***Ok, I'm back! Wahoo! I have written three chapters while I was gone.
One is pretty long, but the other two are considerably shorter. As always,
I will try to work in suggestions and appreciate them immensely. I HOPE
YOU ENJOY!! ~abs
Chris hardly slept at all that night. He kept dreaming about Chloe—at least he thought they were dreams. Knowing that his powers were linked to Chloe made him aware that what he was seeing could have actually been what was happening to her—just keeping him up longer. He sat up on his cot and watched his mom and brother sleep. They were both sleeping so soundly, *How?* he thought to himself, *knowing that Batterak's got her.* He laid back down and looked over at the clock, it said it was 4:30 a.m. and the sun rose at 5:45; it wouldn't be the first time he had stayed up until the sun rose. He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep, but as soon as he felt his body release, he saw Chloe again. She was chained with her hands behind her back, and the chains were glowing gold, her lip was bleeding and she was breathing hard. It looked like it was taking every bit of energy she had left to stand. Chris startled awake and found that he had orbed himself to the attic and was sitting in the middle of the floor, "I hate it when I do that," he folded his legs up and rested his chin on them.
"Can't sleep?" a voice asked him from behind.
"No," Chris answered and turned to Leo who was sitting on the sofa dressed in full elder garb. Chris was actually relieved to see his father.
"Me either," Leo walked up and sat on the floor next to Chris.
Tears began to inch down Chris's cheeks again, "Every time I close my eyes, I see her, Leo. And I don't think they're ordinary dreams, I think they're prophetic. I can't help but blame myself for all this."
"But you can't blame yourself," Leo put his hand on his son's shoulder, "She knew the risks and she put herself out there to find the truth. It's neither your fault nor her fault that this happened. Demons are traditionally unpredictable and vile," then turning Chris's face so that he was looking in Leo's eyes, "It is not your fault."
"You don't understand," Chris stood up, "It's my job to protect her. I swore it. I promised Mom, I promised Phoebe, and I promised Chloe. Mom linked our powers with these rings when Cole disappeared. We started public school and were going to try to have a normal life. But she wanted us to be able to keep track of each other, so we wouldn't feel alone. But we stilled ended up alone," the tears were once again pouring down his face. He paused to collect his thoughts, "You were gone," he managed a broken whisper, "Cole was gone. And Wyatt was essentially gone. I was the only man left. And I swore to protect her." Chris was getting progressively choked up as Leo rose to try to comfort him, but he backed out of Leo's reach. "I failed her once already. Wyatt sent her on a mission to recover a totem and ancient scrolls that foretold of his power and allegedly protected him from evil magic. What he didn't tell her before he sent her was that it was guarded by four demons representing earth, wind, water and fire. Four demons! Against Chloe... she's good, but she's not that good. Bianca and I had to broker with the demons to get her body. I picked her up in my arms and I orbed her back here where I buried her next to her mother, my mother, Paige, Prue, Grandma Patty, and Grams. Catch the trend? It is my job to protect her and I failed!" Chris sobbed.
Leo timidly approached Chris holding at his hand. This time Chris didn't back away but let Leo pull him into a hug. Leo wrapped his arms around Chris's shoulders as Chris buried his head in his father's chest. Leo's eyes were watering—he was holding his youngest son for the first time.
Leo let Chris cry, "I've failed everybody. And I was given a second chance with Chloe, and I blew it too."
Leo continued to hold Chris, "Is she dead yet?"
"What?" Chris backed up.
"Is Chloe dead yet? Your powers are connected. You are connected. And you love her. Surely you can sense whether she is dead or alive," Leo encouraged Chris, hoping he would let the walls down and embrace all his powers.
Chris closed his eyes as the ring on his finger glowed, "No," he reopened them, "she's not dead."
Leo placed his hand on Chris's cheek, "Then you haven't failed her," and with his other hand blew a gold dust in Chris's face. He sneezed and began to sway back and forth. Before he fell to the ground, Leo caught him, and lifting him up into his arms, orbed them downstairs. He gently laid Chris back down on his cot as the first rays of sunlight began to creep over the horizon. Leo covered Chris up, and kissed his forehead, "Sleep well, son."
Leo orbed into the kitchen to find Phoebe, Piper and Paige picking at, but not eating, their breakfasts. Wyatt was sitting in his high chair. He could obviously sense his family's distress and kept repeating, "Clo? Clo?" and holding his hands palm up as if asking, "Where is she?"
Leo walked over to him, patted his head, "It's ok, we'll find her," not only as assurance to Wyatt but to everyone else in the room. Noting that Cole was missing he asked, "Where is Cole? He didn't go try to find Batterak did he?"
Phoebe shook her head no, "He's just checking with different demonic sources. Trying some scare tactics to get information."
"You let him go?" Leo was shocked.
"Well, there was no 'letting' about it. He just left," Phoebe got up from the table.
"You try stopping him," Paige snorted following Phoebe to the sink.
"Good point," Leo picked up a grapefruit and spoon joining Piper who was still sitting.
"Chris's still asleep and it's almost 11:00," Piper stirred what was left of her oatmeal, "He's usually up right after the sun. You wouldn't happen to know anything about why he's still asleep would you?"
"Yes, I do," Leo spooned a piece of grapefruit into his mouth, "he was still awake when the sun was coming up. He needed a little help sleeping."
"What'd you do? Hit him?" Paige asked with a wink.
"No," Leo laughed, "I borrowed some sand from the Sandman... I gave him some peaceful dreams and a good night's sleep. He wasn't having much of one."
"Not many of us were," Phoebe poured herself a second cup of coffee, "I called in sick this morning. Elise still wants me there after lunch though, so I need to go get ready. I'm really ok with that, too. I need to do something to get my mind off everything." Paige gave Phoebe a well- needed hug, "Thanks," she hugged back.
Leo took another bite of his grapefruit before telling his family the rest of the story. "I found Chris sitting in the attic," he announced. "He had orbed himself up there in his sleep. He had been having prophetic dreams—about Chloe."
"Sleep orbing, I've done that," Paige admitted. Leo looked at her like she was missing the point, "Well, I have," she defended herself.
"He was having dreams about Chloe?" Phoebe asked.
"Apparently. He didn't go into detail about them, just that he thought they weren't really dreams but what was happening to her," Leo concluded leaving out his and Chris's bonding time.
Phoebe took a long sip of her coffee as Paige patted her on the shoulder, "We're going to find her," she consoled her sister.
Piper pushed back her chair and picked up Wyatt, "Come on, baby boy, you and I are going to take your bath," Wyatt orbed them upstairs almost on cue, "A girl could get used to this," Piper smiled as she undressed her oldest. She heard stirring behind and turned with her hands at the ready just to find Chris walking in the bathroom behind her.
"Morning," he muttered as he sat on the lid of the toilet watching his mom bath his big brother. "I feel drugged."
"You look drugged," Piper teased, "And that's probably because you were drugged."
"What are you talking about?" Chris yawned.
"Your father dusted you with Sandman dust so that you could sleep," Piper explained.
Chris yawned again and watched Wyatt splash around in the tub, "Let me help you," he offered to Piper as she tried to stand. He helped her to sit on the edge of the tub. She picked up his hand sensing he had a lot to say and didn't know where to begin. "I'm really grateful Leo was here last night."
"That's a first, and a step in the right direction," Piper squeezed his hand. Chris half-smiled. "Last night was the most emotional I think any of us have ever seen you. I had no idea you had it in you."
Chris kept staring at his mother's hands around his, "You should have seen me when you died." Piper had temporarily forgotten about that. Chris had admitted to Victor that the reason he was being so hesitant getting to know his mom was because she died when he was fourteen. Piper hated to think that she was going to leave her children motherless the same way she had been. "I think it was a compilation of things," Chris disclosed, "I've felt like such a failure. I came back from twenty plus years in the future to save my family, and so far nothing has changed. I even managed to get my fiancé killed."
"Bianca? You never told us about that," Piper's eyes watered.
"When I left the future the second time, she had been impaled while trying to save me from Wyatt," Chris still couldn't look Piper in the eyes, "I left her dying. Chloe showed me a vision of her being saved, but I can't believe it until I see her, and touch her."
"Then why do you think you're a failure?"
"Because I have been given all these second chances, and I keep screwing them up," Chris dropped Piper's hand and stood up, "I've been given a second chance to save my family and Bianca, to get to know you, Leo, Phoebe, Paige even. I had never met her until after she was broken free from that statue," he paused, "and I've been given a second chance to save Chloe. And she was taken away from me again. It's a lot to take in," he turned to leave the bathroom.
Piper convinced Wyatt that bath time was over and he could have equally as much if not more fun with his clothes on. She walked him back down the hall and to her room. Chris was dressed, sitting on his cot, and flipping through the little black book when they walked in. Wyatt orbed himself to the cot, still naked and dripping water, and proceeded to climb up into Chris's lap. "Hey, what are you doing?" Chris asked astonished. Wyatt draped his little arms as far as he could around Chris's neck. Chris dropped the book on the floor in shock. Little Wyatt had been so cautious in trusting him, that this was beyond for which he had ever hoped. Chris slowly wrapped his arms around his baby older brother as Wyatt smiled, "Love you."
Piper wiped her eyes, "I don't think you're a failure, son."
Chris hardly slept at all that night. He kept dreaming about Chloe—at least he thought they were dreams. Knowing that his powers were linked to Chloe made him aware that what he was seeing could have actually been what was happening to her—just keeping him up longer. He sat up on his cot and watched his mom and brother sleep. They were both sleeping so soundly, *How?* he thought to himself, *knowing that Batterak's got her.* He laid back down and looked over at the clock, it said it was 4:30 a.m. and the sun rose at 5:45; it wouldn't be the first time he had stayed up until the sun rose. He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep, but as soon as he felt his body release, he saw Chloe again. She was chained with her hands behind her back, and the chains were glowing gold, her lip was bleeding and she was breathing hard. It looked like it was taking every bit of energy she had left to stand. Chris startled awake and found that he had orbed himself to the attic and was sitting in the middle of the floor, "I hate it when I do that," he folded his legs up and rested his chin on them.
"Can't sleep?" a voice asked him from behind.
"No," Chris answered and turned to Leo who was sitting on the sofa dressed in full elder garb. Chris was actually relieved to see his father.
"Me either," Leo walked up and sat on the floor next to Chris.
Tears began to inch down Chris's cheeks again, "Every time I close my eyes, I see her, Leo. And I don't think they're ordinary dreams, I think they're prophetic. I can't help but blame myself for all this."
"But you can't blame yourself," Leo put his hand on his son's shoulder, "She knew the risks and she put herself out there to find the truth. It's neither your fault nor her fault that this happened. Demons are traditionally unpredictable and vile," then turning Chris's face so that he was looking in Leo's eyes, "It is not your fault."
"You don't understand," Chris stood up, "It's my job to protect her. I swore it. I promised Mom, I promised Phoebe, and I promised Chloe. Mom linked our powers with these rings when Cole disappeared. We started public school and were going to try to have a normal life. But she wanted us to be able to keep track of each other, so we wouldn't feel alone. But we stilled ended up alone," the tears were once again pouring down his face. He paused to collect his thoughts, "You were gone," he managed a broken whisper, "Cole was gone. And Wyatt was essentially gone. I was the only man left. And I swore to protect her." Chris was getting progressively choked up as Leo rose to try to comfort him, but he backed out of Leo's reach. "I failed her once already. Wyatt sent her on a mission to recover a totem and ancient scrolls that foretold of his power and allegedly protected him from evil magic. What he didn't tell her before he sent her was that it was guarded by four demons representing earth, wind, water and fire. Four demons! Against Chloe... she's good, but she's not that good. Bianca and I had to broker with the demons to get her body. I picked her up in my arms and I orbed her back here where I buried her next to her mother, my mother, Paige, Prue, Grandma Patty, and Grams. Catch the trend? It is my job to protect her and I failed!" Chris sobbed.
Leo timidly approached Chris holding at his hand. This time Chris didn't back away but let Leo pull him into a hug. Leo wrapped his arms around Chris's shoulders as Chris buried his head in his father's chest. Leo's eyes were watering—he was holding his youngest son for the first time.
Leo let Chris cry, "I've failed everybody. And I was given a second chance with Chloe, and I blew it too."
Leo continued to hold Chris, "Is she dead yet?"
"What?" Chris backed up.
"Is Chloe dead yet? Your powers are connected. You are connected. And you love her. Surely you can sense whether she is dead or alive," Leo encouraged Chris, hoping he would let the walls down and embrace all his powers.
Chris closed his eyes as the ring on his finger glowed, "No," he reopened them, "she's not dead."
Leo placed his hand on Chris's cheek, "Then you haven't failed her," and with his other hand blew a gold dust in Chris's face. He sneezed and began to sway back and forth. Before he fell to the ground, Leo caught him, and lifting him up into his arms, orbed them downstairs. He gently laid Chris back down on his cot as the first rays of sunlight began to creep over the horizon. Leo covered Chris up, and kissed his forehead, "Sleep well, son."
Leo orbed into the kitchen to find Phoebe, Piper and Paige picking at, but not eating, their breakfasts. Wyatt was sitting in his high chair. He could obviously sense his family's distress and kept repeating, "Clo? Clo?" and holding his hands palm up as if asking, "Where is she?"
Leo walked over to him, patted his head, "It's ok, we'll find her," not only as assurance to Wyatt but to everyone else in the room. Noting that Cole was missing he asked, "Where is Cole? He didn't go try to find Batterak did he?"
Phoebe shook her head no, "He's just checking with different demonic sources. Trying some scare tactics to get information."
"You let him go?" Leo was shocked.
"Well, there was no 'letting' about it. He just left," Phoebe got up from the table.
"You try stopping him," Paige snorted following Phoebe to the sink.
"Good point," Leo picked up a grapefruit and spoon joining Piper who was still sitting.
"Chris's still asleep and it's almost 11:00," Piper stirred what was left of her oatmeal, "He's usually up right after the sun. You wouldn't happen to know anything about why he's still asleep would you?"
"Yes, I do," Leo spooned a piece of grapefruit into his mouth, "he was still awake when the sun was coming up. He needed a little help sleeping."
"What'd you do? Hit him?" Paige asked with a wink.
"No," Leo laughed, "I borrowed some sand from the Sandman... I gave him some peaceful dreams and a good night's sleep. He wasn't having much of one."
"Not many of us were," Phoebe poured herself a second cup of coffee, "I called in sick this morning. Elise still wants me there after lunch though, so I need to go get ready. I'm really ok with that, too. I need to do something to get my mind off everything." Paige gave Phoebe a well- needed hug, "Thanks," she hugged back.
Leo took another bite of his grapefruit before telling his family the rest of the story. "I found Chris sitting in the attic," he announced. "He had orbed himself up there in his sleep. He had been having prophetic dreams—about Chloe."
"Sleep orbing, I've done that," Paige admitted. Leo looked at her like she was missing the point, "Well, I have," she defended herself.
"He was having dreams about Chloe?" Phoebe asked.
"Apparently. He didn't go into detail about them, just that he thought they weren't really dreams but what was happening to her," Leo concluded leaving out his and Chris's bonding time.
Phoebe took a long sip of her coffee as Paige patted her on the shoulder, "We're going to find her," she consoled her sister.
Piper pushed back her chair and picked up Wyatt, "Come on, baby boy, you and I are going to take your bath," Wyatt orbed them upstairs almost on cue, "A girl could get used to this," Piper smiled as she undressed her oldest. She heard stirring behind and turned with her hands at the ready just to find Chris walking in the bathroom behind her.
"Morning," he muttered as he sat on the lid of the toilet watching his mom bath his big brother. "I feel drugged."
"You look drugged," Piper teased, "And that's probably because you were drugged."
"What are you talking about?" Chris yawned.
"Your father dusted you with Sandman dust so that you could sleep," Piper explained.
Chris yawned again and watched Wyatt splash around in the tub, "Let me help you," he offered to Piper as she tried to stand. He helped her to sit on the edge of the tub. She picked up his hand sensing he had a lot to say and didn't know where to begin. "I'm really grateful Leo was here last night."
"That's a first, and a step in the right direction," Piper squeezed his hand. Chris half-smiled. "Last night was the most emotional I think any of us have ever seen you. I had no idea you had it in you."
Chris kept staring at his mother's hands around his, "You should have seen me when you died." Piper had temporarily forgotten about that. Chris had admitted to Victor that the reason he was being so hesitant getting to know his mom was because she died when he was fourteen. Piper hated to think that she was going to leave her children motherless the same way she had been. "I think it was a compilation of things," Chris disclosed, "I've felt like such a failure. I came back from twenty plus years in the future to save my family, and so far nothing has changed. I even managed to get my fiancé killed."
"Bianca? You never told us about that," Piper's eyes watered.
"When I left the future the second time, she had been impaled while trying to save me from Wyatt," Chris still couldn't look Piper in the eyes, "I left her dying. Chloe showed me a vision of her being saved, but I can't believe it until I see her, and touch her."
"Then why do you think you're a failure?"
"Because I have been given all these second chances, and I keep screwing them up," Chris dropped Piper's hand and stood up, "I've been given a second chance to save my family and Bianca, to get to know you, Leo, Phoebe, Paige even. I had never met her until after she was broken free from that statue," he paused, "and I've been given a second chance to save Chloe. And she was taken away from me again. It's a lot to take in," he turned to leave the bathroom.
Piper convinced Wyatt that bath time was over and he could have equally as much if not more fun with his clothes on. She walked him back down the hall and to her room. Chris was dressed, sitting on his cot, and flipping through the little black book when they walked in. Wyatt orbed himself to the cot, still naked and dripping water, and proceeded to climb up into Chris's lap. "Hey, what are you doing?" Chris asked astonished. Wyatt draped his little arms as far as he could around Chris's neck. Chris dropped the book on the floor in shock. Little Wyatt had been so cautious in trusting him, that this was beyond for which he had ever hoped. Chris slowly wrapped his arms around his baby older brother as Wyatt smiled, "Love you."
Piper wiped her eyes, "I don't think you're a failure, son."