Love and War
Jeanette yelped then ducked her head down. Brittany's fist missed her face and instead collided with the wall. The fist smashed through the dry wall like cardboard. The pink-clad Chipette's eyes went wide and she let out a wail of pain. Jeanette squirmed away and darted towards the entrance of the kitchen. Brittany retracted her throbbing hand and started to massage it, jumping up in down in place whilst yelping. Jeanette raced back into the den. She heard a groan and watched as Alvin slowly pulled himself out of the table remains. He wobbled a bit as he got to his feet and he started to rub his head.
"Oh, my head… where's Brittany" he asked staggering over to her.
"She's in the kitchen. She just hurt her hand. She is going to be really mad. We need to get out of here now!" Jeanette said urgently, beckoning the red capped chipmunk to follow her out of the room towards the front door. Alvin tried to follow her but was still really dizzy and ended up simply falling over. Suddenly there was a scream of rage from the kitchen.
"Uh oh" Alvin gulped as he tried to get to his feet. Brittany sprinted into the room, her face completely red and her eyes glowing with flames.
"That really hurt Jeanette! You will pay for that!" she roared and started to charge towards her sister. Jeanette screamed and froze in place. Brittany leapt into the air straight towards her when suddenly a flash of red intercepted her and she was sent sprawling to the ground. She looked up to see that Alvin and knocked her out of the way.
"Brittany, leave her alone!" he said angrily. Brittany growled. Before he could react, Brittany rolled onto her back and swung her leg around, causing him to trip. The enraged Chipette got to her feet and grabbed the back of his neck.
"You just don't know when to quit" she growled before picking him up and tossing him straight into the Chipmunk's piano. He sailed into the roof of the instrument and landed on the inner wires. Before he could climb out, Brittany leapt up and grabbed the stick holding the roof up. Alvin yelped as the heavy roof slammed down on top of him pinning him inside the piano. Brittany wiped her hands and gave a chuckle.
"One down, two to go" she smiled then turned back to Jeanette. She still hadn't moved, completely paralyzed with fear. Brittany started to move towards her, when Simon burst through the front door and entered the room. His glasses were cracked and crooked and he had cuts all over his arms and back from the broken glass from the window. He stood in front of Jeanette protectively.
"Brittany, don't you dare try to hurt Jeanette. I'm not much of a fighter, and I don't want to hurt a girl, but if you lay a finger on her I'll…" he started but Brittany just laughed.
"You'll what lover boy?" she sniggered. Simon suddenly looked shocked, which made Brittany laugh even more.
"I know all about you two. Oh and don't worry, once I'm done with you, Theodore and Eleanor will be next. What a surprise they'll get when they come back from their date" she said with an evil smile. This made Simon even angrier.
"You leave them and Jeanette alone! Fine we hit you with a cane and you got mad, I'm sorry, I'd be angry too, but you just broke into our house, trashed the place and beat us up. That is the work of a common criminal!" Simon said angrily. Brittany stopped laughing. Her expression turned deadly serious.
"A criminal you say, hmm… you know what, I honestly don't care" she smirked before dashing forwards and punching Simon in the stomach. No sound came from the chipmunk's mouth as he wheeled over in pain. As he fell forward Brittany kneed him in the face and he rolled to the floor. Jeanette gasped and watched as the blue-clad chipmunk hit the floor, then her attention turned back to Brittany. Brittany smirked.
"Jeez, that was easier than I thought" she chuckled before taking another step towards Jeanette. Suddenly Simon shot up and tackled Brittany to the ground.
"Leave her alone!" he cried as they two rolled around on the ground. They broke apart and got to their feet. Brittany balled her hands into fists and growled.
"Ok then" she sneered. She took a swipe at him, but he swung his body to the left and her fist missed. Simon quickly swung his leg at hers and took her off balance and she fell to the ground with a loud oof. Simon immediately took a step back, knowing that now he was in royal trouble. He raised his arms into a defensive pose, ensuring that he stood in between Brittany and Jeanette. As Brittany got to her feet she turned to face Simon. She was about to say something when they all heard a noise. They turned to see Alvin slide out from underneath the piano. He fell to the floor, but he managed to pull himself back to his feet and approach the three of them.
"If you try to hurt anyone else, you're going to have to get through me first" he said, copying Simon's move and raising his fists. Brittany looked amused. Her head shifted back and forth between the two brothers who had both moved to block her path from Jeanette. She gave a chuckle.
"Well, this will be fun" she laughed and moved towards them.
The sun was slowly setting as Miss Miller's car pulled up next to a grassy hill. She turned around to face the two chipmunks.
"You two have a great time. I'm going to head into town for a little while, then I'll come and pick you up ok" the old woman said. Both of the chipmunks smiled at her.
"Ok Miss Miller" they said in unison. Theodore climbed out of the car and held his hand out for Eleanor to take. She giggled and accepted his hand as he helped her out of the car. Before they did anything else, Theodore walked around to the boot of the car.
"This is the first part of the surprise" he said and pulled out a basket. Eleanor beamed at him.
"We get to have a picnic! Oh thank you Theodore, you know I love picnics!" she said excitedly and gave him a huge hug. He smiled at her.
"I know you do. I wanted to make this special for us" he said happily before extending his hand again. Eleanor took it and both chipmunks turned back to face Miss Miller.
"Bye Miss Miller" they said together. She smiled at them and gave them a wave.
"Good by dears" she said before driving off. Eleanor turned to face Theodore.
"So where are we having our picnic?" she asked him. He gave a chuckle.
"You'll see. Now close your eyes" he instructed. Eleanor did as he asked and closed her eyes. Theodore continued to hold her hand and started to lead her over the hill. As Eleanor walked, she started to feel the ground changing from grassy to sandy. She was quite puzzled, where could Theodore be taking her? Theodore stopped walking and turned to face Eleanor.
"Ok, you can open your eyes now Ellie" he said. Slowly Eleanor opened her eyes and gasped at the scene. Theodore had taken her to a beautiful lagoon by the beach. The water came in from the sea into a small circular lake. Surrounding the lagoon where all sorts of tropical trees and plants. The water was crystal clear and the gentle breeze made the plants move back and forth in perfect motion allowing the leaves to gently rustle.
"Oh Theodore, this is beautiful" Eleanor said, taking in the beauty in front of her. Theodore led her over to a small spot in between two palm trees and reached into his basket. He pulled out a quilted rug which he spread over the sand. He indicated for Eleanor to sit as he started to go through the basket to get everything ready. Eleanor watched as he pulled out some plates and some glasses. Her eyes widened when he got to the food. He had packed potato salad, fruit salad, cauliflower and cheese, steamed vegetables, roasted nuts and some quiche, with a bottle of pineapple juice for a drink. The food looked amazing, prepared to perfection. The hot food was still hot because he had stored it into heat trapping containers.
"Theodore, this looks fantastic, how did you have time to make it all?" Eleanor asked as Theodore prepared a plate for her. He turned to her and smiled.
"Well, I have been preparing this in secret all weekend. After everyone had gone back to sleep from watching Brittany, I would sneak back into the kitchen for a few hours" he said, handing Eleanor her plate choked full of food.
"You stayed up to make all this just for me?" she asked smiling.
"Yes. I wanted to make sure that this date was perfect, and you were worth every second. You are so beautiful Eleanor" He said and gently stroked her cheek. Eleanor blushed then moved close to him and kissed him. The second their lips touched, it was like an electric current started to flow between them. It felt so good. Being together like this was just so magical. It was as if in all the years they had known each other, they had only really just shown each other who they were. A veil had been lifted and now their relationship could take the next step. They were now closer then friends, they were an item. Slowly the two broke apart. Eleanor stared up into Theodore's lime green eyes and he looked straight back into her lush chocolate brown eyes.
"Thank you so much Theodore" Eleanor said quietly. She snuggled close next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. Theodore wrapped one arm around her and smiled.
"You're welcome Eleanor" he whispered back. For hours the two ate their meal, watching as the orange rays of the sun disappeared over the ocean and the moonlit sky sparkled down over the crystal waters of the lagoon. The trees started to sway a little harder, and tiny little waves started to roll up to the sand and back down. Eleanor and Theodore just watched silently, their arms around each other. After a while, Theodore stood up.
"Would you like to go for a walk along the beach?" he asked, extending his hand. Eleanor smiled and nodded her head. She took his hand and he helped her stand up. As they began to walk, Theodore gently placed his arm around her waist, and Eleanor placed her arm around his back, snuggling close to him as they walked. The gentle breeze was heavenly and the sound of the lapping waves was like music.
"Oh Theodore, tonight has been so wonderful" Eleanor whispered. He smiled at her. He opened his mouth to say something, when he stepped on a rock and lost his balance.
"Whoa!" he cried and fell to the ground, pulling Eleanor with him. As they hit the sand, the two started to roll. Their screams soon turned to laughter as they grabbed each other and rolled along the sand, finally coming to a stop, with Eleanor sitting on top of Theodore. Theodore looked up at the sparkle in her eyes and saw the most beautiful girl in the entire world. Eleanor smiled then lowered herself and brought her lips to his in a passionate kiss. They stayed that way for what felt like hours, but they never stopped enjoying it. The feeling was unforgettable. Through that kiss, they could both feel just how much the other cared for them and it was unbelievable. They didn't notice as the wind started to pick up and the moonlit sky was blocked out by dark fearsome rain clouds. They didn't notice as freezing pellets of rain descended upon them and the gentle waves became fierce and strong. Nothing in the world could ruin this moment. The two were soon soaking wet, but they didn't care in the slightest. As long as they were together, nothing could make this night go wrong. Slowly the two came apart and looked deep into each other's eyes.
"Eleanor, I lo…" Theodore started to say, but Eleanor placed a finger to his lips.
"I do too" she said and kissed him again. Never in their lives had they enjoyed themselves more than they had tonight. More time passed for the young couple and soon they knew it was time for them to go. They broke apart, but the electric current could still be felt. And they both knew it would never be gone as long as they were with the other. Slowly they got to their feet and started to walk back to their picnic area. The quilt was drenched and the basket was dripping. The two gathered up the picnic equipment and stuffed it all back into the basket. Slowly they started to head back up to the grassy hill where Miss Miller was going to meet them, but they didn't let go of each other the whole time.
"Wwwwwhhhhoooooaaaaa!" Alvin yelled as he sailed across the room into the wall with a loud smack. Brittany had chased the three terrified chipmunks around the house for hours and now the den lay in ruins. Jeanette yelped as Brittany grabbed the front of her sweater. The frightened Chipette screamed as Brittany twirled her around above her head before pelting her towards the wall. Seconds before she could hit it, Simon leapt into the air and grabbed a hold of her. The two crashed to the floor with a groan. Brittany let out a laugh. This was so much fun. She was experiencing such a rush of adrenaline. She just couldn't explain why, but the anger surging through her and the brutal strength she was displaying felt so good. Alvin staggered to his feet.
"Ok, I think we've had enough. Don't you think you have punished us enough for hitting you?" Alvin said. His whole body ached. He had been punched, kicked, thrown around like a toy and crashed into hundreds of items around the house, he had definitely had enough. Anymore and he would end up with broken bones lying in some hospital bed. Brittany smirked at him.
"Really, you've had enough. I haven't even broken a sweat. I thought you were supposed to be one of the best athletes in school and you can barely a lay a finger on me. You are so pathetic" she laughed. Alvin let out a sigh.
"Please Brittany, just stop" he said slowly. Her laugh stopped and she started to glare at him.
"I'll stop when I'm good and ready to stop!" she growled.
"Brittany calm down please. Look at what has happened. The house is trashed and we've taken more than enough punishment. We can tell you are still angry, but please just stop this" Simon pleaded behind her. Brittany wheeled around to face him.
"I don't care about this house, and I certainly don't care how much pain you go through" she scoffed placing her hands on her hips. Simon didn't know what else to say. Brittany just wasn't listening to reason. He was about to try and plead with her again, when Jeanette took a step forward.
"Brittany, I'm asking you this as your sister. I love you, please don't do this. Just go away and leave us alone. You have hurt us enough" she said sadly. She felt tears start to come to her eyes as she looked at the monster in front of her. This wasn't her sister; this was nothing but a monstrous creature using her body. Brittany narrowed her eyes at Jeanette.
"You're asking me as a sister?" she said. Jeanette nodded her head. It was the only response she could give away without crying.
"Well Jeanette, I have some bad news for you. I don't think I will stop. Not just because I am enjoying myself too much, but for another reason. Jeanette, you are not my sister anymore. I hate you" she said coldly. Jeanette stood frozen still for a moment before bursting into tears. She slumped to the ground and pulled her head into her hands crying uncontrollably. Simon knelt down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"How dare you" he said angrily looking up at Brittany in disgust. The pink-clad chipmunk just smirked. She moved to take a step forward when suddenly there was a loud thud. There was a sharp pain in her head before Brittany closed her eyes and dropped to the ground unconscious. Alvin stood behind her, a broken chair leg in his hands. He stood still breathing for a moment, before dropping the wood and kneeling down next to the unconscious girl.
"I'm sorry" he whispered. He raised his head and looked at Simon and Jeanette. Jeanette hadn't removed her face from her hands, the tears still pouring from her eyes. Simon squeezed her even tighter.
"It's alright Jeanette, it's alright" he said soothingly to her. He rested his chin in her hair as he pulled her as close as he could. Jeanette lifted her face from her hands and moved it to his chest. Alvin moved to her side as well and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't listen to a word of it. That isn't your sister. That is an angry werewolf lying there, not Brittany. Don't listen to anything she says" he said kindly. She looked up at him for a moment and gave a shaky nod of her head before returning her face to Simon's chest, her tears still continuing to flow.
"Alvin, can you figure out what to do with Brittany and start getting this place cleaned up?" Simon asked quietly. Alvin looked at him and nodded. He gently picked Brittany up and carried her out of the room. As he left, Simon looked back down at the sobbing girl in his arms. He started to gently stroke her hair, but continued to hold her tightly.
"He's right Jeanette. You need to know that. Brittany loves you with all her heart. You are her sister, and nothing will ever change that. We will find a way to help her soon, I promise. Until then, just don't listen. I know it will be hard, but you can do it. You are strong and brave Jeanette" he said kindly. She looked up at him, tears still in her eyes.
"No I'm not" she said quietly through her tears.
"Why do you say that Jeanette?" he asked her, staring into her eyes. He could see the pain inside her through those glistening gems and it broke his heart to see her as such.
"Because I am such a coward. I break down and cry every time someone yells at me. I can never say anything without getting shy and nervous. I'm even scared of the dark. I'm not brave, I'm just a big scaredy cat" she sobbed and returned her head to his chest, refusing to meet his gaze. Simon looked at her. Suddenly he knew what he had to say. He pulled her away from him and lifted her chin so her eyes met with his.
"Listen to me Jeanette, you are not a scaredy cat" he said firmly.
"But I…" she started, but Simon cut her off.
"No Jeanette, don't ever think like that. You are strong and brave. When you first found out that you're sister was a werewolf, you didn't panic, instead you kept your head and did the smart thing and got help. When Brittany said all those awful things to Alvin, you were there for him and made him feel better. And even just now, having the guts to stand up to Brittany and ask her to stop. Jeanette, I have never seen a braver person. Don't ever listen to anything that Brittany says to you. You are caring and compassionate and you are strong and brave. I never want to hear something like that from you again" he said with strong words. Jeanette just stared at him before crashing her lips to his in a strong and powerful kiss. Simon kissed back with just as much passion. The both felt it as their emotions took control of them and washed all over them. Their hearts were now one. The pain and sorrow lingered in their minds, but it was a single dark spot in a sea of love and happiness.
Alvin gently lay Brittany down in a closet and locked the door. He would have preferred to lay her down on a bed, but he didn't want to risk her waking up. The rain grew very loud outside. He looked at it through a window.
"I hope Theodore and Eleanor are having fun" he sighed to himself before turning around and trudging back towards the den. As his walked around the corner, he immediately saw the site of Jeanette and Simon. They were still kissing passionately on the floor. Jeanette moved her arms around Simon's neck and he lowered his arms to around her waist as they drew closer to each other. Alvin smiled and backed out of the room quietly. The den needed to be cleaned quickly before Dave came home and found it, but that could wait a moment. Just then, Alvin heard the sound of the door opening. His eyes widened with panic and he raced to the door. As soon as he recognized who it was, the panic disappeared and another smile formed. A sopping wet Eleanor and Theodore had just entered the house. Despite their soaking clothes, the two were smiling and hand arm around each other.
"I see you two had a good time" he chuckled and both chipmunks blushed.
"Yes, it was so wonderful. Theodore took me to the most beautiful lagoon and made the best food for us, then we sat together and watched the sun go down and we played in the rain. It was so amazing" Eleanor giggled and Theodore blushed even more before pecking Eleanor on the cheek. Alvin's smile grew even wider.
"Sounds great. I'm so happy for you. I need to tell you though, it looks like you two aren't alone anymore" he said with a wink and led them toward the den. The first thing their eyes locked on was the intertwined Jeanette and Simon.
"That is so sweet" Eleanor whispered as the group watched them. Theodore was the first to raise his eyes and see the destruction surrounding them.
"Whoa, what happened!" he cried out. Jeanette and Simon jumped when they heard him and fell flat on their backs. They both blushed fiercely as they got to their feet. Eleanor was now shocked as well as she spotted the broken table, the smashed window, the upturned furniture and all the broken ornaments. Alvin turned his gaze from Simon and Jeanette and took a quick scan of the room before letting out a sigh.
"Let's just say that Brittany decided to get some pay back" he said quietly. The two green chipmunks gasped. Now that they were seeing the damage, they started to notice the condition of the other three chipmunks. Jeanette's clothes were ruffled and torn, but she was the least harmed of them all. Simon's glasses were cracked and crooked, barely sitting over his nose. His clothes were ripped and cuts could be seen along his arms and back from the broken window. Alvin looked just as bad. He was barely bleeding, but he was bruised and sore. He limped slightly as he walked and his whole body ached.
"What did you do with Brittany, Alvin?" Simon asked as the blushing on his face went down. Alvin faced him.
"I locked her in the closet. Hopefully she won't wake up for a while" he said. Simon nodded then looked around.
"We should get cleaning now before Dave gets home. Eleanor, Theodore, you two should go and dry yourselves, then we could use a hand" Simon said, watching the puddle form under the two smaller chipmunks. They followed his gaze before blushing.
"Yeah, you're right. Come on Ellie" Theodore said as he took the blond haired Chipette's hand and led her out of the room. Alvin looked at Simon and Jeanette.
"I'm going to go and grab a dust pan and brush for all the broken glass" he announced before heading into the kitchen to grab the equipment from the pantry. As he left, Simon turned to Jeanette. She blushed and looked at the ground, her hands behind her back.
"Thank you for being so kind" she said quietly, barely audible. Simon smiled at her and placed his arms around her. She looked up at him, her cheeks turning a light pink.
"You have nothing to thank me for Jeanette. Everything I said was true. You are a brave and strong person. You are caring and passionate and… very beautiful" he said and started to blush himself as he gazed down at her sparkling emerald eyes. Jeanette smiled at him, her beauty radiating. She moved forward and kissed him again. This kiss was shorter than the last, but it didn't matter. It was a way for them to speak without speaking. To express their feelings to each other fully, in a way that words simply couldn't. It was magical. Alvin reentered the room as they broke apart. He smiled at them but said nothing; he simply cleaned away all the broken glass and any other splitters or pieces from the furniture. Jeanette looked up at Simon.
"What will happen to us now?" she asked timidly. The concern in her voice startled Simon. He hadn't thought she would be frightened about what had just happened.
"Well… that depends on you. Jeanette, would you like to go out with me?" Simon asked her. Again she smiled. Simon just loved it when she smiled. It showed her beauty and kindness completely.
"I would love to" she said before the two moved close into a firm hug. Alvin smiled. This was so great to see them finally together. Now both his friends and his brothers were united at last. However as he watched them, something grew inside him, something dark and sorrowful. His brothers were now with the girls they cared for with all their hearts, but for Alvin, that could not be. Brittany was a monster. She was mean and cruel and she hated him. That was what hurt the most. The red-clad chipmunk's smile slowly faded and he gave a depressing sigh, before returning to his cleaning. He really was happy for his family, including the Chipettes, but he just wished that he could experience the same kind of joy with the girl of his dreams. He was about to let out another sigh when a howl interrupted his thoughts. Suddenly he realized how late at night it was.
"No no no no no" he cried out and sprinted out of the room towards the closet Brittany was stored in. Jeanette and Simon realized what he was thinking and dashed after him. The three of them reached the closet door. There was a growling and scurrying noise coming from within. Hesitantly, Alvin slowly unlocked the door. He opened it by a centimeter, but before he could slam it shut, the door burst open and Brittany rushed out in her werewolf state. She bowled the startled Jeanette and Simon over and started to yap excitedly as she raced around the room. She had never seen this place before and it was so interesting. Alvin groaned and closed the door. He moved to Brittany. She turned to him and started to pant happily.
"No Brittany, don't…" he started, but he wasn't fast enough. The werechipmunk leapt at him and pinned him to the ground. She started to lick his face happily. Jeanette and Simon crawled to their feet and sighed as they saw the transformed Brittany. It had been difficult enough facing her in her normal form. Trying to clean the house and control her in this form would be almost impossible. Alvin shoved the werechipmunk away and got to his feet. Brittany continued to pant and bark happily. Suddenly she heard a gust of wind and the pouring rain coming from the den. She raced in and spotted the open window. Alvin followed her gaze and his eyes widened.
"Wait, stop her before she…" he started, but he didn't have time to finish. Brittany sprinted towards the window and leapt outside. The three chipmunks groaned. Now it wasn't just finding her that was a problem. It was finding her in the freezing rain and still get the house cleaned up before Dave came home. Moments later, Eleanor and Theodore raced into the room. They had both changed into dry clothes.
"What's going on? We heard howling then shouting" Theodore asked, spotting the exasperated expressions on the other's faces.
"Brittany got out" Alvin said slowly.
"Wait you mean she…" Eleanor said startled. The other's just nodded.
"Well that's just perfect. Now what do we do?" she said.
"We need to clean up this den and find her. Look, I'm going to go after Brittany. You four stay here and get the house cleaned" Alvin said and he headed for the door, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see Simon look down at him.
"You aren't going out there alone Alvin. It's dark and you can't find her alone in this weather. I'll go with you. Let's grab some raincoats" he said. Alvin nodded his head. The two of them trudged upstairs to grab their raincoats. Alvin's was a bright red with a glowing yellow 'A' on his chest. Simon grabbed his raincoat. He was more sensible then Alvin and had ensured his raincoat was simply a bright yellow for safety reasons. Although he loved the color blue, he wasn't as obsessed with his clothing style then his brother. As they finished putting on the coats, they returned downstairs. The other three waited patiently for their return.
"Be careful" Jeanette said. Simon smiled and gave her a hug before the two chipmunks headed out into the freezing rain in search of Brittany.
And that's it for this chapter. Sorry about the wait, I had a lot of problems with my antivirus and it was really frustrating trying to renew it online. Then I discovered that my disk drive was damaged, so I had to have the computer looked at. Long story short, I haven't been able to update until now, so I apologize. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. What will happen now that Jeanette and Simon are a couple? Will they stay strong or will outside factors hinder their relationship? And what about Brittany, can Simon and Alvin find her before Dave comes home? And will the others get the house cleaned in time? Find out on the next chapter.