AN: So I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman and I just really wanted to write something with Mr. Talbot since he's barely in the movie at all. This is my first time writing an AaTC fic, so I apologize in advance if I fudged up the characterizations for Alvin and Simon. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
"But Dave!"
"Now Alvin, this cane obviously meant a lot to Mr. Talbot and I think it'll be more sincere if you apologize to him directly. If you go now, you'll still have plenty of time to get ready for the play."
"But!"
"Simon can go with you." Dave said in a tone that was usually used for when a conversation was over. The glasses wearing chipmunk sighed as Alvin looked over at him.
"Let's go." Simon said as he opened the door and waited. Alvin slumped in defeat as Dave handed him the two pieces of the cane. He purposely walked slowly to the door, but was nudged by Simon once he was in reach.
When the door was shut, Alvin turned to Simon. "Simon! You know this is going to end badly, right?"
"You mean Mr. Talbot giving you a very stern lecture?" the other replied crossing his arms.
"Don't you remember what we saw when we went in his house last time?" Alvin stepped closer to him. "There were animal heads mounted on the walls!"
Simon rolled his eyes. "Keep walking."
"I thought you were coming along as emotional support!"
"More like making sure you apologize support."
The walk to Mr. Talbot's front door wasn't long, but it felt like forever to Alvin. His sense of foreboding wasn't helped when he laid eyes on the silver wolf's head knocker. Unable to reach it, he knocked on the wood instead. A few moments passed.
"Well, looks like he's not home. We can always try another day." Alvin quickly moved away from the door, but Simon pulled him back using the scruff of his shirt. The door opened, causing Alvin to gasp and nearly drop the cane. Talbot already looked irritated and it wasn't helped when he didn't see anyone. He finally looked down. "Um…" Alvin cleared his throat. "Hi Mr. Talbot." He couldn't keep the nervousness out of his voice. "I came to return your cane." Simon's grip on his shirt tightened. "And to apologize!"
Talbot narrowed his eyes and took the cane from Alvin. "Please come in." There was an edge to his voice that even made Simon uncomfortable.
Alvin cautiously stepped into the house as if he was testing the temperature of a bath or a pool. Talbot gestured to a door that led to the sitting room where a fire was going. The chairs were large enough for both chipmunks to sit on together while their neighbor remained standing. Alvin did a quick scan of the room looking for possible exits.
"Alvin, isn't it?" Talbot's voice still had a slight edge to it. "This cane is a family heirloom. It was made from the silver bullets fired at my grandfather by angry villagers." He stepped in front of the chair and glared down at Alvin. "Why exactly is my cane like this?"
Alvin gulped and desperately wanted to melt into the chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Simon had also pushed himself back into the chair as far as he could go. While they were sitting there, precious minutes were being wasted in trying to find a way to help Theodore. Anger started to push down some of Alvin's fear. Even if they cured their brother, they still wouldn't know who bit him. He had a very good idea as to who it was, but had no proof. He took a deep breath.
"Dave did say to tell the truth."
Alvin looked up at Talbot whose expression didn't change. "I accidentally broke your cane while trying to cure Theodore of being a werewolf." His voice was firm. Talbot's eyes widened and he took a step back while Simon looked at his brother in disbelief. "It was you who bit him, wasn't it?" He was practically standing on the chair at this point.
"Alvin!" Simon said in a tense whisper. Alvin ignored him and focused on Talbot. The man's face had an expression of panic similar to the one he had when he first introduced himself a few weeks ago.
Their neighbor stared at Simon and seemed to be having an internal debate. "Is this true?" He asked after a short, tense silence. The chipmunk nodded and explained the events up to the present. Talbot's grip tightened on the cane, then relaxed. "Then there's no point in denying your brother's accusation."
"I knew it!" Alvin gave a smug smile to his brother. Simon pulled him back down into a sitting position.
Gazing down at the cane, Talbot turned toward the fireplace. "The werewolf curse has been in my family since my grandfather. I've spent years trying to find a cure, but… it's hopeless." His voice was almost a whisper as he said the last word. Alvin and Simon looked at each other in concern. The man's statement didn't bode well for Theodore.
Talbot faced them again. "I'm assuming Mr. Seville doesn't know about your brother's... condition?" Both chipmunks shook their head. "It will be a lifelong struggle to keep that secret."
Despite his earlier fear, Alvin couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Does anyone else know about you?" For a moment he thought that Talbot was going to ignore him.
"No, though numerous people have suspected something."
"You're being surprisingly open about this." Simon commented.
"You already know the truth, so why bother to hide anymore?" He replied with irritation.
"We'll keep your secret, Mr. Talbot." Simon said. The man acted as if he didn't quite understand what he had just heard. His expression became guarded more than usual. Yet, a flicker of hopefulness shown through. Alvin was about to protest, but his brother's expression silenced him.
"Yes, we will." Alvin grudgingly agreed.
Talbot sighed in relief. "Thank you."
Alvin checked the clock and tapped Simon. "We have to get going. There's a school play tonight." Alvin said. Both chipmunks got off the chair and headed to the door.
"I'm sorry about your brother." Talbot's voice sounded far away. Both chipmunks stopped and turned. Their neighbor was staring into the fire again as if in a trance.
"Goodbye, Mr. Talbot." Alvin said quietly before closing the door.
The brothers walked back to their house in a gloomy mood.
AN: Thanks for reading!