Post by StoryGirl83 on Sept 23, 2008 19:32:41 GMT -5
Epilogue – Another Reunion
Thursday, later that week, Chris led Andy down the hallway of an apartment complex toward the apartment where Chris and Wyatt’s friend, Kali Nicolae lived. The hallway outside the apartment seemed almost confining as Andy walked behind Chris. It wasn’t hard to imagine his little brother with kids, but with half witch kids was another matter entirely. He knew that in his old reality his brother had married and had at least one child, but the entire family was killed in a car accident not long after Andy had been reunited with Prue. As a result Andy knew very little about his brother’s family, so not even if this was the same family.
Chris stopped at the door to the apartment and knocked. He turned and looked at Andy. “Are you ready for this?”
Andy offered him a nervous smile. “Are you sure they are there?”
Chris nodded. “Kali invited the family over. She thought neutral ground would be best.”
The knob turned catching both of their attentions. Kali stuck her head out and smiled. “Hi, you must be Wyatt and Chris’ new uncle. I’m Kali.”
Andy smiled. “Andy.”
“So how are we doing this?” Kali asked slipping out the door, closing the door behind her. “Should I just announce him, or let them see for themselves or what?”
“Kali,” Chris looked at her with annoyance.
“What?” Kali indicated the door with her chin. “There’s only so much preparing one can do before you just have to plunge in. I told them that my friend, Chris, was joining us for dinner. I also told them that recently some odd events had given you some new relatives. I indicated that you had something to tell them and I warned them that I had some news for them that would shock them, but I can’t think of any other way to go about this, then to just do it.”
Chris sighed. “Give me a few minutes with them.” He looked at Kali. “Take him somewhere out of sight of the kitchen.” Looking at Andy he added, “If that’s all right with you.”
Andy nodded. “This is rather nerve wrecking.”
Chris entered the apartment and headed into the small kitchen / dining room. The four Trudeaus were seated at four of the six seats. Mikelle stood in a corner watching him enter. Chris looked at her surprised. “Mikelle, what are you doing here?”
“What? I’m not allowed to eat with them?”
Chris shook his head quickly. “That’s not what I meant. I just didn’t expect you.”
Mikelle shrugged. “I was apprised of the situation and asked to come.”
Chris nodded and turned to the family. “Hi.”
Beth smiled at him. “Hi, Chris.”
Mark, Ben, and Alice added their greetings.
Not sure where to start Chris breathed in. “I was wondering what you know about whitelighters, full ones anyway, how they become one.”
“Something about being really good or something,” Mark said a little unsure. “I really haven’t thought much about it.”
“I have,” Ben informed them.
“Okay, so what’s your take on it?”
“Whitelighters were once people who in life helped others. When they die they are given the chance to keep helping others. The thing is when I learned about whitelighters I wondered about my older brother.”
Chris looked at him surprised. Maybe this would be easier than he thought.
“He was a police officer and he wanted to help people, to do good. He dated your aunt, you know.”
Chris nodded. “I did know that.”
“He died in the manor. Do you know anything of what happened?”
“Only a little. Mom and her sisters were under attack. Aunt Phoebe had a premonition of your brother dying, so they tried to keep him out of the house, but in the end he died saving their lives.”
Ben nodded. “Sounds like Andy. Other’s first. Is there anyway to find out if he became a whitelighter? Alice has tried summoning him, but she has never been successful.”
Chris gulped. “Actually that’s kind of why I am here.”
Ben frowned. “Because of Andy?”
Chris nodded. “I was told two stories. They began the same. After your brother died, he did become a whitelighter. He was told not to contact anyone he used to know.”
Ben sighed. “I guess I can lay it to rest then.”
“It doesn’t end there.”
When Chris didn’t say anything more Ben rose to his feet. “Please go on.”
Chris nodded. “About eighteen years ago one of his charges was under attack and he tried to help her. She survived, but he was shot with a darklighter’s arrow.”
Ben sucked in a deep breath. “Then, my brother is gone.” He sat back down in his chair, stunned, as if this news was not something he was prepaired for despite all the years gone by.
“He was.”
Ben frowned and looked up at Chris. “Was?”
Chris nodded. “Late last week my brother and I were preparing for a special event with our parents. Just before we left a triquetra opened on our wall and five people were dumped out. They had just suffered the loss of two people very important to them and were attempting to travel back in time to fix it. Unfortunately for them, they failed in that attempt and literally changed worlds. They were from an alternate reality created by my mother and two of my aunts shortly after the death of your brother.”
“What has this to do with Andy?”
“One of those five was your brother, Andy.”
Ben’s mouth opened and closed several times before staying closed. “Andy is alive then?”
“Since Aunt Prue had a counterpart in this reality, ghost though that was, she was able to merge with her counterpart, gaining the memories from her. I sympathize having gone through the experience myself. We had a bit more trouble keeping the other four, but in the end we were able to save them.”
“Andy and Prue. Who are the other three?”
Chris grinned. “Well, I seem to have gained two cousins and an older sister.”
“Two cousins? Andy and Prue’s?”
Chris nodded. “Pat and Vicki.”
“Can I see them? I’m going to guess that it isn’t forbidden if you are telling me.”
Chris nodded again. “Your brother is with Kali in another room.”
Ben was out of his chair in seconds and to the door only a moment later. Chris followed him out of the room and around the house until he found the den where Kali and Andy were talking. Both looked up at the sound of someone coming. Andy was to his feet quickly looking at his brother tentatively. Ben stared at him for several seconds and then he ran over to him and hugged him. “Don’t ever do that, again, Andy.” Ben told him as if they hadn’t seen each other in days instead of decades and as if some minor misadventure had separated them instead of Andy’s death. “Don’t ever do that, again.”
END of EPISODE