CHAPTER III: THE MAN ON THE SIDE OF YOUR BED.

When they got to the house, Chris was fast asleep. Victor didn't want to wake him up, but he seriously doubt he could carry his grown up grandson. Suddenly out of nowhere a figure materialized in front of him, startling him.

-"Leo, what are you doing here?" Victor said.

-"Shh" Leo answered. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, he pointed as his son, and the car sit got covered in white/blue orbs. Chris disappeared.

-"Were did you take him?" Asked Victor concerned.

-"Relax. I just sent him to his bed." Victor looked confused "In your house!" he clarified "Care to invite me in?"

Victor didn't seem to have any other choice, though he didn't want to think what Chris might say if he woke up and founded Leo over there.

As soon as they walked into the house, Leo went to Chris' bedroom. He threw some golden dust over him. Victor looked at him quizzically.

-"Is sleeping dust. Yeah, I know.. not very nice to trick my son like that. But you know Chris, he would never relax by himself. I don't think he ever REALLY sleeps. And if he is not going to let me heal him, well.. then at least I am going to trick him a little, to help him get better. Besides, it would give us a chance to talk, without fearing he might wake up. So.. is a win-win situation"

-"How did you know?" Victor ask. But Leo wasn't really paying attention. He was caressing his son's face, his hair. Looking at him amazed.

-"he looks just like Piper, doesn't he?" He said smiling

Leo undressed his son very carefully and left him in just his boxers. He looked sad and worried at the bandages on his shoulders. He covered him gently with the sheets and he took away the stained comforter.

Victor smiled. Handling him some extra blankets.

He didn't know very much what happened to Leo in the future. But this definitely wasn't the absent, uncaring father Chris was talking about.

Chris started turning around and moaning, as if he was having a nightmare.

-"No.. please.. don't leave me.. don't go" He was pleading.

Without even thinking about what he was doing Leo caressed his boy's face and told him.

-"Shh.. calm down, everything is fine"

-"Dad? Is that you?" Chris answered in his sleep, to Leo and Victor surprise. "please

Dad, I need you, don't leave me this time, please, don't leave alone again."

Leo wondered what was his son dreaming. Chris' words broke his heart. How can he have been such an awful father? He didn't deserve the son he had. And he knew it. He even wondered, how much his absence had to do with Wyatt turning evil.

-"Dad is here. I won't go anywhere, I am right here, now, son. You are not alone" He put a hand on his chest, and Chris grabbed it. And won't let it go.

-"Well I was planning to have this conversation in the kitchen, but ... I am kind of trapped right now" He said with a wide smile. His son's grip, gave him some hope that things could be fixed. If Chris hated him so much, why was he holding his hand so tight it almost hurt?

-"Why don't you heal him?" Asked Victor

-"Are you kidding? Have you met my little kid over here? I heal him and he'll bit the crap out of me, out of you and then he'll hurt himself again, just to prove he doesn't need me!"

-"How did you know he was here?"

-"I've been following him around, invisible. I mean, actually I have been doing that a lot since he got into our lives. Since I didn't really trust him at the beginning, I became kind of an expert in that. I have been following him and checking on him a lot more since I found out he is my son. I was came here almost every night, but whenever I come close enough he starts to wake up. He has a very light sleep, I'll tell you."

-"Does he ever sleep? Yeah he told me today he HAS to be alert all the time. He feels what happened to Wyatt was his fault, and that the people that Wyatt is going to hurt are his responsibility and that saving Wyatt is his responsibility and that.. everything is his responsibility. That is why he can never relax."

-"And he was left alone with all that responsibility? Gee...how good I turned out to be. Did he tell you why he hates me so much?"

-"He didn't tell me much more, than what he told to you. You were never there for him" Leo looked really sad. "Cheer up, Leo. I mean, I know how you feel. I was never there for my daughters either. And I got them to forgive me. You can make him forgive you too. And not only that, you have a chance to do something, I will never be able to. You have a chance to solve it, actually, since Chris hasn't been really born yet. Just take advantage of that chance... so many fathers would wish they could have."

-"You are right, I'll make him forgive him. And I'll make it right this time" He smiled with resolution. "So what did the doctor say?"

-"It's not too bad, he said he should have gone there earlier cuz he lost a lot of blood, and other than that. He has to rest and take it easy for a couple of days. That I guess that will be a whole challenge."

-"Well, you can't really tell him I was here. Or about any of these. I will talk to the girls, explain them the situation and asked them not to call Chris for a couple of days."

-"That would be a good idea. Want some tea?" Victor left the room.

When he came back, Leo was engrossed in admiring his son, whispering comforting things to him, promising he would be there for him this time around, etc.

Leo wasn't Victor's favorite man in the planet. He hated the way he abandoned his daughter, the way he was never really there for Wyatt, and now after hearing Chris' version of his father, he had definitely been lowered to a very low rank in the fathers chain.

But then, Victor had to understand that sometimes things happened. He had been an awful father himself, and it wasn't out of being mean. Just that sometimes, circumstances in life make us err. But watching at the tough, neurotic young man, laying on his bed. He wondered, how much of that toughness was innate, and how much life stabs, just scar him so badly, it harden his soul from a very tender age.

He really hoped Leo would fulfill his promise of being there this time around. Because, deep in his sleep, when his guard was down. Chris showed he cared. And from where he was standing, Leo didn't seem just such a bad man. He didn't care much for Leo, but he did care about Piper and Chris.

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DrewFullerFan4Life: Well.. I hope you like this chappie too. Thanks for reviewing.

Pink-Charmed-One: Well.. I hope your mental sanity survived a long Halloween weekend :)! And that you like this chapter too. Did you expected too be Leo? Was it too cheesy?

foreverfree : I know.. it's cool how in the show, the only time he seemed able to relax a little and confide in someone was with Victor, and that was cute. And Victor's reaction was also sweet. I hope this whole father and son scene wasn't too much... I hope you liked this chapter too. Did you expected too be Leo? Was it too cheesy?

Vamp-Lynette: Thedifferentone bows... thank you, thank you, thank you. I am glad you liked chapter II, hopefully you'll like chapter III too. :)

CaliforniaChick : Did you expected too be Leo? Was it too much? I hope you liked this chapter too. Thank you, thank you for reviewing. Yeah.. I loved Victor's reaction to Chris on Hyde... they were soo cute together!