Author's Note: Hello. I am back with my final two chapters of my little
story. Once again, I thought of everything while in econ, so I hope I
passed today's test...::laughs:: I'm sure I did. Anyway, I hope you enjoy
the end of this and that it lives up to par with the other chapters and
such. Please review!
Chapter Four: Forgiveness
The attic was silent. Chris lay alone while Leo paced downstairs, away from his son. He couldn't bare seeing Chris in so much pain and wondered why the poison wasn't working as fast as it normal did. Whenever Leo had been struck by a Darklighter arrow, the poison was quick and, had it not been for Piper and Sam and those that had been there to save him, he would have died in a matter of hours.
But there was Chris, the day almost over and he was still alive, yet barely.
"Chris is only half Whitelighter," Leo said aloud to himself. "The Whitelighter in him is dying, but the witch is trying so hard to fight back, to live. At least this will give me some more time..."
Finding Chris' trigger was much harder than Leo thought it would be, but perhaps that came from Leo not knowing Chris very well. Though he might have been too weak to use Piper's powers after recovering from Alec's arrow, Leo knew what Piper's triggers were and was able to use her powers when Wyatt had switched their powers before he was born. And though it may have taken Piper some time to discover Leo's trigger, she did and was able to use his Whitelighter abilities as well as he could.
But what was Chris'?
Leo walked up the stairs toward the attic, his be with his son. Ever since he had found out that Chris was his son, he was determined to find out what he did in the future to make his younger son hate him so much and to try to change it. As he thought of the possibilities, Leo remembered his treatment of Chris when he first orbed into the past from the future.
"I hated him," he said, as he turned a corner and walked down a hallway. "I hated him because he didn't tell me about the Elders and that I would become one. I hated him for taking me away from my family and I hated him for taking my place."
Leo may have been open with most of his feelings toward Chris, but he never let the sisters know how much he had really hated him. Everything Chris did seemed to be for the wrong reasons and he never gave explanations about why he was doing what he was. Luckily, it turned out that Chris was doing everything for Wyatt's protection. For the right reasons.
"I was so wrong to judge him so quickly," Leo said as he entered the attic. He walked in slowly as stood by Chris who was sleeping, peacefully at the moment.
A peaceful sleep was something that Chris deserved at that point. He was in so much agony due to the poison he wished he was already dead. His body limp, he couldn't move and his voice was all but gone.
While Leo was gone downstairs, the solitude gave Chris some time to himself, which he used, for thinking things over. Now that he was dying he felt as if he needed to evaluate his life, including his time spent in the past. He didn't have any regrets about his actions with the sisters, especially his mom, but it was his relationship, or lack thereof, with his father that he regretted.
"Then maybe, you came back not just to save Wyatt but to save us as well," Leo had said that night on the bridge.
"I doubt it," had been his reply.
Chris closed his eyes and let out a vexed sigh. "That wasn't true. He was right; I did want to save us. I wanted to have a dad, but I was so afraid...afraid that I wouldn't be able to and that it would just be the same..."
He wished that he had let Leo and the sisters know about him sooner, too, but he was there to save his brother, not himself. Not until later, that is. When he was in need of being conceived, he was sorry that he had broken up his parents, but Chris had had no other choice at the time.
And here Piper was, pregnant with him and he was only waiting for things to stay the same as they were in the future. But that was until Leo found out who Chris really was.
"I guess he doesn't really hate me after all," Chris whispered as he lay in the silence. "Maybe things will be better. No, they will be better."
Chris knew that even if he died, that he would live. Technically he wasn't even born yet, so there was much that could change and he was glad. He knew that Piper would always be there for him and love him as she always did, that his grandpa would always be there to talk when he needed to, that maybe he and Wyatt would finally be able to have a normal older brother/younger brother relationship, and that there would be no more letters from Leo. That Leo would finally be there.
It was then that sleep came and that Chris felt no pain as he drifted off to nothingness and waited for his father.
Chris had heard Leo enter the attic, but he was so far off in sleep that he couldn't open his eyes. His body felt heavier than it had before and he didn't feel the pain of the poison. He felt at ease and thought that this is what it must feel like when you die. That he was finally dying, and, although he had already come to terms with the fact that his death from the Darklighter arrow was inevitable and that death was near, he realized that he didn't want to die.
He wanted to live, but he couldn't open his eyes or call out to Leo for him to help. Chris was alone and felt that, even though his father was there with him, that he would be alone in death.
Leo himself saw the change in Chris and knew that the end was near. That he didn't have much time. And, though his son might be lying there and dying all he could think of was that he was going to let his son go and was not going to be forgiven.
Kneeling at Chris' side, Leo placed his elbows on the edge of the couch and rested his head in his hands. He did his best to fight back the tears, but they came anyway and he didn't hurry to wipe them away. Taking a deep breath, Leo gathered his courage and looked at his son.
"Chris," Leo whispered, not knowing if he could still hear him. "I am so sorry that I couldn't find it. I have tried everything and thought of everything, but...god, I just don't want to lose you. I have been so unfair to you ever since you came and I feel terrible for the way I treated you. I know you did things to me and I know you hate me and I am still not quite sure why, but I want you to know that I forgive you. That I forgave you a long time ago and that I am sorry. I only hope that there is still time for you to forgive me, too."
Through the blackness and the silence, Chris heard Leo. He heard him and fought so hard to try and call out to him. To tell him that he too was sorry and that he did forgive Leo. But everything seemed so far away and he could now barely hear himself breathe short, jagged breaths.
Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I ever lied to you and I only wish that I could do it all over again, that I could have told you all the truth. Please forgive me. I am the one who needs forgiveness, not you. Not you.
Leo turned his head toward Chris. It was almost as if he had heard him say something, but he wasn't sure what. His heart told him that Chris had heard him and that Chris accepted Leo's forgiveness and that Chris, in turn, forgave Leo. Smiling, Leo took Chris' hand.
"I forgive you, Chris. I forgive you."
It was then that there was a golden glow that came from Leo's hands and he stared at them in awe. The trigger, he had found Chris' trigger.
"Forgiveness."
Leo had forgiven Chris and Chris had forgiven Leo and there it was, the trigger. Praying that it wasn't too late, Leo placed his hands over Chris' wound. It was at that same moment that Chris drew his last breath and that he lay still and he lived no more.
Chapter Four: Forgiveness
The attic was silent. Chris lay alone while Leo paced downstairs, away from his son. He couldn't bare seeing Chris in so much pain and wondered why the poison wasn't working as fast as it normal did. Whenever Leo had been struck by a Darklighter arrow, the poison was quick and, had it not been for Piper and Sam and those that had been there to save him, he would have died in a matter of hours.
But there was Chris, the day almost over and he was still alive, yet barely.
"Chris is only half Whitelighter," Leo said aloud to himself. "The Whitelighter in him is dying, but the witch is trying so hard to fight back, to live. At least this will give me some more time..."
Finding Chris' trigger was much harder than Leo thought it would be, but perhaps that came from Leo not knowing Chris very well. Though he might have been too weak to use Piper's powers after recovering from Alec's arrow, Leo knew what Piper's triggers were and was able to use her powers when Wyatt had switched their powers before he was born. And though it may have taken Piper some time to discover Leo's trigger, she did and was able to use his Whitelighter abilities as well as he could.
But what was Chris'?
Leo walked up the stairs toward the attic, his be with his son. Ever since he had found out that Chris was his son, he was determined to find out what he did in the future to make his younger son hate him so much and to try to change it. As he thought of the possibilities, Leo remembered his treatment of Chris when he first orbed into the past from the future.
"I hated him," he said, as he turned a corner and walked down a hallway. "I hated him because he didn't tell me about the Elders and that I would become one. I hated him for taking me away from my family and I hated him for taking my place."
Leo may have been open with most of his feelings toward Chris, but he never let the sisters know how much he had really hated him. Everything Chris did seemed to be for the wrong reasons and he never gave explanations about why he was doing what he was. Luckily, it turned out that Chris was doing everything for Wyatt's protection. For the right reasons.
"I was so wrong to judge him so quickly," Leo said as he entered the attic. He walked in slowly as stood by Chris who was sleeping, peacefully at the moment.
A peaceful sleep was something that Chris deserved at that point. He was in so much agony due to the poison he wished he was already dead. His body limp, he couldn't move and his voice was all but gone.
While Leo was gone downstairs, the solitude gave Chris some time to himself, which he used, for thinking things over. Now that he was dying he felt as if he needed to evaluate his life, including his time spent in the past. He didn't have any regrets about his actions with the sisters, especially his mom, but it was his relationship, or lack thereof, with his father that he regretted.
"Then maybe, you came back not just to save Wyatt but to save us as well," Leo had said that night on the bridge.
"I doubt it," had been his reply.
Chris closed his eyes and let out a vexed sigh. "That wasn't true. He was right; I did want to save us. I wanted to have a dad, but I was so afraid...afraid that I wouldn't be able to and that it would just be the same..."
He wished that he had let Leo and the sisters know about him sooner, too, but he was there to save his brother, not himself. Not until later, that is. When he was in need of being conceived, he was sorry that he had broken up his parents, but Chris had had no other choice at the time.
And here Piper was, pregnant with him and he was only waiting for things to stay the same as they were in the future. But that was until Leo found out who Chris really was.
"I guess he doesn't really hate me after all," Chris whispered as he lay in the silence. "Maybe things will be better. No, they will be better."
Chris knew that even if he died, that he would live. Technically he wasn't even born yet, so there was much that could change and he was glad. He knew that Piper would always be there for him and love him as she always did, that his grandpa would always be there to talk when he needed to, that maybe he and Wyatt would finally be able to have a normal older brother/younger brother relationship, and that there would be no more letters from Leo. That Leo would finally be there.
It was then that sleep came and that Chris felt no pain as he drifted off to nothingness and waited for his father.
Chris had heard Leo enter the attic, but he was so far off in sleep that he couldn't open his eyes. His body felt heavier than it had before and he didn't feel the pain of the poison. He felt at ease and thought that this is what it must feel like when you die. That he was finally dying, and, although he had already come to terms with the fact that his death from the Darklighter arrow was inevitable and that death was near, he realized that he didn't want to die.
He wanted to live, but he couldn't open his eyes or call out to Leo for him to help. Chris was alone and felt that, even though his father was there with him, that he would be alone in death.
Leo himself saw the change in Chris and knew that the end was near. That he didn't have much time. And, though his son might be lying there and dying all he could think of was that he was going to let his son go and was not going to be forgiven.
Kneeling at Chris' side, Leo placed his elbows on the edge of the couch and rested his head in his hands. He did his best to fight back the tears, but they came anyway and he didn't hurry to wipe them away. Taking a deep breath, Leo gathered his courage and looked at his son.
"Chris," Leo whispered, not knowing if he could still hear him. "I am so sorry that I couldn't find it. I have tried everything and thought of everything, but...god, I just don't want to lose you. I have been so unfair to you ever since you came and I feel terrible for the way I treated you. I know you did things to me and I know you hate me and I am still not quite sure why, but I want you to know that I forgive you. That I forgave you a long time ago and that I am sorry. I only hope that there is still time for you to forgive me, too."
Through the blackness and the silence, Chris heard Leo. He heard him and fought so hard to try and call out to him. To tell him that he too was sorry and that he did forgive Leo. But everything seemed so far away and he could now barely hear himself breathe short, jagged breaths.
Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I ever lied to you and I only wish that I could do it all over again, that I could have told you all the truth. Please forgive me. I am the one who needs forgiveness, not you. Not you.
Leo turned his head toward Chris. It was almost as if he had heard him say something, but he wasn't sure what. His heart told him that Chris had heard him and that Chris accepted Leo's forgiveness and that Chris, in turn, forgave Leo. Smiling, Leo took Chris' hand.
"I forgive you, Chris. I forgive you."
It was then that there was a golden glow that came from Leo's hands and he stared at them in awe. The trigger, he had found Chris' trigger.
"Forgiveness."
Leo had forgiven Chris and Chris had forgiven Leo and there it was, the trigger. Praying that it wasn't too late, Leo placed his hands over Chris' wound. It was at that same moment that Chris drew his last breath and that he lay still and he lived no more.