The Neighbors

As the duo reappeared Laveda looked around and she instantly knew they were on the top of the golden gate bridge. She'd been here many times before growing up. It was the only place Leo had ever shown him that he thoroughly enjoyed.

It was always peaceful, reminding you that you weren't alone yet still isolating you from everyone else. It was a great place to think.

She turned to look at Christopher and saw anger scrawled across his face. It wasn't visible if you didn't know what you were looking for. She saw it though. She knew him, could read him like an open book. He was trying to hide his anger and frustration.

"If you are going to yell then just yell," she tells him. "Don't suppress what you are feeling."

He scoffs. "Alright, you first. What the hell made you this cold?" he demands and she looks away.

"That's my burden to bear," Laveda states while looking away from her best friend. "I wouldn't want to hurt you by forcing you to share my demons."

"V," he grumbles. "Since when have you or I had any secrets from each other? Please, don't start now."

She looks at him. She wants to tell him, cry into his shoulders and have him tell her everything will be fine. However, she would never force him to share her pain. He needed to concentrate on saving his brother, not grieving the loss of Vera or helping her deal with the fact she'd murdered her own sister. She would definitely never tell him his own cousin had betrayed their cause revealing everything she knew to Wyatt.

"Chris, I want to tell you, I really do. It's just... this is my burden, this is my weight. You have your own. It's not like you'll tell me everything that's happened to you since your arrival. Please, just let me deal, alone."

"Fine, just answer me this. Why the hell did you spill future secrets? They aren't ready yet for that information. Are you stupid or just plain crazy?" Chris asks and she chuckled.

"You sounded like your aunt just there, you know," she responded before she could stop herself. Around Chris sarcasm came naturally to her. It was their language and they both knew it.

"Don't change the subject," Chris stated. "Now, what were you thinking?"

"I'm surprised you were able to keep your magic hidden this long," Vida states. "You and I both know that the elders should have sensed your arrival before now… How did you block the elders from sensing your arrival?"

"Simple, I don't use them and suppress them for the most part. I haven't used three-fourths of my powers since my arrival. Plus, I drank a potion which suppressed them when I first arrived. It wore off after two months but nobody was looking for me so nobody saw me. Refusing to use my powers has helped with that some," he stated and she nodded.

The exhaustion she felt from her long hours of torture and starvation seemed to be catching up with her as she swayed. Her footing slipped and she nearly fell off the bridge.

Before she could respond she was engulfed in orbs and teleported to Chris's side, in his arms. He lowered her slowly to the ground.

"Sorry about that, I'm a little tired," she stated, a little bit of her shame and embarrassment echoing in her voice.

"No need to be sorry," he told her as a breeze blew past them. She was tired, exhausted. A shiver escaped her and he quickly took off his jacket and slid it around her shoulders. This was Chris; same old Chris who always protected and nurtured. So much like his mother yet with a more logical way of seeing the world than her. He was also more sarcastic, more like his aunts than like Piper.

There was very little of his father showed through.

"Thank you," she whispered, missing this. She'd missed his friendship, his comfort. Tears glistened in her eyes as nostalgia got the best of her.

"No problem V," he whispered kindly.

"I forgot what this was like," she tells him.

"What?" he asks confused.

"This, people walking around, not having to fear the witch hunters, probes, demons and evil witches. The world, for all its darkness now, is still much lighter than anything in the future. I forgot what life was like, before the war, before Wyatt took over. All I can remember is being a part of the resistance, fighting to save lives," she tells him and she sees him nod, understanding.

"I know what you mean," he states. "Sometimes I forget, for a split second each morning, that the future was so bad. I see this world, that little boy my brother is in this time, and can't imagine him being the man from the future."

"Do you think we can stop him," she asks before she can stop herself. "I mean, can we stop the future from happening. I can't live like that again. I'd rather die than be subject to that world."

"Don't say that V," he says. "What about Vera and Dora? They need you."

She feels the tears begin flowing at his words. She can't help it. He's said the words that broke her.

"I couldn't protect them," she states sobbing.

--

He tenses up at her words. She couldn't protect them. His mind can conjure only one meaning.

"V, V, what happened," he asks and she shakes her head. Now he understands when she says she won't let him carry the weight of her burden. He cups her cheeks with his hands and force her eyes up to look at him. "What happened to Pandora and Vera?"

"I can't," she says shaking her head as she forces her tears away. "Please, don't… don't make me say it. I can't. I can't do this. I can't break down, not now. I've been strong till now. If I break down now I'll never survive. Breaking down will destroy me. Please Chris, just let me be."

He turns her towards him so she has to face him. His protective nature kicks in.

"Laveda, let me help you," he says in a comforting voice. "You need to break down so you can heal whatever wounds you have. Your body might have been healed, now its time for your mind to receive the same."

She shakes her head. "Ebony killed Vera," she whispers and he feels himself pale. He helped raise the girl, he was like a father to Vera. It hurt him to know she was gone.

"How long ago," he asked and she began sobbing. Her tears were free flowing.

"A month after you left," she states between sobs and he pulls her close. That was about a year ago. He closes his eyes as he holds her in his arms. Her hand clutches his shirt as she sobs into his arms.

There is more to that story and he knows it but he's not about to push her. That would shut her down.

Instead he just held her as she cried. Soon her sobbing came to an end and she was in his arms, relaxed. He glanced down to see she'd passed out in his arms.

He slowly stood up, carrying her in his arms. Then he orbed her to the manor, to the spare bedroom. After settling her into the mattress he found himself brushing a strand of blonde hair from her face. His best friend was in pain.

Even without empathy he knew it. He didn't know what to do to help her.

"I'm so sorry Vida," he whispers as he touches her hand with his own. "I'll make everything up to you, I promise."

With that he kissed her forehead and left the room. His best friend had a lot of pain.

--

Piper watched her son all day. The Clay girl was in bed unconscious and had been since late the night before. He kept stopping by to check on her, non-stop. Every five minutes he'd orb in like clockwork.

She suspected something was between them, more than friends. She remembered picking at him when he'd first heard of her, asking if it was his ex or something. He'd said they were only friends but she suspected there was something more, something unspoken, between them.

As she watched the young woman opened her eyes and looked around. Chris wasn't here. She seemed scared and confused, maybe even a little lost.

"Hey, you're okay," Piper said walking into the room.

"Piper," she stated before shaking her head. "I forgot where I was for a moment. I thought I was still in Wyatt's torture dungeon, waking up from a long round with his demons."

These words made Piper cringe. Chris never spoke about the future. She knew it was bad but she wasn't sure how bad it really was. This was the first glimpse of truth she'd really had about her son in the future.

"Its okay, in this time Wyatt's a baby. He won't hurt you here," Piper tells her and the woman nods.

"Don't let big Wyatt terrorize Chris like he did when I was growing up," Laveda says before looking up.

"What?" Piper asks and Laveda looks her straight in the eye.

"Chris, growing up, was bullied by his brother. They had one of those relationships. Wyatt would beat Chris up then apologize and promise never do it again only to hurt him later. A lot of the beatings were more mental and emotional but he was still bullied by his older brother. Don't let history repeat itself," Laveda told her.

"Why hasn't Chris said anything to us about this before?" Piper asked, worrying about her youngest son, the kind of life he'd had growing up. Why hadn't she stopped it?

"Chris, he… he didn't see it as a problem. Since there were no bruises he claimed there was nothing wrong. Even when he cried he'd claim it was his own fault. It was an extremely abusive relationship. Wyatt and Chris were best friends but also the bitterest of enemies. I was friends with both. It wasn't till I was older that I saw the problems between those two. I saw everything but that," Laveda told her and Piper could tell it was the truth. "I missed it for a long time. Only right before Wyatt went completely dark did I finally see it. By then the abuse had been going on for years. Just promise me you won't let it happen this time."

"I promise," Piper told the young woman who nodded at her. She had to ask. "What do you feel towards my son?"

"He's my best friend. He's like family to me," Laveda said.

"Yes, but what do you feel for my son?" Piper asked again and Laveda looked down.