False Memories

by CharmedBec

Nobody knows who Chris is but they’re about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future.

38. The Last Supper

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: Well, here it is – the penultimate chapter (sob!). This is the wrap-up chapter, whereas the last part is more along the lines of an epilogue. This chapter also ended up being a whole lot longer than I expected to be, which is good (I hope!). Please enjoy but brace yourself for the mushy bits! LOL!

Anyhow, on with the show…

OOOOOO

Chapter 38 – The Last Supper

"Hello? Earth to Piper!"

"Huh?" Piper shook herself out of her abstracted reverie and focused her gaze on her youngest sister, who was waving her hand in front of her face in an attempt to gain her attention.

"Are you okay?" Paige's voice held a hint of underlying concern in it.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Piper quickly assured her.

Only she lied. She was not fine, she was anything but fine. The day she had dreaded for months now had finally arrived. She could feel it her bones, in the child stirring in her belly. She'd seen it in Chris's jade-green eyes only a few hours before when they'd been sharing a quiet lunch together. He hadn't said the fateful words yet, but she'd taken one look at him and instinctively known that something had changed. She could read the subtleties of her son's body language like only a mother could, and she knew what it meant.

She'd not said anything to him about it though, because somehow voicing it made it real and she wasn't ready to face that – not yet, not now, not ever really. Nobody should have to be separated from their child for that long. Twenty-three years was practically a lifetime. How would she ever endure it?

Alerted by a faint rustling sound, she looked up and saw Chris standing in the doorway of her homely kitchen, his expression gravely resigned. Anguish curled low in her belly and she stubbornly shook her head. "No," she said in a tiny voice just above a whisper. "No."

"Mom…"

His voice was pleading with her and she couldn't resist its pull. Don't make this harder than it already is, he silently beseeched her, and she couldn't deny him his request. She would bear anything for his sake, for his brother's, because that was what a mother did. Her children were her primary concern – always. Everything and everyone else just had to wait in line.

"It can't be time yet," she said to him, tears standing out in her brown eyes and glistening on her eyelashes.

Chris gave her a lop-sided little smile as she stepped around the counter and waddled rather ungainly towards him. "It's way past time, Mom," he told her regretfully. "I don't belong here, not anymore. My real home is twenty-three years into the future. This time, this place – it belongs to mini-me in there." He gestured at her rounded stomach. "I know it sucks, but it's the way it is."

Piper nodded, knowing that he was right, but hating that he was. It was hard to equate the baby growing inside her womb with the gangly six-foot young man standing in front of her. She'd gained an instant grown-up son and it had taken her some time to get used to that. Now that she had though, she didn't want to let him go – not ever. She adored his annoying little foibles and his quirky, offbeat sense of humour. She loved that his personality was a peculiar mixture of herself, Leo, and something that was also totally unique to him.

There had always been a strange kind of detached sadness about him however. He kept himself on the periphery of their lives, despite their best efforts to draw him in. He just wasn't part of the family in the same way that Wyatt was. And that wasn't because they loved him any less; it was exactly as he'd said. He didn't belong here; he was out of his time, living a suspended bubble of reality where everything stayed the same for him, while their lives proceeded steadily onwards at a stately pace. He could not move on until he returned to the future. Only then would his new life truly begin. He was Wyatt's little brother, not the other way round. He deserved to be who he was born to be, and that meant letting him go even if it was going to shatter her heart into a million pieces.

She held out her arms to him and he stooped his six-foot frame to hug her with a son's ready affection. "I'm gonna miss you," she told him.

"I know," he said into her hair and then smiled. "You'll have plenty to keep you occupied in the meantime though."

Piper released him and stepped back. "Is that a roundabout way of telling me that you and your brother are going to be a major handful?" she asked.

"Boys will be boys," he told her with a grin. "And besides, it'd be kind of boring if we were perfectly behaved now wouldn't it?"

Leo let out a wry little chuckle at that, and Piper turned to look at him as he rose to his feet and walked across the room to join them. "I don't think I like that you know more about our sons' lives than I do," she complained with a pout, referring to the future memories that the other Leo had passed onto him.

Her husband smiled. "That was a different life, a different time," he said sagely. "We shouldn't go into this with any expectations of how it's all going to turn out. We'd be doing ourselves – and our boys - a disservice if we did that. We need to let them find their own path in their own way. As their parents, we owe them that."

Chris nodded in wholehearted agreement. His father's pronouncement led rather neatly into something that he'd wanted to bring up for a while now. "I don't think you should tell Wyatt and the other me about me either," he said.

"What?" Piper looked at her son in stunned amazement. "We can't do that!"

"Yes, you can, Mom," he insisted.

"They'll have to know eventually," Leo said. "It's going to be a big adjustment for them both when you arrive in their lives."

"I know," Chris said, "But I'm adaptable and Wyatt is too. We'll figure it out when the time comes. I don't want my other self to grow up with too many expectations hanging over him. And Wyatt… well, I know my brother and I know he'll end up feeling responsible for everything, and he shouldn't have to carry that until he's old enough to deal with it."

"But Wyatt already knows you," Phoebe said from where she was sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee between her palms.

"He's eighteen months old," Chris pointed out to her. "In a few years' time, he'll only have the vaguest recollection of me unless you reinforce it."

Piper sighed. There was a certain logic to what her son was saying. Little Wyatt and the baby inside of her were still innocent, untouched by the trials and tribulations of those around them. It wouldn't be fair to burden them with everything that had happened here. They deserved a proper childhood in spite of who they would grow up to be.

She studied the rather wearied young man before her. He'd not had that. Life had taken its toll on him when he'd barely even reached adolescence. If they gave the second Chris a relatively unburdened early life, maybe, just maybe, this Chris might find some peace in that when he finally arrived in the new future. It was that hope that gave her the impetus that she needed to grant his rather unorthodox request.

"Okay," she agreed. "We'll do it your way."

"I give you permission to blame it all on me if it backfires," Chris promised.

Leo chuckled. "I don't think it'll come to that," he said. "Because I think we're going to have to reserve the right to reveal your secret if we feel it necessary. We're your parents and it's our responsibility to do what's best for you."

Chris nodded. "All right," he agreed. "I reckon I can live with that."

"So when are you leaving?" Paige asked from where she was sitting at the counter behind him.

"Tomorrow," Chris replied, turning his head to answer his youngest Aunt's question.

"So soon," Piper said in a sad little voice.

"I'm afraid I might lose my nerve if I put it off much longer," he confessed somewhat ruefully. "Merging into one person with the grown-up mini-me sounds like a moderately horrendous process if you ask me. I can't say I'm really looking forward to it."

"I don't think it'll be nearly as bad as you think," Leo said soothingly. "It might be a bit of a shock to the system at first, but I think, in the long run, you'll find the experience will enhance your life rather diminish it."

Chris grimaced rather theatrically at that. "I think I might continue to privately freak out over it, if it's all the same to you," he said dryly.

"Okay," Piper said in a brisk tone. "If this is your last night, then I think a special dinner is in order." She turned to her sisters. "I'll need you two to go to the store," she told them peremptorily.

Paige wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Can't we just…?" She waved her hand to illustrate her point.

"No, we can't," Piper said firmly. "Cheating with a special dinner is tantamount to sacrilege in my opinion."

"Tastes the same though," Paige remarked under her breath.

"No, it doesn't," Chris cut in helpfully – or unhelpfully depending on your point of view. "It tastes different when Mom cooks it."

Piper beamed at her son, who glowed under the warmth of her approving smile. "See," she told her sister with a strong hint of 'I told you so' in her tone.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather leave now?" Paige asked her nephew with a note of complaint in her voice.

"Paige!" Piper exclaimed in outrage even as Chris laughed at his Aunt's acerbic quip.

Paige winked at him and then turned back to her sister. "Relax, I didn't mean it," she said, as she hopped down off her perch and walked over to where her nephew was standing just inside the door to the kitchen.

"I'm really gonna miss the neurotic little freak," she added, reaching out to ruffle his hair with the express intent of annoying him.

Chris batted her hand away irritably and she grinned at her success. "Works every time," she declared triumphantly, and her nephew rolled his eyes.

"It's funny how little things amuse small minds, isn't it?" he retorted glibly.

In reality though, he was grateful to her for dispersing the somewhat heavy mood. He wasn't indifferent to what his leaving meant for his parents, but he'd rather that his last few hours in the past didn't descend into a long-winded maudlin farewell all the same.

"So, is there anything I can help with?" he asked his Mom, falling back on her own tactic of using household chores to mask the uncomfortable emotions roiling inside.

Piper shook her head. "No, you're the guest of honour. Why don't you and your Dad go grab a beer or something? Dinner'll be ready at seven-thirty."

Chris stared at her in abject amazement and she crossed her eyes at him. "What?" she asked.

"Whatever happened to 'just because you're boys doesn't mean you escape the domestic chores'?" he asked. "I thought 'no son of mine is going to turn into a lazy, chauvinistic slob when he grows up'."

"Too right," Piper agreed with an emphatic nod, "But this is a special occasion, so I think I can let it slide just this once."

"I'd beat it now before she changes her mind if I were you," Phoebe advised with dry aplomb.

Chris exchanged a quick look with his father and then the two of them orbed out. Paige shot her eldest sister a quizzical look, her eyebrows raised. "What was all that about?" she asked.

Piper shrugged as she sat down at the table with a pad of paper and pen that she'd just retrieved from one of the drawers. "I figured a little father-and-son time might be in order," she said as she began to scribble down her shopping list.

"I think you're going to put me out of a job, Piper," Phoebe commented ruefully.

"Err – hello? Still in the dark here," Paige interrupted.

"Chris is obviously pretty apprehensive about going back to the future," Phoebe explained to her sister.

"Yeah, so would anyone be if they were about to become a complete Siamese twin with their future self," Paige remarked acidly.

"I think there's a little bit more to it than that, Paige," Phoebe said. "Why do you think Chris never told us who he was when he first came here?"

"Because he didn't want to have to deal with his Leo issues, I suppose."

"And?" Phoebe prompted.

Paige experienced the proverbial light-bulb moment then. "Oh," she said, "And because of the other Piper too, I guess."

"Exactly. Losing your Mom once is bad enough – But to lose her twice..."

"But that's not going to happen this time around," Paige protested. "Alcathan had the other Piper killed to unleash Evil Wyatt, right?"

"Logic says that, yes," Phoebe agreed, "But I don't think that's going to be enough to take away Chris's fear of losing her again, do you?"

"And he's not going to talk about it with me around either, is he?" Piper put in.

"See? Putting me out of a job," Phoebe remarked lightly.

Piper smiled. "Not really," she disagreed. "It's more mother's intuition than empathy. It only really works with my boys."

"Phew!" Phoebe said. "I was getting a bit worried there for a minute."

Piper set aside her pen and tore the finished list from the pad. "Here," she said, handing it over. "Don't forget anything."

Phoebe nodded, then reached out and placed her hand over her sister's. "You are okay with this, aren't you?" she asked, gently squeezing her fingers.

"No," Piper admitted, her eyes downcast, "But there's no way I'm going to burden Chris with my cutting-the-apron-string issues. He has enough to deal with already. I can unravel at the seams after he's gone."

"You won't be losing him forever, Piper."

Piper raised her sad gaze to her sister's face. "I know, but it won't ever be the same, will it?"

Phoebe sighed, knowing that to be true. There wasn't anything they could do about it though. It was the way it had to be and they had to accept it. "We'll figure it out," she assured her sister.

"I hope so," Piper replied with a dejected sigh. "I really do."

OOOOOO

The Golden Gate Bridge…

Leo sat beside his son in companionable silence. Neither had felt the need to interrupt the quiet calm with talk just yet. They both needed a little time to absorb what Chris's leaving truly meant for them first.

The Elder couldn't quite believe that they'd reached this point. When Chris had first exploded into their lives, he'd been instantly suspicious of him. Probably due to the waves of animosity that he'd subconsciously felt emanating from his as yet unknown son - although he was honest enough to admit that at least part of their tricky early relationship had been down to his own attitude to the situation. He had been resentful, angry, had felt that Chris had usurped his rightful position in the girl's lives. He had not wanted to be an Elder, hadn't once wished for anything beyond what he already had. He was perfectly happy being the Charmed Ones' whitelighter, Piper's husband and Wyatt's father, and this young upstart had driven a truck right through the centre of that ideal.

His future self's obvious affection for Chris had completely thrown him therefore. In the beginning, he hadn't known what to make of it, but it had all finally fallen into place when he had at last discovered the truth about their mysterious interloper's identity. All those negative feelings had melted away in that one split second of revelation – Chris was his son. What he'd done - what he'd sacrificed - simply overrode everything else. It hadn't been the instantaneous love that he'd felt when he'd first held a newborn Wyatt in his arms, but it had come pretty damn close. And now... now he wondered how any of them had ever been complete without Chris in their lives.

"We've come a long way, huh?" he remarked softly, finally breaking the contemplative silence.

Chris shot him a brief sidelong glance. "You could say that, yeah," he agreed.

"Still a long way to go though," Leo went on.

Chris nodded and swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing from the effort. "Sometimes I wish I could just stay here," he admitted quietly. "I don't think I ever really understood what it meant when I first came to the past. I was just thinking I had to do something to make things right again."

"And you did – make things right again, I mean."

"Did I though?" Chris asked rhetorically. "Oh, I know I stopped Alcathan from getting to Wyatt, but what about everything else? Have I changed that?"

"Your Mom, you mean?" Leo said, quickly picking up on the root meaning behind his son's question.

Chris nodded. "What if… what if it was just her time?" he asked in a small voice.

Leo sighed. "You know I can't give you any guarantees, Chris, but given the violent way she was taken, I can't believe that it was. She's done so much; the Angel of Destiny owes her better than that."

"It still took Aunt Prue," Chris pointed out.

"For a reason," Leo replied. "To lead Paige to her family, and for you – so that you could save your brother from a lifetime of darkness."

"Why didn't they just make her a whitelighter then?" Chris asked curiously.

Leo chuckled. "I don't think your Aunt has quite the right temperament for that," he said. "Whitelighters are meant to be passive. They advise; they don't generally act."

"You do," Chris pointed out.

"Only as an Elder," Leo replied, "Or when my family is directly involved."

"But what about me, Aunt Paige? Wyatt even?"

"None of you are pure whitelighters. Your inability to remain on the sidelines is down to the witch in you. Prue is pretty much the same – she'd make a very bad whitelighter – that's why the Elders made her a Spirit Guide instead."

"How many other Spirit Guides are there?"

"Right now – none," Leo told him. "In a few months time – one."

"You mean Aunt Prue is the only one?"

"So far, yes."

"So, what's the difference? Between Spirit Guides and whitelighters, I mean."

"Spirit Guides are generally non-corporeal – although they can become corporeal if necessary. They live between realms; they're the bridge between the living and the dead if you will. Whitelighters only exist in this realm and they retain all the semblance of life, even if they can't technically die unless struck by a darklighter's arrow."

"And Spirit Guides retain their earthly powers too," Chris realised, "Whereas anyone who becomes a whitelighter gets new ones."

Leo nodded.

"So, wouldn't that mean that Grams and Great-Grams are Spirit Guides too?" Chris asked.

"In a manner of speaking," his father replied, "They have to be summoned though. Your Aunt Prue doesn't – she can cross over at will. That's where she's different."

"So, what did happen then? When she saved me, I mean."

Leo shook his head. "Chris…"

"Oh come on, I get why non of the others can know the truth, but I can't interfere with the outcome can I? I won't be here when it happens and by the time I get to the future, it'll all be over anyway. I never did get why it had to be such a big secret."

Leo sighed. "It wasn't that it was a secret, Chris," he explained. "It was just too painful for your other family to relive – as it will be with us, I'm sure."

"I don't understand."

"We came this close to losing you, Chris." Leo held up his thumb and forefinger barely an inch apart. "You were dreadfully injured – my other self, he only just got there in time to save you. That's horrific enough at the best of times, but when you're talking about a four month old baby, it's just… well, there are no words."

Chris swallowed. "I nearly died?" he asked.

Leo nodded gravely. "We'd left you with Sheila that day. Wyatt's nursery was having a 'family picnic in the park' event, but you were only just getting over a cold. The weather was pleasant enough, but your Mom didn't want you being outside all day…"

Leo trailed off and ducked his head. "It's going to be hard for me to hand you over when the time comes," he admitted, "Knowing what's going to happen, I'm not going to want to place you in Sheila's care, but I know I have to if I don't want to risk changing the future again. Sheila's a capable child-carer but she can't protect you from a demon attack."

"Which is what happened, I take it?"

Leo nodded in answer to his son's question. "Yes – I guess we were a little bit blasé. Wyatt's first few months were a plague of demon attacks, but it was different with you. The attacks happened while your Mom was pregnant. They died out after she'd given birth."

"Because Alcathan had got what he wanted by then," Chris remarked bleakly.

Leo nodded. "In retrospect, I can see that it was all a diversion to get to Wyatt, but at the time… What were we supposed to do? Not protect you? It was unthinkable then, it's unthinkable now even knowing what happened afterwards."

"So the attack on me came out of the blue?" Chris prompted.

"Yes, pretty much. I think the demonic fraternity had stepped back and let Alcathan do his thing, but once they'd satisfied themselves that he'd achieved the goal he wanted, they thought they'd have a go. A new Charmed child is like a red flag to a bull to most demons - and you were more vulnerable than your brother had been..."

"You mean I didn't have Wyatt's big scary reputation and superpowers?" Chris put in acidly.

A brief smile crossed Leo's face. "Something like that," he said. "You were fair game and we should have been more aware - not that we could have done much about it if we had known though."

"Why?"

"Because you were attacked by a Lazari Demon."

Chris frowned. "Aren't they extinct?" he said, calling to mind his magical history classes.

"Yes, but some brain-dead demon had gone to the trouble of summoning one. Of course, he lost control of it the moment it became corporeal, but the Lazari obviously still saw the merits of attacking you. Our earthly powers would have been useless against a Spirit Demon though…"

"So Aunt Prue kicked his sorry ass instead."

Leo laughed in spite of the painful subject matter. "Precisely," he said. "The Elder's had warned her that she had a task to perform involving you, but they didn't give her any details…"

"Why not? Wouldn't have that made things much simpler?"

"But we Elders like to set riddles, didn't you know that?" Leo quipped lightly and then became serious again. "Actually, it was more because what she had to do had to come spontaneously from within her. It was very similar to the way you turned me into an Elder – or the way I turned myself into an Elder to be more precise. You may have presented me with the facts, but it was still my choice to act upon them…"

"Wait a minute? Are you saying Aunt Prue turned herself into a Spirit Guide?"

Leo nodded. "Exactly. She sensed you were in dreadful danger, and she astral projected herself across the divide to protect you."

"Wow!"

"That's why it had to be Prue," Leo explained, "Because she had the power to astral project, and because she had a strong enough active power to eliminate the Lazuri demon as well."

"But I was injured?"

Leo nodded, his expression pinched and strained. "The Lazuri had already knocked over your bassinet by the time she got there," he said shakily, "You'd landed on your head and…" He broke off and swallowed. "Anyway, Prue took out the Lazuri and then screamed for me. I got there just in time, but I think the horror of that image of you – so tiny and covered in blood – well, it'll live with us all for the rest of days. None of us like to talk about it. Your Mom especially."

Chris didn't know what to say. The reality of what his Aunt Prue had done for him had always been a mystery to him, and now he knew why. He hadn't realised how close he'd come to meeting an early grave. He swallowed and pushed his mind away from that disturbing thought, focusing on something else about the conversation that had bothered him. He found the way that his father vacillated between describing his other self in the third and first person decidedly disconcerting. It was as if Leo viewed the two of them as separate and combined all at the same time, which in a way Chris supposed they were.

The same was true for all his family to some extent, he guessed. His Mom and Aunts had different lives, but they were still essentially the same people inside. His Dad was almost as much of a hybrid of his two selves as Chris would be when he returned to the future though. It gave them a peculiar kind of extra connection, which he guessed was his first father's intention all along. He cast his mind back to the conversation between this Leo and himself on the subject shortly after his first father had returned to the future…

Flashback…

"Your father – he asked me to… well, to take on his memories of you. He didn't want you to have to deal with the memories of that time, especially the darker ones, by yourself."

"And you said yes?" Chris had asked rather incredulously, "But… but why would you do that? Why would you want to do that?"

"Because you're my son."

"You barely even know me."

"That's kind of beside the point, Chris. When you have children of your own, I think you'll understand. You'll want to do anything just to protect them. You'll willingly lay your life on the line a thousand times over if needs be."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just know that I'm here if you ever need to talk."

Back in the present…

"What?" Leo asked, when Chris looked over at him with an unreadable expression in his green eyes.

"I love you, Dad."

He didn't think he'd ever said it to this version of his father before. At least he couldn't remember ever having done so. He seemed important to say it now though, before he returned to the future. Afterwards, those feelings would be irrevocably entwined with those his other self would carry for the father who had raised him from infancy, and there would be no way to separate them.

"I love you too, son." Leo's voice was choked as he reached out and affectionately laid his hand on the back of Chris's head before he patted him between the shoulder blades and let his hand drop.

Chris sighed and gazed out over the horizon, watching as the orange ball of the sun slowly sank out of sight. His father was right – there were no guarantees where Piper was concerned, but Chris knew with a profound kind of certainty that he wouldn't ever be alone again. He would always have his Dad, his brother and the rest of his family, and while that could never take away the pain of his mother's loss, it would be reason enough to carry on.

"So," he said conversationally as the twilight faded and darkness descended, "How about that beer then?"

OOOOOO

Several hours later…

Leaving her sister stacking the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, Phoebe left the kitchen and wandered through into the dimly lit conservatory. Chris was sitting cross-legged in one of the wicker chairs, his hands resting in his lap and his eyes lost in thought. Piper and Leo were upstairs putting a reluctant Wyatt to bed. The little boy couldn't say many words yet, but he had learned the meaning of the word no with a vengeance. He had not been happy when he realised he'd be missing out on all the fun and had been quite vocal about it, much to his brother's intense amusement.

"He always was a bit of a problem child," he'd quipped jovially, earning himself a censorious look from his flustered Mom who was having to endure her child's first full-blown temper tantrum.

"He's a bit young for the terrible twos, isn't he?" she lamented in chagrin.

"I guess he must be advanced for his age," Paige had laughed. "You must be so proud."

This had sent Chris into gales of uncontrollable laughter and Phoebe smiled at the remembrance of her nephew's open amusement. He was normally so tight-lipped and introvert, but she'd noticed a change in him these past few months. He was living again; her psychologist's brain informed her. His life had been on hold since Wyatt's turning, but now he was finally able to move on from that. Going back to the future was just another step along that healing road.

Given the circumstances, Phoebe had fully expected the family dinner to be awkward and contrived, so had been pleasantly surprised when that simply hadn't been the case. It was as if they'd each resigned themselves to what was about to happen and were determined to make the most of the time they had left. Consequently, the atmosphere had been relaxed and happy - turning what could have been an excruciatingly painful farewell into something significantly more celebratory in tone.

Goodbyes had to be said though, so, with that in mind, she crossed to interrupt her nephew's solitary sojourn. He looked up as she approached and a flicker of a smile crossed his handsome face.

"Uh-oh," he said and she made a face at him.

"Aren't you ever serious?" she asked.

Chris looked at her in faint surprise. "I'm always serious," he told her.

Phoebe sat down across from him. "Not anymore," she pointed out.

Chris's green eyes widened slightly at that. "I guess that's true," he admitted.

It had been hard to see the humour in things in his future, but he'd been somewhat of a practical joker growing up. It was amazing how much of himself he'd lost when his brother had turned. With a brighter future on the horizon though, he was slowly rediscovering the person he used to be and it felt good. He smiled at his Aunt and she smiled back.

"I'm gonna miss you," she told him.

"Even though my endless demon hunts interfered with your hectic social life?" he asked teasingly.

"You were doing that for a reason, I get that now," she said. "And besides, it's not like I'll be allowed to slack off after you're gone anyway. I know your Dad appears mild-mannered and easy-going, but he can be a hard task-master when he wants to be, believe me."

Chris laughed, knowing that was – at least partly – true. His father had been insistent about making sure he and Wyatt were prepared for the future, for what their family destiny meant for them. He knew his Mom hadn't been happy about Wyatt's sword training as a boy, but also knew that his father had overridden her strident objections with uncharacteristic authority. His Mom appeared on the surface to be the dominant partner in his parent's marriage, but Chris was intelligent to realise that his Dad was not easily dissuaded from what he believed to be right in spite of his wife's volatile nature.

Phoebe rose to her feet and stooped to hug him. "I'm not gonna say goodbye," she said as he returned her embrace.

"You're not?" he enquired.

"No." She turned her head and lightly kissed his cheek. "'Cus I'm going to be seeing you." She drew back. "In twenty years time maybe," she added, "But I'll be seeing you nevertheless."

Chris nodded and Phoebe smiled down into his face. "Well," she said, her solemn mood lifting, "I guess I better let Paige have her turn."

Chris looked up to see his youngest Aunt hovering in the doorway and he grinned. "Geez! I sure am popular tonight."

"That's because we're glad to see the back of you," Paige replied as she came into the room, crossing paths with Phoebe as she left.

"I knew there had to be some reason," Chris returned and Paige laughed.

"Is it always like this between us?" she asked.

"Like what?"

"You know – sort of a love-hate thing."

Chris smiled. "I don't hate you," he reassured her. "I guess you all have your own particular roles in my life."

"Come again?" Paige's expression was puzzled.

"Aunt Prue is the sort of the Magical Aunt – I mean she's who I go to for advice on all things otherworldly. Phoebe's the Agony Aunt…"

"Literally?" Paige asked lightly.

"Sometimes," Chris replied frankly, making her laugh.

Chris chuckled too. "No – she's who I talk to about, you know, human stuff."

"And I'm what then? The cool, hip Aunt?"

"Well, that might be going a little bit far, but that's pretty much it, yeah."

Paige glowed. "I reckon I can live with that," she decided. "It seems like the best of the three if you ask me."

Chris smiled. "No," he said astutely. "It's just who you are. I guess you encouraged us to look outside the box, to bend the rules a little sometimes."

"I bet your Mom loved that!"

"She gritted her teeth frequently," Chris said, "But we needed it, you know? I never would have come here otherwise. This kind of time travel, it's not exactly allowed. And Wyatt – I think with what he has to do, he's gonna need some of your outside-of-the-box thinking."

"You make it sound like the Charmed Ones only exist to prepare the way for your brother and you," Paige observed.

"You do," a voice from the doorway cut in.

"Or at least that's one of the more important roles you have to play," Leo amended. "You obviously have influence outside of that, but preparing things for the next generation is what this family is all about, what it's always been about ever since Melinda Warren passed her amulet onto her daughter."

Paige nodded. "I guess I'd never really looked at it like that," she said and then grinned at her nephew. "I guess we did an okay job," she said, before a slight frown marred her forehead, "Apart from the fact that we let Wyatt turn evil of course…"

"I don't think there was any 'let' about it," Leo said gravely. "We missed the signs that's all. And maybe we were supposed to…"

"How do you figure that?"

"The prophecy said Alcathan would be destroyed by Chris and Wyatt's combined hand – maybe this is the only way that could happen."

"You're just making excuses, Leo," his sister-in-law accused him mildly.

Leo shook his head. "No, I will always feel guilty for what happened, but people make mistakes, Paige, it's human nature. You learn from them and move on."

Paige looked at him steadily for a moment and then shook her head with an affectionate smile.

"What?" Leo asked self-consciously.

"You really are the ultimate whitelighter, aren't you?" she said, a statement of fact rather than a question.

Chris looked at his father and realised his Aunt was right. He'd known enough whitelighters in his time to know that his Dad was one of the best – by a long way. But then again, who else was going to guide the irreverent Charmed Ones and father and nurture the Ultimate Power? He was suddenly in awe of the man who had sired him. The entire magical world trembled at the mere mention of the Charmed Ones' and their infant protégé's legendary powers, but the truth was their strength came from an entirely different source, from a power that was more profound than any active magical ability ever could be. From the love of an ordinary man, who had become extraordinary.

"Don't do that," Leo told his son, reading his mind in a way that was uncanny. "I'm just your Dad."

Chris grinned. Yes, he was and for that, he'd never been more grateful…

OOOOOO

Chris's bedroom, just before dawn…

Piper slipped quietly into the tranquil room. In the dawn's approaching light, Chris's face looked peaceful and composed - the careworn expression he usually wore softened by his slumber. Pulling up a chair alongside the bed, she sat down and watched him sleep.

She did this with Wyatt, would do so with the baby in her belly. Right now though, she wanted to savour the preciousness of this son's existence, to commit every one of his features to memory to sustain her in the long years of separation ahead. She reached out and pushed a stubborn lock of his dark hair off his brow, then ran her fingers down the side of his face. His skin was rough from the stubble that had developed overnight and it reminded her that her son was a man. A brave, stubborn man who had sacrificed everything to make their lives better. She was so proud of him right now she could burst.

He stirred a little and she dropped her hand from his face, waiting as he slowly came awake and drowsily opened his beautiful green eyes.

"Hey Mom!" he greeted her in a voice roughened by sleep, obviously not particularly surprised to find her there. Did her sons know that she often watched over them in the pre-dawn hours, she wondered.

His eyes filled with unexpected tears then and all thoughts flew from her mind except her concern for him. "Honey – what is it?" she asked.

Chris pressed the balls of his hands into his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice thick with embarrassment.

"Don't be ridiculous," she told him, moving from her chair to perch on the edge of the mattress next to him. She gently touched his curled-up fingers. "Look at me," she softly urged.

Chris lowered his hands and she was startled by the anguish in his eyes. "I'm so scared, Mom," he confessed.

"Of what?"

"That I'll never see you again," he admitted in a rush.

"Oh sweetie."

She leaned forward and drew him into her arms. He buried his face against her shoulder and clung tightly to her. She'd caught him off guard, she realised, snuck under his defences while they were still blurred by sleep. She hadn't expected him to talk to her about this and she wasn't sure what to say. She wouldn't make promises that she couldn't keep, but she didn't know how else to comfort him. She stroked her hand over his unruly mop of dark hair.

"You know I love you, don't you?" she said.

He nodded against her shoulder but didn't venture anything else. She sighed.

"I wish I could promise you that everything will be okay but you know that isn't possible."

"I know, Mom," he mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry – I'm scared of not seeing you again too, you know."

Chris pulled back from her. "You are?"

"Of course I am," she said. "Don't you think I don't want to see you grow up, get married and have children?"

"I'm already grown up," he reminded her with a whisper of a smile.

Piper smiled fully. "No, you're not, not completely. Your life got put on hold. You've never really experienced the transition from childhood to adulthood in the way that most of us do. You've grown up before your time in some ways, but in others, you're still a child."

"But that's okay," she went on, "Because there's a whole world out there for you to see and experience, and I want you to do that. I want you discover the joy in the simple things, to remain the person you are, but also become the person you were always meant to be. And I don't want to be the one who stands in the way of that. You have so much to give, Chris."

He brushed away his tears and let out a wobbly little laugh. "How come you always know just what to say to make me feel better?" he asked.

"I'm not sure I do," Piper replied.

"You do, Mom," he assured her and she smiled.

"Well, I guess that's saying something for a Mom who makes it up as she goes along," she remarked wryly.

He smiled at her then, the expression transforming his whole face. "I love you, Mom," he told her.

She reached out and hugged him again. "I love you too," she responded. "And you'll be okay even if I'm not okay."

"You sure of that, are you?"

She sat back and took his face between his palms. "Yes, I'm sure," she told him earnestly, "Because I know you – and I also know that your Dad and Aunts will be there for you even if I'm not."

Chris ducked his head slightly and she leaned in and kissed his forehead. "And besides," she added playfully, "If I'm gone and you don't make the most of your new life, I plan to haunt your ass until you do."

Chris laughed at that and she smiled inwardly. Mission accomplished. She allowed herself a brief moment of conceit. Her Mommy radar was on fire today. And to think she thought after Wyatt had been born that she'd never get the hang of it. She'd learned a valuable lesson the day she'd temporarily lost her sight and had to take care of her baby by instinct alone. Listen with your heart and you'll know what to do, Leo had once told her. She'd been faithfully following that valuable advice ever since.

"So, what do you want for breakfast?" she asked.

OOOOOO

The Attic, a few hours later…

Chris faced the wooden-panelled wall, a piece of chalk poised in his hand. Once the Triquetra symbol was drawn, his fate was sealed; there'd be no going back. He wanted it and didn't all at the same time. Drawing in a deep breath, he gathered his courage and stepped forward with a sense of determined purpose.

Phoebe watched her nephew rise up on his tiptoes and set the chalk against the wall with sweet melancholy running through her veins. Today was a beginning and an end. A day of intense joy, but also a day of sad farewells. She'd miss Chris's presence in their lives, but she knew that this was the right thing. Today was the day her nephew would finally get his life back and she couldn't have been happier for him.

Paige adjusted a wriggling Wyatt in her arms. The little boy wanted to get down, to play, but she knew she couldn't let him. As the Triquetra symbol slowly took shape, the outline began to glow with blue fire. They'd already recited the Power of Three spell that would send Chris forward to where he belonged, but it required him to open the portal of his own free will and there was always the potential that the wrong person might inadvertently step through it – especially a toddler who was not very steady on his feet. She clutched Wyatt tighter to her, holding him close against her heart even as she let her other nephew go.

Piper placed her hand over her bulging stomach and blinked back her tears. All the goodbyes had been said and now it was time. She wasn't sure how she was holding it all together, but somehow she was. Somehow, she found the strength not to rush across the room, grab hold of her son and hang on for dear life. He was her baby and yet he wasn't. She'd never held him close to her breast and sang a lullaby to him, she'd never taught him to tie his shoelaces and write his name. She'd never scolded his bad behaviour and grounded him for breaking the rules.

No, her other self had done all that. That part of her son belonged to a woman who had died before her time, whose death had sparked a bleak turning point in her family's life. It would not happen again, not if she had anything to do with it. The future that Chris stepped out into would be everything he ever dreamed of, she was determined about that. He would have the life he deserved even if it killed her – she just hoped that it didn't.

Leo looked at his wife as she struggled to contain the war of conflicting emotions inside. She was so stubborn sometimes, didn't like to admit defeat even under the greatest provocation. He transferred his gaze to Chris as he tossed aside the stick of chalk and stepped back to contemplate his handiwork. Piper wasn't the only one, of course, and he was grateful for the tenacity that she had passed onto their youngest son. It had sustained him throughout all of his troubles, and would aid him now as he adjusted to the new life that he had won for himself.

He smiled. The pain of goodbye cut deep, but Leo was more philosophical about it than the rest of his family. He had lived, loved and lost already. He understood the meaning of the word sacrifice all too well, but also recognised the inherent rewards to be gained from such an unselfish act. Twenty years of separation was nothing if the happiness it afforded his son brought him the peace that had been so lacking from his early life. Chris turned to face them then and Leo stood up a little straighter, bracing himself for the unavoidable farewell.

There were no words, Chris realised as he slowly took in the familiar faces before him. This was a leap of faith, a journey into the unknown. He would just have to trust that they would be there to meet him when he reached the end of it. He hugged his Aunts in turn, both of whom had succumbed to the inevitable tears despite their best efforts to hold them back.

He ruffled his baby brother's golden hair with affection. "Be good, kiddo."

And finally, he turned to his parents.

Leo nodded at him once and then drew him into a rough embrace. "I love you, son," he said, a declaration that Chris returned with equal feeling before he stepped back and faced his Mom. Piper held out her hands to him and he took them in his, leaning forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

"Bye Mom," he whispered, his voice cracking over the words.

"Bye sweetie. I love you," she returned, her voice surprisingly steady in spite of the tears rolling freely down her cheeks.

"I love you too, Mom. So much," Chris said, and then reluctantly let her hands go.

He cleared his throat and looked over his shoulder at the glowing portal. "Well, I guess it's now or never, huh?" he said, not really expecting any answer.

Piper knew that if she spoke she'd break down completely so she simply nodded. Leo reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder in silent partisanship.

"Reach out and take it, son," he urged.

It was just the encouragement that Chris needed. He took a deep breath, turned around and walked a few paces forward, then paused and looked back over his shoulder at them. He smiled.

"See you in twenty-three years," he said, then lifted his hands in front of him and walked through the shimmering doorway and on towards his waiting future…

OOOOOO

A couple of weeks later…

"Push, Piper!"

"I am frickin' pushing!" Piper said from between clenched teeth.

"Well, push harder!" Phoebe encouraged.

Piper resisted the urge to slam her curled-up fist into her sister's excited face. It was all very well for her; she wasn't the one in agony here. Another contraction overwhelmed her and she went with it, bearing down for all she was worth and yelling out with the effort. Trust Chris to be so stubborn. How many hours had this been going on for now?

Leo winced as his wife's nails cut deeply into his flesh, but he didn't pull away in spite of the pain. It was nothing compared to what she was going through. It had been a longer and more difficult labour than her first one, but they were almost at the end of it now and she was doing remarkably well considering. She'd cursed him more than a few times, insisted that he was never to lay a finger on her ever again, and yet she hadn't once let go of his hand, had continued to hold him close even as she professed to not wanting him around her.

"I can see the head!" Phoebe announced then, her voice shrill with excited anticipation.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw Paige turn and grab a white fluffy towel, which she draped over her hands ready to catch the little person who was about to make his entrance into the world.

Piper gathered her last reserves of strength and pushed with all her might. A few seconds later, a loud wail filled the air with its blissful music and Leo felt a broad smile cross his face as he heard his son's cry for the very first time. Tears were pouring down Paige's cheeks as she placed the squalling, towel-wrapped baby in his exhausted but ecstatic mother's arms.

Piper looked down into Chris's little face, which was bright red and scrunched up from crying. "Hey little guy! I've been waiting for you," she murmured soothingly, tenderly pressing her soft lips to her baby's forehead.

Chris gave a little hiccupping sound and his features smoothed out as he recognised his mother's voice. He opened his eyes and Leo, who was leaning over his wife's shoulder, was startled by their bright blue colour. He'd been expecting green – he'd forgotten that most babies were born with blue eyes. He reached out and stroked his tiny son's cheek, still seeing the other Chris in him in spite of the unexpected eye colour. They would turn green in time – he was healthy and that was all that mattered.

Piper smiled up at him and he bent to kiss her upturned lips.

"He's here," she said quietly when their mouths parted.

"Yes, he is," he agreed.

"Do you want to hold him?" she asked.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" he replied laughingly.

Piper giggled and relinquished her child to his proud father. Leo took his baby son in his arms and gazed down into his round little face. Chris blew bubbles at him and he smiled.

"Welcome to the world, Christopher Perry Halliwell," he intoned solemnly. The choice of middle name seemed appropriate somehow, and he didn't think his wife would have any objections.

"Oh and by the way, just in case you were wondering, I'm your Dad."

To be continued for the final time in the Epilogue – No Place Like Home…

A/N2 – I know 'Perry' being Chris's middle name is a fan-fiction thing – personally, I think it was just a name he plucked out of thin air. It seemed particularly appropriate in the context of my story though, so I was a slave to convention. LOL!

I'm also pleased I managed to weave in the 'Prue rescuing Chris' plotline – I didn't think I'd find an appropriate place to come back to it, but it just sort of happened naturally out of the Leo/Chris conversation which was nice. I hate leaving loose ends.

Anyhow, till the next and final part...

CharmedBec x