Two-Bit's POV

I pulled up to the Curtis' house and Steve and I got out quickly. Dallas followed, close on Steve's heels.

"Hey, I said where are my drugs?" When Steve ignored him, Dallas grabbed him from behind and slammed Steve so hard into my car that there was a crack in my window.

"Where are they you son of a bitch?" Dallas screamed in his face.

Darry came rushing out of the house and got Dallas off of Steve before Dallas punched him in the face. He put his arms around Dallas' and held him back.

"Let go of me!" Dallas screamed, thrashing about.

"Dallas . . . stop." Darry said in his most demanding voice.

Dallas slowly began to calm.

"What happened?" Darry asked me.

By then, Soda had come out and was administering to Steve whose head was bleeding from the impact.

"He's been on drugs." I replied, watching Steve to make sure he was all right. We'd never lashed out at each other like that, except when Steve called Darry "all brawn and no brain."

"Dallas! You know better than that." Darry said, sounding surprised and disappointed.

"Come on, guys. Let's go inside. You can spend the night here since we'll all have to drive together to the trial for Johnny." Darry suggested.

At the sound of Johnny's name, Dallas broke down.

"Johnny..." Dallas started, but couldn't finish. And for the first time in my life, I saw Dallas Winston break down and cry.

Darry caught him as he fell down to the grab, taken over by sobs.

"Sh. It's okay, buddy." Darry comforted.

I looked up and saw Pony in his wheelchair watching us from the porch. He looked pale and thin. I hadn't seen him in a few days and the difference already was drastic.

What was happening to us?

Pony's POV

I watched as the gang slowly made their way to me. I backed up into the house and went into the kitchen. I reached up to the icebox, but found my arm wasn't long enough.

They walked in on me reaching up as far as I could and Soda rushed over to me.

"Let me help you with that, kiddo." He said, and I angered at the pity coming from the eyes looking at me.

"What did you need?" Soda asked gently.

"Some chocolate milk." I said quietly, looking down at my foot. God, now I was looking down at my foot!

Soda smiled at me and poured me a glass while I just sat back. He handed me the glass of milk, now unappealing.

"Thank you." I said in a hoarse whisper.

Soda patted me on the shoulder and then, holding an ice pack, walked over to Steve.

I took my glass and went into my room. I couldn't stand all the eyes on me as I left the room, but I couldn't stay in there with them staring at me and Dallas crying. He'd never cried before. Why now?

I drank my glass of milk, though I never really tasted it.

Darry came into the room about an hour later.

"Hey, bud. You okay?" He asked me as he sat on the bed.

"I'm fine." I said.

"You look kind of pale. You feel all right?" He said, reaching out to do the parental thing-check for a fever.

"I'm fine, Darry. Stop worrying." I didn't snap, like usual. I was too defeated to yell at him right now.

"You feel up to going to the trial tomorrow?"

"Yeah. It'll be good to see Johnny." I said, finally looking up at him.

Darry smiled softly.

"I know. I hope he's okay."

We sat there in silence, both thinking the same thing-he might have gotten hard like Dallas did when he went to jail.

"You'd better get to sleep. We have to leave pretty early to get to Oklahoma City." Darry said, stooping over and lifting me up, limp in his arms. I usually would have fought him off for doing so, but I just wasn't in a "usual" mood.

In the morning, Darry came in to wake me up. I got up slowly, dressed in my best clothes and came out into the kitchen for some breakfast.

The gang was gathered around the table, each wearing their best, too, except Dallas. He wore his leather jacket and a pair of jeans with a faded green t-shirt.

"Hey, Pony." Two-Bit said as I came up to the table.

"Hey." I said in return. My stomach churned, but not with hunger.

I looked down at the plate Darry set in front of me. After he let go, he placed a hand on my forehead. It must have been okay because he didn't say anything more.

Soda smiled at me from across the table. I knew that look as the one he made fun of Darry with. I smiled a little back, because Soda almost always was able to make me smile.

I noticed how Darry was wearing one of Dad's old suits, and I longed for him to hug me. I wanted him to pick me up. . . in case that faint smell only known as Dad's still clung to the fabric.

After we were done eating, we headed out to leave. Two-Bit was driving Steve and Dallas in his car and Darry was driving us in the truck.

When I rolled beside the truck, Darry waited behind me to get my wheelchair and put it in the back. He must have expected me to get in by myself, like I had last time.

"Um. . . can you help me?" I asked timidly.

Something close to pleasure flashed through Darry's eyes, but slowly faded away.

"Sure, buddy." He said, stooping down to pick me up. I clung around his neck a little longer than necessary. I breathed in the fabric. Darry squeezed me tightly to him and I wondered if he knew what I was thinking.

"I know, baby. It's not there..." Darry said, his voice breaking slightly.

My eyes welled with tears, as my eyes met with Darry's. His were wet, too.

He hugged me close to him and I buried my face in his chest.

"Ya'll ready to go?" Two-Bit called from his car as he pulled up beside the truck.

Darry pulled away, and placed me in the car.

"Yeah, we're ready."

He patted my knee before he put my wheel chair away and walked around the car.

We drove in silence to the court house. It took a while, so I leaned over on Soda's shoulder and fell asleep.

Soda's POV

I smiled as I looked down at Pony's sleeping form. He had seemed less resistant these past few days, and I assumed he was finally coming to terms with what had happened to him. I was proud of him.

I brushed the hair away from his face, and then turned to Darry.

"He seems different lately, doesn't he?" I asked him.

Darry glanced at me quickly, then turned back to the road.

"You noticed too, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"I don't know what's going on. I guess he's just finally coming to terms." Darry said, reading my thoughts.

"I hope so. I thought it was, too. I'm glad. Poor kid." I said as I stroked Pony's hair.

Before I knew it, we were at the court house. Two-Bit's car pulled into a parking space and Darry pulled into the one closest to Two-Bit's.

I gently shook Pony.

"Come on, buddy. It's time to get up." I said.

When his eyes opened, he seemed confused.

"We're here."

And when he realized where here was, his eyes held genuine fear.

Dallas' POV

I was the first one into the courtroom. I had to see Johnny. It was the only thing that kept me from going to my drugs. If I was high, I might not remember seeing him.

I walked in quickly, and I saw that black head that I needed to see.

"Johnny." I said simply.

But even with as quiet as I spoke, Johnny turned around and looked at me. The haunted look in his eyes made me gasp in shock, but I knew it was Johnny.

"Oh, Johnny, what happened to you?" I thought to myself.

Johnny's POV

I was relieved to see Dallas. I had missed him and Ponyboy the most. I had to see Pony. I hated the thought of seeing what he looked like missing part of his leg, but I could handle it. I had handled so much before...

Soon the whole gang walked in, except Pony. Pony wheeled himself in. Sitting in the wheelchair, Pony looked small and frightened. I hated seeing Pony like that.

The rest of the gang saw me and they smiled. I could see their relief of seeing me, but then there was that one thing holding them back. The one thing that was scaring us all.

What if I was sentenced to death?

Pony's POV

(I'm going to kinda rush through the trial. I figured you guys don't care as much about the trial as you do about the verdict)

I hated the look on Johnny's face. It was one of total fear and I knew all too well what that was like. He seemed scared and sad over something, like he had just found out something terrible. But I didn't know what.

The trial was boring and I couldn't stay focused on it for long. It wasn't until Randy Anderson was called up that I got interested.

(some of this will be my own wording or something i make up. when I make it up, I'll put before it)

The judge asked him something about telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth and he agreed.

He sat in the seat beside the judge's and was asked a bunch of questions.

I was surprised when he was making it seem like Bob was the bad guy. I figured he'd be condemning Johnny on the spot. But he said it was their fault.

I was the last witness and I was scared to death when I had to go up there.

Darry squeezed my hand before I rolled down.

I only had to be in front of the judge because of me being in a wheelchair.

"Mr. Curtis, explain, in your words, what happened on the night of August 22."

And so I did. I retold the story in depth as much as I could.

"So you would say that it was self defense?" Johnny's lawyer asked me.

"Yes." I replied.

"You may, um, roll down now." He said when I was finished.

There was a brief recess before we would find out the verdict. We were all outside, smoking and biting our fingernails in expectation.

We were called back in and we all sat down.

Johnny was pale as a ghost when he was told to rise.

"John Cade, we find you guilty of the murder of Robert Sheldon. We also find that your actions were done out of self defense. I hear by sentence you to one year in juvenile prison and three years probation. This court is adjourned."

We all had to contain ourselves to keep from screaming out in joy. Johnny's wasn't going to jail for life. He was going to be okay.

Okay, guys. This is going to be really sudden for you and I do apologize. I am planning on making this into two stories. I will finish this one in about two or so chapters. I just feel that right now I don't have the time to dedicate to this story and I've seemed to have lost touch with this story. And that's not fair on you readers. So, I am going to finish this one and I will continue on with the second sometime within the next few weeks or so. School is hectic right now and I feel that all my chapters are rushed. The next story will be more based on the characters and the after effects of this whole ordeal. It'll be mainly on Pony and his leg, Johnny in jail, and Dallas' dealing with drugs. I hope you'll like it and understand why I have to do this. I apologize, guys, because this wasn't what I had intended. I will probably write a few short stories in between then and now, but they'll probably be one-shot or something like that.

Thanks for all your lovely reviews and your cooperation. I love you all!