Chapter Nineteen
Chris had been lying on his bed for about an hour now. He was contemplating whether to brave going downstairs and face his parents. The look of disappointment on his mother's face was still haunting him. He realised that for first time in his life his mother was ashamed of him.
Letting the rumbling of his stomach get the better of him Chris cautiously ventured out of his bedroom. He got to the bottom of the stairs and came to a halt. His mom and dad were sitting at the dinning room table talking. Chris lent against the wall so he could listen in without being seen.
"Chris is totally out of hand Piper," Leo exclaimed.
"I know," Piper, sighed, "I don't know what to do? I don't know what's wrong with him,"
"He's out of control Piper!" Leo answered bluntly "It's about time he received some discipline,"
Piper looked up at him eyes blazing. "Are you accusing me of not being able to discipline our son Leo? Because if you are, let me remind you that I've disciplined Chris a hell of a lot more than you have. Haven't I," She gave him a pointed look that told him not to push his luck.
"Sorry Pipe," Leo answered sighing, "That came out wrong. I know you've done your best. And I know I should have been around more. I have a feeling that part of the reason Chris is acting out is because of me,"
"Maybe," Piper agreed "But still that's no excuse for what he's done to Matt's family. That was just plain spiteful and I didn't bring him up to purposely hurt other's,"
"Maybe," Leo began cautiously " and this is only a suggestion. But maybe Chris needs to go and board at magic school for a while,"
"WHAT!" Piper screeched.
"Now just listen," Leo began "I'm not suggesting long term. But Chris could do with a time out. He's angry with all of us at the moment, we both know he hates being at home right now. Maybe spending so time away from home will help. Plus he's having trouble at school at the moment, maybe pulling him out a mainstream school is the best thing,"
Piper pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed "Maybe your right. I'll talk to Paige about it,"
Chris felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. So they didn't want him. They never had. He had been right all along, now that they had gotten their precious Wyatt back there was no room for him anymore. Chris could feel the tears pricking at the back of his eyes. No! He wouldn't cry. If they didn't want him then fine.
"I'll go pack then," Chris answered stepping out from behind the wall to face his parents. His voice was calm, desperately trying to mask any emotion.
"Chris," Piper answered surprised "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," Chris answered coldly.
"Honey it was only a suggestion," Piper tried to reassure him "Nothings been decided yet,"
"Well maybe I should make it easier for you," Chris spat " I'll go pack. I'm not staying where I'm not wanted,"
"That's not what were saying," Leo answered.
"You must be pleased Leo," Chris answered trying hard not to lose it and break down in tears "With me out of the way you get your family back,"
Leo was taken aback by Chris' statement. Did he really believe that he wanted him out of their lives "Chris I don't want to push you out. Look son.."
"Don't call me that!" Chris hissed at his father "You haven't earned the right to call me that,"
"Chris," Piper warned. However her voice softened when she saw the look of hurt in his eyes. "Baby it's not what you think. We were just discussing…."
"The best way to get rid of me," Chris answered.
"No," his parents answered in unison.
"Yes you were," Chris yelled "I heard you. 'I'm out of control'," he mimicked his father "Better ship me off to magic school then. Cause that'll fix me, won't it?" Chris didn't give his parents chance to answer, he orbed upstairs as fast as he could.
Reaching his bedroom he pulled a rucksack from under his bed and emptied the contents of one of his draws into it. He grabbed his wallet off the dresser and stuffed into his bag before orbing out seconds before his parents opened his bedroom door.
Chris orbed to the beach hoping that Leo would be there. No such luck! He was nowhere to be found. "Dad," he called quietly praying that Leo would hear him.
A mass of black orbs settled down beside him. "Chris," Leo answered surprised. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned, sensing how upset Chris was.
Chris threw his arms around his father's midriff and hugged him tightly.
"Hey," Leo soothed stroking the top of Chris' hair, slightly taken aback by the change in his son's attitude since this afternoon. "What is it? What's happened?"
"Th… they don't love me," Chris cried, "They don't want me,"
"What do you mean?"
"They're sending me away to magic school,"
"What? Why?"
"Because now that they have their precious Wyatt back, I'm no longer needed," he spat, roughly wiping tears from his eyes.
Leo just held Chris tighter, kissing the top of his head.
"Can I come home with you Dad?"
Leo gently pulled away from Chris and held him at arms length. "Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked Chris. Looking up at his father Chris nodded.
Grinning, Leo pulled Chris back into a hug. "Of course you can son. That's all I want. We've missed you so much. Your mother's going to be so happy to see you,"
"I can't wait to see her," Chris answered.
Leo wrapped his arm around Chris' shoulder "Come on, let's go,"
"Go where?" Piper Halliwell asked from behind them.
Piper and Leo watched in horror as their youngest son disappeared into hundreds of blue orbs.
"Oh god!" Piper cried, "Where'd he go?"
Leo closed his eyes. Praying that he would be able to sense for Chris. Chris had misunderstood what he and Piper had been talking about. The intension wasn't to get rid of Chris, just give him some space. "He's upstairs,"
Piper left the table and headed for the staircase. "What are you doing?" Leo asked
"Going to talk to him,"
"Maybe we should leave him to cool down,"
"Not likely," Piper called back as Leo began following her. "He's all ready to leave,"
Leo caught up with Piper as approached Chris' door. "We have to make him understand that were not trying to get rid of him Leo. He just has to realise that things can't stay as they are," she finished, opening the door just as Chris again disappeared from the room.
"Leo," Piper asked panicked "Where'd he go?"
"I'll try sensing for…" Leo stopped
"What?"
"He's calling for me," Leo answered surprised "Why would he orb away, only to call for me seconds after?"
"Maybe he's in trouble," Piper answered, her voice full of fear.
"Come on," Leo grabbed her hand and orbed them both to where Chris had been calling.
As they settled back down to earth, they could see two figures in the distance. Moving closer, Leo was the first to notice that it was Chris wasn't alone. The closer they got, the more evident it became that the person with Chris was Leo.
How the hell is that possible? Piper asked herself. Leo was right beside her, it wasn't possible for him to be in two places at once.
"Can I come with you dad"Go where? Piper wondered. Who was this guy? Because he sure as hell wasn't her ex-husband.
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
No! Piper thought. Oh course it's not what he wants? Why would it be? He belongs with us.
Then she saw Chris nod in response and it felt like she had been kicked in the stomach.
"Oh course you can son,"
He isn't your son, Leo felt like screaming. He's mine! My son! And you can't take him.
"Your mother's going to be so happy to see you,"
I'M HIS MOTHER!
"I can't wait to see her,"Piper felt her heart breaking. She was his mother. He was her baby. Nobody could take the place of her in his affections. Could they?
"Come on. Lets go,""Go where?" Piper asked.
Leo and Chris both turned in the direction of his parents, both standing looking shell shocked.
"Home," Alternative Leo informed them.
"Chris is home," His counterpart answered.
Leo laughed at the whitelighter "You call this a home? A place where he's ignored. Where his feelings are put last. Where his own parents forget his fifteenth birthday,"
"That was an accident," Piper answered defensively.
"No Piper," the darklighter answered. "Forgetting to pay the phone bills an accident! Not seeing the car before stepping into the roads an accident! Leaving a fifteen-year-old boy to celebrate his birthday alone is no accident. It's bad parenting!"
Piper bristled "Are you calling me a bad parent?" Piper could feel her anger rising " What would you know about raising a child?"
"Not much," Leo answered honestly "See I've not really had the chance to be a father to either of my children. With Wyatt it was my own fault. I should have been around more. But with Chris I had the opportunity stolen away from me,"
"Neither Chris or Wyatt are your sons," Piper answered "I don't know who or what the hell you are but you are not their father and you are not Leo Wyatt,"
"Why not?" Leo answered, "How small minded of you to believe that you're the only reality out there. In my reality it was Chris who had been taken as a baby. Not Wyatt!" He turned directly to his counterpart "You have no idea how lucky you've been Leo. You got both of your sons back and you've wasted the opportunity to get close to both of them. I won't be making that mistake. Come on Chris it's time to go home,"
"He's not going anywhere with you," Whitelighter Leo answered determined.
Darklighter Leo had had enough. His counterpart was acting like he could be nominated for the Father of the year award. Chris would be better off coming home with him. Chris had told him that they were shipping him off to magic school and he wasn't having that. He wasn't wanted here, but he was back home with him. He had promised Piper that he would bring their son home with him and he wasn't going to let her down. Forming a crossbow in his hand he pointed it directly at his double.
Leo stood frozen! The poisonous arrow pointed directly at his heart. His double was a darklighter!
Chris had been associating with the one evil whose job it was to kill him. What the hell was he playing at? That really wasn't the issue right now, was it? Impending death shouldbe his major concern.
"No dad don't," Chris' voice was so soft that neither Leo were even sure that they had heard it.
Chris' plea distracted darklighter Leo momentarily, giving his double the opportunity to take the upper hand. Whitelighter Leo threw hiscounterpart to the floor and began repeatedly punching him.
In fear of what Leo was going to do to his darklighter double Chris quickly grabbed the crossbow and pointed it at the man he used to call dad. "Get off him," Chris commanded.
Leo looked up to see his son pointing the bow at him. "Chris put it down," he ordered.
"Get off him first,"
"Chris do as I say,"
"No,"
"Chris I won't tell you again. Put the bow down or I'll…"
"You'll what Leo?" Chris asked "Pack me off to magic school. Abandon me again,"
"No son,"
"I'm not your son anymore," Chris spat "Now get off MY FATHER,"
Leo felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Chris was choosing this darklighter over him. "You've turned him against us," Leo stated, his voice rising in anger. "I'll kill you," he yelled wrapping his hands around his doubles neck.
It happened in a split second! The moment Chris heard his mother's screams; he knew there was no going back. But he had hadno choice; Leo was going to kill him. He'd said so himself. So Chris pointed the crossbow at the man he had spent most of his life trying to get the attension of, the man heused to call daddy, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.
And now Leo was lying on the floor bleeding, with his mother draped over him sobbing hard.
Chris kept staring at them in shock of what he had just done. Darklighter Leo wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
Looking at theLeo lying on the floor, Chris felt the tears sliding down his face. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he disappeared withthe other Leointo a mass of black and blue orbs.
Leo stared at the spot that his youngest had just disappeared from. The tears began to fall quickly as the truth finally sunk in.
He didn't know his son. He never had.Blood was their only connection. Other than that they were merely strangers!
Authors note: Ok that all folks! Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, but it's the end of term, so I've been swamped with deadlines.
Thanks to everyone who's given me so much encouragement. You've made it so much easier for me to carry on with this story.
I'm sorry if you hate the ending, but I'm evil and I love cliffies. Don't worry though, if you want to know what happens next I am going to write a sequel. It's going to be called The Enemy Within and it'll focus on Chris in the alternative world with his new family.
Love and Lollypops:)
Mallorysgirl