ey guys, thank you everybody that reviewed. I seemed to get a lot more reviews for the previous chapter, so thank you very much, did it have something to do with the evil cliffhanger?
Anyway, to stop you wondering whether I really have killed Chris off or not, some of you are wondering, here's the next chapter to put you out of your misery. Beware, have the kleenex ready.
Growing Up Troubles
Chapter 18
"He went into full cardiac arrest," the doctor explained to the Halliwell, although he was not in the state to listen, that was why Speedy had come with him too, "We tried everything we could but I'm sorry…" The voice faded more that what it was already, Wyatt could not listen to anything else, he did not want to hear the outcome, he already knew it.
"No," Wyatt shook his head, finally speaking, his voice cracking through the lump that was in his throat, "You couldn't have done everything. There's got to be something else that you can do."
"I'm sorry," the doctor shook his head as tears ran down Wyatt's cheeks as he realised he had definitely lost his husband forever, "There was nothing else that we could do."
The 34-year-old Halliwell waited as the doctor left him and his friend alone until his anger took control of him. He stood in silence as his blood boiled and then let it out suddenly, punching his fist in the white wall of the hospital. The sudden burst of anger made Speedy jump, looking at the Halliwell in shock.
"Wyatt…" Frank started, reaching out to his friend, but it was not what the blonde wanted.
"Don't," Wyatt shook his head, looking into Speedy's green eyes, "Just, don't. There's nothing you can say to make this ok."
"I'm not going to try," Speedy shook his head, after all, Chris was his best friend it was hard on him too, "I know there isn't, but punching the wall…" Speedy sighed as he realised whatever he was going to say was not going to help at all, in any way, "Let's get you home."
"I can't go home," Wyatt shook his head, "I want to see him."
"Wyatt…" Speedy started, frowning slightly, but was cut off by his blonde haired friend.
"No, I want to see him," Wyatt began to make his way down the hallway, following where the doctor had walked, hoping he could find him, "I've got to say goodbye."
That was all that the Halliwell said, as he left Speedy behind to find Chris' doctor. Saying goodbye to Chris was just something that he had to do. He needed closure.
--
Staring down at the body, he wished he had not done this, wished he had not come to say his goodbyes. Even though he knew it was something he needed to do, seeing how his husband laid on the cold metal slab, his skin pale, his lips blue, he regretted it. His gorgeous green eyes were closed, and Wyatt could not help but shed a tear as he realised that he was never going to see them again. He would never see them filled with laughter, love, lust or even anger ever again.
The mortician had left him alone, given him a few minutes of privacy, while Speedy waited outside. The high school best friend had not wanted to see Chris like this, but Wyatt needed to.
Reaching out a hand, he stroked his husband's face. It was cold, ice cold, another sign that he really was dead. He just wanted to wake up from this nightmare, it had to be a nightmare, he could not be a widower at 34. He had three children to look after, there was no way he could do it on his own.
"How could you leave me?" he finally asked, his voice wavering as he tried to hold it together so he could get his speech out. He had no idea what he was feeling, sadness, anger, so much mixed together, "Why the hell did you jump into that water? Ok, I get why you did it, to save Lizzie, but…" but what? He saved their daughter. Surely what he was feeling would have been worse if Elizabeth had of died and Chris had not done anything he could about it. However, he would never know, "You were never meant to leave me, you should have fought. Why didn't you fight? What did I do? You had so many people that loved you and you just gave up? You're selfish, you're a selfish bastard," now tears were falling from his blue eyes and he could not stop them because even though he was angry at his husband, there was something else, "But I still love you and I'm always going to love you. No matter what you do, you'll always be in my heart," the Halliwell sighed as he realised he was running out of what he could say to his deceased husband. He took his cold hand in his own, rubbing along the dry skin with his thumb, "I'm gonna miss you so much and I don't want to do this, but I guess I need to. I need to say goodbye, even though I know you're always going to be with me. God, I sound so soppy here. I love you."
Once he finished saying his goodbyes, he made his way out of the morgue and back to his friend, who sat on the chairs waiting for him.
As soon as Speedy looked up at him, the Halliwell nodded his head, indicating that he was ready to leave. He needed to get back home, he needed to get back to his children.
--
So much was going through his head as he stood in the cemetery, looking down on the coffin that was ready to be put into the ground. Feeling the lump growing in his throat, Wyatt swallowed to try and get rid of it. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare, he wanted it all to end. However, he knew that that was not the case, this was not a dream, he really had lost his husband.
Faintly, he could hear the minister talking, speaking good words about the man that was about to be buried into the ground, but he could not listen, it just made it all real.
Hearing a sniffling beside him, he looked out of the corner of his eye to see Jennifer wiping the mascara coloured tears that were falling down her cheeks. He put an arm around his youngest daughter, pulling her close to him and then followed suit with his son, who was trying to understand the situation but at eight-years-old it was a little much to take in for him.
Elizabeth stood on the other side of Jennifer, her blue eyes focused on the wooden coffin that laid in front of them. She had cried so much in the past week, since they had lost Chris, Wyatt almost thought that she had ran out of tears. In fact, he thought he had almost ran out of tears to cry.
So many people were here at the funeral, more people that he really wished if he was honest. His family were with him, those he did not mind, they were there for support and he needed support right now. Speedy of course was there, with Holly, and Titch and Naff had managed to make it. It was the rest that he had no interest in, the rest that he was not even sure why they were here? Did they even know Chris?
Everybody was going back to their house after the funeral, for the wake, but right now he could not deal with it. He just wanted to lock himself in his room, away from the people offering him his condolences for his loss. That could not bring Chris back, nor would it make it any easier, instead it just made things worse as he thought more about it. He just wanted Chris back, was that too much to ask?
Glancing across the cemetery, he looked at where he had decided to have Chris buried. When it was the plans for his mother, that decision was easier, the family crypt, but he did not want Chris there and when he realised the perfect spot he knew Chris would not want to be there. He had found out where Chris' parents and grandfather were buried, well remembered where they were buried from Victor's funeral, and decided to bury him next to them. It seemed to make more sense.
"Wyatt?" The sound of his dad speaking to him, pulled him out of his thoughts and caused him to look at the retired doctor. Leo was pointing towards the minister and Wyatt realised that it was time for him to say some words. He had so much to say about Chris, but now that the time had come, he was not sure whether he could say it. He wanted to do it without his voice cracking, but he knew that it was not possible. He did still have tears left to cry.
Making his way up to where the minister stood, he pulled out what he had written down about his husband. He looked at his three children, his heart going out to them, this was not what he wanted for them. He knew exactly how they felt, he still remembered the pain he felt when he lost his mom. Although, at least he was prepared his mom was going to die, his children were not prepared about Chris.
"You know, I never thought I'd be stood here doing this," Wyatt sighed, as he looked around at all of the people gathered. He hardly knew some of the people, "Not now anyway. Chris was a hero, not just in the way he died, but in everything he did. He saved me so many times, not from physically things all of the time, mostly from the mental," hearing his eldest brother laugh slightly at him, made him smile slightly, "He helped me change who I was, and when things became tough…" he could not help but glance at Bianca, who stood there with her, wrapped in her 16-year-old son's arms. Then he looked at Elizabeth, who was watching him, a glistening over her eyes, "He was always there with me. Sure he made mistakes, he was never perfect, but I could never stay angry at him for long. He meant the world to me. He died to save his daughter," Wyatt's voice cracked as he realised that now was when his tears would fall. He took a deep breath to continue through the tears, "He always said that kids should outlive their parents and not the other way around, and would never have forgiven himself if something happened to Lizzie. He was a great man, and I know he would have touched you all in some way and he'll always be with us all," once he managed to make his speech, the Halliwell picked up a handful of soil and dropped it onto Chris' coffin, "Goodbye, Chris."
--
Wyatt took in his surroundings. He was not sure where he was at first, it was too dark to tell, but soon he recognised a building. A metal hut that he remembered all too well. He was back on the grounds of his boarding school, down by the hut that he, Chris and their friends used to go to when they smoked.
Hearing something inside the hut, he made his way towards it. He was not sure what the sound was, almost like a voice in the wind calling out his name. The closer he got to the hut, the clearer the voice sounded.
"Wyatt." It was Chris' voice.
The Halliwell broke into a run, to get to the hut, hoping that he was not too late, that Chris would still be there. Opening the door, his heart dropped as he realised that it was empty. Chris was not here at all. All he heard was the wind playing tricks on him.
"Wyatt."
There is was again, though, it was clearer now. Wyatt knew what he had heard, there was no possible way that it could be the wind.
"Wyatt."
It was coming from behind him. The Halliwell turned around, although he was slightly ready to be disappointed. When he was not, he smiled at the sight of his husband. This Chris was still pale though, so he knew that it was all a dream, but it did not stop him from being happy to see him with his beautiful green eyes open and looking at him.
"Chris."
"Hey there."
"Hey there?" Wyatt shook his head and laughed in disbelief, "You're dead and when I see you, you just say here there? Wait, you are dead, right?"
"I'm dead," Chris nodded his head and swallowed hard, "But you can't dwell on that. Our children need you."
"I can't do it without you, Chris," Wyatt shook his head, "I need you."
"And I'm always going to be with you," the Perry answered, closing the gap between the two men and looking deep into the blue eyes of his lover, "You'll never lose me for good."
"Why did you have to do it, Chris?" Wyatt now asked, feeling moisture in his eyes. This was all too overwhelming as he looked at his deceased lover, "There could have been another way…"
"If I hadn't have dived in, Lizzie would have been dead," Chris disagreed with the blonde, "Don't blame her, though. No matter who it was, I would have done the same. Especially when its our kids."
"Why didn't you fight though?" Wyatt now questioned, "You were in a coma, you could have fought and come back to us. Why are you leaving us?"
"Because it's my time," Chris shrugged his shoulders, "I wanted to come back, I really did, but I can't. I love you though. I love you all," Chris looked behind him, causing Wyatt to frown slightly, "I've got to go. My mom and dad are waiting for me. And your mom too. She says you're doing a great job by the way, just keep going."
Wyatt closed his eyes as he felt the tears fall to his cheeks and then nodded his head. However, the minute he opened them, Chris was gone. It was like he had never been there. Had he been there though? Had it all been apart of his imagination, his subconscious wanting to talk to Chris one last time.
Another voice called out to him, it was faint, how Chris' started, but this time he knew that it was not Chris. Looking around him, he could not see anything. In fact, he could not longer see the hut, it was not there anymore. Slowly, the woods vanished too as the voice calling out to him became more clear.
"Dad!" Wyatt groaned slightly as everything was black, it was a female voice, but he could not make out exactly who, "Dad!" slowly he opened his eyes and a blurred figure came into view, "Dad! Wake up, please." The voice was crying too, the voice that belonged to a girl, a blonde haired girl. Eventually, his body let him open his eyes properly and he could make out his 16-year-old daughter towering above him, tears streaming down her face.
"Lizzie?"
He felt the covers in his bed move and she climbed in with him, it was a good job he had put on some clothes before he turned in for the night.
"Lizzie, what's wrong, honey?"
"I don't want you to blame me," she cried and cuddled up to her father, "But I understand if you do."
"What could possibly make me blame you?" Wyatt questioned, remembering his dream. Chris had told him not to blame her, that he would have done it no matter who it was. That was something he could believe, it was just who Chris was, "Sweetie, it's not like I could have stopped Chris from jumping in to save you."
"But if I hadn't have left with Jack," the 16-year-old sobbed, "If I had have listened to you both then it wouldn't have happened and Chris would have still been here."
"Maybe so," Wyatt nodded his head, "But maybe it was just his time."
The teenager pushed herself up on her arms as she looked at dad in the eyes, frowning slightly. What was going on? What had this man done with her father?
"I miss him ok," Wyatt sighed and pulled his daughter back onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her, almost trying to keep her safe from everything she was feeling, "I loved him so much and I miss him. I don't even know if I can do this without him, but what you've got to understand is that if something happened to you, then neither of us would have been able to cope. He loved you more than words could say, and the same went with Jen and Scott. He would have done anything to keep you safe," tears once again filled his eyes as he spoke the truth and he could tell Elizabeth was still crying as he felt her tears on his bare chest, "Whether it be diving into some water, running into a burning building or give you both of his kidneys. He knew what it was like to lose his parents and he never wanted you to go through that at this age, but losing you would have been much worse, for both of us."
"I know, but…" Lizzie started, as she tried to talk through her cracked voice, "I did so much stupid stuff and I just wanna take it back. I want him back with us. He was my dad and I loved him," hearing those words caught Wyatt off-guard, he never thought he would hear that from her, never thought he would hear her call Chris her dad. It made him happy inside, but sad at the same time since Chris would never hear her say it again, "I want you to be happy, dad, and you would be if I hadn't…"
"I'm happy," Wyatt explained to her, "I'm not ecstatic, and yes I miss Chris, but I have you, Jen and Scott to keep me going and as long as you three are in my life, I'll always be happy."
"I love you dad."
"I love you two, sweetheart."
"We love you two, dad." A little voice called out from the door way and Wyatt realised that both his son and youngest daughter were there. Simply holding out his free arm, he motioned for his two children to come to the bed with him. Jennifer crawled onto the other side of Wyatt, while Scott climbed up next to Elizabeth. The 16-year-old wrapped an arm around her little brother and all four of them laid there for the rest of the night, as a family.
--The End--
So, once again, thank you to everybody who reviewed the story and for all you who read it. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope the ending was right. Those who have read most of my other stories will realise that I don't always go for the happy endings -- Dealing With Death is just one example.
Now that this story is at an end, I have two stories that I am going to be posting very soon. One of them is another WyattxChris story, while the other one will be a Supernatural/Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossover.
Anyway, please tell me what you thought of this story, maybe there were bits you didn't like and I could work on in the future or maybe there was something in particular that you did like. Now is the time to tell me.