AATC: Territory

Well, it's before the end of the week. I actually got started within fifteen minutes of posting AATC 20. (August 22, 2016) Dedication huh? Well, I guess that's it. It's time for a new timetable of ten, as this is the last priority of this order.

10. AATC 21 (4-5k)

I don't know what the next timetable will be like, but it will be within a month, I promise you.

You can chisel that in granite.

21.

Dave could tell that his son still hadn't come home to the hotel, but strangely, he didn't mind…even though the readout of the clock on the wall told him that it was almost midnight.

He had had a lot of time to think in those hours since he had yelled at him, and had come to the realization that he was just another stiff-necked parent. Sure, he was strict. Sure, he was (excessively) loud. Sure, he was repetitive with his practically trademarked yell of his red son's name but then again, he was only human.

This was Miami. This was the place that everyone sought to stay away from if they were musicians. He knew that this place, maybe the whole State itself was monopolized by one man…a very dangerous man who had used his talent, ruthlessness and influence to rise to the top of the pile, and then used veto-like authority to basically run the state…music wise. For a place like Miami that seemed like an entertainment hub, to have a monopoly on the music was a sure-fire way to get rich, get drunk on power then stay that way. The only downside was that the man had gotten insecure for a long time, and anyone who even thought of passing through had either made it damn quick, get a near military-like escort, pay their dues or prepare to take a dirt nap or wear concrete shoes all the way to the bottom of a deep water body. Enough said.

Dave knew he had a lot to worry about. They had long overstayed their welcome, just by showing that they weren't tourists. They were touring…period. They were here to sing for three concerts and they had their second one tomorrow, before the final one next week Saturday. But what Alvin had done earlier tonight had cause his paternal instincts (almost maternal, if Valerie had to give her opinion on it,) to go off the graph. It could be in his nature to worry, but he only wanted what was best for them. Why couldn't they see that?

But then Brittany had defended Alvin…as if he were the villain in that scenario.

Maybe it was 'villainous' of him to act like that. What's worse, he knew that she was right. Perhaps his son really was maturing, despite his brash tendencies from time to time. He couldn't help but crack a smile as he remembered when Brittany had defended him. He had always thought that the two would hit it off, and they nearly kissed each other on the floor in front of him. Something told him that they were on autopilot and hadn't been fully aware of what they were doing. Maybe the time would soon come and he'd have to give Alvin 'The Talk'. Dave had to suppress a shiver at that, knowing that it might end in a disaster. But what of Brittany? No one would be there to tell her 'The Talk', since Ms. Miller had passed on. Perhaps the chipette already knew. Girls should be more are of things like that, right?

The clock struck midnight, and Dave just sat in his chair and sighed as he listened to the dozen chimes play out from the clock before all went silent. He decided to check up on the chipettes; a small change of routine should keep him awake. He was getting a bit sleepy.

Heaving himself up, he put on his bed slippers and shuffled over to the door to exit it. He did the deed and left his suite, but he had to hesitate when he heard something like singing in the chipettes' room next door.

Turning the knob slowly, he then gently pushed the door open just enough to stick his head in so he could hear better, and realized that it was Alvin. As he were, he was afraid to move lest he make a noise, so he decided to stay still and listen.

=X=X= (30 mins before)

A disgruntled Seville walked up the steps, not sure if he should be angry at the tweets, or fearful risking more ire and flak from Dave. He knew that it would be midnight, but he didn't dare to try and face the man while he was asleep. Hopefully, he could just sneak in after his adoptive father fell asleep, but sooner or later, he'd (Alvin) be asleep. Whether he was sitting or even standing, it'd matter little; he was that tired, tired enough to fall asleep with his eyes open during a metal concert...while playing...while standing…while on fire.

Finally making it to his suite that he shared with his father and brothers, he prudently leaned his head against the door to listen. He heard nothing but mutterings and sighs. Typical Dave.

Alvin moaned from disappointment. Then what else was he supposed to do? His father had been lay-waiting him, no doubt. Deciding that there was only one alternative, he decided to head on over to the chipette's room. He hesitated a bit, but he tried the knob. He grinned to himself; what a break! The door was unlocked, no doubt because of someone's recklessness.

'At least something's going right!' He stepped inside on tiptoe and shut the door behind him. He heard what sounded like shifting in the bedroom. He reasoned it to be someone in there moving in their sleep and he thought that that was fortunate; no one would be around to see him or judge him.

Or cast him out.

He headed to the bedroom in a beeline and took in the sight of Eleanor, Jeanette and Brittany. The three were all in pajamas already, fitted in their colours and fast asleep. But he had eyes only for one, and that bed! That double bed! The bed that Brittany was resting on was more than large enough for her to share with him. The problem was, his important other was asleep, and he wasn't willing to wake her up, tell her some ridiculous story about how he was trying to avoid Dave, and then beg her so that he could bum a night's sleep on the bed next to her.

He quickly got out of his track suit and sneakers while in the room, leaving himself clad only in a pair of red underpants and a white undershirt. That should suffice for just one night; besides, he was intending to be gone before she woke up, anyway. He was just hoping that she was a sound sleeper and that she'd never rise between now and dawn.

With a grateful sigh, he got into the bed, took off his cap to lay it on the nearby table and rest his head on the pillows, staring up into the ceiling. He almost fell off into dreamland at once, and he couldn't understand why. Flashes of the day and night's events kept running through his mind and to make it worse, he looked away from the ceiling and to the left, right into Brittany's face. The chipmunk was sure that she had been silently asleep, but now...

Was she...crying?

He sighed quietly to himself. It wasn't the first time he had seen this. It had happened frequently in the past, particularly when he used to keep her company overnight during the tragic summer. Moreover to the point, it seemed that the chipette had never really gotten over her nightmares of that catastrophic summer. He always knew in the back of his head that she hadn't gotten past her past, but she held up such a great front that she wasn't hurting. Perhaps her singing that song in Richmond had only served to make things worse.

He had thought she was getting better. She seemed to have been sleeping better ever since arriving here in Miami; he didn't know why, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Why wasn't she sleeping as she had?

He hoped it was a short spell, but he was wrong. She got a bit louder, and he suddenly found himself praying that she wouldn't cry herself awake, as she usually did. Or even make enough noise to wake her sisters; he was a trespasser, after all. He was probably breaking more than just one taboo at this point, and wondered how he could (comfort) help her.

'Huh? Comfort? Where the heck did that word come from?' Alvin though, immediately became confused. 'I need to (comfort) help her. Damn it! What does my brain mean by 'comfort'?! I'm thinking 'help'. We're friends. Comfort sounds like couple stuff. Maybe even Theo's area of expertise.'

Well, Theodore wasn't around now, was he?

Tentatively, Alvin reached out slowly and lay his hand over and around her shoulder.

Didn't work.

After extreme hesitancy, his hand went on autopilot and moved his hand to her face cup her cheek, before stroking away her tears with his thumb. That helped a lot, but it mightn't be enough, as her volume's plateau was still too high for comfort.

"Brittany?" He whispered. Caution was fleeing him and he neglected to say her name anymore. "It's alright. You're fine."

Her tears barely ebbed, and he could feel himself growing desperate. Now, he wasn't sure if he was still doing it to keep her from waking up or if he was doing it purely for her sake. Something deep-seated told him that he was doing it for her sake, and the thought made him smile a bit, of all things.

Music wasn't life...but it was an important part of it. In fact, too important part of it. He knew that perhaps there was a song that could reach her, wherever she was. Right? That was what lullabies were for, right? That's what comfort songs were for, right?

Right?!

That logic made sense to him, and after some careful thought about the situation, thought up the lyrics of a song. It was impressive, to basically write a song in such a situation he was caught in without any stress, remember it and imagine a tune.

If someone else was watching, they'd think that Alvin was pulling on some sort of other dimensional repository of songs for inspiration, but it just came to him. It came to him naturally and he started singing, doing it softly:

~Late at night I could hear the crying.
I hear it all, trying to fall asleep.
When all the love around you is dying
How do you stay so strong?
How did you hide it all for so long?
How can I take the pain away?
How can I save…

A fallen angel, in the dark?
Never thought you'd fall so far.
Fallen angel, close your eyes.
I won't let you fall tonight,
Fallen angel.

Alvin noted how the chipette was calming down. It made him feel good inside, knowing that he was helping her. He didn't pity her at all; she didn't need it. He just believed that she deserved better. She had never wronged anyone, but why did it seem to be that bad things sought to befall her? It made him feel a bit angered inside as he recalled the night's tweets, but he beat himself up mentally to keep focused on the girl that needed his attention more than the evil that people did.

You do it all for my own protection.
You make me feel like I'll be okay.
Still I have so many questions,
How do you stay so strong?
How did you hide it all for so long?
How can I take the pain away?
How can I save…

A fallen angel, in the dark?
Never thought you'd fall so far.
Fallen angel, close your eyes,
I won't let you fall tonight.
Fallen angel, just let go,
You don't have to be alone,
Fallen angel, close your eyes.
I won't let you fall tonight.

He finished the second part of the song and was nigh ready to do the bridge. He had been gradually increasing volume a bit, but it still wasn't too audible that it should wake Brittany, or any of the other chipettes. He had been singing into her face though, and although it was all a bit more than a whisper, it would be loud and clear to anyone who was awake…besides himself, that is.

He meant every word of it. She had stopped crying now, and he noticed how she seemed to have been inching towards him in her sleep and hugged him tightly to herself as one would a pillow. He was nearly knocked clean out of his wits, but he soon realized that he enjoyed the act. So much so, in fact, that he reciprocated the act in his way as well. But that small act of intimacy soon came to an end as Brittany's eye cracked open a small bit and smiled gently.

"Hey Alvin."

He didn't dare answer. He felt like he was caught in a very compromising position, but somehow, it didn't feel that bad. Like he belonged at Brittany's side. Whether it was out or in, in public or private, up or down, standing together or even hugging together in a bed that he trespassed. He didn't feel like actually trying run away, but he knew that if she told him to leave, he'd do it whether he wanted to or not. It wasn't as if he had a choice.

"Why'd you stop? I was enjoying it," she whispered into his face, her breath feathering his nerves there like tiny kisses. He trembled a bit from the sensation and he tried to bring himself to understand what she had just said.

"Huh? The song?" He asked in a bewildered tone.

"Yeah. The song," she affirmed.

"How much did you hear?" He had to know.

"I woke up just before you started, but I didn't open my eyes."

"That was…" He wanted to chastise her, but he didn't have the heart to do it. Especially not when she was so close to him physically, mentally and emotionally. Alvin found it hard to go adverse to her.

"Will you finish?" She asked softly. "I really want to hear it." His face lit up in a smile when he heard that and decided to oblige her.

I was right beside you
When you went to hell and back again
I was right beside you
When you went to hell and back again
And I, I couldn't save, a fallen angel

A fallen angel, in the dark
Never thought you'd fall so far
Fallen angel, close your eyes
I won't let you fall tonight
Fallen angel, just let go
You don't have to be alone
Fallen angel, close your eyes
I won't let you fall tonight
Fallen angel~.

He petered out at the end, but as he did, he finally fell asleep as his commitment was met. He did do so quite suddenly, but Brittany didn't mind. She didn't have the heart to wake him just to tell him her opinion of it. If anything was sure, was that he was referencing to her early days since the tragic summer of her adoptive mother's death, and she couldn't help but wonder how he could craft the lyrics for what she thought was an impromptu song.

As he snored quietly, she gazed thoughtfully into his face and tried to think of his bad qualities. She believed everything that she told Dave, and she was sure he didn't have a single bad bone in his body and if he did, he was trying to mend them. It was as if he was trying to make himself into a better version of Alvin Seville but for what? For whom?

That last one gave her the shakes as she recalled what she had told her sisters. They really were made for each other, as Theodore said that he and Eleanor were trying to make their relationship work, and Simon let it slip that he and Jeanette were together, although he refused to give any details about it. Jeanette was the same.

Why was she thinking about this so much anyway? What mattered here and now was that she and Alvin were together. Although not on the level of their siblings, she knew they were really close.

Alvin had showed that he was willing to go a long way for her, and Brittany realized that soon she should be ready to do the same. But for now-…

"Thanks Alvin," she said with a large smile on her face. "Goodnight!" She half-exclaimed before planting a large kiss on his forehead before dropping off to sleep herself.

=X=X=

Dave heard that all was quiet now in the bedroom. But just to make sure, he entered fully into the suite and headed to the bedroom and saw his son asleep in the double bed with Brittany. He wasn't sure what emotion to feel, but if one thing was sure, 'The Talk' was necessary, but perhaps it could wait 'till when they got back home in the west.

He grinned a bit as he gazed at the two asleep in each other's arms and wondered if they were officially in a relationship yet, and if they did, if they were ready to take it public. But such thoughts needed their own time, but it was time for sleeping.

He decided that he should cover them with the top-sheet, but as he approached the bed, he suddenly heard his phone ringing back in his suite. Suddenly feeling frustrated all of a sudden, he left the chipettes' suite in a hurry to get to his own. He closed the door behind him and went straight to his phone that was on a table close to the entrance of his hotel room. However, as soon as he answered the number, he heard the door from across the hall (the chipettes' door, he realized) open and close. Then, the person on his phone hung up.

"What? Hello? Hello?"

No answer.

Annoyance was forefront of the man's emotions as he reopened the door to look over at the chipettes' suite. All seemed fine, he believed as he checked the room(s). As he left, the thought of a prank call irritated him and decided to call back the person to give them a piece of his mind. It was nearly one in the morning!

He went into his call log and selected the number so the call was made. The ringing barely lasted a second when he heard an automated operator's voice:

"The number you are trying to reach is no longer available…"

=X=X=

Vincent was rolling another joint of marijuana before he licked the last edge and used the bit of saliva as an adhesive to keep it together. Lamar flicked out his lighter and the metal instrument sprouted its gas-fed flame. Lighting up, the metal-rapper took a long drag on the green poison and let it bring him to heights on an unphysical plane. "Those rats are still here on my turf, huh?"

Lamar nodded and nudged the laptop forward to his respected higher-up. The men then watched the end of the concert that had happened tonight and they were more or less surprised to see the one dressed in red pull off something that looked like a spectacular feat. It was genuine…no wires. "Brat's got talent, I'll give him that. Say, where's the groupie?"

"She's out on her assignment. She says that she hacked into the cameras long ago, and that they won't pick up on that warning we put out to the purple one."

"Well, she's doing her job, then," Vincent muttered. "Well, so we hit the green one already, the purple one got the message…who next? And then the important question is," the man grinned at this, "what to do to 'em?"

"I say that this red one and the pink girl think they're on top o' the world right now," Lamar spoke rather easily. "They need to eat some humble pie. I can flip a coin between the boy one and the girl one."

"Sure, brother." Vincent sounded congratulatory and approving. "You can flip your coin, and you can do whatever to the one you get."

The big man produced a coin from his pocket and held it up. "Heads for the boy, tails for the girl."

Vincent nodded, and the man flipped the coin. Catching it deftly when it came down in his right hand, he then slapped it onto his left wrist to showcase the result. "Which side did you get?"

Lamar showed him.

=X=X=

Alvin's eyes snapped awake, seemingly a second after he felt that he had fallen asleep. However, to his surprise, it was morning. Just another dreamless sleep, he thought as light streamed in through the window. Leaning up, he stretched and tried to gather his bearings. Soon enough, he realized that he was in the chipettes' bedroom.

With a sudden flinch, he threw himself out of the bed to his side unto the ground. It was carpeted, so he didn't really feel it. What he felt, however, was the sense that he had to leave as soon as possible.

Leaning up slowly, he peered over the edge of the bed. Brittany was nowhere to be seen, but Eleanor and Jeanette were still asleep. He presumed that two out of three was still a passing grade, 'cause Brittany had caught him last night already. Thinking about it made him feel all sorts of ways inside, but mostly good ones. With that in mind, he pulled on his clothes; keeping an eye on the last two chipettes should that begin to awaken. His cap was last on as he hurried to make his way out of the danger zone, but during his haste to leave, he wondered.

"Where's Brittany?"

A far shorter chapter than the previous one, but I've decided to leave you all on a cliff-hanger. I believe that I've made a few small leaps with developing Alvittany, so yeah, all's fairly realistic, right? Fair?

I'm sorry, I'm being cruel and I'm trying to justify it! :(

However, I can be troll-ish, 'cause while I like it when people try to guess what's happening, I like to leave a few crumbs, but I scatter them around a maze. I'm the only person looking at everything with a bird's eye view. Anyway, see you next time. Don't forget to review if you feel like you've found something to comment on.

Valete omnes,

MRAY 4TW.