A Destiny To Fulfill
Summary: Set after "It's a bad bad world". Chris died, but he is sent back to fulfill his destiny to save Wyatt (Gideon wasn't the one who turned him in my story). Will he be able to make everything alright?
Chapter 14: The vision quest
Leo was watching his baby boys sleeping in their beds in the nursery. There were only two weeks left until Baby Chris' birthday and everyone was in a state of anxiety and fear. It was more than a month ago that they had tried to send Phoebe on a vision quest for the first time but it hadn't worked. Now they had come up with a new spell and tomorrow they would try it again.
"Hey, since when are you staying here?" Piper asked softly as she joined her husband at the side of her sons.
Leo shrugged. "I don't know, maybe an hour or so."
Piper smiled slightly and looked down at Baby Chris. Tears threatened to form in her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. She had promised herself that she would be strong for her little boy and protect him whatever it takes. "Don't worry" she said more to herself than to Leo. "We'll save our baby."
Leo sighed sadly. "God Piper I hope you're right. I already had to watch him die once, I can't do it again. I couldn't bear it."
"He won't die" Piper stated firmly. "We're all here and we all know what's going to happen. We'll save him, no matter what."
Leo turned his head to her and she could see tears glistening in his eyes. "I promised him that he would be save. That was on the day before he wanted to go back to his own time and then I just let him die… what kind of father am I?"
"Leo don't do this" Piper said softly. "You couldn't do anything to stop it. But Chris is here now and we have to make sure that he stays here."
"Yeah I know" Leo responded. "But what if he hates me for…"
"Now you're being ridiculous" Piper cut him off. "Chris doesn't hate you. He loves you and I'm sure he doesn't blame you for what happened on that day with Gideon."
"She's right dad" Chris' voice suddenly came from behind them.
Piper jumped surprised and turned around. "Geez! Did you ever hear that you can't sneak up on people like this?" she asked her son once she was face to face with him. "And didn't I send you to bed two hours ago? What are doing up again? Do you even sleep one minute at night?"
Chris laughed slightly about his mother's outburst. "Slow down mom" he giggled. "You don't want to wake mini me up, do you?"
Piper quickly dragged him out of the nursery and Leo followed them and closed the door behind him. "So what are you doing up again?" Piper asked immediately.
"I just wanted to go to the bathroom if this is still allowed" Chris answered and raised his hands in defence. "And then I heard you two talking and…"
"And you went eavesdropping" Piper finished for him.
Chris smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well I've inherted my curiousity from you so don't blame me."
"Whatever" Piper said and smiled back at him. "I go downstairs and – and eat something. I'm suddenly so hungry. You two can talk a little til I'm back but then you go straight back to bed again" she told her son before she left the room to give Leo a little time with him to talk about the things he was obviously still dealing with.
"Dad she was really right" Chris immediately said after she was gone. "I could never hate you and…"
"You did it once" Leo interrupted him lowly while he remembered how big his son's contempt towards him had been in the beginning of his stay here in the past.
Chris shook his head. "No I never hated you" he stated and caused his father to look up at him surprised. "I was hurt and disappointed that you didn't seem to care about me in my original future and I tried to make myself believe that I hate you but the truth is I never did. After all you're my dad and I know that you love and care about me."
"Of course I do Chris" Leo choked out. "And I'm so sorry I let you…"
"Dad we have discussed this already a hundred times or so" Chris cut him off, knowing exactly what his father was going to say. "I don't blame you for what happened then and I'm sure you'll do everything you can to save me this time – like you did on that day when Gideon stabbed me."
Leo nodded. "Thanks" he whispered. He was so glad that Chris was so forgiving. He had clearly one brave and good son. Now he just wished that he wouldn't fail him again.
The sisters, Leo, Wyatt and Chris were all gathered in the attic – again. They wanted to try the new spell to send Phoebe to the vision quest where she'd hopefully find out who's after Baby Chris. Phoebe was lying on the floor in the middle of a candle circle while the others stood around her and did the only thing they could do, watching and hoping that this time it would work.
Phoebe closed her eyes and recited the spell she had memorized:
"I call upon the ancient power
to help us in this darkest hour.
Let me see tonight
what's still hide from my sight.
Show me if the man's cruel or kind
so I can put ease on my mind."
Immediately she felt like she was being pulled out of her body and when she opened her eyes she was standing in Piper's room and looking through the door into the nursery where Baby Chris was still breathing peacefully in his bed. But a second later the man appeared at his side and Phoebe tried desperately to go over to him and her nephew but she found that she couldn't move.
Oh god, no, please not again, Phoebe pleaded silently while she was once again forced to watch the man killing her nephew in his sleep. She quickly tried to calm herself down and focused on the man's feelings. There was guilt, pity and sorrow, but she couldn't feel anything that would explain why he was just holding his hand over Baby Chris' mouth so he would die.
When the man had finished his cruel work he straightened up again and shimmered away. Phoebe felt her heart shatter into pieces as she took in the sight of her dead nephew. But suddenly she was once again pulled away. She already thought that this had been just a waste of time but then she appeared in a dark cave in the underworld.
Surprised she looked around to find out why she was here. The answer of this question shimmered a second later in front of her. It was the man who had just killed Baby Chris but he had once again turned his back at her direction. Phoebe tried hard to move but she was frozen in place so she just watched how the man went over to a chair on the other side of the cave.
Damn it, Phoebe cursed silenty. Why was she on this vision quest if she couldn't see the man's face? Before she could complain any further her wish was finally fulfilled and the man turned around to sit down. A wave of shock and disbelief rushed over Phoebe when she saw him. This couldn't be, it just wasn't possible.
But the man in front of her wasn't an imagination. He was real. He was really back. And he was here to kill her nephew. Fury came over her and she wanted to ran over to him and beat the hell out of him but suddenly he buried his head in his hands and said with a pained voice "Please forgive me Phoebe, but I had to do this. You'll understand someday."
Filled with anger, pain, confusion and shock, Phoebe once again felt herself being pulled away. When she opened her eyes this time she was met with the faces of her family. A family who waited badly for the answer who would take the life of their youngest member. And now she had the answer – she just couldn't believe it.
TBC... (So, who is it? I could finally put my new story "The picture" on this site. Hope you'll read it too and send me reviews! Thanks!)
