It had been a while since Chris and I spent time together.

I knew when there was something Chris got in his head, he didn't rest until he get it, no matter how much stressful that could get. If Chris could do it, he would until he finished.

I felt bad for him. He wanted to save our family and traveling to the past was a way to do it. We've been trying to stop demons left from right that could have potentially ruin our future, starting with the titans and so on. Chris had a big weight on his shoulders because he not only was trying to save his brother from becoming evil, he was suffering the end of his own parents' distrust.

When Piper Halliwell didn't like someone, she made it known. And so did Phoebe. It was something I admired from both women when I was growing up because that kept our family safe. It wasn't too admirable when it was done to us. Our family not trusting us was a punch directly to the stomach. I was a bit lucky, I'll admit. The sisters ended up trusting me bit more than Chris. Maybe it was because I introduced myself as a witch and Chris as a whiteligher?

I remember mom once telling me and my sisters jokingly how there had been a time they wouldn't trust an angel but Leo. I didn't think we would have landed on that same time.

I knew Chris had to be hurting. Specially when his own father was the worse. Chris could say he didn't care the treatment he was receiving from Leo, that he was used to not having a close relationship with him but I was a cupid. You couldn't lie to a cupid, specially a cupid specialized on family love.

Dad was a love cupid, he worked with couples, those destined to be together and sometimes he worked with love therapy. When I was born, mom didn't want us to face this type of love because she didn't want us, at some point to risk our hearts and do something that could potentially hurt us. But we also couldn't ignore that part of us. Dad would teach us what he knew but respecting mom's wishes and instead taught us that love wasn't only present on couples or lovers. Love was shown into mothers and daughters, siblings. Family. To be honest, I was the only one of my sisters to embrace all that teaching. Prue wanted to spread her wings and be a full cupid like dad, wanting to be part of people's love stories. But okay, she was the one with full control of her powers, who could blame her? She didn't want the aid wheels anymore, not like how I needed them as I was the one struggling with my cupid side. I always thought Prue resented me for that. Because of me, mom forbid us to go out there and join couples like a normal cupid would. Payton couldn't care less about her cupid side. She was good at controlling it yes, but she was more interested into being a witch.

And so, the three of us began to learn family love. It was why I was so connected with those around me, why I could sense them, why I could feel when they were hurting. For once I was better than Prue at something. At first I didn't know it was a power developing from my witch side that mixed with my cupid side, just like with Paige and her telekinetic orbing.

That power was the reason why I knew Chris was hurting from Leo's treatment. And that hurt intensified when Leo as an Elder shoved Chris into other charges. He was separating him from the Charmed Ones, he was impeding Chris to save Wyatt and I didn't like it.

Chris knew I could find him, no matter where he was or if he drank a potion to hid himself. I was so attached to his feelings as if he was a part of me that I easily found him, beaming toward the San Francisco's Golden Bridge.

My hair blew back as I didn't recognize the location at first, hugging my arms around my middle.

"You shouldn't be here" Chris told me, his back facing me. I knew him well to detect through that calm tone that he was seething, that he was hurting. "You've been beaming left and right too often lately, Bree. They'll figure out that you're different"

"Well, I can't help it" I shot, touching my heart. Chris looked at me over his shoulder, brow relaxing a bit and sighed heavily, bowing his head. "You're hurting and I don't know how to help you"

"Well, you're the one to be close to the sisters" Chris replied, scoffing. "At least you can do something. That's how you can help"

I flinched. Why did that sounded like Prue when we both realized I was good at what dad was teaching us about Family Love? It felt raw and pure resentment, like she was angry at me because I was able to do something she couldn't. Chris was acting the same way, right now. He had been so far the one with ideas, the one who dove head on into vanquishing demons left and right, destroying all threats toward Wyatt while I failed, like always. I was caught in the crossfire several times, dragged into the sisters problems, almost screwing up with information on the future. I didn't know a lot of what Chris did to help them. He was better than me at this and now, he couldn't do anything to help and I had the way in.

It was not my fault, right?

Prue and Chris had always been better than me in a lot of things. Prue was a natural in what she proposed to learn and didn't struggle with anything and Chris had always been good at being the hero, at helping others. I barely could control my powers when I was growing up and now in the past I was barely a hero. I couldn't do things right when I needed to. But was it my fault when for once I was better at something Cupid related than my perfect sister or that I had the opportunity to be the hero instead of Chris? They had always been better and I never complained nor was bitter for that. Why were they?

"They don't trust me either. Not as much as I would want to" I said weakly. It was a low blow to my cupid heart. I never felt good when those I loved so hard where harsh with me. Felt like I wasn't good enough for them.

Chris must have sensed through his whitelighter side he said something wrong. I didn't know since when he could do that, but I had the brief suspicion it had to with our trip to the past. He introduced me as his charge and we'd be protecting each other.

Maybe, after all I did become his charge in some way.

"I'm sorry" Chris said and I knew it took him a lot from him to apologize. "But it's hard. Countless of times I've told them I'm here to save Wyatt and they still don't trust me. They keep pushing me away like some sort of demon meant to hurt them"

I stepped close to him, nudging my arm to his. "Hey, stop with the long face. I know it's hard but you didn't think it was going to be easy, did you? Saving the world never is"

Chris dropped his shoulders, sighing heavily. "Yeah. If it was so easy then everyone could do it"

"Exactly" I perked slightly at the shift of his tone. "Besides, I don't really think the sisters need assistance today. In fact, one of your mom's bedtime stories is happening right now"

Chris frowned in confusion and curiosity. "What do you mean?"

I playfully pulled out an imaginary sword from an invisible rock in front of me, slashing left and right, grinning at my cousin. Chris' eyebrows shot up in realization.

"We cannot meddle into that" I reminded, dropping my hands. "I can think of a lot of ways we could screw that up and we have to make sure you know who gets the sword"

Chris nodded in agreement, "Look at you, finally understanding the importance of not messing with the future"

I pushed his shoulder at the sarcastic tone he used, but at least he was feeling better now. And I did that. My heart felt lighter by feeling someone I cared about no longer feeling so sad.

"Don't you have a charge to visit?" I asked dryly.

Instead of looking upset like I thought he'd be for being reminded of that, Chris smiled slightly. "Nah. Not yet. Have to make sure my first charge is feeling better. The Elders will understand"

First charge...

I frowned before it dawned on me at the (rare) soft, pointed look Chris was giving me.

Me.

Chris had taken upon the role of my whitelighter since we arrived. What it had been a cover for our family relationship, somehow that developed into something truthful. And why Chris seemed to be more protective and more in tune with me.

Chris was my whitelighter.

"What..." I stared at him.

Chris chuckled at my baffled expression. "Never thought I'd see the day you'd be so speechless. No one but Phoebe could do that to you" I huffed, recovering my wits and glaring at him. Chris raised his arms in innocence. "But really. I can't go to the charges appointed at me if you're not feeling good. I can't find it within me dropping you to watch out for others"

Wordlessly, I lunged myself at Chris, hugging him tightly. Chris chuckled, waving his arms around me and squeezing me tightly. He knew I liked strong hugs.

We stayed like that for a while, simply staring at the horizon.

Our moment of calm before the storm.

~8~

I never liked it when I felt the sisters being disconnected.

The pain first started when I was dozing off, my head resting on Chris shoulder. He had gone to his charges for a few hours before returning to me.

We had taken this time while the sisters dealt with Excalibur to simply spend time together like we used to when we were kids.

But the peace is never meant to last for long.

I shot up, gasping as I gripped tightly my chest.

Alarmed, Chris grabbed my shoulders and turned me to him, "Focus. Detach yourself from them"

With Chris coaching me, I did so quickly, bowing my head, panting softly. "What's with the Charmed Ones and death? Do they have a pact of when they have to die every few days?"

Chris rested his forehead with mine, his presence helping me to recover. "I know it's hard. But at least, this time we knew it was coming right? Paige and Phoebe?"

My lip trembled. "I sometimes want to never bond with her. I felt her die once and it was horrible. Here in the past isn't that bad because I know she'd be okay. But Chris... Feeling your mom die, it feels like I'm dying over and over"

Chris pulled me closer. He was full of hugs today, wasn't he? It was odd but who am I to question when my cousin was full of affection?

"I know" Chris murmured softly. "Watching them isn't easy either. But they're going to be alive for another 20 years and because of us, it'd be even more. We have to think that so this gets easier"

I nodded on his shoulder. He was right.

And smugly so.

An hour later, I felt the girls alive again.

I sighed in relief.

At least we didn't change Wyatt getting Excalibur. The cousin I used to love won't be mad that we screwed that up, because we are definitely getting Wyatt back.