Synopsis of Hell Hath No Fury

Written by Brandee Mode

The episode starts with the Halliwell SUV tearing through a random neighborhood somewhere in the city. Inside, Cole's at the wheel, Piper's playing navigator while riding shotgun, and Phoebe busies herself in the backseat by whooping and hooting and yodeling every time Cole turns a corner.

PIPER:  "Turn left up here,and could you step on the gas?"

Cole shoots her a dirty look, but complies. He nearly plows the SUV into a yellow cab in the process, eliciting more whooping & hooting from Phoebe.

PHOEBE:  "Whoa.... Off the gas! Off the gas!"

He tells her to shut it and let him drive. Piper snaps something about "the demon" not waiting for them to arrive to "vanquish him." Phoebe says they have been scrying for demons all week and even though they have been vanquished them all so far, it's only because Cole was there to help them.

PHOEBE:   "Two witches and a half a demon does not the Power of Three make." (not sure why Paige hasn't been with them.  I guess they think she's not ready yet.)

Piper explains that since the are going to target the sisters sooner or later anyway, it's best to be proactive. Cole reminds them both that The Source is now on their collective tail as well. Phoebe takes this opportunity to say they should be teaching Paige how to be a witch.

Piper still has issues with the new sister.  Cole sarcastically asks Piper if she's gotten any better at distinguishing between blowing things up and freezing them. She shoots back something about "field practice" being the best way to get better at it, and orders him to turn. They go around a few more corners before screeching to a halt in an alleyway. They discover a bald-headed demon attacking a guy.

The trio leaps from the SUV and Piper tries to get the demon's attention by saying...

PIPER:  "Hey.  Big scary demon."

The demon releases the man while turns around.  His eyes turn red. Piper tosses her signature gesture his way. The demon's skin glows red and puffy as smoke wafts out around his collar.

COLE (shouts):  "He's gonna blow,"

Cole and Phoebe run to get inside the SUV. The demon explodes and green glop splatters onto the vehicle. Cole flips on the wipers. Piper gets in the car with a really big grin and a bright, "Next!"  (I don't understand why the *blood* got all over the car but not Piper)

OPENING CREDITS.

Over at SOUTH BAY SOCIAL SERVICES we see Paige, in her cubicle.  Rather than actually working, she is reading from a book titled WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT.  We *hear* Paige as she reads:  "Throughout history, witches have been misunderstood, persecuted, and destroyed. The public hanging, drowning, and burning of women suspected of witchcraft is a far more recent chapter of our history than most people realize." She's interrupted by her boss, who wants to know, "What's the hold-up on the O'Brien application?" Paige gives him a weak excuse and he demands that she have it on his desk "by noon." Paige swivels in her seat to whisper at a co-worker. "Lila! What's the O'Brien application?"

LILA:  "Adam O'Brien -- the foster kid we're trying to get into boarding school."

The deadline for the application is close of business that very day. Paige curses her stupidity.

Billy, the mailboy, a young guy with severe acne, arrives at that moment to toss a couple of letters onto Paige's desk.

PAIGE:  "Aw, Billy, I told you to throw anything from creditors into the trash."

Billy smiles. Another co-worker of Paige's approaches (we quickly learn this guy is a jerk and later in the show discover his name is Donny.)

DONNY (talking to Billy): "Hey, Pizzaface?"  Billy stops smiling.  "Look, I know it's difficult to tear yourself away from the cleavage in this section," pausing to look at Paige, "but I need my mail some time today, 'kay?"

Billy dejectedly walks off. Donny leers once more at Paige then goes to the Xerox machine. Paige watches him go with a look of disgust in her eyes. "Nice rug," she mutters to herself.  Donny's hairpiece immediately orbs off of the Donny's head and into her hand. Paige gasps!

DONNY:  "What the hell?"

Paige quickly puts the hairpiece in her trash can; Donny hurries back to his office in shame, while some of the women tease him.

Back at the manor. Up in the attic, Piper uses a marker to draw a thick X in the Book of Shadows over the image of the demon from the pre-credits sequence.

PHOEBE: "Oh, I know that you're happy we got him, Piper, but is it totally necessary to disfigure the Book?"

Piper ignores Phoebe.
PIPER:  "This one could incinerate human flesh with his eyes. That must sting."

Cole fails to see the humor in the situation.

COLE:  Piper could have gotten herself killed. She could have endangered Phoebe. She could have exposed Cole. "There's a legion of bounty hunters on my ass," he reminds her.  He should be "laying low" because of this, but can't. "If you insist on taking these suicide missions," he continues, his voice rising in anger, "you force me to be there because there is no way in hell I'm going to let Phoebe lose another sister!" Phoebe steps in, an attempt to defuse the situation, asks him to answer the doorbell, which has rung in the background during his rant. "If it's The Source," he snarks as he turns on his heel, "I'll just ask him to come back later." Cole leaves, shutting the door behind him.

Phoebe cautiously approaches Piper, who's been flipping through the BoS in search of other demons during the exchange. Phoebe tells her they already have a "system" in place for fighting demons. Piper says that Prue's death is a pretty big glitch in the system and it's time they got proactive.

PHOEBE:  "We're not ready to get a little proactive.  We're barely ready for anything right now.  Just dealing with our normal, everyday lives is hard enough."

Piper counters that getting back to said "normal, everyday lives" is her ultimate goal.  Paige comes in (wearing a denim skirt, that is, IMO way, way too short) she must have been the one that rang the doorbell earlier.  Paige apologizes for stopping by unannounced. Phoebe tells her not to worry about it, and invites Paige into the attic. Paige says it's hard to not be able to talk to anyone about her powers. Phoebe sympathizes, noting that the whole sisterhood thing is useful when outside friendships become strained due to such secrets. While the other two are talking, Piper takes a map and the crystal and starts to leave.  Phoebe asks where she's going.

PIPER:  "It's a little chatty up here.  I'm going to go scry in my room."

Paige asks what SCRY is.  Phoebe's answer is that it's like a supernatural Lojack.  (Huh? what's a Lojack?) Paige wonders why they don't just consult the BoS.

PAIGE:  "It is a book of spells, right?"

Phoebe says it's more than just a book and you can see on her face that it's special to her.  Phoebe mentions its meaning to the family and how it can protect itself from evil with magic. Paige wants to borrow the book, but Phoebe says she can look at it all she wants but the book is not allowed to leave the house.  Phoebe goes downstairs to talk to Cole, leaving Paige to look through the book. Paige finds the following spell (To make a demon feel the pain he inflicts):
Let Cruelty, Pain,
And Evil Ways
Follow this Villain
Through all his Days.
Reverse the Torment
He creates
To turn on him
A crueler Fate.
"This could solve a lot of problems," she smirks, she pulls out pen & paper from her purse and starts to write out the spell. 

Downstairs... Phoebe has called for Leo and he orbs in...

COLE:  "You've got to talk to your wife."

Phoebe and Cole want Leo to talk to Piper about controlling her anger.  Leo defends her right to be angry in the wake of Prue's death. Phoebe allows she wouldn't have so much of a problem were Piper acting out by "punching walls." Leo doesn't understand what Phoebe means.  Cole clarifies, "She prefers to punch demons." Leo promises to talk to Piper. Cole clarifies further:

COLE:  "She has no regard for her life or anyone else's. She's Charles Bronson. Cubed."

PHOEBE: "Guys.  Guys!  Who is Charles Bronson?"  (I didn't know either, turns out that Charles Bronson is an actor, most of the roles he played were *bad guys*)

Leo gets a look on his face that says *I can't believe she doesn't know who that is*  and Cole gets an *I don't like your attitude* look on his face.

Phoebe asks for a moment alone with Leo. Cole leaves the room.  Phoebe says that Piper's anger isn't the only issue; she's also been "completely dismissive of Paige."  Leo & Phoebe are sitting on the couch talking about how Phoebe is the middle sister now and how she doesn't think she's good at playing the mediator.  She understands for the first time how difficult Piper had it when Phoebe and Prue were constantly fighting.  Leo promises again to have a word with Piper, and the two hug. Phoebe suggests he get to it right away, as Piper's up in her bedroom scrying at that very moment. He orbs out in mid-hug, causing Phoebe to fall over into the cushions. "I didn't mean you couldn't use the stairs," she yells. 

Up in the attic, Paige has scribbled out copies of several different spells when she runs out of Post-It notes. She grimaces, then stumbles upon a cunning plan. She lifts the Book from its pedestal and carries it over to the windows. "Okay, Book, protect yourself," she orders before dropping it to the lawn below.  Paige hears Phoebe heading up the stairs and leaps out onto the landing before Phoebe can enter the room. "Where's the fire?" asks Phoebe. "Well, you know, lunch break's over," Paige says lamely.  Phoebe's dismayed the two didn't get a chance to bond, but invites Paige back that evening. Paige agrees to do just that, and scurries out of the Manor.  Meanwhile, Leo tries to reason with Piper.  She's having none of it.

PIPER:  "Whitelighters are supposed to guide, not judge.  Just because I'm doing things a little bit differently doesn't mean that there's a problem." She flings the scrying crystal to the map in irritation.

LEO:  "I am your husband, not just your whitelighter and when you speak to me like that, there is a problem. I can't help you unless you talk to me."

PIPER (on the verge of tears):  "It hurts. To talk.  It hurts. To breathe. So unless you have some idea how to bring Prue back, I don't want to talk right now."

Leo mentions/asks if she blames him for Prue's death.  Piper says she blames evil.  He tells her she needs to confront her emotions.  Piper ignores him and returns to her scrying. The crystal slams down on a city intersection, and she runs out past him saying, "I have work to do."

SOUTH BAY SOCIAL SERVICES. Paige is at the copy machine trying to make copies, she's bent over it a little so when Donny enters the small room first thing he sees is her backside.

DONNY:  "Nothing like a copy room with a view."
Billy enters. Donny makes a rude comment about Billy's acne, then leaves the room with his coffee.  Billy looks a little upset. Paige commiserates, "He's a jerk to everybody."

BILLY:  "I know, that's why his mail gets lost. Frequently."

They laugh.  Paige asks if the copier is broken because all the copies are coming out blank.  We discover why almost immediately. She's trying to photocopy the BoS, and the BoS does not take kindly to such actions. Billy offers to help, but she doesn't want him to see the book, so tells him no thanks.  She feels sorry for him, so flips through the Book looking for something to help him.  She finds a "Vanishing Spell":
Let the Object of Objection
Become but a Dream
As I cause the Seen
To be Unseen.

Billy groans and leans down over the counter. Paige asks if he's okay. He claims he "got a little head rush," then turns to face her. The acne is gone (but he still looks like a bit of a dork to me, maybe it's the way he's dressed.)  Paige kisses him playfully on the cheek as she leaves the room. Billy has a big smile.

In some random alley somewhere in the city, Piper strides purposefully towards the locked receiving doors of an abandoned warehouse. Phoebe and Cole trail behind her, with Phoebe stating her disapproval. She warns Piper that if she insists on pursuing her current plan of action, she's on her own, they won't help her. Piper says "Fine, see you at home."  Phoebe tells Cole she knew it wouldn't work.  They stop when they smell something burning. Piper catches sight of smoke drifting out from beneath the locked doors as sounds of a struggle inside reach their ears. Cole moves to investigate, but Piper orders him back. He eases back a step or two before Piper, in an attempt to blow open the warehouse, but instead freezes both the doors and Cole. "Crap!" Piper snits as she rips off her jacket to roll up her sleeves for another try. She shakes it out for a bit, then flings her open palms at the door. The doors immediately explode outwards in slicing shards of wood, knocking Cole end over end, past an abandoned car. Phoebe rushes to Cole's side as a moany gent in a poncho dashes out of the warehouse past Piper, body-slamming her into a Dumpster. At that moment, a trio of scantily-clad women run out of the warehouse after the guy. They each wear magenta and burgundy scraps of fabric that for the moment are passing as bras and mini wrap-around skirts. Their hands are mis-shapen with thick claws for fingernails (three *fingers* instead of five.) They look like they had liquid mascara applied in various patterns on their faces to suggest some sort of tribal tattooing.

Cole recognizes them and (too late) tells Piper to "let them go" but she's already thrown up her hands... it misses them and a car blows up behind them instead.  The trio turns to sneer at Piper in displeasure. Piper then tosses a freeze that only affects Cole.

"Uh oh," Piper stutters. "Th-th-th-they're immune to my powers."

The trio moves to attack. The blonde takes on Piper.  Piper grabs a garbage can lid to use as a shield, the blonde slashes through it.  The redhead attacks Phoebe, who levitates in response, dealing head-snapping kicks to the redhead and the brunette. Cole suddenly unfreezes just as the blonde flips Piper over her shoulder to the ground. Before Cole can act, the blonde exhales a stream of smoke into Piper's mouth. Cole kills the blonde with an energy ball.  The redhead and the brunette rise to their feet to vanish, it looks similar to when Cole shimmers but it's a bit quicker and smokey.  Piper coughs and blinks.

Later back at the house... Piper comes in first, followed by Phoebe and Cole.  Between coughs Piper says

PIPER:  "I am going to take out those chain-smoking bitches if it's the last thing I do."

Cole warns darkly that it might indeed be the last thing she does. Piper goes into the kitchen, complaining all the way about the lack of support she's receiving from the two. And asks why they are arguing about it.  Phoebe says it's a discussion, not an argument, and notes that Piper's been injured. She hasn't stopped coughing since attack. Cole points to Piper's control over her powers seems to be getting worse instead of better.  Phoebe reminds him that "heightened emotions" affect their powers in unpredictable ways, and thinks that might be Piper's real problem. Piper, who's marched out of the kitchen towards the stairs during all of this, ignores Phoebe's interpretation of events to tell Cole,

PIPER:  "I'm going to vanquish the Cancer Girls with or without your help, so either tell us what you know or get out of the way."

Cole sighs, and says they're called Furies. They punish evil-doers.  As they "lack temperance," they punish both shop-lifters and murderers equally.

COLE:  "They take great pleasure in the kill."

PIPER:  "Then I will take great pleasure in the vanquish."

Piper heads up to the attic to look at the BoS while Phoebe lingers to have a little heart-to-heart with Cole. She correctly guesses that the Furies have attacked Cole in the past. He elaborates on their powers. When they go after a bad guy, they force the bad guy to "hear the screams of all his victims." Phoebe reassures Cole that he's safe because he's "not the same demon who did those things anymore." Piper's howl of dismay breaks short the "tender" moment, and the two head up to the attic. Upstairs, Piper stands frozen before the vacant pedestal of the BoS.

PIPER:  "Evil stole the Book of Shadows.  How did evil steal the Book of Shadows?"

PHOEBE:  "Uh, Piper, promise me you won't overreact."  She continues that it might be "feasible" that Paige "borrowed" the Book.

PIPER:   "Why did you leave her ALONE with it?"

PHOEBE: "Because she's our sister,"

PIPER:   "NOT for long," Piper clenches, and storms out of the room. Phoebe gives chase as Cole casually flips a chair around and takes a seat.

A couple seconds later, Phoebe comes back into the attic to ask Cole...

PHOEBE:  "Aren't you coming?"

COLE:  "To vanquish your sister? No thanks. I think I'll sit this one out." 

SOCIAL SERVICES. Lila peers at Billy's complexion. She says it's amazing and *you went and got cute*  and she mentions that her car loan came through.  Paige is on the phone regarding the tardy O'Brien application. She tries in vain to get an extension, and so resorts to magic. She recites the following spell "To Promote Compromise" from the BoS in her lap:
These words will travel through the Minds
Of stubborn parties and unbind
The thoughts too rigid to be kind.
A compromise they'll dis-entwine.
Paige gets her deadline extension. Lila gushes over this latest bit of good news, and wonders if "there's something in the stars" making it all happen. Paige fakes ignorance and says something about how she should make a call about her student loans. Lila finds this an excellent idea, and dashes off to make a couple of calls on her own. Donny tells Paige that since he's a lawyer, he could do something about getting her creditors off her back for her and if she can't pay him in cash he can *take it out in trade* Paige threatens a harassment lawsuit if he doesn't back off. Donny says with the way she dresses, the judge would admire his restraint.  He walks away. Paige has had it and retrieves the "Instant Karma" spell from the BoS. "Perfect," she announces. "I'll just change DEMON to DIRTBAG."

Out on the street, Piper and Phoebe have arrived in the SUV. Phoebe notes that Piper hasn't "stopped ranting" since they left the Manor. Piper agrees to tone it down, then immediately breaks that promise. As they approach the front doors, Phoebe reminds her that Paige is an ally, not an enemy. Borrowing the Book was a simple mistake. They haven't impressed fully upon Paige the importance of keeping it in the attic. Piper coughs some more.

As they hit the front walkway, Donny comes flying out of the office, with a crowd women leaping after him in an attempt to rip off his clothes. The crowd frenzies its way to the middle of the parking lot as Paige sneaks out behind it with her arms crossed tightly against her chest. Phoebe and Piper intercept her. "You are so --" Piper starts forcefully. Her sentence ends as a question when Paige drops her arms to her sides to reveal her brand-new triple-D chest size. "Busted?"  Piper accuses Paige of using the BoS to "perform magical plastic surgery" on herself. Paige claims that's not the case. When she recited the Instant Karma, not only did the women go after Donny, she also suddenly found herself with super-size breats. Piper pauses a moment to freeze the women/Donny.  Phoebe,complains to Piper that she could have blown the crowd to bits. Piper tells Phoebe she *took a chance*.

After dragging out the relevant facts from Paige, they determine that the Karma spell is to blame. Paige made Donny "the object of ogling," Phoebe explains, and the spell "backfired" to do the same to Paige. Piper starts to complain, but Phoebe stops her by telling a plan of action:  Piper should get Leo to orb Donny back to the Manor. Phoebe and Paige will get the book and meet them at the manor.

Paige and Phoebe  are going down the road in Paige's V W Beetle, (how did she get a new car, I thought she had bad credit?) -- Paige is having trouble reaching around her breasts to change gears. Paige worries that Piper will not forgive her.  Phoebe insists that Piper will calm down once her current mood has passed. During this conversation, Phoebe has been looking throught the BoS for the spell Paige used.  She comes across page about the Furies, and does not like what she finds there. She realizes that Piper has been infected with Furie smoke, which kills the guilty but in good people it *looks for a portal of unexpressed fury, it builds until it consumes your humanity.  And it turns you into a Furie."

PAIGE (confused): "Are you saying that Piper is turning into a demon?"
PHOEBE:  "It wouldn't be the first time..." and helps Paige shift up to fourth.

BACK AT THE MANOR.  Piper flips the Donny onto the sofa. Leo tells her to ease off on the innocent, and she tells him to shove it with the empathy. Donny is on the couch and demands to know what's going on.

DONNY:  "What's with the chicks? They've gone crazy."

PIPER:  "This chick just saved your ass, you sniveling ingrate."

Donny rises to his feet to appeal to Leo. Piper slams him across the room. Leo is disturbed.

LEO:  "Honey, I don't know what's going on with you, but we need to talk."
PIPER:  "You know what?" she sneers. "I'm sick of talking." Piper tries to blow up Leo, but he orbs out in time.  He orbs back in a few feet away. Piper stalks over to Donny, with Leo ordering her not to "use her powers on a mortal." Suddenly Cole is in the doorway warning Leo to move away from Piper immediately. Leo gets a look of confusion on his face.

COLE:  "She's becoming a Furie." 

We get a shot of Piper's hands, they have developed the long dark fingernails like the Furies have.  Leo urges her to "fight this." She responds by tenderly stroking his cheek, then flipping him forcefully over the couch. Piper uses her new claws to slash Donny's  chest. Cole casually prepares an energy ball. Piper leans in to Donny's face, a trail of smoke emerging from her mouth. Cole's energy ball hits her in the hip. Apparently it was set on stun, as Piper is merely knocked against the wall and not killed. Phoebe & Paige enter the parlor with the BoS in time to hear Piper say, "That wasn't very nice." Then Piper vanishes in a puff of smoke.  Everyone kind of stands there staring at each other in astonishment, then we go to commercial.

Back from commercial: Phoebe is looking through the Book while Leo tends to the unconscious Donny on the couch. Leo complains about the energy ball that Cole had thrown at Piper. Phoebe  tells him it was "low-voltage".  Paige, pacing behind the couch, blames herself for the current situation. Leo is shocked that Paige took the BoS out of the house. Phoebe tells Leo to focus on the Donny's wounds. Cole's goes to find out where Piper went.  Phoebe finally mentions the similarity to when Phoebe turned into a Banshee, noting that Piper is likely to be *out for blood* about now.

PAIGE (confused):  "Banshee?"

PHOEBE:  "Demonic screamer, kinda trampy, feeds on pain."

Paige sits on the end of the sofa just as Donny wakes up.  (don't forget at this point, Paige still has very large breasts, so when he sits up, they are they first thing he sees.)

DONNY:  "Whoa!"

Paige hits him in the face.

LEO:  "Paige!"

PAGIE:  "What?" she asks. "You only said I couldn't use magic to punish him."

Phoebe tells Leo to orb Donny back to the office and make sure he doesn't tell anyone about what's been happening.  Once they're gone, Paige worries about how Phoebe intends to save Piper.

PAIGE:  "I mean, she's a demon now."

PHOEBE:  "No, she's not full-on, she doesn't have the talons yet."

Phoebe then comments about when Piper turned into a Wendigo.  Paige starts to wonder about maybe coming up with a spell to prevent future demonic conversions and possessions, Phoebe quickly interrupts this train of thought to ask Paige what word she substituted for "demon" in the Karma spell.  Phoebe scribbles the revised spell onto a sheet of white paper and rises to her feet before a lit candle on the coffee table. Taking Paige's hand, she recites,

PHOEBE:  "Guided spirits, hear our plea. Annul this magic -- let it be."

Phoebe sets the paper on fire. The large breasts disappear by sinking back into Paige's chest. Paige glances down at her vastly-diminished bosom...

PAIGE:  "Do you think it worked a little too well?"

In an alley somewhere, a mugging is in progress, only to be interrupted by the arrival of the surviving Furies. One of them slices open the mugger's back.  As the present victim flees, the mugger moans as he starts to hear the cries of  his previous victims. The red-headed Furie  leans in, exhaling smoke into the mugger's mouth. The mugger screams and vanishes into a sheet of flame. Piper pops in behind the brunette and the redhead. "I've been looking for you." 

Back at the house, Phoebe is scrying Piper, but since she is technically no longer a witch, they can't find her. Cole shimmers in and he is not in good shape, he has bloody scrapes all over his face, and his clothing is disheveled.  As he collapses wearily into a chair, he says he never got the chance to look for her because...

COLE: "Every time I used my sensing powers, the bounty hunters sensed me."

Phoebe gets worried and starts to babble. Paige finally breaks through to her with an idea. If Piper used a spell to find Paige (in the season premiere), couldn't they revise that same spell to find Piper? As she used *dirtbag* for *demon* couldn't they use *sister* for *witch*?  Phoebe doesn't think it will work because the call of evil is too strong. Piper wouldn't respond. Paige looks right at Cole and says they should use bait.  If the Furies seek out evil-doers, they would probably come after him.  Phoebe's not having it. Cole, however, pronounces the plan "perfect." Phoebe frets. Cole has a century's worth of victims. If unleashed upon him by the Furies, their collective torment could kill him. He tells her he would do anything for her but *don't ask me to be a coward* and says it's their only chance to save Piper. Phoebe at last reluctantly agrees with, "We'll need some of your blood."

Paige calls out, *Knife* and a dagger from the sideboard orbs over into her hand. She passes it solemnly to Cole, and the scene cuts to the same dagger dangling over a lit candle. As a drop of blood falls into the flame, Phoebe and Paige recite, "Power of the sisters rise. Course unseen across the skies. Come to us who call you near. Come to us and settle here." The scene shifts to the Furies putting the finishing touches on Piper's new outfit that matches theirs: Piper stands between the brunette and the redhead, scantily clad in her very own bra and mini-skirt.  Her face looks like theirs now, it looks like someone took black mascara and and painted swirls on it.  She hears Phoebe and Paige finish the spell in an echoey voice-over. "Blood to blood, I summon thee.  Blood to blood, return to me," Piper chants with her sisters. The camera swoops down to swirl around Piper. She turns to face the lens whispers, "I know where evil dwells." Fade to black.

Manor.  Paige is standing by a sofa in the hall with Phoebe off to one side, as Cole paces the carpet. Paige lets out a series of delicate grunts as she flings her arms up and down.  Phoebe asks Paige what she's doing.

PAIGE:  "I'm trying to do that orb thingy. I can't seem to get the hang of it."

Cole suddenly yells right near her face. Paige immediately orbs out and back in again.  Cole calls it "a fear response." Phoebe tells Paige that until she learns to control it, it will only work when she's frightened. Paige doesn't think that will be a problem, given the current situation. Phoebe says they be prepared to "orb, levitate, or juggle knives" to keep the Furies away from Cole. Paige wonders again how they plan to un-demon Piper. Phoebe suggests that it's a matter of "unexpressed rage." They are interrupted by the howl of Cole's victims crashing down upon his poor little head. He screams and drops to his knees. Phoebe rushes to his side as Paige unexpectedly orbs out and in again. "They must be getting close," she guesses.

Cole wails, "I'm so sorry," as he beats his fists against his temples. The redheaded Fury flings open the front door and stalks into the hallway. Phoebe rises up into the air and boots her in the head. A brief fight starts.  Paige calls out Phoebe's name. She turns in time to see Piper and the brunette appear into the hallway above Cole. Phoebe rises into the air again to deliver a couple of head-snapping kicks. Phoebe then struggles to get Cole onto his feet. Piper and other Furies circle in on their prey. Paige orbs a lamp into the redhead's back, which only makes the Furies that much more pissed off. As all three advance on Paige, one of them disappears in a puff of smoke, then we see she had been hit by one of Cole's energy balls.  He kills the other Fury the same way.  Piper, not to be thwarted so easily, shreds Cole's shirt open with her claws.

PHOEBE (shouts):  "Cole is not your problem, and you know it!"

Piper apparently agrees, and attacks Phoebe.  Paige freaks and summons the BoS, which orbs over to her.  Paige flips through the pages, searching in vain for an appropriate spell. Meanwhile, Piper is kicking the crap out of Phoebe. Cole threatens from the floor with an energy ball. Phoebe orders him to put it away then turns to Piper and says...

PHOEBE:  "You think I abandoned you. You think it's my fault that Prue died."

Piper backhands Phoebe into a mirrored cabinet, then turns her attention to Paige.

PAIGE:  "You don't want to kill me, Piper.  You don't even know me.  This isn't about me, and it isn't about Phoebe, is it?"

Phoebe calls for Leo, who orbs into the hallway as Piper takes a swipe at Paige.  Paige orbs out, reappearing at Piper's back.

PAIGE:  "Phoebe's not the sister who abandoned you.  It's Prue, isn't it?"

Piper grabs Paige by the throat.  Leo strides over to the pair, wraps his arms around them, and the three of them orb out.  Cole asks Phoebe where he took them. 

PHOEBE:  "To what Piper's really angry at."

The scene changes to a mausoleum, but it's looks like it's not the same one that Cole uses to hide in.  Leo orbs in with Piper still at Paige's throat. Once she takes in her surroundings, however, Piper backs away from the others in stunned silence. Paige and Leo are revealed to be placed in front of a nameplate that reads PRUDENCE HALLIWELL 1970-2001 (which is conveniently located at eye level).

PAIGE:  "Tell her, Piper. It's alright to hate her."

Piper shakes her head violently and claws at the crypt doors trying  unsuccessfully to get out since theirs chain on the doors.

PAIGE continues:  "You should hate her.  "When my parents died, I hated them for it.  I was alone, and I hated them. It's okay to hate Prue."

Piper finally whirls on her heel, abandoning the doors of the crypt to approach Paige. Her face twists in rage as she shouts,

PIPER:  "How. DARE. YOU?" She spins around and physically attacks Prue's plate on the wall. "How dare you leave me?" she screams, pounding with her fists. "How could you go and die and leave me here all alone?"  The screams are rapidly diminishing into wails. "I need you," she continues, bursting into tears. "Please come back."

The words emerge through shuddering sobs. Shrieking one last time, Piper drops to the ground. A quick cloud of smoke rises up around her and she reverts normal looking self.  She continues to weep on the floor. Leo moves to comfort her, but she remains inconsolable.  (Once again, Holly's acting is excellent)

The next morning, Piper is in the kitchen, pouring herself some coffee. Phoebe enters, collects a cup of her own and asks Piper how she slept.  Piper says that she did, in fact better than she has in a while.  They comment about how Prue was always the first one up and the last one to go to bed, then turn the topic to Paige. Phoebe points out that Paige did, after all, save Piper's life. Piper recognizes she hasn't been *the most welcoming* as of late. It's partly because of her continuing grief, but it also has to do with the unsettled nature of their lives. After everything they've been through, she explains, she finds it nearly impossible to open herself up to yet another person. *Love just feels like an invitation for more pain* Phoebe gazes silently at her sister as Piper tears up a little bit. "Sweetie," Phoebe says after a moment, stroking Piper's hand. "Maybe you don't start with love. Maybe you start with thanks."

Back at SOCIAL SERVICES:  Piper enters with a cloth-covered basket, spots Paige at her desk, and crosses to place the basket in front of her. Paige is surprised by Piper's visit, but still peeks beneath the cloth. "Muffins," she notes, smiling warily. "Thanks." Piper modestly dismisses the gesture as *busywork.* The kitchen has always been her place of refuge, she tells Paige, adding that "Prue was the one who liked to chase demons." There's an awkward pause; then Paige notes that Donny is no longer a Donny. He's not even wearing his toupee anymore. "What did Leo say to him?" As Donny sheepishly moves past them, Piper admits she doesn't know.

PIPER:  "He's a miracle worker, that husband of mine."

They bond over grief -- Piper's for Prue, Paige's for her parents. Piper notices a couple of Fury-inflicted scrapes on Paige's neck. "You know, Leo can fix those for you," she offers. Paige chuckles and pleasantly shrugs off the offer.

PAIGE:  "It's my first war wound.  I think I'll wear it with pride."

PIPER:  "Unfortunately, in this family, it won't be your last." Paige doesn't seem to mind that possibility.  She says *a couple of demon battles in exchange for the power to clear up my friend's skin is a pretty even exchange*. Piper looks puzzled. Paige nods her head to indicate Billy flirting with Lila.

Piper smiles, but turns back to Paige with a warning about using magic for personal gain, either for her own benefit or that of others.

PIPER:  "There are rules to being a witch, rules that you will have to learn and follow."

PAIGE:  "Well, not to be difficult, but you're married to our Whitelighter and Phoebe's shacking up with a demon, so on balance, maybe my friend can stay cute?"

Piper's forced to admit that Paige has a point. Paige's boss interrupts the bonding to snipe at Paige for not getting any work done. Piper rises to apologize, accepting the blame.  The boss asks Piper who she is.   Long Pause, while Piper looks at Paige, then back to the boss and says "I'm her sister."  Boss is confused. Piper smiles and turns to leave. Paige smiles.

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