Disclaimer: I don't own charmed

Previously…

But Chris didn't answer, he only continued to stare past the group. So they followed his gaze… and saw a woman with long dark hair lying on the other side of the attic, a pool of blood spreading from a wound in her abdomen…

Chapter 10

The Charmed ones were about to investigate who the woman was, when they heard a sharp inhalation of breath from the doorway. They turned, only to see a younger Chris, who was about 14 years old, step into the room and whimper "Mom?" Then apparently coming to his senses, he ran to the woman – who was apparently his mother, and tried to staunch the flow of blood coming from her wound.

Chris's mother stirred weakly and whispered, "Chris? Baby is that you?"

"Yeah mom it's me. Don't worry, you'll be fine. I just need to stop the bleeding." Chris tried to reassure her, as well as himself, while he desperately tried to stem the steady flow of blood.

The Charmed ones and Leo approached the two people from the memory. Chris however, backed away. He was mumbling to himself, his eyes fixed on the wounded woman on the floor.

As the ones from the past drew closer, Chris's mother moaned and turned her head towards them. The group stopped in their tracks. The wounded woman was Piper, which meant…

"Chris is my son," Piper said, mostly to herself. Even as she said it, she was still trying to process what it meant. Chris, the neurotic, sarcastic whitelighter from the future was her son. The boy they had been so unfair and cruel to. The one they had blamed for all their demonic problems… no, all their problems. However, as Piper thought about it, the more it made sense. Chris was ½ witch, ½ whitelighter, he knew them and the manor well, he was the right age. Hell, his mannerisms and characteristics had 'Halliwell' written all over them. But most of all, he would do anything to protect Wyatt… his big brother, even when she…

"Oh God!" Piper moaned.

"What is it?" Leo asked, although he was still in a trance like state of shock himself.

"I threw him out of the house! I told him I never wanted to see him again! My own son!" Piper cried, slightly hysterically.

"Piper, calm down." Phoebe said soothingly, (her being the first one to recover from the news), "how could we have known who he was?"

"Yeah," Paige added, nodding, "Him with all his 'future consequences' crap, we didn't know anything about him."

"I should've known. Surely a mother is always supposed to recognise her own child?" Piper wept, looking at their Chris. He was so engrossed with what was happening in the memory, and mumbling incessantly to himself, that he hadn't even noticed that they were all staring at him, tears in their eyes.

"Piper, think! How can you have recognised him, when he doesn't even exist yet?" Paige reasoned.

These words had a strange effect on Piper. Everything clicked into place for her, and she realised what it meant. She put a hand on her belly and said quietly, "He does exist."

"What you mean… you're…but how… no wait I don't want to know that, but…" For probably the first time, Phoebe was lost for words.

"I'm pregnant," Piper clarified, "And Leo's the father."

Phoebe and Paige gaped for a second before squealing, "We're gonna have another nephew!"

The whole time this exchange was happening, Leo was world of his own, "He hates me, my son hates me," he muttered. The sisters turned to him just as he remembered something he wished he hadn't, "Wait a second! I can't be Chris's father! His father hit him, abused him and abandoned him. I would never do that. He can't be mine."

Phoebe put a comforting hand on Leo's arm and said, "Honey, Chris is ½ whitelighter, and I don't think that Piper's gonna be taking up with any other whitelighters anytime soon, so he must be yours."

Leo shook his head, "But… I would never do that to a child, especially one of mine."

"Well maybe--." Phoebe was cut off mid-sentence because at this moment Future Piper moaned again. She then turned her head back to face teenaged Chris, opened her eyes and whispered, "I'm s-sorry to leave you baby… and I'm sorry I ruined your sp-special d-day."

"No," Chris said, trying to sound positive. "You haven't ruined anything, you'll be fine."

But future Piper was sure that she had, and carried on, "But, i-it's your 14th birthday baby…"

By now, Chris was frantically trying to stop the blood which was now slowing to a trickle, "No! you'll be fine. But you're still bleeding, so you'll need healing. But you'll be fine."

"It's no good peanut," future Piper said sadly, with a lot of effort.

Chris shook his head vigorously and shouted "No! I won't let you die. WYATT! WYATT! MOM'S HURT! COME QUICKLY!"

But when there was no sign of Wyatt, Chris took a deep breath, and changed his plea, "DAD! DAD PLEASE ANSWER ME! Just this once, please! MOM NEEDS YOU!"

But again there was no familiar twinkle of orbs, future Piper and Chris were still alone in the attic.

"Where am I?" Leo whispered, "Why am I not answering him?"

"Baby, whatever happens… I want you to remember, none of this is your fault, ok?" Future Piper said to Chris. When he didn't answer, she pressured him for an answer, "Chris, look at me. None of this is your fault, ok?"

Evidently seeing that his mother needed an answer, young Chris said brokenly, "ok," before turning back to her wound and unsuccessfully trying to heal her, muttering, "c'mon, heal dammit. Why can't you heal?"

By this point, the ones from the past all had tears streaming down their faces at the sight of the child trying to heal his dying mother. Older Chris had buried his face in his hands, and was shaking violently.

Future Piper was now very pale from blood loss, and she whispered weakly, "I-I love you C-Chris baby…" Her hand became limp in Chris's and her breathing ceased.

Chris, the one who belonged in this memory broke down and sobbed, "No! Mom, please don't leave me!"

The ones from the past watched helplessly as the boy held his mother's body close, and cried for a seemingly endless length of time. After a while, he pulled himself together enough to whisper, "I love you too mom. Don't worry; I will avenge your death."

"Aww, how touching," came a cold, sarcastic voice from behind them.

Teenaged Chris wheeled around, his face still stained with tears. But when he saw who it was, he stared incredulously…

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A/N: Mwa ha ha! I love leaving people hanging! (never fear though, it was a triple update today!)

To be continued… now!