Disclaimer: These characters are not mine.
Enjoy. And please let me know what you think. You know I love to hear from you.
The following morning at breakfast is a bit of a nightmare.
Ironically enough, it appears Chris and little Chris do not get along very well. For the sole reason that… well, they're far too similar. It's just too much neuroticism for one room.
It all starts whenever Chris comes downstairs, having been asleep for a worrying thirteen hours. Little Chris is demanding that the Charmed Ones release him from the anti-orbing spell immediately because, apparently, he has a lot of important stuff to do, and their 'pwepostewous' over-protectiveness is holding him back.
As can only be expected, all hell kicks off.
"There is not a chance in hell a little small fry like you is going anywhere," adult Chris immediately declares with a take-no-shit attitude as he enters the kitchen, running his fingers through his dishevelled hair and nonchalantly pouring himself a cup of coffee.
Glaring daggers, little Chris retorts furiously, "I wesent the use of dat juveniwe nickname. In case you've fowgotten, we'we the same damn age, you know!"
"Not right now we're not," he replies flatly. "And you know as well as I do, nobody here is going to lift that spell when the first place you're going to go to is the Underworld. Which I can tell for a fact is what you're planning to do."
"Just because you'we me doesn't mean you undewstand! I'm so behind schedule it's unbewievabwe. I was twacking some weally impowtant weads when I got sidetwacked by the news of that Anno demon coming. I have to go!"
"Don't be stupid," he says dismissively. "The only thing you'll succeed in doing is getting yourself killed! If anyone is to go anywhere, it'll be me."
Little Chris scoffs. "As if you'd even know what to wook for! Or who to see!"
"I'm you! I have you're memories!" Chris argues heatedly. "Of course I know what to do! And with you're current predicament, I'll be a lot more proficient, too. So, for the last time, you are not going!"
"I'm sick of you guys tweating me wike some sowt of thwee yeaw old!"
"Argh! You are a three year old!" Chris yells in frustration. "You've even got that stupid cuddly toy to prove it! Man, I thought Mom disposed of that years ago!"
"We'we in the past, asshowe! And how dawe you caw Wainbow Bwain stupid!" little Chris says with hot tears glistening in his huge, green eyes. Squeezing the fluffy duck tighter, his lips tremble and everyone in the room's heart melts.
Older Chris sighs, running his hand down his face. "Look, I'm sorry I called Rainbow Brian stupid." He takes a deep, calming breath and seems to swallow some of his pride. Crouching down in front of his younger self, he adds as gently as he can possibly manage, "It's just that no-one wants to see you get hurt, buddy. And it's dangerous down in the Underworld. You wouldn't want to leave Rainbow Brian all alone, now, would you?"
Little Chris' face crumples. "I guess not…"
"And if you leave, then he's going to be so sad, and we wouldn't want that."
"No…" Then his eyes light up. "But I could take him wif me! I just have so much to do… Whewe's dat Book of Shadows when you need it? I'll wemove dat spell myself."
"What the hell?" Chris exclaims. "There is just no getting through to me, is there?"
"You're only now realising that?" Wyatt laughs. "You're the most pigheaded person I've ever met."
"Chris, listen to me," Adult Chris says slowly. "Just tell me what you need done and I'll do it. I bet I'd get it done ten times faster, too."
"Not a chance." Little Chris rolls his eyes. "As if I could twust you to do it wight. You'we mowe of a wiabiwity dan me!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris asks, narrowing his eyes.
"Uh, hewo? You swept for over twewfe houws! And fwom what I gathewed, you awe just as messed up as me! If not mowe."
"I am not!" he says, indignant.
"Um, I hate to have to say this," Wyatt interjects cautiously, "but he's got a point, man."
He sighs, bracing himself as he adds, "…You're not going anywhere, either."
"Excuse me?"
"Look, Chris, I really didn't want to have to bring this up, but…."
"But?" Piper encourages, looking from one brother to the other.
Grimacing, Wyatt turns to the Charmed Ones. "I didn't get a chance to explain the other day, but Chris… Chris isn't as, um… adult-like as he appears."
"What do you mean?" Paige asks in confusion. "I get that what happened earlier was a little out-of-character, but it wasn't that bad."
Wyatt wets his lips, hesitating. "Do you guys remember when I told you Chris had been acting sort of… peculiarly, before we came to the past?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, I didn't exactly go into much detail. And I'm realising now that maybe I should."
"Go on..." little Chris says, also listening intently - seeming to take real pleasure from other Chris' intense discomfort as he shifts his weight from one foot to another and bites down hard on his lip.
"For the past couple of weeks Chris has been having a lot of nightmares concerning some stuff that happened in his other life," Wyatt begins, peeking at the young Chris out of the corner of his eye. "It wasn't unusual for him to wake up covered in sweat, screaming some… rather unpleasant things. And, well, let's just say, my presence was just about the only thing that could console him. So, by that stage, I was getting pretty used to being summoned at strange hours of the night."
He stops to think for a minute. "But this time… when I got there, I could immediately tell that something was different. Chris looked at me with these big, wide eyes and just… his whole demeanour had been changed. He was calling me Wy Wy and speaking like a kindergartner in this quiet, timorous, little voice. I was beyond freaked out."
His expression turns thoughtful.
"He was so… vulnerable. And all he wanted me to do was hold him. Eventually, he went back to sleep, and I hoped everything would be fine again in the morning. After all, maybe whatever he'd been dreaming about had been really traumatic and it was just this rare moment of weakness. At first, it really did seem like everything was as ordinary as ever. Chris was up, walking around, trying to pretend that the night before hadn't happened. But then…"
"Then…?"
"Uh… Chris… he, uh, started to kind of throw a temper tantrum about having to wash some dishes. Got really upset. Said he didn't know how. That we couldn't make him. And I knew then that something was up. Some spell gone wrong or something. You've all seen Chris mad, but this… this was unbelievable. So, we got him settled down again, and he watched some cartoons for kids and drew some pictures in crayon. It was weird. And if I left his side at all, he just cried. I waited until he was more like himself again before casting the spell. And, well, you know the rest."
"But-but why?"
"Whatever potion or spell or whatever was used on this Chris must've somehow affected my Chris, only in a slightly different way. Mentally… Chris may have some child-like inclinations he can't control. Similar to miniature Chris over there, he has his moments of lucidness where he's completely normal. Like now. But it's only temporary. It comes and goes," Wyatt finishes.
The sisters frown. This is all just so complicated.
Little Chris smirks. "Towd you, you wewe messed up. Wewe in 'dis togefew."
"Shut it, Brat," Chris snarls.
Little Chris scowls and answers, "Fwog Face!"
"Stupid head!"
"Mowon!"
"Dufus!"
"Jewk!"
"I bet you couldn't even spell jerk!"
"Enough!" Piper interrupts their ridiculous exchange crossly. "Just stop it! Stop calling yourself names!"
Phoebe and Paige laugh.
"All of 'dis is pointwess anyway," little Chris grumbles. "I'm going and dat's it!"
"YOU are not going ANYWHERE!" a well-known voice suddenly roars, and the Charmed One's jump in surprise. What the...?
Everyone turns to face the entryway, and there is a resounding gasp as they take in the sight of a man all-too-familiar, clad in black, hair long, and face unshaven, as he assertively steps into the room. His face cloaked with arrogance. Blue eyes undeniably cold - promising dark, malevolent things.
Ignoring everyone and focusing solely on little Chris.
"Christopher," his says authoritatively by way of greeting.
Little Chris glares at him for a moment, jaw set in anger. The silence is deafening.
The good version of Wyatt is immobile with horror, unable to believe what his eyes are telling him. The sisters, too, have a similar reaction.
Then, so unexpectedly it startles everyone but the one it is aimed at, "I'm gonna kiw you!"
Yeah... You all knew it was only a matter of time before he showed up.
Thanks for reading...