The Best We Can Hope For

"Are you coming up to the attic to see me off?" asked Rider, standing with his father at the foot of the Main Hall stairs.

"Not this time." Chris answered sadly, sounding a little disappointed in himself.

"I don't understand." said Rider, sounding a bit wounded. "Why not?"

"Because if I let myself go up there, I'll end up going back with you." answered Chris, "And I really need to be here... At least for now." He put a hand on Rider's shoulder. "Plus, Riley will be wondering where you are."

"Can't I just get him and bring him right back?"

Chris didn't answer, but looked warmly into Rider's eyes. The young man slightly nodded with regretful understanding.

"I don't wanna go." uttered Rider, his gaze sinking sorrowfully to the ground.

Chris forced himself to stick to his decision, though he could feel a knot hardening in his stomach. "I know." he said mournfully. "But you do understand though."

Rider looked back into his father's waiting eyes and smiled weakly, though his eyes welled. "If I say I don't, would you let me stay?"

Chris appreciatively returned his son's smile, warmed by his son's concern, but again he said nothing.

Rider gazed back at the floor. "I didn't think so." he said reluctantly. "Well, in that case, I do."

At that moment, Wyatt exited the kitchen, entering the dining room. He silently stopped himself, seeing Chris and Rider at the foot of the stairs, to give the two young men a moment longer.

Back in the Main Hall, the young father lifted his son's chin until their eyes met, though Chris found it just as hard to keep from dodging Rider's piercing blue eyes. He pulled his son tightly against him and closed his eyes. Chris held the two together for a long while.

Rider wiped his eyes as he stepped uneasily out of Chris' arms. "You promise you'll be here when I get back?" he asked, in a voice just shy of breaking.

Only Rider could hear his father's answer. "I Promise."

Wyatt cleared his throat to unobtrusively let the two know he was approaching. "I'll be right up, Rider" he said, as he neared the base of the stairs. He figured it would be easier for the two to part if someone else gently urged them to do so. "I'm just gonna have a quick word with your Dad."

Rider nodded understandingly.

"I'll see you soon?" Chris said finally.

"Yeah." Rider uttered, taking a step backwards up the stairs. "Yeah." he repeated, more assuredly this time.

"Good." Chris smiled, with a single nod. "Now scram."

Rider smiled sadly, turned around, and continued up the stairs.

"Oh, and Rider!" Chris called.

The young man turned easily around, pleased at what he knew was coming. Wyatt smiled to himself, having witnessed the upcoming scene before.

"Before you go," Chris said with a jestingly parental seriousness. "You're not a bad person, but this was very bad behavior."

Rider laughed to himself and shook his head. "Riley was right; we should've hidden those parenting books when we had the chance."

"Yeah well," Chris said, teasingly shrugging his shoulders. "What do you think your punishment should be?"

"You're kidding, right?"

Chris stood and waited a brief moment for a response. "Well?"

"No speeder for a month?" Rider asked, rolling his eyes.

Chris tilted his head, pretending to seriously consider the proposed punishment. "Sounds fair to me." he said. "You?"

"Fair enough." Rider answered and turned back around to head up the stairs.

"Oh, one last thing though!" Chris added.

"Yeah?" Rider asked, turning only his head back around.

"Just don't ride it too fast." said Chris, with a subtle wink. "I worry."

Rider held his glance for a moment. "Me too."

The two exchanged one last look before Rider continued on his way.

Wyatt put an arm around Chris' shoulder. "You gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I feel like I'm letting him down."

"You know him better than that," said Wyatt assuredly. "He understands. They both do."

"You think?"

"Trust me." Wyatt answered. "It means a heck of a lot to him that you can't even get yourself to go up there."

"I hope so." Chris' stare sank to the floor as somberly exhaled. "I wonder if it'll ever go away." he said, lifting his eyes to look back up where his son had just been.

"What's that?" asked Wyatt, with a tender concern.

"That feeling that I'm being punched in the stomach every time they have to leave." Chris answered. He turned his head to look into Wyatt's eyes. "Or worse, every time I have to leave them."

Wyatt tightened his grasp on his younger brother's shoulder and looked back up the stairs, remembering the sight of Rider as walked away. "Would you want it to?" he asked, though expected no answer.

Chris squeezed his eyes together and stilled his breathing, waiting for the fear of breaking to pass.

"You know I'm not gonna let anything happen to them." Wyatt assured him.

"If it were anyone but you and Rory, I wouldn't let him go." Chris answered, his eyes still closed.

Wyatt remained silent for awhile, not realizing how much his lack of response had communicated.

"Rory's missing." Chris said, gradually opening his eyes, slowly lifting his head. He again turned to look in Wyatt's eyes. "Isn't he."

A million possible answers went through Wyatt's head, but only one was entirely true. "Yes." There was a tinge of guilt in his voice.

"And you can't sense him anywhere?"

"I think he's cloaked himself." answered Wyatt, staring blankly into space. "I thought he might have come back here, but…"

Chris frowned with concern. "We should go back." he said.

"Chris." Wyatt countered.

"Wyatt, we have to…" Chris urged. "Who know what he's…"

"You know as well as I do that Rory's not gonna be found unless…"

"But we still have to try." Chris insisted. "If it were any one of us, he would…"

"Chris." Wyatt repeated, a bit stronger. "If anyone can handle himself."

"It's Rory." Chris sighed, nodding at the inevitable. He hated not being able to disagree, though it did little to lessen his concern.

"I swear, if anything happens to him…"

"I know." Wyatt agreed. "Me too."

"Any idea where he's gone?" he asked, clearly not expecting a hopeful answer.

"He said he had some bizarre dream about Dad." Wyatt answered, carefully making sure that no one else heard. "I can't believe I didn't see this coming."

"Did he say anything else?" Chris asked anxiously.

"Not really. He was pretty vague." Wyatt sighed. "The best we can hope for now is…"

"Wyatt?" Chris interrupted, a dire look in his eyes, and a ghostly tone in his voice.

"Yeah?" Wyatt replied.

"Did Rory mention anything about Water?"