In this chapter: Kate gets stopped by Socs while she's walking after a late shift at work. She gets hurt, and Darry takes care of her.

This one is pretty long, just a heads up :)

"Are you sure you're fine to walk home?" Connie asked as I started walking towards the door of the empty diner, ready to be done with work for the day. I was actually going to the Curtis house, but I spent so much time there that it practically was my home anyways.

I turned around to look at her and I smiled. "I'm sure. It's not too far of a walk, and it's nice outside."

She gave me an incredulous look from where she stood behind the counter. "Honey, it's nighttime. What makes you think it's nice out?"

I shrugged. "It's not too hot, and not too cold. Plus, I can't get sunburnt."

Connie rolled her eyes at that, but she smiled. "Okay fine, the weather's nice. But if you wanted to wait another hour, I can bring you home after I close up. It'd really be no trouble at all."

I shook my head and politely declined the offer. "Thank you, but it's really okay, Connie. I've walked alone plenty of times. I can handle myself."

Truthfully, besides the times I walked to one of the guys' houses, it had been a while since I walked anywhere by myself since I usually had my car for transportation. Unfortunately for me, my car decided to break down, so it was at the DX until a certain part came in so Steve could fix it, which left me hoofing it around town. I didn't know how many more days I'd have to walk, but it was okay; I liked the fresh air. Plus, it wasn't like I was helpless, I knew how to fight decent enough.

"Doesn't that nice boyfriend of yours own a truck? Can't he drive you?" Connie suggested.

At the mention of Darry, I automatically smiled. "He could, but he's got other things to worry about. I'm fine walking."

"And he knows you switched into the night shift?" Connie asked skeptically with her eyebrows raised.

She got me there. "Well, no, I didn't mention that I switched shifts with Rachel, but it's fine. I'll see him when I get to his place and explain why I was late."

Connie didn't seem to like my answer, but she didn't argue with me anymore, which was good for her because I'm just as stubborn as my boyfriend, and I usually won my arguments. "Alright hun, just be careful."

I smiled again and waved her goodbye. "I always am. Have a good night Connie!" Then I walked out the door and into the night.

It usually only took about twenty minutes to get to the Curtis house from the diner, which was a perfect amount of time to enjoy the night air and get a good walk in. I was almost halfway when I heard a car's engine shift gears behind me and slow down. I was used to being cat-called or shouted at as cars drove by, and I was pretty good at ignoring it, so I kept on walking like nothing was happening.

When I heard the car approach me slowly from behind, I kept walking confidently with my head up high. Along with whistles, I heard multiple voices shout things as they got closer.

"Hey pretty thing!"

"Is that you, Kitty Cat?"

The mention of that nickname made a shiver run down my spine. Only a particular group of regulars at the diner called me Kitty Cat, and while they were my least favorite people to serve, I was unfortunately their favorite waitress.

It was a group of guys, all of them either my age or a couple years older, and they gave me the creeps. They always stared at me like I was some type of price or piece of meat: something to be won and had. They obnoxiously flirted with me, and if I made it obvious that I wasn't enjoying it, it egged them on to do it even more. Connie had thrown them out of the diner more than once, so they started showing up when she wasn't around. They always stayed away when Darry or the guys hung out at the diner, which was good because I was sure a rumble would start if they were all in the same building. The group usually tipped decently since they lived on the other side of town and had money to spare, but most of the time, the extra money wasn't worth the harassment.

"It is! It's our favorite Kitty Cat!"

With that, the black Eldorado turned sharply in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. Shit.

Doors opened and were slammed shut, and before I knew it, three men were walking right at me. Shit, shit!

"Hey Kitty Cat! What're you doin' prowling around here at night?" the blonde one slurred.

I tried ignoring them and quickly walking around them and the car, but one of them grabbed my arm and made me turn to face them.

"What's wrong, Kitty? Don't you wanna talk to us?" the one with crocked teeth and black hair said. The smell of alcohol assaulted my nostrils, and a wave of dread and fear washed over me. They're drunk. This isn't good.

"No, I don't," I said as stern and confident as I could as I ripped my arm out of the guy's grasp. "Go back to your side of town," I spat. By the looks on their faces, I said the wrong thing.

"This girl's feisty," the brunette with thick eyebrows said as he stepped towards me. I instinctively backed up, but I backed into the car, which meant I was surrounded by three drunk Socs with nowhere to go. "You think you're tough, don't ya?"

Not one to back down, I quirked my eyebrow and displayed my best grin. "Yeah, I do." Then I swiftly kicked him between the legs as hard as I could. The moment he bent down in agony, I turned and ran.

I pumped my arms and moved my legs as quick as I could, but the shoes I wore for work didn't allow me to run as fast as I could with sneakers. Within a few seconds, I felt a hand on my arm yank me backwards. I was lucky that I stayed on my feet, but that just meant I was at eye-level with angry, inebriated Socs.

"You think you can just run away when we're talkin' to you?" the blonde questioned like it was the most ridiculous thing ever. Behind him, the guy with crocked teeth stood, glaring daggers at me, while the brunette was still doubled-over by the car.

"Leave me alone if you know what's good for you," I said in my best imitation of Tim Shepard's dangerous voice. I tried to pull my arm out of his grip, but his finger tightened around my forearm.

My words seemed to intrigue the drunk blonde more than anything. "Oh yeah?" He yanked my arm so I stumbled closer to him. "You know, a pretty girl like you should like spendin' time with guys like us instead of the greasy scum you hang out with."

I felt my temper start to flare, and even though I tried to fight against it and stay calm, it was a losing battle.

"Don't she have a boyfriend from the trash side of town?" the brunette Soc asked in a strained voice as he carefully walked towards us. Great, he's back,

The blonde glanced back at his friend. "Oh yeah, that's right." Then he looked back at me with an evil grin on his face. "Why don't you throw that trash out and come with us?"

I was so fuming with fury, that I was surprised smoke wasn't coming from my ears. "You're the trash around here," I said, then I used my free arm to wind up and punch the blonde right in the nose, feeling it shift under my knuckles.

I immediately felt something hit me in the face, causing me to faulter, but I held my ground and stayed on my feet. I saw the blonde was still in front of me, so I tried to throw another punch, but one of the other guys grabbed my arm, preventing me from inflicting another injury to the blonde. I threw my elbow back, and I was glad when I hit something hard and I heard a groan of pain coming from the crocked teeth Soc. I didn't have time to be happy though, because the brunette was there, holding my other arm in a death grip. I kicked sideways, hitting the brunette in the side of the knee, causing him to crumble to the ground. Unfortunately, that's where my success basically ended.

It started as a three-on-one fight, which meant the odds already weren't in my favor, but even after I took out the brunette Soc, things weren't looking good for me. I was exchanging blows with both the blonde and crocked teeth Soc, and even though they were drunk, I knew they hit harder than I did. After some time, my movements were slowing down, and I knew I was in real trouble. Once something hard hit my face again, I was barely able to stand up straight and see through the blood that I felt dripping from my eyebrow. I tried to kick forward, hoping I could hit something, but I something caught my foot midair, and a quick twisting sensation instantly turned into electrocuting pain shooting up my leg. I screamed in pain, and the only reason I didn't drop to the ground was because someone was still holding me up.

"Hey! Get the hell away from her!" I heard someone with an accent shout. Suddenly, I wasn't being restrained anymore, and I fell to the ground.

The pain from my head and leg was enough to make me stay down, but even through the thick liquid still partially blinding me and my position on the pavement, I could see someone had come to my defense and was fighting against the Socs. It was all a blur, but eventually, my rescuer sent the guys running, with the blonde and crocked teeth Socs helping their friend get to the Eldorado before I heard the tires screech.

"Kate, can you hear me?" the person asked as he crouched down in front of me.

I recognized the voice when it was closer to me, and I looked through the mess of my hair covering my face. "Hey Dally. Nice of you to drop by."

He huffed out a laugh. "Glad I did. Can you stand?"

I nodded, not because I felt strong enough to get up, but because I didn't have a choice. I wasn't about to act like a damsel in distress, so I knew I had to prove myself by getting up. I put my palms against the pavement and pushed myself to me knees. I groaned as the movement caused my body to ache.

"You sure you can-"

"Yeah, just give me a second," I said, not about to let him think I was weak. After collecting myself, I got my left foot under me so I could start to straighten up, but the second my right foot touched the ground, I crumbled. Dally's arms grabbing me were the only reason I didn't hit the ground.

"Shit, you ain't gonna be able to walk," Dallas said like it was an obvious fact.

"I can walk just fine, I might just need some help," I said.

Dally muttered something about me being stubborn as he maneuvered so he was at my side. I put my arm across his shoulders, and he put an arm around my waist. Once we were situated, we started making our way to the Curtis house.

"What made those Socs want to pummel you?" Dally asked once we got a good rhythm of steps going.

"You don't want to know," I muttered.

"Well, what else are we gonna do to pass the time?" Dally asked. "At this rate, we won't make it to your boyfriend's house for another hour."

He has a point.

As we limped down the road, I told Dally about the group of guys that frequented the diner, then how they spotted me on my way to the Curtis house. He stayed mostly quiet, with the occasionally mutter of a swear word or two. When I was done talking, Dally was visibly upset.

"They're gonna pay for this," Dally said in a low, scary tone. "When Darry finds out, he's gonna lose his mind."

Shit. With everything that was happening, I forgot to think about Darry and how he'd react. I hadn't told him I was working late, which I knew he'd be upset with me about because he would've offered me a ride had he known. Then for him to hear I got jumped by some Socs that harass me at work on a regular basis… Darry is going to be livid.

I groaned. "You're right, he's going to be furious."

Dally glanced sideways at me. "It ain't like he'll be mad at you, Kate. Darry could never be mad at you."

We'll see about that.

I stayed quiet for the next few minutes, which must have worried Dally because he suddenly stopped. "How bad you hurt?"

I looked at him, puzzled. I was balancing on one leg, and that leg was really starting to ache. "Enough to need a break. You?" I figured since Dally was practically carrying half my weight, he needed a break too.

"I'm fine. Those Socs barely got a taste of New York justice before they ran off," he said proudly. Then he turned around and pulled my arms around his neck. "Alright, c'mon Kate. This hobblin' thing is taking too damn long. We need to get ya to the house."

I wanted to argue, but Dally's solution meant I didn't have to hop on one leg anymore, so I accepted his offer of giving me a piggyback ride. I shifted my weight around until Dally was comfortable to move easily. Then we were on our way to the Curtis house.

"How did you find me?" I asked after a few minutes passed. "What were you doing walking around at night?"

"I heard the scuffle when I was runnin' some errands for Tim," Dally said simply. I knew better than to ask for any more details, so I didn't reply.

I let my eyes close as I felt the steady up and down movements of Dally's steps, and I was starting to nod off when Dally shifted me higher on his back, making my eyes shoot open.

"Don't fall asleep on me," Dally warned. "You gotta stay awake until you're Superman's problem instead of mine. Then you can sleep all you want, but not until then, alright?"

I grinned at that. Dally can pretend he doesn't care, but I know better. Why else would he be carrying me for almost a mile? "I won't, I'm just closing my eyes."

By the way Dally hummed, it didn't sound like he believed me.

Eventually, we made it to the front gate of the Curtis house, and I couldn't have been more relieved. I just want to melt into Darry's arms and fall asleep.

"I can walk the rest of the way, Dally. You don't need to carry me through the door." I secretly just didn't want to want to look completely helpless as I stumbled into my boyfriend's house, especially if some of the guys were there too. The last thing I needed was a bunch of greasers upset and looking for revenge if I looked really bad off.

He hesitated for a moment, but then he let me slide down slowly so I could balance on my good leg. Immediately, we resumed our earlier position, and my arm went across his shoulders and his around my waist. Apparently he thought I need extra support, because he held my hand that was against his shoulder and took even more of my weight than before.

"I ain't lettin' you fall down these stairs after that marathon I just did carryin' you here," he explained, although I didn't ask him anything. I guess he just wanted to give me a reason he was helping me out so much.

We slowly made it up the porch steps, and even before we reached the door, I could hear the radio playing loudly, which made me smile. We may not have much on this side of town, but at least we enjoy good music.

The moment we sauntered into the house, I glanced around the living room. It seemed like the whole gang was there, which was usually fine, but I was feeling self-conscious about all of them about to see me in the poor state I was in. Pony, Soda, and Johnny were sitting on the couch, and Steve and Two-Bit were on the floor, all of them playing a card game on the coffee table while the radio blared nearby.

"Where's Darry at?" Dally asked sharply right before the door slammed behind us.

"He's in the kitch-" Soda started, but when he looked up and spotted me, he jumped to his feet. "Holy shit, Kate! What happened?"

After Soda's reaction, the rest of the guys looked up from their game, and they all had shocked expressions on their faces. I guess I look as bad as I feel.

"Darry!" Pony shouted fearfully, his eyes wide as he looked at me.

"Who did that to you?" Two-Bit asked angrily once he was on his feet and walking towards me.

"What's going on?" Darry asked as he rushed into the room. I could tell by his voice, along with the tone Ponyboy used to call him into the room, Darry was worried, and when he spotted me, his concern grew. "Oh my God, Kate!" He rushed to me and put his hands on my cheeks, staring at me with an horrified expression on his face.

"Hey babe," I said with my best attempt of a smile. "I'm sure it looks worse than it is."

"Doubt it," Dally muttered. "I had to carry her most of the way here," Dally told my boyfriend.

I glared at the hood. Did you really have to tell him that?

Darry went to my other side and copied how Dally was supporting me, then the two of them helped me hobble to the bathroom. Once there, I sat on the closed toilet seat and let out a sigh of relief. It felt nice to give my one good leg a break.

Darry crouched down in front of me and put his hands on my knees. "What happened, honey?"

I shrugged, not sure I wanted to give him too many details in case he did something careless. "I got jumped."

I heard Dally make a sound from where he stood by the door, his arms crossed over his chest. Darry and I both looked at him. "If you ain't gonna tell him the whole story, then I will."

"Dal, don't. I'm fine," I pleaded.

Darry looked at me with wide, terrified eyes, then he stood and glowered at Dally. "Tell me."

Despite my wishes, Dally told Darry everything I had told him earlier, along with his description of the fight. I guess Darry deserves to know, but glory, I don't want him or anyone else doing something dumb or reckless because of me. When Dally finished talking, Darry was shaking with fury, and I noticed his hands were balled up into tight fists.

"I going to kill them," Darry spat, his eyes blazing with his temper. He took a step towards the door like he was about to go find the guys that attacked me right then and there.

I reached out to grab one of Darry's hands, stopping him in his place. I could feel his tight muscles shaking, and I tried to massage his hand and pry his fingers apart to get him to relax. "Darry, please don't. Please just stay here." Stay with me.

His eyes softened when they met mine, then he moved so he was crouching in front of me again, holding my hands gently. "Okay, I'll stay here. I'll stay with you, Kate."

I smiled at my boyfriend, then looked at Dallas, who was still in the doorway and looking angry. "That goes for you and the rest of the guys too," I ordered. I could see and hear the others behind him, trying to see me or hear what happened. "I don't want any fighting tonight because of me, alright?"

Dally looked like he wanted to argue, but he let out a breath and nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'll leave you two alone," he said before he exited the bathroom. Then I heard him address the rest of the gang. "Alright you lot, she don't need an audience when Muscles is taking care of her. Move."

With that, Dally thankfully ushered the guys back to the living room, leaving me and Darry alone.

I flinched when I suddenly felt a hand touch my cheek, but a moment later, I realized it was Darry, so I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Tell me what hurts, darling," Darry all but whispered. I loved it when he called me his sweet pet names, especially in his soft tone.

"I'm fine," I said with my eyes still closed, soaking in the presence of Darry and knowing that absolutely nothing can happen to me while I was with him.

I heard him shift a split second before I felt both of his hands touching my cheeks. "Catherine, tell me what hurts."

My eyes opened at the sound of him calling me by my full name. He only ever called me Catherine when he wanted make a point of emphasis or in intimate situations, but I figured the former was more likely in the situation I found myself in.

I looked at Darry's intense and concerned eyes, and I knew I couldn't lie to him. "My head and right ankle, but I'm sure I can just ice and rest a bit and I'll be fine."

He sighed and moved his hands back to mine. "Let me take care of you, okay?"

I nodded and found myself giving him a soft grin. "Okay."

Darry grabbed the first aid kit and went to work. He cleaned the cuts and scrapes that littered my skin, and when he started moving my head to get a good look at my face, I could tell he was thinking hard about something. Finally, he spoke softly. "Why didn't you tell me you were working late? I could've picked you up."

I knew it.

I found myself not able to meet his eyes any longer, so I closed mine and turned my head slightly so he wasn't holding my head up anymore. "I switched shifts with Rachel last minute. I didn't want to give you something else to worry about, so I figured I'd just walk."

He gripped my chin between his fingers and turned my head so I knew I was facing him. Still, I kept my eyes closed. "Kate, I was worried."

At that, I opened my eyes. Why was he worried if he didn't even know about the Socs?

He must've known I was confused, because he gently explained. "When you weren't here earlier, I figured you were just working past your shift, but then it got dark and I still hadn't heard from you. I don't mean to be a needy boyfriend, but usually you call or come over at some point, so I was concerned that something was going on. I even called the diner to see if you were still there, but Connie told me you already started walking. I was just getting my keys to come get you when Dal brought you in."

I looked down, not able to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, Dar. I just didn't want to give you another thing to do."

He ducked his head down a little so he caught my eyes. "I'd drop everything for you, okay? Next time, just ask me. Please."

I gave him a small grin and nodded. "I will."

He gave me a quick peck on the lips, then gave me a sad grin in return. "Good, now let's see what kind of injuries we're dealing with."

Darry checked my nose and a couple spots on my face for any signs of damage other than bruising, but finding nothing except likely a future black eye, he moved on to looking at my ankle. When I watched him gently grab my foot and take my shoe off, I noticed that my ankle already looked swollen, and the moment he started lifting it up to inspect it, I hissed in pain.

Darry's eyes shot up to mine, and he looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I have to look at it." I nodded.

As gentle as Darry was being, I was gritting my teeth the whole time, trying to keep myself from crying out in pain. At one point, he touched a particularly painful spot, and I yelped in pain. Immediately, his hand moved away and he gave me a unhappy look. "Kate, I think something's broken. We should bring you to the hospital."

"Did you just say hospital?" I heard Two-Bit's voice ask loudly from just outside the bathroom door.

"What did we say about eavesdropping?" Steve's voice rang out next.

"Shut it the both of ya, and leave them alone," Dally said next. I heard footsteps move away from the door, and I figured Two-Bit walked away.

Darry looked at the door, irritation apparent in his face, but as soon as I spoke, he looked back at me. "I'll see a doctor tomorrow Darry, I promise, but I just want to get some sleep."

I knew he wanted to argue, but instead, he just sighed and nodded his head. Then, he stood up and went to the medicine cabinet, grabbed a bottle, and took two pills that he immediately handed me. The moment I looked at them, I knew they were his pain pills that he was prescribed for a back injury a while back. He saved them for when something was painful enough that aspirin wouldn't work, and he apparently thought I was in need of them. Next, he handed me a cup of water and instructed me to drink the whole glass with the pills. Wordlessly, I followed Darry's instructions and handed him the empty cup.

"Anything else hurting?" Darry asked as he knelt down next to me again.

"No, I'm good," I reassured him.

He gave me a soft smile, then reached forward to push some of my hair behind my ear. "You know, you're beautiful, even after a fight." I blushed. Even after all the things Darry has said or done since we started dating, he always could find a way to make me feel special and loved. "You're going to have a hell of a shiner, Kate."

I gave him a smirk. "Think I'll look tough?"

"Tough enough to be one of us," a voice from the doorway said. I turned to see Soda standing there with his movie star smile. "I don't mean to bother you, but we all wanna know how you're doing."

"I'm alright, thanks Soda," I said genuinely.

He kept smiling, then motioned his head towards his big brother. "He takin' good care of you?"

I saw Darry roll his eyes, and I laughed a little. "Yes he is, just like he always does."

Soda nodded. "Good. You stayin' the night, Kate?"

"Yes she is," Darry cut in before I had a chance to open my mouth. He stood up and offered me his hand. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Soda whistled a cat-call. "Geez Dar, at least let me walk away before you talk like that with your girlfriend."

Darry stared daggers at Soda, and the younger greaser jumped away, laughing, before Darry could smack him. Being around the guys so often practically made me immune to their teasing, but I saw the back of Darry's neck get red from embarrassment.

After letting his brother walk away, Darry pulled me up to stand, but we quickly learned I was no longer steady enough to stand without someone supporting most of my body weight. Instead of just helping me to his room, Darry scooped me up bridal style and carried me.

As we moved to Darry's room, I heard the guys chatting and teasing, but I kept a grin on my face as my boyfriend easily carried me. Once we got to his room, Darry gently lowered me to a sitting position on his bed. He dug through his clothes and found a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that he handed me. I gratefully accepted them and changed out of my dirty, ripped clothes and into Darry's. After that, I laid down on his bed, thankful that it was comfortable and smelled like him.

I felt the mattress move next to me, then a muscular arm gently wrapped around my waist. "Is this okay, or do you want me to sleep on the couch?"

I turned to face him and almost laughed. "I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch in your own damn house, Darry."

"I don't want you uncomfortable, especially with that ankle of yours," he said seriously. I knew if I mentioned anything of the sort, he wouldn't hesitate to move to the couch. That's just the kind of gentleman he is.

I grinned at him. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before."

He smiled and gave me a kiss that ended far too quickly in my opinion. Then his expression changed from happy to heated. "I'm going to rip the heads off those Socs. I can't believe they started a fight with you."

I loved seeing how protective my boyfriend was over me, but I needed to set the record straight. "They had me backed against a car," I started, but then I couldn't fight the smirk off my face. "But technically, I threw the first punch… well, I kicked one of them first, and then punched another. Got the first guy right between the legs."

Darry looked shocked, then amused. "Yeah? You knock him down?"

I shrugged. "For a bit, but then he came back." He seemed intrigued, so I went into more detail about what happened before Dally showed up and saved me from getting completely pummeled, or worse. I told him everything, but by the look on Darry's face, I wished I spared some of the details.

Darry looked really upset. "Kate, I don't want you worrying about defending me, or any of us. It's not worth it," Darry said softly.

"Speak for yourself," I replied with a little fire in my voice. "I'm not going to let them call you or any of the guys trash."

"Babe," he said, sounding a little stern as he lightly gripped my shoulder. "It's not worth you getting hurt. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if Dal hadn't been there." Between the look in his eyes and the raw emotion in his voice, I knew he had already thought about all of the possibilities of what could've happened, and it troubled him deeply. "Please."

I wanted to argue, to say I'd defend him until my last breath, but the look in his eyes made me falter. I let out a sigh. "Fine." When he leaned forward and kissed my forehead, I added, "but only because you said please, and you'd do a better job at fighting them anyways."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face into his chest and quickly fell asleep.

This one can end here and be read as a one-shot, or it can tie into the next one for a two-shot. Up to you!