One Chris

Chapter 5

 After breakfast, Piper gently suggested, "Chris, you look exhausted. Maybe you should try to get some rest."

Chris nodded, feeling the weight of the morning's events pressing down on him. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

He headed to his room, trying to clear his mind. But as he lay on the bed, his thoughts kept circling back to Bianca. He couldn't shake the need to see her, to confirm that she was alright. Restlessly, he got up and decided to focus his powers to find her. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, feeling out for her familiar presence.

It wasn't long before he sensed her in a nearby park, the same one they used to frequent in the other timeline. Without hesitation, he orbed to a secluded corner of the park, ensuring he wouldn't be seen. As he stepped out from behind a tree, he scanned the area, searching for Bianca.

When he spotted her, his heart leapt with joy. She was standing by a bench, her back to him. A smile spread across his face as he walked towards her, ready to call out her name. But then, she turned around.

His breath caught in his throat. Bianca didn't recognize him. Worse, she was visibly pregnant, holding hands with another man. Their toddler played happily nearby, completely unaware of the turmoil within Chris. His mind raced as he tried to process the scene before him.

Desperately, he forced a smile and said, "I'm sorry, I think I mistook you for someone else."

Bianca gave him a polite but confused smile, then turned her attention back to her family. Chris felt the pain of the loss as he walked away quickly, not wanting to cause any more disruption.

Back in the secluded spot, he leaned against a tree, his mind reeling. He first felt an acute sense of betrayal, as if the future he had once imagined with her had slipped through his fingers. The ache of what could have been left him grappling with a whirlwind of emotions. Seeing Bianca with another man, starting a family, made him realize the full extent of his displacement. He was a stranger in this new world, to the people he once loved. Despite his attempt to regain control, the weight of what he saw remained heavy and relentless. It was just too late. He couldn't do anything now, he couldn't ruin her life she had probably struggle to construct. He felt trapped in a storm of lingering pain and self doubt, struggling with the realization that his dreams were irretrievably shattered.

For the first time, he truly understood how Eve must feel. She had known him all her life, and now he was a different person, lost and disconnected from their shared memories. The thought weighed heavily on him as he orbed back home, feeling disconnected and sorrow.

Upon returning, he found Piper in the kitchen, preparing lunch. She looked up and saw the troubled expression on his face. "Chris, are you alright?"

He nodded slowly, trying to maintain a facade of normalcy, "Yeah, I just... I needed some air."

Piper studied him for a moment, then offered a small smile. "Why don't you join us for lunch? It might help."

Chris agreed, knowing he needed the support of his family now more than ever. As he sat down at the table, a crushing weight in his chest. Chasing the images of Bianca, he couldn't help but think about Eve, and the pain he had caused her. He vowed to try and make things right, even if he didn't fully understand how. For now, he would take it one step at a time, starting with lunch surrounded by the people who cared about him.

During lunch, Chris looked at his parents and hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Can you tell me more about my life now? I mean, this life I don't remember."

Piper and Leo exchanged a glance. Leo nodded encouragingly. Piper began, "Well, you, Wyatt, and Melinda..."

"Melinda?" Chris interrupted, confusion etched on his face. "Who's Melinda?"

"She's your little sister," Piper said gently. "She's away at university right now."

Chris was taken aback. He had a sister? The news was both surprising and oddly comforting. "I didn't know I had a sister. That's... pretty cool."

His parents smiled, and Piper continued, "You all went to normal school during the week and the Magic School on weekends once it was reclaimed from the demons."

"Demons?" Chris asked, his curiosity piqued.

Leo nodded. "Yeah, they had it for a short time. It was a lot of work to put it back in shape. When you were little, you knew all the hiding spots in the Magic School from playing there so much."

Wyatt chimed in, "Especially when you were hiding with Eve."

Leo shot Wyatt a warning look, but Chris waved it off. "It's okay. I want to know more about her."

Happy to hear that, Piper took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "One day, at the Magic School daycare, Eve's parents didn't come to pick her up. We found out they had been attacked and killed by demons. Your aunts and I went on a hunt to avenge them."

Chris felt a pang of empathy. He knew what it was to lose parents like that. "What happened to her after that?"

"She had nobody else so she stayed at the Magic School for a while," Leo said. "I was the headmaster, and the teachers and I took turns looking after her. She often came home with us, spent holidays and vacations with our family. After a year, Billie adopted her."

Chris furrowed his brow. "Billie?"

Piper sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. "That's a long story. But she became part of our extended family."

Chris felt a whirlwind of emotions. Each new piece of information made him feel both closer to and further from this life he didn't remember. It was like piecing together a puzzle with half the pieces missing. He looked down at his plate, his appetite waning under the weight of everything he was learning.

"Thank you," he finally said, his voice quiet. "It's just a lot to take in."

Piper reached over and squeezed his hand. "We know. Take your time, Chris. We're here for you."

Chris nodded, trying to smile. He felt a flicker of determination. Despite the overwhelming sense of displacement, he was starting to see glimpses of the life he was supposed to have. A life where he had a sister, a new family friend, and parents who loved him deeply. He was determined to reclaim those memories, no matter how long it took.

As the meal came to an end, Chris felt a renewed sense of purpose. He wasn't just a visitor in this timeline; he was a part of it. He needed to embrace it. And he was going to do everything he could to fit back into the life he had fought so hard to save.