Light and Dark (Charmed AU)

Chapter 5

With Leo not bringing Chris to trial about Valhalla, the boy was able to do more in finding who turned Wyatt.

Over the next weeks, Paige saved an innocent soul (Chris would've helped her but Leo, ever the ass, had sent them both on a little field trip through time), the Charmed ones came into the possession of Excalibur (Chris shivered at the sight of it. While Wyatt would never use it on him, he'd seen it in action and he was not ashamed to admit it scared him), and the twice-blessed made friends with a half manticor child (Chris hated that boy, always trying to get between him and Wyatt).

One night, the three sisters were hanging out at P3. Phoebe and Paige were sort of ganging up on Piper about her relationship with a fireman named Greg when she caught sight of Chris making his way towards them. Thankful for the distraction, the oldest sister called out to him.

"Chris, hey! Come join us."

"Sorry, I can't. I've got to go work on the next demon...stration."

"C'mon, just one drink." Phoebe coaxed. "You've got to learn to relax sometimes."

"Thanks, but I didn't come here to relax."

The sisters rolled their eyes at him as he disappeared back into the crowd, moving towards the back room.

"That is one bitchy whitelighter." Phoebe said.

"Yeah. Piper, why don't you go talk to the guilt machine over there?" Paige said.

"Ugh." Piper responded but got up nonetheless.

<><><>

As the young man opened the door of the back room and turned on the light, his eyes landed on a woman dressed in tight black leather sitting in a plush chair.

He froze in the doorway.

"Bianca."

He quickly shifted so he could close the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

She stood slowly and walked up to him.

"All in good time, but for now..."

Her gentle smile disappeared as her expression became cold and she shoves her hand into his chest.

"You know Chris, you really should- hey!" Piper said, walking into the room.

Bianca took her hand out of Chris' chest just in time to be blown up.

The brunette boy slumped to the ground against the lockers, his breathing ragged.

"Who the hell was that?!" Piper nearly shrieked.

Chris shook his head.

"I have no idea."

Meanwhile, in the alley outside the club, Bianca reformed, paused to look back at the establishment, and shimmered away.

<><><>

"Guys, I'm telling you, I'm fine."

"Someone tried to kill you Chris!" Phoebe said incredulously.

"Look at me, not a scratching."

"This one?" Paige asked, ignoring the banter between the whitelighter and the empath.

"No, it looked more like a bird." Piper replied evenly.

"Are you sure she wasn't a darklighter?" Leo asked as Paige resumed her search through the book of shadows.

"I'm sure."

"What else would be after a whitelighter?" Phoebe asked.

"I'm not sure, that's what worries me."

"She's gone! Piper blew her away." Chris exclaimed, obviously agitated.

"How did she even get that close to you anyway if you don't know who she was?" Leo said.

Chris resumed his pacing, stepping on a loose floorboard. He turned back to Leo.

"You really ought to fix that you know." He said, completely ignoring the elder.

"C'mon Chris, who's after you?"

"Has it crossed your mind that maybe she wasn't after me? Maybe she was trying to get to them." He said, motioning to the sisters.

"He's got a point, Leo." Paige agreed reluctantly.

"Finally, someone's listening. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some work to take care of." Chris said and left the attic as quickly as he could without looking like he was in a hurry.

He heard Leo say that he wasn't telling the truth and normally he would've tried to make sure they'd believe him but there was something more pressing.

He went into the washroom and nearly collapsed as the door closed. Stumbling, he reached the sink and shakily undid the top few buttons of his shirt to reveal the wound on his chest from where his best friend had just attacked him.

He took a deep breath, pushing down the pain, and rebuttoned the shirt. This would be an issue.

<><><>

Chris exited the room, silently closing the door behind himself.

"Took you long enough." An impatient voice sounded from behind him.

"Hey, I'm going to be going back in time to change some major events. We might not even meet. I deserve to get to say goodbye." He said looking back at the closed door.

Bianca rolled her eyes but gave Chris a sad smile.

"You'll come back, you just have to believe that he'll be waiting for you along with a better world."

Chris nodded absently before he orbed to Golden Gate park, followed closely by his best friend. The reason he was strong enough to leave his husband for the good of the world.

<><><>

In the attic, the sisters and Leo watched him leave.

"He wasn't telling the truth." Leo said immediately.

"Maybe there's nothing to tell." Paige defended.

"Did you sense anything?" He asked, turning to Phoebe, dismissing Paige's idea.

"From Chris? No, I never get anything from him."

"What are you thinking?" Piper asked her ex-husband after a moment of silence.

"I'm thinking that if we can find out who she was, we can find out who Chris is."

Piper bit her tongue, exchanging looks with Phoebe and Paige.

They knew who Chris was. Or at least in relation to them. The issue was that despite the fact that letting Leo know about Chris and Wyatt would probably improve the Elder's attitude towards the time traveler, he insisted that Leo not be told.

<><><>

By the afternoon the next day, try had discovered that the woman had been a Phoenix, an assassin witch, and could reform. They were walking towards the kitchen to make the vanquishing potion when Chris appeared in a swirl of orbs and promptly collapsed.

"Chris!"

The four of them gathered around the young man.

"Wyatt. Bianca." He muttered.

The three sisters exchanged meaningful glances.