Sunday flew by; Alice went to the mall with her friends, to get her mind off everything that happened Saturday.

Monday came around; Alice was in the bathroom brushing her teeth with Chloe as they got ready for school. Chloe had gotten a haircut, and she was brushing her teeth extra hard. "Something bothering you, Clo?"

Chloe spat in the sink. "Vlad...how could he...just...uh!!" Alice looked at her. "We should stop going up to the castle all of us."

"But Vlad is our friend," Alice pointed out.

"Your and Robin's friend," Chloe corrected. "I am done after he left us as refreshments for Count Dracula's friends." Alice put her toothbrush back on the holder and grabbed a towel to wipe the counter. "You shouldn't go up to the castle, Alice...especially with how pushing the Count is toward you and that loser."

"You need to be open to it," Alice advised. "I made that marriage deal with Vlad, they could become your in-laws."

"Then work on finding someone normal to date, Alice!" Chloe ordered as she put her stuff away. "I do not want the undead to be in-laws to me." She stormed out of the bathroom.

Robin rounded the corner, rubbing his eyes; still in his pj's. "Move."

"Hurry up, loser," Alice grunted as left the room. 

****
Alice was now walking into school with Vlad and Robin.

"Relax," Robin ordered. "Mr.  Van Helsing won't slay you at school."

"Killing a student wouldn't look good," Alice added. 

"He'll wait for you at him, alone," Robin added.

Chloe pushed through them, then turned angrily. "Where were you when the vampires were trying to suck our blood?"

"I was tied up," Vlad answered. 

"Oh, I see!" Chloe growled. "You had something more important to do than saving my family!"

"No, he was literally tied by Mr. Van Helsing in the woodshop room," Alice explained. "Held hostage by him and Jonathan."

"I'd still be there if it wasn't for your big sister," Vlad added. "By the time I got to the castle you were safely home."

"Yeah," Chloe huffed, crossing her arms. "No, thanks to you."

"It won't happen again," Vlad assured. "Promise."

"Vlad," Chloe sighed. "That's a promise you can't keep. I'm sorry, but I'm never setting foot in that castle again, and neither should you Robin, and Alice."

"So we dump our friend just because his dad may drain us of blood?" Robin asked.

"Nobody is gonna be drained of blood," Vlad promised, Alice looked at him. "That's different." He looked at the other two. "I'm gonna find a way for vampires and breather--sorry, people, to get along. No more fighting." He and Robin high-fived.

Jonathan then walked up to the group. "Get ready to fight, weirdo."

"Well, you certainly got your work cut out," Robin commented.

"Shut up, weirdo number two!" Jonathan ordered.

"Don't talk to my brother like that," Alice ordered as she crossed her arms.

"How can you just side with them?" Jonathan demanded. "Open your eyes, Alice!"

"I won't fight you," Vlad said.

"Good," Jonathan huffed. "That makes it easy for me." He lunged at Vlad. The two fell and started to fight, mainly Jonathan, Vlad was blocking the punches. 

Students started to surround them. "Fight, fight fight, fight, fight!"

"Should we do something?" Alice asked as they looked down at the two.

Ingrid made her entrance, shoving people aside. "Leave them. Apparently, Vlad can fight his own battles." A sleeve ripped off Vlad's blazer. 

*****
Alice was about to leave for lunch, with the rest of her friends.

"Ms. Branagh," a voice said, she looked to see Mr. Van Helsing. "Come see me. Now."

Alice looked toward her friends. "I'll catch up with you." The girls left as Alice followed Mr. Van Helsing into the classroom. "Whatever you want to know, I won't spill."

"This is more about that stolen car," Mr. Van Helsing said. "I had it here for emergencies!"

"And it was used for an emergency," Alice defended herself; she then froze. "That was your car?"

Mr. Van Helsing sighed. "I can easily go to the headmistress; have you suspended again...or worse...expelled!"

"That would work horribly on my record," Alice commented.

Mr. Van Helsing held up a finger. "You can tell me everything you know about the Draculas and we can forget this whole thing."

"I know where my loyalties lie, Mr. Van Helsing," Alice said as she glanced out the window, she saw Ingrid standing in the distance; she looked back at Mr. Van Helsing. "I'd rather be bitten by a werewolf than sell out my friends."

"You have no idea what you are saying little girl," Mr. Van Helsing frowned. "Those people in that castle are killers! Evil!"

"They are my friends," Alice corrected. "So, I'm guessing today is my last day."

"No," Mr. Van Helsing denied. "This will backfire on me....for the next three weeks you will serve detention under me. Before, lunch, or after school; starting tomorrow, I will set the schedule." Alice opened her mouth. "Don't you want to study biology or history?" Alice shut her mouth. "I will see you tomorrow."

****

After school, Alice was helping with dinner as everyone else sat around the table listening to Dad's newest plumber story.

"The u-bend blockage led to a methane build-up in the toilet. They tried to get rid of the smell by lighting a scented candle. Kaboom!"Paul, Ian, and Chloe all laughed at his story as Mum and Alice made their way to the table. "Looked like someone had thrown in a poo grenade."

 "Graham," Mum said as she sat down. "How many times have I told you I won't have sewage at my dinner table." Robin sat at the table.

"Is Vlad okay?" Chloe asked. 

"What do you care?" Robin asked.

"I thought you weren't his friend anymore," Alice added. 

"Sensible move, Chloe," Dad complimented. "That family are a right bunch of oddballs." Paul and Ian wiped their noses at the same time as Alice filled the plates.

"You just don't like anyone who isn't wearing a boiler suit," Mum said as she put a plate down for Dad.

"Ingrid's alright," Paul said as he held up a plate. "She lets us keep our lunch money some days."

"Oh yes, she's all heart," Chloe snickered.

"I know she can be difficult, but I feel sorry for her and Vlad," Mum said as Alice filled Paul's plate. "It can't be easy, growing up without a mother."

"Well, I feel sorry for us having to be neighbors with them," Dad complained.

"Alice made a marriage pact with Vlad!" Chloe blurted out. "Youngest 18."

"Chloe!" Alice shouted as she kicked her sister under the table.

"OUCH!" Chloe shouted as she grabbed her leg. 

"Girls..." Mum warned; they both looked away from each other. "I think the marriage pact is cute."

"As Alice's father, I don't," Dad disagreed. "I don't want you going to the castle anymore, do you hear?"

"Sorry, Mum," Robin apologized as Mum set down his plate. "I'm not hungry, I'm going to see Vlad."

"I'm coming as well," Alice said as she and Chloe glared at each other. Robin and Alice both got up.

"Elizabeth, say something," Dad ordered. 

Mum looked at him, then at Alice and Robin. "Oh." She got up. "Give this cherry pie to Mr. Count. He was looking a bit peaky two nights ago." She handed a bowl to Alice.

"And be back by nine o'clock or else," Dad warned. "You're both grounded for a month." Robin and Alice both left the house. 

****
Robin tried to keep Vlad as he watched the sun go down, Alice sat on Vlad's bed sewing his blazer back together. 

"What's the big emergency?" Ingrid ordered as she barged into the room. " Apart from the fact that your room stinks."

"It'll be dark in a minute and Dad will fly off to kill Van Helsing," Vlad answered. 

"And?" Ingrid asked.

"She has a point," Alice said as she pulled on the string. 

"Oh, you're just irritated, 'cause he gave you detention," Robin groaned at her. 

"We have to stop him," Vlad urged, referring to his dad. 

"Have you got sunstroke?" Ingrid asked as Vlad tried to walk out of the room. "Fighting slayers is one of the perks of being a vampire. That and looking great in black."

"Killing a teacher might cause problems," Alice said as she looked over. "He should make his moves a bit carefully."

"It'll be fine," Ingrid assured. "The school will be better once Dad gets rid of Van Helsing."

"That's old-school thinking," Vlad said as he glanced at the two. 

Ingrid noticed the smoke coming from under the door. "So you think Dad should hang up his fangs for good?"

"He's stuck in the past," Vlad answered. "It's about time we made peace with the slayers."

The Count appeared behind Vlad. "There will be no more talk of peace between vampires and slayers." Vlad looked at Robin; he nodded. 

Vlad turned to his dad. "The war must end. 

"Slayers will always be our enemy!" The Count proclaimed as Ingrid turned to the window. "We shall bite them on the beaches!"

"Most people go to the beach when it's sunny," Alice pointed out as she continued on Vlad's blazer. 

The Count made a face at her before continuing. "We shall bite them in the fields and in the streets. We shall bite them in the hills." He circled around the boys. "We shall never surrender!" He showed his true face, turned into a bat, sailing out the window. Robin was in shock.

Ingrid looked back at Robin in disgust. "Shut your mouth, Branagh."

"That is cool!" Robin lit up.

"That is not cool!" Vlad corrected. "He's going to attack Van Helsing!"

"And then like that no more detention," Alice said.

"Alice!" Vlad yelled, looking at her. "You're not helping!" He went to the door, it wouldn't budge. "He's locked it." They got the rope from out of Vlad's bed, throwing it over the window.

Robin was getting ready to go down. "If I don't get back by nine, Alice and I will be grounded for a month. 

"Robin, my dad is gonna kill our woodwork teacher," Vlad pointed out. 

"Point taken," Robin agreed. "I'll see you at the bottom, hopefully in one piece." Vlad nodded; Robin started to go down. Vlad went to go make sure the rope stayed steady. Ingrid sat on the bed, she removed something from her pocket. 

"What's that?" Vlad asked.

"A skeleton key," Ingrid answered. 

"You know, you really are evil," Vlad smiled. He followed Ingrid out the door, then looked back at Alice. "You should get home."

"I will," Alice assured. "I'm almost done with your blazer."

"Don't be much longer," Vlad advised as he left the room. 

Alice left the room ten minutes later, nobody was downstairs; and Renfield was tied up, hanging upside down. 

"Vlad!" Robin shouted as he bust through the doors. 

Feet slammed on the ground, Count appeared with Jonathan.

"Ah, Robin...Alice," The Count greeted. "I believe you two know my next victim."

"Victim?" Robin repeated.

"Help me," Jonathan pleaded. 

"Oh, so now you want help from weirdo number two," Robin said. 

"You didn't another to mention that I was stealing your dad's car," Alice said as she walked over, arms crossed.

"Please," Jonathan whimpered. 

"You know, kidnapping is kind of illegal," Robin said to the Count. 

"Give Van Helsing a message," The Count ordered. "Tell him to give himself up if he ever wants to see his son again."

"Ok, but while I'm gone, no biting, Alice stay here and make sure nothing happens," Robin ordered. They then looked at Renfield.

"I thought I told you to take down all your stupid traps!" The Count scolded. "You're supposed to be babysitting, not hanging around like a fool." He snapped his fingers, and with the help of fire, Renfield fell from the ceiling. The Count walked over. "Now go and get Vlad and Ingrid." Alice noticed that Jonathan started to try to leave. "I want to show them my catch."

"Well, you see thing is sire, they've gone out," Renfield informed. "They said don't wait up because they might be late."

"Aw, young hell raisers," The Count smiled; he went to the door to stop Jonathan from leaving. "Going somewhere?" He then tied Jonathan to the chair and slammed books in front of Alice at the table.

"What did you give her?" Jonathan asked.

"Alice is destined to be Vlad's first bite," The Count answered. "She needs to do studying instead of walking blindly into being a vampire."

"Destined?" Jonathan asked as he looked at Alice.

"Because I said so," The Count said as he walked over to a chandelier. 

"No, Krone and Atilla did master," Renfield corrected.

"Renfield!" The Count shouted, then looked at Alice. "Get reading, they aren't going to read themselves." 

"Why didn't you mention that I was stealing your dad's car?" Alice asked Jonathan. "I now have three weeks' worth of detention."

"You should pick your friends better," Jonathan glared at her. "Normal, people. Ones that won't kill you. Just think about...walking down the street at night, and suddenly your good old friend Vladdy appears...but he's not there to catch up...it's to kill you." 

"Then be stuck the rest of her life being..his servant," The Count continued. "Having to do whatever he says."

"Eh," Alice sounded as she looked up from the book.

"What do you mean by eh?" The Count asked looking at her.

"He's easy to trip," Alice answered. "Can be a bit of a pushover at times."

"Just you wait till he gets his full powers!" The Count hissed at her. "You'll be eating your words!" Alice shook her head and went back to her book. 

About twenty minutes have passed. "You're fighting on the wrong side, Jonathan. 100 years from now I will be standing here and you will be the dust under my feet."

"100 years?" Jonathan repeated. "How will you cope with the boredom? You haven't even got broadband."

"Immortality is a gift and a curse," the Count admitted. "I am the flame that burns forever, never to go out. " The door opened revealing Van Helsing, the candles went out from the wind.

"Dad!" Jonathan shouted as Ingrid and Vlad walked in, with their wrists tied together. 

"Renfield!" Count shouted, startling Renfield awake. 

"Yes, my most wonderful lordship," Renfield answered, he got up immediately. 

"Tell Van Helsing I would like my offspring back," Count instructed. 

"But as I told you, my master, Vlad, and Ingrid are safe and well," Renfield said. "They just popped to the--" He looked back; Ingrid and Vlad slightly waved. 

The count walked up to Renfield, as Ingrid and Vlad walked forward. "I will deal with you later."

As soon as Robin walked in, Van Helsing walked in more. "It seems we've reached a stalemate." Jonathan suddenly over to his dad. "Or perhaps not."

"Oh, nice move," Robin complimented. They all looked at him. "What?"

The Count walked over. "Very well, let Vladimir go and I'll give myself up."

"Uh, what about me?" Ingrid demanded. 

"Oh, yes," Count huffed. "I suppose you'd better let her go too."

"Don't do it, Dad," Vlad warned. "He'll slay you."

"Except, he won't," Alice said as she got up.

"She's right, I'll interrogate him first, then I'll slay him," Van Helsing explained. 

"This the price of peace, Vlad," Count informed. 

"Mr. Van Helsing, you really shouldn't kill a student's parent," Alice advised. 

"With what proof?" Van Helsing asked.

"Your car is here," Alice pointed out.

"Which you drove here," Van Helsing said as he put The count in special handcuffs. 

"She had gloves, on," Jonathan informed.

"No, need to worry Alice," The Count assured. "I'll be just fine."

Van Helsing started to laugh. "If you try to escape, this vile will break, releasing the deadly garlic juice."

The count lifted his hands. "Hmm, ingenious." Everyone intensely watched as Van Helsing and Jonathan began to walk out with The Count. "Oh, and don't fix me any dinner. I'll be eating out." He walked out laughing. Renfield ran over to untie Ingrid and Alice. 

"Well, this is a total disaster," Vlad admitted once freed. 

"What are we going to do?" Robin asked. 

"I say we finish the slayers once and for all," Ingrid proposed. 

"How are we supposed to fight Mr. Van Hesling when he's so much bigger than us?" Robin asked.

"Alice gave me an idea when she mentioned the car earlier," Vlad admitted, they all looked at him; then at Renfield. He tried to disappear. "I've got a plan."

Renfield was now driving the hearse, Vlad sat next to him; Alice sat next to Vlad and the window. Robin and Ingrid were in the back. They hooked the caravan up to the hearse; Renfield then took off. 

"Sorry, Alice," Vlad apologized as they went around a corner. "But we needed a more skillful driver."

"It's fine," Alice said as she looked in the side mirror.

"Go left!" Ingrid shouted. 

"Go right!" Robin shouted.

Alice reached across Vlad, grabbing the wheel. "Go faster!" Renfield swerved making every shift, Alice heard Ingrid letting out a grossed-out scream. Vlad pulled Alice away from the wheel, Alice tried to get her hands around him, but Vlad kept blocking her. Vlad then bit her arm. "You're the lamest vampire, ever!"

"Alice!" Vlad exclaimed as he shoved her into the window. 

"I told you I should drive," Ingrid said.

"You don't know how to drive," Renfield pointed out as he glanced back.

"Well, that makes two of us then," Ingrid hissed.

"I know how," Alice spoke up. 

"No!" Vlad denied as he grabbed hold of her hands, pinning them to the window. Ingrid hit Renfield. Renfield slammed on the brakes as he let out a sneeze, Vlad grabbed onto Alice as everyone lurched forward, then slammed back. 

"You did something stupid," Ingrid complained as she held her head. "It was his fault."

"Okay, so we get back, then what do we do?" Robin asked. 

"I don't know," Vlad admitted, they all looked at him.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Ingrid demanded.

"This is your plan!" Alice exclaimed as she shoved him off her. 

"I'm sure I'll come up with something," Vlad assured as he grabbed Alice's hand and pointed with another. "Renfield, driver!" The driver did as he was told without a word. They all climbed out of the hearse as soon as they reached the castle, the caravan was missing. "Well, where is it?"

Renfield started to laugh nervously. "I didn't want to upset you."

"Upset us?" Vlad repeated. " Why would we be upset that our dad is freewheeling around Stokley with a couple of slayers."

"And what a lark it was, too," The Count said, they all looked back to see him at the hearse.

"Dad?" Vlad and Ingrid smiled. They all went back into the castle with the Count laughing. 

"Dad, about the Van Helsings," Vlad began.

"It was fantastic!" Count laughed.

Dad Branagh suddenly walked in. "And just who do you think you are keeping my son and daughter out at all hours?" He put his hands on his hips. "You may let your children run wild, but that is not the Branagh way."

"Please accept my most humble apologies," The Count requested. "Robin and Alice were assisting us in a family emergency."

"They were ?" Dad asked as he removed his hands. 

"You've raised a very caring and considerate son and daughter," the Count complimented. 

"He has?" Robin asked. 

"Oh, well, that's very kind of you to say so," Dad admitted. "Come on, Alice and Robin. Let's get home. My knees are freezing." They began to walk out.

"Oh, and please thank Elizabeth for the delicious cherry pie," The Count requested. Robin and Alice pulled Dad out of the house before he get even more upset. 

****

Alice was doing some late-night reading before going to sleep. She had a book lamp clipped to the book, for some light. She got interrupted by the sound of the walkie-talkie.

"Vlad to Alice," Vlad's voice came in. "Vlad to Alice."

Alice picked up the walkie-talkie. "Alice to Fang Brain, Alice to Fang Brain."

"Very funny," Vlad said sarcastically. "Sorry, for biting and pinning you earlier. It wasn't very nice."

"The biting and pinning made me realize you aren't as much of a pushover as I thought," Alice admitted. 

"A pushover?" Vlad repeated. "I'm a vampire; vampires can't be pushovers."

"You can," Alice corrected. "Lamest Vampire Ever." 

"Ha-ha," Vlad said sarcastically. "Have you treated the bite?"

"Soap and water," Alice answered as she flipped a page in the book. "You don't have fangs and no blood was drawn, just teeth marks."

"Good," Vlad sighed sounding happier. "Night, Alice."

"Night Vlad," Alice said. "Alice out."