"ALVIN!" The diminutive chipmunk froze in the doorway and turned to face his father. As he did he realised he could hardly pretend not to see the mess that covered the sitting room.

"What have you done?" Alvin glanced about for an excuse but for once he couldn't think of anything.

"I… er… well, I was looking for… my… present…" his voice trailed off as he watched Dave survey the carnage. Looking at it now, Alvin realised he might perhaps have been a little over enthusiastic. Previously carefully wrapped presents were scattered about the room, a lot with torn paper. Alvin winced as Dave picked up one his son had clearly trodden on. It rattled in an unnatural way.

"Was it really that important to you?" Dave asked quietly. "Do you actually think that's all this holiday is about? Presents?" Alvin looked down, ashamed. He was used to Dave yelling at him but he didn't like this new tone. "I've spent weeks trying to make this a wonderful Christmas for you boys but I guess I needn't have bothered. All I had to do was buy you presents. Or better yet, I suppose, cash." Dave threw don't the broken gift and glared at his son. Alvin tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, you know, cash is versatile." The heavy silence told him Dave had not appreciated the joke.

"Fine. If you really don't care… then I suppose I may as well not bother." And with that he turned on his heel and left.

Alvin fidgeted nervously before continuing up to the room he shared with his brothers. Theodore looked over as he came in and noticed his frown.

"Is everything alright Alvin? We heard the noise…" Simon too glanced over at his brother but he didn't bother putting his book down.

"Let me guess… you went through all the gifts under the tree, as usual… couldn't find your own, as usual… Dave disturbed you and told you to go to your room, as usual." He sighed. "When will you learn Dave always hides our own presents 'til Christmas morning?"

"You know, I think I really upset Dave this time," Alvin ignored his brother's input.

"Dave's upset?" Theodore worried.

"He said he didn't think he should bother if we didn't appreciate it…"

"We?" Simon interrupted. Alvin glared at him.

"You don't think…" Theodore looked nervous, "he wouldn't really… forget Christmas?" Simon finally put down his book and joined his brothers.

"Don't worry Theodore. Alvin does this every year, and every year Dave gets over it. It's almost a Christmas tradition now." Theodore smiled up at him but Alvin continued to look pensive. "Why don't you go apologise, Alvin? Maybe you could even offer to help Dave repair the damage?"

Alvin was tempted to brush Simon's advice off but Dave's reaction this year had worried him, so he trudged reluctantly back downstairs. As he stepped back into the sitting room he saw Dave had already picked up all the parcels and removed them, presumably for rewrapping.

"Dave?" A draft told Alvin that the back door was opened. He headed into the kitchen and looked down the garden path. Dave was dropping a garbage bag into the trash. Alvin shivered and waited for his father to come back.

"Alvin? What are you doing back down here?" Dave asked gently.

"I came to apologise," Alvin stared at his feet. "I shouldn't have trashed the presents under the tree." Dave chuckled and Alvin looked up in surprise.

"It's OK Alvin. I actually feel much better now."

"You… do?"

"It's as though a great weight's been lifted."

"It… has?"

"All the stress of the season… gone."

"Woah, woah, what do you mean gone?" Alvin demanded. Dave put his head to one side and looked down at his boy.

"Well, now we're not bothering with Christmas I don't have to worry about decorating, presents, cooking…"

Woah! Not bothering about Christmas! You can't not bother about Christmas!" Dave chuckled again.

"Don't worry, I'll give you boys a tenner each to buy something in the new year." And patting Alvin's head he brushed past him back into the sitting room. Alvin watched in horror as Dave grabbed the tree and began pulling it out of the room. Then, in a blind panic, he bolted upstairs to fetch his brothers.

"Dave's gone mad!" he announced. Theodore and Simon stared at him.

"What do you mean 'gone mad'?" Simon asked.

"I mean," Alvin stalked over to him and poked him repeatedly, "gone… mad!"

"Is he howling at the moon?" Alvin and Simon stopped glaring at each other to look in surprise at Theodore.

"Um… no," Alvin admitted. Theodore looked relieved. "But he's got rid of the presents! And he's dragging out the tree!"

"Oh, don't exaggerate Alvin!"

"Well, look for yourself if you don't believe me!" Simon walked past his brothers and went to investigate for himself. When he rushed back in he was pale.

"He's taken down all the cards! Even the ones the girls made us!"

"See?" Alvin demanded. Theodore whimpered.

"He can't cancel Christmas… can he?" Simon and Alvin looked at each other.

"This is your fault Alvin. You have to do something to change Dave's mind."

"Me? He won't listen to me right now." Alvin grinned. "But I'm betting he'll listen to his sensible boy Simon."

"Oh, no. I don't want to get involved in fixing your problems…"

"This isn't my problem anymore Simon. For the sake of Christmas… you gotta reason with Dave." Simon rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But if he won't listen to me, you'll have to apologise properly and make it up to him."