TWO
The day seemed to drag by for the group of protectors. They were all anxious to get the business over with. Once The First was vanquished they could then turn their attention to grown up Wyatt. It was causing Piper no little concern. Although she hadn't told anyone she had finally accepted that the evil out to destroy them was indeed her baby son. She walked into the kitchen and found Chris eating a sandwich.
"Left over roast beef," said Chris. "It's very good. You're a very good cook."
"I am a chef," said Piper, "even if I don't get the chance to do it any longer. Chris, I want to apologize. For acting the way I did the other day. I can see now that you've just been trying to protect us all. I can say I agree with everything you've done but I do know your heart was in the right place."
"You don't owe me an apology," said Chris. "I know how it looked. I didn't tell you the truth when I came back. And I did lie to you about some things. But I just didn't know what else to do. I was sure you wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth. I had to try to arrange things so that you were protected but so that things didn't end up like they did the first time."
"It must have been terrible for you," said Piper. "My little boy trying to protect his family and the whole time we were doubting you and believing the worst about you. I can't imagine what it must have been like."
"Your little boy?" Chris asked, a glimmer of hope in his eye.
"Yes," said Piper smiling. "I know that the Wyatt who attacked us here is the same Wyatt in his playpen right now. Well, not exactly the same. But I know he's the same baby all grown up. If that's true, then you must be who you say you are. My second son. It's a lot to take in."
"Piper," said Chris, "mom. I never wanted to hurt you. Any of you. If I could have stopped Wyatt any other way, I would have. But I'm just not strong enough to fight him. I never understood why he was so much stronger than I was before. We both had the same parents. We should have been more or less equal. Now I understand. It wasn't just his power. It was the power of The First. That's what made him so much stronger than me."
"No one could blame you," said Piper. "Like Angel said, you were outmatched. At least being his brother protected you from him to a degree. It gave you the opportunity to come back here and try to make a change."
"Yes," said Chris. "You died when I was so young. A lot of my memories of you are vague recollections. I've gotten to know you better this time than I did when I was growing up. Whatever happens tonight, I'm glad for that."
"So am I," said Piper, hugging him close.
"Looks like she's finally accepted it, sis," said Phoebe from the doorway to the kitchen.
Piper and Chris looked up to see Phoebe and Paige standing in the doorway, smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Leo stood behind them smiling at Piper.
"We were thinking about going over our strategy one last time," said Paige. "Just to make sure everything was ready."
"When we saw the two of you there," said Leo, "none of us had the heart to say anything. I'd say you've done a bit of bonding in the last few minutes."
"You could say that," said Piper as Phoebe and Paige moved in so the three sisters could share a hug.
Leo moved up and stood in front of Chris.
"So, you're my son," said Leo. "I know this is late but I'm sorry for doubting you. But under the circumstances...."
"No apology necessary," said Chris, looking at Piper. "I think we've all agreed I gave you good cause to doubt me. I'm just sorry I had to do what it the way I did. It wasn't easy being here day after day and not being able to tell you the truth. I'm just glad it's all out in the open now. Friends? I can't blame you if you slap it away."
Chris stuck out his hand so that Leo could shake it.
"I'm not about to shake your hand," said Leo.
Chris was beginning to think Leo was still holding a grudge when Leo suddenly embraced the boy, hugging him close. Chris hugged him back, the first time he had been able to hug his father in nearly twenty years.
"Well, now," said Giles from the kitchen door, "I hate to interrupt the family bonding moment, but it's important we go over our strategy. It will be sunset very soon and we really should be ready."
"Don't mind him," said Buffy from behind him, "he's just a natural killjoy. I think it's great."
"Giles is right," said Leo, pulling away from Chris and wiping a tear from his eye, "we have time to get acquainted later. Right now we have to make sure we're prepared for The First when it attacks."
"All ready," said Piper, putting her arm around Chris and Leo's waists. "Let me escort my two favorite men to the meeting."
Smiling, the five followed Giles and Buffy back into the living room to go over their strategy one last time.
The day seemed to drag by for the group of protectors. They were all anxious to get the business over with. Once The First was vanquished they could then turn their attention to grown up Wyatt. It was causing Piper no little concern. Although she hadn't told anyone she had finally accepted that the evil out to destroy them was indeed her baby son. She walked into the kitchen and found Chris eating a sandwich.
"Left over roast beef," said Chris. "It's very good. You're a very good cook."
"I am a chef," said Piper, "even if I don't get the chance to do it any longer. Chris, I want to apologize. For acting the way I did the other day. I can see now that you've just been trying to protect us all. I can say I agree with everything you've done but I do know your heart was in the right place."
"You don't owe me an apology," said Chris. "I know how it looked. I didn't tell you the truth when I came back. And I did lie to you about some things. But I just didn't know what else to do. I was sure you wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth. I had to try to arrange things so that you were protected but so that things didn't end up like they did the first time."
"It must have been terrible for you," said Piper. "My little boy trying to protect his family and the whole time we were doubting you and believing the worst about you. I can't imagine what it must have been like."
"Your little boy?" Chris asked, a glimmer of hope in his eye.
"Yes," said Piper smiling. "I know that the Wyatt who attacked us here is the same Wyatt in his playpen right now. Well, not exactly the same. But I know he's the same baby all grown up. If that's true, then you must be who you say you are. My second son. It's a lot to take in."
"Piper," said Chris, "mom. I never wanted to hurt you. Any of you. If I could have stopped Wyatt any other way, I would have. But I'm just not strong enough to fight him. I never understood why he was so much stronger than I was before. We both had the same parents. We should have been more or less equal. Now I understand. It wasn't just his power. It was the power of The First. That's what made him so much stronger than me."
"No one could blame you," said Piper. "Like Angel said, you were outmatched. At least being his brother protected you from him to a degree. It gave you the opportunity to come back here and try to make a change."
"Yes," said Chris. "You died when I was so young. A lot of my memories of you are vague recollections. I've gotten to know you better this time than I did when I was growing up. Whatever happens tonight, I'm glad for that."
"So am I," said Piper, hugging him close.
"Looks like she's finally accepted it, sis," said Phoebe from the doorway to the kitchen.
Piper and Chris looked up to see Phoebe and Paige standing in the doorway, smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Leo stood behind them smiling at Piper.
"We were thinking about going over our strategy one last time," said Paige. "Just to make sure everything was ready."
"When we saw the two of you there," said Leo, "none of us had the heart to say anything. I'd say you've done a bit of bonding in the last few minutes."
"You could say that," said Piper as Phoebe and Paige moved in so the three sisters could share a hug.
Leo moved up and stood in front of Chris.
"So, you're my son," said Leo. "I know this is late but I'm sorry for doubting you. But under the circumstances...."
"No apology necessary," said Chris, looking at Piper. "I think we've all agreed I gave you good cause to doubt me. I'm just sorry I had to do what it the way I did. It wasn't easy being here day after day and not being able to tell you the truth. I'm just glad it's all out in the open now. Friends? I can't blame you if you slap it away."
Chris stuck out his hand so that Leo could shake it.
"I'm not about to shake your hand," said Leo.
Chris was beginning to think Leo was still holding a grudge when Leo suddenly embraced the boy, hugging him close. Chris hugged him back, the first time he had been able to hug his father in nearly twenty years.
"Well, now," said Giles from the kitchen door, "I hate to interrupt the family bonding moment, but it's important we go over our strategy. It will be sunset very soon and we really should be ready."
"Don't mind him," said Buffy from behind him, "he's just a natural killjoy. I think it's great."
"Giles is right," said Leo, pulling away from Chris and wiping a tear from his eye, "we have time to get acquainted later. Right now we have to make sure we're prepared for The First when it attacks."
"All ready," said Piper, putting her arm around Chris and Leo's waists. "Let me escort my two favorite men to the meeting."
Smiling, the five followed Giles and Buffy back into the living room to go over their strategy one last time.
