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The Power of Four, Part 1
[Scene: Attic. Piper flips through the Book of Shadows. She's surrounded by herb jars, chalices, and other ritualistic items. She chants the Power of Three spell, hoping that Prue will return.]
Piper: In this night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power. (She looks up and closes her eyes.) Bring back my sister. Bring back the Power of Three." (A candle flickers. She keeps her eyes closed for a prayerful beat, then she opens them, looks at the candle, but sees nothing. Blindly determined, she starts flipping through pages until she finds another spell, To Call a Lost Witch. She expertly finds and mixes certain ingredients {rosemary, cypress, yarrow root} into a silver bowl as she chants from the book.) "Power of the witches' rise/Course unseen across the skies/Come to us, who call you near/Come to us and settle here. (Then, she finds an athame and slices the left index finger of her left hand so that blood can symbolically spill directly from her heart and into the bowl.) Blood to blood, I summon thee/Blood to blood, return to me."
(A faint gust of wind flickers the candle, but not much else. She buries her face in her hands in defeat.)
Phoebe: Piper?
(Piper looks up, hopeful.)
Piper: Prue? (Phoebe enters, wearing her nightclothes and jacket. She has a tear-stained face.)
Phoebe: Sweetie, it's 4 o'clock in the morning. What are you doing? (Piper doesn't answer, just stares blankly at the book. Phoebe notices Piper's bleeding and gets a towel.) You're bleeding.
(Piper doesn't notice, doesn't care. Phoebe finds a clean cloth, takes Piper's hand, and wraps the wound.)
Piper: I don't understand why magic can't fix this. And why we can't bring Prue back.
Phoebe: Prue will bring herself back. I know it.
Piper: Or we can bring her back. There's magic we can use. (She flips through the pages and fights the tears.) Scrying, calling a lost witch... (She closes the Book of Shadows. She stands up.) It's like the book just deserted us, and deserted Prue, and I don't understand why.
(Phoebe takes Piper's other hand, holds them both, shares her pain.)
Phoebe: She's in the Underworld. Our magic can't reach her there. (Pause) We have tried every magical way to bring her back… but we can't. She has to do it on her own. (Their eyes well up as they face the harsh reality, then they fall into each other's arms.) I just…. I thank god that I didn't lose you too. (Phoebe gives her a little kiss. She breaks the hug. She sighs.) We have to get some rest.
(Piper looks down at the Book of Shadows one last time. Hand-in-hand, Piper and Phoebe exit, shutting the door behind them. A beat, then a mysterious wind returns our attention to the Book of Shadows. The symbol, the triquetra, on the cover begins to glow. The mysterious wind re-opens the book and magically turns to the pages to the last spell Piper tried to cast, "To Call a Lost Witch".)
[Scene: South Bay Social Services. A young brunette woman, named Paige Matthews, is seated at her desk and pops in a CD into her computer. She turns her attention to the computer screen.]
Paige: Printing!
(She notices that a mysterious wind blows out her lit candle. She gets up from her chair and takes a few steps to her right. Paige's back is turned when a newspaper mysteriously appears, landing on the floor next to Paige. She turns and bends over to pick up the newspaper. She looks around. She glances at the paper, noticing an article informing about Prue Halliwell's disappearance and that her sisters would be holding an event for her in rememberance.)
Cowan: Paige, you find that study yet?! (Paige's boss, Mr. Cowan, emerges from his office and sees her reading the article. He goes up to her.) Paige, did you hear me?
(Paige continues to keep her eye on the article and grabs her jacket.)
Paige: Yeah. It's in the printer. I'm sorry, I have to go.
(She leaves.)
Cowan: W-What do you mean, go? Go where? Paige! Hey, Paige!
Opening Credits
[Scene: Manor. Parlor. Phoebe adjusts some flowers on the table. She walks into the living room, where Victor is sitting on a chair, staring vacantly at the floor, bearing the kind of grief only a parent who's lost a child knows. She gives her dad a small kiss.]
Phoebe: Can I get you anything?
(She touches him tenderly on the shoulder. He looks up at her.)
Victor: Oh, no thanks, sweetie.
(Phoebe waters a plant and fiddles with a few other plants. Victor escorts Darryl in through the front door.)
Darryl: Hey, how are you holdin' up?
Phoebe: Okay. (She and Darryl hug and slowly step away from each other.) It's sweet of you to stop by.
Darryl: Had to. Besides, I thought you should know - they're assigning Prue's case to another inspector.
Leo: What... case?
Darryl: What case? Are you kidding? Prue's missing and a prominent doctor was killed here, Leo. Made a lot of press. People want answers. Important people.
Leo: So, what's this guy gonna find? That it was some kind of a demonic hitman?
Darryl: He might. Look, you don't know him like I do. He'll keep looking until he finds something, believe me.
Victor: Do you mind?! For god's sake, my daughter is still missing! Can't this wait?!
(Phoebe moves over to hug her father, who's struggling to hold it all together.)
[Scene: Piper and Leo's bedroom. Piper's sitting in front of the mirror, lost in her thoughts, absentmindedly brushing her hair. A beat later, Leo eases open the door and enters.]
Leo: Piper? (She doesn't react, just keeps brushing.) Honey, you should go downstairs. The guests are going to begin to arrive.
Piper: I don't want to.
(Leo approaches her.)
Leo: Why not?
(Leo kneels down beside her.)
Piper: Because if I go, that'll drive the situation home, and I don't think I can handle that.
Leo: We can handle it together. (Piper shakes her head.) Piper….
(He goes to touch her, but she pulls away.)
Piper: Why didn't you save her?
Leo: I tried.
Piper: But you didn't. Why didn't you save her too?
Leo: I told you. I couldn't. She sent me back here to save you and Phoebe.
Piper: You shouldn't have listened.
(She gets up, walks away from him, and finds a Kleenex. Leo follows.)
Leo: It's okay to be angry.
Piper: I'm not angry. I am pissed off! Don't you understand? You should have saved her! You saved me because I'm your damn wife, and you should've saved her because she was the best! Because she…. You should….
(She loses it again, overcome. Leo moves up behind her, and this time, she lets him hold her.)
Leo: I didn't just choose to come back for you. If I hadn't, Phoebe would have died too. And Prue is not dead. She's in the Underworld, with Cole. I'm sure she'll return once she's able.
[Scene: Underworld. A darkly cloaked figure flames in front of a shadowy figure known as the Oracle.]
Oracle: May I be seen?
The Source: Have you found Belthazor?
Oracle: No. Something else. (He considers that for a beat, then waves his clawed hand at the Oracle. A sexy young woman materializes, stroking her ever-present crystal ball.) Something more important, perhaps.
The Source: Nothing is more important.
Oracle: Not even The Charmed Ones?
The Source: If you had foreseen that Belthazor and his witch would escape, their threat would have been ended. Be grateful I don't turn you into a snake.
Oracle: Yes, but then how would you see into the future without me?
(The Oracle looks into her crystal ball.)
The Source: What do you see?
Oracle: I see…. A witch's call on the spirit winds. I see... another.
[Scene: Manor. As Darryl is leaving with the other guests, he hugs Piper and Phoebe before going on his way. Phoebe thanks another person, then turns to the last of the people, who she doesn't recognize - Paige, who shifts anxiously.)
Paige: I hope that your sister returns safely.
Phoebe: Thank you. (Paige begins to leave.) How did you know Prue? From work?
Paige: No. Just... just from around, you know.
Phoebe: Have we met somewhere?
Paige: No. I don't…. I don't think so. Anyway… I'm sure she's fine.
Phoebe: Thank you. (Phoebe shakes Paige's hand, then gets hit with a powerful premonition: Paige is on a skyscraper rooftop helipad. She screams as she squeezes her eyes shut in fear as the demon Shax gestures and sends an aerokinetic blast towards her to kill her. Phoebe stumbles to the floor after her premonition ends.)
Piper: Phoebe.
Leo: Phoebe?
(Piper, Leo, and Victor rush over to her as Paige, oblivious, but not wanting to stick around, leaves. Leo and Victor help Phoebe stand up.)
Piper: Are you all right? What happened?
Phoebe: I saw Shax.
Leo: What was he doing?
Phoebe: He was killing that girl.
Piper: What girl?
Phoebe: The one I was just talking to. I gotta go find her.
..
Piper: Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it, damn it! Haven't we had enough of hunting demons until Prue gets back?!
(She storms upstairs in tears. Phoebe looks for the girl, but she is gone.)
Phoebe: I don't see her anywhere.
Leo: Who?
Phoebe: The girl from my premonition.
Leo: Did you recognize her from anywhere?
(She sighs.)
Phoebe: Well, she did look familiar, like I'd seen her somewhere before. But somehow, we got to find her before nightfall, or else.
Leo: You said she was attacked on a rooftop?
Phoebe: Yeah. One with a helipad, but it wasn't a tall building, although... there were a lot of taller ones around it.
Leo: Okay, so we just need to figure out which building it was before Shax does.
(Piper walks over to them, having come back downstairs.)
Piper: And do what exactly? You can't defeat Shax, not without the Power of Three.
Phoebe: But you and I did. (Piper sighs.) I got that premonition for a reason, Piper. That girl is our innocent, so we have to try and save her.
Piper: Says who? Why do we have to?
Leo: Piper….
Piper: What? Do you really expect us to keep doing this stuff without Prue? To keep risking our lives? I don't want to do this anymore, okay? It-It's over. Until Prue returns… if she returns… I'm done. (She spins and starts to leave. Leo starts to follow, but Phoebe stops him.)
Phoebe: Piper. (Piper stops but doesn't turn around.) If Prue does come back, what do you think she'll say if you let that girl die?
(Piper reluctantly walks back over.)
Piper: The question still remains, how are we going to stop Shax without the Power of Three to say the vanquishing spell?
Phoebe: I'm hoping that the power of two might be enough. Interested?
Piper: No. But let's just do it.
(Phoebe looks at Victor.)
Phoebe: Dad. We have to go. Will you be okay?
Victor: Go where?
Piper: Trust me, you don't want to know. (Before Victor can react, they turn to see Cortez approaching, coat and tie, self-made, eyes never miss a trick. He comes up the stairs to the manor, where they still stand in the open doorway.)
Cortez: Piper and Phoebe Halliwell? (They nod.) I'm Inspector Cortez. I've been assigned to your sister's case. (They nod again.) I lost a sister once myself. I know how hard it is. We're going to find the monster who took your sister. I promise you this.
Phoebe: If you'll excuse us, Inspector.
(She, Piper, and Leo move to go inside, but Cortez stops them.)
Cortez: I know what a difficult time this is for you two, but we really need to talk.
Victor: But not now.
Cortez: Of course. Sorry.
(They close the door and Leo orbs himself, Piper, and Phoebe away.)
Commercial Break
[Scene: Underworld. The Source flames in.]
The Source: Anything?
(The Oracle, still coiled around her smoke-filled crystal ball, looks up from it.)
Oracle: Unfortunately, since the last attack, Belthazor and his witch have been very elusive.
The Source: Leave them to the bounty hunters. What about the other?
(The Oracle confidently waves her hand over the crystal ball.)
Oracle: Her future's becoming much more clear. And, it appears, short-lived.
(The crystal ball shows swirling smoke inside as it begins to form into the image of a dancing woman, Paige.)
[Cut to P3. Paige is dancing with her boyfriend, Shane. The club is hopping - a hot band lights up the place. The song ends, the crowd cheers, then Paige and Shane drift over to their table and sit. Paige looks distracted, distant.]
Shane: You all right?
Paige: Me? Yeah. Why?
Shane: Well, you seem... a little quieter than usual. That's all.
Paige: What makes you think I'm not like this all the time?
Shane: Well, we've been dating for a month now. So, I think I'd know. (To a passing waitress) Uh, hey, can we get a couple long necks?
Waitress: Sure.
Paige: (To waitress) Make mine a mineral water, please?
Waitress: Mm-hmm.
Paige: (To waitress) Thanks. (The waitress notes the order and leaves.) So much for how well you know me, cowboy. I don't drink. I used to have kind of a problem with certain liquids… lots of problems, actually, but that's all behind me.
Shane: Do you want to go someplace else, or….?
Paige: No, no, no, no, I like it here. Gosh, I should. I've been coming to P3 for the last year or so, on and off. I mean, ever since...
Shane: Ever since what?
Paige: Oh, never mind. It's boring. (Pause) Alright, but if I tell you all about Paige, and you use it against me, I will get out my voodoo doll and make you sorry you're a man. (Pause) So my sad story is that I'm adopted, only it's not so sad because I loved my parents, God rest. So after they died, I went searching for my birth mother, hoping to get some answers. (She begins to doodle on a napkin.) I went to the police station, found the church I got dumped at…. I checked around. I figured she must've lived near there, you know? I even thought I might've been... related to the Halliwell sisters for a minute, but their Mom died a long time ago, so I gave up on that.
Shane: Well, did you ever try to meet the sisters, ask them about it, or….?
Paige: Yeah, right. 'Hi. I think your Mom abandoned me at birth. What's for dinner?' No. I don't think so. (The waitress brings them their drinks, allowing Paige to lean back, try to end this painful topic. Shane, though, cares, wants to know more.)
Waitress: Here you are.
Paige: Thanks.
Waitress: You're welcome.
Shane: So that-that still doesn't explain why you keep coming here.
Paige: Well, one of the sisters… owns it, so… I don't know. I guess I just kind of feel… connected, somehow. That's why I went to their house today. I just kind of felt like I had to. Okay. I sound certifiably insane. Good job, Paige. Way to go. (Shane, touched, shuts her up by leaning in and giving her a kiss. She responds, then pulls back slightly, allowing her vulnerability to show.) Don't hurt me, okay? I can't handle anymore right now. (His answer is another kiss, deeper, meaningful. She accepts it, returns the passion. They part, stare into each other's eyes. Hers are ablaze.) Come on. I have something to show you.
(Shane hurriedly tosses a twenty on the table. They leave. The cocktail napkin Paige was doodling on has a drawing of a rough version of the triquetra, but with a fourth point.)
[Scene: Skyscraper building. Phoebe and Piper, in the observation room, look out through binoculars. Leo approaches from behind, handing Piper a thermostat cup of coffee.]
Leo: Here. (Piper lowers the binoculars, turns to take the cup.)
Piper: Thanks.
(She hands the thermostat to Phoebe, who places it aside.)
Phoebe: I think this is the right place. But maybe we should try one of the other rooftops just to make sure.
Leo: Or maybe we should follow your first instincts and stay right here.
Phoebe: Okay, but what if I'm wrong? That girl will get killed.
Leo: You can't save every innocent, Phoebe, or stop every demon.
Phoebe: Yeah. Well, I just hope that by me saying the vanquishing spell, it wounds him enough that you can take him out.
Piper: I got a better idea. How about you and me just leave, you know?
Phoebe: Piper.
Piper: Things have changed, Phoebe. We can't pretend we can go on like this. We don't have the power of three, which means every minute we keep doing things like this, we're in danger.
(Leo squints, seeing something.)
Leo: Looks like your instincts were right.
(Phoebe turns and raises binoculars.)
Phoebe: We've gotta orb over there.
Leo: And tell her what? That a demon's gonna attack? I think we should stay right here.
(They wait as Paige, oblivious to the looming danger, leads a reluctant Shane to the center of the helipad.)
Shane: Aren't you afraid that we're gonna get caught?
Paige: I like an element of danger. (She lets go of his hand, then spins around, arms out wide, looking up at the stars, free.) Oh, look at the stars! They're so beautiful! They make me feel... free.
(She takes off her jacket slightly. He kisses her. Meanwhile, Phoebe lowers the binoculars and the three turn away.)
(A moving tornado materializes out of thin air and races toward the unsuspecting lovers. The demon, Shax, appears, and fires an aerokinetic blast. Paige opens her eyes at the last second and sees it over Shane's shoulder.)
Paige: Shane!
(The blast makes Shane go flying backwards, knocking him out. Paige screams. Shax throws another aerokinetic blast at Paige. Paige screams and orbs out and back, realizing that she's still alive, somehow. Paige turns the other way and runs to the roof access tower. Shax, surprised at her ability to orb, turns back into a tornado and follows.)
Phoebe/Piper: She orbed!
Leo: Come on! (Leo grabs them and orbs away with them.)
[Cut to Paige, running for her life, scampering down the stairs onto the catwalk then stops as she hears the ominous sound of the tornado approaching. She slowly turns to see Shax standing there. But before he can throw another aerokinetic blast, he stops as he sees Leo, Piper, and Phoebe orb in. Paige turns, just in time to see the tail end of the orb, shocked.]
Paige: What the hell?
Phoebe: Get outta here! Hurry! Go! Go! (Piper uses Molecular Combustion on Shax, but it barely fazes him this time. She does it again as Paige, freaked, takes off running up the stairs.)
Piper: We have to say the spell!
Piper/Phoebe: "Evil wind that blows/That which forms below/No longer may you dwell/Death takes you with this spell."
(Shax manages to get off an aerokinetic blast at Leo, which knocks him over the stairway rail. Shax, in agony, turns into a ghostly wind and streaks away from the scene. Leo plummets five stories, but just before he pancakes, he recovers enough to orb out.)
Piper: Leo! (Leo orbs in next to Piper, who gasps.) Are you okay?
Leo: Yeah. I'm alright. It's your innocent I'm worried about.
Commercial Break
[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. Leo is debating with Phoebe about what they saw. Piper's in the background.]
Leo: It just doesn't make any sense.
Phoebe: Why not?
Leo: Because why would Shax want to kill a whitelighter?
Phoebe: Maybe he doesn't know she's a whitelighter.
Leo: Right, the Source sends out his personal assassin, but doesn't know who he's after?
(Piper, in the background, clatters the pots that she's washing, noticeably.)
Phoebe: (To Leo) Is it possible that she didn't know that she was a whitelighter?
Leo: No. Why?
Phoebe: Because she acted as if she didn't. She acted just as surprised as we were when she orbed out.
Leo: Well, that doesn't make any sense either.
Phoebe: Okay, why don't you go up and ask the Elders what does make sense so we don't go risking our lives again?
(Leo looks at Piper.)
Leo: I'll be right back.
(He orbs out. Phoebe covers her eyes.)
(Piper is hunched over the sink and Phoebe moves closer to her sister.)
Phoebe: Hey. You okay?
Piper: Yeah, sure, why not?
(She holds a small white towel in her hand and faces Phoebe.)
Phoebe: Piper….
Piper: Just tell me one thing. Are you insane or are you just plain stupid? Prue is missing, possibly… possibly dead... and you have us go off tonight and nearly get ourselves killed! What the hell is the matter with you?!
Phoebe: I was trying to save an innocent!
Piper: No. You were trying to get us killed! (She throws the towel onto the counter in frustration and anger.) And you are making it way too easy for them, Phoebe. You are just walking right into it!
(Phoebe embraces Piper.)
Phoebe: I am so sorry.
Piper: I cannot handle anything right now, and I certainly cannot handle losing another sister.
[Scene: Hospital. Paige enters Shane's room. He sits up from his bed.]
Shane: Paige.
Paige: Hey.
Shane: What happened?
Paige: Shane, I feel so bad. I just got scared and I ran.
Shane: Of course.
Paige: Are you alright? What'd they say?
Shane: It's no big deal, just a little concussion.
Paige: Oh, no.
Shane: No, I'm gonna be fine. They wouldn't be releasing me if I wasn't, right? I'm just glad you're okay, too.
Paige: Yeah, well, physically anyway.
Shane: Did you talk to the cops yet?
Paige: No. Why?
Shane: Why? They want to find out who attacked us, that's why. I-I told them you saw him.
Paige: You did what?
Shane: Well, you did, didn't you?
(Cortez enters the room.)
Cortez: Did you?
Paige: Who are you?
Cortez: Inspector Cortez, homicide. I'd like to ask you a couple of questions.
Shane: Wait, homicide? No one was murdered.
Cortez: Well, based on the MO, if it's the same perpetrator I think it was, that just makes you lucky. He killed someone last week, violently. In fact, he may have something to do with a young woman's disappearance. She looks a little bit like you, actually.
Paige: Prue.
Cortez: Prue Halliwell. Do you know her?
Paige: No. No, not really.
Shane: Well, in a way you did, right?
Cortez: What way was that? Are you a friend of hers, a friend of her sisters?
Paige: No, not friends.
Cortez: Then what? O-okay, look. I-I know you know something. I can see it in your eyes. Just like I know they know something, too. If you're trying to protect them in any way, I'll find out.
Paige: Well, in that case, I have nothing to worry about. You rest up. I'll be back. (She kisses Shane on the side of the head. To Cortez) Excuse me.
(Paige leaves the room.)
[Cut to Manor. Phoebe sits next to the fireplace. Piper walks toward her and hands her a teacup.]
Piper: Here, this should help. It's chamomile. I had three cups.
(Piper takes a seat on the floor beside Phoebe.)
Phoebe: Thanks. (She takes a sip and sets it aside.) Doesn't seem real, does it?
Piper: No.
(Phoebe holds hands with Piper.)
Phoebe: We're gonna get through this, you know. We just have to stick together. (Leo orbs into the room.) Well?
Leo: Well, they don't know anything about her, so she's definitely not a whitelighter.
Phoebe: Then why can she orb, Leo?
Leo: They can't explain it.
(Both Piper and Phoebe stand up.)
Phoebe: Then how is it possible that they don't kn-?
(Cole shimmers into the room with Prue, giving Piper and Phoebe a fright.)
Piper/Phoebe: Oh my god, Prue!
Leo: Prue!
(The four of them hug tightly for a long time, all of them in tears.)
Piper: We didn't know if you were alive or dead. I thought I'd never see you again.
Prue: I'm so sorry. Cole and I have been dodging bounty hunters and assassins. We didn't want to risk leading them back here, and….
(They all finally pull away.)
Phoebe: Prue, what's wrong? What is it?
(Prue shakes her head.)
Prue: It doesn't matter. I never want to think about being down there again. I'm just…. I am so happy to finally be back. (They all hug again before pulling away.) It's still risky for us to be here, but when we heard about Shax, I had to come back. I had to help.
Phoebe: You know?
Prue: We heard some things while we were down there. That Shax was after some girl and that you were involved. And we… we know why the Source sent Shax after her.
Leo: Why? We couldn't figure out why the Source would be after a whitelighter, and the Elders don't know anything about what's going on either.
Cole: Well, the Source doesn't think she's a whitelighter. (He sits on the arm of the sofa.) He thinks she might be another... Charmed One. That's why he put Shax on it. He thinks that she'll make all of you even stronger, form a Power of Four.
Phoebe: No, but that's not possible. Is that possible? (Leo shrugs. Piper takes off.) Piper?
Prue: Piper?
(The others follow her. Piper goes to the attic and goes to the book.)
Phoebe: What's going on?
Piper: I'm going to ask Grams what's going on.
Prue: Grams?
Piper: Mm-hmm. Who else would know if there's another Charmed One? So, I'm going to summon her transparent butt here and find out what she knows.
Phoebe: Okay, but what should….?
Piper: "Here these words, hear my cry, spirit from the other side/Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the Great Divide!"
(She lets out a semi-satisfied sigh. Grams appears in a bright light.)
Grams: Piper? Phoebe? Why are you calling? P-Prue, wha-what's going on?
Piper: Grams, why does the Source think that there's another Charmed One?
Grams: I-I don't know what you're talking about.
Piper: You know what, Grams? You were a lousy liar when you were alive, and now as a ghost, you're worse.
Prue: If you know something, Grams, you have to tell us.
Phoebe: We deserve to know.
Grams: I can't. I'm sworn to secrecy.
Phoebe: By who?
Patty: By me. (Patty appears right next to Grams in a bright light.) By me.
Prue: Mom?
[Cut to downstairs. Cortez and Darryl enter the manor. Cortez is holding a flashlight.]
Darryl: You can't just walk in here like this.
(Cortez stops.)
Cortez: Search warrant says I can.
Darryl: What the hell are you looking for?
Cortez: Do you really expect me to believe you don't know, Inspector? Follow me, and keep your voice down.
(He continues searching.)
[Cut to Attic. Patty is explaining to her daughters as she paces.]
Patty: We didn't tell anybody because we were afraid that there would be reprisals, afraid that you girls would be denied your powers, your birthright. It happened after your father and I were divorced, when Sam and I were together.
Cole: (To Leo) Sam?
Leo: Her whitelighter.
Cole: Hmm. Apples don't fall far from the forbidden tree, I see.
Piper: Shh!
Prue: (To Patty) Go on.
Patty: You were all still so young. You just thought Mommy got a little fat. (She smiles.) You never knew I was pregnant.
Grams: I was the only one who knew.
Patty: And Sam, obviously.
Grams: Right. Well, yes, of course.
Patty: We wanted to keep the baby, of course. But mother-
Grams: Well, I-I knew it would be disastrous. You know, before you and Leo, Piper, it wasn't just forbidden. It was unthinkable for witches to be with whitelighters. I mean, let alone have children with them.
Patty: So, that's why we had to... why we decided... to give the baby up. Sam and I took her to a local church as soon as she was born, and we asked the nun there to find a home for her, and she found one. A very, very good home.
Grams: Yes.
Leo: Explains why the Elders didn't know about her.
(He looks at the sisters.)
Prue: Alright, hold it. Wait just one minute. Are you telling me, that that girl, the innocent, is really... our sister?
Patty: Your baby sister.
Grams: Their baby half-sister.
Patty: But by my half, which makes her a sister witch. Well, actually, not yet anyway. Not until all four of you are here together by the Book. Just like before.
Grams: The Power of Four.
Cole: And I thought my family was screwed up.
(Piper gives Cole a look. Cortez walks into the attic, seeing the two ghosts there. Everyone is a bit stunned. Darryl is right behind him.)
Cortez: Well, I'll be damned.
Commercial Break
[Scene: Attic. Continue from before.]
Piper: Darryl, do something!
Darryl: He's a cop, Piper. And he's got a search warrant.
Cortez: And believe me, I've found what I've been searching for. (Cole moves slightly towards Cortez. He aims his gun at him.) Ah-ah-ah-ah. Don't move. I'll shoot.
Cole: So will I.
Prue: Cole….
Phoebe: Okay, Inspector, just put the gun down. There is a very good explanation for all of this. Feel free to chime in anytime, guys.
Cortez: My whole life, I suspected evil magic was real, that there was something more. I've seen too many horrible things on the job to suspect otherwise, not the least of which is the murder that happened here.
Piper: Wait. Are you accusing us?
Cortez: I've just begun to accuse you, lady! And I notice that you're back, Prue Halliwell. And where were you?
Grams: Alright, fine. You caught us. Congratulations. So what are you gonna do about it? Shoot us?
Phoebe: Easy, Grams. Not all of us are dead, remember?
Leo: Alright, look, you can't arrest us, especially not them. Nobody will ever believe you.
Cortez: Maybe not at first. I'm putting this whole place under constant surveillance. I'm taping your every move. Sooner or later, I'll catch you doing something, uh, supernatural, and then-
(Darryl knocks Cortez out with the butt of his gun. He falls to the floor.)
Darryl: I think you've been through enough today, huh? (He smiles at Prue.) I'm glad that you're back.
Prue: Thank you.
(Prue goes over to Darryl and they hug. They pull away.)
Prue: Darryl, go, get out of here. We don't want you to take the fall for this.
Darryl: No, it's okay.
Phoebe: No, it's not. This is our problem. He wants to expose us, not you. Let us take care of this, please?
Darryl: If you need me, you know where to find me, huh?
(They all nod. Darryl leaves the manor.)
Cole: It doesn't solve your problem. He's gonna wake up eventually. You've just bought yourself some time.
Leo: What you're gonna need, especially if you wanna save your…
Prue: Sister?
Grams: Well, what are you waiting for? Just write a spell. Get rid of him.
Phoebe: Uh, get rid of him?
Grams: Well, you know what I mean. Dump him somewhere. Anywhere. With all the witches in this room, we oughta be able to do something with him. I mean, just start rhyming. Uh…. "Take him back, take him away/Remove him now, don't let him stay.
(She gestures to Phoebe.)
Phoebe: Oh. Uh. "We call the spirits to help undo/And... send him off to… Timbuktu. (Cortez vanishes from the floor.) Whoa. It worked.
Piper: Timbuktu? You sent him to Timbuktu?
Phoebe: Alright, well, it was the only thing I could think of that rhymed with undo.
Cole: Don't worry. Uh, I'll find him.
(Cole shimmers out.)
Piper: Okay, well this is way too much for me to handle. Way too much.
Patty: Nobody can blame you for being angry, sweetie.
Piper: Angry? Yeah, I'm angry. Um, I'm confused, and you know what? This-this is just crazy. You cannot float in here after all these years and go, 'Oh, gosh, I forgot, by the way, you've got a sister!'
Patty: I know it's a lot, sweetie. More than anybody should have to deal with, but you're going to have to deal with it the best way you know how. Learning about another sister... this is your path. It's your destiny. Get angry at it, cry about it, but don't fight it. Or it'll consume you.
Grams: Come on, Patty. The rest is up to them. (Grams and Patty disappear. Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Leo head downstairs.)
Leo: I can't sense where she is because she's technically not a witch yet.
Prue: Alright, so all we have to go on is that church that Mom mentioned and the nun.
(They all stop when they find Paige waiting for them. The door is left open.)
Paige: I…. The door was open. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here.
(Paige turns to leave but Phoebe stops her.)
Phoebe: No, no, no, no. No, no. We were just coming to look for you.
Paige: You were?
Phoebe: Yep. Come on in. Welcome. I'm Phoebe. And this is Prue. And…
(Phoebe hooks her arm into Paige's and walks over to Piper and Leo.)
Paige: Piper. I know. I've been to your... club. It's… pretty great.
Piper: Thank you. And you are?
Paige: Paige. My name is Paige.
Phoebe: Hmm. Another P. Imagine that.
(Prue smiles.)
Prue: It's nice to meet you. (Prue takes Piper's arm to pull her slightly over to Paige, and the two shake hands. A bright blue light shines over the girls. They all release each other.)
Paige: Okay. What was that?
Leo: I think that means you're supposed to be here. (The door slams open and a strong wind knocks Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige backwards. Leo is knocked down on the stairs. Shax materializes and walks closer. He is about to strike when Leo jumps on his back.) Run! Get upstairs!
Piper: Leo?!
(Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige run upstairs. Shax throws Leo off his back and Leo is knocked out. Shax then looks upstairs.)
[Cut to attic. Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige enter and go to the Book.]
Paige: What are we doing?! What is that thing?!
Prue: We'll explain later. (She flips through the pages of the Book.) Okay, just say this spell out loud with us, okay?
Paige: Spell? What are you guys, witches?
Phoebe: And so are you. We hope.
Piper: Well, we're about to find out.
(The strong wind breaks through the attic door and Shax materializes. The girls recite the vanquishing spell.)
Prue/Piper/Phoebe/Paige: "Evil wind that blows/That which forms below/No longer may you dwell/Death takes you with this spell."
(Shax moans in pain as he explodes, vanquished.)
Paige: What have you guys turned me into?
(Paige runs out the attic and out of the manor.)
Prue/Piper: Paige?!
Phoebe: Wait!