It was almost 2 months later when Leo heard a desperate cry for help from Chris, the same cry that had haunted him for more than twenty-three years. Piper was mixing some potions when she saw the look on Leo's face.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's Chris," he replied, breathless. The anguished expression on his face said it all and Piper immediately dropped what she was doing and ran to him, and together they orbed out. They arrived at Magic School to find Chris collapsed on the floor clutching his stomach, blood seeping onto his hands and fingers. Paige and Jeni were next to him and concerned students were standing all around.
"What happened?" Leo asked, as he moved over to Chris's side.
"He just collapsed," Jeni said, frantically, obviously feeling completely helpless.
Leo, remained as calm as he could and crouched down next to his son. "Chris can you hear me?" he asked, feeling a dreaded sense of familiarity to the events unfolding.
Chris, obviously in a lot of pain, struggled to whisper, "Yes" in between shallow breaths.
Leo moved his hands over Chris's stomach and tried to heal him. Memories came flooding back of that horrific day twenty-three and a half years ago when he was in the same situation, desperately trying to heal his son and then helplessly standing by and watching him die. He was determined that was not going to happen this time.
It quickly became obvious that Chris could not be healed. Again.
"Okay, we don't have much time. Paige can you get Phoebe and come straight to the attic. Piper, I'll orb you and Chris there now and then I'll get the Elders."
As he issued those orders Leo found himself finally living in reality what he had been dreading all these years.
"Can I come too, Leo…please?" Jeni pleaded.
Leo looked up at her with a mixture of sadness and respect, "Of course you can."
They all held hands as Leo orbed them to the attic.
"Hold on Chris, I'll be right back with the Elders and we'll have you fixed in no time." Leo said to Chris as he kissed a frantic, but silent Piper and then disappeared in a cloud of orbs. Piper watched Leo go, and then she leaned over her son, feeling helpless seeing him in so much pain.
"It will all be over soon and then you two can get on with your lives," she said not really knowing what else to say.
Chris looked up at her and managed a weak smile as Paige and Phoebe orbed in. Phoebe immediately walked over to Chris. She smiled at him and said, "hey, kiddo" before she touched him gently on the shoulder. She closed her eyes, as she was overwhelmed with a premonition, just as Leo arrived with the other Elders.
"Quickly," Leo said, "everyone make a circle, just as we have practiced."
"Wait!" said Phoebe.
"Phoebe, we don't have much time," Leo said desperately.
"I need to talk to you both. Now!" she said as she moved to the other side of the room. They followed.
"What is it Phoebe?" asked Piper, impatiently.
"I just had a premonition, it's not going to work," she said, getting straight to the point.
"What do you mean? Not at all?" exclaimed Leo, starting to panic now.
"Oh, God, no!" Piper whispered, putting her head in her hands.
"There's something missing Leo, that's why it's not going to work. I feel that the spell with the Elders is like…" she hesitated trying to think of the right words, and then continued, "the second piece of the puzzle. There's something we've got to do first".
"What?" Leo asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "I'm sorry."
"Well we've got to try. We can't just stand around and do nothing," Piper said looking at both Phoebe and Leo hoping for an answer.
"The spell you have will not work by itself. Call the Elders over here and see if they have any ideas, but don't waste time by trying the other spell first," Phoebe said, firmly. "Trust me," she added, looking at both of them.
They took Phoebe's advice and quickly called Paige and the other Elders over, away from Chris leaving him alone with Jeni.
Leo explained what Phoebe just told him. One of the Elders stepped forward.
"Maybe if Phoebe and I join forces and touch the boy our combined power will lead us to the answer," he suggested.
"Worth a try," said Phoebe as she walked back over to Chris.
The two of them closed their eyes and reached out and touched Chris's shoulder. Within seconds they both received a vision. Phoebe opened her eyes.
"Thank you," she said gratefully to the Elder, and then turned to Leo and Piper, "we need to bring the Chris who died from the past here. The one who was actually stabbed twenty-three and a half years ago. He needs to join with this Chris, then he will be complete and we will be able to reverse the magic and heal him."
"Okay – fine – how do we do that?" Piper asked, frustrated.
"We have to write a power of three spell – it's the only way." Phoebe replied. "The wording has to be perfect. We only have one chance at this." She added.
They both look at Paige.
"You've always been the best spell writer Paige, and you've worked at Magic School all these years, please do this for me." Piper pleaded.
Paige looked at Chris still writhing in pain, then back at her sisters and Leo. "Great, no pressure here!!" she mumbled to herself. "Of course I will," she said a little louder, as she walked over to a nearby table and grabbed a handy pad of paper and pen. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality only about 3 minutes, Paige handed the spell to Piper. "What do you think?" she asked.
Piper looked it over quickly and then said, "It covers everything. I couldn't do any better," as she handed it urgently to Phoebe.
"Neither could I," Phoebe agreed.
With the decision made, the girls surrounded Chris and held hands to recite the following spell:
"We call upon the power of three
To help us rewrite history
We summon you now, hear our call
Chris Halliwell who died in 2004
Travel to us through time and space
To settle here in your rightful place."
Back in 2004, Leo was distraught as Chris took his last breath in his arms and then closed his eyes for the final time. Moments later his body disappeared. Leo didn't know it then but Chris was being summoned to the future to be saved.
No one could quite believe what they were seeing, as a vision of Chris appeared above them and slowly settled down into the Chris lying on the couch. Everyone seemed stunned for a second, as nobody actually believed that it had worked.
Leo suddenly realised, and then mumbled to himself, "that's where his body went." He didn't have time to dwell on that thought however; as he looked to Chris and noticed he had lapsed into unconsciousness. "Quickly, everyone form a circle and say the spell, just like we practiced."
They formed a circle and held hands, except for Leo and 2 other Elders who leant over Chris's still form hoping their combined powers would heal him as they all said the following:
"In this room together we have come
The Power of 3 and Elders as one
Using all our power after all these years
Reverse Gideon's magic from his greatest fears
Allow us now to remove the shield
So Chris Halliwell can be healed"
They all waited for something to happen. Suddenly a barrier became visible underneath Leo's hands. It appeared to be some kind of shield that was blocking him from healing Chris's wounds. "Quickly, say it again!" Leo shouted. A strong wind started blowing around them as they repeated the spell.
"In this room together we have come
The Power of 3 and Elders as one
Using all our power after all these years
Reverse Gideon's magic from his greatest fears
Allow us now to remove the shield
So Chris Halliwell can be healed"
The barrier blocking Chris's wounds moved up and swirled all around them, higher and higher until suddenly it disappeared. As quickly as it started the wind dropped, leaving the room completely silent. Leo and the other Elders still trying to heal Chris now saw that their healing powers were working and slowly his wounds disappeared. Chris suddenly opened his eyes and took a breath. He half sat up as Leo caught him.
"Chris, it's okay buddy, take it easy" he said lying him back down. A relieved Piper immediately dropped down next to him, as the other Elders got up and moved to one side.
"Chris, are you okay? Tell me you're okay?" Piper asked, desperate to know for sure that the spell had worked.
"Chris looked up at her – still trying to catch his breath. "I think so," he replied. "The pain's gone, but I've got a headache and I'm feeling a little woozy."
Piper looked to Leo as tears now fell freely down her cheeks. "You did it!" she exclaimed.
Leo smiled back at her. "We all did," he said looking gratefully around the room. Paige and Phoebe were either side of Jeni, holding her hand. They all had tears in their eyes as well. As confident as they all were that the spell would work, nobody could quite believe it actually did.
"Thank you," Piper said as she leaned over to kiss Leo. "Thank you to everyone," she said looking around the room. Then looking back down at Chris, "I can't believe it's finally over!"
Chris tried to sit up. "Are you sure you're feeling up to it," Leo asked him concerned. "I'm fine, Dad" Chris replied; now sitting upright. "I feel amazing! Thank you to everyone who helped. I cannot thank you enough. You've given me my life back. In fact" he said pausing for a moment, not really knowing how to put it into words, "you've given me two lives."
"What do you mean two lives?" Piper asked as she sat down on the couch next to her son.
"This is going to sound really weird, and I don't want you guys to freak out on me or anything, but the Chris that died in the past, he is now a part of me. I have all his memories now too." He paused to look at the reaction around the room. Everyone seemed to be trying to process what he had just said.
"So, you're telling us that the Chris that came from the future twenty-five years ago is now a part of you too," Leo said trying to understand.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, Dad," Chris replied. "I remember everything. I remember Valhalla, Gith, Ginny the Jeanie, the Spider Demon, and Gideon. To me, I just died a few minutes ago."
"How is that possible?" Leo asked looking up at the other Elders.
They all looked at each other before one of them finally replied to Leo's question. "A lot of what happens when someone time travels is still unknown," he said before continuing. "It is our understanding that if the other Chris had returned from the future, and the future had been changed, he would have merged with his future self. He would have had two sets of memories, but the original ones would slowly fade and the newer set would take over."
"This time travel stuff still gives me a headache!" said Phoebe.
"Me 2" said Piper.
"Me 3" added Paige.
"The main thing is Chris is alive and well," said Piper, relieved. "And there will be no more time travel in this family, do you understand?" she said firmly to Chris. Chris laughed. "Fine with me!" he agreed. "I did make a difference, though, didn't I? You are all still alive," he said as he lovingly looked at Piper, Paige and Phoebe. "And Dad, you made sure you were around for me" he said smiling at Leo.
Leo smiled back at him not really knowing what to say.
"But Wyatt," Chris added, "Wyatt, is still evil."
"Things aren't as bad as your original future though…" Leo started to say, but was interrupted by Chris.
"Nowhere near as bad. But still, I don't know how I could have missed Excalibur the first time around. Looking back it was so obvious."
"Anyway," Piper cut in, "it's been a big day, and I think you need something to eat. How about we all head downstairs and I'll whip something up."
They all agreed, and after having said goodbye to the Elders, the whole family made their way downstairs to celebrate.
End of Chapter 3
This may seem like a happy ending, but stay tuned because there's a lot more to come.
Thank you for reading my story.