Steele's Surprise (Part Two)

"Well, now what do we do?"  Jenna looked to Balto anxiously.  The two mates were trying to solve a new and unexpected problem; new because they had just discovered it five minutes ago, and unexpected because it involved their arch-enemy, Steele.

"I really don't know, Jen.  I don't know how we can tell him about it because, well, you know how he feels about wolfdogs.  If he finds out that he's DATING one-"

Jenna put a paw over his mouth.  "Hush," she said, as several other dogs glanced their way as they passed by.

"Mmmph."  Jenna took her small paw off Balto's muzzle, and he continued in a whisper.  "What I'm trying to say is, we need a plan of action, and fast."

"Well," Jenna contemplated, "we could catch Treble alone-that is her name, isn't it?"

"Yes," Balto urged her.  "Go on."

"We could catch her alone sometime and tell her how Steele feels about wolfdogs like herself.  After all, she's got to know if they're going to become mates."

"But what if he finds out that we told her?  He'd hate me even more than he does now, if that's even possible."

Jenna chuckled, though whether because of Balto's dry comment or her own idea, he didn't know.  "Then what if we came and told her..."  The whispering dropped to a low murmur, and the plan was discussed and the details agreed upon.

"I never thought I'd be doing this," Balto muttered fifteen minutes later, standing up, "but I'll do it.  Not for Steele, of course, but for Treble."

"Agreed," said Jenna solemnly, and the two of them went their separate ways for the time being.

The following morning dawned over the small town of Nome.  It peeked over the horizon just in time to see Treble go out on a walk.  By now she knew Steele well enough to know that he wasn't awake just yet, and while she was all alone, she decided that a peaceful stroll was just what she needed.  Besides, she reasoned, there'll be no other dogs out and about yet.

Or so she thought. 

A shaggy-looking dog was approaching her lazily.  He was lean, and his brown legs were long, but he wasn't particularly tall.  When they neared each other, he greeted her with a drawling, "Hello, miss."

"Hi there."  What's he doing up so early? she thought.

"I heard Steele's taken a fancy to you.  A big, solid black-and-white fella, isn't he?"

"Why, yes."

"Well, he likes wolfish girls, and you seem to be the type.  No wonder he likes you."

"You think so?"  Balto caught the flicker of fear dancing through her chestnut eyes, but they soon cleared.

"'Course I do.  You better know that he likes a good howler!"

"You're kidding."

"No'm, I'm not.  And he enjoys a good growl when he's frustrated.  Thinks it's a good quality in a girl.  But don't sweat it, I'm sure he likes you just the way you are."  With a wink and a slow smile, the brown shaggy dog swung back up the street and continued on his meandering way.

"My goodness," Treble breathed.  "Howling.  Growling.  Who'd have thought?"  She continued her walk at an even slower pace then before.

At Nome's outskirts, Balto finally turned around.  He'd imagined that Treble's questioning eyes had been following him.  But he'd played his part well.  Now it was Jenna's turn.

Steele rose when the sun was high enough in the sky to wash over him in his trash can.  Shaking himself off with a rattle, he stepped out, yawning.

"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt your morning ritual, Steele."

He jumped.  A gorgeous red-and-white husky that he recognized all too well was standing before him.  He swallowed.  "Hi there, uh, Jenna."

"Hey.  Congratulations on finding the right girl."  She winked, then stepped primly along.  Steele felt inclined to follow her.

"Yeah.  Nice-looking, isn't she?"  Steele puffed himself up.

"A little rough around the edges, but pretty in a-wild sort of way."  Jenna was tempted to look over her shoulder to get his reaction but resisted.

Steele raised his eyebrows.  "You think so?"

"Yeah.  Have you ever noticed how she-howls a lot?  And growls when things get her frustrated?"

"No, I haven't, actually."  There was a slight, barely perceptible edge to his voice.

"Well, you should watch for it sometime, but still she's a nice girl.  Anyways, I've gotta run.  See ya."  The female husky trotted down the street and broke into a gallop once she was out of sight of her former admirer.  I hope Balto got through his part of the plan.

To Balto and Jenna's surprise, Treble and Steele weren't together that day.  "I hope we didn't..."  Jenna bit her lip as they walked down the street that evening.

"Break them up?  I doubt it."  Balto shook his head.  "They're probably trying to decide what to do with our advice."

"I hope so, Balto."

Treble glanced nervously at herself in a cracked and frozen mirror in a dumpster.  I hope that guy's right.  She shrugged.  He seemed like he knew Steele pretty well.  But why, then, has Steele never mentioned him?  Gazing at herself one last time, she headed over to Steele's proprietary trash bin.

"Hey, there!"  He greeted her.

"Hey."  Treble didn't meet his warm gaze.

"Are you okay?"  Steele peered at her.

Treble swiped him on the cheek with her tongue.  "Of course I am!"

Steele shrugged.  "Whatever you say."

Nearby, Balto and Jenna watched closely as they walked out of sight.  As soon as the coast was clear, they both slid silently across the ground.  Balto pricked his ears as they talked.

"Hey Steele," Treble began, "I met this guy the other day."

"Mmm."

"He was kinda brownish, and long, but not tall," she said slowly, trying to describe her thoughts.

"Mmm."

"He said-he said you like wolfish qualities in a girl.  Is that true?"  The words were out before Treble could stop them.  Time seemed to stand still.  Five yards behind them, Balto and Jenna froze, exchanging nervous glances.

"Who said this?"  Steele's gaze was stern, reprimanding; yet he refused to look at her.  She didn't like the looks of that.

"I-I told you.  I don't know his name.  Is-is it true?"

Steele looked away.

Jenna chose that moment to step out into the street.  Balto nearly cried out, but he held his tongue, hoping upon hope that his mate had a plan.

"Hey, guys."  Her face was composed, but Balto knew her well.  He could tell by the way she carried herself that she didn't have a plan.  He sighed softly.  We're doomed.

"Oh.  It's you.  Hi."  Steele glanced at Jenna.

"Balto, where are you?"  Jenna called out, pretending to look for the wolfdog.  Not sure what Jenna was doing, Balto decided to step into the open on a flash decision.  "Here I am!" he coughed out.  His throat was dry.  "You're fast, Jen," the hybrid choked, attempting to sound casual in front of his bitter enemy.

Jenna said nothing but continued to walk by Treble and Steele.  It didn't take Treble long (she was a clever dog) to figure out who Balto was.

"I know you!" she cried.  "So you're Balto.  Why didn't you tell me your name earlier?"

"You've met before?"  Steele's eyes flashed fire.

"Yes.  He's the dog I-I told you about," his girlfriend replied, stumbling over her words.  Steele looked more dangerous than she'd ever seen him.

"Jenna, duck!"  Balto growled between clenched teeth.

"Balto, this is no time to be bringing Boris into this-"

"Jenna, I mean DUCK!"  He whirled around to face Steele a second before a giant white paw would've smashed into Jenna in rage.

"BALTO!" Jenna cried out in horror at the exact same moment that Treble screamed, "STEELE!"  The two females cowered behind a barrel as their male partners clashed in the street, sending snow flying. 

The waiting for the fight to end soon became unbearable for Jenna.  Unlike Treble, she knew that this wouldn't be a quick and easy fight.  Balto and Steele were going to fight to the death if something didn't happen to stop them.  "Treble," she half-shouted over the din of the battle ensuing before them, "we've got to stop them!"

"Right," said Treble bravely.  Suddenly, Jenna felt admiration and respect for this female wolfdog.  Steele wasn't even her mate, and yet, even facing his bad qualities, she was willing to fight for his life.  "Let's go."

The fight was ferocious; the upper hand was changing by turns constantly.  First Steele would weigh Balto down with his purebred mass, then Balto would slip away and repeatedly pound his opponent with his agile, wolfish agility.  

"Why are you doing this, Steele?"  Balto grunted as he swiped at the husky's shoulder.  "Why do we have to fight it out like this?"

"Because I'm strong and fearless, and you're a wimp.  Always refusing to fight, you were.  And you obviously-haven't--CHANGED!"  With a roar he hurled Balto to the ground.  Balto smashed against a crate and fell limp.

That was the signal for the two femme fatales.  Jenna and Treble, hackles raised and teeth glittering, advanced towards Steele.  "Oh, Balto's changed, all right," Jenna muttered.  "Changed in that he's smart enough to PLAY DEAD!"

Steele looked aghast first at Jenna and then at Balto's still form, and the plan seemed to be working, but Jenna and Treble needed Balto to rise up to complete the scheme.  But he didn't.  They couldn't even tell if he was breathing or not.

Suddenly there was a change of plans as Jenna launched her small frame at the hulking mass of Steele.  "Aargh--bluugheh!" said Steele as Jenna toppled him over and went for his throat.  Once she found it, she held it down with one delicate forepaw.  She had made sure that he could still breathe; he could've turned on her at any moment.  Her tiny paw was no match for his abundant strength.  But the look in her eyes reminded Steele of a certain other pair--a pair with haunting gold and glinting red irises, just after Steele's merciless howling about the dog's deceased mother had aroused them to fury.  Steele kept perfectly still.

"What have you DONE TO HIM?!"  Jenna cried.  Her breathing came fast and raspy.  Steele saw love and pride and fierce anguish in her amber eyes.  For one horrible second he felt bad about the fight; but he was over it quickly.  Still he did not move.

After several painful seconds between them (Treble stood motionless to the side), Balto stirred.  With wild barks of joy Jenna ran to him and wagged her tail.  Taking advantage of the situation, Steele was trying to rise to his feet.  But to his utter shock, Treble was suddenly upon him, and her eyes held an unspoken warning.

"What are you doing?" Steele hissed from the ground, glaring at Balto, who was grinning faintly up at Jenna, and Jenna herself, who was licking and nuzzling her mate repeatedly.

"What are you doing?"  Her voice was soft, but Treble's eyes were sharply on Steele's face.

"I didn't...tell you," gasped Steele; he was short of breath from the pressure of her surprisingly large paw.  All of a sudden all of the husky's attention was riveted on that paw.  Steele gazed up at Treble with a look of revelation and shock.

"Didn't tell me what?"  A little shaken by Steele's countenance, she nonetheless pressed for an answer.

"That-that Jenna was my old love," he wheezed.  He motioned frantically for Treble to let up the pressure on his throat, but she held it there.

"She what?"

"Yes, but that was then.  I don't care about her.  I've had plenty of chances to be with her, but I stayed with...you."  He stopped to gasp for air.  The pressure on his throat released, and Steele choked, drawing in great gulps of oxygen.  He gazed at Treble pleadingly and found that she had taken several steps back.  "Well, then," she whispered, glancing at Balto, who was silently watching, "there's something I must confess to you."

"Anything," Steele said, recovering from lack of air and turning all  of his attention on her.

"I'm...Steele, I'm half wolf."  Treble tried to keep looking at the ground, but it began to swim, and her eyes forced her to take a glance at Steele's reaction.  "My mother was a husky and my father was a...was a..."

Steele's jaw had dropped, and he snapped it shut so hard he winced.  "Well...I...well..."  He struggled for words and found none.

"You don't want to be with me anymore, do you?" Treble whispered, breaking the awkward silence.  "That's why you don't like Balto, isn't it?"  She glanced over at the wolfdog.  "You hate him.  What's the difference between us?"  She looked close to tears.

"No...that's okay," Steele murmured.  "It's going to work out.  It will.  And...I still love you."

"You really do?"  Treble looked slightly doubtful, but there was a definite hope that shone in her expressive eyes.

"I really do.  C'mon, let's go."  Abruptly Steele heaved to his feet.  Wincing, he threw a paw across her slim shoulders.  Smiling through misty eyes, the hybrid leaned her shoulder against his to support his weight as they half-walked, half-limped down the street together.

"Well, what do you think of that?" Balto cried as soon as they were out of earshot.  "He HATES me because of that very thing-my heritage-but when he finds a girl, he just never gives up, does he?"

Jenna chuckled softly.  "I'll bet he tells her to keep a secret. Deep down, he knows that neither I nor you would tell a thing, even though he pretends that you're a rascal..."

"But I am," Balto interrupted, and Jenna hugged him.  "That you are.  Shall we go to Rosie's and get you cleaned up?  You could use a bath."  She giggled warmly.

"So could you, miss."  Balto raised a large paw-larger even that Treble's-and swiped a bit of soot from Jenna's delicate nose.  He laughed.

Four months later...

"So, Balto, how are your kids treatin' ya?"  A sled dog on Nome's mail team nudged the wolfdog on the shoulder in passing.  The day was warm and beautiful, and everyone felt like being outside, on the job or not.

Balto smiled happily.  "They're coming along just fine."  Jenna had recently given birth to six beautiful pups, and Balto was surely the proudest dog in Alaska.

"Did ya hear the news?" asked the dog amiably.  Balto shook his head no in reply.  "Well, they say that Steele's husky mate's"-he lowered his voice and raised a paw over his mouth-"pregnant."

"You don't say," said Balto guardedly, his own children suddenly forgotten.

"Yeah.  With two purebreds like that, they're gonna have a lot of little sled racers on their paws, aren't they?"  He smiled quietly.

Balto threw back his head and laughed.  The sled dog looked at him strangely, and he was forced to check himself.  Remember, he told himself, he doesn't know what you know.  "Yes," Balto got out between subsiding chuckles, "yes, they most certainly are."  He smiled broadly at the bewildered dog and went off to tell Jenna.

Balto, Jenna, Steele, Boris (c) Universal

Treble (c) Iditarod