"That's my mom," Kate repeats, staring at the picture of a teenage Jennifer Fuller. Her mama's smile is warm and wonderful, her dark, beautiful hair beaming in the sunlight. More than anything though it's Jennifer's clear, blue gaze that captures Kate's attention. For as long as she could remember her mama was sick, sick with a mysterious affliction that no doctors or any amount of prayer could take away. There were days that Jennifer was moody and unpleasant, shutting herself in her room and away from her family, and then the dark cloud would pass and her mama would be her happy and cheerful self again. But even then, during the good days, there would be despair in her mama's eyes, a violent storm ready to erupt.

"Kate, snap out of it!" Richie insists, gripping her elbow.

She turns to look at him, her mind still addled with confusion. "Why is mama's picture here? And why do I feel like I've been here before?"

"Are you sure that's her?" Seth asks, peering at the picture. "Maybe this chick just looks like her."

"It's my mom! I recognize her, Seth!" she snaps.

Seth casts a regretful glance back at her. "What do you mean you've been here before?"

"I don't know..." Suddenly the room is spinning, and her knees buckle.

"Whoa," Richie whispers, grabbing her from behind. He holds her in his arms, his face covered with concern.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she says.

"You're not fucking okay," Seth says, hovering around her. "We gotta get out of here now."

"We can't do that. Let's get the ring and figure this out later," she insists, standing up straight again.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Kate?" Seth asks, angry. "You almost fainted right now."

"Yeah, but now I'm fine!" she snaps.

"Richie, tell her she's fucking nuts," Seth growls, looking at his brother.

Kate turns to look at Richie who's staring at her with a blank expression on his face. "Richie, I'm fine. You know we have no choice here. If we're going to get this ring, we need to do it now."

"No, we should get the hell out of here and come back when you're not ready to pass out!" Seth argues.

"Richie, you decide," Kate says, throwing her hands in the air.

"Are you sure you're okay to keep going?" Richie asks, cradling her face with one hand.

She nods her head. "I'm fine."

He drops a kiss on her temple. "Then we stick to the plan." He turns back around and starts walking down the hallway again.

"Both of you have lost your goddamn minds," Seth mutters under his breath.

He follows close behind, to the point where she can't move without bumping into him, and she has to remind herself not to snap at him. Seth is a worrywart and he needs to be in control, and the idea of her or Richie not being okay is probably driving him nuts.

Soon they're in the private den, and Richie's cracking the safe open while Seth and Kate keep guard.

"You okay?"

She takes a deep breath. "I'm fine, Seth. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"No need to bite my head off, princess. You did just see your mom's picture hanging in some creepy mansion. I'd be freaking out right now if that were me."

He's right, and yeah, she is freaking out, but she's determined to push that aside for now and focus on the task at hand. After all these years she's learned to prioritize and compartmentalise and that's exactly what she intends to do right now. "We can figure that stuff out later. Right now, I just want to grab that ring and get out of here."

"Richie, how much longer?" Seth demands.

"This is a Barska 4500 T-X, not some run of the mill safe. A cherry like this takes time to pop."

"Well, can you hurry it along? Kate looks like she's ready to drop dead any second now."

"I do not," she huffs, shooting Seth an irritated look.

Despite her best efforts, her thoughts return to the picture of her mama in the hallway. Why? How?

"We'll figure it out," Seth says, as if reading her mind.

"You swear?"

He holds out his pinky finger and wiggles it.

She gives him a small smile, feeling a bit more secure. No matter what's going on, at least she has Seth and Richie by her side. Her eyes scan the room, taking in their surroundings. "I've been here before. I know it."

"Maybe your old lady knew the Fords."

"How?"

Seth shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe her family's friends with them or something."

"My mom was an orphan, she didn't have any family."

The safe opens, and Richie grunts out a satisfied sound. "This bitch may have put up a good fight, but even she couldn't resist my charms in the end."

"Can you stop referring to it as a woman?" Kate asks dryly. "It's creepy."

Richie looks over his shoulder to smirk at her, his playful smile making her heart skip a beat. "Jealous?"

She rolls her eyes. "I just want to get out of here."

He stands up, turns around, holding something in his hand. The second her eyes settle on the ring, a strong rush of electricity surges through her. She feels connected to it instinctively, like it's a part of her past. Present. Future. The blue stone glows under Richie's touch, growing brighter by the minute. "Holy shit."

"What?" Richie and Seth ask simultaneously.

"You guys don't see it? Don't feel it?"

"Feel what?" Richie inquires.

"Its energy." She draws closer, almost as if she's being compelled to. "I feel like it's calling out to me."

"Don't touch it, Kate!" Seth warns, blocking her path. "The last thing we need is for you to get all Gollum over this shit." Gripping her tightly so she can't reach, he inspects the piece of jewellery suspiciously. "That's one ugly fucking ring."

"Of course the Gecko brothers are not able to appreciate real beauty," a voice drawls from the door.

They turn to find Carlos standing there, looking his usual smug self. He steps out of the way and vampires swarm into the room.

Immediately they start fighting the culebras and between the three of them they take down a lot, but for each one they kill another couple rush in and eventually they're surrounded by a mob of vampires.

Exhausted and breathless, Kate glares at Carlos as the cocky asshole swaggers towards them.

"Kate, Kate, my sweet little Kate," Carlos murmurs, circling around her.

The way he says her name makes her skin crawl, fills her with fear and disgust. He reaches out to run his fingers through her hair but she shoves him away.

"Don't you dare touch her," Seth growls.

Carlos smiles at the Gecko brothers.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you took us to the ring, and I was right." He stands in front of Richie, who glowers at the shorter culebra with contempt. "Give it to me."

"Fuck you," Richie states, his voice emotionless.

Kate knows that tone, and realises how close Richie is to fucking shit up.

"Give it to me, Richie, or your sweet little Kate won't like the consequences."

On cue one of his minions drag someone in by a leash and her stomach drops when she recognises the truth behind Carlos' threat.. "Scott!" she cries, running towards him only to have Carlos interject her path Her brother is bloody and bruised, a silver collar around his neck. He looks like he's been tortured, and starved, and it makes her want to retch. "Scott, are you okay?"

"He won't be if your lover doesn't hand over that ring," Carlos repeats.

"Fuck you!" Kate screams, slamming her fist into Carlos.

She's not prepared when he returns the punch, knocking her to the ground.

"You fucking asshole!" Seth screams, trying unsuccessfully to shove off the other culebras.

"Just do what he says, please," Scott begs, simpering. "Just give him the ring."

"Richie, please. Just do it," she begs. Dread trickles down her spine when she locks eyes with Richie. He doesn't move or obey, he's in no rush to do as she pleads, and she starts to worry he simply doesn't care enough to hand over that ring. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. And then he reaches into his pocket and pulls it out and she breathes a momentary sigh of relief.

"Here. Take the fucking thing," Richie states, jaw clenched.

Carlos cradles it in his hands like it's a precious child, marvelling at it, except it's no longer glowing. When Richie held it, the ring's energy was throbbing. In Carlos', it's dead like any other piece of jewellery.

"With this, I will rule over the Lords," Carlos says in an exalted tone, as if he's speaking to himself. "And the world will be mine."

"Get over your fucking delusions, Carlito. You're a fucking bootlicker and the world isn't run by asswipes like you," Seth bites out.

Carlos smiles, casually walks over to where she's on the floor and bends down next to her. "You can't outrun destiny, sweet Kate. Your mama tried and she paid the ultimate price."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Her world goes black when he strikes her with the back of his gun.