issues!”

“Luna, I told you it was an accident!”

“Yeah, sure!”  She nearly exploded.  She took a few deep breaths and started to cry.  “I’m sorry, Toby.  I shouldn’t be so mad at you.  It’s just… well, I don’t really know who I am anymore.”

Toby nodded.  He wasn’t used to seeing Luna cry.  “Maybe I should go,” he suggested.

Luna turned to go back home.  “Yeah, I’m sorry.  See you, Toby.”

They saw very little of each other in the following days.  Neither of them seemed able to talk to the other.  One day, Rex decided to have a talk with Toby.  “Son?” he said as Toby sat sulking out in the yard one morning.

“What, dad?”

“I’ve noticed you stopped playing with your friend Luna.”

Toby shrugged.  “So?”

Rex sighed.  “So I decided to talk to her parents to see what was wrong, and apparently it’s a problem on both ends.”

Toby nodded.  “Yeah, I know.”

                “Son, it’s no more right for you to ignore her just because of her grandfather than it is for Pete to bother you for being half bloodhound.”

“I know, but…” Toby shivered.  “It creeps me out, that’s all.”

“Well, there’s more to the story than you realize.  That’s why I brought someone to talk to you.”

Toby turned around, expecting to see Luna or her mother.  But instead he saw a strange husky coming around the shed.  “Hi, Toby,” the strange dog said.  “I’m Copper, Luna’s dad.”

Toby nodded and looked at the ground.  ‘Great,’ he thought.  ‘A talk with the girl’s dad.  This always means trouble.’

“I guess you’ve already heard about Steele being Luna’s grandfather,” Copper went on.  “And I’m sure you realize that it’s not her fault.”

Toby nodded.  “Did you know who her mom was before this whole thing?”

Rex balked.  “Son, that is a very rude question-“

“No, I understand,” Copper interrupted.  “And yes, Toby, I knew.  I knew about her before she ever came to Nome.  The plain fact is I knew- or had guessed, at least- before she figured out my secret.”

                “Your secret?” asked Toby, pricking up his ears.

Copper chuckled.  “Well, it’s not a secret exactly.  It’s just that dogs don’t make such a big deal about it as they used to.”  He put a paw down in front of him and lifted it, revealing a larger-than-normal pawprint.

Toby stared at the pawprint.  “You’re part wolf?” he asked.

“Yep.  You already know about Taya’s father.  Well, meet mine.”  Balto stepped out from behind the shed.  “I believe you two know each other,” said Copper.

“Wait a minute,” said Toby slowly, staring at Balto in disbelief.  “You mean that you’re Luna’s other grandpa?”

Balto grinned.  “Yeah, I know it’s kind of strange.  It made me feel like Lord Montague until I got used to it.”

“Who?”

“Oh, someone in a story the humans tell.  Never mind.”  Balto shook his head as if he couldn’t believe he was actually talking about the whole thing.  “I never imagined my grandkids would have any connection with Steele, but people are always judging me because of my parents, so I guess I’ve got no place judging anyone else.  And you know, Taya’s a good dog.  You’d never know she was Steele’s daughter.”

Toby’s head was spinning.  “Let me get this straight.  You’re Copper’s dad, and Steele is Luna’s mom’s dad?”

Copper nodded.  “That’s right.”

Toby sat down trying to stop the world from spinning.  “So what does that make Luna?”

Copper’s face took on a very serious expression.  “Very confused,” he answered.  “Toby, I know it may not seem like it, but you’re in an important position right now.  You and your father are the only ones outside our family who know our secret.  We didn’t want it to get out at all, for fear that Taya would be chased out of town.  But now we have to trust you, because you’re the only friend Luna has who knows.”

“So what am I supposed to do?” asked Toby.

“Well first, it would mean a lot to me and my dad if you wouldn’t let this mess up your friendship with Luna.  And please don’t let it get around.  Try not to even think about it when you and Luna are playing.  Just think of her like you did before this whole mess started, if you can.  Believe me, it’s no easier for her than it is for you, and she’ll need a good friend while she’s getting used to this.”

Toby nodded.  “Okay,” he said.  He stood up.  “In fact, I think I’ll go see if she wants to play right now.”  And he took off.

“Well, I’m glad that’s over with,” said Copper.

Toby found Luna waiting for him.  “Hi,” he said, not sure what else to say.

Luna smiled.  “I was hoping you’d come by.”

There was a long silence.  Toby stirred the ground with a paw.  “Your dad came and talked to me about the whole… you know.”

Luna looked at him hopefully.  “So, it doesn’t bother you having a friend who’s related to Steele?” she asked.

“Well, it is kind of strange,” Toby admitted.  Luna frowned, and Toby quickly added, “But it’s your business anyway, not mine.  Besides, you’re related to Balto too, which is kind of cool.”

Luna blushed, then drooped slightly.  “I hadn’t wanted you to find out that part either,” she confessed.

Every part of Toby went stiff.  “You mean you knew it all this time and you never told me?  Why?”

“Well, like you said, it’s my business.  Besides, you’re a Balto nut, and I don’t want to be friends with someone who only likes me because of who my grandpa is.  I want a friend who’ll like me for me.  We have a saying in our family that your parents define what you are, not who you are.”

“Well, I guess that makes sense, but still…” Toby trailed off, then shook his head.  “Ahh, forget it.”  He lowered his chin to his paws and wagged his tail.  “So, you wanna play?  How ‘bout I’ll be Balto and you be…” he stopped at a look from Luna.  “What?” he asked.

“How about you be you, and I’ll be me?” she suggested. 

“Well… okay,” Toby agreed.  “And I won’t tell anyone your secret,” he added.  “Just you, me, your folks, and my dad.”

‘And now,’ thought an all-too-familiar malamute as he crept away unnoticed through the shadows, ‘Me.’

To Be Continued…

Balto, Steele © Universal Studios

Copper, Taya © redwolf03

Terry, Rex, Toby, Pete, Luna © Dragon Tamer