Chapter Seven: Let the Right One In

"Remember to breathe."

Balto sat on the family couch, across from him sat Jenna's father. Above him was an enormous rifle, and from the looks of it, it had been recently polished. Mr. Parker was silent, as if studying him. He felt like a specimen in a laboratory experiment. He found himself twiddling his thumbs, legs spread to peer down at the floor.

'Why does it feel like I'm more naked then I really am?' he thought.

The older hound's gaze did not falter; he just stared, unblinking. Though he and his daughter shared the same eyes, his did not have any of the warmth that Jenna's gaze give him. It felt cold.

"You're this Balto I keep hearing about? Correct?" the sudden break in silence made Balto flinch.

"Yes sir." He responded.

"You're not…quite what I imagined…" Mr. Parker kept his eye on him; to him it was examining his opposition. To Balto, it was a sniper's red dot aiming for the head.

"O-oh?" Balto's voice cracked a bit, 'Dammit…' he thought, 'He's breaking me just by looking at me.'

"Yes…you're…rather skinny. Do you eat at all, boy?" there wasn't a hint of malice or ridicule, it was actual concern.

Balto's ears perked, looking straight into his girlfriend's eyes, which suddenly looked warmer on the male's eyes in front of him, "Y-yes, Mr. Parker."

"Call me Malcolm."

Malcolm arose from his seat and sat next Balto, "A halfer?" he asked curiously.

"Excuse me, sir?" Balto looked at him, the air suddenly becoming easier to breathe.

"You're part wolf. I can see it." Malcolm looked over the younger canine in front of him, examining everything from his ears to his tail.

Balto blinked, 'Well…that's new.'

"Y-yes sir…I am. My dad was a husky, my mom was a wolf." He finally responded.

"Fascinating…" said Malcolm. There was an air of curiosity in his voice, "Ella!" he called to upstairs. "Let the girls finish her off, and come meet Balto!"

"On my way dear!" chimed a voice from the upper level.

A moment later a spitting image of Jenna, but older hurried down the stairs carrying a basket of clothes from her bedroom, "I must see him." She says eagerly, dropping the basket onto the floor by the door way and rushed to stand in front of Balto.

"Oh my, our Jenny's found a keeper!" she had the softest touch as she examined Balto's features with her paws, "Strong chin, handsome features…" she spoke, her eyes were blue unlike Malcolm and Jenna's, "My word! You've got the eyes of a wolf! Bet the girls swoon over those, don't they." She winked playfully.

Balto gave a laugh now that the fear and nervousness just evaporated from the atmosphere, "No not really ma'am."

Ella had a playful pout, "Well they should!" she said, adjusting Balto's blazer, "Vanessa?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Oh that girl!" She giggled.

Balto was surprised. Overwhelmed with so much doting on his ancestry, all the others at school had either outcast him or just didn't want anything to do with him. But here he was, being actually admired for being part wolf.

'This has got to be a dream…' he thought.

"Can I get you both something to drink? Tea, Juice, anything at all?" she asked, slowly edging towards the kitchen.

"I wouldn't want to imp-"

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, taking Balto's paw and guiding him to the kitchen before he could say another word. She sat down onto a stool in front. "Now pick your poison, I've got tea, milk, orange juice, water. Just say the word dear."

Balto looked around the kitchen; it was clean, but rather average looking. Ella's presence in it gave it a country style feel to it, especially with the pie cooling on the window sill.

He gave a sniff, easily able to pick up the scent of the pie from his distance.

'Mmm…Blue berry…' he felt his mouth water.

Ella had a gentle grin on her face, "Oh you're tastes lie in something else." She walked toward the pie, taking it into her paw. "Ah yes, it's a good temperature now. Malcolm, sweetheart! Would you like some pie?" she called.

Malcolm, who had not followed the two into the kitchen, "Yes dear, with milk if you don't mind!"

"Coming right up!" she set the pie onto the breakfast nook Balto was sitting in, "Would you like a piece my dear?" she asked. Completely under the aroma's spell, Balto nodded, "Milk?" she asked. To that, he also nodded.

Ella took a knife to the pie, slicing it into six pieces and putting it on a small plate, setting it in front of Balto, fork and all. Balto took the fork in his paw, and very gingerly stabbed into the crust, spearing a nice portion of the pastry and slowly brought it to his mouth. He noticed Mrs. Parker watching him with an eager face.

Not wanting to disappoint her he bit the piece, letting the fork slide under his teeth to let it scrape the residue off and let it slip from his lips. He tasted it for a moment, then like his first kiss with Jenna, he was sent into a whirlwind of divine bliss. The blue berries were so sweet. Not tart like those from store-bought pies. The crust was lightly sugared with a hint of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. It was absolute, total pleasure.

"Wow.", was all he could get out when he swallowed the delicious morsel.

Ella couldn't help but giggle at the doe-eyed look he had. "Well eat up! I'm glad that's another person who's head over heels for my baking. She slid the milk to him, "Jenna will be down soon dear, and you just enjoy your pie in the meantime." She gave him a sweet smile and took her husband's plate to the living room.

Meanwhile in Jenna's room, Sasha, Colleen and Bess helped their friend adjust her attire for the evening.

"Ok, the last one was a bit too much, how do I look now?" she asked, twirling in a light lavender dress that was a lot looser than the silver dress before. It was comfortable and it didn't get in the way of her walking as much.

Bess had a thoughtful look, "Can't we go back to the other one? At least you'll knock Balto off his feet with that one."

Jenna gave her the kind of look one would give a confusing artwork, "I don't want to knock him off his feet." She paused. "I want…to look like myself…I don't want him to see me in such fake make-up or an over the top dress. I just want him to see…me."

The three girls looked at each other for a moment, reading the other's thoughts.

"Say no more." Colleen finally said, "I'll run something up for you quick, Bess help me out here." She and Bess hurried to Jenna's closet picking out clothes for her. "Sasha, you're going to be late for your date with Charlie, you better get going."

Sasha looked at her watch, "Ah! Your right, I'll see you guys later!" she hugged Jenna quickly and rushed out of the room, her bag over her shoulder.

Once down the stairway she grabbed her shoes and slipped them on, hurrying out to the den she met Jenna's mother delivering the pie to her husband.

"Rush?" they asked together.

"Yea! I'm meeting my boyfriend, thanks for having me Mr. and Mrs. P." She turned away only to knock into Balto, "Gah! Sorry Balto!" she said rushing through the door and shutting it.

It was about a couple of blocks did it hit her, "Wait…THAT was Balto?" she gave a look back from the street corner she left from and gave a low, long whistle.

"Jenna, you lucky girl."

Balto, brushed himself off from Sasha bumping into him, "Charlie, you lucky boy." He chuckled.

"Oh is that her boyfriend's name is? Jenna's been hush-hush about Sasha." Spoke Ella, leaning on her husband's seat as he happily ate the pie, ears wiggling when he chewed, clearly enjoying it.

Balto blinked once, 'Jenna's quiet about Charlie? I wonder why…' he thought for a moment, but chose to dismiss the thoughts and sat on the sofa again, checking his watch every so often.

'Our reservation's at 8:30. What is Jenna doing up there?' he wondered.

Tic…Tic…Tic…

One hour had passed; it was now a quarter till eight, Ella was showing him her collection of porcelain bells. While as fascinating her story of how she acquired the rare "Bell of the Doves" were, Balto couldn't help but wonder if Jenna was going to come down at all.

But after a few more minutes, Colleen and Bess came down, giggling quietly. Once they saw Balto, who stood up, "Well, someone cleans up very well from the hoodie he always wear." Bess pointed out.

Colleen gave a clap, "Bravo, I'm impressed, Vanessa's finest work."

Balto almost felt like they were insulting him, but Colleen's eyes looked him over, "You look very handsome, Balto." The collie turned to her shorter friend, "I believe Jenna will be the one knocked off her feet."

Bess gave a giggle, "I agree, but enough chit-chat, Balto, your lady a waits." She and Colleen gave a small bow, their arms sweeping the air in front of them till they stopped, pointing through the entrance of the vestibule.

Balto cautiously stepped between them entering the hall way leading to the stairs, the house was large and vast, standing at two or three stories.

'A lot bigger than Boris's house that's for sure…' he quietly said to himself.

He remembered when he first told the goose about Jenna.

The elderly goose waddled his way up the stairs, finding the lone Balto sitting upon the roof, looking out in the open night. It had been merely hours since he and Jenna kissed in front of her doorstep. He still felt the warmth of her lips on his. It was his first kiss after all.

"Balto, come inside boychic, I've got dinner waiting."

Balto was lost in his thoughts. Impatient as always Boris hopped onto the roof, ignoring the cough in his throat and tapped the young wolf-dog on the head with his wing.

This broke him out of his trance, this was the first time he knew of Boris's presence at all.

"And what is so interesting?" asked the goose, tapping his webbed feet.

Balto turned back to look at the sky again.

He sighed, "Jenna…"

A smile crept onto Boris's beak, "Its love." He patted Balto's back, "So go make move!"

"Nah…she's not my type."

"…And why not, this wolf business again?" Boris cocked his head, "You know sometimes I wish like crazy I was half eagle!"

Balto had a double-take and looked at the goose, chuckling, "Why?" he asked.

"Better profile for one thing-", he curved a feather over his rounded beak,"-and I'd get better respect at the factory, THAT'S for sure!"

A chuckle echoed out of Balto's muzzle, "I don't think I have much of a shot with her, that's all."

Boris raised an eyebrow, "Let me tell you a little secret, Balto, from my father to me, "When a hunter doesn't have a shot, he calls it quits. But when a man doesn't have a shot to win a woman's heart, he uses darts."

The wolf-dog blinked at the bizarre metaphor, "Why would he use darts?"

"Because then there's many more tries to hit the bull's-eye."

'Guess tonight...I'll see if I've hit the bull's eye.'

As soon as he finished his thought, he caught sight of paw pass the darkened hall way on the upper staircase, and what emerged, gave Balto the urge to slap himself.

'Please God; let this not be a dream.'

Jenna was walking down the stairs, hiking her form fitting midnight blue dress over her foot paws. It was slow motion, each second felt like an hour as Balto stared at the beauty descending to him. A paw was holding her balance on the stairs, the other on the soft fabric of her dress. It was long flowing, comfortable looking, neither too revealing nor too conservative. Jenna in the piece of fabric only added to the perfect picture. She herself looked as she always did. She was a vision. A delicate smile on her face that she usually wore to anyone had a different tone to it. It was playing on her lips with nervousness but at the same time, she looked serene.

Staring down onto Balto, Jenna couldn't help but have her eyes travel Balto's attire, the black color suiting and complimenting his physique, he didn't seem so skinny any more. He looked, undeniably attractive and handsome. Those wonderful globes of light in Balto's sockets shimmered like two pairs of lanterns in the faint darkness, only adding to the mystique of the dark and handsome stranger. But this was no stranger to her, this was Balto.

"You look great." They both blurted out once Jenna reached the end of the stair. They blushed turning their heads but keeping their eyes only each other.

"Oh! Jenna, my dear!" Malcolm broke the silence between them as he looked over his own daughter. "As lovely as your mother."

Jenna blushed as she and Balto held paws, "Thanks Dad."

"Alright Balto, ground rules." The older husky turned his attention to Balto.

"No later than Midnight, you got that?" His soul piercing eyes created a knot in the wolfdog's gut.

Nervously he got out, "Y-yes sir. Of course sir."

Ella joined her husband to watch Balto and Jenna leave out the door. But Malcolm gripped Balto shoulder to whisper in his ear, "Try to have fun. It's her first date." He winked.

Balto smiled, and gave a silent nod as he and Jenna shut the door behind them.

The two husky's watched from the window. They held each other as they watched the two younger dogs drive off.

Malcolm had a smile on his grey muzzle, "I like him."

End of Chapter 7