Chapter Title: The Dreaded Question

Updated: October 3, 2004

A/N: Let me just start by saying that I am incredible sorry. I really meant to get this chapter out months ago, and I have no excuse other than the fact that my muses seem to have deserted me. It comes with getting into another fandom and all the creative juices drain into it. So this time I won't promise to make the next chapter come out quickly. Reviews may or may not help speed the process up, but as with all other authors on this site, reviews are always welcome, and they can be the light in an otherwise depressing day.

Thank you's to the many who have reviewed for this chapter:

Jessie13 – Yeah, I think Dally is a softy hidden behind stone... or something like that...

Chibi Tatiana – I think they've left me completely... But I'll try and kidnap them for the last few chapters of this story.

kaz456 – Thanks. The last chapter was a lot of fun to write.

ShadowDragonGirl – I'm trying to continue, but, as I've said, my muses seem to have forgotten to come back from their holiday.

starbryte234 – Thanks, but technically, he chases little kids around and bullies them...

Rosie – Thanks, and they may be a little slower now.

Tensleep – Thankies and here's the much awaited next chapter. The new ideas I've had were for Buffy the Vampire Slayer (just check the Bio thing... --) Hope you like!

a458sbcglobal – Thanks, and I'm writing as much as I can (which sadly isn't much without my muses)

Amber – Yeah, I thought about that in the fifth chapter of my previous story, and I liked the feel of a medieval time period.

soda-staygold16 – Thanks, and I'm really trying to write more.

seraphim9 – Thanks. I try and make them original, but I rarely have the chance... I hope I didn't wait too long to keep you from reviewing this chapter... TT

ERMonkey, Burner of Cookies – I like your name. Very different. I kinda based little Pony off of a kid I used to watch on Sundays.

Malara – Thanks so much. And I can't remember at the moment, but didn't I say at the beginning of the last chapter that Dally would be OOC? Oh well. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, too!

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After a few days, the elder two Curtises and their caretakers returned home. Pony was feeling much better, though Steve was getting the sniffles. Dally and Two-Bit quarantined him in the garage for the duration of his 'illness'. He hadn't commented on Dally's fairy tale, thankfully. He knew as well as any of them that the others didn't need to be reminded of the previous years in any way.

Then, just when things had finally begun to settle down, Darry asked the dreaded question. The one everyone had been waiting for, but secretly hoping would not come up. The question any adult in the Greasers' situation would cringe from.

"Where are our parents?"

Okay, so Two-Bit lost the bet on the 'Where do babies come from?' question, but it was still not a question anyone would want to answer. The four 'adults' looked at each other, each willing another to answer the seemingly-innocent, but loaded question. Finally, when Darry looked like he was about to either rip someone's eyes out or cry in frustration, Johnny cleared his throat.

Darry waited, but apparently Johnny just had a scratchy throat. Two-Bit let out a sigh and finally looked Darry in the eye.

"Can we tell you about this some other time... like when you're older?"

"But if you guys are telling the truth, then I'm supposed to be older. Did something happen to them? I ain't dumb, you know. I know that, even if Pony is in high school and his grades are higher than most Soc's, our parents wouldn't just go away on a vacation for two whole months. What happened to them?"

Steve looked up quickly at the end of the child's little speech. "Yeah, we know you ain't dumb. Why do you say two months?"

"Just the first thing that came to my head. Now where are they?"

"Do you absolutely have to know right this minute?" Dally asked. The child looked at the blond as if he were the dumbest creature on the planet.

"It won't kill me if I don't, but I will be a pain in the butt for you, and I'll get Soda and Pony in on it too."

"Listen, Superboy, I just think that it ain't somethin' you should tell an eleven-year-old."

"From what you said I'm twenty-two."

"Not right now."

"If you tell me, I'll never have to ask again."

"Yea, but you might be traumatized for life," Johnny pointed out. He received blank or incredulous looks from the others, so he rolled his eyes and explained to them, "I'm best friends with big Pony. Why wouldn't I know that word?" The others accepted that and looked back to the eldest Curtis, who had large tears welling up in his eyes.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Two-Bit asked, kneeling down beside the boy. "Just cause we won't tell you- "

"S'not that!" the child sniffled. "I don' know what trahmetized is, but I know that it has to be bad. How'd they die?"

"How do you know that traumatizing means something bad?" Dally asked, stalling for time.

"Jus' get a bad feeling when he said it."

"They... were in an accident. They weren't in any pain. The doctors said they died instantly. There was no time for them to be hurt," Johnny finally broke the silence with an honest answer. Darry nodded, crawled into Johnny's lap, and cried. Johnny held the little boy tightly while Two-Bit left to keep the younger two entertained and away from their brother.

"What happened to us?"

"Well, you took care of Soda and Pony. You work two jobs, and Soda works full-time at the DX. Pony's probably gonna go to college and away from this town. We all help you out all the time, and Johnny and Dally live here with y'all."

"So none of you are leavin'?"

"We couldn't be dragged away by death," Dally answered. Steve snorted and left the room.

Later that night, the three Curtis brothers were curled up around and on top of each other on Darry's large bed. The 'babysitters' watched from the doorway, sad smiles on each of their faces.

They each had a feeling that it couldn't last much longer. As Greasers, they knew that nothing good or innocent stayed that way fro long. It was inevitable that something would go wrong. Sure enough, that night the older Greasers were awoken by three different cries of distress and misery.

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A/N: Yeah, I know, that's evil leaving you with a cliffhanger when the time of my next update is unknown... but keep this in mind: I WILL eventually update again. I promise that I will not leave you guys hanging and discontinue this fic. That's just way too cruel after y'all have been so kind to me. (i.e. not lynching me when it took three months to write a three-page update, and not hunting me down to kill me for finally updating with a very small chapter... VV)