IMPORTANT ANNOUCEMENT: I have only recieved one notice of anyone still reading this this so I am going to post this chapter and two others that I have already written. If I don't get any reviews then I am going to cut my losses and move on to other stories. Thank you for all your time and I hope that you all are still reading and willing to review.

Thanks again to my beta Tigress and Shiroi Tora Joshin, my only reviewer for the last chapter posted. Thanks Shiroi Tora Joshin!! Your amazing!! +

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Watching Dally walked towards me the smell of his fag filling my senses brought back memories of a night previous when I had awoke to find Dally standing in my room staring out my window in her room bathed in the moon light

Watching Dally walked towards me from my seat on the porch, with the smell of his cigarette

filling my nose, brought back memories of a night previous. I had awoken to find Dally standing in my room, staring out my window, his face bathed in the moonlight. It took my breath away.

--Flashback--

Though I knew he was aware that I had awakened, he remained silent, staring blankly out the window. I could see a tic in his jaw. I stayed safely in my bed, not moving. Instead I chose to watch silently, not comfortable enough to sit up in only my pajamas as it wasn't proper to be alone with a man in anything less than your everyday clothes. But I was not about to bring up that point to Dally now or anytime in the near future.

I could still feel the fresh hurt from our one sided conversation earlier that day, making me feel slightly weary of Dallas Winston and what he was doing in my room, at night. I wasn't quite sure why Soda or Darry had let him in. Then again, maybe they hadn't—Dally couldn't have gotten his reputation as "King of All Hoods" for nothing. Though I wanted to sit up I didn't, staying nestled under the blankets and Dally's own jacket.

I gently pulled the covers up to my shoulders, trying not to make it obvious that I was uncomfortable. I definitely did not want to set Dallas off—again. It wasn't that I was scared of Dallas, well not exactly, it was just that I didn't like raised voices and I didn't understand exactly where he was coming from when he spoke to me. I snuggled deeper into bed, still watching Dallas as he stared broodingly out the window of my room into the night. I began wondering if he was ever going to speak, which I seemed to wonder quite often when it came to Dally. I knew that I wasn't going to start the conversation, and though the silence felt awkward it also felt safe, like I always felt when I was in Dally's presence or wrapped in his jacket.

He was an enigma that I couldn't figure out. Though I had only recently made his actual acquaintance, I was confused about everything I had previously heard about him. Nothing seemed to add up and connect in my mind. One second he was looking out for me, the next he was yelling at me.

"I'm not good at this" Dally murmured, his voice so low that I almost missed it. When he didn't elaborate I didn't rush him. You couldn't rush Dally into saying or doing anything he didn't want to.

"I'm gonna say this once and only once, so listen good, girl," he told me gruffly, getting back the tuff attitude that I was used to seeing. I was startled when he began to pace suddenly, his movements choppy, like that first night at my grandmothers. I followed him silently with my eyes, still not daring to sit up. I was focused fully on him.

"It wasn't right that I said all that shit to you today," Dally confessed, making me flinch at the rough words.

I stared wide-eyed at him as he walked quickly towards my bedroom door stopping suddenly and turning quickly to face me. I sat up hastily, surprised, his jacket sitting snugly over my shoulders.

"I can't say it ain't gonna happen again, but …I you gotta know I don't mean it. I just forget about it…you…sometimes." He said it quickly, like just the idea made him embarrassed and uncomfortable. His hands were busy flipping the lid of his lighter open and closed, his stare focused pointedly above my head.

"We good?" he asked in a low voice, ducking his head slightly so as not to meet my eyes.

I nodded.

He turned and headed out the door, stopping it slightly before it closed fully. He turned his head to the side, his eyes locking with mine. I tried averting my eyes, but he kept me captive. His lips turned into a smirk that made my stomach flutter and my face grow hot.

"Nice jacket," he teased, his eyes scanning over my face as I struggled to reply.

"I….you…." I stuttered, thrown off by his comment.

"Don't worry about it. Keep it safe for me," he reassured me as he clicked my door shut, leaving me in the darkness of my moonlit room, my face feeling like it was on fire.

--End Of Flashback--

Dally stopped in front of me, taking a long inhale from his cigarette. His eyes once again scanning over me, his lips turned up in what I considered a friendly smirk.

I wasn't sure why I was always paying attention to his lips. But they seemed to be constantly drawing my attention.

"Hi Dally," I whispered, not feeling the need to speak loudly.

He nodded, his eyes still focused on me; both hands in his pockets and his cigarette resting between his lips.

"Darry here?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Darry hardly ever went out at night, deciding to stay in and keep an eye on everyone.

"Yeah, so is everyone else," I told him with a sigh.

"They on your case?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged, not wanting to complain about being babied to the toughest hood in Tulsa. Somehow I just didn't think that he'd be on the same wave as me.

We stayed in silence, not saying anything else, though the need to ask him why he was never around was building. It would be the perfect time—no one was around to hear my question or his answer.

Just as I was building the courage to voice the words aloud, Dally nodded at me and headed past me into the house. I didn't want him to leave yet. I didn't know how long it would be until he came back or if I would have another opportunity like this one.

Just as he was reaching for the knob, I managed to gather my courage.

"Dally, wait," I requested, turning to face him. He stopped, dropping his hand from the door handle and turning to face me. His face registered polite shock, his eyebrows raised high on his brow. Well, as polite as Dallas Winston could get, that is.

"Why don't you come around anymore?" I asked, before ducking my head, my face burning. "It's not because of me is it?" I finished.

Silence filled the air, and I think even the insects held their breath waiting to hear his answer.

The silence continued and so did my growing embarrassment. I began to turn my head when he spoke.

"I'm gonna be straight with you, but this stays between us, you dig?" he asked, walking down the steps of the porch, resuming his position in front of me.

I nodded.

"That day that you were with Two Bit and the punk grabbed you…" he said started, pulling out his lighter and flipping it open and closed as he had done that night before.

I nodded again.

"Well you peeked those boys' interest in you. So I told them you were my girl." He stopped suddenly, pulling out a cigarette, lighting it and taking a deep drag before continuing.

"And to keep them out of your—our—business, I've been securing my title as king around here so no one'll think of messing with you for fear of me," he told me, and he began to pace slightly as though being this truthful made him nervous.

"Is it working?" I asked, not sure what else to say. He told people I was his girl? A warm feeling filled me at the thought.

"Yeah, but it's gonna take a while to get you out of their heads. You made an impression on them they ain't gonna forget anytime soon," he told me, taking another drag.

"Why? What's special about me?" I asked, wondering like hell why they would care about little old me.

"Well a hot broad like you—" he stopped, seeing me blanch at the word 'broad'. "I mean a good looking girl like you, and then me stepping up for you draws attention, especially since I don't make a habit of doing the knight and shinning armor gig often."

I nodded, taking in the information he'd given me. I was shocked that he'd told me so truthfully. My respect for him went higher for being straight with me.

"What about that girl you were with? Does she mind?" It came out of my mouth before I could stop it.

His brow scrunched up in confusion. It made him look adorable, and I straightened mentally at the idea of me finding someone like Dally 'adorable'.

"Girl?" He asked. "Oh, you mean what's her face? Umm……?" he trailed off, a blank look covering his face.

I nodded.

"Yeah, that was a one time thing, nothing serious," he muttered quickly, though the words were a little stiff. It made me think he would have said it in a much different way to any of the boys.

"Oh," I murmured, glancing up at him quickly and catching his gaze before averting my gaze to the grass, my face heating up once again.

"Yeah," he stated, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are you seeing anyone?" I asked, again, before I could stop myself. I really need to think before I spoke.

At his shocked glance I quickly added, "I mean, wouldn't all the work you're doing go down the drain if you were seeing someone?" I mumbled, slightly mortified that I had even asked the question.

A laugh brought me out of my mortification, a beautiful laugh that I had never heard. I had a feeling a lot of people weren't exposed to this side of Dallas Winston, which made me feel special. A warm feeling began to fill me up once again.

"Yeah, kid, it would. It definitely would," he replied with a smile/smirk. I couldn't decide which it was.

"Oh, well I'm sorry about that," I told him, not sounding sorry even to my own ears. I glanced up at him to see if he had noticed my lack of sincerity, he had, his smile had grown.

"Don't be, sweetheart," he assured me with a small smile.

I drew back, startled by the affectionate term. He grinned more broadly.

"Relax," he told me through a laugh. "I ain't sayin' nothing. That's what we call ladies, dig?"

I nodded, still a little flustered.

"I gotta go talk to Darry, you be careful out here and if you see anyone coming toward the house, I want you to head in right away, you dig?" he asked seriously, the good mood that had once filled the night air evaporating as quickly as it had appeared.

"I dig," I said in a small tone, causing him to smirk.

"You're alright kid, you're alright," he murmured as he headed into the house to talk to Darry and the boys.

I figured I'd stay out a little while longer. I need some time to cool down—my face still felt like it was on fire.

Darry's POV

The gang was all gathered in the living room watching TV, minus Rachel. Though we all seemed not to mind, I know her absence laid heavily on us. None of us were sure exactly how to help her. Rachel seemed to be ever present in my normal worries.

The door opened and in strolled Dally, which surprised me, because this mean he would have gone past Rachel and for once not raised his voice.

"Rachel still on the porch?" I asked before I could stop myself. I had to make sure she hadn't felt brave and wandered off.

Dally nodded before plopping down on the couch. His face was serious, and just from that look I could tell shit was gonna hit the fan. It seemed the guys also got that idea, from the way they were stopping whatever they were doing and focusing on Dally.

Normally, Soda would be making a crack about Dally's ego growing from all this attention, but I think he knew also that this wasn't a time for jokes. I just hoped this wasn't about Rachel.

"What doing Dally?" I questioned, deciding it was better to just plunge into the problem rather than tip toe around—it just wasn't the greaser way.

"There's been a lot of Socs nosing around lately looking for fights," he answered, his voice tight.

Everyone just sort of froze. We all knew that eventually the rivalry between greasers and Soc would start up again; I just don't think anyone would believe it to be so soon after the drama of Johnny and Pony had finally settled down.

"What happened?" Steve questioned before anyone else could wrap their thoughts around the news.

"They've been cruising for greasers, and when they find them they don't pussy foot around. They're looking to prove something. As much fun as it is to pound a Soc's face in, it's also getting dangerous to be out. You all have been keeping it low key since that thing and Shepard and I thought we ought to tell you," Dally finished, surprising me. Normally, Dally and Shepard were friends, but they hardly ever looked out for others.

"Why's Shepard involved?" Pony asked, his face white. I knew he was thinking about everything that had happened.

"Because they're not just going after a certain gang or person, they're just picking people and going after them," he told us, his voice rough

"What are we supposed to do Darry?" Pony asked me, looking for guidance. I was at a loss—in all my years, the rivalry between Soc and greaser had never been this bad. I couldn't wrap my head around it fast enough to give Pony and the others an answer.

"You won't travel alone, not even during the day. You'll carry a blade," Dally cut in thankfully, though I wasn't liking the blade advice and I knew he could see it.

"Well, gee Darry, what do you want them to carry? A flower and try to make peace with them while they're getting killed?" Dally asked in a cynical voice. I knew he had a point.

I shrugged in recognition of his point. I might not like it, but if it was gonna keep my family safe then so be it. I nodded, watching the others visibly loose the tension that had filled them.

"We'll all have to be careful real careful. We don't want a repeat of what happened before to happen again, got it?" I asked everyone, though I already knew their answers.

We sat still in silence, absorbing what this would mean for us and everyone we cared about.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" There came a sharp scream from the porch, bringing us all back to reality as we glanced to one another before realizing who was missing. Rachel.

We got up and ran.