Questionable Alliance
Authors: Wicked R and Charmed-Snow

Disclaimers: characters and the universe belong to the WB/FX.

Rating: strictly NC 17. Graphic scenes!

Genre: angst/parody/romance.

Summary/Set: a Charmed-Nip/Tuck crossover. Facing the Carver, Christian discovers his powers, and ultimately, his long lost family. And no, he is not Cole, but I never said he had nothing to do with it!

Note: This story takes place after a scene of Nip/Tuck's "Joan Rivers", and a few months after Charmed's "Something wicca this way goes". The Charmed Ones and Leo have got back to their real forms, and back to the manor. Phoebe's an empath again. Leo's human.

English is not our first language, so please excuse the mistakes.

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Prologue

Even though Christian was well aware of how the Carver treated his male victims, along with the pointless information of the chemical composition and the onset of effect of the tranquilliser he used, the plastic surgeon found it nevertheless quite surprising that he couldn't move.

His attacker raised his knife, pausing, "odd how your partner doesn't learn from mistakes. Will you be so kind to tell him to keep to our agreement? His house being over flown with surveillance doesn't mean I won't keep to it myself. Even if it has to be later. Beauty is a curse on the world. I'll do you a favour and rid you of that."

Christian felt petrified as he watched the knife closing on his face. The blade felt like ice on his skin and he juddered. The sharp instrument sank into his skin effortlessly and he was aware of the fact that the wound could not have been too deep. At first it didn't hurt even though he felt it, then the wound rapidly reddened, pain searing through him now.

But it wasn't the pain that felt the worst by far, blades cutting his face wasn't a new experience for him either. It was the violation directed especially at his sense of safety that bothered him the most, along with fearing what could await him. Although the mutilator had not raped Sean, that didn't mean he wouldn't do it with him and his tears spilled over in despair.

The Carver halted briefly, taking a look at his handiwork and Christian wondered whether he would disfigure the other side of his face as well. But he turned him around, leaving no doubt in his victim's mind about his intentions. The Carver was making another masterpiece of a different kind, drawing three long and deep lines into his back with his knife.

Somehow, Christian thought that was better than what he had feared. But then his pants were tugged off him.

His attacker acted quick, not even leaving time for the dread in Christian to raise to its peak, eager to finish his business before the effects of the tranquilliser wore off. Without placing his fingers into the hole at first, making it bigger with additional fingers one by one, like his more cautious stepfather used to do, he forced his whole erection into it at once, ripping some muscles. After the initial shock wore off, Christian found himself handling it better than he would've imagined. He had his coping strategies with similar events after all. He blanked his mind. There were no thoughts, no feelings, no memories, not even the sensation of pain.

He didn't know how much time he had spent in nothingness, but it could've not been that much, because the Carver had his head pinned down on the bed the whole time, possibly to make sure he couldn't act out right away, even if the drug was getting less effective. So his nothingness lasted till his brain was sounding the alarm of being dangerously deprived of oxygen. He tried to turn his head away, so that at least he could get some air, but to no avail.

He closed his eyes for a second, then tried again. This time, he managed. Encouraged by the partial success, he attempted to turn his entire body, but it didn't comply. At the same time, his unconscious mind weighed up and put to action all the options available to it. As his vision was also blurred as a side effect of the drug, he didn't realise at first why he didn't feel the Carver's body pressing onto him anymore. Everything seemed to have resonated in front of him while he felt a tingling, stomach-churning sensation all of a sudden, as if he was travelling fast somewhere.

He blinked several times before his mind comprehended that he was in another place, away from danger. He looked around as much as he could by only moving his eyes, puzzled by the trick his mind must've played on him. He had tried to imagine himself being somewhere else when bad things had been happening in his childhood, but it never worked that good.

He couldn't actually believe he was somewhere else. The corridor looked familiar, the door he was lying in front of even more. Why the hell would his mind escape to Kimber's door? The very person that had once handcuffed him and threatened him with a knife herself. At the same time, Kimber was the only woman that he thought really loved him, so it was a reasonable choice after all. If his mind was doing this, he should be able to move in his dream, free of the effects of the drug. But all he could do was bang his head repeatedly onto the door.

"What is it?" Kimber heard the noise coming from her front door and opened it, he heard her gasp, "oh my god!" She knelt down next to him worriedly.

He rolled his head so he could see her better, and believe that it was really Kimber that was there with him. He was panting, but found himself able to sit up and grab her arm, clinging onto her confused and distressed.

He could make out her eyes filling with tears, "it's okay, Christian, just hang on, I'm calling 911..."

Dr. Sean McNamara ran along the long corridor of Jackson Memorial Hospital, looking for Dr. Kathy Reed, who he was told was in charge of Christian's case since they brought him in. He had dealt with her before, and she had previously recommended them to some of the patients she met that were scarred by various accidents. He found her standing next to a stall with wheels, she had some files spread over it that she was writing in.

The tall, big woman, keeping her long dark hair naturally in a ponytail met him half way after noticing him, "Sean. Good you're here. Christian has been asking about you."

"How bad are the cuts?"

"Not as deep as I've seen with some others. One side of the face and a few cuts on his back. I'm certain you can correct that," she sighed, "there is also rectal tearing and abrasions," she continued sternly, "he was brought in with mild shock, low blood pressure, tahycardic. We established some rectal and internal haemorrhage, but he responds well to the drip and the vasopressing drugs. There is no need for emergency action. I sent for psychiatric consult…"

"No, no, could I speak with him instead? Or at least first."

"Certainly. He's in denial resulting in amnesia of most of the event and a good while afterwards."

"Thank you," he looked around, not sure on what direction to go next.

"Room 18," Kathy nodded, "this way. I wanted to check on him anyway."

Christian was lying on his side quietly. As pasty as the sheet he lay under, he gave the impression of being helpless, but Sean took comfort in the fact that his expression seemed relatively peaceful and he started shifting when he saw him, "See? You can't be a hero all alone. It wasn't fair for you to be famous only."

"Christian," Sean said slowly, shaking his head a little while he sat down next to him and embraced him.

"But I don't think it's even as bad as yours'," he attempted a smirk, succeeding, and showing his point.

"What about your back? You want me to take a look? If you don't mind Dr. Reed."

"I'll leave you to it," she put down the chart and shot the door behind herself.

Sean pulled at the opening of the hospital gown, then carefully lifted one of the bandages, "hmph, that'll be there for a while…but all and all not bad. Dr. Reed is right, we can easily correct this."

Christian nodded, "He had no interest in marking me, really. It was a warning for you," Christian said with an even voice as if no emotions were attached to the event.

"I'm so sorry Christian," was the only thing Sean could think of saying, "It seems like there's always some kind of problem with my pro bono work…"

"You can't stop now. He can't get away with this," Christian hissed angrily.

Sean sighed. He judged that anger was a better response than denial, "why didn't you call me?"

"I don't know Sean. I have no idea how I got to Kimber and why."

"It's okay. Amnesia is a very common response to trauma. You will remember when you're ready."

"It doesn't make sense. Why now? Not as if I haven't experienced things like this before. Besides, what is the point in fleeting in the middle of the…thing…and not forget all of it? I don't think I was walking anywhere. I was swaggering down the street naked and nobody noticed? I couldn't even stand up for the effect of the drug he pumped in me before I got to Kimber, she helped me up. I don't think I was crawling all that way. She lives half an hour away from me by foot. My hands would've ended up dirty and it would've taken too long anyway. How did I get to her place Sean?"

"Well, you could have not flied, so you obviously went there yourself, but can't remember. You must've been getting weaker and weaker from the blood loss and that was why you needed Kimber's help with standing up at that point, and it wasn't the effect of the drug. Stop thinking about that, it doesn't matter. Important is you're out of harm's way now…do you want anything? Something to eat maybe? If we arrange your surgery for tomorrow, you could still eat right now. And you should."

Christian shook his head deep in thought, not taking Sean's advice to disregard the mystery just now, "Can't eat. Nauseous."

"Are you worn-out? Do you want to sleep?"

"Yes," his response was barely audible, his normally cheerful eyes were cloudy and dull. Right in that moment, unlike what he looked like when he arrived, Christian looked downright dispirited, caught somewhere inside of himself.

Seeing him like this wrenched Sean insides, "what's wrong?"

"Sore," Christian wrapped himself around his stomach a bit more.

Sean glanced at his vitals, in the normal range now. Continuing internal bleeding was unlikely, and he'd seen Dr. Reed looking at the ultrasound results in Christian's files when they entered the room. He was also aware that some of the physical reactions a male rape victim may experience in response to the trauma of the assault were loss of appetite and stomach aches, but he wanted to get it checked out with Christian's doctor in case it was a direct result of the physical injury, "I'll be back soon, okay?"

When he went back to his room, he wanted to reassure his partner that Dr. Reed will be there in a few minutes, but he found his friend with his eyes closed, his breathing deep and regular, so he decided to quietly sit down on a chair instead. Curled up on his side like that, with his hands clasped limply in front of his stomach, Christian looked so defenseless, just the way he in all actually had been, when the Carver had attacked him.

Sean knew Christian frequently suffered from the effects of his abusive childhood, and now he had no idea if he would be able to help him. Most people saw Dr. Christian Troy, fashionable plastic surgeon and playboy as self-centred and arrogant. The truth was he kept people away quite deliberately. Even his closest friends, had been pushed away when things became too personal. Sean could only imagine how lonely that must have been, "I'm here for you," he whispered, "the Carver, amnesia, we'll figure it out together. It's too dangerous to be alone in this, Christian."

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Chapter 1: The Other Side Of Life

Keeping up with the new plan of Sean's to establish a support system for his family, including Christian, involved taking him to a safe place. As his house was already safeguarded with all sorts of cameras and alarm systems, it was feasible that they would both stay there till the Carver was caught. The other thing the support system included for Christian was encouraging him to reach out to the people that cared about him. But he couldn't justify keeping his eyes on him for very long.

Fortunately, and damn well time, the Carver was caught in the act with his last victim. The father of the late miss world, who committed suicide not even a year after she'd been chosen the most beautiful woman in the world, had admitted guilty to all charges, sending his message out in the world for a last time.

Thus, Christian could move back home, but Sean didn't want him to be alone for the first night. As Kimber was one of those few people who cared about his friend deeply, Sean himself suggested that she should take him for a night out as they used to do when they were together. These encounters, wherever they went, whatever they had to drink or eat, whatever they did, always ended in bed, but Sean had no indication that Christian would've shown any interest in sexual life, or women, in the two weeks since the attack on him had happened. Not to mention that he still hadn't remembered how he left his apartment after the Carver's attack.

Sean talked to Kimber about it, feeling like the father of some young girl, talking to her first date. Giving that they were talking about Christian, womaniser of immense proportions, it sounded rather weird, but he stressed to Kimber that she shouldn't go any further than Christian felt like going.

All what Kimber did, was titter, aware of the awkwardness of the situation, but she ultimately nodded, "Leave it to me Sean. Believe me, if anybody knows how to handle Christian, I do," she smiled as she strolled out the door.

Sean didn't know what exactly she meant, trying to seduce Christian or not, but in the end he had to agree. He'd seen how caring and gentle she was with him. He hoped that one day, when Christian was finally ready to settle down, he would get somebody that cared about him as much as Kimber did. He shouldn't worry, Christian was in good hands.

Kimber wolfed down her ice cream nervously. She had hoped that she would make some kinda connection with Christian this time. Even if mainly, their connections happened in bed, this distant looking Christian was disturbing to watch. She fiddled with her mobile, unusually quiet herself, "Do you want something to drink?" She finally thought out something to say. Although the food was served, taken to their tables in the half bar, half restaurant type of public house, they had to go to the bar for their drinks.

The music wasn't that loud for him not to hear the question, but she had to nudge him before he reacted, "What?"

"I'm just gonna go over to the bar. Do you want anything?"

"Oh, no, Kimber. I'm kinda tired."

When he said that, more often than not, it meant he wanted to get to bed and have a good fk, "Whatever you want, it can be arranged," she promised, but not on her teasing voice, as she wasn't sure what Christian meant this time. Nevertheless, she took him by hand and led him outside towards the parking lot in the back, where she embraced him and gave him a soft kiss. He responded to her kiss intensely, his hands going under her jacket. It looked promising, Kimber established.

"Not at home," Christian suggested, mentally shuddering at the thought of his bed he hadn't touched since, "in the car," he let her go, pulling her by hand, their mouths remaining close to each other.

"Hey! Kimber! You slut!"

They looked around to find four stern faced and well-built men surrounding them.

"What do you want, Gorton?" Kimber lifted her chin, facing the man that addressed her.

"Say what? You bring the girls around tonight and I forget you crossed our agreement. Am I not the most gallant man on the planet?"

"The agreement was you watch my people performing the sex acts, no touching."

"Sex act? They were acting! We wanted to see them fk the living daylights out of each other. We just took matters into our own hands," Gorton tilted his head looking at the others, all sniggering and cackling, "Now get your cell and call your girls. Don't tell them why you want them at this address," he held up a little booklet, opened somewhere in the middle.

"I can't. I don't have their phone numbers."

"You think you can play with me?" Gorton snarled and nodded toward the tallest of his hit men, who therefore slapped Kimber forcefully. She staggered one step back, and fell in a heap onto the ground, holding her face.

Angry, and more than a little panicky, Christian realised he had to do something, "I don't know what the score here is, but perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement."

"We don't need any of your plastic surgeries, doctor," Gorton claimed, "but good you're here," he leered, "maybe good little Kimber will meet the terms if we have you."

He didn't have to give any orders to his dogsbodies, hands flashed forward and grabbed Christian, twisting his arms backwards, while the third one punched him in the stomach.

In one impressive surge, Christian pulled one of his hands free, anger contorting his features, more so than pain. He had no intentions of ending up in a submissive situation again and he would do anything to achieve that. Suddenly everybody stepped back away from him, and the other hit man let him go too, all staring at him with unease, far too perplexed to be aggressive. Even Kimber's eyes showed fluster when she looked at him as she scrambled to her feet.

"How does the air vibrate around him like that?" Gorton questioned agitatedly.

Christian didn't know what the confusion was about, but he did feel the same kind of tingling, nauseating feeling as he did when the Carver attacked him. Perhaps the anxiety caused him to feel sick, perchance it was that powerful punch. He cursed himself, he had to be strong right now. But he felt he needed to lean on Kimber for support and the next thing he knew they were standing in front of Kimber's door, with him leaning on her heavily. Again!

Oh, no, not again, "How did we get here?" Christian asked Kimber, horrified he'd lost another half an hour somewhere along the line. He held onto her asking fretfully, and whining, "What's wrong with me?"

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A/N : Please review!