A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Miracle because her birthday is coming up, and she's been nagging me to write more for a while.

Chapter 18

"Thank you Jack," Dag said before grabbing Spot by the collar of his shirt. "Ya've had too much ta drink; we're going back to Brooklyn while ya can still walk."

"Alright," Spot replied gulping.

"Bye fella's" Dag said practically dragging Spot to the exit.

The walk back to Brooklyn was well uneventful. Entering the warehouse however wasn't.

"Dag!" Angel yelled on verge of attack. "We couldn't find her!"

"Angel calm down," Dag replied calmly. "We did, she's stayin' in Manhattan now."

"In Manhattan? Will she be ok there?"

"She'll be fine Angel, I know de boy's dere they'll take cah of hah."

"If you say so Dag," Angel replied with complete trust in her voice.

"I do," Dag responded.

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

"Dang Jack if we evah strike again and we need Brooklyn's help we'll know wheah ta go," Kid Blink said picking up his cards and arranging them.

"Spot?" Jack replied not getting it.

"Spot controls Brooklyn so yeah, but Dag controls Spot." Blink explained.

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

"I'm goin' to Manhattan," Mark announced out of no where.

"No yeh not," Dag replied.

"Yes I am,"

"No,"

"Why not?" Mark asked.

"I said so,"

"You're not de leadah," He replied being a lot more assertive than normal.

"I don't care," Dag hissed back. "Excuse me I'm gonna go ta bed."

Mark backed down allowed Dag to push past him up the stairs. Spot was half drunk, half asleep for the entire conversation.

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

"Blink's got a point," Race agreed.

"Yeah," Mush added.

Jack nodded. The game wasn't going his way and Race kept winning. Ever since Spot and Dag had left Jack had suspected Race of cheating. Race laid down another winning hand.

"Dat's it," Jack said jumping up in wroth. "You is cheatin'."

"Am not," Race replied.

"Ya are Race we all know it." Skittery entered throwing his cards down.

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

Dag sighed lying next to Spot in bed. He was out cold like usual, although the vodka some new Russian newsie had brought had helped as well. She was in thought again. Then again Dag is next to always in thought so this was nothing new. She had things figured out for the most part so she was just letting it wander. It was pleasant to let her mind go where it pleased for once and not plague it with things she needed answers to.

Dag's mind wandered so aimlessly that if you asked her what she had been thinking about she would just shrug and say a lot of things. Most of the things she wouldn't even remember but she wouldn't let you know that.

Dag's thought's interrupted by the sound of several feet walking up the old stair case. She pondered who would be bothering her or Spot this late at night. She had told the boys the leave her and Spot alone of the rest of the night. Several of the boys had snickered, but Dag gave them enough of a glare that they immediately eliminated that possibly from their minds.

"Dag?" It was Paige's voice.

"What?" Dag hissed.

"Mark just snuck out," She said calmly.

"Thank you," Dag muttered getting up. There went the relaxation.

This didn't seem much like Mark. He wasn't the kind of guy to do this kind of thing. He must have spent too much time in Brooklyn it was beginning to rub off on him. Why couldn't Brooklyn have left kind Mark alone?

He was headed towards Manhattan and Dag knew it. What had inspired the boy to do something like that? He was usually so calm. Then again he had come to Brooklyn chasing Miracle and now he was going to Manhattan. Dag saw now. He hadn't bee inspired by Brooklyn at all. He'd done this kind of thing before.

Then she made a decision to let him chase after Miracle. Sure Dag hoped that Miracle met a boy in Manhattan like the one Dag had seen her with earlier but Mark was sweet too. He had every right to be competition. She couldn't keep him here when the other boys in Manhattan had an unfair adventure. Not to mention if any asked why she had changed her mind she could just say he didn't have to follow orders from her she wasn't leader.

Dag listened as Paige stumbled back down the stairs in the dark before she let herself drift off.

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

Spot groaned.

"Ya need ta stop drinkin'. It's like yeh makin' it habit." Dag complained to Spot as he tried to nurse he heavy hangover. "Thoid night dis week ya got yehself drunk!"

"Sorry Dag, I'd nevah tried Vodkah befoah." Spot said trying to make up an excuse.

"Fine but no moah," Dag barked.

Spot nodded grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head before flopping back onto the bed.

"What ah ya doin'?" Dag demanded.

"Layin' heah," Spot replied sprawled out on top of the old mattress.

"We have papes ta sell. Ya don't have enough money ta just lay dere,"

"I'll find a way. Sell dis afternoon and evening widout a break." He replied relaxing. He was so laid back like this. The only time he got tense was during a fight and even then he had control. Dag figured that was why he had made it to leader although there were several boys who could beat him in a fight. How is someone supposed to control 40 boys when they don't even have control of themselves? Spot had that control. It was also that control that drew Dag to him. She had had so little control over her life and self before she had become a newsie.

"Get up ya lazy scab," Dag said grabbing his hand to pull him up. He stopped holding up all of his weight and Dag sighed knowing there was no way she could get him up when he really didn't want to.

"I'll get up on one condition," Spot said smirking.

"What?" Dag almost said as Spot used all his strength to pull her onto the bed next to him. He pinned her down and brushed his lips against hers before standing up. Dag lay motionless on the bed. She growled and stood up.

"Next time ya want a kiss just ask," she hissed irritated by his means.

Spot smirked and started towards the DC.