Disclaimer: S. E. Hinton owns 'The Outsiders'.


"Well, if it ain't little miss Katy." Two-Bit had that goofy grin on his face as he headed over to her.

Kate smiled, Daniel had been the only person who ever called her Katy. "Hey Two-Bit."

"You working here full time?"

Kate nodded and picked up the glasses off of an empty table, the Dingo wasn't too busy during school hours.

"You graduate already?"

Kate frowned and avoided his eyes, "I dropped out about a year ago."

Two-Bit could tell that the reason wasn't any of his business.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "What about you? Ain't you supposed to be in school?"

He shrugged and took a seat in the booth that Kate had just finished wiping down. "Didn't feel like going to English today."

Kate grinned at him slightly but there was a motherly look in her eyes. "Was Dallas there?"

Two-Bit nodded and she could tell that he was trying to figure her out. "You and Dallas have history?"

Kate tipped her head to look at him better, "Yeah."

Two-Bit looked curious, "What kind of history?"

The smile returned, "What kind of history did Dallas tell you about?" Two-Bit was silent and Kate nodded understandingly, "It ain't my place to tell you his business, Two-Bit."

"It's your business too."

"Our business." She clarified. "If he wants you to know sweetie, then he'll tell you. Simple as that."

XXX

It'd been nearly a week since her date with Richard but she knew that Dallas hadn't forgotten about it. Neither of them were stupid, Richard had been sure to have a couple of his guys with him for the past few days. It'd gotten around Tulsa pretty fast that Dallas had some history with Kate.

"Dal." She wasn't angry but she didn't want him to start a fight in the middle of someone's house either. She couldn't quite remember whose party they were at, but she wasn't the type for breaking someone's shit over a petty grudge. "Take it outside." Kate warned.

Dallas smirked and pushed his glass back. "He ain't stupid, babe. He ain't gonna follow me outside." He was preparing to stand up and Kate quickly made it to the other side of the table, taking a spot in-front of him.

She held her hands up to his chest. "Dal, come on. This ain't our house."

He glared down at her, "I thought you weren't gonna get in the way of this."

"I'm not trying to, honey. You can have it out with him. Outside." She stressed.

Richard caught his stare from across the room and stood up a little straighter. By now, he had probably been thinking that he was in the clear, and was definitely lacking in backup. It would be a fair fight though. Steve, Two-Bit, and Soda were watching him from another table in the corner, but they wouldn't interfere unless Richard's guys did first.

Richard was walking toward him now and the rest of the guys walked over to stand with Dal. There was some protest coming from Sandy and Evie as they remained at the table, but Kathy followed closely behind Two-Bit.

Richard was getting awful close and Kate was standing her ground. "Move." Dallas glared at her but she didn't look slightly intimidated. He grabbed her arm roughly and she flinched. Dallas gave her a worried look, he wasn't used to that type of reaction from her but he didn't have time to worry about it now.

Kathy grabbed Kate's hand much gentler and pulled her away, "Come on, sweetie. Dal's gonna do what he wants either way."

Two-Bit glanced at the two of them out of the corner of his eye but still managed to continue looking forward at the same time, two of Richard's guys had showed up just in time. "She's right, Katy."

There was a crowd gathering as Dal and Richard squared up. The two goons who had come with Richard were keeping their distance and Kate noticed Soda and Two-Bit relax. Steve however, looked like he was itching for a fight. She recognized the way he was rubbing his knuckles with his hand.

"Make a move, Winston."

Dallas shrugged, "Looks like you already made your move."

Richard wrinkled his eyebrows, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"On my girl." Dallas clarified and Kate stood a little straighter as multiple eyes landed on her. She wasn't his girl, not technically anyway.

Richard shook his head and smirked viciously, "It's not my fault she was just being a tease."

"Just get it over with already." Two-Bit muttered and Kate noticed the red-head bobbing through the crowd.

"So this is the bitch you screwed around on me with?" She looked awfully pissed as she glared at Kate.

Richard rolled his eyes at her, "Back off, Jessica."

It was as if it registered with all of them at the same time. Jessica, the red-head who Dallas had been with that first night at Buck's.

She walked up to Kate and Two-Bit pulled Kathy behind him, giving Kate a guilty look as he did so, but there was nothing he could do to help her.

Kate started fidgeting with the hair tie on her wrist. Dallas and Richard were on hold as all eyes were watching the two girls.

"Like I said, are you the bitch who messed around with my man?"

"You better back away, honey." Kate warned but Jessica stood her ground. Kate shrugged, already knowing the outcome of the situation, "I didn't do shit with your man, but it ain't my fault that he offered."

Jessica was getting in her personal space now and Kate continued, "What? He ain't getting enough with his first choice?" Kate had just enough time to put her hair up before Jessica pushed her into the table. Jessica went straight for Kate's hair anyway and Kate heard Dallas and Richard begin to go at it and desperately wished she had had time to take her earrings out.

She knew Dallas had Richard pinned already by the glance she stole of him before punching Jessica in her face. She felt a pinch of guilt at the bone she knew she had hit in her nose but it went away quickly when Jessica retaliated and re-split her lip. Kate got a hold of Jessica's shoulders and threw her into the table.

She didn't get up and Richard was doing pretty bad as he lay still on the floor.

Dallas walked over to her and she wiped at her lip. "You knock him out?"

Dallas nodded and squeezed his nose some as the napkin he was holding only got redder.

Kate nodded too and turned for the door. The crowd wasn't fading as Dallas reached for her arm again, stopping short this time. "Hey-"

Kate cut him off, "I didn't do it for you, Dallas." He kept his eyes steady on her and she continued, "She hit me first. But next time you wanna mess around with another guy's girl, make sure you warn me a little better before I go on a date with 'em."

XXX

"You alright? Kathy was giving Kate worried looks as they ran around the Dingo.

Kate touched her lip gingerly, "Yeah."

Kathy pulled her hand back down, "Not about that." It was obvious that Kathy was talking about the fact that Richard had only asked Kate out on a date to get back at Dallas for messing around with his girl.

Kate nodded again and Kathy attempted a grin, "'Ya know, Two-Bit mentioned that it was a different Brumley boy who had his eyes on you since the moment you showed up."

Kate smirked slightly, "No thanks, Hun. I think I've gotten enough split lips from the Brumley boys for now."

She frowned, "How did that happen anyway?" She paused, "The first time."

Kate shrugged like it didn't bother her, "Richard wanted me to go in the back of his truck, I said no and he didn't stop. So I slapped him in his face."

"And he got mad and threw a punch?"

Another nod. "I'm not sure if it was just out of reflex or not. But he was too drunk to bother apologizing afterward."

"I doubt Dallas would of cared if he apologized either way." Kate sent her a look and Kathy blushed, "I saw the way he was looking at that cut, like it was put there by the devil himself."

Kate noticed the figure in the doorway and glanced at the clock, 5:20.

Kathy shrugged, "Night crew's already here, besides it's a Wednesday night."

Kate tried to grin at her but the boy in the doorway was already pissing her off and he hadn't even opened his mouth yet. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kath."

She nodded and Kate walked straight past Dallas. He threw his cigarette into the gutter and followed close behind her. For a moment he thought she was heading for his car and hell, he might of even let her drive with how pissed off she looked. But when she kept going straight, he grabbed her wrist. She didn't jump, although he was much gentler this time.

"You ignoring me?"

He hated how good she was at the silent treatment. She hadn't even made eye contact with him yet.

He shrugged and stepped in-front of her. "You know you can't stay mad at me, never could before."

"This ain't like before."

Dallas smirked, "And she speaks."

Kate gave him that look that told him to shut the fuck up. "I don't think you understand." She stated.

"Understand what?" She was walking ahead of him again but spun around quickly at his response, "This ain't like before, Dallas. You can't pull me down with your shit. Just in case you forgot, I gotta go home to David tonight."

"So what?"

Her face went grim, "We all know that my grandma ain't taking care of that kid. You think I dropped out 'cause I wanted to? I dropped out 'cause I had to, Dallas. And I don't even mind too much anymore because I love him but I can't afford to have you drag me down with you whenever you decide to mess around with another guy's girl or get into a pathetic fight. 'Cause we all know that they'll take David away from me the first chance they get, and he's all I got left."

She wasn't one for spilling her feelings but he could tell that the only reason she had was to get her point across. He recognized her situation all too well. "I ain't trying to make you feel guilty, Dallas. It wasn't your job to stick around. It was Daniel's, but he's gone. And now I gotta get over it and grow up." Kate shrugged, "I gotta keep 'em safe." She paused, "I'm the only one who can keep him safe."

He stared at her for awhile before lighting another cancer stick, "So what happens now?"

She gave him that motherly look again and grabbed his keys out of his hand, "You get your shit together and stop acting like Daniel."

He wasn't sure whether that was a hurtful remark or not, but one thing was for sure, Daniel was exactly what he had turned in to.


Well guys, I was so happy with the reviews that I got on the chapter I posted last night that I got this up for you all today :) Leave me a few more please, they make my day! I'm not too sure with the quality/likeability of this chapter either so I'd especially love some more feedback.