Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing. It really means a lot.

I was doing my math homework when I heard Soda walk in.

"Pony, are you home?" He yelled from the living room.

"Yeah," I yelled back.

"Come here." He yelled again.

"What do you want?" I yelled back.

"Come here!" The tone of his voice was impatient, "I got to show you something."

I got up, and went into the living room, and then sopped in the doorway in amazement.

There, on the couch, was Soda, holding a tiny black puppy on his lap. Soda didn't bother to take his jacket off. You could see a wet stain spread on the couch where he was leaning and the snow was melting off. The puppy was too cute though. It was black with long smooth hair and long ears. It was bouncing on Soda's lap, and trying to catch one of the strings on Soda's jacket.

I smiled. It was cute, and since I still didn't say anything or asked where it was from, Soda volunteered the information himself – "Steve and I found him by the DX today. He was jut sitting there in the snow and all. Was freezing, and would freeze to death if we didn't find him."

It was funny, it seemed like the dog understood we were taking about him. He stopped playing with Soda's jacket, and was now sitting quietly on his lap, looking directly at me and wiggling his tail. As if waiting to hear what I am going to say. I came up, and petted him on his head, between his ears. He seemed to like it. He made a funny sound, and licked my hand.

"What exactly are you planning to do with him?" I asked Soda.

"What do you mean? Keep him, of course." he said. I chuckled, "like Darry is gonna let you?"

"Yeah, he will." Soda said stubbornly even though he sure knew that most likely Darry is going to be against this idea.

"We should get him something to eat." Soda said, changing the subject. "We fed him at the DX, but that was a while ago."

He got up, and walked up to the fridge. The puppy didn't stay on the couch even for a second. He jumped right off, and went right behind Soda, wiggling his tail. Soda almost stepped on him by accident.

"Did you give him a name?" I asked.

"Naw, not yet." Soda said, his head in the fridge looking for something we can feed the puppy. "We don't got nothing we can feed him." Soda said disappointed, slamming the fridge door, "all we have is frozen chicken breast, and I don't think he'd like that, and we would have to defrost it first even if he did."

"I'll run down to the store get some dog food." I offered.

"Thanks." Soda said, and then added hurriedly, "Just get those ones for puppies. You know like the ones over 5 months," he was instructing me, as he was searching his pockets for money to give me.

"Don't you think I would've figured that out?" I said, rolling my eyes. He only grinned in response.

I took the cash, and went out. The store was just a few blocks away. I bet Darry won't let us keep him, I thought on my way there. I got a few cans of dog food and a bowl that came with it. Thankfully I had enough cash for it.

When I got back, we went into my room, and I opened one of the cans, and placed it on a bowl. The dog sniffed curiously, and then leaped towards the bowl and started gulping the food. I really wished Darry would let us keep him.

He was all done, and now was sitting next to Soda and looking around. He was clearly enjoying himself, and as funny as it sounds referring to a dog, it looked like he was smiling. Yeah, smiling. Then he saw a pair of shoes that I left by my bed. He came up to them carefully , sniffed and then all of the sudden "attacked" them, by jumping at them and grabbing them with his teeth, and then trying to pull them apart with his teeth. Both Soda and I just burst into laughter.

The puppy started circling around the room with my socks in his mouth. He'd bark from time to time, dropping the socks on the floor as he did. Then pick them up again and kept running around. Both Soda and I were on the floor from laughing. Finally, he got tired and stopped. He walked slowly towards where I was sitting, and dropped the socks next to my feet.

"Doesn't it look like he is smiling?" Soda asked. I chuckled – so, it wasn't just my imagination 'cause Soda noticed it too.

"Yeah, it does," I said.

"That's it," Soda said then.

"What?"

"That's his name - smiley."

Right then we heard the door open, and Darry's heavy footsteps, as he walked through the door. The puppy heard him too, and, and made a small growling sound. We heard the footsteps stop and it was quiet for a second as if Darry was trying to listen up if he actually heard dog's growling or not.

"Pony, Soda, you guys home?" He yelled from the kitchen. Hearing his loud voice, the dog started barking, and we heard Darry now rushing towards my room. He walked in, and stopped startled.

"Don't be mad, Darry." Soda said not even giving Darry a chance to say anything. "Steve and I found him by the DX today, freezing to death in the snow."

"I ain't mad." Darry said, but I noticed him looking in disgust towards the few crumbs of dog food around the bowl, where we fed the dog. "I ain't mad." He repeated. "I think the shelter is still open today. I'll get you the phone number to call," he said turning around and walking out of the room.

"That's not what I mean." Soda jumped up and in one leap was right next to Darry. "We oughtta keep him." He pleaded, as they both left my room, and went into the living room. I could hear them still talking in there.

"And what makes you say that?" Darry said dryly.

"I really like him is what makes me say it," Soda answered simply. "I really, really like him. And he's small. Even when he's an adult dog he ain't gonna be a large size. It's not like I'm asking you to keep a horse in your living room."

"C'mon Soda," Darry replied tiredly, "you aren't in 3rd grade."

"What difference does it make how old I am?" Soda interrupted, and I could hear some hurt in his voice.

"He'll chew all our shoes, and his food costs money. It's not expensive, but it adds up. Believe me."

"He won't chew on no shoes." Soda countered, "We'll get him some of those toys from the pet store so he's gonna chew on those. And I'll pay for his food myself."

"Because you are superrich, I suppose." Darry said sarcastically, "richer than the socs even. And who's gonna watch him when both of us are at work, and Pony is in school? Huh? Have you thought of that?"

Soda paused for a second caught off guard.

"I… I'll take him to the DX with me." He said hurriedly. Even Darry had to chuckle at that.

"What?" Soda asked stubbornly. "My boss won't care. As long as the work is done he doesn't care if you bring a horse in there. And it's only for a few months anyway - until he's old enough to stay home by himself."

"Fine," Darry finally gave in. "I'll let you try this for a few moths. See how it works out. But if it doesn't work out you gonna take him to the shelter savvy?"

"Sure Darrry." Soda could hardly keep the excitement out of his voice.

"And you got to be here to feed him, walk him and clean up after him. You got that? I have enough shit to do around here. Got that?"

"Sure Darry." Soda said sheepishly.

He ran back into my room, picked the puppy up and spun him around in the air. He was grinning from ear to ear. I was really happy too. "I'll help you with taking care of him and stuff." I said.

"You better," Soda grinned.

After dinner Darry came back into my room. "Hey buddy, want to pay back a favor?" He asked Soda.

"What?" Soda stopped playing with the puppy, and turned towards Darry.

"I need your advice on something." Darry said clearing his throat.

"What?" Soda asked again.

"Well," he paused for a second, "Carol's birthday is coming up and being that you are the ladies' man in the family, I thought maybe you have any suggestions where I can take her, and what I could get her." Soda was gonna say something wise ass, I could see by the expression of his face, but Darry stopped him in time – "Don't even say nothing!" He said, "and you quit grinning like an idiot, Pony," he said turning to me. I wasn't aware that I was grinning, but I must've been since he said I was. It really was pretty funny though.

"Hm," Soda said thoughtfully, clearly enjoying this. "How about take her to that pub on 8th street. It's got a pretty good reputation."

"C'mon, that's too cheesy." Darry said.

"How about you take her to the Exit?" I piped in, remembering the place I took Mare to, a while ago. "It's not cheesy, and they have good dancing music there."

"Darry dancing..." Soda was cracking up now.

"Watch it." Darryy warned, and glared at him dangerously, but only half serious. "Thanks Pony," he said getting up, "got to love the day I have to take women advice form my kid brothers." Both Soda and I tired not to laugh when he said that.

"Still got to figure out what to get her though," Darry mumbled under his breath.

It was getting late so Soda took the puppy and went back to his room, while I was getting ready to go to bed. So it's Carol's birthday I thought. It would be nice to get her something. But I would hate to have to ask Darry for the money for her gift. I should get a part time job I thought. I hated to feel like a kid - depending on my allowance for the money, and feeling scared that I'm not gonna have enough cash to pay for stuff, when I took Mare out. That's it, it's decided then – I'm gonna get an after school job I thought.