"I know why you like the Internet now, Jeannette." Alvin said, slamming his book shut in frustration. "This is taking forever."
"I thought you wanted to be like on Buffy, Alvin." Brittany said.
"Now I know why Xander was always complaining about looking stuff up." Alvin's cap fell off as he banged his head against the table.
"Stop that, Alvin, please." Theodore implored.
He did, replacing his cap. "Sorry, Theodore. I'm just so frustrated. Nothing really matches up. How much of this stuff can we trust, and how much is just meaningless fiction?"
"That's why I'm cross-referencing everything with the most reliable books." Jeannette said, not looking up from where four large tomes lay spread out in front of her. "But it's taking some time without a little help."
"'Some time?' Its taking hours!" Brittany glanced over at Simon. The intelligent chipmunk had wanted to try and help them, but he had fallen asleep over a book almost at once. No one had wanted to try and wake him to get him to go to bed, so Theodore had simply spread a blanket over him and let him sleep. "At least Simon will be able to help us soon. Its almost dark."
Alvin hopped off his chair. "It is, isn't it?" He ran to the door. "You're right." He shivered. "Do you think Dracula will be here soon?"
"I don't think –"The phone rang, cutting Brittany off. All the conscious chipmunks jumped, startled at the sudden noise.
"Its just the phone, guys." Alvin laughed nervously, picking up the receiver.
"Alvin? I'm so sorry I'm not home yet. I've got to work late. Are you guys ok?"
"Fine, Dave." Alvin made a 'shh' noise towards the others. "What time do you think you'll be home?"
"I'm not sure. Can you guys make yourselves dinner and put yourselves to bed? I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
"Sure, Dave. No problem."
"Thanks, Alvin." Dave sounded relieved. "How's Simon doing?"
Alvin looked over at his comatose brother. "Sleeping."
"Good. I hope he'll feel better tomorrow."
"Me too, Dave."
"All right, I've got to go." Someone was shouting at Dave in the background. "I'll see you guys later."
"Bye, Dave."
Alvin relayed the message to everyone in the room.
"I'm going to go call Miss Miller and let her know we're having dinner over here, then." Eleanor said. "So she doesn't worry."
"Aren't you worried she got a call from the school about you skipping?" Simon said suddenly, and they all jumped again.
"Simon! You're awake." Alvin tittered. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Simon said. He did look fine – better than fine. In fact, Alvin couldn't remember ever seeing his brother look quite so fine as he did right now. A little pale, maybe, but it didn't detract from the sudden casual attractiveness. No bed head, no after-sleepy look, nothing. "Actually, I feel pretty good."
"Not hungry, I hope?" Brittany asked him with narrowed eyes.
"No, not hungry." Simon denied, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, again, Brittany."
"Don't worry about it." Alvin said, and Brittany glared at him. He pointed to Jeannette. "We've been trying to find out a way to help you, but we haven't made too much headway."
"Actually, I think I have something." Jeannette said, pushing her glasses up on her pert little nose.
"What?" Alvin rushed around to look over her shoulder. He could barely read Jeannette's scribbles. "What did you find?"
"Well...there's various spells and stuff, but I don't think anyone here could do them. But there is one thing that most of the volumes seem to agree on."
"And that is?" Simon asked. He looked a little distracted, glancing outside occasionally.
"If the vampire master dies, all his progeny return to normal. At least, all partial vampires. I haven't been able to confirm whether or not a fully turned vampire would be cured or not. There seems to be some dissension on the subject."
"So, if we kill Dracula before he bites Simon again, we can cure him!" Alvin said excitedly. Finally, some progress. "That's great!"
"Great?" Brittany asked. "How is that great? Were we listening to the same person? She just told us we had to kill Dracula! How are we, six grade school chipmunks, supposed to kill the most famous vampire that ever lived?"
"I don't know, Brittany, but we have to try." Alvin told her angrily. "I wish you would just –"
"Uh, Alvin?" Theodore tapped him on his arm. "That's five grade school chipmunks."
"What?" Alvin whirled around.
"Simon's gone."
OoooOoooO
Simon had slipped outside while the others were arguing. He knew Dracula would be coming for him soon, and he didn't want to lead him to his brothers or the Chippettes. He needed to protect them – and not just from Dracula.
He really didn't remember attacking Brittany. The only thing he remembered was fighting through a red haze and suddenly feeling her struggling beneath him. But he couldn't risk it again. What if he lost control? What if –
"Good, obedient child. I knew you would come."
The satisfaction in Dracula's voice didn't make Simon feel any better. "I don't want to die."
"And you shan't. You will live forever." Dracula picked up the blue clad chipmunk. "Have you done as I instructed? What of your brothers?"
"No!" Simon suddenly had a vision of his sweet, innocent little brother Theodore as he had been as a werewolf. He shuddered. "No, leave them alone. I don't want them hurt."
"Very well." Dracula raised his eyebrows. "For now, at least. Later, you may feel...differently."
"I won't." Simon said, but wondered. Three days ago, could he have imagined going to Dracula...willingly? He didn't think so. How much more would he be changed?
In the distance, he could hear Alvin calling his name and knew that they would come looking for him soon. He steeled himself. "So, can we get this over with?" He asked.
"Of course," Dracula smiled, fangs gleaming.
OoooOoooO
Alvin ran as fast as he could into the waiting night. Somehow he just knew that Simon's life depended on whether or not he reached him in time. In time for what, he wasn't sure, but some instinctual force was ticking the seconds away inside him. "Simon! Please, Simon, come back!"
He slowed, his breath panting in his throat. Looking around, he realized it was useless. There was no way he was going to be able to follow his vampirically enhanced brother. Until Simon wanted to come back, there was nothing he could do.
"It's too late, Alvin." He heard Simon say behind him. He whirled around, fearful that Dracula would be there as well. He wasn't. It was just Simon, standing there looking at him as if he were going to cry. "Its too late already."
"No, it isn't. Jeannette-"
"It doesn't matter what Jeannette found." Simon interrupted. His eyes glowed golden, and Alvin felt himself flinching. "I can't be helped anymore."
"What...what have you done?" Alvin asked, already knowing the answer but refusing to believe it.
"Tell Theodore I...I didn't really have a choice. Tell him that I...that I....lo-" Simon sobbed, and turned away.
"Simon?" Alvin stepped cautiously up to his older brother.
With a cry, the other chipmunk pulled away, leaping into the air. His body shimmered for a moment, and then where he had been a bat was winging into the night.
"Oh, no." Alvin whispered.
End of part 8
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