To their immense relief, Eric arrived only a short time later, bringing the Chronivac with him. Working as quietly as they could, they began the task of seeking Mark out. Jeff became more and more worried as the minutes passed, realizing that if he couldn't find Mark and change him back, the consequences would be disastrous for both him and his companions.
Suddenly, Jeff felt himself being nuzzled from behind. Somehow, the sight of the Chronivac had aroused enough of Mark's memory to cause him to get to his feet and seek Jeff out. Jeff whirled, then said, "Mark? Mark, is that you?" The cow lowed softly in response.
Jeff beckoned to Eric and the others. "I think I've found him!" he whispered. His companions promptly but quietly made their way over to where they were standing. Taking the Chronivac from Eric, Jeff scanned the cow with it. He sighed with relief as the screen confirmed Mark's identity. He keyed in the necessary commands, then hit the "Enter" key. A few moments later, a confused but restored Mark was exchanging hugs with his brother and his friends. "Come on, dudes," Mark whispered, "let's get out of here and head home!"
A short time later, back in Jeff's bedroom, Mark discussed his narrow escape with the others. "That settles it, dude," Jeff announced firmly, "no more random transformations--especially not animal transformations! You may be a royal pain in my backside sometimes, but you're still my brother!" Putting a hand on each of Mark's slim young shoulders, he went on more softly, "And I do love you, Mark--very much!" He paused for a minute, biting his lower lip, then, with tears in his eyes, he continued, "I could never live with myself if I lost you completely because of something like this. It would kill me, dude--it would just kill me!" By the time he finished that sentence, Mark had thrown his arms around Jeff, his own eyes filled with tears. Their companions did likewise, all of their bodies quivering with unspeakable emotion, tears streaming down their faces as they all realized how close they had come to a tragedy that would have ruined their lives forever.
As the youths released each other, they also realized that with the power that the Chronivac gave them, like it or not, there was also an awesome responsibility. At that moment, they made up their minds to be far more careful in using the Chronivac in the future. Joining hands in a circle, the youths made a mutual pledge to that effect--especially Mark and Jeff!
By now, it was time for supper, so Jeff and Mark's friends bade them good night and headed home. Thankfully, their evening meal that night was quiet and uneventful. After dinner, the two youths went back up to Jeff's bedroom and talked quietly about some possible ideas for new adventures with the Chronivac. They had made no decision by bedtime, but instead decided to wait until morning before making a final choice.
Before Mark went to his room, he hugged and kissed Jeff, holding him close for a long moment. "Thanks for finding me and changing me back," he whispered in Jeff's ear. Kissing his brother again, Mark whispered, "I love you, Jeff!" Returning his brother's kiss, Jeff whispered back, "I love you too, Mark!" With that, the two boys both went to bed, thankful that a near tragedy had been averted. As they both drifted off into a deep, peaceful slumber, they both began to dream of new adventures with the Chronivac.