Disclaimer: If I owned Charmed I think the world would be a better place, don't you?

Ch. 25:

The music in P3 pounded as Meredith flitted from one customer to the next. She flirted with one guy and smiled as he wrote his number down. She got his drink and made a note on a piece of paper before moving on to the next guy.

"Hey." Chris said as he sat down next to Piper, who was watching Meredith with amusement. "What's going on?"

"Becca and Meredith have a bet going." She told him. "Whoever gets the most numbers in the next hour has to take the second shift. Larry called in sick, so one of them is going to cover for him. Neither wanted to do it, so this is their way of deciding."

Meredith smiled and flirted with another guy as she took his order. As she made her way back to the bar, she spotted Chris and her smiled doubled in size.

"Hey!" she said, making her way over to him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on book duty tonight."

"Taking a break." He replied. "What are you doing?"

"Trying my hardest to get out of second shift." She replied, grinning. "Right now I'm three numbers ahead. As long as I can keep this up for the next half an hour, I'm golden. And then you can buy me that beer like we discussed."

"Um, about that night…" Chris said, embarrassed. "We should probably…"

"Talk?" Meredith finished. "Yeah."

"Later?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded.

"Well, I have a bet to win, so I will be back." She said, pushing herself away from the bar. "Don't go anywhere."

"Wait." He said, grabbing a napkin.

He quickly wrote his number and handed it to her, making her smile.

"Wouldn't want you to lose, would we?" he said, grinning.

She took the paper and added it to her pile.

As the next few minutes wore on, Piper began to watch Chris with amusement.

"What?" he demanded after she chuckled for the fourth time.

"You're jealous." She stated.

Chris stared at her.

"No, I'm not." He protested. "I have nothing to be jealous of."

"Sure you don't." Piper said. "That's why you growl every time she gets another number."

"I do not growl!" Chris told her.

Piper laughed at him.

"Calm down, Chris." She told him. "You have nothing to be worried about. You're the only guy she's really smiled at tonight."

"Really?" Chris asked before he could stop himself. "I mean…"

"Oh, just give it up." Piper said, laughing.

Chris sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.

"You love her." She told him. "And any idiot could see she loves you, so what's the problem?"

"How do you know she loves me?" Chris demanded.

"She risked everything to protect your daughter and when she couldn't do that, she followed you to the past." Piper said. "Either she loves you, or she's certifiable."

Chris shushed her as Meredith came over.

"Well, time's up and I win with two more numbers." She said, grinning. "So Becca takes second shift and you buy me that beer."

"Glad to." Chris told her.

"Just give me five minutes to change and get cleaned up." She told him, kissing his cheek. "See you in a few."

"Yeah, she doesn't care about you at all." Piper said, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Chris asked.

"I'm going home." She replied. "You, try not to keep her out all night."

"You-Piper-Don't!" Chris said quickly.

"Have fun!" she called, walking away.

"What's going on?" Meredith asked.

Chris turned around and his jaw dropped.

Meredith had changed out of her jeans and t-shirt to a jean mini-skirt and a sparkly tank-top.

"What?" she asked, sitting down next to him. "What's with the look?"

Chris shook himself and smiled.

"Nothing." He said. "You look great."

"Thanks!" she replied. "So, beer!"

Chris sighed and shook his head.

"Becca, two beers please." He called.

"Most expensive you can find." Meredith added. "Chris is buying."

"Coming right up." Becca replied, laughing.

A second later, she came back with their drinks and they moved to one of the alcoves.

"So," Chris said, clearing his throat. "About the other night."

"Yeah?" Meredith said, a slight smile gracing her lips.

"About the, um, kiss." He sputtered.

Meredith laughed.

"Oh, come on." He groused.

"Oh, Chris, I'm sorry." She told him, chuckling. "But you're acting like we're teenagers again and it was our first kiss. I'm sorry, sweetie, but that ship sailed over eight years ago."

"Okay, this is awkward for me, a little sympathy is all I'm asking for here." he told her, glaring.

Meredith responded by leaning over and kissing him.

After a moment, she pulled away, leaving a dumbfounded Chris in her wake.

"I love you." She told him softly. "I have since we were 16 and nothing's changed since then. I lost you and it about killed me. I'm not about to let you slip through my fingers again."

She gently touched his face as he leaned in to kiss her again.

"I missed you." He told her, pulling away again. "I missed you so much."

Meredith sighed and curled into his side.

"I missed you too." She told him. "So where does this, um, leave us?"

"Who's the awkward one now?" he said, laughing.

"Shut up." She said, pushing him with her shoulder. "What's your answer?"

"Bianca told me to not let you go again." He said, taking her hand. "I plan on taking her advice."

Meredith leaned up to kiss him again.

"Good idea." She whispered.

He smiled and kissed her again.

Piper walked up stairs and knocked on Meredith's door.

"Sweetie, are you in there?" she called.

There was a thump and a muffled curse.

"Shh!" she heard Meredith call and she smiled.

"Mer, have you seen Chris this morning?" Piper called, grinning. "I've been calling him, but he's not answering."

"Not true!"

"Shh!" she heard Meredith hiss. "No, Aunt Piper, I haven't seen him since last night."

Piper quickly stifled a laugh.

"Well come down soon and I'll keep trying him." She called. "Paige is on her way over. She says she has new for us."

"Um, okay." Meredith called. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

There was another muffled curse and some more thuds and Piper saw a flash from under the door. She shook her head and moved to the stairs as she chuckled to herself.

A few minutes later, Meredith came stumbling down the stairs.

"Oh, good, you're here." Piper said, grinning. "You try calling Chris. Maybe he'll answer you."

"Um, sure." Meredith said, wincing. "Uh, Chris?"

There was a flash of orbs and Chris appeared.

"Uh huh." Piper said, taking a sip as Meredith glared at her.

"What's up?" he asked, sitting down at the table next to Meredith.

"I don't know." She told him, pouring sugar into her cup of tea. "We were summoned, so here we are."

There was another flash of orbs as Paige arrived.

"Hi!" she said.

"Aunt Paige, it's 7 in the morning ." Meredith told her. "I'm tired. Please tell me there is a reason for this lovely family meeting."

"Oh there is." She said. "I've been in touch with the Social Services in New York, but something strange is going on."

"Wait, New York?" Meredith asked, sitting up. "We're talking about mini-me?"

"What's going on?" Piper asked.

"Well, every time I call, it's like they've forgotten all about it." Paige told them.

"You think someone is interfering, magically?" Chris asked.

"I think so." Paige replied. "So I think we may need to take a little trip."

"We're going to New York?" Meredith exclaimed.

A/N: So I'm finally bringing in Mini-Meredith. Let me know what you guys think. And you guys owe me 3 reviews. I need to get to 100. I need to. Don't let me down.

Abbey