A/N: Hey guys!
I sincerely apologize for the long wait I've put you through. I promised I would update faster since it was summer vacation, but in truth, I have been caught up with some stuff at home and I have been fighting Writer's Block for quite a while. I finally managed to put my act together and give you a chapter. Though it's a small filler chapter, I wish it will be satisfying enough for a month of waiting, for I still find it important.
Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate them dearly. Here are my replies:
GreaserG1rl201: Thank you! I try to keep some parts of the novel alive since I found them marking and important. :)
BunnyluvsU: I wonder how I will write it too! I'm just as anxious as you are! ;)
Seth Clearwater: Thank you very much! :)
WatchRain4898: And I can't handle your reviews; they're always very funny, as I keep reminding you! I don't know how I don't cry for Curtis brothers fluff, but I still find it so emotional. And yes, everyone has a breaking point, even the happiest of people, because deep inside, they are heartbroken. As for Steve, I didn't like him too at the beginning! I was like "How dare he be so mean to Pony!" And after a few fanfics about the two of them bonding, I learned to appreciate him as a valuable member of the gang! So thank you for the review! :)
tmntlover2013: Again, thank you for taking your time to leave a review. :)
mycookiegirl: Thank you! And I feel bad too, Johnny and Pony's conditions in this story are the only things I don't like writing about because it makes me sad that I'm doing that to my favorite characters. :( Fear no more! Things will get better soon. ;)
MiniHorseMeadow: Nothing compares to the feels of when I get reviews! :) Thank you for yours, and I hope the wait has been worth it.
Lovetoread75: Johnny is a crucial part of the story. ;) So I like including him. You're right, I don't include him enough, but I will! And I liked Two-Bit's part because I figured that Two-Bit knew first hand not to drink to forget, as he drinks often. Gotta love Two-Bit. Thank you. ;)
Pony'sgirlfriend: You made a good point in your review, I hadn't thought of that! It might actually help me write the next chapters. ;) As for the memory, it will be solved soon! I see its chapter in the horizon. Thank you for reviewing! :)
FrankElza: I really loved writing that chapter! I feel like I got the characters on point, more so than in the other chapters! I loved every single part of the chapter and I'm glad that you loved it too. :) Thank you for the review and for the compliment! xxx
Nessie2000: Thank you for the heart-warming review. :) I sure hope this chapter will be worth the wait!
There, that settles it for the reviews. Now, I have a few points to make.
First off, I apologize if you think that Steve is a little OOC, because I honestly had no idea how to write him in this chapter. Also, since the rumble is over, you will be seeing less of Tim Shepard and co. (sorry, Shepard fans) but more of Johnny! (YAY!) And finally, I'm sorry FrankElza and fans, but at the moment, the next chapter for Heartbeat is not in progress for my part! I will take my soldiers and supporters with me and beat Writer's Block once and for all, and update that story, in which you have been waiting longer!
Meanwhile, please R & R, and enjoy this chapter!
XxX
The late morning sunlight penetrated through the binds of Darry Curtis' bedroom, waking its occupant from his seemingly deep slumber. Darry sleepily slung his arm over his eyes to prevent the harsh light from blinding him furthermore, rolling onto his side, his back facing the window. He lazily stretched, no back muscles giving him any grief, yet he still groaned out of habit.
He blinked a few times, getting adjusted to the clarity of his bedroom, before peaking over to his nightstand. He narrowed his eyes, trying to get rid of the blurriness in his eyesight as he glanced at his alarm clock. He rubbed his eyes with his fists and waited for a few seconds, sighing with relief when he could finally make out what the numbers on his alarm clock were. However, his eyes quickly widened when he realised that it was nearing eleven o'clock in the morning.
He quickly scrambled out of bed, thinking he was going to run late for work, when he bumped straight into Sodapop, who had been about to knock at his older brother's bedroom door to check on him. Darry's speed sent Sodapop flying into the wall, hitting his back against it with a hiss.
Darry quickly crawled over to his younger brother. "Soda! Jesus Christ, I'm so sorry..." He ran a hand through his bed hair. "Are you alright?" he asked, helping the winded boy up.
Sodapop cringed but smiled at the same time. "Yeah, don't worry about me." He patted Darry's back twice to urge his older brother to let him go. "Where were you going in such a rush anyway?"
Darry stared at him, confused. "Soda, you know I have wor—"
"Darry," Sodapop incredulously said, "it's raining cats and dogs outside." Darry looked outside by the nearest window and, sure enough, it was heavily pouring rain. "You wouldn't have gone to work anyway with the rumble yesterday."
It dawned on him that Sodapop was right. "Oh," he lamely said. "Why'd you let me sleep in so late?"
Sodapop sadly smiled. "I kept you up last night. It's only fair that you get your sleep back." His smile turned grim and he looked down. "I'm sorry about last night, I—"
"Don't worry about it," Darry interrupted. "We're all fine now." He reassuringly smiled at Sodapop, and the younger brother smiled back. "Is Pony still asleep?"
Sodapop chuckled. "Oh, nah, he's in the living room with Two-Bit." As if on cue, Darry heard Ponyboy's rich laughter, closely followed by Two-Bit's, as the older boy told jokes and funny stories to the younger one. "As for Steve, he's gone with Dally, I think visiting Johnny."
Darry ran a hand through his hair again, letting it rest in his matted hair. "I should bring you and Two-Bit later. I think you'd both like seeing him."
Sodapop chuckled again. "I don't think Steve and Dally will like babysitting Ponyboy while we're gone." His smile faded. "Steve doesn't like him."
Darry was surprised that Sodapop had only noticed then, but at the same time, maybe the boy knew and just decided to subconsciously ignore the fact.
He nodded. "They've felt like that for a long time, Little Buddy." He stared at Sodapop's blank face, biting his lip when he didn't get a reaction out of the teen. "Dally won't mind watching him. He's been a little protective of Pony since the...accident."
Sodapop found himself chuckling. "A little? You don't even know half of it."
"Do I, Curtis?"
Both Sodapop and Darry turned to see Dallas Winston walk in the house, followed by Steve Randle, who was clutching his ribs. Ponyboy had also turned around, which allowed Two-Bit to tickle him in moment of inattention, causing the boy to howl and try to wriggle away while laughing.
Sodapop rushed over to Steve's side, ignoring Dallas' smoldering eyes, while Darry chided Two-Bit about being too rough with Ponyboy, to which the older boy protested but wisely didn't push the matter. He kept telling stories of his many encounters with blondes, making Ponyboy giggle.
"You need to sit down," Sodapop said, guiding Steve to the living room. Before he could get there, Steve gently pushed his hand away.
"I just need to lie down, man," Steve softly protested, and Sodapop instead guided him to his old bedroom, used for one of the gang whenever they got jumped.
Darry caught sight of Dallas, who was by then pushing Two-Bit off the couch to sit down next to the youngest boy. Ponyboy laughed while Two-Bit pouted on his spot on the floor. He tossed the coffee table away and settled on the floor, his head next to Ponyboy's, without hiding the boy's view from the television, where Mickey Mouse was playing.
"How you doin', Dally?" Ponyboy innocently asked the angered teen, who by then had calmed down a little. The Curtis house had that effect on him; whenever he needed to cool down, it was either get riled up and fight Tim Shepard, or go to the Curtis house, lately to check on Ponyboy.
Dallas shrugged. "Could be better." Ponyboy wisely didn't push the matter. He instead stared at the television, slightly smiling at Two-Bit's enthusiasm, caused by the animated mouse on the screen.
Dallas looked more closely at Ponyboy. The kid looked much happier without his memories, more carefree. Younger, dared he think. Of course, Ponyboy didn't have his best friend around, but in his state, he didn't even know he had a best friend. He found solace in Two-Bit Mathews, or strangely, in Dallas, to which the hood didn't quite understand. Maybe he wasn't uncaring as he thought he was.
Dallas found himself asking Ponyboy how he was doing. The question caught the boy off-guard, whose smile faded when looking at the hood. "Uh," he started, "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
It was Dallas' turn to be left speechless. This version of Ponyboy always seemed to ask the hardest questions and be completely oblivious to it, which didn't make things easier.
So he settled with a simple answer. "No reason, kid." Nothing else was said, until Darry asked Dallas to get in the kitchen at the same time as Sodapop waltzed in. Two-Bit resumed his previous spot on the couch, with Ponyboy's leg propped up on his thighs, leaving the three remaining boys to themselves in the kitchen.
"How was Johnny?" Darry lowly asked, making sure he was out of hearing for his youngest brother. Two-Bit could hear him, and he made sure that Ponyboy couldn't, turning the TV's volume a bit higher, joking that he was going deft.
Dallas cussed under his breath. "They wouldn't let us see him. They said it's 'cause it's Sunday. Fucking good for nothing fuzz."
Darry internally fought not to cuss as well. "Should've known." He gave a pointed look to Dallas. "And you should've known better than to bring Steve with you, with his injury. He could barely walk when you two came back."
Dallas shrugged. "Don't blame me, he's the one who wanted to tag along." He ignored Sodapop's own look. "Besides, we bummed a ride from Brumly. One of his crew got himself arrested for drug possession or something like that and he went there to cuss him out."
Darry shook his head. "Drugs," he muttered. He didn't need to say anything else; God only knows what drugs were and what they did to an individual.
Darry made his way to the living room, where both Ponyboy and Two-Bit were watching the TV in complete silence, which was rare for the latter. He put his hand on Ponyboy's shoulder, careful as to not scare him, but Ponyboy couldn't help the flinch. He looked up in his oldest brother's ice blue eyes, which seemed melted when looking at him.
"Hey, kiddo," Darry gently greeted. "Did you eat anything yet?"
Ponyboy shook his head. "No. I wasn't hungry." He muttered something that Darry didn't quite understand, so the oldest brother made him repeat. "I wanted to wait for you."
Darry smiled at his youngest brother's embarrassment and ruffled his hair. "C'mon, I'll help you up. I'll fix us both something to eat." Without another word, Darry picked his brother up and settled him down in his wheelchair, then wheeling him by the kitchen table. Dallas and Sodapop were both sitting there, half-heartedly playing a poker game, so Ponyboy silently watched them while Darry fixed something for lunch.
Sodapop watched his younger brother out of the corner of his eye. The boy looked quite happy, even with his condition and amnesia. He missed the old sarcastic and tough Ponyboy, but he relished the fact that this version of him was once again young and innocent.
He only wished it could stay that way.