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Description
The pups were now about seven weeks old, fur fluffy and bodies full of everlasting energy to keep them running all throughout the house. Sarge, Molly, Jack, Roddy, and Beanie currently were roughhousing in the playroom that belonged the owner of the house's six-year-old daughter, Kelsey. Sarge was thrashing about a small rope, tied in a knot for extra chewing, before his brother Roddy snatched it and began an all-out game of tug-a-war. Molly was running circles along with her brothers Jack and Beanie, caught up in a game of chase. Kelsey, a young girl with long curly brown hair, giggled as she attempted to join the game with the puppies.

Today, though, was rather a depressing day for a certain mother husky laying at the doorway of the playroom. Her chin on her paws and her ears dropping slightly, she let out a soft sigh, which was barely hinted with a dreadful whimper as she watched her babies frolic and romp. Today was the day that they would be looked up for adoption, the day that she knew that she would put the lives of her children into strangers for the profit of her owner. The pups knew that today they would find new homes, and were so hyped up from the excitement that they yipped and cried with joy all morning.

There was a knock at the door. Anita's heart went cold and her eyes shot from the bittersweet sight of her pups to the kitchen entrance. Her ears perked and she hurried to her paws and trotted down the hall and into the kitchen, which smelled of freshly fried bacon and sizzling eggs. Kelsey followed Anita, unaware of the mother dog's dread, skipping to the door and reaching the handle to open it.

The man who's face was revealed was a fuzzy one, a short, unshaved layer of hair that was blonde. He wore a fur cap and a long brown coat, pants, and leather boots. He seemed nice enough at first glance, not that this gave Anita any relief. At the man's side was a little boy with equally blonde hair, a puffy warm jacket, and large boots that reached his knees. He was smiling gleefully, hopping on his toes with excitement.

"Oh no..." thought the husky aloud to herself with a sinking heart. With a pitiful whine, she hurriedly turned and rushed off back to the playroom. She needed to see her pups, all of them, together for one last time.

She arrived to the room, and saw all her children, just as they were moments before, playing. Her ears dropped back, saddening emotions washing over her face as tears threatened to reveal themselves. She needed to be strong, though. She had reminded herself over the past couple weeks that this would happen; she couldn't see her puppies off with tears. She needed to express that this was the start of a new journey for her babies, that they would grow up and become dogs of their own homes.

But that was easier said that done...

"Children," she called, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat, and when they noticed her standing at the doorway, coaxing them toward her, they all turned from their play and scurried over towards their mother. "You do know what today is, don't you?"

"We're gonna get adopted!" Molly squealed, her tail whipping from side to side.

She had told the pups a couple weeks ago that this day would come. While it was saddening on her part, unbeknownst to them, they were rather joyful about the whole idea.

"That is right..." she replied to her daughter, trying to offer the most loving smile that she could muster. "So... I want you pups to be on your best behavior, and... be yourselves."

Beanie was the most thoughtful of the bunch. He tilted his head curiously, his ears standing up. "Are we going to see you again, Momma?"

She wanted to cry, but she didn't. Instead, she bravely smiled. "Of course, you will. You will all just be around town, remember?"

She told herself that, but even that didn't soothe her aching heart.

Footsteps interrupted them. Kelsey was chattering away, mainly about which pup had which personality, as if she were a professional to the boy who suddenly became more focused on the litter of puppies that sat gathered in the playroom. His eyes lit up, and Anita's ears dropped as did her heart.

"Here goes nothing..." she murmured to herself. To reassure them, not that they really needed it, she smiled lovingly at her puppies, and gave each of them a nuzzle and lick. Then, she reluctantly allowed the boy into the room, stepping off to the side.

The boy balled his hands up and jumped with excitement, giggling hysterically. "Ah! Hehehehe! They're so cute!"

So the examination began. The boy kneeled on the ground and was surrounded by the puppies. They all gave licks and nipped at his nose, playing their hardest to win his heart. Of course, the boy laughed with glee. His eyes fell on Sarge then, who made "ruff" sounds as he splayed his paws, shaking the rope again that he reclaimed.

"I like this one!" The boy reached for Sarge.

"Ah ah ah!" An arm patted the boy's shoulder, and it belonged to Kelsey's father, the man of the house, Clark. He tried show a smile, and he looked to the father for help. "That one is reserved. I have someone who's already bought him."

The father of the boy nodded understandingly, and he smiled past the look on the boy's face, which was shown that his lip was stuck out. "Can you pick a different one, son?"

The boy thought long and hard. He stared at the puppies. They were all so cute, all so playful. He actually wanted Sarge, but he picked Roddy as a close second. He informed his father, and who then looked to Clark, who declared the adoption "halfway done", referring to the fact that the father would have to pay. While the humans carried out the conversation, and while the father ushered the boy to his side, Anita approached her son.

"Roddy," she said softly, "please be good for your new family."

He nodded enthusiastically. "I will, Momma!"

"I love you..." she reminded her boy, which he returned with a gleeful smile.

"Love you, too, Momma!"

They touched noses, and soon after the humans concluded the buying of the puppy, the boy snatched Roddy up from his paws and held him in his arms tightly. As the father, son, and newly adopted puppy walked out of the door of the house to begin their way home, Anita had followed them, standing at the doorway for a long minute, but it felt like a lifetime. She watched her son, Roddy, wave at her over the boy's shoulder, and her heart broke into what felt like a million pieces. She swallowed hard, and returned to the playroom to watch over her remaining pups.

One of the pups, though, was bewildered. Sarge sat near the doorway, tilting his head dramatically in deep thought, and not paying any mind to his sister and remaining brothers frolicking behind him. Something in him ached, oddly, and he looked at the doorway for a good while before finally he turned his head to look at his mother. She lay at the side of the doorway towards the corner of the room, her tail curled around her and her muzzle laying upon her forelegs. Being so young and not having real experience with seeing sad emotions from his mother, he simply didn't catch onto the hurt in her eyes.

"Momma?" He stood up and padded over to her, his tail dropped as he perked his ears. "What does 're...zerved'... mean?"

Anita's eyes blinked as she was snapped out of her depressed state. She lifted her head and looked to her son. "It means you are being saved for someone else, honey."

"Really?" He gasped, and he placed his paws on his mother's leg, perking up. "You mean someone already has adopted me? Who? When are they coming to get me?"

She sighed, dread in her eyes and her ears falling back. "The musher your father lives with... he will come for you in a couple weeks."

"I get to go live with Dad?!" Sarge squealed a bit too excitedly. He hadn't met his father personally, but he'd heard good stories from Clark about Steele the race dog. He'd heard that Steele was a champion, a real winner.

"... That's right." Anita replied, trying not to sound grave.

The pup yipped and ran a couple circles before barreling into his mother, burying his face deeply into her soft, fluffy chest fur with a grin on his face. "Oh, I can't wait! We're gonna have so much fun! He can take me sledding, and show me how to pull a sled! I'll be a real race dog, just like Dad!"

Anita swallowed hard, but in attempt to hide the dread in her eyes and the coming tears, she smiled and lowered her muzzle so that she was returning sort of a "hug" to her son. "Yeah..." she breathed softly, a teardrop accidentally escaping. "I know you will, baby..."

...........

And this is basically what I imagine the scene to be like where Sarge discovers that his forever home lies within the home of his father. Anita dreads the whole idea of letting her pups go; she is much more emotional than Jenna, who so easily gave up her children to children all over town. (Yes, I remember that she cried during the time her pups were being taken by young children, I just didn't think she showed as much emotion as a devoted mother, NOT THAT SHE ISN'T DEVOTED. I feel that they didn't even put much of her old personality in her that she had in the first place. I mean, come on! She could have gone after Balto when he went to search for Aleu. SHE FOUGHT A BEAR to save Balto's life! She didn't care about the fact that he was part wolf! And does Boris even care about Balto anymore? I mean... hello? The dog you raised and loved and who you got "people bumps" over in the first movie is going out into the wilderness alone to find a rebellious teenager who can't even accept the fact that she has a loving family and home? But that's just me rambling. And I'm off track. ANYWAY...)

As a mother, you'd want the best for your babies. Sometimes, though, what's best isn't always what you want it to be. Anita finds this out the hard way when Sarge, her final pup, goes to live with the dog she must call a mate. Not that they are ever together for any long, or even short, periods of time. She doesn't love him, but she doesn't necessarily hate him either... it's that idea that maybe having a real responsibility, such as caring for his own son, may teach Steele that there are more important things in life than himself. She doesn't want to dislike him, but she can't bring herself to say she loves him.

Art and characters by me.

Description
The pups were now about seven weeks old, fur fluffy and bodies full of everlasting energy to keep them running all throughout the house. Sarge, Molly, Jack, Roddy, and Beanie currently were roughhousing in the playroom that belonged the owner of the house's six-year-old daughter, Kelsey. Sarge was thrashing about a small rope, tied in a knot for extra chewing, before his brother Roddy snatched it and began an all-out game of tug-a-war. Molly was running circles along with her brothers Jack and Beanie, caught up in a game of chase. Kelsey, a young girl with long curly brown hair, giggled as she attempted to join the game with the puppies.

Today, though, was rather a depressing day for a certain mother husky laying at the doorway of the playroom. Her chin on her paws and her ears dropping slightly, she let out a soft sigh, which was barely hinted with a dreadful whimper as she watched her babies frolic and romp. Today was the day that they would be looked up for adoption, the day that she knew that she would put the lives of her children into strangers for the profit of her owner. The pups knew that today they would find new homes, and were so hyped up from the excitement that they yipped and cried with joy all morning.

There was a knock at the door. Anita's heart went cold and her eyes shot from the bittersweet sight of her pups to the kitchen entrance. Her ears perked and she hurried to her paws and trotted down the hall and into the kitchen, which smelled of freshly fried bacon and sizzling eggs. Kelsey followed Anita, unaware of the mother dog's dread, skipping to the door and reaching the handle to open it.

The man who's face was revealed was a fuzzy one, a short, unshaved layer of hair that was blonde. He wore a fur cap and a long brown coat, pants, and leather boots. He seemed nice enough at first glance, not that this gave Anita any relief. At the man's side was a little boy with equally blonde hair, a puffy warm jacket, and large boots that reached his knees. He was smiling gleefully, hopping on his toes with excitement.

"Oh no..." thought the husky aloud to herself with a sinking heart. With a pitiful whine, she hurriedly turned and rushed off back to the playroom. She needed to see her pups, all of them, together for one last time.

She arrived to the room, and saw all her children, just as they were moments before, playing. Her ears dropped back, saddening emotions washing over her face as tears threatened to reveal themselves. She needed to be strong, though. She had reminded herself over the past couple weeks that this would happen; she couldn't see her puppies off with tears. She needed to express that this was the start of a new journey for her babies, that they would grow up and become dogs of their own homes.

But that was easier said that done...

"Children," she called, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat, and when they noticed her standing at the doorway, coaxing them toward her, they all turned from their play and scurried over towards their mother. "You do know what today is, don't you?"

"We're gonna get adopted!" Molly squealed, her tail whipping from side to side.

She had told the pups a couple weeks ago that this day would come. While it was saddening on her part, unbeknownst to them, they were rather joyful about the whole idea.

"That is right..." she replied to her daughter, trying to offer the most loving smile that she could muster. "So... I want you pups to be on your best behavior, and... be yourselves."

Beanie was the most thoughtful of the bunch. He tilted his head curiously, his ears standing up. "Are we going to see you again, Momma?"

She wanted to cry, but she didn't. Instead, she bravely smiled. "Of course, you will. You will all just be around town, remember?"

She told herself that, but even that didn't soothe her aching heart.

Footsteps interrupted them. Kelsey was chattering away, mainly about which pup had which personality, as if she were a professional to the boy who suddenly became more focused on the litter of puppies that sat gathered in the playroom. His eyes lit up, and Anita's ears dropped as did her heart.

"Here goes nothing..." she murmured to herself. To reassure them, not that they really needed it, she smiled lovingly at her puppies, and gave each of them a nuzzle and lick. Then, she reluctantly allowed the boy into the room, stepping off to the side.

The boy balled his hands up and jumped with excitement, giggling hysterically. "Ah! Hehehehe! They're so cute!"

So the examination began. The boy kneeled on the ground and was surrounded by the puppies. They all gave licks and nipped at his nose, playing their hardest to win his heart. Of course, the boy laughed with glee. His eyes fell on Sarge then, who made "ruff" sounds as he splayed his paws, shaking the rope again that he reclaimed.

"I like this one!" The boy reached for Sarge.

"Ah ah ah!" An arm patted the boy's shoulder, and it belonged to Kelsey's father, the man of the house, Clark. He tried show a smile, and he looked to the father for help. "That one is reserved. I have someone who's already bought him."

The father of the boy nodded understandingly, and he smiled past the look on the boy's face, which was shown that his lip was stuck out. "Can you pick a different one, son?"

The boy thought long and hard. He stared at the puppies. They were all so cute, all so playful. He actually wanted Sarge, but he picked Roddy as a close second. He informed his father, and who then looked to Clark, who declared the adoption "halfway done", referring to the fact that the father would have to pay. While the humans carried out the conversation, and while the father ushered the boy to his side, Anita approached her son.

"Roddy," she said softly, "please be good for your new family."

He nodded enthusiastically. "I will, Momma!"

"I love you..." she reminded her boy, which he returned with a gleeful smile.

"Love you, too, Momma!"

They touched noses, and soon after the humans concluded the buying of the puppy, the boy snatched Roddy up from his paws and held him in his arms tightly. As the father, son, and newly adopted puppy walked out of the door of the house to begin their way home, Anita had followed them, standing at the doorway for a long minute, but it felt like a lifetime. She watched her son, Roddy, wave at her over the boy's shoulder, and her heart broke into what felt like a million pieces. She swallowed hard, and returned to the playroom to watch over her remaining pups.

One of the pups, though, was bewildered. Sarge sat near the doorway, tilting his head dramatically in deep thought, and not paying any mind to his sister and remaining brothers frolicking behind him. Something in him ached, oddly, and he looked at the doorway for a good while before finally he turned his head to look at his mother. She lay at the side of the doorway towards the corner of the room, her tail curled around her and her muzzle laying upon her forelegs. Being so young and not having real experience with seeing sad emotions from his mother, he simply didn't catch onto the hurt in her eyes.

"Momma?" He stood up and padded over to her, his tail dropped as he perked his ears. "What does 're...zerved'... mean?"

Anita's eyes blinked as she was snapped out of her depressed state. She lifted her head and looked to her son. "It means you are being saved for someone else, honey."

"Really?" He gasped, and he placed his paws on his mother's leg, perking up. "You mean someone already has adopted me? Who? When are they coming to get me?"

She sighed, dread in her eyes and her ears falling back. "The musher your father lives with... he will come for you in a couple weeks."

"I get to go live with Dad?!" Sarge squealed a bit too excitedly. He hadn't met his father personally, but he'd heard good stories from Clark about Steele the race dog. He'd heard that Steele was a champion, a real winner.

"... That's right." Anita replied, trying not to sound grave.

The pup yipped and ran a couple circles before barreling into his mother, burying his face deeply into her soft, fluffy chest fur with a grin on his face. "Oh, I can't wait! We're gonna have so much fun! He can take me sledding, and show me how to pull a sled! I'll be a real race dog, just like Dad!"

Anita swallowed hard, but in attempt to hide the dread in her eyes and the coming tears, she smiled and lowered her muzzle so that she was returning sort of a "hug" to her son. "Yeah..." she breathed softly, a teardrop accidentally escaping. "I know you will, baby..."

...........

And this is basically what I imagine the scene to be like where Sarge discovers that his forever home lies within the home of his father. Anita dreads the whole idea of letting her pups go; she is much more emotional than Jenna, who so easily gave up her children to children all over town. (Yes, I remember that she cried during the time her pups were being taken by young children, I just didn't think she showed as much emotion as a devoted mother, NOT THAT SHE ISN'T DEVOTED. I feel that they didn't even put much of her old personality in her that she had in the first place. I mean, come on! She could have gone after Balto when he went to search for Aleu. SHE FOUGHT A BEAR to save Balto's life! She didn't care about the fact that he was part wolf! And does Boris even care about Balto anymore? I mean... hello? The dog you raised and loved and who you got "people bumps" over in the first movie is going out into the wilderness alone to find a rebellious teenager who can't even accept the fact that she has a loving family and home? But that's just me rambling. And I'm off track. ANYWAY...)

As a mother, you'd want the best for your babies. Sometimes, though, what's best isn't always what you want it to be. Anita finds this out the hard way when Sarge, her final pup, goes to live with the dog she must call a mate. Not that they are ever together for any long, or even short, periods of time. She doesn't love him, but she doesn't necessarily hate him either... it's that idea that maybe having a real responsibility, such as caring for his own son, may teach Steele that there are more important things in life than himself. She doesn't want to dislike him, but she can't bring herself to say she loves him.

Art and characters by me.