The Halliwell family sat huddled around the dining table the following morning. A steaming coffee pot sat in the middle of the table half empty and they all sat sipping brimming cups and discussing everything that had happened with Bianca and how Reese had finally come up with a plan to defeat her.
"I'm still confused... you used the Enchantment Spell to steal Bianca's powers?" Wyatt queried, his expression baffled as he took a large gulp of coffee before leaning forward to grab the pot and refill his cup.
"Penny helped me to write a spell based around the idea of Enchantment. We used the 'to separate a witch from her powers' potion to counteract it. The athamae was enchanted so that whoever it drew blood from would relinquish their powers and be defenceless. We wrote the spell so that the enchanted dagger would only gift the stolen powers to a being of good, not evil." Reese explained in depth, her hands wrapped tightly around her mug of coffee, the warmth radiating from the terracotta beaker calming and simple.
"So that's why you got me to stab you? So that the stolen powers would return to the enchanted athamae?" Wyatt asked, glaring over at his little brother for making him do such a thing. Chris only shrugged his shoulders and smirked at Wyatt, his face happy and carefree.
"Well, I wasn't going to stab her!" Chris protested, his arm slung leisurely across the back of Reese's chair as she pushed stray messy hair out of her face and took another sip of coffee.
"Well, I didn't want to either! It's not like I delight in stabbing my best friend!" Wyatt complained with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.
"You two, stop it!" Piper piped up, giving both her son's one of her famous looks. They both quietened down though Wyatt still smiled smugly over at Chris and kicked him under the table.
"How did you end up managing to draw blood from Bianca anyway? Before she knocked me out with that energy ball she was officially kicking our butts." Phoebe said as she sat on Coop's knee with a similarly hot mug of coffee in her hands. At the thought of Phoebe being hurt, Coop squeezed his arms around her waist more tightly before replacing his empty cup on the table. Leo went to refill it and Coop smiled at him in thanks.
"I kinda, maybe stopped time." Reese explained sheepishly, biting her lip and staring up at the Halliwell's.
"Temporal Stasis!?" Melinda asked in utter shock, her eyebrows risen in surprise.
"I've been reading about it in some of my texts from magic school. Pretty much only The Angel of Destiny and The Triad held that type of power. And the Triad were a collective power." Melinda thought about this for some time before she smiled excitedly and added, "That's so awesome!"
"And extremely dangerous." Leo continued, giving his daughter a warning look.
"And extremely draining." Chris chimed in, remembering Reese falling to the floor in her weakness after using her new power.
"Well, I for one am extremely happy that Bianca is gone and that things are back to the way they should be!" Phoebe spoke up, gesturing at Reese with her coffee mug and everyone agreed.
"But for now, Reese, honey, I think we need to do something about that hair of yours." She added, wincing at the untamed mane of frizzy hair tied back from her face and Reese grimaced and tried desperately to brush it back.
"Sorry Pheebs, I think I had a few more important things on my mind than the state of my hair... Though it is pretty sad looking." Reese said, inspecting the ends of her hair and wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Well, we certainly can't let you get married with it looking like that!" Phoebe protested, getting to her feet.
"You are still getting married, aren't you?" Melinda queried, clearly having been prompted by Phoebe earlier on as they both shared a conspiratory grin and stifled back laughter. Reese turned and looked at Chris who was smiling at her and he said, "As if you had to ask."
He pulled the ring out that he had kept on him ever since Reese had died and placed it back on her finger, the sensation of the cool metal against her hand felt so right and she couldn't help but smile. Everyone around the table smiled, congratulating them with raises of their coffee mugs before Phoebe tugged her helplessly to her feet, talking excitedly about what she should get done to her hair and what type of dress she would wear on the day. After deciding they would make a day out of it, Phoebe made Wyatt orb her home so she could change while Reese made her way back up to her room to get ready also.
When Reese emerged from her shower she found Chris sitting on the edge of her bed and she smiled and said, "Hey" before leaning down to kiss him softly. He pulled her roughly into his arms and deepened his kiss, caressing her face and neck with his soft hands as Reese moaned against his lips, trying her hardest not to give in.
"Chris, I would love nothing more than to stay here with you and continue this but Phoebe is waiting and...well, you and your parents need to talk." Reese explained, biting her lip and staring into Chris' eyes. She was now seated across his lap with her arms slung around his neck and he looked up at her in confusion and cocked his head before asking, "Why is that?"
He leant down and kissed Reese's neck lightly, sending excited shivers up her spine.
"It has to do with Bianca and why we knew so much about her. But I think it's up to them to tell you, not me." She explained, gazing into his emerald green eyes and watching the emotions playing across his face.
"It's nothing bad, necessarily but...well, you'll understand when you speak with them." Reese continued and Chris nodded and didn't protest which only made Reese love him more. He clearly trusted her enough to not have to ask. Reese placed a gentle kiss against his lips, feeling his teeth sink lightly into her bottom lip as his arms drew her closer again.
"Can't you stay?" Chris mumbled against her lips, his breathing deep and making Reese hot all over.
"I wish I could but Phoebe's waiting. And my hair looks terrible." Reese said with a mock pout and Chris chuckled softly and kissed her one more time before saying, "Don't be long."
When Reese returned from her long day of pampering with Phoebe, she found the Halliwell manor quiet and a note on the kitchen bench telling her that Piper and Leo were out and wouldn't be home til late. She padded softly up the stairs, her long locks now a healthy chocolate brown and cascading in loose waves down her back. Slung over her arm in plastic was the dress she had finally picked out and Reese smiled when she thought about how lucky she was to be marrying Chris. She dropped her bag on the floor by her door, hung up her dress in the wardrobe and changed clothes before peaking her head into Chris' room and seeing him lying back on his bed, his hands behind his head and clearly deep in thought.
"Hey." Reese said quietly and when Chris sat up he smiled at her, seeing her hair hanging in healthy waves, a happy smile perched on her lips and dressed in sweat pants and a singlet.
"Hey." He replied softly, pulling her into his arms before they lay back on his bed in silence, both just content to be and to feel the other's body so close.
"They told me everything." Chris finally piped up in a small voice, running his fingers lightly along the bare skin of Reese's arm and she looked up into his eyes and saw a mixture of emotions cross his face.
"Are you okay?" Reese queried in a concerned voice, touching her hand to his face, his day old stubble tickling her fingers. Chris nodded simply and smiled, bringing his lips down to meet her own with a passion and a lust that they both could not control. Reese responded to his kiss, pulling him closer against her as the world began to fade away. Chris buried his hand in her hair, running his lips along the skin of her neck and breathing in her scent deeply, overwhelmed by emotion as he ran his hands lovingly over her curves, hearing the distinct quickening of her breath as she bit down hard on his lip. Reese pulled Chris down on top of her, their bodies entwining in a way that seemed so right, the passion igniting in both their hearts til it exploded, overwhelming the two lovers in sheer delight. Chris absently thrust out his hand and the door slammed shut as they made love as if they had never been lost to one another.