MEL'S POV

While I was pregnant everything seemed to go by so quickly. Chris finally started slowly talking to me about 3 months into the pregnancy, and Piper and Chris bonded. At least, they bonded after Victor came to see us.

The Cleaners changed everyone's memory so that I, like Paige, was a long lost sister that no one ever knew about it. After that, they screwed up royally by trying to kill Darryl in the electric chair.

Yes, the Cleaners did a good thing and a bad thing.

So, anyway, Darryl nearly died and refused to have anything to do with the Halliwells, and that would've been all fine and dandy for him if Sheridan hadn't become hell-bent on hurting us Halliwells.

I'm getting a little ahead of myself though. After the reunion day, where Piper finally got to understand Chris a little better.

Next, Piper was attacked by some kind of spiderwoman. The spiderwoman scratched Chris and he began to become a spider too. I thought on Spiderman it was a bite, but I guess we are living in the real world and not the land of Peter Parker. Although, I like the name Peter. Sorry, off subject.

Anyway, as he was turning into a spider Leo found out that Chris was his son. Chris, who wasn't really in complete control REALLY beat Leo up, and even we he got a hit of the antidote, he kept swinging his fist until Piper stopped him.

Anyway, a little while later Paige decided to conjure a 'perfect man' for herself. He in turn had a exact opposite running around the Underworld. He just about ran Chris over with his car, and Chris stole a car to get back. Chris ended up getting put in jail and Leo had to bail him out.

By the time, the Witch Wars began Leo and Chris could actually be in the same room as each other. I really don't know more than what I was told about that. I was actively having twin girls: Madison Penelope Warren-Halliwell and Patience Melody Warren-Halliwell.

I was sitting in my room, happy that both girls were asleep for the moment. Chris was about to leave, but my body wasn't ready to do much yet. I had an emergency C-section with Patience Melody and the doctor had told me to take it easy.

I looked over to see Chris standing in the doorway. He had the sideways smile on his face that I had come to love over the last few months. Before he said anything, he walked over and played with the girls for a minute. He spoke to them, but never actually woke him up.

It was then that he walked to me and sat next to me on the bed. He smiled and asked, "How are you doing?"

"Other than knowing you're about to go home, I'm doing great. Can't you just stay a little wee bit longer?"

"You know that I can't Aunt Mel. I'm leaving in a couple of hours. Aunt Paige is working on the potion right now, and I have no clue where Aunt Phoebe is. Mom's relaxing, and Dad and Gideon are working on the time travel." I scruched my face up when he said Gideon, and he noticed.

"What is it you have against Gideon?"

"I don't know, I just don't trust him. Something in his eyes, there are times that I see Jerry in those eyes. I know that he's an Elder, but I just can't see him as sane."

"You're off-base. You know that right." I nodded simply.

"Enough about him. I want a hug from you kiddo." He bent down to hug me, but quickly said.

"I'm not a kid."

"You want to get technical, you are going to be born this week." Chris smiled at the joke that we had been going at for months.

I started to sit up, and Chris helped me. "I love you kid, so much. I can't wait to see you again in...oh, say 23 years."

"Love ya too, Aunt Mel. Right after I find mom and dad, you're next. Well, and the twins. I miss them."

I kissed his forehead, before saying our goodbyes. I smiled as he walked by the twins, gently kissing each of them on their foreheads lovingly, and walked to the doorway. He turned around when he reached the door. "I love you. Thank you Aunt Mel, mom, for everything that you've done for me in both times."

"I'd go to the moon and back for you, sweetie. I love you, now go see your mom, dad, and aunts."

I didn't cry until he left in the flurry of blue-white orbs that I had become so accustomed to since coming here.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER. . .AFTER CHRIS WAS STABBED. . . (Because Mel stayed in the basement near the Nexus, the switch didn't affect her.)

"Mel, I need you to stay with Chris for a minute. I'll orb you all up there." It took him a second to orb both his nieces and his sister-in-law.

I saw Chris' prone form on the bed and turned to Leo, "What happened?"

"Gideon stabbed him and took Wyatt. Gideon was the one after Wyatt, and I need to go get Phoebe and Paige. Can you please?"

"Of course, Leo, go on." I turned to Chris, and I don't think I've ever seen the boy look so defeated. Gideon did this to Chris. I can't wait to get my hands on that sorry excuse for an Elder. I'm sure Leo's thinking the same thing.

"Hey honey. You don't look like you're feeling too well." Keep it light, Melinda, Keep it light.

"I'm not. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for, kiddo."

"Will you stay here with me?" I smiled at him.

"How 'bout I stay right here, holding your hand. We'll wait til your dad can come heal you, ok?"

"He tried, it didn't work. Gideon's magic is blocking I.."

"Hey, stay with me, kid. Stay with me." A loud noise came from downstairs about that point and Chris jumped. I was so glad that it didn't wake up the girls, too.

His delirium was starting to worsen, "What was that, mom?"

"I don't know sweetie."

"You gonna go check it out?"

"No, I'm gonna stay right here with my amazing nephew and my girls."

"What if it's a demon?"

"Not a good enough reason to leave you." I smiled at him and heard the sound of the safety of a gun turned off. When I turned and looked, Sheridan was staring back at me with a large smile spread widely across her face. Darryl was behind him, looking as if this was really hurting him, despite the smile.

"YOU stay away from him. Go NOW!" I heard Paige yelling down the hall and Chris' breathing was getting more and more shallow. Sheridan said something about him being almost dead anyway. It wasn't but a few seconds before Paige stood at the door and Leo ran to his son. I was on the other side of the bed, holding his hand like I promised.

"Hey," Leo spoke gently, and his son replied, "Hey."

"Hang on, okay, you can hang on. Don't give up." Leo begged his son, knowing that he was losing him.

Chris struggled hard to say, "You either."

I felt a tear stream down my cheek as Chris' body went limp and Leo wailed, "No, no, no, no. please Chris, no!"

Suddenly the hand that I had held ever since I walked into the room wasn't there anymore. I looked up with tears in my eyes to find Leo grabbing air and Chris was no longer there. I looked up to Paige, who was trying desperately to be strong for Leo.

I don't know when they left. I don't know how long I stayed in the same place. Madison's cry pulled me out of whatever trance that I had been in. Leo, Paige, and more importantly Chris were all gone.

I was alone with my girls. I didn't know what was going on outside that room, but it wasn't important. I knew in my heart that one day I would see that boy again. I didn't know when or where or how, but I knew that I would.

It would probably take years, but in my heart I knew that it would happen. Call it false hope. Call it dreaming. Call it intuition. Call it anything that you'd like, but that wouldn't and still won't change my mind about it.

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And so ends True Lies!

I've got the premise of a sequel already devised, but it may take a while before I can put it up.

I hope you liked it and I wanted to thank everyone who has read or reviewed this since I put it up.

Always and Forever

Dgirl

LA1705