time soon.

Even Tango had stayed away, presumably because of the weather.

Jenna was starting to wish someone would stop in, so she could talk to someone.

She turned around and walked back to the bed in the corner.

The children did not like the storm, not in the least. Every time that the thunder clapped, the pups started whining and crying.

“Shh,” Jenna said, stepping into the bed, “Mommy’s here.”

She laid down beside them, and they snuggled up close to her face.

She licked Sheae, and she stopped crying.

“There we are,” Jenna said, “see, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I‘m here, and I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

She yawned, laid her head back down, and soon, was fast asleep.

Balto was looking out the window in Isaloosa.

The wind was blowing so hard, that the plane couldn’t take off; it would crash, so he and Luke were stuck here until the wind died down a bit.

Balto sighed.

“Which doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon.”

He knew that Jenna didn’t like storms, especially thunderstorms, and he wished he could be there with her, but he was stuck here.

As Balto was watching, it started to rain again, lightly at first, then it began to pour.

Balto shook his head and walked over to Luke, who patted him on the head.

“Don’t worry boy,” Luke said, “as soon as this wind dies down we’ll be headed home.”

“I hope that’s soon,” Balto thought. “I wonder what Jenna is doing right now?”

Jenna was sleeping, when she was awoken by a scratch on the door.

She stood up and yawned.

Jenna looked out the window.

It was still dark.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, and was surprised to find it was three in the morning.

“Hmm,” she thought, “wonder who could be scratching on my door at this time of night, after all, there is a doggy door.”

Then a horrible thought posed itself in her mind.

“What if something’s happened to Balto, or.. or the team!” She thought.

Jenna ran over to the door, and nudged it open.

Tango was standing on the porch, he was dripping wet, soaked to the skin from standing out in the pounding rain.

“Tango?” Jenna said, “goodness, come inside, what are you doing in the rain?”

Tango stepped into the house.

“Who’s Tango?” he asked.

Jenna looked at him strangely.

“You.” She said.

Tango laughed.

“Jen, you’re so funny.”

“Jen!” Jenna thought, “only one person calls me that!”

“I just got back from Isaloosa.” Tango said.

“What are you talking about?” Jenna asked.

“What’s the matter with you?” Tango asked. “Can’t you see? Don’t you recognize me? I’m Balto.”

Jenna shivered.

“Um… you’re a new dog here named Tango.” Jenna said, “Balto is in Isaloosa right now.”

Tango laughed again.

“I’m telling you Jen, you are funny.”

He walked toward the bed in the corner.

“So how are our kids?” He asked.

“What the….” Jenna thought.

She walked over to Tango.

“You are Tango, stop playing around come on, you’re Tango.”

“Okay Jen,” Tango said, “it’s starting to get old now, cut it out, and let’s go to sleep.”

He yawned.

“I’m tired.”

Jenna’s mind was spinning, trying to come up with a reason he’d be doing this, but she couldn’t come up with anything.

Tango leaned over and licked her cheek.

Jenna stepped back.

Tango scrunched up his face.

“Jen, what’s wrong with you?”

He yawned again.

“Oh well,” Tango said, “I’m tired, we’ll sort it out in the morning.”

He laid down beside the bed and closed his eyes.

Jenna watched him.

“What’s wrong with him?” Jenna thought.

She walked over, and laid down beside the bed.

“At least he didn’t want to….”

Tango rolled over and put his paw on her shoulder.

She shivered.

“What am I going to do?” She thought.

Balto woke up the next morning hoping to see blue skies, instead he saw dark, rainy clouds.

It was raining so hard he couldn’t see the Jenner, which was parked on Main Street, just ten feet outside the window.

He couldn’t remember the last time it rained this hard.

It rarely rained this time of year, this far north.

It was usually too cold.

It usually snowed.

Another loud clap of thunder sounded, rattling the rain streaked window.

A box rolled up against the building, blown on the porch by the strong winds, and the shutters on the window slammed shut, then open again.

Balto sighed and walked over to the blanket that Luke had laid out for him as a bed.

He laid down on it.

They would be taking off today.

Another clap of thunder shook the building.

Balto sighed again and closed his eyes.

There was nothing for Balto to do but sleep, so that’s what he did.

Chapter 7

Jenna woke up in the morning to see Tango standing over her.

She remembered what had happened last night.

Jenna started shaking.

Thankfully, apparently he really had been tired, because he’d just slept.

“Good morning Silver,” Tango said.

“What?” Jenna asked. “Who’s Silver?”

Tango smiled.

“You are silly.”

He walked over and nuzzled her.

She stepped back.

“What’s the matter?” Tango asked. “I know it’s been a while, but don’t you remember me, the love of your life?”

Jenna slowly shook her head.

“Tango?” he said.

She stared back at him blankly.

“What’s wrong with this dog?” Jenna thought.

Tango shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, we can catch up later, I guess it has been… what a year now?”

Jenna still did nothing.

About then a clap of thunder shook the house, and one of the pups started whining.

“What’s that?” Tango said.

He walked over to the bed in the corner.

He froze.

He looked back at Jenna, and she could see fire in his eyes.

“Uh-oh” Jenna thought.

“Whose are these?” Tango asked, walking over to her.

Jenna took a step back, he was scaring her now.

“They’re… they’re mine.” she said.

“WHAT?!” Tango yelled.

He stomped over to her.

“When did this happen?! I mean I know I was gone for a while but… what gives Silver?”

“I told you my name’s not Silver, it’s Jenna, remember?” Jenna asked.

Tango growled at her.

“Who is he? I’m gonna tear him apart!”

“Uh… I don’t know.” Jenna said.

Tango hit her in the face with his paw.

Jenna fell on the ground.

“He… he just hit me!” She thought.

“Don’t lie to me!” Tango yelled.

“I’m… I’m not.” Jenna said.

Wrong thing to say.

Tango hit her again.

“Ow,” Jenna said, “Tango, stop, you’re hurting me!”

“Oh, I’m hurting you?” Tango said. “I’ll show you hurt!”

He clamped her leg in his jaws and bit her.

Jenna screamed, as she felt his teeth dig into her skin.

She kicked him in the face, and managed to get him off of her.

She stood up; favoring her now injured front right leg.

There were tears in her eyes.

“He’s insane!” She thought. “What am I going to do?”

He stood up.

“Hit me will you?” he said.

He belted her across the face, and she fell down again.

He walked over to her, and hit her a few more times, until Jenna wasn’t sure she could stand.

“Now,” he said, “was I hurting you earlier?”

Jenna tried to speak, but her mouth was busted up pretty badly, and she found it hard to do so.

“Well,” Tango said, “let me show you again.”

He hit her in the side of the head.

“Does that hurt now?”

Jenna just stared at him, so he hit her again, this time a little harder.

“Does it?” He asked.

Tears were rolling down her cheeks, and she shook her head.

“Yeah,” Tango said, “that’s what I thought. Now don’t let me hear you saying that I’m hurting you anymore, next time I’ll show you what hurt is.”

Then he walked over to the bed.

Jenna struggled to her feet.

Tango looked at the pups, and then back at her.

“We’ll talk about this later.” He said.

Then he walked into the other room.

Jenna limped over to the bed, and climbed in next to the pups.

She started shaking again, and tears kept rolling down her face.

She could feel blood running off of her muzzle, and could see it on her leg.

She lay beside the pups and cried.

Had Balto known what was taking place in Nome, he surely would have headed there, storm or no storm…

But he didn’t know.

He never would have guessed what was happening at Jenna’s house, but one dog would, one dog that was searching for Tango.

His name was Storm, and he wouldn’t stop looking for Tango, until one of them died.

Storm thought of what had happened