WHATS UP GUYS. Before I start this chapter I want to thank Redwalllover28 as well as steelefan for being the first two reviewers of this story! I am personally a fan of steelefan and his stories! Before writing this I read his "Him or You?" story and loved it!

Chapter 2: The Morning After

The sun was just coming up when Balto finally gave up on sleep. He had been tossing and turning all night because of two things: All the pain his muscles were giving him from the journey, and his thoughts about that infamous white wolf he saw when he fell off the cliff during his journey. He was standing on a boat just outside of Nome which he made into a home. As he looked at the purple sky he was thinking about everything that has happened up to this point in his life…

He was born.

His mother left him in this Boat for some reason.

He met Boris, who took him in and raised him.

He got made fun of for being part-wolf.

He met Jenna and Rosy.

He met Steele.

He ran around 674 miles in total to get the medicine to Nome.

He became a hero.

"Hero…" Balto said under his breath which he could see because of the cold.

"Balto, why are you up so early?" Boris asked in his thicccc Russian accent.

"Sorry Boris, was I thinking too loud and woke you up?" He teased

"I don't know, why don't you ask…-sigh- Is to early to think of come back" Boris said sitting down next to Balto as the Goose and Canine watched the sun rise.

"Hey Boris.. Can I ask you something about my pup hood?" Balto asked breaking the silence.

"Of course boychik"

"Well.. did you um.. See my mother drop me off?" he asked looking at Boris then back at the horizon

"I didn't see anything other than you kiddo" Boris said and then Balto looked down and his ears fell back

"Oh." Was all he said. Then Boris looked at him sad and remembered something

"I did hear something though."

"What did you hear?" Balto asked, his ears shooting up

"Lots of barking and howling. Is why I stopped flying and landed on boat. I was curious bird" he said looking at the spot on the boat where he landed.

"Do you.. Do you think she was in trouble?" Balto asked in a hesitant tone

"Look Balto" Boris started as he put his wing on Baltos shoulder

"I think that she WAS in trouble and dropped you here to protect you.. Not because she didn't want you." He finished as Balto looked at the town again.

"She probably made it though, especially if she is strong like you" Boris said walking over to pick up a mop and start cleaning the boat. Balto remembered the white wolf he saw after his fall, and their howl together. Then how she vanished.

"I'm not so sure about that" he said quiet enough for Boris not to hear it. Then Boris started speaking

"So what are plans for to-"

"UNCLE BORIIIISSSSSS!"

"Oh no.. no.. Balto help me" Boris said putting the bucket over his head.

Balto chuckled and then moved a step to the right in perfect timing as Muk and Luk jumped up onto the boat right where he was standing before.

"What do you BEARS want!?" Boris asked in anger

"We want to play uncle Boris!" Muk stated as Luk started humming in agreement

"Okay! Okay! How about we play HIDE AND DON'T SEEK" Boris said then Muk and Luk exchanged glances then looked back at Boris

"That sounds fun uncle Boris!" Muk said as Luk nodded so fast you'd think his neck would break

"Wait that worked?" Boris quietly asked himself then smiled and looked at them

"Okay! I'll count first and you two idio- I mean lovely boys will hide. Da?"

"Alright uncle Bo-"

"One. Two.." before Boris could say three the bears were running towards the forest and Boris started chuckling

"Haha! I finally found out how to have peace with no bears!"

"That's great Boris but don't forget that they're out there. It's a dangerous place" Balto said looking towards the forest

"Of course! I will get them in an hour.. Maybe two… maybe four.."

"Boris…"

"Is just joke Balto!" Boris said as he kept mopping and chuckling to himself

"Right.. Well i'm going to see Jenna."

"Alright but be back soon" Boris said

"Of course.. I'll be back in an hour.. Maybe two… maybe four.." Balto said as he was jumping off the boat and walking away

"OKAY I get it!" Boris said as he watched Balto walk towards the city.

As Balto was walking into town he was instantly greeted by men and women walking to work.

"There's my sons hero" a man said as he pet him while he passed

"Good morning Balto" a woman said as she scratched his ear and then kept walking

It wasn't only people who were greeting him, there were also dogs too!

"Hey handsome" a pretty female husky said as he walked by and she moved her tail under his chin

"Baltoooo how's it going homes?" a male malamute said with a mexican accent

"Not so bad" Balto said as he made his way to Jennas.

He was almost there when he passed the boiler room and was summoned

"Balto!" he heard a voice say as it was Kaltag. Balto ran over

"Hey Kaltag. Whats up?"

"Hey man, come in the boiler room, some humans dropped off some meat and fresh water for all the dogs that were on the team with the medicine" Kaltag stated.

Balto thought for a second.. He was pretty hungry.

"Maybe later I'm going to see Jenna right now"

"Oh alright. She is pretty hot I'd choose her over a meal too" Kaltag said chuckling as Balto did as well

"See you around" Balto said as he started walking off but then Kaltag spoke again

"Hey Balto?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks again man. We really can't thank you enough for saving our tails.. You're the most selfless! The most courageous! The most a-"

"You're welcome Kaltag" Balto said cutting him off from his compliments

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat" he said and then walked off to Jennas.

When he finally made it there he was thinking about how he would get her attention when one of her owners, Rosys dad, walked out of the door.

"Well hello there Balto" he said with a smile on his face and Balto started panting happily as William pet him.

"You want to see Jenna huh?" he asked and Balto nodded

"Well go on in boy, I trust you with my life" he said as he held the door open for Balto to walk in. He walked in and William closed the door and headed off to work.

As Balto looked around he saw beautiful furniture and clean floors. It smelled of bacon probably because that's what William had for breakfast. As Balto walked in he scraped his feet on the mat by the front door so he didn't make a mess of the floor. He heard pots and pans in the kitchen and walked in seeing Rosys mother cleaning the dishes in the sink. She looked down and jumped a bit at the sight of Balto standing there

"Oh Balto! Hello honey. I guess I have to get used to you being around here" she said as she walked over and crouched down to pet him.

"Thanks to you my daughter is making a full recovery. She should be out of the hospital this week" she said in excitement and with a smile.

Balto was relieved to hear this news. Rosy is possibly the sweetest girl he has ever known and she wouldn't deserve to die of diphtheria.

"Make yourself at home dear" she said before kissing him on the top of his head and standing up to continue cleaning.

Balto walked around and found a room that was dark due to curtains over the windows. He saw a small bed, Rosys bed, and next to it was a basket. In that basket lied the beautiful husky that he could call his girlfriend.

"Jenna" he whispered and smiled. Jenna woke up and looked at him smiling back even bigger than he was.

"Hello Balto" she said with a yawn. Her eyes shifted from Balto to her basket and then back to Balto as if to tell him to come. He smiled and walked over to her getting into the basket with her and nuzzling her while she nuzzled back.

"Rosy will be out of the hospital this week" Balto said when Jenna laid her head on his side.

"That's great news Balto" She said bringing her head up to him and then licking his muzzle. Balto smiled. He went from being an outcast, loser, and useless 'half breed' to a likable hero with the most amazing girl he could possibly have.

His muscles tensed up and he cringed from the pain.

"Balto, what's wrong?" Jenna asked with concern

"Nothing too serious.. My muscles just keep tensing and cramping because they're all torn" he answered as he let out a sigh of relief as the pain ended.

"Here let me help" she said as she rolled on her back and slowly pushed him down onto her stomach so his head was on her chest.

"This is what I see Rosys parents do when one of them has muscle pains" she said as she started massaging Baltos shoulders. Balto let out a groan of pain but it was good because it meant Jenna was working out the muscle knots. She then moved to his front leg calf muscles, which hurt the most. After Baltos massage he felt relaxed and ready to run another 600 miles… but uh.. He definitely didn't want to.

"Jenna.. That was incredible" Balto said as he stood up over her

"Well I can't stand to see you in pain" she said with a smile. Balto went down and kissed her passionately. When he pulled away he said

"You're amazing" while he shaked his head with a smile

"So are you" she said smiling back after opening her eyes from their kiss.

Balto and Jenna finally left the room and walked into the kitchen where there were two bowls on the ground with leftover breakfast in them. They ate but when Balto finished he looked up and out the living room window.

"Balto?" was all Jenna said

"Something's not right" he said still looking out the window

"How do you figure?" she asked

"Well, ever since I was a pup I always had a sense of when Boris was in trouble.. I can't explain it but I just know"

"Let's go make sure he's ok" Jenna said and they ran out a doggy door that Balto completely missed while he was looking for a way inside.

"Seriously?" he asked himself as they exited the house.

The two lovers ran as fast as they could to Baltos boat but when they got there… There it was.. Blood on the floor of the boat.

Another cliffhanger! I'm a jerk I know hehe. Another shout out to steelefanfor taking the time to read this. AND A SHOUT OUT TO ALL YOU READERS! 3