Post by StoryGirl83 on Oct 7, 2009 17:41:35 GMT -5
ACT TWO
STOCK FOOTAGE: SAN FRANCISCO COURTHOUSE - DAY
INT. COURTROOM - DAY - ESTABLISHING
The CAMERA pans the room including the American flag, the State of California flag, the judge's bench, the witness stand, the court clerk's table where the COURT CLERK is sitting, the defense table where Emilio and public defender ALAN Sloane are sitting, quietly talking. The CAMERA stops panning and focuses on the prosecutor's table where Cole is standing with his back towards the table, facing the first row of the spectator benches where Prue, Phoebe and Darryl are sitting.
COLE:Prue glares at her.
I think we’re in good shape except for the, what did you call the murder weapon? A-an ay-thay-mee?
PHOEBE:
Athame. It’s a ceremonial knife used by--
PHOEBE:Prue's glare gets stronger.
(nervous)
Um, cults.
PHOEBE:The JUDGE enters the room.
(more nervous)
You know, those cults they show on TV? They usually use one of them to make those types of marks on people? You know?
COLE:
And are you sure you didn't see who took it?
PHOEBE:
No, we were there to check on Darryl and--
PRUE:
--now we don't know where the athame is. Will it hurt the case?
COLE:
The P.D. will try to focus on it but this is just an arraignment. Unless there's something I don't know about, we should have more than enough for the judge to hold him over for trial. Don't worry; I'm good at what I do.
CLERK:Everyone stands as the judge crosses towards bench. Cole turns around to face the bench. The judge sits behind his bench.
All rise.
CLERK:Everyone sits down.
Court is now in session. The Honorable Judge William Hamilton now presiding. Please be seated.
PHOEBE:Cole stands up.
(to Prue, whispering)
I'm nervous.
PRUE:
(whispering)
Oh, you know. Witches and trials. It’s that whole Salem thing.
PHOEBE:
(nervously giggling, whispering)
Must be it.
CLERK:
Case number B684400. The State of California versus Emilio Sanchez. One count of murder in the first degree of one Virginia Jones and one count attempted murder of one Inspector Darryl Morris.
COLE:Alan stands up.
Assistant District Attorney Cole Turner for the State.
ALAN:The judge bangs his gavel.
Public Defender Alan Sloan for the defense.
JUDGE:
How does the defendant plead?
ALAN:
Not guilty, Your Honor.
JUDGE:
So noted. Mr. Turner, I have read your brief; do you have anything to add?
COLE:
No, Your Honor. The State stands by the arrest report and the eyewitness testimonies.
JUDGE:
Mr. Sloan?
ALAN:
Well, uh, it seems to me, Your Honor, you can't very well hold for a murder trial without a murder weapon.
COLE:
The State has already stipulated that the alleged murder weapon is still outstanding. We have two eyewitnesses who--
ALAN:
Saw what, exactly? My client bent over the inspector? That's how they justify the attack? How do they know he didn’t just happen to come across the scene, and was trying to revive the inspector?
PHOEBE:
Oh, please!
JUDGE:Cole turns to glare at Phoebe and she ducks her head mouthing "Sorry".
Order!
ALAN:Prue lays her hand on Phoebe's arm.
And why, if they were so easily able to subdue him, don't they know exactly what happened to the alleged weapon? I mean, what? Did it just poof! magically disappear?
COLE:
Objection!
PHOEBE:
Oh God, he knows.
PRUE:The judge bangs his gavel.
Easy.
COLE:
Your Honor, the witnesses aren't on trial here.
ALAN:
Why? Perhaps they should be. We only have their word that my client was trying to harm the inspector. Perhaps it was they who killed Ms. Jones and were trying to kill the inspector and are still in possession of the murder weapon....
COLE:
Objection, Your Honor! We have the testimony of the man who was attacked, a San Francisco inspector. He was attacked by
(points at Emilio)
that man, not the witnesses.
JUDGE:
Mr. Turner, unless you have something else or can produce the alleged murder weapon, I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Sloan.
COLE:
(shocked)
You're what, Your Honor?
JUDGE:
Do you or don't you have any additional evidence?
COLE:
You mean aside from the fact that he's the prime suspect in three other murders where no less than five people saw him leave the scene of the crime just before the attacks and that everything other than the missing murder weapon makes this in any other courtroom a slam dunk?
JUDGE:
This country believes that a man is innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Turner. Despite those five witnesses, this defendant has never been found guilty of any of those offenses so any mention of them is not permissible in this court. Nor have you given reasonable cause to waste more of this court's valuable time on this matter. The charges are dropped; the defendant is released.
COLE:Emilio and Alan stand up. Emilio grins at Prue and Phoebe as they walk past them.
(shocked)
I don't believe this.
JUDGE:
Clerk, next case.
COLE:Alan rushes Emilio towards the door.
(outraged)
Yeah, you keep smiling, punk. I'm not giving up until I see you fry.
DARRYL:
Come on, Turner; this isn't gonna solve anything.
ALAN:They leave the room.
Let's go. Let's go.
PHOEBE:They begin walking down the aisle as we
(to Cole)
I'm so sorry, I wish that there was more that we could do.
COLE:
If there's something you're not telling me, anything, if you're afraid of him we can protect you. I can refile.
PRUE:
Um, we have to go. Sorry.
PHOEBE:
But--
PRUE:
C'mon, Phoebe, let's go.
CUT TO:
EXT. COURTHOUSE - STAIRS - DAY
Prue and Phoebe are walking down the stairs, both still upset.
PRUE:Phoebe frowns, but Prue doesn’t notice. She laughs.
I can’t believe the judge just let him walk like that. What happens the next time he kills? The ADA seemed so sure we had enough to get it to trial.
PHOEBE:
All I know is Cole is an angel. He was so awesome in that courtroom.
PRUE:
See something you like, Sis?
PHOEBE:
(a bit shyly)
Maybe.
PRUE:
That nice butt?
PHOEBE:
Maybe. Or maybe it’s just nice to run into someone who's not a college boy, someone who's a man.
PRUE:Phoebe is silent. Prue looks at her
More years, less hormones, huh?
PRUE:
Phoebe?
PHOEBE:
Sorry, I just remembered I have class in half an hour. Can you drop me off?
PRUE:
Sure.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS - PATHWAY BETWEEN BUILDINGS - DAY
Phoebe is walking along the path. Cole sneaks up behind her and taps her on the shoulder. Phoebe spins around and does a high karate kick.
PHOEBE:Cole grabs her leg before it makes contact.
(screaming)
Hi-yah!
PHOEBE:Cole lets go of her leg.
Cole!
COLE:
Hi, how’s it going?
PHOEBE:
(embarrassed)
Oh
(laughs)
Wow, this is embarrassing. Uh, I...I...I’m...
COLE:
It’s okay; I’m okay. Nice calf.
PHOEBE:
Oh, thanks. Can I have it back?
COLE:
Sure. Sure.
PHOEBE:Cole looks at her, the look asking, "Are you sure?" then sighs in defeat.
Okay.
(nervously laughs)
Uh, how did you find me?
COLE:
Told you I was good at what I do. Although you probably wouldn’t think so after my performance in court.
PHOEBE:
No, I thought you were amazing. It’s just you were up against a, uh, an unfair judge.
COLE:
Free Willy; he’s got that reputation. Still, I know I didn’t put on my best case, that’s why I’m here to see if you can help me do a better job.
PHOEBE:
How?
COLE:
I don’t know - you tell me. Look, Phoebe, I may not be the greatest prosecutor, but I’ve got good instincts. I can sense things about people, things they might not even want me to know.
PHOEBE:
And what do you sense about me?
COLE:
That you’re struggling with the truth. That you’re a good person who wants to do the right thing here, but for whatever reason you can’t. How am I doing so far?
PHOEBE:
You're right about me, but you're off about today, Cole. We told you the truth.
COLE:Cole turns and walks away. Phoebe checks out his butt appreciatively. She pulls his card out of the book and gasps as she is pulled into a quick premonition, one in color. The CAMERA cuts to a tight closeup of a demon familiar to Charmed fans. BELTHAZOR is attacking someone whom we can’t see. Phoebe gasps as she comes out of the premonition.
Well, if you're sure. But if you think of anything, anything at all--
(sticks his card between the pages of the book she’s holding)
please call me. Home number’s on the back. Bye.
PHOEBE:
Oh no! Cole!
CUT TO:
INT. HALLIWELL MANOR - ATTIC - DAYJust like earlier, Phoebe is standing at the podium, flipping through THE BOOK OF SHADOWS, but this time it's frantically.
PHOEBE:As she keeps flipping through The Book, we hear Prue coming up the steps.
(muttering)
C'mon! C'mon! You gotta be in here somewhere!
(looks Up)
Piper! Leo! Get your butts down here right now! I so need you guys!
PRUE (o.s):
(yelling)
Phoebe! Where are you?
PHOEBE:
(yelling back)
Up here in the attic! Hurry!
PRUE:Phoebe's eyes grow big as we hear SHIMMERING o.s. and she points behind Prue.
(speed-walking through the door)
Okay, so what's the big emergency? Do you know how hard it was for me to get away from my photo shoot? You are so luck-
PHOEBE:
(interrupting)
Not now! It's Cole. He's going to be attacked by a demon! We've gotta save him!
PRUE:
Slow down! Take a deep breath and slow down!
PHOEBE:
But, Prue...
PRUE:
Wait. Did you say Cole? As in Cole Turner? The ADA Cole Turner?
PHOEBE:
Of course as in ADA Cole Turner! He...
PRUE:
Yes, I know. He's going to be attacked by a demon. So you're still thinking about him?
PHOEBE:
Yes, I mean, no, I mean, he came and found me at school. He still wants us to help put Emilio Sanchez behind bars. He gave me his card and I got a premonition of this horrible demon.
PRUE:
So did you find the demon in The Book?
PHOEBE:
No, I'm still looking. He's gotta be in here somewhere.
PRUE:
So what does this demon look like?
PHOEBEPrue ducks as a LARGE ENERGY BALL FLIES just over her head. It leaves a BURN MARK on the wall behind her.
Um, like him! Duck!
The CAMERA cuts to focus on BELTHAZOR throwing a SMALL ENERGY BALL then cuts back to Prue waving her hand just before the energy ball would hit Phoebe. Prue's power manages to THROW IT A LITTLE OFF-COURSE. It STILL GRAZES Phoebe's arm, causing her to scream in pain.
PRUE:Phoebe clutches her arm and scrambles across the attic in search of something to throw. Belthazor SHIMMERS OUT and REAPPEARS in front of her, an ENERGY BALL GROWING in his hand as soon as he reforms. He SLAMS THE ENERGY BALL INTO PHOEBE'S STOMACH, sending Phoebe FLYING across the room, BURNED AND BLEEDING where the energy ball hit. Her unconscious body RAMS INTO THE WALL.
(screaming)
Piper! We need you!
PRUE:Belthazor spins around to see Prue swing her arm out, trying to throw Belthazor, but he holds up his hand and Prue GOES FLYING INTO A TABLE near Phoebe, CRASHING THE TABLE down on her.
Phoebe! Hey! Big, black, red and ugly!
As Prue is trying to get out from under the table, Belthazor walks over, an ENERGY BALL FORMING in his hand. Just as Prue manages to get out from under the table he reaches them. His eyes meet hers, malice in them, and he THROWS THE ENERGY BALL at her, knocking her to the floor and BURNING HER CLOTHES AND SKIN where he hit her.
ANOTHER ENERGY BALL FORMS in his hand, GROWING into the HUGEST BALL YET as he stands over Phoebe and Prue, ready to finish them off. He stands there for several seconds and then he scowls. The ENERGY BALL VANISHES as he SHIMMERS OUT.
The CAMERA focuses on the two unconscious sisters and then backs up to show the scene reflected on the wall of Piper's and Leo's smeary white "prison cell". Piper is in Leo's arms, crying on his shoulder.
PIPER:Leo tries to orb, but no such luck.
Leo! Orb! Now! You gotta! They're both hurt! You gotta go down and heal them or they'll both die! Please! I can't lose my sisters!
LEO:A whitelighter familiar to Charmed fans, NATALIE, orbs in.
I can't!
PIPER:
You've got to!
(looks Up)
Please! I was the one who told him to bring me Up Here. Don't punish my sisters, too. Let him go heal them. Please!
LEO:OFF Piper's look of horror we
Natalie! What are you doing here?
NATALIE:
No, Leo. You can not go down there and heal them. Not while
(she looks Up)
They are still debating your fate. That is against the rules. Instead I will. As of now, I am Prudence and Phoebe Halliwell's whitelighter.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT TWO