Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders, and the conversation at the beginning of this chapter, and when Steve pulls out Victoria's hair, and when she's asleep on the couch, and with Shawn in the morning was written by texaskid and is from her story From Greaser to Country Girl and Back.

Recap: Emma and Stacy just had lunch at The Dingo.

After lunch we left The Dingo and Stacy and I parted: I headed to the DX.

When I got there, I found Victoria talking to Soda and Steve in the store at the counter. I hopped up beside Soda and listened in to find out what I missed.

"What makes you say Dally's an asshole?" Steve asked.

"When I need him the most he up and left me to fend for myself. 'Course I really didn't expect him to stick around anyway, he's never done it." Victoria said.

"Dally's gone?" Soda asked.

"Yeah, this morning, said he had to go out of town and he'd be back in a week at most." She said. I wondered where he had gone and if she knew.

"How do you know?" Soda asked.

"He um...he told me at like sunrise this morning." She said glancing down and then back up.

"See, he's not a total jerk, he told you he was leaving. Normally, he just up and leaves." Soda consoled, sliding a hand to her shoulder. She let out a heavy sigh. "Look, Steve and I could spend the rest of the day telling you how Dally's changed but you'd never believe us. You only have to believe that Dally would never hurt you like your father did."

"Randle, back to work." A man, whom I assumed to be their boss, said coming into the store. "Girl, you are becoming more of a distraction than Evie ever was." He said to Victoria.

"Yes sir, but only because I'm able to distract both of them at once right?"

"Girly, don't make me put you to work as well."

"I'll only work if you'll pay me, Georgie." I said.

"How'd you know that was my first name?" He asked.

"That's what the name on Steve's paycheck says."

I walked out then; sensing that man was going to say something inappropriate and dirty. And I had already had enough dirty jerks for one day.

After that I decided to go to the library and see if I could sign up for a card.

When I found the library, I walked in and went to the librarian who was sitting at the check-out desk.

"Hello." I greeted politely.

"Good day. How can I help you?" The nice lady asked with a warm smile.

"I was wondering how I might sign up for a library card?"

"Well, deary, how old are you?"

"Fourteen." I lied; I'd never really ever gone by my real age except for at school, and so far everyone in Tulsa thought I was fourteen. When truthfully; I didn't turn fourteen until September 13th. "And a half." I added for good measure.

"Okay, well then you'll need a parent or guardian to come in and fill out a sheet for you."

Damn. I wish I could pass for sixteen. I tried it once; but that was a year ago, before I'd even turned thirteen and it didn't work at all. I'd never tried it since.

"Oh. Well you see my mother just got out of the hospital after having been in a terrible, tragic accident a few weeks ago. The doctor has her restricted her to bed for the next two weeks. And my father is over seas serving our country in Vietnam at the moment." I quickly and smoothly made up a lie. Playing on pity, I trusted she would fall for it. "I really wanted to get some books for my little sister and brother to help keep them entertained while I cook supper for us all. And some for when I have time to read, too. Couldn't I just bring the sheet home and return it tomorrow?"

She fell for it like a flightless baby bird out of the nest. "Oh. I'm so sorry. Yes, you most certainly may bring it home with you." She said. I had hoped she would just give me a card then; but I could still work with this. I'd just forge a name and signature. "Just bring it in tomorrow with all the proper information filled out and your mother's and your signatures." She smiled; handing me a sheet.

"Thank-you so much." I smiled and left.

I laughed when I got outside. "Ha ha, hook, line, and sinker." I folded the sheet and tucked it in my pocket.

I went to the playground again for a bit; I just sat on the swings and watched the kids playing for a bit, and then headed over to Tim's.

I didn't stay, though, because Angel's friend Tiff was over and we didn't like each other.

After wandering town a bit, I decided to head back to the Curtis'; hoping someone would be home.

At the supper table I noticed Victoria had a new bruise on her arm.

Darry noticed it, too, I think, because he kept watching her.

"Something wrong?" She asked him.

"Just there's a bruise on your arm. It wasn't there when you left yesterday morning." He answered.

"Oh, um..." She rubbed at it gently and then sighed.

"Did you get jumped again?" Two-Bit asked.

"This afternoon by Cox. Said he needed to beat out Kenner." I could tell she was hiding something, but no one else did and I wasn't gonna call her on it.

Darry shook his head and then sighed. The subject was dropped after that and I figured they all accepted her reason.

A little later on she was leaning against Steve watching some show. Steve dragged his fingers through her hair and then sighed heavily.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"How am I supposed to run my fingers through your hair if you don't leave it down?" He asked.

"It's too hot to." She answered quickly. Terror looked up from where he was snoozing next to Darry's chair and cocked his head to the side.

"Toria please." She just sat up quickly and pulled away from him.

"Don't Steve." She warned.

"You've never had a problem with it before." Soda added. She glanced at Soda quickly but in that split second Steve hand had reached behind her and pulled her hair down again.

When she turned back to Steve, her hair slid over her shoulder. It was a lot shorter. Earlier that day it had been down to her waist, and now it was to just below her shoulder blades; about where mine was. I liked it, but Soda and Steve were choking back laughter.

Two-Bit looked mildly shocked, Pony looked completely shocked, and Darry looked concerned. She got up and ran out the door.

Two-bit followed her out and they came back in a few minutes later with Johnny.

"Toria we're really sorry, you just look so different with short hair." Steve said standing as Johnny took Dally's normal seat by the door.

"Yeah Tator, we didn't mean to laugh." Soda added. Two-Bit plopped back down on the floor but kept his eyes on the gang waiting for one of us to laugh or something. Terror stood up and nudged Victoria's leg.

"It's alright buddy." She said stroking his head. He sat next to her and Steve hugged her.

I wanted to comfort her and tell her how much I liked her hair, and decided that I'd be risky and try moving to a nickname with her. "Toria, you know I really like your hair shorter." I looked up at her. "It's the same length as mine now." I smiled, pulling my hair over my shoulder to show her.

"Thanks, Em." She said softly and smiled, and I knew that she had given me permission to shorten her name. I was glad I had earned a star with her finally. I made a new friend today and took another step towards being close with my sister. My sister. I loved the thought of that, half sister or not. I'd only ever grown up around guys, and had a brother once for five years before my step-dad left with him when Tyler was seven and I was five.

"Tore, what happened?" Pony asked. She pushed Steve away and sat down on the arm of Johnny's chair. Steve sighed, but sat back down on the couch and Soda turned down the volume on the TV.

"I told you at dinner; I got jumped by Cox and a few of his friends." Victoria said.

"But why are they starting to jump you more often?" Johnny asked.

"Because Steve's ex is such a good cocksucker that Cox'll do anything she wants which includes beating me up so I'll be out of the way and she has a free and clear shot at stealing Steve."

Then Steve spoke up. "But that doesn't make any sense. The more she has guys jump you, the more you get hurt, the more worried I'm going to be about you. And I won't even pay any attention to her. Why would I when my girlfriend is hurt." She smiled and looked pleased with what he had said.

"So then it works in my favor really, she's just helping bring Steve closer ta me when she wants the opposite." She said speaking quickly again.

Steve looked at her with a blank look, as did Soda, Two-Bit, and Darry. I understood her perfectly. "Yeah I guess that would work in your favor. The closer Steve is to you the farther he is from Evie." Pony said.

Steve smiled and Darry nodded. Then the latter stood and motioned with his head for Victoria to follow him to the bathroom.

When Johnny asked where Dally was, Soda told him what Victoria had told us earlier. He was out of town for a while; he had left that morning.

A little bit later Victoria came back in the living room with Darry behind her, and Two-bit, who had followed Darry and Victoria to the bathroom.

Steve looked up, and she smiled and sat down next to him leaning her head against his chest and curling her feet up next to herself. He sighed contently and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Toria..." Darry started.

"Dar...Is it alright if I just hang around here tomorrow?" She asked.

"Sure." He said, he actually sounded relieved.

"Wait a minute, you hate being cooped up. Why would you suggest it?" Soda asked.

"It's different when I offer." She shrugged.

"You don't think of it as being cooped up if you offer right?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, it's genetic. Winstons can't stand being confined." She said.

"Wait what's tomorrow?" Pony asked.

"16th, third Sunday of the month." Victoria answered.

"Now it makes sense." Pony sighed.

"What makes sense?" Soda asked.

"Robert's calling tomorrow." Pony said.

"Ooo hidden boyfriend? Secret lover?" Two-Bit suggested.

"Hey I'm the faithful one." Victoria teased.

"Her uncle, and I'm guessing since Dally's not here she's going to have to answer it." Pony said rolling his eyes.

"Maybe I just want to spend sometime inside." Victoria suggested. Pony gave her an all-knowing look and she rolled her eyes. "Alright, you win. I gotta talk to the stinkin' uncle, now leave me alone." The subject was dropped and we spent the rest of the night watching TV which was a little unusual for us seeing as how there were no card games and the radio was turned off.

The next morning, I noticed that no one really wanted to leave Toria; having obviously forgotten I was still around.

I was in the kitchen when Shawn, the brother of the girl who had got jumped yesterday, came in; he clearly knew Toria real well.

"Tore, are you alright?" His deep male voice asked, kneeling in front of Toria.

"Honestly, I don't know." She answered.

"Kelsey said she ran into Pony and Johnny who told her about what Cox did yesterday and she forced me to come an' check up on you. She also said that she's sorry she couldn't do it herself but she knew you needed your big brother and since Dally's gone the role falls to me. Babe have you been crying?"

"I don't know." She said. She reached up, touched her face, and must have realized it was wet. "I guess so."

"You sound confused."

"I am slightly. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if everything's been a dream and then I hear a couple guys snoring and I realize this is truly the life I'm doomed to live. There are other times where I walk down the road and am so zoned out that it feels like I'm watching everything happen through the eyes of a character in a movie or a book. I just feel so detached."

"Babe does this have anything to do with these Brumley boys?" He asked standing and shoving her over a bit so he could squeeze into the chair next to her. She shifted a bit and ended up sitting on his lap with her arms draped around his shoulders and playing with his hair.

Seeing her in his lap and listening to their conversation reminded me of Thomas back in New York. He was like a big brother to me. He was always there when I needed him; except one time when I had needed him the most, then he had just up and left without a word to anyone. I guess he was somewhat like Dallas in that sense, only when he was around he wasn't afraid to show feelings for me and his pride wasn't so inflated that it stopped him from doing what he needed to in his role as gang leader and my big brother.

"Yeah I guess. I never really understood why they had it out for me until one of them mentioned Steve's ex wanting me out of the way. Shawn do you think I should maybe go back to the country and forget about these boys?" Toria asked.

"No." He snapped. She looked up at him and he smiled. "Babe you love it here, even with these guys breathing down your back, you love your brother and his friends and you're so happy here. And you're just starting to get to know your kid sister. You've always wanted a sister. That's why you protect Kelsey so much. She was like the kid sister you never had and always wanted. Leaving here may ruin that with your blood sister."

I realized then that there were tears sliding down my face. Damn. Even though the gang was nice, I had a sister like I always wanted, and Tulsa was a nice breath of fresh air from all the fighting and violence of my life in New York; I did miss Thomas. And James Bennett, too. Oh, man, I wish he was still here. Why did I call that rumble! It's all my fault he's dead.

"But all these guys..."

"So either stay here where you love your brother, friends, and have to put up with jerks or go back to the country where there are no jerks, you can ride and work all day, and you'll miss your brother and sister like crazy." Shawn told her. She sighed.

I couldn't take anymore then. I quickly and quietly left the kitchen and went into my room, closed the door and slid out the window and climbed down the tree.

My feet hit the ground running, and after a while I realized I was heading in the direction of the farm house.

By the time I got there I couldn't even remember why I was crying, but I was bawling and it felt good.

I collapsed in the field and cried and cried. After a while I sniffed and wiped my nose and eyes.

"Meow!" I looked up and Jet meowed loudly in my face. "Purrrr…." He rubbed his head against me, purring, and licked the last of the tears off my face.

"Hey, Baby." I kissed his nose and petted his head.

Then I got up slowly and brushed the grass off myself. It was way after lunch; I could tell from where the sun was in the sky.

So I decided to risk another trip to the Shepard's.

When I got there the Shepard parents were out and it was only Curly home. He gave me something to eat and we talked a bit; about trivial things, nothing important.

After that Curly walked me back to the Curtis' and, oddly, stopped me at the gate.

"Hey. When you're around town the next little while be… careful."

"Any particular reason?" I inquired.

"No, just that it can't hurt to be careful. With Dally out of town, and-"

"This is about those Brumley boys jumping Tore, isn't it?" I interrupted, sighing.

"Well, yeah, kind of." He admitted. "But just, watch yourself. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure." I said.

"See ya 'round, kid." He closed the gate and started down the street.

"Bye, Curly."

When I got inside, everyone but Dally was home. Toria was asleep on the couch and the TV was on.

"Hey, guys." I said quietly.

"Hey, Emma." Soda greeted, looking away from the TV for a moment.

I sat down beside Pony. "Hi." I whispered.

"Hey." He greeted quietly.

A little bit later Two-bit started playing with Toria's toes; gently tugging on them and picking at them.

"Come on Two-bit stop it, you'll wake her up." Soda said as Steve sat her head where he was playing with and running his hands through her hair.

"No, I won't. But if you don't shush you will." Two-Bit answered.

"Both of you shush, give her time to relax without you pea brains bugging her." Darry said to them from the kitchen.

After Steve pulled a bit on her hair she shifted and whined.

"Don't pull her hair, idiot." Two-Bit hissed.

"How was I supposed to know it'd hurt." Steve asked.

"It's still attached, of course it's going to hurt." Two-Bit answered.

I rolled my eyes at their ignorant antics. They had already woken her up, even though her eyes weren't open I could tell from the way she was laying and breathing.

Two-Bit still tugged on her toes and it looked weird. "Two-Bit what are you doing exactly?" Pony asked.

"I don't know. It's fun you should try it."

"Hey Tore, what do you want for dinner?" Johnny asked.

"She's sleeping." Steve said.

"No, she's not." Johnny said.

"She's not moving and her eyes are closed." Two-Bit argued.

"Two-Bit, I told you to stop pulling on her toes." Soda sighed.

"Leave her alone." Darry said coming into the living room. He didn't sound too happy to be telling them this so I guess they had irritated him somehow.

"She's asleep Darry, it's not bothering her." Steve answered. She shifted again and it was almost dead silent in the room. After a couple of seconds, she shifted onto her side and cracked her eyes and looked at Pony and me sitting on the floor watching her. She opened her eyes a bit more and sent us a look.

"Hey, Darry, what's for dinner?" Pony asked.

"Chicken, just like I told you twenty minutes ago." Darry answered. She shot Pony another series of looks and I fought back a smile.

"Did Tori's uncle call today?" Pony asked.

"Yeah, tried to get her to leave Tulsa but she refused according to Shawn. Which reminds me, Soda do you think maybe you could talk to her?" Two-bit answered.

"Why?" Soda asked.

"Tell me you've noticed how withdrawn and shut-down she's been lately."

"Yeah, I have but do you think she'd really talk to me?"

"She mentioned it the other night at Buck's, that and the fact that she thinks maybe she oughta spend a few days not fighting." Steve said. Toria shot Pony a confused look and he sighed.

"Your words or hers?" He asked.

"She said something about spending some time with Robby and Kenny, friends of hers I'm guessing, and that maybe that would make it easier for her to find her sweeter side that she's lost." Steve said and Pony nodded. "She also said that maybe if she found a way to go back to her sweet self that her and Dally may not fight as much."

A little later on after dinner Toria went to her room. Soda followed her shortly after, going to talk to her as he had been asked to.

I sat in the living room for a bit, not saying anything, but got bored real fast and decided to go out on the back porch and watch the sunset.

I sat on the porch with my arms wrapped around myself, and curled up watching the beautiful colours fill the sky as the sun set.

Once the sun disappeared completely from my view I heard Soda and Toria on the roof talking.

"So…" Soda said.

"That was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen." Toria said.

"You know what that tells me?" He asked her.

I couldn't hear her response.

"It tells me that you still have a soft side, and some of your innocence left." He said.

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Because you can take the time to watch a sunset and see the beauty left in this world. I wouldn't want to change that if my life depended on it."

"But I'm still so..."

"Tough? Yeah I know. But like I said you still have that innocence left in you. You haven't completely shut down or at least not to the extent Dally has. That's a good thing babe, keep that in you."

"It's just so hard in this city."

"I know. I also know that it is possible. Look at Pony, look at Kelsey, and look at Shawn. They all still have that child-like wonder that makes me believe that it is possible to get away from all this. Even Emma. Something's gotten to her, something terrible that she's hiding, but you can see it in her eyes. There's still something sweet left deep inside her."

"How do I find it? How do I keep it on the surface? How do I make sure I don't end up like Dally?"

I went inside quietly then; this was their private conversation.

They came in a while after and Darry announced bedtime.

Pony yawned and Soda and him said goodnight and went to bed.

Steve kissed Toria and left, and Darry told Johnny the couch was welcome for him; his parents were fighting again, loudly too.

Two-bit left after Johnny fell asleep on the couch and Mickey ended.

Darry flicked off one of the lights. "Well, ladies, its time for bed now." I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

"Ha ha, see?" He chuckled and hugged and kissed Toria goodnight.

"Mmm… Goodnight, Darry."

"Goodnight, kiddo." He rubbed her back a bit and she headed into our bedroom.

"Well, goodnight Emma." Darry said after an awkward moment of us standing there and saying nothing.

I wished he'd hug me, too. Or that Thomas was here to hug and kiss me goodnight and tuck me in bed.

Darry must have decided something, because he noticed me lost in thought and came over and gave me a little hug too.

"Goodnight, Darry." I said softly, smiling as he pulled away.

I slipped into our dark room and pulled on my Eyore pajamas and crawled into bed next to Toria, who seemed to be almost asleep.

"Sweet dreams, girls." Darry said softly from the door and closed it most of the way.

"Good night Emma." Victoria said. She rolled on to her side away from me and slowly drifted off.

Jet jumped up on the bed and curled up beside me, and I fell asleep, curled around his warm, vibrating body, listening to his musical purrs and slipping into a deep dreaming state.