Yay! Another oneshot! W00T! It took me forever to finish this story! Lack of ideas and available computers... Oh well, it's finished and I'm proud of the way it came out!
I hope you all will like it, and tell me, does it seem like brotherly Alvon to you or the couple?

With that said, please read on, and review!

-SawyerSeville19

Alvin bit back a small whimper as he waited for Dave and his brothers to return with the flashlights, or better yet, with the lights coming back on. The power had gone out a few minutes ago. Simon had volunteered to go, thinking he would be able to help with the switches, and Theodore had gone purely out of being frightened.

Alvin had stayed behind, having simply said, "Whatever, just hurry up and get the power back on, I wanna watch Madame Raya."

Now that they were gone to fix the problem, Alvin was steadily freaking out. Two of his worst fears were taking place at the same time. His heart was beating faster as he watched the darkness's ominous shapes transition from one thing to another. His imagination was playing tricks on him.

Just as he thought he was going to lose his mind, the light in the den flickered on and the TV followed suit, as did the light in the hallway and throughout the house was back on track.

Alvin breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the couch, feeling more content at the familiar sound of shoes bounding into the den.

Theodore put his small hands on the couch and pushed himself onto it, turning at the same time and landing beside Alvin with a soft thump. "Boy am I glad to have the lights back on!" Theodore said, watching Alvin go through the channels, looking for his show. "It was scary, huh Alvin?"

Alvin glanced at Theodore out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

Simon and Dave came in and they both took seats on the couch. Dave picked Theodore up and sat him on his lap. Simon took Theodore's spot next to Alvin.

After realizing what show Alvin was looking for, he reached over and attempted to snatch the remote. Alvin reacted as though he knew the action was coming. He put the remote into his left hand and held it out of Simon's reach.

Sitting back, Simon glared at Alvin, "Alvin we are notwatching Madame Raya!" Alvin arched an eyebrow at him.

"Well, we're not watching any of your boring TV shows."

"They're not boring, Alvin, they're educational and informative-"

Alvin feigned a yawn. "They're boring, Simon." Simon's face flushed in annoyance.

"Boys," Dave said, "if you can't decide on what you want to watch, then you all can settle it by just going to bed right now."

The three boys looked at Dave, clearly not ready to go to bed at seven thirty. Alvin still refused to give up the remote. Simon folded his arms and glared at the TV, thoroughly irritated with his older brother.

"Why do you always have to make things difficult, Alvin?" Simon murmured.

"It's called talent, Simon. You should get some soon enough," Alvin retorted, flipping through the channels once more. He realized he had missed Madame Raya while the power had gone out.

"Being a jerk shouldn't be a talent, Alvin. And it shouldn't be something you're proud of," Simon countered. He climbed off the couch and looked at Dave, "I think I'll go and read instead."

"Oh, I'll come too!" Theodore said, climbing down from Dave's lap. "I wanna color!" Simon smiled at Theodore and led the way out of the den and upstairs to their bedroom.

"Well, I'm glad the situation settled itself. I have some paperwork I should be working on myself," Dave said, standing. The lack of people got Alvin's attention.

"Wait, you're leaving too?" Alvin asked, sitting up and looking at Dave.

Dave nodded, "don't stay up too late, and don't watch anything that will have you waking up screaming because of nightmares, alright?" Alvin rolled his eyes as Dave walked out of the den and upstairs to his room.

Instantly, Alvin began to feel his heart pick up speed. He had gone from being surrounded by his family, to completely alone in less than two minutes. The sound of Dave's door closing sounded so permanent, that it had Alvin reacting before he knew what he was doing.

He was at his bedroom door before he knew it. He opened the door and walked in, trying to act casual about it. Luckily for him, his brothers didn't give his entrance much attention.

He climbed onto his bed and lay under the covers. Feeling the familiar presence that was his brothers surrounding him, Alvin allowed himself to relax and close his eyes.

A week or so went by and it was back to school. They had been on Spring Break.

"Spring's supposed to be warm and sunny!" Alvin stated, wrapping a scarf around his neck.

"Not necessarily, Alvin," Simon said, putting a scarf on himself as well. "Spring can be just as cold as the winter in the beginning."

Alvin scowled, but said nothing else on the subject. Complaining about the lack of Spring warmth wouldn't make it any warmer.

Dressed for the cold, they left the house and made their way towards school.

Within an hour of being in school, it had started to pour. And it poured hard. They were told to stay indoors during recess. Aside from not being able to run around, the students had no real issues being inside.

"Move it, Alvin!" Brittany shouted when Alvin bumped into her. She pushed him roughly, and he fell back, hitting the teacher's desk as he landed from the fall.

In sync with his landing, there was a bright flash of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder, and the power went off.

Instantly the kids went into panic mode until the teacher calmed them, "It's alright, children. I'm sure the mechanics will get the power back on soon. Just remain calm and relax. It's just like nighttime."

Alvin could barely make out any other child's form with the level of darkness in the classroom. All he could do to know they were even there was by listening to their voices.

He could feel the increase in his heartbeat, could feel it's pounding against his chest. He pressed himself firmly against the desk, his eyes bouncing around; looking for some sort of light, something to brighten the darkness he was surrounded by.

"Alvin?" he heard the teacher's soft voice as she kneeled down beside him. "Are you alright, Sweetheart?" Alvin looked over at where he knew she was.

"I…" he lowered his voice so only she could hear him. "I don't like the dark…" He blushed as he revealed this information, revealed his one of two weaknesses.

"It's alright, Sweetheart." She picked him up and set him down onto his feet. She sat on her knees and asked, "Would you like for me to tell you where your brothers are?"

"Uh…yeah…" Alvin whispered. "And… you're not going to tell anyone, are you? Simon and Theodore don't even know…"

Though he couldn't see it, she smiled, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." She stood and guided him over to Simon and Theodore.

"There you are, Alvin." Theodore hugged his oldest brother tightly.

"Alvin," Brittany went over to where she knew he was. "Everyone's bored. What do you guys say we give them some entertainment?"

Alvin smirked, his fear subsiding as the teacher found a lantern and turned it on. He gently eased Theodore back and faced Brittany. He swung his right arm out and then pointed at himself, saying, "I say you're on!"

**A Few Hours Later**

The power came back on and everyone was thrilled. Alvin looked over at the teacher, and smiled thankfully at her. She smiled back and nodded.

Back at home Alvin, Simon and Theodore discarded their excess sweaters in different styles. Theodore threw his onto his bed to be put up later. Alvin tossed his onto the floor by his bed. Simon folded his and put them into his drawer.

"The power's been going off all over the place lately, huh?" Theodore asked.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if it went off again soon," Simon answered. Alvin's breath caught at the idea. He hated being in the dark.

He went over to his nightstand and opened it, making sure there was a flashlight in the drawer before closing it back.

"Fellas," Dave called from downstairs. "Don't forget to do your homework." Simultaneously, they got onto their individual beds and got their work out.

**Dinner Time**

As they all sat at the table and ate, Simon spoke up, "Dave, you think the power's going out because of all the storms lately?"

"I'm sure that's why. Let's hope we don't have it happen tonight. There's supposed to be another storm," Dave answered.

Alvin sighed and moved his empty plate to the center of the table. "When will the weather get warmer, Dave?"

"I don't know, Alvin. Spring is mixed between warm and cold, and can rain just as much as the sun shines."

"I told you that earlier, Al-Vin," Simon said, adjusting his glasses as he too finished his food.

"I told you that earlier, Alvin," Alvin mimicked, rolling his eyes as he climbed down and headed out of the kitchen.

"Mocking is so immature, Alvin," Simon said as he and Theodore followed their older brother upstairs.

"Mocking is so immature, Alvin," Alvin mimicked once more. Dave chuckled and gathered up the plates, getting ready to clean the kitchen.

**In the Room**

"Guys," Theodore began as he shut their door. "What are we gonna do if the power goes out again?" It was obvious he was scared.

"Don't worry, Theodore," Simon said and went to his nightstand. He pulled out a flashlight and walked over to Theodore's bed. "Here's a flashlight. You can keep it under your pillow in case the power shuts down."

Theodore smiled and took the flashlight. "Thanks, Simon." He slipped it under his pillow and got to work on changing into his pajamas.

Simon smiled and went back to his bed, ready to do the same.

Dressed in his pajamas, Alvin laid back against his pillow, arms behind his head, his ankles crossed.

There was a loud sound of thunder and then almost instantly, rain began to pour. Alvin looked over at the window and watched the rain fall down.

"Wow," Theodore said, going over to the window and looking out at the rain. "It's raining hard. You can hear the wind blowing."

"At this rate, it won't be long before the power goes out again. Guess we should keep our flashlights ready," Simon said, pulling out his spare flashlight.

Alvin's pride kept him from doing that while his mind urged him to. He simply lay onto his side and looked out the window, hoping nothing would happen, though he knew it would at the rate it was going.

Theodore left the window and climbed back onto his bed, pulling his flashlight out as he lay down.

"You think we'll help Dave with the switch again this time?" Theodore asked.

"Probably, but since he knows how it works we may not have to," Simon answered. Alvin breathed out a sigh of relief. At least if it were dark, he wouldn't have to worry about being alone.

"Well, could we go anyway? Just so we can make sure it won't take long for the power to come back on?" Theodore asked, clutching the flashlight in his hands.

Simon understood Theodore's phobia, so he didn't argue against it. "Sure, we'll go with him. Alvin will probably sleep through the whole thing anyway."

Said chipmunk rolled his eyes. Yeah, I wish… Sighing, he closed his eyes as Simon turned off the lights.

"We'll leave your nightlight on, Theodore, so we can know when the power goes out," Simon said, climbing into bed and lying down.

"Okay, I don't mind it being on anyway," Theodore said, covering up. Simon smiled and removed his glasses before lying under his blankets as well.

Alvin reached over to his nightstand, opened it slowly and pulled out his flashlight, pushing the drawer closed. He pulled the item close before slipping it under his pillow and covering up. With worries on his mind, Alvin drifted into a restless sleep.

**Midnight**

All three boys woke to a loud clap of thunder, sitting up simultaneously in bed.

Putting on his glasses, Simon rubbed his eyes before looking towards the nightlight. "The power's out," he announced. Theodore's flashlight went on instantly and he shone it towards his brothers.

"You think Dave's awake yet?" he asked.

"After thunder like that?" Alvin asked. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was down in the basement already, trying to fix the power."

Theodore looked horrified at the idea of Dave alone in the dark, scary basement.

"Nice one, Alvin," Simon scolded, going over to Theodore.

"What? I'm just sayin'!" he defended.

"Maybe if you could understand Theodore's fear, you'd think about what you'd say before saying it," Simon retorted.

Alvin clenched his jaw, keeping himself from saying anything. He had been about to say, "Understand it! I probably have it worse than Theodore does!" If he hadn't caught himself, he would have said it.

"Come on, Theodore," Simon said. "Let's go and see if Dave's awake."

Alvin's pride overruled his fear, and he watched his brothers and the light walk out of the room without a word in his direction.

Alvin turned his flashlight on before any of his physical reactions to being alone, and in the dark, kicked in. The light eased his fear of the dark, but he'd have to find his brothers to get rid of being alone.

He hesitated briefly before climbing off his bed and hurrying out of the room. He moved his light down the hall but found no trace of his brothers. Panic flooded him, but he forced it away. No reason to panic…

He jumped when he heard something fall and break, it was followed by a harsh, "Theodore!" Realizing what had happened, he hurried after the sound of Simon's voice. Turning a corner, he nearly collided with the taller chipmunk.

"Slow down, Alvin. We don't need anything else breaking," Simon said, shining his light on Alvin. Alvin blinked under the brightness, but secretly appreciated it at the same time.

"Have you found Dave yet?" Alvin asked, relieved to have his brothers back in sight.

"No, he wasn't in his room. We'll have to check downstairs," Simon answered, leading the way. Theodore hurried to follow, running after Simon. Alvin looked around before he too hurried to catch up.

They walked past the den and, before arriving at the basement door, they heard it close. Simon stopped abruptly, his two brothers bumping into him and each other due to the inability to see. "What's wrong, Simon?" Theodore asked.

"I think Dave's downstairs..." Simon said. Theodore looked at Alvin, who looked back at him. They could hear the uncertainty in Simon's voice. Alvin swallowed and looked at Simon.

"You think Dave's downstairs...? Or someone's downstairs?" he asked. Theodore looked at Alvin in shock.

"Don't say that, Alvin! It's a scary thought..." he looked to Simon for reassurance. "Dave's downstairs, right Simon?" Simon looked at Theodore, and then down the hall.

He looked at Alvin. Normally the red clad chipmunk would be leading the way, talking about how his logical brother was over thinking things, as he normally did. But he wasn't, and Simon could still feel Alvin's lightweight tight grip on his left shoulder.

Looking back at Theodore, Simon simply nodded. "Can we hurry up and get the lights back on now?" Theodore asked.

"Yeah, let's go and find Dave," Simon said and led the way once more towards the basement. When they reached it, Simon was about to open the door when the door knob jiggled. Theodore gasped and wrapped both his arms around Simon's right one, shifting the flashlight's light slightly due to the force of the action.

The door was opened and a tall man's figure was in the doorway. Theodore screamed, and Simon dropped his flashlight. Alvin covered his mouth to keep any sound from escaping.

"What are you boys doing out of bed?" it was Dave. He bent down and picked up Simon's flashlight. When they realized it was Dave, they calmed.

"We were looking for you Dave," Simon said, taking the flashlight back. "We were worried about you." He shone the light on Dave's face so they could see him.

"Oh Dave!" Theodore hugged Dave's leg tightly. Dave bent down and picked him up. Alvin realized he still had a tight grip on Simon's arm and immediately let go. Simon felt the weight on his arm leave but said nothing about it. He'd talk to Alvin about it later.

"Dave, why aren't the light's back on?" he asked.

"There's no point fixing it and having it go back out again. We'll have to wait till the storm passes," Dave said, leading them back upstairs. Simon nodded, it made sense now that he gave it some thought. He glanced at Alvin and saw his brother close at his heels, his eyes on the light Dave was using to guide him.

Simon looked ahead in thought. Alvin was definitely acting out of character. Any of the normal things he would have done in this situation he hadn't even attempted to do. As they filed into their bedroom, he watched Dave sit Theodore onto his bed.

Alvin climbed onto his bed and sat in the center. Simon followed his brother, sitting beside him instead of on his own bed. He wanted to figure his brother out. His best chance was to do so in the environment he acted most unlike himself.

Dave shone his light on all three of them before saying, "Now, I know not having any power is scary, but if you guys think about it, it's just as dark as it is now like when you close your eyes before you fall asleep."

"But," Theodore joined in. "When we open our eyes, it's always lighter than when they're closed. Right now it's no different. We can't see when it's dark like this."

"This time of the night your eyes shouldn't be open. You should be sleeping. So with that said, all of you need to lie down and go to sleep."

Alvin looked over at Simon and saw him watching him. He shifted and crawled over to the head of his bed and pulled his blanket back. Simon climbed off his bed and onto his own. All three sat under their blankets and looked at Dave. He nodded his head in approval.

"Now, by morning the storm should have passed and the power will be back on. So until then, go to sleep alright?"

"Yes Dave," they said in unison. He smiled and left the room, closing the door. All three flashlights were on and they all looked at one another.

"I don't know about you guys, but I can't sleep," Theodore said softly. The other two remained silent as they listened to the storm outside.

"Well," Simon said. "At least we have some sort of light in here." His brothers looked at him before looking away.

**An Hour Later**

Alvin recognized Theodore's soft snoring and knew he was finally asleep. He wasn't sure about Simon though, he was a quiet sleeper. For some reason, he couldn't sleep even though there was light and his brothers were there with him. He shifted to another position and looked out the window. The storm was still going and didn't sound like it was any closer to letting up. He sighed and looked at his flashlight, resting on his nightstand, the bright beam hitting the ceiling and illuminating some of the space around him.

The light on the ceiling from his flashlight merged with Simon's. Following Simon's light, he soon looked at his brother. His breath caught and his heart stopped briefly at seeing Simon's gray eyes watching him. He was temporarily speechless for a moment before he swallowed and struggled to say something.

"Uh..." he started dumbly. Simon blinked. "You're not tired?" Simon pulled his blanket further around his shoulders, not answering. He wanted to understand Alvin's characteristics, and most of his way of doing so was by studying him.

Finally, he answered, "Not really. It's not exactly a peaceful night right now." Alvin had to smile at that. It was true. The rain hitting the roof at the speed it was going made it sound like it was hailing. The wind sounded like a giant fan was going off right next to you. How Theodore had fallen asleep was a pure mystery.

Alvin looked out the window, watching it light up and then go dark within a second. He heard Simon's bed shift and didn't think much of it. He figured he had turned and was going back to sleep. Feeling a dip on his bed made him look down where his feet were and he watched Simon crawl past his feet and lay down behind him. He turned around and faced him, watching him cover up and lay against his pillows.

Just as he was about to say his name, Alvin fell silent when Simon looked at him. He blinked.

Simon remained silent, searching Alvin's blue eyes. After a moment he said, "I want to understand, Alvin." Alvin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before looking towards the window. Understand what? Looking in that direction, Alvin realized Simon had turned off his flashlight. He looked back at his brother. Wait a second, Theodore's light was out as well? How had he managed that?

Alvin wanted to voice his thoughts, but he couldn't.

"You act different, Alvin," Simon continued, observing Alvin's reaction to the lack of light. Alvin wanted to reach for his flashlight, keep it close, but his pride didn't let him move.

"Different how?" Alvin asked, subconciously clutching the blanket on his chest. Simon took notice to this. He was beginning to understand.

"You know how," Simon answered. Alvin was twisting the blanket around his fingers. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly stopped and prayed Simon hadn't noticed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Simon," Alvin said, his eyes dancing across the room, trying not to focus on the darkness. He looked over toward his flashlight, focusing on the light.

"Alvin," Simon made him look at him. "Just tell me what you're afraid of." Alvin's eyes widened and he looked away.

"I'm not afraid of anything," he said sharply, feeling his face heat up. Simon arched an eyebrow.

"Is that so?" he asked. Alvin huffed and said nothing. Simon sat up and reached past Alvin, grabbing the flashlight and settling back down onto his back. Alvin watched him. "If you're not afraid of anything, then there's no reason to keep the light on, right? I mean, it's not like you're afraid of the dark or anything."

Alvin's heart sped up and he looked at Simon just as the light went off.

Okay Alvin, just remain calm. Just because there's no light, doesn't mean I'm alone. Simon and Theodore are here with me... He wasn't doing a good job trying to reassure himself. He tried to focus on Simon's presence, the feeling of him being close. It wasn't the same as seeing him. He felt his heart beating against his chest, his breaths couldn't keep up with the rate his heart was going. He kept his jaw clenched tightly to keep the sound of his ragged breathing from being heard by his observant little brother.

Why did he have to know every little thing? Why couldn't he just leave it alone? Why did he like pinpointing his weaknesses and embarrass him by letting him know he knew about them? Why couldn't he just maintain his reputation as the over-confident leader of the group?

He was steadliy working himself into a panic attack. He couldn't get enough air into his lungs, and his chest was beginning to ache. His body was starting to shake, though he tried desperately to not let it happen enough that Simon would feel it. He was beginning to get lightheaded and dizzy at the same time.

Finally, he unclenched his jaw, which was getting sore, and he let out several panicked gasps before he clasped his hands over his mouth. It was a brief giveaway, and he seriously hoped Simon hadn't caught it.

Simon did though. And he realized exactly what was going on. He knew what was bringing Alvin into the state he was in and turned the light back on. He sat it down so he could sit up and still have the light showing. Thrown off at seeing his older brother having a panic attack, Simon forced himself to remain calm. He needed to be calm in order to help Alvin out of this.

Glad he knew how to help, he took a breath. "Alvin," his voice was soft, calm, yet firm at the same time. "Calm down, okay?" Alvin looked at him, but his vision was so messed up, he couldn't fully see him. He kept his hands over his mouth, his breathing still erratic.

"It's alright, Alvin. It's okay," he said. He hadn't expected Alvin to go into a panic attack at simply having the light off. He took notice to his breathing. He really needed to get it back on track. "Okay Alvin, I need you to breathe on my count, okay? On my count, breathe in, and then back out." Alvin's eyes were wide and his cheeks were flushed, from the breathing issue or shame, Simon couldn't tell.

"One, two," Simon counted, and Alvin struggled to keep up. For one two count, he tried to hold his breath, and the next, he let it out. Gradually, he was able to go with the count. When he showed progress, Simon extended the count to four, making him hold his breath longer, and exhale it longer.

Eventually, Alvin regained control on his breathing. Lowering his hands down, his eyes focused on Simon and the light shining on him.

"Are you alright?" Simon asked with genuine concern. Alvin felt all the blood rush to his cheeks and he looked away. How could he have let that happen? He had been able to control it before... "Alvin," Simon broke through his thoughts. "There's absolutely no need to be embarrassed."

Alvin rolled his eyes and let out a lightweight shaky breath. Simon turned his face back.

"I know you're afraid of the dark, and it's a common fear. Theodore has it," Simon said.

"That's it exactly," Alvin said. "Theodore has it! The baby of the family has this fear! You're the rational one, the one who explains the fears. I'm the oldest, I shouldn't have fears, let alone something as childish as the dark!"

"Alvin, you're not thinking this through. Everyone has fears, they're common. It doesn't matter what they are," Simon said.

"I don't see why you can't just leave me alone," Alvin said. "I don't know why you have to know every little thing." Simon looked taken aback. How was his trying to help Alvin a bad thing?

"I'm not trying to know everything, Alvin. I'm just trying to understand. All night long you were acting weird, out of character, and I wanted to know why so you'd be back to you're normal self," Simon explained.

"Well congratulations, you figured it out," Alvin replied sarcastically.

"Alvin, I'm not-"

"Save it," Alvin cut in. He sat up, grabbing the flashlight and rotating it in his hands slowly. Simon sighed and lay back, staring at the ceiling. Alvin rolled the flashlight into his right hand and pointed it up. "I can't help being afraid of the dark," he said softly. "I've been trying not to let it get to me like it did just now."

Simon looked at him, "You mean, you've come close to a panic attack before?" Alvin sighed and nodded. Simon sat up and faced him. "Why didn't you tell us? Or Dave? You know you should be getting medical attention for those, right? It can become a disorder; you'd have to take medication for it if it gets become a regular thing."

Alvin merely shrugged. "Really though, it doesn't matter. I told you it was the first time it's happened."

"That doesn't matter!" Simon snapped. Alvin looked at him in slight surprise. "The point is, is that it's been close to happening! Are you so prideful, you're willing to scar yourself before telling anyone you need help?"

Alvin blinked before recovering from the shock. He narrowed his eyes, "I don't want, nor do I need, any of your guys' help! I can take care of myself!"

"And that's exactly why I helped you just now, right? Because you can take care of yourself?" Simon asked firmly.

Alvin remained silent. Simon let out a breath and looked over at Theodore's form. He was still asleep. He'd have to ask Theodore about how he can sleep through loud noises all of a sudden, later on.

There was silence between the oldest brothers. Both thinking their thoughts.

There was a loud clap of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning, and if possible, the rain poured even harder. Alvin jumped at the thunder and dropped his flashlight. Simon looked at him before picking the item up. He shone the light on his older brother and could tell he was shaking.

"Alvin?" Simon whispered, moving over to his brother. Alvin jerked back, almost falling off his bed. Simon gently grabbed him by his upper arm and pulled on it, coaxing his brother to come closer.

"I'm fine," Alvin said curtly, yanking his arm back roughly. The action caused him to lose his balance and he went falling off his bed. "Whoa!" He landed with a soft thump and an "oof!" Simon crawled to the edge and looked down, seeing Alvin sitting up and rubbing his head, mumbling under his breath.

Relieved to see he was fine, he lay on his stomach and shone the light down on him. "Now see? If you'd let me help you, you wouldn't have fallen."

Alvin glared up at him, "Oh shut up, Einstein!" He huffed and lowered his gaze, folding his arms over his chest. Simon smiled and rested his head on his arm, holding the light up with his opposite hand.

"You know what I just realized?" Simon asked after a minute of silence. Alvin looked up at him. "I remember when we were going to find Dave, and when we thought someone was down there, the tight grip you had on my arm."

Simon looked down and recognized the redness on Alvin's cheeks again. He was adorable when he was embarrassed, Simon couldn't deny that fact. When he realized Alvin wasn't going to respond, he chose to continue.

"It took you forever to let go... I also remember how quickly you caught up with us after we left the room." He knew Alvin would say something, so he stopped talking.

"What's the point of bringing this up, Simon?" he demanded, standing and getting in Simon's face, they were level now. Simon merely smiled, lowering the flashlight and resting his arm.

"I'm bringing up another one of your fears, Alvin," Simon answered. Alvin's pupils dilated and his breath caught.

"What?" was all he could manage. Simon sat up and motioned for Alvin to climb back onto the bed. He did so absent-mindedly. "I don't have any other fears, Simon!" Alvin snapped when he cleared his mind. Simon had a hold on Alvin's wrists and was guiding him away from the edge of the bed.

"Sure you don't Alvin," Simon said. Alvin glared and pulled his hands back.

"Why are you pinpointing my weaknesses, Simon!" He pointed at Simon with his right hand, his left one in a fist.

"Because you need to learn that there's nothing wrong with having any, Alvin," Simon answered. Alvin lowered his right hand and simply glared at Simon some more.

"There's everything wrong with having them, Simon! I have a reputation to maintain!" Alvin said. Simon shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Alvin, Alvin, Alvin," he said softly.

"Don't you triple Alvin me!" Alvin retorted.

"You worry about what your fans think of you that much?" Simon asked. "What would they care if they knew you had fears? If they knew, they'd feel they could relate to you more. Why is your reputation so important to you?"

"It's my image. It's what people like about me. If they knew I had fears, then their opinions of me will change," Alvin explained. Simon thought about this.

"Alright," he sat down completely and crossed his legs. "Let me explain something to you. Who do you think truly cares about you, Alvin? Your family? Or your fans?"

"Are you serious?" Alvin asked. Simon nodded. "My family, of course."

"Okay. Now, do you think we'd care if you had any fears?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Do you think we'll look at you any less, or different?" he interrupted.

"No, but-"

"Do you really think we expect you to be flawless?"

Alvin remained silent, digesting all he had asked. He made sense, a lot of sense, really. He had never really thought about it the way he did. And now that he was, he wasn't sure why he made it a big deal.

"Alvin," Simon made him look at him. "We love you just as you are. We don't expect you to be perfect. We don't expect you to be some kind of hero. And you should know that your fans don't either. We know you have flaws, we know you have fears, and we accept those. We accept them because that's who you are."

"I understand," was all he could say. "Um... what was the fear you realized?"

Simon smiled, "Fear of being alone." Alvin nodded once and looked down at his lap. "Am I right?"

"I'm just not used to it... being alone-"

"I don't want you making excuses for your fears, Alvin. I just want to know, am I right?" he asked softly. Alvin looked at him and nodded. "Alright. Now, remember this, okay?" Alvin stared at him. "You are not alone."

**Morning**

Alvin woke up thanks to the sunlight shining bright and directly at his face. Moaning, he rubbed his eyes and covered his head up with his blanket, turning onto his right side. He felt something move on his bed and lifted the blanket. Blinking his blurry vision until it cleared, he made out Simon's back. Waking up more, he sat up and looked around. Theodore wasn't on his bed either.

He looked behind him and saw Theodore, lying on his left side. When had he gotten there? He looked back at Simon and smiled before climbing out of the bed. He went over to the window and drew the shades down, adjusting them so no light could get through. He then untied the curtains and watched them fall into place. It was now a lot darker in the room, but he wasn't worried about it.

He went back to his bed and climbed on, getting into the middle. Gray eyes met blue. Alvin smiled and lay facing Simon.

"I told you so," Simon whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. He felt Theodore hugging him from behind and looked over his shoulder. He wrapped his left arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Simon scooted closer and hugged Alvin to him.

The hug was more intimate then it should have been, but neither brother was concerned about it. Theodore snuggled against Alvin's chest and settled back to sleep. Alvin smiled at him and looked at Simon, who was closer than he realized.

He simply smiled and lay his head against Simon's chest, removing his arm gently from Theodore's shoulders and wrapping it around Simon's lower back. He felt both brothers tighten their grips on him, and was once again reminded:

"You are not alone."