Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies. I never have and I never will. I can wish, but it's never going to happen. If I use any Newsie names you have written in your stories, I apologize in advance. I'm trying to be creative, but sometimes I think I am, and I really end up using a name from somebody else's fic. I only own Pup, Matthew (who would want to?), Knack, Tops, Squirt, Butterfly, Gambler and Domino so far. Raven owns herself (I'm just borrowing her).

Shout Outs: Kat, Deanie, FidgetConlon, goldstranger, Heather, thanks for reviewing!!! I appreciate it. Glad you find my story interesting enough to let me know you like it!

Author's Note: Hey, it didn't take me as long! Yay! Anywho, only one more day of school left!!! Yes!!! I am quite excited if you couldn't tell. I really didn't think anyone would like this story, but I guess you do. I'm having a lot of fun writing it, and don't worry if you sent me a profile and you haven't been in here yet, I just haven't gotten there yet. Might be the next chapter. I don't know.

A Dream Come True

Chapter Four

Spot gently lowered Pup down onto her bunk. He couldn't help but notice how innocent she looked while she was sleeping. It was innocence that only sleep could bring. When Pup was lying on her bunk, Spot stepped back. He watched as she curled into a ball and began to cry out.

"No, mama, don't go! Please don't leave me!" She cried, tossing and turning, causing the blanket Knack had placed on her to become tangled. Spot debated whether to wake her, or just wait and see if she would calm down on her own. Her next words, however, made up his mind for him.

"Gambler? Where are you going? Don't leave me!" What started as a whispered plea, ended as a loud scream. Spot looked at Knack, then returned his gaze to Pup. By now, many of the other boys had gathered around Pup's bunk.

"What's going on Spot? How does she know Gambler?" Tops asked, "he's been gone for awhile. Well, not gone, but you know what I mean. I thought the only ones who knew about all that, including what happened with Gambler himself, were the ones here when he was, and a few of the guys in Manhattan." Tops was one of the boys had been here when Gambler was around, and when Pup left.

"I don't know. Everybody out, I want to talk to Pup alone." Spot told them. Immediately, everyone got up and headed towards the stairs. When the last boy had left, Spot shook Pup to wake her up. She slowly opened her eyes.

"How do you know Gambler?" Spot asked bluntly, although it came out as more of a command.

"What?" She asked, wondering how he knew about that.

"You cried out for Gambler in your sleep. How do you know him?"

"It's a long story…" She said, trying to get out of it. She knew if Spot found out, she was dead for sure.

"Yeah? Well, I got time. You show up, know people who aren't here anymore, and I want to know how." He said, determined not to let her off the hook.

Pup took one look at him, and realized that this was a fight she wasn't going to win. "All right," she sighed, "I'll tell ya what happened. But first, can you get me my hat?"

If Spot thought this was a weird request, he didn't let on. He walked over to a spot near the door where Pup's hat lay. It had fallen off when Spot had carried her in. He came back over and handed her the hat. Pup began gathering her hair, and put it on top of her head. Spot let his gaze wander, wondering if he was wasting his time. However, when he heard Pup clear her throat, he looked at her, and was shocked. There, sitting before him, was the same that he had punched just this morning. The same Pup who had walked out of the lodging house a year and a half ago, never to return. Spot was stunned to say the least. He had thought there was something Pup hadn't been telling them before 'he' left, but never in a million years had he expected this, that this 'boy' was actually a girl.

"Pup?" He whispered.

"Yeah?" She asked, with no trace of the 'boy' voice she had used to be found.

"Oh God, I hit a girl!" He said, shame and fear written all over his face. Pup began to laugh.

"How can you think that this is funny?" Spot asked, "I can't believe I hit a girl!" He exclaimed.

"Spot, think about this. You gave me a black eye when you didn't know that I was a girl. Rave and that other guy soaked me pretty bad, and they knew I was a girl." She pointed out.

"That's still no excuse. I'm sorry." He offered.

"It's okay, but thank you." She answered, smiling.

"You know that other guy was Hunter, her brother, right?" Spot asked her.

"Yeah, I knew he was her brother, but I didn't know his name was Hunter." She said.

"So, I guess I now know how you know Gambler, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. Where is he anyway?" Pup asked, hoping he was still around.

"Well, he left." Spot started. He saw Pup's face fall, and tears began to fill her eyes.

"You know, he's the only one who figured out I was a girl? But yet, I never told him…" She trailed off, the tears spilling down her cheeks.

"He's in Manhattan." Spot said, mentally kicking himself for telling her that. Though she may not have been as pretty as some of the other girls he had gone out with before, he felt himself falling for her.

"What? Is he really?" She asked, with hope in her eyes.

"Yeah." Before Spot could tell her that he wasn't going by that name anymore, she was struggling to get up.

"Relax, I'll take ya there tomorrow. I have business with Jacky-boy anyway. And you need rest." Spot said, wanting to delay the trip as long as possible.

Pup consented, and lay back down. Soon, Spot heard her deep breathing signaling that she had fallen asleep. He got up and headed downstairs.

"So what's up Spot?" Tops asked.

"I need to see you, Knack, and all the boys who were here for the Pup incident. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I don't want to see you anywhere near the spare room upstairs. C'mon boys." Spot said, and led them up the stairs. Slowly the group separated until there were two very distinct groups - the newbies, and the boys who had been there for awhile.

Now you may be thinking, "well how would Spot know if a newbie snuck upstairs?" Well, the truth was, he wouldn't, but none of the newbies, or any of the boys for that matter, dared to go against Spot.

*Upstairs*

"Spot, what's this all about?" Knack asked, confused. He had been there for the Pup incident, but didn't know all the details. Only a few did, and he hadn't been one of the lucky few. And he didn't know what this had to do with the Pup here now.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Spot said, as he left the room, shutting the door behind him. Spot headed over to Pup's bunk, and began shaking her to wake her up.

"Spot? What is it?" She asked.

"I need to you to tell the boys, who were here when you last were, who you are." He said. Pup thought for a minute, and then slowly nodded her head. He smiled, and handed her, her hat. She gathered her hair, and transformed into the former Pup. He helped her up off of her bunk, and led her to the room.

He pushed open the door to the room and led her inside. The room went silent.

"Pup!?" Tops asked. She smiled, and nodded.

Slipping into her voice, she said, "Yeah, Tops, it's me." Spot cleared his throat and gave her a pointed look. She sighed, and nodded.

"Boys, there's something I need to tell ya." She said.

"Is it the reason why you left? 'Cuz if it is, that doesn't matter now. You're back." Luck said.

"No, it's not the reason I left. It's something else." Before anyone could speak, Pup took off her hat, revealing her long, dark red hair. The boys were stunned, much like Spot had been.

"Gambler knew, didn't he?" Tops asked softly.

"Yeah, he did." Pup answered back just as softly. Both were lost in their memories of what happened that horrible night.

Spot looked between the two of them, wondering what they were thinking about. However, for the first time ever, he kept his mouth shut, and didn't ask.

Pup soon bounced back, and said, "Spot, I'm gonna head back to bed. I want to be awake to head over to Manhattan tomorrow." She said.

"All right." He said, and watched her head to bed.

"Well, what do ya think of that?" Luck asked. Many of the boys were in the same awe that he was. They couldn't believe that the boy that they had all come to know as a friend turned out to be a girl.

"Yeah, no kidding." Knack said in reply.

The meeting broke up soon after and everyone separated to do their own thing. This lasted for about an hour until Spot stood up and told them to get to bed. All of the boys headed to their bunks. Spot remained awake in his bed staring at the ceiling. He was thinking of everything he had found out today. But what affected him the most was not the fact that Pup had lied to him, but the fear that had been in her eyes when she told him.