Chip In The Head
About This Story: Alvin and Brittany discover a secret about each other that they may have forgotten to discuss to closure with Dave after all these years. They aren't sure how to tell him, especially after another emergency takes priority. Warning: some chapters contain more adult-ish themes than others (chapter warnings provided). Age-wise they are 11. 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 PG-13, for some mentions of a "sex talk" taking place, along with insinuations to rape. As well as mentions of kids watching TV not suitable for kids - including commercials about Viagra and erectile dysfunction, alcohol, enlarged prostate, overactive bladder, birth control, women's underwear, and feminine products. And there's a sort-of romantic moment between some characters.
Pairings: Alvin/Brittany
6. Hand-In-Hand Heart-To-Heart
"We've got sodas!" Dave announced as he entered Alvin's hospital room with Brittany behind him.
Once everyone had a bottle of soda, Brittany bravely hopped onto Alvin's clinic bed to sit next to his right side. She even volunteered to open his drink for him.
"Britt!" Alvin seemed kinda groggy, but he was smiling as he affectionately took hold of her left hand in his right. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me. I missed you!"
"Really?" Brittany blinked as she returned the squeeze to his hand. "I thought you'd be OK with the others for a while, so I could talk to Dave, and get drinks."
"Oh, right..." Alvin smiled. "Thanks for the drinks. And I also wanted to thank you for packing my pajamas and socks, my feet already feel warmer after some of the others helped dress me."
"Aww, they already dressed you?" Brittany seemed disappointed. "And I never got a turn to play 'Dress Up Alvin'. But you're welcome for the drinks and the clothes."
Alvin looked around for a moment. "Well, maybe you can help me get on my shirt, so my back doesn't get cold. We saved you the most challenging part of dressing me."
"Lucky me." Brittany chuckled sarcastically.
Simon got out the button-up pajama top for Brittany to put on him, careful to not disturb the IV port on his left wrist, which was currently not connected to anything. She also didn't want to move his head too much to disturb the ice pack that was now in place. While Brittany was dressing Alvin in her professional manner, Dave slipped away to whisper something to Julie.
"Fifty-three seconds!" Simon looked up from his wristwatch when Brittany finished. "Great job, Brittany! It took Theo and myself two minutes to help him get into his boxers, then another two minutes with his pajama pants, and then it took Eleanor an average of twelve seconds to put on each sock."
"OK, enough, Simon." Alvin sighed. "I'm not in the mood to do math problems right now."
"Yeah, Simon, can't you see he's damaged his left brain?" Jeanette patted Alvin's left foot empathetically.
"It's Alvin. I think he was born with damage to his left brain." Simon winked at his injured brother. "His right brain has always been stronger." He patted Alvin's left hand. "He's always been more of the creative type, so I'm glad his right brain is still intact."
Alvin adjusted the ice pack with his left hand. "But right now, my entire brain is worn out from the never-ending cycle of pain and pain meds."
"The nurse only gave you ibuprofen with a snack about forty-five minutes ago." Simon stated. "They're trying to wean you off the narcotic pain meds. But just ibuprofen shouldn't mess with your head too much. You're just worn out from the pain. Just try to stay quiet and relax."
"Would you like the soothing eye mask? Or any magazines?" Jeanette asked him.
Alvin nodded, but then winced in pain. He glanced over at Brittany on his right. "Since even my creative side doesn't want to work right now, maybe you could help me out, Britt."
"What is it, Alvin?" She asked with concern as she patted his right hand with her left.
"Here's the deal..." Alvin winced again. "The sound of my own voice kinda hurts my head when I talk, either too loud or for a long period of time, especially after moments of moving around a lot. So when people ask me stuff, it hurts to talk to say yes or no..." He took a deep breath to alleviate the pain.
Eleanor interrupted him. "Alvin, maybe that's God's way of telling you to stop talking. Did that ever occur to you?" As she saw Alvin try to nod, then wince again, she explained to Brittany, "But, as you can imagine, it also hurts him to shake or nod his head. We need a less painful method of communicating with him. Any ideas, Britt?"
"Aww, I'm sorry, Alvin." She gently squeezed his hand. "I know there was a time I fantasized about you being unable to talk. But now that it's happening, I don't like it. Without talking, how can you sing? I can't believe I'm saying this, but...Alvin, I'm actually gonna miss your voice."
He squeezed her hand gently, while he tried humming quietly.
That gave Brittany an idea. "Hey, Alvin, just hold onto my hand, or if I'm not here, just hold the hand of whoever sits here. For answering 'yes', just squeeze my hand or pull it closer to you. And for 'no' just push my hand away from you. Will that work for you?"
Alvin blinked, before whispering, "Could you repeat that? I think it might work, OK."
Brittany demonstrated the "yes" and "no" signals a few times before asking him, "Are you ready?" She felt him squeezing her hand to pull it closer toward himself. "So that's a 'yes'! OK then, we can play a game called 'Ask Alvin', where someone asks you a question, and I will answer for them based on the way I feel your hand signals." Alvin chuckled, giving another squeeze to her hand.
"Could I try?" Jeanette asked. When she saw Alvin tug Brittany's hand, she continued, "Alvin, did you still want to try the cooling eye mask?"
Alvin smiled and gave Brittany's hand another squeeze. He continued to smile once the eye mask was in place, with his head resting back on the pillow.
"What about magazines?" Jeanette asked again.
"No thanks." Brittany answered for him when she felt him push against her hand. "I think he wants to relax without any reading or browsing material for now." She felt a tug on her hand. "Wow, I was right about that."
Alvin smiled with his eyes closed, while he whispered, "She totally gets me."
Theodore asked, "Are you feeling better, Alvin?"
Brittany answered as she felt the gentle tug, "Yes, relaxing helps. Maybe in a few more minutes, he will be able to talk normally, without using me as an interpreter. Right?" She saw Alvin smile, while she felt another squeeze of her hand.
Logan chuckled from the chair near Alvin's left foot. "Is it ever freaky to you guys how well Brittany and Alvin understand each other so well? I mean, it's like they have their own language that only they understand. You guys are almost like twins on some level."
Alvin chuckled, but squeezed Brittany's hand.
Brittany glanced over at Alvin, but looked away, slightly blushing. "Yeah, we do hang out and get along at weird, random times. Then we fight, then we're friends again when it really matters. I really couldn't imagine my life without Alvin as a part of it, as much as I have tried to do so at various times while we were fighting over the years. Come to think of it, there have been times when both of us have saved the other's life."
"Really?" Logan asked eagerly. "Have I heard those stories?"
Theodore answered, "There was a time Brittany - along with Eleanor and Jeanette - saved Alvin, Simon, and myself from getting eaten by crocodiles in Fiji. This tribe of natives was trying to sacrifice us, but the girls came along in their hot-air balloon just in the nick of time. And one of the impressive parts of that story was that Alvin and Brittany weren't on the best of terms with each other the last time they saw each other. I was surprised how well they got along for a few days after that."
"Cool! So when did Alvin save Brittany?" Logan wanted to know.
Brittany answered, "I think that would be when we met in Kindergarten, and my sisters and I were in an abusive situation with Ian Hawke and his assistant Giorgio. We had lived with them and toured for a year, and I just thought that was how life was, especially for a group of young pop stars. It wasn't until after we befriended the Chipmunks and got to know Dave that we learned what it was like to have a real family where the members all love and care for each other."
"Wow, I guess you guys have really been through a lot together." Logan blinked in awe. "Total respect, Alvin - and Brittany."
Brittany felt a tug of her hand. "Right back atcha, Logan! From both of us." She smiled.
Logan chuckled mischievously. "So, Alvin, do the wedding bells I'm hearing belong to you and Brittany, instead of my mom and your dad?"
Alvin and Brittany both froze, with slightly reddening faces as Logan continued laughing. The others all exchanged awkward glances at his audacity.
Logan clarified, "I was just kidding, guys. I had to give you a hard time. Sorry, I couldn't resist messing with you."
Jeanette explained as the others laughed awkwardly, "Usually, even if the rest of us are thinking it, we don't say it out loud, since we don't want to jinx it. We're afraid they'll start fighting."
"Yeah, peaceful times between Alvin and Brittany can be so hard to come by." Theodore added.
Brittany felt Alvin pushing against her hand. "That's a 'no' to the wedding bells question? Aww, after all we've been through together?" She seemed disappointed.
Alvin gave her hand a squeeze. He whispered over to her. "But tell Logan to ask again in ten years." He paused. "Wait. How old will we be then? My head still doesn't want to do math."
"We'll be twenty-one." Brittany rolled her eyes, more at Logan than at Alvin.
"Alright! Open bar!" Logan chuckled.
"I hope the drugs wear off by then." Alvin sighed.
Simon explained, "The effects will usually wear off within a few hours, and they should be completely cleared from your system within a few days. What? I looked through your medical chart earlier, and I saw from results of the blood test that your BUN and serum creatinine, and therefore your kidney function is within normal limits."
"Gosh! You're nosy, Simon!" Eleanor observed. "Alvin, do you feel violated, knowing Simon is going through your personal health information?"
"Yes!" Brittany giggled when she felt the familiar tug. "And Alvin says he wants to sue Simon of this month's allowance because of that."
Silently, Alvin held out the palm of his left hand, making a "come-hither" motion with his fingers.
"Pay up, Simon." Brittany giggled as she interpreted for Alvin.
"You think I brought my allowance with me, in cash?" Simon looked puzzled.
But then Alvin motioned to his open mouth, while pretending to pant like a dog.
Simon handed Alvin his uncapped soda bottle from the table. "Oh, you must be thirsty. Here you go."
As Alvin took a drink for a few seconds, Theodore chuckled, "Watching him drink makes me thirsty, and I remember I already finished mine. I also haven't eaten since lunch. So I can't really decide if I'm more hungry or more thirsty."
"I'm kinda hungry and thirsty again, too." Eleanor admitted.
"So am I." Jeanette chimed in.
Julie volunteered, "Dave, I could take anyone who is hungry to the cafeteria. I just don't know where it is."
Dave added, "Well, Brittany and I got a snack and some drinks there earlier. I could show you where it is, and maybe pick up something for Alvin."
As the others all followed Dave out of the room, Brittany stayed next to Alvin. "I'm not that hungry right now, so I'll stay here with Alvin."
Dave looked back toward her. "Thanks, Brittany. Want me to pick up something for you, too?"
Brittany smiled, "Sure. I may be hungry by the time you get back."
Once Dave and the others disappeared, Brittany glanced over at Alvin and saw that he was yawning. "I guess if you're tired, do you mind if I just watch TV for a while? I'll try keeping the volume down."
"Not a problem." Alvin shrugged as he settled back on the pillow. "Between the ice pack, the eye mask, and the pain meds that are still in my system, I'll be fine." He watched her click through a few channels to see what was on TV. "So, I didn't get to ask you earlier, but how did your talk go with Dave?"
"Huh?" She blinked, surprised to hear that Alvin showed this level of interest in her life. "Oh, it was nice to talk to Dave. He was very helpful to me."
"Oh yeah?" Alvin smiled at her. "That's good to hear."
"Yeah." Brittany returned the smile. "But I think we may talk about it more in detail some other time, since we were still kinda in a public area."
"Oh really?" Alvin chuckled. "My talk with him wasn't as detailed as I originally hoped because I just had some powerful pain meds that made me very sleepy. But we at least had enough talk and a good cry to make for a great bonding moment."
"Aww, we had a good cry, too." Brittany squeezed his right hand. "I don't think I would've ever pegged you as the crying type. Or Dave, really."
"Funny how little we actually know each other, even though we've been practically family for the past six years." Alvin laughed along with her. He saw that she had changed the channel, and that she might change the channel again when he stopped her. "Oh, wait! Is this that mystery soap opera with the medical drama?"
"As The Heart Beats?" Brittany gasped.
They both smiled at each other. "I love this show!" They covered their mouths and giggled when they realized they had something in common.
"But please don't tell Dave." Alvin begged. "He won't even let me watch it. And he even has Simon on his side, trying to keep me from watching it. But I just pretend to visit Ms Croner and water her rose bushes or feed her cats, and I will just watch it with her."
"Really?" Brittany laughed. "Jeanette wasn't too crazy about me watching this show in our Treehouse at first, I guess mostly for Eleanor's sake. So, I would just go over to Ms Miller's house to watch it. Once Ms Miller saw me watching this, she watched it with me for a while, but at the end of the show, she started asking if I had questions about what I had seen. She didn't really wait for me to answer, she just started giving me a lecture about sex that was...just so awkward, to say the least. It was a rude awakening for me, since that's when I learned about the meaning of...the dreaded four-letter 'R-word', and I realized it happened to me as a child. But I didn't tell Ms Miller the real reason of why I looked so nauseated during that talk. Lesson learned. Long story short, I'm more comfortable having those kinda talks with Dave than even with other women."
"Yikes!" Alvin winced. "I didn't realize that what happened to me as a child falls under the definition of...the 'R-word', until my talk with Dave today. But I had known what it meant since...well, maybe a little after one of our sex talks either at school or with Dave when I was about eight or nine. Simon tries to 'protect' me from the real meaning of it whenever I watch crime dramas on TV. He still thinks that I think it means 'getting beat up' or something like that, up there with 'mugged'. I don't know, Simon is kinda like Sheldon Cooper on 'The Big Bang Theory', in that he thinks he's better than everyone else." Alvin then did a mocking imitation of his older brother. "Ooh! Look at me! I'm Simon, I'm a super genius chipmunk who is too evolved to ever have coitus. I'm gonna be a forty-year-old virgin someday, but I don't care, I'm too self-disciplined for worldly things like coitus." He rolled his eyes, but smiled as he saw that it was making Brittany laugh.
"Get this..." Brittany began, "Another time I was watching the show alone in our Treehouse. It was a sad episode, so I was crying when my sisters walked in. They were like, 'Oh, Britt, what's wrong?' And I tried changing the channel. By the time they looked at the TV, there was a Viagra commercial on. I think they figured out what I was really watching, since Eleanor was imitating my crying while saying, 'Oh, it's just so sad to see that handsome rich guy with his hot wife and two jet-skis and a great vacation mansion in Saint Lucia, but know he still can't get an erection!' And Jeanette was like, 'You are so busted, Britt!' Wow! It was so embarrassing! But since then, they've grown to like the show, not as much as I do, but they don't mind if I watch it. It's no worse than watching 'The Big Bang Theory' or 'Mom' with Jeanette, or 'Two Broke Girls' or 'Friends' with Eleanor."
Alvin laughed with her. "Wow, the content of the show is already adult-ish enough that Dave doesn't want me watching it, but the commercials that come on during that show are a whole 'nuther story! I feel like I've learned a more about birth control, women's underwear, and other feminine products than an eleven-year-old boy really cares to know. But they're no worse than the commercials that air during sporting events Dave watches with all of us, with alcoholic drinks, partying, violent movie previews, and of course all the drug commercials for large prostates, tiny bladders, and erectile dysfunction. What a wild ride!"
"I know, right?" Brittany laughed again. "But the show has a great blend of comedy and light-hearted moments to make up for the adult romance situations and the heavy drama. It still does make me cry like nothing else, though. Especially if something on the show reminds me of anything that's happened in real life. I don't know why I continue to watch it when it makes me cry. I guess it makes me feel better about my own life."
"True." Alvin nodded. "Sometimes you just need a good cry to...get out all the negative feelings. Or, as Theodore says, crying is like farting, and you feel better afterwards."
They looked at each other and laughed again. Once they calmed down, Brittany asked, "Do you mean, that show has ever made you cry, too?"
"Like a baby!" Alvin sighed. "Did you see that episode where Chelsea was pledging that nursing sorority, so they left her in the graveyard?"
"Oh yeah! I remember that one. I cried, too!" Brittany nodded.
Alvin continued, "Because she was in the graveyard, I thought it was gonna be scary, so I was all intrigued, you know how I like horror and monster movies. But then she came across that section of the cemetery where they buried some babies who were either miscarried or they had otherwise died shortly after birth. And she just started crying, thinking about how loved these babies were, even though some of them didn't have names, they were just 'Baby Boy Brown', or 'Baby Girl Johnson', or 'The Thompson Triplets'. Naturally, that one made me cry, being a triplet myself. Just the way she felt for the families who lost their babies... But she was kinda happy that something like that could make her cry."
"Since she hadn't been able to cry after starting on antidepressants three years earlier." Brittany finished. "In a way I felt jealous of Chelsea, wondering if antidepressants would work for me."
"You've been feeling sad?" Alvin squeezed her hand. "Oh, Britt, I had no idea! I'm sorry if anything I've done recently has been making you feel bad. Whether I've teased you without mercy, or...had accidents at the beach causing you to stress out and worry about me. I'll try to be more careful."
"Oh, it's OK, Alvin." She squeezed his hand. "I'm sure you didn't mean to get hurt at the beach. And I think I've just been...preoccupied with so many things lately, that I don't think I can blame you for much of it. If anything, you haven't been adding to my problems lately, you've actually given me a little...comic relief. Maybe even encouragement. I mean, you're someone else who understands what it's like to be under two feet tall in a world of people who are five or six feet tall, and many of them don't even notice you. Sure, I want to have a lot of friends, and dress cute, and do my hair and makeup nice every day. But, hey, will appearance really matter as much if I get stepped on? I guess it helps seeing you with all your friends, trying contact sports with guys four or five times taller than you, and ten times bigger than you. Or facing bullies that are also that much bigger than you. You don't seem scared at all."
"Well, I've sure got you fooled." Alvin shrugged. "I mean, I still worry about my tail getting stuck in a doorway, or getting stepped on, or slipping on the edge of a public urinal and either falling backwards and having a head injury, or falling forwards into some pee - some of it could be mine, but I'm sure some of it belongs to some complete strangers."
"Eww! That sounds awful!" Brittany winced empathetically. "But, I do feel better after listening to you share many of your...daily struggles and stories."
"Yeah, totally!" Alvin agreed. "Now that we know we are both fans of 'As The Heart Beats', maybe we could get together sometime to binge-watch it in the Treehouse. You know, so Dave and Ms Miller don't know. I could bring popcorn!"
"That would be awesome!" Brittany shared a high-five with him for a moment. "Wow, to think that I didn't know earlier today that you were a fellow 'Heart-Head'. Now, this is the kind of secret I would rather share with you than...the whole childhood experience with Ian and Giorgio."
"For sure!" Alvin chuckled as he watched a bit of the show with Brittany. At one point, he actually felt brave enough that he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. She smiled at him, and reciprocated his show of affection by resting her head against his shoulder and humming.
The two of them would react to the show for a while. Brittany scoffed, "Uh, Veronica, don't you be judging Chelsea for making eyes at your brother Victor!"
Alvin replied. "Right! Veronica, we all know what you did with Chelsea's brother Charlie, and it was waaay worse! We like Chelsea too much to let you get away with it!"
"Totally!" Brittany nodded as she rested back on Alvin's shoulder. "Funny, that I don't think I cared much for Chelsea until that graveyard scene. I didn't hate her, but I guess I just didn't relate to her until then, when I realized she just seems unfeeling because of the antidepressants. But then I saw she has a kind, caring heart."
"I liked Chelsea a lot more after that scene, too!" Alvin agreed. "And I think I was crying with her during that scene because it made me think of how our cousin Toby and his wife - Julie The Younger - had a miscarriage with their own baby just this past year close to Christmas. To think, I was almost upgraded to an uncle, or an uncle-cousin or cousin-uncle, whatever they would call me, since Toby is already Dave's cousin."
"Yeah, it made me cry for the same reason." Brittany sighed. "They would be wonderful parents, and I was excited about being a cousin-aunt or auntie-cousin. I always thought it sounded weird to be thought of as a 'second' or 'third-cousin', like we were just barely a step above total strangers. So I'm glad they would just call us aunts or uncles. Now, it'll be confusing once Dave marries Julie Garcia - God willing, of course - since there would be two Julie Sevilles in this town, married to two different cousins."
"Relax, I've already got that taken care of." Alvin grinned. "That's why I call Toby's Julie 'Julie The Younger'."
Brittany sarcastically chuckled. "Oh, you sure did take care of that! You know how women love to be told they are 'older', or stuff in reference to their age. That's a great way to start things off with your future step-mom. She'll just love you!"
Alvin shuddered. "Oh...yeah... On second thought, maybe we'll have to call Toby's Julie 'Julie O' since she kinda hyphenated her maiden name as Julie Ortega-Seville."
"Did it ever occur to you that the Julie who marries Dave would just be called 'Mom'?" Brittany giggled.
Alvin chuckled. "That must've been stored in the part of my brain that took a hit. Or got drugged." They shared a laugh for a moment, then they sighed simultaneously. "For all the times we fight, it's great to realize we're friends deep down, and that we can hang out like friends."
Brittany rolled her head over to look at him from its resting place on his shoulder, while patting his chest with her right hand. "I like hanging out with you, too."
Alvin blinked as he realized how much he enjoyed that. And a smile grew on his face, one side at a time. "So, it's like we became best friends when we learned how much we both like this show... Just think, after binge-watching a few marathons together, we might be practically married."
Brittany laughed. "Yeah, wouldn't the paparazzi love that?" She changed her hand's patting motion into a rubbing motion. She even started humming as she felt more relaxed and more at ease with Alvin.
Alvin wasn't sure if this was one of those moments where he should kiss her. He sure felt an urge to kiss her! But what if she didn't want to be kissed? What if she only wanted to be friends? What if his kiss reminded her of the inappropriate ways Giorgio used to kiss her? And what if she forgot about his injury and slapped him away, giving him another headache? Or worse - what if she told Dave? Would he be grounded, even if Dave just knew Alvin felt like kissing her? Oh, how he enjoyed the sensation of Brittany snuggling up next to him, rubbing his chest! He decided to take it slow, leaning in just a little more. "Brittany?" He whispered softly.
"Yes, Alvin?" She looked into his eyes, leaning in just a little closer to him.
A sound at the door made them jump back. "Hey, guys, I brought back some snacks and drinks we could share, and some potato soup for Alvin." It was Dave. As he set down the food and drink items, he looked up at the TV screen, where "As The Heart Beats" was still on. "Are you sure this show is appropriate for your age?"
"Oh, sorry, Dave." Brittany changed the channel. "I was channel surfing for a while, then I was helping Alvin get comfortable, he dozed off at one point, and I think I did, too. At least until you came back."
"Oh, OK." Dave was too tired and hungry to question her further. "The others are eating in the cafeteria. Now, I don't want to betray any confidential or personal information you guys shared with me about the childhood situation, but I at least told the others a little heads up about the situation in general, so they can help you if I'm not around. They love you guys and want to help you, too."
"Thanks, Dave." They both smiled up at their father.
Dave reached his hand over to rub his son's chest. "How are you feeling now, Alvin?"
A/N: "As The Heart Beats" is a made-up TV show. I imagined it would be the combination of a mystery/crime drama (like CSI or SVU), a medical comedy (like "Scrubs", but with the occasional "trauma-drama" that kids wouldn't want to see), a show where sometimes they have heavy issues (like "Mom", again - not really for kids), in a soap opera vibe (the name alone reminds me of the title "As The World Turns"). Just for fun, I imagined the title where all of the "A's" (like in "As", "HeArt", and "BeAts") look like a heartbeat blip on an ECG (or EKG) scan.
The graveyard scene they talk about on their favorite show is based on a real-life event, where I was touring a local cemetery for historical and tourist reasons and I came across that same section of the cemetery. It was kinda eerie, in that I could almost hear babies crying. But I cried more than I had cried in a long time (since I started on antidepressants, myself), just thinking about the families who had lost their babies. Some would've been older than me if they had lived! It was beautiful, though. I also prayed at that moment for my cousin Alan and his wife Jamie, who had lost their little guy (Lincoln Jack) to a miscarriage near Christmas. I would also be called a "cousin-aunt" or an "auntie-cousin", since "second-cousin" sounds like barely a step above "total stranger".
Toby Seville and Julie Ortega-Seville are from "The Squeakquel". Just going out on a limb in guessing that they ended up married by now. The Chipettes saved the Chipmunks from crocodiles in Fiji during "The Chipmunk Adventure". Alvin and Brittany had a temporary truce during my fanfic that takes place after that save, "The Missed Adventure". The Chipmunks save the Chipettes from Ian Hawke and Giorgio in my fanfic "Chip-ergarten". Ian is from the live-action movies from 2007-2011, Giorgio is an OC.