ANOTHER MOMENT OF ADVICE

[We then move on to:]

Meanwhile Chip, Zipper, and Monterey were doing their best to talk Dale into being confident enough to make the proposal.

[Okay, then:]

Foxglove entered the living room and saw the boys watching TV. Still keeping that sly grin, she padded behind the couch, and kissed Dale on his head.

Surprised, and feeling more than slightly self-conscious, Dale whirled and gasped, but calmed down when he saw Foxglove's soft and beautiful sapphire eyes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your movie," she said, with just a slight hint of sadness. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cute Stuff." With that, the bat padded out the door, took off, and began feeding.

Smiling happily to himself, Dale settled down and continued watching the late news with the others.

The others, unfortunately, had noticed something wrong with their chiropterid friend.

"Um…Dale…tell me, how was your date?" asked Chip, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Oh, it was wonderful!" blurted his happy-go-lucky best friend. "We went to see Attack Of The Giant Newts IX! It's about a bunch of mutant newts that attack Rio and start eatin' everythin'—"

"Uh…pally…'ow did Foxglove take it?" asked Monterey, also eyeing his friend with worry.

"Foxy? Well, she loved it, of course! She just sat back and enjoyed the whole thing. Never said a word, except a scream or two on the scary parts. Ah, I love that bat," he smiled dreamily.

"Have you told her that?" buzzed Zipper, crossing his arms and eyeing the red-nosed chipmunk with a bit of frustration.

"Told her what? That I love her? Um…well…no…" he stammered a bit, "…I mean…she already knows that, right? But she did say she had a good time with me. You know, guys, maybe we could all go watch it next time—"

"Dale," said Chip, breathing slowly. "Have you noticed something…amiss…about Foxy lately?"

"'Noticed'? 'Amiss'? What, you mean somethin' 'odd' or 'wrong' or somethin' like that? Because I sure haven't, and nothin' seems to be wrong—"

"Well, take just now," explained the Detective. "Didn't she look just the tiniest bit…sad…to you?"

"Sad?" asked his friend, with genuine surprise. He thought for a moment, "Well…now that you mention it…no, not at all. After all, why would she be sad? We had a great time, I tell you! And just so you know, I think she is finally startin' to calm down around me. She didn't make a single pass at me tonight! Or…not any that I noticed, anyway," he pondered a bit, just to make sure.

Chip seethed for a minute, breathing even more slowly and rubbing his eyes, trying to figure out the best way to break this to him. "Dale," he began, "is tonight the first time she has really been on her best behaviour?"

Dale stared at his best friend, for a moment unsure of what he was getting at, but then he blurted angrily, "Hey! What do you mean 'best behaviour', Chip? She's not a delin—a delinq—a criminal anymore!"

Chip raised his paws and quickly rephrased himself, "No, no! What I meant was: was tonight the first night she didn't make a pass at you at all?"

After pondering for a moment again, Dale replied, "Well, now that I think about it, she's only calm when we're at the drive-in. Zowie, ironic, isn't it? Naturally, there are those dates in the park…" Dale got a dreamy and blissful look on his face when he remembered all the romantic times he had with his girlfriend under the trees, and at the edge of the fountain.

Flustered by the fact that Dale just couldn't get it, Chip blurted, "Dale, I think Foxy wants more out of you than just dates and insipid movies and comic books!"

Jolted out of his romantic memories by that outburst, Dale chattered, "Hey! What do you mean by ins—insi—what you said? That movie just happened to be a classic, you know!" He crossed his arms to emphasise. "And I'll have you know that she loves my comics, too! She knows they may be priceless someday. And why would she want more? More what? What else can I possibly give her?" he asked, truly in the dark concerning what Chip was questioning. "I mean, I love her, she loves me, we love each other, we see each other every day, we work together, we solve cases together with you guys, we beat the bad guys together with you guys, hey, we practically live together, for cryin' out loud! What more could she possibly want?"

Suddenly getting a flashback of a particular commercial, Dale jingled, "Who could ask for anything more? Toyo—!"

[Bonk!]

Dale rubbed his head at this point.

"That's just it, Dale," grumbled Chip, ignoring that last commercial by keeping his right paw fisted. "You practically live together. But…" he trembled a bit, knowing there was no other way of phrasing this, "…have you noticed that right now you two sleep in separate bedrooms?"

Dale looked at best friend for a few seconds, trying to figure out what he meant by that. Upon realising what he did mean—

[BONK!]

Chip rubbed his head now, much more than Dale had done a few seconds ago.

"Of course, stupid!" growled Dale. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

Monterey stepped in before Chip could say anything else, trying to save him from another bonk, "Uh, let me put it this way, pally: 'ow close are you an' Foxy right now?"

Dale smiled, "Oh, we're close. Very close. We're like this:" he showed two digits together for all present to see.

The mouse sighed, "Uhm…let me ask this another way, Dale: 'ow close 'ave you two…er…gotten lately?"

Dale thought for a moment, and that dreamy and blissful look crept onto his face again. "Ahhh…I don't know which is better: me kissin' her, her kissin' me, or we kissin' each other…"

Monterey shifted, obviously uncomfortable because he had to broach this subject. Still, he had to make Dale see the light. Rubbing his fingers, he sighed, "Er…pally…when you do that…do you…ever feel like…gettin'…um…closer?"

Dale looked at Monty, pondering the question and looking at him the same way he looked at Chip a moment ago.

[BONK!]

Standing, Dale flattened his ears and huffed with rodent anger, "Again with the dirty questions?"

Monterey rubbed his head and fixed his skewed leather cap. Annoyed, but concerned about Dale, he frowned at him and insisted, "'Ave you?"

Dale was more than annoyed with this interrogation, but the more-than-serious look on Monterey's face calmed him down. Thinking for a moment, he lowered his paws and quietly replied, "Uh…well…sometimes…"

"Just sometimes?" Chip insisted.

Dale, now more uncomfortable than annoyed, stammered, "Well…uh…sure…it…it has crossed my mind, you know. I mean, that…that happens, doesn't it? It…it's a guy thing, right? I mean, it's not as if you guys never thought about it, right? And…and…I…I have felt it…but…hey, who hasn't? It…it has crossed my mind lately…sometimes…I suppose…"

His friends' insisting stares made Dale even more nervous.

"Okay, so it's kinda-sorta been happenin' often!" he yammered. "But hey," here he stood straight, raised his ears, crossed his arms, and calmly declared, "I love Foxy, and I respect her. And I would never do anythin' to hurt her, no sirree! And just so you know: when it does cross my mind, I immediately back down and throw it out of my head! I…I guess it's been happenin' more often now because it's spring, but I should calm down by June. Or, at least, that's what I thought last October—"

"Look, mate, it's great that you respect 'er, but you do know you've been wantin' to get closer. An' by the looks of it, I think Foxy wants to get closer to you, too."

"She does? Well, I'm glad she has plenty of self-control, too, then! Or what kind of girl do you think she is anyway, huh?"

Monterey rubbed one paw down his face, and calmly continued, "We know she's one well-bred lass, Dale, but what we're tryin' to tell you is that she wants the both of you to get closer: legit style."

"'Legit'? Ha! The only way that could ever happen is if we get—"

Here, Dale was robbed of all manner of speech as his brain tumbled to a complete stop. His jaw sagged and his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

The others sighed with relief when Dale finally saw the light. Dale could be so simple-minded sometimes!

"She wants to get closer to you, mate, legit," repeated Monty. "After all, you really didn't expect 'er to be just yore girlfriend for the rest of 'er life, now did you?"

Dale, with great difficulty, uncrossed his arms and tried to make his right paw find his head.

"Who could ask for anything more?" jingled Zipper, laughing at his friend's reaction.

Dale, meanwhile, felt as if the whole world had decided to lean on his back. Breathing with difficulty, as if he had forgotten how to do so, he staggered a bit, trying to calculate a trajectory to the nearest cushion before his legs shut down.

Chip immediately stood and helped his friend sit again; however, it was at this point that his chest began burning:

He had just helped convince his best friend that his girlfriend wanted to be more than just his girlfriend!

Still, there was no turning back now.

It was all up to Dale now.

Dale's powers of locution returned, but not with complete coherence just yet, "She wants…she wants…with me…only…me…" He was sweating profusely at this point, and by his manner of breathing, he appeared to have just run the Boston Marathon.

Chip spoke, "Look, Dale, we're sorry we had to break it to you this way. But Foxy needs you, and she needs you badly. You don't have to decide this right now; but you will have to think about this very thoroughly. Of course, if you need help, well, we're here for you, pal. And…and…whatever you decide…whatever you two decide," he sighed, "I…we will back you up. You have changed a lot since she came back, Dale, and though it's been sorta eating at me, I see that it's all for the best of us…" For some reason, a knot began forming in Chip's throat. "For the best…between us."

Dale looked at his lifelong friend, and by default, "big brother". He was hurting, for some reason, from the look in his eyes. Calming down, finally, Dale replied, "Oh, okay, Chip. I…I understand…I…think…I…think…no, I don't think…I want…I mean…I do want…but…can I…I mean, I can, but…am I…am I…r-red—"

"Nobody's ever totally ready for that, pally," said Monterey. "But if you really know yo're not, it's okay. Just be sure to tell Foxy that."

"Uh…M…Monty…could you please…not use…the word…'mate'…right now?"

The mouse smiled and chuckled, "Sorry, mate, won't do it again." Looking over at Chip, he saw that the Detective was getting worried, and pained, about this. "Ah, don't worry, lad. Seen it a million times. 'Ey, this is nothin' compared to what I went through afore I proposed to Desirée."

"B-but…you did…but you never—"

"I know, Dale, but I doubt yore chocolate problem will get in the way of you and Foxy. Think long an' 'ard about this, mate, but just don't take too long. I doubt she wants to waste any more time than what she already 'as."

"Uh, thanks, Monty, and thanks…Chop…er…Chip. I really have to figure this out, somehow. But first, could one of you guys remind me where my bed is supposed to be?"

Dale's jingle can be found here: w w w (dot) y o u t u b e (dot) c o m (slash) watch?v=q_3PaI53KlY