Here is a VERY sad chapter, I do warn you. So have the tissue box ready.

I strongly thank the author Erinskie for helping me so greatly with this chapter. She wrote some parts of this chapter and added to the plot. She is one of the best authors that I have ever met and I love her stories. If you like Curtis sister fics, read her stories! They are so awesome. And trust me, she can teach you A LOT in writing. So to Erinskie, I thank you for all of your help. You have improved my writing for the better.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders but I do own Sophie.

The Smallest Curtis

Chapter Eight

Watching Dally pace around his room was making little Sophie nervous. She was sitting on his bed trying to be calm about the whole situation of the rumble. She could hear Dally mumbling to himself about how he should be out there fighting to protect his friends and defend his turf. But he wasn't. He was sitting inside Tulsa Memorial Hospital trying to recuperate from his small burn on his left arm.

"I should be there. I should be fighting," Dally mumbled to himself over and over again. Sophie watched as he maneuvered back and forth. She was growing apprehensive just sitting there watching him. She knew that the more he thought about it, the bigger urge he would get to go fight. And then she would be forced to tag alone and… and… she didn't know what.

So Sophie decided to leave the room. She decided to go and visit Johnny. That was what she needed. She needed to see Johnny. He was quiet and loving, not fierce and active like Dally. Sophie knew that his accident had somehow changed him, for the better. He was somehow not so into fighting (not that he really was before) but to Sophie he seemed like a better person.

"Johnny?" Sophie asked as she snuck into his room. Her friend was now lying face up. He could see her perfectly and she could see him perfectly. "How are you?"

"F-fine," Johnny barely replied. Sophie could tell that it hurt for him to talk. Inside it was killing her to talk as well but she began to ramble on about the rumble and how it was totally useless.

"I don't like fights, Johnny. They're no good and they solve nothin'," Sophie complied. A tear formed in her eyes, as she knew that what had happened to Johnny was pretty much the result of a fight. If Pony and Johnny and Sophie had never run into those Socs, Johnny would probably still be okay today and the boy that Johnny killed would still be alive. "Bad things happen to good people in fights." Sophie felt a tear roll down her cheek.

Johnny pushed his hand on top of hers in comfort, "I-it's t-t-t…" Sophie knew that he was trying to say that he agreed with her. Johnny now realized that fighting solved nothing. It did nothing for anyone. Too bad it took getting hurt and lying on his deathbed for him to realize it.

"I love you, Johnny," Sophie said as she looked at Johnny in the eyes. It was clear to her that he was not going to make it. His eyes looked so weak and tired and his body seemed so sick. She knew that he was suffering in every way. It was completely obvious. Even breathing looked like a chore for the poor boy. And inside, it was killing Sophie.

She remembered what she had told him earlier that day. She had only told him it because she figured that it would be the last time she would ever see him again. But now that she was here with him she whispered it one last time, "You can go, Johnny. I don't want you to suffer any longer. We all love you so much. But we do not want you to suffer any longer. You may go, if it hurts too much." Johnny nodded as he squeezed her hand. Tears filled his eyes too. He never thought that he would feel so scared before he died. He never knew that someone would care so much when he died. He figured he'd be a lonely old man that no one cared about. But now he realized that someone really cared for him.

"C'mon, Sophie," someone hissed at the door causing Sophie to jump. Soapy looked at Dally in horror. She never liked it when he was angry. Instantly she did as she was told and followed him out of the room, waving her tiny hand at Johnny as she passed through the door.

Outside Dally grabbed Soapy's hand and pulled her down the street. He was in a hurry and the little girl was slowing him down. He needed a plan. Looking around Dally hitched out his thumb for a ride. He was hoping a sympathetic driver would see the little girl and help them on their way.

Dally was right. In a minute an older man pulled over. "Where ya headed?"

Dally lied. "Me and my little sister are just headed home after visiting our sick Grandma in the hospital, can we get a lift?" The man agreed and Dally pulled Soapy into the car. They were back at the Curtis home in a few short minutes.

As soon as they got out of the man's car Dally rushed Sophie onto the porch and took off running. He wasn't about to waste time dropping off Sophia when he could be fighting.

Sophie, on the other hand, stood on the porch debating to herself. She could easily just stay on the porch, like a good girl, and wait for her brothers to come home. But something inside of her was telling her to stop Dally and tell him that the fight wasn't worth it. This fight wasn't going to make Johnny any better. So she did what she thought was right: she ran after him.

"Wait!" Sophie cried as she ran off of her front porch and into the street. Hard rain began to fall as she ran. "Wait, Dally!" she cried once more. She kept running. Ahead, she could see Dally running with all of his might to the lot.

Dally heard the squeal of wet tires on the pavement as he turned to see the speeding Ford jump the curb. In the streetlight the greaser noticed a small figure roll across the hood of the car, landing in a clump on the ground.

Dally stood still long enough to hear the passenger yell out. "Oh man you killed her! I think you killed the little girl." The four socs crowded around the dark figure as the fifth on ran for help.

Dally doubled back and pushed past the well-dressed boys who were covered in mud. The sight on the ground sent a sick feeling through his body as he fell to his knees. "Soapy! Soapy!" He shook her limp body, but she did not respond.

A young boy, not more than sixteen years old looked at the hood. " I think she's dead."

Rage filled up inside of Dally, "You bastard! She was only seven, for Christ's sake! She was only seven!" Dally lunged toward the boy punching him square in the jaw. Two of the socials gave Dally a glare as if ready to start something but the one that was hit warned them not to. The fifth Social came back, having not found help. Walking over he checked her pulse, "I'm not sure…but I think she might be dead."

Dallas Winston scooped the little girl in his arms and knew she needed help.

Dally ran to where he knew the boys would be walking home. He knew that the rumble was most likely over by now. Looking towards the front of the rumble he found all five guys cheering happily.

"Darry!" Dally cried with every once of strength left in his body.

Darry stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Dallas Winston holding his baby sister in arms. Instant thoughts of the worst fell through his mind. What if she was hurt? Could she breath? Was she in pain? Is she…. alive?

"Sophie!" Darry screamed out suddenly as he came out of his daze. This caught the four other boy's attention who ran right along next to Darry.

"What happened?" Darry asked as he stopped in front of Dally. He could see his poor little sister in his arms. She looked very pale and weak. Her tiny face was bruised and bleeding at the tip of her forehead.

Tears threatened Dally's eyes. A big portion of this was his fault. He should have never left Sophie alone on the porch. He should have never decided to attend that stupid rumble in the first place. "She…she was running after me…when…. when…"

Darry didn't understand. Where were they running from? What had Dally done? "Wow, Dally. Where were you running from?" Darry asked, his temper rising. There was his baby sister in Dallas Winston's arms.

"She got hit by socs when I was runnin' to the rumble!" Dally cried out. Instant

grief filled through Darry's body. None of this would have happened if he hadn't left Sophie with Dally. He could have just stayed home with her. He didn't need to go to the rumble. Selfishness. Darry was being selfish to go to the rumble.

Pony stared at his little sister's body. He couldn't tell if she was dead or not. What if she was? It would kill him…and Soda! Looking next to him he could see his older brother in tears. Full-blown tears!

"I shoulda stayed with her!" Soda cried in anger, "I didn't have to go to that damn rumble…" Soda fell into Steve's arms crying. He couldn't bare the sight.

"I…I think we should take her to the hospital," Two Bit said lowly. In his heart, he knew that she was dead. But in his mind he figured that she had a small chance of living. Just maybe?


"Time of death," a doctor called out looking at his watch, "One forty seven p.m." Looking over at the six boys, he gave them an apologetic look, "I'm so sorry. She had severe internal bleeding and…"

Darry shook his head in agreement while Steve and Two Bit tried to hold back Dally from beating up from the doctor. Dally figured that since they were Greasers the doctor wasn't working as hard.

Soda just stared at his little sister's dead body. Just five hours earlier he was driving her to the hospital to have Dally watch her. How could this have happened?

"It's okay, little buddy," Darry said from behind him, even though it wasn't. Nothing would ever be okay again. Their lives were completely changed by Sophie's death.

Soda shook his head angrily, "No it ain't, Darry." Darry tried to hug his little brother but Soda pushed him away. From the distance Pony could see his brothers and the gang (minus Johnny) looking at his little sister's dead body in the ER room. She was gone. But for whatever reason, Pony still felt like she was sitting at home waiting for them to come home. He didn't feel like she was gone.

Wondering off because he couldn't handle the sight of his dead sister any longer, Pony found himself in Johnny's room. How he had gotten there, he didn't know. But he did know that he needed to tell Johnny about little Sophie dying.

"Hey, Johnny," Pony said softly, trying to figure out how he was going to explain the horrific night to Johnny. But before his mind got to thinking his lips opened and put the whole summary into words. Tears permeated down his face without any control.

After listening to the whole story Johnny pulled Pony close to him and said breathlessly, "Don't worry bout it none, I'll look after her, just remember to stay gold Ponyboy. Stay gold." And with that, Johnny Cade died.

Tears poured down Pony's face. Two of the most important people in his life had died in one night. Walking out of the room he caught up with the gang where he explained to them about Johnny dying.

"NO!" Dally cried as he slammed his rough fist against the wall.

"Dallas," Darry tried to calm him down but Dally only took off in a run. He was beyond reasoning at that point and the whole gang knew it. No one dared to go after him.

"I want to go," Pony mumbled softly. Darry and Soda both nodded and the gang followed them, weakly, out the door. All five guys were still injured from the rumble and figured they'd go home and bandage up.

But going home, Soda did not clean himself up. Instead he sat in Sophie's room and cried his heart away. She wasn't coming home ever again. And somehow, in his heart, he knew that. But his body still felt like she was coming home.

"Soda," Pony knocked on the door. He could see that his older brother had been crying and wanted desperately to make him feel better, but to do that he'd have to bring Sophie back from the dead.

"Yea," Soda replied quietly.

"Dally called. He needs us. The cops are after him and we're headed to the park," Soda nodded, not very interested in much anymore. Getting up, he reluctantly ran behind the guys to the park.

Arriving the five boys saw Dally standing in the middle of the park police surrounded him. Fear swallowed up Pony's entire body as he watched his older brother intervene with the problem. Pony knew he was going to try and talk him out of doing anything stupid. Just as he was up next to him Dally pulled his fake gun out from inside his jacket.

"Don't shoot!" Pony screamed. But the police officers shot nonetheless. And the boys watched a dear friend fall to the ground, dead.

"Dally!" Two Bit and Steve looked over him to see that he was, in fact, dead. His body was already cold and his eyes were in the nothing ness of space.

"Darry, get up," Soda and Pony turned over Darry over, only to find his ice-cold ice staring into the bitter world of nothing. He, too, was dead.

There's a way to end a chapter, eh? I'm deeply sad as well but I still have two more chapters to go. I hope that this part moved you all in some ways.

Readers of The Story Heart Killers:

Okay I have decided to restart Heart Killers. I am going to change starting from the second chapter. Things will be much different but yet, they will still stay somewhat the same. I may/may not include stuff from the book. I'm not sure yet. Okay well that's it.

Please R&R! Thank you to all that reviewed before, there will be one last thanking in the final chapter.