POLOKWANE, SOUTH AFRICA
STERKFONTEIN CAVES

Vincent Moore stares at Quentin Blood in shock and horror, stepping back in line with Alec Bale and Kelli Anderson. He has no idea why a man that everyone thought was dead is currently standing before them, and why he is standing with Vince's sister, Julia, and Chris.

"Hello...and welcome to my home," Quentin says, taking a gulp from his chalice of blood. "It's so nice for you to join us for the ceremony."

"Ceremony?"

"Yes," Quentin says, gearing up for a long-winded story. "Perhaps I should explain?"

"No one needs a flashback," Chris snits. "Akilah and I are getting married."

"Like hell you are!" Vince cries. "What in the fuck is going on here?"

"A tale as old as time," Quentin begins, only to be stopped by snickering among his clan. "What's so funny?"

"Dude, that's Beauty and the Beast," Chris whispers.

"Walt Disney stole those lines from me," Quentin snarls.

"Huh?" Alec says, completely bewildered. "What is going on here?"

"It's okay, I can tell them now," Quentin says. "I am older...than many of you could possibly fathom. I...am a...vampire!"

Quentin leans forward, expecting a dramatic response to his revelation. Instead, Vince shrugs and trades bemused glances with Alec.

"Yeah, so what else is new?" Vince says.

HANLEY HOME

"What do you mean our kids are off in South Africa?!" Leslie Hanley demands, reaching for the vase on the coffee table as if to throw it at her husband.

"I lent Vince the Hanley Jet, he said he wanted to visit Kelli!" Michael insists. "I had no idea that they were involved with some presumed dead drug lord! But honestly, this vampire stuff is ridiculous."

"I honestly think Joel was delirious," Felicia says. "But I've tried reaching Alec, his phone is off. And Darren hasn't been able to reach him for weeks. But honestly Leslie, how could you not know that your son was gone for nearly the entire summer?"

"He told me he was visiting some friends at boarding school," Leslie says. "And I don't think I like your tone."

"For the entire summer?"

"You try being here when your father comes back the dead as a deceased woman!" Leslie snaps. "And now that I think about it, maybe this shit about vampires makes sense after all."

"Let's not be ridiculous," Michael says. "I'm sure we would have heard something if they were in trouble."

"Because you often hear from people when they're dead?!"

"Right. Well then, perhaps we should —"

"Go to South Africa and find them?" Leslie demands. "Yes."

"And leave Sean alone with that woman?" Michael says, almost eager to suggest it. Leaving Denise alone with Sean would be just the perfect thing to help keep Leslie from reuniting with her former husband.

"My children come first, Michael. I'm going upstairs to pack."

"I'm going with you!" Felicia says. "If Alec and Sara are in trouble, then I should be there too."

"All right," Michael says. "I'll call Riley and tell him to have the second Hanley jet prepared for take-off."



POLOKWANE, SOUTH AFRICA
STERKFONTEIN CAVES

"That's supposed to be a surprise?" Vince says. "We live in Marquette Cove."

"Yeah, we were held hostage by an alternate reality version of Vince," Alec says. "This isn't like some soap opera where people get possessed by Satan and then they're surprised by the supernatural years later."

"Though we tend to only bring it up when there's something equally weird going on," Vince adds. "Otherwise, it's kinda off-putting, you know?"

"I grow weary of this," Quentin snarls. "Akilah and Chris are to be wed."

"What the fuck? My sister's not marrying some psycho! Also, he's gay."

"I am a vampire," Chris says. "That transcends sexuality."

"Sucking dick transcends nothing."

"One could say the same about you," Chris insists, attempting to make Vince uncomfortable about his recent experience with Blake.

Vince brushes it off. "My sister is not marrying you."

"My daughter will marry whomever I say she does," Quentin says.

This is the comment that causes Vince to go silent.

"Daughter?" Alec says. "She's your..."

"Yes, she's my daughter," Quentin says, grabbing at Julia. "And now, we must begin the ceremony! Twilight is almost upon us!"

He sinks his teeth into Julia's neck, drawing blood.