Five For Fighting
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: I still don't own anyone
A/N: I'm deleting all of the old A/Ns as I go through and edit these chapters – just know that I very much appreciated everyone who ever reviewed, and anyone who continues to review.
T.W.O.
I never did have a normal family, not in the traditional sense. My parents had always been over-protective, but I had never wondered why. I was a medical miracle, or so they said, I was the only kid they could ever have and they wanted to keep me safe. I could understand that even if I did resent it sometimes. At the time I didn't think it was strange, I was allowed to go out with my friends, I was allowed to have a boyfriend, but there was always that air of worry, that parental presence on all occasions…well, most occasions. Now I knew the real reason behind their concern, their worry that I would find out the truth and leave them, hate them for lying to me. I knew the truth now, but I didn't hate them, not really. But that sense of belonging had been diminished, I guess it didn't matter now, what with them dead and all, there was nothing left to belong to.
I never had close friends to stick up for me, close friends to call family. Shoot, every time Maxine, my best friend, got a new boy in her life I wouldn't see her for weeks. When an ex-boyfriend started a rumor about me in school, no one was there to put him in a headlock and demand retribution and a retraction of the lie.
And worst of all, my biological parents had given me up for adoption, it was an act of survival but it seemed to me that no parent who truly cared about their kid would separate themselves from them. But mine did, and so really I could not count them as family either, even if their blood did run through my veins. Things would have been different if they had been here, waiting, with open arms and a warm smile, with kind words and welcomes. They had lived without me, and they had died without me, and they had raised three boys without me…my brothers.
"They didn't want to do it" Darry said as if reading my very thoughts, an act so creepy I jumped back into reality and stared up at his pale blue eyes, gorgeous eyes…we all have gorgeous eyes.
"They didn't know what else to do, Mom cried for months, she always wanted a little girl. They hated that Aunt Lydia wouldn't at least take Ponyboy too, so you'd have your twin with you, Mom kept saying the pain of losing both of you would have been eased if she knew you had each other but Aunt Lydia only wanted one child, a girl, you...every year, on Pony's birthday you could tell how much it hurt them, knowing that you were out there celebrating your birthday with another family."
Understanding crept into Ponyboy's eyes, clearly this had not gone unnoticed each year by him.
I couldn't stop staring at him, my brother, I had always wanted a brother, had always been jealous of Maxine's, who was seventeen, and never hesitated to be obnoxious and flaunt his drivers license, but who was always there when she really needed him. These boys could be my brothers, if I let them. I felt the warmth flow back into my body.
I flexed my fingers, regaining the feeling that had been lost and smiled up at my brothers. I knew my eyes were red and glassy, my hair a mess, my face dirty, my clothes rumpled, they didn't seem to mind though, or maybe they didn't notice.
I stood up and hugged Darry hard around his tight middle, he was in good shape, a strong solid older brother who I could tell, worked hard not only for his family, but for himself, his strong jaw line described his personality perfectly. It was longer, hardset and serious but split open into a grin that made you thrilled that you were able to produce it. He gave me the smile with the first hug, tossled my curls and mumbled into my hair; "It's nice to have you home kid."
He all but placed me into the eager arms of my second oldest brother Sodapop who picked me up and swung me around, tears rimming his eyes, a huge smile on his face, a smile that could not be ignored, or not responded to. I answered him back with a smile of my own and was handed over to Pony, my…
"Darry, which one of us is older?" Pony asked before the question could leave my lips.
"You are little man, aren't you glad you aren't the baby anymore? You're about fifteen minutes older."
Pony's smile made me laugh, causing me to jiggle so much in the hug that Ponyboy started to vibrate and broke into laughter too. I hadn't realized I would be able to laugh, not now, not so soon.
"Come on ya'll let's go get some celebration cake" Soda suggested dragging Pony towards the kitchen with one hand, and myself with the other.
Chocolate cake, I learned very quickly, was a staple food in the Curtis household, and I sure as shootin' was not complaining.