INT. PHEOBE'S OFFICE
LEO just stared at PHOEBE, mixed feelings of fear and relief swelling through him at the same time.
PHEOBE: Leo! Did you hear what I just said?
LEO: Yeah. I heard you?
PHEOBE: Well then you must realize what this means!
She pauses and waits for Leo to explain the obvious. When he doesn't, she continues---
PHEOBE: I was touching Piper and having premonitions of Chris. That can only mean-- -
LEO: (cutting her off) I know what it means.
PHEOBE: That Chris is your son. PIPER'S SON!
Leo looks away.
Pheobe steps toward him.
PHEOBE: Oh my god! You knew!
When once again, Leo doesn't respond, she spits angrily---
PHEOBE: How long!?!
LEO: Pheobe---
PHEOBE How long Leo?
LEO: Chris told me---right before he died.
Pheobe, shaking her head and choking back her tears informs him---
PHEOBE: But that's not possible. Because Chris died in the house- ALONE. That's not possible because if you had been in the house with Chris when he was attacked you would have healed him and he would still be alive!
LEO: Pheobe, I couldn't!
PHEOBE: (angry) What do you mean you couldn't! He's your son!
LEO: He wouldn't let me!
He takes a deep breath and tries to compose himself before continuing.
LEO: Don't you get it? He planned the whole thing. He sent you on that trip so you would be out of the house. And he made sure that I was holding Wyatt so that I would be protected when he summoned the darklighter!
PHEOBE: What?
LEO had gotten ahead of himself. Pheobe HAD figured out that Chris was her nephew, but she still thought he was killed in a random attack. Now, he could see the horror on her face as the truth started to sink in---
PHEOBE: Chris summoned the darklighter?
Leo simply nods-not sure what he can say to make the truth any easier for her to hear.
PHEOBE: Are you telling me that my nephew---killed himself?
She brings her hands to her face and starts to cry. Leo rushes forward and wraps his arms around her and tries to comfort her.
LEO: NO! Pheobe, he sacrificed himself - for his brother and for his family! PHEOBE: Is that suppose to make me feel better? How could you have let him do that Leo? How?
This was a question Leo had asked himself every day since his son's death. Tears stream down his cheeks as he tries to explain to Pheobe---
LEO: Don't you think it was hard for me? I had to hold my son in my arms and let him die! But---it was what he wanted! He knew he couldn't stay here with Piper being pregnant and he said if he went back he would be killed! It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do but I would rather my son die on his own terms, with someone who loves him, than have to die alone and afraid!
PHEOBE: (sobbing) What are we going to tell Piper?
INT MANOR:
WYATT is playing in his playpen in the family room as Piper enters. She looks over at her son and smiles.
PIPER: Whatcha doin' little man?
He holds up a toy truck and smiles at his mother before turning his attention back to his toys.
PIPER starts circling the room picking up the rest of Wyatt's toys that are scattered about.
Suddenly, a PHEONIX shimmers into the room right in front of her. PIPER is caught off guard and with one swipe of his hand, Piper is sent flying across the room.
Wyatt activates his protective shield as the Pheonix turns and stares at him a moment, but makes no move to harm him.
Across the room, a shakey Piper gets to her feet and is horrified to see the intruder so close to her son. She hollers across the room---
PIPER: Hey!
The PHEONIX turns to face her and Piper blows him up with a flick of her hands.
The Pheonix explodes in a manner similar to Bianca and it is then that Piper realizes--- PIPER (to herself) Another assassin!
Realizing that she and her sons are still in mortal danger, she screams out for her husband.
PIPER: Leo!
The Pheonix reforms directly behind her and before she can react he wraps his arms around her and drives an athame into her stomach just as Leo and Pheobe orb in.
LEO: Piper!
The Pheonix let's go of Piper and she drops to the ground, still conscious. Then, without moving to attack the others, the Pheonix shimmers out---
PIPER: (clutching her stomach) Leo!
Leo and Pheobe rush to her side as Piper cries out in agony.
PIPER: No, Chris! Not again! Please!
Leo and Pheobe look at each other in disbelief. Piper KNEW. And no one had to tell her.
PHEOBE: Leo, hurry!
LEO holds his hand over Piper's stomach and her wound appears to heal. But Piper is still panicked.
LEO: Are you OK?
PIPER: No, something is still wrong. You didn't heal him.
LEO shakes his head.
LEO: But I---
PIPER: Leo! He's dying!
PHEOBE: No, he can't be! Not again.
PIPER: (crying) Chris!
As Piper continues to cry hysterically and Leo and Pheobe try desperately to calm her, blue orbs appear from her midsection and rise up into the darkness of the room.
In his playpen, Wyatt points to the blue orbs as they rise and disappear above.
PHEOBE: Oh my god! What was that?
As Piper screams in horror---
PIPER: CHRIS!!!
Leo realizes---
LEO Oh my god. He's gone.
As Pheobe cradles a distraught Piper in her arms, she refuses to believe he nephew is once again gone.
PHEOBE: No---No he's not. He can't be!
Leo rises to his feet and looks down at his wife and sister-in-law. The horror of losing his son, AGAIN, is too much for him to bear and the anger starts to boil within him.
LEO: (shaking his head) This is not right. This is not how it's supposed to be! Not after all he went through.
Before Piper or Pheobe can say a word. Leo orbs away leaving his distraught family alone.
To be Continued
LEO just stared at PHOEBE, mixed feelings of fear and relief swelling through him at the same time.
PHEOBE: Leo! Did you hear what I just said?
LEO: Yeah. I heard you?
PHEOBE: Well then you must realize what this means!
She pauses and waits for Leo to explain the obvious. When he doesn't, she continues---
PHEOBE: I was touching Piper and having premonitions of Chris. That can only mean-- -
LEO: (cutting her off) I know what it means.
PHEOBE: That Chris is your son. PIPER'S SON!
Leo looks away.
Pheobe steps toward him.
PHEOBE: Oh my god! You knew!
When once again, Leo doesn't respond, she spits angrily---
PHEOBE: How long!?!
LEO: Pheobe---
PHEOBE How long Leo?
LEO: Chris told me---right before he died.
Pheobe, shaking her head and choking back her tears informs him---
PHEOBE: But that's not possible. Because Chris died in the house- ALONE. That's not possible because if you had been in the house with Chris when he was attacked you would have healed him and he would still be alive!
LEO: Pheobe, I couldn't!
PHEOBE: (angry) What do you mean you couldn't! He's your son!
LEO: He wouldn't let me!
He takes a deep breath and tries to compose himself before continuing.
LEO: Don't you get it? He planned the whole thing. He sent you on that trip so you would be out of the house. And he made sure that I was holding Wyatt so that I would be protected when he summoned the darklighter!
PHEOBE: What?
LEO had gotten ahead of himself. Pheobe HAD figured out that Chris was her nephew, but she still thought he was killed in a random attack. Now, he could see the horror on her face as the truth started to sink in---
PHEOBE: Chris summoned the darklighter?
Leo simply nods-not sure what he can say to make the truth any easier for her to hear.
PHEOBE: Are you telling me that my nephew---killed himself?
She brings her hands to her face and starts to cry. Leo rushes forward and wraps his arms around her and tries to comfort her.
LEO: NO! Pheobe, he sacrificed himself - for his brother and for his family! PHEOBE: Is that suppose to make me feel better? How could you have let him do that Leo? How?
This was a question Leo had asked himself every day since his son's death. Tears stream down his cheeks as he tries to explain to Pheobe---
LEO: Don't you think it was hard for me? I had to hold my son in my arms and let him die! But---it was what he wanted! He knew he couldn't stay here with Piper being pregnant and he said if he went back he would be killed! It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do but I would rather my son die on his own terms, with someone who loves him, than have to die alone and afraid!
PHEOBE: (sobbing) What are we going to tell Piper?
INT MANOR:
WYATT is playing in his playpen in the family room as Piper enters. She looks over at her son and smiles.
PIPER: Whatcha doin' little man?
He holds up a toy truck and smiles at his mother before turning his attention back to his toys.
PIPER starts circling the room picking up the rest of Wyatt's toys that are scattered about.
Suddenly, a PHEONIX shimmers into the room right in front of her. PIPER is caught off guard and with one swipe of his hand, Piper is sent flying across the room.
Wyatt activates his protective shield as the Pheonix turns and stares at him a moment, but makes no move to harm him.
Across the room, a shakey Piper gets to her feet and is horrified to see the intruder so close to her son. She hollers across the room---
PIPER: Hey!
The PHEONIX turns to face her and Piper blows him up with a flick of her hands.
The Pheonix explodes in a manner similar to Bianca and it is then that Piper realizes--- PIPER (to herself) Another assassin!
Realizing that she and her sons are still in mortal danger, she screams out for her husband.
PIPER: Leo!
The Pheonix reforms directly behind her and before she can react he wraps his arms around her and drives an athame into her stomach just as Leo and Pheobe orb in.
LEO: Piper!
The Pheonix let's go of Piper and she drops to the ground, still conscious. Then, without moving to attack the others, the Pheonix shimmers out---
PIPER: (clutching her stomach) Leo!
Leo and Pheobe rush to her side as Piper cries out in agony.
PIPER: No, Chris! Not again! Please!
Leo and Pheobe look at each other in disbelief. Piper KNEW. And no one had to tell her.
PHEOBE: Leo, hurry!
LEO holds his hand over Piper's stomach and her wound appears to heal. But Piper is still panicked.
LEO: Are you OK?
PIPER: No, something is still wrong. You didn't heal him.
LEO shakes his head.
LEO: But I---
PIPER: Leo! He's dying!
PHEOBE: No, he can't be! Not again.
PIPER: (crying) Chris!
As Piper continues to cry hysterically and Leo and Pheobe try desperately to calm her, blue orbs appear from her midsection and rise up into the darkness of the room.
In his playpen, Wyatt points to the blue orbs as they rise and disappear above.
PHEOBE: Oh my god! What was that?
As Piper screams in horror---
PIPER: CHRIS!!!
Leo realizes---
LEO Oh my god. He's gone.
As Pheobe cradles a distraught Piper in her arms, she refuses to believe he nephew is once again gone.
PHEOBE: No---No he's not. He can't be!
Leo rises to his feet and looks down at his wife and sister-in-law. The horror of losing his son, AGAIN, is too much for him to bear and the anger starts to boil within him.
LEO: (shaking his head) This is not right. This is not how it's supposed to be! Not after all he went through.
Before Piper or Pheobe can say a word. Leo orbs away leaving his distraught family alone.
To be Continued