Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders or It's Good.

You who are rich and whose troubles are few may come around to see my point of view. What price the Crown of a King on his throne when you're chained in the dark all alone?

"She thinks I don't know who she's talkin' to up there!" He stormed into the house and let the door close behind him. He threw himself down on the couch and pouted. "Any dumb shit could figure that out."

No one said anything. He had been this way since Ronnie went to jail. Emily had been talking to him. She'd told me that a few days ago. Two was doing everything in his powers to stop it. He didn't know that was just making it worse.

Soda went and sat beside him. "Where's he at?"

"Didn't the kid get bail?" Steve asked, flipping through a magazine. "Someone copped out the money apparently."

Two-Bit scuffed. "Bail was over one grand. Who's got that kind of dough?"

Everyone got quiet. The atmosphere changed when Two-Bit was around now. He wasn't the same high energy kid he once was. Emily had him running crazy and she hadn't given up yet either. The thought of Ronnie being out of jail was the thought that kept Two-Bit up at night.

"We don't know where he came from," I said. "We don't know his family or if they have money or, hell, if he has money himself. We know nothing about him. He could be the prince of England for all we know."

Ponyboy twitched. "No, the Prince of England is Phillip."

"No one cares." Steve rolled his eyes and took another sip of beer. "Point is: Kid's out...and no one's got a clue where he went."

Chocolate frosting, chocolate batter, chocolate milk. She knew what he liked. She spent all afternoon making this while her brother was out. She quickly put the finished product on a plate, cleaned the mess and caught the bus. No one would ever know.

Her heels clicked as she walked down the hall of the dirty apartment building. She carried the plate in one hand like the finest housewife, and when no one was looking, she'd swipe her finger across the bottom edges and lick off the frosting that stuck to her finger.

Phone calls were getting easier. Now that he was out, they could see each other without the whole town talking. All she had to do was catch the five o'clock bus to a few towns over, stay for an hour, then catch the bus back. She was home before dark and if anyone was home and bothered to ask, she'd simply say: "Studying at the library."

Ronnie hadn't told her what the deal was. Who got him out, did he really do it, what happened? She'd taken Danni's approach to things. Put on a smile, and act like the perfect girlfriend. Don't harp. Sit back, and be quiet. That was the key to every relationship.

She knocked on the door and waited while he looked through the peep hole and grabbed her and rushed her inside.

It smelled like cigarettes bad and baby powder. She didn't ask about the powder. She just put the cake down on the table and sat down while he turned the T.V. down and grabbed a semi-clean shirt.

"What's the word?"

She licked her fingers again and smiled. "I think they dropped it...mostly."

He pulled out a big knife from one of the drawers and picked up a big slice with his hands. "What does mostly mean? C'mon. Spill it, Em."

She got up and fetched a plate and a fork for him, setting it nicely in front of him. "I mean, I haven't heard people talk about it as much as they used to. They talk about that guy a lot. Not the flower shop owner but-"

"Sam."

"Yeah him." She crossed her legs and watched him take bite after bite of cake. "They talk about him a lot. Most people have forgotten about the flower shop guy. No one talks about you much anymore. I don't think they know you're out of jail. They talk about Dally more."

He nodded and cut another slice. This had been the only thing besides cheap pizza that'd he'd gotten to eat all week. The perks of laying low. "Guess they don't then."

Emily thought for a minute. "Who posted the bail anyway?"

Ronnie sighed loudly. "Babe, just...someone I know loaned me the money. Does it really matter?"

"I guess not." She dropped the subject once again. She heard some people say relatives but she always wondered why Ronnie was here, in this trashy apartment building with no visitors but her. If they had money, why wasn't he in a big house with them right now?

Ronnie chomped his food. "How's Dal? Have you...um, heard anything about him lately?"

"Oh!" Emily said quickly. "I forgot to tell you. Something happened at the rodeo a few nights ago and Dal and one of the Socs got into it. It was bad from what I heard Two talking about."

Ronnie nodded. "What happened?"

"Well the guy was bothering Danni and Dal went nuts and-"

"No," Ronnie interupted her. "What happened to Dal?"

Emily licked more of the icing. "I'm not sure. I think he went to Texas or something to lay low. Danni was real upset I think."

Ronnie nodded again. He grew quiet and went through a few more cigs while Emily went on and on about school and her mom and her brother and anything else she could think of. Ronnie nodded and acted like he was listening and that he cared.

"You should go," he finally said, getting up. "I mean, you're gonna miss your bus."

Emily looked at the clock and quickly gathered up her things and rushed to the door. Ronnie gave her a quick kiss and pushed her back out the door. He slammed it shut and bolted it. He leaned against it and sighed.

He was so fucked.

He got there three days ago. Darry, Soda, Tim, and Steve went down to help him move into a place one of Tim's buddies had down there. Tim said it'd be better and that way he could come check on him some and the rent wouldn't be so bad. I think he was getting a cut of it myself.

Darry told me not to go...forced me not to go is a better word. Kathy took me to the movies and then to dinner to take my mind off of it. She and Darry kept having talks about how it was the right thing to do and Tim might take me down there some and we could talk on the phone and everything would be fine. Dally just needed to spend some time down there.

"How long?"

"Danni-"

"How long, Dar. Just tell me."

"...we...don't know. A few months, maybe."

I let the phone ring three times and leaned against the wall. Darry'd been weird lately too. We all had a family day yesterday and he took us fishing. Just the four of us. He wants us to start doing things like that again. Soda said he's just worried but something told me it was more...he was doing it now of all times says it's more.

"Hey." He already knew who it was.

I took a deep breath and pulled up a chair. "Hey. How's it going?"

I could feel him nod and casually take a set as well. Maybe he's standing tonight though. Maybe he's leaning against the wall. I can't tell. "You know how much fucking rent Tim's friend is wanting me to cough up? Fucker. I ain't payin' shit."

I forced a giggle and positioned the phone on my other ear. "So you're going to make Tim come all the way down to Texas and kick your ass huh?"

There was a smirk on his face. I could feel it. "Just don't get too cozy with Timmy while I'm gone. Don't want a repeat of last year."

"Who's goin' to stop me?" I asked. "Last time I checked, you're more than a few miles away. Might get lonely up here by myself. Might head on over to the Shepard house and get two for one."

He laughed again. "Might get disappointed, Curtis."

"Oh?" I played along. "Why is that?"

"They don't make 'em in OK like they do in New York." There was a long pause. "Two for one to make up for the size you're used to. Might not go over real well. Let me know how many you can fit though."

I leaned back and the front legs of the chair came off the ground. I grinned and twisted the cord around my finger. "You're a cocky bastard."

"Cocky." He snickered. "Yeah...I'd use the word cocky."

I sighed and rested my head on the table. He went on about the prices down there and some of the people. He said he hated his neighbors and how they have a kid. He reminded me that he hated them. "I want kids," I said.

"Tim'd make a great daddy. That is if you can get it to fit. Things just don't pop back into place, Curtis."

"Wise ass."

He bitched about the noise and then how mad the T.V. made him and how he thought there were bugs in the bed. I made myself a cup of tea and a cigarette and sat and listened. I knew this phone call would be over soon and I wouldn't get another one for a while. I knew he would grow tired of calling and then just stop. I knew he'd get lonely and as hard as I tried...I couldn't think that way.

I felt the coldness of the tears falling from my eyes as he said he was hungry and going to get a burger. I opened my mouth and a tired squeak came out. "W-wait!"

Silence.

"Um...I love you." Again, silence. "Sorry...I just wanted to say that. Um, I gotta go too, so I'll let you go I guess."

I could feel him nod. My heart was beating faster the more silence there was. I wanted to savor this phone call and remember his voice. There was a loud smirking noise then: "Yeah, me too. See ya, Curtis."

The line went dead and the dial tone came. I buried my head down on the table and screamed as the ice cold tears turned hot.

Michael could hear his dad in the next room talking to everyone he could think of. Everyone's mind was blown. First it was that he got bail, then someone actually coughed out that kind of dough! No one could figure out who'd gotten it. That's what the phone calls were about. That and the fact that there was a killer loose somewhere and no one knew where he'd gone.

Marilyn was on the couch crying in Randy's arms. Michael scoffed at the two. "What, is it your time of the month too, Ran?"

Randy gave him the skunk eye and opened his mouth to defend himself but Marilyn rushed to it. "Shut-up! I hate you! You haven't done anything you said you would. No one has! Now look! The kid is out, Michael! He's fucking out."

Randy held her tighter. He liked these moments where Marilyn seemed like a person. "Mar-"

"What do you want me to do?" Michael demanded, getting in his sister's face. "I can't bring Sam back for you. I can't get the cops to throw that bastard in jail. I can't do anything!"

She wiped her tears and pouted. "You just don't want to do anything."

Michael huffed. "What does that mean? Oh wise sister, fill us in!"

Marilyn ignored his rude comment and buried her head further into Randy's chest. "You know what."

Michael rolled his eyes. He took out a cigarette and took a seat in front of the love birds. Michael propped his feet up and breathed out smoke. "No I don't. Just say it and be a big girl about it."

He just wanted to hear her say it. Marilyn scowled. "Kill 'im."

Randy rubbed the girl's shoulder and tried to sooth her. Michael was the only one who knew she wasn't kidding. "Yeah, that's going to work fine. Any other bright ideas?"

"Winston," she said slowly, her lips twitching at the word. "Kill...Winston."

Randy sighed along with Michael. Marilyn was always like this, especially during her time of the month but Michael knew his sister better than Randy. "How?"

Marilyn got out from under Randy's grasp, her eyes lit up. "Get a rumble together. I'll handle the rest."

"What makes you think he's still around?" Randy brought up the obvious. "After what happened the other night with the Curtises I don't think he's around."

Michael held his throbbing check. He's face was torn and cut. By the time the cops got there everyone was gone...even him. He wanted this. "Probably not. He'll be back though. He ain't gonna leave his broad up here alone for too long. Danni will get him back. They won't be apart for long."

"Get it together," Marilyn continued to press on. "Make them pay. Sam's dead because of them."

"Sam's dead because of Ronnie," Randy said quickly without thinking, gathering looks from the twins. "I mean...it's not their problem. Ronnie I mean. They aren't too fond of him I don't think and I doubt they're gonna wanna get in this."

Michael grinned slyly. "Glory, Ran, aren't you clever?"

Randy frowned. "I'm just saying: this is stupid."

Marilyn rubbed her swollen tear stained face. She sometimes wondered why she put up with Randy. "We're in pain. Someone we love is gone and they don't care that one of them killed him. They're all the same. I wouldn't put it past more than one knowing and being a part of it. Same thing as two years ago. We deserve this, Randy. They deserve this."

"Winston will protect his blood," Michael said. "Even if he's long gone he will."

Randy grew defensive and soon became what he thought was the voice of reason. "What about Danni? We made a promise. You take one foot on their side with this and she'll go to the cops."

Michael leaned back and folded his arms. "Let me deal with Danielle. We've got some things we need to chat about anyway."

"Randy, this is for Sam," Marilyn stressed. "Your best friend is dead. He'd want you to do this for him. The same thing happened two years aog and you're letting it happen again. We've let too many things go untouched. Now's the time to strike. Now's the time for our love one's deaths to mean something."

Randy thought for a moment. Bad memories were starting to arise. "So what? Plan the rumble and then what?"

"Kill 'em all and keep moving," Michael bosted proudly.

"I'll take care of the rest," Marilyn stated. "They're gonna burn for this. They're all gonna burn."

Michael smirked. "Every goddamn one of them."

You who are rich and whose troubles are few may come around to see my point of view. What price the Crown of a King on his throne when you're chained in the dark all alone?

A/N: So yeah, Dal's gone for now. What did you think of Ronnie getting out? Can you get me to 180? Come onnnn. :)