Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders, or Rusty James...i do own Nikolai, Jensen, and Vinnie!

"How I Wonder Who You Are…"

Nikolai's POV

The next morning, I was lucky enough to see Jensen before he left for work. I was fortunate enough to hear that Vinnie was going to a daycare center until Jensen came out of work. Jensen said that if I was going to be hanging out with the boy I was making out with last night, that it would be safer if Vinnie stayed with kids his own age. After Jensen and Vinnie walked out the door, I took a shower and got dressed in my black short leather dress, my black beaded necklace, my black converses, and my black ankle boots. I fixed my hair up in a low ponytail and sprayed my favorite perfume on me. After I ate breakfast that Jensen had left over, I started walking towards the park. My goal was to find Dally and then find Jess.

Reluctantly, I found Dally slouching on the park bench. He didn't notice I was there so I tip toed behind him. Then once I was behind Dally, I pushed him slightly, but my luck changed when he flipped out his blade and pointed it at me.

"Jesus Christ Nikki, why'd you do that for? I could've hurt you." Dally said putting his blade back in his pocket.

"Sorry Dal" I chuckled. I laugh at the weirdest moments. "I just wanted to have some fun." I said giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"C'mon" Dally said getting up, "I wanna show you to some friends."

I had no idea where we were going, but the scenery looked familiar. I didn't know where I've seen these things before, but I blocked that out of my mind. When we crossed the street I froze when I saw a sign saying 'DX'. Dally then turned around and gave me a perplexed look.

"What's wrong?" He asked walking towards me while I walked backwards.

"D-Dally, I can't go there" I said stricken with fear.

"Why? C'mon, I want to introduce you to some friends…" He said tugging my arm. I pulled my arm back and began to walk backwards faster. Dally didn't take 'no' for an answer, 'cause he grabbed me and carried me over his shoulder.

I kicked and screamed and made a loud commotion. I even heard Dally laugh when I started to pound my fist on his back. I was also worried since I was wearing a short dress; people were able to see my pink polka dotted panties.

Once Dally stopped, he gently placed me down. I slapped his face and he grinned at me. Then I shuddered when I heard a voice say "Who's this?"

I turned around slowly until I faced: The movie-star looking kid, a boy with jet black hair that had a swirl to it, a girl with long brunette colored hair, and another boy with short brunette colored hair.

Once I saw the movie-star boy, both of our eyes widened. I began to walk backwards again until I collided with Dally.

"Where do you think you're going?" He grinned.

"I…I….I…" was all I could say. I was still looking at the movie-star boy, and he was still staring at me. His once soft blue eyes turned to the hard dark eyes I had seen before, at the time Jensen and I stole the money in the cash register.

"Hey, what's your name?" the girl with the long brown hair asked me. She was leaning on the other brown haired boy, who was leaning against a red convertible.

My mouth was open but nothing was coming out. I was still staring at the movie-star boy, but now I was trembling. Dally held his arms around me and laid his head on my shoulder.

"Why are you trembling?" He whispered.

I shifted my eyes to the cemented ground, "I'm scared" I whispered with the most frightened voice.

Dally lifted his head and answered the question for me. "Her name's Nikolai". Dally then led me to a gas pump and leaned on it, making me lean on him. Then he laid his head on my shoulder again and whispered, "The girl, her name is Antonella. The guy she's leaning on, his name is Rusty James. The boy over there with the black hair, he's Steve. And the boy who's working on the car that Antonella and Rusty James are leaning on is Sodapop."

I gulped when he pointed to the movie-star looking boy, who I found out his name is Sodapop. I stared closer at Sodapop, and found a blade placed firmly in his back pocket. I started to step backwards, but that's when I realized that I was going no where since I was leaning on Dally.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked worriedly. I replied with a shake of my head. When I just started to calm down Sodapop walked up to Dally.

"Hey Dally, you think you can help me with this?" Sodapop asked holding up a welding and flickering with the button that makes the fire come out.

I yelled my lungs out when I saw the fire. I had the image of Soda as the devil, and he's like underground where fire is blazing out, and he's holding a fireball in the palm of his hand, and was about to throw it at me.

"I didn't want to do it!" I yelled out. Everyone had their eyes on me. I stared blankly at all of them, and started to tremble again. Dally rubbed his hands gently up and down my arms. "Calm down" he said soothingly.

"I'll be back" Dally whispered into my ear. When Dally moved away from his position, Soda gave me a devilish smirk and flicked out the fire one more time. Then Dally walked away with Soda following close behind him.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to discard the thought of Soda killing me from my mind. When my eyes were able to see straight again, I was facing Antonella and Rusty James.

"Hey there" Antonella said. I blinked my eyes several times and then cocked an eye brow.

"Your name is Antonella, right?" I said finally making full sense when I spoke.

"Yeah, Dally must've told you huh" She said with a smile.

"What's up with you being all weird?" Rusty James asked me.

"I'm…I'm just freaked out." I said fiddling with a strand on my hair.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to be scared of around here. Everyone who doesn't look like a pee wee and who are not dressed in madras are cool." Antonella said.

"Thanks for the info" I chuckled.

When Dally came back he whispered into my ear, "Let's go somewhere else." I nodded and said good-bye to everyone except for Soda.

Before I walked away with Dally, Soda pulled me back. "Let me talk to Nikolai alone for a minute, 'kay Dal?"

"Alright" Dally replied and then took out a cigarette.

"Dally, no wait…" I said but Soda covered my mouth, and led me about 10 feet away from Dally.

"Okay listen here, you don't like me and I don't like you. I know it was you who robbed the store, but I didn't call the cops."

"W-why?" I interrupted.

"I don't know why. But if you don't want me to get the fuzz on you, you better not even think about doing that again. I almost lost my job when my boss found out! He knows I can defend myself easily, but I must've been stupid about letting a pretty girl get away with the money. I'm letting you off with a warning…"

My fear turned into rage. I know it was my fault that he hated me, but I didn't want to put up with his attitude.

"You listen to me!" I spoke aloud and I tapped my index finger viscously on his chest. "What happened last time at the store was business. I'm not part of your gang and I don't plan too be. I'm a Tiber Street Tiger and that was my task, to rob your store. My brothers and I are now in the family of the Tigers. We have no money and no parents, and I don't intend to be frightened by a guy like you. And if you even try to lay a finger on me, I swear I'll make my gang kick your ass it won't even be funny."

Soda was glaring at me and was about to say something, but then his eyes widened and his mouth was hanging open.

"Nikki, look who it is" Dally said walking towards me and Soda, and pointing behind me. I turned around and saw Jess walking with a girl. This time it wasn't the same girl at the park last night, it was a different girl. Jess stared at me from across the block and smirked at me. Then he turned forward, placed his hand on the girl's ass, and continued to walk away.

"Sandy…" I heard Soda say softly.

"That son of a bitch; he likes to go with other girls just to get on my nerves…" I said to no one in particular.

"You know him?" Soda asked me.

I looked at him then looked at Dally then faced Soda again and sighed. "Yeah, I know him. We were close…at one point."

Soda then spat on the ground and walked back to his job.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked Dally as we walked the opposite direction of Jess's destination. Now I don't even feel like looking at Jess anymore.

"That girl with Jess was Soda's girl. I don't know what happened, but now I guess she's with Jess." Dally said throwing his cigarette to the street. "I wonder what happened to Sylvia…" He muttered.

I turned around to see if Jess was still in view, and unfortunately he was. But what surprised me more what the he was staring right back at me...

Please R&R!