Chapter 11:Dealing with it.

It was the sunlight streaming through the curtains and settling on her face the following morning, that woke Jo from her deep sleep. She lay there a moment, savouring the last few moments of peace and quiet before the dreaded alarm went off. The faint sound of crockery being moved about could be heard coming from the kitchen. It must be Piper cooking breakfast she thought, smiling to herself. There was something about this house and the people in it that Jo loved. She felt strangely at home here, she didn't know why, as if she had been here for months even though in reality it had only been 10 days. Still, it saddened her to think that this was only temporary, and that soon she would have to move on to a new foster home. Keeping her eyes shut, Jo reached out blindly for her alarm clock, to turn it off before it rang and save herself from hearing the horrible noise it made. After 2 minutes of waving her arms in the general direction of her bedside table with no success, she opened one eye. It was then she realised that she was not in her own bed. Panicking slightly she opened both eyes and frantically scanned her surroundings. Its Ok she reassured herself as she took in the familiar drapes and bedroom furniture, you're in Paige's bed that's all. Paige's bed? Why was she there? A vague memory of a bad dream floated to the front of her mind. She remembered feeling scared and calling out something, but it was all a bit hazy. Perhaps some breakfast will help me focus. Attempting to move slightly, Jo found she was pinned down. She moved her head slightly to find Paige in bed next to her, spooned into Jo's back, one arm draped protectively across Jo's waist. Not wanting to wake her, Jo lifted her arm gently, slipped out of the bed and crept into the hallway.

It was in fact Chris who was banging around in the kitchen not Piper. After leaving his father to battle with his guilty conscience Chris had orbed straight back to his room in the mannor. He felt slightly guilty about avoiding his mother, who despite his instructions had waited up for him anyway, but he hadn't really wanted to talk to anyone. He'd not slept well, and had eventually decided to get up early and do some demon hunting as opposed to laying in bed awake counting the ceiling tiles. The sounds of foot steps in the hall alerted him to the fact that he was no longer the only person up, and a few seconds later Jo, appeared, standing shyly in the doorway.

"Pancakes?" he asked, brandishing the pan.

"yes please" came the reply "chocolate chip an.."

"and cinnamon, coming right up"

"How did you know that?" Jo asked.

"I know everything" Chris answered, stifling a laugh.

If it was bizarre for him to see the self confessed overlord of evil, Wyatt Halliwell as a dribbling 2-year old in this timeline, it was downright amusing to see his cousin as a pre-teen. Poppy-Jo, as she was known in his timeline had always been his favourite cousin, often called in to baby sit him and Wyatt, Poppy was Chris' confidante, listening to all his worries, reassuring him, giving him advice, and for that he missed her the most. With 11 years difference between them, she had always seemed so grown up, and sophisticated, so seeing her now with braces on her teeth, skinny legs and stubby nails was quite a revelation.

"Is Paige still asleep" he asked.

"Yep, ..i woke up in her bed though.. I think I must have had a bad dream or something..do you know if I was shouting at all last night?"

"No idea, I didn't get back til real late"

"Did you and Leo have a nice time last night?" she questioned

"ugh…don't ask"

"Why not?"

"It doesn't matter, lets just say dad and I had some issues to work through"

" Dad?..wait a sec..Leo's your dad?"

"Yes" Chris said casually as he passed her a plate.

"So that makes Piper your mum?"

"You catch on quick" he quipped, before realising his mistake. In this timeline Jo was still unaware about magic, time travel and everything else related to the magical universe, and thus far they had managed to avoid addressing the issue of exactly how Chris was related to them, until now that is. He glanced over at Jo who seemed to be doing some mental calculations.

"But Pipers.." she started

"..was really young, when she had me, yep really young…"

"but you're like twenty.."

"sixteen, I'm err sixteen, I just like to make out I'm older"

"Ok" Jo eyed him up and down, not quite believing it, but deciding not to question it, either.

Upstairs Paige was laying in bed lost in her own thoughts. She'd been woken when Jo had gotten out of bed, and had been trying to order her thoughts ever since. She'd had a fitful nights sleep in between bouts of worrying that Jo was ok, and playing out the different scenarios in how she might break the news to the girl, that she was in fact her long lost mother. Indeed the more Paige thought about it, the more confused she became, and the less sure that telling Jo would be a good idea. She desperately needed a second opinion on the subject, however for once her sisters were no good. Phoebe had been insistent on an Oprah style reunion from the get go, complete with Paige clutching a hanky whilst a violin overture played in the background, and lots of crying and "I Love yous," hence she would not be receptive to the merest hint that Paige might not want to tell Jo the truth the second she laid eyes on her. As for Piper, she had her own problems to deal with, what with everything that was going on between Leo and Chris. There was only one person who could possibly hope to understand what Paige was going through right now, and Paige knew exactly where to find them.

Jo and Chris ate in silence for 5 minutes before Jo plucked up the courage to speak to him again.

"So what happened between you and Leo?"

There was something in her eyes, a gentleness, a patient understanding, that even as a kid, Chris wanted to open up to his cousin.

"He's pretty much a non-person in my life right now"

"How so?"

"He wasn't around much, if at all when I was growing up"

"Well my dad had to work away from home a lot too but.."

"Its not like that,…its not just that his work that kept him away…when we really needed him he was never there…"

"Is that what you were talking about last night?"

"I think that arguing would be a more accurate word, but yeah"

"And it really bothers you doesn't it"

"No! I don't care what he thinks, or done, he means nothing to me anymore"

"You can't mean that, he's your father"

"Yes, I do, I hate him for what he did to us, I don't care if I ever see him again"

Jo looked at him, a wisdom beyond her years radiating from her brown eyes.

"Hate is a strong word, Chris" she said calmly, making Chris feel as if they had changed roles for a minute and he was the child and she the adult. He was about to protest when she started speaking to him again, in her quiet calm way.

"Most people only get one set of Parents in this life Chris, only the very lucky get more. That's why we need to show them that we love them while we can, because once they're gone its too late. My mum died when I was really young, I remember being sad, but then thinking that it was Ok because I still had my dad and he loved me. We were close, but that's not to say we didn't argue, he wasn't perfect and neither am I, but I loved him more than anything,… then suddenly he was gone. My whole life, completely turned upside down in 10 seconds flat. I would give anything just to be able to see him again, speak to him, hold his hand, even if it was just for 5 minutes. You're so fortunate Chris, and you don't see it. You have a Dad who is still here, after all the mistakes he may have made, you still have time to repair all that, he's obviously willing to try, else he wouldn't have come here…you never know what is going to happen…one day you might need him and it will be too late."

Chris sat in silence a while contemplating all that Jo had said. She was right about one thing, that deep down he truly didn't hate Leo, it was anger more than anything.

Jo finished her pancake, rinsed the dish and turned to face Chris.

"Well?" It was a question not a statement.

"Well…I guess we have some talking to do" Chris admitted.

"Good" Jo replied, " I'll see you later"

"Sure will" Chris called "oh and Jo?"

"yes" she paused,

"you might be one of the lucky ones too you know"

She smiled, not quite understanding what he was talking about and headed up the stairs. Chris waited until she had safely rounded the corner before orbing out.

He materialized atop the Golden Gate Bridge, landing in the same spot from which he orbed out the night before. He spotted his father, hair unkempt, clothes creased, with red eyes and a six o'clock shadow, huddled in one corner.

Chris approached him gently. "Dad" he called his voice neutral. Leo twisted his head toward him, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Chris?"

"I think its time we set a few things straight"

Paige pulled her dressing gown further round her before she knelt down on the floor. It sure is chilly up here in the morning she thought.

The candles had been lit, the book of shadows was open at the required page. She took a deep breath.

"Spirit from the other side, cross now the great divide"

The flames blew out, and an orb cloud appeared in the centre of the room.

"Paige?" the voice called.

"Hi" she replied shyly as Patty Halliwell materialised in the circle.

TBC Dealing with it Part II