Wednesday afternoon. It was nearing five o'clock. Things were a little different in the hotel room. Theodore moved out of the room, and checked into a new one with Eleanor. He would still be going home the same time as the others, but he needed space with Eleanor, for she was a little unsettled after the events of last night. Jake hadn't been in contact yet; perhaps he knows of her whereabouts. One thing she did know however was that Theodore was going to be there for her. She hadn't exactly reacquainted herself with Alvin and Simon yet, but being with Theodore was enough.

The red-clad chipmunk decided to chill out in a little coffee shop across from the airport. He sat next to the window. Alvin sighed as he gazed out at the sight of aeroplanes shooting off into the perfect blue sky. Too many times had he seen that sight – once, and that was enough for him. He sipped at his hot mug of cocoa and watched the passer-bys. They all looked rather excited. They were leaving Australia and going somewhere exotic no doubt. Brittany would be leaving the next day. France. He'd been there once with his brothers and the Chipettes on a tour, but he never had the chance to explore the country. Must be something good, if Brittany's going. Brittany. Alvin's heart sank at the thought of his old rival leaving again. Sure, he argued with her non-stop but doesn't every guy argue with their crush? Yes, all those years. He was too egotistical to admit it but deep down, he harboured feelings for the pink-clad chipette. Too bad that he couldn't act on it.

Several minutes ticked by in the coffee shop. Alvin had finished his cocoa ages ago, but he enjoyed sitting and watching the people outside. Happy smiles, big suitcases. Not one person looked unhappy, except for one mysterious looking lady with a small pink suitcase. She looked miserable. She wore a pink fitted jacket with jeans and tall, pink high heels. Long, strawberry-blonde hair was tied into a neat ponytail. Alvin's eyes went as wide as dinner plates at the sight. This was no lady, this was Brittany! But she was supposed to be leaving tomorrow! In a panic, Alvin quickly scrambled to his feet and dodged past the many table dotted around him. Whenever he accidentally knocked someone's drink over, he would apologise and be on his way. He had to stop her!

The pink-clad chipette walked slowly up the steps to the airport entrance. She didn't exactly want to leave, but her future depended on it. She quickly looked back on her surroundings before proceeding to the entrance. She wasn't supposed to be leaving today, but she figured that the sooner she left the better. One more step forward, and she would be half way to her new future in France. She drew in a sharp breath of air and moved her foot forward, until a loud yell distracted her.

"Brittany!" Him. It was him. What was he doing here? What, was he stalking her now? She kept moving and tried to ignore the calls from behind her. "Brittany don't leave! Brittany!"

He was behind her now, literally and metaphorically. Brittany tried to push him out of her mind but he wouldn't move.

"Brittany! Don't go!" She quickly turned and glared at the red-clad chipmunk that stood a few steps down. "Brittany!"

"What?" she screeched, scowling fiercely at Alvin.

"You can't go! I won't let you!"

"That's too bad Alvin, now excuse me!" She turned again made her way through the doors. Alvin followed.

"Brittany!" Alvin called again, rushing through the crowds to catch up with her. Once they reached a quiet area, Brittany stopped dead and turned to face Alvin.

"What is it Alvin? My flight arrives in five minutes!"

"Your flight wasn't even supposed to come today! You told me you were leaving Thursday. Why did you lie?"

"I didn't lie! It was a last minute change!"

Alvin frowned at her. "Do you really have to go?"

"Yes Alvin," Brittany sighed. "I'm going to France, and you're not going to try and stop me."

"Oh yeah? Go ahead, because I know you won't do it. You won't leave!"

"Why are you so adamant to stop me anyway? You hate me Alvin, you even said so yourself several times. I thought you would be happy I'm going." Brittany looked curiously at Alvin, wondering why he was trying so hard.

"I-I...Brittany...I-"

"The flight for France is now boarding." Damn that intercom. Alvin's face fell as he watched Brittany gather her belongings and head for the plane. No! He had to stop her! He was about to try shouting for her again, but it was obvious that his voice wasn't being heard. How could he make his voice heard? Eureka! Alvin scanned the room quickly and grinned in delight when he found what he was looking for. He ran as fast as he could to a desk and hastily grabbed a microphone from it. He cleared his throat.

"Brittany Miller!" His voice boomed loudly and clearly through the microphone. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks to hear what he had to say, intrigued by his lack of uniform. Brittany stilled , refusing to look in fear of being embarrassed. Alvin smiled in satisfaction as he gained everyone's attention. "I know you can hear me, so I'm going to come out with it. Brittany, I won't allow you to leave! You can argue, and you can keep telling me that I'm not going to stop you, but once you've heard what I have to say, I'm sure you'll change your mind."

"Get on with it then!" An impatient voice called out from the crowd. People these days. Can't a guy show his affection for somebody in public anymore? A small smile formed on Brittany's face.

"Okay, okay! Okay. Brittany, please, I'm begging you, please don't go to France! That country isn't ready for you yet, because this one isn't finished with you. When you left America, my heart shattered into a million pieces. And now, you're leaving Australia. Brittany, I don't think I would cope with the pain again. So please, stay. I know I have no right, like you said, we hated each other. But that changed. Brittany, I-I was trying to tell you, but you never listened. I-I... love you. I love your smile, and your beautiful eyes. If you leave, I'll be a broken man. And just in case you missed it, I love you Brittany!"

An array of awing could be heard from the crowd. Alvin put the microphone back down as confidently as he could and waited for a response from a speechless Brittany. She stood there, trying to comprehend what he had just said. Did he really just say that he loved her? No, it couldn't be real. Alvin would never love her, he hated her! But the way he said it, it sounded so real. The words kept playing in Brittany's mind. Silence filled the crowded room. Everyone was waiting to hear what this chipette had to say. She was about to turn and see if Alvin was still standing there, but the sounds of squealing and giggling gained her full attention. She snapped around to see a young looking blonde woman launch herself onto Alvin.

"Oh you are such a romantic! Forget her, be mine! What do you say, handsome?" Alvin had the look of clear shock as this stranger hugged him tightly. He tried to shake her off but her grip was tight.

"I-I-I, can you please let go? I-I can't really breathe..."

"Is that because I've taken your breath away?" The woman giggled and began to play with Alvin's hair. Brittany nodded - a self-confirming nod - and watched with glaring eyes. This was exactly why she didn't trust Alvin. She crumpled up her nose and rushed off before tears began to fall. She was angry, but she was hurt too. Pain swept over her. She was right; Alvin didn't just say those words. He was just a selfish, good for nothing brat who caused pain and suffering for all those around him. A few strands of her hair escaped the ponytail as she ran away from the scene.

Alvin watched her run disappointedly. Thanks to this complete stranger, the love of his life was leaving. Frustrated and desperate to catch her, Alvin pushed away the blonde woman and rushed after Brittany. But was he too late? The intercom did say that the plane was boarding, perhaps Brittany was already on the plane by now. He could only get as far as the security section. The red-clad chipmunk stopped and fell to his knees. How could this have happened again? Silent tears fell from his eyes and he realised that she was gone. He was too late.

"Why me? Why does it always happen to me? Oh, this was all my stupid fault. I'm such a stupid idiot!" Alvin punched the ground in frustration, much like the last time and began to hate himself again. He just had to accept that Brittany was never going to be a part of his life anymore. Her sparkling baby blue eyes, her dazzling white smile, and her feisty personality. That feistiness that made him fall for her over and over again. Now she was gone. He threw his cap to the ground and sobbed into his hands. All that effort faded into nothing. She was gone. How could he return to his brothers after this screw-up? All that money spent on this trip, and for what? To look like a fool, again. Sniffing, he wiped at his eyes with his sleeve and looked up slowly. Everything was blurry. But he knew where he was. Sudden flashes of pink caught his attention, as his surroundings slowly came into focus. Alvin rubbed at his eyes and peered closely. It wasn't just pink, it was-

"Brittany!" Alvin gasped, putting his cap back on. He watched with anticipation as she walked slowly over to him, face blank. Standing, he tried to overcome the surprise, but it wasn't shifting. By now, the plane will have taken off. So why was she here? The chipette stopped once they were mere inches apart, a seriously conflicted expression upon her features. Alvin waited for her to say something, but nothing escaped her lips. Instead, her lips were on his, desperately seeking purchase. Her hands gripped on to whatever they could - his hair, his cheeks, his shoulders. Her breathing was ragged, as though she had been running for miles. The chipmunk was taken aback, eyes widening upon contact. But he didn't complain. He melted into the sudden kiss, melding their lips together. He wasn't sure where it was going, or why she did it, but he loved every second of it.

Eventually, they parted, and Brittany looked at him in defeat, which prompted the chipmunk to speak.

"Britt, w-what was-?"

"Alvin," Brittany breathed. "I... I don't know where to begin with you. I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that I just can't- I can't just..."

"Can't what?"

"I can't leave," she replied, a sad smile on her face. "I forgot to check in."

"Oh," Alvin said, unsure whether to feel happy or not. But the kiss... She needed to explain.

"Alvin, you remember the bar on Monday night? And that song?" The chipmunk nodded. "It hit me then. Everything just came rushing to me at once and I couldn't control it. I had to get away."

"From what? What hit you? What are you talking about?"

"Tell me, did you mean what you said back there?"

"Yes, but I still don't-"

"Then I love you too," she whispered, a sudden vulnerability about her. "And there's nothing we can do about it."

Alvin flinched. He felt happy - surprised - but so incredibly happy. His mouth stretched into a grin. Words he didn't realise he was waiting so long to hear.

"Does this mean you'll forgive me?" He stroked one of her cheeks.

"Don't push it," Brittany said, her confident attitude taking hold of her again as she swatted his hand away. Smirking, the chipmunk grabbed his counterpart and lowered her to the ground, holding her in the exact same way he did in the nightclub, balancing her in his arms. She spluttered. "Alvin! What are you doing? I swear if you drop me-"

Her rant were interrupted by Alvin's lips crashing down onto hers, and she happily obliged

Both had at first seemed so unsure of one another. They would constantly argue, and have competitions which would lead into wild adventures. Never would they imagine that they would be here. They had hinted at it, and maybe they did secretly like each other when they were young, but now it was all for real. They were in love. Their young, playful demeanours still remained, but now they were mature, and ready for the adult world. They were counterparts, and now, they had each other.