Without a second's hesitation, Dally lept from his bed and darted across the hall to Johnny's room. Panic rose in his chest when he opened the door to find that Johnny was not there.

He heard barking coming from outside. He ran down the stairs, nearly tripping on his way down. His first instinct was to reach for the front door, but a light coming from the back of the house caught his eye. Deciding to skip the last four steps, Dally vaulted himself over the banister and headed for the back door. The barking was definitely coming from the back porch and he could hear Johnny scolding Coal.

He burst throught the door causing Caroline and Johnny to jump and move apart from eachother guiltily, though Dally was sure they weren't doing anything more inappropriate than holding hands.

Dally suddenly felt a little strange. He started second guessing himself again.

So there was a car out front... So what? It was probably Caroline's parents coming to pick her up. And was there really even a car? He hadn't even checked. And here he had just come flying out the door, interrupting Johnny and Caroline's little romantic evening, probably appearing as though he had been spying on them.

Johnny looked rather annoyed at first, but obviously read a fleeting glimpse of fear in Dally's face before it changed to slight embarrassment.

"Hey, Dal. What's goin' on?"

Dally just looked at him. What on earth was he supposed to say? I think you're father's here to take you back to Tulsa? Or to try to kill you if he finds out you're not really his kid?

Suddenly Dally was filled with annoyance. He had driven all the way out here and had yet to explain why to anyone but Grandma Cade. He'd come bursting through the back door in the middle of Johnny's date because he'd heard a car door slam... when was this all going to end? Keeping this secret was not only eating him up inside, but it was making him look like a complete idiot.

He'd had enough. Johnny was going to hear the truth right here, right now, whether he (or Grandma Cade) wanted to or not.

"Uh... we kinda need to talk about something, kiddo." Dally scratched the back of his neck uneasily.

Johnny looked at him blankly. "Now?"

"Yeah. Now. Caroline, I'm sorry, doll. Can I borrow him for a minute?"

"Of course," Caroline smiled sweetly and stood up.

Johnny started to protest, but she stopped him. "Johnny, it's all right, really. I need to get home anyway. Mom and Dad aren't going to like me being out this late. That might be them out front right now."

That's what I thought, Dally sighed inwardly.

But what if it's not? The little voice deep inside him asked. The little voice he was trying so hard to ignore. A sudden fear gripped Dally as Caroline began to make her way inside. He reached out, shut the door and grabbed her arm, making Caroline jump. "Wait,"

"Dally!" Johnny stepped towards him defensively.

Dally let go of Caroline immediately but kept his hand on the door. Even as he kept second guessing himself, the little voice deep inside him continued to stir up feelings of intense anxiety.

"Maybe it's not your parents..." Dally stammered, looking at the confused young girl beside him. Was he going to have to explain this to both of them?

"Oh," Caroline replied, very obviously not grasping Dally's implication of possible danger. "Well if it's not, could you walk me home, Johnny?"

Before Johnny could even open his mouth, Dally answered. "No! No, I think Will should drive you. Or someone."

Johnny almost glared at him. "Dally, what the hell's wrong with you?" he asked, keeping his voice lowered.

Dally looked at him intently. "Johnny, just have someone drive you. I'll explain when you get back."

"Dally, for crying out loud! We walk out here all the time! It's completely safe. I don't-"

"Johnny!" Dally's tone got stern and his eyes narrowed. He was not used to being questioned and now was not the time for an argument. "I ain't askin' kid, find someone to drive you!"

"I don't care if you're askin' or not!" Johnny said his dark eyes blazing with determination.

Dally would have almost liked to laugh. He had never never in the entire time he'd known Johnny seen him stand up to anyone. A little piece of Dally was proud of him. He'd finally gained some confidence. And apparently, a lot of it. But his timing was really bad. Had the circumstances been different, Dally might have backed down. He might have let Johnny win. But instead, he was about two seconds from smaking the kid in the head and telling him exactly what was going on.

Caroline quickly grew uncomfortable with the stand off and, in her own delicate way, decided to break it up.

"Johnny, I think Dally's right." She had finally sensed the urgency in Dally's voice. "Why don't we just get a ride tonight? It's getting cold."

Dally shot her a grateful glance. Johnny glared daggers a him and Dally gave it right back.

"Fine," Johnny said, finally breaking his gaze with Dally.

Dally tried to be relieved, but he wasn't. Dally had his street smarts, his years of experience in the alleys of New York, but he was about to learn a lesson from the four legged member of the Cade family... because unlike human beings, dogs never second guess their instincts.

Suddenly, everyone stopped and looked at the Coal. His barking had become far more menacing than his usual "someone's here" bark. He was snarling and his hair was standing on end.

A figure appeared in the shadows at the corner of the house. And an unmistakeable voice asked, "What are you doin' here, boy?"

Dally's entire body went completely numb as he took a protective step between Johnny and Caroline and Robert Cade.

To all the reviewers:

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a little comment to me! It really helps! Sorry about the long wait between updates, this is the part of the story that has not quite worked itself out in my head. However, the other day, I came up with an ending that I'm very proud of! I hope you'll all stick with me so I can share it with you!

JamesDeanismygod: Thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate your comments. I'm glad you picked up on the differences between Dally's relationship to Tim as opposed to his relationships with the members of his own gang. It's always encouraging to know that things like that are coming across in the story.

Did you enjoy The Complete Novel DVD? I loved it! I didn't want it to end!

Sarah126: Sorry to leave you with another cliff hanger. As you may have guessed, there are more to come!

kimmerkay: The DVD is finally here! Wasn't it great? Anyhow, thanks so much for the reviews. Sorry to leave you hanging again!

lynneanne: I'm so thrilled that you're enjoying the story! I really appreciate your reviews!

Hahukum Konn: Pony didn't mean to blab. He just didn't know. Glad you're still sticking with me! I'm always gratefull for reviews!

WhatGraceHasGiven: Thanks so much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!