wolf bearing down on him.

“Great,” he thought, “I really don’t want to fight today.”

He turned toward the wolf just as she… she skidded to a stop in front of him.

“This wolf looks familiar.” Balto thought.

The wolf grinned.

“Hey,” she said.

“Who are you?” Balto asked. “Do I know you?”

Aleu smiled.

“Well it has been a while.”

“Funny,” Balto said, “I can’t recall ever knowing a wolf.”

“Pappa?” Aleu said, “I’m still your baby.”

Balto’s eyes widened in recognition, and a smile slid across his face.

“Aleu?” he asked.

Aleu grinned and nodded.

“Oh Aleu,” Balto said, “I… I can’t believe…. My God look at you, you’ve… you’ve grown up.”

Aleu smiled.

“So.. so what are you doing back here?” Balto said.

“I… I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Well,” Aleu said, “let’s just say that it’s been an adventure, and we followed the caribou back across the ice.”

“Well it’s so good to see you again.” Balto said. “So we, you’re still leader of the pack then?”

Aleu nodded.

“And we met Nava, he was waiting for us.”

“Somehow I knew you were going to say that,” Balto said “Did he ever find Niju?”

Aleu shook her head.

“He did find four other young wolves though.”

Balto just smiled at her.

“It’s so good to see you Aleu, you’ve… you’ve got to come see your mother.”

Aleu took a step back.

“Dad… I… I can’t do that right now.”

“What?” Balto asked. “Why?”

“Dad,” Aleu said, “I’m a wolf now, I don’t belong there, I never did.”

Balto sighed.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Aleu looked up, the sun was setting on the horizon.

“Dad, I’ve… I’ve got to go, I need to be back at the pack before dark, and I’m already not going to make it.”

“Well… alright Aleu,” Balto said.

“I love you Papa,” Aleu said, and I’ll see you and mom again, I promise. I’ve just got to figure out a way to do it.”

Balto smiled.

“It was nice to see you Aleu.”

“You too,” Aleu said, then she turned, and was gone….

“I always wondered why you didn’t want to talk about your “adventure” more,” Balto said, “now I know.”

“Oh Aleu,” Jenna said, “we didn’t cause you any pain by having you tell us did we?”

“Yeah,” Kodi added, “I’m sorry I insisted so much, I didn’t know…”

Aleu smiled.

“It’s alright, it’s good for me to remember him every once and a while.”

She paused.

“But like I said, everything happens for a reason, Had Alai come over here with me, I’d… I’d’ve never gotten together with Shadow.

Balto smiled.

“Well I’m glad everything turned out alright.

Aleu nodded.

“Somehow it always does.”

The door to the hospital opened then, and the doctor stepped out.

“Kodi?” He said. “I expect you’re wanting back in here now, huh?”

The old man laughed, as Kodi nearly tripped over himself trying to climb the stairs.

“What about the rest of you,” he said, “you’re family right?”

He laughed again.

Balto, and Jenna walked into the hospital.

Aleu slipped quietly into the shadows.

Kodi froze when he walked into the room.

Dusty was laying in a bed in the corner, and beside her were….”

He stumbled over to her.

She looked up and smiled.

There were four of them.

Four little, tiny balls of fluff.

“They’re…. they’re so small.” Kodi said.

Dusty nuzzled him.

She laughed weakly.

“I didn’t think so.”

Kodi laughed with her.

Balto and Jenna had stopped at the doorway, and were watching their son.

Balto turned to Jenna.

“Do you remember…” He started.

Jenna nodded.

“Every one.”

She nuzzled him.

“Balto, do you think that Luke would miss you if you were gone for one night?”

Balto looked at her, and she smiled.

“Probably… probably not, no, I… I don’t think so.” He said.

Jenna smiled and nuzzled him again.

Then the two of them walked out of the hospital.

“So what are we going to name them?” Dusty asked.

Kodi sighed.

“I don’t know.”

He paused.

“Wait a minute, yes I do, one of the boys needs to be Alai.”

“Alai?” Dusty asked.

She laughed.

“Where did that come from?”

“Well,” Kodi started, “it began when my sister, Aleu, crossed the great waters…….

Aleu had made it back to the cave, and she felt good, knowing that Kodi had his own family now.

It was late, and everyone was asleep.

She walked quietly up to the upper chambers, where her own family slept.

When she entered, she smiled.

Shadow was laying against the wall, and beside him were Lima, Sheik and Thunder.

She walked over to them and laid down beside them, placing her head on top of Shadow’s/

Soon, she was fast asleep.

Balto stood at the window to Jenna’s home.

“I wonder if I can do it?” he thought. “It,,, it sounds crazy, but…”

He walked back over to Jenna, who was sleeping soundly in her bed in the corner.

She’d fallen asleep about an hour ago, and it was almost three in the morning.

He climbed in beside her and soon he too was asleep.

Balto was standing in a cave.

“Well I got here,” he said to no one.

Then he began to think, about everything that had happened to her, from her birth, to….”

He didn’t want to think about that, but he did.

When he opened his eyes, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Jadze….” He said.

Aleu too was in the cave, though Balto wasn’t there in hers.

She had no idea why she was here.

“Maybe it was all the talking I did yesterday evening,” Aleu thought.

“Aleu?” a voice said behind her.

She turned around.

Tears ran down her face.

“Alai…….”

THE END