FicWad

It Couldn't be that Easy!
Disclaimer
I don't own anything. I'm too poor to.


"Uhhh!" Chris groaned as picked up the last garment. He held the slime covered pants at arms length in a two finger hold like they were going to suddenly come to life and attack him. With a look of distaste he dropped it in the washer where it joined its slime covered brethren.

Phoebe couldn't help but laugh at his antics from where was she crouched removing her own clothing from the dryer. As her fingers brushed over the soft material of one of her favourite shirts she couldn't help but feel relieved that the slime had washed right out.

"You know Chris," She said gaining the young whitelighter's attention. "If you had warned us the vanquishing potion would make that demon exploded none of this would have happened."

"Yah well at least it washes out." The young man grumbled grumpily.

Phoebe laughed lightly before she said teasingly. "My, my Chris. I didn't take you for someone worried about fashion."

"I'm not. I only have four shirts and two pairs of pants to my name." He told her while he lent on the washer looking through the open lid as the basin filled. "And unlike you I can't afford to replace them."

Before Phoebe could reply a beeping sound filled the room and Chris looked at the cheap digital watch on his wrist. He swore under his breath as he turned the alarm off and looked over a Phoebe. "I'm late. I have to go."

Without waiting for her to even acknowledge that she heard him Chris orbed out. Phoebe just shook her head. Typical Chris behaviour. Drop everything else for his mission and don't actually tell anybody anything.

Oh she did believe that he was here to save Wyatt. To stop her nephew from becoming the new Source. It was difficult for her to buy but she did. She could just feel he was telling the truth about that. Her empathy may not be able to get anything from him, but she still knew how to read people. As good as he was at hiding his real emotions even he slipped from time to time.

Phoebe sighed. That much she did believe. It didn't, however, mean that she trusted the young man in general. He had far too many secrets for her liking. Not to mention how questionable his methods could be. And after Cole questionable brought back memories she would rather forget...

Shaking her head Phoebe was brought out of her musings as she realized she could hear a strange sound. Straining her ears she listen. It was... running water? Looking over at the washer she located the source. Chris had forgotten to close the lid in his haste to go... well, wherever it is he goes.

Walking over she was about to close the lid something caught her eye. A black object poked out of the pants back pocket. Saving the object from its soon to be watery grave Phoebe looked it over. It appeared that in his haste to change his slime covered clothes Chris had forgotten his wallet in the pocket.

As she examined the wallet an idea came to mind and she debated internally whether she should look inside. After all she would be invading his privacy if there was something personal in there. On the other hand he had left it here.

Almost in a daze she walked upstairs to the kitchen where Paige and Piper where cleaning the last of the demon off of the walls. Phoebe ignored her sisters' greeting, still lost in thought, and slumped down in a chair. Piper and Paige exchanged a worried look before simultaneously dropping their cloths and sitting down across from their sister.

"Phoebe," Piper started to try and grab her attention. "What do you got there honey?"

"Chris' wallet." She said as she dropped it in the middle of the table.

"His wallet?"

"Yah, he forgot it. I rescued it from the washer."

"You don't think...?" Paige trailed off.

"No way." Piper told them. "There is no way it could be that easy."

"Then again... maybe it could?"

"Let's find out." Phoebe said as she made up her mind and flipped it open. There staring at them accusingly from a clear plastic sleeve was a drivers licence.

Phoebe gasped. Piper's face went white as a ghost. Paige burst out laughing.

"My god, look at that hair!" Paige exclaimed. "What was he thinking?"

Piper was still in shocked silence as Phoebe recovered. "Forget that Paige, look at the name."

Taking her sister's advice Paige tore her eyes from the photo to read. Her eyes went wide and her hand went to her mouth as the implications sunk in. "My God!"

The name on the licence was Christopher P. Halliwell.

"That doesn't make any sense." Paige said still not taking her eyes off of the writing.

"Doesn't it?" Phoebe said and Paige turned to her with a questioning gaze. "Think about it for a minute. He knew the house from the moment he arrived. And the book for that matter. He knew us far better than a stranger would. Even one who did their research. There were a hundred little things he said or did. Now that I think back I'm amazed we never picked up on it before. He-"

"Has Leo's eyes." Piper spoke up for the first time and looking for all the world like she would have fallen over had she not already been sitting down. The shock on her face had melded with horror as she put together just who his parents were and the two who had shown him the most grief, the most anger, since he had been in this time. "This can't be happening. He's going to hate us. Hate me."

Her sisters rushed over and hugged her from either side. They were trying their best to reassure Piper, but in truth they were trying to reassure themselves as well. Piper had only voiced what they were thinking too.

"He doesn't hate you sweety." Phoebe cooed soothingly.

Piper was nearly in tears as she spoke. "He came back to save his family and we've been fighting him every step of the way. How could he not?"

"Because he loves his family enough to risk everything by coming here to save them." Comforted Paige.

"But still..."

"There is one way to know for sure." Phoebe said as she released her hold on Piper. "Chris!"

Nothing.

"Chris!"

"Chris!!!"

Suddenly Piper stood up.

"Christopher Perry Halliwell get your ass down here right now!"

Before she had even finished the sentence the familiar chime was heard accompanied by blue and white orbs of light. They faded to reveal a very startled Chris standing before them.

All three sisters stood side by side and looked him over with a critical examining eye. It had been over a minute since he had orbed in and still they said nothing, just stared. Quite frankly it was beginning to freak him out.

"Um... hi?" He said lamely. What does one really say in a situation like this after all?

As she looked him over guilt hit Piper again. There was so much of herself in him and Leo's eyes staring back at her. How could she have never seen this before? "It's really true!"

Without think she rushed forward and embraced him. She flinched back and released him when she felt his body tense.

"I'm so sorry." She told him. "I shouldn't have treated you like I have. I should have know, should have felt it."

For a moment she saw his hands start to move like he wanted to reach out to her. Then they stopped and just hovered partway for a second before lowering. It was like he wanted to but just couldn't bring himself to actually do it. "It's not your fault. I've gotten good at deception. It's a survival trait."

"You don't have to anymore." Phoebe reassured him as she stepped forward.

"Right." Paige agreed. "Now that we know the truth we'll be there for you."

"There are still some things I can't tell you."

"Maybe... maybe one day you can?" Piper asked him. The hopeful expression on her face made it clear she was referring to more than just that.

Chris looked like he was fighting back tears as well as he got this far away look. Like he was remembers something. "Maybe."

Silence reigned once more after that. Nobody really knew what to say. So much had already been said and done before this revelation. Things that can't be taken back with a simple I'm sorry. And it seemed obvious now that Chris was scared to get close to them. Something was putting this barrier around them. Piper especially.

"What do we do now?" Paige spoke the words on everybody's tongues.

Chris sighed. "One day at a time I guess. This is a big change. For all of us."

"One day at a time." Piper said absently as the words rang over and over in her ears. She didn't know how to react to all this. To him. All she knew was that he was her son. From the future or not he was still her son. She resolved herself that if it was the last thing she did she would make everything up to him. "I can live with that."

The atmosphere in the room was tense. Knowing that nobody was ready to get into the heavy stuff tonight Paige forced herself to laugh and point at the photo on the table. "What were you thinking with that hair?"

Chris' features relaxed visibly and he even managed a small grin replying indignantly. "It was the style back then."

"I thought you didn't care about fashion?" Phoebe teased sensing her sister's plan. Chris just humphed in reply.

"By the way Chris." She added. "You better get some sleep."

"Why?"

"We're going shopping tomorrow. You need new clothes."