Foreword

This is it - the wait is finally over. I've tided you over with a couple shorter stories such as "An Average Day" and "His Brother's Jealousy", but now it's time for the main event. The highly anticipated sequel to "Protecting Their Own" is finally here and I promise you it will bring as many, if not more twists and turns than any of my stories yet. It's been a long process not just for me, but for my beta reader Omnitrix12/Dragon Tamer as well, but it's all been worth it. All that's left is to release it to the masses and see how you, the readers, will enjoy it.

When we last left our band of heroes, they'd barely escaped from a total catastrophe. Balto attempted to broker a peace deal between the dogs of Nome and a wolf pack whose territory was being infringed. Despite a few bumps along the way Balto pushed on, determined to protect the town he cared about. It looked like victory would be at hand, but that victory would be cruelly snatched away when the alpha female of the pack was shot by humans before she could be returned safely to her home. Tikani, the alpha male of the pack held Balto responsible for her death and vowed to never forget it. By the time of this story, a month has passed and our favorite half-breed has been looking over his shoulder, wondering if - or how - Tikani would strike next. The answer to that will come soon... but it won't be the answer he thought it would be.

These events took place in my last big story - "Protecting Their Own" - so you can take a look at that one too if you wish. I'm sure by now you've seen enough of this blurb, so I'll take my leave and let you enjoy my latest story - "The Road Home".

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Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait for you? I can always go out another day."

"You don't have to put this off because of me. I'll be fine; you go have fun with your friends."

If anyone happened to be passing by a small shed that morning, they would have heard that exchange… if they were a dog that is. If they were curious enough to poke their head inside, they would find - along with a multitude of garden tools, a cushioned basket and other odds and ends - two canines. The first to speak was a scruffy, brown furred male with a concerned look in his amber eyes. His concern was directed at the red and cream female with him, who didn't see any need to worry.

"Balto, it's just going to be for the afternoon; I'll be fine. Besides, you said yourself that you promised to see Maska today. I'd hate to think that you wouldn't keep a promise to a fellow wolf," she replied. The reason she used the phrase 'fellow wolf' was because Balto wasn't all dog. While she was a purebred Siberian husky, Balto was a wolf hybrid, with the wild traits mingling with his husky side. Some saw that as a reason to ridicule him in the past, but she always saw more. He didn't have any reputation to start out with, so she let his actions do the talking for what kind of dog he was… but at the moment, his actions were making him look overly anxious.

"I know… but it's you and I'd hate to leave you alone like this Jenna," he replied, shuffling his large paws a bit.

She smirked. "I know you care about me, but if I could hold up for days while waiting for you return with the medicine, then I'm sure I can hold up for my day with the vet."

He smiled as his tail gave a slight wag; she was always able to put things in perspective. "Okay, you got me there," he replied. "But it's not just because I care about you – it's because I love you and I want you to be safe."

If one looked at their pasts, they would see that Balto and Jenna had feelings for each other from when they were very small. Those feelings grew as they did, but Balto was seen as an outcast for most of his life. This stigma prevented them from spending the time they wanted together, and it wouldn't be until a recent crisis that they would get the chance to grow closer. Diphtheria broke out among many of the town's children, including Jenna's girl, Rosy. Determined to help those he cared about, Balto set out and returned the medicine to the town. For his great deed, he was hailed a hero and most of the prejudice against him faded away. Thanks to this, they were able to finally admit their feelings, growing much closer to each other in the past two months than they could have in the at least two years they knew each other.

Despite his sentiment, she still thought he was making a mountain out a snowdrift. Rolling her brown eyes, she sighed a little. "Good grief, you're making it sound like I'm having an operation but it's just a check-up. I have them all the time; it's part of being a house dog."

"Yeah… and to be honest it's not exactly a part I envy," he said sheepishly while looking off to the side. That was the big difference between them: Jenna got to live the easy, accepted life of a house dog while Balto was still a stray, providing for his needs himself. He didn't get all the privileges she enjoyed, but recent months made him appreciate some of the extra freedoms that living 'off the leash' afforded. One of those was freedom from visits to the vet; the last time he'd been to a doctor was during his short stay with Jenna's family as a pup. The thing he remembered most vividly from that visit was the shots – the multiple shots – and from then on he hated the idea of those cold, sharp needles poking him. She chuckled at the irony of this. He had raced to deliver life-saving medicine to sick children, but when it came to seeing a doctor himself, he always turned skittish. That anxiety was what was making him antsy about her going as well.

"They're not my favorite thing in the world either, but it's always over before you know it," she assured him.

Their ears perked up when they heard the creaking of metal hinges and saw a small red-headed child opening door, with her mother standing nearby. This kid was Rosy and she beamed brightly when she saw her four-legged hero. "Balto! Jenna! Come here you two!" she called, and they happily obliged, bounding over with wagging tails to lick and nuzzle her face.

"I know you want to play with them but we have to get going Rosy. The vet is waiting," the older one said to her daughter. "Though, at the rate we're going we may have to start telling him we have two dogs to look after."

"Maybe we should. I'd love it if Balto could live with us, and I'd bet he would too, right boy?" Rosy asked, and he wagged his tail happily at the thought. Her mother chuckled because they'd been down this road before. Rosy had taken such a liking to Balto that she'd tried more than once to get her parents to take him in and make him part of their family. They were still a little hesitant to take in a wolfdog who had lived wild for most of his life, but even she was starting to warm up to the affectionate half-wolf. Above all, they just wanted to make sure that he would be safe in their home.

"Well, if we were to do that we'd have to make sure he's caught up on all his shots first," her mother replied, and the mention of shots made Balto's entire body stiffen and go on alert.

The needles… the sharp, piercing pins that sank into him and left a lingering sting. He was in no rush to be re-acquainted with them, so now would be the time for him to take his leave. "WellyouhaveagreatdayI'llseeyoulaterIloveyouJenna," he said swiftly while nuzzling her. Before Jenna could get a reply in, he had bolted away from them and any mention of the vet, leaving the slightly confused family behind.

"Or maybe later," Rosy's mother said as they watched him depart at lightning speed. He let himself slow down once he was a few blocks away and at a safe distance from any mention of getting shots. Besides, Jenna was right; one day away wouldn't hurt him. There were times in the past where he'd go weeks without seeing her... but that was back when he was still an outcast.

Back then, Balto rarely strayed out onto the streets. That would have only attracted attention from the dogs and humans that despised him, and encounters with them rarely went well. For most of his life he had been restricted to using alleys in order to travel safely. Delivering the medicine and ending the diphtheria outbreak, put him on the good side of those in town, allowing him to walk the streets freely. The town was bustling with it's usual daily activity. Adults went to and from the different shops and businesses as part of their daily errands, while children played in the streets, chasing each other or throwing snowballs as part of their games. With the human residents, there were also many dogs, some walking by their owner's side, with others just roaming of their own will, alone or chatting with their friends. Being a northern town, the majority of the dogs were working sled dogs, but there will also some unique breeds in the mix, kept by their owners as pets and companionship.

As he turned a corner, he heard a cheery voice call to him from across the street. "Balto! Hey there!" He turned and saw it was a grey-furred female husky who called for him. He stopped to let her catch up and they walked together side by side along the street.

"Kari, I haven't seen you around in a little while. How are you doing? Is your team still going out?" he asked.

"I'm okay, and so is the team," she replied.