This story begins with a scene from the episode "Chris-Crossed" and then back-tracks to follow Chris through his childhood up until the moment he travels back in time. Each chapter is an episode in Chris's life. Some of them are cued from scenes in the television show and some from my imagination. The story is based on facts up until the episode "Hyde School Reunion."
None of this story could have been written without the help of the website www.thecharmedones.com
Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate all forms of feedback. Just a note, this story has already been completed. It will be updated on Mondays and Thursdays.
Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed. This story is a product of my imagination. Some of the scenes have been taken from the script and modified. When this occurs, the episode and writer of the original scene is cited.
Part Three
"Honestly?" Chris said, "A letter's not going to mean a hell of a lot to me -- I got plenty of them growing up."
"Sorry?" responds Leo.
"Uh, from my father," Chris dodges. "He wasn't around much."
- Season 6, Episode 126, "I Dream of Phoebe"
Chris knew that something was different the moment he walked into his room. It didn't look like anything was missing. Wyatt had taken to stealing things ever since his blow up months ago. Chris would leave and come back to find the broken pieces of some toy lying on the floor. Still, he never told.
A second survey quickly showed him what was different. Chris gleefully ran across the room and snatched an envelope off of his pillow. He slit the top of it open, ignoring the pain in this finger from a paper cut, and pulled out the piece of paper that was inside.
"Wyatt! Letter!" he yelled. He could hear Wyatt pounding up the stairs and dashing into his room. Seconds later, he appeared at Chris's door with a scowl on his face.
"No letter. What are you talking about?" he asked. Chris held out the piece of paper for his brother. Wyatt quickly joined him on the bed and without being asked, began to read it out loud for Chris.
Dear Chris,
I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you for awhile, but I've been very busy with the other Elders. There have been a lot of demon attacks lately. How are you? Are you getting along with Wyatt and listening to your mother? I hope you're being good.
How is school going? I know that magic school isn't exactly a normal place to be, but I think that it's best for you and your brother to be exposed to others with gifts like yours. Have your powers been alright lately? I'm sure that if they've been off, it's just the start of kindergarten that's doing it. Please make sure to listen to your teachers. I don't want your mother to have to bind your powers so that you can attend regular school because you were acting up. Make sure you behave and you'll do fine.
I'll see you when your aunt Phoebe has her baby.
Love, Dad
Wyatt slowly folded up the letter and handed it back to Chris. Chris put it back in the envelope and got up from the bed. He walked over to his bookcase and picked up a box, opened it, and placed the letter inside with all the other ones that he had received. Wyatt stared over at him as Chris walked back to the bed, his bleeding finger in his mouth.
"Why didn't you get a letter?" Chris asked. Wyatt looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. He pointed at a truck on Chris's shelf and it disappeared. Chris let out a small yelp. "Don't. That's my favorite. I'll tell Momma!"
"You haven't told her yet. You won't tell her now. And I don't know why I didn't get a letter. Maybe Dad just loves you more." Wyatt pointed at a second truck, but Chris deflected the orbs with a wave of his hand.
"He loves us both the same. When did you last get a letter?"
"I saw Dad last night. He came to visit me." Wyatt shot back. Chris felt tears start to well in his eyes, but he wiped them away.
"Well, he didn't visit me. That's why you didn't get a letter," he responded. Wyatt looked at him, his face triumphant. Suddenly, his face fell.
"That's because you were asleep," he explained.
"He could have woken me up. He never wakes me up" Chris looked over at Wyatt, tears starting to fill his eyes. "I haven't seen Dad in a long time. All I get is letters." Wyatt stared at him, his eyes growing soft. Sometimes Wyatt acted like his older brother and understood why Chris was upset. At these rare moments, Chris was sometimes happy to have an older brother.
"We'll see him when Aunt Phoebe has her baby. He's going to take us up there," Wyatt explained, his voice soft. Chris wasn't satisfied though. Their father found hours to visit with Wyatt, but only mere minutes to visit with him. He never understood why it was like this, but he did understand that there was nothing he could do about it. He put his finger into his mouth and bit down on it.
"Wyatt?" Wyatt got up from the bed and slowly started to walk towards the door. He turned around and stared at his little brother. Chris took his finger out of his mouth and clenched it in his fist and tried to stop the tears that were about to start flowing from his eyes. "Will you stop breaking my toys, Wyatt?"
Wyatt's eyes grew big, but instead of growing angry, he looked sad. He held out his hand and blue, shiny orbs appeared in it. One of Chris's trucks appeared in his hand. He gently set the truck down on the floor and turned to leave the room. Chris watched him leave with his thumb in his mouth. Maybe Wyatt would start to act nicer now. Maybe he wouldn't be so mean. Chris took his thumb out of his mouth and walked over to the truck that Wyatt had left him. He started to roll it back and forth on the floor. With a wave of his hand, several other trucks quickly joined in his game. He was well on his way to a full-blown road rage when he heard somebody call him.
"Chris, Wyatt, get down here. Now!" Chris abandoned his trucks and scampered out of his room and down the stairs. Phoebe was standing near the front door, her face contorted with pain. Chris stood with his arms upraised next to his mother. Piper quickly gathered Chris into her arms as Wyatt appeared at the top of the staircase. Piper quickly put Chris down on the floor, then looked up towards the ceiling. "Leo?"
"Where are my boys?" a swirl of blue and white orbs asked as he materialized. Chris jumped into his father's arms as Wyatt finished the stairs and flung himself at Leo's leg. "Are you ready to visit some clouds?" He pulled Wyatt up into his other arm. Wyatt stared at Chris, his eyes huge. Silently, Chris got the message not to say anything. Leo set Chris on the floor and grabbed his hand. Chris winced in pain as his father put pressure on his cut finger. It didn't matter to him anymore though. They were on their way to the sky.