Chapter 13: Chris' Story
"I need to explain a few things" Chris continued, unable to meet his father's gaze, immediately feeling guilty about his treatment of this timelines Leo who was in fact still innocent of the cruel treatment metted out by his future counterpart.
"The day mom died, it began just like anyother, there was no sign, no whisper, no hint, that this would be the day that shaped us all, the day that defined what Wyatt and I would ultimately become...we had breakfast, mom wanted to talk to you about my report card, but you were too busy, you had a breakfast meeting with the elders that you couldn't possibly miss, you exchanged a few words and then orbed out. Your last words to her in fact were 'Not now, Piper I'm too busy'" Chirs paused in his monologue to glance at his father, Leo's face was blank, his mind struggling to keep up with all the information.
"The demon attacked just as Wy and I were about to leave for magic school...it all happened too quickly..we couldn't do anything...afterwards, when you finally came, you didn't even try to heal her, you just looked at her laying there, ' i can't heal the dead Chris' is all you said. I so badly wanted you to tell me that it would be ok and that you could fix it, but you didn't. All Wyatt and I wanted was for you to give us a hug, but you couldn't even manage that, you just left to go and get Grandpa. Wyatt was on his knees in a pool of our mother's blood trying to scrub the floor clean, as if in some way that would bring her back, like the harder he scrubbed he might some how inject some life force back into her, and you couldn't even wait 5 minutes to comfort us..."
A sob broke the still night air. Leo, tears running down his face, couldn't even begin to imagine how he had evolved to become such an apparently heartless creature.
"Grandpa arrived" Chris continued " you orbed him to the mannor, but you didn't return yourself, Grandpa said that you had gone to see the elders and that you would be back as soon as you could. I stood in the window all night watching for you, waiting for you to return. Grandpa kept begging me to get some sleep, but i refused, i didn't want to miss when you came back, thats when my insomnia started...i waited, we waited, i don't know how long, two days, two months, it could of been two years for all i know, it felt like an eternity. Grandpa said you were gone a week, you came back the morning of her funeral. We had the service and the wake, we didn't really get to speak to you because you were busy with the guests. After they all left, Wy and I were glad because it meant that now we got you all to ourselves. We sat in the living room, when you finally came in, it was to tell us that you were leaving" Chris' voice began to tremble.
"'I need time boys' Chris spat, recalling his fathers words "' I need to think, to clear my head'...what about us, we need you! Wyatt and i pleaded,pleaded with our own father to stay with us, to give us a little bit of his attention...'I'm sorry boys' was what you said, you hugged us, and then just left. We didn't see you for 6 months...even after your return you were barely around, always finding some sort of crusade to occupy your time so that you didn't have to be at the mannor. I over heard you telling Grandpa that everytime you saw my face i reminded you of mom, and you couldn't deal with it...so you want to know why i hated you so much? well now, you know" The last ounce of Chris' composure left him, and he broke down in tears.
"I.." Leo's voice was barely a whisper "I'..I 'm so sorry" He dragged himself to his feet, hot salty tears blurred his vision as he made his way along the bridge toward his son. He crouched down to face chris who had curled up into a ball and was rocking himself back and forth, as if trying to rid himself of the memories of the past. Leo touched Chris' shoulder, he flinched and tried to shake him off, but Leo persisted. He wrapped his arms round his son, locking him into a fierce hug, "I know that sorry doesn't even begin to cover it, but please chris, i promise i am here for you now, i will always be there for you, the mistakes my futureself made, i will fight may damm hardest to make sure that i don't make them" Chris continued to resist, but it became increasingly more difficult with each word his father said, he could feel his warmth of his father, he relaxed and hugged him back ..."Thank you Daddy" he said in a small voice.