FALSE MEMORIES

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

Disclaimer: The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

Summary: Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

Notes:

Re: Taynna – I know what you mean about the Patty/Penny thing. I originally planned for them to be more involved than they have been - you could say their parts have ended up on the cutting room floor as the story has progressed. I've actually been trying to get rid of them for a couple of chapters now - LOL! – I didn't think they'd leave with Chris missing though.

Re: Angelic Prefect - Future Leo has to leave after 72 hours. I've been keeping count and, although it probably seems like longer, we're only about 48 hours in. That means there's only one more day left though! sob :-(

To everyone else who reviewed – Thank-you – you make my day!

Chapter 12

When Chris eventually came to, he found it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the incessant throbbing in his head for the first few minutes. He lay there with his eyes closed, waiting for the room to stop spinning on its axis, knowing that if he tried to move he would probably throw up.

Finally, the staccato drumbeat inside his head faded to a dull roar and he slowly manoeuvred his aching body into a sitting position. Reaching behind his head with one hand, he gingerly touched the walnut-sized lump on the back of his skull, relieved to find that – although he was bleeding – his brains didn't appear to be spilling out onto the floor.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light and he looked about, trying to figure out where he was. Solid mahogany bookcases lined every wall, stacked with row upon row of ancient, dusty volumes. However, the floor consisted of just bare sand, telling him that he was still underground. Somebody had obviously made this naturally formed cave his or her home and furnished it accordingly.

He was being held captive in a crystal cage, but the stones were jet-black rather than snow white like the gems that his mother and aunts used. He cautiously reached out to touch the seemingly insubstantial bars of his prison, and immediately snatched his hand back as a painful zap of electricity buzzed through his nervous system.

Orbing out was probably out of the question, but he stood up and tried it anyway, unfortunately only receiving another electric shock for his trouble. His attempts to move the crystals and break their magic with his telekinesis power had the same effect, and he slumped to the floor in defeat. He was well and truly trapped; there was no way of getting out of this one by himself.

"You don't give in easily – I have to give you credit for that," a disembodied voice said, making him jump out of his skin.

"Who are you?" Chris demanded, whirling around in the direction of the voice. It was very dark, but he could just make out a shadowy figure sitting in a large armchair in one corner of the room.

"I think the real question is who are you?" his captor replied, making no attempt to reveal himself. "You have the blood of a Charmed One in you – I can smell it from here. Only, the funny thing is, there's no record of your existence anywhere. There's only one male heir to the Halliwell line and he's still in diapers. You, however, appear to be significantly more grown up than that."

Chris was uncharacteristically silent. Comebacks – witty, sarcastic or otherwise – were his speciality, but he was unsure of how to respond in this particular instance. Foolishly brave he might be, but stupid he wasn't. He decided to keep his mouth shut until he learnt more about his kidnapper's motives.

"Wise boy."

His captor laughed, a dry dusty laugh that sent shivers down Chris's spine. "Never mind, I'll just have to figure it out for myself. After all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that if you're not from this time, you must be from another. I'm guessing we're talking about the future, given your gender. The Halliwells of the past weren't exactly equal opportunity breeders, now were they? Boys were distinctly lacking from the family tree. I imagine you were rather a disappointment when you were born."

Chris remained impassive. If his kidnapper's jibe was meant to provoke some sort of reaction from him, it failed miserably. Because if there was one thing that the young witch-whitelighter was sure of, then it was that both his parents loved him. The strength of his mother's love had never been in doubt, but neither was his father's now that his memories had been fully restored.

"So why would you go to all the trouble of travelling back in time then? Could it be that the garden isn't all that rosy in the future? What happened to the son and heir becoming the modern day King Arthur? Did something go a bit awry?"

It was the suggestive inflection in his captor's voice that clued Chris in - he was facing the person responsible for turning Wyatt, he was sure of it. "You," he ground out without thinking, his voice filled with suppressed hate.

"Apparently so. It's rather nice to know in advance that I manage to outwit the legendary Charmed Ones and steal their precious progeny right from under their pretty little noses."

"Not this time," Chris declared vehemently.

"Oh right, so you – a mere boy – are going to stop me, are you? I don't think so, son. I will not allow you to get in the way of my plans; I've waited far too many years for this."

"I'm not your son," Chris responded hotly, aggravated by his kidnapper's arrogant attitude.

"For which I am supremely grateful, believe me," was the sardonic reply. "Let's get one thing clear though - you won't be anyone's son when I've finished with you. First, however, I require some information from you."

Despite the blatant threat to his life, Chris scoffed. "Yeah like I'm going to tell you anything," he shot back.

"Oh, I'm sure that after a little gentle persuasion, you'll be begging to oblige," his captor replied calmly, his darkly ominous tone indicating that, in fact, the 'persuasion' would be anything but gentle.

Forcibly swallowing the lump of fear that developed in the back of his throat, Chris glared defiantly towards the dark corner where his mysterious kidnapper was still concealed from view. "You'll get nothing from me," he vowed. "I don't care what you do to me."

"Oo fighting talk," his captor mocked. "Ah well, it will be so much more fun if you resist anyway. Seeing as I'm feeling generous though, I'll give you one more chance to change your mind and cooperate - after I've given you a taste of what you're letting yourself in for that is."

"Go to hell!"

"Oh I'm already there, boy. It's time for you to join me though, I think."

There was a spark of dark purple light from the corner and young whitelighter tensed as his kidnapper hurled some sort of energy ball in his direction. Unfortunately for Chris, his crystal prison was only designed to keep magic in, and the glowing sphere passed easily through the shimmering bars of the cage and hit him squarely in the chest.

At first, Chris felt nothing, and then he doubled over with a howl of agony as his insides suddenly exploded in searing pain. It was as if somebody had plunged a hot poker into his abdomen and was twisting it for all they were worth. Through the dark haze of his misery, he could vaguely hear his captor laughing as he clutched at his burning stomach and bit down hard on his lower lip to hold back his agonised cries.

After what seemed like an hour, but was probably only a minute or so, the white-hot pain in his stomach abruptly disappeared. However, the aftershocks continued to wrack his body for several minutes more, the lingering memory of unbearable pain fooling his shell-shocked brain into thinking that he was still under attack. Gasping and shuddering, Chris curled his lanky frame up into a protective ball, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face against them, as tears streamed unchecked down his cheeks.

As his breathing slowly returned to normal, a shimmering sound alerted Chris to the approach of yet more magic, and he braced himself for a second onslaught of agony. It never came though. Instead, his captor rose to his feet with a startled oath.

"Damn witch's magic," he hissed, gesturing with his hand to try to deflect the spell away from its intended target.

The bars of the crystal cage were glowing brilliant white and Chris blinked owlishly, not really registering what that meant. His kidnapper's attempt to redirect the magic didn't work, and the whitelighter was suddenly bathed in a warm, gentle light. As his mother and aunt's combined power summoned him home, he sighed in woozy contentment, watching in distracted fascination as his body dissolved into a swirl of white stars.

"Chris!"

Piper rushed forward in concern as her son materialised in a crumpled heap on the attic floor. His clothes were filthy, covered in dust and dirt, and a streak of dried blood decorated the left side of his face, obviously from the nasty cut on his forehead. His dark hair was also matted and clumped together at the back, and her fingers came away slippery with blood from the still oozing wound at the base of his skull.

As she worriedly cupped his face in her hand, he looked up at her blankly, his green eyes dull and clouded with pain. She opened her mouth to call frantically for Leo, but he was already kneeling down next to their son and extending his hands over the young man's injuries. His future self hovered anxiously behind him, frustrated at being unable to do anything to help.

Chris's eyes fluttered shut as the healing light started to work its magic, and Piper could sense the tension draining out of him as she curled her fingers around his and gently stroked his hair away from his forehead. Leo finally lowered his hands, and Chris slowly opened his eyes, still disorientated.

"Where's Dad?" he croaked, oblivious to the flash of hurt that crossed Present Leo's face at his question.

"I'm here, son," Future Leo said soothingly, helping Chris to his feet and urging him over towards the couch.

Chris sank gratefully back against the cushions, closing his eyes for a moment before he jolted upright again. "You have to send me back," he said, struggling to get to his feet.

"What! Are you out of your mind? You're not going anywhere," Piper said, her voice going up an octave as she pushed him firmly back down on the couch.

"I have to – it was him."

"What was him?"

"Him!" Chris said urgently like it was obvious. "The one who turned Wyatt," he finally explained.

"Are you sure?" Future Leo asked his son.

"Yes! He knew who I was – well sort of – he knew I was a Halliwell at least anyway."

"How?"

"I don't know – he said he could smell it in my blood. Is that possible?"

"Some demons have that ability, yes."

"So, when I've been investigating in the Underworld, there's a possibility that some of them knew who I was?"

"Quite probably," Future Leo replied. "You could have got yourself killed, Chris. You should have never have gone down there without some sort of back-up."

"I had to. How was I supposed to find out about who turned Wyatt if I didn't?"

"Well, I don't know – ask the girls for help maybe?"

Chris shifted uncomfortably, wringing his hands in his lap. "That was easier said than done," he said quietly, keeping his eyes firmly on the floor. "They hated me in the beginning – it only got better when you came."

"We didn't hate you, Chris," Piper said.

"Yes, you did!" Chris burst out, his eyes filling with tears. "You said you didn't want to see me anymore!"

Piper's stomach burned with guilt. "I know I did and I'm so sorry," she said, sitting down beside him and taking his hands in hers. He didn't pull away, much to her relief, but he didn't look at her either.

"I was just reacting to what you told us about Wyatt being evil," she tried to explain. "I never would have said anything like that to you if I'd known who you were. Never in a million years - you have to believe that."

Chris nodded. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to… Oh, I don't know what I was trying to do. I messed everything up, didn't I?"

"No. You just made some bad decisions, that's all – we all did. We're on the same page now though, so let's just go from there okay?"

Chris's lips quirked up into a shy smile. "Okay," he agreed.

"Which means no more running off without telling anyone where you're going – capisce? Try that again and you'll be grounded for the rest of your life."

"You can't do that!" Chris protested in outrage.

"Oh really? Try me," Piper immediately retorted.

"Dad! Tell her!" Chris cast look of appeal at his amused father.

"What and undermine her authority? Sorry son, not gonna happen."

Chris's gaze swung towards Present Leo then, who also shook his head, trying not to laugh at his son's indignation.

"I'm not a baby. I'm twenty-one years old, an adult," Chris grumbled. "You cannot ground me."

"No, probably not," Piper agreed. "When little you is born though, I can ground him till his eighteenth birthday if I want."

"You wouldn't."

"No? Just watch me."

Chris threw his hands up in exasperation. "This is so not fair!" he said, glaring at his aunts who were giggling at his misfortune.

"All right," Penny said, clapping her hands and bringing things back to order. "It's time to track down this miscreant who's after my great-grandson."

"Mother, we really have to go," Patty cut in. "We'll be in big trouble if we stay much longer."

"Trouble pfft! Nobody messes with my family."

"The girls can handle it. Crossing over is a privilege not a right, and I, for one, don't want to lose it."

"Mom's right, Grams," Phoebe said. "We're all grown up now, you know. We can manage.You go back and stir things up in the afterlife." She reached out and affectionately hugged her grandmother. "And tell Prue we love her – she is there with you right?"

"Yes honey, she is," Patty said as she stepped forward and warmly embraced her third daughter.

"So she'd come if we summoned her?" Piper asked hopefully.

Penny shook her head. "They say it's not time yet, whatever that means. I swear they talk in riddles just to annoy me."

"Can't imagine why," Future Leo mumbled under his breath, making both his son and present counterpart laugh.

Penny shot her grandson-in-law a steady look. "I heard that," she said. "I guess you know what it means."

"Could do," Future Leo replied cryptically, earning himself an icy stare from the Halliwell Matriarch.

Paige broke the deadlock by moving forward to hug her grandmother goodbye. "I'm glad I got some more time to get to know you," she said.

Distracted, Penny smiled down at the youngest Charmed One, touching her lightly on the cheek. "Me too honey," she said, stepping back and holding out her hand to her waiting daughter. "Okay, time to go."

Huddled closely together, Piper, Phoebe and Paige watched sadly as their mother and grandmother reverted to their non-corporeal forms and then vanished.

Piper sighed and looked over at Future Leo. "You can't tell us about Prue, can you?"

He shook his head. "It could interfere with what she has to do," he replied. "Believe me; you'll thank me when you know what it is."

"It's something to do with Wyatt, isn't it?"

"Piper…" the future version of her husband gently chided.

"Sorry, I just…"

"I know," Future Leo replied. "It's not Wyatt though," he added, his tone deliberately offhand.

Although it went over everyone else's head, Piper and Present Leo, as parents, caught the inference. They both immediately looked towards Chris, who was oblivious to their scrutiny, his mind back on earlier events.

"He's probably after Wyatt and me now," he mused to himself, unaware that he had spoken aloud.

"What do you mean?" all three of his parents asked in concerned unison.

Chris jumped, startled by the question. "I… umm… he said he wouldn't let me interfere in his plans, that I wouldn't be anyone's son when he'd finished with me."

"Yeah well, he'll wish he'd never been born when I've finished with him," Piper said fiercely, a momma bear intent on protecting her cubs.

"Mom!" Chris rolled his eyes at her aggressive protectiveness, even though it warmed him from the inside out.

"Oh, that's so cute!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"What is?"

"You called Piper 'Mom'"

"Maybe that's because she is my Mom," Chris replied, his voice loaded with heavy sarcasm.

"I know. It's still cute though."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're a very strange woman?"

Phoebe poked her tongue out at him. "Watch it, Mr Smartass, or I won't let you be one of my favourite nephews."

"And I'll be so deprived," Chris shot back, and then grinned to show her that he didn't really mean it.

"All right," Present Leo cut in, bringing the bantering pair back to the point. "You," he said, pointing at his son, "Sit. And tell us what happened – from the beginning and don't miss anything out."

To be continued…