A/N – Hey guys! This chapters is twice as long, even as my longest chapter yet. There's a lot happening in it, so pay attention. However, I need to warn you. There is some sexual content in the later part. If you don't like it, don't read. I'll recap at the beginning of the next chapter for you. It's not to graphic, but the imagination will be able to fill in the blanks pretty well, I'd imagine. It's my first love scene, although there's no actual sex, so let me know what you're thinking. I'm missing my reviews! My bot email won't send out, so I never know when I'm getting them. That said, enjoy the chapter: All 5,200 words of it!!!!

Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns the outsiders. John Mayer owns the song. I own Sam.

Ch. 11 – Wonderland

We've got the afternoon

You got this room for two

One thing I've left to do

Discover me

Discovering you

Damn baby

You frustrate me

I know you're mine, all mine, all mine

But you look so good it hurts sometimes

Soda's P.O.V.

The next few weeks after Pony came home were really hard. He couldn't move much and he was really spooked, never wanting to leave the house anyway. His cut was okay and the bruises were healing, but his ribs were still really sore and it showed. Every time he moved, he groaned. Darry and I still had to go to work, so for a good part of the day he was alone. After a few days, Sam realized this and offered to stay with him until 3 when she came in. I think Darry was a little hesitant, not wanting to make her feel used, but he took her up on her offer because of his worry about Ponyboy. We didn't want him to be alone with the state he was in, and besides, what if something happened? He could barely move; it's not like he could get to a phone to call one of us.

And so, Sam came. Her brothers were very understanding, although explaining why she was out half the night that we were supposed to be on a date was a little embarrassing on my part after promising them the moon the night before. Once they heard the story, though, they were willing to help however they could, so Owen dropped Sam off every day at 8 on his way to work, just as Darry, Steve, and I were running out the door on the way to our jobs. Usually I could give her a sweet kiss, but the schedule didn't allow much in the way of alone time for Sam and me.

I had asked Sam to officially be my girl the night that Pony was jumped, apologizing for not being able to take her on a real date, and I was delighted when she said that she would anyway. She looked so sweet that night, her eyes all puffy from crying because she cared about my family and me. Up until then, I was definitely interested, but I hadn't realized how much she meant to me until she held me while I cried in the hospital. She's amazing. She's everything I've ever wanted. But it hasn't been the easiest.

I've had my share of girlfriends, and most of them have been greaser girls, rough, loose, fast, and a little trashy. Sam was none of those things. She was sweet and kind, tough when she had to be, but gentle by nature. She had the patience of a saint, and she loved us, all of us.

Usually, by a few weeks into the relationship, I'd become pretty familiar with my girlfriends, what they liked, how they liked to be touched, what they liked to hear. But with Sam, I felt like I knew nothing, partly because of the situation and the lack of alone time, but also because I'm not convinced that she really knew what she liked. We'd talked about her past boyfriends a little bit, and the basic story was, "there are none." Apparently Sam's dad was a little hard headed and protective, or maybe just stubborn, because he doesn't seem to care much what she does now. Maybe it was just a control issue. But regardless, most guys didn't make it past the first dinner at home. There was one who did, but he was short lived and apparently was quite a jerk toward Sam. She told me that first dip-kiss in her kitchen was her first real kiss, and while I felt honored to have shared that with her, I also felt a whole lot pressure on my shoulders to stay within her boundaries, and I wasn't sure she knew what they were.

I decided on Thursday, almost 2 weeks after Pony's incident, that I would ask Sam on a real date for the next night, hoping that the time away from my house and the stresses in my family would give us a chance to talk and get closer, hopefully working through some of the things that were stuck in my mind. She probably had questions too, and this silence had to go – what's the point of being with someone you can't see or talk to?

So when she came in that day, I chased her down the hallway like always, wrapped my arms around her from behind when she was clocking in and pulled her close. I decided against tickling her, but pulled her closer instead, loving the feeling that I got from having her close. When she was next to me, I felt like I had the world on a string and I could do or be anything I wanted. I nuzzled her face into my neck and placed gentle careful nips along the base of it, drinking up her scent and feel. She brought up her right hand to the side of my face and stroked my cheek, sighing softly to let me know that she liked what I was doing. Leaning farther into me, she turned her head to mine and I stole a sweet, but still passionate kiss before backing away and turning her to face me.

She looked a bit confused and disappointed that I pulled away, and I stifled a laugh at the expression she gave me. "Sam," I started, bringing her back to me to make her happy, and I sure wasn't complaining either. "Would you go out with me tomorrow night? It seems I owe you a real date." I leaned my face forward and caught her lips in a chaste, sweet kiss.

"Mmm," she half-sighed, half-moaned quietly. "If you keep kissing me, I'll go anywhere you want, babe." She opened her eyes then the shocked expression incited by her own words made me smile and I couldn't hold back my own laughter.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that," she said looking down, clearly embarrassed.

"No," I laughed again. "You can say things like that anytime." I kissed her again, a little bit deeper but still soft. "You can talk all day long about my kissing you, so long as you let me do it." Another kiss.

"Over…" Another kiss.

"And over…" Another.

"and over…" another, this one deep and passionate, leaving her breathless when I broke away a few moments later.

"and over." A simple, soft, sweet kiss before we parted.

Sam's face flushed and I could see her excitement for the date tomorrow. I was excited to, after that little display of affection. I could kiss that girl all day long. Her lips are sweet and taste of vanilla. It's a faint sweetness, not a sticky sugary feel like some girls get with lip gloss. There's nothing fake about Sam, nothing at all. In the morning, when she gets to my house to stay with Pony, she's already dressed for work, her hair wet, but pulled back. She usually had jeans on, and her DX shirt, in case she wouldn't need the jumpsuit. She never had much makeup on, if any at all, but she always looked put together and she smelled like heaven. It amazed me she always smells good in the morning; guys always smell gross. My mom always smelled good; maybe it's a girl thing.

Giving her one last kiss, we went our separate ways, her to the shop and me back out front. I began mentally planning our night tomorrow, hoping that everything would go perfectly.

The rest of the day went quickly, with my head in the clouds and Sam and Steve in the shop doing what they do. When 5 rolled around, I walked Sam home, thanking her again for staying with Pony and she laughed. "Soda, I want to spend time with Pony. We've been talking about books and life and girls and lots of other things, and I've really enjoyed the time we've had. I'm going to be sad when he goes back to school next week."

It hadn't occurred to me that they didn't sit in silence all day. Pony's always been pretty quiet around people he doesn't know, but with him in bed and Sam perched in our bedroom somewhere all day, I guess it makes sense that they'd talk. Sam was smart, too; I bet they talk about all kind of brainy things that I couldn't talk to Pony about. He's always mentioning books and people I have no clue about, so I'm glad he's got someone to talk about it with. And I'm glad he has a girl like Sam to talk about girls with too; Lord knows we don't want him talking to someone like Evie. I can only imagine what she'd come out saying.

I pulled her in and hugged her close in the chilly air. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I love him, and I love you and I'm glad you guys get along so well."

I kissed her cheek gently and as she turned to open door, she said, "You know, Soda. I think I'm beginning to love your family like they're mine. I know that sounds creepy, but really. Steve is so awesome. He's such a good guy to work with and he's so much fun to be around. Two-bit is good to keep everyone in stitches and I love spending time with him too. It hurts me to see Darry so stressed, and it kills me to know there's nothing I can do about it. I love spending time with Pony and getting to know him and I'm glad he feels like he can talk to me, because he can. I'm so glad he's getting better. I want to kill the guys who did this to him. I really do, just like if he were my own little brother. And then there's you. And what I feel for you…" she paused, as if to get up the nerve to say what she wanted to say. "Well, what I feel for you definitely isn't brotherly but it definitely is strong." Her face flushed faint pink again, and I stood there thinking that if she did that for the rest of her life, I'd never get tired of seeing it.

"I'm glad you don't think of me like a brother, Sam, because if you did, I wouldn't be able to do this." I pulled her close to me by the back of her neck and forgetting patience, forgetting inexperience, forgetting all that my mind had been mulling over for the last 3 hours, my lips crashed into hers with reckless abandon. All I wanted at that moment was to show her how happy I was with who she was and who she was becoming to me. I kissed her as if there would never be another chance to do so, and when I finally backed away, she was white with shock.

A slow, Cheshire-cat grin spread across her mouth and her eyes lit up. I could tell she was trying to suppress the urge to grab me again, and she put on a funny, formal tone.

"Thank you, Soda. I'll see you tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it."

With that, she turned, stepped in the door and left me shell-shocked as she was.

Vaguely realizing that in this very spot, I'd felt this way before, I decided that tomorrow would be a great day.

Sam's P.O.V.

Thursday night didn't bring much sleep to me, but rather an excited buzz of romance. Soda had been so good to me since that night at dinner. He'd been kind and courteous, afraid, I think, to overstep his boundaries, since he knew that he was one of the first romantic experiences I had had.

When Pony was jumped, I felt my heart sink to the floor in that hospital room. I knew then, that I was in it for the long haul, that I wouldn't run away from the problems that faced this family. I could never do that to them.

When I heard that Pony was to be alone during the day, I couldn't let it be. I decided that I would stay with him, and do whatever it took to get him better as soon as possible. I did my chores at home in the evenings, leaving that time for the Curtis boys to be alone. I know Soda was missing Pony and feeling guilty about his getting jumped and I'm sure Darry was too. I wanted them to have time for them, without worrying about me at all.

My brothers were being so good about all this too. Owen was taking me there in the morning, and they were both understanding about the time that I spent there. They helped pick up the slack that the lack of my presence left. They helped with the laundry, even the cooking, and though I was still doing most of the chores and upkeep, they were really being very good.

I got up early on Friday and got dressed, taking time to do my hair in a French braid. I knew I'd be coming back after work to get changed, but I didn't think that I'd have time to take a shower and have my hair and makeup done before Soda came to get me.

Owen called me from downstairs and I grabbed my stuff and headed down the steps. We ran out the door, him mumbling something about being late, and he drove me to the Curtis's. When I walked in, Soda kissed me quickly on his way out, but it was just another repeat of the rush out of my house. I guess it's kind of universal, running about in the morning.

Finally settling down, I went into the room Pony shared with Soda to check on him. He was awake pulling a T-shirt over his head.

"You look like you're feeling better, putting shirts on and all." I smiled.

"I really am, Sam. Thanks for staying with me, by the way. I guess this is our last day together. It's kinda sad." Pony looked at me with sad eyes, but he really did look much better than he had in a while. I guess he was kind of excited to be getting back to his regular life.

We spent the day doing regular stuff – cleaning up the house, cleaning his room (which was a wreck!), taking a walk at the park, watching Mickey on TV, making a chocolate cake. It was a nice, relaxed feeling I had. It was a really good day.

At about 2:30, Pony turned to me and said, "I know that you have to go soon, but I want to tell you something." He stopped for a minute, like he wasn't really sure how to go about saying what he wanted to. "I, um. I really liked spending time with you these last few weeks, and I'm really thankful that you decided to stay with me. I'm really glad that you and Soda are together, Sam. I hope that you stay around. I think you make us better people. And you make Soda happy." He said the last sentences like they were all one big word, clearly nervous about the implications he was confessing.

"Thank you, Pony," I began, feeling a little strange to be the one who wasn't nervous. "I'm really glad we got to spend some time together too, and I love to spend time here so I'm glad you like having me around. And I certainly hope Soda and I stay together for a long time too. But even if something happens, I'll never forget you. In fact, I just told Soda yesterday how much I was feeling like your family is my own. I love ya, kid!" I rubbed his head affectionately, and he squawked about my messing up his hair, but he was beaming.

I ran to his room to get my bag and head down to work, but not before kissing him on his cheek like I would my own brothers. His face turned a little pink at that and was just turning back to normal when I was walking out the door. "Be safe, Pone. Two-bit will be here soon. See ya later." And with a wink, I was off.

I ran into work like normal, flying down the hall with Soda quick on my heels. I think he watches the clock and gets into his starting blocks like a track runner at 2:59. But I love it anyway. We always kiss before I start my work day, and we end it the same way. A girl could really get used to this, you know?

"Are you ready for tonight?" he asked as I pulled away from his lips for a third time.

"Yup. I think so. I've gotta change after work, but I think that I'll be set. Where are we going?"

"You'll see. It's a surprise." Soda winked at me and strutted down the hallway, looking mighty pleased with himself. I had to smile at that, knowing that whatever he planned would be great, and that seeing him happy like he was would be worth whatever wasn't perfect.

The day passed slowly, but steadily, and I was home again by 5:20. I kissed Soda a quick goodbye and he promised he'd be back at 6:30 to pick me up. I told him that was fine and ran inside to finish getting ready. Taking my hair out of its braid, I saw that I had achieved the look I was going for: wild but still sweet. I hate the red in my hair, but everyone seems to equate red hair with my spirit so I guess it's alright. I swiped on some makeup, soft and creamy colors, but not too much because I had no idea what we were doing. I looked at the outfit I had picked out: a cream colored sweater and a knee-length tweed brown skirt with brown Mary Jane's, and I was pleased with the mature affect it would give me.

After changing into my outfit, I noticed that it was 6:25 and I headed downstairs to do a quick pickup and leave a note for my brothers. I was warned that I would be home by 1:30AM, punishable by death, by Toby, and I didn't want to find out how true that statement was, so I relayed the message to Soda who said that it would be no problem.

Hearing a knock at the door, I stepped to open it and couldn't help but smile when Soda gasped slightly at my appearance.

"Sam, you're gorgeous. I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

I could feel my face flush a little, but the blood quickly left my face when Soda kissed me hello. God, I could kiss that man all day long, every day. He's just so good at it, at making me feel like I'm the only person who ever existed and who ever would exist.

We walked to the car where he opened my door, and when he got in, we started driving in a direction I hadn't yet been. I figured that we'd be going to the dingo or something, but instead, he was headed out of town on the highway. He took an exit about 15 minutes out of town and headed down a windy road, finally stopping at what looked like an open field, with nothing more in it. He picked up a picnic basket from the back of the truck and led me down a path next to the road the finally ended at a stream, complete with beautiful waterfall and all. I gasped at its beauty and turned to give him a congratulatory kiss.

"You are the best boyfriend that a girl could ever have. This is amazing."

He laid out a blanket and set up a simple dinner on it, but one that he had clearly taken time to prepare, since our potato salad was red and our sandwiches were orange. I smiled and he invited me to sit, taking my hand to make sure I didn't fall.

We ate in relative silence, but when we finished, Soda started the talk I knew he had been wanting to have. "Sam," he started carefully, like he wanted to pick the right words. "I want to talk to you about something but I don't really know what to say and I'm not so good with words so please be patient with me, ok?"

"Sure. What is it?" I asked.

"Uh, this is kinda awkward, but I want to talk about it so I don't so something wrong." He looked kind of like a little kid, all nervous and out of sorts.

"Soda, it's okay. Just talk. I won't laugh and I'll do my best to answer you."

"OK. Ok, well, I know that we kiss a lot and I like it a lot. I mean, a whole lot. But I'm not used to dating girls like you, Sam. The girls I've dated are greaser girls – they're trashy and loose and too wild for their own good. Basically, I never had to worry about going too far or pushing too hard because they were always wanting more than I wanted to give. But you – you're so different. You're sweet and innocent and upstanding and I don't want to offend you. I don't want to do something wrong and lose you. But I don't want you to think that I don't want you. I do, Sam. Belieeeeeeve me, I do. I just don't want to do something you'll regret later, so I've been trying to hold back. But I want to know what you want. So…yeah, I think that's it." He looked a little bit sheepish, sitting there like a little boy who had just confessed his sin, waiting to hear his penance.

"Soda. You're so sweet." I giggled, but immediately regretted it when he looked hurt. "I'm sorry; I'm not laughing at you. I just feel like I don't know what to say. I know that I was and still am innocent. I know that I'm new to this kind of thing, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be in it. I want you too. I want you more than I even know how to say, and I hate that you've been holding back on my account, because I've been doing the same for your sake. I didn't really think you didn't want me; I just thought that you'd do what was right when it was right because I've never been in this type of thing before. Plus, I'm not very much the aggressor in relationships, if you can't tell."

I stopped and looked at him. His expression had gone from that of a little boy in a confession booth to that of a little boy in a candy shop. He was smiling, his eyes dancing, and I knew that I had to go on. I'd do anything to keep that expression on his face.

"Soda, I'm in this for the long haul, and I don't have boundaries when it comes to you. I might not be ready for too much right away, but I'll let you know. I trust you and I love you. I know you're not going to hurt me. I'm yours; I'm your girl."

Soda grinned the hugest grin I've ever seen on anyone and pulled me into his lap. He took my face in his hands and just when I thought he would kiss me, he spoke. "You can be mine, but I'll only be yours. I love you too."

With that, I decided to make myself a liar and become the aggressor I just professed not to be. I pulled his face to mine and kissed him like it was the only thing keeping me alive, like his lips were oxygen. I felt his arms moving around clearing a place on the blanket for us to lie down and once I saw it was clear, I pushed him backwards, straddling his waist and kissed him again.

It was raw and passionate. He seemed surprised by my desire, but nothing was stopping me. Propriety no longer mattered; this was me and Soda, and what happened, happened.

I felt his hand slowly drag up my sides and I couldn't help but smile against his lips. His hands continued upward and reached around to unhook the snap of my bra. With ease, it flicked open, and Soda smiled.

"You've done that before, haven't you?" I asked.

"Maybe," he replied, "but it was never quite as good as that."

We kissed again for a moment, but I pulled away and sat up, pulling up my shirt to reveal to him what I just told him was his. His eyes went wide for a moment and I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him, drinking in my appearance. I think the new sights were fueling his fire because at that moment, he sat straight up, rolled us over and positioned himself square on top of me, protecting me from whatever might be out there. His hands reached my chest and rested softly on my breasts.

He lay there for just a moment, looking as if he was sure I'd stop him at any moment, but when I didn't, he continued his exploration. His mouth never stopped caressing mine and his tongue dipped in to mesh with mine.

The air was chilly and the night was clear, but none of that was noticed by either of us, both wrapped up in our passion. This was new to me, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. I felt safe with Soda and here in the cool air, on a red blanket under the stars, experiencing things I'd not yet experienced, I felt complete.

After a good hour of heated hooking up, Soda finally rolled back over and lay beside me, handing me my shirt, telling me I was gonna catch cold if he didn't get a grip on himself and that he wasn't going to be responsible for my suffering, ever, for any reason. He slipped his shirt, which had somehow been discarded, back on over his head too.

I put my shirt back on and smiled at him while he watched me clean up the leftovers from dinner and put them back in the basket. The moon was high in the sky now and I knew that our date would have to end soon, but not before I got in one more sweet touch.

I crawled over to where he was seductively, shot him a Cheshire-cat grin, and told him to close his eyes in the most sexy voice I could manage. He laughed, but complied and I straddled his waist again. I leaned forward and took his bottom lip between my teeth, nibbling gently to make him want me more. He kept trying to kiss me, but I would pull back each time he came close. He moaned slightly and I could feel his arousal under my hips. I may not have been very experienced, but I knew what that was, and I knew that tonight would not be a night that I could help him with it. However, there was something fun and wild about teasing, so I started rocking my hips back and forth, much to his dismay, voiced by groans and moans and a slight thrusting of his hips. I pulled up the front of his shirt and rained kisses down his chest, lightly nibbling both of his nipples as he had teased mine not too long ago. Using my tongue, I drew a thin line from the center of his pecks, straight down between his abs, circling his belly button, and following down to where his pants started. When I got to the waist of his pants, his head shot up and his eyes opened, staring at me in disbelief. I smiled and moved my way back to his face, kissing him hard and fast, pushing his head back to the ground, making him close his eyes again in pleasure, still rocking my hips. He thrust harder, as though we weren't actually clothed and outside, and I allowed him to do so, still kissing madly. For several minutes, we lay there, prisoners to our passion but not enough so to make us do anything too crazy. His body suddenly tensed under me and he wrapped his arms around me, whispering in my ear, "this is it; hold on."

Still holding me close, I felt him let go and I did too, stopping both our frantic movements immediately. He looked exhausted, his eyes rolling back into his head as he hips gently thrust another few times. A little shaken but still very excited and happy with what just happened, I kissed him gently as he groaned beneath me.

"Sam. Sam. That was…" his voice trailed off. "I've never done that before. A little messy," his sheepish smile returned, "but totally worth it. Damn girl. You're something else."

Another gentle kiss was enough for both of us as we stood, folded the blanket and returned to the car. He opened the door for me, threw the basket in the back and climbed in, the engine roaring to life. As we drove back toward town, a comfortable silence wrapped around us and I leaned into his shoulder, letting my emotions carry me away. His arm slipped around my shoulder and held me close, and I couldn't help but think that this night had been the most pleasant of my life.

When he pulled up to my house, the clock read 1:25 and I smiled to see that he kept his promise. He pulled me in for a heated kiss, but not too much so, seeming to know that my body was shot for a while.

Thanking me for an "amazing night", he winked and said he'd be over tomorrow and I slipped out of the truck to run to my door. I walked inside with a little wave and heard him drive off as I shut the door.

Smiling and humming as I walked up the stairs to take a shower, I couldn't help be think: "Tomorrow will be a good day."