Guest = I'm just following the Walking Dead version. Crappy plot each chapter that leaves a cliffhanger. Since people watch that show so much, I thought of using that style. Okay, okay, no more cliffhangers for me, then.
AxB love artist = Wow, I admit, you're a genius. But guess again. (I didn't say you're wrong, I didn't say you're correct. I'm just telling you to guess again).
Iluvchipettes123 = The same reply I made to AXB love artist. Well, except for the genius part. Lol, jk. Just kidding. I just had to do that. I couldn't help myself.
Chipmunkfan no. 1 = WHOA! Don't your hands get tired writing those words? I mean, it's just a review, you don't have to type a thousand words. Ah, who am I kidding, THANK YOU! Man, that's the best review I had all year. Are you sure you're alright with that? I mean, it's no trouble, right?
Alvin's Point Of View
She's alive. Thank God, she's alive. Brittany's alive, she's well, and she still loves me. She's letting me hold her. Oh, how I love feeling her in my arms like this. Even under my jacket, I can feel her soft, silky fur brushing against me. She still loves me,... Brittany still loves me. She's letting me hold her, and that means she still loves me... right?
I held her in my arms, feeling her warmth. Her warmth that always leaves weak to my knees, making me want to cuddle with her tighter. I felt her nuzzling my neck, sending electric chills to my fur. My lips pressed against her soft forehead just to express how sorry I am, and that I didn't mean anything. I didn't mean to yell at her. I didn't mean to frown at her. Everything I said, I didn't mean. It was just the guilt talking. Oh, Brittany, please know I'll never hurt you personally.
My tears still dampened my face, but the stream has ended and the smears of tears are now filled with relief.
"Alvin..." She called out to me, her voice soft and sweet. But it sounded as if she had difficulty letting it out in a normal volume.
I leaned back from her face and looked at her. Her sapphire pupils... oh, I can just stare at them all day. They were wet with tears, and I realized sapphire and tears of sadness don't mix. But this is going to be the last time her eyes are going to bleed tears of sadness. Her face... oh, how much I want to kiss her cheeks all day long. Her fur always leaves a sweet taste in my mouth every time I lick her. And seeing her face in sadness, I swear on my life, for the rest of her life, she'll never frown or cry in sadness ever again. I swear... for the rest of her life, she's going to be treated like a queen. She's going to sit in the highest pedestal of all, and every part of her will be honored and respected.
I managed to squeeze a smile when I looked at her. But she didn't smile back.
"D-Do... do you still love me?" She asked.
Those words made me reflect on everything I had yelled at her. Recalling the event only made me feel more regretful and guilty, but not as strong as the previous one. I hurt Brittany really badly. I hurt her so much that she doubts my feelings for her. I broke her trust.
I held her paw and squeezed it tightly. "Brittany, of course I still love you. I was born to love you. I'm alive because I love you."
"But... but you yelled at me."
"Brittany, please know that I'm really sorry for that. I didn't mean to yell at you. I didn't mean to call you selfish. I didn't mean anything. I was just so... angry, I just felt so guilty and irresponsible for loosing AJ that I needed someone to blame. And I'm really sorry for taking it out on you. Please know that I'll always love you no matter what happens. I'm so sorry, Brittany. I'd pour my heart out just to let you know how sorry I am."
She shook her head. "No, Alvin... I... I'm the one who should be sorry. You were right, it was my fault."
I felt the regret again. Damn it, how many things have I said that made her feel like she's the one who did the bad things? "No, Brittany. Don't blame yourself because I yelled at you. It was my fault from the very beginning."
"I forced you to mate with me."
"No, you didn't. You seduced me, and I don't have any problem with that."
"I'm the one who got us sent home. I'm the one who got drunk."
"I'm the one who let you drink." I said, but I decided to push it more just to make it clear that everything was my fault. "I'm the one who lost AJ because I let you drink. I'm the one who made you slash your wrist. I'm the one who yelled at you. And because of that, I'm the one who should be blamed for killing the babies." That last sentence came at last thought.
As she listened, her neck craned and she looked at me dumbfoundedly. "Babies?" She asked me before she looked at her right side, at Ally, Nelle, and Bryon. "What babies?"
"You were pregnant, Brittany. I got you pregnant a few days ago this week. And thanks to me, they're gone."
Brittany slowly shook her head, her face in disbelief and eyes in horror. I regret what I had said. I probably shouldn't have told her, but then again, she's the mother and she has the right to know. "No... no... I- ... I can't believe it... That's not true. Alvin, please tell me that's not true."
"It's true, Brittany. Beatrice would never lie about something like this. In fact, Beatrice never lies."
Brittany shook her head in disbelief again. Her eyes now poured tears. "N-No,... Alvin, she was wrong. She was wrong. What about the morning sickness? The cramps? How come I never felt them? The symptoms?"
"I don't know."
She stayed quiet for a moment, and her face seemed distracted. Distracted as if she was thinking, or something occurred into her mind. "Or perhaps..." I listened as she spoke again. "...Perhaps that's why I've been asking to mate with you twice as much. Perhaps that explains last night, the heightened pleasure."
She looked at me and I said nothing. Then suddenly, her tears increased and she moaned as she cried.
"No... no... no,... I won't believe it. Alvin, I won't-... no, I'm not a bad mother. I didn't kill our children... our unborn children. Alvin,... please tell me I'm not a mother of dead children, please, please. Please tell me I'm not. Please tell me I'm a good mother, and I didn't kill our children. Please. For my sake, please."
"There's nothing I can do, Brittany. But I can tell you, it's not your fault. It's never your fault."
She cried again. "That's the thing, isn't it, Alvin?" She told me, her voice in disbelief.
"What do you mean?"
"It's never my fault, it's always yours. You always make me blame you, but in reality it's mine, and you know it."
I felt the hurt in her voice. "No, Brittany. I'm telling the truth. It's my fault and mine alone."
"No. They're my children too, Alvin. My..." She sniffed and cried again. "... My dead children." She broke down into tears, and my heart broke at the sight of her tearing up in sadness. "They never got to see the world,... they never got to see us,... they never got to touch you, their father. I never got to know what they look like. And... and it's all my fault." She broke down again, gasping several times.
"Mommy, is everything alright?" Ally's voice came into the conversation. Her curious voice matched her mother's, and for a moment, I thought Brittany was the one speaking. She sat up and looked at her mother with an innocent expression. "Mommy, are you crying?"
Brittany bit her lip as she grabbed hold of Ally and placed her on her chest. Brittany kissed her forehead as she said "I'm sorry you have to see me cry, Ally. I'm sorry you all have to see me cry."
"Why, mommy? What's wrong?"
"You were going to have new brothers and sisters and I... and I lost them. I had a miscarriage, and they're dead. It's my entire fault. Please don't get mad at me, Ally. All of you, please don't get mad at me. I don't know how I can live with my kids hating me."
Bryon and Nelle got up, and looked at Brittany. "We don't hate you, mommy." Alienelle said.
"Yeah, mom. You did everything for us, and we'll never hate you. As long as dad still loves you, because we know dad will never stop loving you."
Bryon spoke the truth, I say. He's right; I'll never stop loving Brittany. My body will always fall head over heels when I look at her. My heart will always skip a beat when I hold her in my arms. Butterflies will always flutter in my stomach at the sound of her voice. My hormones will never stop raging at the sight of her luscious body. I'll always love her no matter what, and I'll bet everything I have on it.
Brittany turned to look at me, her eyes unreadable. "Alvin,... please tell me that's true. Please tell me you'll always love me."
I smiled at her. "I'll always love you, Brittany. No matter what happens, no matter how sad I am, I'll always love you."
Her head shook again. "I'll always love you too. No matter how much you yell at me. No matter how much you hurt me, I'm still yours."
"I'll never do anything to hurt you ever again, Brittany." I told her.
For a moment, her sight wandered from me, to the children, then back again. She smiled. "Alvin,... all of you, please hold me. I need you,... all of you."
Doing what she said, I curled into a ball and wrapped myself around her. My paw laid on top of Brittany's chest, and she held it with her own paw. The kids did the same and placed their paws around her. I nuzzled her cheek and gave her a sweet, gentle kiss on the cheek. After a moment, I heard a sniff from Brittany's nose. A sniff that spoke sadness.
"What is it, Brittany?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, it just feels so empty. It's just not the same without AJ. Are we ever going to find him?"
"We will, Brittany. I promise, we will."
. . . . . . .
The sun was at the highest peak of the sky, and the radiant shine was at its brightest. Sounds of cars rolling by, people getting busy, some coming back from lunch, and the busy people accented the busy city under the busiest time of the day. But even the cloudless sky and the passionate glow of the sun can't mean anything for the Seville Family. A family member is lost, but not gone forever. Lost, taken, abducted, and nowhere to be found.
The only people in the Seville household were Simon's family, Theodore's family, Jeremy who was now a friend of the chipmunks, and Claire who was doing a favor to look around the house while Dave goes in an interview at the CICC (California International Convention Center). It turned out that Dave really is getting the police involved, but secretly. According to him, even the Interpol got interested, but to them, AJ was nothing but a LVI (Low Valued Individual), so they're only going to work on the case if they need to pass the time. Or if they get bored.
Well, that's just humanity. Surely, the Interpol has more things to worry about, like Joseph Kony who has abducted more children than one and turned them into soldiers and prostitutes.
Seeing that the kids are already known to the world, and they're not that innocent about the outdoors because of their intelligence, Simon decided to take them, Jeanette included, out for a walk. The children took no hesitation and the girls grabbed their jackets right away. They had left not earlier than two-thirty in the afternoon, and the kids were excited about meeting the outdoors once more.
Simon decided to take them to the park somewhere in the Alvarado Street, since it's about the only closest park from the Seville Household. Though, not that long of a drive, but the kids were endless in questions like "Are we there yet?" or "Where are we going?", or simply the latter without the 'going' part. Jeanette took the courtesy to answer the questions as they came, and her patience is as endless as the children's questions.
They had finally arrived at the park by three o'clock in the afternoon. They parked the car behind a tree where no human can stomp on it. When they got out of the vehicle, the children just when loose, like the inner beasts unleashed. They started scattering around the park, sniffing flowers, rolling on grass, playing hide and seek, and it took half an hour for him and Jeanette to finally get them to regroup. After a relief-filled headcount, they started with new rule - always stick together.
And the kids had followed the rule so well and orderly. Whenever Simon and Jeanette took a walk alone, they'd find them complete when they return. When the hour hand of the clock past three, the sun finally started to go down. By that time, the kids were already red and panting with their tongues hanging from their mouths.
"Hey, kids. What were you up to? You all look exhausted." Simon had asked a while ago.
"I know. I've never been this tired, dad." Stanley had replied.
"Well, we better take a rest. The day's not over yet, and we still have an hour. Once your sweats have dried, we're all getting ice cream."
Then that, followed by every cheer the children could muster under their exhaustion. Simon had a great idea where to find shelter from the sun other than the benches. Since they were chipmunks, and the kids know little about the natural chipmunk life, Simon and his family climbed up at the branch of a tree and perched themselves there.
They sat on different branches, looking at the view the height of the tree gave them. The kids awed at the sight of the horizon.
"Wow. Mom, dad, this is how you guys got to live when you were young? You guys made a big mistake in leaving." Simon Jr., the oldest, spoke up. He brought his paw up and gestured to the view. "I mean, look at all this. I could just sit here and look at the view for hours. What made you guys leave? A place like this seems perfect."
"It's the natural life of woodland creatures, Simon. Your uncle Alvin just got tired of working anyways. Our tree was cut down and made into a Christmas tree for Jett Records. And that's how we found your grandfather." Simon smiled at his son, and he smiled back. Simon spoke again. "And you think I made a big mistake leaving?"
"Um... I don't know. But this place is perfect." Simon Jr. replied.
Simon chuckled. "If you think I made a big mistake..." Simon placed his paw on top of Jeanette. He looked at her and stared at her eyes with a loving smile. "... I met your mother."
"And we never would have been born, I know, dad." Simon Jr. said so dismissively. "But dad, can I ask you something?"
Simon looked at him and raised his eyebrow openly.
"When I have a family, do you think I can live in a place like this? I want my future children to live with a view like this. It's so dreamy."
Simon chuckled and considered the question for a while. He answered "If you think you can support your family by gathering nuts all day, and make your mate feel loved and special at the same time, then yes."
"Wow. In that case, can I too, dad? I mean, there's not a place like this in the human community." Stanley spoke up.
"Yes, of course. But as long as you don't forget us."
"No way, dad. We'd never forget you or mom."
"Well, thank you, Stanley."
"Anytime, dad."
Father and sons exchange smiles and grins before Simon turned back to look at the horizon. As he drifted off and admired the beauty, he felt Jeanette's head laying down on his shoulder. He looked at her face and found a better beauty to admire, her smile, her eyes, the glasses that accented her amethyst pupils. Everything about Jeanette is beautiful, and he's never forgotten that. The way her tail sways when she moves, the way her body was formed perfectly as if it was meant for him,... everything.
He smiled at her before giving her a peck on the forehead and placed his arms around her waist, their tails locked and tied.
In that position, they both watched the sky together while sitting on a branch of the tree. This scenario is usually what they dreamed of when they were kids, still in a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship. But being mates doesn't change the feeling of a dream come true.
As Simon drifted away into his thoughts again, his mind found its way to last night, AJ's kidnapping. Frankly, Simon felt guilty about not being able to do anything that night. Nobody was able to do anything. Dave's pinned, Ian's shot and is in the hospital, Claire nearly fainted, and all Toby could do was think of a good combat maneuver that came from a video game. Everyone, Simon included, only felt relief when he DIDN'T do it.
But what could've happened had he not told Theodore to watch over the kids? Not just their kids, but everyone's. More than one would've been kidnapped, and worst, it could be one of their children. Simon doesn't know how he'd be able to cope up with the loss, and he doesn't even know how he'd react. The feeling of being an irresponsible parent is foreign to him, and he probably would never feel it.
"So, dad!" Simon was brought back to reality by one of his son's voice. He looked up and saw the boys smiling at each other, and then looked at him. "When are we going to get those ice creams?"
Simon rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Haha, I almost forgot. Come on, let's go." He turned to look at his shoulder and was greeted by the shiniest pair of amethysts in the world. "What?"
Jeanette raised her eyebrow. Oh, God, she's so beautiful when she does that, Simon thought. "What, I'm not allowed to stare at you?"
"You could have told me so we can stare at each other."
"But you look so cute when you're concentrating. So what were you thinking about?"
"How about we get those ice creams first, mom?" From another branch of the tree, John spoke up with a complaint.
Simon and Jeanette both looked at him. Jeanette lifted her head from Simon's shoulder and grinned playfully at her son. "Okay, John." She said before tapping her chin, pretending to remember something. "Oh, that reminds me, aren't you supposed to do the dishes and clean the rooms tonight?"
John's smile melted into a disappointed frown. "Mom..." He complained again.
Jeanette laughed. "Relax, John, I'm just kidding." Jeanette said. "But change your attitude, young man. And we should get you a haircut too. You look more like Janice than yourself."
"But I don't like scissors. And besides, I love being mistaken."
"No, you want someone else to be blamed for your pranks, and when Simone's not an option, you blame Janice."
"Yeah, can we please get those ice creams now?" John said so dismissively.
Jeanette rolled her eyes and laughed. She turned to look at Simon. "So, should we go now?"
Simon chuckled. "I know you're worried about what John and Simone might be when they grow up, but don't worry, I'll talk to them later." He offered her his paw. "Let's go."
Jeanette took his paw. As soon as she did, Simon swept her off her feet and carried her in his arms. A bit surprised, but she didn't complain. She gave him a smile before Simon hopped out of the tree with her in his arms. Jeanette felt his muscles contract as they glided down to the air and landed with a soft thud on the ground.
As Simon was about to put Jeanette down, she clung into her and didn't let go.
"Um, Jeanette..."
Simon felt Jeanette's grasp around her tightening. "I just can't let go of you. You're just so dreamy."
"Don't worry, I'm all yours tonight. You can stick onto me like a glue for the rest of your life, but in the mornings, the kids own me."
Simon heard Jeanette's audible sigh of disappointment and released his grip around him. He released her and wrapped his arms around her waist. The kids already hopped out of the tree, and Simon's relieved to see that living in a human lifestyle didn't affect their natural chipmunk abilities like instincts, reflexes,... The way they hopped out of the tree in a fluid motion says it all.
They regrouped the kids after a mental headcount. After that, they all walked towards the exit of the park where the ice cream stands were. But before they even got there, they were greeted by a human, a male human who had just reached adulthood. About twenty-five years old, wearing a white shirt and jeans. He was plain and from a standard white American complexion. The human greeted them.
"Excuse me,... uh, good afternoon, Simon Seville?" The man greeted.
Simon's natural senses detected something strange in the man's tone... something unusual. By hearing with his sensitive ears, the man's voice vibrated a bit too much, creating a shaky tone. Looking at the man's face, despite the cold spring of the year, a hint of sweat dripped from his forehead.
Simon acted casually. "Yes, I'm Simon Seville. Can I help you?"
"Oh... Oh, my God. Simon Seville of the Chipmunks?"
"Um,... yes. Look, if you're here for an autograph, I'm kind of with my family here."
"Yes, I'm here for an autograph. I- It's really such an honor to be meeting you. I'm a big fan of yours, and I just returned from New York where you had your last tour."
Simon has heard these things before, and now that he has a family, this kind of fan is to be considered the most annoying one. Simon looked back at his family, then back at the man. "Please, I'm with my family."
"Don't worry, this won't take long. I don't mean to be rude but-"
From his pocket, a phone rang audibly which interrupted the conversation. Simon rolled his eyes and watched as the man yanked his phone from his pocket and pressed the answer button. As the man spoke, his voice sounded shakier, and it's only strange according to Simon's senses.
"What?... Look, please, I don't want to do this... What!? No way, forget it..." The man's expression suddenly dropped. "... okay, alright, just please don't..."
The conversation struck Simon as unusual, and definitely not normal. The way the man stuttered some words, the way his voice shook, that wasn't a normal conversation. But then again, he could be wrong. When the man finally put down his phone, he gave a smile.
"I'm sorry, it's... uh... my professor. He said I wouldn't graduate if I violate one more deadline."
And of course, that's another strange answer, since the man looks more like a middle-class workingman than a college student. And plus, he looks like someone from his mid-twenties, and that age doesn't write college.
The man continued to speak. "I really need your autograph, Mr. Seville. I, uh... I can't wait for another two months for your next tour. It won't be long, please."
Simon sighed. Oh, for the love of God! Does family mean anything to you!? Simon wanted to scream out, but kept it in his head. "Okay, alright. But please, don't take too long. I'm trying to make the most of the two months with my family before the next tour."
"Alright, this won't take long. Can you come with me to my car? It's just a few walks away from here."
FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! The voice screamed louder in his head as he sighed and rubbed his face in frustration. He needed to get rid of this guy, and fans like him don't leave that easily. "Alright." He turned to Jeanette and the children. "Jeanette, can you watch over them for me? This won't take long, I promise."
"Take your time. We're not in a hurry, aren't we?" Jeanette replied.
Jeanette watched as Simon nodded and turned to leave with the man for a few seconds. Seriously, this isn't really what both of them had expected when they said they'd take a walk in the park. That's the disadvantage of having a famous person as a life partner. Fun things get interrupted by someone who worships him, and this is no exception. Jeanette could see the frustration in Simon's eyes as he sighed countless times before leaving. She can tell he wanted to tuck-tail and run away from that obviously obsessed fan of his.
"Mommy, where's daddy going?" Serene's calm and peaceful voice sparked with curiosity.
She turned and knelt down in front of her. She tucked a strand of her daughter's hair aside and smiled at her. "Don't worry, Serene. Daddy's just taking care of things for a while."
"Another fan?" Serene asked.
"Yes, another fan. An obsessed one too. Fans like that won't leave without getting what they want."
"But I don't understand why a simple signature means so much to them. Daddy might write a message too, but the words don't really mean anything, right? He's just going to write that because the fan told him to."
Jeanette mentally praised her daughter's logical and philosophical mind. "Yes, but fans act like it's really given to them. That it really means something, even though they know it's not."
"Humans are weird."
Jeanette couldn't agree more. The fact that human hormones are secreted by glands very randomly and may get lost in the different part of the bodies might explain why humans are so weird. The mood swings for girls, short temper for boys,... and a lot more. Especially when they get angry for no reason. Even when girls have a bad dream about a boy, they wake up mad at the boy. That behavior is strange, and even hormones are a muddy, unclean explanation.
Jeanette gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead before standing up and patted the dirt from her knee. She turned to look at Simon who was already a few distances away from them. Even from afar, Simon's shapely body, his muscles, his brown fur,... all of his features aren't easy to ignore and they can be noticed even from a distance.
She told the kids to follow her to a safer area near a bush where humans are less likely to stomp them. She reached the bush, and the kids followed her in an un-orderly manner, scattered around. She stood and paused for a while after feeling something... something strange. There's something out of the ordinary going on. Even with the noises of human children, there was a bit of silence... a strange silence that made her feel like they're being watched.
Her fur stood at the ends. Beside her, she saw Stanley and placed a paw on her paw on his shoulder to relieve herself from the strange feeling. But after a few moments, something happened, something that made everyone in the park, humans included, pause and scream in fear.
The birds flew from the trees at the sound of an explosion... a loud bang that drew ear-piercing screams from every living thing. Then suddenly, she felt a small wave of wind and dirt on the ground beside her, followed by a shock that blew her away, making her land on the ground with a thud.
It took a small millisecond for her to figure out what was happening, and the only thing that screamed in her mind was "Gun". A gun has been fired at them, the bullet impacted on the ground beside her, and the shock blew her away. She shook her head and her senses only told her one thing - danger.
Acting upon instincts, she grabbed Stanley - the closest child next to her - in an embrace. She looked at the others and yelled "Everyone, get down!"
She buried her chin on Stanley's head and closed her eyes. But what made her open them was the sound of Simon screaming the name of their daughter at the top of his lungs "SERENE, NO!"
She stood in shock and fear, her mouth agape and her eyes widened. Her breathing became rapid, her heart pounded against her ribs, and she wanted to scream out but her voice felt inactive. At the sight of a man running away holding their daughter's tail, all she could do was watch.
For those who voted for Serene, haha you guys read my mind. Is the plot really that obvious?
Oh, and another thing...
A BIG SHOUT-OUT!
I'd like to thank Webweirdo332 - a big friend of mine - for helping me out with this chapter. And to return the favor, I'd really appreciate it if you guys read her story "Mixed Up Love". It's really great, and it's improving with each chapter she makes. You won't regret it.
Maligayang Bagong Taon, mga kaibigan. Or to translate that, Happy New Year, my friends.
I used Microsoft Words to edit this chapter, so please tell me if I accidentally inserted some "gdsg" or "adgdf" or other stuffs between words or sentences.
And uh... after reading this, you might wanna read Webweirdo332's story. I'm in debt to her. This chapter would never have been possible without her.