6x17: A Blast From The Future

[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.

6.17 A BLAST FROM THE FUTURE

GUEST-STARRING:
MARISOL NICHOLS
SOPHIA BUSH
MATTHEW WOODWARD
ALISEN DOWN
DAVID CHISUM
ERIC DANE
SHAWN CHRISTIAN

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...Joel J. Feigenbaum

[The Virtual Series]

A Blast From The Future

Teaser

[Scene: Golden Gate Bridge. CHRIS HALLIWELL is standing on the middle of the rust colored beam with his eyes closed and his index fingers pressed to his temples. A spiral of white lights coalesces behind him, transforming into MELINDA HALLIWELL. CHRIS opens his eyes.]

MELINDA: Anything?

CHRIS: No.

MELINDA: (frustrated) Why?

CHRIS: Do I look like I have the answers?

MELINDA: (snapping) Rhetorical! (She stomps her foot and it echoes on the beam.) I just don’t understand it; how can your powers not sense him? Your sensing is more advanced than any whitelighter’s ever was. It’s not like he has the means to go cloaking himself-

CHRIS: Someone must be doing it for him.

MELINDA: Or maybe he didn’t come?

CHRIS: He came. He had to.

MELINDA: Maybe we’ve changed more than we thought?

CHRIS: (shaking his head) No. (He stares down at the cars, which look like dots, moving on the bridge below.) He must have someone cloaking him until he makes his move.

MELINDA: But why would-

CHRIS: Lillith.

(MELINDA raises her eyebrows.)

CHRIS: We know she’s a powerful clairvoyant, maybe she saw our plan and is circumventing it by cloaking him?

(MELINDA pinches her chin in thought.)

MELINDA: You could be right. (pause) Book of Shadows?

(CHRIS nods.)

[Scene: Manor. Attic. CHRIS and MELINDA orb in holding hands, standing behind the Book’s pedestal. CHRIS releases his hand and reaches for the Book of Shadows.]

WOMAN's VOICE: Chris?

(CHRIS stops cold in his tracks, appearing as if MELINDA froze him. His green eyes flick up and from the shadows, behind an old armoire, a tall woman steps. As she makes her way into the sunlight coming through the stained glass windows, her features become clear. She’s wearing black leather pants and a matching top; she has a warm olive complexion, reflective of Latin decent, and brown hair with soft blonde highlights. CHRIS’s jaw slackens and MELINDA’s just drops wide open.)

CHRIS: (shocked) Bianca?

(29-year-old BIANCA PERRY smiles fondly.)

BIANCA: Chris!

MELINDA: Oh my god! (She throws up her hands.) What. The. Hell.

CHRIS: B-but how?

(BIANCA moves towards him.)

BIANCA: I reconstituted.

(CHRIS just stares at BIANCA, while MELINDA raises her hands defensively and flicks her wrists, but BIANCA doesn’t freeze. MELINDA narrows her eyes.)

MELINDA: Why are you here?

BIANCA: To help.

MELINDA: Why now?

BIANCA: It wasn’t safe to come back until now. Demons were on my trail. (She stops walking, standing directly in front of CHRIS. She moves her hand to his face and touches him tenderly.) But I want to save the future.

CHRIS: (whispering) I can’t believe you’re here. (He places his hand over hers as it rests against his cheek. They smile at each other and then lean in. Suddenly CHRIS gasps and moves his hand to his chest, where blood is seeping out from behind the handle of an athame. BIANCA quickly backhands MELINDA across the face, sending her sprawling onto the floor. Shock simmers in CHRIS’s eyes.) Bianca!

(BIANCA’s lips curve into a wicked smirk.)

BIANCA: Not quite. (Her features begin to change. Her hair becomes long, wavy, and midnight black and her brown eyes become ice blue.)

ADULT DREA: Hello, Cousin. (She pulls back the athame and lets CHRIS drop to his knees in front of her.)

CHRIS: (choking) D-rea!

(ADULT DREA HALLIWELL grins as she twists her bloodied athame in the air, allowing the sunlight to glint off of it.)

ADULT DREA: Long time no see.

(ADULT DREA eyes MELINDA, who is pulling herself off the ground and holds up her hands. Yellow sparks begin to sizzle on ADULT DREA's fingertips. As she aims her hand at MELINDA, her jaw clenches and her head whips back and she gasps. In her moment of weakness, CHRIS manages swipe at her legs with his arm, empowering the hit with his telekinesis. ADULT DREA slides across the floor until she hits the wall. And then, towering directly in front of CHRIS is another future version of BIANCA PERRY.)

BIANCA: We’ve got to get you out of here!

(She grabs CHRIS by the arms and hauls him up, allowing him to lean on her. CHRIS mumbles a few unintelligible words as they stumble towards MELINDA.)

MELINDA: You had better be the real one or I swear to-

(BIANCA snatches MELINDA’s hand and shimmers the three of them away just as a bolt of sizzling electricity blasts the spot where they were standing, charring the wooden floor and blowing a hole in the wall.)

Clickable Credits.

[The Virtual Series]

{SCENE: The song “Fighter,” written by Christina Aguilera and Scott Storch and sung by Christina Aguilera, is heard as stock shots of San Francisco are shown while the Guest Credits are rolled.}

Act One

[Scene: Piper and Leo’s house. Hallway. Lights are flashing through the house and the demonic alarm system is blaring. PIPER HALLIWELL bursts frantically into CHRIS’ bedroom to find BABY CHRIS HALLIWELL screaming in his bed, but otherwise unharmed. She scoops him out of bed and turns, bumping into LEO WYATT who is holding BABY MELINDA HALLIWELL.]

PIPER: Where’s the demon?

MELINDA’s VOICE: (screaming) Dad!

(PIPER and LEO exchange anxious looks.)

[Cut to the living room. CHRIS is holding his stomach as he lies on the couch with MELINDA kneeling at his side, her hand over her brother’s bloodied one, and BIANCA stands beside her, anxiously looking up to see if LEO is coming. LEO runs in with PIPER at his heels. PIPER stops cold in her tracks as she sees BIANCA.]

LEO: Chris!

(MELINDA rises to her feet and takes her infant self from LEO.)

MELINDA: Heal him!

(LEO kneels down, taking MELINDA’s vacated place at CHRIS’s side, and places his hands over the bloody wound. Warm light pours from his hands and the bleeding comes to a stop, then begins to flow back into the wound and it closes itself up, along with CHRIS’s torn shirt.)

LEO: What happened?

(PIPER eyes BIANCA warily.)

PIPER: Leo, the alarm!

(BIANCA raises her hand.)

BIANCA: Don’t worry, it’s going off because of me.

PIPER: You’re a demon?

BIANCA: No.

PIPER: The alarm detects-

BIANCA: My blood has a demonic essence and the crystals detect it. It’s a long story, just trust me.

PIPER: Do I have a reason to?

CHRIS: (coughing) Because I do.

(PIPER shifts her eyes to CHRIS, who is now sitting up.)

LEO: I’m going to ask again, what’s going on here?

(MELINDA bounces BABY MELINDA on her hip as she stares at BIANCA.)

MELINDA: I’m wondering the same thing.

BIANCA: I came back to warn you, but apparently I was too late.

LEO: Too late for what?

(CHRIS and BIANCA share looks. CHRIS nods.)

BIANCA: To stop Drea from coming back.

PIPER: Drea? As in…my niece Drea? She’s here? Future Her?

(MELINDA shifts her eyes to the floor.)

MELINDA: She’s the one who attacked Chris.

(PIPER and LEO mirror each others’ open mouthed expressions. BABY MELINDA and BABY CHRIS continue to wail over the sound of the alarm system. CHRIS throws up his hands in frustration.)

CHRIS: Can someone please turn off that damn alarm!

[Flashback: Thick puffs of soupy white clouds are spreading apart as CHRIS runs through them. Lights are flashing all around him as if he’s in some horrific disco and the normally perky blue sky above is dark and ominous with lightning flashing and thunder rolling.]

CHRIS: (screaming) Melinda! Melinda!

(A cloud of orbs descends in front of CHRIS, causing him to pull back to a stop. The orbs form a silhouette of two people and then disappear, leaving MELINDA, wearing a pink blouse and a backpack, and her aunt, 49-year-old PAIGE MATTHEWS. FUTURE PAIGE looks very different, with heavy circles under her eyes and many stress lines on her face. Her hair has also changed from a playful shoulder length mango with curls to a long and straight sheet of deep mahogany that flows down her back.)

FUTURE PAIGE: (urgently) Chris!

CHRIS: The alarms! Someone’s breeched the heavens!

(FUTURE PAIGE blinks, but a tear escapes her eye anyway.)

FUTURE PAIGE: I can’t feel Daisy anymore. (She reaches out to grab CHRIS.) We’re no longer safe here, we have to go!

(FUTURE PAIGE’s fingers brush the fabric of CHRIS’s shirt and then her hand is ripped away. FUTURE PAIGE, CHRIS, and MELINDA are thrown through the air and land painfully in three equally spread out locations. When they get the chance to look towards the source of the attack, they find ADULT VOLAC and ADULT DREA standing together.)

ADULT DREA: You didn’t really believe that we wouldn’t succeed in getting a whitelighter’s powers eventually, did you? (She seductively traces her fingers along the blue flame tattoo on ADULT VOLAC’s arm.) We are the most powerful beings in existence, after all.

(ADULT VOLAC holds out his arm and twists it into a fist. FUTURE PAIGE gasps and grabs at her throat, but her hands are forcibly pulled by an invisible force behind her back. CHRIS throws out his arm.)

CHRIS: Aunt Paige!

ADULT DREA: Wait your turn!

(ADULT DREA thrusts out her arm, hitting CHRIS’s outstretched arm with a thunderous bolt of electricity. The force of the attack shoves CHRIS’s arm back, causing him to swing around in a circle before falling onto his back as his skin continues to smoke. Meanwhile, FUTURE PAIGE’s face is starting to take on a blue hue from the lack of oxygen. FUTURE PAIGE locks her eyes onto ADULT DREA and all of the sudden, ADULT DREA gasps and shoves her hands to her throat, as if struggling to breath as well. ADULT VOLAC instantly abandons FUTURE PAIGE in favor of ADULT DREA, catching her in his arms.)

ADULT VOLAC: Drea!

ADULT DREA: (coughing) E-empathy!

(ADULT VOLAC pulls her into a standing position.)

ADULT DREA: I’m fine!

(To prove her point, an intense electrical charge begins to sear on each of her hands. She throws her arms out in a wide V-like formation, aiming at MELINDA and CHRIS. VOLAC focuses in on FUTURE PAIGE, his eyes suddenly alight with blue flames. An ominous beam of umbrakinetic energy careens from his hand at FUTURE PAIGE.)

FUTURE PAIGE: (weakly) Twins!

(MELINDA and CHRIS orb out of the paths of ADULT DREA’s attacks and orb in behind FUTURE PAIGE. As CHRIS and MELINDA materialize, they quickly reach for each others’ hands, but the umbrakinetic beam hits FUTURE PAIGE first. The attack is so fast that FUTURE PAIGE doesn’t even have a chance to scream. A spray of blood rushes through the air, spattering heavily onto MELINDA's pink shirt just before their blue force field rises around them, getting the remainder of the red spray. MELINDA screams when she realizes that there is literally nothing left to see of her aunt except blood. One of ADULT DREA’s electrokinetic bolts hits the force field and fizzles out. CHRIS squeezes MELINDA’s hand as she starts to sob.)

CHRIS: We have to go!

(Orbs surround them and the force field and they vanish.)

[Cut back to the present. CHRIS is sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. The alarm is no longer going off.]

BIANCA: Chris-

CHRIS: I think we need to talk. (He lifts his head up and eyes his parents and sister suspiciously.) Privately.

(BIANCA grits her teeth together.)

BIANCA: I think we should focus on the bigger problem right now. Do you really want everything we’ve worked so hard to be all for not?

MELINDA: We need to warn Prue. (to LEO and PIPER) Where is she?

PIPER: She and Drea, uh Baby Drea, are out with Mitch. I think he took them to the park. (She frowns.) But…you aren’t suggesting she’d hurt Prue, are you? (She shakes her head.) Not her own mother…

(CHRIS and MELINDA share worried looks.)

CHRIS: We just need to get to that park.

[Scene: Golden Gate Park. MITCH PERKINS is walking beside PRUE HALLIWELL as she pushes a lavender stroller. The sun is shining and the sound of birds chirping off and on can be heard, but the trees are gently swaying in the breeze. MITCH starts to take off his jacket.]

MITCH: It’s starting to get kind of chilly all of the sudden. (He drapes his jacket over PRUE’s shoulders.) Do you want to get going?

(PRUE glances down at the stroller. The shade is down, hiding the baby from view. She frowns, conflicted.)

PRUE: I’d like to stay; it’s not that cold, (she sighs) but I’ve got someone else to think about now. (She slides her arms into MITCH’s jacket.) I guess we probably should be getting home. I don’t want Drea to catch a cold on just her first week in the world. (She turns the stroller around and they begin walking in the other direction.) But thank you for taking us out today. It’s been the first day Paige and Phoebe have let me out of the Manor since Drea was born.

MITCH: Quite overprotective, aren’t they?

PRUE: It runs in the family. (Her cell phone starts to ring from her purse. She stops the stroller and digs into her bag, pulling out her phone and flipping it open.) Piper?

PIPER's VOICE: Prue? Where are you?

PRUE: (confusedly) Uh, (she looks at MITCH) still with Mitch, why?

PIPER's VOICE: You need to get to your car now.

PRUE: (worriedly) What’s going on?

PIPER's VOICE: It’s a little much to explain over the phone. Just hurry!

PRUE: Okay. (She hangs up. MITCH also looks worried.)

MITCH: Something wrong?

PRUE: Yeah…there’s an emergency at Piper’s and...she needs me to come over right now.

MITCH: Well I’ll drive you-

PRUE: No! That’s okay. I was planning to go over there anyway. (She flashes a fake smile.) I’ll be fine, really. (She pushes the stroller forward again and begins walking quite rapidly. MITCH starts to jog to keep up with her.)

[Scene: Inside Paige’s VW Bug. PAIGE MATTHEWS is driving and PHOEBE HALLIWELL is sitting in the passenger seat with her elbow propped up on the armrest and her chin resting in her palm. She has a serene look on her face.]

PAIGE: Thinking about Jason?

(PHOEBE jumps.)

PHOEBE: Huh? What? No! I…am just trying to figure out what the surprise is.

(PAIGE rolls her eyes.)

PAIGE: That’s still thinking about Jason. You’re reminding me of Shelly when she had a crush on our new ninth grade science teacher.

(PHOEBE’s cheeks turn red and she glares at PAIGE. PAIGE smirks. Flustered, PHOEBE looks down at her clothes and runs her hands over her jeans.)

PHOEBE: I wonder why he asked me to wear jeans? They’re not really date clothes, (she shrugs) I mean they can be, but you know-

PAIGE: Maybe he wants to get dirty.

PHOEBE: Paige!

PAIGE: (laughing) I meant literally dirty! As in...dirt? (She glances at PHOEBE and then back at the road.)

PHOEBE: Oh. (She frowns.) That doesn’t sound good.

PAIGE: But then again, maybe he (emphasizing) does want to get (suggestively) dirty…and he just likes a challenge. (PAIGE winks. PHOEBE reaches over and swats PAIGE on the arm.) Hey! Don’t swat the driver! If we crash and I die I swear I’ll haunt your ass and you won’t get any time with Jason. Dirty…or (emphasizing) dirty!

PHOEBE: (huffing) I think you’ve lost your mind.

PAIGE: In the gutter?

PHOEBE: Precisely. (She folds her arms.) You seriously need to stop thinking about it and just get back in the saddle.

PAIGE: Oh? Look who’s talking! (She notices PHOEBE’s expression change.) Sorry, I didn’t mean-

PHOEBE: I’m just saying, you’ve had dates since Glenn left-

PAIGE: (scoffing) Dates. Ha! I went out a couple times with Mr. Creepy-Stalker-Man and then I go out with Mr. Cute-Bar-Guy only to find out he’s Mr. Cheats-On-His-Wife-Guy. I’m afraid if I try again, I’ll pick Mr. Serial-Murderer.

PHOEBE: Oh, so you’re afraid you’re going to end up dating a demon?

PAIGE: (rolling her eyes) Haha! (She pulls into a parking lot and spots a white limo parked there.) Oh, that must be him.

(PAIGE pulls up and the back door of the limo opens and JASON DEAN gets out. PHOEBE’s face lights up as she pushes open the door.)

PHOEBE: Hey!

JASON: Hey. (He waves to PAIGE.) Thanks for bringing her by.

PAIGE: No problem.

(JASON holds up a blindfold. PHOEBE and PAIGE exchange looks and PAIGE giggles. PHOEBE points a finger at her and JASON shifts a confused look towards PAIGE.)

PAIGE: Sorry, I really gotta get going.

PHOEBE: Yeah, she does! Bye!

(She shuts the door and PAIGE drives off. When her sister’s VW Bug disappears from view, she returns her attention to JASON.)

PHOEBE: You’re not really gonna make me wear that, are you?

(JASON just grins and proceeds to wrap it around her eyes.)

JASON: You’ll like this surprise, I promise.

(JASON ties the blindfold at the back and then takes her hand and guides her into the back seat of the limo. He slides in next to her, shuts the door, and the limo takes off.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Two

[Scene: PHOEBE is still blindfolded and JASON is again holding her hand, leading her up a long dirt path. They approach the end of the path where there is a large carved wooden arch with the name “Stallion Stables” in bold red letters, with one black stallion and one white stallion painted on each side of the name. PHOEBE sniffs the air.]

PHOEBE: Are we near animals?

JASON: Now why would you think that?

PHOEBE: It smells a little…suspicious. (JASON laughs. PHOEBE grumbles.) And familiar, though I can’t quite place it. We aren’t at a petting zoo are we?

JASON: No. (pause) Do you just have a sensitive sense of smell?

PHOEBE: I don’t have the greatest eyes…I need reading glasses, I’m a little near sighted, but my nose makes up for it. (She reaches for her blindfold, but JASON grabs her wrist.) Oh! (She stops her foot, almost causing her to trip but JASON catches her.) Now see what you made me do?

JASON: Well if you wouldn’t be so impatient, you wouldn’t have tripped.

PHOEBE: Can’t I just take it off?

JASON: No. (They walk up to a large stable and JASON opens the barn-like door.) You’ll see in a minute. (He leads her inside and the horses neigh.)

PHOEBE: Hey! I know that sound, we’re- (They come to a stop in front of a stall and JASON pulls the blindfold off her eyes) -in a stable. (PHOEBE stares at the horse in the stall before her. The horse is white with gray speckles. PHOEBE grits her teeth.)

JASON: What’s wrong?

PHOEBE: I’m not a big horse person.

JASON: How can you not be a horse person? Horses are amazing animals!

PHOEBE: Yeah, except for I’ve had a bad experience.

JASON: Bitten?

PHOEBE: No.

JASON: Kicked? (PHOEBE shakes her head.) Bucked?

PHOEBE: Not exactly.

JASON: Then what?

PHOEBE: (sighing) When we were kids, my grandmother decided to sign my sisters and up for horse riding lessons one summer. It was Prue’s idea and of course Piper got all excited about it, because she wanted to do everything Prue did. So I went and I watched and Prue did great her first ride, because that’s what she does, she’s always been good at everything. (She rolls her eyes.) But when Piper got on, she started out fine but then the horse got spooked and bucked her; she sprained her wrist…and ever since then, I’ve just shied away from horses for the most part. (She frowns.) And watching “Gone With The Wind” didn’t really do much to ease my fears either. (JASON chuckles and PHOEBE playfully swats him.) Hey! Don’t laugh at my fears.

JASON: Horses aren’t scary, Phoebe. (He digs his hand into the bucket hanging on the door of the stall and pulls out a handful of oats, then he places his hand under the horse’s mouth and it begins to lick the oats until there’s nothing left. He reaches up and rubs the length of the horse’s face.) See? (PHOEBE frowns skeptically. He shakes the bucket.) Come on!

(PHOEBE groans.)

PHOEBE: Fine, but if it bites me you’re gonna get it! (She scoops up a handful of oats and shakily moves her hand towards the horse’s mouth. JASON takes PHOEBE’s hand and steadies it.)

JASON: That’s it. (The horse starts to lick the oats away.) And she’s not an it, her name’s Mare-Mare.

PHOEBE: Mare-Mare?

JASON: Well, yeah. She’s a white mare, hence the name.

PHOEBE: I see. (Mare-Mare finishes the oats and continues licking PHOEBE’s bare hand. She giggles.) It tickles!

JASON: Now pet her. (He guides PHOEBE’s hand to Mare-Mare’s face and PHOEBE strokes her. Mare-Mare neighs and tilts her head back, taking full advantage of the attention.) She likes you. (PHOEBE smiles in spite of herself.) See, what’d I tell you?

PHOEBE: Yeah…I guess this isn’t so bad.

JASON: So ya ready for a ride then?

PHOEBE: I didn’t say that!

JASON: Come on. I’ll even lead her for you.

PHOEBE: Well…

JASON: You know you want to.

(PHOEBE’s cell phone rings. She frowns and holds up her finger.)

PHOEBE: Hold that thought. (She pulls her cell phone out and opens it.) Hello? (Her pleasant expression fades into one of shock and finally alert.) Okay, okay, I’ll be right there. (She hangs up.) I have to go.

JASON: What? But you just got here!

PHOEBE: I’m sorry! (She shakes her head regretfully.) It’s a family emergency, I (emphasizing) have to go! (She turns and starts to head towards the stable doors. JASON promptly chases after her.)

JASON: Phoebe, wait-

PHOEBE: Please! Just drive me back home.

(JASON sighs and holds up his hands in defeat.)

JASON: Okay. (Without acknowledgment, PHOEBE spins of her heel and runs out of the stables. JASON just shakes his head and quickens his step to follow her.)

[Scene: Piper and Leo’s house. Living room. MELINDA and CHRIS are sitting on the couch together and BIANCA is standing beside them, while PIPER sits on the opposite couch, staring at them. MELINDA and CHRIS are giving each other subtle looks.]

MELINDA: (telepathically) You don’t think Drea already-

CHRIS: (telepathically) No! Dad would’ve already been back here by now if she wasn’t there, or if-if…

[Flashback: A blue glow reflects off of a headstone with the name “Piper Halliwell.” Underneath her name are the dates, “August 7, 1973 - February 2, 2017.” To the right of PIPER’s headstone is one with the name “Prudence ‘Prue’ Halliwell” and the years “1970 - 2004” and to the left of PIPER’s headstone is a final headstone with the name “Phoebe Elizabeth Halliwell” and the years “1975 - 2024.” MELINDA falls to her knees in front of her mother’s headstone, sobbing. Her tears are rushing down her cheeks, streaking the fine blood droplets that managed to get her face. CHRIS kneels down, wrapping his arms around MELINDA’s shaking shoulders.]

CHRIS: (whispering) We can’t stay here long, Mel.

MELINDA: (angrily) Sure we can… (She wipes her eyes, streaking her face with more bloody tears.) They’re gonna find us eventually…and kill us. Just like they did to Mom. And Aunt Phoebe… (Another sob escapes her lips as she falls back into CHRIS’s arms.) And Aunt Paige! We’re going to end up here anyway! (She curls her fists and hits her brother in the chest.) What’re we even fighting for anymore? She was the one with the plan. (She yanks her backpack off her back, unzips it, and begins to take out notebooks and jars containing potion ingredients.) We don’t have anything without her!

CHRIS: That’s not true! (He opens one of the notebooks, revealing a full page of FUTURE PAIGE’s hand scribbled notes.) These are all her notebooks? Everything?

MELINDA: (crying) Yes.

CHRIS: Then we have everything we need. We just need to continue her work; she thought she was so close-

MELINDA: No! Damnit, Chris, don’t you get it! It’s all for nothing, it won’t work! If Paige couldn’t do it, then how do you expect us to figure it out? (She throws up her hands.) We don’t even have a place to go now for god’s sake!

BIANCA's VOICE: I think I can help with that.

(CHRIS and MELINDA whirl their attention around to see BIANCA standing a few feet away, leaning against a headstone.)

CHRIS: Bianca!

(BIANCA walks briskly towards them.)

CHRIS: How did you find us?

BIANCA: I’ve been looking for you. Waiting for one or both of you to surface for more than a few minutes.

CHRIS: But we’re in a cemetery-

BIANCA: Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t make it impossible to find someone, it just makes it harder. (She holds out her hand.) Come on, we have to go. I have someplace you can stay.

MELINDA: Where?

(BIANCA looks around. The wind blows.)

BIANCA: I’ll take you, just get up.

(CHRIS makes a swift motion of his hand, pushing everything MELINDA pulled out of the backpack back into it with the power of his mind. The backpack zips up and he pushes it at his sister.)

CHRIS: Do as she says.

(MELINDA angrily takes the backpack and stands up, lightly brushing the dirt off her knees. BIANCA notices the blood all over MELINDA’s shirt.)

BIANCA: Are you injured?

MELINDA: It’s not mine.

CHRIS: We’ll explain later.

BIANCA: Right. (She takes CHRIS’s and MELINDA’s hands and they shimmer out of the cemetery.)

[Cut back to the present. MELINDA and CHRIS are staring at each other. Suddenly, a cloud of orbs descends from the ceiling, forming into LEO, PRUE, and a baby stroller.]

PRUE: Alright, does somebody mind telling me why you had to drag me away from my first real day out of the house since giving birth? Is it a demon? Because I swear, whoever this badass is, he has no idea the beating I’m about to give his ass!

PIPER: It’s not a demon!

MELINDA: Not exactly.

(PIPER throws MELINDA a nasty look.)

MELINDA: If you knew her like we do-

PRUE: Knew who?

(Everyone but PRUE looks at the stroller. PRUE flicks her eyes around the room and then tilts her head down as she realizes what everyone else is looking at.)

PRUE: Why are we looking at my stroller?

PIPER: I don’t know exactly how to tell you this but-

BIANCA: The adult version of that precious bundle of joy in there is running around your present day San Francisco with a deadly vendetta against your niece and nephew. (She folds her arms stoically.) She doesn’t want them to stop her and Volac from saving the future from their decimation.

(PRUE’s knuckles turn white as she grips the handles of the stroller. A lamp rattles and falls off the table, shattering.)

PRUE: Who the hell do you think you are!

(CHRIS jumps up in front of BIANCA.)

CHRIS: She’s telling the truth! Drea and Volac unite in the future. They become an ultimate power and they’ve destroyed everything.

(PRUE stares at CHRIS in disbelief, her face pale.)

PRUE: No. (She shakes her head.) Not Andrea, not (emphasizing) my daughter!

MELINDA: We want to save the future. To save everyone she’s hurt. (She glances at her parents and aunts.) And to save her…but we need your help. We need to send Drea back to the future so she can’t harm the present, otherwise everything we’ve risked will have been for nothing.

PIPER: So should we start scrying for Drea? (She frowns.) Um…Big Drea?

MELINDA: Yeah. (She nods towards the stroller.) The same way you found me when were looking for Mini Chris when he got kidnapped by The Order. You use Mini Drea. (She raises her finger.) But um, we need to set up precautions first.

LEO: Like what?

MELINDA: She’s extremely powerful. We’ll most likely need the crystal cage to contain her. Unless…unless the Power of Three can bind her powers.

PRUE: (shocked) Bind her powers? But then (she motions to the stroller) she’ll be defenseless!

CHRIS: Not the baby, the adult.

BIANCA: It would be ideal to send her back so she can’t harm anyone else.

(MELINDA looks at CHRIS.)

MELINDA: (telepathically) Oh no!

CHRIS: What? (Everyone looks at CHRIS, but he’s busy staring at his sister.)

MELINDA: (telepathically) What if Volac came with her?

(CHRIS shakes his head.)

CHRIS: No.

MELINDA: (telepathically) But-

CHRIS: (telepathically) If he had, don’t you think he would’ve attacked with her?

MELINDA: Unless they’re lying a trap.

LEO: Who is lying a trap?

PIPER: (angrily) Would you two cut the telepathy and share with the rest of the class please?

MELINDA: (to CHRIS) You fill them in. I’m going to go find the notes and the potion. (She walks off.)

CHRIS: Melinda! (He clenches his fists as everyone looks at him.)

LEO: Chris? (He lifts a curious blonde brow.) Who is lying a trap? (He folds his arms, waiting for a response.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Three

[Scene: May 11, 2027. Perry Mansion. Basement. MELINDA is seated on the stone floor. Her backpack is open and its contents are strewn haphazardly around her. Several notebooks are open and she’s reading the one in her lap as she sips on a mug of hot tea. BIANCA and CHRIS walk in and MELINDA looks up, briefly noticing that CHRIS is no longer wearing the dirty clothing he was wearing earlier and his hair is also wet. BiIANCA walks over to MELINDA, holding a small pile of clothing.]

BIANCA: Here. (MELINDA sets down her mug and takes the clothing.) They’re mine, but I think they’ll fit. If they’re too big though, I’ve got a spell-

MELINDA: They’ll be fine. (She pulls herself off the floor.) Where can I-

BIANCA: Just follow the stairs up, take a left, and follow the hallway until you come to the first door on the right. That’s the bathroom, so feel free to take a shower and do whatever else you need to do.

MELINDA: Thanks. (She sighs heavily.) I know I probably don’t seem like it right now…but I appreciate it.

BIANCA: I understand. (They share a look and then MELINDA hurries up the stairs. Her shoes click almost rhythmically and then fade into silence. BIANCA looks over at CHRIS, but she finds him staring at the notebooks on the floor.) I’m sorry about Paige.

CHRIS: (solemnly) I hate them. (He stares stoically at the remains of his aunt’s belongings.) I hate them so much. (His fist curls.) They took everything from us. And I’m afraid that the one family member I have left, they’re going to find a way to take too. (He finally looks up and points to the stairs.) Do you see what they’ve done to her? How they’ve broken her? I don’t think there’s any coming back from this. It’s the end.

BIANCA: No. (She shakes her head.) It can’t be. You said Paige was working on a spell.

CHRIS: Yeah. A time travel spell. She has always - was always - so conscientious about time travel, I guess because of her chronokinesis, but even she said she thought it was the only option we have left. She kept making spells and potions and combinations, trying to create portals and even use potions on herself to enhance her power to go back in time, but she hadn’t been successful. She kept saying she thought she was close, though. There was one spell she was working on in particular; she thought she might be able to use it in conjunction with her chronokinesis to open a time portal, but…now that’s never going to happen. She’s…dead.

(BIANCA’s lips slightly part.)

BIANCA: Wait, you said the blood on Melinda’s shirt was Paige’s, right?

CHRIS: Yeah?

BIANCA: Then maybe all hope isn’t lost after all.

CHRIS: What do you mean?

BIANCA: Paige was on the right track. (She kneels down in front of the notebooks and starts looking through them.) She just didn’t have the right catalyst.

(CHRIS bends down beside BIANCA.)

CHRIS: What’re you talking about?

BIANCA: Powers are still active in one’s blood, Chris. (CHRIS’ green eyes become wide. BIANCA nods.) And if there’s one thing a Phoenix is better at than assassination, it’s Blood Magic! (She grins.) After all, that is how the Phoenix line began in the first place.

CHRIS: Bianca! (He touches his hand to his head, acting as if he isn’t even sure what to do with himself.) You’re brilliant! (He suddenly leans towards her and kisses her, surprising her. She drops the notebook and presses her hands to his face, returning the kiss. Then she pulls away.)

BIANCA: They’ll be enough of that later. (Her smile almost twinkles.) Go get that blouse from Melinda, I’ll start looking through Paige’s notes and see what I can find.

(CHRIS nods, stands, and runs up the stairs. BIANCA quickly returns her attention to the notebooks. She picks the one up that she dropped and turns to the first page.)

[Scene: Present day. Manor. Attic. MELINDA walks in holding FUTURE PAIGE’s notes in front of her face, reading as she’s walking. The middle of the attic has been cleared out and LEO is bending down to place the last crystal into place. CHRIS glances over at MELINDA, just as she pulls the notes down to reveal her face. She holds up her hand, revealing the pale red filled vial.]

MELINDA: Are we nearly ready?

LEO: Almost. Your mother’s downstairs preparing a few defensive potions.

MELINDA: A few? Try a lot! You can’t underestimate Drea. We need an arsenal of stuns and paralyzers at minimum. They will need to get close enough to actually take her hands in order to perform the Binding Spell and believe me, she won’t submit to that by choice.

LEO: I still don’t understand how Drea could be nearly as powerful as you say. Unless you know something we don’t. (He glances between CHRIS and MELINDA suspiciously.) She doesn’t even have a prophecy. Shouldn’t you both be more powerful than her?

CHRIS: The fact that she wasn’t prophesized is what makes her so dangerous.

MELINDA: (bitterly) And of course that she’s teamed up with Volac and they’ve gone around killing witches and demons alike to steal their magic and become the most powerful beings in existence.

LEO: (confusedly) She’s still vanquishing demons?

CHRIS: It’s not what you think. She doesn’t kill demons because she has any good left inside her, she kills them to gain power. To gain magic and minimize her enemies at the same time.

LEO: If she’s evil, then (to MELINDA) are you able to freeze her?

(CHRIS and MELINDA look at each other.)

MELINDA: No.

LEO: Is she too powerful? (MELINDA shakes her head.) Does she have powers that deflect your freezes?

MELINDA: (sighing) It’s a little more complicated than that.

CHRIS: She doesn’t fall into your typical definition of evil. She didn’t turn her back on good magic and become a warlock, nor did Volac possess her…She merely chose power and death of good and evil alike over everything else.

LEO: So she’s not exactly evil?

MELINDA: Would you consider the person who killed Mom evil?

(At that moment, PIPER walks into the room. LEO’s mouth is halfway open, as if he was about to say something to MELINDA, but he promptly closes it.)

PIPER: The last of the potions are simmering, they should be done in about ten minutes, but then they’ll need an additional five to cool before they’re ready to use. (She notices the tension in the room and squints her eyes.) Did I miss something important?

LEO: No. We were just discussing-

CHRIS: Our plan of attack. (He snaps his fingers.) So why don’t we all meet Prue and Bianca downstairs and go over it, alright? We’ve wasted enough time as it is.

(CHRIS crosses the attic and heads out the door. PIPER shrugs and hurries after him while MELINDA and LEO share a terse look behind her back, then MELINDA follows her mother and LEO trails them out.)

[Cut to the driveway. Paige’s green VW Bug pulls in. The driver’s door pops open and PAIGE jumps out in a hurry. She runs up the driveway and the cement walkway leading up to the front porch. As she scrambles in her purse for her keys, JASON’s white limousine pulls up by the curb. She turns around at the sound of the idling limo and sees PHOEBE jump out in a rush.]

PAIGE: Phoebe!

(In her haste, she drops her key ring. PHOEBE darts up the walk as JASON pokes his head out of the limo. PAIGE bends down to grab her keys.)

JASON: Phoebe!

PHOEBE: I’m sorry! I’ll call you later, I promise!

(PAIGE jams her key into the door and unlocks it. She scrambles inside with PHOEBE at her heels, the latter of whom doesn’t even take the time to wave goodbye to JASON. The door slams shut. JASON stares at the door for a beat, then ducks his head back into the limo and closes the door.)

[Cut to the sunroom. BABY MELINDA, BABY CHRIS and DREA HALLIWELL are in a playpen. DREA is laying on the left, while BABY CHRIS and BABY MELINDA are sitting all the way at the edge of the playpen on the right. PRUE has a white whicker chair pulled up next to DREA’s side of the playpen and her hand is resting protectively on the edge of the playpen rim. A map and a scrying crystal are lying in PRUE’s lap. PIPER, LEO, MELINDA, CHRIS, and BIANCA are also there.]

PHOEBE's VOICE: Piper!

PAIGE's VOICE: Prue?

PIPER: We’re in the sunroom!

(There’s a clamor of rushed footsteps before PHOEBE and PAIGE burst in.)

PHOEBE: Is Drea okay?!

MELINDA: (bitterly) Drea’s fine.

PAIGE: But when Piper called-

MELINDA: Drea is in danger, but it’s not what you think. She’s in danger from herself. And Lillith. And- (CHRIS gives MELINDA a blazing look) and we need (to PRUE) to have you start scrying for her.

CHRIS: Once we have her location, Melinda and I will go after her. We’ll bring her back here and drop her in the middle of the crystal cage.

MELINDA: That’s when Mom will hit her with the potions.

CHRIS: And then we’ll activate the cage with the final crystal.

MELINDA: It’ll then be your (she points her finger PRUE and drags it through the air to point at PHOEBE and PAIGE) jobs to bind her powers while I open up the portal to the past.

BIANCA: And once her powers are bound, I’ll take her back.

(CHRIS’s head flicks back to BIANCA.)

CHRIS: What?

BIANCA: Someone has to take her back.

CHRIS: But Volac’s still there. I can’t risk-

BIANCA: Our goal is still to save the future. Whether I live or die doesn’t matter.

CHRIS: (angrily) It matters to me!

(MELINDA lays her hand on CHRIS shoulder.)

MELINDA: (telepathically) You know she’s right.

CHRIS: (telepathically) I already lost her once!

(BIANCA narrows her eyes.)

BIANCA: Your face gives too much away, Chris. (She shakes her head.) I’ll be fine, I promise.

CHRIS: You weren’t fine last time!

BIANCA: I’m alive, aren’t I?

(PAIGE claps her hands.)

PAIGE: I’m sorry, but Phoebe and I are still a little lost. (She steps beside CHRIS.) Who are we capturing and who (to BIANCA) are you?

(BIANCA curls her hand into a fist and holds up her arm, revealing her red Phoenix birthmark. PAIGE’s and PHOEBE’s mouths drop open.)

PAIGE: Is she-

PIPER: (nodding) From the future.

PHOEBE: Wait, so if (she points to BIANCA) she is from the future and we’re scrying for someone with Drea then we’re…scrying for Future Drea?

BIANCA: I’m glad you understand the situation. I’ll go draw the portal. (She sidesteps CHRIS, but he grabs her.)

CHRIS: No. Dad can do it. You should take the babies somewhere safe.

PRUE: What! (She jumps up, causing the map and scrying crystal to drop from her lap. She stands in front of the playpen protectively.) No! I’m not having someone I don’t even know, a Phoenix no less, guarding my child’s life.

CHRIS: There’s nobody I trust more with my life than Bianca. I want her protecting me. And you know that Melinda and I are safest together. We can enact our force field and protect ourselves (he eyes DREA) and Drea. And Bianca…she’s a trained fighter. No one will get to us.

(MELINDA slowly nods.)

MELINDA: I agree. Besides, if someone is wounded by Drea, we’ll need Dad’s healing powers.

(PHOEBE notices CHRIS tighten his grip around BIANCA’s wrist.)

PHOEBE: I agree.

PRUE: (aghast) Phoebe!

PHOEBE: If Chris and Melinda trust her with their lives, (she motions to the playpen) their very futures, then why shouldn’t we?

(MELINDA shakes her head.)

MELINDA: (telepathically) God, I am so tired of this…

[Flashback: BIANCA and MELINDA are propped up against the wall in the basement, reading FUTURE PAIGE’s notebooks. MELINDA glances over at BIANCA.]

MELINDA: Do you have a spare room?

BIANCA: A spare room?

MELINDA: (annoyed) As in-

BIANCA: It’s a mansion, of course there are spare rooms. (MELINDA starts to stand up.) But the rest of the mansion isn’t nearly as charmed- (MELINDA gives her a nasty look) -protected, as the basement is. It’s the safest down here.

MELINDA: I don’t care. (She folds her arms.) I just don’t care anymore. If I only have a few days left to live, I’m gonna damn well sleep in a real bed!

(CHRIS comes down the stairs, balancing three mugs of tea. He notices the tension immediately.)

CHRIS: What’s going on?

MELINDA: I’m gonna go find a room, that’s what’s going on. (She breezes passed him and disappears up the stairs. CHRIS looks at BIANCA.)

BIANCA: She’s just grieving.

(CHRIS sits down next to her and hands her a mug.)

BIANCA: Thanks. (She sips the tea.)

CHRIS: I’ve never seen her this hostile towards anyone, least of all you.

BIANCA: Well obviously you’re not expressing your grief the same way. (She sets her mug down and stares into his eyes.) I’m surprised, actually. She was your favorite aunt, Chris.

(CHRIS looks away.)

CHRIS: I’m trying not to think about that. If I close myself off from it, it doesn’t hurt as much…if I can just ignore it, think about something - anything - else… (BIANCA touches the side of his face. CHRIS turns his head to look at her.)

BIANCA: I have an idea. (She pushes the notebooks and the tea mugs aside and scoots closer to CHRIS.) I say we take a break…just forget the world, forget everything, for a little bit. (She leans in and kisses him, then pulls back and licks her lips.) What do you think?

(CHRIS stares at her, his breathing suddenly becoming quicker. He grabs BIANCA and pulls her to his lips, kissing her again. A grin spreads across BIANCA’s face and she slowly unbuttons her shirt in front of him, then slides it off and dangles it in the air before leaning in and kissing him again as she drops it to the floor.)

[Cut back to the present. BIANCA shoves CHRIS to the floor as a bolt of electricity flies over through the air where they were standing and hits a vase of flowers that explodes with an ear piercing shatter. The water, flowers, and glass shards fly everywhere. ADULT DREA steps into the room with yellow sparks still buzzing from her raised hand.]

ADULT DREA: Aw, I’m hurt. You all call together a family reunion and don’t even bother to send me an invitation. (She holds up her other hand.) You really have no idea how that makes me feel. (Electricity ignites on her other hand and a scowl replaces the patronizing look on her face.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Four

[Scene: May 18, 2027. CHRIS is asleep on the basement floor, wrapped in a heavy blanket with his head sunk into a pillow. A few feet away, a small wooden table has been set up and stacked with FUTURE PAIGE’s notebooks and potion ingredients. On the corner of the table is MELINDA’s blood spattered pink blouse. BIANCA is standing at the table, diligently scribbling onto her own notepad as she mixes something in a bowl. Her eyes are teeming with excitement as she crosses out something on her paper and scribbles in a new word. She holds up the spell triumphantly and then runs over to CHRIS and shakes him awake.]

BIANCA: Chris! Chris, wake up!

(CHRIS stirs and his eyes flutter open.)

CHRIS: (yawning) What?

BIANCA: I think I’ve got it!

(CHRIS eyes flash open all the way and he sits up.)

CHRIS: What? You do?

BIANCA: Yes! I just had to improve on one of the spells I found at the end of one of Paige’s notebooks. (She shoves him her notepad.) Read it over.

(CHRIS’s eyes flick over the words and he begins to nod.)

CHRIS: Oh my god. (He looks up, hope finally renewed in the emerald depths of his eyes.) I think this might actually work!

BIANCA: And it only took us a week to go through all of those notes. (She snatches the spell back.) Thankfully, it shouldn’t take me more than ten minutes to perfect the potion. (She holds out her hand and the Phoenix family Grimoire appears in her hand.) At least not as long as everything goes according to what I’ve found in here.

(BIANCA carries the small book back to the table, opens it to a marked page, and then picks up MELINDA’s blouse. An athame with a Phoenix symbol on the handle appears in her hand and she begins to chip off flakes of blood from the shirt into a silver pot. CHRIS grabs his navy blue t-shirt from the ground and pulls it over his bare chest.)

CHRIS: I should go tell Mel.

BIANCA: And pack some things while you’re at it. You’ll need them for your stay. (She raises her eyebrow.) I think you already know where I keep your little overnight bag…but uh, tell Melinda she can just take whatever she needs from my closet. (CHRIS nods and starts to head up the stairs. BIANCA cocks her head to the side.) And don’t forget to have her conjure each of you a new I.D. to match your cover identities!

[Scene: Present day. Manor. Sunroom. A blue force field rises up around the playpen and PRUE. BIANCA summons energy balls to her hands and sends them at ADULT DREA, but ADULT DREA’s hands begin to glow a deep purple and she expertly shifts her hands, blocking each energy ball with her glowing palms. The energy balls bounce off her hands and move to make ninety degree turns; one hits LEO in the chest, causing him to explode into a shower of orbs, and the other hits PIPER in the shoulder; blood instantly begins swelling through her shirt. PIPER grasps her shoulder in immense pain.]

PRUE: (gasping) Piper!

(She steps through the force field and waves her arm, blasting ADULT DREA into the living room. LEO’s orbs reappear and collect next to PIPER as PRUE charges out into the living room.)

MELINDA: Prue, no!

(PRUE finds ADULT DREA already on her feet.)

PRUE: (furiously) Who the hell do you think you are?!

(ADULT DREA locks her blue eyes with PRUE’s. She shakes her head condescendingly.)

ADULT DREA: (mockingly) Why don’t you recognize me…Mommy?

(PRUE’s jaw clenches. Her arm flings out towards the sunroom, indicating where PIPER was attacked. CHRIS and MELINDA walk out, but stop suddenly. MELINDA attempts to step forward again, but cannot because of PRUE’s invisible hold. PRUE keeps her eyes on her future daughter.)

PRUE: You just attacked your own flesh and blood.

ADULT DREA: (sneering) Like you haven’t done it before!

PRUE: Never of my own free will!

ADULT DREA: I was protecting myself! (Her face grows dark red.) I’ve always had to protect myself!

(PRUEs face also begins to darken, matching her daughter’s.)

PRUE: You’re no daughter I would ever raise!

(ADULT DREA’s jaw clenches, mirroring PRUE’s. Her cold eyes glint, then her fists clench and turn ice white.)

ADULT DREA: That’s because you didn’t raise me! (She jerks her arm out and hits PRUE in the stomach with a bolt of electricity, unexpectedly knocking PRUE to the floor.) That bitch Lillith was a better mother than you!

(Electricity sparks across ADULT DREA’s body and explodes outwards in an unintended shockwave. The shockwave slams PRUE up against the wall, causes the television to explode, the mirror above the fireplace to shatter, and knocks CHRIS and MELINDA back into the sunroom.)

ADULT DREA: You left me! (She electrocutes PRUE again.) You abandon me! (A tear slips down her cheek and then pops as electricity hisses along her skin, expending into another shockwave.) You died!

(ADULT DREA holds out both her arms and sends powerful charges of electricity at PRUE, which literally throws PRUE into the wall and hold her there. The electricity is so bright that it creates a blinding flash in the room and causes ADULT DREA’s hair to whip away from her head as if she’s facing an intense wind.)

[Cut to the sunroom. CHRIS and MELINDA are standing in front of the entrance to the living room. They’re holding each other’s hands tightly and a glowing blue shield has erected itself in front of them. Behind the shield they can see a hot white flash from their cousin’s intense attack. PIPER is screaming.]

PIPER: You have to get Prue out of there! (She runs to the force field and starts banging against it.) You can’t just let Drea kill her!

CHRIS: You have to get out of here first! If we release this barrier, the electricity will get us all!

(MELINDA points to the playpen.)

MELINDA: Hurry, get in there! (She nods to PAIGE.) Take them somewhere. Anywhere! Just get them out of here!

(Suddenly the light from the other side of the force field disappears. MELINDA and CHRIS look at each other and then back at the force field. They tentatively release each other’s hands and rush into the living room, where everything is heavily destroyed. ADULT DREA is nowhere in sight, but PRUE is lying crumpled against the wall. Her hair is smoking and her skin is heavily bloody and charred. MELINDA’s hand flies to her mouth as PIPER darts in. PIPER drops to her knees and pulls PRUE, who is unconscious, to her.)

PIPER: (screaming) Leo! Leo! Oh my god! (She runs her fingers through PRUE’s smoking hair.) Prue…Prue…

[Flashback: MELINDA is drawing a chalk triquetra on the wall of the basement while BIANCA fills glass vials of a pale red liquid. CHRIS is kneeling on the floor, stuffing a few necessities into two duffle bags. He closes the bag and takes a folder, which he double checks to make sure two California identification cards with the names “Tricia Beatus” and “Topher Beatus” are inside, and then slides it into the backpack. He looks up.]

CHRIS: Are we ready?

(MELINDA finishes drawing the triquetra and nods.)

MELINDA: I think so.

(CHRIS tosses the backpack to his sister, who slides it onto her shoulders. He then hauls up the duffle bags and moves to stand next to MELINDA.)

BIANCA: Now you guys should move quickly once the spell’s said. This will be very powerful magic and I doubt even the cloaking charms will be enough to hide it from Drea and Volac’s radar. You’ll need to get through fast.

CHRIS: We? Don’t you think you should come with us?

BIANCA: Chris-

CHRIS: Bianca, I can’t just leave you here! What if-

BIANCA: I can take care of myself! (She glares at him, making him wince back.) But it’s not like the other witches out there can, you know? Without Paige, and with so few whitelighters anymore, there has to be someone. (She holds out her hands, revealing one vial for each twin.) I think that should be me.

(MELINDA nods slowly.)

MELINDA: She’s right, Chris.

(MELINDA takes one of the vials from BIANCA. CHRIS stares at his girlfriend, hesitating to back down. BIANCA grabs his hand and presses the vial into his palm. She suddenly takes off a diamond engagement ring from her finger and sets it next to the vial.)

BIANCA: There’s a little incentive to return, okay?

(CHRIS swallows uneasily and nods his head. BIANCA rips the spell off the notepad and hands it to MELINDA.)

BIANCA: Here, throw the potion and read that.

MELINDA: Both vials?

BIANCA: No. The second one is just extra, just in case you need it for some reason. But you’ll be in the past with Paige, so I doubt you will.

(MELINDA nods.)

MELINDA: And you’re sure we’ll still have our powers in the past?

BIANCA: Yes, I made sure of that.

(MELINDA throws the vial at the triquetra and it hits the center where the three arcs converge. The pale red water dribbles down the wall.)

MELINDA: “Hear these words,
Hear the rhyme,
Heed the hope within my mind,
Send me back to where I’ll find,
What I wish in place and time!”

(The outline of the triquetra glows a deep scarlet, then a red portal consumes the outline, shaped like the former chalk outline. CHRIS looks back at BIANCA and instinctively leans in and kisses her.)

CHRIS: I love you!

BIANCA: (nodding) I love you too. Come back to me soon!

(MELINDA takes a step towards the portal and a demon shimmers in behind BIANCA.)

CHRIS: Look out!

(BIANCA looks over her shoulder just as the demon grabs her around the neck. She guts the demon with her elbow, bends, and throws him over her shoulders causing him to land roughly on his back. She grabs the Phoenix athame from the table and stabs it into the demon’s chest and he bursts into flames and disintegrates.)

BIANCA: Go!

(At that moment, four more demons shimmer into the basement. BIANCA summons an energy ball to her hand, but CHRIS drops the duffle bags and waves his arm, flinging two of the demons into the wall. BIANCA hits a third with an energy ball and vanquishes him, while MELINDA throws up her hands to freeze the other three, but they immediately start to break out of the freeze.)

MELINDA: Their minions are too powerful!

BIANCA: (angrily) Just go! You’re wasting time! I can take care of them myself!

(CHRIS waves his arm at the table, ignoring BIANCA’s demands. Everything falls off the table as it flies through the air, crashing into the three remaining demons. One of the legs of the table shatters off from the impact. BIANCA summons dual energy balls to her hands and takes out two of the three demons. MELINDA performs a back flip, landing in front of the last demonic minion. She grabs the broken spike from the table leg and impales it into the demon’s chest like a vampire. The demon howls and explodes.)

MELINDA: Take that, Buffy! (to CHRIS) Come on, before any more arrive!

(She grabs his hand and pulls him towards the pulsating red portal. A wall of turquoise flames appears in front of them, depositing ADULT DREA and ADULT VOLAC.)

ADULT DREA: (grinning) Going somewhere?

(ADLUT DREA attempts to electrocute the twins, but MELINDA throws up her hands and freezes the bolt of electricity. CHRIS motions his arm, redirecting the bolt into ADULT VOLAC’s chest. The bolt makes him stumble, but does not do a lot of damage. CHRIS motions his arm at ADULT DREA, but she throws up her hand and a purple glow emanates from it. The telekinetic energy deflects off her hand and bounces, hitting BIANCA. BIANCA sails across the room and CHRIS spins around just in time to see BIANCA become speared on the broken table leg, with the bloody rigid wood piercing through her chest just below her ribs. CHRIS darts to BIANCA’s side, his face pale as porcelain. ADULT VOLAC and ADULT DREA look surprised at the change in the events as well, though not remorseful in the least. MELINDA takes their moment of surprise to undercut them, knocking them both to the ground. She bounds over to her brother and takes his hand, igniting their force field around themselves and BIANCA.)

MELINDA: B! (She takes BIANCA’s hand, but BIANCA’s eyes are on CHRIS.)

CHRIS: I’m sorry. (His eyes are watering.) I’m so sorry!

(BIANCA’s lips are trembling.)

BIANCA: Y-you have to go! Before they re-

(CHRIS presses his finger to BIANCA’s lips. A tear rolls down her cheek.)

CHRIS: I’m going to save you.

(A thud erupts from outside the force field. CHRIS and MELINDA turn their heads to see ADULT DREA and ADULT VOLAC attacking the force field simultaneously. CHRIS and MELINDA look at each other and nod.)

MELINDA: (telepathically) On three.

CHRIS: (telepathically) One…

MELINDA: (telepathically) Two…

CHRIS: Three!

(The shield goes down and CHRIS and MELINDA raise their free hands. MELINDA briefly freezing the attacks while CHRIS redirects them back at his cousin and her immortal demon lover. CHRIS and MELINDA orb next to the portal and CHRIS waves his arm, telekinetically throwing the duffle bags into the portal. They step inside as ADULT VOLAC and ADULT DREA are recovering from their own attacks.)

[Cut back to the present. MELINDA squeezes CHRIS hand as they watch LEO place one hand over PRUE’s face and one over her heart. Warm waves of gold light wash over PRUE. At first nothing seems to be happening, then the bloody wounds begin to disappear and ever so slowly, the charred skin begins to disappear. PAIGE and PHOEBE also come out and PAIGE instantly drops to her knees beside LEO.]

PAIGE: Let me help!

(PIPER grabs PRUE's black hand and rubs it. Tears are running down PIPER’s cheeks.)

PIPER: You’re going to be okay, Prue. Just hang in there.

(PAIGE slides her hand into LEO’s hand and grips it. The light from their hands becomes twice as bright. PAIGE then moves her other hand to PRUE’s abdomen and healing light flows from her palm and fingers, speeding up the regeneration process.)

MELINDA: (telepathically) Where do you think she went?

CHRIS: (telepathically) I have no idea…

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Five

[Scene: Manor. Sunroom. PHOEBE is sitting in the whicker chair with DREA in her lap. She has DREA’s little fingers wrapped around the chain on the scrying crystal, which is swinging over a world map. PRUE and PIPER are standing in the entry to the living room. PRUE is staring wide eyed at the blackened debris. PRUE walks over to the place where she’d been electrocuted against the wall. It’s the darkest place on the wall. She runs her hand over the area.]

PRUE: (quietly) Do you see that?

PIPER: I do. (She closes her eyes.) I saw my niece try to slaughter her own mother.

PRUE: (quietly) There was so much anger there. She hated me…despised me.

PIPER: You say that like it gives her a reason-

PRUE: (quietly) I died. (She whips her head around.) I died, Piper! The day I decided to keep Drea, I told myself that I would never leave her like Mom left us. And then-

PIPER: Prue! How can you even say that? You don’t even know what happened. What if…what if you died protecting her for god’s sake? That doesn’t give her a right to turn around and hook up with a demon and try to destroy you and the rest of the world!

PRUE: I didn’t die protecting her.

PIPER: You don’t know-

PRUE: I do know! Piper, (she grabs PIPER’s shoulders) I could see it in her eyes. That fury, it doesn’t just come out of thin air. Somehow, some way, (emphasizing) I (she presses her index finger to her chest) put it there.

PIPER: Well that’s what the Twins are here for, right? We’re going to change it. You won’t die-

PRUE: That doesn’t change the pain I obviously caused her.

PIPER: You’re not going to cause it-

PRUE: Did you not see that girl? (She spreads out her arms to emphasize the destroyed living room.) I don’t care if the future changes, I know that some version of myself already did that. (She shifts her eyes back to the black spot on the wall.) I need to make it right with her.

PIPER: Are you insane? (Her eyes bulge.) She just tried to deep fry you and you want to “make it right”?

(PRUE stabs her finger in the direction of where ADULT DREA had been standing when the attack had taken place.)

PRUE: Wouldn’t you if it that had been Chris or Melinda? (She looks PIPER in the eyes, but PIPER can’t find the words to reply. PHOEBE walks out, balancing DREA in her arms.)

PHOEBE: I can’t find her. The crystal just keeps spinning erratically.

PRUE: That doesn’t make sense. We’re scrying for her with her her-

PHOEBE: What if she’s in the Underworld?

PRUE: Why would she be there?

PHOEBE: Well she-

(PRUE holds up her hand.)

PRUE: Don’t say it.

PIPER: It doesn’t make sense though. If Drea wanted to kill Prue, and the Twins too, then why leave before finishing the job?

PHOEBE: Are you thinking she didn’t leave by choice?

PRUE: But who would’ve taken her?

[Scene: Underworld. ADULT DREA opens her eyes and her faces screws into a scornful expression.]

ADULT DREA: (furiously) Lillith!

(ADULT DREA is staring at the back of LILLITH’s head, burning her eyes into the woman’s dark red hair. LILLITH turns around. Her arms are folded and her face has a monotone expression. ADULT DREA curls her fists and shifts her head from left to right, noting that shackles are trapped on her wrists, keeping her pinned to the wall.)

LILLITH: If I had any doubts that I wouldn’t succeed before, they’re gone now.

ADULT DREA: You two-faced bitch.

LILLITH: I prefer to think of myself as gray, but whatever makes you happy.

ADULT DREA: The first time I killed you, I thought I couldn’t feel any better. But I think killing you again will top that! (Sparks ignite on ADULT DREA’s fingers. They light up her hands and she attempts to shock the shackles until they break, but LILLITH only starts to laugh.)

LILLITH: You just keep doing that. (She shakes her head.) Those shackles will just keep absorbing your energy. (She runs her hand over her hair.) Besides, even if you were able to break free, it wouldn’t matter. You wouldn’t kill me even if you could.

ADULT DREA: And here I was under the impression you were some potent psychic.

LILLITH: Face it, Andrea. You want this future as much as I do! You understand how important it is to be above the eternal fight! You don’t want your cousins to succeed and trap you in a future where you grow up fighting a useless battle that you’ll most likely die in. If you kill me, you’ll only be sealing your fate.

ADULT DREA: Maybe not. Maybe you’ve already put enough in motion? (She narrows her eyes.) Why don’t you take a peek into the future and find out?

[Scene: Manor. Attic. PRUE is holding DREA protectively to her chest as she paces. PHOEBE is standing over the Book of Shadows. The Twins and PIPER are also there.]

PHOEBE: What if we used a blood-to-blood spell?

PRUE: You’re suggesting slicing open my one week old daughter’s hand?

CHRIS: And you’re not willing to at the expense of the future of the world?

PHOEBE: I don’t think we’d have to. (She holds up her finger.) Cut her hand that is. (She walks over to PRUE and pulls down DREA’s tiny pink sock, revealing a miniature band-aid on the heel of DREA’s foot. PHOEBE pulls the band-aid off and DREA begins to howl. PRUE scowls and begins to bounce DREA in her arms.)

PRUE: Shh, honey, Aunt Phoebe’s only trying to help you. (She kisses DREA’s forehead, but she continues to scream and her face grows as bright as a tomato. PRUE narrows her eyes at PHOEBE.) How is making her cry supposed to help us?

CHRIS: (angrily) The world’s future is at stake and you’re worried about a few tears?

PIPER: Chris! Be a little sensitive here. (She motions her hand.) Prue’s a new mother, okay? It’s natural to feel a little protective-

CHRIS: And she’s also a Charmed One! She should know that innocents are her number one priority-

PRUE: How dare you! Of course I know that! But Drea-

PHOEBE: Stop! (She looks down at the bandage and then at PRUE.) I didn’t mean to make her cry, okay? (She holds up the bandage to reveal a small circle of blood.) This is what I was after.

(PIPER slowly begins to nod.)

PIPER: Using the blood from the bandage. Pheebs, that’s perfect!

(PHOEBE grins.)

PHOEBE: I know, right? (to PRUE) And just think, only a few days ago you were complaining to Ava that heel pricking is needless cruelty.

(PRUE shifts DREA to her other arm and bounces her in a failed attempt at comfort.)

PRUE: (irritated) When it makes a baby cry like this, it is.

(PHOEBE raises her finger.)

PHOEBE: But in both cases, it can be life saving.

(MELINDA claps her hands impatiently.)

MELINDA: Time, (she holds up her arm and points to her watch) ticking! (She snaps her fingers three times in rapid succession.) A little less quipping and a lot more casting!

(PRUE heads for the door.)

PRUE: I’m going to go quiet her down. Call me when you need me. (She leaves and the sound of DREA’s screaming fades down the hallway until they hear the sound of a door shut and it disappears completely.)

[Scene: PAIGE’s footsteps are echoing as she moves across an extravagantly decorated marble floor. She stops in the middle of the floor, standing in front of a giant red phoenix, and tilts her head back, gazing at the vaulted ceiling with a hand painted burning sunset that seems to stretch for miles. She winces and rubs the back of her neck, then turns around. The Twins are sitting in their playpen and BIANCA is only a few feet away. All around the room of massive hand painted portraits of women who in one way or another resemble BIANCA. Underneath their portraits are marble jars. BIANCA has her eyes fixed on one jar, though it is not accompanied by a portrait.]

PAIGE: It looks like a church.

BIANCA: It’s a crypt.

PAIGE: A crypt? (She sweeps her brown eyes over the room again.) I don’t see any-

BIANCA: The jars. They contain the ashes of my ancestresses. Every Phoenix since Sophia Perry. (She runs her hand over the urn with no portrait.)

PAIGE: So we’re…in a graveyard?

BIANCA: Grave, no, cremation, yes. We’re not big on burial, I’m sure you can guess why. (She motions her arm.) But it provides the same protection as a graveyard. This was built over the ashes of wronged women.

PAIGE: Are you saying…we’re in Salem?

(BIANCA nods.)

BIANCA: It was the safest place I could think of in this time period. I would’ve taken you to the mansion, it’s better cloaked, but Abigail would eventually get wind of the intrusion and that would be anything but safe.

(PAIGE studies BIANCA as she strokes the side of the urn with the tips of her fingertips.)

PAIGE: Who is that?

(BIANCA pulls her hand away.)

BIANCA: Nobody.

(PAIGE flicks her eyes from portrait to portrait, each with a golden name plate. She frowns and turns her attention back to the blank space behind the urn BIANCA’s standing by.)

PAIGE: A Nobody important enough to be denied a name and a picture?

(BIANCA grits her teeth and remains focused on the urn.)

BIANCA: (sternly) Drop it.

(BABY CHRIS starts to cry. BIANCA marches over to the playpen and scoops BABY CHRIS out. She gently balances him on her hip and BABY CHRIS quiets down and smiles at BIANCA. PAIGE chews her lip in interest.)

PAIGE: He usually doesn’t take to people like that. (She smiles as she watches them.) Looks like you have a way with kids.

BIANCA: I wouldn’t say that.

PAIGE: You know what they say, (she motions her hand) actions speak louder than words.

BIANCA: If my actions define me, (she sets BABY CHRIS back into the playpen next to his sister) then you probably shouldn’t want me around him. (She moves back to the urn, once again lost in thought.)

[Scene: Underworld. ADULT DREA is still chained to the wall. She’s watching LILLITH, who has is in the middle of the cave with her back turned away from ADULT DREA. ADULT DREA moves her head from side to side, studying her hands. She flexes her fingers and a purple glow begins to emanate from her right hand. She tilts her hand slightly at an angle, in LILLITH’s direction. Then sparks ignite on ADULT DREA’s left hand. She pinches her lips together in tight rosebud of concentration. A bolt of electricity jerks from her left hand to her right, hitting her glowing hand and deflecting, flying right for LILLITH’s back. Inches before the bolt hits, LILLITH audibly gasps and spins around with wide eyes, just in time for the bolt to strike her in the chest. LILLITH is blasted the remaining length of the cave, with such force that rocky bits splinter off. ADULT DREA adjusts her hand and shoots another electric bolt, but this time she keeps a steady stream of electricity flowing until LILLITH’s eyes shut. ADULT DREA tucks her fingers into her palms and produces another round of electricity from her fists. At first nothing seems to happen, then the metal chains begin to blacken and soon, cracking noises can be heard. ADULT DREA stops her electric assault and drops her head, breathing heavily. She tilts her head back, resting it against the rock wall. Then she forcefully shoves her wrists back, smashing the charred chains against the wall. The chains break and crumble and ADULT DREA steps away from the wall and rubs her wrists in satisfaction.]

[Scene: Manor. Prue’s bedroom. Drea’s nursery. DREA is lying on the changing table, staring at her mother as PRUE fastens a fresh diaper around her waist. A smile creeps onto PRUE’s face and she giggles.]

PRUE: Look at you…such a good girl. (She tickles DREA’s stomach.) Taco, taco, taco! (DREA squirms slightly.) That’s what your Aunt Phoebe would say when she was learning to talk, before she could say tickle, tickle, tickle. (She snatches up DREA’s pink onesie and begins to put it on her daughter.) But unlike you, Phoebe was a stinker. She screamed bloody murderer whenever your grandma tried to change her diaper. (DREA starts to cry.) Oh no. No-no! (She picks DREA up and begins to bounce her while simultaneously trying to slip her other arm into her onesie.) Shh, I didn’t mean for you to cry too!

ADULT DREA’s Voice: I have a hard time believing that.

(PRUE spins around to find ADULT DREA standing in front of the door. PRUE holds DREA to her chest.)

PRUE: I’m sorry-

ADULT DREA: (sneering) You’re sorry? That’s all?

PRUE: What did I do?

ADULT DREA: What did you do? You’re not a very good listener, are you? But I shouldn’t be surprised. (contemptuously) Auntie Phoebe always said you grew up with a your way or the highway attitude.

PRUE: How did I die?

(ADULT DREA folds her arms and leans against the doorway. DREA continues to cry as PRUE tries in vain to comfort her.)

ADULT DREA: You’re a pathetic excuse for a mother. Maybe you should’ve killed me when you had the chance.

PRUE: I- (Her jaw freezes, half open.) I never-

ADULT DREA: Would’ve went through with it? (She laughs sarcastically.) It’s too late to play Mommy Dearest now. (Sparks hiss on her fingertips.) You know, I would finish what I started right here and now if you weren’t holding me. (She yawns.) Wouldn’t want to kill myself now, it’d an idiotic move, don’t you think? (She purses her lips.) But then again, that’s what you did. (The sparks become brighter on her hand.) Like mother, like daughter, right?

(ADULT DREA aims her hand and suddenly a bolt of electricity from DREA’s tiny hand jolts into ADULT DREA’s chest, knocking her out of doorway and onto the floor of PRUE’s bedroom. PRUE quickly motions her hand, sending ADULT DREA sliding across the hardwood floor. PRUE runs into the bedroom as ADULT DREA moans.)

CHRIS’s VOICE: Prue!

(PRUE looks over her shoulder, giving ADULT DREA just enough time to scramble to her feet. She grabs a metal letter opener from PRUE’s vanity and hurls it towards the door as CHRIS walks in. The letter opener whizzes past PRUE’s face, slicing off a lock of PRUE’s raven hair as it makes its way directly for CHRIS’s throat. BIANCA shimmers in beside CHRIS and shoves her hand, palm out with her arm clearly displaying her Phoenix birthmark, in front of CHRIS’s throat. The letter opener embeds itself into her hand and she visibly winces, but makes no other indications of pain. CHRIS looks stunned as BIANCA pulls her hand away, still with the letter opener protruding from her flesh. Blood is beginning to trickle from the wound. CHRIS grabs PRUE’s shoulder and orbs out as BIANCA yanks the letter opener from her hand.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Six

[Scene: Manor. Prue’s bedroom. BIANCA thrusts out her hand, grazing ADULT DREA’s arm with an energy ball. ADULT DREA stumbles and grabs the edge of the vanity for support. BIANCA wipes her blood from the letter opener onto her shirt as she stalks over to ADULT DREA and shimmers out mid walk. ADULT DREA spins around and shakes angrily.]

ADULT DREA: You miserable avian!

(BIANCA shimmers in behind ADULT DREA and spears her in the hip with the letter opener.)

ADULT DREA: Agh! (She crumples to her knees, grasping her hip.) This is why birds belong in cages!

(ADULT DREA manages to grab BIANCA’s throat and electrocute her. CHRIS orbs in and waves his arm, breaking apart his lover and his cousin. ADULT DREA lands roughly against the vanity, knocking everything off of it and cracking the mirror. She grabs the letter opener and yanks it out of her hip. She grits her teeth.)

BIANCA: (sneering) You don’t deserve saving! (She summons an energy ball to her hand. ADULT DREA starts to laugh.)

ADULT DREA: At least you’ve got the right idea. I think we should all go out with a shock!

(As BIANCA throws the energy ball, ADULT DREA vanishes. The energy ball hits the already cracked mirror and it spider webs, distorting BIANCA's and CHRIS reflections before shattering. They wait, but ADULT DREA doesn’t return. BIANCA’s face tightens up and she curls her fist, the same hand she used to catch the letter opener. CHRIS suddenly grabs her wrist.)

[Cut to the upstairs bathroom. Orbs descend in front of the mirror, transforming into CHRIS and BIANCA. CHRIS has his hand wrapped tightly around BIANCA’s wrist. Without taking his eyes away from hers, he throws up his opposite hand in a stopping motion in the direction of the open bathroom door. It slams shut and locks. CHRIS roughly jerks up BIANCA’s hand, so that both of them can see where her stab wound used to be.]

CHRIS: What the hell was that?!

BIANCA: Chris-

CHRIS: No! (He pushes her against the edge of the sink and closes the space between them, forcing her to slant backwards as he leans over her.) I want answers! Nothing is making sense anymore!

BIANCA: And you’ll get them, after we fix the problem at hand!

CHRIS: Hand. (He roughly jerks her wrist.) Yes. I want to know how you knew to stick out your hand at precisely that moment. It’s almost like-like-

BIANCA: Like I knew what was going to happen before it did?

CHRIS: (angrily) What’s going on? I want to know everything, Bianca. The day Melinda and I left, I saw you die.

BIANCA: You (emphasizing) thought that’s what you saw. I’m stronger than I look, Chris. (They share a terse moment, then CHRIS loosens his grip on BIANCA’s wrist. She slides her hand out of his and looks down, closing her eyes.)

BIANCA: The day you left…

[Flashback: BIANCA watches as the portal closes up behind CHRIS and MELINDA. ADULT DREA then stalks over to her and BIANCA stares up defiantly. ADULT DREA kneels down next to BIANCA and grabs her by the throat.]

ADULT DREA: (furiously) Where did they go?

BIANCA: (weakly) L-like I’d tell y-ou!

(ADULT DREA strikes BIANCA across the face. A red handprint slowly burns into BIANCA’s cheek.)

ADULT DREA: Tell me and I’ll pull you off this stake and allow you to reconstitute.

BIANCA: (through gritted teeth) I’d rather burn in hell!

(ADULT DREA clenches her fists and jumps up as ADULT VOLAC comes up behind her.)

ADULT DREA: Agh! She’s useless! Loyal to that half whitelighter abomination to the end!

(ADULT VOLAC runs his beefy hands down ADULT DREA’s arms and kisses her.)

ADULT VOLAC: Don’t worry. (He glances disgustedly down at BIANCA as her eyes flutter.) We’ll figure out what they’re up to. If they can open that portal, then so can we.

(ADULT DREA looks at BIANCA from the corner of her eye, then she leans on her tip toes and gazes into ADULT VOLAC’s eyes. She kisses him feverishly.)

ADULT DREA: Right. We’re the most powerful, after all.

(Electricity sizzles on her fingertips as she grabs his arms. He breaths huskily and they disappear in a hedge of turquoise flames. When she’s sure they’re gone, BIANCA clenches her fists and screams. Her body starts to dissolve into a spray of ashes, but then reforms. She cries out in agony, then she clamps her eyes shut and shimmers off the table leg, appearing just a foot away on the ground. She’s breathing shallowly as she attempts to reconstitute again. Sweat beads glide down her face and she opens her mouth to scream. The sound echoes off the walls as her body ever-so-slowly begins to turn into ash and then explodes into a whirlwind of ash particles. A pool of blood is left on the ground where she was lying. The ash particles reform into BIANCA, who is breathing heavily though she doesn’t appear to be bleeding anymore. She looks down at her chest to find a bloody hole still in her clothes, but the wound has healed. However, to her surprise, there is a scar leftover from where she was impaled. BIANCA rubs her fingers over the scar and her fists curl vengefully.)

[Cut back to the present. BIANCA lifts her head and her eyes meet CHRIS. His mouth is opened partway. BIANCA sluggishly lifts up her shirt just past her ribs, revealing the ghastly scar left by the broken table leg. CHRIS gasps.]

BIANCA: You know we’re no Claire Bennets, Chris. I almost died. I guess I have a stronger will than most, but even then I couldn’t manage to completely undo all the damage Drea wrought.

(CHRIS curls his fist.)

CHRIS: I hate her! (He swallows with difficulty.) Everything she’s done… (He shakes his head.) All this time I thought I’d lost you. You being back-

BIANCA: Changes nothing. In fact, the pain may have been good. It gave you extra incentive to change things.

CHRIS: Which we’ve already failed miserably at. (He cocks his head to the side suddenly.) Which brings me back to one of the things I originally brought you here to find out. Why did you come back? And…and what was that comment about knowing things before they happened about? What did you mean by that?

(BIANCA looks down.)

BIANCA: I don’t want to distract you, Chris.

CHRIS: I know there’s something you’re not telling me.

BIANCA: You’ve always been pretty good with your instincts.

CHRIS: What is it?

BIANCA: You need to focus on Drea-

CHRIS: I can’t focus on her when I know there’s something else going on with you! Call it a character flaw, but that’s me. I love you and I can’t concentrate when I see this look in your eyes and know there’s something you’re hiding from me.

BIANCA: If I tell you, you have to swear that you won’t let it get in the way of our mission.

CHRIS: I swear.

(BIANCA grabs a fistful of his shirt and shoves him against the wall.)

BIANCA: Really swear, Chris! I’m not kidding around with you, it can’t be an issue!

(CHRIS wraps his hand around BIANCA’s wrist and drills his green eyes into hers.)

CHRIS: I. Swear. You have my word! Isn’t that enough for you?

(BIANCA releases his shirt and looks down at the floor.)

BIANCA: I’ve been having visions…

CHRIS: Visions? As in…premonitions?

BIANCA: Yes.

CHRIS: But…that’s not your power. I didn’t think Phoenixes ever had premonitions.

BIANCA: We don’t.

CHRIS: Then how?

BIANCA: Chris…I’m pregnant.

(CHRIS staggers.)

CHRIS: W-what?

BIANCA: I said-

CHRIS: I know what you said! (His face grows red.) Who?! (The floor shakes.) Whose is it?!

(The medicine cabinet door swings up and slams into the wall, shattering glass all over the sink. BIANCA raises her hand and slaps CHRIS against the cheek, leaving a red handprint.)

BIANCA: Calm down! I told you this can’t be an issue!

CHRIS: You get yourself knocked up when I’m trying to save our future and you expect it not to be a big deal?!

BIANCA: Chris! (She rakes her hands through her hair angrily.) I knew this would happen-

CHRIS: Why? Just give me that much!

BIANCA: Goddamnit, Chris! It’s yours!

(CHRIS freezes in place.)

CHRIS: But that’s not possible…

BIANCA: You know how it works, Chris. You haven’t forgotten our reunion that night, have you?

(CHRIS starts to shake his head.)

CHRIS: It can’t be! You don’t even look…pregnant. It’s been almost seven months!

BIANCA: More like six and a half, but who’s counting?

CHRIS: Bianca!

(BIANCA sighs.)

BIANCA: Looks can be deceiving, (she waves her hand over her face and transforms into CHRIS) right?

(CHRIS jumps back and raises his hand defensively. BIANCA/CHRIS transforms back into BIANCA and holds up her own hand.)

BIANCA: Don’t worry! Just…just hear me out! Please?

(CHRIS narrows his eyes.)

CHRIS: I’ve been listening this long, haven’t I?

BIANCA: I was starting to show in early August... (She turns to stare at her reflection in the mirror.) Just a little bump, but big enough...

[Flashback: BIANCA’s reflection is in the mirror. Her hand is on her stomach. BIANCA turns to the side and in the mirror, she can see the raised bump through her black shirt. She slides her fingers along the edge of her shirt and lifts it to reveal her olive toned stomach, with a round bump clearly visible. She wraps her arms around her stomach.]

BIANCA: (whispering) Chris... (She presses her hands to her face and shakes her head.) This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. (She holds out her hand and flares her fingers, staring at her bare ring finger. Her eyes shift to her stomach again.) If Drea were to find out- (She shakes her head.) I can’t keep a baby in this world! (She cups her hands around her belly, one above her bump and one below.) I need a way to hide you…but unlike Paige, I can’t just give you to loving parents and disguise you as something you’re not. (Her eyes start to simmer and she blinks, refusing to show weakness.) I don’t know what to do… (All of the sudden, the baby bump in BIANCA’s reflection disappears. BIANCA gasps and runs her hands over her flat stomach. Her eyes widen and she begins to frantically pat her stomach.) No! No! No-no! I didn’t mean, oh my- (The bump reappears in her reflection and her breath hitches. She stares into the mirror for several moments.) Hide. (The bump disappears again. She touches her stomach.) Come back. (The bump reappears. She moves her hand across her stomach.) Hide. (As her hand reaches the other side of her stomach, the bump disappears.)

[Cut back to the present. BIANCA is still staring at herself in the mirror. She waves her hand over her stomach and a swollen six and a half month pregnant belly appears. She turns to CHRIS.]

BIANCA: Glamouring.

(CHRIS stares at BIANCA’s stomach, so still he almost looks frozen.)

BIANCA: I’ve used it to hide the pregnancy this whole time. Similar to how your dad used to use it so he could appear to age himself a little bit every year…only I- (she touches her belly) -we, used to hide the aging process.

(CHRIS looks in awe at his fiancé’s heavily pregnant stomach. His mouth is open ajar, but he can’t seem to find the right words to say. He moves his hand to touch her stomach and then stops and looks questioningly at BIANCA.)

CHRIS: Can I…

(BIANCA nods.)

BIANCA: Go ahead.

(CHRIS lightly presses his hand to BIANCA’s stomach. His face softens considerably and he closes his eyes, allowing a small smile to play on his lips.)

CHRIS: (whispering) Premonitions and glamouring?

BIANCA: She takes after her daddy.

(CHRIS holds his hand to BIANCA’s stomach.)

CHRIS: She?

BIANCA: Well, boys certainly don’t get premonitions, do they?

(CHRIS shakes his head.)

CHRIS: I can’t believe this…So the premonitions-

(BIANCA’s face turns serious again.)

BIANCA: Yes, the premonitions are how I knew that letter opener was going to slice your throat and kill you…it’s why I got there when I did. (pause) And it’s how I knew Drea was coming. I kept having these dreams of her opening a portal to get here. I thought they were just nightmares at first, they weren’t quite the same as the premonitions. But once I realized the premonitions kept coming true, and then I kept having the dreams, I just couldn’t ignore it any longer.

(CHRIS shakes his head.)

CHRIS: But that doesn’t make sense. We couldn’t get here without Paige’s blood and she didn’t have any.

BIANCA: She could’ve found another way. I don’t know how, but where magic is concerned, I doubt that it would be impossible.

PIPER's VOICE: Chris!

(CHRIS and BIANCA exchange looks.)

PIPER's VOICE: Chris, where are you!

(BIANCA motions her hand over her belly and glamours it back to a flat stomach. CHRIS leans in and kisses BIANCA. As she closes her eyes to savor the kiss, CHRIS orbs out mid kiss.)

[Cut to the hallway. PIPER is halfway down the hall. CHRIS orbs in ten feet behind her.]

CHRIS: Mom!

(PIPER spins around.)

PIPER: There you are! (She hurries over to him.) Thank goodness! (She throws her arms around him and hugs him tightly.) When you weren’t in Prue’s room my heart just… (She places her hand to her heart and shakes her head.) We’ve been looking all over for you, where were you?

CHRIS: Have you seen Drea?

PIPER: No.

CHRIS: (shaking his head) I tried to follow her but I couldn’t find her. (He glances over his shoulder, towards the bathroom and then quickly back at PIPER.) She’ll be back. (He grabs PIPER’s hand and pulls her in the direction of the attic.)

[Scene: Ballmark. Room #122. A sign hanging from the door handle reads “Do Not Disturb.” A maid’s laundry basket wheels its way into view, stopping right in front of the door. A hand reaches out and touches the “Do Not Disturb” sign and then violently rips it off the door and throws it into the laundry basket. LILLITH, dressed as a hotel maid, steps into view. She waves her arm at the door, which cracks and flies open. She steps inside, abandoning the laundry basket, and looks around.]

LILLITH: (smugly) Room service!

(LILLITH clicks her tongue to the roof of her mouth and then begins to walk around the room. The sound of running water can be heard and fresh jeans and a T-shirt have been laid out on the bed. She stops at a table containing a laptop computer, a spirit board, and a photograph. She picks up the photograph of PRUE with MITCH and DREA lounging on the front porch at the Manor.)

[Cut to the bathroom. The shower curtain is shut, the water is running, and the mirror is steamed up. The water turns off and an arm slips out of the shower and grabs the white towel from the rack. Moments later the shower curtain is pulled back and MATTHEW CAPIELLO steps out of the shower with the towel wrapped around his waist. He makes his way out of the bathroom and into the main bedroom of the room, only for goose bumps to suddenly appear on his skin. He notices that the door is wide open and holds out his hand, conjuring a handgun. He looks back and forth, poised to shoot, and then makes his way over to the door and looks outside but doesn’t see anyone. He attempts to shut the door, only to discover that the lock is broken. He presses the door closed and waves his hand, creating a deadbolt on the door. MATT leans against the door, waiting, but when he doesn’t see or hear anything, he lowers his gun. He moves to the bed and then freezes, noticing that the picture of PRUE, MITCH, and DREA is lying on the upper left side of his shirt. He picks it up and looks at it, then flips it over to find writing in red ink that reads, “Time’s up!”]

To Be Continued…

[The Virtual Series]

End Credits

Co-Starring
Brody Jo Hamilton --- Baby Melinda Halliwell
Jackson Phillip Deveraux Kaufman --- Baby Chris Halliwell
Megan Hope Sanov --- Drea Halliwell

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