.II.

Leo's voice rang out in Barbas's seemingly empty lair, echoing off the rock walls. "Wyatt? Wyatt? Can you hear me? It's Daddy. Wyatt?"

Blue orbs chimed in, materialising a small child in the middle of the cavern. The little boy looked around eagerly. But it was Gideon who swept off his magical invisibility and stepped towards him, not his father.

"Hello, son," Gideon greeted in Leo's voice.

Five orbs circled Wyatt, setting crystals around him, and a cage flared into appearance. The child froze in fear, the blue energy trapping him.

"So sorry to lure you like this," Gideon said, almost apologetic. He turned away and called out, "Barbas. Where are you? Barbas!"

Barbas appeared in a whirl of flame. However, blue orbs appeared at the same time. Gideon stared in alarm as the light settled into the form of Leo. Barbas took one glance at the Elder carrying his dying son in his arms, graced Gideon with a pitying look and promptly left as quickly as he'd come.

Panic grabbed hold of Gideon, shaking his core. He watched nervously as Leo carefully lowered Chris to the ground.

Leo looked down at his son. Chris's face was still and his eyes closed, he didn't seem to move at all. A jolt of fear shot though Leo's chest. No…he can't be… Terrified, Leo pressed his fingers to his son's neck, searching for a pulse, praying that it wasn't too late – that he hadn't gone.

He felt a weak push against his touch…then another…and another. Leo sighed in relief, passing a hand over his brow. Chris's pulse was thready, but still there. However, it was clear time was running out.

Seeing the other Elder's emotional turmoil gave Gideon confidence, and he silently crept into a position that put him between Leo and Wyatt's cage.

"It's for the best, Leo," Gideon said, quietly.

Leo straightened and faced Gideon, burning with anger. "How can you tell me that?" he demanded, furiously. "You're trying to kill my sons!"

Gideon swallowed nervously. "Chris wasn't planned. I didn't want to have to sacrifice him, too."

"Then heal him." Leo pointed sharply at where his son lay, dying. "Before it's too late."

"I…" At the glare Leo gave him, Gideon's protest faded and he failed to find a speakable advantage in not saving the boy. "Alright," he conceded.

Gideon reluctantly approached the prone form of Leo's son, banking on the other Elder's distress not letting his attention stray from Chris to his younger, caged child. As it was, he was able to crouch on the side closest to Wyatt, while Leo knelt on the other.

Leo waited impatiently as Gideon held his hands out over Chris's wound, emitting golden, healing light. He was acutely aware of how near he was to losing his son.

"Wait…" Gideon said, suddenly.

"What?" Leo asked. He stared at Gideon in alarm as he withdrew his hands. "What is it?" he cried.

"I can't do this," Gideon told him, intensely. "It's too late."

"What do you mean?" Leo frowned. "He's not dead yet; it isn't too late."

"You don't understand. It is too late." Gideon slowly stood up. "It's too late to get him back to his own time. And we wouldn't know what would happen to him if he tried."

Leo rose up on the other side of Chris, a warning stare locked onto Gideon. "What are you saying?"

"He's about to be born into this time, with a future where Wyatt isn't the evil overlord of the world. The timeline has been changed too much. When Piper gives birth…" Gideon looked down at the young man at his feet, "it will effectively erase this Chris's past. Only he'll still be here. And who knows what that will do to the fabric of time!" Gideon's eyes were wide. "He can't exist twice in the same timeline!"

"The sisters have been back in time before," Leo replied, hotly. "They saw their younger selves and nothing untoward happened."

"Yes, but they were from the same timeline," Gideon cried, impatiently. "When baby Chris is born, his timeline will be this one, but the older Chris's timeline won't be – it shouldn't exist anymore, he shouldn't exist anymore!"

"Are you saying he'll just cease to exist?" Leo paled in alarm.

"I would hope so, but I have a horrible feeling he won't!" Gideon exclaimed, forgetting with whom he was talking. "He's messed about with time too much. Nothing is clear-cut anymore. There are too many paradoxes!"

"He's been a paradox since he got here," Leo said, unconcerned.

"Exactly!" Gideon spat, exasperated.

"You're not going to be able to convince me to let my son die, Gideon," Leo said, evenly.

Gideon's breath came out in a hot rush of frustration, and he ran a hand through his neat hair, mussing it somewhat. When he lowered his hand, his face darkened…a menacing glint coming into his eyes.

"Well, that's too bad, Leo. We all have to make sacrifices for the Greater Good." His mouth curved with arrogance. "I'm not going to heal Chris, Leo. And I'm not letting Wyatt go."

Leo was bent anxiously over Chris, when suddenly he rose with a snarl. He grabbed fistfuls of Gideon's robes and threw him across the cavern.

Gideon slid across the ground, narrowly missing a collision with Wyatt, the magical cage blinding him for a moment, before hitting the wall. Pain erupted from his back and his breath was pushed from his lungs. Dizzily, Gideon watched Leo stride towards him, or rather, two Leos. He blinked against his double vision, fighting to get air back into his chest.

"You bastard!" Leo roared, grabbing hold of Gideon's robes again and dragging him to his feet.

Gideon was hunched over, coughing and pressing a hand to his chest, unable to resist as Leo pushed him towards the entrance to another chamber. With a disgusted grunt, Leo threw Gideon into the other room and then glanced back.

His gaze found his young child, standing rooted to the spot and looking dazed. Leo fought the urge to rush over and comfort Wyatt. There was something he had to do first.

"I'll be right back," he promised.

TBC...