Chapter 25 of 30
You’re all you
“Are you okay? Need anything?” Piper asked coming into the room.
“No mom, thanks,” Chris smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Okay,” she said tucking him in better.
“Er-mom,”
“Oh, yes, right. Sorry. All grown up. I know” she smiled and kissed his forehead. “Good night peanut.”
“Goodnight.”
She was about to close the door as she left when he cleared his throat, “Er- can you leave it open.”
“Of course,” she said and opened the door. When she looked down she saw that a small night lamp she had used when Wyatt was little was plugged.
“S’just the cupboard was dark and- I’m not afraid or anything- I just like to know I can, you know, leave the door open. Have a night lamp.”
“Sure,” Piper tried to smile but it felt more like a grimace. She was sure he would have never mentioned it if not for the fact that once they orbed home Piper and Leo sat Chris down for a talk about what they had heard from the Dursleys and Chris had admitted about the cupboard, and being punished for anything and sometimes nothing. He hadn’t wanted to talk, but Piper and Leo needed him to know that he could and should. He needed to understand that was wrong.
“I know it was. I mean, when I was little I didn’t but once I started going to school. Seeing I was the only one treated like that I knew. I just don’t want to talk about it dad, it’s done and I’ll never go back and I don’t need them anymore. I have you and now I know I really have you- I didn’t not at first, but now I do. Like when I was in the graveyard. I knew I had to escape but at the same time I also knew that if I hadn’t you’d come for me. I never had that before, in the Chamber or with the stone. I thought that was it. If I didn’t manage to get out of there I was done - does it make any sense?”
“Yes son,” Leo had pulled him close. “It does.”
“You can leave whatever you want on,” she said. She walked down the hall towards her bedroom when she saw Leo walking towards her.
“Where are you going this late?” she asked with an amused raised eyebrow.
“Nowhere,” he unconvincingly tried to laugh it off. “Just, you know…around”
“Uh,hu,” she smirked. “Don’t keep him up late,” she said kissing him on the cheek and receiving a sheepish smile in return. She watched him head to Chris’s room.
“You can come in and check if it’s really me sleeping in here Wyatt,” Chris said from under the covers.
“I wasn’t,” Wyatt tried to play it cool as he strolled in.
“Wanna tuck me in too?” Chris teased. “Mom and dad already did.”
“Ha,ha,” Wyatt said casually sitting on the bed as Chris propped himself on his elbow. He glared at Chris and then shrugged, “S’ just, we’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, and now you’re back home. For good.”
“Well, for the summer, once school starts I’ll be at Hogwarts,” Chris corrected him and Wyatt flinched. He’d already heard his mother say that there was no way she was letting Chris go back to that dangerous school. Leo had tried to convince her that taking him away from all he’s known was not the answer and Voldemort wouldn’t give up that easily but Piper was relentless. Wyatt predicted that there would be a few more shouting matches during the summer.
“Yeah, well, but still, you’re back home and even when you’re in school you’ll be able to orb home when you want to, and, right now it’s just surreal and we have to check we’re not dreaming. Ouch! What was that for?” Wyatt rubbed his arm where Chris had pinched him.
“To show you you’re not dreaming,” Chris said getting back under the covers. “Now go to sleep, I’m tired.”
“Okay,” Wyatt got up and automatically tucked Chris in. Chris smiled and shook his head.
Piper, Leo, Wyatt and Chris were eating breakfast when they heard the sound of orbs from the living room. They were about to get up when the kitchen door opened to reveal Sam.
“Hi there. Am I interrupting?”
“No, come in,” Leo said. “News?”
“Yes,” Sam looked seriously. “Lily Potter chose to move on. She didn’t become a Whitelighter.”
“What but-“ Piper started.
“Let me finish,” Sam raised his hands. “Not everyone becomes one. To become a Whitelighter you have to give up your previously life. Accept that you won’t see your loved ones in the afterlife. She was married, had a child. She had a lot to give up.”
“You’re right,” Piper looked down. She would have chosen the same, but Lily was their best shot. She looked at Leo who was nodding and realized that even though once Leo had decided to become a Whitelighter if he was given the choice again this time he wouldn’t.
“Hey, why the long faces? I didn’t say I didn’t find anyone,” Sam smirked.
“Yes, makes one feel underappreciated doesn’t it?” came another voice from the kitchen door. A brunette of around thirty, dressed in casual jeans and a black top sighed, “And here I thought everyone was still mourning me. Those two didn’t even recognize their own Aunt!” she said exasperated pointing at Chris and Wyatt who had bewildered looks.
Piper’s hand rose to her mouth and she whispered, “Prue.”
Leo had a smile that went from ear to ear, “That’s why you couldn’t come when summoned. It had nothing to do with us accepting your death.”
“Yeah, you know, rules,” Prue shrugged rolling her eyes. “But this family always finds good reason to break them,” she nudged Chris winking at him. “I’m offended with your mother,” she said seriously. “You’d think that by now she would have already jumped me, wouldn’t you?” She turned to Piper and smiled. “How are you doing little sister?”
“Prue,” Piper whispered again and hugged Prue tightly. Prue hugged her back.
“Yeah, me.”
There had been a lot of squealing and hugging and fawning over the nephews and nieces once Paige, Phoebe and Victor had been warned that Prue had become a Whitelighter and was there. Paige had been a little awkward, after all, even though now she had more than established she was her own woman and ad her own place in the sisterhood, in the beginning she had felt like a replacement for the perfect Prue. She was also afraid Prue wouldn’t accept her, like Piper hadn’t at first but Prue soon shoved that fear away as she pulled her into a hug and cried:
“Oh, I finally get to meet you. I’ve been hearing so much about you in the gossip network!”
“I hope just good things,” Paige said awkwardly.
“Of course,” Prue waved her away and then turned to her other two sisters.
“So, how are we doing this?”
“Well, first we’ll summon Grams and Mom and then see if Grams we’ll be able to summon the past Halliwell’s generations for a power boost,” Phoebe said.
“And we’re going to try and summon James and Lily too,” Piper said watching Chris from the corner of her eyes where Penny had already, once again, attached herself to him and was explaining all about how her six-year-old birthday party had to be because she’d be a big girl. Chris was nodding in all the appropriate places. “But we should do it now, so Chris has a little time with them before, you know-“
“Remus and Sirius would like a little time with them too,” Paige said thoughtfully. “And I think they’d like to be here for when we vanquish the Horcrux.”
“Isn’t Remus already off to the packs?” Coop asked coming behind Phoebe and snaking an arm around her waist.
“Yeah,” Paige nodded. “But I’ve put those two mutts in my radar a long time ago. And Dumbledore keyed us into Headquarters, so I’ll go pick them both up! Hey! Don’t worry!” she added at her sisters looks, “I’ll be careful and won’t blow Remus’s cover or anything. Very, very stealthy.”
“Okay,” Piper said slowly. “While you’re at it we’ll start summoning.”
Chris was nervous, Sam had taken his cousins to magic School. Even though classes were out the nursery was still open so there were the teachers in charge of that there and since Victor, Coop and Henry were adamant about staying, saying that the most people who loved Chris there to anchor him the better, and Sam had to come back because if Prue had any problem they wanted another full Whitelighter around to help, that was the only option for the smaller kids. They didn’t want them around while they, well, they killed Chris and brought him back.
Now Piper had already put the candles in position and was about to start chanting. He was moments away from meeting famous Grams, who Wyatt had said was a force to be reckoned with and not overly fond of men, Chris really was feeling like he’d be tested. Then there was his grandmother too. But what was making him the most nervous of all were Lily and James. Would they be angry that he started calling Piper and Leo dad? Would Piper and Leo be angry that he really wanted to see them? He didn’t have much more time for introspection as lights started swirling around and four translucent forms materialized in the attic. One of them, the oldest, put her hands in her hips and with a disdainful look sized Chris up, “A lot shorter than I remember,” she said as another slapped her arm and said: “Mother!” exasperated. But Chris wasn’t paying attention to them. He just had eyes to the couple that stepped out of the candle ring becoming solid and walked to him. The woman touched his face gently ad said with a sad smile:
“You’re all grown up.”
He nodded nervously fidgeting with his hands, “Hi.”
“Hi? Hi?” the man asked bewildered. “That’s not how you greet your old folks! This is!” and he pulled Chris in a bone crushing hug that was joined by Lily. They stood there for a while until Lily pulled back and smiled when she spied Piper.
“I’m glad he’s finally with you, and that we finally get to meet you. Leo only had good things to say about you,” she said pulling her into a hug too.
“Leo, old man!” James cried happily clapping Leo on the shoulder. “Uh, now you are old!”
“Hey, I look barely forty!” Leo cried affronted.
“I know, old,” James shook his head sadly. As blue lights formed and four forms materialized James cried. “Oh, my God! It’s contagious! Padfoot and Moony are also elderly!”
“JAMES!” Lily scolded.
Sirius crossed his arms scowling, “I was going to greet you, and say how I missed you. But now only Lily get’s it,” he tried to sound stern but the waver in his voice betrayed his emotions and James waved him off pulling him into a hug and then snaking an arm out to pull Remus too.
“Are you taking care of this mutt Moony?”
“I try, but he’s not very well behaved,” Remus sighed and tried to wipe his eyes surreptitiously.
“I’m feeling unloved,” Lily said sadly to Chris but as a strong hand grabbed her and pulled her into the group hug she just yelled, “SIRIUS!”
Chris had chuckled at that but was soon turned around by his Grandmother and Great grandmother for his rounds of hugs.
“And he hates me,” Chris’s voice was getting weaker. “He’s always trying to put me in detention for breathing.”
“He’s just jealous. We were friends growing up but then- something happened and we grew apart and I started dating James. Besides, he also has a role to play. We’ve been peeking and I know he’s on your side, even if it doesn’t look like it.”
Chris tried to nod but he was getting too tired to.
They had decided to do it in the attic, because it was the most magic concentrated place in the house and because when they had thought of one of the rooms all Leo could see was future Chris dying on his bed. So instead they made Chris as comfortable as possible in the couch in the attic, Grams summoned the spirits of past Halliwell matriarchs and the rest of the family, with the exception of both sets of parents who were seated around Chris, and Prue and Sam who were just waiting for the right time to orb out, plus Dumbledore who had come with Paige, where in a circle that surrounded them, joining hands and chanting to keep Chris’s spirit’s grounded.
Then, Leo had slashed Chris’s wrists, it would be the fastest way. He had wavered, he knew Chris couldn’t do it himself or else Prue wouldn’t be allowed to heal a self inflicted wound, so someone had to. But it had cost him to harm his child that way. Wyatt had almost let go of the circle when he’d done it but Phoebe and Paige, who had his hands, held him still.
Now they were waiting, trying to get him to talk so he wouldn’t think about what was going on.
“Who else do you have?” James asked. “Old McG? How’s she treating you? She loved me,” there was a snort from the circle. “Chris?” he asked as he got no answer. Chris had closed his eyes.
“Chris!” Leo said more urgently shaking the boy, he got no response and turned to Prue nodding at her. She orbed away.
Chris appeared at Kings Cross station. He looked down, he wasn’t wearing the clothes he had been but a white tunic. He heard a noise and saw what looked like a deformed baby crying on a corner. The deformed baby looked a lot like what Voldemort’s body had been like before his resurrection.
“Never mind it Chris. You can’t help him.”
He turned around and saw his smiling Aunt’s face.
“How do we go back?”
“You just take my hand,” she said extending her hand and as he took it he felt warm all over and a bright light started shinning from their joined hands and soon it was blinding and involving everything.
Chris gasped for breath as he opened his eyes. A warm glow was forming over his wrists where Sam had his hand stretched out healing him. Prue reappeared next to them and joined Sam in the healing. Chris watched as his wrists closed and his energy came back.
“So, did it work?”
The Whitelighters in the family all closed their eyes and then smiled as they opened them.
“Yep,” Wyatt grinned. “Now you’re all you.”
“Which also means, I don’t think you’ll be having anymore dreams,” Dumbledore nodded satisfied.
Chris fell back on the couch and Piper hugged him.