Once every year, the holiday known as Thanksgiving is met with feasts throughout America. The Sevilles had enjoyed the holiday before, but this year brought with it a whole slew of changes. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore would be celebrating with their mother for the first time in years, and Dave- now a dark, almost black-furred chipmunk- would be enjoying his first holiday season with a loving wife at his side. To top it all off, they would be joined by Austin- the boys' adopted brother- who would soon finish his first year as a chipmunk.

The morning of Thanksgiving found the chipmunks' tan, stone house surrounded by warm-colored leaves, half-empty trees, and a thin layer of dew. The sun hung high in the sky, its rays dampened by clouds and the angle at which they met the Earth. When coupled with the mild breeze, this left the temperature at a crisp fifty-five degrees. Despite the chilly weather, it was a wonderful day for one of the most celebrated holidays in America.

Theodore stood in the house's luxurious kitchen, his reflection staring back through marble countertops as he worked tirelessly on this year's feast. He was joined this time by his mother, Vinny, whose chocolate brown fur was matted with flour and other ingredients. She was an amazing cook; even Theodore's dishes couldn't compete with her masterpieces. Above all else, however, her rhubarb pie was simply to die for.

Meanwhile, Dave was walking around the formal dining room, his dark, almost black fur glistening in the sun. He moved between the fancy, wooden table and the elegant yet fragile china cabinet, putting the family's best dishes and cutlery out for their yearly use. Each item was placed impeccably, every place setting appearing identical. Although not usually so obsessive, Dave was immensely dedicated to having a perfect holiday season.

Austin and Simon, on the other hand, sat on the loveseat in the living room. Assigned the task of decorating the house for each holiday, the adopted brothers had done so only a day after Halloween. Now, they sat idly together, a warm blanket spread over their legs as they watched the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

It didn't take long for Dave to finish his chore; within half an hour there was a place setting in front of all six chairs. Satisfied with his work, the father of four headed towards the living room, his paw pads moving silently across the floor. Always a fan of the parade, Dave sat across from his sons and joined them in watching the festivities.

"How's the parade been so far?" he asked, getting the two boys' attention.

"It's been awesome, dad," Simon responded, smiling.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. I still can't believe you boys turned down the offer to actually be in it," Dave remarked.

"Family comes before fame, dad; you said it yourself," Austin replied. Dave smiled.

"I'm so proud of you guys," he responded.

"Thanks, dad," Simon replied. Just then, a thunderous noise was heard as Alvin came running down the stairs.

"Why does he always run?" Simon asked openly.

"One of these days he's going to hurt himself," Austin added.

"I'm surprised he hasn't fallen already…" Simon continued. Needles to say, Dave was a bit surprised by the two adopted brothers seemingly finishing each others' thoughts. Before he could say a word, however, Alvin joined the festivities.

"Hey, what's kickin?" the red-clad chipmunk asked.

"Oh, we were just wondering when you'd get out of bed," Simon responded.

"Hey, it's 12; you owe me ten bucks, Si," Austin remarked with a grin.

"You guys bet on Alvin's laziness?" Dave questioned.

"Nah, we just like poking fun at him," Simon responded, chuckling.

"You two have fun with that," Alvin remarked, taking a seat next to Dave. The four chipmunks proceeded to watch the parade together until it ended late that morning. Thanksgiving dinner was served a few minutes afterward; the entire family of six gathering for the feast. Dave and the three older boys praised their mother's and brother's cooking; gobbling down the turkey, dressing, rolls, yams and potatoes as if they were furry pigs.

As the feast was eaten, conversation began amongst the family members. Vinny made the mistake of asking the boys if they'd been interested in any girls, resulting in Alvin rambling on about his girlfriend Charlene. Dave finally shut him up, at which point Theodore admitted he had his eye on someone.

"What about you two?" Vinny asked, turning to her most intelligent sons, "Do you like any girls, Austin?" The orange-clad chipmunk immediately got defensive.

"N-No. Besides, I don't think I'm ready for that kind of relationship yet," Austin sputtered nervously. Suddenly, Dave shivered violently, causing the table to vibrate.

"The heater must be out again; can you take a look at it, Simon?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right back," the bespectacled chipmunk remarked. As Simon headed to check on the heater, Austin excused himself to use the bathroom. After relieving himself, the orange-clad chipmunk headed back towards the dinner table.

"What is this doing in- oh God…" he heard Simon remark. Curious, Austin climbed up the attic stairs to where the heater was located.

"Simon?" he asked, spotting the bespectacled munk frozen in front of the gas-powered appliance. A distinct hissing sound was heard, which wasn't normal. It was then that Austin saw the spark, and knew what was to come. Diving in front of his brother, he felt a searing pain as the heater suddenly exploded. Both teenagers were flung to the other side of the attic, the roof was set ablaze, and Thanksgiving was brought to a screeching halt.


Simon's point-of-view


"Boys?" Dave cried frantically.

"Back here, Dad!" I shouted, sitting up. Wiping some ash off my glasses, I took in my surroundings. The attic looked like a disaster area; Thanksgiving was surely ruined. The heater was completely destroyed, the roof had a massive hole in it, and nearly a quarter of the attic was charred. Thankfully, it had been snowing, which put out the fire.

"Augh, it burns!" I recognized the voice all too well, and immediately turned to my adopted brother.

"Austin!" I gasped. The front of his clothes were burned and blackened, he had light burns on the front of his body, and he was holding his hands over his eyes in pain.

"Dad, call 911!" I cried.

"They're already on their way!" he responded, clearing away debris. Sirens met our ears at that very moment, and soon emergency personnel were in the attic. Despite being uninjured, I was assisted from the attic and checked out in the ambulance. I had just been released when I saw Austin being wheeled out on a stretcher. I gasped as they loaded him into the ambulance.

Going against the wishes of the emergency personnel, I managed to get them to let me ride with him to the hospital. It wasn't long before we arrived, and Austin was rushed to the ER. All I could do was wait while the surgeons did their best to patch him up. He was in the operating room for nearly an hour, time during which the rest of the family showed up. Dave tried to comfort me, but all I could do was sit there silently and think about my brother.

They finally wheeled Austin to a recovery room, and I immediately went to visit him. He was still asleep from the anesthesia, but seemed to be slowly coming around. I sat in a chair next to his bed, holding his hand as I looked at all his bandages. His entire front side was wrapped up, and his eyes were covered by bandages. Not only that, but I could see a diaper poorly concealed by his hospital gown.

One of the doctors came in and explained that the burns could've been much worse, and would heal up just fine. He was also half bald, but the fur would grow back once his skin healed. The first big concern was his eyes, both of which had required surgery. The doctors weren't sure how well he'd see once the bandages came off, and that wouldn't be for a few days. The second such problem was his bladder, the muscles around it having been- along with the rest of his front side- bombarded with debris. He had urinated once already, and was believed temporarily incontinent. To top it all off, the earliest he could possibly go home was Tuesday, his birthday.

The doctor left us alone, after which mom left to go clean up the house. Alvin went down the hall to get a soda, and Theodore decided to check out the cafeteria. This left dad and I alone with Austin, who was still drifting in and out of consciousness thanks to his pain meds. Suddenly, he rolled over onto his side and latched onto my arm in a soft but firm grip.

"Simon…" he muttered in a drowsy voice. His consciousness then seemed to fade again, but he never let go of my arm. I probably looked flustered, but admittedly it felt kinda nice. Austin remained latched onto my arm throughout the day, until visiting hours came to an end around 7 PM. Dad had gone to use the restroom before leaving, so I took the opportunity to stop a passing nurse.

"Um, would it be alright it I spent the night?" I asked.

"Are you related to the patient?" she questioned.

"Austin's my brother," I confirmed.

"Okay, it should be no problem, then," the nurse answered. Dad walked out of the bathroom not a second after the nurse headed down the hall.

"Alright, Simon, let him go. Visiting hours are over, and I think we could all use some sleep," he remarked.

"I'm going to stay the night with him, dad; the nurse said it was okay," I responded. My dark-furred father sighed.

"Well, alright; just make sure to respond if we call or text you," he instructed.

"Don't worry, I will," I promised. Dad, Alvin and Theodore left after that, leaving me alone with Austin. As it grew later, my eyelids began to droop, and soon I found myself falling asleep at my brother's bedside.


Austin's point-of-view


I regained full consciousness after hours of what felt like a half-sleep. I had been trapped somewhere in my subconscious, unable to dream or rejoin reality. Finally, however, I had been freed. I felt a numb pain across the front of my body, and I realized with horror that I couldn't see. I also found, quite surprisingly, that I was latched onto someone's arm.

I didn't need my sight to know it was Simon; my nose easily figured it out. The furry arm didn't smell of cologne or food, so it had to be him. My ears alerted me to his steady breathing, which indicated sleep. I wondered if he was okay; if I'd been able to save him from the explosion. Clearly, his left arm was okay, as I felt no irregularities.

Simon was my brother, much like Alvin and Theodore, but somehow our relationship was different. Maybe it was because we shared a bedroom; I'm not really sure. I do know that if I'd been latched onto Alvin's or Theodore's arm, I'd have found it extremely awkward. Now, however, I felt strangely at home next to my brother.

I leaned gently up against Simon, trying not to wake him. Seeing as I'd been asleep for god knew how long, I wasn't very tired. Still, I was cold and Simon had a naturally warm body temperature. The warmth of his body put me at ease, and I found myself nuzzling his cheek as I drifted back to sleep.


Simon's point-of-view


"Good morning, sleepyhead." I almost jumped out of my skin at the sound of Austin's voice. My blinded brother was sitting up in bed, staring at the ceiling while the TV played the news. He must've heard me yawn and known I was awake.

"Good morning, thanks for scaring me half to death," I responded sarcastically. Austin chuckled.

"Sorry, I assumed you were awake," he apologized, "It's hard for me to tell."

"I know; don't sweat it," I replied. Austin turned his attention back to the news, a smile resting on his face. He wasn't latched onto my arm anymore, but still held my hand in a loose grip. I smiled, happy to know that my brother wasn't in much pain.

"Dad called, by the way," Austin remarked suddenly, "The house is being repaired, so it'll be a while before they can come visit."

"Alright; I guess we've got some alone time," I responded.

"Yeah," Austin replied, scooting over a little. Grinning, I gently wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close.

"So, what's been on the news?" I asked.


Dave's point-of-view


After a long day of roof repairs, the construction workers finally went home for the day. Now Vinny, Alvin, Theodore and I were free to go visit Austin. We headed up to the hospital as soon as the workers were gone, arriving after a short drive. Making our way to Austin's room, we were surprised to find he and Simon leaning together, sound asleep.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Vinny gushed. Alvin rolled his eyes and pretended to gag.

"I guess Austin finally woke up. For a little while, anyway," Theodore remarked joyfully. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Come on, guys. It's late anyway; we should just come back tomorrow," I suggested. The others agreed, so we slipped out of the room and headed back home.


Austin's point-of-view


It was early Tuesday morning, five days after Thanksgiving. My whole family was here to see me get my bandages off. The doctor said it was possible that I could still see, but I would almost certainly need glasses or contacts. He then began to remove the bandages. Propped up in my bed, I took a deep breath whilst remaining as still as possible. I could feel something tugging at my fur, and then blackness turned suddenly into white.

"So… bright…" I shielded my eyes with one arm as they slowly began to focus. I felt a hand on my other wrist as the room came partially into view. The furthest parts of the room were blurry, but for the most part things were clear. I could see Simon standing at my bedside; it was his hand I'd felt. "I… I can see…" I managed to say.

"Is everything clear?" the doctor questioned, looking me over.

"...no. The farthest parts of the room are blurry," I answered hesitantly. This hadn't been a problem before.

"You're nearsighted," the doctor explained, "Thankfully, people get farsighted as they age, so perhaps that'll cancel out."

"I know a pretty good eye doctor, too," Simon added, smiling. I pulled my brother into a hug as the doctor told our parents I could go home. Finally, things were looking up again.


"Come on, guys, it's Christmas!" Alvin cried excitedly, practically dragging Theodore down the stairs. My youngest brother wrenched his arm free just as his sibling missed a step. Alvin tumbled the rest of the way down, landing on his tailbone with a thud.

"See, I told you he'd hurt himself," I remarked, laughing.

"It was inevitable," Simon added with a smirk. My bespectacled brother and I now wore brand new glasses, thanks to an eye appointment earlier that month. His were more oval-shaped than before, which made him look older and more mature. Mine were a bit more rectangular in shape so the two could be told apart. With my vision addressed and most of my fur grown back, life finally felt normal again. Well, normal for me, anyway. Most teenagers don't wear diapers, let alone enjoy them.

Shaking off his little slip, Alvin got back to his feet and followed us into the living room. Likely awakened by the all the racket, mom and dad joined the four of us around the tree. We began opening presents just like every year, except this time I sat as close as possible to Simon. Among my best gifts was a case for the tablet I'd bought around Halloween, which included a bluetooth keyboard for easier typing.

Just when it seemed that every gift had been opened, Alvin reached back behind the tree and pulled out three more. The first was an envelope, which he handed to dad. Next was a package about two cubic feet in size that was wrapped in green paper; naturally it was given to Theodore. Last was a rather large package wrapped in space-themed paper that Alvin placed between myself and Simon.

"Alvin bought gifts?" Theodore questioned. Simon and I were too shocked to respond.

"Just open them, okay?" Alvin responded, "I'm not that selfish…" Doing as requested, Dave neatly opened the envelope, revealing a thoughtfully chosen card and a gift certificate to his and mom's favorite restaurant. Theodore opened his package as well, receiving a personalized, embroidered apron along with an omelet pan and a special cooking tool he'd been wanting. Both parties gawked in amazement. Before anyone could say a word, however, Alvin reminded us of the last present.

"Wait, you gave your brothers a shared present?" Dave questioned. Alvin smirked.

"That's the only way to go when you're dealing with lovebirds," he toyed. I turned bright red, hesitant to open my brother's gift. Simon prodded me forward, though, and soon we were tearing off the paper together. Revealed was a large cardboard box stuffed with goodies, including a blanket to snuggle under.

"Alvin… I'm proud of you…" dad said awkwardly. Alvin smiled.

"Thanks. Now, let's get some breakfast before those two get too comfy," he toyed. Theodore wholeheartedly agreed, and soon we were all headed for the kitchen. Flustered by my red-clad brother's words, I decided to get back at him by defeating their purpose. Holding Simon close, I pressed a kiss to his cheek before sticking my tongue out in Alvin's direction. Surprisingly, he smiled and winked mischievously as he walked past us into the kitchen.

"You realize he just tricked you, right?" Simon questioned. I blushed, embarrassed.

"Yeah," I admitted, "But for once... I don't mind..." Breakfast was forgotten as we shared a heavenly kiss.