Waking up from a deep sleep, Piper opened her eyes slowly. The pain she felt was still excruciating. Chris' delivery had been a nightmare, almost killing them both.
Piper looked over at the chair next to her bed where her newborn son, albeit a much older version of him, was sitting. He appeared to be watching over her, but at the moment seemed too exhausted. He was nearly asleep himself, and didn't notice her wake. Piper spent a few moments gazing at him, taking in his features.
"Happy Birthday, little one," Piper told him softly. "You've had a big day."
Startled, Chris looked up at his mother. As soon as he met her eyes, he immediately looked away. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Are you feeling any better?"
"A little," Piper lied. She gently smiled at her son. "You have a very interesting way of introducing yourself to this family, Christopher."
Chris formed a wry grin. Guilt covered his face. "I promise I won't be this much trouble in the future."
If the pain hadn't have been so bad, Piper would have laughed outright at this. As it was, she had to settle for a small snort. "Ah, let me see. Not much trouble?" Settling back, she teased lightly, "So far, you've returned back 20 years to the past, split me up from my husband--you were the one who sent him to Valhalla, weren't you?" Ashamed, Chris nodded. "You badgered me to kill nearly every demon in existence, harped on me about how I handled my sisters, told me my oldest son turns into an evil tyrant, lied to me, plotted against me, and all this before you were even a glimmer in my eye. Did I miss anything?" Piper turned to look over at her son. To her astonishment, she saw his eyes were now brimming with tears.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Piper felt her own tears forming. She hadn't meant this reaction, and she recognized it for what it was: He wasn't apologizing for his actions, he was apologizing for him. Her baby felt it necessary to apologize for his existence in her life, as if he was an unwanted intrusion. Piper wondered what she did in the future to make him feel this way. She decided not to dwell on it, since it wouldn't matter. Chris was going to have a different future this time, she would make sure of it.
Reaching over, she lifted his chin. She made sure he was looking straight at her before she spoke. "You have nothing to be sorry for." She tried to sit up more, but the pain was too intense. Chris immediately stood up to try and help her, but she waved him away. He sat back down, uncertainty written all over his face. She managed only to sit up a few inches. "This is not your fault. I'm the one who failed you. Although," she mused, "I must have done something right, if I raised a son who knew the only way to save his family's future was to come back here and kick my butt into gear."
A small smile formed on Chris' lips. "Dad just pretty much told me the same thing," he confessed. "We kinda talked. About our future relationship. He told me it wasn't my fault either."
Piper raised her eyebrows. "Your dad's a smart man, Chris. You should listen to him a little more often." She smiled, "It's going to be quite the adventure raising you, you know. One I'm looking forward to. Between you and your brother, I'm never going to have a dull moment am I?"
Suddenly bashful, Chris grinned slyly. "Nope."
Wistfully, Piper sighed. "There goes my magic free life." Ignoring any pain the movements were going to give her, Piper struggled to move over on her bed. This time Chris ignored her attempts to shoo him away, and helped her get comfortable. He went to sit back down, but Piper grabbed his hand.
"I want to hold my baby."
"I'll go get him. I mean, me," he stammered.
She shook her head. Piper then patted next to her on the bed. "You're already here." Surprised, Chris looked like he was about to argue, then thought better of it. Exhausted, he climbed into bed next to her. Piper wrapped her arms around him, and felt him settle into her embrace. When both of them were nearly asleep again, Piper was surprised when Chris suddenly spoke.
"Momma?"
"Yes, baby?"
"I miss you."
Piper looked over at the chair next to her bed where her newborn son, albeit a much older version of him, was sitting. He appeared to be watching over her, but at the moment seemed too exhausted. He was nearly asleep himself, and didn't notice her wake. Piper spent a few moments gazing at him, taking in his features.
"Happy Birthday, little one," Piper told him softly. "You've had a big day."
Startled, Chris looked up at his mother. As soon as he met her eyes, he immediately looked away. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Are you feeling any better?"
"A little," Piper lied. She gently smiled at her son. "You have a very interesting way of introducing yourself to this family, Christopher."
Chris formed a wry grin. Guilt covered his face. "I promise I won't be this much trouble in the future."
If the pain hadn't have been so bad, Piper would have laughed outright at this. As it was, she had to settle for a small snort. "Ah, let me see. Not much trouble?" Settling back, she teased lightly, "So far, you've returned back 20 years to the past, split me up from my husband--you were the one who sent him to Valhalla, weren't you?" Ashamed, Chris nodded. "You badgered me to kill nearly every demon in existence, harped on me about how I handled my sisters, told me my oldest son turns into an evil tyrant, lied to me, plotted against me, and all this before you were even a glimmer in my eye. Did I miss anything?" Piper turned to look over at her son. To her astonishment, she saw his eyes were now brimming with tears.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Piper felt her own tears forming. She hadn't meant this reaction, and she recognized it for what it was: He wasn't apologizing for his actions, he was apologizing for him. Her baby felt it necessary to apologize for his existence in her life, as if he was an unwanted intrusion. Piper wondered what she did in the future to make him feel this way. She decided not to dwell on it, since it wouldn't matter. Chris was going to have a different future this time, she would make sure of it.
Reaching over, she lifted his chin. She made sure he was looking straight at her before she spoke. "You have nothing to be sorry for." She tried to sit up more, but the pain was too intense. Chris immediately stood up to try and help her, but she waved him away. He sat back down, uncertainty written all over his face. She managed only to sit up a few inches. "This is not your fault. I'm the one who failed you. Although," she mused, "I must have done something right, if I raised a son who knew the only way to save his family's future was to come back here and kick my butt into gear."
A small smile formed on Chris' lips. "Dad just pretty much told me the same thing," he confessed. "We kinda talked. About our future relationship. He told me it wasn't my fault either."
Piper raised her eyebrows. "Your dad's a smart man, Chris. You should listen to him a little more often." She smiled, "It's going to be quite the adventure raising you, you know. One I'm looking forward to. Between you and your brother, I'm never going to have a dull moment am I?"
Suddenly bashful, Chris grinned slyly. "Nope."
Wistfully, Piper sighed. "There goes my magic free life." Ignoring any pain the movements were going to give her, Piper struggled to move over on her bed. This time Chris ignored her attempts to shoo him away, and helped her get comfortable. He went to sit back down, but Piper grabbed his hand.
"I want to hold my baby."
"I'll go get him. I mean, me," he stammered.
She shook her head. Piper then patted next to her on the bed. "You're already here." Surprised, Chris looked like he was about to argue, then thought better of it. Exhausted, he climbed into bed next to her. Piper wrapped her arms around him, and felt him settle into her embrace. When both of them were nearly asleep again, Piper was surprised when Chris suddenly spoke.
"Momma?"
"Yes, baby?"
"I miss you."