Disclaimer: HI!!!!!!! ALMOST FORGOT TO POST THIS WEEK, BUT I DID SO YAY!!!!! DON'T OWN ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 8

"Hey Blondie"

Pony opened his eyes to Dally smiling amused looking down at him. He mustered a smile. "Hey Dallas"

Dally smiled and walked over to Johnny sleeping on the floor. "Hey Johnny, wake up" he gave him a playful, gentle kick

Once Johnny saw his friend the two boys immediately questioned him about home.

Dally raised his hands up to stop them. "One thing at a time, you guys ready to get something to eat? I'm starving"

"Try baloney for four days" Johnny said

"Hey, you got a cancer stick Johnny?" Dally asked

The sixteen-year-old nodded and reached in his pocket.

Ponyboy sat hesitating before asking. "How's Nikki?"

Silence. Johnny looked at him then looked over at Dally who had a look that neither of the boys could read.

Dally puffed on his stick. "We've never seen her like this before. The kid might be as tough as a rock, but she's sufferin' and worryin' now. She really misses you Pony."

Johnny looked worried. "There's gotta be somethin' we can do."

Pony took the time to let the news sink in and stood up with a hard, tenacious look on his face. "Nicole's a mess. I need to talk to her."

Dally tried his best to hide an accomplished smile. "You guys wanna get somethin' to eat?"

Pony and Johnny smiled eagerly and started for the door.

As the three walked to the car Dally looked behind at them. "I got a little surprise for you in the back too."

The two boys looked at each other curiously then continued to follow him.

Dally smiled inconspicuously and once they got a good distance to the car he signaled so Pony and Johnny wouldn't see.

Nicole popped out from under the seat smiling. "Hi!"

Pony and Johnny stopped dead in their tracks shocked. Then a burst of happiness hit Pony and picked her up in a hug that nearly crushed her spine.

Nicole smiled happily and reached out to Johnny who gleefully took her in his arms once Pony was done.

"What's she doing here?" Pony asked facing Dally

Dally smiled sheepishly. "Well, uh, I kind of blabbed and told her I was helping you guys hide and she wanted to come."

"Wow, do Darry and Soda know?" asked Johnny still carrying Nicole

"Uh,,, no" Dally answered hesitatingly.

Pony looked really worried, but decided not to provoke or rebuke Dally anymore and got in.

Nicole swayed back and forth in her seat as Dally drove in the Mercedes. Even as a seven-year-old she knew that the eighteen year old greaser was a well-known criminal and took driving to the extreme.

"Dal don't!" Pony exclaimed

Dally smiled cockily. "I got it, I got it"

He did many swerves and turns that Nicole almost tossed her cookies over.

"Man, how'd you manage to get Nikki in one piece when you got here?" Johnny asked

Dally smirked "I know I'd be faced with three angry brothers if somethin' happened to the little angel."

Nicole smiled cutely and innocently and the boys all laughed.

Dally soon pulled up to a Dairy Queen drive-in. "Alright, let's see three barbecue sandwiches, three Cokes, and uh.."

"I want a Chicken sandwich!" Nicole called out

The boys laughed "Alright, one chicken sandwich with a small Root Beer."

Later the boys and girl parked in the lot and ate their food.

"...We're going back and turning ourselves in"

Nicole froze mid-bite hearing what Johnny had just said. She was completely lost in her own world while the boys discussed what was happening at home before hearing that announcement.

Dally was more shocked and even furious than Nicole. "What?!"

"I got a chance of being let off easy" Johnny went on explaining further on Cherry and Pony being able to testify for him and everything will be fine.

Dally was still persistent. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it ain't fair for Darry and Soda to be worryin' about Ponyboy day and night. And even Nikki needs her older brother."

Nikki froze again hearing her name being mentioned. It was true that she couldn't live without all her brothers, but this was a big deal.

Pony glanced over at her worriedly. The last thing she would want after reuniting with her brother and friend was to have them thrown in jail.

"Why don't we go on home for now" He suggested

Dally and Johnny looked back at him, but when he made a gesture to Nicole they understood. She was clueless to all of this and sighed taking out her notebook.

Author's Note: Okay, next chapter is gonna change everyone's lives!!!!!!!!! I think i said too much. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!! AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!