A second chance?

Chapter 4: I want my father

"Phoebe, Paige! I need your help!" Leo exclaimed desperately when he arrived in the hospital. He hated the fact that he had to leave Chris alone in such a state. His son was slowly bleeding to death and he had left him! What if he'll die, then Chris would think that he didn't even give a damn about it if he would die alone. But deep down Leo knew that Chris didn't blame him for what happened, even though Leo knew that he was responsible. But right now he didn't have time to think about this, he needed to save his sons.

"Leo, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked concerned. "And where have you been? Piper has gone into labor almost three hours..."

"Chris is dying!" Leo cut her off, knowing that he couldn't waste any time.

"What?" Paige asked startled.

"Gideon attacked him and kidnapped Wyatt" Leo hurried to explain. "He..."

"Gideon? Leo, what are you talking about? He's an elder, he wouldn't do something like this."

When Leo heard her defending his old mentor something in him snapped. He had done the same thing when Chris had tried to tell him about Gideon and he hadn't believed him. There was no way in hell Gideon would get away with this, even if it meant he had to kill the elder with his own hands. "He did!" he yelled, not able to control his anger. He didn't know if he was angry at Gideon, or at Phoebe and Paige, or just at himself, but it didn't matter now. "He wanted to kill Wyatt, but Chris got in his way and so that damn bastard stabbed him! And the athame was poisoned, so I can't even heal Chris! Please, you have to help me save my sons. I can't leave Chris alone, but I need to find Wyatt before Gideon can cause any damage."

Phoebe and Paige were still shocked about the news that Gideon had done these things, but the anger and desperation in Leo's voice made them realize that he was saying the truth. Paige nodded. "Okay, what shall we do?" she asked, trying not think about Chris dying or what Wyatt had to endure right now.

"You need to orb to Gideon's office in magic school. I found a paper with the incredients from the poison Gideon used on the athame. It should lie on the desk. Then you have to go to the manor. Watch Chris and try to come up with an antidote" Leo answered while he hoped that his plan would work. He didn't know what he would do if it didn't...

Paige nodded again. "Okay. Don't worry, he's going to be fine" she assured, not even convinced from her own words, but she could see that Leo needed a bit comfort. Then she walked over to the toilet to orb to magic school.

"I should stay here" Phoebe suggested, before Leo could say something. "Someone has to be here with Piper."

Leo agreed reluctantly. "Fine, but if Paige needs help..."

"Then I'll do whatever I can" Phoebe finished his sentence with a small smile, also trying to comfort the worried father.

"Thanks" Leo said, before he too went to find a place from where he could orb.

When Paige had orbed away to magic school she hadn't believed that the poison would be so strong, but the incredients made it quite clear. She really had to come up with something very strong by herself. However she was even more shocked when she orbed into Piper's bedroom. There on the bed was her nephew, sweating and shivering, and bleeding heavily from a wound on his stomach. Quickly she walked over to him and knelt down at his side.

With a slight hope rising inside of him, Chris turned around when he heard the noise. When he saw his aunt he still felt better than a few seconds ago, but she wasn't the one he wanted to be here – he wanted his father. And his brother. He wanted, no he needed to know if Wyatt was save before he would die. That was after all the reason why he had gone through so much pain and suffering. Because he wanted his brother to have a happy and good life. Chris knew that he couldn't find peace if his brother's fate would remain unclear to him.

"Hey kiddo" Paige finally whispered, shocked at how vulnerable and young Chris suddenly seemed to be. In this moment he wasn't like his usual confident and strong self at all. In this moment he was just her nephew and it was also this moment that Paige realized that she needed to take care of him. She had never felt like Chris' aunt that much as Wyatt's and she had always blamed it on the fact that he was almost the same age as she was right now. But now she finally realized that no matter how old he was, he was still her nephew and she was still his aunt.

"Where's dad?" Chris asked with a hoarse voice. He hated it how weak he sounded, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"He's getting your brother back" Paige answered, while she gently stroked her nephew's hair away from his forehead. "And until he's back, I'll take care of you, okay?"

Chris just nodded. Paige was might not the person he wanted to be here the most, but at least he wouldn't die alone. He smiled slightly up at Paige. He was glad that she was here. He knew that no one had felt really comfortable with him being around in the house, even though they had tried to convince him from the opposite. But truth be told, Chris knew that they felt awkward to have their son/nephew from the future here, who had by the way lied to them on each and every day, and was also just a few years younger than them. But now when he looked at Paige he didn't see the young woman he had got to know in the last year, instead he saw his aunt. Everything from the love in her eyes to the gentle touch of her hand reminded him of his aunt and after all, she was his aunt – no matter what time he was in. But still... he wanted to die in his father's arms...

"I'll get some things to make an antidote, I'll be right back" Paige said with a assuring voice and gave her nephew's hand a soft sqeeze, before she orbed up to the attic.

Leo had never felt so much hatred for one personthan in this moment. He had finally found Gideon and Wyatt and after he had made sure that his son was okay, he did the only thing that made sense to him, he beat the living shit out of that bastard. He had just knocked the elder down, who was now looking up at him with fear. "Leo, please, you have to understand. I am only doing this for the greater good. I swear" he exclaimed.

At this Leo was only more furious. He grabbed Gideon on his robe and pulled him back to his feet. "How is killing a child ever for the greater good, huh? Who the hell are you to decide that, huh?" he asked and threw Gideon across the cave, before he could answer. Then he quickly went over to him and picked him up from the ground again.

"I'm an elder! So are you! That's what we do!" Gideon yelled, becoming clearly scared of Leo.

"I'm not one of you anymore" Leo replied and he meant what he said. After this was over he would quit. And if that meant that he couldn't be a whitelighter either, then so be it because there was no way in hell Leo would leave his family again. In this moment he promised himself that whatever happened he would always be there for his family, because there was simply nothing that mattered more to him. The thought of his younger son who was right now suffering and probably dying because of the man in front of him came back to his mind and caused him to lift Gideon up from the ground and pushing his back hardly against the cave wall.

In another attempt to make Leo stop Gideon spoke again. "Leo, listen to me. You know what happens. You know what Chris came here to stop."

When Leo heard the bastard speak his son's name an uncontrollable anger and hatred rushed through his entire being. How dare he to mention Chris after what he's done! With a roar Leo threw Gideon back to the ground and then went over to him. It was time to end this. As much as Leo wanted to cause the elder even more pain he wanted to get back to Chris even more. His son needed him right now, he had to get back to him.

"You're the reason the future's threatened Gideon, not Wyatt..." he said, getting ready to use his powers.

"No..." Gideon tried unsuccessfully to interrupt him.

Leo didn't let him finish his phony attempt to make him stop and continued talking. "But because of what you do to him. I'm about to make sure neither one of you get the chance again."

Gideon was now clearly terrified when he saw that Leo was about to use his elder powers against him. "Then Chris will die" he yelled, in a last try to survive this.

Leo stopped building up energy in his hands when he heard this. As much as he wanted to kill that bastard right there and then Gideon's last sentence made him hesitate. Trying to control his fury he grabbed the elder again by his collar and hissed "Give me the antidote and I'll make your death quick."

"Leo, you can't kill me..."

"I can and I will" Leo cut him off. "And now tell me what the antidote is or else I'll make sure that you'll pay a hell of a price for what you did to my son!"

Gideon breathed heavily while he considered his chances. He knew that Leo would carry out his threat. "If you kill me, than you have no chance to save Chris" he then said, knowing that he was getting to Leo. "Just think about, Leo. Chris is a good man, a good witch. He..."

"Yes, he is" Leo growled, not liking the fact that Gideon had hit a nerve. What if Paige wasn't able to find an antidote?

"And he can do so much more good for the world" Gideon continued when he saw that Leo seemed to think about it. "I will save him, I will make sure that the good keeps on existing. It's up to you, Leo. Save your son – your good son. Don't let him die for the evil one."

"Wyatt isn't evil!" Leo yelled, not able to believe that the man in front of him, who wanted him to choose between his sons, was really his old mentor. "And it was you who stabbed Chris, so don't..."

"Yes and it was a mistake" Gideon interrupted him. "He's good. He deserves to live. And you can give him a chance to live. You just have to let me do my job as a force of good and give me Wyatt so that I can stop him before he can destroy the world!"

Leo wanted desperately to save Chris, but he knew that trading his life against Wyatt's wasn't an option. Even if Leo would be capable to do it, which was clearly not the case, he knew that his younger son would never forgive him for putting his brother into danger. That wouldn't be what Chris wanted. And Leo was determind to make sure that his son's wishes were respected. Leo was near to break down and cry over the injustice of everything that happened to his younger son. And now he was forced to make a decision that would probably cost his his life. Before he could even think about any further he hold out his hands and let his power out. Immediately electricity started to stream out of his palms and he lift Gideon up from the ground with it, who screamed in agony. After a few seconds it was over and Gideon was nothing more than a pile of ashes.

Leo looked down at it for a moment, dreading what he would find in Piper's room. He knew that if Chris would die he would never be able to forgive himself. He still remembered his son's pleading and desperate face when he had told him about Gideon. And he hadn't believed him. This was all his fault. Leo sighed deeply before he orbed away to the manor, hoping that he wasn't too late.

TBC...