(Kate's POV)

When I woke up the following morning, the first thing I registered was the back of my head was aching. The second thing I noticed were the sounds and smells of someone making breakfast. Darry.

As I recalled everything that happened the previous night, I was instantly drained, and I had to stop myself from going back to sleep. Not only did the altercation from the night before cause my headache, but I had finally told Darry everything from my past, and I could only hope that he didn't look or act different around me because of it.

Only one way to find out.

I slowly got out of bed, then I made my way to the small kitchen of my apartment, where I found Darry making pancakes. Before I could greet him or even say anything, my boyfriend looked up at me as I walked towards him. There was a fine line between concern and pity, and I was relieved to see that while his face showed some of his typical concern, it didn't look like pity.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he said, his voice was soft and steady.

"Morning," I said, not able to refrain from yawning as I spoke.

"I hope you don't mind, I looked through your cupboards to find something for you other than cereal. That's how I found this," he said sheepishly as he pointed at the pancake mix on the counter with the spatula in his hand. "If you'd rather have something else-"

I grinned at Darry before wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my cheek into his muscular back. "Pancakes sound great. Thank you."

Darry shifted a little before he turned around to wrap me with his arms, my body suddenly pressing into his. "You don't need to thank me," he said before he kissed the top of my head. He didn't apply that much pressure with his lips, but somehow, it still caused the dull throbbing in my head to spike. He must've noticed, because his voice gave away his worry. "You okay?"

I nodded, not wanting to pull away from him. "I'm fine. Just a headache."

He kept one arm firmly around me while he moved his hand to gently feel the back of my head. "You still have a knot here." Despite my desire to stay wrapped in his arms, he put his hands on my shoulders and pulled us apart so he could look at me. "Go take some aspirin then sit down, okay? I'll finish breakfast."

I wanted to argue, to say he didn't need to make breakfast or take care of me, but the sternness of his expression and the decisiveness in his voice made me bite my tongue. So instead of saying anything, I nodded and followed his directions. By the time I returned from the bathroom, Darry had made a huge stack of pancakes and placed them on the table next to plates, silverware, and a bottle of syrup.

While we ate, we casually talked like nothing unusual happened the night before. It worked for a while, but it felt like there was a heavy weight pressing down on me, so I knew I had to address the elephant in the room.

"Thank you for everything," I said rather suddenly, which caused Darry's eyes to snap from his plate up to me. He was in the middle of chewing his food, and while my timing wasn't on purpose, it worked out well since I could say everything that was on my mind without interruption. "Thanks for getting those guys away from me, for staying the night, and making breakfast… it really means a lot. And I know what I told you last night is a lot to take in, but I still don't want to be treated differently. Just like before, I don't want any kind of special treatment. I'm still the same person."

Darry stayed silent for a moment, like he was choosing his words carefully. Finally, he replied cautiously. "Okay, but can I give you special treatment for being my girlfriend?"

I didn't realize how nervous I was about how he would react until I let out a sigh of relief, followed by a short laugh. "I guess that's okay."

Even after a week had passed since the incident behind the diner, the bruises on my skin were dark and prominent. I tried to hide the marks on my neck with makeup, but most of the patrons at the diner noticed them anyway. One of our regulars, William, had stopped by that week too and asked me about the bruises. After I told the elderly man a brief and watered-down version of the altercation, he looked upset, but then he told me he was glad I had backup and gave me an extra big tip.

Everyone had told Johnny to take at least a week off of work and stay at home, but the kid only lasted a few days before he returned to the diner. As much as I loved having Johnny at work, it concerned me that he didn't take more time off to heal. His back got hurt again during that fight, and he won't let himself rest.

Whenever myself or any of our friends would ask him, Johnny told us he was fine, even though he had been using his wheelchair instead of his crutches ever since the fight behind the diner. He told me he was just using it because Darry told him he should, but when he thought I wasn't looking, I saw Johnny wince whenever he would turn or move in certain ways. I felt awful that he was in pain, and it was especially horrible since he only got hurt because he had jumped into a fight to help me.

Darry had told me everything that happened that night from his perspective, but in the days following the incident, Johnny and Dally helped me piece together everything else. Apparently after Darry got Peter and his friends away from me, Johnny had used his crutch and hit one of the guys in the back of the head with it, knocking him down. The other one– the brunette– had come to his friend's aid and hurt Johnny when the two of them exchanged punches. When Dally had shown up, the brunette had Johnny's crutch in his hand and was probably about to beat the teen with it, but Dally made sure that wasn't going to happen. Everyone was worried about the long-term effects to Johnny's back from the fight, and every time I saw him in pain, I'd get hit with a pang of guilt.

Every day during the week after the incident, at least one of the guys would be at the diner while I was working, and if I drove to the Curtis house after a shift, someone would walk me to my car. Usually, Two-Bit or Dally would spend their days at the diner since they didn't work or go to school on a regular basis, but the rest of the gang would show up whenever they could.

All of that made it seem even more strange when my Saturday shift was about to end and none of the guys were sitting in their normal spots at the end of the counter.

"Hey Johnny, do you know what the guys are up to tonight?" I asked when he wheeled himself towards me, ready for me to drive him home. "None of them are here, which is weird for them, especially after they practically lived here all week."

Johnny's eyes suddenly widened and he looked like a deer in headlights. I could tell something was going on, but he shook his head and lied to me. "No, I don't know nothin'."

Before I could try to get an honest answer out of him, Rachel suddenly walked up to us.

"You guys done for the day?" Rachel asked.

I looked at my friend and decided to see if she knew anything. "Yeah, we're heading out. Do you know where Two-Bit or any of the guys are?"

Rachel's reaction was minimal, just a slight hesitation before she replied, but it was enough for me to realize she also knew what was going on, which made me the only one who was in the dark. Despite knowing her tell, Rachel still shrugged and acted normal. "Keith said he had plans tonight, and I figured it included the rest of them too."

I gave her a skeptical look. "Right… so your obnoxious and talkative boyfriend didn't tell you anything about what they were planning to do tonight?"

Rachel shook her head. "No idea, but I'm sure you'll find out whenever you see them next."

I waited for a moment, hoping she'd cave and just tell me what she knew, but she kept her mouth shut. After I gave Johnny a look, he averted his eyes and also stayed silent. I let out a sigh and let it go. "Fine. Come on, Johnny, let's go."

Other than my car's radio playing, the drive to the Curtis house was silent. Johnny was normally a quiet kid, but it was a strange and heavy kind of silence that encompassed him. I knew he had the answers I wanted, but I didn't want to pester him or make him uncomfortable by asking him again, so I also stayed quiet.

Once we got to the house, I parked my car and got the wheelchair out of the back seat while Johnny opened his door and swung his legs to the side. As much as I wanted to help him, Johnny was a proud and tough teenager, so I just held the wheelchair still while he eased himself into it. After he was settled in the chair, we made our way to the house.

The moment we went inside, the lack of noise told me nobody was home. Rather than leave Johnny home alone, I decided I would stay until someone else showed up. By the time I sat in Darry's recliner, Johnny had already laid down on the couch and turned on the tv. After he realized I didn't leave, Johnny raised an eyebrow at me. "You're staying?"

"Yeah, just until they come home," I said casually. Then I remembered that it wasn't only Darry's or his brothers' house, it was Johnny's home too, and I needed to ask if it was okay with him if I stayed. "Is that alright?"

He looked surprised that I even bothered to ask him. In fact, it took him a few seconds to even respond. "Yeah, 'course it is."

I smiled at him. "Thanks."

We watched tv for a couple minutes while I silently thought about where the guys could be. Considering what happened the week before and how the guys had kept an eye on me until then, it didn't take long for me to come to a conclusion.

They're at a rumble.

I didn't necessarily like fighting, but it was kind of endearing that the gang might be rumbling on my behalf. Do they really care about me that much just because I'm dating Darry? Then I remembered the conversation we had at the rodeo where Two-Bit, Darry, and Evie told Rachel how the guys would always stick up for their girlfriends, and I knew I was right.

Even though the sentiment behind the fight was admirable, it still made me feel uneasy. They can get hurt, and for what? A broken bone or a concussion isn't worth the trouble for fighting on my behalf.

"Should I be worried about them?" I asked Johnny abruptly, causing him to jump a little. When he looked at me, he looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, so I decided to help him out. "I know they're at a rumble. Should I be worried?"

He let out a short chuckle and smirked at me. "No, they'll be fine. They don't lose rumbles."

I nodded and hoped he was right. You can still get hurt, even if you win.

"And Ponyboy's there too? Darry let him go?" I asked, my surprise evident in my voice. Ponyboy was only fourteen, and I wasn't any closer to him than the rest of the guys, so I was astonished that Darry let his youngest brother go to the rumble that was happening because of me.

Johnny nodded. "Darry tried to make him stay home, but Pony wasn't 'bout to do to that. They started arguin', but after Soda took Pony's side, Darry gave up and told Pony he could go as long as he was careful. Dal promised us that he'd look out for Pony since the two of us usually teamed up during rumbles."

I could tell he was upset about not being at the rumble, so I tried to get his spirits up.

"Well, you might not be at the rumble, but I'm glad you get to keep me company and distract me from worrying about the rest of the gang," I told the teen, doing my best to sound genuine rather than condescending. Johnny grinned a little, which felt like a huge achievement, so I kept talking. "Plus, you have to protect me from any trouble that might walk through that door. Not trying to brag or anything, but ever since I started dating Darry, I seem to attract trouble like a magnet."

"That's because you're a greaser now," he said with a smirk.

We fell into another comfortable silence, and after a minute or two passed, Johnny adjusted his position on the couch so he was sitting. While he maneuvered, I saw him grimace from the pain, and I felt guilty and upset about it once again.

"I'm not sure I ever thanked you for helping me that night," I said softly, trying to avoid startling the jumpy teen. He looked at me curiously, but he quietly waited for me to elaborate. "Thank you, Johnny. I don't really like to think about what would've happened if the three of you didn't come looking for me behind the diner that night."

His looked down at the floor and shrugged. "I didn't really do much. It was all Dal and Darry." The he glanced at his wheelchair, almost glaring at it. "It ain't like I can fight real good or do much of anything now. Not when I can hardly walk."

"Don't say that, Johnny, you can do so many things. And you helped me just as much as Darry and Dally did that night," I tried to assure him. He hadn't really complained much about his back or mobility issues around me, but between the pain and everything else he was feeling, Johnny was obviously upset, and I wanted to change that. "You knocked one of them down, right? And you fought with another one until Dally got there."

He shrugged again, still not looking at me.

"But that's not even the important part. The important part is that you jumped into a fight just to help me, even though you could get hurt. That's pretty tuff," I said, trying to use a term I heard the guys use amongst themselves.

Finally, he looked at me again with a small grin. "Thanks."

"I'm sorry your back hurts more because of the fight though," I added, still feeling guilty about it.

He gave me another shrug. "It's alright, it doesn't hurt much anymore." I was pretty sure he was lying, but I didn't want to call him out on it quite yet. Then a frown suddenly appeared on his face, and his eyes moved so he was looking at the floor again. "The gang don't want me fightin' no more, even if my back heals all the way and I don't need the crutches. Darry said it's too risky, and Dal agreed."

"Is that why Dally yelled at you?" I asked. I never would've thought I'd see the day Dallas Winston yelled at Johnny, and it still didn't feel real whenever I remembered it. "I wanted to tell him to lay off, but Darry got him to stop before I could."

"That's just his way of showin' he cares," Johnny said with a hint of a grin. "Dal never treats me like I'm fragile or about to break, but he don't like seeing me hurt either. He's been kinda mixed up since the fire, and I guess it all came out at once."

It was surprising and unusual to hear someone talk about Dally's feelings like that, but it was also kind of refreshing. Everyone knew Dallas Winston was a tough hood who never backed down from a fight, which was exactly what he wanted everyone to think, but Johnny Cade seemed to be the only one who realized Dally was just like any other emotional teenage boy who cared about his friends.

Before I could respond, I heard noises coming from outside, which alerted me to the gang's presence.

"Get some ice on that, Pone," I heard Darry say, his voice easily penetrating the walls of the house. "And Steve, we'll need to wrap those ribs again."

At the sound of those words, I got up from the recliner and went to get the first aid kit from the bathroom. Then I heard the door open as I went into the kitchen to grab bags of frozen vegetables for whatever injuries Ponyboy, Steve, and anyone else had. From where I stood, I could hear the conversation the guys were having.

"I told ya the kid could handle himself," Dally said in a thick New York accent. The squeak that followed told me Dally had sat on the couch, likely next to Johnny.

"I never doubted him," Darry shot back, sounding defensive. "I just don't like to see my kid brother hurt. And I really didn't need to add 'keep Ponyboy from getting his head bashed in again' to my list of things to worry about on top of everything else."

"That wasn't gonna happen," Dally replied. "I was watchin' him, just like I told ya I would."

Before they could get into a heated argument, I made my way back to the living room. In just under a minute, the quiet room that Johnny and I previously shared had turned into a chaotic scene.

Next to Johnny, Dally sat on the couch, looking smug. Two-Bit sat on the floor with his back against the couch and legs straightened in front of him. The rusty-haired greaser smiled wickedly while he studied his hand, which was bleeding quite a bit. Steve was grimacing as he sat on a chair, with Soda sitting on the arm of it and looking down at his friend with a concerned expression. In the corner of the room, Ponyboy was sitting in Darry's recliner, sporting a split lip and what was probably going to be a black eye, while my boyfriend knelt in front of Pony and moved his youngest brother's head in different directions to get a better look at him. I was relieved to see that Darry, along with Soda and Dally, looked practically unharmed from the rumble, minus their shredded knuckles.

After taking in the scene, I approached the guys so I could hand out the makeshift ice packs and patch them up the best I could.

"Hey Supergirl!" Two-Bit shouted obnoxiously when he spotted me. His outburst caused all the other guys to look at me, while I was pretty sure Steve muttered something along the lines of 'it's Superwoman' under his breath. "One of those bags for me?"

I gave Two-Bit a pointed look, then motioned towards his oozing hand that he was still holding with the other. "Not until I get you a towel or something. They need to go back in the freezer afterwards, and nobody wants to eat bloody peas."

Most of the guys laughed, and as I handed Steve and Pony a bag of frozen vegetables each, I noticed that Soda went into the kitchen without a word. When I set the first aid kit down on the coffee table, Soda returned and handed Two-Bit a towel for his hand, then he gave Ponyboy a spoon, who immediately pressed it against his eye while he held the frozen peas against his lip. It took me a second to realize the spoon must've also been in the freezer, and it was bittersweet to see them use my trick for black eyes.

I saw Darry move like he was going to reach for the first aid kit, but I beat him to it. When he looked at me quizzically, I told him, "I'll patch everyone up, you just worry about yourself and your brothers," before I got to work.

In no time at all, I had wrapped Steve's chronically-injured ribs, bandaged Two-Bit's hand, and cleaned a cut on Soda's arm he didn't realize he had. After all of that was taken care of, the rolls of bandages and tape were passed around as the guys wrapped their own knuckles.

Once everyone's injuries were taken care of and the guys started swapping stories from the rumble, I grabbed the thawed bags of vegetables, the lukewarm spoon from Ponyboy, and the remainder of the first aid kit. I left the room to put everything away, and as soon as I put the spoon in the sink and placed a clean one in the freezer, I noticed that Darry had joined me in the kitchen. He watched me as he stood silently in the doorway, like he didn't know what to do or say.

"You didn't need to have a rumble because of me," I stated as I moved back to the sink to wash my hands.

"Are you mad?" Darry asked quietly as he took a step towards me.

After drying my hands, I placed them on my hips and gave him a look. I wasn't exactly mad, but I was confused and borderline irritated. "Why would I be mad? Because my boyfriend and his gang set up a rumble without telling me? Or because when I found out, I was worrying about all of you?"

He let out a small sigh and his head dropped slightly. "I'm sorry about not telling you, but-"

"You already pummeled Peter and his friends, so why have a rumble too?" I asked.

"It sends a message," he said confidently and immediately. "Peter and his friends were so drunk that night, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't remember most of what happened. Not only that, but it puts everyone on notice that nobody treats you like that and gets away with it."

Again, the thought behind it was touching, but the greaser way of handling things sometimes was confusing and even a bit extreme.

"So the rumble was to tell all of Tulsa to leave me alone?" I could feel myself getting worked up, so I had to fight against my emotions that threatened to spill out. "I told you I didn't want special treatment," I said almost harshly.

Surprisingly, Darry's expression remained neutral as he shook his head at me. "It's not special treatment when it's something we'd do for any of our friends and their girls; it's what we do."

I remembered the conversation at the rodeo once again, and I knew that if some guys went after Rachel, the whole gang would have her and Two-Bit's backs and they'd fight then too. Same thing if something happened with Evie.

I guess he has a point.

After I let out a breath, I crossed the short distance Darry had carefully left between us. I looked up at his face and moved his chin around so I could get a look at the faint marks on his jaw. He stood quietly, letting me examine him while I felt his eyes watching me. When I figured he didn't have any significant injuries, I grabbed his hands and looked at his wrapped knuckles. They looked like they had been torn up a fair amount, and I found myself tracing the bandages with my fingers while my mind wandered.

Darry really went all-out to make sure Peter and other guys would know to leave me alone. Any negative emotions I had quickly faded away. I can still be strong and independent, but it doesn't hurt to still have people in my corner.

If I was being honest with myself, Darry's fierce protectiveness was like a security blanket for me. It was because of Darry's concern for me that he came to find me behind the diner in the first place, which led to him, Johnny, and Dally saving me from Peter and his friends before anything truly horrible happened.

"Was Paul there?" I eventually asked when I remembered he had appeared at the diner that night too. I wasn't even sure what answer I preferred, and I kept my eyes trained on Darry's hands.

"No," Darry replied softly. "But if he could've been here, Paul told me he would've sided with us for the rumble and fight against his cousin and his lousy friends."

I looked up at him and raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

I didn't know the full story about how Darry and Paul went from best friends to enemies, but I knew they literally fought against each other at the last rumble just a few months before, so it was surprising to hear that Paul would be willing to switch sides. I didn't have a problem with him back in high school, but I figured Paul's distain for Darry had extended to me as well, especially after our run-in with him and Peter at the rodeo.

So what changed?

Darry simply nodded at me.

"When did you talk to Paul?" I asked, still surprised the two of them had willingly interacted after the diner incident.

"We talked before he left for school on Sunday," Darry said. "He was real sorry about his cousin and how he's been bothering you. Once he sobered up, Peter made it clear he was still planning on bugging you, so he and Paul got into a scrap. After they fought, Paul practically disowned Peter as family, and he told Peter if he heard that Peter was seen anywhere near our gang or our girls again, Paul would come back to Tulsa and personally send him to the hospital."

I was surprised, but relieved to hear that Peter was put on notice by Paul Holden. Not only that, but it sounded like Paul wasn't afraid to confront Peter if he tried anything again.

Slowly and carefully, Darry started to move one of his hands out of mine to reach towards my face. He placed his hand on my cheek, but then his eyes and hand both moved down to the bruises still on my neck. His face hardened slightly as his fingers grazed the still-healing area.

"Paul kept apologizing for everything Peter did, and he said he wanted to say that to you personally, but I told him to give you some space for now," he said softly. "He wants you to know he didn't think Peter would do something like that, and Paul hopes there's no hard feelings between you two."

"Do you believe him?" I asked after a beat. Darry knew Paul better than just about anyone, so if Darry believed him and wanted to give him another chance, then I would too. "Do you think he's really sorry?"

He gave me a nod. "I do. Paul was never the kind of guy to be violent or aggressive with girls like Peter, and he wouldn't condone other guys acting like that. I think he wanted to believe nobody in his family would be that way, but after he saw it with his own eyes, he got real upset. He really did seem sorry, but it's up to you whether or not you want to accept his apology."

Besides the run-in at the rodeo, I never had a negative interaction with Paul, so I figured the bad taste that was left in my mouth afterwards was mostly from Peter rather than Paul. If Darry, my over-protective boyfriend who hadn't been close with Paul for years thinks he's sorry, then I'll believe him.

I nodded at Darry. "Okay. No hard feelings between me and Paul."

Darry didn't offer me a reaction other than another nod before he pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry for not telling you about the rumble, but it was something we had to do, and I didn't want you to worry."

I let out a soft chuckle into his chest. "Yeah? It didn't work."

His laughter caused a rumble to echo in his chest. "Sorry," he muttered into my hair.

"I don't like seeing any of you hurt," I stated. Then I remembered Darry saying something similar about not liking seeing his kid brothers hurt, which reminded me to address something else. "I'm surprised Pony wanted to fight in the first place; he doesn't seem like the type. Johnny said you tried to get him to stay home, but he and Soda convinced you to let him go."

I felt Darry sigh before he squeezed his arms just a little tighter. "He doesn't like to fight, but he will when he needs to, and he can hold his own. When he heard about what happened at the diner, he was real upset. He said that you're part of the gang, so he had to fight in the rumble."

I pulled away from him slightly so I could look at him with a smirk. "Did you win?"

"Of course we did," he said incredulously before giving me a smirk of his own. "Some of Peter's friends are wrestlers, but that doesn't mean they're good fighters. It didn't last long before they ran off. I don't think anyone even had the chance to call the cops before it was over."

I grinned and gave him an approving nod. "Good, because if I have to bail any of you out and patch you up, we're going to have words Darrel Curtis."