Disclaimer: I don't own charmed or have anything to do with it.
Four year old Chris had been disappointed when he had found out that his daddy wasn't coming again early this morning, but he wasn't really, really disappointed, because in truth he didn't even know his daddy that well. He knew hi Uncle Darrell better then he knew his daddy. The only things that he did know about his daddy were things that he learned in the stories his mommy told him and his big brother every night before they went to bed. But to him, the man in the stories was his mommy's old husband, not his daddy; he didn't have a daddy, not really.
After his mommy had told him that his daddy wasn't coming to visit him again, she had told him that they were going to the park for a family picnic instead. So here they were, Wyatt, Mommy, Aunt Paige and him. Aunt Phoebe had to go to work first for something important but would be coming later. Oh wait here she came now. In little Chris's head she looked very weird because she was walking by herself but her lips were moving like she was talking to someone. She wasn't on the phone either.
Chris had seen her do this a lot of times before, and it was usually when she was upset about something. So he jumped down off the play equipment he was on and ran over to her wrapping his arms around her middle. He then heard her mutter something about a Leslie. He didn't know anyone called Leslie so he decided to ask her.
"Who's Leslie Aunt Phoebe?" he asked looking up at her innocently
She looked down at the small boy then answered "Oh just an annoying boy I knew a long time ago when you were a baby" Chris nodded not really listening to what she was saying, just enjoying the hug he was giving her.
"Leslie's back?" that was his mommy who spoke. She had come over from where she was sitting to where they were standing.
"Yes" answered Phoebe sounding annoyed "And he's just as cocky as ever. We were only talking for ten minutes and I could tell he thought I still had feelings for him"
"Oh, and you don't" asked Piper with one eyebrow raised, exaggerating the 'Oh'.
"Of course not" answered Phoebe sharply "I mean why would I, I haven't seen him in almost four years and even back then I barley got to know him"
"So you're not attracted to him at all" asked a smirking Piper
"No, not at all" Phoebe answered not sounding at all convincing. It was then that Chris got board of listening to a conservation he understood absolutely nothing about and ran back to rejoin his brother on the play equipment.
After a little more time playing with his brother, time which he was really enjoying because he didn't get to play with him as much anymore now Wyatt was at school, Wyatt announced that he was hungry and he was going back to the adults to get lunch.
Chris had told him he wanted to stay a bit longer and play, so Wyatt went off alone.
Chris looked over at his mommy and aunts from his position on the monkey bars. His Aunt Phoebe was talking with her arms flying everywhere and his mommy and Aunt Paige were looking at her smiling like they knew something she didn't. Adults were weird concluded Chris from that picture. He didn't understand them at them at all and hoped he never became like them.
After that thought he turned to his friend Luke who he had met a little earlier and told him he was going to have lunch. Chris tried to get himself down from the monkey bars but it was becoming quite difficult. Looking down the ground looked so far away. He was starting to wonder why he let Wyatt talk him into coming up here and didn't want to jump because he was afraid. So he tried to crawl from the middle of the monkey bars where he was situated to the side where there was a ladder he could climb down. Halfway there he started to slip and eventually lost his balance falling to the ground.
Just like the last time this had happened when he was getting the ice-cream it went in very, very slow motion. But something different happened this time as well. He felt a force of some sort pick him up and move him in the air. It was like he was flying, but he knew he wasn't controlling what he was doing and he was upset about that because he always wanted to be able to fly. But something was moving him, flying him past where he should have landed and... right into a man.
Without realising it Chris was screaming because he was really quite scarred. The man heard his scream and turned around to see a boy sailing into him. The man deftly caught him, falling to the ground in the process. Once Chris stopped moving he stopped screaming. He felt the urge to look at the bushes in the park, so he lifted his head off the man's chest and looked past him. His eyes met the most beautiful dark head woman and somehow he knew it was her who made him fly. She winked at him, smiled and waved. She then shook her head and put a finger to her lips and somehow he knew he wasn't supposed to tell anyone about it. The lady then smiled again and orbed away just like he could do. She must be an angel like daddy he thought. Suddenly a voice coming from below him pulled his green eyes back to the man he was laying atop.
"Hey little buddy, you alright?" It was then that Chris noticed the tears leaking out of his eyes. He sniffled trying to stop them and nodded slightly. The man had short dark hair and light blue eyes, which were at the time filled with immense worry. He had a kind face which drew Chris to him.
"Thankyou for catching me mister" he said softly while the man sat them back up. Now he was sitting on the grass with the man who saved him sitting across from him smiling at.
"What happened" asked the man concerned
"I fell off the monkey bars" answered Chris honestly "What's your name"
"I'm Owen" he answered then continued "You fell? That's a pretty long way to fall, are you sure you didn't fly" he grinned at Chris not knowing the truth of that statement.
"I'd like to be able to fly" answered Chris remembering his promise to the lady that he wouldn't tell. "Just like Peter Pan"
"I'm sure we all would, it'd be fun wouldn't it" said Owen. Chris nodded his head rapidly, he was really starting to like this man who saved him.
"Are you going to tell me your name little buddy, or do you want me to keep calling you little buddy" asked Owen
Chris had a good think about that question, not knowing that Owen had meant it as a joke. No one had ever given him a nickname like that before. His daddy had one for Wyatt, he called Wy or kiddo, but never one for Chris. His mommy called him a variety of different like baby and sweetie, but she called Wyatt those things too.
"I like little buddy, I don't have a nickname" answered Chris finally. Owen laughed at that, he hadn't been expecting that answer.
"Alright then, I'll call you that too, but I'd still like to know your name" he said once his laughter subsided
"It's Chris" answered Chris.
"Chris aye? Alright little buddy how about you tell me where your mommy and daddy are and we go give you back to them" said Owen.
"My mommy and aunts are over there" he said pointing to where they were sitting "I don't have a daddy, not really, he never visits me" Chris had felt it necessary to share that bit of information with Owen and did so with a childlike innocence. The information had taken Owen by surprise, he hadn't expected that to come from the little boy's mouth, but kids were unexpected, he'd known that for a long time. They alway's surprised him, they always had, he didn't have any of his own but he had a few friends who had kids.
Owen slowly pulled himself up from the grass, then reached down to pull Chris up too. Noticing that the little boy although his tears had stopped still had tracks from the old ones left on his cute little face and bent down and wiped them away. Owen then started to walk the boy toward where his mother sat, and was once again surprised when a small delicate hand reached up and took his own. He looked down to see Chris smiling up at him.
Once they reached the group of woman and another child Chris had pointed out, one of the woman looked up at them and then smiled at Chris.
"Hey sweetie. Who's your friend?" she asked smiling at Chris
"Mommy this is Owen, he saved me" answered Chris happily
"He saved you?" asked Piper looking from her son to Owen. Chris just nodded his head rapidly.
Owen decided to fill in the blanks for the confused woman before him. "He fell of the monkey bars and..." he started
"He caught me and saved me" continued Chris butting in. Chris than looked up at Owen and gave him big toothy smile, then looked back at his mother and went on "He's really nice mommy"
"Well thankyou Owen, I don't know what I would have done without my baby" answered Piper a small smile playing on her lips. Owen then looked down a Chris and raised his eyebrows.
"Hey little buddy, I thought you said you didn't have a nickname, and your mom has just called you two" Owen was amused
"Mommy and Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige call me all different names, their not nicknames" said Chris with wide eyes, afraid that his new friend wouldn't call him little buddy anymore.
"Ah ok I got it then" said Owen smiling, he then turned to Phoebe and Paige. "And I suppose you two are Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige" he asked them
"Phoebe" said Phoebe sticking up her hand up.
"Paige" said Paige repeating her sister actions. "And this is Wyatt" she added pointing to the little blonde boy who had his face stuffed full of chicken and was therefore incapable of speech.
Both girls had wicked grins on their faces because they new what their little nephew was up to. They weren't blind, the way Chris was looking continuously back and forth at his mother and at Owen with a mischievous look in his eyes and an impish grin on his face.
"Well I've got to get back to my friends" he said and then turned to Chris "Bye little buddy"
Chris face had fallen in a matter of seconds. "Why don't you eat lunch with us" he asked puppy dog eyes upon the man. Everyone else at the picnic was glad that it was Owen facing those eyes and not them, they had all been subjected to them at one time or another and found they were impossible to say no to.
It was quite obvious that Owen was having problems saying no, as his mouth was opening and closing continuously and Chris wasn't letting his gaze waver. "Is that all right?" he finally asked the girls. They nodded and the glint returned to Chris' eyes. "I just have to go tell my friends, I'll be back in a sec"
It seemed Piper was oblivious to her son's intentions and asked him, "Do you like this man do you Chris" Chris just nodded away happily
"He looked nice mommy" Wyatt said finally swallowing the food
"Well of course he was nice" said Phoebe and Paige continued for her
"Yeah you have good taste in people don't ya Chris" she said. It was then that Chris realised his aunts knew about his plan and he smiled cheekily at them.
Paige then muttered to herself "That's why he barley speaks to Leo anymore when he shows up"
"Paige!" Piper scolded "Don't say things like that in front of them" Paige was about to respond when Owen arrived back. She watched as Chris took his hand and led him to a spot just beside his mom.
"You can sit next to mommy" said Chris smiling away. He then tried to push Owen down to the ground.
Phoebe and Paige looked at each other trying to stifle there giggles, both thinking how adorable their nephew was.
"Chris, don't hurt him" Piper said. The statement sounded stern but the amusement in her eyes gave away what she really thought of the situation.
"I didn't catch your name before, I only know you as mommy" said Owen smiling at Piper.
Piper laughed "It's Piper" she said
"Well Piper I have to say you have an absolutely adorable son" said Owen
"Hey what about me" asked Wyatt. Owen smiled at him and then said.
"Well you're cute too, but I don't know you yet, not having had the privilege of saving you" he winked at Chris and smiled warmly at Wyatt.
The afternoon went well, everyone got to know Owen and found that he was a great person. He was an architect with a passion for other kinds of art as well. He loved kids, he was single and Phoebe and Paige had concluded a real catch by Chris. By the end of the day they were both convinced that their nephew was a genius. Piper and Owen were getting on like a house on fire, talking away about all different kinds of things but still finding the time to talk to everyone else and play with Wyatt and Chris. They both knew their nephew was onto to something.
Chris had a great afternoon. His mommy was happy and Owen, him and Wyatt had tickle wars, it was great. His aunts had congratulated him for been so smart and he and Wyatt had played a little more together, cherishing their time before Wyatt had to go back to magic school and only be home at night.
When it came time for them to leave Owen and Piper had exchanged phone numbers, using the excuse of the kids as to why they were getting together again. They were fooling themselves with that excuse but not anyone else. That afternoon everyone went home immensely happy.
A/N: Please review, I hope you like my latest instalment.