Drowning in Memories

By: Shattered Aura

Summary: Eight months after the deaths of Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston, Ponyboy is as fine as he can be expected. On a very hot Saturday, the gang decides to cool off at the lake. However, the trip takes an unexpected turn that leaves everybody shaken, especially the youngest of the gang.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. The characters are proprety of the wonderful S.E. Hinton. I only own the plot.

Note: Hi guys! This is a one-shot that I wrote during a car ride while heading to our vacation destinationem (on my Ipad, so pardon typos and mistakes). I am back now, so I am posting it! This is NOT a slash although it may look like it in one specific part, but I am not a slash writer. Also, this may sound a bit cliché at some point, but I assure you that it's an important part of the plot, so no flames, please!

Also, you have the fun to guess who says what in the first five lines. ;)

Now, read and review, and enjoy!

XxX

"I'll do it!"

"Hell no! I'll do it!"

"Both of you, shut up and stop arguing!"

"Well...maybe I could?"

"NO!"

Ponyboy watches with a grin and a laughing glimmer in his eyes as his brothers and friends argue over who should grill the food on the barbecue, Darry being the obvious choice since Two-Bit can't cook for shit, and both Sodapop and Steve would goof off and distract each other.

The previous day, Sodapop suggested that the gang went to the lake since everybody was off work—in the exception of Two-Bit and Ponyboy who don't have jobs—and the wheather is extremely hot, making a swim the perfect way to both cool off and spend some fun time together. Of course, the boys all accepted, and now, there they are, arguing over who will grill the hot dogs and hamburgers for their lunch.

Ponyboy watches them from his spot on his favorite rock. The Curtises have swam in the same lake for as long as the youngest can remember, and he has claimed the rock as his because of its flat, smooth surface, and the fact that it's nearly all surrounded by trees, the shade making it the right temperature for when he lies down on it.

It is finally agreed that Darry will be grilling the food, so with a loud indian shout, Steve runs toward the small body of water, followed by a whooping Two-Bit and a laughing Sodapop. Ponyboy watches with a smile as Darry rolls his eyes and shakes his head. The oldest brother catches Ponyboy's stare and shoots him a grin, making Ponyboy grin back.

The two of them still argue from time to time, but it has gotten considerably better, and their efforts to understand each other have paid off. They spend more time together and Ponyboy goes to him if he has troubles, which usually consist of a nightmare or two and homework.

Sodapop catches his brothers grin at each other and smiles to himself, glad that they now get along as well as they used to. He calls out to them, but before he can utter a sound, he gets jumped from behind and ends up falling face first in the water with a laughing Steve laughing at him.

"You fucker!" Sodapop screeches as he emerges from under the surface, purposely shaking his head from side to side in front of his best friend.

"Sodapop, language!" Darry scolds from his spot at the grill, the food taking a nice shade but not yet ready. However, Darry internally struggles not to laugh at his younger brother, and the grin on Sodapop's face betrays the teen's annoyement.

Darry carefully watches how Sodapop suddenly tackles Steve, sending the both of them underwater, followed by a series of splashes that show their struggle as they wrestle. Two-Bit plays the referee, shouting how long they stay underwater and who wins the match.

When he doesn't hear Ponyboy laugh like he thought he would, he looks at him, his laughter quickly subsiding. The youngest boy stares at the others in the lake with now a glimmer of sadness in his eyes, a half-smile gracing his youthful features, still no hint of a beard.

Darry realises then that Ponyboy is specifically watching Sodapop and Steve, seeing the best friends have fun while he misses his own. Even eight months later, Johnny Cade's death still stings just as much as their parents' and Dallas Winston's deaths. Sure, he has Two-Bit now since the two have gotten closer, but Two-Bit doesn't get Ponyboy like Johnny did, and everybody knows that.

Darry flips the hamburger balls and the hots dogs on the other side before carefully setting down the bread. Making sure that everything is rightly placed and grilling at a resonable pace, Darry sets the spatula down and makes his way toward his youngest brother, silently sitting down next to him, alerting Ponyboy of his presence anyway.

"Is lunch ready?" Ponyboy innocently asks, staring at Darry's still muscular form next to him. The man chuckles, shaking his head, and then his smile fades.

"I couldn't help but notice how lonely you were."

Ponyboy stares back at Sodapop and Steve, and then he lowers his head to stare at the ground. "It's nothing, I just..."

"I know," Darry softly interrupts, making his baby brother look up at him. "We all miss them, kiddo. But they're still right there." He points to Ponyboy's chest directly on his heart. The young teen smiles, wrapping his arms around his big brother's chest.

"Thanks, Darry," he mumbles, closing his eyes and taking in Darry's scent.

The oldest brother hugs Ponyboy back, rubbing his back gently. "You're welcome, Pone." He notices that the two of them have an audience, so he breaks free of their embrace. "Now why don't you go play in the water with the guys? I promise I'll go in with you after we've eaten."

Ponyboy grins as he sees Two-Bit swim toward the both of them, so he nods and runs toward the edge of the lake. He canon-dives in the water right in front of the older greaser, causing Two-Bit to screech. Darry shakes his head with a laugh, shouting to the side-burned greaser that he deserves it.

Ponyboy bursts out of the water behind Two-Bit, jumping on his back and clutching for dear life to make sure that the older greaser won't make him fall. Two-Bit grins mischeviously at his younger friend and looks at him over his shoulder. "That's how it is, uh?"

"Bring it on," is Ponyboy's cheeky reply. Two-Bit dives in the water, and Ponyboy quickly holds his breath as he is also plunged underwater, still clutching Two-Bit. The side-burned greaser swims underwater with the extra weight on his back, as Ponyboy simply looks around in awe at the lake's life, the small fish swimming in frenzy upon seeing the humans and the algaes dancing in the muddy bottom.

When Ponyboy has enough, he taps Two-Bit's shoulder to signal that he wants to go to the surface, so up they go, both laughing as they surprise Sodapop and Steve by emerging in front of the two friends.

"Pony!" Sodapop exclaims as he swims toward his baby brother with a large grin. Ponyboy, not noticing the mischevious glimmer in Sodapop's eyes, grins and swims toward his older brother. Sodapop chuckles to himself as he suddenly stands up and grabs Ponyboy by wrapping an arm around his waist, lifting the boy on his shoulder like a potato sack.

"Soda, put me down!" Ponyboy shreaks, laughing as he struggles in his brother's grip, in vain. He fakes giving up, still laughing as Sodapop drags him around, and in one quick motion, he swings his legs to wrap around Sodapop's waist, making Sodapop fall on top of him in the water.

The both of them surge moments after, both laughing their heads off. "You little hypocrite!" Sodapop traps Ponyboy in a headlock and rubs the boy's wet, auburn locks, making the boy struggle.

"No fair! Lemme go!" Ponyboy laughs, but then an idea pops inside his head. "How 'bout we wrestle? Me on Two-Bit's shoulders and you on Steve's!"

Sodapop stops for a second, lessening his grip on the boy to make it more gentle. "What do I get outta this, uh?"

Ponyboy grins. "Loser has both his and his brother's chores to do for a week plus he has to serve the other, while the winner just kicks back and relaxes while he gets served."

Sodapop chuckles. "Get ready to serve me, dear brother." He shoves his baby brother toward Two-Bit, and Ponyboy climbs on the older greaser's shoulders. Sodapop does the same on Steve's shoulders, both friends having heard of the bet and anxiously waiting for the interesting outcome.

"Three," Two-Bit starts with a large grin on his face.

"Two," Steve adds, rolling his eyes at the wisecracker.

"One," Sodapop grins, staring straight at Ponyboy's greenish-gray eyes.

"Go!" Ponyboy shouts, and the fight is on. Both Two-Bit and Steve lower themselves so the brothers will be at a safe distance from the water, and charge toward each other. Ponyboy grabs Sodapop's forearms while Sodapop chooses to grab the boy's wrists, aiming to pin them and rend them useless. Ponyboy prevents it by giving his brother a small shove, almost making him fall.

"I'll get you!" Sodapop shouts, while both Steve and Two-Bit focus to keep their grips on the Curtis brothers.

"What do I get outta this besides weight endurance," the side-burned greaser mutters, not going unnoticed by Ponyboy, who looks down at him and glares.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he scowls. "Are you saying that I'm fat!?" Sodapop takes advantage of his brother's distraction to grab his wrists and pin them above his head. "Hey!" Ponyboy shouts, quickly whiping around to focus back on Sodapop, but by then, he is no longer able to move due to his inability to use his arms.

Sodapop grins at his baby brother. "I know just the way to end this battle." He darts his remaining hand forward, running it above the boy's sides and rib-cage, making Ponyboy shriek and squirm.

"N-No!" he shouts between laughter, trying to escape, but Sodapop has him stuck, tickling his belly button, making the boy howl and cry of laughter. "Noo-oo-ooo! S-Stop-p i-it!"

He suddenly bends the wrong way, resulting in Sodapop letting go of his wrists, making both him and Two-Bit fall in the water. They quickly burst out, catching Sodapop and Steve exchange a high-five. "I won!" Sodapop shouts and points at his baby brother, sticking his tongue out at him. "I won, I won!"

"No, you didn't!" Ponyboy argues with a disbelieving look on his face. "You cheated!"

"There weren't any rules, dear brother," Sodapop grins, "so, I won!"

"I don't know what you won," Darry calls from the edge of the water, "but y'all better get your butts over here! Lunch is ready!" At the word lunch, the four boys quickly swim back to the edge where their towels are.

They are about half-way through when Ponyboy feels pressure on his ankle. He is suddenly pulled underwater, a burly arm snaking around his waist, keeping him inches away from the surface. He is pulled back above surface, and he coughs, trying to get away from the person holding him. Steve and Sodapop laugh at Two-Bit's scare tactic, but what they don't know is that it is working a little too much.

"N-no-o," Ponyboy utters before Two-Bit dunks him again. The boy struggles, thinking he is back in the fountain water, that fateful night. When Two-Bit lets him up for air, he screams Johnny's name before his lungs are filled with more water, his eyes shut close.

That's when Sodapop realises that Ponyboy wasn't playfully struggling, he was fearfully struggling. He realises then that Ponyboy isn't completely healed from the memory of being drowned by the Socs. "Two-Bit, stop!" he shouts, making the older greaser frown before realising the same thing. The only word that goes through his head is, shit.

But the moment he lets go, the boy still doesn't surface. In Ponyboy's haste of struggling and getting air back, he has caught his foot in algaes, and is trapped in his mind, thinking he is reliving being drowned by the Socs all over again. He doesn't even acknowledge the lack of weight around him; he feels the Socs' hands on him, keeping his underwater.

He claws at his throat as it swells and keeps him from getting his precious oxygen, and splashes around, kicking at his trapped foot in vain. He reaches out, his fingers sticking out from the surface, before he feels his energy drastically drain until he can no longer use it to stay conscious.

Sodapop barely sees the fingers peak from out the water, but the moment he does, he is quick to act. He dives underwater, very visibly seeing his baby brother get weaker by the second, until the boy no longer moves. Feeling panic creep up his spine, Sodapop hurriedly searches for the reason why Ponyboy hasn't been able to surface, and that's when he sees them. The algaes that are wrapped around the boy's ankle.

He himself surfaces for air only to dive back in in a second, this time swimming to the bottom, clawing at the algaes. When they finally let go of their grip, he doesn't hesitate to grab his brother and lift him out of the water. The weightless body on his shoulders feels extremely cold, and Sodapop doesn't feel Ponyboy's chest rise and fall.

At all.

"Darry!" he screams in absolute terror as he swims his fastest, going to the edge where his older brother waits for them, food forgotten on the BBQ. Two-Bit, Steve and especially Darry pale upon seeing the lifeless heal in Sodapop arms, and not soon enough, Ponyboy is laid on the rocky ground, with Darry doing CPR.

"C'mon, kid, c'mon!" Two-Bit pleads, pumping the boy's chest while Darry blows air in his mouth and Steve holds his wrist for a pulse. "Wake up, Pone! C'mon!"

Sodapop scrambles out of the water, helplessly watching as his three remaining friends and family work on his baby brother, his hope decreasing by the second. No, no, no...Ponyboy can't die. He can't, are Sodapop's thoughts as he kneels next to his baby brother and cries, shaking his head.

"Check for a pulse!" Darry screams, knocking Steve out of shock and making him act. The young mechanic feels out of control as he taps Ponyboy's wrist, applying pressure in certain areas, not feeling anything. He is about to lose hope when he feels it.

"I have one!" he shouts back eagerly, and not a second later, it happens.

Ponyboy's back arches and he lets out a terrifying gasp, coughing and gasping for air that he barely recieves. Darry and Two-Bit act quickly, turning him on his stomach and slowly lifting him. Sodapop pats his baby brother's back, and finally, Ponyboy throws up all the water and bile he has.

When he is finished, he slumps in his brothers' arms, and they help him up, carrying him over to his favorite rock. Darry sits down and pulls the boy in his lap, stroking his damp hair while Sodapop holds his hand. Two-Bit quickly appears in front of the boy, wearing the guiltiest expression he ever has worn.

"Kid, I'm so sorry," he apologizes, the relief evident in his voice now that he knows that the boy is safe, but heavy guilt still present in his tone. "I didn't mean to—"

"I-It's...o-okay," Ponyboy utters and coughs, earning him a famous back-rub, courtesy of Sodapop. It instantly calms his down, and he leans against the comforting touch.

"Shh, don't talk, honey," Sodapop soothes, a few tears escaping his eyes. "Take it easy." He turns a thankful eye at his side-burned friend. "You don't need to apologize. You saved him. Thank you so much, buddy."

"Anytime," Two-Bit replies, leaning in to hug his youngest friend. "I'm glad you're alright, kiddo. Real glad."

Ponyboy simply smiles, being the most thankful he's ever been. He slowly wraps one arm back around the side-burned greaser as a silent thanks. Both brothers smile, along with Steve, who yet again doesn't believe how lucky the 'tag-along' is.

Despite the huge relief in the air following the terrifying events, something dawns on Ponyboy. "T-the...food..."

Steve scrambles to get up and runs toward the BBQ, muttering a series of curses as he makes his way. He is greeted with burnt food, so he quickly throws it away and walks back in defeat. "Food is burnt, guys."

Ponyboy weakly grins. "N-no lunch for...for u-us..." He slowly rubs his stomach for emphasis.

There are a few seconds of silence, and then,

"Smartass."