Disclaimer: Nothing in the Charmed world belongs to me and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Have you ever had a week where every time you sit down to write someone comes in and interrupts you until you are to the point that you don't even remember what you were gonna write? That has been this week for me. Sorry I didn't update sooner but now you know why.
Chapter 15 It Wasn't Me
As Leo and Paige orbed into the underworld Leo was trying desperately to keep his mind on the task at hand but it just kept drifting back to the attic, to the son that he had wronged so many times in the past few months. To Leo for most of that time Chris had been absolutely nothing, just a nuisance who had disrupted his life and tried to take his place as the sister's Whitelighter, but he had to imagine just how the treatment from those months had seemed to Chris, how it must have devastated him time after time.
He had told them that in his version of the future Leo had never cared for his second son. Meaning he had never cared for him. But how could that be true? How could anyone not care for that sweet little boy they had found in the underworld? And even the older version of him. When Leo found him exhausted and locked in a nightmare that night at P3 hadn't he wanted to take care of him? He had immediately had the urge of a father trying to care for his son. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was do to his feelings for the younger version, he really did not know. But he did know that he very much did care for his son, both versions of him.
"Leo, come on, pay attention. I know you have a lot on your mind right now, but this is the underworld. We can't afford your woolgathering," Paige said snapping her fingers in front of Leo's face. He had nearly just ran into a wall while preoccupied with his own thoughts.
"Sorry, Paige. It's just hard not to think about him right now," Leo explained anxiety clearly written across his face.
"I know. Believe me, I know. We all really screwed up this time. But the only way I can see to make it up to the kid is to save his life. So that means we need to concentrate on that scumbag Barbas." Paige knew she had a lot to make up for too. She couldn't really remember ever saying anything that wasn't at least halfway bitchy towards Chris. She hadn't trusted him, plain and simple and she'd have to live with the consequences of her own actions, but for now she'd do the only thing she knew that could start to make up for them.
Leo just nodded as they drew closer to Barbas' lair. They weren't far now at all. Only a couple of more turns. Most of the demons that would have normally been in this part of the underworld were either dead or hiding. The news of the confrontation between Barbas and the Charmed Ones had spread throughout the underworld and most of the other demons wanted nothing to do with it.
Barbas' chambers seemed very much like most of the underworld as they entered them. Maybe a little on the drearier side considering the feeling of dread that permeated them the moment they crossed the threshold, but other than that, nothing special. But one thing about the lair did disturb them. No Barbas. He was nowhere in sight and the only demon present surprisingly was the Seer. She was standing next to one of the doors leading away from Barbas' living quarters and she looked as if she had been waiting for them.
Leo's hands immediately rose in an offensive move as his mind linked her into Barbas' scheme against his family.
"Wait, don't. I want Barbas gone as much as you do," she called out raising her hands defensively.
"Yeah, right. That's why you helped him convince us to hate Chris," Paige quipped angrily looking around the chamber hoping to see something sharp and dangerous that she could teleorb into the demon.
"That I had no choice in. When an upper level demon like Barbas has the power to use your own worst fears against you, you pretty much do as he says. At least until you find someone strong enough to kill him that is," she finished in an offhand manner knowing they'd understand her implication.
"So changing sides, are we?" Leo asked lowering his hands slightly. 'Or setting a trap,' he added mentally.
"A girl's gotta do whatever it takes to survive, now doesn't she?" the Seer answered with a devilish smile touching her lips.
"And what exactly can you give us, that will keep you alive in the next three seconds?" Paige asked spying a very sharp looking dagger on a table across the room. "Dagger," she called and the object flew into her hand.
The Seer smirked at the sharp object that she knew might soon be imbedded in her own chest. It would be easy to just shimmer away from there and let them rot. But at the time Barbas' posed a much worse threat in her mind. She was fed up with being controlled like a puppet on a string by the Demon of Fear. When she had originally agreed to work with him the plan had been that she would help him to elevate himself to the top of the demon pecking order and then she would have enough power to do just about whatever she wished, but she had soon found out that she was little more than a stepping stone in Barbas' plans to dominate the Underworld. That would just not do. No, much better now to just let them put him down and wait for a better demon to mold. "Barbas thinks he is safely hidden in my chambers, while he licks his wounds." The Demon of Fear knew that he could not be sensed in her chambers. She had long ago set up a ward against sensing in her own chambers, keeping her effectively hidden from the forces of good and evil alike. Chris had been the first witch in years to find her but he had refused to tell her just how that had happened. How ironic that he had used his future knowledge to outwit someone who looked into the future all the time.
"And how are we supposed to find your chambers?" Paige asked seeing where she was going with the comment.
"I could always shimmer you there," she suggested knowing just how well a witch would like that idea.
Paige screwed up her face in a disgusted look but Leo stepped forward. "Whatever it takes."
Paige wondered why she would even think about being surprised at Leo's actions. This was his son they were trying to save. "All right, all right. But I warn you…" she warned pointing the dagger at the Seer as she also moved forward and stood in front of the demon.
"Believe me, you have nothing to fear," she answered placing a hand on each of their shoulders and shimmering them to her hidden lair. "Well except for maybe them," she commented her eyes going wide as she ducked to the ground once they appeared in her lair and were faced by four Darklighters with their crossbows pointed directly at them.
The first arrow flew as Paige spun around and deflected it away with her orbing power. "You rotten little bitch."
"Not my fault. You took so long to find me, how was I supposed to know he'd find reinforcements while I waited for you?" the Seer called out as she cowered behind the seeing pool. Paige was busy though deflecting the arrows away from them as Leo worked his way to the adjoining chamber.
Leo knew that Barbas had to be somewhere near. He could feel the hair stand on the back of his neck as he entered the chamber.
Barbas had managed to regain a good bit of the strength he had lost from the Elder's first attack on him and was now ready to inflict even more torture on one of his victims. He remained invisible enabling him to sneak up behind Leo.
"Your fears are an open book, Elder," he whispered softly.
Leo whirled around feeling the presence of fear enveloping every inch of his being. "Where are you coward?"
But the voice came again even more persistent. "Elders aren't supposed to fear, are they? But you have fears, many of them."
"Why won't you face me, or are you afraid too. You had to sneak up from behind to get my son. Is that more your style, demon?" That one word, demon, was laced with so much hatred and loathing that it nearly gagged him to even give it voice.
"Your son! My wasn't that an interesting discovery, but are you truly worthy to claim him as yours? I see your fears. The fear that you will become the monster from his future whom hated and mistreated him," Barbas stated in a lilting tone. "Do you want to see what you did to your son?"
Leo knew he should fight the images that the Demon projected before him, but that was easier said than done, even for an Elder.
He stood sadly staring out over the vast expanse of the city from the relatively secluded bridge top, thinking through what his life had become. It was plain to see the pain fresh on his face and the slump to his shoulders. He didn't want to be disturbed. He wanted to grieve on his own for everything the world had taken from him.
As bright blue and white orbs shown behind him Leo turned to see the last person he wanted to see at that moment. "Chris, just go back to the Manor. I'm not in the mood for you right now," he said in a rather defeated tone.
It was easy to see the bright red rings around the youth's eyes as he too mourned the loss of the one person he cared for the most in the world. "We need to talk, Leo. It's about Wyatt," Chris whispered knowing he needed to tell someone about the things he knew his brother would do in the near future. He had hoped it wouldn't happen, but every sign pointed to Wyatt becoming what Chris feared most. He knew he couldn't stop it alone and he hoped and prayed that maybe just this once Leo and he could put aside their differences and work towards the same goal.
The mention of his older beloved son actually drew his attention. "What about Wyatt? Is he in danger?" It was not hard to see the concern in his eyes and hear the worry in his voice for the one person in the world that he had left.
Chris' hands began to tremble slightly and he clamped them tightly to his side as he braced himself. This conversation was one he had imagined having several times in the past but it was still nerve-wracking to actually attempt it. "In a way, yes he is in danger," Chris answered beating around the bush slightly.
"Get to it, Chris. Now is not the time for one of your games," Leo demanded angrily.
Chris shook his head slowly feeling the beginnings of the defeat he knew he would soon suffer. Leo wasn't going to listen to him. He never did. But especially not now that Piper was gone. "I loved her too, you know," he whispered in anguish trying to get the man to see that they at least shared one thing in their lives.
Leo's eyes closed for a moment and his teeth clenched at the pain that those words caused. "Don't talk about her, Chris. Don't ever talk about her," he growled angrily.
"Why not? She was my mom, too. Not just Wyatt's," Chris bit out bitterly.
"You selfish, little, brat. Can't you see I don't want to talk about her?" Leo yelled finally losing his temper completely.
Chris backed off slightly at the angry voice but for once in his life did not completely retreat in fear. "Well then, maybe you want to talk about your son and the fact that he's turning into a monster."
Leo blinked a few times in surprise at that statement. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Wyatt, that's what. The fact that he's becoming evil right before your eyes and you either don't see it or don't want to see it," Chris shouted back fed up with cowering away from the Elder.
Leo stared in what seemed complete shock at those words. His son was not evil. He knew that. Wyatt was anything but evil. "I knew you were low. I knew that before, when that other you was in our time, but I never thought you'd sink this low. Wyatt is nothing but good. You are the one, I'm not so sure about," Leo threw out at the young man wanting to hurt him, wanting to cause him as much pain as he felt himself.
But if he had known the young witch at all he would have realized just how much pain he was truly in and how those words just doubled the pain even farther. "You just don't understand. When that demon took him, it did something to him. Changed him. Can't you see that?"
"Chris, when I look at my son I see everything in this world that is good, now you on the other hand… the only thing I see when I look at you anymore is that young man that betrayed my son. Tell me, you have all of the memories of that other Chris. Did he leave before or after the demon arrived? I really would like to know," Leo yelled again at him walking forward making Chris back up towards the edge of the bridge.
Chris shook his head in denial as his worst pain came to light. The one crime he had never committed but would always be responsible for anyway. "That wasn't me, it wasn't me," he cried out backing even farther away from Leo as the anger he had felt moments before turned into guilt and self-loathing.
"It wasn't, huh?" Leo asked his face twisting into an ugly snarl. "But it will be won't it? Someday, when you're older, you'll travel back in time and betray my son all over again. But what I really wonder, is just how far that betrayal actually goes. Will you be just a coward? Or has it been your plan all along to do this? Maybe all those years living with the demons has you a little confused as to which side you should be on."
Chris had thought that he had heard all of the worst accusations that Leo could make, but apparently this time he had sunk further than ever before. His guilt and self-loathing turned rather quickly into outright rage. "You bastard. I'm trying to save your son," he screamed and slammed his fists out against Leo's chest only slightly rocking the man backwards with the blow.
"You're the one to talk about bastards. I don't want your help, saving my son," Leo countered shoving against the much smaller youth and watched as the boy staggered back and lost his footing.
Fear ran across Chris' face for an instant as his foot slipped off the edge of the bridge and he began to tumble backwards into nothingness.
Leo watched in shock, unable to move as the blood froze in his veins seeing what he had done. Chris' body tumbled away from him and down through the open air and for just a moment true fear gripped him, knowing that the boy could possibly die within seconds.
Once that thought really clicked into his mind Leo began to orb himself below the falling teen but Chris himself had regained his senses and his body was engulfed in blue and white orbs and disappeared.
Leo searched all around expecting to see the boy orb back in but as nothing appeared he realized that Chris wasn't coming back and he sunk to the metal beam below him lost in the image that was now burned into his mind of him almost killing his adopted son. How had he sunk so low?
As Leo was ripped from the image he found himself sitting on the cavern floor with his face resting in his hands as tears streaked down his own cheeks. During the image he had found himself in the place of the Leo from Chris' timeline saying the things he had said and doing the things he had done, even thinking the things he had thought and the images and words and thoughts were more than he could bear. They weren't real and they weren't his and there wasn't anything about them that didn't make him feel disgusted and dirty. "Oh my god, Chris!" he whispered as he felt the instinct to be very ill and forced it away as thoughts of the pain his son had experienced, apparently at his own hands, flew through his mind. "That wasn't me, it wasn't me," he whispered his own words echoing his son's from the vision.
"Oh, but does that really matter," a voice whispered in his ear. "To you it was he that betrayed Wyatt, and to him it was you who betrayed him. You tried to kill him, your own son. He will never see it differently. Isn't it better that that version of him just pass away into nothingness as you start over with the family you have now?"
Leo heard the words and knew that he could do just that. Start over and make it right for the version of his son that was still a child, the small boy that he had come to love so easily. But could he really do that? No he couldn't, for he knew that every time he looked into the eyes of his small child he would see the eyes of the older version, who he had failed, who he had betrayed. He couldn't betray his son like that. He shook his head in denial trying desperately to shake off the vision's effects. "No! I won't lose my son."
"He hates you. He will never be your son," the voice whispered and then just as suddenly Leo felt the overwhelming fear that had permeated the room just vanish.
He looked around quickly and realized just how Barbas had played on his fears long enough to allow himself to escape. "Damn, demon," he called in rage standing quickly and headed back to the adjoining chamber where Paige had just finished off the last of the Darklighters.
She looked to him and quickly voiced the question in her mind. "Barbas?"
The look of fury on Leo's face gave her the answer though. Paige turned to the Seer seeing that she was attempting to slink from the room. "Oh, no." She hadn't yet let go of the dagger she had found in Barbas' lair and was next to the demon in seconds with the blade held to her throat. "You found him once, now you can do it again."
Even half way across town Phoebe still could feel the emotions running high in her own home. She had never felt so much emotional pain from one person in her entire life and wondered just how Chris had managed to hide it from them for so long especially from her. She should have seen it. She had had hints of it at times but had always put it off to the back of her mind as something to deal with later. But every later just worked towards making life even harder for her nephew. She should have done better than that. He deserved better than that.
So even though she knew she'd be walking right back into the emotional whirlwind, she took a cab back to the Manor and braced herself for the pain she would soon be in. She found Piper and her two sons in the attic together and could see how desperately Piper clung to Chris' arm as she whispered softly to him.
Phoebe could feel an almost sense of peace wafting from her injured nephew as his mother and brother worked together to try to comfort him until he could be healed. "Hey," she called from the attic door.
Three sets of eyes met hers. Wyatt immediately worried about his aunt's barely controlled empathic powers. "Phoebe, why did you come back?"
Phoebe crossed over to them only slightly wincing as she felt Chris' anxiety over her presence there. She kneeled next to Piper on the floor and gave Chris and encouraging look. "I could have went halfway around the world and not been able to escape the pain. And besides, my place is here, with my family," she said reaching out and lightly squeezing Chris' hand.
Chris was surprised that she just accepted everything so easily. Even though Aunt Phoebe had been his defender on many occasions in his original timeline he still had figured that she'd need more time to adjust than that. "Sorry… 'bout the pain, I mean."
Phoebe frowned at that statement. "Chris, that's not your fault. I think it's really my own fault if you look at it the right way. But believe me, I'd rather feel the pain than to have you hide it from us like you have been."
"I agree completely. From now on you are completely honest with us, no matter what," Piper said in worry.
Chris nodded in response wanting to assure his mother in any way he could. But that is assuming I live through this, he commented to himself silently knowing his mother would not want to hear that comment at all.
A/N: Okay, a note about this chapter. I must say that I have always loved Leo's character, well at least the Leo from this timeline. The one in Chris' future can jump off a cliff as far as I'm concerned. That being said this chapter is not designed to make you hate Leo, so please don't. I just want to show how bad things were in Chris' timeline and how bad Leo could have been if Chris hadn't changed things.