AN: Minor slash so if you don't like, don't read. Stephen King owns them. I just bow down to him and Rob Reiner. Will switch POVs. First Stand By Me fanfic, let alone slash, be nice.

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-Chris' POV-

Last night when Gordie comforted me and told me that I wasn't a pussy for crying over the milk money situation I swore I'd return the favor, I just didn't know it'd come so soon.

When I saw Gordie sit on the log next to Ray Brower's body I knew something was wrong. He stared at the body before him and I shooed Teddy and Vern away and sat down next to him.

"Why did he have to die, Chris? Why did Denny have to die? Why?" Gordie asked me, his voice catching as he spoke.

"I don't know." Great response Chambers, some help you are.

"It should have been me," Gordie whispered. Those words made my heart stop.

"Don't say that."

"It should have been me," Gordie insisted and I felt my heart ache. Gordie shouldn't be like this, he shouldn't have so much pain.

"Don't say that, man," I said, wanting to get on my knees and beg him not to say it anymore.

"I'm no good. My dad said it. I'm no good," Gordie said, his voice cracking more now.

"He doesn't know you," I said, leaning closer to Gordie the slightest bit.

"He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," I responded.

"He hates me!" Gordie said, tears beginning to form in his eyes and I could tell he was going to break down.

"No! He just doesn't know you," I insisted, trying to keep Gordie from crying.

"He hates me. My dad hates me." He began to cry. "He hates me. I'm no good." Gordie broke down crying then and I decided I didn't give a fuck that guys weren't supposed to hug, or cry, or really give a damn.

I put my arm around Gordie's shoulders and pulled him closer so he could lean on me. He kept crying, leaning into me more for support and I gave him that, rubbing his arm and closing my eyes, praying I could take away Gordie's pain. I hated to see him so upset, especially over his dad.

"You're gonna be a great writer someday, Gordie," I said knowing that no matter how many times he denied it, Gordie wanted to be a writer. "You might even write about us guys if you ever get hard up for material," I said trying to lighten the mood.

Gordie's sobs soon subsided and I watched him closely, our face centimeters apart, my arm still around him.

He began wiping his eyes before he said, "Guess I'd have to be pretty hard up, huh?"

"Yeah," I said offering the only smile I could at the moment, rubbing Gordie's arm, silently telling him it was okay and that I'd always be there for him. I stared into his eyes and knew that I loved Gordie but he could never love a low life Chamber's kid like me. I begged him with my eyes to know what I felt so that maybe he wouldn't feel so unloved in the world.

Then a voice that invaded my nightmares floated through the air.

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-Ace's POV-

I walked towards the clearing and looked down seeing Eyeball's brother and that Lachance kid sitting there. Chris had his arm around the other one, comforting him. I felt a twinge of jealousy shoot through me. Even the little fucking Chambers had found someone to love in this world, someone who might one day, though I doubted Lachance knew it then, could love him back.

I let the cynic in me come out as I said, "What the fuck do you know about this?" I said as Eyeball caught up to me and we began walking down the small hill towards them.

Chris tore his arm away and stood, trying to appear as though he hadn't just comforted his best friend but you could see it in his eyes.

"Son of a bitch! My little brother," Eyeball said as he followed me down towards them.

"You wasn't planning on taking the body from us, was you, boys?" I asked as the other two ran over to stand with Chambers and Lachance.

"You get away man. We found him. We got dibs," Chris said, standing up a little taller. Right then I knew he wouldn't back down and right then I knew I truly hated him. He'd found the possibility of love and friendship in this shit world and now he was going to take my one ticket out of this place away. Stubborn little bastard.

Eyeball and I teased them a bit more before the rest of the Cobra's came to join us. Billy's brother took off in a heartbeat and I stared at Chambers and Duchamp, Lachance not in my line of sight.

I had to give it to Duchamp, he may have a smart mouth but he's damn funny when he wants to be. I held in my laughter and kept Charlie from taking him down before turning to look at Chris.

"Okay Chambers you little faggot. This is your last chance. What do you say, kid?" I asked. He had two options, leave and we get the body or stay, get beat up, and we get the body.

I swear, that family may be fucked up but the Chambers kids had balls. "Why don't you go home and fuck your mother some more?" Chambers replied. I could see Eyeball shake his head a bit out of the corner of my eye. He knew I wouldn't take that shit from his little brother.

I pulled my knife out and flicked it open. "You're dead." Duchamp tried to reason with him but Chambers wouldn't move so Duchamp split as well.

As I approached his brother Eyeball actually sounded concerned when he tried to reason with me. "Ace, come on, man," he said. I've heard that a million times from Eyeball Chambers so I wouldn't listen to it anymore.

"You're gonna have to kill me, Ace," Chris said.

"No problem," was my reply before I lunged forward and was about to cut the kid who fought me before a loud noise echoed through the forest.

BANG!

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-Chris' POV-

I jumped back after Ace had moved away with the knife and there stood Gordie, holding the gun I'd taken from my dad, pointing it at Ace. "You're not taking him. Nobody's taking him," Gordie said.

"Come on, kid. Just give me the gun before you take your foot off," Ace said. "You ain't got the sack to shoot a woodchuck." Ace stepped forward a bit and Gordie raised the gun. Oh, Christ Gordie don't become a killer, not for me.

"Don't move Ace," Gordie warned. "I'll kill you I swear to God."

"Come on Lachance, give me the gun," Ace said trying to sound calm. "You must have at least some of your brother's good sense."

Gordie clicked a new shell into the chamber. "Suck my fat one you cheap, dime-store hood," was Gordie's response. Ace swallowed.

"What are you gonna do, shoot us all?" he asked, the cocky side coming out again.

"No, Ace." Gordie said his voice still level and calm. "Just you." He kept the gun raised at Ace's head, eyes locked on the bully in front of him.

"We're gonna get you for this," Ace said, pointing the tip of his knife at us.

"Maybe you will, and maybe you won't," I said finally finding my voice after the shock of seeing Gordie with the gun.

"Oh, we will," Ace threatened. He signaled for everyone to leave, the gang following their leader's orders. He too began to walk before turning back. "We're not gonna forget this if that's what you're thinking. This is big time, baby," Ace said pointing the knife directly at me.

I shifted my weight as he began to walk and closed the knife, standing next to my best friend who still held the gun aimed at Ace's head.

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-Ace's POV-

I glanced over my shoulder one last time and hated Christopher Chambers with all my heart. He had what I wanted. He had someone who cared enough to possibly kill another human for him, he had someone to possibly love him romantically and not as friends only, he had the makings of a heart breaker though I'd always known he'd love breaking guy's apart rather than girls. He had a chance to use the body as a way out. And now the damn little faggot had my respect for standing up to me.

As I walked away I decided I should probably tell that to Chris, so he knows that he and I aren't so different. I don't want the kid as an enemy; I've got enough of those. He's in love with Gordie Lachance, someone who may love him back but he may not. I'm in love with someone else who I know doesn't love me unless they're really good at hiding it. Who that person is I won't tell Chambers or even admit it to myself but I know in my heart that I'm in love and it's not returned.

And that sucks more than never getting out of Castle Rock.

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-THE END-

So what did everyone think? Please be nice. Criticism and new ideas are welcome.