what?"

"Take Balto I mean, find parents, find food and tender loving care." He kept on walking.

"But she's a human. She can't understand us dogs."

"Watch and learn."

"I don't know about this."

"Hey, kid."

"Hi Mr. Dog." She pat him on the head.

"What's your name, little girl?"

"Marcia." It's a miricle. She could understand the animal languge.

"My name is Steele. This panicy looking idiot is named Star. Say hello Star."

"Hi, Marcia."

"Hello Star."

"Wait here, kid. We'll be right back." He dragged Star in the ally where Marcia came out.

"Steele, I don't know about this." He cupped Star's mouth.

"Don't worry about this. We're going back to the girl and talk to her," They walked to her,"tell me, kid. What's a person like you doing in no home?"

"I'm an orphan." Steele's ears perked up.

"Did you hear that. She's an orphan. Meaning she has no parents telling her what to do. Ok, kid. That settles it. Your staying with Star."

"Really? Thank you, Star."

"What? My humans aren't expecting any kids."

"Fine. Ok, Marcia, change of plans. You're going to stay with me."

"Really?" She jumped up and down.

"Yeah, three square meals a day, indoor plumbing and other importent stuff." She followed the dogs as they walked and talked. They finally reached an abandoned one story house. Marcia sat on the couch and took a little nap. The dogs were on the porch.

"Steele, what is she going to do with Balto?"

"She could talk to the betting guys dog to see whitch sled dog team will win and maybe you'll tell Balto it's cancelled or something."

"That's one stupid plan!"

"Shut up," he cupped his mouth,"do you want the kid to wake up?!"

"Sled dogs?" She smiled and opened the door.

"Now look what you did Star! yes, we're going to see some sled dogs tommorrow."

"Yes!" She ran back inside.

"Remember Star. Be here at 8:00."

"Got it." He walked home as Steele went in to see Marcia. He walked around a long pillow on the floor and slept.

"Steele, can I have a kiss good-night?" He gave her a short one.

"Go to sleep."

"This couch hurts me. I bet that pillow is soft." He groaned as they traded spaces.

"Please. Go to sleep." She was saying her little prayers.

"Please bless Star," he growled and stopped,"also bless Steele," his eyes widened and covered his face with his paws,"oh, Steele, will you find me parents?"

"I'll find you Atlantis: the lost empire, I'll find you El Dorado: Lost city of gold. I'll find you anything if you go to sleep!" she obeyed Steele as he just layed on his back on the lumpy old couch.

The next day, everyone was in town,"Where are we going to find money to bet?" Questioned Star.

"Don't worry about it. We'll find a couple and then take their wallet when you and Marcia distract them."

"Want a number 10, the rabid dog?" He practiced his growl.

"No, they're all too nice for that. Do a number 6."

"Oh, the lame dog." He limped to a random couple.

"Star!" yelled Marcia.

"Is this your hurt dog?" said a blonde haired women.

"Yes. Let me look at your paw." Steele swiftley grabbed the womens husbands wallet from his back pocket.

"Come on!" Star ran off. They both saw Marcia talking to the women but Steele dragged her away.

"Steele, they could have been great parents." complained Marcia.

"Uh, we're saving half the money to buy you new clothes. No person wants to take in a raggedy-ann doll."

"Ok."

"But first, we have to go place a bet on the sled race." When they were there, they went to a brownish black husky.

"Hello, Mr. dog."

"Hi little girl."

"Do you know who will win the sled race?" He looked at the stats.

"Between Balto and Frosko's team. It's Balto." Steele took out a small wad of cash.

"Place the bet for Frosko to win." He said.

"It's you're funeral. Here's your ticket." When they sat one the sideline, Marcia tapped on Steele's shoulder.

"What?"

"Why did you waste the money on the race?"

"For this, we waste money to win more money if the team wins. Now, cheer for Frosko."

"Go Frosko!" Balto was in the lead, Steele put his head out of the sidelines and snapped at Balto's front paws. Making Balto go to last place and making Frosko win the race and the three earned a huge a huge amount of dollers.

The three were in the house counting money. Marcia sighed and looked at the floor,"What's wrong, kid?" Questioned Star.

"Steele said that you'll help me find parents." Steele grabbed a few dollers.

"Uh, thanks for reminding me, Marcia. Let's go." Marcia walked into a store and tried on a few new clothes. Steele and Star watched outside through a window and clapped and howled at her when she tried on the clothes. After shopping, the dogs took the extra money and made a little club at the backyard of the abandoned house. Star was chewing on dog treats as the rest were having some fun.

"Steele, this is the best club ever."

"Best of all, since this is a nightclub, Marcia would just sleep as the rest of us have the night of our life." He turned his head to find an angry Marcia.

"Steele, the kid."

"Kid, what's going on?"

"You said you'll help me find parents! You made a little club. It's not right. I'm out of here! See me next time when you save the money and use it wisley."

"Kid," Steele held her back,"thank you for showing me the light. Only the two of us will grab a couple of food and I'll show you a poor family," They walked into the boiler room, walked over a few boxes and found a silver female malamute with about 6 puppies listening to the radio. Steele unwrapped a sasuge link around his neck,"hey, anyone here order some sasuges?" The puppies looked around.

"Steele, sasuge!" They were all chewing on them.

"Hey, I would like to meet you a friend of mine: Marcia."

"Please to meet you all." They went back to eating. The silver malamute came to Steele.

"Hello, Steele."

"Hello Flo."

"Nice to see you. We don't see you much anymore."

"You know, with the race and importent stuff going on it's hard to schedule some visitations." He saw a puppy biting his back ankle.

"Steele, can I have more?"

"Uh," he threw a bag of dog treats,"eat those." He saw the puppies fighting over the treats.

"Steele, tell them you gave those to me!"

"Easy there, boney pups, it's only a treat bag," he took the bag and counted the flavor bones in it,"Over 30 bones in here. You'll all get some." He gave each pup a bone and saw Marcia huddled up by some boxes.

"Steele, I'm cold." They were in a warm boiler room and she's for some reason cold. He placed his furry paw on her forehead.

"You are kind of warm." He placed her on a pillow and made her sleep. Steele sighed and curled up next to her. For once in his doghood life, he cared about someone other then himself.

Chapter 5

Everyone was soon asleep. Steele had a nightmare. He was going through a rocky dark tunnel and landed in a barren place. Everywhere was brimestone. He looked forward and saw a huge bright red demon dog. He raised his huge paw and the ground collasped sending Steele there also.

He yelled and woke up. All the pups came around him to find out what's the matter,"It's all a dream." He looked at his coller watch and laid back down near Marcia.

Star was in the backyard and heared the backdoor open. He saw a human scream,"Stray dog!" Then chased him out of there by carrying a rolled-up newspaper. He ran to the boiler room.

"Steele!" The black and white husky jumped over the boxes.

"Star, Marcia's sick."

"We got bigger problems. Look," They walked up a staircase to see the house,"the house has people living in it now. The clubs no more."

"Blast," he walked down the stairs,"with the club gone, we got to start all over. We need the girl more then ever to get more money."

"That's it. That's the end. We gotta stop using the child," he flopped down on his back,"I say we get rid of the girl, move to a different town and maybe change our names."

"No. Stop thinking that way." He sighed.

"You're in love with the girl."

"No I'm not. She may be my friend but-"

"I thought I was your friend."

"I am your friend! You're right. We're just using the girl. After we get all the money we need, we'll drop her off at some orphanage! You like that?!"

"Sure. Oh, look." He turned around to see a very depressed child.

"You used me."

"Marcia. I'm s-"

"You're a bad dog!" She ran away crying. Steele sighed and rubbed his neck.

"This is all my fault. It's freezing, she's sick." He ran to find her. The next morning, he looked at a house window and saw Marcia eating in the dining room. She looked out.

"Steele."

"Yeah. You really scared me. You got parents?"

"Donny and and Ashely are really nice. They're out of town and will be here in a few hours."

"You don't need me."

"You could stay."

"I'll just dirty up the nice clean house." He backed away and walked off. She climbed through the window.

"Where are you going?" She coughed. Steele climbed through the window to grab her coat.

"I little walk. Maybe around the mountain side."

"Can I come to?"

"With your health? I guess if you want." Star padded along.

"I'm going to hang with you two today."

"That's good, Star," commented Marcia,"Steele and I are going to the mountain side."

"Mountain side," Star pulled Steele's coller to get him closer,"that place is full of wolf packs." Steele bonked him on the head.

"We delt with with that wolf-dog." When they walked around the mountain, they heared howling. Out in the bushes was a pack of wolves.

"Steele." Marcia quivered.

"Star, get Marcia to saftey."

"Well, look who came to dinner." Said a pure black wolf.

"Back off," He bared his pearly teeth. Another wolf took off Steele's coller watch, rolled into a river and the watch opened on the river floor. Steele coughed and saved Marcia and Star from the pack. Steele was looking for the watch,"Star, Marcia, where's the watch?" Marcia looked in the river.

"There, I see it." He dove in. But when he did, his watch was completley filled with water and the watch stopped ticking.

That night, Star lived with