2. Chapter 2 (1/2)

here's chapter two! hope you guys like it!

chapter two

"what!?" yuna shot up from her spot in front of the fire. she had returned home with rosie's mother, while jenna had gone with rosie and her father. yuna hadn't been told why… until now. "what do you mean rosie's sick!?" jenna sighed, settling next to her sister.

"i mean what i said, yuna. rosie's sick… and the doctor…"

"the doctor can fix it, right?" yuna was begging now, something she never did. her heart dropped when jenna shook her head. "jenny?"

"the doctor doesn't have any more medicine." yuna gasped, her eyes tearing up. "there's more."

"what? how could things get worse?"

"balto was accused of stealing sausages." yuna's eyes widened.

"what!?" her hackles rose. "who did it?"

"steele." the word was barely out of jenna's mouth when yuna had torn out of the room. "yuna! come back!" the white husky was too far away to hear.

she ran down the lane, not caring about the snow blowing in her face. panting, she skidded to a stop in front of the hospital. a sign was on the door, but she didn't stop to look at it. instead, she stuck her nose in the air, sniffing.

finding balto's scent, she ran under the building, gluing her nose to the ground. she followed it to the grate under rosie's room. yuna's ears flattened against her head at the sound of her girl's coughing. rearing up, she placed her front paws on the wood under the grate, staring up into the room. rosie was huddled under a mountain of blankets, but they had done nothing for her shivering. yuna whined, in hopes of her owner hearing her, but to no avail.

a sound behind her startled the female. whirling, she hunched her shoulders. "yuna! relax!" the blue-eyed husky relaxed her stance.

"balto?" she called out hopefully. her eyes widened when the wolf half-

eed stepped out of the shadows. he smiled softly, sitting down.

"hey."

"hey." yuna shuffled her paws. "is… is it true? is rosie really… really that sick?" balto's eyes widened when he realized that jenna must have told her. he sighed, looking down at the ground.

"yeah." hearing a sniff, he looked up to see yuna's shoulder shaking. "hey, yuna." she glanced at him. "come here." shakily, she descended the small mound. he waited till she was right in front of him to reach his head out, placing his chin on the back of her neck and directing her to his chest.

yuna pressed into him, rubbing her face on his chest. balto sighed when he felt her tears soaking his fur. "i'm sorry, yuna. i didn't want you to be upset." she sat down, shifting her head so it rested against his neck. he rubbed his muzzle on her shoulder. "i've been listening for a while."

"to what?"

"the humans. apparently, they are creating a dogsled team to retrieve the tonic for the kids. they're racing the dogs tomorrow around town to find out who the fastest dogs are." yuna pulled back, looking into balto's eyes. "and i'm going to run."

"what?" she gasped. "balto! if you do that steele will turn you into a chew toy!" balto butted her muzzle with his.

"hey! i expected you to be cheering me on, not be another boris." yuna huffed, stepping back.

"it's not that. i just…" she turned away. "i don't want you getting hurt." balto smiled softly, rubbing his muzzle on yuna's neck. his smile grew when he felt her nose nudge his shoulder.

"i appreciate you worrying about me, yuna, but i'll be fine. i'm half-wolf, remember?" yuna giggled softly, burrowing her nose deeper into balto's fur. balto shifted his head so it was resting on yuna's neck.

"yeah… i remember." yuna sighed, pulling back. "just… promise. promise you'll be okay." balto nodded, pushing his forehead to hers.

"i promise, yuna. i'll win the race. i'll join the team, and i'll get that medicine for rosie."

"is that why you're doing this?" balto smiled.

"no…" he said softly. feeling rather daring, he let his nose

ush yuna's as he pulled away. "i'm doing this for you." yuna's eyes widened. "i've seen how happy rosie makes you, and i want you to smile like that all the time. it's one of the many things that makes you bea…. um…" balto stopped short, turning his head away.

"makes me what?" balto swallowed uncomfortably.

"makes you… beautiful." balto's cheeks were burning. yuna's turned

ight pink. he glanced at her, waiting her reaction.

"oh. well… that's very… sweet… of you to say, balto." she stood, clearly embarrassed. "i um… i better be getting back. jenna will be worried." the half-

eed nodded.

"right. i'll see you tomorrow then?" yuna nodded, walking towards the exit. "wait!" she turned around.

"what is it?"

"there's a blizzard outside. will you make it back?" yuna's eyes widened.

"i… i don't know."

"stay here." her eyes widened further. "there's a heater in the room you had to pass through to get here. the doctor will keep it running all night, so it'll stay pretty warm in here." yuna smirked.

"i take it you stay here often?" balto shrugged, walking next to yuna as they made their way back.

"occasionally." yuna smiled. coming to the entrance into the main room, they hid behind the wall behind the heater. just like balto had said, it was really warm. balto smiled, sitting down. yuna sat next to him, stretching her paws out in front of her.

"you were right." she moaned in appreciation, resting her chin on her forelegs. "it is really warm." balto chuckled, laying down next to her.

"told ya." yuna yawned, displaying two rows of perfect teeth and a

ight pink tongue. shutting her eyes, she rested her chin on her legs again. balto's eyes softened as he looked down at her. "goodnight yuna."

"goodnight, balto." was her mumbled reply. balto laughed softly to himself, letting his head drop onto his forelegs. the last thing he saw that night was yuna's peaceful face as she slept.