Disclaimer: I only own Kaye and Afton. And that's it.

Chapter Three
Up on the Housetop

The guys hung around Kaye's house almost as often as they hung around at the Curtises. She welcomed them there, and despite Afton's "difficulties" which she eventually had to explain to them, they seemed to love her as much as she loved them. Everybody kinda came and went freely, stopping by the fridge if they were hungry, dumping any loose change in the jar Kaye kept by the door, just as Darry did. Rarely were she and Afton ever alone, and Kaye liked that. She had never really ever had people she could depend on, and the feeling was nice. The guys had actually helped her get the house fixed for human habitation, just as Two-bit said. And she had to admit, it was a pretty funny thing to see several grown guys with dust rags slung across their shoulders and scrub brushes in hands. But she had to draw the line when Two-bit showed up with a feminine floral print apron over one of his Mickey shirts and a huge squirt bottle of bleach. Personally, she wouldn't trust him with anything that had a "Warning: Do Not Ingest," "Do Not Get In Eyes" or basically a "This Is Not A Toy" label on it.

-----One week later

"Hey Darry!" Kaye called through the open door of the Curtis house. "Can I borrow a hammer and some nails? Just for a minute, there's some stuff around the house that needs some fixin'."

"Sure, take whatever you want. It's all in the garage!"

"Good. Asking to borrow your ladder might have been a bit awkward!" Behind her Afton gave a shriek, which her sister took to be a laugh.

Darry finally appeared, holding a broom in his hand. "What on earth do ya need the latter for? It's only a one story house, no high light bulbs to replace. You're not thinkin' about goin' up on that roof are ya?"

"Yup. There's a terrible leak up there. In Afton's room of all places. Discovered it the other night when we had that storm. Poor kid nearly caught her death of cold with all the cold air comin' in through the hole."

"You can't go up there!" Darry demanded. "No one's been up there in years! What if the roof's rotten? You could fall through the house?"

"Nah," she said. "You'd only fall through till you hit the attic floor. I already been up there. The floor's solid enough."

"No," said Darry. It's too dangerous."

"What do you expect me to do then, Mr. Know-it-all? I can't just let the roof leak."

They were already in the garage, Darry helping her carry the ladder while Afton toddled behind.

"I know, I know. At least let me do it. I do it for a living. At least I know what to do if I were to come tumblin' through your house," he declared.

"What, did you have special roof-tumbling lessons or something, to keep you safer than anyone else while falling through a house?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"I did actually," he said with one of his rare grins. She realized that they could be as enticing as Sodapop's. Probably more beautiful, if you think about it, as they were rarer. Like a diamond.

"Oh?"

"It basically involves yelling as you fall, then screaming for help." He winked at her, and before she could stop him he was already up the latter and on the roof, hammer in hand along with a plank to cover the damaged bit of the roof.

----

"Hey, where's Darry? Ain't it his day off?" Soda asked Ponyboy as he came in the house after his shift at the DX had ended.

"He's on her roof now," Ponyboy answered with a mischievous grin.

"Whose roof?"

"Kaye's. Go see for yourself."

Sodapop stepped onto the porch and looked across the street and a few houses down. Sure enough he saw two forms sitting on the roof of what used to be Johnny's house.

"Well I'll be damned," Soda said to himself, before shaking his head and going back inside. He wondered how long it would last.

-----

Kaye had laid Afton down for a nap after Darry was done with his hammering, then she went back outside.

"Roof looks stable enough to me," she said casually.

"It is. I'm surprised how well it's held up."

"Then you would not object to me joining you up there." Before Darry could say anything, she was up there beside him.

"Thanks," she said. "For everything. I doubt I could get along here without you guys."

"It's nothin'. I'll see if I can snag some extra roofin' tomorrow and we can get the roof fixed permanently."

"Thanks."

They sat up there in silence for a while, saying nothing. They didn't have to.

Finally, Darry stretched and said, "Better get home and get supper started, or else no one will have anything to eat tonight. You comin' tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

Okay, I really don't like this chapter, but I'm gonna post it anyways. But I promise you, this is just filler, cause I'd really like to make this story more than five chapters long. More info about Afton comin' up, since this story is supposed to kinda be about her, and Kaye might actually get a job! And who gets to be Afton's new baby sitter? Stay tuned to find out.

I'm so excited, 10 reviews after only 2 chapters, that has to be like a record for me. Keep it up if you will, since it makes me so happy. And it encourages me to post sooner, instead of waiting months. So yeah, please review.

And have a Merry Eve of Christmas Eve.

Bookworm