Times Change [UNDERGOING EDITS]

Epilogue

"Nice eye, Allison."

"Yeah Steve, cause you looked real lovely with blood dripping out of your mouth last night after the rumble," I chuckled, taking a swig of my beer. "I think this shiner makes me look tuff."

I was sitting in the living room watching Mickey Mouse on the television with Two Bit ad Steve. We had rumbled with a gang of Socs that had been intruding into our territory again. Times may change, but rivalries sure never will.

I ended up with a black eye and multiple bruises and cuts. But that was fine with me, I had come out of rumbles looking much worse.

Soda walked into the room carrying a chocolate cake. "Yeah, you can tell which guys Alli got a hold of," he laughed, setting the cake down on the coffee table, "They're the ones with all the cuts on the right side of their face." He put on a fake sneer and drew a line down his right cheek with his finger.

I rolled my eyes, "You're real funny, Sodapop. We should send you to Reader's Digest, I hear they pay good money for funny people." I grabbed a piece of cake off the table, "'Sides, wouldn't be honoring Dally's memory much if I didn't get a little blood on his ring every once in a while."

We were still laughing and joking around when Darry came into the room dragging sixteen year old Ponyboy and a pretty little blonde girl with him. "Guess who Ponyboy snuck in last night?"

The four of us stared at them in silence for a moment before erupting in laughter again.

Darry rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright! If your last name isn't Curtis then get the hell out of my house."

I exchanged a mischievous glance with Two Bit, then tried to sneak out the front door with him and Steve.

"Allison that don't include you," Darry called, "Your last name may be Winston but you're still part of this family. Get back in here!"

"Eh, it was worth a shot," I shrugged lazily, putting out my cigarette in the ash tray on the coffee table. The girl eyed me nervously, looking intimidated. 

Darry rolled his eyes. "Allison, take her home," he said, gesturing to the blonde girl. "Me and Soda will deal with Mr. Casanova over here."

"Aww great," Ponyboy muttered. Darry got him in a headlock and messed up his hair. "Lay off!" Ponyboy whined, "Alli was our age when her and Dally were sneaking around."

I raised my eyebrows, "That was only one time. And two days later he was dead, so you can shut it, twerp." I grabbed my keys and leather jacket. Then I turned to the girl, "Come on sweetie, I'll give you a ride home."

She nodded slightly and followed me outside to my car. I had made Darry take me to Windrixville to get it not long after the hearing. Dally wouldn't have wanted his car growing grass on top of some God-forsaken mountain in the middle of nowhere.

I started up the engine and pulled away from the curb. The girl quietly gave me directions but didn't say much besides that.

"Hey," I said, "I won't tell your parents about this,  but you gotta promise me it won't happen again."

She looked at me with wide eyes, "You ain't mad at me?"

"Hell no," I laughed, "Like Pony said, I was your age when my boyfriend would sneak in through the window."

"Is it okay if I ask about your boyfriend?" she asked timidly.

I sighed, "Dally was a trouble maker who spent a good deal of his life in jail or runnin' from the law. He was difficult to say the least. But he loved me."

"He died, didn't he? I'm sorry...You don't have to..." 

"No, you have the right to be curious," I told her. "Anyways, he told me he wanted to get married, to get far away from all this turf war nonsense. Then our best friend Johnny died, and Dally just couldn't take it. He robbed a store then ran for it." I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye and continued, "That gun wasn't loaded, but the cops didn't know that."

"Oh no," she breathed.

I nodded, "I ran to his side even though everyone was screamin' at me not to, fell in the gravel next to the man I loved while he was dying. Last thing Dally did before he died was ask me to marry him."

"I'm sorry..." she breathed, wide eyed.

"It's alright," I sighed, "Anyways, that's why my last name's Winston. As soon as I turned eighteen and I was able to, I changed it."

I noticed the directions the girl were giving me were leading me into the West side of town. That was a bit disconcerning, we had just had it out with some guys from over here and I sure wasn't welcome on this side of town.

"Do you miss him?" she asked quietly.

I grinned sadly, "All the time."

Eventually we pulled up outside a real nice house. The girl started to get out but I stopped her. "Hey hun, mind telling me your name?"

She grinned nervously, "Julia."

"Well Julia," I smiled kindly, "You're welcome at our house anytime, just make sure we know you're there."

She blushed and muttered a thank you before hopping out of the car. As she neared the porch, the front door swung open and none other than Cherry Valance stomped out. "Julia Lynn! Where on earth have you been?! We've been worried sick!"

Then Cherry looked up and saw me. She stared at me in disbelief for a moment before she offered me a stiff wave. I nodded in acknowledgement and drove off, still trying my best not to laugh as she continued to lecture her sister. A few Socy guys glared at me as I made my way out if the neighborhood. I smirked when I noticed that one of them had a lovely cut on his jaw.

After a few minutes I pulled up next to the cemetery. I slammed the door as I got out of the car and started walking.

"Hiya Johnnycake," I smiled sadly, brushing my hand over the cold headstone before I continued to the grave next to his.

"Howdy Dallas," I whispered, sitting down in front of the headstone. "We won the rumble last night. I know it worried you whenever I rumbled, but I can fight real good now. Soda thinks its funny, you can tell which guys I hit because they've got cuts and bruises from my ring...your ring," I sighed and pulled at the grass around my legs. "Ponyboy snuck a girl over last night," I laughed humorlessly, "It was that broad Cherry Valance's little sister, big surprise there."

I smiled sadly, "Remember when you snuck into my room that time? I was the same age Pony is now. I remember that night you told me I'd never lose you. And look, I've gone and lost you anyways."

"I miss you Dally," I buried my face in my hands, "Two years have gone by and I still miss you every single damned day. I miss you, and I miss Johnny, and I miss my mama and daddy." I sat there and cried, letting my emotions get the best of me for once in my life, sick and tired of acting tough like I always did.

"I finally changed my name, you know," I said eventually, "Allison Winston, I like the sound of it. I think you would have liked the sound of it too." 

I smiled tearfully, Dally would have adored being able to call me Winston. He would have loved how it let all the other guys know I was his. And I was still his, even if he wasn't around long enough to make sure everyone knew it. I did that well enough on my own now.

I sat by Dally and Johnny's graves, just like I had done for two years and just like I would continue to do for years to come. I knew they couldn't hear me when I talked about the rumbles or the fights I got into. But I knew Dally would've be proud that I still got a little blood on his ring from time to time.

Because Dallas Winston died violent and young and desperate, just like we all knew he'd die one day. I knew it when he crumpled under that street light, because Dally Winston wanted to be dead.

And he always got what he wanted.