Payback's a Witch

Payback's A Witch is the 168th episode of Charmed.

Summary
With the intention of helping his parolee get a loan, Henry, along with Paige, go to a bank but instead the parolee decides to take everyone at the bank hostage. Meanwhile, Phoebe and Piper have their hands full when, during his third birthday party, Wyatt turns three of his toys into real people.

Plot
Piper is planning a birthday party for Wyatt, but the boy misses his father and is acting up. An Elder orbs in and assures Piper that the deal with the Angel of Destiny will be honored. He assures Piper that Wyatt is "a good kid", and in that moment, Wyatt orbs a cake squarely into the Elder's face.

Billie mercilessly tortures a possessor demon, Rohtul, demanding the meaning of the symbol in Christy's diary. The demon doesn't talk and Piper enters the attic, arguing with Billie. With Billie distracted, the demon shimmers away and Billie is upset.

Demons at Magic School discuss Billie's rampage. They decide that Billie must die, but they fear the Charmed Ones. One demon, Creo, knows who took Christy, but he fears them as much as he fears the Charmed Ones. Rohtul sends a tracker demon after Billie.

Phoebe tries to comfort Wyatt. Wyatt hardly listens, so Phoebe casts a spell over a teddy bear. The teddy bear tells Wyatt that it is sad for Leo. Wyatt turns three action figures into real people, a soldier, a sheriff and an Indian.

Henry is with one of his parolees, Nick Edwards, who is applying for a bank loan to get a better life for his son. Normally banks don't lend to convicted felons, but Nick and Henry are hopeful that his service in Iraq will weigh in his favor. Paige joins them, but Billie pulls her aside. Paige won't go against Piper while she's planning Wyatt's party. Nick is turned down, and storms out, angry. He drives his car through the front door of the bank and takes everyone inside hostage.

Phoebe leads Wyatt out of the attic and tries to cover. The soldier, the sheriff and the Indian make a dramatic entrance and they join the party. Phoebe covers by claiming they are "characters".

Nick orders the hostages to empty their pockets as a SWAT team surrounds the bank. He demands a bag of cash. Henry says that Nick might listen to his son. Paige asks for a bathroom break and orbs to the attic.

The soldier, the sheriff and the Indian are leading groups of children in mock combat and clowning for the children. Paige calls Piper and Phoebe into the attic and tells them about Nick's son. They call Agent Murphy (who does not appear on camera) as Paige orbs back before Nick gets suspicious.

The police call the bank and Nick picks up. Nick, a Marine pilot, demands a helicopter within 20 minutes. Homeland Security contacts the SWAT team and they agree to the helicopter. Paige tells Billie to grab ingredients for a makeshift potion.

Piper goes to fetch Nick's son while Phoebe stays home with the children. At the bank, Henry tells Nick that what he's doing affects his son. Nick rails about the treatment he has received -- not since getting out of prison, but since getting out of Iraq. Henry tells Nick that revenge is useless and self-defeating, words that move Billie as well. Nick seems about to give up when a cop among the hostages grabs his gun. Henry tries to pull Nick down out of the line of fire, but is himself shot.

The tracker demon tells the others of the situation at the bank. Rohtul heads to the bank, planning to force the witches to use magic openly. Good and evil have long agreed not to leave a magical trail for mortals to follow. However, Rohtul plans to possess Nick and kill several hostages. Since good witches are duty-bound to protect the innocent, Rohtul thinks Paige and Billie will have no choice but to use their powers to protect the hostages.

Piper arrives at the bank with Nick's son, Justin. Paige tries to convince Nick to let Henry go. The SWAT team calls the bank and puts Justin on the line.

The soldier, the sheriff and the Indian burst into the attic, looking for Leo; when they don't find him, they try to go to the basement, and Phoebe wonders how they know about the basement. The three claim it's their job to find Leo (the "Great White Father," as the Indian calls him) and it's their fault he's gone. Phoebe realizes they are manifestations of Wyatt himself.

Nick is just about to give up when Rohtul possesses him. Paige and Billie notice the change. Nick tries to goad the witches into using their powers to save Henry. Billie goes to finish the potion as the helicopter lands outside the bank. Nick decides not to leave while Henry is alive. Piper peeks into a van that has tapped the security cameras and sees Paige giving a signal.

Piper returns to the manor as the guests leave. The soldier, the sheriff and the Indian play "paper, stone, scissors" with Wyatt; he is clearly safe with them, so Piper and Phoebe head to the attic to make a potion. Back at the bank, Nick further goads Paige -- but instead of orbing Henry, she heals him, her first use of healing power. Billie throws the potion, a smoke bomb, and the two briefly orb. When the smoke clears, the two are still there. Nick leaves with Billie at gunpoint and takes off in the helicopter.

Nick (possessed by Rohtul) shimmers into Magic School with Billie. Three demons throw energy balls -- but "Billie" orbs them back at their throwers, and orbs Nick to the attic. Piper and Phoebe throw potions and eject Rohtul from Nick's body. "Billie" turns out to be Paige in a glamour; she and the real Billie switched bodies while in the bank. The real Billie throws a potion and vanquishes Rohtul.

Piper at last consoles Wyatt. He blinks, and the soldier, the sheriff and the Indian turn back into toys.

Music
"Precious" by Depeche Mode