After his amusing emotional experience with Phoebe, Chris headed back towards the stairs in hopes that Jessie would turn up. He needed to talk to her.
He ended up in the hall in front of the stairs feeling lost. There was no sign of her and she wasn't in the house. He was about to give up and head towards the kitchen until the opening of the front door caught his attention.
He turned and found Jessie walking in looking depressed and gloomy. He began to worry as he walked over to greet her. The whole time she kept her eyes to the ground, as she walked forward not noticing that Chris was in her path.
"Hey." Chris called out as Jessie's gaze came up to meet his.
"Morning." Jessie said quietly as she brought her arms close to her.
"Is something wrong." Chris asked with concern.
"No, I'm fine." Jessie said as her eyes darted around the room, avoiding his.
"I don't have to be an empath to know there's something wrong." Chris said trying to catch her eyes.
"Chris, I'm fine really." Jessie tried to persuade him but failed horribly and she knew it.
"Come here, let's sit down." Chris said ushering her into the living room. They sat across from each other as Jessie looked up to look at him.
"Now, talk to me Jessie." Chris continued.
"I've just been thinking a lot about what's been happening." Jessie continued.
"About?" Chris asked.
"The fact that I almost killed you." Jessie stated sadly, "and your family found out your secrets that you tried so hard to hide. And they found out because of me." Jessie finished looking down.
"Jessie, it's not your fault, you don't have to take the blame for it." Chris returned trying to comfort his friend.
"But it is my fault. You trusted me with your secrets and I told the world." Jessie exclaimed obviously angry with herself.
"Look, I don't care anymore about that, now that they know who I am, I don't have to hide from them anymore." Chris said catching her eye. "And the killing me part, I'm fine." But the look Jessie gave him a look that told him she did not believe him.
"Look! I'm fine!" Chris stated as he rose from his seat and jumped up and down trying to prove he was all right.
"I know you're fine now." Jessie stated, "You've been through a lot and I keep putting you through so much more."
"What are you trying to say, you're bad for my health?" Chris asked looking at her.
"Yeah." Jessie said finally looking at him, he could see she was hurting.
"No, if anything you're what's keeping me together. I would have crumbled after what we have been through." Chris stated.
"Really?" Jessie asked unsure.
"Really. If it wasn't for you and Piper, I would have lost all hope, maybe even given up on my mission." Chris stated as Jessie smiled to his answer. "C'mon, I'm starving and I smell food." Chris said as he offered his hand for her to embrace.
The two headed towards the kitchen to find everyone there, and to Chris's surprise, even Leo was there.
"Morning you two." Piper greeted as she saw them coming in together. "Breakfast is almost ready, why don't you take a seat." Piper added.
"Morning Chris." Leo stated looking up from Wyatt to his youngest son.
"Morning." Chris returned without looking at Leo.
But everyone else saw the expression on Leo's face for it was full of pain. Jessie still sensed the anger that resided in Chris when she first met Leo, intense anger and pain.
"They seem to be taking your secret pretty well." Jessie whispered to Chris, he only nodded in agreement.
The two slowly took their seats as they watched the family run through their morning rituals like nothing happened.
"What's wrong?" Leo asked as he noticed their strange behavior.
"Nothing!" They said together as the family noticed their nervous behavior.
"Wrong answer, now what's up?" Paige stated as she placed her coffee mug on the table.
"We're acting like one big 'normal' family." Chris stated, "And it's kinda creeping me out. Not that I don't like the idea of us being family."
"Acting? Normal?" Phoebe asked, "Far from it."
"I mean you just found out about me last night..." Chris started.
"And we had a lot of time to think and talk about it." Leo returned.
"Chris, you're part of this family whether you like it or not." Paige stated smirking at her nephew. "Since we're on the subject of family and all, Piper guess what?" Paige stated getting everyone's attention.
"Chris here is taking after you." Paige stated, "Looks like he can blow things up too" Paige finished.
"Really?" Piper added as she stopped what she was doing and they all turned to Chris, "And what other powers do you have?" Piper asked her curiosity peeking.
"Not much just a few." Chris replied nervously, "Um orbing, telekinesis, blowing things up, freezing, astral projection, and levitation." Chris finished with a grin.
"A few huh?" Piper stated laughing as she walked over to where he was sitting and gave him a warm hug from behind.
"Yeah just a few." Chris said as stayed in his mother's arms.
"A few my ass, that's a load of powers you got there." Phoebe stated causing the household to smile at her comment.
Their moment of amusement was interrupted as purplish orbs, not the usual bluish orbs the group was use to, begin to fill the room as they collected and an Elder stepped forward.
"Leo I need to speak with you." He said as his orbs dissipated around him. The elder looked disappointed about something.
"What is it Gideon?" Leo asked as his expression turn to worry at the sight of the other Elder.
"It's urgent, I need to speak with you." Gideon said once again as he stepped forward towards Leo. "If possible, alone." He suggested looking around the kitchen.
"Uh sure." Leo replied as he handed Wyatt over to his brother. "What's the matter Gideon?" Leo asked as he rose from his seat and they left the kitchen and went into the sunroom.
"Thanks for introducing your family to the stranger Leo." Paige stated sarcastically.
Immediately Chris handed his baby brother to his mother as the arrival of another Elder interested him. He placed his hands over his face as he concentrated, he let out a deep breath as he placed his astral self near the two Elders unnoticed. His spiritual form listened carefully to their conversation from the living room.
Chris peered around the corner into the sunroom as he saw Gideon pacing back and forth in front of Leo.
"Is something wrong?" Leo asked his colleague.
"Your presence on Earth Leo, you know you are not allowed down here." He said forcefully.
'Nothings changed with you Leo, you are always going to leave you're family, one way or another.' Chris thought, feeling his anger surfacing again.
"Gideon, we went over this before, my family comes first." Leo returned. As the statement came out of Leo's lips Chris was shocked at what his father just said.
"And what about your destiny? Are you willing to throw that away?" Gideon asked.
"For my family, yes I am. Especially now more than ever." Leo replied.
'Maybe he's changed after all.' Chris thought a small smile forming on his lips. His smile faded as he sensed someone disturbing his physical body. With a deep breath in, he vanished and reunited with his other self in the kitchen.
Looking around, Jessie sat beside him looking worried and his baby brother giggling on his lap.
"I'm sorry Chris, he orbed himself there." Piper stated gesturing to Wyatt. "Do you want me to take him?"
"He's fine mom." Chris stated smiling. Hearing the word mom brought happiness and joy to Piper's heart as she smiled at her two sons.
"Chris, you all right? You zoned out for a sec." Jessie asked concern in her voice.
"I'm fine." Chris said softly, "Astral projection." Chris continued as Jessie gave him a confused look. "I'll explain later."
But Jessie was more confused at Chris's sudden shift in emotions. One minute he was furiously angry and the next it seem to have settled and he was once again full of joy and happiness.
Back in the sunroom...
"Why now?" Gideon asked curiously.
"Chris..." Leo started, "He's my son Gideon." He finished looking at the other Elder running a hand through his hair.
"What?" Gideon asked surprised as his gaze went to the ground.
"Yeah I know, I just found out last night." Leo continued. "He came to the past to save his brother. To save his family."
"Is he any closer to finding out who is behind Wyatt's turning?" Gideon asked.
"No, future enemies has come to the past and it's been his main focus at the moment. The Underworld is being organized and the Charmed Ones had a close call with their leader." Leo explained. "I was hoping we could come to the school and use the books there to help us. The Charmed Ones Book of Shadows has no information on the leader and I was hoping the resources at the School could help."
"Yes, it's fine. Actually it's a great idea, anything that can be of some help could be found there." Gideon replied. "Then I'll expect to see you soon then?" Gideon asked
"Yes, possibly this afternoon." Leo replied.
"All right, I will see you then. We will continue our discussion later." Gideon said as he turned and orbed out of the manor.
Leo let out a sigh of relief before he returned to the kitchen to find everyone staring at him upon his arrival.
"Leo who was that?" Piper was the first to speak as she held Wyatt in her arms.
"That was Gideon, he's an Elder." Leo replied, "My mentor actually." Leo added.
"And what did he want?" Phoebe's turn to speak.
"He came to speak to me about my presence on Earth." Leo replied as fear of leaving his family could be seen in his eyes.
"And what did you say?" Chris asked as if he didn't know.
"I told him my family came first." Leo replied as Chris slightly nodded in happiness.
"I also asked him if we could use the books at the school he oversees to do some research on the demon we're after." Leo added.
"School?" Paige asked confused.
As the conversation continued, all Chris could do was block everything out and think of the life he left behind. The memory of the horrible life he used to live in flooded his mind. The life where his mother died in his arms. The life where his father never gave him a second thought. The life where his brother was the ultimate evil.
'Maybe you'll be around for me after all' Chris thought, 'Only time will tell....dad.'
TBC, Please Review.