Hope?
As the bright sun's rays descended upon the forest, Theodore started to stir. He yawned loudly before taking in his surroundings. He was high up in a tree, surrounded by lush green leaves and unknown fruits that hung from the branches. He felt a small movement next to him and looked down to see that Eleanor was cuddled up next to him, still asleep. He smiled then gently stroked her blonde hair. Her pig tails had come loose in the chaos the previous night and now it all hung loose down her neck. Theodore continued to smile. It was not often that he saw Eleanor without her pig tails, but he thought she looked pretty without them. In fact he thought anything Eleanor did to her hair or her clothes was pretty. Theodore liked Eleanor for who she was, and anyway that she wished to express herself was good enough for him. Slowly Eleanor started to stir and soon she was also yawning and awoke from her slumber. She looked up to see Theodore smiling at her and gently stroking her hair. Eleanor blushed a little as she lifted herself up.
"Good morning Theodore" she chimed happily as her friend gave her a hug.
"Good morning Eleanor" said Theodore, also blushing a little while he hugged her.
Suddenly both of them heard a snore and they looked down and giggled. Simon and Jeanette were still asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. The two of them smiled at each other. They both new that Simon and Jeanette had a crush on each other, but they were too nervous to admit it. As Eleanor smiled at them something caught her eye. It was Alvin and Brittany propped up against the tree trunk. Eleanor let out a gasp as she saw Alvin. Although he had stopped bleeding, his fur was stained with dry blood from the night, and the bandaged leaves were also darkened with it. His arm was in Simon's handmade sling and he had a large bump on his head from the concussion. Next to him, Brittany was snuggled up to him, her face wet from the nights tears and her expression was sad.
"Theodore look" Eleanor pointed towards the two. Theodore looked over and he also gasped. Quietly the two young chipmunks climbed down to the lower branches, both with concern on their faces. They approached the two quietly not wanting to wake them.
"What happened last night Theodore? I was asleep I didn't see Simon bring back Alvin and Brittany" said Eleanor as she started to look a little frightened.
"I… I don't know Eleanor. I fell asleep too" Theodore replied. He noticed Eleanor's fright and reassuringly squeezed her hand.
"Oh, you two are up" said a voice from behind them. They turned to find that Simon had awoken and approached them. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, but once he caught a look at Alvin and Brittany his face drooped and he sighed.
"I'm glad you two weren't awake to witness what happened last night. It was… frightening to say the least" Simon said sitting down and staring at the younger chipmunks.
"What happened last night Simon?" Eleanor asked joining Simon in sitting down. Theodore followed their lead.
"Well it's a long story. I don't know all of what happened but Brittany told most of it last night. When the panther attacked last night (Eleanor and Theodore shivered as they remembered) it forced us all to separate. In Alvin's injured state, he was the slowest and Brittany's clothes seemed to keep snagging onto branches, causing her to slow as well. The panther pounced on her and knocked her to the ground. Apparently Alvin charged it and knocked it away from her, then shielded her from it by standing in front of her using his body as a shield. The panther swiped at him a few times until he fell to the ground. The panther was about to attack Brittany when Alvin jumped onto its neck. It knocked Alvin around breaking his arm before throwing him to the ground. It was about to finish him off when I intervened by throwing a rock at it. It was going to attack me when Brittany joined me in throwing rocks. We hurt it a little and it fled. Then we brought Alvin back here" Simon said with another sigh as he gazed at his wounded brother again.
Eleanor and Theodore were hugging each other, shivering as Simon told his story and now both of them were on the verge of tears.
"So… so Alvin… saved Brittany?" Eleanor asked after awhile.
"Yes, even with his injuries, he saved her life" said Simon, now with a look of admiration for his older brother's actions.
"You were brave too Simon, going to help them and getting them out of danger" said Jeanette who had woken up as Simon retold the events of the night. Simon blushed at her compliment and put his arm around her shoulder as she sat down, causing her to blush as well. The group sat in silence for awhile before Simon spoke up.
"Jeanette, you're more of a biology scientist then me, do think these fruits are edible?' Simon asked pointing to one of the strange yellow fruits hanging above them.
"Well I don't have any of my equipment to test the acidity in the fruit or test the whether it has any poisonous qualities. I'd say the best thing we can do in this situation is take very small bites so that if the food is poisonous the effect won't be as painful or deadly" she said, pushing her glasses up her nose.
The group nodded and Simon, being the tallest, reached up and grabbed a handful of the fruits. Slowly everyone took some small bites, but after a few minutes everyone was hungrily biting into the succulent fruits. Simon and Jeanette were discussing the fruits similarities with paw paw's and peaches, possibly being some sort of hybrid of the two, while Eleanor and Theodore started to discuss possible recipes that the fruit would go well with as an ingredient. They were so busy they didn't notice as Brittany awoke
The eldest Chipette looked around for a moment taking in the sight in front of her, then all the night's horrible memories flooded into her mind. Fresh tears started to fall down her face as she turned to Simon.
"Simon, is Alvin… going to be okay… how long will it be until he wakes up?" she asked fighting to not let the tears out.
Simon almost jumped when he heard Brittany. He turned to her and noticed her sadness, and despite her efforts, could see that she was holding back tears.
"I'm not sure Brittany. He might just be asleep now. We can try to wake him, but the concussion may keep him unconscious for a while longer. It's difficult to tell in these conditions' he said.
Brittany nodded then turned to Alvin. "Alvin. Alvin wake up" she said aloud, gently shaking him. At first the effect seemed to do nothing, then Alvin seemed to stir. Slowly he opened his eyes before letting out a faint groan.
"Where… am I… what… happened… Brittany… alright" he said wearily, his eyes still flickering open and closed.
"I'm alright Alvin. You saved me" Brittany said as her tears slowly started to seep out again.
Alvin smiled then winced in pain. He looked down to see the extent of his injuries, gasping at just how bad they were.
"Your arm is broken Alvin, and your back bruises are badly swelled, but the bandages should help with the claw marks" Simon said as he sat down next to his brother. The whole group circled around Alvin, concern plastered on their faces.
"I'm… ok… really…" he said faintly trying to ease their concern.
"I want to speak to Alvin for a minute" said Brittany looking down.
The four other chipmunks glanced at each other for a moment before climbing higher up into the tree to gather more fruits.
"What is it Brittany?" Alvin asked still a little delirious, not noticing her tears.
"Why did you do that for me? Why did you put your life on the line to save me?" she asked, her sparkling blue eyes filling with tears.
"Because I… I… love you" Alvin responded, still not fully aware of anything.
"You… love… me?" Brittany asked her eyes widening. 'He… loves…me. I thought he only liked me as a friend. He really loves me'
"Of course… Brittany… where… am… I?" Alvin responded, slowly starting to come to.
Brittany just stared at him, her tears abruptly stopped. After a few minutes Alvin seemed to realize what he had just said.
"Brittany… I…" he said before going red in the face and looking down sadly. "I hope you… still want to be my friend"
Brittany almost laughed as he said this. She raised his head so that their eyes met.
"Alvin. We can be more then friends" she said before pulling his lips to hers.
The two of them didn't know how to explain how they felt. It was beyond pleasure, beyond lust, it was simply, love. Neither of the two noticed that their brother's and sister's were silently watching from above smiling.
"I knew it would happen someday" Eleanor whispered. Everyone nodded then continued to watch the scene below.
As the two broke apart both of them blushed.
"I love you Brittany" said Alvin as he reached up and pulled her towards him.
"I love you too Alvin" she replied as their lips met again. Despite crashing into an unknown jungle, going over a waterfall, being attacked by a panther, despite everything, the two lovers couldn't have been happier.
Dave sat on his couch holding a cup of coffee, Miss Miller next to him. Try as they might, neither of them had been able to sleep at all that night. After explaining the situation to the police, they had been informed to wait at the house until they could find some light on the identities of Klaus and Claudia.
"David… I'm going to… make some breakfast" said Miss Miller sadly as she rose from the couch and headed for the kitchen. She was just about to pull out a box of cereal when the phone started to buzz. Dave rushed for it and quickly pulled the speaker to his ear.
"Hello… this is Dave Seville" he said shakily.
"Mr. Seville, my name is Inspector Jamal with the Los Angeles police force (I have no idea which police station he works with or where the Chipmunks live). We may have some answers for you about your sons and their friends. Can you come down to the police station so we can meet in person?"
"Of course, I'll be there right away" said Dave.
He hung up the phone and rushed into the kitchen. Miss Miller hadn't pulled out the cereal; instead she was waiting at the table for Dave's response.
"They want us to come down to the station right now. They may have some answers for us!" Dave cried out happily.
"Just let me change and we can be off!" Miss Miller cried and with that she ran out of the room to change from her pajamas. Dave noticed he too was in pajamas and followed her lead by rushing up the stairs towards his room.
"Hold on boys, I'll find you soon"
The six chipmunks marched through the forest. They had gathered as many of the strange fruits as they could carry and were storing them in handmade bags made from some large leaves Simon had found. Alvin was in a lot of pain. His arm was held in place, but his bruises were still very swollen and the cuts hadn't fully healed and would occasionally open up again, causing him to flinch in pain. Simon had offered to help, however Brittany refused to let any help him but her. After they had broken apart from their kiss, the two had heard Eleanor and Theodore giggling and looked up to see all four of their siblings watching them. The two were a little embarrassed but they had moved past it now. Every time the group would sit and rest, the two eldest chipmunks would sit together and kiss.
"Simon which direction are we heading?" Alvin asked as they stopped for another rest. Simon was surprised. He knew that his brother wanted to find some help and get home, but he hadn't expected him to want to what direction they were going.
"Well, I was leading us North, however it just seems to be leading us further into the jungle, so I have been slowly heading us more to the East to see if we can find the river again. Why do you ask?" he said after a while.
"I'm not sure. I just get this feeling that something's not right" Alvin responded.
"Like what?" Brittany asked concerned. She placed her arm around him.
"I don't know. I just have this feeling that something bad is going to happen" he said after a moment's thought, before returning Brittany's embrace.
"Well let's keep going. I don't' have a watch but due to the sun's position I would say it's roughly 2 o'clock. We should keep going until it gets dark, then we'll find another tree to sleep in" Simon announced standing up. The group nodded then followed his lead and began once again walking through the underbrush.
A few hours passed and the group continued to march. The sun began to set, but it was still bright enough for them to continue onwards.
"Hey what's that?" Theodore asked suddenly pointing up in the sky. The group looked up to see a trail of smoke leading down to a mountain peak.
"It's smoke Theodore. There must be someone over there that could give us a hand" said Jeanette happily.
"Quick if we hurry, we may be able to reach the smoke by nightfall" Simon announced, and with that the group took off happily.
As the group continued up the mountain Brittany turned to Alvin. She was supporting him by his left arm as he walked.
"Alvin. How long have you loved me?" she asked. Alvin's face went red.
"Well… the truth is… ever since I first laid eyes on you" he said shyly. Brittany smiled at him then pecked him on the cheek.
"I felt the same way" she said happily.
"You know what, despite everything that has happened I feel happier then I have ever been in my life" he said happily.
"I know. We must be crazy" she laughed back at him. He chuckled.
"No it not just crazy, its 'Jungle Love'!" he cried and he began to sing.
I met you on somebody's island
You thought you had known me before
I brought you a crate of papaya
They waited all night by your door
You probably wouldn't remember
I probably couldn't forget
Jungle love in the surf in the pouring rain
Everything's better when wet
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
But lately you live in the jungle
I never see you alone
But we need some definite answers
So I thought I would write you a poem
The question to everyone's answer
Is usually asked from within
But the patterns of the rain
And the truth they contain
Have written my life on your skin
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
You treat me like I was your ocean
You swim in my blood when it's warm
My cycles of circular motion
Protect you and keep you from harm
You live in a world of illusion
Where everything's peaches and cream
We all face a scarlet conclusion
But we spend our time in a dream
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
Jungle love it's drivin' me mad
It's makin' me crazy
As the song ended the group found that they had approached the smoke. The sun and set behind them and the moon had slowly started to rise above them. The group entered into a clearing and saw rows of grass tents all set up around a large bonfire. Figures were dancing around the fire listening to drum beats.
"Hello, we need help!" Simon called out as they approached the group. However as the figures rushed towards them, they made a startling discovery.
"I knew something bad was going to happen" cried Alvin.
Dave walked rushed into the police station, Miss Miller at his heels.
"I'm Dave Seville; I'm here to see Inspector Jamal!" he cried once he reached the reception.
"Of course, he is waiting for you" the woman at the desk said before pointing the way to his office.
Once Dave and Miss Miller entered the room the first thing they noticed was the wafting smell of a cigar.
"Mr. Seville, it's good to meet you, please come and take a seat" said a man in a large office chair. He was a bit chubby and had a slight Spanish accent. He was wearing a white suit.
Dave and Miss Miller walked across the office and sat in the two chairs directly in front of Jamal's desk.
"Now I called because I have some very important information about your sons" he said once the two were sitting down.
"Please tell us" Dave pleaded.
"I'll start at the beginning. When you reported the case in, I immediately knew who the Klaus and Claudia characters you spoke of were. Klaus and Claudia Vorstien are two incredibly rich diamond smugglers. I have been on their case for years but I have never obtained enough proof to convict them. Now the past few months I have been right on their tail, taking down all their associates and patrolling all their drop locations with heavily armed guards, arresting anyone that came into contact with the diamonds. I'm guessing the two were getting desperate because of what they did" he said, lighting up a cigar and puffing as he spoke.
"But what does this have to do with my boys and the Chipettes?" Dave asked trying catch on why two diamond smugglers were now involved in the situation.
"Ah well you see I believe that this 'race around the world' that children believe they are doing is actually a scheme to secretly smuggle diamonds" the inspector stated.
"What! My sons would never go along with something like that and neither would the Chipettes! Their only 8 but they're not stupid!" Dave yelled, jumping up from his seat.
"I understand that Mr. Seville and I'm not accusing them of deliberately doing anything. But I don't think they understand what is going on. Please sit down and I'll explain" Jamal said coolly but sensitively. Dave looked at him for a moment then returned to his seat.
"My two associates over here have some evidence to support what I'm about tell you next" Jamal said indicating two officers behind them. Dave and Miss Miller almost jumped when they saw them. They hadn't noticed them standing in the room at all when they had entered. The first officer was wearing a maroon jumper and had a gold tooth. The second man was bald and had a black jacket on. The first man stepped forward and dropped two dolls on the table. An Eleanor and a Theodore doll. Miss Miller and Dave looked at each other confused but waited to see what would happen next.
"After discussing with an inside source on the Vorstien's, I learned the rules to the 'race'. Each team was to travel to 12 different locations and leave a toy replica of themselves, while simultaneously taking a replica doll in the image of a contestant from the opposing team. These dolls are just two of the 12 as almost every other deal was made. Each doll that the team dropped off secretly contained a large quantity of diamonds, while the collected doll contained cash"
Jamal turned the dolls over and opened them up to reveal the diamonds and the money hidden within them. Miss Miller and Dave just looked at each other astonished.
"My associates here have been tracking the children around the world, however we lost site of the Chipettes and the Chipmunks when they both reached their 11th drop off. The girls were supposed to head from Cairo to France and the Boys we're supposed to head from Chad to Germany (I have no idea but looking at the map they used I have made some logical judgments. In case you are wondering I have assumed that the jungle is in Morocco) however both groups disappeared. We heard rumors that the Chipettes balloon was spotted heading away from Antarctica of all places towards the shores of Africa, while the Chipmunks were rumored to have been spotted somewhere over Morocco. We have no idea why they didn't simply return to the United States or why they were using different routes then those that were provided for them" Jamal said bringing fourth some maps with some rough pathways drawn across them symbolizing the Chipmunks and Chipettes routes.
"So what are we going to do?" Dave asked, hoping that the inspector was going to do something more than simply show him some maps.
"Don't worry Mr. Seville I have a plan. The first place we are going to look for your boys is Morocco, then we'll search from there. If we find them, not only will they be safe, but with their testimonies, Klaus and Claudia can be put behind bars" Jamal said happily standing up.
"When do we leave?" Dave asked as he and Miss Miller rose as well.
"We leave tomorrow morning. Don't worry we will find the Chipettes and your boys" Jamal said kindly before motioning for the door.
"We will pick you up at 9:30am tomorrow and take you to Morocco. Until then I suggest you get some rest. You are going to need all your energy when we find your boys" he laughed before extending his hand for Dave to shake.
"Thank you. We will see you then" Dave said happily and he shook Jamal's hand.
"Don't worry boys, I'm coming" he thought to himself as he and Miss Miller exited the room.
Well I hope this one was a bit longer for you guys. Sorry I put a song into this one. Normally I don't really like songs in stories, but I heard this while I was writing and I thought that it just fit really well with the story. However that will probably be the last song you read in the story.
Anyhow, I'll upload again soon and reveal what situation the Chipmunks and Chipettes have just got themselves into, and I may even throw in a scene with Klaus and Claudia.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter
