Okay guys sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy. I dont own anything but Erica

Chapter 10

Erica's POV

I felt myself being picked up and carried inside the house. I must have fallen asleep from the car ride coming home from Ben's house. Even though Being picked up woke me up I pretended to be asleep because I was tired from all the fun I had today with Ben! Plus I didn't feel like talking to all the boys about my day I just know they will make fun of me.

It must have been Darry carrying me inside since he was the one who picked me up today. I felt him going up the porch steps and opening the door. The noise level immediately dropped as soon as Darry walked in carrying me.

"Wow she must have had a good time since she fell asleep in the car ride. That kid only lives like right down the street." I heard I think Sodapop say

"Yea I'm going to put her to bed" I heard Darry say than he carried me upstairs and into my room. I felt him take off my shoes, and pull the covers over me. He quickly tucked me in and kissed my forehead murmuring an 'I love you', before shutting the door and leaving. I quickly drifted back to sleep with a smile on my face.

Darry's POV

After I tucked Erica in I went back downstairs to watch some TV and hang out with the gang.

"So…" Pony started

"So…What?" I responded the whole gang was sitting around the room all eyes on me.

"What happened?" Soda interjected.

"Well how should I know I wasn't there all day" I told them

"Oh come on Dare you gotta know something" Soda and Pony both whined. I knew it was because only this morning did they find out Erica had been lying about having friends, and then her going to play with a little boy. It is very hard for big brothers to let little sisters have friends that are boys almost unbearable but Erica needs this friend so I won't let anyone ruin it for her even if I'm not entirely happy about this new friend being a boy. I also know none of the gang liked it either. All day they were waiting for her to call home to be picked up early. A few times they tried to just go and get her before I stopped them.

"Listen all I know is they went to the park came home watched a movie Ben's sister did her hair and nails, and they ate dinner. She also didn't look too happy when I picked her up, I think she wanted to stay longer" I told them.

"What's the family like" Dal asked "Don't want our Miss. America hangin' out with a bad family" everyone shook their head in agreement

"They're nice the kid has both parents they seemed really nice kind of reminded me of mom and dad in their demeanor." Everyone went silent remembering mom and dad.

"Well I guess that's good" Soda said after a few moments of quiet.

After that I went to bed Steve and Two-Bit went home but Dallas and Johnny were going to spend the night here. As soon as my head hit the pillow I instantly fell asleep.

I was awoken by a tugging on my hand. I opened one eye to see Erica standing next to my bed with two little tears running down her cheeks. I immediately sat up in bed reached down for her and sat her in my lap while I rubbed her back to try and calm her down.

"Baby girl? What's the matter?"

"I-I-I-I-I had-d-d a bad d-dream" she cried out

"Oh baby hey its okay I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe" She leaned her head against my chest and eventually calmed down. I kept kissing her head and rubbing her back I remember mom doing that when I was little so hopefully I was doing it right.

"Do you remember it?" she shook her head in response

"You want to stay in here?" she just nodded. I laid her in my bed next to me and put my arm around Erica she curled right up next to my side and I heard her breath steady and knew she was fast asleep and I soon followed.

Erica's POV

I woke up in Darry's bed since I had a bad dream and slept with him. Darry wasn't in his room so he must be cooking breakfast. I crawled out of his bed and headed down to the kitchen where I could hear the whole gang eating and talking. Darry must have let me sleep in since I was up late during the night with my bad dream.

When I walked into the kitchen everyone went quiet and looked at me. Two-Bit spoke up first

"Nice hair you got their little lady" HE smirked. I reached back to touch my hair to realize it was still in the braid Kimmy did yesterday but now it was kind of falling out and frizzy.

"Erica sit down and eat your breakfast" Darry instructed and I did as I was told. Once I started eating the boys all started their conversation back up and I felt Soda move behind me to take out my braid and start brushing my hair, just like mommy would do if she were here. I push the thought aside as I ate my eggs.

"So Miss. America did you have a good time yesterday?" Soda asked as he brushed my hair.

"Yep"

"Well what did ya do kiddo, we've been waiting" Dally said

I just shrugged "I don't know we just hung out"

"Well what did you do?" Oh great now Pony is bugging me about this

"Ugh fine we went to the park and played on the jungle gym than we went back to Bens house and his Mommy made us a snack and we watched a movie and his sister Kimmy painted my nails and braided my hair and then we went to Bens room t-" I was interrupted by all the boys heads snapping up yelling "WHAT!"

I shrunk back a little because they scared me when they all yelled like that. I think Soda noticed because he put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me

"What. Were. You. Doing. In. His. Room?" All the guys asked in a scary voice. I didn't like this they were mad at me and Ben and I don't know why. Why were they mad? I started to cry I felt two tears roll down my face.

"W-w-we ju-just played with his toy army men and then we ate d-dinner" I told them I felt Soda pick me up, my leg instantly wrapped around his waist and my arms quickly wrapped around his neck as he comforted me

"Hey kid we didn't mean to upset ya only trying to protect ya" I heard Steve mumble with food in his mouth…Ew! I just shook my head in response and Soda sat down at the table with me in his lap as I finished my breakfast.

"Miss. America, your hair sure looks pretty from sleeping in that braid little lady" Darry told me, my face promptly formed a smile. I jumped out of Soda's lap and ran to the bathroom to look at my hair. Darry was right my hair was now wavy I looked pretty! Just like when mommy would do my hair.

I walked back down to the living room where all the boys were now goofing around.

"Erica" Darry called for my attention as he sat in his chair to read the Sunday paper "Maybe next weekend Ben can come play here"

"NO!" I stomped my foot

"Excuse me" Darry sat up straighter he did not like it when I threw temper tantrums.

"I don't want Ben to come here" I whispered, all eyes on me

"Why?" I heard Pony ask from behind me

"Because"

"That is not and answer and I do not appreciate your tone young lady so you better put this act to rest before you find yourself with a sore butt" Darry told me with his stern parental voice.

"Sorry" I whispered to him, I know he heard me because he nodded and sat back a little. I didn't want to be spanked and I know Darry will spank me without hesitation since he is our guardian he has to discipline me Pony and Soda. Pony and Soda though only get lectures and groundings where as I get spanked and time outs still just cause I'm the baby. Mom and dad disciplined all of us like that you got spanked and time-outs until you were old enough to be grounded which was about age 10-11 so I was close to being done with spankings.

I never really got a bad spanking only once in a while and it was never too bad. Darry has been pretty lenient with me since mom and dad died so the most I have gotten was a little tap on the butt for being rude or something like that.

Even Soda has given me taps for being rude or saying a bad word when Darry isn't around to do so.

"Erica Why don't you want Ben to come over?" Soda asked

"Because his house is more fun than our house I don't want to play here"

"Our house is fun" Pony snapped

"Maybe to you since you always have friends but I'm just the baby here and it isn't fun all the time; and Ben's house is fun and his sister plays with us too. And if we played here all of you would just spy on us and we would never get to do anything! And his mommy makes us snacks and we get to watch movies and play! We won't be able to do that with all of you spying on us and, and, and yeah!"

"We would not spy!" Two-Bit declared

"Yeah there'd be no reason to since you two would be in here playing" Steve smirked and high fived Two-Bit

They all thought this was funny. Well it wasn't.

"And" I declared over all their chatter about how they were going to keep an eye on Ben "His sister is more fun to be with than any of you" I smirked when I saw all their faces drop a little

"How could a little girl be more fun than us?" Dallas asked in his usual cocky manner

"She's cool, and pretty"

"Oh so now were ugly?" Soda piped in.

"Well…" I trailed off not being able to keep a straight face as Soda lunged for me and started to tickle me. I then got passed around to all the boys who all tickled me. Finially I had enough and decided to test my chances to see if Pony would save me again.

"Pony!" I cried out "Save me" I laughed

He quickly got up and took me out of Steve's strong grasp

"Paws off the little sister Randle" Pony said harshly which is no surprise since he and Steve don't dig each other much. Pony sat back onto the coach and I curled into him and rested my head in the crook of his neck and stuck my tongue out at Steve at which he smirked and returned the gesture.

"Pony"

"What"

"What are you reading?" "Gone with the Wind" he responded

"Oh, well will you read it aloud to me?"

He sighed but eventually gave in and read to me he even made the story better by doing different voices for different characters. After a while Darry left for and afternoon shift at work same for Steve and Soda. Two-Bit and Dally left to do drink and stroll for chicks. So it was just me Pony, and Johnny. Pony kept reading all afternoon and I soon fell asleep to Pony's soothing voice reading to me just like he did when I was little and he would read to me before bed.

Okay hope you all liked it please leave a review! If anyone has any ideas or something they would like to see happen with the story/Erica just leave me a message and I'll try to work it in for you! Oh and for those of you who wondered why in my last chapter Erica and Ben watched the Lion King as i said before i know it wasnt made yet for the time period of the story it was just the only movie that came to mind so i went with it!