Everyone's reviews have really kept me motivated to keep writing. (especially Atomos, Fairie-kittie, SilverRider and RavenChild!) Thank you all so much for the compliments!

I have had so much fun writing this…and I can't tell you how much it means that people are enjoying it. Thanks!

Pyxelle

Epilogue – One year later

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Theodore looked at Simon in exasperation. "Yes, Simon, I'm sure! How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Okay, okay!" Simon held up his hands with a grin on his lips. "I just wanted to make sure you think your arm's up to it."

"I've been working with physical therapy every day and practicing like crazy. I think I'm up for it." Theodore smiled, holding up his drumsticks triumphantly. "I'm sounding better than ever."

"Okay, I'll stop being the overprotective brother that I am then and lets get to it." Simon said.

"Besides, Simon, the set's only for an hour." Alvin reminded him, adjusting the red tie on his tuxedo one last time. "Then the DJ will come on and we'll get to enjoy prom with everyone else.""

"I know." Simon smiled in anticipation. "I can't wait to see the girls."

"Me, too." Alvin winked at Simon. "Brittany wouldn't tell me much about her dress, but she did say it was a deep rose red, shimmery, and strapless. I think I'm going to like it." He paused. "And yes, I know the only reason she even told me that much was because she wanted me to get the right color cummerbund and corsage."

"Ditto with Eleanor." Theodore said. "I had to pick up a daisy corsage – do you know how hard it is to actually find a corsage made of daisies? So I'm figuring her dress is either yellow, white, or both."

Alvin grinned at his little brother. Theodore had changed so much over the last year. He was still in his wheelchair, but the bulky electric chair had been replaced by a much smaller one now that Theodore was strong enough to wheel himself around. And thanks to Eleanor's diligence and excellent cuisine, he had lost the j-tube around six months ago and had finally put on some weight. He would never be as plump as he once had been, but it was good to see him filled out a little again.

Simon looked a little dejected. "Jeannette forgot to tell me what color her dress was. So I just went with white roses."

"I'm sure she'll love them, Simon." Theodore assured him, and suddenly a roaring clapping started outside the curtain. Theodore smiled in anticipation. "It's time, guys!" He wheeled his new streamlined wheelchair to where his drums had been set up.

Simon ran to his keyboards and gave Alvin the thumbs up symbol. Alvin slung the strap to his electric guitar over his shoulder and looked back at his brothers. "Ready?"

"Yes!" Simon and Theodore said in unison. It was their very first concert since the accident. They were more than ready.

The curtain rose. "Hello, Roosevelt High!" Alvin shouted, waving his hands at the crowd. "Are you ready to rock?"

"Yes!" The audience shouted as one.

As they began to play, Alvin thought to himself that they had never before sounded so good. Simon's keyboards had never sounded so vital, his own guitar seemed to be possessed by some magic that allowed it to play chords he had never even heard before, and Theodore…well, Theodore was just on fire.

The set was over far too soon for Alvin's taste. When the curtain finally closed, he looked at his brothers in exhilaration. "That was great!"

"The best!" Simon agreed excitedly.

They both looked at Theodore. He looked just as excited as the other Chipmunks, but a little nervous as well. Cries of "Encore! Encore!" came from behind the curtain.

"You ready for this, Theodore?" Alvin asked.

"Yes." Theodore looked at Alvin. "You sure you don't mind giving up the lead for the encore, Alvin?"

"Nah." Alvin waved his hand nonchalantly. "I guess I can survive just this once." Alvin pushed Theodore's drums offstage while Theodore wheeled himself to the lead microphone. Alvin set himself up with his guitar where Theodore's drums had formerly been.

"Here goes nothing." Theodore said almost inaudibly.

The curtain rose again. The Chipmunks watched the their schoolmates cheer and waited for the hubbub to die down.

When it finally did, Theodore spoke.

"Hi, everyone. I know I'm not usually the one standing up front, but you'll just have to bear with me." Theodore smiled. "I'm a little nervous."

"Don't worry, Theodore!" Someone called from the back of the auditorium. "We love you anyways!"

A light flutter of laughter went through the room. "Well, thanks." Theodore said, blushing a little. "As you all know, about two years ago us Chipmunks went through a pretty rough time. In fact, most people that we were gone for good. Well, they were wrong – we're back, and we're better than ever." There was another cheer. Theodore waved his hand to quiet them. "What very few people know, though, is that just before the accident, I had just written my very first solo song. I never got a chance to sing it, though. I was hoping the students of Roosevelt High wouldn't mind testing out my first solo debut tonight."

"Go, Theodore!" another faceless voice called, and Alvin almost laughed to see the embarrassment on his brother's face.

"Eleanor Miller, are you out there?"

Eleanor came forward. She looked lovely in a soft yellow gown with gold sequins sparkling here and there. "I'm here, Theodore."

"Could you come up here with me?"

The auditorium waited breathlessly as Eleanor stepped up onto the stage and took Theodore's offered hand.

Theodore smiled up at her. "I wrote this for you the day we were supposed to have our first date, but, well…it's a little late, but I hope you like it."

The sounds of Simon's keyboards started the first haunting notes of the melody, and Alvin's guitar joined shortly after. Theodore began to sing.

I felt like I've known you since the beginning of time

As if since the heavens were made ours souls were entwined

Why I waited so long, I'll never know

And I can't understand why my love I could never show.

Time will never tear us apart

You will always be the missing part of my heart

As long as the earth turns

As long as a lover's heart yearns

I will be yours.

The time for waiting is over and done

There's no doubt in my mind you're the only one

I'll never lose faith in you, I swear on my heart

The gods themselves could never pull us apart.

Time will never tear us apart

You will always be the missing part of my heart

As long as the earth turns

As long as a lover's heart yearns

I will be yours.

I will be yours.

Eleanor's eyes were filled with tears as Theodore ended the last stanza. "Oh, Theodore…that was beautiful."

"It's not much, I know, but-"

Eleanor stopped his words with a kiss. Applause that threatened to bring the ceiling down erupted from the crowd, but the two didn't even seem to notice.

Alvin grinned at Simon and shouted over the crowd. "I think it's a hit!"

Simon grinned back. "Definitely a hit, Alvin. Most definitely."

OoooOoooO

The white rose complemented Jeannette's blue gown just fine. "Don't worry so much, Simon." Jeannette told him as she absently straightened his tie. For once, not a hair was out of place on the eldest Chippette. She looked absolutely lovely.

But to Alvin's eyes, nothing could compare to Brittany. Her dress was of deep red silk that clung and molded to her body elegantly, revealing curves he didn't even know she had. Her lustrous brown hair was once again done up in a cascade of curls, but his time she had tiny red gems studding the curls, making the lights catch them and giving the illusion that she had caught the stars in her hair. Over her red silk opera gloves she still wore the promise ring he had given her a year ago. They had fought since then, but nothing that would make her take off that ring. Alvin sometimes wondered if she knew how happy that made him.

"May I have this dance, milady?" Alvin asked, bowing formally.

"Why yes, sir, I do believe I have a spot open on my dance card." Brittany batted her lashes at him, and then laughed prettily. "Oh, Alvin, you can be so dramatic sometimes."

"Really? This from the drama queen of Roosevelt High?"

Brittany blushed as they began to dance. "I guess I deserved that, didn't I." She paused. "Whatever happened with the Queen, anyways?"

"Queen?"

"The Queen of England, moron." Brittany smiled, softening the insult as he twirled her around.

"Oh, her." Alvin glanced over to where Isabelle and Gavin were dancing. Isabelle was dressed in a prom gown like the rest of the girls, but her hair was still dyed a bright blue. It had surprised everyone when Gavin and Isabelle had hit it off so well. "I managed to keep Belle out of the story, and it turns out that Queen Elizabeth's a sucker for love stories – and a big fan of both the Chipmunks and Chippettes. I had to promise to give her a private concert the next time we tour in Europe." He grimaced. "I still had to pay for the car, though."

"Considering everything," Brittany finished a spin. "It still worked out pretty well, didn't it?"

Alvin looked at Simon and Jeannette dancing closely together, their eyes locked and seemingly oblivious to everything and everyone else in the room. They were even dancing gracefully together, as if moving as one canceled out both their natural klutziness. He had never seen Simon so happy. His gaze then traveled to Theodore and Eleanor, where they were both sitting next to – surprise! – the snack table. Eleanor popped something into Theodore's mouth and then whispered something in his ear. Theodore had to cover his mouth to stifle a full-mouthed laugh at whatever it was she had said.

Finally Alvin looked back at Brittany. She had never seemed so beautiful, and he couldn't imagine a more magical night than this one. "I guess it did, didn't it."

Brittany sighed and rested her head against his chest. "I love you, Alvin." She whispered.

Alvin smiled. "I love you too."
Life…was sweet.

The End

Thanks so much for reading, everyone.

I have an outline for a sequel if anyone might be interested…let me know! Some people have already shown interest, so I'm already getting some ideas…angsty, of course, but hey! You've seemed to like it so far!

The sequel is called Justifying the Means, if anyone's interested 