Author Note : I know my profile says that I'm on hiatus; but, when I saw that it was Drew Fuller's birthday I couldn't resist to pump out a one-shot. So, I guess I'll move my hiatus to a half-hiatus. Missed writing FF so much! So, anyways, enjoy this one-shot!

Happy Birthday

He was finally an adult.

He finally reached that hallmark age that every child strives to get to as fast as they could once they learned the meaning behind it. Graduation was just around the corner, and then he would say farewell to the manor for a few years as he went off for higher education (that is if he could get his Mom to wrap her mind around the idea of her precious peanut leaving the nest).

The night was spent among family. His Aunt Paige's and Aunt Phoebe's sly attempts to weasel some information out of him about Wyatt's love life, and more importantly, his own. His mother's loving hugs and overabundance of affection as the realization of her precious baby was no longer one settled in. The loud squeals and the playful laughter of his cousins as they ran around the manor and waited impatiently for the abundance of sugar that came with every birthday.

As the minutes ticked by, and the big moment of blowing out the candles, have come and past, the sense of disappointment that Chris was trying to hold back started to expand. His smiled were forced when his aunts and uncles said their goodbyes for the night. His mother cleaned up before heading to bed, leaving the two brothers to their own devices. Once his older brother was distracted with cleaning the dishes, Chris darted to his room. He closed his door as gently as he could before.

The smile slipped from his grasp and he stumbled to his window. It slid open with a muted squeak and carefully, Chris straddled the thin beam. It was a full moon, and faintly, he could hear the night track of San Francisco playing in the background. It was a serene atmosphere, and Chris felt slightly guilty that it was all being wasted on him.

Glancing at his dresser, he saw the sharp corner of the note that he found early this morning. It held the same words that he expected to find as they were the same every birthday for the past few years. Empty apologies and even emptier promises that never came to fruition. And even though, he knew that it would come the morning of his birthday every year, he could never quell the ache that came from it.

Leo's absence wasn't missed. He saw the concerned looks his aunts were giving his mother. HIs uncles attempted to fill the void with talk of school and keeping him busy. He saw Wyatt hiss at his mother, furious at the sheer fact this their father were missing Chris's birthday once again.

Looking at the skyline, Chris closed his eyes. He could feel the late autumn chill beginning to shift to winter. The soft chime of an orb made him open his eyes, but did make him turn his gaze away.

"Chris-"

"Is he up there?"

The silence was all the answer he need. "Then orb back up there, and tell him that he has a mouth of his own to use."

"He's-"

"Busy. Yes, I got that much from the note, Aunt Prue. Always busy. Busy, busy, busy, my father seems to be. God, what do you Elders do every fall that requires his devote attention?" Cold green eyes slid over to meet matching saddened ones, "Or is it just he can't keep me and a 23-year-old version of I separate?"

"It's not that-"

"That what is it; because, for the hell of me, I can't figure it out." Chris hissed, "No matter what has happened, I am his son, that should be cause enough for him to want to see me; but apparently, not even that can make him hop off of his little pedestal in the sky."

"That's a bit harsh, Chris," Prue said, "He passes on his aplo-"

"Yeah, I get that he's sorry." Chris snorted and turned his gaze away from his aunt, "Everyone gets that he's sorry, he says it every damn year thinking that it's some magical word that heals everything. The thing is, that I don't give a shit. Sure, it hurts that my own father doesn't give enough thought about me to come and spend my birthday with me, but the sheer reality is that he's hurting more than me in this. He's hurting Mom, Wy, everyone, and he doesn't seem to get a flying fuck about that."

"He's only missed a few-"

"He's missed every one of my birthdays since I was 14." Chris stated, "When is he going to realize that the blade meant for Mom's heart went through my stomach instead? This timeline isn't the old one. Wy isn't evil. Mom isn't dead. But yet, I still seem to have an absent father who seemingly loves his eldest more than his spare."

"Chris-"

"I'm done, Aunt Prue." Chris stood from his seat, "Go up there and tell him that unless he gets off his little perch and come down here to apologize to everyone then I don't want to see him."

"You can't just cut your father out of your life, Chris!"

Chris looked at his Aunt. Her eyes, much like his own, were wide with shock. Her short bob cut was hidden by the golden robe she was clad in. "You tell me, Aunt Prue. Our souls are split from each other, so you should know better than anyone how easy it is to drop a father from your life, especially since you did it yourself years ago."

Prue's eyes hardened, "Christopher-"

Chris shook his head and grabbed the black coat that was draped over the back of his seat. "Until sunrise, Aunt Prue, that's all I'm gonna give him."

Prue's lips twisted into a scrowl, "I'll pass on the message."

"Good. Thank you."

"Where are you going?"

Chris looked over his shoulder, his hand on the doorknob, "For a walk."

"This late at night?"

"I can throw people sixty feet without a thought, I'm sure I'll be fine." Chris snorted, "If it makes you feel better, Wy will no doubt be with me."

Prue sighed. As the door slowly eased shut, she whispered, "Happy birthday."

It clicked close, Chris's body slumped against it. "Yeah, happy birthday to me."