Disclaimer: The Outsiders belong to S. E. Hinton, I just borrow them every so often lol. Any other characters belong to me.


Chapter 4

The Job

"Dally? Dal-eeee?" Tia sang in a sing-song voice as she leaned over her old friend.
Dally opened his eyes suddenly and sat up, head butting Tia in the face. Tia cried out, falling backwards holding her nose.
Sam then came running in from the houses small kitchen immediately and looked around checking for trouble. Seeing Tia sat on the floor holding her nose and Dally looking round in surprise, bleary eyed and hair sticking out in all direction; she leaned against the kitchen's door frame and laughed out loud.
Tia shot her a look telling her to shut up, as Dally looked to the floor and broke a smile.
"What you doing down there kid?"
"Funny" Tia gritted out staggering to her feet, rubbing her nose.
"Serves you right" Sam laughed giving Dally a nod before she headed back into the kitchen. "Breakfast will be ready in a minute…Pancakes" she called after.

Tia looked at Dally and smiled "They're good, not as good as back home though, these New Yorkers don't make food like they do down south Dal, how come you dint tell me that? I probably would have stayed"
Dally shook his head and laughed "You're as bad as Two-bit and the Curtis's"
Tia laughed but then looked down at her feet quietly, looking up she looked to Dally seriously.
"You really think they'll be happy to see me?"
Dally sighed uncharacteristically running a hand through his hair. "Kid, they all love you, they miss you. Glory kid the Shepherd's missed you…I …I missed you"
Tia stared goggle-eyed at his confession.
"Who are you and what have you done with Dallas Winston?" KC laughed from the doorway.
Tia nodded and pointed her finger shaking it at KC "Yeah what she said"
"Leave the hood alone" Sam called from the kitchen
"You've changed your tune, I thought you couldn't stand him?" Tia laughed
Sam laughed coming to the door with a spatula. "I haven't. The pancakes are ready and you know I won't stand fighting at the table"
Tia and KC rolled their eyes, KC then clapped her hands and laughed "Don't think that's gunna happen Sam, my brother and Jake aren't here to fight over baseball and basketball"
"Yeah, Yeah come on. Eat. Then we go to the club"

"So today we have to wait for a delivery; of both alcohol and guns?" Dally asked lounging on one of the brown leather couches that lined the walls of Jake's bar 'The Darkroom'.

The dive bar was originally a photography shop with the back darkroom used as a speakeasy during the prohibition. 'The Darkroom' had kept a lot of the original features that the speakeasy had with its dark leather seats, shaded corner booths and a long high bar that stretched almost one length of the bars wall. The brick walls were still painted black and the dark wood floor illuminated by strategically placed low level lamps gave the bar an authentic den like feel just how Jake had wanted the place when he had stepped into the old bar two years earlier with his younger brother Marko and his friends/housemates; Tia, KC, JC, Emmy and Lauren.

Tia looked up from the game of cards she was flicking into a old fedora hat that was left on the bar top as part of the decoration, the said hat had belonged to the old owner of the photography shop and the secret speakeasy until one day he disappeared from the shop leaving only his hat on the speakeasy's bar.
"Yeah delivery will be here first, and then Jake will get here to see the guns crates, so he know how many we have, then we go to the yard to sort them out and come back here for the night shift" Tia told him with a shrug of her shoulders.
Dally puffed out air when she continued to look at him.
"What?" she asked.
"Nuffin…" he replied
"Which obviously means something" she countered
"Just thought of what your sister would think of all this"
Tia tilted her head and laughed. "Most likely she would yell, shout, scream, then roll her eyes and say she really should have known. You know I can't keep myself out of trouble"
"I somehow doubt you were anything like this in Tulsa?" Sam remarked while sweeping the floor with a long brushed broom. KC made a noise of agreement form the other side of the bar where she was cleaning glasses with a clean white cloth.
"No she wasn't that bad…caused enough trouble but nothing like this kid" Dally told Tia's friends.
"What was the worst thing Tia did?" KC asked interested.

Tia looked up at Dally and glared at him daring him to tell them something that wasn't up to her standards of trouble causing.
"Well…there was the time that she stole a cop car with me and drove it into a store window"
Sam gasped while Tia smiled and looked up in memory.
"How long did you get for that again kid?" Dally asked her
Tia looked back at her friends and smirked before flicking the last card into the hat.
"Three months in juvie' was my first time inside…ya'll wanna guess how old I was?"
KC rolled her eyes as if to say she should have known while Sam looked at her with her mouth gaping open.
"How old?" she finally asked
"I was 9 nearly 10, they arrested me and Dally. It wasn't my first offence, I was put in the cooler when I was younger for throwing stones at cars when they drove past, they put me in for the afternoon and my sister came and got me out. She was so angry"
"Oh I can't imagine why she would have been" Sam answered rolling her eyes.

Shrugging Tia smirked then blew her a kiss. "Love you Sam" she grinned.
"Bottom of the Hudson baby" Sam returned.
"With concrete boot sweetheart" KC laughed joining in.
The three girls laughed at each other while Dally watched on at the girls wondering how the gang would react to the new Tia and her vibrant friends who had decided they were coming too.
"DALLY! HELLO DALLY?" Tia shouted across the room at him, Dally looked up at her and frowned.
Tia rolled her eyes and pointed to the door, it was then he noticed the banging on the door, standing up he sauntered to the door and unbolted it, pushing it opened the morning light hit his eyes making him wince. Before him stood two mean dressed in jeans and black t-shirts, leaning against crates of alcohol.
"You gunna let us in" one man asked
Dally sneered slightly but stepped aside letting the two guys in; Tia stood up from her seat at the bar and headed to the door.
"Where's the order list?" she asked one guy with black hair.
"Here" he said handing it over.
Tia looked the list up and down then looked up to the guy again as he stood waiting for her answer.
"We got everything we asked for… I didn't think you'd have gotten that extra order for Gentlemen's"
The guy grinned. "You don't think we'd be stupid enough to fuck up on the Macavoli's"
Tia nodded "That you don't, you wanna drink?"
The man looked her up and down "Go on then, a quick one" Tia laughed and headed to the bar while the two men carried on bringing in the rest of the alcohol order. Sam and KC were at the bar carrying the crates into the cellar. Dally stood at the door watching the whole scene and checking the outside of the building for anyone who wasn't meant to be there.

"Knock knock!" a voice called half an hour later with a knock on the bar while Tia and the others were finishing the tiding and replacing the used bottles that lined the walls behind the bar. Tia looked up from under the bar where she had been placing freshly cleaned and dried glass along with bottles of Coors.
"Who's there?" she laughed looked up over the bar at her boss and friend Jake.
"Macavoli…Jake Macavoli" the man replied with a grin.
Tia grinned back and shook her head, looking to Dally she beckoned him over.
"Jake. This is an old friend of mine from back home. Dally used to live in New York before he moved to Okie' and turned into a country bumpkin like me" Tia laughed. Dally gave her a stern glare and turned to take Jake's proffered hand.
"And Dally this is Jake Macavoli, he's my boss, friend and was one of the original housemates I had when I moved here" Tia continued as both men eyed each other up.

Jacque Macavoli was older then the young adults he had working for him, at 30 years old he had done well for himself. Being part of New York's biggest crime family had helped but he had had to be ruthless to get where he was today. With dark slicked back black hair, dark brown eyes and tanned skin he was and was told on many occasions by his wife, mother and admirers that he was handsome. The Darkroom dive bar was an idea of his brother Marko's, Marko was the silent partner while Jake would oversee the running of it which was a perfect cover for his other job of flooding the streets of New York with weaponry.

"So this is the Dally Winston you have been telling us about" Jake smiled at Tia before looking to Dally with a grin "I hope you can live up to the stories she's told us, some of them sound very tall"
Tia grinned and patted Dally on the back "Oh I can assure you they're all true".
"Jake when does the delivery get here?" KC asked skipping over and sitting down in one of the bars stools.
"I would imagine it will be the same time they always get here Katie" Jake told her. "Why are you so eager for them to get here?" he said pointing to a bottle of Coors. Tia retrieved it for him and opened it with a bottle opener attached to the bar.
"Well that's probably 'cos Tia wants to talk to you" Tia said talking in third person while shaking her head at KC and rolling her eyes.
Jake laughed and looked to Tia, who smiled back.
"Right well I was gunna wait till later to tell you, but for mouth over there. Well you know I told you I was gunna go home at the start of next year?"
Jake nodded "Yeah"
"…Well Dally come here with news that my sister's boyfriends brother Darry is getting married, I know that sounds like it would just be a country wedding, but Darry took me and my sister in when my mom kicked us out, he didn't have to but he did and he was already struggling to look after his brothers…" Tia began to ramble.
"Tia…Tia if you wanna leave you can, I'm not gunna stop you" Jake interrupted her babbling.
Tia smirked then frowned a little "KC and Sam want to come too" she put it forward.
Jake sat back and frowned a little "Well, KC I don't have a problem with her going. Sam on the other hand…you will have to talk to my father" Jake told his friends.
Sam winced from the other side of the bar next to Tia. Tia noticed this and put her hand on her arm. "I'll talk to him, he seems to favour me, let's hope I catch him in a good mood. Jake can you arrange a time for me to talk to your father, preferably when he's in a good mood"
Jake laughed "I'll be able to get you a meeting, whether or not he'll be in a good mood is another thing. But I reckon you have a good chance, there's something about you Tia that he likes"
Dally sneered at that "If your dad figures it out, maybe he could tell the rest of us, 'cos we're dying to know how she does it" KC and Sam laughed at Tia expense as she leant forward to swat her old friend.
"You're all hilarious" Tia grumbled opening a bottle of Pepsi and grinning at KC while she sipped at it.
"I don't know how you can drink that stuff" the New Yorker replied.
Tia snorted "You do realise that it has more sugar in than Cola, hence why I'm hyper for longer. Not to mention it tastes better"
"Your opinion" Sam put in.
"She only likes it 'cus Pony does"
"Do not" Tia cried out in defence "You knew me before I knew Pony and I was drinking it then was I not?"
Dally shrugged his shoulders and was about to answer when they was a sharp series of knocks at the back door. All heads turned towards it, Tia jumped up and ran over knocking back and waited. When a new series of knocks replied she opened the door and a group of men all but ran in with a number of empty crates between them.

"Ah boys you're here place them on the tables" Jake ordered the men. The 10 men carried the crates to the tables and looked for new orders from their boss.
"Glory! That's a lot of crates, are they all for the heaters?" Dally whistled.
Tia snorted "Seen more, had more delivered before. We have to check them all over and get the ammo to test them now"
"And where are they? The heaters? Are you gunna shot them here?"
Sam shook her head and rolled her eyes "What an idea that would be, fire a gun around here, the fuzz will be in quicker than a fly to a cake"
Tia patted her friends arm and looked up to him telling him to let it go "We have to go to a warehouse now, it's on the docks. That's where the guns are"
"Right boys, load those back into the cars and take them to the safe house. We'll go to the warehouse and you can meet us there" Jake said in a bored tone while he looked over the crates the boatmen had smuggled the guns in with the fish that had been imported this morning from Europe.

The large warehouse that Jake Macavoli used for the storing of his guns before they were sold on the streets was situated on South Street near Brooklyn Bridge; the warehouse unlike the others was small and was also used as a small fishing company that imported fish from across the ocean in Europe for haute cuisine in the fancy and expensive restaurants in New York City. The whole charade was another of Jake's ideas to hide the fact that he was importing guns into the country; the warehouse was under the name of a Kevin Fisher, who as of 6 years ago had joined one of the hundreds of John Doe's found floating in the Hudson after a disagreement with Joe Macavoli. As the body was never identified Jake Macavoli has taken it upon himself to take on the fish import business and use it to smuggle in his guns.

Turning off Peck Slip on to South Street; Jake drove himself, Tia, KC, Sam and Dally to the front of the small warehouse. Outside a group of men were heading in different directions carrying crates of fish and trolleys full of crates into the warehouse. Jake watched the scene for a moment then started the short walk across the wet concrete floor to the warehouse office. Opening the door, the fishing manager looked up from his desk, noticing it was Jake and the others he stood up and gave a curt nod.
"Mr Macavoli, how are you today? Did the boys arrive with the empty crates like you requested?" The man asked smoothly.
Jake nodded "Yes Mr Horton they did, I was surprised by the number they brought in"
Horton's face froze for a second "They're too many crates?"
"More than I asked for, but no worries. Did the suppliers ask for more money?"
"No they asked for the same as usual. Would you like me to chase it up for you?"
Jake shook his head "I'm sure it will be fine, well I'll let you get back to work"
Horton watched them leave the room before he sat back down in his seat and carried on with his work.

Dally walked beside Tia as they walked through the rest of the warehouse to the back where another door lead to a pair of stairs that descended into the ground. Jake walked down easily followed by Tia and the girls while Dally lagged behind.
"Dal hurry up!" Tia called up to him when she noticed he was further behind.
Dally increased his pace and joined the small group in the underground room. Floor to ceiling was covered in guns hanging from hooks.
"Welcome to the gun store Dally" KC laughed shutting the door behind them.
With in seconds Tia, Sam and KC had done their usual check of the place while Jake and Dally waited and watched.
"When does the ammo get here we're gunna need a shit load more to load these guns up Jake" Tia told him.
Jake nodded and gave a brief smile "They're on the way Tia…in fact I do believe that is them now" he said looking up slightly at the ceiling, footsteps were then heard coming down the stair, KC peeped out the spy hole and then opened the door letting two men carry in a loading trolley full of ammo boxes.
Tia smiled and laughed "I think that should be enough. Come on Dally pick a gun and get a box of ammo we'll test them and then KC and Sam can organise them"
Dally gave a real smile at his friend then that would have scared any normal person, but Tia grinned back manically.
"Talk about locking an alcoholic in a bar over night" Sam muttered watching the two of them.
"They'll be fine" Jake shrugged "I'll be back later" he said before leaving them to it.

"I think that was one day's work I could do again" Dally laughed uncharacteristically, Tia laughed along with him. For the last 6 hours the two of them had been shooting at targets on a wall in the underground room of a warehouse.
"One's days work Dal? The days not over yet, we have a night shift to do at the bar. Are you any good at making cocktails and serving them?" KC asked him.
Dally gave her an astounded look.
"Guess that's a no" Sam walked past them with a smirk; Tia looked to her and laughed.
"Guess he can work the door with JC and Dillon" KC shrugged.
Tia laughed again while packing up the ammo that was left over from their shooting session.
"I think you'll be good at that Dal. Throwing people out and getting into a fight if you have to"
Dally looked up with a glint in his eyes and the girls rolled their eyes.
"What is it with guys and fighting?" Sam asked aloud.
"It's not just guys Sammy, Don't forget Tia" Tia reached to swipe KC at her comment but missed when the girl jumped to the side and fell into Dally.
Dally caught her bringing his arms round her. "Steady there kid" he laughed holding her still when she had stood up straight.
"You can let go of her now Dally" Tia laughed walking to the door. "Although I think she likes it" she continued. KC turned bright red and pulled away from his arms and laughed nervously.
Sam stood looking at Tia then KC with a confused looked shrugging to herself she turned and walked to the door and opened it.
"Come on let's get out of here. I think Chinese before we go to the bar tonight. What you guys think?"
Tia grinned and put her arm round her friend "I knew there was a reason I loved you Sammy" Sam snorted and hugged her back.
"Let's go then" KC said quickly heading past them away from Dally her face still red.

"How's it going Dal?" Tia shouted to him over the sound of the music playing from the bars jukebox. After making her rounds around the room picking up empty bottles she made her way to the door. Dally was stood with Dillon at the door his arms folded looking tuff and menacing.
"S'all good here" Dally nodded looking around the room as it willing a fight to break out.
Tia followed his eyes and nudged him, looking down at her; she smirked and nodded to the bar.
"Why don't you take a break and go have a drink with KC"
"And why would I wanna do that?" he replied
Tia cocked her head back slightly her eyebrow followed "are you saying you don't want to Dally?"
"And if I am" he stood up straighter.
Tia scowled "Then it means you think there is something wrong with my friend. You think she's ugly or summit?"
"She ain't you" Dally replied.
"Pish! Stop trying to flatter me and get your ass over there Winston" Tia shook her head at his smiling face and pushed him as hard as she could in KC's direction while holding a tray full of empties.
"You match making again Tia?" Dillon laughed.
Tia glanced over at her old flatmate Emmy's brother and winked "You want me to find you someone Dillon?" Dillon shook his head and laughed "I'm more than happy with the girl you found me Tia. Plus I think Alice would skin me if I went with another girl"
"Damn right she would. She's good for you"
"Why's that?"
Tia grinned and cackled moving away "Because she keeps you in line" she shouted before she made a quick dash to the bar. Nodding to Dally she grinned at KC who looked over the moon Dally was talking to her and showing her attention.

"You plan that?" Sam's voice said from next to her sudden startling her slightly.
"Glory Sam! Don't do that. You know you're just like Johnny, moving round without a sound"
Sam sat down on one of the bar chair near the waitresses area and looked to Tia.
"Johnny? Isn't he the one who got injured in the fire saving those kids?"
Tia nodded looking down at the bar. Sam realised she'd done wrong and put her hand on Tia's back.
"I'm sorry kid I didn't mean to upset you. You must have really cared about him, huh?"
"Yeah… I loved him like a brother; he used to go out with my sister Delia. They were so much alike it was scary…I don't even know if he's live Sam… I can't bring myself to ask Dally. If he's gone I don't wanna know it will be like losing my mom and De all over again" Tia told her looking her in the eye.
Sam nodded "I think he's alive Tia…You said Dally got shot right?" when Tia nodded she carried on "Well if those doctors you got in Tulsa can save Dally from gun shots, then they can do the same with Johnny's injuries. He's alive Tia…don't stop believing that. You hear me?" she told Tia seriously holding her wrist tightly.
Tia looked down at her arm and Sam hands then up to Sam's face and nodded wordlessly.
"Good girl. Now I think they're some people in the end booth who want serving"
Tia nodded dumbly at her friend at her blind faith that Johnny was live she hadn't met the guy, turning she pulled out her note pad and picked up her tray and head to the end booth, half way there she realised it was Jake, Marko and there sister Natalia and her husband Nicholas.
Smiling she brought her head up and arrived at the table "What can I get you?"
"Tia, how are you? Marko said straight away before the others could order.
"I'm very good Marko, how are you?" she replied politely.
"Even better now he's seen you" Natalia mutter with a smirk at Tia. Jake and Natalia thought it was hilarious that their brother had a school boys crush on Tia. Tia went along with it although she would never act on it she was still loyal to Ponyboy, whether Pony still was would be a matter she would have to deal with when she got home.
Marko glared at his sister but turned back to Tia with a grin. "Jacque says you're going home to Tulsa soon"
Tia nodded "Yeah I think it's about time I went home and showed my face"
Jacque punched his brother in the arm "Can we order drinks now you've had your fun chatting up my waitress"
Marko laughed and sat back "Well with the orders from Jacque's I'll have a bottle of Coors'" he told Tia.
Tia nodded and looked to the others, Jake was scowling at his brother but told her same, Nicholas ordered gentleman jack on the rocks and Natalia closed the cocktail menu and asked for a cosmopolitan.
"Okay that's two Coors, a gentleman and a cosmopolitan. I'll send them over in a minute" Tia smiled and started to turn back to the bar when Jake said her name. Turning back she saw he had stood up and walked with her back to the bar.
"My father can see you tomorrow at ten, you'll have to go to the house"
Tia looked up, nodded and sighed deeply.
"Hey don't worry about it; I don't think they're will be a problem with Sam going"
"I hope so. I'm ready to go home but I'm not leaving without KC and defiantly not without Sam"
Jake smiled and patted her arm "I'll be at the house tomorrow so if he doesn't like the idea I'll have a word and Marko will to. You know he likes you don't you?"
Tia smiled "Yeah I know and I'm flattered but…"
"But you have someone back home?" Jake finished when she stopped
Nodding she frowned a little "Yeah I do but whether he wants anything to do with me is another thing"
"I somehow doubt he won't Tia. Like I said before they're is something about you that people like" Tia sniggered "Yeah sure there is…I'll get your drinks, you go enjoy your time with your brother and sister"

At the end of the night, while Tia and Sam wiped down the bar, Dally and KC were on the dance floor dancing to 'The Twist' by chubby checker after KC had dragged Dally to the floor. Dillon stood at the bar laughing with Sam while Tia clapped her hands in time. Seeing her Dillon moved over to her and held out his hand. Laughing Tia took it and headed to the dance floor to join her two friends as they danced.
In the corner booth Jake and Marko watched the four dancing on the floor, Sam came over and stood next to them. "Tia says her sister used to sing this to her when they heard it on the radio back home"
Jake looked up "Yeah she said Lucinda could sing, does Tia sing at the house?"
Sam smirked then and nodded "I think we should get her to sing" Marko laughed.
"TIA!" Jake shouted. Tia immediately stopped dancing and looked over. Beckoning her over, she walked over quickly.
"Whatever it was I didn't do it" she said straight away.
Jake, Marko and Sam laughed "You're not in trouble… but I want you to sing"
Tia's face went blank. "…sing….?"
"Yeah I want you to sing" Jake told her seriously.
"Erm… okay… I'll sing a song Luce songs then"
Marko grinned "Stage is that way" he said pointing to the area they had a small stage for live performances.
Within a few minutes Tia was up on the stage with the microphone looking at her so called friends as they watched.
"I want you to know I hate you all and you get all go throw yourselves in the Hudson for this" she said down the microphone.
"Get on with it!" Dally laughed holding onto the KC on the floor. "You're in for a show now. Her sister sings in a bar in Tulsa. The gang thinks it runs in the family cos Tia ain't half bad either" he told her as they waited.
"Fine…I solve my problems and I see the light,
We gotta plug and think, we gotta feed it right.
There ain't no danger we can go too far,
We start believing now that we can be what we are… Grease is the word"

"They think our love is just a growing pain
Why don't they understand, It's just a crying shame
Their lips are lying only real is real
We start to find right now we got to be what we feel"

"Grease is the word (is the word that they heard)
It's got groove, it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling"

"We take the pressure and we throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believing now that we can be who we are"

"Grease is the word (is the word that they heard)
It's got groove, it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling"

"This is a life of illusion
Wrapped up in trouble
Laced with confusion
What are we doing?"

"We take the pressure and we throw away
Conventionality belongs to yesterday
There is a chance that we can make it so far
We start believing now that we can be who we are"

Grease is the word (is the word that they heard)
It's got groove, it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling

Grease is the word (is the word that they heard)
It's got groove, it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Grease is the way we are feeling" Tia belted out to the stunned group. Dally smirked while the other stood open mouthed.
"Told you" Dally whispered.
"Dally I knew she could sing but that was amazing"
Clapping made them look behind them. Sam, Dillon, Jake and Marko stood at the bar clapping their hands as fast as they could while Tia blushed at the reaction.
"You liked that old song?" she asked stepping down from the stage and walking up to the bar.
"If we had known you could do that then I'd have had you singing not waitressing" Jake said handing her a Pepsi with a genuine smile.
"Me…I think Luce would be a better choice"
"Tia your sister isn't here" Sam laughed, the others sniggered as Tia shrugged and yawned.
"Well… if she was" Tia replied. "Is it time to go back to the house yet?"
Jake looked around at the bar and then nodded.
"Yeah you can go home" Tia smiled and drained her bottle and put in the bin under the bar.
"Come on then, we'll be lucky if we can get a cab at this time of night and it's a long cold walk back"
The three girls and Dally headed to the door leaving Dillon with Jake and Marko outside the club getting into Dillon's car.


AU: Hey well I hoped you liked, I used the theme song from Grease. I couldn't resist. I love that song and the film even though the song is more dancey than rock 'n' roll.