(Disclaimer- Newsies STILL don't belong to us…even though we attempted to build a time machine to steal them. Out of Amanda's washing machine. Which hurt. And did not work…too well…hehehe.)

(A/N- This chapter…uh…was supposed to be about Ink, but we changed our minds…because Frankie got loose and ate the chapter. Plus we had insane writer's block.)

All is Fair in Love and Poker

Chapter 2 "Two of a Kind"

By: The.Pelvic.Thrust

"Hold still already will ya!"

"Ace, get off 'a me! I ain't givin' you'se no piggyback ride," Race shouted kicking Ace's shin when she fell off his back.

Ace pushed herself off of the ground and brushed off her pants, trotting after Race quietly.

Just when Race thought that Ace had given up trying to get a piggyback ride from him across the Brooklyn Bridge, she jumped on top of him forcefully and let out a loud shriek. Race made some sort of pained squawk before toppling to the ground with her.

The two were sprawled on the ground in stunned silence while the rest of the group passed with eye-rolls, whistles, and catcalls.

Race looked genuinely frightened and embarrassed as Ace gave a weak smile and struggled to remove her foot from under Race's arm. He spit out a mouthful of her hair and shouted, "Hey wait, we're comin'- Ace, let go 'a my arm."

"Hey, when you'se get ya legs off me, then we'll talk."

They untangled themselves, glared at eachother, and sped off after the group in mid-conversation.

"-it'll be da same as it always was before she left, fellas," Jack said shoving his hand into his pocket and retrieving a cigarette.

"Yeah, but what if she thinks we'se all deadbeats now…and won't talk ta us no more?" replied Blink nervously, lighting a match for Jack on the bridge railing.

"Bet she does…" Skittery muttered as he trudged beside Blink. He reached over and stole Jack's cigarette right out of his mouth and took a long drag.

"Hey fellas…'memba her lettas? She wouldn't stop askin' how we alls was doin'," Crutchy squeaked as he hobbled a bit behind Jack.

"Hope she's different…but good different. Like not da same as Ace no more," Race chuckled to himself, taking the cigarette from Skittery. Ace gave him a look of mock-hurt and kicked him behind his knees so that he fell into Skittery.

As the newsies and Ace neared the edge of the bridge, they saw Spot sitting on a barrel with his arms folded across his chest. He smirked as they approached and pulled out his slingshot, sending a rock whizzing past David's right ear.

"Don't worry…dat's how Spot shows affection," Jack smirked as Spot rose and they spit shook. Dave shrugged his shoulders and put his hat back on.

"Heya Jackie-boy…" Spot trailed off as he eyed two people in the back of the group poking eachother and pretending to be annoyed. Just before Ace and Race began to full-on punch eachother, Spot yelled, "Hey, ya too busy wit Race ta hug ya own brudda?"

The two jumped apart immediately, as Ace stuttered, "Uh…no…" before weaving through the newsies to hug Spot.

"Okay…it's 11:05 so let's get a move on, huh?" said Race, running a hand through his hair nervously after glancing at his pocket watch.

They all neared the station around 11:20 and took up various sitting or standing positions. The tension in front of platform five at the Brooklyn Station could have been cut with a knife. Jack and David leaned against a light post and chatted about Ink, while Blink, Skittery, and Specs sat on some crates to play cards. Ace, Race, and Spot sat on a bench nearest to where the train would be arriving shortly, as the others lounged on benches nearby.

Race had a leg draped over the armrest of one side of the bench while he lazily shuffled his cards. Spot was up against the other side as far away as possible from Race, and Ace was leaning up against Spot sleepily.

"Ya know…-insert trademark Racetrack smirk-…I still hope Ink ain't da same as before, like someone I know…" Race said flicking cards at Ace, purposely trying to annoy her into starting a fight.

"Ya know, I'm sick 'a your attitude. If ya wanna fight just lemme know and cut da 'I'm-gonna-try-ta-make-you'se-explode-so-you'll-start-da-fight," Ace said flipping one of her thick brown braids behind her and standing up. She walked determinedly over to where Race was, towering over his sitting figure, and placed her hands on her hips.

Race rolled his eyes and raised the corner of his mouth into a cocky smirk. "You'se don't wanna fight me kid…" He began as he slowly stood upright, showing his obvious height advantage, "…'cuz your eyes only reach my nose!" he laughed, patting the top of her head.

Without warning, she pulled back her arm and punched him in the stomach, causing Race to double over. "God Ace…wasa matta witchoo?" He asked before picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Put…me…DOWN!" Ace shrieked between punching him on the back.

He just laughed and began to dance around the bench.

"Alright, break it up…you'se is causin' a scene," Spot spoke lazily just as Ace had started to smile. "Put her down, Higgins…" he gripped the gold top of his cane threateningly.

Race quickly put her down as they resumed their seats on the bench, this time side by side.

"So, Jack, if Ink's anything like you, we may have another strike on our hands," David said jokingly, rolling up his sleeves.

Jack grinned, "Actually we're real different…but we get along real well, ya know? Like Ace and Race…(Jack looks over and they've resumed poking eachother)…m'kay, not like that, but ya get what I mean." Dave nodded. "She always felt like a sister ta me. Her parents treated me like a son. When they died, it was almost like alls we had was eachudda. When she left, it was real hard for me, Davey." Jack bent his head forward and crossed his arms over his chest. Hair fell into his eyes and his smile disappeared. David could tell that he missed Ink, and that her coming back was really important to him. "Sorry Davey…didn't mean ta go all soft on ya…I'm just nervous is all. I want her ta be proud 'a me."

"Don't worry about it. It'll all work out," David smiled at Jack as he shook his head, getting him out of his trance-like state.

"I…SEE THE LIGHT!" Mush yelled causing Ace to yelp and jump into Race's lap.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Mush. Platform five was completely quiet save the sounds of Mush's feet on the bricks as he jumped and pointed, and the low whistle of a nearing train.

"I see da train…the LIGHT 'A DA TRAIN!" People at nearby platforms stared, confused at why the odd group of teenagers would be excited about an incoming train. Mush's words knocked everyone back into reality, and they all began to gather around the bench that Ace, Race, and Spot were sitting at. Race pushed Ace off of his lap and stared down the track at the nearing light.

"I can't believe she's actually here…" Ace whispered as the train came into sight. There were other murmurs of agreement as everyone began to stand. David simply stood in the back of the group and took in the sight of all of his friends stunned to silence…which did not happen often. Or at all for that matter.

The train whizzed in and slowed to a stop. About fifteen men in sharp uniforms stepped off of the train dragging luggage for various people who followed after them. The group let out a collective breath that they didn't know that they had been holding in.

Ace cleared her throat, "Uh Jack, do you'se rememba what she looks like…now?"

"I'll know Ace, you'll see…I'll know…"

Only several of them were eyeing the train as it emptied at this point, and all those watching raised their eyebrows at a girl of about sixteen exiting at that very moment. Her dark blue eyes scanned the growing crowds around the station. She would have bared almost no resemblance to Jack, save her hair color, had she not seen the newsies and broke into one of Jack's trademark lopsided grins. His smile was identical as she began to push through the people around her, yelling out apologies.

Without warning, she emerged from the crowd and threw herself into Jack's outstretched arms. He swung her around and she buried her head into his neck. After a minute she picked her head up and whispered, "Look at you Jackie-boy, you're all tall and handsome now." She tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and straightened out his shirt collar as he set her down. Jack grinned and kissed her forehead.

"Hey fellas…you gonna hug ya old friend or just stand there starin'?" he snickered.

(A/N- Apparently no one wanted cookies…how about muffins? Maybe we'll teach you how to build one of our time machines…)

(Next time- Jack and Ink get situated in their new apartment, the Newsies show Ink around, and more Ace/Race hilariosity.)