3.12 Two Steps Forward

Quotes

PeanutGalleryDeaver [off camera]: "There might be a loud crash ... everything is okay."
pause
CRASH

Rachel: "We can make the world a better place."
Gabe: "Yeah ... one sacrifice at a time."

Deaver: "The conrupti are [blah blah something about part-demons]."
Gabe: "So you could call Stefan that."
Chase: "Maybe once."
Stefan: "No, Gabe, you could call me that twice."
Chase: "Now THAT'S love."

Gabe: "So ... we summon a Charles Manson type, from Hell, to do good."
Deaver: "... I know the theory has some holes ..."

Rachel [looking at Simone]: "We could ... say something to her."
Chase: "What the hell are we going to say?"
Rachel: "... Well ... I could kick her in the face instead."

Stefan: "What if we had decoys of the plate and all ran out with one of them?"
Deaver: "That means one of us would get away with the plate, and one of us gets killed over tupperware."

PeanutGalleryGabe: "Well, I have a spell that would be of a higher production value."
PeanutGalleryChase: "I dunno, I think we blew our special effects budget for this episode on St. Saul's makeup."

Rive: "I hardly think this is fair, Lilith, ot attack two innocent people who are just standing by the window."

Lilith kicks Stefan to the ground
Stefan: "You need to work on your dance steps a little, honey."

Rive: "I heard Lilith say 'Rasthmus', but I didn't see anyone else."
Stefan: "I missed that. I was too busy holding my guts in."

Deaver: "I don't think you broke the library. Lilith broke the library."
Gabe: "Right. She got in the way of my spell."

PeanutGalleryRive: "So when you search me, what do you see? Besides this really hot body ..."

Director: "Well, if you don't know how to use magic, casting is more difficult."
PeanutGalleryRive: "What, so I might try to kill someone or make an eggplant grow out of my head or something?"

PeanutGalleryRive [re: demon's description]: "Wow, sounds attractive. No wonder she's a virgin."

A tired Gabe sits at one of the heavy, polished tables in Bannon's library. He's surrounded by books, but is staring thoughtfully into space. A book whizzes off the table and into Rachel's hand and she enters the library, looking at Gabe with a concerned expression. She is looking pale and gaunt, and her shiny blonde hair is sporting a new ink-black streak in the front [and not as a fashion statement]. Glancing at the title on the spine, she looks back at Gabe and admonishes him that they're not going to do that kind of spell. No matter how dire her situation, human sacrifices are pretty much out. They joke a bit, and the conversation turns to reminiscing over old times. There is a tender moment where Rachel tells Gabe she doesn't regret any of it, and that she really did love him. In quiet camaraderie, they go back to the books.

* * *

Bethany carries plates of her famous Italian food to the table in the Boyd-Townsend dining room where Deaver is uncorking the wine. Taylor, Bethany's daughter, is notably absent. With jazz on the stereo, Deaver and Bethany start talking idly, and Bethany brings up the translation she has been working on for him -- she has finally finished it. Deaver's interest is suddenly very intense, and he insists that Bethany bring her notes to the dinner table. A little confused, she gets up from the table and returns with a thick notebook of papers. They start to pore over them -- the translation is a spell that summons a demon, who in turn grants the summoner the assistance of one of the Conrupti, and instructions on how to call them. The Conrupti are demons or humans who did great evil in life and return from hell to aid the living as atonement for their sins. Typically the Conrupti the demon assigns will have some historic tie to the town. Bethany can't help noting Deaver's intense interest, and she awkwardly mentions it. He admits that he is more invested in this spell than in others, but doesn't elucidate. She offers her continued assistance, including her participation as a caster, and he distractedly kisses her on the cheek in appreciation.

* * *

Deaver issues the "all come" and there's the associated meeting at the manor house. After the whimsical Meg handed down her prophecies in Ireland, Deaver has been working with Bethany to figure out how to contact the Conrupti. With the spell translated, he's ready to start working on the ritual. Unfortunately, one of the key components of the spell is a unique Tibetan plate. It just happens to be a part of Bannon's collection. There is the usual long-winded debate as the group tries to form A Plan. Stefan, Rive, and Gabe take off for the library, while Deaver leaves it to the "good" taste of Chase and Rachel to hit the local jewelry store to find a ruby of suitable size to use as an offering. They plan to cast the ritual that evening, since once they have the plate, their time with it is bound to be limited before Bannon's crew comes to get it back.

* * *

[Jen: Bannon's house scene here.]

* * *

Rachel and Chase enter a discreetly expensive jewelry store in the just-so part of town. Chase laughingly reminisces about actually being able to AFFORD places like this when Rachel suddenly gasps, grabs her arm and drags her behind a display case, wildly trying to distract her. Naturally she looks right back at where they were standing and sees Simone browsing a case. A case of engagement ring settings. With a very attentive salesman. Chase is shell-shocked and Rachel thinks beating Simone up sounds like a great idea. She can't help wondering if Geoff knows Simone is here ...

* * *

Deaver heads to Rowan's apartment, to meet with some of the ladies of Cernunnos Grove, since he needs thirteen casters to make the spell work. Rowan takes him out to the CG headquarters, which is a lovely old stone house in the woods outside of town. Once there, he meets several other members of CG, who agree to get the grove ready in preparation for the ritual that evening. He's surprised to also see Darla, Rachel's mother, there at the house. She cheerfully tells him that she and Rachel's father are staying in town for a few weeks (of their own accord this time), and that she'll be happy to help out with the ritual. They all get to work reviewing Bethany's meticulous translation and notes on what has to be done.

* * *

At the library, Gabe, Stefan, and Rachel stand outside the heavy fifth-floor doors and go over the plan again. Entering, they start timid and get bolder as Gabe opens the case, reviews the card of data related to the plate, takes the plate, and heads for the window that Stefan has obligingly opened for him. As he steps into the rectangle of sunlight, a warm Louisiana drawl speaks out of thin air. It's Lilith. Stefan and Rive close ranks behind Gabe as he dives out the window. Lilith attacks. The fight gets bloody and Rive and Stefan make hurriedly for the exit. Behind them, they hear Lilith call out to an unseen "Rasmus". Gabe, who is hovering midair just out of sight, knows that name and the face that answers it -- he is one of the vampires that frequently does spells at Bannon's behest. And sure enough, he hits Rive and Stefan with one. As Lilith starts to follow the pair, Gabe hits her hard with a spell that sends her flying through the library, knocking over furniture and stacks of books, as Rasmus disappears ...

Down on the ground, Gabe quickly hands off the plate to Geoff, who happens to be nearby [handy, don't you think?] The two part ways and agree to meet back up with everyone else at Chase and Rachel's apartment. At their arrival, Chase is shooting Geoff death looks without any real (to his mind) explanation. Rive and Stefan arrive, and Chase patches them up while Rive and Gabe discuss Rasmus and the spell Gabe saw him cast. Deaver arrives with Rowan and Darla in tow. Gabe casts a spell to "visualize" what Rasmus cast on Stefan and Rive, and sees a couple of wriggling millipedes. The pair has been "bugged", and that probably means Rasmus is tracking their movements. With another spell (Gabe is exhausted by now), he and Rowan remove the bugs, and flush the crawlies down the toilet. Gabe isn't the only one who could use some time to recoup. Since the crew knows Lilith will be looking for them, they accept Rowan's invitation to rest and prepare out at CG headquarters.

* * *

At dusk, the group heads down to the grove. On the walk, Rowan pulls Deaver aside and warns him that she knows something will go wrong this evening. He tells her that he appreciates her telling him, but that they have to go on, given the circumstances. He is very intent on getting this cast.

Coven members start preparing the grove, making circles with rope and salt, while some of the other witches take the ruby purchased for the occasion and imbue it with the power of strength, a gift likely to appeal to the demon lady who oversees the Conrupti. Since the participants actually number fourteen, Rive takes up position to patrol the outside of the circle to protect the casters. However, they suddenly only number thirteen -- Rachel gets a pale look and tells her friends that she doesn't want anything to "happen" that might mess up the spell. She is visibly distressed and quickly leaves the circle, with Rive taking her place. Rive hits up Brandon, who is also there.

* * *

Once she is out of view of the ritual, Rachel collapses. Shaking and hugging her knees, Rachel looks up black-eyed at the stars above her. She cries out, "Home!" and shoots up into the night sky ...

* * *

The casters begin the ritual, and once the protective circles are up, a beam of light forms in the innermost salt circle. A static-like image of a creature fades in and out in the glow, gradually growing stronger, until a tall, imposing demoness stands in the middle. "Who has called me?" Deaver gets down on his knees in front of her and offers her the ruby, passing it across the plate that spans the edge of the salt circle. He starts talking.

The casters concentrate on holding the protective circle, but the scoobies are quickly distracted when Lilith, Rasmus, Zachary and their crew arrive, demanding their plate back. Gabe can feel Rasmus magically trying to break through the protective circle. Gabe holds the circle for a while, but he is eventually overpowered. With the circle broken, Gabe runs to protect Deaver while Stefan faces off against Zachary and Lilith. The mojo-fied Rive takes on Rasmus, and is bitten severely in the process. Zach narrowly misses Stefan with his axe, but the same can't be said for Stefan; he spins and cleanly takes of Zach's head with one swipe, showering a stunned and furious Lilith with his ashes.

At the center of the ritual, Deaver is seemingly unaware of anything happening around him. He is still deep in discussion with the demon, begging her to send them one of the Conrupti. She takes the ruby and starts to say something, when the single vampire who managed to break through the outer circle "breaks" the inner circle by scattering the salt edge. The demon notices the breach, and moves quickly towards the breech -- and freedom. Rowan and Darla dismiss the spell before she can get out. As the demon starts to fade, she turns to Deaver, clasps the ruby to her chest, and fades away.

With the spell released and Zachary dusted, there's a brief lull in the action. Lilith once again demands their plate back. Chase, the only one who is (reasonably) certain Lilith won't attack her hands the plate over. The vampires leave, swearing vengeance on Stefan for the death of Zachary Whitfield.

* * *

At Shannon's later that night, there's a dinner party going on. Chase is Owen's "date", and they're at the table with Simone and Geoff. Richard still hasn't arrived -- he's running late, as usual. Shannon has finally given up and served the first course. She needs a hand in the kitchen, and rather than face sitting at the table, Chase goes to assist her. In the relative privacy she tells Shannon what happened at the jewelry store, and they share a look of concern (although Chase's is a little more frenzied). Shannon offers to sleuth for her and talk to him about it, but Chase says no, that it is time that she finally said something about it herself ...

* * *

Gabe walks aimlessly through the dark campus, staring into space. He stops for a moment in front of the old campus chapel. Peering up at the steeple for a moment, he quietly opens the door and steps inside.

* * *

Stefan arrives at Rachel and Chase's apartment looking for Rachel. He finds her wrapped tightly in a blanket, and she looks terrible. He tries to comfort her as best he can, even though she unconvincingly insists that she's feeling much better. Stefan fills her in on the ritual, and also jokingly mentions his sudden fame within the alumni for killing Zachary. The flip attitude doesn't fool Rachel, who can tell he's now worried for both their safety.

* * *

Deaver and Bethany are back at the manor house, sharing a drink in front of a low fire. She is concerned about him, and offers her empathy for the failed ritual. Deaver just isn't sure what happened. The spell told him specifically that he would receive instructions on contacting the Conrupti if the demon agreed to the bargain. But she was banished before she agreed or disagreed, and without a word of advice on how to proceed. Bethany gently offers to make them coffee, as Taylor as a babysitter all night. Deaver agrees, and they walk out of the room with his arm around her.

Behind them, a plume of smoke drifts out of the embers of the fire and into the room. It coalesces into the hazy form of a slight, dark-haired woman ...