sorry for the long awaited update, but I think that this is actually knew of my best chapters, so hopefully it makes up for that.

WARNINGS: LANGUAGE, SOME BLOOD, WAR, VIOLENCE

Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders

Kick, kick! Punch, kick! Punch! Slap!

Soda curled into a ball on the sidewalk, moaning. His ribs felt like they were going to snap any second I'd this guy didn't stop kicking him. Bruises were blossoming on his skin, and the guys shoes and rings were starting to cut into his skin.

"What the fuck?" Soda ground out, gritting his teeth against the pain.

The guy laughed cruelly before delivering another sharp kick to the stomach. "That'll teach you to date my girl, you piece of trash!"

Soda yelped as the kick sent waves of pain from his stomach to his head before vomiting up some blood and stomach acid on the sidewalk.

"W-What?" He stuttered.

"Dont play dumb!" His attacker snapped. "You think you're good enough for her? Well, guess what? I can give her anything- money, jewelry, fancy dinners! That's more than a Greaser like you can."

Through his muddled brain, Soda could tell he was talking about Aimee. "But you can't give her love," he murmured, coming dangerously close to passing out on the sidewalk. One more kick to the face and he did just that.

He was standing in a gymnasium, clasping hands with Aimee Brown. Streamers decorated the walls, along with banners and balloons and confetti was strewn across the floor. A banner on the back wall read PROM and romantic music played softly from a stereo.

"I love you, Soda," Aimee murmured into his shoulder and he smiled, smoothing her dark, wavy brown hair.

"I love you, too, Aimee," he whispered.

He perked up suddenly as Stand By You suddenly began to blare from the speakers and he led Aimee into a dance.

"Even we can't find heaven, I'll walk through hell with you," he sang, twirling a giggling Aimee.

"I'm gonna stand by you!" Aimee sang, kissing Soda lightly on the lips. "I'll never leave you, Sodapop."

"And I'll never leave you, Aimee."

Sniffle.

"Aimee, what's wrong?"

"Please don't hate me, Soda," she whispered, choking back a sob.

"How could I hate my one and only- my only exception?" He mumbled, saying it like it was a joke they'd shared before, but concern rippled through his gut.

"I love you, Soda, and love survives the deepest darkest times. Alas, our tale will be very much like Romeo and Juliet- tragic and not destined for a happy ending. Just don't leave me, Soda. I love you," she whimpered.

"I love you... too," he trailed off as the scenery around him changed and he was standing on a battlefield in a green uniform. The uniform of a soldier.

The world around him as chaos. Men dressed in similar uniforms to his knelt on the ground, shooting with their rifles. Many cowered on the ground, gripping wounds that oozed too much blood too fast.

"Curtis!" A voice screamed and Soda turned back just in time to duck as a bullet raced over his head.

"Thanks!" He shouted over his shoulder, wincing as he pulled the trigger and his gun went off, the sound ringing in his ears.

"Dont mention it!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bullet after bullet shot from his gun and Soda was so scared. He wanted to curl up in his parents' bed, burrowing his head into his mommy's stomach like he did when he was little. He didn't want to have to fight anymore.

"Please," he whimpered. "Please."

But then he thought of Aimee. Sweet, loving Aimee, rubbing circles into her tummy as she giggled and cried with joy. He thought of Pony and Darry, who would die without him because he wouldn't be there to comfort them or keep the peace. He thought of Steve, who needed his best friend. He thought of Johnny and Dally and Two Bit, who had already suffered so much in their lives. How would they react to Sodapop's death?

"For Aimee," he whispered as he continued to pull the trigger over and over again, not really aiming. Just keeping his brown eyes closed against the horrific war.

Scream. Soda turned back to see a comrade fall to the dirt, weeping painfully.

It's remarkable how much he looked like Ponyboy with that head of blonde hair that was almost too light to be natural. His eyes were a green color that blinked blearly at the world around him, and they were rapidly nearing glassy. And with glassy would come empty.

Soda didn't think. He reacted as he had done all those years ago when Pony had passed out on the ground not even two hours after the rumble. Soda dove forward and supported the man, who was much heavier than his brother had been, and attempted to yank him off the battlefield.

"Come on, Linc, don't die on me now," he hissed. Soda wasn't really sure how he knew the name of a man he'd never seen before, but he didn't have time to think about it. He just dragged both him and Linc away from the battle- as far away as possible.

Soda really wasn't sure what was happening- shock, maybe?- but every time he'd heard a scream or a yelp, he convinced himself that it was Pony or Johnny or Dally or Darry or anyone he cared about. Before he knew it, he was racing back onto the battlefield.

When he broke into the clearing, he nearly ripped over a man on the ground, grasping his knee like his life depended on it. Soda looked closer and saw the guy's hair, curling into complicated swirls just like Steve's and he was lugging the soldier away.

Every time he went back to the battle, he managed to see a resemblance to his family and friends- the way that one guy had naturally shining eyes even when they were filled with tears, just like Two Bit's; the big black eyes of one soldier that reminded him of Johnny; the muscular build of a man that looked like Darry. The man with dark brown hair and those shadowed eyes that always looked like those of a small child scared off the dark. Eyes like Aimee's.

Soda dragged them all off the battlefield and as he burst into the clearing, he reached for a red haired man that reminded him of how Pony used to look. Then the world seemed go quiet.

Gunfire didn't stop, but in Soda's ears, it did. Something was very, very wrong.

Then came the explosion.

Soda gasped for air as he awakened from his sleep (was it sleep if you were knocked out?).

"Finally, you're awake," a girl's voice drawled, somewhat annoyed.

Soda turned his head to the side to get a good look at her, and his jaw dropped.

"Aimee!?"

Cliff Hanger! And PS, remember those dreams, they're going to be very important in this story.

Review!