A/N: I own nothing you recognize.

A/U: Curtis Sister fic

June 17, 1978

Hi,

Me again. Anyway, today stinks. Jamie and I were going to walk to the library, then to the drugstore to get milkshakes and we didn't even have to take Sara or Keith, but it rained all day. It's looking up, though. Aunt Emily just said everyone is going to the Daily Double tonight to see Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Even Mr. Steve and my best friend, Melody, are going to come along. Mr. Steve said we could even sit in the seats alone instead of having to stay in someone's car. That'll be a first and I'm sure Mama will hit the roof when she finds out. I love John Travolta. Melody is eleven and she likes Sly Stallone. Her mama died when she was three so it's just her and Mr. Steve. Mama took her bra shopping last month. That was nice of her. I can't imagine having to get Daddy to take me underwear shopping. Still, it's not fair that Melody is almost a full year younger than me and already needs a brassiere but I don't. Mama tried to make me feel better by buying me one of those little training bra things but its not the same as a real bra with cups and padding like she got Mel. I'm ashamed to say, I cried. Mama tried to say that I was just going to be a 'late-bloomer'. Seriously. Why do adults think this makes kids feel better? Finally, she told me that I was probably just always going to be small. That it ran in the family, but that doesn't make sense. Mama is short but she has curves. My Uncles are all tall and muscular. And Daddy is six feet tall and broad-shouldered and Grammy Mathews definitely had boobs.

Mama is really pretty when she isn't pregnant. I know that sounds mean but I don't mean it to be. I'm just kind of worried about how not nice she looks lately. Mama has beautiful hair. It's just like Carol Kane's, all golden almost blonde with riotous curls everywhere and she keeps it perfectly styled and pinned up. She never even wears it in a ponytail unless she's cleaning. I've only seen it down when she's just getting out of bed or into the shower. But last night when we went to see her, her hair was all oily and lanky. She didn't even bother to pull it into a ponytail or even brush it, it looked like. Her face is swollen round and her gray-green eyes are sunk in. She looks like someone blew her up like a balloon. Keith is oblivious like always. He just jumps up in the bed with her and starts blabbing on about baseball and Uncle Darry and Jamie taking him swimming, even though anyone with eyes can see Mama is way too tired to listen. Daddy never stops watching her when he's with her and as soon as she even looks tired, he whisks us away so she can rest. I think he's scared. I've never seen my Daddy scared of anything. Even Uncle Soda looks worried when he looks at her. I heard him and Uncle Darry talking about whether they should call Uncle Pony to come on down. And I heard Daddy tell Aunt Emily and Aunt Marcia that if the medicine they're giving Mama stops working, they'll have to deliver the babies. They're still too little. I hear lots of things I shouldn't. I'm good at that. This having babies stuff isn't worth the trouble if you ask me.

Anyway, I won't think of that. I'll think of going to the Daily Double tonight. A John Travolta double feature will be just the thing to get my mind off everything and maybe tomorrow Jamie and I can walk to the library. Time to get ready.

-Johnnie

Johnnycake read over the journal page then at the bottom of the page, in tiny barely legible letters she wrote.

I'm afraid my mama will die.

She stashed her journal and started getting ready for the movies. The daily double had been around forever. Mama said her and her friends and Daddy and Uncle Pony and Soda and their friends used to hang out there too. Uncle Pony even talks about it in some of his books.

Two-Bit had never been one for being quiet. It seemed like the more he tried to be quiet, the louder he was. That was definitely the case when he stepped into the small, dark hospital room and saw Babydoll asleep against the pillows. He tried to shut the door quietly but it banged even to his own ears. He looked back at her.

She opened her eyes and smiled weakly. "There's my guy." She held her hand out to him.

"I brought you a milkshake," he said, crossing the room. He set the cup on the bedside table and took her hand in his, leaning down to kiss her lips.

"Thank you. I'll drink it later," she said, sliding over. "Hold me?"

"How can I resist that request?" He sat down next to her and slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. He put the cup in her hand. "You need to eat something, Baby."
She took a small sip to appease him, then set it back down, resting her hand on his chest. "Marcia came by after they closed the garage today. She said they were taking everyone to the daily doubles to see Grease."

"Yeah," he said, kissing her head. "Johnnie was so excited she could barely eat her supper. Darry and Steve are going to let her and Melody sit in the seats and not in a car with boring grown-ups."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" she asked, slightly alarmed. "So much happens in those seats."
"They'll be fine, Honey," he drawled. "Jamie'll be with them. He might just be ten but he's already as big and strong as any thirteen-year-old and he knows when to fight and when to run for Darry and Steve."

"I guess," she said, laying her head back on his shoulder. "You didn't want to go?"
"Are you kidding me?" He feigned shock. "I can't go to the drive-in without my best girl to make out with."

"I never made out at the drive-in," she laughed softly.

"Oh, so that was some other girl sucking face with Johnny in the back seat of my car during Viva Las Vegas," he teased. "Good to know."

"I was not making out," she protested, her cheeks turning red. "Kissing isn't making out. Besides, it wasn't like you weren't encouraging him or anything."

"No comment." He smiled, then kissed her softly.

"So they're going to see a movie about a good girl who falls in love with a greasy haired hoodlum and becomes a bad girl," she said. "Hmm..., that's pretty much the story of how Johnnycake came to be but with less singing and a lot more Darry yelling."

"Except you're still a good girl," he replied.

"I'm not even a girl anymore," she laughed, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. "I do miss your tuff hair though." She ran her hand down and cupped his cheek. "You look so tired, Keith. Why don't you go home tonight? Sleep in a real bed. Get some rest."

"I'm fine," he dismissed her concern.

"You're worn out," she insisted. "You won't be any good to me or the kids if you keep pushing yourself so hard. Go home tonight. I'll be fine."

"Okay," he said, reaching for the milkshake on the table and putting it in her hands again. "I'll go home and sleep if you drink all of this milkshake."

"Fine," she agreed, rolling her eyes. "But if I puke, it's your fault."

She only made it halfway through the milkshake before falling back to sleep on his chest.

Two-Bit kissed her head and slid out from under her, trying not to move her too much. He pulled the blankets over her and turned out the lights in the room as he left. He hadn't loved Babydoll when he married her. At least not like a husband was supposed to love his wife. She was a Curtis and part of the gang and he loved her the same way he'd loved Johnny and Dally, the same way he loved SodaPop or PonyBoy. She was his kind and she was in trouble. He'd stepped up because it was the right thing to do, not because he was in love with her or anything. Somehow, though, she'd worked her way into his heart and he couldn't imagine life without her. The thought that she could die literally stole his breath away. He tried to be his happy go lucky self so that she and their children wouldn't be upset, but he didn't know if he could stand to lose someone else.

Johnnycake, Melody, and Jamie had just gotten their snacks and settled into their seats when a group of bigger boys took the seats in front of them. Johnnie knew them from school. They were going to be in the eighth grade, but she'd been in school with them until the previous year. They were troublemakers.

"Hey, let's just go back and sit in my Daddy's truck," Melody whispered.

"Why?" Jamie asked. "We have just as much right to sit here as they do."

"That's right," Johnnie said, tilting her chin up. "They're just bullies."

"You say something, Indian Squaw?" The biggest one spun around in his seat.

That rankled Johnnie to her core. She hated when the kids at school called her that. The stupid kids who believed that having black hair, dark eyes, and a tan complexion meant you were Native American and used it as an insult. She thought this one's last name was Shepard. "Don't call me that," she snapped.

"Don't call you what?" He grinned. "Indian Squaw?"

"Let's just go," Melody pleaded. She hated fights.

"Shut up," he told her.

"Hey, don't talk to them like that," Jamie spoke up.

"Who's going to stop me, Kid?" He replied, sizing him up. His buddies laughed. "Simmer down. I'm talking to the girl here." He looked back at Johnnycake. "I know you."
"I doubt it," she replied, coolly.

"No, I know you," he grinned. "You're Babydoll Mathew's bastard."

At that, Jamie jumped to his feet and stepped in front of Johnnie who had also stood up. Melody ran to get Steve and Darry.

"Take that back," Jamie demanded.

Shepard laughed. "My old man says your mama sure pulled a fast one on ol' Two-Bit. He said that your Daddy is a cuckolded fool because there ain't no way that red-haired asshole made a little squaw baby. He said that your mama was fooling around...,"

"Shut up!" Jamie interrupted punching Shepard sending him to the ground. "You don't talk dirty around girls." He pounced on him, rolling around in the dirt, trying to land another punch on the bigger boy.

Shepard's friends grabbed Johnnie and held her back.

Suddenly, Uncle Darry, Uncle Soda, and Mr. Steve were there, pulling the boys apart, then jerking the others off her.

"What are ya'll doing?" A rough voice called from behind her.

Uncle Darry looked ready for a fight, but his face softened as he looked at the man striding up to them.

"Hey, Tim," he said, coolly

"Darry," Tim Shepard nodded. "Soda, Steve. Long time, no see. That your boy?" He pointed to Jamie who Darry was holding by the arm.

"Yep," Darry nodded. "Those yours?" He motioned to the three boys that Steve and Soda had by their collars.

"Well, that biggest one is Curly's. The others are just some thugs he hangs out with," Tim said, then add, "Or did hang out with. What happened?"
When none of the boys spoke up, Darry shook Jamie's arm. "Jamie, what happened?"

Jamie sighed and folded his arms across his chest. He didn't want to be a snitch, but he didn't want to disobey his dad either. Finally, he rolled his eyes and cocked his head to the side to show his annoyance as he said, "He was talking dirty about Aunt Babydoll."

"Is that true, Jase?" Tim roughly jerked the biggest boy away from Soda and turned him to face him.

"I don't know what he's talking about, Uncle Tim," Jase said, rolling his eyes. "I was just sitting here and he started in on my dad being a jailbird."

"That's not true! I don't even know who you are," Jamie argued. He looked up at Darry. "He said Johnnie was a bastard and that Uncle Two-Bit was a..., well, I don't know what he called Uncle Two-Bit, but it didn't sound nice and he started to say something else dirty about Aunt Babydoll so I shut his fat mouth."

"That's the truth," Johnnie spoke up.

"Yeah, I heard him," Melody agreed.

"Apologize," Tim demanded, turning Jase to face the others. "Now!"

"Sorry," Jase mumbled, then pleaded, "But he hit me, Uncle Tim."

"He's a kid," Tim said. "I wouldn't be calling attention to the fact that I got my ass kicked by a kid if I was you. Get to the car." He pointed at the other two. "Go with him. I'm taking y'all home since y'all don't know how to behave in public." It looked as if the boys were going to argue but Tim point towards where the cars were parked. "I said, go." The boys stomped off and Tim looked at Darry again. "Look, I'm sorry about all this. Curly got himself thrown in the state pen and his old lady took off and my wife and I got landed with Jase. He ain't never been taught no manners. We just moved back here to take care of him. I'm sorry if he ruined your night."

Darry nodded. "Sorry to hear about Curly."

"Yeah, well, it was bound to happen," Tim said. He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled a few bills out, holding them out to the kids. "Here, go replace your snacks those heathens ruined."

"That ain't necessary," Steve protested before Darry could.

"I know it ain't," Tim replied. "I want to. That boy is my responsibility now."

Darry and Steve gave the kids permission to take the money and go back to the concession stand.

"That girl...," Tim started.

"What about her?" Soda shot back defensively.

"She know she's Johnny Cade's girl?" He asked.

"That's Two-Bit's daughter," Soda answered.

Tim nodded. "Well, I'll make sure Curly's foul-mouthed boy ain't the one who tells her any different. See you around boys."

"Hey, Tim," Darry stopped him.

"Yeah?"

"Come by the house for a beer sometime," Darry said, holding out his hand. "We'll catch up when our kids aren't trying to have a rumble."

"Yeah," Tim smiled, shaking Darry's hand, then Soda's, and Steve's.

"If that's Curly's boy," Steve said, watching Tim walk off. "Then who did Curly knock up?"
"Sandy," Soda answered. "Before going off to the reformatory."

"Damn, that's tough, man," Steve replied. Soda had never told him that he knew who Sandy had been two-timing him with all those years ago. "How come you never told me that?"

"Because being thrown over for Curly Shepard was really something I was going to admit to?" Soda grinned, the pain of that situation long gone. "Let's get the kids and get back to our girls before they run off too."

Please R and R.