Darry's POV

After Soda left for work, I washed the few dishes in the sink while Brianna played with an empty cup. Soda's been letting her drink from a plastic cup with a lid more lately. She doesn't use the bottle much any more.

"So, Brianna, what should we do today?" I asked once the dishes were done.

Brianna just looked at me.

"Okay, lets go into the living room. Then we can play with your toys." I said lifting her out of the high chair, bringing her to the living room, and closing the baby gate behind me.

As soon as I put Brianna down, she started to walk away. Straight for Pony and Soda's room. She seems to go there a lot when Soda's gone.

"Brianna, come out here and play with your toys." I said standing in the hall.

Brianna just climbed up on the bed. Then she turned and looked at me. "Daddy?"

"Daddy went to work. You get to play with uncle Darry today." I told her.

Brianna shook her head.

"No?" I asked, trying my best to pretend I was sad. "You don't want to play with your uncle Darry? I'll give you a horsey ride."

Brianna grinned at me. She likes it when I give her horsey rides.

"You like that, don't you?" I asked. "Okay, lets give you a horsey ride."

I lifted her onto my shoulders and gave her a horsey ride all throughout the house. I ended in the living room where I set her down on the floor with a few of her toys.

Brianna played with her toys for a little while before she decided to wander away again.

"Where are you going?" I asked following her to her room where she threw all of her toys on the floor. "You're making a mess."

Brianna giggled and moved on to Pony and Soda's room again, where she pulled open the bottom dresser drawer and started pulling out everything in it. Which was mostly pants.

"Brianna," I said as I watched her. "You're making a mess in your daddy's room."

Not that Soda would notice. The room was always a mess and that was without Brianna's help. He and Pony both have a theory that things belong wherever they land. Especially Soda who seems to think his coat belongs on the floor in front of the couch instead of hanging in the hall closet or at least the back of a chair.

"Daddy?" Brianna looked up at me.

"Still at work." I replied. The rest of the morning was spent watching her empty out whatever she could open and pull stuff out of. By the time she was done, the house was a bigger mess than usual. "Brianna, don't you want to put everything back?"

She shook her head and I grinned.

"Are you getting hungry?" I asked. I knew it was almost lunch time.

Brianna nodded this time.

I thought for a minute. "Do you want to go see daddy?"

That got a big grin. So, I put a coat on her and took her outside to the truck. Soon, I was driving to the DX station to see Soda.

Soda's POV

I was about to go clock out for my lunch break when my boss said I had visitors. I quickly went to see who it was and found Darry standing with Brianna, talking to my boss.

"Daddy!" Brianna said when she saw me. She was already leaning out from Darry who was holding her and reaching for me.

"Hey, sweetie." I said taking her. I looked at Darry. "Why are you two here?"

"Well, it's lunch time and I figured we'd come and visit." Darry replied.

"Now you don't have to eat alone." My boss commented. "Go clock out and be back in an hour."

I looked at him. "An hour, are you sure?"

"Yeah, you worked hard this morning. Besides, this little cutie needs more time with her father." My boss knows all about my returning to school. So he also knows that I don't get to spend as much time with Brianna as I used to.

I grinned and went to clock out. Brianna looked at everything we passed with curiosity. Not that I blamed her. There was a lot of stuff there that she wasn't used to seeing.

"I'll be back soon." I called out as I left with Darry and Brianna.

"Well, where should we go?" Darry asked.

"How about the Tasty Freeze?" I suggested.

"Sounds good." Darry agreed as we left the DX station.

Darry's POV

"How was your morning, Darry? Is Brianna keeping you busy?" Soda asked me as he cut up half of his burger into bite size pieces for brianna.

"She did pull out everything she could from everthing she could open." I told him. "Made a nice mess."

Soda grinned. "And I guess I'm the one who'll have to pick it up, right?"

"Nah, I'll get it when she takes her nap." I paused and looked at brianna then back at Soda. "She does still take a nap, right?"

"As far as I know. She'll probably be ready to go down for one when you get home." Soda replied, placing a few fries on Brianna's tray.

Brianna slowly ate her lunch. She was more interested in watching what was happening around her.

"Eat some more of your burger." Soda told her.

She did, but not until she pointed at the front entrance and said, "Stee!"

Soda and I both looked to find Steve and Ponyboy coming towards us.

Steve's POV

Ponyboy and I joined Darry and Soda. Brianna was all smiles.

"THe boss said you went to lunch. So I figured you came here." I told Soda. I grinned at Brianna. "Looks like you had some company today."

Soda grinned. "Yeah. It was a nice surprise. I wasn't expected Darry and Brianna to show up."

Darry looked at me. "Brianna saw you two coming in."

Soda nodded. "Yup, as soon as she saw you, she said, Stee."

I laughed. "Well, it's not Steve, but pretty close."

Ponyboy just shook his head. "She doesn't say Pony yet."

Soda ruffled his hair. "She will, Pony."

"I know." Pony replied putting ketchup on his burger. "And I plan on dancing around the room when she says it. Just like you did when she said daddy."

We all ate and spoke for a while. But it wasn't long before Soda was getting up. "I should get back to work. Darry, why don't you and Brianna stay? You cango home when Steve and Pony go back to school."

Soda gave Brianna a quick kiss and left the restaurant heading back to work.

"Daddy!" Brianna cried. She looked at each of us left at the table. Tears flowing down her cheeks.

I looked at Darry who just continued eating.

"She does this every time Soda leaves." Pony explained. "She'll be fine in a minute."

Sure enough, after a minute, Brianna was back to grinning and chewing on her fries. She even gave me a fry. Which I ate with a smile.

"We should go back to school, Steve." Pony said.

"Yeah, Brianna and I should go home anyway." Darry said. "I should try to get her to take a nap so I can clean up."

Pony grinned. "She emptied out the drawers and cupboards didn't she?"

Darry nodded.

"Two-Bit's mom says she does that a lot. Sometimes I help put everything back." Pony said as we all walked out the door.

"Great." Darry mumbled. He picked up Brianna so he could get her in the truck. "Say bye to Steve and uncle Pony."

Pony and I each said bye to Brianna and Darry before we got into my car.

"Pony, you'll be home late tonight, right?" Darry called after us.

"Yeah, I have track practice." Pony yelled back.

I looked at him as I pulled out of the lot. "Darry is spending the whole day with Brianna? No wonder he wanted to see Soda."

"Awe, it ain't that bad. He's been wanting to spend more time with her." Was Pony's reply. "Wouldn't you if she were your niece?"

I grinned. "Pony, I already think of her as my niece. You guys are the closest thing to a family that I have."

Pony opened his mouth then closed it. I knew he understood what I was saying. Then he opened his mouth again. "I think Brianna would like it if you came over and helped watch her. With track seanson being here, I can't always be there to help Darry. And I'm sure Soda wouldn't mind."

"Thanks Pony." I said as I pulled into the school parking lot. "Maybe I'll give Darry a break tonight while Soda's here taking his classes."

Pony didn't say anything. Just sort of grinned and got out of the car. I stayed where I was until the bell rang. I was in no hurry to get to my next class.