Here's the next chapter! Dally and Johnny requested by outsidersfanlovesdally. I hope you guys like it!

I don't own the Outsiders!

Story Two

Johnny and Dally

"You ain't too bad"

It was freezing outside. The snow combined with the cold night air made fourteen-year-old Johnny almost turn back around and go home for the night. He had just about decided to do just that when a large rock landed in the snow near him. Johnny jumped and looked around in an unpleasant surprise. He recognized Dally's figure in the distance and cocked his head curiously.

"Dally!" He called over before jogging to his side. "What was that?'

Dally looked at him, seeming surprised to see him. "What?" he asked gruffly, shoving past him and walking away.

Johnny sighed and went after him, realizing that all Dally had on was jeans, an old pair of beat up converse, and a T-shirt. He had to be freezing. "The rock you threw at me."

"Did that almost hit you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Sorry, kid."

He didn't sound too sorry but Johnny shrugged it off. "What's up, Dal?"

"Nothing," was the gruff response.

"Yeah, okay. And pigs fly. Talk to me. What's going on?" The concern for his friend made everything seem chillier and made the chill harder to notice at the same time.

"It's my damn old man," Dally snarled. "Thinks he can run my life when everyone knows he doesn't care. He just wants people to think he does. That way he can get time off work when he wants to by using the excuse "Oh my son's sick. He needs me." Like I'd ever need him!" He spat in the snow and Johnny noticed he was shaking. Whether it was from the cold or the anger he wasn't sure. It was probably both.

"He only looks after himself and yet he has the balls to tell me what I can and can't do? Please! He just wants me around to fetch him beer!" He kicked out at a rock furiously. He then began swearing in such a filthy way that Johnny thought he may have been his and Tim Shepard's records combined.

Johnny looked down at the snow as they walked. He knew what it was like to not be wanted. He knew Dally knew as well but he'd never heard Dally talk about it. Not like this. He and the rest of the gang had discussed it but never when Dallas was around. They knew better than that.

Dally's dad was a real jerk. When you have kids they're supposed to be the most important thing to you. Dally's dad didn't even want him. He almost kicked him out a couple of times but always changed his mind. Dally, however, generally tried to keep away from the house to avoid him in response. He didn't want to be where he wasn't wanted. He definitely didn't want to be somewhere where he'd be yelled at, cussed at, and told to fetch or clean things. That wasn't saying that Dally actually did those things of course. Anything Dally's dad said was immediately declared a stupid idea in Dally's head. To be honest though, just about everything Dally's dad ever said was a stupid idea.

Johnny met the man once at the grocery store. He was there with Mr. Curtis getting some things for dinner. They had separated so the job would get done faster. Johnny had almost run right into Mr. Winston. He thanked his stars that he didn't the moment he saw him. The man shot him a dirty look and began swearing at him to watch where he was going.

That was when Dallas showed up, got between them, and started arguing with his dad. He left with Johnny in the middle of the argument, before Johnny could say anything to come to both his and his friend's defenses. The whole thing had happened too quickly to even register it really. But those couple of minutes with the father of his friend had told him more than an hour of listening to Dally talk could have.

"Yeah, I know, man." Johnny looked at his friend. "I'll tell you what. Let's go to Buck's, all right? We can talk, you can grab a beer and calm down…"

Dally cocked an eyebrow as he stopped walking. "You hate Buck's." Johnny merely shrugged and Dally nodded then turned with Johnny and started heading in the other direction.

The minute they entered the warmth of Buck's, Johnny exhaled a breath of relief. At least now they could actually talk without freezing to death. Johnny sat down and Dally got a beer before joining him. Hank Williams was blasting all around and Johnny noted silently that Ponyboy would be going back out in the snow right now if he were here.

"I ain't going back there," Dally said as he took a swig. "Never again. I'm done. He can do whatever he wants but he can do it without me. He never wanted a son anyway." No one other than Johnny would have detected the bitter note in his voice.

Concern for his friend flooded Johnny instantly. Did he have anywhere else to live? "Dally," he said quietly. Dallas ignored him so he raised his voice. "Dally. Listen. Your dad's…" He looked for a polite way to word it then shook his head. He was at Buck's anyway. "He's an ass. And that's the nicest way I can possibly say it. But what else can you do?"

"I can stay here. Hell, I never really sleep at home anyway. I'm sure Shepard will let me use his couch now and then and we both know the Curtises will. I'll be fine."

Johnny nodded a little. "You know that if I could I'd offer my couch. Shoot, man, I'd offer my room."

"Yeah, I know." Dally was quiet for a few more minute before he kicked a chair roughly. Johnny looked at him in surprise. "Damn it! Why do we gotta have a dump for a home life on top of never getting a good break?"

Johnny looked down. "I dunno Dal."

"How is this even close to being fair? But you know what? It ain't! Go ahead and ask me why." Without waiting for Johnny to even open his mouth, Dally continued, "Because we ain't anything but trash! No good trash! That's all we'll ever be! You can count on that!"

"Dally." Johnny's voice was sterner than he expected it to be. "Calm down will ya?"

"What right do you have to tell me to calm down?" Dally growled. "You don't know-"

Johnny raised his eyebrows as Dallas cut himself off, looking almost sheepish now as well as angry and upset. "I don't get it?" Johnny leaned forward. "You think I don't get it? I go in, no one notices. I leave, no one cares. I either get yelled at or swung at or ignored and I don't get it? Yeah, I get it. I get it real good. Don't you tell me I don't."

Dally was obviously surprised and thrown off guard. He was quiet for a minute then mumbled, "Sorry Johnnycake."

Johnny sighed. "Dal, things are gonna get better."

"How do you know?"

"Because they have to."

In that moment, Dally understood. Johnny needed to believe that people could be good. He needed to believe life could be good. He wasn't like Dally. Dally had given up years ago. Johnny hadn't. Johnny had faith. That was one of the most comforting things Dally had ever thought of. He didn't want Johnny to be like him. He wanted Johnny to have everything anyone could ever have.

When he was a kid, he'd always wanted a little brother. Now, as he looked at the kid who was looking at him with a rare defiant blaze in his eyes, he realized that he finally had that. He had his little brother and that feeling of being needed and looked out for at the same time brought a smile to his lips.

"What do you say we go to the Curtis house? Talk to some decent parents?"

Johnny nodded and smiled. "Good idea." He got to his feet then hesitated. "Hey, Dally?"

"Yeah?"

"I know it doesn't really make it easier but you don't need your dad. You're gonna be just fine."

Dally gave the younger boy a small smile. "Thanks Johnnycake."

"But if you ever need to talk…."

Dally gave a gruff laugh. "Yeah, right." He walked outside, chortling the whole way as if Johnny had just made the best joke he had ever heard. Johnny just smiled to himself and shook his head as he followed his friend. That was Dallas for you. But he knew that when push came to shove Dally had gotten the message. He'd come to him. Maybe he wouldn't talk about things as much as normal people but he'd let Johnny figure out a way to help.

Johnny joined him outside and Dally threw his arm around his shoulders. "What took ya so long kid? Ya really took your time getting' out here."

"Yeah, bet you're missing your jacket now huh?" Johnny grinned at him.

"Nah, I ain't cold."

"Bull." Johnny shook his head, smiling.

Dally grinned and got him in a headlock, ruffling his hair. "You know, kid, you ain't too bad."

Johnny grinned back at him, not saying a word. Thy both knew he didn't really need to.

"Dally?" he asked after a few minutes of walking.

"Yeah."

"What'd your old man do this time?"

"Lectured me on school. Like he's got any right. Or he cares. He just doesn't want me around the house any more than I have to be. It ain't like I'd hang around the house anyway. I hate that place," Dally growled. "But I ain't going back. And I ain't going back to school either."

Johnny looked up, surprised.

Dally gave him a grin. "Oh, don't look surprised. I barely ever show up anyway, kid."

"Still…" The thought that Dally might be there sometimes was a nice thought. But Dally never being there? That sounded horrible. "You're too smart for that, Dal."

Dally laughed out loud at that. "Are you kidding kid? I ain't the school type. Even if I was, I ain't gonna waste my time there. Forget that."

Johnny nodded. "You think it'll help? Getting away from your dad and dropping out of school?"

Dally shrugged.

"I think it'll help," Johnny said softly. "You know what else Dal? I believe in you and I think you're gonna go far. You ain't gonna be held back. " It was something he knew Dally rarely heard, if ever, and something he needed to hear.

Dally nodded, turning his head away, though Johnny could still see a small smile on his face. "You know what kid? You ain't too bad."

It was the same thing Dallas had said just a few minutes ago but Johnny knew that in Dally language it meant way more. And for him to say it twice? Well, Johnny knew he had helped his friend. And it was the best feeling he'd had all month.

The minute the two of them walked into the Curtis house, Mrs. Curtis immediately started scolding Dally for not wearing a jacket and shoved one that Darry had outgrown at him to wear the minute he went back outside. Dally didn't tell anyone else about his rough night. He didn't mention his fight with his dad or his decision to never go back.

Instead, he started joking around with Mr. Curtis and the two of them were in the middle of horsing around when Mrs. Curtis set two bowls of soup on the table. "Boys, eat up. I bet you didn't eat tonight." Johnny immediately went to the table, thanking her and smiling appreciatively. Dally, however, didn't stop horsing around until Mrs. Curtis gave him "the look". Once he got "the look", however, he nodded, gave her a mischievous grin, and made his way to the table.

"Gotcha, Mrs. Curtis," he told her as he sat down and started eating. They were there for a couple of hours and the entire time Dally stuck a little closer to Johnny than usual.

But as the Curtises got ready for bed, Dally got up. "Alright. I'm going to…" He trailed off, glancing at Mrs. Curtis. "Home. I'm going home." He threw her a smile, pulled on the jacket, then went outside.

Johnny followed him out. "Where ya going man? Why don't you stay here?"

"Nah, I'm gonna go to Buck's."

Johnny opened his mouth to tell him that was ridiculous and he should just stay here when Dally shook his head and said, "I'm going to Buck's. You can stay here tonight." He smiled at his friend. "Thanks Johnnycake. I know I'm not the easiest guy to be around when I'm upset but somehow you're always there. I appreciate it." He hit his friend lightly on the shoulder then turned and walked away.

Johnny smiled after his friend, nodding his head slowly. "Yeah… Anytime man," he said softly even though he knew his friend couldn't hear him. He went back inside the house.

"Is Dallas okay?" Mrs. Curtis asked him, looking up.

Johnny thought a minute then nodded. "You know what? I think so." And he did.

Hope you guys liked it! Remember that you can request one! :)