4x03: Charmed By Four, Part Three

[The Virtual Series]

CHARMED: RESET REALITY (A new Alternate Universe series brought to you by Daniel, 4Ever, Drama, Es, Xenith and a host of others!)

STARRING:



SHANNEN DOHERTY....Prue Halliwell
HOLLY MARIE COMBS...Piper Halliwell
ALYSSA MILANO...Phoebe Halliwell
ROSE McGOWAN...Paige Matthews

CO-STARRING:



BRIAN KRAUSE...Leo Wyatt
JULIAN McMAHON...Cole Turner
DORIAN GREGORY...Darryl Morris

CHARMED: RESET REALITY is a concept conceived and copyrighted by Daniel Taylor and cannot be copied without his permission.[/i]

Based on the television show "Charmed" created by Constance Burge and featuring characters created by her and Brad Kern.


DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If we owned Charmed, the last few seasons would be more like this! All characters and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. We only own the characters listed as "Original characters" within the credtis. All others are products of the old WB and the new CW and belong to them and Aaron Spelling Productions. This work was not written for sale and is meant only to be read by visitors to websites for the fans of the television show, Charmed. [/size]

4.03 CHARMED BY FOUR--Part Three

GUEST-STARRING:
YANCEY ARIAS
TAYLOR SWIFT

Script written by...CAMILLE (FOUREVER CHARMED)

Script edited by...DRAMA! (ASSASSIN WITCH)

Script proofread by...CAMILLE (FOUREVER CHARMED), DRAMA! (ASSASSIN WITCH), DTAYLOR (FOREVER YOURS)

Executive Producer...DTAYLOR (FOREVER YOURS)

Produced by...Drama!, Esmeralda, Fourever Charmed, Xenith

Directed by... Shannen Doherty

[The Virtual Series]

Charmed By Four, Part Three

Teaser

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[Scene: A kitchen. A tea kettle whistles, and a petite woman rushes into the room with an apron on and her soft blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. She moves to the tea kettle and takes it off the stove, before pouring two mugs of steaming hot green tea. She then puts on a pair of oven mitts and opens the open, pulling out a turkey. The woman takes it over to the dinner table, placing it on the center of the neatly decorated table, set for two. She slides the mitts off her hands and tosses them onto the kitchen counter, and then elicits a little smirk of approval as she places her hands on her hips. Suddenly, she cocks her head to the side, staring at the pair of white candles in the center of the table. She waves her hand and the candles ignite themselves, then she smiles and cups her hands around her mouth.]

WOMAN: (yelling) Crista! Dinner’s ready!

GIRL's VOICE: I’ll be down in a minute!

(As the WOMAN walks over to the sink, the DEMONIC GUARD shimmers into the kitchen. He holds open his hand, conjuring another athame, identical to the one he’d lost at the Manor earlier. He moves towards the WOMAN, raising the knife in a very serial killer-like fashion. As the WOMAN reaches for the bottle of hand soap, she sees the glint of the jeweled handle from the corner of her eye. She screams and the soap bottle drops from her hands, hitting the tile floor. The GUARD’s outstretched arm bursts into flames and he draws it back in pain. The blonde WOMAN skirts around him, running towards the exit as a blonde GIRL, about fifteen, walks in.)

WOMAN: Crista, get out of here! (She frantically waves her arm in the opposite direction.)

CRISTA: Mom, what’s going on? (She tries to look past her mother, but she pushes her towards the front door.)

WOMAN: Go! (Her eyes widen as the GUARD shimmers in front of them, blocking her path. He raises his athame and strikes at CHRISTA, but the mother pushes her daughter out of the way and takes the athame in the chest. The DEMONIC GUARD grins as the athame glows, taking her power and transferring it to him.)

DEMONIC GUARD: Just like I knew you would. (As he pulls the blood weapon from her chest, he gasps and his eyes roll back into his head.)

[Premonition: PRUE, PIPER, PHOEBE HALLIWELL, AND PAIGE MATTHEWS are gathered in the attic of the Manor. PHOEBE is holding a notepad.]

PHOEBE: “Powers of the Charmed One rise, course unseen across the skies, come to I who call you near, come to me and settle here!”

(The attic starts to shake and rattle, and then the DEMONIC GUARD appears in a funnel of swirling black lights.)

PIPER: Whoa! (She raises her hands in an attempt to freeze the demon, but a chair behind him ends up exploding instead.) I thought we were supposed to get your powers, not the demon who took them.

PHOEBE: Yeah, well, you can’t be right all the time. (She backs into PIPER.) Uh, Prue, a little help here? (She motions towards a shelf where the jeweled athame that she took from the demon earlier that day is laying. PRUE flicks her wrist, telekinetically impaling the demon with the athame. It glows, absorbing his powers, and then he explodes and the athame falls to the ground.)

[Cut to the present. The GUARD’s eyes flash open and he smiles at the dead woman, ripping the athame from her chest. The force of gravity pulls her body to the ground. He shakes his head.]

DEMONIC GUARD: That gets me every time! (He looks towards the frightened girl and sends her a twisted smile.) You’re in luck. I have more pressing matters to deal with, so you’ll just have to wait. (He looks down at his hand.) But before I go… (He waves his arm, and flames spring up along the carpet and walls. He grins.) Nifty. (He shimmers out. CRISTA runs past the flames and drops to the ground, crying over her dead mother’s dead body.)

Clickable Credits.

[The Virtual Series]

{SCENE: The song "This Fire," written by Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy and sung by Franz Ferdinand, is heard as nighttime stock shots of San Francisco are shown while the Guest Credits are rolled.}

Act One

[Scene: The Manor. PHOEBE walks into the sun room where PAIGE is sitting with a blanket draped over her shoulders, drinking a cup of chamomile tea. She’s staring out the window as the flashing blue and red lights of the ambulance fade away down the street. PHOEBE takes a seat in a white whicker chair across from PAIGE.]

PHOEBE: Are you okay? (PAIGE nods absently.) Are you sure?

PAIGE: No.

PHOEBE: Is there anything I can do.

PAIGE: You could tell me what the hell’s happening to me.

PHOEBE: Nothing’s happening to you, Paige. You were born like this.

PAIGE: Oh, okay. That makes me feel so much better. (She sets down her cup.) I was born a monster.

PHOEBE: A monster? (Her eyes widen.) No! You’re anything but a monster! You’re a good witch…in fact, you’re better than a witch. You’re half witch and half angel.

PAIGE: Then why did I try to kill someone? As much as I despise that man, I never would have tried to kill him.

PHOEBE: It wasn’t you. It was The Source. He was controlling you.

PAIGE: But Prue said-

PHOEBE: Nevermind what Prue said. She’s having a hard time with things right now, too. This is beyond her control, and she tends to act out when she doesn’t have control of everything in her world.

(PRUE and PIPER walk in.)

PRUE: (to PHOEBE) Are you ready?

PAIGE: Ready for what?

PRUE: We don’t need her for this. (to PAIGE) You can go home if you want.

PHOEBE: (to PRUE) She is home!

(PIPER steps between them.)

PIPER: (to PAIGE) Phoebe’s powers. Prue’s talking about Phoebe’s powers. A demon took them, and we were just about ready to cast a spell that might help to get them back. And it’s up to you, whether you want to stay or not.

(PAIGE glances between her sisters, and then a look of defiance suddenly appears on her face. She looks directly at PRUE.)

PAIGE: I’ll stay.

(PRUE opens her mouth to protest, but PIPER holds up her hand to stop her.)

PIPER: C’mon. The attic’s this way. (She waves her hand, beckoning PAIGE to follow her up the stairs.)

PAIGE: How is the spell going to get Phoebe’s powers back?

PIPER: It’s a simple summoning spell. If it works, it should just take them right out of whoever has them, and bring them back to Phoebe.

PAIGE: If it works? How many times do they not work?

PHOEBE: (muttering) Too many.

PAIGE: (to PHOEBE) What kind of powers do you have?

PHOEBE: I can see the future…and levitate.

PAIGE: You can fly? (Her eyes widen.) I used to always wish I could fly when I was little!

(PHOEBE laughs as they enter the attic.)

PHOEBE: It’s not really flying; it’s more of going up and down in the same place…but I can tell you from experience, that flying isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Pretty much every time you lift up your arms… (She waves her hand towards the ceiling.) It’s up, up, and away with you.

PAIGE: You’ve actually flown before?

PHOEBE: Not under the best of circumstances, but yes.

PAIGE: Wow.

(PRUE rolls her eyes, which goes unnoticed by everyone except PIPER. She shoots PRUE a look of warning. PHOEBE walks over to the table and grabs a yellow notepad and holds it up.)

PHOEBE: Here it is. (She clears her throat.) “Powers of the Charmed One rise, course unseen across the skies, come to I who call you near, come to me and settle here!”

(The attic starts to shake and rattle, and then the DEMONIC GUARD appears in a funnel of swirling black lights.)

PIPER: Whoa! (She raises her hands in an attempt to freeze the demon, but a chair behind him ends up exploding instead.) I thought we were supposed to get your powers, not the demon who took them.

PHOEBE: Yeah, well, you can’t be right all the time. (She backs into PIPER.) Uh, Prue, a little help here? (She motions towards a shelf where the jeweled athame that she took from the demon earlier that day is laying. As PRUE flicks her wrist to send the athame flying at the DEMONIC GUARD, he chuckles and raises his arms, levitating into the air. The athame flies under his feet, impaling itself into the wall behind him.) Uh oh!

(The GUARD thrusts out his arm and a funnel of flames flies towards PRUE and PHOEBE. PAIGE screams and orbs out, just as PRUE puts up her hand and the flames arch to a ninety degree angle, turning and igniting a raggedy old sofa on fire. PAIGE orbs back in, shocked.)

PAIGE: Where did he go?

(PIPER folds her arms, staring at PRUE and PHOEBE.)

PIPER: We lost him. (to PHOEBE) I'm willing to bet, by the way that just went down, that he already knew what we were planning.

PRUE: And if he’s already tapping into your premonitions to use them against us, there’s no telling what else he might be able to use them for.

PHOEBE: (realizing) Innocents.

[Scene: San Francisco Police Department. INSPECTOR CORTEZ is standing in a small lab in the back of the precinct. A paper with inky finger prints is sitting at his side, along with a few mug shots of LEO WYATT. He walks over to the lab computer and presses a button. Nothing happens. He looks down at his watch and waits, and then he presses the button again. This time the computer flickers to life.]

INSPECTOR CORTEZ: (muttering) Finally! The backup generators took long enough. (He pulls up a squeaky chair, and sits down. Carefully, he runs LEO’s fingerprints through the computer database. For several minutes, it only reads, “Searching…” And then suddenly it stops. His eyes widen.) What the… (His eyes roll back in his head and he slumps over the keyboard. Behind him, DARRYL MORRIS is illuminated by the light of the computer screen, holding the butt of his gun.)

DARRYL: I’m sorry Cortez, (he looks at the screen which has pulled up an army photo of LEO from World War Two) but lives are at stake here, and I can’t have you exposing them. (He grabs the mug shots and finger prints, and stuffs them into his coat pocket. Using a tissue from the box next to the computer, DARRYL maneuvers the mouse to close the current window and permanently deletes the latest finger print search and search results.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Two

[Scene: The Manor. Kitchen. PRUE’s watching the small kitchen television while she has the cordless phone to her ear. On the screen, a news reporter is standing on the sidewalk next to a charred home which is still sparking a few flames that firefighters in the background are trying to put out. PRUE sighs and sets the phone on the island.]

PRUE: Piper!

REPORTER: (on TV) We’re standing in front of the home of Carlotta Michaels, the victim of a violent murder just hours ago. From what the police have released exclusively to us, she was stabbed once in the chest and then her home was set ablaze…She is survived by her only daughter, who’s name has not yet been released for security purposes.

(PIPER walks in.)

PIPER: Did you get ahold of him?

PRUE: Darryl’s not answering his cell or his work number. I called his house, but Sheila said he’s still at work.

PIPER: Great. (She eyes the television.) What’s going on?

PRUE: A murder.

PIPER: Magical?

(PRUE shakes her head.)

PRUE: She was stabbed and then her house was set on fire. Sounds to me like someone was just trying to cover up their crime. (She glances back at the television.) Any luck upstairs?

PIPER: No. We’ve tried the spell again, but it’s not working. We think he’s cloaked himself.

PRUE: Scrying?

(PIPER shakes her head.)

PIPER: It just drops at the Manor, bringing us back to Phoebe.

PHOEBE's VOICE: Paige, wait!

(PRUE and PIPER exchange looks, and then they walk out of the kitchen to see PAIGE hurrying down the stairs, with PHOEBE at her heels.)

PIPER: What’s going on?

PAIGE: I have to go.

PHOEBE: You can’t go!

PAIGE: Yes I do! (She waves her cell phone in the air.) They can’t get ahold of any of the Social Workers.

PHOEBE: And there’s a reason for that! They’re all off, sleeping, it’s passed two in the morning.

PAIGE: What do you want me to do? Just turn my back on the kid?

PIPER: What kid?

PAIGE: My boss just called me. He said that the police just brought in a young girl whose mother was murdered a couple hours ago-

PRUE: Michaels?

PAIGE: What?

PRUE: The girl, is her last name Michaels?

(PAIGE cranes her neck to the side, curiously.)

PAIGE: How did you know?

PRUE:I just saw the report on the news…about her mother.

PAIGE: Oh. (pause) Well, I really have to go. They can’t get any of the actual Social Workers in to talk to her until morning, and she’s distraught. Mr. Cowan wants me in there to calm her down and see if I can get any information out of her about the murder.

(PIPER nods.)

PIPER: It’s okay, we understand. (She narrows her eyes at PHOEBE, who widens her eyes in protest.) If we need you, we’ll call you.

PHOEBE: We don’t have her cell phone number.

PAIGE: Well, I could write it down for you. (She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a pen.) Uhm, I don’t have any paper. (She looks around, spotting a small yellow notepad next to a small table which had formally held the lamp that PAIGE had broken earlier.) Could you pass me that notepad? (The notepad orbs into her hand.) Uh…nevermind. (PHOEBE smiles as PRUE frowns, both of which go unnoticed by PAIGE as she jots down her number and hands it over to PIPER.)

PIPER: Thanks.

PAIGE: Don’t mention it. (She zips up her coat and pulls on her hood.) I’ll…I’ll see you later. (She leaves.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Three

[Scene: South Bay Social Services. Parking lot. PAIGE’s lime green VW Bug pulls into the closest parking spot to the building, next to one other car, and she gets out. Water splashes around her feet as she runs up to the front door and walks in. Once inside, she pulls the hood down from her head and makes her way to MR. COWAN’s office. She sees a teenage girl sitting in the waiting chair, looking frightened and very pale. Her hair is matted and her clothes are covered in black smoke.]

MR. COWAN's VOICE: Paige!

(PAIGE spins around to see her boss.)

PAIGE: Sorry I got here so late, the roads were-

(MR. COWAN holds up his hand.)

MR. COWAN: Don’t worry about it. (He waves her into his office, glances quickly at the teenager, and then shuts the door.)

PAIGE: So what exactly happened?

MR. COWAN: One of the neighbors called nine-one-one when they saw flames starting to come out of the windows. When they got in there, they found her in the center of the room, lying over her mother's body. The flames appeared to be closing in on them, but there was a circle that remained untouched.

(PAIGE’s eyes widen.)

PAIGE: You think that she-

MR. COWAN: They don’t know yet. And frankly, it doesn’t make much sense. Nor have they found anything that would suggest arson; none of the classic fluids that would trigger a fire of that degree,- no matches, no cigarettes. (He folds his arms.) They also can’t find anything that proves it began by accident. (PAIGE bites her lower lip.) But they think it began fairly close to where the body was found. Although the points of origin aren’t just points…they’re lines.

PAIGE: One continuous line of fire started at the same time? (MR. COWAN nods.) But that doesn’t make any sense!

MR. COWAN: Exactly…which is why I need you to get that girl to talk.

PAIGE: Crista, right?

MR. COWAN: Yeah, how did you-

PAIGE: You told me over the phone, remember?

(MR. COWAN rubs his forehead.)

MR. COWAN: Right. Sorry. It’s been a long night.

PAIGE: I understand. (She moves to the door.) I’ll do my best. (She walks out and studies the girl for a minute, then she moves over to her and sits down in the waiting chair next to her.) Crista? (The girl doesn’t respond.) Crista, I know you’re hurting right now but-

CRISTA: (angrily) No you don’t! (She turns her head, glaring at PAIGE.) You have no idea what’s going on with me! (Tears leak from her eyes.) You don’t know how it is to lose your mom! (She starts sobbing, and PAIGE looks taken aback. Then she reaches out her hand, lightly touching CRISTA’s shoulder.)

PAIGE: Actually, you’re wrong. I do know how it is to lose a mom. (She purses her lips.) My parents were killed in a car crash, the car caught on fire, and I was the only survivor.

(CRISTA turns slightly, studying PAIGE to see if she’s telling the truth. She uses the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks.)

CRISTA: I-I’m s-s-sorry. (PAIGE smiles sympathetically and pulls a tissue from her purse, handing it to CRISTA. CRISTA accepts it and begins to dry her eyes.)

PAIGE: It’s okay.

CRISTA: How long ago did your parents…

PAIGE: I was sixteen. (She shifts slightly.) How old are you?

CRISTA: Fifteen.

PAIGE: I’m sorry.

CRISTA: Thank you. (She brushes her dirty blonde hair from her face.) How did you…

PAIGE: Handle it? (CRISTA nods.) I tried to honor their legacy…and I got my act together and ended up going to college, to Berkley, like they had always wanted.

CRISTA: Where did you go? After the crash, I mean. Were you on your own?

PAIGE: No. I had my aunt and uncle, and I stayed with them until I finished high school. They helped me a lot. (pause) Crista, do you have any other family? Your dad-

CRISTA: (angrily) No. (Suddenly, a small flame sprouts up in a trash can next to one of the cubicles.) He left before I was born. (The flame grows, and then time PAIGE catches it out of the corner of her eye. She gasps and CRISTA sees it to. As PAIGE gets up, CRISTA gets up and starts to head the other way.)

PAIGE: No, wait! (CRISTA starts to run, and PAIGE looks around in a panic. She holds out her hand.) Shoe! (CRISTA’s shoe orbs into PAIGE’s hand, and the sudden lack of the shoe causes the teen to trip and fall to the ground. Her eyes go wide as she turns around, staring at PAIGE who now has her shoe in her hand.) Y-you’re magical too?

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Four

[Scene: The Manor. Attic. PRUE’s flipping through the Book of Shadows. PIPER comes through the door with the cordless phone pressed to her ear. She covers the mouth piece.]

PIPER: Find anything?

PRUE: Not anything that’ll help us. The only power transference spells I've seen involve both parties having powers.

PIPER: What if we write another spell to summon him back here?

PRUE: If he’s already protected himself from one summoning spell, what makes you think he would be so stupid to not do it for all summoning spells? (She closes the Book.) Besides, even if that somehow worked, who’s to say he wouldn’t just have another premonition of it happening? We can’t risk it, especially with one-third of the Power of Three down.

PHOEBE's VOICE: We’ve got Paige.

(PRUE and PIPER turn, seeing PHOEBE in the doorway.)

PRUE: Don’t make me laugh, Phoebe. (She folds her arms across her chest.) What in the world makes you think that she could possibly defend herself against a demon of this caliber? He’s one of The Source’s guards! And I don’t know what you’re thinking, but the rest of us know that The Source only surrounds himself with his most powerful demons.

PHOEBE: Paige escaped Shax, didn’t she?

PRUE: Luck.

PHOEBE: Destiny.

(PRUE throws her arms into the air.)

PRUE: Oh for God’s sake! (She stomps out of the room. PHOEBE glares as PRUE disappears down the hallway, and then she walks up to PIPER.)

PHOEBE: So... (PIPER holds up her hand and PHOEBE raises her brows.)

PIPER: (into the phone) Darryl?

[Scene: PAIGE’s VW Bug. PAIGE is driving, and CRISTA is sitting in the passenger’s seat.]

CRISTA: Where are we going?

PAIGE: I…I know some people who might be able to help you.

CRISTA: Are they magical too? (PAIGE nods.) I don’t know if they’ll be able to fight the thing that’s after me.

PAIGE: I’m not so sure about that. (She turns the wheel.) Look, you have to tell me everything that happened last night. We’re running on limited time here. I told my boss that I’m just taking you out to get some fast food or something, so that it might help you open about what happened.

(CRISTA closes her eyes, envisioning the events of earlier.)

CRISTA: I was up in my room, talking to my boyfriend. Mom was in the kitchen, making dinner. She called up to me, telling me that it was ready and I told her I’d be down in a minute. But when I came down, she was running out of the kitchen and she told me to get out of the house. I tried to ask why, but she wouldn’t say. The next thing I know, she’s shoving me out of the way and this guy’s sta… (She looks at her feet and wipes her eyes.) She was on the floor so fast.

PAIGE: Are you a witch?

CRISTA: A witch? (She shakes her head.) No. I’m a Firestarter. So was Mom.

PAIGE: What’s a Firestarter?

CRISTA: It’s kind of a long story.

PAIGE: Cliff notes?

CRISTA: We’re a lot like witches, but we only have pyrokinetic powers, and we can’t cast spells.

PAIGE: Pyrokinetic powers? You mean like…Charlie McGee?

(CRISTA laughs a little.)

CRISTA: Yeah. My Mom used to always tell me that I was her own, personal little Charlie. (The car stops in front of an old Victorian Manor. She looks around.) Where are we?

PAIGE: That friend’s house I was telling you about. (They get out and run up the driveway to the front doors of the Manor, and PAIGE bangs on them.)

[Cut to inside the Manor. PRUE walks out of the kitchen and up to the front doors. She swings them open and her eyes go wide.]

PRUE: Paige! (She sees CRISTA.) What do you think-

PAIGE: I’ve got an emergency. (She pushes her way past PRUE.)

PRUE: You can’t bring her in here!

PAIGE: Oh yeah? (She pulls a tissue out of her pocket and throws it into the air.) Crista, show her. (CRISTA squints her eyes and the tissue bursts into flames; only ash hits the ground. On the stairs behind PAIGE, PHOEBE and PIPER look on with awe.)

PHOEBE: Whoa!

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Five

[Time lapse. PHOEBE, PAIGE, and CRISTA are in the attic. PHOEBE’s sitting on a stool, looking at a page from the Book of Shadows. CRISTA and PAIGE are standing on either side of her, looking over her shoulders.]

PHOEBE: “Firestarters. Extremely rare and coveted magical creatures.”

CRISTA: I can’t believe you actually have a page about us in your book.

PHOEBE: It’s not just any book, it’s a very powerful and very old heirloom that’s been passed down our family line since the late sixteen hundreds.

CRISTA: Wow. (She touches the page.) It’s so cool that you know so much about where you come from.

(PHOEBE looks quickly at PAIGE, who turns away, and then back to CRISTA.)

PHOEBE: Yeah…we seem to be learning more and more every day. (PRUE and PIPER walk in. PHOEBE looks at them.) What’s going on?

PIPER Darryl didn’t want to say a lot over the phone, but he says he’s on his way here.

PRUE: (sarcastic) As if we don’t have enough to worry about already.

PIPER: (to PHOEBE) What did you find out up here?

PHOEBE: The Book doesn’t really say much. It just says that Firestarters are really rare…and really wanted by the Underworld baddies.

PIPER: (to CRISTA) You don’t remember anything else about who attacked your mom?

CRISTA: No. All I remember is that he had a knife and-

PIPER: He had a knife?

CRISTA: Yeah.

PIPER: Which means he has hands.

PHOEBE: (sarcastic) That narrows it down.

PIPER: Actually, it does. Not all demons have hands, PHOEBE. (She looks at the floor.) Remember The Woogy?

PHOEBE: Okay, alright! (She starts flipping through the pages again.)

CRISTA: Wait. There was something else. (She bites her lip.) Right after he, uh…

PIPER: It’s alright. Take your time.

(CRISTA nods.)

CRISTA: After it happened, before he took the knife, his eyes sort of rolled back in his head and he looked like he was in some sort of trance.

(PHOEBE looks up.)

PHOEBE: A trance?

CRISTA: A huh.

PIPER: Crista, was the knife he had…was it jeweled?

CRISTA: Yeah! How did you know?

(PRUE, PIPER, and PHOEBE exchange expressions. PHOEBE walks over to the wall, where the first athame is still lodged, and pulls it out of the wall. She carries it back over to CRISTA.)

PHOEBE: Did it look like this?

CRISTA: Exactly like that.

(PHOEBE looks to PRUE and PIPER.)

PRUE: Looks like our demon is the same one who killed her mother.

PAIGE: (to PRUE) I guess I did the right thing after all.

(PRUE opens her mouth, but is cut off by a knock downstairs.)

PIPER: That must be Darryl! (She grabs PRUE’s arm.) Why don’t you come with me? (Scowling, PRUE follows PIPER out of the attic.)

CRISTA: (sarcastic) She sure seems friendly.

PAIGE: Tell me about it.

[Cut to downstairs. PRUE and PIPER walk up to the door and PRUE pulls it open. DARRYL is standing in the rain, with a man propped up against his body.]

PIPER: Darryl! What’s going on?

(PRUE’s eyes widen.)

PRUE: Cortez!

DARRYL: Yes, that’s the whole problem. (to PRUE) Now can I come in? (The sisters step aside and DARRYL stumbles in, pulling CORTEZ with him.)

PIPER: What happened to him?

DARRYL: I knocked him.

PIPER: Why?

DARRYL: Because… (He drags INSPECTOR CORTEZ into the next room and lays him on the sofa. He digs into his pockets and pulls out the mug shots and finger prints, which he hands to PIPER. PIPER stares wide eyed at them.)

PIPER: Where did these come from?

DARRYL: He arrested Leo.

PRUE: What?! On what charges?

DARRYL: Impersonating a veteran. He ran his name through the database and it pulled up his World War Two records. It’s a crime to impersonate a military official, living or dead. (He points to the finger prints.) He just ran his fingerprints through the database when I knocked him out.

PIPER: So where’s Leo now?

DARRYL: He’s being held in a prison cell downtown, under twenty-four hour watch. (He looks down at his wrist watch.) And through the grapevine, I heard that Cortez has filed a motion to put the Manor under twenty-four surveillance too.

PRUE: When will we know-

DARRLY: Not until morning, when the courthouse opens.

PIPER: That only gives us about-

PRUE: Four hours.

(PIPER motions to INSPECTOR CORTEZ.)

PIPER: And just what are we supposed to do with him when he wakes up?

DARRYL: Can’t you just freeze him?

PIPER: Freeze him? (She turns towards a wall clock.) You mean like (she waves her hand and the clock explodes) that? (pause) Darryl, I’m still trying to get the hang of this new explosion power. I can’t just freeze someone when I want to, unless I want to risk exploding them too. And since he isn’t a demon, and it’s not a dire emergency, I really can’t take that risk.

DARRYL: Isn’t your exposure a dire emergency?

(PIPER looks at PRUE, and PRUE nods.)

PIPER: Fine, you win, we’ll keep him here. But what are we going to do about this? (She waves the photos and finger print sheets.)

DARRYL: Look, I’ve know you three a long time, and I know that there has to be a way for you to make that (he waves his hands) go away.

PRUE: We’ll have to look into it. (She leads him towards the door.) Right now, can you please work on getting Leo out of jail for us?

DARRYL: I’ll see what I can do.

PRUE: Thanks, Darryl.

(DARRYL leaves as PPHOEBE, PAIGE, and CRISTA come down the stairs.)

PHOEBE: (to PIPER) What’s going on with Darryl? (PIPER points towards the couch and PHOEBE gawks.) What’s he doing here?

PAIGE: Who is he?

PHOEBE: Trouble.

PIPER: It’s a long story. The short version? Leo’s in jail.

PHOEBE: What?! How in the world does an angel get put in jail?

PAIGE: Oh, I can think of a few ways…

PRUE: I bet.

(PAIGE glares.)

(PIPER eyes PRUE.

PIPER: That’s not important. What is, is that we have to get Leo out and somehow alter Cortez's memories before he can get a judge to grant twenty-four hour surveillance on the Manor.

PHOEBE: Is there anything that won’t happen today?

(PIPER wags her index finger.)

PIPER: Don’t say that! Every time someone says something like that, things only get worse! (They hear a loud crash from the attic.) Phoebe!

PHOEBE: What? I didn’t do anything! You were the one who jinxed us. (She turns on her heel, heading up the stairs with her sisters and CRISTA at her heels.)

[Cut to the attic. A circular wooden table explodes as COLE dives out of the way. The pounding of feet can be heard and then the sisters and CRISTA charge into the room. Two burly demons are advancing on COLE.]

PHOEBE: Ooh, Piper!

(PIPER raises her hands and one of the two demons explode, but when she tries to explode the second one, he freezes.)

PIPER: Damnit! The one time I’m not aiming for a freeze.

(PHOEBE runs over to COLE and helps him up.)

PHOEBE: (to COLE) Are you okay?

COLE: Fine. (He dusts himself off and conjures an energy ball, hurling it into the frozen bounty hunter. He vanquishes in a fiery burst.) I did a little digging, and it looks like the guy who stole your powers has been racking up quite a few powers. (He eyes CRISTA and stares.)

PHOEBE: Cole? (She touches his arm and he snaps out of the stare.)

COLE: Yeah. He’s been on a killing spree, Phoebe. Several witches have been burned over the last few hours. Word in the Underworld is that he’s been invading covens and using relics or ritual items from those covens to get premonitions from, because in rituals where all coven members are present, they all will have touched or used one of the ritualistic pieces.

PRUE: He’s gearing up to come after us.

PHOEBE: And he’s not just stopping at witches. (She moves to the Book and flips it open.)

COLE: What do you mean?

PHOEBE: He went after Crista’s mom. (COLE looks at CRISTA again.) Cole, do you know of any other good magical beings off the top of your head that have powerful abilities?

COLE: (to CRISTA) What are you?

(PRUE moves in front of her.)

PRUE: She’s a Firestarter. Why?

COLE: Maurice. I knew you looked familiar!

(CRISTA’s face pales.)

CRISTA: How do you know about him?

PIPER: Whoa, slow down here. What’s going on?

CRISTA: My father-

COLE: Was one of The Source’s right hand men.

CRISTA: What?!

COLE: We used to go out on assignments together. He was one of the best hunters I’d ever seen.

CRISTA: Liar! He may have been a low life, but he was no killer.

COLE: Yeah? Did you ever meet the man?

CRISTA: He walked out on us before I was born.

COLE: Is that what you were told? (He folds his arms.) Well, I’m sorry to tell you that you’re severely misinformed. Carlotta wanted to switch sides after she got pregnant with you, and when The Source got word, he sent Maurice to take care of her…but she took him out first.

CRISTA: Liar!

(A fire springs up on COLE’s chest. PIPER steps between them.)

PIPER: Enough! (She takes CRISTA’s hand.) Come on, lets go downstairs. (She leads CRISTA out of the attic. COLE pats his chest, extinguishing the flame.)

COLE: She looks just like him.

PHOEBE: You didn’t have to upset her like that.

COLE: I was just telling her the truth.

PRUE: (eyeing PAIGE) Sometimes things should be left well enough alone.

(LEO orbs in.)

PRUE & PHOEBE: Leo!

LEO: I’m so sorry! Darryl just pulled some strings and got me bailed out. I came as soon as I could.

MAN's VOICE: What the hell are you people?! (PRUE, PHOEBE, PAIGE, COLE, and LEO turn to see INSPECTOR CORTEZ standing in the doorway with his gun drawn, aimed directly at PHOEBE.)

To Be Continued…

[The Virtual Series]

End Credits

Co-Starring
David Reivers --- Bob Cowan

Featuring
Mylo Ironbear --- The Source's Guard
Sheryl Lee --- Carlotta Michaels
Dwier Brown ---- Bounty Hunter #1
Nils Allen Stewart --- Bounty Hunter #2

Production & Design
Daniel (Forever Yours) - Casting Director
Britt (The Original P3) - Video Editor (Credits)
White Orleander - Set Designer

[Chris]

I LOVE IT!!! The "To be continued" parts are getting annoying since the eps are getting better but I love it!!!!

[Fourever Charmed]

lol Don't worry, this was the last TBC for this. There was just so much information we couldn't fit it into a two parter. Besides, it's a special opener for a special season, and it reinforces the idea of the Po4.

[Piper Halliwell]

So is there a part 4?

[Drama]

Next Sunday will be Charmed By Four, part four.

[Piper Halliwell]

Is this the last part or are we expecting more parts? I'm just curious

[Fourever Charmed]

If you look at the calendar at the bottom of the main page, you'll see that next week's episode is the last of this four part story arch opening. The week after that is episode 4x05, called "Love Or Fate".

[Piper Halliwell]

Awesome (I do like this word awesome, its like awesome to use this awesome word.) I like... I mean I love the four part episode so far!