Chapter Five: Brotherly Protection

(A/N: I've gotten some questions if this is going to be a Ponyboy/Sonia story or a Two-Bit/Sonia story. I can't say if it's going to be a Ponyboy/Sonia story yet, but it will definitely NOT be a Two-Bit/Sonia story. I know they're not blood relatives or even stepsiblings yet, but remember last chapter when Two-Bit says, "For a chick that's supposed to be from the city of brotherly love, you ain't showing much love for your brother"? That's there for a reason. He already considers himself her brother; therefore there will be nothing between them. Their parents are practically married. It would be too messed up. Okay. Sorry to slow you down. On with the show.)

"Sony Gangrene! We're leaving!" Two-Bit hollered up the stairs.

"I'm right here," she said from behind him.

Two-Bit whipped around. "Oh. There ya are."

"Hey, Sonia," Ponyboy said shyly. Two-Bit noticed that Ponyboy had greased his hair with a little more care than usual, and that he couldn't keep his eyes off Sonia.

Aw, Ponyboy's got a crush, Two-Bit thought. About time. I was beginning to wonder if he was a queer.

"Where're you going?" Anne demanded, running in. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of Ponyboy and Sonia. "Are you on a date?" she practically squeaked.

"If we were, why would Two-Bit be coming?" Sonia pointed out logically. Anne shrugged and skipped away.

Two-Bit had had his wisecrack all lined up and ready to fire, but it had withered on his tongue upon noticing how red Ponyboy's ears had gone.

He knew what he was feeling. Brotherly protection towards Sonia. Sonia, who he had known for barely a week. He found himself wanting to pull Ponyboy aside and tell him that if he dared lay a hand on her, he was a dead man.

In the car, he once again teased Ponyboy into sitting in the front seat. He didn't want him back there with her. Which made absolutely no sense. This was Ponyboy, after all, not Tim Shepard.

The feeling had faded by the time they got to the Nightly Double, much to Two-Bit's relief. It was creeping him out, although he supposed it was good practice for when Anne started dating.

"I'll see you kiddies later," he said. "Don't get in too much trouble, eh?" he winked at Ponyboy, who merely rolled his eyes.

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"Is he always like that?" Sonia questioned once Two-Bit had swaggered off. Ponyboy nodded. She smelled like Indian spice and soap.

"That's why we call him Two-Bit," he managed to say.

They found seats and sat down awkwardly, Sonia smoothing her skirt over her knees and Ponyboy chagrined at finding himself wishing she wouldn't.

"So," he said. "So," she said. They avoided conversation for a few more minutes before Sonia asked, "What's all this about Socs and Greasers?"

Ponyboy found himself relaxing a he explained to her the rivalry, the general hate that was dying down now that two kids—Johnny and Dally—had died.

"I heard you knew them," Sonia said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

She said it like she meant it. Ponyboy glanced up at her startled, and nearly launched into the entire story, but something held him back. Maybe another time. Just not now.

"Didn't you have anything like that in Philly?" Ponyboy asked to change the topic.

Sonia nodded. "Oh yeah. Blacks against whites, one gang versus another. There was always something going down. I was kind of out of it, though. I just hung out with the rest of the general Hindu community, which was about three others kids."

Ponyboy had to crack a grin at that one. "Do you still keep in touch?" he asked.

"I wrote them yesterday, and they don't even have my address yet. Till I got here, I didn't even know."

"Why did you move down here?" Ponyboy asked, because he honestly didn't know.

"My mom died in a car wreck," Sonia explained. "My dad left us and he was down here. He took custody of me. And he's engaged to Two-Bit's mom."

Now it was Ponyboy's turn to be sorry. When he said so, however, Sonia shrugged. "It's okay." Then, "Why do people say they're sorry anyway? It's not like they killed whoever died. Unless they did. Then they should be sorry."

"Life's weird like that," Ponyboy said. "But I know how you feel. My parents're dead too, in an auto wreck."

"I'm sorry," Sonia said automatically. She and Ponyboy glanced at each other, and broke out laughing.

"Really, though," Ponyboy went on. "More than anything, I miss my mom. She was golden, and beautiful, and perfect, and…" he trailed off to see Sonia staring at him.

"You don't have to stop," she said quietly. When Ponyboy said nothing, she went on. "My mother wasn't what you'd call perfect, but she was beautiful, and strong." And tough, and whip-smart, and a great cook, and everything else.

"Must've been hell losing her," Ponyboy said absently. He was still thinking of his own mother.

"Yeah," Sonia said strangely. "Actually, it kind of was."

Something in her tone made Ponyboy look over at her. She was looking back at him, too. They sat there for a moment, just looking at each other.

A hand clamped down on each of their shoulders. "You're done for, greasers!" a Soc growled.

Sonia's face twisted in annoyance. "Two-Bit, what do you want?" she demanded without turning around.

Two-Bit leaped nimbly over the backs of the chairs. Ponyboy scooted aside before Two-Bit landed in his lap. The big greaser was now sandwiched between Sonia and Ponyboy with his feet on the next chair.

The guy in the front turned around. "Get your feet off my chair," he growled.

Two-Bit whipped out his blade, a new razor-sharp one he had lifted after his old one had never been found. Ponyboy saw Sonia's eyes grow huge at the sight of it.

"Who's gonna make me?" Two-Bit snarled back. Wisely, the guy in front turned back around without further complaint.

The movie, a dumb beach party one, blared. "Why don't they play something decent for once?" Ponyboy groused, just to be saying something.

Two-Bit clapped a hand on Ponyboy's shoulder. "Son," he began gravely. "The purpose of coming to the Nightly Double is not to watch the movie, but to provide background distraction in-between finding hot blondes to make out with…like her. Hey, Cindy!" he barked, leaping up and darting away.

Sonia moved over into Two-Bit's vacated seat. "He," she declared. "Is very weird."

"Tell me about it," Ponyboy muttered.

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"So, I'll see you tomorrow," Sonia said when Two-Bit dropped Ponyboy off at his house.

"Yeah," Ponyboy replied, smiling again in that way that made her want to melt.

"Yeah, yeah, move it along, I ain't got all night," Two-Bit said impatiently. Ponyboy just grinned and ducked out of the car. Sonia crawled into the front seat from the backseat and sighed heavily.

"Sorry to see him go?" Two-Bit taunted good-naturedly.

"No. Your backseat just smells like a lot of cheap perfume. It's suffocating," Sonia replied.

"Okay. Whatever," Two-Bit said nonchalantly, but Sonia knew he saw right through her, and she knew that he knew that she knew. It was maddening.

But not nearly as maddening as the way Ponyboy made her feel. It wasn't love; it was more the feeling that he had been through what she had and had felt exactly the same way she did. All at once, she felt elated that she was not alone, and miserable that anyone else would have to go through that kind of heartbreak.

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