Unwanted – Part 8
Everything around them looked like a battlefield when they reappeared at the manor. The sunroom's decor was broken or scattered around, a couple of the windows were smashed, and everything seemed to be covered in some sort of mysterious green dust.
Chris could hear the struggled sounds of what appeared to be ongoing fighting. He quickly ducked, while holding Wyatt tightly to his chest, as something sharp and pointy suddenly flew close by his head and got stuck in the wall behind him. A second later, Chris saw a glimpse of Phoebe as she circle-kicked a nasty reptilian demon off its feet, and then she was out of sight again. No wonder Wyatt had been scared, Chris thought. From the looks of it, the Charmed Ones had been majorly outnumbered and still weren't out of the woods yet.
"Where is mom?" Chris wondered. Wyatt had seemed really worried about her, so Chris wanted to find her as soon as possible.
"Don't worry. I'll help them." Chris promised his brother as he quickly lowered Wyatt into his playpen. Wyatt refused to let go of Chris' shirt though, which made Chris feel surprisingly touched. "I promise to keep you safe."
He gently pried Wyatt's fingers away from his shirt and gave his brother a reassuring smile. Chris would've never let go of him if he wasn't one hundred percent sure Wyatt could protect himself with his forcefield, and Chris also wanted to have his hands free to help the sisters.
Chris barely managed to tell Wyatt to put up his forcefield before something solid slammed into him, knocking him straight into a cabinet which broke from the force of it. The impact made Chris groan in pain, and he coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. He didn't have time to catch his breath though, because his attacker gripped his shirt next and sent Chris flying through the room.
Chris' body slid along the floorboards and came to a stop against the back of a couch. Feeling relieved that the collision had been softer this time, Chris rolled to his knees and glared at his attacker. It was another one of those ugly reptilian demons - or Opheos, as Chris knew they were called. They were lower-level demons but could be tricky to deal with. Aside from shooting harmful and poisonous spikes from their hands, they also had extremely hard skin that was difficult to penetrate. From the looks of it, multiple of the Opheos had attacked the Charmed Ones at the same time.
"But why?" Chris wondered. Opheos weren't usually organized into groups as they preferred to hunt and kill their prey alone. Were they hired guns for somebody else? Someone more powerful perhaps? Were they after Wyatt?
The question got answered when the Opheo turned its attention on Wyatt instead of Chris. The creature sent a spike flying towards Wyatt but, even though Chris was sure it wasn't at all strong enough to penetrate Wyatt's forcefield, Chris immediately flicked his wrist and sent the spike into a wall with his telekinesis. A second one of the reptilian creatures appeared just as Chris got back on his feet. He dodged another one of the nasty spikes but wasn't fast enough to avoid the accompanied kick, which was aimed straight at his face. Chris grunted as the contact split his lip and he instantly tasted blood. He retaliated by sending the newly arrived Opheo across the room with a swing of his arm.
Chris quickly turned his attention back to the first Opheo who was still trying to break through Wyatt's forcefield. Without hesitating at all, like he never did when his family was in danger, Chris orbed in between the Opheo and the playpen to protect Wyatt from the demon.
"Chris!" Paige gasped in surprise as she ran into the room. Her voice distracted Chris for a split-second, which was apparently all the time the Opheo needed since Chris suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his lower abdomen.
He cried out and fell to his knees in front of the playpen, not sure what had hit him. Chris didn't have time to find out though, because the Opheo was towering above him with a lifted hand. It was probably about to either smash Chris' head in or place one of those spikes between his eyes.
But none of those things happened.
Instead, Chris was suddenly surrounded by pure blue energy - the same kind that had shielded him numerous other times in his life. He turned his head and looked at Wyatt in surprise. The toddler version of his big brother had extended his forcefield to protect Chris from the Opheo – a move his Wyatt had made for as long as Chris could remember.
Chris was stunned by the gesture. For whatever reason, the kid seemed to have taken a liking to him suddenly. Perhaps Wyatt had sensed the brotherly connection between the two of them and had decided Chris was worth trusting.
As the reptilian demon exploded in a cloud of green dust, Chris figured Paige must have done something to vanquish it. He was grateful for the fact that Wyatt still had his forcefield up. Otherwise, Chris would have been completely covered in the Opheo's green ashes.
"Thanks, Wy." Chris said to his brother in a soft voice. Wyatt blinked back at him with big blue eyes. He looked so small and innocent in that moment that Chris kinda understood why it was so hard for Piper to believe Wyatt would ever turn evil.
"Paige, behind you!"
Chris turned his head sharply at the sound of Phoebe's voice. She and Piper had both entered the room while Chris had been reflecting on Wyatt's newfound trust in him. Piper had an arm draped across Phoebe's shoulders, and she was leaning heavily on her younger sister. Chris grimaced. Piper must have hurt her leg if the blood-stained jeans and the way she limped was anything to go by.
The Opheo, whom Chris had sent flying a few minutes earlier, was back on its feet and had aimed a spike at Paige. Piper quickly froze it before it could hit her sister, and Paige used her telekinetic orbing to return it to its sender. As soon as the spike hit the Opheo's chest, the reptilian-demon exploded in green dust and the room finally fell silent.
"Was that the last of them?" Paige asked a bit out of breath, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes.
"I think so." Phoebe answered and looked around. Her eyes widened when she suddenly realized they weren't alone. "Chris?"
Beside her, Piper was already staring at Chris with open mouth. The sight of him being encircled by Wyatt's forcefield was probably the last thing she'd expected to see.
Wyatt chose that moment to finally let the forcefield drop and Chris slowly got back on his feet. He winced a little as the movement stirred the injuries he'd sustained while fighting the Opheos, but he chose to ignore it as his eyes locked on Piper. He had a hard time deciphering the look on her face but at least it seemed like she wasn't about to either blast him away or throw him out of the manor once more.
"Wyatt was protecting Chris with his forcefield." Paige said, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she stated the obvious. There was a wry smile on her lips. "I guess he at least trusts him now."
"I don't understand." Phoebe said, looking confused. "What are you doing here, Chris? How did you know we were in trouble?"
"Wyatt brought me here. I guess he thought you could use some help." Chris answered. He was trying to sound casual, but his hands were starting to feel sweaty as the sisters continued to stare at him. Chris suddenly remembered he wasn't welcome in the manor anymore and shuffled his feet awkwardly. "I can… I can just leave if -"
"No." Piper suddenly interrupted to the surprise of everyone. She cleared her throat. "No, it's fine. You can stay."
Chris hesitated and swallowed hard. He didn't know what to say to that. Did he even want to stay at the manor right now? The pain he'd felt, when Piper had kicked him out, was still fresh, and Chris wasn't sure he was ready to forgive her just yet. But he did need the sisters' help to make sure Wyatt wasn't touched by evil. Chris didn't think he could do it on his own – at least, he didn't want to.
Paige ended up being the one to break the tense silence in the room when she suddenly exclaimed: "Oh my god, Chris! You're hurt!"
"Oh." Chris wiped some blood off his lips and chin with the back of his hand. "It's nothing."
"No, I mean…" Paige began but was interrupted when a whole bunch of Opheos shimmered in around them and started attacking immediately.
Chris spun around and quickly punched a demon who'd tried to sneak up on him from behind. Now that he'd seen how Paige had vanquished a couple of the Opheos, he discreetly used his telekinesis to send a spike right back at the creature before it could even get near him. It felt very satisfying to Chris when the Opheo vanished in an explosion of green dust. That would teach it to stay the hell away from a Halliwell.
After quickly checking that Wyatt had put up his forcefield again, Chris turned back around to see how the Charmed Ones were doing. His heart sank as he realized they were having a difficult time keeping up with the many reptilian demons. Considering the sisters had been fighting for a while; they were probably getting tired too at this point.
Chris was about to swing his arm but then hesitated. Was he ready to reveal another one of his secrets? His mom and aunts still believed Chris was a full whitelighter, and it was possible they'd kick him out again if they knew he hadn't been completely honest about that. It would definitely raise the question of why Chris hadn't told them he was part witch, but could he really just stand by and do nothing while his family was in danger?
Chris saw how his mom was struggling to remain standing on her injured leg as she froze spike after spike in midair.
He noticed the sweat dripping from Phoebe's short hair as she levitated and used her combat skills on one Opheo after the other.
He watched the exhaustion on Paige's face from the amount of energy she used to vanquish the demons one by one.
He even detected the fearful look on Wyatt's face as the kid protected himself with his forcefield while watching his family get attacked again and again.
"Oh, to hell with it", Chris thought. He then started swinging his arm left and right to send the Opheos flying in all kinds of directions with his telekinesis. A couple of them even exploded as Chris effectively returned their spikes to them with little effort on his part.
Like he'd expected, the actions didn't go unnoticed by any of the sisters. Chris saw glimpses of the shocked and disbelieving expressions on their faces as he kept using his powers, and he braced himself for the reactions he knew was coming. Not only was he half witch, but Chris was also an extremely powerful one. Humans and demons alike always assumed that Chris was much weaker than his big brother. That was far from true. Wyatt did possess more powers than Chris did, but it wasn't always about the number of powers – it also mattered how you used the ones you had. The Charmed Ones hadn't even seen half of what Chris could do with the powers he possessed.
"Wait, he's a -" Phoebe started when Chris interrupted her.
"I'm a witch too. That's right." He confirmed as he vanquished another Opheo. "Part witch, part whitelighter. Just like you, Paige."
"You lied to us?" Paige asked, dodging a spike.
"I had to. It was the only way I could get you to trust me." Chris could feel his mother's intense glare but tried not to be affected by it.
A drop of sweat rolled down his temple and he suddenly felt slightly unsteady on his feet. Chris knew he'd kept himself going on nothing but water and pure adrenaline until now, so was that why he felt lightheaded? Chris blinked hard a couple of times and tried to shake it off, while he quickly stopped a demon from attacking Piper.
"How can we trust you when you lie to us?" Phoebe huffed, punching an Opheo who'd tried to attack her.
"Can we talk about this later?" Chris asked, a bit out of breath. "I'm kinda busy right now."
Phoebe opened her mouth to answer, but another batch of Opheos chose that moment to shimmer in, and it became much harder to keep up with all of them. Chris struggled to help the sisters and keep an eye on Wyatt, while at the same time making sure he didn't get killed.
Chris heard Paige cry out as she was suddenly thrown into a wall. She hit her head and slid to the floor unconscious. A moment later, Phoebe screamed as she was sent flying through a window – leaving Piper and Chris to fend off the remaining demons on their own.
"Chris, on your left!" Piper warned him.
"On it!" Chris responded, flinging a couple of Opheos into a wall with a swing of his arm.
The two of them made a great team. Chris knew they would as he'd fought against countless of demons by his mother's side, but Piper was obviously also injured and was beginning to look exhausted. At one point, when Chris was busy fighting off four of the Opheos at the same time, he suddenly heard Piper gasp in pain behind him. Chris telekinetically wiped the Opheos off their feet with a powerful swing of his arm – then quickly spun around to check on his mom.
Piper was on the ground. She was hissing and clutching her shoulder, while one of the Opheos was leaning over her. As the reptilian demon looked like it was about to attack her, it instantly made Chris see red.
He sent the Opheo airborne with his telekinesis - then held up his hand and clenched it into a fist. As he closed his eyes in concentration, Chris used a facet of his powers he didn't allow himself to do very often – especially since it was something the evil version of his brother enjoyed watching him use. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
Just like he'd done to Leysa, the Valkyrie, Chris tightened his fist and crushed the hearts of every single one of the Opheos in the room simultaneously. He'd never used this aspect of his powers on so many demons at the same time before, and it took its toll on him. Blood began to drip from Chris' nose and his arm started shaking, but it was working. There was a collective sound of gasping breaths in the room – then green dust exploded everywhere as all the Opheos went poof.
Chris loosened his fist and doubled over. He put his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, feeling both shaky and nauseous from the huge amount of magical energy he'd just released. Chris sniffed and used his sleeve to wipe blood from his nose. He then remembered that Piper was hurt, so he lifted his head to check how she was doing. As Chris' eyes fell upon his mother, he instantly froze and felt all color drain from his face.
Piper was lying motionless on the floor. Her eyes were closed, and blood was pooling underneath her. The scene was familiar to Chris – so familiar that it immediately took him back to his fourteen-year-old self who'd watched his mother bleed to death in a similar way.
"P-Piper?" Chris breathed out. When she remained unresponsive and unmoving, like her future-self had done, something snapped inside of Chris. "No. No, no, no, no, no."
Chris dropped to his knees beside his mother and carefully cradled her lifeless body in his arms. He took in her closed eyes, her still body and the blood… so much blood… and everything reminded Chris of the day his mom had died.
"Please, no." Chris begged. "Not again."
His hands were trembling when he raised them over Piper's still body. Chris desperately tried to force them to heal but, no matter how hard he tried, nothing happened. He was failing her - just like last time. The face of the younger Piper in front of him and the face of the older Piper from his future suddenly looked like one and the same to Chris. He could hardly breathe.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Tears blurred Chris' sight as he dropped his useless hands in defeat.
Had he been thinking rationally, he could have tried to orb her to a hospital. But Chris' mind was trapped in the trauma he was reliving. Shivers racked his body in a feverish way, while he struggled to think straight. Maybe there was one person who could help – if he would come when Chris called.
"Leo!" Chris cried, eyeing the ceiling desperately. "Dad! Dad! I need your help! Please."
Chris' hope was crushed – along with his heart - when Leo didn't immediately show up. He felt completely deserted by his father in that moment. He'd been so stupid to believe his dad would care enough about him to be there when Chris needed him. But Leo hadn't before, so why would he start now? Chris wasn't even sure Leo had ever wanted a second son.
Time lost all meaning for Chris in the seconds that followed, and he suddenly couldn't distinguish between the past, the present and the future. It all merged into one inside his head and he completely lost it. Chris leant over his mom and started sobbing into her hair. He was so lost in his own grief that he didn't notice the sound of orbs – then strong hands were suddenly grabbing him.
"No!" Chris screamed and tore himself away from the hands as he fought to stay with his mom.
"Chris! Chris! Hey!" A voice said, grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Chris, look at me!"
And Chris did. Through a vision clouded with tears, he was suddenly staring into his dad's intense green eyes. Leo was crouched in front of him, hands still on Chris' shoulders, and he was looking rather concerned.
Chris was confused. His dad was here? He'd come? But no, Leo hadn't arrived in time, had he? He and Wyatt had been way too late, Chris had failed to heal his mom and she was already gone when they got there. But Chris couldn't see Wyatt anywhere because… he was evil? No, he was… a kid? Chris felt like he was going insane as he couldn't make sense of which time, he was in anymore.
"She's… She's dead." Chris said in a trembling voice. It was barely audible but, judging from the look on his dad's face, Leo had heard him.
"No Chris, she'll be fine. I'll heal her." Leo said in a calm voice, but Chris didn't understand a thing. He understood even less when Leo said: "I'm more worried about you right now."
Leo's hands glowed with golden healing light as he lifted them, but Chris quickly pushed them away from him.
"Chris…" Leo protested. He tried again to reach out and heal, but Chris stopped him once more.
"No. Heal her, please." Chris begged, gesturing towards his mom. What was his dad waiting for? Couldn't he see they were losing her?
"But…"
"Please. You have to help her." Chris pleaded again.
"Alright." Leo answered, although reluctantly. "Alright, Chris. Hang on, I'll be right back."
He gave Chris' shoulder a comforting squeeze before he let him go and stood up. Chris saw the healing light shine from Leo's hands again as he kneeled next to Piper. But Chris was sure it was too late though - despite what his dad had said. And Leo couldn't heal the dead.
"Couldn't or wouldn't?" A voice asked inside his head – an echo from a lifetime ago. Chris shook his head as he tried to stay in the present, although he was still unsure what the present time was.
"Chris, you gotta let Leo heal you. You're hurt really bad." Paige suddenly said.
Chris startled at the sound of her voice. He turned his head and saw Paige and Phoebe stand a few feet away from him. He didn't know how long they'd been there, but they weren't looking at his parents. They were both staring at Chris as if he'd grown two heads, although he also saw concern on their faces. But wait, something wasn't right with this picture. His aunts hadn't been there when his mom died, had they? Had Leo called them? And where was Wyatt? Chris' head pounded as he tried to make sense of it all but was failing miserably.
He looked down at his trembling hands and immediately felt sick when he noticed they were covered in blood.
"Mom's blood," his mind told him.
"This can't be happening. Not again." Chris muttered under his breath. He pulled at his hair, clenched his eyes shut and started rocking back and forth. "I couldn't heal her. Why couldn't I heal her? It's my fault she's gone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Leo, you have to do something. I can literally feel his pain right now and it's killing me… or him." Phoebe said. Her voice sounded pained and far away, but Chris wasn't really paying attention to the words. He kept rocking back and forth while the old trauma began to suffocate him. He felt like he was drowning in it.
His senses shut down one by one, until everything around him turned dark - and he was sinking.
Down.
Down.
Down.
"Chris?"
Chris blinked at the sound of his brother's voice. Most of the time, he couldn't comprehend any of the words Wyatt said to him. It was like Chris' entire system had shut down ever since Mom…
Anyways, this was apparently one of the better days since Chris could actually hear and understand what Wyatt was telling him. He didn't react to it though.
"Chris? Come on, little brother. You have to eat something." Wyatt begged him.
Chris didn't answer. He didn't know how to anymore, couldn't form the words. Mostly, he wasn't even aware of anything around him. He spent all his time lying in bed, staring into the wall. Staring into nothing, really. He was an empty shell. His mind was blank. He wasn't dead but he wasn't really living either. He barely existed.
Chris felt arms wrap around him and gently lift him. Then he was sitting up, propped up by pillows and wrapped in a blanket. Something was pushed against his mouth. A spoon?
"Come on, Chris." Wyatt coaxed, then sighed, and put the spoon away when Chris remained impassive. Wyatt put his hand on Chris' forehead. Chris' eyes fluttered when he felt the warmth from Wyatt's palm as his brother tried to heal his broken mind again. But Chris couldn't be healed with magic – no matter how many times Wyatt had tried. It just wasn't working.
Wyatt's body suddenly tensed. Chris was quickly maneuvered around until the side of his face was pressed into Wyatt's chest, while his brother's arms were wrapped protectively around him. Chris didn't understand what was happening, until Wyatt started talking; "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to check on my sons." A voice answered, gently. Chris couldn't see him, but he did recognize his dad's voice.
"Both of us? Well, that's a first." Wyatt huffed.
"That's not fair, Wyatt."
"Oh, really Dad? You wanna talk to me about what's fair?" Wyatt answered. Chris detected the underlying tone of anger in his voice.
There was a pause in the conversation. Chris blinked sluggishly against his brother's chest.
"I think it's time we find a better solution for Chris." Their dad said. "It can't continue like this. Chris is not… right. He needs help."
"You mean you want to lock him up somewhere?" Chris could hear his brother's heartbeat pick up speed. "Abandon him at an asylum with a bunch of strangers, let them prod at his brain? Is that what you want?"
"Of course not. You know I wouldn't do that to him." Leo answered. Chris believed that to be true, but Wyatt clearly didn't from the way he snorted in disbelief. Their dad seemed to ignore it as he continued: "Actually, The Elders agreed it would be best for everyone if we took him Up There. Maybe we can find a way to -"
"No." Wyatt dismissed, before their dad could even finish the sentence.
"Wyatt, hear me out." Leo started when Wyatt cut him off once more.
"I said no. You're not taking him anywhere. Chris belongs with me."
"I only want what's best for him. For the both of you." Leo tried to reason.
"Do you, Dad? Do you really? You say you want what's best for Chris, but you haven't even asked me how he's doing. You've barely looked at him. So, no thanks, but Chris is staying right here." Wyatt's tone left no room for negotiation. "He's not gonna be the Elders' lab rat. I won't allow it."
"I'm sorry, but you know you can't make that decision, son."
"Why? Because I'm not his father?" Wyatt sneered. "That title doesn't mean anything. You've proved that a long time ago."
"It's the Elders' decision." Leo answered. He sounded… sad? Chris wasn't sure. Wyatt's arms tightened around him, to the point that it almost hurt.
"I don't give a rat's ass about the Elders!" Wyatt boomed. "When have they ever done anything to help us? It's always about 'the greater good' but all they ever do is ruin people's lives! The Elders are no better than demons! Good or evil – there's no real difference. All they care about is power!"
"Wyatt, please." Leo sighed. "Look, I know you're sad I couldn't save your mom but…"
"Couldn't or wouldn't?"
"Don't say that. It was already too late when I got there. You know it was. There was nothing I could do."
"You're an Elder! You could've found a way if you'd wanted to! The old you would have. The dad I knew would've stopped at nothing to save his family. And if you had, then maybe Chris wouldn't have broken into pieces believing he's the reason she's not here anymore!"
Chris clenched his eyes shut. He wasn't sure he wanted to listen to any more of this conversation. He couldn't see either one of them, but he had a feeling that Wyatt and his dad were staring hard at each other. The silence was deafening.
"I'll give you a couple more weeks. That's all I can do." Leo eventually said. "Then we'll come for him."
Chris felt the power radiate from Wyatt when his big brother jerked his wrist. There was a bumping noise, followed by a pained grunt.
"Wyatt." Leo gasped, sounding shocked. Chris realized Wyatt must have used his powers on their father, which Chris was pretty sure his brother had never done before. Blue translucent light suddenly blinded Chris when Wyatt enveloped the two of them in his forcefield.
"If anyone of you, and I mean anyone of you, try to take Chris away from me, I swear it'll be the last thing you'll ever do." Wyatt sneered. His voice was colder than Chris had ever heard it before, and it kinda scared him.
"Promise me you won't do anything irrational." Leo begged. "You can't take on the Elders. There's no coming back from that."
"Leave."
"Wyatt, I love your brother. I can't look at him right now because, every time I do, I see Piper's face and… it just hurts too much." Their dad said in a choked voice. "But I swear I'll keep him safe."
"I said, leave!"
"Son…"
"Don't make me hurt you, Dad."
There was a beat of silence. Then Chris heard the sound of orbing as their dad left.
Wyatt's chest pumped up and down for a few moments, as if he was winded. Then Chris heard him sniffle. Was… Was Wyatt… crying? Some of the fog left his mind with the realization, and Chris' thoughts suddenly felt clearer than they had been in a long time. It sounded like Wyatt needed him, so maybe he should try to get better – for his brother's sake.
So, when the spoon eventually appeared in front of his mouth again, Chris used all the energy he could muster to open his mouth and let his brother feed him.
"That's it, Chris. You're doing good." Wyatt praised with a trembling voice.
As the liquid went down his throat, Chris realized it was chicken soup, and his chest suddenly felt tight with emotion. It tasted just like the soup his mom used to make for him when he was sick. Chris had been numb for so long that it was a surprise to him when he started crying. God, he missed his mom so much.
"Chris?" Wyatt gasped and, a second later, his brother's face came into Chris' line of vision. "Chris, are you here with me?"
And Chris actually returned his brother's look, for the first time in quite some time. He could tell it'd been a while from the length of Wyatt's blonde hair, which was halfway down to his shoulders at this point. Wyatt was unshaven and had deep dark circles underneath his eyes as if he hadn't been sleeping for a while. It broke Chris' heart to see his brother look so worn down.
"W-Wy." Chris croaked out on a sob. His voice was weak and unused, but Wyatt looked at him like he'd just hung the moon.
"Hey, little brother." Wyatt released a shaky breath and hugged Chris tightly. His voice was thick with tears.
As his big brother held him, Chris noticed the many magic books that were scattered around the room. It was as if Wyatt had emptied out all the books of Magic School. What was going on?
"Don't worry, Chris. I won't let them take you away from me. I won't let them harm you. I'll make sure no one can ever hurt us again - not the Elders, not the demons, not anyone. I'll be powerful enough to take on the entire world. I promise you that."
"Chris! Chris!" Someone was calling his name and shaking him hard. "Are you with me? Chris?"
Chris' eyes snapped open when he was pulled out of the memory. He sucked in a huge mouthful of air as if he'd just broken through the surface of water. Chris' vision was blurred, and he was seeing double, while he fought to remain conscious.
"Come on. I've got you. Come on." The voice sounded like his dad's. Arms fastened around his chest and Chris was suddenly pulled to his feet. The motion made his stomach churn, and he could barely stand upright.
"I don't feel so good." Chris mumbled, swaying on his feet.
The next thing he was aware of, was vomiting into the kitchen sink. How did he even get there? As he once again retched into the sink, Chris wanted his big brother to comfort him, but where was Wyatt? Hadn't his big brother just been there?
"Easy, kiddo." Leo said and gently rubbed Chris' back. "Are you done? Can I take a look at you?"
He carefully twisted Chris around until they were facing each other.
"Oh god, Chris." Leo's expression was grim as he quickly looked him over. Chris followed his dad's view and glanced down at himself. His eyes widened at the sight that met him. Chris realized he was completely drenched in what he believed was his mom's blood. It was everywhere: on his clothes, his arms, his hands. If Chris had had anything left in his stomach by then, he would have puked.
"I tried, Dad. I really did." Chris' voice was hoarse, and it broke as he continued to stare down at the blood. His eyes misted over with tears. "But I couldn't save her. I couldn't. I'm so sorry."
Chris started clawing at the blood on his arms in a manically way, not caring that his nails left deep marks in his skin.
"Chris, stop! You're hurting yourself." Leo exclaimed, grabbing his wrists firmly.
Chris' knees buckled underneath him, but his dad didn't let him fall. Instead, he gently lowered him until Chris was sitting on the floor with his back against a kitchen cabinet. Leo released his wrists and instead cradled Chris' face in his hands - forcing Chris to look at him. "I don't know what's going on in your head right now, but Piper's okay. She got hit in the shoulder and probably passed out from the poison, but I healed her. She's good. This blood right here? It's not hers. It's yours."
"What?" Chris breathed out in confusion, trying to comprehend his dad's words. "I'm bleeding?"
"And burning up too. I gotta get rid of that thing before I can heal you." Leo answered, pointing at Chris' midsection.
Chris looked down at his shirt again and then he finally noticed the spike sticking out of his lower abdomen.
Oh right, the poisonous spikes.The Opheos.
That explained the pain he'd felt when he'd protected Wyatt, and probably explained why he was barely coherent right now. But wait, his brother was a toddler in this time, wasn't he? Chris blinked a couple of times as everything slowly came back to him. It clicked together in his mind like pieces of a puzzle. He suddenly remembered where he was and when. He also remembered why he'd come to the past in the first place.
"Oh." Chris said as it all dawned on him. He realized Leo was right; Piper had to be fine. Otherwise, Chris would have simply ceased to exist the moment she'd died, since he hadn't been conceived in this time yet.
"I think the poison has made you delirious." Leo mumbled. "I'm surprised you were able to keep standing for this long."
Chris gasped in agony as Leo suddenly pulled the spike from his stomach. However, the pain subsided to a manageable level as his dad started healing him right away. The wound in his stomach slowly closed and disappeared – as did the many cuts and bruises he'd been covered in. Chris also felt a lot more clearheaded now that the poison wasn't in his bloodstream anymore.
When Leo was done healing, he stood up and reached a helping hand out to him. Chris looked up at his dad, then down at the hand, before he finally accepted the offer. He grasped Leo's hand and let the man pull him to his feet. As soon as Chris was upright, Leo grasped the back of Chris' neck and pulled him into a tight hug. Chris breathed in sharply when he felt Leo wrap his arms around him. His entire body tensed, and he started trembling in his dad's arms.
"It's okay, Chris." Leo squeezed his neck reassuringly, probably sensing Chris' discomfort. "I promise I'll do better with you this time around. You can trust me."
Chris was reluctant at first but then slowly wrapped his own arms around Leo until he was clutching the back of his dad's shirt tightly. It had been so long since his father had held him like this. Hell, it had been so long since he'd been held by anyone that Chris felt overwhelmed with the sensation of it.
"You're okay, son. I've got you." Leo whispered in his ear and, for once, Chris allowed himself to believe it.
Chris pulled back from his dad's embrace when approaching footsteps caught his attention. He turned his head, just in time to see all three Charmed Ones enter the kitchen. Chris' heart skipped a beat when he saw his mom. She looked a little pale but otherwise appeared to be okay, and she was carrying Wyatt on her hip. Phoebe was standing on her right side, covered in a various of cuts – probably from being thrown through a window, Chris figured. Paige was on Piper's left side. She was holding an icebag against her head and looked a little dazed.
Piper stared at Chris – like really stared at him as if she'd never seen him before. Then she suddenly released a strangled sound and covered her mouth with a hand. Chris was confused by the tears he saw in her eyes. Piper handed Wyatt to Phoebe and then looked from Chris to Leo and back to Chris again.
"I'm trying to make sense of something, and I need you to be honest with me." She said to Chris. "Please."
Chris blinked at the request, looking a bit warily at Piper. She grimaced at his reaction. Neither one of them had forgotten how she'd called Chris a liar, and had kicked him out, the last time he'd been honest with her. Piper cleared her throat and wrung her hands nervously.
"You're part whitelighter, part witch - just like Paige and Wyatt. Your power is telekinesis, which Prue and Grams also possessed. You walk around the manor as if you know it by heart, you have a lot of knowledge about us, and you're very comfortable with the Book." Piper listed while she stared at him. When Chris nodded slowly, she continued. "You came all the way from the future to save Wyatt instead of stopping him, which I don't think just anyone would do. I heard you were very upset because you thought I'd died in there before, and… and Phoebe and Paige said they heard you call for your dad just before Leo orbed in."
Chris swallowed hard. He didn't nod this time, but he didn't have to either. He was pretty sure Piper could see the truth on his face. She sucked in a shaky breath and shook her head apologetically.
"I'm so sorry I've been so blind." She sniffled. "You even look so much like a Halliwell that I'm surprised none of us saw it sooner."
"Oh my god, is he Wyatt?" Paige suddenly asked with wide eyes.
"No, of course he's not Wyatt!" Piper huffed and slapped Paige's shoulder. "How hard did you hit your head?"
"Pretty hard, actually." Paige replied, looking a little green. Chris figured she probably had a concussion. "But if he's not Wyatt, who is he?"
"He's Chris." Piper simply answered and smiled at Chris through her tears.
"Christopher, after my father." Leo chimed in, looking proud.
"He's our son." Piper said. She released a choked sob when Leo confirmed her conclusion with a smile and a nod of his head. Phoebe and Paige both gasped in unison and exchanged shocked looks.
"Oh. My. God." Paige breathed out.
"We have another nephew?" Phoebe asked and lit up in a smile.
Piper didn't react to her sisters' comments. She only seemed to have eyes for him. Chris felt completely numb as his mom stepped closer. He was convinced Piper hadn't liked him when she didn't know who he was. Would that suddenly change now that she knew? Did he even want it to if his personality alone wasn't enough for her?
Piper stopped right in front of him. She tilted her head a bit as she seemed to study his facial features, smiling when she saw something in his face that must have pleased her.
"Chris." She said as if testing the name. She then reached out a hand towards his face.
Chris jerked back before she could touch him, and Piper's smile wavered. She slowly retracted her hand and bit her lower lip, looking a little insecure. Beside him, Leo put a hand on Chris' shoulder and gently squeezed it. For once, Chris felt comforted by his dad's support.
"I'm so sorry for everything, Chris." Piper apologized in a shaky voice. "I know I haven't treated you very kindly. None of us have. Hell, I even kicked you out…"
Her lips trembled.
"I don't know if you can ever forgive me for being such a horrible person. But if you give me a chance, I'll try my best to make it up to you, Chris. To be a good mother." She continued and teared up. "I can't believe Wyatt's gonna have such a wonderful baby brother."
"Oh my god…" Phoebe sniffled and put a hand on her chest.
"I thought you couldn't channel our feelings anymore?" Paige said and shot her sister a weird look.
"It's not Piper's feelings I'm channeling right now." Phoebe said. She looked at Chris as a tear escaped her eye and slowly rolled down her cheek.
A matching tear was rolling down Chris' cheek. He was so overwhelmed by the love he saw in his mother's eyes that he didn't know what to do with himself. The last time he'd seen her look at him like that, had been just seconds before her death. So much had happened since then – so much pain and suffering. Chris didn't want to carry it all on his shoulders anymore. He needed his family.
As another tear rolled down his cheek, Piper reached for him again. This time, Chris allowed her to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down for a hug. He felt her card her fingers through his hair lovingly and Chris visibly melted into her warm embrace.
"Mom." He whispered shakily, wrapped his arms around her and buried deeper into her hug. "Mom."
She kissed his cheek but didn't let go of him. Another set of arms wrapped around them both, and Chris realized his dad had decided to join them. Chris accepted the warmth that began to blossom inside his chest from the feeling of his parents' love.
"Wyatt!" Piper scolded when the little version of his big brother suddenly orbed into Chris' arms.
"It's fine." Chris assured in a soft tone. He smiled when the kid rested his head against his shoulder with a content sigh. Chris guessed his brother wanted to comfort him too – just like he'd always done.
"We're sorry too, Chris." Phoebe said as she and Paige joined the group hug. "Please forgive us."
"I never doubted you for a second." Paige commented with a wink. "I guess that makes me your favorite aunt."
Phoebe protested but Chris didn't really listen to their words. He let them all hug him and allowed himself to really feel the love. Things were far from perfect between him and his family, and he still had a mission to finish and a brother to save. But for the first time since he'd traveled to the past, Chris finally didn't feel alone.
(Epilogue in next chapter)