𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 || 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥

Chapter 12 - Believe in Me

If I had known all Phoebe wanted to do was spy on her boyfriend on a date with Jenny McCarthy, I would have opted out of going. However, after it turned into a brawl between her and the blonde, things did get a bit more interesting. Not that it lasted long before we had to get back to business.

"Okay, if the gremlins found Chris, he should be here by now," Paige announced as we orbed into the Manor.

"Well, he better hurry," Piper pointed out.

We all walked to the door then, only to have them slam shut in our face by a gust of wind. I frowned, glancing over at the girls who wore the same confused expression as I did.

"Okay, this is not good," Phoebe muttered under her breath.

We attempted to go out the other door then with the same luck. As our eyes traveled the room, every door available slid shut, effectively trapping us inside just as the three blondes appeared.

"You Charmed Ones think you're so clever," Mabel sneered at the sisters before her eyes landed on me, "I guess you think the same thing, don't you, little half-breed?"

My cheeks flamed, burning in a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and shame at the slur.

Phoebe's eyes hardened at the words, whispering so that I only I could hear, "Don't let it get to you. You know it's not true."

I nodded in response but it still left me with a bitterness I couldn't quite shake. Suddenly, blue and white orbs swirled in front of us before forming into the shape of Chris. I want to say it didn't but regardless, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of him in front of me. He was safe.

"You wouldn't happen to know any gremlins, would you?" he asked the blondes immediately, seeming not to see us standing there.

"Uh, it's about time," Paige groaned.

"Chris, thank goodness!" Phoebe said in relief, "Look at them, look at them! They're impostors. They stole-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down," he stopped her before frowning as he eyed the four of us, "Who are you?"

"They're witches. They're the ones that killed that guy across the street," Mabel told him, smiling maliciously at the lie.

He looked nonchalant at that, almost as if he believed them. I admit, the intimacy between him and the blondes really rubbed me the wrong way. I just had no idea why it did...

"No, Chris, she's lying. Remember this morning when you said something was gonna happen to the book? Well, this is it. It's happening now," Piper tried to convince him.

"Ugh, enough of this. Piper, blast them," Mitzy told the other blonde.

"How do you know what I said to Piper?" Chris asked, grass-green eyes suspicious.

"Because she is Piper. And I'm Paige and this is Phoebe and Mattie," Paige said, gesturing to us before continuing, "And they cast an identity spell to make the entire world think they're us,"

Margo flipped her hair then, triumphant, "That's ridiculous. Everyone knows the Charmed Ones are blonde. Besides, there are only three, not four. So who are you supposed to be anyhow?"

I ignored that last remark but it stung all the same. While Piper and Mabel argued over her powers, I stepped over to Chris. It was reckless, I knew and probably wouldn't end well. Did it ever? But I had to talk to him, had to convince him. He couldn't just forget me like that...

"Chris," I said softly, gaining his attention immediately.

Those green eyes locked on me and I suddenly felt self-conscious. Maybe it was just the spell and the fact that he didn't seem to remember me. Or maybe it had always been there, that twinge of uncertainty whenever I was around him. Whatever the case, I shook off the feeling before continuing.

"Please, just think. Think hard. You know me and deep down, I know you know that, too, Chris," I pleaded with him, gazing up into his face, "We've known each other for months now. I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye. Or...okay, maybe never, but I still consider you...well, not a friend exactly but-"

"Are you getting to a point or are you just trying to insult me here?" he cut me off, making me glance up sharply.

But the expression there was passive, not angry nor amused. Just...curious. So I plunged ahead.

"What I'm trying to say is - don't forget us, Chris. Please. We've been in this together for a long time now and we need you. Don't let those girls brainwash you into believing something untrue. Just believe, Chris. Believe in me..."

His eyes seemed troubled at my little speech and I wondered if I was truly making progress with him...until Paige tried to orb and couldn't.

"Go ahead, Piper, blast away." he ordered the blondes and my mouth gaped open, feeling more than a little hurt that he still didn't believe me.

Mabel lifted her hands up then but instead of blowing us up, a stained-glass window exploded behind us.

"She missed, Chris, when have you ever known Piper to miss?" Phoebe asked gleefully.

Mabel shrugged in response, "Even I'm entitled to a bad day,"

One of the other blondes egged her on and she tried again, this time exploding a potted plant. Bits of green leaves and ceramic shards went everywhere, covering the conservatory floor. Poor little sucker never had a chance.

"Uh, Chris, a little help here," Paige urged him.

"Oh, you know what? She's getting angry," Piper pointed out then, "And our powers don't work so good when we're angry,"

"We've got them now," Mitzy crowed.

"Yeah, you've got us now, so why don't you blow us up?" Piper suggested.

Phoebe's mouth formed an 'O', "Piper, death bad, life good,"

"Don't worry, this bimbo couldn't hit the broadside of a beauty parlor. Check out that dye job." I snorted, eyeing the strands of very obviously bleach blonde.

Evidently it hadn't been the right thing to say - or maybe it was - as the blondes' anger got the best of them and they began to blow up anything within reach to get at us. We raced away through the house then, up the stairs to the attic before scrambling to find weapons to defend ourselves with. But just as we were about to take care of the bimbos something...happened. One second the girls were there and the next, they were halfway across the room alongside Chris and the book.

"What just happened?" I frowned, my ax still held high as I stood beside Piper.

"You should be able to handle these women now." Chris told us, making my confusion deepen.

Let's just say a couple of punches to the nose and the blondes were pretty much down for the count.

"I take it this was all your doing," Paige said as we stepped closer to our Whitelighter.

"Hey, you're the one who got me here," he responded, eyeing me briefly before averting his gaze.

Piper seemed to catch that but I ignored the side-eye I was getting as I couldn't help but ask, "How did you know they weren't us?"

"Well, in all my life I have never seen you take the bait the way that witch took it from you," Chris shrugged as he grabbed the book off its stand.

"In all your life? You've only been our Whitelighter for two months," Phoebe pointed out.

"Let's just reverse the magic," he said, ignoring the statement as he flipped through the yellowed pages before handing it over to us.

Together, the four of us began to chant and ever so slowly, those same glowing lights rose up again - this time out of the blondes - only to settle back into our own bodies. Overall, it gave me a tingling sensation. But as I lifted up my hand, moving my fingers expertly so that a piece of the furniture glided upwards at my command, I knew everything was back to the way it should be.

Or...almost. Because as I glanced up, I caught Chris staring. And I knew that not everything was exactly the same.

Some things had changed today - but were the changes good? Or bad?