Disclaimer: Chris and the concept of Charmed aren’t mine. They belong to Constance M. Burge, Brad Kern, and Spelling Entertainment. The concept of The Sentinel belongs to Paramount. Lorelai is mine.
He stopped at the door, taking in the sights and sounds of the large hotel ballroom. Tables covered in white cloths circled a square dance area filled with people. A stage stood at the other end of the room, a band playing the latest hits. The boom, boom of the bass reverberated throughout the room. He straightened his jacket and handed his invitation to the attendant.
Chris Halliwell hadn’t intended to come to the San Francisco Ballet’s annual New Year’s Eve gala. Suits and ties were not his thing, and he didn’t work for the Ballet. He only came because he knew Lorelai would be there.
He carefully maneuvered his way through the crowd, stopping briefly to smile and greet familiar faces. His green eyes scanned the dance floor, looking for a flash of red curls. He stopped at the edge of the floor and watched the dancers. Anybody could tell they were professionals by the way they gracefully moved across the floor. Unfortunately, none of them was the woman he seeked.
Turning away, he prepared to forget about his quest and leave. That’s when he saw her across the room. There was no mistaking her red hair or the smile on her face. She spotted him, and her smile vanished.
~~~~
Lorelai Sandburg couldn’t believe it. What was her ex-boyfriend doing at the gala? Maybe if she ignored him, he would go away. She turned her attention back to her date, a nice, normal lawyer named Tristan. He was deeply engaged in conversation with another man, animatedly talking about stocks and bonds.
“Lorelai.” Chris’s soft voice caused her to jump. She turned her blue eyes towards the handsome dark-haired man in front of her.
“Chris,” she acknowledged.
Tristan stopped talking and focused his attention on the young man who had joined them. He held out his hand. “Hello. Can we help you?”
Chris didn’t take the offered hand. He kept his eyes on Lorelai. “I only want to talk to you for a few minutes, Lore.”
Lorelai sighed and set her drink on the table behind her. She crossed her arms and glared at him. “What do you want?”
He held out his hand. “In private?”
The petite redhead hesitated for a few minutes before she took his hand. She grinned up at her date. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”
~~~
Chris led her out into the uncrowded hallway and towards the balcony that overlooked the lobby. Only a few people populated the area, but that didn’t bother Chris. He leaned against the balcony and regarded the woman before him. Neither one of them spoke for a long time. He watched her try to avoid his eyes, her arms still crossed over her chest.
Finally, the silence was so thick it could be cut with a knife. “What do you want, Chris?” Lorelai questioned softly, breaking it.
“You,” he answered simply.
She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Come on, you’ve never been one for sentimental declarations of love. Seriously, why are you here?”
Chris smiled. “I am being serious. I came here for you.”
She met his eyes and her expression turned serious. “It’s been two months since we were together. I told you why I couldn’t be with you. I told you I couldn’t handle the idea that a demon or a warlock could kill you.”
“I know. I just…I can’t stop thinking about you, okay? You were my world for nine months. When you were kidnapped, and I thought I’d lost you, I couldn’t handle it.” Chris rubbed a thumb across her knuckles.
“So, we both don’t want to lose the other? I think we’ve established this before.”
“Look, I want to try again. I can’t let you go without a fight.” He straightened up, moving closer to her. He reached out to touch her face and was relieved when she didn’t jerk away or flinch.
Sadness crept into her eyes, and Lorelai ducked to hide it. “But the demons? The magic?” She regained her composure and met his eyes again.
“You’re not exactly normal, you know,” Chris offered.
Lorelai turned away from him and looked down at the nearly-empty lobby below. “I know, but the Sentinel-Guide thing is about the only magic I can deal with. At least it doesn’t come with demons and warlocks.”
“But from what McKenna’s told me, the Sandburg genes come with more than just Guide abilities. I believe there’s a healthy dose of attracting trouble in there, too.”
Lorelai laughed and looked back at Chris. “Well, yeah, but not counting two months ago, I’ve managed to stay out of it. Besides, that could even attract more unwanted evil to your doorstep.”
Chris wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He pressed his forehead to hers. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
“I’m not,” she whispered.
Chris stepped back. “All right, then. I can’t force you; it wouldn’t be right. But you know where to find me if you need me.” He offered her one last smile and headed for the staircase. He said what he had come to say, and that was all he could expect.
~~~
Lorelai stood by the balcony, watching Chris’s back retreat. Her vision clouded with tears, and her hand reached up to brush them away. God, she loved him. Even with the magic and the danger that come with it, she loved him.
She glanced back at the ballroom and thought about Tristan. He was safe and normal. No danger or demons hunting him. But he could be so boring. If Chris hadn’t have shown up, she probably would have gone crazy from all the stocks and bonds talk.
Turning her attention back to the stairs, she realized Chris was halfway down to the lobby. Damn it, she thought. If she chose the route behind her, she would have a normal, safe, boring life. If she chose the way in front of her, her life would be chaos, wondering if and when Chris would die.
She remembered something her mother always told her. “Follow your heart, dear. Even though I knew once your father became a detective, there would be a chance he wouldn’t come home one day,” she had said.
“Five minutes until the New Year!” Someone called out from the ballroom.
Chris had already made it down to the lobby and was almost to the door. A few more steps, and her chance would be gone forever. Throwing caution to the wind, she leaned over the balcony.
“Chris!”
He stopped and looked up at her. She left the balcony, racing at full speed down the stairs. His green eyes followed her every step.
As she grew nearer, she could hear the countdown to the new year echo out of the ballroom. She circled her arms around Chris’s neck when she reached him.
“Lorelai?”
“Maybe I should take a chance for once in my life.” Her mouth met his the second the crowd called out, “Happy New Year’s!”
She didn’t hear it, though. She was swept away by the taste of his full lips. Emotion washed over her, and she knew this was the right choice. It was a new year, after all.