A/N: Okay here we go again. I hope you like this, coz it's like the third rewrite I've done but anyway I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed for this fic so far. I love hearing what you all think of it. I just hope I can keep up the good work.
Thanks to: Warm as Ice, SpiritofEowyn, cherry7up56, buffspike, whateveryouwantittobe, Claddagh Ring, slain, Pink-Charmed-One, The Astringent, AK8 and Dragonfireceo keep the reviews coming... please.
Chris was confused; they wanted to give him a gift. What for? He hadn't done anything special that would warrant him receiving a gift. So he had vanquished the Gorth Demon but that was to save his family, anyone would have done the same. "I... I don't understand, why? What gift?" Chris asked as he looked from one ancestor to another.
"My brave son, the world is full of so much pain, so much darkness that we forget what is and what is to come. Our destinies are laid out before us, yet we do not see. You, you are destined for great things." Melinda Warren replied smiling at her Great-Grandson.
"My destiny? What could I possibly do that is so special? Wyatt's the special one; he's the Twice-Blessed child." Chris asked, remembering how everyone treated Wyatt.
"Honey," Prue called out to her nephew, "believe us when we say you're destined for great things, okay." Prue's words brought a smile to his face, if the entire Halliwell line believed in him who was he to say anything.
Seeing Chris' acceptance Penny once again stepped forth. "But before we can begin we'll be needing the book." Turning to Patricia and Prue, Penny continued, "I believe you two know what to do."
With that, both Patricia and Prue moved out of the circle. "Honey, take our hands." Prue said. Chris did as he was told. Upon taking their hands, they both began to cast a spell.
"We call upon the ancient power,
To help us in this darkest hour,
Let the book return to thee,
Bring it forth so let it be."
As they finished the spell, a blinding flash of light appeared above their heads. Chris was shocked to see the Book of Shadows fall to the clouds on which they where standing. "How'd you...? I thought the book couldn't be removed from the Manor?" Chris asked, his confusion returning in spades.
"Honey any Halliwell witch can summon the book, it's just here you require more than one." Penny replied as she picked the book up and handed it to Melinda. As she examined the book, Melinda noticed Chris had a question brewing in his mind.
"Christopher, what is it that you wish to know?"
"You said that this was a part of the spell I cast from the book, right? What was that spell anyway? How did I manage to vanquish the Gorth Demon?" Chris said running his sentences together.
"The spell you cast is one of the oldest and most powerful forms of magic. You know the story of how the Charmed Ones defeated the evil Titans, yes?" Chris simply nodded; everyone in the Halliwell family knew how the Titans had been vanquished. "You're mother was given the greatest power of all the Gods, power over nature. Power such as that can not be obtained then simply given away without leaving behind something special."
"You mean Mum has power over nature?" Chris asked dumbfounded.
"No, she was marked with the power so that if she were to bear a child, that child would be able to call upon that same great power." Melinda continued as Chris was finally beginning to understand how he vanquished the Gorth Demon. "Unfortunately the power is too strong and too demanding for someone so young."
Just as Chris began to ask another question, one of his ancestors walked up to Melinda Warren. "They are attempting to summon the boy back. If we do not hurry it will be too late." Melinda just smiled and inclined her heard slightly.
"My dear daughter, everything in its own time. Patience is the key here; we cannot begin until everything is in place." Melinda took Chris by the hand. "Christopher you must do as I ask of you. Can you do that for me?" Chris couldn't help but notice the pleading look his Great ancestor was giving him.
"Yes, what do you want me to do?" Chris replied, a nervous twinge was starting to develop in the pit of his stomach.
"I, we," Melinda began waving a hand to all the Halliwells that encircled them, "need you to be strong. The gift we are going to give you can also be seen as a curse, you must promise me, us, your family that you will always do what is right no matter the consequences, no matter how hard it may seem you must always do the right thing. Do you understand me?" Chris understood, he was after all the son of a Charmed One.
"I promise but what does this have to do with my destiny? What is my destiny?" Chris said, his fear and nervousness growing as everyone now wore the most serious looks.
"That is something I cannot answer. Our destinies maybe written but they must be discovered on our own. Outside forces may seem to alter our path but as long as you stay true, you will reach what you seek, that is why you must promise me you will always do what is right." Melinda said as she once again engulfed Chris in a hug.
"I promise." Chris whispered in reply.
"Remember, our futures whilst they lie before us may impact the past just as much as our future." Melinda added speaking into Chris' ear.
As her words echoed through his mind Chris was thrown deeper into confusion, what was she trying to tell him? How could the future affect the past? "I..." but before he could continue Melinda turned to her daughters.
"My daughters the time is almost upon us." With that, she returned to her place within the circle. "My daughters, my sisters, my friends I ask that you open your minds and your hearts. Let the words of the Charmed Ones ring out." As Melinda spoke all Chris' ancestors took each other's hands within their own. "Let the love of a mother transcend life and death."
As Melinda continued, Chris watched on as storm clouds began to blacken the sky. The light from the eternal sunset faded, leaving only the ghostly light of his ancestors. "What's going on?" Before Chris could have his question answered, his mother's voice echoed out overhead.
In this night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power, Bring back my son, Bring him to me, Blood of my blood I summon thee, Blood of my blood return to me.
"Mum! Mum I'm here, Mum!" Chris called out, the pain in her voice cut deep. His mother was one of the strongest people he knew; only something seriously wrong could cause her so much pain.
"The time has come to pass the gift." Chris turned to see Melinda and the rest of his ancestors close their eyes. They were going to give him the gift but why did they have to wait until his mother was in so much pain? What could they hope to gain by causing her to suffer that much?
"We call upon the ancient power,
To help this young one in his darkest hour,
Heed the hope within our minds,
And grant now him a power divine."
The moment the final words were spoken, the gathering storm clouds erupted to life, showering down immense blots of lightning. The Book of Shadows flew out of Melinda's hands and over Chris' head, the triquetra glowing. As each strike hit, Chris braced himself, he'd never storm as big as the one that was raging overhead.
The storm continued to grow yet the ancestors remained unconcerned, they appeared to be in some kind of trance. "Grams, Aunt Prue what's going on?" Chris bellowed but his voice was drowned out by another clap of thunder. As he was about to call out once more his Aunt's voices echoed overhead just as Piper's had done moments before.
In this night and in this hour, We call upon our ancient power, Bring back our loved one, our nephew, our son, By the power of three let it be, Blood to blood we summon thee, Blood to blood return to thee.
No sooner had the sister's voices faded, then did the storm and the ghostly glow of the ancestors increase. The light and the noise reached unbearable levels; Chris couldn't see or hear anything, then nothing. Chris opened his eyes but all he was greeted with was total darkness. "Grams, Aunt Prue is anyone there?" Chris bellowed but no reply came, he was alone. The storm had vanished. His ancestors where gone. "Hello is anyone there? Mum! Aunt Phoebe! Aunt Paige!" As Chris continued to call out to the darkness, he was hit with a warm feeling spreading throughout his entire body. He felt safe here, wherever here was, he knew he was safe.
"Chris." A familiar voice called out to him from the darkness. "Oh Chris I am so proud of you my son." As the voice continued a small wisp of light appeared before his eyes.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Chris called out; whilst the voice seemed familiar, he was still unsure as to where he was. "Is this part of my gift?" Chris continued.
"You are where lost souls transverse to be found. You are somewhere yet you are nowhere." The light continued to grow in intensity as the voice grew louder as if coming closer.
"I don't understand. I thought I wasn't dead. I thought I was supposed to see my family." Chris was becoming frustrated and scared, he didn't want to die.
"You don't have to be afraid Chris; this is just the last step in your journey back." Chris now realised who the voice belonged to, his mother.
"Mum! But... but... but you're not dead. You can't be dead! No please you can't!" Chris cried out, tears forming in his eyes. As Chris looked up the light began to take shape, the shape of his mother. "Mum!"
"Oh honey there's nothing to worry about I'm not really dead. I'm just an echo, a piece of me that was left here so many years ago." Piper walked up to her son and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm only here to tell you that family is the most important thing in the world. The bond between family exceeds good or evil. When the time comes and you have to make the decision, you must remember that I love you and nothing will ever change that." His mother words were beginning to scare him. What did she mean? What decision?
"Mum...?" Chris began to speak but Piper raised her hand.
"Shhh, you'll understand in time, but now you must return." As she looked at her son, all Piper could do was smile. "Remember I'll always love you." With that, the world before him exploded to life. A blinding flash of blue light emanated from beneath Chris engulfing him, and then everything was gone.
Piper looked on in shock as her youngest son's lifeless body started to float in the air above his bed. The once white crystals were now casting a blue light around the room. "What's going on?" Piper tried to take her son's hand but as she reached over an energy barrier threw her away.
"Piper!" Phoebe rushed over to where Piper now lay. "Are you okay?"
"Where'd that energy barrier come from? Why won't it let me touch him? What's going on?" Piper cried. "The spell was supposed to bring him back to me. Why isn't he coming back?" Piper was now crying openly once more. As Phoebe was about to reply the five crystals exploded in a blinding flash of blue light.
"Mum." A quiet voice called out. Piper immediately forced herself up and over to the bed. As she reached it, her heart jumped, her son was alive, he'd returned to her.
"Oh honey." Piper cried grabbing Chris in the biggest hug she could manage. "You scared me to half to death. Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?" As Piper hugged and frantically looked her son over, Phoebe, Paige, Melinda and Vanessa were standing in complete shock. They had brought their nephew back from the dead. When Piper was sure that her son hadn't suffered any injuries, she looked over at her sisters, the tears streaming down everyone's faces. "I told you he wasn't dead, now come over here and give your nephew a hug before I..." Piper wasn't able to finish her sentence as everyone rushed over and engulfed Chris in the biggest group hug he could have ever imagined.
"You know you scared us all to death, what were you thinking?" Paige asked fighting back the tears.
"Yeah I think I aged twenty years in like five minutes. I hope you're happy?" Phoebe added unable to fight back her tears as her Empathic powers were working over time.
"I'm sorry." Chris replied, a lone tear falling down his cheek. "You'll never guess where I was though." As he spoke Vanessa's curiosity was peeked.
"Where did you go? What did you see? You have to tell us!" Paige simply grabbed her daughter; oh, how much she reminded her of herself as a child. Always wanting to know everything right away. "You have to tell us everything, including the spell you cast."
"Yeah, I hear it rocked. And hey where'd you get an energy barrier anyway?" Melinda chimed in. "Coz if their just giving them a way I want one too." She added with a smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Energy barrier?" Chris asked confused, looking around the room. "What energy barrier?"
"Yeah just before you, you know, returned, you had an energy barrier." Vanessa replied not wanting to mention what had just happened.
"So that's what they gave me." Chris said off-handedly.
"Huh? Someone gave you something?" Vanessa asked practically bouncing on the bed with excitement.
"What? Oh yeah. Well I was kinda 'up there'." Chris said moving his head towards the ceiling.
"Wait you where up there with the Elders?" Phoebe chimed in slightly annoyed that Leo still hadn't shown.
"The Elders? No I was 'up-up there'." As Chris said that, everybody's face fell. So he had died but they were able to bring him back with the power of three. "At first I didn't know where I was but Great-Grams and Grams came and well, they didn't actually tell me much. Except that they were proud of me for vanquishing the demon."
"Wait you saw Mum and Grams? They saw what you did?" Paige asked wondering just how much they could see and did see.
"Yeah but that's not all," Chris began to move off his bed but Piper placed her hand on his shoulders.
"Oh no you just died. You're not leaving that bed until I'm sure you are alright."
"Aww but I'm fine." Chris whined back, he hated having to stay in one place for too long.
"No buts mister, sit!" Piper said firmly but her face betrayed her tone. She was just happy that her son was back. "But let's hear more about what happened 'up-up there'." Piper added, once again indicating the ceiling.
Chris realising he wasn't going to win settled back down. "Well then Aunt Prue came. She told me I'm so much like you mum." Piper could take it anymore the unshed tears now flowing freely.
"You saw Prue? How is she? Is she okay? What is she doing?" Phoebe interrupted, it had been so long since they had seen their eldest sister; they missed her everyday since she died.
"Well she's fine or was fine but we didn't talk too much coz Great-Grams called forth all the Halliwell witches. They said they wanted to give me a gift. Something about my destiny." As Chris was about to continue he became light-headed. "Whoa!"
"Honey!" Piper rushed to his side. "What's wrong?" Her fear returned ten fold.
"I'm cool, it's just I feel kinda light-headed." Chris knew the Piper would want to call a stop to his story but he really didn't want to stop, he had so much to tell them.
"I think you should rest. You've had a big day." Piper replied moving to usher everyone out.
"No I'm fine... really." Chris pleaded with his mother. Seeing how much he wanted to continue Piper folded, she could make him rest all day tomorrow and she would. "Anyway Melinda Warren told me that the spell from the Book of Shadows I cast was what sent me 'up there'. That it was the only place I could receive this gift."
"Oh no, the book! It vanished just after Piper called out." Paige exclaimed.
"Yeah I know. They needed it. I'm not sure what for but they cast this spell and a huge storm started up." Chris paused before continuing as he remembered hearing his mother's pained cries. "I heard you. They were waiting for you Mum. They waited for you to start summoning me back."
"Why? Why would they need to wait for me to summon you back?" Piper asked reminding herself the next time she called her Grams she would have to have a long conversation about making her son appear dead just to give him something.
"I don't know but after you cast the power of three spell everything disappeared and I was in this dark place were you came to me." Chris continued looking over at his mother. "But it wasn't you. It was an echo or something, you said I would have to make a decision about my family and that you'll always love me no matter what." As Chris finished Piper rushed back over to her son's bed and hugged him once again.
"Oh honey of course I'll always love you. I love you more that anything in this world or the next remember?" Piper squeezed once more then kissed his brow before releasing him.
"What was the gift they gave you?" Melinda blurted out the suspense was killing her.
"Melinda!" Phoebe scolded light-heartedly; truthfully, she wanted to know just as much as her daughter did.
"Well they didn't actually tell me but it has something to do with Mum when she was a Goddess. They said that because she was a Goddess that any child she bore would have that same power." It was as if the room entered a vacuum state as everyone gasped simultaneously.
"Are you telling me you were given the power of the Gods?" Melinda asked her jealousy evident.
"I don't think so. I mean I don't feel stronger but you said I had an energy barrier before so maybe they changed my powers or gave me new ones." Chris replied now even more eager to get off his bed to test his powers. Piper as if sensing Chris' desire to start using his magic stepped in.
"I don't want you to even think about using your powers until your father has a look at you." As Chris saw the look within his Mum's eyes, he realised that if he went behind her back he'd regret it. "Leo! Leo! Where is he?" Piper asked her sisters.
"He was called back by the Elders. We tried to call him before but he didn't come." As Chris heard his Aunt Phoebe tell his mother that his dad didn't even come when they thought he was dying he felt a surge of power within himself.
"Leo! Leo get you ass down here!" Piper called out again but still Leo didn't come. "Where is he? Why isn't he coming?" Before Piper could receive an answer from anyone Phoebe and Melinda yelled out.
"Oh no!" However, it was too late, the surge of power sent everyone flying as an energy barrier erected itself around Chris.
"Okay that wasn't fun." Paige retorted as she pulled her self up. "Nice warning system you two."
"Oww, how was I supposed to know he'd do that? This morning he couldn't do that." Phoebe replied as she lifted Melinda off her.
"Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't want to do that!" Chris said his eyes relaying his horror at what he'd just done. "I could help it. Is anyone hurt?"
"No, no I'm fine." Piper replied as she lifted her self off her niece. "What about you Vanessa, you okay?"
"I'll live." Vanessa replied before wincing. How could she joke about life and death after what they had just been through? As everyone got up off the floor, they heard a loud crash from down stairs.
"Mum demon!"