The Visit

Love

"Johnny!" I screamed fighting back the tears as I woke from the reoccurring nightmare. Pony had told me everything that happened that night Dally had gotten taken away, and I'd been having nightmares off and on ever since. Johnny Cade, our best friend pretty much since diapers, and my first love. Shivering I moved closer to the warmth Soda's body was emitting. I knew I, Gloria Love Curtis was supposed to be tough, but Pony, and I both had taken to sleeping with Soda lately.

"You ok?" Pony asked accepting my nod as an answer as he drifted back to sleep. A couple of months had passed since I came back to Tulsa and despite a few bad dreams I was healing. . Knowing there would be no more rest for me that morning I carefully untangled myself from Pony, and crawled from the bed. Soothed by the familiar surroundings of the house I stopped to take in the last family photo we had ever taken. Darry was the spitting image of my Father, and Soda was a masculine version of my Mother. Pony was a perfect blend of them both, and I was … simply me. Gloria Love Curtis, or Love as everyone always called me. I looked a lot like Soda; we shared the same facial structure, and laughing eyes. Only mine didn't laugh as much as they used to.

Sitting down at the table I smiled at Darry who silently set the coffee to brew. He was taking the losses hard too, but going out of his way not to show it, because in his mind he had to be our rock.

"You okay baby sister?" he asked turning to me with worry filled eyes.

"I'm okay Dar," I said grabbing a pen and pad of the counter, and starting to write. Dally had lived that night, spending a month in the hospital, just to get sent to the cooler. I wrote him almost every day, never expecting to hear anything, back, but you never could tell with Dallas, and he always had a soft spot for Johnny and me. I didn't think I could handle it if he'd died that night too.

"You think he'd be mad if I went to see him?" I asked knowing the nightmares wouldn't stop until I could see Dallas Winston with my own eyes.

"I don't know Lovey, he never could stay mad at you too long for anything."

"Can I go?" I asked missing the boy who had come to be another brother to me.

"If one of the guys goes with you."

"Okay," I said neglecting to tell him I was going to ask Tim. He like Dallas could never refuse me much, and he was a good friend of his.

"I'm gonna hang out with Soda, you dig" I asked Pony fifteen minutes later as I emerged from the bathroom in a pair of tight jeans, and a white muscle t.

"Nah, I'm gonna stay here, Two- bit's coming by in a little while, and we're going to meet Ang the Dingo." He said smiling.

He and Ang were still seeing each other, but no commitment had been made. I thought it was just a matter of time, till they went steady, and me and Soda had an ongoing bet about it.

"Tell her I said hi and be careful Pone," I said waving as I slipped out of the too silent house.

"Heya Soda!" I said elbowing my way through the crowd of girl's at the counter.

"Hey Gloria, you want to get some lunch?"

"Yea," I said nodding with a grin, I missed Soda. Between him working at the DX, and my full time at the RX plus summer school, I rarely saw the boys.

"Let's go then," He said yelling to Steve that he'd be back in thirty minutes.

"What's on your mind baby girl?" He asked me, reading me like a book.

"Nothing, just decided I needed to see Dallas."

"You want me to take you after work?"

"Nah, I'm gonna ask Tim to, him and Dal were always good friends any ways," I said shrugging as my brother eyed me carefully.

"I know you trust Tim, but be careful anyways Lovey," he said smiling when I nodded.

Thanking him for the meal I made my way over to the Shepard's Turf.

"Hey Curly," I said ruffling his curls as I took a seat beside him on the porch steps.

"Tim here?" I asked smiling when his eyes widened in shock.

" Yea, but what do you want with that hood?" He asked making me laugh.

"Just a ride," I answered honestly yelling for Tim as I stepped in through the screen door.

"Hey!" Tim said pulling on a shirt as he walked down the stairs. Taking in the muscles that bunched with his movement I licked my lips and looked at the floor.

"You up to taking me to see Dally?" I asked tilting my head to see his reaction.

"Darry know I'm taking you to the cooler?"

"He said I could see Dallas," I said purposely avoiding the question he had asked.

"All right, I'll take you," He said shaking his head before leading me to the car.

"Handle anything that comes up Curly," Tim said.

Tim Pov

Glancing at the now silent Curtis in the passenger seat I wondered why she had come to me for a ride. Two-Bit had nothing better to do most of the day, and Soda got of early enough to take her before visiting hours were up. She'd been hanging around a lot more lately, and I wondered why. I mean sure she'd always been Ang's friend, but she had talked to me more in the past few months than she had in years. Coming over sometimes just to talk about the old days, or Dallas and Johnny. She was a tuff little chic now, and she'd always been a doll, but her brothers' would skin me alive if I ever thought about trying to start something with her.

Besides she was a one man, forever kind of girl, and that was something I had never seen myself with. Turning my attention back to the road, I ignored little voice in my head that asked "What if".

: I knew my soft spot would get me in trouble: I thought thinking of the numerous fights I'd gotten in over Ang, and now this … "thing" with Love.

"You're not mad are you Timmy?" She asked making me smile.

She was the only person I could think of who'd ever talk to me like that. Hell my mom didn't even call me that anymore.

"Nah, I aint mad Lovey, just wondering why you asked me."

"Cause Dally likes you, y'all are pals most of the time, he won't be mad that you brought me, and besides your tuff, no one in the coolers' going to give me a hard time when I'm with Tim Shepard," She said making me smile. At least I made her feel safe.

Satisfied with her answer I nodded my head and we drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

"Here we are doll," I said surprising both of us by opening the car door. Since when did I open doors for anyone?

"Thanks," She said dutifully following me in to the one place I never wanted to see again.

"We're here to see Dallas Winston," I said starring down the guards who were appreciatively looking Love up and down.

After being led into a tiny room filled with glass barriers, and telephones I hung back to give her privacy.

Love

Casting Tim a grateful smile I sat in the plastic chair nervously fiddling with the non-existent lent on my shirt. Looking up as Dallas was led in grinning when he smiled back, blue eyes filled with warmth.

"What the hell you doing here Lovey?" He asked making me

"I got out early, good behavior," I lied smiling when he shook his head.

"Seriously I heard about Johnny, and beat it out of there, I'll be eighteen in a couple of weeks, and I knew then they weren't going to waste their time looking," I said shrugging.

"They treating you ok Dally?" I asked suddenly serious as I pressed my hand against the glass, wishing he could hold me.

"Yea, good as anyone else," he said eyes suddenly guarded as he shrugged.

"Darry know you're here?" he asked suspiciously.

"Geez, of course he does," I said shaking my head at his overprotective nature.

"Who brought you," he said frowning at the thought of any one from the gang here.

"Tim," I said smiling as he nodded his approval.

" I know you don't want me hanging around here all the time, but I just needed to see you with my own eyes ya know, make sure you were okay I guess," I mumbled blushing as he looked at me.

"You know me Love, I'm a survivor," he said taking in the changes a year had brought.

"How are the guys?"

"They're good, Pony's seeing Ang, Darry's still working too much, Soda's finally getting over Sandy, and Steve and Two- Bit are…. Steve and Two- Bit," I said laughing.

"Good, you doing ok?" He asked.

"Yea, I'm all right, getting a little better every day," I said finally able to think of Johnny without breaking out in to tears.

"Did Sylvia ask about me?"

Rolling my eyes I sneered not even trying to hide my hatred. That girl had done him wrong over and over again, but he just couldn't let her go.

"She never asks me much of anything Dallas," I said practically growling.

"Two minutes Winston," The guard said making me sigh. Fifteen minutes wasn't enough time.

" Listen Love, I don't want you seeing me in here like this, I don't want you to come here any more," he said smiling at when I rolled my eyes.

"Yea I knew you'd say that."

" I see a look in your eyes I don't like too. Listen I know what jail is like, and I know I always said to be tough, but I don't want you to be like me, don't nothing good come from it… Johnny showed me that."

"He wouldn't want you to change Love," He said just before the guard came to take him away.

It was like he had seen right in to my soul, and read my thoughts. I'd spent a year learning to be tough in the home, and now it was like I couldn't turn it off. Convinced that if I let down my guard for one second I would get hurt. Shaking my head I made my way over to Tim allowing him to guide me out the cooler.

"What he say?"

" Told me not to change," I said folding my hands as I sat in the car beside him.

Nodding his head in understanding he turned on the radio.

"Yea, you Pony and Soda always were dreamy."