Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders.

It was late, and I was sitting on my couch polishing my switch. I'm glad I had to go home when Mama had to go to work because knowing my luck, my car would've died, and I would have had to push it home in this awful storm.

Boom!

The noise from the clap of thunder echoed through the almost empty house.

"Two-Bit!" Rosie screamed. I ran into her room to find her huddled under the covers.

"Hey, sweetie. Did the thunder scare you?" I sat down on her bed and looked at my petrified kid sister. Rosie inched her way out from under the covers. Then a flash of lighting lit up the room, and I got a little, red-haired four-year-old hugging me with all her might. I looked down at her and hugged her back. "It's gonna to be alright, baby. It's just a storm. Now go back to sleep." I picked her up, laid her back down, and tucked her in.

I almost got out of the room, too.

"Two-Bit, don't leave!" Rosie was hugging her bear. That bear was a ragged little thing. It was mine at one point, but when Ma told me I was getting a baby brother or sister I decided I could let him go.

"I won't leave unless you want me to." I kissed her forehead and she giggled.

"Tell me a story, Two-Bit." Damn, Rosie was cute. I guess it runs in the family.

"Ok, kiddo, which story do you want?" I looked around and found a couple of books on the floor. I held up a few story books that were on the ground.

"No! I want you to tell me a story. You read me all of those." Rosie was a sassy little thing. Another reason I love her so much.

I laughed. "Hm, what should I tell you a story about?" I put my finger under my chin to show her that I was thinking, before raising it into the air as though I had an idea. "Once upon a time, Dally, Johnnycakes, and Pony were walkin' down the street. 'What shall we do?' Johnny asked. 'I want to try on some dresses!' Dally said."

"Wait!" Rosie interrupted. "Dallas wouldn't try on dresses. He would…he would hurt you if he even knew you said that," she said and looked down. She didn't like to talk about Dallas—he frightened her. Ever since he blew up…

He screamed and threw things for no reason. Ain't my fault he can't control his anger. But he's nervous as hell, thinking like he's gonna blow up again and scare the shit out of her like last time. Doesn't talk to her, either. It's not like he's some lunatic—he's just mad. At everything. And I'm used to it, but Rosie sure ain't…

I looked down at Rosie and put on a grin. "Ok. Hm… 'I know! We can dance!' Pony suggested. Then out of nowhere Elvis came and started singing. Pony, Johnny, and Dal started shakin' their hips like Elvis." I stood up and started dancing. Rosie giggled.

"Two-Bit, you're nuts!" Rosie laughed.

"It's what I do," I told her. I bowed for my dance and turned to leave the room. "Night, babe."

"Nighty-night, Two-Bit!" Rosie called. I shut the light of and left so she could get to sleep.

It was inevitable, but someday, Rosie would grow up and decide I'm not so tuff, but while she was still small, I was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Out of the blue, lighting flashed and the door opened. Who else came through the door at the moment but Dallas Winston. Looking like he went for a swim in the ol' Arkansas river.

"You look like a drowned rat," I said trying to hide my laughter. Dally did not understand my kind of humor.

"Shut the fuck up. Do you have a towel or something? It's freezing." Dally stripped off his shirt and squeezed the water out in the sink.

"Fine." I went into my room and found a towel and a pair of jeans and threw them at Dallas.

"Dumbass." He pushed by me and knocked me into the wall. The door slammed behind me and thunder erupted right on cue.

"Two-Bit!" Rosie screamed again. I rushed off to her room to find her clinging to her bear.

"I'm here, I'm here, don't you worry, little lady."

"The thunder is scary." Rosie looked up at me with her big golden eyes. Where did she get those? Probably that cowboy that was hanging on Ma. The bastard.

Then I remembered who else was in the house. "I know, babe, but you've gotta stop screaming 'cause Dally is here. He probably has a headache like I do on Saturday mornings during the cartoons." I ruffled her hair and smiled.

"Oh, ok." I knew she probably didn't want Dally here tonight, but I couldn't just kick him out.

"Here, come on. Let's go get a drink of water." I picked her up and carried her and her bear out into the kitchen.

"Ok, Two-Bit." Rosie clutched my arm with one hand and her bear in the other. Rosie used her little kid skills to keep hold on her bear while her thumb was stuck in her mouth. I don't think I ever had that much skill.

"Two-Bit, where the f—" Dally stopped when he saw Rosie. "Flip? Where the flip do you keep the milk?" I almost died laughing seeing him look so stupid.

"Good Dallas for cleanin' up his language around Rosie," I jeered, patting him on the head. I dodged a punch and chuckled. "If you can't find it in the icebox, and it's not on the counter, we're out."

"Damn it!" Dally grumbled. I raised my eyebrow and glared at him. Suddenly all the lights went out.

"Power failure. Great." Rosie was sobbing against my shoulder. I could feel her shoulders shake, and I kissed the top of her head, hoping to calm her down some.

"Shit." Dallas's face lit up as his lighter lit a circle of space around him.

"Dal…"

"Whatever. Do you have any candles?"

"Sure. Check in the cabinet above and to the right of the oven." I wondered if Dallas could find them. I hoped he did.

He rummaged around, knocking stuff over and swearing up a storm. I just rolled my eyes and tried to calm Rosie down a little. Glory, did she hate storms. She wasn't a real big fan of the dark, either. Well, she was two for two tonight.

Finally, Dally flicked open his lighter. "And then there was light," he said as he used the first candle to light another. Then he lit another, and one more after that.

"Come on." I grabbed a candle and walked into the living room. "So, what were you doing before you showed up at our lovely home, you lousy greaser?" I saw out of the corner of my eye that Dally stumbled. I laughed a little. It was probably because he was something 5'11" and wore his jeans low on his hips and I was teetering at an astonishing 6'1". He was wearing my jeans-jeans that are supposed to be worn at the waist.

"I was going to go do something stupid at Shepard's, but then the sky exploded, and I got an entire lake dumped on me." Dally set his candles down on the table next to mine. "So what's the score with you guys?"

"Well"—I plopped down on the couch and settled Rosie on my knee—"I was just tryin' to get this one to fall asleep."

"Two-Bit told me a funny story about you!" Rosie giggled.

"Yeah?" Dallas's eyes darkened as he stared at me. I just smiled. "What'd he say?"

"Well…" Rosie brought him up to speed on the story I told her. She giggled talking about Dally wanting to try on dresses.

"Dresses, huh?" Dally's hands went into tight fists that made his knuckles go white. My eyes got huge and I pulled Rosie closer to me. Not again, I thought. "Well, he's just jealous 'cause they don't look half as good on him as they do on me." Dallas smirked.

I relaxed a little, rolling my head back against the couch.

All was well in the Mathews's house…for now.

Author's Note: A huge round of applause to the ever wonderful aerodynamics. My beta, my buddy, you are amazing.