Author's Notes: I would've had this up sooner, but when I was trying to write it last night, my brother kept playing Eric Cartman sing Come Sail Away. It was funny the first time, annoying the next 20 times. And then, tonight, when I finally had some alone time, the power went out for six FREAKING hours. It sucked. But alas, kiddo's, here it is, the next chapter. This on is kinda slow, but I promise you the action will start picking up. Now I'm gonna shut up and post this, so I can finish X-Men First Class.

It's sad, so sad
It's a sad, sad situation
And it's getting more and more absurd
It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over
Oh it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word
-Elton John

Steve had never bought flowers for a girl in his life.

He stood outside the florist shop on Hawkins Drive, hemming and hawing with himself. It hadn't even been his idea to buy AJ flowers, it was Darry's. He'd overheard Steve complaining to Soda that AJ was still being cool towards him.

"How much time does she need?" He'd asked.

"Have you, I don't know...apologized?" Darry had said, coming into the living room.

"I shouldn't have to!" Steve argued. "She knows how I am! I never had these kinds of problems with Evie-."

Darry held up his hand. "That's your problem, stupid." He told him. "She's not Evie. AJ isn't gonna let you yell at her and then just la-la, take you back. You oughta know that by now."

"So…what should I do?" Steve asked finally. Darry sighed.

"Well, you could try saying you're sorry for acting like a complete ass hat, to start with." He told him. "And buy her some flowers."

"Ohh." Sodapop nodded. "Chicks dig flowers."

So that was how, a day and a half later, Steve found himself outside Clementine's, the nearest flower shop.

"All right," He told himself. "You're a man, let's just do this shit."

He pushed open the door and walked in, immediately assaulted by the overpowering smell of flowers. The little bell over the door jingled as he walked in and the smiling woman behind the counter looked at him.

"Can I help you, honey?" She asked. Steve kind of scuffled his feet.

"Uh…I wanna buy some flowers for my girlfriend…" He said, suddenly unsure of himself.

The woman nodded. She wore her bleached blonde hair piled on top of her head and looked, to Steve in any case, like she could be the girl who played Elly Mae Clampett's mother.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" She asked. Steve shrugged.

"Erm…pretty ones?" He said, feeling stupid. The woman, her name tag read Donna, laughed.

"You're a flower virgin, aren't you sweetie?" She asked. He cracked a half a smile at that.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Tell me about your girlfriend." Donna said. "What's her name?"

"AJ." Steve answered. "Abigail…Jane, I think."

"What's AJ like?" Donna asked.

"Uh…" This was a lot more work than Steve thought it would be. "Well, she's funny." He said finally. "She can usually make me laugh."

"And I bet that's pretty hard to do." Donna observed. "You look like a moody thing…in fact; I bet that's why you're in here, isn't it?"

Steve goggled at her. "Are you psychic or something?"

She threw her head back and laughed, her gold inlays twinkling in the light. "No, just perceptive. I've been in the flower business a long time, honey. Long enough to know a man in the doghouse when I see one. Now, tell me more about your girl."

Steve spent the next fifteen minutes telling Donna about AJ. He told her how they'd known one another for years and how he'd finally seen what an idiot he'd been and asked her out.

Donna made murmuring noises and nodded occasionally, but she mostly let Steve talk. And when he was done, she led him over to the counter where she proceeded to put together a bouquet of flowers. When she handed it to him, tied with a pretty purple ribbon, Steve gaped at them.

They were perfect.

They were tulips (or what looked like tulips) and they were striped bright red and white, looking like giant candy canes sitting on top of stems. Donna smiled at the look on his face.

"These are great, huh? They just make me think of Spring."

And a few minutes later, he was back in his car, with the flowers lying on the seat beside him, along with a card. He'd simply scribbled "I'm sorry" on it and left it at that. Short and sweet.

AJ was studying with Marnie and Ponyboy in her living room when someone knocked at the door.

She wasn't surprised to see Steve standing there; she was surprised when he shoved a bunch of flowers at her.

"Uh, here." He said.

"Not very suave at his delivery, huh?" Marnie whispered to Pony, who had to hack a cough to hide his laugh.

"Can we, uh, talk?" Steve asked AJ. "On the porch, maybe?"

He just needed to get away from Pony and Marnie and their annoying laughter.

AJ was almost too shocked to speak. Steve Randle had just brought her flowers? Was she dreaming?

"These are really pretty." She said faintly. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "It's no big deal…um, did you read the card?"

Holy shit; there was a card, too? She opened. It just read I'm Sorry in his messy scrawl, but she was still touched.

"So…uh…are we good?" He asked after a few seconds of silence.

She loved the fact that Steve's idea of "talking" was them going on the porch and him speaking two sentences.

"Yeah," She smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "We're good."

Two days later, Steve still couldn't believe his good luck. Who would have known that something as simple as flowers would work? These were the thoughts he was thinking to himself as he pulled into the DX station for his shift.

"What's up, fella's?" He asked Soda and Cade as he came through the door.

Cade cocked a brow at him. "Why're you so damn chipper?" He asked.

Steve just grinned and shrugged. Soda rolled his eyes.

"It's because him and AJ finally made up." He grumbled.

"You're just jealous because I'm getting laid on a regular basis and you're not." Steve shot back. Cade grinned.

"Well, shit, at least one of us is." He said. His smiled faded as he looked out the window. "Lou just pulled up; try and look busy boys."

Lou Calhoun was their main boss. He owned four DX's throughout Tulsa and the surrounding areas and he only stopped by any of them if something was up.

"Afternoon, gents." He said, strolling in. He was robust man in his late forties with blonde hair and ruddy cheeks that gave him the look of an overgrown schoolboy.

"Hey, Lou." Sodapop said cautiously. "What's up?"

"I've actually got some good news for you three." He said. "That's why I came by when I knew all of you would be here."

Now he had their curiosities up.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"Well, now, you three are the best damn mechanics I've got." He said. "And I'd like to move to a station where your talents can be put to better use."

"Which one?" Cade asked eagerly.

Lou paused. "It's the one on Charleston Street." He said finally.

The room was quiet.

"Charleston Street is on the West Side." Cade said finally. "You want us to work at a station in the Soc's neighborhood? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I thought all that shit was over." Lou said.

"It's supposed to be." Soda said. "But…well, I don't think it's never gonna stop."

"I'm also will to negotiate a raise." Lou said after a few beats of silence. "Just…think about it, all right? I'll give you a week to consider."

A raise? Steve didn't know what to think now. He knew that he could use the extra money and he certainly knew that Sodapop and Cade could, with families to support.

But working on Soc cars on the West side? He just didn't know.