A/N: Okay here you go another instalment. I really hope you like this; I'm not too sure about it myself so tell us what you think. Also, does anyone think I'm laying it on a bit too much with all the emotional stuff? Anyway, I know the last update was going to be the last for about a week but I just couldn't stop writing but this one will be I really have to study for these exams. Okay so read and review I'd really like to hear what you think.
Thanks to: Dragonfireceo, cherry7up56, AK8, Warm as Ice, Devilaire Mshadi, X3, Sickle Sword, PiperHalliwell025, Pink-Charmed-One, Cat and SpiritofEowyn for all your reviews. Keep them coming.
"Okay I get why the last demon was you know, kinda hard to vanquish but you said the regular Gorth Demons beat us in your premonition." Paige asked as she swept up another pile of glass.
"That's how it happened. The Gorth Demons shimmered into the living room, you told Vanessa to take Melinda and orb somewhere safe. We were kinda winning then they seemed to get the advantage. Some fireballs killed Piper and me; you looked like you'd gone several rounds with something crossed between Mike Tyson and a matchstick."
"But how'd they get the upper hand? Gorth Demons are simple lower level demons; I'm surprised they would even consider attacking the Charmed Ones." Leo said as he fixed the Grandfather clock.
"So that's why we keep you around." Paige said as she saw the clock magically fix itself. "And here I was thinking you were Wyatt's and Chris' father." As Paige spoke, Phoebe remembered the earlier events that led to the dinner that would have made Jenny Craig keel over.
"That reminds me, how come you can orb in here, heal your son and Paige then help with the clean up, but you won't be here for your son's sixteenth birthday?" Phoebe asked glaring at her brother-in-law.
"I have to be up there," Leo began pointing to the ceiling, "the Elders are calling all the Whitelighters back, it's not just me." Both Paige and Phoebe just looked over at Leo.
"How can you honestly tell me that the Elders are making you miss your own son's birthday? Isn't that like something the Source would have done?" Phoebe replied off-handedly.
"The source? What made you bring him up?" Leo asked hoping to distract the sisters from asking any further questions.
"I don't know, I just thought it sounded like something only the truly evil would do. You know, deprive a father of celebrating his son's birth and ruin the child's day with an absent father."
"You know, it's hard to believe it's been almost twenty years since we vanquished the Source." Paige added as she tipped the last of the glass into the bin. "There all clean, now all we need is some windows."
Phoebe turned to Leo. "Don't suppose," Waving her hands towards the windows, "you could, you know."
"Sure but if the Elders find out." With that, Leo proceeded to fix the windows.
No sooner had Leo fixed the windows did he hear that all too familiar jingle. As he directed his eyes to the ceiling, Phoebe let out a moan. "You've got to be kidding me; they can't be calling you back. You can't go; Leo your son still needs you."
"Phoebe I can't ignore them. I have to go."
"Uncle Leo you can't go, Chris needs you. You have to talk to him." Melinda said as she poked her head round the wall.
"I'll try and make it back for his birthday." Leo replied, though no one really believed he'd make it. It never failed, when Chris wanted or needed his father to be around the Elders would have an emergency or a charge would need him.
Before anyone could say anything more Leo had gone. "Chris is going to by so heartbroken." Phoebe said as she opened her arms to let Melinda in.
As Melinda rested her head against Phoebe's body, she was struck by a realisation. "I think Vanessa and me have the good side of the deal when it comes to dads."
Phoebe was dumbfounded by what her daughter had just said. "What do you mean?"
"Well Uncle Richard was always there for Vanessa. He would hold her until she fell asleep, he never left her, and he even died saving her life. As for me, well I never met him but I have all the best stories and memories from you." Phoebe couldn't take anymore she picked up her daughter and gave her the biggest hug ever.
"You're right Vanessa's Dad did love her very deeply and I know for a fact that your Daddy loves you."
"Yeah, I can see Jason looking down from up there, telling everyone around how his daughter is the smartest and most well-behaved girl in the world." Paige added as a tear fell down her cheek.
"But Chris doesn't have anything like that. Uncle Leo is always off with the Elders or with Wyatt. I feel really sad for him." Melinda added as she returned her mothers hug.
"Oh honey Leo loves Chris more than you know; you should have seen him when Chris was hurt. Only a father who loves his child could have such fear and yet such hope in their eyes." Phoebe replied as she sat her daughter down on a near by chair.
"Chris was hurt!" Vanessa exclaimed, a look of pure terror spread across her face. "You said he was just worn out." She continued looking from her mother to her aunt.
"Hey, hey it's okay. Chris was just drained and Leo helped him along in recharging his batteries." Paige replied with a soothing voice, hoping Vanessa would calm down before she roused Chris. "He cast a powerful spell to vanquish a very powerful demon. He was so brave, but now he needs to rest." Vanessa began to understand, if Chris had cast a spell out of the Book of Shadows it could have very well drained him, those spells were meant for more experienced witches, like Charmed Ones.
"Mum, what spell did Chris cast? Was it a power of three spell?" Melinda asked wanting to know everything that Chris had done after he'd left them.
Phoebe turned to her sister; they still didn't know what kind of spell Chris had cast themselves. It was undoubtedly a powerful spell and Phoebe didn't want to worry her daughter or her niece unnecessarily, they idolised their cousin. Seeing Phoebe's internal struggle Paige decided the best course of action was to distract both girls and the best distraction she could come up with was the book. Those two loved to look through the Book of Shadows. "Why don't you two go get the book and have a look?" As soon as Paige finished both Vanessa and Melinda ran from the room in search of the book.
"You do realise that they won't find it, right? Whatever that spell was, it's gone." Phoebe said as their two girls could be heard arguing over who was going to carry the book into the conservatory.
"But at least they'll be kept occupied. That way we can try and figure out what happened before Chris wakes up." As the girls returned with the book, everyone was startled by Piper's anguished cries.
"Phoebe! Paige!"
"Oh no!" Phoebe's mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion, Chris was dead or dying, nothing else could cause Piper to sound so scared. Immediately all four ran for the stairs.
Knowing that they might need the book Paige paused and turned towards the Book of Shadows, which Melinda had abandoned on the floor of the conservatory. However, as she held out her hands to orb it, it vanished in a blinding light. "Where'd it go?"
"Phoebe! Paige!" Piper cried out once more this time her cries were punctuated with what was undoubtedly sobs. Figuring whatever was going on up stairs to be far more important Paige followed the others into Chris' room.
As they entered, nothing could have prepared them for what lay before them.
"Oh my god!" Phoebe could only gasp as she saw her sister cradling her youngest son, his face pale and lifeless.
"No! No, Leo said he was okay. He said he'd be fine." Paige couldn't believe the sight before them anymore than Phoebe.
"Leo! Leo we need you! Chris needs you! Damnit!" Phoebe called out but nothing happened.
"My baby, please no!" Piper hadn't noticed that her sisters had entered the room. "Chris honey, wake up, be a good boy and wake up!"
"Mum!" Vanessa cried out as she grabbed her mother pulling her close, shielding herself from the nightmare they were witnessing.
"No Chris!" Melinda just stood there frozen on the spot.
"Leo! Leo, get your ass down here right now!" Phoebe called out once more, but still Leo didn't appear. Suddenly Phoebe was hit by an idea. "The book! The book did this, the book can reverse it." Tears now flowing down her face.
"It's gone!" Paige said quietly over her own tears. "I was about to orb it but it vanished."
"What! It can't just vanish! It has to be moved from the Manor by one of us." Phoebe bellowed. "There are magical safeguards to prevent it from being taken!"
"I know but it's gone." Paige replied not taking her eyes of her eldest sister as she rocked her son's body back and forth trying to wake him.
"Call it again! And this time you call it!" Phoebe said as her anger and fear began to take hold. How could anyone let a child die just for wanting to protect his family? It wasn't fair.
"Book! Book!" Paige called out but still the book didn't appear. "Book of Shadows!" As the realisation hit that the Book of Shadows wasn't going to help them Paige collapsed, shaking uncontrollably, they were going to lose their nephew.
As all the Halliwell's were now realising that they'd lost their nephew, their cousin, their son, Piper was overcome with grief. She had lost so many to magic but she would refuse to let it claim her son this easily. "No, this will not happen!" Piper raged as she laid her son's head down. "I lost a mother and a sister to magic, I will not lose you too, you hear me Christopher Perry Halliwell!" As she spoke, she turned to her nieces. "Go to the attic and bring me five crystals and five white candles." Vanessa and Melinda could only stare at their aunt, what could she do? It was already too late. "You go get me that stuff or leave!" Piper bellowed.
"Piper there's nothing you can do. He's gone." Phoebe replied as tears streamed down her face. "You have to accept that maybe it was his time." She continued, moving towards her sister to provide what little comfort she could.
"Don't you dare! My son is not gone! It's not his time." Piper glared at her sisters, she swore the day he was born to protect him; she was supposed to protect him, not the other way round. "Get the crystals or just get out!"
Paige turned to Vanessa. "Honey please go up to the attic." Phoebe couldn't believe Paige was going alone with Piper. "It's what she wants, we have no right to stop her, he was her son."
"Is my son! He will not die today, not as long as I stand here." Piper snapped. Both girls understood what Paige was saying, so they quickly ran to fetch what their aunt had asked for. "It's alright baby, everything will be okay, I promise. Mommy will make it alright, you'll see." Piper lent over her son's bed and placed a soft kiss on his brow once again.
As she stood back Melinda and Vanessa returned with the supplies. "What are you going to do?" Phoebe asked, finally accepting the fact that Piper couldn't and wouldn't just sit by as her son died after saving their lives.
"What any mother would do." As Vanessa handed her aunt the supplies she encircled Chris' bed with the five crystals, beside which she placed a candle, creating a scared space around her son.
"In this night and in this hour,
I call upon the ancient power,
Bring back my son,
Bring him to me,
Blood of my blood I summon thee,
Blood of my blood return to me."
As Piper recited the spell, the five crystals began to glow, yet Chris still lay motionless. The pain within Piper's eyes was unbearable; Paige and Phoebe had to do something. If the love of a mother wasn't strong enough, then maybe the power of three would be. As if coming to the same decision, both Paige and Phoebe moved to stand beside their grieving sister, as they took each other hands they could only pray that they were strong enough to reverse the damage caused by the unknown spell.
"In this night and in this hour,
We call upon our ancient power,
Bring back our loved one, our nephew, our son,
By the power of three let it be,
Blood to blood we summon thee,
Blood to blood return to thee."
The crystals began to glow brighter, but still Chris' body remained as it had done before, motionless, lifeless. Piper couldn't take the pain anymore, her strength was waning, and her son was gone.
"No try it again. You have to try it again." Melinda cried as Piper collapsed to the floor.
"You're the Charmed Ones. You vanquished the Source of all evil. You can undo a stupid spell." Vanessa spat as her mother turned to her, tears streaming down her own face.
"I failed. I couldn't protect him." As Piper looked on, Chris' body began to rise into the air, the white crystals that failed to restore his life began to cast an eerie blue light through out the room.