Tough Enough

A/N: I don't know if I made it clear, but Soda, and Gloria are twins, cause if you go by the book, they'd be the same age.

Love

No one ever mentioned finding me in the graveyard asleep that night, and I was grateful. Things started to get a little better after that, I stopped thinking about Johnny every minute of the day, and spent most of my time with Ang, and Pony when I wasn't at work. Sometimes I'd stop by Tim's just to talk about the old times with Dally. Work was going well, and Two-Bit picked me up most days, which suited me fine, cause he always made me laugh. I felt like my olld self more when I was with ole Twobe.

"Mickey again?" I asked making my way in to the living room were Two-Bit was glued to the screen.

"What else?" Ang asked making me laugh.

"Who cooked this morning?" I asked making my way in to the kitchen where Pony stood making chocolate milk.

"Steve," He said rolling his eyes.

" Damn, he still giving you a hard time kid?" I asked knowing that my brother couldn't stand Soda's best friend. Always treating him like he was some five year old tagging along after his older brother.

Truth was he irritated me too, and if he shot Pony one more evil look I had a mind to pop him one.

"I don't think he'll ever change," He said rolling his eyes.

" He's just jealous that you're Soda's brother, and he aint," I said only half kidding.

That boy worshipped the ground my brother walked on, hell he'd probably follow him straight in to hell.

"You wanna go to the movies tonight?" Pony asked, eyes dancing.

That kid sure did dig movies and books, but then again so did I .

"Yea, what's playing?"

"James Dean flic I think, just you and me though Lovey, like old times," He said making me smile.

"Sure kid, I got the day off," I said placing my arm around his shoulder before reheating the cooling oatmeal.

Pony's Pov

"Okay guys me and my lil bro here are going to spend some quality time," Love said waving goodbye as we left the house.

Ang had headed home earlier saying she had some Shepard business to take care of, and we had made plans for tomorrow. I had never really liked girls too much last year, but things were changing now. I really dug Ang, she was a good-looking broad with a quick sense of humor, and what's better she was one of us. I wanted to ask her out, but wasn't sure how. I could've talked to Soda, but I didn't want to bring it up while Steve was there, and he never seemed to leave his side.

"Hey Lovey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Pony."

" You dated Johnny for a long time and all, I mean how did he ask you out."

" I asked him," She said laughing at my shocked expression.

I loved her like this, she and Soda were just alike before she left, and her eyes held the same expression his did now.

" We were always together you know, and even at thirteen I knew the way I liked him was different from the others guys, so I just turned to him one day, and said… do you want to go steady."

"You are definitely Soda's twin," I said laughing when she winked and pulled me closer.

"So you're wondering how to ask Ang out huh?" She asked.

"Yea I really dig her ya know?"

"Yea I savvy," She said smiling while she thought.

"You know how Ang is, just slip it in to a conversation when you're talking to her one day."

"Just ask her just like that?" I asked wrinkling my nose. It didn't sound very romantic, it seemed like I should give her flowers or something, but I sure as hell didn't have any money for that.

" I tell you what kid, I got some money saved, she likes daisies," She said instinctively knowing what I was thinking.

"You always were dreamy Pony," She said patting my back as we went in to the movies the legal way for once.

" You want anything?" She asked tilting her head in inquiry.

"Just a coke," I said smiling as she rushed off.

I loved going to the movies with Love, she knew how to be quiet, and just enjoy the story. She was like me that way, getting caught up with what was going on up there on the screen.

"That was a tuff movie," I said thinking about how much it reminded me of our lives as Greaser.

"Yea, almost seems like a greaser wrote it huh?" She asked lighting a cigarette as we started the walk back home.

"Shit!" I whispered spotting the black mustang that was creeping up the street.

"Play it cool Pony," She said continuing to walk along like nothing was wrong.

She reminded me of Dallas just then, he always said showing fear was like asking for it. It was that feeling of control that made them high of harassing us.

"What's a good looking broad like you doing with this trash?" Asked the driver half hanging out of the car as he snarled.

" What's a good little Soc like you doing trying to pick up trash like me?" She asked cocking her eyebrow and flashing a look that was pure Two- Bit.

" Why don't we show her what a real man is like boys?" He asked making me sick.

They could only beat me up; they could do much, much worse to my sister. I'd die before I ever let anything like that happen to her.

" You got your blade?" She asked backing up as they began to pile out of the car.

Shaking my head yes numbly I fought down nausea, there were just four of them, but two of them were big, and bulky. I paled as I watched my sisters laughing eyes turn cold as ice, and sarcastic smirk grace her lips.

" We don't want any trouble boys, so what do you say we go our way, and you go yours," She said placing her tiny body in front of mine, like a shield.

" I don't think we can do that can we boys?" He asked making me sick as he undressed her with his eyes.

The action started when one of the smaller one's stepped forward only to meet my sister's fist. She'd put all of her weight behind that punch and grinned wildly when he hit the ground hard.

Bursting in to action I kicked one of them where it counted, and decked the other boy in the gut. Grunting as the big blonde knocked the wind out of me I growled at Love's cry of pain.

Trembling as the three of them began to close in on me I reached back to pull out my blade shocked when Love beat me to the punch.

"What do you think I plan on doing with this Soc?" She asked knife suddenly pressed against the Soc's throat, bringing everyone to a halt. The side of her face was all ready turning a nasty shade of blue. Her lip was swollen, and

" I sure as hell didn't pull it out to give you a hair cut," She whispered making him jerk when she pulled the blade tighter.

"Now why don't you tell your goons there to get back in the car before I give you a permanent smile, Savvy," She said in a voice that would make Dally Proud.

"Yea, I d- Dig ," he said pale as he called his dogs off.

"Now get the fuck out of her," She said shoving him towards the car, and laughing as they took off, tires screeching.

"Glory Love, where did you learn that?" I asked motioning towards the blade.

"The home, I swear Pony, that was the worst bunch of JD's I ever seen in my life, some of em made ole Shep look like an angel," She said shivering at the memory.

"Let's beat it out of here before they come back," She said grabbing my hand as we broke in to a run.

Love

My heart was pounding by the time we reached the house, and collapsed on the couch. My face throbbed, and though I hadn't said anything to Pony my ribs were bothering me where I'd been kicked.

" Glory , aint you two a sore sight." Two-Bit said whistling as he took in our ragged appearance.

" What happened!" Soda asked quickly abandoning his game of cards.

"Soc's I spat," Before going in to a coughing fit.

"Love," Steve, whispered more worried than I'd ever seen him.

"What!" I snapped before looking down at my hand to see the blood I had spit up.

" Glory," I said running to the bathroom to rinse my mouth out.

" Let me look at you," Soda whispered closing the bathroom door as he eased my shirt over my head to check my ribs. I didn't waste my time asking him how he knew where I hurt. He always seemed to know, must have been the twin thing.

"Well this is backwards," I said thinking of all the times I had doctored the boys.

"Does this hurt?" He asked making me wince as he pushed in on the right side.

"Yea, but not excruciatingly," I said when he backed off.

"Well its swollen, I think their just bruised though," he said rummaging through the medicine cabinet for an ace bandage.

"Just keep em wrapped up tight for a while… what happened?"

" Got jumped coming home from the movies," I said sighing.

" Do you ever get sick of this Soda?" I asked wrapping my arms around him as I buried my face in his chest.

"Getting jumped when we aren't doing anything but living our lives like normal people."

" Sometimes Love, but its just the way things are you know?" He said rubbing my back gently.

" I reckon," I said nodding before heading to our room to change. Feeling his eyes on me I turned giving him an apologetic smiled before shutting the door. I couldn't be his sweet easygoing sister anymore; I had to be tough to make sure I didn't get hurt.