A Call for Help:

I'm currently looking for a beta-reader for this story. I really really need one because my grammar and spelling and such SUCKS! So I want to make this a bit better to read. I know it's kind of late for that isn't it? But once I'm finished with this story completely I may just go back and fix all of that. But review or send me a message if you're interested!!

"You scared?"

Maggie had a weird sense of deja-vu as the words left Dally's mouth, and was taken back to that oh so familiar day that Dallas had almost gotten killed. She shook her head a few times, as if to rid herself of the awful memories, and snapped her gaze towards Dallas.

"No, I'm happy fucking go lucky." she said sarcastically. Her eyes boring into his. His face seemed to harden right before her eyes and he got some sort of defensive look in his eyes. She wanted to shake her head at him and tell him how ridiculous he was being, how ridiculous all of them were being. But she just couldn't. She knew no matter what happened she had to stick with them, for the good and the bad. She couldn't leave them hanging, not right now. Not again.

She looked back up at him and raised a hand against her forehead, shielding her eyes from the bright sun. It was mid-afternoon already and the sun was high overhead and it wasn't giving onlookers any sort of mercy. She sighed as she took in more of his cold stony eyes and reached up to pat his thigh.

He looked away then, down the street. Anywhere but at her. She leaned towards him. She could tell he had been thinking the same thing she had been. That one or more members of the gang could get killed. And it scared him. He didn't have to say it. He didn't even have to show it. She just knew.

"Let's go back inside." she told him, patting his thigh again and hoisting herself up. She turned around without a word, opening the screen door with a creek and welcoming the shelter of the house.

"You don't have to come with us." Darry's voice cut in as he emerged into the living room. His black muscle shirt fit his body just right, showing off every ripple of muscle. It was his own personal way of scaring people but the gang had gotten used to it.

"I know, but I need to. I mean, if you think about it, you guys aren't exactly that easy to talk to, especially when you're talking to a soc. So I might as well come along and interpret." she said lowly. Her eyes darted back and forth between Dallas and Darry, waiting for an answer. None came, but neither protested.

It was weird, Maggie had to admit. She never thought she'd see the day where the greasers and socs came together for something.

Well, they hadn't exactly come together yet. That's where they were going, to figure things out and hopefully make the socs join their side. If they were smart, they would. It would save them a lot of pain in the end.

That stupid new gang was jumping both parties, greasers and socs, and they weren't going to stop of their own free will. They were going to have to be made.

And that's why they had to come together.

A sigh came from her right and she turned to see Eric leaning against the wall, waiting for the show to get on the road. He had front row tickets and you could tell he didn't want to waste them.

He wanted it over with just as much as the next greaser.

"Where's Tim at anyway?" Dallas asked. His eyes wondering from one person to the next, watching as one after the other shook their heads at him.

He growled deep in his throat and fidgeted for a minute before leaning forward on the worn out couch and putting his elbows on his knees. He looked just as stressed as everyone else in the room, which was so not normal for Dallas.

Maggie wanted to turn to him and ask him what was wrong, but she had a feeling she already knew.

She sauntered into the kitchen after a few minutes of watching him and found Pony and Johnny at the table, reading some book of Pony's.

"Hey, Johnny-Cake, you know I love you right?" she asked in a sly voice as she put her hands on his shoulders.

"What do you want?" the words were low. Quiet, of course, but they brought a smile to her face none the less. Was Johnny getting bolder?

"You need to go tell Dallas a stupid joke or something. Make him at least lighten up. He's pissing me off." she got to the point, squeezing his shoulders every once in a while for emphasis. A sigh could be heard from Johnny's lips as he scooted the chair back with a squeak and headed towards the living room. She nodded her head and made her way into the kitchen, ready to attack the frig for something to eat before they left.

Her heart was solely set on Darry's famous chocolate cake and her mouth was already watering.

She found it, already sitting on the counter and she clapped her hands like a little girl for a few seconds.

"What are you doing?" Steve's voice cut in as he entered the kitchen to get a beer. He sounded slightly amused but at the same time confused, as she watched.

"There's cake." she said simply with a shrug, going back to being solemn. She made her way towards it with a plate and a blunt knife and nodded again before setting the plate down.

"You want some?" she asked him as she turned around for a few seconds.

"I'm ok." was his answer. He had taken up a spot on the counter, one leg bended at the knee and propping himself up. She shook her head and made a tsking sound before turning back around.

She raised the knife grinning evilly before starting towards the cake to cut it.

A few seconds later a frown had found its way to her lips and she was looking down at the cake with distaste.

"It's hard!" she yelled, stomping her foot. She growled deep in her throat and then went silent...as did the rest of the house.

"What the hell are you guys doing in there?" Darry yelled before he stomped in. Maggie's eyes went wide as she realized what it would have sounded like to a passer-by.

"We weren't...no...no!" she told him, shaking her head. "It's just, the cake is hard!" she stuck a finger out and poked the cake for emphasis and turned back to see the whole gang had entered the kitchen, laughing their asses off.

"Shut up you guys!" she snapped at them. Her face turned serious and she looked at them all with burning eyes.

The laughter seemed to die down in mere seconds and the room went back to sullen and quiet again. She shook herself and gently put her knife on the counter. She shook her head and leaned back. Her hands crossing over her chest on instinct.

Silence fell on the room and it led to a perfect opportunity for everyone to think. To just flat out think about everything that was going on and about to happen.

During that silence is when she finally realized it. When the thought finally hit her. It hit her so hard her eyes started to tear up and her throat started to burn along with her nose. It hit her so hard she couldn't breath.

She had forgotten.

Forgotten about Val, Pete, Bennie, Saul, Dwain, and Carson. She had forgotten about the guys who had comforted her for those hard months. She had forgotten. Just the thought was enough to make her cry.

She rushed from the room and down the hall to the phone. The plastic was cool on her hand as she slowly picked up the phone. The dial tone rang in her ear as she started twisting in the numbers.

"Buck?" she asked hesitantly. She wanted to sigh with relief when he answered. "Are Val, Bennie, and Pete still there?" she asked softly, turning her back away from the kitchen.

More tears filled her eyes.

"They left." it was more of a statement. A sentence to make herself believe that they had really left. It looked like she wasn't the only one that had forgotten.

"Thanks." her voice didn't sound like her own. She was numb again. She couldn't even feel herself dropping the phone down. What was she going to do? Write them a letter? Call? What would she say? That she was sorry she had forgotten about them. The boys that had taken care of her and fed her and clothed her when she was in her most vulnerable time. She couldn't say anything. Nothing could redeem her from that sort of thing. That sort of betrayal.

She took in a shaky breath and sniffled for a minute. A strangled sound left her mouth and she tried to cut it off the best she could.

The cool dry wood of the wall met the back of her arms as she leaned on it. She couldn't breath...She didn't want to breath.

Her hands reached up to cover her face, as if to protect her from harsh reality.

As if to protect herself from her own cruelty.

Arms wrapped around her from the front and she startled for a minute before recognizing his scent. She welcomed his arms and clutched on tighter to him. She wanted him to make all her pain go away.

She wished he could.

And he did too.

She sniffled again and sighed when she realized she had gotten his shirt wet.

"Thank you."

She seemed to be saying that a lot lately, she realized. Especially to him. A wide, sad grin spread across his lips and he shook his head. His complicated swirls moved with the motion because of all the grease and she studied it for a second.

Anything to get her mind of things.

His rough calloused hand reached up and wiped at her tears. The simple gesture made her think of how lucky she was...and how much she didn't deserve him or any of them for that matter.

"Let's go. Tim's here." Dally's voice rang out before the door slammed shut. Steve wiped at her eyes again before wrapping an arm around her and leading her down the hall.

She couldn't believe how numb she was.

Everything was a blur. The greetings, the car ride, the plans, the talking. She couldn't seem to hear or see any of it, no matter how hard she tried to focus. She couldn't breath. It was like a snake was wrapping itself around her chest.

She just couldn't get over how horrible she was. How..stupid, she was.

Her head hit the door with a small thump as she got out of the car but she barely noticed until everyone turned to stare at her.

"You ok?" Dallas asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Fine." was her reply, a simple shrug coming from her shoulders. They had ended up at the Dingo finally. They had decided to meet the Socs in public, figuring it was a better idea. She could have cared less at that moment. At that time. She just wanted to get it over with, go home, and try and call New York. She needed to hear Val's voice. Needed to know they were alright.

But most of all she needed to apologize and beg for forgiveness because of her stupidity.

The door opened and they were greeted with smoke, just like always. She didn't cough or flinch like she used to but adjusted right away. It was amazing how much a person could get used to.

"There they are." Soda pointed out, pointing to a huge booth in the corner. Maggie followed the rest of them, trailing behind Tim. She could make out Bob and Randy and a few other of the Socs, but besides that it didn't look like anyone else had decided to come. They were greatly outnumbered to say the least.

"Scoot over." Tim commanded harshly towards one of the smaller ones, giving him a death glare. The guy look like a lost puppy as he turned to Randy and Bob for direction on whether he should or not and Maggie found herself laughing coldly.

She needed to snap out of this...

"Ow!" she yelled as a sharp felling cut through her arm.

"Snap out of it!"

It was almost as if Two Bit had read her thoughts and she almost smiled, but she knew he was right.

"Do it again." she commanded. Two Bit smirked and shook his head before scooting in next to Tim. She took a spot at the head of the table, standing so she could look at everybody in their group.

She could feel the eyes of everyone in the Dingo on them and it unnerved her a little to know that every move they made was being watched.

"We need you're help.." Darry started out, but trailed off. Maggie could tell he didn't quite know how to put. After all it had never really happened before. The greasers and the socs coming together to do something.

A sigh escaped Randy's lips before he opened them to speak.

"Are you talking about that new gang in town that's been jumping people left and right?" he asked, looking at all the greasers and then at the socs. Darry nodded and sent a stern glance his way. He looked like he was expecting to be turned down.

But he was let down instead.

"Yeah. Well, we were going to ask you guys the same question." Bob interrupted.

A look of shock founds it way through Darry's features but he quickly hid it with a smile. He struck a hand out towards Bob and Randy, waiting for at least one of them to shake it so they could start talking business. It had been easier then any of them had thought it would be.

Simple note: In this chapter I wanted to kind of shine light on the fact that Johnny and Dallas are still really close and that no one can take Johnny's place.

Author's Note:

Hey, you guys. I would have had this chapter up way sooner then this if it weren't for the fact that I just had semester exams. I was like really busy with studying an all that. I hope you guys can forgive me. But here it is, there may be a few errors in it and I'm sorry for it. I tried the best I could to proofread. Which leads me to point out again that I am looking for a beta-reader for this story. Thanks guys!