A second chance(?)

Summery: Set after „Spin City". Leo tries desperately to get a better relationship with his son. Can Chris forgive him or will he die before he has a chance to get to know his father? R&R please

Author's Note: I just saw Spin City and then this idea popped in my head and I had to write it down. I know that there are a lot fics with the same subject but I hope you will give it try and read it anyway. I would also love to get some reviews ;) Oh, and for those who used to read "I'll always be there for you, baby brother" and "My 6. season": I will continue with this stories but I'm afraid that it will take a while until I update. So just enjoy this story until then…

Chapter 1: I needed you

Leo stood dejected on the Golden Gate Bridge, staring at the spot where his son had been sitting just a few seconds ago. He was still shocked about the events from this day, but he knew that Phoebe had been right. He needed to keep it together because his family needed him. Leo had never wanted to leave Piper, she was the love of his life and it had hurt him as much as her when they had broken up. And now they were going to have another child. Chris.

He sighed heavily when he remembered his encounter with Chris in the spider demon's lair. The beating his younger son had giving him hadn't hurt as much as the knowledge that he obviously was going to be a bad dad to Chris. He couldn't imagine that he would favor one of his sons over the other. But that was what he had done. Or rather will do. But Leo promised himself that he wouldn't become the man Chris knew in his future. The raw pain he had seen on his son's face when Chris had told him that he was never there for him had made him disgusted about himself. How could he hurt his own son like this? What the hell had been so damn important that he didn't find the time to be there for him?

"Dad..." suddenly Chris' voice called in his head.

Surprised Leo snapped out of his thoughts. Had his son just called him dad? Quickly Leo orbed away to P3 where he had sensed Chris. He found him lying on the couch, tossing around, obviously having a nightmare. Immediately Leo knelt down next to his son and reached hesitantly out with his hand to stroke through his hair. Chris, though still fast asleep, flinched away from his touch. Leo sighed sadly and looked down at the floor in shame.

"Dad..."

Within a second Leo's gaze was once again fixated on his son. He wondered what it was that Chris was dreaming about, but somehow Leo had the horrible feeling that it wasn't something good. For a moment Leo considered to do something so that he could see what his son was dreaming, but then he realized that Chris would be even more mad at him if he did it. Pushing all his thoughts about Chris' big contempt for him aside, he once again tried to soothe his son with his touch but Chris kept jerking away from him.

"Dad... Daddy" he whispered when Leo touched him on his cheek.

Leo almost teared up when he saw the pain on his son's face again. Was he really such a terrible father in the future? How could he let this happen? As he studied Chris' features that were so much like Piper's, he vowed that he wouldn't let this happen. Chris was an amazing kid, who risked everything to save them, to save his big brother, and it filled Leo with a huge amount of guilt and shame that he had never taken the time to get to know his son in the future. But maybe now they had a chance...

"I doubt it."

Remembering Chris' last words on the bridge caused Leo to doubt it himself but he knew that he couldn't give up. The problem was that if Chris refused to get close to him there was not really much he could do. But Leo wasn't ready to give up yet. He had caused his son so much pain, in the last months and in the future, and he was determind to make it up to him. Chris had finally calmed down a bit and Leo watched pleased that his son didn't flinch away from him this time when he caressed his hair.

"Dad?" Chris asked, slowly starting to wake up.

Leo considered for a moment to orb away before his son would wake up completely, but then he thought about the fact that Chris feeled neglected by him so he decided to stay and show him that he really wanted to make things better between them. "Yes, Chris, it's me" he whispered calmly, waiting for his son to open his eyes.

When he did, Chris quickly backed away from Leo, startled at his father's presence. "What are you doing here?" he asked harshly, while he stood up from the couch.

"I – you were having a nightmare and then you called me" Leo answered uneasily at his son's anger.

Chris looked at him in disbelief. "Why would I do that?"

Leo shrugged. "You tell me."

Chris turned away from his father, not wanting to show him how much he had wished that he would be there, how much he really cared; that he even though he would never admit it to himself he did want to save them too. "I don't need you, so you can leave" he said quickly before he could think of things he didn't want to think about.

"A few minutes ago you did seem to need me" Leo said carefully, not wanting to upset his son even more, but also not able to let it go that easily.

Chris spun around to him, anger flashing across his eyes. "I do not need you! Leave, now."

"Chris, you can't keep pushing me away" Leo tried to calm him. "I'm your father..."

"Only biologically" Chris cut him off with bitterness in his voice.

Leo sighed. "I want to be there for you, Chris. Please just give me a chance. I know that you need me and..."

"Yes, I do!" Chris yelled suddenly, surprising not only his father, but also himself. "Or at least I did. But you were never there when I needed you."

"I can..." Leo tried to say, but Chris kept on talking, ignoring his father.

"I needed you when I was a little and cried alone in my room because you didn't show up on my birthday. I needed you when I was nine and alone in the underworld, tortured by some damn demons. I needed you after mom got me and called for you to heal me. I needed you when mom died. I needed you when Wyatt started to turn and tried repeatedly to kill me. I needed you when grandpa died and when I had absolutely no one left. I needed you so many times in my life, but you weren't there."

Leo looked at his son with immense pain and guilt. His son's life sounded horrible and he couldn't believe it that he would be so cruel to him. But he knew that Chris was telling the truth. The hurt look on his face made it quite clear. For a few seconds none of them spoke, but then Leo finally found his voice again. "Chris... I – I know that I caused you a lot of pain in the future, but that hasn't happened yet. And I promise you it won't happen either. I can't even imagine how I could become the way I am in your time. You have to give me a second chance. Give us a second chance. I won't make the same mistakes again. I swear."

Chris stared at his father and couldn't help but felt a slight hope spreading in him. Leo seemed, for the first time in his entire life, to care about him. Maybe they really had a chance... No, that was Leo he was thinking of. His so called father who had never payed any attention to him, not even in his desperatest and darkest hours. Why should it be any different this time? As much as Leo seemed to try now, Chris knew that he would leave again. He always did. Leo would leave him again and he didn't know if he could deal with it a second time. It had been hard for him to realize as a kid that his father didn't love or cared about him and he just didn't want to go through that again.

"I may have needed you in my life before, Leo, but I do not now" he then said as cold as he could while he put on his usual unemotional mask. "I don't care if you want to make yourself feel better by trying to get to know me or something else, because I don't care – not anymore. So stop with the father-of-the-year attitude and leave me the hell alone!"

Leo watched with tears in his eyes how his youngest son orbed out of the room. He hoped so badly that one day his son would forgive him, but right now he didn't know if it was ever going to happen.

TBC...