How to Make a Quilt Out of Americans/Script

Teleplay by: Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Robert Masello

Story by: Javier Grillo-Marxuach

Season 2, Episode 17

Episode No. 39

[Scene: Gail's house. Gail, Amanda and Helen are chanting a spell. They are standing in a circle holding hands.]

Gail, Amanda, Helen: "We call on the demon Cryto, reach back throughout the ages, humbled by his power, we invite him into our circle."

(Gail coughs.)

Helen: Are you alright?

Gail: Just keep chanting.

Amanda: We've been chanting for fifteen minutes.

Gail: It's a séance, Amanda, not AT&T. He'll come, he has to. Come on.

Gail, Amanda, Helen: "We call on the demon Cryto, reach back throughout the ages, humbled by his power, we invite him into our circle."

(Smoke rises in the middle of them and forms a face.)

Cryto: Who dare summon me?

Gail: Three, who are humbled by your presence, Cryto.

Cryto: What do you want?

Gail: That which only you can give. Youth, beauty, health.

Cryto: What can you give me?

Gail: We can make you whole again, we can bring you back.

Cryto: But I want more. I want powers. Great powers. Don't ever summon me again.

(He starts to disappear.)

Gail: We can get you great powers. The powers to move things with your mind, to stop time, to see into the future.

Cryto: Do so and you'll get your youth.

(He disappears.)

Helen: Ah.

Gail: I had to do something, we were losing him.

Helen: You lost him already, Gail. Why would you promise him something we can't get. What if it makes him angry?

Gail: I can get the powers, Helen. I have to. I'm not ready to die. I'll be back. Just be sure you have the quilt finished by tomorrow night.

[Scene: Manor. Phoebe's room. Phoebe's sitting on her bed. She squints her eyes while trying to read a book. She puts on a pair of glasses and looks in the mirror.]

Phoebe: Ugh.

(Someone knocks on the door. She hides the glasses under a pillow. Prue walks in.)

Prue: Hey.

Phoebe: Hey.

Prue: Have you, um, made an appointment to see the optometrist yet?

Phoebe: Prue, I keep telling you I do not need glasses.

Prue: Oh, well, then... (she turns the book around the right way) this might help.

Phoebe: Unrelated.

Prue: Mmm hmm. Look, I really need you help. Piper's throwing our her boots. The tan ones.

[Cut to the kitchen. Piper's putting her boots in a paper bag. Prue and Phoebe walk in.]

Phoebe: Piper, what are you doing? Those are your favourite boots.

Piper: I know. Demon blood from one of our vanquishing and I can't get it out and I can't exactly explain it to the shoe repair guy now can I? It's the third damn pair this month.

Phoebe: What's the matter, honey?

Piper: Nothing. I've gotta get to the club. Dan's waiting for me.

Prue: Are you really gonna break up with him?

Piper: Well, I have to. I mean, I love him but I love Leo more. Not that I'm any closer to figuring out how that's gonna work either. Sometimes being a witch sucks.

(She leaves out the back door.)

Phoebe: Wicca PMS?

Prue: I have a feeling it's a lot more than that. (The doorbell rings. They walk into the foyer and opens the door.) Aunt Gail.

Gail: My beautiful girls.

(They hug.)

Opening Credits

[Scene: Manor. Phoebe finds a photo in a closet and takes it in the living room.]

Phoebe: I knew we had an old picture of you and Grams somewhere.

Gail: Oh my God, look how young we were. I remember when this was taken. Right outside our sorority house. We'd just met.

Phoebe: A couple of hotties.

Gail: That was then. This is now.

Prue: Hey, now looks pretty good.

Gail: Believe me, the golden years are anything but. Mostly it's regret. I miss your Grams. I still can't believe she is gone. You just never know when it's your time, do you? Anyway, you both sound like you are doing very well. You and Piper and your careers and (to Phoebe) you back at school. Good for you.

Prue: Yeah, we're doing alright.

Gail: What about men? Anyone special in your lives?

Phoebe: Nope.

Prue: Well, I mean, Piper's got someone, sort of.

Phoebe: I think we're just picky. We don't wanna go through all the husbands that Grams went through.

Gail: Don't be too picky. You don't wanna end up like an old spinster like me.

(She coughs.)

Prue: Are you okay?

Phoebe: Here, have some of this.

(Phoebe hands her a drink and she takes a sip.)

Gail: Oh, thank you. Damn allergies.

Prue: So what brings you to San Francisco?

Gail: Well, my dears, you do. Do you remember the Bridge clubs your Grams hosted here every other Saturday?

Prue: Mmm hmm.

Gail: Did you actually see any of us play any cards?

Phoebe: No. Grams always sent us outside to play.

Gail: That's because it wasn't a Bridge club. It was her coven. Your Grams was the most skillful witch any of us ever knew.

Phoebe: Witch?

Gail: I still practice craft myself every now and then. I don't have any real powers, mostly I just play around with it.

Prue: Wow. You and Grams, witches, who knew?

Gail: You don't have to pretend with me. Your Grams told me everything. Including what you'd become when she died. The Charmed Ones.

[Scene: P3. Piper's at the bar. Dan walks in.]

Dan: Hey.

Piper: Hi. You're um, you're late.

Dan: Sorry, a little jet lag.

(He leans over the bar and kisses Piper on the cheek. He then puts a small box on the bar.)

Piper: Uhh...

Dan: I was walking by a store window on Fifth Avenue and I couldn't resist.

Piper: Oh, no. (Piper freezes him. She opens the box.) Please don't be a ring. (In it is a pair of earrings.) Okay. (She closes the box and unfreezes him.)

Dan: I hope you like them.

(She opens the box.)

Piper: They're beautiful. Thank you.

Dan: You're welcome. If you don't like them...

Piper: It's not that Dan, it's...

Dan: Did you think it was a ring?

Piper: No, of course not. Don't be silly. Um, it's just that... (the phone rings)

Dan: Don't you need to answer that?

Piper: No, um, the machine will pick it up. Dan we have to talk.

Prue's voice: Piper, it's me, pick up.

Dan: Talk about what?

Piper: Well, to be honest...

Prue's voice: Aunt Gail's in town and guess what? She knows we're, you know what's.

(Piper picks up the phone.)

Piper: Whoa, I'm not alone here, remember.

Prue: I thought that that would get your attention.

Piper: Prue, this is a really bad time.

Prue: Well, I'm sorry but it's important.

Piper: Wait, how does Aunt Gail know that we're... you know what? Never mind, you can tell me later. I have to go, Dan is here.

Prue: Look, Aunt Gail needs our help. She's in trouble.

Piper: What do you mean? What kind of trouble?

Prue: The kind of trouble you can't talk about with Dan right there, demon trouble.

Piper: Of course, why not. Alright, I'll just put my life on hold one more time and I'll be right there.

(Piper hangs up.)

Dan: More trouble at home?

Piper: When isn't there.

Dan: Well, you wanna talk about it on the way to your car?

Piper: Um, no, I don't. Uh, how about dinner tonight? Actually, let's make it tomorrow night just to be safe. I don't wanna have to cancel on you.

Dan: It's a date.

(He kisses her on the cheek and she leaves. He notices she left the earrings behind.)

Commercial Break

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

Prue: Have you contacted the police yet?

Gail: And tell them what? That I think there's a demon running loose in our streets? They'd think I was crazy.

Piper: Try getting your boots cleaned.

Gail: Huh?

Phoebe: Don't ask.

Prue: Still, you said that corpses have been found dug up and skinned. I mean, what'd the police think about that?

Gail: I don't know.

Phoebe: Maybe it's just some sicko grave robber.

Gail: Well, it's, uh, it's-it's more than that. I may be wrong but I think I remember seeing in your Book Of Shadows that...

Prue: Oh. Wait, you know about that too?

Gail: And when your Grams was showing it to me, I think that I remember seeing something about a skinned demon or something, who made people young again.

Piper: Young again? Why, what's so bad about that?

Phoebe: There's gotta be a catch. There's always a catch. Are you sure the book said it was skinned?

Gail: I think so, but maybe we better go look.

[Scene: Gail's place. Helen and Amanda are sewing pieces of skin together.]

Helen: You ready?

Amanda: All set.

(They put the skin on a dummy.)

Helen: Do you think Gail will really be able to get their powers?

Amanda: Well, she better and soon, the skin quilt is almost done.

[Cut back to the manor. Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Gail are in the attic looking in the Book Of Shadows.]

Phoebe: Here's something. Cryto, the demon of vanity.

Gail: Cryto, that sounds vaguely familiar. What does it say?

(Phoebe squints while reading the Book.)

Phoebe: Um, in the 16th century, Cryto traveled from dukedom to dukedom, praying on people's vanity, bestowing youth and and beauty in exchange for their souls.

Prue: Youth for souls? Why would anybody make that trade?

Gail: Believe me, I know a lot of people who'd consider it. Age, disease. Uh, that's why I'm so worried. I know so many potential victims in Santa Costa. Friends.

(Phoebe squints again.)

Piper: Are you squinting?

Phoebe: No. (She continues reading.) Cryto was found out and skinned alive by a group of witches who believed it would keep his spirit from ever being resurrected again. You were right.

Prue: Yeah, but those witches obviously weren't right, otherwise there wouldn't be a vanquishing spell in the book.

Piper: So someone is skinning people to give him a new skin?

Prue: Well, giving their bodies somebody's spirit makes sense.

Phoebe: Well, at least it's an easy vanquishing spell. I mean, if Cryto really does exist, it shouldn't be a problem getting rid of him.

Gail: Goodness, you must be very powerful witches.

Piper: Ah, rub it in.

Gail: Uh, how soon can you come to Santa Costa?

Piper: Prue, Phoebe, can I talk to you for a sec? Out here.

Gail: Take your time.

(Prue, Piper and Phoebe walk out of the room. Gail starts flipping through the Book.)

[Cut to outside.]

Phoebe: Piper, Gail is like family. You love her, we all do.

Prue: She was like a second Grams to us.

Phoebe: Yeah, only a nice one. One that never said no.

Piper: I know that, but something about her story, it's just, it's not right. I mean, bodies are being dug up all over town and she's the only one who's noticing?

Phoebe: I admit, it's funky but what are we supposed to do? Tell her that we're not gonna help her?

Piper: No, of course not. It's just, it's never ending. I mean, we have no lives. I don't even have time to break up with Dan properly.

[Cut to the attic. Gail finds a spell in the book to separate a witch from her powers. She then rips the page out and puts it in her purse.]

[Cut back outside.]

Prue: Look, honey, Santa Costa's right over the bridge. Alright, we'll leave early, go check things out, be back by tomorrow night. (Gail comes down the stairs.) Hi. So, we'll be there at 9:00 tomorrow morning, okay?

(She nods.)

Phoebe: Would you like to stay here? We have plenty of room.

Gail: Oh, no, thank you. I have to get home. Cats to feed, you know. Thank you. You'll never know how much this means to me.

[Scene: Gail's house. Gail, Amanda and Helen are doing the séance. They are in a circle, holding hands with the skin covered dummy in the middle.]

Gail, Amanda, Helen: "We call on the demon Cryto, reach back throughout the ages, humbled by his power, we invite him into our circle."

(Smoke surrounds the dummy and it turns into Cryto.)

Cryto: Well done, ladies.

Amanda: Now, make us young.

Cryto: First the powers you promised.

Gail: They'll-they'll be here. Soon.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Gas station. Prue, Piper and Phoebe drive in. They get out of the car. Phoebe's holding a map.]

Piper: Nice work, Pheebs, only a couple of hours late.

Prue: Yeah, next time I'll navigate.

Phoebe: It's this map. It's messed up. There is no connector road at highway twenty-eight.

Prue: No? What is that?

(Prue points to it on the map.)

Phoebe: That little squiggle?

Prue: Yeah.

Phoebe: I didn't see that. And don't tell me I need glasses, okay, because anybody could've missed that.

Prue: Phoebe, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing glasses. I mean, I wear them.

Phoebe: I know, but you're older. (Piper laughs.) Well you are.

Prue: Right, well, you know, I really hope that demon of vanity is after you because your soul would be toast.

Phoebe: I'm just gonna ignore that comment and go ask for directions.

Prue: Okay.

(Phoebe walks away. Piper notices two elderly people walk past them holding hands.)

Piper: Cute, huh? Still holding hands.

Prue: That could be you and Leo in like fifty years.

Piper: Me maybe but not Leo. Whitelighters don't age, remember? Of course they're not supposed to date witches either so maybe I don't have to worry about that.

Prue: Piper.

Piper: I know, I'm sorry, I've been a drag lately but I've just been confused and frustrated. I mean, nothing's changed really since Leo and I met except that I'm two years older and still have no idea what we're doing. Sometimes I worry we're all gonna end up like Aunt Gail.

[Cut to Phoebe. Tow elderly men are giving Phoebe directions and she's writing them down.]

Elderly man #1: Then you take Hotsmen to the lights, you turn right past the fire station to Sycamore.

Elderly man #2: Yeah-yeah, then straight up the hill and there's a big Victorian on the left. Well, you can't miss it, it's not far.

Phoebe: Okay, straight up the hill, great, thanks.

Prue: (who's now in the car) Pheebs, come on.

Phoebe: Okay, okay.

(Phoebe puts the pen and paper in her bag and her glasses fall out.)

Elderly man #1: Oh, excuse me, honey. Are these your glasses?

Phoebe: Uh... (She sees Prue and Piper staring at her.) no, no, those aren't mine. (She walks to the car.) We are all set. All words, no squigglies. (She gets in.)

[Scene: Gail's house. Kitchen. Gail's making a potion.]

[Cut to outside. Prue, Piper and Phoebe arrive.]

[Cut back to the kitchen. Helen comes in.]

Helen: They're here.

Amanda: Finally.

Helen: How long after the drink the potion before we can call their powers to Cryto?

Gail: It doesn't say. IT shouldn't be long.

(She pours the potion in a pitcher of iced-tea.)

[Scene: Later on in the living room. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are sitting on the couch.]

Amanda: More tea, girls?

Phoebe: No, thanks. (Amanda pours the tea anyway.) I'd love some, thank you.

Amanda: How about you?

(Piper shakes her head.)

Gail: It's better to humour her, Piper. She won't take no for an answer.

Piper: Well, then, by all means, fill her up.

Prue: So, Aunt Gail, who else knows about Cryto than us?

(Amanda goes to pour more tea in Prue's cup but Prue quickly covers it with her hand.)

Gail: Well, I hope you won't be too upset, I had to tell Amanda and Helen. Actually, they were the first to tell me about the dug up corpses.

Prue: Really?

Helen: Don't worry. We won't tell a soul about you being witches and all. Our little secret.

Prue: That's good to know.

(Piper pulls a face and looks in her cup.)

Amanda: Is something the matter?

Piper: Uh, it's just... what kind of tea is this? It's... different.

Gail: It's a special blend. Uh, listen, maybe you had better get going to start to look for whoever might be trying to summon Cryto.

Amanda: Gail...

Gail: Two of the corpses were found in that old furniture warehouse at route ten, weren't they Helen?

Helen: Yes, I think so.

Phoebe: That's not really a lot to go on.

Gail: Well, you have to start somewhere. Uh, you just go out route ten and then turn up Willow and it will be right there.

(They start leaving towards the door.)

Prue: Okay, so, um, I guess we'll be back later.

Gail: Yeah, we'll, we'll be here.

(They leave.)

Helen: Cryto said they weren't supposed to leave.

Gail: I know but they were getting suspicious.

Amanda: Are you sure you're not trying to protect them?

Gail: Of course I'm trying to protect them. I feel bad enough about stealing their powers but they're family and no demon is going to hurt them. Come on. We just have to keep calling for their powers until the potion takes effect.

[Cut to the warehouse. Prue, Piper and Phoebe arrive. They get out of the car.]

Prue: Do you guys see anything?

Piper: Are you sure this is the right place?

Phoebe: Don't look at me, I didn't navigate this time.

Prue: Are either of you's thinking what I am thinking?

Phoebe: Wild goose chase?

Piper: Why would Aunt Gail send us out here for no reason?

Prue: I don't know but she seemed in an awful hurry to get us outta th... Whoa.

Piper: Are you okay?

Prue: No, I'm kind of feeling light headed all of a sudden.

Phoebe: I'm not feeling so hot myself.

[Cut back to Gail's house. They are chanting the spell. They are standing in a circle with Cryto in the middle.]

Gail, Helen, Amanda: "Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here."

Cryto: It's not working.

Gail: It will.

Gail, Helen, Amanda: "Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here."

[Cut to Prue, Piper and Phoebe. You see their powers rise out of their bodies and float over to the house.]

[Cut back to the house. They repeat the spell and the powers float into Cryto. He looks at his hands. He sees a vase and uses Prue's power to make it fly across the room and hit the wall.]

Gail: Time for you to hold up your end of the bargain.

(Cryto passes his hand in front of Gail's face and she turns young again.)

Helen: Oh my God, Gail. It worked.

(Gail touches her face and smiles.)

Amanda: Now us. It's our turn.

Cryto: Yes it is.

(He passes his hand across her face and she turns into dust, leaving a pile of clothes on the floor.)

Gail: What are you doing?

(He does the same to Helen.)

Cryto: You see, I can take youth away as quickly as I can grant it.

Gail: But why?

Cryto: It takes three witches to summon me and three to banish me. You do the math. I wanted more powers to protect myself. Now, I want you to introduce me to other willing souls who want to be young again, unless you want to end up like your friends. Beauty has its price.

[Cut to outside. Prue, Piper and Phoebe pull up in the car. They get out and go inside.]

Prue: Aunt Gail?

Piper: Anybody home?

Phoebe: I don't understand what the hell is going on.

Piper: I told you something wasn't right.

Prue: Yeah, well, what's not right is I have the feeling it's Gail and her friends who summoned this demon.

Phoebe: Yeah, but if that were true, then why would Aunt Gail want us to come to Santa Costa?

(They walk in the kitchen.)

Prue: It stinks.

Piper: This is what I'm saying.

Prue: I think it's coming from here.

(They walk down into the basement.)

Piper: What is that smell?

(They see the clothes on the floor.)

Phoebe: Wait a minute, what are those?

Prue: Oh, I would say by the looks of things, that's Amanda and that would be Helen.

Piper: Oh God.

Phoebe: I hope that didn't happen from drinking the tea.

Prue: Yeah, that must of happened when they tried to summon Cryto. Although, I don't see Aunt Gail here. That's a good sign I hope.

(A rat runs past them. Piper gets a fright and when she tries to freeze it, nothing happens.)

Phoebe: What's the matter?

Piper: I don't know but I can't freeze that rat thing.

Prue: What?

Piper: You try move it.

(Prue tries to move it but it doesn't work.)

Prue: Okay, what the hell is going on with our powers?

Phoebe: Maybe we oughta ask Aunt Gail.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Gail's place. Piper's looking at a photo and Prue's looking at pieces of paper. Phoebe walks in holding a hemlock root.]

Phoebe: Well, they were definitely making a potion. Hemlock root.

Piper: No wonder the tea tasted funny. How did we let her do this to us?

Prue: Because we trusted her.

Phoebe: Yeah, well, she just got crossed off my Christmas list.

Piper: Aunt Gail was grams' best friend. She used to bake us cookies.

Phoebe: And now she's spiking our tea.

Piper: But why? Just to be young again? I mean, she had to know she'd be giving up her soul in exchange.

Prue: Maybe it wasn't just for youth. Maybe it was for health. These are all doctor bills. Recent ones. Radiation treatment, chemo therapy. I don't think she has very long to live.

Phoebe: That still doesn't excuse what she did. What she did to us. I mean, you can't use magic to save yourself.

Prue: No, not without consequences and there's no bigger one than giving up your soul.

Phoebe: I just don't understand. Why steal our powers?

Prue: Cryto must of wanted more out of the bargain. Aunt Gail was desperate enough to give it to him.

Piper: We shouldn't of left her alone in the attic.

Phoebe: Okay, well, we have the potion, if we can find the spell then we should be able to transfer our powers back.

Piper: Are you kidding? We won't be able to get near him.

Phoebe: Well, he has our powers but that doesn't necessarily mean he knows how to use them. Besides, do you have a better idea?

Piper: Go home and call it a day?

Prue: Funny. Come on.

[Scene: Gas station. The two elderly men that were giving Phoebe directions, are now young and they jump in their car and drive off. Cryto and young Gail are there.]

Cryto: See? You're not the only one, Gail. Everyone wants to be young and attractive.

Gail: The difference is I knew what I was giving up. They don't.

Cryto: Oh, they will. One day. Their last. (Another elderly man walks past.) Do you know that one? Introduce me.

Gail: No.

Cryto: Tired of being young again already?

[Cut to Prue, Piper and Phoebe. They're in the car and they stop at a stop sign. The elderly men, that are now young, pull up beside them.]

Man #1: Hiya, toots.

(They drive off.)

Phoebe: Wait a minute.

Piper: Tell me those aren't the same guys you asked for directions.

Prue: Uh, okay, Cryto's close. Let's drive.

[Cut back to the gas station. Cryto's talking to the other elderly man.]

Cryto: The only catch is that you have to keep it a secret. You can't ever tell a soul. I'm sure you understand why.

Elderly Man #3: What, is this some kind of joke?

Cryto: If you think it is, then why are you still here? Because some part of you is hoping beyond hope that I just might be telling you the truth. That I can restore your youth. Just like I did for Gail Altman.

Elderly Man #3: Gail?

Gail: Yes, Frank, it's really me.

(Frank nods his head. Cryto turns Frank young. Frank starts to walk away. Phoebe's glasses are sitting on the counter.)

Cryto: You forgot your...

(He picks up the glasses and he has a premonition of Prue, Piper and Phoebe vanquishing him.)

Gail: What?

Cryto: Three witches. You said you took care of them.

Gail: What are you talking about?

Cryto: You lied to me.

(Prue, Piper and Phoebe pull up in the car. Gail sees them and runs outside.)

Gail: Prue, run, hurry!

(They get out of the car.)

Prue: Aunt Gail?

(Cryto makes a crow bar fly towards them, they duck and it hits the window of Piper's car.)

Piper: So much for him not knowing how to use our powers.)

(Cryto pushes Gail on the ground.)

Phoebe: I've got one power he doesn't have.

(Cryto makes Phoebe fly through the air.)

Piper: Phoebe.

(Prue pulls Piper behind a petrol bowser.)

Prue: No, no, okay, wait. It's just way too dangerous.

Cryto: Nobody's sending me back in.

Piper: But we can't just sit here.

Prue: No, we have to think. Alright, what do we know about our powers that he doesn't?

(Gail runs behind a car where Phoebe is.)

Gail: Oh, thank God.

Phoebe: Stay away from me.

(Phoebe looks above the car over at Prue and Piper, she puts her hands up and nods.)

Prue: Alright, Phoebe's thinking what we're thinking.

Piper: Great, what are we thinking?

Cryto: You can't hide from me.

Gail: (to Phoebe) I didn't want to die. It was wrong. Here, you'll need this.

(She gives Phoebe the spell.)

Phoebe: The spell.

Prue: (to Piper) Just follow my lead. You ready?

Piper: Uh huh.

(They come out from behind the petrol bowser.)

Prue: Alright, we give up.

Piper: Excuse me?

(Phoebe sneaks up behind Cryto.)

Prue: No, no, no, Phoebe, wait, he'll freeze us.

(Cryto turns around and freezes Phoebe. You can see she hasn't froze.)

Cryto: That's a marvellous power.

(He turns back around and Phoebe kicks him.)

Phoebe: Good witches don't freeze.

(They run away. Gail tries to too but Cryto sends her flying through the glass.)

Cryto: I'll kill you.

Gail: No!

[Cut to Prue, Piper and Phoebe. They run behind a different building.]

Phoebe: Okay, what do we do about Gail?

Prue: Well, without our powers there's nothing much that we can do.

Phoebe: Okay, so we have to get back our powers and then find Cryto before he finds us.

Prue: Agreed. Alright, let's go.

(Prue and Phoebe start to leave but Piper just stands there.)

Phoebe: Piper, come on.

(Piper shakes her head.)

Prue: Piper, what's the matter?

Piper: I've had it.

Phoebe: What do you mean you've had it? Had it with what?

Piper: With being a witch.

[Cut back to the gas station. Cryto walks over to Gail.]

Cryto: You betrayed me.

Gail: At least they got away so they can destroy you.

Cryto: No they won't. I know where they're going, remember? I saw it.

(Cryto makes Gail turn into dust.)

[Cut to Prue, Piper and Phoebe. They are walking towards Gail's house.]

Phoebe: We can't just leave your car.

Piper: We'll call a cab.

Phoebe: That'll cost a hundred bucks.

Piper: I'm not going back to town. I'm through with demon hunting.

Prue: Piper, come on.

Piper: There's really nothing more to say.

Phoebe: Well, if it's getting back our powers that you're worried about, I can do that, I have a spell that can do that.

Piper: I don't want my powers back.

Phoebe: You don't mean that.

Piper: Don't I? I think it may be my solution to all of my problems.

Prue: Piper, wait a second. I know exactly what you're going through. Remember when Andy died? I didn't want to be a witch anymore either.

Piper: That's different.

Prue: How?

Piper: Because not wanting to be a witch isn't a symptom of something else like it is for you, Prue. For me it's the problem. It's the cause, it's the problem of everything. I just, I want a life that hasn't got a lot of death in it. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Phoebe: You can't do this.

Piper: Phoebe, we're all gonna do it sooner or later. I'm just doing it first.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Gail's house. Piper's dialing a number on the phone. Phoebe hangs it up.]

Piper: What are you doing?

Phoebe: Piper, you can't do this. It effects all of us.

Piper: Phoebe, I love you, you are one of my two most favourite sisters but I don't wanna give up having a life.

Phoebe: I'm not asking you to.

Piper: Yes you are. Just by asking me to be a witch.

Phoebe: Piper, you were born a witch. It's not a choice, it's a fact.

Piper: Says who? Up until two years ago I didn't know I was born a witch. Neither did you guys and we were perfectly happy then with perfectly normal lives. I miss that, don't you?

Phoebe: No.

Prue: Yeah, well, sometimes. But look, I've accepted the fact that I can't just turn back the clock and pretend that it never happened and neither can you.

Piper: I don't wanna end up like Aunt Gail, old and alone and wishing I was young again so I can do all the things I missed out on.

(Prue hugs Piper.)

Prue: We won't let that happen to you.

(Phoebe joins the hug.)

Phoebe: Just help us get our powers back. Please? We can't do it without you.

Prue: We won't do it without you.

(They go down to the basement.)

Piper: How do we know Cryto will even come here?

Prue: If he's gonna look for us, he's gonna start here.

(Piper puts the iced-tea on the table.)

Phoebe: Well, we can try summoning like Gail and her friends did.

Prue: I think that only works with spirits, Pheebs.

Piper: I still don't understand how we're gonna get him to drink this without having any powers.

Prue: We have to get him to use one of the powers he doesn't know how to use yet.

Piper: Astral projection?

Prue: Exactly. If we can distract him long enough to be in two places at the same time...

Phoebe: We might be able to trick him into thinking that I'm still looking for the potion.

Piper: Alright, I'm only doing this for you guys and if I get killed, I'm gonna haunt the both of you forever.

Prue: Yeah, yeah. Got the spell?

Phoebe: Yes. I got it.

(She hands it to Prue.)

Cryto: (from outside) Anybody home? I know you're here and I know where you are.

(Cryto walks in and Phoebe kicks him and he falls down the stairs. Prue and Piper push shelves on top of him.)

Prue: Phoebe, the potion.

(Phoebe goes out of the basement.)

Cryto: No!

(He crawls out from under the shelves and makes Prue and Piper fly across the room and they land on the ground hard.)

Piper: Ow.

Prue: Ohh.

[Cut to Phoebe.]

Phoebe: I got it! (to herself) Come on, come on.

[Cut back to the basement.]

Prue: Pheebs, get the potion.

Phoebe: Start chanting the spell.

Piper: We need the potion first.

Cryto: It won't work.

Phoebe: Just start, I've got a plan.

Prue, Piper: "Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us..."

(Cryto astral projects into the other room and his body falls to the ground.)

Prue: Get the potion.

[Cut to the other room. Cryto appears.]

Phoebe: Pretty nifty power, huh? (She hits him in the throat and kicks him) (to Prue and Piper) Do it!

[Cut to the basement. Prue opens Cryto's mouth and Piper gets ready to pour in the potion.]

Prue: Give him all of it.

(Piper pours the potion in his mouth.)

[Cut back to Phoebe. Cryto astral projects back in his body.]

Phoebe: He's coming back.

[Cut back to the basement. Phoebe comes down the stairs.]

Prue, Piper, Phoebe: "Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here."

(Their powers float out of Cryto back into them.)

Piper: Wanna see what does freeze?

(She freezes him.)

Prue: Pheebs.

Phoebe: "What witches done and them undone, return this spirit and back within, and separate him from his skin." (Cryto unfreezes and he gets separated from his skin and he explodes.) Ouch. That look liked it hurt.

Prue: Yeah, well, I hope so for Aunt Gail's sake.

Piper: And Helen and Amanda's.

[Scene: Manor. Piper opens a box and brand new boots are in there.]

Piper: Very nice.

Prue: Well, we thought you might appreciate a pair without demon blood.

Piper: I do, very much. Thank you.

Prue: So Piper, uh, Phoebe and I were kind of wondering...

Phoebe: Because we want you to be happy.

Prue: Very happy.

Phoebe: But we were wondering if we should be budgeting for more shoes or not.

Piper: Well, I wish I could tell you getting my powers back made me appreciate what I lost...

Phoebe: But...

Piper: But I feel like I'm back we're I started. I mean, I understand what you guys are saying and everything but I can't change the way I feel.

Phoebe: So you really are quitting?

Piper: I want to for all the reasons we already talked about but, um, I'm only gonna do that if and when you guys want to also.

Phoebe: Well, I'm always gonna wanna be a witch. That's for sure.

Prue: She's young.

Phoebe: Oh, give me a break.

Piper: Alright, I gotta go.

Phoebe: Good luck. (Piper leaves.) Oh, poor Dan. So do you think we should worry?

Prue: No, he'll be alright.

Phoebe: I mean, about Piper quitting.

Prue: Oh, maybe. (Phoebe shows Prue her glasses.) You little liar. You did go see the optometrist.

Phoebe: Yeah, well, let's just say I'm not as concerned with my vanity anymore.

(She puts on her glasses.)

Commercial Break

[Scene: P3. Piper and Dan are sitting on the couch in the corner of the room.]

Dan: You hungry?

Piper: Um, no, unless you are.

Dan: No, I'm fine. What?

Piper: I was thinking that it just seemed like yesterday you moved in next door and we... you know.

Dan: Piper, you don't have to do this.

Piper: Do what?

Dan: Go through this big explanation. I think I know what you wanted to talk to me about. You're breaking up with me aren't you? Is it because of Leo? I'm sorry. It's really none of my business.

Piper: Dan, I will always love you, this doesn't change that. You've been really good to me and treated me incredibly well but I need to try and make this work with Leo and it may not, I don't know. We've never really given it a shot and I want to, I have to. I'm so sorry.

Dan: You don't have to be. You're just being honest with me. We're still gonna be neighbours though, right?

Piper: We better be more than that.

(Dan kisses her on the forehead.)

Dan: Well, I guess I better go.

(Dan grabs his coat and walks away.)

End