Chapter Twenty-Two

Chris felt them settle down on cold metal way above the ground. It took him a moment to realise where Leo had taken them. The storm continued because of his grief and as he looked down, he could see the carnage that he was causing.

"Why have you brought me here?" Chris asked, "Leave me alone,"

Standing Leo paced a few steps away, running his hand through his hair before turning back towards his son with sympathy. "I know your hurting Chris," Leo began "But obliterating the city is not the answer,"

"You don't know me!" Chris spat accusingly "You never took the time to. I didn't matter,"

"That's not true," Leo answered looking down at his feet solemnly.

"No?" he questioned sceptically "So, where were you? Every birthday, every Christmas, parents evening? Come on dad I'd really like to know,"

"I screwed up Chris," Leo admitted "I was so wrapped up in my own grief of losing your brother I didn't see past it. Just like you are now,"

"I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU" Chris bellowed, lightening following his anger, hitting anything in it's path "I wouldn't abandon my son, I…I would make him feel like he didn't matter. That he wasn't good enough, I wasn't Wyatt,"

Leo went to him, kneeling beside him, taking his face in his hands. Chris' eyes were a light jade, tears overflowing as he could feel the mask slipping. A mask that he had spent years hiding behind, a wall to the emotions relating to his father. He looked like a little boy, so lost and so vulnerable.

"You are my boy," Leo choked through his own tears "And I have loved you from the day you were born. And there is nothing you could ever do to stop me loving you,"

"I'm a killer!" Chris replied with disgust "I hunted those witches, I executed them and, in that moment, knowing that mom's double would finally accept me I enjoyed it,"

"You did a terrible thing, but you can't let it define you for the rest of your life," Leo told him "Sometimes good people do bad things. When we lost your brother, I was so angry and in so much pain I murdered a group of Elders because one of them took Wyatt. That makes me a killer too,"

Chris looked up at his father surprised by this information. "How do you deal with it? The guilt is eating me up dad," the young witch cried "I can't eat, I can't sleep. I saw the look on mom's face…." he trailed off "I just wanted to belong, I missed home so much, and I knew I couldn't go back. So, I thought that this might be the next best thing,"

"Your mom loves you just as much as I do and we will get through this as a family,"

Shaking his head Chris whispered "I ruin everything. I'm the reason Laney's dead," he pulled the young woman lying still in his arms closer, trying to protect her from the elements. "The hooded man wouldn't have come after her if I hadn't murdered his wife. Laney would have been safe. Now I must live with that for the rest of my life. It should have been me who was taken not Wyatt,"

Grabbing Chris' shoulders, Leo shook him gently "Don't ever say that!"

"Why not? It's true isn't it?" Chris replied, "If I'd have been taken instead, you could have been with mom and Wyatt, been a proper family,"

"Do you honestly think that I wouldn't have torn the world apart looking for you too?" Leo asked hurt. "You are my son. When you were a baby I used to orb into your room at night, cradle you in my arms and fall asleep rocking you back and forth in Grams' chair,"

"Then why did you abandon me?" Chris cried.

"Because I'm weak," Leo answered truthfully "Because I was the reason that Wyatt was taken, and I didn't want the same to happen to you. I was so scared of losing you that I pushed you away. And it was the worst thing I could have done. I'm so sorry,"

Chris finally broke, it was like a dam bursting. Fifteen and a half years of pain, anguish, jealously, resentment and insecurities came rushing to the surface like a tidal wave. Leo pulled Chris into his arms and tried to sooth him, stroking his hair he planted a soft kiss on his head. Heavy sobs shook his body as he clung onto his father "I…I want to go home," Looking up at his father sadly he begged "Please dad can we go home?"

Leo nodded before pulling Chris back into an embrace and kissing his head once more "Let's go,"

"What about Laney?" Chris asked softly looking down at the girl in his arms "I can't leave her on her own,"

"We won't" Leo smiled sadly as they both disappeared into light blue orbs.

The occupants of the attic were silently contemplating the events that had just transpired when Leo and Chris orbed back in. Piper had felt like she was going slowly crazy waiting for so news. She was annoyed when Leo had transported her and Matt back to the manor and quickly demanded that someone took her back. They had all refused, stating that this was something that Leo and Chris needed to deal with together. That it wasn't just about the death of Chris' girlfriend but was about so much more. Leo and Chris need some sort of showdown, they would never move forward if they didn't hash out their issues. Finally, she relented, grumbling under her breath shooting her double evils whenever she came into sight. The news report had said that the storm had died down as quickly as it had unexpectedly started so she knew that Leo had somehow managed to get through to their son.

Piper was there in an instant as Chris reformed, quickly she pulled him into her arms determined never to let him go again. "Mom…." Chris complained "Can't breathe!"

"Sorry," She pulled back, holding his shoulders "Are you ok?"

"Getting there," he nodded "I just want to go home now,"

Piper's smile was a mile wide "Of course baby,"

"You are home,"

Piper's smile quickly vanished, and she scowled at her double. Before she had chance to retort Chris stepped forward.

"No, I'm not!" he answered confidently "My home is with them," he motioned to his parents and brother "We were kidding ourselves thinking that I could just slot into place here. I had to change who I was to fit in here," he added bitterly.

"I won't let you leave," Piper answered staring her son down.

"Yes, you will,"

The Piper of this world turned to the voice of her ex-husband, the darklighter looked unphased by her reaction and carried on "He's not a piece of property Piper, he's a boy, a boy that we nearly destroyed,"

"He's not going,"

"Piper," the Darklighter sighed "If you try to keep him here, I will stop you,"

"WHAT?"

"YOU HEARD!" His voice was harsh, cold and loud leaving no room for movement.

"Fine!" she spat "Just get on with it, don't want the snivelling brat here anyway,"

"Why you…"

Leo managed to grab Piper's hands as se quickly raised them ready to blast her counterpart.

"Easy Piper," he refereed "Lets just get out of here before one of you starts a war," Cutting her double a look that could shatter glass she turned back towards her sisters "Lets get this spell sorted,"

Chris looked up at the man who for a while was his father and gave the darklighter a sad smile "I really do hope you find your Chris,"

The darklighter took a few strides over to him and pulled Chris into a brief hug. Looking over at his double he motioned to the young boy next to him "Take good care of him,"

Leo smiled "I will," he squeezed his son's shoulder lightly to give him some sort of reassurance. Leo knew Chris was still unsure that he was a priority and that was something he wanted to change.

"Wyatt," Chris broke the silence "I'd like to say it's been a pleasure…. but it really hasn't,"

The blonde laughed whole heartedly "I'm impressed that you managed to survive here so long, especially with the amount of energy balls I knew at you,"

Chris grinned "I've got good reflexes.

"Right! Shall we go?" Piper asked desperate to leave this place.

The family stood together in the middle of the room as the Charmed ones began to recite the words that would hopefully get them home.

"From here to home,

We wish to rome.

Now we've found a lost son,

Take us back to where we begun"

"That's bloody terrible," Chris groaned as they disappeared into gold orbs and reforming in an empty attic.

After her feet landed back upon the floor Paige rushed over to the window and looked outside. Smiling when she saw the that peace had been restored. "Maybe so," she responded to Chris "But it worked didn't it,"