Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or the song "Don't You Remember?"

When will I see you again? You left with no goodbye, not a single word was said. Not final kiss to seal anything. And I had no idea of the state we were in. I know I have a fickle heart and a bitterness, and a wandering eyes, and a heaviness in my head. But don't you remember, don't you remember? The reason you loved me before. Baby please remember me once more.

Two Weeks Later:

"What do you think about this one?"

I look up from the latest bridal magazine I'm flipping through. Kathy spins around in a circle, wearing a short white dress that stops at her knees. The lace sleeves cover her arms and the fabric goes down her waist, hugging it slightly.

"I thought wedding dresses were supposed to be long," I say.

She twirls around again, the bottom portion of the dress spreading out like an umbrella and spinning with her. "I think I like the short. It's in style right now according to the magazines I've been reading."

The doorbell to the shop rings and Jennie comes in, sweat dripping from her forehead. Her hair is a mess and her shirt has an unknown white stain on it. She's carrying a purse that's bigger than my book bag. She comes over and sits next to me, smelling like week-old milk.

"Sorry I'm late," she says, setting down her back on the ground. It makes a thud, telling me it weighs more than my book bag too.

Jennie started working at a daycare a couple weeks ago. She's mentioned wanting to go to school to become a teacher, but for now she's changing diapers and cleaning up spit-up. Darry has voiced that he wants me to get a job there. I'm sure the reasoning is for it be some sort of birth control. What he doesn't know is that lately there's a zero percent chance I can get pregnant.

"What do you think of this dress?" Kathy asks Jennie this time, spinning once more. "Danni isn't sure about the length."

I should be paying more attention than I am, or at least act like it. Instead I'm reading about whether veils are in or not.

Jennie looks over the dress before nodding. "Looks nice to me."

Kathy huffs, stomping her foot on the ground, causing me to look up. "Ladies, I'm going to need a little more than 'looks nice.' I only get to wear this dress once and I want to get it right."

"Looks real nice," Jennie corrects herself. "Honestly, Kat, looks good, but go ahead and try on some more. Give yourself some options and I'll tell you which one is the best."

Kathy goes back into the dressing room, leaving Jennie and me alone.

"I thought she wanted to postpone the wedding," she says to me.

I shrug, flipping a page in the magazine. She's wanted to postpone since Johnny got shot, but Darry thinks they should go through with it as planned. It's a good distraction for everyone, especially me right now. Kathy has me helping her which means coming to dress appointments and finding churches and searching the town for the perfect roses.

"How are you doing?" Jennie asks, nudging me.

Soda has been living with Jennie for most of the summer. I think he's going to permanently move in soon, if not by the end of the month. I don't remember the last time he spent the night at the house. I'm almost certain he's been paying some of her rent too. Since Kathy moved in with us, she's been helping with the bills and since Darry's gotten better he has also been working an office job at the rock quarry, so the weight has been lifted off Soda. I think Soda's only waiting for the right opportunity to tell us he's moving out.

I'm sure Soda has told Jennie everything, but I haven't seen her. Partially because of my punishment, partially because I haven't really wanted to see anyone other than Dally.

"I'm alright," I say. "I assume you know what happened."

"Soda told me some parts. Told me about you coming home sobbing after running off to see him."

I'd like to forget about that night.

There was no hiding my emotions when I got back from Dally's. Darry was in the living room, waiting for me, to yell at me probably. He perked up in attack mode when I walked in. Instead, he saw me and backed off immediately. He really didn't have much of a chance to do anything. I collapsed into his arms, unable to control myself. I stayed there, letting him hold me from his wheelchair for what seemed like an hour. He didn't say anything, just held me. People came into the room, Soda, Pony, and Kathy, but they didn't say anything either. It's like they already knew what had happened.

I tried to keep the story short. I didn't want to paint a worse picture of Dally.

"He doesn't want to see me right now," I tell her vaguely. "He thinks I should keep my distance."

"Isn't that what Darry is telling you to do?"

"Yeah, I guess."

We both sigh, and Kathy comes back out, this time in a long dress. "I still like the short, I think," she says. She looks down at the dress, shuffles the bottom, and then looks back up at us. Jennie and I agree, just wanting her to settle on something today. I think wedding dresses all look the same anyway.

Jennie turns her attention back to me. "What do you think?"

"The long one looks better but it's her wedding."

"I'm talking about Dally," she grumbles. "Staying away from him, do you think it's the right thing to do?"

"No," I practically shout. "No I think it's the worst possible thing I could be doing."

No one cares about my opinion though, everyone's out to "protect" me. What they don't realize is that I don't need to be protected. I've been through some things that people three times my age haven't been through. I'm not a kid anymore. My innocence is gone. I don't need to be protected. It's too late for that.

Jennie is silent for a minute, and then I ask, "What do you think?"

"You really want my opinion?"

Jennie's opinion has always mattered a lot to me. She was my friend before becoming my brother's girlfriend. She's always been brutally honest with me, and sometimes, I really needed that, even if I didn't want to hear it. She's probably one of the smartest people I know.

I nod, preparing myself for the blow.

"I agree with them," she says sternly. "Whether you think so or not, you're still a kid. I don't know a lot about what's going on with Dally, but I know enough to know it's nothin' good. I know it's lead to people dying, and that could be you at any moment. Whatever is going on, it's bad, and I think the further you stay away, the better off we'll all be."

What does she mean by 'we'll all?' This doesn't concern anyone else but me.

"Hate me if you want," she says, "but I'd rather not have to bury you along with everyone else."

"I think I like the first one," Kathy says, coming back out in the first dress she tried on. "What do you think?"

I think they're wrong. I may be in danger with Dally, but we're both in danger if I'm not.

I haven't been out by myself in two weeks. The only reason I'm alone right now is because Darry took me and made sure I got into the building. He couldn't say no to me coming here, and he's busy today so the only option was dropping me off and letting Kathy take me home later.

I should have been here sooner. I've only come a couple of times since it happened. Call it a cliché, but I don't like hospitals. You wouldn't either if you've been in them as much as I have. These halls are full of ghosts that know me all too well.

I stand at the door to his room, not ready to go in yet. He doesn't know if I'm here or not, or how many times I've come to see him. He's unconscious. He doesn't know what's going on. I feel guilty anyway, and I'm still afraid of what he'll think of me coming here. I hold some responsibility in him being here. I hold responsibility in all of this.

"Danni?" Two-Bit walks down the hallway, his hands in his pockets. "You here to see Johnny?"

I nod, still standing in front of the closed door. "I, um, was just about to go in."

He opens the door fully, making it squeak. He holds it open for me. "Well, come on in. He'll be glad you're here."

I follow him into the hospital room, dragging my feet. I keep my head down, not ready to see him yet. It was hard the last time I was here. It was right after he was shot. He'd just gotten out of surgery. Everyone was here - the whole gang. There was a lot of crying and screaming and fighting. Then we see him. It was worse than what the fire at the church did to him. He looked like he was already dead.

"Hey, Johnnycakes," Two-Bit goes over to him. He takes off his hat and lays it down on the nightstand. He pulls over a chair and sits beside the bed, taking Johnny's hand. "How ya' doin' today, buddy?"

I lean against the wall, still keeping my head down. I know Johnny would never judge me for coming here, or blame me for him being here, but I feel so much guilt that I can't bare to look at him.

"How is your sister doing?" I ask Two-Bit, trying to change the subject. "I haven't seen her around in a while."

"She's fine," he says. He starts reading some of the cards laid out on the table. "Stays on that damn phone all day. You'd think she was trying to win a radio contest or something. Ma is about to kill her 'cause of the bill."

I know who she's talking to, but I don't think Two-Bit has put that together yet. "Tell her I asked about her, okay?" I tell him. "I'd go tell her myself, but, well, I'm kind of under lock-and-key these days."

"Yeah, heard something through the grapevine you were in some sort of trouble." He looks behind his shoulder at me, smirking.

"I'm always in trouble."

"You and me both." He turns around, going back to Johnny. I wonder how often he comes here or what he says to Johnny when it's just them. "Tell Dally I say hey," he says. "Haven't seen him around in a while. Tell 'im we miss him at poker night."

I nod. He must not have heard everything through the grapevine.

Two-Bit gets up after a moment and grabs his hat off the table. He clinches it in his hands, gives Johnny once last look, then walks over to me. "I'll give you two some time alone. It was good seeing you, Danni." He slaps my shoulder. "Stay out of trouble now."

"You first," I smirk.

The door quietly shuts behind him, and an icy chill runs down my legs. We're alone now.

I feel something pulling me back as I walk towards him. The guilty pit in my stomach is growing the closer I get. His head is wrapped in bandages, and I think about how swollen his face was when I first saw him. I remember the remnants of blood on the sidewalk down the block. I remember the way Ponyboy lashed out when he first heard. I remember Dally running to get his gun, and me physically holding him back. I remember the hole he punched in Rick's wall, how he destroyed his bedroom, and the squealing of tires as he ran away from his problems yet again.

I feel hot liquid on my face, realizing I'm crying.

The day Johnny was shot was the signal of the start of a war. He was just another casualty to them. A way to get back at Dally and me. Every life that's been lost in this town recently has been because of us. We've got so much blood on our hands that no amount of scrubbing will ever clean.

I wipe my eyes, realizing I'm making this all about myself. This is about Johnny and his fight to live.

"I'm sorry," I say softly. "I'm so sorry, Johnny."

I touch his hand, feeling his bones pressing through the skin. It feels so small and cold. I hold it up to my face as I cry.

I don't hear him come in. I'm too distracted by my cries. All I feel is a tight hand clamp over my mouth, and Johnny's hand falls from mine. I feel hot, dry breath on my ear. "Be a good girl and don't scream, and I'll move my hand. If you're smart, you'll hear what I have to say."

I know who it is before he takes his hand off my mouth. I've been waiting for him to find me. The man who came back from the dead.

A few weeks ago I would have screamed. I would have fought him off. I would have been terrified to be face-to-face with him again. This was my biggest fear after what happened to Johnny. Now I've learned there are bigger threats out there than Dale. Dally doesn't seem afraid of what he may do anymore, and neither am I. I know Maggot won't let Dale hurt us.

Maggot wants to do it himself.

Dale spins me around to face him. Seeing him is like looking at a ghost. The last time I saw him he was lying face down in a pool of blood. Now here he is, alive and well.

He grins, sensing my shock and taking pleasure in it. "I know you were in New York," he says.

I gulp, trying my best to hide my emotions. I'll be damned if I let Dale know he's getting to me. I collect myself and ask, "Maggot tell you?"

He nods slightly. He's been looking me over since he got here. I can't tell what he's looking at or what he's thinking. Looking at him makes me sick, especially since we're in the room with Johnny - who he shot in the head, who he intended to kill, who he intended to kill because of me and Dally.

Dale licks his crusty lips, then rubs his chin as he asks, "What did you think you were going to do up there?"

"I've always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty."

He smirks, then puts his hand down. "Did you think going up there was going to save your boyfriend or something? I thought you were smarter than that."

I shrug, still convinced I'm not going to let him intimidate me. "Well I thought you were dead so I guess we're both wrong."

He pulls up his shirt, showing me the scar the gun left. It matches the one I have on my leg. "Tore me up pretty bad," he says, putting his shirt back down. "As many people as Dally's killed, he should know where the death marks are."

"He hasn't killed anyone."

"What about Sam? I sure thought that was Dally driving that car."

I growl, still trying to remain cool. He's just trying to get me riled up. "You made him do that."

"Did I? Is that what he tells you?"

He's lying, because Dale always lies to get what he wants. Dally's opened up to me and told me everything. He told me how this all started and what happened to his mother. I trust Dally. Though I'd never tell Dale any of this. It's not worth it to scream my case.

"What do you want, Dale?" I ask as if he's unimportant and wasting my time. "Did you follow me here just to scare me? Because it's not working." It's the truth. He doesn't scare me anymore. He makes me feel uneasy, but I've come to learn there's more evil out there than Dale.

"But Maggot does, doesn't he?" he retaliates.

"What do you want?"

"How's your brother doing, Danni?"

My hands involuntarily go into fists, remembering how he manipulated Ponyboy into joining their gang in order to get closer to me and Dally.

"Leave him out of this."

"You know he's the one who told me about you." He pauses, watching for my reaction. "He told me about you being friends with Sam, and Marilyn, and Michael, and Randy. He connected the dots for me. He lead me straight to you."

My heart stops, and I shiver as a chill runs through me. It makes sense now, why he wanted Ponyboy to join him. Dally told me he didn't know how Dale found out I was involved with Jason's death, and I had forgotten about it, shrugging it off too Dale always getting what he wants and perhaps Michael or Marilyn slipping it out. But it all makes sense now. He manipulated and forced my brother into accidentally giving me up for helping Sam dispose of Jason. There's so much I hate about Dale, and I wish Dally had shot him right in the heart.

Dale sneers, and walks forward. I keep my scowl on my face, not backing down from him. He stops in front of me, moves his face inches from mine, and whispers, "A battle is coming, Danni. Maggot's got a plan, and no one is safe. If you're not scared of him, you should be. You have no idea what he's done to people for a lot less than what Dally's done."

We stand here for a few seconds, neither one of us wanting to be the first person to back away. I hate Dale. I hate everything he's done to my friends and family. One of my best friends is lying half-dead in a bed next to us because of him. He's caused so much pain and agony for my family. I want him dead. I want to watch him die. I want to be the one to hold the gun.

Dale moves first, laughing at me like I'm a silly little girl. "If you had any sense at all, you'd get far away from here, and leave Dallas Winston behind."

I stand there, face still scowled.

"That's all," he says. "Just wanted to check in, make sure you know I'm still here, just in case that was keeping you up at night."

Again, I say nothing. I can't think of a good comeback.

He looks over his shoulder at Johnny. I want to yell at him to get out, but I know that's what he wants me to do. He wants me to react to him, so I don't. Dale sneers at him, and I'm screaming so loud inside that I'm about to burst. He then cooly pivots on his heel, and walks out the door.

I want him dead.

This isn't over.

I'm not done with this battle.

Oh, I gave you the space so you could breathe. And I kept my distance so you would be free. And hope that you find the missing piece to bring you back to me. Why don't you remember, don't you remember? The reason you loved me before. Baby please remember that you used to love me. When will I see you again?

A/N: Thank y'all for the reviews and your continued support. Here's hoping for more chapters to come soon.