It was very late in the evening, a time when all normal people were still in bed asleep. It was a quite night in Tulsa for once, fights between the Socs and Greasers had died down ever since the incident with Bob. Yet Darry found that he couldn't sleep, his mind to restless for sleep. He found himself wandering the house checking on his boys.
He peaked into the first room smiling as he saw his kid brothers Sodapop and Ponyboy curled up around each other. Sodapop clinging tightly to Pony like he was afraid that he would disappear. Darry couldn't blame him, it had been a terrible week when Pony ran away. Darry had been beside himself with guilt, knowing that it was his own fault, he had hit Pony and it made him run off into the night. If he hadn't did that Pony and Johnny wouldn't have been in the park when the Socs appeared, Johnny wouldn't have been forced to stab Bob to save Pony. Though Pony had forgiven him, Darry couldn't find it in himself to forgive himself and he knew he would carry this guilt with him for the rest of his life.
Closing the door gently he moved to the next one, his guilt building as he looked in to see Johnny and Dally sleeping as close to each other they could with their injuries. They both had been lucky to be with them. Johnny had indeed died that night when Dally and Pony had visited, but neither had stuck around to see the doctors successful resuscitate him. Despite all odds Johnny had made a full recovery, and once the swelling in his back had gone down it had been discovered that Johnny could once again feel his legs and would walk again. Though he would forever carry the scares of the fire with him for the rest of his life.
It was a miracle at all that Dally was with them. His body had been riddled with bullets from the cops that shot him, yet not one had hit a single vital organ. Though it would be some time before he would be allowed in a rumble if Darry had any say to it. Darry would never have thought that Dally would be the one to lose it if Johnny died, none in the gang realized the Dally cared for Johnny like Darry did for Soda and Pony. Affection that had been reciprocated by Johnny, and both were closer than ever before.
The law had been fair for once in both their cases. Because of the testimonies of Cherry and Randy of what happened that night along with Pony's account Johnny had been let off on the grounds that it was self-defense. Dally's trial had been more difficult, he had robbed a store at gunpoint. But his sentence was pleaded down because of extreme emotional distress and the fact that the gun wasn't loaded at the time of the robbery. He spent almost two months in jail and had two years' probation, with the understanding that if he screwed up he would be going to prison for five years. Dally seemed serious when he told the rest of the gang that he would toe the line, the past few weeks had made an impression on the boy had changed him.
Darry had personally gotten both of them when they had been discharged, bringing them both home. The whole gang refused to allow Johnny to go back to his parent's house and now he permantely lived in the Curtis's home. Dally had basically moved in as well, sharing a room with Johnny. But as far as the state was concerned Johnny lived with his parents still and Dally was old enough to be off their radar.
Darry worried sometimes, that the state would come and take all three of his boys away. Ever since the incident they had been keeping an sharp eye on them even though Darry had been granted custody fully for his brothers that day in court. Shaking his head he moved away from the bedrooms heading to the living room were the last of his boys rested. Steve and Two-Bit slept easily on the floor and couch both snoring away.
Steve was often fixture on his couch at nights, his old man constantly kicking him out of the house. Sometimes he didn't even bother to go home, heading straight home from work with Soda and just staying, Two-Bit stayed the least often, his family life the best out of all of them. However the incident had changed that, Darry finding both members sleeping in his living room more often than not. The gang staying close together as if to make sure that they were all still there.
It annoyed Darry in the morning having to wait for the bathroom to open up. But nethertheless, Darry thought as turned back to go to bed, he rested better when all of them were under his roof. Ever since his parents died the gang had become closer, more than just friends, they were his family. He worried about all of them and protected them fiercely and the past months had only brought them closer together.
He suddenly felt tired, as if just making sure that everyone was well was what his mind needed to rest. Sighing he closed his eyes, safe in the knowledge that his brothers, all six of them were safe and sound.