"Hey, good lookin' whaccha got cookin how's about cooking-"

"Is this whole family addicted to Hank Williams?" Dallas sighed. Lori shrugged her shoulders at him.

"You don't like Hank Williams?" Lisa, who had been singing, stopped for a second.

"Of course not," he snorted, "country music hicks, not my idea of entertainment."

"Hicks? Dallas you're crazy."

Lori chimed in, "I think Dallas just needs to listen to more country songs before he makes up his mind."

"No! I've had my share of country to last me a lifetime." He gave a shudder as he thought about all the times Buck had played that music at his place.

"You're in a bad mood, Dallas," Lisa said lightly.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" he responded.

"Don't you know? Tonight's the night Brian and I go to the movies." She let slip a giggle.

"And I'm going out with Trey again. Without threats from you, mister." She pointed accusingly. "You should just be grateful that Trey was willing to come near me ever again after what you did."

"Yeah, I was thinking about going out and celebrating."

Lisa shook her head. "No, you are going to baby-sit Carly with Jason."

Dallas rolled his eyes.

xxxxxxx

"Well, your ribs aren't in as good of a condition as I'd like, but it's good enough."

"That mean I can go home?" Dallas asked as he pulled on his shirt, finished with the examination.

"I'll take you home first thing after church tomorrow," Brian promised.

"Brian, get going. We're going to be late if you don't hurry." Lisa reprimanded her husband from the doorway of Dallas's bedroom.

"We won't be late," he protested, but got up anyway.

Dallas got up and went out into the living room, picked up the paper, and thumbed through the news. Nothing on him again, a little bit about the hoods vandalizing the stores. No names, just descriptions, "one red-haired, two brown-haired, one blonde." That was Cliff's gang all right. He again congratulated himself for his wisdom at refusing the hoods' invitation. Because now he was going home! Home.

"Has anyone seen my jacket?!" Lori asked as she sped through the room. It had stormed earlier in the day, now just a steady drizzle, but still enough for a jacket.

"I haven't," Jason answered from his position on the couch.

"Well can you look?"

Jason groaned.

"You asked for it, man." Dal told him.

"Yeah, I should know by now to never answer those kinds of questions." But he got up and went searching.

Ding Dong!

"Trey's here!" Carly eagerly cried.

"Come on people, where's my jacket?" Lori cried again.

"I got it!" Lisa yelled back. The two women ran and met each other in the living room, Lisa giving her daughter a quick peck on the cheek. "Have fun, dear."

Lori nodded and rushed off to meet her date at the door.

Jason walked out of the den and back into the living room. Dallas watched, mystified as Jason bent down and looked under the couch, then the other one.

"Should we tell him?" Carly whispered at Dallas's side.

Dallas vigorously shook his head. No.

"Okay, I'm ready," Brian announced, stepping into the living considerably more dressed up than he was a few minutes ago.

"All right let's go," Lisa walked out of her office. They picked up their coats off of the back of the couch.

"What are you doing, Jason?"

"Looking for Lori's jacket like she asked me too." He exasperated.

Brian smiled. "Lori already left with her jacket."

Jason stood up, an expression of you're kidding on his face, threw his arms up in the air, and stormed off. Carly gave a giggle.

Lisa clapped her hands. "Okay, Carly you be good. Dallas you and Jason are in charge. You take care of my little girl," she warned with a smile. "Bye!"

"Bye," her husband echoed, making their way out the door.

Carly turned to Dallas as soon as the door had closed. "Okay let's play!"

xxxxx

"She's finally asleep." Jason announced. He stood behind the back of the couch. Slowly he fell face forward and collapsed onto it.

"Is she always like that?" Dallas murmured, sprawled out on the other sofa.

"Naw, she's just excited that you're here."

"Not for long though," Dallas couldn't stop a grin from spreading. He was almost out of this house and back with the gang.

"Oh yeah?"

"After church tomorrow," Dal grimaced at the thought of another day at church. No matter what, none of the gang is going to learn that Dallas Winston went to church.

The rumble of a car engine alerted the two boys that somebody was outside. A minute later the door opened.

"Okay Trey, come into the kitchen. I'll take care of you until Dad comes home."

"I'm fine Lori," he protested.

"No, you're not. Get in here." A clatter of footsteps as the two headed for the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Jason bounded off the couch, Dallas behind him. They walked into the kitchen and flicked on the light that Lori and Trey had forgotten.

"Lori?" Which one asked the question no one knew; both were staring at the newcomers in disbelief.

The two were a mess. Lori's face was scratched, her blue jacket had a rip. Trey had a black eye, several bruises, and a mass of cuts on his body, his shirt torn in several places. From the way he was leaning over, his ribs seemed to be hurting him too.

"Lori what happened?"

"Here you are, Trey." She handed him an ice pack which he placed on his eye. "We were going out of the theatre when some guys stopped us. They wanted our money." She shuddered.

"But Trey here, doesn't give them anything. They start fighting. Unfortunately one person can't win against four," she admonished.

"So Lori came jumping in, fists flying everywhere. I think that's what scared them most." Trey took over. "Anyway, another guy in the parking lot saw what was happening and gave us some help. The hoods took off after that."

"What's going on?" Carly came in, rubbing her eyes. She looked questioningly at everybody gathered around the kitchen.

"Nothing, Carly, you should be in bed," Lori answered but with no real authority in her voice as she sat down. Carly wandered over and sleepily raised her arms. Lori obliged and lifted the girl into her lap.

"I can't believe that people would do something like that," Lori wonderingly stated. "Who would do something like that?"

"Hoods," Trey replied.

"Hoods?" Carly was the questioner this time.

"Yeah they're bad guys, bad guys that never stop being bad."

"I still can't believe it. I can't believe it." Lori shuddered all over.

"You okay, Lori?" Jace asked touching her shoulder.

She jumped. "What? Oh, sorry, I guess I'm just a little freaked out right now."

Dallas's eyes narrowed as he heard that, ice blue flashing.

"Well you sure weren't freaked out while they were doing it. You fought like a wildcat; I never knew you could do that," Trey said.

Lori smiled, though still a little cautiously.

"Did you call the police?" Jason inquired.

"What good would that do? It was dark, we could barely see anything. All the police can do is say sorry and we'll try, but that'll get us nothing, and it would just be wasting their time," Trey retorted.

"Still, I'm calling Mr. Roberts." Jason picked up the phone. "Will? Is your dad home? Can he come over here? Some guys tried to get Lori and her date's money. They're a little banged up but nothing too serious. Okay, thanks."

"He'll be right over," Jace announced to the others.

"Oh, good," Lori sighed.

"Did you get a good look at any of them?" Jason questioned.

Trey and Lori each shook their heads. "It was dark," Lori went on, "we could barely see at all."

"Can you remember anything about them?" he pushed.

"Hmm...one was kinda tall, the others shorter...hmm...oh, yeah one of them had blonde hair."

Blonde hair...Cliff. Dallas's head snapped up. In an instant, he bolted.

"Dallas!" Jason warned, but too late. Not pausing another second, Jason tore off after him.

"Dallas stop! Are you crazy? Stop!" Jason's shouts were heard but went unheeded by the hood. He ran as fast as his lungs would allow, he splashed through the puddles, not caring they were muddying up his borrowed clothes. He was running toward the gang. He knew the gang's haunts; he had been with them the night of the rodeo.

I can't believe this. I can't believe this. How could I have been so stupid? Dallas pounded hard on the pavement. He couldn't believe he had allowed this to happen. His 'friends' had hurt Lori. Lori, a part of the family that had taken him in! His feet pounded the pavement even harder.

"Dallas, stop! Come on, man, quit it!" Jason kept up his yells as he raced to keep up with the faster Dal. So intent were the two of them on their race that they didn't see Carly struggling to keep up behind them.

xxxx

"You!"

Cliff turned at the call and was met with a fist smacked into his mouth, hurled backwards to the ground. Dallas rushed on top of him, and started raining down blows.

"Come on Dallas, stop it!" Jason tried once more to stop him, but it was no use.

"You, you, you!" Dallas couldn't find a suitable word, he finally just settled on letting his fists do the talking. And they did talk. Dallas and Cliff rolled over and over in the deserted lot, much like the lot back in Tulsa. A rage was filling Dallas that he had never felt before, and he let it loose.

But Cliff was a hood, too. He fought savagely back and managed to throw Dallas a few feet away from him. "What's this about?" he asked as they both caught their breath.

Dallas spit out some blood. "You tried to mug Lori, one of the people who have taken me in. You're just going to blow it, and scare that girl to death!"

Cliff denied it. "Man, how was I to know she was one of that family?"

"You met her at the rodeo," Dallas replied incredulously.

Cliff rolled his eyes. "Okay so I met her. But she's a soc. And she was out with some soc boyfriend of hers. She's fair game."

Dallas lunged at him. They tussled even more fiercely, if that was possible; Jason and the gang circled around watching tensely. The only sound was the impact of fist meeting flesh and the ragged breathing of the two adversaries. Carly ran into the lot, and silently she sneaked into the circle to watch the fight.

Dallas got up from the ground dragging Cliff with him. One arm holding, the other giving several quick jabs into the hood's midsection. Cliff collapsed down but was back up a second later. As they struggled, Cliff spoke.

"And besides, they—still—kept their—money, so why are—you so mad?"

Dallas rolled over him and smacked him in the jaw. "Y'all hurt Trey and Lori, and you scared her so bad she's shaking."

"Why—are—you—getting so high and mighty?" A kick into the ribs. "You shouldn't think twice about that. Nathan's right. You are becoming a soc."

Dallas kicked a powerful kick into Cliff's guts. He rolled away from Cliff for a short second to catch his breath. "I am not a soc. But I'd rather be a soc than be like you and scare innocent girls to death," he retorted scathingly.

Cliff smiled. "You forget that you did that yourself. Only last night at the rodeo," he tilted his head. "Or have you forgotten so soon?"

"What?" Carly, in bewilderment, piped up from her little corner. You lie. Dallas wouldn't do that."

"He wouldn't huh?" Cliff asked her.

"No," she turned to Dallas in a pleading gesture. "Dallas, come on. Why you friends with these guys anyway? They're the bad ones."

"We're the bad ones?"

"Yeah you hurt my sister."

"Well, Dallas has hurt plenty of people. He's a bad guy too," Cliff snarled.

"No," she scoffed.

"He's the baddest hood. Taught me everything I know."

"Cliff," Dal warned.

Carly stared at Dallas. She stared at Cliff, then back at Dallas, her confusion evident. She walked over to Dallas.

"You're not a hood are you?" He didn't answer her, didn't look at her. "Hoods are bad people. You can't be one." She took his hand. "Dallas, tell them you're not a hood."

Dallas wrenched his hand away. He leaned forward, took Carly by the shoulders and gave her a shake. "Girl be quiet! I am a hood. Got that? I am a hood." He angrily pushed her away from him.

She stumbled. Carly got up and stared at Dallas, her eyes huge. Then she shook her head. "No," she stated. Carly shook her head again. "No," she emphasized. The shaking grew more distinct, faster, her voice becoming softer: "No, she whispered. All the while she kept staring, transfixed at Dallas.

Suddenly her head stood still. "No!" she yelled. She whirled and raced back up the hill, her body flying through the puddles as fast as she could go. She reached the top of the hill, slipping and sliding along the way.

Dallas watched her go, then viciously turned on Cliff. "You— "

A screech of tires. A scream. All heads turned to the hill Carly had just run up.

As one, Jason and Dallas tore off for the sound. This time Jason was faster than Dallas. Jason disappeared over the hill. "No!" Dallas heard as he made his way up and over.

A car was stopped in the middle of the road. Jason glanced around frantically for his sister. Dallas pointed to a figure down the bottom of the hill. They ran down to it..

"Carly you all right?" Jason asked. They reached her. "She needs a hospital." Jason said as he scooped her still form into his arms.

Dallas stared in shock. His fault, his fault.

"I'm so sorry, I tried to stop, but she just came out of nowhere," the man in the car apologized over and over again, his face white.

By this time the gang had arrived. Nathan took one look, "I'm outta here," he quickly stated. He took off, his two cronies at his heels.

Cliff stayed, staring in horror at the scene before him. Dallas saw him.

"Get help, Cliff! Hurry!"

Cliff didn't move.

"Cliff get help!"

He twisted his head in the direction his gang had taken. He looked back at Dallas. Slowly he backed up. A couple steps later he turned around and took off.

"Cliff!" Dal angrily turned back to Carly. Jason was holding her: she was unconscious.

"Carly, you'll be all right, Carly. You'll be all right, baby," he kept muttering over and over.

Dallas stared down at the still form. Johnny. Johnny still and lifeless. Johnny dead. His fault, his fault.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head. "Oh kid. Oh kid, please. Please."

Okay this chapter's up. And it turns out, that my nomination for Best Dally is the only nomination. So, if I can beat nobody, I'll win! ) Think I can do it?

This reminds me of my real life. A person I know is running for judge in our city, and he won the primaries against a really tough opponent. I mean we barely won. So now all he has to do is beat nobody from the other ticket on the election Nov. 2. Keep your fingers crossed for both of us! )

MissLKid- No strike? Aww, darn it. Oh well.

Joker is Poker with a J- Sorry the eyebrow thing got you messed up. But at least you figured it out. )

Lintucuiel- Aha, that explains it. I've never read or seen Lord of the Rings. I know, everybody looks at me like I'm crazy, but just haven't found the time. Well you can't wait for him to go home, but he might not go home. No one knows.

nighttime writer- Let's see...three, four? I think that's about right. So this story's almost there. Thank you, glad I've been able to spice up these past months for you. ) Thanks for the review.

Tensleep- Glad you liked the chapter. Hey thanks for some more information. Well, it turns out that I'm the only one nominated for Best Dally. So if I can beat nobody I will win. Cross your fingers. ) Hey, good luck on all your nominations! That's incredible!

ER Monkey, Burner of Cookies- You had this Friday off, that counts for something. But I think the spell is broken, whatever it was. Sorry! )

Malara- Malara, Malara, Malara, thank you SO much! Great long review, made my day and my week! Or however long it's been since I've updated. Thank you for all the compliments on the chapter. Well, I must confess, I've never been able to raise on eyebrow! Ticks me off so bad! Man, thank you for all those compliments about the story. They just really inspire me to write. You have a stupendous day! ) ) )

CinderBrat- Aww, you're sick? I hope you're all right. Oh well no wonder. Years do make a difference in the car. ) Okay, I'm a little scared about this chapter, and you are my number one critiquer, so go ahead, critique it all the way, give me your honest opinion. I can handle it. ) Hope you're feeling better!

CiCi- Thank you. Well, Dallas is starting to get some emotional stuff happen to him. Hope you like it!

DaNNi BaBezZz- Good, I thought I was the only crazy one here. You're ready for Christmas too. If there were lessons, you're gonna have to get in line behind me. ) Thanks for the review!

Oblivious Misconception- Yep, he is changing, but at the same time he's still remaining the same. Hope that makes sense! Glad you liked the 'threat.' Thank you for all your kind words!

Okay, I need your reviews. I don't care if you love it or hate it, just review! Thanks and have a great day!