The Tiger Lily

Scene One

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The Song of Hope Series
"The Tiger Lily"
An Alvin and the Chipmunks Fanfiction
By  ~C.

Scene One:
"Rain"

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A soft purr of thunder rumbled in the throats of faraway rain clouds. The solemn summer moonlight reached through the big decorative window of the Chipette home and played upon the form of Brittany Miller, resting fitfully on her bed. Her covers were kicked away, laying in piles on the floor. Her bright blue eyes glinted with tears in the soft light.

Almost twenty years now.

That's how long her sisters had been together. Since they'd come together in the wilderness, fought tooth and nail against every new challenge they had faced as tiny children, and finally ended up right here, against all odds. Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor had done it all together. They were never apart. No problem was too big for these three tiny sisters.

Now, they were moving away.

Jeanette and Eleanor were now Jeanette Seville and Eleanor Seville. For the past few months, Brittany had been working doggedly, designing and planning a brand new treehouse and living space for her sisters and their happy husbands, Simon and Theodore Seville. The homes were far away, with Simon and Jeanette bedding down in a peaceful neighborhood near the hospital where Jeanette worked as a nurse alongside her part-time occupations as a substitute teacher and librarian. Simon was a skilled technician, calibrating hospital equipment and aiding Jeanette in her teaching duties, though both were pushing for much grander futures in science and literature.

Meanwhile, Theodore and Eleanor were moving to a bustling part of town to invest in their very own restaurant. While yet to be named, it was good sized European-style building, and the couple already had a few talented workers ready for opening day. Theodore and Eleanor would share duties as co-managers and head chefs. There were already piles of papers in the corner beside the girls' desk listing thousands of recipes to try.

So then, where did Brittany stand?

The Chipmunks and The Chipettes were unofficially over. The girls had done some work around Hollywood for a while, meeting stars, promoting fashion designs, and even starring as judges for American Idol for a season. The boys had returned to strictly local performances under Dave's direction, so that they could finish up their basic education without the hassle of constant travelling.

The six had one more major performance to go, a farewell to their incredible fans. Would they ever stop singing and dancing? Would their love of music, parties, and fashion fade? Of course not. But as a group, it was time to move on and secure a bright future for themselves and their eventual children.

Brittany hugged herself. She could feel the calluses on her palms, rough against her nightgown, and her body ached all over from the construction work on her siblings' new homes. Off in the darkness, the chipette could hear the gentle snores of her amazing little sisters, as they rested and dreamed of big things.

However, Brittany felt alone in the dark. Tears soaked her furry cheek and pillow. She would never let them know she cried. Tomorrow, she'd flip her pillow, blame her puffy eyes on a bad dream and play off any noises as snoring. Tonight, though, she could only hug her blankets and sob.

What now? She had never been alone. Brittany was more than smart and responsible enough to handle herself, but that wasn't the point. Her sisters were smiling, happy, with tummies full of warmth and heads full of dreams. So why wasn't she happy? This should be her greatest victory story, pulling them from the danger of the wilderness to the successful people they'd become.

Brittany's stalwart pride had been her greatest strength and her worst downfall. She'd spent so long being competitive and strong and impossible to hold down that now she was unable to see what came next.

Little did the last of the Millers realize, Jeanette and Eleanor knew very well that she was crying, and so did the chipmunk boys next door. As Brittany fell into a fitful sleep, a little plan of action was being put into play to give the eldest of the Chipette sisters something worth fighting for again.

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Only a few hundred feet away, Alvin Seville stared at the treehouse through his open bedroom window, his hazel eyes reflecting the same timid moonlight that fell upon Brittany that night.

Yes, Alvin had a plan, as he always did. Unlike the rest of his plans, and, ultimately, the rest of his life, Alvin could not afford to let this one go wrong. The chipmunk was shaking with anticipation and worry. He had very little to offer someone as amazing as Brittany. No real job, no career, not even very much money from the big-time days.

Alvin did have one thing, however. A tiny object, warm in his hand, reflecting gold into his eyes as he fiddled with it anxiously. Tomorrow would be the beginning of the rest of his life.

And, more importantly, hers.

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