All rights go to SE Hinton. I own nothing.

Lying To Protect

XXX

"Where are they, Dallas?" Steve warily eyed his so-called buddy through slitted eyes, knowing Dal wouldn't tell him. At least, not the truth. Even now when they needed it the most, Dal was the last person anyone in the gang could count on to be honest.

"Like I already told you guys, I don't know. Soda around?" Dal squinted against the sunlight, looking around the station for Steve's usual DX partner.

"That's a stupid question, Dally. Hell no, he ain't around. He's out scouring the streets looking for the boys." Soda was supposed to be there, but they'd switched shifts so him and Darry could go out again. A tense moment went by where neither spoke, then Steve smirked. "Funny, ain't it?" he asked without a hint of humor. "Everyone's out looking for Johnny and Ponyboy, worrying themselves sick over what's going on yet you stand here looking bored to tears."

Dally forced a chuckle. It fell flat. "I told you, I ain't..."

Steve cut Dallas off, tossing away the toothpick he'd been holding between his teeth. "Yeah yeah yeah, I already heard this song and dance routine. Just can it, Dallas. Whacha want? A fill-up? Can't fudge the pumps, not today anyway. You want gas, you gotta pay. Sorry." He wasn't, and they both knew it.

"Fine, here. I got a buck." Dally fished the crinkled dollar out of his jeans and handed it over, and Steve reluctantly shoved the nozzle into the jalopy Dal was riding in. "It ain't like I ain't worried or nothing, ya know. I am. It's just, I know Johnny. Books might not be his thing but he's street smart. He'd call or something if he needed help. As far as I know, he ain't called. Least, Buck ain't told me about no messages. And Ponyboy, he ain't called his brothers, now has he? They're probably holed up somewhere until the heat dies down. Doncha think?"

Steve shoved the pump nozzle back onto the hook and cut off the pump. "I think you're full of shit, Winston."

Dallas jerked slightly, wanting to punch Steve for the comment but caught himself in time. Still, Steve was ready if Dal did throw a hook his way, eager to pummel him to get some answers - knowing that was probably the only way to get Dallas to talk. Patience wasn't getting anyone anywhere, and Steve wasn't a patient man.

"It's been two days, Dallas. Douchbag Soc's said they thought they'd drowned the kid. How's he gonna call anyone if he's holed up somewhere, hurt?"

Dally rebuffed that notion, drawling a little too matter-of-factly - "That kid ain't hurt."

Steve raised his eyes. Dallas realized his mistake too late.

"I mean, c'mon. Hurt kids don't run away. They go home. Right? Besides, Johnny's with him. If them kids were hurt, they'd have called."

"Where are they, Dallas?" Steve repeated in a low, almost menacing tone.

"Like I said. I. Don't. Know." Dally accentuated each word, ice in his tone.

"Word of advice," Steve hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and flexed his biceps into tight bulges, standing as tall as he could against Dally's slouching lanky frame. "You might want to come up with something more convincing when Darry finds you. We ain't so dumb as to believe you ain't got a hand in their disappearing act."

Dally, noticing the change in Steve's posture, mirrored it with his own hardened stance. The air felt thick, one grease against the other, both tough as nails. One demanding answers, the other refusing to give in.

"I ain't scared of Darry," Dallas lied, "and if he hadn't belted that kid in the first place, none of this shit would've happened."

"Who told you Darry hit him?" Steve volleyed back, his eyes smoldering as he watched Dally think of another lie. The fact that Darry had slapped Ponyboy was something the guys were keeping a tight lid on, lest the social workers found out.

Dally hesitated, realizing he was giving away too many details that he otherwise shouldn't know. Darry slapping Ponyboy, his being relatively okay after nearly drowning; what else would he give up while standing around trying to talk tough? Shoot, all he'd wanted was to get a few gallons on the sly and see how Sodapop was doing, but instead he found himself standing here with Steve wanting to go a few rounds. He felt behind him for the car's door latch and popped it, maneuvering around the door to get in.

"Heard it through the grapevine," Dally simply answered as he slid in. He looked at Steve, who clearly wasn't believing him. He tried to downplay it. "Don't worry. I ain't gonna go telling no one. I ain't out to get muscles in trouble, or cause anyone to get taken by the SS either. See ya around, Steve."

Dally revved the engine and rolled off the lot, Steve watching as the car drove away. Dally was lying, Steve knew that. Hell, they all knew that. The boys just wouldn't disappear into thin air, not jumpy Johnny along with Soda's constant shadow, Ponyboy. While it had long been Steve's fantasy that the kid just disappear so he and Soda could hang out in peace, this wasn't the disappearing act he'd quite had in mind. He'd hated to admit it, but he was worried. Soda's family had been through enough. First their parents and now this? Darry and Sodapop were hanging on by a thread, and that thread was pulled so tight it was liable to snap any minute.

And Johnny... that kid already had a crappy life. Now, suspected of murder, his future was taking a turn for the worse. The longer those kids stayed gone, the harder it was going to be to explain to a judge that the whole mess was a series of unfortunate accidents. They had to be found, the sooner the better, but Dallas steadfastly refused to admit he knew anything when the whole gang figured he had to know something.

Another car pulled in, the driver a young twenty-something chick with reddish hair and an enticing smile. "Could you check out the engine? I keep hearing a funny sound."

Steve smiled and tipped his hat back, trying to imitate Sodapop. "Sure, just pull up to the garage and I'll give it a look-see. How long's it been making that noise?" Steve asked, recognizing the sound of a loose camshaft instantly.

She scrunched her face. "Maybe a week or so? My brother said he'd look at it, but never has time." She pulled in front of the garage and smiled as Steve opened the door to let her out. At least this would get his mind off the missing boys for a while. And the girl wasn't bad to look at either. Maybe he'd get her number, keep it for another time.

Hours later, after Steve locked the garage and headed home, he saw all the lights on at the Curtis house and wandered over. Darry was a stickler for not wasting electricity, but with the kid gone he'd kept the house lit up like Christmas. Steve guessed Darry hoped it would draw the kid back like a bug drawn to fire. Any hope, even one as futile as that, was better than none.

"Dally got picked up." Two-Bit muttered as Steve shut the door behind him. Darry was leaning over the table staring at a street map of Tulsa, the one he uses to figure out where his next roofing assignment was located. Soda was sitting next to him, his hands pressed together in front of him as if he were playing the "here's the church, here's the steeple" game. Eyes glassy, he was staring out into nothing but blinked and focused as Steve came nearer.

"For what?" Steve asked.

"Questioning," Darry answered dryly, not taking his eyes off the map. "The fuzz thinks he knows something."

"What do you think?" Steve had to ask. Darry looked at him, exhaustion and pain reflected in his hard, pale blue stare. An answer wasn't necessary as Darry went back to the map.

"How're you doing, Sodapop?" Steve asked carefully. Soda lowered his hands and got up, shaking his head.

"I've checked everywhere. No one's seen them. I even went to the outskirts..." he stopped as Darry suddenly pushed up off the table.

"I told you not to go out there! I don't need you getting into trouble..."

"I had to go! Shoot Darry, I've already looked everywhere else! Whaddya expect me to do? Not check it out? C'mon, be real!"

Two-Bit sidled between them, wedging a space they both needed. "Whoa, simmer down there, now, fella's. Let's all just knock this down a notch or two! Darry, I was with him and there wasn't no trouble. The kids weren't there. Therefore, we ain't got no reason to go back. Right, Sodapop?" It wasn't really a question.

Soda grabbed his jacket off the couch, shoving his arms through the sleeves with more force than necessary.

"Where're you going?" Darry snapped.

"Out for a while. Got something I gotta take care of."

Darry glanced at the clock. "At this hour?"

Soda grabbed his boots. "Sandy said she had to talk to me about something. Wants me to meet her at The Scoop."

"Now? Really Sodapop, is this the best time for a get-together?" Darry asked, disbelief on his face.

"Aww, let him go, Darry. You both need a break."

Steve thought Two-Bit was being a bit more brave than necessary, considering Darry was likely to lob off anyone's head right then. Still, he was surprised when Darry slumped his shoulders and went back to the map.

"Fine, but be home before midnight. Midnight, Sodapop. Got me?"

"Yeah, I got ya." The door shut softly and a moment later, the clang of the gate was heard before the truck started up.

"Think Dally's gonna tell?" Steve carefully wondered aloud.

Darry's eyes looked up without his head moving. "If that hood knows anything, he'd better fess up before I get ahold of him. Funny went out the window the moment the fuzz got involved. I might lose them both over this."

"You ain't gonna lose custody, Darry," Two-Bit commented, certainty in his tone. Steve wasn't as convinced.

"First I just need to find him. I'll worry about the rest later."

Steve knew better than to believe that. Darry worried about everything. How he didn't have an ulcer by now was a miracle. They all looked at the map. Radiating outward from Darry's house, almost every street was marked with a penciled check mark. There were very few areas left. Soc territory to the west, the river bottom section that neither Johnny nor the kid would go to (prostitutes and drug's were thick as flies over there, Steve knew neither boy would be interested let alone tempted in that), the train depot and Bucks being the only places unchecked. Steve pointed to Bucks.

"Me and Soda'll go check that place out tomorrow, after he's calmed down some. Maybe Sandy can get his mind off this for a while. He needs a break." He didn't mention he thought Darry needed a break too.

"She's the last thing he needs right now," Darry muttered, then stood and stretched, tossing his pencil on the map again. "But maybe you're right. He might cool off and think better if he had a little distraction come his way."

Steve fingered the slip of paper in his pocket, the one with the red-head's phone number on it. He weighed the pro's and con's of giving it to Darry, then decided against it. Somehow, setting Darry up for a night off was more work than Steve was interested in. "What do you want us to do?" he finally asked.

Darry glanced his way then heaved a big sigh, rubbing his face as he stared at the map again. Two-Bit waited too, like a soldier waiting for orders. "Go over it all again, there's nothing else I know to do."

"We'll find them, Darry. It'll all work out."

Steve didn't know if he believed Two-Bit or not, but didn't let it show. Two-Bit grabbed his jacket and headed out. Steve started to follow but Darry caught his arm.

"Steve, keep Sodapop busy," Darry commanded in a low tone. "This is hurting him worse than he's lettin' on."'

Steve recalled all the times Ponyboy had joined him and Sodapop, and knew how close the brothers are. Without understanding, he understood and nodded.

"I will, Dar. And we are gonna find them. Soon. Real soon."

Lie or not, somehow Steve had to believe it. Without those kids, the rest of the gang was lost too.

XXX

SS= Social Services

Calla Lily Rose

Forgive typo's. Reviews are appreciated.