A/N: Not much to say here unless it's thank you all, enjoy chapter 3, and please review! :D

Chapter 3

All of the Greasers were now gathered around in the center of the Curtis's living room, the darkness now all over the place outside with the billions and billions of stars shimmering like diamonds, and the moon out shined them all, as if it was the biggest and best polished diamond. A fire was in the Curtis's fireplace, glowing all red, yellow, and orange as it crackled away, and all of the Greasers were warmly laying back on cozy blankets or comfy pillows either on the couch or the floor, except for Darry, who was kicking back in the recliner.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dally exclaimed, surprised, as he quickly sat up from resting on his side of the floor. "What?!"

Johnny and Cassidy had both shared every single detail that they could give about all that happened at the bowling alley between them and those five Socs that were driving around in their yellow Mustang. Johnny also shared about Charlie and Rebecca, the two of them being Regulars and what they looked like and what they did, while Cassidy shared about Sondra and Iris, who Cassidy told about how Sondra accidently whacked Johnny in the nose with a cane (which was Iris's, but Cassidy and Johnny didn't catch that she was blind.), and also about Sondra's nickname, considering that neither she or Johnny knew Sondra's actual name.

"We're tellin' you all the truth, Dally," Cassidy promised, holding her hands up to her shoulders in a defending way, and Johnny nodded his head with full agreement. "Some Regulars saved Johnny and I from getting beaten at the bowling alley. This boy named Charlie and this girl named Rebecca got 'em good, beatin' them down until the five of them bashed out of the bowling alley's front doors."

Dally shook his head. "No, no, I know you guys wouldn't ever lie, but I just can't understand why Regulars were actually helping you two out, all of us being Greasers and all,"

Johnny shrugged his shoulders in an innocent way. "What can Carla and I say? It's the truth. It happened,"

"Look, Johnny-cake..Carla," Two-bit, who was kicking back on the couch with a new bottle of beer that was already half drank in his hand, spoke up, and everybody instantly turned their full and undivided attention to the wisecracker of their gang. "No matter what happens, Regulars will never be like us. I dig that these Charlie and Rebecca Regulars saved you two from gettin' it big time, but that Baby girl smacked you really hard in the nose with a cane, Johnny-cake, 'member?"

To everyone's surprise, even Two-bit's and Dally's, Johnny actually narrowed his eyes in an upset manner, and you could see his face slightly turning red.

"So, what are you sayin', Two-bit?" Johnny asked, his voice still innocent and simple towards one of his best friends, but his face was speaking otherwise, and believe it or not, that was starting to scare the gang. "Just because Baby made one mistake that I shouldn't trust her like Charlie, Rebecca, and this little sister, Iris, of hers?"

"Well..." Two-bit gulped, his voice sort of trembling a bit towards Johnny, which certainly made everyone start to grow nervous a bit more. "Johnny, she beat your nose with only one heck of a powerful blow of a cane...Carla even told us that part of the story herself..."

"Well, yeah, I understand that Baby did hit me, but she was scared if I was somebody else tryin' to sneak up on her! Not only that, but Baby just so happens to be one of those Regulars from mainly my classes, just like Kitten, Ponyboy, and I suspected!" Johnny pointed out

"Ya mean," Dally gasped with a secret gulp, and just like that, all of the Greasers turned their eyes to him, being very quiet now to hear what Dallas had to say. "Baby was that broad Regular that I kept running into?!"

Johnny crossed his arms over his chest and scrunched up his nose, gazing down at his lap as he took in Dally's question, thinking mainly about what Dallas just called Sondra once again.

"Yes," Johnny then answered the best fighter in the Greasers gang. "But she's not a broad! She's just a very shy and scared girl,"

"So, she's basically harmless, but protective?" Ponyboy asked

"Exactly," Johnny nodded his head, and Cassidy nodded along with his response, agreeing completely with it. "And, Pony, you even said so yourself in your theme that not all people are bad,"

Darry touched his chin and took time to digest Johnny's words, grinning one of his small, handsome, rare smiles as he nodded his head. "Johnny-cake has a great point, and Ponyboy's theme was one heck on an amazing story that states such facts 'bout certain things. Like Cherry, Marcia, and Randy here, they're Socs and not bad at all," Darry pointed out

Sodapop shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah...and if it wasn't for those Charlie and Rebecca Regulars, Johnny-cake and Cass would both be bowling pins right now,"

"And..." Steve sighed, coming into the conversation finally. "I have seen this 'Baby' around in some of my classes...and I got to admit, she does seem pretty tuff, even though she's extremely quiet and doesn't tell anybody her exact name,"

Kitten tossed the new magazine that she was reading down onto the coffee table and leaned foward a bit on the couch, her elbows now resting and pointing up on her lap so her hands were cuffed under her chin.

"She seems a lot like you, Johnny-cake. Shy and sensitive, not really chatting with anybody, and she's not afraid of fighting for protection," Kitten listed

Johnny didn't take any hesitation after hearing those words come out of Kitten's mouth to allow his eyes to grow big, as he bit down on his lip, and he tried to keep his face from turning pink from how hot he was now feeling, but he just couldn't pull it off. His tan face was now stained with the color of a bright, bright pink, especially on his cheeks. Soda smirked one of his world-famous, handsome, but yet devious grins. That coming from Sodapop Curtis though, it wasn't a big deal.

"Well, well, well," Soda snickered "if I didn't know any better, it seems like somebody has a crush,"

Cassidy then smirked along with Sodapop, nodding her head with absolute full agreement, and she chuckled out the words, "It's pretty obvious, ain't it?"

"Aw, hush!" Johnny ordered his first little sister, Jocelyn being fast asleep in Steve's arms, but Johnny's voice wasn't harsh or demanding. It was just very shy, and this was a whole lot more shy then the usual Johnny Cade. Johnny playfully thumped Cassidy over the head, and then nudged her shoulder. "Yawl mind your own buisness. I'm not saying that I actually do have a crush on 'Baby', considering that I absoluetly do not have a crush on her, but yawl stop your mocking and teasing with me having certain feelings for her,"

"Johnny-cake, Cassidy's actually right. It is pretty obvious," Ponyboy chuckled "I mean, you're sticking up more for Regulars,"

"Well, maybe that's because I actually consider that they're all not bad, just like 'em Socs that Darry pointed out. Cherry, Marcia, and Randy," Johnny reminded

Two-bit cocked an eyebrow at the oldest Cade as he took a sip of his clear, brownish liquid from his half drank beer bottle, wiping away the remaining drops from his lips with the back of his free, empty hand afterwards. It was then Two-bit's turn to smirk.

"Well, I'll be! Johnathan Alexander Cade has a crush on a Regular!" Two-bit laughed

Johnny's face grew pinker as the rest of the gang laughed along with Two-bit's outburst. Wow, Johnny embarrassedly thought to himself. This coming from the teenager who stated in the first place that all Greasers, Socs, and Regulars were different from each other.

"I do not have a crush on Baby!" Johnny objected, his eyes slimly growing a bit bigger as he gently touched his own face, feeling how hot the skin upon his cheeks were. The oldest Cade gulped, realizing that he now had everyone's full, undivided attention on him. Amused and satisfied smiles were plastered on each of their faces, and laughter was all stacked up in their eyes, even to goofy Two-bit's and tough Dally's.

Johnny took in and let out a deep, soft breath for everybody to see and hear in the silence of the Curtis's living room, as he wiped her forehead, which his jet-black bangs were covering, with the back of his bare hand.

"We better get going, Carla. It's late and we got school in the morning," Johnny instructed

"Aw!" Cassidy wiped her gleeful grin off of her face and created her usual puppy-dog look that could just make about Johnny melt every single time he looked into her shimmering eyes, just because she was so dang adorable with her lip quivering trick. "Do we have to go, Johnny?"

Johnny cocked an eyebrow at his little sisters behavior as he stood up from the floor, then carefully picked Jocelyn up from Steve's gentle hand-over. The eldest Cade gave the youngest one a couple of small and gentle family kisses on the top of her jet-black, silky, short, bouncy curls, as he cradled her warmly and lovingly close to his chest, keeping Jocelyn under a part of his jeans jacket as well while he carried her so she'd be extra warm and cozy on the walk back home.

"Yes, Carla," Johnny nodded his head, not allowing himself to fall for Cassidy's little adorable puppy-dog face act with her big eyes and quivering lip this time. "Like I said, schools in the morning and it's late. Mom and Dad won't even realize us sneak into our bedroom through our window once again anyway,"

Cassidy pouted an actual frown this time as she pushed herself up onto her feet and nodded her head two times, giving in, as she sighed the words, "Alright, fine. Let's get goin' then..."

"Are you sure you guys don't want to stay here for the night? Two-bit usually picks us all up in the morning, remember, Johnny-cake? And Cassidy's schools only four or so blocks from here. Way better then how it is with her having to walk all the way from your guys house, Johnny. Right?" Ponyboy shrugged his shoulders.

Johnny took a couple of moments to take in Ponyboy's true words, and then he bit down on his lip, trying to think everything out clearly and carefully. The oldest Cade gazed down at the baby Cade that was still fast asleep in his arms, and then he looked at Cassidy, who was now glancing back up at him with her eyes filled with plead and her bottom lip quivering in a pleading way again. Johnny truly and very desperately wanted to allow Cassidy to stay the night there at the Curtis's, but if their psychotic mom or dad, or possibly both of them, found out that at least one Cade or two was missing out of three, the final Cade would be getting an extra beat down until they were nothing but a terrible and painful mixture of the shades of black, blue, and purple.

"Pony, you do have a point," Johnny sighed "but I can't risk it. Our folks at least want to check up on us once every four-to-five weeks or so, and tonight just so happens to be the night that our mom or our dad, or possibly both of 'em, will be checking up to make sure Carla, Joce, and I are out like lights in bed, unless we want our pa to put us out like lights himself with his painful beat downs,"

Just as Darry opened his mouth to object and tell Johnny that it was absoluetly fine to stay the night, Cassidy shook her head and announced to the gang, "Johnny-cake is right. He's only looking out for me and Jocelyn. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Later, everybody!" Johnny spoke, and without another word out of any of the Cade's, taking in the other Greasers good-byes while they were at it, the Cade's were out the front door, Cassidy catching it and quietly closing it all the way until she heard its latch quietly click, and then she trotted after Johnny and little Jocelyn in the cold darkness of the fall night.

"Well," Two-bit yawned as he finished the couple more sips of his beer from the glass bottle, then sat it down on the coffee table. Everybody turned their attention to the wisecracker of the gang, and he stood up on his feet from kicking back on the couch. Two-bit stretched his arms and let out another yawn, rubbing his eyes a bit afterwards. "I better be getting on home. I promised my Mama that I'd tuck Karen in for the night, and after that, I want to get to bed myself. Night, all! See you guys 'morrow!"

"Later, Two-bit!" Ponyboy called out with Soda at the same time, and after that, the wisecracker of the gang was out the front door, and unlike the Cade's, to nobody's surprise at all, Two-bit allowed the door to slam shut behind him, which is when the other Greasers that was there in the Curtis's living room clench their eyes shut and try their best to prepare their eardrums.

Dally opened his eyes and annoyingly rolled them, pushing himself up from the floor afterwards, which gained him the Curtis's, Kitten's, and Steve's attention, even though Dallas was silent and didn't say a single word.

"Well, I got no where to go, and my parole officer said I don't need to actually be at my own house until 10:30, so...yeah," Dally shrugged his shoulders, his tone filled with his usual coolness.

Sodapop cocked an eyebrow confusingly after he, Ponyboy, Darry, Kitten, and Steve all took in what Dallas just shared about his parole officers orders. "Dally, it's 11:15 now,"

"OH, CRUD!" Dallas blurted out as he quickly shot his attention over to the Curtis's clock, realizing that the two hands were pointing directly at the time that Soda just pointed out. Without any hesitation, Dally zipped up his leather jacket and flipped his hood on over the top of his dark brown, greasy hair. "I WAS NEVER HERE! SEE YOU GUYS TOMORROW! DALLAS, OUT!"

"See you later, Dally!" Darry waved good-bye from where he was kicking back in the recliner.

"Don't get hauled in again tonight, man!" Steve demanded, his rare laughter taking over all of his speaking as he ordered those words.

"No promises!" Dally warned, and right after that, he marched right out of the Curtis's house, trotting quickly and not caring for the door to slam loudly once again after his departure.

Soda and Ponyboy both laughed together at Dally's warning about him not promising that he wouldn't get hauled in, while Steve and Kitten only grinned at each other, and Darry playfully rolled his eyes.

"Hey, guys," Steve then spoke up, gaining the Curtis's and Kitten's full, undivided attention on him. "Is it alright if I stay here for the night? My old man and I got into another arguement and he kicked me out...again,"

"Yeah, sure, Steve. It is okay, right, Darry?" Sodapop asked, his voice filled with fake plead as he looked over his shoulder and battered his eyes at Darry, who just playfully rolled his eyes again, and he shrugged his shoulders at Soda's question, some soft laughter escaping from his lips as Ponyboy giggled a bit, too.

"Sure, it's alright with me. What 'bout you, Kit-Cat? You want to stay the night?" Darry questioned

Kitten shook her head, standing up from the couch afterwards, her arms now crossed over her chest. "No. I'm going to just climb into my bedroom through my window by climbing the outside of my house again and not allow my folks to see me, considering that they don't give a hang whether I'm 'round or not. They don't even notice me,"

"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night then, Kitty? I mean, your parents only notice you when they want to talk about something that you really dislike," Ponyboy sighed. The Greasers knew Kitten's folks, and none of them adored them one bit, not even Soda and Johnny-cake. Kitten's parents were Socs, only paying attention to Kitten's four little brothers and not caring about her one bit.

"Nah, Pony. Don't you be woofin' any worries 'bout me. I'll be fine as always," Kitten promised as she swung on her leather jacket, then made her way over to the Curtis's main door. "Bye, guys,"

"Night, Kitty-Cat," Soda waved good-bye.

"See you tomorrow at school," Steve said, and Ponyboy nodded his head with full agreement there.

"Have a safe travel back to your house in the cold darkness out there," Darry instructed. Kitten grinned her beautiful and bright smile as she bowed her head at her four friends, telling them good-night one final time afterwards, and right after that, the ginger-haired, green-eyed girl walked out the front door, and like all of the Greasers that weren't the Cade's, Kitten allowed the door to slam shut all the way.

"Well, time to turn in," Darry yawned as he stood up from the recliner and rubbed his neck from where he pulled a muscle after working yet another hard job at his roofing job from only a couple hours ago. For a change, there was no childish arguements or kid-like pleads and begs to continue staying awake for at least five more minutes. All Soda did was stretch a bit, while Ponyboy rubbed his aching eyes, and Steve made himself comfortable on the couch, already resting his head back with his eyes shut, so close to being out like a light already.

Darry tiredly grinned as he gave his kid brothers a brotherly bonding, loving hug, and then he playfully tussled up Ponyboy's hair, right before he thumped Soda over the head, still in a playful way. Both of the younger Cade's chuckled a bit, then told Darry that they loved him before they tiredly walked up the stairs to go to bed. Darry smiled again, being very quiet as he tiptoed around the living room, turning off all the lights to make the room completely dark so Steve could sleep in peace. After that, Darry went upstairs to tuck his kid brothers in, but when he peaked into their bedroom to see what they were up to, Pony and Sodapop were already dressed in their pajamas and under the covers of their bed, out like lights themselves already with loving grins plastered on their sleeping faces, and their eyes were shut dreamily.

"I love you two and I always will no matter what," Darry whispered in the moonlight from the crack that was open at Ponyboy's and Soda's bedroom door. Just as Darry walked away a couple of steps to enter his bedroom that was across the hallway from his kid brothers bedroom so he could change and go to sleep himself...the eldest Curtis could've sworn that he heard both Pony's and Soda's voices say at the same time, "Darry, we love you more."

Darry's tired eyes sparked up with happiness as his rare, handsome grin spread across his face, and then he entered his bedroom, closing the door quietly all the way behind him, deciding to call it a night.

Meanwhile back at the Prescott household though, the love and care that was exsisting at the Curtis's house between the whole gang and whatnot, was as always, not exsisting for Sondra, Iris, and their abusive folks, Dominic and Spring.

Sondra was laying in a pair of her pajamas, which was a dark brown tank-top that had a pink heart on the front of it, and it was designed to reveal everything that's below her rib-cage, and a pair of matching pajama pants of the same shade of dark brown with the bright pink hearts designed all over its warm and cozy fabric. The fourteen-year-old girl was resting flat on her back on her bed, her right arm resting across her stomach with her left hand staying underneath her head. A tearful pout was on her face, and she could hear Spring and Dominic bickering back and forth furiously and loudly from the vent, meaning that they were downstairs. Neither Sondra or Iris understood what was going on with their parents lately. One moment they're making out like usual, but then the next, they're violently yelling and cursing at each other, which is completely different because Spring and Dominic never hollered or ordered each other around.

Sondra's bedroom was surprisingly beautiful, even though she was abused with Iris. The walls were painted an ordinary dark red, not that anybody could hardly tell because every inch of her walls were pretty much covered with different posters and pictures of and Iris. Sondra's bed, on the other hand, was covered with a warm, cozy, silky blanket, and matching pillows of the color red with darker red hearts decorating the silky fabric. Her nightstand was beautifully carved from dark wood, smooth and gentle to the touch of a finger sliding across the top, which is where Sondra's floral lamp rested with her alarm clock right in front of it. The floor was beautiful, shiny, golden-like wood, and Sondra's closet was a small walk-in closet, which contained many old, worn out, dirty shirts, like T-shirts and tank-tops at the most, along with some leather jackets and her favorite light blue-jeans jacket. Sondra's dresser, which was made of the same dark wood as her nightstand, contained mainly her worn out, tattered, mud and dirt stained pants, with were mainly jeans, and her old shorts were packed away in the way back, underneath everything in her drawers because since she had bruises and some scratches and scars, there was no way she could wear short pants so everybody to realize her injuries and question her about them, especially Charlie and Rebecca. It was already bad enough that they started questioning a lot when just finding out about a single bruise or a cut.

"IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GET A JOB! I'M TIRED OF COMING HOME TO SEE YOUR BUTT STILL DOING NOTHING BUT GETTING DRUNK AND NOT HELPING OUT 'ROUND THIS HOUSEHOLD!" Spring hollered at Dominic, both of them still filled with blustering rage in the living room, and Sondra and Iris could still hear them because they were so loud, and also because of the vents.

"AW, GET OFF MY BACK, WOMAN! IF I WANT TO GET A JOB, THEN I'LL GET A JOB! BUT GUESS WHAT! I DON'T WANT A FREAKIN' JOB! SO WHY DON'T YOU GET A JOB?! IT'S OBVIOUS THAT ALL YOU DO IS SIT 'ROUND AND DO NOTHING ALL DAY BUT GETTING DRUGGED AND WHATNOT!" Dominic barked back at his wife, who's face reddened darker red as she showed her clenching teeth, releasing snarl-like sounds from her clenched, slightly bright yellow teeth, as she clenched her hands into such tight fists at her sides that they were starting to turn red and tremble a bit from being crushed so hard.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE AND YOU KNOW IT! I WORK HARD TO KEEP FOOD ON OUR PLATES SO YOU AND I WOULDN'T EVER STARVE!" Spring back sassed, not even daring to think about Sondra and Iris, considering that neither she or Dominic ever wanted children. They absoluetly hated kids!

Sondra pouted and sighed as she listened to her stomach growl and grumble after she heard Spring's bicker about her cooking. The last thing she ate was...um...actually, Sondra didn't even remember the last time she ate, and neither did Iris, but Sondra cared more about getting her and her little blind sister fed more then Iris herself. Considering her brain damage and all, Iris even said things that didn't even make sense sometimes, and since she's obviously blind, sometimes when somebody says something to her, Iris questions what the thing is and what it is like, because she can't understand it clearly all the way like everyone else could.

The fourteen-year-old girl pushed herself up on her bed and stepped off until she was standing straight on her feet, still being able to hear every word that Spring and Dominic were hollering, spitting, and cursing back and forth at each other.

"WHY DON'T YOU STOP BEING SUCH A - COWARD AND START SHOWING ME SOME - RESPECT ALREADY, YOU REDICULOUS PIECE OF -!" Spring cursed

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME, BROAD?!" Dominic blustered

"YOU HEARD ME, YOU LAZY, GOOD FOR NOTHING, LYING PIECE OF - -!"

The last thing that Sondra heard before hers and Iris's folks started yelling at each other again was Dominic's angry footsteps stomping across the downstairs floor, followed by a loud whistling noise of Dominic's hand flying through the air. Sondra flinched a bit when she heard her mother release a howl of both pain and anger, meaning that Dominic had struck her hard across the face with just a single slap.

Sondra rubbed her neck with one of her hands while she used her other hand to rub around her tender and sore ribs, which were covered and marked with some scars and bruises. The loud and violent SMACK still echoed throughout Sondra's mind, making her yelp a little bit to herself from remembering how Dominic always whacked her and kicked her like she was nothing but a crumbled up piece of trash going nowhere on the street. WHACK! SMACK! SLAP!

The eldest Prescott shuttered a bit to herself as she turned her attention around at her reflection in her mirror, realizing finally how bruised, scarred, and injured with all kinds of different marks on her shins, arms, ribs, and stomach from being beaten so much. She also had a slight bright purple mark shining off bellow her right eye a bit, which was formed just recently from her and Dominic's earlier encounter, which is when Charlie and Rebecca left after dropping her and Iris off, and after Sondra walked Iris to her bedroom and she closed the door, she was instantly greeted with a painful strike of a single blow of Dominic's fist, connecting with her cheek and sending her down to the wooden floor instantly.

Sondra tucked her golden blonde, shagged up hair behind her ears, and innocently gazed into her reflections eyes, which were filled with sorrow and plead, like a homeless puppy-dogs eyes. She couldn't stop thinking about that teenaged boy with the dark tan skin, innocent; shimmering black eyes, and his greasy jet-black hair.

"Johnathan Cade!" Sondra snapped her fingers together when finally remembering the sixteen-year-old boys actual name from her classes with him. "That's who he is! That's his name!"

He's a surely quiet boy, Sondra thought to herself. He was mighty sweet though, and not to mention very forgiving and understanding. Sondra never spoke to Johnny Cade, but she didn't need to, to understand who he truly was and what he was like. Sondra didn't exactly count the bowling alley being the first place where she and Johnny talked because she didn't really talk much. She just stuttered, so quietly and shyly, hardly being able to be heard one bit, and Johnny was actually being brave, but yet shy at the same time when trying to chat and thank Sondra for being there to save him and Cassidy from earning one heck of a brusin' with those five Socs. Heck, even though Sondra whacked Johnny in the nose with Iris's pink and white guider, Sondra was still feeling embarrassed that she did that, but she she truly knew on the inside that Johnny actually did forgive her for doing such a thing.

Believe it or not, it seemed like that Sondra had this gift of being able to understand everybody by just taking in what they look like and how their voices sound. She could simply just be able to sense it all, but she wasn't correct all the time with this 'gift' of hers. For example, Sondra believed that Greasers were very terrifying and bossy thugs that would do anything to get a great rumble started, or for them to earn cigarettes and/or bottles of beer. To be honest, Sondra still thought about Dallas Winston like that, frightening and sassy, and doing as much as any Greaser can do to get a rumble started with some Soc or Socs, while he drank beer a bit and smoked pretty much 24/7. Nevertheless, Sondra was also proven wrong after she laid her gentle and relaxing eyes on Johnny Cade. He wasn't that tough and violent type of Greaser like Sondra thought that all Greasers were. It was the same thing with Ponyboy Curtis and Kitten Andrews. Steve Randle and Keith, or Two-bit Matthews, went back and forth, but no Greaser was as tough and violent as Dallas Winston.

Sondra sighed at her reflection, absoluetly regretting the way she looked with her shagged up hair and bruised skin...but then, Iris wandered into Sondra's mind...yeah...Sondra remembered the day that her mother went into labor, and she was cursing Dominic to get her to the hospital before she would have to have a home birth, which neither Spring and/or Dominic wanted, considering that they didn't even want to have children.

Ever sense the day that Spring regretfully announced that she was pregnant again, believe it or not, Sondra was thrilled to have a little baby brother. Yeah, Sondra always wanted to have a little brother to play catch with, and not to mention climb trees with and look at the beautiful starry nights during the breezy nights, and gaze wonderfully at the warm, colorful, early morning sunrises. The eldest Prescott could already see him winning on his place in the swim team and earning a golden trophy, and not to mention him shooting arrows perfectly at the direct center of his assigned target in his archery class.

However, when waiting in the waiting room of the labor hall with Dominic just kicking back and reading an old sports magazine while listening to Spring scream painfully and loudly, Sondra was rubbing her hands together with a nervous expression on her face. She was obviously worried, not understanding what could have possibly been going on with the birth of her baby brother. But when the doctor came out and told Sondra that she and her father could go in now, Sondra instantly smiled a big, bright grin, her fears and worries now completely gone as she rushed down the hall with Dominic slugging behind her in an uncaring way. Sondra couldn't wait to see her new baby brother...but when she entered her mothers hospital room and saw a nurse holding the little newborn in a little PINK blanket, Sondra knew that those dreams were gone, but new ones instantly took their places.

Sondra smiled a small grin then at her reflection in her mirror, feeling great now when thinking about Iris. Speaking of Iris, Sondra quietly tiptoed out of her bedroom, being very quiet so Spring and/or Dominic wouldn't hear her footsteps or her door opening and closing behind her, but as if that was ever going to happen, considering that the married couple were still fighting very loudly and furiously.

The oldest Prescott then twisted the doorknob of the door that entered Iris's room, and she opened the door up, seeing the beautiful colors all around greeting her instantly from green to blue, orange to pink, red to yellow. Iris's walls were painted light pink, having butterflies, flowers, stars, hearts, and rainbows all plastered all over the wall, and golden letters were over Iris's rainbow floral bed-covered bed, the golden painted words spelling out her name.

A picture of Charlie, Rebecca, Iris, and Sondra was also resting on Iris's lacy-clothed nightstand, the four of them smiling and laughing at the camera. Man, Charlie had such a handsome smile and great looks, and Rebecca's grin was so beautiful that it could make any boy melt. It was as if Rebecca was a model, and Charlie was a handsome movie star.

Many stuffed animals covered Iris's floral bed covers and matching pillows, each animal looking different with their big or small eyes each glimmering, and all of them having little childish names after Iris named them, and she was only seven here. Iris's bedroom window had sparkly lavender drapes hanging in front of the whiteness of the windowsill, and there a little bit in the center of the seven-year-old girls bedroom, was Iris, sitting at her little table with three other stuffed animals sitting in the three other chairs.

Sondra's smile faded into a small grin when she watched Iris's whitish-grayish eyes shine and glimmer, she still not needing to blink at all, and Iris was carefully sliding and searching around the small table with one of her small, bare hands for her heart-detailed tea-cup, which instantly gave it away to Sondra that Iris was playing another small game of her tea parties.

"...Who's there?" Iris asked, her voice still in its soft and childish tone as he looked in Sondra's direction after hearing the door open.

"Oh, sorry, Iris," Sondra aplogized "it's just me,"

"...Hello...Sondra..." Iris looked back down, thinking that she was now staring at her little tea party table when she was really gazing at her bare lap. Iris started sliding her hand around the top surface of her table again.

"It's Baby, Iris. Remember that it's Baby, okay?" Sondra asked as she walked into her little sisters bedroom and quietly closed the door until it was all the way shut. All Iris did in response was nod her head, truly hating on the inside how Sondra always got called by some nickname like 'Baby' because she was afraid of how others would refer to her name as.

Silence fell over the room between the two sisters as the oldest one just stood there, leaning her back against the wall as she continued staring at the youngest Prescott, who had just found her main tea-cup for her to serve the drink to her three 'guests'.

"Hey," Sondra broke the quietness that was swimming around the air. "You actually got dressed correctly by yourself, Iris,"

"...Yes..." Iris agreed, standing up from the little baby-blue chair that she was sitting in, and then she turned in the direction to where she heard her older sisters voice so Sondra could see how she dressed herself in her favorite night-gown all by herself. The seven-year-old blind girl even tied her long, silky, brunette hair back in a ponytail all by herself.

Sondra grinned a slight bit, taking in how Iris was learning very well how to change, guide, and read all by herself, but she was still struggling with writing. Iris was dressed in a silky, golden-yellow night-gown that had small, puffy sleeves that only covered her shoulders, and it went down to the center of her knees. It was also covered with a lacy, polka-dot, see-through covering cloth, it being sparkling white. Other then that, Iris didn't have anything else on, except her teddy-bear underwear that wasn't even noticeable unless she took off her night-gown.

"Can I join in on your tea party, Iris?" Sondra questioned. Any time Sondra got to spend time all by herself with Iris she'd take without any hesitation. Sometimes Sondra felt like that she was a teenaged mother, technically raising Iris, along with Rebecca's and Charlie's help, but they don't know a single thought about the Prescott girls getting abused.

"...Sure, Baby...take a...seat..." Iris's brain damage made her stutter again, and no matter how much that weighed on Sondra's heart, she wouldn't allow herself to break down right there with Iris in the room. Sondra took down a big lump in her sore throat as she held back the tears that were only forming a bit in her eyes, and she released a sigh, before she walked over to Iris's little table. Considering that there weren't anymore chairs, and even if there were, Sondra couldn't sit in them because they're too small and only fit for children, the oldest Prescott just sat down to the left of the youngest Prescott.

"Hey, Baby...I've been calling out...for Ashes...but he won't come..." Iris sighed as she started attempting to find the main tea-cup again. A confused expression wiped across Sondra's face as she gently picked up the empty tea-cup from its curved handle, and then she handed it over to Iris, who stuttered out her thank-you after retrieving her tea-cup from her sister.

"Who's Ashes?" Sondra asked, confusedly.

"...Our cat..." Iris stammered out, as she pretended to serve a cup of tea to her stuffed bunny, but she was missing the cup. So if there actually was anything to drink in that cup, it'd be getting poured all over the wooden floor. Thank the lord that there truly wasn't any tea or anything like that in that cup.

"Iris, we don't have a cat. We never did," Sondra shrugged her shoulders, right before she realized where Iris was pretending to serve the tea.

"Oh..that's a shame..." Iris sighed, but it was almost like to her that it wasn't a big deal at the same time.

Sondra pouted as she gently grabbed a hold of Iris's wrist and guided her hand over to where it was now over one of the five tea-cups. "Right here, Iris," Sondra instructed, before she helped her blind little sister 'pour' some more tea into another tea-cup that was resting in front of Iris's stuffed lion.

Not only did Iris's brain damage cause her to stutter and rethink her words before saying them, but it also caused her to think things that weren't even true or possible, like having a cat named Ashes. That couldn't ever happen. Sondra was allergic to cats.

"You took your meds, right, Iris? Charlie and Rebecca gave you them earlier, right?" Sondra questioned

"...Yes, Baby..." Iris nodded her head as she rested the main tea-cup back down on the table. Then, she carefully hooked her two middle ad pointer fingers from her right hand around the golden, curved handle, and the adorable blind girl picked up her smaller tea-cup that was decorated with pink and red roses, it also being white glass, and pretended to be filled up with tea.

Iris needed to take these special kind of pills to help her out with her brain damage, so she wouldn't forget about anybody or anything in her life, including herself. If she even skipped or forgot about taking just one, it could impact her so hard that she could possibly forget about everything, even her own name and age, and not to mention Sondra, Rebecca, and Charlie.

Sondra settled her right hand on her left shoulder, and then she placed her right hand on her left side, and uncomfortable look that was filled with absolute sorrow plastered on her face. Her eyes shimmered like a homeless puppy-dogs, and her bruises and scars began feeling sore and numb, some also feeling like they were throbbing and tugging on other parts of Sondra's skin. It was getting to her. The abuse, that is. Thinking about lying to everyone who questioned hers and Iris's injuries, especially Charlie and Rebecca, and techincally raising Iris, who's blind and needs to take meds so she could keep her memories...all of that...it was weighing hard on Sondra's mind and heart. Iris deserved better, Sondra told herself in her mind. She didn't care about herself. Iris came first, and she doesn't deserve to be blind and get abused while she's a completely innocent seven-year-old girl who suffers brain damage.

"You okay, Baby? You...you seem...very q-quiet...all the sudden..." Iris pointed out.

"Oh, no, Iris," Sondra shook her head, not wanting to worry her little sister. "I'm fine. Just thinking,"

"About what? Mama and Daddy...arguing? Why are t-they...f-fighting a-a l-lot?" Iris stuttered with her question, but she didn't mean to. It was that stupid, brain damage that Spring gave her from snorting that powdered drug when she was pregnant with Iris.

Sondra pouted again as she released a soft sigh, but it was still loud enough for Iris to hear. She wished deeply on the inside that Iris hadn't asked that question, but Iris was a very curious little one, always wanting to know what everything and everybody is and why certain things happen in life.

The two girls could still hear Dominic and Spring going at it downstairs, cursing and spitting at each other, and some slaps were even heard, their smacking off sound echoing, followed by some painful, but also raged howls.

"I don't know, sis. They're just...going through stuff," Sondra sighed. She didn't know really how to explain it. How could you explain something like that to a little seven-year-old girl with blindness and brain damage?

"...Like what?" Iris asked

"...I don't know," Sondra admitted with a single shrug of her shoulders added in. "Just things that we don't know about,"

Iris was then quiet, still questioning why Dominic and Spring were arguing a whole lot lately on the inside, but by just hearing the soft and sorrow sighs of Sondra's voice, Iris decided not to ask anymore questions. Instead, the youngest Prescott was getting ready to place her tea-cup down back on top of her table...however when she released the cup from her hand, thinking it was over the table...it fell and hit the floor, smashing into nothing but small pieces of sharp and pointy glass.

Sondra's eyes shot huge and she released a loud gasp, while Iris's mouth dropped open from finding the loud, echoing smash so unexpected.

"WHAT WAS THAT FREAKIN' NOISE?!" Spring hollered out, flustering with rage from the living room. She and her husband had both stopped hollering and spitting at each other after they heard the crash of Iris's tea-up fall and break on the floor.

"SONDRA! IRIS!" came Dominic's blustering tone, followed by his loud and echoing footsteps stomping up the stairs.

Sondra allowed her eyes to grow even more big as she cuffed her hands over her mouth and she shook her head rapidly, knowing what was coming now.

"Iris!" Sondra quickly stood up from the floor and picked up her little sister, hauling her out of her chair from under her arms, after she gasped out her name. "Get under your bed and stay there!"

"But what...about you?" Iris whimpered, tears starting to form in her whitish-grayish eyes. She desperatly wished that Charlie and Rebecca were there, or at least she and her older sister were back at one of their houses. Sondra actually wished the same thing with her whole heart that was desperatly getting wounded.

"Just listen to me and stay under there until I say it's okay to come out!"

Sondra gently forced Iris under her bed until she was no longer in sight of view, and then the eldest Prescott rushed back to the center of the bedroom, cuffing her hands behind her back as her big, sorrow, tearful eyes stared at the closed door. Dominic's footsteps got louder and louder, each one echoing louder then the last.

Sondra began to tremble as she watched, and finally the door flew open and slammed hard into the wall, causing Sondra to flinch and release a yelp from her lips.

There standing furiously in the doorway was none other than Dominic, his face beating redder then ever, and his eyes were so hard and cold, heatless and cruel. His red-dyed hair was still all mangled and shaggy, and his bright yellow teeth were clenched tightly when he gazed at his and Spring's first born child just standing there and shaking in the middle of the bedroom.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" Dominic flustered out as he entered the bedroom and banged the door shut all the way behind him. Nevertheless, the drunk man didn't give Sondra the chance to explain anything, because his harsh, demon eyes rested on the broken glass, right before they shot back with even more rage (if that was even possible!) at Sondra, who let out another little, terrfied gasp.

"Daddy, please don't whip me again!" Sondra pleaded "you already did four times tonight!"

But to Dominic, it was as if his daughters didn't even have voices because he usually looks at them and sees imaginary pieces of tape over their mouths. Other then that, Dominic always treated his and Spring's two children like they were on mute 24/7.

"SHUT UP! DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!" Dominic yelled, referring to the broken glass on the floor from the broken tea-cup.

Sondra nervously gazed down at the broken glass, thinking about how it was truly Iris who dropped and broke the tea-cup, but Sondra knew that it wasn't her fault. Iris was blind here, so how was she supposed to know that she was going to drop the glass to the floor? Exactly, she didn't.

"Daddy, I promise that-" Sondra began

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" Dominic ordered as he stomped up to Sondra, who just stood there trembling. Dominic grabbed her by her throat and pinned her to the wall, leaving her with terrified, watery eyes that were now widened big all over again.

SMACK! SLAP!

Sondra cried and cried, her eyes now completely red-rimmed and filled with so many tears that it was like a rapid waterfall.

"DAD, PLEASE-" Sondra attempted pleading, but she was instantly forced to the ground, and Dominic slipped off his leather belt.

WHIP! SNAP!

"YOU BETTER GET THAT GLASS PICKED UP, YA HEAR ME, GIRL?!" Dominic blustered

"Y-YES!" Sondra cried and cried, trying her best to get away from her absuive father, but he was no sitting on top of her wait, slapping and punching her, pulling her hair also and laughing at her with his drunk laughter as she flustered out many painful howls and sorrow filled tears.

Dominic finally stopped beating his first born child, and then he cuffed one of his hands on Sondra's chin so she would look at him, and his other hand clenched Sondra's sleeve as he yanked her up from the floor.

"GOOD! YOU BETTER DO IT!" Dominic threatened as he gave Sondra one more powerful and hurtful kick in the gut, instantly causing the eldest Prescott to fall back down to the floor with steaming hot tears falling down her face, her hands cuffed over her head, and a small amount of blood was now dripping out of her nose. "NOW!"

After that, Dominic gave Sondra one more smack of his belt, and then he left the room, slamming the door all the way behind him after his departure.

Sondra attempted pushing herself up on her knees, but her arms were so shaky and trembling from being so afraid that she just laid there on the floor, wiping away the small amount of blood that was dripping out from her nose, as she sat up and curled up her legs, crying and crying, each tear being shed faster then the last.

"Baby?" Iris quietly piped up. Sondra turned her attention over to her kid sister and watched her as she crawled out from under her bed, then followed the sound of her older sisters sniffles and whimpers, which is when she sat there on Sondra's lap, sheding her own tears like it was her job as Sondra held her close.

Even though Iris was blind, it didn't mean that she didn't witness what just happened between Dominic and Sondra by using her hearing.

"Don't worry, Iris...I'm okay..." Sondra sniffled. She tried her best to stop her crying, but she just couldn't help it.

"D-Did he c-cause any injuries?" Iris nervously stammered, beginning to tremble in her sisters arms and lap.

Sondra hated lying to Iris, but she hated worrying her even more. So, Sondra didn't tell her about her new bruises that would sooner or later form, and about her bloody nose.

Sondra shook her head, feeling her heart breaking even more when hearing Iris's sniffles and whimpers.

"Shush, Iris...sh..." Sondra stroked her younger sisters hair, and then she leaned over to her ear, whispering, "Don't cry for me, I'll be okay..."

But...Sondra didn't know what'll happen the next day...nobody but the lord knows...Sondra and Iris seriously didn't believe that things in their life could ever turn around...but man...were they ever so wrong about that...but at the same time...they were also correct...

AN: Dun, dun, duuunnn! Cliffhanger! Please review if you want more! The more reviews I get, I'll be trying to update my stories much faster *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* ;)

Read yawl in the next chapter! :D :D :D :D