Well, here we are. I finally got this chapter finished after struggling with it for a massive amount of time.

Like many chapters this is a rewrite of an older one. More technically, the is part of a rewrite as this chapter got split into thirds due to how much was going on and how long it was getting.

I do not own the Outsiders.


Andromeda tugged at the hem of her blouse before she fixed the bow on her collar. It had been a while since she'd worn anything so fancy when she knew she was going to see her friends. That said, her aunt was going to be there, and she didn't want her to suspect anything was different.

After one last glance at the mirror, Andromeda turned and left the house. Aunt Christy already knew where she was going, so that was one less thing to worry about. Without thinking, she walked faster than usual, and was faintly out of breath when she arrived at the hotel her aunt Marge was saying at. She took a deep breath of floral scented air and closed her eyes.

It had been months since she'd seen her aunt, and she was eager to spend time with her. When she'd lived in California, and her aunt was only a short drive away, she'd visited as often as she could.

But it had been months, and Andromeda hadn't been forthcoming with all that had happened since she'd moved. For one thing, her aunt didn't know about her friends drinking or smoking habits, or their skill at gaining what they wanted without paying so much as a dime for it. And now that she was about to introduce the two parties, she found she was more than a little worried about what could go wrong.

A noise from behind Andromeda caught her attention and she turned to see one of the hotel staff open the door for to reveal her Aunt on the other side.

Her Aunt briefly thanked the person before she stepped outside and shielded her eyes from the sun. A wide smile crossed her face and she waved as she called out, "Hello!" Andromeda laughed as she waved back and called, "Hello to you too!" She hurried over to her aunt who hugged her promptly before she stepped back to look at her. Her aunt looked decidedly pleased as she said, "Look at you! You've gained some weight, your complexion is better, and you're happier than the last time I saw you!"

Andromeda laughed and shook her head, "Aunty, I'm really just happy to see you. You don't need to make a fuss." Her aunt shook her head as she insisted, "No, you might not see it, but you do look better. Being in Tulsa ... it seems to have done a lot of good for you." Aunt Marge let her hands drop from Andromeda's shoulders and said, "Well then, let's go meet your friends."

A brief shudder ran through Andromeda, but she brushed it off and replied, "Sure, let's go." She promptly turned around and walked quickly down now familiar streets to the Curtis house.

Every once in a while, Andromeda would point out a landmark or place she enjoyed as she chatted with her Aunt. The travel seemed shorter than normal, and it wasn't long long before the pair stood on the sidewalk in front of the Curtis house. Andromeda turned toward her aunt, her voice reaching for a sunny tone as she said, "We're here!"

Her Aunt Marge nodded as she studied the exterior of the house. Her examination only took a minute or two, and there was a smile on her face as she asked, "Well, are we going to enter or stand here a while longer?" Andromeda spun about, her cheeks burned faintly as she said, "Let's go!"

She hustled to the door and opened it for her aunt who stepped inside before Andromeda followed. The door swung shut behind them.

Inside the house were Pony and Johnny who sat in chairs, and Soda, Steve, and Evie were on the couch. Darry, of course, was busy at work and couldn't be there.

Soda grinned at the pair as he called over , "Hey there A.C., that your Aunt?" A smile came naturally to Andromeda's face as she replied, "Yes, this is my Aunt Marge." The present group greeted her aunt warmly, even Steve, who Andromeda didn't know for certain if he would come until she saw him. It was even more relieving that the group had made the effort to be pleasant to Aunt Marge despite not knowing her. Evie, of course, flounced up and introducing herself as a close friend, sounding more sincere than she had with Aunt Christy.

Some of Andromeda's nerves unraveled as the group settled in. Introductions were only the first step, but they were a step in a good direction.

Once those were concluded, Aunt Marge smiled blithely, another good sign in Andromeda's mind, as she said, "Yes, my niece told me about you." She glanced at Andromeda as she said, "Well, some at least."

Andromeda's smile wavered. It wasn't an unexpected question, but it was one she didn't quite know how to answer.

Soda, on the other hand, grinned easily as he said, "There's not much to say. We work, hang out, play football, see our girlfriends if we have one, and watch the occasional movie. It's nothing really interesting." Aunt Marge nodded, her expression neutral. "I see." She said.

Andromeda let out a breath and smiled as she said, "I think I've mentioned all of that in our phone calls." It was Aunt Marge's turn to look embarrassed as she replied, "Yes, now that I think about it, you did already mention that. It seems like I've gotten a bit forgetful with my mind so focused on work recently."

Evie took that moment to lean forward and commented, "I heard you were an attorney." Aunt Marge nodded, "Yes, I am." Evie looked mildly impressed with the answer, and asked, "So, do you put people in jail, or defend them."

Aunt Marge sat a little taller, amusement could be read on her face. That was a favorite question of hers, so it was no trouble when she answered, "I'm a corporate lawyer rather than a criminal one, so I generally defend the interests of large companies."

Evie hummed and asked, "Is it hard working in a job like that?" Aunt Marge paused for a minute, she might not have expected that question to be asked. "Well," she replied, "It depends on the case. Some of them are simple, but some have you up until all hours working on things that are headache inducing. But in the end, it can be incredibly satisfying in either case."

Evie nodded and seemed to be thinking something over as she leaned into Steve again as the conversation began to head towards school.

Andromeda was in the middle of explaining her rather mediocre grades to her Aunt Marge when the front door swung open and the smile on her face froze.

In the doorway stood Dallas Winston and Sylvia.


Yep, it's a cliffhanger. I plan on putting up the next part soon to make up for the long period of time without updates.