(Kate's POV)

Everyone's lives seemed to get busier after Thanksgiving. The week following the holiday, I picked up a couple extra shifts at the diner and Darry worked even more hours at the warehouse, so we only got to see each other once when he stopped by the diner on his way home from work. Even then on that Wednesday night, I didn't get to talk to him a whole lot because Connie asked him all sorts of questions about the food that she had me bring to the Curtis house. Darry was as polite as ever and thanked her multiple times, and when he ended up leaving to go home, Connie had him bring even more food home to his brothers.

Even though we weren't able to see each other frequently, Darry and I still talked on the phone every night, and hearing his voice was a decent consolation for not being able to see him as much. We talked about our days, and more than once, Darry assured me that we'd have our next date soon, but he had to work a few more hours, so his spare time was cut even shorter. I kept telling him that it was fine and we'd figure it out, but he still seemed to think I'd be upset. How can I be mad at him for working to support his family?

It was Friday afternoon and I was sweeping the floor, about to wrap up my day shift at the diner, when Rachel came walking up to me. She wasn't working that day, so she was in her street clothes. "Hey Rach, what's-" I stopped when I realized her eyes were red and tears rolled down her face. I leaned the broom against the wall and looked at my friend closely. "What-"

"We're going out tonight," she said determinedly, completely ignoring the state she was in.

I felt my eyebrows furrow. "What? Why?"

"Caleb broke up with me," she said angrily. Hence the tears. "He didn't even tell me why, he just said 'we're done' and that was it."

Caleb was a Soc we went to school with. He played football, but I never saw him hang out with Darry or his group of friends on the team. Instead, Caleb hung out with richest guys on the team, whom I considered a bunch of creeps and jerks. Still, despite the fact I warned Rachel about his group of friends and the influences they'd have on him, she still fell for Caleb. Their relationship had its ups and downs, but I hadn't seen Rachel so upset about Caleb before, so I wondered if it was finally the last straw and they'd be done for good.

I hugged my friend as she silently cried into my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Rachel."

"It's fine," she said with a sniffle, which didn't make me believe her. Then she let out a weak laugh. "You were right from the beginning. He's a jerk."

I couldn't say "I told you so" but I definitely thought it. She needs compassion, not brutal honesty. "That doesn't make it any easier though, does it?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, but now I know I should listen to you more." I laughed at that, and she drew away from me, smiling through her tears. "Anyways, we're going out tonight. To a bar. I need a drink or two… maybe five."

Even though I didn't really drink much, especially since I know first-hand how it makes people act, I was going to support my friend. If she wanted to drown her sorrows in a bottle of whiskey, then I'd let her, but I was going to be with her to make sure she was safe. "Alright. I'll drive."

After I got home, I showered, changed clothes, then put on makeup to prepare myself for a night out. Before leaving to pick up Rachel, I called the Curtis household. I knew Darry wouldn't be home yet, but I wanted to make sure he would know I didn't forget about our daily phone call, or potentially even worry him if he called me and I didn't answer. Luckily, when I called the house, someone answered.

"Hello?" Johnny's mousey voice said.

"Hey Johnny, it's Kate," I said.

"Hi Kate. Darry's not here," he said politely.

"That's okay, I figured he'd still be working, but could you take a message for me and tell him when he gets home?" I asked.

"Of course," the teenager said.

I told Johnny that I was going out with Rachel and instead of calling Darry in the middle of the night when I'd likely get home, I'd call him the following day. After that, I realized I actually did have something to tell Johnny directly. "Oh and Johnny, I talked to Connie and Cap today. They'd both love to show you some things in the kitchen if you're still interested. They said whenever you want, you can stop by."

I heard a sharp intake of air, like he gasped in surprise or something. "You mean it?"

"Yeah kiddo, they seemed really excited," I said.

I remembered the looks on Connie and Captain's faces when I asked them about Johnny shadowing and learning from them, and they were both quick to accept. I mentioned Johnny's physical disability, and just like I anticipated, neither of them even batted an eye. In fact, after I mentioned the wheelchair and crutches, Cap seemed especially interested in meeting Johnny– which I assumed was because Cap had a prosthetic leg and might be able to relate to Johnny more than anyone.

"That- that's great," Johnny said. He didn't speak loudly or anything, but there was a hint of suppressed excitement in his calm voice. "Thanks Kate. Maybe in a few weeks. I might not need the chair then."

I smiled sadly to myself. He's excited, but nervous about his disability. I think it'll be really good for him to meet Captain. "Of course, Johnny. Whenever you're ready, just let me know."

"Where do you want to go?" I asked Rachel as soon as she sat down in the passenger seat.

"You know Buck Merrill's place? By the tracks?" she asked.

I looked at her, making sure she wasn't kidding. "Yeah, I know it. Why would you want to go there instead of Rusty's?" Rachel was more of a Soc than I was, so I was shocked that she suggested a place that was sure to be entirely filled with greasers.

"I don't want there to be any chance of running into Caleb or his friends," she said, sounding like she was trying to suppress her anger.

I nodded understandingly. Well, she's right. They definitely won't be at Buck's.

"Okay, but we're sticking together, alright?" I said sternly. "No going off anywhere alone, especially not with a guy, got it?"

Greasers weren't as bad as everyone made them out to be, but I figured there would be at least a couple of guys that we wouldn't want to be around alone; there's always a few of those guys, no matter where you go. I glanced at Rachel and studied her outfit, just to see if it would be obvious that we weren't greaser girls. She wasn't dressed too fancy like a Soc girl would be, so she might be left alone, but then again, she was a pretty blonde girl that seemed determined to drink the night away, so I knew I had to keep an eye on her.

"Okay Mom," Rachel said with a smirk as she rolled her eyes.

I smirked and started driving towards Buck's bar. There was a brief pause, but then Rachel spoke up. "So how are things with you and Darry? You guys talk all the time, and you went to his place for Thanksgiving. Are you guys getting serious?"

I glanced at her, and after seeing the anticipation on her face, I smiled and looked back to the road. "Things are good. I've met his brothers and his friends, and they're all great."

"Annnnnd?" Rachel pressed.

"I think we're both taking things slow," I said eventually, purposely not looking over and meeting her eyes. "Between work and his brothers, he has a lot to deal with, and I… you know I like to take things slow because…" I trailed off. Rachel was one of the few people that knew why I was so guarded and slow to trust people in general, but especially in relationships, so I knew I didn't have to explain myself.

"That's true, but this is Darry we're talking about," she said, sounding soft and genuine. Anything revolving my step-dad or relationships could be touchy subjects for me, so she was treading lightly. "You've liked him for years, and you and Darry seem to be cut from the same cloth. I don't think Caleb and I talked nearly as much as you guys do or even had as much in common. I don't think you have to worry about whether or not to trust him."

I nodded silently. I had already told her practically everything that had happened on my dates with Darry, minus the specific details from Steve's dramatic entrance on Thanksgiving, but there was another thing I didn't tell her about Thanksgiving. "I told him about Victor."

Even though I kept my eyes forward, I could feel her eyes staring at me. "How much did you tell him?" she asked carefully.

I shrugged, trying to act like telling Darry about my abusive step-father was nothing. "I told him about the beatings. It's too soon to tell him about the other stuff."

Again, there was silence, but I could practically hear the wheels turning in Rachel's head as she thought about how she wanted to respond. Finally, she must've figured it out. "That's pretty impressive, Kate. I know none of that's easy to talk about, but the fact you could talk to him about it says a lot about both of you."

I grinned slightly, but still didn't look at her. "Thanks."

"How did he react?" Rachel asked, her voice still tight, like she was being extra careful with her tone and choice of words.

I remembered how furious Darry looked when I told him Victor hurt me, but the fury didn't scare me like it would if I saw it on Victor's face. Darry's anger wasn't directed at me, and I knew that. "He was mad, but not at me or anything. I think it really upset him, and he promised he would never hurt me."

"He sounds really great. I'm happy for you, Kate," Rachel said. Even though her words were joyful, her tone seemed off, likely due to the topic we were carefully talking around. "And I'm sure whenever you feel comfortable to tell him everything else, he'll be just as supportive."

I looked over at her, and her expression matched her voice; bittersweet. "Thanks Rach." Then, in an attempt to change the subject, I raised my voice. "Now let's have some drinks and talk about how awful Caleb is."

She gave me a wicked grin. "Hell yeah."

The place was packed with rowdy greasers shouting, drinking, and doing other things I didn't want to look at too long in case I'd be asked questions later on. All the tables and booths were full, so Rachel and I found two open seats at the bar. Even though we weren't exactly greaser girls, it seemed like most of the patrons were content on ignoring us, which I was grateful for. When we sat down, I ordered Pepsi and Rachel ordered a shot of tequila and some kind of cocktail that contained vodka. So this is how tonight's gonna go.

As the hours passed, Rachel told me about how Caleb was gradually ignoring her for longer periods of time, and by her third drink, she told me how she heard a rumor that Caleb was cheating on her with a Soc girl whose name I couldn't quite understand through her slurred words.

"Do ya 'ink she's prettier than me?" Rachel asked after venting about Caleb. "Did 'e leave 'cause I'm not pretty?"

Now we're at this stage of drunk Rachel: the self-pity and no self-esteem stage.

"No Rach, she's not prettier than you. Nobody's prettier than you," I said, placing my hand on her forearm to try to steady her. She was swaying a little in her seat, so she needed to be steadied in more ways than one. "Caleb broke up with you because he's a jerk and a loser. He didn't realize he had a good girlfriend, and it's his loss that he ended things."

Rachel gave me a drunken smile. "Thanks Kate. You're a good friend."

I lost track of how many drinks she had, but Rachel started repeating herself and I had escorted her to the bathroom twice– both times I practically had to hold her up on the way back to our seats so she didn't tip over. I ordered her a glass of water to drink before I took her home.

That's when a strange, gravelly voice suddenly spoke behind us. "Hey pretty lady."

Rachel and I both turned to find a greaser boy looking at her with prying grey eyes and an unnerving smile. "I couldn't help but overhear you're freshly single. Wanna spend the night with me? I could help you forget about the other guy."

The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. This guy is trouble.

"She's not interested," I said calmly and in a bored tone before Rachel even tried to respond. Just like the night that I met Dally at the drive-in, I figured appearing confident and uninterested was my best bet to get the guy to leave.

"Is that so?" he challenged me. He glanced at Rachel, who could barely keep herself upright, then winked at her. "I don't hear her sayin' that."

Of course you don't, she's as drunk as a skunk.

I tried a slightly different approach. "Look, we didn't come here to meet anyone. So why don't you just-"

He stepped forward so he was practically between me and Rachel, which made alarm bells ring in my head. "Why don't you go home and I'll take care of your friend here?"

I jumped to my feet and stared up at the greaser as menacingly as I could. "Back up, buddy."

He raised his eyebrows at me, but the sick smile on his face stayed. "And what are you gonna do if I don't?"

It probably wasn't my brightest moment, but I shoved him away as hard as I could. He must've been caught off guard because I was surprised how far I managed to push him. The guy stumbled backwards a few steps, but he managed to stay on his feet.

"I said, leave her alone," I snarled at him.

The greaser didn't back down. Instead, he glared at me and suddenly launched forward, gripping my wrists with what felt like claws. His lip was curled in anger and he stared at me dangerously. "You think you can take me, huh? Well guess what honey, I always get what I want, and I ain't about to let a bitch like you stop me."

The flashbacks hit me quickly and severely:

The sinister expression.

"I always get what I want."

The tight grip on my wrists.

"Bitch."

The presence of a dangerous, drunk man.

"You can fight all you want, but you're not gonna win."

I blinked, and it was no longer Victor staring at me; it was the greaser guy that was trying to pick up Rachel. Not if I have anything to say about it. I stomped on his foot and spit in his face.

Immediately following my actions, I saw the guy's hand move swiftly, followed by a loud slap and my head turning sharply to the side. Then there was a sudden sharp pain in my right cheek.

"Bitch!" I heard the guy shout at me.

I turned to face him again so I could punch him or something, but there was movement, and suddenly, three figures were standing between me and the rude greaser. After a moment, I realized I was looking at Dally, Two-Bit, and Steve. All of them looked furious, and their tempers were directed at the greaser that hit me. Where did they even come from?

"You're gonna regret that, asshole," Dally's voice said.

"Yeah? Why's that Winston?" the greaser asked. Even though he was obviously trying to look tough, he at least looked more nervous than he had a moment earlier when it was just me standing up to him.

"That girl you just backhanded, that's Darry Curtis's girl," Dally said.

Judging from the greaser's reaction, Dally's words meant something. Now he looks worried.

Despite the situation I found myself in, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride by Dally's words.

"Darry Curtis's girl" has a nice ring to it, and it seems to have an effect on people. I grinned, but the pain from my cheek reappeared with vengeance, so I pressed my hand against it. The second I touched my face, I knew what the sticky liquid under my hand was. Dammit.

Dally took a step forward and grabbed the front of the guy's shirt. "And Darry's not gonna be happy when he hears about this," he spat with venom dripping from his words.

I was surprised that nobody in the bar had cared to stop or watch what was happening. If it's not interesting enough for this crowd, they must see fights pretty frequently.

"Look man, I didn't know-"

I saw Dally bring his arm back like he was about to punch the guy, but before I saw anything, I was suddenly forced to turn to the side. I put my arms up in defense, but when I saw Two-Bit looking at me, I relaxed. "Hey-"

"Here," he interrupted, putting a washcloth in my hand. He must've gotten it from the bar or something, but I didn't even notice him move. After giving him a confused looked, he guided my hand to my face, causing the fabric to press against my cheek. "Keep that there. You're bleedin' like a stuck pig."

I nodded. "Thanks."

He gave me a sad smile before walking towards Dally, who still had the other greaser's shirt in a tight hold. I noticed that the guy's nose was suddenly bleeding. Dally already got at least one punch in.

I saw Dally's eyes flick towards Two-Bit and Steve momentarily before he addressed them. "I'll deal with him," Dally said. "Bring Kate to the Curtises."

Steve nodded and moved to grab my arm, assumingly to pull me out of the fray, but I stepped away from him to remain looking at Dally.

"I'm fine," I said loudly and maybe a little too harshly. As much as I appreciated Darry's friends coming to mine and Rachel's defense, I didn't want them to think I was too weak to take care of myself and my friend. It was barely a fight anyways. "I don't need to-"

"It ain't just about you, doll. Darry will skin us if we don't," Dally said sharply.

"He doesn't need to know," I offered.

Steve glanced in my direction, then motioned to my face, where I was still holding a washcloth to my cheek. "Like you could hide that from him."

He's got a point.

"I can't leave Rachel," I countered. "I-"

"Gimme the keys, I'll take her home," Two-Bit said. There was still anger in his eyes, but I could tell he was trying to soften his expression and his voice as he spoke to me.

I wanted to argue, to tell them Rachel and I were fine and could get by on our own, but something about the guys and their harsh protectiveness told me it wasn't a good time to argue or question them.

Sighing, I reluctantly reached into my pocket, grabbed my keys, and handed them to Two-Bit. Out of the three of them, I knew and trusted Two-Bit the most, even though that wasn't saying much since I hadn't spent much time with him outside of high school. Still, I knew him well enough to know he'd follow through on his promise. "Take her to my place, she'll spend the night with me. I'll be there soon."

Two-Bit took my keys, and we, along with Rachel and Steve, all walked– or for Rachel it was more stumbled– out of the building, leaving Dally to deal with the greaser that had been messing with my best friend. As we walked towards the cars, I gave Two-Bit directions to my apartment. I was worried that he'd get lost, and with Rachel being so inebriated, I knew she wouldn't be any help. Right as I was about to change my mind and tell the guys I could just drive Rachel home myself, Two-Bit gave me a mock salute and ushered Rachel into my car, leaving me to go with Steve.

Once we got into the car, I buckled myself up in the passenger seat, not knowing what kind of driver Steve was. He must've noticed, but he didn't say anything. A few moments later, we were on the road, heading towards the Curtis house.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked, his tone monotonous.

"I'm fine," I said automatically. I removed the washcloth from my cheek and glanced at it. There was a large splash of red, with a darker shade in the middle, which meant I was still probably bleeding. Great. I pressed the fabric back onto my cheek, hoping it would stop actively bleeding by the time I saw Darry.

There was a brief bout of silence before Steve spoke again, this time his tone just a little lighter. "Sorry about Thanksgiving. I forgot Superman said you'd be coming over. I shouldn't have showed up and ruined your dinner."

I glanced at him, and even though he was looking straight ahead at the road, his expression was a little softer than I'd even seen him, although given the circumstances that I've seen Steve, that wasn't much to go off of. "It's alright Steve, you didn't ruin anything. I'm happy you have a place to go, and I don't want my presence or anything to mess that up."

He glanced at me, looking like he was making sure I was being serious. Then he looked away to focus on the road. "I'm sure it wasn't the best first impression," he added with what I thought was an attempt of a joking tone.

"Just about as good as this second impression, huh?" I asked with a smirk as I motioned to my cheek.

The scowl on his face lifted for a moment and I was pretty sure I saw him laugh a little, but he didn't say anything at first. Then after a moment, a neutral expression washed over him and he looked sideways at me. "You seemed a little too understanding about what happened with me and my dad, if you get what I mean," he said suspiciously.

So he did figure it out.

After Thanksgiving, I had a feeling all the guys were catching on to either some of the things I said or the way I acted, but I was almost certain Steve and I had a silent understanding that night, and he had just proven that I was right.

Still, I couldn't help but retort with some humor. "You don't think I can just be an understanding person?"

The corner of his lips turned up in a faint smirk. "Sure, but I don't think that's it."

I huffed out a short laugh, then looked out the windshield instead of looking at Steve. I wanted to avoid seeing his reaction when I told him. "Well you're right… I have some experience with that sort of thing," I said vaguely.

From my peripheral vision, I saw that Steve nodded, but he stayed silent. I knew he must've been a little curious, but he didn't say anything or ask any questions. In fact, he didn't say anything for the rest of the drive to the Curtis house.

As soon as he shut the engine off, I felt the need to tell him one more thing. "It gets better. Once you're out of that situation, you can start to heal… and I don't just mean physically."

I unbuckled my seatbelt and tried to casually glance at Steve like we were having a completely normal conversation. He was looking at me with a pained expression, and I didn't know whether or not to be relieved that he was showing some type of emotion other than anger.

His eyes were trained onto mine. "You were right, you know. The worst part ain't the pain," he said, his voice rough with suppressed emotions.

I nodded, all too aware of what he was feeling. "It's knowing that someone who is supposed to love you is the one hurting you."

He gave me a single nod, telling me we felt the same about the unfortunate circumstances we both had to deal with.

"Let's go inside," he said, breaking the tension as he opened his door. "I don't want Darry to see us and think I did anything to his girl."

I rolled my eyes and laughed a little as I got out of his car. "Don't tell me you're scared of Darry," I teased.

He shot me an incredulous look as he started walking towards the house, with me following close behind. "I'd be a dammed fool if I wasn't. He's about the only one I wouldn't want to fight. Him and Soda."

I wasn't necessarily surprised by his statement, but it was still almost funny to me. Darry's only been sweet and kind towards me, and even though he's one of the toughest and strongest guys I've ever met, it was hard for me to picture him actually using those muscles to fight, let alone against his friends. And of course Steve wouldn't want to fight his best friend, so including Soda in his statement was a given.

"You'd take Dally or Tim Shepard over those two?" I wondered.

"Any day of the week," Steve answered easily as we crossed the yard. "You've seen Dally, so you kinda know what to expect out of him, and Tim's sneaky and quick, but the Curtises, man… when someone they care about gets hurt, they're downright dangerous."

I raised an eyebrow at him. Really?

Steve looked entertained by my reaction. "The last rumble we had, Ponyboy got kicked in the head real hard, and Soda went berserk. I thought he was gonna kill the guy that hurt his kid brother," he said as we approached the steps. He got quieter as we got closer to the door. "And Darry… well just look at him. Nobody wants to get on his bad side. Even the toughest hoods know not to mess with him."

I wondered how much of what Steve said was actually true. Darry was obviously tough and could hold his own when he needed to, but maybe people just thought he was scary and that was enough to leave him alone.

Before I had a chance to think much more on the matter, Steve walked a couple steps ahead of me and opened the door to the house. "Guess who I found," he spoke to whoever was there.

"Who?" I heard Soda's voice ask in a light and curious tone.

I walked in and found Soda and Pony playing cards on the coffee table and Johnny lying down on the couch with his eyes closed. Soda and Pony looked away from Steve and towards me, and their eyes instantly got wide.

"Kate? What happened?" Soda asked worriedly, jumping to his feet. The sudden noise and movement startled Johnny out of his slumber, and he turned to look at me with tired eyes that quickly grew in surprise.

"It's nothing," I said with a wave of the hand that wasn't pressed against my still-bleeding cheek.

Soda either didn't believe me or he just didn't care, because he looked over at Ponyboy with a serious look on his face. "Go wake up Darry."

"No, please don't," I said quickly. I don't want to disturb Darry when he's sleeping. He works too hard and doesn't rest enough as it is. "Let him sleep. I'll go home." I turned to walk away, ready to hoof it to my apartment if Steve didn't want to drive me again, but he grabbed my arm just tight enough to silently tell me to stay put.

Listening to his brother, Pony disregarded what I said and left to get Soda, who had apparently disappeared, came back into the room with what looked like a first aid kit, which he set down on the coffee table.

"Do you want to sit down?" Johnny asked quietly once he managed to get himself into a sitting position on the couch.

"No, that's alright, Johnny." Johnny's back and legs were still healing, and I felt guilty that he had moved to accommodate me. "Don't worry about me. You can lay back down," I said with a smile, but the movement hurt my cheek a little, and I wondered if I had just made the bleeding worse.

Apparently deciding I was no longer a flight risk, Steve let go of my arm and sat in the empty chair on the far side of the room, leaving me to stand in front of Soda, who still looked worried.

Soda looked between me and Steve a few times while he was practically twitching from either anticipation or irritation. "Will someone tell me what-"

He was cut off when quick, heavy footsteps approached, and Darry suddenly appeared in the threshold between the living room and dining room, followed by Ponyboy just a second later. Darry was wearing boxer shorts and a loose tank top that allowed his arm muscles to be on full display.

"Kate?" Darry said breathlessly, then he rushed towards me. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked at my cheek, then into my eyes. Even though he had just been sleeping, his eyes looked alert and concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied with a steady voice. "Sorry, I told the guys I was okay and could go home, but they insisted I come over here."

"Don't be sorry, I'm glad you're here," he said immediately. Then he carefully guided my hand that held the washcloth away from my face so he could get a good look at it. "It looks like that cheek of yours is going to need some patching up."

I let out an aggravated sigh. "I just need a band-aid. You all are making a big deal out of nothing."

He gave me an incredulous look. "Have you seen it?"

I shook my head, but after feeling liquid drip down my cheek, I pulled my hand away from Darry so I could put the fabric back against my skin. What is with everyone? It's just a cut.

"It doesn't look like nothin' Kate," Soda said sadly, still standing near me either for support or because he thought he was going to be needed for something.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Darry suggested. Then he ushered me towards the recliner in the corner of the room, making me sit while he went through the supplies in the first aid kit. Soda moved to sit on the couch with Pony and Johnny, probably barely being able to wait before he asked more questions.

Darry told me that he had to clean the cut on my cheek before it would be ready to be bandaged. I could tell he felt guilty about causing me some discomfort when he cleaned the cut with rubbing alcohol, but I tried to give him a reassuring look. You have to do it, and I understand that. After it was cleaned, he put a few Steri-strips on the laceration to close it up. The whole process only took probably five minutes, and when it was over, Darry put the first aid kit on the table and knelt in front of me, still looking worried.

"What happened, Kate?" Darry asked as he put his hands on my knees. He was obviously still concerned, but he was trying to stay calm.

I let out a sigh. "Rachel and I were at Buck's bar. She got wasted and some guy wasn't leaving her alone, so I got between them and told him off."

"What does that have to do with the cut on your face?" Soda asked innocently.

I could tell Darry already knew where the story was going because he suddenly got a dark look on his face.

"The guy got mad and backhanded me. He must've had a ring on or something since it sliced my cheek," I explained. I noticed that Johnny and Ponyboy grimaced at my statement while Soda looked troubled. Meanwhile, I could see the storm raging in Darry's eyes was intensifying, so I tried to quell it. "Steve, Dally, and Two-Bit all jumped in before anything else happened. We left right after."

Darry looked livid. After studying me for another moment, he stood up and looked around the room, his eyes finally landing on Steve. "Do you know who it was?"

Steve's eyes were hard and angry, just like how they were when the guys appeared out of nowhere at the bar. "One of Shepard's guys. Joe, I think. Dally's dealin' with it. He won't be a problem anymore."

Darry nodded and gave Steve a curt "good" before looking back at me. "How's Rachel?"

I lifted one of my shoulders in a partial shrug. "I'm not sure. She didn't get hurt or anything, but she's pretty drunk. Two-Bit took my car to drive her to my place. She's so out of it, I don't know how much she'll remember tomorrow."

Darry gave me a slight nod, but he still looked upset.

"Darry, I'm fine," I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "It's not like this is the first time I've been hit, and you know it." Darry tensed up at my dark quip, and I instantly knew it was a poorly-timed joke.

"Did you get in a lot of fights in school or something?" Soda asked lightly. I saw Steve give Soda a pointed look, but he didn't say anything.

"Soda," Darry said in a warning tone.

"It's okay, Darry," I said quickly, trying to come to Soda's defense.

I knew Soda was trying to lighten the mood, but he was lost and confused about the sudden tension in the air. "What?"

Before either Darry or I could reply, the door suddenly slammed open, and Dally sauntered into the house. He had some blood splattered on his shirt and his knuckles were torn up, but otherwise, he looked fine. Immediately after walking in, Dally looked at me. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I said.

He gave me a sharp nod. "Good. That guy won't mess with ya anymore, and I think the rest of Shepard's outfit will get the message too."

The idea of someone getting hurt because of me made me feel uneasy, but that feeling was slightly outweighed by the gratefulness I felt for the guys having my back. It was something I wasn't used to, but I was already starting to enjoy it.

"Thanks Dal," Darry said, sounding genuinely thankful about his friend beating someone up.

Dally looked at Darry as he sat on the arm of the couch. "Don't mention it. Mind if I crash here? Buck kicked me out for the night. Somethin' about how fighting is bad for business."

"Sure," Darry replied without even having to think about it.

Dally gave Darry an appreciative nod, then he glanced back at me. He studied me for a moment before he cursed under his breath and started mumbling to either himself or whoever was listening. "What kind of coward hits a girl?"

My step-dad, I thought. However, I'm must've said it out loud because everyone was suddenly looking at me.

"What did you say?" Soda asked kindly, but sternly.

"Just drop it, Soda," Darry said angrily.

It upset me that Darry felt the need to protect me from his own brother's inquiries, and I wasn't going to stand for it. Soda doesn't know, so you can't be mad at him for asking. Your brother just wants to understand.

"It's fine, Darry," I said sternly at him as I reached to grab his hand. Once my hands encased one of his, Darry's eyes met mine, and I made sure to look and sound confident. "I'll tell them. It's not like they haven't seen or heard it before."

Darry's expression went from mad to pained, which made me feel like I got punched in the stomach. "Are you sure? You don't have to."

"I'm sure," I said immediately. I was already planning on telling them eventually. This just gives me a reason to do it sooner rather than later.

"What's going on?" Ponyboy asked softly. His eyes were big, like he thought I was about to say something that would totally flip his world upside down.

I let go of Darry's hand and looked at the boys sitting on the couch. "I didn't get into fights at school. My problems were actually at home with my step-dad." I let my words sink in for a moment before I dove into some of the details. "My step-dad isn't a nice man. He drinks too much and throws his weight around. He would hurt me whenever he was mad, drunk, upset, or just when he wanted to. He's the reason why I moved out as soon as I graduated."

Soda, Pony, and Johnny all stared at me with looks of horror while Dally just looked furious. The four of them sat there for a while before, much to my surprise, Johnny broke the silence. "That's why you don't see your Mom anymore, right? Even on holidays?"

I nodded. "Right. I talk to her once in a while on the phone, but I haven't seen either her or my step-dad since the day I moved out. I've been hurt by Victor enough already; I don't really feel like going another round."

"He didn't get arrested?" Pony asked. His voice was quiet, but I could still sense the anger in it.

I shook my head. "No."

"Why not?" Pony asked instantly.

"Same reason my dad ain't in jail, or Johnny's parents" Steve said bitterly.

"But Kate's a girl," Pony said softly, like that fact should've completely changed the outcome of my situation.

"It doesn't matter, it's all the same," I said calmly. That wasn't exactly true, because I had a feeling there were things Victor did to me that Steve and Johnny never had to experience– things that would add years to any prison sentence he would get if the police ever investigated him. At least I hope they never had to deal with those things.

"We were all hurt by people who were supposed to take care of us and love us," I added, pushing awful memories and flashbacks away. "That's the worst part about it." I remembered how Steve had agreed with me about that before, and the look on Johnny's face told me he felt the same way.

Soda and Pony stared at me with gaping mouths and sad expressions, Johnny looked upset, and Dally was staring angrily at the floor, like it was at fault. I glanced at Steve, and even though he already had surmised some of what I had to endure, his furrowed eyebrows told me he was thinking hard about something.

I figured the news was upsetting and probably surprising to most of the guys, but I didn't want them to be engulfed by the thoughts I could see swirling in their heads. "It's okay, guys. It's been over two years since I had to deal with all of that. And if it's not too much to ask, I don't want to be treated differently because of this."

Dally suddenly got up and went to the kitchen, all of us watching him practically storm out of the room. While we heard him rummaging through the fridge, the rest of the house was quiet.

Thankfully, Steve spoke up after a brief bout of silence. "Because you don't want people to feel bad for you." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. He knows the score.

I looked at him and nodded. "Exactly. I'm not about to fall apart or anything, so I don't want anyone thinking I will. I'm not weak. I can take a punch, or in this case, a slap," I said, adding a grin at the end.

Steve chuckled. "We know you ain't about to break, and you sure can deal with assholes. You proved that tonight."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Darry challenged. He was still tense, and I wished that he could calm down and maybe even go back to bed. Doesn't he have to work tomorrow?

"Everyone told me your girlfriend is tough, but man, you shoulda seen her," Steve said with a smirk on his face. Did he just call me Darry's girlfriend? "Girl" is one thing, but "girlfriend" is different… right? Even though my mind was spinning, I had to force myself to listen as Steve kept talking. "She was about to throw down with Shepard's guy. She wasn't backin' down for nothin'."

I could feel everyone looking at me, and after pushing the "girlfriend" slip aside, I just smirked at Steve in response. "He was bothering my friend. Nobody messes with people I care about."

"Add that to the list," Dally said as he walked back into the room with a half-empty beer in his hand. He leaned against the wall, apparently not wanting to sit anymore.

"What are you talking about?" I asked cluelessly. I noticed that the three guys on the couch were grinning and looking at each other. "What list?"

Soda gave me a sly grin. "The list of things you and Darry have common. We'll add 'protective' to the list."

Rachel's words popped into my mind: "You and Darry seem to be cut from the same cloth." It seemed liked Rachel wasn't the only one who noticed the similarities between me and Darry. I grinned and looked up at Darry, who was still standing next to me, eyes blazing. I didn't realize it until that moment, but Darry had positioned himself to stand slightly in front of me. Even now, whether or not he realizes it, he's acting like he's protecting me.

"Mind telling us what else you have on that list?" Darry asked. It was hard to tell if he was joking or truly being serious.

The guys all started listing things off the top of their heads.

"You're both smart."

"And stubborn."

"And work all the time."

"And tough."

"Although…" Pony started slowly. Then a smug looked gradually appeared on his face as he looked at his oldest brother. "Given everything we know, I'd make the case Kate's tougher than Darry." He leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms over his chest, arching an eyebrow, almost looking like Two-Bit. "Looks like Darry's got some competition. I wonder if he could even beat Kate in arm wrestling."

I looked between Pony and Darry, trying not to laugh at the younger's antics. I saw Darry's eyes narrow and his lips turn upwards just a split second before he quickly crossed the room and lunged towards his brother. Pony shrieked and tried to escape, but Darry was too quick. The oldest Curtis somehow got Pony in a fireman's carry within two seconds, and the young greaser started thrashing, trying to get out of his brother's hold.

"Put me down! We're too old for this, Dar!" Pony yelled, but he wasn't convincing anyone since he was laughing so much. "C'mon Darry, you're gonna hurt your back, or maybe even break a hip!"

"I'm not that old, kiddo," Darry said with a smirk before he suddenly spun in a half-circle, causing his brother to squeal again. "Still think I'm not tough, little buddy?"

The two of them continued bantering and roughhousing, making all of us laugh as we watched the chaotic scene unfold. The energy and happiness radiating from the guys around me made me smile, but that, along with the laughing, pulled at my cheek, forcing me to put the soiled washcloth back on the side of my face.

During our dates, I had seen Darry look happy, worried, angry, and all sorts of emotions in between, but at that moment, when he was tipping his youngest brother upside-down, I saw him look care-free and youthful, just like he looked back in high school. It delighted me to see Darry so happy, and I wished the moment would last forever, but when he looked up at me, his smile dropped a little.

He straightened up and eased Pony back onto the ground, not taking his eyes off mine. I felt guilty that I was the reason such a fun moment had ended, so I took the washcloth away from my face to look less pathetic and needy.

Before I could say anything, Darry had already moved towards me, leaned down, and put his hand on the side of my face, his thumb gently grazing over the newly patched-up cut. "Want me to take you home?"

"That's okay Darry, I can-"

"Let me rephrase that," he interrupted with a grin. "I'll take you home, and I'll take Two-Bit back with me if he's still there."

I sighed. I was too tired to argue, so I relented. "Okay."