A/N: Thank you for your reviews, favorites and follows. I really appreciate it. It makes my day, and makes me post faster. Here's chapter three, and I hope that you guys enjoy it. This chapter contains abuse, so be warned.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Outsiders.

The bell over the door rung as they entered the DX. Darry held the door open for Jacquelyn and let it close behind her as she walked into the gas station. It hadn't changed since the last time she was hear. Everything looked the same. The boy behind the counter looked over at the door and then looked back down at the magazine he was reading. However, after a moment he looked back up, a smile on his face.

"Jacquelyn?" the boy behind the counter questioned as he hopped over the counter and stood in front of her.

"Sodapop?" she answered, her voice equally as questioning, as he tugged her into a hug. She laughed as she hugged him back. She then pushed him an arm's length away and smiled. "You're so handsome!" she teased. He'd always been handsome. Maybe it was not seeing him and his movie star good looks every day that really drew her attention to it. His dark brown hair was combed back out of his face, showing off his dancing dark brown eyes. As he smiled that goofy grin of his, she couldn't help but smile. Sodapop Curtis had the most contagious smile.

"Steve!" Soda called into the garage.

"Yeah?" he called back, his voice muffled.

"Come in here."

After a few moments and more than a few cuss words, Steve appeared in the doorway. He took a rag off the wall and started rubbing his hands with it, attempting to remove all of the dirt and oil. "What buddy?" he questioned not taking the time to look up from the task of cleaning his hands.

"You could at least speak to a lady," Jacquelyn teased. The first thing that she noticed about his was that he was noticeable taller. A good five, six inches maybe. He'd gotten more muscular, but still kept his lean figure. His dark hair was greased, possibly permanently with the amount of grease that he had to use, in complicated curls in it. He flicked his eyes up to her, and a smile came across his hard features.

"Hey, Jacquelyn," he said as he continued to wipe at his hands. "How goes it?"

"Fine," she answered. "How's my car?"

Steve's eyes lit up at the mention of her car. "Jacquelyn, you have a tuff car, you know for a girl and all."

"Thank you?"

"Welcome," he tossed the rag into a bin behind the counter. "So I gave you a new battery, and while I was at it I changed your oil and rotated your tires. You're good to go." He reached behind the counter and grabbed her keys. "1952 Ford Crestline," he said with a low whistle. "How did you get your cute little hands on that?" he asked as he walked over to her and held the keys out to her.

"It's my dad's car," she said as she attempted to take the keys from his hand only to have him yank the keys away from her. They repeated this action twice before she snatched them away from him. "Thank you."

"Good to see your pretty face again," he told her.

"What are you doing tonight?" Soda asked pulling the conversation back to him.

"Nothing. Why?"

"You wanna go to the Dingo with us?" Steve asked.

"Us?"

"Me, Steve, Ponyboy, and Two-Bit," Soda said. "I don't know if Darry's gonna go. He should though."

The list was so short. The light in her hazel eyes faltered as she realized this. The list was two people short. Dallas and Johnny.

"You not going?" she asked Darry.

He shrugged. "I don't go out too much," he supplied.

"I'll go if you go," she told Darry.

Darry looked down at her and he sighed. He knew that he wouldn't hear the end of it if he didn't go. He knew that Jacquelyn was still going to go out with the boys, but neither party was going to let it go. He looked at her dancing hazel eyes and her playful smile. How could he say no to that? "Yeah, alright. I'll go." The smile on her lips grew and he was pleased with her reaction to his decision.

"We'll see you at eight?" Steve questioned.

"Yeah, I'll meet ya'll there," Jacquelyn agreed. She brushed her hair from her eyes and then looked at each of them in turn. "I gotta hit the store, but it was real nice to see ya'll. Steve, thank you for fixing my car."

"Ain't a problem," he replied with a wave of his hand.

She stepped back and turned on her heel. "I'll see ya'll at eight," she called as she walked out of the door.

"You shoulda seen the way Darry looked at her," Soda said to Ponyboy once they were at the house. Soda had taken to telling the story of the events that took place at the gas station to Ponyboy and Two-Bit. From his perch on the arm of the sofa, he wove a story that was much more dramatic than anything that he could have ever imagined.

"Hush up, Sodapop," Darry called from the kitchen. In front of him were all the bills that needed to be paid by the end of the month. The gas bill, the electric bill, and the water bill. Darry ran his fingers through his hair and sat the water bill aside, he knew that he could pay that one, it was the cheapest.

"Why, Dare?"

"You're making something out of nothing."

"Am I?"

Was he? Darry thought back to morning with her. He thought about how good she looked in her jean capris. The way that the denim hugged the curves of her body. He thought about how his heart had sped up watching her walk. The sway of her hips. The sound of her voice, her laugh stirred something in him. His thoughts then to the marks on her arm. The five red dots on her pale ivory skin. Something burned in him, but he did his best to push it away. None of his business.

"You are," he replied as he pushed the thoughts of her and her citrus scented brown hair away. He decided that this wasn't the best time to figure out the finances. His mind was racing far too much for that. He looked over at the clock on the wall and sighed. "Ya'll ready?"

Jacquelyn popped her head from under the quilt and sighed. Lazily, she reached over and turned light sitting on her bedside table on. She hissed as the light flooded the room, her eyes adjusting to the light. After a moment, she looked at the clock on her all and gasped loudly.

Shit.

It was 7:45. There was no way on earth that she was going to be able to get redressed and to the Dingo by eight. The brunette tumbled from under her quilt on to the cold floor for the second time that day. Quickly, she reached out and grabbed the outfit she'd had on earlier that day, and tugged it on. She then took the brush to the think brown hair. She grabbed her keys and her shoes before tearing out of her bedroom.

"JACKIE!"

She slid to a stop at the front door and looked back into the living room, shifting her weight from foot to foot impatiently. "Yes?"

"Where are you going?" her father asked, not bothering to look away from the television.

"Out."

"With?"

"Friends."

He didn't say anything else and she assumed that it was safe for her to go. She muttered a good-bye as she walked out of the front door. She sat down in the driver's seat of the car and pulled her shoes on, before starting the car. After adjusting the mirror, she pulled out of her driveway and on to the street.

It took her fifteen minutes to get to the Dingo, with her going ten over the speed limit and not yielding at yellow lights. She pulled the dark green car into the first parking spot she saw and hopped out of the car. She then trekked into the restaurant.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by the sound of music playing on the jukebox. She couldn't quite place the song though. When she was greeted at the door, she told the waitress that she was here with a group of five boys, one of which looked like a movie star. She nodded knowingly and led her to where they were seated.

"Excuse me, pretty lady, let me pull out your chair," a voice said from behind her. She turned over her shoulder to see a smiling Two-Bit. His blue eyes sparkled as he pulled her seat out. Jacquelyn looked at him through narrowed eyes, trying to decide whether or not he was going to pull the chair from under her as she sat down. "Look, honey, I don't just do this for all the ladies."

"Only the pretty ones?"

"Only the pretty ones," he agreed as he ran his fingers though his blond hair.

"Are you gonna pull the chair from under me," she questioned. It was better to ask and know, than to not ask and not know.

He laughed. "No, Jacquelyn. Sit your fine ass down." The brunette did as told as she looked down to hide the blush that crept up her cheeks. She was unsuccessful and the blond laughed as he sat down next to Steve. "Nothing's changed."

"Hush up, Keith," the girl told him.

Two-Bit frowned a bit as she called him his real name. "We've talked about this, Jacquelyn." The brunette waved him warning tone away with her hand. Again, Two-Bit laughed. "Ponyboy, you remember Jacquelyn?" he asked as he pushed a Pepsi across the table towards her. She thanked him and pulled the straw towards her.

Ponyboy flicked his green-grey eyes up to her hazel ones. His hands were folded on his lap, as he allowed her to give him the once over. His hair was in some sort of transition process. The roots were coming in dark brown, almost red, but his hair was a fading blond color. His face had lost some of the baby fat that had been there before, and the air innocence and naivety that accompanied him wasn't as prominent. It was his turn to give her the once over, and she allowed his eyes to trace over her face. Probably counting the twenty something freckles that were sprinkled over the bridge over her nose and her cheeks. Although, this exchange seemed to take forever it only took a few seconds.

"Sorta," Ponyboy replied quietly.

"Well, I remember you," Jacquelyn supplied.

"Kid, doesn't talk much," Steve told her.

She nodded in understanding, before share one last look with Ponyboy. Her hazel eyes then fell on the boy with the complicated swirls in his hair. "Steve," his eyes met her. "That car purrs."

He laughed, apparently pleased with himself. "You noticed?"

"How could I not. What did you do to it?"

"Now, I can't tell you that."

A waitress came to the table to take their orders. The boys order first, all of them ordering a large burger and fries. When it was her turn, she order a smaller burger and fries. The waitress nodded and told them that their food would be out shortly.

They talked idly as they waited. They talked about whatever came to mind. Sports, cars, the weather. They were reconnecting. tT was so easy to fall back into the normal way of just being around them. They welcomed her back with open arms, just like they had welcomed her into their group the first time. She'd been a little concerned when Darry said he'd wanted her to meet his friends. All the thought of them not liking her plagued her, however she met them, she realized that all her worrying had been in vain. They were the most welcoming people she'd ever met.

Before she knew it, they were paying their tabs and preparing to leave. The light in her bright eyes dimmed. She wasn't quite ready to leave. Hanging out with them was much more interesting that sitting at home with her father. Darry placed his hand on her shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts. He looked down at her and she smiled up at him.

"You alright?" he questioned.

She nodded, before finishing off her Pepsi. As she stood, Two-Bit flung his arm around her shoulders, and she placed her arm on his waist. Two-Bit whispered something in her ear, and it caused her to laugh. She looked over her shoulder at Darry, her hazel eyes glowing. She then turned her attention back to Two-Bit as she responded to whatever he'd said to her.

Darry followed as they walked outside of the Dingo and circled just to the left of the door. He heard her laugh again. It was a full laugh, one that rang out in the group. A contagious laugh. Darry even felt himself smiling as he placed himself next to Jacquelyn in the circle.

"I had fun, guys," Jacquelyn told them. "Thanks for inviting me."

"No problem," Soda said. "You have to come over and play poker with us sometime." The invite was more of a demand than an actual invite.

"Alright," she accepted. "Thursday's right?" Soda nodded. "I'll see you then."

"Okay, guys," Darry said, his voice startling her a bit. "Let's all get home, yeah?" Two-Bit and Soda protested, while Steve rocked back on his heels, and Ponyboy found something interesting on the ground. He fished his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Soda, "Start the truck." Soda didn't need any more direction. He took off towards the car with Ponyboy in tow. "Where'd you park?" Darry asked after looking around the parking lot.

"Behind the building," she told him.

"Let me walk you to your car," he stated.

Jacquelyn shrugged and allowed him to escort her to her car. She pushed her hands into her pockets and walked in pace with him. Her footsteps falling lightly compared to his. "I'm glad you came out tonight," she said suddenly.

"I didn't have much of a choice between you and Soda, did I?" Darry asked. There was no teasing tone in his voice. The only tone was the upward inflection at the end that made it a question.

"I suppose not," she replied. She pushed opened her car door and then turned to look at him. "Well, thanks for coming out anyway."

"Yeah," he said as he pushed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"Well, maybe I'll see you around?" she asked hopefully.

Darry opened his mouth to say, 'doubt it', however when he looked at her hopeful hazel eyes, be knew that he couldn't say that. He didn't want to be the person to kill the light in her eyes. He never wanted to be that person. "Jacquelyn, I-"

She waved her hand, dismissing the topic as she slipped into her car. "Don't worry about it," she told him. She started the car roughly, and closed her door. He took a step away from the car as she pulled out of the space and drove by him.

He watched her taillights until they were out of his line of vision. After a few moments of standing, he kicked at the gravel on the ground angrily and grunted. He then started back towards the truck. Soda was sitting in the middle while Ponyboy leaned on the window from the passenger side seat. Darry ran his fingers through his hair and hopped into the cab.

"Ready to go?" he questioned to his brothers. Without waiting for a response, he pulled out of the parking lot and on to the road.

"Where've you been?" her father slurred at her from the sofa.

Jacquelyn sighed. She really wanted to lay down and go to bed. She really didn't want to deal with her father and his drunken ways at the moment. However, she walked into the living room and sat the keys on the table. "Out to dinner with friends," she told him. "I told you that before I left, remember?"

"You wasting money?" he grumbled.

"I gotta eat, don't I? Not everyone can live off alcohol like you," Jacquelyn snapped at him. As soon as she'd said it, she regretted it. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I-"

Her words fell on deaf ears. He was already standing and stumbling towards her with his hand raised. The brunette took a step back for every step he took towards her until her back was pressed against the wall. She squeezed her hazel eyes shut as soon as she saw his hand start to lower. The loud smack seemed to echo through the room. The brunette sank to the ground, her hands over her face. That didn't' stop him. His hands continued to fall on her. The skin on her arms stung as she covered her face. The hits were heavy at first, however, after the first few hits, they lightened. Then the stopped. She could hear her father standing over her breathing heavily. She didn't look up. She didn't move. She just sat with her arms covering her face and her knees pulled to her chest until she heard the floorboards creak, signaling that he was walking away.

The brunette quickly got to her hands and knees and crawled to her bedroom. Standing up would only catch his attention and send him at her again. Once inside of head bedroom, she locked the door. With her back pressed against the door as she exhaled shakily, letting the sobs shake her body.