No such things as mercy if you are a Halliwell
Chapter 13: Some explanation
"Easy Leo," Piper warned as Leo knelt down next to Chris who was still lying unconscious on the ground.
"What about his leg? Should we not put it back in place? Is it safe to even move him at all?" "That looks like it must hurt like hell...!" Piper looked at her second son who looked so fragile at the moment that her heart clenched at the sight. She really wanted to take him home but she feared that they were only causing more harm.
"Yeah, I try," Leo answered quietly as he touched Chris´ torso and then added as he was satisfied with his discovery, "When we`re at home. First we need to get him safe!" "Now is not the time for this!"
"Mommy. Daddy," Wyatt reminded them in his childlike voice that nevertheless sounded urgent. "I wish I were at home!"
Leo crouched down next to Chris and held his arms behind him. He looked at Piper and nodded at her encouragingly. Piper did not hesitate any longer. Even if they were causing him discomfort or even more pain they would make sure that he would get help.
She crouched down and put her arms under her son´s torso. Slowly she lifted his upper body from the ground and brought his lifeless form into a sitting posture. Then she got behind his back and pushed him forward a bit. Leo met his son backwards and used his hands to grab a hold of Chris´ belt. He nodded at Piper.
Piper let go of Chris´ torso and put her son´s arms around Leo´s shoulders. Leo slowly got to his feet while Piper helped him push Chris onto his back. Once Leo stood tall he adjusted his grip on Chris´ hips and carefully pushed him up a little higher. Chris moaned quietly in protest but otherwise kept unconscious.
Chris was dead weight and threatened to slip down again but Piper was standing behind Leo and helped to carry Chris.
Wyatt watched worriedly. Everything seemed to go on in slow motion.
Phoebe and Paige vanquished one demon after the other and Wyatt`s little shield protected the little family as good as possible. The demons threw energy balls and athames, knives and fire flames at them.
Suddenly Wyatt´s blue bubble flickered heavily.
More athames came flying towards their heads but Paige managed to orb them away by screaming "Athames" and orbing them off to the other directions. She did not even have the time to orb them into the demons´ chests. Phoebe used their last potions to get rid of the energy balls that were thrown at them. The vials and balls connected and erupted in small flames.
As another two energy balls hit its frame head on the shield flickered one last time and dropped leaving the family without the protective blue bubble.
"Great! Why now?" Piper picked up her son up who yawned heavily and rubbed at his eyes. She knew that her little angel was more than tired. She hurried after Leo who had taken off without her. She saw how Chris was hanging loosely on Leo´s back. He was still out cold. As she reached her husband she steadied Chris once more.
The group of them hurried towards the portal. Paige and Phoebe took up the lead trying with all their might and remaining strength or potions to keep the demons and their attacks at bay. Leo and Piper rushed after them eager to reach the portal and thereby safety.
But there were at least three demons that tried to stop them. They were standing in their path and blocked their way out. One was a big and heavy guy with a bald head. The other was tall and thin and the third wore expansive clothes that let him seem to be out of place. All were human demons.
"Leo, go, get Chris out of here!" Piper yelled at her husband, "We stop them! Phoebe, Paige and me we get rid of those demons!" "This ends here!"
She kept her hand a second longer on Chris´ back willing him to be okay and then withdraw her hand and hurried to get in front of Leo to help her sisters get rid of the three demons. She planned to either kill them right now or at least distract them long enough for Leo to get her boy out.
"But Piper," Leo protested as he watched her back, "What about you and Wyatt?" "And how can I leave you behind?"
At that moment Leo felt small movement at his back and realized that Chris was coming around.
Chris knew something was wrong as soon as the heavy fog on his mind lifted and he began to feel again. There was noise. There was movement. There was pain.
He could feel himself moving but did not feel his legs move. He knew that he was carried and he also knew that it hurt. As he blinked his eyes to clear his vision he realized that he was on the back on someone who hurriedly ran after a beautiful back.
Why is it this loud? He briefly wondered.
"Worst moment to join us again, Chris!" Paige yelled back at them as she noticed Chris´ stirring. "If he stayed unconscious he would be in less pain."
As soon as he had heard Paige´s voice it all came back to him. You gotta be kiddin me... You are still in this mess?
He wanted to yell back, wanted to join in the fight but all he could manage in return was a small, "Hmm?"
"Paige! Stop that!" Phoebe scolded her sister out of breath, "Help me!" "I am getting tired too!"
"You are going to die first!" The heavy demon promised them and added a snarling, "And then Matt!"
"Try!" Piper yelled as she caught up with her sisters. She awkwardly balanced Wyatt on her hip while she lifted her other hand and blew up the tall demon. "How many are there?"
"Mommy!" Wyatt screamed in alarm. "Bad demon!"
Piper whirled around to Wyatt´s side just soon enough to see the handsome demon in a suit charging at her. Out of pure instinct she raised her hand again and blew him up too.
"Watch out, Phoebe!" Leo called in warning as he pushed her out of the way. He used his elder lightning to vanquish the demon next to her before he quickly brought his hand back to keep Chris on his back. "Stay alive all of you!"
A flaming ball aimed straight for her head let Paige dissolve in blue orbs and reappear seconds after it missed her head. She swore under her breath, "Damn it!"
Chris looked around groggily. He was chummed by Leo´s fast pace and he could feel every injury on his body. The darkness was back at the edge of his vision. But he could feel the family's near end of power. He held onto consciousness, fought back nausea and dizziness and took a decision, I need to help them!
More demons shimmered in. They were like ants. For every you took out more would come.
Chris focused his attention to the three demons that were chasing them. He knew that Leo could not fight demons that were behind him and he also knew that the sisters were too far ahead to turn around. He knew what he had to do and quickly sent a wish up there to give him enough power to do the job.
He closed his eyes in concentration and searched for his inner power. As soon as he found the frightening little amount that was left he began to release it. Power surged through him and dissolved his body into blue orbs.
He orbed of Leo`s back and reappeared behind one of the three demons. They were chasing after Leo and had only seen him disappear. They had no idea that he was behind them. He half lay half sat on the ground and closed his eyes anew in concentration.
Soon he found his other power and tapped into it. He shot his hand out and slowly made fist. The three demons almost instantly stopped short. Their hands reached up to their throats as they desperately struggled for breath. Chris would not yield. He had all three of them in a death grip.
Those demons... and then they are safe – at least I hope so...
"Chris, are you out of your mind?" Piper screamed. She had been running ahead of Leo and only cast a short look over her shoulder to check on her men when she noticed him missing. Leo had turned around and was running back to where they came from and she quickly took after him.
Another demon shimmered in before her and stopped her. She scowled at him, "Get out of my way!"
"Why do you keep doing these things?" Leo yelled furiously at Chris as he whirled around and electrified the demon that had tried to hurt his ex-wife. "We are never going to make it over there in time!"
"Get out of here!" Chris yelled back and looked at them briefly. His concentration only broke for the fraction of a second but it was enough. His grip on his power faded and he lost control of it. He knew what was happening and cursed, "Shit!" Things must hurry up!
The demons took not long to recover. They took in breaths and turned around to face Chris who was behind them and breathing heavily. He looked about ready to keel over and appeared to be no threat anymore.
"So Matt, this is not going to help you!" the first demon mocked him. He conjured two energy balls and released them with a huge smirk. Oh no!
"Shit," Chris cursed again as he began to realize his predicament. He sighed in acceptance and closed his eyes. I cannot die here...
"NO!" Piper screamed as she watched in horror how the demons got closer to Chris. She could not see their ugly faces that were smirking for sure but she did not have to. She knew all too well what they had in mind. "Another hit and he is dead!"
Wyatt tried to dissolve into orbs and help his brother but was too tired to help. "I am so sorry!"
"CHRIS!" Leo screamed and watched powerless. Even if he orbed over he would not make it in time. He dared not to think about how Chris would feel now thinking his father had abandoned him once again. And he dared not to picture a dead Chris. "That is the end..."
The two energy balls flew at a frightening speed yet for the Charmed Ones, Wyatt and Leo it seemed like they took forever to reach their whitelighter.
"What the ...?" Paige thought confused as she glanced over her shoulder and took in the scene. She saw the energy ball only inches way from Chris and her breath got caught in her throat.
"Wh...?" Phoebe asked as she took a glance back, too. She also had to watch without the possibility to intervene.
Chris had closed his eyes. He was awaiting the pain of the two balls when they would connect with his skin, burn it away and leave a terrible pain behind. He was quite familiar with flesh wounds caused by energy balls. If they did not hit anything vital he was sure that he could survive somehow. Maybe he could even fight back.
But who was he kidding? He knew he would most certainly not be able to stay conscious if they hit him. He also knew that most likely they had deadly aim.
He almost could feel their radiating heat. They were only inches away from his face and torso. He knew they were meant to hit him in the head and heart, most likely to make sure he was killed or at least almost dead. He huffed at the thought. Two energy balls could not be his ends. He had survived worse.
He heard Wyatt sob from far away. He could not let him see his death. Such trauma could invoke terrible things. Things Chris had come back to the past to change. Piper´s scream and Leo´s frantic call of his name reached his ears.
He could not let his family down. He would not die by some stupid third class demon attack. He was a Halliwell after all. He could survive this. He would get them out of here.
He would apologize for being an ass. He would explain them things they needed to know to understand his motives. He needed them to understand. He could not die before he did not make things up to them. He had so much to tell them, so much to warn them off.
Chris made up his mind.
He knew he could not deflect the balls with his telekinesis. There was no time.
He also knew that he could not orb. If anyone had thought that orbing could have saved him they surely would have done so by now.
Something inside of him bubbled and caught his attention. It was a foreign feeling. He was sure he had felt it before but it had been a long time ago. He ignored the calling and searched for his Wiccan powers that could help him.
There was simply no time. He did not have enough power to create fire or blow things up or whatever else.
His body would not cooperate if he tried to dodge and he most likely would not be able to lift a finger.
The heat of the energy balls were near. He could feel them beginning to burn his skin.
He did not want to die.
His mind screamed at him. Warmth began to envelop him and power tried to surge through him. He could feel it.
Somewhere deep within him he knew he would find it. He answered the calling. He called forth the power that lay hidden deep within him. It was a power scarcely used for it would only work when all other powers were used up or would turn out to be useless against the foe.
Chris had almost forgotten about it. He had only used it once or twice before because it was rare and immensely strength-sapping. It was meant only for protection. But lately he wondered if that was true whenever he laid eyes upon Wyatt´s.
He hardly had the time to think anymore as the power surged through him. The world around him turned green. The heat of the balls withered and felt almost cold to him. He idly noticed how there was a crashing sound and he felt as if he was churned.
The power it had taken to raise the green shield was enough to let Chris collapse on the floor. He lay there panting as he tried to get his breathing under control. He knew he had survived this attack but what good would it do?
Piper could not believe her eyes but she did not waste a second. She raised her hand while she held on to Wyatt with her other and blew up every demon at least four times before they were vanquished.
Thank god that at least this power works... even if not for long...
Chris was writhing in pain on the floor. Holding up a shield was draining him of his powers and his way to fight off the pain. Whenever he moved though he would cause new pain.
Leo saw his chance. He whirled around and electrified four more demons that had shimmered in. He rushed over to Chris once he was finished with them.
Even Phoebe and Paige began to battle with more force now. They had seen what a close call it had been and wanted nothing more than to protect their nephews and get them home safely. Together they kicked and punched at every demon that got into their way. They were frantically trying to clear a path to the portal.
Piper was satisfied that the demons were gone and reached Chris´ just as his green bubble flickered twice and simply vanished into thin air. Worriedly she crouched next to him. She wanted to reach out to him, to touch him, to assure him everything would be fine. But most of all she just wanted to make sure that he was indeed still alive.
Chris was lying on the ground as he felt the last spark of his power go out. Though he was grateful that the strength-sapping green force field was down he felt now vulnerable and naked. He had no defense left and he knew it. Piper was next to him and he dared not to give up. If he did not get her to safety then he would not even be born! He had to get her out of here!
"Oh Chris," Piper spoke as she barely held back tears of relief, "I am so sorry for everything..."
"Piper?" her heart jumped at his voice. It sounded fragile and labored.
"Would you just go to safety?" Chris asked her as he slowly and painfully raised his head to look at her. He even managed to scowl at her. Then his breath hitched and he grabbed at his chest in pain. Please mom you need to be safe!
"Yeah I do," Piper assured him softly and laid a hand on his shoulder. "And daddy is going to carry you." "Chris we are going to take you with us..."
Chris was not sure if she spoke to Wyatt or if she meant that Leo was carrying him again. If was not important to safe him damn it!
"Leo?" Chris asked and shuddered in dread. He knew he should not have done that as a new wave of pain hit his body hard. Dad?
"Hey buddy," Leo greeted him out of breath.
Despite all this pain Chris should have stayed alert enough to sense Leo´s approaching. Yet, he did not and that frightened Chris.
"No room for arguing. I carry you and then all of us go home," Leo informed him gently but with emphasis that left no room for arguing. Chris was not even sure if at this point he could have offered any argument. "Why do you hate me this much?"
Piper smiled warmly at her husband and nodded.
"Yes Chris, you are not going to stay behind. We make sure of that," she assured her son and looked warmly at her husband. "Thanks Leo"
"Portal is free!" Paige announced suddenly and waved over at them, "Hurry up!" "Time to go home!"
"Here we go Chris," Leo warned his son in advance and tried to pick his son up. "Can I even touch him without breaking some bones? He is so thin..."
"Leo, wait," Chris whispered between labored breaths. Please you don`t need to carry me...
"No Chris, it`s okay." Piper soothed her son. She stroke through his hair that was clinging to his already feverish forehead and tried to distract him. She whispered words without meaning to Chris to keep his attention on her and not his father.
Chris tried hard to tell Leo to just leave him behind. But he felt drawn to Piper´s soothing words and found himself focusing solely on her.
Leo crouched down next to his son. He was at his right side and quickly put his left arm under Chris´ torso. Leo put his right arm under Chris´ knee bend and in one swift movement picked him up this way. He stood tall and watched his wife in awe. She was clearly beautiful and had done a very good job at keeping Chris occupied.
She had risen as well and still kept her hand brushing through Chris´ damp hair.
But all of her distraction could not prevent Chris from taking in a sharp breath as Leo´ jarred at his injuries, especially his broken lower leg. Chris tried to breathe through the pain as he heard Piper whisper, "Easy, breathe Chris, breathe".
The sharp pain that had washed over him had left him breathless and Chris was grateful for it. He knew he could not have bitten back the scream had it been otherwise.
"Thanks," Chris muttered more thankful than he thought as soon as he had enough breath again to say anything. He had not wanted to die here.
"Okay," Leo said and yelled at Phoebe, "We`re coming!"
"I carry you home son!" he silently promised Chris.
"Hey sweetie, mommy takes you home, okay?" Piper said to Wyatt who nodded in return. She adjusted her grip on her son and hurried after Leo to Paige and Phoebe.
"Okay guys, we go through that thing!" Phoebe declared as they all made their way over to it. But she was unsure what was behind that thing. The portal was literally a wall that blinked every now and then. Phoebe guessed that one could go through it because it was so damaged that you could see it. Its natural protection was gone and could not prevent anyone anymore from going through it.
"Nothing worse is behind that portal, Phoebe. Just another part of the underworld," Leo tried to assure her while he ran. He asked Chris for confirmation, "Right?" "I was never in a camp like that..."
"Yeah," Chris replied tiredly. I don`t want to explain how it works now...
"Okay hurry before he loses consciousness again or before more demons come along!" Piper ordered her family she was running behind Leo now to protect both him and their son. "Hold on Chris!"
Paige arrived at the portal and came to a halt. She waved her middle sister through while she provided covering fire by orbing energy balls away. First Phoebe jumped through the portal. Then Piper and Wyatt followed by Leo with Chris rushed past her.
With another two energy balls Paige was the last one to jump through the portal, escaping the training camp for demons.
On the other side was...
Phoebe had been the first one to come to her feet on the other side. She quickly made sure that for now she was alone on this side of the portal. Soon after her though Piper, Wyatt, Leo and Chris made their way through the portal.
She was happy to see Paige running through after them. But then she saw the danger coming quickly.
"Watch out!" Phoebe screamed suddenly in warning. "Damn!"
Piper whirled around searching for the threatand Leo cursed under his breath, "Not again!"
Both of them dodged two energy balls that were heading their way. Piper quickly gripped her son Wyatt tighter to herself and came to her feet again. Chris, however, gasped again in pain as Leo´s sidestep caused more pain.
"Sorry son," Leo apologized quickly as he looked down at him. He could see that Chris was barely holding on. Just as he lifted his head again to make sure that his wife and firstborn son would be okay he heard Paige call, "Energy ball!", and saw how an energy ball was orbed away only inches before it connected with his head.
"Where do those come from?" Paige muttered angrily. "Can`t they stop?"
"Guards of the camp – whether demons or just energy balls," Chris informed them casually, between quick breaths, "We should be safe to orb now." I need a place to sleep... Everything hurts...
"You did not think to inform us earlier, did you?" Paige muttered under her breath.
"Okay, let`s go before more demons show up!" Phoebe suggested. "Orbing home! How I missed that power!"
Everyone agreed. Leo was the first to act. He dissolved into blue orbs and took Chris along. Wyatt had recovered enough to orb himself and his mommy after his daddy. Paige orbed over to Phoebe, took her hand and orbed home.
Only seconds later more demons had filled the empty space.
All of them reappeared at the manor.
They were all in the sitting room. Leo adjusted his grip on Chris slightly and waited for the rest of his family to return home.
Blue orbs changed into his son and Piper. Wyatt was exhausted and quickly fell asleep in his mother´s arms. She hugged him tighter to her chest and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Thank you, Wyatt," she murmured and stroked through his hair.
Paige and Phoebe were the next to arrive. The held hands and took deep breaths as they finally realized that they were once again safe and at home. They made room for Leo who had quickly assured himself that all of them were home in one piece.
He carried Chris over to the couch. He crouched down and then laid Chris carefully on the couch. First he slid his arm from under Chris´ knee bends and then from under his head.
Chris groaned as his muscles sensed the comfortable couch beneath them. At least it`s a couch and not the ground in a lair...
"Easy Chris," Leo told his son fearing he was hurting, "Sorry son."
Chris did not even hear him anymore. He closed his eyes and relaxed as much as it was possible on the couch. At last he was safe. Sleep...
"Paige, could you bring Wyatt to bed?" Piper asked her sister already holding Wyatt out to her. "I need to know that at least one son is safe"
Paige walked over and took her nephew in her arms. She did not want to waste another minute and simply orbed the both of them upstairs.
Phoebe walked over to Leo and Piper who had joined him as soon as Paige had taken Wyatt. Leo was still crouching next to the couch. Piper was bending over and Phoebe stood behind them. All three looked down on their whitelighter.
"How are you feeling Chris?" Piper asked her soon to be son gently. "Please talk to me!"
Chris did not reply immediately. He considered the question. Should I tell the truth?
"You need to tell me everything, Chris" Leo added softly but with emphasis, "I need to check up with the elders if they have an antidote." "Every hint could be the key to the right antidote!"
Chris sighed in annoyance. Okay... But you and caring that does not fit...
"So Chris what is it?" Phoebe asked him as she sensed that he had a troubled mind.
"It`s just...," he began unsure of how to voice his thoughts out loud, "It`s nothing..."
"You can tell us," Piper tried to assure him. "Chris please!"
Chris had tears in his eyes. You are so much like my real mom Piper...
"What is it Chris?" Leo asked worriedly as he detected the little tear drops in the corner of Chris´ eyes. "Are you in any other serious pain?"
"It`s... it`s...," Chris stuttered then he turned his head away, "I`m sorry." I don`t know what to say... I did not want to you to find out my identity... How can anything work out now? You were never supposed to find out this secret! You should have left me back there to rot...
"You don`t need to be sorry sweetie," Piper whispered and stroked through his hair. "It`s okay Chris..."
Piper did not miss his flinch as she stroked through his hair nor did she miss how his body went rigid for a second. But her soothing voice was slowly helping him relax. She saw how the tears in his eyes were flowing freely now. She idly wondered what had gotten into him when he leaned into her hand and sobbed heart-wrenchingly.
Mom – I miss you so bad... He knew he should feel furious at him for being this weak. Maybe he should curse the poison for making him soft. But right now he did not care. She was here with him. He was hurting and she was finally here with him and trying to comfort him.
"Shh Chris, everything is going to be fine...," Piper soothed him while she continued to stroke through his hair with her other hand, "Everything is going to be alright soon."
Leo added in a sincere tone, "We are sorry, son." He promised silently, "I will be a better dad this time around."
Chris looked up at him blankly. He tried to blink the tears away to see Leo clearly. He could not believe it. Are you alright Leo?
"I am very sorry that I always mistrusted you and accused you and insulted you and...," Leo quickly apologized for everything that came to his mind as he saw Chris´ doubting look which he had misinterpreted.
"Leo," Chris whispered softly and it arched Leo`s heart that Chris still didn`t call him 'dad'.
"It`s not your fault," Chris told him quietly while he looked into his eyes. Please Leo... let`s move on.
"Maybe Chris," Leo protested, "But I behaved wrongly for sure."
"And I can`t tell you enough how much I suffer right now... It`s breaking my heart that I was this way to my own son ... I swore to myself that I am a good daddy for Wyatt and then I treat you like shit... How can a parent fail worse?"
"But Leo is not the only one," Piper butted in, "I feel just as guilty as he."
"As Wyatt was born I was shocked at first. Not a girl but a boy – but as I saw him I immediately loved him more than anything else on earth. How could I not see that you are as wonderful as him? Who needs a daughter when her second son is this brave? I should be damned – I had no right to treat you like that but I can`t tell you that... I don`t know how."
"But Piper," Chris interrupted her with emphasis as he looked at his parents. He caught their attention. Even Phoebe looked curiously.
As I first came here I thought that you could recognize me... Maybe a premonition or an intuition... But none of that happened. I was a stranger to you. You treated me in the exact way as it was told in the history books. Mistrust and hatred towards the ones that try to endear themselves to you... I am so proud of you... But at the same time it hurt like hell to see you treat me like shit... But I figured that it was the best way... So I could protect Wyatt the best and I did not get in danger to get near to you Piper... I lost my mom once I could not go back and know that a version of you stays in the past and sobs...
"We know Chris," Phoebe cut in quickly and added her own apology, "We should have trusted you earlier not when we heard your last name. You only had one goal and that should have been enough for us to trust you at least – I mean ..."
"I am so sorry. Every day I write for people when they have problems and need help. But how could I forget about you? Everything of you screamed 'help me' when we were mean to you. Every time we accused you, you looked so... Well I don`t know but I should have noticed that you looked hurt... I should have helped you... Not now rather earlier. I should have supported you first because I sensed nothing evil from you. And that you took that potion ... I guess everyone would have done that... I know that I am annoying and my powers are too but... To cut it short... I am so sorry and I am still searching for the right words..."
"Yes, Phoebe is right," Piper agreed solemnly with her sister, "We could have not liked you but we should have trusted you – you protected Wyatt with the most precious thing you have..."
"I don`t know what`s gotten into me... I am such a horrible mother..."
"Your life," Leo finished quietly as he looked intensely at Chris trying to make him understand and accept their apology. "And I am so proud of you for that!"
"But guys...," Chris began to protest again.
Yeah afterwards you always see things clearer. But you have nothing to regret... Please don`t make that harder than it already is...
"No Chris, we want to apologize but we also know that our behavior cannot be forgotten in two seconds. We know that we hurt you...," Phoebe explained.
"And we would try everything to make things better"
"We hurt you in a way that no one on earth should do," Leo admitted sadly.
"And I call myself an elder... Someone who is purely good... I should be rather called a liar and be accused to be a horrible father..."
"And that Wyatt figured you out but we didn`t is a proof that we are..." Piper trailed off blaming herself, "stupid."
"No," Chris whispered as he got his tears back under control. He straightened slightly to get his point across. "It`s good that you reacted the way that you did."
You don`t need to feel guilty...
"Huh?" Piper replied confused, "What do you mean?"
"What do you mean Chris?" Leo repeated as his son gathered his wits. "It`s good?"
"I mean that you behaved right – no I don`t mean that it did not hurt me. But ...," Chris was unsure of how to continue.
How can I tell them that without sounding like an idiot?
"What do you mean, our behaviour was right?" Phoebe inquired suspiciously. "Chris there was nothing right what we did."
"Don`t get me wrong... But if anyone else came along and protected Wyatt for a month – I don`t think that I would trust him," Chris explained and looked at them. He tried to make them see his point. If you guys trust everyone then we would be lost...
"Do you mean...?" Piper did not dare to form that thought into words. "Oh Chris!"
"Yes, I could have been a demon," Chris continued his explanation, "I was glad that you were so protective of Wyatt. That proofs how much you love him. He should be proud to have such a caring family." And that is more than I could demand.
"But Chris, a mother should be able to identify her own son when she sees him!" Piper argued. "She really should!"
"Yes, but that was not normal. I mean I came from the future and you were not pregnant. How should you have known that I am your child and that you would get another boy?" Chris replied in a calm tone.
"Even if I would have told you – you would not have believed me..."
"He does have a point there," Leo admitted after a while and Chris looked at him somewhat thankfully.
That`s a surprise Leo but a positive one... I never figured you were the first one to believe me.
"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked suspiciously. "I don`t get it!"
"Well when Piper was pregnant with Wyatt we thought that he would be a girl. Then you can imagine that the next child should have been a girl – no offense Chris," Leo explained, "The Halliwell line always consisted of women. What were the odds that the next child would be another boy?"
"I hope that that is what you meant..."
"Exactly my point," Chris agreed and nodded his head slowly.
At least one member of my family got it...
"Oh Chris I ... understand now... but...," Piper said between sobs. "That does not justify our behavior!"
"No Piper,... it`s okay," Chris assured her, "It is really okay with me." Please mom!
"Okay Chris, but we try to make things better from now on," Piper finally relented as she looked into her son´s sincere eyes. "I think you`re right Chris..."
"No," Chris simply replied. What about Wyatt? You should not focus on me. I am only here to help save Wyatt.
"No?" Leo repeated incredulously. "What is it?"
"All I am saying is that you should protect Wyatt by vanquishing demons that could be a threat instead of fussing over me!" Chris clarified as if they were little children. Please I am an adult and our main goal is to keep Wyatt safe!
"But we are your parents!" Leo insisted. "I am not going to continue my ignorant behavior!"
"I know," Chris admitted without emotion or the blink of an eye, "But that does not change the facts." But that is not my point...
"Let`s make a deal," Piper suggested suddenly. "I think I know what you fear Chris..."
"What deal?" Chris asked warily. "Oh no..."
"We fuss over you and protect Wyatt," Piper announced and was satisfied with her decision. "Then everyone is safe!"
"Yeah, that`s a good plan!" Leo agreed. "We can do that!"
"I agree!" Phoebe jumped to her aid. "I help wherever I can!"
Chris sighed. There was no point in arguing any further if his mom had made up her mind. Some things never changed.
"Okay guys," Chris gave in. "But I can help you. You will not treat me with velvet gloves just because you now know that I am family."
I don`t want to be put away! I could hunt demons before alone very well!
"Of course, but you don`t put yourself in any danger!" Piper lectured him, "No alcohol, no bars, no late nighters. And I want to know where you are!" "I know that I can`t tie you down.."
"And you come to me when you need healing!" Leo more demanded than offered him. "I can help you."
"I am your shoulder to cry on!" Phoebe promised and smiled at him. "Did that sound bad?"
Paige orbed in. She had heard the whole conversation and added, "I can help, too!" "I just don`t know how yet..."
And Chris laughed. He laughed for the first time. He was barely mindful of his injuries because it felt so good to be finally able to laugh again. His family smiled at him.
That is so my aunt Paige! And my family! At least before the event...
Maybe things could turn out right... Maybe...
Next step... get rid of this poison...
TBC...
Hey guys!
I hope you like this chapter. I had some writer`s block this weekend and so I think that I should stop here and update... But the next one needs time... Sorry...
Please review in the meanwhile! I like your opinions to this story!
A/N: I tried to improve this chapter – fixed some typos and grammar mistakes, added some descriptions. I hope you approve of it!
Thanks for your feedback