A Brother's Devotion

I don't own the Outsiders…blahblah blah…although I call dibs on Sodapop! = )

See me cry
See me smile
See me fall
See me fly yea
And I'm tired
Of this stupid game
of running in circles for you again
Don't blame me
For what I gotta do
I won't hate myself to be loved by you

-Johnny Falls, Hedly

Chapter 3-

Head Over Heels~Soda POV~

I had made my mind up as I watched Pony sleep, his even breaths comforting me as I sat by him, my eyes scanning over him, my mind going in circles. I was going to flay the no good sonofabitch who put his hands on my baby brother alive. That much I knew. I grimaced and felt my face slip into a scowl as I remembered seeing Pony lying helpless in the mud, arms crossed over his head as he tried to get up and fight back…

Rain was everywhere. It was sheeting down heavily, making it hard to see anything farther than a few feet in front of your face. It pelted my face and back coldly, landing in deep puddles on the ground, making footing uneasily and dangerous. Where in God's almighty universe was Ponyboy? Stumbling and slipping in the mud, I accidently backed into a heavyset Soc, a few feet taller than me.

"What the fuck?" he roared angrily, punching sloppily at my head. His dark hair was plastered to his meaty freckled face, making him look like a pissed-off bulldog, his lip up and snarling. I ducked neatly, grabbing his shoulder, and punched him cleanly in the nose, feeling my fingers loosen their grasp on his plaid shirt as he rolled backwards from the force of my punch, feeling his nose give with my savage right hook. I smiled widely, feeling my lip split and blood run down my chin, a hot, salty river. My ribs ached a little, and I was sure I had a black eye and a couple of bruises, but nothing more serious than a couple of deep cuts on my arms where I had fallen over a broken glass bottle that had been unearthed by the pouring rain, eroding the mu, but nothing real bad. I hadn't been in a rumble in almost six months, but it was nice to see I could still hold my own pretty well. But could Ponyboy? The boy backed away, cursing heavily, bright red blood spurting from behind his fingertips as he held his nose. I turned, running the other direction, not looking back. Now if I could only find Pony…

I smirked as I swiped my wet hair out of my eyes, squinting as I scanned the crowed of cussing, brawling boys. I couldn't see my little brother, and that scared me something awful. What if he was hurt? I turned around, almost losing my footing as I skidded over the ground, darting around groups of greasers. I spotted Darry, beating the living hell out of Paul Holden. I ran over to them, grabbing Darry roughly by the shoulder, feeling the sodden threads of his shirt clench in my fist. Darry whirled around, his fist drawn back and his teeth bared in a fierce grimace that even scared me.

"Darry! It's me, Sodapop!" I cried, shielding my face from the blows he might rain down on my if I didn't make myself known, and soon. I knew he probably couldn't see, but it still would embarrass the living hell out of me if I got socked in the mouth by my older brother. He blinked, looking like a rabbit caught in headlights. He dropped his fists, raising his hand to my face and pushing my bangs out of my eyes, scanning my face.

"Soda?" he questioned. I nodded at him in relief, glad he hadn't punched the daylights out of me. I grinned at him, and then looked with alarm at Paul, who had finally gotten up, his expression murderous, a long jagged cut on his cheek. But he had come from behind Darry, whose back was to him. This could end badly, I realized, if I didn't do anything about it. I sprang past Darry, leaping at Paul. He hadn't been expecting me to do anything, I saw, at the astonished look on his face. It was priceless. I swung back my fist, swinging hard at his left cheekbone. He howled in pain, clapping his hand to his face. That was gonna leave a pretty mark.

"Where-is- Ponyboy?" Darry asked, grunting as he took on a tall, lean Soc, ducking and almost getting kneed in the ribs and the Soc tried to get him in a headlock. I looked at him as I tried to choke Paul, leaning heavily on my hands that were encircling his neck. He grunted, trying to prize my tight hands off of his windpipe. Not gonna happen, buddy. He got a hand free and clawed at my face. I felt his nails break through my cheek, raking down to almost the bottom of my jawbone. I yowled in pain, clamping my hands tighter around his neck as I felt blood run down my cheek.

"That hurt, you little sonofabitch," I growled at him, then turned to Darry, trying to yell over the sound of the rumbling thunder and the crack of the lighting that split the sky. "I thought you were keeping an eye on him!" I screamed, looking worriedly at Dar. He gazed back at me, his expression mirroring mine, terrified for our little brother. That's when I heard Pony scream, his voice desperate and garbled. I locked eyes with Darry, feeling my heart freeze in my chest. It contracted painfully, and then started beating out an urgent rhythm. In that second, my world narrowed down to one thing as everything else faded away. I had to find Ponyboy. Throwing Paul down, I got up and started sprinting toward the sound of Pony's mangled cry.

"Pony! Ponyboy!" I screamed, my eyes wheeling frantically in all directions, looking for his faded purple jacket he absolutely refused to get rid of, no matter how me an' Darry begged. A flash of blond hair caught my eye as I shoved aside a pair of brawling hoods, tripping my way to Pony. He was lying curled up on the ground, his arms over his head and he huddled, cringing, in the mud. A Soc about as tall as me was teaming up with another, bigger Soc to beat the living shit out of a fourteen year-old that didn't weigh more than 115 pounds sopping wet. I felt my jaw set as I marched over to them, dragging the bigger one off of him first.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded in my coldest voice, planting my feet as I squared my shoulders. He swung around, blood glinting in his red-blonde hair as he looked up, surprise evident in his icy blue eyes. I remember being startled at how much he looked like Paul Holden. He looked at me as if I was simple, then turned back around, readying himself to kick my poor brother some more. I snapped, whipping him around and punching him square in the mouth, putting as much force behind it as I could. Dally joined me, holding him still as I whaled on him, trying to justify what he had been doing to Pony even half. I threw him aside, reaching desperately for my little brother, ignoring Dally's reaching arms.

"Pony? Answer me, goddamnit! Ponyboy, are you okay?" I demanded, half-shaking him as he looked out at me through bleary eyes, his head drooping onto his chest as if it hurt too much to look up. I yanked one of my arms impatiently out of Dally's infernal shaking, pulling up Pony's chin so I could look him in the eyes. I almost sobbed with fear when he didn't answer immediately, my hands starting shaking as my heart plummeted, my stomach jumping into throat. I scraped his hair out of his eyes, gently wiping away the blood that was leaking out from a cut under his eye.

"Pony?" I asked, softer this time. "Pone, are you alright?" This time me looked at me, his lower lip trembling as he blinked hard, obviously trying hard not to cry. Fighting tears, he looked at me, nodding sharply once. I felt all the fight leaving my body as my breath whooshed out and I tried not to start doing some crying of my own. I nodded as well, letting go of him and palming my burning eyes. As long as Pony was okay, my world was right again. I turned to find the rest of the gang. My eye caught Two-Bit, who was whooping it up, blood streaming down his face as he smiled, yelling in victory. We had won, I thought, detached as I watched the blonde Soc and his friend scramble up, running for a car as the rest of the Socs ran away as well, snarling over their shoulders and the scampered away, their tails between their legs. I walked over to Steve and tapped him on the shoulder.

"That Soc," I asked, trying my best to keep my voice disinterested as I jerked my chin at the well-built Soc that had been beating on Pony. "That kid, what's his name?" I stuffed my hands into my pockets, shaking my waterlogged hair from my face. It was no use, though. The rain had let up some, but still fell steadily. It felt like the sky was crying. Steve looked at me, surprised. This wasn't what he had expected out of my mouth, that much was clear. His brown eyes scanned me over once. Two huge purple bruises were blooming under his eyes, I noticed. He must have broken his nose again, I thought at the back of my mind, but quickly pushed away this random thought. I squirmed away, uncomfortable with Steve's ability to read me like an open book. Steve had always been able to see right through my lies, ever since we first met. He didn't say anything, though. He looked back at the kids that were quickly and messily stuffing themselves into their shiny cars, going back home to nurse their wounds.

"I- that's Paul Holden's little brother," he said quietly, still looking me over. "His name's Eddie Holden, I think. He's a junior, same as Two-Bit. Why?" he questioned, folding his arms over his chest. I cringed slightly, my wind wheeling as I tried to think of an answer, coming up with nothing.

"Ah- he's a pretty good fighter," I said, my face and voice blank as I spun my lie. "I thought sometime I'd maybe teach him a thing or two," I murmured, committing Eddie Holden to memory. I was going to get even with him for hurting Ponyboy. Nobody, nobody hurts my family and gets away with it. Nobody.

I blinked back the memory, clearing my head as I rocked my face between my palms, trying to rub away the last two days.

The only question now was how I was going to do exactly that, and how I was going to get past Darry on all this. I tenderly brushed Pony's hair off his forehead and kissed the top of his head gently, lingering for a minute. I could still smell him, the mixed scent of books and cigarettes and fresh air and grass and Pony. Feeling alone, I dropped my hand and stepped back, still pressing my nose to his hair as I lingered, feeling guilty for leaving him alone.

"Be well," I breathed into his hair, feeling his warm, shallow breath on my fingertips. I brushed past a late-shift nurse on my way out, throwing her an absentminded smile as she bustled around Pony, fussing over all that confusing machinery, talking to him quietly.

I ran into my older brother as I was walking down the brightly lit hallway, away from Ponyboy. I was so intent of making it out of the hospital unnoticed by Darry that I had failed to actually watch where I was going. Stumbling tiredly, I ran face-first into Dar's muscular chest. Bouncing off, I staggered, my eyes bleary and burning from no sleep. Hell, I couldn't even remember the last time I had had a full night of sleep, but it was probably before Pony took off with Johnny for Jay Mountain. I shuddered at the memory, but tried to walk around Darry anyway.

"Whoa there, little buddy," Darry said gently, righting me. His big hands grasped my upper arms firmly but gently. He turned me around, guiding me back towards Ponyboy's room. I tripped along next to him, like a small child being guided by a firm parent. Looking up at Darry, I offered the only comfort I could, I small smile. Darry smiled back, unshaven, his clothes crumpled and his eyes bloodshot. His wounds from the rumble already looked loads better. Besides a few shallow cuts on his face, his left hand was bandaged from where he had hit a Soc's cheekbone too hard and split his knuckles. Glory, I probably looked worse. I resolved that in the morning I could find a shower and a clean pair of clothes before heading out to find that goddamn Soc. No use looking like a bum while cracking his head to pieces, I reasoned with myself. Yawning, I brushed my finger across Pony's cheek, watching him as he slumbered. Did he, I wondered, know how much we missed him already? Did he know how much I wanted to see him smile again? Maybe if I hoped enough, next time I looked at him he would look back at me. Maybe.

"You," Darry said, "Need sleep." I protested weakly, but lay down on the pull-out couch in Pony's room without a big fight, sighing happily when my aching body hit the bed. I could have slept in a cardboard box and been content, that's how tired I was. Flipping off the light, I felt the mattress creak at Darry heaved himself next to me, blowing out a huge breath before his breathing became slow and steady. I was asleep before my head hit my arms.

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*pops up from behind her computer* how was that? I loved the reviews, thanks!!! although, *puts on cross face* i got ALOT more hits than views. So, if you'd pretty pllllleeeaaasssee R&R, it would mean the world to me! Also, i decided if i got ten or more reviews i might to a sequal to Epilogue.....*nudge nudge*

I hope you liked it! I'll try to post Chapter 4 (it'll also be Soda's POV) as soon as i can, probably friday or this weekend (no promises, though! sorry!)

love, kait

also, this is a un-beta'd story, so sorry for the mistakes and spelling errors i didn't catch...whoops. Thanks again!