Chapter 18 – Reconciliation

Later that night, after the twins are lying down for the night. Chip and Clara lie down on the other bed. Dale did eventually clear it off and place the sponge mattress back for them. Space is a little snug, but Chip is used to sleeping close to his wife. However, he still can't sleep. Too many memories keep clearing up, not to mention he is always thinking about the moment between him and Gadget.

Though he is correct that his feelings for Gadget are no more, he is still troubled by it. Why now? Why, after all the times pursuing her that she would pick this now to return his affections?

One thing is clear, though, neither of them wants to ruin their friendship.

Gadget is not the only one running through his thoughts; Dale and his personality towards him are still very aggressive. The other chipmunk barely talks to him, and he can't tell half the time if he's angry or sad whenever Chip catches him looking his way, or at Clara and the twins.

Chip soon gives up; his brain is very active with too much thoughts that sleep is near impossible. He slips out of bed, careful not to disturb Clara. Chip can't help to watch his wife sleep peacefully for a moment. The rose quartz necklace, the symbol of their love and family bond, is visible around her neck.

With a warm smile, Chip pulls the covers over her so she may sleep comfortably. He then checks on the twins to see they, too, are sound asleep. Not wishing to disturb his family's rest, Chip makes his exit as quietly as he could. After closing the door, Chip makes his way down the hall.

Chip hears a noise cluttering around in the kitchen. Unsure what it could be, Chip decides to investigate. A towering dark figure is rummaging through the cupboards. Relief came to him when the shadowy figure turns out to be Monterey Jack.

"Monty," Chip calls out.

The sudden sound of someone's voice startles Monterey. He turns to see it is just Chip and lets out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Chipper. I thought you already went to bed."

"I did, but I couldn't get to sleep," Chip shrugs. "There's just so much going on in my head right now."

"I hear ya," Monty nods in the sense of understanding. "A lot has happened to you in the last twenty-four hours."

"The last five years." Chip corrects. "…But yeah, the last twenty-four hours has defiantly turned everything upside down again."

Monterey takes in a breath before speaking again. "Why don't I make my world-famous warm milk with a sprinkle of cinnamon? Best for calming the most un-easiest of minds to get a good night's sleep." He suggests.

Chip couldn't resist the smile forming on his lips. Memories come back of how Monty is about to go into a story. "Sure, sounds good." He says, sitting down on a stool by the counter.

Monterey prepares the ingredients at the same time as he tells a story.

"I learned this recipe from the time I was in Turkey. A Woolly Dormouse, living in the Sumela Monastery, She was very generous and saw that I had problems getting to sleep. So, she whipped up this satisfying cup of warm milk with cinnamon. I tell ya, I've never slept so soundly that night…" Monty pauses to see Chip quietly staring down at the table.

"I'm sorry, pally, I didn't mean to bore you with my stories." The mouse pouted.

Chip looks up, realizing he was barely paying attention. "No, it's okay. I was just distracted by my thoughts again."

The chestnut chipmunk smiles. "I realize how much I've missed hearing your stories." He looks up to Monty and smiles wider. "Please continue."

A guilty weight develops in the pit of Monty's stomach. How he wished he could have saved Chip from the fire. Again visions of that night haunt him. The look on Chip's face, how scared he looked. Monty reached for him, but his arms were not long enough. The roof caved, and Chip fell with it.

With a shake of his head, Monty brings his mind back in the present. He attempts to smile again to Chip, but even Chip can tell he's worried about something.

"What is it?" Chip asks in concern.

"I was…" the large mouse paused for a moment. "I just wish I could have, you know, saved you from that fire."

Chip frowned. He understood Monty's guilt. The chipmunk looks away for a moment before looking back at his old friend.

"It's not your fault." Chip confides. "I still don't remember what happened that night, but based on what you said, there wasn't anything you could have done."

"We had a job." He adds, after thinking for a moment. "That job was to save those families. We succeeded, right? Everyone got out?" Chip asks in a very calm manner.

Once again, Monty frowns. "All but you, pally."

This time Chip is the one that feels guilty. He notices the steam building up from the pot on the stove and points to it.

"The milk is boiling," is all he says in response.

"Oh," Monty moves quickly to remove the pot from the burner. He starts to scoop out the white liquid with a rodent size ladle.

"You know, thinking about it, I survived on sheer luck." Chip finally lets out in a sigh

Monterey looks over his shoulder for a moment.

Chip glances up at him before continuing. "I mean, from what you said, I speculate that I got lucky that I landed on some of the floating debris, lucky that some of the broken rafters crashed in the water, causing enough push for me to drift out to sea. The luckiest part is that I ended up on the very beach that Holly was on, she found me, took me home, and healed me."

"That was surely a bonzer thing she did, Chipper." Monty agrees with tears in his eyes. He sprinkles some cinnamon into the cups. He proceeds to hand him one to Chip. "Here you go. Careful, it's hot."

"Thanks," Chip stares down at the spice floating above the warm milk. He gently places his paws on either side of the cup. Feeling the warmth from the liquid, and the smell of the contents does indeed help him feel calm.

A thought starts plaguing him again as he stares blankly at his cup.

"Does he hate me now?" Chip asked out suddenly.

Stunned, Monty puts his cup down on the table to glance up at Chip. "Who?"

Chip blows on the hot milk before responding. "Dale."

Monterey feels taken aback by what Chip said. Where is this coming from, what could make him think that? Monty imagines how it might be from Dale's point of view before responding.

"I-I don't believe he doesn't hate you, Chipper," Monty stammers. "Most likely, a little out of sorts over the fact you have survived and lived an entirely different life for the past five years…"

"Maybe it would have been better if you never found me." Chip sighs, staring down at his cinnamon milk.

What? Why would you say that?" Monty asks in sheer shock.

"Well, it's obvious that Dale prefers the old me, the part of me I can't seem to have a clear memory of." The chipmunk sadly replies.

Monterey places a reassuring hand on his shoulder before speaking. "Don't you be worrying about Dale, Chipper, my boy. He'll come around." He lifts his head off Chip's shoulder and continues. "Now, how about you start drinking your milk before it gets too cold."

The mouse picks up his cup and starts drinking.

Chip gradually does the same. With a smile, he moves the cup down from his face.

"Mm, this is good." Chip praises.

"Told cha," Monty winks.

Unseen by Monterey and Chip, Dale lets out a guilty sigh before wandering off into the shadows of the hallway.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Forty-five minutes have gone by since he shared a cup of cinnamon milk with Monty. After, the mouse felt tired enough to head for bed.

Chip, on the other hand, still couldn't sleep, so he wondered the headquarters. He did check on his wife and kids; they are still asleep. First, he wandered once again through Gadget's workshop. Still overwhelmed by all the inventions, the blond mouse created. Instead of going back down the stairs, Chip decides to take the slide down. He winds up back down to the main room with the TV/computer in the corner.

He pans across the room from the newly designed TV area towards the door. That is when he stops to stare at something standing by the door. How could he not notice this before?

He is finding himself walking up to the plexiglass case. Chip seems drawn to the articles of clothing hanging inside. Something about them is all too familiar. Coming up to it, he can see his reflection coming into view, perfectly aligned as if he is wearing the hat and jacket.

The image of himself through the reflection allows him to see the chipmunk he once was. Looking down, he notices a plaque. The photo shows him wearing the clothes displayed. How confident he looked in the picture. He leans forward to read the text beside the image.

Chip

A great friend and leader.

Gone, but not forgotten.

A lump formed in his throat, a lump he is having problems swallowing. The Rescue Rangers did think he died. It wasn't that they had forgotten him; it was him that forgot about them.

Indeed, this was his life before the accident. He loved being a Rescue Ranger; how is it that made him change that? Chip wondered if it had something to do with the last rescue that took him away.

Looking down at the picture again, he had the overwhelming sensation to be this chipmunk in the photo once more. Chip reaches up to touch the plexiglass. He gently strokes over it as if he's trying to find a way to phase through to tough the fabric of the coat.

"You can try it on if you like." Dale's voice suddenly speaks up behind him.

The instance he hears Dale's voice, Chip jolted in surprise. He turns to see his former best friend sleeking in from the shadows of the hallway. That is when Chip can see a sad look on the other chipmunk's face. He's been so hostel and distant towards him since he met him at Holly's, but now he looks sorrowful.

"They are still technically yours, after all." Dale continues once he is beside Chip.

With a deep breath, Chip thinks for a moment before responding. "Okay," he says.

Dale reaches over behind the display case and unlocks the latch. The door swings open and allows him access to the jacket and hat. Last he held them was five years ago.

Dale still remembers the morning after they though Chip perished in the fire. Reliving those painful memories again breaks his heart. He almost even forgot that Chip is standing right beside him. Taking in a deep breath, Dale turns to the former leader and hands him the jacket first.

Chip takes off his black and grey vest and throws it over the back one of the chairs. He takes the jacket from Dale before swinging it over his back and sliding his arms through the sleeves. His first thought is how comfortable the material feels on his fur, how he missed wearing this jacket. It certainly brings back memories of how confident and mature he felt wearing it.

Dale hands over the fedora, Chip blinks at it a few times before reaching for it. The moment he places it on top of his head, Chip feels more like his old self returning. He straightens up to tug at the collar of the jacket. A smile grows on face, but quickly disappears when he hears a sniffle coming from Dale.

Looking up at his old friend, Chip realizes he's crying. Dale isn't able to hold in a sob, the emotion of seeing the fully dressed Chip has him realizing that his best friend is back. Noticing that Chip is watching him, he isn't able to contain himself. It's like someone had opened up the flood gates, and the emotion just keeps pouring out.

"I missed you so much." Dale finally chokes out in between a hiccup.

Seeing the red-nose chipmunk in just an emotional outburst got Chip feeling just as much sorrow. The guilty feelings start coming back. How could he forget the one chipmunk that grew up with him? That followed him everywhere like a shadow and put up with his bossiness.

Chip takes a few steps forward and swings his arms around Dale in a tight embrace.

"I didn't know until now how much I've missed you too." He finally responds with tears sliding down his furry cheeks.

It felt like a lifetime as the two chipmunks held each other. Neither of them wanted to let go; this is the reunion both of them needed.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Dawn's first light creeps in through the window of the room. Clara stretches her arm out, but senses something is missing. She opens her eyes and realizes that Chip is not sleeping beside her. Sitting up, Clara looks around the room. In the other bed, the twins are still sleeping. Wondering where her husband went, Clara gets up to investigate the whereabouts of Chip.

Clara hears two chipmunks laughing as she walks up the steps. One of the two chipmunks heard sounds a lot like Chip.

Walking into the living area, Clara sees her husband at the table with Dale. It is evident to her that something is amusing them. One thing that catches her attention is the fact Chip is wearing a fashionable jacket and fedora. She almost didn't recognize him in this new outfit. Seeing him so happy makes her smile too.

"Oh, I remember there was a time we lived at this farm, didn't we?" Chip asks Dale, not realizing that they now have an audience.

"Yeah, we did. The farmer grew apples. We used to live in one of the trees." Dale reminds him.

"Right," Chip's eyes lit up with excitement as more of that time came back to him. "Those were delicious apples. We use to eat them by the dozens, didn't we?"

"We did, I'm surprised we didn't get fat over all those apples," Dale laughed.

Chip joined him in another chorus of giggles. The chestnut chipmunk slows his giggling into a chuckle as another memory of that time comes up.

"Wait, didn't we get caught one time?" He asks, tapping his figure on his chin.

"We did," Dale confirms. "The farmer was so mad at us." He giggles at the remembrance of the farmer's face.

"That's when you quickly said something to him," Chip frowns as he scratches his head. "I can't remember what it was, though."

Dale himself pauses as he too struggles to remember that moment. He perks up when the memory comes back. "Oh, I said, 'Apple core.'"

Chip sits up, as he too suddenly remembers the rest. "That's right, and then he replied, what was it? Oh, 'nevermore.'"

"Who's your friend?" Dale says the next phrase with a snicker.

"Me," Chip concluded with another giggle. "After that, didn't you tossed your half-eaten apple at him?"

"Yeah," Dale continued to laugh as he explains what happened next. "I ended up hitting right in between the eyes.

Both chipmunks start to laugh again over their youthful antics. That's when Chip notices Clara standing over by the hallway entrance.

"Clara, you're up." Chip announces. He stands up to walk towards his golden-tan wife. "Did you sleep, alright?" He asks her.

"I did," she nods. "I just got a little concerned when I woke up, and you weren't there."

Chip gives her a guilty look before explaining. "I'm sorry I couldn't sleep. I had too many thoughts going on in my head. After walking around for a bit, I ended up in here. That's when I started talking with Dale, and apparently, we've been talking all night." He adds, looking out of the window and seeing sunlight.

"I see," Clara responds. She finds herself distracted more with his clothes instead of what he's saying. Clara reaches up and tugs on the collar of the jacket and stroke the material with her thumbs.

Chip smiles softly at Clara. "Like it?" He asks. "It's my old jacket and fedora; I used to wear them all the time."

Clara smiles back at him, unable to dismiss the attractiveness of her husband in his old clothes. She leans up against him in a flirtatious manner.

"They make you look dashing." She purrs.

"You think so?" Chip couldn't help but blush at his wife's comment.

Dale, witnessing the whole thing, shakes his head in amusement. A part of him is a little jealous, though. He once thought nothing could separate Chip and himself. Yes, they fought a lot, especially when it came to winning the affection from the opposite sex. However, they also had a great time, especially when they were younger.

Even when they got older and started the Rescue Rangers, Chip grew up to take on a more responsible role, while Dale remained childish. They were still a team, though, comparing their friendship to more brotherly love.

Now, here's his best friend, with an attractive and affectionate wife. Somehow, Dale feels this is what Chip secretly wanted all his life.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Chip." Midget chirped as she hops into the room. As far as she knew, the chipmunks never really had last names, but she still wants to be formal with them. She smiles at Chip, who is dawning his original outfit. Midge than turns to Dale, and adds, "Good morning to you too, Mr. Dale."

"Morning Midge," Dale gives a sleepy greeting back to the tiny bird.

"I wanted to let you all know that Tammy has started to make breakfast, so I hope you are hungry this morning." The sparrow concludes before hopping out of the room.

"What a sweet little bird," Clara comments. They got to meet Midge during dinner, and Clara simply adores the feathery Ranger, mostly because she is the opposite of Boston.

"She is," Chip agrees. He stretches his arms out and yawns before continuing. "I suppose we should go wake the twins up and get them ready for breakfast."

"Good idea," Clara agrees.

Dale lets out a big yawn his own as he stands to stretch out his arms.

"While you guys do that, I'll go have a nap." He says groggily. As Dale walks past, he pats Chip on the shoulder. "Good to have you back, buddy."