Post by paintedmusic on Jan 18, 2008 2:02:47 GMT -5
Disclaimer: I officially and legally disclaim all possession of those perfect guys and their mom and two aunts, father, powers... well, all of Charmed. As much as it pains me, t'is the mournful truth.
Forbidden
Forbidden, forbidden, forbidden…
What the hell do they expect me to do—just sit around and wait? Who the hell do they think they are? They tell me it’s forbidden. Always. What’s forbidden, you ask? I don’t need to give specifics because everything is forbidden.
I try to follow the rules… sometimes—when the Halliwell gene for rule breaking doesn’t bubble just beneath my skin. But even though I try to tell myself that I need to follow the rules because that’s what will help me protect the innocents, one thought keeps floating through my mind, a thought I’ve tried to bury many, many times: Why is there nothing forbidden for Wyatt?
It’s like that d**n word doesn’t even exist in his vocabulary.
For me, there’s just one freakin’ rule after another. Even when I was younger, I still had to follow a bunch of rules that seemed to be exclusively for me. At first it was sort of undetectable because they were rules for Wyatt, too. Eventually, though, Wyatt was allowed to do pretty much whatever he wanted… and I still couldn’t. Because I was special, Mom said. Looking back now, though, I realize it’s because I wasn’t.
“Mommy, can I come with you?”
Mom’s eyes met mine, and she shook her head slightly, a smile gracing her features as she nervously fingered the potion vial in her hands. “No, baby,” she replied. “It’s too dangerous. Mommy’s got to find the demon before he comes after you.”
“Oh,” I said in a small voice, trying to mask my disappointment. “Okay…”
“Daryl will be over to watch you and Wyatt soon, and then I’ll go, okay? Don’t worry, honey, I’ll be back before you know it. Besides, you love to hang out with Daryl, remember?”
A smile slowly touched my frown as I recalled the past few times Daryl had visited or babysat or just called up to say hi. It wasn’t that he did anything particularly awesome that stood out in my mind. It was just that he was always there for us—like a surrogate father. And we certainly needed one of those.
Mom rustled my dark hair, her smile reaching her eyes.
And that was fine for a while—until it wasn’t “you and Wyatt”… until it was only me. Wyatt’s powers could protect him, which was why he could tag along on the demon hunts and eventually go himself. That’s what Mom told me. So I guess my powers were only for decoration, then.
Except I can’t use them for ‘personal gain.’
So what the hell can I use them for exactly? If everything in the whole d**n world is forbidden, why exactly do I have these useless powers? I can’t use them for my own pleasure; otherwise I go to hell (so say the omnipotent Elders). I can’t use them to protect Innocents because I’m not strong enough for that (so believed Mom since the day I was conceived).
So why do I have them again? Just refresh my memory since I seem to have forgotten.
“You’ll be able to when you’re Wyatt’s age,” Mom once assured me.
But I was thirteen at the time, and Wyatt had started going on demon hunts when he was twelve. And if she meant when I caught up with Wyatt… Well, newsflash, he’ll always be two years older than I am. Neither spell nor potion will ever be able to change that (trust me—I’ve tried). So where does that leave me?
I’ll tell you where: nowhere.
Mom, along with Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige, make up the invincible Charmed Ones. Even separately, their powers pack a hell of a punch. Wyatt’s… Well, he’s Wyatt. He’s twice blessed, and doesn’t that just explain everything? Clearly, he wasn’t short-changed in the power department.
What am I? Who am I? I don’t even know anymore.
Then again, did I ever know?
I’m Chris, of course. Chris—dare I say it?—Halliwell. It’s kind of hard to imagine, isn’t it? You know, that a weak, pathetic witch such as myself actually has the audacity to use that surname, the name that represented the Legendary Charmed Ones. And Wyatt, too, of course.
It was a name of power, one that demanded awe and reverence. I was embarrassed to use it. And when Wyatt took over, it became the name that was feared above all else. The name ‘Halliwell’ would drive people into hiding for months at a time. And I was once again embarrassed to use that name, though for a different reason.
I’ve long since learnt that reasons don’t count, though. After all, who cares why Wyatt was allowed to vanquish demons without Mom worrying about him whilst I had to cower in my room like some… mortal. Who cares if she let him go because she couldn’t care less what happened to him or if she just knew he wouldn’t hurt himself? Who cares if it was because she loved me more than Wyatt or less? In case you’re one of those slow people, I’ll tell you: No one. That’s who. No freakin’ one.
All anyone ever sees is Wyatt, who’s out there vanquishing demons and making the world a safer place. All anyone ever sees is the Charmed Ones, who are out there vanquishing demons and making the world a safer place. All they ever see is me—Chris—hiding in his bedroom every time a demon comes along. A witch with so much potential. All anyone ever sees is a coward.
Wyatt’s a hero. Poor Wyatt has to deal with his coward of a brother. And where exactly did his brother (again, for those slow folks: that’s me) go when Wyatt decided the word ‘forbidden’ didn’t apply to him? Did I fight Wyatt tooth and nail for what was right—just?
Of course I did. But all anyone noticed was that I ran away. Again. Because I ran and hid—yes—but to create the Resistance. I couldn’t stand up against my brother; I needed people to back me up. But no, they didn’t see someone who was defying the only family he had left. They saw a Halliwell—a protector of the Innocent, supposedly—running. Hiding. I was trying to save the whole d**n world, but all said world could see was that I wasn’t becoming a martyr by throwing myself into my brother’s path without a strategy.
The Charmed Ones died as martyrs, didn’t they? I guess the rest of the world just expected Wyatt to do the same as well. And when they realized Wyatt was the next ‘big bad,’ that privilege fell to me.
Whoopee. Mom would have been so proud.
The stupid rules were what said Mom couldn’t be with Dad. Those same idiotic rules dictated that I couldn’t be with Bianca. Naturally, I tried extremely hard not to break that rule… Well, all right, I tried to break it in so many ways that it could never be glued back together again. But that was only after we fell in love. When she was merely an assassin witch hired to kill me, we had no problems with the rule that said we were allowed to love each other. It was only once we actually fell head-over-heels in love that it became a slight issue.
That was actually one of the few times Leo came down for me and not to tell Mom something about how the rest of the world was faring. He did that every so often when the Elders wanted to let the Charmed One know about some looming threat they were expected to take care of.
“Chris…”
It was a voice I barely recognized, one that sounded as if it were from faraway dream that I’d once had. My eyelids fluttered open, and I came face to face with my father.
Joy.
“What do you want, Leo?” I hissed coldly, pushing myself off the couch, my new bruises from the night before protesting sharply. I ignored the brief expression of hurt that flashed across his eyes. So what? He didn’t deserve a title when he was more of a stranger than any random person I saw walking in the street. Did he even remember when my birthday was?
Even Wyatt remembered. Granted, his birthday gift was sending about fifty bounty hunters out to kill his baby brother, but at least he remembered. But Chris had long since past the expectation that Leo would even recall having a second son, let alone knowing the date he was born.
Which was why Leo’s presence here was shocking.
“I think we should talk,” the Elder said formally. “This concerns… uh…” The father was having trouble discussing the ‘lady problems’ with his son. How cute.
My back turned, I sneered. Ignoring Leo’s awkwardness, I walked into the kitchen of my small apartment, which was directly attached to the living room where I had been before Leo’s interruption. I busied myself with the pile of dirty dishes in the sink.
“The Phoenix,” Leo finally managed, blushing profusely. This was ridiculous. I had heard of parents feeling slightly uncomfortable when having the “s*x talk” with their teenage children, but this didn’t even come close to that! And I had a sneaking suspicion idea that Leo wasn’t here to talk about the birds and the bees.
“Bianca.”
Leo frowned at the suddenness with which I had spoken. Honestly, he probably expected the silent treatment the entire time. This cold tone that I possessed, though, almost seemed worse. Leo most likely preferred the silence to this.
“What?” he asked in confusion.
“Her name is Bianca,” I repeated through gritted teeth, my rage barely controlled. I clenched my fists against the countertop, scowling at the smooth granite.
“Bianca,” Leo conceded. “I think we should talk about her.” He stepped closer to me, and I instantly shrank away, my back still turned.
“I think you long ago forfeited the right to talk about my girlfriend, Leo,” I spat spitefully.
“Normally, Chris, I wouldn’t mind—”
“Of course you wouldn’t!” I burst out lividly, finally turning to face my screw-up of a father. “You wouldn’t care if I decided to go dive naked into a pile of leaves—as long as it didn’t break any of your precious rules. Isn’t that right, Dad?” The last word was spoken almost as a curse, as something disgusting one might find stuck to the sole of his shoe.
Leo cringed. “I know I haven’t been there all that much for you—”
“You’re d**n right you haven’t,” I snorted.
“But that’s why I need to talk to you about Bianca!” Leo cried in desperation. That declaration was confusing enough to shut me up long enough for Leo to elaborate. “Your mother and I loved each other very much, Chris. We… we wanted to raise you two together.”
“Whoops.”
“It didn’t work,” Leo continued, ignoring my sarcasm. That was always his solution to everything, wasn’t it—to ignore it?
“No sh*t, Sherlock.”
“Do you know why?” Leo pressed.
“Because you run away at the first sign of trouble,” I shot back. “Because you got scared of commitment and raising a family, so you decided to go become some all high-and-mighty Elder to escape real responsibility. Face it, Leo: the Elders don’t do anything useful.”
“That’s not why, Chris. It didn’t work out because I was a Whitelighter. The Elders know what they’re talking about with these rules. It was just too hard for us to be together, despite our undying love.”
“Don’t you mean the Elders know what we’re talking about?” I sneered. “After all, how long have you been an Elder now? Don’t you consider yourself part of them?”
“I consider myself your father more than one of the Elders,” Leo stated matter-of-factly.
“Yeah? Too bad I don’t. And you have no right to come in here and tell me who I can and can’t date.” I turned to leave, but Leo grabbed my arm, wheeling me back around to face him. My hatred-filled eyes glared down at Leo’s hand. Quickly, the Elder withdrew his arm, forcing it back to his side.
“It’s against the rules, Chris,” Leo protested. “We don’t want you getting hurt. She’s a demon for crying out loud! How loyal can an assassin be?”
“You’re one to talk about loyalty, Leo. Do you even know where your loyalties lie? You chose a bunch of robed know-it-alls over your own family. You can’t choose anything over your family. That’s where your loyalties should lie. Don’t you dare start talking to me about loyalties.”
“Think about Phoebe and Cole, Chris. You’ve heard the stories. They loved each other, but in the end it just wasn’t enough.”
“Yeah, well, they didn’t just stop trying because of that; they worked at it until one of them died. Bianca and I will do the same thing.” Slowly, I turned to leave, my hand on the doorknob when Leo finally lost his patience.
“She’s trying to turn you evil!” Leo yelled. “She’s playing you to get your powers!”
I whirled around and stormed back to my so-called father, coming within an inch of the Elder’s face. “Bianca—isn’t—evil,” I hissed. My voice was eerily calm for the livid fury that I felt. I saw Leo shiver under my intense glare, and that satisfied me.
“Chris—”
“Get out.”
Leo opened his mouth again, but I shook his head sharply, cutting him off.
“Now.”
Just as Leo blinked and averted his gaze, Bianca shimmered into the room. Her jean pants clung tightly to her every curve, and she wore a brightly colored t-shirt to match the cheerful day outside. As much as Wyatt had done over the months, he still didn’t have the power to block out the sun; and Bianca took full advantage. God, she looked so freakin’ hot like that.
“Hey, Chris, I…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze landed on Leo. “Oh… I’ll just… go…”
“No,” I said, my eyes never leaving Leo’s face. “Leo was just leaving.”
“Remember what I said, Chris,” Leo said in a soft tone.
Yeah right.
“Bye,” I retorted. Purposefully, I strode past my father and pulled Bianca into a passionate kiss, knowing Leo was watching my every move. When I pulled away, Bianca was grinning at me; and Leo was nowhere in sight. I sighed heavily, running a weary hand through my unruly hair, trying to no avail to get it to lay flat.
“I like it when you’re pissed,” Bianca quipped.
I flashed her an exhausted smile, wrapping my arms around her protectively. I hated the Elders with all my heart, but I never would have believed their accusations could go that far.
And since then I promised myself I would never follow a single rule the d**n Elders set in place. Of course, there couldn’t be two Halliwell brothers straying from the path; so I was forced to adhere to all those laws once again. No one expected Wyatt to suddenly turn good again, right? So once again, the burden fell to me.
Great.
The last time I saw Wyatt was when I realized just how badly I needed the rules. Without rules, there was only chaos; and I wasn’t ready for that. I needed control—as much control as I could have in my life when Wyatt controlled everything. But Bianca was one part of my life I wasn’t willing to give up for regulations. Let the Elders say what they want—Bianca and I will continue to love each other forever.
But my last encounter with Wyatt proved to me how necessary some—notice some, not all—of those policies were. The rest, naturally, were garbage; but the few that were helpful… they were what made the difference between Wyatt and me. Between good and evil.
“I missed you, Chris,” Wyatt mocked. His hand held with his palm facing the ceiling, he telekinetically moved me across the floor to stand in front of him. He just took all the fun out of resisting, didn’t he?
“b*llsh*t,” I growled.
“Come on, Chris; I’m hurt. I love you; you’re my brother. We shouldn’t be fighting here.” His tone was almost sad, but one look into those callous, crystal eyes told me it was all an act—not that I didn’t already know that, but his expression was just a reinforcement.
“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t be evil,” I shot back instantly.
Wyatt sighed and released his magical grip. I fell to the floor with a thud. What a sweet brother of mine, dropping me to the floor like a boring rag-doll when he wanted to find something more fun to play with.
Would the monster-Wyatt-creature possibly want a chew-toy instead; would that satisfy the monster-Wyatt-creature’s desires better? Would he like some demon to stick between his teeth and just shake until he was sure he had done enough damage?
“How many times have I told you—”
“I’m not evil,” we both said in unison, my eyes rolling in disbelief. How many times had I heard that stupid remark before? It was enough to make me dream about those d**n words! They didn’t even possess any meaning anymore; it was merely a jumble of syllables in my head that poured out of my ears.
Wyatt’s smirk broadened; he must have thought he was getting through to me or something. Maybe he was—who knows? “You obviously know the question flawlessly; what about the answer?”
“The answer to how many times?” I snorted. “An infinite.”
“No,” Wyatt countered calmly. “The question of why won’t you join me if I’m telling you I’m not evil.”
“Yeah,” I laughed incredulously. Did he really believe what he was saying, or was it all just for show? I didn’t know which would be more horrifying. “But that’s like someone who’s stuck up saying he’s humble. It sort of doesn’t work that way.”
“Why can’t you just come help me?” Wyatt asked regretfully.
“Because…” My eyes stung with fresh tears that I held at bay. God, I missed my brother more than anything. “What you’re doing… it’s wrong.”
And I wish to god you would just understand that the way you used to, wanted to say. But I didn’t. There were a lot of things I wanted to say that I didn’t. Like: “I love you.” After I traveled to the past, I realized I had never told my brother the most important thing—that I still loved him.
“You worry too much,” Wyatt replied airily, waving his hand with a shrug. And when he said that, I realized what I should have known all along:
Well, someone’s got to.
Author's Note: Hiya, folksies. Constructive criticism - extremely welcome. ;D
Forbidden
Forbidden, forbidden, forbidden…
What the hell do they expect me to do—just sit around and wait? Who the hell do they think they are? They tell me it’s forbidden. Always. What’s forbidden, you ask? I don’t need to give specifics because everything is forbidden.
I try to follow the rules… sometimes—when the Halliwell gene for rule breaking doesn’t bubble just beneath my skin. But even though I try to tell myself that I need to follow the rules because that’s what will help me protect the innocents, one thought keeps floating through my mind, a thought I’ve tried to bury many, many times: Why is there nothing forbidden for Wyatt?
It’s like that d**n word doesn’t even exist in his vocabulary.
For me, there’s just one freakin’ rule after another. Even when I was younger, I still had to follow a bunch of rules that seemed to be exclusively for me. At first it was sort of undetectable because they were rules for Wyatt, too. Eventually, though, Wyatt was allowed to do pretty much whatever he wanted… and I still couldn’t. Because I was special, Mom said. Looking back now, though, I realize it’s because I wasn’t.
“Mommy, can I come with you?”
Mom’s eyes met mine, and she shook her head slightly, a smile gracing her features as she nervously fingered the potion vial in her hands. “No, baby,” she replied. “It’s too dangerous. Mommy’s got to find the demon before he comes after you.”
“Oh,” I said in a small voice, trying to mask my disappointment. “Okay…”
“Daryl will be over to watch you and Wyatt soon, and then I’ll go, okay? Don’t worry, honey, I’ll be back before you know it. Besides, you love to hang out with Daryl, remember?”
A smile slowly touched my frown as I recalled the past few times Daryl had visited or babysat or just called up to say hi. It wasn’t that he did anything particularly awesome that stood out in my mind. It was just that he was always there for us—like a surrogate father. And we certainly needed one of those.
Mom rustled my dark hair, her smile reaching her eyes.
And that was fine for a while—until it wasn’t “you and Wyatt”… until it was only me. Wyatt’s powers could protect him, which was why he could tag along on the demon hunts and eventually go himself. That’s what Mom told me. So I guess my powers were only for decoration, then.
Except I can’t use them for ‘personal gain.’
So what the hell can I use them for exactly? If everything in the whole d**n world is forbidden, why exactly do I have these useless powers? I can’t use them for my own pleasure; otherwise I go to hell (so say the omnipotent Elders). I can’t use them to protect Innocents because I’m not strong enough for that (so believed Mom since the day I was conceived).
So why do I have them again? Just refresh my memory since I seem to have forgotten.
“You’ll be able to when you’re Wyatt’s age,” Mom once assured me.
But I was thirteen at the time, and Wyatt had started going on demon hunts when he was twelve. And if she meant when I caught up with Wyatt… Well, newsflash, he’ll always be two years older than I am. Neither spell nor potion will ever be able to change that (trust me—I’ve tried). So where does that leave me?
I’ll tell you where: nowhere.
Mom, along with Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige, make up the invincible Charmed Ones. Even separately, their powers pack a hell of a punch. Wyatt’s… Well, he’s Wyatt. He’s twice blessed, and doesn’t that just explain everything? Clearly, he wasn’t short-changed in the power department.
What am I? Who am I? I don’t even know anymore.
Then again, did I ever know?
I’m Chris, of course. Chris—dare I say it?—Halliwell. It’s kind of hard to imagine, isn’t it? You know, that a weak, pathetic witch such as myself actually has the audacity to use that surname, the name that represented the Legendary Charmed Ones. And Wyatt, too, of course.
It was a name of power, one that demanded awe and reverence. I was embarrassed to use it. And when Wyatt took over, it became the name that was feared above all else. The name ‘Halliwell’ would drive people into hiding for months at a time. And I was once again embarrassed to use that name, though for a different reason.
I’ve long since learnt that reasons don’t count, though. After all, who cares why Wyatt was allowed to vanquish demons without Mom worrying about him whilst I had to cower in my room like some… mortal. Who cares if she let him go because she couldn’t care less what happened to him or if she just knew he wouldn’t hurt himself? Who cares if it was because she loved me more than Wyatt or less? In case you’re one of those slow people, I’ll tell you: No one. That’s who. No freakin’ one.
All anyone ever sees is Wyatt, who’s out there vanquishing demons and making the world a safer place. All anyone ever sees is the Charmed Ones, who are out there vanquishing demons and making the world a safer place. All they ever see is me—Chris—hiding in his bedroom every time a demon comes along. A witch with so much potential. All anyone ever sees is a coward.
Wyatt’s a hero. Poor Wyatt has to deal with his coward of a brother. And where exactly did his brother (again, for those slow folks: that’s me) go when Wyatt decided the word ‘forbidden’ didn’t apply to him? Did I fight Wyatt tooth and nail for what was right—just?
Of course I did. But all anyone noticed was that I ran away. Again. Because I ran and hid—yes—but to create the Resistance. I couldn’t stand up against my brother; I needed people to back me up. But no, they didn’t see someone who was defying the only family he had left. They saw a Halliwell—a protector of the Innocent, supposedly—running. Hiding. I was trying to save the whole d**n world, but all said world could see was that I wasn’t becoming a martyr by throwing myself into my brother’s path without a strategy.
The Charmed Ones died as martyrs, didn’t they? I guess the rest of the world just expected Wyatt to do the same as well. And when they realized Wyatt was the next ‘big bad,’ that privilege fell to me.
Whoopee. Mom would have been so proud.
The stupid rules were what said Mom couldn’t be with Dad. Those same idiotic rules dictated that I couldn’t be with Bianca. Naturally, I tried extremely hard not to break that rule… Well, all right, I tried to break it in so many ways that it could never be glued back together again. But that was only after we fell in love. When she was merely an assassin witch hired to kill me, we had no problems with the rule that said we were allowed to love each other. It was only once we actually fell head-over-heels in love that it became a slight issue.
That was actually one of the few times Leo came down for me and not to tell Mom something about how the rest of the world was faring. He did that every so often when the Elders wanted to let the Charmed One know about some looming threat they were expected to take care of.
“Chris…”
It was a voice I barely recognized, one that sounded as if it were from faraway dream that I’d once had. My eyelids fluttered open, and I came face to face with my father.
Joy.
“What do you want, Leo?” I hissed coldly, pushing myself off the couch, my new bruises from the night before protesting sharply. I ignored the brief expression of hurt that flashed across his eyes. So what? He didn’t deserve a title when he was more of a stranger than any random person I saw walking in the street. Did he even remember when my birthday was?
Even Wyatt remembered. Granted, his birthday gift was sending about fifty bounty hunters out to kill his baby brother, but at least he remembered. But Chris had long since past the expectation that Leo would even recall having a second son, let alone knowing the date he was born.
Which was why Leo’s presence here was shocking.
“I think we should talk,” the Elder said formally. “This concerns… uh…” The father was having trouble discussing the ‘lady problems’ with his son. How cute.
My back turned, I sneered. Ignoring Leo’s awkwardness, I walked into the kitchen of my small apartment, which was directly attached to the living room where I had been before Leo’s interruption. I busied myself with the pile of dirty dishes in the sink.
“The Phoenix,” Leo finally managed, blushing profusely. This was ridiculous. I had heard of parents feeling slightly uncomfortable when having the “s*x talk” with their teenage children, but this didn’t even come close to that! And I had a sneaking suspicion idea that Leo wasn’t here to talk about the birds and the bees.
“Bianca.”
Leo frowned at the suddenness with which I had spoken. Honestly, he probably expected the silent treatment the entire time. This cold tone that I possessed, though, almost seemed worse. Leo most likely preferred the silence to this.
“What?” he asked in confusion.
“Her name is Bianca,” I repeated through gritted teeth, my rage barely controlled. I clenched my fists against the countertop, scowling at the smooth granite.
“Bianca,” Leo conceded. “I think we should talk about her.” He stepped closer to me, and I instantly shrank away, my back still turned.
“I think you long ago forfeited the right to talk about my girlfriend, Leo,” I spat spitefully.
“Normally, Chris, I wouldn’t mind—”
“Of course you wouldn’t!” I burst out lividly, finally turning to face my screw-up of a father. “You wouldn’t care if I decided to go dive naked into a pile of leaves—as long as it didn’t break any of your precious rules. Isn’t that right, Dad?” The last word was spoken almost as a curse, as something disgusting one might find stuck to the sole of his shoe.
Leo cringed. “I know I haven’t been there all that much for you—”
“You’re d**n right you haven’t,” I snorted.
“But that’s why I need to talk to you about Bianca!” Leo cried in desperation. That declaration was confusing enough to shut me up long enough for Leo to elaborate. “Your mother and I loved each other very much, Chris. We… we wanted to raise you two together.”
“Whoops.”
“It didn’t work,” Leo continued, ignoring my sarcasm. That was always his solution to everything, wasn’t it—to ignore it?
“No sh*t, Sherlock.”
“Do you know why?” Leo pressed.
“Because you run away at the first sign of trouble,” I shot back. “Because you got scared of commitment and raising a family, so you decided to go become some all high-and-mighty Elder to escape real responsibility. Face it, Leo: the Elders don’t do anything useful.”
“That’s not why, Chris. It didn’t work out because I was a Whitelighter. The Elders know what they’re talking about with these rules. It was just too hard for us to be together, despite our undying love.”
“Don’t you mean the Elders know what we’re talking about?” I sneered. “After all, how long have you been an Elder now? Don’t you consider yourself part of them?”
“I consider myself your father more than one of the Elders,” Leo stated matter-of-factly.
“Yeah? Too bad I don’t. And you have no right to come in here and tell me who I can and can’t date.” I turned to leave, but Leo grabbed my arm, wheeling me back around to face him. My hatred-filled eyes glared down at Leo’s hand. Quickly, the Elder withdrew his arm, forcing it back to his side.
“It’s against the rules, Chris,” Leo protested. “We don’t want you getting hurt. She’s a demon for crying out loud! How loyal can an assassin be?”
“You’re one to talk about loyalty, Leo. Do you even know where your loyalties lie? You chose a bunch of robed know-it-alls over your own family. You can’t choose anything over your family. That’s where your loyalties should lie. Don’t you dare start talking to me about loyalties.”
“Think about Phoebe and Cole, Chris. You’ve heard the stories. They loved each other, but in the end it just wasn’t enough.”
“Yeah, well, they didn’t just stop trying because of that; they worked at it until one of them died. Bianca and I will do the same thing.” Slowly, I turned to leave, my hand on the doorknob when Leo finally lost his patience.
“She’s trying to turn you evil!” Leo yelled. “She’s playing you to get your powers!”
I whirled around and stormed back to my so-called father, coming within an inch of the Elder’s face. “Bianca—isn’t—evil,” I hissed. My voice was eerily calm for the livid fury that I felt. I saw Leo shiver under my intense glare, and that satisfied me.
“Chris—”
“Get out.”
Leo opened his mouth again, but I shook his head sharply, cutting him off.
“Now.”
Just as Leo blinked and averted his gaze, Bianca shimmered into the room. Her jean pants clung tightly to her every curve, and she wore a brightly colored t-shirt to match the cheerful day outside. As much as Wyatt had done over the months, he still didn’t have the power to block out the sun; and Bianca took full advantage. God, she looked so freakin’ hot like that.
“Hey, Chris, I…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze landed on Leo. “Oh… I’ll just… go…”
“No,” I said, my eyes never leaving Leo’s face. “Leo was just leaving.”
“Remember what I said, Chris,” Leo said in a soft tone.
Yeah right.
“Bye,” I retorted. Purposefully, I strode past my father and pulled Bianca into a passionate kiss, knowing Leo was watching my every move. When I pulled away, Bianca was grinning at me; and Leo was nowhere in sight. I sighed heavily, running a weary hand through my unruly hair, trying to no avail to get it to lay flat.
“I like it when you’re pissed,” Bianca quipped.
I flashed her an exhausted smile, wrapping my arms around her protectively. I hated the Elders with all my heart, but I never would have believed their accusations could go that far.
And since then I promised myself I would never follow a single rule the d**n Elders set in place. Of course, there couldn’t be two Halliwell brothers straying from the path; so I was forced to adhere to all those laws once again. No one expected Wyatt to suddenly turn good again, right? So once again, the burden fell to me.
Great.
The last time I saw Wyatt was when I realized just how badly I needed the rules. Without rules, there was only chaos; and I wasn’t ready for that. I needed control—as much control as I could have in my life when Wyatt controlled everything. But Bianca was one part of my life I wasn’t willing to give up for regulations. Let the Elders say what they want—Bianca and I will continue to love each other forever.
But my last encounter with Wyatt proved to me how necessary some—notice some, not all—of those policies were. The rest, naturally, were garbage; but the few that were helpful… they were what made the difference between Wyatt and me. Between good and evil.
“I missed you, Chris,” Wyatt mocked. His hand held with his palm facing the ceiling, he telekinetically moved me across the floor to stand in front of him. He just took all the fun out of resisting, didn’t he?
“b*llsh*t,” I growled.
“Come on, Chris; I’m hurt. I love you; you’re my brother. We shouldn’t be fighting here.” His tone was almost sad, but one look into those callous, crystal eyes told me it was all an act—not that I didn’t already know that, but his expression was just a reinforcement.
“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t be evil,” I shot back instantly.
Wyatt sighed and released his magical grip. I fell to the floor with a thud. What a sweet brother of mine, dropping me to the floor like a boring rag-doll when he wanted to find something more fun to play with.
Would the monster-Wyatt-creature possibly want a chew-toy instead; would that satisfy the monster-Wyatt-creature’s desires better? Would he like some demon to stick between his teeth and just shake until he was sure he had done enough damage?
“How many times have I told you—”
“I’m not evil,” we both said in unison, my eyes rolling in disbelief. How many times had I heard that stupid remark before? It was enough to make me dream about those d**n words! They didn’t even possess any meaning anymore; it was merely a jumble of syllables in my head that poured out of my ears.
Wyatt’s smirk broadened; he must have thought he was getting through to me or something. Maybe he was—who knows? “You obviously know the question flawlessly; what about the answer?”
“The answer to how many times?” I snorted. “An infinite.”
“No,” Wyatt countered calmly. “The question of why won’t you join me if I’m telling you I’m not evil.”
“Yeah,” I laughed incredulously. Did he really believe what he was saying, or was it all just for show? I didn’t know which would be more horrifying. “But that’s like someone who’s stuck up saying he’s humble. It sort of doesn’t work that way.”
“Why can’t you just come help me?” Wyatt asked regretfully.
“Because…” My eyes stung with fresh tears that I held at bay. God, I missed my brother more than anything. “What you’re doing… it’s wrong.”
And I wish to god you would just understand that the way you used to, wanted to say. But I didn’t. There were a lot of things I wanted to say that I didn’t. Like: “I love you.” After I traveled to the past, I realized I had never told my brother the most important thing—that I still loved him.
“You worry too much,” Wyatt replied airily, waving his hand with a shrug. And when he said that, I realized what I should have known all along:
Well, someone’s got to.
Author's Note: Hiya, folksies. Constructive criticism - extremely welcome. ;D