2026
"What are we going to do dad? I can't seem to connect to Wyatt. I can almost feel the connection then it's lost. It's going on 10 hours. We will have to tell mom and Aunt Phoebe something soon. They won't buy the story you told them forever."
Leo sighed, he wished that they'd have at least made contact by now. "I know. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Now reach out again. Try to find a connection of any kind."
Chris settled down on the floor and tried to concentrate.
"Can you sense anything?"
Chris frowned as he was diving deeper.
Leo placed a hand on Chris' shoulder, "You can do it Chris I know you can."
What happened next shocked him, "I'm working on it Leo give me a break I'm trying. It's not easy. I'm almost connected, I can almost touch Wyatt now."
Leo was so stunned he backed away in shock, his son had never spoken to him like that. At first he was confused then it hit him, this version of his son had never spoken to him like that. However the Chris he knew in the past that had died had on multiple occasions talked to him with that same attitude before and even after he found out who he was. Then he remembered that he'd told Chris to grab any connection. Thinking on it now he realized of course Wyatt wouldn't be the strongest connection when dealing with the past. Chris' past self would be the strongest connection. His strongest link would be to his past self not his brother.
Just then Leo was startled out of his thoughts, "What the hells going on in here Leo?"
Leo looked up to find not only a very angry looking wife but both sister in-laws as well.
"Piper! What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you and Chris. When I couldn't find you and you didn't answer your phone." She held up her hands to stall any objections. "Don't even try to tell me it won't work. We both know that it has since the day I cast that spell on it, it has worked here in magic school. I had to drag Paige away from her family to find you since even Chris didn't answer my calls or his phone. Wyatt and the girls should have been back by now. What is Chris doing?"
Leo knew he was beat, "He's trying to connect to Wyatt."
"What the hell do you mean trying?!"
"Leo, please where are the kids?" Phoebe asked.
Leo sighed, "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? You said they were negotiating a peace treaty. Did you lie to me?"
"Piper I'm sorry I had to, I had hoped we could reach Wyatt through his and Chris' bond and get them back here."
"So where are they?" Paige asked.
"That's the problem, we don't know." Leo said, handing Piper Melinda's phone. Chris had given it to him when they first got to the office and Leo wanted to know the spell they had cast. "This was all they found when they went looking.'
"Our kids are lost somewhere and you didn't tell us. Where do you think they are?" Piper again demanded.
"We think they're in the past."
"Why didn't Chris and Wyatt tell us before jumping through time?"
"Chris told me that they thought they could handle it. Wyatt would go back, grab them and return."
"So why didn't he?"
"I'm not sure. Something must have made him decide to stay longer. Chris is trying to connect to Wyatt as when they learned about the girls going missing they made plans for Wyatt to go after them."
Before Piper could respond, Chris turned around and snapped, "Leo would you shut the hell up I'm busy over here." It left everyone in shock as this wasn't normal.
Piper glared at Leo, "First you lie to me about where Wyatt and the girls are and now you're doing something to Chris!"
This time it was Leo's turn to glare at her. "I'm not doing anything to him, Piper. You know after what happened I would sooner take a darklighter arrow to the heart than let Chris get hurt. I simply asked him to try to connect to Wyatt in the past but he couldn't seem to be able to do it. I told him to try again, I think he connected with his past self."
He then walked over to Chris' left side and put his hand on Chris' shoulder, "Chris, you have to break the connection. You have to come back."
Phoebe felt a strange pull and walked over behind Chris and after placing her hand on his right shoulder she got pulled into a premonition. "No Leo, he can't break away not now."
"Why, Phoebe what's wrong?" Paige asked.
"He's in too deep. I just had a premonition that if Chris tries breaking the connection now then the two will remain linked and when past Chris dies so would this one. If we can't get them to release the bond willingly which I doubt either are consciously aware of then they will both spiral out of control as they each fight for dominance. Depending on who wins will determine what happens." What she told them was mostly true. However in her vision past Chris won and future Chris landed in a coma and eventually died. She didn't want to upset his parents by saying this though.
"Then what do we do?" Paige asked.
"I'm going to try to use my powers to reach out and help." 'Now to find out why the other Chris won't let go.' Phoebe started to try to connect and between her empath powers and her Psychic Reflection she was able to tap into past Chris' memories. She saw P.J., Melinda and Wyatt and heard their talk about finding who turned Wyatt. She started to probe future Chris for any memories he inherited to share and started doing that, then unconsciously she reached out and touched Leo's hand that was still on Chris' other shoulder. Suddenly she was flooding Chris with Leo's memories of the day he died.
Seeing Leo with a glazed look and suddenly crying Piper walked over and touched him to see what was wrong. But because Phoebe's Psychic Reflection powers were so powerful she got sucked in and witnessed past Chris' death. She wrapped her arms around Leo as they collapsed to the floor crying Leo's hand still on Chris' shoulder with Phoebe's on top of it. Paige fearing they were somehow hurt ran over and faced Chris to try to see both Leo and Piper's faces. Then she reached out and touched Piper's shoulder. Suddenly her own memories of the day were added to the mix. She too collapsed crying next to Piper, having not wished to ever relive that day. When Leo's memory of saving Wyatt by killing Gideon and Wyatt was taken to meet baby Chris was revealed the bond suddenly broke. Leo's hold on Chris' shoulder released as though it had previously been held by a mysterious force fell backwards still crying holding a crying Piper that was seeing it all for the first time. Phoebe too had started crying and when the bond broke she collapsed to the floor behind Chris and Paige made her way over to her and they hugged still crying. After Phoebe's hands were released and she collapsed, Chris started to fall backwards unconscious. Phoebe moved and carefully laid him down. Despite the tears and heartache Piper and Leo got up and scrambled to check on Chris with Phoebe and Paige on his other side. All attempts to wake him failed. Paige ran healing hands over him but he didn't appear to be injured. All they could do is wait. It took them half an hour to finally get themselves calmed down but another hour before Chris finally came too.
Chris sat up moaning, "Man, I have a massive headache." He was suddenly hugged by everyone. He was confused as he didn't remember anything that happened after his father had told him to grab any connection. So he was confused as to when his mother and aunts got there.
Piper sat up and held his face, "Are you all right, are you okay?"
"I'm fine mom. Just a headache."
"Are you sure that's all?" Leo asked.
"Yes, look dad I'm sorry I couldn't reach Wyatt."
Everyone was both happy he seemed back to normal and confused why he didn't remember. But decided to not push it and be happy he was back to normal.
"It's okay, we'll just have to hope he'll bring the girls home soon safely. Why don't you help Chris with his headache Paige." Leo said as he got up and helped Piper and Phoebe up. Pulling them to the side trying to keep his voice low and out of earshot of Chris.
"What happened back there Phoebe." Leo asked.
"Why doesn't he remember?" Piper asked.
"I don't know, I can only guess when past Chris took over present Chris was blocked. Possibly to spare him pain, I can't say for sure. I did learn while searching that they were trying to save Wyatt from turning evil." Phoebe said.
"Then why don't they just come home? Chris already saved Wyatt." Piper said.
"It's too late for that now Piper. They've already changed history. They might not be able to return or be willing to especially if they know that Chris died in the original timeline." Leo said.
"So what are you suggesting we do nothing and hope they come back?"
"I'm sorry Piper but it's what we have to do. You could probably modify, Call a Lost Witch spell. But even if it worked could you live with the hate and resentment they'll have towards you for forcing them back? Then the guilt they'll feel thinking they let the other Chris down?" Leo asked.
Phoebe slumped, as much as she wanted her daughter, niece and nephew back home she wasn't going to force them to return, especially with possible guilt over the other Chris' death. She remembers the guilt she felt when Leo told her Prue was killed by Shax. She couldn't understand why she was in the underworld with Cole instead of with her sisters. It was only through a premonition that she saw what happened in the previous timeline. After talking to Cole they rushed to Piper's side. She remembered how upset Piper was at her for not being there, that she knew only the power of three could kill Shax and instead of helping protect the doctor she was playing house with Cole in the underworld. At that moment she had been unable to explain what really happened. To this day a small part of her has never truly forgiven herself for Prue's death, despite knowing that in the other timeline she had lost Piper. She didn't think about Shax returning when she agreed to the Source's demand that she remain in the underworld forever with Cole. She knows after explaining Piper said she forgave her. She couldn't and wouldn't do that to her daughter or Piper's kids. Even though no one would blame them, seeing this Chris would always be a reminder of being forced home and being unable to help. "I'm sorry Piper, I'm with Leo on this."
"Phoebe, you're not serious are you? Our children are out there in time somewhere!"
"Yes, I'm aware of that and I want more than anything to have them home. But not like this, like it or not the spell took them there for a reason. Maybe in that timeline something went wrong and Wyatt wasn't saved."
Leo frowned, "I hadn't thought of that but you could be right Phoebe. If things were working the way they should there shouldn't have been a reason for the girls to be sent there. The spell specified where they need to be in place and time. It sent them there for a reason. We have to assume something else went wrong and that's why they were sent there."
Piper hated it when they were right, "Fine you win I won't try to force them back. But you can't stop me from worrying." Piper said going over to make sure Chris was okay.
"I hope we're doing the right thing." Phoebe said.
"I'm sure we are. Come on let's all go back to the manor. Piper will cook and you'll have enough for you to take home to Coop and the girls. Probably even enough for Paige to take home to Henry and the kids."
Phoebe laughed a little as it was true that when stressed or worried Piper cooked.
They all walked over to Paige who orbed them all back to the manor.
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