This is it folks! The final chapter! I hope that you have enjoyed it as much as I have and I'll see you around for the sequel. -Abs

The kitchen was eerily still as Paige wandered in to find a fresh pot of coffee. Piper was sitting quietly in the conservatory, swirling her finger in a cold cup of coffee, and flipping through a photo album. She stopped on a recent picture of Chris holding Wyatt, both laughing, on an outing in Golden Gate Park. She started crying.

Paige set down her own cup and approached her sister. She swept the fallen piece of hair out of her face and pulled her close into her shoulder. "It's ok, baby. We're all ok."

"It was too close, Paige," Piper cried, "I almost lost everyone—my husband, my sons. I don't know how much longer I can do this."

Paige turned her head to her big sister and kissed her on top of the head, "Well, according to big Chris, little Chris is due soon, right?"

Piper caught her breath and sat up quickly, "Oh yeah," she wiped her eyes and struggled to get up. She walked over to the calendar and looked at the date, "Real soon," she rubbed her belly.

The twinkling of orbs caught Piper's attention as she found Wyatt holding his blankie standing in the middle of the conservatory, "Mama," he whimpered and walked toward her.

Piper went to him as Paige lifted him into her arms. "You're ok, sweetpea. We all are," she attempted a smile at Paige.

-----

The wind off the bay blew Piper's curtains across his face carrying the smell of the early spring morning. Every muscle in his body ached so that it even hurt to breathe. He knew that Leo had healed him, but that didn't stop the pain. The faint smell of lilacs wafted toward him, "Mom?" Chris whispered letting his eyes flutter open.

"Stay still," a strong hand held him in the bed. Suddenly Chris felt a warmth beyond explanation in his mid-section. He sighed as the pain seemed to melt out of his tired body. "You're still weak," Leo added as he went to the night stand and picked up a bowl of chicken broth, "Let me help you," he helped Chris sit up in the bed.

Chris took the cup of soup from his father's hands. He looked up into Leo's eyes and saw a new pain there. "How'd it end? Is everyone ok?"

"We are now," Leo smiled before timidly placing his hand on Chris's cheek. "I almost lost your mother, your brother," he paused, "you." Leo's eyes filled up with tears. He scooted closer to Chris and helped him lift the cup of soup to his lips. "But we'll all be ok now."

Chris took a small sip and winced with pain before putting the cup back on the nightstand. "Yeah," he looked out the window.

-----

"I didn't expect to find you here," Cole walked slowly down the steps of the mausoleum. "On top of the Golden Gate Bridge, in the Redwood Forrest, maybe. But not here, not today." He stopped ten feet from his daughter and leaned against the wall.

Chloe was sitting cross-legged on top of the crypt across from her grandfather's. Her face was pale and her mind still raced with the images from the night before. Chaos. Horror. She couldn't erase the look of disgust on Leo's face when he realized what he done—the remorse, the anguish, and the relief all rolled into one pained moment. She couldn't forget the panic that ran up her spine when Chris's eyes shut. Cole had to hold her back as Leo laid his hands on Chris and prayed that he had at least a breath left in him, a heartbeat even, to save. She remembered how she trembled and buried her face into her father's strong chest as Leo orbed Chris up to the rest of the elders to plead with them to help him heal his baby boy. And in a moment she will never forget, the moment she was orbed out of her mother's arms and into the elder's sanctuary because there were two women Chris wanted to see when he first stirred—Piper and Chloe. That was only twelve hours ago and she had yet to sleep.

"Chris is awake. I thought you might like to know that," Cole crossed the miles between he and Chloe before delicately placing his hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, sweetie?"

Chloe stifled back her tears. The emotions were too much to hold in, but she had to. She was going home and she only had two hours to say goodbye. She had no idea what she was returning to—whether or not her mother or her aunts were still alive, was her father free? And the memories of the past few weeks with them both haunted her and saved her. "I," the tears crept down her face and she wiped her nose with her free hand, "Um," she paused again as Cole took a seat next to her and put his arm around her, "Damien and Vestas were here. I gotta go back," she started to sob.

Cole pulled her head closer to his chest as he too felt the tears rolling down his cheeks. "I know," he whispered into her ear.

Chloe slightly pulled back and let her father wipe the tears off her face, "What?"

He looked down into her eyes—she was only twenty-one years old and she had seen so much. Maybe this time...maybe when she went back things would be different. Damien and Vestas had promised that when she went back they would assimilate her so that her memories would be congruent with the new future. They had promised. He had sworn to them that if they didn't, he would never join them and he would make life very difficult in the meantime. So they promised. "They came to see me," he rubbed his finger across her eyelid, "They asked me to join them."

"And?" Chloe asked.

"And I told them I would. But first, I needed some time to self," Cole stood up. He knew this wouldn't make Chloe happy.

"You're not joining them?" Chloe joined him in front of his father's tomb.

"I didn't say that," he half-turned to her and left one eye on the inscription under Benjamin Turner's name. "I need to figure out my purpose, Chloe, find out what I should do with this new chance on life. I became an Avatar before and was killed."

"But dad," Chloe protested, "you were also evil. You're not anymore. It will be different, I promise," now tears of anger filled her eyes. She then turned on him, "Dad, what about me, huh? Are you just going to leave and forget about mom... and... well... me?"

"No," Cole grabbed her by the shoulders and stared her down in the eyes, "I will not forget about you. You are the reason I am doing this. I can't...I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you," Cole let a tear fall off his cheek. "I have to do this, ok. For you and for your mom." He pulled her into a tight hug.

-----

"Piper's having contractions," Paige announced walking into the attic, "Isn't that exciting?" she finished yawning.

Phoebe closed the book and ran her fingers over the triquetra. Her expression didn't change. She took a long deep breath before forcing a smile. "We haven't had enough excitement over the past few days." Paige's brow furrowed. "I don't mean that the way it sounded. I am happy—baby, yay!" Phoebe clapped, "but after going through all we have," she sighed. "Let's go sit with Piper," she linked arms with Paige as they ran into Chris who was limping up the stairs still in his pajamas.

"Chris, man, what are you doing out of bed? And why didn't you just orb upstairs?" Paige hugged him.

He hugged her back, "I still don't have the energy to orb. Dad slipped away for a moment to be with mom. I heard little me is on his... err... my.... whatever... Mom's in labor. And I wanted to see if Chloe was up here," he looked to Phoebe.

Phoebe shook her head, "She didn't sleep last night. And I haven't seen her today. Cole told me he would find her. I trust him."

Chris closed his eyes, "She's at the mausoleum," he slowly sat on the bed Chloe had been sleeping in. "I think she'll be coming here soon."

"You two probably need to be alone," Paige took Phoebe's arm back in hers, "We're going to be with your mom. We are her midwives," she winked before she and Phoebe headed back downstairs.

Chris nodded and motioned for the book which landed lightly in his lap. He held his hands over it as the pages flew open and began to rapidly flip through before stopping. That's Phoebe's handwriting, he thought as he read the newest entry. His thoughts flew back to the previous night. He could still feel the burning pain in his stomach and his fingers instinctively traced where the stab wound had been the night before. The smell of burnt flesh filtered through his mind as he remembered the fireball wound on his leg. And the light, he remembered, I thought I was going to see my old friend Clarence again.

"I know I thought I had lost you," Chloe sat down next to him. Chris startled as Chloe snuggled up to him and read the entry on Gideon over his shoulder. "Never thought I would see an elder written up in the Book of Shadows. Wow," she shook her head.

"I almost died," Chris barely whispered tracing over the picture of Gideon. Chloe put her hand on his causing him to see her memories. He saw the events through her eyes. He saw her running to him. He saw Leo's look of pain and terror as he rushed to Chris's side and frantically began to try to heal him before disappearing in a cloud of orbs to the rest of the elders. The next sight he saw was him lying in the middle of an open foyer, surrounded by bright white lights and men and women in golden velour capes. His father was on his knees next to him, with his hands cradling Chris's, and tears falling down his cheeks. Piper was aided to his side by Chloe—they were also both crying. Chris opened his eyes and found tears were also on his cheeks. Chloe picked the book off of his lap and returned it to the stand before turning back to him—revealing that she too couldn't hide her emotions.

"If you had died," she began letting her eyes wander from his, as if the pain was too recent to be able to accept, "If you had died I would be alone. And I wouldn't have been able to handle that. Especially now."

Chris looked at Chloe and for the first time noticed that she was wearing the same outfit she had on when she first appeared. "You're going back," he more stated than asked. Chloe couldn't respond verbally, she simply nodded. "And you expect me to go back with you." She nodded again. Chris sighed heavily, "Yeah, but give me twenty-four hours, ok?"

"I really didn't expect that answer," Chloe sat back next to him facing him, "I thought that..."

"I wanted to stay?" Chris asked. Chloe nodded back. "I did. But I can't. I'm not just risking our future, but... well... the future in general. Staying here puts the whole family in jeopardy, and I can't do that. Mom and dad are going to be having to worry about little me—they don't need to be concerned about big me as well."

Chloe pulled her black velvet bag back out from under her cape. She pulled out two satchels and a piece of white paper. "I hadn't expected you to agree."

"So you were going to drug me?" Chris asked astonished.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "No stupid. This," she held up the first bag, "is my insurance. It's because I don't want to mess up the future either." She got up from the bed and walked over to the potions trunk. She pulled out the basin and a red candle before emptying the contents of the bag into it. "I need for you to cast this spell after I leave," she returned to Chris and handed him the paper.

His eyes quickly scanned the words and he knew exactly what it was meant to do, "You're altering their memories. Chloe, do you realize how dangerous that is? That can be?" he looked at her astonished.

"Not anymore dangerous than what you and Leo did to me," she cocked her eyebrow at him. Chris's jaw dropped. "I even used crushed Easter lily in the ingredients," she leaned back casually on her hands waiting for Chris's likely response.

"What? How'd you? What?"

Exactly the response Chloe had anticipated, "I don't know what you erased, Chris. The spell worked. But did you honestly expect to full a telepath? All I have to do is touch you," she playfully poked at him before smiling, "Thank you. For whatever pain and whatever memory you erased, thank you."

Chris shook his head, "Not a problem," before re-reading the words. "This is well-worded. It should work," he confirmed her.

"Damn straight," she kidded before pulling out the second bag, "This one is for you. You'll need to burn it while reciting 'Asvatan arrainus cumar' five times. It's Avatar," Chloe noticed Chris's confused expression, "It will summon Damien and Vestas. They'll bring you back and you'll go through the same thing I will."

"Which is?" Chris asked concerned.

"I'm not real sure," she responded bluntly, "Somehow incorporating what memories we would have if we had stayed... and the future caught up with us... with the memories we do have. Damien insured me that it will help us acclimate better and help prevent 'certain' situations from reoccurring." She shook her head disbelieving.

"You're skeptical."

"I trust them. I just don't know what they're talking about," Chloe's eyes wandered out the window. "I've got another hour," she handed him the bag.

"Be safe, Chloe," Chris stood up and embraced his cousin in a firm, breath-taking hug.

"Ditto," she clung back, "I've got to go say goodbye in a roundabout way to the rest of the family." Chloe turned to leave, but backed out of the room so that she could still watch Chris, "Wait an hour. Then recite that spell, ok. They all have to be here...under one roof," she turned around.

"What about me?" Chris took a tentative step forward, "Will it affect me?"

"I sure hope not," Chloe turned with a smile before disappearing downstairs.

-----

Chloe walked past Piper's room where she saw Piper swaying on a birthing ball, Phoebe lighting tranquility candles, and Paige massaging Piper's shoulders and neck. Chloe laughed, "I am sorry to miss this," she smiled as she walked in the room.

"Sorry to miss it?" Piper let out a long slow breath, "What do you mean, sweetie?" she questioned before turning to Paige, "I think that one's over."

Phoebe walked over and took her daughter's hand. Chloe squeezed it before answering, "Damien and Vestas, the two Avatars who sent me, came back today." Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her, "They are ready to take me back. I served my purpose—I saved my dad and stopped Batterak," she choked back her tears.

Phoebe pulled her into a tight hug, "How many more years 'til you're born? Three?" she held her close. Chloe nodded. "I am going to miss you so much. And I can't wait to see you as a little baby," Phoebe began to cry.

Piper waved Chloe over to her and took her hands in hers with a gentle kiss on the backs of them, "It was a joy, Chloe. And an encouragement to see that there is some person out there who can break down that wall around my son," she added before pulling her into her shoulder for a hug, "Be safe," she kissed her cheek.

Paige coyly brought Chloe closer to her, "Awh, chick. I hate goodbyes. So we'll just settle with see you soon, ok? Even if soon is in three years," she finished with a wink.

Wyatt orbed out of his playpen and walked up to Chloe, offering her a stuffed lion while roaring. Chloe leaned over and picked him up, "Be good, little man. I mean it," she winked, "You have so much potential. I'll miss you," she kissed his soft curls before putting him back down. Wyatt pushed the lion back toward her, "I can't," she kneeled down to him, "It's yours." But Wyatt insisted.

"I think you better take it, Chloe. He wants you to have it," Piper smiled.

Chloe put her hand on his cheek and had the sparkle of tears return to her eyes, "I'm no more brave than you are, little one," she accepted the lion.

Chloe gave her mother another long hug before turning to leave the room, "I'll see you all soon," she feigned a smile while secretly wishing, I hope you're still alive when I get home. "Tell Leo I said goodbye. I think he's still top-side. I love you all so much," she wiped her eyes as she shimmered away.

-----

Chris was finally able to orb and appeared outside the door of his mother's room, "Everyone decent in there?" he called from the hall.

"Yes," Piper laughed, "Come in." Chris peeked his head around the corner and found his mother lying on her side with Phoebe massaging her back and Paige feeding her ice chips. "This is too weird," he commented with a deep breath, "Which is why," he took another dramatic pause, "I have to go back, too. Not right now," he held his hand up as a horror-stricken look crossed his mother's face. He sat down on the bed in front of her, "But soon. I'm putting the whole family in danger by staying. You'll not only be worrying about big me, but little me, and Wyatt, and each other—and that's too much stress for anybody. We've saved Wyatt. It's time for me to go home." Piper's faced scrunched up as another contraction caused her to grimace and bend over. "Oh God, I'm so sorry," Chris squeezed her hand. Paige and Phoebe encouraged Piper to breathe deeply and exhale with long slow, deep breaths.

Piper's hand lightened on Chris's before she answered, "It's the natural process of being born, honey," she rolled over to her back and had Chris and Paige help her sit up in bed, "Nothing to apologize for," she took a glass of water.

"They're all leaving us," Phoebe sat next to Chris and put her arm around his shoulder, "Well, you picked a good time. Little you will be enough a good distraction... help us forget about losing the two big versions."

Forgetting is exactly right, Chris thought before continuing, "I guess Chloe said her goodbyes?" All three charmed sisters nodded in agreement.

"Same here," Cole's head poked around the corner, "I caught up to her at the mausoleum. I don't want to interrupt what is going on in here," he glanced around at everyone's faces, "but I need to talk to Phoebe."

-----

Cole took Phoebe's arm and led her back to her bedroom. He sat first on her bed then pulled her into his lap with a gentle kiss on the lips. "That's quite a kid we make," he smiled.

"She sure is," Phoebe bumped her forehead against his and stared deep into his blue eyes. "But that's not what you wanted to talk about."

He kissed her again, "No, it's not," he granted, "Before Damien and Vestas approached Chloe about returning home, they came to me. They asked if I was ready to join them."

"And?"

"I'm not," Cole sat Phoebe on the bed next to him and rose to go to her dresser. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a small box. Inside were his wedding band and Phoebe's engagement ring and wedding band. He took the rings and placed them into her hand, "I want these to on our fingers again, Pheebs. I know that there is a soul within me now that is burning to do good. But first I have to discover what that soul is capable of. And to do that, I have to go away."

Phoebe closed her fist around the rings. I'm losing my two dearest loves in one day, she held in. But she knew better. She had known Cole before the evil and the chaos had overrun his humanity, and she knew that he needed to rediscover that person on his own. "I know. When?"

"Not today," Cole knelt in front of her and took her hands in his, "Maybe even not next week. I know that what we have been through these past three weeks tops it all and I don't want to leave you alone to cope with that," he noted the look of gratitude in Phoebe's eyes, "but I want to say goodbye now. Because I don't think I'll be able to do it when the time comes."

Phoebe leaned over to kiss him on the cheek and started to unbutton the top button on his shirt, "That can be arranged," she kidded as she let herself melt into a deeper kiss.

-----

"Leo," Chris called, "Dad? I don't know if they've told you, but I think it's time," Chris turned to see his dad orb in behind him. "I think I'm about to be born."

"That you are," Leo smiled at his son. "Weird isn't it?"

"Totally," Chris sat back on the bed.

Leo walked over to him, "How are you doing?"

"Aside from nearly being killed, losing my best friend, being born, and saving my big brother from turning evil—I'm great," he smiled the first real smile Leo had seen in several days.

Leo couldn't help but laugh and Chris joined him, "Things have been a little crazy around here."

"Such is the life of the Halliwells," Chris laughed before turning to his father a little more seriously, "How are you? I mean...after last night, you seemed really shaken up. And, I can't imagine...having killed...I mean..."

"It's ok." Leo put his hand on Chris's shoulder. "I have you, your mother, your aunts, your brother. I'll be able to get through this. The other elders understand. None of us can understand how we missed this for so long. And what to do with the school? There's a lot to be cleaned up."

"And Barbas?" Chris asked.

Leo's anger for Gideon had now transferred to his accomplice—whether out of necessity or will to project his feelings of betrayal, the mention of Barbas's name now elicited the same contempt in Leo that Gideon's once had. "I'll take care of him," Leo clenched his fists.

"Leo?" both Chris and Leo heard Paige call, "Your wife is in labor with your son. You might want to come down here and take a little responsibility," she kidded.

"Coming!" Leo called back. "And...we're ok, right? You and me?"

Chris looked back at his father who was now walking toward the steps to join his mother for his birth. He thought back on his childhood and how Leo was never there, he always had prior obligations to his job, his charges. But now? Would life be different now that Leo had met Chris, had seen how negatively his neglect had played on their relationship? On his life? "We're ok," Chris could only hope. Leo smiled and walked down the stairs.

He sat a minute longer on the bed contemplating everything—how his cousin had appeared from the future, fully-alive and unaware of what had happened in his recollection of the future he left, but more than willing to help salvage it. His best friend had been tangible and in his life for several weeks. They had resurrected her dead father and saved Wyatt—an amazing accomplishment by anyone's standards. Now it was time for him to go home and join her—and hopefully Bianca—in a world that was better than the one he left because of him. A world that hopefully held the promise of his family being whole again. A real future.

Chris got up and walked over to the potions basin Chloe had prepared before she left. He reached into the pant pocket of his PJ's and pulled out the spell. He flipped the lighter to light the white candle burning beneath the basin as the aroma of lily's filled the room. "Child of love, child of grace, with these words I now erase. Your memories of Chloe now I take. But know your love, I do not forsake. I take away the memories of her face. Now from your mind I do erase. The knowledge of these days will not dissipate; just the thoughts, the love for her evaporate. So that time goes by, and time will show, from the advent of love, her life will grow." The smoke rising from the basin now took on a silvery glow that drifted through the floors and throughout the house. The subtle white light breezed through Piper's room and across Piper on the bed with Paige, and Wyatt in his playpen to Phoebe and Cole snuggled content in her bedroom. "I hope that worked," Chris blew out the candle and orbed into his mother's room.

-----

"I can't believe this," Chris's face was almost as pale as the night before, "This has got to be the absolute weirdest thing that has ever happened to me. And that's saying a lot," he looked down at the baby in his arms—at himself. "I'm glad I grow out of this phase."

"Give him back," Piper orders with a laugh as Chris's gets up from the rocking chair and hands the baby back to his mother. "You're a beautiful baby," she pulled him close.

"Baby," Wyatt crawled up onto the bed and next to his mother.

Piper, glowing, smiled at her oldest, "This is Christopher Perry Halliwell. I know that's hard for you to understand right now, but someday," she kissed Wyatt.

"I don't think he'll even understand someday," Paige retorts, "I mean, we have pictures of him and big Chris all over the place. It will always be weird."

Phoebe nodded, "Always."

"So Cole is gone?" Paige turned to her sister.

"Yep," Phoebe sighed, "He needs to find himself—again. He had said he would wait a few weeks, but I told him now was as good a time as any. We have a new baby in the house, I have the column, there's a lot going on. I need the space myself. It's weird having him back."

"He's gone?" Chris sounded almost contemptuous, "What do you mean? What about you two? What about your future?"

Phoebe's eyes grew huge with astonishment, "Our future? Ok, so maybe we slept together a couple of times," she began.

Paige covered her ears while Piper attempted to cover Wyatt's and baby Chris's, "Little ears!" she warned.

"Sorry," Phoebe continued, "we may have, you know, but that doesn't mean we have a future, Chris. That just means we had a...fun...past," she added with a wink and an elbow poke to Paige.

"Gross," Paige got up from the bed, "If you will excuse us," she emphasized pulling Phoebe to her feet, "I think we need to leave the happy new family alone to bond. And honestly, the excitement of the past forty-hours has left me exhausted. I love you all, and good night."

"Oh, kisses," Phoebe smothered baby Chris with kisses before turning to the twenty-four year old counterpart, "kisses," she kidded adding some to both he and Wyatt. And giggling to herself she, too, left for bed.

"Happy Birthday," Chris heard Leo say as he walked into the room with a cake and a number twenty-four candle. "It would have been homemade, but your mom was a little busy and well, I'm an awful cook." He set the cake on the night stand next to Chris. "Go on, make a wish."

Chris turned loving eyes to his family sitting around him before blowing out his candle.

"What'd you wish for?" Piper asked sweetly.

"If I told you, it won't come true," Chris kidded as he took the plates and knife that Leo had also brought up and began cutting pieces for everyone.

"That's my boy. Always superstitious, just like his mama," she looked at big Chris before turning the same loving eyes to the infant in her arms. "If you boys don't mind, little Chris here is also hungry. And I would love for someone to get Wyatt to bed."

"I got it," Chris announced stuffing his last bite of birthday cake in his mouth, "C'mon, big brother. I really don't think I can watch this anyway."

"Please don't," Piper laughed as she got the baby ready to nurse.

Leo snuggled up next to her in the bed before kissing her on the cheek, "We make beautiful babies," he admired his newest son.

"The most," Piper agreed kissing him back.

-----

Night fell and for the first time in weeks every member of the Halliwell household was sleeping soundly. Chris had relocated his things to the attic bed that Chloe had slept in. Phoebe slept alone without the knowledge that she and the man she loved would someday reunite and have a child. Paige had gone to the hospital to be with Richard who was still recovering from his run-in with Gideon. In an effort to keep avoiding magic—and elders—Richard had refused Leo's aid in healing him. Leo was in his rightful place with Piper. Baby Chris slept in the bassinet next to their bed while Wyatt slept peacefully snuggled under his mother's arm. Leo's eyes fluttered open as if he were sensing someone or something. Not seeing anyone, but not being convinced they were alone, he went to Chris's bassinet and picked up the infant. He crawled back into bed next to his wife and oldest son. He cradled the infant on his chest, covered him with his blanket, and fell back to sleep. A shadow emerged from the darkness and wandered through the room and stopped over Chris appearing to be looking down at the infant sleeping for the first time in the real world. "Happy Birthday, Chris," it whispered before disappearing as a white rose materialized on the baby's back—and the triquetra embroidered on his baby blanket glowed a brilliant gold.