One Chris

Chapter 1

Chris Halliwell opened his eyes with a gasp, his head throbbing painfully. The last thing he remembered was the unbearable pain of the wound, the warm blood seeping from his abdomen, and his father's face etched with despair. Yet now, he found himself unharmed, lying in a soft bed, with a concerned face hovering above him.

"Chris? Are you okay?" a woman's voice, full of worry, broke through his disoriented thoughts. He suddenly realized that she was sitting on him, as naked as he was. Chris blinked, trying to focus. The pain in his head was subsiding, but confusion clouded his mind. Who was this gorgeous woman, and what was he doing here? Well... he had some idea of what... but how was that possible?

He tried to sit, but every movement was difficult.

"Hey there... Calm down babe, you're so pale... Are you feeling alright?" the woman said, caressing his chest to make him stay put.

"I... I think so..." he managed to say, though he wasn't sure if it was true. He couldn't help but to stare at her. She was beautiful, but he didn't remember a thing about her.

"Maybe I can help" she leaned over him and started kissing him.

Surprised, Chris froze and let her continue, not knowing how to react. Then, gently, her kisses trailed down his neck. She knew exactly what he liked. Even very pleasant, the situation made him nervous. While she was occupied, he scanned the room, searching for clues. A smartphone rested on the night stand, confirming the thought beginning to form in his mind. He had to be sure. He reached it and watch the screen. Three in the morning, June second, two thousand and... twenty-six! The realization was slowly sinking in. He was back in his time he had fought so hard to save. He was right back where he left off, to the minute. Except everything had changed. It was why he traveled through time, but it was still unsettling to be back here without any memory of that life. What was he supposed to do now? Chris was interrupted in his attempt to think by a gentle bite. His body immediately reacted to it, like they had done that a million time. The phone escaped his hand and fell on the floor.

"What are you doing? You're scaring me, babe. One moment you were fine, and the next you just collapsed, holding your head. Are you feeling better?" She reached out to touch his forehead, checking for a fever.

Chris nodded slowly, still trying to process everything. He definitely felt better than before. He wasn't dead, which was the best improvement he could hope for.

"I'm back" he sighed, not believing his eyes.

"What do you mean 'back'?" the woman asked, her concern deepening.

"Uh... Nothing... Where's my dad? I need to see him." he mumbled, pushing her gently so he could stand.

"He's in his room, but it's the middle of the night... At least put something on!" the woman insisted, seeing that he wasn't listening to her.

"Oh, right." Chris stopped, remembering his nudity.

He took the first thing he found and then rushed to his parents' room. He couldn't believe they were here. Well, at least the woman confirmed his father was. In front of the door, he hesitated a second. What happened to his mother this time? What if she wasn't here?

"You wake up your parents, I wake up your brother. Maybe together we can figure out what's happening to you." the woman said, with a large pajama and a dressing gown on.

Chris nodded. That meant everybody was home. And since she thought that Wyatt could help him, that meant he was good. He finally knocked on the door, a little harder than he had in mind at first, but he was enthusiast now. After a few seconds, Leo opened it with tired eyes and a lot of gray hair Chris never saw on him before.

"Chris? What's happening?" he asked.

His son answered him with a smile and a big hug. He was way too happy to see him to even think about what he was going to say. He did the same with his mother, who was coming slowly to the door.

"I love you too, Chris, But you're suffocating me a little..."

"Sorry! Sorry..."

"Okay, I'm gonna make some tea while you're explaining why we are all awake at this hour..."

"Are you feeling alright?" his father asked, walking him through the corridor.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Never better." Chris assured, unable to stop smiling. Everything was so perfect, he could barely believe his own eyes.

He suddenly froze as Wyatt stepped out of his room, looking confused and half-awake. For a moment, Chris thought he was seeing a stranger. Wyatt's hair was short and neatly trimmed, and his face was clean-shaven, a stark contrast to the long hair and beard he remembered from his previous life.

"Chris? What's going on?" Wyatt asked, rubbing his eyes.

Chris blinked, trying to reconcile the image before him with the one etched in his memory. "Wyatt?" he asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

Wyatt raised an eyebrow. "Yeah... Are you okay?"

Chris hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I just... You look different."

Wyatt chuckled, a sound so normal and genuine that it threw Chris off balance. "Different how? Did you expect me to change into a goblin during the night?"

Chris managed a weak smile. "Something like that."

Wyatt shook his head, clearly puzzled but willing to let it go. "You're the goblin..."

"Let's go to the kitchen" Leo intervened before his two sons started arguing.

Chris followed Wyatt and the others down the hallway, still trying to wrap his mind around the changes. He couldn't help but steal glances at his brother, noting every little difference. The way Wyatt carried himself was more relaxed, more at ease, and there was a warmth in his eyes that Chris had never seen before. Despite all of that, he still felt the need to stay wary of him. He knew it wouldn't be easy to trust him.