Disclaimer: "Dis" indeed. I consider having to shamefully admit that I
don't own Charmed or Drew a "dis" (or slang for "insult").
((()))
Brian orbed down again. "Er...you guys need to go back..."
"Back where?" asked Piper. "I'm not leaving, I haven't seen everything yet—"
"And there will be plenty of time for that later, alright?" Brian snapped. "Look, you guys need to go back RIGHT NOW because YOUR Chris hasn't been conceived. He's fading away now—he's dying, technically speaking."
"What?" Piper gasped. "Take us back, right now!"
"How could he be dying? I thought no time passed while we were gone!" Phoebe objected.
"It's, uh, a little more complicated than that." Brian cleared his throat and blushed a bit. "If you know what I mean," he added quickly. "By separating Piper and Leo, he's not going to exist if you guys don't...Um, yeah." He took their hands and orbed them back to the present.
Chris was transparent with a slightly sheepish grin on his face. "Hi mom, hi dad," he said in a mock-cheerful voice. "Back so soon?"
Piper looked at him closely for the first time. Her entire perspective of him had changed. She had always thought of him as an annoying, nagging whitelighter that screwed up her life—but now she knew the truth. This boy was her son, and he sacrificed everything to save them—his family, his home, his childhood—all because he loved them so much.
"Chris, how did this happen?" Leo asked worriedly. "What can we do?"
"Oooh, I think you know," said Phoebe with a grin.
"No," said Piper, "no, no, no, no—"
"Uh, Piper—er, mom—I'm kind of running out of—" Chris disappeared completely.
"He'll be back, he's shifting through planes," Brian assured them quickly. "He hasn't been erased yet."
Phoebe pushed Piper and Leo out of the attic and into their bedroom, locking the door. "Have fun, you two!" she exclaimed.
Piper's muffled protests could be heard through the cracks in the door, but all Phoebe and Paige caught was "...blast this door down..." and "make you wish we could go back in time so YOU wouldn't be born..."
"Lalala!" said Paige loudly. "WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!! Now get to work!"
Chris shifted back to the mortal plane. "Okay, this is not fun!" he retorted.
Phoebe and Paige looked at him strangely, reacting towards the sight of him the same way that Piper did. They felt like they couldn't talk to him now, they were still getting over the shock from their little trip...
"What the hell is wrong with you two?" he asked, waving a hand in their face. He lowered his voice, the humor gone. "What did you see?"
Phoebe bit her lip, hesitant to answer. "Everything up until when Bianca turned to the good side again," she said quickly, bracing herself for what he'd say. To their surprise, he didn't yell at them—he leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his hair with an exasperated sigh.
"Chris, baby, I'm so sorry about what happened to you—"
"Don't be, it doesn't matter," he said quietly. "You were never supposed to know. I should've realized that you guys were as stubborn in the past as you were alive in my future...Just, please," he said, "I don't really want to talk about it."
"I understand," said Phoebe sympathetically. "But really, Chris, the pain isn't just going to go away. You know that. You can't pretend that you've moved on; that may take years. We still haven't gotten over Prue. I know that...you're still hurting. You could...talk about it to us?"
Chris looked down at the ground. "Maybe later," he mumbled.
Phoebe nodded.
Just then, Chris reappeared fully where he was standing. They all looked at each other and burst out laughing as a grumpy, infuriated Piper threw the door open and made her way towards them.
"NOT FUNNY," she protested. "You," she said, pointing a finger at Chris, "are going to pay for that, young man."
"Just remember to stock up on diapers," said Paige happily. "I'm hungry. Who wants lunch?"
"Uh, maybe I'll make it," Piper cut in quickly, knowing that it may not turn out so well and in need of an excuse to avoid Chris.
"Right," they all agreed.
"Chris, talk to me...when you're ready."
Chris nodded to Phoebe as Piper and Paige left the room for the kitchen. Phoebe followed them, leaving Chris and Leo alone on the steps to the attic.
"You didn't have to lie to us, Chris," Leo began after a moment. "We would've accepted you."
Chris didn't respond; just stared at his hands.
"Chris...you've been through a lot. We've seen that. We only want to help."
"You can't help. I'm the one that came back to change this so I'm the one that has to do it."
"Chris, you don't have to do this alone. You're our son! We trust you!"
"You never trusted me before."
"We didn't know, Chris," said Leo sadly. "I know that you probably hate me for never being there in your past, but I can change—"
"You were there sometimes."
"I wasn't there when it mattered most," Leo objected. "But all that will change. I promise, Chris...I won't let you go through that again."
"It's already been done, Leo!"
"I can be changed," Leo insisted, slightly hurt that Chris didn't call him dad. "I can make it change. It will be alright. Let us help you, Chris...you can't do this all alone. You can't go on with the weight of the world on your shoulders like this everyday...you're barely even a man yet."
"I'm old enough to take care of myself and I think I've proven that before," said Chris, referring to his memories they invaded.
"Yes, I'll admit that you have proven it. But did you like it? Did you enjoy being alone, fighting alone, living alone? Being by yourself and watching the days pass you by, doing nothing but hunting demons until you're on the verge of self-destruction?"
Chris didn't respond again.
"I know it hurts, Chris...but you know you need our help."
"I don't want to bother you guys, I'm always changing the timeline and getting in the way," Chris said with watery eyes. "I don't mean to."
"But you have to. We understand that now, Chris—and maybe changing the timeline is for the better. That's what you came here for, right?"
"Right."
"And you don't get in the way. Without you, Wyatt would be corrupt and evil. I don't think that that's considered getting in the way. I think that that would be saving your family and the entire world."
Leo hugged his son, not wanting to let go. He knew that he couldn't erase the years of pain Chris had been put through but he wanted to help him. Being like a father to him now was instinct above all else.
"I promise you'll have a better future, Chris. This time it will all be alright."
Chris gave Leo a trusting look and they orbed down to the kitchen together, ready to have a meal with the sisters.
Their first meal as a complete family.
((()))
TBC. Yes, there will be more disaster—I just don't know when. Hey, I've finally updated "Numb" too. And just for the record, I'm going to try to update "A Look into the Future," "Aftermath," and "Numb," at least once a day each. This all depends on how much time my brother needs to spend on his online course...CURSES...lol.
((()))
Brian orbed down again. "Er...you guys need to go back..."
"Back where?" asked Piper. "I'm not leaving, I haven't seen everything yet—"
"And there will be plenty of time for that later, alright?" Brian snapped. "Look, you guys need to go back RIGHT NOW because YOUR Chris hasn't been conceived. He's fading away now—he's dying, technically speaking."
"What?" Piper gasped. "Take us back, right now!"
"How could he be dying? I thought no time passed while we were gone!" Phoebe objected.
"It's, uh, a little more complicated than that." Brian cleared his throat and blushed a bit. "If you know what I mean," he added quickly. "By separating Piper and Leo, he's not going to exist if you guys don't...Um, yeah." He took their hands and orbed them back to the present.
Chris was transparent with a slightly sheepish grin on his face. "Hi mom, hi dad," he said in a mock-cheerful voice. "Back so soon?"
Piper looked at him closely for the first time. Her entire perspective of him had changed. She had always thought of him as an annoying, nagging whitelighter that screwed up her life—but now she knew the truth. This boy was her son, and he sacrificed everything to save them—his family, his home, his childhood—all because he loved them so much.
"Chris, how did this happen?" Leo asked worriedly. "What can we do?"
"Oooh, I think you know," said Phoebe with a grin.
"No," said Piper, "no, no, no, no—"
"Uh, Piper—er, mom—I'm kind of running out of—" Chris disappeared completely.
"He'll be back, he's shifting through planes," Brian assured them quickly. "He hasn't been erased yet."
Phoebe pushed Piper and Leo out of the attic and into their bedroom, locking the door. "Have fun, you two!" she exclaimed.
Piper's muffled protests could be heard through the cracks in the door, but all Phoebe and Paige caught was "...blast this door down..." and "make you wish we could go back in time so YOU wouldn't be born..."
"Lalala!" said Paige loudly. "WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!! Now get to work!"
Chris shifted back to the mortal plane. "Okay, this is not fun!" he retorted.
Phoebe and Paige looked at him strangely, reacting towards the sight of him the same way that Piper did. They felt like they couldn't talk to him now, they were still getting over the shock from their little trip...
"What the hell is wrong with you two?" he asked, waving a hand in their face. He lowered his voice, the humor gone. "What did you see?"
Phoebe bit her lip, hesitant to answer. "Everything up until when Bianca turned to the good side again," she said quickly, bracing herself for what he'd say. To their surprise, he didn't yell at them—he leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his hair with an exasperated sigh.
"Chris, baby, I'm so sorry about what happened to you—"
"Don't be, it doesn't matter," he said quietly. "You were never supposed to know. I should've realized that you guys were as stubborn in the past as you were alive in my future...Just, please," he said, "I don't really want to talk about it."
"I understand," said Phoebe sympathetically. "But really, Chris, the pain isn't just going to go away. You know that. You can't pretend that you've moved on; that may take years. We still haven't gotten over Prue. I know that...you're still hurting. You could...talk about it to us?"
Chris looked down at the ground. "Maybe later," he mumbled.
Phoebe nodded.
Just then, Chris reappeared fully where he was standing. They all looked at each other and burst out laughing as a grumpy, infuriated Piper threw the door open and made her way towards them.
"NOT FUNNY," she protested. "You," she said, pointing a finger at Chris, "are going to pay for that, young man."
"Just remember to stock up on diapers," said Paige happily. "I'm hungry. Who wants lunch?"
"Uh, maybe I'll make it," Piper cut in quickly, knowing that it may not turn out so well and in need of an excuse to avoid Chris.
"Right," they all agreed.
"Chris, talk to me...when you're ready."
Chris nodded to Phoebe as Piper and Paige left the room for the kitchen. Phoebe followed them, leaving Chris and Leo alone on the steps to the attic.
"You didn't have to lie to us, Chris," Leo began after a moment. "We would've accepted you."
Chris didn't respond; just stared at his hands.
"Chris...you've been through a lot. We've seen that. We only want to help."
"You can't help. I'm the one that came back to change this so I'm the one that has to do it."
"Chris, you don't have to do this alone. You're our son! We trust you!"
"You never trusted me before."
"We didn't know, Chris," said Leo sadly. "I know that you probably hate me for never being there in your past, but I can change—"
"You were there sometimes."
"I wasn't there when it mattered most," Leo objected. "But all that will change. I promise, Chris...I won't let you go through that again."
"It's already been done, Leo!"
"I can be changed," Leo insisted, slightly hurt that Chris didn't call him dad. "I can make it change. It will be alright. Let us help you, Chris...you can't do this all alone. You can't go on with the weight of the world on your shoulders like this everyday...you're barely even a man yet."
"I'm old enough to take care of myself and I think I've proven that before," said Chris, referring to his memories they invaded.
"Yes, I'll admit that you have proven it. But did you like it? Did you enjoy being alone, fighting alone, living alone? Being by yourself and watching the days pass you by, doing nothing but hunting demons until you're on the verge of self-destruction?"
Chris didn't respond again.
"I know it hurts, Chris...but you know you need our help."
"I don't want to bother you guys, I'm always changing the timeline and getting in the way," Chris said with watery eyes. "I don't mean to."
"But you have to. We understand that now, Chris—and maybe changing the timeline is for the better. That's what you came here for, right?"
"Right."
"And you don't get in the way. Without you, Wyatt would be corrupt and evil. I don't think that that's considered getting in the way. I think that that would be saving your family and the entire world."
Leo hugged his son, not wanting to let go. He knew that he couldn't erase the years of pain Chris had been put through but he wanted to help him. Being like a father to him now was instinct above all else.
"I promise you'll have a better future, Chris. This time it will all be alright."
Chris gave Leo a trusting look and they orbed down to the kitchen together, ready to have a meal with the sisters.
Their first meal as a complete family.
((()))
TBC. Yes, there will be more disaster—I just don't know when. Hey, I've finally updated "Numb" too. And just for the record, I'm going to try to update "A Look into the Future," "Aftermath," and "Numb," at least once a day each. This all depends on how much time my brother needs to spend on his online course...CURSES...lol.