Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders.

A/N: This goes to all my reviewers, you're the ones who keep me going. Thank you.

XXX

January 11, 1966

"My dad's home," Ozzy told me as we started to close up the store. I handed him the broom from behind the till and waited for him to continue. I had a tendency to stay away from the topic of dad's because I didn't really remember mine all that much and although I might have looked fine with it, it still upset me. Keith would talk 'til he was blue in the face trying to get me to think differently and so I didn't really have anyone to bring it up to anyway.

I started facing the shelves, bringing cans forward to fill the holes. I looked back at Ozzy as he silently swept the floor behind me as The Beatles started to play on the small hand held radio on the cart of cleaning supplies we rolled around with us every night. It was used and didn't sound all that great when it was turned up too loud but Ozzy had invested in one not too long after Henry and Maude let us close down the store by ourselves.

I liked The Beatles, although I'd never admit it out loud. I'd be hassled the rest of my life for knowing the words to a few of their songs. Given they were no Elvis… what I would do to Elvis. I looked back at the cans I was pushing forward, making sure to check the expiry dates.

"And?" I finally asked after the long pause. This was routine, Ozzy would say something, it would start off being about him and then he would somehow turn it around and try to get something out of me. I guessed it was how he got to know me, he could pretty much predict what I would do before I actually did. I didn't mind all that much, he was smart and usually right.

"Gran and Grandad are having a barbeque and you should come," he said as he started sweeping the floor.

"Why?" I asked, starting to tune out The Beatles. Although I was close with the Auswald's and I had dinner with them a couple of times I never met Ozzy's dad before. All I could think about was how awkward it would be and I didn't see the why I was being invited when Mr. Auswald was hardly home as it was, seemed like he should be spending that time with his family.

"I think if you met my dad you'd have a better understanding of yours."

I turned around and looked at him, his chin resting on his hand on top of the handle of the broom. I hardly talked about my dad and maybe I thought of him more often than I should have; whenever I did say anything about him it wasn't very nice. I knew that Ozzy understood where I was coming from but Henry and Maude were the old fashioned type, my dad fought in the war therefore automatically deserved respect.

Whenever something negative came out of my mouth about my father I would always get a: "Now, now Janey. Your father is a brave man." So I wouldn't be surprised if Henry and Maude were the ones who wanted me at that barbeque. I didn't want to go.

"Oz, my dad ain't around for me to understand."

I turned back around and shuffled the cans on the shelf maybe a little too roughly. I heard Ozzy sigh behind me and it just got me even more annoyed. It was the kind of disappointed sigh that was more emphasized when you knew you were in the wrong.

"Why should I have to understand someone that ain't even around to know who I am," I said bitterly as I turned back around to put an expired can of olives on the rolling cart.

"Jane."

The way he said my name made me look up at him. I raised my eyebrow at him and waited for him to the voice of all reason and try to convince me otherwise. I didn't need any convincing though, not about this because my Dad was the one who left my family and me.

"The sooner you understand your Dad and why he did what he did, the sooner you'll be able to accept it, forgive him and move on with your life."

That was pretty convincing. I sighed and glared at him, he was right but I wasn't going to admit it not even to myself because honestly, I didn't want to forgive my father. I hated him.

I rolled my eyes at him and huffed a little. Fucking Ozzy, why the fuck did he care so much anyway?

"Did Henry and Maude put you up to this?"

"No," Ozzy shrugged as he started sweeping again, the thought made me angrier.

"Ya know Oz, maybe you should mind your own business," I snapped. I shuffled a few more cans around on the shelf. My father leaving was no one business beside my family's and mine and how I felt about my father was something no one knew about but me.

"Maybe," he shrugged again, making me even more irritated. It wasn't a big deal to him, bringing up something that was so personal. It was to me though and I almost hated him for it.

XXX

"That's bullshit." I heard Dallas say from the living room when I got home from work.

"You're the one who keeps taking her back to bed," my brother half joked.

"And you wouldn't?" Dallas snorted as he leaned back into the couch.

Sylvia, I scrunched my nose. I wasn't a fan; a lot of people didn't like her much. She could be a real bitch, I knew that was all an act like she had to be some kind of tough greaser girl because she lived on the East side. Way I saw it; if you lived on the East side you were already tough. I knew Sylvia, better then I would have liked, she was actually a good person and had a lot of friends.

We were friends at one point in time, before she started seeing Dallas. I never considered the two to be dating because… all they really did was fight and fuck. They were complicated, that was for sure but in the end I took Dallas's side when Sylvia decided to cheat.

I hated cheaters and Dallas was one of my closest friends. Even though he didn't seem to be upset about it at all, nobody deserved to be treated that way, even Dallas. When they broke up she'd always blame him for why she was such a bitch to everyone, he was the reason why she had to build this imaginary wall to keep people out, and that he really shouldn't be shocked when she goes and finds someone with real emotion.

I knew that got to Dallas. Hell, it'd get to anyone if it were said enough times. He'd been blamed for enough in his life. She was slowly getting to him, maybe even hurting him and that was why I hated her. Given, Dallas was far from innocent… very far; he never cheated on her. It was the betrayal that hurt him most, he'd never admit it but there was a reason why he was the way he was and it was because of people like Sylvia Haims, that walked all over him.

"You know more than anyone, women want more after you sleep with 'em. The cuddling and the flowers… hanging out with your clothes actually on."

I could see why people came to my brother for advice and most of the time, it seemed to be anyway, he had all the answers. I think people went to him because he could be serious and honest but funny at the same time. He could really make someone think if he wanted, he was really good with words that way.

It was probably because to me, he really did have all the answers. He was the one who taught me to stick up for myself, said as much as he would like to always be there he wouldn't be. Taught me to never be a rat unless I was in real danger because people sooner trust or befriend a Soc than ever look at a rat. And to avoid ever being a rat, one of my brother's most emphasized teachings, don't ever get caught. You get caught you deserve every last thing that gets dished out to ya he said. But most importantly, stick together because it was a tough world and people just didn't give a hang about no one but themselves, so when you find the few that you can trust, always stick with 'em and they'll stick with you. Period.

"God forbid you notice the colour of her eyes," I said back to my brother as I made my way towards the couch.

"Exactly," my brother grinned, patting Dallas on the back as he got up from the chair he claimed was his spot. "Which reminds me, I have a date with Kathy and I think I might be late."

I rolled my eyes at him; he wondered why she was always bitching at him. I like Kathy she was my favourite of all the girls my brother had been with, at least the one's he actually thought were decent enough to bring home and introduce to Ma and me. They were always breaking up but ever since I could remember they were together and ever since I was little I thought they'd get married.

When I was eleven I had locked myself in the bathroom and no matter how much my brother banged on the door I refused to come out. I was embarrassed but apparently my brother was smart enough to call Kathy and have her come over to talk to me. I learned about the birds and the bees and all that good stuff, told me it ain't anything to be upset about, said I could officially wear make up, she even taught me how to put it on, and I'd always love her for that.

"Come on," Dallas said getting up from the couch.

I didn't bother asking where we were going, there wasn't any point because when it came to Dallas and me hanging out we could just end up in Canada somehow. Instead, I followed him out the door and tried to keep up.

XXX

"We're here to talk business and you brought Jane Mathews as your back up?" Tim said as Dallas and I made our way up to him after sneaking through the fence of The Nightly Double. Dallas gave him a shrug and I raised an eyebrow.

"You brought Curly," I said blandly as if anybody in the entire world was better then Curly Shepard. Dallas laughed and Curly flipped me off about to say something back before getting cut off.

"Go buy Janey a Coke Curly," Tim said, leaning up against the fence. "Now," he spoke again before Curly could say otherwise.

I wasn't afraid of Tim but I knew he was scary. I never really saw his scary, gang business side before so I had never been scared of him, really. And even though I didn't rely on my brother to watch over me people still knew he was my brother, I didn't see much of anyone's scary side… I was then assuming my brother could be pretty scary too.

After telling Dallas to meet me outside the concession when he was done I started for the small building that was a hole inside and out but still managed to serve good popcorn.

"Thanks a lot," Curly said, spitting off to the side when he caught up to me. "The one time Tim asks me to come along and you have to go and ruin it."

"Please," I rolled my eyes. "We both know he'd've gotten you to do something else whether I was here or not."

"How would you know?" he said, defensively.

"'Cuz I have an older brother too and no matter what ya do you'll always be a kid in his eyes."

It was true and he knew it. As much as I wanted to admit I had something in common with Curly. It could be a pain, living in their shadow; having people place assumptions onto you but in the end you couldn't help but admire them in all their greatness.

Curly started mumbling under his breath as he watched his feet as we walked. I rolled my eyes and wanted to tell him that I'm sure Tim'd think differently if you didn't bitch so much. I decided against it, I knew all too well the kind of mood he was in. I wasn't a complete bitch.

"Jeez, Shepard, just when I was starting to think this was one big plan for you to buy me Coke," I joked; smirking when he lifted his head and grinned.

"So you are on to me," he said, going along with it.

"I'm flattered. It must've been hard work getting Tim and Dallas all the way out here."

"You have no idea," he grinned as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

Truth was, I really didn't have any idea about Curly Shepard… and I kind of wanted to.

XXX

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