Disclaimer: And for the final time in this story, (all together now) I do not own Charmed.
Ok, thank you to all my reviewers again. Here is the final chapter, and yes its very short it's just a little epilogue, just to show what Chris feels.
New Surprises
Chapter 8: We Will Stop the Demon.
Chris stepped through the portal, to come across four worried adults. He wiped his eyes as Piper ran to him.
"What happened?" Paige asked, slightly surprised that he was back. None of them knew whether he would return from the future, but they decided to wait around anyway, just in case.
"I got there just as Melinda was shot with a darklighter arrow," Chris explained, "None of them will be coming back." Chris broke down in his mother's arms, as she rubbed his back.
"What about Leo?" Piper asked, remembering that Future Leo cared so much for his only daughter.
"She asked not to call for him," Chris explained and looked at his aunts and father, "The cousins and Ryan were dead, she wanted to go. I think she needed it." Chris understood why Melinda had said what she had. He thought back to her telling him that she nearly gave in during the torture. She had fought until her last moment, and he saw her in peace at her last moment.
"Are you ok?" Phoebe asked, sympathetically, actually empathetically, she could feel his pain.
"I will be. I just need to think."
At that, the sisters and Leo watched Chris orb out, happy that he had decided to return to the past rather than sitting in the future alone waiting for Wyatt.
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Chris sat on top of Golden Gate Bridge, thinking about what had happened. He never felt like this when Bianca had died, yes he had been upset but this was more like when Piper had died. He never thought he would feel this pain again. He did not know how long he was on the top of the famous bridge, that was really red not gold at all, and watched the sun rise, thinking back to the times he and Mel shared – good and bad. Melinda had been the one thing that kept him going in the past, that and Bianca promising that they would be getting married, but not he had lost both of them. There was nobody left in the future to fight for, just Leo and he had not even come when Chris was calling for him, even though he had said it was for his daughter's sake. Had Leo just learnt to tune Chris out, surely he would not leave his daughter to die, even if that was what she wanted.
Idiot, he thought to himself, you should have brought her back with you. Then she'd be alive. But no, he had to listen to what she wanted. Did she even know what she wanted at that time? He knew how darklighter posion took over the body, and in her state it could make her think that she wanted to die. But she did seem at peace for the first time in years, he could not remember the last time she looked that peaceful, except for when she was with Ryan. He always made her happy, even through the struggle with him working both sides, at least they would be together in death. Or would they? With Ryan being half-demon would that automatically send him to the wasteland? Don't think like that, he thought again, he's with Melinda. They're both happy. And as much as he hated Ryan in the past, well future really but we'll stick with past, he could not deny how much he and Melinda loved each other. It was just like himself and Bianca, and Chris had only just realised that. Well, at least we didn't vanquish him. They can still meet, date, fall in love...
Chris laughed to himself, finding it quite amusing how Melinda was not even born yet and he was already sorting out her love life and mourning her death. There was still four years until her birth, that was if he had not changed the future too much, but then there was nothing left in the future to change - nothing that would be changed and be bad, anyway.
Suddenly there were the sound of orbs. Chris did not bother looking up, he knew it was Leo.
"You know, we will get whatever demon turned him," he heard Leo's voice, "We will save you family."
"They're your family too." Chris said coldly, knowing the sisters had filled him in on the fact Chris was his son.
"Ok, our family," he felt Leo's hand on his shoulder, "Don't let her death be in vain. Help us out here, give us the information you can. No more future consequences crap."
Chris looked up at Leo, finally seeing the look he longed for as a child. Leo was caring and guiding, as a father rather than an Elder, something Melinda and Wyatt always saw.
"Thanks dad." Chris smiled, and then turned to watch the sun still rise.
A new day and a new start.
THE END
Finally, finished it! Hope you liked it. So for the final time: review review review :D
I'm working on a kind of sequel, takes place after Chris had vanished in Season 6, to explain where I think he would have 'vanished' to. We get to take a look at how he managed to change the future. it's called 'Back in the Future', so keep a look out for it - yes Melinda will be back, she doesn't stay dead for long.