A/N: Wee, (bows to Miracle) Miracle wrote the beginning of this chapter for me because she was bored and I was camping....Yeah we thank her greatly.

Chapter 17

After a round or two of poker, Miracle finally showed up in the crowd. Her dark brown hair was pulled up high in a bun with small waved strands of hair falling loosely around her face. An emerald green grown was flared at the shoulders and waist with a tight bodice and v-neck, easily showing off her form.

"Guess what Dag?" Dag turned and smiled at the excitement on the younger girl's face. Maybe she had found a guy after all.

"What?" Dag asked curious to see if her hypothesis was correct.

"I came ovah me stage fright an' I got an accent like youse guys. By da way, Ise sarry about not tellin' ya where I was, Medda didn't want me ta evade hah nevah endin' practice sessions."

"Dat's great Miracle!"

At the sound of her name, one distinctive form straightened up from within the poker circle before whirling around and shaking the girl by her shoulders.

"WHERE DA HELL 'AVE YA BEEN MIRACLE? YA HAD US WOEID SICK!" Spot yelled at her.

Miracle mumbled something under her breath.

"WHAT WAS DAT? HUH?"

"Glad ta see ya cared." Miracle repeated a little more loudly.

"Of coahse I did. You da friend of Dag!"

"Ya certainly didn't care to apologize for freaking me out in my bed da udda night."

"What is dat all about Spot?" Dag turned to him after Miracle's latest remark.

"I fell asleep in hah bed da night she disappeahed an' she went to bed without lookin'. I t'ought she was you so I slid my ahm ovah hah. Cin ya foahgive me?"

"Ya, but ya didn't apologize? Come on Spot! Ya know how sensative us women ah!" Dag snapped.

"Yea Dag. Ise know." Spot ran a hand through his hair and turned to Miracle who quivered in fright.

"Ise sarry Miracle. I didn't remember dat I wasn't in me own room." Spot apologized under Dag's glare.

Miracle nodded then burst out into hysterical laughter. Dag smiled, then feeling the effect of the laugh; she began to giggle until the both of them were rolling about on the floor like maniacs.

"What in tarnations is so damn funny?!?" Spot asked looking at the girls confused.

Miracle winked at Dag before straightening up and turning to Spot. With a high pitched imitation of a school professor, she squealed, "I'tis a girl thing. You musn't ever understand a fraction of it."

Dag and Miracle left the poker game and went back stage. They collapsed, gasping behind the curtain, and rolled around emitting choked sobs every few seconds.

Miracle finally stopped as she ran over a pair of glossy pink heels. Dag slipped away as Miracle rose to speak with Medda.

Walking down the winding isle back towards the poker game Dag heard bits and pieces of a conversation.

" . . . You cheating BITCH! . . ."

" . . . Raise ya double or nothin' . . ."

" . . . Refill on the (hiccuup) scotch whiskey (hiccup) . . ."

The most familiar of them all sent shivers down Dags spine. " . . . Readem' oah whepe Jacky-boy. . ."

She snuck up behind Spot and smiling, wrapped her arms around Spot's neck.

After collecting his winnings, he grabbed her hand and headed backstage. He leaned in and whispered hoarsely in her ear, "I'm sarry Dag. I had ta do it. We cin't have hah runnin around at all hours of the day without tellin' no one wheah she's gone."

Dag straightened up. "What do ya mean ya had ta do it? Had ta do what?"

Spot ran a hand through his hair. "She's not allowed back in Brooklyn; too much trouble."

"NOT ALLOWED BACK IN BROOKLYN!?!" Dag boomed unbelieving.

"Yeah, dat's right,"

Dag didn't even have a reply for that. She made a growling sound and stomped off in the opposite direction of the poker table. Spot made a move to grab Dag's arm but she moved quickly out of his grasp.

"Wheah ya goin'?" Spot asked Dag stopped for a moment.

"I need to think alright," Dag replied through clenched teeth.

"Alright," Spot replied letting Dag walk.

How could Spot do that? He said he was worried about her because she was Dag's friend and now he kicks her out. Arg! She just got over being mad at him and now he gives her something to be mad at him for. The frustrating boy! Breathe Dag. STUPID BOY!

Walking a little further she found Miracle talking with two very attractive boys. One looked a lot like Spot but taller and the other was a little shorter with blonde hair. She recognized them for Manhattan. They mostly hung out by themselves so Dag didn't know their names. Dag approached slowly not to startle them but completely defeated her purpose but scaring them anyway.

"Ah," Miracle jumped slightly. "Dag."

"Sorry 'bout dat," Dag replied. "Who's de boys"

"Oh, dese ah Chruchill and Shorty." Miracle introduced them. "Dis is Dag."

"Yeah she's de goil we'se dought was a boy. Den she went ta Brooklyn." Shorty said.

"Yeah dat's me," Dag confirmed.

Dag saw Churchill giving Miracle looks and Miracle clearly didn't mind. Dag smiled and decided to encourage this.

"So Shorty ya know where Jack is?" Dag asked grabbing his arm. She had an idea.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Good, yeh get ta show me where he is." Dag pulled him a long knowing exactly where Jack was but didn't care. Miracle needed to be a lone with this Churchill boy. Shorty clearly noticed that Dag was doing the showing but didn't say anything. One doesn't usually annoy someone when they're not only from but with Brooklyn.

They arrived at the poker game and Spot gave Shorty a dirty look for having Dag so close. Shorty quickly backed off. Dag gave Spot a smack up side the head before turning to Jack.

"Miracle is stayin' in Manhattan," Dag announced to see a bunch of blank stares. "The new singah hah name is Miracle and she's stayin' Manhattan."

"Fine," Jack replied catching a glimpse of Dag's current glare.

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter.