Autumn, for most creatures, meant the season of changes to come.

The forest was always rather peaceful this time of the year. The trees had begun to change from green to brown, red, orange, and yellow as the leaves started to fall, leaving behind various patches for the sunlight to filter through, never repeating the same speckled pattern every year.

Closer to the edge of the forest, though, sat a nice, homey log cabin, a generator outside buzzing and rumbling away as it fed the home with power.

Inside was a somewhat small woman, er… chipmunk. Her dark brown hair was somewhat styled, though mainly hanging down free, some of it framing her face while the rest simply reached towards the middle of her back. She wore a cozy light blue button up shirt, paired with some slightly darker shorts that stopped just above her knees.

There was a hint of worry on her face as she paced back and forth throughout the main room, the TV playing quietly in the background. The autumn weather meant just one thing for her. Winter was just around the corner, followed closely by springtime. And with it, the spring would bring about another season for breeding.

She didn't worry about it for herself, though. She had ways of taking care of herself throughout the season.

No, her mind was occupied with something else. Sighing, she reached to the golden locket hanging from her neck, opening it up to view the picture within. It was herself, though much younger, and her three boys, still little babies wrapped up in their red, green, and blue blankets.

"Oh, boys… I still wish I could have stayed with you…" She sighed to herself. 'Or at least you could have stayed with me…' she shook her head then, her tail swaying side to side as she gently touched the photo.

The last time she had seen them, they had grown up so much… How they had become so successful in music and living in such a wonderfully large house. What kind of mother would have taken them away from where they were happiest?

She cursed herself beneath her breath. She could have made more of an attempt to adapt to city life. She already had so many new, modern additions to her home now, surely she could have held out a little longer. With a sigh, she closed the locket again, clenching it within her palm.

This year had her more anxious than normal. Her boys... They would be coming of age, and as far as she knew, they had very, very little experience if any when it came down to their urges.

"What am I going to do? If I leave them be, they might make a mistake they'd regret. But if I interfere…" She stopped herself mid sentence. "No. No! Vinny, you… you can NOT think of that!" She scolded herself.

Unfortunately, now that she had thought it, it refused to leave her head. Her boys, her precious little angels… They'd be clueless when those desires finally kicked in. And their caretaker, bless his soul, might not know how to handle a developing boy, much less three less than normal chipmunks.

Vinny turned her head to the TV screen, but was left unable to focus on the cartoon that played now, instead eyeing the phone that sat on top. She didn't really have much of an option anymore. On one hand, she could make that call and hope for the best. Or, she could leave it be.

"I've been away long enough." She stated quietly, but firmly.

Grunting, Vinny got up to her feet and went to the phone, picking it up and dialing in the number before she could second guess herself. Feeling a lump form in her throat as it rang, she swallowed, doing her best to ignore it. 'No turning back now, Vinny… Just do it for your boys.' she tried to tell herself. Eventually, a familiar voice picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"H-Hi Dave." Vinny started, a squeak sneaking into her voice for a moment. "How have things been? Er... yes, I know it's been a while since I last called but... how are the boys?"

There was a little pause from the other end. Then Dave cleared his throat. "They've been as behaved as they can be. Though they've been getting rowdier as of late. I expect as much from Alvin, but even Theodore and Simon are acting differently sometimes. I'm not sure what's going on, but it gets out of hand."

Vinny's heart sank a little. 'Well that seals it. What are you going to do? Not like you have much experience teaching.' She thought. Taking in a deep breath, she adjusted the phone against her ear. "Say, Dave... do you happen to have anything important planned for the boys this week?" She asked. "I know how sudden it may seem, but I figured that if you're overwhelmed I could... perhaps... take them in myself for a while. See if I can set things straight, you know?"

"Well, no, there aren't any plans… What's going on with the boys? Is everything alright?" Dave asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Oh! Yes, yes, everything's fine. Or, well, they will be. I just really need the boys to come over. I promise that it'll only be for a week, and then... then they'll be right back at home." Vinny replied, ignoring the twinge of pain in her heart.

They didn't even live with her. 'Relax Vinny. You'll make up for it.'

"If you say so. At this point, I could use a little break myself." Dave responded.

Vinny winced at the sound of a smashing plate, followed by a familiar "I DIDN'T DO IT!" in the background. She couldn't help but smile a little.

Leave it to Alvin to get himself into trouble.

"I'll bring them over tomorrow." Dave says with a tired sigh. Smiling softly, Vinny swishes her tail against the floor. "Oh, and Dave? Please have them pack some extra clothes. Just in case they'll need it." She adds.

"Okay… We'll all see you tomorrow then." Dave replied. "See you, Vinny." And with that, he hung up the phone.

Gulping, Vinny looks around the place. Good thing there were so many kind animals… and people around. They were more than happy to build the cabin as close to a full house as possible, having three extra bedrooms added in for the sole purpose of giving her boys their privacy on the off chance they'd ever want to come out.

Everything else, though, was tougher. Natural supplies only went so far, and she eventually had to borrow money from Dave in order to really make the place comfortable. Three simple beds, one for each room, a couple dressers, and even a few outlets in each of the rooms for them. Just the basics she could afford.

"Okay… You've still got a chance to be a good mom… Just get the boys ready for the season and there we go. Everything back to normal. They'll probably know everything already. Yeah... Simon could have explained it all by now." She said reassuringly.

*...*

The next day brought an early start. There was a slight mist hanging around, and the birds had yet begun their singing. Vinny spent as much time as she could getting the place ready, taking care of any last many cleaning she needed.

Now that the afternoon had come, Vinny sat out on her porch, thumbs twiddling idly as she waited. Any moment now...

'Relax. I'm sure they're not upset. Just... stop worrying so much.' She thought.

The minutes passed by slowly, the anxiousness running up along her spine. That is, until she heard the sound of tires atop fallen leaves.

Vinny smiled as she watched Dave's car drive up, slowly being parked in front of her home, noticing the three moving figures in the back seat. "Okay... This is it, Vinny... here goes." She said to herself.

As soon as the car had to a full stop, the back door swung open, and out the back seat tumbled her three boys.

"Mommy!" Theodore cried out, running up to her and throwing himself around her, hugging her tightly around the waist. Vinny yelped, stumbling back a few steps as she smiled, crouching a little to return the hug. "Oh, I missed you too, Theodore!" She said, tousling up his hair.

Simon and Alvin's approach was calmer, but they both gave almost tighter hugs. "How have you been? It's been a long time since we last saw you." Simon spoke, releasing Vinny enough to look up at her.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Vinny agreed, looking at her boys.

Each was as youthful as ever. Though Vinny noticed the darker stripe of fur that had developed along their muzzles, reaching back and being hidden by their hair. They were definitely getting older...

"Oh gosh, you three just keep on growing and growing every time I see you." She said, a proud smile coming to her face then. "And you, Alvin…" She winked at her oldest son, folding her arms. "I hope you haven't been getting into trouble lately."

"Er… Why would you think that? I'm good as gold!" Alvin said with a smile, trying to look the picture of innocence while his brothers scoffed from behind.

Dave came over with the boys' bags, bending down to give Vinny a hug. "Hi Vinny. It's so wonderful to see you again. Everything's still okay?"

"Mmhmm." Vinny blushed, returning the embrace. "Thank you for asking. And... Thanks again for letting the boys stay."

"Hey now, we're all family, aren't we? So there's no need to thank me, Vinny." said Dave. "I know what it means for you to see them. Besides... I wouldn't mind the time off." He added in a whisper.

Vinny only laughed, covering her mouth to keep quiet. "Oh Dave. Would you like to stay for a while? I have some acorn soup just waiting to be eaten." She offered, breaking away from Alvin's hold to open the door.

"There's food?!" Theodore squeaked out, taking the lead and running inside first, followed by everyone else soon after.

"Aaahh… That was awesome, mom!" Theodore sighed happily, placing his bowl down on the table as he licked his lips clean of any remaining soup.

Vinny smiled from the compliment, setting down her own bowl as she finished. "I'm glad you like it, Theodore. It's an old family recipe. If you'd like, I could teach you to make it while you're here. I hear you've become quite the little chef over the years." She said with a light hum in her tone.

Blushing, Theodore looked off to the side. "Aww, shucks...~"

You should see him when he's making desserts." Simon spoke up, eating another spoonful. "He really gets into it, especially when he's baking cakes and cookies." He continued, ignoring Theodore's little protests.

"Theodore's just a really good chef." Alvin said as he leaned back in his seat. "Pretty good at singing too. Maaaaybe not as good as me though~"

"Aaaand there he goes." Simon rolled his eyes. "Mom, do you happen to have a slice of humble pie we can give to Alvin?"

Alvin rolled his eyes. "C'mon Si. I'm lead singer for a reason!" Alvin insists.

"Funny thing is, Alvin, some lead singers in groups aren't nearly as good without their supporting backups," Dave said. "Careful you don't end up there, hmm?"

Alvin just scoffed, waving a hand as he rolled his eyes. "As if! Look at who you're talking too!"

"I'm just so proud that you boys have made it so far. I guess all the singing I did really rubbed off on you after all!" Vinny said as she got up from her seat, humming softly as she went around the table collecting the used bowls.

When she disappeared into the kitchen, Alvin hopped up from his seat, stretching himself out before letting out a loud burp. "Mmm… I'mma gonna go for a walk if anyone needs me." he hummed, tilting his cap down a little as he made his way to the front door, watched by Dave.

"Okay, but don't go too far, Alvin!" Dave warned as Alvin opened the door and broke into a run.

"I'll be fine, Dave!"

Shaking his head, Dave rose up from his spot. "Simon, Theodore... don't let him drive anyone up the wall, okay?" He asked, getting nods in response from the remaining chipmunks.

"I really hope this is all comfy enough for you boys." Vinny said. She was in Simon's room now, having insisted on tucking him in for the night like his brothers before him. And Simon wasn't ready to deny her that little thing.

They had spent the rest of the day setting up their rooms and catching up. When it was all said and done, and everyone had said their goodbyes to Dave, everything had begun calming down. Now that night had taken over, everyone was about ready to bed down in the cabin.

"Don't worry, mom. We were all excited to hear that you wanted us to come and visit." Simon said, wiggling a little as he got himself comfortable, his glasses resting beside his pillow. "We know you still love us, even if you're not able to be around all the time."

Gulping, Vinny nodded slowly, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Well... I just have a few things planned for you guys that I hope you'll like." She says with a smile, patting his head a bit as she got to her feet, heading to leave out of the room. "And hopefully... things can be a little different.

Simon tilted his head a little, but chose to not say anything about that.

"I love you… Goodnight." She says, her tail swishing slowly as she closes the door behind herself. She let out a sigh, sitting down and leaning against the wall, one hand raised to brush her hair back.

'Come on, Vinny… You've got to do it. For your boys.' She thought, letting out a huff as she got right back to her feet.

Come morning, her plan would jump straight into action.