A/N: Hi everyone! This is the last chapter of the story so I just wanted to tell you all how appreciative I am for the support you've given me! Thank you for sticking by me through my first go at FanFiction. I really hope you enjoy the last chapter! I would love to hear your reactions.

Once they were behind closed doors at Buck's, the four of them piled into the small room that Dally so frequently claimed as his own. Dallas collapsed onto the bed, Tim and Two-Bit sprawled out on the floor, and Darry stood beside the doorway, hands on his knees and catching his breath.

Two-Bit leaned up against the dresser, dizzily surveying the scene in front of him. Tim had a fat lip and was favoring his left arm. Darry, on the other hand, looked almost brand new. He was unscathed, minus his busted knuckles. Dally just looked sick.

Darry closed the door and spoke first. "Dal, what were you thinkin' pulling a stunt like that?" he breathed. "You know you ain't well enough to—" he broke off, biting down on his lip.

Dally sat up. "What do you mean I ain't well enough?" he asked slowly. His eyes landed on Two-Bit, filled with contempt. "You told him, didn't you?" His voice was hoarse and breathless.

Two-Bit didn't have the energy to act apologetic. "Yeah," he answered, rubbing his temples. God, his head hurt like hell. He couldn't wait for this night to be over.

"Great," Dally snarled, his voice catching in his throat. He let his head fall into his hands and Two-Bit wasn't sure if it was because he was embarrassed or if it was because he felt ill. It was probably a combination of the two.

Darry sighed and sat down beside him on the bed. He put his hand on Dally's forehead and cursed loudly. "He's burnin' up," he told Two-Bit.

Two-Bit nodded vaguely. "I know." He closed his eyes because the light wasn't helping his throbbing headache. "He was like that when I left him."

"I'm fine," Dally insisted as firmly as he could. He was clearly trying to hold back tears, because he knew as well as the next guy that you just don't cry in front of Darrel Curtis if you can help it. Especially if you're Dallas Winston.

"You ain't fine." Shepard spoke up for the first time. Two-Bit had almost forgotten he was there. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. You're a fuckin' train wreck, Winston. I ain't gonna lie to you man, I liked seein' you out there tonight, only 'cause that's where you belong. But I swear to almighty, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll kill you."

Dally didn't say anything. He just kept his head down. Shepard stood up slowly, wincing in pain as he did. "Listen, I know you ain't a fool, Winston," he continued. "So do yourself a favor and get your head out of your ass. Because until you do that, you ain't ever gonna drop this baggage of yours."

Two-Bit and Darry just stared. That was quite a speech for Tim Shepard.

Tim tilted his head at Dally, who still hadn't dared to look up, and sighed loudly. "I think I'm gonna split and go get blazed," he said to Darry. "Winston, look me up when you're over this horseshit. 'Cause I sure as hell can't stand to see you like this." Then he nodded to Darry and Two-Bit respectively, saying, "Curtis. Mathews." And then he was gone.

Two-Bit wanted to go after him. Ask him why they'd had this rumble in the first place. But then he figured it didn't matter. Greasers had won, Socs had lost. Tonight greasers celebrated, tomorrow they'd be right back where they started. At the bottom, because life isn't fair and the Socs get all the breaks. Besides, Two-Bit's head was so heavy that standing up seemed like an impossible task.

"…hear me?"

Darry's voice broke into Two-Bit's thoughts.

"What?" he asked, opening his eyes. Darry was rubbing out Dally's shoulder muscles, but he was looking at Two-Bit. Dally's head was still in his hands. Two-Bit wondered if he'd ever look up.

"I asked if you heard me. You okay?"

Two-Bit closed his eyes. "Head hurts," he admitted softly.

He heard Darry sigh and then stand up. "I'll bet it does. I saw that Soc knock you out. I'll try and find somethin' for you to take."

Two-Bit felt him hovering at the dresser. He started to move to the side but Darry stopped him. "Stay put. You're alright." He opened up the top drawer and started going through it. "I know you have some aspirin in here, Dal. Where is it?"

"Back left," Dally mumbled.

When Darry found it, it was a game changer. Two-Bit took the pills greedily, not caring that he didn't have any water swallow them down with. He'd do anything to stop the pounding in his head. Darry also handed Dally some pills. "Get that fever down," he said firmly.

"Dar, you should get back home," Two-Bit said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Make sure Soda and them are okay. Me and Dal'll just stay here tonight."

Darry hesitated but ultimately agreed. He left, but not before he helped them get ready for the night.

Two-Bit lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. Darry had found him some pillows and a blanket, and Two-Bit was actually more comfortable than he expected he'd be. The aspirin had started to kick in, and his head was starting to feel better. But he wasn't tired. Besides, he could still hear the racket coming from downstairs.

He had a suspicion that Dally wasn't asleep either because he hadn't started snoring yet.

"Dal," Two-Bit said softly. "You still awake?"

"Yeah," Dally answered from the darkness.

Two-Bit bit down on his lip. He was hoping to get some answers. He decided to start with the question that had been bugging him since he'd left his house that evening. "You know that picture of you pettin' the horse?"

Dally sighed. "You saw that?"

"Yeah. Who's that man holdin' you up?"

"My granddad. The only decent human being in my entire goddamned family." Dally let out a deep breath. "He died about a month ago. Pop told me this mornin'. Gave me shit for not bein' around to bury him. He didn't care that his dad was dead, he just cared that he had to do all the fuckin' work to put him in the ground."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. He wouldn't expect any less from Mr. Winston. "That sucks," he told Dally, because what else could he really say? "I'm real sorry about your granddad."

"He was old," Dally said sharply, clearly not wanting to talk about it anymore. But gracious, no wonder he'd been so upset this morning.

They were quiet for a little while longer, until Two-Bit had the guts to speak again. "Dal, why'd you come tonight?"

"I came to watch. I wasn't plannin' on fightin'."

Two-Bit chuckled lightly, but stopped at once. Laughing hurt his ribs. At any rate, he didn't believe that at all. "Sure."

"I mean it. I really ain't that stupid," Dally retorted. "It's just, when I saw Johnny was in trouble and the rest of you couldn't get to him…" he trailed off, confident that he'd made his case. "I swear that little punk causes me more trouble than he's worth."

"You know, I could say the same about you," Two-Bit joked.

He was amazed when Dally laughed. "Yeah, I guess you could."

Dally started to rapidly improve after the night of the rumble. He continued to see the doctor and he ate at nearly every meal. His nightmares became few and far between. It was refreshing, seeing him get stronger each day. Becoming more like how he used to be.

Two-Bit had his guesses as to why the rumble was the catalyst to Dally's healing process, but, of course, he really couldn't know for sure. His best guess was that Dally felt needed that night. He had saved Johnny's neck, after all. And Two-Bit believed that it gave Dally a purpose to live again.

But then again, maybe he'd finally just had enough time.

About three weeks after the rumble, Two-Bit woke up late one Sunday morning to find Dallas gone. His bed was sloppily made and the deck of cards he'd gotten from Dr. Haynes sat on top of his pillow. In pen, Dally had scrawled a messy "Thanks, Mathews" on the box. There was no other trace that Dally had even been there. His duffel bag was gone, the clothes he borrowed from Two-Bit were in the hamper.

Two-Bit made his way out to the kitchen, still holding the deck of cards in his hand. He knew he should be happy, but he had a sad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Rick and his mother were at the table. Rick reading the newspaper, and his mother paying bills.

Two-Bit sighed as he sunk into the chair.

"Feels like something's missin', doesn't it?" Rick asked.

Two-Bit nodded. "When did he leave?"

"Early this morning," Rick answered. "I just barely caught him. He thanked me – us, for everything we did for him," he said, glancing at Mrs. Mathews. "I think your mom's gonna miss him."

Mrs. Mathews smiled. "He was starting to grow on me," she admitted. "But I'm glad he's healthy enough that he doesn't need us anymore."

"Did he say where he was goin'?" Two-Bit asked.

Rick frowned, trying to remember. "I think he said somethin' about lookin' up a girl…"

Two-Bit grinned. Dallas Winston, what a dog.

After school on Tuesday, Two-Bit, Ponyboy, and Johnny headed over to the DX to see what Steve and Soda were up to. Dally was there, sitting on the counter and watching them work.

Two-Bit hopped up next to him. "Hey, stranger," he said.

Dally smirked at him. "I thought it was about time you had your bed back." That was all he offered as an explanation.

"I'll say," Two-Bit said. Then quietly, he added, "I'm glad you're alright, man."

A couple days later, Shepard was waiting under a tree for Two-Bit outside of the school. He was holding a brick in his hand.

"Is Winston still at your place?" Shepard asked as Two-Bit approached him.

"Nup. He left Sunday."

"Well, do you know where I might find him?"

Two-Bit glanced sideways at the brick. "Why do you ask?"

"Found this beauty smashed through the windshield of my car this mornin'," Shepard said, tossing him the brick. "I have a feelin' it belongs to good 'ol Dally."

"And what makes you think that?" Two-Bit asked as he examined the block. Then he realized. Written on it, in Dally's messy handwriting, were the words: I'm over my horseshit.

Two-Bit started laughing, and once he started he couldn't stop. Dally sure had a brave way of telling Shepard he was finally okay again. "I think you could probably find him at Sylvia's," Two-Bit told Tim through his tears of laughter. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed like that.

"Excellent," Shepard said, turning to go.

"Wait, Tim," Two-Bit said. Tim turned back around to face him, and Two-Bit quickly composed himself. "Are you mad?" he asked. Tim seemed surprisingly calm about all of this.

"Not this time."

"You're still gonna let him have it though, aren't you?"

Tim grinned. "Absolutely."

As Two-Bit watched him go, a wave of relief washed over him. The past few months had been hard. Real hard. But for the first time in forever, things finally felt normal again.