A/N: Thanks to all who read the last chapter and story all together. Many don't know, but I live in Delaware and we got hit pretty hard by the recent hurricane. Lost power for a couple days, but luckily we made out all right. Once the power came back, I worked mightily to get the big Chapter 3-0 done and I think it came out great, so let's find out what happens. As usual, All rights go to their respective owners. Without further adu, let's go!
Chapter 30: The Search for Alvin
Through a muggy night in L.A., Alvin ran down the sidewalk sweating slightly as he tried to maintain his coolness in the night. He tried to not focus on what the weather though, he had only one thought on his mind, to find Theodore. He wiped his brow several times as he looked around franticly.
"Theodore! Theodore! Theo!" He called out, over and over again. But every time he called, seemed more and more futile. "Oh, this is hopeless. Nuts...what made me think this was gonna work? Now I don't even know where I'm at." As he sat on the curb on the sidewalk with his paws cradling his head. "Dave's probably looking for me, I'll be grounded for a billion years when he finds me." He moped as he shook his head realizing that he was going to be in big trouble. "At least it can't get any worse..." Alvin started...but then stopped.
"NO!" He looked up screaming as a boom of thunder sounded followed by a downpour of rain began to fall as he looked back down depressed. "Why did I say that?" As he stood up and put his hood over his head to prevent himself from getting more wet than he already was as he began to slowly walk through the rain.
"That always happens in the movies." He claimed as he walked through the night. (Fourth Wall Humor, I love it. ;))
XXX
Back at home Simon and Jeanette were looking out the window getting extra worried, not just for Alvin, but for Dave too. They both just sat their quiet hoping for the best. Meanwhile on the couch behind them, Eleanor was with her sister Brittany. Brittany was still clearly shaken up from what happened between her and Alvin and she couldn't believe that she let her emotions get that out of control. Granted in her mind, she still believed what she said, but to take it out on Alvin that manner was uncalled for, and she knew it. Unfortunetly it was too late to do anything about it. Eleanor was shooken up too. First she lost Theodore, and then Alvin runs off, who actually was the only one she felt comfortable talking to about the whole manner. Simon and Jeanette were always together, so she always let them be, and of course Brittany wouldn't have said what she wanted to hear. Now that Brittany had in a way run off Alvin too, she wanted to give her a piece of her mind, but more arguing is the worst thing that she could do. She had to just talk to her rationally.
"Why would you say that to him Britt? What were you thinking?" Eleanor told her, probably not the best choice of words as Brittany slouched down in the couch.
"I don't know Ellie. But...I don't know why he was on my case." Brittany explained as she turned to her reasoning younger sister. "I didn't cause Theodore to do what he's done." Brittany truely didn't understand what she had done, but Eleanor just shook her head as her sister was only at everything from 20/20 hindsight.
"All of this has been really hard on him Britt. Maybe he felt you weren't there for him." Eleanor told her sister. Just then Brittany jolted her head up and gasped as if she heard something shatter. Inside though, something did shatter; her emotions. As if she was struck by a bolt of lightning.
"Oh no..." She said in shock.
"What is it Brittany?" Worrily asked Eleanor as Brittany began to look outside from the sofa. "That's the reason Ellie." Eleanor tilted her head, she understand what Brittany was talking about, and when Brittany turned her head back to Eleanor, she could tell. "I promised I would be there for him." The sentence was responded with a quiet awe from Eleanor as she understood.
"And all I did was blame him for everything. No wonder he was so upset." Brittany mooped as she sat down in the couch again and crunched up into a ball trying to hide her head. "What have I done?" She whined to herself. Eleanor quickly came to support her sister, this time knowing to choose her words better.
"Oh Britt, it's alright. I'm sure Dave will find him." Eleanor pulled Brittany up and gave her sister a hug as the emotions were starting to pour out as now both of their counterparts were gone.
Meanwhile Simon and Jeanette were still at the window sill as they both observe the rain pouring down from the sky.
"Oh no! The rain is coming harder. I sure hope Dave can find him." A very nervous Jeanette said shaking as Simon moves Jeanette into him.
"Don't worry Jeanette. I'm sure Dave will." His soothing voice calmed her.
"Oh...everything's starting to look hopeless. Everyone's starting to fall apart." As Jeanette started hugging Simon harder as her fears were all a reality. Simon was gently and caring as Jeanette stay in his arms as Jeanette looked up to him.
"I know Jeanette. But that's why we need to stick together." Simon gave the words of encouragement as he pulled her in for security and comfort.
"I'm scared Simon." Jeanette cried to him as Simon looked down to her and then out the window at the falling fall outside. Meanwhile as the embrace, Brittany looks on from the sofa and she turns away as she feels even more terrible.
XXX
In a steady downpour, a small red car is seen driving slowly down the slick road with wipers going a blazing speed as Dave desprately looks out on the streets looking for his son.
"Come one Alvin, please be out here..." He hoped and prayed as he had been driving for nearly a half hour.
Alvin continued to struggle through the hard rain coming down as he was bundled up in his sweater with is hood up trying to see what was in front
"Theo! Theo!" He continued to hollar out as he looked around which followed with a sigh. "Why would you be out here? I wish you were here to talk to me." As Alvin was walking past a puddle of standing water he noticed something green in the water as he looked down. "Theodore?"
He looked down and saw Theodore in his reflection with a frown on his face, but wasn't Theodore like him had been; there was no yellow "T" on his sweater, it was like he was before. Alvin thought he was going crazy, he knew that wasn't really Theodore, but it was just like him; it was like Alvin's reflection looked like his brother, like looking into a mirror and seeing someone completely different. Alvin knew it couldn't be real, but this reflection of Theodore was doing everything he was doing as Alvin knelt down almost as if this reflection was trying to tell Alvin something. "You look as sad as I do...but why would you be sad?" Alvin said with a sad gesture. "You have everything Theodore."
But the reflection of Theodore seemed to shake his head at Alvin's responce, Alvin was stunned at what was going on. Was this reflection trying to communicate with him? "Are you trying to tell me something Theo?" But the reflection of Theodore didn't answer; how could it, it was just a reflection. "Theodore?" Alvin asked him again as it remained unchanged which was starting nervewreck Alvin. "Will ya say something!?"
Alvin ragefully said as he stomped his foot down in the puddle which caused the puddle to ripple on impact making the once clear reflection now very distorted."Oh jeez Theodore." Quickly Alvin realized his mistake as he knelt back within eyes length of the standing water. "I'm sorry-I...Theodore?" But as the ripples began to subside, Alvin noticed the reflection of Theodore was gone, now just his own face he could see in the puddle as you normally would which crushed Alvin. "Oh great...I've lost him...again..." He crunched up hanging his head.
It was almost like Theodore's was trying to tell Alvin something, that perhaps it was Alvin himself that was breaking them up, not Theodore...or Brittany. But how could he have caused this...of course...he ran away. At the time they all needed to stay strong...he ran away. That was it, that what Theodore's reflection was trying to show. At the time they all needed to stick together, Alvin chose to seperate further. Alvin soon came to that and shook his head, he wondered how he could be such a fool when it mattered most.
Just then a car began to pull off the road within distance, it was Dave as he quickly got out of the car as he noticed Alvin's bright colored sweater.
"Alvin! Alvin, it's pouring rain." Dave called out to him as Alvin was just motionless as if he mentally giving up and told Dave to take him in. Dave came over and picked him up as now both were sopping wet as Dave tried to bundle Alvin up. "I'll dry you off in the car." Dave carried Alvin as fast as he could back into his vechicle as closed the door. Dave looked over to Alvin and could see the dejected-ness in his face, he was so caught up in his feelings he didn't even bother to shake himself dry as he just sat in the passenger seat dripping water off his fur and sweater.
"Alvin, I understand you were upset about what Brittany said, but running away wasn't the answer. You could've been hurt." Dave calmly told him.
"I know Dave...It's just..." Alvin started as he wiped his face with a his sleeve that did little good being soaked as he looked over his guardian. "I miss him Dave..."
"I know Alvin, we all do." Dave glumly answered back to him. But Alvin just pounced back in the seat getting upset with his arms crossed.
"Brittany doesn't. Why would she say something like that?" Alvin yelled out as his voice started cracking under the strain.
"Maybe she misses the Theodore she remembers." Dave giving he best and most reasonable answer he could, as Alvin sighed he tried to calm himself down and try to look at anything positive to come out of it.
"Dave...isn't there anything you can do?" Alvin asked Dave directly.
"I don't know Alvin, our concerts are in two days." Dave responded which made Alvin slouch down in the seat. "Tomorrow you guys have to start rehearsing. Once Theodore has his first concert, people are going want to see him more and more. By then it maybe too late to do anything."
"Do everything you can Dave...please? I just want my brother back..." Pleaded Alvin to Dave out of panic and desperation all into one.
Dave could feel Alvin's pain. Even though Theodore wasn't his real son, they had known each other for nearly three years now; the bond was extremely close between them. "Come here Alvin." He gestured Alvin to come over to him. Alvin hopped up and hugged Dave on his shoulder as Dave supported him with his hand. "I can't garuntee anything, but I promise I'll do everything I can to bring Theodore home." Alvin nodded as he sniffed to what Dave told him. "Now let's get home before the others start to worry."
With that Dave circled the car around and began to take Alvin back home.
XXX
Back at home the kids had now sat around for what seemed like forever when suddenly they heard the sound of the door knob turning as they all snapped their heads back and saw Dave and Alvin drenched in rain water as they all hopped off the couch, except for Brittany who was hesitent to show herself after all the things she had said. The others were calling out Alvin's name as he shook off his fur drying himself off as Simon grasped him as hard as he could, not even caring about how wet he was. Alvin was surprised by the embrace as hugged back to his brother.
"Alvin, don't scare us like that!" Simon pleaded to him.
"I'm sorry." Apoligized Alvin as the two were bonding, Alvin heard a voice behind him a faint voice.
"Alvin..." It spoke. Alvin looked up and saw Brittany coming up looking dejected as she could be. Alvin actually got upset by his face for he clearly wasn't happy to see her. Who could blame him after what she said.
"Alvin I'm...I'm sorry about what I did." She said, but Alvin crossed his arms looking at the floor.
"But you said some rotten things Brittany." Alvin sternly told, but Brittany made her point clear to him.
"I'm sorry for what I did, not what I said." Brittany still it clear she wasn't sorry for her words, but rather for her actions. "Because...I know it's not your fault Alvin, and I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened. I know you were just doing what a brother would do, just like I would do for Jeanette or Eleanor."
Alvin took those words seriously as his look went away for she clearly sounded sincere.
"And I'm sorry about the promise I forgot to keep." Brittany added on. Alvin tried to remember what she was talking about, but couldn't.
"What promise?" Alvin asked.
"About being there for you, if you needed me." Brittany reminding him made him remember, back when he dejected about not being able to make something special for her, she made him know that if he ever was in trouble she would be there to help him.
"Thanks Brit..." Alvin thanked her, and then he extended his arms out for an embrace.
Brittany what to do until she was bumped forward by her sisters.
"Go on Brit...hug it out." Eleanor quietly told her to do. And with that Brittany slowly came within length and the two hugged each other as they could feel each others pain. Although the pain may have been for different reasons, they knew the others were now there to help them...in anyway they could.
There is Chapter 30, Alvin is back home and the concerts for all of them are drawing near. What will happen next? We'll find out together! Until the next chapter, thanks for reading. Take care. :)
