6x06: Muse It Or Lose It

[The Virtual Series]

CHARMED: RESET REALITY (A new Alternate Universe series brought to you by Daniel, 4Ever, Drama, 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
DORIAN GREGORY...Darryl Morris
CHELSEA BRUMMET...Melinda Halliwell
DREW FULLER...Chris Halliwell

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

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 credits. 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.

6.06 MUSE IT OR LOSE IT

GUEST-STARRING:
T.W. KING
BILLY ZANE
MORENA BACCARIN
SAM WORTHINGTON
MELISSA GEORGE
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD

Script written by...CAMILLE (FOUREVER CHARMED)

Script edited by...DRAMA (ASSASSIN WITCH)

Script proofread by...CAMILLE (FOUREVER CHARMED), DRAMA (ASSASSIN WITCH), DTAYLOR (ASTRAL ECHO)

Executive Producer...DTAYLOR (ASTRAL ECHO)

Produced by...DRAMA, FOUREVER CHARMED, XENITH

Directed by...Ellen S. Pressman

[The Virtual Series]

Muse It Or Lose It

Teaser

[Scene: A young man is sitting at a desk in a dorm room. He’s hunched over, scribbling on a piece of paper. The lone lamp on his dresser is casting a golden glow over bits and pieces of the room, revealing a metal trash bin overflowing with crumpled papers and a book case pressed against the wall, filled with books on poetry. Among them are Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey.” The college student becomes frustrated as the lead on his pencil breaks. He throws the pencil off into the darkness and grabs his paper, crumples it up, and tosses it at the trashcan. The paper bounces off the other papers and falls onto the floor. The young man holds his head and leans back in his chair. Unbeknownst to him, a transparent woman appears behind him with a smile on her face. An ethereal golden glow is surrounding her and her dark hair is rustling in a non-existent breeze. She reaches out her hand to touch the side of the young man’s head and suddenly his eyes light up. He lurches forward and opens a drawer on his desk, pulling out a new piece of paper and a new pencil. He begins scribbling at a furious pace. When he finally stops, he breathes a sigh of relief and rises to his feet, anxiously pacing the dorm.]

YOUNG MAN: (excitedly) “In the days of Homer-”

(The sound of mock clapping fills the room. The YOUNG MAN stops speaking and looks around, but sees nobody. He moves to the wall and flicks on a switch, turning on the ceiling light. He still sees nobody around and shakes his head.)

MAN's VOICE: Epic poetry, it has a certain appeal about it, doesn’t it?

(The YOUNG MAN whips around to see a man dressed in black standing in his dorm. He stumbles, catching himself on the chair. He drops his poem and grabs the first thing he can find - the lamp on his dresser.)

YOUNG MAN: Wh-where the hell did you come from?

MAN: Oh, that’s not really that important. (He holds up his hand, revealing a large ruby on a golden ring. It glows as he points it to the side of the college student, where the transparent woman is still standing.) You must be Calliope, (he grins) a pleasure to meet you.

CALLIOPE: (worriedly) How can you see me?

(The college student turns his head in CALLIOPE’s direction, but sees no one.)

YOUNG MAN: You’re crazy, there’s nobody here! (He waves his lamp.) Get out! I swear, if you don’t get out-

(The man points his ruby ring at CALLIOPE and a beam of rainbow colored light swirls from it, engulfing the muse. A moment later, she appears corporeal. The college student stares in shock, then hits the floor as he faints. The man eyes him mirthlessly.)

MAN: Now tell me, where is the Tenth Muse?

CALLIOPE: (defiantly) I don’t know.

MAN: (sneering) Liar! (He points his ring at her again.) You control them all, which means you must know where she is!

CALLIOPE: Even if I did, I’d never tell you, warlock! (The warlock growls. The muse smirks.) She’s beyond your grasp.

WARLOCK: Then I’ll take you all! If you’re all gone, she’ll have to come save you! (He points his ring and CALLIOPE screams as she’s sucked into it. The ruby glows as the warlock admires his ring. Then he tilts his head back.) If you want to save your sisters, come and find me! (He blinks out.)

Clickable Credits.

[The Virtual Series]

{SCENE: The song “You’re The Inspiration,” written by Peter Cetera and David Foster and sung by Chicago, is heard as stock shots of San Francisco are shown while the Guest Credits are rolled.}

Act One

[Scene: Calliope’s. PRUE HALLIWELL is holding a newspaper in her right hand as she walks around the restaurant. She holds the paper up, revealing an old picture of the restaurant on its grand opening night and opposite it, a picture of the way the building looks now. The headline reads, “Calliope’s Last Inspiration.”]

OLD MAN's VOICE: Prudence? (PRUE whips around. An old man walks up to her.) Prudence Halliwell?

(PRUE squints.)

PRUE: (surprised) Mr. Pello?

(MR. PELLO smiles.)

MR. PELLO: It is you! (He wags his finger.) I knew that hair looked familiar. (PRUE laughs.) What are you doing here?

PRUE: I uh… (She holds up the newspaper article.) I heard you were closing Calliope’s.

MR. PELLO: Ooh. (He nods sadly.) Yes, I’m getting up in the years and I just don’t have the stamina to run a restaurant anymore.

PRUE: What about your kids?

MR. PELLO: Barbara moved to Hawaii with her new husband last year and Nick… (He shrugs.) Nick hasn’t been around for the last couple years. (He stuffs his hands into his pockets.) He was never much of a cook, I’m afraid. He always wanted to pursue the stock market.

PRUE: (sympathetically) I’m sorry.

(MR. PELLO shakes his head.)

MR. PELLO: Nah, it’s alright. That’s kids for you; you love them their whole lives and then they grow up and make their own. (His eyes move to PRUE’s stomach.) Speaking of kids, (he looks at her face and smiles knowingly) looks like you’ve had some life changes recently yourself.

(PRUE unconsciously touches her stomach and laughs.)

PRUE: That’s an understatement.

MR. PELLO: So, who’s the lucky man?

(PRUE’s eyes darken.)

PRUE: There’s not, actually. He wasn’t much of a family man apparently.

(MR. PELLO touches PRUE’s shoulder comfortingly.)

MR. PELLO: Well, it’s his loss. (PRUE smiles. MR. PELLO sighs.) You know…I always thought you and Andrew were going to end up together. (PRUE looks away. MR. PELLO pulls his hand back, realizing his mistake.) I’m sorry, I didn’t-

PRUE: It’s alright. (She smiles weakly.) That makes two of us.

MR. PELLO: He was a good young man, (PRUE nods) a rare breed, just like his father. (He nods to himself. PRUE glances up at the setting sun and shifts between the balls of her feet.)

PRUE: (awkwardly) Well, it was nice seeing you again, but I really need to get going-

MR. PELLO: Do you have any plans this Friday?

PRUE: Excuse me?

MR. PELLO: It’s our closing night, and if you aren’t busy, I’d love for you to come by.

PRUE: Oh…well, I’ll have to check, but thank you.

MR. PELLO: And bring your sisters, too. (pause) Does Piper still love to cook?

(PRUE laughs.)

PRUE: She’s actually a chef now.

MR. PELLO: She has her own restaurant?

PRUE: Just a nightclub, but she hopes to have one eventually. (She shrugs.) She just bought a house with her husband last year though, and with the twins...things are a little tough.

MR. PELLO: Twins? Piper’s a mother? (PRUE nods in confirmation and he grins.) Tell her to bring the whole family then! I’d love to meet everyone.

(PRUE winks.)

PRUE: I’ll give her the message. (They hug.) It was really good seeing you again, Mr. Pello.

MR. PELLO: As was seeing you, Prudence. Good luck. (He eyes her pregnant belly.) And take care.

PRUE: I will; thank you.

(MR. PELLO watches her walk away.)

[Scene: Theater. A crowd is walking out of the cinema. Among them are PHOEBE HALLIWELL and PAIGE MATTHEWS. PAIGE looks miffed.]

PAIGE: That was an injustice to romance movies everywhere! I mean, honestly, what kind of romance movie has the love of the heroine’s life ripped away, only to be returned, and then ends with him taken away again forever?

PHOEBE: Well, it is kind of realistic…

PAIGE: So? I go to movies to escape reality. (She shrugs.) And besides, even reality is better than that. I mean, there is the afterlife, ya know. People don’t always lose their soul mate forever.

PHOEBE: But not everyone makes it to the afterlife. Sometimes they’re reincarnated and others stay in the afterlife, or-

PAIGE: Phoebe! You’re bursting my bubble here. (She sighs as they walk up to her lime green VW Bug.) I’d like to believe that in some shape or form, true love does win out in the end. (PHOEBE sighs as PAIGE inserts her key into the driver’s side door.)

PHOEBE: (quietly) I’m not so sure about that…

(A beautiful dark skinned woman with waving black curls appears next to PHOEBE, in a transparent form, surrounded by a golden hue. PHOEBE suddenly shivers as PAIGE presses the lock on her door panel to electronically unlock the passenger doors. The golden hue on the muse next to PHOEBE spreads into a blinding light and as it dies away, the muse is standing in the flesh. PHOEBE yelps and jumps back, instantly getting into a fighting stance with her fists out. The muse holds up her hands defensively.)

MUSE: Please, I need your help!

(PHOEBE eyes the muse distrustfully. PAIGE is also standing on the other side of the car, staring warily at the mystic being.)

PHOEBE: Who the hell are you?

MUSE: My name is Sappho. (She looks to PAIGE.) Please, we don’t have much time!

PHOEBE: (distrustfully) Time for what?

PAIGE: (shocked) Did you say Sappho?

(PHOEBE looks questioningly at PAIGE.)

PHOEBE: Paige?

PAIGE: (to SAPPHO) As in…The Tenth Muse?

(SAPPHO nods.)

SAPPHO: The Muse of Justice.

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. PRUE is on the phone while she’s rummaging through the freezer. She pulls out a carton of Butterfinger ice cream, yanks off the lid, and grabs a spoon from the drawer. She holds the phone between her shoulder and ear as she sits down at the table and stabs the spoon into the ice cream and takes a bite.]

[Scene: Piper and Leo’s house. Chris’s room. The cordless phone is sitting on the edge of the changing table. PIPER HALLIWELL walks in, holding BABY CHRIS HALLIWELL in her left arm while she tries to wipe off a yellow stain on her pale blue top with her right hand. She groans and drops the cloth on the changing table and picks up the phone.]

PIPER: I guess I’m just going to have to wash it and hope it isn’t stained. (She sits down.) Anyway, what were we talking about just before Chris decided to share his dinner with me?

[Cut to Prue. She stuffs another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.]

PRUE: (through a mouthful) Calli-ope’s.

[Cut to Piper.]

PIPER: Right! (She shifts BABY CHRIS on her lap, lightly rocking him. BABY CHRIS looks like he’s starting to get sleepy.) God, I can’t believe it’s actually closing. That place has been there as long as I can remember. (She laughs.) I used to dream of owning a place just like it when I was little.

[Cut to Prue. She’s nodding.]

PRUE: I remember. (She laughs.) Grams was always telling you she knew you would. (She is about to take another bite of her ice cream, when she freezes and then makes a little surprised squeak.)

[Cut to Piper.]

PIPER: Prue? (She shifts her eyes and stands up, moving to BABY CHRIS’s crib.)

[Cut to Prue.]

PRUE: Yeah, (she drops her spoon back into the ice cream and stands up, touching her stomach) I’m here. I just got a nice kick to the bladder, though. (She sighs.) I gotta go, I’ll call you tomorrow.

[Cut to Piper. She lays BABY CHRIS into his crib and covers him up with his blue triquetra blanket.]

PIPER: Alright, goodnight. (She hangs up and leans over the side of the crib, admiring her sleeping son.)

[Cut to Prue. She sets the cordless receiver in its charger and makes a beeline through the kitchen and into the downstairs bathroom.]

[Cut to the front doors. PAIGE and PHOEBE walk in, with SAPPHO right behind them. PHOEBE shuts the door.]

PHOEBE: (yelling) Prue!

PAIGE: (to SAPPHO) But why would he want you? I mean…justice, wouldn’t that work against him?

SAPPHO: (to PAIGE) Justice is something that’s in the eye of the beholder, Paige. For example, to you, justice may be vanquishing a demon that’s murdered a coven. But to a demon, killing a Charmed One would be justice for the Underworld.

PAIGE: And let me guess, if you were to be controlled by evil, justice would give them the advantage?

SAPPHO: Exactly. Justice is not something that should be controlled by good or evil. It’s too powerful, that’s why I exist outside of both; I’m not like my sister muses.

(The sound of the toilet flushes. The bathroom door opens and PRUE walks out. She’s about to head back to the kitchen when she notices her youngest sisters and SAPPHO. She stops short.)

PRUE: (to PAIGE and PHOEBE) Uh…I didn’t know we had company. (She raises her eyebrow.)

PHOEBE: Well, actually, it’s more like we have a mission. (She motions her hand.) Prue meet Sappho, Sappho meet Prue. (She heads for the stairs.)

PRUE: Sappho? Like-

(PAIGE nods.)

PAIGE: Yeah.

(PRUE grabs PHOEBE’s arm.)

PRUE: Whoa! Hold up, since when are we helping mythical muses?

PAIGE: Since all of the other nine got trapped in something called the Ring of Inspiration and we have to save them before the warlock who has it finds Sappho and obtains the ability to control justice.

PHOEBE: And apparently we’re running short on time, so come on.

(PHOEBE breaks free of PRUE’s grasp and heads up the stares. PAIGE gives PRUE a look and then follows PHOEBE. SAPPHO hurries up the stairs after PAIGE. PRUE watches them disappear and then touches her stomach.)

PRUE: Just another typical night in this house. (She grumbles to herself as she labors up the steps towards the attic.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Two

[Scene: Manor. Attic. The Charmed Ones and SAPPHO are there. PAIGE is standing at the Book of Shadows.]

SAPPHO: The Ring of Inspiration enables the wearer to see and capture muses.

PAIGE: Found it! (PHOEBE peers over PAIGE’s shoulder.) But… (She shakes her head.) This doesn’t sound right; it said the ring was made by good magic. (to SAPPHO) Why would good magic want to capture muses?

SAPPHO: They created the Ring so that in times of great need, all muses could be gathered together at once.

PRUE: So, how did it fall into the hands of evil?

SAPPHO: Every hundred years, a new Guardian is appointed to the Ring. The problem lies in the fact that the magic of the Old Guardian must pass to the New Guardian first. In those few minutes when the magic protecting the Ring is out in the open, it is possible for someone to steal the Ring.

PHOEBE: Who was the genius that came up with that loophole?

SAPPHO: The time between Guardians is so short that no one ever believed that it would be enough to take the Ring. (pause) But I guess if someone were to have studied the history and been so intent on taking the Ring… they could have perhaps pinpointed their time of attack and prevailed.

PAIGE: There’s no “perhaps” here, it happened, so now we’re just left with the task of fixing it.

PRUE: Alright, so we need to know who we’re dealing with here. (to SAPPHO) Do you have any information on the warlock that has the ring?

SAPPHO: We believe him to be the warlock Devlin.

(PAIGE starts to flip through the Book.)

PAIGE: Devlin, Devlin, Devlin…

SAPPHO: You won’t find him like that.

(PAIGE looks up.)

PHOEBE: Then how can we find him?

SAPPHO: There’s only one way.

PRUE: And you know what it is?

(SAPPHO nods.)

PHOEBE: So, why didn’t you mention this earlier?

SAPPHO: Because I needed to spend time with the three of you first. (She gazes at the sisters.) I needed to discover your strengths, weaknesses, and get a feel for which of you would be most in tune with your inner muse.

PAIGE: Inner muse?

SAPPHO: Yes, Paige. (She smiles broadly.) The only way to track Devlin, now that he has the Ring of Inspiration, is to become a muse.

(The Charmed Ones exchange looks. PRUE holds up her hands.)

PRUE: Whoa! Wait a minute, back up! If that’s the only way, then why can’t you track him?

SAPPHO: I don’t have the same connection with the Ring of Inspiration that my sister muses do. In order to summon me, all nine of my sisters must use their combined power. If they’re all in the Ring and being controlled by Devlin, it’s only a matter of time before he figures out how to use their power to summon me. (She raises her finger.) But, if one of you becomes a muse, you can track him, take back the Ring, and vanquish him before he can get to me.

(The sisters look uneasy about the idea.)

PHOEBE: And just how do we “become a muse”?

SAPPHO: Like this.

(SAPPHO holds out her hand, touching her palm to PAIGE’s forehead. A glow spreads over PAIGE and her clothes transform into a flowing, floor length gown, the color of mint with a deep v-neckline and sheer peasant sleeves. PAIGE turns translucent and a glow begins to radiate from her. PAIGE holds out her arms and stares down at herself, completely surprised. PRUE and PHOEBE seem confused.)

PRUE: Where did she go?

SAPPHO: Oh. (She frowns.) Muses can’t be seen by people, with the exception of myself, who can appear visible at will.

PHOEBE: So, how are we supposed to work with her if she’s invisible?

SAPPHO: A spell. Make a spell to make her visible to you.

(PRUE motions to PHOEBE.)

PRUE: You’re the best at impromptu spells.

(PHOEBE throws up her hands.)

PHOEBE: Okay, what do we know about muses?

PRUE: They’re creative forces.

SAPPHO: And made of pure light.

(PHOEBE nods.)

PHOEBE: “Being of creativity, show yourself now to me, the light that shines from your face, let our vision now embrace.”

(A swathe of light fills the room, allowing PAIGE to become visible to her sisters.)

PAIGE: (lyrically) Did it- (She abruptly stops speaking and touches her hand to her throat. PHOEBE points at her sister.)

PHOEBE: (to SAPPHO) Why does her voice sound different?

PRUE: Singsongy.

(PHOEBE nods.)

PHOEBE: Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

SAPPHO: She’s become the Muse of Music.

PAIGE: (lyrically) Like Euterpe.

PRUE: (to PAIGE) How do you know so much about muses?

PAIGE: (lyrically) College electives. (She shrugs.) I was interested in mythology. Egyptian mythology, Chinese mythology, Greek mythology…any kind of mythology really. (She rolls her eyes.) I guess maybe that was my magic’s way of calling out to me.

PHOEBE: Well, I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but can you sense him now?

PAIGE: (lyrically to SAPPHO) How?

SAPPHO: Just close your eyes and focus.

(PAIGE closes her eyes. The glow around her intensifies.)

PRUE: Well?

PAIGE: (lyrically) No, but I sense a symphony that needs inspiration! (She disappears. PHOEBE and PRUE exchange looks, then look accusingly towards SAPPHO.)

POHEBE: That (she points to the space PAIGE just vacated) was not part of the plan!

SAPPHO: (guiltily) It’s the nature of the muse. They go where they feel the pull of people that need their help.

PRUE: You could’ve warned us about that!

PHOEBE: How do we get her back?

(PRUE taps her finger in the air.)

PRUE: Wait a minute, I think I know where she might be. (She motions her hand and breezes out of the attic. PHOEBE looks at SAPPHO and then heads after her elder sister.)

[Scene: Piper and Leo’s house. Living room. PIPER and MELINDA HALLIWELL are on the couch watching a movie. Both PIPER and MELINDA are in pajamas and MELINDA is hugging one of the couch pillows to her chest.]

MELINDA: Man, I love this movie! (She sighs dreamily.) It gets me every time.

PIPER: When did you say this was made again?

MELINDA: Two-thousand-seven.

PIPER: And why exactly did you bring it with you?

MELINDA: Because “Music and Lyrics” is the best movie ever made? (pause) Okay, fine, it was in my backpack and just came along for the ride. (She shrugs.) But still, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great movie. (She stares at the screen.) Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore make an adorable couple. (PIPER looks at her watch.) Would you stop that?

PIPER: I’m worried, it’s what I do!

MELINDA: (groaning) Believe me, I know.

PIPER: I wonder what’s keeping them?

MELINDA: The Elders?

PIPER: Obviously. (She sighs.) But they’ve been Up There so long…what if it’s bad? I mean, it usually is a good indicator of something bad.

(CHRIS HALLIWELL orbs in. PIPER and MELINDA look up. MELINDA groans.)

MELINDA: It’s bad.

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. PRUE is looking through the newspaper. She holds up a page with the headline, “San Francisco Symphony to Play for Charity.”]

PRUE: They’re holding a charity concert tomorrow night for an organization called the Children’s Miracles. (She taps the page with her nail.) I’m guessing this is where she went.

PHOEBE: Okay, so we call Leo-

(LEO WYATT orbs in.)

PHOEBE: That was fast.

(PRUE frowns.)

PRUE: Too fast. (to LEO) What’s going on?

LEO: The Elders just called an emergency conference. They believe that all nine of the Muses of Inspiration have been-

PRUE: Trapped in the Ring of Inspiration? (LEO nods confusedly. PRUE nods in SAPPHO’s direction.) We’re about a mile ahead of you, Leo. (She holds out her hand.) Look, we need you to orb us over to the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall.

LEO: But-

PHOEBE: No time for questions, just orb. (She lays her hand on his shoulder to emphasize her point.)

[Scene: Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. PAIGE is gleefully zigzagging between the seated musicians, touching their heads with her hand and moving on, eagerly spreading her musical inspiration. With each touch, the symphony becomes louder and more glorious sounding.]

[Cut to a hallway. The sign above the hallway reads “Exit” in electronic green letters. LEO, PRUE, and PHOEBE orb in. PHOEBE and PRUE walk out of the hallway, following the sound of the music. PRUE points.]

PRUE: There she is.

(LEO walks up behind them.)

LEO: Where?

PHOEBE: In the middle of the crowd.

(LEO shakes his head. SAPPHO appears.)

LEO: I just see the orchestra.

SAPPHO: It’s the spell.

LEO: Spell?

PHOEBE: Oh, right. (to LEO) She’s just invisible to you, but we cast a spell to see her. (She looks back at her sister-turned-muse.) So how do we get her back home? (She glares.) And keep her there so she doesn’t run off again.

PRUE: And without getting caught and thrown out of here while doing so.

LEO: I could orb Mel over to freeze the orchestra.

PRUE: But we still need to some way to get Paige, who is a little intangible at the moment.

[Scene: Underworld. DEVLIN is pacing around an altar, which contains the Ring of Inspiration. He picks up the ring.]

DEVLIN: (frustrated) Give me the Tenth Muse! (The ring begins to glow. He looks surprised, then grins and slides the ring onto his finger.) Now that’s more like it. (He blinks out.)

[Scene: Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. Hallway. PRUE, PHOEBE, and SAPPHO are still there but LEO is not. In one of the front row seats, DEVLIN blinks it. The orchestra nor PAIGE sees him, but PRUE does. She points.]

PRUE: Oh-oh! Warlock!

SAPPHO: (gasping) It must be Devlin! The Ring’s sensed Paige.

(PHOEBE hits her sister’s arm.)

PHOEBE: (urgently) Do something!

[Cut to Devlin. ASTRAL PRUE appears in the seat behind him, but he’s so focused on PAIGE that he doesn’t see her. ASTRAL PRUE grabs DEVLIN in a chokehold and punches his face. DEVLIN struggles at the unexpected attack, then blinks out of her grasp. ASTRAL PRUE looks around but doesn’t see DEVLIN. He blinks in beside her and conjures a fireball. He throws the fireball at her, but as it hits, ASTRAL PRUE vanishes in a red flare.]

DEVLIN: (sneering) A projection!

[Cut back to the hallway. PRUE wakes up as LEO orbs in with MELINDA. MELINDA moves up to get a good view of the orchestra and then raises her hands, freezing the entire room. The sisters run up to the stage, only for PHOEBE to notice that DEVLIN is not frozen.]

PHOEBE: Uh oh. He isn’t frozen. (She looks at MELINDA.) Why isn’t he frozen?

SAPPHO: The Ring, it must be protecting him.

PHOEBE: (muttering) What is it with magic rings protecting the bad guys?

(DEVLIN blinks onto the stage.)

DEVLIN: I don’t know how you found me witches, but you can’t stop me. The Tenth Muse is mine! (He points his ring at PAIGE, who looks shocked. PRUE waves her arm at DEVLIN, but her power doesn’t affect him.)

SAPPHO: You can’t use your powers on muses and since the muses are protecting him via the Ring-

PRUE: We get the picture!

(The Ring of Inspiration starts to glow. ASTRAL PRUE appears on stage next to DEVLIN. She shoves him to the ground and the beam on the Ring misses hitting PAIGE. PHOEBE levitates onto the stage and runs towards DEVLIN as ASTRAL PRUE disappears.)

PHOEBE: Paige, get out of here!

(PHOEBE kicks DEVLIN in the side and straddles him, pinning him to the floor. She attempts to pull the Ring of Inspiration off his finger, but instead it glows and washes into DEVLIN. He grabs PHOEBE’s arm and rolls over, slamming her onto her back and thumping her head against the hard stage. PHOEBE looks woozy as DEVLIN turns his head, but PAIGE is gone. He growls in frustration.)

DEVLIN: I’ve come too close to lose now!

(DEVLIN creates a fireball, but before he can strike PHOEBE with it, a violin bow impales his chest. He yelps and looks down at the bow. The fireball extinguishes as he pulls the bow out of his chest and the wound heals itself. While he’s distracted, PHOEBE gets her wits about her and throws DEVLIN off herself. She gets up to the edge of the stage where she jumps off and joins PRUE, LEO, and MELINDA. DEVLIN throws the violin bow to the ground and blinks out.)

PHOEBE: Where’s Sappho?

PRUE: She left with Paige. (to LEO) Come on, get us out of here! (They orb away.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Three

[Scene: Manor. Attic. PRUE, PHOEBE, LEO, CHRIS, and PIPER are there. PHOEBE is the middle of talking to PIPER.]

PHOEBE: …then who’s watching the Twins?

PIPER: (annoyed) Melinda.

PHOEBE: You know, for someone who wants a normal life, you sure do involve yourself a lot in our Charmed problems.

PIPER: Well, you didn’t just expect me to hang back when Paige is in trouble did you? You’re still my sisters and I’m going to help, Charmed or not.

(SAPPHO appears. PRUE closes the Book of Shadows.)

PRUE: (demandingly) Where’s Paige?

SAPPHO: On our plane.

PIPER: Excuse me, but our (she runs her finger through the air indicating herself and her sisters) plane is right here.

SAPPHO: I meant the plane for muses. Devlin can’t get to her there, but she won’t be able to stay there for long.

PRUE: Why not?

SAPPHO: The urge to inspire will be too strong. That’s what he’s waited for, until the muses need to come to this plane to inspire and then he captured them.

CHRIS: Since he’s not in the Book, you’ll need to make your own potion and vanquishing spell. Mom and I can work on the potion and Phoebe can make the spell. (to PRUE) You should work on trying to find a way to get the Ring away from Devlin, otherwise neither of our efforts will work.

PRUE: (to CHRIS) Since when did you become the leader around here?

CHRIS: Since the small talk was getting on my nerves and someone needed to step up and hand out directions.

PHOEBE: (to PRUE) Hey, looks like Chris here picked up your bossiness. How d’ya like it?

(PRUE glowers.)

PRUE: Now is not the time, Phoebe. (She claps her hands.) Fine, (to PIPER and CHRIS) go do what you need to do. (to SAPPHO) You stay with me. If I’m going to have to retrieve that ring, I’m betting I’m going to need your help.

(PHOEBE follows CHRIS and PIPER to the door.)

PHOEBE: I’m gonna go find some scratch paper, I have a feeling I’ll need it.

[Cut to the kitchen. CHRIS walks in with PIPER only a step behind. He moves to a bottom cupboard and pulls out a pot, while PIPER opens several of the herb cupboards and pulls out various vials and glass jars. CHRIS sets the pot on the stove and turns on the heat, while PIPER opens a jar of wormwood. CHRIS grabs a strainer, also from under the cupboard, and a jar Piper retrieved containing water filled with rose petals. He pours the rose water through the strainer, catching the limp red and pink petals in the metal net while PIPER eyes him with a new curiosity. She skirts around him as he takes away the strainer and dumps in the wormwood.]

PIPER: That’s exactly what I was planning on doing.

CHRIS: I know.

PIPER: Future knowledge?

CHRIS: No…just background knowhow. (He dumps the soggy rose petals onto a paper towel and sets them on the counter to dry out.) Who do you think taught me to make potions anyway?

(PIPER smiles as she throws a handful of salt into the pot.)

PIPER: Well, it looks like I was more than successful.

(A soft noise something akin to contentedness escapes CHRIS’s lips.)

CHRIS: (quietly) You should see my pecking duck.

PIPER: What?

(CHRIS looks at her and shakes his head.)

CHRIS: Nothing.

(PIPER shrugs it off and sprinkles in crushed sorrel.)

PIPER: Chris, could you grab the- (She looks over her shoulder, to find CHRIS holding out a jar of hemlock. She takes the jar.) Thanks.

[Cut to Phoebe’s bedroom. PHOEBE is wearing her eye glasses and seated cross-legged on her bed, chewing on the eraser on her pencil as she stares at a blank sheet of lined yellow notepad paper. She taps the eraser against her chin and then waves in the air in front of her face. She tilts her head curiously as she stares at the eraser, then grins and presses the pencil to the notepad.]

PHOEBE: “A warlock is a funny thing, he blinks from place to place, and when we say these words to him, his face they will erase!” (She proudly pushes her shoulders back and grins at the notepad.) Very on the rhymey side, but it should do. (She hops off her bed and heads for the door.)

[Cut to the attic. PRUE is mulling over the page in the Book of Shadows on the Ring of Inspiration. She’s shaking her head in frustration.]

PRUE: I don’t see how I can get it away from him if it is immune to my powers and by him wearing it, he’s also immune to me.

LEO: So maybe you should stop trying to think about breaking through the barriers and think about breaking them down instead?

PRUE: Excuse me?

LEO: Well obviously getting past the Ring’s defenses aren’t working, so maybe you need to try a different approach.

PHOEBE's VOICE: Leo, that’s brilliant!

(LEO, PRUE, and SAPPHO see PHOEBE walking towards them with her spell in hand.)

PRUE: I’m afraid I’m still not following.

PHOEBE: Remember what we had to do when we faced Masselin?

PRUE: The soul sucking creature of doom?

PHOEBE: That would be the one.

(PRUE thinks.)

PRUE: We tried to use you as bait and it didn’t work.

LEO: But that’s not the point. You were still able to destroy Masselin from the inside with your potion.

PHOEBE: And if we could use Paige in the same way-

SAPPHO: You mean let Devlin trap her in the Ring?

LEO & PHOEBE: Yes.

SAPPHO: No! That’s too risky, what if it doesn’t work? He’ll be even more powerful and by then, he’ll also know Paige isn’t the real Tenth Muse.

PHOEBE: No offense, but how often do you actually go head-to-head with warlocks and beings of the like? (SAPPHO doesn’t say anything.) That’s what I thought. (She motions to LEO, PRUE, and herself.) We’re the ones that face evil on a weekly basis, so I think it’s safe to say we know what we’re doing.

(PIPER walks in.)

PIPER: How’re you guys coming along up here?

PHOEBE: I think we just experienced a little… (She glances at SAPPHO.) …surge of inspiration.

(PIPER rolls her eyes.)

PIPER: Cute.

LEO: How’s the potion?

PIPER: Chris is bottling it as we speak. (She wrings her hands together.) So what’s the plan?

PHOEBE: We need to build a bomb.

(PIPER blinks.)

PIPER: Since when did this rescue mission turn terrorist?

PHOEBE: Since we realized Devlin’s pretty much got a force field that we can’t touch.

(PIPER folds her arms.)

PIPER: Alright, so what do we have to do to make this Wiccan TNT?

[Scene: Drake’s penthouse. Balcony. DRAKE DE'MON is seated on a chair at a small table. A soft instrumental music is floating out of the open doors from the penthouse, filling the cool night air with a sweet tune. DRAKE has several sentences written down on the paper he’s writing on, but he keeps crossing lines out and rewriting them, then changing words and cutting others. He sighs and leans back in his chair. With a snap of his fingers, a glass of wine appears in his hand. He takes a sip and stares hard at the paper in front of him. Meanwhile, PAIGE appears behind him. She looks over his shoulder and sees several of the lines of the song he’s attempting to write.]

PAIGE: (lyrically) Oh, that’s good. (She nods approvingly.) Very good. (She smiles.) But it looks like you might need just a little inspiration. (She lightly presses her translucent hand to his head. DRAKE blinks.)

DRAKE: “Good!” That’s it!

(At the top of the paper he writes, “Everything’s Kind of Good” and underlines it. Then he begins to excitedly write down several lines of his song. While he’s distracted, DEVLIN blinks onto the porch. The Ring of Inspiration is glowing as he points it at PAIGE.)

DEVLIN: Gotcha now!

(DRAKE looks up and glares.)

DRAKE: Got whom, pray tell?

(DEVLIN pays no attention to DRAKE. Instead he points the Ring at PAIGE and a glow spreads from it, hitting PAIGE and making her corporeal. PAIGE looks down at herself in shock.)

DEVLIN: Can’t get away in a human form, can you muse?

(DRAKE sees PAIGE.)

DRAKE: Muse? (He laughs.) Warlock, you know nothing! She’s no muse, she’s a Charmed- (DEVLIN hits PAIGE with another beam of light from the Ring of Inspiration. This time, PAIGE is sucked into the Ring.) -One.

(DEVLIN closes his eyes, seeming to wait for something to happen. Nothing does. DEVLIN’s eyes flash open. He’s furious.)

DEVLIN: I’ve been tricked!

DRAKE: Now that’s an understatement.

(DRAKE holds out his arm, which seems to heat up and collect a fiery blaze, which shoots at DEVLIN. Surprisingly, the blaze merely disappears as it hits the warlock.)

DEVLIN: (sneering) I’d make you pay for that, but I don’t have time. I’ll deal with you later, demon. (He blinks away. DRAKE stares down at his hand.)

DRAKE: This does not sound good for the sisters.

(DRAKE sets his wine, pen, and paper down on the table and shimmers off. A breeze rustles by and scoops up the song DRAKE had been writing and whisks it off into the night.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Four

[Scene: Manor. Attic. The Halliwell sisters, CHRIS, LEO, SAPPHO, and DRAKE are there.]

DRAKE: The Ring of Inspiration? Are you sure?

(PHOEBE shows him the page about the Ring in the Book of Shadows.)

PHOEBE: If it looked like that, then yeah, we’re pretty sure.

(DRAKE rubs his forehead.)

DRAKE: That does explain why I was suddenly felt such a rush and was able to finally finish that song I’d been working on right before that warlock scum dropped in.

PHOEBE: So, what do we do now? Anyone else have any bright ideas?

PIPER: You said Sappho turned Paige into a muse, right? (PRUE nods. PIPER eyes the Muse of Justice.) So could you do it again?

PRUE: But that wouldn’t work, he’s already seen us. He’d know it’s a trick.

PIPER: Well, he hasn’t seen me.

(PHOEBE nods eagerly.)

PHOEBE: You’re right! (She turns excitedly to SAPPHO.) Can you-

SAPPHO: Oh! (She hunches over, clutching her ears.)

DRAKE: What’s wrong?

SAPPHO: My sisters, they’re calling me. (She shuts her eyes in a frail.) They’re screaming, he’s making them…Ahh! He’s figured out how to make them summon me! (She abruptly disappears. The sisters stare dumbstruck.)

DRAKE: Anyone got a Plan D?

[Scene: Underworld. SAPPHO appears before DEVLIN. He starts laughing.]

DEVLIN: So it’s you? It’s been you all along? (He walks around her, eyeing her suspiciously.) Or are you just another decoy? (He looks down at the stolen Ring.) No matter. (He points the Ring of Inspiration at her.) Whether or not you’re the real one, I’ll become more powerful anyway.

(SAPPHO raises her hands defensively.)

SAPPHO: No, please!

(The Ring sucks SAPPHO inside. The Ring begins to pulsate with energy - inspiration - which quickly radiates from the ruby and up through DEVLIN’s arm, spreading throughout his entire body. His body spasms as the rush of inspirational power envelopes him.)

[Scene: Piper and Leo’s house. Kitchen. MELINDA is rummaging through the refrigerator. She yawns and covers her mouth, then seems to stop and look up in annoyance.]

MELINDA: They what? (She groans.) Oh for crying out loud! (She grabs the carton of milk out of the fridge and drops it on the counter.) And the Tenth Muse?! (She pulls out a package of Oreos.) Well, no, not really… (She opens a drawer and digs around for a spoon.) Wait…wait, wait, wait! Actually, I do. Why don’t you try-

[Scene: Manor. Attic. The Halliwell sisters, DRAKE, LEO, and CHRIS are there.]

CHRIS: The Translocation Spell.

PRUE, PIPER, & PHOEBE: Translocation Spell?

LEO: Translocation is the ability to instantaneously switch the physical location of one object with another.

(CHRIS pulls his little black book of spells from his breast pocket. He starts flipping through it. DRAKE looks as if he’s mulling something over.)

DRAKE: Translocation Spell…why does that sound so familiar? (He walks behind CHRIS and peers over his shoulder as CHRIS locates the spell. He flicks his eyes over it.) Where did you get that from?

(CHRIS shoves his hand over the page, blocking it from DRAKE’s view.)

CHRIS: None of your business!

DRAKE: There are only two people who know that spell and you’re not one of them! (He reaches to grab the black book from CHRIS, but CHRIS carefully yanks it away.) How did you get it?

CHRIS: Future knowledge. (He glares.) I can’t tell you.

DRAKE: Yeah and I’m an Elder! (He glares.) You just use that excuse when you want to keep something from someone. (He narrows his eyes.) Why would she give you that spell?

LEO: She?

CHRIS: Look, do you want to save Paige and the muses or not?

PRUE: Yes!

CHRIS: Then (to DRAKE) stop badgering me (to the sisters) and just do I tell you. (He moves to the table and grabs the notepad PHOEBE wrote her vanquishing spell on. He copies down the spell from his book and then holds it up.) Which one of you is it going to be?

(PHOEBE raises her hand. CHRIS hands the spell to PHOEBE. PHOEBE grabs a small glass vial from the table, filled with what appears to be thick, blood colored liquid. She wraps her fingers tightly around the vial and clears her throat.)

PIPER: (to CHRIS) Do you really think this will work? I mean, if our magic can’t hurt the Ring-

CHRIS: We’re casting the spell on Phoebe, not the Ring.

(The sisters still look a little skeptical.)

DRAKE: What he means is, Phoebe’s magic will call out to Paige’s, who is inside the Ring, but not necessarily protected by it.

(CHRIS directs his hand towards the blood colored potion in PHOEBE’s hand.)

CHRIS: And as far as that goes, since it was blessed by Sappho before she was taken, it should serve its purpose.

(PIPER looks at PRUE and PHOEBE.)

PRUE: It sounds good in theory.

PIPER: So then we’re ready to test it?

(PHOEBE nods.)

PHOEBE: “I stand here,
Your sole salvation,
As time runs out,
I invoke the power of translocation!”

(PHOEBE’s body dissolves into a strange blur of the colors of her skin, clothes, and hair which gradually change and begin to become more clear, forming into PAIGE. PAIGE looks around, shocked.)

PAIGE: What just happened?

[Scene: Inside the Ring of Inspiration. PHOEBE appears in what looks like the inside of a pulsating red vortex. She inspects her surroundings.]

PHOEBE: I was not expecting this.

SAPPHO: Phoebe! (PHOEBE lifts her head to see SAPPHO leading nine other women towards her, all dressed in gowns similar to PAIGE’s, but each with a slightly different color and style.) I can’t believe it worked!

PHOEBE: Well, we’re not out of the woods just yet. (She holds out her hand, revealing the vial. The muses gather around.) Just so you know, once I throw this, we’re probably going to want to get as far away from it as possible.

[Scene: Manor. Attic. PRUE, PIPER, PAIGE, LEO, DRAKE, and CHRIS are still there. PAIGE looks worried.]

PAIGE: How do you know that’s going to work?

LEO: Looks like we’re about to find out! (He points, prompting the sisters to turn and see DEVLIN standing menacingly in the doorway. He waltzes in and immediately notices PAIGE. He looks down at his Ring.)

DEVLIN: So they managed to free you? (He chuckles carelessly.) Well, that’s alright, because now I have Justice on my side!

(DEVLIN points his Ring and it begins to glow, which spreads to him. He conjures a fireball and throws it towards the sisters. The fireball hits PIPER, blasting her off her feet and across the attic. He rears his hand back, summoning another fireball to his palm. As he’s about to throw it, the Ring of Inspiration begins to glow again. But this time, the ruby turns hot white and DEVLIN screams in agony as the stone explodes, releasing eleven beams of light which form into the ten muses and PHOEBE. DEVLIN is blasted onto the floor, his body partly charred by the explosion, and the Ring on his finger black and no longer containing a ruby stone. Scattered on the floor are eleven shards of the former Ring. As DEVLIN withers in agony, SAPPHO moves to his side and bends down. Her eyes turn completely white, as she quite literally becomes blind justice.)

SAPPHO: You imprisoned eleven beings to suffer at your will. (She touches his forehead with her hand.) So shall you be imprisoned for eternity. (DEVLIN begins to glow and then explodes and is sucked into the eleven ruby shards. The shards promptly vanish.) Justice is served.

(SAPPHO’s eyes return to normal. She rises to her full height and strides to PAIGE. She touches PAIGE’s forehead and PAIGE's muse clothes transform into the clothes she was wearing at the start of the day. A blinding light envelops SAPPHO and she becomes transparent, complete with her musely glow. She bows her head in honor of the Charmed Ones, LEO, and CHRIS.)

THE MUSES: Thank you.

(SAPPHO lifts her head again.)

SAPPHO: Thank you. You’ve done us a great service. (She takes her place with her sister muses. Her eyes move to PHOEBE.) A spell, if you would.

PHOEBE: Oh, right. (She bites her lip then nods.) “Beings of creativity, hide yourselves now from thee, your light that shines upon our face, our vision now erase.”

(The muses disappear. After a moment, PAIGE turns to her sisters.)

PAIGE: I think they’re gone. (She sees LEO helping PIPER up.) You okay?

PIPER: Yeah, I just got scorched, but Leo fixed me up.

(PHOEBE hugs PAIGE.)

PHOEBE: Glad to have you back.

PAIGE: Well, I’m glad to be back. (She rubs her forehead.) Let me tell you, that whole inspiration thing was a heckuva lota work! The transference of power involved… (She shakes her head.) Seriously, I need a nap.

(PRUE grins.)

PRUE: And all in a night’s work.

PIPER: And the good thing is, (she holds up the potion she and CHRIS made) we still have a warlock vanquishing potion and spell left over for the next inevitable warlock scum to blink in.

(As the sisters talk amongst themselves about their victory, CHRIS quietly slips out the attic door. DRAKE eyes him, then also slips out to follow him.)

[Cut to the hallway. DRAKE grabs CHRIS by the arm and yanks him into PAIGE’s room, shutting the door behind him.]

DRAKE: (warningly) I know Abigail wrote that spell, Chris. Now I don’t know how you got it, or why you’d be associating with her in the future, but I do know she doesn’t just give people things for free.

(CHRIS yanks his arm from DRAKE’s grasp.)

CHRIS: You don’t know what you’re talking about.

DRAKE: And you don’t know her like I do! Abigail is dangerous.

CHRIS: You have no idea what dangerous is!

(CHRIS grabs the door to open it, but DRAKE grabs his arm again. Instead of keeping him in the room, CHRIS just orbs out of DRAKE’s grasp. DRAKE hits the wall in frustration.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Five

[Scene: Calliope’s. PIPER pushes a double stroller containing BABY MELINDA HALLIWELL and BABY CHRIS into the restaurant. LEO is at her side and PHOEBE and PAIGE emerge just behind her. Moments later, CHRIS and MELINDA also walk in. PIPER takes in the sight of the restaurant, filled with people, and smiles contentedly. The sound of a poem being read can be heard from hidden speakers. PIPER’s eyes roam to the stage, where the source of the voice of coming from. PAIGE nods approvingly.]

PAIGE: Wow, this looks amazing! It’s hard to believe this Pello guy is actually closing this place down. It seems like such a waste.

PIPER: I know; it’s such a beautiful restaurant. He put a lot of time and effort into this place.

PAIGE: I don’t get why Prue didn’t want to come though. (PHOEBE and PIPER exchange knowing looks.) I’m mean, I’m just saying, from what I’ve heard, it sounds like it should be a trip down memory lane for you guys.

PIPER: That’s exactly it, though.

PHOEBE: It would probably be too much of a trip down memory lane for Prue.

PAIGE: How come?

(PHOEBE and PIPER look at each other again, almost sympathetically.)

PIPER: Calliope’s was where Andy took Prue for their first date.

PHOEBE: And where he gave her his promise ring.

(PAIGE looks surprised.)

PAIGE: Oh…I had no idea.

(PHOEBE pats PAIGE on the shoulder.)

PIPER: I think Prue’s just said goodbye to Andy one too many times. I know she wanted to come, but…you know…

(MR. PELLO walks up, grinning and wagging his finger.)

MR. PELLOo: I’d know that face anywhere! Piper Halliwell! (He eyes LEO and the Twins.) Or is it something else now?

(PIPER grins.)

PIPER: No, it’s still Halliwell. (She exchanges hugs with MR. PELLO.)

MR. PELLO: And Phoebe! (He winks.) My how you’ve grown. (He sees BABY CHRIS and BABY MELINDA.) And who might these be?

PIPER: Oh. (She motions her hand.) These are my children, Melinda and Chris. (MR. PELLO bends down and chuckles at the Twins.)

MR. PELLO: They remind me of mine from way back when. (pause) How old are they?

PIPER: A little over six months.

MR. PELLO: They’re beautiful.

PIPER: And this, (she motions to LEO) is my wonderful husband, Leo Wyatt. Leo, this is Lysander Pello. He’s an old friend of Andy’s father and he always used to invite us to his restaurant when we were growing up.

(LEO and MR. PELLO shake hands.)

LEO: It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Pello.

MR. PELLO: Likewise. (He nods.) Piper’s always been a good judge of character, so I’m sure you must be top notch. (He notices PAIGE, MELINDA, and CHRIS.) And who might you three be?

PIPER: Oh, uhhh… (She motions to PAIGE.) This is my sister, Paige-

(MR. PELLO raises his eyebrows.)

MR. PELLO: Sister? From your…father’s side?

PAIGE: (awkwardly) It’s a long, confusing story actually. (She laughs nervously.) But it’s nice to meet you nevertheless.

(MR. PELLO just nods.)

MR. PELLO: Well…any sister of Piper’s is a friend of mine. (He smiles and everyone laughs in an attempt to break the sudden odd onset of tension.)

PIPER: (quickly) And these are some…distant relatives. Tricia and Topher Beatus.

(MR. PELLO shakes hands with MELINDA and CHRIS.)

MELINDA & CHRIS: Nice to meet you.

MR. PELLO: Nice to meet you too. (He looks around, a little confused.) Where’s Prudence?

(PIPER frowns.)

PIPER: I’m sorry…she wasn’t feeling well tonight. (She touches her stomach.) Back ache, swollen feet…you know. She really wanted to come though. She asked me to give you her deepest apologies.

(MR. PELLO nods understandingly.)

MR. PELLO: I understand. I remember back when Cindy was pregnant just like it was yesterday. (He looks a little disappointed anyway.) Tell her I hope she’s feeling better. (pause) And to call me whenever the baby arrives.

(PIPER smiles.)

PIPER: I will. (The poet on stage finishes his poem and thanks the audience before getting off stage, only to be replaced with another poet. PIPER shakes her head.) Wow, this is just like when I was a kid. Poets every Friday night.

MR. PELLO: Well, it wouldn’t be Calliope’s if there wasn’t poetry now would it?

(PHOEBE’s stomach growls. MR. PELLO laughs heartily.)

MR. PELLO: (to PHOEBE) You may have changed, but that stomach of yours hasn’t. (He throws up his arms.) What do you say we go set up with a table and some good old fashion Greek cuisine?

PHOEBE: Sounds wonderful!

MR. PELLO: Apisteftos! (He motions his hands excitedly, leading the Halliwells and LEO through the crowd towards a table near the poetry stage.)

[Scene: Manor. Prue’s bedroom. The window is left slightly open and a cool breeze is rustling PRUE’s raven locks as she sits on her bed. A golden necklace is in her hands and connected to the necklace is a man’s golden band with a dark blue stone that she’s rubbing her fingers over. Engraved on the sides of the band are the words “Baker High.”]

[Flashback: Seventeen-year-old PRUE is seated at the table closest to the stage in Calliope’s. Seventeen-year-old ANDREW TRUDEAU is on stage.]

ANDY: I uh… (He shifts his weight embarrassedly.) I have a poem I’d like to read for my girlfriend, Prue Halliwell. (He nods to her in the audience. A few people turn their heads to look.) It’s called “She Walks In Beauty” by Lord George Gordon Byron.

(A couple of “Awws” can be heard from the crowd. PRUE turns her head away, blushing a little.)

ANDY: “She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to the tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

(PRUE’s face as turned quite red as she tries to hide her bright smile. She closes her eyes.)

PRUE: (whispering to herself) I can’t believe he’s actually doing this for me…

ANDY: “One shade the more, one ray the less,
One half impair’d the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.”

(PRUE covers her mouth, staring at he boyfriend with a heightened level of admiration.)

ANDY: “And on that cheek, o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of the days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!”

(PRUE wipes a happy tear from her eye as ANDY gets down from the stage. The audience claps for him as she sits down in front of PRUE.)

PRUE: (whispering) I can’t believe you did that. (She wipes her eyes again.) That’s the most amazing thing anyone’s ever done for me.

ANDY: I just wanted to make sure tonight was perfect. (He pauses, then reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a small box that he conceals from her view with his hand.) I’ve got something for you.

(PRUE peers across the table curiously.)

PRUE: What?

(ANDY lays the box on the table and PRUE emits a little gasp.)

PRUE: You got me jewelry? (She stares at him.) But why? It’s not my birthday…or anything special.

ANDY: Just open it.

(PRUE opens the box and covers her mouth again. ANDY smiles, almost bashfully.)

ANDY: I know it’s only my school ring, but I hope it’ll do until I can get something better.

(PRUE shakes her head as she lifts the ring, connected to a golden chain, out of the box.)

PRUE: Andy, it’s perfect!

(PRUE unclasps it and wraps it around her neck, but can’t seem to clasp it back together. ANDY gets up and moves behind her and clasps the necklace for her. He leans down and brushes her raven hair away from her ear.)

ANDY: (whispering) I love you.

[Cut back to the present. PRUE wipes a tear running down her cheek with the back of her hand. She looks down at the necklace again, then at her bulging belly, and places the necklace and promise ring back into their box and closes it.]

[Cut to the attic. The light flicks on as PRUE walks in. With a quick motion of her hand, the lid of their Wiccan chest pops open and another gesture causes the candles to file out and form a circle on the floor. PRUE produces a packet of matches from her pocket, lights one, and uses it to ignite the first candle. She then uses that candle to light the other four before setting it back in place.]

PRUE: “Hear these words,
Hear my cry,
Spirit from the other side;
Come to me,
I summon thee,
Cross now,
The Great Divide.”

(The familiar twist of lights forms in the center of the candle circle. The shadows of the light spheres pass over PRUE’s face as she waits anxiously, with her hands neatly at her sides. But instead of her mother or grandmother appearing, ANDY appears, dressed handsomely in a white suit. He looks surprised.)

ANDY: Prue! (He then notices her swollen stomach.) Oh my god!

(PRUE smiles.)

PRUE: I hope that’s a good reaction.

ANDY: I…I’m just surprised.

(PRUE nods.)

PRUE: Yeah, tell me about it.

(ANDY steps out the candles, becoming corporeal. He hugs PRUE carefully.)

ANDY: How did this happen?

(PRUE raises an eyebrow.)

PRUE: I could’ve sworn we both took the same Sex Ed class.

ANDY: You know what I mean.

(PRUE shakes her head.)

PRUE: It was a little over six months ago.

(ANDY tilts his head cautiously.)

ANDY: Who?

PRUE: It was this guy…Matt… (She looks away.) Please, this (she touches her stomach) - he - wasn’t why I summoned you.

(ANDY swallows uncomfortably.)

ANDY: Why did you summon me?

PRUE: I…was just thinking about you. (She lifts her ice blue eyes to meet his.) I guess I just missed you. (pause) Is there something wrong with that?

ANDY: No. (He stares at her.) No, of course not. (He gently runs his fingers through her hair.) I missed you too. (They share tender looks.) You look beautiful.

(A silence seems to lapse between them, then PRUE throws her arms around him unexpectedly and emits choked up cries. ANDY seems shocked at first, then gradually wraps his arms around her and just lets her cry into his chest.)

[The Virtual Series]

End Credits

Co-Starring
Brody Jo Hamilton --- Baby Melinda Halliwell
Jackson Phillip Deveraux Kaufman --- Baby Chris Halliwell

Featuring
Fred Koehler --- Young Man

Production & Design
Daniel (Astral Echo) - Co-Casting Director
Camille (Fourever Charmed) - Co-Casting Director
Alex (Criminally Vulgar) - Video Editor (Credits)
Alex (Criminally Vulgar) - Set Designer