Here's Chapter Three. Hope you like it. I will prolly be changing the rating for the next chapter to M. Anyway please read and review.

ANYONE POV

The church was crowded, Darry sat between Soda and Pony in a pew. He could hear Lisa and wished she would shut up because he knew that it was just for show. When he went to get a cup of coffee, Lisa followed.

"What Lisa?" Darry asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about letting the boys live with us."

"You have got to be joking," he said looking as Dally.

"No, you can't give them what they need, especially Ponyboy. He's a little boy who still needs a mom and Dad."

Darry's eyes narrowed. He glanced at his brothers still surrounded by their friends.

"Lisa, you will get them over my dead body. You see that little boy?" he asked as Jack joined them.

"Yes, I see him. What's your point?"

"My point is for all intents and purposes, Pony is my little boy now. We don't need anything from you, but more importantly we don't want anything from you. Just leave us alone," he went to sit back down.

Pony's small hand found his, Darry looked down and closed his around it. He was thinking he needed to hold it together now, he could fall apart later after the boys were asleep, but for now Darry kept the hurt inside him. There was no emotion on his hard face.

Soda glanced at them, his pain showing in the normally happy eyes.

"I miss them," he whispered softly.

Darry swallowed hard. "I know, me too." He lifted Pony to his lap and held a hand out to Soda, "Come here little buddy."

They grew quiet when the minister began the services. Pony and Soda cried. Darry listened, his eyes on the caskets that held his parents. All too soon it was time to go to the cemetery. Darry, Sodapop, Steve, Dally, Two-Bit, and Johnny carried the Curtis parents to their final resting place. Bree Ann stayed with Pony.

The three boys stood beside the graves, the only sounds were the uncontrollable sobbing of the youngest two Curtis's. As the preacher said that last words, Darry held and comforted his brothers, but not a tear fell from his icy, blue eyes. His boy was painfully rigid, he didn't hear the words he was so focused on Pony and Soda's pain.

When Annie Curtis was placed in the grave, Pony got hysterical.

"No! Mama!" Pony's young voice broke. "Mama," he slid to the ground. Soda quickly knelt there murmuring softly to him.

"Sodapop, we're all alone now."

"Be quiet, you little brat. Don't ruin this for the rest of us," Lisa hissed. Pony gasped and Soda stared at her.

DARRY POV

I sat down in the grass and tugged Pony to me so he could bury his face in my neck and cry.

"You're not alone. I'm here. We have each other. You'll never be alone baby," reaching out I pulled Soda to us as they both broke down again. Our friends sat with us. Steve put his hand on Soda's shoulder. Dally was glaring at Lisa as she continued on with her tirade. I caught his eye and shook my head silently asking him not to say anything. He nodded and I went on rocking my little brothers.

The other visitors started to leave to give my little family time alone to say goodbye.

"Lisa," I called. She turned to look at us. "Don't ever talk to my brother like that again. You are so lucky I don't press charges for what you did to Sodapop. These boys are mine now, stay away. Whatever you were to Mama, you're nothing to us now." I stood up with Pony's legs around my waist, arms locked around my neck.

"Let's go Soda," I turned to the tiny group of boys by us. "Ready guys?"

ANYONE POV

"I'll drive Darry, you've got your hands full," Dally told him mainly because he had decided to take them to the lake. No one spoke and once there, the somber group sat watching the water as the events of the day played through their minds. Pony, Johnny, and Two-Bit went for a walk. The other four talked quietly. There was no time for Dally to talk to Darry alone. When the sun went down, it was time to head in. Pony fell asleep on the drive to the house, leaning against Soda.

"He's been really tired because he doesn't sleep well at night," Soda told Darry worried that he would not let them share a room now that the funeral was over.

"Hopefully we'll all sleep good tonight," Darry said even though he doubted it. He stopped at the house and the gang piled out. He lifted his youngest brother out.

"I'm glad you're home Dare," Pony spoke sleepily.

"Me too Little Man. Get some sleep. Soda will be in soon."

"Okay," Pony curled up on the bed.

DARRY POV

Johnny was sitting on the couch falling asleep.

"Hey Johnnycake, you wanna stay the night?" I asked noticing the new marks on his face. He'd only been gone half an hour, guess that had been too long.

"Yeah, he does." Dally answered for him.

"Why don't you go lay down with Ponyboy?"

He nodded and groggily left the room.

Soda walked over to me.

"Dare, you know Pony's been having nightmares?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I don't want him to be alone at night," I smiled at his worried expression.

"Sodapop, it's cool with me if you want to share a room with him. I don't mind and I'm sure he won't either."

Soda grinned. "Good I can't listen to Pony cry and not be with him."

"I couldn't and I don't expect you to either, Little Buddy."

Turning to our friends I told them, "If you need a place to crash, our house is always open to you."

From what my brothers had told me, the gangs home lives hadn't changed much from the last time I'd been home. Soda and Steve went to sit on the porch dragging Two-Bit with them leaving me and Dally alone.

"You all right D.S.? You didn't cry at the funeral."

"I don't have time for tears Dally, I have to be strong for them," despite my efforts, my voice broke and I felt him pull me closer. I let him hold me for a minute before moving away.

"Do you need anything? Will you be okay for a while?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm gonna head out for now."

"I need to check on Pony anyway," I said. He was awake staring at the ceiling.

"Hey kiddo, I thought you were supposed to be sleeping," I said gently. Pony turned to look at me.

"Darry, why did Mama and Daddy leave us?" my little brother asked sleepily. "Aunt Lisa said I was bad so Mama went away."

"Little Colt, she was so wrong. Mom and Dad didn't want to die," I was wondering how to make him understand something that even I didn't. I took a deep breath knowing that in reality Ponyboy knew, but he was grasping at straws trying to find a reason for his pain.

"Ponyboy, maybe God needed new angels and he thought your parents were special enough to go," Johnny told his friend. "Now go to sleep."

"Maybe you're right Johnny. Night guys."

I stared at the boys in wonder. Johnny smiled, shrugged and closed his eyes.

"Soda, I'm going to bed. Johnny and Pony are asleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night Dare," Soda said sadly.

"It's okay, we'll get through this Little Buddy," I said before going back inside wishing Dally were here.

ANYONE POV

"Hey Dally, what's up?" Two-Bit called.

"Not much, where's Superman?"

"In his room," Steve told the greaser. He walked up the steps and into the house.

"He's prolly asleep," Soda told him. Dally didn't care. He went through the hall, closing the bedroom door behind him. Darry looked up.

"Dally what?" He sat up, but didn't get and answer because Dallas was lost in thought. Actually he had been all day, back to when Darry was 15.

FLASHBACK

Dally had found the teen crying in the lot. He'd been looking for Johnny, when he'd heard muffled sobs. Walking over to the big oak tree he saw Darry sitting there crying like he'd lost his best friend. Even back then the 16-year-old had feelings for his buddy, but didn't know what to do about them. He knelt beside the younger boy. Darry bit back a cry and then threw himself into Dally's arms. Nothing was said for a long time while he tried to compose himself. Finally, wondering how long he'd been there, Dally pulled away and dried the red eyes.

"Darry, what's wrong? How long have you been here?"

"I... I didn't know where else to go. I can't go home because Mom and Dad are so mad. I think I've been here three hours," he replied through chattering teeth.

Shrugging out of his jacket, Dally handed it to the other boy. "Put this on before you get sick."

It was late evening and getting chilly.

"Okay Superman," he used the nickname the gang had given Darry because they thought he could do anything. "Why can't you go home?"

"Don't make me go back Ace, please."

"All right, let's go to my house and talk," he stood up and waited on Darry noting the careful way he walked, wincing with each step. Dally opened the door, relieved that his old man was gone. He fixed cocoa for Darry, while he had beer.

"What's wrong with your legs? Are you hurt?"

"Nothing. T-They was asleep," he stuttered looking down.

"We've never lied to each other Darrell, tell me now!" Dally lifted his head up to look in his eyes.

"Aunt Lisa told Dad some stuff, he didn't let me explain and when I tried to, Mom said I was lying so they had to whip me. I can't go back tonight, please don't make me," he pleaded.

"Show me," it was a terse order. The front door opened.

"Shit! Let's go to my room," the two boys slipped upstairs where Dally locked the door.

"Let me see D. S."

Darry slowly pulled his jeans off. Dally let out a breath. There were red marks and some bruising, but none of the welts had broken the skin. He would be sore awhile, but would get over it.

"Gosh, your Dad did that?"

"Yes, Ace, it hurts."

"I know buddy. I'll get you something for it in a minute. Why did he do it?"

"Because she lied and they wouldn't listen to me."

"Who lied? About what?"

"Lisa. It was about us," Darry told him looking away. "I was so scared Dally, I've never seen Dad so upset at me," he whispered.

"I'm here and no one can hurt you now. Let me put this creme on the welts and you can stay here tonight."

Gently as he could, Dally rubbed the salve on the crying boys legs. He could tell Darry was wore out so as soon as he was done, he told him to lie down.

"Dally, do you feel it to?"

"Yeah, but we gotta ignore it."

"Why?" Darry asked confused.

"Because we're both guys and no one would understand, but more importantly, I don't want to lose my best friend."

"I understand, but just for tonight can you...would you stay with me?" Darry choked out.

"As long as you lay down," Dally pushed him back on the bed and before either could move covered Darry's mouth with his. After a few long kisses, he firmly held Darry's head to his chest.

"Go to sleep D. S.. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Darry mumbled sleepily.

"Honestly me either. Kid, I'll always be here when you need me."

Darry nodded and was asleep in minutes.

Dally lay there wondering how Mr. And Mrs. Curtis could be so cruel and what else Lisa told them? There was no way his buddy deserved any of this. Neither boy mentioned what happened that night even though it was obvious the feelings were still there.

END FLASHBACK

DARRY POV

"Dally, are you okay?" I stood up

The tow-headed greaser blinked and looked at the other man.

"I'm fine Superman, can we sit down? I want to talk to you. I need some answers."

"About what?" I asked cautiously.

"When you were fifteen and I found you in the lot. Do you remember?"

I stood up and went to the window, "Yeah, I remember that day why?" I had not forgotten the feel of Dally's lips on mine or the warmth of his body when he'd pulled me close and held me really tight.

"What did Lisa say to your parents?"

"It doesn't matter now," I told him.

"D.S., I need to know. Please tell me."

"That she saw us kissing and other stuff. She told Dad that he needed to do something before I ruined my life."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dally's voice rose.

"I couldn't tell you Dal, I was dealing with a lot of stuff and I didn't want you to know because then I would have had to tell you how much I actually cared about you. If you had rejected me, it would've destroyed me. So I concentrated on school, my little brothers, and football. Your friendship was better than nothing," I confessed.

Dally was quiet a long minute.

"Darry, I guess you should know there is no way I would have rejected you. Um. I think you should also know I still have feelings for you."

I watched him through wide eyes.

"Me too," I admitted. "What should we do?"

"What do you want to do D.S.?"

"I don't know Dally."

"We should prolly decide how far we want to take it. We also have to consider how your brothers and the gang will react if we choose to have a relationship. Do you want to?"

I nodded and stepped closer to him closing my eyes as Dally's lips touched mine. We both felt it. He pulled me closer and I could feel how turned on he was.

"Dal, this is going way to fast," I jerked away.

"Its okay babe, we can slow it down."

I stared at him, and he touched my face.

"I can be different when it's just us, but around other people, I have to be tough."

"I know you have a rep to live up to."

"I'll talk to you later," he told me as he gave me a quick kiss and left to get beer with Two-Bit.