Ms. Hellfire (episode)/Script

Teleplay by: Constance M. Burge & Sheryl J. Anderson

Season 2, Episode 09

Episode Number: 31

[Scene: Manor. Conservatory. Prue's on the phone. Phoebe's sitting at the table eating her breakfast.]

Prue: All right, I can meet with the Curson Foundation at noon but then we'll have to move my 1:00 lunch regarding the Lowe estate. That will affect my 2:30 slide presentation and my 4:30 meeting with the new printers. Have you confirmed Mrs. Swanson yet?

Phoebe: The last Tae Bo class is at seven.

Prue: Okay. I can meet the printers at their office, walk to the Royal Hotel afterwards for my 5:30 with Mrs. Swanson. (to Phoebe) I just have enough time to make it to kick boxing class. (on phone) Her plane doesn’t arrive until six?

(Prue’s cell/mobile phone rings.)

Phoebe: So much for Tae Bo. Oh, that’s your phone, I will get it for you.

Prue: Thanks, it’s probably Jack.

Phoebe: You don’t have time for Jack, literally. (She answers it.) Prue Halliwell’s phone. (to Prue) It’s Mr. Caldwell's office.

Prue: It's the new VP. Monique, why is Mr. Caldwell calling me at home? What emergency staff meeting? When this morning?

Phoebe: 9:30. Be there or be fired.

Prue: I’m on my way.

Phoebe: Bye. (They hang up.) I am very tired and now I need a nap.

Prue: Yeah, well, I need another me. I don't even have time to have fun anymore.

(Piper enters carrying a bag.)

Phoebe: Oh, look who it is.

Piper: Morning.

Phoebe: Hi. Do you recognise that person?

Prue: Yeah, she looks vaguely familiar. Kind of like a sister we used to have. What was her name? Pi... P...

Phoebe: Pi... Pippy?

Prue: Pipper?

Phoebe: Whatever happened to her?

Prue: I don't know. She fell in lust with the next-door neighbour, started spending all her time there.

Piper: That's because she could, for the first time in months, her life was nice and calm and normal. I don't even care that it’s Friday...

Phoebe: Shh! Don’t even say it.

Piper: The 13th. See, I said it, and nothing happened.

(Suddenly someone starts shooting through the windows of the house. They scream and run past the dining room, into the living room. Prue and Phoebe dive behind the couch and Piper stays on the other side of the room.)

Phoebe: I told you not to say it!

Piper: Oh, so this is my fault?

Prue: Run!

Piper: No!

Phoebe: Get your butt over here right...

(She runs past the table and freezes the bullets and glass that’s coming towards her. She hides behind the couch. The person stops shooting and they peek over the top of the couch and the person starts shooting again. They duck behind the couch.)

Prue: Oh, like I need this today. (The person stops shooting.)

Phoebe: Since when do demons use bullets?

Piper: Maybe it’s not a demon.

Prue: Who else would want to kill us?

Phoebe: Well, you know, you were a little sharp to the mailman yesterday, we all know how testy they can be.

(They hear the door knob on the front door rattling.)

Piper: Freeze.

Phoebe: Kick.

Prue: Send flying.

Phoebe: Okay.

(They wait for the door to open but then a woman comes out of the dining room. She shoots, Prue uses her power, the bullets stop in front of them and then flies back to the woman and kills her. Prue, Piper and Phoebe run over to her. The woman is bleeding.)

Prue: Oh, my God, she’s not a demon.

Opening Credits

[Scene: Manor. They are looking at all the things that were in the woman’s purse.]

Phoebe: Multiple aliases.

Piper: Foreign currency. And throwing stars?

(Prue winds up the lipstick and a blade pops up.)

Prue: Not exactly Avon calling.

(Piper finds a key to an apartment.)

Piper: "Sutro Heights Apartments." That’s kinda scary. She didn’t live too far from here.

Phoebe: What’s even scarier is that we’ve never been attacked by a mortal before.

Prue: Yeah, I’ve never killed a mortal before either.

Phoebe: Prue, you had no choice.

Prue: Still doesn’t make it any easier.

Piper: Does it make it easier if the mortal was a hit woman?

(Piper’s looking at the woman’s planner.)

Prue: A list of names. So?

Piper: Yeah, look closer. We’re on it. Or at least one of us is. "P. Halliwell" and other than an "M. Steadwell" we’re the only other name not crossed off.

Prue: A hit woman. Someone obviously hired her. (Prue flips through the planner.) Someone who knew we have powers. I mean, look.

Piper: Prue: Telekinesis, Piper: Power to freeze, Phoebe: Negligible.

Phoebe: What? Negligible?

Piper: Well, that explains why she drove us to the front door and surprised us from behind.

Prue: So, why would a demon hire a mortal to kill us. It doesn’t make any sense.

Piper: I just wish we knew about that part of the equation before we called...

(Darryl knocks on the door and walks in.)

Prue: Darryl, hi, thanks for coming.

Darryl: To tell you the truth, I’m not sure if I actually want to be here. Depends on whether or not you actually tell me the truth this time.

Phoebe: Someone tried to kill us.

Darryl: Did you see who it was?

Prue: She’s in there.

Darryl: She?

(Darryl walks over to her.)

Piper: We were just sorta standing here talking when suddenly she started shooting up the place.

Phoebe: A hit woman, we think.

Prue: Who obviously wanted us dead, we were on her list.

Darryl: And that’s why you’re standing here alive and she’s in here riddled with bullets.

Prue: Darryl, it was self defence. You can check her gun if you don’t believe us. The only fingerprints you’re gonna find on it are hers.

Darryl: Begs the same question. How come she’s got the bullets in her body if you didn’t fire the gun?

Phoebe: Do you really wanna know, Darryl?

Darryl: Tell me.

Phoebe: We’re witches. We... We have powers.

Piper: And we think that there's a... how do I put this? A demon behind this.

Prue: The only way for us to find out who it is, is if you can keep all of this quiet for as long as possible.

Darryl: Let me see the book.

(Piper hands him the planner.)

Phoebe: There are nine names that are crossed out. Besides us there is only one name that’s not crossed out.

Darryl: "Plastique, 10 a.m." Plastic explosives. For all we know she’s probably got some place already rigged to blow.

Prue: Maybe it’s some place M. Steadwell is supposed to be at at ten.

(Phoebe looks at Piper’s watch.)

Phoebe: Okay, it’s after nine already.

Darryl: I’ll check DMV, see if I can get an address.

Phoebe: I‘m gonna go with you.

Piper: Prue and I can go to her apartment and see if we can find anything there.

Prue: After we make a quick pit stop at Bucklands.

Piper: Are you kidding?

Prue: I can't lose my job.

Phoebe: What do we do with the...

Darryl: I can call in a favour and put the body on ice but it’s not gonna buy you much time. One day, max.

[Scene: Bucklands. In an office. There’s a staff meeting there.]

V.P.: As the new regional V.P. of Bucklands auction houses, I’ll be implementing a new course of action for the new millennium. (Prue sneaks in and sits down beside Jack.) The problem is I don’t know any of you well enough to know who’s worth keeping and who’s not.

Jack: (whispering to Prue) You’re late, partner.

Prue: (whispering) We are not partners.

Jack: Do you wanna bet?

V.P.: You. Dark hair. Yeah, the one who tried to sneak in late. What’s your name?

Prue: My name? Uh, Prue, Prue-Prue Halliwell.

V.P.: Yeah, right, okay, you’ll be partnered with Sheridan there. Every employee in this room and their partner, has until tomorrow night to scour through the obits. Do whatever you have to do to raise $100,000 of auction material. (Prue raises her hand.) Yes.

Prue: By tomorrow?

V.P.: If you want to keep your job. Welcome to the new Bucklands. (He leaves.)

Jack: Whoa. I guess we better clear the decks, huh? You know, Prue, we might even have to work over dinner.

(Piper’s standing outside impatiently.)

Prue: Dinner, no.

Jack: Come on, we’re in this together aren’t we?

Prue: Yeah, but...

(Suddenly Prue astral projects outside where Piper’s standing.)

Piper: Prue?

(The Prue inside the office is just sitting still with her eyes closed.)

Jack: Prue? (Prue astral projects back into her body.) Prue, have you even heard a word I’ve said?

Prue: No, I’m feeling a little... weird. I’ll be, uh... ooh. (She gets up and walks over to Piper.)

Piper: What the hell just happened?

Prue: I don’t know. I think it was some sort of astral projection.

Piper: How did you do it?

Prue: I don’t know. I just felt this desperate need for there to be two of me and all of a sudden there was.

Piper: Do you think this is part of your powers growing?

Prue: Maybe. I mean, if I can move things with my mind, why not my body.

Piper: Well, let’s just get out of here before it happens again.

Commercial Break

[Scene: In Darryl’s car. Phoebe and Darryl are on their way to M. Steadwell’s place. The sirens are on and Darryl’s driving really fast.]

Phoebe: Hey, you know, you can ask me anything you want about being a witch.

Darryl: No, thanks.

Phoebe: It’s actually really cool. We have this book. It’s called the Book of Shadows.

Darryl: Too much information, Phoebe.

Phoebe: No, but it’s...

Darryl: Nothing I want to know about. I’m serious. I don’t want anything.

Phoebe: Come on, you don’t even wanna know if we can fly or anything like that?

Darryl: I don’t even wanna know if you own a damn broom, a skillet, a cauldron, a dust buster, I don’t give a damn!

(He speeds around a corner.)

Phoebe: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Darryl: Phoebe, I stare down death everyday, but I’m trained to handle it and that’s in this world. I don’t know if I want to be dragged into another one.

Phoebe: You know, I think it’s too late, Darryl. But we won’t let anything happen to you, I promise. Are you sure this is the right address?

Darryl: Better hope so. It’s the only M. Steadwell registered. Damn, it’s almost 10:00.

[Cut to M. Steadwell’s shop. She puts the key in the lock. You can see a bomb attached to the door in the inside.]

[Cut back to the car.]

Phoebe: Oh, is that her?

(They pull up outside the shop. Darryl gets out. M. Steadwell turns the door handle.)

Darryl: No! Don’t! No!

(Darryl runs over to her and pushes her away from the door. The door opens and the place blows up.)

Phoebe: Darryl?! Oh my God, is everyone okay?

Darryl: Yeah. You okay, Miss Steadwell?

Miss. Steadwell: It worked. I can’t believe it. I cast a protection spell and it actually worked. My first spell. (She starts laughing.)

Darryl: Don’t tell me she’s a witch too.

[Scene: The hit woman’s apartment. Prue and Piper walk in.]

Prue: Look at this place. Lalique fixtures, silk-woven rugs, I could get used to living here in a hurry.

Piper: Yeah, you just have to know who to kill. I’m gonna check the kitchen.

Prue: Alright, I got the bedroom. (She walks in the bedroom.) Wow! (She sees fur coats and leather clothes in the wardrobe.) Oh! Oh! Oh my! Oh, nice. Ooh.

[Cut to Piper. She looks in the fridge and the cupboards. They’re both empty.]

[Cut back to Prue. She opens a cupboard and sees wigs and jewellery.]

[Cut back to Piper. She looks at the mail and "current resident" is written on it.]

[Cut back to Prue. She’s now wearing a leather dress and coat. She looks in the mirror and starts twirling. Piper enters.]

Piper: She must not have lived here long, all the mail is marked resident. Were you twirling?

Prue: No. But opportunity knocked, and I did answer. Check out this wardrobe.

Piper: Um, Prue, honey, focus.

Prue: I can’t. It’s not just the clothes. Wigs, make-up kits, prosthetic enhancements.

Piper: I wonder if anybody knew what she really looked like?

Prue: I doubt it.

Piper: If it weren’t for the roses, we wouldn’t even know what to call her.

Prue: What roses?

Piper: They’re in the living room addressed to Ms. Hellfire.

Prue: Really?

Piper: Mmm hmm.

(Prue walks in the living room and reads the card on the roses.)

Prue: "Until we meet at last. Bane."

(Three guys enter the apartment holding guns.)

DJ: Don’t move. Don’t even flinch, or you’re dead. That’s it, now slowly turn around. Watch her hands, she can kill you with them in a second. Ms. Hellfire, I presume.

Prue: You Bane?

DJ: I’m his right-hand man, DJ. Bane is very unhappy with you. He’d like to see you now.

(Piper freezes them.)

Piper: Okay, sorry to disappoint you, boys. Let’s go, get outta here, come on.

Prue: Um, you know, they think I’m Hellfire.

Piper: So?

Prue: So maybe I should go with them. I mean, maybe the best way to find out who hired her is to pretend to be her.

Piper: Okay, that’s very funny, let’s go.

Prue: Piper, I’m serious. I mean, you said yourself, nobody knows what she looks like, certainly not this Bane guy.

Piper: Prue, somebody might know what she looks like.

Prue: Yeah, but I can protect myself. I mean, I have something that they don’t have. Something that guns can’t even compete with.

Piper: Today may not be the best day to boast about your powers.

Prue: Okay, look, if this hit woman was hired by a demon, then it’s only a matter of time before he finds out that P. Halliwell is still alive and send someone else. So we have to do something. I mean, if you’ve got any better ideas then I’m certainly game.

Piper: I know, and unfortunately, I don’t.

Prue: Okay, so unfreeze them.

Piper: Is it just me or are you a little too eager to play this role?

Prue: It’s not a bad role to play.

Piper: True. If you wanna get yourself...

Prue: I’ll be fine.

(Piper goes in the other room and unfreezes them.)

DJ: Are you gonna make this easy or not?

Prue: Put that thing away before you hurt yourself.

(Prue and the guys leave.)

Commercial Break

[Scene: Bane’s place. It looks like a bar. Bane and a nervous guy is there.]

Guy: I swear to God, Bane. I tried to get the money for you but... I messed up, I messed up. I was scared, I didn’t know how you were gonna react.

Bane: You lied to me.

Guy: I didn’t know, I didn’t know.

Bane: You made a mistake, and you’re sorry for it, right?

(Bane sees Prue walk in.)

Guy: Right. Yeah.

Bane: Well, lesson learned, all right? Just never lie to me again. Understood?

Guy: Thank you.

(The guy walks away. Bane walks up to Prue.)

Bane: Wow, you are more beautiful than I imagined.

Prue: So we finally meet.

Bane: Did you like the roses?

Prue: I would have preferred orchids.

Bane: Beautiful and honest. Let’s take a walk. (to DJ) You know what to bring. (Prue and Bane walk up the stairs.) What do I call you?

Prue: What you always call me.

Bane: Ms. Hellfire seems so cold in person. Unless your emails to me has been a tease.

Prue: I think you know me better than that.

(They sit down.)

Bane: Do I? You didn't confirm the Halliwell's this morning.

Prue: Uh, I didn't have a clean shot.

Bane: That’s disappointing. What about the last one on the list?

Prue: Steadwell? It was a blast.

Bane: Like your style. Always have. The problem is you still got the Halliwell’s but you’ve only got until midnight to take them out.

(DJ opens a bottle of champagne.)

Prue: Um, don’t worry about the Halliwells, I know their every move.

Bane: I’m getting a lot of pressure, you know.

Prue: From who?

Bane: You know who.

Prue: Of course.

(DJ pours champagne in two glasses. Prue’s phone rings.)

DJ: Aren’t you gonna answer that?

Prue: Yeah. (She answers it.) Hello?

Jack: Hey, what happened to you this morning, you completely disappeared.

Prue: I’m with a client.

Jack: Well, they’d better be a rich client. Time is money.

Bane: Champagne? (Bane hands Prue a glass.)

Jack: Champagne, at this hour? Where are you?

Prue: Me?

Bane: To us. (They clink their glasses.)

Jack: Hey, Prue, you know me, I’m all for having a good time but we’re under serious pressure here.

Prue: Yeah, I know...

(Prue astral projects to her office.)

Jack: Are you there?

Prue: Oh, God.

Jack: Prue?

(She astral projects back in her body.)

Bane: Are you all right? What happened?

Jack: Prue, what the hell’s going on?

Prue: I’ll call you back. (She hangs up.) Sorry.

Bane: Maybe you better hold off on this one. At least until the job is completed.

Prue: Guess I better be going.

Bane: You’re not going anywhere. Not without my driving ya.

(Prue starts walking down the stairs.)

Bane: (to DJ) Tell him, I’m on it.

DJ: Hey, man, why me? I don’t even know the guy.

Bane: You will. Just go to my office, he’ll show. Okay.

[Cut to Bane’s office. DJ walks in. Barbas appears.]

Barbas: Looking for me?

DJ: Where the hell did you come from?

Barbas: You really don’t wanna know. Trust me. Why aren’t the witches dead?

DJ: Witches?

Barbas: Answer me.

DJ: How’d you know they weren’t dead?

Barbas: One develops a sixth sense about such things when you’ve been in purgatory for as long as I have. I made a deal. It gives me a twenty-four hour window to break free. But you people, you gotta kill those witches if I’m gonna be successful.

DJ: Who are you?

Barbas: A demon. A demon who has the power to turn the innermost fears of a mortal into reality and there’s nothing you can do about it. Want to see? (He passes his hand in front of DJ’s face.) Your greatest fear is that your boss is being doubled-crossed and when he finds out he’s gonna kill you for not protecting him. (A pretend Bane appears and starts shooting at DJ. DJ starts yelling. Bane then disappears.) Pretty cool, huh?

[Scene: Manor. Conservatory. Dan’s looking at the broken window. Piper’s there holding the phone.]

Dan: I can have my crew install some temporary windows some time by tonight.

Piper: Great, thanks.

Dan: You waiting for a call?

Piper: Yeah, I'm just a little worried about Prue.

Dan: I wouldn’t blame you after what happened. What makes you think it was a drive-by?

Piper: Um, I don’t know. A wild guess, I guess.

Dan: I want you to move in with me.

Piper: Huh?

Dan: At least until the permanent windows are installed. If it’s your sisters you’re worried about, they can move in too. Since Jenny moved back with her folks there’s just plenty of room.

Piper: Uh, I don’t know if that’s such a great idea. Some of us don’t wear pyjamas.

Dan: I’m serious. Because if things worked out, maybe you could stay. Permanently. If you wanted to.

(Phoebe and Miss Steadwell enter the house.)

Phoebe: Piper?

Piper: In here. (to Dan) I don’t know what to say.

Dan: Say you’ll think about it.

Marcy: Oh, is he a wi-?

(Piper freezes her and Dan.)

Piper: Who’s she?

Phoebe: Would you believe M. Steadwell? How’s Dan?

Piper: Just asked me to move in. Where’s Morris?

Phoebe: Uh, he’s at the morgue putting the hit woman’s body under Marcy’s name. Where’s Prue?

Piper: Way overdue. She’s assuming the identity of the hit woman.

Phoebe: What?

Piper: Yeah, and guess what. She’s got a new power, she can astral project now.

Phoebe: Are you kidding me?

Piper: Nope.

Phoebe: Are you kidding me?

Piper: Nope.

Phoebe: I hate her.

Piper: I know. Alright, I’m gonna send Dan home, you keep Marcy in the house until this is all over.

Phoebe: Yeah, all right, then we’ll talk.

Piper: Yeah.

[Scene: The hit woman’s apartment. Prue and Bane walk inside.]

Prue: Well, thanks for the... (She sees orchids all around the room.) ride.

Bane: You say you preferred orchids.

Prue: I’m impressed.

Bane: I’m glad. Now close your eyes. Trust me. (Prue closes them. He gets a jewellery case out of his pocket.) Go ahead, open them. (She does so.) And open this when I leave, okay? Now remember, three Halliwells by midnight. On second thought, make it by ten. It gives me more time to take care of it myself, in case you fail.

(He kisses Prue then leaves. She opens up the case and an expensive diamond necklace is in it.)

[Scene: Coroner’s office. A coroner is there. DJ and Barbas walk in.]

Coroner: Wait a minute, you can’t come in here. (DJ pushes him on to a table.) What do you want?

Barbas: Why, your greatest fear, of course. Which... (He passes his hand in front of the coroner’s face.) is being autopsied yourself.

(An implement turns on and flies up in the air ready to attack the coroner. The coroner yells. DJ and Barbas open up a cold room and pull out a body. They unzip the body bag and the hit woman’s in it.)

Barbas: Doesn’t look much like an explosion victim to me. (DJ shakes his head.) I think your fears of a double-cross are justified.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Manor. Kitchen. Marcy is looking in the cupboard.]

Marcy: Oh, my stars!

(Phoebe and Piper walk in.)

Piper: What is it? What’s wrong?

Marcy: You can’t keep wolfsbane and holy thistle on the same shelf. Their harmonics are in complete opposition. I mean, I don’t want to second-guess a sister witch, but this is all wrong. I don’t see how you can cast a spell that’s worth a darn.

Piper: Now, wait just a minute, Missy.

(A car door slams from outside. Phoebe looks out the window.)

Phoebe: Oh my God. Prue’s home... I think.

Piper: That’s Prue, all right.

(They walk out of the kitchen. Prue comes in.)

Phoebe: Wow.

Piper: Gee, Prue, it looks like being a hired killer agrees with you.

Prue: I don’t want to risk anyone seeing me out of uniform.

Piper: We’ve been worried sick about you.

Prue: I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to jeopardise my cover.

Phoebe: Nice cover.

Piper: And nice Porsche. A gift from Bane?

Prue: No, Bane prefers... never mind. Look, I need to get back before they get suspicious. Tell me what you know.

Phoebe: We know M. Steadwell is safe.

Piper: Can’t say the same for the kitchen.

Prue: And idea why she was on the list?

Phoebe: Could be because she's a witch. I mean, not a magical witch but a witch practitioner nonetheless.

Piper: A hyperactive witch practitioner.

Prue: I wonder if all the names were witches? How many were on the list?

Piper: Eleven. Except 'P. Halliwell' was only down once, so if you count us individually, thirteen.

Prue: Thirteen dead witches by midnight on Friday the thirteenth. Ring any bells?

Piper: Barbas.

Prue: Gotta be.

Phoebe: It can't be. I mean, we eighty-sixed him already.

Prue: He must have found some kind of loop hole. I gotta get back to Bane, try and flush Barbas out.

Piper: Prue, you can't go back there.

Prue: Piper, it's almost eight. I have got to get to Barbas fast otherwise Bane's gonna want to see three bodies, our bodies.

Phoebe: Have fun.

Prue: Phoebe, I'm working.

Piper: More like you're working it. Come on, Prue. I've taken a walk on the dark side. I know all the signs.

Prue: Okay, so it's a little different.

Phoebe: And dangerous.

Prue: I can handle it.

Piper: Prue, Barbas can paralyse you and use your greatest fear against you. You don't want to face that alone.

Prue: How? I've already conquered my fear of drowning. What else can he do?

Phoebe: Maybe tap into some other fear. You can't defeat him alone, Prue.

Prue: I know that. But for now I'll be okay. I'll call you guys and check in in an hour.

(She leaves.)

[Scene: Reptile Room bar. Prue walks in wearing leather pants, a small leather top and a long fur coat. Bane sees her. He walks up to her.]

Bane: You look like you're ready to celebrate. Are the Halliwells dead?

(Prue takes off her coat.)

Prue: The night's young. We have a little bit of business to discuss.

Bane: What, all work and no play?

Prue: Oh we'll play. Right after I get my money.

Bane: Oh, you'll get paid when they're dead.

Prue: You know, the boss has a nasty habit of disappearing in the middle of night. I'd hate for my money to disappear with him. Can I trust you? And Barbas?

Bane: I'm disappointed you doubt either one of us.

Prue: I wanna talk to him.

Bane: Well, like you said, the night is young. (They walk over to the crowded dance floor. They start dancing really close together and they smile at each other. They start kissing. DJ walks up to them and taps Bane on the shoulder. They stop kissing.) DJ, what's your problem?

DJ: I need to talk to you.

Bane: Better be life and death. Excuse me. (He kisses the top of Prue's hand and walks over to the bar.)

Prue: I'll just amuse myself. (to some guy) Hi.

Guy: Hey.

(They start dancing.)

[Cut to Bane and DJ.]

Bane: Make it fast.

DJ: I just came from the morgue.

Bane: Looking for a date?

DJ: No, checking on yours. She's a fraud.

Bane: What are you talking about?

DJ: Marcy Steadwell isn't in the morgue, and I think the real Ms Hellfire is.

(Bane watches Prue.)

Bane: I don't believe it.

DJ: Barbas believes it.

[Scene: Manor. Marcy is running through the house waving a smoking cigar-shaped object. Piper's on the phone.]

Phoebe: Marcy, please.

Marcy: (singing) Favour us, Sister Moon with your protective beams.

Piper: Oh, please stop.

Marcy: (singing) Give all who dwell within this spell, safe days and sweet dreams.

Piper: Okay, that's all folks.

(She freezes Marcy.)

Phoebe: Who knew perky could be so annoying?

Piper: How long do you think I can keep her like this?

Phoebe: Your power, your call. Hey, did you reach Prue?

Piper: No, she's still not answering her cell. She really should've checked in by now.

(The doorbell rings.)

Phoebe: Ooh, maybe that's her.

Piper: Ringing the bell?

Phoebe: Well, maybe she lost her keys. Right, Marcy?

(Piper opens her the door. Dan's standing there holding a piece of board.)

Piper: Dan.

Dan: Hey, Piper.

(Dan walks inside.)

Piper: Uh, Dan, wait.

Dan: I wanted to bring this over and leave it for my crew. They're having trouble finding enough plywood. (Phoebe walks in the foyer.) Hey, Phoebe.

Phoebe: Hey, Dan. Piper, don't forget about the ... (She mumbles something.)

Piper: Mmm hmm.

Dan: Is this not a good time?

Piper: Never. I mean, always. Why don't you come in? Come on back. Here, let me help you.

Dan: No, I got it. (Piper helps Dan carry the board in another room.) Piper, I got it. Piper!

(Phoebe goes back in the room where a frozen Marcy is standing. She has a blanket on her. Phoebe takes off the blanket and waits for her to unfreeze.)

Marcy: (singing) For those who dwell underneath this roof.

Phoebe: Okay, you know, Marcy, there's lots of rooms that need protecting upstairs.

Marcy: Wait a minute, where did Piper go?

Phoebe: Oh, she just cast a little spell of her own.

Marcy: Ohh!

Phoebe: Yes, lots of rooms upstairs, honey. Quietly, quietly.

[Cut to the living room.]

Dan: So, how you doing?

Piper: Fine. It wasn't that heavy.

Dan: No, I'm talking about everything.

Piper: Oh, I'm fine with that too. I'm just actually a little stressed. But everything's gonna be okay.

Dan: So have you thought anymore about my offer? (Piper doesn't know what to say.) Hey, you know what? I don't wanna push you.

Piper: I know. It's just every time I think I have things figured out, things tend to shift.

Dan: What things? Hey, you just let me know when you're ready.

(They kiss.)

[Scene: Ms. Hellfire's Apartment. Prue and Bane walk in.]

Prue: You know, it's not midnight yet, we still have time. Lots of time.

Bane: Do you think you could fool me? Get away with it? You killed the woman I loved.

Prue: What are you talking about?

Bane: You killed Hellfire.

Prue: I am Hellfire.

Bane: Liar!

(He pushes her. Barbas appears.)

Barbas: So very nice to see you again, Miss Halliwell.

(He passes his hand in front of Prue's face.)

Bane: Halliwell? From the list?

Barbas: Well, well, well. Can't say that I'm surprised. You greatest fear is that someone will kill your sisters.

Prue: No.

Barbas: Oh, yes. The demons are after them. Even as we speak. They have assumed your sisters' identities in order to kill them. But you must kill the impostors first, by midnight.

Prue: Kill the impostors.

Barbas: Yes.

Bane: Then I get to deal with her.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Manor. The doorbell rings. Phoebe answers it.]

Phoebe: Hey, Darryl.

Darryl: Phoebe.

Phoebe: Come on in. Thanks for coming so fast. We need you to baby-sit.

Darryl: Is this one breathing?

Phoebe: Yes, this one is breathing.

Darryl: Good. Where you headed?

Phoebe: To find Prue. She's impersonating the hit woman.

Darryl: What?

Phoebe: It's a long story and you wouldn't like it but she was supposed to check in by now.

Darryl: I'm going with you.

Phoebe: No, no, you can't. I appreciate it, but you can't come with us.

Darryl: You don't have to hide anything from me anymore.

Phoebe: I know that, Darryl, but believe me you don't wanna be anywhere near us right now. We would never forgive ourselves if anything happened to you.

Darryl: I won't wind up like Andy.

Phoebe: We won't let that happen.

(Piper and Marcy come down the stairs.)

Marcy: Which cleanses the aura of the house and makes it strong.

(She quirts potion stuff in the air.)

Piper: Give me strength. Hi, Darryl.

Darryl: Piper. You're gonna have to come with me, Miss Steadwell.

Piper: Okay, thanks for everything, Marcy. Bye, bye.

Marcy: Oh, is this about the explosion at my shop?

Darryl: Yes. Until we close the case, you'll be safer with me.

Marcy: Oh, I think you have that backwards, Inspector. You see, the protection spell I cast has been doing such a bang-up job for these girls. Just think what it could do for you.

Phoebe: Okay, well, we thank you for that protection spell. Thank you so much and now we have to go now.

Marcy: Come Inspector, my work here is done.

(She squirts the potion in the air.)

Darryl: Why don't we leave this here.

(He gives Phoebe the potion. They leave.)

[Scene: Ms. Hellfire's Apartment. Piper and Phoebe walk in.]

Phoebe: Are you sure that was the Porsche parked out front?

Piper: Positive. Prue's here somewhere.

Phoebe: Let's just hope she's alone. (Prue walks in the room.) Prue.

Piper: We've been so worried.

(Prue uses her power and Piper falls to the ground.)

Phoebe: Prue? (Prue then uses her power on Phoebe and she falls on the ground. Phoebe crawls over to Piper.) You right?

Piper: No, I'm not. (They stand up and walk quickly outside in the hallway.) What is going on?

Phoebe: I think you need to freeze her fast.

Piper: Good witches don't freeze remember.

Phoebe: She doesn't look so good right now.

(Prue walks in the hallway.)

Prue: I won't let you kill my sisters.

(There's a plate on a stand in the hallway. Prue uses her power and it flies towards Phoebe and Piper. They duck and it smashes against the wall.)

Piper: She's flipped out.

Phoebe: The patio. Fast. Come on. (They run onto the patio and hide behind lattice.) Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.

(She's about to sneeze.)

Piper: Don't, don't, don't, don't.

(Phoebe sneezes. Prue sees them.)

Phoebe: She doesn't know we're her sisters.

Piper: Okay, we gotta make her choose. We've gotta try and convince astral Prue. Make her wanna be in two places at once. You ready?

Phoebe: Yeah.

Piper: Go, go.

(They run in two different directions. Prue stands there. She doesn't know which way to go.)

Phoebe: Hi!

Piper: Come on, Prue. Come get me.

Phoebe: Uh, no, it's me you want. Over here.

Piper: No, Prudence. Come on, me.

Phoebe: No, me.

(Prue astral projects.)

Piper: Phoebe. Phoebe, we need to hurry before she becomes one again. Phoebe.

Phoebe: Prue, Barbas has brainwashed you.

Prue: You're going to hurt my sisters.

Piper: Prue, we're your sisters. Listen to me. You gave me the chicken pox.

Phoebe: Remember, I taught you how to French kiss.

Piper: You broke your ankle when you were seven. Come on, Prue. We went to Duran Duran together. You stretched out my leg warmers.

Phoebe: And then you gave them to me.

Prue: How do you know all this?

Phoebe: Because we're your sisters, Prue.

Prue: Sisters.

(She hugs Phoebe and astral projects back in her body.)

Phoebe: Prue, are you with us?

Prue: I want Barbas.

Piper: All we have to do is lay low until midnight and then he'll disappear and go back to wherever the hell it is he came from.

Prue: No, he's back early. He knows what rules apply or don't. I don't wanna take any chances. Let's go show him what his greatest fear is.

[Cut to the apartment. The clock reads 11:57.]

Barbas: If she's not back in one minute, then I'm gonna spend my last two minutes killing you.

Bane: Hey, I didn't come to you. You came to me, remember?

Barbas: That's right. If you hadn't been blinded by your passion, then I would be minutes away from freedom right now. (Prue walks in.) Are they dead?

Prue: They're right where they belong.

(Phoebe and Piper walk in.)

Barbas: Kill them.

(Bane gets out his gun and Piper freezes them.)

Phoebe: Ooh, I'm beginning to see your attraction to the dark side.

Prue: It wasn't just his dark side I was attracted to. Do you think you can just unfreeze him?

Piper: I don't know, I've never tried.

(Phoebe takes the gun out of Bane's hand. Piper unfreezes Bane.)

Phoebe: Looking for this?

Bane: What's going on?

Prue: Witchcraft at its best.

(Prue uses her power and Bane flies across the room. Barbas unfreezes. The clock chimes.)

Barbas: No! No! Nooo!!

(Barbas spins in a circle and is engulfed in flames. He is vanquished.)

Phoebe: I never get tired of kicking his butt.

(Prue walks over to Bane.)

Prue: Just a little something to think about in jail.

Bane: It won't be the only thing I think about, I promise.

Prue: Is that a threat?

Bane: No. It's a compliment.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Manor. Living room. Phoebe and Piper are cleaning the windows.]

Phoebe: Dan did a really good job with these windows. He is obviously very good with his hands.

Piper: Hey, hands off those hands.

Phoebe: So, did you decide whether or not you're gonna move in with him?

Piper: I have to admit it's very tempting.

Phoebe: Yeah, well, you gotta do what you gotta do. And you deserve to be happy. And don't worry about us, we'll be fine. Especially if I get your room.

Piper: Yes, you could have my room. That is if I was moving out.

Phoebe: Oh, you're not gonna move out? Oh, that is so good because you need to be with your sisters just a little while longer.

Piper: I adore Dan but it's just way too soon for me to move in with him. There's just a few things I need to figure out first. Are you happy now?

Phoebe: I'm delirious. Thank you.

(Prue comes in. She's talking on the phone.)

Prue: Well, just tell Marcy that she can sell the ring and use the money to rebuild the bookstore. Tell her it's a thank you for protecting us. No Darryl, the ring is not hot. I'll talk to you later. (She hangs up.)

Phoebe: So, what else did Hellfire get from Bane?

Prue: Diamond necklaces, bracelets, a Hockney, a Salvador Dali.

Piper: You can't really keep all that stuff, can you?

Prue: No. (Piper shakes her head.) No. It wouldn't really be right but maybe I can figure out a way to use it for some good and save my job. And if not, I can always astral project and job-hunt twice as fast.

Phoebe: Sure, just rub it in. I would love to be in two places at once.

Prue: As long as one of those places is fun, I'll be happy. I think I may have learned a few things from Ms. Hellfire. (The doorbell rings.) You know, change my routine, shake things up a little bit. (Phoebe and Piper laugh. Prue goes and answers the door.) Jack.

Jack: You know, Prue, it is bad enough that you don't answer your phone, come into the office or otherwise appear to be doing your job but now you're gonna take me down with you. What have you got to say for yourself?

Prue: $275,000.

Jack: Excuse me?

Prue: It's the market value of the anonymous estate donation I've been out acquiring. The one request is that all proceeds go to Stop the Violence Foundation. Not bad for a day's worth of work, now, is it?

Jack: No, it certainly isn't. And you know, I never doubted you for a moment, partner.

Prue: Liar. Let's go celebrate, partner.

Jack: Okay.

(They walk outside.)

End