INT. MANOR- KITCHEN

PIPER is heating herself some warm milk on the stove. It was 2 in the morning but she hadn't slept a wink all night and she was hoping this would help. Her conversation with Chris that afternoon was still replaying itself in her mind. She really didn't understand what was going on with him-one minute Chris seemed fine and upbeat, the next, he was biting her head off for showing a little parental concern. She realized that the whole situation was probably very strange for him.

Chris had grown up, for the most part, without any family but she knew that he wanted one. She knew that deep down, he wanted to be a part of their family more than anything so she was baffled by his attitude and a little annoyed by it as well. How could he expect her not to worry about him-after all they had been through. After she had already lost him-TWICE.

She poured the warm milk into a mug and settle down at the kitchen table. "I don't care if it pisses him off!" she thought to herself, "I'm not going to stop worrying about him. I'm not going to pretend I'm not his mother."

EXT MANOR

DARYLL struggled to help CHRIS up the front steps to the manor. Chris's drunken high, that had kept Daryll's collegues so amused at the station, was now gone and he was basically just dead on his feet. He had passed out in the car on the short drive from the station to the Manor and Daryll had a tough time waking him up to get him to walk from the car to the house. Chris had offered to just orb them back the manor, but Daryll didn't want to risk ending up halfway across the world. Now as he struggled to pull Chris up the steps, he was second guessing his decision.

When he reached the front door, he turned to Chris---

DARYLL: Do you have a key?

Chris looked up at him through half-open eyes.

CHRIS: What?

DARYLL: Keys! You know-small medal objects we use to open doors with?

Chris pats down his pockets.

CHRIS: Umm.no DARYLL: Of course not!

CHRIS: Well, that's OK. Cuz I don't need one.

He reaches out and grabs Daryll's arm---orbing them both away before Daryll can protest.

INT. MANOR

CHRIS and DARYLL orb back in-reappearing just inside the front door. Daryll looks relieved at first, thinking of all the places they could have ended up, but his relief quickly turns to annoyance.

DARYLL: God! Would you please warn me before you do that!

Chris shrugs.

CHRIS: Sorry.

DARYLL: Never mind. (taking Chris by the arm) Come on. Let's get you to bed.

He starts to head toward the stairs but then realizes he doesn't know where in the house Chris sleeps.

DARYLL: Actually, why don't you crash on the couch tonight.

CHRIS: Fine with me. It's where I usually sleep anyway.

Daryll helps the staggering Chris toward the couch in the living room. They are almost there when they hear a voice behind them---

PIPER: (calm and quiet) You lied.

Surprised, they both turn around quickly to see Piper standing in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest. DARYLL: Piper! I am so sorry. I didn't want to wake you.

PIPER You didn't wake me. I was already up. (to Chris) You lied to me.

Feeling dizzy, Chris sits down unsteadily on the arm of the couch and holds onto to Daryll's arm to steady himself. Too ashamed to look up at her, he keeps his head down.

PIPER: You said you would be home later TONIGHT. It's 2 in the morning.

Still getting no response from Chris, she continues.

PIPER: Well, I can clearly see that you have been drinking. What happened to your face? Were you fighting now too?

DARYLL: If it makes you feel any better, from what I heard down at the station---it sounded like he was pretty much defending himself? Acouple of punks at the Dive bar kinda ganged up on him.

Piper looks at Daryll curiously---then it dawns on her---

PIPER: Oh my god! Were you arrested Chris?

DARYLL: Taken into custody---for his own protection. Luckily, I was at the station when they brought him in and they released him to me.

PIPER: Luckily is right!

CHRIS: I'm sorry. It won't happen again.

PIPER sighs but doesn't say anthing.

Chris turns to Daryll and tugs on his sleeve. Daryll looks down at him.

CHRIS: (whispering) OK, why isn't she yelling at me?

DARYLL: (shaking his head) I have no idea. I would be!

PIPER: (remarkably calm) I'm not going to yell at you Chris. I don't have the energy right now to yell at you and given your drunken state I'm not sure what good it would do anyway.

CHRIS: (cheerfully) Well that's good. Because you don't need to yell at me. Cuz I didn't do anything. I didn't even use magic!

PIPER: Really?

CHRIS: (nodding) Really.

PIPER: No magic at all?

CHRIS: (shaking his head) Nope!

Piper isn't buying it. Smiling she takes a few steps toward him.

PIPER: Uh huh. So tell me Chris. How did you get into this nightclub?

Chris shrugs.

CHRIS: I walked in.

PIPER: (laughing) Right! With THAT baby face and NO ID you strolled right past the bouncers and into the Dive Bar.

Daryll laughs and turns to see how Chris would respond to that. He had to hand it to her, there was no pulling the wool over the eyes of Piper Halliwell.

PIPER: So, you want to tell me again how you got into the club.

CHRIS: Not really.

PIPER: I didn't think so.

LEO, dressed in PJs, orbs into the room next to Piper. He looks surprised to see Daryll there in the middle of the night.

LEO: What's going on? (to Piper) I woke up and you weren't there. I heard voices and thought there might be a demon in the house or something.

PIPER: No. No demons. Just your drunken son-who by the way got arrested tonight!

LEO turns and looks sternly at his son.

LEO: Oh, that's just great Chris.

DARYLL: Don't worry Leo. I took care of it.

Piper walks over to Daryll and puts an arm around him.

PIPER: And we appreciate it. Thank you.

They all turn their attention to Chris, who at this point is deathly pale and starting to sway a bit on the edge of the couch.

PIPER: Chris?

CHRIS: (shaking his head) I don't feel so good.

PIPER: Oh Jeez! Leo hurry! Quick- before he yaks on the couch!

Leo rushes forward, wraps his arms around Chris, and they orb away.

PIPER: I guess having a whitelighter for a Dad does have it's perks. No one can get you to a toilet quicker when you're gonna puke!

Daryll laughs as an exhausted Piper takes a seat on the couch. He looks at her sympathetically for a moment-debating whether or not he should even get into this with her now after the night she's had.

DARYLL: Umm---Piper. I don't mean to state the obvious here but---tonight could have potentially been a disaster. I mean, Chris was so out of control. If he had done anything---

PIPER: I know.

DARYLL: You gotta keep a tighter leash on him Piper!

PIPER: Oh, for cryin' out loud Daryll! He's not a dog! OK? He's a kid. A very confused kid!

DARYLL: I know but---

PIPER: Look, what do you want me to do Daryll? Please! Tell me! Because I am at a loss here! OK? I mean---I'm having a hard enough time being a mother to a 21 month old and now I have a 21 year old to worry about as well!

Frustrated, Piper runs her hands through her hair-her eyes brimming with tears---

PIPER: I can't do this! OK? I am thirty one! He's twenty one! I can't be a mother to him!

Daryll takes a seat on the couch next to Piper.

DARYLL: But you ARE his mother Piper.

PIPER: (crying) I know. And I love him. I do. Sometimes I look at him and I can't believe he's really mine. He's so gorgeous and funny and smart---But he's also so distant. I feel like he hates me.

Daryll puts an arm around Piper and pulls her close.

DARYLL: He doesn't hate you. He risked his life, not to mention his existence, just to save you-all of you. He wants to be part of this family. You gotta know that!

She DID know that. But as she hugged Daryll and let the tears flow down her face, PIPER couldn't help but wondered how she would get her son to open up and become a happy member of the family he so wanted to be a part of---