Author's Note: I apologize for the very long wait, and I hope this compensates for that. Please don't strangle me!

Disclaimer: See previous chapter.

The Process of Restoration

Chapter 4: The Wrong Idea

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Sodapop went and called everyone inside, and they all sat around the T.V. Steve had made a run for it, before Darry could deck him into oblivion, and Dally sat scarily close to Sherry. Several times he had to fight the urge to put his arm around her, or to place his hand on her knee. He couldn't concentrate on the movie, and he began to fidget. He was just as nervous and preoccupied as Sherry herself.

I wonder what she's thinking, he thought.

I wonder what he's thinking of doing.

I wonder if she's really that changed.

I wonder if I should change places with Sodapop.

Is she thinking about me?

Is he thinking?

Glory she looks different, but beautiful.

Lord, he looks uncomfortable and strained.

I wonder if it's her new life.

I wonder if it's what's on the T.V.

Does she know I'm watching her?

Does he know that I can see him watching me out of the corner of my eye?

I hope she doesn't find it disturbing.

I am thoroughly disturbed! Make him stop! This is so creepy!

More moments passed in which their thoughts paralleled. Sherry began shifting, and Soda asked if she was okay. She hurried a reply that she was fine, and tried to concentrate on the movie, which wasn't working at all.

"Kal," Ponyboy said, looking at the clock on the wall, "its bed time kiddo."

Kal groaned and looked around at Ponyboy. "Do I have to?"

"Well y-" Ponyboy started, but was immediately cut off by Kal's next question.

"Is Sherry staying?" he blurted, turning a bit pink as Sherry cast an incredulous glance at him.

Everyone fell silent, and Two-Bit laughed feebly.

"Is this my cue to leave?" Sherry murmured, picking up her purse and rising from the couch.

She instantly regretted the lack of warmth on her leg, produced by one of Dally's. Somehow, during those tedious minutes he managed to scoot as close as humanly possible to her, without scaring her. She moved towards the door, spewing words of thanks, and she was almost out the door when Dally called out to her.

"Wait! Let me walk you home."

Sherry panicked. She didn't have a place to stay and she had already bummed enough off of them.

" I-um, well that is to say-"

" Don't mention it," Dally said coolly, picking up his leather jacket with burn marks on it, slinging it onto his frame.

He took her arm and steered her out the door, walking briskly away from the house. He jammed his hand in his jacket pockets, and slowed the pace a little. He really had no idea where they were going.

" You really don't have to." Sherry pleaded.

Leave me alone; I'm never going to see you again anyway!

" But I want to." Dally replied simply.

Don't ask me to leave. I may never see you again.

"But you really, really don't have to." Sherry insisted, nodding vigorously.

I don't want you to find out that I don't have a place to stay!

"But I really, really want to." Dally pointed out, grinning.

I want to find out if you have a decent place to stay.

Sherry quieted and stared at the ground, listening to the occasional crunch of the leaves that were strewn about the sidewalk they were walking on. When they got to the end of the street, they took a right, and continued walking.

" So, where's your place?" Dally asked softly.

Sherry didn't answer. She just kept walking, hoping to find a bus stop soon. She rooted around in her purse, and Dally assumed she was looking for keys, until he heard the telltale clinking of change.

She took out at least ten coins, and rooted through them in the palm of her hand with her thumb.

"Fifteen, twenty-" she muttered to herself.

It then became abundantly clear that she was looking for money to catch a ride on a bus. He began to wonder just how far Kal had wandered today to find this piece of his past. Realizing it was more difficult to count change correctly with one hand, she shoved her purse into Dally's stomach as they neared a bus stop. She began to filter through the change again, as Dally guiltily snuck a look inside her purse. There wasn't much else in there besides a broken comb, a depleting make up supply, mints, and a compact mirror. He noticed that there were no keys.

He began to cotton on. Sherry, in fact, did not have a place to stay.

"Cherry, you're not getting on that bus." Dally said.

Sherry whipped around. "It's Sherry," she snapped insistently. "And what the hell do you mean I'm not getting on the bus? I've got to get ho-"

"You don't have a home." Dally cut in, handing her purse back.

Sherry dropped the change in utter surprise and looked at her purse. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"You had no right to look in there."

" I really don't have time to discuss morals with you, Miss Valance. Now come with me, forget the damn change, and shut up. I'm gonna make sure you've got a bed to sleep in."

Sherry stamped her foot impatiently as he went walking in the direction in which they came. She gave a huff and slung her purse on her shoulder, crossing her arms in front of her chest afterwards. Moments later, she uncrossed her arms and rolled her eyes, and ran to catch up with Dally. Instead of turning, they just kept walking straight, and soon, they came upon a large, white two-story building.

Dally hopped up the front steps and yanked on the screen door, which nearly fell off as he did, and barged into the place. He tugged on her wrist and pulled her inside, parting the thick cloud of smoke like Moses did to the Red Sea. He pushed Sherry in front of him, and glared at the rest of the males, ushering her protectively up the staircase.

He went right on up to a door at the end of a very open hallway and banged on the door with his fist.

"Buck Merrill, I don't care if you've got ten beautiful girls in there. You're gonna open up this goddamn door right now, or else I'll-"

The door was wrenched open by a man in his late thirties, who slouched in the doorway and appeared disheveled. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and cracked a feeble grin. He gave Dally hard stare and finally spoke.

"What do you want?"

" A room."

Buck looked at Sherry, and then at Dally, and then back at Sherry, his grin growing wider. Dally could've kicked himself. What a lousy pervert. He rolled his eyes, and gathered his fist together and was about to punch Buck when a voice sounded from somewhere inside the room.

"Buck? Who is that? Just give 'em a damn room and finish me!" it said exasperatedly.

Buck flushed as Dally smirked very smugly, and Buck slammed the door and barged past Sherry and Dally to the room right next to his.

"How about one at the end of the hall, so she don't have to listen to your shit all night, eh?" Dally said.

Buck growled and stalked to the door right in front of the staircase and showed them in, nodding at Dally before shutting the door. Sherry strolled over to the bed and dropped her purse on the floor. Stripping off her sweater, she turned her back to Dally who tried to occupy himself with tugged at a string that was loose on his sleeve.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Sherry asked, about to tug off her shirt.

Dally's head snapped up and it took him two swift steps to reach her. He towered over her, and gently tugged her shirt back down, even though his mind was screaming for him to tug it upwards. He gathered her in his arms and stood there, musing silently and inhaling the scent of her hair.

Sherry however, was not as content.

What the hell does he want from me?

Dally was oblivious to her shaking rage.

In time, I hope she'll understand that I want from her.

Sherry was a bit put out. A torrent of thoughts whirled in her heady, and she began to feel a bit dizzy. Something like static thundered in her ears, and she thought for a wild moment that she was hearing voices. She mentally tried to suppress the discontent within her, as one thought surfaced to her mind before she blacked out.

Am I not good enough for him?

Dally, assuming she was asleep, picked her up carefully and set her tenderly in the sheets of the bed. She looked so much more like her old self when she was asleep. He backed silently out of the room, shoved a wad of bills under Buck's door, and left the place.

The whole time, only one, morose notion flooded his body.

She's still too good for me.

End Chapter