1Disclaimer: The Fox and the Hound is the property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney Studios, not mine.

The Next Political Dynasty: Thanks! Hope you stay with me!

Forever Young: Yes, I love the puppies, they're all based on dogs I once owned! Yeah, by now Chief should be an expert babysitter, lol. If only dogs could get paid, then he'd be rich.

The Fox and the Hound 3: The Next Generation

Part One: The Younger Years

Chapter Two: Restless Youngsters

Somewhere deep in the forest, a couple of young fox cubs emerged from their den before their parents woke up. The oldest was a boy, Swift, and his twin sister was Autumn. Swift was a hyperactive cub who sense of adventure sometimes got him into trouble, and Autumn was the more sensible one—usually trying to keep her brother from doing anything stupid.

"Come on, sis!" Swift whispered behind him, tiptoeing away from the den so his parents, Tod and Vixey, wouldn't hear.

"I don't like this," Autumn admitted, following her brother. "What if we get in trouble? Or a dog sniffs us out and comes after us, and a hunter shoots at us?"

"You worry too much," he sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Now hurry up, or we'll never get away!"

"But what are we going to do when we are away?" she asked, pawing her way up a hill.

"We'll find out when we get there—if we get there, since you're poking along! Hurry up!"

"Now I want you three to mind Uncle Chief while me and Daddy are gone, understand?" Belle said to her three children before she and Copper loaded up into the back of the jeep. "I don't want to come home to a bad report."

"We'll be good, Mom!" the three of them said unanimously with angelic grins and wagging tails.

"Don't worry about them, I'll make sure they don't do anything too illegal," Chief assured Belle.

"Come on, Belle!" Amos whistled to her. Copper was already sitting in the back of the jeep, and barked for her to hurry up.

"Okay, bye kids," she finally said, turning her back to head to where her husband and Master was waiting.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" the pups called as the truck started up and went down the driveway.

As soon as the jeep was out of sight, Smoky turned towards Chief and asked, "Can we go exploring in the woods, Uncle Chief? We won't tell Mom and Dad if you let us."

"Yeah right, I don't think so," the old dog smirked. "You're not going in them woods alone."

"You can come with us too," Ace piped up.

"I would, but I'm kinda tied up at the moment," he replied, reminding them that the rope attached to his barrel was still looped around his collar. "So the answer is no."

"Awww," they whined, but Chief wasn't going to fall for the sad look.

"Sorry, kids, it's just too dangerous out there for you to be wandering around by yourself," he told them. "Some wild animal might show up and decide to have you for supper."

Beulah started giggling. "Nobody's going to eat us!"

"If they do, I'll just beat 'em up," Smoky bragged, standing up straighter to make himself look a little bigger.

Chief started laughing. "Son, you're not much bigger than a baby coon! You wait a couple of months and then we'll see about letting you loose on a bear or something." He laid down in his barrel and yawned. "Right now, you kids just go play by the shed or chicken coop and let your Uncle Chief catch up on a missed nap."

"Last one to the shed is a rotten egg!" Ace proclaimed, taking off in a run. Smoky raced after him, and Beulah tagged along behind yelling for them not to go so fast.

Chief sighed at the peace and quiet. He loved the kids to death, but sometimes he just needed a break! He figured it was easier babysitting three puppies would be a lot easier than babysitting Copper as a puppy. Copper hadn't anybody to play with so he was constantly wanting to hang around Chief. But those three had each other to play with, so they didn't have a reason to bother him!

"How's everything coming along?" Calvin Slade asked an anonymous source over the prison's phone. "Have you set all the traps through the forest?"

"Yes, boss," a tough-sounding voice answered. "Did that all last night. Luckily, no late-night hunters came around with their dogs, or we'd have been found out!"

"Never mind that right now, just go around later to check the traps and get all the animals you find. And don't kill any of them, the zoo doesn't pay for dead specimans."

Dun dun dun, Calvin's still bad even in prison! Now he's got henchman setting traps throughout the forest! Will Tod and Copper's children be safe?