Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing, not even the ever-so-dreamy Drew Fuller.
Author Note: this is my first ever fanfic, sorry if it is crap, it was just itching to be written. constructive criticism is helpful, but please be nice!
Paige stared open-mouthed at the figure that materialized in front of her. "Chris?"
"Well, who d'ya think it was?"
"I was trying to summon Grams, but..." she paused for a moment. "But you're downstairs, unless, something happened..." she was starting to panic.
Chris took a step forward, saying, "Paige, relax, I'm sure he's fine."
Paige merely looked at him, bewildered, "What do you mean, 'he'? You mean you, right?"
"Sort of. I guess. Not really. It's kind of complicated."
"Well, now would be a good time to start fillin' me in, don't ya think?"
"You see, that's me from this timeline, but I'm me from the old one. Don't ask me how that's possible. I have absolutely no idea," He shrugged.
Paige was still trying to process this. If he was the other Chris, then he really did die. She-no, everyone-had thought that they were the same person, that their Chris just didn't have the other one's memories. But if he was here...
"But you-you didn't die. You changed all that..." she trailed off.
Chris sighed, "Sorry to be the one to break it to you. Now comes the really confusing part. When I died, and the future was changed, I kinda, um, screwed up my own existence. Not by making it so that I die or anything," he added quickly after seeing Paige's expression. "But since the new Chris wouldn't have any of my memories, he wouldn't technically be me. Our experiences shape who we are. So the Elders, I have no idea how, made it so my consciousness still existed in this time, and sent me back to the future. Or...future afterlife. I'm not making any sense, am I."
Paige wiped a solitary tear from her face, "Not really, but it's good to see you again, even if I didn't really know you were gone."
"Ahhh, Aunt Paige," he stepped forward to comfort her, but stopped when he reached the circle of glowing crystals. "I can come out of her, right?" Paige nodded. "Sorry, it's just, I've never really been summoned before"
Paige's hand flew to her mouth, "I forgot about Grams! I gotta summon her! Wyatt's wedding is in two hours!"
"Hold up. Wyatt's getting married?" he stepped hesitantly out of the circle, and his transparent for quickly solidified. "Whoa, I haven't felt this grounded for months."
"Yes, Wyatt's getting married. I thought you guys were like, watching everything. And what do you mean 'months'? You've been dead for over twenty-four years!"
Chris snorted, "Okay, first of all, in my world, not many people wanted to date the source of all evil. Secondly, I have better things to do with my time than spy on you guys all the time. You may not know it, but you actually lead fairly boring lives. Not enough demon hunting," Ahh, there was the Chris Paige remembered, "everyone married off to nice mortals or beings of light, and everyone is way too interested in what girl I'm dating. Nice, blissful even, but boring." She felt a pang of sadness knowing that he had worked so hard to improve the future and then did not get to enjoy it himself. "And thirdly, I told you, the Elders sent me back to the future when I died, only a year or so after I left, and that was only a few months ago. I'm still getting used to this whole being-dead thing." Suddenly, before he quite knew how it happened, Paige was crying and hugging him. After a moment's hesitation, he returned the embrace.
"I'm sorry," Paige said as she wiped her tearstained face. "I just- I had no idea. I thought that when you died, you'd get to go back to he new future."
"So did I," he said with a touch of bitterness, but when he saw the hurt flash across her face, he added, "But it's not so bad. I got to meet Grandma, and Prue, and I got to see Penny again. I'll tell them you said hi, if you want."
That was when it hit Paige: he was going to have to leave, "But you have to see everyone. Piper and Leo would want to see you." She was almost begging now.
"And make them realize that their son actually did die? I don't think so. Besides, wouldn't want to ruin my big brother's big day, even if he has tried to kill me. And I have to go," he finished sadly. "I love you, Aunt Paige."
"I love you too. After all, you are one of my two-I mean...three favorite nephews," tears began to spring to her eyes once more as she read the dismissal spell and Christopher Perry Halliwell vanished in a swirl of white lights.
I may write a sequel. You know, the classic 'Chris finds out about his other life' sort of thing, if I get enough good reviews.