Soda's POV

I worked on Pony's cut, as he cried. His tears streamed across his wounds. I dabbed at his face with a wash cloth I brought. He didn't deserve to be hit like that. The left side of his face was turning purple, and I hated the thought that it wasn't the Socs who did it this time; it was Darry.

"Wh-what did I -d-d-do, Soda?" Pony asked.

"Oh, honey. You didn't do anything." I said, trying to ease his worries.

"Then w-w-why did D-Darry hit me?" He choked out through his sobs. When he was finished speaking, the tears fell even harder.

"He wasn't mad at you, baby. He was mad at me."

"W-why?"

"He's jealous because he thinks you love me more than you love him."

"W-what?" Pony looked shocked, but it was hard to tell behind all the tears.

"Yeah. He thinks I was telling you bad things about him so you'd love me, instead of him."

"But. . .I love Darry the same as I love you." Pony said.

I smiled. I knew I had been right. Why couldn't Darry see that?

"I know, baby. But, for some reason, Darry doesn't."

"But, I love him." He continued to say.

"Sh. I know, baby. I know." I pushed his hair back. He closed his eyes, but the tears still escaped his eyelids.

"It's okay, baby. You don't have to cry." I said.

"But. . .I want Darry." He said, pleading with me.

I looked at the door, knowing Darry wouldn't be coming through it anytime soon.

"I do, too."

Darry's POV

I drove all around town, except for our house. I couldn't bear to go back. I was a horrible brother.

I had hit Ponyboy. I love him! Why would I do something like that? And he was already hurt enough. And then I had to go and make it worse. I had noticed the blood pouring from the cut on his cheek. I had seen the blood on my knuckles. I had hurt him. Why?

I looked at the clock in the car. It was two-thirty in the morning. What am I doing here? I'm avoiding that look. The angry look I'll get from Soda. I'm avoiding the look from Pony. The I'm-more-scared-of-you-now look. What have I done to us?

Pony was having a hard enough time right now. Why did I have to add more to his fears? I loved him. I thought he loved me, but I knew he was afraid of me too. Now he'd be terrified of me, and maybe he'd stop loving me. I'd never be able to bear that.

It was 6:30 in the morning by the time I got home. I didn't want to go inside, but I needed to get ready for work. I'd have to leave in an hour or so.

I sat in the truck for fifteen minutes before I went inside.

I slowly walked up the steps to our house. I quietly opened up the door. I figured I'd get what I needed and leave. I'd change in the bathroom or something.

When I opened the door, I saw Soda sitting on the couch. He was sound asleep. I wondered why he was in the living room, instead of in bed. He knew Pony would have nightmares without him.

I walked down the hall. When I passed Pony and Soda's room, I saw Pony sitting up in bed, wide awake. Why was he awake?

Pony's POV

I heard the truck pull into the driveway. I hadn't slept all night. My cheek hurt like hell, but it was nothing compared to the pain I felt in my heart. I was worried about Darry. I didn't know where he was all night, and that scared me. So I stayed up until he came home.

I heard his steps coming down the hall. I looked up and saw him pass my door. Why didn't he come inside?

"Darry!" I called, trying not to be too loud, so I wouldn't wake Soda. I figured he was asleep, because Darry wasn't talking to him. Soda was as worried as I was, but exhaustion must have set in.

Soon I heard Darry walking fast to my room. But when he got outside, he became hesitant.

"Darry?" I said quietly.

I heard him take a deep breath, and then he walked inside our room.

The sight of him made me cry. He had dark circles under his blood-shot eyes. I knew he'd stayed awake all night just by seeing him. I had been so worried about him.

"Pony?" He said, his voice deep with emotions.

I opened my arms to him. Tears were streaming down my face, but I didn't care.

Darry slowly walked toward me. When he came to the edge of my bed, he did something I hadn't seen him do in a long time: he cried.

Darry sat on the bed by me, and I hugged him.

The sobs racked him, but he was able to choke out a few words.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He cried.

"I love you, Darry. I love you." I said through my tears.

"I know." Was all he said.

I hugged him tighter, knowing he needed comfort more than anything else.

I looked up, past his shoulder, and saw Soda standing in the door way, with tears rolling down his face.

"Come here." I said, motioning him over.

Darry looked up, and he and Soda's eyes locked.

Darry stood up, and opened his arms to Soda.

Soda walked into his embrace, and Darry hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Soda. I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"I know. . . I know." Soda said, crying too.

I felt left out, but I enjoyed watching them. We didn't do things like this often. Hell, guys aren't supposed to. But we're brothers. We should. After all, we don't have anyone to hug us, or love us. We have no parents. We were all we have in the world, and we should let each other know how much we care.

As though noticing I was left out of the embrace, Soda and Darry both turned to me and walked over to the bed.

They both hugged me, and I hugged them both. It felt good in the middle of my brothers. I felt safe, for once, and I wasn't so afraid.

"I love you, guys." I said as I hugged them both.

"I love you, Pony." Darry said. "I love you, Soda."

"I love you both." Soda said.

I wiped at the tears. Darry sat back, and so did Soda.

Darry looked at me for a while. He touched my face where he had punched me.

"Does. . . does it hurt?" He asked timidly.

"It did. But not anymore." I smiled at him, trying to reassure him that I was okay.

"I'm so sorry, Pony. I should never have hit you."

We sat there in silence, until I let what was on my mind out.

"Why, Darry? Why did you think I didn't love you as much as I love Soda?"

He was quiet for a minute. Soda looked at him expectantly.

"It's just. . . you always talk to Soda, you always want him to hold you when you cry. And. . . you always call his name in your sleep, and when you wake up from a nightmare."

Soda cleared his throat.

"Um, Darry. Last night, after you drove off. . . Pony was crying, and I told him he didn't have to cry. And he said, 'But I want Darry.'"

Darry looked shocked, and then tears formed in his eyes again.

He buried his face in my shirt, and I hugged him. He cried and cried.

"I love you, Darry. Not just Soda. I love you both. Equally." I said as I held him.

"I know. I'm sorry, Pony. I should never have hit you. . .I should have known you loved me. Why do I have to be so stupid?"

"You're not stupid, Darry." Soda said.

"I am for hitting Pony." He said.

"It was an accident, Darry. You were just mad. You didn't know what you were doing. You'd never hit him on purpose." Soda defended him.

Darry wiped at his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, you two. I'm so sorry."

"We know, Darry. We know." I said.

We all hugged one last time. It felt good. . . to know you're loved.

Darry's POV

The next morning, I woke up in Pony and Soda's room. At first, I was confused as to where I was, but I slowly realized I had spent the night in here.

I smiled at the love between me and my brothers. I was thankful for what had happened, though I hated myself for hitting Pony. I loved him too much for that.

I got up and made breakfast. Since we had only slept an hour or so, I let those two sleep a little longer. Soda wouldn't have to leave for a while, and Pony wouldn't have to at all, since he was hurt and out of school.

I was about done making another chocolate cake, when Johnny came running into our house.

"Hey, Johnnycake. What's the rush?" I asked, not thinking anything more than him being in a hurry.

"It's Dallas! He got in a fight with some Socs. But he was alone. Come quick! He's hurt real bad!"

"Where is he?"

"Across from the DX. Hurry!"

Johnny took off running, and I was soon going to follow.

I ran into Pony and Soda's room and woke up Soda.

"Soda! Wake up, little buddy!" I screamed.

He woke up and soon Pony was, too.

"It's Dallas. He's hurt. He's over by the DX. We got to go help him!"

"Okay. I'm coming!" Soda quickly got dressed.

"Pony, Two-Bit will be here soon. I doubt anyone got a hold of him. Just go back to sleep. We'll check on you later, okay?"

Pony nodded his consent, though he looked scared.

I squeezed his shoulder, and then Soda and I took off for the DX.

Two-Bit's POV

I came over to the Curtis' house one morning. It was my turn to watch the kid. He seemed a little better some days, but others, he seemed a lot worse. I wondered which today would be.

"Hey, Curtis!" I called, expecting Soda, Pony, or Darry even to answer.

No one answered.

"Anybody home?" I called.

Starting to worry, I ran into Pony's room.

The sight before me scared me to death.

Pony was lying on the floor, drenched in blood. It looked as though he had fallen out of bed, but there was . . . too much blood.

"Pony!" I exclaimed. I rushed to his side.

He looked about as bad as he had the day we found him in the lot.

I lifted him onto my lap, shaking him a little. He didn't move.

"Pony!" I screamed, trying to get him to answer me. But he wouldn't answer.

I lifted him off the floor and on his bed. Then, I quickly left, looking for any sign of someone else being home.

"Soda! Darry!" I called as I ran around the house.

I knew they wouldn't leave Pony for no good reason. They were the ones who said Pony couldn't be left alone. What happened?

Finally giving up on anyone else being there, I scooped Pony up and carried him to my car. I knew he needed medical attention. I just didn't know why!

I sped to the hospital. No one could have slowed me down. Not even the cops.