Chapter 10 –Pleading for Justice

A/N: Hi guys! This will sadly be the last chapter of this book. I'm so thankful for all of the reviews, favs, and follows. You guys have been amazing. Thank you so much! Guess what! Since today is July 22, it's me and Ponyboy's birthday! So Happy Birthday to us! Yay! Anyway, I hope you like this last chapter! Thanks again and please tell me what you thought of it! Thanks!

Darry's POV:

"Mr. Darrel Curtis?" the woman at the door asks.

I nod my head.

"Hi, I'm Mrs. Sleshinger. I'm with the State."

"Uh, come in." I say opening the door wider and showing her to the living room.

We are very, very lucky. Dally and I cleaned up the place last night real well and it hasn't been touched since then. I can tell she's impressed.

"It's, very nice in here Mr. Curtis." She says jotting notes down.

"Thank you. Can I help you with something? Is there a particular reason the State sent someone here?" I ask just as Sodapop rounds the corner his mouth open ready to say something to me but he quickly shuts it and slips back to his room.

"Mr. Curtis, we have been in contact with the hospitals both you and Ponyboy had been emitted into. Would you like to explain to me why your brother sustained severe injuries and was missing from home for almost five days without your parental guardianship?" she pushes.

I stare at her not believing what I'm hearing.

"That's what I thought." She says. "I'm going to have to ask Ponyboy to pack a bag of necessities and come with me."

"What?! No, Mrs. Sleshinger that's not what happened at all." I rebuke.

"So tell me what did happen, Darrel."

"He was attacked after school in the back parking lot by a gang of kids from the West Side. They stabbed him and kidnapped him, taking him to a large estate about five hours from here." I start.

"Where were you when this happened? Why weren't you with him?" she interrupts.

"Where was I? It was after school, on their property! I don't follow my little brother around while he's in school and when he steps out of their doors, I don't expect him to be drug to the back parking lot, stabbed and kidnapped! Mrs. Sleshinger, I have a job that I have to uphold. I have a family that I have to support. I am doing everything that I possibly can to protect Ponyboy but when he is in school and on school property, I trust them to be responsible and protect his wellbeing. As soon as I saw it was getting very close to his curfew and he was still not home, me and another friend of mine went out looking for him. Ponyboy did not contact me to say that he was going to go to a friend's house after school like is required if he does so we went to last place he was last seen, which was at school. There we found his backpack and jacket, both covered in blood, laying in the back lot. We went knocking door to door to ask if anyone had seen any suspicious cars driving out of the lot and we followed the trail of sightings. I picked up on it the next morning and drove for hours on this back country road until I did indeed find Ponyboy. There we were attacked again. They almost drowned him. When we were both conscious again and trying to get out of there, I saw that they had stolen my truck. I started walking home, carrying Ponyboy 'cause he was too sick and injured to stand. A guy stopped and picked us up, taking us to a town and we continued to get rides that would take us back to Tulsa until one man who we know to be part of the gang that attacked Ponyboy in the first place and continued to harm us, held us at gunpoint, took us to a warehouse and proceeded to tell me that my brother was dead and was thrown in a dumpster. Now he was almost dead but I managed to get us both out of there but I was shot three times in my back trying to escape them. Another man picked both of us up and took us to a nearby hospital where we were treated and discharged that night, taken home by the same man and we have been recovering ever since." I explain.

"There are records of Ponyboy being treated at this hospital as well." She states.

"Yes, I had to take him there. He was beginning to get sick again from the infection he had previously and I had to have my stitches taken out."

"I see. Ponyboy still needs to come with me."

"Ma'am please, you don't understand! He was attacked, stabbed and kidnapped right after school! Kids were still going home when it happened! None of this was his fault. He did nothing to provoke the Socs. I did everything I could to get him home as fast as possible. We didn't have anything to do in this except being the victims of extreme gang violence." I press.

I can't have Ponyboy taken away from me. He's only fifteen! Sodapop would be devastated not to mention myself. It wasn't his fault.

"Well, Mr. Curtis, you are bringing up some valid points. I will discuss this matter further with the State and if Ponyboy does in fact need to be removed from your care, we will be back." She says standing.

I lead her to the door, nodding. At least she's considering what I said. That's always a plus, right? Soda and Dallas emerge from Ponyboy's room, walking up to confront me. I guess they weren't going to let her take Pone even if she wanted to.

"What'd she say?" Sodapop asks.

"Well, I told her what happened and she said the State will consider the circumstances and they'll be back if they want to take him."

"They can't have him." Soda states. "He's my kid brother and they ain't gonna take 'em away from us."

"I sure hope not." I answer.

The next few days pass quietly. The gang visits us and Dallas is still living here. I don't mind though. I don't ask him to, but he gives me part of his paycheck every week. I'm not quite sure where he's working, but he's getting money from somewhere and I'm not exactly about to turn it down. After two week, Ponyboy is doing a lot better. He's up and walking around again but I still won't let him go to school. Two-Bit brings home his work everyday. Even after three weeks the State still doesn't show up again. I hope we're out of the woods and Ponyboy will stay with us. They actually call one day saying that Ponyboy will continue to be under my guardianship unless something else happens. We throw a small party that night and the whole gang is thrilled. Maybe thing will turn out all right after all.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Please, please, please review! Well, that's it! I hope you liked it! Thanks again! #PeaceoutGrease!