“Okay, so we say the spell and then what?” Piper asked.

“Well I’m hoping it will let us know who Chris is, what he wants, if his intentions are good…well basically if he is innocent or guilty of being evil as we’ve all been accusing him,” Phoebe said to the other three.

“I think you should try,” Leo said firmly.

“Really, you think that?” Paige asked skeptically. “What about personal gain.”

“Chris says he’s here to save the world,” Leo said. “If he is lying the world is danger. That’s not personal.”

“Riiiiiiiiight,” Paige drawled, but since she wanted to finally know what the hell their Whitelighter from the future wanted once and for all she decided to go with it. So joining her sisters in the middle of the attic they started chanting.

“We call upon the ancient power, to help us in this darkest hour, show us Christopher’s innocence”

White and golden lights started a whirlwind and when they faded the sisters and Leo could only stare, because right there in the attic a toddler, who couldn’t be even two, was playing with a stuffed toy as if nothing was amiss. He looked up and Piper was floored by his beautiful green eyes and by the big grin and giggle he bestowed on them as he saw them.

“That was not what I was expecting,” Paige deadpanned.

Piper settled the toddler gently in Wyatt’s playpen.

“Mommy,” he said presenting her with his stuffed toy. She took it with a sad smile and watched him go for another.

“We’ll find your mommy. Don’t worry,” she said quietly. She turned around as her sisters came into the living room.

“So, what do we do?” she asked.

“Don’t know,” Paige shrugged. “Reverse the spell and hope the baby goes back to where he came from.”

“We can’t do that,” Piper protested. “What if he ends up in danger? He’s just a baby.”

“Piper is right,” Leo said, his parenting side speaking louder. “Besides if the spell brought him here there’s a reason for that,” he finished taking the toy from Piper’s hand and handing it to the toddler.

“Tanko,” the toddler said.

“Aw,” Phoebe cooed. “How cute! You’re such a polite little boy. Yes you are,” she made faces at the toddler who giggled.

“Phoebe,” Piper admonished her. “Concentrate.”

At that same time blue orbs formed and the object of their spell materialized.

“We can’t go demon hunting now Chris, we’ve got a problem to solve,” Paige protested at once.

“Fine, I came to look at the book anyway,” he shrugged and then looked down at a giggle and stepped back.

“Wow, what is that?” he pointed at the baby.

“A baby,” Piper said slowly.

“Where did he come from?” he asked in the same tone.

“Well,” Paige said slowly fumbling with her hands, “there might have been a spell gone wrong and the baby might have appeared.”

“Well, if that’s who I think it is,” because he had recognized himself from his baby pictures at once. “You might want to send him back ASAP before his mother comes looking for him.”

“You know who he is?” Leo asked from his crouched position at the playpen.

“Who? Who?” the sisters pressured all at the same time.

“Can’t say,” he crossed his arms on his chest and the sisters groaned together. “Future consequences. Just reverse the spell and send him back.”

“No,” Piper snapped. “I already said we’re not just going to reverse the spell and send the baby alone to God knows where.”

“Look Piper. You do not want to wait for his mother to come get him,” he warned.

“Maybe I do,” she said haughtily.

“No you don’t, she has a nasty, horrible, awful explosive temper,” and as much as he loved his mother he knew exactly how she was and he feared the manor would not stay standing if Piper Halliwell from the future showed up blowing up first and asking questions later.

Phoebe, Paige and Leo winced at the thought of mother in a warpath with a horrible temper but Piper was not dissuaded.

“Well, I’ll handle her.”

“Suit yourself,” Chris said as if he didn’t care while inside he was cursing. If Piper from 2006 came to get baby Chris they would find out who he was and then he would never be able to save Wyatt. Because he wasn’t stupid, he knew the only reason his mother and Aunts let him investigate in peace was because they didn’t care if he got hurt. But mom, oh no, mom had rigid rules about going to the underworld alone no matter who or how powerful you were.

“I’m going to go check the book, got stuff to look up,” and he dashed from the living room in the attic’s direction and hoping he could find a way to reverse a power of three spell by his own.

Leo watched Chris flee amused and looked at the baby, “Who are you little man?”

“Kwiss,” the baby shook the toy at Leo and giggled.

“Yes, Chris was worried. Why?” Leo mused completely missing the point of the baby’s answer.

---

Hours passed. Piper had called her dad and asked him to keep Wyatt a tad longer. If the baby’s mother was going to attack she didn’t want Wyatt here. Chris was holed up in the attic ever since she had refused to reverse the spell. Leo had been playing with the poor toddler who obviously missed his parents because he kept saying mommy and daddy.

Her sisters had not come up with an idea to return the baby safely yet and to top it all, if that baby was going to serve for the learning Chris’s intentions, well, it wasn’t working.

She smiled as she saw the baby launch himself at Leo from where they were both sitting on the floor. He was such a happy trusting baby. Any other child being suddenly flung into a bunch of strangers would be screaming his lungs out. But this one just giggled. It was hard not to fall in love with him.

Chris came barreling down as Leo was helping the baby climb the couch.

“Here, this may be satisfactory. I think this spell might take him back to where he came from safely,” he presented Piper with a sheet of paper.

“I don’t know, “she said as she read the spell.

“What? It is foolproof. I’m good at writing spells.”

“You’re a Whitelighter,” Leo pointed out.

“So?” Chris shrugged.

“Whitelighter don’t write spells.”
“Well I’m not your typical Whitelighter,” Chris answered and Leo was about to answer when white and golden lights formed and Chris yelled, “DUCK!”

All five of them crouched behind the couch, Leo shielding the baby right in time for things to start blowing up around them. Piper was about to start her own blowing up when they heard Phoebe’s voice from the other side even though Phoebe was right there.

“Piper! Stop! This is the manor! The spell obviously didn’t work!”

“Uh, you’re right,” Piper’s annoyed voice floated towards them. “Fix it then!” she snapped.

“Uh, guys, I don’t think we’re in the same manor. Didn’t that vase get shredded last year?” Paige’s voice asked.

Tentatively Leo, Chris and the girls got up from behind the couch and Piper asked Leo,” Is that who I think it is?”

Leo closed his eyes to sense and nodded when Future Piper whispered, “Chris,” and smiled sadly.

“Maybe the spell took us to the wrong Chris?” Future Phoebe asked. Future Paige shrugged.

Future Piper composed herself and went back to business, “Okay then, fix the spell so I can vanquish this demon limb by lim-“

“MOMMY!” a happy cry came from the couch and little Chris was poking his little giggling head out and extending his little arms towards future Piper.

“CHRIS!” Future Piper cried and ran towards her son picking him up, kissing him thoroughly and checking every inch of his body.

“Told you his mother had a nasty temper,” Chris deadpanned.

“Actually you said, nasty, horrible, awful explosive temper,” Paige clarified and at the glares she was receiving from both versions of her sisters she cried. “Hey! That’s what he said!” and under her breath she added, “I just happen to agree.”

Future Piper didn’t miss a beat, “Chris! You know the rules. We’ve talked . There will be no unsupervised time travel.”

“He’s two,” Future Phoebe said to her sister who just ignored her and continued.

“You do not just poke your head up when there’s danger! That’s reckless and Mommy is changing that nature of yours. You will keep away from Elders and in the very unlikely event you do time travel you are to tell mommy and daddy who you are.”

Little Chris nodded and smiled, “Tolded daddy,” he pointed at Leo.

“What?” Chris shrieked. “Those are so not the rules. You can’t tell the futu- er- what are you doing?” he asked Future Piper who had taken his hand and was stirring him toward the future version of her sisters.

“Getting ready to take us all home of course,” she answered flatly.

“Er- Piper- Big Chris stays here,” Future Paige said.

“No he doesn’t,” Future Piper hissed.

“Yes he does,” Future Paige hissed back. “You can’t mess with the timeline.”

“She’s right,” Chris said.

“No, she’s not. You’re coming with us where you’ll be safe,” and turning to the others she said. “It’s Gideon who’s after Wyatt and he has a cursed knife. Be careful-“

“PIPER!” Future Phoebe and Paige cried exasperated.

“Gideon’s an Elder,” Leo and Chris said at the same time and Chris looked disgusted at having agreed with Leo.

“Yeah, a frigging lunatic Elder he is,” Future Piper said angrily. “And he is going to try to kill one of my sons for the frigging greater good and will succeed in killing the other. So if you’ll excuse me. I’m taking my son with me were he’ll be safe,” Piper snapped with tears in her eyes and bringing Chris’s hand close to her chest as if daring anyone to take him from her. Chris took the dare and tried to extricate his hand gently as he said softly.

“Did we save Wyatt?”

Piper nodded.

“Then don’t mess with that mom,” he begged.

“You died,” she choked.

He smiled sadly, “I never expected to survive,” then he looked at the happy toddler in her arms. “And this way, maybe he’ll get a chance to be happy, because I’m not. He doesn’t deserve my memories,” he carded his hands through the toddler’s hair.

“I miss you,” Piper sobbed.

Chris kissed her forehead, “You taught me everything happens for a reason. I’m not dead,” he pointed at the toddler. “Just unburdened.” Piper nodded and pulled Chris in an awkward hug, bringing both versions of him closer to her.

“We have to make them forget,” Future Paige said nudging her head to the past people who were watching the scene open mouthed and with tears.

“NO!” Past Piper snapped out of her stupor. “Why? We can just go after this Gideon guy and-“

“Change the future,” Phoebe said. “We finally managed to get peace for our family. We’re in a good place. I miss this neurotic Chris,” she smiled sadly towards him. “But I miss Prue too, and mom, and Grams. If we went back to change every death, we’d never move forward. He is right, and you don’t find out who he is like this.”

“But the spell, the spell would have been useless if we forget,” Past Paige argued.

“No,” her future self answered smiling. “Piper never got closure, never got to say goodbye. The spell worked, just not the way you wanted it too.”

Past Leo was trying to find arguments in their favor too when Piper let go of Chris with a sad smile. Phoebe and Paige hugged and kissed him too and they joined hands.

Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Leo looked around but nothing happened.

“Guess it didn’t work,” Paige said. “Was worth the try,” she shrugged and they left the attic. As they reached the living room Chris orbed in and Paige started to whine.

“No, I don’t wanna go-“

“Relax, I just need to check something in the book,” and he was about to leave when both Leo and Piper just turned around and said together.

“Be careful.”

“Okay,” Chris said slowly and looking at them weirdly.

“What was that about?” Phoebe asked.

“I don’t know,” Piper answered.

The end