Hey, I've been kinda stuck on this one so sorry it's late but...

Oh and hope to God my English teacher doesn't look in the back of my book – I wrote almost the entire chapter whilst I was supposed to be doing something related to the play we've been reading...

Ldf x

...................

"I'm worried about him Prue." Andy sighed. "He barely even talks, looks dead half the time."

"I know he does. I just still can't believe it's Piper doing all this. It just really doesn't seem like her at all. She always loved kids."

"Exactly. Why would she do this to him? I mean from what I've seen of him he's a really sweet kid."

"I have no idea." Prue said regretfully. "I just wish I did."

"Yeah, me too." Andy said putting his arm round Prue's shoulder.

........................................

"5 more minutes..." Chris mumbled into his pillow as he felt himself being shaken awake. "5 more."

"Christopher Perry! Get your worthless butt up now. You destroyed this family – you do not get 5 more minutes."

Chris bolted upright immediately. "Sorry mom." He said. "I'm just tired."

"Well whose fault is that then?" Piper demanded.

Chris bit back his response of Wyatt, it wouldn't go down too well with her even if it was true. "Mine." He muttered hanging his head.

"You look at me when I talk to you." Piper snapped. "Now downstairs, I don't want you to wake your brother up."

Chris held in a sigh and rolled out of bed his too tight pyjamas rubbing against the half healed cuts and bruises over his body. "Yes mom."

"You know what to do Christopher. I shouldn't need to remind you."

Chris nodded and padded downstairs, feet automatically missing the creaking step. He glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. He should have known this was coming after he went to Sam's without officially asking.

Half an hour later and the sun finally started rising, a look of relief passed over Chris' face. Wyatt and Dad would be up soon and his Mom wouldn't do anything with them around. Piper spied the look and gave him the evil eye. Chris hurriedly turned away and got back to work. Well she'd only not do anything once they were actually up.

"Morning honey." Leo said walking into the kitchen rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Hey Chris, you're up early."

"Yeah. I just woke up and heard Mom. Figured I'd come downstairs."

"Cool." Leo said missing the look Piper sent at her youngest son that could almost be described as grateful; almost.

"So pancakes?" Piper asked turning back to her husband. "Phoebe and Paige are coming over in a bit – dropping the kids off as well."

"Sure." Leo mumbled still half asleep. "Wait did you say both lots of kids?" He said suddenly wide awake.

"No, none of them are coming Leo. It's just funny to see how it suddenly jolts you awake every time I say it."

"Yeah hilarious." Leo said sitting down. "Works better when they actually are though."

"True." Piper admitted as she started cooking the pancakes. "It's still funny though. Chris go wake Wyatt up."

"Ok." Chris said rushing upstairs. "Wyatt!"

"Go way." Wyatt said rolling over. "Tired."

"Tough. I'm up and about and it was your fault – you and the ps3."

"Go away Chris!" Wyatt moaned.

"Mom's making pancakes."

The effect on Wyatt was instantaneous; within seconds he was out of bed and headed downstairs. Chris followed slower; there was no point rushing.

..............................

"Chris, I want to see you after the lesson." Mr Trudeau said as the young boy walked into the room eyes betraying how hurt and tired he was.

"Yes sir." Chris said nervously, Piper would kill him if he said anything and what if Andy noticed the bruises on his arms from that morning? Or the pain behind his eyes? Maybe he should just go home rather than staying behind.

"And don't try and run off afterwards to avoid it Chris."

Chris visibly paled – since when could whitelighters mind read? They couldn't, so how could Andy know what he was thinking? And if he could do that what else did he know?

"You're a Halliwell Chris. You're what I do."

The class laughed and Chris sunk lower down in his seat trying to take pressure off his back.

"Shame you don't know my Mom very well then isn't it." He muttered and Sam glanced over. "Nothing." He said hurriedly, not wanting Andy to have an excuse to get on at him about it later.

Sam just shrugged; chances were Chris just didn't wanna talk about it. God knows what Piper had done this time.

...........

"So what did you want me for?" Chris said refusing to look up and meet Andy's eyes, he seemed to have found a sudden fascination with the floor.

"I know what Piper's been doing Chris." He said sighing.

"She's not been doing anything." Chris said hurriedly. "Honest Andy, nothing."

"Your Aunt Prue doesn't seem to think so Chris" Andy said gently.

"She's doing nothing ok? There's nothing to tell!" Glancing round checking no one was there Chris orbed off Andy looking at the spot where he'd been annoyed, and hurt.

.................

"Christopher Halliwell where have you been?" Piper demanded the second she spied her youngest son.

"My teacher wanted to talk to me, I'm sorry." Chris said looking absolutely terrified. "I'm sorry."

"Upstairs now." She hissed. "I don't want to see you again tonight until your father is home and I can get him to keep you out of my way."

Chris merely nodded and sprinted upstairs his calf burning with the effort. There was a reason he didn't do sports like Wyatt, although he didn't know why it hurt so bad; but then most of his body did at one point due to various reasons so maybe it was just that.

"Right now he's gone I can get round to Wyatt; he'll be hungry when he's back. He's got soccer practice today." Piper busied herself around the kitchen, already forgetting the fact that her youngest son was upstairs.

....

Chris slipped into the bathroom and yanked the first aid kit off the top shelf. Before Piper had started being well...you know it never had a use but now Paige and Leo marvelled at how fast the box seemed to go down in contents. Chris was the only one that knew why. Pulling out a fresh bandage he lifted up the back of his top and applied it, wincing as he put pressure on the barely healed skin. He slid the box back onto the shelf and quietly made his way back to his room. It wouldn't do for Piper to find out what he'd been doing. She'd insist that he paid for the stuff he's used.

As he sat down on the bed he heard his brother come in and his mother's mock scold at him for trailing mud into the house; imagined the hug she'd be pulling him into as she enquired about his day and listen to his babble; pictured himself in that position and wished that it was really him; then shook himself knowing it would never happen.

Christopher Halliwell was rejected by his mother, and no one seemed to care.

......................

For all the school stuff bear with me, I live in the UK and really have no idea how the system works over there; I know the odd bit from tv but that's about it. Same with anything else that's different in America. I'm trying to make it as real to the charmed universe as possible which means basing it in America but obviously I don't live there so I dunno how well that will turn out – tips anyone?

Also not as long as normal but it looked much longer when it was in my English book!

Ldf x