Disclaimer: S. E. Hinton owns 'The Outsiders'.
Kate was never conceited, confident maybe, but never conceited. She knew Dallas wanted her but he never doubted that she wanted him too. As the night went on it became more and more evident how that was possibly another thing that had changed. Every few moments he noticed Kate's hand gravitate back to the scar on her arm.
She was fast asleep now as her hair stuck to her neck with sweat. Her breathing was slow and Dallas watched her chest move up and down as she lay on her stomach. He was just about to close his eyes and try and get some sleep when Francesca's yell echoed the house.
Kate jolted awake and was about a centimeter away from falling off the bed. Francesca called again and Kate regained herself as she hopped up and quickly threw on some clothes. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and rushed down the stairs.
Dallas faintly heard Francesca's panicky voice and Kate's soothing one. Kate appeared back in the room a few minutes later with her car keys jingling in her hand.
"I'm taking Francesca to the hospital."
The bags were still evident under her eyes but she looked completely aware of the situation, full on mother mode.
"What happened?"
Kate pulled a shirt over her head and buttoned up her jeans without even making eye contact. "She's bleeding."
He almost asked from where before remembering the entire situation. He wasn't exactly in the mood for his next question but figured that he owed Kate that much. "You want me to go with you?"
She smirked slightly and shook her head, "I'll be fine. If I'm not home by morning can you make sure David gets to school?"
He nodded, "Sure thing babe."
Kate shuffled on her feet a moment before hearing Francesca ask if she was almost ready. She rushed over to Dallas and kissed him quickly before dashing back out the door.
XXX
After noticing the clock on the wall as Dallas walked into the hallway he slowed his step and debated whether or not it'd even be worth it to wake David up now. He decided against it and headed downstairs. He was pretty sure Kate's grandma hadn't gotten up before one in a while now.
He flinched slightly at the small figure dressed in red and yellow making a sandwich in the kitchen.
"Where's Francesca?"
"Sleeping."
Dallas paused, "She okay?"
Kate nodded, "Doctor said bleeding's normal in the first trimester." Dallas didn't respond and Kate grabbed her purse from off the counter, "There's David's lunch. I can't afford to skip out on a shift today so I'm gonna need you to watch him. 'Ya know, since he missed school and all."
She didn't exactly sound pissed so Dallas just nodded. "Unless, you have something better to do?"
"Nah, nothing better."
Kate nodded, "Francesca's sleeping on the couch, try not to wake her, and make sure David's up before 12. Take him to the park or something so you don't get it from my grandma."
Dallas didn't see the need in responding as she was already walking away from him. He grabbed her arm quickly and waited for her to turn and face him, "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, just dandy."
XXX
"What the hell are you talking about?" This was one of those times where Kate was honestly just pissing him the fuck off.
"I mean maybe we're not the same people we were a year ago. 'Ya know?"
"No, I don't know." Kate didn't respond and Dallas snapped at her, "I know you better than Bobby ever did."
"Dal." She was warning him and he backed off at the way her eyes started watering at the mention of Bobby's name. She started batting her eyelashes unnormally fast and he pretended he didn't notice.
He knew what this was about, and it had nothing to do with who they were a year ago or who they are today. Bobby's gone and now she wants him to prove that he's not gonna walk out on her. That despite every other person in her life not being there, for whatever reason, Dallas will be the one to stay.
"You want me to prove how much I still know about you?"
Kate looked confused as she squinted her eyes at him. Dallas didn't wait for a response as he tried to remember the weird quirks about her. "I know that you stick a cancer stick in your mouth when you're trying to calm down, you twist your hair around your finger when you're nervous, and squeeze your arm when you're pissed. "
"Everybody knows those things."
"I know that you hate ice and only drink stuff that's piss warm. You don't drink milk unless it has that chocolate powder from that ghetto store downtown. You don't drink water. You hate your smile and you wanna be a teacher. Anything else?"
Kate didn't answer.
"You sing whenever you think no one's listening. You get a meatball sub from that diner way out every Tuesday. You only chew fruit flavored gum. The only time you eat breakfast is if it's cake. You suck at pool yet you always make bets that you'll win and then get pissed off when you don't. And that watch you wear, is about 5 hours late."
Kate looked down at her watch slowly and grinned. She didn't say anything as she turned back around in the seat with a satisfied look on her face.
Dallas nodded in agreement and turned the key in the ignition, "I ain't going no where, Kate."
XXX
Kate was used to the involuntary flinch that occurred whenever someone breathed in her direction now but when she turned around from locking up the Dingo she was pretty sure that she had a reason to be flinching.
"Where's your boyfriend?"
Kate gripped her car keys tightly and tried to keep from sweating. "I don't know who you're talking about." She went to walk around the 3 guys but they were standing much to close to her car for her to make it very far.
"Now darling, we don't wanna mess up that pretty little face of yours, all we wanna do is talk to Dallas."
"I ain't seen him in nearly two days." She knew that she should have been worried when Dallas said he had business to take care of, but she learned from Daniel that the less you know, the better.
The guy in the middle stepped forward and his two goons stood a little straighter. "Word around town is that he's pretty stuck on you, you sure he could go two days without seeing that pretty little face?"
"Positive."
He smiled slyly, "I don't believe you sweetheart. How about you boys, you believe her?"
She watched one of the boys shake their head as the other glared at her, "Not at all."
They definitely weren't from this side of town, that much Dallas had taught her.
"Well then, we might just have to find out what's got Winston so stuck on you then."
Kate held in her gulp and clenched her fists tight. She'd been down this road before and she'd beat the living shit out of whoever tried to hurt her again, or die trying.
The scar on her arm began itching just as a car pulled slowly into the parking lot.
Kate kept eyes on who was climbing out of it and the guys turned to watch what she was eyeing.
Dallas climbed out of the passenger seat and some boy she recognized from around town came from the driver's.
The three guys tensed up and tried to book it to their car but Dallas was already swinging at one and grabbing another while his friend took on the remaining goon.
Dallas was cussing so much Kate doubted there were any actual words in-between. She waited for him to mess them up enough that they wouldn't forget it but not enough that he'd knock them unconscious.
"Dal." Kate appeared behind him but Dallas was still swinging at the leader of the pack. She placed her hand gently on his lower back and his burning skin warmed up her hand pretty damn fast.
Dallas came back to reality now and shoved the guy away. He looked toward his partner, "Tim, enough." '
"Tim" backed away from the guy he had taken on.
The two boys helped up the one that Dallas had already knocked to the ground and stumbled away from Dallas and Tim.
"I ever see you near her again and you won't see the fucking morning." Kate could tell that Dallas was trying to keep his threat mild as she rubbed her thumb back and forth on his back.
"Oh we're coming after the two of you next time Winston and you better fucking believe it'll be all of us."
Dallas stepped forward and the big-mouth flinched backwards.
Dallas smirked in satisfaction and waited until they were to the end of the parking lot until he turned to Kate. She hadn't realized how bad she was shaking until he looked her up and down. "Are you okay?"
Kate nodded quickly, "I'm not hurt."
He looked at her closer and pulled her in tight. She didn't cry, she wouldn't cry.
I know I know, this update took forever. I'm still getting hammered with school so please just stick with me until Summer and I promise I'll make up for it. I love you guys so much and I hope you're all still reading. Please leave me a review and let me know!