Balto: Independence Day

Lone Wolf_fanwriter

**All original Balto characters are copyright to Universal Pictures.

Mike, Angel, Jake, and Ryan are all the property of me.

The lyrics for ‘Independence Day’ are the property of Martina McBride and her producers. The portion of ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ is the property of Garth Brooks and his producers. These lyrics have been adapted for the purpose of this story.

Chapter One- Painful Memories

As the sun rose over the Alaskan tundra, Balto’s ears perked up from a commotion in Nome. His eyes blinked open and he yawned as he got up. Stretching quickly, he padded up the galley stairs to the deck of his old freighter. He peered through the morning mist toward Nome and his eyes widened in surprise. Though the sun was barely rising, it seemed as though the entire town was up and out in the streets. He leapt down and started that way.

In no time, he entered Nome and noticed that most of the attention was centered on the town square. As he drew near, he overheard a small band playing, and the crowd was singing along.

“…o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.”

Balto’s ears perked up; he’d overheard this song from his boat a few times before.

Ducking thru the gathering crowd, he finally spotted what everyone’s attention was riveted on; though the pole it waved from was rusted and glazed in ice, the flag at the top fluttered proudly in the breeze. It meant nothing to Balto, but as he looked around, he could tell that the crowd felt some deep emotions just looking at it.

Just then, a familiar whirring sound reached his ears, and he looked up in time to see Russell’s plane bank and fly down the main street and right over the heads of the crowd. They cheered louder. Balto grinned and took off after the plane, hardly noticed by anyone. He followed it for a few moments until it disappeared behind the rooftops, and the sound faded.

Off on another mail run, Balto thought, I’m glad he let me stay behind this time. I need to spend a good day with Jenna.

He turned and padded down the street toward Jenna’s home. When he was not a hundred yards away, he spotted Rosie and her parents leaving. Instantly, he wondered why Jenna wasn’t out to say goodbye to Rosie like every other day. She couldn’t be sick, could she? Then, he suddenly realized that he’d never been with Jenna this time of year. True, he’d seen the flag before, and heard the song the band played, but every year, Jenna had somehow been busy. The closer he got, the more concerned he got, until finally he decided to pay her a visit. He only hoped he wouldn’t wake her.

Yet as he stepped though the flap in the kitchen door, someone was watching him…

“Jenna?” he called softly. No answer. He tried again, this time louder. “Jenna?”

This time, he heard movement, and he turned around just as Jenna slipped through the same flap he’d just come through.

“Balto? Oh, I thought that was you,” she said, trying to mask a sniffle as she dabbed her eyes with her paw. “Is everything okay?’

“I should ask you the same,” he replied, seeing her reddened eyes. “Are you alright?”

Jenna avoided his gaze.

“I’m…fine,” she said softly.

Balto moved her muzzle back to face him with his own and pleaded with her.

“Jenna, if something’s bothering you, please tell me; I can help,” he said reassuringly. Seeing uncertainty in her eyes, he added, “You’re doing yourself no good by keeping it bottled up.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she sighed, stepping back outside through the flap. Balto followed her around the house to the small shed where Rosie’s father kept a coal-powered heater stoked at all times. As soon as he stepped inside Balto felt a wave of heat wash over him and he felt much more comfortable; but more than the soothing heat, he savored the memories that came with this room.

His and Jenna’s first litter had been welcomed into this world here, in the basket in front of the heater. He recalled many a day he spent curled up beside her, tending to their pups. As Jenna nursed them, he would lie beside them to form a warm barrier from the cool night air. He also recalled many a stormy night spent calming the fears of their little ones.

“It seems like only yesterday you were curled up there with our pups for the first time, proud as ever,” he said.

Jenna looked at the basket and smiled as a tear fell from her eye.

She was breathing hard, but smiling. Six little balls of fur; six pups. Though she was weak from labor, she couldn’t contain her happiness. Since the night she and Balto had spent at his old freighter, she had been waiting for this day, and now it had finally come. It would only be a matter of time before…

“Jenna?”

She smiled as the vision left her.

“It was wonderful, looking up and seeing you,” she said, “You looked worried at first, but that didn’t last long.” She turned her head back and nuzzled him. “That was the best day of my life.”

“It was mine, too,” Balto replied, kissing her gently on the cheek.

Jenna glanced back toward her bed by the heater and her smile faded as she remembered why she’d brought Balto here. With a quiet sigh, she padded over to the basket and moved the cushion aside. Balto stepped up beside her and furrowed his brow in confusion; under the cushion was an old faded photo of a red and cream husky playing with a little girl; beside the picture was a singed blue bandanna.

“Jen…I-I don’t understand,” he said, eying the photo, “Is that you and Rosie?”

“No,” she replied. “It’s her cousin Melissa…and my mother.” She touched the bandanna with her paw. “This was hers…”

She began to tear up, and suddenly Balto understood.

“Jenna, is…is she…?”

“Yes, she’s dead; she died three years ago today…because of my father.”

Balto couldn’t believe his ears.

“Y-your father?” he gasped.

Jenna nodded.

“There was a fire in the shed where they stayed next to the general store. She couldn’t get out…” Her breaths became racked with sobs, and Balto stepped up beside her. Jenna gratefully rested her head on his shoulder and shed her tears. “I never saw either of them after that day, but I know it was him. It could only have been him.”

“Jen, I think you should tell me what happened.”

“Alright,” she said, lying down next to her basket, “Well, I was the only survivor of a litter born in Applegate, and my mother loved me dearly, but my father was a different story. For about the first month, he tended to me like any other father would; that was the only time I’d ever seen him smile. After that, he seemed to transform into a different dog. You see, one evening, when I was just over two months old, he had just come back from a mail run…”

Jenna woke to a loud, angry voice.

“Angel? Angel, where are you?”

Jenna raised her head and saw a familiar tan husky standing in the doorway, his black muzzle curled in a snarl.

“Papa?” she said.

Her father ignored her.

“I’m right here, Mike,” answered Jenna’s mother calmly, rising from where she lay beside Jenna’s basket, “What’s wrong? I see you’re home early.”

“Not early enough,” he replied with a snort.

Angel furrowed her brow in confusion and shifted the blue bandanna on her shoulders.

“What do you mean?”

“Where have you been these past two days?”

Shocked by the question, Angel hesitated a moment. It was that hesitation that would seal her fate.

“I’ve been here with Jenna,” she said.

The next moment, she cried out as Mike slapped her hard across the face, leaving four deep claw marks. She staggered back a few steps with a paw over the cuts. Jenna, who had been watching with her paws curled over the basket’s edge, now sank down so that she could only barely see what was happening.

“A likely story!” Mike growled, “I’ve only been gone three days and I come back to rumors of you running around with Henry!”

“Henry?” Angel gasped, “Mike, why would I do that to you when we’ve got a child to raise? You should know that you and Jenna mean more to me than anything or anyone.”

Mike’s eyes lit up in anger and he took a few steps forward as a low growl escaped his muzzle. Angel backed away in fear, but he kept coming.

“That’s not the way I hear it,” he said, “Henry seemed quite pleased with himself, and he mentioned you.”

“Mike, think, please!” Angel said, shaking her head in disbelief, “He’s been jealous of you ever since we got together. Now he’s telling you these lies to split us apart so he can have me! Please believe me!”

“But my father was notorious for two things: Not being very bright, and being quick to a temper,” Jenna said, as Balto lay in front of her, listening intently, “He didn’t believe a word she’d said.”

“Is that so? Well, if he wants your pretty little *** again, I say let him have it!”

By then, he had her backed into a corner, and his eyes glinted as he flashed a toothy smirk.

“Mike, you’re scaring me,” she whimpered.

“Good,” he said, raising his paw again.

Angel saw it and began to shake.

“Please, Mike,” she whispered, “Not in front of Jenna…”

But her plea fell on deaf ears, and he fell upon her in rage. With each blow, Angel sank lower toward the ground until she lay curled up beneath him as he continued to beat and claw her. Finally, he seemed satisfied, and backed away. Angel lay crying in the corner where she’d fallen, unable to move without eliciting some pain from her bruised and bleeding body.

“Why are you- doing this, Mike?” she choked between sobs.

“Still not ready to admit it, are we, Angel?” Mike replied, shaking his head.

Jenna curled down as far as she could in the basket, praying furiously that her father wouldn’t see her. But just then, he padded toward Angel, and Jenna’s worry for her mother overcame her own self-preservation instincts.

A small whimper escaped her muzzle.

Mike’s ears swiveled and his head snapped in her direction. His eyes settled on her and his gaze suddenly softened.

“Oh Jenna…” he said, padding toward her, “I’m sorry you had to see that, I… Why don’t you and I just go home?” He put a paw behind her and tried to move her from the basket, but she scampered away from him and stood between her father and mother.

“I won’t let you hurt mommy,” she said firmly, surprised at her own determination.

Mike was surprised, too, but only for a moment. In an instant, his warm eyes turned cold as ice.

“Oh, I see, you’d rather stay with your back-stabbing mother than the father who’s always cared for you,” he snarled, “Well you’ll not talk back to me!”

He swung his paw, and Jenna cried out as it made contact, sending her flying into the coal pile by the heater.

Angel screamed in disbelief.

“Mike, for heaven’s sake what are you doing?” she cried, struggling to get up to reach Jenna, “Have you gone mad? Jenna’s done nothing against you!”

Mike turned on her before she knew what had happened. In the blink of an eye, he had her pinned to the ground with his paws on her neck.

“Fine, she can stay here with you tonight,” he said, pressing down on her windpipe, “But you both better be here in the morning…if you know what’s good for you.”

He released his pressure on her throat, and she gasped for air, choking and coughing as the much needed oxygen filled her lungs.

“Please Mike,” she stammered, “Talk to Ryan, or talk to Jake. They’ve both seen me here each day.” Mike snorted in disgust. “If you don’t believe me, ask Henry. Tell him you’re angry, and he’ll be the first to tell you that nothing happened. Please, Mike…”

Mike stood in the doorway for a moment and then looked back at his mate.

“If you’re not here tomorrow morning, there won’t be anyone who can stop me…” he snarled. With that, he walked out.

Angel sighed in despair and put her paws over her head.

Jenna shook her head to clear it and staggered over to her basket, where she collapsed next to her mother.

Angel moved a paw protectively over her daughter and curled up next to her.

“What’s wrong with papa?” Jenna whimpered, “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him, dear. He’s not thinking clearly,” Angel said softly, “But we’ll stay here. Tomorrow, I’ll talk to him.”

“He’ll believe you, won’t he, momma?” Jenna asked, nuzzling her mother.

“I hope so, deary, I hope so.”

“But every morning we were there, every morning with kept our part of the ‘bargain’ it only seemed to anger him more. He would beat her, and sometimes me too. I could hide the scars and the bruises, but my mother was so badly hurt that she feared to even be seen. And so she stayed in that miserable shed, day after day,” Jenna said, “Only five days had passed before it became perfectly clear that no amount of reasoning or pleading would reach him; the father I loved was gone.”

“How could he believe such nonsense over his own mate?” Balto exclaimed.

“I’ve never been able to figure that out,” Jenna replied sadly, “But my mother wasn’t going to wait to find out. So one day, Independence Day, she sent me away once the town was awake…”

Jenna padded down the street slowly, fearing that any moment she might hear the bark of her father’s angry voice and feel the sting of his claws. Still, she chanced a glance backward, toward the boiler room. There stood her mother.

Her normally stunning figure and proud posture had diminished in the wake of her daily harassment. The night before, Mike had gone into a terrible fit and nearly beat her senseless. Her cream colored cheeks and muzzle bore the scars of his claws and teeth, as did her chest and paws. Even her eyes, which usually shone with her inner radiance, seemed dulled by her mate’s painful administrations. Yet even so, she smiled at her young daughter and nodded down the street. Jenna looked down once at the blue bandanna her mother had given her. Then she turned away and started running. I won’t let him hurt her again, she thought, By God; I’ll make him regret ever laying a paw on her. I just have to find Ryan.

Well she seemed alright by dawn’s early light,

Though she looked a little worried and weak,

She tried to pretend he hadn’t come back again,

But daddy left the proof on her cheek,

I was only eight weeks old that summer,

And I only seemed to be in the way,

So I took myself down to the fair in town

On Independence Day.

Jenna prayed for her mother as she slipped among the throngs of people crowding the streets. Please…she thought to herself; please protect her just one more day. Her eyes darted left and right, searching the crowd for a familiar face; anyone she could run to and tell everything to. But for all the people milling around, she had little success, until a pair of heckling voices reached her ears; then, she wished she hadn’t heard them at all, but too late.

“…heard that he’s gotten real steamed up about something to do with Angel.”

“…doesn’t deserve her.”

Jenna froze.

Could someone already know?

She looked around frantically for the source of the voices; it only took a moment to find it. Jenna padded quickly up to a pair of grey females who were chatting quietly near the post office. Though they seemed quite intent on their discussion, they acted bored and uninterested as Jenna padded up to them.

“Gloria, Daisy, what have you heard about my mother?” Jenna said as calmly as she could, “Please, tell me.”

“Your mother? We’ve heard nothing about her,” said the one on the left, scratching her ear.

Jenna cocked her head and stepped closer.

“But you were just talking about her, I heard you,” she replied.

“Not us, deary; it must have been someone else,” insisted the other of the pair.

Jenna looked from one to the other and, more than slightly annoyed, walked quickly away. But as she did, she glanced over her shoulder and saw the two were back to talking and a few others were joining in. Jenna sighed in frustration.

Well word gets around in a small, small town,

They said he was a dangerous man,

But Momma was proud and she stood her ground,

She knew she was on the loosin’ end.

Some folks whispered, some folks talked,

But everybody looked the other way,

And when time ran out,

There was no one about,

On Independence Day.

Jenna nearly cried out when she finally spotted Ryan. The black husky was padding quickly down the street, but she controlled herself and ran to catch up with him.

“Mr. Ryan!”

Ryan turned his brown muzzle toward her and smiled.

“Jenna, what a surprise,” he said, “What can I do for you?”

Jenna swallowed hard.

“Mr. Ryan, you’re the judge, and you wouldn’t let anyone get hurt here, would you?”

Ryan, a bit shocked to be hearing this from such a young pup, shook his head.

“No, of course not, Jenna,” he said, “But I’m in a hurry at the moment…” He cast a glance down the street. “Why on earth do you ask?”

“There’s something I have to tell you,” she replied.

But before she could say another word, the town bell rang out and cries of ‘Fire! Fire!’ came from the crowd.

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing,

Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning,

Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong,

Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay, it’s Independence Day.

“The whole time I was looking…even as I tried to get Ryan’s help…” Jenna sobbed, nearly hysterical, “It was already too late!”

Balto averted his gaze, unable to bear the sight of his mate in such emotional distress. Finally, he moved beside her and pulled her close. By then, Jenna had calmed down enough to continue.

“When we turned around, we saw the smoke,” she choked, “And when we got there…the whole building was in flames!”

Well she lit up the sky that Fourth of July,

By the time that the firemen come,

They just put out the flames and took down some names,

And sent me to the county home,

Now I ain’t sayin’ it’s right or it’s wrong,

But maybe it’s the only way,

Talk about your revolution… It’s Independence Day.

Jenna’s were wide with panic as the reality of what was happening set in.

“Momma!” she cried, racing toward the enflamed shed.

“Jenna!” cried Ryan from behind her.

Jenna shut out Ryan’s voice and, bowing her head from the heat, made it to the door of the shed.

“Momma!” she cried again

There was no answer save the enraged crackling of the flames as they licked the walls and climbed to the roof. But suddenly, among the hellish glow of the fire within, she saw her mother lying on the floor in a puddle of blood.

Jenna backed away in shock, unable to comprehend what she’d seen. For an instant, she forgot Ryan, forgot the fire dancing ever closer to her, even forgot her father. Only her mother remained. In that instant, she began to cry.

Just then, there was a loud snap above her, but before she could move, she felt a strong body collide with her, pushing her away. She heard someone scream as the darkness consumed her.

“…and that’s all I remember,” Jenna said, “I woke up the next day at home, with Melissa sitting next to me –she was so relieved to see me wake up. But by the time I got back to the shed, all that was left was the heater; everything else was burned to ashes.”

Jenna began to tear up again, so Balto nuzzled her and let her rest her head on his shoulder as he blinked the tears from his own eyes.

“Jen, I-I don’t what to say,” he whispered.

“It’s alright,” she said, “I just wish I knew what happened.”

“Maybe I can help,” said a voice from the doorway.

Chapter Two- An Old Friend

Jenna and Balto looked up in surprise.

There stood a husky, still wearing his sled team harness. The tips of his feet were black, but the rest of him was all dark brown. Though both Balto and Jenna strained to see his face, it was hidden in the shadows beyond the fire light.

“What?” Jenna said cautiously.

“I know the one who saved you, Jenna,” said the husky, “He’s me.”

He seemed to wait a moment for the full weight of what he’d said to sink in.

Jenna sat speechless, but Balto finally spoke up.

“How can you prove it?” he said.

“Oh that’s easy,” the husky replied, “That’s how I got to looking the way I do.”

With that, he stepped completely into the light, and Jenna gasped.

“Oh my God…”

The husky’s left eye was covered with an eye patch, likely by his owner, and the left side of his face was singed and scarred.

“Sweet Aniu,” Balto gasped.

“I know I’m not much to look at, but a hunk of burning wood’ll do that to you.”

Jenna shook her head.

“How did you know my name?”

The husky smiled and lay down opposite her.

“You see, I was there that day. The crowd was far back, as was common sense, and I was about to leave when suddenly this absolutely stunning red and cream husky came running out of the crowd toward the fire.” Jenna’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Now, normally I would have thought she was crazy, but when she cried out for her mother…Well, that changed things. So I ran after her, you know, to see what I could do, but when we got to the shed I looked in and saw this older female lying dead on the floor…” He noticed Jenna tearing up and his eyes widened. “Oh God, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

Jenna shook her head.

“Keep going.”

“Well, I just kind of stood there for a moment, but then I heard this sound. So I looked up and saw part of the roof coming down, and with the little female under it. So I did what any respectable male would do… I pushed her away and took the blow myself.”

Jenna recoiled a bit as the scream embedded in her memory those many years ago rang in her ears.

“It was you,” she said, “But…why? Why for me?”

“You still don’t remember me? Well, I shouldn’t really expect you to,” the husky replied, “But four days before that, when you came out late in the afternoon, I ran into you and asked if you wanted to take a walk around town.”

Jenna’s eyes widened in recognition.

“Oh my… Ben?” she gasped.

The stranger smiled and nodded.

“I can see you’ve found quite a nice place for yourself,” he turned to Balto, “And I’ll admit that you seem to love her more than I ever did,” he turned back to Jenna, “but back then, I was starting to like you –I mean really like you- but that day, you had to leave. When you wouldn’t tell me why, I made up my mind to find out. And four days later, did I ever find out…”

“…from where I was, I could see everything.”

A red and cream husky watched her precious daughter leave and sighed in relief as she disappeared into the crowd. Just then, she heard paws in the street behind her and cast a glance out of the corner of her eye. Her fears were confirmed when an all too familiar voice reached her ears.

“Hello my Angel,” he said, stepping up beside her as though nothing was wrong between them, “Where’s Jenna?”

Angel took a sharp breath and hesitated for a moment.

“She’s gone into town to see the parade and the fair,” she replied cautiously, “Would you have something to say to her?”

Mike sighed.

“I would have liked her to be here,” he said, “but I suppose what I have to say really only pertains to you. Can we step inside for a moment?”

Angel struggled to withhold a whimper, for she knew what was coming as she padded inside with Mike following behind her.

But then, to her great surprise, he sat down in the shadows near the boiler and motioned for her to do the same. Not knowing what do expect, she obeyed, albeit hesitantly, and sat down in the flickering light of the flames.

“Angel, I know we’ve had our differences…” he began, looking her calmly in the eyes.

Angel glanced down at herself and examined the scars. Each dark red line on her cream legs and muzzle held a scream, and it pained her to look.

“Yes, we have,” she replied softly.

“But I talked to Henry today…” Angel looked up in surprise. “…and he told me everything that happened while I was gone. Told me how he’d made advances on you, several times, but that you never agreed. That you always turned up your nose and walked away.” He looked at her and began to cry. “You told me you’d done nothing, and I, fool that I was, refused to believe you.” He wiped his tears and looked her in the eye again. “My Angel, I’m so sorry for what I did. I can’t even tell you…” He shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as angry with someone in my life as I was with him the moment he told me. I pinned him to the ground and demanded he tell me everything. It turns out he wanted more than just a night alone with you, he wanted pups.” He paused and chuckled a little; Angel recoiled a little at this odd behavior. “I guess he won’t be saying much any more.”

Angel stepped back in horror as realization sank in.

“You killed him.”

“Yes, my Angel, I did,” he replied calmly, stepping towards her, “But what’s done is done, and there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

“Mike, I don’t know you anymore,” Angel said.

Mike stopped and stared at her.

“I could have forgiven you for what you did to me, but to turn on our daughter when she had nothing to do with any of this…and then go off and kill Henry…”

Mike’s eyes fell to the floor.

“Go on,” he whispered.

“It’s unforgivable, Mike,” she said finally, “You’ve made your choices, but I won’t stand by you any more. And nor will anyone else by the end of this day.”

She brushed past him and padded toward the door.

“I was afraid you might say that…” Mike replied from behind her.

Angel had nearly reached the door when he leapt in front of her, his eyes burning with a mix of fear and anger.

“…which is why I can’t let you leave this room alive.”

“…And…he killed her,” Ben said softly, “It was quick; no suffering.”

He stopped and cast his eyes aside, uneasy of being the one to tell such a horrid tale. Jenna curled up against Balto and sobbed on his shoulder. After a little while, she managed to compose herself enough to speak.

“How did the fire start?”

Ben sighed and thought for a moment.

“If I recall, there was a faint scent of gasoline in there,” he said softly, “My guess is Mike found it and put it near the boiler. All it would take was a stray spark…”

“Wait, you didn’t see that?” Balto interrupted.

“No; as soon as he went after Angel, I ran flat out into town looking for Ryan,” Ben replied, turning to Jenna, “I must have found him while you were talking to Gloria and Daisy. That’s why he was in such a hurry when you found him; he was following me back toward the shed.”

“Then why didn’t he tell me what had happened?” Jenna inquired.

“He couldn’t have known it was your parents; I’d only said there’d been a murder.” He shook his head. “If I hadn’t been so panicked… I should have told him everything I knew.”

Jenna swallowed hard and nodded again.

“But what happened to you after that day?”

Ben sighed.

“Well, I woke up in the hospital, and I had to stay there so the doc could tend to my burns. When my human finally took me home, the first thing I did was look at my reflection in a puddle. I couldn’t bear for you to see me like this, so I had my friend go to you and tell you I’d left town; my friend’s name was Kale.”

Balto looked at Jenna in surprise.

“You sent him…?” Jenna whispered.

“Yes.”

“I would have been better off with you.”

Ben recoiled a bit in surprise.

“What do you mean?”

Jenna hesitated, and Balto spoke up.

“Let’s just say Jenna and him separated, and there reunion was…badly timed.”

Ben nodded, but Jenna could tell that he still didn’t understand.

“Kale and I were together until Melissa gave me to her younger cousin Rosie, and she took me back to Nome with her. After that, I just grew up here; I nearly forgot Kale. Nothing really changed until I met Balto –you’ve heard of the diphtheria epidemic a few years ago, right?”

“Of course! Everyone in Alaska knows what Balto did for Nome.”

“Well, this lead dog, Steele, didn’t really like Balto, especially when he showed up and offered to lead the lost team home. He attacked Balto, but ended up falling off a cliff. But he got back before them and spun this tale of his own heroism and Balto plunging to his death from a cliff. Every one believed it except me; I guess that was when I finally realized I loved him. You should have seen me when he got back… But after that, we really hit it off. We had one litter, and Balto, being the kind loving father he is, decided to follow our daughter Aleu after she ran off into the wilderness.”

Ben seemed stunned by Jenna’s calm tone.

“She was the only one who looked like a wolf, and the humans didn’t want her,” Balto explained, “Now she leads a wolf pack.”

“You’re kidding!” Ben exclaimed.

Balto shook his head.

“What ever happened to Steele?”

“Well, we had a few run-in’s with him since the medicine run, but I think we’ve seen the last of him.” Jenna sighed. “Just last year, though, while Balto was away, Kale showed up here with a sled team and we started talking about the old times… That night I slept with him.”

“Oh…” Ben said.

“It nearly ruined our relationship, but Balto somehow found it in his heart to let me back into his life. But Kale wasn’t finished.”

“One night, he snuck back into Nome and tried to kill her,” Balto said, “Only to be killed himself by one of the pups he helped make. We’ve only just finally had some peace here in Nome.”

There was a brief silence.

“Seems like a lot of bad things have stemmed from that day,” he sighed, “Many of them my fault.”

“Oh, don’t blame yourself, Ben,” Jenna said, “You couldn’t have known.”

“Even so, I feel guilty. But I think I can make it up to you.”

“Excuse me?” Jenna said, more than a bit confused.

“Your father’s alive.”

Ben’s blunt statement left both Jenna and Balto in shocked silence for a moment.

“W-what?” Jenna said softly, her voice trembling.

“He was living on the outskirts of Fairbanks when we found him, and when we asked around we heard he’d been as far as Juneau. Now he’s being kept under surveillance in Applegate.”

“Surveillance!” Jenna burst out, “Why hasn’t he been arrested yet?”

“We couldn’t arrest him even if we wanted to,” Ben defended.

“Why not? Didn’t Ryan believe you?”

“Oh, he believed me, but my testimony wasn’t enough,” Ben said, shaking his head, “In Applegate, we are required to have two witnesses or concrete evidence to even put someone on trial, and with you gone and nothing left of the shed…”

“But what about Henry’s body?”

“It was never found,” Ben said sadly, “The poor guy; we haven’t found even the slightest trace of him in four years.”

Jenna sighed.

“He’s thought of everything.”

“…Except you,” Ben finished, showing a hint of a smile, “If you were to come back to Applegate and testify to Ryan, we’d have enough to try your father, and likely condemn him.”

Jenna gave a start and cast her eyes down, deep in thought.

Balto leaned closer.

“Jenna…?”

“I’m going,” she said finally.

“Then I’m coming with you,” Balto replied.

“Fantastic,” Ben replied, “My sled team will be heading back within the hour.”

“Then we’ll head out now,” Jenna said, “Just to be sure we’re there when you arrive.”

“A sound plan,” Ben agreed.

All three stood up.

“Then we’ll see you in there,” Balto said with a nod.

Chapter Three- Return to Applegate

By the time Balto and Jenna arrived in Applegate, the sun was sinking below the tops of the trees. Sunset was not far off, but neither of the weary travelers really cared. Before long, they spotted the hospital, and the boiler room beside it. Shaking the snow off their coats, they padded inside and lay down next to the boiler.

“I wonder if Ben’s team is here yet,” Jenna panted, curling up against her loving mate.

“It didn’t look like they were back, but he’ll find us when they get here,” Balto replied, nuzzling Jenna, “For now, let’s just rest and warm up.”

Before long, they fell fast asleep.

Down the street, two dogs stepped up onto the porch next to the general store and it’s little shed. One of them was a black dog with a brown muzzle.

“Felipe, you’ll have the first watch tonight,” he said, “Remember, he’s not to leave the shed after sundown. If he does, you can find me in the boiler room.”

The other dog, a younger grey husky, nodded.

“I won’t let you down, Ryan.”

“I know you won’t, Felipe,” Ryan replied with a smile as he walked away, “I’ll send someone to relieve you around midnight.”

Jenna’s slumber didn’t last very long; her dreams were twisting into nightmares echoing with the screams of her mother and her father’s angry snarl. She woke with a start in a cold sweat and looked around to convince herself that this was the real world and not a dream she was going to wake up from. Her eyes finally rested on Balto.

I hope you know how much I love you, Balto, she thought, nuzzling him gently, I’d be nothing without you… She stood up. But this is something I have to do myself.

With that, she padded out into the town.

As she moved thru the empty streets, she took notice of how little the town had changed in the time she’d been gone. The only difference was the little shed next to the general store had been rebuilt, and the faint glow of the boiler showed from across the street. She hardly realized that she was drawn toward it like a magnet of sorts; even less did she notice the young grey husky asleep on the porch of a home next to the shed. Without a second thought, she padded into the alley and went inside.

A tan husky with a black muzzle lay curled up in the middle of the floor, and his ears perked up at the sound of her paws on the floor.

“Who are you?” he inquired without turning his head, “And why are you here?”

“I’m just here to settle our past, papa,” Jenna replied calmly.

On the other side of town, the sled team was just being un-hitched for the night. One of the lead dogs, sporting a black eye patch over his left eye, quickly said his good-nights to the team and hurried off into town. A few moments later he arrived at his destination: a small home not far from the hospital. Though only the upstairs windows were lit up, he scratched on the door, and few moments later a black husky with a brown muzzle stepped through the flap in the door.

“Ben, what a surprise,” he said, “What brings you here?”

“I found our second witness, Ryan.”

Ryan cocked his head.

“Beg pardon?”

“Do you remember Jenna’s father, Mike?”

Ryan’s eyes widened in understanding.

“Of course! We could never prove your claim,” he said, “And his time under surveillance is almost up. But who is the second witness?”

“Jenna herself,” Ben replied with a smile, “C’mon, I’ll take you to where I’m sure they’ll be.”

A short while later, Balto woke to the sound of voices drawing near, and sat up just as Ben, accompanied by a black husky with a brown muzzle, walked into the boiler room. He hardly noticed them, though; he was more concerned with who wasn’t there than who was.

“Balto,” said Ben, finally stopping to glance around, “Where’s Jenna?”

Balto felt his heart sink as he shook his head.

“Ben, what’s going on?” asked the black and brown husky.

“Ryan, meet Balto,” Ben replied.

“Balto? You mean the Balto? The one who saved all those kids out in Nome?”

“That’s me,” Balto replied, “Ben, the shed that burned down, did they rebuild it?”

“Yes, but what does that… That’s where Mike is being held.”

“Then that’s where she’ll be headed,” Balto exclaimed, bolting out the door with Ben and Ryan close behind, “Your second witness is walking right into a murderer’s lap!”

“You know, I wasn’t sure what I’d think when I saw you again,” Jenna said, eyeing her father closely, “But I’ve never forgotten what you did.”

Her father stood and padded a few steps toward her.

“Well, it’s good to see you again, too,” he said sarcastically, “My how you’ve grown.”

Jenna said nothing, only fixed her cold stare at him.

“Look Jenna, your mother…”

“My mother was innocent; as pure and untainted as the snow,” Jenna snapped, “And though you beat her every night, for the longest time she still loved you. Do you understand me? She still loved you!”

The next instant, Mike belted her hard across the face, barely missing her eye with his claws.

“You don’t know a thing about love!” he snapped, padding dangerously close. “But by tonight’s end, you will know respect for your father, one way or another.”

His next blow knocked her off her paws. As she lay curled up on the floor, he padded over to her and forced her to look him in the eyes.

“Why did you come back here?” he inquired. “What do you think of me?”

Jenna squirmed in his grasp.

“I think you’re a b******,” she growled, “A b****** and a murderer. You took my mother away from me.”

She spat in his face.

He hit her hard on the muzzle, snapping her head to the side and drawing blood. When Jenna responded by striking back, he held her down and pressed his other paw down on her throat. Jenna tried in vain to push him off as she gasped for air that was slowly being denied her.

Mike shook his head and gave a sort of smirk, but just then, the sound of approaching paws and growing voices reached his ears. He shot a glance over his shoulder and then looked back at her in rage.

“Who have you told?” he snarled.

Jenna barely heard him, and could much less respond as her vision swirled in and out of focus. She choked and gasped as he held his paw down on her throat.

Her father bared his teeth and heaved her against the wall in frustration.

She crumpled to the floor and lay still.

Just as the voices were nearly on top of him, Mike bucked onto his forelegs and kicked the door shut.

He smiled as he heard the voices rise in frustration outside and turned toward Jenna…

Balto felt the cold night air burning in his throat, drying it and making it hard for him to breath, but he kept running as though not only Jenna’s life, but his own life depended on it. And in a sense it did. Without Jenna, what would he be?

Oh, Mother, he prayed feverishly, if you’re really watching over me, hear my prayer. Protect Jenna.

Up ahead, he spotted the faint glow of light.

“That’s it!” Ben shouted.

“He’s in there,” Ryan added, “But why the hell didn’t the watch see Jenna go past?”

Balto wheeled left into the alley, passing a sleeping grey husky on the porch of the house next door.

“Your watch is asleep!” he yelled angrily.

Suddenly, as he came within a stone’s throw of the shed, the door swung shut with a bang. Balto reared onto his hind legs to keep from crashing into it and cursed violently under his breath as Ryan, Ben, and the now wide-awake watch skidded to a halt behind him.

“Is that the only way in?”

Ryan nodded grimly as he stepped up to the door.

“Mike, we know you’re in there,” he shouted, “Open the door!”

“No, I don’t think I will right now,” Mike replied, “You’ll just have to wait.”

“D*** you Mike,” Ben yelled, “Don’t you touch Jenna!”

Before Mike could respond, if perchance he wanted to, Balto cried out in frustration and rammed into the door. Though it shook from the blow, it held firm. And it withstood a second blow, and then a third. Balto reared back and rammed the door a fourth time, only to watch it rattle tauntingly on its hinges. He growled and nursed his already-aching shoulder as he angrily surveyed the only thing keeping him from Jenna.

Then suddenly, his eyes lit up and he ran up to the door.

Ryan and the rest, attracted by this, came closer.

“What is it, Balto?” Ben asked.

“The hinges,” he replied, “The hinges! Why didn’t I think of it sooner?”

Ben watched in confusion as Balto lifted the new hinges out of their holders, one by one. The door leaned awkwardly inward without its support, and Balto pushed it away to peer inside.

By the far wall stood a tan husky with a black muzzle, whom Balto could only assume was Jenna’s father. And there beside him on the floor lay Jenna, quite motionless.

Balto snarled and bared his teeth in rage.

“What have you done to her?” he demanded, charging forward.

The tan husky also bared his teeth, and leapt to meet his new threat.

Balto struck first, leaving a deep, bleeding gash where his teeth had found purchase in Mike’s chest.

Mike clawed Balto across the face, causing him to jump back and shack his head to rid himself of the sharp pain.

The two fought brutally, clashing together and drifting apart in a never-ending struggle for dominance. Before long, though, Balto’s endurance began to give him the upper hand over the tan husky’s strength. Finally, Mike tried for Balto’s throat, but in vain. Balto anticipated the tan husky’s ill-fated jump and side-stepped it easily. As Mike’s teeth snapped on empty space, Balto toppled him and brought his own teeth around his throat. Mike tensed up, but quickly realized it would do no good to struggle any further.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Balto; I’m Jenna’s mate, and you’ll not touch a single hair on her head again so long as I’m living.”

Balto released his hold and backed away as Ryan and Ben moved forward to apprehend Mike. Yet as he turned away, Balto’s eyes fell on Jenna’s motionless form and he felt tears well up and fill his heart with a sorrow that quickly turned to rage. He spun around and delivered one last blow right across her father’s face; Mike cried out in pain, but did nothing, lest he incur the growing anger of the four others in the shed. Satisfied, Balto turned again to Jenna and padded up beside her.

She still hadn’t moved.

He nuzzled her, and whimpered when she gave no response.

Behind him, Ben gave Mike a warning.

“You better pray that she lives,” he growled, gesturing to Balto, “or he’ll be the one to execute you. And there’s no law saying how fast we have to kill you.”

Balto crouched down and nuzzled her again, lifting her muzzle with his.

Please, Mother, help me, he thought desperately. Don’t take her from me!

Chapter Three: If Tomorrow Never Comes

He tried not to; he didn’t want to, but somehow, Balto kept glancing at the hospital door. Though Ryan and Ben and all the rest of the town’s canine citizens did their best to assure him that the town doctor would come thru for them, he couldn’t help but pace back and forth just beyond the comforting glow cast from the hospital’s back windows.

Somewhere off in the night, a lone wolf howled.

Balto, usually eager to correspond with his wilder brothers and sisters, declined to answer.

His legs ached and his chest and back stung from the many scars from his fight with Jenna’s father. The trial was going on, but there was no real reason for him to be there. He’d already delivered his testimony and shown his wounds, and he would never give up on Jenna.

Still, he’d never prayed so long or so hard in his life.

Finally, weak and tired from going more than a day without sleep and emotional strain, he curled up by the door and fell asleep.

A haunting song echoed thru his mind as he slept:

If tomorrow never comes, will she know how much I loved her?

Did I try in every way, to show here every day, that she’s my only one?

And if her time on Earth were through, I must face this world without her,

Is the love I gave her in the past, gonna be enough to last,

If tomorrow never comes.

Silently, he wished that if Jenna had gone that he should die that very instant and follow her to eternity…

…but not an hour later, though it seemed like days to him, the door opened.

His ears perked up and his eyes shot open.

There stood Jenna.

Overcome with elation, he jumped up and nuzzled her tenderly.

“Oh Jen,” he whispered, “you don’t know how happy I am to see you.” She stepped back and met his gaze as hot tears flowed down his face. “I thought I’d lost you.”

Jenna swallowed hard as her own joy choked her.

“I’m really glad to see you, too,” she replied, nuzzling him again.

Balto glanced around. The rest of the town’s canine citizens were gone, probably to the trial.

“C’mon,” he said, “I think you ought to be there when they convict him.”

The two padded thru the empty streets to the boiler room, where Ryan’s commanding voice rang out.

“…and so, for your crimes of aggravated assault with intent to kill and fleeing the law, this court finds you…”

“Wait!” Jenna interrupted, stopping in the doorway. The room filled with whispers of ‘She’s alive!’ and ‘Look at those scars!’ Jenna ignored them. “I believe there is yet one charge that has yet to be leveled at my father.” She stepped boldly thru the crowd as it parted before her and marched right up to Mike to look him square in the eye. “I accuse my father with the abuse and murder of my mother, Angel.”

The room again filled with hushed talking, but Ryan held up his paw for silence.

“Miss Jenna, I see you are yet well. It’s so good to see you again.”

“Thank you,” she replied.

“Could you please relate to us your experiences while in your father’s care?”

Jenna winced at the word ‘care’ but turned and addressed the crowd.

“Most of you may not still remember me, but I lived here for nearly half my life; all of this time under my father’s…’care.’ For the first few weeks of my life, he was the best father I could have asked for, but then one day he bought into rumors of my mother running around with another dog, and he changed forever…”

As Jenna slowly and painfully imparted her past to the crowd, there were few if none among them that did not shed a tear of sympathy for this mistreated cream and red husky. When she finished, no one said a word for several minutes.

Finally, Ryan stepped forward.

“Due to this new information in addition to Ben's previous tesitmony, I find the accused guilty on all accounts: aggravated assault with intent to kill, abuse of child and mate, and murder.” He turned to face Mike. “Your punishment, due to the number and severity of your crimes and as mandated by the laws of this town, is death. The sentence is to be enacted immediately.” He paused, letting the weight of what he’d said sink in. “Do you have any last words?”

Mike only stood where he was. Throughout the whole trial, he had fixed his gaze on the opposite wall. He didn’t even look at Ryan.

“Then may Aniu have mercy on your soul,” Ryan said.

Jenna gave a start. Aniu? She looked around quickly. Had anyone else heard it? The crowd seemed untouched by the mention of the wolf goddess, and even appeared as though they had fallen deaf. Jenna turned toward Ryan and sought his eyes, but he nodded to two strong huskies that stepped up beside him and led him out of the boiler room as three more of their comrades followed them out toward the edge of town. Jenna bowed her head and sighed.

Balto stepped up beside her.

“Jenna?”

“He was a b******, but he was still my father,” she said softly.

Balto nodded and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

“It’s over Jenna,” he whispered.

Just then, a low, loud clanging filled the air.

“That’s our town bell,” Ryan commented, stopping to address the two on his way out of the boiler room.

Suddenly, the sky lit up as tens of fireworks ignited in the midnight air, flashing brilliant displays of red, white and blue. Jenna padded out and fixed her gaze on the display, and tears filled her eyes as she began to sing the words that flowed from her heart:

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing,

Let the whole world know that today, is a day of reckoning,

Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong,

Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay,

It’s Independence Day.

She raised her muzzle to the heavens and let out a howl. Balto stood there beside her for a moment in shock, and then joined in. Throughout the town and indeed well out into the forest beyond, their call echoed and caught the attention of all near enough to hear it. Finally, the two let their call die down to nothing. When their eyes met, they both began to smile.

“Balto,” Jenna said, “let’s go home.”

Though the morning sun would find them curled up on Rosie’s porch, that night, Balto and Jenna were glad to have each other’s company as they started homeward.

Yet even as the two mates took leave of Applegate under a star-choked, color-filled sky, among the sparkling lights of the stars and fireworks, a cream and white husky appeared. She cast her eyes downward and, upon seeing the two, she smiled.

“You’ve certainly found a life of your own,” she said. “Farewell, my dearest Jenna. I love you.”

As the last toll of the bell rang out, she faded away into the night sky.

The End