"Hey Balto!" Jenna cried out one day. She and Balto were having some fun in the town. Dixxie, Sylvie, Steele, and Star had joined them in their doggy version of tag. Balto was It. Jenna laughed and pointed her paw at him. She ran around him in a circle but he tagged her. "Hey." She laughed. She tried to tag him back but he was too quick for her. She fell flat on her face. Balto laughed. Jenna acted as if he hurt her feelings. Balto, feeling bad walked over to her. He nuzzled her. Jenna tagged him and laughed, "Syke." Balto caught on and ran after Dixxie. Her small legs couldn't carry her as fast as Balto's could. He tagged her in seconds. Dixxie chased after Steele. She jumped to tag him but missed. Dixxie stayed It for several minutes. Soon it was getting dark. Steele said, "I had better go." He left and headed for home. "Took the words right out of my mouth." Sylvie laughed. She and Dixxie also headed home. This left Jenna, Balto, and Star. "Well. I guess they're right. We should go home." Balto nodded and they all went to Rosie's house. They ate a nice warm dinner and went to bed early.

The next morning, Balto woke up and went to see Jerard. But he wasn't there. Neither was Rosie or Mary. Balto got a worried feeling in the pit of his stomache. He noticed that Jerard had set out food for them. Balto ate hungrily and looked around for something that would tell him where Jerard, Rosie, and Mary went. So he searched the house but he couldn't find anything. "What are you looking for?" Balto turned around and saw that Jenna was up. "Jerard, Rosie, and Mary aren't here." Balto explained. "Oh Balto." Jenna laughed. "It is Saturday. Of course they aren't here. On Saturday, they take Rosie up to the hill and let her sled down it." Jenna explained. "Oh." Balto felt silly. He should have known.

When everyone was awake, Balto took them outside and to the hill. There was Rosie and Jerard and Mary. Mary and Jerard were watching as Rosie sled down the hill. A look of enjoyment washed over her face. Balto bounded over to them. They said, "Well hey there Balto. How are you boy?" Balto barked in return. Jenna ran over with Balto. Star took her time. She still had her cast on from the crash on the dog team. As Balto and Jenna played and ran around barking and howling, Star sat with Jerard and Mary. They stroked her head and made her fur silky smooth on her head. Balto and Jenna took turns pulling Rosie up and down the hill. When it was just after 5:00, Rosie got off her sled and went over to Mary and whined, "I am hungry!" So Mary and Jerard took Rosie home. Jerard pulled the sled. Balto and Jenna and Star walked home too. When they got home, Balto jumped on the couch. He picked up the televison clicker with his mouth. He set it down and turned the t.v. on. He put his claw on the remote and clicked up. He put on a television show. It was called Blue's Clues. Rosie walked in and sat beside Jenna on the floor. When Joe on the show was supposed to see a clue, Rosie would yell, "A clue a clue!" Jenna woofed and licked Rosie's cheeks. Balto jumped off the couch and let Rosie say to him, "Find the clues Blue!" Then she would make Balto run and search the house for something she lost.

(That Night) "Rosie is such a good kid." Balto whispered to Jenna. Jenna agreed. "She is. Balto. I didn't tell you this before but, I am going to have pups." Balto whispered in excitement, "I am going to be a dad. Again! But this time with the girl I love the most." Balto smiled at Jenna but she looked uncertain. She thought, "Yea but you won't love me as much as you do right now. I am not going to tell you whos pups these really are until they are born." Just then, Star howled. "Star. Keep it down." Balto whispered. "My leg. Oww. Dad. My leg. Owww. Daddy!" Star cried. Balto got up and crept over to Star. She was crying. Balto could tell because her tears made little sparkling areas in her fur. Balto asked in a quiet voice. "What is wrong?" "My leg. DADDY!" Star screamed. That is when Balto saw that Star's leg was twitching rapidly. It was twitching so fast that you could barely see it. Balto watched as it twitched faster and faster. "Daddy." Star cried. She watched in horror as her leg started to slow its twitch but it was still going fast. "Balto! Don't just stand there! Go and get Jerard!" cried equally terrified Jenna. Balto stood still for a minute but hten he ran out of the basement door and was back very soon with Jerard.

Jerard had rushed Star to the hospital and was examining her. He came out and told Mary and Rosie, "It looks as if her leg might be infected but it is very likely that it is." Balto and Jenna were sitting side by side. Steele came to. After all, he loves Star. But Balto noticed that Steele was sitting uncomfortably close to Jenna. Balto pretended that he didn't notice but he kept sneaking peaks at Steele and Jenna and he actually once caught Jenna leaning her head on Steele's shoulder. He thought, "How could she do this to me?" But then when he saw Jerard take Star out, her leg was still twitching wildly and then he called, "Balto." So Balto ran over there and sat next to poor Star. "Daddy. Daddy. Daddy." Star kept screaming. Balto put his paw on her snout but Star was shaking so bad that Balto couldn't keep his paw still. Balto looked horrified as white foam dribbled down the side of Star's shaking body. "Oh no. Balto. She has rabies." Jenna cried out. She moved closer to Steele and put her head under his chin. Mary cried, "Rabies!" Rosie moved closer to Star and tried to pet her shaking head. "No. Rosie come back here." Jerard shook his head. "No. It isn't rabies. She is in horrible shock. Her leg. There must be something wrong with it. Nothing could happen like this. It must be infected." "But with what?" Mary asked. Rosie started to cry. No. Wait. Not cry. Bawl. She bawled so hard that her face turned red. "Star!" She screamed. Jenna turned her head away from all the racket. Steele nuzzled her. This made Balto angry. He was thinking, "Poor Star. She trusts Steele." But he turned his attention back to his daughter. After 30 minutes, Star was still twitching like crazy so Jerard gave her a needle and made her fall fast asleep. She was still twitching but not as much. Balto though, was really worried.

The dogs and the family slept over night at the hospital. Balto lay with Star. He felt helpless next to her twitching body. He looked at Star's leg in a cast. He noticed something different. Her leg looked more green than it used to be. He watched as Star was beginning to wake up and the twitching sped up. That is when Star saw Steele walk into the room. Her leg twitched and her body shook but the look of love in her eyes for Steele was beautiful. Steele walked up to her. He touched her nose. She licked his nose. He looked at her body. It was shaking wildly. Star never took her eyes off Steele. Steele thought of something to calm Star's body and leg down. "Star. Calm down. I will sing you a song. If you want. I just can't stand to see my girl in such pain. What song do you want me to sing?" Steele asked quietly. "Doggies." Star's voice shook. "Each doggy has a special talent, that sets each one apart. But no matter what your talent is, make sure it is from the heart." Steele sang. He sang the song over and over. Finally Star's eyes closed and her body slowed the endless shaking. Her leg didn't change though. The only change that there was, was that her leg was green-purple. Balto closed his eyes knowing that Star was sleeping. Steele ran out of the room and lay almost right on top of Jenna. She had her head put her head on his back.

The next morning, Balto woke up to see that Star had fallen off her bed that was on the table. Her body was shaking wildly again and even though she was on the floor, she still shook. Jerard woke up early and came out. He picked up Star. He put her back on her bed. He patted her and whispered, "It is okay girl. Okay Star girl." Then he heard another howl. "What now? Balto watch Star. I will be right back." Jerard ran to where the howl was. It was Jenna. "Oh no. Jenna's pups are here." Jerard picked up Jenna and carefully brought her to the room that Balto was watching Star in. He put some plastic gloves on and helped Jenna's pups be born. After 20 minutes, 8 pups were lying squash into their mom trying to get milk. Balto watched Star shake and shake when Jerard came up to him and said, "Go see your pups Balto. I will watch Star." So Balto jumped off the chair that he was sitting on and went to see Jenna and the pups. "How are my good kids?" Balto asked the pups. Then Balto noticed that that 4 of the pups were Jenna's colour. That is normal. But the other 4 were black and white. Steele's colour. "Um. Balto. I need to tell you something. These aren't your pups. They are Steele's pups." Jenna whispered. Balto asked, "Seriously?" "Yeah." Jenna said. She looked away from Balto. Balto nuzzled her. "No Balto. I am sorry. But I am with Steele." Balto couldn't believe it. He just lost Jenna. Jenna was the girl that he really loved. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. "I am sorry Balto." Jenna whispered. Balto turned away from her and went over to Star. He whispered to her. "Star. Steele. He was two timing you. He two timed you with Jenna." Balto was angry with Jenna. Infact he was so mad with her that he didn't even want to speak to her.

So then he went to sleep. He normally would have dreamed about Jenna, but now that he knew the truth, she had left his mind forever. When Balto woke up the next morning, he was shocked to see Star not on her bed. Jerard came in the room. "I am glad to see that you're up." His face was blotchy like he had been crying. "Balto. Come here boy." Balto was very confused. He wandered over to Jerard and looked at him with his eyes. He cocked his head. Jerard hugged Balto. Then Rosie came in. Her face was blotchy too. Now Balto was very confused. Jerard took Balto's ears and looked him directly in the eyes. "Listen boy. Star. She did have an infection in her leg. It spread and that was what was making her body go all crazy. In the middle of the night, she howled and the infection go so bad that........" Jerard paused. Balto was waiting. "she died. Last night. I am sorry boy." Balto took a minute to get the shock to hit him. Then he tore away from Jerard and he ran. He didn't know where he was going. He just ran. He thought about all the things and people he lost. He had lost Jenna. He had lost Tala. He had lost Boris from a gun accident with hunters. And now he lost his daughter. Balto ran out of the hospital and to the boiler room. He layed down on the blanket that he had dragged there a long time ago. He didn't care about anyone anymore. He only cared about Jerard, Rosie, and Mary. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't trust any animal anymore. He didn't realize that the whole time he was running and thinking that he was crying. He cryed so hard for his Star. He wished that he hadn't had made her go into the sled dog team tryouts. If he hadn't had tryed to make her, none of this would have happened. Even though it was only about lunch time, Balto closed his eyes. He only thought about who he had lost.

The End