The three Seville brothers had not moved from their spots for approximately five minutes, individually contemplating how they felt about what Brittany was going through. The respective expressions worn on their faces pretty much summed up the way each Chipmunk was feeling. Theodore was visibly heartbroken at the thought of losing a good friend, as evidenced by the tears still rolling out of his green eyes and onto his cheeks. Simon was concerned, with a serious expression that clouded his features as he gazed intently down at the brown hardwood floor of the bedroom he shared with his brothers.

And Alvin had a look that was a mix of guilt and fear written all over his face. As much as he tried to remain confident that his plan to save his ex would work, his mind kept traveling back to the dreaded thought that it would not. That Brittany was just too damn stubborn, too far gone. What if it was already too late? What if she had already done so much damage to her body, it was too late to save her now?

And if Brittany did... die from this, it would be entirely his fault. He never in a million years would have thought he could hurt Brittany this much. But he had. And if she did pass away, how would he ever be able to forgive himself? How could he live with himself?

Just then, the two youngest sisters of the Millers arrived. They both walked through the bedroom door that was left wide open as Alvin moved slightly over to the side to make room for them. Each Chipette looked just as melancholic as the atmosphere of the rest of the room was. Eleanor led the way, while Jeanette trailed closely behind. They both walked over to Alvin's bed and sat down on it so that each Miller sister could be facing her respective boyfriend on Theodore's bed.

As the two girls were making their way over to the younger brothers, Alvin had started pacing back and forth throughout the room. With all these fleeting thoughts he had swimming around in his head, how could anyone expect someone with as much energy as him to stay still? He never had before. Finally, the red-clad boy spoke up.

"Guys..." Alvin said with a sigh, as he continued to anxiously walk all around the room. "I'm really worried about Brittany. As you guys all know, I tried talking to her yesterday. But she's being super stubborn, as usual. She won't admit she has a problem. But, I think we can all be pretty sure she's struggling with bulimia."

Eleanor nodded her head slightly. Her large, expressive doe brown eyes welled up with tears, which she had failed to hold back. No matter how much she attempted to blink those tears back, it was no use, and she had no choice but to let them pour out.

She was really hoping that if anyone could get through to Brittany, it would be Alvin. That was her whole reason for going to him with this sensitive information, in spite of knowing how angry it would make Brittany. It was why she ran to him with it instead of rushing home to tell Jeanette in the middle of the bake sale.

Hell, it was the reason she left the bake sale she had worked so hard on midway. Even though she was able to sneak back in before anyone knew she was gone and she had Theodore covering for her, it still had not exactly been convenient. After all this trouble, her sister was not any closer to accepting help for her problem. It was even possible she had now become less responsive than she was before. Finally, the blonde teenage girl spoke up.

"Jeanette and I have both noticed signs. She'll often make excuses not to eat. And when she does eat with us, she runs to the bathroom as soon as she's finished. We've heard the water running for long periods of time. And then there were a few times she forgot to turn the water on and we heard her puking."

The brown-eyed teen stopped talking as she took a deep breath and wiped away a few tears that were spilling from her eyes with her hands. This was so difficult to talk about. Even for someone generally as strong as Eleanor, it was so hard watching her eldest sister who she always believed was just as strong as her (maybe even stronger) go through this awful disorder she knew would kill her if she didn't try to fight it.

Just then, she felt her tender-hearted middle sister who was sitting next to her rub her back. With a trembling lip, she turned around to look at the brunette Chipette. The older teenager gave her a half smile and encouraging nod to continue speaking, despite the tears that could be seen falling from her own green eyes behind her glasses. With this sisterly support, Eleanor found the strength to carry on with speaking to the group about her observations of the Chipette that was notably absent.

"And then just recently, she ate an entire tray of muffins I baked for the school bake sale. That was nine muffins, guys! But when I asked her about it, she snapped at me and didn't want to talk about it."

"I also found numerous empty candy wrappers hidden in her bed this morning." Jeanette added, as she choked on her words between sobs and her voice slightly broke. "It's not at all like Brittany to be eating so much junk food. I'd say that's pretty much all the proof we need to confirm she's binging and purging..."

"I still don't get it. Why is this happening to Brittany?" Theodore wondered out loud as his own tears were drying up, though he felt he could start crying again at any second. "She's always been so confident. Why is she now so worried about her weight that she would do... all that?"

"Well," Simon chimed in, adjusting his glasses. "Eating disorders aren't just about losing weight, although a distorted body image is part of it. Eating disorders are about control and often show up in times of stress. We know Brittany's been through a lot with Miss Miller's death, hurting her knee, and having to give up everything important to her in high school and then everything with Alvin..."

The blue-clad Chipmunk eyed his older brother who was still pacing around the room. Being called out by his responsible younger brother like that caused the red-clad teen to stop dead in his tracks. For the first time since the two youngest Chipettes arrived, he stood perfectly still. There was a rarely seen remorseful expression clearly etched on his face.

"It makes sense that Brittany's trying to control her weight and diet when everything else in her life seems out of control." Simon concluded his lesson on bulimia with a sigh, knowing precisely how much worse things could continue to get for Brittany.

Alvin hung his head in shame and pulled his red cap slightly down, as if he was trying to hide underneath it. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but he swore he could feel the eyes of the other chipmunks in the room on him. Burning through him, knowing exactly what he had done to Brittany over the summer. Did they all blame him for Brittany's condition as much as he had been blaming himself since his failed attempt to convince Brittany to seek help? Probably.

Not being able to take being trapped in his own thoughts anymore, the teenager in red decided to say his piece too. He was going to mention what he was pretty sure they were all thinking at the moment, anyway.

"I feel like it's my fault she's going through this." Alvin confessed with a clenched fist as that troubling thought finally made it out of his head and left his mouth. "I mean, if I just stood by her over the summer instead of bailing..."

"No," Jeanette murmured softly, as she slowly got up from her spot on the bed, strolled over to the area between both beds where the eldest Seville brother was now standing, and gently put a hand on his shoulder. "There was no way you could've known this would happen. None of us saw it coming."

While Alvin allowed Jeanette to comfort him as his eyes anxiously scanned all corners of the room, he still had not been completely convinced by her words. He was well-aware that sweet Jeanette always tried way too hard to see the best in everyone. This was a girl who once allowed her sister to get away with calling her a "science partner" just so she could impress some snobs who didn't even matter. And during that time, the middle Chipette repeatedly made excuses to justify her big sister's thoughtless behavior. She even rationalized that bullies like Nathan must have been acting out due to underlying reasons like problems at home.

So why should Alvin expect Jeanette to give it to him straight about how much he actually contributed to Brittany's suffering? She was just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. And honestly, this was something the eldest Seville brother felt he seriously didn't deserve right now. It was odd for him to be feeling this way, considering he was usually the one trying to convince others they should give him a second (and third, and fourth, and sometimes even fifth) chance whenever he screwed up. But this mistake was one that could actually cost him the life of someone he really cared about.

Eventually, Alvin walked away from Jeanette's consoling touch and resumed his pacing. The bespectacled girl bit her lip, and then frowned. She could tell that her words had done very little, if anything, to reassure her older sister's ex-boyfriend. She realized bulimia was much more complicated than to have just been caused by a single event like that, and she felt bad knowing he was beating himself up over it.

But at the same time, she knew all the details about what had happened between Alvin and Brittany over the summer. And that he had broken her heart right after she chose to have her first intimate experience with him. As kind as she was, even Jeanette was mad at Alvin over that for a while. But she gradually started to forgive him once she noticed both of her sisters seemed too. After all, Jeanette was the one who was least likely to hold a grudge out of the Chipettes.

And even though she had forgiven Alvin, she could absolutely comprehend why Alvin would have a hard time forgiving himself over this. Although Alvin certainly had some egotistical and selfish tendencies, she knew he had a good heart underneath it all. In fact, Alvin was the reason she and her sisters even got adopted by Miss Miller in the first place.

She remembered Alvin bragging all about how he had been the one to talk their late mother into taking them all in when it ended up working out. And Miss Miller had confirmed that she was hesitant at first, but Alvin convinced her. Then she went off on some strange tangent about homeless kittens and not wanting to send them to school in rags...

The point is, she knew Alvin did have a conscience underneath all that bravado. This meant he was surely going to regret knowing he had hurt Brittany deeply right before she developed an eating disorder. Even though it was not his fault and Brittany seemed like she was already headed down this path with her life gradually spiraling out of control for a while now, she could see why he would be having some serious regrets over the way he treated her.

But right now, the five chipmunks were all there to talk about Brittany. Even though Jeanette cared about the rest of the group too, saving the one who was in the most danger had to be the top priority for all of them. Hopefully at a later time, Alvin would understand just how complex bulimia is. And then maybe he would realize there was really nothing he could have done to stop it from happening.

"Well," Simon paused before beginning, as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "I guess now is the time for us all to decide where we'll go from here."

The bespectacled boy then eyed his brother in red, who was now standing on the opposite side of the room from him.

"You said you have some kind of brilliant plan, as you called it, right? That's why you called this meeting?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Alvin couldn't help but smile faintly as he crossed his arms over his chest. He actually was quite proud of himself for thinking of this. And now he finally got to share it with his brothers and friends.

"So, I was thinking we'd do an intervention for her. Get her into a room with all of us and we all take turns talking to her. You know, like in those reality shows?"

Each Chipmunk and Chipette had mixed reactions to this suggestion. Eleanor raised an eyebrow, as did Simon, though he looked like he was actually giving it some serious thought. Theodore shifted uncomfortably, and Jeanette nervously pressed her lips together in silence. Alvin then held up both his hands for emphasis, now having the attention of everyone in the room. With the curious eyes of his family and friends on him, he continued selling his idea.

"Now I know what you're thinking. Usually, those are for substance abuse. And while no drugs or alcohol are involved here, the goal is still the same. To get Brittany to accept help for a problem that she clearly can't fight on her own."

"You know," Simon said, as he pensively placed a finger on his chin, really pondering over the red-capped Chipmunk's words. "That idea might just work. Some of the principles of that concept are still the same."

"I don't know about this..." Jeanette hesitantly chimed in. "Eleanor and I already tried talking to her last night and Alvin attempted it this morning. All we've done so far is push her further away. What if this intervention only makes her feel even more cornered or attacked?"

"Well..." Theodore meekly added his voice to the conversation. "I think before we start off telling her we think she has an eating disorder, we should all let her know how loved and cared about she is. How much she means to all of us and that we don't want anything bad to happen to her. We should all take turns talking. She can't ignore all five of us!"

"You know," The teenager in spring green spoke up, as she deeply exhaled. "Miss Miller wouldn't have wanted this for her. If she were alive and this was happening on her watch, I bet you anything Brittany would be in a hospital right now. I mean, she probably would've been dragged there kicking and screaming. Literally, knowing Britt. But at least she'd be getting some kind of treatment. Miss Miller wouldn't have given her a choice."

"That's good." Simon replied, as he nodded his head and pointed a finger at the younger Chipette. "Bring that up to Brittany during the intervention. Even though she constantly complained about how unfair and outdated Miss Miller's rules were, we all know she still respected her more than anyone else. I think it would get to her if she was told how much it would break Miss Miller's heart to see her suffer."

"D-do you guys think... we should involve Dave in this?" The boy in red asked.

This caused the other four chipmunks in the room to all suddenly focus on him with astonished stares. Alvin Seville actually wanted to involve his father in one of his plans? Mr. Solve-Everything-Himself was legitimately considering bringing in... an adult? And he wasn't at all concerned that admitting he was in over his head might make him look like he couldn't handle things? What was happening to the bandleader of The Chipmunks?

"I think Dave should at least be made aware of what's going on with Brittany." Simon answered his brother. "He IS her manager, after all. He should know she's really not in any condition to perform right now, no matter what she tries to tell him. True, she probably won't be very happy with us since Dave will make her take another hiatus. But..."

"Not like she'll be super happy with us for confronting her like this anyway." Eleanor cut in.

"But if this plan succeeds," Simon continued with determination in his voice. "Not only will she be on the right path to recovery, but she might even be grateful. Once she starts getting better, she'll realize that persuading her to seek treatment was exactly what she needed to save her from herself. We must help her see that her life is at stake."

"We'll all take turns talking to her. This way, we're all doing our part in saving Brittany." Theodore agreed with a small nod.

Simon then took his purple-clad girlfriend's right hand into both of his, which felt warm to the touch. She was trembling and he could tell she was struggling to hold back tears. The blue-clad teenager gingerly caressed the brunette girl's hand for a minute before addressing her.

"Jeanette," He tenderly began. "Why don't you and I look up some places Brittany can go for professional help? I know we already have a guidance counselor at school, but she's always off during the summer and for school holidays. I feel like Brittany will need someone more accessible than that. Maybe even someone who can be available on-call. So let's do some research together and compile a list. This way, if Brittany decides she wants to get help, we'll have a list of resources ready for her."

The middle Chipette nodded and gave her boyfriend a wavering smile, in spite of the tears that were stinging her eyes and threatening to fall.

"Ok, guys," Alvin said, starting to sound like his old confident, take-charge self again. "Operation Save Brittany is on. Let's get to it!"

Back at the Miller residence, Brittany stepped up to the front porch. She pulled the emergency key out from under the beige welcome mat, which was now rough and prickly due to age. She then abruptly jammed the key into the keyhole, wanting to get this over with.

The auburn-haired Chipette was really not in the mood for another confrontation with Jeanette and Eleanor. Especially if they were going to try to talk her into getting help for her problem, yet again. Brittany planned on simply walking right past her younger sisters, if that was at all possible.

But when the young Chipette opened up the front door, the first thing she noticed was how eerily quiet it was. No tv, no radio, and no Jeanette playing the piano. There was also no sound of Eleanor moving around in the kitchen or using a whisk or mixer. No sound of the oven or microwave humming either. The smells of any foods being cooked were absent as well.

There was no sound of either sister's voice. No conversations between them. No sound of either having a conversation on the phone. No singing, whistling, or humming. The Miller home was literally just dead silence.

When she got further into the house, she shut the door behind her. The Chipette then turned around to inspect all corners of the living room. She walked around and even took a peek into the kitchen. But there was literally nobody in sight.

Brittany considered calling out Jeanette's and Eleanor's names in the interest of making sure they really weren't there. However, she decided not to draw any attention to herself, just in case they were. The goal was to get this brief stop at the Miller house over with as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

So the first thing the teen Chipette did was dash up the stairs and run straight into the bedroom that was now her own. Her desire for privacy led to her instinctively shutting the door, regardless of all the evidence that she was very likely home all by herself now. And even though she really wanted to not care where her sisters were right now and simply be grateful that they weren't there, a part of her wondered if they were out looking for her right now. And thinking about this made her feel guilty.

She debated whether or not she should call her sisters from the treehouse tonight, just to let them know she was ok. But then she shook her head and decided there was no reason to. Alvin picked her up from right near the treehouse and probably realized that was where she was staying.

And given the way her annoying ex-boyfriend had confronted her about her bulimia, she didn't buy his story that he just happened to be driving along that area to bypass traffic for even a second. He was obviously looking for her just for that purpose and she knew her little sisters had most likely put him up to it. But the point is, he knew where she was staying now and could report back to Jeanette and Eleanor for her. And with her now having shelter, they should have no reason to worry about her.

Brittany immediately went into her closet and picked up the nylon pink duffel bag that had the word "Cheer" embroidered on the front in white glittery cursive. Of course, much of the glitter had fallen off and the letters were partly cracked and faded due to age. That bag had certainly seen better days.

This was the same bag she had always taken to cheer camp, overnight cheerleading competitions, and sleepovers being hosted at the homes of her former friends that were on the cheerleading team. She had used this duffel bag for those events since the summer before starting high school. And if she were still on the squad, she certainly would have bought a new bag this year. But since she wasn't, a new duffel was not exactly high on her list of priorities.

Once she had scooped up her crumpled duffel bag that had been lying on the floor next to her countless pair of shoes (most of which she couldn't wear since she had still not been approved for high heels yet), she then eyed her pink matching luggage set that had been sitting at the opposite corner of the closet. This was what she usually took when she went away for performances with the Chipmunks and Chipettes. She briefly pondered if she should fill those suitcases up too. But then she decided it wasn't necessary.

It was highly unusual for Brittany Miller to not feel the need to bring more than just one bag of clothes. If anything, she typically overpacked for every single outing. Even when it would only be for one night. Her suitcases often came to sleepovers or overnight competitions with her. And the duffel bag frequently served as an extra carry-on that went with her for concerts she needed to travel for.

She remembered using the pink nylon "Cheer" duffel to shield her nose from the foul odor of Alvin's excessive gas on the flight to New York after the whole burrito incident. She also had vivid memories of carrying that very same bag throughout the Orlando International Airport in anticipation of the Disney World concert. She would even try to make Alvin carry it for her on the flights back home, because it would gradually become too heavy for her when she would inevitably buy even more clothes on the random shopping sprees she would go on during all of these trips. Naturally, this would always result in yet another fight between the former teenage couple.

But right now, she had no one to help her out if her bag got too heavy. She was struggling enough to walk short distances as it was. She knew the extra weight would only make it all a thousand times worse. Between her knee and the dizzy spells that kept creeping up on her, she was not exactly in tip-top shape as of late.

Besides, despite what she would have claimed if she were asked, she secretly was hoping that staying at the treehouse was only temporary. Brittany already missed her own bed and dreaded the thought of another night on that hideous, uncomfortable couch. She was praying this would all blow over in a few days. The blue-eyed Chipette just needed to somehow convince her sisters she didn't have an eating disorder and then get them to drop the whole thing. Then she could go back to living with them again.

Brittany snatched a few clothing items off their hangers in the closet. She tried to pick whatever she didn't hate on her. This was not easy, considering she despised the way basically everything looked on her right now. So she shoved those clothes into her bag. She then walked over to her vanity dresser and opened up the drawers. She pulled out a few extra clothes, some nightgowns, pajamas, bras, panties, and hair ties.

After going through the drawers, she grabbed some makeup and a bottle of perfume off the top of her vanity as well. As far as she was concerned, she could never have too much. When she felt she had everything she needed from the bedroom, she entered the bathroom.

In the bathroom, she anxiously gathered her own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. No more cheap hotel stuff. She also shoved a few other toiletries she felt she might need into her duffel bag as well. She was feeling super drained at this point and planned on taking a nap as soon as she got back to the treehouse.

When Brittany was finished collecting what she needed from the bathroom, she rushed down the stairs and was planning to run right back out of the house again. After all, better that she leave before her sisters got back from wherever they ran off to. However, this plan was put on hold when she couldn't help but take notice of the kitchen.

Going against her better judgment, the blue-eyed teenager reluctantly entered the kitchen and set her duffel bag and purse down on one of the chairs with an exhausted sigh. After that, Brittany opened the refrigerator door to rummage through its contents. It was like she was possessed once again. No longer in control of her actions.

The ponytailed Chipette took out a huge bowl of chicken salad she saw, figuring that it must have been left over from last night's dinner. She pulled a fork from out of the drawer. While Brittany had never intended to eat it, she tried to remain hopeful during this binge. Perhaps she could really keep it down this time. This could be her opportunity to prove she could fight her disorder on her own.

However, this had proven to be impossible once she had forked the last bite of the salty, creamy chicken salad into her mouth. As Brittany stared at the now empty ceramic white bowl for what felt like an eternity, her stomach hurt so much and felt overly full. It was as if she didn't even know how to keep food down anymore.

The pink-clad girl clutched her belly as she felt tears spring to her eyes. The teen envisioned her stomach uncontrollably blowing up like a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Just then, a vivid image flashed in her mind of all that extra weight spreading to her hips, thighs, and butt until she would become morbidly obese. She had no choice. She had to get rid of it.

The tears continued to fall as she placed the bowl and fork into the sink. Brittany then raced to the bathroom and couldn't stop herself from sobbing the entire time. The teenage girl felt totally helpless as she realized that as much as she really wanted to stop now, she just couldn't. The teen Chipette just prayed she wouldn't see blood after this particular purge.

In the meantime, Simon and Jeanette were both at the local library. Spending a Saturday afternoon in the library was not exactly unheard of for the two studious chipmunks (which Alvin and Brittany would constantly make fun of them for, dubbing them the "nerd couple"). However, today the two middle chipmunks were not there for studying. They had a specific purpose for being there this afternoon. And it was part of a bigger plan to save Brittany's life.

The teenage couple were both seated at the library's computer. Simon was sitting directly in front of the computer, the screen's light casting a glow on his glasses. He had one hand on the mouse ready to click away, and another on the keyboard in preparation of typing out additional information they might need to know. To the left of the computer on the table laid an open local directory, which was being flipped through on occasion.

To the right of the blue-clad Chipmunk sat his purple-clad girlfriend. She was holding a spiral notebook in one hand and a purple pen in her other hand. Her hair was a little bit messier than it normally was, with the bun in her hair just about ready to come undone. But Simon thought she looked breathtaking. She always did to him.

However, they weren't exactly there to make out right now. No, they were presently on a mission. At the computer, Simon was looking up resources that could help Brittany overcome her eating disorder. He was reading off a list of private psychologists who specialized in eating disorders, a support group for eating disorders that met up once a week at the local community center, and some eating disorder treatment centers.

Jeanette was diligently writing down every name or facility Simon read out to her. She recorded every name and address into her notebook as well. She wanted to make sure that if Brittany ever did decide she wanted to accept help, she would have every piece of information on hand for her. But regardless of feeling like she was doing everything she could to help her elder sister, the bespectacled Chipette still had the same questions nagging her inside her head.

Would Brittany even listen to anything they had to say? Would she accept any help they tried to offer her? Or would she just continue to pull away and get worse until... the worst case scenario happened?

But Jeanette tried as hard as she could to push that thought to the very back of her mind again. Thinking about it would make her cry all over again. For now, she had to try to remain optimistic. After all, how much help would she be for Brittany if she were a basket case herself?

As her Chipmunk boyfriend continued to read the information he found online off to her, she paused when she recognized the name County Center for Eating Disorders. That place was affiliated with County Hospital! It was the very same hospital Jeanette and her sisters had volunteered to be candy stripers in the children's ward at when they were kids. This was looking a little more hopeful. Brittany might feel more comfortable going to a place she was vaguely familiar with.

"C-can I take a look at that one myself?" Jeanette asked the Chipmunk that was sitting next to her, her voice barely rising above a whisper as she nudged closer to him.

"Of course." Simon answered softly with a gentle smile, as he nodded and slid over in his chair to give her space to view the screen.

As the girl in purple started to eagerly read the information staring back at her from the bright computer, she frowned as something she noticed in the description didn't quite sit right with her.

"S-Simon..." Jeanette responded timidly, as she nibbled on her lower lip. "This says they only offer inpatient treatment here."

She didn't want Simon to think she was ungrateful for his help. Yet the teenage girl felt the need to address this concern with him. After all, Brittany wasn't exactly there to advocate for herself right now. So as her sister, Jeanette felt the need to speak up for her about what she would want.

"Yes," Simon acknowledged his green-eyed girlfriend with a nod of his head. "I added some inpatient facilities to our list in addition to some outpatient programs. I just feel it's best that we keep our options open at this point."

"B-but, Simon..." Jeanette cautiously started out, wanting to choose her words carefully. "D-don't you think sending Brittany away is a bit... drastic? It'll be hard enough to get her to agree to treatment as is. How do you think she'll feel about being away from home? And... away from her family?"

"But are you and Eleanor really equipped to handle Brittany all by yourselves?" Simon asked earnestly, as he reached for Jeanette's hand in an attempt to comfort her. "Maybe it would be different if Miss Miller were still alive. She would've been watching Brittany like a hawk. But you and Eleanor both have school, as well as other commitments. Neither of you will be able to keep tabs on her all the time. And even at home, what can either of you do when she has another episode of binging and purging? Unless you plan on locking her up in her room, I don't think you can really stop her."

Jeanette shifted uncomfortably in the library's blue plastic chair. As much as she didn't want to admit it, what Simon was saying made sense.

"She's supposed to be your guardian, not the other way around." Simon went on. "I just think Brittany might be better off in a place where she'd be receiving care around the clock. There would be doctors and nurses there who'd watch her at all times. They'll make sure she's eating properly and actually keeping her food down."

"B-but... but..." Jeanette started out before suddenly bursting into tears. "I don't want her to feel like we're abandoning her! I-I just can't bear the thought of Brittany being away in some strange place all by herself for God knows how long! And then Eleanor and I will be even more worried about her if we can't see her at all times. Wondering if she's safe... scared... angry... How could we just leave our sister all alone like that?"

"Hey, hey... it's ok." Simon gently whispered, as he pulled Jeanette in for a hug.

The embrace lasted for several minutes with Jeanette literally crying on Simon's shoulder. When the hug eventually broke, the two bespectacled chipmunks then looked into each other's eyes for another couple of minutes before Simon reached up and brushed a stray strand of brown hair out of Jeanette's face and tucked it behind her ear. He gave her a sympathetic smile before he started talking again.

"The place that's affiliated with County Hospital is right nearby." The blue-clad teenager attempted to comfort the brunette girl. "And since you and Eleanor are immediate family, you should be allowed frequent visitation rights. And depending on their policy, the rest of us may be able to visit her as well. This way, she won't feel so alone. She'll know the rest of us will be right there by her side as she fights this awful disorder she's struggling with."

Jeanette wiped away a stray tear from behind her glasses, starting to feel a little better now. But she still had some reservations about all of this.

"What if Brittany feels trapped in that place? And again, how do you think she'll feel about being away from us?" The brunette teen reiterated her earlier concern. "Away from her home? From her sisters? From her friends? And even from..."

Jeanette was about to say Alvin's name, but then held back. While she herself suspected that her sister's feelings for her ex might have still been there (and vice versa), she felt that this definitely was not the right time to be sharing this observation. Not even with her own boyfriend, who happened to be Alvin's brother and likely noticed that himself. Besides, she knew it really was not their place to pry anyway. Alvin and Brittany would have to find their way back to each other on their own if they were truly meant to be.

"Honestly," Simon replied sincerely. "I think the change of environment would actually greatly benefit Brittany. Think about everything that's happened to her over the last year and a half. Miss Miller passed away, and being in her house is a constant reminder of that. Then she had to quit cheerleading and lost her friends on the squad as a result. She has to be reminded of that every time she's at school. And even seeing Alvin walking around those halls with Lindsay..."

Simon averted his gaze and dropped his shoulders, finding himself feeling a pang of guilt about mentioning that last part. Alvin was already having a hard enough time not blaming himself for the state Brittany was in. And while he knew it wasn't Alvin's fault, he did think his big brother's reasons for ending his relationship were very selfish and inconsiderate. The Seville brothers never talked about it, since it was not exactly the kind of thing Alvin would have gone to either him or Theodore with. And while Simon normally had no problem telling Alvin how much of a jerk he was, he just couldn't find it in his heart to do so this time.

The thing was, even though Alvin was not responsible for Brittany developing an eating disorder, he did realize it contributed to the heartache she already felt even further. In a way, he understood why his brother was being so hard on himself about it. However, the red-clad Chipmunk was never known for making the best decisions to begin with. He was extremely impulsive and often would regret his actions later on.

But in typical Alvin-style, he would always try to do the right thing in the end. This made it hard for anyone to stay mad at the mischievous eldest Chipmunk for long. And this time, he could tell his older brother was determined to make things right and make sure Brittany got the help she so badly needed. Simon just really hoped his idea of an intervention would work.

"And now with this vile rumor spreading about Brittany that claims she's on drugs," Simon stated that last part in disgust as he shook his head and sighed. "Maybe it would be better for Brittany if she could get away from everything for a while. Away from all the gossip and away from any triggers that could be detrimental in any attempts she makes to get better."

"M-maybe you're right." Jeanette responded with a sniffle as she finally agreed with her boyfriend. "I- I guess it couldn't hurt to at least write it down as an option. Of course, this is all assuming Brittany will even agree to being treated for her bulimia. If she doesn't just run off again and allow herself to get to the point where..."

"Don't even think that way!" Simon gently scolded the Chipette next to him. "You know Alvin won't give up on her until she agrees to seek help. And we both know how persuasive he can be."

This kind of optimism was a bit unusual for Simon. Especially when it came to serious issues like this one. However, he knew it was important that he try to give Jeanette some hope this time. And also have faith in his big brother.

The two middle chipmunks both spent another minute looking into one another's eyes and gave small smiles. Then in a rare moment of impulsivity for both of them, they gave each other a quick peck on the lips. Afterwards, both went back to putting together their list of resources for Brittany. Simon found a few more therapists who specialized in eating disorders, another support group just a few minutes away from the first one, and more treatment centers (both inpatient and outpatient). Jeanette continued to write down everything about every single one of them in her notebook, like the good note taking student she was.

Maybe neither of them knew exactly how Brittany was going to react to the intervention with all five of them confronting her. Nobody did, really. But at least now they all felt like they were actively doing something instead of helplessly sitting back and watching someone they all care about succumb to something so horrible.

A/N: And that was chapter 25! A real treat for all you Simonette fans too. I finally delivered on the Simonette scene I've been promising for months! It took me a while, but I finally found the right moment to work it in. So what did you think? Was it just as cute and sweet as the Theonor scene was a few chapters back? Hope you guys liked it!

So how do you think the intervention will go? Will Brittany finally be convinced to get help for her bulimia when all the other chipmunks express their concern, making her realize how loved and cared about she truly is? Or will this only lead to her feeling even more cornered?

Also, what do you think of Simon's idea of sending Brittany to an inpatient facility for treatment? Do you think he has a point? Or do you see Jeanette's side more with her concerns that it'll make Brittany feel like she's being abandoned?

Thank you again to all of you who have been reading, reviewing, and PMing about this story, as well as those of you who have favorited and followed this fic. I'm super thankful for your continued support.

I really look forward to hearing what you guys think of this chapter! The meeting for the intervention scene was another one I've had written out for a while. So it's great to finally get to share that one. And as I said above, the sweet Simonette scene was also fun to write. So I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

As always, I plan on having the next chapter out late next month. So you should be getting at least one more update before the new year. I know this time of year tends to get crazy busy for many of us. Especially when, like me, you have a toddler who's getting more curious about everything everyday!

Wishing you all joy and warmth this holiday season!