A huge group of rowdy boys made their way towards Brooklyn. It was getting dark and they had the whole street to themselves. There was play fighting and arguing throughout the group and every few minutes a boy would break out of the crowd and do a flip or a cartwheel or some other random acrobatic stunt (all very well choreographed and yet spontaneous). About every month Brooklyn and Manhattan newsies would get togther to play poker and everyone was excited. The games usually lasted all night and ended up with boys from both territories completely drunk. Following behind the group was a girl and a boy with a crutch.

"So what ever happened ta Dutchy dis mornin'?"

"He was talking to a girl last I saw him, he also stole my cat."

"Dutchy talkin' wit a goil. I swear things 'ave been gettin' weird since ya came heah."

"You can always hope they become normal once we get back ta Brooklyn, can't ya."

"I guess. Hey, Marble, why's ya comin' wit us, you told me dat yous don't like pokah."

"I don't like it, I just have to get something from Spot."

"Spot? What's he got?"

Marble smiled, "I'll tell ya if I get it."

"You make me neoivous when ya smile. Yous only smile like that if ya gonna do somethin' dats gonna get ya in trouble."

She laughed, "Don't worry about it, it'll make a great story later."

Crutchy gave her a suspicious look and dropped the subject.

* * *

Jack stopped the group outside of the Brooklyn Lodging House for a minute. "Ok, Fellas you 'member da rules, no fightin', no cheatin', an' if ya get drunk an' puke on da floor we ain't gonna stop dem from throwin' ya offa da dock again."

Everyone glanced at Kid Blink at the end of Jack's speech then filed through the door. He looked at the ground, embarrassed, then Jack laughed and threw his arm around Blink's shoulders to drag him in. Marble and Crutchy rounded the corner in time to see the last boys slip inside. They picked up their pace a little but by the time the made it into the house there were already at least five poker games started, as well as a few other things involving cards and money. Crutchy went to join one of the quieter games off in a corner while Marble pushed her way through a crowd to the loudest game she could find. Sure enough, in the middle of it was Spot, along with Jack, Racetrack, Blink and two boys she knew from Brooklyn, Dublin and Twitch.

"Heya Twitchy, how's it goin'?"

He flinched when her hand landed on his shoulder and looked up. "I's alroight, ya likin' Manhattan?"

"Yea, it's great. Hey, is Beck around."

Dublin smiled at her, "Naw he's a little hung over, he's upstairs sleepin'."

"Great." She slipped into the empty space behind Spot's chair to watch the game. Spot usually never let anyone stand behind him, where they could give his hand away but Marble had a better poker face than he did so he let her stay.

There were bottles of alcohol all over the table but most of them were still unopened. As the night went on and guys started losing money the bottles started getting emptied and thrown on the floor. The only one that stayed on the table was the one by Spot. He was drinking just as much as the others but his bottle always seemed to be full, no one really noticed. After about two hours Spot's speech was starting to slur and his eyes seemed to lose focus. When a fight almost broke out across the room drawing everyone's attention away from the game Marble started whispering in Spot's ear. After a minute he grinned and let her lead him away to his room. Again no one really noticed and someone took Spot's seat so they could continue playing.

Some of the Manhattan boys left early so they could make curfew and they were followed about half an hour later by Marble. She slipped out of Spot's room and down the stairs with a large bundle under her arm then went outside. The few people who did notice this time assumed that she was taking something she had forgotten earlier and going back to Manhattan.

It was almost midnight when Spot exploded into the room in a complete rage. Everybody froze and a few boys started snickering until Spot's murderous gaze fell on them. He was wearing nothing but his pants and one suspender, which was falling off of his shoulder. His hair was sticking in all directions like a haystack, but instead of being funny it made him look like a madman on a rampage.

"I's gonna kill dat goil! Where is she? Where'd she go?"

Someone finally got the courage to tell him, "I think she left." Spot swept one more evil look around the room then stormed out the door.

The cool air hit his bare chest like a slap and cleared his head for a second, but once he saw a small figure sitting on a stack of crates on the dock his rage came rushing back. He stalked (as best as he could, still being pretty drunk) towards her until he could see her face clearly in the moonlight.

"What da hell's wrong wit ya. Gimme back me clothes."

"No"

"NO!?"

"You heard me, no." She was swinging her feet like a little kid who couldn't reach the ground and her eyes were shining but her face and voice were perfectly calm. She just looked at him with her clear blue eyes practically glowing in the dim light. Meeting that steady gaze cleared some of Spot's anger but his eyes still blazed when he turned to the large group of newsies who had followed him outside.

"What a yous all doin' out heah? Dis ain't nona ya business. Git back inside an' play ya games."

Most of the boys filed back into the building, but Jack stepped forward, "Dis is me business if ya gonna try ta hoit da goil. I's supposta take care a her 'member?"

"Jack jist go, I ain't gonna hoit nobody."

"Ya sure, yous still real drunk an' ya might forget ya said dat once I's inside."

"It's alright, just go."

Jack looked up at Marble and she nodded reassuringly at him. He started walking away, still keeping an eye on the two of them and listening until he was too far away to hear.

"So is ya gonna give me stuff back now?"

"Not until you give me something."

Spot gave her a suspicious look, "What?"

"You know what I want."

"No, I d...... yous kiddin' roight?" Spot half laughed, half snorted when she shook her head. He started climbing the crates and almost fell near the top but Marble grabbed him and hauled him the rest of the way up. While he was getting comfortable she handed him his shirt and Jack thought he heard her say, "It's getting cold."

Spot sat quietly for a minute, staring at the stars, then he started talking softly. As he spoke Marble handed his things back and he piled them next to him so he could keep going. When all she still had were his shoes and gold tipped cane Marble rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Just as Jack was going through the door he saw Spot slip his arm around Marble's waist.

* * *

The sun was coming up as the Manhattan newsies left Brooklyn. Most of them had won a lot of money and were joking around or whistling cheerfully. All of the noise they were making woke Marble, who had fallen asleep out on the dock. She saw them passing and joined Crutchy, who was bringing up the rear again.

"So didja get what ya wanted from Spot?"

"Yup!" The extra perky way Marble said it made her seem like a very self-stisfied five year old.

"Well, what was it day ya wanted from 'im?"

She smiled, "A story."

"A story?"

"Yea, when we were little he would tell me stories to shut me up, but now I have to force them out of him."

"Wait a minute, yous knew Spot Conlon when yous was little?"

"Yeah."

"Like way back when 'e used 'is real name an' was all cute an' all dat?"

"Yeah."

"Well...?"

"Well what?"

"What's 'is real name?"

Marble gave Crutchy a weird look, "It's his name, ask him."

Crutchy knew she wouldn't tell someone else's secret so he smile and changed the subject, "I's was wonderin' how's ya got Spot's clothes away from 'im?"

Marble laughed, "I got 'im drunk." She took a second to compose her self, "I just kept his drink full so he couldn't tell how much he had drank. Then, when he was too drunk to think, I challenged him to a game of strip poker and cheated."

Crutchy joined her laughing, "So's ya gonna tell me ya new story."

"Yeah, sure."