After the Matterhorn

by Cre8iveWriterX at yahoo .com

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Well those two weeks I said it would take to write the next chapter sure dragged out, didn't they?

I had some mishaps along the way, like my almost finished chapter deleting itself, leading to discouragement, then thinking that maybe I should leave the story and focus on other things in life. Like studying. And family.

But we all need personal expression, in fact that is why I started writing - last year when I was in a very depressed point in life, a counsellor suggested that I make more creative outlets for myself. I don't draw that well, but I had just started reading these Fan Fiction stories. And so late one night when I couldn't sleep, I turned up my light, pulled out my notepad and wrote chapter one. Which turned out to be a lot shorter than it seemed once I typed it into the computer!

Things are better now.

But now I have this half-finished story with an ending planned from the start.

Incomplete stories aren't much fun to read, so here is the next chapter.

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*** REVIEW RESPONSE ***

DiceRox09:

Yeah, um, sorry about the 'Update Soon!' part...
But you can see now how Dave deals with things.
And thanks for being a constant reviewer! You were the only person to review last chapter.

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*** CHAPTER EIGHT ***

What a night! How the girls managed to get any measure of meaningful sleep that night on what may well be the last night in their own house was a story of its own. It was 10pm when the last bedsheet was pulled over and even then the stillness of their oaken home was interrupted by their soft murmurs so far into the night, that even the tree in which they shared their home would have called for silence if it could! But sleep they eventually did, and awaken next morning to the usual cacophony of sounds in their bushland home.

Among the girls however, there was an uncharacteristic quietness. A bright contrast to the long waves of conversation that had filled them the night before. Neither of the three girls felt like talking, nor was there much of a need as the plans for this day were discussed last night till the end. There was a soft "Good morning" to their house, which had kept them safe and together all this time and the occassional request for Brittany's battery operated hairdryer (and the dismayed shout when the batteries ran flat) but not much else. Breakfast was eaten, hair was done, and the three of them were off to the house of their closest friends. This time though it was to see Dave.

Meanwhile Dave and the boys were also getting ready. Dave thought it would be kinder to speak with the girls in their familiar surrounds. The boys would guide the way to their tree in the park. 10am seemed like a fair time. Late enough to allow for a sleep in, but early enough to catch the girls at home before they moved on with whatever they had planned for this day. As it was a weekend, most likely unpacking and unwinding. Not this morning, however, for 10am was the same time the Chipettes had decided to make their visit and for the same reasons. In fact the girls were already on their way - living on their own tended to give them a little more get-up-and-go and self discipline than their 'Dave dependant' friends. To be fair though, it was talk of the girls that had held Dave and the boys up. There was Theodore seeking reassurances from Dave that he not come down hard and to please hear them out. It took Dave nothing less than kneeling down to Theodore's level, looking him in the eye and promising he would be kind and not involve anyone else unless there indeed was danger. Simon on the other hand wanted to give reassurances to the girls that they would be safe, and in order to find out exactly where they stood, phoned up various city welfare agents as part of a 'school research assignment'. Or so he told them. Alvin had been, well, occupied in his brothers' shared bedroom - procrastinating it would seem. A long time to get out and have breakfast, a long time to get dressed to leave the house... When asked by Dave why he was taking so long, he gave no sure reply.

"I will be down soon Dave!... In a minute!... Wait I'm almost ready!... Stop calling my name like that!..."

And so the gang made it out of the house a little later than planned. The Chipette's park was a 15 minute walk from the Chipmunk's house. The directions were somewhat interesting. After crossing the road and a few minutes walk down the footpath there is the neighbourhood park. After entering the park and venturing through it's cleanly kept landscape is a tall fence. Beyond that is nothing but flowering weeds and an unkept forest of trees, as though the park's groundskeepers thought they had enough park land to tend to, and fenced the rest off - leaving it to tend itself. This was the Chipette's park. A fenced off, undeveloped, naturally growing area which was, as the 'No Trespassing' sign on the fence line stated, "For Future Development".

"For Future Development"? What does that mean? Simply put, when the vacant land the city now resides upon was originally divided into lots and placed into development categories, this was some land that was set aside, unassigned. It was to remain in an untouched, undeveloped state and the eventual purpose for this land would be decided by the development around it. Good town planning actually, sort of like overflow. This part of the suburban neighbourhood bordered a small industrial zone and this large block of land was between the two. When suburban living or industrial expanse grew to a point where more space was required, town planners were ready. Or maybe this part of town had been envisiged with a small airport some decades down the track, after urbanisation had reached a high enough peak. Who knows? As the sign stated, it was "For Future Development".

What a perfect place for the Chipettes to settle down unnoticed! Owned by no one but the state and used by no one but the birds and any other creatures that cared to live in trees (three chipmunk sisters perhaps?)... perfect indeed! With surplus and scrap materials borrowed from 'next door' (as the girls had come to call the fenced back zone of small industrial and construction companies), and a bit of work, they had themselves a quaint but quite liveable little house. They even had a telephone line! Their ingenious idea of taking a long spool of cable which had been labelled "surplus" and stacked with other junk behind a building company's warehouse, then tapping it into one of the building yard's telephone extension circuits. Viola! A shared line. Just so long as they didn't use it at the wrong moment... They had a number of stories about that.

Anyhow, the boys and Dave were halfway through the park, the fence line in sight... and so were the Chipettes! They had already jumped the fence at an inconspicuous spot and were in the park. The non-secret park. Their faces unexpectedly fell a little when they spied their four oncoming visitors, perhaps a feeling of uncertainty and dread that the three whom they trusted most had spilled the beans and now 'Mr Seville' was here to straighten them out.

"Girls, he's here!", Eleanor quietly announced. Her body tightened itself, pulling in her shoulders and giving her arms an uptight sway.

"Just keep walking," Brittany quickly butted. Her head remaining unturned as she leaned over slightly. "This is a park and we are just taking a shortcut to their house."

"I thought we were going to tell them." hissed Jeanette. "After all we talked about Brittany!"

"Yes Jeanette we are, but is it just a co-incidence that Dave is here? Let's just wait."

"Girls he's waving to us." remarked Eleanor who had lifted her arm and started waving back in an effort to appear natural.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I don't know fellas, it seems to me as though they are not quite sure whether to be pleased to see us." said a waving Dave.

"Maybe we just caught them off guard." he heard a voice beneath him say. "We are close to 'their' park, maybe they think we saw them earlier."

"Well maybe the park is a better place to talk. This park I mean." answered Dave as he looked around for a picnic table and chairs to sit at.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Why is he looking around? Are there other people here?"

"Wait, stop! That didn't mean let's all look around! Way to go to get attention."

"Well what if he has brought other people here? But he wouldn't do something that horrible. He probably doesn't even know and is just 'in the park'."

"Just as we are, until we find out why he is here."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"What are they saying? They look a little... tense."

"Ask Dave."

"Dave, what are they..."

"I don't know. Did any of you boys call them this morning?"

"No."

"There is a tree over there, let's sit underneath."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Is Dave waving us to sit down over there or is he just showing us where he is going?"

" 'Showing us where he is going'. Let's go by and say hello. That's where we were headed, right? Their house?"

"And then we can take him to see our house, right? Ha ha."

A glare was received for that one. Even though it was part of the eventual plan.

The Chipettes walked over to the tree where their friends seemed to be headed and called out their hellos. They received waves and greetings in return with a "Fancy seeing you three here" from Dave. Each family asked what the other was doing and "Going to see you" was more or less the shared response. For the Chipmunks, the park was indeed on the way to the apartment block the Chipettes had guided them to the previous night. An ideal shortcut even. Which Dave made a definate point of mentioning, giving the girls the belief that he didn't know any better. This relaxed the girls. Although a slight wave of guilt swept through them which could be noticed by those who knew them well.

As the long flight had smalltalked them out of useful things to say, and not much had occurred in the past half day (unpacking suitcases is not the most inspiring activity), Dave presented the Chipettes with their missing case with no delay. The Chipettes remarked that this was one of the reasons for their morning visit. Dave then asked if they would like to take it home with them now or was their something else on their minds. There was a long "umm" from Brittany then in half broken sentences from the three of them, which were more like suggestions and promptings between the girls, they pieced something together stating that they will return home now and that their friends were welcome to come. In fact they wanted to show Dave and the boys 'something'.

"...That was the other reason we were coming over to see you guys." summed Brittany.

"We can take a shortcut through the park, if you don't mind walking through some bush." offered Eleanor as she pointed the way.

All agreed and moved off, the Chipettes leading the way to an adventageous 'climbing tree' where one could hop from branch to branch in order to climb over the fence. When Theodore saw the girls climbing onto the trunk he quietly asked Simon,

"Are we really going where I think we are going?" To which he received a shrug.

There was a measure of both excitement and query in Theodore's voice. A feeling that was inside all seven as they walked without much to say. Dave didn't give the typical parent warnings about climbing over fences and trees - which the Chipettes expected to hear. He simply went last, keeping a watchful eye.

Walking, walking.

Brittany found herself listening more to the treading footsteps made by Dave and the Chipmunks behind her. Dave's footsteps were easy to identify. His heavier weight gave a longer crunch as his shoes pushed further into the stick and leaf undergrowth while his longer stride made for a slower meter. Strangely calming, maybe because she could be aware of someone even though they were behind her - as though she didn't have her back totally turned. Not that she felt that way around Dave. The point after all was to invite Dave in. And how she hoped that would work out for the better.

"This used to be one of my worst nightmares," she thought to herself. "Dave appearing out of nowhere and seeing Eleanor, Jeanette and I, then telling us we couldn't live together as a family here anymore."

A flush of quick panic swept up to her face as the feeling of this nightmare which all three of them had shared at different times started to invade her mind.

"What if that happens today? What if..."

She closed her eyes and shook it out of her head. That wasn't going to happen. That was not going to happen. During this drifting moment she lost track of her surrounds and didn't hear Dave approach and walk beside her where he saw her quickly but furiously shaking her crinkled face. She jumped, startled, as she felt the back of his hand gently touch her arm, just before he quietly asked if she was ok. She nodded her reply.

Jeanette turned her head and began to speak.

"Um, you guys remember when you built that treehouse in your backyard?"

Who could forget! Dave had helped the boys build a treehouse and when it was done Theodore invited the Chipettes to come over. After the six of them climbed inside, it started raining and kept raining for some time. From the kitchen Dave made toasted sandwiches which he brought out - batch after batch - under an umbrella.

Jeanette continued, looking side to side at her two sisters as if for support.

"Well, we have built a treehouse of our own..."

And there, coming into view was the most magnificent treehouse that could possibly be held by a single tree. This was no backyard piece of fun, nor raw looking contraption, this was a well looked after construction which seemed to have its own sense of style - something most people would not think possible for a treehouse. Of course it had signs of patchwork, but nothing looked oddly out of place. Only signs of character and a 'lived in' look.

Dave placed his hand behind his head as he looked up.

"Wow! The boys weren't kidding!" he thought. "How did the girls build this?"

He paid close attention to the corner joints and attachments to the tree.

"Amazing." he continued thinking. "But how well does it keep the girls warm in winter..."

Brittany was looking up at Dave and could tell he was impressed. He took his eyes off the tree and looked down at her. It wasn't a blank expression she had, it was more a look of expectation and hope, like one has when about to be given news regarding a family member in hospital. Expectation and hope that good words will be heard. She was wanting Dave to say something, hoping that it would be good.

"You built this yourselves?" Dave openly asked.

Brittany nodded with a "Mmm-hmm."

Dave didn't have any knowledge yet as to how the girls acquired the tools and lumber required to build the treehouse. He stood there a few more moments before Jeanette asked, "Would you like to see inside? Eleanor made something nice to eat and Brittany & I fixed up the balcony a little, so we can all sit there."

Dave responded with a "I'd love to see inside." as Eleanor went to show the way in.

Inside the tree and now on the balcony, Dave was still looking around incredulously. But with everyone settling down he knew this was the best time to break the news to the girls that he knew the truth about everything. Should he wait and see what story the girls will tell him? No, it would be kinder to bring it all out into the open now and not have the girls fretting about how to tell him something he already knew.

"Girls?" Dave stated, getting their attention. All seven of them were on the tree's small balcony. Moving about, finding seats and passing muffins.

Standing against the balcony he took a deep breath. "I know about living in the treehouse."

Stillness. Silence. In that moment, Eleanor, Brittany and Jeanette had nothing else in their mind besides those words. Three pairs of wide open eyes suspensfully looked at him.

Dave continued. "I asked the taxi driver to drive back to 'Olivier's Apartment'. There was a bag that was left behind in the taxi. When I walked up to the apartment where 'Olivier' lived to hand over the suitcase, well, that's when I realised why this Olivier or anyone else for that matter hadn't phoned you while we were away, or come to collect you three."

Dave paused and noticed the girls looking almost tearful. Was it from worry about what Dave had in mind for them? Or from the truthfulness of those words... That no one was there to phone them or welcome them back home? Dave continued, reassuringly.

"Just so you three know, I haven't spoken to anyone else about this yet. You can thank the boys for that."

The girls moved their eyes from Dave to the Chipmunks. Their faces losing some tension which allowed for a sort-of smile of relief. But there was that '...yet' that Dave spoke.

"So long as I think you are not in any immediate danger, I will leave the authorities out of it for now. I don't like it, but all things considered I have to admit that it would be less damaging if we can talk about this among ourselves for now. So, as a family, I want to hear your story. Everything."

Dave took a seat and relaxed his gaze from the girls, signalling that he had finished what needed to be said. The girls actually let out a real smile or two, knowing that they were in the clear - for now. No one knew, but what an enormous weight that had just been lifted off their hearts! They could breathe and breathe deep anxiety-lifting breaths they did. The rest of their day felt strangly aimless now - they had just climbed over the largest mountain they could think of, ending with Dave's promise that he would keep their secret safe. What else today could possibly match that? Well, besides opening up their story to Dave and their friends that is. Or was that other word they thought they heard Dave use?

'As a family'... The words seemed to ring.

So getting settled they began their story. From the start. When Dave heard that there once really was an Olivier and what she meant to the girls he felt crushed. When he learned how they moved from job to job (as young as they were) with dirty alleyways and park benches as their home, he couldn't help but lean in and give each of them a strong, genuine hug. Neither Brittany, Eleanor nor Jeanette held back a just-as-genuine hug in return. Maybe a month ago they might have. How a bit of trust and understanding can change things.

"So that is why you three have always lived together this way... without help from anyone." Dave verbally surmised as the three Chipettes finished their story. Now knowing the horrid orphanage life they lived through (rather escaped from) as small youngsters, he understood their determination for reliance upon each other and each other only. He also could feel a sense of trust from the girls - being the only grownup they had spoken to and all.

"Well girls... I..." Dave was lost for words. "I want to see you girls living safely..."

"But we are safe!" interjected a very affirmative Brittany.

"Yes, but how can I allow three beautiful little girls to live alone out here in..."

"But we aren't alone!" Eleanor butted in.

"But we are beautiful. Well I certainly say so!" added a smiling Brittany.

"...Three," Dave continued, "one - two - three," pointing at each of them, "people who are no older than my three boys living unprotected in the open bush..." he noticed Jeanette about to speak up but beat her to it by saying, "And don't go saying that's ok as you protect and look out for each other because I have already heard that part."

Brittany felt she had to bring some order so she stood up and remarked, "Well seeing as you are now aware of our living arrangements, and can check up on us anytime you please, plus we see Alvin, Simon and Theodore in school everyday... well I say that is quite adequate."

Dave sighed. He recognises this matter-of-fact, defiant tone all too well from his conversations with Alvin.

"Well I am afraid that city officials will not be so understanding if they ever find out."

"Who says anyone else is going to find out?" Brittany said with a pout. "Or are you going to tell them!"

With her eyes fixed on Dave, her expression of unquestionable assertiveness started to give way to fear and concern as those last words left her mouth. Jeanette's and Eleanor's eyes were similarly fixed upon Dave. They all wanted to know.

Changing his tact, Dave paused then declared with authority, "If I ever decide to take everyone down that path, you three will be the first to know. In other words, no - unless I have already told you of my intention to do so, or if sharing this detail is unavoidable due to a set of bizarre circumstances."

"Bizarre circumstances?" Jeanette asked.

"Yeah," shouted an excited Alvin, "Like a runaway circus tiger in this part of town. One that has been trained to climb trees!"

Simon and Dave looked at Alvin with a groan. Theodore looked a little worried.

"Can tigers really climb trees?" he wondered.

He cast a glance at Eleanor who shook her head and rolled her eyes in return.

Puzzlingly, Jeanette and Brittany were looking at each other with a large smirk across their faces.

"Oh we've handled that kind of thing before." Jeanette quietly voiced, still looking at her sister.

The Seville's not hearing what Jeanette said, told Alvin to stop being ridiculous. Eleanor giggled at this. Obviously the Chipettes knew something the Seville's didn't.

"Which brings me to my next concern. What are you girls intending to do regarding this upcoming concert of yours?"

The concert! Oh why did Dave have to bring that up now? Brittany froze up a little inside, a widening of her eyes being the only indication. Still, she answered Dave.

"What about it? The three of us talked it over and we, The Chipettes, will most definately be performing as promised." An aire of boldness returning to Brittany as she spoke.

"We all agree that this concert will be just what The Chipettes need to bounce back. And if you doubt it, then why not come along and be OUR guests this time?"

"Well I do believe that it would be best to accompany you three, but not because we doubt you." Dave answered.

Brittany opened her mouth to automatically refute whatever came after that 'but' from Dave, but realised she couldn't argue with that one.

"Some extra help would be nice for a change." she thought.

There was silence for a moment as Dave gave some time for the girls to respond. Which neither of them did so he continued.

"So if my boys don't have any objection," he said as he looked to each one, "We would love to be your guests this time and hope that we can help with arrangements."

There were rich smiles all round. Particularly from the boys. They were going to see their friends perform just as the girls being guests on the Chipmunks' tour had watched them. Plus Dave was going to be around to help out. The girls weren't too sure of what Dave had in mind or how far he intended to go in his 'helping out', but they figured they knew Dave well enough to know he wouldn't bulldoze his way through their plans. But it was no time to talk about that now - it was practically midday now and stomachs were hungry. A suggestion was made that lunch be had in town but that was pulled down rather quickly by the girls who insisted that everyone stay at the tree while they prepare lunch. While they ALL prepared lunch actually as the boys joined their friends in the treehouse kitchen. Dave meanwhile was looking over papers regarding the tour and all sorts which Brittany had handed him.