Author's Note: This story takes place shortly after Balto returns after WQ.

WARNING: This is rated PG-13 for mild swearing and violence. If you don't like that, don't read it.

The characters Ren, Summer, and Niya are © by me and are not to be used without my permission. The rest are © by Universal.  The names Rok and Sem are © by me, the characters themselves are © by Universal.

Chapter 1

Kodi looked out at the ocean with a longing in his heart. He could hear the happy barking of sled dogs coming in with the mail from White Mountin. He could hear the eagerness in their barks as the came to a stop outside the post office.

That's where I belong, Kodi thought.  That's what I should be doing, just like my dad.  He shook his head, smiling, thinking of how his father had helped save many of the children in Nome from certian death. Of course Kodi didn't want to do that, but he did want to run on a sled team.

The young husky stood up and walked to his father's boat a little ways off on the shore.  "Dad, you in there?" he called as he got closer.

"Hey son," Balto said, poping his head out from behind a large stack of crates.  "It looks like something's on your mind," he noted.  "Wanna tell me what it is?"

"I... I want to be on the sled team," Kodi said slowly.  "Just like you were."

Balto smiled. "You know that it's a lot of hard work, right?"

Kodi nodded.  "I know.  But it's something I really want to do."

"Alright," Balto said.  "I'll help you to train and get ready for it."

They red and white husky grinned.  "Thanks Dad!" he cried, his grin getting bigger and bigger.

Balto nodded.  Trying to take after me, the wolf/dog thought.  And if he's anything like me, he'll be good at it.

The father and son raced down the sand shore, the waves washing up at their paws.  To the near by dogs, their paws looked like blurs.  They were moving fast and swift.  "Getting in touch with their inner wolf." as Balto said.

After running for a while, the two stoped and gazed out across the ocean again.  Laughing slightly, Kodi stood up again and leapt at Balto.  Balto jumped up and ran a few feet away and then stoped, his butt in the air.

"So ya wanna play, huh?" he chuckled.  "You'll have to catch me first."

Kodi wagged his tail and took off after his father.  He ran as fast as his paws would carry him and soon, he caught up.

"You're getting very good at this Kodi," Balto complemented as they came to a stop.

Panting, Kodi laughed.  "Hey, you're my dad, aren't ya?  You saved Nome!  I have to have gotten some trait from you."

The wolf/dog laughed, too.  "That you did my boy.  That you did."

Kodi proudly ran off again, the wind coursing through his fur.  He felt like he was flying. Then...

"Hey!" a female voice barked.

The young husky looked up to a beautiful husky.  "Uh..."

"Well aren't you gonna say your sorry?" she asked, smirking.

Kodi blinked again.  This husky looked almost just like Alue at first.  He shook his head and looked at his dad, who was walking over.

The female snorted.  "You're not gonna say sorry?"

"Oh! Uh. Sorry I ran into you," Kodi stammered.

Balto chuckled as he stopped.  "I see you've met Dusty."

Kodi looked back at the female husky.  He smiled a bit and as he went to back up, he tripped over his paws.

"You're a clumsy one, aren't you?" Dusty asked playfully.

Kodi growled.  "I'm not clumsy.  I'm just..."

"Tired," Balto filled in for him.  "You're tired."

Kodi nodded.  "Well, it was nice meeting you Dusty."

She laughed.  "So I take it you don't want me to help train ya."

"Train me?"

Dusty nodded.  "I'm on the mail team.  I have been for a whole week now."  She stood a bit taller as she said it.

The young red husky looked at her enviously.  "Well... I guess we can for a while."

Balto smiled as Dusty and Kodi ran off down the shore together.  Then he shook his head and walked back to his boat for a short rest.

Chapter 2

It had been one month since Kodi and Dusty had been practicing together.  Kodi was getting quite good, too.  He could outrun Dusty.  Kodi was almost always on the beach running up and down it.  Balto could tell he was improving and would soon be ready to be on the team.

"Hey son," Balto greeted Kodi, walking up to him.

Kodi stopped running, his breath coming in small puffs as he tried to catch it.  "Hi Dad.  I'm getting better.  Can't ya tell?"

Balto laughed.  "Yep.  I can definatly tell."

Kodi proudly stuck up his tail.  "Do you think I'm ready to be on the team?"

The wolf/dog thought for a second then nodded.  "But I think you should spend more time with your mother first.  She said you haven't been over to see her for a while."

Kodi lowered his head and tail.  "I've been really busy with all this traning.  Whenever I do go over, she's never home."

Balto sighed and turned to walk away.  "You should take some time out of all the traning then, son.  Your mother misses you."

Kodi watched Balto as he walked back to his boat.  He shook his head and started running along the shore again at a fast pace.  He continued like that for a while until he finally came to a stop.  His eyes fixed ahead of him, he say Jenna walking in the direction of the boiler room where the dogs all went to gossip and hang out.

"Hey Mom!" he howled as he ran up to her.

Jenna spun around in suprise.  "Kodi!" she barked happily.  "How are you?"  She nuzzled him and started to lick his ear.

The young male felt his face turn red.  "I'm fine Mother," he said, pulling away from Jenna.  "I got tired of training and decided to go to the boiler room to see if any of the dogs from the mail team are there."

"Oh," Jenna nodded and turned to walk to the boiler room.  Kodi noticed that she was walking a lot faster than usual, too.  Because she's mad at me, he told himslef.  She thought I was here to visit her and when I told her I wanted to see the dogs from the mail team, she got mad.  He walked a few feet behind her the rest of the way to the boiler room.  As they entered,  Kodi gave his mother one last look before he spotted Dusty along with two of the plumper dogs:  one a grayish male and the other a brown male.

"Hey guys," Kodi said, walking up to them.

Dusty smiled.  "Hey-ya Kodi.  What's up?"

The plumper of the two dogs, the grayish one, sat up.  "So you're Kodi."

"Heh.  You're the one Dust's been telling us about, aren't 'cha?" said the brownish one.

Kodi nodded.  "Yep.  I'm Kodi."

Dusty laughed.  Then she looked at the grayish husky.  "Don't mind Ralph.  He's just loves to do that."

The other dog laughed.  "And I'm Kirby."

The red husky smiled.  He hadn't even gotten onto the team yet and he already had friends.  He sat down next to Dusty and smiled bigger.

"So when are 'ya thinkin' about joining the team?" Kirby asked a few seconds latter.

Kodi thought for a moment.  "I don't know.  Soon I hope."

"Well you're in luck kid," Ralph comented.  "We just had a dog retire and old man Simpson is lookin' for another dog.  You may be just the one, too."

Kodi's ears perked up a bit more.  "How's he gonna pick the dog?"

Dusty smiled.  "The same way they picked which dogs were going to run the antitoxin back to Nome."

"Do you really think I'm ready, though?" he asked nerviously.

The female husky rolled her eyes.  "Duh.  You're gonna be a great member of the team, too."

The young male smiled.  "Ya really think so?"

"You are Balto's son, right?" Kriby asked.

Kodi nodded.  "But that doesn't mean anything."

Dusty laughed.  "His blood runs in you.  You're bound to be a good sled dog."

Laughing, Kodi stood up.  He looked around the room and spotted his mother.  Her ears were down and she looked slightly depressed.  Sighing, Kodi looked away.  He felt bad about how he had been treating Jenna recently, but he had to train for the big race.  He really wanted to be on the mail team.  She had stood by his father's side when he went to save the lost sled team.  But that's because Rosy was dying! he reminded himself.

"Hey, you ok Kodi?" Dusty asked quietly, gazing into his face.

The husky shook his head.

"Well what's wrong?" Ralph asked.

"Nothing."

The trio sighed and looked at their friend.

"You'd better go home and get some sleep," Kriby said.  "You're gonna have a big day tomorrow."

Kodi cocked his head.  "Tomorrow?  What's tomorrow?"

"The big race, that's what," Dusty laughed.  "Now go get some sleep."

Kodi nodded and walked slowly out of the boiler room.  As he walked past Jenna, he tried to catch her eye, but she refused to look at him.  Ashamed of himself, Kodi dropped his tail lower and picked up the pace.  He didn't like the idea of his mother being mad at him, but he didn't want to do anything at the moment either.  When this is all done, I'll talk to her, he told himself.

Sighing, Kodi walked the rest of the way to his owner's house.  He looked up at the stars as he walked into the shed where he often slept at night.  He never was one to like being inside.  When he was a pup, he didn't care, but now that he was over a year old, he loved being outside.  It wasn't until Balto had told him that he was part wolf that he understood.

Picking up his blanket, he set it down in the corrner.  Kodi walked in a few circles until it felt just right and then laid down.  He looked out the open door and put his head on his paws.  After a few moments, sleep finally found Kodi.

Chapter 3

Kodi awoke to the sound of barking.  He lifted his red head up and shook.  Yawning, the young male looked around him.  It wasn't until he stood and walked out of the shed that he realized what he would be doing during the day.

"The race!" he said, his voice almost a yelp.

The red husky turned to the sound of laughing.  "Did your blanket bite you, son?" Balto asked.

Kodi laughed.  "Dad," he laughed.  "You know I have my big day today."

Balto nodded.  "But aren't you going to make up with your mother?  She's pretty upset about last night."

Kodi thought for a moment then it all came back to him.  He had been horrible to his mother, who had only wanted to reconnect with him.  All Jenna wanted was to be included in his life and he had shoved her back out.  The young husky shook his head.  "Dad, I was so mean to her."

The wolf/dog nodded.  "She told me all about it..."

The red husky looked down in shame.  Balto saying that made him feel even more guilty.  He wished he could just go back in time, back to when he first started to train for the mail team, so he could re conect with Jenna.  But he knew that was impossible.  So it's not even worth wishing for if it won't happen, Kodi told himself. 

He looked up at the sky.  There were a few birds flying gracefully.  Kodi turned back to Balto.  "I'll go visit Mom after the race," he said.

The wolf/dog sighed and turned around.  "Alright.  It's up to you," he paused for a moment.  "Good luck today."

"Thanks."

Kodi watched as Balto walked away, the feeling of guilt mounting every moment.  He wanted to go visit Jenna, but he also wanted to be a mail dog.  That had been his goal for a while, he just hadn't told anyone.  Kodi knew that if he talked to his mother more, than she would be supporting of him.  But he hadn't.  He let his dream come between them.  "And I was stupid for it," he said outloud.

The husky walked away from his shed and went out to look for Dusty and the other two.  At least with them, he'd have something to take his mind off his betrayal to his mother.  He sighed again as he saw about fifteen dogs gathered around one area.  He looked around and spoted Dusty. 

"What's going on?" he asked as he came up to her.

Dusty looked at him.  "Oh, nothing really.  Some stupid dogs are getting into a fight trying to make some others just go home and not race."

Kodi shook his head.  "Why?"

The female laughed.  "It's just something that those boneheads do."

The red husky  nodded.  It didn't make a lot of sence to him, but then again, Kodi wan't that familair with how most of the town dogs acted.  He was just about to walk away when he heard a savage growl behind him.

"Trun around you spinless coward!" a large black and white husky snarled.

Kodi spun around and looked at his challenger.  He wagged his tail a little, trying to show he didn't want to fight.  "Uh... Hi?"

"Don't you 'hi' me!" he snarled.  "I'm going to get this spot, got that pup?"

The red husky let out a laugh.  "I've been training to get this spot, and I'm going to get it."

The black husky took a step back, a look of confusion spreading across his face.  "Did you just... talk back to me pup?" he let out another snarl as he lundged at Kodi.

Kodi yelped and jumped back.  He didn't want to fight, but he could see no other way around it.  The red husky bit the black one on his front paw, feeling the matallic taste of blood running down his throat.  He almost gagged when he first felt it, but the thought quickly went away.  The only thing running through his mind right now was the will to win.  To beat the black husky.

The young red husky let go of his challenger's paw.  He could see that he had done some damage to it.  Not thinking, Kodi turned his back on the larger dog only to be pulled back and thrown to the ground.  The black husky loomed over Kodi, making him whimper.  Thinking quickly, Kodi rolled out from under the larger dog and jumped behind him, bitting the back of his neck.

The black husky howled in pain.  He tried to shake of the smaller dog, but just couldn't.  Kodi had a good grip on the back of his neck.  Then the black dog ran wildly to the nearby fence and slamed Kodi into it.  The dazed red husky slumped off, laying in the snow.

"That'll teach you to mess with me," the black husky snarled.

Another black husky, this one female, ran up.  "Ren," she cried, "you're hurt!"

Ren shook of her concern.  "I'll be fine Summer."  The large male glarred at the red husky on the ground.  "He won't be bothering me again."

The two black huskies walked off, Ren growling at Kodi once more as they turned the corner and disapeared from sight.

"Kodi, are you ok?" Kirby asked as he walked over to the unmoving husky.

The red husky stirred a bit and looked up.  He tried to stand, but promptly fell over.  "What just happened?" he asked from the ground.

Dusty walked over and licked him.  "Well, Ren just beat the crap out of 'ya pretty much.  But you fought back at least."

Kodi nodded and stood back up, this time staying up.  He looked around at the croud of dogs gathered around them.  The husky let out a small laugh and walked away with Dusty, Kirby, and Ralph.  He didn't want to be the center of attention right now.

"You're still going to race, right?" Dusty asked, a hint of worry flooding her voice.

Kodi nodded.  "I plan on winning, too.  I really want to be on the main team with you guys."

Dusty smiled and turned her head.  When the group stopped walking, they were outside Kodi's shed.  He looked at them and smiled, walking in.  "I'll see you guys later."

The trio nodded and walked back toward their musher.  Kodi watched them go.  He wished he could go with them, but he knew that he would have to rest before the big race.  The one that would change his life forever.  For better or for worse, he could only hope.

Chapter 4

A few hours later, Kodi woke with a start.  He shook himself off and peered out of the shed.  He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep.  Crap, he thought.  The race!

Kodi dashed out of the shed and to the spot that the race would be starting.  Luckily, all the other dogs were also just arriving.  The red husky looked around.  All the dogs there were there were very fast.  The thought of heading home crossed his mind quickly, but he didn't.  The young dog walked to the staring line, wagging his tail slightly and searching for Ren and Summer.

A gunshoot quickly grabbed his attention.  The other dogs around him ran to the starting line.  They all stood up right in a perfect line.  There was an eagerness in the air.  Some dogs let out a bark and others just wagged their tail.  Kodi was about to say something to the dog next to him when there was another loud blast.

"The first one to go across the finish line will be the newest member of the mail team," a redish/cream colored female husky said.  Kodi guessed she was the one that had retired.  "I will be looking forward to rewarding the winner.  Good luck to you all."

All the dogs barked in return as the redish/cream female dashed away to the finish line.  There was another gun shoot and all the huskies took off, their legs a blur beneath their bodies.  Kodi could feel his heart pounding, but it filled him with joy.  Speeding up, he passed five dogs at once.  Looking around, he saw there were only three more ahead of him.

"Go Kodi!"  Dusty's voice drifted to him for the sidelines.  Kodi's heart leapt at her voice and filled him with even more energy:  the energy he needed to push past two more huskies.  His eyes were now set on the one in front of him.  Just has he was about to pass the last one, he felt his paws fly out from underneath him.

Kodi felt the breath getting knocked from his lungs as he hit the ground.  He looked up and saw Ren passing him with a snarl on his face.  The red husky leapt to his feet and pushed himself harder than ever.  He could see Ren doing the same, though.  Kodi watched as the black husky pulled ahead of the dog that had been ahead.  Now all that was keeping Kodi from his dream was Ren.

The finish line was getting ever closer.  They were almost upon it now.  Kodi felt as if he just wanted to stop, to let Ren win, but he pushed himself onward.  He could not let that dog get it. 

The finish line was within five yards.  Just as Kodi thought he was going to lose, he passed the black husky.  Pushing himself on even harder than before, Kodi passed the line. 

He had won.

Panting hard, Kodi looked over to Dusty, who was running over to him.  "You did it!" she cried, nuzziling him.

Kodi smilied.  "I did, didn't I."

The redish/cream husky walked over, a smile on her face.  "You did a great job today," she said, her tail wagging. 

"Thank you... Uh..."

"Niya," the husky said, smiling.

Kodi nodded politely.  "Thank you Niya."

Niya laughed.  "Such a polite young lad.  You'll be a delight for Mr. Simpson to have with the team."

The young male swelled with pride.  His dream had come true.  He was finally a member of the main team.  He almost couldn't believe it, but he knew it was true.

"Right now the only big thing you need to know is the team members," Niya continued.  "I see you've already met Dusty, Kirby, and Ralph."  She looked around and spotted the other members of the team.  One was a brownish male husky that looked similar to Balto and the other was also a male and bit darker than Kirby.  "This," Niya said, looking at the brownish male, "is Rok.  And this," she continued, turning to the other dog, "is Sem."

Rok and Sem bowed their heads.  "Welcome to the team," they both said.

"We are glad to have you," Sem continued.  "You are sure to be as great as your father."

Kodi smiled.  Then the thought of his father crossed him mind.  He winced as he remembered their conversation earlier.  I'll go apoligize as soon as I'm done here, he thought.  "I'm glad to be on the team," he told them, wagging his tail.

Niya smiled, then started to look Kodi over.  "Yes... You'll be very good as a wheel dog."

The red husky nodded.  He had been hoping for lead dog, but he knew that it wouldn't happen that quickly.  Kodi knew he would have to prove himself first.  He was just happy to be on the team and have the second more important position.

The group talked a while longer before Sem and Rok went off to go to the boiler room.  Kirby, too, left followed by Ralph.  It was only Dusty, Kodi, and Niya now.  The red male smiled.  He hoped his father would be proud of him.  Just as he was about to say something, he turned and saw Balto walking up to them.

"Hey son," he said, his voice somewhat stiff.

Kodi hung his head slightly.  "Hello Dad."

Niya and Dusty looked at the two males.  Sensing the tension, they said their good-byes and left the father and son to talk alone.

"Dad," Kodi started. "I'm... sorry for this morning."

Balto nodded.  He gazed at his son.  "It's not be you have to say sorry to.  It's your mother."

The red male looked up.  "I tried to talk to her yesterday, but she didn't want to see me."

"No," Balto told him.  "She's hurt and just needs to know that you still care.  She is your mother after all.  Don't you at least owe her that?"

Kodi sighed.  "Is she at home?"

The older wolf/dog nodded.  He smiled slightly as Kodi walked toward Jenna's home.  He was glad that Kodi was finally going to patch things up with her.  He walked to his boat and laid down, letting his thoughts soar over the recent events, letting sleep finally take him.

Chapter 5

Kodi walked up to his mother's home.  "Mom, are you there?" he barked.  He perked his ears up a little, not hearing anything.  After five minutes, he went up to the window.  Even when he looked in, he couldn't see Jenna. 

As he got down, a scent caught his attention.  Kodi followed it to a pool of blood.  "Mom," he gasped, fear flooding his thoughts.  He could tell there had been a struggle.  Gathering his thoughts, he ran toward Balto's boat as fast as he could.

"Dad!" he howled.

Balto quickly leapt to his feet.  He could tell by Kodi's tone that something was wrong.  "What happened?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Mom..." Kodi panted, trying to catch his breath.

"What about Jenna?"

The red husky looked toward the town.  "She... blood... fight."

Balto jumped down from the boat and ran into the town and straight to Jenna's home.  He could smell the blood getting stronger and stronger the closer he got.  Finally he found a large blood trail leading to a dark ally.

"Dad, let me go," Kodi told him.  He was still panting, but he had almost caught his breath.  "It's my fault and I have to try to fix it."

Balto nodded reluctantly and watched his son bravely walk down the dark ally.  He held his tail high, but it started to drop as he spoted a red figure laying at a werid angle in the blood soaken snow.

"Mom?"  Kodi crept near her body, perparing himself for the worst.  His heart leapt when he saw her move.  His joy, however, was cut short.

"Hello pup," Ren snarled, steping out from the shadows.  "Come to save your mom?"

Kodi snarled.  "Leave her out of this bastard!"

The black husky laughed.  "You just don't stop, do you?  I kicked you tail and you come back for more."

The red husky growled again.  "You had no reason to attack her!"

"Didn't I?  You embaressed me today.  I had to pay you back."

With that, Ren lundged at Kodi's throat, missing it.  Kodi leapt at him, knocking the larger husky to the ground, snarling.  He put his paw on Ren's throat, pushing down.

"Kodi!" Balto barked from a few feet away.  "Kodi, don't do it.  You're better than that.  Just let him up and I'll take care of him."

The red husky looked up at this father and then back at Ren.  He looked at his foe with such venom and hatred, it even suprised him.  Finally he took his paw off and ran to Jenna's side.

Kodi didn't look back as he heard a yelp.  But as he heard a loud and savage growl, he did.  Balto had forced Ren to the ground and stood over him, his deadly teeth inches from the black husky's muzzle.

"Leave Nome now and I'll spare your life," he growled.  "Got it?"

Ren nodded, fear flowing from his eyes.  With a snort of aversion, Balto let him up, watching as he ran to the forest starting at the outskirts of Nome.

Kodi turned back to his mother and nuzzled her neck.  "Mom," he said gently.  "I'm here."

"Kodi?"  Jenna's voice was weak.

Kodi nodded.  "Yes Mom.  It's me."

She smiled.  "I love you Kodi."

"I love you too Mom," he told her.

Kodi looked to his father who was now walking towards them.  Turing back to his mother, he licked her.

"Hey Jen," Balto said, smiling a bit.

Jenna laughed.  "There you are tough guy."  Kodi noticed her voice was already a lot stronger.

The female tried to sit up, but fell back down again.  Leaning down against her, Balto helped her up.  "Kodi has something to tell you," he said.

Jenna looked to her son.  "Yes," her eyes seemed to lookin into his very soul.

"Mom," Kodi started.  "I know I was being a jerk and I'm sorry.  I just got so wrapped up in this sled dog stuff that I forgot what was more important.  Family."

Jenna's eyes shone with tears.  She looked from her mate to her son, smiling.  "It's alright son," she said, her voice flowing with emotion.

Kodi let a grin spread across his face.  Looking from Balto to Jenna, he realized that the three were now as close as they had ever been.