wrong.”

“What?” Jamie asked.

“I do,” Meko said, “I couldn’t get up the courage to talk to you before, but I saw you upset, and decided to follow you here, good thing I did.”

“I haven’t decided not to jump yet.” Jamie said.

Meko smiled again.

“Yes you have, I can see it in your eyes.”

He took another step forward.

“I said..”

Jamie stopped talking, as she took a step back, only to have her back leg’s set down on nothing but air.

She fell backwards, off the cliff.

Meko ran forward and caught her with his paw, digging into the top of her own.

She hung there, swinging back and forth over the drop.

“I don’t want to die!” Jamie thought, she suddenly realized, she had a lot to live for.

Meko slowly pulled her up.

Soon she was back on solid ground.

“Thank you.” She said, “I thought I was a gonner.”

“I thought you wanted to be?.” Meko said.

Jamie shook her head.

“Suddenly I realized, hanging there, that I enjoy life very much.”

“See, good thing I came, huh?”

Jamie nodded.

“Let’s go back to Nome,” Jamie said, “I want to know more about you.”

Meko smiled at her again.

“And I you.” He said,

The two of them started walking back toward Nome.

Balto and Junior walked up the ramp to the boat.

It was late, and dark outside.

Tim appeared at the top of the ramp.

"Hey Junior" he said, "what are you doing home so late?"

"I'll take care of it Junior" Balto said.

Junior walked up the ramp and into the boat.

"Hey Balto," Tim said, "take a walk with me."

Tim walked down the ramp and onto the snow.

Balto followed.

"Balto," Tim said, "what were you thinking? I asked you to watch Junior"

"And I did." Said Balto.

"At the boat!" Tim yelled.

Balto looked down at the ground.

"He didn't get hurt."

"But he could've Balto! I know that you lived in town or wherever for your whole life, and you're still here, and I know that you would take care of him, but what if he wondered away and got hurt. You can't protect him all the time."

"Look Tim, I'm sorry," Balto said, "I just took him to the race, it wasn't that big a deal."

"Daddy."

Tim and Balto turned around to see Junior standing behind them.

"Don't be mad at uncle Balto, it was my idea."

Balto smiled.

"Junior it was not, why did you say that?"

Junior sighed.

"I just... I didn't want dad to be mad at you."

Tim smiled at his son.

"Junior I'm not mad at Balto, I just... I don't want you to get hurt."

"Dad," Junior said, " I'm glad Balto took me, I know what I want to do now."

Tim laughed.

"And what is that?"

Balto knew what was coming.

"I want to pull a sled, just like Uncle Balto."

Tim nodded.

Balto could tell he wasn't going to be too fond of the idea.

"Well you go inside and we'll talk about it later, okay? Uncle Balto and I have some things to discuss."

"Actually Tim," Balto said, "I really need to get home, I've got to talk to Jenna about... things."

Tim nodded.

"Okay, hey you doing all right?"

Balto sighed.

"Yeah, I'm.. I'm fine."

Balto turned and began to walk away.

Tim looked down at his son.

He smiled.

"So you think you want to pull a sled, huh?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Junior said, "Kaltag, he's one of Balto's friends, he said he'd teach me."

Tim nodded.

"Well we'll talk about it later, why don't you tell me about your day?"

Tim talked about sledding stuff non stop as father and son walked up the ramp.

Balto was standing out in the cold, thinking, again.

"You know," Balto thought, "every time I do this, something terrible seems to happen soon after."

He was thinking about what to say to Jenna.

"What am I going to tell her?"

Balto didn't have much time to think about it, because Jenna stepped out of the house just then, and walked over to him, he was standing under the tree again.

"Hey Jen," Balto said, as she approached.

"Hey Balto," Jenna said.

The two of them just stood under the tree for a minute or two, nothing was said.

Jenna laughed.

"What's so funny?" Balto asked.

Jenna smiled.

"I was just thinking about the first time that Jadze tried to pull a sled, remember?"

"Yeah," Balto said, "I remember."

"She tried to pull it all by herself. She wanted to show you she could do it."

Balto finished the memory.

"It was midnight; she made it down the hill, before the sled got too heavy for her to move, she had to chew through her harness to get away from it."
Jenna laughed again.

"Roger still wonders what you did to it."

It was quiet once again.

Jenna was the first to speak up.

"Geez Balto,I really miss her."

"I know," Balto said quietly.

It was silent once more.

"Balto.." Jenna said, "I... I haven't brought it up before, but.. I need to know. What happened?"

Balto sighed.

"We were pulling through that storm, I... I was going too fast for the conditions, wanting to get us all home... there was a tree, all of the dogs dodged it, but the sled couldn't. The sled hit the tree and flipped over. The guideline came off, and it started to roll. I saw it, and jumped up in the air. The sled snapped my guideline, and I went flying through the air. I landed on the side of the hill, and rolled down it

There was a rock at the bottom, and... and I hit it. That's the last thing I remember about the crash itself.

Since it was so cold, Roger couldn't spend much time looking for me, so he left.

I thought I was the only one that was left, and started for home.

Jenna..."

He paused.

I walked up on her.

"Oh Jen," he said, a tear coming to his eye.

He paused and looked down for a minute, then he looked back up at her.

"I could tell she was hurt," Balto said, "she was messed up pretty bad, see... she didn't jump, the sled.. it must've rolled right over her.

She was still alive, and I knew... I knew then what was going to happen, but.... but I refused to believe it. I tried to help her stand, but she couldn't... I think three of her legs may have been broken, any way she couldn't stand, so I got her on my back, and started for home.

Jenna had tears in her own eyes now, as Balto continued.

"I... I couldn't do it Jen, I.. I tried, but... but it was too cold. I... I fell, and tried to go on, and fell again."

Balto hung his head.

"She... she crawled up to me then, and told me to leave her there. Of course I couldn't do that, but... but I was so proud of her Jen," Balto said, "not one tear ever came out of her eyes, she accepted the way things had turned out better than I did. She said she knew she wouldn't make it, even if I did get her home.

I knew this too, but.. but I would've stayed

till ...:

Well not long after that, she... she died.

Balto hung his head.

Jadze's final words came back to him.

“D…daddy…I … I don’…don’t wa..want..to.. die. I…I’m…scar..scared.

He didn't say anything about that.

"That will be my own private nightmare," Balto thought.

Jenna looked at the ground.

"Was she in pain?"

She looked back up at Balto.

"No... not at the end..."

Jenna sighed, and looked back at the ground.

"I'm sorry..." Balto started.

Jenna interrupted him

"No... I'm glad you told me. It's..it's good to know something."

Balto hung his head.

"Yeah, Jen.... about that.... I'm sorry, I... I should have talked to you about it as soon as I got back."

"Balto," Jenna said, "I understand."

No... Jen, I shouldn't have treated you or Blaize like I did I... I left you guys out in the dark, and I shouldn't have done that."

"Blaize is having a rough time with this, Jenna said, "even worse than I am, if that's possible."

"Yeah, I guess I need to talk to him too," Balto said.

Jenna nodded, and looked at the sky, which was lit up with the northern lights.

"Ya know, she always loved the lights."

Balto nodded.

Both of them stared at the lights for a while.

“Well,” Jenna said, “I guess I should be getting to bed, do you want me to send Blaize out here?”

“Yeah,” Balto said, “I… I need to talk to him too.”

Jenna started to walk away.

Then she stopped and turned around.

“They won by the way.”

“I know,” Balto said.

Jenna turned again and walked away.

Soon Balto saw Blaize walk out of the house.

“When did he grow up?” Balto thought.

Blaize walked over to him.

His son looked the most hybrid of any of his children.

He had Jenna’s basic looks, and coloration for the most part, but where his mother was white, Blaize had inherited his father’s gray coat.

“Jadze was the perfect, mirror image of her mother,” Balto thought.

“Hey dad, Mom said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yeah, look son.”

Balto paused.

“I… I owe you an apology.”

Blaize looked confused.

“For what dad?”

‘For not talking to you about your sister.”

“Oh that,” Blaize said, “dad I..”

Balto cut him off.

“No, son,