THREE
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Cole. "Were you involved in one of my
cases?"
"You can't be here," said Chris. "You're dead. You died months ago."
"I feel pretty healthy for a dead man," joked Cole.
"He seems to think a lot of people are dead," said Prue. "He also said
Andy and I are dead."
"Just take it easy, son," said Andy. "You're obviously suffering from
some kind of delusion. We'll get you some help."
"No, this isn't possible," said Chris starting to back out the kitchen
door. "It's just not possible."
"Don't cause us any trouble," said Andy. "I'm a lieutenant with the San
Francisco Police Department. Just come in and sit down and we'll get you to a
hospital right away."
"No," said Chris suddenly.
The small group inside the manor was beginning to move toward him. He
raised his hand and a light flashed in front of everyone's eyes. They all
covered their eyes instinctively against the flash. It wouldn't last long,
Chris new that. It was really only a minor power. He knew that within moments
they would recover. Almost as soon as the flash occurred, Chris orbed out of
the doorway. When the party's eyes had recovered they hurried into the back
yard to see where he had gone.
"I'd better call this in," said Andy. "He might be violent. I'll have
the patrols keep an eye out for him."
Chris sat in the cellar of the manor. Orbing to the cellar would protect
him for a bit. They wouldn't think to look for him down there. It would give
him some time to think. Everything was cockeyed. Prue, Andy, and Cole were
still alive. Piper and Phoebe didn't seem to know who he was. And they had
apparently not recognized Paige's name either which meant they didn't know who
she was.
More importantly, none of them had used any of their powers on him. After
six years it was second nature to suspect any strangers showing up at the manor
to be a demon or warlock or something. But they had all acted like he was just
some other mortal off the streets. That didn't make any sense. Especially
Prue, from what he knew about her, would have been openly suspicious of any
strangers.
To say that something was definitely wrong was an understatement. He
couldn't have gone back in time. Andy said he was a lieutenant. Except that
had died before making lieutenant. It was more than a year after his death
before Cole had come into the girls' lives. They shouldn't have known each
other.
And Leo had apparently not been around for several years. Phoebe had
called him a handyman. Which meant they didn't know he was a White Lighter.
When he had mentioned Wyatt, Piper had no idea who he was talking about. How
could things be so jumbled?
That dizziness he had felt when he had orbed into the manor. It must be
connected to this somehow. But how? And what was it? Chris had no answers for
the myriad questions that were assaulting him right then. He was going to need
help. And the three people whom he would normally have turned to thought he was
a raving lunatic.
Chris closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Leo appeared to be
across town. At least he was still on the mortal plane. Chris didn't want to
orb to the White Lighter realm just yet. Not until he had some answers. Chris
glanced at the stairs leading upstairs, and then orbed out of the manor.
He appeared in the backyard of a modest square frame house. Leo was
inside and so, apparently, was someone else. Chris would have to be careful.
He didn't know why Leo would be here so he couldn't be sure who, or what, Leo
was visiting. Cautiously, Chris moved to the front of the house. He walked up
on the front porch and tentatively rang the doorbell. After a few moments a
young woman answered the door. She appeared to be about thirty, with shoulder-
length blonde hair, and was wearing a high button blouse and slacks.
"Can I help you?" asked the woman.
"Yes," said Chris. "I'm looking for Leo Wyatt. I was told he was here."
"Leo, it's for you," said the woman calling over her shoulder.
She looked back at Chris with a perplexed look on her face. After a few
moments, Leo came to the front door.
"Yes?" he questioned, looking at Chris.
"Thank God I found you," said Chris. "I need to speak to you, Leo. It's
important."
"And you are?" questioned Leo.
"You don't know me?" asked Chris.
"I'm sorry," said Leo. "Should I?"
"Then it's not just the girls," said Chris. "Everything has changed."
"Girls?" questioned the young woman. "What girls?"
"Listen, I know this is going to sound a bit strange," said Chris, "but I
need to speak to Leo for just a couple of minutes. It's extremely important and
I need to speak to him alone."
"Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of Tiffany," said
Leo.
"Leo, please," pleaded Chris, "this is very important. I just need a few
minutes."
"Leo," said Tiffany, "I think you'd better talk to this young man."
"Chris," said Chris. "Chris Perry."
"I think you'd better talk to Chris," said Tiffany. "It appears to be
very important."
"Are you sure?" asked Leo.
"Very sure," said Tiffany. "Why don't you come in, Chris? You and Leo
can have some privacy away from prying eyes."
"Is that a good idea?" asked Leo.
"Of course," said Tiffany. "Chris is a White Lighter."
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Cole. "Were you involved in one of my
cases?"
"You can't be here," said Chris. "You're dead. You died months ago."
"I feel pretty healthy for a dead man," joked Cole.
"He seems to think a lot of people are dead," said Prue. "He also said
Andy and I are dead."
"Just take it easy, son," said Andy. "You're obviously suffering from
some kind of delusion. We'll get you some help."
"No, this isn't possible," said Chris starting to back out the kitchen
door. "It's just not possible."
"Don't cause us any trouble," said Andy. "I'm a lieutenant with the San
Francisco Police Department. Just come in and sit down and we'll get you to a
hospital right away."
"No," said Chris suddenly.
The small group inside the manor was beginning to move toward him. He
raised his hand and a light flashed in front of everyone's eyes. They all
covered their eyes instinctively against the flash. It wouldn't last long,
Chris new that. It was really only a minor power. He knew that within moments
they would recover. Almost as soon as the flash occurred, Chris orbed out of
the doorway. When the party's eyes had recovered they hurried into the back
yard to see where he had gone.
"I'd better call this in," said Andy. "He might be violent. I'll have
the patrols keep an eye out for him."
Chris sat in the cellar of the manor. Orbing to the cellar would protect
him for a bit. They wouldn't think to look for him down there. It would give
him some time to think. Everything was cockeyed. Prue, Andy, and Cole were
still alive. Piper and Phoebe didn't seem to know who he was. And they had
apparently not recognized Paige's name either which meant they didn't know who
she was.
More importantly, none of them had used any of their powers on him. After
six years it was second nature to suspect any strangers showing up at the manor
to be a demon or warlock or something. But they had all acted like he was just
some other mortal off the streets. That didn't make any sense. Especially
Prue, from what he knew about her, would have been openly suspicious of any
strangers.
To say that something was definitely wrong was an understatement. He
couldn't have gone back in time. Andy said he was a lieutenant. Except that
had died before making lieutenant. It was more than a year after his death
before Cole had come into the girls' lives. They shouldn't have known each
other.
And Leo had apparently not been around for several years. Phoebe had
called him a handyman. Which meant they didn't know he was a White Lighter.
When he had mentioned Wyatt, Piper had no idea who he was talking about. How
could things be so jumbled?
That dizziness he had felt when he had orbed into the manor. It must be
connected to this somehow. But how? And what was it? Chris had no answers for
the myriad questions that were assaulting him right then. He was going to need
help. And the three people whom he would normally have turned to thought he was
a raving lunatic.
Chris closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Leo appeared to be
across town. At least he was still on the mortal plane. Chris didn't want to
orb to the White Lighter realm just yet. Not until he had some answers. Chris
glanced at the stairs leading upstairs, and then orbed out of the manor.
He appeared in the backyard of a modest square frame house. Leo was
inside and so, apparently, was someone else. Chris would have to be careful.
He didn't know why Leo would be here so he couldn't be sure who, or what, Leo
was visiting. Cautiously, Chris moved to the front of the house. He walked up
on the front porch and tentatively rang the doorbell. After a few moments a
young woman answered the door. She appeared to be about thirty, with shoulder-
length blonde hair, and was wearing a high button blouse and slacks.
"Can I help you?" asked the woman.
"Yes," said Chris. "I'm looking for Leo Wyatt. I was told he was here."
"Leo, it's for you," said the woman calling over her shoulder.
She looked back at Chris with a perplexed look on her face. After a few
moments, Leo came to the front door.
"Yes?" he questioned, looking at Chris.
"Thank God I found you," said Chris. "I need to speak to you, Leo. It's
important."
"And you are?" questioned Leo.
"You don't know me?" asked Chris.
"I'm sorry," said Leo. "Should I?"
"Then it's not just the girls," said Chris. "Everything has changed."
"Girls?" questioned the young woman. "What girls?"
"Listen, I know this is going to sound a bit strange," said Chris, "but I
need to speak to Leo for just a couple of minutes. It's extremely important and
I need to speak to him alone."
"Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of Tiffany," said
Leo.
"Leo, please," pleaded Chris, "this is very important. I just need a few
minutes."
"Leo," said Tiffany, "I think you'd better talk to this young man."
"Chris," said Chris. "Chris Perry."
"I think you'd better talk to Chris," said Tiffany. "It appears to be
very important."
"Are you sure?" asked Leo.
"Very sure," said Tiffany. "Why don't you come in, Chris? You and Leo
can have some privacy away from prying eyes."
"Is that a good idea?" asked Leo.
"Of course," said Tiffany. "Chris is a White Lighter."