"Mom?" a tall blonde man called from one of the rooms off the hall, as Chris and Clarence straightened themselves up.
"Oh my…" Chris started his voice trailing off, as he ran to the doorway. "Is that Wyatt?"
"Mom, have you seen my left shoe? The sneaker?" he called.
"He looks so different." Chris said in awe. "Is he good?"
Clarence smiled and nodded his head. "Of course he is. You helped to save him."
"Mom?" Wyatt called again, walking out of his room wearing one shoe. "My shoe, have you seen it?"
Piper appeared from around the corner looking tired and worn. Casually she held up a shoe and flashed him a slight smile.
"I'm not even going to ask how it ended up in the dryer." she commented dryly as she tossed it to him. "Hurry up or we're going to be late."
Smiling he quickly pulled the shoe on, struggling to balance on one leg as he struggled to tied the laces.
"Is dad coming?" he asked looking up.
Slowly Piper shook her head, Wyatt turning his attention back to his shoe laces as he sighed heavily. Reaching down to touch his toes as he set his foot on the ground. Stretching up he faked a smile as he took a step forward.
"Ready, are you." he asked putting an arm around her shoulders as they walked down the stairs.
Chris turned and looked at Clarence, his eyes full of confusion and wonder.
"Why do I need to see this? Mom's alive, Wyatt's good. Isn't that all that matters?" he asked as he looked around. "Where is everyone else?"
"I was wondering when you were going to ask that." Clarence said softly. Chris staring blankly at him. "Come on Chris, there's something that I have to show you."
Reaching he took Chris' arm, moments later they arrived at a brightly lit, very clean mausoleum. Chris turned and looked around him, staring at Clarence he took several quick steps back.
"What are we doing here?" he asked timidly. Looking to his left as Clarence pointed.
Reeling he took a deep breath as he stared at the plaques incredulously, shaking his head as he stumbled backwards. Clarence was quickly by his side taking his arm and helping him to his feet.
"How?" Chris demanded, the anger clearly present in his voice. The fear that it was somehow his fault evident in his stare.
"It couldn't be helped Chris. They were attacked one evening a few years ago while your mother and brother where out, they found them a few hours later. Neither has really moved past it, especially Piper. It's harder at this time of year for her."
Chris looked from the crypt's to Clarence, and raised his hands as if to ask why.
"It's an unfriendly reminder to them, to her, of what happened to you. They had you near on twenty three years when you left them for a second time. Piper has never really dealt with it."
"So the point of bringing me here, to this time, to this place, was to show me how much I screwed up everyone's lives, their destinies?" he asked.
"No, quite the opposite. To show you the good that you have done. Your brother is a kind and gentle, unassuming soul. He spends hours working hard to fight both his inner demons and the evil that wishes to corrupt his happy existence. And your mother,"
"And my mother? What about her? She had to live through her worst nightmare, losing her sisters. She had to survive them, to be stuck raising two children on her own because of my absent father. How is that good? How is that right? How is it just? She deserves better than the life handed down to her by the cruel fates." Chris snapped. "Where is Leo anyway?"
In the blink of an eye they arrived at a ramshackle cottage by a desolate beach.
"Where are we?" Chris demanded his temper rising. "I asked where Leo was."
"He's right there Chris." Clarence said motioning towards a hunched over old man.
Chris' expression changed instantaneously as he slowly moved towards the front porch of the cottage, looking back towards his guide as he reached the man. Slowly crouching in front of him he gasped as the wind picked up and blew the stringy, dirty blonde, oily locks of the man's face. His hand flying to his face as he saw his emotionless eyes, the hardened gaze of a man who long ago gave up.
"What happened to him? The last time we saw him, he, how?" he stammered.
"He gave up years ago, when he realised that he couldn't save you, no matter how hard he tried. Your destiny was to save your brother, to save millions of innocents in the process. He couldn't accept that, none of them could really. They tried to fight it, for years they convinced themselves that it wasn't going to happen, that it couldn't because Wyatt never made the transition himself. They couldn't see how you could leave them if that was the case. Eventually they stoped trying to fight it, but by no means did they accept it either." Clarence reassured him.
Chris fought back tears of agony as he watched Leo stare out at the waves crashing against the shore. He pushed his hair back and went to touch Leo, his hand going through him as if he was an illusion. That was enough for him, the tears broke from unwilling eyes as he sat on the floor in front of his father, as if awaiting a story that wasn't to come.
"Is there anyone here for him?" Chris asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Wyatt and Piper come every few days. Bringing him something to eat, clean clothes, fresh sheets. They clean and air the cabin as he sits out here, much the same as he's doing now."
Chris stood and walked to the railing near the stairs, trying to push the tears back. He imagined the life that they all lead - if life is what you would call it. Empty, unfeeling, barely getting by. Slowly he turned back to Clarence, the wind had whipped colour into his cheeks, his eyes seemingly brighter as he looked at him helplessly.
"I want to help them." he managed to choke out as his eyes dropped to Leo, who started to mumble. Rising from his chair he made his way to the shore, looking up he began to yell, shaking his fist at the heavens, cursing them for ruining his life.
Chris watched him, feeling a lump rising in his throat again as he tried to hold back the tears.
"Please can we go." he squeaked.
This time there was a rush of light, followed by complete darkness. Chris tried quickly to compose himself. Using his hands to wipe the tears from his face, and flatten his hair.
"Chris." Alita called from somewhere in the distance. As she brought the light up in the room Chris instinctively shielded his eyes as they adjusted. Slowly he brought it down and looked up at her, standing where she was the last time he was here.
"Why did I have to see that?" he demanded, his voice still shaky from crying.
"So you could make a selfless choice." Alita said softly. "No matter what it would have been the right one, but I had to make sure that you would make the right one."
"Why does it matter to you?" he asked storming up the stairs towards her.
"I had to be sure that I was right about you. What is your wish Chris? Tell me now and then we will go from there."
Chris stopped when he got to the top step, staring at her as she passed her fingers through the small rock pool.
"You already know why do I have to say it?" he asked crossing his arms across his chest.
"I have to hear you say it before I can know that you truly mean it." she said looking up at him. Looking over the balcony she saw Clarence still standing downstairs. Looking up he nodded and turned to walk away, glancing back once more at Chris.
Closing his eyes he thought back to all he had seen. The common thread being his parents, Piper and Leo, and their reaction to everything that he had done.
"Mom and dad, I want them to be happy, I want them the way they were not trying to fight something that can't be helped." he said quietly as he leant against the railing of the balcony.
Alita nodded trying not to smile as she realised that she was right about him.
"Are you sure?" she asked, watching him as he nodded slowly. "Just as I thought."
Alita walked to the crystals over by the wall, slowly passing her hands over them, smiling as they lit up. Turning slightly she waved Chris over, hesitantly he joined her. Taking his hand in one of hers he she kept an eye on the flickering images, trying to find the right moment.
"Close your eyes." she told him, looking up to make sure he did. "Good boy, this will only take a moment."