Hello, my wonderful readers! What a response! I think I might have some mental burns, some of you sounded a little mad at that cliffie...so here is scene 14. It's not as long as I orignally planned, and is a bit of a cliffie in and of itself, but I figure that I owe you guys for being so awesome; seriously, all these reviews make me dance. Literally. So please accept my peace offering.
jenny: I'm sorry, I really don't like to leave huge cliffies like that, but I had to; otherwise it was looking very probable that my parents would take away Baby Mac until school started. Thanks for the alert on the German; I was trying to say "The one who is missing is gone no more, restore me to my son." I'll get it fixed as soon as I have it all down pat. Thanks for a lovely review and hope you enjoy!
ElenaMarshall: You write awesome reviews, you know that? So here is the update, because I do not want you to die, okay? No dying for you is allowed:-)
Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed. If I did, updates would be very regular. Weekly, in fact, because this would be on tv.
Last time on Tug of Warren:
Warren: Daddy, I can 'splain everything—
Melinda: It's my fault too, Mr. Philip's daddy, we was just—
Cole: (slowly turning around) Young man, you—
(Cole notices Melinda, looks up. Phoebe stares back at him, a mixture of shock and horror on her face. Cole freezes.)
Goodbye and Hello
(Same as last scene. Phoebe and Cole stare at each other, speechless. Warren and Melinda tug at Cole, talking incessantly)
Warren: Daddy! Daddy! (shouts) DADDY!
Cole: (eyes still fixed on Phoebe.) What...what is it, Philip?
Warren: (frustrated) Daddy, I'm trying to splain what happened and your nots listening—
Cole: (tears his eyes away from Phoebe) All right, I'm listening.
Warren: I was at daycare and I was accidentally doings my magics that I got from Mommy when—
Melinda: I magicked in cause I read a spell from the Book of Shadows and it brought me to Philip and when he told me he didn't have any magic friends or family 'sides you so I hearted us to my my auntie's house so he could plays with me and my cousins..
Cole: I see. That was very nice of you, Melinda. (realizes he said her name, bites back a curse)
Melinda: You know my name! Have I met you b'fore?
(Phoebe finds her voice)
Phoebe: (harsh) No. He hasn't met you before.
Cole: (glances at Phoebe, back to Warren and Melinda) Philip, why don't you show your new friend your fish. (he gestures to a fish tank at the other end of the room)
Warren: Okay! C'mon Melinda.
(Cole pats Warren on the head as the children go to inspect the brightly colored tropical fish. Phoebe follows them with her eyes before returning her cold stare to Cole, who sighs, stuffs his hands in the pockets and steps forward.)
Cole: (pastes on a forced smile) Well...this is awkward...(Phoebe says nothing) but aside from a healthy dose of parental panic, at least on my part, I'd say no harm done. (Phoebe remains silent. Cole turns to the children) Philip. It's time for Melinda and Phoebe to go.
(Warren and Melinda's faces fall)
Warren: (pouting) But daddy—
Cole: No arguments, son. (He goes and firmly takes Warren by the hand and leads him away from Melinda, who sadly returns to her mother. Phoebe clutches her protectively to her side.)
Warren: (unhappy) Daddy, I don't want Phoebe and Melinda to go. I want to go back and finish dinner and eat the cookies and—
Melinda: Please Mr. Philip's daddy, just let him come back for cookies. You can come too—
Phoebe: No Melinda. You heard what Philip's daddy said. It's time for us to go.
Melinda: But Mommy!
Phoebe: Melinda, hush. We're going. (she looks back at Cole) But not before we say goodbye.
Cole: (smile falters) What?
Phoebe: (coolly) Say goodbye, of course. We spent the entire afternoon with Philip, and he's quite charming. I can't leave without at least a hug.
Warren: (jumps up and down and tugs on his father's hand) Please daddy, let me give Phoebe a hug. Please? (solemn) I promise I'll clean up all my toys and not complain for at least a day.
Phoebe: Did you hear that? He'll pick up all his toys and not complain for at least a day! That's a serious promise. (locks her eyes with his) It would be cruel to not let him.
Warren: Yeah, Daddy, it would be cruel!
Melinda: That means really mean!
Cole: (glares daggers at Phoebe) Fine. (to Warren) Go say goodbye to Phoebe. But be quick. It's past your bedtime.
(smiling, Phoebe kneels down on the ground and opens her arms. Warren hugs her tightly. Cole watches, tapping his foot impatiently.)
Phoebe: (to her daughter) Come on, Melinda, let's make it a group hug. (she hugs her daughter with her other arm. She looks back up at Cole) Goodbye...Cole. (Cole's eyes widen)
Cole: Don't you—
Phoebe: (shouts) Coop! Bring us home. Now!
Cole: (snarls) NO! (he lunges to grab Warren, but the three disappear in a flash of pink light, a tiny, glowing image of a heart lingering briefly behind)
(Breathing hard, fists clenched, Cole's eyes flash red)
Cole: NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(abrupt scene change. The manor, foyer. Wyatt, Chris, Grace, Sammie, and Livvie stand in a line in front of the staircase, trying to appear innocent and clueless. Opposite them stand the Piper, Leo, and Paige, arms folded, save for Henry, who holds little Henry. The baby, eagerly looks at his sisters and cousins and chews on his hand. Coop stands off to the side, eyes closed, concentrating deeply)
Chris: No. We do not know why Aunt Phoebe and Melinda and Philip disappeared in grey smoke.
(the children all nod emphatically)
Leo: Really, Chris?
Chris: Really.
Sammie: Yeah.
Paige: Okay then...why did all of you have to use the bathroom at exactly the same time?
Piper: Right after they disappeared, no less?
Chris: Um...
Grace: Coinkidunce.
Livvie: That's it. It was a coinkidunce.
Paige: You mean coincidence.
Wyatt: (laughs nervously) Yeah, coincidence. Those little kids these days, not knowing how to pronounce stuff.
Piper: Grace, what do we say about coincidences in this family?
Sammie: Ooh! I know this one! (recites) "Coincidences, be they big or small, do not exist whatsoever in any Halliwell household." (the children glare at her) What? I just—oops.
Leo: I think it's time to call in our resident lie detector.
Paige: (turns to her husband) Henry? What do you think?
Henry: (steps forward, looks thoughfully at each child) Well, I'd say that they're telling the truth. (the children heave audible sighs of relief)
Paige: What?!
Henry: I think they're telling the truth. I don't think they do know why Phoebe, Melinda and Philip disappeared. But...(the children tense) my police senses tell me that Jr. here is the only one who isn't hiding something.
(the children look at each other guiltily. The kitchen phone rings)
Piper: I'll get it. (she exits)
Wyatt: We plead the fourth.
Leo: I think you mean "plead the fifth"
Henry: Although if you think about it the fourth amendment, protection against unwarrented search and seizure, could sort of apply.
Leo: Yeah, but I'm pretty sure this is a situation that automatically grants us moral warrants to search and seize any information possible.
Henry: True, but from a theoretical standpoint—
Paige: Why are you arguing Constituional Rights? This is not the time or the place, people! (hands on hips, sternly to the children) One of you start talking.
(cut to the kitchen. Piper picks up the phone)
Piper: Phoebe?
(split screen, Billie and Piper. Billie sits on a couch, holding an ice pack to her head)
Billie: No, it's me. Look Piper, you sounded really mad on the phone—
Piper: We'll deal with that later, Billie, right now you need to get over here. Philip's disappeared along with Phoebe and Melinda.
Billie: Phlip?
Piper: (impatiently) Yes, Philip Warren, the innocent you so kindly dropped on us this afternoon.
Billie: I don't know anybody name Philip.
Piper: What?
Billie: And I haven't been to your house at all today.
Piper: Oh really?
(cut to foyer. The children are silent. avoiding the adults' eyes. Piper walks in, cheerful)
Piper: Hi everybody! Did I miss anything exciting?
Paige: (raises eyebrows) Just a debate on constituional rights.
Coop: (opens eyes, addresses Piper in worried voice) Was that Phoebe? Are they okay?
Piper: (drops Little Miss Perky act and replies sympathetically) No, it wasn't. Have you been able to sense them yet?
Coop: No...
Piper: Keep trying. I'm sure they'll turn up. (Coop nods and goes back to sensing. Piper resumes being chipper) Well, that wasn't Phoebe on the phone, but guess who it was?
Leo: Who?
Piper: It was Billie!
Paige: Well great, is she on her way over then?
Piper: No, Billie's not coming. The demon she vanquished today gave her a minor concussion. I told her to take the night off and rest.
Paige: Piper! It's her innocent!
Piper: Oh yeah, that was the other intersting thing! You're never going to believe this.
Henry: (with trepidation) Believe what?
Piper: Billie doesn't have an innocent named Philip! (the children stiffen) And she's not been to the Manor today, because she's currently in Cleveland! (she strides closer to the children) Now isn't that just the most interesting thing you've ever heard?
(Henry, Leo, and Paige are clearly not happy. Even Coop snaps out of his trance to gape incredulously at the children.)
Leo:(sounding scarily like a really ticked-off Elder) Explanations. Now.
(Before anyone can answer Coop's eyes go wide)
Coop: It's Phoebe! She's calling me...
(he holds out his hands. Phoebe, still clutching Melinda and Warren, hearts in)
Phoebe: (panicking) Oh God, this isn't happening...this isn't real...
Coop: Phoebe!
(Paige and Coop rush over to them)
Coop: Sweetie, what happened?
Phoebe: The...the kids...have to get the kids—
Warren: (upset) Phoebe, why dids you do that?!
Phoebe: Shh, sweetie, shh. The Book...somebody get the Book
Piper: Phoebe, why do we need the book?
(the doorbell rings. Everyone ignores it.)
Phoebe: Just...just get it...now...
Paige: (holds out arms) Book of Shadows (it orbs into her arms)
(the doorbell rings again. Piper looks over at it. The outline of a person is faintly visible through the glass)
Warren: Phoebe! Why dids you do that?!
Melinda: Mommy! Why—
(Coop leads Phoebe into the dining room and gently sits Phoebe into a chair. The rest of the family follows)
Coop: Honey, just tell me what happened—
(the doorbell rings again. Everyone save for Piper ignores it. Taking one last glance over her shoulder at her incoherent sister and worried family, she hurries to the door and pulls it open)
Piper: (distractedly) I'm sorry, this is a really bad time, you'll have to—
(she stops, and her jaw drops as she recognizes the visitor)
Piper: (disbelief) Cole?
(Camera to Cole, who's leaning casually against the doorway)
Cole: Hello Piper.
Sorry that's all I could do for now! I'll put up more as soon as I possibly can! Thanks for reading and please R&R!