AN: Lovely reviews, you can have your chapter now. I decided to meet all half way. Please tell me what you think about the other's point of views. I'm not sure if i captured them right. Thank you.

Chapter 11

Darry's POV

The words bounce around in my head, repeating and taunting and refusing to be silenced. Child abuse…torture…rape…prostitution and allowing others to harm charge for profit…attempted murder and threatening to endanger the life of a minor. Again and again, on top of each other and blending together the words shout in my head. My baby brother, my poor, innocent, angel; he probably didn't even understand what happened to him. Maybe he still doesn't. He's not old enough yet for the "talk". Did the man ever tell him anything that wasn't an order, curse, or threat? Was there a moment my little brother did not shake helplessly in fear? I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, I only wanted you to be proud of me. I only wanted to do what you always dreamed I would. I messed up. I was supposed to take care of them. Then my Ponyboy wouldn't be like he is now, trembling from having to speak to an adult, even a couple words, tensing whenever anybody comes close enough to reach him. This is all my fault. I have to make this right. I have to fix it, because I'm his big brother and that's what I do. I'm superman.

Steve's POV

I can't believe somebody would do those kinds of things to a little kid. I mean, sure, he's annoying and a bit bratty and sometimes I want to slug him across the face, but I never wanted anything like this to happen to the kid. He was Soda's brother, after all, and even though it hurts to admit it, Soda'd die without him. Not only that, but the kid's different from most greasers. He's quiet and brainy, he digs stuff like colors and clouds and sunsets and reading. He's a wise-ass sometimes and he gets too mouthy, what with that brain of his thinking of comebacks, but he's never really done anything mean to anybody in his life. His adoptive father beat him up worse in the last ten months than Johnny's dad, who's about as hateful as you can get, did within the ten years we've known him. Johnny never once looked this bad. Why's it always the weak ones, the ones that can't stick up for themselves, that get whipped? Maybe it's for that reason; they can't stick up for themselves. But Pony and Johnny aren't like the rest, while the rest of us would've gotten bitter, it just made them jumpy and scared and somehow more endearing. I don't like the kid, but I never wanted this for him.

Dally's POV

The gang's about to cry, I can see it in their eyes. I won't, though, I've forgotten how. I'm tough, I'm cold, I don't feel, and I like it that way. But those two kids, I give a damn if they live or die, and to somebody like me, that's scary. Getting attached to anybody is dangerous, that much I've figured out from living my life. There's something about Johnny and Pony that makes you want to build them an impenetrable fortress and lock them away, so they never have to face the world again. Of course, we can't do that, but we sure can try to surround them, protect them. Pony's the gang's little brother and Johnny's our pet, we'd all jump off a cliff if we thought it would help. The problem with this situation is that nobody's sure exactly what would help. We're helpless. Dallas Winston does not do 'helpless' by any stretch of the imagination. My only solution is to make sure this creep dies a horrible, painful, undignified death, like he made Pony's life. That's all I want, and I know it will happen. Because I get what I want, no exceptions. That's just the way it is.

Johnny's POV

Not Ponyboy, anybody but Pony. He's too young. He has too much potential. He can't protect himself from what the doctor says he lived through. He'll die from all that pain. But he's sitting right in front of me. He's dying on the inside, like me. The rest of the gang thinks we're weak because we're even tempered and quiet and don't like to cause waves, but we're not. They would've gone sour and become angry at the world and ended up dead or in jail or on drugs or something. We suffer in silence and wear the haunted expression, the one that lets the world know what we are. They wouldn't have the self-control to take what we did and still do. Pony and I, we're stronger than they think. But we still need them, to remind us that there's somebody on this planet who would care if we dropped dead tomorrow. Somebody who fusses over our bruises instead of looking upon them with pride for putting them there. People who comfort us instead of cuss us out. I'm going to help Pony, even though there are some things that have happened to him that I have not experienced and hope to never have to, I know more than the others. I think this as his body shakes, recognizing it as the pure terror brought about by unfamiliar human interaction. He's a tortured animal now, accustomed to living by pure instinct. We have to get the old Ponyboy back. We have to make him better. I suddenly feel a swell of anger rise up at Darry. If he had done the right thing in the first place, my best friend wouldn't be in this situation. It's going to take a long time and a lot of good deeds to cancel this out. I won't be able to forgive him for what's happened to Ponyboy for a while. I'll never forgive the man who did this, not until the day I die.

Two-Bit's POV

My usual mask of happiness can't hold up much longer. How much more can he take? That little kid has already had his entire family ripped away from him, and that monster had to go make it worse by making him live in fear every day of his life. Hurting him, humiliating him, degrading him into nothing. He's the gang's future, the one among us with a chance besides Darry, who's giving his up now. I know they think I have no sense of responsibility, but I can tell you this much. I don't think I could ever stand by and watch my little sister be taken away to live with strangers. I don't know how Darry did it, how he got so cold. I was mad for a while, still am to tell the truth. He's a greaser; he should know that family comes before everything. After all, we're not like Socs; we don't run out on each other when a better opportunity rises. If he hadn't acted like scum, none of this would've happened. I hope he feels guilty. Even more, I hope this Mr. Lilc guy rots in jail and then burns in hell for eternity. I hope every minute of every waking day and restless night is pure agony for him until the end of time. Only then will my anger simmer.

Soda's POV

My baby brother has been hurt so bad. I feel shame for myself and anger for Darry. We're his big brothers; it's our job to protect him. We're supposed to take care of him and never let anything bad happen to him. I promised him. I promised our parents, the day he was born.

Mom places a very small bundle in my arms, fitting my arms around it carefully.

"He little." I observe, causing a six-year-old Darry to agree,

"Littler than Soda, even." Mom whispers as she gathers the two of us in her arms,

"Darry, Soda, this is your baby brother Ponyboy. He's much littler than the two of you, so you're going to have to watch out for him and take care of him. Can you two do that for me?"

"I promise." I say solemnly, swearing in my three-year-old innocence that I would never let anything touch him. Darry looks at the baby reverently,

"I take care of Soda and Pony. Both are my baby brothers. Protect them from everything." I smile; knowing somebody's looking out for me too, and Darry hugs me like little kids can, careful not to squish the baby.

"Good boys" my father says with paternal compassion, "now, give Ponyboy to your mother, Pepsi-Cola." I hand him back and Mom takes him in her arms, saying as he begins to cry,

"Sh, Pony-baby, Momma's got you." I immediately begin to stroke his hair, humming distractedly. The crying ceases and I decide then and there that Ponyboy is my baby.

I didn't follow through with my promise, but I'm going to try harder. I'm never going to let anything happen to him again. I don't think he could stand it.

Pony's POV

The gang leaves around noon to have lunch at the cafeteria while the nurse comes in and redoes my bandages. They don't want to look at it again. I get more food through a tube and eat lunch by myself. I don't really mind, at least I get to eat. I look around the white room and smirk. It reminds me of my room at the boys' home. I turn my head as the door opens, revealing a man in a suit. He reminds me of a snake, looking cunning and sneaky and downright mean. I start trembling immediately. He pulls a chair up to my bed and begins to talk in a low voice.

"Hello, Ponyboy, I'm Mr. Lilc's attorney. My client wishes to deliver a message. He wants you to know he will win this case and get you back. They will see you as a lying little brat starved for attention that got whipped occasionally and fully deserved it. They'll give you back to him. Mr. Lilc will show you that you've never felt pain before. If he loses, he'll only go to jail for a couple of years. Nobody cares about an unwanted orphan. When he gets out, he'll kill you." I shake uncontrollably by now, and as if on cue I hear the voices of the gang coming rowdily down the hallway. The man says in a normal speaking voice, "My client wishes to make a deal with you, son. If you withdraw these…ridiculous false accusations, he is willing to take you under his care and not let the state put you in a state institution. You have three days to come to a decision.

"Get out!" The entire gang yells at once, except Johnny and Steve. Johnny doesn't yell and Steve doesn't care. I try to control the tremors of my body, but it's pointless. Soda soothes me gently,

"We're not going to let that man take you back, honey. We promise you that." I finally manage to stop and whisper in embarrassment,

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"Stop apologizing, honey. It's not your fault. Don't worry, everything's going to be alright." Darry steps forward now,

"Ponyboy, I know you don't trust me, and I know nobody else does either. I abandoned you and I shouldn't have. But I promise you, I will never let anything happen to you or hurt you. I swear you're safe now; I'm going to be there. Me and Sodapop, we'll protect you." Soda nods. I look at the wall as I say in a low voice.

"Mr. Lilc is suing for custody. His lawyer says that they're going to make me look like a liar. 'A lying little brat starving for attention who gets whipped occasionally and fully deserves it.' Was what the attorney called me. He's going to try and take me back." Fists clench throughout the room, looking murderous.

"Nobody will believe that Pony, don't worry. They'll see you, they'll see the evidence, and they'll have no choice but to send him to jail."

"He'll only get a couple years. Then he'll be out again." I tell them matter-of-factly, "Then he'll find me." Darry grabs my arms roughly, because he's always rough without meaning to be, and says in a determined voice,

"You listen to me. We are not going to let anything happen to you. What will it take for you to believe that you won't have to hurt anymore?" His voice sounds desperate. He wants to fix it and he has no idea how. I duck my head and mutter,

"I don't know…" Johnny sits at the edge of the bed and looks at me for a moment. I direct my statement at him, hoping he'd understand, "You just get so used to it. Has he ever gone a couple days without beating on you?" Johnny nods in confusion. "Don't you find yourself wishing he'd just turn around and belt you, because then at least you'd know what to do? Like, until he smacks you again, you're walking on eggshells trying not to be beat, but you know it's going to happen anyway because it never fails you do something wrong, and it's stressful because it's like the deep breath before the plunge, only you've got to wait awhile holding your breath?" Johnny looks thoughtful for a minute, and then he nods,

"Yeah, sometimes it's like that." He agrees. I nod, thankful he understands.

"Maybe, after awhile, I'll be able to get used to…not being in pain…" my brothers nod, accepting this as the only answer they're going to get for the time being. They shift me gently so that Soda's once again got my head in his lap and Darry's sitting on the edge, stroking me gently. The gang leaves quietly, sensing that this is time for us to be alone as brothers. I feel their presence with relish; their arms around me relax me. I know that I'm protected and safe. I say nothing and allow them to baby me in this fashion. I have not been aware of affection for too long. It feels nice.