Disclaimer: S. E. Hinton owns 'The Outsiders'.

Kate stayed chatting with Sandy, Evie, and Kathy for a few more minutes as she gathered up loose garbage cluttering the backyard. It was if on cue that the phone rang as soon as the front door closed shut. David was long in bed and his friends had been picked up a couple of hours ago.

He could barely remember a time that he heard her voice so reserved. Whatever was happening on the other line, she was agreeing with it wholeheartedly. Her face was obvious with that motherly concern she wore so often lately and she seemed as though she were trying to keep herself composed. If it weren't for the small table she were leaning against, he wasn't sure if she'd still be standing.

When she hung up the phone he stared at her anxiously but she didn't make eye-contact with him. She was searching feverishly for something and he walked over to her, extending an open pack of cigarettes to her.

Kate glanced at him and pulled a cigarette out of the pack. She walked slowly over to the couch and Dallas took a seat at the other end. He lit a cigarette himself and waited a long while before looking at her again. The silence wasn't awkward, it was just nerve-wracking. Although with David and her grandmother both safe in their rooms, he couldn't quite wrap his head around what bad news she must have received.

She removed the cigarette from her lips, "Bobby got drafted."

"Bobby Miller?"

She nodded and he had to admit that her sudden concern about her ex-boyfriend wasn't sitting right on him. "His sister's pregnant."

"By who?"

Kate shrugged, "It was just a one night stand."

He vaguely remembered Bobby's sister. She was a year younger than Kate.

"He wants her to come live with me."

She seemed at ease with that whole part of the situation. The words came out a lot calmer than they had when she mentioned Bobby getting drafted.

"So?"

"I said she could."

Dallas scoffed, "Why?"

"I told you before, after Daniel died I was a wreck." Kate paused, "Bobby came to live with me for a while, helped me get my head on straight. He was real good with David and what not." She still didn't meet his eyes, "You know how he is with Francesca. He would do the same for David if the tables were turned."

He didn't doubt it. Even besides the fact that things between Kate and Bobby hadn't exactly ended well, he always felt as though he owed her for what went down with Daniel.

"I owe 'em this much."

The words sounded all too familiar and a small part of him wondered if she remembered him saying those exact words to her way back when. How could he say she was wrong when that was the same reason he had given for leaving her. At least she wasn't leaving though, he wasn't too sure how accepting he'd be of that.

"So what's gonna happen with their gang and all?" Kate had mentioned it a few times about Bobby taking over after Daniel died.

She shrugged, "Doesn't matter to me."

"Why's he want her to come here?"

"So she has someone looking after her I guess. Her dad hasn't gotten any better and I doubt Bobby wants her stuck up in New York with him and a kid."

"So why is it your responsibility?" It was a genuine question but he didn't miss the way her eyes narrowed.

"He was real good to me and David when no one else was. Took care of him for me, helped around the house, paid the bills." She stopped short, as though she didn't need to give any further explanation. All the things she was listing were things that he hadn't stuck around to do. The hidden accusation was obvious in her words, Bobby was there for her when he wasn't.

"You two get back together?" That had been the question nagging at him since the first time she had brought Bobby up.

"No. Things ended with us a long time ago Dallas, you know that."

And he did. As Kate had put it, Bobby always had a place in her heart, but they could never go back to the way things used to be. They sorta just fell into a place where if either of them needed the other, they'd be there, but never as more than a friend.

"Dallas?"

Kate's voice tugged him out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"

She handed the cigarette back to him and met his gaze, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

He examined her closely to be sure that she was 100% serious. He nodded and she moved herself over to his side of the couch. He obediently wrapped his arm around her as she snuggled into his chest. Once he felt the tingling in his arm, her eyelids fluttered shut.

XXX

Kate had taken the day off of work. She had to be there to pick Bobby and Francesca up from the train station.

Francesca was barely showing, although she was built pretty small to begin with. She spent the first while with Kate showing her baby magazines and gabbing about the nursery and so forth. Kate always loved Francesca but there was a part of her that needed to talk to Bobby, alone. She needed to know how he was doing, if he was okay.

The moment Francesca left to go take a shower, Bobby began wringing his hands. He kept his gaze steadily on the ground, "Don't ask me how I'm coping, 'cause I'm not."

Kate nodded slowly, "I'll take care of her, you know I will."

"I wouldn't have asked you to if I didn't know you would."

Kate already knew that, that'd be like her leaving David in the hands of someone she didn't absolutely know would take proper care of him, which obviously would never happen. Bobby trusted her, she knew that.

"So, the one and only Dallas Winston's right here in Tulsa, huh? What were the chances of that?" Bobby was smirking but his eyes still looked stressed. "What's that you used to gab about, fate something or other?"

Kate smiled, "Must be."

Bobby nodded, "He's good to you."

"You were never too bad yourself." Things hadn't ended badly between them because either of them wanted it to or had even caused it. Things just sorta fell apart, and both of them had ended up with the side-affects.

Bobby looked up and smiled at her. "Make sure it stays that way or I might just have to find myself a way back from Vietnam."

Kate gave him a serious look, "You better find a way back either way."

"Trust me Hun, this ain't exactly something I was asking for either."

Kate nodded and reached across the coffee table to squeeze his hand gently, "You deserved so much better."

Bobby met her eyes, "Didn't we both?"

So, how was that? Reviews would certainly be appreciated :)