Chapter Four

"Why doesn't daddy love me?" Those words broke Piper Halliwells' heart as she watched her five-year-old son Christopher playing on the floor with his toy cars. How on earth was her future self-going to deal with this?

She wasn't sure what frightened her the most… how she was going to answer? Or how calm Chris was when he asked it. He just carried on playing with his cars, waiting for her to respond.

"Daddy does love you," Piper heard herself say. She wondered whether or not she believed it.

"No he doesn't," Chris stated without emotion. "He never tells me. He always tells Wyatt. He never spends time with me, but he always takes Wyatt out,"

Piper could understand why Chris felt like this. Leo hadn't really made much of an effort with him. Not being around that often didn't help either. Leo had recently become an elder and was staying 'up there' more and was hardly ever around. Her marriage was over, Leo had told her that because of elder duties, he could no longer be her husband and it now seemed that he could no longer be a father either. It angered her greatly that he could just toss his family aside so easily.

Piper picked her son up off the floor and sat back down with Chris. She pulled him into a tight hug. "Daddy does love you, he just isn't very good at showing it," Piper kissed Chris' cheek "You know mommy loves you very much don't you?" Chris nodded. "Don't tell Wyatt or Mark, but your mommy's special boy ok," Chris smiled. "No matter how upset daddy makes you, remember you're my charmed one and nobody's ever going to change that,"

Chris turned to face his mother and wrapped his arms around her "Love you mommy,"

"Love you too Chrissy,"

Leo felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room! He turned to Piper who was stood beside him silently crying. He couldn't believe that he could ever make his son feel so low. What on earth had happened to him that he didn't have time for his family?

Before he could ask Chris, he was leading them into the dinning room, where Piper was now standing alone. "Leo," she screamed "Leo," But there was no answer.

"Leo, if I have to call you again, I'm going to make you sorry!"

Leo orbed in behind her startling her "Jeez, don't sneak up on people like that,"

"What do you want Piper," Leo barked "I was in the middle of a meeting,"

"Well for a start you can talk to me with a little respect,"

Leo looked down at the floor "Sorry. It's been a really stressful day,"

"You've had a stressful day," Piper laughed sarcastically "Try convincing a five year old boy that his daddy does love him,"

"What!" Leo asked slightly bewildered

"Chris. He doesn't think you love him,"

"That's ridiculous!"

"Is it? Not to a little boy who rarely sees his father,"

"My work is important,"

"Your son is important,"

"I know," Leo sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. " I'll try to do better. I'll go speak to him,"

Chris was sitting in the living room, when Leo came in and sat down on the floor beside him. "Hey there little buddy, what ya doing?"

"Playing racing cars," Chris answered bashing the cars into each other.

"Can I play?"

Chris looked up at Leo with suspicion, "Okay, you can be the blue car," he said handing it to him.

Chris smiled as he stood watching his father play with his younger self. "That was the only time I ever remember you willingly spending time with me," he told Leo "After that you were never around,"