Darry turned into my street and suddenly slammed on the brakes.

"Tim, look ahead."

I sat forward and looked out the windscreen. Two police cars were parked at the other end of the street, outside my house.

I considered the possibility they were there looking for my brother, but I couldn't imagine they would send two cars out just for him, unless he had graduated to some more serious crimes since this morning. Even though he tries not to be, Curly is a pretty good kid.

"What'd you wanna do?" Darry asked me.

"Uh, get outta here for now."

I kept my head low in case of any passing cops as Darry headed back for his own house, and figured I might have to just keep it low for a couple of days, no doubt this would blow over soon enough.

We pulled up outside the Curtis boy's house and headed in. Soda tried to take my arm to help me inside and I shrugged him off.

I was hoping not to have to deal with a whole crowd of people right then, and was relieved just their little brother Ponyboy was there. Although I guess there gang was a lot smaller anyhow these days.

Ponyboy looked up from the TV with wide eyes.

"Hey Tim, you okay?"

"Yeah, got in a fight with my missus" I joked, and he smiled.

I've hardly spoken to the kid before, he's quiet as hell, but I guess he must be tough enough after what went down with him and Johnny. And Curlys always said good things about him, although Curlys a lousy judge of character so that ain't saying much. He sees the best in everyone, probably even thinks that soc's are okay once you get to know them.

Ponyboy reminds me of him a little in that way, both of them too good at heart to be hoods. The difference is that Curly never had Ponyboy's chance, he's never had the chance to be nothing else.

I sat on the sofa and Darry brought me over a cloth and some ice.

"You done ya homework Pony?" he asked.

"Yeah" he said, not taking his eyes off the TV.

Curly had said he was real smart, I guess he had some bright future as a lawyer or accountant or whatever.

I had never wanted that sort of life, not for a moment. All I had ever wanted to be was the toughest hood on this side of town. And Curly always seemed to feel he had to live up to me.

"You know Tim," he'd said once. "Me and you could run this whole side of town if we wanted to."

"Kid, I already run this side of town" I'd told him, and felt a deep ache inside, the old, strange guilt my little brother always made me feel.

I killed twenty minutes or so having a couple of beers and watching TV with Ponyboy and Soda before phoning home. I figured I better give the cops plenty of time to leave.

"Yeah" drawled Curly's voice.

"That's what all the girls say."

He laughed briefly. "Hey Tim, where are ya?"

"Not in jail, what the fuzz want?"

"Uh," Curly hesitated. "They was looking for you, you get in a fight?"

"Yeah, with the usual arseholes. What they say?"

"You put a kid in hospital, split his guts."

No one else would have recognized the fear beneath the pride in his tone.

"Shit, he'll live. I'm gonna sit tight in case they come back looking for me, I'll see you later."

"Okay Tim" Curly said calmly, and I could picture him standing at the kitchen bench with the phone to his ear, as clearly as I could picture him as the terrified six year old clinging to my shirt.

I figured Darry wouldn't mind me staying, and if he did, well he wasn't gonna tell me that was he.

"Which soc's was it?" Ponyboy asked, leaning back on the sofa and staring at me with still, deep eyes.

"Pony it ain't nothing to do with you" Darry snapped before I could reply.

Ponyboy didn't look fazed by the sharp tone, he was obviously pretty used to it.

"Will McIntrye."

"He's an arsehole."

I felt a moments pity for Darry as he glared at his brother with a look of helpless anger.

"Just stay out of it." he said, his voice hard.

I guess he didn't want the kid getting mixed up in anymore trouble like him and Johnny had gotten into.

"It's just some shit between me and Will" I told Pony.

I wasn't exactly lying, it's just that he was a soc and I'm a greaser, and in this town that means it could never be just between the two of us.

"Yeah, sure" said Ponyboy, not bothering to hide his disbelief.

Well he didn't have to be an A student to guess that one.

I awoke on the sofa with the worst headache of my life. I figured I must have a concussion from getting whacked in the head the day before.

"Pony, Soda, get up!" I heard Darry yelling.

I sat up as he came into the lounge.

"Morning Tim, you want some breakfast?"

I shook my head briefly, my stomach turning just at the mention of food.

Darry opened the front door and grabbed the morning paper off the porch. Soda came wandering in half dressed and yelling over his shoulder.

"Tell her I said so!"

"Yeah whatever!" Pony yelled back.

I cringed. Did they have to be so goddamn loud? Their house was small for Christ's sake, it wasn't like they couldn't hear each other.

"Take a look" Darry said, tossing the paper in my lap.

I had made the front page.

"Local Boy Brutally Stabbed"

There was a photo of the street where the fight had taken place, with a police cordon around it. I scanned the article for any mention of my name. No fame there. A few lines stood out.

'…attack on a defenseless boy…'

'…Robert Carey is in a critical condition in hospital…'

'…police are seeking an eighteen year old…'

Although I was not named, clearly the fuzz were on to me. I thought of the ten pounds I had coming via Texas way, due to arrive tomorrow. Some arrangement would have to be made, this was no time to be moving a load of marijuana.

"Hey ya'll" Soda's mate Steve slammed through the front door, making me wince again.

He stopped and grinned at me.

"Look, its Tulsa's most wanted!"

He nodded toward the paper.

"It is you, right?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I was working late last night and the cops come in, wanted to know if I'd seen ya."

He flopped down on the couch, looking pleased to be the bearer of bad news.

"Then when I was driving home Will pulled up next to me at the lights, said if his buddy dies he's gonna come after you and yours"

"Fuck he ain't gonna die, the little sissy."

You and yours. I thought of Curly, home alone.

"Darry could ya drop me home on your way to work?"

Darry pulled up outside my house 30 minutes later.

"Tim, what are you gonna do?" he asked me.

I opened my door and scanned the street for undercovers. An undercover stands out like… well, like a cop.

"If they want me, let 'em come get me" I said, getting out the car.

I made my way up the four flights of stairs to my apartment. There is a lift, it's just never in working order. I guess it ain't much, but it's what I always wanted, a place of my own.

I was ten when my parents died, and me and Curly spent the next seven years in state care being passed from house to house, like we were the broken shit that nobody wants and is always trying to offload on their neighbor.

Curly jumped up from the TV when I came in.

"Goddamn, Tim!"

I guess he don't remember seeing me this beat up before, I was eight last time it happened.

"Yeah yeah." I brushed past him and made for the bathroom. "Just chill out would ya buddy?"

I hate people making a fuss over me.

After a shower and a change of clothes I went back out to the lounge.

"Whats going on then?" I asked Curly, grabbing a beer from the fridge and sitting down.

"Wade came by last night looking for you. He said there's carloads of soc's out just driving around. Everyone's just waiting ya know, getting prepared. Me too."

He nodded his head at a wheel brace propped against the front door.

"Waiting for what?"

I motioned Curly to pass me a cigarette.

"For that kid to die."

"What?" I grinned. "Hell Curly a little cut never killed nobody, shit me and you both been hurt worse than that."

Curly bit his lip and looked at me doubtfully.

"On the news it said…"

"Aw fuck the news! You believe in everything you hear do ya?"

He glared at me with sullen hurt.

"That's what the doctor said, on the news. You a doctor, Tim?"

I dragged heavily on my cigarette and gazed up at the ceiling, away from Curly. It wouldn't be fair to hit the kid, but he seemed to be working on my last nerve.

I just wished everyone would quit reminding me of that goddamn soc. He got what he deserved, and that's a rare thing in this world.

There was a sudden pounding against the door that shook it on its hinges.

Police, we have a warrant!"

A/N: ThanksDragan & Nikechick for reviewing! Sorry it took so long to update, busy time of year :)