[Scene: Manor. Living room. Phoebe, Piper and Victor are there laughing. Prue walks in.]

Prue: Someone left the window open which is probably how the birds got in. What is so funny?

Piper: Do you remember the day this was taken?

(Piper shows her a photograph.)

Prue: Yeah, family picnic. It rained.

Victor: And your mother packed us all up and she brought us home and we had the picnic right here in the living room. Do you remember that Prue?

Prue: Barely.

Phoebe: Prue...

(Victor picks up another photograph and slowly walks over to Prue.)

Victor: This one was at one of your piano recitals. Not a very good shot. My fault. I had to take the pictures that day. Your mother was too busy holding her breath. If you look closely, (he hands her the photo) you see there, that's her.

Prue: I never noticed that before.

(Victor picks up another photo.)

Victor: And this one used to be a five by seven. (It is a picture of the family but a piece is missing.) When I was still in it.

Phoebe: I think Grams cut you out.

Piper: There's a bunch of other stuff in the attic. Grams left us some things.

Phoebe: Not all she left us.

Prue: Phoebe, let's not go there.

Phoebe: What, it's not like he doesn't already know and I'm sorry but it's kind of a relief to talk to someone about it.

Piper: Um, does anybody want coffee?

Phoebe: I mean, one day I am a member of the Y generation with average hair and a thing for caffeinated beverages, and the next I am a witch.

Piper: Dad, do you take cream or, um, sugar with that?

Phoebe: I just read from the book and 'wham!' I am Tabitha. The only thing is, is I got stuck with the power to see the future. How uncool is that?

Victor: Well, from what your mother always said, it was actually considered one of the more desirable powers.

Phoebe: Unless you see things you don't desire.

Prue: So how long have you known? About us, our powers, how long?

Victor: I knew there was a possibility. That's why I came back, to find out. It must of happened when your grandmother died, right?

Phoebe: Yep, I just read an incantation from the book and...

Prue: Phoebe.

Victor: Ahh, the Book Of Shadows. Not exactly summer reading. Is it still up in the attic? You know, I haven't seen it in years. Mind if I have a look?

[Cut to Fritz, Marshall and Cynda's house. Cynda is hitting a chair against the wall.]

Cynda: Disappointed.

Marshall: Patience, my sweet.

Cynda: Patience is highly over rated. We could've destroyed them right there.

Marshall: Then we'd have three dead witches and no way to get the book out of the house. Where would that put us?

Cynda: Satisfied.

Fritz: I still like my idea. We just kill two of them and we force the third to get the book out.

Marshall: Let me explain this once again for the cerebrally impaired. These are not school girls we're dealing with. These are good witches. We can not alert them with our presence. At their full strength, battling them would be unpleasant. However, once we possess the book, we get its powers, we weaken theirs and they're easy pray.

Fritz: You know, that sounds good in theory but, um, (he raises his voice) we've already tried everything.

Marshall: We still have Victor.

[Cut back to the manor.]

Victor: What exactly are you accusing me of, Prue?

Prue: Figure it out.

Phoebe: Come on, Prue, take it easy.

Prue: Are you kidding me? Am I the only one who sees what's going on here?

Piper: Couldn't we all just take a deep breath...

Prue: Think about it, Piper. He wines and dines and now he's back in the house he hasn't set foot in for twenty years and the first thing he wants to know is where's the Book Of Shadows?

Phoebe: You're just looking for something to blame him for.

Prue: Admit it. Tell them why you're here.

Piper: Prue, stop.

Prue: For the first time in your life, Victor, tell them the truth.

Victor: Alright, fine. You're right. I am after the book. That's exactly the reason why I came back.

Phoebe: Dad.

Victor: But not for the reasons you would like to believe. It would make it easier for you, Prue, wouldn't it? If I were evil. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, I'm not. I'm here to protect you.

Prue: Yeah, right.

Piper: To protect us from what?

Victor: From yourselves. That's why I want that damn book. It's where the power of three started and it's where it must end.

Phoebe: It's part of us, it's part of who we are.

Victor: That's what your mother believed too. Before they killed her.

Piper: What are you saying?

Victor: You have no idea what evil is out there.

Prue: Oh, I think we've got a pretty good idea.

Victor: Listen to me, Prue. That book is a magnet for evil. As long as you have it, as long as you use it, you're in danger. All of you.

Prue: You're unbelievable. After all these years of being an absentee dad then you waltz back into our lives and tell us how to live.

Victor: I never wanted you to have those powers in the first place. I battled with your grandmother after your mum died. She wanted you to find out you were witches when you grew up. I didn't. I fought for you, hard. Your grandmother was too strong.

Piper: Wait, you're blaming Grams for why you disappeared. She loved us, she raised us.

Prue: What'd she do? Put a spell on you?

Victor: believe me, nothing short of that would've kept me away. You have to believe me. All I want is for what's best for you. Phoebe, you believe me don't you?

Prue: We've done fine without you.

Victor: Prue, you can't fight this. I couldn't.

Prue: I'm not you.

Victor: Are you sure? Are you sure you can protect your sisters forever?

Piper: We'll protect each other.

Victor: Then you'll die together.

Prue: No one can hurt us as bad as you.

(She uses her power and he flies across the room and he hits the door frame. He stands back.)

Victor: If you wanted me to leave, all you had to do was ask.

(He leaves.)

Phoebe: Why did you have to do that?

(Phoebe follows Victor outside.)

Piper: Did you have to throw him so hard?

Prue: Piper...

Piper: We could've just, you know, talked about it like normal people.

Prue: We're not normal.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Hotel. Victor's room. Victor walks in and sits on the couch. The light turns on and Fritz, Marshall and Cynda are standing there.]

Marshall: Hell, Victor. Where have you been?

Victor: How did you get in here?

Marshall: I think you should be a little more concerned with what we're doing in here.

Victor: I was wondering when evil would rear its ugly head.

Marshall: Consider it reared. I don't know what kind of people you're used to dealing with but I'd lay serious coin that they aren't willing to rip you into a thousand pieces and dance on your entrails.

Victor: Ahh, so you're lawyers. And here I was assuming you were shape shifters.

Fritz: Those are clever words for a man about to be an appetizer.

Victor: Cocky words for a man who can't get a simple book out of a house. Close your mouth. I mean, it's obvious. You're gonna shape shift into me and try to get to the girls that way. Am I right? It won't work.

Cynda: Why not?

Victor: (to Marshall) You mind if I poke holes?

Marshall: Poke away.

Victor: After tonight, the girls won't let me or anything that looks like me back into their lives let alone the house. I have officially been kicked out. There is however, one sister I can reach. Phoebe.

Cynda: So why don't I just become you and I'll reach her.

Victor: Because only her real father would know what buttons to push. The ones that would get me back in. If you kill me, you'll never know what they are. You'll never get back into the house and you'll never get the Book Of Shadows.

[Scene: Manor. Dining room. Piper and Prue are sitting at the table looking depressed. Prue's moving her food around the plate with her fork. Phoebe walks in.]

Phoebe: Good morning, Phoebe. (They ignore her. She picks up a napkin and waves it around.) Uh, guys. Can we call it truce just for five minutes please? I have a confession. Remember when we agreed to not see dad? Yeah, well, I did.

Piper: Hello, I was with you.

Phoebe: No, by myself before dinner and I had a premonition about dad when he hugged me. He was stealing the Book Of Shadows. Yeah, you were right about him, Prue. I didn't want the premonition to be true. I was hoping, praying that there was a perfectly good explanation for it. Hoping that, that he was really here to be with us. I just wanted him back in our lives. His our dad.

(Prue stands up.)

Prue: I know, Phoebe.

(Prue hugs her. Piper notices something on the floor. She walks over and bends down.)

Piper: Hey, look. (She picks up Victor's ring.) Dad's ring. What's it doing here?

(She hands it to Prue.)

Phoebe: It must of came off when he, uh... fell.

Prue: Well, I'll take it back to the hotel.

(She puts it on the table.)

[Time lapse. Outside. Phoebe picks up the paper. She waves at Fritz and Marshall across the road who are leaning against their car. Victor stands behind Phoebe. Phoebe turns around and gasps.]

Victor: Don't be afraid.

Phoebe: What are you... you have to leave.

Victor: Phoebe, please, this is very important.

Phoebe: I can't. I don't wanna talk to you anymore.

Victor: Phoebe, you gotta get the book out of the house.

Phoebe: You have to leave.

(She tries to walk away but he grabs her arms.)

Victor: Phoebe, trust me. Look...

(Phoebe has the same premonition as before again but this time Victor shape shifts into Marshall. Marshall, Fritz and Cynda walk off with the book. The premonition ends. Marshall and Fritz walk over to them. Victor lets go of Phoebe.)

Marshall: Excuse me, hey. Is this guy bothering you?

Phoebe: Uh, no. This is my, uh... this is Victor.

Victor: We were just saying goodbye.

Phoebe: Yeah, I gotta run.

(Phoebe goes back inside.)

Victor: What's the matter? Don't you trust me?

[Cut to inside. Phoebe runs inside heading towards the stairs. Prue comes in.]

Phoebe: Dad's not after the book, it's Marshall.

Prue: What?

Phoebe: My premonition, it wasn't dad. Gotta find a spell and banish them.

Prue: Banish who?

Phoebe: The neighbours. They're shape shifters. Fritz and Marshall and the...

(Piper and Cynda walk in.)

Cynda: Cookies. Just baked.

(Fritz walks in.)

Fritz: Hey, door was unlocked.

(Phoebe starts walking up the stairs.)

Piper: We're you going, Pheebs?

Phoebe: Uh, just to get something. Will you save me a cookie? (Cynda smiles.) Okay.

(Phoebe goes upstairs. Victor walks in.)

Victor: Daddy's home.

[Cut to the attic. Phoebe runs over to a closet. She pulls the clothes across and the book is in there. She flips the pages.]

Phoebe: Come on, come on. I have no idea what I'm looking for. (The pages turn by themselves.) Okay, I can take a hint. (It stops at a page.) "When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam, rid all beings from these walls, save sisters three now heed our call." (She repeats it and runs downstairs.) Dad, you can't be here, you have to leave now.

(Another Victor walks in.)

Piper: Whoa, time out. What's going on here?

Victor #1: Don't worry about it, sweetie. Everything's gonna be fine.

Victor #2: Don't trust him.

Piper: Wait a second. Last week we had no dad and now we have two?

Victor #1: Phoebe, remember, remember when you were little and you were afraid of the dark and I would leave the hall light on and the door open just a crack.

Victor #2: Oh, that's original. What kid isn't afraid of the dark?

Victor #1: Prue, she's never afraid of anything.

Piper: He's right, Prue. You were never afraid of the dark.

Victor #2: Lucky guess. I said I came back to protect you. Now there's only one way to do it. Kill us both.

Victor #1: You're bluffing.

Victor #2: Am I? Just do it because I wanna go out with a bang.

Prue: Do it, Phoebe.

Phoebe: The spell will kill everyone including dad.

Victor #2: It's the only way. Prudence...

Piper: Prue, the protection ring.

(Prue uses her power and the ring slides across the table. Victor #2 picks it up. Prue nods and he puts it on.)

Prue: Phoebe, now.

Phoebe: "In the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam, (Cynda turns into a creature) rid all beings from these walls, save sisters three now heed our call." (It gets windy.) "When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam..." (The shape shifters start melting. Victor #2 falls to his knees. He looks like he's in pain.) Daddy!

Victor #2: It's okay, keep it going.

Prue, Piper, Phoebe: "Rid all beings from these walls, save sisters three now heed our call."

(The shape shifters melt and disappear. Prue, Piper and Phoebe run over to Victor. Prue helps him up.)

Victor: For a moment there I wasn't sure what you would do.

Prue: For a moment there neither did I.

Phoebe: I thought you didn't want us to use our magic.

Victor: I didn't. Not as long as I still thought of you as my little girls. But you're obviously not anymore.

Piper: We're still you're little girls, we're just...

Prue: Witches.

Victor: Yeah, witches. Well, obviously you don't need your old man to protect you from anything.

Commercial Break

[Scene: Manor. Living room. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are there. Prue's on the phone.]

Prue: No, Andy, I'm fine really. Dad's gonna be here any minute, so can I take a rain check on dinner? Okay, thanks for the good advice.

(She hangs up.)

Phoebe: So he's dad now?

Prue: Yes, Phoebe, and by the way my dress looks good on you.

Phoebe: I don't have any nice clothes, Prue.

Prue: Dad said it was casual.

Phoebe: I don't care. I wanna look nice for him. Who knows how long it'll be before we see him again.

Piper: You don't think he's gonna stay around?

Phoebe: Well, let's just say I no longer have a romanticised image of him. And I'm glad about that actually. At least dad is real now.

Prue: And at least he's not a monster which is very reassuring considering we share his genes.

Piper: I'm just glad he came back no matter how long he stays. Kind of nice feeling like a normal family again. Whatever that means. (Phoebe nods. The doorbell rings.) Speak of the devil.

(Piper answers the door. Piper and Leo walk back in the living room.)

Prue: Uh, hi, you must be Mr. Wyatt.

Phoebe: The handyman?

Leo: Call me Leo.

Phoebe: Gladly.

Leo: This was on the steps. (He holds up a yellow large envelope. Prue takes it off him.) This place is, uh, you don't find many like this around anymore.

Piper: Yeah, it's kind of falling apart.

(Prue opens the envelope.)

Leo: The problem isn't the manor, it's the manner in which it was treated. I'd love to see more.

Phoebe: I would love to show it to you. The attic is right this way.

(She pushes Piper out of the way and Phoebe and Leo head towards the stairs.)

Prue: Guys.

(Phoebe turns back around.)

Phoebe: Uh, I'll be right up.

Prue: He's not coming.

Piper: Who's not coming?

Prue: Dad. He sent this. Um, (she reads the note) girls, something's come up, I hate to leave town. Can't make it to dinner. Probably best if we let the dust settle anyway. I know there's a lot you would like to forget but here's what I remember. Love dad.

(She holds up a video tape.)

[Time lapse. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are watching the video. On the video it's Christmas. Prue, Piper and Phoebe are there as kids. They are opening their presents. Victor kisses Prue on the cheek and then grabs Piper and lifts her in the air. He then asks what Phoebe got and she holds up a Barbie.]

End