Royal Hearts
Chapter 7:
Fractured Hopes By: Starry Nights3½ weeks later
Torture.
The three layer cake oozed with chocolate, sprinkles and little sprinkles. It was perfection. It was a sweet tooth's dream. Alvin sighed and munched quietly on his rice cake. Although the doctor did say that he could have some sweets as long as he didn't over do it, Dave took no chances. He put Alvin on a strict diet. A diet that which Alvin thought was pure torture and a diet, despite the length of time he'd been put on it, he never got used to. Right now, all he wanted was some of that cake.
"Ellie, thanks for bringing some over."
"No problem. Want some milk?"
"Sure."
Alvin watched the scene play out before him. Theodore was slowly munching down on Ellie's latest cake creation while the cook herself was still busing herself in the kitchen. She brought out Theodore's glass of milk and hummed to herself while walking back to the kitchen.
"Theodore?"
"Hmm?"
"You know I'd do anything for you right?"
Theodore looked up and raised an eyebrow. "I guess so."
"I need you to do me a HUGE favor."
"Oh no, no, no. Last time I did you a huge favor I ended up in a mermaid costume on our front lawn."
"I just want a piece of cake."
"But Dave said…"
"I know what he said…but you know one piece is not going to kill me."
"I don't know."
"One tiny piece. Nobody will know but me and you."
"But…"
"Besides, you could get in trouble for merely tempting me like this."
He sighed. "Okay…just one piece…"
"Over my dead body."
Alvin frowned and leaned back into the chair. "Damn."
"Hi Jeanette." Theodore shuffled out of his chair. "Hi Brittany."
Jeanette grinned and patted Alvin on the shoulder before retreating to find Simon (who was more than likely in his lab) thus leaving Alvin and Brittany alone.
"I swear it was only going to be one bite."
Brittany sat down next to him.
"You know how good Ellie's cakes are. It was wrong of her to bring some here."
She pulled off her jean jacket and placed it next to her.
"Are you mad? I know I promised that I would take care of myself but you know that one piece was not going to harm me."
She simply stared at him.
"Say something."
"Remember when we first started going out," Brittany said in a small whisper.
"Of course I do."
She placed a finger on his lips. "Don't interrupt me. I had the flu on the weekend of our first date and you turned my front lawn into some kind of freak show so that I wouldn't be miserable all weekend."
He laughed. "Y'know when the sun hits the grass at the right light you can still see some glitter."
"I never did figure out something."
"What?"
"How'd you get Theodore into the mermaid suit?"
"Simon refused to do it."
She giggled. "So what are we doing today?"
"I thought I'd let you decide."
"Good. Go get your jacket and don't ask any questions until we get there."
Somewhere an hour later:
"I think you've officially lost your mind."
"Alvin, shut up."
"I'm serious. I haven't walked this long since…I have never walked this long!"
"Please, you train longer than this."
"So what's your point?"
"Alvin!"
"Fine, fine." He muttered. "I don't see what's out here that could possibly be of any interest."
"Sometimes you complain worse than a child."
"That's not true."
"Yeah, it is. 'Brittany, my legs burn,' or 'Honey, why do want to torture your boyfriend?' or my personal favorite 'I don't think I have legs anymore…"
"I don't sound like that." he muttered sourly.
Brittany had to stifle her giggles before answering him. "Of course not."
"Thank you."
"You sound worse."
Alvin stalked ahead of her. "Some girlfriend you are."
She shrugged. "Come on, you know I love you."
"Yeah," he stopped. "Are we almost there?"
"Only a few more miles to go."
"How much more is 'a few'?"
"Don't worry. Just follow me."
He reluctantly followed. "Last time you said that I got grounded for a month."
Finally after what seemed like an hour of walking to Alvin, Brittany stopped. She took a sip of her water bottle and sat down on a nearby boulder. "Where are we?" she asked him.
Alvin looked around. They were atop a hill. Slowly he approached the edge and looked over and with his keen sight he saw a grove not too far away. It was pretty, true. It was summer and the area was in full bloom. Trees were lush and large as the flower sprouted up in unimaginable numbers and colors. Honestly he didn't recognize the place but he didn't want to say that lest he hurt Brittany's feelings so instead he said.
"It's beautiful."
She glanced at him and laughed. "You have no idea where we are."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
"Alvin…"
"Okay, I don't," he paused. "Should I know? If I should then I'm sorry…"
"It's okay. I would be surprised if you did remember."
He turned away from the ledge. "Why?"
"You've never been here before."
"Huh?"
"I had only told you about this place."
Alvin walked back over to the ledge and sat down. A few moments later he could feel Brittany intertwine her fingers with his and they sat like this in comfortable silence.
*~*
"…It's so lovely in the summer. Trees are everywhere and the flowers are so pretty. Ms. Miller brought us here a few times just like how Dave brought you guys back to your mother's place a few times."
"What's so special out there that would make you go back?"
"Chipmunk…animals that talk…like us. Somewhere I belong."
"So it's like a magical forest?"
"Alvin! Be serious."
"I'm sorry but I don't understand. I don't know a thing about that place but I'm a chipmunk…and obviously I'm talking."
"The rumor is…"
"There's a rumor about us?"
"Not necessarily. It's just that many animals try to leave that place and live with others of their kind but eventually they go back because they simply do not fit in."
"So that place is like…enchanted."
She smiled. "I guess so."
"Are there any other animals that live amongst others in the human world?"
"Not many. You'd be surprised at how many animals are very reluctant about that."
"Understandable," he stopped for a moment then, "What do you think?"
"I think I found a place to grow old in. I found a place to have my children first. I want them to grow up amongst our kind first unlike my sisters and me. We didn't know we were different until…"
"I understand. I want to go there."
"Really?"
"Sure, I want to see where you plan on having our kids."
"Our?"
"Our."
*~*
Alvin nodded. "I remember."
"Still want to go?"
"I didn't walk this far so we'd have to turn back."
"It was not that far."
"I bet you didn't say that the first time you walked here."
"That's not the point."
He squeezed her hands. "This is really important to you, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I needed to find a place where I truly belong and I think this is it."
He stood up and extended his hand. "Ready?"
"Born ready."
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A/N: :nervous laugh: When I first started typing this story or this chapter rather I'd never thought it end up here. I had originally planned to make this chapter about how Alvin tries to cope with his new illness (as you can see by the beginning) but I thought that would be too predictable then I got stuck wondering where this story was going to go (so that could probably explain why it took so long to push this chapter out) but then my muse had a different idea. Since most of this story is about Alvin and Brittany why don't we officially make this story about them? I adore Alvin and Brittany and love working with their inner thoughts. So then that's when this forest comes into play for Brittany. If you think I've gone off the deep end just let me know and I can do this whole chapter again. E-mail me if you want to talk, complain, criticize, agree or disagree but as usual reviews are always accepted. I'm ~*Starry Nights*~
