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Didn't really know what I was gonna do with this bit so sorry if it's a bit confusing or just not that good!!!!!! I'll get onto the main bit soon, I'm just trying to set it up a bit.
Wyatt's slightly different in this, I made him grow up and notice some more. Aka he's starting to realise Piper favours him all the time.
LEO IS NOT AN ELDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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A/N – this is a few months later, Chris' birthday. (I didn't watch Charmed when it originally aired so I have absolutely no idea when his birthday is so I'm using Drew Fuller's - 19th May)
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It was a Tuesday and Piper was in the kitchen making breakfast. Her husband was stood behind her grinning.
"Anything special today?" He asked.
"No, just the club and taking the boys to school."
"Cool. So what are you gonna do for Chris' birthday?"
"What?" Piper was caught off guard; she hadn't actually planned on doing anything at all. "Just a meal I think, he hasn't really been that excited about it." She internally willed Chris not to come bounding downstairs shouting about her birthday.
Leo looked at her for a second but then shrugged it off. Piper saw him more she probably knew him better. "Oh, so I'll see you tonight?"
"Yeah. Love you."
"You too honey." Leo kissed her and left.
...................................
Chris woke up and winced. He'd managed to lie on the bruise on his back. He glanced over to his brother who was still asleep. Typical he thought to himself. It's my birthday and nobody cares. He rolled out of bed rubbing his arm.
"Wyatt, you need to get up now. It's school." Chris said walking over to his brother's bed. "More importantly it's my birthday." He added quietly.
"Hey bro, happy birthday." Wyatt woke up and pulled his brother into a hug. "Did you really think I'd forget?"
"No." Chris said, while his brother tried to smother him. "Just no one else seemed to, Dad'll have already gone to work and Mom's not come up."
"Hey, they won't have forgotten, probably just planning on doing something tonight." Wyatt hoped they would, in the 5 months since Christmas he'd finally started to notice how his Mom always favoured him over Chris. "I'm sure of it."
"Kay." Chris mumbled into his brother's shirt.
"Come on, downstairs."
"Do I ham do?" Chris said barely audible.
"Yes." Wyatt said laughing. "If you want your present anyway."
Chris bolted downstairs, his brother following slowly silently praying his Mom had remembered.
"Hey Mom." Chris said brightly, desperately hoping for a response. It was his birthday after all, and he was eight now. He heard nothing back in reply.
As usual.
"Morning." Wyatt said, half asleep.
"Hey sweetheart." Piper said pulling her oldest into a hug. Chris sighed inwardly at the oh so obvious display of affection towards Wyatt.
"Yeah." He said grabbing some toast off the counter. "So what'd you get Chris for his birthday?"
Piper fought with herself to not send out a crabby response.
"You'll see tonight. We're gonna go out for a meal and open them then." Internally she was breathing a sigh of relief, she'd have time to get something now.
"Oh come on, tell me." He looked at his Mom pleadingly mustering all the charm his little 10 year old body could muster.
She laughed. "You'll see tonight Wyatt, save the charming for your aunts."
Chris watched the exchange sadly, it was his birthday and his Mom still couldn't be bothered.
"So, school then?" He interjected.
"What?" Piper said, surprised, and annoyed, that Chris had interrupted. "Oh yeah, school. Come on then, dressed." She sent the two boys upstairs, smiling after one of them and looking with disgust at the other.
"Damn. Why did Wyatt have to remember? Now I've got no choice; I could fob Leo off with work, but Wyatt?" She scowled and walked back into the kitchen where a light bulb promptly blew up. "Shit, now I've got to replace that. Perfect."
Christopher Halliwell sighed as he walked into school. It was unlikely anyone but Sam would remember and anyway much as he tried to keep hoping something would change he was starting to resign himself to the fact that it wouldn't.
Nothing ever would. His dad barely noticed, his Aunts were just as bad, he didn't even bother about his cousins; they might notice some of it but they were too scared to get on the wrong side of his Mom's temper. Wyatt, well he barely knew what was going on; he might notice more these days and try and force Piper into doing something but...
He stopped himself before he ended up completely ruining his birthday.
"Hey." Sam walked up behind him, making the 8 year old jump. He laughed and said. "Damn Chris you are so jumpy."
"Yeah well, more often than not what comes up behind me is not human."
Sam had to nod at the truth, Piper did everything she could to protect or save Wyatt, but Chris? He'd been missing for 24 hours once and she didn't even care.
"Anyway, enough of the supernatural talk. Happy Birthday!"
Chris grinned. Sam almost looked sad at how those two words seemed to have been the highlight of his day so far.
"Thanks. You're the only one that's bothered after Wyatt. My mom..." Chris trailed off leaving Sam in no doubt as to what Piper had done.
Again.
"You got me bro. My Mom's gonna make you a birthday tea tomorrow night. She says you look too skinny. Don't know why, personally I think you're fat."
Chris thumped him and Sam laughed.
"So not true."
"It is! Anyway class and then you have no choice but to come with me to get your present."
The two of them walked off, parting at the end of the corridor; one headed for art and the other English.
Chris slipped into the room, late.
"Nice of you to join us Mr Halliwell. Sit."
"Sorry sir." Chris meekly slipped into his seat, wincing as he caught his arm on the side of the desk.
"Never mind. I will excuse you this once as it is the first time you have been late and it is your birthday."
The way Chris's face lit up when he said that shocked his teacher completely. How could that simple statement of 'it is your birthday.' have provoked such a response from the eight year old? He made a mental note to ask the boy's other teachers to mention it. If it got Chris to smile it was worth it.
*******FLASHBACK*******
2 days ago.
"Chris. Can you pay attention please?"
The seven year old looked up. The sadness etched onto his face was blindingly obvious, as was the pain in his eyes.
"Yes sir."
"Good." He looked back over, the boy had once again slipped back into the almost comatose state he had been in all lesson. It had been the same all week.
Later that night.
"Hi. I'm Chris's math teacher. He seemed very sad at school today. More so than usual. Is everything alright at home?"
Piper cringed. "Yes everything's fine. I don't know why he's so sad. I'm sorry that you had to take the time to ring me. I'll talk to him."
"Right, ok then. Sorry to have bothered you."
"That's perfectly all right." Piper's voice was strained as she tried to keep up pretences. "Thank you for caring. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Piper breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the phone put down.
"Chris!" She bawled. Leo wasn't home and Wyatt was out with friends. "Get down here now!"
Chris came down trembling. If no one else was home this wasn't for the sake of appearances. This was something else.
And it was much, much worse than being ignored.
........
Christopher's math teacher put down the phone and sighed. Something was going on with the boy. More than anybody was letting on.
********END FLASHBACK**********
"Hey Chris!" Sam called as he watched his best friend walk away from his classroom. "Wait up!"
Chris slowed and waited for Sam to catch up with him.
"Hey. Got let off for being late, let me off 'cos of my birthday." The joy in his face was obvious.
"Lucky. I got denny at lunch."
"Yeah well, it's like what; the third time this week?"
"Well..."
Chris laughed.
"Meet me after." Sam said. "I don't wanna spend the other half of my lunch like a loner."
"Sure. I'll see you then."
The two parted once again. Chris still with a faint look of happiness in his eyes.
Today might turn out well.
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Was gonna make it longer but I'm off to my Aunt's with no internet connection tomorrow for 5 days so I wanted to get this posted before I went just to prove I hadn't forgotten it. Past Secrets will be updated once I get back.
Reviews always welcome – smiles hopefully – just press that button!!!! Please tell me what you think of this!!!!!!!!
Oh and also first shot at a flashback so I hope it's okay!