A/N-Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I am super glad you are enjoying this story.
"Soda, we don't have the money to afford another person," Darry yelled Soda glared at his older brother.
"Then what do you want me to do Dar, huh?" he asked sharply. Darry though hard then an idea came to mind.
"Sandy's parents. They live just a couple of blocks over," he said matter-of-factly. Soda snorted.
"Yeah right, they'll put him in a boys' home as soon as I step out of that door," he snapped.
"Call Sandy's aunt, the one they were staying with before," Darry said.
"How do I know Sandy didn't go back there. She doesn't want Andrew around her in case something bad happens," Soda growled.
"We just can't afford it! I have bills to pay and I'll have to buy clothes, a new bed, and all the other things the kid needs," He explained.
"I'll take more shifts at the DX," Soda offered. He still worked there with his best friend Steve, who was now that head mechanic.
"Who's going to watch him while you're at work?" Darry demanded.
"Two-Bit won't mind watching him for a couple of hours and then Pony can watch him after school," Soda suggested. Darry wouldn't let Ponyboy get a job while he was in school, only during the summer so he could put all his focus on school work. Darry snorted.
"Two-Bit is not staying at my house with a toddler!" he shouted.
"Well, Mrs. Mathews, I'll ask her," Soda said, "Darry, we ain't talking about a stray puppy or something. This is my son. And I want to be in his life, I want him to have a dad," Soda said. Darry sighed.
"We'll talk to Two-Bit later, he's bound to show up for dinner, about watching him while Pony's in school and we're working, but this is your responsibly. That means no girls, no late night partying," Darry said giving in.
Andrew sat on the couch with his Uncle Pony, who was reading to him. Andrew jumped when he heard telling from another room. Pony looked at him and smiled.
"Don't worry, they're just talking," he reassured his nephew. Andrew has only been here for a couple of hours and already has Pony wrapped around his tiny fingers. Andrew looked at Pony confused.
"Why do they have to yell? Aunt Beth and mamma use to yell at each other all the time," he said. Pony looked at the four year old sadly.
"I don't know why they have to yell, grown ups just do sometimes," Pony explained. Soda walked in the living room, a grin on his face. Pony smiled and stood up.
"I knew Darry couldn't say no," Pony laughed. A red-face Darry walked in and sat in his chair and flipped the T.V on. Andrew slid of the couch and walked over to him.
"Hi, I'm Andrew Curtis," he said. The older man looked at the toddler, a bit surprised by his action.
"Well, Sandy was right, he is a little me," Soda bragged. Darry cleared his throat and awkwardly offered the child his hand.
"I'm Darry, your uncle," he said, a smiled creeping on his face. Andrew's face lit up.
"Pony my uncle too" he said. Soda scooped him up.
"Yup, and you also have an Uncle Two-Bit, an Uncle Steve, an Uncle Dally, and an Uncle Johnny," Soda smiled. Then the door opened and Steve and Two-Bit walked in. Steve to one look at the kid before sitting on the couch. Two-Bit grinned.
"Who's the monkey?" he asked. Andrew looked around.
"Where's the monkey?" he asked. Two-Bit laughed and Soda put Andrew down.
"That monkey is my son," he said, nervous of his friends reactions. Steve laughed.
"Yeah right," he said. Pony glared at him.
"It is, Sandy dropped him off earlier today," Pony said matter-of-factly.
"Sandy was here?" Two-Bit asked shocked, "And dropped off a baby?" Steve snorted.
"You're just babysetting, right?" he asked. Soda looked at Andrew.
"Why don't you have Pony get you something to eat," he told him. He grabbed Pony's hand and drug him away.
"Look at that hair! He's blonder then what Pony was," Two-Bit laughed.
"Look you guys, Sandy's sick and she asked me if Andrew could stay here. It was that or a boys' home," Soda explained.
"I would have sent him to a boys' home. I mean, come on man, you're just throwing your whole life down the shitter," Steve said. Soda glared at him.
"Come on Stevie, chicks love babies," Two-Bit laughed. Soda looked at him nervously.
"I'm glad you think that, cause you're babysetting while I'm at work," Soda said casually.
"Whoa, I said chicks, do I look like a chick?" he asked.
"Come on Two-Bit, just until Pony gets out of school," Soda begged as Andrew walked back into the kitchen with a small piece of cake. He turned to Darry.
"Uncle Dawwy can we please watch Mickey Mouse?" he asked. Darry sighed, but turned off the news. Two-Bit smiled.
"What the hell, I'll do it," he sighed. Steve rolled his eyes.
"Listen Soda, just because he's your kid doesn't mean that I'm going to babyset, or any of that shit," he said, walking towards the bathroom. Andrew's head shot up.
"Daddy, daddy, he said shit," he said accusingly causing everyone to laugh.
"I like this kid," Two-Bit said, sitting down next to the toddler on the floor and they watched Mickey together.
A/N-What did you think? Was Steve, Darry and all them in character? I see Pony as the kind of person to like kids as well as Two-Bit. Please review and I promise Dally and Johnny are in the next chapter, and even maybe Curly Shepherd. (I don't know why, but I just love the Shepherds)