CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Just then Piper walked in. "Prue, can I talk to you for a bit?" she requested, before turning to glare at Chris and adding, "In private." Prue looked back to give him a shrug, but then followed Piper.

Chris looked so upset that I wanted to walk in and try to comfort him, but he gave out a large, frustrated sigh before orbing out. I knew I should go up to the attic and try to get a hold of Leo, like I promised Chris I would, but I was dying to know what Piper wanted to tell Prue. So when they moved to the kitchen, I moved so I could sneak a peek through the not-quite-closed door.

Piper was starting to dice up some strawberries. She handed one of the big ripe berries to Prue as she started, "I want to talk to you about Chris."

"He's adorable, isn't he?" Prue asked as she took a nip of the berry.

Piper shuddered. "No, he isn't!"

"Maybe you need glasses," Prue suggested, licking the juice from the berry.

"He's an annoying little brat!" Piper growled. "His parents must've done a dreadful job raising him!" and I had to bite back my snicker.

"Why would you say that?" Prue wanted to know, as she took another nip from the berry.

"Look, he came from the future and says he is here to protect Wyatt, but--" and Piper rolled her eyes.

"You don't believe him," Prue stated, surprised, dropping the berry as if it suddenly tasted sour.

"No, I don't. He tricked us, Prue! He used us! He manipulated us! He's the most unwhitelighterly whitelighter you've ever seen! Supposedly all to save Wyatt from some future evil, but I want to know why that future evil hasn't shown up yet, even though he's been here for weeks! And you know that staying in the past too long can cause problems—every person he meets, he's screwing up their timeline along with ours! It's why Leo thinks he should be sent back to his own time now that he's warned us about the so-called future evil. Please, Prue, be wary of him. Don't trust a word he says!"

I sighed to myself. Oh, Chris, why couldn't you have trusted us enough to tell us the truth earlier? And I finally headed for the attic and called Leo. Like before, it took awhile before he answered and when he finally orbed in, he was just as angry as he was before.

"Leo," I started. "Chris is a big boy. Just because he was caught with a girl --"

"Not just a girl." he interrupted. "A Valkyrie! Remember, I never found out for sure who exiled me to Valhalla. I always suspected Chris of being the one who sent me there. Now I wonder more than ever. Besides, I overheard him talking with Prue about Valkyries. He's up to something; I know he is. And whatever it is it can't be good for me!"

"Well, why don't you just ask him?" I suggested.

"I did, and he was as bratty and as uncooperative as ever. When I asked him what the hell he was up to, he just muttered 'Nothing' in the most defiant tone you've ever heard, when he most clearly is!"

I rolled my eyes at these two guys who were so similar. "And if you asked him in that tone of voice, I'm not surprised "

"Phoebe! I thought you were on my side!"

"I'm not on anyone's side, Leo. I'm just trying to find out the truth."

"Well, you won't get it from him!" Oh, yeah?? "Phoebe, when I asked him what he was doing with the Valkyrie, he told me that I should know, since I already have a kid."

I rolled my own eyes. Oh, Chris! And you wonder why we think you're a brat! I know you do it as a shield because you've been hurt and are afraid of being hurt again, but that's just not the way to win friends and influence people!

"And then he asked me why this was such a big deal, and wanted to know if it was because I wasn't getting any." Christopher!! "He thought I was jealous! Jealous! Of his being with a Valkyrie!" and Leo shuddered. "I told him that it's not too late for me to have the other Elders send him back."

"Leo! You wouldn't!"

"Yeah, he said the same thing. Then he rolled his eyes at me like he always does and said all he was trying to do is save Prue."

"What?!" I cried.

"According to him, if Prue became a Valkyrie, it would take her off of Death's list."

Oh, Chris! You wonderful kid! I could just kiss you!

Leo saw my face light up, and he shook his head. "It's just another lie, Phoebe. He never does anything but lie. I don't think he knows how to tell the truth! It's just his way of getting out of being caught in setting things up so I'll be banished to Valhalla again!"

"But, Leo, what if he wasn't lying?" I asked, knowing that there was no way Chris would send Leo away--at least not until after he was conceived. But I knew I couldn't tell Leo that, so I kept on this track. "He and Prue have really hit it off. He truly wants her to have a chance to live. What if this time it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Prue? What if this time he's actually telling the truth?"

"Well," Leo started, still angry. Then he thought about it. As Prue had told Chris, Leo, or at least our version of Leo, could never remain angry for long, especially when he knew he was wrong. His tone and composure changed immediately as his arms dropped to his side and his jaw dropped. "So that's why he was with Mist? To see if Prue can become a Valkyrie?"

I nodded. "Wouldn't surprise me. Doing that with her must've been the payment," I realized, answering my own question as to why he had done that with Mist so soon after Bianca's death.

"Oh, Phoebe, I've badly misjudged the situation. I feel like I should apologize, but I don't know; I just can't. He wouldn't believe me, anyway."

"Maybe not, but try to tell him something, okay? You really got him scared."

He nodded, thinking about it, as I left, although, of course, I didn't go very far away--just on the other side of the door.

Leo called for Chris, and I soon heard him orb in.

"Now what?" Chris demanded. "You Elders sending me back?" and I could hear the sneer in his voice.

"Not yet," Leo admitted. "I haven't had a chance to tell the others that I've changed my mind again and think you should be and now I'm not sure if I will." And peeking in the doorway, I saw Leo look down and mutter, "You know what; your love life is none of my business," and I knew that was as much of an apology as he would be able to manage. I hoped it would be enough for Chris.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence, before Leo added, "Phoebe and Piper will be thrilled that Prue doesn't have to die," which was as close of a thank-you as he could manage.

"Yeah," Chris agreed. Suddenly his face brightened again. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a Valkyrie pendant that he must've gotten from Mist and handed it to Leo. "Then make it your idea. Just hand this to Prue and have her put it on, and she'll become a Valkyrie, just like her sisters did."

"Why do you want me to do it?" Leo asked, still suspicious.

I knew why--it was Chris' way of hoping to help get his parents back together again. But I knew Chris would never admit that. I wondered what he would say instead.

He was quiet for a moment. "Just so you know I am not trying to get rid of you. I never was."

A couple hours later, I was working on my column in my room, when Leo orbed in. "Got something to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Had to tell you thanks."

"Thanks? For what?"

"For getting me to realize what Chris is really up to. I talked with Clarence."

"Clarence? Who's Clarence?"

"He's an angel of death, who happens to be in the neighborhood."

I grew pale. "No. He's not after Prue!"

"He wouldn't tell me who his client is, only that he has business in the area. But I asked him whether becoming a Valkyrie would take Prue off Death's list."

"And??" I cried. "And!"

He smiled. "It will."

I shrieked with delight, then ran and hugged Leo. "Oh, Leo! Oh, Chris! Oh, Prue! We gotta tell her right now!"

"No, Phoebe, we can't."

"What? Why not?'

"There's more to it, more than what Mist must've told Chris. Clarence told me it would work only if she truly becomes a Valkyrie unlike just looking like one the way you and Piper and Paige did when you went to Valhalla. If she becomes one and keeps coming back to visit you guys rather than truly living on their island, or help you guys visit her on their island, she will be right back on the collection list."

"No," I whimpered, as I realized that I was going to lose my big sister again, one way or the other.

Leo nodded. ""I don't know if she'll want to give up her powers, Phoebe; they're an awful important part of her, especially using them to help innocents, even if she'd only be able to do that for a short time. And it must be her decision, and the time must be right. I know how well you keep a secret," and I was thinking of Chris, thinking how well I'd kept that one, even if I didn't want to, "but you must keep this one," and I promised.