Do You Really Want to Know? Do You Really Want to Know? Ch 16 to 20End, a charmed fanfic

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 16

(Now that the story is finished, I have combined the story into 4 parts. This is chapters 16-20-the epilog)

By: teal-lover

Summary: Chris has a deeper reason why he hates Leo so much, and why he wants to save his brother so badly. Phoebe is determined to help him through his issues and find out what it is. WARNING--Rated "R" for violence and the mention of rape.

Disclaimer in part 1

AN: First, let me apologize for taking so long to update--but I had an essay to finish for class that I just couldn't put off any more--for fear of failing the class. But now I'm free for a little bit, so I'll try to get this wrapped up before the next one :)
But this chapter is pretty long, so it should do for a while--huh?

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Outside of the Halliwell Manor, passerby's on the street stared up at the house at the simultaneous screaming. Not unused to the drama coming from within its walls, everyone simply shook their heads and continued on about their way.

Inside, however, was quite a different scene playing out in Piper's bedroom.

Still witnessing the memories, both Wyatt's mother and brother were the first to break out of Leo's hold through his mind. They both howled in rage and horror, before lunging for the Elder.

Phoebe and Paige were instantaneously disconnected from the memories and returned to the drama unfolding in the bedroom as Piper flicked her wrists and blew up their former brother-in-law.

Before she could do any further harm, Paige ignored the shocked but satisfied rush she felt at seeing Wyatt electrocuted and tackled her eldest sister to the bed, pinning her arms above her head.

Infuriated, Piper tried to buck her sister off as she thrashed around wildly.

Paige hissed at the eldest Charmed One in a low voice, "Piper, stop it!" Her eyes widened in surprise as her sister tried to maneuver her hands at her, "Are you trying to blow me up?"

Piper screamed at her, "Big friggin' deal--you're already dead, now GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!"

Chris glanced at his mom and aunt struggling on the bed with disinterest. His attention was squarely focussed on the tiny blue orbs scattered a few feet away. His eyes squinted and his body crouched ever so slightly as he prepared to pounce--waiting anxiously for Leo to re-materialize.

Phoebe had watched the way that Paige had tackled her older sister and realized that she must have felt the same way about Wyatt that she did. Sure he may not have actually killed her other nephew, but after everything else--it really didn't matter in her mind. What he did was just as bad, or worse. She continued watching the Elder's orbs slowing re-forming against the wall, and quickly took her cue from Paige and stepped in front of Chris advancing on his father menacingly.

Chris: "Move Phoebe."

Phoebe shook her head, "Why? So you can kill him?"

Chris' eyes glazed over as he replied coldly, "Something like that."

Phoebe backed up closer to Leo, now solidified behind her, to offer him her protection as a human shield. Chris wouldn't risk hurting her in order to get at his father. She hoped. However, with that wild, crazed look in her nephew's eyes, she couldn't be sure. "Chris, I won't let you do this. Cause if you do, you're gonna' have to go through me first. You and Piper need to calm down, right now!"

Leo saw the look in his son's eyes also, and tried to push Phoebe aside. In his hasty anger, Chris was liable to unwittingly cause harm to his aunt. Leo was unable to move the tiny woman, as her feet were planted firmly in front of her, while she held a tight grip onto his robes. Instead, he stood rigidly to full height above her, prepared to accept whatever punishment his wife and son deemed fit to dole out.

Piper whipped her head around to Phoebe when she heard her comment. "Calm down!" she parroted incredulously, "HOW DARE YOU TELL US TO CALM DOWN!!! He killed my son!" She turned her head towards Leo, "I'M GONNA' KILL YOU--YOU MURDERING SON OF A BITCH!"

Leo started, "I'm sorry--"

Piper cut him off, "You're just sorry you got caught!"

Leo shook his head, "No, Piper. I'm sorry you had to see that. That you forced me to show you any of that--but I'm not sorry for what I did. Yes, I admit that I thought that Chris was dead. But that's not the only reason I did it. I loved Wyatt. But that man was not him. My son has been dead for a very long time, but I was just too blind to see it. I didn't kill my son, I vanquished a demon."

Piper: "And by doing so, do you know what you did? You sent him to hell! You sentenced our son to an eternity in hell, DAMN YOU!"

Piper again tried to throw Paige off, but only succeeded in causing her baby sister to tighten her grip. Her brown eyes spoke of betrayal when she looked up into her eyes, "What is wrong with you? You saw what Leo did. Both of you did. Why are you protecting him?"

Paige shouted back vehemently, "Because I saw what Wyatt did too. You know after all of the stupid things I've seen Leo do in the past few years, he finally did something right! And I'm tired of pretending that Wyatt was some innocent that needed saving. I will not let you make a martyr out of him! He was evil, Piper. What he did to your son should have been enough to make you see that. But I can not--will not--forgive him for what he did to Chris. If he burns in hell for his actions--so be it. He got what he deserved. I only hope that Tem'al was there waiting for him."

All thoughts of violence against his father quickly retreated to the back of Chris' mind. He gasped in shock at the harsh words so venomously spewing from the mouth of his normally loving and pacifist aunt.

Paige continued her rant after clearly silencing Piper's struggles with her declaration. "And why are you still protecting him, Christopher? I don't understand why after what Wyatt did to you?"

Chris stuttered at the verbal onslaught, "He didn't…."

Paige forced herself to voice what she had always swore to herself would never pass her lips. But she knew that her nephew needed to be shocked out of his brainwashing. "Yes--he--did--Christopher. What difference does it make if he did it himself or not. Wyatt--your brother--ordered your torture and rape at the hands of his demons in order to get what he wanted. He sold you! You have absolutely no reason to continue to defend him."

Phoebe murmured in understanding, "Stockholm."

Paige already flustered and tense from releasing her pent up frustration, huffed at her sister shortly, "What?"

Phoebe stated with more conviction, "Stockholm Syndrome. It's where the viii--uh--person," swearing under breath as she almost said victim, but quickly changed her wording so as not to incite Chris' already volatile mental state, "identifies with, and feels compassion toward the other person who has harmed them in some way." She stepped closer to her nephew and laid her hand on his arm. Her chocolate brown eyes tried to convey every bit of warmth and understanding that she could muster. "It's natural to feel that way after something so traumatic, Chris."

Chris shook her off and started pacing frantically again, "He's my brother! How am I supposed to feel!" He glared at Leo, "If I wanted him dead, I could have done it myself! I've had plenty of opportunities both in the future--and right here in the past to kill him in his sleep. But I didn't. Why the hell do you think I came back here?"

Leo questioned him softly, "Why did you come back here, Chris?"

Chris: "Because I wanted to save him! Damn you! How could you do this!" Breathing heavily, Chris suddenly ran out of energy as he ran his hands through his hair and sank to his knees despondently. "He was all I had left…"

Leo wanted to reach out and console his son, but Phoebe held him back for fear of his own safety. Frustrated, he sighed at her stubborn refusal to move even an inch until she thought all was clear.

Meanwhile, Piper had laid on the bed sobbing softly, still pinned by her sister. Paige's angry words shocked her as well. She had never quite reached the point--at least verbally, where she thought that Wyatt was no longer redeemable after all of the atrocities he had committed. Not only against his own flesh and blood, but also against the world. She had seen it, but had been in denial just as much as Leo had. But after everything that Piper had seen and heard as of late, she no longer had the strength to believe in him anymore--to believe that justice wasn't meted out correctly, and quietly ceased her struggles. When she heard Chris' soft spoken words, she felt a rush of maternal instinct to comfort him. She whispered to her baby sister desperately, "Let me go to him please?"

Paige glared at her and searched her eyes for any sign of duplicity, but found none in the genuine concern for her only remaining child. She warned, "Don't you go near Leo." She released her oldest sister at the slight nod and watched as she walked over and wrapped her arms around her son.

Chris looked up and recited to his mother what he only half-heartedly believed, "Wyatt loved me, I know he did. But he was just--I don't know, lost I guess. He didn't want to…" His voice no longer holding onto the animosity toward Leo, he looked up with glassy eyes threatening to spill over, "Why did you have to start caring now? He was all I had left. What am I supposed to do now? Everyone in my life is dead."

Leo: "Chris, I'm so sorry. And I know I have so much to answer to you for. But you won't be alone--"

Opening and closing his fists repeatedly, Chris finally let out an exhausted sigh. "Save it, Leo. Just leave me alone. I have already forgiven you for so much. For giving up on me after mom died; for not believing me when I told you the first time; for never coming when I called you, but always whenever Wyatt even so much as broke a fingernail--you were right there rushing to his side. But you have never been there for me. It's too late now. And I just don't have it in me to forgive you for any more. Now after everything, I still have no one.

Piper: "No, baby. We're going to change all of that."

Chris looked up hesitantly, "What do you mean?"

Piper let out a deep breath, since she had neglected to tell him earlier. "That's the other reason your Aunt Phoebe summoned Paige and I here. We want to vanquish Tem'al. So that none of this will have ever happened. You won't have to go through any of this, baby--I promise."

Chris shook his head sadly, "Then you don't understand. If you were really there--why don't you understand?"

The remaining Charmed sisters moved closer and kneeled in front of him.

Phoebe: "What don't we understand, Chris?"

Chris: "You can't vanquish him."

Piper: "Yes, we can, Chris. We have all of the present Charmed Ones powers. Right now, we are the Power of Three again. If anyone can do it, it's us."

Leo hung back but spoke up also. From Piper' earlier visions, he now had a face and a name to go along with his anger at the demon who had hurt his son. "I'll help too."

Chris sat back and leaned against the bed. He ignored Leo's outburst and only addressed Piper's earlier statement, "I know you can, Mom. But it's not that you can't physically do it, just that you shouldn't do it."

Paige: "What? Why not?"

Chris: "Because he isn't what turned Wyatt. That's why I came back here. To find out what does, and stop it from happening while he's still a baby."

Piper's voice started to crack, "But Chris, we can still do that, and at the same time--erase all of those horrible things that happened to you. If we're lucky, maybe it'll even be instantaneous and you'll forget all about it."

Chris sighed again, "That's what I'm worried about." He pushed his family away from him angrily and stood up. Pounding his fists against his thighs in frustration, he yelled down at them still crouched on the floor. "See this is what you're not getting! I guess I have to spell it out for you" he punctuated each word slowly, "--I CAN NOT BE ALLOWED TO FORGET!"

Seeing their upset but clearly confused expressions, Chris threw his hands up in the air. "You people are so dense! Look, just stay the hell away from--the demon--and just leave me alone. I can't deal with this right now. With any of you. Just--ugh!" He quickly muttered under his breath and released the anti-orbing spell before fleeing-- leaving a room full of shocked, confused, and upset family members behind.

TBC…..

AN: I think I have 1 or 2 more chapters out of this, but we'll see. And wow, your reviews were so awesome. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and for the wonderful encouragement.

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 17

By: teal-lover

AN: This chapter is much lighter than the last few, because they were just so draining to write. I love angst, but I just couldn't take it anymore for a while. Next chapter :)

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After storming out of the manor, Chris orbed himself to the peak of the Golden Gate Bridge. The wind whipped through his longish, dark hair, blowing it into his face. He swiped at the dangling strands angrily.

This was his usual spot to think, relax, and sometimes even plan his next move, at least ever since his father had introduced him to it in this time. It had always felt calming and peaceful, and he welcomed the solitude it offered.

When he left his family in the bedroom with their mouths agape, that was exactly what he had been looking for. Now however, the bridge just seemed to be stifling, making it difficult to breathe. Since he was used to the height, Chris knew it was because of the turbulent emotions that raged within him.

He realized suddenly that he didn't want to be alone right now, but he didn't really want to deal with his family right now either.

After his outburst, he began to feel foolish, and maybe just a little bit disappointed in himself. That was the only time in his life that he could ever remember yelling at his mother like that, so he could picture how upset she must be now.

But he just wasn't ready to deal with any of that yet. But where could he go? A grin slowly spread across his face as he thought of just the place and orbed out.

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Orbing not too far from his destination, Chris decided to walk the rest of the way to avoid being spotted. He climbed up the stairs to the small home and rang the doorbell. He listened hopefully for any sounds inside, but heard none and sighed disappointedly. He turned to walk away with his hands in his pockets just as the door was opened by an unfamiliar middle-aged woman.

She held open the door slightly as she peeked through, "May I help you?"

Chris: "Uh, no. Thanks. I must have the wrong house. I thought someone else lived here." He turned to leave when he heard a muffled voice on the other side of the door question her.

Chris was just about to turn around again to leave when the door opened wider and a very familiar face stood in front of it. His eyes beamed with excitement and relief, and he silently thanked the Piper of this time for introducing them. He waived shyly, "Hi."

Victor rushed out onto the porch to welcome his grandson. He cycled through his questions, running one sentence into the next quickly, all the while changing his tone from happy, concerned, to downright worried. "CHRIS!! It's so good to see you. What are doing here? How did you get here? Are they alright?"

Chris laughed at his grandfather's babbling, "Now I know where Phoebe gets it from. Let's see: It's good to see you too--just visiting--with my legs--and yes, they're fine."

The woman seemed quite interested in the interaction, and cleared her throat to get their attention. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who may I ask are you, young man?"

Chris held out his hand grinning broadly, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Chris."

The woman smiled smugly, "Yes, I did get that part."

Victor still had his arm wrapped around his grandson as he spoke, "Ah, Frances, this is Chris--my uh…"

Chris quickly chimed in, "Nephew. But we've always been so close, that I just think of Uncle Vic as my Grandfather. He doesn't mind me calling him Grandpa, do you?"

Victor: "Of course not. It's not as if it makes me feel old or anything…Where are my manners--Come on in, son. Can I get you anything, something to eat or drink?"

Frances eyed them irritably, "Victor, I thought we were going out tonight?"

Chris halted in disappointment, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had plans and I didn't mean to intrude--I'll just be going."

Victor grabbed his arm as he turned to leave, "Nonsense. I don't get to see you that often, Chris." He turned to Frances asking her in no uncertain terms, "Fran, you don't mind if we make it for another night, right?"

Frances smiled at him sarcastically before snatching her purse from the counter, "Mind? Why would I mind?" She muttered under her breath loud enough to be heard, "Right. Another night--in your dreams, pal…"

Chris winced as heard the front door slam. "She's mad."

Victor dismissed it easily, "Aren't they always? Forget about that. So what's going on with you? I mean, is everything really ok---as far as, well ya'know--stuff?"

Chris: "Yeah, Grandpa. That's all cool."

Victor led him to the couch, "Then, do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"

Chris instinctively lied as he smiled back, "There's nothing bothering me, Grandpa. I just wanted to see you."

Victor raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arms, "Uh huh. So you just happened to show up on my doorstep in the middle of the day because you suddenly got the urge to come and visit? What's the matter, demon hunting a little slow today?" He noticed that his grandson carefully avoided his eyes. Which meant that he was avoiding the truth as well. So he pressed again, "Come on, Chris. I know I'm not magical or anything like you, but I'm not stupid either. I can see that something is bothering you, and whatever it is, it will just between us. I didn't tell your mother or aunts what you told me, and I won't tell them now. You can talk to me, and you know that. That is the reason you came here, right?"

Chris fiddled with his hands as he stared down at his shoes. "Everything is just so screwed up, and it's all my fault. If I hadn't said anything to Phoebe, then they wouldn't be here trying to fix something they shouldn't; I wouldn't know that he was dead--and that I have nothing left. It's all just too much right now, and I just had to get away from them for a while."

Victor half joked, "Chris, I know I just said that I wasn't stupid, but I honestly have no clue as to what you just said."

Despite his feelings, Chris laughed at his Victor's attempt at humor. "Don't ever stop that, Grandpa. You always did have a way of making me laugh, no matter what was going on. You asked me before what was it that made you such an awesome grandpa, there you go. That's definitely one thing."

Victor nodded proudly, "I'll certainly keep that in mind. Now would you care to elaborate a little on what you said before that?"

Chris shrugged, "Not really." He mentally berated himself for coming here. Just one look from his grandfather had always been enough to make him confess anything. But he had to keep some secrets. He just couldn't stand the thought looking into his eyes and seeing them full of shame, pity, and disappointment if he found out what happened. But at the same time, he felt a pressing need to talk to someone, so he decided on a compromise that would satisfy them both. He would get things off his chest, and his grandfather would get the barest minimum to help him understand. "Just the basics ok? No details…"

Victor nodded enthusiastically, eager to help his grandson through whatever was troubling him. "Fair enough. Go on."

Chris let out a nervous breath as he tried to summarize the past weeks events. "I told Phoebe something I shouldn't have after something happened last week, and she wouldn't let it go."

Victor smiled, "She wore you down, huh? That girl can be like a dog with a chew toy. Don't feel bad, she does that to me all the time."

Chris: "Well she did it to me too. And then she called Mom and Aunt Paige. Then we kind of got into this huge fight, and I kind of blew up at them when I left. I think I might have hurt Moms feelings."

Victor: "Hey, this is good."

Chris raised his eyebrows doubtfully, "How is that good?"

Victor: "You're making progress. You know, Mom, not Piper?"

Chris: "Well this is Mom, not Piper. Phoebe summoned my mother--from the future. You know, the one from after the event."

Victor: "Ohhhh. You mean her spirit? Like, when they call Penny?"

Chris: "Yeah, along with Aunt Paige's too. Oh, I forgot; they brought Leo with them. But these are the people that raised me. And even they don't understand me. They don't seem to get that this other event has to happen. None of us likes it, especially me--but I don't know how to get them to see that fact and just leave it alone."

Victor: "Have you tried talking to the Piper and Paige of this time? What do they think?"

Chris scrunched up his face in confusion, "I don't know. Come to think of it, I didn't even realize that they weren't around. Leo and Wyatt are gone too."

The more Chris thought about it, the angrier he got. "Oh that's just too coincidental. They planned this. I can't believe them! They weren't even going to ask me. If I hadn't walked in on them, they were just going to go behind my back and then just go around screwing up the future!"

Victor asked worriedly, "Planned what? And what about the others? Are they ok?"

Chris: "They're fine. If they weren't, I wouldn't exist since Piper is pregnant with me. But they CAN NOT do this!"

Victor grabbed the young mans shoulder, "Hey, Chris--calm down. What can't they do? And what did they plan?"

Chris stared into the older man's eyes and changed the facts a bit. He just hoped that he wouldn't ask for details, because he was an open book when his grandfather really wanted to get something out of him. "Grandpa, I can't tell you any details. But they're trying to stop a chain of events that almost lead to me getting killed in the future."

Victor gasped with shock, "Then why won't you let them?"

Chris: "Because I didn't die. That's the point. I made it through."

Victor closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't understand, son. If they came back from the dead to stop this, then you must have been inches away from ringing deaths doorbell. So why are you fighting so hard to stop them?"

Chris: "Did they tell you why I came back?"

Victor: "Your mother said that you needed to save your brother from being some kind of tyrant, or something like that."

Chris: "Yes, he turned evil in my future. And today, I found out that he will die because of it. But not if I can change the past. But I won't be able to do that if they change my past."

Chris' eyes pleaded with his grandfather to understand as no one else could, "Because it was that event, which led to a chain of events, that in turn led me here. Please tell me you understand…"

Victor sighed dramatically, "So you're saying that if they change this--they will have changed the fact that you come back to save your brother? Right?"

Chris jumped up in relief, "YES!"

Victor: "Then yes, I understand. I don't like it. But I understand." He shook his head when the young man flew into his arms, surprising him just as he had the day he first met him months ago. "So I guess you want me to talk them, huh?"

Chris: "Well I can't do it. Not after I just yelled at them like that. They'll just think I'm being stubborn. And my Mom, well I've never yelled at her like that before. I don't know how she'll handle it."

Victor: "She wasn't part of your life during your worst teenage years, so she hasn't heard all of the tantrums. Now give yourself a break, Chris. She's your mother, she'll understand. And she'll get over it."

Chris pulled back and took Victor's hand, "Are you ready to go?"

Victor snatched his hand away and shook his head. "Not gonna' happen, kiddo. I know you said I get used to orbing in the future--but I don't have to get used to it right now, so you--come with me." He grabbed his jacket and car keys as he headed out. Holding open the front door, his eyes glinted with amusement at his grandson staring at him with wide-eyed shock, "What are you waiting for? Never ridden in a car before?"

Chris hurried to catch up with him, "Not in this time. Are those things even safe right now?"

Victor huffed as he turned off the light.

TBC…..

AN: Well? What did you think? Ok, the confrontation and more explanations are coming next chapter.

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 18

By: teal-lover

Disclaimer in part 1

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No more than a minute had gone by when Victor looked over into the passenger seat and noticed his grandson looking a decidedly greenish hue. Smirking at the reaction, "Are you alright?"

Chris' voice cracked a bit, "I'm fine."

Victor's smirk turned into a full grin, "Then you might want to ease that death grip you've got on the door handle. Come on, my driving's not that bad!" At the raised eyebrow he received, "Ok, maybe it is. Good thing is, I'll probably be the one to teach you how to drive." He reached down into his change drawer, "Here, have a peppermint; it'll settle your stomach."

Chris took the candy and tore open the wrapper, eager to be rid of the nauseating feeling rising in his stomach. "Not that bad, huh? I guess that's why you keep them in a real handy spot."

Victor conceded with a nod, "So. Do you think they're looking for you yet?"

Chris replied casually, "Probably."

Victor: "You don't seem too worried about them finding you before you find them."

Chris gave him a sly grin, "That's because I cloaked my presence from them. I had to learn to do that after Wyatt turned. I would have done it earlier, except that I didn't know I needed to."

Victor: "What do you mean?"

Chris: "I went to the bridge earlier to get away from them, but they found me. Since I thought it was Piper and Paige from this time, I thought they would have just given up and left me alone like I told them. But then it wasn't who I thought it was, so they followed me."

Victor: "Why would you think Piper and Paige would leave alone?"

Chris: "They don't really know me that well. You know, it's like I'm not real to them, because they didn't see me grow up."

Victor: "You know, they love you too, right?"

Chris: "I know they do technically. But they don't like me. They're still used to me being their annoying whitelighter "future boy". So it's kind of like a default kind of love. And I'm ok with that, really. I understand."

Victor shook his head hesitantly, "Chris, I don't think they feel like that…"

Chris showed his irritation and was eager to change the subject. "Look, can we not talk about that right now?"

Victor: "Ok. What do you want to talk about?"

Chris paled a bit, "Stop the car…"

Victor glanced back worriedly, "Are you going to be sick or something?"

Chris rolled his eyes, "No. Just stop the car, please?"

Victor pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut of the engine. He turned to face the younger man, "What's wrong? You're scaring me, son."

Chris: "I don't mean to. But listen, I need you to promise me something."

Victor quickly calmed down and added teasingly, "I don't know what it is you're asking yet."

Chris grew impatient, "Just promise or we're not going anywhere."

Victor: "I don't know, Chris. You're mother told me how, uh--"tricky", you can be. So I'm not sure if I should promise you anything until---"

Cutting him off angrily, the young man hissed, "VICTOR! I can only imagine what Piper told you, but I-AM-NOT-TRYING-TO-MANIPULATE-YOU! There's just some things that--"

Victor finished his thought, "That you don't want me to know, right?"

Chris stared at his grandfather unblinking. He had hoped to convey a look of extreme sincerity. His heart pounded with anticipation as he anxiously awaited the nod in understanding. When it came, he sighed in relief and added softly "Yeah."

Victor: "Alright, son. I promise. Now tell me what it is you need this promise for."

Chris: "Well, whatever you do--DON'T--let them tell you any details about what happened. I can't take the chance that you might inadvertently change something you shouldn't. If this doesn't work, then I'll have to come back and fix it right next time. So the less you know, the better."

Victor: "So how am I supposed to stop them from saying anything?"

Chris: "Walk away. Stick your finger in your ear and sing the national anthem--whatever! I don't care. Just don't listen if they try to tell you."

Now it was Victor's turn to roll his eyes, "Oh, very mature. By the way, you have a very bad habit, young man."

Chris arched his eyebrows curiously, "What?"

Victor: "You know what I'm talking about. Calling us by our first names, that's what."

Chris smiled mischievously, "Yeah, well it got your attention, didn't it? Besides, maybe this time around you can break me out of that bad habit."

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A little earlier back at the manor, Piper's mouth gaped open as she stared at the spot her son had just fled moments before. She ignored the tears that fell as she whispered dazedly, "He hates me…"

Phoebe: "No, honey. He doesn't"

Piper: "Yes, he does. He's never talked to me like that before. He hates me for not being there for him--to protect him like a mother should."

Paige: "I don't think--no--I know, he doesn't hate you Piper. He's just confused right now."

Piper: "That wasn't confusion that I saw. He seemed really clear on the fact that he hates all of us! If he didn't, why wouldn't he want us to get involved? You see? You heard him. He want's nothing to do with us!"

Leo hung back in the corner but spoke softly to his former wife, "He doesn't hate you, Piper. Or either of you for that matter. If anything, it's me that he hates--and with good reason, I suppose. I know I've been so blind in the past, Piper. But if I can see anything now, it's how much that boy loves you."

Piper's eyes lost some of the contemptuous glare she been giving her husband earlier. At both of her sister nodding agreement, when stood up gesturing wildly with her hands. "Then I don't' understand! Why won't he let us help him? Why does he feel the need to hold on to something so horrible when we can change it?"

Paige: "I don't know. And I'm not sure if we should leave him alone right now like he asked. I think we need to find hi, and then convince him to let it go."

Phoebe: "Look, guys. I know I was all for telling him earlier and giving him a choice, but--well let's face it, that was back when I thought he would want us to help him."

Paige: "Well I'm still at where I was before. I think we should do it, but let him know we're going to do it. That is what you do for your children--you do what's best for them, then you tell them why and wait until they understand when they get older."

Phoebe: "He's an adult, Paige."

The youngest Charmed One pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, "Well he's not acting like one. Let's just concentrate on finding him--Leo, can you sense him?"

Leo: "No. He's blocking me somehow."

Phoebe: "To the attic then…"

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Upstairs in the attic, the girls tried everything they cold think of to find the missing Halliwell--spells, potions, scrying, but nothing worked. Suddenly, the doorbell rang and startled everyone out of the concentration.

Piper: "We don't have time for this! Phoebe, get rid of them. Wait--you might need us."

Phoebe: "Piper, demons don't ring doorbells."

Piper: "Nicholas did. Remember that? When we first became witches? Because I seem to remember that demon ringing the doorbell."

Phoebe nodded even as she raced downstairs, "Good point. Stand behind the door just in case."

Swinging open the door, she smiled warmly and drew out her words. "Daddy!!! Hi. I've missed you!" She pushed him backwards and tried to shut the door, "And I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss you some more because we're kind of in the middle of something---But I promise we'll call you later. Luv ya, bye!"

Victor stuck his foot in the door to prevent his youngest daughter from slamming it in is face. He smiled knowingly at her, especially since he knew exactly what they we're in the middle of. "Is Piper here?"

Behind the door, the eldest panicked in a hushed voice, "I can't let him see me like this. I'm almost as old as he is!"

Victor tried to sidestep the Charmed One in the doorway, but she deftly maneuvered back into his path. "Honey, I have something I need to talk to Piper about, and I really can't leave until I've said my peace."

Phoebe: "Daddy, now is really not a good time."

Victor smiled patiently, "I'm not leaving. Piper! I know you're here…"

Piper shouted back from behind the door, hoping to pacify her father with her voice. "Hi Daddy. I'm kind of tied up right now"

Victor joked, "Does she mean that literally? Cause I never know with you girls. Oh never mind." He called into the house, "Piper--I'm leaving now, and I guess I'll just have to keep my little secret all to myself…"

Phoebe couldn't hide her curiosity, "Wait--what secret?"

Victor: "Well, that I know what you girls are up to. What you're looking for. More specifically, who you're looking for…"

Phoebe narrowed her eyes cautiously, "How?"

Victor ignored her question happily and continued to bait them, "And I know that this person you're looking for happens to be about six-feet tall, has shaggy chestnut brown hair--which needs cutting by the way, uh--blue eyes--which I thought for some odd reason that they were green when I first met him…"

Piper stepped into the doorway and pulled her father inside, "Can the riddles, Daddy. Where is he?"

Victor feigned shock at her older appearance, having already been prepared after Chris told him who they were dealing with. "Piper, what happened to you?"

Piper blew out an agitated breath, "I don't have time to explain. There's something we need to do right now, and we need to find Chris before we do it. So just tell me where my son is, please?"

Victor took a deep breath and slowly led her by the arm to the couch, "Hmm. Actually, no you don't. Maybe we'd better sit down." He smiled in the direction of the kitchen, "Paige, Leo--You two can stop hiding as well, because I think your going to need to hear this too. That's actually why I'm here."

Leo and Paige both stepped out of the kitchen and smiled guiltily before giving him a small wave and motioning him to continue.

TBC….

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 19

By: teal-lover

AN: Sorry guys, but this is going to be the last chapter, or the last chapter before the epilogue. I just couldn't drag it out any further. Good news is, if you want it, I think I want to make a sequel detailing Chris' life after Valhalla & how he became the Chris we all know & love. I already even have some of written as I had planned to include it here, but it just made it too long. But this chapter pretty much wraps up the story. The epilog is more of a reflection. And speaking of let me know if I can include anything from the season 6 finale in it, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

One more thing--I'm basing my logic off of Charmed logic. Because Chris actually started to disappear in the past & the angel of death came for him when he had changed things too much & might have prevented his own birth.

And also let me know in your reviews if you think it's worth doing a sequel. Ok? Ok. On with it.

Disclaimer in part 1

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Victor took his eldest daughter's hands in his, "Honey, I know what you're trying to do, and also who you are--or I guess more specifically, when you are from. You see, a certain young man, came to me a few hours ago and explained what was going on here."

Piper sat up straighter with a look of disbelief, "He what!"

Victor: "Yeah. And what's more, basically he wants you all to butt out! And after hearing his point of view, I hate to say it, but I agree with him."

Piper was outraged and snatched her hands away, "HE WHAT!"

Victor tried to diffuse the tense atmosphere with humor, "Is there an echo in here?"

Leo: "No offense Victor, but I don't think you understand the gravity of what's going on here. Nor do I think you really understand what you're asking us to do. Or rather, not to do."

Phoebe agreed with her brother-in-law, "Daddy, he's right--because I really don't think you would be all for Chris' ridiculous idea if you knew what happened. We're not doing anything wrong here. We're just trying to help him!"

Victor leaned back into the cushions as he thought about what his family said. Now he knew why his grandson had fled earlier. They did seem impossibly stubborn to talk to, but then again, they did seem to have a point. He closed his eyes as his overactive imagination cycled through a list of horrors his grandson could have endured. After all, it had to be terrible if they were advocating this change so strongly.

Suddenly, an irrational surge of fear for the boy gripped at his heart. Doubt flooded his mind as he momentarily questioned his own position on the subject. Was he doing the right thing? Then he thought back to the passenger currently hiding outside in his car. The desperate and pleading look in his eyes, even as he sought him out to stand against his own family, was impossible to deny in any way. He vaguely wondered if in the future, the boy knew how much he had his grandfather wrapped around his little finger, 'Yeah. Most likely.' He smiled inwardly as he thought, 'That boy is going to be trouble growing up. And spoiled. By me.'

But Chris had made his own good point. No matter how much they wanted to help him, they simply couldn't do that without changing who Christopher had become. Because he doubted that Piper would have raised--or even allowed for that matter--the surly, cunning, temperamental, and sometimes even abrasive behavior in the young man that he had met recently.

Opening his eyes once more, Victor prepared to argue his grandson's case again. "You won't be helping him if you go ahead with this. And you're right; I don't know exactly what happened, and quite frankly--I don't want to know the details. My own imagination is more than sufficient. But it's enough for me to believe in my grandson and trust that he knows what he's doing."

Piper's eyes flashed angrily, "This is NOT up for debate! He is my son, not yours! And I'm the one who raised him, so if anyone should butt out, its you! This is not your decision."

Victor tried to keep his calm, but his daughter was making extremely difficult for him. "It's not your decision either. Yes, you raised him. You birthed him, and by those rights you would certainly have more claim on him than I ever could--but that's when he was five, Piper. He's an adult now! He has the right to make his own decisions. And he's made it quite clear! Stay out of it!"

Piper: "That's because he's just confused right now. He thinks this is somehow his fault, and that he needs to carry this around--but he doesn't! We can change it."

Victor: "That's not why he doesn't want you involved."

Everyone's ears perked up at his, afraid that he would confirm their mutual fears of Chris' hatred for them.

Paige was the first to speak, although hesitantly, "Then why?"

Victor: "Don't you see? We are all but the sum of our experiences. If you change those experiences, you change who that person is…"

Piper's resolve now faltering, she grabbed onto her father's lapels as he wrapped his arms around her, "But daddy, you don't understand. You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what happened. And I can't tell you either. How can you expect me to just allow him to go through that again when he doesn't have to? I'm his mother. I'm supposed to protect him. How can I let that happen again?…"

Victor tried his best to comfort his oldest daughter, stroking her hair softly, "Shhh. Honey, I know it's hard. But I, of all people, understand. Every day, I live with the knowledge that you girls are out here putting your lives on the line to save the world, and that each one of those days--I wake up with the fear that there's always the possibility that I might loose you. That's why I ran away when you girls were little. I didn't want to face it. And its taken me most of your lives to finally accept your destinies. To accept that you are prepared to make the sacrifices like that for the rest of the world. But honey, you have to accept that your son has now done the same thing. This thing you want to prevent has allowed him to come back here and change the future for the better. I'm not going to ask you tell me what happened, but whatever it was--he survived it. And since he is here today, Christopher is stronger in spite of it. You have to let it be and accept that this is what he wants. It's what he needs. And if you love him, then you'll do as he asks."

"I'm not the same person you raised, Mom." For the second time in less than a day, Christopher had walked in quietly and surprised everyone with his voice. He had been getting antsy in the car awaiting his grandfather's signal to come inside. Now, as he stood leaning against the doorframe, he felt overcome with guilt as he saw his mother fighting to control her emotions in her father's arms. No one else in the room mattered as he went to her and traded places with Victor. "I'm sorry, Mom. I love you so much, you know that right? But it has to be this way."

Piper: "Why?"

Chris: "You were there. I know that you have to have seen how much I've changed. I'm not the same little boy that you raised."

Piper shook her head in denial as she plucked an imaginary piece of lint from his shirt, "Well you're just all grown up, now. No, you are still my sweet little boy."

Chris stared deeply into her eyes so that she would see no deception in them as he answered, "Would that sweet little boy have killed--because in the long run, he believed it would be justified and work itself out in the end? Lied, cheated, stolen to get what he wanted to accomplish his goals? Made deals with demons because they could help him accomplish them faster? Then turned around and even surprised the demons by betraying them? Would he have learned to bargain, manipulate, even seduce his way into all sorts of distasteful situations? All in order to get what he wanted to change any of this?"

Chris took a look around the room as everyone absorbed the impact of his words. He paused momentarily as he imagined their disappointment before turning back to his mother. He knew his words had stunned her, and he hated having to draw on some of those old psychological tricks he had learned against her. But he had to get them to see things his way, so he pushed on. "No. Not your little "sunshine". He's been gone for a very long time, now."

The hardened look he quickly masked helped to cement his words further.

"But it's ok. Because he couldn't have handled the things I've had to do to get here. The things I've done since I've been here. Believe me, if he had tried--he would have ended up dead a long time ago. Because a certain amount of evil-- that he didn't have--was required to stop evil. At least, not until it my brother taught me that. And others like him who showed me how to get it."

The remaining Charmed sisters held each other as they thought about what their nephew said.

Chris: "Now that you all understand, I need you promise me that you'll leave this alone. You can not change what happened. You're not meant to." He looked around the room sternly, silently demanding an answer from each member of his family.

As each one nodded in affirmation, his eyes finally fell on his mother, who had thus refused to answer. "Mom?

She stared down at the floor and swiped at the tears fiercely at his prodding. Reluctantly, she mouthed her affirmation, not a sound able to escape her lips. Unable to face her son, she squeezed his hand quickly and turned to run upstairs.

Paige looked at her nephew longingly, her arms stretched out towards him. Her own mind warred with her desire to hold him, against her need to comfort her sister, whose heart she knew would be breaking. When he pointed his head in the direction of the stairs, she smiled meekly at his understanding before following into the attic.

Chris' eyes locked on the stairwell as he slid his hand up and down the banister, "Send them home, Phoebe." Looking over at his father and effectively dismissing him, "All of them. We've got to make up for lost time in finding out who started this whole mess."

After the room had cleared, Victor inched closer to the young man, "Those were some pretty harsh words you said to them."

Chris: "They needed to hear them."

Victor: "You may have fooled them, but for some reason, I can see right through you."

Chris turned and smiled genuinely back at the older man, "You always could. Just because I've changed, toughened up to survive; doesn't mean I don't still have feelings. I hated what I just had to do."

Victor: "I know. But it was necessary. To save your family."

Chris snaked his arm around his grandfather's shoulders. "Yeah."

Victor suddenly turned serious. "You're not going to leave things like that with her, are you?"

Chris sighed heavily, "I don't want to. But it's probably for the best." He stared down at the floor sadly, "I never got to say goodbye to her when she died."

Victor held out his hand for his grandson, allowing his concern for the young man overcome his fear of orbing, "Then why miss the only chance you'll probably ever get? Come on son, I'll be right there with you." The only response he received when his hand was grabbed was the unfamiliar feeling of vertigo as they landed in the attic.

Chris immediately dropped his hand and stood back guiltily as Piper looked up through bleary red and puffy eyes.

Chris took a hesitant step closer. "Mom? Please. Don't be mad at me? I need for you not to be mad at me. And to understand why I'm doing this."

Piper heard the unspoken fear of rejection in his voice. Showing a vulnerable side that he hadn't really shown in a long time. Especially not downstairs a few short minutes ago. It was at this moment that she realized that he hadn't really changed. He just hid it better.

She rushed forward and surrounded him with her arms, "Baby, I'm not mad at you. And I understand why you're doing this. That you want to save the world; the rest of your family. But all you have to do is say the word--right here--right now, and I will gladly give it all up for you to spare you that pain."

The half witch/whitelighter closed his eyes as he held on tighter. "I know. But this is the way it has to be for now."

Piper nodded silently, not having expected the old Halliwell stubborn streak to vanish in her second born. "You know, what you said back there? I don't believe you. You're still my sunshine. Do you remember how I always used to call you that?"

Chris chuckled softly at the memory, "Yeah. Till I made you stop in the fifth grade. That was embarrassing…"

"Well you can't stop me now. No matter what happens, or what you do, or where you go--I love you, sunshine. And I'm so proud of you. You just always remember that ok?"

Chris nodded with a lump in his throat as he reluctantly let her go.

Paige moved over and hugged her youngest nephew, "Goodbye, kiddo. Be careful. And you be good." Smiling mischievously at him she added, "or not."

The two future sisters soon exchanged goodbye's with everyone that belonged in the current time. The oldest spoke, "Take care of my baby, Phoebe."

Phoebe wiped the tears from her eyes emotionally. She thought to herself how foolish it was that she was going to miss them, especially since she would be seeing their younger versions soon enough. "I will. We need to um--send Leo back before you go."

Paige's eyes confirmed with her older sister before responding. She actually felt a bit of pity for the older man who would be left with nothing when he returned. But after he dealt out the punishment that she had secretly wished she could have done, she felt that she owed him something. The least she could do was allow him to return with some company, if only for a little while. She understood that Piper only agreed half-heartedly. "No, that's ok. Leo can always send us back to the spirit realm when we get back to our time."

Leo looked on in surprised relief when his sister-in-law spoke.

They said the power swapping spell again to return the powers to the present Charmed Ones currently still residing "Up There" with Leo and baby Wyatt.

Phoebe: "Piper, try to blow something up. Paige, orb something before you leave."

When it was proven that their powers had indeed been removed, they recited the return spell as the triquetra glowed on the back wall.

Without another word, the three looked on sadly as they disappeared into the portal holding hands to ensure a safe return.

Phoebe closed her eyes and stared down at the floor. "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

Chris: "For what?"

Phoebe: "I really thought I was doing the right thing. I just wish, that I could have helped you somehow."

Chris smiled warmly, "You did, Phoebe. You gave me something that I was never able to have before. I got to say goodbye. And that means a lot. So thank you. Now you'd better go get your Piper and the others. Cause if I know her--"

Phoebe threw her hands up in frustration as she headed downstairs, "I know, I know. Somebody's gonna get it. And with my luck it'll probably be me."

Chris grinned happily as he called after her, "Or if we're really lucky, it'll be Leo."

When they were alone, Victor turned to the brown-haired witch, "You know, your mom had the right idea. Whatever you may think about yourself, and however you've had to get by--don't feel bad. You're a good man, Christopher Perry Halliwell. And if I never get the chance to say it again, I'm proud to have you as my grandson."

Chris grinned mischievously, "We'll see if you're still saying that when I accidentally crash your car into the lake in a few years." He whined in a childlike voice as he quoted himself over a decade ago, "But grandpa, I didn't mean to do it…"

Victor sighed exasperatedly, "What am I going to do with you?"

Chris: "Guess you'll have to wait and see…"

TBC…

Do You Really Want to Know?

Chapter 20-Epilog

By: teal-lover

AN: I don't like the way season 6 ended, so I'm going to fix it a bit.

Disclaimer in part 1

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Phoebe sat on the windowsill of the nursery, her vision alternating between the clear blue sky and sleeping infant in the bassinet.

She ignored the trail of tears that fell ₦rom her eyes as she thought about the young man that she had grown to love. It saddened her that no one else would ever know the depths to his love for them all, and the extent of his sacrifice that eventually claimed his life. It was a burden she could never share with another soul because of her vow of silence to him; one that she refused to ever break.

She recalled that day in Magic school when they all shared a drink and celebrated a pre-mature victory.

Everyone thought she was referring to Wyatt when Phoebe toasted, "To our nephew," but her eyes caught Chris', knowing that he would understand that her toast was secretly meant for him, "May he always been safe."

Phoebe alone had watched him as he sullenly stared at the floor, oblivious to the excited chatter surrounding him. He looked anything but happy that he had accomplished his mission. In fact, she noted that he looked scared before a quiet resolve took over, and he accepted the unknown future.

Still, he was reluctant to leave when they thought they had saved Wyatt. To be honest, she had even been afraid for him and avoided the young man as the day of his departure drew closer. And she knew from their late night conversations at P3 that it was because of what he would have to live with when he got there. If he even got there at all. She had wondered then if he would cease to exist as he was, as she had felt his secret longing even though he denied it. She understood now that he had just wanted everything to be over, one way or another. To forget all of the horrible things that he had done, and that had been done to him.

As they sat in the waiting room of the hospital, Paige had tearfully informed her that Chris had disappeared. At first she tried to deny it, but soon after, she weakly tried to convince her sister that he hadn't really died, and had just returned to the future. But at the same time, she felt guilty at being glad for him. She knew she was grasping at straws, but it certainly made her feel better to imagine that he was finally happy wherever he ended up; even if that meant that he would get his wish. The former empath desperately hoped that he was. The half witch/whitlighter had so few occasions to be happy. It brought a small smile to her lips as she remembered the day he came home, only to be stopped by Piper.

Present time Flashback.......

When Chris returned from his Grandfather's house after spending the weekend with him, an infuriated and very much pregnant Piper greeted him at the front door.

"I want to know what's been going on around here, Mister! Phoebe, for the first time in her life, has decided to be tight lipped about it." She whipped her head around at her younger sister, "I demand to know why my ex-husband kidnapped me, my son, and my sister--FOR NEARLY A WEEK!! And for who knows what reason."

Chris backed away from her slightly, "Calm down, Piper. I mean Mom. It's not good for the baby."

Piper advanced on him threateningly, "It's not going to be good for the big version either if you don't tell me!"

Chris decided to feign innocence as he looked over her shoulder to the empathy, currently squirming in the corner. "What is she talking about, Phoebe? Did something happen while I've been with Grandpa for the last few days."

Phoebe glared at him for his partial lie, but she felt she owed him something after the difficult time she had just put him through. "Piper, I asked Leo to take you guys up there for a while. Chris didn't have anything to do with it, and I even sent him away to spend some quality time with Daddy."

Paige had been quiet, but now spoke. "Why, Phoebe?"

The middle sister had rehearsed her fictional account, but was afraid to repeat it until she knew what her nephew would say. "Because I know it's so unusual in this family for any of us to have time off without any demons, especially after the Spider Woman incident. So--"

Chris blushed with embarrassment at that mention, but picked up her train of thought, "So you sent us all away for a vacation?"

Phoebe's eyes glazed over, "Yeah. Vacation. Yeah, that's it. I had to send Piper and Paige up they're with Leo, because evil just never leaves the Charmed Ones alone no matter where we go. And I knew that Chris would take it easy if he went with Daddy--so long as there was nothing to worry about here for a little while."

Paige raised her eyebrow in suspicion, "So why didn't you come with us?"

Phoebe laughed nervously, "Uh, staggered shifts? I didn't want to leave the world completely unprotected." She quickly changed the subject and turned to her nephew with a grin, "So did you have fun this weekend?"

Chris smiled and nodded cheerfully, "Actually I did."

Piper turned to her son quizzically as she was taken aback by his rare show of emotion, "Wait, you had fun? As in "ha, I'm taking a break, fun?"

His mood not hampered by his mother's teasing, "Yessss" he drawled out. "Why is that so hard to believe? I've taken breaks before. I have even had actual fun before--"

Paige shook her head in disbelief, "Wow. Victor really is an awesome grandpa. I think the fact that he actually had fun was worth the aggravation. Phoebe, you're forgiven."

Piper patted her son's arm, "Yeah. It was worth it to see you relaxed for a change."

Chris looked on excitedly and perked up, "I'm not relaxed. And even if I was, I think we've been relaxing quite long enough, don't you think? So we need to get back on track with finding out who turns Wyatt. I think I've got a lead"

Piper scrunched up her face in irritation as he orbed off, "That vacation was so not long enough"

End Flashback

------------

At least he had been happy, if only for a moment. Her only wish for him now was that he had found the peace that he had so desired.

The baby began to stir and she immediately went to pick him up. She noticed the brilliant emerald eyes staring back at her in wonder, and remembered future Piper telling her about them. "They used to be green," she had said wistfully. "A brilliant emerald and sometimes sea-foam green. But whenever my baby was sad, or upset, or hurting--they were crystal blue. Like they are now"

That knowledge had always disturbed her, because she always remembered seeing them as blue. But looking at the baby's eyes now gave her hope. This Chris still had a chance. His future would be safe.

She nuzzled the tiny hand that reached for her face; "Your eyes will always be green. I'll make sure of it, Little One."

----------------

23 Years Later into the Future…..

Side by side, Piper, Paige, and Leo stepped out of the portal into the attic, which didn't look all that different from the attic they had just left in the past.

Confused, Paige spun around and asked her sister, "Do you feel different somehow?"

Piper nodded cautiously, "What's going on? I feel--I don't know--"

Leo looked equally as confused and finished her sentence, "Disoriented? It wasn't like this when you guys pulled me into the past. It was a mus---e-um" his voice trailed off as he noticed the orbs forming in front of them.

"Where have you guys been!! I've been looking all over for you. I was starting to get worried. Never mind that, now that you're here--I need to ask you a really big favor?"

The mop of blond wavy hair swung carelessly in tune to the animated figure before them. He finally caught the stares they gave him, "What's wrong with you guys? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

Even as he spoke, the shock of seeing the twice-blessed, former tyrant, bouncing around enthusiastically wore off.

The confusion gradually lifted, only to be replaced by a strange new feeling.

"You guys are acting really weird. Stay right there, I'm going to get Aunt Phoebe."

Orbing back moments later, Phoebe immediately understood their disorientation. She and her father were the only ones alive that knew of the whole sordid affair. She had prepared for this moment for a very long time.

"Wy, honey? I need to talk with your Mom, Dad and Aunt Paige. Alone. Would you mind?"

The young man bristled at being left out, "But--"

Phoebe soothed him calmly, "They'll be fine, I promise. I just have to explain a few things to them." She extended her arms and led them to the couch as soon as her nephew left reluctantly.

"Let me guess. You feel a little confused right now?"

Leo raised an eyebrow, "Uh, yeah."

Phoebe sat down on the arm rest of the couch before explaining. "Then let me start from the beginning. And this is a bit confusing, so try not to interrupt until I get finished, Ok? Ok. The three of you are originally from the another future--a very horrible one. Twenty-three years ago, I summoned Paige and Piper--who were dead by the way--to the past, where we also summoned Leo. Now when you got there, Chris had already traveled to the past to change the horrible future you came from. Well, he succeeded."

She motioned her arms to sweep around the room, "This is that new, changed future. Now here's where it's gonna' get tricky--when we sent you back, we thought we were sending you to the future you came from. But it no longer existed because Chris changed it. So you came to the only future that does exist. And in this one, you're not dead. You're souls are in your bodies where they're supposed to be."

Paige: "So let me get this straight: We were dead when we left the past, but since Chris changed the future--we've come back and we're not dead anymore?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. He altered the timeline that you three existed in--so that when you came back, you came back into your lives that exist here and now. That's probably why you're confused. You're memories are still catching up while the old ones are fading. But that will take a while."

Piper started to nod in understanding, but suddenly panicked when she thought of one more question, "So what happened to the "souls" that were in these bodies for the last 23 years?"

Phoebe held her hands up to calm her older sister, "The way the Elder's explained it before, is that it's the same soul. The same consciousness. The same person. They're merged together now. Like they should be. You probably don't remember much about the other timeline because we made an agreement with the Elders to remove those memories. Trust me, you would thank me for it--they're nothing worth keeping."

Paige: "But I started to remember something when we first got here."

Phoebe rolled her eyes and glanced upward in irritation, "That's because they said they couldn't remove them until you actually showed up from the past. And we were never certain when exactly you would land."

Leo questioned the empath, "How do you know any of this?"

Phoebe sighed loudly before answering. "Because it happened to Chris years ago. He began having nightmares of the other timeline and memories of returning to the past. We figured out that his soul--his consciousness--was still the same and had simply found its way back to its rightful place. Eventually, we were able to rid him of any knowledge of those events. And we all decided that it was best if we kept it that way, because now he's living the happy future that he helped create. We'll do the same for you if you get any memories of the other timeline."

Leo still didn't quite understand, "How is this possible?"

Phoebe crossed her legs and leaned back, "The Elders. They said that our family had been through enough, and decided to let everyone enjoy the peaceful future we created. Personally, I think it's just because they're so grateful that we pulled their sorry butts out of the fire and prevented their extinction."

Piper: "So everything is ok?"

Phoebe nodded cheerfully, "Uhm hmm. There's still the occasional demon attack, but--we can handle them as a family."

Paige: "So what was Wyatt hopping around in here earlier for?"

Phoebe laughed, "Oh that. Chris' birthday is in three days. And Wy's been pestering Piper and Leo for weeks to have this big surprise birthday bash at P3."

Leo: "And we said no?"

Phoebe: "More like you've enjoyed stringing him along the entire time since you've already had one planned yourselves. So anyway, you guys just take it easy for the next few days, and everything will come back to you."

On her way out, she literally bumped into her youngest nephew running in the hallway. "Whoa, what's the hurry? Where are you off to?"

The dark haired witch grinned widely, "Oh hey, Aunt Phoebe. Wy's taking me to a concert as one of my birthday presents. He won't tell me which one though."

Phoebe's eyebrow shot up as she stopped him halfway down the landing. "One of your presents?"

He smiled at her casually. "Yeah. So how's that surprise party coming along?"

She reached up and smacked the tall brunette playfully on the arm, "I hate it when you do that. You're mother has to take the fun out of surprise parties too."

He laughed while sprinting down the stairs as they heard a car horn blaring outside. Calling after his brother, "I'm coming, I'm coming!" Before he headed out the front door, he turned to the empath, "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

Phoebe folded her arms as she watched the door close. "Yes I do, Christopher. Yes I do."

THE END!!!!

AN: So many of you have given me so much encouragement to write, and have helped me through this process. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it and love the reviews you've been so kind to share with me. I couldn't have done it without you guys (tearing up).

With that said, I would like to give a special thanks to:

Alyssa Halliwell

buffspike

Stony Angel

Badgirl21

Faith, Love and Penny Candy

Calen

Jamieson Z

DarkGoddessRaven

melissa-p

mimifoxlove

thedifferentone / Icantthinkofafnick

ashlee

CaliforniaChick

Good Witch

Jhaylin

melissa

Succubus-69

xLuckiLuVx

ZodIaCCaT

CHARMEDBOOKWORM

ChrisBianca

Dannyblue

Jackie

lex

mi-au (heike-chanweb.de)

nighttime writer

PrueHalliwell

raven01uk

Shelly

Stranded Stargazer

zoned-out

Angel

Cat

CharmedCat17

Chris Drew Lover

DevilsArchangel

DrewFullerFan4Life

faith

fakesgirl22000

JamesLilyRock

jenna51980

jessie

Lanfear1

Lonie

magicrules

Orange Blossom08

rhia )

Rin-Loy

Sarah

Stray

Twisted Flame

whatever

wonderwhatsnext

Zeek

zelda

And to the newcomers that I hadn't thanked previously:

Nathy1000000

Grace

And also, for your honest opinions to:

Acacia Jules
Leesha