Walking back to his room, Chris realized how hungry he now was. Aunt Paige
and Aunt Phoebe were still getting ready to leave, and looking into his
mother's room he saw she was distracted by someone on the phone. Now would
be a good time to sneak downstairs, get some dinner, and hopefully avoid
anyone in the process.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, his attention was drawn to the mantle. Walking past the cluttered dining room table, Chris went over and gazed at the picture of Mom, Dad, and Wyatt.
Chris had been competing with his brother's memory since the day he was born--the same day Wyatt had disappeared. The arrival of the youngest had so distracted his family, they never noticed the danger facing the oldest. Not until it was too late, anyway. Chris spent his life trying to make this up to his family. Usually, he ended up failing. If he was ever given a second chance, Chris swore he'd do everything in his power to save his older brother next time around.
Fervently wanting this day to be over, and knowing tomorrow probably wasn't going to get any better, he went to the kitchen. He quickly heated and ate his dinner. Then he went back to the dining room, cleared the table, and started washing the dishes.
In her room, Piper finished her call. "Thanks, Dad. See you in the morning." The relief she felt talking to her father evaporated as soon as she put the phone down. Now came the hard part.
"Leo, I need you."
Instantly, a cloud of orbs appeared before her. Quickly they combined into the form of her ex-husband. "Piper," Leo asked, "What's wrong?"
She got straight to the point. "Chris orbed his backpack from the entryway to his bedroom today." She let that sink in.
Leo's face registered shock. "Telekinesis? That brings his known powers to what, six now? Soon he's going to have more than the Charmed Ones combined."
Piper frowned. Leo was concerned about the number of powers? "Did you not hear what I said? He used active powers today. I thought binding him took away his powers until we released them."
"Normally, yes. That's what happened with you and your sisters. Chris isn't normal, though, and you know it."
"Don't," Piper warned. "Don't finish that thought. You know Chris is here for a reason, even if you don't know what it is."
"His existence defies everything," Leo reminded her. "I'm just saying, maybe we should throw the rulebook out as far as Chris is concerned. Clearly his powers are growing, despite the binding. He's breaking his boundaries, Piper. He's unbinding himself."
"That's impossible," Piper denied. "Not after what we went through just to bind him in the first place."
Downstairs, Phoebe entered the kitchen looking for her earrings. She stopped short when she saw Chris by the sink. She watched silently for a moment as he finished cleaning all the dishes by hand. "Do you want help putting them away?" she asked.
"No, thank you," he replied. "I can get them."
Thinking now might be a good time to try and get something out of him, Phoebe tentatively began, "Paige told me she offered you $20 to watch the house tonight..." She stopped when she saw Chris immediately stiffen. Wrong approach, she thought. He was sure to clam up now.
"I don't need the money," he defended.
"Of course not," Phoebe tried again. Maybe all wasn't lost. "It's just that it's a big job, and I'm not sure $20 is enough."
Chris turned to look at her. He had the most curious expression. Not for the first time, Phoebe wished she could read him. How did a child so young block an empath anyways?
"What do you mean?" Phoebe heard the suspicion in his tone.
"Well," she mused, "Since both Aunt Paige and I are going to be gone, I think it's only fair I kick in another $20." A gleam in his eyes told her something was up, but the gleam immediately disappeared, fast enough for her to question whether she actually saw it to begin with.
Phoebe appraised her nephew. Looking at him, she couldn't help but notice precisely how young and innocent he looked. Yet Phoebe wasn't fooled. As much as she loved Chris, she knew exactly how manipulative the boy could be. However, before she could continue her thought, Paige entered obviously ready to leave.
"Be good tonight, Chris. You're in charge," Paige reminded him as both she and her sister went out the door. Chris nodded, then turned to head back to his room.
Upstairs, the argument was escalating. "We bound him for a reason, Leo! Or don't you remember what we went through before we made that decision?"
A small smile played on Leo's face. Oh, yeah. He remembered. Half the magical community probably remembered. If it wasn't for the fact Chris had been born at Magic School, Leo had no doubts that the entire world would probably remember as well.
Clearly this was the wrong reaction, as his smile seemed to infuriate Piper even more. Her voice raised, "Your son is falling, Leo! He's about to be expelled from yet another school! He's skipping, and on the rare occasions he goes, his work doesn't even come close to passing grades! He's distant, moody, and won't talk to me! Meanwhile, he's up to something--yet again-- and I have no idea what! He's in trouble and he refuses to let me help! He's suffering, Leo, and there's nothing I can do to ease it! Some guardian you are, where's your guidance from up high when he needs it?"
Stung, Leo shot back, "Don't you tell me I don't help my son!"
Piper was about to give a strong retort, when the implication of what he was saying hit her full force. "What do you mean, you help him?" Realization dawning, she accused, "Do you know what Chris is up to?"
Leo said nothing. Piper took his silence as confirmation. Anger rose in her. "How dare you--"
"Dad? You came?"
Too late, Piper realized she'd left her bedroom door open. A huge mistake, especially when she looked into her son's eyes.
Chris' excitement at seeing his dad disappeared the second he saw his dad's face. Dad didn't seem happy to see him. Quite the opposite in fact. Instantly, it dawned on Chris that Dad wasn't here to see him, Dad was here because Mom had called him. Chris immediately regretted rushing in, and wished he would stop foolishly getting his hopes up.
Incredibly hurt, Chris ran away and locked himself in his room. He threw himself on his bed and covered himself with his blanket and pillow. Tears were threatening to stream down his face. When he was younger, it had been unbearably painful to realize he wasn't the one his dad wanted. Dad wanted Wyatt. Everything he did was towards finding Wyatt. Dad had left when Wyatt had gone, and Chris clearly wasn't enough incentive for him to stay home, or even to come and visit. Chris tried very hard to be a good son, in spite of the trouble he always seemed to be in, but Leo never saw the goodness. Mom only called him when she didn't know how to handle him. Dad always showed up when Mom called. He never showed up when Chris called, and Chris had learned a long time ago to stop calling.
Unfortunately, locked doors didn't stop dads who could orb in. Chris heard his dad form next to him. He buried himself further under his pillow.
"Chris."
Leo saw his son trying desperately to avoid him. He knew he shouldn't be here right now, as talking with Chris was forbidden. Leo, however, was never one to always follow rules, much like his youngest son. Plus, Leo had also seen the look in his son's eyes and knew he had to see him.
Leo scanned Chris' room. On the dresser, he noticed his letter. It appeared unopened. He sighed. "You haven't opened it yet?" The muffled sobs coming from underneath the pillow were his only answer.
He was about to say something else when the familiar sound of the other Elders reached him. Leo knew that as part whitelighter, Chris could hear them also. "I'm sorry, baby. I have to go." He orbed out, leaving Chris even more upset. Wasn't he worth a few minutes of time? Couldn't the Elders wait one more minute? Even if his dad couldn't stay forever, he'd never followed him before. Chris simply did not understand that while his dad afforded all his time to the search for Wyatt and his work with the Elders, he still managed to see Mom but never him.
Although he hadn't heard her enter, he was suddenly wrapped up in his mother's embrace. She pulled him close, blanket and all, and pleaded, "Please just talk to me. Tell me what's going on. Let me help." Chris said nothing, but stayed in her arms until he finally fell asleep.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, his attention was drawn to the mantle. Walking past the cluttered dining room table, Chris went over and gazed at the picture of Mom, Dad, and Wyatt.
Chris had been competing with his brother's memory since the day he was born--the same day Wyatt had disappeared. The arrival of the youngest had so distracted his family, they never noticed the danger facing the oldest. Not until it was too late, anyway. Chris spent his life trying to make this up to his family. Usually, he ended up failing. If he was ever given a second chance, Chris swore he'd do everything in his power to save his older brother next time around.
Fervently wanting this day to be over, and knowing tomorrow probably wasn't going to get any better, he went to the kitchen. He quickly heated and ate his dinner. Then he went back to the dining room, cleared the table, and started washing the dishes.
In her room, Piper finished her call. "Thanks, Dad. See you in the morning." The relief she felt talking to her father evaporated as soon as she put the phone down. Now came the hard part.
"Leo, I need you."
Instantly, a cloud of orbs appeared before her. Quickly they combined into the form of her ex-husband. "Piper," Leo asked, "What's wrong?"
She got straight to the point. "Chris orbed his backpack from the entryway to his bedroom today." She let that sink in.
Leo's face registered shock. "Telekinesis? That brings his known powers to what, six now? Soon he's going to have more than the Charmed Ones combined."
Piper frowned. Leo was concerned about the number of powers? "Did you not hear what I said? He used active powers today. I thought binding him took away his powers until we released them."
"Normally, yes. That's what happened with you and your sisters. Chris isn't normal, though, and you know it."
"Don't," Piper warned. "Don't finish that thought. You know Chris is here for a reason, even if you don't know what it is."
"His existence defies everything," Leo reminded her. "I'm just saying, maybe we should throw the rulebook out as far as Chris is concerned. Clearly his powers are growing, despite the binding. He's breaking his boundaries, Piper. He's unbinding himself."
"That's impossible," Piper denied. "Not after what we went through just to bind him in the first place."
Downstairs, Phoebe entered the kitchen looking for her earrings. She stopped short when she saw Chris by the sink. She watched silently for a moment as he finished cleaning all the dishes by hand. "Do you want help putting them away?" she asked.
"No, thank you," he replied. "I can get them."
Thinking now might be a good time to try and get something out of him, Phoebe tentatively began, "Paige told me she offered you $20 to watch the house tonight..." She stopped when she saw Chris immediately stiffen. Wrong approach, she thought. He was sure to clam up now.
"I don't need the money," he defended.
"Of course not," Phoebe tried again. Maybe all wasn't lost. "It's just that it's a big job, and I'm not sure $20 is enough."
Chris turned to look at her. He had the most curious expression. Not for the first time, Phoebe wished she could read him. How did a child so young block an empath anyways?
"What do you mean?" Phoebe heard the suspicion in his tone.
"Well," she mused, "Since both Aunt Paige and I are going to be gone, I think it's only fair I kick in another $20." A gleam in his eyes told her something was up, but the gleam immediately disappeared, fast enough for her to question whether she actually saw it to begin with.
Phoebe appraised her nephew. Looking at him, she couldn't help but notice precisely how young and innocent he looked. Yet Phoebe wasn't fooled. As much as she loved Chris, she knew exactly how manipulative the boy could be. However, before she could continue her thought, Paige entered obviously ready to leave.
"Be good tonight, Chris. You're in charge," Paige reminded him as both she and her sister went out the door. Chris nodded, then turned to head back to his room.
Upstairs, the argument was escalating. "We bound him for a reason, Leo! Or don't you remember what we went through before we made that decision?"
A small smile played on Leo's face. Oh, yeah. He remembered. Half the magical community probably remembered. If it wasn't for the fact Chris had been born at Magic School, Leo had no doubts that the entire world would probably remember as well.
Clearly this was the wrong reaction, as his smile seemed to infuriate Piper even more. Her voice raised, "Your son is falling, Leo! He's about to be expelled from yet another school! He's skipping, and on the rare occasions he goes, his work doesn't even come close to passing grades! He's distant, moody, and won't talk to me! Meanwhile, he's up to something--yet again-- and I have no idea what! He's in trouble and he refuses to let me help! He's suffering, Leo, and there's nothing I can do to ease it! Some guardian you are, where's your guidance from up high when he needs it?"
Stung, Leo shot back, "Don't you tell me I don't help my son!"
Piper was about to give a strong retort, when the implication of what he was saying hit her full force. "What do you mean, you help him?" Realization dawning, she accused, "Do you know what Chris is up to?"
Leo said nothing. Piper took his silence as confirmation. Anger rose in her. "How dare you--"
"Dad? You came?"
Too late, Piper realized she'd left her bedroom door open. A huge mistake, especially when she looked into her son's eyes.
Chris' excitement at seeing his dad disappeared the second he saw his dad's face. Dad didn't seem happy to see him. Quite the opposite in fact. Instantly, it dawned on Chris that Dad wasn't here to see him, Dad was here because Mom had called him. Chris immediately regretted rushing in, and wished he would stop foolishly getting his hopes up.
Incredibly hurt, Chris ran away and locked himself in his room. He threw himself on his bed and covered himself with his blanket and pillow. Tears were threatening to stream down his face. When he was younger, it had been unbearably painful to realize he wasn't the one his dad wanted. Dad wanted Wyatt. Everything he did was towards finding Wyatt. Dad had left when Wyatt had gone, and Chris clearly wasn't enough incentive for him to stay home, or even to come and visit. Chris tried very hard to be a good son, in spite of the trouble he always seemed to be in, but Leo never saw the goodness. Mom only called him when she didn't know how to handle him. Dad always showed up when Mom called. He never showed up when Chris called, and Chris had learned a long time ago to stop calling.
Unfortunately, locked doors didn't stop dads who could orb in. Chris heard his dad form next to him. He buried himself further under his pillow.
"Chris."
Leo saw his son trying desperately to avoid him. He knew he shouldn't be here right now, as talking with Chris was forbidden. Leo, however, was never one to always follow rules, much like his youngest son. Plus, Leo had also seen the look in his son's eyes and knew he had to see him.
Leo scanned Chris' room. On the dresser, he noticed his letter. It appeared unopened. He sighed. "You haven't opened it yet?" The muffled sobs coming from underneath the pillow were his only answer.
He was about to say something else when the familiar sound of the other Elders reached him. Leo knew that as part whitelighter, Chris could hear them also. "I'm sorry, baby. I have to go." He orbed out, leaving Chris even more upset. Wasn't he worth a few minutes of time? Couldn't the Elders wait one more minute? Even if his dad couldn't stay forever, he'd never followed him before. Chris simply did not understand that while his dad afforded all his time to the search for Wyatt and his work with the Elders, he still managed to see Mom but never him.
Although he hadn't heard her enter, he was suddenly wrapped up in his mother's embrace. She pulled him close, blanket and all, and pleaded, "Please just talk to me. Tell me what's going on. Let me help." Chris said nothing, but stayed in her arms until he finally fell asleep.