***Thank you all for your excellent, exquisite reviews on the last chapter! You are what makes writing fun and motivates me to keep going! I hope you enjoy this one, too. All I ask is for patience as I finish this, my semester of school, and try to work your brilliant ideas into the story. ~abs

Chloe was curled up on a sofa at P3, the music in her ears echoed white noise, and the images in her mind still terrified her. Chris walked up carrying two glasses, and sat on the sofa with her. Chloe didn't even stir. "I brought you a Sprite, you don't seem much in the mood for anything else," he offered her the cup, "it has a straw. I know how much you love straws," he jingled the ice. Chloe kept staring blankly at the band that was playing and the plethora of people mingling through the club. "Chloe, you haven't talked to me since we left the mausoleum and I can't hear what you're thinking. Come on, you're scaring me."
Chloe turned her eyes up to Chris's face and saw his pain, "I've been keeping something from you."
"I know," Chris put his hand on her shoulder, "you are not ok."
Chloe took his drink from his hand—a vodka tonic with a twist—and took a long sip before handing it back. Then she took the Sprite he had brought her. "Batterak didn't just beat me."
"Just beat you? Chloe, he almost beat you to death," Chris reminded her, "Leo had to heal you twice. I know there's something more to it."
"That's not what hurt the most and you're right—I haven't been ok," she sighed heavily, afraid to tell her cousin the truth, afraid of how he might respond, "maybe we should go to the office, or the manor, or somewhere else to talk."
Chris shook his head defiantly, "When I saw your face in the mausoleum, when I saw Leo's eyes, and when Batterak said... I thought maybe he... I'm afraid to even say it. I can't be right," Chloe put her hand on Chris's and squeezed it. That's all she needed to do. The glass in Chris's hand exploded sending ice and alcohol all over the floor. Leo, Cole and Phoebe were sitting at the table and saw the scene and got up to approach them. Chris's hand was bleeding as he pulled Chloe close to him. He was still shaking with anger, "I'm really not letting you out of my sight. I mean it. I'm tempted to bring him back so I can kick ass again. Chloe," he silently cried into her hair, "Why didn't you say something sooner? You need a real doctor, not just to be healed."
"I know," Chloe backed away from him, "That's what Leo told me. I didn't say anything because I was scared."
"You always talk about something like that, do you hear me?" Chris wrapped a napkin around his hand, "Do not keep that to yourself. I know you're scared and mad, because I am, too and it happened to you. But you have to know, you don't deserve to go through this alone," he hugged her again.
For the first time since her daughter had arrived, Phoebe could sense her pain. It was unbearable, "Chloe, sweetie, what's wrong? I've never been able to sense you before, but your soul is practically screaming."
Leo looked away, he knew Chloe must have told Chris. "Chris, let me heal your hand," he sat next to them on the sofa.
Chris looked at him with pain in his eyes, and tentatively removed his arms from around Chloe so that Leo could heal him. As soon as the wounds were closed, he put his arms back around her shoulders, "Let's go home," he looked up to his family's eyes.
"No, Chloe, how about you, me and Chris go talk somewhere? That sound good?" Leo offered. Chloe nodded her head. Leo turned back to Phoebe and Cole whose parental instincts were in high drive, "Don't worry, you two. I'll take care of your little girl like she was my own. We're just going to chat things out," he took Chloe's hand and pulled her from the sofa. The three of them walked behind a wall divider as blue light shone from under the edges.
Cole pulled Phoebe to his hip, "Whiskey?" he asked.
"Sure," Phoebe watched the band, "Something's wrong with Chloe."
"I know," Cole led her towards the bar, "but I trust Leo and Chris. Don't you?"
"Yeah," Phoebe nodded, "Yeah."

"Hush little baby don't say a word, mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mocking bird don't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring," Piper sang as she rocked Wyatt to sleep. Once she finally felt his small frame go limp, she slowly eased herself out of the chair and placed him in his crib.
"What a little angel," Phoebe whispered walking into Piper's room.
Piper put her finger to her lips and walked with Phoebe back out of her room, "Yeah, right now anyway," she put her arm around Phoebe's waist as they walked down the hall, "I got a funny feeling from Chris and Chloe tonight."
"Oh yeah?" Phoebe asked turning to Piper as the walked down the stairs, "Me, too. What did you get?"
"Well, I'm no empath," Piper kidded, "but it was just something really uncomfortable. I don't know how to explain it. They seem very sad, when I think they would be celebrating Batterak's death."
Phoebe rubbed her sister's back, "You may not be an empath, but you're a mom. It was maternal instincts. I never thought I would have any, but I feel like I'm finding them. Tea?"
"Love some."
Phoebe gathered some tea leaves from the cabinet, placed them in the strainer, and put a pot of water on the eye of the stove, "I can't wait to hold her my arms, Piper. To smell that baby smell on my own daughter," she sighed, "Three years, I can make it. I'll have little Chris to love on here soon anyway."
"I know," Piper rubbed her belly, "Chris has alluded to the fact that his birthday is sometime soon. Wish he'd clue me in. I'm ready to get this bun out of the oven," she laughed as the tea pot whistled.
There was the jingling of orbs as Leo joined them, "Ladies," he smiled, "Piper," he kissed her on top of the head, "Where is everybody?"
"Cole was showering or something... getting ready for bed," Phoebe poured the tea into cups, "Paige is over at Richard's, Wyatt is in the bed, and we thought that Chloe and Chris were with you?"
"They were," Leo sat on a bar stool at the counter, "I put that old bed together that was in the attic for Chloe to sleep on. She and Chris are putting sheets on it and I think Chris is going to orb his cot up there with her," he turned to Piper.
Piper nodded, "That's fine. I understand he wants to be with her. He's being very protective of her right now. I can be an adult about that and let him make a fuss over someone else for a few days."
Phoebe took Piper her cup of tea, and placed the other cup in front of Leo before going back and grabbing another cup and pouring herself some, "What's going on, Leo? Can you tell us?"
Leo took a sip of his tea, "No, I told them it would be privileged. I need both of them to trust me," he watched the steam rise from his cup, "They have both been battling Batterak for most of their lives. It was just a tough night for them."
"You and Chris seem to be getting along better," Phoebe observed.
"Unfortunately, things aren't always as they seem," Leo muttered.
Piper swirled her tea, "That's what it looked like to me, too. He's not being more receptive?"
"Oh, he is," Leo corrected, "He definitely is. We have moments, which I'm not complaining about, but I wouldn't go so far as to say we're getting along better."
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, this whole family needs therapy," Piper took a long sip of her tea.
"I second that," Phoebe grinned, "Sign me up."

Chloe was folding the corners of her sheets into neat creases before throwing over an old quilt. She knelt down and brought the quilt to her nose as she straightened the wrinkles, "This quilt smells so old. I wonder how long it's been in the family?" she pondered.
"About six months," Chris put a blanket on his own cot, "I bought it while I was still sleeping at P3. It just smells old because it's been in Gram's cedar chest."
"Liar," Chloe closed her eyes, "Melinda Warren's grand-daughter made it."
Chris walked up to the quilt and examined the pattern more closely, "Oh, yeah. That's not the one I bought."
Chloe just shook her head, "I'm going downstairs to take a shower and put on my p.j.s." Chris started to follow her out the door, "Where do you think you're going?"
"With you," He said very plainly.
"I don't think so," Chloe sassed, "Chris, I love you, you know that. But there is no way I'm going to let you sit in the bathroom while I shower. We're close, but we're not that close," she patted his cheek, "and besides that's Trey's job," she laughed.
"Chloe," Chris said irritated but then noticed the hurt that lingered behind Chloe's eyes and added more tenderly, "Chloe," and motioned for her to come hug him. Chloe had been trying to hold back her emotions ever since she, Leo and Chris talked. It had made her feel better to get everything out in the open, and definitely had made her feel better to see a doctor and know that she was in good health, but all of that hadn't erased her memories—hadn't erased her psychological pain. "You're not alone, Clo," Chris assured her, "Ever."
"Thanks," she wiped away her tears, "But I think I'll do the shower thing alone," she managed to smile, "My dad is right across the hall and I know he won't let anything happen to me. And I'll call you if I need you. You'll hear me," Chris turned her around and pushed her out the door. "Hey Leo," Chloe smiled as Leo walked past her and into the attic with Chris.
"I see you've got everything set up in here," Leo surveyed the room, "Looks nice. You might want to put towels or something up over the windows though. The sun will wake you up in the morning."
"Good observation," Chris noticed the windows facing east, "Thanks."
"Chris, about tonight," Leo started.
"I can't talk about that right now, dad. I'm all talked out," Chris took off his shirt and put on a different tee.
Leo beamed, "You just called me dad."
"Don't make a big deal of it or it won't happen again," Chris began changing into his pajama bottoms.
"Right," Leo pursed his lips.
Chris was now dressed and sitting Indian-style on his cot, "I want to take Chloe's pain away. You did it for mom when you became an elder. Can you do it for her?"
Leo's eyes widened with exasperation, "No, do you remember what happened to her? She went crazy. We'll help Chloe work through this with as little magic as possible."
Chris got mad, "We don't have time to help Chloe get through this. Our powers are tied to our emotions, you know that, and she is a wreck. We need her to be on top of her game to defeat Gideon. I don't think there will be any magical backfires. There is no personal gain. Besides, I've already written a spell," he held up a piece of paper, "I love her. I can't stand to see her in so much pain."
Leo thought for a moment—he realized that he loved Chloe, too, and wanted to do anything to help her deal with what she was going through. "I have an idea," Leo informed Chris, "but you have to promise me you won't do anything until I get back. Promise?"
"I promise," Chris bowed his head.
"Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can," Leo left.

"If I could turn back time, do do do do do do, if I could find a way! I'd take back those words that hurt you, and you'd stay," Chloe sang as she came out of the bathroom. She flipped her head upside down and began to towel dry her hair, "And also the ever popular, 'I'm going back in time,'" she added in song, "I wonder if Huey Lewis knew when he wrote that song that someday somebody would actually do it. So, I didn't use a time machine, but still," she flipped her head back up and saw Cole smiling from Phoebe's bedroom door, "Hi," she laughed.
"Hi," he laughed back at her, "What are you singing?"
"Cher and Huey Lewis... you know from Back to the Future? Michael J. Fox, Marty McFly?" Chloe continued to dry her hair.
Cole couldn't stop smiling, "Yes, I've seen the movie, heard the songs... but are they still popular in twenty-five years?"
"Oh no," Chloe shook her head, "But I'm born in three. So they still come on the oldies stations when I'm little. I like them! Plus, Back to the Future, classic Spielberg," she winked.
"Wow," Cole backed into Phoebe's room as Chloe followed him, "I remember time before radios, so talk about classics..."
"You're old," Chloe kidded.
"One Hundred and One," Cole chuckled.
"Wow, and Chris and I thought Leo was old. You age very gracefully," she smiled.
"Well thanks," Cole tackled his daughter into a hug; "Your mom and I are worried about you. You seemed rather catatonic at the club tonight—that doesn't fit your personality."
The smile that was gracing Chloe's face suddenly faded. The jokes, smiles, and songs she was sharing with her dad had temporarily taken her mind of Batterak, "You're right, that wasn't me. I'm usually on the dance floor until closing," she attempted to laugh, "There is stuff going on with me, dad. And I wish I could talk about it right now, but I can't. I need some time to deal."
Cole put his arm around her shoulders, "I never thought I'd have a daughter. And even more than that, I thought maybe if I did, I'd meet her as an infant instead of a young woman. But I wouldn't trade getting to know you now with anything," he lifted her hand and kissed it, "Please know you can talk to me whenever. I love you, and I'm here for you."
Chloe's smile re-painted her face, "Thank you, daddy," she squeezed his hand, "I'm going to go dry my hair, change out of this bathrobe, and go to bed. It's been a long day. Maybe we can spar before breakfast?" she asked as she reached the door.
"It's a date. And we'll pull your mom in, too, I'd like to see if she can still take me," he added with a wink. Chloe wiggled her fingers goodbye and headed back up towards the attic. As she passed Piper's room, she saw Chris standing in the closet/nursery doorframe watching Wyatt sleep. She smiled to herself and kept walking.
"It's five more days until my birthday, Wyatt" Chris mentioned in a soft whisper, "are you ready to be a big brother?" he walked up to the crib and leaned over the edge. He tucked the corners of the blanket back around his brother's shoulders, and ran his hand over Wyatt's soft curls. "There were times growing up when I had glances of who you are. You're a big strong guy," he laughed, "and you pick on me incessantly. But I had a feeling you loved me anyway. I want it to stay that way. That's why I'm here. I hope you know that," he leaned back over him and kissed his head. "Don't tell anybody about these talks, they might think I'm getting soft." He turned to go out of the room and found Piper watching him. "Mom?" he asked shocked, "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to be trying desperately to hold back tears. You're sweet when you want to be, you know that?" she took Chris's hands.
"Can you keep it a secret?" he winked.
"I'll try," she pulled him with her to the bed, "Five more days until your birthday, huh? Wow."
"Yeah, I didn't want to tell you. There's enough other things going on, you don't need the added stress," Chris put his hand on his mother's belly, "This has been so weird for me. I mean, that's me, right there. Weird, weird."
"Tell me about it," Piper smiled, "I thought the first time I would meet my kids would be when they are babies, but you proved me wrong on that one."
"Yeah, well, if things had gone according to my plan you wouldn't have known about me. I'm afraid of how it might affect things," Chris reflected. He was grateful for the opportunity he had to show his mom how he felt and to love on her again. It had been harder than he had anticipated when he first came back to call her Piper and not act like he was her son. But lately, he had been pondering the possibilities of how her knowing him as an adult would affect raising him as a child.
"I'm glad to know. It gives me the chance to know what I can do to make you a happier kid. And hopefully do it better this time through," Piper placed her hand on his cheek.
Chris moved his hand to hers, "You were great, the best even. Don't doubt yourself."
Leo orbed in front of them, "Oh, hi," he smiled weakly, "Chris," he motioned for him to follow him out the door.
Chris rose and followed his dad out into the hall as Piper sat back on the bed and picked up a book from her nightstand. "Yeah, what did you get?" Leo pulled a beautiful white flower out from behind his back, "What kind of flower is that?" Chris asked.
"An Easter Lily. Fortunately, with Easter only being a couple weeks back, they are still rather easy to find," he handed Chris the flower.
"Chloe's a girl who loves flowers, but somehow I don't think a flower will fix it this time," Chris looked warily back at Leo.
"It's for the spell," Leo explained, "Easter Lily's represent new- birth, rising from the cold of winter to the warmth of spring. I put some of the memory dust inside it, so that should help. Place it on Chloe's chest when you recite the spell. Hopefully it will just remove her pain, and give her a 're-birth,' if you will, and a fresh start."
Chris rolled the flower through his fingers. The dust that covered it gave it an iridescent, sparkling glow, "Thank you. Thank you very much," he put his hand on Leo's shoulder and then turned to go upstairs.
"You're welcome," Leo whispered as Chris disappeared from sight. He walked into Piper's bedroom and noticed once again how beautiful she was, "You're radiant," he complimented her.
Piper blushed, "Leo."
"I mean it," he walked up to her bed and sat down beside her, "You glow. Maternity works with you. I don't know why we ever argued about having children. You were made for it," he kissed her cheek.
Piper caught his head as he backed away and pulled him into a liplock, "Keep saying stuff like that and I might have to forgive you for leaving," she teased.
"Keep kissing me like that and I'll never leave you again," Leo smiled.
Piper pulled his face back closer to hers, "Alright," she kissed him again. Leo flipped his wrist as the covers they were sitting on top of turned into a blanket of blue orbs. As sheets and blankets recollected, Piper and Leo were now tucked nicely into bed. Leo helped slide Piper down under the covers. They continued to kiss. Piper flicked her wrist and blow up the light bulb in the lamp, "I'll replace it in the morning," she giggled.
"Good idea," Leo pulled the covers over their heads.

Chris was sitting on his cot, watching Chloe sleep, twirling the Lily between his fingers. Paige orbed into the attic and was startled to see him sitting there. "Shh," he held his hand up.
"Got it," she whispered back. She grabbed a bottle of lavender oil from the potions cabinet and motioned for Chris to follow her out into the hall, "Why are you two up here?"
"Leo put the bed together so Chloe wouldn't have to sleep on the sofa," Chris appraised her, "and I orbed my cot up here so she wouldn't be alone."
"Aren't you getting soft?" Paige kidded.
"That's the second time I've heard that tonight. I need to work on that," he smiled.
"Ok, I'm going to bed. I just wanted to get some lavender to put in some bath water. I think I deserve a little pampering tonight," she punched Chris on the arm, "See you the morning."
"Wait," Chris asked. Paige turned back, "Could you do me a favor first?"
"Sure, cute stuff, what do you need?" she walked back towards him.
Chris blushed at her compliment, "Can you switch Chloe's rings? She has Cole's wedding band on her finger and her ring on her necklace. I don't want to lose her again, and it needs to be on her finger to track her."
"Right, and you want to know what she's been thinking, 'rings'" Paige turned her fingers as the ring on Chloe's necklace became blue orbs as did the one on her finger, "Done," Paige added with a wink as she patted his shoulder, "Sweet dreams."
"Yeah, you too," he said absent-mindedly as he walked back into the attic. Chris placed the Lily on Chloe's chest and picked the spell up off his bed, "Memories of old, memories so cold. Be gone now, do as you're told. Find peace and solace as you sleep. For this pain you hold, you will no longer keep." The Lily on Chloe's chest began to glow as white light floated from it and enveloped her. The flower began to slowly wither and fade into her chest as her pain was erased, until with one last supernatural breeze; the dust that was left of the flower was swept away. "Neat," Chris sat back on his bed. He held his right hand up and concentrated hard. The ring began to glow as Chris closed his eyes. He saw Chloe's dream, she was walking down the beach, the wind in her hair, and a smile on her face. He opened his eyes again and saw that Chloe really was smiling as she slept. He got up and brushed hair out of her face, "Sleep well, Tinkerbelle," he kidded before tucking himself into bed.