A second chance?

Chapter 3: I don't want to die alone

Leo stood in the attic not able to comprehend what just happened. Why had Chris said something like this? He was sure that Gideon would never hurt Wyatt, but why should his son lie? Maybe Chris really just wanted his attention. In the moment he thought that, he knew that it wasn't right. If there was one thing his son had shown him in the last three months then it was that he didn't want him to be close to him. But why did he say that then? It would only make sense if it was the truth...

But Leo couldn't believe it. Gideon was his friend. His mentor. He wouldn't do anything like this. But seeing his son's desperate and angry face before him when he had told him about Gideon made him question his trust in the elder. What if Chris had been right? Then Wyatt was still in danger and Chris too. He wanted to trust Gideon, but he also wanted to trust his son. He had to find out what was going on and who was saying the truth. Leo orbed away to magic school and entered Gideon's office without knocking.

The elder wasn't there and Leo quickly closed the door behind him. He felt a bit guilty when he started to look through his mentor's things, but he didn't have a choice. After a while he wanted to give up, reliefed that Gideon didn't seem to be that person who Chris had described, but then his eyes fell on a paper in one of the drawers. Written on it was a time travel spell. Or at least it looked like it. But under the spell Gideon had written a few notes about some mirror world.

Leo's heart sank into his stomach when he took out the paper, only to find another where the incredients from a potion were standing. A potion that would keep someone from getting healed. Why would Gideon need this, if not... If not to kill Wyatt. Feeling a bit dizzy, Leo quickly sat down on the chair behind him. He had been wrong. Chris had told him the truth. And he had dismissed him. Again. When his son needed him.

Suddenly Leo started to panic when he realized that Chris had said that he would kill Gideon before the elder had a chance to get to Wyatt. Chris wasn't powerful enough to vanquish an elder. And Gideon also had this potion. If he hurt his son, Leo wouldn't be able to heal him. Fear gripped his heart while he stood up from the chair and tried to sense his son.

In the attic

Chris sat Wyatt down into the playpen and went over to the book of shadows. He had tried to contact his mother, but she had just gone into labor and Phoebe was already with her. When he had tried to tell Paige about Gideon, she hadn't even listened to him. She had been too excited about Piper being in labor and had just handed him Wyatt before she had orbed away to the hospital. Chris wanted to scream and shout about everyone's ignorance, but he didn't have time for this now. Frantically he started to look through the book for something that would help him to kill Gideon. But somehow he doubted it that there would be anything standing in it about how to kill an elder.

Suddenly he heard the floorboard squeak and he quickly looked up, searching for an intruder. "Hello?" he said loudly, in the hope that one of his aunts had come back. But no one was there. He sighed and turned his attention back to the book.

A moment later he heard footsteps. Alarmed he went over to Wyatt and stood protectivly in front of his brother. He turned to the toddler and said "Okay, it's time to get you outta here." He wanted to grab Wyatt, but suddenly he was thrown over the floor and crashed painfully into a table. He groaned and turned back to the playpen, only to see Gideon standing there.

"Don't make me sacrifice you both" the elder said.

Breathing heavily, Chris waved his arms and sent Gideon flying away from his brother. The elder landed on the other side from the attic and conjured an athame. Chris wanted to attack him again, but then Gideon vanished. Fearing that he would attack Wyatt, Chris quickly stood up and ran over to the playpen. Before he could reach his brother, Gideon appeared in front of him with the athame. Chris saw it too late and a moment later he felt the cold metal from the blade stabbing into his abdomen. He cried out in pain and fell to his knees. The elder knelt down with him, but didn't remove the athame.

Chris could feel some kind of potion flowing into his body and looked down at his stomach, where Gideon finally pulled the athame out. Chris immediately fell to his side, while the elder walked over to the playpen. Seeing this, Chris did the only thing he could think of in that moment. He called out for his father. "Dad!"

A second later Leo orbed next to him. When he saw his son lying on the floor with a gaping wound in his stomach, he immediately knelt down next to him. "Oh, god" he gasped while he tried to hold back the tears.

"Wyatt... Wyatt..." Chris moaned in pain.

Leo looked over to the playpen only to see Gideon standing there with Wyatt in his arms. "It's for the best, Leo" the elder said, before he orbed away.

For a moment Leo couldn't do anything. He was like frozen. But then Chris groaned again and he quickly turned his gaze back to his son. "Chris... Chris?" he asked, trying to find out how bad Chris' wound was. But he didn't need an answer. He knew that it was horrible and if Gideon had used this potion on the athame then he couldn't even heal his son. He tried it anyway and hold his hands over the wound, but just like he had expected it, nothing happened. Quickly he grabbed Chris and orbed them to Piper's bedroom where he lay his son down on the bed.

Chris let out another painful moan and Leo frantically tried to heal him again, although he already knew that it wasn't going to work. Leo felt tears coming to his eyes when he realized that this was all his fault. If he would have believed his son, then none of this would have happened. He would have protected both Chris and Wyatt against Gideon and they would be save. But instead he had decided to trust Gideon over his son. Why the hell had he been so stupid? And now Chris, and probably Wyatt too, had to pay the price.

"You have to find Wyatt" Chris' voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Leo looked at him with immense guilt, but also pride. Even though Chris was hurt that badly, he still just thought about his brother. "We're going to find him together" Leo told him, while he still tried to heal his son.

Chris impatiently pushed his hands away and said weakly "It won't work. You've already tried. Gideon's magic did this to me. He's the only one who can stop it. Just ... go. Saving Wyatt saves the future. You know that."

"Wyatt can defend himself, remember? We still have time" Leo said, not even convinced from his own words.

"Only until the trauma turns him" Chris contradicted. Why was his father still hovering over him? He should be out there, trying to find Wyatt and not here with him, not even able to heal him.

Leo shook his had slightly, more to keep the tears from escaping. "I am not going to choose between you and Wyatt, Chris. I can't" he said with pain in his voice. The sight of Chris lying there bleeding heavily was too much for him. And it was only worse because he knew that he was responsible for his son's current state.

Chris was stunned at his father's words. Did he really care about him? Was he really afraid if he would die? A slight happiness spread in him when he realized that it seemed to be like it. But he didn't have time for this now – Wyatt didn't have time. Gathering all his strenght he said "You don't have to, dad. Find Gideon and you save us both."

Finally a tear escaped Leo's eyes when he heard his son calling him dad. God, what had he done? He should have believed Chris. But his son was right. He needed to find Wyatt now, or else everything Chris had gone through would be in vain. "All right" he finally agreed. "All right, but I'm not leaving you alone. I'll be right back" he promised while he stood up from the floor.

"Where are you going?" Chris asked, a bit scared about the fact that his father was leaving him. But what the hell was wrong with him? Wyatt needed his dad more than him right now, how could he be so selfish and wish that Leo would stay? Deep inside him, he knew the answer. He didn't want to die alone.

"To get one of your aunts to watch over you" Leo answered and watched sadly how Chris breathed heavily, obviously in great pain. He quickly knelt down next to his son again and kissed him on his forehead. Chris flinched a little, but Leo didn't care. "You're going to be fine, okay? I promise" he whispered soothingly.

Chris just nodded slightly, trying to get his father to leave. He had to save Wyatt...

"Chris, I'm so sorry" Leo choked out, stroking his son's hair away from his forehead. "I should have believed you... I'm sorry, this is all my fault."

"Dad, you have to save Wyatt" Chris gasped in pain.

Leo nodded and stood up again. He looked down at his son and said "I promise I'll save you both", before he finally orbed out of the room.

Chris watched how the blue orbs left the room and suddenly felt so alone and scared like never before in his entire life. He knew that he was dying and there was no way to save him. And now his dad had left him. Of course that was the right thing. He needed to save Wyatt and Chris knew that. But he couldn't help but felt like Leo had let him down again when he needed him. 'God, Chris, can you think of something else than yourself? Wyatt needs him more right now' he chastised himself. But still he wished that his dad would be there when he'd take his last breath...

TBC...