O.O

sailorwind: Thank you so much for the advice. It helped out so much with the first chapter of one of my stories. I can't tell you how much it helped me. I can't even begin to describe it. All I can say is that it helped out a lot, and I'm very grateful.

Inner Demons:

Chapter 3: Don't Forget Me

Chris looked around. "Why are we at my elementary school?"

"I don't know. Only you can answer that," Prue said, watching a nine year old Chris sit on the bench in front of the office.

A lady passed in front of him.

"Excuse me, but do you know what time it is?" Little Chris asked, looking upset.

"It's almost four," the lady said, facing him. "Do you need my to call your parents, little one?"

"No. It's okay. My daddy should be here any minute," Little Chris said, sighing.

The lady smiled and walked away.

Little Chris looked around and sat there for about ten minutes before getting up and walking into the boys' bathroom.

"Do you know how to orb yet?" Prue asked, facing Chris.

"No. Dad didn't have the time to teach me," Chris said, sighing.

Little Chris closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few moments, he sighed, giving up. "It's no use. I'll never be able to orb."

He walked out into the hallway and sat back down on the bench.

After another ten minutes, the lady walked back up to him. "I can call your mommy if you like?"

Chris was about to open his mouth when Leo ran down the hallway.

"Chris, I'm so sorry," he said, taking his hand and starting to walking down the hall, dragging his youngest son with him. "The elders gave me a new charged today, and I forgot that I had promised to pick you up. I was with her all day. I'm so sorry, buddy."

"That's right," Chris said, smiling a bit. "Mom figured out that the elders had put a spell on Dad a few months after Wyatt's birthday. She took it off. But I guess the elders still kept him busy."

Little Chris looked up at Leo. "Daddy, you forgot about me?"

Leo sighed, looking upset as he knelt in front of his son. "Yeah. I did. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I'll make it up to you. I'll take you out later, okay?"

Little Chris smiled slightly and nodded. "Will you take me to the zoo?"

Leo smiled. "Sure." He got back up and took Chris's hand, walking into the bathroom and orbing home.

Piper sighed in relief and smiled, hugging Little Chris tightly. "Oh, I'm so glad that you're okay. I was so worried."

Leo grimaced. "That was my fault."

"Daddy forgot about me," Little Chris said, no longer smiling.

Piper stood up and faced Leo. "He what?"

"Piper, I'm so sorry. The elders -"

Piper kneeled down next to Little Chris. "Can you go play with your brother upstairs?"

Little Chris nodded and ran out of the room.

Piper stood up and faced Leo. "It's always about the elders! What is wrong with them! Why do they want our son to grow up without a father?!"

Leo sighed and looked down at the floor. "I don't know, Piper. I don't get it, either. But there's nothing I can do."

"First that stupid spell, and now making you run off every time Chris needs you!" Piper yelled in frustration.

"I don't like it anymore than you do," Leo said, sighing.

"I don't just not like it, Leo! I hate it!" Piper yelled.

"I get that you're mad, but -"

"No, Leo! I'm not mad! I'm pissed off! You're not the one who has to see our son go through the pain of never being able to see his father! I do! You're never around to see it, Leo! And it hurts him so much! I can't stand it! I don't want to see him going through that pain anymore! Now orb me Up There so I can give the elders a piece of my mind!" she yelled.

"Piper, you know I can't do that," Leo said, sighing.

"I don't care if it's against the rules! Do it!" Piper yelled.

"I could get my wings clipped," Leo pleaded.

"Then become mortal! I don't care! Orb me up there!" Piper yelled.

"Piper, I can't."

"You're not any better than they are!" Piper yelled, storming out of the room.

Leo sighed and sat down on the couch, tears in his eyes. He looked upward. "Why don't you want me to spend any time with my son? Why are you set on torturing me this way?"

"Dad never wanted to abandon me. The elders made him," Chris said, backing up a bit and leaning against the wall.

"I need my son, and my son needs me, damnit!" Leo yelled, standing up. "He can't grow up without a father! I don't care if you think his uncles and his mother can take my place! They can't! They just can't!"

Tears came to Chris's eyes. "But it always seemed like -"

Tears started slowly streaming down Leo's face. "At least give me tonight. One trip to the zoo. I'll even take Wyatt along if I have to. Just let me keep that one promise. I don't want to cause Chris anymore pain than I already have."

"I want to go home!" Chris yelled, hitting the wall. "Let me go home!"

Prue put a hand on Chris's arm. "I know, Chris. But we can't yet. We still have more memories, more moments, to go through."

"I don't want to go through them! I understand! I understand that my father never meant to abandon me! That he was forced into it! And I want to go home now!" Chris yelled.

There came a jingle.

Leo looked up and sighed, orbing Up There.

"Leo, we can't allow you to take Chris to the zoo," an elder said, sighing.

"I promised him -"

"You promised a lot of things, Leo. But it doesn't mean that you went through with your promises," the elder said.

"It's because you guys won't let me!" Leo yelled.

"I suggest that you stop making promises," the elder said before walking away.

"Let me keep this one promise or I'll clip my wings!" Leo yelled at him.

The elder immediately turned around. "Fine, Leo. This one promise. But don't make anymore."

Leo smiled slightly before orbing next to Little Chris, who was playing with Wyatt in their room. "Hey, guys."

Little Chris smiled and hugged Leo. "Daddy!"

"You wanna go to the zoo now?" Leo asked, smiling.

Little Chris nodded. "Yeah!"

"I don't want to go to the zoo," Wyatt whined. "Do I have to come, Dad? I'm eleven. I'm passed that."

Leo smirked. "No, Wyatt, you don't have to come."

Wyatt smiled. "Good. I have some homework to do, anyway."

Leo nodded and orbed away with Little Chris.

Chris smiled after seeing the happiness on his younger version's face as the scenery became blurry.

Prue looked over at him and smiled. "Good memories?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah. That was the best night that I had ever lived through in my life."

"And you were only nine. That's pretty sad," Prue said, losing her smile.

"Yeah, but I remember everything. That night was great. After we went to the zoo, Dad took me out for ice cream. And I forgot about him forgetting me. I didn't remember until I saw this," Chris said, still slightly smiling.

"Then I wonder why you were scared of this moment. I wonder why you feared it," Prue said, looking confused.

Chris faced her. "I think, in somewhere in my subconscious, I remembered this moment. And I feared it. I feared Dad forgetting about me," he said, no longer smiling.

"You're afraid that the Leo you're with right now will forget about you?" Prue asked, crossing her arms.

"No. I'm afraid that Dad in general, no matter in what time or what age, will forget about me. Will forget about me being his son. And, later in my life after this moment, that's what it seemed like. It seemed like he had forgotten his own son," Chris said, sighing and looking upset.

Prue looked up. "We're almost done."

"How do you know?" Chris asked, looking confused.

"I don't know. I just do. I just know that we're almost done. We weren't meant to have many memories. But, we only have a few more after this one," she said, motioning the scenery, which was no longer blurry.

O.O.O.O.O

Let's see . . . I'm guessing this story will be about eight chapters long. But, it's gonna be longer than a few of my stories. Stories I've written in the past that weren't so long. I'm sorry, but I can't think of many moments that Chris has to fear. I can think of a few, but not many. Oh well. I think eight chapters is enough. Anyway, review please! Ciao!

Hannah