Later, inside the Morris' kitchen
VICTOR BENNETT and SHEILA MORRIS sit in silence at the kitchen table, sipping their tea and trying to calm their nerves after the days trying events
SHEILA: Chris is sound asleep Victor. You should really try to get some rest too. You're welcome to sleep in my room. I'll be perfectly fine on the couch.
Victor smiles at Sheila as he gently places his teacup on the table.
VICTOR: Oh, thank you sweetheart. But I really don't think I could get any sleep anyway.
Sheila reaches out and places her hand gently over Victor's.
SHELA: He's a tough kid Victor. He'll bounce back. He always does.
VICTOR: (sighing) Yeah, but he shouldn't have to. It's not fair. He's been through so much already.
SHEILA: You're right. It's not.
Victor rises from his chair to pace the floor again.
VICTOR: I just can't stand seeing him that upset. It terrifies me. I just keep flashing back to the day the girls…
Sheila rushes to his side and wraps her arms around him, trying to console him.
SHEILA: I know.
VICTOR: (in tears) I thought I had lost him that day too.
FLASHBACK (6 YEARS EARLIER)The street outside the Halliwell manor is blocked with POLICE CARS, AMBULANCES and a crowd of curious NEIGHBORS.
VICTOR, with a birthday present tucked under one arm, races frantically through the crowd, only to be stopped at the steps leading to the front door by a uniformed police officer.
OFFICER: I'm sorry sir. But you can't go in there. This is an official crime scene.
VICTOR: (panicked) What? What's going on?
OFFICER: Sir, you'll have to step to the side. We can't let anyone in.
Victor tries to shove his way past.
VICTOR: But that's my daughters' house! It's my grandson's birthday! Oh god! What happened?
As the officer struggles to hold him back.
OFFICER: Sir please!
DARYLL MORRIS SR. appears in the doorway of the Manor.
DARYLL: Janetti!
The officer stops struggling with Victor -turns his attention to Daryll.
OFFICER: Lieutenant?
Daryll looks sadly at Victor and then instructs the officer to…
DARYLL: Let him through.
Victor races up the steps to meet Daryll.
VICTOR: Daryll, what is it? What happened?
Daryll, his eyes brimming with tears, can barely get the words out.
DARYLL: Victor, I'm so sorry. By the time we got here it was already too late.
VICTOR: Oh my God.
He pushes past Daryll and heads into the house. Daryll hurries after him.
DARYLL: Victor wait!
VICTOR rushes into the parlor and stops dead in his tracks. On the floor in front of him, police are placing a sheet over the lifeless body of his youngest daughter Pheobe.
Victor cries out in horror.
VICTOR: Pheobe!
He takes a step toward her as an officer rushes forward to hold him back. He turns to his left and is horrified to see Piper, also dead, laying on the floor in the living room.
VICTOR: Oh God no!
Sobbing and unsteady on his feet, Victor stumbles into the living room and drops to his knees beside Piper.
Daryll approaches him from behind and kneels down beside him. Placing his hand gently on Victor's shoulder he informs him…
DARYLL: We found Paige in the attic. Victor, I am so sorry.
Victor, now sobbing uncontrollably, can barely speak but manages to ask…
VICTOR: The boys…where are the boys?
Daryll shakes his head.
DARYLL: We don't know. They weren't in the house when we got here.
VICTOR: What do you mean they weren't in the house? The family was getting ready to celebrate Chris' birthday! Where the hell else would they be?
DARYLL: I don't know. But I swear we have every cop in San Francisco out looking for them. If they're alive…
Daryll doesn't have time to finish his statement. Victor has just noticed LEO, sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees, his face buried in his hands. He rushes to him.
VICTOR: Leo! Where are the boys?
Leo looks up at him – his tear streaked face pale and expressionless.
VICTOR: LEO!
LEO: (almost inaudible) I don't know. Piper sent me out to pick up the birthday cake. When I got back…they were all gone.
Furious, Victor reaches out and grabs Leo by the shoulders and shakes him angrily.
VICTOR: I don't want to hear that! Do you hear me! You are their father god dammit. You can sense them! Now tell me where they are!
LEO: (sobbing) I don't know where they are! Don't you think if I could sense them I would! I'm powerless now! You know that!
Victor opens his mouth to respond when a panicked officer cries out from the stairwell.
OFFICER: Lieutenant!
Daryll, Victor and Leo rush to the parlor to find an officer rushing down the stairs with the limp body of a small teenage boy in his arms – CHRIS.
They rush toward him.
Victor gets to him first and takes the young boy from the officer's arms. He's pale and motionless except for the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he breathes erratically.
OFFICER: We found him in the attic curled up behind and old trunk. We must have just missed him during our first sweep of the house.
Victor hugs the boy close to his chest.
VICTOR: Chris? Honey?
DARYLL: That must have been why Paige was in the attic. She was trying to protect him.
OFFICER: Which means he saw her murder. (beat) My god…he saw them all murdered.
LEO: Oh god! Victor, give me my son.
Leo reaches forward and tries to take Chris from Victor's arms. When Victor doesn't release him right away, he lashes out angrily.
LEO: I said give me my son!
DARYLL: Leo.
Victor lets go of Chris as Leo, sobbing again, takes the small boy in his arms.
DARYLL: Alright listen to me. He's in shock. OK? We got to get him out of this house and to the hospital.
He turns to the front door to address officer Janetti who is now standing guard on the front porch.
DARYLL: Hey! Heads up! We got a victim coming out!
Janetti turns and looks at them incredulously.
JANETTI: Alive?
LEO: (rushing to the door) Yes alive!
As Leo disappears out the door with Chris, Victor turns his attention to Daryll.
VICTOR: What about Wyatt?
Daryll turns to the officer who found Chris, who is still standing at the base of the steps. The officer shakes his head.
OFFICER: We're searching the whole house again. But…we haven't found him.
DARYLL: Alright, keep looking.
As the officer disappears back up the stairs, Daryll turns back to Victor.
DARYLL: We'll find him Victor. I promise.
Victor shakes his head.
VICTOR: What if he doesn't want to be found?
DARYLL: What do you mean?
VICTOR: Oh come on Daryll. Don't tell me the thought hasn't crossed your mind. You know how much trouble Piper's had with Wyatt recently. And you know what happened 14 years ago. You know what Chris said about the future.
DARYLL: Don't think like that Victor. We don't know what happened yet.
VICTOR: I don't know what to think anymore.
END FLASHBACK
VICTOR and SHEILA sit in silence once again at the kitchen table. Both reliving the nightmare in their heads.
Finally, Victor speaks up.
VICTOR: You know…for the past six years I've tried to convince myself of Wyatt's innocence. I keep telling myself that no matter how bad he's been, he'd never do that. He'd never take his own mother's life. But it's getting harder and harder. And if he could do that to them…the Charmed Ones…what chance is there for Chris?
SHEILA: It's not going to happen again Victor.
VICTOR: How can you be so sure?
SHEILA: Because I believe in them. Both of them. (shaking her head) I've never believed Wyatt killed the sisters. He's gone down the wrong path since his mother's death, but I firmly believe Chris will bring him back.
Victor scoffs.
VICTOR: Chris? I love that boy with all my heart but…he's no match for Wyatt. He's just not strong enough – emotionally, physically or magically.
Sheila smiles at him and reaches out to gently pat his hand.
SHEILA: Oh Victor. You underestimate him.
To be continued…