Disclaimer: Nothing in the Charmed universe belongs to me and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: I have received reviews begging me for the final revelation. I have received reviews asking me to put it off for a bit. And I have received reviews that were in the middle. So what shall I do? The chapter's already wrote so I'm posting it one way or another, but I promise there are many more chapters to come. So for everyone worried that it will be over soon, stop worrying. I promise there is more to come.
Chapter 7 He Has a Name! It's Chris!
As time ticked by Leo stood and started pacing around the chamber deep in thought. He nervously tossed a bottle of water back and forth from hand to hand as his mind ran through too much information to process. They had learned so much that day. A lot of what they had learned was almost too hard to bear. But Leo knew that if they were gonna change the future they had to accept it and do something about it. But what could he do about Chris?
Chris hadn't wanted them to know any of the things they had learned that day and he certainly would not be happy with the fact that even after he was unconscious the chamber was still showing his memories. And there was so much to make up for. They had all treated him poorly since arriving in their time. Sure he had acted very suspicious but he had never done anything to actually hurt Wyatt or any of them for that matter, at least not until Leo himself had pushed him beyond his breaking point. But how much abuse had he taken up until that moment? Leo found himself sinking into the shame of his actions.
"I don't understand myself anymore," he finally said looking out into the void surrounding them.
The others had been lost in similar thoughts. None of them could be considered innocent in their mistreatment of the young witch. "I'm supposed to be a pacifist. I'm supposed to protect the innocent. I've failed in everything I've ever stood for since he came back from the future." The realization of everything he had done sunk into him like a weight pressing in on his shoulders and there was nothing he knew to do that would bring relief, and honestly he had to admit that he didn't really deserve any.
"You're not the only one, Leo. We are all guilty of the same," Paige sighed in utter hopelessness. "None of us are ever gonna see things the same."
"We shouldn't be able to. What we've been doing is wrong, very wrong." Piper admitted. "And what's worse is the fact that we should have all known better. We spend so much time helping innocents and protecting other witches and magical beings that we don't even know. But when it comes to Chris, we've spent months now mistrusting him and fighting him at every turn. I wouldn't blame him if he hated every one of us."
"He doesn't though, you know. He may be able to block his emotions from my empathic powers but I've still seen the way he is around us. He may get angry when we don't do the things he wants us too, or when we don't take him seriously, but he still respects us. He still follows most of our wishes even if at times they are selfish." Phoebe out of all of them seemed to have a better grasp on what Chris was truly like. Even if she couldn't use her powers on him she was still a very perceptive woman and Chris hadn't been able to fool her into believing that he had no feelings or emotions, no matter how hard he had tried. "But we still have to find a way to make things right with him and the only way I can see to fix what we've done is to dedicate our lives to making sure his mission succeeds. Change his future and he'll never have to suffer through any of what we've seen today or even our poor treatment of him." Phoebe said it with such conviction that both her sisters nodded in utter agreement.
Leo stood still for a moment just shaking his head before he spoke up. "You all know there is one thing that we haven't taken into consideration, don't you?" Leo hated to burst their bubble but none of them seemed to understand time travel well enough to see the flaw in Phoebe's idea.
"If this is more bad news I'm not sure I want you to finish that statement, Leo," Paige said rubbing her temples trying to stave off the headache she was beginning to get.
"I'm afraid so. Even if we can stop Wyatt from turning evil it won't exactly spare this Chris from the pain." He could see that they weren't exactly following him. "If Chris is still in our timeline when the change occurs he'll retain all these painful memories even after he goes back to his own time. We'll be able to save Wyatt, but I don't know how we can make things right with Chris. And you all know that he won't leave until he's positive that he's succeeded."
"So you are saying that no matter what happens, whether we save his future or not, Chris will always have to live with the memories of his crappie life?" Paige was not pleased at all with that fact. Yes it would solve most of their problems as far as Wyatt was concerned and now that they knew what had happened in the past they might even be able to save themselves from eminent death but still wasn't that leaving Chris with the short end of the stick?
"He knows all of that already though, doesn't he?" Piper asked realizing exactly what Leo was getting at.
"And he still came back here," Paige said astonished. She wasn't sure she could face something like that. The knowledge that she could save the entire world but not herself was something she just wasn't sure she was capable of.
"Yes," Leo answered simply knowing that Chris was smart enough to realize all this for himself.
"Leo, you don't think that he feels like he deserves it for what happened to us in his past, do you?" Piper asked concern coloring her features again. She had yet to leave Chris' side and she again reached out smoothing his hair back from his face again. The long locks just didn't seem to want to stay in place no matter how hard she tried.
"That is a very real possibility," Leo answered his shoulders sagging. They all felt very responsible for what had happened in Chris' past but for some reason Leo had the feeling that he was the most to blame for Chris' feelings of guilt. Where was he? Why hadn't he been there to support Wyatt and to assure Chris that it wasn't his fault? "He needed someone to be there to tell him that it wasn't his fault and I really don't think he had that. It's twisted his perception of his own fault in the situation. A child his age wouldn't be able to understand on their own that there was no way they could be responsible."
With those words the center tile lit up again and they all turned in fear of what it would show them next. Of how much more past pain Chris had withstood.
The teenage boy sat very still on the topmost platform of the Golden Gate Bridge. His legs hung over the edge and as the image zoomed in on his face it showed silent tears streaming down his cheeks. His green eyes shown brightly and his nose and cheeks had turned a bright shade of pink from the numerous times he had wiped the tears away with his shirtsleeve, which was now soaked to his skin but the feeling did not register as his mind remained on the event that had drove him to this point away from all he had left to care for in this life.
As a tiny hitching noise was heard issuing from his throat unbidden, blue and white orbs appeared behind him on the bridge.
Leo swallowed hard seeing his future self appear on the bridge behind the grieving boy. He could see the pain written clearly across his face and knew exactly when this image had to have taken place. The image before him was only half the being it had been before, as it seemed empty and lifeless to his eyes.
The sisters did not need to ask about what they were seeing. They had never seen Leo look so distraught before in all the years they had known him.
"Chris, what are you doing up here?" Leo asked his voice cold and devoid of feeling.
"Just thinking," he whispered in response not turning towards the Whitelighter behind him.
"Wyatt, will be looking for you soon. You should get back to the Manor. It's almost time for the funeral," Leo suggested in that same unfeeling voice.
It was easy to see the flinch that coursed through the young man's frame at the word funeral. "I don't want to go."
Leo sighed his eyes squinting slightly in frustration. "Chris, please don't be this way. Wyatt will need you there." His voice seemed to hold only exasperation for the young man's feelings.
Always Wyatt, Chris thought bitterly to himself. But then he pushed the thought away. He loved his brother with all his heart and it wasn't his fault that their father didn't seem to care for his second son. "Wyatt, will be fine without me. He'll have you."
Leo just shook his head at the statement wishing he didn't have to have this conversation with his youngest son. "He doesn't want me there, Chris. He's very angry with me."
The truth be told, Wyatt was very angry with almost everyone and quite possibly even the entire world but Chris didn't know what to do about that. But he did know how Wyatt's anger at their father always ran its course until he decided to forgive the man. "He'll eventually get over it. He always does."
"Chris, quit being so selfish. Don't you think you at least owe…" Leo's words cut off before he finished the sentence. He hadn't meant for his words to sound so accusatory. It wasn't at all what he had intended.
After hearing the accusation in his father's voice Chris stood quickly and turned towards him with all the pain he felt clearly evident on his face. "What? I owe him. Is that it? Why do I owe him now?" Chris asked bitterly. "Maybe because he's always protected my worthless butt. Or maybe because he deems me worthy of his attention. Oh wait, no I bet I can come up with a better one. Maybe because I got them killed and now the perfect Twice Blessed is at risk from every demon in the known universe. Yeah, I bet that's it. Well I'm sorry if right now I just don't care."
"That's not what I meant, Chris. Listen, can't we just start this conversation over?" Leo asked seeming as if he truly did not want to even have it to begin with.
Chris just nodded not trusting his voice to speak. He really did not want to argue with his father. He never won an argument with him. No matter how much he hated the man for the way he treated him, he still respected him as his father.
"Wyatt, doesn't want anyone to be there for him but you, right now. He trusts you. Do you realize what something like this can do to a witch that possesses that much power? The Elders think this is a very crucial time for him and they are afraid that we might lose him if he turns on a path of revenge." He sounded as if he was explaining what the weather was gonna be like for the next few days, not about the future morality of his son.
Chris was completely taken back by his father's cold uncaring request. He couldn't believe that this man had ever been the loving father that he had seen with Wyatt so many times in the past. "Have you thought that maybe I'm just not up for this right now?" Chris finally asked being as truthful as he possibly could. He felt completely wiped out both physically and emotionally.
"Honestly, it doesn't matter whether you are up for it or not. Wyatt will seek you out one way or the other and you won't be able to put him off like you are attempting with me." With that Leo crossed his arms over his chest and just waited for Chris' reaction.
"What the hell," the present version of Leo said angrily staring at his future counterpart's image. "What are you doing?" he screamed angrily at the image. "He's just a boy." The vein in Leo's temple pulsed and his face had become flushed.
Piper too could not believe what she was seeing. How could the most loving tender man in the world turn into that unfeeling horrible person? Her mouth opened to say something, anything but she couldn't force any sound out.
"Leo, he's grieving. Maybe he just doesn't realize what he's doing," Phoebe suggested hoping that the image was not a constant in Chris' future.
"That is no excuse. Can't he see the pain Chris is in? Doesn't he have a heart at all anymore? Chris is just a boy. How can he expect him to be responsible for Wyatt?" With those words Leo angrily threw the bottle of water he was clenching and it sailed through the image of himself and into the void beyond. "No wonder Chris hates me. Hell, I'd hate me too."
Chris had stood for several minutes matching stares with his father but he knew he wouldn't win this argument. He was about to give in and just orb back to the Manor when another set of orbs formed not two feet from his side.
"What's wrong? I could sense your distress in my sleep. You are throwing off pain like a skinned rabbit." Wyatt asked before he noticed his father standing across from his brother.
Chris continued to stare at his father, not saying a word and Wyatt's gaze followed Chris' line of sight until it rested on Leo. "Never mind. 'Nough said," he bit out sarcastically.
"Wyatt, I'm just trying to convince Chris to go to the funeral," Leo said not loosening the tight stance he had adopted.
"And he doesn't want to go?" Wyatt asked not even batting an eye.
"Not really," Chris answered honestly.
"Then don't," Wyatt said shrugging.
Leo's eyes snapped in anger. "Wyatt, this is important. Chris has responsibilities too and I'm tired of him slacking off on them."
"Why, what responsibilities does he have?" Wyatt asked in anger. His father was always harping on Chris about responsibilities. He on the other hand was usually coddled and was assured that his main responsibility was to learn to control the power he would someday wield as the Twice Blessed. Even though his responsibility seemed like a huge one he had learned many years before that Chris had many more responsibilities in life and it just did not seem at all fair.
Leo hadn't expected that question and seemed to stutter as he tried to find something to say. "He… well he should…You know, I'm not going into this. I'm just too tired to deal with him anymore. He has to make everything more difficult for us and he's never satisfied with what we've given him and done for him."
The sisters and Leo all wondered at that statement. Had they taken him in after he lost his family? Did Leo think he owed them something? Why would he? Even if they were caring for an orphan it wasn't something that they would ever consider requesting payment for, in any form. None of it made sense.
Wyatt's face darkened in anger. "He has a name, Dad! It's Chris! You know, your second son. You don't have to treat him like a non person."
Chris' eyes shut in pain at his brother's defense of him. Wyatt always stood up for him, even to their father and though Chris appreciated it, he often wished he had had the courage to do it for himself.
For a second the entire room seemed to freeze as if Piper had used her time freezing power. But no magic was present in this utter silence. Not even a breath could be heard throughout the room.
And then the room erupted in voices. "My what?" Leo barked at the image all color draining from his face.
"But how can that be?" Piper asked a moment of utter panic taking her.
Phoebe and Paige both looked to the unconscious form on the tile floor and in unison said "He looks just like Piper!"
But the vision continued oblivious to the chaos it was causing. "I know he's my son, Wyatt. He's just not acting the part very well right now."
At those words Chris finally found his tongue. "When did I ever act the part to your satisfaction, Dad? I'd really like to know."
"Oh quit being so over dramatic, Chris. This is the worst day for one of your tantrums." Leo's voice sounded in complete disgust.
That was the last straw for Chris. He had stood back and took it for way too long. "Tantrum. Since when would you even know that I was throwing one? It isn't like I ever see you. You spend half your time out saving other charges and the other half 'up there' teaching Wyatt all of the things he needs to know to be the Twice Blessed. I'm surprised you even know I exist."
"Now you are just overexagerating, Chris," Leo said in his own defense huffing angrily.
"Is he?" Wyatt asked unable to watch his father turn this around on his little brother. "How many times have I had to heal Chris because you were too busy saving your other charges?"
"What are you talking about, Wyatt?" Leo asked rounding on his oldest son.
"Do you know how many darklighter arrows I've pulled from him?" When Leo didn't answer Wyatt answered for him. "Six, Dad. Six in the past three years."
"If you had called, I would have come," Leo said becoming more defensive of his actions.
Wyatt snorted in derision. "He did call you. Every time. But you never came. I was always his second call and it almost killed him a couple of times, waiting to see if you'd respond." Wyatt had never let on to his brother how much he knew about the pain their father caused him but he had always seen it and he wasn't prepared to stand for it anymore.
"I didn't hear him," Leo finally admitted in a slightly deflated tone.
"Yeah, just like you didn't hear him when mom was dying," Wyatt snarled.
Leo's eyes narrowed in anger at both his sons. He could expect this kind of disrespect from Chris, but never from Wyatt. "Well you didn't hear him either," he countered.
"I was in a meditation trance. One you put me in for that matter. What a stupid exercise. And it cost us everything. You cost us everything!" Wyatt shouted his hand clenching into a fist ready to strike his father if he had to.
"You broke out of the trance, at least. It proves what kind of control you have over your own powers." Leo had drifted into a new subject thankfully trying to get away from the responsibility he felt concerning the deaths of his wife and her sisters.
But Wyatt was having nothing of the change of subject. "Yeah, I broke out in time to save Chris, which I'll always be thankful for, but what about mom?"
Leo just shook his head at his son and then orbed away unable to withstand anymore of the painful conversation.
The present version of Leo started to step back from the image his face a mask of pain and revulsion. He kept moving backwards until his back was against the table and then he fell landing hard on the tile floor with his hands clutching each side of his head that was shaking in denial. "What have I become?" His voice was choked with raw emotion and tears had started streaming down his face. "Oh god, Chris. I mistreated my own son both now and in the future."
Piper, who was still kneeling next to Chris had a look of pure shock on her face. But when she heard Leo's words a loud sob was ripped from her lips. She immediately wrapped her arms around Chris' still unconscious form pulling him into a tight hug. "We'll make this right. God, Chris, we'll make this right," she repeated over and over again stroking his hair as if she was comforting a crying child.
Phoebe and Paige though in their own world of guilt and pain knew they had to find a way to help the distraught parents. Phoebe went to Leo, knowing his emotional guilt would be overwhelming him, and Paige went to Piper wanting to comfort her sister and keep her from crushing her thankfully unconscious son.
The room became quiet again though as the image continued on and they were drawn to it willing it desperately to not be anything more painful than they already had learned.
Chris had been standing back letting his brother speak but once his father was gone he couldn't hold back the pain that wracked his body. He bent over double his chest constricting as if the emotional pain he was feeling was ripping at his very heart, threatening to tear him apart. He sobbed unable to hold in the wretched sound.
Wyatt immediately grabbed his little brother pulling him up and wrapping him in a strong embrace. "It's okay, Chris. It's okay. I got ya."
Chris' body was wracked with sobs and it was several minutes before he was able to form any coherent words. "I can't do that anymore, Wy," he finally whispered.
"I promise, Chris, I won't let him anywhere near you again. I'll kill him if he even tries." Chris knew Wyatt wouldn't truly attempt to kill their father but the sentiment helped him to better control his emotions anyway.
He pulled out of his brother's arms and turned looking out over the city. "I wish you hadn't saved me, Wyatt."
Wyatt gasped at his brother's admission. "Chris, no. What would mom say if she heard you say that?"
"She'd be angry," Chris admitted. "But she'd understand why I felt it."
"Chris, I don't care what your reason is. All I know is that I don't want to lose you too," Wyatt demanded angrily. "And he is not a good enough reason to want to die anyway."
"It's not really him, Wy. It's all the mistakes I've made and all the trouble I've been. No I've always known where I stood with him. I'm just the mistake that wasn't ever supposed to happen. I've always been that." Chris had heard it all so often from his father and even though it had hurt he had tried to push it away as hard as possible.
"You are not a mistake, Chris. Sure they never planned on having you and your timing was a little off, but still…" Wyatt always hated this conversation whether it was with Chris or his parents.
"Off, yeah my whole arrival into this world excluded Dad from becoming an Elder and he has never let me forget the good he could have done if that had happened. Forgive me for being born." It hadn't been an easy life living with a father that resented your entire existence but still his brother and the Charmed Ones had always made up for that. Especially his mom. "At least Mom always wanted me."
"Don't forget the Aunts, either. I may have had the blonde curls and sweet smile but your charm and charisma had them wrapped around your finger from day one." Chris understood what Wyatt was doing. No matter how much it hurt to talk about their lost loved ones reminding him that they loved him dearly was exactly what Chris needed to dispel the pain of his father's rejection for a while at least.
"Yeah..." Chris said nodding thoughtfully brushing away the tears. But today his mind could not release the painful thoughts of his father. "Did he ever like me at all, Wyatt?"
Wyatt sighed his shoulders slumping in defeat knowing he wouldn't get Chris off the subject this time. Then he gave in and told Chris something that he had wanted to often before but had wondered if he would even believe it. "I don't think I've seen Dad ever happier than when you were a baby, Chris. He was like a normal dad back then. Always acting all gaga and making faces and stuff. But then the Elder's started in on him. It was almost as if they and mom were at war over him. They had wanted him to become one of them and mom of course didn't."
Chris had never heard any of his family mention this and was very surprised to know that he had once had a father that truly cared for him. "What happened?"
"Well they eventually compromised. Dad stayed with us, but whenever his Whitelighter duties called he had no choice. He couldn't balk at them at all and he could never defy them for us. I guess he used to do that quite regularly before we were born. I don't know if he really wanted to be away all the time while you were growing up but if he had went against the Elders they would have recycled him to earth and we would have lost him forever." None of them had ever told Chris any of this because they always thought he was too young to understand the ways of the Elders but since Wyatt had spent time with the Elders and heard them discussing it with Leo time and again he was very familiar with the situation. "And as you've seen for yourself the compromise didn't exactly work out well for any of us. Mom and Dad always fighting. Me being shifted off to the Elders half the time, like that's really where I wanted to be. And well you got the worst end of the deal, I guess. I think they blew it when they made that compromise."
Chris was lost in thought for a few moments before he came to a conclusion in his own mind. "It's too bad we couldn't change the past, you know."
Wyatt looked startled by the suggestion. "What would you change?"
"I would have made dad an Elder. I know he wouldn't be around as much but maybe if he were happier with what he was doing and they weren't on his back all the time, just maybe when he was able to sneak down and see us things wouldn't have been so bad." To his young mind it had seemed so logical but Wyatt wasn't so sure it would have been any better.
A/N: Okay since that chapter was super long I'm gonna break it off there and put their reactions in the next chapter. So how did I do with the big revelation? Anyone think it works? And again. Even though they know who Chris is now, the story is far from over. Very far from over. So continue reading if you are enjoying it. I have an interesting twist to throw in and then there will be lots of consequences to come.
