Author's Note: Okay, I promise that there is a reason this story is called
Letters, I just needed to get chapter one out of my system, whether it
belongs with this story or not.
Chapter Two: The Promise
Piper answered the door when the doorbell rang. She had been expecting a visitor, one she knew would help her get over her pain, or at least move on. Everyone else in the house was either getting dressed or making sure someone else was dressed (namely the two youngest in the house) or were getting the house ready for a visitor. It was just as Piper reached the door that Wyatt orbed down to her side and smiled up at her.
"Wyatt, you know better than that," Piper said as she reached down and picked him up. Settling him on her hip, Piper opened the front door.
"Hi daddy," she said, moving aside for him to come in.
Victor entered and set down a bag. He ruffled Wyatt's hair and the boy laughed as the man took him into his arms and held him close. "My god, he's gotten big."
Nodding, Piper gave her father a hug after he put Wyatt on the floor. She held him tight and Victor knew that her mind was on Chris, the son she had lost, yet just had. Victor had gotten close to Chris that one day Piper had called him to the Manor and he too was sad that he was gone and he felt bad that he felt so happy about the birth of his second grandson.
Knowing what her father was feeling, Piper let go and took his hand, smiling. "He's in the living room with Leo."
Victor held his breath when Piper said Leo, for he wasn't sure what to think of the man. He had been a good husband to his daughter and he knew that Leo was a good father to Wyatt and would be a good father to Chris, but Victor knew the pain he had put his daughter through and he wasn't sure he was about to forgive him for that just yet.
Walking into the living room, Victor was greeted by happy faces. Phoebe jumped from her seat and hugged her father tightly, welcoming him. Paige gave him a warm smile. She may not have been his daughter, but Victor was beginning to love her just the same. Wyatt was now playing with a few of his toys on the floor by the edge of the couch and was watching everyone out of the corner of his eye.
It was when Victor heard a small cry, that he saw Leo. He was sitting on the couch, hushing baby Chris by rocking him back and forth. Looking up, Leo noticed Victor and handed the baby over. Tears formed in Victor's eyes as he gazed at the baby.
"He's so small."
"He'll get bigger, believe me," Piper said, trying to laugh.
"I miss him too, sweetie," Victor said, moving closer to his daughter.
Piper nodded. "I know. We all do. We just have to remember, we really didn't lose him. He's right here."
The house was silent and Leo was the only one awake. He paced around the living room, his room at present. Both he and Piper were not sure where they stood at the moment and though Leo might have been sleeping in the guest room, that room now belonged to Victor during his stay. This being said, there was only either the attic or the living room for Leo to choose from.
Pacing around, Leo could hear a cry from upstairs and knew it was Chris. Orbing up to Piper's room quickly, Leo took his son into his arms and orbed out before Piper had a chance to wake. He wanted to give her a break and let her have one night to get as much sleep as she could and leave him to spend time with his son.
Leo had made himself a promise, upon hearing from older Chris what the future was like, to try and keep the future from repeating itself and spending as much time with his son as he could. He could care less about what the Elders thought and thought about doing what older Chris had suggested, quitting. It would mean that he would be able to spend more time at home with his family and hopefully mend things with Piper and have a second chance.
Looking down at baby Chris, Leo still couldn't forgive himself for not being able to save older Chris and not sending him home. He couldn't believe that he was gone, after all they had gone through and after just beginning to warm up to each other. But Chris was there, even if he was a few days old. Chris still had a chance and Leo intended on being there for his son, for both of his sons, no matter what.
It was as Leo was rocking baby Chris back to sleep that Piper woke up. She looked in the crib and panicked when she didn't see Chris, but something told her that he was all right and when she got up and walked to the stairs and looked down and saw him with Leo she couldn't help but smile. On her way back to her room, Piper was stopped by her father.
"Dad, what are you doing up this late?" she asked him.
"I could ask you the same thing.
"I'm a mother of infant sons, I am always awake. But I just can't sleep right now," she confessed as she and her father walked back to her room. Sitting down on the edge of Piper's bed, the two just sat in silence until Victor spoke up.
"I know there is nothing that I can say to make you feel better, but just remember, he loved you. He always will."
"I know, but I still have that feeling. I never told the girls, or Leo about what Chris said that day you came."
"About you..." Victor couldn't bring himself to say it, but he didn't have to. Piper nodded.
"Dying? Yeah. I just have this feeling that even though we changed everything that I still won't be there. I won't see Chris or Wyatt grow up and that is what scares me the most."
Piper looked away as her father placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Victor remembered almost all too well what Chris had said.
Because she doesn't exist in my future, all right? She dies when I turn fourteen.
Victor had let it slip to Piper that something was going to happen to her in the future, but he had reassured both her and Chris that the future could have changed and that Piper would not die and that all would be okay. But Piper was right, there was still that looming feeling, that even though they may have tried that there was still a future, an impending future that would not have Piper in it.
"Don't you worry about a thing. Nothing is going to happen to you and you will always be there for your sons."
"Promise me something. Promise me that you will be there for them. That if anything bad happens to me or Leo or the girls that you will be there and will take care of them. Please, daddy?"
"I will."
Victor left two days later. He spent his vacation playing with his two grandsons and spending time with his daughters. Everyone was sad when it was time for him to leave. They all gathered around the front door and said their good-byes and gave their hugs. Wyatt held onto his grandfather tight and didn't want to let go.
"I'll be back for another visit soon," Victor said as he let go. He turned to Leo. "Take care of them for me, will you?"
Leo nodded. "I promise."
Victor gave both Paige and Phoebe hugs then turned to Piper. "If you need anything, you call me. And try to cheer up, for both Wyatt and Chris' sake."
Smiling through her tears, Piper hugged her father and kissed his cheek. "I promise."
"I left something for you in your room. Chris, big Chris, told me to give it to you. I've had it since that day when I came to visit."
Victor was gone after that and everyone when back inside and went about their own business. Piper made her way up to her room and looked around, trying to see what had been left for her. Seeing nothing, she sighed and sat on her bed and felt something slide off her pillow and touch her hand.
It was a letter.
Chapter Two: The Promise
Piper answered the door when the doorbell rang. She had been expecting a visitor, one she knew would help her get over her pain, or at least move on. Everyone else in the house was either getting dressed or making sure someone else was dressed (namely the two youngest in the house) or were getting the house ready for a visitor. It was just as Piper reached the door that Wyatt orbed down to her side and smiled up at her.
"Wyatt, you know better than that," Piper said as she reached down and picked him up. Settling him on her hip, Piper opened the front door.
"Hi daddy," she said, moving aside for him to come in.
Victor entered and set down a bag. He ruffled Wyatt's hair and the boy laughed as the man took him into his arms and held him close. "My god, he's gotten big."
Nodding, Piper gave her father a hug after he put Wyatt on the floor. She held him tight and Victor knew that her mind was on Chris, the son she had lost, yet just had. Victor had gotten close to Chris that one day Piper had called him to the Manor and he too was sad that he was gone and he felt bad that he felt so happy about the birth of his second grandson.
Knowing what her father was feeling, Piper let go and took his hand, smiling. "He's in the living room with Leo."
Victor held his breath when Piper said Leo, for he wasn't sure what to think of the man. He had been a good husband to his daughter and he knew that Leo was a good father to Wyatt and would be a good father to Chris, but Victor knew the pain he had put his daughter through and he wasn't sure he was about to forgive him for that just yet.
Walking into the living room, Victor was greeted by happy faces. Phoebe jumped from her seat and hugged her father tightly, welcoming him. Paige gave him a warm smile. She may not have been his daughter, but Victor was beginning to love her just the same. Wyatt was now playing with a few of his toys on the floor by the edge of the couch and was watching everyone out of the corner of his eye.
It was when Victor heard a small cry, that he saw Leo. He was sitting on the couch, hushing baby Chris by rocking him back and forth. Looking up, Leo noticed Victor and handed the baby over. Tears formed in Victor's eyes as he gazed at the baby.
"He's so small."
"He'll get bigger, believe me," Piper said, trying to laugh.
"I miss him too, sweetie," Victor said, moving closer to his daughter.
Piper nodded. "I know. We all do. We just have to remember, we really didn't lose him. He's right here."
The house was silent and Leo was the only one awake. He paced around the living room, his room at present. Both he and Piper were not sure where they stood at the moment and though Leo might have been sleeping in the guest room, that room now belonged to Victor during his stay. This being said, there was only either the attic or the living room for Leo to choose from.
Pacing around, Leo could hear a cry from upstairs and knew it was Chris. Orbing up to Piper's room quickly, Leo took his son into his arms and orbed out before Piper had a chance to wake. He wanted to give her a break and let her have one night to get as much sleep as she could and leave him to spend time with his son.
Leo had made himself a promise, upon hearing from older Chris what the future was like, to try and keep the future from repeating itself and spending as much time with his son as he could. He could care less about what the Elders thought and thought about doing what older Chris had suggested, quitting. It would mean that he would be able to spend more time at home with his family and hopefully mend things with Piper and have a second chance.
Looking down at baby Chris, Leo still couldn't forgive himself for not being able to save older Chris and not sending him home. He couldn't believe that he was gone, after all they had gone through and after just beginning to warm up to each other. But Chris was there, even if he was a few days old. Chris still had a chance and Leo intended on being there for his son, for both of his sons, no matter what.
It was as Leo was rocking baby Chris back to sleep that Piper woke up. She looked in the crib and panicked when she didn't see Chris, but something told her that he was all right and when she got up and walked to the stairs and looked down and saw him with Leo she couldn't help but smile. On her way back to her room, Piper was stopped by her father.
"Dad, what are you doing up this late?" she asked him.
"I could ask you the same thing.
"I'm a mother of infant sons, I am always awake. But I just can't sleep right now," she confessed as she and her father walked back to her room. Sitting down on the edge of Piper's bed, the two just sat in silence until Victor spoke up.
"I know there is nothing that I can say to make you feel better, but just remember, he loved you. He always will."
"I know, but I still have that feeling. I never told the girls, or Leo about what Chris said that day you came."
"About you..." Victor couldn't bring himself to say it, but he didn't have to. Piper nodded.
"Dying? Yeah. I just have this feeling that even though we changed everything that I still won't be there. I won't see Chris or Wyatt grow up and that is what scares me the most."
Piper looked away as her father placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Victor remembered almost all too well what Chris had said.
Because she doesn't exist in my future, all right? She dies when I turn fourteen.
Victor had let it slip to Piper that something was going to happen to her in the future, but he had reassured both her and Chris that the future could have changed and that Piper would not die and that all would be okay. But Piper was right, there was still that looming feeling, that even though they may have tried that there was still a future, an impending future that would not have Piper in it.
"Don't you worry about a thing. Nothing is going to happen to you and you will always be there for your sons."
"Promise me something. Promise me that you will be there for them. That if anything bad happens to me or Leo or the girls that you will be there and will take care of them. Please, daddy?"
"I will."
Victor left two days later. He spent his vacation playing with his two grandsons and spending time with his daughters. Everyone was sad when it was time for him to leave. They all gathered around the front door and said their good-byes and gave their hugs. Wyatt held onto his grandfather tight and didn't want to let go.
"I'll be back for another visit soon," Victor said as he let go. He turned to Leo. "Take care of them for me, will you?"
Leo nodded. "I promise."
Victor gave both Paige and Phoebe hugs then turned to Piper. "If you need anything, you call me. And try to cheer up, for both Wyatt and Chris' sake."
Smiling through her tears, Piper hugged her father and kissed his cheek. "I promise."
"I left something for you in your room. Chris, big Chris, told me to give it to you. I've had it since that day when I came to visit."
Victor was gone after that and everyone when back inside and went about their own business. Piper made her way up to her room and looked around, trying to see what had been left for her. Seeing nothing, she sighed and sat on her bed and felt something slide off her pillow and touch her hand.
It was a letter.