A/N: Recently I have become obsessed with the song Give Him Up by Faber Drive. The result of listening to the song over and over is my first song fic. This was originally going to be an Alvin/Brittany but the more I listened to the song, the more it seemed like a Theodore/Eleanor. So please enjoy and R&R!
Theodore stormed down the sidewalk in his work clothes and jacket to his brother's home. It was a typical November Thursday night and even though it wasn't Thanksgiving yet, Christmas decorations could be seen in several places.
He had been walking home from having drinks with his brother's girlfriend-who he had been in love with for as long as he could remember- when he witnessed something he wished he hadn't. He tried to get rid of the awful scene from his head, but it still burned in his memory.
He reached the door of the house his brother lived in with his wife and daughter. He opened the door and barged in. "Simon!"
"Hey Theo, where's Ellie? You guys were having drinks like twenty minutes ago." Simon asked confused as he set his daughter in her high chair and Theodore sat down at the kitchen table.
Theodore let out an irritated sigh. "We were having drinks before she went on her date with Alvin when he called her saying he was working late tonight on some big presentation."
"So what's the problem?" Simon asked.
"Eleanor was trying not to cry when she decided to go home and wait for him so I left for my apartment too." He clenched his fists as he continued, "When I was passing the bar on the way home I saw Alvin at the bar through the window."
Simon stopped and turned to his little brother sensing he wasn't going to like what his little brother would say next. "Go on."
"He was grinding against some whore." Theodore spat.
His elder brother immediately shushed him and clamped his paw over Theodore's mouth. Simon paused and looked over at his daughter who was playing with the letters on her plate.
Simon sighed in relief and removed his paw. "We're okay."
"What the heck was that?" Theodore asked.
"Don't you remember? Ever since Jenna first started talking she's been like a parrot repeating everything you say." Simon hissed.
Theodore eyes grew wide as he glanced over at the little chipette.
Jenna continued to play with the letters like she was the only one in the room.
"So back to your story, Alvin was with some other girl. It doesn't surprise me." Simon said.
"You're missing the point! He's dating Ellie. He's living with her, he sleeps with her, and he claims he loves her. And she's too blind to see that every night he gets drunk and sleeps with any girl he can find before he goes home to her with some story that's a load of bull!"
"Simon I'm home." Theodore heard his sister-in-law's voice and Jeanette walked into the kitchen.
Simon gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How was your day?"
"Good, how was yours?" Jeanette asked.
Simon shrugged. "Alright, we had a new intern who doesn't know squat. Besides that it was a great day."
Jeanette smiled as she walked over to Jenna. "Hi Jenna, I'm surprised you're up this late. How's my little girl doing?"
Jenna clapped her hands together. "Whore!"
Simon and Theodore both looked at each other panicked while Jeanette looked at the little chipette in shock. "What did you say?"
"Whore!" Jenna repeated with a giggle.
She slowly turned to her husband and brother-in-law with her paws on her hips.
Her husband pointed to Theodore. "Theo said it, not me."
Jeanette turned to her brother-in-law. "You said that in front of my daughter?"
Theodore gulped as he looked into Jeanette's green eyes that were currently glaring daggers at him. "Well sort of."
He chuckled nervously as he slowly stood up. "I'm going to go see if Ellie's alright." He slowly left the kitchen and then darted to the door.
"Whore!" He heard his niece exclaim happily once more.
He threw the door open and slammed it behind him. "Jeanette is going to kill me."
Theodore knocked on the door to the apartment where Eleanor lived with his brother Alvin.
"I'm coming!" A familiar voice called.
Theodore waited a moment before the door opened to reveal Eleanor. She was wearing a sweatshirt and a pair of pajama pants. Her silky blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders. Her brown eyes were like perfect little milk duds that lit up when she saw him. "Hi Theodore. What brings you by?"
He shrugged. "Nothing much. Can I come in?"
"Sure."
He stepped into the apartment and followed her into the living room. "So what's new?"
"Since we had drinks about forty minutes ago, nothing much," She laughed as she sat down on the couch. "How about you?"
He smiled when he heard her laugh. It was one of those sounds that you could hear over and over again and it would sound just as beautiful as the first time you heard it. "No, nothing really. Any news from Alvin?"
Sadness flashed across her face as he sat down next to her. "Are you okay Ellie?" He asked softly as he took her paw in his.
She forced a smile. "Of course I am."
He slowly ran his thumb across her paw. "If you want to talk to me about something Ellie, you know you can. I'm always here for you."
"I know Teddy. Everything's fine though. Alvin called not too long ago. He should be home any minute." Eleanor insisted as she pulled her paw away.
Theodore smiled weakly. He had his doubts if his brother was coming home soon or if he would just find another chick to hook up with before he came back home to Eleanor.
Despite Theodore's doubts, Alvin came stumbling into the apartment a couple minutes later. He was obviously drunk as he threw his keys to the side table but he missed and they landed onto the couch.
He stumbled over to Eleanor and kissed her cheek. "Hey babe." He slurred.
"Hey, did you get everything ready for your presentation?" She asked.
He furrowed his brow. "Presentation?"
"The one you were working on?"
Alvin finally understood and he nodded drunkenly. "Everything's ready."
"Good."
"I missed you." She said quietly.
Theodore clenched his fists. It was obvious his brother was wasted yet Eleanor didn't question him about it. She never did. She just let him be innocent and let him get away with it like always.
Alvin bent down and kissed her on the lips and Theodore felt like he was going to die.
"Let's get to bed." Alvin slurred.
Eleanor nodded in agreement. She stood up and turned to Theodore. "I'll see ya later Teddy."
Theodore nodded as he stood up and said a quick goodbye.
He walked out of the room and opened the door. He looked back over his shoulder to see Alvin and Eleanor walking into their bedroom together.
"Be careful Eleanor." He said quietly before he left the apartment.
As soon as Theodore got back out of the apartment complex he called Simon.
"Hello, Seville residence, Simon speaking." Simon answered half-asleep.
"Hey Si, I need to talk." Theodore said urgently.
"Is this about Alvin and Eleanor?" Simon asked knowingly and groggily at the same time.
"Yeah it is."
"Shoot," Simon said with a sigh.
"Every night Alvin goes to bars gets wasted, sleeps with any living girl he can find, and then he just goes home to Eleanor like he has been faithful the whole time. It's like when we were younger and he would cheat when we played board games and pretended he didn't." Theodore exclaimed.
Simon made a grunting noise and Theodore continued his rant. "If I was dating Eleanor I would never treat her like that! She's just too blinded by that dirt bag's lies too see how badly he treats her. And she's too blind to see that she doesn't belong with him. She belongs with me! I'd worship her if I could!"
"That dirt bag happens to be our brother." Simon muttered.
"Yeah and for the first time in my life I actually hate Alvin." Theodore said.
"You don't hate him."
Theodore entered his apartment building. "Yeah I think I do."
"No you don't. Maybe you hate was he's doing to Eleanor but you don't hate him." Simon objected. "Listen Theo, Jeanette and I were sleeping before you called and you're already on thin ice with her since the incident earlier,"
"I just wish she would do it already!" Theodore cut his brother off.
"Do what?" Simon asked annoyed.
"She's gotta give him up." Theodore said a sigh. "I wish she would just go ahead and give him up." Theodore was about to continue when the line went dead. He observed his cell phone for a minute. "He hung up on me!"
The next morning Theodore headed over to Eleanor's early for breakfast. They both worked together at the same restaurant and had often talking about opening their own restaurant or a diner together one day. Eleanor wanted Theodore to come over and try a recipe for waffles she had cooked up.
He knocked on Eleanor's door and waiting a minute before the door opened. She was wearing her work clothes with an apron over them.
"Hey Theodore, thanks for coming. I really think this could go on a breakfast menu." She said as she ushered him inside.
"We have a breakfast menu now?" Theodore asked with a joking smile.
Eleanor rolled her eyes. "It's a possibility!"
Theodore laughed as he sat down at the small kitchen table. "Well then I say bring on breakfast!"
She grinned as she picked up a plate with a waffle on it and presented it in front of her friend. "Ta da! Would you like anything, syrup, whip cream, fruits?"
Theodore shook his head. "I'm fine."
Eleanor sat across from him and watched eagerly as he took his first bite and swallowed. "How is it?"
"This is the most delicious waffle I have ever tasted." Theodore told her truthfully.
"Better than waffle house?" She asked.
He nodded. "Yes, way better than waffle house."
She giggled just as Alvin walked into the room carrying CDs, his keys, and a Gucci shirt.
"Hey Ellie, hey Theo." Alvin greeted.
"Hey Alvie," Ellie greeted. "Don't you have the day off today?"
Theodore rolled his eyes as Alvin made an excuse. He knew Alvin had practiced in front of the mirror this lie until he was well rehearsed.
Eleanor nodded. "Then how about we meet up later for dinner?"
Alvin gave her a peck on the lips before he left the apartment without giving her an answer.
Eleanor watched him leave with a smile. "Isn't he cute?"
"He's adorable." Theodore said sourly before he wiped his face with his napkin. "We better get to work El."
Eleanor glanced over at the clock. "Oh you're right. We better get going." She jumped up and quickly placed Theodore's dishes in the sink. "I'll be right back. Wait one moment!"
She raced back into her bedroom leaving Theodore alone in the kitchen. He stood up and waited for her for a few moments before the phone began ringing.
"Can you get that?" Eleanor called from the back.
"Sure." Theodore told her before he picked up the phone. "Hello?"
It was a woman on "Hey Alvie, it's Candy. We had drinks the other night. Well anyway,"
Theodore heard Eleanor in the back. "Don't call here ever again." He hissed before he hung up the phone. He couldn't believe Alvin gave his house number to some girl when he was living with Eleanor. Actually, he could believe it. His brother was drunk every night when he met up with girls. Alvin Seville was a complete and total tool.
"Who was on the phone?" Eleanor asked as she walked back into the room. She had put her hair up in a bun and had applied light make up.
He was tempted to tell her but he knew she needed to see it for herself. "It was a wrong number."
Theodore answered his phone later that Friday evening when he got home from work. "Hello,"
"Hey Teddy, it's Eleanor. Can you stop by?"
"I'll be right over." He responded without a second thought.
Theodore hurried out of his apartment and raced over to Eleanor's after taking a quick detour to Ellie's favorite Chinese restaurant. He knocked on the door expecting Eleanor to answer it but instead she just hollered, "It's open!"
He walked into the apartment and into the living room where Eleanor was lounged on the couch dressed up. She was wearing an emerald green dress, her hair was in an elegant hairstyle, and different makeup than she had earlier.
"Why are you all dressed up?" Theodore asked.
Eleanor looked up at him. "Alvin canceled dinner. He had to work late again."
Theodore tried not to scowl. He would bet everything he owned that Alvin was with another woman and not working. He hid his emotions as he showed her the Chinese food. "Good thing I came prepared."
Eleanor's face lit up as she sat up. "I think you can read my mind sometimes."
Theodore chuckled as he passed her the food. "What's on TV?"
"Nothing." Eleanor sighed.
"How about we order some chick flick off of paper view?" Theodore suggested.
Eleanor smiled. "How is it that you know exactly how to cheer me up?"
"Like you said, I can read your mind." Theodore said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes playfully as she scrolled the movie choices.
"I'll be right back." Theodore said before he slipped out of the room and dialed a number he had been dialing a lot recently.
"Simon Seville." Simon answered.
"Hey Simon it's me. Listen have you seen Alvin today?"
"Yeah I saw him at the bar not too long ago with another mystery woman." Simon said.
Theodore let out a frustrated sigh. "Thanks Si."
"Theo, not too be rude but you've been bothering Jeanette and I a lot lately," Simon began.
"But I thought you wanted to know about our brother and her sister." Theodore protested.
"Yeah we kind of do. It's sorta sickening though. However, I'm taking Jeanette out for a special day tomorrow since we haven't had some alone time since Jenna was born. I need you to pick her up from daycare tomorrow and take her to Dave's. He said he'd watch her for the afternoon."
Theodore smiled. "Sure thing Simon. Anything for you and Jeanette, and of course Jenna."
"Thank you Theodore. Now Jeanette just came into the room, realized I was talking to you, and now she's glaring at me."
"Still mad about the other day?" Theodore asked knowingly.
"Yeah, so I'll talk to you later." Simon said.
"Bye Si." Theodore said before he hung up.
He walked back into the living room to see that Eleanor had already chosen a movie and was chowing down on the Chinese food. "Everything okay?" She asked.
He nodded. "Everything's alright."
She smiled and gestured to the spot next to her on the couch.
Theodore sat next to her and began eating his own share of the food.
"You think he's okay?" Eleanor asked quietly.
"Who?" Theodore asked.
"Alvin," Eleanor said like it was obvious.
"He's fine. He's just getting drunk and then will sleep with some girl." Theodore thought. He looked over at her and saw the sadness in her brown eyes. It killed him to see her like that. "I'm sure he's fine." He reassured her as he wrapped his arm around her comfortingly.
Theodore knocked on the open door to Jenna's daycare room.
A woman looked up from where she was playing with a little boy and smiled when she recognized Theodore. "Hi Theodore."
"Hello Mrs. Myers." Theodore greeted. "Is my niece ready to go?"
"Uwcle Tweo!" A voice exclaimed.
Theodore smiled when he saw his niece standing in a playpen with her things. "Hey Jenna."
He picked up his niece and gave her a peck on the cheek. "How's my favorite niece doing?" She smiled widely as he grabbed her bag. "Say goodbye." Theodore told Jenna.
"Bye bye." Jenna said as she clung to her uncle.
Theodore carried his niece out to his car and buckled her into her car seat before got into the driver's seat. He began driving towards Dave's house. Theodore thought back to everything that had been going on with Eleanor. Every night his brother was cheating on her and getting wasted. This was ironic considering Eleanor almost never had more than one drink a week.
He sighed realizing he had already bothered his brother and sister-in-law enough. He glanced back at the toddler. "I think you're the only one who isn't fed up with my ramblings at the moment Jen."
The toddler glanced up at her uncle and smiled.
"So what do you think? Should your aunt give him up?" Theodore asked.
His niece was quiet before she cried out happily, "Whore!"
Theodore concentrated on the road once more. Jeanette was going to murder him.
Taking a deep breath he timidly knocked on the apartment door, wondering if Alvin was home, and secretly hoping he was not.
"Come in," A voice called.
Theodore walked into the apartment to see Eleanor blowing out candles. He felt his eyes pop out of his sockets when she looked up at him.
She was wearing a short green nightgown with her blond hair in a loose ponytail. "Hi Theodore." She said sadly as she grabbed her robe and shrugged it on her shoulders. "You alright?"
Theodore gulped before he replied, "I'm fine. Are you alright?"
She sat down on the couch and forced a smile. "I guess."
"Alvin has to work again?"
"Nope. He's hanging out with Simon tonight. I wanted to surprise him but it kind of back fired." She told him as she played with her robe ties.
Theodore tried to control the anger within him but he couldn't any longer. "How could you be so stupid?" He yelled.
"What? Eleanor asked confused.
"Alvin is cheating on you Eleanor. He has been for months now. I bet he's been doing since you guys started living together." Theodore said.
"Alvin would never cheat on me. I love him and he loves me." Eleanor protested.
"It's true though." Theodore insisted. "Everyone always says "Come what may," and "Everything will fall into place." But I'm tired of all of that junk. You need to know the truth. He doesn't care about you Ellie. He gets drunk every night and gets laid. Alvin is doing it tonight I bet!"
"He's out with Simon." Eleanor said.
"Simon's having a special day with Jeanette. I dropped off Jenna for them at Dave's." Theodore said. "Alvin's treating you like crap Ellie. I would never treat you like that. You're always on my mind El, and it kills me to see him treat you so badly. It literally kills me when you just forgive him and fall for every single line he lays on you!"
"Will you stop saying crap like that?" Eleanor exclaimed as she jumped up from her position on the couch.
"But it's the truth!"
Eleanor slapped him on his cheek leaving a red hand print before he could finish.
Theodore winced in pain as he rubbed his cheek.
"You need to leave Theodore." Eleanor said shakily as tears came to her brown eyes.
He nodded slowly as he slowly walked to the door. He turned back to her with his paw on the doorknob. "Ellie, I-"
"I said get out of my fucking house!" Eleanor screamed as she grabbed a vase off of the bookshelf near her and threw it at him as hard as she could.
Theodore rushed into the hallway and slammed the door behind him just before the vase shattered against the door. He could hear his beloved Eleanor break down into sobs from the other side of the door. He contemplated going back inside and comforting the chipette but decided against it. He finally sighed and walked out of the apartment building and into the brisk night.
Theodore walked into the diner and sat down in the booth his brother was in. "Hey Si."
"Hey Ted." Simon said as he pushed a plate of fries toward his brother. "Fry?"
Theodore shook his head. "No thanks. How was your trip with Jeanette?"
Simon smiled. "Wonderful."
"If you too did anything that may cause me to have a new niece or nephew in the near future, please spare me the details." Theodore said.
Jeanette came over to the booth carrying Jenna. "Hey guys."
"Hey Jeanette, hey Jenna." Theodore said as he scooted out of the booth and took Jenna from his sister-in-law. "How's my favorite little girl doing?"
Jenna giggled as Theodore sat back down in the booth and placed her on his lap while her mother took a seat next to her father.
"Hey guys." Brittany greeted as she slid into the booth beside Theodore. "What's new?"
Theodore zoned out as he thought about Eleanor. He hadn't spoken to her since there fight the night before and he was worried about her and what she was going to do about Alvin. "Hey Brittany," Theodore spoke up.
"Yeah,"
"Have you seen Alvin recently?" He asked as he continued to bounce his niece on his knee.
Brittany nodded. "Yeah I saw him this afternoon. And let me just say he delivered."
"Does anyone else see my child besides me?" Jeanette questioned annoyed.
Her elder sister rolled her eyes. "Calm down Netta. It's not like she can understand us."
"Wait, Alvin slept with you when he was still dating Ellie?" Theodore asked.
Brittany looked furious. "He told me they broke up."
Simon shook his head. "I talked to them on our way back from Dave's. They're still together."
"I'm going to kill that little rodent!" Brittany snarled.
"Not before Eleanor kills you for sleeping with your boyfriend." Simon said with a smile.
The color drained from Brittany's' face as a waiter came over. "Can I get you anything?"
Jenna giggled. "He delivered!"
Simon and Theodore bit their lips to keep from bursting out laughing while Jeanette glared at her sister and Brittany avoided her sister's gaze.
"I think we're good." Brittany quickly told their disturbed waiter.
The waiter hurried off and Jenna looked at her parents happily.
"I confronted Eleanor last night." Theodore told them quietly.
"That's something Eleanor didn't mention." Simon said.
"What did she say?" Jeanette asked.
Theodore's green eyes clouded with sadness as he thought back to the night before. "She didn't believe me. She also threw a vase at me."
"You must've really ticked her off." Brittany stated.
Theodore nodded glumly as he felt a tug on his shirt. He looked down at his niece who looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "Give him up?" She asked popping her 'p'.
He tried to smile at his niece but it ended up faltering. "No kiddo, she won't give him up."
