Chapter Three

Steve POV

I heard my door open and walked in the living room.

"Where's Two-bit?"

"Went home. You're staying here."

He shrugged and went to the couch.

"Here, kid."

I gave him some ice for his eye.

"Thanks..."

I sat on the chair again and let out a breathe.

"How long's this been going on?"

"Since the MIA letter came..."

"How long ago was that?"

"Three months ago..."

I sat in the recliner and ran my hands over my face.

"Why?"

"I wish I knew..."

"Were you giving him trouble, then?"

He shook his head.

"I only started giving him a hard time after he started doing it. Figured I give him a reason."

"And the chick?"

"She started doing it right after. She does it more than he does."

I sighed, thinking what Sodapop would think of this.

"You can stay here as long as you want. It's almost summer, anyway."

"Yeah, two more weeks of school."

"Still make good grades?"

"Yeah... Doesn't matter anymore, though."

"It does matter. You'll get somewhere, kid..."

"For who? Darry? He doesn't care anymore..."

"Do it for yourself. Better yet, do it for Soda..."

Later that night, I woke up to a scream and ran into the living room. I grabbed his shoulders.

"Kid, wake up!"

By this time, he was on the floor still thrashing around.

"Ponyboy!"

He sat up with a jolt. I let out a breathe and let him calm down a little before I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Kid, how does Sodapop deal with those?"

"I... Don't know..."

He shrunk away from me. I arched an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

He shut his eyes.

"Please don't hit me for waking you up..."

He sounded six years old.

"Pony, I wouldn't hit you for that. I wouldn't hit you at all."

He opened his eyes. I ran a hand over my face, exhausted from everything I was learning.

"Darry hit you for waking him up?"

He nodded. The next day, Two-bit came by the DX with a duffle bag.

"I grabbed him some clothes."

"Did you see Darry?"

His expression hardened.

"Yeah, I saw him. He wants Pony home on Friday cause the state's coming."

"Why does he care about that?"

"I don't know... I'm starting to think he'd be better off in a boys home..."

I leaned against the car I'd been working on.

"Sodapop wouldn't want that..."

"What else can we do?"

I decided to take a leap of faith. I went to social services and was talking to Ponyboy's social worker.

"So, ever since his brother went missing, he's been hitting Ponyboy?"

"Yes, ma'am. He has."

She shook her head.

"This is happening more and more. They're taking it out on the kids at home..."

She sighed and got out her papers.

"I'll look into putting him in a boys home and foster care as soon as possible."

"Uh, ma'am. I was wondering if he could just stay with me."

"I can't do that, Mr. Randle. You're not family."

"Look, I might as well be. I've been a part of that family since I was a kid. Would I have come to you if I didn't care? I just got a promotion at my job, and I can get a two bedroom apartment in my same complex."

She thought this over.

"I'll tell you what, you fill out these papers, and I'll see if I can make you his foster parent. I can't make you his guardian, but I can probably arrange that..."

Two weeks later, I was picking him up from the boys home with Two-bit. I had been approved. We were sitting in the lobby when he shuffled out.

"Hey, kid."

He looked tired.

"Can we go?"

We drove to the new apartment in silence. Two-bit left, and I went to Pony's new bedroom.

"How's it coming?"

I saw him carefully putting his copy of Gone With The Wind on his dresser.

"Fine..."

I sighed.

"Listen, I know you probably hate me for doing that, but..."

He stood up when I said that.

"I don't hate you."

"You don't?"

"No. I'm just... I... I guess I'm confused as to why you're doing this. You've never cared before."

"Ponyboy, I've always cared. I'm an ass, it's runs in my family. I can't help that."

He smirked.

"I'm doing this for Sodapop, too. I'll admit that, but you're just as much my pain in the ass brother as you are his. I've taken a lot of your crap over the years, too."

He smiled and went back to unpacking.

"I don't have much."

"We can go get your stuff from the house."

He bit his lip, thinking it over.

"You'll go with me, right?"

Pony POV

I hadn't talked to Darry since the day the cops came to get me. I was nervous walking up the steps to the door. When Steve knocked, it was weird. This was suppose to be my house, I shouldn't have to knock. When the door opened, Darry looked like hell.

"What're you guys doing here?"

"We came to get his stuff."

He opened the door all the way to let us in.

"I thought you were in a boys home..."

"I'm staying with Steve."

He slowly nodded. We'd been going in and out of the house getting my stuff while he just watched us. I stopped dead in my tracks when Laura walked through the door.

"Ponyboy! We were so worried about you!"

She started walking towards me and I backed up.

"I dare you to take one more step towards the kid."

She stopped in her tracks.

"I was just gonna hug him, Steve..."

Laura went through moods. Sometimes, she was the nicest person on the face of the earth, and sometimes she was the scariest.

I was in my room emptying the drawers from my desk when I heard someone clear their throat.

"We can put the desk in Steve's truck if you need it."

I turned to Darry.

"Yeah... Sounds great."

He nodded and the three of us got it in.

"Well, I think that's everything... See ya..."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I looked at Steve who shrugged, leaving it up to me.

"I'll wait in the truck."

He gave Darry a pointed look who put his hands up. Steve walked out of the house and Darry gestured for me to sit on the couch. He sat in his chair.

"So. You're staying with Steve?"

I nodded.

"Well..."

"You know, you're welcome here anytime!"

That was Laura, who'd just walked out from the kitchen.

"Yeah.. I gotta go..."

Darry looked like he wanted to say more, but just nodded a goodbye.

"What'd he want, kid?"

"Nothing..."

We were driving back to the complex. Two-bit met us there, and we got all my stuff set up. Later that night, we were all in the living room eating.

"You know you gotta stay outta trouble now, right?"

I nodded.

"I won't get in anymore trouble."

Two-bit POV

Pony'd been living with Steve for almost a month. Things were going good. I stayed away from the Curtis house, Steve's apartment being my new hangout. But, one day I was riding by the house when I saw Darry and Laura arguing on the porch. I pulled over and got out.

"Darry, why won't you commit?"

"You've been living here a while, I'd say that's commitment!"

"We need to get married..."

I got back in my car. I wouldn't be able to stand it if Darry married that bitch... She's the reason this all started...

*flashback*

I'd just pulled up to the Curtis house. I was on the porch when I heard them.

"I can't believe I hit him... That's the third time this week..."

My body stiffened. I'd gotten on to Pony for lying when he told me that Darry had been hitting him...

"Babe, you did nothing wrong. I love him, but the kid needs discipline."

"Maybe... Maybe you're right..."

"Of course I am! My mother hit me, and look how I turned out! Just fine!"

I stormed into the house.

"You're hitting Ponyboy?!"

"Two-bit, listen..."

"Uh-uh, no way! I can't believe you!"

*end flashback*

If Darry married her, I'd be done with him for good...