Author's Notes: I'm digging a bit deeper a bit earlier than I expected. Again this chapter is a bit short, but remember I only have little timeslots to write all this.

This is another part 1. This'll happen a lot in this story, unfortunately.

Chapter Six: Embracing the True Animal.

It quickly became obvious to Dave that the first problem he had to solve was this stupid feud with the even stupider jocks. Despite threats from both sides, Ryan and his gang weren't intending on calling it quits anytime soon. During the rest of the week, poor Simon had been caught up twice and ended up in the toilet bowl, Brittany had been subjected to horrible rumours made up by Xander's girlfriend, Alvin was shoved into his locker and poor Jeanette and Eleanor had copped whipped cream in the face during a cooking lesson. Even Dave had been stuffed in the bell of a tuba and had to yell for help.

Everybody involved had been punished, but what good would that do? It certainly hasn't worked before. Besides, they hadn't even picked on Theodore yet! The chipmunks immediately took precautions to protect the youngest Chipmunk from humiliation. Dave and Alvin accompanied him to classes while Eleanor and Brittany kept a close eye on the gangs' whereabouts. Simon and Jeanette on the other hand, were too busy trying to plan a formula, so Dave could go back to normal. They had been taking every chance they could.

It wasn't until Friday that the Jocks made their move. Dave had walked out of Music, obviously his favourite class, to head off to the cafeteria for lunch when Alvin came skidding to a halt in front of him looking frantic, "Have you seen Theodore?" I can't find him!"

Dave's stomach lurched in dread, "No, I haven't! Weren't you and Theo in Maths together?" They set off down the corridor and took a left to where their lockers were. Perhaps Theodore had been locked in his locker like Alvin had.

Alvin nodded," Yes, but our teacher wanted to talk to my about my homework and I had to stay back. I thought Theo would just wait for me!"

Dave's ears pinned back as he said,"And what? Miss the lunch rush? I doubt he would ev-"

But a high pitched yell caught their attention. Alvin stopped in his tracks, causing Dave to collide into him from behind. They toppled to the floor, ears still flickering, perked in alarm, trying to detect the direction of the yell. Dave could hear soft laughter that he never would've picked up with his human hearing. Both chipmunks at the same time realised that it was coming from behind the gymnasium. They came to a silent conclusion and darted back down the hallway, drifted around the corner and tore out of the doorway into the grounds.

Students looked startled by the two little blurs speeding around them towards the outskirts of the gymnasium. They bypassed Becca Kingston and her friends seated around a lunch table, all of them concerned by the urgency. A few seconds later, they reached the dreaded bully zone and what they saw made Dave's blood boil:

Ryan, Jeremy, Xander, his girlfriend Duffy, Matthew Jordan and Luke Hardy were kicking around a foot ball. This would've looked completely innocent except for the fact that they were laughing and the football itself was screaming its head off at a pitch that no human could ever hear. The footballs stitching had been ripped open and stuffed with something lumpy. And Lumpy was calling, "Let me go! Get me outta here! Someone help me! Please!"

As soon as he completely registered the scene, Dave filled up with such anger that he had never felt before. His hackles (the fur on his back), stuck up like razor blades as he got down low, his teeth were more like fangs as he bared them and growled like a ferocious Jack Russell. His normally calm brown eyes liquidized as his pupils became a little more like slits. How dare they? How dare they treat his son like that? How dare they touch him even though he has never done a thing to deserve it?

This time, the humans had pushed it too far. And after only two weeks, Dave lost himself for the first time.

Dave looked to Alvin, who was in the same antagonised stance: teeth bared, hackles raised and growling like a miniature tiger. Dave had never seen his eldest son so angry or protective. Dave caught the red clad chipmunks' eye and they mentally decided what to do. Alvin was eyeing Ryan with the look of a cannibal, while Dave watched the football that was now in his hand. They both stalked forward and simultaneously pounced!

The jocks hadn't noticed the chipmunks, so they cried out in surprise when their ringleaders face was attacked by a savage red and brown blur. The black and white blur purposely collided with the foot ball and hit the ground on his feet. Dave leapt next to the ball and ripped into it, tooth and claw, until it was in a million pieces. Theodore fell out and embraced the protective chipmunk, bruised and battered. Dave checked him over before taking him by the arm and dragging him out of the limelight, scratching the crap out of any hands that tried to grab him.

"Where are we going?" asked Theodore weakly, he was clearly shaken over the ordeal and gasped in fright when he saw the murderous look on his father's face. Dave said nothing. They came out into the main area and Dave dragged Theodore over to Becca's table, where Eleanor was chatting with Brittany. Becca looked down and gasped at the sight of her little green clad friend, immediately picking him up.

"Oh my God! What happened to you?" she exclaimed. Eleanor and Brittany cried out in shock and ran to Theodore's aid. He embraced his girlfriend and started to break down as he explained. Dave had already scrambled back to Alvin's aide.

"I had just put my books back into my locker and closed the door, when somebody grabbed me! They blinded me in with their hands and next thing I know, I'm stuffed inside a football and they're kicking it high into the air!" Suddenly feeling sick to his stomach, Theodore let go of Eleanor and ran to the side of the table to vomit over the side. Everybody cringed in disgust, but didn't say anything to hurt him.

"I can't believe this! Of all the horrible things they could do!" snarled Brittany. She looked over to Becca, "Could you take Theo and Ellie to the nurse's office? I'll go and get a teacher to put an end to this!" Becca nodded and everybody set off in different directions.

Meanwhile back in the war zone, everybody besides Ryan and Xander had escaped from Alvin and Dave's claws. After five minutes, the two chipmunks had the two jocks backed against the wall, cowering in fright. Ryan had several cuts and scratches across his fore head and cheeks and his nose and ears were bleeding from where Alvin had bit him. Xander had been Dave's target after the moron tried to pull at his tail. His t-shirt was in the same state as his arms, torn with gashes and bleeding slowly. His face hadn't copped as much damage as Ryan's, but I think that Dave had made his point quite clear.

As Dave stared the humans down with eyes worthy of a vengeful eagle and a growl tinged breath, his conscious was having major power struggle with his instincts. All this time, while he tore into Xander, the voice of his human side was telling him that this was wrong. On the other hand, an even bigger, more inviting voice told him, "Go for it Dave! Show the human whose boss! He deserves it! Protect your kids! Atta boy David, you're doing great!"

Who should he listen to?

He never got to answer his own question though, because Julie Ortega and Mr. Benson, a.k.a 'The Pitbull' came skidding around the corner with Brittany, Simon and Jeanette in tow. They all stared at the scene for a moment. The teachers observed the jocks injuries, before Julie came forward and plucked the chipmunks off the ground staring them dead in the eye. Neither of the boys looked at her or each other. They knew that she was pretty pissed off. The Pitbull moved over to the jocks.

Alvin looked over to Simon and the others. There was no sign of resentment in any of their eyes. Seeing their faces calmed him and Dave down a little. They stopped growling and retracted their claws. Their hackles were falling back into place as they hung limply in Julie grasp. A moment later, Dr Ruben strode into view and the attention was turned to her.

She only said one thing, "My office. Now."

A horrible afternoon followed. Seeing as Dave was 'unavailable to answer his phone', Toby was called in. Dr Ruben called in the witnesses first for an interview. Becca, Brittany and Eleanor explained their side of it while other students explained how they saw Dave and Alvin racing toward the bully zone. Then Theodore and the two boys were called in so Theodore could explain how they were only rescuing him and didn't really want to have to attack anybody. Finally, the two jocks were brought in with their parents to confront Theodore and apologise.

But nobody was getting off easy. After a whole bunch of discussing and arguing (which I can't be stuffed writing about) the sentences were announced. Ryan, Xander and everybody else who had kicked Theodore around were subjected to two weeks of interschool suspension. They would all sit in a conference room near Dr. Rubens office and sit in complete silence until school was over. If anyone spoke, that person copped an extra day.

Dave and Alvin were let off a little easier as they were only sticking up for a family member; Lunch time detention for two weeks and writing lines about hurting other students. So they arrived home feeling relieved that is wasn't something much worse. Dr Ruben had been known for suspending a student just for scribbling graffiti in a toilet cubicle.

After a silent dinner, Theodore went straight to bed on Dave's orders. The poor little guy was extremely sore and tired. Everybody was worried about how this day would affect his newly found confidence. Dave had sat down to have a chat with him, to offer condolence and comfort, but Theodore didn't say much or even except a hug. That's when Dave really got worried.

But something else was bugging him. That same voice that was told him to attack Xander seemed to have won the battle against his conscious and was lording pompously over his mind. Could this voice be a good thing? Dave had a feeling that his transition into a chipmunk had been completed. His instincts had completely taken over. But why did an act of violence complete the cycle? Was it such a bad thing? After all, Simon did keep telling him to trust these ever intruding thoughts.

Dave ran his fingers wearily through the scruff of fur on his head and sighed. He lay back on the couch, ignoring the TV entirely.

He felt really bad about today, so that means that his human side had to be there somewhere, right? But he's instincts are telling him that he did the right thing and was supposed to be listening to them only. Or was he? Was he meant to fight for the guy he's supposed to be, but Simon didn't tell him as that's something he's got to work out himself? Could he only be one or could he find a balance? Perhaps his instincts only come out when he's feeling angry. Does that mean he was prone to violent episodes?

And add the fact that Dave was only 16, but he still acted like a father towards people who were the same age as him and...Oh, screw it. This is way too confusing to work out a 9 o'clock on a Friday night!

To be continued next chapter. Probably on Wednesday!

I'm still open for ideas from valued readers...except for you!