Disclaimer: Do I really need one of these things anymore? I don't own them… I can wish, but it's never gonna happen, unless by some miraculous miracle Disney decides to sell the rights to them…

Shout Outs: To Let, Brooke Lyn, and Spaz! Thanks bunches for reviewing! I thrive on reviews! Tell your friends… lol. Just jokin'.

Author's Note:  Um… nothing to note here. Except you better appreciate this! Two updates in like a week! That has to be a record for me. Maybe I'm just bored… I dunno. By the way Spaz, yeah, definitely send me your character info. – real name, newsie name, characteristics (personality and physical appearance), any relationships (u say spot you're dead! Not really but that's okay), and any relations. Oh and include any other tidbit (isn't that a fun word!?) info. that you want in there. My e-mail is bulldogchik05@yahoo.com. This goes for anybody that would like to be in the story, just send me the info.!

A Dream Come True Chapter Eight

Once they got back to the Lodging House, they got ready and headed over to Brooklyn. When they got there, the Lodging House was filled. They were spread out playing poker, some were playing, but others were only watching.

Pup looked around until she saw Spot playing a game in the back corner. She should have known. It was his spot to play ever poker night, and therefore no one ever took it, for fear of being soaked. She made her way back there.

"Hey Pup." He said when he saw her, but immediately went back to concentrating on the game at hand. It finally ended with Spot winning as was usual. The boy he had been playing against was obviously a pretty advanced player from the evidence that the game had been going on awhile. However, Pup didn't care about that. She pulled up a chair.

"Deal me in." She said. Some of the other boys gasped. No girl had ever asked to be dealt into a game in which Spot was playing. Well, except for the one time when Raven had and was in an extremely bad mood the rest of the night after losing. She had never taken losing too well, especially not against someone with an ego the size of Spot's.

"Oh shut up, and deal me in." She snapped, "It's not like he hasn't ever played me before. Although I'm sure he would rather forget it." She smirked.

"Oh yeah, I remember that game… that was the one where…" he was silenced by Spot's glare.

"Deal her in." He said through clenched teeth. He couldn't believe she had had the audacity to bring up that game. It wasn't like he had known he was playing a girl. He thought he had been playing just some newbie who needed to be taught a lesson. Although it had been an embarrassing loss in itself because of that. But he really didn't want to remember it. He turned his attention back  to the game at hand.

Thirty minutes later Spot sat staring at Pup's hand lying on the table. He had lost. He watched as she collected her winning. He watched as the boys congratulated her on her win. He watched as Racetrack picked her up and spun her around for winning. Lately, with the way he had been feeling, that would have sent jealously coursing through him. But the relationship between Pup and Racetrack was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He only had one thought racing through his mind.

He had lost.

***************

Pup was celebrating. She had beat Spot once again. She was glad too, because if she had lost, she wouldn't have enough money for her papes in the morning.

However, the more she thought back on the game, the more Spot invaded her thoughts. What if because of her, he didn't have enough for his papes in the morning. She knew it sounded ridiculous, surely Spot wasn't dumb enough to bet *everything* he had, but then again, she had, why shouldn't he? After all, no one had beaten him in a long time. The more she thought about it, the more logical it sounded to her.

She excused herself from the group she was surrounded by, and snuck away. She headed for Spot's room. She knew for a fact he was still downstairs playing, as she had made sure and checked before just barging up to his room. She snuck inside, and placed half of the winnings she had made from the game on his dresser. She knew it was foolish to hope, but hope she did. She hoped Spot just thought he had left it there, and not that she had given it to him. She didn't want the recognition or the belittlement that would surely come. He would somehow find some way to make her feel bad about giving him the money. Unfortunately, that was one of his talents.

She turned and left, determined not to let Spot know it had been her to leave the money. Now she had bigger problems to face, what to do about Racetrack Higgins?

***************

Racetrack watched as Pup made her way upstairs. He knew what she was going to do. She had done it before. If she would win big at a poker night, she would take half of the winnings, and give the other half to the loser of the game. None of the boys had ever figured out where the money had come from. They just accepted it, and moved on. They had figured that they had left it there from their selling, earlier in the day.

Race shook his head at her predictability. No doubt she was feeling guilty about taking his money. She would feel as though he wasn't going to have enough money for his papes in the morning, and she didn't want that to happen. So she gave away her money. But that was Pup. She had too good of a heart for her own good. He didn't even want to imagine what had happened at the orphanage. Nothing good, of that he could be sure. She was so unselfish. She was willing to sacrifice anything, for anyone.

His thoughts were interrupted by Pup coming back downstairs. He realized that it was time. It was time for whatever secret Pup was hiding from him to come out. He started walking towards her.