Hello, there. This is an one-shot when Sandy comes back to Tulsa and she talks to Soda. Post-book. I hope you enjoy it, please read and review. I need to know how this went. Because I am slightly uneasy on this. So please review.

The song-bit is "Not Meant To Be" By Theory of a Deadman. Amazing song, fits this scene perfectly. Listen to the whole thing, cause it is just good.

Disclamer: I do not own "The Outsiders" By S.E. Hinton. Nor do I own the song "Not Meant To Be" By Theory of a Deadman.

Please read and review.

Past Tense

It's never enough to say I'm sorry

It's never enough to say I care

But I'm caught between what you wanted from me

And knowing that if I give that to you

I might just disappear

I know it's like trying to turn around on a one way street

I can't give you what you want

And it's killing me

And I, I'm starting to see

Maybe we're not meant to be

It's never enough to say I love you

No, it's never enough to say I try

It's hard to believe

That's theres no way out for you and me

And it seems to be the story of our lives

Theory of a Deadman

It could have been a regular day. Get up, get dressed, go to work, come home and do it all over again. But it wasn't a regular day that was all in the past.

I was sitting on a work bench tinkering with an old engine, since the car that was here was done. All it needed was an oil change. A simple task.

"Sodapop?" A young woman's voice echoed.

I snapped my head up quickly, my heart racing. I knew the voice. That voice was a blast from the past.

That voice was from someone that I loved.

That voice was from Sandy.

I found myself looking into her baby blue eyes. However, they weren't the same eyes that I was used to seeing. They looked tired, dark shadows under her eyes. Not the bright eyes that I used to see.

"Sandy," I whispered faintly.

"Hey, Soda, how are you?" She said nervously.

"Umm….I'm doing good." I paused "Well Sandy," I coughed. "I thought you were living in Florida."

"I am, I'm here for the week-end visiting my parents."

I soon couldn't hold in the question anymore. "Ah, well if you don't mind me asking how is your baby?"

Her baby. Her and the other boy's baby.

"Oh," she said softly.

I jumped in. "No its fine, you don't have to tell…"

"No, it is fine Soda. It doesn't matter. I gave her up for adoption." She said with no emotion in her eyes.

"The baby was a girl?" I asked.

"Yea, she was beautiful, she had piercing eyes," she said with a gleam in her eyes.

She continued. "I came here for another reason Soda. I thought we could…I don't know go to dinner or something. Just catch up."

"Sandy…."

"No I just, I want to reconnect. Because I feel bad how I hurt you. Every time I think about you, your face, when I broke up with you is the only thing I see. I just want to see you smile and laugh again. And it kills me that I put you in pain." She whispered the last part, tears filling up her eyes.

"Sandy, I loved you. I would have done anything for you, just to make you happy. I would have taken care of that baby, even if it wasn't mine. I would have loved that baby girl like she was my daughter. I wanted to marry you….I loved you. But now that is past tense. And we can't change anything now. We have to move on. And Sandy I can't move back. I'm sorry." I explained, my heart sinking at the memory of her leaving the first time.

And for a split second, I let my mind wander to the 'what-ifs'. I let myself see her as my wife, holding that baby girl in my arms, even if she wasn't my blood daughter, I would had still loved her.

But that was past tense.

"Oh…ok. I will…" She struggled.

I sighed. "Goodbye Sandy." My heart felt like it was getting stabbed, because she was still going to be my first love. But this time I was leaving and finally moving on.

"Goodbye Sodapop." She whispered, tears silently sliding down her face.

I thought I was going to have a regular day. But that was all in the past.

So I hope you enjoyed this. Please, please review. Let me know what you think. Thank you for reading.