Disclaimer: I own nothing. It all belongs to Constance M. Burge, Brad Kern, and Spelling Entertainment.
Author’s Note: Written for Ladybug218, who wanted a little father-son bonding, during the I Miss Chris Ficathon.
Leo noticed the change in Chris’s personality the first day he came home from school and slammed the door. Piper had wanted to go talk to him then, but Leo told her to wait and give him some breathing room. However, nothing seemed to change the following week. His youngest son barely spoke to him or Piper. He always stalked off to his room after school. He wouldn’t even talk to Wyatt.
Despite his better judgment, Leo stood back and let this go on. If something were really bothering Chris, he would come talk to his father, right? He always had before. As the week came to and end, though, Chris still hadn’t emerged from his room once. Determined to get to the bottom of this, Leo climbed the stairs and knocked on his son’s door.
“Chris, is everything all right?” he asked.
“Go away, Dad,” came Chris’s quick response.
Leo didn’t budge. “Son, I’m worried about you. You haven’t been yourself lately.”
“I’m fine, Dad. Just go away.”
Leo sighed. “Are you sure? You’ve been hiding up here for the last week. Have we done something wrong?”
Chris waited a beat before weakly answering, “You wouldn’t understand.”
Leo leaned against the door, confusion etched on his face. “What wouldn’t I understand?”
The other side of the door was quiet for another long moment. Then, Chris answered, “It’s just…never mind.”
“How can I understand if you won’t tell me what’s wrong?” Silence answered him, and for a few brief moments, Leo feared that Chris had orbed out of his room. When he heard the lock on the door click, he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his son was still there.
The door opened to reveal a fifteen-year old with big green eyes and unruly dark hair. But instead of his usual happy-go-lucky smile, his face was grim. Chris looked his father straight in the eyes.
“Dad, is there a way to get rid of my powers?”
Leo was taken aback by the question. “What? Why would you want to do that?”
Chris turned around and walked back to his bed, leaving the door open. Without waiting for an invitation, Leo followed him inside. Chris sat on the bed and looked down at his comforter.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, his eyes never leaving the comforter. “I see the other kids at school and wonder what it’s like to be normal.”
Leo sat down beside Chris and placed an arm around his shoulders. “What brought this on?”
Chris glanced up at him. “Well, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Last weekend, I had to skip out on Will and Justin at the movies and then had to explain to Will’s mom how I got back home without a ride. Then, there are these kids at school who’ve been asking why I get to miss so many classes. And then there’s Sheila, and she saw me move something. I keep telling her she’s crazy, but she won’t leave me alone.”
“Maybe you should transfer to the magic school? You might adjust better there,” Leo suggested.
Standing up, Chris shook his head. “That’s not it, Dad! I don’t want to be a witch anymore.” He tossed his arms up in the air. “With Wyatt and all of his twice-blessed abilities, you don’t even need me here. I’m tired of everybody asking me questions, and I’m tired of being in Wyatt’s shadow!”
Leo sat perfectly still, his green eyes focused on his son as he took in every word. Slowly, he stood and ambled over to Chris. Turning the boy to face him, he met his eyes.
“You’ve always been so much like your mother,” he began.
“What do you mean?” Chris asked.
“Your mom always felt like she was the second-best witch. Your Aunt Prue was older, more powerful, and almost perfect in her eyes. When she died, your mom went through the same thing you’re going through now.”
“But Wyatt’s not dead.”
“No, but you have to learn the same thing your mother had to. Being a witch is a part of you. It makes you who you are, and it doesn’t matter if you can obliterate a demon with a wave of your hand or if you need a potion to do it. You’re as important to this family as Wyatt is. You have nothing to be ashamed about.”
Chris hung his head. “What about school?”
Leo pulled him into a hug. “We’ll deal with that together.” Stepping back, he placed a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “Everybody feels like they don’t belong sometimes, even normal people. Be proud of who you are and what you can do, Chris. I certainly am.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Chris mumbled as he blushed.
Leo patted him on the back and headed for the door. “Now, come on, your mother will be really upset if you miss another dinner, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.” Deep inside, Chris still wasn’t completely satisfied, but he at least felt a little better. Holding his head up, he followed his father downstairs.