From Greaser To Country Girl and Back (A Steve Randle/ Outsiders Love Story)

Tim's PoV
The moment Liz ran from me I could tell she was upset. "What the hell did she just say?" I snapped.

"Basically she said that she'll never see you again because you told her to stay away from hoods." Randle answered.

"I meant..."

"We all know you meant PR hoods but to her she just found a loophole. You don't want her around them but she doesn't like it so she'll lump every one of you together."

"She considers me a hood?"

"You run an actual gang Shepard; you're a very smart hood in her eyes. I'm not saying she isn't proud of you I'm just saying you shot yourself when you didn't think about the 'any and all' part of her statement." Randle rolled his eyes.

I should have really thought. "Shit," I cursed. For once in my life, the only real time it would have made a big difference, I had acted just like Curly. I knew I was a hood I just didn't think she would have put me with the trash that kidnapped her. I was like a brother to her; she couldn't really mean she didn't want to see me ever again.

"We better go talk to her Soda." Randle said nudging the kid next to him. That's when I realized that he was the middle Curtis brother.

"Yeah probably, there's no telling how upset she is right now." Soda answered him.

"She's not going to like it too much if you ruin her dinner tomorrow night Shepard." Randle warned.

"She's still going to go?" I asked in disbelief.

"Of course she is, like she said she only told you so you wouldn't be surprised when you found out, not to ask your permission." Soda said.

"Why wouldn't she ask for permission?"

"She knew you'd say no." Billy answered.

"I would..." I started to deny.

"Don't try to deny it Shep; you know you wouldn't let her go to Jay's with a guy who could very well kidnap her. She knew you wouldn't change your mind if she asked so she didn't." Billy said.

"Fine." I spat. I lit up just to have something to do.

"Let's go Soda, we really need to get to her before she runs into someone and kicks their ass." Randle said.

"Yeah, see ya around Shepard."

"Don't kick yourself too hard Shepard, it's a mistake anyone could have made." Billy said as soon as they took off.

"Yeah, but it was one I shouldn't have made, I'm smarter than that and it doesn't make any sense how I could pull something that stupid."

"You know...you could always show up at Jay's tomorrow night, just don't interrupt and she may reconsider kicking you out of her life."

"You think?"

"It's possible." Billy did have a point, but was I really going to take that chance?

Victoria's PoV
When Steve and Soda found me later I was still a little steamed at Tim but they calmed me down. Steve said he had to go home for a bit but he'd check back in later. After dinner I made another chocolate cake seeing as how we were down to one slice that I was probably going to eat for desert. True enough when I finished making it I ate the other one and then went to watch whatever the boys were doing. "My tummy hurts." I complained a bit later.

"You shouldn't have had that last piece of chocolate cake." Darry said knowingly.

"I was just so hungry and it was so tempting." I answered.

Darry rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't have given in to temptation."

"I didn't mean to. It doesn't happen often I swear."

It was going on 10:30 before Steve called. "Tore phone." Darry said holding it out for me. I took it and plopped down on Darry's lap.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Toria?" The voice asked over the line.

"Yeah, Steve?" I asked just to be sure. He was the only one who called me Toria.

"Hey Baby, how you feeling?"

"Better than I was earlier."

"That's good." I could hear him fight down a yawn

"Tired babe?"

"Yeah Mom and Dad were fighting. I don't know how much more I can take of that."

"You know you're always welcome over here."

"I know but..."

"Yeah I get it. I should let you get some sleep."

"Don't girls usually talk for hours on the phone?"

"Not when it means running up Darry's phone bill."

"Point taken."

"I'll see you tomorrow right?"

"Yeah, I love you."

"Love ya too. Night." I answered. We hung up and I leaned back against Darry.

"Steve alright?" Darry asked.

"Yeah he's just kinda tired. Speaking of which I think I'm going to head to bed as well. Night guys."

"Night." They answered.

The next morning at breakfast Darry warned me to be careful so I didn't have Brumley guys jumping me. I didn't think it would be a problem since I had confronted Evie the day before, but I still promised I'd be careful. I spent some time watching TV until Two-Bit prodded and bugged me to go outside. We walked around for a while checking out places on the Ribbon, the Dingo, Jay's, and finally ending up at a park.

"Push me on the swings?" I asked. Two-Bit rolled his eyes but nodded. I ran over to the swing set and climbed onto a swing running my feet through the sand. Two-Bit made his way over and started pushing me eventually talking to me. Around noon I saw a blonde approaching and Two-Bit stopped pushing me. "Kathy?" I asked slowing down.

"Yeah." He answered rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey baby." He said as she stopped near the swings. Slowly I stopped and looked down at my feet.

"Two-Bit, Victoria." Kathy said coolly.

"Neal." I answered. "How's Ross?"

"Angry, but she'll get over it and she'll give up eventually."

"Do you not like me for what I did?" I asked glancing up at her.

"I don't particularly care for you because of how much time you spend with the guys, but I'll tolerate you. You mean a lot to Two-Bit and if I can't get over that then I guess I'm stuck being like Evie. She's being a complete idiot about this. You won Steve fair and square and she needs to suck it up." Kathy said. My stomach growled a bit so I stood.

"Thanks Kathy, you dig real good. I'll see you around Bits my stomach's demanding my attention."

"You want me to go with you?" Two-Bit asked.

"No, um...I'm sure I'll run into some of Shepard's guys, but thanks though."

"See ya." I nodded and walked off. I didn't really know where I was going, but I ended up down near the Dingo where I convinced some cute guy to buy me lunch. After that I headed back towards midtown, but was caught by three guys I didn't know before I reached it.

"Hello beautiful." The blond said. He had two dark haired teens with him, one with blue eyes and one with brown.

"Hi," I responded shyly, "how can I help you today?" I figured that maybe flirting with him would get me out of there.

"I just want you in bed screaming my name." He answered.

"That's impossible for two reasons."

"Oh yeah, and what are they?"

"Well first off I don't know your name."

"And second?"

"Well if you clear up the first one then we'll only have one problem."

"It's Danny." The blue eyed boy said.

"Ok then my only problem now is that I'd never cheat on Steve."

"So we do have the right girl then?"

"Steve Randle's current girlfriend and the one he'll never leave. Evie knows that."

"We weren't sent by Evie."

"Of course not you were sent by Cox who is trying to do what Evie wants." After that it was a flash of fists and skin on skin contact.

These two dark haired teens must have learned from Larry and Moe's mistakes because instead of trying to pin me to the wall they pinned me to the concrete as Danny took out his anger on my stomach and ribs. I heard pounding footsteps and then after a bit I was free, but coughing hard.

"Liz, look at me." I heard a familiar voice demand. After I stopped coughing I looked up to see Billy leaning against the wall and Curly kneeling in front of me. I felt his hand on my back rubbing small circles in his familiar way of calming me down. "You alright Liz?" Curly asked.

"I think so." I answered wiping my mouth on my bandanna. "Why can't Tim just worry about these Brumley boys and not The PR?" I muttered.

"Come on maybe you should go see Tim." Billy suggested.

"No." I said quickly not wanting to go see Tim and have this prove to him I couldn't take care of myself. That and the fact I was still mad about what he had said the day before. Curly raised his eyebrows before cocking his head to the side. "No, I'm fine see." I stood to prove it. "I don't need to go see Tim."

"I don't know." Billy said shakily.

"You're still going to see Tim." Curly said. Billy hefted me into his arms bridal style and they took me in the direction I had been going. I protested that he put me down for a while, but they completely ignored me. Finally Billy put me down in front of an arcade and motioned for me to go inside. I shook my head so Billy wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me inside. When he pulled me to a stop we were next to a pinball machine that Tim was hunched over.

"Shepard." Billy said.

Tim looked up and nodded, but as he went back to his game he spotted me.

"Which PR guy's butt do I need to kick?" He demanded.

"It wasn't the PR." I said.

"Billy..."

"It wasn't, you should look closer to home Shep."

"One of my guys?"

"Too close." I muttered.

"Who?"
"Think Tim, who do we know that has done something like this?" Billy tried.

"Ross again?" Tim asked.

"Indirectly, it was those dumb Brumley boys again. I don't care if you're allied with them Shepard, they're kicking my ass everyday." I spat.

"Why?" He answered. I glared at him.

"Did you really forget what I told you yesterday?" I asked tugging on my hair.

"No. Are you alright?"

"She was coughing hard when Curly and I ran Dan, Henry, and Fisher off." Billy explained.

"Lizzie..."

"I'm fine."

"Go home and rest you need to be in top condition if you get jumped again." I so wanted to say something sassy to him, but I was smart enough to know that pushing him in front of Billy was not a smart idea. Instead I looked at the floor and then back up at him.

"Walk with me?" I asked softly.

"Billy will take you."

"Tim." I felt my eyes grow wide and tears prick at them. It was a sure sign I was going to cry, but also one I could control so I wouldn't.

"Alright." He sighed heavily. Tim walked me home and then kissed my forehead as we stood on the front porch. "You may want to get some ice for where they hit you before it bruises over." He suggested. I nodded.

"Thanks Timmy." I said.

"Take care." Then Tim walked away.

Soda came in around four and he started questioning me. "What happened to you?"

"Why?"

"Because you have ice on your abs and little Ms. Angela Shepard stopped by the station and said she heard it through the grapevine that Curly and Billy saved your butt again."

"Well she's right. And yes Tim knows and I think he's going to do something about it."

"And if he doesn't?"

"I don't know I guess that leaves me to find Smith on my own doesn't it?"

"Yeah or tell Dally when he comes back." Soda said.

"That'll work." I halfheartedly agreed.

Later that night I met Blade at Jay's and we sat in his car eating and talking. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tim's truck and Steve's Pontiac and frowned. "It's alright Sugar; they have every right to be here. They don't trust me and you told Steve he could be here."

"But Shepard..."

"We're on his turf and from what I've heard he loves you and just wants to make sure you don't get hurt. I wouldn't be surprised if The Dock was packed with Shepard's guys when you go there with Danger."

"Why?"

"Because he was the one who kidnapped you."

"That doesn't mean he'll do it again."

"True, but you can't be too careful with us dangerous PR hoods." I don't know why but for some reason I started laughing hard. Blade smiled and we finished the night with milkshakes and he told me he'd make sure Mikey knew how I was doing.

"Maybe you oughta have one of them drive you home." Blade suggested. I looked out and saw how late it had gotten and nodded.

"I know. Say Blade...why is that your nickname?"

"It's my weapon of choice. That and I can use one with both hands. See." He pulled out a switchblade from his back pocket and did a few tricks with it. Then he reached over to the console between the seats and pulled out one from there showing it off with his left hand. "Then there's this one that I rarely use, but it's pretty cool." He said pulling a butterfly knife from the glove box. I looked at that one and pulled out my butterfly knife.

"This one's my favorite. It's so cool. I also have a blue-handled switchblade Dally got for me, but I love this one the most."

"You should probably go now." I nodded and got out of the car. Given the situation I turned and smiled.

"Thanks Blade."

"Sure, but try to stay out of trouble, next time I come to see you I don't want to find you in the midst of a fight."

"I'll try." I said then turned and walked towards Tim's truck. Halfway there one of Shepard's guys stopped me.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I answered.

"He was threatening you with that blade." The guy gripped my arm shaking me a bit.

"I'm fine. Do you really think I would've been able to get out of his car and walk away if he had been threatening me?"

"I don't know. Are you sure he wasn't threatening you?"

"I'm sure." That's when I felt a presence behind me.

"You really oughta let her go." Blade said. I glanced back at him before turning my gaze back to Shepard's guy.

"Back off man I don't want to get violent."

"Let her go. I haven't harmed her, and just because you're one of Shepard's boys doesn't mean I'm going to let you get in her face. I don't care who you work for you won't hurt her."

"Hello? Standing right here and can speak for myself."

"Are you alright, Sugar?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Man let me go, Blade go back to your car."

"You're asking for a fight."

"He ain't asking for nothing. He's protecting me like you were trying to do now back off, and Blade scram." I said forcefully. Blade glared at me, but walked off, as did the guy who had confronted me.

I glanced back in Blade's direction but it turned out that he was already getting into his car. I walked over to Tim's truck and climbed up in the cab. "Seth, give you any trouble?" Tim asked as he started the engine.

"No, it was more so him giving Blade trouble. And no Blade didn't threaten me; he was showing me why his nickname is what it is." Tim nodded and he drove me back towards the Curtis' house. Halfway there I turned and looked at him. "You are so lucky you didn't screw this up. I'd never talk to you again if you did. So help me Timothy, if you screw up the one on Friday I will never tell you anything important again." Tim looked at me but then turned his attention back to the road.

"I didn't mean to include me and Curly when I answered ya Monday." He said parking on the curb.

"I know."

"Then you know you can hang with us anytime you want right?"

"Then why did you say it?" I asked.

"I don't know I guess I just spoke without thinking."

"That's why I gave you time to think. If you had actually stopped and thought you wouldn't have said what you did, you would have just said the PR, Brumley, Tiber Street, and The Kings, gangs like that. Although I can't see what's wrong with Danger, Blade and Mikey. They may be hoods, but they treat me as gently and kindly as they would their own sisters."

"I understand that, but I also know that they can get really brutal when they're really angry."

"That's why I'm the sweet little girl who doesn't make anyone mad."

"On purpose. You can and do make people mad inadvertently."

"Yes, but I don't mean to.”

"I know, but sometimes when you do, it causes a chain reaction."

"And that's why Dally made Buck teach me how to protect myself."

"I guess." Tim sighed. "Just take care of yourself and when you can't..."

"I'll come running to you."

"Good girl." He rubbed my arm before I climbed out. As soon as I entered the house Steve pulled me into his arms and then checked me over.

"If you were watching as diligently as I know you were you'd know he didn't touch me the entire night."

"Who drove you home?" Two-Bit asked.

"Tim Shepard."

"Thought so. Jackie said Angel told her Tim was going."

"Did you have a good time?" Darry asked.

"Yeah, he's a nice guy for the most part, the ride home was a little rough, but that's to be expected." I answered.

"How are you feeling?" Steve asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You heard me how ya feeling? Angel told us about Danny."

"I'm alright. Curly and Billy chased them off and made me go see Tim."

"What'd he do?"

"Told me to take care of myself and walked me back here. I really hope he figures out how the boys from beating me up.”

"I told Evie yesterday..."

"I know Steve, I know, but there's not much she's going to do to stop it just yet. Neal says she's still angry and it'll take some time before she's over it. I think Tim's gonna talk to Nathan Smith, Brumley's gang leader, and make him put a stop to it but..."

"Yeah, it'll end soon." Steve said. "I hope." He added in an undertone.

"I hope it does Steve I really do." I sighed.

Two-Bit left the house about twenty minutes later and Steve a half an hour after that after a long good night. I followed Soda and Pony back down the hall on my way to bed after bidding Darry a good night. "You really think Evie will just give up?" Soda asked.

"Not like that. It's gonna take something major before she'll stop." I answered.

"What kind of major?"

"I don't know." I sighed. "Good night Soda."

"Night Tator." He kissed the top of my head and slipped into his room. I collapsed on top of my bed after I changed and lay there thinking staring at the dark ceiling. It was only when Darry came in that I stopped thinking so hard.

"Good night Victoria."

"Night Darry." I answered as he pulled my sheet up over me. I fell asleep sometime after that.

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