Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed
Chapter 2
He'd been in the attic for several hours when Wyatt woke up and began to cry. He paused in his potion making, feeling an unexplainable urge to go and comfort his, usually older, brother. However, he relaxed and continued what he was doing when he heard Piper's gentle shushing. He should've known that she was never far away from Wyatt whenever he needed her.
His mother had been the same in the future too. Always there. And, she was always there for both her boys as well. She never favoured his older brother over him, no matter how twice-blessed Wyatt was.
Thinking about it, Chris remembered how she'd always been able to make him feel special and happy being who he was. He'd always had a slight inferiority complex over Wyatt, it was impossible not to have one really, but it had only been after his mother died that it had really taken root, and prospered.
With his acute hearing, Chris could now hear Piper giving Wyatt breakfast and bustling around the kitchen, making pancakes--, which were most likely for him. She'd been complaining every mealtime, and at every other chance she got about how thin he was, and constantly trying to get him to eat more.
Now's your last chance to escape and go demon hunting, He thought, if you don't leave soon, she'll get you to eat several helpings of pancakes, and then insist you wait 'til later for demon hunting, when Phoebe or Paige can go with you. And then they'll moan, and say we should just have a family night in or something… So basically, it's now or never…
Picking up the potions, he was about to orb out when he heard, "Chris! Breakfast!"
He sighed, and put the potions back down again. Now he'd heard her calling, he couldn't ignore her, that just wasn't fair. If he did that, she'd get upset and start thinking that she was a terrible mother, as she'd been doing a lot recently. He'd try to slip out quickly after breakfast, before Piper could make any complaints.
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He was sitting, eating some of the pancakes that Piper had made when Leo orbed in. Leo had been coming around a lot more often recently, much to Piper's delight, and Chris' annoyance.
It wasn't that he didn't want his parents together (if Leo was going to act like a proper father), and it wasn't that he didn't want his mom to be happy. It was just that he couldn't deal with being around Leo at the moment, and it was becoming twice as hard to avoid him. Particularly as Leo seemed determined that they were going to have a 'father-son chat'.
So Chris just sat there, resolutely eating his pancakes while Piper gave some pancakes to Leo, made probably what she hoped was a believable excuse and went upstairs, taking Wyatt with her.
Leo sat down with his breakfast, and began to pick nervously at his pancakes. Chris didn't say anything. Why wouldn't Leo just get the picture? He didn't want to talk to him right now.
"Hey Chris!" Leo began, hesitantly greeting him.
If he was hoping for a friendly response, he was sadly disappointed. Chris merely nodded and acknowledged him, "Leo."
After this, neither of them said anything for a while. An awkward silence filled the room, one that, Chris at least, was not inclined to break.
Leo it seemed, was of a different mind. He put his fork down and said, "Look, Chris, we need to talk."
Chris opened his mouth, but Leo interrupted him, "And don't say there's nothing to talk about, because there is Chris."
Chris sighed, would the man never give up? So he put down his own fork and said coldly, "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, us! I mean, I can't understand why I was such a terrible father. Why would I do that to you?"
Chris laughed and said sarcastically, "You're asking me to try to figure out what went on in that twisted mind of yours? You're really asking the wrong person. I gave up years ago."
"See? That's what I mean! I just don't understand how I could've become such a person! When I saw what had happened to you, I was sickened that any parent could do that to their child! And when I found out that it was me! I was… I- I couldn't believe it!" Leo cried, his voice rising in volume as he spoke. He'd been waving his hand around emphatically, and when he finished speaking, it came very close to Chris' face.
As if on reflex, Chris flinched, and jerked out of the way.
Seeing his son's instinctive action to him, Leo immediately calmed down and said in shock, "You thought I was going to hit you."
When Chris looked at the floor, he continued, "Chris, please listen to me. I don't know what exactly happened in your past. But I would never never hit you. Please believe me! It's just not who I am. I think hitting children is always wrong. So I'd never do it!"
It almost broke Leo's heart when his youngest son just looked sadly at him and said, "But you did." And, with that, orbed out.
At the same moment, Piper came back into the room. "So, how'd it--- go?" she asked. But just by seeing the kitchen devoid of her son, and by the look on Leo's face, she could tell how it'd gone. "That well, huh?" she said sympathetically.
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High up on the Golden Gate Bridge, Chris sat fuming. He knew that almost everything that he was angry with Leo for wasn't his fault and was the fault of the Leo in the future. But that didn't make it any easier to get on with him, or to try and forgive him. It was very difficult to not associate the man with the so-called father who'd abandoned him, hit him and blamed him for his mother's death.
At the same time, seeing the Leo in the past had made Chris begin to wonder. What if his father had been under a spell all along? The witchlighter had watched the way Leo acted with his family, and it didn't fit with the childhood he'd had. Leo was generally a kind-hearted man who'd do anything to protect any member of his family, not only Wyatt.
The last time he'd seen his father in the future, it'd been whilst he was in Wyatt's dungeons. His father had been visiting Wyatt, who was busy terrorising the people in the cells. Leo had seen Chris there, and refused point-blank to help him. He'd even said that Chris deserved to be there for betraying his brother, and for causing Piper's death.
As he watched the birds flying around in the clear blue sky that was completely at odds with his mood, he thought about the probability of Leo being under a spell. It was possible he supposed. Thinking about it, something sparked in his memory, something Wyatt had once said to him.
He closed his eyes, trying to remember better. He'd only been partly conscious when it happened, so it was no wonder his memory was fuzzy…
His own voice, begging someone for help.
That someone… his father, turning around and glaring at him. Angrily saying something, before walking away.
Wyatt crouching down next to him, smiling evilly.
His brother's next words resounded in his head.
"I wanted to be dad's favourite when we were kids. Now I wanted him to join my regime. You should know by now, little brother… I always get what I want…"
There was definitely a possibility that Leo had been under a spell. Something more for him to investigate anyway. But not now. Now he had demons to vanquish.
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Chris orbed down to the underworld, not caring that he had no idea where he was going or that he had no vanquishing potions, no spells and no backup with him.
He strode though the vast caves and caverns, not caring which demons saw him and which didn't. All those that followed him, hoping the whitelighter hadn't noticed them, energy balls in their hands, had no idea that this was exactly what he wanted. Chris knew about every single demon following him. And they were following him to their deaths…
Reaching an enormous open space, the young witchlighter turned slowly around and called, "I know you're all there! So you may as well come out."
The demons who had followed all stepped or shimmered into view… There were only a handful of them. Chris smirked. That would soon change.
At the sight of their 'prey' smirking, some of the demons became a bit nervous. Why wasn't he afraid? Or trying to escape? What did the boy know that they didn't?
If they were getting any ideas about escaping however, they were soon vanquished, along with the first demon…
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So, what did you think? I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to do a spelling and grammar check, so I hope there aren't too many mistakes in there!
As I said before, I really do need some ideas for this, it's running on empty at the moment! I do have an idea for the next chapter actually, so that's ok, but after that… well we'll see what happens!
But, please review! They give me inspiration, so you never know, your review could help save this story….! (Yes that was me, unashamedly begging for reviews! lol)
