1.3 BYOB

Will: "That means vampires."
Raveena: "So you admit there are vampires!"
Will: "Either that or swamp gas."

Wild and crazy med school BYOB party. Chase quickly learns that BYOB can be beer, booze, barbiturates, or just about anything else. Kevin Black, the student that invited her, leads her to a back room where a few students gather to discuss some of the weirdness going on around town. They pass around a drug made by Eric, the local herbology master and soon the conversation flows. Chase quickly realizes that they have no idea what they're really up against and eventually excuses herself to go to the bathroom. She returns to screaming and a locked door. When the lock releases, bloody corpses are left behind with the school motto, "Our future from our past" scrolled in blood on the wall.

Will: "You better get out of here, mister. Campus Security."

Gabe enters Jade's room. She tells him that she touched the help stone for luck on her test that morning and realized that Gabe should get special luck from it. She produces a new spell to try for temporarily granting strength. It requires two people. Gabe is more than "up" for it.

Will and Raveena patrol. A vamp jumps them. Together they quickly dust him, but before he blows away he says, "I am just one, but the alumni will have you."

The hall outside Jade's room. Heavy breathing resounds from inside as a small firework shoots out from under the door and explodes.

Chase watches as four body bags are carried from the party. Behind her someone says, "I'll be damned of it isn't The Alumni." She turns to a highly nervous older man behind her. He wring his hands and refuses to answer questions, but eventually she gets from him that The Alumni is an organization, and if she wants to find out more about it she could attend a BYOB party, but to attend a party she must be sponsored by a member. He tells her he hopes she won't do that because it isn't a place for good girls like her. She finds out his name is Bennie, but he refuses to tell her anything else, stating that, "People get hurt when they know things."

Chase heads to the morgue where she finds Geoff. He's thrilled to see that she's OK, and tells her that the four partiers have already arrived. He doesn't know anything about murderous alumni hosting BYOB parties, but he no longer doubts the potential for their existence. They contact the gang to meet at Ground Zero.

Back in Jade's room, Gabe sleeps. Jade runs a hand down his shoulder. Down his cheek. Pauses. Runs it again. Timidly looks at his face. Panics. Backs away, and quickly exits the room.

Back at the coffee shop, the gang minus Jade and Gabe talk over what happened to Chase. Raveena remembers that the vamp she and Will staked earlier said something about The Alumni. They figure that they must be a vampire organization in McKennit. Jade enters and runs over. "Guys, ummm... Gabe is a vampire."

Will (re vampirism): "Maybe you can get it from the toilet now."

Back in Jade's room, Gabe, looking perfectly normal, wakes to an empty bed. He strolls outside to the deck and lights a cigarette, leans farther over to see something, and catches fire. Jumping from the light, he heads back inside, smothering out the fire. He turns to a mirror and realizes he has no reflection. He calls Jade and asks her to meet him in the basement. She doesn't want to meet a vampire alone, so she drags the gang along. They arrive just before Gabe devours a rare and bloody steak, and drag him downstairs.

They determine that Gabe still has control over his actions, though a disturbing tendency to sniff people. They decide to head for the library's fifth story (hereafter known as "the fifth story") to research a way to reverse the spell. Geoff suggests the possibility of using Gabe's condition to infiltrate The Alumni and figure out what's up.

Will uses his extensive knowledge of the campus to figure out a tunnel path to the library, and once there, they quickly discover the secret entrance to the fifth story. After taking on a few super-sized spiders, they make it to the fifth floor entrance. Hearing sounds, they stop. Gabe, with his new and improved vampire hearing, realizes that they're discussing a party that's happening tonight at the docks. They approach the door and the gang hides. No success, as the vamps smell them. One is quickly dusted, and the other pumped for info. They find that they were indeed discussing a BYOB party and he names the time and location before getting cheeky and therefore dusty.

Will: "Just our luck; the only two vamps in town that know the Dewey Decimal system."

The vamps have left nothing out to reveal their purpose. They hit books to research Gabe's transformation. In the evening, they decide to split up. Gabe will take Chase to the BYOB party (Geoff protests, but is overruled), Deaver, Geoff, and Jade will continue to research, and Raveena and Will will patrol the dock area in case Chase and Gabe need help. Deaver takes apart a radio and quickly fashions a panic button for Chase to wear under her clothing. Raveena and Will will have the receiver.

Raveena: "You may have a point."
Chase (off Gabe's look): "Let's not talk about point."

The four head downtown, and Gabe and Chase split off to go to the party. As they head for the building, a vamp cheerfully slaps Gabe on the back, "'1897 (18-97, not 1,897), right? Didn't think you'd be back so soon! What's it been, six years? You been missing these?" The three of them pass by the guards unmolested, the other vamp pointing and mouthing "1897!"

They enter into a large warehouse packed with vampires and humans dancing to metal music. Non-descript drinks flow freely, smoke hangs in the air, and couples make out in corners. Near the back wall is a dais, and the wall behind it has "From our past, our future" painted in red/brown. Dr. Bannon climbs onto the dais and sits, happily surveying the crowd. Chase and Gabe make their way to a bar. The vamped out bartender offers Gabe a red drink, and asks Chase "What's your pleasure?" With a vodka and something she and Gabe head onto the dance floor.

Back at the library, the three continue to research. Deaver stops, picks up the original spell, and calls Jade over. He has found the original version of the spell, which reveals its true purposed. Deaver looks it over and exclaims, "Oh, goodness..."

Back at the party, Chase runs into Kevin Black. He explains that he was turned last night and is loving it. He reveals that he isn't a member of The Alumni's inner core, and points out this year's "selection for membership," a vamp who's had blood dumped over him like Gatorade. Kevin proudly states that 2003 is his sire. He asks her to dance but she refuses. A group of vamps chanting "18-97, 18-97" get a hold of Gabe and begin toting him over to see Bannon. In the confusion, Kevin pulls Chase aside and asks if she's there to stop them or join them. Chase asks what he means and he asks if she's been initiated. He explains that this is the annual initiation party, and all new members get initiated. When she answers in the negative he pulls her around a corner into a back room and blocks her against a wall. He offers an array of Eric's powders, which she declines. "Maybe next time. Prepare for initiation." Chase pushes her silent alarm as he sinks his teeth into her neck.

Out near the docks, the alarm sounds. Raveena and Will rush to the truck, as Raveena's phone rings. Deaver frantically explains that he couldn't get a hold of Gabe, but that they need to get to him and make sure that he doesn't drink any blood. Gabe will revert to humanity at the next full moon unless he drinks blood. At that point, his transformation will be complete, and he will be a full fledged, blood-lusting, immortal undead.

Gabe escapes from the high vamps before reaching Bannon and finds Chase and Kevin. Chase is still standing as Kevin wipes the blood from his mouth. "Sorry, friend, but you weren't treating our guest very well." Gabe and Kevin argue, and Kevin leaves the back room. Chase and Gabe agree to leave and head back into the party. Three vamps block their path. One of them punches Gabe and a fight ensues. Gabe revels in his newfound strength and holds his own. A crowd gathers, and as he appears victorious, they chant "18-97, 18-97!" On an adrenaline high, he begins to take on the second vamp, but Chase can see that he's wearing down, and the third vamp is a thug he has no hope of beating. Kevin sees her distress and offers his assistance to get them out. He says that he knows that isn't the real 1897, and that things won't go well for them as soon as everyone else realizes it, too. Chase asks what his price is and he tells her that she "tastes like a piña colada." After seeing that Gabe truly can't handle the next fight, she agrees, and Kevin bites her again. He drops a coin in her hand, "Safety ward. Works unless you - or somebody with you - is attacking a member. Come back and see us again." As he lets her go, Chase nearly collapses. He picks her back up and practically carries her back into the back room. She calls for Gabe, who notices and ducks out of the fight, busting his way through the crowd. Kevin points to a door in the back room. Chase opens it, and it reveals the outside. Gabe grabs her and hauls her outside. An angry vampire contingent follows. Outside, Will's truck is parked, and Raveena heads for the building. Seeing Gabe carrying Chase, she races back to the truck and opens the passenger door. Gabe stuffs Chase inside and follows. Raveena hops into the back. The raging vampires rush from the building in pursuit as Will starts the truck. One vamp leaps, catching on as the truck pulls away. With a swing of the stake, Raveena takes him out, and the four rush back to the library and safety.

Back at the fifth floor, Deaver quickly assures himself that Gabe hasn't drunk any blood. Jade knows of someone who might be able to help them reverse the spell sooner than the next full moon, which they decide is an exceptionally good idea, as Gabe continues to get hungrier and, well, sniff people more often. Meanwhile, Geoff checks Chase's vital signs and rushes her off to the hospital.

Jade leads everyone else to the home of Rain Arthur, High Priestess of the Daughters of Hecate. The DOH, she explains, is the coven her mother was a part of in college, and they are the largest and oldest coven in town. Once there, Rain answers the door despite the late hour, and asks if Gabe and Jade cast this spell themselves. Seeming impressed when they assent, she states that she can help them out, and asks them in.

Over at the hospital, Geoff sneaks the barely conscious Chase into an empty room and acquires a couple blood packets. After inserting the IV and bandaging her neck, he assures her that he will never let them ask her to do something like this again. He starts to ask her something, pauses, blushes, and asks if she wants a glass of water. After retrieving one, he softly runs his hand through her hair as she lies on the hospital bed, slowly breathing.

Beautiful Cave Chick: "I like calls in this country. Lots of cute boys. You have to come see them!"

Back in the cave with stone walls and a single door made of ash with iron casings. A woman still kneels in front, listening. Again, a beautiful girl appears behind her. "This time it was in this country. I like calls in this country. Lots of cute boys. You have to come out and see them!"

The cloaked figure turns. "You know I want to. It isn't like I can just walk out. I need someone outside."

"I know you do. It'll happen. Eventually." She pouts, then smiles, "I brought you another present. This one is a lot of fun; it's all the rage above. I think it's a sort of telephone." She hands a cell phone to her kneeling friend. It rings.

The kneeling one looks up. "How does it work?"

"Beats me."

It rings again. The kneeling one studies the buttons. "Green means go, right?" The beautiful one nods. The kneeler pushes it, and hearing a response, puts the phone against her ear. "Hello?"

Playlist Highlights

Strong - Velvet Chain

Baby, I'm yours - you know
Because you're so, so strong

Say Goodbye - Dave Matthews Band

You and me twist up secret creatures