"Are you sure you wouldn't like some more dessert, Jeni?" Piper asked.
"No thank you Mrs Halliwell, I am so full! That was a lovely dinner though, thank you very much for inviting me."
"It's our pleasure, we haven't had a family dinner in a while. Chris is always so busy working, it's hard to pin him down." Piper said as she looked at Chris.
"I'm not that bad mum," Chris said defiantly, but changed his tone after a look from his mum, "well, okay, lately I have been, but I've been really busy at Magic School with my students. So much to do, and so little time to do it!" As he watched the smile leave the faces of both his parents, he suddenly realised how what he had just said must have sounded. He quickly tried to cover up, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it came out."
Piper put her hand up, "Don't be silly, I know what you mean, you've always been so motivated and focused – all your life – right from when you were just a small boy. If you put your mind to it you can do anything. And I'm very proud of how you've helped Paige at Magic School," she looked at Leo, and then added, "under the circumstances."
"Your mother's right Chris, we're both very proud of you and everything's going to work out, I promise."
"Thanks dad," said Chris, then he looked at his mum, "and you too mum, that means a lot. And you don't have to talk in riddles in front of Jeni, she knows."
"What do you mean?" asked Piper.
"She knows about the curse," Chris looked at Jeni as he laced her hand through his.
She returned his look and smiled. "It doesn't matter," Jeni said looking back at a surprised Leo and Piper, "we're just enjoying our time together now, we'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here."
"Isn't she amazing?" Chris gushed, as he looked lovingly into his girlfriend's eyes.
"I'm not amazing," Jeni said before Piper or Leo could say anything, "my parents were killed when I was very young, I was very lucky to find a home boarding at Magic School. Nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow. That's just the way I am." Jeni shrugged as she gave a half-hearted smile.
"I didn't realise your parents were killed Jeni, I'm sorry," said Piper.
"That was along time ago Mrs Halliwell, I hardly remember them, but it taught me to appreciate what I've got, and Chris has been a great friend, I owe him a lot" she said looking back at Chris.
"We owe each other," Chris added.
Both Piper and Leo suddenly felt at ease looking at these two together. They seemed so well suited and it was nice to see their son so contented.
"We're happy for both of you," smiled Leo, "Chris how about we give mum a rest and you help me make the coffees."
"Sure dad," he replied as he got up from the table and followed his dad into the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen Chris turned to Leo and whispered "Isn't she great?"
Leo looked back at him and chuckled, "Yes, Chris, she's great, you're very lucky to have found each other."
"I'm glad you like her, 'cause," he paused for a second as he looked straight at Leo, "'cause – I think she's the one." He stopped and shook his head, voice increasing in certainty, "No – I know she's the one".
Leo is surprised by this news, but doesn't want to upset Chris by reacting negatively. "That's great Chris, but you haven't been going out that long, and you're still very young. Just give it a bit of time."
"Dad, you know how you felt the first time you saw Mum, you've told me before that you just knew. I knew the first time I saw Jeni. I was just too shy to ask her out for months – we've been friends for ages, but when I finally did get the courage to ask her she said that she'd been feeling the same way. I have never felt this way about anyone before. You ask me to give it time, but I don't know how much time I have."
"Chris…" Leo tried to interrupt, but Chris continued,
"I know you say that everything's going to be fine, but you don't really know. Aunt Phoebe can't see past me collapsing, she can't tell if the spell you and the other Elders have come up with will work. Nobody knows for sure. I have been living with this death sentence my entire life…"
"Sometimes I wish we hadn't told you," Leo said, eventually getting a word in, eyes downcast.
"Dad, don't you see, you gave me so much by telling me. I have done a lot more with my life, because I did not know whether I was going to live past 23. And I'm not going to stop now. I am going to ask her to marry me," a microscopic flicker of apprehension passed through his eyes, before his happiness and confidence returned.
Leo smiled at his son and he could feel tears welling in his eyes, "You do whatever you think is right Chris, your mother and I will support you, you know that," he paused.
"Thanks dad," Chris smiled appreciatively, and then as he saw Leo still staring at him, he asked, "what is it?"
"Are you too old to give your dad a hug?"
Chris laughed, "Maybe just a quick one."
He was used to them smothering him, what with their first son still turning out evil and him living with this death sentence, he had definitely gotten his fill of hugs over the years. Their lives hadn't been easy and a hug every now and then was the least he could do.
"But we'd better get the coffees before the girls get suspicious," He added.
They stood at the front door saying their goodbyes, Piper gave Chris a hug and kiss and said, "Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will, Mum, thanks for dinner." Chris replied.
Piper then leaned over to Jeni and gave her a hug and kiss as well, "Lovely to meet you Jeni, we look forward to seeing you both again soon."
"Thank you Mrs Halliwell,"
"Piper, please call me Piper"
"Thank you, Piper," she said smiling.
"And Leo," Leo added.
"And thank you too Leo, I had a lovely evening."
Leo closed the door and the two of them walked into the sitting room and collapsed on the lounge together.
"She seems very nice," Piper finally said, breaking the silence.
"She does," Leo agreed, "and Chris told me he intends to ask her to marry him."
"What!" Piper yelled, as she sat abruptly upright, "When did he tell you that?"
"In the kitchen, when we were making coffee," Leo replied, calmly.
"And he was serious?" Piper asked, face still ashen with shock.
"Very serious."
"And what did you say?"
"I told him that if that is what he really wanted then you and I would both support him," Leo said confidently.
Piper thought about that for a second then smiled at him.
"They do make a cute couple, and as I said at the dinner table, once he's made his mind up about something there is no stopping him."
"That is something both Chris's had in common, their determination," Leo said.
Piper sat thinking for a few seconds, her mind wandering back in time; "I still think about the other Chris, you know, everything he went through, everything we put him through, everything he sacrificed just to save our future. All for nothing!"
"It wasn't all for nothing, Piper," Leo said gently to her and then continued, "we were sure at the time it was Gideon that caused Wyatt to turn evil. Nobody thought for one second it would turn out to be Excalibur. Chris wasn't even born when that all came about, how were we to know it was really meant for him until it was too late. And he did change a lot of things – all three of you were dead in his original future, and he said Wyatt ruled the world. Well he doesn't rule the world in this future."
"Yet …" Piper added. Leo started to say something but Piper continued, "It's still hard thinking back, that's why I try not to."
"I know," Leo said as he kissed her on the forehead, "he also changed my future, because I made sure I was around this time, things are definitely better, just not completely fixed." Piper snuggled into his neck and closed her eyes enjoying the moment of peace together. "I suppose you're right" she said as she remembered what Jeni had said and thought to herself, 'I'll worry about tomorrow, when it gets here.'