Disclaimer: The Outsiders belongs to S.E. Hinton, and "Heartbreak Warfare" belongs to John Mayer.

CHAPTER FIVE
Friday, December 30th, 1966

Drop his name,
Push it in and twist the knife again

With a frustrated sigh, Anna ran her hands through her already messy hair. She was never going to be rid of Steve Randle. He might have dated Evie, she might be more than happy to flirt with Henry, and they might have only truly spoken to one another once in months, but she wasn't rid of him. She wasn't sure she wanted to be completely rid of him, but she knew that she wanted the hurt to go away and the only way to do that was to get over him and move on.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to do that when she continued being dragged into his life. First by Kathy who needed her at her side while she dealt with Two-Bit. Anna was willing to do that, though. Kathy was her best friend and she'd do anything for her, but she sure didn't have to like the fact that it had put her near Steve.

And now … She sighed. Now she knew that Millie was pregnant with his dad's kid. His dad might be a jerk who treated his own son like shit, but Anna knew Steve was nothing like him. He might have cheated on her, but he wasn't an uncaring bastard. She wished she could say he was - she had even considered it to be true after he'd slept with Evie - but she knew better. She wasn't blind; she had seen him the night Johnny and Dallas died.

Steve had cheated because he thought she was leaving him. All he'd done was try to protect his feelings by hurting hers worse. It sucked, and she wanted to hate him for it, but she couldn't. She couldn't hate Steve and she knew that under any other circumstances, he never would've cheated.

What she didn't know was if this was something she'd always known or just come to realise in the last few days. Because since she'd seen her at the bakery, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about him and Millie. She was having a baby and - after a lot of careful consideration - Anna knew that even if John Randle didn't deserve to know, Steve sure as hell did.

Sitting at the kitchen table, she stretched. It was almost noon but she was still in her pink flannel pyjamas and hadn't been out of bed more than half an hour. Usually that morning person who annoyed everyone with her good mood - especially Steve and Danny - she felt groggy and moody and wished she'd been sleeping better.

It wasn't guilt tugging at her, nor was it loyalty to Steve, but she wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was just that he deserved to know. After thinking about it for so damn long, she knew that for certain. She'd tried to convince herself otherwise by remembering how much he'd hurt her, thinking of all the bad things about him, and deciding that he probably didn't even like kids anyway.

But she kept going back to that other point: Steve wasn't his dad. As much as she hated to admit it, he was … okay. She could call him plenty of names and mean most of them, but there were some things she couldn't deny. He was loyal to his friends, he could be kind when he wanted to, and he was generally pretty decent. When he wasn't screwing around on his girlfriend.

She smirked. The anger might have faded and she might know in her heart that he wouldn't've done it if things hadn't gotten so messy, but that didn't mean she was about to forgive and forget or let him off the hook in any way, shape, or form.

Groaning, she lay her head on her arms. She didn't know what to do. This secret had been shoved upon her and she couldn't tell anyone. She supposed she could tell Kathy, but what good was that going to do? The fact was that agreeing to keep quiet had come automatically, but she wasn't sure it was the right thing to do. Steve deserved to know … but it sure wasn't her place to tell him.

She didn't know whose place it was to tell him that he was going to have a kid brother or sister in a matter of months, but it wasn't up to her. Maybe it all came back to her unwillingness to forgive and forget, but it wasn't her problem. She wanted to be over him - because not being over him sucked - and to do that she had to stay away from him and out of his life.

Someone knocked at the door, and she peeked out from beneath her tangle of hair. Climbing to her feet, she cursed Danny and her dad for being out. She needed a shower, clothing, makeup - not visitors. Sighing, she opened the front door and wanted to cry at the unfairness.

After a moment of silently checking her out, Henry grinned. "Nice pyjamas."

Unsuccessfully fighting a blush, Anna glanced down at the pink flannel. "Glad you like them."

"Oh, I do. Really, I don't think I've seen you look more gorgeous."

She met his gaze, smiling slightly. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No way." He took a step closer, picking up a strand of her hair. "This bed-hair thing? It really works for you."

He was teasing her, but there wasn't anything nasty about it. There never was, and she wondered if Henry even knew how to be mean. She supposed he must if he was in Tim's gang, but he was being awfully nice to her. And she knew she didn't look her best.

"What are you doin' here?" she asked. "Danny ain't home."

He gave her a grin she could only describe as sexy. "Yeah, I'm here to see you."

"Really?" She silently scolded herself as soon as the word was out of her mouth. She sounded far too happy about that small fact.

"Really. I was hanging out with the guys last night, and I started thinkin' about that conversation we had at school the other week. You know, the one about you not bein' over Steve Randle?"

"I remember," she said. "But I never admitted to not being over Steve."

He shrugged. "You also never denied it. But, either way, I wanna take you out."

She was silent for a moment. He joked about it constantly - always flirting with her, hinting at asking her out. But the most serious he'd been about it was when they'd talked about Steve … and even then she hadn't been certain he wasn't just joking around.

"You - you're serious, aren't you?"

"Dead serious," he said. "I know the Randle thing is still kinda there, but like I said the other week - maybe you're more over him than you realise."

Anna smiled. "And dating you might help me realise it, right?"

"Sounds about right. I know I joke about it all the time, but you know I like you." Goodness he was open.

He was grinning at her again, and she wondered how she could possibly say no. There was no reason for her to say no to Henry. She liked him, after all. He was kind, funny, and sexy. He did his best to make her smile, laugh, and happy. He wasn't even a little afraid of letting her know how much he liked her.

She wanted to be over Steve and moving on was the best way to do it. Hell, with how in love with him she'd been, it might be the only way. Swallowing her sudden nervousness, she looked at Henry. She needed Steve out of her life; he and Millie and that baby weren't her business anymore, and it wasn't up to her to tell him anything.

"How about tonight?"

Henry grinned. "Pick you up at seven?"

She nodded. "Okay."

He was a good guy - good-looking, good to her, honest. But, the very best thing about Henry Phillips: he had never dated Evie.

XXXXX

Henry was kissing her and she couldn't help but like it. The idea of kissing him had made her nervous all night and she wasn't sure if it was because she really liked him, or because the last time she had kissed a boy it had turned into a disaster. It didn't matter now, though. Now he was kissing her and his thumb was sliding over the back of her neck, making her shiver …

She pulled back, taking a deep breath. She definitely liked him; there was no denying that. Looking at him, she fought the urge to kiss him again.

"I should really get inside."

He nodded, thumb still stroking her neck. "Yeah."

"I had a really good time tonight."

Henry said nothing, and her nervousness began creeping back in. She bit her lip, not sure what else to say. She didn't have to say anything when he leaned in to kiss her again, tongue slipping between her lips. She kissed back. She kissed back and it was so damn nice to have someone other than Steve Randle make her heart thump the way it was.

But there she was, thinking about Steve again, just like she had all night.

"You wanna go to Bobby's party with me tomorrow night?" Henry asked, lips brushing against hers.

"Yes." And she really did.

Pulling back, she gave him a quick grin before jumping out of his car. Henry waited until she reached the front porch before he took off down the street, and Anna sighed. Throwing herself onto the steps, she cursed Millie and Steve and that whole problem.

She hadn't been thinking of Steve like she had always thought she would, but she'd still thought about him. When first considering the idea of going out with Henry, she had thought she'd end up spending the night thinking about Steve and feeling guilty because she wasn't over him. Instead, she was thinking about him and feeling guilty because she knew deep down that she had made the wrong choice.

He deserved to know about the baby, and she was the only person who could tell him. She didn't want to tell him. Telling him meant being far too close to him than she was comfortable with, and then having to speak to him. The idea made her shake, but she had to do it. Knowing what she knew and knowing that he didn't know was eating at her. She shouldn't care, but she did.

Getting to her feet, she took a deep breath and headed toward Steve's house.

XXXXX

Opening his front door to find Anna standing in front of him had Steve confused. He hadn't seen her in a week, she hadn't turned up at his house in months, and hadn't knocked at his door like that in even longer. It reminded him of the past - which was nice, and he wasn't about to complain at having her there - but it bothered him off that she didn't turn up more often.

But she was there then and that was what mattered. What he couldn't figure out was why she was there. Their talk at school had gone … not terribly, but not great either. He might have helped her, but she had obviously been uncomfortable around him. Fighting back the urge to just ask her what the hell she was doing there, he took his time, figuring this might be as good a chance as any to see whether or not she was over him.

He stared at her for a moment, before finally saying, "Hey."

"Hi." She shuffled on her feet, every bit of visible skin he could see going red. And there was an awful lot of visible skin. In fact, she was wearing far too few clothes for late at night in December. And she looked fucking great.

He smirked. Things might be undefined and uncomfortable between them, but he knew how he felt now. And because of that, he wasn't going to not check her out. Crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on the doorway, he slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers.

"You look real nice."

She blushed harder, and that had to mean something.

"Thanks."

"Is this for me?" he asked, smirk growing.

"I … no." She frowned at him as though he were stupid, but he'd known that would be her answer even as he asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Too bad …"

She glared at him. "I went out tonight. With Henry." And then, as if he needed clarification, she added, "On a date."

There was a sharp pain in his chest and it fucking ached. It was all he could do not to grimace and show how much her words actually hurt. On a date with Henry. He looked at her; flushed skin that he now realised probably wasn't flushed because of him, short skirt and tight sweater which definitely weren't for him, and slightly swollen lips that he remembered far to well.

His stomach dropped. So she'd kissed him. That sucked.

"A date?" He'd managed to hide the grimace, but even he could hear the disappointment - when it became obvious to Anna, he refused to think of it as hurt - in his voice.

Her eyes widened and he hated himself for being so fucking transparent. "Yes."

"Did you have a good time?" he asked, voice low and bitter.

She nodded. "But, that's not why I'm here -"

"Did you sleep with him?"

Her mouth opened and closed a few times, and he hated himself for asking. He couldn't help it, though. Other than the fact that she had obviously kissed this guy, she was standing in front of him and looking so damn good and he had to know. The thought had come to him and instantly been said aloud.

Finally, she glared at him. "Glory, Steve. It's not any of your business whether I did or not."

He'd hoped she'd just say no and leave it at that, but her answer didn't surprise him. It also wasn't good enough. The idea of her screwing around with Phillips killed him, even if she was at his house now. He needed to know, and there was only one way he'd get it out of her.

"Well, shoot, I guess it ain't." He stood straight, stepping toward her. "But, I mean, you slept with me the night we got together. What's to stop you from doin' it with Phillips, too?"

He wanted to kick himself for the shit he was saying, but he knew Anna. She might have become better at hiding some feelings, but she'd always been good at lying and keeping information to herself. If he wanted to know, he was going to have to push it out of her.

"You're an asshole," she muttered.

"Did you sleep with him?" he asked again.

Anna actually laughed. It was scornful, but it was a laugh. "What're you gonna do if I did, huh? Jump him at the Dingo like you did Ricky? Get yourself hauled in again? At least you won't have Evie watching and crying this time, though, right?"

His eyes flashed. "Ricky, of course. You jumped right back into bed with him first chance you got, so why not with Phillips -"

She slapped him and he knew he deserved it. It was a hard, stinging slap that hurt more than he could have thought and not just on his cheek. He straightened his head to look at her, not sure how to feel. He'd been in more fights that he knew, his dad pushed him around far too often, and he'd even gotten into it with his buddies a few time. But this was Anna …

"You're an asshole," she said again. Her lip trembled and she looked like she might cry.

He was silent, not sure he could get the words out even if he knew which words to use. She looked away from him and raked a shaky hand through her hair. The were both silent for what felt like minutes and he couldn't begin to wonder what she was thinking. Hell, he wasn't sure there were any coherent thoughts going through his own mind; apologies, curses, and a simple fuck off were swimming around, but he couldn't get any of them out.

Letting out what almost sounded like a sob, she finally looked back at him. "Oh, God. I … How could I -"

"Why're you here?" His voice was gruffer than he liked. It had sounded like some kind of apology was about to come out of her mouth, and he couldn't stand that. He couldn't stand her being there. He wanted her gone.

She took a step back, swallowing hard. "I saw Millie."

Steve scowled. "So?"

"Well … she's pregnant."

"You came all this way, started a fight, and slapped me, just to tell me my dad's ex-girlfriend is pregnant?"

She flinched. He still didn't know how to feel or what to think. He'd been hoping her being there could shed some light on whether or not she was over him. If she was there just to tell him Millie was knocked up, then their fight and everything that had happened in the last few minutes definitely wasn't worth it. What the fuck did he care if Millie was pregnant?

Although, if he was honest with himself, he was still reeling from the fact that Anna had slapped him. He knew he deserved a lot of the hits he scored for himself - including this one - but it was Anna. She knew what his old man was like; Two-Bit had admitted to him that he'd let it slip to her once … and maybe Steve had fooled himself into believing she still cared. He didn't know how he'd come up with that idea, but he supposed he'd always just hoped.

And maybe he was at least a little right. She'd been pissed - probably still was - but she regretted it. He could see it in her eyes and had known it the moment she met his gaze and let out that sob.

"Thing is …" she paused, swiping her hair away from her face and standing up straighter. "Thing is, she's pregnant and it's your dad's kid."

"Oh." He paused, thinking things through. "Well, she don't expect me to be the one to tell him, does she? 'Cause I ain't."

Anna shook her head. "She said she doesn't want him knowing. Him or you."

"Then why're you tellin' me?"

"Because it's a big deal. It's … it's gonna be your kid brother or sister."

Brother or sister? No fucking way. He was seventeen - far too old to have a new kid brother or sister on the way. Not only that but … there was no but. Anna's words were true and he was at a loss for words and rational thoughts again. A fucking kid.

He understood why Millie didn't want his old man finding out. Steve had been around for plenty of her fights with his dad and she'd witnessed just as many of Steve's fights with him. No sane woman would want his help in raising a kid. But Steve couldn't quite understand why she didn't want him knowing. He'd never done anything to her - in fact, they'd mostly always gotten along really well.

Not that it mattered. It was a kid - a baby - and he knew that made it his brother or sister, but it didn't matter. Not really. He barely knew Millie, she'd only been in his life for a few months, and this kid would just be …

He didn't know how to finish that thought.

"Steve?"

Anna had stepped forward and was looking at him with what he might call concern had she not slapped him only minutes before.

He swallowed through the dryness in his throat. "You sure it's his?"

"Yeah, I kinda - well, I asked and she said it was his."

He nodded because there was nothing else he could do. The silence between them was tense as Anna stared at her Mary-janes and Steve stared into the dark night. This was too fucking much; a kid brother or sister, Anna and her fucking date … Anna slapping him and the shit he'd said.

A gust of wind swept past them and Anna shivered.

"I should go."

"Yeah."

She took a few steps backward before turning. Reaching the porch steps, she paused and turned back to him. He stared at her, waiting.

"I shouldn't've slapped you," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

The ache in his chest seemed to disappear instantly. She'd still slapped him, and she'd still been on a date, but she still cared. She cared enough to tell him about Millie, she cared enough to apologise for slapping him, and in some twisted way, she still cared enough to throw her date in his face and get as pissed at him as she did. There was no fucking doubt in his mind: she cared and very possibly wasn't over him. He nodded, fighting a smirk and knowing what he needed to know.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I've deserved it for a while."

Watch my face,
As I pretend to feel no pain, pain, pain

A/N: You know the drill: beta'd by RileysMomma, reviews make me happy, and thanks for reading. I appreciate it :)