Legacy 209: Along Came a Phoenix

Part 2

Xxx

A bright blue glow filled Chris's apartment as the Halliwell brothers appeared in a column of orbs. Chris was carrying the unconscious Bianca is his arms, as even though Wyatt had healed her, she was completely exhausted. The younger Halliwell carried her to his bedroom and carefully placed her on his bed. As he looked at her face, he could see she been through hell. Her clothes were damaged, and it looked like she had not had a decent night sleep in weeks. Despite all of that, she still looked as beautiful as ever. He had to admit he had thought about her often, even though he tried not to. Whatever trouble Bianca was in, Chris was glad she reached out to him. Behind him, Wyatt cleared his throat to remind him he was there.

"We need to talk." Wyatt said.

"Not here." Chris replied as he got up and walked out of the bedroom. "She needs to rest."

"Why is she here?" Wyatt asked. "I thought she wanted nothing to do with you."

Chris headed to the living room, where his familiar Luna was sleeping on an armchair. Her bright eyes fluttered as the brothers entered, though she did not move. Chris had been wondering the same thing as Wyatt. Bianca had made it clear there was nothing between them, so why had she come to him? Was it pure desperation, or were there lingering feelings on her part as well?

"I don't know." Chris said. "All I know is that she needs my help now."

"Chris, you don't know what you're getting yourself into." Wyatt replied. "She is a Phoenix, an assassin. Some very dangerous people could be after her."

"I know what she is." Chris said. "But we're supposed to help those in need, right?"

"Of course." Wyatt replied. "I'm just saying she's not exactly an innocent. And with whatever is going on between you, this could get very messy soon."

"So I can't help an assassin, but you can help a demonic killer?" Chris snapped.

"Oh, I could have known you'd throw that in my face." Wyatt replied. "How long have you been sitting on that one?"

"Long enough." Chris said. "It's a little hypocritical, don't you think?"

"Chris, I don't want to argue." Wyatt admitted with a sigh. "I'm not saying she doesn't need help, I'm just saying you might not be the right person for the job considering your history. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"She came to me." Chris said. "Besides, we risk our lives on a daily basis, getting hurt is part of the process."

"I meant emotionally." Wyatt replied. "I'm worried she'll break your heart."

"Well, I'm a grown man, not a little kid." Chris said. "I don't need my big brother to look after me."

"Why do you always do this?" Wyatt asked. "Why do you always pick a fight? I thought we had grown past this stupid rivalry."

"I'm not picking a fight, Wyatt." Chris countered. "I don't need you to protect me. You need to trust that I know what I'm doing."

"I do trust you." Wyatt said. "I'm just trying to help."

"And I'll ask for your help when I need it." Chris replied. "But part of the reason I moved out of the manor in the first place was so I could be independent. This thing with Bianca might be messy, but it's my mess to clean up."

"Alright." Wyatt said. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Chris was surprised that his brother admitted his mistake so easily. Back when they were still living together, an argument like this could have taken hours or even days. Maybe moving out had been a good thing for them both, as they could be their own person instead of always competing.

"Thank you." Chris said.

"Well, you make a good point." Wyatt replied. "You can handle yourself, you always could. I need to stop budding into your life."

"You don't need to disappear completely." Chris noted. "Just wait for me to ask for it."

"Sure thing." Wyatt said with a smile. "Besides, you've got Luna looking after you."

Wyatt walked over to the armchair to pet the familiar cat, though she jumped off and walked away before he had the chance. Chris smirked at his brother's disappointed frown.

"Your cat doesn't like me, does she?" Wyatt remarked.

"She is very picky about who can touch her." Chris said. "Don't feel bad, only Payton has managed gain her affection."

"Figures." Wyatt noted. "Okay, I'll get going. Just make sure you call me if anything goes wrong. I might trust you, but that doesn't mean I trust her."

"I will." Chris promised.

"Look… about the Julian thing do we still need to talk about that another time?" Wyatt asked.

"I've got my mess, you've got yours." Chris replied.

Wyatt nodded and disappeared in a column of orbs. Chris sighed and sat down on the couch, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He hated to admit it, but Wyatt was at least right about one thing. His feelings for Bianca could prove dangerous if he didn't keep them in check. Luna leaped on the couch and circled on his lap, looking at him with her bright, knowing eyes.

"Don't worry." Chris said. "I'll be careful."

Luna purred in agreement and lied down on his lap. Chris looked at his bedroom and realized Bianca would probably be asleep for hours. He wanted to respect her privacy, so that meant spending the night on the couch. Since all he could do now was wait, he made himself comfortable and turned on the TV.

Xxx

After her strange encounter in the parking lot, Melinda was driving home and tried to make sense of what happened. The ghostly appearance of the woman in white gave her chills, and she wondered what she was after. She was standing behind Faye's car and seemed surprised that Melinda saw her, so was she after Faye or her unborn child? Faye mentioned having nightmares about her, so that meant her unborn niece of nephew was in terrible danger. She needed to do something.

Melinda stopped the car and looked up. For some reason, she had driven to the manor instead of home as she intended. Was it muscle memory or was her subconscious trying to tell her something? Wyatt deserved to know about his child, but should she the one to tell him? She was torn between being honest with her brother and respecting Faye's wishes. Melinda got out of the car and headed up the stairs. As she entered the manor, she called out if anyone was home, but there was no response. However, she did hear a faint whisper as the wind blew through her hair. Attic.

As she arrived in the attic, the Book of Shadows started flipping through its pages on its own. She moved closer and saw it landed on the spell to summon the dead. Knowing that someone wanted to talk to her, Melinda placed five candles in a circle and chanted the spell;

"Hear these words, hear my cry, spirit from the other side,

Come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide."

White orbs appeared in the circle of candles and Melinda was pleasantly surprised to see her mom appear. She wanted to run over and hug her, but knew she couldn't.

"Hello my sweet girl." Piper said.

"Mom, I've missed you." Melinda replied tearfully.

"I know, I've missed you too." Piper admitted. "I wish I could have been there for you, especially during a time like this."

"You know you're going to be a grams." Melinda noted as she placed a hand on her belly.

"Of course, do you honestly think I'd miss something like that?" Piper asked. "I know you're going to be a wonderful mom, Melinda."

"I've had the best example." Melinda replied with a smile.

"Thank you, I wish I was just here to talk about your pregnancy, but we need to talk about another." Piper said. "I must admit that one came as a surprise."

"I still can't believe it." Melinda admitted. "I don't know what to tell Wyatt."

"For now, we need to keep this between us, as painful as it might be." Piper said. "The child is in terrible danger, Melinda."

"The spirit I saw?" Melinda asked.

"Yes." Piper said as she waved her hand, causing the Book of Shadows to flip its pages again. "She is after the child."

Melinda looked at the book and saw it had landed on a page describing weeping women. They were a type of vengeful spirit that targeted pregnant women to replace their own lost children. These spirits were described as particularly difficult to vanquish because they attached themselves to the child in question like a parasite from the very first haunting.

"Oh no, this is horrible." Melinda said.

"Horrible and tragic." Piper replied with sadness in her voice. "Their pain is so great that they will stop at nothing to get the child they are after. Luckily, it's a slow process so we still have time to stop it."

"I have to tell Wyatt." Melinda said. "We need help."

"No, that's not a good idea." Piper replied. "The weeping women harbor a grudge toward men, particularly fathers. Involving Wyatt will only make her more aggressive and dangerous. You have to do this own on your own, Melinda."

"Why me?" Melinda asked.

"Because the weeping woman can only be defeated by a mother's love." Piper said. "You have to help Faye defeat this evil before…"

Piper stopped when footsteps sounded on the stairs and she disappeared through a swirl of white orbs. A moment later, the attic door opened and Wyatt entered. Melinda was at a loss for words as her bother looked at her surprised.

Xxx

Bianca woke up with a gasp and immediately sat up to scan her surroundings for danger. She was lying on a bed in a neatly organized bedroom. The last thing she remembered was being slashed by Beatrice, but when she checked her stomach, there was no wound. Her clothes were torn though, so someone had healed her. She then remembered her last thought before she shimmered away, Chris. She resented herself for such a weak moment, realizing that was probably Chris who healed her and whose bedroom she was in. She expected him to look over her, but it seemed she had slept in the bed alone.

There was a sudden movement in the room and Bianca prepared herself for a fight. However, she quickly saw it was a black cat that jumped on the bed. It stared at her and let out a soft meow.

"Hi there." Bianca whispered. "What are you doing here?"

The cat meowed again and came closer, allowing Bianca to rub it behind the ear. A smile formed on Bianca's lips as it purred contently, it had been a long time since she had felt any kind of affection, at least the welcome kind. She had also slept better than she had in weeks and felt safe and rested. However, she quickly realized she wasn't truly safe, it was only a matter of time before she was found. She got up, causing the cat to leap off the bed and run through the open door.

Bianca headed to the door, listening for signs of life. All she could hear was the faint sound of a running shower. She peeked down the hall and saw the bathroom door was ajar. She then looked the other way and saw an empty living room and the front door. She could just leave and never look back. Chris meant nothing to her, she should have never even thought about him. She certainly didn't need his help. She walked to the front door but then hesitated.

"I'm going to regret this." Bianca reminded herself.

Bianca turned around and headed to the bathroom, where she could still hear the shower running. She hated the feeling of having to owe Chris, as she knew he would be annoying about it, but a debt was a debt. She was still a Phoenix. She slowly opened the bathroom door and saw Chris standing in the shower. There was no curtain or screen, so Bianca could see the steaming water dripping down his shoulders all the way down to his tight and peachy cheeks. It was quite a tasty sight and she found herself appreciating Chris in a whole new way.

"Damn tiger, a girl could get used to that view." Bianca said.

Chris was startled by her voice and spun around, quickly covering himself with his hands before she could see anything else. He turned off the shower and stared at her while turning flustered. The front view quite nice as well, as the good witch was surprisingly fit.

"Oh… you're awake." Chris stuttered.

"I am now." Bianca replied with a smirk.

"Right, this is awkward." Chris said. "Could you hand me that towel there?"

"Sure thing, you mean this?" Bianca said.

Bianca picked up a small washcloth from the sink and threw it at Chris, who nearly slipped while trying to catch it. The cloth was barely big enough to cover his privates and only added to his obvious embarrassment. After being on the run for months and fighting for her life, it felt good to have a carefree moment of fun.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Chris asked.

"Definitely." Bianca replied.

Chris rolled his eyes and disappeared in a column of orbs. Bianca heard him reappear in his bedroom and once she returned there, he had already put on a pair of jeans and was getting a shirt.

"Well, that wasn't exactly planned." Chris said as he put the shirt. "I'm glad to see you up though, you have me worried there for a moment."

"I don't need you to worry about me, Chris." Bianca replied. "I'm not your concern."

"Then why did you come to me, whispering my name?" Chris countered.

"I was hurt and probably delusional." Bianca said. "It was a moment of weakness that won't happen again."

"What's going on?" Chris asked. "You were in rough shape."

"I told you…" Bianca started.

"Right, not my concern." Chris interrupted her. "Well, don't let me keep you then. I had a lousy night sleeping on the couch."

"I didn't ask you to do that." Bianca retorted.

"I know, you'd never ask for anything." Chris replied with a frown. "Because you're a proud Phoenix, a lone assassin who doesn't need anyone, right?"

"I'm not." Bianca admitted after a moment of silence. "I've been cast out."

"What?" Chris asked.

"I'm broke the rules and now I'm a target myself." Bianca said. "Happy now?"

"Of course not." Chris replied. "Look, let's have some breakfast and talk about this. You slept for more than twenty hours, so you must be hungry."

"I could eat." Bianca said.

Chris walked past her and headed the kitchen while Bianca reluctantly followed. She sat down at the bar while Chris made coffee and toast in silence. The black cat jumped on the bar and came closer, allowing Bianca to pet it again.

"She let you get close?" Chris asked surprised.

"Yeah, she is really cute." Bianca replied. "Why? Is that unusual?"

"Luna isn't an ordinary cat, she's a familiar." Chris explained. "She is very picky about people, so if you can pet her, it must mean that she trusts you."

"Well, don't I feel special." Bianca remarked.

"You should." Chris said as he offered her coffee and toast. "So are we going to talk about what's going on or not?"

"There isn't much to talk about." Bianca replied. "I broke the rules and now my family wants me dead."

"What did you do?" Chris asked.

"I killed Renata." Bianca admitted. "She confronted me after our run-in with the alchemist. It was self-defense."

"Why did she come after you?" Chris asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Bianca replied.

Bianca drank her coffee and took a bite of her toast. She would never admit that Renata came after her because she thought she had feelings for Chris. She wasn't even sure what she felt for him, there was a physical attraction for sure, especially after seeing him naked, but nothing more. She was not the type to fall in love, she was raised as a killer. There was no room for love in her life.

"I won't ask." Chris said. "But what happens now?"

"I need to find a way to get the Phoenix off my back." Bianca replied. "Otherwise they'll never stop coming after me. I need to appeal to the matriarch."

"The matriarch?" Chris asked.

"My aunt, Lucia." Bianca replied. "Renata's mother. If anyone can stop this, it's her."

"But you killed her daughter." Chris said. "I doubt she's in a forgiving mood."

"Her personal feelings don't matter." Bianca explained. "As matriarch, she enforces the Phoenix code of conduct. She can pardon me if I prove I didn't betray the family and was only defending myself."

"And then what?" Chris asked. "Go back and continue being an assassin for hire?"

"It's my life, Chris." Bianca replied. "It's all I've ever known."

"This is your chance to free yourself from that life." Chris said. "Do you honestly want to do back?"

Bianca fell silent as she thought about his words. In truth, she never wanted to be an assassin. She was forced into this life by her family, all because of a stupid birthmark and a heritage that had nothing to do with her. She wondered if her ancestors from Salem truly had this in mind when they sought vengeance so long ago. Then again, what was the alternative? Turning her back on everything she had ever known, giving up everything that made her who she was? She didn't know how to live her life as anything other than an assassin.

"I have to try to reason with the matriarch." Bianca replied.

"Alright, then I'll help you." Chris said.

"Why?" Bianca asked.

"I don't agree with your ways, Bianca." Chris replied. "And maybe this is a mistake, but you came to me for help, so I can't just turn my back on you."

Bianca looked at Chris and saw the determination in his eyes. Even though they disagreed, and it could put him danger, he wanted to help her. She didn't understand why, but it stirred something inside of her. She was tired of being alone and it felt good that someone cared about her. Against her better judgement, she nodded.

xxx