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"I'm sorry, Little Dove," said Shenkin, though inside he was sething with rage. "I'll check around for them, don't worry."

"We saw them at the beach," said Jenna. "I'm not sure where they went..."

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Dusty sighed, looking back to him. "Well...you feel sorry for it, so I'll forgive you...but our friendship will take a long time to rebuild," she stated. "...Fang was dissappointed at you too, so we should find him..."

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Cachen nodded, rolling. "Maybe we should get skunked, it'd make it hard for us to be found by scent until we need to."

"Please do, my old friend." Katie said, looking sick with worry. "I'm sure you'll recognize their scent. They're my children after all." she turned to Jenna and Balto. "We should head over to the beach then. Maybe I can pick up their scent and see where they went."

"That's a good idea, we should get over there as fast as possible. We don't want to lose the scent." said Balto.

******

Kodi nodded. He understood that it would take everyone a long time to forigve. "Alright." he said, ears still turned back.

******
Tai had sparted to digging herself into the mud, not looking pleased. "I'm not sure. The mud would cover are scents well."

Shenkin nodded and started off sniffing for the scent.

Jenna nodded. "Yes, let's go," she said, leading the way. "...I think this whole thing has been the hardest on them...after all, they love you and Kodi so much...me and Balto had a fight in front of our pups once...when we saw how terrified and upset it made them, we felt miserable..."

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Dusty nodded. "Look...I'm sure Katie will forgive you this time, but you'd better be careful to make sure this never happens again..." she said. "Next time you might not get a second chance from her or anyone else."

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"Yeah, you're probably right," said Cachen. "But knowing our luck, it'll happen anyway."

Katie smiled at the sight of her grind searching for the pups' scents, before she went off with her In-laws. Ears folded back, looking down. "I feel awful... I was always taught to leave pups out of arguments... And they've seen everything. I'm so ashamed of myself." she said with a whimper. "Ive tried to act like I'm happy... But I'm not- I'm miserable! I miss Kodi, and I want my pups to be happy..." she said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "... But how can I forgive him? And how can I not? I'm so confused."

Balto could not stand this. His son had messed up really bad, and he couldn't stand to see the mother of his grandchildrm so torn. "Katie, no one will blame you if you don't forgive Kodi. I wouldn't blame you one bit." it was shocking to hear that come from a father. "I also wouldn't be surprised if you forgave him. But the choice is your's. Do what makes you happy, what you feel is right."

**************

Kodi nodded, giving a sigh. "I wouldn't blame her if she didn't. I did some horrible stuff. I just want her to know I know it's wrong. If she doesn't want me back," he felt as if a hole was being ripped into his heart with every one of his words. "Then I won't stop her from moving on. I have no right to fight or her, I messed up so bad."

**************

Tai couldn't help but giggle at her brother's words. "So we don't have to worry." she said with a laugh, tail wagging.

Jenna nodded. "But Katie...if Kodi truly does feel sorry, I know you'll do what's right," she explained, thinking. "Kodi isn't a bad boy...he just got off the right path...we all mess up from time to time..." she continued, leading the way. "I know he still loves you, he just made a mistake. If he realizes it, I hope he'll come to realize how much you mean to him."

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Dusty nodded. "True...but you regret it...that's more than my dad ever did..." she stated, a little bitterly. "So you're a better dog than him."

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Lena looked around. "Alright, think we're far enough into the forest?"

"Believe it or not, I wish for that more than anything." Katie said, sighing. "We have been together too, been through so much, just to throw it away. No matter how mad I am."

Balto smiled. "I knew you weren't really mad. Now, come on, let's find those four!"

************

"More than anything. I never meant for it to hurt anyone. Especially Katie, and you. You've been such a good friend, and I wouldn't want to throw away my family and my friends." Kodi said, looking very apologetic. "Hopefully Fang forgives me too. Katie's like a sister to him. So I don't know how much it'll take to make him forgive me."

**********

"If we go any farther," Kai sniffed the air, turning about, he pointed northeast. "We'll be in someone else's territory, and we don't want that."

Jenna nodded, heading off. "Katie, where do you think the pups would go?"

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"Well let's go find him then," said Dusty, looking around. "Can't apologize if we don't find him."

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Lena nodded, then her ears perked. "Hey, I hear something," she said, looking around.

Katie would look around as she started off. "If anything, maybe they'd try to come home?" she guessed, but knew it was a half baked idea. "They could be hiding anywhere, really. They're comfortable in Nome, and know there are people and dogs who'll help them. But that would mean they'd be too easy to find. Four pups running about? Too much of a scene." she spoke, trying to think like one of her pups.

"Keep thinking." Balto urged her.

*************

"I would like to see me try." Kodi said, not even joking. He'd apologize to the whole world if he had to.

*************

Tai gasped a moment, ears perking as she turned to the noise. Kai was crouching low, ready to pounce.

"Well what would Lena do?" asked Jenna, knowing the most outspoken member of the group. "And then what would Cachen and Tai tell her in response to that?"

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Sakak looked to Belladonna. "Should we help out here?"

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Shinken walked through the woods grumbling to himself. "Darn it... I was so close! So close!"

"Who's that?" whispered Cachen.

Katie winced as she thought, trying to put herself in the same paws as her pups. "Lena would want to off really far. Cachen would tell her not to scare me like that... And Tai would probably try to find a compromise." she said, actually seeming quite used to thinking like them.

***********

Belladonna nodded. "Where's that big boy, huh?' she said, looking about. "We can always corral them together."

***********

Tai looked at him in surprise, tilting her head at his annoyance. "I have no clue, but he looks mad."

"And Kai?" asked Jenna.

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Sakak flew up and looked around before landing. "On a pile of wood on the other side of this building."

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Lena sniffed. "I smell Momma's scent on him!" she whispered, little eyes going wide.

Katie thought. "Kai would say to keep cover in the forest, so they don't get into trouble in town. He'll make any excuse to go back to the forest."

Balto nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were right."

**********

Belladonna looked about. "alright, so..." she looked at the pile. "Maybe an accident lets loose all this timber?" she smirked.

**********

Mama's scent?!" Tai asked, sniffing. "He does! Why would he smell like her?"

Jenna nodded. "True, but which way would they go? That's the question."

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"Funny, but we shouldn't hurt Fang," said Sakak. "The red one is the one who deserves punishment."

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"Didn't Sakak and Belladonna say something about a male?" asked Lena.

"I don't even know. There's forest in three directions. Unless they found a boat, I don't think they're at the beach..." Katie said, looking worried. A stone was forming in her stomach, ears going back.

***********

Belladonna chuckled. "Well, just brainstorming. You have any big ideas, before they pass?" she asked,.

***********

"I think they did," Tai said. "So, that must mean he's..."

"He's after Mom." Kai said, eyes narrowing at Shenkin.

Jenna thought about it, trying to think which way the pups hadn't gone. "Well let's get searching and see."

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Sakak gave it some thought and snapped his fingers. "Let's just tell them," he said, spinning and transforming back into his Black Cat form.

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"Those rotten little kids!" yelled Shenkin. "I had her wrapped around my paw! And now this! Why does this one female constantly get away!"