Disclaimer: I still own Drew and now even Charmed (again: don't listen, I'm still daydreaming) I should really snap back to reality soon… but now on with the story
Chapter 16
"Hey how are you doing?" Leo asked softly and wiped away the sweat from Chris' face with a rag.
"Well let's see, first I find out that Lin is just meeting with me because she wanted the book, then she attacks me and the sisters and now I'm probably going to die what would mean that my trip to the past was just nothing else than a waste of time" Chris replied while he tried to ignore the strange floating feeling that slowly came over him. "So I think I never felt better."
A few days ago Leo would have been mad at this smart ass comment but now he had to smile. "You're not going to die" he said soothingly. "The sisters are working on a potion that can cure you and if you were right with your suggestion that Lindsay's under a spell then you can still work things out with her."
Chris was more than just surprised at his fathers words. Since the day he had arrived in the past Leo hadn't made any attempt to hide the fact that he obviously hated him. He remembered the day he had rescued Leo out from Valhalla and his father had beaten him up. It wasn't the first time though that Leo had lost his temper in his presence…
FLASHBACKA seventeen year old Chris was standing in the hallway of the manor and tried desperately to convince his father about his brothers evil doings. "He killed this little girl without hesitation dad!"
"Stop lying Chris!" Leo yelled angrily.
"I'm not lying! It's the truth. She wasn't even ten and he just stood there and laughed while she…"
"I said stop!" Leo interrupted him.
Chris was now getting angry too. His life had been a living hell since his mothers death because now Wyatt could finally do anything he wanted to his little brother. Leo never cared about him so it wasn't a surprise that he never showed up when Wyatt decided once again to offer him to be on his side. And with offer was actually meant torture.
"I know that you don't give a damn about me" he yelled back. "But all this innocents he killed – how can you still defend him! Just open your god damn eyes and look at him! He's evil and just because he's your precious all powerful son that doesn't mean that you can let him do this! Don't you see? You screwed up big! And it's time you realize that before he kills me and you just like he probably did with mom and the aunts!"
Chris' head flew back as his fathers hand made violently contact with his cheek. Immediately he felt a sharp pain but not just on his face. Leo had never been there for him but that he would actually beat him wasn't something he had ever believed that would happen.
"Don't you dare to blame their deaths on him!" Leo now continued to yell. "Your mothers and aunts deaths has also hit Wyatt hard and I don't know what the hell you are thinking by saying that he killed them! You know what? Maybe I really screwed up. But surely not with Wyatt, it's rather you who's the screw up!"
The tears treatened to form in Chris' eyes but he didn't allowed them to fall. He wouldn't show this sign of weakness. "Fine" he said after a short awkward silence. "Think what you want. But one day when you finally realize what became of Wyatt then don't say I didn't warned you Leo."
Leo swallowed hard when he heard his son calling him by his first name. A sudden wave of guilt rushed over him while he stared at Chris' red cheek. What the hell had he done? "Chris I –"
"Save it Leo" Chris cut him off. "I don't care anymore. It's not like you've ever cared about me so why should I care about you? Let's face it, you finally spoke out what you've believed all the time. I'm a screw up and now if you excuse me, I have to go and find a place where I can hide from my brother." With that he orbed away.
END OF FLASHBACKWith the memorys of this day fresh in his mind Chris said bitterly "I thought you would be in a bit better mood about me finally vanishing out of your life."
Leo knew that Chris had every reason to believe this after all he had done to him in the past months but still he couldn't stop thinking that Chris had seemed to hate him since the day they had met in this time. "Chris I know that I didn't treatened you right in the last months but I didn't know who you are. Neither does your mother" Leo tried to defend their actions. "Maybe you should tell at least Paige…"
"Wait a second" Chris interrupted him. "You think Paige is my mother?"
Leo frowned confused. "Well yeah, I mean you're part witch, part whitelighter just like she."
Chris shook his head in disbelief. So much to he figured it out. "I can't believe this" he mumbled lowly.
"What?" Leo asked. "Was I wrong? But Phoebe never liked the angel-like mens so…" he trailed off when he realized that there was just one person left who could be Chris' mother. But it couldn't be, right? That would mean Chris was Wyatts little brother. And his son. Or maybe not. After all Piper and he were separated so they can't have another child.
"Piper's your mother?" he asked while he looked sadly down at the floor. He knew that he couldn't expect that Piper would stay alone for the rest of her life but it still hurts him that she would have a child with another man.
Chris just nodded. He didn't saw any reason why he should deny it any longer. Leo wouldn't just forget about it just because he told him otherwise. But wasn't this what his father had actually done all of his life? He had simply forgot about him, his birthdays, soccer games and everything else that had been important in Chris' life.
"I'm not your father" Leo suddenly said. Chris head jerked over into his fathers direction and the feeling of hate and fury he had tried to suppress during his stay here in the past came flowing back. He was so blinded by his feelings that he missed the questioning tone in Leos sentence.
"Okay I get it! Really!" he yelled out loudly and caused Leo to look up at him in surprise. "You don't want me, you never did! You already told me once that I'm just screwing up your life so spare me with it and leave me at least die in peace!"
Leo was completely shocked. But not about the fact that Chris was really his son, but about the part that he had apparently told his own son that he was screwing up his life. He couldn't believe that. Why would he say something like this? "Chris I don't understand what…"
"Just leave me alone!" Chris yelled again but immediately gasped in pain. This whole shouting wasn't helping him in his current state.
Leo also seemed to notice and lay a hand on Chris' shoulder. "I won't leave you son. Don't…"
"Son?" Chris asked now with a lower voice. "You have lost the right to call me that a long time ago."
Leo didn't know what to do or say. What have I done to him that he hates me so much? I can't really told him that I never wanted him… or did I? "Chris please just calm down now" he said, trying to focus on helping his son instead of thinking of what he had done to him. Or rather would do. "You need to relax. This wound is really bad and you will have plenty of time to yell at me after we've healed you okay?"
For a moment Leo was reliefed that Chris didn't start to yell at him again but then he noticed that his son had closed his eyes. "Chris?" he asked while the fear inside him grew.
But there was no response coming from the young man on the couch. "Chris!" Leo then shouted and shaked the boy slightly. "Wake up! Please, wake up!" But Chris remained unconscious.
"Piper!" Leo yelled into the attics direction while tears started to form in his eyes. "We need this potion – now!"
"You'll soon going to be on my side" Lindsays father said while he looked down at his daughter who was sitting on the ground.
Lindsay couldn't really understand what he told her. The image of Chris' look of pain when she had stabbed him haunted her but she slowly started to regain her free will and mind. She could feel the potion her father had gave her wear off but she also knew that if Chris dies then she would be lost to the side of good.
"The witches won't be able to heal him" the demon continued with a smirk. "I blessed this athame with my blood and this is also the only thing that can cure him. But I really don't intend to save this whitelighters life so I think he will take his last breath in a few minutes or so."
Lindsay had to suppress a grin. She loved it when demons got to convinced about their success and explained their plans. "I think you will help him" she said and stood up quickly. Before her father could react she took an athame out of her pocket and attacked him. He tried to avoid it but Lindsay managed to cut his arm. With the feeling of pure hatred towards this man she could once again use the evil power that he had given her along with the potion and shimmered away.
The sisters came running down the stairs, Piper with a vial in her hand. They entered the living room and saw Leo on Chris' side desperately trying to wake the boy up. "I hope it will work" Piper said while she knelt down next to them and gave the vial over to her ex-husband.
He quickly took it and poured the potion into Chris' mouth. Anxiously they all waited for something to happen but the wound remained bleeding. "Try to heal him. Maybe it works now" Phoebe said hopefully.
Leo hold his hands over his sons stomach but it didn't work. "No this can't be happening!" he yelled frustrated. "Not now!"
"Why not now?" Paige asked confused. "Why are you suddenly acting so protective towards him?"
Leo turned back to his ex-wife with a look of pain. Should he tell her? She deserved to know. Chris was her son too but if he was going to die now then it wouldn't do anything good. She would be just upset about it. But he won't die! I won't let him die. "Watch over him. I'll go and check with the elders if they know something that can help him" he said and stood up to orb up there but then suddenly a voice came from behind them.
"You don't have to. I have something here that can heal him."
Everyone turned around and saw Lindsay standing there with an athame in her hand. Immediately Leo became furious. "What the hell…"
"We don't have time for this now" she quickly interrupted him and walked over to them. "On this athame is the blood from the demon who has blessed the athame with that I've stabbed Chris. If you use it then he's going to be fine."
"Why should we trust you?" Piper asked. "Like you said it was you who brought him in this situation in the first place."
"You don't have another choice" Lindsay responded. "If you do nothing he'll die in a few minutes."
For a few seconds nobody said a word then Leo grabbed the athame and asked the sisters "Did you make more of this potion?"
Paige nodded. "Yes. Potion!" she called out and a moment later another vial appeared in her hand. Quickly Leo took it from her, opened it and let a few drops of blood fell into it. Then he once again poured it into his sons mouth praying that this would work.
But the seconds passed again without anything happened. Leo turned back to Lindsay "You've lied! You will pay for killing my – "
"Leo!" Piper suddenly said and pointed at Chris' stomach where the wound began to heal itsself and a few seconds later Chris slowly opened his eyes.
"Thank god" Leo sighed reliefed.
"What happened?" Chris asked still a bit disorientate.
"You just almost died" Piper said softly while she helped him into a sitting position.
Chris looked still a bit confused but his expression quickly changed into one of disgust. "What potion did you give me? That taste is so awful, no wonder that I almost died."
Piper laughed slightly. "Actually there were two potions. Do you want me to bring you some water?"
"Yeah that would be…" he trailed off when he finally noticed Lindsays presence. "What are you doing here?" he asked a bit suspiciously.
"She brought us the blood from the demon who has blessed the athame with that she'd stabbed you" Phoebe explained when Lindsay just stared uncomfortable to the floor.
"You mixed his blood into the potion?" Chris asked them. When they nodded the slight nausea he was feeling already, went even bigger.
Leo still wasn't convinced at Lindsays good motives. "Why did you attack us?"
Finally Lindsay looked back at them and said lowly "My father made me do it. He gave me a potion that turned me evil. I'm so sorry Chris – for everything. I never wanted to hurt you."
Chris didn't even know why, but he believed her. "I know" he responded.
Lindsay looked at him surprised. "Really?" she asked uneasily.
Chris nodded. "Yeah but…" He hesitated before he asked "If you have the blood from him does that mean you killed your father?"
"No – not yet. But I'm going to" Lindsay answered determind.
"You're going to kill your own father?" Paige asked her unbelievingly.
"I can understand her" Chris said and caused Leo to look at him with shock and pain. "After all he's a demon" he added when he saw the expression on his fathers face. Damn it. Why do I still care about him? I should finally stop with it.
"It needs to be done" Lindsay confirmed.
"Okay let's go" Chris said and wanted to stay up only to be stopped by Leo.
"You're not going anywhere" he said quickly. "Just a few minutes ago you nearly died."
"He's right Chris" Lindsay said with a hint of sadness in her voice. She still couldn't believe it that she had actually stabbed him.
"But…"
"No buts young man" Piper now said. "You're staying here with Leo and we go and help Lindsay."
Chris didn't liked the prospection of being alone with his father again but he also knew this tone from his mother and he knew better than to piss her off when she was using it. "Okay" he gave in. Then he looked once again over to Lindsay "Be careful."
She nodded and linked hands with the sisters so that Paige could orb them to her father.
Once they were gone a silence filled the living room. Leo didn't know what to say and Chris didn't wanted to talk at all. But Leo knew that he had to find out what had happened in the future. "Chris" he stated uneasily to get his sons attention.
"Shouldn't you check up on Wyatt?" Chris asked still trying to avoid a conversation.
"He's by Sheila" Leo answered. "Listen I know…"
"You know nothing" Chris cut him off. "You know nothing about me."
"Then tell me something!" Leo said frustrated. "I can't help you if you refuse to talk to me."
Chris snorted. "Since when do you want to help me? Since you know that I'm your son?" Without waiting for a response he added "Believe me, you don't have to. You never did in the future and I didn't expect it to be different here."
Leo sighed heavily before he sat down in front of Chris. "Please tell me what exactly I did to you in the future that's so bad."
Chris looked him dead into his eyes. "What the hell do you think I'm doing here? Did you even listened to a word I said in the last minutes?"
Leo just stared at him confused. "What do you mean?"
Finally Chris had enough. "You were never there for me!" he shouted furiously. "You never helped me with anything in my life! It was always just about Wyatt. You came to all his birthdays, football games and for every other damn reason a father should be there but you never came because of me! All I got were letters and in each of them are staying this lame excuses you would have to pretend like I'm not your son! So stop with your fake concern!"
Leo needed a few moments to let all of this sunk in. He couldn't imagine that he would treat his son like this but why should he lie? "Was I really never there for you?" he asked still not able to believe it.
A faint memory from his fifth birthday came to Chris' mind. It was the only birthday he could remember that Leo had been there. He could still feel a slight happiness about this day but it was covered by a huge bitterness because of the many occasions his father wouldn't be there. "No" he answered simply.
"I can change it Chris" Leo suddenly said. "Just tell me what I shall do."
For a second Chris wanted to tell him that he should just be there for him but then the urge to not show any sign of vulnerabilty won again. "Maybe you should write me a letter" he answered sarcastically. "I was so used to get them in the future, I really miss them now."
Leo looked down at the floor in sadness and shame about what he had done to his son while Chris orbed away. "I won't give up Chris" he then whispered. "I will become the father you deserve, I promise."
TBC…
