life, ghosts of the past,” Balto said walking out into the deck.

      That was where Rosa found him a short time later, his eyes glazed over, his mind far away. Jumping onto the boat Rosa nuzzled him as she sat down next to him.

“I knew I would find you here,” Rosa said looking at him. “I used to play here as a pup.”

“I wanted to be here again, just in case my feelings were wrong. I thought……….”

“You may be more dog than wolf?”

“Being here with your mother and siblings had brought doubt into my heart; I began to question what I know to be true. I have to leave Rosa yet I have no idea how to explain to your mother. You know how she is,” Balto sighed looking away.

“Tell her a couple of days before you leave, don’t just leave suddenly this time. I know what she thinks as well as you. She still sees the Balto she knew three years ago, you have to force her to see you as you are now. She has to be forced to face reality.”

“When did you become so wise?” Balto replied lifting his eyebrows.

“I take after your side of the family remember,” Rosa laughed.

“I can tell, no denying you are Aniu’s grand pup. I know what I have to do, doesn’t make it any easier but it has to be done,” Balto replied heavily.

     The following afternoon Balto found Jenna playing with Matilda in the back garden of Arthur and Violet’s house. A snowman stood in the garden and the pair were playing fetch with a bright yellow ball. Letting out a bark Balto caused the pair to look his way, both smiling widely when they saw him standing at the garden gate.

“Jenna I need to talk to you, can we go somewhere private?”

“Of course,” Jenna replied bounding over.

        Leaving the garden the pair walked through Nome, Balto leading Jenna through the backstreets to avoid attention. Sounds of town life drifted into their ears, men shouting, customers talking, and the chink of coins hitting the metal tills of the shops. Silence hung between Balto and Jenna as they slipped unnoticed through town, the calm before the storm.   Leaving the town the pair walked out onto the sea ice, one of the few places that guaranteed privacy. Looking at Jenna, Balto felt a lead weight in his heart, hating himself for what he was about to do.

“Balto this is all very mysterious, why have you brought me out here?” Jenna asked giggling with curiosity.

“Jenna being with you for the past week……..” Balto began steadily.

“We have everything we ever wanted, you are accepted and we can be together at last. I knew you would come back to me, despite your parting words,” Jenna replied, utter joy in her eyes.

“Oh Jenna you don’t see do you?” Balto asked shaking his head. “In two days I leave town.”

“LEAVE! No Balto you can’t! You have everything you ever wanted, you cannot throw all that away,” Jenna replied stepping back, her eyes wide with surprise.

“I have all another me wanted years ago. I am no longer the Balto you remember, the one you hold in your heart. That Balto died with Rosie,” Balto replied looking at Jenna with pity. “I did not want to return Jenna. I only did so to save the lives of the sled team and Matilda. I’m sorry.”

“Please Balto do not hurt me again, our pups, all the lost years,” Jenna pleaded.

“They do not need me they barely know me. Please Jenna for your own sake see me for who I am rather than who I was.”

“Here I stand alone
With this weight upon my heart
And it will not go away
In my head I keep on looking back
Right back to the start
Wondering what it was that made you change?” Jenna sang looking into Balto’s eyes to find a trace of the Balto she loved.

“Well I tried
But I had to draw the line
And still this question keeps on spinning in my mind

What if I had never let you go
Would you be the Balto I used to know?
If you’d stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know

Many roads to take
Some to joy
Some to heart-ache
Anyone can lose their way
And if I said that we could turn it back
Right back to the start
Would you take the chance and make the change?” Jenna sang turning to face Balto. Seeing the look Balto turned on his heal and walked away.

“Do you think how it would have been sometimes
Do you pray that you'd never left my side?

What if I had never let you go
Would you be the Balto I used to know
If you'd stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know

If only we could turn the hands of time
If I could take you back would you still be mine?” Jenna cried out in pain as she watched Balto walk away.

“'Cos I tried
But I had to draw the line
And still this question keep on spinning in my mind

What if I had never let you go
Would you be the Balto I used to know
What if I had never walked away
'Cos I still love you more than I can say
If you'd stayed
If we'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know
We'll never know.”

     Finishing her song Jenna collapsed into the snow, her tears staining her fur, her heart full of pain and confusion. A dream she had held for three long years had been shattered yet her heart refused to believe Balto’s words. In her mind she saw Steel’s past treatment of Balto, reason enough for Balto to fear staying in Nome. In the fading light of dusk Rosa found her mother on the ice all too aware of what had taken place. In her heart Rosa knew she that had to speak to her mother, someone had to open Jenna’s eyes to reality.

“Father isn’t who he was when you knew him,” Rosa said softly, lying down next to her mother, her head resting on her mother’s back. “He doesn’t belong here.”

“He does Rosa he belongs here with his family. Just when he has gained everything he dreamed of he plans to leave. He only sees the past here, he doesn’t see how much has changed or the future he can have. I love him so much. I lost him once I will not lose him a second time, not when our fairytale has come true.”

“You love who he used to be not who he is. Mom please listen to what I’m saying,” Rosa pleaded. “I’ve lived with him for months I’ve experienced the life he has been living. The Balto you loved is gone, he has changed. He is a wolf Mom not a dog.”

“No he only changed because he was forced to leave Nome. He belongs here, with me, you, Kodi, Dingo and Saba. We can be happy together, a family,” Jenna replied forcefully glaring at her daughter.

“Open your eyes Mom to the wolf my Father is before you are hurt again, you have to stop living in the past.”

“No Rosa you are wrong,” Jenna whispered as the sun set.

    _________________________________________________________________________

         Balto’s decision to leave Nome spread through town like wildfire. Kodi was utterly shocked, Saba and Dingo cared little. Kaltag shock his head sadly, the news came was no surprise to him or Star. Steel and many of the other dogs were angry, angry at the effect it would have on Jenna.

       Two days later Balto stood looking out at the boats that were moored in the harbour. In his mind he planned what he would say to Jenna and his pups before he left Nome forever. To his surprise Steel walked up to him, for a brief time the pair stood silently next to each other.

“So Balto I hear you plan to leave town again. Do you have any idea what this will do to Jenna?” Steel snarled in a voice filled with anger. “Or doesn’t it matter?”

“Of course I know how it will affect Jenna” Balto snapped angrily glaring at Steel. “I’ll say this once. I did not want to come back but I was the only one who could lead the sled team back to Nome.”

“Well you have whether you wanted to come back or not the damage has been done half breed. Jenna had started to move on with her life after Rosa left, she and I even started meeting socially,” Steel sight looking at the boats. “It would have been better if you had never come back, you or your daughter.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Balto replied shaking his head.

“Well this is a first wolf dog. I should kill you for what you have to done Jenna. Did you ever care for her or did you just use her? That is why you left she was nothing but…..” Steel began.

    In a flash of brown Balto knocked Steel onto the floor in a fit of rage at what Steel was suggesting. Lying on the floor Steel felt fear running through him as he had not been expecting such a ferocious response. Staggering to his paws Steel saw Balto bristling with cold rage the murderous look in his eyes sent shiver down Steel’s spine. Instantly Steel realized that Balto could quite easily kill him. Keeping his eyes locked on Balto, Steel slowly moved to one side.

“NEVER IMPLY THAT AGAIN STEEL OR I SWEAR YOU WILL SUFFER,” Balto howled in rage. “I loved Jenna but staying would have condemned both of us to a life of unhappiness. Now do I have to hurt you or do you understand?”

“I understand wolf dog,” Steel