The Witch is Back/Script

Written by: Sheryl J. Anderson

Season 1, Episode 09

Episode Number: 9

[Scene: Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. A turnkey opens a cell door in a jail. Melinda is there. Matthew walks in.]

Melinda: Matthew.

Matthew: Hello, Melinda.

Melinda: Why? Why did you betray me?

Matthew: You got what you deserve.

Melinda: So you've never loved me? All the passion, all the heat?

Matthew: I had to make you trust me. It was the only way to share your powers.

Melinda: And so now you have them. So why would you turn me in? You know I'll burn.

Matthew: I had to keep my secret.

Melinda: Well, you can keep your trinkets too.

(She pulls off a locket that was around her neck and throws it at him.)

Matthew: I'll find another witch to give it to.

(He opens the locket.)

Melinda: Maybe not.

(He takes out a little piece of paper and it catches on fire. He throws it on the ground.)

Matthew: What magic is this?

Melinda: I'm taking back the powers you stole from me. "Outside of time, outside of gain, know only sorrow, know only pain."

(It gets really windy and Matthew gets sucked into the locket.)

[Scene: Bucklands. Prue's office. Rex puts some jewellery on Prue's desk. He picks up the locket and tries to open it. Prue walks in.]

Prue: Rex?

Rex: Ah, good morning, Prue. I’ve, uh, left a few things for you to catalogue. A marvellous shipment from an estate back east.

Prue: I’ll get right on it.

Rex: Thanks.

(Rex leaves. Prue sees the locket and picks it up. She opens it. The door slams shut and Matthew comes out of it.)

Matthew: At last, freedom. The world has changed. What time is this?

Prue: Excuse me?

Matthew: Where am I?

Prue: Who are you?

Matthew: Matthew Tate, and if you freed me from that locket you are descendant of Melinda Warren. (He walks closer to her and she uses her power and he flies across the room.) Thank you.

Prue: For what?

Matthew: I tricked you into using your power on me. Now, I have it. (He uses her power and a chair pushes her against the wall. He then disappears, she runs in the middle of the room and he appears behind her.) Behind you, witch.

Prue: How did you do that?

Matthew: I can share your power but you can’t share mine.

Prue: What do you want?

Matthew: I want what Melinda took from me. I want all three powers back. (He grabs her.) Defend yourself. Stop time.

Prue: I can’t.

Matthew: Ah, so you’re not alone. There are others. (He disappears and appears in front of the desk.) And the family name is now Halliwell.

Rex: (from outside) Prue, are you okay in there?

(Matthew uses Prue's power to break the glass on the window. He jumps out the window and floats down to the ground, landing on his feet. He walks away.)

Opening Credits

[Scene: Outside Bucklands. Police are there where Matthew jumped out the window. Andy and Morris are questioning a man.]

Man: I was just sitting there, you know, reading the sports, having a cup of Joe and 'bam', this guy comes flying out of nowhere, you know. Weird clothes, bad manners, he nearly fell right on top of me.

Morris: When you say fell...

Man: I mean fell, you know, like from way up there, I guess. I don't know.

Morris: That's a ten story drop, sir.

Andy: Twelve.

Morris: And you're telling us that he just got up, walked away without a scratch. That's what you're saying.

Andy: Got a better explanation?

Morris: Excuse us. (Andy and Morris walk away.) All right, Trudeau. Pull out your secret ghost hunter decoder ring, and let's hear it.

(Andy laughs.)

Andy: Look, Morris, I don't know, okay. All I know is whatever happened started up there in that office.

Morris: Uh huh. So let's find out who's office that is.

Andy: I already know. It's Prue's.

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. Leo's under the sink, fixing it. Phoebe's sitting at the table and Piper's standing up.]

Piper: So I suggested we add crab satay to the, uh, lunch menu and it was great. Sold out. Do you like crab, Leo?

Leo: You know what I’d love, Piper?

Piper: What’s that?

Leo: Is the, uh, ratchet extension. Could you hand that to me?

Piper: Sure. (Piper looks in his toolbox but doesn't know what it is. Phoebe walks over and pulls out the ratchet extension.) I knew that. (She takes it off Phoebe and gives it to Leo.) Here you go.

Leo: Thanks.

Piper: (whispering to Phoebe) Stop it. Go away. (She tries to get Phoebe to leave.) Be right back, Leo.

Leo: No problem.

(Piper and Phoebe go in the dining room.)

Piper: Stop it.

Phoebe: My sentiments exactly. Stop hinting around and ask him out already. Give him some of your crab.

Piper: Don’t be disgusting.

Phoebe: Don’t be so shy.

Piper: What if he says no?

Phoebe: Yeah, like that’ll happen.

Piper: No, I’m serious.

Phoebe: So am I.

Piper: I’m very serious. I’ve never... you know...

Phoebe: You are kidding, right?

Piper: No.

Phoebe: You’ve never asked a guy out before?

Piper: Not on a real date, no.

Phoebe: I don’t understand. Am I the only person in this family who’s inherited the take-a-chance gene?

Piper: Probably. ‘Cause if I remember my biology correctly, it’s attached to the can’t-mind-my-own-business gene.

Phoebe: Ooh. Go.

(Phoebe pushes her back in the kitchen. Leo comes out from under the sink.)

Leo: Well, part of the pipe is stuck. I’m almost finished here.

Piper: Terrific. Can I get you some tea?

Leo: Yeah, that’d be great. (Piper gets the tea out of the fridge. Phoebe walks in.)

Phoebe: What would be great?

Piper: Nothing. (Piper puts the tea on the bench and Phoebe accidentally knocks it off. Piper freezes if before it falls on the floor.) Leo?

Phoebe: Frozen. Quick, have your way with him.

Piper: Do you never stop?

(Phoebe laughs. Piper holds a bucket under the tea.)

Phoebe: Looks like a Kodak moment to me.

(She pretends to take photos.)

Piper: Phoebe, you’re such a help.

Phoebe: Smile.

(Leo and the tea unfreeze. Prue walks in.)

Prue: You guys, we are in serious trouble. (Phoebe points to Leo.) Uh, hi, Leo.

Leo: Hey, Prue.

Prue: Hey, uh, sisters. Upstairs now.

[Scene: Bucklands. Prue's office. Police are there. Andy's questioning Rex and Hannah.]

Hannah: Uh, Webster, Hannah Webster.

Andy: You said you heard some noises in here. What kind?

Hannah: Uh, it's hard to say.

Rex: It almost sounded like a, a struggle of some sort. A fight perhaps.

Hannah: Yeah, and, and then we heard a crash and I assumed that was the window breaking and we came in to check on Prue and then she just went running out.

Morris: What did she say? What happened?

Hannah: Nothing, actually, she just left.

Rex: She was quite agitated too.

Andy: She didn't say where she was going by any chance did she?

Rex: No, no, sorry.

Morris: Okay, thanks, Mr. Buckland. CSI will be done with the windows in a couple of hours and you can have them fixed.

Rex: Believe me, Inspector. I really don't care about the window. I only care about Prue.

(Rex and Hannah leave.)

Morris: Look, maybe you oughta ask the captain to assign somebody else.

Andy: Prue and I aren't dating anymore, there's no conflict okay. I'm fine with this.

Morris: Okay.

[Cut to Rex's office. Rex and Hannah are there.]

Rex: I thought that went exceedingly well. Didn't you?

Hannah: We may have proven the legend of the locket true and that the little witch is charmed but now we have a seventeenth century warlock running around. I think he'll stick out.

Rex: Yep, but then again if the legend does hold true, Matthew's got a one track mind. Just like we do. He won't be difficult to find. Stop worrying, Hannah. You're gonna get wrinkles on your horns.

[Scene: Manor. Attic. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are there.]

Piper: What did you say his name was?

Prue: Matthew Tate. And somehow he knows that we’re related to Melinda Warren.

Phoebe: The Book of Shadows Melinda? Our ancestor?

Piper: The one who burned at stake and started this whole mess.

Prue: Uh, he came out of the locket. And he has strong powers. Stronger than mine, I mean, he did the weirdest thing. One minute he was in front of me, the next he was behind me and then twelve stories down landed right on his feet.

Phoebe: If it walks like warlock, and talks like a warlock...

Prue: Yeah, well, he’s powerful and he means business. And he wants all three of our powers.

Phoebe: Can I see the locket?

(Prue hands the locket to Phoebe.)

Prue: We have to figure out who he is before he finds the two of you.

(Phoebe opens the locket and has a premonition.)

Phoebe: You said Matthew came out of the locket? I think I just saw Melinda put him in.

Prue: You saw the past?

Piper: But you only see the future.

Phoebe: Not anymore.

Prue: We always knew that our powers would grow.

Phoebe: Yes, but somehow I thought I was gonna get to fly.

(Prue and Piper smile.)

Commercial Break

[Scene: Halliwell Rossen & Haas Attorney's Office. Arnold Halliwell is on the phone.]

Arnold: They want to countersue? Fine, bring it on, I'll eat 'em alive. Plus, we can double bill and get away with it. (Matthew blinks in the room.) Excuse me. (He hangs up the phone.)

Matthew: Are you Arnold Halliwell?

Arnold: Yeah, and who are you? Robin Hood?

(Matthew uses telekinesis and Arnold flies up against the wall.)

Matthew: Tell me where your sisters are.

Arnold: What sisters? I'm an only child. Let me go or I'll sue you...

(Matthew breaks his neck.)

Matthew: Lawyers have not changed.

[Scene: Manor. Attic. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are there. Phoebe's looking at a photo album and Piper's reading a book.]

Phoebe: I was right. It was Melinda in my vision. Isn’t she beautiful.

Prue: Hmm. She kind of looks like mum.

Piper: Listen to this. "And because the warlock had stolen her love, she cursed him into the pewter heart, where he could spend eternity knowing the sting of betrayal."

Phoebe: That must be what I saw.

Prue: And I let him out early. Great.

Piper: You’re not kidding. The legend says that the warlock must never be freed or he will destroy the Warren line. That’d be us.

Phoebe: Yeah, well, he’ll have to take a number and get in line behind the others warlocks.

Prue: We’ve never been up against anyone like him before.

Phoebe: So, what do we do?

Piper: I say we hide.

Prue: No, we have to find out exactly what we’re up against. And we start with the locket and how it wound up on my desk.

[Cut to the conservatory. Leo's there watching TV. Prue, Piper and Phoebe walk in.]

Leo: Hey, Prue, your work’s on the news, check it out.

Reporter: This morning witnesses claim they saw a man fall twelve stories. He apparently got up and walked away unharmed.

Prue: We gotta find him before he hurts somebody else, especially an innocent.

Phoebe: There's that I word again.

Piper: Look, Andy’s on TV.

Phoebe: He’s here, too.

(The doorbell rings. Phoebe answers it.)

Phoebe: Andy, what a surprise. How you been?

Andy: I need to talk with Prue, Phoebe.

Phoebe: Prue, wow. How out of the loop am I? And here I thought you guys broke up.

Andy: It’s not about that. It’s police business.

Phoebe: Oh, well, uh, she’s not home. She’s at work.

Andy: No, she’s not.

Phoebe: Well, then, I don’t know where she is, but I’ll tell her that you stopped by, okay? Ciao!

(Phoebe tries to leave but Andy grabs her arm.)

Andy: A man fell out of Prue’s office window. Which is suspicious enough. But then a man matching the same description went and killed a lawyer down the street. A lawyer named Halliwell. Now I know she knows who he is. One more time, Phoebe, where’s your sister?

Phoebe: Where’s your warrant?

(Phoebe goes back inside. Andy leaves.)

[Cut to the living room.]

Prue: Great, so now I’m being hunted by a warlock and the San Francisco P.D.

Phoebe: Nobody ever said you led a boring life, Prue.

Piper: Maybe Andy can help.

Prue: Oh, yeah. You want to have that conversation with him? "Hey Andy, I hate to bother you but this seventeenth century warlock is trying to kill me and my sisters." Any thoughts?

Piper: Okay, it was a bad idea. But the point is we need help.

Prue: Yeah, well, unfortunately more than Andy can give.

Phoebe: What we need is someone who’s done this before, someone like Melinda Warren.

Prue: Okay, so what are we supposed to do? Reach back in time, grab her and tell her that we need her help?

Phoebe: Yes. And I know exactly how to do it. As long as you both don’t mind losing a little blood.

[Time lapse. In the attic. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are sitting around a table where they have placed candles, a dagger and other items.]

Piper: Am I the only one having the second thoughts?

Phoebe: Yes.

Prue: We don’t really have any others options.

Piper: But aren’t we, like, raising the dead? What if she’s all...

Phoebe: I read The Book of Shadows very carefully. She will come back as a real live person, flesh and blood. She will have her powers too. Our powers.

(Phoebe picks up the knife.)

Piper: What’s that for?

Phoebe: Well, the spell works by blood calling blood, so it shouldn’t hurt... much.

(Phoebe stabs her finger.)

Phoebe: I lied, I lied. Okay, come on guys. It’ll be just like the summer by the lake. Remember when we made a blood oath to be friends forever, not just sisters?

(Prue takes the knife off of Phoebe.)

Piper: I remember my finger got infected.

(Prue stabs her finger.)

Prue: Ow. Yeah, but the oath worked.

(Prue holds out the knife for Piper.)

Piper: And I couldn’t go in the water for three weeks. Don’t hand me that knife.

Prue: How are you gonna cut yourself?

Piper: I’m not.

Phoebe: Piper...

Piper: I can’t stand the sight of blood.

Prue: Evil beings have blown up in our attic...

Phoebe: Disintegrated to dust right before our very eyes...

Prue: And you’re afraid of a little drop of blood?

Piper: Okay, just cut my finger.

(She holds out her hand.)

Prue: (to Phoebe) You do it.

(She hands Phoebe the knife. Piper covers her eyes and Phoebe stabs her finger.)

Piper: Ow!

Prue: Okay, here.

(They squeeze their fingers and the blood drips into a locket. Phoebe closes it and places it in a bowl.)

Phoebe: "Melinda Warren, blood of our blood..."

Phoebe, Prue, Piper: "Our great, great, great, great, great, great, grandmother."

Phoebe: "We summon thee."

(Stardust floats through the air and Melinda appears.)

Melinda: (smiles) Oh, blessed be.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Manor. Phoebe's room. Phoebe and Melinda are there. Phoebe unzips a dress.]

Melinda: No, don’t-don’t rip the dress to make it fit me.

Phoebe: Oh, no, no, I’m not ripping it. It’s called a zipper, see?

(Phoebe zips up the dress.)

Melinda: Oh, a wise witch made this.

(Melinda takes the dress off of Phoebe and plays with the zipper.)

Phoebe: Yeah, and wise witches in this century keep a low profile. You slip this dress on, you’ll blend right in.

(Melinda starts putting on the dress.)

Melinda: It’s so odd to be here again. To breathe and feel. What sheep has wool so soft?

Phoebe: A synthetic one.

Melinda: Oh! (Phoebe zips up the dress.) So did it, did it take you long to make the dress?

Phoebe: Make it? No, no, I bought it.

Melinda: Oh, you must be rich.

(Prue and Piper walk in.)

Prue: No, she’s got credit cards.

Piper: Oh, wow, Melinda, you look great.

Melinda: Thank you. Oh, but how do you keep your legs warm?

Prue: We drink coffee.

(Leo approaches the doorway.)

Leo: Oh, sorry, I let myself in and it didn’t occur to me.

Piper: Leo, uh, it’s okay. This is, uh...

Phoebe: Our cousin, Melinda.

Leo: Nice to meet you.

Piper: Leo’s fixing our plumbing.

Melinda: What’s that?

Prue: Uh, we’ve got to go now.

Melinda: To work with one’s hands is a great gift.

Leo: Well, I am a true labourer. I earn that I eat, get that I wear.

Melinda: Owe no man hate, envy no man’s happiness.

Leo, Melinda: Shakespeare.

(Melinda giggles.)

Prue: Wasn’t that fun? Okay, let’s go now.

(They walk out of the room and Leo walks in.)

Melinda: (to Piper) He is a treasure, Piper.

Piper: Why you telling me?

[Scene: Halliwell Hardware and Appliance. The store owner is dead and hooked up on the wall by some garden tools. Matthew is there. Rex and Hannah walk in.]

Rex: Hello, Matthew.

Hannah: We have got to do something about his clothes.

Matthew: Who are you? How do you know me?

Rex: Well, the short answer is we're the ones who gave the witch the locket to have you freed. I suppose you could say we're partners.

Matthew: I work alone.

Rex: No, not in this century you don't. You're new in town, new in time, you need our help. Hmm, I see you've been shopping. Find what you're looking for?

Matthew: I want Melinda Warren's children.

Hannah: Ooh, talk about your coincidences.

Rex: You see, we have the means to find them for you. And you have to ability to take their powers. Come. (They turn to leave but Matthew doesn't move.) What?

Matthew: How'd you find me?

Rex: Prue Halliwell, a Halliwell attorney, now here. You are leaving a trail, my friend. And that has got to stop.

[Scene: Manor. Dining room. Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Melinda are sitting at the table. Prue is putting the locket around Melinda's neck.]

Melinda: Once Matthew had what he wanted, he told the town council I was a witch and they arrested me. Then they burned me at the stake.

Piper: Why didn’t you save yourself?

Phoebe: Yeah, why didn’t you use your powers to escape?

Melinda: I had a daughter. Her name was Prudence. She meant everything to me. If I had used my powers, I would’ve proven Matthew’s charge and Prudence would’ve burned too. So I thought, I’ll accept this and pray some kind soul will take pity on my daughter and raise her in a safe home. Only then could the Warren line continue. And it must’ve worked because here you are.

Phoebe: Why do Warren witches lose their mums so early?

Melinda: Phoebe, I can’t change the past but I think I can protect the future.

Prue: How? Matthew is so strong and he has this wild power. He can be at one place and then another.

Melinda: In the blink of an eye?

Prue: Exactly.

Melinda: It’s called blinking. He must've copied it from another witch. I stripped him of all the powers he copied from me but who knows what other powers he still has?

Phoebe: What you mean copied from you?

Melinda: Matthew’s gift is to copy the power of a good witch when it’s used against him.

Prue: Then he definitely has mine.

Melinda: Once he’s copied a power, it has no effect on him. Should he gain all three powers, he will be impossible to vanquish.

Prue: So what do we do?

Melinda: We curse him back in the locket.

Piper: And if we can’t?

(Silence.)

[Scene: Bucklands. Rex's office. Hannah and Matthew are there. Matthew is putting on some jeans and Hannah is sitting on a chair with her back to him.]

Matthew: Are these pants meant to be so tight?

(Hannah peeks over her shoulder.)

Hannah: Absolutely.

Matthew: No wonder your men frown all the time. It's a wonder they can even walk. So, is this right?

Hannah: Oh, yeah.

Matthew: If it pleases you to look, look.

Hannah: I wasn't looking... much.

(He walks over to her.)

Matthew: Why the false modesty? I, I don't understand.

Hannah: Well, it's a very complex issue these days. I mean, there's political correctness, sexual harassment, um, don't get me started.

Matthew: Hmm, what a strange time this is. So open, yet so closed. Where even a warlock feels shame.

(Rex walks in.)

Rex: Hannah... what the devil?

Hannah: Rex, I told you I'd get him dressed.

Rex: Yeah, ten minutes ago.

Matthew: Well, we tried on many things. She said it is difficult to choose.

Rex: Playtime's over, big boy. You have a job to do. (Matthew walks away.) (whispering) Remember, he goes back from whence he came once his task is completed.

[Scene: Manor. Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Melinda walk in the attic.]

Melinda: I can’t believe I don’t remember all the ingredients.

Prue: It’s been a while since you cursed Matthew.

Phoebe: Yeah, like three hundred years.

Piper: Whatever you don’t remember should be in the book.

(They walk over to the Book Of Shadows.)

Melinda: The Book Of Shadows. Oh, my, it’s gotten so thick.

Prue: It wasn’t always?

Melinda: No, no. But obviously each generation of Warren witches has added to it over the years and has made it so. Have you added anything?

Phoebe: Us? Are you kidding? We’re new at this. We can’t just make up our own spell... wait, can we?

Melinda: All things in time, Phoebe. The book will grow as you grow. Sometimes you add to it, sometimes it teaches you. Oh, here’s the curse.

(Prue hands her a pencil and paper. Melinda looks at it confused.)

Prue: Just start writing.

Melinda: No ink?

Prue: No.

(Melinda starts writing.)

Melinda: Ha! (She smiles.)

Piper: Grams must’ve added this one.

(They look at the opposite page.)

Melinda: "To Increase Patience."

Phoebe: I bet she used that spell a lot raising us, huh?

Prue: We weren’t all troublemakers, Phoebe.

Phoebe: I was not a troublemaker. I was just...

Piper: A pain.

Phoebe: A free spirit.

Prue: A handful.

Melinda: A Warren. It's a family trait. So are the short tempers, the great cheekbones, the strong wills, and of course the powers. All blessings, all signs of where you came from. This book is your connection and it began with me.

Prue: Well, let’s make sure it doesn’t end with us. We need to get going.

[Scene: Bucklands. Rex's office. Rex is showing Matthew pictures of Prue, Piper and Phoebe.]

Rex: Now, this is Prue, you've already met. This is Piper, and this is Phoebe.

Matthew: Such marvellous paintings. You can not feel the brushstrokes.

Hannah: Remind us to take you to the movies when this is all over.

Rex: This is the address of Quake. Piper works there. May I suggest that you go there next and take her power. Hannah will drive you.

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. Everyone's there. They are making a potion and Prue is staring out the window.]

Melinda: The curse is really simple as long as you have the ingredients I need.

Piper: Phoebe can do the spices and I’ll chop the scallions.

Phoebe: This is so cool. We’ve never done a curse before.

Melinda: Oh, I’m glad. They’re not to be taken lightly.

Phoebe: I just feel like there’s so much we could be learning or doing if we had the right teacher.

Melinda: I’d savor my first gift before I move on to the next one.

Phoebe: I see pictures. What’s to savor?

Melinda: No, but you see visions of the future and the past. That’ll allow you to protect and to heal.

Phoebe: Hmm. Did you hear that Prue?

Piper: Prue, stop looking for Andy, he should be long gone by now.

Prue: Yeah, he’ll be back, probably with a warrant.

Phoebe: Yeah, like Andy would ever arrest you.

(Prue walks over to them.)

Prue: So do we have everything?

Piper: Actually there’s a few herbs we don’t have but I can get them at the restaurant.

Phoebe: The only problem is the feather from the spotted owl.

Melinda: Is that a problem?

Prue: Well, they’re an endangered species. Um, certain animals from your time aren’t really around anymore.

Melinda: Why?

Phoebe: Deforestation, pollution... it’s a long story.

Piper: Do you think they have one at the zoo?

Melinda: What’s a zoo?

Phoebe: In theory it’s this big garden kind of place where all the animals are caged and...

Prue: You know what? I’ll work on the feather. Piper, can you handle the herbs?

Piper: Uh, yeah, after I get to Quake, though I might have a problem getting out because I’m supposed to work the night shift.

Phoebe: Well, I’ll come with you and bring back the stuff if you get hung up.

Melinda: No, you can’t leave the house. You are the two Matthew needs.

Piper: We’ll be fine. How could Matthew even know about Quake?

[Scene: Outside Quake. Hannah and Matthew are sitting in the car across the street.]

Matthew: I've waited over three hundred years for my revenge. As soon as Piper gets here I shall have it.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Quake. Piper and Phoebe walk in.]

Piper: You go ahead into the kitchen, I’m gonna cough on Martin and tell him I’m highly contagious so can I go home.

Phoebe: Love the plan.

(Phoebe goes in the kitchen. A waitress walks up to Piper.)

Waitress: Hey, Piper. Did your sweetie find you?

Piper: My What?

Waitress: That guy with the English accent. He called earlier to see if you were working today.

[Cut to the kitchen. Matthew and Phoebe are there. Phoebe is holding a rolling pin and Matthew is backing her into a corner. Phoebe goes to hit him with the rolling pin but he grabs it and throws it on the floor. He then grabs Phoebe and she has a premonition.]

Matthew: Now I have your power. And I see Melinda’s here. Good. She will die at my hand.

(He pushes her on the ground and he blinks out of the room. Piper comes in.)

Piper: Are you okay?

Phoebe: Yeah. It was Matthew. He’s gone, but he copied my power.

[Scene: Outside Manor. Andy's sitting in his car that is parked across the street.]

[Cut to inside. Prue and Melinda are walking down the stairs.]

Prue: All right, I found a spotted owl at the museum where I used to work. Stuffed.

Melinda: But we only need one feather.

Prue: Good. Maybe that’ll keep it down to a misdemeanour. Look, I’ll be back as soon as I can.

Melinda: Okay.

(Prue leaves.)

[Cut to outside. Prue drives down the street. Andy follows her.]

[Cut back inside. Melinda walks in the kitchen. She sees a blender on the bench. She reaches over and presses a button. It turns on and she jumps back. She quickly reaches back over and turns it off. The phone rings. She looks around.]

[Cut to Quake. Piper and Phoebe are sitting at the bar. Phoebe's on the phone.]

Phoebe: Come on, answer.

[Cut back to Melinda. She walks into another room and over to the phone. The machine picks up.]

Phoebe's Voice: "Hi, we’re not home. You know the drill."

Phoebe: Prue, pick up.

Melinda: Phoebe?

Phoebe: Are you guys there?

Melinda: Phoebe, I-I’m here.

Phoebe: You guys need to be really careful.

Melinda: Phoebe!

Phoebe: Matthew was here, he could be on his way.

(Melinda presses a button on the machine and turns it off.)

[Cut to Quake.]

Phoebe: The line went dead.

(Piper and Phoebe run out of Quake.)

[Cut back to the manor. There's a bang at the front door. Melinda runs into the foyer and Matthew's standing there.]

Melinda: Matthew.

Matthew: We meet again.

Melinda: Yes. And the site of you still makes me ill.

Matthew: Funny. The fact that I can now destroy your line forever, makes you so much more appealing.

Melinda: You think I won't stop you.

Matthew: How? You made your curse before and you still burned.

Melinda: And yet I'm here now, aren't I?

Matthew: You're nothing more then a dead witch watching over stupid girls who are about to die themselves.

Melinda: You won't touch them.

Matthew: Too late. I already have two of their powers. I just need the third. I believe her name is Piper. Unless, (he holds her up against the wall) you wanna freeze me.

Melinda: Go to hell where you belong.

(Matthew has a premonition of them adding the feather to the potion.)

Matthew: So that's why they brought you back, isn't it? You think you can curse me again. Hell, I might just kill you now.

Melinda: Go ahead. I've already given them the curse.

Matthew: You're lying.

Melinda: Am I?

Matthew: The one with the feather. Where is she now? Where's Prue? Tell me.

Melinda: She's at...

Matthew: Yes?

Melinda: Zoo.

Matthew: Then that's where I'll kill her. And then I'll come back for the other two. That way you can watch them die and I can watch you suffer. (He kisses her.) And then you'll be next.

(He blinks out of the room.)

Commercial Break

[Scene: Bucklands. Rex's office. Rex is sitting on the couch. Hannah walks in.]

Rex: You lost him.

Hannah: We've had this conversation before, Rex, please stay out of my mind.

Rex: Well, did he copy Piper's power?

Hannah: Something happened in that restaurant though 'cause he just took off. And so did they.

Rex: Then why didn't you follow him?

Hannah: I tried. Why don't you just follow him right now?

Rex: I haven't mastered that ability yet unfortunately. We need Matthew to provide us with the sisters powers otherwise we don't stand a chance in hell. Find him.

[Scene: Manor. Piper and Phoebe walk in.]

Piper: Prue? Melinda?

Melinda: In here.

(They walk in the living room. Melinda's sitting on the couch.)

Phoebe: Are you okay? It was Matthew, wasn’t it?

Melinda: Yes. But don’t worry, he’s gone.

Phoebe: He found us at the restaurant and he copied my power. He said he was gonna kill you and I was so...

Melinda: It’s alright, Phoebe. But we’ve got to hurry before Matthew gets back. Did you get all the herbs?

Piper: Yeah, all we need now is the feather.

Melinda: Good. Prue’s taking care of that.

Phoebe: How?

[Scene: Museum. Prue walks outside holding the feather. Andy's there.]

Prue: Andy, what are you doing here?

Andy: You have to come with me, Prue.

[Cut to Bucklands. Rex's office. Rex is sitting at his desk. Hannah comes flying through the door and lands on the floor. She stands back up.]

Hannah: I found Matthew.

Rex: I can see.

(Matthew walks in.)

Matthew: I need to find Prue and stop her.

Rex: You're supposed to be after Piper and Phoebe. I don't under...

Matthew: I got the power of premonition. With it I saw the eldest working on the curse. Help me find her.

Rex: No, no, no. There's no time to be distracted. You must stay on track. You must obtain the last power.

Matthew: But the curse will end me. They brought Melinda Warren back from the dead to do it.

Hannah: They did what?

Matthew: I will not go back to oblivion.

Rex: Listen, just listen to me. If they're planning to send you back, they'll have to cast the spell at their home.

Matthew: So?

Hannah: So, Prue will have to return there to do it.

Rex: Which is where you can thwart her and then gain the power to freeze.

Matthew: I've already tried. They'd rather die than give me that.

(Rex gets a gun out of his desk drawer.)

Rex: Try again.

[Cut back to the museum. Andy and Prue are sitting in the car.]

Andy: Now for the last time, Prue. Why the feather?

Prue: I told you. I already had it from before.

Andy: Before what? No, go ahead, you can say it. Before breaking and entering a museum which of course you did after you obstructed justice.

Prue: How did I obstruct justice?

Andy: Oh, come on, Prue, don’t play dumb with me, I know you too well. You’re in a lot of trouble here. Trouble in which I can’t help you out unless you help me.

Prue: Maybe I should talk to a lawyer.

Andy: You really wanna go there? You really want me to arrest you, is that it? What’s the matter with you, Prue? This isn’t a game, this is very serious.

Prue: Andy, please, you have to let me go.

Andy: No, I can’t look the other way anymore, Prue.

Prue: This isn’t just me. It’s Piper and Phoebe.

Andy: Just tell me what’s going on. For once in your life will you just trust me. It’s your only choice, Prue.

Prue: Andy, I’m sorry but I really have to go.

Andy: No, Prue, you can’t. Prue. (Prue uses her power and the air bag blows up. Prue gets out of the car.) Prue, get back here. You don't know what you're doing.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. Phoebe, Piper and Melinda are there. Melinda's scooping the potion into a small pouch.]

Melinda: We’re ready now. All we need is the feather.

Piper: And Prue. What’s keeping her? You don’t think...

Phoebe: No, she should be fine. Matthew already copied her power.

Melinda: Besides, I sent him to the zoo.

Phoebe: She’s probably stuck in traffic.

Melinda: When she returns, we’ll add the feather and seek out Matthew.

Phoebe: Do you think he's gonna be hard to find?

(Matthew appears.)

Matthew: Not at all. I have waited too long for this moment, to hide.

Melinda: This is our battle, Matthew. Leave them alone.

Matthew: I will have what I came for. (He uses telekinesis and Piper moves towards him. He grabs her.) Your powers and your death.

Phoebe: Piper!

Matthew: Freeze me, witch.

Piper: In your dreams.

(He gets out his gun and points it at Piper's head.)

Matthew: I said freeze me. Save yourself. No? Then save your sister.

Piper: Phoebe!

(Prue walks in.)

Prue: Save yourself.

(He lets go of Piper and she runs back over to Phoebe and Melinda.)

Matthew: Give me that feather.

(She uses her power and the gun flies out of hands. Then a chair flies up and hits him. She runs over and hands the feather to Melinda. She puts it in the pouch.)

Melinda: Piper, now! (Piper freezes Matthew.) "Outside of time, outside of gain, know only sorrow, know only pain." (Matthew unfreezes and wind surrounds him.) It’s what you deserve.

Matthew: This is not the end!

(He gets sucked into the locket.)

Melinda: Yes it is. This is for eternity.

[Scene: Bucklands. Rex's office.]

Hannah: I followed him, he failed. What do we do now?

Rex: I don't know. We're gonna have to think of something fast though. He's gonna be none too pleased to learn that we have failed.

Hannah: It wasn't a complete failure, right? I mean, we outed them, proved they were the Charmed Ones, that has to count.

Rex: It'll buy us a little bit of time, but precious little.

Hannah: You should've listened to me, Rex. We should've taken care of them ourselves.

Rex: Yeah, you're right, Hannah. We should've done.

[Scene: Police station. Morris and Andy are there.]

Morris: You're gonna wake a judge at this hour? Are you nuts?

Andy: I'm getting an arrest warrant. End of discussion.

Morris: Based on what? Stealing a feather? He will bust your rank. You will be cleaning out parking metres for a living.

Andy: So I should just let it go, is that it? What about Prue's evading arrest? Am I suppose to let that go too?

Morris: Damn right. Unless you want to tell the judge exactly how that little lady got away from you. By the way, exactly how did she get away from you?

Andy: I don't wanna talk about it.

(He turns to leave.)

Morris: Trudeau. Take my advice. Let it go. Don't embarrass yourself.

[Scene: Manor. Piper runs down the stairs. Leo's there.]

Piper: Leo. You’re here. Why are you here?

Leo: I thought I’d work on the plumbing in the downstairs bathroom.

Piper: Oh, now’s not really a good time. We’re getting our cousin Melinda ready to go away. Can you come back later? Like, tomorrow?

Leo: Sure. No problem.

(He turns to leave.)

Piper: Uh, Leo? (He turns back around.) Would you like to go out sometime? With me, that is.

Leo: I’d love to. Give me a call.

Piper: Okay.

(Piper goes back upstairs in the attic.)

Phoebe: Who was it?

Piper: It was Leo.

Prue: Is he gone?

Piper: We're perfectly safe.

Melinda: Then let's begin.

(Piper joins the others around the table. Melinda is dressed in her normal clothes. She hands Phoebe's dress back to her.)

Phoebe: Oh, we can't take those back.

Melinda: Why not?

Phoebe: Because that means you're leaving

Melinda: Well, I have to go.

Phoebe: Why? Why can't you stay here and have the life that you should've had?

Melinda: Because this isn't my time. It's your time, and Prue's and Piper's.

Piper: We don't mind sharing.

Melinda: You three give me great joy. I've seen the Charmed Ones. Good witches. Women of strength and grace.

(Phoebe takes Melinda's hand and holds it up to her heart.)

Phoebe: Tell me what you see.

Melinda: I see the future. Many more generations of my beautiful daughters. I see my dreams fulfilled. Oh, thank you for that.

(She puts on the locket and they all join hands.)

Prue: "Melinda Warren, blood of our blood, we release you."

Melinda: Blessed be, my daughters. I love you.

(Stardust surrounds her and she disappears.)

Phoebe: I'm gonna miss her.

Piper: Me too.

Prue: We can always bring her back.

End