Chris and I hadn't spoken much since that drunken night at the club. Sometimes, I'd catch his gaze, and he would smile at me with an intense look in his eyes. It made me blush every time.
Derek had been understandably upset when I told him I wouldn't be going back with him, I explained that my sister needed me here and I couldn't leave yet. He asked what that meant for us moving forward, and when I couldn't give him a straight answer, he made the decision for us both to end it. I should have felt more upset about it, but it felt like the best thing for both of us. He told me he hoped I found happiness, I told him he would find someone else who could give him the love he deserved, and I was sorry it couldn't be me. That was the last I saw of him before he left the city.
Paige had finally signed up for a temp agency, and I couldn't help but laugh when she called me to say they had given her a gig as a dog walker. It was less funny when she roped me into helping her; she knew I couldn't deny her anything.
I took two of the smaller dogs while Paige had both big ones and a bulldog that had simply refused to let me walk it.
"He must like you," I joke, and she pulls a face at me.
Something is really getting the dogs riled up because they simply refuse to settle down. While I'm able to keep my two relatively under control, Paige is not so lucky. She's launched into a pole, and both big dogs take separate sides, so she has to release her grip from the leads.
The three dogs race down the pavement while she tries to command them to stop. Seeing that isn't working, she resorts to using her magic to orb in front of them, startling the poor canines. The old beagle whose lead I have in my grips barks at her winningly from our position further away.
"I've gotta get a real job," I hear her mutter to herself as I approach, and it makes me laugh.
"What, not enjoying the fresh air?" I ask teasingly, grabbing one of the leads from the ground and handing it to her. "You should really be more careful though, who knows-"
The hair on my neck suddenly stands on end as I hear that otherworldly jingle starting to swell. I grab Paige out of reflex, not wanting to be left behind. She looks at me strangely, and I notice Chris pop his head out from her other side. I jump at the sight, having thought she was orbing somewhere without me, not that someone had orbed in behind us!
"Jesus Chris - you too?! How do you know no one saw that?" I ask, holding my hands on my hips bossily.
"Cas, what are you doing here?" He asks, completely ignoring my question.
I hold out up the dog leads in my hand as if to show him, "I'm helping!"
Paige gives me the side eye, then asks with attitude, "What are you doing here?"
He sighs before reminding her, "Trok demon?"
"What, now? Can't you see I'm working?"
As if on cue, the white bulldog starts humping her leg. I burst into laughter, clutching my stomach. I think Chris gave a small smile as well, eyes watching my movements.
Eventually, it's settled that we'll quickly orb to the manor with the dogs (much to Paige's displeasure) so they can get rid of this 'Trock demon'. I insist we move somewhere private before they showcase their magic to the whole street again. Chris doesn't argue with me, either seeing the wisdom in my suggestion or just sensing that it'll be quicker not to argue with me.
Once we're in the back alley, I grab hold of his arm quickly. I try to ignore the look Paige shoots at me and play it off with innocent ignorance. After all, I mentally justify, he was closer to me. The pleasant tingles from his touch pale in comparison to the ones that explode from inside of me as we glide through the air. I don't think I'll ever get used to this feeling he brings me.
We appear at the Manor all too soon. Phoebe paces back and forth in front of us, "Alright, can we get this over with because I have to go... where did they all come from?"
I smile and wave my hand that still holds the dog leashes, "Hi Phoebe, love your new hair!"
She blushes and smiles in response, petting her short hair, then turns to look at Paige curiously.
"He wouldn't let me take them back first," Paige explains to Phoebe grumpily.
"Back?" She asks.
Paige hesitates as she answers, "Yeah, I'm a... dog walker. The temp agency messed up, okay?"
Phoebe makes a noise like she's trying to hold back a chuckle. She does a better job than me - I can't stop the giggle escapes me. I bring up my hand to try to cover it, the one that isn't still connected to Chris'.
"Okay, do you guys mind?" Chris interjects, slipping his hand out from my grip. "We have to summon the Trok demon while he's still on our plane."
"Wait, where else could he go? Aren't you able to summon creatures from the underworld - or do you mean like an alternate dimension?" I ask him, eyes wide with intrigue.
"Cas, I'll answer any questions you have later, but first we need to get this thing. Piper!"
Phoebe approaches him angrily and exclaims, "Oh Chris, lighten up! Sending us after all these demons is getting to be a real drag."
"Yeah, you're working us like dogs," Paige adds, shaking the leads for emphasis. I smile at her pun and squat down to give the doggies my attention, knowing I have nothing meaningful to contribute to their discussion.
"I don't see Piper complaining," Chris defends himself quickly.
"No, because Piper doesn't complain about anything anymore," Phoebe explains with worry, "Ever since Leo left to become an Elder, all she does is walk around the house all... chipper!"
Chris looks confused between the sisters as he asks, "So?"
"So, it's unusual. What's worse, it's not Piper," Paige says with certainty. I make a noise of agreement while I scratch behind the German Shepard's ears.
We hear Piper descend the stairs, with Wyatt in her arms and a phone to her other ear. She's making plans for another play date; I can practically hear the happy hallmark music playing behind her. She doesn't even complain about having the dogs in the house! Only stopping to exclaim "Oh, how cute!" Before moving to the kitchen.
"She getting worse," Phoebe says with a grimace once she's gone.
Paige slowly agrees, "Definitely."
Deciding to get on with business for now, Phoebe asks Chris, "Do you have a spell?"
Chris looks frustrated as he pulls one from his pocket and answers, "Right out of the book."
She snatches it quickly, and he continues to explain how they should attack it.
"Here," Paige thrusts her three leads to Chris, "Take these guys up to the attic, they'll be fine there."
He looks genuinely startled, "Wait, me?"
"Yeah, you! Go." She says pushily as the two big dogs try to pull him up the stairs.
"I'll go with him," I interject, getting to my feet, "I won't be much good here anyways."
"Cassy," Phoebe stops me suddenly, "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are? Because you are. You're like, the whole package," she adds the last part with a giggle, then looks startled at herself.
I'm pretty embarrassed by the abrupt flattery. I lock eyes with Chris and see him gape a little, cheeks pink, before turning to continue on his path to the attic. I mutter awkwardly, "Er, thanks Phoebe," while scampering up the stairs behind Chris.
His pace is quick as he makes his way up, but I suppose it's just the dogs pulling him forward.
"That was so weird," I confide in Chris as we enter the attic, "What is up with the sisters lately? Are they okay?"
"Don't worry about it. They're fine," he dismisses easily. Once the door is closed, he just drops the dog leads and moves towards the Book of Shadows, no doubt to continue his tireless hunt for evil.
"Are you sure? I ask with concern, unhooking my dogs from their leads so they can enjoy more freedom too. "After all isn't everything you know concerning them irrelevant now that you've changed things? Because in your history Paige was-" I cut myself off, not wanting to even mention her potential death. "...Not around." I finish lamely.
His eyes flicker to mine for a moment, and he parts his lips to respond. My eyes are drawn to them, and I think I can see something glistening along the sides of his lips. A bad feeling swells in my stomach the longer I look. But, before I can dwell on it, we're interrupted by a loud bang from downstairs.
My sisters safety takes priority, so I let it go for now. We quickly make our way back, leaving the dogs closed up in the attic. I look around for the sisters and find them lying on the floor under the stairs.
"Paige, are you okay?" I ask immediately, lending her a hand up.
She brushes herself off and says, "Yeah, I'll be fine. Just need a quick heal, that's all."
We both look to Chris expectantly, and he shuffles his feet awkwardly. "I'm sure you can just walk it off," he says, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Chris, C'mon heal her," I insist.
"I don't know how, okay?" He finally admits to us all.
We're all a bit startled by the admission, and I'm a little hurt that he hadn't told me before. I thought we were closer than that, but evidently not.
Phoebe goes to grab firs aid supplies as I try to help Paige into the sitting room. She shrugs me off and asks Chris, "What kind of whitelighter can't heal?"
He's clearly disgruntled as he points out, "For the record, you can't heal either."
"But she's only half whitelighter," I remind him.
She takes a seat on the floral couch, and I sit by her side.
"Yeah, how come you didn't tell us about this before we hired you?" The accusation is clear on her face.
He looks at her earnestly and says, "Because you didn't hire me. I was assigned by the Elders."
"Any other little surprises you'd like to share with us?" Phoebe asks, coming into the room with some cream and an ice pack for Paige.
Chris seems a bit affronted as he says defensively, "No."
She shoots him a look while I hold out my hand to request for the first aid supplies, I need a distraction. I need to not think about what I saw on Chris' lips up in the attic. She passes it to me, and Paige turns away so I can treat the injury on her shoulder blade. Luckily, it's just a small cut and won't scar, but she'll definitely bruise. I hold the ice-pack on and check the time on the clock to make sure I only keep it on for five minutes.
Chris tries to defend himself, "Look, I haven't been a whitelighter very long, okay? And, healing," he takes a seat on the edge of the couch opposite from us as he continues, "It's big. And takes a while to learn how to do."
Phoebe conveys her displeasure by sarcastically replying, "Great, student lighter."
"Chris you should have told us about this, like, I don't know, maybe a month ago," my sister adds.
She has a good point. He's been sending them out on demon hunts for weeks now, with no way of helping them if they actually got into serious trouble. The thought doesn't sit right with me. "Why did you tell me?" I can't help but ask. I ignore the looks that Paige and Phoebe give me and look steadfast at him. He looks into my eyes, and I can see some deep emotion there there. Before I have time to decipher it, he breaks his stare and just shrugs his shoulders.
"Well, I know one thing for sure. We're gonna stop all this demon-fighting for a while," Phoebe announces.
"Wait, why?" Chris asks immediately.
At the same time, I say, "I think that's a great idea."
He gives me a look, this one more condescending, before Piper grabs everyone's attention by yelling out a request to us.
"That's why," Phoebe answers his question.
Piper comes in holding baby Wyatt and delegates a few tasks before leaving to make her way to the club turned daycare. I give her a quick wave, then she's gone just as quickly as she came in.
"God, she is so sad." Phoebe laments, and I nod solemnly in agreement.
Paige is just confused, "Sad? Where were you getting sad from?"
Changing back to their old topic, Chris tries to bargain, "How bout this? Three more demons, and then we can talk about having a break."
"Do you have a quota or something?" Paige asks with squinted eyes.
"Look, I've already told you this before. I know from future knowledge that a demon is going to come after Wyatt. These are all just pre-emptive strikes."
I can't help but ask, "Did you really come here without any idea of which one? They can't just kill every demon, right?" But they ignore me; as usual.
"Okay, look. Chris, we like you a lot. But we've been doing this a lot longer than you have. Trust me, you have to pace yourself, and you gotta let us have a life," Phoebe tells him seriously. She notices the time and tries to hurry so she can get ready for her lunch date. The one she didn't even want to go on.
Chris stops her with a request, "Two demons. How about that? Two?" He holds up two fingers up for emphasis.
"No, Chris!" Phoebe denies with exasperation, "Especially not until we figure out what's wrong with Piper. And more importantly, Pipers powers."
Huh? Something's wrong with her powers? I want to ask, but know that I have no placing asking questions during a magical discussion.
"I swear, I think Leo did something to her before he left," my sister speculates with a thoughtful face.
"Well, you know what, I think it's about time we orb him down here and ask him," Phoebe suggests.
Chris shrugs as he responds, "I don't think that's possible."
"Well then make it possible," she demands, "Look even if he doesn't care about Piper as his wife, as an Elder he at the very least should care about what happened to her powers."
"I can't," he admits with defeat.
Paige and I look at him questioningly, "Yeah, you can. You just go up there and tell him to get his butt back down here," she retorts.
Chris starts to look defensive and exclaims, "That's not why I can't! Look, I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't want to worry you, but..." he pauses and looks Phoebe in the eyes as he breaks the news, "Leo's missing."
"What?" Phoebe asks breathlessly.
"Missing? How long?" Paige questions, and I grab her hand in comfort. She and Leo were always so close, sometimes more so than she was with her other sisters.
He puts his hands in his pockets and answers, "Since the last time we saw him." The girls are both speechless, but I'm left wondering just one thing. Before I can ask, he continues, "Anyway, the Elders think he's been... kidnapped."
"By whom?" Phoebe questions, hoping he might have an answer, but he just shrugs in response. She turns to Paige and says, "We've got to tell Piper."
Paige nods resolutely at her and gives my hand a quick squeeze before they head off to the club together.
Part of me wishes they would have at least asked if I wanted to go, but I've become pretty accustomed to their forgetting about me. I like to think its because I don't have any powers to protect myself, so they don't want to risk me getting in the crossfire of any potential fights. On my darker days, I can't help but think that because I'm a mortal, they don't value my input as much. Piper always has, but Phoebe and Paige just get too caught up in themselves sometimes. In any case, I am grateful for the chance to have some time alone with Chris. Something really bugging me about this whole situation.
"So," I begin, crossing my arms and trying to keep my tone steady. "When Phoebe asked a few minutes ago if there were any other surprises you wanted to share - this didn't come to mind at all?" I'm practically glaring at him by the end, my accusation clear.
He looks at me with mild trepidation and repeats, "Like I said, I didn't want to worry them."
I roll my eyes at the excuse. "Chris, they're the Charmed Ones. Finding and saving kidnapped magical beings is basically their whole thing. Why wouldn't you tell them sooner?" The last sentence is said more softly with curiosity as I genuinely wonder what his intentions are.
He looks at me, trying to think of something to say. Then he licks his lips, bringing my attention back to them.
Feeling my heart squeeze painfully at the reminder, and not wanting to stay alone with him any longer, I look around the room quickly. I find what I'm searching for on the coffee table, a box of tissues. I grab one and offer it to him as he looks at me questioningly.
"Here, take it." I say flatly, "You have some lip gloss left on you."
His eyes widen with shock, and he brings the back of his sleeve up to wipe his lips, confirming what I had feared.
"Cas, I-" he quickly tries to justify himself.
"Don't worry," I cut him off, holding up my hand, "And please.. don't call me that." I say resolutely before making my way out of the manor, not looking back.
I think I hear a bit of a bang, like someone had kicked furniture, but that was probably in my imagination.