Title: Hush a Bye, Little Chipette
Written by: Somnion
Dislaimer: I do not own Alvin and the Chipmunks. They belong to Bagdasarian Productions
"I see," Dave replied. "Of course, they'll be more than welcome to stay. I'm really sorry for what's happened Miss Miller."
With that Dave hung up the phone and turned to the three Chipmunks who were waiting behind him, looks of worry on their faces caused by a similar look of worry that was present on Dave's face as he talked with their babysitter.
"What's happened, Dave?" asked Alvin as soon as Dave sat down.
"There's been a burglary at Miss Miller's house," Dave said with a sigh.
"Are Miss Miller and the Chipettes alright?" Simon asked immediately.
"They're all fine," replied Dave. "They were out of town during the time of the burglary, so no one was hurt."
The Chipmunks breathed out a sigh of relief. It's a good thing they were away for that night; it would have been horrible if Miss Miller and the Chipettes got hurt when the robbers broke in.
"By the way, boys," Dave added. "The Chipettes are too scared to stay in their house tonight, so Miss Miller asked me if it's alright if they stayed here for the night..."
"That's alright with us, Dave," Alvin interrupted. "It must be tough for them and we want to help too."
"Thanks boys," Dave thanked as he knelt down and hugged his Chipmunks. "I knew I could count on you guys to be supportive."
The door bell rang later that evening and Dave knew who it was. He opened the door and found the three guests he had been waiting for; Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor. Each Chipette was carrying a small bag, which Dave figured was probably clothes and personal belongings, as well as a small sleeping bag.
"Hello, girls. Come on in," he greeted as he welcomed them into the house. "I'm sorry about what happened last night."
The Chipettes nodded their heads, acknowledging Dave's sympathy. They were still quite shaken up by the ordeal and even the usually talkative Brittany seemed as though she had lost her voice.
"Leave the bags here, I'll take them up to the boy's room for you girls later," he offered. "We were just about to have dinner; the boys are setting the table."
The Chipettes entered the dinning room and sure enough, the Chipmunks were hard at work setting up the table, Alvin was bustling in and out of the kitchen with plates and silverware, Simon was bringing the food out while Theodore watched the oven. As they sat down to dinner, the Chipettes were pleased for they found the Chipmunks so supportive towards them, even Alvin, who would usually fight with Brittany, was very sympathetic and kind. After dinner, Theodore rushed into the kitchen and brought out a huge blueberry pie which he had been baking and they had that for dessert. When all the dishes were put away and the table cleared, the six kids went upstairs and Alvin suggested they play a game of Monopoly to pass the time. The Chipmunks were so nice that the Chipettes had almost forgotten the terrible burglary that had happened, each Chipette teaming up with their Chipmunk as they played their board game. Dave came in at bedtime, carrying the Chipette's sleeping bags and laid each sleeping bag in front of each of the Chipmunk's beds. He was very pleased seeing how well the kids were getting along that he almost felt bad for having to make them stop their game.
"Alright, kids," he said as he laid down the final bag, "it's time for bed. Better brush your teeth and get changed."
"Oh, Dave, can't we stay up a little longer," pleaded Alvin. "Brittany and I are winning! Can't we at least get Theodore and Eleanor bankrupt first?"
"Hey!" yelled the two younger chipmunks who were not very pleased with Alvin's statement.
"Alright," Dave said with a chuckle. "I'll give you kids an extra half hour but after that, it's bedtime."
Alvin and Brittany won the game of course; Alvin's uncanny ability to make money was evident even in Monopoly. They put away the game and hurried off to get ready for bed. After they all had brushed their teeth and dressed in night clothes, Dave tucked them in, one by one, wishing them goodnight as he tucked them up. He turned off the lights but due to Theodore and Eleanor's asking, he left the door open so the light in the hallway could come in. It was a blustery night and the wind howled outside the window. Of course, this terrible weather didn't help the Chipettes, who were scared enough after the lights were turned off. The same thing ran through their minds. Would the thieves return? Just then, they all heard something rap against the window. If the Chipmunks had been asleep, they were awake now, as they heard three voices screaming in unison and a sudden shift in their sleeping arrangements, realizing that there was now a shuddering Chipette in each one of their beds, Brittany had grabbed Alvin, Jeanette was stuck on Simon and Eleanor had burrowed herself up to Theodore.
"Kids!" Dave called worryingly as he came into the room, "What's wrong?"
"There's something outside, Dave!" the Chipettes cried together.
Dave looked out the window and smiled when he realized the problem, "There's nothing to worry about, girls. It was just an old branch rapping against the window. Now, don't you worry about a thing and try to get some rest."
Dave was expecting the Chipettes to return back to their sleeping bags but from the looks of things, Dave saw that the three of them were so terrified that they seemed reluctant to let go of the Chipmunk they were individually holding onto.
"Well, boys,' Dave exclaimed, "it looks like the girls want to stick with you. You guys don't mind, do you?"
Judging by his tone, the Chipmunks knew that Dave meant that they were going to be sleeping with the Chipettes tonight. Theodore was perfectly fine with the idea but Alvin and Simon did feel rather awkward having to share a bed with a girl. However, seeing how scared the Chipettes were, they didn't have the heart to object. So, it happened that the Chipmunks and the Chipettes would be sharing beds for the night. Wishing them goodnight and assuring them that there was nothing to be afraid of; Dave closed the lights once again.
Eleanor trembled slightly when the lights were turned off. She was terrified ever since that robbery and every little thing, be it a sound or the shadows, seemed to be magnified. She gulped as she sank back into the bed and pulled the covers over herself. In her mind, it seemed as though night-time was a time where one could dwell on their fears and nightmares without interruptions. Time passed slowly and it seemed as though it had been almost an hour, well at least she thought it was, since Dave had closed the lights.
"Oh," she pouted silently, "how I wish I had brought Mr Long Ears with me. Then at least I'd have something to snuggle up with."
"Eleanor? Are you still awake?" asked a voice next to her.
She turned to meet the chubby Chipmunk whose bed they were laying on belonged to. Even through the gloom of the room, she could make out his green eyes and the concern that was present in them.
"Oh, Theodore," she replied softly. "I'm so scared. I wish I had brought my bunny with me; maybe then I wouldn't be so scared."
Theodore reached over to the side of his bed and pulled out a stuffed bunny which he then proceeded to offer the frightened Chipette.
"Here, Eleanor," he said as he handed her the bunny. "You can borrow my bunny if you like. I always snuggle with him when I get scared and sometimes, I lend him to Alvin or Simon if they get bad dreams."
Eleanor smiled, thanking Theodore as she took the bunny and snuggled up with it. It was rather funny, she thought to herself, that Alvin or Simon would still snuggle with bunnies given their personalities but then again, a similar scenario happens in her house whenever Brittany or Jeanette get nightmares at night. Theodore smiled as she took the bunny, he was always glad to help and even more so when it came to his family and friends.
"Theodore," she whispered, "thank you for always being there for me."
"Sure, Eleanor but," he replied shyly, "but I am not really always there, am I?"
"You're always there when it counts though," she said as she inched closer to him. "Whenever I'm scared or in trouble you're always there for me and so, even though things look bad, I know you'll be there."
Then closing her eyes, she pulled the bunny he gave her closer. She was glad for Theodore being there for her and everything seemed to be a lot less scary when she had such a wonderful friend like him around, and in a few minutes, both she and her best friend drifted off into slumber.
Not far away, another Chipette was having trouble sleeping. She lay awake staring at the ceiling, or at least what she could make out of the ceiling, for the said Chipette was as blind as a bat without her glasses. She looked at the Chipmunk lying next to her and she found his face was facing hers, his eyes closed, deep in slumber. She shifted her body to the left; she had been shifting from right to left to get comfortable the whole time, but to no avail. Her mind was constantly thinking and pondering although her body desperately called for rest. Turning once again to the right, she found that her constant stirring had awakened the sleeping Chipmunk for his eyes were now open slightly, tiredness still present in them.
"Having trouble sleeping?" he asked softly, doing his best not to awaken the others.
"Yes," whispered Jeanette in reply. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"Don't worry about it," he assured. He paused for a moment before he spoke again. "Do you want to tell me what's on your mind?"
Jeanette was silent, as though trying to find the right words, finally speaking after about a minute of silence, her eyes still fixed on the ceiling.
"I always felt that...my home was a place where I would be safe; that no matter how bad things were outside, my home was like a sanctuary. But now, after these people have broken in, I don't even feel safe anymore. If you're not safe in your own home, where are you safe?"
Simon looked up at the ceiling after Jeanette's revelation. Honestly, he did not know the answer to the question she posed and had no idea how to tackle the problem his friend was now faced with.
"I'm sorry," he said after some time, "I really don't know what to say to answer your question. But, if it's any consolation, at least all of you are safe. I know you guys lost some nice things but it would have been terrible if any of you got hurt."
Silence overcame them again as Jeanette let Simon's words sink in. He was right, as he always was, and now she really was grateful that she, her sisters and Miss Miller were out of town when their house was burgled. She didn't know what she would do if they were there when those thugs had broken in.
"You're right, Simon," she said after awhile. "It's true we did lose some of our valuables but all of us are alright, and that's the most important thing. It's funny how often we forget that, though."
'Yes, it is," Simon replied with a nod.
"I also think I found the answer to my question," Jeanette continued.
Simon raised an eyebrow and turned his face towards her to hear her out.
"The safety I feel at home, it's not because of the house alone but because of the people who live in it. My sisters and Miss Miller, they're what makes the home safe and as long as they're alright, I will always be safe."
Perhaps it was the darkness of the room that gave her the courage because after Jeanette had the answer for her question, she sidled closer to Simon, a move that surprised him greatly.
"Thank you for bearing with me for so long, Simon," she whispered. "It really means a lot."
'You're welcome, Jeanette," he said with a nervous grin, moving his head slightly so that Jeanette could share his pillow and it wasn't long after, that both Simon and Jeanette fell off to sleep.
Brittany, just like her sisters, was unable to sleep that night. Although she had tried to put on a brave front, she was just as terrified as both of them. Alvin had drifted off to sleep before she did and now, more than ever, she wished he was awake so she could talk to him. She nudged him slightly, hoping that he may still be awake.
"Alvin," she called softly. "Are you awake?"
Alvin, who had been sleeping, grunted in annoyance as his rest had been disturbed. He turned to the clock on the bedside table. His eyes squinted in tiredness as he tried to make out the red blinking lights on the alarm clock that read 10:53 p.m.
"Brittany," he replied tiredly, "it's almost eleven. What's wrong?"
"I'm scared, Alvin," she whispered. "What if the thieves come back?"
Normally Alvin would just tell Brittany stop acting silly and go to sleep but he remembered that Dave told them to be supportive to the Chipettes. Besides, she had somehow got him locked in a tight embrace, snuggling up to him like he was a stuffed doll.
"Don't worry about it, Britt," he said. "Dave's the head of the neighbourhood watch. This house would be the safest place next to the police station. Besides, there are probably cops driving by to keep an eye out."
"I know that,' she responded softly. "But, I still can't help feeling scared. I tried to put on a brave front so Jeanette and Eleanor wouldn't be so scared. I wish I wasn't so scared but..."
Alvin was shocked when he suddenly felt warm tears run down his shirt and the sound of Brittany sobbing slightly. Alvin couldn't believe it; she seemed so much tougher earlier. Could she really have been this scared all this time? He needed to do something, say something. However, nothing came to him and it bothered him greatly seeing Brittany in this state. He thought hard, 'What would Dave do at this time? Knowing Dave, he'd probably assure us that we're safe but I don't think that's going to help Brittany'. He pondered and finally, an idea came to his head when his thoughts remembered her. He moved closer so he could whisper the song which he had remembered so many years ago.
"Hush a bye, little one,
Close your eyes, little one,
Dream time is near,
You needn't fear,
And when you wake,
I will be here.
Rest your head, little one,
Dream sweet dreams, little one,
The stars say goodnight,
I say sleep tight,
And when you wake,
I will be here."
Brittany opened her eyes in astonishment when she heard Alvin singing the lullaby; she couldn't believe he was trying to sing her to sleep. "That song...where did you..." she asked softly.
"Mom used to sing this song for Simon, Theodore and me," he replied. "It's very special."
"It's very beautiful. You...You can really feel how strongly she cared for the three of you from the words."
"Yea," responded Alvin with contented smile. "I always sing this song whenever I get scared. It always reminds me of Mom and when I think of her, I feel safe."
"Hey, Alvin?"
"What is it, Brittany?"
"Do...Do you think you could sing that song one more time for me?" Brittany asked, her eyes refusing to meet those of the blue eyed Chipmunk for she was a little embarrassed for showing him such a fragile side of herself to him.
"Fine," he said with a chuckle, "but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone what I just said. I'll deny it immediately."
"Deal. So long as you don't tell anyone about me either, no one knows what happened here tonight," answered the auburn haired Chipette with a smile as she moved closer to Alvin.
So, Alvin continued the song, lulling the last Chipette to sleep and it wasn't long before the two eldest chipmunks joined their siblings in slumber. Later that night, Dave opened the door to check on the kids, and when he saw the three sets of chipmunks asleep, he smiled, feeling glad for he knew that he could always count on his boys to be there for their friends in need and he knew the Chipettes, snuggled up with the Chipmunks, knew that too.
The lullaby is called Vinny's Lullaby and is sung by the Chipmunks' birth mother, Vinny, in the episode, a Chipmunk Reunion . I hope you guys liked reading this piece; I was working on it for some time. Please leave a review after you read, your opinions help better my writing and motivate me, so leaving a review is doing a good deed!