We All Scream for Ice Cream/Script

Written By: Chris Levinson & Jack Estrin

Season 3, Episode 10

Episode Number: 54

[Scene: P3. The place is full of people dancing. Phoebe and Piper are in the alcove. Piper is peeking around the curtain, looking at some guy. The guy is staring back at her. Phoebe comes and stands next to her.]

Phoebe: What's with the hide-and-go-peek?

Piper: He's still staring at me.

Phoebe: Who?

Piper: The guy at the end of the bar.

(The guy smiles.)

Phoebe: Oh, no, honey, that's not staring, that's flirting.

Piper: You say tomato.

Phoebe: No, I say relax-o. (They sit back down.) He seems pretty harmless. I mean, he's clean cut, innocent. The kind of guy that a girl could teach a few things to.

Piper: Hello? A girl that's in a serious relationship. Besides, it's always the innocent looking ones you have to watch out for.

(Prue walks in the alcove and sits down.)

Prue: Hi, hey, alright, I need some professional help.

Phoebe: No arguments here.

Prue: Ha, cute. (to Piper) Uh, where is your DJ?

Piper: Uh, he's on break. Why? What's going on?

Prue: You know when you get a song stuck in your head and you can't seem to get it out?

Phoebe: Yeah, tell me about it. I couldn't get The Facts of Life theme song out of my head for like three years.

Prue: Alright, well, I have absolutely no idea what this one is and it's driving me crazy. And I thought that maybe your DJ might recognise it or something.

Piper: How's it go?

Prue: I'm not gonna sing it for you.

Piper: Why not? Maybe we'll recognise it.

Prue: Okay. (She hums something.) Anything?

Piper: Nada.

Phoebe: I'm thinking if you try it again with a little bit more oomph, you know, maybe some choreography, and Piper could back you up with some old-school beatbox?

Prue: Why did I know that I would get absolutely no help out of you crazy people?

(She walks away. Piper and Phoebe follow.)

Piper: Oh, come on, wait a minute. Wait. We can't let you leave completely empty handed.

(Piper hands Prue a card.)

Prue: What is this?

Phoebe: Well, it seems like you really reconnected with our friend Justin. He's inviting us to his big annual family barbecue.

Piper: Sounds like fun.

Prue: For who? I mean, you know, Justin and I are still in the flirtatious banter stage in the relationship. I think hanging out with the folks might put a dampener on it.

Phoebe: Is that all?

Prue: Yeah, what do you mean?

Phoebe: I mean, are you sure it's not because it's a big family gathering?

Prue: Okay, if you're gonna go with the "Prue's got parental issues" card, let me save you some time.

Phoebe: Oh, Prue, it's not like we blame you. I mean, seeing complete connected families is hard on all of us, but we can't spend our lives avoiding what bothers us.

Prue: The only thing bothering me right now is that I cannot get this stupid song out of my head, alright? So I really appreciate your concern, but you know what I would appreciate even more? Five minutes with your DJ.

(Prue walks off humming the song.)

[Scene: An ice-cream truck is driving down the street playing the same tune Prue was humming. It stops in an alley. A boy walks up to the window.]

Ice Cream Man: Would you like some ice cream, little one?

Boy: Yeah.

(The ice cream man shows his face.)

Ice Cream Man: You didn't say "please".

(The boy gets sucked into the truck and screams on his way in.)

Opening Credits

[Scene: Manor. Prue's room. She is asleep in bed. She is having a nightmare. In her nightmare you see a snowy playground. A child screams and yells "help me". The little girl runs through the playground over to her father. Prue's alarm wakes her up. It reads 7:00am.]

[Time lapse. Porch. The door opens and Prue walks out. She picks up the newspaper. She looks around and hears a tune.]

[Cut to the kitchen. Phoebe is there looking at some information on Cole on the laptop.]

Phoebe: Come on, Cole. Talk to me.

(Prue walks in.)

Prue: Morning, sunshine.

(Phoebe ignores her.)

Prue: Okay, how about, uh, cloudy with a chance of showers?

Phoebe: I'm sorry, did you say something?

Prue: Nothing pressing. You pull an all-nighter again?

Phoebe: Yeah, uh, subject matter's been elusive.

(Phoebe gets an Instant Messenger on her laptop.)

Prue: Caught by the bell. Who's the instant message from?

(Phoebe closes the laptop.)

Phoebe: Oh, it's nothing.

Prue: Alright, well, nothing usually means something, and something usually means a boy, so...

(Piper walks in.)

Piper: Alright, I don't know what you guys are talking about, but what I've got is better... at least bizarrer.

Prue: Bizarrer?

Piper: Mmm hmm.

Prue: Is that even a word, Piper?

Piper: Whatever. Anyway, Cara called last night, and she had a meeting in the Bay Tech Building yesterday, and she swore that she saw Victor walking through the lobby.

Phoebe: As in dad Victor?

Piper: As in we haven't spoken to him in a year, and now he's probably in town, and he hasn't even bothered to call us. Yes, that would be the one. Now you see my need to share?

Phoebe: Oh, wait. But Cara hasn't seen him since what?

Piper: Like the first grade, I know, but she sounded very sure. Why do you think he's here? Should we go and try to find him? I mean, what if it has nothing to do with us?

Prue: Well, I for one am not going to go out of my way to find out.

Phoebe: Wait, you're not even curious? Come on, Prue. I mean, he is our father.

Prue: No. Like I said before, I've come to terms with our lack of parental involvement. You know, some people just weren't meant to have the Rockwellian porch with the house, the two-car garage, the picket fence, the Golden Retriever, and the doting mum and dad.

Piper: Okay, so we're not the typical family, but he is all we have, Prue.

Prue: No, Piper, we have each other, okay? And we have other people that love us, too, and very full and busy lives. Speaking of which, I gotta dash. If you want to have lunch, I'll be up on Knob Hill in the park for... doing a shoot, okay?

Phoebe: Okay.

Prue: Okay.

Piper: Hey, can I walk you out?

Prue: That would be so nice.

(Prue and Piper leave the room. Phoebe opens the laptop back up.)

[Scene: A building. Prue is stuck in a crowded elevator. She looks at her watch. She hears someone humming the tune. she looks around. The elevator door opens and a little girl walks out humming the tune.]

Prue: Oh, excuse me.

(She tries to get out but people get in the way. The door closes in her face.)

[Scene: Bay Tech Building. Piper walks up to the receptionist's desk.]

Piper: Hi. I'm, uh... you don't really care who I am, do you? I mean, everybody else is on lunch break, and you're stuck here fielding random questions from people who probably shouldn't even be asking them in the first place, because...

Receptionist: Can I actually help you?

Piper: Yeah, right. Um, I'd like to know which company Victor Bennett is with?

(The receptionist types something on the computer.)

Receptionist: He's not.

Piper: Excuse me?

Receptionist: Bennett comma Victor? He's not listed in any office in the building.

(Piper pulls a picture out of her purse.)

Piper: I, uh, I have a picture. It's about from a decade ago but have you seen him around? (The receptionist shakes her head.) Are you sure? Because I know that... (A man walks out of the elevator.) Dad? (The man turns around.) It's, uh, it's not you. (The man continues walking.) I'm sorry, I thought you were... I'm sorry.

[Scene: Park. Prue and Phoebe are sitting on a bench eating lunch.]

Prue: So, they say stick to what you know. So I pitched a piece about growing up in the city. Hopefully, it'll make the cover.

Phoebe: You're dodging. Artfully, but it's still a dodge.

Prue: Right, did you ever consider that maybe I just don't wanna go?

Phoebe: It has nothing to do with the barbecue, or the guy that asked you to go with him. It has to do with dad.

Prue: Why do you insist on pinning everything that I do on my feelings or lack thereof for our father?

Phoebe: Prue, you say you're over it, but you say it so much that I have this feeling that the person you're trying to convince is yourself. And believe me, after what I went through with Cole, if anyone understands that, it's me.

Prue: It's sort of not the same thing.

Phoebe: Maybe it is.

Prue: My feelings for our father are in the past which means it really has no place in the present.

(A girl starts humming the tune.)

Phoebe: So Justin gets penalised for it.

Prue: There it is.

Phoebe: What?

Prue: That song. Don't you hear it? Somebody's humming it. (Prue runs over to a little girl and Phoebe follows.) Hi. Hey. I was wondering if you could tell me what that song is you're humming.

(The girl points to an ice cream truck that drives by.)

Phoebe: Okay, riddle solved. Now you can stop humming that stupid song. So I think we were in the middle of you trying to make a strong argument of why you're not gonna go to Justin's barbecue. (Prue continues to stare at the truck.) Prue, if you keep ignoring me, my feelings just might actually implode.

(The girls runs off towards the truck.)

Prue: It's cold out.

Phoebe: Yeah, it's a little thing we like to call winter here.

Prue: Why would a child want ice cream when it's this cold out, and the truck pulled up and no one budged, and did you notice? There are no parents.

Phoebe: Okay, connect the dots for me, please? (Prue walks off.) Uh, preferably standing still. (Phoebe follows her.) Do you have a hankering for a snow cone? Prue, we're in the middle of a conversation, and considering your lunch hour ended, oh, five minutes ago, we should probably make this fast.

Prue: Yeah, well, something's wrong.

Phoebe: Yeah, I know that. Why don't you talk to me about it?

Prue: Not with me, Phoebe, with this, alright? I have a total déjà vu coming on.

Phoebe: Okay, so first you're humming weird songs, now you're having flashbacks?

[Cut to the ice cream truck parked in an alley. The girl walks up to the window.]

Girl: Hello?

Ice Cream Man: Would you like some ice cream, little one?

(Prue and Phoebe walk up to the truck. The girl starts to get sucked into the truck.)

Prue: Alright, I mean, it's usually that my instinct is pretty much...

(Prue and Phoebe grab her legs and pull her back out. The ice cream man pokes his head out the window. Prue, Phoebe and the girl get sucked into the truck.)

Commercial Break

[Scene: Inside the ice cream truck. Prue and Phoebe are there in the snowy playground.]

Prue: Uh, alright, where's the little girl?

Phoebe: I don't know. I was holding onto her and then...

Prue: We have to find her.

Phoebe: Well, first we have to figure out where the hell we are.

Prue: Well, I'm just gonna take a wild guess and say that we're not still in the ice cream truck.

Phoebe: Or even worse, we are still in the ice cream truck.

(They hear children in the distance.)

Phoebe: Prue...

Prue: I know, I hear it too. (They hear a noise which gives them a fright.) Alright, if there's a way in, there's definitely a way out.

(The ice cream man comes up behind them.)

Ice Cream Man: Who are you?

(Prue and Phoebe scream.)

Prue: (to Phoebe) No powers, no powers, no powers.

Phoebe: I'm not surprised, I'm not surprised, I'm not surprised.

(A hole opens up above them and the Ice Cream Man runs away. They hear more noises.)

Phoebe: Okay, something tells me he was not running from us.

Prue: Okay, let's go.

(They start to run off but a little boy (Ari) comes out of the bushes.)

Ari: Help! Please help me.

(They go over to him.)

Prue: Help you from what?

Ari: The Nothing.

Phoebe: Is that the man that we just saw here?

Ari: It's up there. It comes for you, for everybody. When it gets you, the only thing left where you stood is nothing. You never know when it's coming, and you never know who it wants. We try to hide, but he keeps finding us. Hurry, it's coming. In here. (He runs towards the bushes.) Come on. Come here, in here.

(Prue and Phoebe follow him in the bushes. They crouch down beside a tree. A girl comes out of the bushes near by.)

Girl: Wait for me!

Prue: Run!

Girl: Help!

(The girl runs towards them but trips and falls over.)

Prue: She's not gonna make it.

(Prue runs towards her. The girls gets sucked up into the Nothing.)

Phoebe: Prue, come on.

(Phoebe pulls Prue back into the bushes.)

Prue: She was right there.

Phoebe: Prue, it's not your fault. Our powers don't work here, we know that now. We'll be better prepared next time.

Ari: Does that mean that you're gonna save us?

Phoebe: Us?

Ari: There are others just like me, hiding, captured by the Ice Cream Man. If he doesn't want you here, that must mean you have the power to save us. We should go. The Nothing'll be coming back. He always does. Come on.

[Scene: P3. Piper's on the phone.]

Piper: Prue, it's me leaving you another message after leaving Phoebe another message. I tried you at work, but they said you never checked in after your shoot, so where are you guys? (Piper sees the same guy as before standing at the other end of the bar.) Uh, look, so call me, or better yet, just show up and save me from having to perform an impending awkward rejection all by myself.

(She hangs up. The guy (Caleb) walks over to her.)

Caleb: Hi, I'm Caleb.

(She shakes his hand.)

Piper: Piper.

Caleb: I'm sort of new in town, and I'm looking to meet someone, someone special. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your phone call to your...

Piper: Fiancé. Very large, very jealous fiancé.

(She walks around behind the bar.)

Caleb: Really? Does, does he ever come here?

Piper: He-he, all the time.

Caleb: So he lives nearby?

Piper: Uh, look, I'm flattered and, you know, if this was another time or place, uh, maybe you'd like to meet one of my single sisters.

Caleb: You've got sisters? Really? Well, maybe we could, all, uh, get together sometime. Does your fiancé like to hang out with your sisters, too?

Piper: Okay, uh, you know what? I don't know what kind of kinky stuff you're into, but there's a club down the street you might be more comfortable in. They've got cages and rubber floors, and a three for two special on Fridays.

Caleb: I'm not looking for a club, Piper.

Piper: And I'm not interested, Caleb, at least, in what I think you're interested in. So, if you don't mind, I have lots of stacking and stuff to do.

Caleb: I think you got the wrong... Okay, okay, I'm gonna come back later when you're not, uh, stacking.

(Caleb walks away. Piper picks up the phone and dials a number.)

Piper: Prue, where are you guys?

[Cut to inside the ice cream truck.]

Phoebe: Are we going in circles? This looks like the exact same playground.

Ari: In this place, everywhere you go looks the same. That's how the Nothing gets you. Only a few of us can find our way.

(Phoebe slaps Prue on the arm. Prue gasps.)

Phoebe: Why couldn't you get a boy-band song in your head like everybody else?

Prue: Alright, just tell us everything that you know about the mean Ice Cream Man.

Ari: Just that he's the one that put us here.

Prue: Alright, so is he in charge of the Nothing?

Ari: I don't know. I guess. The others are gonna be so happy to see you. We've been wishing and hoping that someday someone would come and save us, and now you're here.

Phoebe: Well, we're gonna do whatever we can to get you out of here. So why don't you take us to your friends?

Ari: Through here.

(He walks off. Phoebe touches a swing and has a premonition of Prue as a little girl. She is in the ice cream truck, calling out. She runs over to her father and he hugs her tightly.)

Prue: What is it?

Phoebe: I saw you when you were little, in this playground with Dad.

[Cut back to the manor. Piper is calling Leo.]

Piper: Leo! (She closes her eyes.) Leo. (Leo orbs in. She opens her eyes.) It's about time.

Leo: Piper, I was busy.

Piper: Well, don't you have orb-waiting?

Leo: Look, it's not fair to my other clients if I keep getting calls from you while I'm at work.

Piper: Look, I just have one teensy favour. Prue and Phoebe never came back from lunch, and they haven't been returning any of my phone calls. And I know I'm probably just being paranoid, but can't you do that check-the-supernatural-radar thing that you do?

Leo: I'm sure it's fine. They're just...

(Piper gives him a look. Leo closes his eyes and concentrates.)

Piper: Leo? (He opens his eyes.) Not good?

Leo: I can't sense them anywhere. It's like they just...

Piper: Disappeared.

[Cut back inside the ice cream truck. Kids are standing in front of Prue and Phoebe.]

Prue: Alright, is that all of you?

Ari: All that's left.

Girl: Are you gonna save us?

Phoebe: We're gonna try.

Prue: Alright, I think the only way out of here is to go through the person that... (Prue sees the ice cream man standing near by.) Put us here in the first place.

Phoebe: The Ice Cream Man? But how are we supposed to find him?

Prue: Something tells me that's not gonna be very hard.

Phoebe: Why not?

Prue: Oh, because he's right over there. (She points to him. The ice cream man runs away.) Okay, you kids stay here. We'll take care of the good humour man. Let's go.

(Prue and Phoebe run after him.)

Phoebe: There he is, by the slide.

Prue: Alright, oh, hey, wait. Look at that. (They see a hole behind a slide.) What does that look like to you?

Phoebe: The street from the back of the truck.

Prue: That's right. The way out. Okay, all that we need now are the, uh...

(The kids come up to them.)

Phoebe: Hey, we were just coming to get you. Come on, we're going home.

Prue: Come on, come on, come on. (A girl goes up the slide and jumps out of the truck.) One down. (A boy jumps outside.) That's another one.

(The ice cream man sees them.)

Ice Cream Man: No!

Prue: Ooh, hurry! Get!

(Ari jumps outside.)

Phoebe: I'm going next.

Prue: Okay, but go.

Ice Cream Man: Get away from the door!

(Phoebe jumps out and so does Prue.)

[Cut outside. Everyone moves away from the truck except Ari.]

Phoebe: Ari, come on, hurry up.

(The ice cream man grabs Ari by the shirt. Ari grabs the ice cream man's wrists and burns his hands. Ari pushes him back in the truck and closes the door.)

Prue: Oh.

Phoebe: Oh, my God.

Ari: Actually, (in demonic voice) quite the opposite.

Prue: Okay, we need to keep him away from the other kids.

Ari: I don't think they'll listen to you. You're not the boss of them.

Demon Girl: Did you do it?

(Ari nods.)

Ari: Say thank you to the witches.

Demon Boy and Girl: Thank you.

(They laugh and run off.)

Commercial Break

[Scene: Manor. Living room. Piper and Leo are sitting on the couch.]

Leo: Why don't we try focusing on the positive? They're together.

Piper: That's it? That's your positive? Because I've got a list mile long in the negative column. They've been gone all night, Leo, and not even you can find them.

Leo: I'm sure they're fine.

Piper: You don't know that.

Leo: Piper, any minute now they are gonna walk through that door with a perfectly good explanation.

(Prue and Phoebe walk through the front door.)

Prue: Piper.

(Piper looks at Leo. He looks stunned.)

Leo: See?

Piper: Prue? Phoebe?

(Piper goes over and hugs them.)

Piper: Where...

Phoebe: Were we? Oh, I would like to know the same thing.

Prue: All that we know is that we have to go back.

Piper: Wait a minute, is this demon or sibling-related?

Phoebe: A little bit of both. We thought the good guys were bad guys, and in trying to vanquish them, we helped the real bad guys, which were dead ringers for good guys.

Leo: Was that English?

Prue: How about we fill in the blanks as we climb the stairs to that big book in the attic?

Phoebe: Good idea.

(They go upstairs.)

[Time lapse. Attic. Prue's flipping through the Book of Shadows.]

Piper: So, he's a demonic dog catcher, and he uses ice cream as bait? Great news for the lactose intolerant demons.

Prue: Nothing in here on the demon kids who escaped.

Phoebe: That we helped escape.

Prue: But there's a whole page dedicated to the Ice Cream Man.

Piper: What?

Prue: He is mortal.

Phoebe: What? Do you remember when demons look like demons and innocents look like innocents? Who changed the rules on us?

Piper: Wait, if he's mortal, how does he do it?

Leo: It's not him.

Prue: Bingo. It's the song. It says, "The Ice Cream Man plays the Devil's Cord, which is a series of notes that when sounded together specifically attract demon kids like moths to a flame."

Phoebe: More like moths to nothing. That's what's inside the truck, nothing. That's why he pulls them in there. The Nothing is the only thing that can vanquish them.

Piper: So they might be pint-sized, but they're bad asses.

Leo: Alright, but if they couldn't get out on their own, how did you guys?

Prue: Because he led us out. He tried to save us.

Phoebe: And that is all she wrote, literally. Uh, the Nothing doesn't discriminate. Good or evil, tastes the same.

Piper: Now the only person who knows anything about the escaped meanies is stuck on the playground and is in serious danger of becoming lunch himself.

Prue: Right, and our powers don't play, not in this situation. I mean, Pheebs and I tried everything to get back in, but the door wouldn't budge.

Phoebe: Well, not everything.

Piper: Hmm? Mind sharing with the room?

Prue: Phoebe had a premonition of me.

Phoebe: And Dad in the playground.

Piper: You were there? How? When?

Phoebe: Only one way to find out.

Prue: Right, but we don't even know where he is, never have, not even now, when he might actually come in handy.

Phoebe: He's here. Dad's in San Francisco. He's been here for the last three months. So it was him that your friend Cara saw. And it was an email from him that I got yesterday that I didn't tell you guys about. He's here, an instant message away.

Piper: Phoebe, this is...

Phoebe: Huge. I know, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys that I've been keeping in touch with him, but I wanted to. It just never seemed like the right time. So I guess now is the right time. What do you think?

Piper: Do we have a choice?

(Phoebe gets out her laptop.)

[Scene: Sidewalk. The demon boy stands there staring a burnt body beside a bush. An ice cream truck is parked on the side of the road. Ari and the demon girl walks up to him.]

Ari: Whatcha doing?

Demon Boy: Killing.

Ari: No kidding. Did anybody see you?

Demon Girl: Thought I was supposed to kill. Was it fun?

Demon Boy: He screamed a lot.

Demon Girl: Cool.

Demon Boy: So what do we do now?

Ari: Well, I guess we waste even more time while we pick up after you.

Demon Boy: But you said all we have to do is find the truck...

Ari: Not any truck, the truck. I already got rid of the Ice Cream Man, remember? The only people we might have to kill to get to the right truck are those witches.

Demon Boy: But...

(Ari walks over to the truck.)

Ari: And if you would've paid attention, you would've known that. And you also would've known... (Ari opens the back door of the truck.) That this isn't the right truck. Now, I like killing just as much as the next demon, but right now we gotta be smart. And trashing every regular old ice cream truck that we see is not smart.

Demon Girl: But it's fun.

Ari: And we'll have lots more fun when this is all over.

Demon Girl: Promise?

Ari: Yeah, but first do you think you can clean up this mess?

Demon Girl: I was waiting for you to say that. (She blows towards the body and it disappears.) Done.

[Scene: P3. Prue and Phoebe are sitting at the bar. Piper is standing behind it serving them a drink.]

Piper: Welcome to Club Switzerland.

Prue: Alright, could we just sort of cut the sarcasm there? I just didn't really feel like inviting him to our home for tea and cookies.

Phoebe: He's our father, Prue. This is family.

Prue: This is business, alright? And don't even think about giving me that look. If he gives us any useful information about the playground, I will be the very first one to thank him.

Phoebe: And then send him packing.

(Caleb approaches the bar.)

Caleb: These must be the sisters I've heard so much about.

Piper: Caleb, uh...

Caleb: And to think I almost didn't swing by today.

Piper: Okay, you know what? I've tried, I really have, and you're not a bad guy, but obviously, the part of your brain meant to take a hint wasn't wired together properly because you're not taking any. (Leo stands behind Caleb.) This is a really bad time.

Caleb: Oh, okay, when would be a good time?

Piper: (to Leo) Help me.

Leo: (to Caleb) You got a phone call, it's in the office. Why don't I show you where that is.

Caleb: Uh, okay, do you mind if I ask you something?

(Leo and Caleb walk away.)

Piper: Thank you. (Prue looks confused.) Hey, you're just lucky nobody got killed, okay? You hear what I'm saying?

(Victor walks down the stairs and the girls stare at him.)

Victor: Well, would it be too much to ask for a hug?

(Phoebe gets up and hugs him.)

Phoebe: It's good to see you, daddy.

Victor: Oh, baby, you have no idea. Wow, what a place. This is yours, Piper? It's terrific. The three of you together. I hardly know where to begin.

Prue: Well, I have a suggestion. How about we just cut to the chase?

Piper: Uh, Prue, he just got here. Can't that wait, like, five minutes?

Prue: He's a businessman, Piper. I would think that he would appreciate that. We can do the whole family-bonding thing once the work is done, alright? So, how about you just tell us everything that you know about the playground?

Victor: What playground?

Phoebe: Dad, I had a premonition. I know you were there.

Piper: And somebody's hurt, so we need to get back inside.

Victor: Oh, let it go.

Prue: That may be your motto, but we made a mistake, and we would really like to fix it. So just tell us how you got in, and we can handle it from there. We are big witches now.

Victor: Yeah, but you're still my girls.

Prue: Victor.

Victor: Prue. (Silence.) Alright. Yes, I was there. I went in after you, and it was the last thing I ever did as your father. You were home with a cold. You must've been about six. Your mum had some errands to run, so she took your sisters with her and left me home in charge of you.

[Flashback: Six-year-old Prue's room. She is asleep in bed. Victor pulls up the blankets and kisses her on the forehead.]

Victor: You had asked me to read you a story. You used to love that. But the cold was too much for you. You only lasted a page or two. When I left your room you were still sleeping.

[Little Prue goes downstairs into the living room.]

Victor: I never heard you come downstairs. You must've been looking for a glass of water or me. And that must've been when you heard it.

[Back to the present.]

Prue: The song.

Victor: I mean, I heard a truck drive by and stop a few doors down, but I didn't think anything of it. It was an ice-cream truck. How was I to know? But somehow you did. And you must've gone in the living room following that song. And that's when you saw it happen. A little boy not much older than yourself.

Prue: Yeah. He was standing by the truck, and something pulled him in. He was so scared.

Victor: And you ran out to help him.

Phoebe: Just like yesterday.

Victor: When I saw your bed empty, I lost my mind. The door was wide open, there was a truck parked outside. I mean, I had no idea what I was getting into but I just had to go.

Piper: You saved Prue.

Victor: But I lost the three of you.

Phoebe: You said that you left because Grams wanted us to use our powers and you didn't.

Victor: That's the truth. And now you know the whole story. I mean, when your grandmother found out, I had just brought Prue back, but being your father wasn't good enough, but how could I protect you from something like that happening again when I didn't have powers?

Phoebe: Okay, so the Book said the Ice Cream Man is mortal. That's why he can go through the door and we can't, right?

Piper: So, what do you say, dad? We need your help.

[Time lapse. Prue and Piper are walking down the street with Phoebe and Victor walking behind them.]

Prue: You know if this doesn't work I can look back and pinpoint the exact moment where it all went wrong.

Piper: And that moment's name would be dad? Prue, you got to admit, if he can open the door, then we kinda need him.

Prue: It's all about word choice, Piper. We don't need him, we need his utter lack of power, right? He opens the door, we save the day, we get on with our lives. It's a one-time group effort.

Piper: Glad to see you have a healthy handle on the situation, Prue.

Prue: I think I do.

[Cut to Phoebe and Victor.]

Phoebe: So, yeah, I was surprised to hear from you, but why did you think I wouldn't write you back?

Victor: Because as far back as you can remember, I've done very little right by you. I mean, if a guy, let alone your own dad, walks out on you once, maybe you'll give him a second chance, but he appears to make a habit of it...

Phoebe: I never thought you left by choice, dad.

Victor: Thank you, Phoebe.

(They walk into an alley.)

Prue: Okay, well, this is it.

Piper: Uh, but there's nothing here.

Phoebe: Wait, we lost the truck?

(The demon kids stand behind them.)

Prue: Yeah, but we gained company.

(The demon girl blows them away. They laugh.)

Prue: Oh, those kids so need to be grounded. (The kids run off.) Oh, I don't get it. Alright, why pick a fight and then run?

Piper: Speaking of running, we should run because they're getting away.

Prue: No, we can't do that because we have to get back into the truck.

Phoebe: Not all of us. Come on, Piper.

(Phoebe and Piper run off.)

Victor: Nice work.

Prue: Alright, lost modes of transport are definitely not my forte. So...

Victor: Prue, sometimes things in life happen for a reason, no magic involved. Truck's been towed.

(They see a No Parking/Tow Away sign.)

Prue: Right.

(Ari watches them from near by.)

[Cut to a junk yard. Victor and Prue are there. Prue's removing a chain from the gate.]

Victor: Need a hand?

Prue: No, I don't need a hand, I don't need anything. (They walk over to the truck.) This is where he pulled us in, but since he's still trapped inside, I'm guessing the only way in is through the exit. (She tries to open the door but it won't budge. She uses her power but still doesn't open.) Ugh! Alright, let's just do this. You can do it, right?

Victor: Well, let's just say that chasing demons is not exactly my day job.

Prue: Alright, it helps if you specifically focus on the task. Don't think about what's behind the door, that'll only distract you. Picture yourself opening the door. See yourself opening the door, then just do it.

(Victor opens the door.)

Victor: Thanks for the advice.

Prue: Just doing my job. (They go inside the truck.) This would be a lot easier if things stopped moving. We left him right here. Unless...

Victor: The Nothing. Even mortals have memories, Prue. I saw what it did to those children. I know what it could've done to him and to us if we don't act quickly.

Prue: Yeah, well, at least we agree upon one thing.

Ice Cream Man: Make that two and get out while you still can.

(The ice cream man is sitting near by.)

Prue: Oh, my God. I am so sorry. I didn't know.

Ice Cream Man: The mistake was mine. You're the Charmed Ones, you were saving innocents. How could you know they weren't?

Prue: How did you know?

Ice Cream Man: Let's just say we both have friends in high places. The moment I mistakenly pulled you and your sister in, I was alerted and sent to save you.

Prue: And you get this in return.

Victor: It's getting closer.

Prue: Alright, so you got us out of here once, now it's my turn.

(They help him stand up.)

Ice Cream Man: The children, you must get them back inside the playground.

Prue: We will, and you're gonna help us do it.

Ice Cream Man: I disabled the truck. You'll need to fix it, play the song.

Prue: Don't you dare. You stay with us.

Ice Cream Man: Inside... (Prue pulls a small glass tube out of his shirt pocket.) It's for the truck.

Prue: It's almost here. You go first, okay?

Ice Cream Man: I can replaced, you can't.

Prue: No!

(He pushes them away and the Nothing sucks him up.)

Victor: Prue, it'll be back. We've gotta get out now! You didn't fail. The only way you fail is if you don't get back and do what he asked. Come on.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Night Time. Sidewalk. Piper and Phoebe are there.]

Piper: Why don't they ever run into a well-lit room with nowhere to hide?

Phoebe: Well, we know they're somewhere, and I know what's gonna give them away.

Piper: How could you...

Phoebe: Shh!

(They see the demon kids near by.)

Ari: How badly did you wanna get off that playground? And now we're free. Don't you wanna stay free?

Piper: Why do I get the feeling these kids weren't looking to pick a fight with the Charmed Ones? They were just looking for the truck and we crashed their party.

Phoebe: But we're like a mile ahead. I mean, we know where it is.

Ari: It's in the junkyard.

Phoebe: Oh. Did I say a mile?

Piper: Okay, so they know, but it's three of us versus three of them. We're even, and bigger.

(More demon kids walk up to Ari and the other two.)

Phoebe: Uh, sis, I think you need to count again. When in doubt...

Piper: Bring reinforcements.

Ari: All's that left for us to do is destroy the truck.

Piper: Prue.

Phoebe: And dad. Let's go.

[Cut to the junk yard. Phoebe and Piper walk in.]

Piper: Do you think they're here already?

Phoebe: Probably.

Piper: Do you think they know that we're here already?

Phoebe: Probably.

(The kids laugh in the background.)

Piper: Okay, do they do that because they think it's funny, or just to freak us out?

Phoebe: All we have to do is hold off the demons until dad and Prue get out.

Piper: You haven't by any chance had a premonition that this is all going to turn out okay and you've just neglected to inform your kin?

(A demon kid scratches their fingernails along a car.)

Phoebe: Okay, I think they're surrounding us.

Piper: No, don't say that. We're not surrounded until they're all around of us.

Phoebe: Okay, how bad could the odds be? I mean, sure there's a whole bunch of them, but we're witches, right? And you have the power to... (A demon kid hits Piper over the head with a car part knocking her unconscious.) Piper! Are you okay?

(She sits Piper up against a car.)

Phoebe: Alright, you little brats. Bring it on.

[Cut back in the truck.]

Prue: Head for the slide. Up at the top, that's our way out.

(Prue starts to get sucked up by the Nothing.]

Prue: Aah! Daddy!

Victor: Hold on, Prue!

(Victor grabs Prue's arms.)

Prue: Daddy, I need you.

Victor: I've got you. I'm not leaving without you.

Prue: Dad!

Victor: I've got you. Oh, God.

(He pulls her in.)

[Cut back to the junk yard. The kids surround Phoebe. A demon boy jumps on Phoebe's back and she throws him into the other kids, knocking them to the ground. The demon girl blows Phoebe away. They laugh and walk over to her. Prue and Victor get out of the truck and Prue uses her power on the kids.]

Prue: (to Victor) Alright, any ideas what to do with this?

(Prue hands him the glass tube.)

Victor: Eight years of fixing your mother's car has given me one.

Prue: Alright, we'll buy you some time. (Prue helps Phoebe up.) Hey, need a hand?

Phoebe: I need about ten.

(The girl stands up.)

Prue: Oh, you need a little time out, missy! (Prue uses her power on the demon girl. Victor opens up the bonnet of the truck and looks for a place to put the glass tube. A flame flies out of the demon boy's hand heading for Prue and Phoebe. They jump behind a car.) Oh, dad, hurry!

(Ari walks up to Victor and Prue uses her power on him. Prue and Victor look at each other. Victor puts the tube in its place. The music starts playing and the kids walk over to the truck. They get sucked into the truck. Piper regains consciousness and Phoebe goes over to her.)

Phoebe: Welcome to our world, dad.

Piper: When I decide I wanna have kids, you remind me of this day.

(Leo and Caleb walk in the junk yard.)

Piper: Leo, what are you doing here? Why did you bring him here?

Leo: He's supposed to be here, Piper.

Caleb: You fixed my wheels. Thanks.

Leo: Caleb's the new Ice Cream Man. He filled me in back at the club. Everything's happened the way it was meant to. He was sent here to take over. It's his time.

Piper: So your interest in me...

Caleb: Strictly professional. I was lost, but until I was sure who you were, I couldn't just come up and say, "Hey, are you a Charmed One?" 'Cause I need you to take me to my demon-catching truck. Speaking of which, I'm running kind of late as it is, so, uh, thank you. All of you.

Leo: Good luck.

(Caleb gets in the truck.)

Phoebe: Something tells me I'm never gonna look at a Creamsicle quite the same way.

Prue: Hmm.

[Scene: Manor. Foyer. Victor's ready to leave.]

Victor: Well, I guess this is goodbye again.

(Phoebe hugs him.)

Phoebe: Thanks, dad. Keep writing.

Victor: You don't have to keep secrets anymore, Phoebe.

Phoebe: I know.

Victor: I mean anything. (He kisses her forehead. He walks over to Piper and hugs her.) What's the story with this Leo character anyway? How much does he know about you?

Piper: Uh, just about everything.

Victor: Oh, so he's...

Piper: He's a wonderful man, yes.

Victor: Well, still I think I should have a little chat with him sometime.

Piper: Dad...

Victor: It's a father's prerogative.

(He walks over to Prue.)

Prue: I'm not saying good bye.

Piper, Phoebe: Prue!

Prue: I'm saying see you soon, dad.

(She hugs him.)

Victor: Thank you. You know, that's sort of why I came to town. For this job interview, and although it would entail some travel, I'd be based here in San Francisco, and if you guys think that occasionally this town is big enough for the four of us, I'd like to accept their offer.

Piper: Hmm.

Victor: Could I except that as a yes?

Prue: Yes.

(A horn honks outside.)

Victor: That's my cab. Alright, (he grabs his stuff) we've got so much catching up to do.

Piper: It's okay. It's different now.

Victor: It is, isn't it? See you soon.

(He leaves.)

End