Balto's New World
By Crimson Husky

The events following "Wolf Quest"

Note: This story was inspired by Balto, (copyright 1995) and Balto 2: Wolf Quest (copyright 2000) by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. The character Casey, and the events of this story are copyright 2004 by Crimson Husky. The other characters are copyright by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment.

Hi everyone, I'm sure many of you are wondering what has happened since I settled down after my "Wolf Quest" with my baby, Aleu. Well, I've spent a lot of time training for my first sled race; I was appointed the new leader for Steele's old team with Nikki, Kaltag, Star, and the rest. Each morning, around 5:30 AM, Rosy's father would take me out to run laps around the town while he timed me; sometimes we'd spend two, even three hours at this; with only short breaks. If you think that sounds tough, huh, its nothing compared to what I had to go through caring for Jenna these past three months. Not sure what I am talking about? Then let me start from the beginning.

Upon returning home from my quest, Jenna couldn't have been more thrilled to so me. The second she saw me approaching, she shot out her back door faster than a bullet out of a machine gun in order to greet me. "Oh my dear Balto, my sweetheart, I honestly thought I'd never see you again," she said as she rubbed her nose against my neck. I told her about the journey, all that Aleu and I had been through, and how we had both found ourselves. Jenna was elated to learn about my decision to settle down with her; she practically pushed me back to her house. Upon entering, I found out why. There in her kitchen stood Rosy and her parents; her dad had a collar and a license engraved with my name attached to it in his hand. Rosy's dad approached me, placed it around my neck and said, "Hey boy, my family and I have decided to take you in; you've been a stray too long. After all you've done for us all, you deserve a good home." Rosy than dashed over to me, embraced me and said, "Welcome to the family, Balto; please promise you'll never leave again". I wish I could have told her about my plans to stay, but all I could do was smile and lick her face lovingly; after that, I think she knew that I'd never leave. I'm sure you're wondering about Boris and his reaction to all this; well he had flown south by the time I got there; apparently Jenna had informed him of her family's plans for me, and left to resume his old life. Although I miss him, I am happy for him; it's better this way. Besides, I would see him again in the spring.

It took some time, but I finally got settled and became a regular lap dog so to speak. Every morning, before we started my training, the day began at 6:30 with a nice walk with Jenna; Rosy manned Jenna's leash, her dad mine (I'm still not accustomed to those leashes; how can dogs stand those things). Upon returning, we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast, then the family would leave to begin the day; Rosy goes to school, and her mom and dad off to work. After the family breaks, Jenna and I always head down to the boiler room to chat and chill with our close friends. However, things would change, as spring, the season of love, got under way.

One night, I approached Jenna, and shyly hinted at having another litter of puppies. She smiled and said; "Balto, I'd love to have another litter; I would just adore experiencing pregnancy and motherhood again." Moments later, she was out like a light; I smiled as I sat there and watched her sleep. As I began to gently stroke her soft head with my paw, I whispered softly to her; "Jenna my love, I could never thank you enough for the first time we made love almost two years ago; well, tomorrow night, I'm going to return the favor."

Later that night, I quietly snuck out the back door, and headed toward the moonlit beach; there I began fanaticizing about tomorrow night. Before I knew it, I was struck by the call of the wild; my inner wolf was looking for a chance to express itself. I lifted my head back, and began to howl; it felt so good; a lone wolf baying at the moon. I think my mom would be proud to know how much I now embrace my inner wolf. However, I would not be alone for much longer, as a certain someone had heard my howling, and came out to join me; it was my Jenna. Together, we bayed at the moon for at least an hour, without exchanging anything more than a smile. The mood for love was ideal tonight; one could really feel the romance in the air. "Why should I wait until tomorrow", I asked my self", I'll give Jenna the time of her life tonight". After sending a smile her way, I ran, jumped upon a sand dune, and signaled for her to follow, before running over to the other side. It was my goal to let Jenna know how in love, and helpless I felt when I had glanced at her standing on the shoreline as she beckoned to me. As I stood there (in the exact same position as she was two years back) as the waves crashed against the shore behind me, I spotted her, and sent a seductive smile of my own her way; she ran to me and we began to cuddle. Before we knew it, we were again making love by the light of the moon. That night felt even better than the first; I had not felt this happy and at peace since Aleu left. Approximately two weeks later, after the good news about Jenna's pregnancy was realized, the entire family all began to share in our joy.

However, this "marvelous" joy would soon turn into "joyful" stress. The first time Jenna became pregnant, I was still living in the old boat, trying to maintain some of my independence; although, I did spend much time with her just to make sure she was okay. Well, I had no idea I'd missed out on the many "joys" of pregnancy. For the first couple of weeks, there was no real change in Jenna's conduct. However, as time passed, her behavior began to deviate from the norm. The changes were small at first; for example she had a larger appetite, and became fatigued quite easily. When she hit the four week point, almost the halfway mark in the typical nine week canine gestation period (and around the time I began my training for the race), these changes became much more extreme. By this time, her pregnancy became evident through her appearance, as she'd begun to "grow out". She became really sensitive about her appearance and would often snap at anyone who made a comment about it (even if it was meant to be a compliment); normally she would apologize right away, but many times, I found myself having to defend her to the other dogs. As if these mood swings weren't bad enough, she began to have these strange cravings for human breakfast foods (such as toast and jelly, pancakes, French toast, and even waffles); she was always having me swipe these goods off the breakfast table whenever the family's backs were turned. It was not uncommon to hear a member of the family say, "Hey, who swiped my toast?" Often, Jenna would hide these items and save them for later.

During the next stage, the changes became quite weird and even tougher for me to handle. Upon reaching the six-week mark, she began to have these "food cravings" during the night and the wee hours of the morning. She would frequently wake me in order to bring her some of the buttered bread in the ice box along with her water dish should she get thirsty. There were also several nights where she would have an urge to howl at the moon, and of course, she was too frightened to go alone outside in the dark. Sleeping at night was becoming more of a privilege. After a while, this lack of sleep was beginning to hinder my performance, and Rosy's dad became concerned. He began to think that it was his fault, "What's the matter, am I pushing you to hard, boy? Well, maybe we should cut back". Oh, if only he knew it were Jenna and not he. During her pregnancy, a new side of Jenna began to emerge, a selfish side. She did not seem to care at all about my feelings; the only thing that seemed to matter to her was having her every whim filled. However, I could never let on to Jenna how I really felt; after all, she was carrying my puppies, and that meant it was up to me to obey her every command.

One day (exactly one week away from the race), after a rigorous training session, I collapsed. Rosy's dad rushed me to the new veterinarian to be examined. The vet explained that my collapse was the result of extreme exhaustion due to a lack of sleep. The vet, on his first day on the job since arriving back in Nome just hours before (there is no typo; an explanation will follow), asked Rosy's father to let me stay there and rest a few hours. He agreed that would be the best thing for this worn out wolf-dog. However, the vet had an ulterior motive for wanting me to stay.

Approximately four hours or so after the father had left, the vet approached me and began to speak softly. "So you are the famous Balto, the one who rescued that lost sled team and saved the children of Nome. You know, you are quite the celebrity in New York where your old friend and I have been these last five years while I worked toward my DVM degree". "Old friend", I asked myself, "could he possibly be referring to my puppy-hood comrade, Casey?" Sure enough, he was. Seconds after he'd finished speaking, Casey came in, jumped upon the examining table on which I was still resting, and stood there looking down at me with a large grin on his face. He was still the same overly energetic Dalmatian with the black patch on the left side of his face that I had remembered; only he was full grown now. "Hey old buddy, how have you been", he inquired. I began to tell him about all that I had been through since he left, how much I had missed him, and how grateful I was for his kind words about my noble wolf heart. I then explained to him how I ended up in his master's office. "Oh Balto, if you'd only known in advance how pregnant dogs can be. While watching my master as he worked to become a vet, I had heard everything from strange cravings to extreme mood swings from the overworked husbands of my master's patients; only they were able to take naps. Please Balto; promise me you'll take it easy once in a while. As your close friend, I must urge you to take some quiet time each day to rest and unwind. Oh by the way, congrats on the pups, and good luck with the race in two weeks, I'll be there to cheer you on to victory. And please don't be a stranger", he yelled as I bid him farewell to return home to my likely needy Jenna.

Upon returning home, I found Jenna waiting on the back porch for me. "Oh Balto, I've been waiting for hours to say this to you". After a momentary pause, during which she began to tear up, she continued with her message. "I am so sorry; I had no idea that I had been depriving of you of so much sleep. I was so scared when I heard the news about your collapse, but I promise I'll make it up to you. Come inside with me now". I was too tired to argue with her. She led me into the living room, pointed me toward my basket, and after I had lain down, she began to rub my head gently with her paw, and soothed me with her beautiful voice. Moments later, I heard her say, "Good night my dear, sweet, wonderful Balto, I love you". After that, she rested her head on my neck and went to sleep. I smiled and whispered softly, "Jenna, I love you too".

The next morning, as Jenna and I were on our way to the boiler room to chat with our friends, Casey (wearing a blue jacket) dashed out of an alleyway to greet us. "Hey Balto, glad to see you got some rest last night. This must be your wife, Jenna; my you certainly are one lovely Husky". He said as he graciously introduced himself. Jenna blushed, "Well, you must be Casey. You are just as nice as Balto said." We decided to take Casey with us to meet the gang, including the dogs I'd be running with. Casey had always dreamed of being a sled dog, and guiding a team to victory, but no one would ever put a Dalmatian on their team. However, Casey considered it an honor to just hang out with those who were part of a team. When we arrived at the old mill (the boiler room housed within), we found Kaltag (my second in command) and the musher holding a race. "What's going on, Kaltag", I asked. He explained that one of our teammates had injured his leg during a training session late yesterday afternoon, and we had to find another dog to take his spot. I turned to Kaltag and talked to him about the possibility of Casey running the race; I explained to him that Casey, like most Dalmatians, possessed a high level of endurance (a result of their breeding as carriage hounds), not to mention he was speedy. Although he had his doubts, we both agreed to let Casey run, after all, it wouldn't do any harm. The musher was a bit surprised to see the new vet's dog in the race, but he too would allow him to run. He took his spot, and when the race began, Casey was off; there was no catching him. With that performance, everyone agreed that Casey should be on the team. Casey jubilantly ran to me and said, "Wow, can you believe it, buddy, we're going to run on the same team together. My dream has come true!" I happily congratulated my comrade. I really can't wait; my first competitive race, my best friend back by my side, and a new litter puppies any day now. Could things get any better than this?

With the level of excitement rising with each passing day, the day of the race arrived faster than a snow shoe rabbit with greased feet running down the side of a hill. Everyone was raring to go, especially Casey, who was hitched up right behind me, and it was easy to understand why; most dogs could only dream about competing for the coveted Golden Collar. The competition would be stiff today as there were three teams all vying for the grand prize. However, we had all worked hard to reach this point, and our team's goal was nothing short of victory. After receiving a good luck kiss from my sweet Jenna, who looked like she could go into labor at moment, the starting flare was fired skyward, and the twenty-five mile dash for victory was underway. It was a perfect day for racing; sunny skies, with a nice, brisk breeze to help keep our body heat down. The race was close early, as the teams were within mere yards of each other. Our team laid back in third; our strategy was to conserve our energy while keeping the other teams close. We would strike upon reaching the fifteen mile mark. One team's lack of preparation and strategy became evident after the ten mile check point; they had built a substantial lead, but began to experience a loss of stamina and had thus started to fade. They would soon be overtaken by teams two and three (my group). Upon reaching the fifteen mile mark, about four hours and three breaks later, I sent the order to Casey to pass the word on to the others that now was the time to go for it. We rapidly picked up the pace, and took command by the eighteen mile mark. With five miles left to go, and a commanding lead over the second place team, the musher called for one last break; he gave us all a bowl of water and a few biscuits before we resumed our quest for victory.

It was all down hill from here; we had built up an insurmountable lead over second place; "Sweet victory, here we come", I said quietly to myself. By the twenty-three mile mark, however, I began to feel that something wasn't quite right. I felt fine physically, but I sensed that there may be a problem with Jenna; "Uh, oh, my beloved has gone into labor; I just know it. Oh please let her be okay until I can get to her side", I said silently. Casey, Kaltag, Star, Nikki, and the rest began to sense that something was wrong. "Balto, are you okay", asked Casey. But I couldn't find the words; I just began to run faster and faster, hoping the others could keep up; "Thank goodness the finish line's near the vet's office; I can run right to her", as I again spoke softly to me myself. "Balto, what's going on, why are you moving so fast?" Casey inquired. I finally said, "Jenna needs me, I just know it". I could now hear Casey behind me informing the rest of the team to pick up the pace; their leader needed to get to his wife's side.

As we approached town, the Golden Collar, once my top objective, became only a secondary task; there was something far more important for me to attend to. As we entered the edge of the village, I could hear the crowd cheering for the lead team, but Jenna was the only thing on my mind. After we crossed the finish line, the mayor came forward, congratulated the musher, and presented him along with each member of the sled team with their own gold medal, before coming to me and placing the highly coveted Golden Collar around my neck. It was indeed an honor to receive this award, but I really needed to get to Jenna's side. "My wife really needs me, when are they going to let me out of this harness", I repeatedly said to myself. Eventually, after five minutes of waiting impatiently, Rosy's dad approached me, and said, "Come on boy, we've got to take Casey back to his master, and get you to Jenna's side; she's just now out of labor, and she's been asking for you. Don't worry boy, she and the puppies are just fine". I was so relieved to hear this, but I was still just as eager to be with her. Casey tried to ease the tension; "Well my friend; what a day we've all had; I've lived a dream, and you're taking home the Golden Collar along with a new family, congratulations, Balto". I smiled and said, "Thanks, Casey, I really enjoyed running with you; lets do it again sometime".

That really helped the time to pass as the next thing I knew, I was entering the vet's office and being led to Jenna. She had seven beautiful red and gray coated puppies; she looked even more beautiful than I'd remembered. "Oh, Jenna," I said, "this is just the most touching site I've ever laid my eyes upon. I'm so proud of you; I only wish I could've been there for you". "Oh Balto", she responded weekly with a smile, "you had a life long dream to fulfill; and although you were not with me physically, you were with me in spirit. Congratulations my love, I am proud of you too". We began to nuzzle.

Well, that wraps up my story. All ended well as Jenna and I are once again enjoying the fruits of parenthood; plus I've got my old friend Casey back. He and Boris are really good with the pups, and they really seem to enjoy their two self-appointed uncles. Things couldn't be better; after leading a life full of sour grapes and lemons, my life is now full of sugar and honey. I wish everyone could experience the love and bliss I'm feeling right now.

April 2, 2004