"You lied!" Alvin roared.
"What did you expect?" Klaus chuckled aloofly, smoking a cigarillo and watching his tiny prisoner try desperately to escape his cage.
"Where's Brittany?"
"I don't have her. But you, my dear chipmunk, you…" Klaus leaned forward in his chair, puffing smoke into Alvin's face, "…will get her for me."
"What do you want with her? You have me…you have your revenge!"
"Don't flatter yourself, chipmunk. You didn't uncover our…sordid…schemes single-handedly." Klaus' face contorted with anger. "It was all of you. All six of you…you stinking, filthy rats!"
"There's nothing you can do to get me to help you! What makes you think I would bring Brittany to you?" Alvin's face turned red with fury.
"Oh, you will…" said Klaus, gesturing for a crony holding a needle and a small, black vial. "I promise you."
Brittany read the note aloud.
Dear Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor
I'm writing this note to say I'm sorry for what I did, and to ask you to please forgive me.
I never meant to hurt you, Brit, I promise!
If you forgive me, you'll meet me at the ice cream parlor at noon tomorrow.
Oh, and no police! Not yet. I can't handle that yet.
Please don't tell Dave or Mrs. Miller, either.
Alvin
"Your note matches ours almost exactly," Simon handed waved Chipmunk's note in his hand.
"Well," Jeanette sighed, "what should we do?"
Simon eyed the piece of paper critically.
"I don't know…it does appear to be written in Alvin's handwriting-if you see fit to call it that-though it seems strange for Alvin to specifically request we not have police escort."
Jeanette nodded.
"I would expect Alvin to ask us not to tell Dave or Mrs. Miller, but it is strange that Alvin would think to ask us not to bring the police!"
"What course of action should we take?" Simon asked, more of himself than of anyone else.
"Let's vote on it!" Theodore raised his hand.
Simon shook his head.
"No, Theodore, this is much too important. We need to discuss this logically."
Brittany thumped her fist on the table.
"No! Every time we discuss something 'logically,' we never get anywhere! I agree with Theodore."
"Me, too!" Eleanor placed her hand over Brittany's.
Theodore moved his hand on top of Eleanor's.
Simon sighed, then looked to Jeanette.
Jeanette shrugged, then bowed her head apologetically as she placed her hand over Theodore's.
"Me, too."
Simon frowned. He hated how submissive his best friend could be to her sisters, especially Brittany.
"So be it."
Simon placed his hand over Jeanette's.
Simon tallied up the votes.
"Theodore: yes. Brittany: yes. Eleanor: yes," Simon took a deep breath. "Jeannette…yes. Simon: no."
"Well, it seems you're the odd man out," Brittany stated unnecessarily.
"As always…" Simon muttered.
"Then it's decided. We go find Alvin."
"I still think we should inform Dave of this situation! To coin a phrase, something smells funny in Los Angeles."
"Simon!" Eleanor frowned. "It's already been decided!"
"Dave and Mrs. Miller will notice us missing!" Simon was beginning to lose his temper.
"So?" Brittany scoffed.
"Never mind."
Jeanette looked guiltily at Simon out of the corner of her eye.
Simon placed his hand on his friend's shoulder as if to say It's your decision, Jeanette.
I know… she thought, …but I'm sorry anyway.
"I told you you'd bring them to me…" Klaus whispered, looking through his binoculars, watching five chipmunks enter the ice cream parlor. "Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the fly…"
Alvin nodded mechanically, his face blank.
"If Alvin is late," Brittany scowled, "I'll make him wish he had never been born!"
"Oh, he'll be late," said Simon, rolling his eyes. "Unless, of course, he's had a complete change of heart, which seems unlikely…I doubt he even has a heart."
"He really hurt you, didn't he, Simon?" Jeanette asked quietly.
"Hello? I'm the one who conked my head on the damned concrete!" Brittany put her hands on her hips. "You should be comforting me!"
"She's right, Jeannette," Simon nodded. "I'll be fine."
"Well, while we're here, we might as well order some ice cream!" Theodore smiled, marching gleefully towards the counter.
Eleanor licked her lips.
"I'm coming, too!" she grinned, bounding after her friend.
Jeanette laughed.
"I envy them, you know, always so happy."
"How can they be happy at a time like this?" Brittany frowned.
Eleanor called back to the chipmunks' table.
"What flavors do you guys want?"
"Vanilla, please!" Jeanette grinned. "What about you, Brittany?"
"Whatever."
"I don't believe they carry that flavor…" Simon cracked.
Jeanette admired her friend; he always maintained a dry wit, unique to him.
"Ha-ha. Very funny!" Brittany rolled her eyes. "I'll have some sherbet, I guess…"
"Simon?" Theodore called.
"I don't want anything."
Theodore shrugged.
"Your loss."
"I'll have chocolate!" said a familiar voice.
All five chipmunks spun around to look.
"Alvin!" Theodore gasped.
"So, the prodigal son returns." Simon glared at his brother.
"Yeah…I guess so." The red-clad chipmunk stared at his feet for a moment, then lifted his head to look at Brittany.
"Alvin," Brittany began, an unusual tone of insecurity in her voice, "why did you push me?"
Alvin lowered his head once more.
"I…I don't know, Brit. I don't know what happened to me…I just felt like…I had to do it. I couldn't help it."
"Why did you run? Why didn't you stay to see if I was alright?"
"I was…" Alvin winced. "…afraid."
"That's no reason to…to…run off like that!" Brittany's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry, Brittany!"
"Sorry isn't good enough."
Suddenly, the 'cashier' behind the ice cream counter threw off his apron.
"Sorry to break up your little reunion, but the boss is waiting!"
The chipmunks whirled around, surprised at the man's intrusion.
"Run!" Alvin yelled to Brittany. "Run, now!"
"What?"
"Run, damn it! Just do it!"
The cashier lunged at the chipmunks' table.
"Alvin!" Simon seized Alvin's arm angrily. "What's going on?"
"Never mind! Just run!"
Seeing the fear in his older brother's eyes, Simon obeyed.
The chipmunks ran madly towards the exit, but it was too late; Klaus blocked their path.
"Oh, how darling…all six rats together again!"