Unplanned Changes

Chapter 7 of 8

By: teal-lover

Summary: Chris changed more than he ever expected with his trip to the past, which in turn lead to more changes to his future. Series finale fix.

AN: Ok, so I could have been mistaken about this being the last chapter ;)

I'm still typing up the last chapter—it's a whole lot longer than I thought.

Rating: T, PG-13 for some language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters or get any money from writing this fiction.

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When Chris arrived in the year 2009 shortly after his brother and grandfather, they were pacing the floor worriedly.

Wyatt practically tackled him when he appeared, but backed up a little at seeing the dejected slump of his shoulders. "Chris, what happened? What did they say to you?"

"It doesn't matter," he said tonelessly while staring out of the window.

Victor walked over and threw his arm around the young man's shoulders, "Of course it matters, Chris. To us, it does."

"Well it doesn't to me. Not anymore. I don't even know why I bothered. You were right Grandpa, as usual. I think I would have preferred not knowing the reason."

"But it's a good thing. At least now we know that they only did it to keep you alive," his brother pointed out.

Chris sucked his teeth, "Yeah, but it also tells me that they're completely willing to take the easy way out. Ever since you were a baby, if anything ever threatened you, they would move heaven and earth to stop it. And make sure that you were affected as little as possible in the process. So I guess we're back where we started. I know they love me. They just don't' like me." Chris's voice dipped down, but it wasn't bitter so much as it was resigned.

He motioned for his brother, "Come on Wy. We should be getting home."

Victor blocked his path and offered again, "My offer still stands. You can come and live with me."

The brunette sighed before giving a sad smile. "Thanks Grandpa. I appreciate it. But I think we all know that it would be a waste of effort trying to get mom to give up something of hers. You know one of your favorite phrases when dealing wither her in the future is that 'it's like talking to a brick wall.' I know you want to help, but it's ok. Really."

The empath touched his arm gently while offering him a warm smile. "It's really going to be ok. I'm alive, healthy. And maybe things weren't like they were last time, but—" he trailed off and stared at his brother thoughtfully—"but some things definitely are better. At least the most important ones."

Victor shook his head in disbelief. "Chris, son. Are you sure you want to just leave things like this? Do you really want to have the memories of growing up in a family where they act like nothing you ever do is good enough for them? Where every time you make a move, you're put under a microscope because they think you'll be like you were when they first met you? For goodness sakes Chris! You're an empath! For decades, you're going to feel every bit of anger, loathing, disgust, and disappointment that they're ever directed toward you. You'll grow up miserable all over again. Is that really what you want?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Chris replied evenly. "No, but it's in the past. It's just a memory for me, Grandpa. I'll move on with my life."

Wyatt raised an eyebrow at the older man as he nodded slightly. "So what, man? You're going to sit here and tell me that it was all nothing? That it didn't hurt like hell every time they treat you like that? 'Cause I think we both know that would be a lie."

Sea green eyes glistened brightly as they stared out of the window again, purposely avoiding those of his brother. Minutes ticked by and Chris finally found his voice, croaking out softly. "I didn't say that. I just said that I'm going to move on with my life. There are limits to how much of the past we can and should change. And apparently, that was never meant to be one of them."

"But Chris—"

The brunette spun around, cutting him off sharply. "Can we just go home now, Wy? I've got some packing to do." He told him, fully intending to stick with his original plan of moving away from his family and orbing back only when necessary.

He turned around to the sound of sniffling behind him. De-cloaking from an obvious spell, he was surprised to find the Charmed Ones and his father gazing at him with four sets of sorrowful eyes. Only his mother moved forward, her arms opening and dropping to her sides repeatedly as if she were afraid of his reaction.

The closer she got to him, the more Chris was able to pick up on the subtle differences of her features from the Piper he had just visited in 2004. The streaks of gray lining her temples; gentle creases around her eyes; more pronounced laugh lines—all told him that she didn't belong in 2009 any more than he did. This was the woman who raised him, his mother of 25 years. His eyes darted to the others proving that they didn't belong in this time either. He spun around wildly again and caught the attention of his brother and grandfather.

Victor nodded in answer to his youngest grandson's accusing stare. He didn't need to be a mind reader to understand the unspoken words of 'what have you done?' He straightened his shoulders back and conceded an explanation, though he didn't look in the least bit sorrowful. "I'm sorry, Chris. It was my idea to bring them here. If they're going to go through with this, then they need to know how it's going to affect you. When you sent us back, you didn't leave us any other choice."

"You promised you wouldn't say anything! Now you've gone and told them everything!" The younger witch ranted angrily.

Victor rocked back on his heals and stammered, "Uhmm…Technically. I didn't tell them anything, Chris."

Huffing angrily, the younger witch threw his hands up in exasperation and turned away, but Piper grabbed his arm before he could take even a single step.

"I'm glad you did," she told him.

Chris avoided her eyes, too embarrassed by his admission to face her.

"I didn't think, Chris. I'm sorry."

Emboldened by her apology, he retorted back, "You didn't care."

"But I did! I do. I never thought that what we were doing was hurting you. I—"

"Look, can we just go home? We'll talk about this later."

Piper shook her head and planted her feet firmly, "No, not yet. Here is where—or when rather—we need to be to fix my mistake. I see that now."

Looking a bit surprised, Chris quickly brushed it off as indifference. "That's not what I want."

"What? Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to like me out of some misguided sense of loyalty or obligation. I came to the past out of my own free will and desire to save my family. You don't owe me any return favors. And that's why I never told you that I remembered in the first place."

Leo watched the interaction and blinked back the tears as he stared at his youngest son. It was as if he hadn't seen him in years, rather than hours. He didn't even realize that he was moving until he suddenly found his arms wrapping around him tightly.

When Chris felt like his ribs were going to beak, he tried to push away from his father. "Dad, you saw me this morning."

Leo ignored his son's protests and clung tighter. "I thought I had lost you."

"Dad—"

"You died in my arms," the former elder whispered brokenly.

He managed to pry his father's arms from him this time, and he moved quickly, far out of his reach. "I know Dad, I was there. But I'm here now, and I've been here all along. Nothing has changed."

Piper spoke up, "But it should."

Chris flashed her a cynical smile, "Why? Because I came back to the past?"

"No. Because I made a mistake."

"Look, mom. I know you mean well, but it doesn't matter. Even if—forget it…" he trailed off shaking his head, unwilling to say any more as he began to withdraw again.

Piper knew he was trying so hard to spare her feelings and she suddenly realized that he always had, even from the very first moment that she pretended to be their whitelighter. But now there was one major difference. While that may have been a small part of his motivation, the defeated slump of his shoulders told her that he saw no point in arguing. That he was never going to make her happy. He's probably spent the past 23 years thinking that he needed to make up for 15 months of mistakes. And that couldn't be further from the truth. She was proud of everything he had done, but there was no way for him to know that, was there? She thought angrily. And wasn't that just like someone had doused her with a bucket of ice water? That Chris knew what he was supposed to be like, and he still threw it all way for her.

She knew the answer to her next question, but she still had to hear it for herself. "Why Chris?"

He cocked his head to the side in genuine confusion. "Why what?"

"Why, if you remembered, did you try to change for us—for me?"

His eyes drifted downward as he admitted openly, "I just wanted to make you happy. I know you couldn't stand what I did. Who I was."

Though she expected it, Piper's mouth dropped open in shock. She shook her head adamantly as he started to walk away, her husband and sisters moving to surround him and block his path. Their heads bobbed and swayed vehemently in tune with hers. "No, no no. That's not true!"

Chris looked up briefly, his eyes momentarily flashing with hope before reality settled on his shoulders again. He recalled how often he felt the negative emotions rolling off of his family whenever they looked at him. He remembered how often growing up, that he had wished for an empath blocking potion like he had given them when he was their whitelighter. However, the ingredients were far too rare and he had simply learned to live with the feelings.

But her words of denial now made little difference when he knew the truth. He knew what he had felt from them all of these years. He wanted nothing more than to please her his entire life. Now, while his mother fiddled with her hands, anxiously awaiting his response of understanding, he couldn't find it in himself to give her what she wanted. It was time to accept things as they were and move on.

He spoke to her as gently as possible, "You can't hide your feelings. I'm an empath remember? But it's ok, Mom. Really. I'm just ready to go home now."

"If you've felt anything negative, it was never directed toward you. Chris please, it could never be toward you. I swear…" Piper broke off pleading.

Phoebe finally found her voice and stepped forward. "She's right, Chris. I know it was never toward you. Being an empath too, I've felt the same things. But coming from the opposite side of the coin, I also have the benefit of knowing why. All of the negative emotions, the contempt—it wasn't for you. It was at ourselves. We were angry with ourselves. That we couldn't allow you to be yourself. I know you never sensed any feelings of joy or pleasure when we did that—because there never was any. Was there?"

He furrowed his brow and thought back, reluctantly proving her right with a softly muttered, "No."

Phoebe bounced anxiously with the temporary win. "You believe me then, right? Believe us?"

Chris watched the desperation in his aunt's face before he turned to the others. The myriad of emotions flitting from his parents to his aunts was nearly overwhelming and he staggered back a few steps. He smiled gratefully when his brother and grandfather stepped between them and glared back harshly, daring them to cross their invisible line of support they had just erected.

Did he believe them? He asked himself. Yes, he thought firmly. Did it matter? No…There was such a thing as 'too little too late', and the fact of the matter was that they choose to hurt him rather than finding another way. They took the easy way out.

You may have loved me enough to want to save me, but not enough to want to fight for me. Chris hadn't realized he had spoken out loud until his mother gasped. Instinctively, he began apologizing before he cut himself off. "I'm sorry, I—can we just go home now? I have some packing to do."

Chris turned and headed for the triquetra on the wall that he had just activated with a wave of his hand. When he realized that he was alone, he turned to his brother, knowing that only he could make them follow.

He understood Wyatt's reluctance. His older brother merely wanted to make things right for him. The blonde probably thought that by allowing them access to the past, they could fix what was wrong. Chris may have wanted a change at one point, but not like this. It felt as if he would be forcing them to change out of a guilty conscience. He'd much rather move on from this point forward, and he needed his brother to help him do that. "Wyatt?"

"No Chris…"

"You promised. You're the only one…" Chris declared hopefully. And Wyatt reflected bitterly on the stupid promise he made to his brother just before leaving for the past. If Chris gave the word, he would ensure that they made it back to the future with no further future interference. He agreed at the time because he hadn't actually anticipated his brother giving that instruction.

He was about ready to refuse when Chris added a phrase that only he would understand. "You're the only one…" How often had his little brother confided in him that he was the only Halliwell who was ever proud of him? The only one who ever made him feel like he was special? The only one who had never let him down! Even if it hurt to give up now, how could he ever shatter that one idea that his little brother had at least one person in his life that would always keep his promises—who would never let him down?

And with a resigned slump of his shoulders, Wyatt knew that he couldn't. He raised his shield to surround everyone that didn't belong in 2009 and began trailing after the younger Halliwell. As he moved, his family was dragged backward with the shield toward the portal. He ignored his mother and father pleading with him to give them a chance to fix things.

Victor shook his head as he watched his family being herded back through the portal, thinking of his youngest grandchild. 'That boy is just as stubborn and pig-headed as his mother.'

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Thirteen months after arriving in the future…

Wyatt wandered up to the attic, tuning out the cacophony of hushed voices below him. He had never before felt as uncomfortable in his childhood home as he did now. The manor felt wrong somehow—imposing, stuffy. He loosened the knot on his tie but it didn't seem to help any. The air around him remained stifling and he yanked off the offending article, balling it in his fist by the time he reached the entrance.

Leo was leaning on the podium inside; the Book of Shadows nestled between his arms. He stared down relentlessly, almost willing it to give him the answers he sought.

Wyatt shook his head sadly, 'As if we haven't already been through that thing backwards and forwards…' His father gave no indication that he had heard him enter, so he cleared his throat gently. "Dad? I just wanted to let you know that I'm heading home now. Do you know where mom is?"

The former elder looked up at his son, and Wyatt couldn't help but notice how the years hadn't been kind to his father. The crystal blue eyes that had once been alight with laughter, compassion and warmth, were now dull and empty orbs. The silver mane that used to make him look distinguished, now only succeeding in making him look haggard. It seemed that the man had aged decade's overnight.

As Wyatt moved closer, Leo began to pace fearing that his eldest was still bound by a year-old promise. The blonde tilted his head suspiciously and began to fit together the pieces of the missing puzzle—or rather—the missing mother. "She went back, didn't she?" he asked already knowing the answer.

Leo's eyes darted around frantically until they found his son, pleading with him silently, 'Please don't try to stop her.'

Wyatt snorted, his features set in a deep frown as he eyed the wadded up tie in his hand. He tossed the crumpled silk into the corner as he spun on his heels and stalked away. When he reached the doorway, he threw a backwards glance at his father, muttering darkly, "Good…"

TBC…

It shouldn't be long for the conclusion now. Cross your fingers—I know I am:)