Disclaimer: S. E. Hinton owns 'The Outsiders'. I know it took forever but I've written another chapter for you guys, I hope you all are still reading. Please leave me some reviews so I know. Thank you all for the support, I appreciate it endlessly.
Dal wanted to embrace her but the knife in her hand was clenched awfully hard. She ignored his previous stating of her name and continued chopping the vegetables in-front of her. The knife was moving too fast for Dallas to comprehend Kate's quiet muttered word, "Fuck." She turned around swiftly and began running her finger under cold water.
The way she jumped as the water hit her finger brought Dallas back to reality, "You okay?"
"He didn't mean it." Her response was too fast and too off topic but Dal went with it, "You're right."
Kate sighed and turned around to grab the towel off of the counter and dry her hands. She looked so stressed.
"I want him back too." She avoided making eye contact.
It was Dal's turn to sigh and run a hand through his hair, "I know you do, baby."
"I know I'm too hard on David."
"I know that too."
"Maybe I'm not cut out for this thing."
"What do ya mean?"
"Raising David. Maybe I made the wrong choice."
Genuine shock showed through in Dal's eyes. He grabbed Kate's hands and turned her around to face him. "You know that's not true. Wasn't it you who told me if your kid doesn't hate you every once in awhile then you're not parenting right?"
Kate didn't look convinced so Dal continued, "You love him so much, babe. Everyone knows it. You know how many kids around here would die for someone to give a shit about them the way you give a shit about David?"
"Of course I love him."
"Exactly, and he'll thank you for that one day. You're a good mom, baby. There's no one I'd rather have kids with."
Kate looked up at him then as a genuine smile crossed her lips. Did Dallas Winston just mention a normal future with her?
She kissed him gently and continued smiling, "You're a good man, Winston."
XXX
Dal came by the Dingo to let Kate know that his gang and the Shepards were having it out with the Socs tonight. The protest he received from her was surprising. Growing up with Daniel, she knew that no matter what she said, a situation like this wasn't going to be stopped.
"What the fuck is the problem? You told me to fix it and I told you I was gonna have it out with them."
"I have a bad feeling about it tonight. You know I've never asked you for anything and I've never gotten in the way of you doing your thing but I'm asking you tonight, Dal. Call it off. Please."
"It's too late. Everything is gonna be fine, don't worry." Dal turned to walk away but Kate grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Dallas looked around to see how many onlookers there were and kissed her intently. Her breathing was quickened when he pulled away. "I'll see you tonight, dollface." He gently stroked her cheek before turning away.
XXX
Kate continued pacing back and forth, wringing her hands, waiting for Dallas to walk through the door. She didn't like the way she could feel her heart throbbing in her chest. The night Daniel was shot felt all too familiar to now.
A sigh of relief almost slipped her lips when she heard her front door open but it wasn't Dal who walked in.
"Soda?"
"Why wasn't your door locked? Nevermind. We have to go."
"Go where?" The forming bruises on Soda's face and the way his breath was quickened didn't go unnoticed to Kate. She took a glance upstairs to where David and Francesca were soundly sleeping.
"The hospital. Dal got stabbed."
Mother's intuition.
XXX
There was a note on the fridge informing Francesca and her grandmother of Kate's and David's whereabouts. David was in dream land as his head lay in Kate's lap. She didn't want to wake him to bring him to the hospital with her but she always felt the need to have him within arm's reach whenever something bad happened.
The rest of the gang cluttered the hospital waiting room. Even Tim Shepard stood in the corner with his hands in his pockets. All of them patiently waiting for news on Dal.
"You were right." Johnny's soft voice came from across from Kate as he looked up at her slightly.
"Right about what?" Two-Bit's curiousness piped up.
"Dal said Kate didn't want him to go tonight, remember?"
Two-Bit nodded and his eyes met the floor, "Oh, yeah."
"How did you know?" Johnny continued and Kate felt pressured as all eyes in the room were now on her.
"I didn't for sure, I just had a feeling."
"Like the night your brother died?"
"Pony!" Darrel's stern voice rectified Pony from across the room.
Kate smirked sadly. "Yeah, like the night my brother died." She ignored the eyes still looking at her and pet David's head gently as he slept.