Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter for this. Thank you to all those who reviewed the previous chapter and I'm really sorry this chapter took so long to write. Well my uni work has finished (except revising for exams) so I should be able to update a little more often, if my muse stays with me. She's still playing up.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, please tell me in a review at the end.
Growing Up Troubles
Later that night, Chris decided to check on Elizabeth, since they had not heard a word from her all night. Opening the door a crack, he looked into see it dark, only the moonlight shone through from the window. Sighing, the brunette looked to the bed, to see a lump, but something did not seem right. As he realised what it was, he shook his head and turned on the light, before walking over to the bed to reveal that the 16-year-old had put pillows in the bed.
"You are in so much trouble, young lady." Chris said to himself just as Wyatt walked in behind him.
"Who's in troub…" Wyatt started but then saw what his husband was looking at, "Where is she?"
"I'm just going to call her and find out." The Perry replied, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and dialling their eldest daughter's number.
"Hi this is Lizzie, leave a message and I'll get back to you." Chris could hear the 16-year-old's voice.
"Lizzie, where ever you are, get your butt back home." Chris said into the phone, shaking his head at Wyatt, indicating she had not answered. Hanging up his cell phone, he looked in the direction of the Halliwell.
"Jen?" Wyatt called out before making his way to Jennifer's room. Knocking on the door, he waited for a reply and then entered, "Hey sweetie, do you know where Lizzie could be?"
"Why would I know where Lizzie could be?" the dark haired girl asked first, but then thought, "Actually, I think there was a party at Sally's house tonight, she might have gone there. But I thought she was grounded?"
"She's grounded even longer now," the youngest father said to himself as he looked at his lover, who was just behind him. Turning back to Jennifer, he frowned, "Where does Sally live?"
"Erm…" Jennifer started to think, she had no idea, after all she was not in Sally's circle of friends.
"You know, going to get her right now won't help stop her rebellious streak." Chris sighed, glancing at Jennifer quickly, wondering whether they should be talking about this away from their children.
"So what do you suggest we do, Chris?" Wyatt asked, trying to keep his anger at bay, but it turned to confusion as Chris grew a smirk on his face.
"I've got an idea," Chris replied, "You've just got to trust me because it will get her in some trouble," then he turned back to his youngest daughter, "So, do you know where Sally lives?"
Across town, in Sally's house, music was blaring and alcohol was flowing. None of the teenagers could hear the sirens blaring down the road and stopping outside the house.
16-year-old Elizabeth was on the couch with her boyfriend, Josh Lochley, making out just as the police came into the house.
Every single teenager in the room froze at the officers that stood by the door, glaring at them all.
"Oh my God, my dad's gonna kill me." Elizabeth sighed.
"I can't believe you snuck out of the house!" Wyatt sighed, as he drove his daughter home, "And to go to one of those parties."
"Are you telling me you never did that?" Elizabeth asked him, shaking her head, she hated how hypocritical she was at times.
"I am actually," Wyatt glanced over, taking his eyes off the road for a second, "I never once snuck out to go to a party."
"But you snuck out for other reasons." The 16-year-old blonde mumbled to herself. Taking Chris' advice, Wyatt decided not to say anything else, just wait until they got home.
The minute the two stepped in the house, Chris was already standing in front of the stairs.
"Living room, now." Wyatt ordered, putting his car keys on the table, as Holly came down the stairs.
"But…dad…" Lizzie started, but the Halliwell was having none of it, he just glared at her, his blue eyes baring into her, causing the teen to give in. As she walked into the room, Holly's eyes grew wide.
"Ok, where's Frank?"
"Kitchen," Chris smiled at his husband's cousin, allowing her past the stairs, "Staying away from this."
"I don't blame him." She smirked, looking at her 34-year-old cousin, but she could tell that he was in no mood for comments.
"I'll let you know when it's safe to come out," Chris said quietly to the pregnant woman and then looked to Wyatt, "Try not to shout at her. It's not going to help."
"You know what will help, threatening her with the boarding school," at first Chris sighed, making Wyatt wonder whether he was going to agree with him, but then he saw a nod of the head, "You're agreeing?"
"Tell her," Chris nodded his head, "But don't shout at her, tell her you're disappointed."
Sighing, Wyatt made his way into the living room, to find his eldest daughter sat on the couch, playing with the cuffs of her jacket. Chris followed behind him and stood with his arms folded.
"You know something, Elizabeth, I don't know what to say to you." Wyatt shook his head.
"Can you just shout at me and get it over with?" the blonde girl asked, glancing up at Wyatt briefly and then shooting her gaze to Chris. She bit her bottom lip, neither of them were going to shout at her, she could tell now, they were just disappointed.
"I'm not angry, Lizzie," Wyatt shook his head, even though it was a lie, he was just going off of what Chris had told him, "I'm disappointed."
"I knew that was coming…"
"I don't understand," Wyatt now crouched to her level, to look directly into her blue eyes, "I don't get what is going on in that head of yours," as he saw the 16-year-old shrug, he sighed, deeper this time, "I know you're going through your rebellious stage, but I can't deal with it anymore, neither of us can…" he noticed Elizabeth take a look at Chris and then back at him again, "We have Jen and Scott to think about too…"
"So, what? Are you throwing me out?"
"No," Wyatt shook his head, frowning slightly, "I wouldn't do that. But if you keep this up we're sending you to boarding school."
"Boarding School?" the 16-year-old frowned at first, checking to see if her father was telling the truth, "You're serious! You're going to send me to some poxy boarding school?"
"Yes, if you don't change your ways," Wyatt nodded his head, knowing that he could not give into any emotion she showed, "You get yourself into trouble once more and that's it, you're going to boarding school. I'm warning you now so you have the chance to change your ways."
"Dad I've been suspended!" Elizabeth shrieked, "Every kid gets suspended once in a while, you and Chris both did…"
"But you just snuck out to go to a party that was closed down by the police," Wyatt explained to her, "You're getting in too much trouble and I'm fed up of it."
"So you're doing exactly what Grandma did to you?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes in disgust, "I can't believe you'd do that to me."
"He's doing it to help you," Chris stood in for his husband, "The way you're going, Lizzie, you're going to end up in trouble, not just with us or the school, but with the police, a lot worse that what it was tonight. Something that we can't just take you home from."
At first, Chris could tell Elizabeth wanted to argue with him, but soon her face softened as she nodded her head and looked at Wyatt.
"I'm sorry, dad," she mumbled so quietly that Wyatt and Chris both had to strain to hear her, "If I stay out of trouble, I don't have to go to the boarding school, right?"
"Right," Wyatt nodded his head, "But staying out of trouble means not getting yourself suspended, no more of these parties unless we know about them and no more sneaking out of the house for any reason."
"And I'm still grounded I take it."
"Oh yes," Wyatt nodded his head, "And you've got an extra two weeks added on," the Halliwell knew his daughter wanted to argue with him, but that would just mean more trouble, "Right, up to bed."
As the 16-year-old made her way out of the room, Wyatt turned to look at Chris, who had a big smile on his face.
"What's that for?"
"I'm proud of you," Chris replied, his smile never going, "You managed to go a whole discussion without shouting at her."
"And you know something, I think it has helped," but now the smile was turning into a frown, "You don't think so?"
"We've got a long way to go with that one."
"Chris!" Wyatt called out as the brunette was starting to run out of the house.
"Yeah?" The brunette called back, picking up the car keys.
"While you're out can you pick up the stuff I need for Hope's wedding?"
Chris stood around for a minute, frowning slightly, before throwing his arms up.
"What do you want?" Footsteps came towards him, as Wyatt ran over with a shopping list, as he kissed Chris.
"Thank you," the blonde haired male smiled, "Love you."
As Wyatt turned his back, he missed Chris rolling his green eyes as he picked up the car keys. Hearing laughter coming from the doorway, the Perry looked at to see his high school friend leaning on the doorframe and laughing at him.
"What are you laughing at?"
"You two," Speedy smirked, "You really haven't changed."
"Yeah, well for that, you can come with me," Chris replied with a matching smirk on his face, which grew wider as Speedy's face dropped as he realised Chris was being serious, "C'mon, it'll give us chance to catch up without kids running around."
"Or a husband getting in the way?" the blonde haired friend asked with a laugh.
"Or wives either."
As they drove to the supermarket, they did manage to catch up, although if they were honest there was not that much to catch up, since they had seen each other just a year ago for Hannah's wedding, Holly's twin sister.
"So, what is it that he's wanting?" Speedy asked as they walked around the supermarket. Chris was so busy looking at the list that he ran his trolley into someone else's. Instantly, he started to apologise, but stopped as he saw who it was.
"Oh my God!"
"Not what I was expecting," the person who Chris had bumped into said, "A 'hi' was more what I was expecting."
"What the…I mean, hi…erm…what are you…I…"
"I don't remember having this effect on you." The person smiled, just as she looked at Speedy, who was frowning slightly.
"Erm…yeah, sorry, caught off guard," Chris shook his head, finally finding his tongue again, "I thought you were in Canada."
"Yeah, well, I moved back," came the reply, "Well, my mom died so I had to move back…"
"You mom…" Chris' eyes grew wide, "Oh, God! I am so sorry, why didn't you call me?"
"I thought you said you wanted me out of your life? Anyway, who's this? New boyfriend?"
At that, Speedy started laughing, as Chris hit him and turned back to the person.
"No, this is a friend from high school. Speedy, you remember me telling you about him."
"Oh yeah, hi." With a sheepish look, Chris introduced Bianca to Speedy.
"This is Bianca."
Speedy's laughing stopped all of a sudden as he heard the name Bianca and his eyes grew wide.
"Oh my God!"
Meanwhile, back at the house, Wyatt was making lunch, ready for what Chris would be back, or at least when he thought Chris would be back. As he busied himself around the kitchen, where he loved to be, he heard the kitchen door open.
"Hi dad." Came an usually reply from a certain voice, causing the 34-year-old father to look up at the 16-year-old blonde that had just walked in.
"Are you feeling ok?" Wyatt asked, with a small smile on his face to let her know he was saying it in jest.
"Fine," Elizabeth smiled back, "I've cleaned my room. Do you want to check it before I get started on the living room?"
"You don't have to do the living room while Frank and Holly are here," Wyatt answered her, "But you can do the sunroom."
"I'll do that now then."
Because of the change of tune from her, Wyatt decided to be a little nicer to her on that front.
"Do it after lunch, ok?" he made an agreement with her, "Since you spent all morning cleaning your room." Seeing her nod her head, Wyatt went back to making lunch.
"Where are Frank and Holly anyway?" the blonde girl now frowned.
"Frank's gone with Chris to the supermarket for me," Wyatt explained, a long time ago he had stopped trying to get Elizabeth to call Chris dad, so now just referred to him as Chris to her, "And Holly is at Aunt Paige's with Ben."
"Oh right," she nodded her head, "How come Chris is at the supermarket?"
"Well, he was going out to pick up some paperwork so I gave him my list for Hope's wedding."
As Elizabeth nodded, she made her way to the counter and stirred the pot of soup for her father, making Wyatt just watch her slightly. He tilted his head, with a proud smile, until she looked at him with a confused look on her face.
"What?"
"Nothing." Wyatt shook his head.
"You know, I only get in trouble to piss you off," Elizabeth finally looked at her father, "It's something fun to do."
"And I only shout at you because I love you and I worry about you."
"So, how have you been?" Bianca asked her ex-boyfriend, as they still stood in the supermarket, "Are you and Wyatt still…"
"Yeah, we're married," Chris nodded his head, still finding it difficult being around this woman after 16 years of not seeing her. The last time he saw her, he hit her, "Three kids."
"Wow!" Bianca's eyes grew wide, "Adopted?"
"Two of them, yeah," Chris answered with a nod of the head, "The eldest is actually Wyatt's daughter."
"Oh right."
Now it was time to find out.
"What about you?" Chris looked into Bianca's ex-girlfriend's hazel eyes for the first time since they had bumped into each other, "What's been going on?"
"Well, I got married seven years ago," Bianca replied, with a small smile on her face, "Two kids, although one is from another relationship."
Trying not to judge what she had said, Chris nodded his head and carried on the conversation, "How old?"
"Well the youngest one is five," Bianca nodded her head, "The eldest is 16." She bit her lip, waiting for the realisation to set in.
Chris' green eyes grew wide as he realised what Bianca had just said. She had a 16-year-old. 16. The same age as Lizzie. Did that mean? No, it could not, could it? She would have told him if it was, right? He frowned as he looked at her expression.
"Is it…" Chris started, but stopped as he saw her slowly nod her head, "Bee…"
"It's a boy…" Before Bianca had a chance to finish, she was interrupted by Speedy, pushing the trolley their way.
"Wy's just called," he said, oblivious to the conversation that the two ex's had just been having, "He was wondering…Hey, is everything ok?" Sensing the tension in the air, Speedy frowned, wondering whether they had just had an argument.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Chris ignored his friend, trying to find out as much information as he could about his apparent son.
"You wanted me out of your life," Bianca rolled her eyes, "You really wanted to know that I was pregnant?"
"When it's my son, yes!" Chris looked at her, not realising what he had blurted out in front of his friend, "What does he think of me? That I'm some low-life you left you…"
"No," Bianca shook her head, "I never let him believe that. I told him the truth…" Chris could feel his heart beating faster as Bianca told him this. The truth? How much exactly? As if she knew what he was thinking, Bianca continued, "I told him you didn't know I was pregnant when I left. He doesn't think anything less of you, I wouldn't want that in case…well this happened…"
Chris closed his eyes as all the information sunk in, then he looked at her again, full of questions but not enough time to ask them all.
"What's he like? How is he in school? What…"
"Do you want to meet him for yourself?" Bianca asked, "Find out everything from him. I know he always wanted to meet you."
"I don't know…with Wyatt and…" Chris started, but Bianca cut him off with a sigh. As he watched her shake her head, a frown grew across his face, "What?"
"He's your son, Chris, and you're worried about what Wyatt will think?" she explained to him, "That's what."
Taking a quick glance at his friend, he nodded his head, "Can I call you about it? I'm gonna have to talk to Wyatt first."
"Sure," Bianca smiled with a nod, before taking a card out of her wallet, "There's my home, cell and office on there," seeing her ex-boyfriend smirking at the card, Bianca rolled her eyes, "My husbands a Lawyer and has them done up, sorry."
Shaking his head with a small smile, Chris began to walk towards the checkouts.
"As soon as I talk to Wyatt I'll call you, ok?"
As they walked away, Speedy frowned at his friend, trying to find out if everything he had heard was right.
"Ok, that…her…what?"
"Erm…I have a son."
So, what did you think of my little twist to keep things going? Let me know in a review, ok? ;)