Future Amends

Cyn: Continued from previous chapter. I hope you're duly warned that this is a discipline fic!


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“I told you! I told you!!”
Chris winced at the loud decibel levels hurting his already sensitized ears. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and waited for his mother to stop yelling. He sat on the couch as Leo healed his right shoulder which was almost completely blown away by the dragon’s fiery bad breath. His left leg still throbbed which was now healed but where the dragon’s unexpected cohort grimlock had chewed on him.

“Hey I didn’t know that grimlocks were working with him!”
“You promised you would NOT go after the dragon!”
“Last night! You only asked me for last night, not any night ever!”
“Jesus H Christ!”
“Yeah you said that already.”
Leo interjected here. “Chris stop being a smart-ass.”
And the boy looked away, angry at feeling so admonished by the soft voice that never really lost its composure. He shut up.

But Piper could not stop screaming. Phoebe and Paige were worried about their ears too, but they were also worried their sister was working herself up into hysteria.
“What is this suicide mission you’re always on? What kind of a mother am I if I haven’t instilled any sense of self-preservation in my kids at all??”
Phoebe got up and went to Piper’s side.

“Piper calm down. You know that’s not true. And Chris is fine now. Its not your fault *boy genius* here did not listen and don’t give me that last night this night crap again!”
The latter part was addressed to the boy of course who in turn rolled his eyes.
“There we go again.”
Four pairs of eyes turned to glare at him sharply. Paige spoke first.
“We know you can take care of yourself *most* of the time but don’t you think you should listen to us occasionally? We have some experience too you know.”
Phoebe picked it up from there.
“You’re part of this family Chris and in here we do things together. You were told specifically not to go courting trouble alone and still…”
“Look I don’t need this okay!”
The boy got up, healed and all, and started to walk out of the manor. He’d heard enough.

“Christopher…”
The softer not yelling voice again… stopped him in his tracks but he didn’t turn around. Leo hadn’t said much since they found Chris in the deserted junkyard where he had gone looking for the dragon. He’d tracked him down alright, but also found a pack of grimlocks guarding him and had been seriously injured fighting them off before he could call for Leo and the witches to defend him. It was the first time since Leo had realized Chris was his son, that he’d seen him so wounded and it felt like his heart had been wrenched out with a spoon.

What had hurt even more was seeing Piper hurting. Family meant everything to her and the thought of not having been around to protect Chris gnawed at her so much it drove her to the edge.
But Leo also felt an immense sadness for his son. He knew Chris was suffering… and probably his coping mechanism was to run and isolate himself. To run from the very family he came to save, the family that could help him get through this. Instead he went putting his own self in danger, testing his worth, his value in the eyes of a father he thought didn’t love him. Or even care for him. Leo knew that, and decided to go easy on his son.

The sisters waited for Leo to say more, to say something significant to make Chris see the error of his ways that obviously still eluded him. Yeah, Leo will tell him.
“You’re headed in the wrong direction.”
Piper’s mouth fell open.
“Your room is upstairs I believe.”
Piper had to say something, Chris was in mild shock himself.
“Leo you are gonna just let him…”
“Why am I not surprised?”

The dripping sarcasm in Chris’ voice stunned everyone even more. The arrogant stance was back, and so was the angry scowl on his face as he turned once again to face his family.
“s nes never gonna change mom. He’s exactly like this bac the the future. Caring and attentive to his precious Wyatt and dismissive to worthless unimportant Chris.”
Leo frowned, this was not what he had intended.
“Chris I was not being dismissive…”
“You think this is the first time I’ve been out hunting alone? I was distracted tonight and that’s why the dragon got one up on me but otherwise you would never have known! Like every other time!”

Leo was shocked.
“Are you talking about the future?”
Chris rambled on like he hadn’t been interrupted at all. He was fuming.
“You were always concerned where Wyatt was, what was Wyatt doing, who Wyatt was with. What about Chris huh?”
He laughed cruelly, sadly.
“You bastard. You never cared. You never gave a damn.”
Leo’s breathing was ragged with disbelief.
“It cant be. I could never *not* care about my own son. Chris there must be a mistake!”
“Of course! *I* am the fucking mistake! I am the son you didn’t want!”
Piper burst into silent tears. She terribly paled and Phoebe supported her into a chair.
“This cant be happening…” she said unintendedly.

Chris laughed again, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
“I’m sorry mom. I should just go.”
And Chris turned around to leave once more. Phoebe focused her attentions to her elder sister who in a volatile second pregnancy was not keeping the best of health. The empath could feel the intense levels of pain and guilt and rage storming in the room. She looked up at Leo who still stood with his fists clenched at his sides and his shoulders heaving with the effort of his rough wholly unnecessary breathing.

The whitelighter felt his son’s agony in every word he uttered, every look he threw at his father and it stung. But he also knew his own feelings of hurt and self-doubt would have to take a backseat. Because right now, he had a hurting son to take care of. Determination set in his eyes and hardened his voice.

“Christopher Wyatt Halliwell.”
Chris gritted his teeth and squarely looked at his dad again.
“Go to your room. Right now.”
Chris snorted. “You cant…”
“Yes I can. You’re lea leaving this house. We need to talk.”
Chris stuttered. He had never seen Leo look so adamant to have a *conversation* with him before. He swallowed, wondering if he should give him a chance… again.
No, he decided. He’d had his heart broken a hundred times before, too many hopes dashed… too many dreams denied. He scowled again.
“Forget it. I’m outta here.”
And Chris started to vanish amid bright white orbs. Just then Leo quickly turned to glance at Paige who had stood in a corner all this time, unsure of how to contribute. But she understood him immediately and her voice rose, loud and clear.

“Magic forces hear my spell,
ground the youngest Halliwell!”

The orbs died out and Chris found himself standing right where he’d been a second ago. He cursed audibly. This was so not the exit he was intending.
“Damn you Paige.”
“Upstairs. Now!!”
This was the first time Leo had raised his voice at all. Chris shut up and slowly dragged his feet up to his room.


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