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.
…………………………………………………………………………
Chris wasn't sure why everyone was having such a hard time talking to Bianca, but this was the rudest he'd ever seen his mom with company… even of the demonic variety. The only one other than him speaking directly to her was Wyatt and it was apparent it was for all the wrong reasons. Amazingly enough Bianca was taking it all in stride. Because what Chris didn't know was that most of the time it was just her and her mom and sometimes she'd just be by herself or with her great aunt Hannah. She loved the hustle and bustle of the Halliwell Manor and all its occupants.
"So what are you majoring in at UCSF?" Melinda wanted to know.
Bianca swung around to face her after answering Phoebe's last question. "Right now communications, I'm hoping to get into the broadcasting division when I'm an upperclassman."
"That's really very interesting dear, but I'm more curious about how you met Chris and how you two got so close." Piper couldn't keep her venomous tongue under control.
"Mom," Chris was mortified to say the least.
"What? I'm just making conversation." Piper replied.
Leo intervened in the hope of distracting his wife, who was like a dog with a bone, from "grilling" Bianca, "Chris why don't you guys clear the table for mom and bring desert into the conservatory for everyone."
Chris, Wyatt, Bianca and Melinda began doing the dinner table clearing two-step. When Melinda passed, her dad subtly pulled her down toward him to whisper in her ear, "sweetie would you mind loading the dishwasher and having desert upstairs we need to discuss some things with your brothers."
Melinda just shook her head and hastily exited the room. Whenever she got dismissed from family gatherings it was because they were going to discuss or act on something to do with magic. And as far as Melinda was concerned, MAGIC was a "four" letter world. She never had any use for it, she didn't want to study it or get better at it and she kept as far a distance from it for as long as she could remember. Tonight would not be an exception, as far as she was concerned desert in her room in front of the television sounded perfect. There was a curiosity swelling in the pit of her stomach, where her brothers were involved though, because those two always had trouble hovering above them waiting to drop a "load" on anyone in the vicinity.
………………………………………………………………
Sitting in the conservatory was the Halliwell brain-trust. Speaking in hushed tones Piper filled Leo in on the plan, which she was not thrilled about, that would help them keep an eye on Bianca and hopefully prevent her from ever becoming a full fledge Phoenix.
"So, Paige believes that even in a worse case scenario if we let her stay we will have more control over the situation. But he's just 19 and I don't want him "living" with his girlfriend. I feel like we're setting ourselves up for everything to come out. He's not ready… I'm not ready." Piper was appealing to the room even though she knew there really were no other options.
Chris and Bianca carried in a tray of coffee and his mom's dessert with Wyatt in tow empty handed. As they entered the conservatory all discussion ceased and every brow was wrinkled in deep concentration.
Wyatt wouldn't allow the silence for long.
"So, little brother, what's this all about?"
"I asked mom if Bianca could stay with us for a few days…"
Piper interjected, "a week!"
"And she said no, so I asked for an it-concerns-magic family meeting."
"Chris why does her staying here concern magic? What does she know about magic and us for that matter?" Wyatt was becoming increasingly uneasy about this girl and her reasons for being there.
Chris looked to his mom and then dad for answers, but Piper's displeasure for the situation was overshadowing her inherent quest to quell her son's discomfort. "Well, Chris this is your meeting and your situation… you need to explain it to your brother."
"Mom!"
Piper silently turned a deaf ear to his plea for support. Chris knew Wyatt and he were close and that his brother loved him unconditionally and supported Chris in nearly every way, except when they disagreed on things magical. Then, Wyatt became the ever pressing all knowing Twice-Blessed big brother and could and would lay down the law as quickly as his parents. He had to choose his words carefully to ensure Wyatt remained on his side.
Chris motioned for Bianca to take a seat and proceeded to speak directly to his brother, seeing as everyone else in the room already knew most of what he was about to say.
"Look, Wy, Bianca is a witch by heredity. She doesn't practice magic and doesn't want to practice. Her family has a different plan for her. They want to force her into practice."
Wyatt interrupted his brother with some questions. "Why does staying here help her? Shouldn't she be at magic school learning to understand her powers and not to fear them?" Wyatt was a TA/graduate student at Magic School, who like his father fully believed in a young witch's magical education. They believed their teachings were part of what kept good witches in the fold.
"Bianca wouldn't be accepted at Magic School. She's a legacy of dark magic." Chris stopped speaking in order to let the weight of what he said sink in.
Wyatt took to his feet and stood at his full postured 6'4" frame and faced his brother, "you mean she's evil? Well then, meeting adjourned! There is nothing left to talk about Chris. Sure she's hot, but not worth dying over."
It was as though Chris had become possessed at the speaking of those words. He drew back his hand and landed a punch squarely on Wyatt's jaw, then without a bit of recovery used his left hand and socked him in the gut. "Go to hell Wyatt! No one speaks about Bianca that way, not even you."
"Chris!" Voices rose in unison from Bianca, Piper, Phoebe and Paige.
Leo was on his feet and between his sons in seconds. He knew if Wyatt retaliated it could destroy the brother's relationship. Piper and Bianca both went to Chris. Piper held her younger sons wrist with all her might to keep him from throwing another punch. Slowly both men retreated and dropped their heads. Hitting and turning on each other was a strict no-no in the Halliwell-Wyatt household. Even the merest of sibling rivalries wasn't tolerated. They had both been grounded for weeks after their last brawl in high school and even though they were 19 and 21 they didn't doubt their mother's ability to wield the same type of punishment today. Wyatt had made snide comments about Chris' girlfriends before and he never "defended" their honor so vehemently. As for Chris after the gravity of his actions settled in he was ashamed at his own behavior. Hitting his brother, especially in front of his mom, was reckless at best.
"I'm sorry Wyatt." Chris' tone was both contrite and sincere.
"I shouldn't have made that last comment. It was unnecessary." Turning to Bianca he continued… "I meant what I said about not protecting evil, but I had no right to make a personal attack."
A collective sigh moved across the room. Piper and Leo both, since his twenty-first birthday, gave Wyatt plenty of magical say so, but it was clearly time to reel him in and to play the parents again.
"It's time for an executive decision. Chris your father and aunts and I have decided to let Bianca stay at the Manor, with a lot of conditions. Wyatt, I'm sorry, but the fact that she doesn't want to use her powers for evil has to count for something. We aren't looking for trouble by doing this, but hope to prevent future trouble by keeping her good."
Bianca and Chris both got wide eyed and could hardly contain their jubilation. Chris did refrain from running to embrace Bianca, gloating would seem petty and he was certain it would not be received well.
Phoebe could, of course, feel their entire emotions pass by her and wanted to scream to break the connection. Was that a hint of lust in the air too? Oh, hell no! "Let's remember those conditions people before we kick up our heels in celebration.
"And the first one is that your sister has to agree to let Bianca share her room." Paige rounded out the glass of ice-water being thrown on their inner happy dance.
Wyatt wanted to be gracious in defeat, but couldn't marshal enough sincerity in his voice. "I'm going to Magic School. We need to find out all we can about our houseguest plus it's my turn to rotate in the boy's dorm." With that he orbed out without looking at his brother at all. Inside he knew they would work it out on their own later. Leo stood to orb after him, but Piper put her hand out and stopped him. Her sons needed the cooling off time.
Calling for Melinda, Piper was wishing she had the power of empathy or telepathy. There were so many rampant emotions in the room that she figured it would take a least a few hours to talk through them all. Chris and Bianca had slinked off to the furthest corner in the room and Piper really wanted to hear this exchange, but instead she would have to listen to the griping and negotiating that would go on between brother and sister. Who knew what Melinda would ask for, but being her mother Piper knew she wouldn't make it easy on him. She practically came sliding into the room.
"Slow down… what kind of entrance was that?" He father asked.
"I'm in the middle of watching my show. What's up?" Her question wasn't directed to any one single occupant in the room, but to the population at large.
"Your brother has a favor to ask you." Piper gestured toward Chris causing him to step slightly forward to face this newest obstacle.
"Easy enough then… NO! Anything else I can do for you?" No one in the room had an appreciation for the smart mouth remark, especially her mother, evident by the "stink-eye" she was giving her at the moment.
"Lindy please, this is serious. Bianca needs a place to stay this week and obviously she can't stay in my room. It's just a week, and I'm willing to pay out in services or whatever else you want." Everything about her brother's tone reflected all the groveling he was willing to do, but just as she was committed to enjoying it Bianca took over in the begging department and it just wasn't in Melinda's nature to play "hard-ball" with someone in need that wasn't her brother.
"Melinda, you are truly the only thing standing between me and a future not riddled with deat…"
Piper cut in immediately. She wasn't about to tell her 15 year-old daughter all about Bianca's sordid family legacy and she wanted their new guest to get the message loud and clear. "A future not riddled with difficult decisions that have to be made before she's ready."
"Right, 'cause that sounded exactly like what she said." Melinda wasn't willing to give her mother the satisfaction of thinking she had truly controlled the flow of information. "Balls in your court big brother," Melinda taunted knowing full well her brother would like nothing more than to strangle her right now.
Gritting his teeth Chris responded, "What do I have to do?"
"For starters, I'm looking for unlimited car service… minus the attitude and complaining, plus use of your closet when I want, and maybe a driving lesson and breakfast in bed." Melinda had been ticking items off on her hands, but was concentrating now on her big ticket items.
Chris' eyes got as big saucers and Leo, uncharacteristically, stepped in to reel back his daughters demands. "Alright, that's enough young lady. This is serious and not the time for putting the screws to your brother. It is your room and we're asking as a courtesy, but don't push it."
Melinda started laughing and Phoebe smiled behind her hand as she looked on. The art of sibling torture had not been lost on this second generation of Halliwell children.
"Look, Bianca is cool. I'm not thrilled with the idea, but whatever's necessary to end this, for now," she shot at her brother. "Besides, I didn't see any luggage so I assume this will be temporary. Am I done here?"
Bianca was more than grateful. She was unsure of the exchange she had just witnessed, but didn't need and explanation since it resulted in her getting a respite from her family troubles. Hugging seemed appropriate in light of the Halliwell's generosity, but Melinda froze in the embrace and hastily recoiled and returned upstairs.
"I didn't mean to make her uncomfortable I just wanted to thank her."
Phoebe made the kindest move that anyone had all evening by going up to their young guest and putting an arm around her saying, "its fine honey. Melinda just isn't the hugging type, especially with strangers, but after this week I suppose none of us will be able to call you that."
Piper felt like she was suffocating under the "pillow" of all this false familiarity. Somehow she had to put the normalcy back into her Wednesday night. They had been avoiding some very real complications to their little plan. Like what they would do when Bianca's mother found out the truth, and she would, because the girl had no belongings to speak of at Halliwell Manor and somehow they would have to go and get them. Piper wondered how vanquishing a future "in-law" fit into the grand design.
"Bianca do you have any ideas how we can get some of your things, without alerting the entire Phoenix coven?" Piper inquired.
"She can just borrow something..." Chris' flow was broken as he heard his brother's call for him. He was under attack. "I gotta go, Wyatt needs me!" And with that he orbed out and left his family and his girlfriend with nothing but questions and decisions to be made.