Disclaimer: The Outsiders is the creation of S.E. Hinton. I don't own any of the characters you recognise from the book.

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Friday, June 24, 1966

Ruby spent just over a week on the road with her father, travelling around the Southern United States. Her father had laughed and joked with her, like he always had. It was a small comfort when she felt like she was dying inside.

Tulsa seemed familiar and homey when her dad dropped her off at Buck’s, with a promise to call on Sunday. She wasn’t angry this time, and she wasn’t bitter he was leaving. She couldn’t turn bitter like Dally. There was no way she wanted to turn into the kind of person he was, someone who found joy in hurting other people.

When she had come into her bedroom the day she got back, she’d been surprised to find a few new items of clothing on her bed. There was a shirtwaist dress, a plaid skirt and a blouse with a sweater that matched.

“Buck, where’d these come from?” she asked him.

“Thought you might like them for school,” he said gruffly.

“How’d you know my sizes?” she asked.

“Looked in your closet,” he shrugged.

She hadn’t the heart to tell him that she hadn’t seen a single girl in a shirtwaist dress in all of Tulsa, and she hadn't decided if she was going back to school or not.

Ruby spent the next few days tidying up the small apartment, the bar and changing all the sheets in the second floor rooms, because Lord knows Buck wouldn’t have done it. She realized she actually liked it here, despite everything that had happened. Tulsa had somehow become her home.

Friday afternoon she headed down to the stables for the first time. She thought Bella would probably disown her since she’d been gone so long, and she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d practiced trick riding. So she made sure to go over every single move and work on every routine. By the end of their practice Bella wasn’t angry with her anymore, and Ruby felt almost happy for the first time in weeks.

Her good mood faded when she saw Dally moving around inside the stable. At every turn she expected a wisecrack or a lewd comment, but aside from looking over at her when she came in, Dally didn’t speak a word to her. He scowled and looked at her like he wanted to say something, but he never did. That suited her just fine, but she told Buck about it when she got back home anyway.

“I may have had a few words with him,” Buck said slowly.

“What? What did you say to him?” Ruby asked, trying not to smile at the thought.

“I just told him if he gave you any trouble I’d get his ass fired from the Slash J faster than I’d got it hired. I wasn’t sure he believed me, but then, I guess I don’t get in his face much. I think he took me seriously,” Buck said.

So Ruby was back to being in a good mood.

Buck was having another party, and Ruby wasn't sure if she was happy about it or not. On one hand, she wanted to see Tim, but on the other, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stand it if she did.

Two-Bit Mathews strolled in late in the afternoon, the first party-goer on the scene.

“You’re back!” he said. “Buck told me you’re thinkin’ of goin’ to school in the fall. Is that right?”

“I don’t know,” she said, pouring him a beer from the keg. "He's tryin' to convince me. I just don't see the point."

“You gotta come, it’s a ton of fun,” he said.

“School?” she asked. “I seem to remember it bein’ awful dull.”

“Shoot, I’ll be there, how dull do you think it’ll get?”

She grinned a little. Two-Bit had a point. He definitely kept things lively around the bar, and he was nothing if not excellent at cheering her up.

“What year are you?” she asked.

“Junior,” he said. “I’ll be one next year, too.”

She laughed at that one. “Why?”

“Well who the hell wants to graduate?” he asked seriously. “Then you don’t gotta go no more.”

“Two-Bit, you do beat all,” she said.

“Come on, now,” he said. “Buck said you’d be a senior. We’d have a real good time. Did I ever tell you about the time me and some buddies strung a Soc’s car up in the gym? Or the time I set all the fire sprinklers off during the pep rally? You could see through all the girls' blouses, it was great. Or the time I stole all the cheerleader’s pom-poms and tied them on the back of my car bumper? Boy were they mad!”

She laughed again and relished it. It felt good to feel something other than heartache.

“Well, maybe I will, then, if it’s as much fun as you say,” she said. She didn’t mention that it would be the one place she knew she wouldn’t have to worry about running into Tim. Her hands were sweating just thinking about it.

He held a hand over his heart and the other one up in the air. “I swear to all that's good and holy it’ll be more fun than I said.”

“Alright, then, I’ll do it,” she said.

“Good stuff,” he said. “Lemme buy you a beer to celebrate, kid.”

She laughed and took a Miller out of the fridge for herself.

“Hey now, I ain’t said to drink the expensive stuff,” he joked.

“Thanks,” she said. “And stop callin’ me kid, I’m older than you are.”

XXXX

Tim walked into Buck’s, took a quick look around and was surprised to see Ruby was back behind the bar.

He had heard she’d taken off on the road with her old man. He hated to admit that he wondered if she’d ever come back. But here she was, behind the bar slinging drinks again. He remembered walking in and seeing her that first time, and he felt like it’d be a good thing if he could go over and replay that night and never speak to her. Maybe none of this would ever have happened.

The thought made him a little sad, and he tried to push it out of his head.

He walked over to the big table and sat down. Dally was there with Sylvia again. Seems like they were back on. Carolyn had knocked on his door the day after he’d brought that girl upstairs in front of Ruby. At least he always knew where Carrie was going.

The thought didn’t bring him much comfort.

He watched Ruby through the big plate glass window. She served drinks and chatted with people, just like she used to. Maybe that trip away had done her some good. She didn’t look so haunted anymore.

He felt angry for a second. He didn’t want her to ever forget what she’d done.

Then he’d remember what her face looked like as he and Penny headed up to the room, the one he and Ruby had slept together in, the one right below her bedroom. He’d felt sick satisfaction that night, when she’d looked at him like he’d shot her in the gut. He was almost ashamed of how he’d tried to make so much noise that night that it would carry up to her room. He wanted her to feel the betrayal the way he did.

But her eyes. He dreamt about them sometimes; the way she’d looked at him. He always woke up twisted in the sheets and covered in a cold sweat.

He shouldn’t be feeling guilty about giving her just what she’d given him.

Bill had bothered him about settling things with Dally.

“You’ll forgive him and not her?” he’d asked.

“Dally’s with the Curtis boys,” Tim had said. “I’m just makin’ sure our outfits ain’t got no beef with each other.”

He could tell Bill hadn’t believed him.

He hadn’t really forgiven Dally, but he’d brokered a peace with him at least. Dally was always gonna be Dally, no matter what. He’d probably try and jam any girl he ever picked up, just to annoy him and prove he could.

Dallas Winston was a fucking bastard, and he always would be. He’d expected it outta him. Hell, he would’ve died of shock if Dally hadn’t tried something with Ruby.

But he never would’ve guessed that Ruby would cave and give in.

Maybe he underestimated Dally’s manipulation, or Ruby’s fears. But at any rate, it hurt more that she’d done it. He would never utter those words to a soul, and he did his best to cram them out of his mind. It was time to move on.

“You gonna hook up with Penny again?” Adam Barnes asked. “Heard she’s been askin’ about you.”

Tim shrugged. Penny was a means to an end.

An end he really hadn’t seen coming.

XXXX

Ruby watched Irene shuffle in behind the bar, looking every inch of her forty-five years.

“Shepard’s table wants beers. Keg for all but Tim and Bill,” she said. “They want bottled Buds.”

Ruby went in the back for the bottles while Jed and Irene served up the glasses. She paused in the little kitchen, then grabbed a Pearl and an Olympia from the fridge.

She walked over to the table, her nerves on edge. She put the Pearl down in front of Bill, who looked up at smiled at her, then the Olympia down in front of Tim.

“Irene’s on the way with the rest, boys,” she said, her gaze lingering on Tim for a second. She watched as he raised his head slowly and looked her in the eye. He nodded slightly, and she managed a tiny smile.

She walked back to the bar feeling lightheaded.

“You alright?” Two-Bit asked, leaning in to the bar and speaking quietly.

“Yeah,” she said. “He looked at me, at least. That’s something.”

She wiped the bar down and looked at Two-Bit thoughtfully.

“You know, I see Dally around the ranch almost every day, and we don’t say more than two words to each other. I never thought I’d miss how it was before, but I do,” she admitted. “Even when he acted like a jerk back then, it didn't feel personal. Now I can tell he hates me, I feel it, and I hate to admit I feel like that towards him, too. I hate the feeling of hating someone, but I can’t forgive him, Two-Bit.”

“Dally’s actin’ like an A1 jerk right now,” Two-Bit said. “What he did was shit, but it wasn’t about you.”

“It was, a little,” she said. “I never wanna be like that, Two-Bit. I never wanna be so angry and so hurt that I lash out at everyone else.”

“Like you did to Tim,” he said, taking a sip of his beer.

She looked at Two-Bit in surprise and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I guess I did, huh?" she asked. “I was so upset at him that day, Two-Bit. I was so caught up in how bad I felt I didn't look at what was in front of me. I never realized Tim had told me how he felt, but not in words. Maybe if I'd opened my eyes a little wider..."

She wiped up a spill on the bar. "Then the tornado hit, and I was so scared … when Dally kissed me, it was like puttin’ a band-aid on. I never even thought about Tim until afterwards. Maybe I was tryin’ to hurt him, deep down somewhere, but I hate to think I was.”

She looked at Two-Bit, wondering why he was even bothering with her. Evie and Sandy sure had kept their distance since all of this had happened.

“How come you’re still talkin’ to me?” she asked. “It ain’t like anyone else is.”

“Shoot, kid,” he said. “I know what you feel like.”

“You do?”

He nodded and took another drink of his beer. “You probably feel worse than I did when Franny left. And I felt pretty fuckin’ bad, as you might well remember. We’re friends Ruby, what goes on with you and Shepard ain’t gonna change that.”

She smiled at Two-Bit. She had no idea how she’d managed to find a decent friend like him.

She watched Two-Bit look over his shoulder at Shepard, and Ruby looked as well. She felt Tim watching her in the reflection in the window.

“You think we’ll ever be okay?” she asked, her gaze on the glass.

“I think you’ll talk, make like acquaintances. I think that’s the best you should hope for, Ruby,” Two-Bit said. “I ain’t sayin’ it to be mean.”

“I know,” she said sadly.

XXXX

Tim stayed at Buck’s until almost three in the morning, when Buck started kicking everyone out. Ruby was still working hard behind the bar. She’d done her best to stay away from them ever since she'd brought the beers. He was glad he’d looked her in the eye, though. Maybe she’d stop haunting him now.

He headed for the door, Bill slowly making his way on his crutches, and he paused when he heard Ruby’s laughter. He felt like someone was scraping him across the chest with a sharp knife. He remembered kissing her in the barn, waking up next to her in the morning and the feel of her hands on his damaged back.

He would never be able to stand another woman touching his back the way she had.

He remembered the creases in her brow when she was upset, the way her eyes looked when she was happy. He remembered her face when she’d said it was true, she’d slept with Dally. That one moment that erased all the good ones before it.

He pulled his jacket on, wishing he never had to hear her laugh again. He opened the door.

Then he turned around slowly and found her staring at him. They locked gazes, and Tim felt a sad longing for her.

“Thanks for the beer,” he said, as if he had never met her.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, her face sadly resigned.

He nodded, then walked out into the night, alone.

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Final Author's Note: And so it ends ... probably not the ending most people were expecting or hoping for, but it's the ending that was. But never fear, you can read more about what happens to Tim (and Ruby) in my story Holding Back The Years. I also have a one shot called A Day In The Life, that involves how Ruby and Tim heard about Dally's death.

In preparation for that one shot, you're going to want to read Artemis Rex's story Other Worlds Than This. If you haven't read Stephen King's Dark Tower series, it's a crossover with it - but never fear! It may be a little hard to get into at first if you haven't read it (I was a Stephen King virgin previous to reading Artemis' fic ... now I've read the entire Dark Tower series and it's amazing!), but stay with it - I promise it is well worth it. The tie-ins to all the stories are nothing short of fantastic - and there's some Tim and Ruby over there as well ...

Thanks to everyone who commented and reviewed over the past eight months, I appreciated you all reading! I'm amazed everyone kept up reading it for so long lol. I honestly didn't think it would grow to novel size)

A big, huge, giant, NINJATACKLEHUG goes out to my lovely Artemis Rex who beta read just about every chapter and made them ten times better than they were to start with. It only took about eight months, but I think I might know how to use a comma now! --u rock (hehe)