Chapter 1 – The Song
"Hey, Dad, look at me
Think back, and talk to me
Did I grow up according to plan?
And do you think I'm wasting my time
Doing things I wanna do?
But it hurts when you disapproved all along
And now I try hard to make it
I just wanna make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for
You can't pretend that I'm alright
And you can't change me"
Chris was sitting at P3 listening to Simple Plan. It had taken Piper months to book them and Chris figured he should show up and check out this popular band. By the time he was old enough to be interested in music, he was too worried about being killed by his older brother to have time for it. Chris was absolutely shocked by this song. It's like an anthem for Leo and me.
"'Cause we lost it all
Nothin' lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect"
Chris sighed. He had lost it all and he was afraid that no matter how much time traveling he did, he could never go back and fix everything. That killed him. No matter how much he changed things in the past, he still knew one truth – him and his father would never be close. Chris felt he would never measure up to Leo's standards.
"I try not to think
About the pain I feel inside
Did you know you used to be my hero?
All the days you spent with me
Now seem so far away
And it feels like you don't care any more
And now I try hard to make it
I just wanna make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for you
I can't stand another fight
And nothing's all right"
Chris smiled at the hero part. He used to think that Leo hung the moon in the sky every night. He was Chris's god. Chris didn't see him much at all when he was little, but when Leo came around; Chris's smile could light up the room.
Flashback
A 7-year-old Chris was running around the Manor playing tag with his younger cousin, Penny (Phoebe's daughter). He was just about to tag her when a mass of orbs was formed in the middle of the room. The two stopped playing and watched as Leo materialized. Chris squealed and ran to his father.
"Dad, guess what?"
"What, Buddy?" asked Leo, who looked genuinely happy to see his son.
"I went to magic school today and my teacher said that I'm a really good witch and that I'll be really powerful someday."
Leo smiled down at his son.
"Chris, I have no doubt that you will be one of the most powerful people in the world."
Chris smiled and gave his father a big hug. Just then, Piper burst into the living room carrying a wounded Paige.
"Oh, Leo, thank the gods you're here. Please heal Paige," Piper said breathlessly. Leo moved quickly. He placed his hands over the wound on Paige's abdomen and gold light started emanating from his palms. The wound was quickly healed and Paige sat up immediately.
"Ouch, next time we go after so-called 'mythical' demons – make sure they are actually mythical and not real!"
Piper sighed, "I'm sorry, I thought it was just somebody pretending to be the demon. Nobody actually believed he existed."
"Well trust me, he does," Paige said as she rubbed her head.
This banter continued, but Chris didn't notice. He just looked up at his father in awe. Leo noticed this and walked over to Chris.
"Hey, Buddy."
"Dad, could you show me how to heal sometime?"
Leo smiled, "I will on you twelfth birthday."
Chris's smiled dropped a little.
"But why when I'm 12."
"Because, I don't want you to get hurt. That power can drain a lot out of you. The same rule is being applied to Wyatt."
Chris smiled; at least this was one subject where Wyatt wasn't getting any special treatment.
"Okay, Dad, as long as you promise."
"I do."
End Flashback
Chris let out a cynical laugh. Yeah, he promised, but he never delivered. As I recall, on my 12th birthday he showed, gave me a card and then I didn't see him for two years.
"Cause we lost it all
And nothin' lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect"
That's right, Leo, we lost it all and it can't be fixed in ANY timeline. Chris looked down at his rum and coke. He had been sitting there through the whole song without taking a sip.
"Nothing's gonna change the things that you said
And nothing's gonna make this right again
Please don't turn your back
I can't believe it's hard just to talk to you
But you don't understand"
Chris let a tear stream down his cheek. It was hard for him just to talk to Leo. It was so hard when he got to the past, but acting like someone else, besides Leo's son, made it easier. He could forget who he was. But now he couldn't forget, and the memory, that one painful memory that broke their bond forever came back.
Flashback
A 14-year-old Chris was standing in the Manor with fireballs flying all around him. His mother and aunts were trying to fight off the demons, but there were too many. Piper was trying to protect Chris, which was making her job harder. A large fireball flew at the group of witches, but Paige used her orbing powers to set it off course. Unfortunately, instead of heading for all three, it headed for Phoebe. Paige realized her mistake and jumped in front of Phoebe, taking the blow. Phoebe screamed and tried to wake up her sister. She was concentrating so hard on Paige that she didn't see a fireball headed straight for her. Before Piper had time to freeze it, Phoebe was hit, too.
All of a sudden, the demons stopped attacking. Piper tried to raise her hands to blow them up, but she couldn't move. Chris tried to use his powers on them, but he couldn't move either. They seemed to be under some sort of spell. Then, came a mass of blue orbs. The strange thing was, they were darker than regular blue orbs – like they were changing to black orbs. Then, in front of Piper and Chris stood Wyatt, smiling evilly. The 16-year-old could see the fear in his mother and brother's eyes and relished in it.
"Well, hello, mother," Wyatt said as he walked up to her. Without warning he took out a very sharp athame and dug it into her abdomen. Piper cried out in pain and the spell was released in time for Chris to catch his mother's falling body. He looked up at Wyatt with tears streaming down his face.
"Why, Wyatt?"
"Simple, little brother, it's all about power. No more Charmed Ones, means I have all the power."
"I- I can challenge you."
Wyatt shook his head and laughed, "No you can't, all your non-whitelighter powers were bound."
"How?"
"Dad, I convinced him that you were to powerful for your own good."
Chris looked at him in shock. How could Dad do something like that? Wyatt just smiled.
"Well, it's been nice Chris, but now I gotta go talk to my minions. See ya."
Wyatt orbed out, leaving Chris surrounded by his aunt's bodies and holding his mother's body.
"Mom, come on, wake up," Chris said desperately, "I need you. DAD! LEO!"
Piper looked up at her youngest and knew that he would have a struggle ahead.
"Listen to me, Chris, the time of the Charmed Ones is over. I need you to stop Wyatt. Do everything you can. If you have to – kill him."
Chris cried and cried over his mother's body, repeatedly calling for his father.
When Leo did appear he just said, "They're dead," and orbed out.
End Flashback
Chris sighed again. His mother's last words condoned him to kill his own brother. That was the last time he talked to the Leo he knew, too.
Someone behind Chris tapped his shoulder. Chris turned around to see Leo.
"I see you've healed yourself."
"Yes," Leo said, uncomfortably, "Listen, Chris, I was hoping we could go somewhere and talk."
Chris shook his head, "I don't think so." He then slammed back his drink, grabbed his coat and walked out of the club.
"'Cause we lost it all
And nothin' lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect"
"Hey, Dad, look at me
Think back, and talk to me
Did I grow up according to plan?
And do you think I'm wasting my time
Doing things I wanna do?
But it hurts when you disapproved all along
And now I try hard to make it
I just wanna make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for
You can't pretend that I'm alright
And you can't change me"
Chris was sitting at P3 listening to Simple Plan. It had taken Piper months to book them and Chris figured he should show up and check out this popular band. By the time he was old enough to be interested in music, he was too worried about being killed by his older brother to have time for it. Chris was absolutely shocked by this song. It's like an anthem for Leo and me.
"'Cause we lost it all
Nothin' lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect"
Chris sighed. He had lost it all and he was afraid that no matter how much time traveling he did, he could never go back and fix everything. That killed him. No matter how much he changed things in the past, he still knew one truth – him and his father would never be close. Chris felt he would never measure up to Leo's standards.
"I try not to think
About the pain I feel inside
Did you know you used to be my hero?
All the days you spent with me
Now seem so far away
And it feels like you don't care any more
And now I try hard to make it
I just wanna make you proud
I'm never gonna be good enough for you
I can't stand another fight
And nothing's all right"
Chris smiled at the hero part. He used to think that Leo hung the moon in the sky every night. He was Chris's god. Chris didn't see him much at all when he was little, but when Leo came around; Chris's smile could light up the room.
Flashback
A 7-year-old Chris was running around the Manor playing tag with his younger cousin, Penny (Phoebe's daughter). He was just about to tag her when a mass of orbs was formed in the middle of the room. The two stopped playing and watched as Leo materialized. Chris squealed and ran to his father.
"Dad, guess what?"
"What, Buddy?" asked Leo, who looked genuinely happy to see his son.
"I went to magic school today and my teacher said that I'm a really good witch and that I'll be really powerful someday."
Leo smiled down at his son.
"Chris, I have no doubt that you will be one of the most powerful people in the world."
Chris smiled and gave his father a big hug. Just then, Piper burst into the living room carrying a wounded Paige.
"Oh, Leo, thank the gods you're here. Please heal Paige," Piper said breathlessly. Leo moved quickly. He placed his hands over the wound on Paige's abdomen and gold light started emanating from his palms. The wound was quickly healed and Paige sat up immediately.
"Ouch, next time we go after so-called 'mythical' demons – make sure they are actually mythical and not real!"
Piper sighed, "I'm sorry, I thought it was just somebody pretending to be the demon. Nobody actually believed he existed."
"Well trust me, he does," Paige said as she rubbed her head.
This banter continued, but Chris didn't notice. He just looked up at his father in awe. Leo noticed this and walked over to Chris.
"Hey, Buddy."
"Dad, could you show me how to heal sometime?"
Leo smiled, "I will on you twelfth birthday."
Chris's smiled dropped a little.
"But why when I'm 12."
"Because, I don't want you to get hurt. That power can drain a lot out of you. The same rule is being applied to Wyatt."
Chris smiled; at least this was one subject where Wyatt wasn't getting any special treatment.
"Okay, Dad, as long as you promise."
"I do."
End Flashback
Chris let out a cynical laugh. Yeah, he promised, but he never delivered. As I recall, on my 12th birthday he showed, gave me a card and then I didn't see him for two years.
"Cause we lost it all
And nothin' lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect"
That's right, Leo, we lost it all and it can't be fixed in ANY timeline. Chris looked down at his rum and coke. He had been sitting there through the whole song without taking a sip.
"Nothing's gonna change the things that you said
And nothing's gonna make this right again
Please don't turn your back
I can't believe it's hard just to talk to you
But you don't understand"
Chris let a tear stream down his cheek. It was hard for him just to talk to Leo. It was so hard when he got to the past, but acting like someone else, besides Leo's son, made it easier. He could forget who he was. But now he couldn't forget, and the memory, that one painful memory that broke their bond forever came back.
Flashback
A 14-year-old Chris was standing in the Manor with fireballs flying all around him. His mother and aunts were trying to fight off the demons, but there were too many. Piper was trying to protect Chris, which was making her job harder. A large fireball flew at the group of witches, but Paige used her orbing powers to set it off course. Unfortunately, instead of heading for all three, it headed for Phoebe. Paige realized her mistake and jumped in front of Phoebe, taking the blow. Phoebe screamed and tried to wake up her sister. She was concentrating so hard on Paige that she didn't see a fireball headed straight for her. Before Piper had time to freeze it, Phoebe was hit, too.
All of a sudden, the demons stopped attacking. Piper tried to raise her hands to blow them up, but she couldn't move. Chris tried to use his powers on them, but he couldn't move either. They seemed to be under some sort of spell. Then, came a mass of blue orbs. The strange thing was, they were darker than regular blue orbs – like they were changing to black orbs. Then, in front of Piper and Chris stood Wyatt, smiling evilly. The 16-year-old could see the fear in his mother and brother's eyes and relished in it.
"Well, hello, mother," Wyatt said as he walked up to her. Without warning he took out a very sharp athame and dug it into her abdomen. Piper cried out in pain and the spell was released in time for Chris to catch his mother's falling body. He looked up at Wyatt with tears streaming down his face.
"Why, Wyatt?"
"Simple, little brother, it's all about power. No more Charmed Ones, means I have all the power."
"I- I can challenge you."
Wyatt shook his head and laughed, "No you can't, all your non-whitelighter powers were bound."
"How?"
"Dad, I convinced him that you were to powerful for your own good."
Chris looked at him in shock. How could Dad do something like that? Wyatt just smiled.
"Well, it's been nice Chris, but now I gotta go talk to my minions. See ya."
Wyatt orbed out, leaving Chris surrounded by his aunt's bodies and holding his mother's body.
"Mom, come on, wake up," Chris said desperately, "I need you. DAD! LEO!"
Piper looked up at her youngest and knew that he would have a struggle ahead.
"Listen to me, Chris, the time of the Charmed Ones is over. I need you to stop Wyatt. Do everything you can. If you have to – kill him."
Chris cried and cried over his mother's body, repeatedly calling for his father.
When Leo did appear he just said, "They're dead," and orbed out.
End Flashback
Chris sighed again. His mother's last words condoned him to kill his own brother. That was the last time he talked to the Leo he knew, too.
Someone behind Chris tapped his shoulder. Chris turned around to see Leo.
"I see you've healed yourself."
"Yes," Leo said, uncomfortably, "Listen, Chris, I was hoping we could go somewhere and talk."
Chris shook his head, "I don't think so." He then slammed back his drink, grabbed his coat and walked out of the club.
"'Cause we lost it all
And nothin' lasts forever
I'm sorry I can't be perfect
Now it's just too late
And we can't go back
I'm sorry I can't be perfect"