Chapter 9- Farewells

The wind was blowing but none of the people in the bridge noticed. They were looking down as each said their farewell to the member of the family who gave his life to save their future.

It had been Leo's idea to have this ceremony here. To throw flowers to the wind in Chris's honor. From his favorite thinking place.

Paige had been healed by Wyatt and Wyatt's powers coming back proved they had succeeded. The demons they chose to spread around their version of what had happened believed them and let the others know. They had chosen them specifically for being well respected, i.e. feared, in the underworld. Chris had gone and contacted them saying he was feeling benevolent and that he would only attack the heads of the plan, this time. He made it sound as if in the future he had exterminated every demon that had dared participate.

Wyatt had orbed as soon as he had felt his powers and had felt his brother's pain. But they had come back too late. He had orbed too late, and now he couldn't bare the pain he was feeling. As if a piece of him had died with Chris. Even with his powers blocked to him he had never stopped feeling Chris's presence, their brotherly bond as strong as ever. But now that bond was mute and he could feel nothing. Just an empty space. His parents and aunts tried reassuring him that Chris would be there when he got back to his time. They would make sure of that, but he wouldn't be the same. He wouldn't remember everything they lived together. And that was why they were saying goodbye to the Chris they knew so they could welcome the new one without regrets.

Leo looked at the distance remembering the day he found out who Chris was, the hours he spent observing his son in this very bridge. He hadn't been able to become a father to that boy. Too much hurt, past and future. But Chris had been his boy, his son, even if he hadn't forgiven Leo, Leo loved him. He looked at Piper's still flat stomach and wished he could still sense his boy there. But he knew he was there and he vowed to be a good father, to keep his promise. This time Chris wouldn't feel the need to hide his emotions. He would know he was loved.

Piper caressed her flat stomach sadly and pictured her boy's smiles. They were rare but they were there. She remembered the one and only time he called her mom. He had been working on forgiving her but he had never called her mom before his last breath, and she never got to tell him that she really loved him, that she could now honestly say she liked who he was, she was very proud of who he was and she loved him. But she would. She would let him know and she wouldn't let any harm come to him or Wyatt again.

Phoebe smiled sadly as she remembered all the times she had begged him for a normal life, for him to give them a break on their duty and his speeches of how their duty came first. What she wouldn't give for one of those speeches now. She smiled and said her goodbyes.

Paige remembered every time Chris's sharp tongue tried a sarcastic joke and her sisters didn't understand. The times Chris moaned she was the only one who understood him and how frustrating to insult people who didn't get it. She giggled sadly as she remembered one particular instance, before they found out who he was, where Piper might not have got the insult, but she did get his whining, and how she had glared at both the half-witches for laughing at her expense. She would make sure to always be there to understand and coach her nephew.

Victor couldn't process this well. He was in a place he never thought he'd come to to say goodbye to his grandson. That wasn't right. Grandsons should not be buried, as shouldn't daughters. But Victor did, didn't he? He closed his eyes and hoped he helped his grandson, even if just a little, in this too little time they had together.

Wyatt wasn't paying attention. Leo said something, about his regrets for all he had done to Chris and of how he would keep his promise. Piper professed her love for her baby and how she would protect him and let no harm come to him. Phoebe said she would miss his neurotic's ways and Paige assured him she would teach him her ways once again. For him not to worry. Victor said something about help. Wyatt didn't much hear each speech, lost in his thoughts. He closed his eyes and remembered his brother. He opened his hands and eyes and watched as the wind blew away the white petals he had brought.

It was time to go home.

xx

Wyatt stepped through the portal after saying his farewells to his family. He felt the familiar sensation of travelling through time but felt no companion next to him. He stepped once again in the attic and was shocked to come face to face with himself. Both Wyatts glowed and an invisible force pulled them together until they became one. His whole life starting running through his mind as he fell on an unconscious hip on the floor.

xx

Wyatt opened his eyes and found himself lying on his bed at the manor. The first thing he saw were his brothers green eyes.

"Finally!" Chris cried with a grin. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you? Thought you'd never get back. Now, I really need to tell you what I saw - OI!" Chris protested as Wyatt pulled him into a hug. His brother was alive! Of course a part of him knew that, the part that had lived this new life and knew that while growing up Chris had always gotten his memories from his old life at night while he slept. A part of him knew why Chris was ecstatic to finally have someone who would really know what he went through, even though his parents had tried to help him all they could.

Poor Chris had been very confused when he was little and he would wake up angry or sad at their father. Now that he had the whole perspective Wyatt could appreciate how his father had to work hard to make up for his past and other life's mistakes, as he had to constantly reassure Chris's doubts instead of just receiving a son that had already decided to let bygones be bygones.

The most terrifying time had been the day Chris remembered the attack. His cries could be heard throughout the house and no matter what they tried they could not rouse him. Last year had been hard as Chris remembered all of what his family had put him through and how he had felt. His parents made a point of having talking through any new memory he got every morning, so he could understand how they had felt at the time and how guilty they had been when they realized what they had done. It had been hard but they had gotten through it as a family.

In the end Chris had taken the scholarship in Oxford not to escape his family but because of the opportunity it presented. He orbed back home every day and they managed to work around the time difference to at least see each other every day, even if just a little. That had shown most of all how committed his parents were. Chris would wake them up before going to class, five hours earlier than they usually would wake up and they would talk, sometimes his parents went back to sleep, sometimes the talk was too emotional for them to and Wyatt would find that one or both of them had come back in the middle of the day for a nap.

In the end his dad never went back to practicing medicine. He got offered a job at Magic School and went there to teach what he had learned in all his years as a Whitelighter. Chris and Wyatt often grumbled about having a father and an Aunt as teachers, especially when Gideon offered for Leo to become Headmaster so he could go back to his Elder duties. But his father as Headmaster brought a very different change to magic school. Having had the same discussions as in their other life with Piper about normal schooling, which the first time had ended up with Chris and Wyatt attending both schools and having quite a heavy load, Leo had the idea of finding a way to merge both in magic school, and he did. It had been a little tricky, especially considering the paperwork to make a school in another plane show up as a normal school in the American system but it had worked, and now magical children could attend magic school and have a full magical and mortal education. Without worrying about exposing magic with accidents in their normal schools.

Wyatt finally let go of his brother, "Don't worry Wy. I'm okay, hurt like a bitch, both times, who'd imagine a dream would hurt, but I'm okay. Missed you though and I still have to tell you about catching grandpa and Mrs. Finnegan in bed-"

"They've been married for fourteen years-"

"But when I saw them they weren't even together to our knowledge!"

"Still old gossip."

"But was fresh when I saw them. Not my fault you didn't have time to hear it eighteen years ago!" Chris whined and Wyatt laughed, glad to be able to laugh with his brother again.

The end

An- Well, since I posted 4 chapters I'm forgiven for some being smaller right? He, he.

Sorry for killing Chris but I wanted for Piper and especially Leo to have to work harder for his forgiveness. And this way they had to. Besides, he didn't really die, now did he?

I hope you all had fun and I absolutely adored all your reviews. Thanks for reading and reviewing!