A/N I'd like to start off by saying happy Veteran's Day to all of y'all, and second I'd like to say thank you to all of those vets who have served this country and have given their lives to keep me free. Lastly I'd like for each of you to find a veteran that you know, or even that you don't, and thank him/her for their services.

Chapter 3

A New Day

The world was quite dead at this early hour, and yet in a small storage room in the back of a house, there was life stirring. A solid black pup slinked stealthily up to his sleeping father with his two sisters behind him. The pup twitched his ears giving a silent signal then charged in, jumping up and landing squarely on Balto's side drawing an 'oof!' His sisters landed on Balto's head and hind quarters, bouncing and rolling off. Balto laughed and sat up making his son roll off to the ground below.

"Good morning pups," Balto said happily, "good job on the pouncing."

Dusk walked over and sat down grinning.

"Isn't it a little early to be trying to kill your father," she asked playfully.

The pups just gave her an innocent grin.

"Now Rouge, I'm sure you were the one behind this," Dusk said referring to the solid black pup, "You should know that when you mess with a sleeping dog, you'll have to answer to his mate."

She shrunk down ready to spring.

The pups screamed and dashed out of the room with Dusk not far behind them. She chased them for a few steps and grabbed hold of Callidak with her paws. She squirmed and wiggled trying to break free, but her mother was just too strong. Rouge and his other sister Ali turned and made a hasty sprawl to their pinned sibling's aid. Dusk lifted her head to the sound of footfalls and then was immediately hit in the chest by Rouge and Ali. Dusk played along staggering backwards with the impact and finally going down on her back. Rouge, Ali, and the rescued Callidak charged in and pounced on their mother's stomach, tickling and nipping her while she laughed and kicked about. Balto stood in the door way and watched, laughing softly to himself. He had always wanted a family, but who knew that it would be this great?

"Okay, I give I give," Dusk finally cried between laughs.

The victorious pups jumped off of her and sprawled away. Dusk rolled to her feet and padded over to Balto.

"Good morning," she said to him and nuzzled under his chin.

He returned the nuzzle and they turned to watch the pups wrestle with each other.

"They're good pups," Balto said smiling proudly.

Duke had apparently been awakened by all of the recent commotion because there was the sound of kibbles bouncing into metal bowls emitting from the kitchen. The pups froze from their folly with pricked ears. More metallic clanks confirmed their curiosity and they quickly untangled themselves and scrambled into the kitchen, tripping and stumbling over one another until they finally made it to their bowls. Balto and Dusk walked in side by side a few seconds later and found the two bowls that were unattended and began to crunch down on their breakfast.

The pups finished their meals quickly and fell out in front of the fireplace. With yawns and stretches they all began to slowly drift off to sleep. Balto and Dusk finished their meals shortly after and walked into the living room to find the pups all huddled together and sound asleep. For a moment the two stood gazing admiringly down at their children with easy smiles. Balto looked over to dusk and his smile faded. She sensed his gaze and turned to him, the telepathy of courtship letting them read each other's thoughts.

"Pretty soon it will be time for them to find a home of their own," Balto said softly.

Dusk turned to her babies for a long while and nodded sadly.

"I know," she whispered on the verge of tears, "they just grew up too fast."

She sniffled and Balto gave her a comforting nuzzle on the side of her neck. Dusk blinked the tears away from her eyes and leaned her head on Balto's shoulder. Balto smiled lovingly and laid his head down on top of hers.

"I should probably get home," Dusk finally whispered.

"No, let them sleep," Balto purred into her ear.

The two slowly laid each other down side by side and Dusk placed her head onto Balto's forepaws with Balto laying his head down on top of hers. The two smiled at each other for a few moments and decided to follow their pups' example. It was early yet, the sun barely making a presence in the sky. Balto and Dusk blinked lazily and drifted steadily away into the abyss of their dreams.