Cole had observed Steele's attempt at Jenna earlier and by the look on Jenna's face, she certainly preferred Balto's company over Steele's. But as he noticed Balto look defeated and slump away, he remembered the short talk he had with Jenna before he went off to catch up with Balto. Or at least tried to say before noticing Steele coming over and hurried off praying Jenna would keep her distance. As he ran to catch up with Balto, his earlier feelings came back at him and flooded his mind with questions.

"Why did I say all that?", he found himself asking before catching his reflection in another patch of ice again to see the dark gray and white wolfdog looking back at him.

This time Cole felt a bit scared, but didn't freak out. He was already confused about what he was saying. Whenever was preventing him from saying what he ment had melding with the feeling he had when he met Balto earlier. He chose to ignore it and focused on Balto who was still looking down and depressed.

"Hey Balto, wait up."

Balto turned to see him, but smiled weakly.

"Hey Togo.", he responded unenthusiastically, "I guess you're here to tell me you don't want to be around me anymore. I'm sure Rosy's parents will take you in seeing how you can behave more like a dog and less like a wolf. Unlike me."

Cole felt another memory of his old track and field days. After his first successful win, a bunch of the other teammates had started feeling a bit jealous and didn't really like him. He had almost quit that first year, but before he could consider it, his coach had taken him aside and gave him a pep talk which helped him out. Now he had to do the same thing for Balto.

"After what that man said to you?", Cole asked, "I don't think I can do that. You know, I felt like everyone didn't like me once too."

Balto felt a spark of optimism as he let Cole continue. Cole felt like talking about Togo, but he found himself talking about himself.

"When I was first put on my musher's team, a lot of people thought I couldn't do it. That it didn't look right to have a wolfdog on the team. It made me feel sad and neglected, but Seppala ignored all the talk and mean words. He gave me a shot cause he believed in me and I believed in him too. Sure it took a while, but if I gave up then, I wouldn't be the dog I am now."

Cole was still a bit startled, but chose to ignore it for Balto's sake. Boris suddenly pooped up from around a corner to lecture them, but after seeing Balto in dismay, he chose not to. It still hurt him to see Balto mistreated after all this time.

/

As they walked through the many homes surrounding them, Boris once opened his beak to say something, but paused. He tried again, but something told Cole that he was having trouble finding the right words to say. Then Balto and Cole both heard Jenna's name being called as Cole noticed Balto's elated reaction after realizing it was Rosy's voice. Balto sprinted in the direction of the voice and Cole followed leaving Boris behind again which the goose groaned about putting his head in his hand. Balto came through an opening in the fence and Cole had paused enough to halt, but Balto realized too late, he was heading right for Jenna! He skidded to a stop, but not before their noses touched. Cole was just as surprised as they were as he observed Balto step back with embarrassment. He chuckled nervously while sitting back on his haunches.

"Jenna, I, uh . . .", he stammered while smiling shyly.

Cole thought about helping, but how could he? Jenna smiled at him also but turned her head away as her owners called her.

"Jenna!", Rosy's father called.

"Jen!", Rosy called as she hopped alongside her father, "Come on!"

In the time it took Jenna to look away, Balto had sprinted back past Cole and under a boat nearby. Cole was about to object when Jenna came through the fence and saw him which surprised her and Cole again.

"Oh, Ms. Jenna.", Cole said backing away a bit.

"Togo?", Jenna asked looking confused, "What are you doing back here?"

Cole thought fast.

"I'm . . . just helping a friend.", Cole answered, "Oh by the way, I'm sorry about that display from earlier. I just wanted to be there for Balto."

Jenna looked understanding.

"It's okay.", she told him, "Rosy knew you were just defensive. You wouldn't really bite anyone would you?"

"Only in defense.", Cole told her finding himself talking calmly, "But Jenna, would it be okay if we were just good friends? I happened to see that little . . . interaction you had a bit ago."

Jenna smiled shyly as she didn't think there was another watching. Then she heard her name being called again.

"Well, I better get going. ", she told Cole, "It was nice talking to you Togo."

"Nice to talk to you too.", Cole responded as Jenna headed back through the fence to catch up with Rosy and her parents.

/

Cole then noticed Balto come out looking sorrowful as he guessed seeing Jenna leave, but Cole came up to him as he came out.

"Balto?"

Balto looked curious at Cole.

"How do you do that?", he asked as they headed back through the alley and Boris catching up to them.

"I just say what I'm thinking.", Cole answered, "And don't worry about Jenna. I just want to be a friend and that's it."

Balto felt comforted at the remark as Cole then realized something.

"Hey, weren't you going to lead me to your place after the race?"

As they headed that way, Boris had caught up to them and Cole had explained the interaction to him.

"Balto, there's some things I can't do for you.", he lectured.

"Yeah, yeah.", Balto said rolling his eyes.

"I'm goose, not Cupid.", Boris continued.

Cole felt like talking, but then his nose caught something and it didn't smell nice. Then a voice cut the silence.

"Didn't make the team, Bingo?"

Cole felt his heart pang as he noticed Balto look behind them. He did the same and saw Steele standing near far from them with a few of his fellow sled dogs. Balto turned and looked Steele's way. Cole looked back also and the feelings of annoyed and disgust reared their ugly heads. Boris saw the look in Balto and Cole's eyes and looked insisting.

"Don't listen to him. Don't look at him.", he told them, "Live long life."

Unfortunately for Cole, Balto looked like he had hit his limit and started heading back to confront Steele. Cole recalled that very thing happening to him when a fellow teammate said that same thing to him. He had risen up and took the bait only to get in trouble with the coach while the guy got off scot-free. Balto's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"My name's Balto."

"But you can call him idiot.", Boris muttered to himself.

Cole still heard him and quickly got to Balto just as Steele hurled yet another insult.

"I'm sorry.", he said still grinning ghoulishly, "Balto, the half-breed."

Cole saw Steele's goons follow up behind him taunting and hooting which made Cole feel more heated as Steele came up to Boris who had his fingers on his forehead discontent with Balto's reaction, but was startled after seeing Steele's face up close.

"Hey, old goose, you half-breed too?", he asked teasingly, "Part turkey?"

He shoved with his nose causing Boris to tumble into an old metal grill in the position a roast turkey would be in with the top lid slam shut.

Cole instantly almost snapped, but tried to keep himself calm as it would only serve Steele more than him. Then Steele's teammates caught his ears.

"Good wordplay there, boss.", Niikie commented.

"You are the wittiest, the quickest. You're the drollest, the cleverest, the sharpest, the most hilarious . . .", Kaltag rambled on.

"You crack me up!", Star shouted uproariously as the other two nodded to each other while laughing uncontrollably.

Cole rolled his eyes as Kaltag bonked Star on the head again. Star's eyes rolled in circles before he fell on the ground flat once more. Then he noticed Steele heading his way.

/

"And who do we have here?", he asked flashing his gnarly teeth Cole's way, "A former champ turned outsider?"

Cole tried ignoring it, but Steele's words cut into him like a knife.

"What's the matter?", Steele asked mockingly, "Cat got your tongue?"

Cole's expression hardened further.

"I have nothing to say to you."

Steele however looked a bit impressed.

"Wow, you really talk after all.", he said before noticing Cole's collar, "Hey, nice collar, but it's not ment for you."

He lunged forward to snap his jaws to tear Cole's collar off, but Cole ducked making Steele miss.

"This stays on.", he said to Steele as he placed one of his forepaws on the tag.

As much as Steele wanted to bully this guy, Balto's voice caught his attention.

"Steele! Leave them out of this."

Steele then thought of something he knew Balto had no chance of resisting.

"Oh, Balto.", he said grinning evilly as he whacked his tail across Balto's face twice, "I got a message for your mother."

"Don't bother.", Cole said flatly.

Unfortunately, Steele didn't hear him or if he did he pretended not to as he and his teammates formed a circle and Steele started mockingly howling which Cole found very offensive. When the other three joined in, that made Cole almost lose his nerve. Balto wasn't liking this either, but Cole had to stop him before Steele made him feel worse, but how? Then an idea came to mind as he stepped in front of Balto and gave him a sly smile.

"Watch this.", he said to him before turning to Steele and raising his voice, "Go ahead and laugh. At least Balto's not the sore loser who's losing his edge."

The effect was instantaneous. Steele and his teammates stopped and Steele whirled around looking enraged.

"What did you call me?!"

Boris by now had gotten out of the grill, but after seeing Steele's face, freaked out as he hurried over.

"Togo, don't poke the bear.", he advised cautiously.

Cole however noticed a loose board in the fence beside him and turned to Steele again.

"If I have to repeat myself, you obviously can't hear a thing you big egotistic blowhard."

Steele then charged Cole's way which freaked out Balto and Boris who stepped back, but as he got close, Cole knocked his leg against the loose board and it was enough to make it fall down and land right in front of Steele who tripped over it, rolled past Cole and got his head stuck in an old tire nearby.

"Are you stuck?", Cole asked.

Steele struggled furiously to free himself, but Cole turned to his teammates who looked more than a bit scared.

"You want some?", he asked one dog to the other, "You want some? You want a piece of me?"

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star bolted off making Cole smile.

"Didn't think so."

/

Steele still struggled, but Cole wasn't about to wait around until he was free and neither was Balto or Boris. They headed off and got a good distance away as Steele finally managed to get his head out and land on his back for a moment before getting to his feet again to see his prey too far off to chase.

"This isn't over you know!", he called after them angrily, "You hear me?!"

Furious that he didn't get an answer, Steele left using another hole in the fence a bit sore from his tumble, but he wasn't about to admit his mistake of taking Cole's bait. Not to mention his teammates did nothing to help, but he'll deal with them soon enough.

"You got lucky this time wolfdog.", he said bitterly to himself picturing Balto's smiling face in his mind, "But next time, I won't be so nice."

While Steele made his way to who knows where, Balto looked a bit impressed as Boris, Cole and himself made it to the outskirts of Nome.

"That was pretty impressive Togo.", Balto commented, "Standing up to Steele like that."

Boris frowned.

"Impressive?", he countered, "He almost get us killed for not listening to me!"

Cole raised an eyebrow.

"Would you prefer Balto take Steele's bait and get himself hurt?"

That made Boris pause as he ponder what could be worse: Balto attacking Steele or having Steele kill them out of anger. Cole then turned to Balto who looked like his moment of awe was ending and sorrow was filling its place. Cole wondered if Balto would be happy anytime soon when something caught his nose and made him sniff the air. Balto paused too and sniffed also picking up a peculiar scent which Cole did as well. They turned to see on a hill a ways off was a pack of three adult wolves and a pup at their feet and all were staring their way. The leader of it gave a howl of greeting and waited for Balto or Cole to respond back. Cole saw Balto frown and pull his ears back in shame before adverting his eyes and begin walking away. Cole however didn't hold back and thought about howling himself, but then the memory of Steele doing the mocking of it made him pause. He gave a nod to the pack hoping they would accept it which they did before heading off.

"Not a dog. Not a wolf.", Boris sighed as he looked back at Balto and then to Cole, "All he knows is what he's not."

Cole felt pretty bad for Balto being so down, but more in shock of himself.

"What was I thinking?", he thought to himself, "That dog almost mauled me if that board didn't come loose at the time."

He then noticed Boris was ahead of him and caught up shortly.

"So, uh, where's your place?", he asked.

Boris pointed to a boat wreck that looked like it was beached and forgotten, but somehow it was still standing. It wasn't Cole's idea of a home, but beggars can't be choosers.

/

As Boris and Cole caught up with Balto, they saw him get on the boat's deck using a plank.

"Well, this is . . . nice.", Cole said trying to sound friendly to hide his disappointment as he continued to eye Balto and turned to Boris, "Any ideas on how to cheer him up?"

Boris paused and then snapped his fingers and ran into a hole in the boat's hull. Cole climbed the plank after Balto just in time to see Boris hop out of a hole on the deck like a gopher, grab a bone nearby and pretend to chew on it. Balto just kept walking past so Boris tried something else. He got a bowl of water and pretended it was soup, but that didn't work either. Cole saw Balto go to a rugged, old blanket, wrap himself up in it and laid down. Cole turned to Boris when an idea of his own came to mind and whispered to him. Boris gave a thumbs-up as Cole went to Balto.

"Balto, when was the last time you had a belly rub?"

Balto's ears perked up and he raised his head. He hadn't had one in so long.

"I would love that!", Balto answered.

Cole eased the blanket off Balto as he rolled onto his back exposing his underside. Cole then used one of his new paws to scratch while Balto leaned back clearly enjoying the feeling.

"Oh, that hits the spot.", he said contently as his back leg started kicking in time with Cole's scratches.

Cole smiled as he continued.

"Feeling better now?", he asked.

"Much better.", Balto answered as Cole stopped and gave his new friend a smile, "Thanks."

"Hey, that's what friends are for right?", Cole asked.

Cole was still a bit shocked about being in a dog's body, but he was getting used to it.