Ted's Teepee

About This Story: Theodore shares his teepee retreat with Eleanor while feeling left-out of other family activities. Age-wise they are 9. I don't own any part of the Chipmunk franchise, just borrowing them from Nickelodeon, Janice Karman, & Ross Bagdasarian, their family, & their company.

About This Chapter: Rated G/PG, some gassy-humor & romance

Pairings: Theodore/Eleanor


Starting A New Chapter

As she moved her right hand to try and include both arms in the hug, she inadvertently turned a few pages of the journal that was still in her lap. The sound of turning pages got her attention. She read the title of that entry aloud, "My Family." She paused and looked at Theodore before continuing, "Oh, is it OK with you if I read this?"

He smiled and shrugged, realizing if he let anyone read it, she would be his top choice anyway. "Go ahead. It looks like the book opened itself to you, so it has clearly chosen you as worthy of reading it. If you don't read it now, that will hurt its feelings. Who are we to argue with the book and hurt its feelings?" He motioned to the book and whispered mysteriously. "You have been chosen..."

Eleanor laughed watching him do an impression of a wise sage or a prophet in some fantasy adventure movie. She always liked how his sense of compassion even extended to inanimate objects like books, as well as stuffed animals and other toys. It reminded her of how her big sister Jeanette respected everything as a sacred entity and would often say, "Fill-in-the-Blanks have feelings, too!" With a smile, Eleanor began to read Theodore's book.

"My Family...My family is very special to me. When I'm with my family, I feel home. They care about me and accept me as I am. I never need to prove my worth or do anything to earn their love when I'm with them. Some people out there would only like me after I lost a pound or two, or grew a few inches, or if I acted cooler, but not my family. To them, I am a very much-loved son and brother, Theodore Jameson Seville." There was a sketch below his writing of their house surrounded by the outline of a heart.

"Awww..." Eleanor commented. "I guess I could've just turned some pages to find out what the 'J' stood for." She turned to see that he was reclining on a throw pillow he had set behind them, leaving room to share in case she wanted to join him. He even patted that part of the pillow closest to her as an invitation to her.

She accepted the offer, reclining next to him as he stretched his right arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder and adjusted the book in her hands so that she could continue to read it. She turned the page.

"Dave...Dave is the only dad I've ever known. He loves and cares for us so much that it's easy for me to forget that he's human and we're chipmunks. He lets me sleep in his bed whenever I have a nightmare. He gives great hugs, too! He's big and strong, and I feel so safe, secure, and happy with him. I love Dave! He's the best dad ever!" Theodore even drew a stick-figure drawing of Dave holding and hugging a stick-figure drawing of himself balled up in Dave's arms.

"Awww!" Eleanor glanced over at him. "That's so sweet!"

She turned the page. "Simon...Simon is very trustworthy and responsible, and he's very smart. He's tall, and he wears glasses. He likes to study and read a lot, and he's good at helping me with my math or science homework. Sometimes he reads me bedtime stories. Sometimes he does magic tricks for us. He's good at keeping us out of trouble, or even getting us out of trouble once we get in it. He's also a great listener, and very understanding. He says he's not a hugger, but that's not true. He gives some great hugs! He's a great big brother!" The drawing was a stick-figure of Simon sitting on Theodore's bed reading a book to him.

Eleanor squealed as she turned another page. "Alvin...Alvin is my other big brother. He's good at getting us into trouble. Sometimes he can be mean to me, but for every day he's mean to me, he's nice and fun to be around for weeks afterward. When he's nice to me, I have so much fun with him. He helps me practice soccer. He plays video games with me. He likes to call me 'Teddy-Boy'. Sometimes he likes to sneak up on me, then wrestle me to the ground and tickle me. But I like to do it right back to him. He teaches me some good jokes and pranks. He's also good at protecting me from mean bullies at school. He can be a fun big brother when he wants to be! And he gives great hugs!" The drawing this time had Alvin jumping onto Theodore from a corner where he was hiding, in order to "wrestle him to the ground and tickle him."

Eleanor laughed as she turned the page. "Me...I'm Theodore. I like ice cream and cookies. I like to cook. I like the color green because it's the color of plants and grass in the summer time on a warm and sunny day. I also like teddy bears. That's one way I got the nickname 'Teddy-Boy', 'Teddy Bear' or 'T-Bear'. I like acting in my theater class, where I can pretend to be anyone I want to be. Me encanta mi clase de EspaƱol a la escuela. (That means, "I love my Spanish class at the school.") And I like to give and get hugs!" The drawing had Theodore snuggling with his teddy bear.

"Awww..." Eleanor commented. "The pictures here are definitely worth a thousand words, as the saying goes."

"Thanks, I guess." He chuckled.

She turned the page. "The Girls...The Chipettes are also part of our family. They are very understanding and fun to be around. It's like having sisters as well as brothers. I like it when they get to play with us and do stuff with us. And yes, they also give great hugs!" The drawing had the three sisters all in a line, holding hands, with Eleanor in the middle.

Theodore spoke up, "Eleanor, I would totally understand if you were too bored to continue reading..." He started having second thoughts about her reading the book, but he wanted to be more subtle about it.

"Not at all!" She smiled at him. "I'm having a good time. I hope it's OK with you if I keep reading. The book still wants me to read it."

"OK," He shrugged. How could he argue with that? It was his original line to encourage her to read it in the first place.

Eleanor turned a page. "Jeanette...Jeanette is kinda shy like me, but she's taller and wears glasses, like Simon. She's a great listener, too. She likes to take me to see movies like "Harry Potter", "Lord Of The Rings", "The Hobbit" and "Star Wars". I feel like she's my big sister sometimes. And when I hang out with her, it doesn't feel like she's babysitting me, but that she's having a great time hanging out with me. She can also help me with my homework. She gives such warm, friendly hugs!" The picture he drew had a stick-figure drawing of Jeanette in her purple wizard's hat with her magic wand in hand, next to a drawing of himself wearing his dwarf costume, complete with hat and beard.

Eleanor laughed. "That is spot-on Jeanette! She's like that with me, too." She turned the page. "Brittany...Brittany is nice to me. Sometimes it feels like she's babysitting me when she hangs out with me, but she can be a lot of fun. I think of her as my other big sister. She knows just what to wear for every occasion. I like for her to pick my clothes for our concerts or the first day of school, since she knows a lot about stuff like that. She also knows how to do hair, and I've even let her give me a haircut before. She's taught me some dance moves. Sometimes she cries, because Alvin did or said something mean to her, but she tells me that my hugs cheer her up. She gives nice hugs, too!" The drawing had Theodore in front of a full-length mirror, wearing a snazzy-looking three-piece suit and a green bow-tie, with Brittany behind him giving him a thumbs-up.

"Way to see the good in her, Theo!" Eleanor smiled.

"After our earlier conversation," he began with a chuckle, "I might wanna add that she wears a lot of perfume and has to eat gluten-free snack foods."

"No, don't add anything to it." Eleanor pleaded. "I like it the way it is. And I like to know that you can cheer her up after Alvin does or says something mean to her. That way Jeanette and I don't have to deal with an upset, moody, or depressed Brittany that night. So thank you, Theo, I really appreciate what you've been doing to make my sister feel better. She does speak highly of you."

"Sure." He beamed. "Even though Alvin seems to like making her cry, I don't like to see her - or anyone else - cry like that. I don't know how Alvin can make her cry or even watch her cry. I tell him he's just suppressing his real feelings, which of course is not healthy. Sometimes, it even makes him cry after he makes Brittany cry. I once even said to him after they had an argument that even made him cry, 'I thought you liked Brittany.' His eyes went super-big, and he looked like he might get mad, so I added, 'As a friend. And I didn't think friends should be mean to each other like that.' He was like, 'You're right, Teddy-Boy.' Then he went off to apologize to her. Alvin and Brittany can be so complicated sometimes! I never know if they are breaking up or making up, even as friends."

"Yeah," She sighed, "They act like an old married couple who can't decide whether they wanna work things out or get a divorce." Her eyes perked up, and she sat up and glanced around through the opening of the teepee to ensure they were alone. "Oh, that reminds me of something..." She started whispering and being secretive. "I think Brittany does like Alvin, and maybe even in a 'more-than-just-friends' way. As much as she likes to complain about what a jerk Alvin is to her, I think she actually has a relationship with him, and may even be secretly married to him."

"Whaaaat?...!" Theodore exclaimed as he sat up. "How is that possible if we're only nine?"

"Oh, my bad..." Eleanor slapped her forehead. "Sorry, I just had a blonde moment or a brain fart - their avatars are engaged or maybe even married by now on the online game 'Renaissance Faire Life'. Jeanette and I once walked in while she was playing. First of all, we didn't even know Britt had an online gaming addiction. And second, we didn't know she liked Alvin as any more than just a friend. We were like, 'Is that Alvin, your avatar's husband?' She was like, 'Who else would pick a red knight avatar with gold lettering named 'SirAlvinAwesomeness'? And technically we are 'betrothed' in this world. I'm sort of test-driving a relationship with Alvin just to see how things go in this virtual world. I'd like to stay anonymous during this phase of our relationship, at least to him for now. But I'll so go medieval on either of you if you tell Alvin that I'm his online lady-fair, 'PrincessCharlene'.' So Jeanette and I were like, 'OK.' So please don't tell Alvin, or tell Britt that I told you. OK, Theo?"

Theodore's eyes went wide as he put together the information. "'PrincessCharlene' is Brittany? I guess that makes sense, now that you told me her middle name. Isn't she wearing - or isn't her avatar wearing - a red shiny long dress?"

"Yep, that's Britt, AKA - PrincessCharlene!" She nodded.

"Now that you mention it, that avatar character does look a lot like Brittany, only in red instead of pink." Theo nodded.

"She thought she'd be too obvious if her avatar were dressed in pink." She explained. "And she knows Alvin likes red."

"But don't worry, Ellie-Belle," He began, "I won't tell Alvin or Brittany that you shared this with me. And while we're keeping secrets, please don't tell anyone about this book that you're reading, either." To emphasize his point, he held up his right hand, where all the fingers were tucked under the thumb except for his pinky, which was out.

"Thank you, T-Bear! You're the best! I'll keep your secret, too." She held out her hand in the same manner, allowing her pinky finger to latch onto his for a quick shaking.

When they finished their "pinky-swear" handshake, Eleanor picked up the book where she left off, since it was resting next to her. "This may change things once I find out how you really feel about me." She added with a giggle. The page was still on "Brittany", so she took a deep breath and turned the page.

"Eleanor...Eleanor is my best friend in the entire world. She's the only little sibling that I have, since she's the youngest in our whole family. But she doesn't feel so much like a little sister as she does like a twin sister. She gets me and completes me on a level no one else does. She's very understanding, and a good listener, much like her sisters. She also likes green, and her eyes are green like the ocean on a tropical island getaway. We met in Kindergarten, and we made friends even when her manager Ian didn't want us to be friends. It was almost like a 'Romeo And Juliet' situation, only we didn't elope just to tragically die in the end. Who knows? I may want to marry her and have some kids with her one of these days, but today I'm content to just enjoy being best friends with her. I remember reading some funny Irish saying on a baby girl's shirt one time that said, 'Though she be little, she be fierce!' That reminds me of Eleanor - not just because the shirt was a green color for St Patrick's Day. Sometimes she can be sweet and comforting to me like the mom I never knew. But then she can turn around and tear the bullies to pieces who are being mean to me, or any of us. She also likes to cook, and I like to cook with her. And she also helps me practice my soccer, since she's a great athlete, and an encouraging coach. She will say that she's what the girls call a tomboy, but somehow she can look cute doing those tough tomboy things, and I still think she looks really pretty, I would even call her beautiful, but I'm kinda shy to say that to her face - or to any girl, really. Especially that I love her and would like to try being more than just friends with her, but I'm afraid she might not want that, and I don't want to lose her as a friend. So I would be OK with being friends. Sometimes I can't even decide if she's the girl I'd like to date, or the friend I would like to see after the date who wants to know all the details of how the date went. Sometimes she likes to call me 'T-Bear', or even 'Theodore-able'. She is and will always be my Ellie-Belle! She also understands what it's like to be shorter, and we give each other a boost and help each other reach stuff when we cook together. I think we make a great team! Despite her small size, and her status as the youngest in our family, she doesn't let that stop her spunkiness. She has a way of caring for everyone, almost like a mom. And she sees the positive in everything, and the good in everyone. She is probably the sweetest person I know, and one of my best friends in the entire world! She even gives awesome hugs!" The drawing had the two of them holding hands, and a few hearts were floating around them.

"Oh, Theodore!" At this point, Eleanor was even wiping away a few happy tears from her eyes.

"I had already forgotten some of those things I wrote about you..." Theodore slightly blushed.

She turned to face him. "That was just beautiful!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. "I love you, too, Theodore Jameson. My T-Bear!" She pecked a small kiss on his cheek.

"Really?" He smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and upper and mid-back. "I love you, Eleanor Francine. My Ellie-Belle!" He started feeling braver, so he took a brief moment to look into her aqua-green eyes, then he closed his eyes and returned the kiss, but on her lips. She squealed with delight and kissed him back.

A knock at the bedroom door broke them from their trance. As the door swung open, they could hear Jeanette's voice. "Theo? Ellie? Are you guys in here?"

Eleanor handed the journal back to Theodore, and started unfastening some of the clothespins. "We're in here, Jeanette." She said casually.

When the opening was big enough for her to see inside the teepee, Jeanette asked, "What are you guys doing in here?"

"Just playing around, coloring, exchanging recipes, and stuff." Theodore shrugged. The whole time, he was thinking, "OK, acting skills, don't fail me now! I think Jeanette is buying it!"

Eleanor nodded in agreement. "So, what brings you up here, Jeanette?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Dave almost has dinner ready." She replied. "Everyone else is wrapping up their game. You should see it, though, Brittany is actually kicking Alvin's tail on this video game!"

"I'd like to see that!" Theodore stood up, then turned around to help Eleanor stand up.

"I sure hope we haven't missed anything." Jeanette chuckled as she turned to leave the room and go back downstairs, with the two little ones following close behind her.

About the time they reached the stairs, Eleanor patted Theodore on the shoulder and whispered to him. "Wow, Theo, you are quite the thespian!" She even allowed her hand to fall next to his so that they could hold hands.

He smiled at her. "Thanks! And you tasted good, too."

"Whaaat?...!" She squeaked almost loud enough for Jeanette to hear, while slightly blushing. "Thanks, and you're welcome. And you were delicious, yourself."

He giggled as he squeezed her hand.

Thankfully, Jeanette was too focused on the sounds of the video game coming from the living room to notice their conversation. It wasn't long after the three of them entered the living room that they witnessed Brittany's victory.


A/N: Yet another chapter where Brittany's gluten-sensitivity is mentioned, just going out on a limb with that. Not that I buy into the notion that switching to "gluten-free everything" will solve all problems for anyone. Also, I got the idea for Charlene as her middle name from a character I heard about thru the "Chip-vine" who was her prototype (in an old cartoon episode I still haven't seen yet), & now she's using this middle name as an alter-ego avatar of herself. Yeah, another limb I'm climbing for fun. Also I made up the game "Renaissance Faire Life", I was originally going to just have it be "Second Life", but that's already taken. "Renaissance Faire Life" is kind of a nod to the 2015 Nick cartoon episode "Mystic Mountain", where Alvin's avatar is "AlvirianKingOfTheSkies". Brittany having an online gaming addiction is inspired by the "Big Bang Theory" episode where Sheldon gets Penny addicted to "Age Of Conan". As much as I love and admire the innocent, child-like simplicity of Theo & Ellie's relationship (& the "just friends" or "more-than-just-friends" baggage that comes with it), I also have fun exploring the complexities of the love-hate rivalry relationship between frenemies like Alvin & Brittany. I went out on another limb with the "T-Bear" & "Ellie-Belle" nicknames, while she calls him "Theodore-able" (or "The-Adorable") in "The Road Chip". And from a late-1980s or early-1990s movie called "Broadcast News", I heard the line about a guy who can't decide if a certain girl is the one this guy wants to date, or the one he wants to see after the date to ask for details of the date. The Irish saying on the baby girl's shirt, I know I've seen in various catalogues.