Chapter eight
"Honey, you can't disown your dad,"
"Why not?" Chris asked Piper, not seeing a problem "He's basically disowned me,"
"Kid's got a point!"
"Paige!" Piper chastised. She knew she was right, but she hated the fact that Chris also knew she was right too.
"Honey," she began turning back to Chris "You know I'm not your dad's biggest fan but…"
"Mom please," Chris sighed "I spent too much time caring what dad thinks of me and I've realised that he doesn't deserve me worrying about if he loves me or not. What's the point of me trying to spend time with him if he doesn't want to spend time with me? I could be doing other things while Wyatt and Mark spend time with him, I could spend more time with you,"
"Is that what you really want?"
"No! What I really want is a dad who cares about me, but as a second choice, it's what I want,"
Piper gave him a sad smile "Alright honey it's your decision and I can't make you see your dad if you don't want to," she pulled him into a big hug "Have I told you how grown up you've become? You've got to promise that you'll always be my baby,"
"Mom," he moaned as she gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
"So that's what I did," Chris told Leo and Piper "I kept my distance from you as often as I could. It wasn't that difficult to do either, wasn't like you were around much,"
Leo didn't need Chris to explain this! He was getting to see it first hand. Both back in 2003 and here in front of him. He watched his future self orb into Wyatt and Chris' bedroom looking both hurt and panicked. "Chris," Future Leo said sitting down on the floor next to Chris' bed where he lay playing with his game boy. Chris ignored him. "Chris your mom said that you no longer want to come out with me and your brothers when I come and visit. She said that you no longer wanted to see me," Again Chris didn't answer. "Chris," Leo's voice sounded strained, like he was close to crying.
Chris just looked at him blankly he couldn't understand why his father seemed to be so upset. At first he thought about relenting and backing down, but something stuck in his mind. He remembered that time when he was three and he wanted to show his father he could levitate. He remembered how his father made a fuss of Wyatt and an unborn Mark, yet ignored him. Remembering how much that hurt he knew he was making the right decision. If he didn't have a dad, then his dad could hurt him.
"What do you want Leo?" he asked as if it was quite normal to address your father by his forename. Leo was rather hurt by how Chris addressed him.
"Chris, I'm your father!"
"Are you?" he yelled "Are you sure I'm yours,"
"WHAT!"
"Well I could understand why you hate me if I wasn't yours," he answered calmly.
"Chris I don't hate you," Leo tried to explain
"Well I hate you," he remained calm. There was no way he was going to let his father see him cry, no matter how badly he wanted to. "I hate you for every birthday you've missed. For every time you've made me feel unloved. And I hate the most for all the times I couldn't be as perfect as your precious Wyatt,"
Leo just starred at him, not knowing what to say. "What's the matter Leo, didn't you realise that I'm not three years old anymore and I'm not going to take you hurting me anymore,"
"Chris I…"
"Save it Leo, haven't you got a meeting to be at," he asked bitterly "Please just leave,"
"Chris I don't want to leave it like this,"
"I want you to go. Mom said I don't have to see you if I don't want to,"
"Did she?" he asked sarcastically.
"Don't blame her for this. You did this, not her. You've disowned me most of my life and now I'm doing it to you," He got up off his bed "And if your not going top leave then I will,"
Chris orbed out leaving Leo alone. It was only when he reached the bridge that he finally let himself cry.