MERRY CHRISTMAS PEOPLE! I know this is short but its really just like a little Christmas present for you guys, lol. So read it and review if you want but MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"We gotta get you back to the house." Steve said as he continued to stare at her mouth.

"Come one." Maggie nodded wearily and let Steve put an arm around her shoulders to help keep her upright. They walked slowly the rest of the gang in front of them.

"What happened?" Steve asked her as they kept walking.

"I," she started and took a deep painful breath. "Pony and Johnny were at the park. Darry had hit Pony and Pony ran off, so I went after him. We sat on the jungle gym for a while smoking until those Socs showed up." she took another deep painful breath. "They were saying something about Pony and Johnny trying to pick up their girls, so I stepped in and told them that if my friend got to pick up their girls they should pick up me. They all agreed and I told Pony and Johnny to go get you guys. Then I ended up back there." she finally finished. Steve's arm tightened around her.

"You shouldn't have done it, Mags!" he said, suddenly angry. "Worse could a happened to you tonight." Maggie nodded.

"I know. But I knew Pony and Johnny couldn't take being beat up by them so I did if for em'." she told him, her voice hard. She was hoping that would be the end of that because her stomach was hurting something awful but Steve went on.

"Their older than you Maggie they can take care of themselves!" he snapped back.

"You don't know Pony like I do." she told him. "He cried after just having one hit from Darry. I knew he wouldn't be able to take getting beat up by them Socs. And Johnny has to put up with it every night anyway, so I figured I'd save him the damage."

Steve sighed heavily and finally dropped it but Maggie could tell he wasn't happy about what she had done. She coughed a little more and was over come by a bad feeling of noxious.

"Stop." she managed to gasp out. Steve let her go and she stumbled back over to the grass where she threw up again. She coughed a little more, not liking the copper taste that was filling her mouth.

"Darry." she could hear Steve called. She waited patiently, expecting Darry to just help her up and tell her that he would get her back home and she could sleep it off and be ok in the morning.

She heard Darry's heavy boots as he walked across the gravel until finally he was right next to her.

"Stand up." he told. Maggie obliged and shakily got to her feet. Darry sighed heavily as he looked at her.

"They really got you good kid." he told her as he picked her up wedding style. She tried to protest but Darry cut her off.

"You throwing up blood." he told her as he carried her along. "That ain't good, so I'm gonna get you home and you can sleep it off. But if you don't get better than I'm gonna have to take you to the hospital." Maggie grunted loudly and smirked even though it hurt.

"Like that'll happen." she said softly as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against Darry's chest.

"Don't you eat kid?" she could hear Darry asking her but his voice was getting far way and her eye lids were getting heavier. Finally after a few minutes she gave into sleep and blackness took over.