6x01: A Middle Sister's Night Dream, Part One

[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

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.

6.01 A MIDDLE SISTER'S NIGHT DREAM--Part One

GUEST-STARRING:
JAMES READ
BILLY ZANE
JANE SEYMOUR
CHELSEA BRUMMET
KRISTA ALLEN

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...Billy Zane

[The Virtual Series]

Previously, on Charmed: Reset Reality…

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. PRUE HALLIWELL, PAIGE MATTHEWS, and LEO WYATT are there.]

LEO: When They decided to give you chronokinesis, They also planned to strip you of your telekinetic orbing.

[Scene: P3. Backroom. PIPER HALLIWELL and the ANGEL OF DESTINY are there.]

PIPER: So, you’re saying I’m still a witch?

ANGEL OF DESTINY: An innate witch, but not a Charmed One. You have a status equal to that of Charlotte Warren’s.

[Scene: P3. PIPER is threatening MATTHEW CAPIELLO with a bar knife.]

MATT: (impulsively) I was sent here to protect you!

[Scene: Manor. Attic. PIPER, MATT, and MELINDA WARREN are there.]

PIPER: But how? I mean…why would you send someone from the future? And (she throws up her hands in frustration) how does he have powers? And why wouldn’t you just contact us directly?

MELINDA: There are powerful magicks that had to be…circumvented, which is why we chose to send Matt.

MATT: The longer I’m here, the greater the risk to the…future could be.

MELINDA: But you mustn’t speak of this to anyone, not even your sisters! If Matthew’s mission is jeopardized any further, it could have dire consequences.

[Scene: Las Vegas. Vegas I-Dos! PHOEBE HALLIWELL and COLE TURNER are standing before a marriage officiate.]

MARRIAGE OFFICIATE: And do you, Phoebe Halliwell, take Cole Turner, to be your lawfully wedded husband?

PHOEBE: I can’t. (to COLE) I’m so sorry. (She drops the bouquet and runs down the isle.)

[Scene: Bay General. MATT is glowing as he leans against the wall outside the delivery room. A blinding light fills the hallway for only a moment and when it vanishes, all that’s left where MATT was lying is broken glass.]

[Scene: Bay General. Hospital room. THE CHARMED ONES, PIPER, LEO, COLE, DRAKE DE’MON, and VICTOR BENNET are there. VICTOR is holding two infants, one female and one male.]

VICTOR: Twins?

PIPER: Melinda Patricia (she motions to the baby in VICTOR’s left arm) and…

LEO: Christopher Victor (he nods to the child in VICTOR’s right arm) Halliwell.

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. PRUE, PIPER, PHOEBE, and PAIGE are there. PIPER digs into her jacket pocket and reveals a positive baggy wrapped EPT.]

PHOEBE: So it’s-

PRUE: Mine.

[Scene: Manor. Attic. The SISTERS, MELINDA WARREN, LEO, and the TWINS are there.]

PIPER: We need you to tell us about your son.

MELINDA: Matthew Tate’s son?

[Scene: Manor. Attic. THE CHARMED ONES, PIPER, LEO, MELINDA WARREN, the TWINS, and LILLITH are there.]

LILLITH: Who wouldn’t know their own flesh and blood...right (sweetly) Great-Grams?

PRUE: Family or not, you’re evil, and we will vanquish you.

LILLITH: You may very well do that, but not before you learn that good and evil aren’t as clear cut as your self righteous clan thinks.

[Scene: P3. PIPER is with a young blonde woman.]

PIPER: Miss…Beatus, right?

BLONDE WOMAN: Oh, please, call me Tricia.

PIPER: It doesn’t have any effect about the job, but you mentioned you were leaving…

TRICIA: My goal is to really just better my life, you know?

[Scene: Manor. Entry way. PHOEBE stares into COLE’s eyes as the fireball hits him from behind. His face twists into a surprised pain and then his lips seem to move as if to say something, but flames erupt around him instead and then he explodes, leaving only a pile of ash to flutter on the floor in front of PHOEBE’s eyes.]

PIPER: Oh my god!

(THE QUEEN howls as she explodes in a flare of red light. The explosion is so strong that COLE’s ashes fly into the air and PIPER shields PAIGE’s unconscious body with her own as red streaks of power fly in every direction, accompanied by ripples of magic. Some of the ripples knock pictures down as they pass through the entry way, some cause PIPER’s hair to gust, and at the end of the entry way, some ripples blast into the front doors causing the stained glass to shatter as the doors crash shut.)

A Middle Sister's Night Dream, Part One

Teaser

[Scene: Cemetery. Mausoleum. PHOEBE HALLIWELL is standing in front of the stone coffin with swirling carvings on the front and the name, “Benjamin Coleridge Turner,” with his years of birth and death in the center of the carvings. Under the name, a golden plaque has been installed and reads, “Cole Turner,” but only with his date of death, “May 19, 2003.” PHOEBE wipes her hands over COLE’s name, revealing COLE’s diamond engagement ring on her finger. Tears begin to leak from the corners of her eyes.]

[Flashback: PHOEBE is sitting in the attic with a silver bowl in front of her and the Book of Shadows at her side. Her hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail, her eyes have red streaks, and she’s crying. Inside the silver bowl are gray ashes - COLE’s ashes. PHOEBE reaches into her pocket and retrieves a dainty ring box. She pauses for a moment to stare at it, then quickly opens it to reveal COLE’s engagement ring. She takes it out and drops it into the bowl.]

PHOEBE: “Ashes to ashes,
Heart to heart,
Return his soul,
Bring back Cole!”

(Nothing happens. PHOEBE places her hands to her face and continues to cry. There’s a sound and PHOEBE instantly looks up. PIPER HALLIWELL is standing in the doorway.)

PIPER: Phoebe? (She walks over to her sister.) What are you doing? It’s almost three in the morning.

PHOEBE: (shakily) I-I thought you were as-leep.

PIPER: I was, but I’m having trouble staying asleep…and then I realized you were gone. (She looks at the table with potion ingredients and the Book of Shadows.) You aren’t trying more spells with his… (She sees the engagement ring in the bowl and picks it out.) Oh Phoebe. (She wraps her arms around her sister. PHOEBE wriggles out of PIPER’s grasp. PIPER places her hand to her lips, unsure of what to do.)

PHOEBE: (angrily) I don’t understand why I can’t bring him back! He wasn’t supposed to die! He-he…

PIPER: It was-

PHOEBE: I was supposed to save him!

PIPER: We’ve tried everything to bring him back, Phoebe.

(PHOEBE swipes at the Book of Shadows, knocking it to the ground.)

PHOEBE: (furiously) Why couldn’t Paige turn back time? What good is that power if it can’t save people?! (She hunches forward, placing her face in her hands.) What good is my power if I couldn’t save him?

PIPER: Honey, Paige did turn back time…she was just too weak to do it again, otherwise you know she would have. (PIPER pulls PHOEBE close to her. PHOEBE cries into PIPER’s shoulder.) Shh… (She strokes PHOEBE’s hair.) You should get some rest before the service. (She helps PHOEBE to her feet. As they walk to the door, PHOEBE stops and shakes her head.)

PHOEBE: I can’t.

PIPER: Phoebe-

PHOEBE: No. (She hugs herself.) I can’t do this. I can’t go to that funeral, because that means…it means he’ll really be gone.

(PIPER shakes her head.)

PIPER: Cole will never be gone, Phoebe. He loved you so much.

PHOEBE: I know…and that’s the worst part. He loved me and I never got a chance to-to- (A small howl escapes the back of her throat. PIPER embraces her sister.)

PIPER: He knew.

PHOEBE: But I never said yes…

(PIPER takes PHOEBE’s hand and places the engagement ring into her palm. PHOEBE emits a little sob.)

PIPER: You didn’t need to. You have this ring because he knew you would when you were ready to and that was good enough for him because he knew no matter what, you loved him with all your heart.

[Cut back to the present. PHOEBE wipes her eyes with the back of her hand.]

PHOEBE: (crying) If you can hear me, Cole…I just wanted you to know, the answer’s yes. It’s always been yes. (She squeezes her eyes shut, turns, and leans her back to the coffin where she pulls her legs to her chest and just sobs.)

Clickable Credits.

[The Virtual Series]

{SCENE: The song “Slipped Away,” written and sung by Avril Lavigne, is heard as stock shots of San Francisco are shown while the Guest Credits are rolled.}

Act One

[Scene: Manor. Prue’s bedroom. PRUDENCE HALLIWELL is seated on her bed. A handful of ultrasound pictures are spread out in a semicircle around her. She picks up an ultrasound picture dated “08 Jun 03” and holds it up, revealing the profile view of her unborn child.]

[Flashback: PRUE is lying on a hospital bed and PIPER is standing at her side, holding her hand. DR. AVA NICOLAE is watching an ultrasound machine as she rolls around the stimulator on PRUE’s jelly covered stomach. PRUE makes a face.]

PRUE: You’d think with the leaps and bounds in medical technology these days that they’d actually invent ultrasound jelly that didn’t feel like ice cold congealed demon goo.

(PIPER and AVA laugh.)

AVA: Well, it looks like the fetal development is right on track. (She motions to the picture on the screen. A profile view of the unborn baby is slightly moving back and forth.) We should probably run a few blood samples for routine tests, but as far as this scan tells me, you’ve got a perfectly healthy child on your hands.

(PRUE smiles and PIPER squeezes her hand excitedly while simultaneously pointing to the screen.)

PIPER: Now I know why you and Phoebe and Paige were so excited when I was pregnant. (She laughs.) It’s like becoming a mom again, but without the bloating and the fatigue.

PRUE: Thanks for the reminder.

PIPER: (excitedly) I can’t believe that’s my niece up there! (Her expression suddenly changes.) Or…is she a boy?

(AVA smiles.)

AVA: You’re far enough along that I can tell you the sex, if you’d like to know.

(PRUE looks at PIPER, who nods. PRUE glances back at AVA.)

PRUE: I guess we would.

AVA: Congratulations, Prue, you’re having a girl.

[Cut back to the present. PRUE sets the ultrasound photo down and reaches for another one when a knock sounds at her door.]

PRUE: Come in. (The door opens and PIPER walks in.) Hey. (She clears off a spot on the bed and PIPER sits down.) Where are the Twins?

PIPER: With Dad and Leo. (She shrugs.) They went out for ice cream while I was at P3 and since they were still out when I called, I just decided to stop here on the way home. (She glances down at the ultrasound pictures and laughs.) You know, if you don’t tone it down with the pictures, your kid is going to come out of the womb thinking she’s a miniature model.

(PRUE rolls her eyes.)

PRUE: She’ll probably come out posing.

PIPER: I wouldn’t be surprised. (They laugh. PIPER sighs.) Is Pheebs home?

(PRUE sadly shakes her head.)

PRUE: No, she left early this morning…probably to go back to the mausoleum.

(PIPER presses her hand to her forehead.)

PIPER: It’s been over two months.

PRUE: No offense, Piper, but you have Leo, so I don’t think you understand. Two months means nothing to someone who lost the love of their life…I should know. (pause) At least when I lost Andy, I got the chance to say goodbye to him. Instead, Phoebe saw Cole die right before her eyes…She has a strength that I think I envy. (pause) I’m amazed she even has the will to get up in the morning.

PIPER: I just wish there was something we could do to help.

(A scream sounds from down the hallway. PRUE and PIPER exchange looks.)

PRUE: Speaking of help-

PIPER: Paige! (They climb off the bed and run out of the room.)

[Cut to the upstairs bathroom. Another scream comes from behind the closed door. PRUE and PIPER reach the door and PRUE waves her hand, throwing open the door to find PAIGE MATTHEWS wrapped in a blue towel, standing in front of the mirror with bulging eyes, still screaming. PRUE looks around the bathroom.]

PRUE: What’s wrong?

(PIPER notices PAIGE’s wet hair, which is a light orange color. She jabs PRUE with her elbow and points.)

PIPER: It’s not exactly demonic…

(PAIGE turns towards her sisters with her mouth agape.)

PRUE: (shocked) What happened to your hair?

(PAIGE angrily grabs a hair dye box from the sink and waves it frantically at her sisters.)

PAIGE: I only wanted to lighten my hair, make it a (she drags her finger across the bottom of the box) “Rich Caramel Chocolate.” (She throws the box down and grabs her wet strands of hair.) Does this look like a rich caramel chocolate to you?! (PIPER starts to snicker. PAIGE glares.) This is not funny!

(PRUE puckers her lips, trying not to laugh as well.)

PRUE: (laughing) It is… (she pinches her fingers together) …a little… (she tries not to smile) funny.

PIPER: (snickering) It looks like you washed your hair with mango juice! (PAIGE reaches over and slaps PIPER. PIPER turns away, unable to contain herself. PAIGE snarls in frustration, then grabs a towel and wraps it in a cone around her head.)

PAIGE: (sarcastically) Thanks for the support!

(PRUE pats PAIGE’s bare shoulder.)

PRUE: You could always dye it back.

PAIGE: Yeah, and risk it turning, what? Pink? I think not!

PRUE: What about a hair salon? (She chews her lip.) I could give you the name of my stylist; she always does an amazing job on me.

(PAIGE frowns as she stares at her reflection.)

PAIGE: I guess that would be alright. (She grabs the hair dye box she threw.) As for this, I am so writing a complaint letter. Rich caramel chocolate my ass!

(PAIGE stomps out. After she leaves, PRUE and PIPER look at each other and burst into another round of hysterical laughter.)

[Scene: Downtown San Francisco. I Scream. VICTOR BENNETT is sitting at a table with a large yellow and white striped sun umbrella over his head. In their baby carriers atop the table, are CHRISTOPHER HALLIWELL and MELINDA HALLIWELL. VICTOR is making faces at his grandchildren and tickling CHRIS’s bare toes as LEO WYATT walks up with a double topped chocolate ice cream cone in one hand and a banana split in the other. He hands the banana split to VICTOR and sits down. VICTOR digs his spoon into the banana split and takes a bite.]

VICTOR: Thanks, Leo.

(LEO smiles.)

LEO: No problem. (He takes a lick from his ice cream cone. VICTOR eyes the Twins.)

VICTOR: I can’t believe how fast they’re growing.

LEO: Piper and I were just talking about that the other day. (He laughs.) Even Ava was surprised.

VICTOR: Ava?

LEO: Piper’s doctor.

(VICTOR nods.)

VICTOR: Oh, right! I remember now. (He eats a cherry and sets the stem to the side. He awkwardly pokes at his ice cream with his plastic spoon.) Can I ask you something?

LEO: Sure. (He takes a bite out of the side of his top scoop.)

VICTOR: How’s Phoebe doing?

(LEO wipes his mouth with his napkin, looking slightly confused.)

LEO: You haven’t talked to her?

(VICTOR shakes his head.)

VICTOR: Since the funeral and everything, it just hasn’t seemed like the right time. (He stares at his banana split.) She’s just so withdrawn and distant, like the life has been pulled right out of her.

(LEO mournfully shakes his head.)

LEO: She’s been like that with all of us. Piper’s been the only one who’s been able to talk to her. (He glances at his children.) I guess that’s because Piper was the most accepting of Cole, but even she hasn’t been able to penetrate this barrier that Phoebe’s put up. (pause) Maybe you should try talking with her?

VICTOR: I wouldn’t know where to begin.

LEO: What about…with Patty?

VICTOR: Patty?

LEO: Yeah. I mean, (he shrugs) Patty and Cole were both prematurely killed by demons, which gives you and Phoebe something in common. Plus, you’re her father…I think it would really help her in the long run.

(VICTOR cuts his banana in half with his spoon, pondering the idea. He finally looks up.)

VICTOR: I think that sounds like good advice, Leo.

[Scene: Psychologist’s office. PHOEBE is at the front desk, extracting files from her brief case. The manila folder she has is marked, “Archibald, Daniel.” As she closes her case, the office door opens and DR. LAURA BRENTON emerges. PHOEBE and LAURA meet eyes.]

LAURA: (surprised) Phoebe.

(PHOEBE’s brow creases.)

PHOEBE: Is something wrong?

LAURA: Didn’t you get my message?

(PHOEBE shakes her head.)

PHOEBE: Uh, actually, I forgot my cell at home this morning…

LAURA: Oh. (She bites her lip. PHOEBE glances around.)

PHOEBE: Is Daniel already here?

(LAURA breaks eye contact.)

LAURA: Uhm… (She steps to the front of the desk and lays her hand on it.) Daniel isn’t coming in today…

PHOEBE: (worriedly) Why not? Is he sick? Did something happen?

(LAURA emits a soft sigh.)

LAURA: I’m sorry, Phoebe…but Daniel committed suicide last night.

(DANIEL’s folder drops from PHOEBE’s heads and the papers flutter in the air before hitting the ground.)

PHOEBE: No…

LAURA: I got the call from his mother this morning-

(PHOEBE starts to shake her head.)

PHOEBE: No! You have to be mistaken. I saw him just last week and he was fine!

LAURA: I’m sorry.

(PHOEBE holds up her hands as if shielding herself from LAURA.)

PHOEBE: No. (She reaches for the phone.)

LAURA: What are you doing?

PHOEBE: I’m calling him. This is a mistake. He was fine. (Her fingers tremble as she starts to press the wrong numbers.) He is fine!

(LAURA moves around the desk and presses the button in the cradle, killing the line.)

LAURA: I know this is hard for you, especially right now, so I think you should probably go home and just take the day off.

(PHOEBE’s eyes start to become watery.)

PHOEBE: But he was okay, he was improving-

(LAURA places a comforting hand on PHOEBE’ shoulder.)

LAURA: Sometimes things like this happen. With troubled cases like Daniel’s, this isn’t uncommon. (pause) We can’t help everyone.

PHOEBE: You don’t understand, I was supposed to save him!

(LAURA looks at a loss.)

LAURA: You should go home, Phoebe.

(PHOEBE angrily hits the keyboard to her right. LAURA purses her lips as she watches PHOEBE grab her purse and quickly leave.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Two

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. PAIGE is pacing around the kitchen with the cordless phone pressed to her ear.]

PAIGE: That sounds perfect, thank you.

(PAIGE hangs up and places the cordless receiver into its charger as PRUE and PIPER walk in. PRUE is shifting through a handful of mail as she looks up to see her youngest sister.)

PRUE: Was Anita able to get you in?

PAIGE: Yes, actually. (She looks at her watch.) I’ve got an appointment at ten-fifteen, in fact, which means I have to leave like pronto.

(PAIGE grabs a scrunchie from the table and uses it to tie her light orange hair into a makeshift bun, then she grabs an oversized hat and puts it on her head. PIPER snickers. PAIGE pinches her fingers together and makes a zipping noise across her lips. PIPER shakes her head.)

PIPER: Sorry, but I just can’t help it.

(PAIGE wags her finger threateningly.)

PAIGE: Karma! Just remember that, Missy! (She sticks her nose in the air.) I will be back later, hopefully with my dignity! (She leaves. PRUE suddenly holds up a letter. PIPER looks at it.)

PIPER: What’s that?

PRUE: I don’t know. (She sets the other letters on the island.) But it’s addressed to Phoebe…from Harper and Lee.

PIPER: (surprised) Cole’s law firm? (PRUE nods. PIPER releases a heavy breath.) Whatever it is, she does not need it right now.

[Scene: Drake’s penthouse. DRAKE DE'MON is seated on an overstuffed leather sofa with a shot glass in one hand and a bottle of Scotch on the table in front of him. He appears to be in deep thought. Lying on the leather cushion next to him is a white envelope and an opened, typed letter. The return address on the letter is addressed “Harper & Lee.” As DRAKE grabs for the letter, a frantic knocking at the door causes him to jump up. He sets down his shot glass and heads over to the door where another knocks comes before he can get it open. He opens the door to find PHOEBE on the other side, with her mascara tears running down her flushed cheeks.]

[Flashback: PHOEBE has her arms wrapped around herself as she sits in the front row of black clad mourners. She’s crying and constantly wiping her eyes and nose with a tattered tissue. At the front of the room, a framed twelve by ten picture of COLE TURNER is centered on a wooden table, surrounded with burning white candles, a few bunches of flowers, and a silver canister for cremated remains. DRAKE, who is sitting next to PHOEBE, leans over and wraps his arms her, pulling her to his chest where she continues to cry.]

[Cut back to the present. DRAKE pulls PHOEBE inside and shuts the door.]

DRAKE: What happened?

(PHOEBE sniffles and cries, trying to speak but unable to say a coherent sentence. DRAKE pulls her close and begins to rub comforting circles on her back.)

DRAKE: Shh…it’s okay. (He tightly hugs PHOEBE.)

PHOEBE: It-it’s not o-okay. (She pulls away from DRAKE.)

DRAKE: It wasn’t your fault.

(PHOEBE shakes her head. She wipes her eyes with her sleeve and begins to calm down a little.)

PHOEBE: I’m a Ch-Charmed One. (She swallows painfully.) It’s my job to protect people…so why do I keep losing them?

(DRAKE looks confused.)

DRAKE: Cole-

PHOEBE: It’s not just Cole anymore.

DRAKE: What happened?

(PHOEBE looks away.)

PHOEBE: Can I…see his room?

(DRAKE studies her, still confused, but nods his head anyway.)

DRAKE: Of course.

(PHOEBE heads towards COLE’s bedroom and DRAKE timidly follows. He watches as she touches the door handle and her hand trembles. She pushes the door open and walks in to find COLE’s room exactly how he left it. She notices the framed picture of her and COLE on his desk. A broken sob escapes her lips.)

PHOEBE: That fireball was meant for me.

DRAKE: No matter how many premonitions you had, Cole never would’ve let you take that fireball for him.

(PHOEBE closes her eyes.)

PHOEBE: I don’t know what to do without him.

DRAKE: Continue living. (pause) It’s what he’d want.

PHOEBE: I don’t know if I can. (She hugs her and COLE’s picture to her chest.) I haven’t been able to do anything these last two months. (DRAKE steps inside the doorway and pulls her close. PHOEBE leans her head against his chest.) I lost an innocent today…

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. PIPER is making a sandwich at the island when PRUE walks in holding out a ringing cell phone.]

PRUE: Joe Somebody is trying to get a hold of you.

PIPER: (excitedly) Joe Mutton?

(PRUE drops the cell phone into PIPER’s hand.)

PRUE: Yep.

PIPER: Finally! (She flips open the phone.) I’ve been waiting to hear from him all week. (She places the phone to her ear.) Joe? (She smiles.) Yes! How are you doing? (PRUE reaches over to steal a piece of PIPER’s sandwich, but PIPER slaps her hand away. PIPER’s smile falls into a frown.) He did? Well, for how long? (PRUE pulls a box of crackers out of the cupboard and starts snacking on a handful.) Oh…okay, thanks for letting me know. (She sighs and hangs up.)

PRUE: (munching) What was that about?

PIPER: Joe, my server who was out on worker’s comp for his ankle, (PRUE nods) says he won’t be back for another month.

PRUE: What? (She digs into her cracker box again.) Hasn’t he already been out for two months?

PIPER: Yeah, but I guess his doctor said that the bone isn’t healing properly and so he wants him out for another month.

(PRUE snorts.)

PRUE: I can’t believe he got hurt so badly just by cleaning the bathroom.

PIPER: Tell me about it. (She takes a bite of her sandwich and chews with a scowl.) Great, now I’m going to have to find extra help again.

PRUE: Why can’t Tricia just continue working another month?

PIPER: She only wanted a temporary job.

(PRUE shrugs.)

PRUE: Couldn’t hurt to ask.

(PIPER takes another hunk out of her sandwich.)

PIPER: I guess not.

[Scene: Carey Hairy’s Salon. PAIGE ducks inside with a large hat pulled down over her head. She walks over to the front counter.]

PAIGE: Excuse me, but I’m looking for (she peeks at a small piece of paper in her hand) Anita?

ANITA: I’m Anita. (She smiles at PAIGE, looking her up and down.) You must be Prue Halliwell’s sister.

PAIGE: How’d you know?

(ANITA motions to PAIGE's hat.)

ANITA: The hat tipped me off. (She waves her hand, prompting PAIGE to follow her towards the back of the room.) Customers with dye issues stick out like sore thumbs. (She squints her left eye, studying PAIGE’s hat.) I’m gonna take a wild guess here and say color it is now is a one-eighty turn around from the color you had it?

(PAIGE glowers.)

PAIGE: Boy is that an understatement. (She sits down in the chair and ANITA places a plastic sheet over her, which she snaps behind her neck.)

ANITA: So what exactly is the problem?

(PAIGE reluctantly removes her hat, revealing her fruit colored hair.)

PAIGE: It used to be almost black.

(ANITA nods as she studies PAIGE’s hair.)

ANITA: Oh. (She strokes her chin and nods, then grabs a comb and begins to run it through PAIGE’s hair.) Anything in particular you’d like me to do with it?

PAIGE: Prue said you work miracles, so I was really just hoping for one of those.

[Scene: Drake’s penthouse. Cole’s bedroom. DRAKE and PHOEBE are sitting on COLE’s bed. PHOEBE is holding her and COLE’s picture to her chest, but she isn’t crying. DRAKE is shaking his head.]

DRAKE: You couldn’t have known, Phoebe.

PHOEBE: That’s not the point. (She looks at the picture again.) As a Charmed One, it’s my job to protect the innocent. Cole wasn’t just an innocent; he was my soul mate, in every sense of the word. (pause) After he…after it happened, I wondered how I could save innocents anymore when I couldn’t even save the man I loved…but then when I finally went back to work, I remembered Daniel, and he gave me hope. (She swallows hard.) I thought that even if I failed as a Charmed One-

DRAKE: You didn’t fail.

PHOEBE: Drake, please, let me finish. (DRAKE nods. PHOEBE traces the outline of COLE’s smile on the picture.) I failed as a witch when I didn’t save Cole, (her voice starts to crack) but I thought that as a human, just Phoebe Halliwell - I might still be able to help Daniel. (She looks back at DRAKE.) I got a degree in psychology because I wanted to be able to help people both as a witch and as a person. (A tear escapes the corner of her eye.) But apparently, (she coughs to hold back a sob) apparently I can’t help anyone-

DRAKE: Sometimes it’s just a person’s time, Phoebe.

PHOEBE: Daniel killed himself! He was just a boy! How was that his time? I failed him! I should have known, I should have seen that what I was doing wasn’t working-

DRAKE: Your boss didn’t even know he would do that and she’s had years more experience in psychology than you. How can you even begin to think it was your fault?

PHOEBE: Because I should have seen it coming! (She turns the picture over and places it onto the bed, face down.) Isn’t that what being able to see the future is for? (She curls her fist.) I don’t understand! Why should I get a premonition of something I can’t stop, but not be able to see and save someone who has his whole life ahead of him?

(DRAKE leans forward and takes PHOEBE’s hands in his.)

DRAKE: I don’t think a premonition would’ve helped Daniel.

PHOEBE: How would you know?

DRAKE: Sometimes the human will is stronger than magic. (pause) Even if you had gotten a premonition, I have a feeling that it wouldn’t have made a difference. From what you’ve told me, Daniel was in a pretty dark place and although you tried everything to help him, you just couldn’t. (pause) Even if you had been able to save him physically, he still would’ve been dying inside.

(PHOEBE shuts her eyes again, trying not to break into tears.)

PHOEBE: If I didn’t get a premonition for Daniel because I couldn’t change the outcome…then why did I get a premonition of Cole, when I couldn’t save him either?

DRAKE: I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. (pause) Your vision wasn’t meant for you to stop, it was meant to give you a chance to say goodbye…in fact, it gave us all a chance to say goodbye.

(PHOEBE shakes her head.)

PHOEBE: That doesn’t make sense. It’s cruel…

DRAKE: No. Think about it…if you hadn’t had that vision, I wouldn’t have gotten those last few hours with my best friend, and if you hadn’t gotten that vision-

(PHOEBE holds up her hand, revealing her engagement ring.)

PHOEBE: I never would’ve worked up the courage to accept his proposal… (She touches her lips.) We faced death every day, but I never took the threat seriously, not until I saw it, and if I hadn’t seen it - hadn’t warned him - I might not have even seen him until (pause) it was over.

(DRAKE squeezes PHOEBE’s hands comfortingly.)

DRAKE: Everything happens for a reason, Phoebe. Sometimes it just takes us a while to find out what that reason is.

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Three

[Scene: Carey Hairy’s Salon. ANITA keeps looking between PAIGE’s reflection and a clump of PAIGE’s hair in her hand.][/b]

ANITA: Might I make a suggestion?

PAIGE: Sure.

ANITA: I actually don’t think this color looks that bad on you. (She smiles and motions to PAIGE’s reflection.) It actually seems to enhance the color in your face.

(PAIGE squints at her reflection.)

PAIGE: You think so? (She tilts her head back and forth.) I don’t know…

ANITA: Honestly, I think this color really compliments you. (pause) The only thing I’d change is the length.

PAIGE: The length?

ANITA: Yeah, cutting it to, oh, (she presses the edge of her hand just below PAIGE’s shoulder) just after shoulder length would give it a natural curl and I think it would look amazing on you.

(PAIGE bites her lip in consideration.)

PAIGE: I haven’t had my hair that short since I was nine. (She grabs an orange strand and runs it through her fingers.) Well, I guess it does kind of give me a peachy tone, as opposed to my usual alabaster… (She strums the fingers on her left hand against her knee, then scrunches up her eyes.) Okay, fine!

ANITA: (suspiciously) Are you sure?

PAIGE: Yes. (She motions her hand.) Quick, before I change my mind.

ANITA: Great! (She grabs the scissors.) You’re going to love this!

(PAIGE closes her eyes to avoid watching ANITA cut her hair.)

PAIGE: I hope so…

[Scene: Drake’s penthouse. Cole’s bedroom. PHOEBE is curled up on the bed with her and COLE’s picture pressed to her chest. She restlessly rolls over, continuing to clutch the picture.]

[Dream: PHOEBE is standing pitch blackness. She turns around.]

PHOEBE: (shakily) Hello? (Her voice echoes and soon dies out.) Is anybody here?

(Again, her voice echoes. She steps forward and suddenly sets of torches begin to light up one at a time, revealing a long Underworld tunnel. The torches keep lighting up until PHOEBE can’t see any further down the tunnel. She rubs her arms as if she’s cold. Suddenly, a wispy air ruffles across her face and tickles her hair. PHOEBE touches her cheek.)

[Cut back to the present. PHOEBE’s hand is touching her cheek.]

PHOEBE: (whispering) Cole?

[Cut back to the dream. Another breeze blows through her hair and then swishes down the tunnel, causing the torches to flicker as it passes. PHOEBE starts to follow the breeze.]

PHOEBE: Wait!

[Cut back to the present. PHOEBE is breathing rapidly.]

PHOEBE: Cole! Cole, wait!

[Cut back to the dream. PHOEBE is running down the tunnel.]

PHOEBE: Cole, please! I’m coming! Wait for me! (Her face begins to flush as she runs. She nears the end of the tunnel and comes to a fork. She looks back and forth between the two passages. Her eyes tear up.) Cole!

[Cut back to the present. Beads of sweat have formed on PHOEBE’s flushed face and a couple tears are rolling down her red cheeks.]

PHOEBE: Please, come back!

(DRAKE runs in. He gets on the bed and slightly shakes PHOEBE.)

DRAKE: Phoebe? (He pats her cheek.) Wake up, darling. (PHOEBE’s eyes open.)

PHOEBE: Cole?

(DRAKE shakes his head.)

DRAKE: I’m sorry, it’s just me. (He helps her sit up.) You were dreaming.

(PHOEBE wipes her eyes with her sleeve.)

PHOEBE: He was right there. (She forms a fist.) I could feel him.

DRAKE: I know. (He hugs PHOEBE. PHOEBE lays her head onto DRAKE’s chest. DRAKE rubs her back.)

[Scene: Piper and Leo’s house. Melinda’s room. MELINDA is lying on the changing table as LEO finishes putting her in a new diaper. VICTOR walks in holding CHRIS in one arm and talking on a cell phone with his free hand. LEO scoops MELINDA up and pats her back.]

VICTOR: (into the phone) Sure honey, we can be there in twenty minutes. (He hangs up.) Change of plans. We’re meeting Piper at the club.

LEO: She’s still there?

VICTOR: No, she left but she has to go back. (He shrugs.) It’s some kind of employee issue. (He flips open his cell phone again and places it to his ear.) Phoebe Halliwell. (pause) No. (pause) No. (pause) No, not Fiona Wells, Phoebe Halliwell! (He snorts and closes his phone again.)

LEO: Voice dialing?

VICTOR: How’d you know?

(LEO shakes his head.)

LEO: Piper and I just got new phones last week and she was trying to teach me how to do the whole voice dialing thing. (He shrugs.) Honestly, I still don’t see the need for them. I’m just an orb away. (He grabs MELINDA’s diaper bag and slings it over his shoulder.) Besides, it doesn’t work half the time anyway.

VICTOR: You can say that again. (He eyes CHRIS, who seems to smile back at him.) Hey, do you think you can take Chris? I’m going to try Phoebe again. Piper said she’s not at the Manor, so I want to try her cellular phone.

LEO: Sure. (He takes CHRIS from VICTOR and adjusts himself to hold each of the Twins in his arms.) Let’s go get you two in the car, okay? (MELINDA makes a noise. LEO smiles at his children and then glances at VICTOR.) We’ll meet you in the car. (VICTOR nods and LEO walks out. VICTOR flips open his phone again and manually begins to dial PHOEBE’s cell number.)

[Scene: P3. A man walks down the stairs followed by two other men, each carrying large speakers.]

MAN: (calling) Hello?

(The door to the back room opens and TRICIA BEATUS walks out. She gives a curt wave to the man as she walks over and holds out her hand.)

TRICIA: Hi! (She smiles brightly.) You must be setting up for Rebekah Ryan, right?

(PIPER and PRUE start walking down the stairs, but neither TRICIA nor the man notices them.)

MAN: Right. (He narrows his eyes.) Brock Stern, (he and TRICIA shake hands) and you are?

TRICIA: Tricia Beatus, nice to meet you.

(Two more men decent the stairs after PRUE and PIPER, both carrying setup equipment.)

BROCK: I take it the owner will be here shortly, then?

PIPER: Actually, the owner is here. (She steps up and holds out her hand.) Piper Halliwell; it’s a (tightly) pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stern.

(TRICIA and PRUE step aside. TRICIA eyes BROCK with a tiny sneer on her lips.)

TRICIA: (muttering) Nice guy.

PRUE: (curiously) Beatus?

(TRICIA turns around.)

TRICIA: ‘Scuse me?

(PRUE shakes her head.)

PRUE: Beatus, that’s your last name?

(TRICIA smiles.)

TRICIA: Yeah, why?

(PRUE shrugs.)

PRUE: I just didn’t know that. (She shrugs.) It’s unique.

TRICIA: Thank you.

PRUE: Latin, right?

(TRICIA laughs.)

TRICIA: Yeah. (pause) How’d you know? (She shrugs.) Most people don’t.

(PRUE waves her hand dismissively.)

PRUE: I took Latin in college. (pause) Beatus…it means blessed, right?

(TRICIA begins to nod when PIPER walks over. PIPER clasps her hands together.)

PIPER: Alright! One thing down, (to TRICIA) another to go.

[Scene: Carey Hairy’s Salon. PAIGE is watching the news on the mini television on the mini television at her station while ANITA is measuring and clipping her hair. PAIGE shifts her eyes to her reflection and then back to the television. Another customer takes a seat at the station next to hers. She squints and does a double take as ANITA sets down her scissors and grabs the spray bottle.]

PAIGE: (surprised) Darryl?

(At the station to PAIGE’s right, DARRYL MORRIS turns his head around. He narrows his eyes.)

DARRYL: (shocked) Paige? (He looks wide eyed at her hair as his hair dresser ties a sheet around him.) I didn’t even recognize you! Did you just change your hair?

(PAIGE frowns.)

PAIGE: You could say that… (She smirks.) What are you doing here?

(DARRYL frowns.)

DARRYL: Getting a trim.

PAIGE: Of all the places to run into my favorite inspector, (she laughs) I never thought it’d be a salon.

DARRYL: Sheila recommended it. (He shrugs.) They do good work - and they don’t nick my ears - so sue me. (pause) You know, it’s kind of ironic I ran into you here. I was headed over to your place after this.

PAIGE: (curiously) Oh? For what?

(DARRYL glances between ANITA and his hair dresser.)

DARRYL: It’s more of a…private matter.

PAIGE: Oh.

(DARRYL nods.)

DARRYL: I’ll talk to you about it when we’re…done.

[Scene: Drake’s penthouse. Cole’s bedroom. PHOEBE is lying on the bed on her side, sleeping again. DRAKE is lying on the bed next to PHOEBE, with about a foot of space between them. DRAKE is watching PHOEBE’s still form as she sleeps. His face is awash of sadness and regret.]

[Dream: PHOEBE is standing at the Underworld fork again. She looks back and forth between the two dark corridors. PHOEBE starts to shake her head, but a breeze rustles her hair and moves down her left arm until it reaches her fingers. PHOEBE grasps at the breeze, but it disappears through her fingers. She reaches out for it, pointing her arm down the left corridor. Torches suddenly light up the left corridor and PHOEBE starts to wander down it. She tilts her head, surveying her surroundings as she walks, but the corridor looks the same no matter how many steps forward she takes. She starts to slow her pace when she hears a low growling echoing from much further down the corridor. She picks up her pace and starts hurrying, with the sound of her shoes echoing behind her. PHOEBE follows the corridor around a bend and then slows as she comes to a dark entrance. She hesitates, but the breeze picks up again, beckoning PHOEBE to follow. She walks in after the breeze and a light that seems to come out of nowhere fills the room. She sees the outline of a figure in the middle of the room and leans forward to take a look, when a ringing sound fills the air.]

[Cut back to the present. A ringing is coming from PHOEBE’s purse. DRAKE picks PHOEBE’s purse up from the dresser as PHOEBER awakens. She rubs her eyes and focuses in on DRAKE. DRAKE holds out PHOEBE’s purse to her.]

DRAKE: I wasn’t going to wake you, but since you’re already up…

(PHOEBE nods as she takes her purse.)

PHOEBE: Thanks. (She reaches into her purse and pulls out her ringing cell phone. The name blinking on the screen reads “Dad.” PHOEBE flicks her phone open and presses it to her ear.) Dad?

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Four

[Scene: Carey Hairy’s Salon. PAIGE and DARRYL walk out.][/b]

PAIGE: So, what was it you wanted to see me and my sisters about? (She raises her eyebrow as they step into the parking lot.) Not another demonic baddie, is it?

DARRYL: Actually, (they reach his car) it’s about Cole.

(PAIGE’s expression turns somber.)

PAIGE: Cole?

(DARRYL unlocks his door and leans inside. A moment later, he leans back out, holding a yellow folder. He hands the folder to PAIGE.)

DARRYL: The investigation into his death is over.

(PAIGE takes the folder from DARRYL. She pauses for a moment, then opens it and tilts it into her hand, pouring out a few crime scene photos of a torched furnace.)

[Flashback: PAIGE, DRAKE, and PRUE are gathered around a large furnace. PRUE keeps making a repeated flipping motion with her hand and each time she does it, a thump and groan is heard from the furnace. PAIGE is standing back from the furnace, looking a little pale. DRAKE leans towards PAIGE.]

DRAKE: (whispering) Are you alright?

PAIGE: Fine…I just don’t feel that comfortable down here. I don’t like furnaces…and I hate having to do this.

(DRAKE touches her arm comfortingly. PRUE briefly stops motioning her hand and looks down at her watch.)

PRUE: Where is he?

(As if on cue, LEO walks out from the shadows.)

LEO: Sorry I’m late.

DRAKE: Did you talk to Mrs. Gladys?

LEO: Yes, she was what held me up. (He walks over to PRUE, who uses her powers to make another thump on the furnace.) And we - well, she and “Cole” - definitely heard the thumping from down here.

PAIGE: And you’re sure the elevator security camera caught “Cole” coming down here?

LEO: I also told Mrs. Gladys I’d come down to check on the noise. She was afraid it might be a burglar.

(DRAKE nods.)

DRAKE: She has a tendency to jump to conclusions.

LEO: I gathered that. (He takes a deep breath.) Are we ready?

(PAIGE extracts a small jar from her purse and opens it to reveal ashes. She steps back and pours them onto the floor in front of the furnace, then she replaces the jar back into her purse. PRUE motions her hand, flinging open the furnace door with a loud bang, and then DRAKE steps up beside her. PAIGE looks over her shoulder and then holds up her hands in case anything should go wrong.)

PAIGE: We’re ready.

DRAKE: You guys get back.

(PAIGE, PRUE, and LEO move a semi-safe distance away from DRAKE and the furnace.)

DRAKE: As soon as it explodes, get out of here.

(DRAKE curls his fists and fire begins to radiate from his arms and hands, as if they’ve caught on fire themselves. Then he points them towards the furnace and two plumes of fire surge from his arms and blast into the furnace. The furnace crackles and explodes.)

[Cut back to the present. PAIGE pushes the photos back into the envelope and closes it.]

PAIGE: I was beginning to wonder if they’d ever close it.

DARRYL: If you were one of the officers on that case, would you have wanted to close it so easily? (PAIGE sighs.) Cole was a lawyer working for a high profile firm, an ADA before that, and he’s connected with Phoebe, who is connected to more than a handful of the SFPD’s unsolved cases…there was suspicion all around. (pause) We couldn’t just say he died based on an elevator’s security footage and a suspicious elderly woman’s testimony she saw him right before he went down to the basement where he died.

(PAIGE touches the side of her head.)

PAIGE: I know, I know where you’re coming from. (pause) There’s just been a lot going on, you know? I guess I wanted it to be all over and done with for Phoebe.

DARRYL: How is she?

(PAIGE shakes her head.)

PAIGE: Not good. (She shifts her eyes.) The woman living in my sister’s room only looks like Phoebe.

(DARRYL places his hand to PAIGE's shoulder.)

DARRYL: I’m sorry.

PAIGE: We all are.

[Scene: Inside Victor’s champagne colored 2001 Chevrolet Impala. VICTOR is driving and LEO is in the passenger seat. VICTOR makes a left turn at the light. LEO points to the right.]

LEO: I thought we were going to P3?

VICTOR: We’re going to pick Phoebe up from Drake’s first.

(LEO’s brow creases.)

LEO: She’s at Drake’s? (He looks at his watch.) I thought she had to work today?

VICTOR: She didn’t say anything about work. Maybe she got off early?

LEO: Four hours early?

VICTOR: She took the day off?

LEO: Maybe…

[Scene: P3. PIPER, PRUE, and TRICIA are sitting at the bar. TRICIA is nursing a green glass bottle. She sets down her bottle and studies PIPER’s pleading face.]

TRICIA: Well, I am really sorry to hear about Joe. (She drums her nails along the neck of her bottle.) Another month, huh?

PIPER: I don’t want to pressure you if you already have plans. (She holds up her hands.) I completely understand, because I know we already discussed this only being temporary, so-

TRICIA: I’ll do it.

PIPER: (surprised) You will?

(TRICIA takes another sip from her bottle.)

TRICIA: Yeah. (She motions her hand dismissively.) I actually don’t feel like I’m quite done here anyway. (She laughs.) To be honest, I’ve kind of gotten used to being here. (She swirls the liquid in her glass bottle.) It reminds me of the place I lived when I was a kid.

PRUE: (curiously) Where did you grow up?

(BROCK stomps up.)

BROCK: Where’s your lighting control panel? Your lights aren’t coordinated correctly.

(TRICIA jumps up with a fake smile on her face.)

TRICIA: Right this way, Mr. Stern. (She ushers BROCK off. PIPER and PRUE exchange looks.)

PRUE: I hope Rebekah is more sociable than her staff.

[Scene: Drake’s penthouse. Cole’s bedroom. PHOEBE’s sitting on COLE’s bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. There’s a knock at the door. PHOEBE looks up at the door handle starts to turn. VICTOR walks in.]

VICTOR: (warmly) Hey.

(PHOEBE smiles weakly.)

PHOEBE: Hey, Daddy.

(VICTOR walks over and takes a seat on the bed next to her. He places his hand on her knee.)

VICTOR: How are you feeling?

PHOEBE: Defeated.

(VICTOR gently squeezes his daughter’s knee.)

VICTOR: It doesn’t get easier.

(PHOEBE blinks, surprised.)

PHOEBE: Shouldn’t you be telling me that it does?

VICTOR: Only if you want me to lie to you. (pause) It doesn’t get easier, but you do get number.

PHOEBER: Number, huh? (She gazes at the ceiling.) When does that kick in, exactly?

(VICTOR wraps his arms around his daughter.)

VICTOR: After I got the news that your mom died, it took me months before I stopped dreaming about her.

PHOEBE: You had nightmares too?

VICTOR: Nightmares, dreams, memories…I couldn’t stop thinking about her. (He sighs.) It’s normal what you’re feeling, Phoebe.

PHOEBE: Really? Because I feel like I’m being selfish; pitying myself too much.

VICTOR: You just lost the love of your life…that’s not pity, that’s pain. (He hugs her.) You have every right to mourn him for as long as you need to. (PHOEBE hugs VICTOR back.)

PHOEBE: (whispering) Thanks, Dad. (VICTOR strokes PHOEBE’s hair.) Can I ask you something?

VICTOR: Anything.

PHOEBE: After Mom died, did you ever (pause) feel like she was trying to talk to you?

(VICTOR squints.)

VICTOR: Talk to me? Like, magically?

PHOEBE: Like through a dream. (pause) Maybe not so much “talk” as…direct. (pause) Guide.

(VICTOR shakes his head.)

VICTOR: Guide?

PHOEBE: Maybe it’s just me hoping-

VICTOR: Maybe you’re not. You are a witch, after all. Are you sure it wasn’t a premonition?

(PHOEBE shakes her head.)

PHOEBE: No, they’re not premonitions…not exactly.

VICTOR: But they aren’t dreams?

PHOEBE: It’s strange. It’s like I can feel him, his presence, but there’s just a breeze that keeps luring me down these tunnels.

VICTOR: What tunnels?

(PHOEBE turns her head away.)

PHOEBE: It’s…probably nothing. Nothing but my subconscious trying to sort out my confusion. (She gets off the bed.) We should go. I don’t want to keep Leo and the Twins waiting in the car. (She grabs her purse and heads for the door. After PHOEBE walks out, VICTOR also gets up and leaves.)

BREAK

[The Virtual Series]

Act Five

[Scene: P3. Back room. TRICIA is loading a few boxes of bottled liquor onto a red dolly. An irritated look is on her face.]

TRICIA: No, (she sets a box down with a thump and hears the sound of glasses clinking together) I know what I’m doing, thank you. (She rolls her eyes as she moves aside, brushes a wave of blonde hair over her shoulder, and leans down to pick up another box.) You’re just being paranoid. It’s an unsettling trait, you know.

(PIPER walks in with an odd look on her face.)

PIPER: Tricia?

(TRICIA spins around, startled.)

TRICIA: Piper! (She sets the case of liquor down on the dolly.) I didn’t know you were standing there.

(PIPER looks around.)

PIPER: Who were you talking to?

(TRICIA looks away.)

TRICIA: Uh…myself. (She smiles weakly.) It’s kind of a character flaw…a really, really embarrassing character flaw.

(PIPER laughs.)

PIPER: I’ll letcha in on a little secret, I talk to myself too. (She grins as she walks over to the dolly, presses her foot to the back, and pulls it onto its wheels.)

TRICIA: Glad to know.

PIPER: Yeah, (she starts to push the dolly towards the door) just don’t go around telling people, okay?

(TRICIA winks.)

TRICIA: Gotcha. (PIPER rolls the dolly out of the room. TRICIA touches her forhead and groans.) F-Y-I, that was your fault. (She walks out.)

[Scene: Perry Mansion. Abigail’s study. ABIGAIL PERRY is seated at her desk. An envelope from Harper and Lee is sitting in front of her, with an unfolded letter. ABIGAIL lifts her head to gaze at the corner of her desk, where the old sepia toned photograph of her and COLE is displayed. DRAKE shimmers in, holding his letter from Harper and Lee.]

DRAKE: I assume you got one too.

(ABIGAIL looks up.)

ABIGAIL: You know what they say about those who assume.

DRAKE: I’m not here to play games, Abby.

(ABIGAIL grabs the letter and holds it up.)

ABIGAIL: Looks like your little plan worked.

DRAKE: It had to.

(ABIGAIL looks down at the letter.)

ABIGAIL: I have to admit, I’m surprised to have gotten one of these though.

DRAKE: You didn’t think he’d forget about you, did you?

(ABIGAIL doesn’t answer.)

DRAKE: Well you’re going, right?

ABIGAIL: What could he possibly give me that I don’t already have?

(DRAKE inhales slowly.)

DRAKE: I guess you’ll have to come to find out, won’t you? (When Abigail doesn’t answer, he shimmers out.)

[Scene: P3. Parking lot. PAIGE’s lime green VW Bug pulls in.]

[Cut to inside Paige’s VW Bug. PAIGE parks her car and turns off the engine. She flips down her visor and opens the mirror so she can examine her reflection. She shakes her head, causing her newly acquired pale orange curls to bounce around her shoulders. She grabs a strand of her hair and curls it around her finger, then adjusts it to the side of her face. She smiles, then tilts her head to the right, and then to the left. She laughs.]

PAIGE: Paige, you are such a dork. (She purses her lips at her reflection.) But a very, verrrry cute dork nevertheless. (She absently strums her fingers on the dash board.) I guess there’s really something to that “everything happens for a reason” deal, (she runs her fingers through her hair) that Anita does a killer job. (She grabs her purse and gets out of her car. She heads up towards P3’s front doors.) I wonder what Glenn will think?

[Cut to inside P3. PRUE is sitting restlessly at the bar, chewing on the tip of a pen. PIPER walks up and snatches the pen from her sister.]

PRUE: Hey!

PIPER: Don’t you remember the last time Phoebe chewed on a pen?

(PRUE wrinkles her nose.)

PRUE: Her teeth were blue for a week.

PIPER: Exactly. (She tosses the pen into the trashcan behind the bar. PRUE groans.)

PRUE: I can’t help it! I’m starved and all we have here are soda that upsets my stomach and liquor, the latter of which I wouldn’t mind having, but of course… (She touches her slightly swollen stomach. PIPER ducks down behind the bar and pops back up with a box of soda crackers.)

PIPER: We still have some of these.

(PRUE waves her hand.)

PRUE: That was first trimester food. They’re boring and bland now that I’m over five months.

(PIPER rolls her eyes and sets the saltines aside.)

PIPER: I still can’t believe you never had any actual vomit inducing morning sickness during your first trimester. You’re like a freak of nature.

PAIGE's VOICE: Oh, so just because you aren’t as charming as you once were, we’re freaks now?

(PIPER and PRUE look towards the stairs to see PAIGE walking down. PIPER grabs a towel, balls it up, and throws it at PAIGE. PAIGE dodges and comes over to sit down opposite PRUE. PRUE raises her eyebrows.)

PRUE: Uh, Paige honey, have you checked your reflection lately?

PAIGE: Why actually, yes I have.

PIPER: Then you are aware that your hair has not changed any since we last saw you.

PRUE: It did get shorter.

PAIGE: And curlier.

PIPER: I thought the whole point of going to see the hair dresser was to fix the color?

PAIGE: Are you saying you hate it?

(PIPER comes out from behind the bar.)

PIPER: No, but are you saying you like it?

(PAIGE smiles.)

PAIGE: I think-

TRICIA’s VOICE: It looks amazing!

(PAIGE turns her head to see TRICIA walk up.)

TRICIA: Your hair, I mean. (She shakes her head.) Wow, it really enhances your complexion.

PAIGE: (to PIPER and PRUE) Well, at least someone likes it. (to TRICIA) Thank you!

(TRICIA and PIPER sit down.)

PRUE: For what it’s worth, I like it too. (She smiles.) You kind of look a little like Charlotte Warren.

(PAIGE tilts her head to the side.)

PAIGE: Really?

(PIPER starts to nod.)

PIPER: Hey, yeah, now that you mention it, she kind of does. (She pats PAIGE’s knee.) All joking aside, I think you look nice.

(PAIGE smiles. PRUE looks at her wrist watch and her stomach seems to growl on cue.)

PIPER: Geeze Prue, you could direct ships with that fog horn!

PRUE: I told you I was hungry! (She grumbles.) I hope they get here soon.

(TRICIA glances between the sisters.)

TRICIA: I could go run down to the Burger Palace down the block and pick something up if you want.

PRUE: You really want to?

(TRICIA rubs her stomach.)

TRICIA: I was actually thinking about stopping there during my break anyway.

(PRUE looks eagerly at PIPER.)

PRUE: What d’ya say, Piper? Early break?

(PIPER looks over her shoulder to see BROCK and his crew still setting up the stage. She rolls her eyes.)

PIPER: Well, it’s not like we’re doing much of anything anyway.

PRUE: Yes!

(PIPER and PAIGE share odd looks.)

PAIGE: I swear, she sounded just like Phoebe right then.

PIPER: You read my mind.

(TRICIA moves behind the bar and grabs a notepad and pencil.)

TRICIA: Orders?

PRUE: Oh-oh! (She raises her index finger.) I want two of the fit-for-a-king-burgers with extra mayo but no mustard, lots of ketchup, extra horse radish, and three slices of cheese! Oh, and two vanilla cones and a large fry. Oh! And, if you can, see if they can make the regular crispy fries extra soggy, because those are by far the best!

(PAIGE leans over to PIPER.)

PAIGE: (whispering) She doesn’t even like soggy fries.

PIPER: (whispering) I think we’ve entered the cravings stage.

[Scene: Inside Victor’s champagne colored 2001 Chevrolet Impala. VICTOR is driving, PHOEBE is in the passenger seat, and LEO is seated in the back between the Twins’ car seats. PHOEBE has her head leaning against the window with her eyes closed.]

[Dream: PHOEBE is standing in a darkened enclosure again. A gentle breeze rustles her hair and then an ethereal light fills the room, gradually illuminating a silhouette in PHOEBE’s line of vision. PHOEBE squints and leans forward for a closer look. The silhouette begins to take shape into that of a woman’s figure. The woman’s back is to PHOEBE, so all she can see is her bare back, the back of an ankle length ebony satin skirt, and waves of silky almond brown hair. Painful moans are coming from the woman. PHOEBE takes a step closer, then holds out her hand.]

[Cut back to the present. PHOEBE’s holding her hand out, but VICTOR doesn’t notice.]

PHOEBE: Are you okay?

[Cut back to the dream. PHOEBE starts to move closer to the woman again, who continues to moan in pain. Suddenly the moans stop and the woman slowly twists her head around to look at PHOEBE from over her bare shoulder.]

[Cut back to the present. VICTOR is glancing at PHOEBE between driving.]

VICTOR: Honey, are you alright?

(PHOEBE gasps.)

[Cut back to the dream. Staring back at PHOEBE, is THE QUEEN. PHOEBE is frozen as she stares at THE QUEEN. THE QUEEN’s eyes turn black and then flames erupt in them.]

[Cut back to the present. VICTOR is stopped at a red light. He leans over and places his hand to his daughter’s shoulder.]

VICTOR: Phoebe? (He lightly shakes her.)

PHOEBE: (screaming) You killed him!

(VICTOR pulls his hand back as PHOEBE jolts up from her sleep. PHOEBE is breathing rapidly. She turns her head around, disoriented. LEO unbuckles his seatbelt and lunges between the front seats, grabbing PHOEBE’s arm.)

LEO: Phoebe! Hey, (PHOEBE blinks) you’re in the car with me and your dad. You’re okay. You just fell asleep.

(PHOEBE starts to shake her head.)

PHOEBE: I saw her, Leo. I saw her!

VICTOR: Saw who?

(PHOEBE swallows.)

PHOEBE: The Queen…She’s alive and she’s rejuvenating.

To Be Continued…

[The Virtual Series]

End Credits

Co-Starring
Brody Jo Hamilton --- Melinda Halliwell
Jackson Phillip Deveraux Kaufman --- Chris Halliwell
Poppy Montgomery --- Dr. Laura Brenton
Emmanuelle Vaugier --- Dr. Ava Nicolae

Featuring
Laura Summer --- Anita
Eric Bruskotter --- Brock Stern

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