Present

Piper lay across her bed and stared at the ceiling. She had not been able to sleep well for weeks; the bed felt so empty now that there wasn't a warm body to lie next to. She let out a sigh and rolled over. She looked at the night table next to her bed and saw a picture- her favorite picture- of her, Leo, and Wyatt. It had been taken the day of Wyatt's first fair. Even though she and Leo were having difficulty during that time he was still there. He hadn't abandoned her and their wonderful son. Now he had. Piper didn't know if she could ever forgive Leo, or if she even wanted to. She held the picture close to her chest and began to doze off. She began to drift into a dream but a soft noise startled her out of her sleep.

"Leo? What are you doing here?"

"You're awake? I'm sorry, I thought you were sleeping. I know you told me you needed your space it's just…"

"It's just you thought you could stalk me while I'm sleeping?"

"Piper, it's not like that. I just miss you and Wyatt so much."

"You should've thought about that before you abandoned us."

"You know I'd be here with you if I could. I want to be here, I just don't have a choice," He walked over to Piper and cupped her cheek in his hand. He looked directly into her eyes and Piper looked as if she might cry. She had to be strong, she couldn't cry. She wouldn't.

"There is always a choice, Leo," Her voice cracked and she leaned over and kissed him. Leo kissed her in response and time seemed to stand still for a moment. There were no demons, no Elders, no worries. It was just two people very much in love, no matter how much either of them tried to deny it. Leo lowered himself onto the bed, and they started to take off each other's clothes.

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Chris poured himself another shot. He had been drinking for awhile now; he didn't drink very often but he felt like nothing else could help ease his worries. By now he was quite drunk. He did not even bother to pour his last shot but, rather, took a swig from the bottle before dropping it and falling onto his bed with a thump. He was very tired and hadn't slept for weeks. Not only had he not been able to find out who turned Wyatt evil, but now his conception date was coming closer and closer. He began to worry that he would slowly start to fade out of existence, and his life would mean nothing. He would have come to the past and done nothing but screw it up more than it already was. And now Phoebe knew about him, and she would probably tell Paige and Prue.

'God, how could I have messed things up so bad? Please help me. Please, just this once. For just once in my life can you please help me?'

It had been a long time since Chris had prayed. He didn't even believe in God. He wanted to so desperately, to have something, anything to believe in. But his own life had proven that he couldn't believe in anything, least of all himself. He couldn't trust anything or anyone. Everyone he loved had died, and the only people that were left had betrayed him. All that was left of his life now was to fade away.

Chris couldn't take this. He hadn't cried in a long time, but as he lay in his bed now tears began to fall freely down his face. He tried so hard not to, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing and Chris cried himself to sleep.

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"How'd my potion work?"

"It um…good."

"Hello? Curious younger sister here! Hurry up and tell me what happened, I want to go to sleep."

"He said…I don't think I should tell you," Phoebe's eyes showed her confliction. This was such a big secret and she really wanted to tell someone but Chris begged her not to.

"Fine," Paige knew her sister would tell her, anyway. Just the fact that Paige was giving up so easily would insure her finding out within the next ten seconds. Phoebe never could keep a secret. Besides the whole 'Sorry, I didn't really kill Cole. I lied to my sisters,' thing, of course. But that was before Paige knew Phoebe.

"Well you don't have to force it out of me! Chris is Wyatt's little brother."

"What! You asked him what he was hiding, and he said he's our nephew!"

"Well, no, not exactly. Sort of."

Paige's eyes showed confusion and her forehead crinkled, trying to comprehend what her sister was talking about.

"It's just that once my power wasn't blocked anymore, I asked him what he was keeping from us. And then I felt what he felt, and it…it made me so sad. It reminded me of how I feel sometimes before Piper takes her dose of the empathy-blocking potion. I looked at him and I realized how much he looked like Piper. Then it all made sense…the way he acts around everyone," Phoebe looked at Paige to see if she understood. Paige nodded in faux-understanding. No one could really know unless they had Phoebe's power…they didn't understand how it was to feel other people's feelings- to completely understand someone else's emotions. Most people do not even understand their own feelings.

"Well, I guess we know where he gets his neurotic habits from."

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Leo held Piper in his arms for a very long time. She did not want to leave, not now, not ever, but she forced herself to pull away from Leo. She quickly put on her clothes and stood up.

"This was a mistake. I can't do this anymore. Please, just go. Don't come here again."

"I love you," Leo looked at his wife one last time and orbed out. Piper climbed into her bed again, but this time she refused to look in the direction of her nightstand.

'I can't. I won't cry. Please don't cry.'

Piper couldn't take this. She hadn't cried in a long time, but as she lay in her bed now tears began to fall freely down her face. She tried so hard not to, but the tears wouldn't stop flowing and Piper cried herself to sleep.

A/N: Thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate it. The chapter of this title iscourtesty of a Straylight Run song. Promise more action/future scenes in the next couple of chapters. I tried to include more of Leo and Chris in this one. Please review:)A/N