My Childhood Dream

The Past

Chris walked around town, noticing how different it was. He had to find Wyatt, but there were a few things he had to take care of first. He walked in Wal-mart and went to look at the T.V. It was on. He listened to the news. So it was happening, the heat wave. He didn't have much time. He went to have his hair cut and handed them money from two thousand. He had thought of everything. Or so he thought. He knew that even if his mother wasn't aware it was him. Piper. He had to remember it was Piper, not Mom. She would want his hair cut and he had no intention of disappointing her. Even if she wouldn't know it. He had them buff his nails, which was silly but he wanted to make a good impression on his mother and aunts. Would Phoebe and Paige ever forgive him for allowing them to die? He hadn't done anything to stop it and he could have. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was a good thing he had cash, since he didn't have an identity, he wasn't even born yet, which put him on even ground with the rest of the whitelighters since they had been dead several decades ago. Oh, Crap, he was late. He had to hurry. He grabbed the shades that he had 'borrowed' and orbed home.

"Don't look into her eyes," he told Phoebe, throwing the potions at her side at the Titan. Chris looks over at Paige. He had failed again. He noticed that Phoebe was now looking at her too.

"Oh my God, Paige!" she said, her eyes getting wide as her mouth formed an 'o'. Chris wished he could hug her and promise her everything would be okay, but he couldn't and he wouldn't lie to her at least not about the future. He hoped Penny and Patty were okay. He knew Wy would come for them once he was gone. He hoped the Resistance would be well enough protected but he didn't know. He couldn't concentrate on that now. He had to protect Wyatt.

"Don't worry, she's alright. Well, I mean she's not completely alright. She's not dead," he amended. "Frankly," he began taking his mind off the future, "you see this a lot. Museums, Universities, town centers. Most of those statues aren't really statues…they are people like your sister who have been, uh, turned to stone," he said, concentrating on the facts. Facts. Research, that Chris could do.

"Who are you?" she asked in her I don't trust you tone.

"Chris…." He hesitated a moment, "Perry," he finished. Why not? That was who the Resistance believed he was. He hated lying but it was necessary and he knew he would do worse than that to save Wyatt. "I'm, uh, from the future," he said. At least that was better than say. Hi, I'm your nephew from the 

future. Piper's second son. I'm here to save my older brother from turning evil. Yeah, that would go over real well.

Before Phoebe could reply, Piper, his mother walked in. He couldn't believe it was her, she looked so young. She was alive. He blinked back the tears from his eyes and smiled hesitantly at her, keeping his distance. This woman was not his mother. She didn't know anything about him, she didn't know him. This woman was Piper Halliwell, Wyatt's mother and he had best keep remembering that because when he saved Wyatt he would have to back to a time when his mother wasn't around and he wouldn't be able to bare it if he didn't keep that in mind.

"Oh my God! Tell me that is just a really good likeness of Paige," she said and Chris was glad she hadn't noticed him staring at her.

"Oh it's Paige," Phoebe said, patting Paige's shoulder.

"Titan turned her to stone," he volunteered sure that she didn't know that. Great. What great first words to your mother, he though sarcastically. He knew he had his blocks up right now. Thankfully, it was suppose to be a few years before Phoebe gets her empath power. She wouldn't be able to read him.

"Who- who are you?" she asked and Chris had an undeniable urge to throw his arms around her and consequently to orb away. Did she recognize him as hers? He shrank back, trying to hide his face underneath his dark locks. Phoebe saved him from having to say or do anything.

"That's Chris," she explained, "He's from the future."

"Yeah," he said needing to say something else to her, "Only about twenty years or so," he said, then bit his tongue. Did he want her to find out who he was?

"Uh-huh," Piper said suspiciously, "Friend or Foe?" Chris sighed a sigh of relief. She didn't recognize him. He could breathe now. It had been why he had been chosen, as a Halliwell he knew them better than anyone and he was also half-whitelighter allowing them to trust him. And he had enough power to save Wyatt.

"Not so sure yet," Phoebe answered, and he threw her a pained look. He hadn't really meant for her to die. He just hadn't wanted Wyatt to die either. A bemused expression crossed her face so he covered.

"What do you mean? I just saved Paige didn't I?" he asked.

"Oh, you call that saving, do you?" she spat back at him and he smiled. That was the Phoebe he knew and loved. He smiled, wider. They used to mock argue and that was the tone of voice she used when she wanted a fight.

"Look," he replied, "I'm the one putting my life on the line here. I didn't have to drop everything I was doing just to orb in here and save her butt…" he was cut off by his mother, correction, Piper.

"You- you orb?" she stuttered and he couldn't ever remember her having a problem with it except whenever she grounded him. Or course the fact that he orbed was one of the reason he was chosen to return. "You're a whitelighter?" Chris took a deep breathe as he gave them some truth, maybe not the whole truth but enough.

"Look where I come from, history shows that Paige didn't get turned to stone on this day….she died. And with her death the power of three died too. There's no other sister to reconstitute the power of three, Paige is it. Her death allowed the Titans to rule and create a world you don't want to see, trust me. I saw it and I don't want you to. I'm here to alter history, to help you save my future." At least that much was true, he was here to alter history and save his future.

"Who sent you?" Phoebe asked, a little put off at his speech.

"I can't answer that," he said, sadly.

"Why not?" she replied rapidly.

"Because," he said, as if explaining to a small child, "Anything I say or do can risk changing the future in ways we don't want."

"Whose we?" Piper asked and as hard as it was, he shook his head.

"I can't tell you that. All I can tell you is that if I hadn't gotten here when I did, Paige would have been the third whitelighter victim."

"Wait, did you say third? I thought it was only one whitelighter?"

"Not anymore," Chris said, slightly arrogant.

"Leo! Leo!" Piper screamed and Chris looked pained. He DID NOT want to see Leo. Not now, not ever, not if he could help it. If he had only listened…..his thoughts trailed off as the familiar blue orbs rematerialized into his father. Since whitelighters didn't age, he looked exactly the same as he did the last time Chris had seen him.

"Honey, I'm sorry I missed counseling," he began and Chris smirked, how typical of Leo, he was always missing something. Calm down, Halliwell, he told himself as his mother cut Leo off.

"Never mind that. How many whitelighter are missing?"

"Two. Why? That's what the Elders called me for?"

"Believe me now?" he asked glancing between the three of them.

"Whose he?" his father asked. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about Leo figuring him out. There was a crash.

"What's that?" Phoebe asked as they rushed out. He waited for them to leave.

"I'm sorry about all this, Paige. I would have helped you if I could have," he said stopping before he revealed too much. He would have told her everything if he could, but he couldn't. She might remember what he told her and that would be bad. He would have to make her forget and he wasn't sure if he would want to make her forget. Chris stepped toward the book, and touched it. The symbol on the book lit up, recognizing him almost instantly. He opened it and finding a pen, he bit it thinking as he looked up to make sure that except for stone cold Paige he was alone, he began using his telekinesis to flip the pages. All this information that he hadn't seen in ages before he summoned the book, and then he had been able to look at this leisurely. All this that was his family heritage as well, was at Wyatt's fingertips. No wonder the demons didn't challenge him. Chris heard the suspicious thoughts and stopped on a page.

"What are you doing?" Piper asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he answered. He stopped a moment waiting for her to yell about respect but she remained silent so he continued. He was surprised that comment hadn't gotten him blown up, or at least some of the furniture. "I'm trying to find a way to free stone cold Paige over there."

"Step away from the book," she told him. That was one he hadn't heard from Piper before, but to her credit she didn't know who he was. Hell, she didn't even know what he was, and he was going to keep it like that for as long as he could.

"What?" he asked, still he was surprised, "Like I haven't looked in this thing a hundred times? By the way, you should update your goblins entry," he said remembering the time Patty had tried dealing with them. She had died, too. Luckily, Chris had found a way to bring her back, by destroying the Goblin King. She had reconnected with her body before it was too late. Those hadn't been sent by Wyatt but had been dangerous enough.

"Goblins?" she asked, confused. What have the goblins got to do with Paige? Chris almost laughed; it wasn't Paige, but her daughter. If he could save Patty one experience besides losing her mother it would be that one. She had been haunted by that one for years.

"Yeah, it's going to get ugly," he said instead. "Look, obviously, you don't trust me. But I touched the book right," he said laying his hands on the page for demonstration, "and the book thinks I'm good, shouldn't you?"

"Well," she replied, evenly, "the books been fooled before. Maybe you found a way around that. I don't know," she said, clearly frustrated.

"M-maybe Piper I'm just trying to help, have you thought of that?" he asked clearly frustrated at her inability to trust him. Him. Her little peanut. The only one that could make her smile. He shook his head in frustration, manually turning the page of the book.

"If that's true then tell us how to vanquish the Titans."

He looked into her eyes and wished he hadn't. They were the same eyes he remembered if only slightly suspicious. He looked away. "Except they can't be vanquished," he replied and she tried to catch his eyes. He had to stick to facts.

"You mean not without the Power of Three."

"Maybe not even with it," he replied, wondering where Baby Wyatt was. "the only way the Elders did that three thousand years ago was to infuse some mortals with a lot of power, a hell of a lot more than you guys have," he said and waiting for the tongue lashing that always came after he let a curse word slip.

"Then they can do that again."

Chris hated to be the bearer of bad news but…"Except that they won't. Not after what happened last time. After the Titans were trapped by the mortals, the power went to their heads. They declared themselves Gods and forced the world to worship them. They swore they would never do that again."

"Hold on a second, Chris. I'm having like a ninth grade flashback. The Greek Gods, Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite. They were mortals?"

"Yeah, history left that part out. Not the only inaccuracy by the way." Although it was rude, he used his telepathic ability to find out what she was thinking. She was admiring his brilliance, at least that was a start, he thought. Chris watched, not really interested as two magical creatures tried to free stone cold Paige.

"Okay, so where were we?" Phoebe asked.

"Screwed," Piper said, and Chris looked at her suspiciously, when had she been this pessimistic? "Possibly. What I don't understand is if the Titans are running around why are they attacking whitelighters?"

"They need their orbing powers," Chris answered factually. He had no intention of orbing again and giving it to them. Not until he absolutely had to. And since they didn't know he was also a witch he could protect himself. Unlike, Paige he knew what he was up against. He had gotten good about researching his demon beforehand. Paige still had a lot to learn.

"Their orbing power. What on Earth do they need with...Oh my God!" she said as he watched understanding fill her face. "Leo! Leo!" she went through the house calling for her husband.

"What did she just figure out?" Phoebe turned to him, asking.

"Nothing good," he replied. He looked over at Phoebe. "It's good to see you again, Phoebe."

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"Not yet," he replied. "Let's just say in my line of work we meet. And I respect you."

"Well, thanks." He turned away and looked at the attic. It was the same. He picked up a bottle.

"You know you guys keep this stuff forever," he said, wondering when they had gotten some of it. Had it been the Grams', or Grandma Patty's? Or was it older?

"You knew the Titans were after the Elders, didn't you? Why didn't you tell us?" Chris put the marbles down as he turned to face her.

"I told you. There are some things I can't tell you. Some things you need to figure out on your own."

"Even at the risk of making things worse?" Chris didn't answer he was saved from that when Piper walked in. Unfortunately he was her target. He recognized that stance. He swallowed back and bent down to look at the dollhouse. It had been given to Prue as being the oldest female Halliwell. They had called Prue Ladybug and Wy and Chris were the only ones still allowed to address her as such.

"Look, what's going on? Leo isn't responding to any of my calls." Chris avoided her eyes as he answered.

"I really don't know."

"Yeah, well I really think you do."

"Okay, so maybe I do," he said meeting her eyes. "You were the one who wanted him to go up there in the first place," he replied, meeting her temper with one of his own. Of course, his was the source of injured pride and hers was from missing her husband so hers was worse than his…this time. "You. Not me. Maybe I know, and if I'm right, then he's going to need some serious alone time. Trust me."

"Cut the cryptic crap," she snapped. "You need to go up there and bring him back. No games." Chris groaned, she was sending him 'up there' where he didn't like to go to spend time with the man who would become his absentee father. He wished again he had vetoed against going and sent someone else instead. You are the only one, Bianca had said. As much as he hated it right now, he knew she had been right. Chris orbed out rematerializing up there behind a very upset whitelighter. The last time he had seen Leo this upset was when his mother had died. He pushed the memory aside, too painful to relive.

"Leo," he whispered softly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he shouted pushing Chris against the wall. Chris thought wryly that this was the closest Leo had come to touching him. They had never voluntarily gotten this close to one another.

"Easy, easy," Chris said in a calming voice. "This had to happen so that you could do something they'd never do."

"What are you talking about? They are dead? Gone."

"No, not all of them. Some of them escaped. Down to Earth. But they will die unless you do something about it," he said, manipulating his father. He didn't have a choice. Besides how many chances did a 

child have to have knowledge over his own parents? "You can still stop them. You can still defeat the Titans."

"No, the Elders forbid it."

"Well," he replied with a bit of a chuckle. "The Elders aren't exactly around now are they?" He looked into Leo's eyes so much like his own. "That's right, Leo. This is what it's all about. This is why they had to die, so that you could do something they would never do. To save the future, to save the future for your sons," he said before he could take it back, but Leo didn't seem to notice. He would have to be more careful, he couldn't afford any more slip ups like that.

"This is crazy."

"Maybe but it's our only chance. Like it or not, Leo, you've been put in this situation for a reason. We both have."

"Says you," Leo said, and Chris smirked. He was always the last one to trust his word. "How do I know you aren't trying to manipulate the situation for your own future? Just like you've manipulated everything else?"

"You don't. But what choice do you really have? There's no future if you don't," he said, hating have to show his father the choice before him. He was supposed to be smarter than that. He knew they needed him. He would save the future, wouldn't have to wait for the earthquake to destroy the Titans. He just wished his father would jump to the conclusion on his own.

"I don't know. Even if I were to believe you, even if I were willing. I couldn't. I'm no Elder."

"Well you better start acting like one," Chris snapped to him. It wasn't like he wasn't supposed to be one, give or take a few years. It wasn't like he remembered it happening. Chris heard the faint jiggling and knew it was much stronger by the look on Leo's face. He also knew the one person who would be calling him. "Come on," Chris said, nodding at the door. Leo nodded and went inside. As much as Chris wondered what was inside the double doors, he had no desire to go with Leo, the less time he spent with him the better. He came out holding an urn.

"Piper," he whispered.

"No," Chris said, shaking his head.

"But she needs me," he said and Chris had an odd look on his face. Yes, she had, but he was too late. He couldn't tell Leo that. He debated on what to say and remembered he was thought to be a full whitelighter. It wasn't the first time that misunderstanding had been made.

"Not as much as the rest of us do." He took a deep breathe, that had sounded right. "Even after. To coordinate."

"Alright. You should go. Otherwise, the girls won't understand."

"Good Luck."

"You too," Leo said with a smile. "You will need it."

"I know," he replied dryly. Chris orbed back to the Manor. Piper was obviously in the middle of a tyrant.

"You? Where's Leo?"

"He's safe," he replied, calmly looking around at the very alive Paige. He smiled at her. " For now. Hello Paige." They were so alive, this house was so alive. The Nexus was alive, he could feel it all. This was his childhood dream to have his family around him again, alive and strong, powerful.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

"Forget that," Piper said interrupting. "What do you mean for now?"

"What is this about us supposedly battling the Titans?" Phoebe said interrupting. At that, Chris smiled.

"You are about to find out." A tornado of light swirls around the girls. It disappears and reveals them wearing outfits from ancient Greece. Phoebe has extremely long and thick blonde hair. Paige is holding onto a trident. Phoebe gasps. Chris smiles.

"That's what that means."

"What happened? What are we?" Paige asked slowly. He took in the red hair, he had only seen Paige's hair like that in holograms. He liked it, it made her look younger, or that could be her face. She was the one he had gone to for magical solutions, for emotional ones he had gone to Phoebe turning not to worry his mother.

"Your Gods," he replied, looking at them softly. And they were. They were idolized and immortal in life and in death. They would never be forgotten.