Disclaimer: Hinton owns.

The Company You Keep

Soda couldn't keep still the morning of his hearing. He wore his best pair of jeans and a shirt and tie he'd borrowed from Steve, but when he looked in the mirror he couldn't help thinking that he still didn't look smart enough to face a judge.

"It's gonna be alright, Soda. Don't worry," Ponyboy said from behind him. Soda locked eyes with his younger brother in the mirror and tried to grin at him. In all truthfulness, Ponyboy reassuring him felt like an extra kick in the teeth. He didn't deserve to feel better. This was all his doing anyhow.

He didn't say very much in the truck over there, and Ponyboy was as quiet as he was, leaving Darry to awkwardly attempt conversation with the both of them. Everybody was relieved when they finally arrived.

"Well, Howdy-doody, one an' all," Two Bit said, as they approached the steps outside the court house. Steve and Two-Bit had beaten them there but Steve had always been a fast driver.

Soda was surprised to see Two-Bit looking so bright eyed this early in the morning. He dazzled the brothers with a smile and Steve reached out and grasped his hand in greeting. As their palms met, Soda thought back to all the arm wrestles they'd had in their lifetime, all the fights, all the teasing, all the girls-

Lord, don't get me started on girls.

"I don't get why Thornton's not here too," Steve complained, but Soda just shrugged. Neither Soda nor Thornton had pressed charges on the other, but Soda had owned up to being the one who had pushed them through the glass.

"Remember to call the judge 'Sir'," Two-Bit was telling him. "They don't like it when you forget, believe me, and your face is too pretty for jail, Buddy."

Soda followed him inside, saying as little as possible as they passed the security guards and were thoroughly searched.

"What's this?" A security guard was feeling down Two-Bit's thigh when a hard piece of metal caught his attention. Two-Bit jumped back like he'd been bitten.

"Uh-something I shoulda left in the car. Be back in a minute, fellas."

Steve tossed him his car keys as he backed out and the guards watched him leave suspiciously. Soda sighed inwardly. Only Two-Bit would come to court with a switchblade in his pocket.

His attorney met them in the hall, a short balding man in a tweed suit and brown loafers.

"Sodapop Curtis?"

They'd only spoken briefly over the phone. This guy was a cousin of somebody Darry had worked for, and they were going to call it even if Darry worked on his house for a couple of weekends. Soda felt awful about that too. He shook the attorney's hand but let Darry answer most of his questions.

"Look it, there's Al," Steve said, nudging him as their manager, Alistair Young, came walking towards them. Soda had needed a character reference according to the lawyer so after a little persuasion, Al had agreed to come to court.

"Is this gonna take long, Curtis?" Al demanded without greeting. He gave Steve a long look. "If I had known you were skipping school, Randle, I would have got you to cover for me."

"You would've asked. I'd have said no," Steve responded smartly. Al stared at him harder but Soda cut him off before he could say anything else.

"I don't know how long. With any luck, not too long." He hated that he was reassuring his boss when his family and his freedom were hanging in the balance, but he didn't want Stevie to let his mouth run away from him again.

"Hey, Al, thanks for coming." Darry pumped his boss' hand in greeting. "This is a really decent thing you're doing for Soda."

"Yeah, well-" Al hitched up his corduroy pants and looked grudgingly at Soda."He's a good kid and a hard worker when he puts his mind to it."

When he puts his mind to it. He guessed he deserved that last part because concentration had never been his strong suit even before Sandy got knocked up and Dally and Johnny were killed. But an absent mind had soon been joined by a lack of enthusiasm, and enthusiasm was something that Soda had always had plenty of.

"Curtis," came a low voice from behind them and on instinct all three brothers turned round.

It was Tim Shepard of all people, tall and wiry, looking as dangerous as ever with the huge scar running down his cheek. He was talking to Darry, of course. People as dangerous as Tim always seemed to address Darry first.

"Oh, hey Tim." Darry looked uncomfortable in front of the lawyer and Soda knew why. Getting seen talking to Tim on a day like today wouldn't help them at all. They hadn't seen much of him since Dally's funeral though, and besides that, you didn't ignore somebody like Tim Shepard.

"So, who dunnit?" Tim cracked, his eyes scanning the crowd of boys. His eyes lingered on Steve but stayed longest on Two-Bit.

"Hell, not me this time," Two-Bit answered. "It's the boy scout, Soda here."

Tim pulled a Kool from his jacket pocket, and let it dangle unlit in the corner of his mouth. By now, Soda was itching for a cigarette but the court house was covered in signs that read 'no smoking'. He wondered if Shepard was going to light up anyway.

"Is that right?" Tim smiled his slow smile at Soda like there might be hope for him yet.

"Yeah, just a fight," Soda rubbed the back of his head distractedly. "What about you?"

"Innocent until proven guilty," Tim deadpanned, but his eyes fell past them and when Soda followed his gaze, he saw the social worker coming their way. Darry spotted her too.

"Listen, Tim-" he said hesitantly, but Tim would probably know a social worker with his eyes closed, Soda decided, and with a tip of his head, he was gone.

"Curtis Versus Willis", an usher suddenly called out into the hall. Tony Willis, Soda remembered. He was the owner of the salon downtown.

"This is it," said his attorney. "Look like you're sorry and no cursing in there." This last part was directed at Two-Bit who had reappeared without his switchblade a few moments ago.

"Sorry I'm late." The social worker was slightly out of breath as she shook Darry's hand, her red hair windswept and her shirt slightly rumpled. "I'm Wendy Williams."

"Darrel Curtis," Darry said. "This is Sodapop and Ponyboy."

Wendy's eyes went from Soda to Pony and back to Soda again before she walked into the courtroom behind the attorney.

Soda looked at both of his brothers before he took a breath, and followed her inside.

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"So, yeah he's a good kid," Al said, with a shrug. "Pretty reliable, not much of a temper at all from what I've seen."

"I find it pretty strange that he has admitted to throwing Mr Thornton through a store front but doesn't have much of a temper." The prosecutor frowned, and Al frowned back.

"That's what I thought," he said, in the same even tone. "That's the reason I agreed to come. Figured the other kid must really have really crossed the line for him to snap like that."

Soda could have kissed him.

"Now if it had been one of the other boys that work for me-" Al went on.

Soda turned back to look at Steve, who was rolling his eyes. There was no guessing who Al was talking about.

"Alright, I think we've heard enough," the judge cut in. "You can step down now, Mr Young."

Soda looked over from the desk he shared with his lawyer to where his brothers sat. Darry looked calm on the surface, even though Soda knew he was a bag of nerves underneath. But Ponyboy wasn't so good at hiding his feelings and despite his telling Soda it was all going to be alright, he looked petrified.

"Sodapop Curtis, I've reached a decision. Having heard your version of events and listened to your employers positive opinion of you, I believe that this occurrence was an unusual one. But your actions have still caused people time, money and distress. Therefore I order you to pay Mr Willis three hundred dollars and I sentence you to two hundred hours of community service."

Soda winced when he heard the fine and craned his neck to look at his brothers and friends again. Darry didn't look pissed at all, only relieved. Ponyboy looked so thankful he might cry from it, and Two-Bit and Steve were giving him the thumbs up.

"I must stress, Mr Curtis, that any failure to comply with the conditions set will see you brought straight back into my courtroom and next time, I will not be so lenient."

"Er, excuse me, your honour?" Al had his hand in the air like a school kid, and the entire court looked at him in surprise, Soda included.

"This, er- community service- it won't interfere with his job, will it?"

Soda could hear Steve and Two-Bit snickering from behind him. Trust Al to think about himself at a time like this.

"No, Mr Young, we can arrange it around his working hours," the judge said in a tone that showed he didn't appreciate the question.

Seemingly satisfied, Al sank back down in his seat.

"That will be all. Court dismissed."

Soda shook his attorney's hand but he knew his stomach wouldn't be settled until they heard what the social worker had to say. Darry squeezed his arm affectionately and Ponyboy hugged him so hard he could scarcely breathe, but it was the social worker who was on the receiving end of his gaze.

Her eyes were unreadable but she motioned for them to come over and when they were outside, she spoke quickly and quietly to an usher who led them into a small side office.

"You better wait here," Soda said to Steve and Two-Bit.

"We ain't going any place," Steve said, and Soda wished he could say the same for him and Pony.

The door closed like a barricade between them and Darry forced him into a chair. There were only two more and Wendy sat in one but then got to her feet again.

"I'll get another-" she started, but Pony cut her off.

"It's okay, M'am, I'll stand." He was already leaning up against a filing cabinet, chewing worriedly on a fingernail. Soda suddenly realised he was looking less and less like a kid these days.

"If you're sure." She lowered herself back into her chair and flicked through her notes. "So, how do you feel about your sentence, Sodapop?"

He hadn't been expecting the question, nor had he had time to come up with an answer so he just shrugged. Darry kicked his foot warningly and he straightened up and tried to say something she might want to hear.

"I think it was fair, M'am. And I sure learnt my lesson."

"I hope that's true," she said. "Now, I'll tell you the truth. Having seen the police report, my supervisor is leaning towards a care order of yourself and Ponyboy."

Soda went hot and cold all over, while Pony let out a small gasp. Darry was shocked into silence.

"Not just because of this," Wendy continued. "But it's only been a short time since Ponyboy was affiliated in that murder-"

"That was self defence, the judge said so!" Darry suddenly found his tongue.

"I understand, Mr Curtis, and we don't believe that any of you belong in prison, just that you constantly seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

She'd hit the nail right on the head there.

"I think it has less to do with you as people and more to do with," Wendy cast a look at the door where Steve and Two-Bit waited impatiently on the other side. "-the company you keep."

That just made Soda mad. He forgot for a split second that they needed Wendy Williams on side.

"That's my buddies you're talking about," he snapped. "And any one of them two would lay down in traffic for us. How many friends of yours can you say that about?"

Wendy was flustered for a moment, and in the silence, Darry had the good sense to interrupt.

"With all respect, Miss Williams, the company we keep is the best kind of company in a bad neighbourhood. And if you're gonna start removing kids because you disapprove of their friends, then I think everybody on the East side better pack their things."

There. That was what Soda had meant to say. Except he'd never been as good at saying things as Darry.

"Mr Curtis, if you'll PLEASE let me finish." She raised her voice a little and Soda saw Pony shrink back at its harsh tone. "What I was going to say is this. After hearing what happened and seeing your employer talk about you today, I am inclined to disagree with my supervisor."

"So we can stay with Darry?" Pony asked eagerly.

"For the time being at least. The community service will be your chance to show social services you are truly remorseful, Sodapop. I expect a glowing report."

"Oh, you'll get one," Darry promised. "Soda's gonna work his ass off- I mean-" Darry faltered and Soda thought that he should really get out more. Darry hadn't spent time in the company of a lady for so long that he'd clean forgotten how to talk to them. At least that was one thing Soda was good at.

"What he means is, I'll try my best every minute," Soda smiled his once easy smile that didn't come so easy anymore. "You go back and tell your supervisor they ain't gonna never have seen someone work so hard. You won't regret it, Miss Williams, I swear."

It was what she wanted to hear.

"Well, I sincerely hope I don't," she said, getting to her feet. "But remember, the future of your family rests on your behaviour, Sodapop. Wrong time, wrong place excuses are not going to keep you together if we have any more problems."

Darry was looking at him in an almost threatening manner and even Pony's soft green eyes seemed to be boring into him.

Jeez Louise. No pressure then.