Disclaimer: Nothing in the Charmed world belongs to me and no copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 6 Daring Decisions
After several hours of discussing possible strategies Chris found his mind going back to one possibility that he dared not even mention to his family. Something that he knew none of them would ever consider being plausible. But still…
"You know, Wy, I think I need some time to myself. You've given me a lot to think about and I'm beginning to feel suffocated in here," Chris said surprising everyone in the room.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Piper asked in concern over her son. After everything that had happened to him that day it wouldn't surprise her if he were completely drained. But she hadn't exactly expected him to want to get away from them.
Chris stood and walked over to his mom, who had yet to leave his younger counterpart's side. He leaned over kissing her on the forehead. "I'm fine, Mom. You know you worry too much?"
Piper's heart swelled with the loving display by her normally stoic son. She reached up embracing him with a large smile plastered on her face. "With sons like you two, it's hard not to worry," she teased.
Chris chuckled at his mother's attempt a humor. "I just need some time," he assured her. Then before orbing out he whispered, "I love you, Mom."
"I love you too," she called as the blue and white orbs shimmered away. She looked to Wyatt and the concern was evident on his face also.
"It's a lot to cope with," he finally said shrugging. "He's actually doing a lot better than I expected him to."
Chris orbed to the Golden Gate Bridge and found a seat on the edge overlooking most of the city. It had become very dark and there was no moon in sight, but the city itself was lit up brighter than the moon could possibly think to be, the lights casting a golden glow upon the water below him. He enjoyed the peace and solitude he was always able to find in this place and he visited it often.
It was appealing for another very important reason to him though. The first time he had ever felt like his father had shared something with him was the day that he had first found the Elder in this very spot. At the time Leo had had no clue as to Chris' true identity, but still he had shared it with him and had not insisted that he leave, as Chris had feared he would. The father he had grown up with had never wanted to share anything with Chris but that was another time and events that had never actually taken place now that the future was changed. And the Leo that he knew from this time had more than made up for the pain his future counterpart had visited upon him.
As if the Elder could sense his son's thoughts about him blue and white orbs shone beside the solitary witch. "Hey, Dad," Chris said quietly not looking up. He could feel his father's soothing presence whenever he was near.
"Hey, Buddy, you okay?" Leo asked taking the seat next to his son.
Chris smiled chuckling slightly under his breath. They were so worried about him. Normally it would have bothered him and he would have thought they were way too overprotective. But on this night it was a comfort to know how much they truly cared. He'd need that knowledge in the near future to get him through what was to come. "Dad, I was wondering about something," he said avoiding the question.
"What's that, Chris?" Leo asked curious as to what would put his son so deep into thought and take him away from the Manor and those that loved him most.
"If I had went back to my time and I merged with that other version of me, what would it have been like? I know I'd keep my memories from this time, but what do you think it would have felt like?" he asked putting just the right amount of curiosity into his voice but trying not to seem overly anxious.
Leo winced thinking of what his son was asking. It wasn't something he ever truly wanted to contemplate happening. He didn't want to see Chris like that. He wanted him to always remain the son that he had learned to love in this time. But he couldn't just ignore the question. Chris had a right to know. "Don't ever mention any of this to your mother. She'd have kittens," he warned bringing a smile to his son's lips.
"Not a word," Chris assured him.
"Well there are many theories on the subject but the most popular one is that once you returned to your time you'd merge with the other version of you and at first it would seem like both of you were living in that body. Two separate people with two different sets of memories," Leo began to explain.
Chris' eyes widened. "Talk about a case of extreme schizophrenia there."
"Sorry, but yes. It might seem just like that. But it wouldn't last forever. Eventually, as long as neither of you were fighting it too hard, everything would meld until there was only one consciousness left." Leo finished and watched the reaction his son had. He had expected a negative reaction but instead saw his son nod in understanding and then smile at him thankfully. "Chris, why are you asking me about this?"
"No reason. I'm just really thankful that Wyatt came back to warn me. He's great isn't he?" Chris' tried to turn his father's thoughts to his older brother.
"Yeah, Chris. He's everything we wanted him to be and you can thank yourself for that one." The look Leo bestowed on his son was one of complete pride.
"Well I can't take all the credit, Dad. You were the one who saved him from Gideon." Chris was still a little uncomfortable with the whole 'hero' thing that his parents were insisting on treating him as. As far as he could see he had done what needed to be done and he had done it for selfish reasons to boot. He wanted his brother back and he wanted a decent life to return to. He never wanted to be a hero.
Leo understood his son's inability to accept the praise he deserved and he also knew that he was probably responsible for that, or at least his future self was. "You know, I never had the chance to tell you how sorry I was for the way my future self treated you."
Chris immediately started shaking his head. He didn't want his father to feel like he owed him an apology. "Hey, no! You don't have to do that. It took me some time to realize it but you are not the same man that I grew up with."
"I'm trying not to be, Chris. I don't want to repeat all the mistakes I made and I really don't want you to ever hate me again, either version of you." That statement made Leo realize that there was something else he had been meaning to tell his son. "You do realize that the version of you sitting here with me is just as important to me as your baby self back in the Manor, right?" Leo knew that it would be just as easy to just say he'd start over with baby Chris and make sure nothing went wrong this time around but he also wanted to make sure that the grown up version of his son, who did have every right to hate him, wouldn't do so.
"You know, until Wyatt came back and told me about your future selves I really wasn't so sure about that. But not anymore. Just in the past few hours you have all shown me exactly how much I mean to you. And it really does make up for all the past pain. Or at least it makes me happier than I ever was before." For the first time he realized just how happy he truly was. No matter what changes had been made to him in the future; right then he was the happiest he'd ever been in his entire twenty-three years of life. "Which is really ironic with what we are facing right now I know."
"Ironic yes, but understandable," Leo agreed. "Now we just need to keep you that way, which means I probably should be getting back to my demon hunt."
"Yeah, I wanted to visit Magic School and take a look at some of the older texts. Maybe I can find something on the demon that takes mini-me." They both stood and Leo was about to orb when Chris laid one hand on his arm. "I love you, Dad. I don't think I've ever told you that, well at least not this version of you. But I really do."
Leo was completely taken by surprise at the admission but the smile on his face doubled in size and he felt as if everything in the world was finally right for a change. He reached out wrapping his son in a tight hug. "I love you too, Chris. I don't know how often I might have told you that in your future, but I promise you, you'll be hearing a lot of it from now on. I love you and I'm proud of you, Son."
"Thanks, Dad," Chris whispered his voice becoming strained as tears began to form in his eyes. When they pulled apart Chris gave his father that cocky lopsided grin that usually meant he was up to something and then he orbed away to Magic School.
Chris was very relieved that the school was virtually empty after the demise of its former headmaster. He really didn't want anyone to question what he was about to do. He had easily found what he wanted in the potion room and had just finished writing a letter that he left propped on Gideon's desk in the library with the words Halliwell Family printed neatly on the envelope. He had specifically told his father that he was going to Magic School because he wanted them to find the letter once they realized what he had done.
He stood back carefully examining the Triquetra that he had just drawn on the wall. The lines were fluid and unbroken and he was pleased that it would do exactly as it was meant to. He was glad that he had found the leftover potion that his father had made. He really hadn't wanted to waste the time that it would take to reword the spell that he had used to bring him back to this time. There was only enough potion left for this one trip he knew but it would be enough.
For just a moment he spared a thought for the family he was leaving behind and felt as if his heart was breaking. He had already said goodbye to them once but at the time he thought he'd be going to a wonderful new version of his world where everything would be okay. But things were not okay and he knew it.
And there was Wyatt. He had come back to this time to stop Chris from doing exactly what he was doing right now. But that was before Chris had a plan. Albeit a plan that he knew his family would not agree with but still if his father's theories on time travel were correct, it might be the only way to save himself. But what if he was wrong? What if he didn't remember any of this? What if he just continued on as that evil version of himself?
He shook himself out of the worries that were starting to plague his mind. His mind was made up. This had to be done. He looked down staring at the last bottle of time travel potion and then threw it at the wall. He watched as it shattered against the Triquetra and then a loud snap was heard as the symbol began to glow blue showing the portal that would take him back to his time. With a heavy heart and an amazing amount of determination he stepped through the portal and out into what looked like the attic in the Manor. Nothing seemed all that different to him and he began to wonder if he had made a mistake and the potion hadn't worked. But then he heard loud steps come running up the stairs and into the room. He turned to see his mom and his aunt's surprised faces. Faces that looked twenty years older then when he had last seen them.
"Chris! But… What are you doing here?" Piper's hands flew up in defense not realizing exactly whom she was seeing.
"Wait, Piper. Look at him. That's not the Chris from our time," Phoebe said placing one hand on her sister's arm. "What happened? Wyatt was supposed to stop you from coming back here."
Paige looked around the room in confusion also. "Where is Wyatt?"
Chris wanted to answer them. He wanted to explain his plan and most of all he wanted to hug them all. They really were alive in his time. It was something he had prayed for and even though Wyatt had assured him that it was true he still had only half believed it. But he didn't get a chance to do any of those things as he felt a strong pull rip him from the room and even from the Manor sending him across the city and down into the Underworld.
It was a shock to be slammed mentally into himself in the dark unlit chamber that his evil self had chosen as his underworld home, for both versions of himself. "What the hell?" he heard himself growl angrily sitting quickly up from the bed he had been sleeping restlessly in.
A flame immediately appeared in a lamp across the room lighting the area enough so he could see his surroundings. He felt his body begin to move getting up and walking to a full length mirror against the wall and then concentrated on looking out through his eyes to the image staring back at him. He had expected maybe a version of himself that would look like the evil version from the alternate universe that Gideon had had access too. But instead he didn't look all that different from his normal self. His face was much paler with dark circles surrounding his eyes. His lips seemed darker, almost the shade of blood. And his hair instead of being the rich shade of brown he was used to was almost completely black and slightly longer. But his eyes were where the true difference was. He could no longer see his crystal green orbs that shone with a light of their own, but instead they were dark and dull and almost lifeless. It was certainly a frightening sight to behold. And then he sensed it.
The malevolent spirit that had been known as The Source was right there within him, threatening to encompass every part of his soul, driving all of the warmth and happiness right out of him. He hadn't realized just how hard a fight it would be to withstand that presence. But a fight it would be and one he could not lose. His very soul depended on it.
A/N: Okay, yeah, I know. Did any of you really expect anything different from Chris? When has he ever done anything the safe way? But what exactly is he planning you ask? You'll have to read on to see. Sorry this chapter wasn't as long. It just seemed like a good place to end it.