A/N! Hey guys!

SO, this is where I was before rewriting the whole chapters! (Well, correcting most of them, anyway.) I'll now start from here, and hopefully you guys will appreciate the next chapters! I still don't know where I'm going with this story, but hopefully I'll find something that will make it unique!

Also, something that I haven't told yet in my other chapters: Please, Read and Review, guys! I'd really, REALLY appreciate it! I know that I made you wait a long time, but I honest-to-God promise that I won't let that story get forgotten or worse, unfinished! I hate it when authors leave good stories unfinished, and I won't do the same to you!

To answer the reviews that I didn't answere last time:

FrankElza: Thank you for your review! I've always enjoyed them and the fact that you explain in details what you like about my chapters! I sincerely hope you like this one! :)

theoutsidersfan: Thank you! Wow, you live in Oklahoma? One of my dreams is to travel later on in life in many places, and I wish to go to Oklahoma one day! It would be a funny coincidence to meet each other without knowing! (I want to be a journalist and since I could be intervewing people, it would be cool to interview you without knowing that it's actually you!) Please keep reading and reviewing, I love faithful readers and reviewers!

WesRing: I love "what if" fics too, and I was hoping to do my own! Thank you for your review, and I hope that you like this chapter!

Anyway, this is in Darry's POV and will swicth. Read on now!

..oOo..

The next day, I had to leave work early to pick Ponyboy up at the hospital. My boss waved me away and told me to come back tonight if I absolutely needed to. I waved back and drove away in the truck.

On the highway, I didn't realize how fast I was going until I heard the familiar sound of sirens wailing behind me. I groaned, thinking; damn, now's not the time to get arrested.

"Lookie what we got here, bud. Another greaser," a gruff voice said, and to my surprise, I noticed that it was Two-Bit, making another of his imitations. I gripped the stirring wheel tighter when I saw Sodapop standing next to him.

"Sodapop Patrick Curtis, what the heck is this all about? Are you crazy?! Stealing a cop car?! Do you know in how much trouble that could get the three of us? And aren't you supposed to be at work?"

He shrugged. "Steve covered the rest for me. I wanted to pick Ponyboy up too, but Two-Bit stole a cop car and convinced me to hop in. We couldn't help but pull a prank on you when we saw you barreling down the highway." I was mad at the fact that he seemed like he didn't care at all.

"You want to pick Ponyboy up?" He nodded. I glared and pointed at him. "Then you get your rear in the car. I'm not wastin' any more time with you, and I sure as hell won't risk you getting arrested." He sighed and hopped in, knowing that it was a losing battle.

"What about me?" Two-Bit asked, dumbfounded. I glared at him.

"If you get arrested, it ain't my problem. But I'm not itchin' for my brothers to be sent to a boys' home if Soda gets arrested too. That's your problem, Mathews." He sighed. "Now get your ass in the cop car and I suggest you bring it to the station to avoid more trouble."

I didn't give him time to reply, instead I drove away with Soda riding shotgun.

"Sodapop, I don't want you to argue with me. You're grounded for a week and that's final." He groaned and leaned the back of his head in the palm of his hand, his elbow resting on the window's side.

"You're no fun, Darry," he said, acting ten years younger than he actually is.

"You won't find it fun either when you spend the rest of the night in your room. That was stupid and you know it. And no going out with Steve for the week, buddy!"

"That ain't fair!" he retorted, and I gripped the stirring wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white and my jaw clenched. He huffed and stayed silent, knowing that there would be no further argument. We both were in a bad mood, that much was obvious.

We saw the hospital in front of us and I pulled in, parking in the nearest spot where the entrance was.

I stopped at the receptionist's desk for the release forms while Sodapop already hurried to Pony's room, not even glancing my way.

I sighed. This would sure be a long night.

~Soda's POV~

I knocked on Pony's door and opened it without waiting for him to say so. He looked surprised when he saw me, but he was glad. He smiled as I hugged him.

"Soda," he said, hugging me back. "I thought you were at work?" I broke the embrace and bit my lip, looking at the hall as I heard Darry's footsteps.

"Er, I'll explain later, 'kay? Darry's here with the forms, and you'll be out of here in no time!" He jumped out of bed eagerly but he almost fell on the floor. I grabbed him just in time.

"Pony! You okay?" I asked. I thought it was a stupid question, but Ponyboy didn't seem to think so; he winced.

"Yeah, just...my chest still hurts. I feel like I've been stabbed or somethin'." I eased him on a chair instead of on the bed. God knows that he didn't want to spend half a second more on that hospital bed!

"Or somethin'," I replied. I watched with amusement as his face shifted from confusion to understanding, and he half-glared at me. "How do you know what it feels like to be stabbed, anyway? To my knowledge, you never were." He scowled.

"Hardy har-har. You're so funny, Soda," he mocked, and I ruffled his hair with affection. He jerked away from me, but I pulled him in a choking hold,—without being rough or cutting off his air—ruffling his hair again.

"Gah, Soda, cut it out!" he said, struggling, but I laughed.

"Yeah, Soda, let him go," said a voice, and we both turned toward the door to see Darry, holding the now signed release forms. Ponyboy looked at him, hopeful. "Can we go now, Darry?" he asked, and Darry smirked.

"Sure we can, but don't you want to change, first? I don't think you'll want to go home wearing a gown, kiddo." He looked at himself, and sure enough, he was still wearing his hospital gown. He grinned sheepishly and caught the change of clothes that Darry brought him that I hadn't even noticed he was holding in his arms. He walked in the bathroom and changed there, since he sorta hated to change in front of us. Plus, he didn't want no nurse to pass by and see him half-naked!

...If it were me, I wouldn't mind!

He came back with his gown and threw it in the garbage can. I chuckled as I saw how excited the expression of his face was, but then he scowled when Nurse Anna rolled a wheelchair in the room.

"I don't have to sit in there, do I?" he half-asked, half-sighed, and Anna nodded.

"Hospital policy, sweetie. But I can let your brother wheel you back to Darrel's car." I grinned.

"'Course I can do that!" I said, and Pony giggled. He sat down on the chair, with Anna helping him, and I strolled down the halls, pushing the wheelchair at a rather fast speed. Darry was struggling to keep us with us, which made Pony turn his head to look at him and grin at the annoyed expression on Darry's face.

When we got to the truck, Pony hopped out, and a little too fast. He stumbled and I caught him before he could fall flat on his face.

"Take it easy, little brother," Darry scolded, and Pony mumbled an apology.

I helped him in the truck and he sat between Darry and me. It was getting to be a pretty tight fit, considering he just got in a growth spurt and his legs were getting too long to fit in the middle of the truck.

Still, we were glad to finally have him walking and sitting by our side. And I could tell he was happy too.

We were about half-way to the house when I noticed that Pony was silent. I looked over at him and saw that he was asleep on Darry's shoulder. I smiled at Darry who smiled back lovingly. I knew that he wasn't that close to Ponyboy and that he hadn't actually apologized yet for slapping him, and things were sorta awkward between the two of them.

Before I knew it, we pulled up. I shook Ponyboy awake and he mumbled something that sounded like: "Five more minutes..." I chuckled and poked him on his cheek numerous times. He groaned. "Whaat...?" he said, looking at me with half-opened eyes.

"C'mon baby bro, we're home," I said with a smile, and his eyes opened as wide as they could in his groggy state. He looked to his left and saw that we were home, and he smiled. I took his hand and helped him up.

He had trouble staying up on his feet, so he leaned on me most of the way. "You okay, Pony?" I asked once we had reached the house.

"Do you mind if I go lay down?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with his fist.

"Sure you can, little brother," Darry answered before I could say anything. He led our baby brother to his room, and seconds later, walked out of it, gently closing the door behind him.

"Darry?" I said.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that Pony's gonna be alright?"

Darry hesitated a little, but then smiled and said: "Sure, Soda. He's gonna be fine. I just hope nothing else will happen to change that."

I hoped so, too.