I do not own The Outsiders. All characters used are borrowed with much respect to S.E. Hinton. Thank you to all who take the time to write and review. Last chapter was pretty rough, so I'll try to take it easy on you guys…


Time. It seemed like something unattainable and yet it was the one thing I needed more of. More time to work two jobs so I could pay the bills that always seemed to pile up. More time at home so I could be with my brothers; feel like a part of their lives. Time so I could act like a twenty-one year old instead of an old man watching his life flash by him.

It seemed odd to me now. Time goes by so slow as a kid. I spent my entire childhood wanting time to zip by so I could be a man and live as I wanted. Now that I was a man, it was slipping through my fingers. I tried to pin-point the exact moment I became older than my years, but it was all moving forward so quickly I couldn't even keep track of what day of the week it was. Life was passing. Too much had happened. I was trying to tread water in a hurricane while at the same time holding on to a brother in each arm while waiting to drown.

"You gotta learn to relax, Darry." Soda's gentle voice broke into my thoughts; as if reading my mind.

"Thanks, Tips," I replied dryly while rolling my eyes. "AAHHHH!" I'm suddenly hollering in pain through laughter.

Soda has found a knot in my back between my shoulder blades while I'm laid out on my bed getting a back rub. He's got his fist right into it; no doubt punishing me for my snarky remark. But he's Sodapop; he's not offended when I'm cranky like this, in fact I think he's downright amused by it as long as I don't get moody with our little brother.

"Tips? Where's my tip?" Soda laughs as I'm squirming beneath the pointed pressure he's placed at the source of my pain, but some weird sense of pleasure pushes through the tight knot as I suddenly feel the muscle relax from Soda's gifted hands.

"Don't eat yellow snow." I snickered back, and as I look over my shoulder, it's Soda rolling his eyes at me as he swings a long leg over, getting off of my ass where he was just sitting.

"Hey, where ya goin'? Get back here!" I plead while I grab his arm and pull him back towards me, and he shakes his head while laughing.

"Why don't you get a girlfriend? She can be your massage slave." Soda mocked irritation as he crawled back on top of me, parking his ass back onto mine before continuing his magic on my back.

"Mmmm…" I groaned in appreciation. "Shush. Feels better when you're quiet."

Sodapop laughs at this, and then his hands return to the pinched and pulled and tense muscles of my back. It's times like these when I don't know how I'd manage everything without him. Life's thrown it's share of lemons at this family, and I hate that it's burdened Soda, but there's a security and comfort knowing he's supporting me no matter how badly I've fucked everything up.

"Rub harder, Soda. You're gonna put me to sleep." I mumble like I do every single time we do this. I know putting me to sleep is exactly what's on his agenda.

"When ya gonna stop carrying two bundles of roofin' up that damned ladder?" I can hear the worry in his voice, and I frown knowing I'm the cause of it.

"When I ain't roofin' houses no more." I say, the reality of it all making me tired.

"Darry," Sodapop sighs, and I don't want him bothered by me anymore.

I bend my arm and catch a hand of his as it's rubbing my neck and shoulders. I turn my head back to look at him, and he looks back at me questioningly. I give his hand a squeeze, and he eases himself off of me so I can push myself up and sit beside him.

"I think that's good." I say quietly as I stretch my arms out while my head tilts from side-to-side, stretching and cracking the vertebrae. "Thanks, little buddy."

"You okay, Darry?" Soda's looking at me like he needs to be concerned, and I feel startled by it wondering if he's noticing something I'm not.

"Stop worrying. That's my job." I give him a look that means I'm serious, but my brother manages to look even more worried.

"You don't gotta do this on your own, y'know? I'm here for ya, Darry. Always will be."

I grin at my younger brother. It's so strange to see Sodapop with both feet planted on the ground when just a year ago he couldn't even remember to put his shoes on. He'll be turning eighteen soon, and for the hundredth time I thank God he's around helping me through everything that's happened. For the millionth time, I feel like shit for everything he's given up because of it.

"Ponyboy say anything to you about how school's going?" I change the subject; a distraction from all of the guilt I'm feeling.

"Mmmm…" Soda gives me a slight frown. "Not sure he's likin' it, Darry. Between the work and all the assholes pokin' fun at him…"

"Dammit, I knew it!" I shoved a hand in my hair while I closed my eyes.

"Shhh…" Soda puts a hand on my shoulder and starts rubbing. "He'll hear ya."

"He's been through enough, Soda. Why can't they just leave him alone?"

"Things are a lot different now, Darry. Last year he had Johnny. Hell, Two-Bit ain't around no more either. Pony's on his own this year."

"What do I do?" I shrugged looking at Sodapop desperately, wondering if he had an idea; any suggestion at all that could help make things better for our brother.

"Nothin' you can do, Darry. Can't beat the shit outta the whole world."

"Why not?" I looked at Soda seriously, and he smiled.

"Stevie's lookin' out for him. Pony's just gotta get used to it and let him."

"Well, your boy Stevie ain't been on the right side of your brother since the creation of man. Don't hold your breath, kid brother." I commented dryly while frowning.

"He cares about him, Darry. That night scared the shit outta him. He cares."

"I get it." I said quickly, not wanting to re-live that night.

It made sense. Although Ponyboy took the brunt of things, we were all affected including Steve. Steve Randal had been beaten by the hands of his own father for years, but I know he'd never seen anything remotely as cruel as what my brother had been through. We were all family. I knew it'd taken its toll on every single one of us.

"You see much of Two-Bit?" I asked, thinking of our other brother who'd also been forever changed; so much so that he decided to grow up and finally get a job.

"Not…"

Sodapop started to answer me when we both heard the screen door slam. The both of us grinned at each other, nodding as if someone had been listening to us and decided to answer an unknown plea. The crazy laughter could be heard from somewhere in the living room, as well as laughter from our little brother when Soda and I got up from my bed and headed for a light in the darkness.

Sure enough, Two-Bit Mathews had Ponyboy pinned to the living room floor, and was squishing the hell out of him. I opened my mouth to tell Two-Bit to lay off, but saw the joy in my brother's eyes at this piece of normalcy, and figured I'd bite my tongue unless it looked as though my brother couldn't handle it. Soda eyed me, reading my mind with a huge grin spread across his face.

"Hey, Two-Bit! Where the hell ya been? We were just gonna call search and rescue!" Soda plopped down on the couch while resting his feet up on the coffee table.

"Holler uncle, Pony!" Two-Bit yelled, ignoring Soda's question while he rolled with Ponyboy on the floor until he had him in a headlock from behind. "I'm gonna mess up your hair!" He threatened, but all it did was make Pony laugh out harder.

Pony wasn't going to win this match, even with Two-Bit taking it easy on him. But it wasn't about beating him, I could see that as Two-Bit gave Ponyboy a quick squeeze from behind while his face rested against Pony's. As quick as the action took place, it was over and Two-Bit let go of my brother while bringing a leg up to shove him away with his foot. Ponyboy hadn't looked that happy in I couldn't remember, and I felt my own mouth curl up into a smile.

"Shit, kid. You better start eatin'. A strong wind could knock you over." He teased.

"Only if it comes from your ass." Pony quipped, and had both Soda and Two-Bit in hysterics.

"Pony," I warned while having difficulty keeping a straight face.

"Sorry, Darry." Ponyboy was quick to apologize, but I gave him a wink to let him know I wasn't mad.

"Well, shit!" Two-Bit grinned like a Cheshire Cat as he looked at us. "How're the Curtis boys?"

"Where ya been, Two-Bit?" Pony asked as he sat next to our friend on the floor.

"Boy howdy, kid. They up and made me get a job. How ya like that? After all I've done for society." Two-Bit shook his head while we all snickered at him.

"Bein' a reject, you mean?" Soda piped up.

"Now, now. Don't be gettin' all up in my face, middle Curtis. I'm an adult now." Two-Bit tried to look superior, but it came off as ridiculous and Soda and Ponyboy cracked up.

"Okay, Mr. Adult. Where you keepin' yourself these days?" I rolled my eyes at him, smiling with the realization of just how much I missed him.

"Got on evenings at the power plant. It's shift work, but the pay is okay. More than what Buck was payin' tending bar."

"When did you ever work for Buck?" Soda asked, not believing Two-Bit would ever hold a job.

Two-Bit and I shared a look before another smile crept on my face. He'd never said anything before, but I'd always known he pulled out all of the stops for us when Ponyboy was in the hospital. While I was missing work so I could be with my brother, the biggest clown this side of Tulsa was busting his ass tending bar at Buck Merril's pussy palace to pay my bills.

"Shit, I musta dreamt it." Two-Bit grinned. "See, Ponyboy? I get nightmares too."

"I missed you." Pony rasped quietly, and Two-Bit shot me another look.

"Told ya I was his best bud."