A/N: Some direct quotes from the movie again. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders, because if I did, I'd go more in depth on Two-Bit and Steve because we know nothing about their past.

Rowan's POV

I was sitting on my bed, watching television. The volume was low, since it was three o'clock in the morning and my father would just about kill me if he saw me. I thought about the events of early Monday morning, and how Dally had sent the two young boys off on their own. Well, Johnny is only one year younger than Dal, and my age, so I shouldn't judge like that. I thought about Tuesday and Soda's letter. I hope Dally gives it to Ponyboy when he visits them, I really do.

Speaking of the devil, there was a knocking on my porch door. I grabbed my baseball bat and then realized- who knocks when they are breaking into a house? When the door opened, Dally was revealed.

"What do you want, Dal?" I asked through a yawn. He was fully dressed and seemed ready to go somewhere.

"I'm gonna make my way to Windrixville today and check on the boys. Come with me." His eyes were lit up with determination, but that slowly faded as I shook my head.

"No, Dal, I can't." He grabbed my arm and shook it.

"Why not, come on, Row." He started to jerk me out onto the porch, but I pulled out of his grip.

"No, Dallas, I have school tomorrow. They need my help with the Socs and all. You heard it, Soc vs. Grease."

He fidgeted. "Come on, Row. Please." He frowned.

"I'm sorry, Dally, I am. My father would flip out on me. I don't mean to hurt your feelings…"

He stood up and got ready to go. "You didn't hurt my feelings. Nobody does, I'm Dallas Winston." He waved to me, so I guess he wasn't furious with me, maybe annoyed.

"Sorry, Dal," I whispered to myself while climbing into bed and putting my television to sleep. I shut my eyes and fell asleep, hoping Dallas would make it there safely. It takes quite a few hours to get to Windrixville, and Dallas Winston find trouble around every clean corner.

Dally's POV

I jumped off of the side of Rowan's house, spitting and hissing. "Why didn't she wanna come with me?" I whispered grimly to myself. Climbing into my vehicle, I started it, driving down the cold, hungry road all alone, and no other cars in sight. "I guess she does have shit to do…"

By five a.m., I was getting pretty woozy. I pulled over on the side of an old street a few towns off from Windrixville and closed my eyes for five minutes. There must be some new type of clocks that were installed during those five minutes, 'cause when I woke up it was nearly six! "God damnit!" I hissed furiously. "Now I'm behind by a whole fucking hour!"

I decided to make a call before I continued my trip, so I strutted over to the nearest booth and put a few quarters. I dialed the number I've been used to dialing and heard the voice that I love.

Whoa, whoa wait a second; not love. It's complicated.

"Hello?" cracked a voice.

"Hey, you sound like you just woke up."

"Oh, hey Dally. And I did. Did you make it yet?"

"No, not yet. I fell asleep for an hour in my car. Maybe if you came with me that wouldn't have happened, Row!"

She giggled. "Typical Dally, asleep on the job."

"Oh just shut up will ya." I chuckled.

"Tell Johnnycake and Ponyboy I said hey, will ya? Don't leave me out."

"We'll see, Bishop."

"Talk to you later, Dal." She hung up, and I placed the phone on the receiver. Getting back in Buck's ol' car, I headed off to arrive in the town of Windrixville three hours later.

I parked the car behind the hill of the church, and gazed up. Johnny's up there, I thought feeling warmer inside. I sprinted up the hill and had a real good look at that church. Damn, it's gotten worse. I looked through some wood and barely made out two bodies lying on some benches. I hope those aren't dead corpses… I thought, only to be reassured by the faint up and down movement of their bodies.

I ran around to the side and looked in. Yep, there were Ponyboy and Johnny. I found the entrance and walked in, the door squeaked as I pried it open, shocked to see a bleach-blond in fronna me. I leaned in close to Ponyboy and started touching his hair.

"Hey, Blondie," I said following it up with a laugh.

"Hey Dal," he said while rubbing his eyes.

"Wake up." I walked over to the bench Johnny was sleeping on. Man, it was good to see him.

"Hey Johnny, rise and shine, man." I lightly kicked the side of the bench and walked around. Memories washed back into my brain as I relived my good and bad times here. Johnny and Ponyboy hurled questions at me.

"Hey, one thing at a time. You guys hungry, wanna get somethin' to eat? I'm starving, man."

Johnny was itching his head. "You're starving? Try bologna for four days." I laughed, he was right. "Hey, you got a cancer stick, Johnny?" He nodded and tossed me a cigarette. I haven't smoked one in a while. A while for me, at least.

I reached into my pocket and felt that letter from Soda, but it was lacking that Pepsi. I wasn't gonna say nothin', he doesn't need to know. "Special delivery for uh, Ponyboy Curtis," I said while giving him the letter.

"Who's this from?" he asked, seeming confused.

"The President, of the United States of America." I smiled at him, seeing if he was willing to believe it. He didn't.

"Yeah, right," he stated sarcastically.

"I'm serious," I lied. He looked at me. "It's from your brother, Sodapop." Pony was bewildered.

"How'd he know I was here?"

I walked over to the window and looked out. "I told him I didn't know where you were, but he didn't believe me. He really wanted me to give that to you, man."

Ponyboy read the letter in silence as I lit that cigarette Johnny gave me. Johnny got up and put on that old coat that he's had forever.

"Hey Dal, what's going on with the cops man, you hear anything?" Ponyboy finished his letter and joined in with Johnny. "How come you got hauled in?"

I was amused by this. I'm Dallas Winston, for cryin' out loud. "Those boys at the station know me by now. While I was there they kinda beat it out of me that you guys were- get this- headed for Texas. They think you're in Texas!" Ponyboy put on his jacket. "Texas, man!" I smiled, looking at Ponyboy.

"God man, look at this guy with his hair, man, I can't believe that." Ponyboy looked annoyed with me, but I didn't give a shit. "Blondie, man."

He just stared at me. "I know I look lousy, but you don't have to rub it in."

We headed towards the exit and I asked again. "You guys wanna get somethin' to eat?" I pushed Johnny in the head and he trailed on my heels. "You better believe it, man, let's get outta here!"

I drove wicked speedy down the street, and Ponyboy finally asked me where I got this car. What a smarty he is, huh, just noticing now. I told him I got it from Buck and then drove with my hands off the wheel; that old trick Rowan taught me. I took 'em to DQ like I told Rowan I would, and cut some dude off. Man, I don't know why Oklahoma ever gave me a license.

I got us some barbeque sandwiches and cokes, hopefully making up for that Pepsi I stole. Nah, forget it. I enjoyed it, and I'm not even sorry. I'm never sorry for anything. We ate in car, parked in the parking lot and I let the boys know about what's been happening.

"It's all over town, Soc against grease. I had to start carrying a heater."

Pony's eyes went wide. "Dal, you kill people with heaters!" I bopped him on the head.

"No duh, kid. Don't worry, it ain't loaded, but it sure makes a good bluff."

Some random kids came over and tried heckling a dime off of me, but I shooed her off. I really dislike little kids. I had to hide the heater. Last thing I needed was to be reported by some dumb kid.

I told him how that Cherry girl was our spy, even if Rowan doesn't like her.

"Rowan…how's she been?" Johnny asked. "I miss her." I smiled and put on my shades. "She's been doing well. Real well." Johnny got lost in his own world. "I really like her. A lot. Maybe, I should ask her out?"

Oh hell no, not today kid. I'm not letting him steal 'er, no matter how much of a good kid he is. It's not like I have 'er anyways…

"I owe her my neck," said Ponyboy thankfully. "If it weren't for her, those Socs would've had it. She was there before y'all came. Even you, Dal."

I nodded. "I know, she's a tough broad. Keep her around, will ya? Oh, and Tim Shepard's gang and ours are having a rumble with them Socs tomorrow night. We'll get 'em, we'll get 'em good, man!"

Pony asked about Cherry, he definitely likes her some, but maybe not. I'm awful with this shit, I mean look at Sylvia.

"She said she'd testify that the Socs were drunk and you guys were only defending yourselves." I took a bite of my sandwich, while Johnny starts runnin' his damn mouth about going home, telling me how he'd give me back the heater and Cherry will defend him and Pony and everything. I just don't want him to go in the cooler, like I did. He said he was turning himself in. What the hell.

"Did my parents ask about me?" They didn't, because they are fags.

"Hey man, the boys are worried, did you know that Two-Bit wanted to go to Texas to hunt for you?" He sighed. "Dally, I asked if my parents asked about me."

I looked at him. "No, they didn't ask about you, but so what? You think my old man gives a hang if I'm uh, dead in a car wreck, or drunk, or in jail or something? He doesn't care."

My mind went dizzy. "I get you a hideout…and now you wanna split." We started to drive back to that damn church to collect their stuff and I'm trying my best to change Johnny's mind. "Johnny, you don't know what a few months of jail will do to ya, man. You get mean in jail, I just don't wanna see that happen to you like it happened to me, man. You understand?

I get no reply, 'cause the church is in our sights, and it's in a ball of smoke and flames. People surrounding it, kids and adults and all I'm thinking is, what the hell happened?

A/N: So we're at the fire! :O I think this is my worst chapter yet, but I wanna know what you think! More reviews means more updates!