Chapter Two

Johnny's eyes fluttered open and he blankly looked at the television for a moment. He groaned and slowly sat up. He looked around the living room and he saw Two-Bit was sleeping on the floor in front of the television then Dallas was snuggled up in Darry's chair. He thought it looked pretty uncomfortable, but the couch wasn't luxury. His back hurt but he was just happy he got to stay after what happened the night before. He moved his legs off the couch and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't sure what time it was. He thought it had to be pretty early in the morning. He stood and stretched. He scratched his head and noticed how dirty his hair felt. He then noticed how grimy he felt. He thought a shower wouldn't hurt as he made his way to the bathroom.

He stepped in the bathroom and squinted. The sunlight reflected off the white walls of the room. He blinked as he closed the door and locked it. He walked up to the mirror and looked at himself for a moment. He didn't think he looked any different than before. He still had the scar on his cheek and he refused to recall how he got it. He never thought he was particularly good looking but he didn't think he was ugly either. He thought he was just average. He wasn't particularly good or bad at anything he thought. He shrugged and stepped away from the mirror. He kicked off his shoes then kicked his socks off too and placed them on top of his shoes. He didn't have any spare clothes but he thought the clothes he had were clean enough to wear again.

He pulled off his clothing and started running the shower water. He kept sticking his hand in to see if it was the temperature he wanted. He finally climbed in and stood under the stream. He glanced down at his arms and his body. His burns were all gone. There wasn't even a slight trace of them. He noted that before but he could really see the difference then. He was glad his body wasn't horrifically scarred anymore. He continued on with his shower and he tried not to think about the hospital or the church.

He moved out of the tub and dried his hair with a white towel. He proceeded to dry off his body as well. He pulled on his clothes but he left his shoes off for the time being. He grabbed them and went back to the living room. He stood still for a moment. The house was quiet. He thought it was odd but he just proceeded back to the living room. He saw Dallas crouching in front of the television turning the channel knob. He looked at Johnny and smiled. He stood.

"Hey, Johnnycake. What's up?" He asked. Johnny shrugged.

"Nothing, just got done with my shower." He said and sat on the couch.

"Bout time you washed your ass. You smelled like dirt." Dallas laughed but Johnny was focused on getting his socks and shoes on.

"Two-Bit seems to still be knocked out." Johnny commented.

"Yeah, Darry and Soda are at work and Pony is in school." Dallas mentioned.

Johnny wondered how they could have still gotten up and continued on with their day like normal after what happened. He thought he would have to take the day off and figure it all out.

"You wanna walk somewhere and get something to eat? I'll buy." Dallas said.

Johnny just looked at Dallas. He remembered the car ride he had with that stranger last night. As far as the world knew he was dead and gone. He didn't know what kind of trouble would erupt if he made his presence known to the world. He could only imagine what kind of things would happen then. He could already hear it in his head. He shook his head. He thought maybe he was overthinking it. He thought maybe if he didn't tell anyone who he was they could only speculate. He could claim to be a look a like. He knew it would have been smart decision to just stay inside the house but he hated being stuck indoors.

"Sure, just let me finish tying my shoes. " Johnny said.

"Hurry up. I'll be waiting on the porch." Dallas said while opening the front door and stepped outside.

Johnny huffed. Dallas was always in a rush. He usually had to jog just to keep up with him when they walked anywhere. He knew it had been a long time since the last time they went on a walk together and he had died in between then. He didn't want to complain. He was still glad to be back. He wanted to savor every second because he wasn't sure if it was going to last. He slipped on his shoes and tied them. He wiggled his feet again. He stood and followed Dallas outside. He saw Dallas was leaning against the wall by the door.

"You ready?" Dallas asked.

Johnny nodded. Dallas took off down the steps and Johnny hurried after him. He kept his hands in his jacket pockets. He wasn't sure what he wanted to die and he could feeling stomach rumbling within him. He looked over and up at Dallas. He still couldn't believe he was back with him. He saw how the early morning sun light reflected off Dallas' white, blond hair. He had never noticed how the blond looked before. He knew Ponyboy thought the blond was creepy but Johnny didn't understand why. He looked away so he didn't make Dallas feel weird.

"So, Johnny. You really don't remember how you got back here?" Dallas questioned.

Johnny thought back to the strange woman he had met. He could recall her name to himself and her name was Serenity. He tried to say it out loud but his mind suddenly went blank. He couldn't remember. He shook his head. He noticed he did remember her face more clearly now that it was only him and Dallas.

"I. .I remember waking up in a white room and this woman came in and talked to me." He said and kept his eyes looking ahead.

"What? Like heaven?" Dallas asked.

"No, she called it Purgatory." Johnny said and Dallas scoffed.

"Sounds like something from one of those books Pony reads." Dallas said.

"I woke up in a bed and the first thing I noticed was I could feel my legs again. I couldn't believe it." Johnny said and smiled.

"There was a woman there? What did she look like?" Dallas asked.

"She had dirty blonde hair, she had a black dress on. She had dark brown eyes. She kind of looked like a female version of Sodapop." Johnny said.

"Did she have a name?" He asked.

Johnny shook his head, "I don't remember. ."

"Is she why you're back?" Dallas asked.

"I remember she said I had unfinished business. I don't know what it is yet." Johnny said. Dallas pulled Johnny close to him and ruffled his hair.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Dallas said. Johnny just laughed.

"I sure do hope so." Johnny said and tried to fix his hair the best he could.

"So, what would you like to eat? You must be starving." Dallas said.

"I mean, I literally haven't eaten in three months." Johnny mentioned.

"I guess you haven't. What's something you've been craving?" Dallas asked.

Johnny shrugged, "I could eat just about anything right now. I'm not picky."

They wondered around for a while. Johnny just enjoyed being around Dallas. He didn't have to talk around him. He reminded him of Ponyboy in that regard. He zoned out for a moment before he noticed they were walking up to a Dairy Queen. He got a brief flashback to the burning church. He shivered and shook his head. He didn't want to remember. He tried to focus on the fact he was starving. He needed something to eat.

"What do you want?" Dallas asked and Johnny shrugged again.

"I don't care, just get me anything." Johnny said as he leaned against the wall of the Dairy Queen.

He kicked at the dirt beneath his feet. He kept thinking back to the burning church. He thought if he kept going back there he was going to lose his mind. He didn't regret saving those kids then and he still didn't, but the memory haunted him. He ended up dying from that decision and yet he was back. He couldn't understand why he was brought back nor did he knew what had to be done. He really couldn't think what it could be and all that seemed to change was that his memory was more clear around Dallas. He thought it could just be a coincidence.

Dallas walked up to him and handed him a hamburger. He jumped back from how quickly Dallas shoved it into his face. He took it and stared at it. He glanced over at Dallas. He was already chowing down on his hamburger so Johnny took a tiny bite from his. He remembered how Dallas teased him once about how he ate like a rabbit. He only took a little at a time. He had always been like that. He wanted to devour his food then but he knew he would just end up making himself sick.

He continued to eat until he started feeling people's eyes on him but he tried to ignore it. He thought he was being paranoid and he was used to being on his guard. He finished his food but still felt like he was being stared at. He looked around and saw a couple people were staring at him. He wanted to ask them why but he couldn't do that. He slightly nudged Dallas with his elbow. Dallas looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Dallas asked.

"Those people are staring at me. ." Johnny muttered.

"Hey! What are you assholes looking at?! Leave us alone!" Dallas hissed and they took their eyes away from them.

Johnny couldn't make the pit in his stomach go away and he thought something had to be wrong, but he didn't know what. He continued to stand next to Dallas. He didn't want to attract anymore attention. He stared at his own shoes and kicked at the dirt some more. He heard someone approach him. He froze momentarily but lifted his head up. He saw an older, brunette man looking at him. He wanted to hide behind Dallas but he stood his ground.

"What?" Johnny squeaked.

"You. You're the kid from the news paper from a few months ago. I thought you died?" He said. Johnny gulped hard.

Johnny looked around for an escape but thankfully, Dallas had his back.

"Hey. That's none of your damned business. Now, get out of here." Dallas snapped venomously.

The man gave Johnny a lingering side glance before he walked away. Johnny felt a cold sweat form on his forehead.

"Dally, can we get out of here?" Johnny asked.

"What? You gonna let some assholes ruin your time back here?" Dallas asked. Johnny shook his head.

"I just hope this doesn't become a bigger problem. ." Johnny mumbled.

"C'mon, let's head back then." Dallas said while walking away from the restaurant.

Johnny followed beside him. He didn't know what to think. He was dead and he still was as far as Tulsa knew. He didn't even know what could happen if more people figured out he was still alive. He was sure he would get accused of all kinds of things. He tried not to think about it and he hoped it didn't happen again.

They wondered around some more. They weren't going anywhere in particular. Johnny thought to himself and realized he needed more clothes. He then realized all his clothes were at his house. He didn't want to see his parents and he knew he didn't want them to know he was back. He wondered if Dallas could possibly help him break into his old room. He knew Dallas was a master at many suspicious skill sets.

"Hey, Dally?" He asked.

"What?" Dallas asked.

"Do you think you could help me with something?" Johnny asked while trying to give him his best puppy eyes.

"Depends on what it is." Dallas said.

"Well, I need clothes but those are at my house. I don't want to see my parents so I was wondering if you could possibly help me break into my room." Johnny said.

"I can't believe Johnny Cade of all people is asking me to break in somewhere for them." Dallas teased with a grin on his face.

"It's my own room." Johnny muttered.

Dallas laughed, "okay. Let's go get your clothes."

. . .

Dallas and Johnny approached the small house. Johnny stared at it and a mirage of memories went through his mind. All of the memories that went through were all negative. He didn't even have one remotely positive memory of neither of his parents. He kept himself glued to Dallas' side and continued to stare. His mouth was dry and his palms were sweaty. From the outside the house looked relatively normal, or as normal as any house on their side of town could be. He knew Dallas had been there before, but he hated him seeing what his home life was like. He knew deep down Dallas wouldn't say anything and Johnny was sure he had seen worse, but the shame was still there.

"So, how are we gonna do this?" Johnny asked and looked over at the blond.

Dallas didn't say a word. He started walking toward the left side of the house. He was trying to be as quiet and slow as possible so he wouldn't attract attention. Johnny followed him, but he wasn't sure what he was trying to do. Dallas took note of how Johnny's house looked like an over sized box. It had a living room in the front then had a long hall way and there was a bedroom on each side. He was sure Johnny's was on the left.

"Do you think they've even gone in there since I've been gone. .?" Johnny asked.

Dallas grumbled, "it doesn't matter."

Johnny knew Dallas hated his parents. He was sure Dallas would knock them out if he ever got the chance to. He didn't think anyone in the gang ever liked his parents, but he couldn't really blame them. He hated that he loved them, but he knew they didn't love him. He wanted them to think he was gone.

They moved over to the side of the house and approached the bedroom window. Johnny recognized it immediately. He had snuck in and out of it so many times. He watched Dallas mess with the window. Johnny didn't know what he was doing so he just stood to the side to stay out of the way. He watched as Dallas slowly slid open the window and glanced inside the room.

"Anything in there?" Johnny asked, but Dallas shushed him.

"Be quiet, they don't need to know we're here." Dallas whispered.

"Sorry. ." Johnny mumbled.

Dallas crawled through the window and Johnny followed. He tried to be as quiet as possible. He had forgotten how loud the wooden floors were in his house. He lightly walked over to his old bed. His room looked like it hadn't been touched in months. He wondered if his parents even went in there and thought about what they had lost. Tears stung in his eyes but he blinked them away. He didn't want to cry, especially in front of Dallas. He never realized how empty his room was until then. There were no posters nor were there any pictures. All that was there was his bed and a night stand.

"Are you alright?" Dallas asked.

Johnny nodded, "I. .I just never thought I'd be here again."

There was loud, thundering steps down the hall. Johnny saw shadows underneath the closed door.

"Well, you better hurry before they catch on." Dallas said. His voice was quiet but stern.

Johnny immediately moved to his closet. He grabbed a gym bag full of clothes. He always had a bag packed in case he needed to take off wherever which was often. It didn't have all his clothes in it but it did have most of them. He wanted to make sure it would be enough so he unzipped the bag. As he was flipping through the bag he saw a set of eyes looking back at him. He jumped back and saw it was Serentiy he was seeing.

"Jesus!" Johnny squeaked as quietly as possible.

"Are you okay?" Dallas asked.

"It's okay, I think it was a spider." Johnny excused but continued to stare at the woman in his bag.

"What are you doing?" Johnny whispered loudly.

"The reason why you're here has something to do with that guy." Serenity said while pointing a long, skinny finger toward Dallas.

"Dallas? What about him?" Johnny asked.

Serenity shook her head, "I can't say, but he'll be important."

"So, you really came to give me a heart attack for that?" Johnny mumbled.

Serenity shrugged, "sounds stupid when you put it that way."

"It was stupid, now quiet before Dallas thinks I've lost my mind more than I already have." Johnny said while zipping the bag up .

Johnny pulled the bag over his shoulder and approached the blond.

"Do you want me to carry it?" Dallas offered and extended his hand out.

Johnny slipped the bags straps into Dallas' hand. He heard those same thundering foot steps but this time they were coming straight toward the bedroom. Johnny stared at the door and he was frozen in place.

"Shit!" Dallas hissed as he pulled the bag over his shoulder and bolted out of the window.

"C'mon, Johnny!" Dallas yelled as he held out his hand to help.

"Someone's in this fucking room." Johnny's father bellowed. His voice was followed by his mother saying something but he had hyper focused on his father's voice. He didn't know what she said.

Johnny had a strong urge to vomit right then from hearing his dad's voice. He managed to run across the room and hurdle out of the window. He rolled through the grass but took to his feet right behind Dallas. They sprinted down the street. Johnny wasn't sure if he could take it anymore.

"Ugh!" Johnny grunted as he crashed down to the sidewalk as his legs gave out.

Dallas slid on the cement to stop himself as he turned to check on Johnny.

"Are you alright?" Dallas asked while he helped Johnny back to his feet.

"I just. .it's like my legs aren't used to being used like that." Johnny said as he brushed the dirt off his jeans.

"You ain't hurt?" Dallas asked.

Johnny shook his head, "I don't think so."

Dallas smiled, "welp, let's get back to the Curtis'. It's probably 'bout time for Ponyboy to get out of school."

. . .

Johnny and Dallas arrived back at the Curtis household right when Ponyboy was getting home. Pony smiled and ran over to Johnny. He barely had enough time to respond before Ponyboy nearly knocked him over by giving him a big hug. He hugged him back instantly. He couldn't quite put into words how much he had missed his best friend.

"I've been waiting all day to see you." Ponyboy said. He had the widest smile on his face.

Johnny didn't understand why he would be so excited to see him of all people but then again he had literally been dead for the past three months. Dallas handed him his bag of clothes and started walking up the steps.

"I'll let ya'll have your moment. " Dallas joked as he stepped into the house. The door slammed behind him.

Johnny rested the heavy bag on his shoulder but he almost tumbled over due to it's weight. He wasn't sued to being so weak but he figured it would take time to get his strength back.

"Do you need help?" Pony asked.

Johnny shook his head, "maybe carrying it will help me not fee so flimsy."

"Flimsy?" Pony asked while raising an eyebrow.

"I just feel so weak." Johnny said while adjusting the bag some.

"Being dead for a while will do that I suppose." Pony commented while walking up the steps to the house.

Johnny tried to follow but he wasn't sure if he would make it. He thought he was acting like a fragile doll but he couldn't really help it. He hoped it stopped soon. He moved to the steps and stared at them. He knew it was only four steps but the task was still intimidating to him. He started up the stairs and he managed to make it to the third one before he lost his balance. He yelped loudly before he fell back suddenly. Thankfully, his gym bag broke his fall. He could only lay there and stare at the sky. He bet he looked like a turtle stuck on it's back. He saw Ponyboy come into his vision and he looked down at him.

"I think you might need some help." Pony said.

"Maybe." Johnny mumbled while reaching his hand out.

Ponyboy helped him stand back up and they stared at the stairs together. Johnny was tempted to just stay at the bottom and never go inside again, but he knew how ridiculous that idea was. Pony wrapped his arm around Johnny and helped him up the steps. Ponyboy usually had pretty simple solutions while Johnny typically over thought everything. They stepped inside the house and Johnny sloppily tossed his bag onto the couch. He let out a long and loud sigh of relief.

"Who knew clothes could be so heavy?" Johnny asked out loud while falling against the couch.

Ponyboy walked through the living room and to his bedroom. Johnny was tempted to follow but he wasn't sure if he would be able to get up. He thought waiting wouldn't kill him. He was sure Pony would be back in a moment. He saw Dallas was squatting in front of the television but his channel surfing was interrupted by Two-Bit.

"Hey! I was watching that." Two-Bit complained while kneeling next to Dallas.

"What were you watching then?" Dallas asked smartly.

"Shut up." Two-Bit said while standing back up. He saw Johnny and smiled at him.

"Hey, Johnnycake. You look tired." Two-Bit said.

"Just a bit." Johnny said and stretched his legs out.

"Is it weird being able to feel your legs again?" Two-Bit asked while walking over to him.

Johnny shrugged, "I'm definitely not complaining about it.

Two-Bit let his eyes wonder over Johnny for a moment. Johnny tried to get used to the weird looks and the awkwardness of being back. There wasn't exactly an instruction manual to resurrection.

"You forgot the grease in your hair. You look weird without it." Two-Bit said and ruffled his hair.

"I didn't really think about it, my leg hurts. ." Johnny said as he rubbed his knee with his hand.

"Is that the one you fell on? Maybe you scrapped it up." Dallas said and never took his eyes off the television.

"Ponyboy could probably help you." Two-Bit mentioned right when the youngest Curtis entered the room.

"Help with what?" Pony asked.

"Do you think you can help with my knee? I think I might've scrapped it." Johnny said.

Pony moved over to Johnny and pulled up his pants leg to look. He had a decent sized gash across his knee and it was still bleeding some.

"Two, do you think you can get the first aid kit from the bathroom?" Ponyboy asked.

"Why me?" Two-Bit whined.

"Just make yourself useful for at least five minutes, please." Ponyboy said sarcastically.

Two-Bit rolled his eyes but went to fetch the first aid kit.

"I didn't even notice I hurt my knee." Johnny said.

"It'll be okay, not like we'll have to amputate." Ponyboy joked.

Two-Bit gave Pony a tiny, white box. He opened it and pulled out an alcohol swab and a band aid. Johnny hated those alcohol wipes. He knew they would keep it from getting infected but it stung so badly. Ponyboy ripped open one of the wipes and lightly wiped at Johnny's wound. He involuntarily yelped but bit his lip. He refused to look. Ponyboy applied the band-aid on his knee and it was over. He pulled Johnny's jeans back over his leg.

"Thanks, Pony." Johnny said and smiled.

"No problem." Pony said as he dumped the first aid kit back onto Two-Bit.

"What do you want me to do with it now?" Two-Bit whined again.

"Put it back, duh." Ponyboy said and rolled his eyes.

"Ugh. ." Two-Bit groaned while taking the first aid kit away.

"I guess at least Two-Bit is as lazy as he was when I left." Johnny said.

"He's probably gotten lazier." Pony laughed.

Johnny looked at his best friend. He saw his hair was still blond, but his auburn roots were showing. He remembered cutting his hair with his switch blade. He knew he didn't want to do it, neither of them did. He looked a lot like Darry but Ponyboy hated hearing that. He didn't understand why, but he didn't want to make him upset.

"I still can't believe you let me do that to your hair." Johnny joked.

"Not like I had much of a choice in the matter." Pony said and ran his fingers through his hair.

"At least we had some good times there. ." Johnny trailed off. He frowned.

"Hey, we don't gotta talk about it." Ponyboy assured and smiled at him.

Johnny nodded. He really didn't want to go back there mentally. He knew Ponyboy was just as messed up from the experience as he was. Pony and him were always the more sensitive ones in the gang. He still felt bad that he even got Ponyboy involved in a mess he created. Johnny shook his head. He didn't want to deal with the guilt at that moment.

"I'm just glad you're here. I know you're probably tired of hearing it." Ponyboy said and smiled.

Johnny thought it was reassuring his friends enjoyed having him back. He always had a deep fear they didn't actually like him. He hated feeling like a burden to anyone so he just pushed himself into the background.

"Do you regret helping those kids. .?" Johnny asked slowly.

Ponyboy looked at him and stared for what seemed like forever. Johnny wished he hadn't asked but he couldn't take it back now. Ponyboy ran his fingers through his hair but let a smile creep across his face.

"Nope. Not even a little." Pony said.

Johnny released a sigh of relief.

"What about you?" Pony asked.

"Nope." Johnny said confidently.

"I still can't believe I got wrapped up in that." Dallas said coldly while still not removing his eyes from the television.

Johnny had honestly forgotten Dallas did anything to help. He wasn't the type to help anyone for any reason unless he could somehow benefit from it. He did remember that Dallas got burned pretty badly. He moved off the couch and sat next to Dallas in front of the television.

"You got burned on your arm, didn't you?" Johnny asked.

Dallas turned to him and raised an eyebrow. His eyes were cold as always.

"What about it?" Dallas asked.

"Can I see. .?" Johnny asked hesitantly.

Dallas shrugged, "if it'll make you leave me alone."

Dallas pulled his jacket sleeve up and Johnny was met with his scarred arm. He could only stare at it. His stomach was ill with guilt. He didn't know what to say.

"It's not as bad as you got it." Dallas said.

"I don't think it's much of a competition." Johnny said and scratched his head.

"C'mon, you were way worse than me." Dallas said and rolled his jacket sleeve down again.

"I guess. ." Johnny mumbled.

"Hey, cheer up. It's all in the past now." Dallas said and ruffled his hair.

Johnny had to wonder how everyone was while he was gone, especially Dallas. He didn't want to ask him though because he knew Dallas wouldn't be honest about it. The blond was a talented liar but he didn't lie as much as Two-Bit did. He thought if he asked around enough he could find out.

"Wanna watch this show with me? I hate seeing you look so sad. " Dallas said.

Johnny thought it was weird to hear such a sentence come out of Dallas' mouth but he didn't mind.

"Hey, Pony. Wanna watch this show with us?" Johnny asked while looking back to the couch.

Ponyboy shrugged, "sure, why not."

A little past five o' clock Darry and Sodapop came home from work. Johnny looked over his shoulder to watch them come in the house. He instantly put his eyes on Sodapop. He thought maybe he would maybe answer his question about Dallas. He didn't immediately jump up to harass though. He thought he would let him get changed and let him get comfortable.

"Well, he's still here." Sodapop commented while flashing his movie star smile at Johnny.

"What, did you think he was going to evaporate?" Darry asked.

"I mean, maybe." Sodapop said while walking through the living room to him and Ponyboy's room.

Johnny slowly stood from his place on the floor and moved toward the doorway of the bedroom. He wasn't sure what he was even doing, but he really wanted to know. Sodapop came out of the room but jumped back from Johnny.

"You scared me." Sodapop commented and placed his hand over his heart.

"Oh. .sorry. uh. ." Johnny stammered.

"Is something wrong?" Sodapop asked.

"I had a question, but please don't tell anyone else I asked." Johnny said.

Sodapop nodded and waited for Johnny's question. He jammed his hands in his jacket pockets.

"So, how did Dally react when I. .well, when I died." Johnny asked and looked away from Sodapop's face.

Sodapop was quiet and still for a moment. He seemed like he was thinking of how to say what he wanted to.

"I don't really know, to be honest. He disappeared after that. This is the most I've seen of him since then." Sodapop said. Johnny groaned but he thought he should've known it wasn't going to be easy.

"But, I can say we all missed you a whole lot. I think this morning is the most I've seen Ponyboy eat in the past three months." Sodapop said.

Johnny had to admit it made him feel warm to know his friends had missed him so much. He just couldn't imagine how Dallas responded. Did he care? He must have had a hard time if he had disappeared. He thought he could figure out some other way at some point.

"Thanks, anyway." Johnny said.

He walked back in to the living room and sat back down next to Dallas. He knew it would probably be easier if he just asked but something kept him from doing so. He pulled his legs up to his body and held them close with his arms.

"Are you okay?" Dallas asked while looking over at him.

Johnny shrugged, "I guess so."

"I think I was going to go to Buck's later and stay the night there. Do you wanna come or do you wanna stay here?" Dallas asked.

Johnny thought Dallas was weird. He acted so coldly and even viciously to others but was particularly soft toward him. He wasn't mushy soft but enough he noticed. He wondered why and he also wondered how his unfinished business connected to the blond.

"Sure, I'll go." Johnny said and softly smiled at Dallas.

"Not sure how Buck's gonna respond to me bringing a dead kid to his bar but he'll deal." Dallas said while pulling out a cigarette and lighting up.

Johnny saw the tiny flame from his lighter for only a second but it was enough he shivered just from looking at it. He hadn't had a smoke since he woke up and he really didn't want one.

"I'll have Two give us a ride. I don't want to have to carry you all the way there." Dallas joked and took a drag off his cigarette.

Johnny just rolled his eyes and continued to watch whatever it was Dallas was watching on television.

. . .

Johnny was getting ready to leave with Dallas. He had to have the blond carry his bag of clothes because he was still weak. He watched as Dallas tossed the bag through Two-Bit's open car window into the back seat. He wondered how Buck was going to react to him staying at his bar. He remembered Buck never liked kids like him being in his bar but he could understand why. He wasn't a drinker or anything. He just smoked his cigarettes and he was fine with that. He never quite understood why people drank but he didn't want to seem judgmental.

He looked at Dallas for a moment and saw how his white, blond hair shined in the moonlight. He was awed by it but he turned away quickly. He didn't want to make it weird.

"Wish Two-Bit would hurry up, he's slower than a snail." Dallas commented while lighting up a cancer stick.

Johnny stared at the lit end of his cigarette. His head kept trying to push him back to the church but he refused to go back. He tried to tell himself it was over and done. He hadn't thought about how much everyone in the gang smoked. He couldn't even stomach the idea of having a cigarette. He had to turn away from the blond. He didn't want to seem weird. He wasn't sure how good he was being at pretending to not be weird. No one had said anything about it he thought.

His mind kept wondering back to Dallas and he still couldn't figure out why. He didn't want to make Dallas uncomfortable especially since he had to share a bed with him when they got to Buck's. He knew if he did start being weird Dallas wouldn't have any problem making him sleep on the floor which he didn't like the idea of.

Two-Bit finally arrived and slightly stumbled toward them. He thought he could have been drunk but it was hard to tell with Two-Bit. He straightened himself up as he walked up to Dallas.

"Are ya'll ready to go?" Two-Bit asked while tossing his keys in the air and then catching them.

"We've been ready for nearly eighty years waiting for you." Dallas commented and took a long drag off his cigarette.

"Shut up." Two-Bit muttered while walking over to the drivers side.

"You wanna ride in the front or the back?" Dallas asked while looking at Johnny.

"Uhh. .I guess the back." Johnny mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Dallas asked while dropping his cigarette and stomping it out with his boot heal.

"Just tired." Johnny excused.

"We'll be at Buck's soon enough. You can sleep on the way there if you want." Dallas said while climbing into the passenger seat.

Johnny climbed into the back seat of the car and laid his head down on his bag of clothes. He just laid there. He wasn't tired enough to fall asleep just yet. He listened to Two-Bit and Dallas playfully bicker back and forth like they always did. He just smiled to himself while he listened.

. . .

The black car pulled up to the bar. Johnny had managed to drift off to sleep in the back seat. He stirred and groaned as he lifted his head up from his gym bag full of clothes. He scratched his head as he leaned back against the seat for a moment. The passenger door squawked open and Dallas stepped out of the car.

"You wanna come in, Two?" Dallas asked but Two-Bit shook his head.

"I gotta get back home. I'll see you guys later." Two-Bit said while waving his hand.

Dallas pulled the back door open and looked at Johnny for a second. He extended his arm out and Johnny stared at him blankly for a second. He realized that he was probably offering to carry his bag. He jumped and quickly handed the back off to the blond. He stepped out into the cool, night air. He looked up at the sky and the stars were scattered out like glitter. He snapped back when he heard Dallas slam the car door closed. He stood close next to Dallas while watching Two-Bit pull away. He watched until the cars tail lights faded and by then Dallas had started walking toward the bar. Johnny had to jog to catch up with him. He wondered what Dallas' plan was when they got inside the bar. The parking lot was packed full of cars so it was busy that night. He thought it would be best if he kept his mouth shut and let Dallas do the talking. He was a lot more smooth than he was.

Dallas held the door open for him and he hesitantly stepped inside. The bar was full of smoke and he was instantly greeted by the sound of people talking loudly. The music was loud enough too that it made his ear drums ache. He wanted to hurry and get to a room. He stayed close to Dallas as he walked through the bar. He thought maybe they would get through without encountering Buck as they inched closer to the stairs, but they didn't have such luck.

"What's the kid doing in my bar?" Buck asked but his voice slowed with every word that fell from his mouth. He stared at Johnny coldly.

"He ain't got anywhere else to go." Dallas said.

"Isn't he dead?" Buck asked while pointing his finger at Johnny.

"Hey, what's with all the questions? We're both tired." Dallas complained.

Johnny kept his mouth clamped shut. He kept his eyes on the floor. Buck sneered but left them alone. He walked away back to the bar and Johnny quickly followed Dallas upstairs. They were finally in a room and he immediately relaxed as he pulled the door shut behind them. He let out a long sigh of relief.

"It wasn't that stressful, was it?" Dallas teased as he laid the bag down on the floor near the bed.

"You know I don't like loud noises. ." Johnny trailed off.

Dallas shrugged, "well, no one will bother us in here."

Johnny pulled his jean jacket off and hung it on the hook on the back of the door. His eye lids were heavy. He looked at the bed and saw the bed was pressed up against the wall. Dallas had already pulled off his leather jacket and his black shirt. Johnny tried not to stare but he couldn't help but notice how pale his skin was. He almost wanted to touch it but he didn't want to get smacked into the next century. He imagined he was probably waiting for him to hurry up and get ready for bed. He kicked his shoes off then pulled off his jeans. He folded his jeans and laid them on top of his shoes. He turned the lamp on then went to turn out the light. He turned toward the bed after the lights were out and saw Dallas was already in bed. He faintly blushed at the idea of having to crawl over him to get into bed.

He moved to the bed and crawled over Dallas as quickly as possible. He didn't want to make it more awkward then he already thought it was. He crawled beneath the thick comforter. He was warm underneath and Dallas' body heat just made him feel even warmer. He wanted to cuddle closer but he stopped himself. He rolled over to his back was to Dallas. He heard Dallas click the lamp off and they both laid in silence for a moment.

"Goodnight, Johnny." Dallas muttered before rolling over so his back was facing Johnny.

"Goodnight, Dal. ." Johnny trailed off and stared at the wooden wall.

He kept staring at the wall and soon, he started to drift off. Before he knew it he was asleep and fell into a nightmare. He could smell smoke and he could feel the heat of the flames. He couldn't wake up. It was like a forced replay of his worst memories. The nightmare became more vivid as he gave up trying to fight.

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to update this story. 2020 was a hard year for everyone and that includes me. My inspiration was basically sucked out of me. I didn't even think about writing for most of the year. I finally got around to finishing this chapter and hopefully it won't take as long to get the next chapter up. Thank you for reading ^-^