Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders

Chapter 10: Good Life

-A moment Jill would never know about-

She was chewing on her pencil, which she shouldn't have been doing.

"Get that thing out of your mouth, would ya?"

Jill's eyebrows rose, giving Steve a challenging look. "You gonna make me?"

"You're damn right I am," Steve said, standing from his chair and walking toward her, his big foot catching the edge of the table. He hit the ground with a loud thud and he groaned almost instantly after.

"Oh, my god." Jill was next to him in a second. "Are you okay?"

He rolled onto his back, nodding his head. "I'm fine."

Jill's hand flew to her mouth and Steve knew she was holding in a laugh. But when Steve started to smile, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She took her hand away from her mouth, Steve's favourite sound filling the kitchen.

He watched her laugh, her beautiful eyes gleaming at him and he started to think.

He couldn't possibly let someone like her slip through his fingers. He couldn't mess this up with her. He needed this to work with Jill because he loved her. That was the first time he thought that he loved her, and his nagging suspicion was confirmed when she leaned down and kissed his cheek, softly saying, "You're so cute."

He loved her. He knew from that moment on, he couldn't mess things up. He couldn't let her go. He was gonna marry her someday - maybe not someday soon, but someday he was gonna do it.

I groaned loudly, my hands flying to my head.

Pony was sitting in front of me, a little concerned, mostly unimpressed. He handed me a cold glass of water. "You're a real ditz, Jill."

I took the water, drinking almost all of it in three seconds. "What happened?"

Pony shrugged and that was when I noticed he was in his pyjamas. "You passed out, Steve and Soda brought you home."

"Are they okay?"

Pony sighed, rubbing his face. "They're sitting on the couch and they won't even looking at each other."

I sighed, closing my eyes. "I did wrong, Pony. Really wrong."

Pony's hand touched mine. "Hey, I got your back, alright?"

I opened my eyes and looked at him thoughtfully. "You'd do that for me?"

He smiled softly. "Of course I would. You're my sister, Jill - my twin. We know each other better than anyone else. How could I not have your back?"

I smiled too, holding my arms out. "Please hug me."

Pony laughed, leaning forward and hugging me, but not very tight, probably not wanting to get puked on. But he did pat my back and say, "I love you, Jill."

"I love you too, Pony," I told him, not hesitating a single second.

The door to my bedroom opened and Darry's big body entered, looking down at me. "You're awake."

I cringed. "Uh-huh."

Darry moved around Pony, sitting down on the bed. "You alright?"

"What?" I asked, surprised that I wasn't getting yelled at.

"You okay?" Darry asked, face seeming concerned.

I nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Good," Darry said quickly, standing. "You're grounded."

I nodded, getting exactly what I expected. "Okay."

"Jill, I told you that you were never allowed in Buck's as long as you live in this house."

I didn't even argue. I couldn't. I was too tired and I didn't even want to. "I know. It was a really dumb thing to do. I know that place isn't good for me, and I'm sorry."

"Oh." Darry glanced at Pony and he patted my knee. "Dishes everyday for the next two weeks and no Stacy either."

I nodded. "Sounds good."

Darry sighed ever so slightly and even smiled a little. "Alright." He walked toward the door, about to go out. "Oh." He turned around. "Steve and Soda are in the living room whenever you're ready to talk to them."

"I am now," I said, throwing the covers off of me and moving to stand.

Pony took my arm, helping me up. "You sure you don't want to do this tomorrow?"

I paused before nodding. "I'm sure." I walked toward the door, leaving Pony behind as I walked out into the living room all alone.

Just Steve, Soda and I.

Steve and Soda were both sitting on the couch, each one sitting on the complete opposite side. Steve had his elbows on his knees, head down and fingers locked behind his neck, where as Soda was leaning back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hey," I said quietly.

Both of them looked up at me and Soda stood and said, "Hey." He walked over to me, hugging me tightly. "You alright?"

I hugged him back. "Yeah, I'm good." I leaned away, looking at Steve, who was standing slowly. "Are...you guys okay?"

Soda looked back at Steve, looking at me a second later. "Yeah. Yeah, we're cool."

I looked between the two of them suspiciously. "Really?"

Soda shrugged, shaking his head. "It's weird, but I don't wanna be a bad brother or a bad friend." He gave me a sad look. "I wish you would've told me sooner, Jilly, but I get why you didn't."

I smiled lightly, grabbing his hand. "I'm sorry, Soda."

"Just promise me something," Soda requested.

"Anything," I replied.

Soda grabbed Steve's shoulder and pulled him forward roughly. "Take care of the guy. He's all brawn and no brain."

Steve's eyebrows rose at his best friend. "Oh, really? I'll show you some brain!"

I stepped back and laughed as Steve pulled Soda into a headlock and rubbing his head with his knuckles, laughing victoriously. Soda stuck it out for a couple seconds and then said, "Uncle!", causing Steve to let go.

Soda fixed his hair, going toward the hallway. He smacked Steve over the head and then booked it when Steve stepped to run after him.

I laughed, standing in front of Steve. "Wow."

"What?"

I shook my head, looking him in the eyes. "How...did you get that to happen?"

Steve smirked as he looked down at me. "You'll never know."

-A conversation Jill would never know about-

"Drive."

"Does she have her seatbelt on?" Steve said, glancing back at Jill in the backseat.

"Don't even look at her, man," Soda said, groaning loudly.

"Soda, man, I -"

"How - I don't - why did -" Soda shook his head, the disbelief sinking in over the anger and feeling of betrayal. "That's my little sister!"

"I know," Steve said in his deep voice, stopping at a red light. "I'm sorry, man."

"How long has this been going on?" Soda asked, staring angrily at his best friend, never wanting more to strangle him.

Steve shrugged, a pained expression on his face. "A couple months."

"A couple months?" Soda looked away, hitting the dashboard in front of him. "Damnit, Steve!"

"I know!" Steve yelled back, and he stopped trying to hold back the part of him that wanted to defend himself. "But I can date whoever I want, Soda - whether the chick is your sister or not!"

Soda pointed a mean finger. "And you know how Peter treated her. You knew and you still -"

"I treat her the best I've ever treated anyone," Steve said quickly, cutting Soda off. "She won't take any less."

"God." Soda shook his head. "Why didn't you at least ask me, man?"

Steve sighed at the road in front of him. "I thought you'd say I couldn't date her."

"Yeah, you think I'm a problem? Wait 'til Darry finds out. Or Pony! The kid hates you." Steve shifted in his seat. "What?" Soda's eyes widened. "They know?" Steve nodded and Soda groaned loudly once again. "Does everyone and their damn mother know?"

"Not everyone," Steve mentioned, trying to soften the blow as much as he possibly could.

Soda kept shaking his head. "Jill is not one of those girls you can just date for a while and then break up with when you get bored. I won't let you do that to her, Steve, she doesn't deserve it."

"I won't."

"Break her heart?'

"Break up with her."

Soda stared at his friend, brows furrowed, surprised in the most genuine way. Steve was nearly never serious about anything, much less a girl. "What?"

Steve sighed. "I don't know what I was thinkin' when we first got together, but Jill's just so pretty and I couldn't help - it doesn't matter, I just - I kinda-"

"Fell in love with her."

Steve didn't say anything, or look at Soda at all - he just drove.

"Do you really love her?" Soda questioned, the air in the car filling with pressure. "I'm not talkin' about what you told Evie to get her to stay the night, I'm talkin' about going the feeling you get when you see her, Steve." Soda stared at his best friend, the betrayal in his body slowly disappearing the more he thought back on all the moments he missed.

Soda thought back on the time Jill had gotten a football to the face and Steve was the first one at her side. He thought about the time Jill had been flirted with at the DX and what a bad mood Steve had been in for the rest of his shift. He thought back on the time Jill had came home wearing one of Stacy's skirts and Steve couldn't keep is greedy little eyes off of her.

It was the looks and the touching that Soda had missed. It was the love he didn't see before, but now he did. Soda was finally starting to see something that was so obvious, and he knew Steve's answer before he had even said it.

But Steve said it anyway.

"Yes, I love her. I love Jill."

Soda then asked another question he already knew the answer to. "Does she love you?"

Steve nodded. "I think so."

I shook my head at him, wrapping my arms around his torso. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Me too."

I leaned up on my toes, pressing my lips against his. I wrapped my arms around his, enjoying his big hands running over my body. I leaned away, but only slightly, and our noses still touched. "I love you."

Steve's hand that was in my hair brought my face to him again, pecking my lips before he said, "I love you too."

A couple years later...

Time flies when you're having fun. And a time it was.

Stacy had apologized profusely for a week or so, even though I had forgiven her the first time she had said sorry.

Dallas Winston finally came around and he was welcomed with open arms and an open fridge. He slid back into the gang like he had never left. And things were different of course - they would never be the same, but at least he was back, and he was Dally.

Two-bit consistently acted disgusted by Steve and I for our entire relationship, even when he swooned over Kathy, he would make fun of me.

Darry was still the same overworked, tired and strict, yet loving and happy person he had always been. He was there for me every second of the way and I was eternally grateful for him. I was also proud. The gang and I had convinced Darry to consider those colleges he never got to apply to now that Pony and I were getting older.

Soda was newly single, always bugging Steve for a boys night out, which he did get all the time. He was still working at the DX and he was still loving every second of life. He and Steve were closer than ever, much to my dismay.

Pony and I were still twins and still best friends. There was nothing in the world that made me think otherwise. Pony had solid evidence from letting me copy some of his homework if I forgot to do it, to supporting all of my incredibly stupid decisions with little judgement and much love.

When we had graduated, we did have a party at the Curtis household, but we had eventually made our way to the cemetery and had a very illegal brew with Johnny Cade.

"Cheers," I said, hitting my glass against Pony's, and then we both touched the brews to the headstone in front of us.

"Happy graduation, buddy."

I smiled at the forgotten headstone in the back of the graveyard. "Happy graduation, Johnny."

It was crazy to me that people could experience such terrible loss and still love.

I had lost Johnny, who was my best friend, and both of my parents, but I still loved Steve. And Pony. And Soda, Darry, Stacy, Two-bit - even Dallas Winston.

I loved all of those people so, so much, and I was incredibly fortunate to have had the life I did.

Sure, there were some bad moments, but it was a really good life.