Charmed Fic: Made Weak by Time and Fate: Chapter Six

[jesterladyfic]

Chapter Six

He was tired. That much was true. But he didn’t have a choice. It was keep going or fail. And he was tired of failing. Still, he was so tired. And maybe from more than just working so much. Well, he’d look into that when he actually had time.

Piper felt pretty good. True, she hadn’t seen her husband in a while and she really missed him and Wyatt couldn’t seem to get out of the habit of flashing orb lights at delivery men and Paige was basically living at Richard’s and Phoebe had been moping around and Chris was still Mr. Demon Guy but…tonight was a girl’s night.

The club was doing well and she was sitting there with Phoebe, enjoying herself until Paige showed up. Wyatt was over at Grampa’s house and Piper felt relaxed enough to forget how hormonal she’d been lately.

“Paige, where’ve you been? You're late,” she chastised.

“I know, I'm sorry, I got tied up.”

“Where? At Richard's?” Phoebe teased.

“No. I was at work. Get your mind out of the gutter, missy.”

Piper really missed sex. Like a lot.

“Hey, you're the one who orbs home to find lingerie,” Phoebe returned.

It had been way too long. And Leo was never home anymore.

“Two times, I did that twice,” Paige protested.

Why did Paige get all the sex?

“Yes, it's about the only time we see you anymore,” Piper added, trying to tear her mind off what she was missing.

“Why did I come here? To get picked on?” asked Paige.

“Because we love you,” Phoebe said.

No more time to think about sex. Best not to think about it anyway.

“I kinda miss ya,” Piper said.

“I am not at Richard's that much,” Paige said. They just looked at her. “Fine, okay, maybe I am. But, you know I am just an orb away if you need help.”

“Yeah, the thing is we've just gotta be careful because if we stray too far away from each other, demons take advantage. We've learned that lesson the hard way a few times,” Piper said.

Boy, had they.

“I know, I know, I get it. I just really don't want to think of us living together in fifty years.”

“Ah, twenty, thirty years, tops,” Piper teased.

“We can always move to Hong Kong so I could take that job offer Elise wanted me to take,” Phoebe put in.

“How do you say dream on in Chinese?” Piper asked.

“What are you guys talking about?” Chris asked, walking up behind them.

“Stuff,” Phoebe said.

Thankfully not about sex anymore or Piper might have been forced to blow herself up.

Chris just nodded and Piper really looked at him for the first time in a long time. He looked exhausted. They were the ones vanquishing all the demons but he looked like death warmed over. Was there something he wasn’t telling them? Apart from all the other things he wasn’t telling them, that is?

He started to walk away and Paige called after him.

“I gotta go work on the next demon- stration,” he said hastily.

“Chris, why don't you relax and come have a drink with us?” Phoebe asked and Piper wondered if Phoebe was picking up on any vibes.

“Thanks, but I didn't come here to relax,” Chris said and his shoulders seemed to tighten as he walked away from them.

Not for the first time Piper wondered why Chris didn’t have anywhere to go other than the backroom of her club. Yes, he wasn’t from this time, but surely there were other Whitelighters who would help him out? Was Leo so busy rebuilding the world and being distrustful he didn’t plan for these kinds of things? Where did Whitelighters go when they weren’t on duty or falling in love with their charges, she wondered? Did they have dorms Up There?

“Hey, Piper, why don't you go talk to the guilt machine over there?” Paige said.

Piper agreed and got up to go. It was her backroom after all. She opened the door and found a young woman with her hands inside of Chris. His chest swallowed her fist and he bent over in agony. She was tall with a black leather cat suit type outfit and dark hair. Her features were beautiful but very cold and the minute Piper opened the door and began to talk she pulled away from Chris leaving him slumped over and began to form an energy ball.

Piper blew her up without a second thought.

“Are you okay?” Piper asked, helping Chris up.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“What happened? Who is she?”

“I don't know.”

Piper wasn’t really sure if she believed him or not.

So she ignored his protests and marched him out to gather Phoebe and Paige and they went home.

She debated whether or not to call Leo but she decided not to. He was obviously busy and she was feeling just a little bit miffed about his treatment of Chris anyway.

They went to work trying to identify the demon while Chris protested that he was okay.

“Guys, I'm telling you I'm fine, don't sweat it.”

“You sure she wasn't a Darklighter?” Paige asked, ignoring him.

“I'm sure,” Piper said.

“What else would be after a Whitelighter?” Phoebe asked.

“I don't know, that's what worries me,” Piper said.

“She's gone. Piper blew her away, what's the big deal?” Chris said.

“The big deal is someone tried to kill you, Chris!” Phoebe said.

“Look at me, not a scratch, nothing.”

“I want to know how she knew where to find you,” Piper said. “Are you sure you didn’t know who she was?”

Chris paced in agitation, his steps squeaking on that one floorboard that always made noise.

“We really ought to fix that, you know,” he said, evading.

“Come on, Chris, who's after you?” Paige persisted.

“Has it crossed your mind that maybe she wasn't after me? Maybe she was trying to get to you guys.”

“It kind of makes sense,” Paige conceded.

“Finally, somebody's listening,” Chris said, gesturing. “Paige, you’re my favorite a- Charmed One right now. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some work to take care of.”

He left the room and Piper frowned after him.

“He's not telling the truth. What was that thing he almost said about you, Paige?” She turned to Phoebe. “Could you sense anything?”

“From Chris? No, I can never sense anything from him.”

“Really, never? I mean, doesn’t that sound like he might have taken a potion like the one we took?”

“Leo thought Chris probably originally got it for himself,” Paige said.

“So, Chris really doesn’t want us to know what he’s feeling. But I’m pretty sure we could all see how anxious he was just now. He’s hiding something. Maybe if we can find out who this woman was it will give us a little clue into who Chris is,” said Piper.

“Sounds like you agree with Leo now,” Paige said.

“Well, I never disagreed with him; I just didn’t think it was more important than our lives. Which I still don’t think it is. Since we can’t id the demon there’s not too much more to do tonight.”

“Great, then you guys know where I’ll be if you need me,” Paige said, leaving.

“I got some work to do,” Phoebe said, leaving as well.

Piper stood in the middle of the attic, wishing she hadn’t let them go but somehow feeling so strongly that she couldn’t hold them back without being the biggest hypocrite the world had ever known.

Once Piper had picked up Wyatt from her dad’s she put him to bed and spent the night going through the Book of Shadows.

It was close to morning when she found what she was after. She slept a little bit and then made sure she had her day planned out before calling Paige. It was the little things that kept her from going crazy.

But Piper was actually pretty worried about Chris with a bone deep worry that went beyond normal Whitelighter/innocents protection.

Paige appeared in front of her wearing a surprisingly elegant nightgown.

“Paige, when I said I needed you, I meant a fully clothed you.”

“Oh, please. What's the big emergency?”

“What would you say if I told you whoever attacked Chris was called a Phoenix?”

“Well, I would say what's a Phoenix and then you'd probably tell me.”

“They're a family of assassin witches who are very elite, very powerful, and who were born with a distinct birthmark symbolizing the rise from Salem's ashes.”

“Well, does the book say what they want?” Paige asked.

“Just whatever bounty they're after, which in this case is Chris. Which means they're still after him and they won't stop until they succeed.”

“I’ll rally the troops,” Paige said.

***

No, no, no, no, no. Please no. He hadn’t done this, given up so much, for this to end here and now. For her to be… Why, what had happened? What had HE done to her? Why was she doing this? He felt so weak, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the knowledge that…

Leo was deep in discussion with a young Whitelighter whose charge kept almost exposing their magic to the public. She was at her wit’s end and Leo well remembered the days of feeling the same way. He did his best to counsel her and help her with the tips he’d learned along the way.

But once that was done there was one more thing to do and then another. At this rate he wouldn’t get home until next week. Deep in his bones, Leo felt how he was failing to keep his promise to Piper to be there for her despite that fact that he was an Elder now.

But everywhere he turned there were people begging him for help, sending out urgent calls. It was all he could do to ascertain which calls he really needed to answer.

But one came through loud and clear. Piper’s voice. He’d been trying to keep a close eye on her and Wyatt the past few weeks and there’d been a spike of anxiety in her since the night before.

She called for him, an emergency.

He orbed to her immediately and saw quickly that it was Chris who needed his help. He was hastily being pulled onto the couch by Paige and Phoebe and his shirt was opened to reveal a hideous, gaping, circle sized wound.

“What is that?” Phoebe asked.

“I don't know,” Leo said, and he truly didn’t.

“It doesn't matter, just heal him,” Piper said urgently.

Leo started immediately.

“Why didn't he tell us about that?” Paige said.

“Why doesn't he tell us about a lot of things?” Piper said. Leo frowned, something wasn’t right. It was like the wound was self-generating. “What’s the problem?”

“He's not healing. Something's draining his powers. It’s like until it can finish the job the wound will never heal.”

“You think it was Bianca?” Phoebe asked.

“It's gotta be,” Piper answered.

“Yeah, but it doesn't explain why she would come back from the future just to kill him.”

“Who’s Bianca? Does someone want to explain to me what’s going on here?” Leo asked.

“Geez, spend a little time Up There and you don’t know anything anymore,” Paige said.

Piper pulled Leo aside and explained to him what was going on while the other girls kept speculating.

Leo was still confused but the situation was certainly a validation of everything he’d been saying about Chris.

“Whoa,” said Phoebe, interrupting Leo’s thoughts.

“What is it?”

“He loves her,” Phoebe whispered, moving closer to Chris.

“Loves who? Bianca?” asked Paige.

“Yeah. She broke his heart.” Phoebe looked down and gently pulled his fingers apart to reveal an engagement ring. “They were going to get married.”

“I thought you couldn’t sense anything from him,” Piper said to Phoebe.

Phoebe looked stricken.

“Can’t you feel this? This is some of the most painful- I can barely focus he’s projecting so much pain and loss and guilt right now. No potion could block this. Maybe that’s why he never lets his guard down around us.”

Leo could feel the pain Phoebe was feeling on behalf of Chris and that was diluted quite a bit through translation so he knew they were powerful emotions Chris was feeling.

It made Leo feel guilty, but no less determined to find out who Chris was. And help him whether he wanted it or not.

“Well, at least we have something to scry for her now. You guys work on the vanquishing potion in case she's not in the mood to help,” Piper said.

Chris muttered in his fever.

“Bianca. Bianca.”

The girls got to work and Leo watched Chris. He felt ashamed for not doing more when Chris had first arrived. Leo had been so busy dealing with his new powers and his family that all he’d had time for was suspicion. Maybe if he’d done more…he didn’t know what he could have done.

Leo couldn’t heal the wound, but he could provide comfort for its symptoms and that’s what he did while the girls worked.

“Hang in there, buddy,” he murmured.

After awhile Piper came back into the room and let him know they’d found the adult Bianca (because there was a younger one which Leo guessed made sense because of the time travelling). Piper gave Chris back the ring and he closed his fingers around it as if he could sense he somehow had it back.

Paige and Phoebe came back into the room.

Leo looked back down at Chris as he moaned in pain.

“Got the vanquishing potion so after we orb over there, I'm gonna...”

Paige’s voice stopped.

“You're gonna what?” Leo asked, looking up.

“I'm gonna move into Richard's house,” Paige said.

“Are you? Good for you,” Piper said.

“That's a great idea,” Phoebe agreed. “And I think I'm gonna go take that job in Hong Kong Elise offered me.”

“Cool,” Paige said.

Leo stared incredulously.

“Hang on a second, this isn't you guys. You must be under some kind of spell, you have to fight this.”

“How can you fight your heart?” Paige said.

“Or your hormones,” Piper said, looking at Leo in a way that usually made him very happy but alarmed him just now.

“Will you drop me off on the way to Richard's?” Phoebe asked.

“I would love to,” said Paige.

“Paige, Phoebe, listen to me,” Leo began but they vanished in orb lights.

“Alone at last,” Piper said, grabbing Leo by the shirt.

“Piper, we don’t have time for this.”

“You don’t, but I really do. And if you don’t join in I’ll just have to do it myself.”

Leo shook his head to clear the pictures suddenly flooding it.

“Piper, Chris is dying. We have to help him.”

“Someone’s always dying,” Piper said, playing with his belt.

Leo thought frantically about how to fix this. There was a potion he could use, but how could he distract Piper long enough to actually make it and still guard Chris?

“Okay, okay, you win,” he said. Piper smiled slowly. “But, uh, I just need to get ready…first. So you…you guard Chris while I do that. Can you promise me you will protect him while I go and…get ready?”

Piper pouted a little bit.

“Okay, fine. But you’d better hurry.”

“Right, yes, I will,” he said.

He orbed and prayed he was doing the right thing. Once in the attic he mixed and brewed using a few Elder cheats along the way, but he was pretty sure he was on the right track.

“Piper, you okay, honey?” he called. “I’m coming soon.”

“Yeah, you will be,” she practically purred and he winced.

He was almost done when there was a crash from downstairs and Piper yelling. Leo orbed immediately but when he got there Chris was gone and Piper was on the floor.

“What happened?”

“Bianca came and took Chris. No big deal because you’re ready now, right?”

“Let’s go upstairs,” Leo said and orbed her to the attic.

Piper pulled her shirt off when they got there and started undoing her pants while Leo frantically got the last bits of the potion done. He threw it at her before she could take any more clothes off.

Suddenly she blinked and stood very still.

“What's going on? What am I doing? What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to counteract a spell that Bianca apparently cast on you.”

“What kind of spell?” Piper asked, hastily putting on her pants.

“One that apparently lowers your inhibitions and heightens your desires,” Leo said.

“Oh, boy,” Piper said. “That’s just a little bit embarrassing. Do not say anything. So did she get Chris?”

“Yeah, and I'm hoping that if we can break the spell on Phoebe and Paige, we might be able to get Chris back.”

“Right, uh-huh, okay, so let's go,” Piper said, putting her shirt back on and hurrying toward the door.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I said don’t say anything,” she warned him and held out her hand for him to take and orb.

Leo sighed and did.

***

As much pain as he had been in physically and still was emotionally he was determined not to show it. He’d done this for her. For them. It had been the only thing keeping him going for months now. All that he’d done was wasted if she turned. And there would be absolutely nothing left for him. He was dead either way. If he went back he would be powerless. If he stayed he’d already lost.

Piper was feeling more than a little angry. It was one thing to not be able to have sex with her husband because he was never home but it was completely another to throw herself at him revealing everything she’d been feeling under the influence of a spell.

Her face was still red when she orbed to Bianca with Paige and Phoebe.

It felt good to be in vanquish mode though. Piper was relieved to see Chris standing and on his feet. Obviously whatever Bianca had done to him involved him not dying.

“Hey, future girl,” Piper said, throwing the potion.

Bianca threw a knife and smashed the bottle in mid air, shimmering out as she did so. The dagger flew toward Piper and she froze it in mid-air but Bianca shimmered into position in front of her, holding the dagger against Piper’s throat.

“You were saying?” Bianca said.

Piper got really pissed then, but she held herself together.

“Wow, she is good,” Phoebe said.

Paige started to move but Bianca cut her off.

“Uh-uh. I can kill her in half the time it takes you to even think about it.”

“Yeah, we still have enough potion to vanquish you,” Paige said.

“Maybe,” Bianca said. “I have a nasty habit of coming back. Now put the vials down slowly.”

“Bianca, don't,” Chris said, reaching out his hand to her. “Let her go and I promise I'll go with you.”

“Chris, what are you doing?” Paige asked.

Chris ignored them all, speaking only to Bianca. Piper watched their faces carefully.

“If you kill her, there won't be a future for either of us. None of this will matter and you know it.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Phoebe.

“You'll see if you live long enough,” Bianca said coldly.

Chris relaxed visibly and Piper realized that he’d been worried for her. He had some kind of knowledge that Bianca shouldn’t hurt Piper and yet he obviously didn’t know if that would be enough to stop her.

Made her feel all warm inside.

But that didn’t solve their problems because Bianca removed the dagger and walked with Chris toward the wall.

Piper tried to freeze them but neither of them moved.

“Why didn't he freeze?” she asked, puzzled.

“I don't- Unless he's a...” Phoebe began.

“I'm a witch too,” Chris said wearily, turning around. “That's right. Part witch, part Whitelighter. Just like you, Paige.”

“You lied to us?” Paige said.

Chris laughed slightly.

“That’s the least of my sins. I’m sorry but I had to. It was the only way I could get you to trust me.”

“Trust you? What makes you think we trust you now?” Piper asked.

“It doesn't matter anyway,” Chris said and his tone was the voice of a man who had given up.

“So that's it? You're just gonna leave?” she asked.

“I don't have a choice. She stripped my powers.” Chris paused and then looked right back at Piper and for a minute she thought she was looking in a mirror. “Looks like Leo's gonna have to fix that floorboard without me.” He turned back to Biance. “Let's go.”

They walked through the portal and Piper couldn’t stop the feeling that she’d just lost something precious.

There was nothing to do but go back to the attic where Leo was watching Wyatt and waiting.

Phoebe went straight for the book and started digging through it while Piper explained the situation to Leo.

They all started arguing about how time travel to the future was supposed to happen, whether or not the Elders could do it. Paige started to get grouchy and Leo to get defensive.

“Hey, I don't like this either, don't you think I want to save him too?” Leo asked.

“Aren’t you the one that wants to banish him?” Paige said.

“Look, he’s growing on me,” Leo said. “He’s saved a lot of lives and protected my son. That gives him some grace.”

“Well, up till now you’ve sure had a funny way of showing it,” Paige said.

“I don't know if I want to save him or kick his ass,” Phoebe said.

“That still doesn't change all the good he's done,” Leo said.

“You're certainly singing a different tune. You've come along way, baby,” Paige said, lightening up a bit now that it seemed Leo was on her side.

“Despite all his secrets, I still believe that he came back to protect Wyatt and that is enough for me to want to save him,” said Leo.

Then Leo stepped on their answer. Chris was a clever little thing; Piper would give that to him.

They quickly wrote their spell and put it under the creaky floorboard and sent it on its way into the future. They didn’t have to wait long. Within two seconds Chris was falling through the wall onto the floor.

“Are you okay?” Paige asked.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Nice spell.”

Chris got up, dusting himself off.

“You have some serious explaining to do, young man,” Piper said.

Chris seemed properly chastised but he still was evasive.

“I know. Listen, I'm sorry I lied to you. I really am, but...”

“No, no buts,” Piper said. “It's about time you tell us the truth, now.”

She liked him, she was drawn to him in ways she couldn’t explain, but she wasn’t going to put up with any more of his nonsense.

“I can't. But not because I don't want to, but because there's only so much I can tell you without the future being changed too much.”

“Um, isn't that your whole point? To come and change the future?” asked Paige.

“Yeah. But that was supposed to be more like a surgical strike. One area needed to be changed.”

“Saving Wyatt,” Leo said.

“Saving Wyatt.”

“What about Bianca?” Phoebe asked gently.

The look on his face reminded Piper of when Leo had been taken away from her on their first wedding attempt.

“Bianca won't be a threat to anyone anymore,” Chris said softly.

“I'm sorry,” Phoebe said.

Chris shifted uncomfortably.

“Me too. So you guys still all right with me hanging around here?”

They all looked at each other and Piper nodded to Leo.

“Absolutely. But the next time you're in trouble you gotta tell us. Trust works both ways,” said Leo.

Chris got the happiest look on his face Piper had ever seen. He always seemed so earnest or smug or angry or anxious but never happy. Now, though, he looked almost joyful.

“There’s still things I can’t say,” Chris said. “I won’t apologize for that.”

“Just take the trust, Chris,” Piper said.

They all made to leave but Piper called Phoebe and Paige back.

“What's going on?” Phoebe asked.

“Uh, well, I've been thinking. I think it's time we make some changes around here.”

They looked alarmed.

“What kind of changes?” Phoebe asked.

“Like I think you should move to Hong Kong for that job,” she turned to Paige, “and you should move in with Richard.”

“I never said I wanted that,” Paige said.

“You didn't have to; the spell did that for you. Both of you.”

“Well, we can't leave you alone, we have to stick together,” Phoebe said.

Piper sighed. She’d been thinking about it ever since the spell had worn off. Once the embarrassment had as well. And she was afraid. She was afraid of what would happen to them if they kept on denying their desires. Too much self-sacrifice could get them all killed.

“No, I know, believe me, I know. But you can't keep sacrificing your lives forever and neither can I. Mom did that, Grams did it, and even Prue. And look what happened to them. It's not a legacy I want us to inherit.”

“What are you going to do?” Phoebe asked.

“I’m gonna stay here. I’m gonna do my job. I’m gonna raise Wyatt. Our destiny isn’t done, but it doesn’t have to occupy our whole lives.”

“But you’re going through so much,” Phoebe said.

“So are all of us,” Piper said.

“You sure about this?” Paige asked.

“Yeah, I am.”

She had to be. Even if it made her feel terribly alone.

***

There’s no way this should be happening. He’d only gotten through it because of her. And he couldn’t think about that, because if he did, he was going to have a major meltdown and he couldn’t afford that.

Leo ran after Chris while the girls talked. He still felt unsure about Chris, but he could sense the other man really needed someone about now.

“Chris, wait.”

“Another lecture?” Chris asked, sounding exhausted.

“Are you going to be okay?” Leo asked.

Chris looked surprised, but quickly covered it.

“I’ve been through an ordeal, but I’m not going to fall apart. Are we done?”

“You want my trust you need to earn it,” Leo said gently. “I have to report to the other Elders and let them know what happened here today. They may decide you shouldn’t stay here.”

“Well, they’re wrong.”

“Maybe. But I’m only one Elder.”

“You’re welcome,” Chris said under his breath.

“Chris, talk to me.”

“You don’t have any say over my personal life.”

“I guess you have half of one of those then,” Leo said.

Chris reddened.

“I can’t help who my parents are.”

“No. But you don’t have to alienate the only people who can help you. We appreciate all you’ve done, now give us back something for our trust.”

“I’ll try,” Chris said after a minute. “But I just can’t- can’t get too close. There are too many things that could go wrong.”

“I get the dangers of time travel,” Leo said.

“I know you do,” Chris said. “Better than the sisters ever could. So that’s why I’m telling you I’ve got my own agenda and I’m going to follow it. Even if you don’t like it.”

“Well, I appreciate the honesty,” Leo said. “That’s all I can ask for at this point. I’m not done watching you, Chris.”

“Watching me, yeah,” Chris mumbled and then orbed away.

Leo sighed and didn’t follow him. He still had a lot of work to do, but first he passed by Paige and Phoebe on their way out and joined Piper in the attic.

“The girls are moving out,” she said plainly.

“What?”

“I told them to. They need to live their lives.”

“But then you’ll be…”

“Alone?”

“Yeah,” he said, hunching his shoulders.

“Well, I shouldn’t be,” she said calmly. “I should have a husband here with me.”

“I’m here as much as I can be,” he pleaded.

“I don’t want Wyatt’s only memories of his dad to be whenever one of us is in danger,” Piper said.

He got a call. Why, why did he get a call just then?

“Piper, I-"

“I know the look,” Piper said. Her face was hard. “I can’t stop you going and I know why you have to, but, Leo, this is hurting me and it’s hurting Wyatt. Just think about that.”

She brushed past him and he stood for a moment, completely blindsided. An urgent cry came to him and he sighed, disappearing into orb lights.

He curled up into himself, allowing a moment or two of grief. He couldn’t afford a lot of it, but he’d lost something incredibly precious. He also had something doubly important to prevent. And he would never give up, never allow this to happen. By whatever means necessary, he would stop this.