The next morning Tia, Dally, Johnny, Pony and Two-Bit were out early. Steve, Soda and Darry were working but they would be home around 7. They started out by tracking down KJ which wasn't too difficult. They stopped by his house first but he wasn't home. Lisa was there and said he was out with some friends, at the mall or something.

They tried there next, they found KJ with three other guys, sitting outside, smoking.

"Hey KJ." Tia said, sitting down beside him.

He looked surprised to see her but delighted at the same time. The rest of the greasers sat down and lit up.

"What can I do for ya?" KJ asked.

"We need some help, in a rumble tonight." Tia said, taking a puff from her Kool.

"Socs?" Kj asked.

"Nope, family, you must remember my brother, the guy you punched." Tia said laughing.

"How could I forget, yeah I will fight, how about you guys?" KJ asked his three friends.

"Sure, why not, haven't been in a good rumble for a while." One of them said shrugging, the rest agreed.

"Anyone else fighting with us?" KJ asked.

"Shepards outfit if we can convince them." Tia said.

"Where and when do you want us to meet you guys?" KJ asked.

"The Curtis house, rumble is at 11, anytime before that, we will just be playing poker or something to pass the time." Dally said.

"Sounds good." KJ said, shrugging

"We gotta get going, we still have Tim to track down." Dally said standing up.

"See ya tonight KJ." Tia said, smiling at KJ as they walked away.

"Your hooked man." One of his friends said shoving KJ, he had been watching Tia walk away.

"I am not!" KJ said laughing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The gang stopped at a dinner to have lunch. Tia was just finished her second hamburger when Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Where do you put it all?" Two-Bit asked laughing.

"What?" Tia asked, taking a drink from her coke.

"The food, you are eating like a guy but your a stick." Two-Bit said. "Do you have hollow legs or something?"

"Yeah, just like your head is hollow." Tia said throwing a french fry at him.

Once they finished eating they started working on tracking down Tim. Dally took them around the whole city checking in at all of Tim's favorite hang outs. They checked at Bucks, the DX, the Dingo, the mall (again).

When they were leaving the mall they noticed a small crowd of about a dozen hoods in the parking lot.

"Fight!" Two-Bit said happily, trotting over to the crowd.

"Matthews this is no time to watch a fight, we are running out of time!" Tia yelled after him.

"Found Shepard!" Two-Bit yelled back.

The gang trotted up to see Tim Shepard on top of another guy, beating his head in.

"Why is he beating up that guy? He looks like a hood." Tia asked the gang.

"The guy was two timing on Angela, Tim's sister." A guy from the crowd said.

"Want me to get him our of there?" Tia asked Dally.

"Sure, if you can but he looks pretty busy." Dally said shrugging.

Tia put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. That got Tim's attention, he looked up and when he caught sight of Tia, a smile spred across his face. Tia winked at him and motioned with her finger for him to follow her.

"Let me take care of this, I will be fine." Tia said to Dally as she walked towards the back of the mall.

She heard Tim's footsteps coming quickly behind her, she smiled to herself. When she was out of sight of the crowd, behind the mall, she leaned against the wall and waited for Tim to catch up. He was right behind her, smiling like a fool and out of breath.

"Hey babe." Tim said. "Whats up?"

"We are having a rumble tonight, can we count on you?" Tia asked.

"Course, who are we beating up?" Tim asked.

"My old gang, the Falcons and another gang, the Thunders." Tia said. "KJ and a couple other guys are fighting with us, just to make the odds better."

"What are you fighting for?" Tim asked, he was leaning in closer to her and Tia was started to feel a little nervous but made sure it didn't show.

"Me." she replied.

"Where and when?" Tim asked.

"Tonight, the lot, 11." Tia replied.

"I'll meet ya there with 12 of my best guys, ya got my word." Tim replied.

By now he was leaning in close enough that there was barely two inches between their faces.

"Now, what will I get for helping you out in the fight?" Tim asked, his sly smile was making Tia feel slightly sick.

"Now Tim, you know I am 13 and we are just friend." Tia said smiling sweetly at him.

"Your age don't matter and how come we can't be more then friends?" Tim replied.

Tia could feel his hand on her waist and the other on her face. She took a hand full of his shirt and pulled him towards her. She kissed him, it reminded her of the night at Bucks party. She realized that she really didn't have feelings for Tim. Sure kissing him was pretty hot but she just didn't feel anything. When his hands started to wonder she pushed him back.

"I'm sorry but I don't think it is a good idea. Dally would hate it, so would the rest of the gang and they are like my family. Plus, I am not that type of girl. You understand, right?" Tia asked looking up at him.

"Yeah, I understand." Tim said with a heavy sigh. "I've just never met a girl like you, your one of a kind."

"I am just not the kind of girl for you. I'm sorry." Tia said.

"It's alright, come on, let head back before Dally comes and drags you away." Tim said, taking a step back, giving Tia some breathing room.

The walked back to where the gang was waiting, Tim kept him arm wrapped around Tia's waist and Tia didn't object. The gang was sitting on the curb, smoking and talking. Except for Dally who was standing, fists in his pockets, looking annoyed.

He looked even more annoyed when he was Tim had his arm around Tia.

"He's in." Tia said, smiling up at Tim.

"See you tonight." Tia said and walked back over to her gang.

Tim left in search of his gang.

"What did you guys do?" Dally asked.

"What do you mean 'what did me do', we talked, brilliance." Tia said shaking her head at them.

"Believe me, I know Tim and the look he had in his eyes when he chased after you was not the look of wanting to talk. The when he came back the look was gone, so he obviously got what he wanted." Dally said crossly.

"Fine, you want the truth?" Tia said, getting frustrated. "We didn't say one word to each other, instead we made wild passionate love behind the building!"

Dally looked shocked for a minute. Tia was doing her best not to crack up laughing. Finally Two-Bit couldn't stand it any longer, he fell off the curb laughing.

"Man... you should have seen your face!" Two-Bit said between laughs.

Pony and Johnny just looked shocked and slightly uncomfortable with the subject.

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Dally said, shoving Two-Bit. "How'd you know she was joking?"

"Cause if they would have done it, Tim would have been walking funny. I mean you saw how well Tia rides bulls." Two-Bit said laughing.

"Two-Bit Matthews!" Tia yelled "You are sick in the head."

"You just realized that?" Dally growled.

Poor Pony and Johnny looked like they were going to be sick.

"C'mere Dal." Tia said putting putting her arms on Dally's shoulders. "He tried to make a move but I told him no and he didn't try anything else, honest. Happy?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just don't trust Tim around you." Dally said sighing.

It was almost 6 by then so they headed to the Dingo to eat. All through the meal, Two-Bit would crack up with Tia so much as looked him. They finished at a quarter to seven and headed back to the house to meet the rest of the gang. It was going to be a long night.