Chapter 51: Falter

All rights to the Halliwells and Charmed go to The Wb and Aaron Spelling.

This is a spin-off of his creation, of which we're all thankful for. Please

Do not plagiarize or anything. LOVE YA

"Damn new neighbors!" Chris cursed, walking into the kitchen from outside. He was sort of limping and his face was twisted in such an anger that it could be called dangerous. I stood in the kitchen, bewildered, with Matthew in my arms. I was feeding him his bottle.

"They still letting their dog poop on our lawn?" I asked.

"Yeah, and add that to their wild parties and trash always blowing back into our yard and you've got me pissed off! I mean, I know they're big musicians now, but come on!" Chris said, taking a seat at the counter, "You look like Hell."

"Thanks." I said, ignoring him, "Have you tried talking them?"

"Yeah and it worked for about a minute before their sucky dog shit on our lawn." Chris frowned.

"That reminds me, one of us needs to cut the lawn." I said.

"One of us?" Chris asked, "Since you haven't really left the house since..."

I looked up at him.

"I'll get right on it." Chris said.

"Thanks." I said, walking away with the baby.

-           

"So, this is my fault now?" Chris asked, pacing by the stairway. He was joined by the Sisters and Leo, "I didn't even mean to say that, it just popped out."

"I know, honey." Piper said, kissing his forehead.

"Maybe one of us should go up and talk to him." Leo said.

"Maybe, but who is?" Chris asked, "Besides, shouldn't he be dealing with this?"

"He is dealing." Piper said, "This is his way of dealing."

"But, mom, locking himself and the baby in a room?" Chris asked.

"He's been working." Phoebe said, "He's been submitting his column through e-mails."

"I guess life really does go on." Chris frowned.

Piper stood beside, angry. How could this have happened? She saw the future and Wyatt was in it! Her little boy was alive, how could that have changed? It was destiny!

"Piper." Leo said.

"It's not fair!" Piper blurted, "After everything...for him to die, it's stupid and pointless and I don't understand it!"

"Oh, Piper." Phoebe said, hugging her.

"We can't just let him stay up there." Paige said, "I'm going up." She said, ascending the stairs.

"How are you dealing with it, Chris?" Phoebe asked.

Chris sneered, "I'm doing good. I mean, I just lost my brother, but..." he said.

"Stupid question." Phoebe said.

"Son..." Leo started.

"One of us at a time, we have to be ready for anything." Chris said, "We're targets now."

Upstairs...

There was a knock at the door just as I laid Matthew down on the bed. Paige poked her head in and I just stared at her before the baby whined and I began to pat his back softly.

"Sorry, I didn't know he was sleeping." Paige said.

"It's okay." I smiled, "What's going on?" I asked.

"I just haven't seen you lately. Been busy with charges, working overtime and..."

"Why don't you cut the fat and get to the nice, juicy part." I said, "I know you're here to talk to me, but there's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." Paige said sympathetically.

"This is all wrong! We do all the work, get killed, and they sit up there, being self-righteous. I'm so sick of it!" I said.

"I know but..."

"No buts. Screw innocents! I know you converse with the Elders sometime, give them a message." I said.

"And what is that?" Paige asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Go to Hell." I said, "You can tell the rest of the family don't bother coming up here. It's annoying. I just need my time, can you just give me time?"

Paige looked hurt, then nodded and left.

"Nice going, Drake." I said, kicking myself.

-           

"I just don't understand, Leo." Piper sniffed, "We saw them, fighting evil and alive."

"And they have, Piper." Leo said.

"Doesn't this family deserve better?" Piper asked.

Leo hugged her as Paige came back down the stairs, her face a mix between sadness and grief.

"Oh, honey, how'd it go?" Phoebe asked.

"How do you think it went?" Paige snapped, and then she sighed, "I'm sorry, he just...he was cold."

"I expect him to be like that for a while." Phoebe said, "I think I might be like that for a while."

"Melinda and Billie are flying in tomorrow." Leo added, looking down at the ground.

"Leo..." Piper said.

Leo didn't say a word, instead he walked into the kitchen. There was an awkward silence as none of them knew exactly what to say. It was the single worst thing to happen to this family in so long. Of all the people to die, none of them thought Wyatt would be one of them. Through all the troubles they had gone through, nothing had been this bad.

"This is really fun, but I've got a club to run." Chris said quickly, grabbing his coat and walking out the door, slamming it.

The sisters jumped at the slamming of the door, not daring to breathe. They all looked sullen and Paige and Phoebe walked to Piper, holding her close.

-           

"The frickin sound check, Vic, you were supposed to do it this morning so that I didn't have to, that's what being a fucking employee means!" Chris raged at Vic, his new employee. Vic was supposed to do a sound check, but had been too swamped to do it, "I have a band coming here tonight and they might have to go on with shitty sound!"

The other employees watched the grisly attack. No one said a word.

"You know what, Vic, get out of my sight!" Chris snarled.

Vic said nothing, he just stepped aside and let Chris breeze by him and into his office.

Inside his office, Chris broke into a soft sob, all his anger pouring out and soon he found himself wiping tears from the papers in his office. Chris stood and walked over to the wall, punching it in anger. There was a knock at the door and Chris ignored it. There was another knock.

Chris sighed, "Come on." He said, fixing himself up.

Bianca poked her head in, "Hey, Chris, you busy?" she asked.

"Yeah." Chris sneered.

Bianca looked from Chris's now bloody hand to the wall and back, "Chris, what'd you do?" she said, closing the door behind her.

"Is there a reason you're here, Bianca?" Chris asked.

Bianca ignored his comment and examined his hand, "This looks bad." She said.

"I'll just get...Wyatt to heal it." Chris said, realizing that he could get Wyatt to do it, because Wyatt wasn't there anymore.

Bianca hugged Chris close, "I'm so sorry." She said.

"Wasn't your fault." Chris said, "Shouldn't have been him."

"What?" Bianca asked, recoiling and looking at him.

"Wyatt was the most powerful, he was the father and husband. He should be here now." Chris said.

"What?" Bianca asked again, "How can you say that?"

"If it wasn't for me getting my ass kicked, I would have been able to help." Chris said frantically.

Bianca kissed him quickly, yet the kiss was full of passion.

"What..."

"Don't ever say anything like that! I don't know what I'd do without you." Bianca said, "I love you."

Chris sighed, "I can't deal with this, not right now." He said.

"I'm sorr..."

"No! I asked you to marry me and you said no, more than once! And now...everything's different." Chris said.

"I understand." Bianca said, "But I'm here."

"Thanks." Chris said.

"I have this thing..." Bianca said, "But call me. As a friend."

Chris nodded as she left.

Later that night...

The club was in full effect as night trudged on, everything seemed so much slower, so surreal, like nothing else mattered anymore. Maybe nothing did. Chris could only imagine what Drake was going through, the pain he had to deal with. He wanted to reach Drake, but he had no way to even start. Drake was holed up inside the house, only coming around to get the baby food and occasionally himself. Chris couldn't get too deep in thought, he still had a waitress who was out sick and a club full of thirsty patrons. He saw Warren with a guy, which was actually a shock, even though they lived in San Francisco, because Warren rarely dated, if ever. There was something off about the guy. Chris could just feel it in his bones. He watched as they snuck off to the backroom and he followed, listening at the door. There was rumbling, a fight! Chris barged in to see the guy standing in the middle of the room and Warren had been thrown against the wall! Chris waved his hand, sending the demon flying across the room and rushed to Warren, examining him. Before he could do anything to help, he felt something sharp penetrate the skin on his neck! He elbowed the guy and sent him flying back again, this time the guy rushed from the room with great speed. Chris grabbed Warren and orbed away.

-           

"He bit you?" Kyle asked, standing before the book, "Vampire."

"Really?" Chris asked, "I don't feel different."

"Maybe the guy didn't have time." Warren suggested, lying on the couch with an ice pack on his forehead.

"Maybe." Kyle said, "I think I should check with the Elders."

"Well, aren't they in the book?" Chris asked, joining him at the book.

"Yes." Kyle said.

"Why are you trying to get away so fast?" Warren asked.

"Get away?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah. You've been gone for a while, where you been?" Chris asked.

"Me? Where have I been?" Kyle asked nervously.

"What's going on up here?" I asked, walking in with the baby.

"Hey, it's little Matthew!" Chris said, walking over to us. As he got close, the baby's shield sprung up, knocking him backwards!

"Matthew!" I shouted.

"What'd he do that for?" Warren asked, standing.

"I don't know." I said, raising Matthew up to eye level, "Bad Matthew, very bad Matthew!"

There was a growl and all I saw was Chris jumping at me before the shield raised again and Chris jumped backwards, running and jumping through the window and turning into a bat!

"What in the f..."

"Warren! B-a-b-y!" I said, looking at the broken window, "He just turned into a bat."

"Yes he did." Kyle said, walking over to the hole and examining it.

"New power?" I asked.

"Vampire." Kyle said.

"Oh." I said.

-

Chris settled on a cemetery, the call beckoning him. Suddenly, he found himself in a tomb, in front of a beautiful woman with dark hair and the lightest green eyes. Beside her stood the guy from the club, a blonde with blue eyes and two vampires that fanned the queen and fed her grapes.

"Our newest addition." The Vampire Queen said, "He's beautiful, Logan."

"And he's Charmed." Logan said.

"Charmed? It truly is our lucky day." The Queen said, "We shall use him to target the other Charmed One. It should be easy pickings."

-           

"We have a window." Kyle said, "Before he completes his first kill, he can be changed back."

"We need the power of three and no offense, but we're down a power of three." Warren said.

I laid Wyatt in the playpen and walked over to them, "Not offended." I said, "We need to kill this evil bitch before we're down a power of three permanently."

"Why not get one of the cousins?" Kyle asked.

"Because most of them are away and the ones that are here are way too young to die." I said.

"True." Warren said.

"Plus I'm not seeing Phoebe or Paige jump at the idea of..." I stopped.

"What?" Warren asked.

"Why don't we use the original Power of Three?" I asked.

"Brilliant but we have to find the queen." Kyle said.

"Scry for Chris." I said, "Now before he moves!"

Warren ran to the table with the crystal.

"You fill in the sisters and I'll make the potions." I said.

"Potions?" Warren called from the table.

"Vampires are immune from witch powers." I explained.

"Got him at a cemetery! I don't think we're going to have to wait." Warren said.

"What? Why?" I asked.

There was the familiar sound of orbs and I turned to see who it was and Chris backhanded me so hard that I flew through the air and skidded to a stop! Warren stood and sent an energy ball sailing toward Chris who ducked it with a speed I'd never seen from him before and knocked Warren backwards. Kyle orbed out and behind him only to receive an elbow and a flip!

I got to my feet when I saw him walking to the playpen, "Chris I don't want to hurt you!" I said, causing him to swing at me, to which I ducked and kicked him in the stomach, causing him to stumble back, "Didn't say I wouldn't!" I said, raising my hand.

"Don't! He's still Charmed!" Kyle shouted.

Warren stood and sent an energy ball sailing at Chris and it connected with a zap and Chris went sailing through the air, falling to the floor, "I'm not Charmed." He said.

"Yeah, you are..." I said.

-           

"Where is he? He should have been here by now." The Queen said angrily.

"He got hung up." Piper said, standing beside her sisters.

"The Charmed Ones?" The Queen said, "Oh no!"

"Oh yes!" Piper smiled.

-           

Chris sat in the Conservatory, waiting for something to happen. Anything. Anything at all. Nothing happened. Ever since the sister had vanquished the Queen, he felt different. A weight had been lifted somehow. He'd been able to work out some of his aggression in a...well, unhealthy, yet still valuable way, by throwing around his family. He decided that it was time to go up and see Drake and he walked slowly up the stairs and down the hall, then apprehensively knocked on the door. He was nervous.

"Come in." I shouted.

Chris opened the door and walked in, "I didn't know if Matthew was sleep or not." He said.

"Actually he's just lying there. I mean, I guess that's what babies do, but it's anti-climatic. Not that I'm not enjoying fatherhood, I just didn't think..." I paused.

"You're doing a great job." Chris said.

"He's still alive." I smiled.

There was an awkward silence.

"I guess I'm just a better father than a husband." I smiled, trying to hide my sadness.

Chris frowned, "It wasn't your fault." He said, "Or mine."

"Nope." I said, teary.

"We'll be okay." Chris said, "We have to be."