Previously in Darkness Falls...
Vampires Phillipe D'Arcy and Justine seduce Alex. The transformation into immortality is begun and Alex selects Nick as her first victim. She attempts to kill him and is drinking blood from his neck when Derek and Phillipe interrupt her. Justine tries to intercede for Alex but is killed by Phillipe who then convinces Alex to come with him. Rachel assesses Nick, determines he's not breathing, and begins CPR. She worriedly tells Derek that she doesn't know what she can do without a transfusion. Derek tells her that "whatever you do, don't let him die. If he dies, Alex will be transformed. And we'll lose them both." Then Derek rushes out to follow Alex and tries to convince her to stay with him by telling her Phillipe is dangerous. She ignores him and lets Phillipe lead her into the night, her blue nightgown and velvet robe swirling around her in the moonlight and mist.
Legacy House - Night
Derek returns to Alex's bedroom where Rachel continues CPR on Nick. In between breaths she begs Nick to come back. Derek, looking very frantic and distressed, tells her he's called for help and a helicopter is on the way. He climbs on the bed to assist with chest compressions. He explains to Rachel that Alex is gone. She asks, between breaths, if that means Alex is a vampire. Derek, busy doing chest compressions, tells her that won't happen unless Nick dies. Rachel continues CPR, pleading, "You hear that? Come on Nick, don't die." Nick finally gasps, opens his eyes for a second and begins to breathe although he doesn't regain consciousness. Derek tells Rachel to stay there and he leaves to meet the helicopter.
Underground caves – Nearly Dawn
Phillipe leads Alex inside an underground network of caves that are awash in candlelight. He quietly coaxes her along, telling her she needs to rest in a safe place. She tells him she feels "the hunger" and wants Nick. Phillipe promises "He will be yours." Alex then worries that Nick might die before she awakens to which Phillipe responds that she must wait and have faith. He then holds out his arm and lets her bite it to drink some of the blood. In another part of the same cave, Marcus, another vampire, pours blue liquid from a bottle and drinks it. After Alex has drunk some of the blood, Phillipe tells her that she's the most radiant woman he's ever known and leads her to an area in the cave where coffins lean upright against the wall. She's afraid to go into the coffin but he convinces her to trust him. Speaking alluringly he says, "Rest now. Sleep" and helps her into one of the coffins and closes the door. In the distance, the sounds of woman's screams fill the air.
Oblivious to the screams, Marcus comes up to Phillipe; "Alex hasn't transformed yet has she?" Phillipe fills him in on the fact that she didn't finish the one she chose and explains it was an awkward situation. Justine is dead and it's especially important to him that he doesn't lose Alex too. Marcus promises that he'll see to it that Alex has another opportunity to finish the one she chose. He hands Phillipe a glass of the blue liquid. While sipping it, Phillipe shares his doubt of the liquid's effectiveness saying, "I feel the sun penetrating again. It's like boiling water just underneath my skin." He worries that Alex has friends that know what they are now. "Whatever happens we must not lose Alex." Marcus promises he'll see to it and opens the coffin next to Alex's for Phillipe and watches as he gets into it. Then he closes the lid and turns to leave the cave.
Hospital - morning
Nick, wearing light blue pajamas, wakes up and takes out his IV. The tubing is connected to an IV pump that reads 626. There are two bags of fluids and two separate IV pumps connected to Nick. A large pressure dressing covers the right side of his neck where Alex bit him. He's angry at being in the hospital and resists the attempts of Stephanie, the nurse, to calm him. Just then, Derek and a distinguished looking white haired doctor come in. The doctor tells Stephanie that he'll watch over Nick for a few minutes and she leaves. Nick asks, "What happened?" Derek replies simply and with a shrug, "Alex tried to kill you." Shaking his head in disbelief, Nick says, "I can't believe I let my guard down." Derek gently replies, "She took it down; she's already acquired some the powers of a vampire." He then explains that Alex left the Legacy house with Phillipe. Nick, even more upset at hearing this, notes, "He's a vampire. Perfect." Derek nods and introduces him to Dr. Jason Goddard, Precept Emeritus. Smiling kindly, Dr. Goddard tells Nick he met him before but he probably doesn't remember. He adds that he was a friend of his father. He explains that he wants Nick to lie back and "let me replace your IV. Or I could put you up with a more potent sedative if you prefer." Nick decides to lie back and the doctor replaces the IV and resets the pump. Then he leaves the room.
Nick worriedly asks about Rachel and Derek assures him she's fine, telling him he had sent her home to get some sleep. Then watching Nick carefully, he asks, "How do you feel?" Nick struggles to sit up in the bed and moves to get out of the bed, saying, "Dumb, as you can imagine." He almost loses his balance but Derek grabs his waist and arm and steadies him. Grabbing the IV pole, Nick heads to the sink to wash his face. Derek assists him across the room and waits because Nick is so unsteady on his feet. As Nick splashes water on his face, he remembers that Phillipe walked in the sunshine and they could see his reflection in the mirror. "This guy kind of really did it to us; it's time for us to go back to vampire 101." Derek musing, replies, "Maybe, maybe not. They possess uncanny powers of suggestion. They're masters of illusion. There must be clues to his behavior that we didn't notice." Derek suddenly remembers Phillipe standing near the mirror, "Damn him, he made us think he had a reflection and we bought into his illusion." Nick asks how they'll fight this and Derek tells him they have to focus more keenly than the vampires do and they must never surrender. Worried about Alex, Nick asks about how they'll get her out. Derek smiles gently as he reminds him that she chose him and that's a very significant choice among vampires. Nick sarcastically replies, "I'm so flattered." He tries to move back to bed but is weak and nearly loses his balance. Derek helps him into bed despite Nick's protest of, "I gotta get out of here." Derek reassures him that "Alex can't complete her transformation until you die." Nick lying in bed asks, "Great. How we gonna find her?" Derek assures Nick that Alex needs him and so she'll find them. "We'll find her, after nightfall probably." Then, looking at Nick, who seems exhausted, firmly says, "You need to rest. Nothing will happen till nightfall. I'm still convinced vampires are creatures of darkness. But we'll be ready for them whenever they come." Nick falls asleep and Derek remains in the room.
Cave – near daybreak
Alex awakens and leaves the coffin. Finding herself alone, she walks through the candlelit caves. Vampires hanging upside down awaken and snarl. They don't try to harm her and she keeps going.
Hospital – later that morning
Marcus, wearing blue scrubs, pushes a stretcher into Nick's room. Nick, with an overnight growth of beard, is sleeping. Only when Marcus reaches his bedside does he awaken and ask sleepily, "Is it time for another shot?" Marcus puts his hand on Nick's face and commands firmly "Sleep." Nick promptly goes back to sleep. Swiftly, Derek comes up behind Marcus and grabs him by the hair and pulls him away, saying; "I don't think so. Where is Alex?" Marcus grins and pushes Derek off then replies; "I'll show you. Hey Derek, Follow me." He jumps out of the open window and crashes onto the pavement below. Derek runs to the window and sees him lying dead.
Morgue
Derek stands next to Dr. Francis Carlin, the coroner. Marcus's body is lying on the slab covered with a sheet. Francis comments that, "it looks like he could use a refresher course on the laws of gravity." Derek responds, "Maybe he really believed he could fly." Frances smugly says, "Rest in peace, Peter Pan" and then explains they didn't find any ID on the body but did find a small glass bottle filled with blue liquid. She notes every bone in his body is broken and she can't understand how the bottle didn't break. She plans to send the bottle to the lab. Derek asks her to let him take it to his lab to analyze it. She says she'd like to keep her job and the law requires her to send it to the lab for analysis. He explains gently that he's only asking that the lab she sends it to is theirs. She asks, "How do I know your lab can do a complete analysis?" Derek replies seriously, "Because I need answers as badly as you." Francis looks at Derek before replying, "I hope I don't regret this." Solemnly, Derek promises, "You won't. You have my word."
Meanwhile - in the caves
Alex still wanders in the caves until she comes to a shaft of light that leads upwards. The sun is shining down the shaft as she walks under it. The sun burns her and she instinctively backs away. Then, amazed at this, she carefully reaches one finger into the light. She's fascinated that her fingers start to smoke as if beginning to burn up. Phillipe comes up behind her, pulls her hand away from the sun and tells her she woke too soon and embraces her and kisses her. She asks, "I've changed, haven't I?" He tells her the process has begun and they're finishing what Justine started. At the mention of her name Alex reflects, "You killed her." Phillipe justifies, "Justine stole you from me. I want this to be your choice." Holding Alex close, he kisses her while revealing seductively, "I'm talking about eternal life Alex. No aging. No sickness. No death. Immortality. Don't you want to live forever Alex?" She nods and replies, "Yes, But I'm scared." Phillipe reassures her, " I know, it's the last vestige of what you were calling you back." He tells her to be with him. They embrace and kiss.
Legacy House Control Room
Rachel, wearing latex gloves, analyzes the bottle by scanning it into the computer. The program reveals a list of what it can identify. Lanthanum 12.01%; Unknown A 35.89%; Promethium 2.07%; Unknown B 14.62%; Mercury 8.12%. It also reports no radioactive hazard or biohazard. She reads the screen then opens the bottle by popping the cork. Holding it to her nose she sniffs it before pouring a small amount out on a pan. She carefully replaces the cork then watches in astonishment as it turns solid to a mirrored surface in the pan.
Hospital
Nick, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, sits on the bed and ties the laces on his boots. A hospital ID bracelet is on his left wrist along with his watch. As he ties his boots, Derek enters and greets him. Nick looks up, commenting, "I understand I missed a hell of a party." Derek smiles, explaining, "Well, More of a party crasher. He wanted to take you somewhere." Curious, Nick asks, "Where is he?" Derek explains that the body is in the morgue, "He was in a hurry, unfortunately he mistook the window for an elevator." Nick asks "And where was I through this?" Derek clarifies for him that he was hypnotized and that Phillipe had sent him so Alex could finish what she started." Nodding, Nick comments, "Well, it's nice to be needed." Derek then asks Nick how he's feeling, to which Nick smiles, holds two thumbs up, and replies, "Never better. Want me to drive?" Derek aghast, responds, "Not a chance."
Morgue
Francis shows them the body. She explains that it was obvious he was autopsied before because there was a Y incision scar on his chest from a previous autopsy. She notes the tissue is in an extreme state of degeneration but defines the cause of death as massive trauma.
Legacy House - Control Room
Rachel calls Derek on his cell phone to explain what she found with the blue liquid. Derek answers from a viewing room overlooking the morgue itself. She's puzzled over the strange chemistry and doesn't believe such a thing can exist. Derek clarifies, "Alchemy, Not chemistry." Medieval alchemists believed they could turn lead into gold and vampires carried those same secrets through time. Rachel worriedly asks how old he thinks these creatures are. Derek tells her that they have some kind of supernatural strength that increases with age and adds forebodingly "They say a Master vampire can never be killed." While he speaks, he looks into the morgue through the venetian blinds covering the glass of the viewing room. Nick is in the room with Marcus's body. Rachel, still looking for scientific explanations, wants to know how the strange blue liquid could solidify into a mirrored surface. Derek hypothesises that it works internally and makes a mirror beneath the skin that let's them move about in the daylight. Rachel aghast, "Are you suggesting they drink this? It's got to be incredibly toxic." Derek simply replies, "Not for them, they're already dead." Then he adds, "Like the gentleman we're going to follow tonight." Rachel wants to come with them because she's a doctor and believes she can help by convincing Alex to come back. Derek reminds her she has a daughter that needs her and there is a chance they may not survive. She acquiesces and asks that they "Bring Alex home OK?" Derek promises, "We will."
Morgue
Nick returns to the viewing room from the morgue with a distasteful look on his face. He strips gloves from his hands as he says he "planted a transponder on our friend." When Derek asks "where?" Nick replies, "You don't want to know." Derek shrugs and says, "as long as he takes us to her." They plan to follow Marcus when he awakens. They wait and watch through blinds from the viewing area.
Later
As the sun sets, they still wait. Nick swallows some white pills resembling aspirin right from the bottle and whispers, "So what happens if we're wrong? The sun's been down for hours. Maybe we should consider another approach." He asks how Derek knows she's even in the city. Derek, still watching Marcus closely, assures Nick in a whisper that she's close because he can feel it. Marcus is their best chance to find her quickly enough to save her. They continue to wait for him to awaken. At one point Nick asks Derek why they're whispering, "Everyone else in here is dead except us." Just then, Marcus opens his eyes and Derek points out, "Look again."
Marcus sits up on the slab and straightens broken bones in his neck before standing up. He walks to a locker in the room, takes clothes out and gets dressed. Nick and Derek watch from the viewing room. "I don't believe it," Nick comments softly. After getting dressed, Marcus walks to a refrigerator, opens it and finds a bag of blood. Taking it carefully in his hands, he bites into it and drinks the blood. When he hears a noise outside the room, he drops the blood bag and leaves quickly. Nick and Derek follow.
Cave
Phillipe, handing Alex a glass of blood, seductively tells her there are things Justine may not have told her that she needs to know and understand. She must learn to be discreet and to protect her identity at all costs. She should try not to form meaningful relationships with mortals because she'll outlive them and eventually have to move on. Alex dreamily says, "Move on?" Phillipe instructs her to use them for her purposes but then she should discard them. Thinking about Nick, she asks if he will help her when the time comes to kill him. Phillipe assures her he'll help her get the opportunity but she has to do it herself. She needs to feel his death and experience what it feels like to have his life ebb into her being the instant his life ends. Then she'll become one with him. Smiling, she asks, "Then I live forever?" Phillipe explains patiently "Not just yet. Then the most exquisite and beautiful part of the transformation occurs." He explains that she will die and his blood will resurrects her into immortality.
Outside the cave opening – later that night
Marcus runs through the mist to the cave opening and enters the cave. Following, Derek and Nick drive up in a Sport Utility Vehicle. Nick wears a Navy SEAL jacket and Derek wears a brown leather jacket. Watching the transponder signal, they realize that Marcus is descending into the depths of the caves. The lights of the car remain on as they get equipment, which includes wooden stakes and incendiary C4 out of the trunk. Nick is happy to see the C4 and Derek asks if he still knows how to rig it. Nick replies he can rig it with his eyes closed. Derek replies, "Good, because where we're going is bound to be very dark." Derek reminds Nick that if he's cornered and particularly if he's cornered by Alex, he must focus his will against whoever even attempts to corner him. Nick nods his head in agreement and asks, "Dont come back without her, right? " Derek assures Nick they plan to bring Alex out alive no matter what shape she's in.
The opening of the cave is a shaft with a ladder going down. Nick jumps down to the floor and Derek then climbs down behind him. They head inside the caves following the locator beacon on the transponder. Derek has a sword and knife, as well as wooden stakes. Nick is armed with a gun that fires wooden stakes and carries a supply of stakes in a bag on his back. As they search inside, Nick comments, "It stinks in here." Derek quietly replies that, "It must be the way they like it." They bury the transponder and check their scanner and realize that Marcus is descending down into the bowels of the caves. They also decide to bury the C4. Derek comments, "If anything happens we wouldn't want our vampire friends to get hold of it." They agree to meet back there in 10 minutes. Derek reminds Nick once again to keep his focus. Nick nods and replies softly, "Let's rock 'n roll." They split up then to continue searching.
As they move through the caves, following the scanner beeps via flashlight, the vampires wake up. Dozens of bats fly at Nick who ducks to the side. Suddenly a vampire attacks him. He immediately fires a wooden stake from the gun and kills one, but the others swarm Nick. He tries to fight them off but there are too many and they overtake and capture him. Marcus comes up then and soothingly says to the vampires that Nick has to be saved because "This one belongs to Alex." He picks up Nick's gun from the cave floor. Looking at Nick, he says, "Welcome. Thanks so much for coming." Then he clubs Nick in the head with the butt of the gun.
Meanwhile, while searching, Derek hears a moan. He pulls his sword out and follows the noise. Finding a woman slumped against the wall, he exclaims, "Oh my God," as he crouches down to her. Seeing a large bite wound on her neck, he lifts her lip and checks her gums. He sees they're very pale and promises he'll get her out of there. She struggles to tell him she was kidnapped and brought there. There were others as well but now she's the only one left. Derek keeps repeating soothingly, "It's OK." She looks at Derek and whispers, "They're monsters" and then she dies. Derek is suddenly approached by a snarling vampire. He stands and immediately swings his sword and cuts his head off.
In another part of the caves
Nick awakens standing upright with his hands tied above his head suspending him off the ground. Candles are burning all over the cave, giving it an eerie glow. Alex, still wearing her long velvet blue robe over her blue long nightgown walks into the cave. She seductively says, "Hello Nick." Looking worried, Nick asks, "What the hell have they done to you?" Slowly circling Nick and rubbing her hands slowly over his chest and back, she replies, "Nothing I didn't want them too." Nick watches her as she circles him and asks, "What? They've got you convinced you're a volunteer now?" Smiling, she replies that "I'm going to live forever." Astonished at her comment, Nick replies, "Um, right." He looks around the cave, saying, "This is great. What is this, is this the family room? It's sweet." She strokes his chest up higher and relates seductively how close they got and remembers them together. She reaches up to the zipper on his jacket and begins to open it. Nick softly says, "Don't do this. You don't want this." Smiling, she pulls the zipper down and caresses his chest with her face and head saying, "I'm sorry. But I do appreciate the sacrifice you're doing for me. Dying so I can become immortal. I'll always remember that." Looking down at her, Nick says gently, "Alex. When we get out of here, you're gonna owe me a really nice present." Smiling, she strokes his chest, and recalls again, "I'll always remember that. Now I must get ready." She smiles sweetly and leaves.
Watching all this from the side of the cave, Phillipe asks Marcus if Nick was alone. Marcus tells him that another came with him. Phillipe knows it was Derek and is upset. Marcus reassures him he'll take care of Derek. Smiling, they plan that after this is over, they'll give Derek to the other vampires as a "gift for their overwhelming hospitality."
Derek has seen all this from a hiding place in the upper part of the cave. Realizing that vampires are looking all over for him he goes back to buried C4 and digs it up. The block, the size of a brick, says, 'C-4 block demolition Plastic M51a US LO.' He rigs it, sets the timer on the explosive for 8 minutes and moves away.
Meanwhile
Smiling, Phillipe walks up to Nick saying he's sorry he never had a chance to get to know him. He has learned that Nick was a soldier, a hunter. He believes that they might have hit it off since they have traits in common. Nick still bound with his arms above his head, replies disdainfully, "Bite me." Phillipe smiles, saying he knows he didn't mean that and continues saying that they're both really a lot alike since they're both accomplished soldiers. Nick baits him by taunting, "Cut me loose and I'll find out how accomplished you are." Phillipe shakes his head; "I'd really like nothing better. You'd be great sport. But you belong to Alex tonight. Nick quietly tells him that there is a difference between the two of them. "We both fight, we both kill, we both do what we must but I take no pleasure in it." Phillipe regretfully says that really is his loss and turns to leave instructing the other vampires to "Prepare him." The vampires, hissing and snarling, approach Nick.
Derek sets more charges as he walks in the cave. Marcus calls to him and calmly tells Derek that they've been expecting him and that Mr. D'Arcy would like the pleasure of his company. Derek stalls and tells him he's at a disadvantage because he doesn't know his name. Marcus tells him and Derek quickly pulls a sword and tells him that it's not been a pleasure to know you. He swings the sword. Marcus disappears and reappears directly behind him, takes the sword and hypnotizes him into immobility, saying, "I was really hoping we could be gentlemen about this." Derek replies, "Speak for yourself," and quickly pulls up the flashlight and shines it directly into Marcus's face. With the other hand he jabs a knife into his chest. Marcus falls backwards and smoke comes from his body. Phillipe suddenly appears and greets him, "Good evening Derek, I really wish you hadn't done that." Other vampires surround Derek and take him to the cave where Nick is and force him to his knees. As he kneels, Derek makes eye contact with Nick and opens his hand wide spreading his fingers. Nick nods, understanding that means the bomb will go off in 5 minutes.
Candles burn all over the cave. Nick now stands with his hands bound behind his back, by a rope strung from the roof of the cave. His neck is exposed. Phillipe menacingly tells Derek, "I think you're going to really enjoy this. Then we're all really going to enjoy you." Alex slowly advances from the back of the cave, followed by two female vampires. Going to Nick's side she quietly and soothingly assures him, "I won't hurt you." Nick looks directly at her saying, "It's OK Alex. I forgive you. I love you." Still kneeling, Derek quickly chimes in; "We all love you." Phillipe angrily responds, "Silence!" Alex looks dreamily at Nick and responds that she loves him too which is why she chose him. She promises him he won't suffer; "It's just like going to sleep. Good bye Nick." Putting her hands on his shoulders, she opens her mouth wide, exposing large canine vampire teeth. Nick looks stunned. Just as she's about to bite Nick, Derek shouts, "Alex, Wait! Think of what you're doing!"
She stops and looks at him, confused. Frantically struggles to get Alex to focus, Derek persists in talking. He tells her she's not a murderer, she's a human being. He continues, "You're still alive. You're not one of these monsters. You don't belong to them." Alex watches Derek as he speaks. Phillipe, seeing her hesitate, tries to lure her attention back to him and asks seductively, "Is that right, Alex?" Alex turns her head to look at Phillipe. He glares at Derek saying, "See, you've lost her. She's mine now. Aren't you, Alex?" She dreamily replies, "Yes." Phillipe directs her to come to him and holding out Derek's sword tells her, "Show him that you have the will." The other vampires whisper, "Kill him."
She leaves Nick, goes to Phillipe and takes the sword. Phillipe continues in a very seductive voice, telling Alex to kill him and show them that she can do it. Nick begs softly and pleadingly, "Don't do it. Alex, don't do this." She walks up to where Derek kneels and begins to raise the sword above her head. Derek continues trying to reach her and pleads, "This isn't you. They have control of your will. I don't blame you for the things you've done. I know you're in there. I know you can hear me." Alex hesitates and Derek continues, "Alex Moreau is not and could never be a murderer." His voice rising, he stresses that she cannot be a murderer. If she had control of her own free will she wouldn't be doing this. Alex angrily tells him to "shut up."
Meanwhile, Phillipe persists in encouraging her to kill him. Derek speaks again telling her that her soul is on the line. Her immortal soul. He pleads with her telling her that she can be saved if she rejects him. He begs her not to surrender her soul. "Remember who you are, Alex and what you stand for. Don't surrender your soul. Don't listen to him." Phillipe standing next to Alex and while Derek speaks, tells Alex, "Don't listen. Kill him."
The timer on the C4 is now at 59 seconds.
Alex raises the sword high above her head, Phillipe from behind her entreats her to "Do it." Holding the sword high above her head, she quickly turns and slices off Phillipe's neck. His body falls to the ground and smoke rises from it. She then stands motionless as if in shock. Derek stands quickly and grabs the sword from her. He runs over to Nick and begins to swing the sword at Nick who ducks as the sword slices through the rope. Derek pleads, "Run, Alex, Run!" He waits for Nick and Alex to get ahead of him and then follows. The three of them race through the caves with the snarling vampires chasing behind them.
The timer is at 40 seconds and counting down.
They run towards the caves' exit. They get to the ladder to the surface entrance and the vampires are almost on them. Nick climbs the ladder with Alex behind him. Derek holds the vampires off by swinging the sword to give Alex and Nick a chance to escape. Then, he turns to follow them up the ladder.
The timer reads 16 seconds.
The vampires hurry to the ladder just as dawn comes and sunlight streams in the cave opening. The vampires scream and pull back as the sun touches them. Derek escapes up the ladder into the daylight. The C4 goes off just as they all get outside the cave, the force of the explosion throwing them to the ground. Derek looks around to be sure everyone is all right and then says, "Let's go home." They help Alex up and with the men on either side of her, assist her up the hill to the car.
Legacy House Garden
Alex, wearing a long skirt and a sweater, walks alone in the garden on a foggy day.
Voice-over:
"It's so strange, how easily you can lose sight of who you are and abandon all you've ever believed in. Yet the real test is for those who love you. For in the end, only their love can bring you back and make you well again."
She sees a pink rose and goes over to it. She picks it and a thorn pricks her finger causing it to bleed slightly. She puts her finger in her mouth. Behind her in the distance stands a shadowy figure. It watches this then walks away into the mist. She senses it and turns but it's gone.