling them is off the table, for now, then I think Pheebs is right keeping her here gives us more control over the situation. I know you hate it. I'm not thrilled about it either. I mean the twins spend a lot of time here too, but what other choices do we have."
"So I just give in and let Chris' girlfriend move in." Piper was shifting in her resolve and was none-to-happy about it.
"You said yourself that it was temporary. And we'll simply have to do all we can to demon proof the house while she's here. In case her mother found her tale less than plausible." Phoebe was on feet now.
"Honey we have to go. But Coop will be home tonight and so will Henry, so we'll come back after dinner and go through the motions of a family meeting and then let them know what we decided."
They hugged their sister and left her at the table thinking about how this could all possibly play out or backfire.
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Wyatt came through the front door and saw his sister setting the table with an amazingly gorgeous raven haired girl that frankly looked too old for high school. He shed his jacket and dropped everything on the alcove seat in the entrance knowing full well if his mother came down and saw it she'd pitch a fit. With his long legs and rapid stride Wyatt was at the table in few steps.
He snatched a place mat from his sister and whacked her on the head with it saying, "What's up Mellow-Yellow?" She hated that nickname and most of the others he came up with on the fly.
She yanked the mat back. "And you're the oldest. We have company jolly blonde giant."
"Hi, I'm Mel's big brother Wyatt. And who might you be?" Wyatt threw the charm into high gear. He just hoped she was eighteen. He was never really hurting for a date, but Wyatt hated trying to date at the hospital the woman there were way too serious. Having fun with them was like getting through compulsory exams… just painful!
Extending her hand to him their guest replied, "I'm Bianca, Chris' girlfriend."
Wyatt's jaw nearly hit the floor. How was it that Chris had a girlfriend and one this hot he thought. His brother had many things going for him, but rarely did he use any of them to his advantage or to pick up women as stunning as this. The boy must be learning a thing or two from sharing a room with me Wyatt figured and gave him self a mental pat on the back.
"Reel it in big brother she's taken. Besides, you and Chris have never been good at sharing." Melinda said and sauntered back into the kitchen. She figured now was a good time to get Chris, because knowing her womanizing oldest brother he'd have Bianca torn by the end of dinner.
"Who just came in Lindy?" Chris asked when Mel walked in.
"Wyatt, so you better make an appearance before he and Bianca are headed out to dinner and you're left… holding that chicken." Melinda walked out and passed through the dinning room to go get dressed for dinner. She could hear Wyatt and Bianca laughing as she reached the top landing.
Chris loved his brother, but the pre-med magic school grad student gave womanizing a bad name. Wyatt Matthew Halliwell went through woman the way his family went through potions… too fast! He headed out of the kitchen with a dish towel on his shoulder prepared to put a stop to whatever flirtation his brother was using.
"Hey bro you're home early. Mom didn't say she was expecting you. You didn't have to put in any time at the hospital tonight?"
"Why Chris are you trying to get rid of me?" Wyatt was being purposefully glib.
Chris snatched the dish towel off his shoulder and started twisting it in his hand. Walking over to Bianca he extended to grab her hand. "I see you met Wy. My extraordinary brother sometimes forgets to let the other person talk." To Wyatt he said, "No I'm not trying to get rid of you. Actually we're gonna need your help tonight. I've called a family meeting." With that Chris led Bianca back into the kitchen.
Wyatt had no idea what was going on, but he suspected if Chris was the one who "called" this meeting then it must BIG!!! With that he took off after his sibling.
"What meeting Chirs? Chris?"