Thanks to all who have reviewed, it means a whole lot. As always all rights of characters go to their respective owners. Here's Chapter 8 of Chipmunks 4.
Chapter 8: Making a Teddy Tough
The sun was shining bright at the Hawke estate as Ian was waiting for his little money maker to arise. Theodore came slowly walking in wiping the sleep from his eyes into the living room as he gazed in awe of where a whole breakfast was made as Ian was sitting by the huge feast.
"Ready to eat little guy?" Ian looked over as Theodore's eyes wide open with his tounge hanging out as he ran over.
"OH BOY! Is this all for me?" Theodore asks, watering tounge and all as he jumped onto the table, seeing pancakes and waffles clear over his head.
"Absolutely! Gotta keep my little man happy. And when it comes to you, that's real easy to do." Ian said with a slight chuckle as Theodore walked up. The smell was like Theodore had died and gone to heaven.
Within seconds the two had a stack of pancakes and waffles as they looked at each other and clapped their hands together and rubbed them side to side as Ian looked down ready to say something.
"Theo before you dig in, can you..." Ian stopped as he looked up to already see Theodore had stuffed half a flapjack into his mouth with his cheeks as full as they could be looking up at Ian looking innocent and shy. "Never mind that, can you bring the syrup over little guy?"
"Mmmm...Mo pay." Theodore said with his mouth full which home with Dave he would have never done, but feeling Ian would have cared less, he did so. Theodore then waddled over to the giant syrup bottom that was twice his size as he tried to lift it up failing to do so, trying again not even budging it in the least. "Ian, I-I can't move it." Ian though didn't feel like moving.
"Well uh, tell him to get it for ya." Ian pointed out pointing to his head butler who was just staring away. Theodore hopped over trying to get his attention which finally after some time, he looks down at the chipmunk.
"Um, hi. Could you help me get the syrup please?" Theodore asked with charm which all the butler did was laugh under his breath.
"Get it yourself pipsqueak..." The butler snarled and then looked back where he was looking which Theodore turned to Ian who didn't take to kindly what had happened.
"Here Theo, maybe you should try it like this..." Ian said as he walked over to his butler as Theodore observed on. "Look you idiot! My little superstar here is making one hundred million dollars and demands respect. And he's going to be here quite a lot, so you had better treat him with respect, or you'll out on the streets, you got that?" The demeanor of Ian's voice made Theodore tremble a bit. Ian's butler after said chat was more than happy to grab syrup bottle and pick up Theodore in the process and did his assignment.
"There you go little guy, you should start talking like that." Ian said pouring the syrup on his breakfast.
"But...that sounds mean Ian." Theodore's answer made Ian shake his head and he put the syrup bottle and stood up. He felt the time was now to begin to teach Theodore the School of Hard Knocks.
"Theo I gotta shoot straight with ya. People are gonna try to take advantage of you in the world if you're not able to stand up for yourself. Now before you had your friends to back you up, but alone, you're gonna have to toughen up to take everything that comes at you." Ian resighted to his little money maker. Theodore pondered at the thought of everything as he wasn't sure how he should do so. Of all the words that people used to describe him, tough...no where to be found.
"But how do I do that Ian?" Theodore asked, his bushy tail wagging in the process. Ian put a hand on his chin to think about what do about it. He then snapped his finger and got an idea.
Meanwhile at the Sevilles, everyone was settling in for the morning. Simon and Jeanette were spending some time with each other as Eleanor and Brittney were walking down the hallway in conversation. The house just felt empty without their young sibbling there, even if he wasn't as rowdy and rambuntious as Alvin, or smart and proper as Simon. Just not feeling his warmness around the house made them feel bare, even not hearing the sound of him asking for more food at the table for breakest a while ago. To them it would be hard for him not being there. Simon was glazing into the new Music Video of Theodore's song like it was nothing for it seemed like hours until Jeanette snapped him out of it calling his name next to him which he looked over to her.
"You're really worried about him aren't you?" Jeanette asked him.
"Yeah, I am. And it's only the first day." Simon said putting a paw on the side of his face. Simon always believed he could find a way to make things right, but never before had he felt so helpless. He saw his brother disappear in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. "It's kinda funny actually, Theodore left to make people happy, and yet that's the last thing I feel." Jeanette placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Simon, I'm sure you'll feel better in time." Jeanette stated in a soothing, comforting voice.
"Y-You know you're right. I-I just need to clear my head and think about something else, but what?" Simon wondered to himself, with that Jeanette placed her hand on his hand which got his attention and the two looked at each other as Jeanette gave a smile to him which he returned it.
Meanwhile back in the hallway, Brittney was talking to Eleanor about what happened two nights ago when herself and Theodore talked about his decision.
"Now be honest with me Ellie, were you happy when Theodore left?" Brittney was always one to ask tough questions, it didn't matter to who. Eleanor though never shyed away from those questions, much like she didn't when Theodore asked her that night.
"Of course I was, I was the one that said he should go. Why would you ask me that?" Eleanor had to admit she was a little miffed at the question. She got the feeling during breakfast that all of them felt she was holding her real feelings in. But that wasn't the case at all.
"But you two were getting so close, the song he sang he made for you afterall. Why wouldn't you tell him to stay?" Brittney said in all seriousness. Eleanor wasn't phased though, she knew that none of them understood where she was coming from.
"This wasn't about me Brit, using my feelings to make him stay would have been so selfish. You know that's not who I am Brit." Eleanor was about to walk off until Brittney gently stopped, she wanted to ask her one more question.
"Eleanor, if Theodore had chose to stay..." She hesitated but then continued. "would you have thought Theodore was being selfish...for choosing you over everyone else?" Eleanor turned her head slightly to turn around.
"Maybe..." Eleanor honestly responded. "But Theodore's not selfish either." Eleanor said hanging her head slightly.
"And that's why he left?" Brittney partly finished the sentence.
"And that's why he left." Eleanor repeated her. "And that's why I care for him so much...and...and that's why I miss him." She sniffled as Brittney pulled her in for a hug as she hated to see her sister in pain like this. Brittney hated to see her sisters in emotional pain much more than physical pain, physical pain would go away after while and be good as new, but emotional pain could linger and never go away. Brittney had always made it clear to Theodore to never hurt Eleanor in any way, but Brittney couldn't help but to feel just as much sorry for him as Eleanor. The sheer fact that Theodore's love song which was meant to bring he and Eleanor closer together ultimately caused him to drift away from everyone he cared for.
"I'm sorry Ellie." Brittney told her with eyes closed.
"It's okay. I'm happy as long as I know he's happy." Eleanor said.
Meanwhile back at Ian's estate, Theodore is standing in front of a mirror gritting his teeth growling at himself in his high pitched voice trying to look at intimidating as he can, but even doing that he looked as cute and cuddlely as can be. Every time little Theo would turn around to Ian thinking he did such a great job, but every time Ian could only shake his head. After many times and as many failures, Theodore gave a moopy look and looked at himself in the mirror again.
"Oh it's no use. I just can't look tough." Theodore mooped sticking his hand out at the mirror touching his reflection. Ian decided to go a different route at the matter.
"Well, looking tough may not be your style." Ian reasoned with him as he paced around which made Theodore lay on his back staring at the ceiling.
"Being anything tough may not be my style." Theodore whined starting to feel depressed, Ian definetely didn't want to lose Theodore so early on or else he knew he wouldn't stand a chance on the big stage, he knew he had to find a way to get him motivated.
"Theo? Have you ever been upset?" Ian asked him as Theodore began to think about it peeking over in Ian's general direction. He paused before sitting up looking down at his feet kind of swaying slightly back and forth.
"Uh huh." Theodore quietly responded.
"Who were you upset at?" Ian quickly followed feeling that got an answer that could led him somewhere.
"Alvin..." Theodore regretingly replied back which got Ian's attention. Now he felt he was really getting somewhere, he could tell in Theodore's voice that he hadn't talked about this to anyone and tried to dig as far in as he could.
"Really?" Ian asked with intrige. "What for?"
"When Alvin found out we weren't doing shows anymore, he...blamed it on me." Theodore remorsely said over to Ian.
"Ouch...some brotherly love that was." Ian told him as he sat down right behind Theodore who was cupping his hands together starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. "Theo...show me what Alvin said to you?" Theodore turned around as he was unsure if he should or not, but Theodore began to walk up to Ian who leaned in to see what Theodore was going to do. Just then Theodore grabbed Ian by the collar of his shirt and Theodore had an angry look on face.
"This is all your fault Theodore! How could you do this? Don't you know it's about me? Me me me, not you! Don't you know that I'm better...than you?" Theodore paused before saying the last few words as he realized what had happened as he looked to Ian who was concerned. Did Theodore pretending to be Alvin find the toughness that he needed, the toughness he felt he never had? Was this what he really needed to do though? Theodore turned around away from Ian as he could feel himself sweating.
"Is that how you think he feels about you?" Ian asked him as Theodore was starting to shake a bit, he can't believe what he just said.
"I-I don't know, I shouldn't have said it..." Theodore dropped down as Ian walked back over to him.
"Look it's alright buddy." Ian said as he actually pulled the young chipmunk in his grasp and gave him a sight confort hug which surprised Theodore, it was the last thing he expected. "Sometimes we say things we don't mean."
Theodore listened closely to the words. He noticed that Ian called him "buddy", just like Alvin did after their argument. It was possible that Alvin didn't mean what he said, he did apoligize to him after all, but knowing Alvin, nothing was a certain.
It was amazing to all of them how quickly they felt their lives were changing. Brittney realizing first hand at Eleanor's worries of Theodore that Alvin being Alvin was better than no Alvin at all. Sure Alvin had his times where he was completely absurd with ridiculous ideas, like getting them all grounded in the first place. But Alvin not being like that would just make life just... boring, Brittney had begun to regret what she had said last night to Alvin and she felt she needed to talk to him about it some more. She approached the bedroom when she heard a voice in a weird way; it was clearly Alvin, but she couldn't figure out what he was doing what was going on. Brittney cracked the door to peek in to observe what was going on and found Alvin standing in the middle of the room with gobs and gobs of crumpled up paper. Brittney's eyes widened at what was going on; Alvin was trying to make a song just like Theodore did, but after trying to sing a couple words he would write down, he would crumple that sheet up and toss it to the ever growing pile of paper and took a deep sigh, it was clear that everything that Alvin had come up with in his head just wasn't good enough. Brittney decided it was time to make her move and head in. Brittney opened the door and Alvin jolted around and felt caught red-clad-handed.
"What were you doing Alvin?" Brittney slyly asked with a look that almost dared Alvin to lie to her. Sure enough.
"Oh, I was-uh getting ready for a big paper fight." Alvin said with a chuckle afterward pushing back some papers with the back of his foot, realizing very quickly that Brittney wasn't falling for that nonsense, he gulped very loudly and sheeply grinned. Brittney walked over to a paper wad and looked at it as Alvin buried his hands in his face in embarrasment as she began to read it.
"Oh really, I guess sheets of paper like to be wrote to them that "Life is sweet when you are with me..." Brittney read one of the lyrics that Alvin had wrote on the sheets as Alvin turned as red as his shirt. "Why would you throw this away? This is sweet Alvin." Brittney told him which made him feel slightly better, but still embarrassed to the point that he turned away partily.
"It just doesn't feel like me." Alvin turned to say to her.
"Well who were you writing about?" Brittney asked picking up another sheet.
Alvin didn't answer though, all he did was studder and kick his feet under him. Brittney then turned to him try and figure out what was going on.
"Are these songs for me Alvin?" Brittney asked him placing a paw on his shoulder. Alvin struggled with what to say that he bobbed his head in what seemed a million directions.
"No..." Alvin weakly mumbled out. Brittney flinched a bit and looked back down at them again. It clearly wasn't the answer she was expecting, she had already planned her next statement on his answer.
"Then who are they for?" Brittney wondered aloudly. The look that Alvin gave to her was hard to explain, but it was clear that it wasn't good.
"Myself..." Alvin hunched over with a sigh. Brittney gave a depressed looked as Alvin continued to look away.
"Alvin, Theodore was able to make that song because he cared about who he wrote it for. You still don't care about anyone but yourself, and that's why nothing is good enough." Brittney told him in a very disappointed voice that only made him feel more gloomy than before. "I was going to apoligize to you about what I said last night...but now I see there's no reason to." With that Brittney walked back out of the room with Alvin's head still down.
"I'm sorry Brit..." Alvin mumbled in a mono tone voice. Brittney stopped and turned her head to face him.
"I wish I could believe that Alvin." Brittney sadly responded and then proceeded to walk out. Alvin was left alone to gather himself. It seemed that words were hard to capture, either for a song meant for no one or to say what he truely felt for his friend. Alvin did care for Brittney, he always did; but what she said from last night stuck with him. "It's hard to care for someone when you feel you're better than them."
Who did Alvin care about more? Brittney, his family, or himself?
During this Dave had just come off the phone with someone as he walked up to the couch where Simon, Jeanette, and Eleanor were.
"I got great news guys." Dave announced to the kids which they turned.
"What's up Dave?" Simon asked.
"We've got a big press conference tomorrow morning for our Farewell Concert, and I just got off the phone with Ian, Theodore's going to be able to come too." Dave said with delight which put a look of joy on all their faces.
There's Chapter 8. Chapter 9 Coming Soon.
