Chapter Four – The Best Birthday Gift
Phoebe was bright and happy as she brought out a plate of cookies to Chris. She didn't know what kinds Chris liked, but when she'd mentioned the types 'sugar' and 'peanut butter' she hadn't gotten very good vibes. Chocolate chip, which really should have been her first guess, got a good response though Chris did little to show his interest. The boy had been pouting since his parents had left.
"Look what I got!" Phoebe exclaimed as she set down the cookie plate on the table in front of Chris. The brunette boy stared at them for a moment but then turned away.
"I don't want any," he said.
"Now now, Christopher Perry Halliwell, don't put all my hard work to waste. I could hear you drooling all the way in the kitchen," Phoebe countered and nudged the plate closer.
Chris glanced over at the cookies. Then, trying to look like he really didn't want them, Chris reached over and grabbed one… then another. Then he nibbled on them while he stared at the stupid kid's show Wyatt was watching.
"Aw honey, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked. Chris was feeling sort of put off, but not about the cookies.
"They all left," Chris replied easily, taking a huge bite out of his cookie.
"Yeah, but they'll be back in no time! They just had to go vanquish a demon real quick," Phoebe explained, putting a big smile on. Chris gave her a look like 'don't treat me like I'm stupid'.
"Yeah, Aunt Paige will be back soon, and maybe even Mom, but do you honestly think Daddy's coming back? He'll orb back up to the elders without coming back to say goodbye. Then Mom will tell me he's really busy and that he loves me and that he thinks of my all the time," Chris said dryly. Phoebe frowned for the first time in the last hour.
"Aw, Chris. He'll come back before he leaves. I promise…. Does that really happen all the time?" she asked, slightly worried. Chris nodded and ate the rest of his cookie whole.
"Dad always leaves before I can say goodbye," Chris murmured around his cookie and shifted his position on the couch. The sun shone in on him and made him look a bit surreal. For a moment Phoebe thought she was looking at a photograph instead of at an actual person.
Then there was a jingle of bells in the other room and Piper could be heard cursing incoherently. Or perhaps she was just complaining. It was debatable from this distance. Chris perked up but he did not get excited like he had the first time that happened today.
"You guys okay?" Phoebe asked, walking toward the door. Piper appeared in the doorway, covered in some kind of pink cotton candy spider web. She glared lightly at Phoebe.
"Fine. Just a bit dirty," Paige answered for her sister as she trudged in a well. She had some pink in her hair but not much else was off.
"The witch got away, but not before catching the attention of several demons who would want you three dead. They attacked but Piper and Paige managed to get rid of them," Leo's voice chimed in.
Chris's eyes widened and he spun around to look at the three in the doorway. There was Leo, standing unscathed and clean in the doorway of the room. He smiled over at Chris when he locked gazes with his son. Chris took a deep breath to steady his shocked heart. Phoebe took a deep breath too, a huge smile of love on her voice. Then she spread her arms out wide and wrapped Leo in a hug.
"Oh, Leo!" she exclaimed and sighed out happily. Then she pulled away and took another deep breath.
"Uh… Phoebs? Are you feeling alright?" Piper asked. Leo was slightly stunned but he was still smiling.
"Oh, I feel like bursting with relief and happiness!" Phoebe explained and hugged Piper too. Piper side glanced at Chris. The young boy blushed and hid his face. Oh, how cute.
"Hey, Leo?" Piper called to her husband while Phoebe continued to love on her. "Could you go sit on the couch?"
Leo gave Piper a confused look and glanced at the couch and Chris. Now Chris was turning to try and hide in the back of the couch. He'd been found out! This was so embarrassing! Leo adopted an understanding and surprised look. Then he put on a calm look as though he hadn't realized anything. He shrugged and sat by Chris.
The nine year old glanced at his father but then hid again. Leo chuckled. Chris peeked out again.
"Gosh," Leo murmured. Chris turned more to get a more… normal view of Leo. Leo smirked and grabbed Chris off the couch. He pulled him into his own lap and began to tickle him. The brunette child began to giggle hysterically and fight back but it was no use. Leo was bigger and stronger.
"Ah!... Daddy stop it!" Chris giggled out. Leo laughed but obeyed, ceasing his attack. The sisters watched with smiles, Phoebe still hanging on Piper. Chris continued to laugh for a minute and then he turned on Leo and attacked him. He hooked onto Leo with his arms around Leo's neck and his legs around Leo's waist, and it looked as though it would take a spell to remove him.
"I got you!" Chris exclaimed happily into Leo's chest. Leo gasped dramatically.
"Oh no! I feel my power draining away!" he played and slid down the couch to a laying position. Chris giggled again and squeezed Leo tightly, which really wasn't too tightly considering he was only nine.
"Daddy," Chris whispered, looking up at his father's face. Without looking down at Chris, with his eyes closed in fact, Leo began to snore. "Daddy, can I tell you a secret?"
Leo stopped snoring and peeked out under his eyelids. Paige had left to get something out of the kitchen but Piper couldn't move because of Phoebe still holding onto her. Chris laid his head on its side against Leo's chest. When he was certain his father was listening, he continued.
"I'm really happy you're home," the little boy admitted. "If it were my birthday, that would be the best present over anything else."
"Oh, little buddy," Leo said as he pushed himself back to a sitting position. "I'll be here for your next birthday, I promise."
"Okay. I believe you this time," Chris said with a big smile. He buried his head into Leo's chest and just snuggled there for what seemed like forever. Leo frowned over at Piper. Wow… he must be a pretty terrible father. 'This time' is what Chris said. Leo pet his son's hair and just thought about how he could have gotten so busy when Chris was little…
Was it even possible he had really not liked Chris? Hadn't Chris once said 'you had time for everyone else… except me'? Was it even possible Leo would purposely avoid his second son? No. No, Leo would never let that happen again. Never.
-- -- -- -- -- -- --
"Okay. He finally fell asleep," Leo announced as he walked into the living room.
"He is so adorable," Phoebe sighed, letting herself sink into a chair.
"Yeah… He's really a cute kid," Leo agreed, putting his hands in his pockets.
"… I wonder how long it'll last," Phoebe thought aloud, her voice dismal. She felt all three pairs of eyes focusing on her and shivered. "I just mean, sooner or later we're going to get to the parts where Chris hates Leo and… you know…," she explained, leaving the rest hanging.
"You mean we're going to have to go through hearing about what turned him into the neurotic Whitelighter we met and what drove him to come back in the first place," Paige finished for her. Phoebe nodded.
"I, personally, am not looking forward to it. He's too easy for me to read right now. I mean… I don't want him to go back to me not being able to read him, but he's so emotional right now," the empath complained.
"He's a child. Of course he's emotional," Paige countered. Phoebe nodded.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, each submerged in their own thoughts. They were each trying to imagine how long until Chris changed from this happy child to his morose older self. Then, as though just remembering something, Piper sighed. All eyes watched her carefully.
"I'm sort of wondering… when it's going to happen," she said vaguely.
"When what happens, sweetie?" Phoebe asked, leaning closer to her pregnant sister.
"Well… when Chris and dad went out together, Chris revealed some shocking things to him… and one of them is that… sometime in Chris's lifetime… I die," Piper explained. Leo seemed startled, his hands gripping his pockets and his body leaning forward. The other two pressed their lips together.
"Sweetheart, what if it's already passed?" Phoebe asked.
"No. He still looks at me and calls me mom. I'm definitely still alive," Piper pointed out.
"True… well I hope we can skip the more emotional parts of that stage. I'm getting a headache from him being happy. I can't even begin to imagine sad," Phoebe said, holding her head. Piper laughed gently and put a hand on her stomach protectively.
"Oh ow," she complained when the laughter caused Chris to kick her. Leo walked to her and knelt by her chair. "I'm alright," she assured.
"Well no matter what, we need to find that witch," Paige reminded them. "If we're good, we can fix him before he ever reaches that age." This was speculative since they had no idea how long they had till that stage occurred in Chris's 'life'.
The house was filled with silence again as they all tried to think. They could scry for the witch, but then what? They would probably just walk in on another trap. She had some way of knowing when they were coming. Piper absentmindedly rubbed her belly. There was a giggle in the other room and then Piper looked at Leo as though his face would reveal the cause of the noise.
"I got it!" Paige burst into the silence. All eyes snapped to her. "We give her a target and lure her here!" She looked so proud of herself that it took several moments for the others to speak.
"Brilliant, Paige, but what exactly do you expect us to use as a target? She only wants one thing and that's Wyatt," Piper reminded. Paige waved her hands impatiently, then she pointed at Leo.
"Leo, is there a way to fake a Wyatt to lure her out?" she asked. Leo stood up and stammered a bit at being put on the spot like this.
"Uh… well, I'm not sure. Do you want me to go check with the Elders?" he asked, guessing for Paige's thought processes. Paige nodded.
"Yes please. And take Wyatt with you just in case they need him," Paige ordered in a 'hurry hurry' tone of voice.
Leo gave Piper one last look and then walked back into where Chris and Wyatt were. The giggle was Chris had woken up and was playing with Wyatt, but Leo had to interrupt their fun. The girls heard the sound of Leo's orb and let out a collective sigh.
"I wonder if this will even work," Piper murmured. "Would she really come after a fake?"
"We'll never know until we try!" Paige replied optimistically.
All of a sudden, Phoebe held her head tightly and bent forward over her knees. She let out a hiss of pain and a loud crash was heard in the conservatory. Piper stood up quickly and almost fell back down, but Paige caught her. Her eyes were locked on the other room. What was that noise?
"Chris?"