AN: I'M GOING TO TRY AND FINISH THIS BEFORE TUESDAY. AS MOST OF YOU MIGHT KNOW, HURRICANE GUSTAV IS HITTING SHORES EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AND LUCKY ME LIVES AN HOUR WAY FROM NEW ORLEANS! WE'LL PROBABLY LOSE ELETRICITY FOR A FEW DAYS IDK, WHEN KATRINA HIT 3 YEARS AGO TODAY WE DIDN'T HAVE POWER TILL 3 WEEKS LATER. I WANT TO HURRY AND TRY TO FINISH THIS THAT WAY I CAN'T POST PONE IT ANY LATER! SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY!!

STACY'S POV

"Oh God." I hear myself say as I hear car doors slam tightly shut. It's too soon. I haven't had time to prepare! What if Tim's wrong? What if this doesn't work? What am I going to do?!

"Just relax and stick to the plan Stacy." Sodapop tells me with a reasuring smile. How he can smile at a time like this is beyond me.

I took a deep breath before watching everyone get up and hurry into another room quietly. Just relax Stacy. Everything's going to work. Tim and Dally won't let anyone hurt you. Just stop worrying.

My encouraging thinking was soon cut short when Cody opened the door. His pale blue eyes stared right into mine and I was unable to turn my gaze away from them. It felt like his cold eyes were piercing my heart and I imagion my look was one of a deer caught in headlights.

Soon an evil smirk forms on his face. "Stacy baby, it's been way too long."

I can't even move, let alone talk.

"Hey Stacy, we're just bringing you the box of stuff you left in the truck yesterday." Tim says with a wink of his dark blue eyes.

I still can't move. It's like I was frozen to the ground, staring right at the sorry bastard who's to blame for why most of my life was hell. I knew I needed to say something or else I wouldn't stand a chance but no matter how much I screamed in my mind to say something, anything it just wouldn't work.

Cody approaches me but I know he won't do anything. There were witnesses in the room and killing me infront of them ment he'd have to kill them too. I knew he had a gun on him because I could see the black end of it sticking out of his jacket.

"Cody could you come help us lift this box?" Dally asks him and I could just tell he was beyond mad by the sound of his voice.

"You three look plenty strong enough to do it yourselves." He tells them but never takes his gaze away from me. "You sure look pretty as a brunet Stacy."

I just stared at him, a million thoughts racing through my mind.

DALLY'S POV

It was taking all I had to not hit the sorry son of bitch right now. Stacy seemed to be in shock or something because her eyes were as wide as sausers and they kept staring directly in the creeps eyes. The guys were supposely hiding in the two rooms for right now but were instructed to call the fuzz once we left again. I hated having to get the cops in on this but Tim says it's the only way. We'll gonna get him caught for attempted murder if I have anything to do with it. Knowing my luck they'd try to arrest me.

"I asked you to. I gave you the free ride out here anyway." Tim told him, his voice steel.

Cody glance back at Tim for the first time, an irritated look on his face. "Fine."

We walked to the truck with Cody behind us, getting ready for the second stage of our plan. Cody opened the passanger side of the truck and was about to grab the box we had planted in there when Tim struck him from behind. Slamming him into the truck a few times he then let me go at him. I lost focus of everything as I started to beat the living shit out of the son of a gun. I had him down soon enough.

"You son of a bitch! You're going to pay for even thinking about hurting my girl!" I yelled at him as I pounded his head down against the gravel.

He threw a punch at my jaw, hitting me dead on and I stumbled off him a little. The little son of a gun could throw a punch all right. Bloody and panting, he glared at me with a glare that was nearly as dangerous as my own.

"Should have known the tramp made friends." He panted out. "Too bad she didn't warn you about what I do to whore's friends."

"You son of a -" I stopped once I saw him hold up his gun.

"It's loaded so if any of you so much as try to fuckin' move then you're all dead! Got it?" He asks as he whipped at his face. Just then Stacy came out of the house, her shocked exspression long gone now as fear was laced over her glossy gray eyes.

"You have an issue with me then deal with it Hinderson! Leave these guys out of it!" She yelled from the porch and I could see the tears laced in her eyes even from a distanced.

Cody chuckled bitterly as a smirk formed on his face. "Oh darlin' I will but first I need to take care of these three. They made the biggest mistake of their lives befriending a tramp like you."

"Shut your trap." Tim and I strangely yelled at him at the same time. It was taken all I had not to go after this guy, gun or not. He wasn't about to hurt my girl. Not now, not ever!

"Let them go Cody!" She yelled at him despritely.

He just laughed at her. "It's you're faught they're going to be dead Richards. You shouldn't have made friends here and hell you shouldn't have left Panama City. You knew I was bound to find you sooner or later."

"Shut up!" She yells at him as the her tears freely roll down her face. "Just shut the hell up!"

He laughs at her before looking back at us.

"You twisted son of a bitch!" I yelled at him as I heard Stacy sobbing. He had no right to live at all and I was about to take care of that.

"I'm just stating the truth." The guy smirked. "Now who do I kill first? You're precious little boyfriend here?" He pointed the gun at me. "The annoying kid with the strange nickname." He pointed it at Curly. "Or the great older brother who lead me to my precious victim?" He then pointed it at Tim. "Such a hard decision."

"Why don't I make it for you?" I asked through narrow eyes. "Why don't you just point it at yourself?"

He smirked. "Ah now I know who I'll kill first." He held the gun up at me but his eyes looked at Stacy and I knew right away what he was going to do. He turned around and aimed at Stacy and I ran as fast as I could and jumped infront.

STACY'S POV

"Dally!" I sobbed out as I ran to where he fell. Tim had come up behind the son of a gun while he shot Dally and had him on the ground in no time. Curly had took the gun and I could hear sirens from a distanced.

"S-Stacy." He was holding his side and I prayed it didn't hit an organ or somethin'. Darry and the guys came running out as I held Dally tighter.

"God please don't leave me! I can't lose you Dal! H-Hold on!" I begged him as I felt Two-bit hug me from behind as I sobbed. This couldn't be happening. I was suppose to be the one lying in a puddle of blood. I was suppose to be the one dying by the minute. I was suppose to be the one lying in the gangs arms and freeing them of their troubles! Not Dally. Oh Jesus, not Dally!

I didn't even notice the cops show up or the guys talking to them. All I saw was Dally losing conscience right before my eyes. I didn't even hear them calling for an ambulance.

"S-Stacy." Dally whispers as he struggles from losing conscienceness.

"Yeah?" I choke out as I clinged on to his bloody shirt.

"I-I'll be OK." He somehow was able to give me one of his cocky smirks. "I'm the D-Dallas Winston after a-all."

Why must he make me smile when all I want to do is cry? I will never understand this dying fool.

"You jerk." I gave a small smile as I whipped at my tears once more even though I knew they wern't about to subside. Pretty soon the ambulance is here and they load Dally up in it and I slide in too. I wasn't about to leave him just like he wasn't about to leave me last night. I watched as they struck him with all kinds of needles and flinched at that. Boy did that look like it hurt.

They finally got him wheeled in the hospital and it was then that I was forced to stay in the waiting room. I didn't want to leave him even though he was passed out but I knew I had to. Causing a scene would get me no where. Pretty soon the gang arrived with my baby girl that thankfully was OK. I had nearly forgotton about her being there at all. Some mother I am.

"Mommy!" She squealed with a grin on her face as she ran and hugged my neck. Glory did I ever need that right now. I squeezed her tightly until she told me I was about to smoother her.

"Stacy." Angel says before hugging me, pulling me down on a couch. "It's all gonna be OK. That arrogant jerk'll be fine."

I cried into her shoulder. "I hope you're right Angela, I hope you're right. I don't know what I'll do if I lose another person."

"It'll be OK kid." I hear Tim say and feel a strong hand on my shoulder.

"Dally OK?" I hear Tess ask and I look over to see her with Two-bit now.

Two-bit smiled down at her. "He'll be fine."

"You sure?" She asks him with a worried expression in her blue eyes. She then looked over at me to see if I knew the answer. If only I had an answer to give her.

"Yeah." Two-bit tells her and gives me a reasuring smile. "He ain't about to die from a little ole bullet."

I smiled softly as we sat the remainer of the time in silence. Two-bit and Steve told us that the fuzz had Cody down at the station and it wasn't looking good for him niether. That made me smile. I hope he gets all that he has coming for him.

"Are you all here for Dallas Winston?" A brunet in her late thirties ask wearing a nursing suit.

I wake up to find that we had all fallen asleep. I push off of Angela and nod my head. "Yeah."

"He's out of surgery and we think it went successfully." She gives me a small smile.

I sigh in releaf. "So he's gonna be OK?"

She nodded her head. "Pretty sure honey."

A smile soon forms on my sleepless face. "When can I see him?"

"Now if you want though I ask only two at a time, no need to over work the guy. He's still soar and will probably be tired in a little while." She tells me and I wake up the guys, telling them the great news.

I went in along with Tess and Johnny since we were the closest to him. I figured that Tess couldn't possibly count as whole person since she was so small and anyway she was half awake. We walked into the room they told us to and I couldn't believe that was Dally Winston in that bed. The room was pale white and so was the bed and sheets and Dally. He was dressed in a white hospital gown and his hair seemed to blend in with his face.

"Dally?" I ask uncertain as I saw the three or four IVs sticking out of his arms.

He opened his ice blue eyes to look at us and a small smile formed on his face. It wasn't his arrogant smirk or a lustful one or even the passionate loving one he gave me yesterday. It was one that said thank-God-you're-here-because-I'm-about-ready-to-lose-it. We walked up closer to him and I pulled up two chair by his bed for Johnny and me.

"How you feeling?" I asked as I grabbed his hand with my free arm.

He gave me a small smile. "Been better."

"You've looked better too man." Johnny joked. Johnny hardly ever joked but I guess we all needed something to smile about right now and it worked.

"How's everyone?" Dal asks as he tried to sit up a little but soon hissed out in pain.

"Lay back down." I ordered him as I helped him back down. "No need to get up. The guys are fine; worried about you but fine."

"Well I'm doing alright so you can tell them to stop that." He told us with that arrogant attitude of his. I was so glad to hear it too. At least I know now he'll be OK for sure.

"Dally?" Tess opened her sleepy eyes.

"Yeah kid." He says as she rubs the sleep out of them. It was a little passed three and this little girl really needed to go back to sleep. "What are you doing up girl? Ain't it passed your bed time?"

She smiled at him. "Too bright."

He smirked. "I agree."

"You OK?" She asks him with the same look in her eyes she had earlier.

Dal nodded. "I'm fine kid. Don't you go worryin' now."

She smiled a little and reached out for him. I wasn't so sure if that was a good idea since Dally just had surgery in all but he grabbed her and put her by his good side. The bullet hadn't hit any organ and that was a miracle in itself. Tess got comfortable by Dally and baried her head in his chest, falling back asleep. I couldn't help but wonder why she liked Dally so much. I mean, of all people shouldn't she be a lot closer to Two-bit or the Curtis'? Maybe she has my taste in guys...oh God I hope not!

"You OK baby?" Dally asks me. "You look worse then I do."

"You always know just what to say huh?" I tell him with a grin.

He smirked. "Of course."

"I'm gonna go tell the guys you're fine." Johnny says as he gets up.

"Why don't y'all go on home? I mean, what the point in staying up with me anyway? I'll see y'all in the morning." Dally told him.

Johnny nodded and smiled. "Alright man, hope ya get out of here soon."

Dally grinned. "Me and you both."

"Are you coming home tonight Stacy or staying here?" Johnny asks me.

"I'm staying." I answered before Dally could stop me. "I'm staying rather you like it or not."

He chuckled. "Alright, alright."

"Alright y'all. I'll come by tomorrow." Johnny says before leaving.

Dally looks over at me and rubs his thumb over my cheek. "You really don't look that good."

"I really don't feel that great either." I tell him honestly as I think of my pounding headach and the lack of sleep.

"Come're." He tells me and I crawl in the bed next to Tess, trapping her in the middle of us. I layed my head against his shoulder and I felt his strong arms wrap around me. "Did they get Cody?"

"Two-bit says they did." I tell him as I yawned.

"Go to sleep honey." He tells me as he strokes my hair. "It'll all be alright."

AN: IF I DON'T UPDATE THE NEXT CHAPTER BY TOMORROW THEN IT'LL PROBABLY BE AWHILE. I'M SORRY Y'ALL!! IDK WHAT I'M GONNA DO AFTER THIS...THIS HAS BEEN ONCE OF MY FAV. STORIES TO RIGHT LOL. WELL HOPEFULLY HURRICANE GUSTAV ISN'T SO BAD...SURE I LIKE MISSING SCHOOL IN ALL BUT I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY ELETRICITY!!