Saturday nights were generally rowdy in the Duane Street Lodging House. The older boys would break out their hidden liquor stashes and gather downstairs in the common room for a poker game after they had put the little ones to bed. Tonight, however, the boys were trying to remain on their best behavior. They had a lady in their presence.

Blink and Racetrack had succeeded in teaching Evie to play poker. Perhaps a little too well, they thought, as she raked in her winnings for the third game in a row.

"Son of a bitch!" A boy named Skittery threw down his cards and pushed his chair back from the table. "I wasn't lettin' her win, neither!"

Blink grinned at Evie and cocked an eyebrow at her over the glass he was taking a drink of whiskey from. She grinned back.

"My grandfather taught me. He says it's unladylike to play poker, but we play every once in a while."

"Unladylike. Pfft." Racetrack scoffed and took a rather large swig of whiskey.

"You'se just sore 'cuz the only person can beat you at poker's a girl," Blink tossed his cards into the middle of the table and glanced out the window. "It's gettin' dark, Evie, I oughta get you home."

They walked in the warm night air, laughing over the night's events and how Racetrack had gone from being a charmer and a flirt to being a cursing, angry, sore loser.

"Tonight was fun. I'm glad I decided to come with you."

"Me too." Blink smiled and patted the arm that was linked through his. "We don't have girls around real often, I'm surprised the fellas even knew what to do with themselves."

The pair laughed, and then they walked in silence for a few minutes.

"So, 'Kid Blink' can't be yourreal name." Evie looked at him, examining his face, waiting for a reaction.

"It's real enough." Blink shrugged. "Ain't the name me mudda gave me, but it's good enough for me. Most of us guys ain't real big on stayin' in any kinda contact with what useta be our lives."

"What did your mother call you?"

"Uh-uh." Blink smirked, shaking his head. "That's a secret."

Evie opened her mouth to protest, but closed it quickly, realizing she had secrets as well. All she did was nod her head, and stop at the gates to her house. "This is my house."

Blink looked through the gates at the huge fortress erupting out of the ground behind them. "Jesus," he said, almost breathlessly. He turned to her and smiled. "Thanks."

"For what?" Evie cocked her head, a knowing smile on her face. She just didn't want to go in yet.

"For not shruggin' me off like some street rat."

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "Save me a paper tomorrow." And with that, she went through the gates and into the house as a princess to her castle.

A/N: I know this chapter is a little short, but I felt it was important in building the story... especially the ending. The LH scene wasn't all I'd hoped it to be, but I figured, less is more, you know? I didn't want it to become tedious. Blink and Evie's relationship is blooming quite well, I think... and to clear things up, no, Evie isn't evil in the sense that you may be thinking. That's not her secret. :) It's something bigger.

The next chapter I may have skip ahead a little. But I'm not sure. I haven't decided how important it is to see the two of them developing on a day-to-day basis versus a larger-scale type thing. But some important twists and turnsto the story are coming!

Please let me know what you think! -Layne