1.04 -- A Thin Line (Part 1)

England, 1761

William Lansing was a most proud man. His physical value was quite unimpressive, but he’d managed to procure himself a beautiful wife – the fair Victoria Lansing – who’d weeks ago given him a daughter, called Willow, after her father.

Though it pained him to leave them even for a moment, business had called him away.

Victoria: Oh, William, must you go?

William: I’m afraid I have to. The tornado at Great Malvern has done much damage and they need as many hands as possible for cleanup and recovery. Besides, Mr. Wesley asked and I’m loathe to refuse the very man who employs me.

Victoria: I know, but Willow and I will miss you so.

William: I shan’t be long, a couple of weeks. I love you, Victoria. 

And, with that, he kissed his wife and his daughter and left for Worcestershire. 

The damage done was severe, the labor to correct it excruciating. But, three weeks after his arrival by carriage, Mr. Wesley bid William leave to return to his wife and daughter. William was quite grateful and could not wait to see his family again.

But, when he arrived home, he found his wife quite changed. The beautiful woman he’d left behind was different. She was withdrawn, distant, and at night when he asked to make love to her, she politely declined, citing a headache before turning away from him and going to sleep. Surely, he thought, she wasn’t angered about his leaving to help Mr. Wesley, why it’d been her idea for him to go to work for Mr. Wesley at the bank in the first place!

As days passed, William found himself tending to young Willow alone. Victoria couldn’t be bothered. Her days were spent sleeping, her nights spent who knew where with who knew whom. Finally, after three months of Victoria’s odd behavior, William had had enough. He followed her one night to the mill near their home.

What he saw made him furious. There was his Victoria with this grotesquely pale man. He’d never seen the man before, but he was going to go over there and bust his mouth for touching his wife! But, before he made a move, William was surprised to see the man walk away from Victoria.

She followed him down to the water’s edge.

Victoria: Please, Anton. Please tell me tonight is the night you’ll turn me?

Anton: Are you sure that’s what you want? What of your husband and daughter?

Victoria: What of them? What is a human lifetime tending my husband and a child when I could have an eternity with the man I truly love?

Anton: How I wish that were true and you did love me, Victoria. But, I fear if I turned you and my compulsion faded, you’d think me a monster and hate me.

Victoria: No, my love. I could never hate you.

Anton: Because I have compelled you to love me. But, when you become a vampire, my compulsion will be lifted, you’ll see me with clear eyes.

Victoria: I swear to you. All I want is to be yours forever.

William watched in horror as Anton showed his fangs and drunk from Victoria like a man who’d been crawling about the desert for weeks and only now stumbled upon an oasis.

Bridgeport, Present Day

Eve Wellington stirred in an unfamiliar bed. Her mind was foggy. Where was she? How did she get here? The last thing she remembered, she was at the train station, talking to Isobel –

Will: Oh, good. You’re awake.

Eve: How did I get here?

Will: Don’t you remember?

Eve: I was at the train station, talking to Isobel, then … then … she bit me. I passed out and, when I woke up, you were there. You cut your wrist and made me drink from it and your teeth were so sharp and…oh my God. Are you a vampire?

Will: Come on, do I look like a sparkly douche bag to you?

Eve: No, you don’t sparkle. I can still taste your blood in my mouth. Gross!

Eve leaned over the side of the bed and threw up. Mr. Fields, the butler, would have fun cleaning that up later.

Will: Apparently, it’s an acquired taste, but how rude. I didn’t puke when I tasted your blood.

Eve: You drank from me?

Will: “Drank” is such a loose term. I prefer, “sampled.” There really wasn’t much left in there to drink.

Eve: Did you turn me? Am I a vampire, too?

Will: Do you feel undead? And, by undead I mean dead but technically still kind of alive.

Eve: My head hurts.

Will: Mine, too. But, for the record, no, I did not turn you. However, if I’d known how mouthy and ungrateful you’d be to me after I saved your life, I would’ve just eaten what was left of you and been done with it.

Eve: So, you admit it? You’re a vampire.

Will: Fine. I’m a vampire. But, is that such a bad thing? If you prick a vampire, will it not bleed? If you tickle a vampire, will it not laugh?

Eve: And, is this your shirt?

Will: Yes.

Eve: You undressed me?

Will: Your other clothes were covered in blood. Did you want me to let you lay around in those? That couldn’t have been sanitary. Besides, it’s not like I 

looked at anything. Though, that birthmark on your side is so cute.

Eve: You disturb me.

Will: And, yet, every time you’re around me your cheeks flush and your breathing gets all labored. In some cultures, those are signs of sexual arousal.

Eve: Shut up and tell me where my clothes are. I’m leaving.

Will: Can’t let you do that, sweetheart.

Eve: How come?

Will: Because, as I told you, I sampled your blood and let’s just say it tasted very, very different. I figured out why I couldn’t compel you – that’s one of my vampire talents, FYI. That means –

Eve: I know what FYI is. What do you mean my blood is different?

Will: We’ll get to that later. The important thing is that I now have a second option when it comes to getting what I came to town for. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to stay put while I go out and barter with your father.

Eve started to tell him again how much he sickened her, but her head suddenly began to swim and the next thing she knew, she was in Will’s arms as he put her back to bed.

Will: You’re still weak. My blood heals quickly, not instantly. Sleep. When you wake up, I’ll have Fields make you something to eat.

Eve: Wait, how do you know my father?

Will: We go way back. 

England, 1762

It’d happened so quickly. Anton fed Victoria his blood and told her to come to Cambridge in four nights, where he would be waiting for her. From there, they would flee to Spain. Then, he’d put either hand on the sides of Victoria’s face, kissed her lips one last time, and broke her neck. She fell dead at his feet.

William let out a primal scream as he ran to his wife, and though Anton seemed amused by his show of pain towards his adulterous wife’s quite timely demise, something else scared him away.

 

Gabriel: I was too late.

William: Who are you?

Gabriel: Mr. Lansing. Please, do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm. My name is Gabriel.

William: Gabriel what?

Gabriel: I have no last name. I am simply called Gabriel.

William: How do you know my wife?

Gabriel: She is one of my charges. I wasn’t supposed to interfere, but I thought perhaps if I tried to weaken the vampire’s compulsion, I could change the trajectory of your lives. But, I failed. Now, there is nothing left to do.

William: Please, don’t hurt her.

Gabriel: Your wife was a beautiful woman in life, but she is dead now. In a few minutes, she will awaken. She will have your wife’s thoughts, her memories and aspects of her personality, but she will not be your wife. In her place will be a monster, a monster I have been sworn to kill. I’m sorry.

William made to rush Gabriel, still determined to defend his wife until the very death. But, Gabriel waved his sword as if it were a magic wand and William felt his body disintegrate, little pieces being shifted as if through time and space, coming back together again in his home, where young Willow screamed from her crib.

Bridgeport, Present Day

Isobel fled to the only place nearby she could think of. This house had been Christine’s before her family lost everything. This was the last place the three of them had all been happy. She could remember that last sleepover as clearly now as it’d been so many months ago.

Bridgeport, Six Months Ago

Isobel and Eve taunted Christine about her mystery Romeo, who’d sent her a single red rose.

Isobel: Christine has a boyfriend!

Eve: Come on, Chris. Fess up. Who is it?

Christine: It’s – it’s nobody. Really.

Eve: Well, I, for one, am glad you have a boyfriend. You deserve a little good fortune coming your way. Besides, everyone should be as happy as Josh and I are.

Isobel watched her friends embrace, the guilt on Christine’s face not registering at all.

Christine changed the subject quickly, diverting their attention to something of her mother's she'd stumbled across recently. She didn’t talk about her mom much – and Eve rarely brought her up, considering their families' history.

Eve: What is this?

Christine: I think my mom was into witchcraft or something. I dunno. Maybe it’s just a family heirloom. You know the Rivers women can be kind of out there. There were candles and a cauldron and everything.

Isobel: Maybe she was having one of those exhibitionist crises.

Eve: Existentialist, honey.

Isobel: This is so cool! Hey, what’s a “binding spell?”

Christine: It says it’s to secure the bond between the sisters to whom the book belongs.

Isobel: We should do it!

Christine: I don’t know if we should mess with it.

Eve: It’s not like this stuff is real, Isobel.

Isobel: Then, what’s the harm in doing it? I mean, we’ve already got an unbreakable bond, but maybe a little supernatural insurance wouldn’t be so bad?

Christine: I’m game if Eve is.

Eve: Thanks, Chris. Alright. What do we do?

Christine: I think we have to say it together.

Eve: If I turn into a frog, I’m sitting next to your ear going “ribbit” all night, Is.

Isobel, Christine, Eve: Blood to blood, spirit to spirit, this bond is our will, this bond is our might. Sever it nothing, even parting in death, this bond is forever, this bond is for life.

Eve: Whoa.

Isobel: Cool!

Christine: And, I think it’s safe to say I am never messing with this thing again. Back into the attic it goes. 

Bridgeport, Present Day

So much for forever. Nothing could keep them together. They’d fallen apart only hours later, though nothing had damned them worse than Isobel.

Isobel braced herself. She’d decided this was the only way. She’d killed an innocent man who, sure he was old and probably would’ve died soon anyway, but he was very important to Bridgeport. Then, she’d tried to run to protect her friends and family, but that’d just gotten Eve killed. She was no good to anyone now that she was the walking dead. And, there was only one way to TRULY save everyone she loved more pain.

She opened the door and walked out into the bright midday sun.

 

Isobel cringed as she anticipated her skin erupting into flames, melting and boiling off her bones. But, there was nothing. Confused, Isobel looked up to make sure the sun was still there. It was. And, yet, she was not on fire.

How is this possible? She wondered. Only a few days ago she’d accidentally passed a window and scorched her shoulder. It’d healed quickly, a perk of her vampirism, but now it did not seem to faze her at all.

At a nearby park, Gabriel Wellington schmoozed at a cookout with the Wellington Enterprises stockholders and their families. When it wasn’t harboring abducted paranormal entities, Wellington functioned as one of the world’s top electronics development and marketing firms.

Charlie was around somewhere, probably flirting with a girl instead of handling the soft drinks, like Gabriel had asked him to. And Eve, he hoped she would show up. She’d texted him last night that Isobel wasn’t feeling well and she was sleeping over. He missed the days when Eve knew her phone could be used to speak verbally.

He greeted Alistair James, one of the special shareholders who knew both sides of Wellington.

Gabriel: Alistair. How are you on this fine Sunday afternoon?

Alistair: Not well, I’m afraid. I was hoping we could speak in private for a moment.

Gabriel: Of course.

He noticed that Cecily was speaking with Natalia, an incident which gave Gabriel immediate pause. But, he trusted Natalia not to say anything. There were things Cecily was better off not knowing about her husband – and about Miss Novak.

Gabriel: What’s wrong?

Alistair: It’s my daughter. I have reason to believe she’s become one of them.

Gabriel: Isobel? Why?

Alistair: Her behavior. She’s been avoiding going out during the daylight hours, ignoring her friends, recently had new windows installed to block out the sun–

Gabriel: A favorite of our nocturnal friends.

Alistair: Yesterday, I ordered her to return to school. Last night, I found a note on her pillow, she’s running away.

Gabriel: Wait, she wasn’t home sick last night?

Alistair: I haven’t seen my daughter since yesterday morning. Why did you think she was home sick?

Gabriel: My daughter told me she was sleeping over with Isobel because she was sick. Do you know where she went?

Alistair: I contacted the train station. She bought a ticket to Twinbrook, but it was never used. She’s still here. I don’t know where, but that should make it easier for your men to track her.

Gabriel: You want her brought in?

Alistair: She isn’t my daughter anymore. She’s one of them and I refuse to entertain the monster living underneath my daughter’s skin.

Gabriel: Alright. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. 

When Alistair was gone, Gabriel called it in. He was heading back to check on the grill when he was intercepted by a very unwelcome guest.

Will: Man, you’re brutal. Does Eve know Daddy just put a hit on her BFF?

Gabriel: What the hell? How are you walking during the day?

Will: Maybe it’s magic. Or, maybe I just had a little taste of some special blood. Your daughter’s blood tastes delicious, by the way.

Gabriel: You son of a bitch.

Will: That’s what she said. Personally, I thought my mom was great, I don’t know why you Wellingtons have to go and insult her.

Gabriel: If you’ve hurt one hair on my daughter’s head, I swear –

Will: Calm down, Gabe. Your daughter’s fine. She’s sleeping off the attack of another vampire in a warm, safe bed. And, I’ll send her scurrying on home to you for the low, low price of one Orb of Oxala.

Gabriel: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Will: Big. Shiny. Glows. Samantha Parker hid it. You remember Samantha Parker, don’t you, Gabe? I bet your wife sure does.

Gabriel: I don’t have your orb.

Will: No, but since you were so close with the deceased Mrs. Parker, I’m betting you know where she hid it. You give me the orb, I give you Eve. You don’t give me the orb, I turn your daughter into a vampire and spend the next gazillion years feeding her accountants and doing things to her that would make you wish for crows to come along and peck out your eyes just from the mental image alone. I’ll be in touch.

Will was lucky Gabriel would do anything for his daughter. That was the thing about fathers, their focus could be very narrow. All that mattered was that their child had a long, safe and happy life, no matter the sacrifices. Will knew that from experience.

England, 1762

Seven months had passed. The September sun beating down on William’s village was like the fires of hell. He hardly noticed. He’d lost his job, his home was soon to be forfeited to the very bank which once employed him, and he was having trouble keeping young Willow fed and clothed. What time wasn’t spent in a bottle was spent trying to figure out what had become of Anton. William could see nothing with clarity but fantasies of vengeance playing out before his eyes. And, he would make that loathsome creature rue the day he took his wife from him.

But, first thing was first. He had to protect Willow. He’d become a terrible father, but even he knew to see to it the girl was safe.

Harriet and Manfred Mancini came an hour before their boat to their homeland, Sicily, was set to launch.

Manfred: William, are you sure?

Harriet: Girls her age can be a handful, but she’s your daughter.

William: I’m sure. I can’t care for her and my life is becoming very dangerous. I know the two of you have never had children of your own and I know you could give her all the love and care I cannot. Please, give Willow a family, a mother and a father who’ll love her and keep her safe.

Manfred: Justice Clemmons has composed a contract.

William: I’ll sign anything.

Harriet: We’ll do as you ask, William. This girl will never want for anything.

Before they left, Harriet and Manfred asked William if he wanted to say goodbye. He declined, though it killed him to do so. Willow wasn’t his daughter anymore, was Willow Mancini now. It was the last selfless thing William Lansing ever did.

Bridgeport, Present Day

Christine was disappointed her father couldn’t join her when she went to visit her mother at the cemetery, but he’d been called into work at the last minute. She hated that her father had to subject himself to this. If only he would listen to her and be reasonable.

Christine: Dad, I know it wounds your pride, but I can get a job. You don’t have to demean yourself like this, working at Medieval Burger Village.

Silas: No, demeaning was when I went begging for work from Gabriel Wellington of all people. This is legitimate work and, since it’s a Sunday I wasn’t scheduled to work, I get time and a half.

Christine: I just hate this. You’re so much better than flipping burgers.

Silas: We’ll get through this, Chrissy.

Christine: Then, why do I have the worst feeling disaster is looming?

He dropped her off on his way, and all the things she’d wanted to say to him, she said instead to her mother. She told Samantha how she heard him on the couch in the living room, groaning because of his back, but he wouldn’t take the bed because he insisted she have it. She told Samantha how she heard him crying to Samantha’s picture at night, thinking she would be disappointed because he thought he’d ruined Christine’s life. All she wanted was for him to understand that she loved him, even if they were struggling.

Aidan watched on, wishing he could go to her. He hated seeing her in pain. Her pain was his own. Empathy wasn’t unusual between angels and charges, but it was different with Christine, magnified.

Michael: You’re supposed to be in Darfur.

Aidan: I know, but –

Michael: I warned you that you were getting too close.

Aidan: And, I left her. She doesn’t know I’m here, couldn’t see me even if she did turn around.

Michael: You may have severed her bond to you, but you’re still clearly tethered to her. Do I need to remind you again that this is exactly how it started with Gabriel? Defying an order here and then another one there until he’d fallen and had his wings ripped off?

Aidan: I told you, I’m nothing like Gabriel. I could never be the monster he’s become.

Michael: He’s going to make a move for the Orb of Oxala tonight.

Aidan: What? Why would he do that? He knows what that thing is capable of.

Michael: Because Lansing has Eve. You know he’ll do whatever it takes to save his little abomination.

Isobel was ecstatic when she went home. She knew she would have some explaining to do when her father got home, but she was cured! She could walk around in the daylight now! She didn’t know how or why and she didn’t care, all she knew was that her life could finally go back to normal.

He came back half an hour after she did.

Isobel: Daddy, I’m so sorry I ran away.

Alistair: It’s alright, I know why you did.

Isobel: Flighty teenage angst problems. I swear, it’ll never happen again.

Alistair: I know it won’t.

Isobel: Who are those people?

Alistair: They specialize in the handling of creatures like you.

Isobel: What do you mean?

 

Alistair: You vile, disgusting monster. The sight of you makes me ill and if dissecting you and studying you wouldn’t bring some light to this tragedy, I would drive a stake in you where you stand.

Isobel: Daddy!

 

Alistair: Get this thing out of my sight. NOW!

Isobel: Daddy no! Daddy, please! Please!

Her cries fell on deaf ears. He would not grant mercy to the thing that hollowed out his daughter’s body and feasted on the remains of her life. The handlers tranquilized her and carried her away to the underbelly of Wellington Enterprises.

Fields met Will when he came through the door.

Fields: Mr. Lansing, you went out?

Will: Felt good, too, Fields. How is our guest?

Fields: She’s proven quite bothersome. She’s tried to escape three times already.

Will: Three times? You let it go that far?

Fields: She promised she’d stop trying to escape. The girl is quite beautiful and thus quite persuasive.

Will: Where is she now?

Fields: I locked her in the kitchen closet. If you’re thinking of going in there, I must warn you, she’d a biter, sir.

Will: So am I, Fields. Let her out, see if she wants food. I need to go shower. All that time in the sun has made me sweaty.

Fields: Yes, sir.

Ten minutes later, Fields offered Eve dinner. She declined, unwilling to eat anything offered to her by her captors.

Eve: You’re human, aren’t you?

Fields: I am.

Eve: Why do you work for a vampire? Does he compel you, too?

Fields: My father and grandfather were both in service to Mr. Lansing. He pays me well, is generous with the hours and rarely gives me a job I cannot handle. I would be a fool to pass up such lucrative employment, especially in trying economic times.

Eve: There’s a name for your service, it’s call kidnapping. I need to pee.

Fields: The nearest bathroom is unavailable, we seem to have some pipe issues. Mr. Lansing should be done with his shower now. You may go upstairs and use his bathroom. First door at the top of the stairs.

Eve: I may? I have right mind to pee on the floor and make you clean it up. But, since I wasn’t raised in a barn, excuse me.

Eve let herself into his bathroom, prepared to pee and go. But, the bathroom wasn’t as unoccupied as she’d initially thought. Will was in the shower.

Eve: Oh my God. I’m so sorry.

Will: Like you couldn’t hear the shower running. Come on, stop gawking at me, Eve. I gave you a chance to have your way with this.

Eve: I don’t do dead guys.

Will: She says, cheeks flushing in that telltale way of theirs.

Eve: I hate you and the sight of you naked does nothing for me.

Will: So, why don’t you hand me a towel?

Eve: You turned Isobel, didn’t you?

Will: I didn’t intend for your friend to get hurt.

Eve: You killed her. You didn’t think that’d hurt?

Will: You should get cleaned up. I stopped at Saks and got some clothes I think you’ll like. If you don’t, I can go get more.

Eve: I like the clothes in my closet at home.

Will: I’ll be in my room, reading, if you need anything.

Eve: I hate you!

Will: No, you don't.

Eve: Yes, I do. You're evil and you're not as hot as you think you are and I hate you. A lot.

Will: Then, why haven't you handed me that towel yet?

Eve threw him -- and his towel -- out of the bathroom. As she drew a bath for herself, she wondered where Isobel was. How guilty she must feel, thinking she’d hurt Eve. As soon as she got out of here, she was going to go to Isobel and tell her she understood what was happening to her and that she loved her and they’d figure out some way to get through this together. Because, Isobel might have been like Will in species, but she would never be the monster Eve saw when she looked at Will.

Though she was suddenly regretting laughing in Christine’s face when she said a man with fangs killed Josh.

Christine came home from the graveyard to find her father home early – and some woman there with him .

Christine: Who are you? And, what did you do to my father?

Bree: Name’s Bree. As for your father, he was a little cranky when I dragged him away from the burger place and made him invite my associate in. But, now he’s good and compelled to stay put.

Christine: Compelled? What?

Bree: God, I hate otherworld virgins. See, there are these things called 
vampires. They have special powers like heightened senses, increased speed and compulsion, or speaking and making weak-minded humans do what they want them to do. They’re also have incredible sexual prowess, but that might just be Will Lansing. He’s the only vamp I’ve ever done. That I know of.

Christine: Vampires –

Bree: Are real, cookie. Blah, blah, blah, OMGZ Edward Cullen's real? Skip ahead, sweetie, I don't have all day.

Christine: What do you want?

Bree: To be on an island somewhere being tended to by men with oil-slicked chests, big palm leaves and bowls of peeled grapes. Unfortunately, I’m on the clock so I’m here.

Christine: That doesn’t tell me what you want.

Bree: Your mother’s spell book.

Christine: It should be with her things in the garage.

 

Bree: Then, I suggest you go get it. And, don’t even think about calling the police. My associate was called away to an emergency, but before he left, I had him feed daddy dearest here some of his blood. You call the cops, I snap his neck and you’ve got yourself an eternal fry cook. Am I clear?

Christine: I’ll be right back. 

Eve waited until Fields and Will were both napping before she tried to sneak out again. She tiptoed towards the door, careful to not to step too heavily on floorboards and wake them. She almost made it, until –

Will: Where do you think you’re going?

Eve: Nowhere! I was just, um, admiring your lovely door. It’s a great door. You know, they don’t make doors like this anymore. Did I ever tell you doors are a big turn on for me?

Will: You were trying to escape, again. I heard the shift in your heartbeat. It woke me from a particularly pleasant dream about these islander girls I ate in Hawaii a few decades ago.

Eve: Damn vampire super hearing.

Eve: Put me down!

Will: Are you going to stop trying to escape?

Eve: Yes.

Will: That's what you said the last three times.

Eve: Well, I mean it this time.

Will: I don't trust you.

Eve: That's rich coming from the vampire.

Will: You're such a racist.

He carried her into the kitchen and threw her in the wash closet.

Eve: No, no, not the closet again!

Will: I'll let you out when the sun sets.

Eve: This isn't over!

Will helped himself to some plasma juice. He preferred the real stuff, not this refrigerated concentrate garbage, but Fields was on so much old people medication his blood tasted funky and Eve … well, he didn’t want to hurt Eve and something told him she wouldn’t be volunteering anymore magic blood anytime soon.

Eve: Let me out!

Will: No.

Eve: Come on, I don’t like cramped spaces.

Will: It’s a laundry room, not a coffin. There’s plenty of room to move about and a window which if you’re thinking about trying to use it to escape, don’t bother. It’s been painted shut and the glass is unbreakable.

Eve: I hate you!

Will: Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.

As he finished off his plasma juice, Will noticed Eve had become quiet. She stopped kicking the washing machined and throwing herself at the door.

Eve: Oh no.

Will: What’s wrong?

Eve: I snagged this new dress you bought me on an exposed nail. It pulled a thread and the whole thing has unraveled. I’m naked.

Will: Really?

He leapt to his feet and ran into the laundry room where he found Eve – not naked.

She made for the door, but it slammed shut behind them – locking them both in.

Eve: Ugh! This is all your fault!

Will: Look on the bright side, if oxygen’s an issue, I don’t use any. It’s all yours.

Eve: Why don’t you understand that this is not romantic? I’m not swooning at my big, strong, well-endowed captor manhandling me! I am not a girl from a bodice ripper, I’m a human being with her own thoughts and feelings and I don’t like this!

 
Will: You think I do? My plan when I came to this God forsaken city was to get my damn orb and go about my business destroying the human race. Then, by some twist of fate or some cruel joke of the universe, I go to taunt my nefarious intentions in Aidan’s face and find you, this gorgeous redhead who made me instantly have feelings I haven’t had since I was human – and, not to go all tangent boy here, but I do not like having feelings. They suck and make you do stupid things.

Eve: Like abducting the alleged object of your affection?

Will: This is all business. I bought you a thousand dollar dress and there’s food – you won’t eat the food, but there’s food. And, if you’ll notice, I haven’t eaten you once.

Eve: That’s more than you can say for Isobel.

Will: I didn’t mean for her to get hurt! It’s Aidan’s fault she’s a vampire.

Eve: How? Is Aidan a vampire?

Will: No, he’s – look, I turned Isobel because I wanted her to get me
Samantha Parker’s spell book. In exchange, I was going to give her a spell that would have turned her back human. No harm, no foul. But, Aidan hid Samantha Parker’s spell book and told Isobel there is no spell – and, there is a spell – and she got depressed and killed the mayor and now she’s stuck. But, I didn’t intend for it to happen.

Eve: You think that makes it okay? She was a human being, a bright beautiful girl and you just destroyed her. And, you wonder why I hate you? I can count on one hand the people who love me – who truly, honestly love me. Isobel was
one of those people. She’s going through hell right now, probably scared out of her mind thinking she’s killed me and I’m stuck here with some guy who says he has feelings for me but is treating me like a bargaining chip. Now, ask me why I see a monster when I look at you. God only knows what could happen to turn a man into this.

Spain, 1764

Will had laid in wait, anticipating the day when Anton would return to his home. For over a year, he watched the mansion Anton called home, until one day, there was, at last, activity. A carriage had delivered someone to the mansion in a coffin to shield them from the harsh light of day. He went to it at nightfall with a sword, prepared to finally avenge his wife. Instead, he found it was not Anton who’d come in on the carriage at all.

Will: Victoria?

Victoria: Hello, William.

Will: You’re alive?

Victoria: Depends on who you ask. You look so different. If I’d known you capable of such masculinity, I never would have – well, that’s not true. I probably would have left anyway.

Will: How could you just walk out on us? Willow and I needed you.

Victoria: You and Willow were burdens to me. Was that how I was supposed to spend my life? Cooking for you and cleaning up Willow’s messes and tending your house until you came home at night and had boring missionary sex with me in hopes of impregnating me with more children to clean up after until I died?

Will: How can you say such awful things? Willow was a blessing.

Victoria: And, where is the little blessing now?

Will: She has a new life with parents who love her and can make her happy.

Victoria: You gave her away?

Will: I put her needs ahead of my own.

Victoria: Whatever lets you sleep at night. So, are you going to stand there playing with your sword all day or are you going to get it over with?

Will: I didn’t come here to kill you.

Victoria: Well, if you came to kill Anton, I hate to tell you but those damnable Cristeas already beat you to the punch. We encountered them in Romania when we went to take the Orb of Oxala from its latest guardian. I really hate slayers. I barely escaped with my life.

Will: Did you really not love me?

Victoria: I didn’t say I didn’t love you. I said I was miserable with you. But, I suppose things are different now. You’re stronger, I’m stronger – we could be together.

Will: What do you mean?

Victoria: You’re still in love with me even after everything I’ve said and done to you. Don’t bother trying to deny it. It’s all there in those pretty blue eyes. You could turn, be like me. Imagine it, William, an eternity of being better than we ever were as humans? It’s not like you have anything to go back to. Willow’s happy, you say. But, you could be happy, too.

Will: I don’t want to be like you. I might love you, but you disgust me.

He started to raise his sword, to end this once and for all, but Victoria looked him dead in his eyes and – when she spoke – Will felt all his willpower drain. There was nothing in his mind – nothing but what Victoria said.

Victoria: Lower your sword and hold still while I turn you, William.

He did as she said, even though he didn’t understand why. He stood there as she bit him, as she drained him, as she fed him her own blood, took his sword away and ran him through with it. He died with the taste of her blood still on his lips – and woke the same way.

Bridgeport, Present Day

Gabriel went to Smuggler’s Cove. He hadn’t known exactly where Samantha would hide the Orb of Oxala, but he figured it would be here. This place had always been special to her. It’d been special to him, too, once.

He was about to unearth the orb when Aidan showed up.

Aidan: I can’t believe you’re going through with it.

Gabriel: I have no choice.

Aidan: All this for the abomination?

Gabriel: Don’t call her that.

Aidan: It’s what she is. I remember when you led the charge to destroy an entire race of them, and now you’re willing to destroy the entire world to protect one of them?

Gabriel: Yes. If we lose Eve, it will kill Cecily. She’s already suffered the loss of one daughter. Charlie will withdraw, he’ll slip away – I’ll lose everyone I care about. I have no use for this world if my family isn’t part of it.

Christine came back from the garage, confused. Her mother’s things were all there, save for the spell book. She knew it was there the last time she checked, but now it was gone.

Bree: Find it?

Christine: I’m sorry, no. I don’t have it, but I’ll find it and –

Bree: Too bad.

Bree snapped Silas’ neck. He fell dead to the ground at Christine’s feet.

Christine: NO!

Christine grabbed the phone and called 9-1-1.

Bree: Oh, by the way, that thing I said about giving him vampire blood? Scare tactic. He’s just dead.

Christine: Daddy, please wake up. Please! Help’s coming, Daddy. Please, just hold on.

Back at Smuggler's Cove, Aidan was suddenly brought to his knees by overwhelming pain. Christine. She was hurt. He could feel it in every inch of his body.

Aidan: Christine –

Gabriel: Looks like one of your charges needs you. Are you going to let her wind up like Dr. Scott? Two charges in twenty-four hours is a record, even for you.

Aidan: That falls into Lansing’s hands, you know what will happen.

Gabriel: I know what I’m doing.

He went to the water’s edge and summoned the orb. As he expected, it was there. The sun was coming up behind the sea. Soon it would be light in Bridgeport and people would be populating the beach. He took the orb and left.

The emergency workers and police came and went. They questioned Christine, who was in shock and gave them the best description she could of the woman who’d come into her home. But, when she started talking about vampires and compulsion, they exchanged awkward looks and asked to take her somewhere. She didn’t want to leave, not even when the coroner took her father’s body away.

When Aidan appeared, she didn’t question his odd clothing or his eyes. She only ran into his arms.

Aidan: What happened?

Christine: My father is dead. There was this woman and she killed him because I couldn’t find my mom’s spell book.

Aidan held onto her as tightly as he could, knowing if she found out he was the reason the spell book was gone, she would hate him and blame him for this.

Michael watched on.

Michael: Aidan is getting out of hand. I’m afraid drastic measures will need to be taken regarding the girl.

Isobel woke in a small, cramped cell.

Isobel: Mr. Wellington?

Gabriel: Hello, Isobel.

Isobel: You have to help me. These men, they came into my apartment and they took me away. 

Gabriel: I know. They work for me.

Isobel: I don’t understand.

Gabriel: I know you don’t. You’re still very young, still transitioning. Now, your father, he wanted you tested on, dismantled, burned, the usual procedure for vampires. But, I’m not going to put you through that because you mean so much to my daughter. I’m going to help
you leave Bridgeport and establish a new identity.

Isobel: Even after what I did to your daughter?

Gabriel: You hurt Eve?

Isobel: I didn’t mean to! I was going to run away, but then she was there and I tried to get her to leave, but she wouldn’t and I was so, so hungry. I didn’t mean to take so much, but her blood was different, I couldn’t help myself.

Gabriel: You’re the vampire that attacked my daughter?

Isobel: I would give anything to take it back. I didn’t mean to kill her.

Gabriel: You didn’t. You left her there and Will Lansing kidnapped her. My daughter is locked away with that filth doing God knows what to her and you’re telling me it’s because of you?

Isobel: I didn’t know!

Gabriel: I keep making the same mistake. I look at the monster and I see sentiment, my feelings for what they were, my daughter’s feelings for what they were. But, you’re all really just monsters. Forget what I said. I’m not letting you go.

Gabriel grabbed Isobel. This would be over quick.

Isobel felt a familiar surge of panic rushing through her body. She’d felt it last when she was in Christine’s garage with Aidan – when he’d said something very similar about missions and how it was his order to kill her. And, just like that night in the garage, she disappeared into thin air, her body teleporting away.

Gabriel: What the f—

Isobel came out – in the exact same place? No, Mr. Wellington was gone and these cells were all empty.

All but one. A voice called to her from within it and as Isobel approached the cell, her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe who was inside.

Isobel: Oh my God.