Title: Angels with Dirty Faces
Rating: PG
Fandom: Outsiders
Disclaimer: As you all already know, I don't own The Outsiders. The title is from the 1938 film starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. I just thought it fit our boys and the part of the story I'm at.
Summary: The arm opposite of her body came to rest around her as they cried in the dark together, Johnny whispering all the while. "I killed that boy."
A/N: If you haven't already noticed from the first two installments of this series, I'm not exactly concerned with getting every line of dialogue in here. Ace is a very pensive soul, and misses some things. And it also cuts down on length. I've also mixed together images (as well as dialogue) from the movie and the book. I like both of them, and love putting them together, even if they are a bit different.


Angels with Dirty Faces

Pony knew the minute he saw Johnny and Ace walk up his porch steps that something was different. He assumed that since they both still wore the clothes they had yesterday, that they'd slept in the lot again. He hoped that as the nights grew colder they'd ask either himself or Two-Bit for use of a couch.

As they moved on to meet Dally, whatever it was that Pony had sensed was gone. Unless he got into the specifics of why Ace was being so unusually quiet.

It was true: not only were they the three youngest of the gang, but also the three quietest. The times when they talked most was when it was only the three of them together. Wouldn't the rest of the guys be surprised to know that Johnny could talk their ears off! Pony figured the only reason Johnny and Ace were so sociable when with each other and/or himself was because they felt safest in those conditions. He'd also stumbled across the two of them alone in the lot on several occasions having long conversations. Johnny and Ace trusted each other the way he trusted Soda.

When they met up with Dallas, he immediately threw an arm over Ace's shoulders. To her surprise, she kept from bolting. She knew that Johnny had his eyes on her, but he was smart enough to know better than talk back to Dal. So the two of them put up with it.

Even if she was a greaser, Ace chose to refrain from anything that could get her into too much trouble, especially with the cops. She feared losing Johnny, but she feared being taken from him nearly as much. So, like Johnny and Pony, she usually sat out when the other guys got to shop lifting and breaking the law in several other ways.

When they stopped by the DX, Ace could tell that Soda knew something was up. She gave him a small smile and a wink over Johnny's shoulder - their private sign that all was well.

It was the look on her face only seconds later when Dally put his arm around her - this time resting it around her waist - that nearly caused both Soda and Pony to double over with laughter. Steve was too ignorant to notice, and Johnny's eyes were black as night with anger, but he kept his cool.

Ace prayed that someone would be brave enough to tell Dallas that he'd taken his long running flirtatious jokes with her a bit too far. She wasn't so lucky.

Pony knew that someone should have said something, but no guy in his right mind and a good head on his shoulders would dare tell Dally Winston what to do. He felt bad for Ace, but didn't know what he could do. He realized that he didn't have to do anything when he noticed Johnny's hand reach for Ace's out of Dallas' line of sight. She immediately relaxed, knowing that someone was trying to comfort her. Pony smiled in spite of himself.

At the drive in, Pony made sure to sit between Dally and Ace. He figured she couldn't take any more of his shenanigans. When those two Soc girls sat down in front of them, Pony knew that Dal would be saving the good stuff for them tonight.

Ace didn't mind the girls sitting down in front of them. It meant Dal would give her a break, even if he was only joking with her. She knew the minute he opened his mouth that Dal's words to Cherry were no joke.

Even when Johnny disappeared to get a Coke, Ace knew she'd be okay. It was the moment that Dal began going on about wondering if Cherry was a real redhead that Ace's mouth nearly dropped open. She and Pony shared a look, both knowing that the other thought Dal had gone too far. He couldn't get away with talking like that to a Soc girl, and they both knew it. Especially since she had a boyfriend.

When Johnny returned, Ace tucked herself under his arm, knowing full well that Dally was going to get what he deserved from Cherry Valance. And boy did he. When he stormed off, Ace wondered if it would be the last time. Dally wasn't known to be a quitter - especially when it came to women.

Ace had been surprised that Johnny had been the one to tell him off. The fact that Dallas hadn't knocked him into next week was simply proof of how much everybody loved Johnny. No one would dare lay a hand to him, he was too sweet and got enough of that at home.

When Cherry and Marcia turned and thanked Johnny, Ace hoped they wouldn't speak to her. She wasn't good with strangers. Even though she'd seen these girls around school, she still didn't want to speak to them. She didn't trust them.

"I've seen you around school, haven't I?" Cherry directed the comment at Ace, and she nodded, wide-eyed.

Johnny squeezed her shoulder. "This is Gracie. She doesn't talk much," he stated for her.

Pony had been as surprised as Ace to hear Johnny call her 'Gracie', but he could see that she didn't mind one bit. He wasn't shocked. He figured she'd let Johnny call her any name under the sun.

When Cherry and Marcia asked Johnny and Pony to sit with them, to 'protect' them, Ace nearly froze. She figured she wasn't invited. Johnny proved her wrong when he took her by the hand and practically pulled her down beside him.

Once they were settled, his arm went around her again, as if to prove to her that he wasn't interested in anyone but her - she smiled at the thought, her head tucked under his chin.

Only moments later Two-Bit showed up and scared the stuffing out of Johnny and Ace, giving them both a goofy grin and suggestive wink - he knew what was going on. The only question was: how? Neither of them had an explanation, so went on watching the movie as Two-Bit put the moves on Marcia.

When Pony and Cherry went to get some popcorn, Two-Bit flipped Pony a fifty cent piece and told him to get some for 'the lovebirds', gesturing to Johnny and Ace. That was the only time in her life that Ace could think of wanting to slug any of their gang besides Dally. Only Johnny's playful smile stopped her.

On the way home, it seemed everyone had sort of settled into pairs. Pony and Cherry were obviously having deep conversation while Two-Bit kept trying to make Marcia laugh. Johnny and Ace stayed close, but far enough back to have their own conversation.

"He likes her," Ace sighed, looking straight ahead of them.

"Two-Bit likes anything that walks," Johnny retorted.

"Not Two-Bit. Pony," she corrected, playfully hitting Johnny's chest.

Johnny stared pensively ahead, his eyes on Pony and Cherry. "Yeah, I reckon so," he finally replied, looking down at Ace. When she didn't reply, he saw that something was wrong. "Is there something wrong with that?"

She nodded, thinking of how to put her thoughts into words. "She's not like us, Johnny. She can pretend to understand and discuss what she and he have in common all she wants. It doesn't make her like us. It doesn't even bring us close."

That was when they heard Pony get upset about Darry. Ace knew that things had changed a lot since the boys' parents had died. The minute Pony opened his mouth about Johnny not being wanted at home, she knew that the subject of Darry was off limits.

"I'm sorry, I guess I was just mad," Pony apologized.

Ace wasn't listening to what Two-Bit was saying to Pony. Instead, she was concentrating on the rumble of the blue Mustang coming up behind them. As always when they were being approached by a group of Socs, Johnny and Pony pushed Ace behind them, out of sight.

Ace cringed when she heard the crash of the bottle breaking. When Two-Bit handed the broken bottle to Pony, she knew he wouldn't use it - they all did. But it didn't mean the Socs knew. Johnny was watching the one that was Cherry's boyfriend. From behind him, Ace spotted the rings on Bob's hand. Realizing why he made Johnny so nervous, she placed a hand on his back, a sign of recognition and comfort.

She was more than happy when Cherry told the boys to stop. When Cherry pulled Pony aside to talk, Johnny turned partly away from the harassing Socs to face Ace. He offered a half hearted smile - a thanks for being there. She nodded, returning his smile as they heard the Mustang roar to life and drive off.

Ace never liked being around fights. Much like Johnny, she got plenty of that on those rare occasions when she went home. She hated the thought of people getting hurt for virtually no reason.

On the rest of the walk home, Ace rolled her eyes as Two-Bit commented on how good-looking Cherry and Marcia were, but she couldn't help smiling when Johnny gave her hand a light squeeze instead of joining in the conversation.

They could all hear the yelling from Johnny's house and Ace knew it would be another night in the lot for them.

Pony tagged along, and while Ace and Johnny settled as usual, it was obvious that something was on Pony's mind.

"It was because we're greasers," Johnny spoke up. Ace nodded as Pony turned to look at them. "We could have hurt her reputation."

"I reckon," Pony agreed, coming to sit opposite of Johnny at Ace's side.

Soothingly, Ace raised the hand on Pony's shoulder to gently stoke his hair. "She's not like us," she sighed. "She'd never understand."

"Don't you ever think that Socs have problems too?" Pony asked, his voice hard.

"Ponyboy, they have beds to sleep in at night," she answered, trying not to sound self-centered.

Pony looked at both of his friends. Ace was right, Cherry probably had a happy, loving family at home and knew nothing of what life Johnny and Ace were forced to live. His eyes soft, he nodded.

"I know," he sighed. "I just don't understand why something we have no control over makes us worse than them."

Ace furrowed her brow unhappily as Pony moved, laying toward the fire. "Pony we're not worse than them. And the fact that they think so does not mean we have to agree. That does nothing but make them right. I'm not giving in to that," she said roughly.

"I don't know about you, man, but I'm with her," Johnny spoke seriously, nodding toward Ace.

The three grew silent, Ace wondering whether or not the subject of Cherry Valance was over or not. She assumed the latter as she knew the boys to let things go on far too long. She figured she'd be hearing about it the next day from Two-Bit if not Pony.

Ace was nearly asleep when Pony and Johnny began talking about how tuff the blue Mustang was, and had already dozed off before they got any further.

She awoke to Johnny shifting out from under her. Panicked, she grabbed his arm. "I didn't mean to wake you," he smiled, "I just wanted to get Pony up so Darry wouldn't get too worried about him."

She nodded, still half asleep, and barely registered Pony's offer to come to his house if it got too cold.

When Johnny settled against her once more, she sighed, contented, and once again drifted off to sleep.

The next thing she knew, Pony was tripping over them and shouting something about running away. It was the scared tone in his voice that immediately jolted her awake. As Johnny hauled her to her feet, she found herself falling into a run beside them. Even if she was small and had shorter than average legs, she knew how to put them to good use, and could usually keep up with any of the gang.

Blocks later, they finally stopped and Pony told his two friends that Darry had hit him while they each lit up a cigarette. Pony's suggestion of walking to the park to cool off sounded good, so the three of them fell into step beside each other, Johnny pulling his jacket tight around him to protect from the cold just as Ace did the same with the jacket she wore. Pony simply rubbed his bare arms and gritted his teeth.

Ace knew that Pony had once again forgotten to grab a jacket - he often forgot common sense things - and she felt bad, curled up in the too large jacket that Soda had given her last fall, saying that he'd outgrown it and that she'd need something to keep warm.

"Pony, here," she said, beginning to slip out of it.

"No," he shook his head. She could hear his teeth chattering. "I'm not gonna take a coat from a girl. 'Specially not you."

She sighed, once again closing the jacket around her. Somehow she'd known he'd be too proud to take it from her.

As they reached the park, there was no mistaking the rumble of the engine of a blue Mustang. Not at two-thirty in the morning. The three of them sat atop a rusty jungle gym, and as Johnny fingered the blade in his back pocket, Pony told them to "stay cool".

Ace could feel someone shaking, but she didn't know if it was Johnny or herself. It was obvious that Bob, Randy, and the others were drunk. She wasn't sure how they could stay on two feet to walk, let alone have the control to drive.

Bob was yelling some awful things at Pony and Johnny, and only mentioned her when he suggested that they pick up their own kind - like her. Something about his tone of voice made her feel dirty. She wondered if the gang thought of her like that as the three of them jumped down and she slunk back into the shadows behind Johnny.

"You know what a greaser is?" she heard Bob yell. "White trash with long greasy hair."

She could tell that Pony was angry, furious even. "You know what a Soc is?" he called, and she froze. "White trash with Mustangs and madras." Then she moved out from behind Johnny only to see Pony spit at Bob.

The three of them took off running, but she didn't get far before one caught her by the arm. He moved to stand in front of her as he held both wrists behind her back with one hand. He reeked of alcohol, and gave her a sleazy grin as he trailed a forefinger down her face.

She could see another kicking Johnny in the ribs not far away, but before she could call out to him, she heard the splash and looked behind the Soc holding her captive to see the four others holding Pony in the fountain as he struggled.

"Pony!" she screamed. She could feel the hot tears running down her cheeks as she fought to break free. She screamed again, this time out of frustration and helplessness.

She hadn't seen Johnny get up or pull out his switchblade. She didn't know anything had happened until she heard yelling coming from the fountain, and footsteps pounding toward where she was still being held.

Suddenly, the nameless Soc let her go and piled into the Mustang with his buddies. Without thinking, she sprinted toward the fountain. Only steps away, she stopped. Pony was soaking wet, sprawled out on the pavement, motionless. A few feet away, Johnny sat up against the fountain, shaking and sobbing. Further yet lay Bob, motionless as well on the pavement, a dark puddle growing from beneath him.

She ran to Johnny, tears still streaming from her dark eyes - for him, not for Bob. Immediately, she dropped to the ground beside him and threw her arms around his neck. The arm opposite of her body came to rest around her as they cried in the dark together, Johnny whispering all the while.

"I killed that boy."

Fin

A/N: This is the third installment of my Love Letters Anthology. I've officially finished writing all five one shots, and will be posting them as I have time.