I don't own Charmed or any of its characters.

This story is set post-Hyde School Reunion meaning the sisters know who Chris is but Leo doesn't, so this will be a revelation fic for Leo and Chris and will take the place of Spin City but with a very, very different story of course.

Without further ado, I give you the first chapter.

Chapter One

Mother and Son

Chris sat at the top of Golden Gate Bridge, looking out at the calm water, hoping it would soothe his frazzled mind.

He knew that if his family found out about him he'd be distracted; a wonderful distraction but a distraction nonetheless.

He'd taken just about as much as he could handle of his Mom's cooking, his aunts asking him questions which he'd repeatedly answered with "future consequences" and finally with a muttered goodbye he had orbed out of the manor.

He knew deep down that wasn't the real reason he'd bailed. He just didn't like to think about why he really had, that despite his Mom and Grandpa's reassurances he was still wary about getting close to her again.

He was one hundred percent sure that if he went back home, having been around her, gotten used to her being there for him again, and she was still dead it would kill him.

He'd barely made it through last time; it wasn't exactly something a person could survive going through twice.

He remembered what they'd said, ignoring how it tightened his chest to think about it.

"What if something happens to her?"

"Nothing's going to happen to me…Unless you know something that I don't."

"Nothing's going to happen to you, honey. Not now," his Grandpa said quietly. Chris turned to him in exasperation.

"Oh so…when? Chris? Is that what you've been living with, knowing that something happens to me?"

He said nothing.

"Oh…I see. Well does it happen soon?"

"I can't tell you that. It could change the future in even worse ways."

"Right. But isn't that why you came here in the first place? To make the future better? How do you know you haven't already changed mine?"

"She's got a point."

"Well, whatever it is, it obviously doesn't happen until you're born, so save it. You got it?"

"I got it, Mom."

"Huh?"

She smiled goofily as he realised what he'd said.

He sighed wearily, torn between checking up on his Mom again and going to P3 to sleep.

Seeing his Mom won out.

He orbed into the living room, forgetting that it was nearly one in the morning. Just as he realised and was about to orb back to his room, something caught his eye.

Walking closer to the couch, he realised it was his Mom's hair. He walked around the couch and sat on the coffee table in front of her, taking her in.

She was still sat up, her head lolling onto the armrest, her hair having tumbled over the edge. She had her hands clasped over her stomach.

He realised with a pang of guilt that she'd been waiting up for him.

Leaning forward, he touched her shoulder gently, orbing them both upstairs to her room.

Moving as quietly as he could, he took off her shoes, turning her around so that she lay straight, her head resting on a pillow. He looked at her for a second longer before murmuring, "Night, Mom."

Just as he was about to orb out he heard a sleepy, "Wait."

He turned back slowly.

"Hi," Piper said softly, struggling to sit up. Chris took her hand, pulling her up gently before putting a couple of pillows behind her back.

"I tried scrying for you but I guess that doesn't work if you don't want to be found, huh?" she said with a smile.

"About that," he said guiltily, shifting from one foot to another as she looked at him giving him the Mom-stare. "I just needed some time to clear my head. There are spells and potions I use to make me hard to find; I didn't think to stop it when I took off. I'm sorry," he added quickly, feeling as though he was ten years old again.

"Ok, not teaching Little-You those spells in the future," Piper muttered, wriggling around to get comfortable, her back beginning to ache.

"So you must be really tired. I'll go, let you sleep."
Piper sighed sadly. "Chris, I want to talk to you. I don't want to question you about the future or talk about Wyatt or hunting for demons. I just want to talk to you. As my son."

Chris swallowed, emotion building in his chest, the pressure of it causing his heart to pound.

"You won't like anything I have to tell you," he said in a hushed voice.

"Try me."

Chris smirked, shaking his head lightly.

"Here, take a seat," Piper said softly, patting the bed.

Chris sat as gently as he could, folding one leg under the other and leaning on one arm.

He realised with a pang that this was just like how they used to talk after he'd come home from school, just the two of them.

"So…do you have any hobbies?" Piper asked slowly.

Chris rolled his eyes. "I enjoy potion-making, levitating and kicking demon's asses."

"Like mother, like son. Minus the levitating."

Another eyeroll.

"You have Phoebe's power," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I guess."

"And Prue's."

"Mmhmm," he said, not really understanding what she was trying to get at.

"Don't you have any of mine?"

"No. But I am the best potion maker in our family, not including yourself of course."

"Oh well then, no need to worry," Piper laughed.

"You taught me everything I needed to know about magic," Chris said softly, his eyes unfocused, his mind a million miles away. "You were the one who taught me how to control my powers, how to write spells, how to get demon blood out the couch."

Piper snorted, though there were tears in her eyes.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now but I love you so much, Mom," he said hoarsely, as Piper held his hand tightly.

"I love you too, Chris. And I'm so sorry."

Chris frowned, staring at her in confusion. "Sorry for what?"

Before she could answer there was a bang from above, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor and his aunts' shouts.

"Stay here," he said quickly, jumping up from the bed and running for the stairs.

"Just orb!" Piper yelled, pushing herself up as fast as she could as Chris disappeared into blue orbs.

Stay here, my ass, she thought scathingly.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked as he got to the attic, glancing around him.

"Chris, get down!" Paige screamed, grabbing for the box of crystals before dropping to the ground.

Chris froze, his eyes telling him something that couldn't be true.

"Hello, Chris," Wyatt said with a smirk. "Have you missed me?"