*Don't own anything.

Please excuse my mistakes, and thank you for all your reviews. WARNING: Language a little more coarse this chapter thanks to Tim Shepard and Dallas Winston.

Sunkissedchris

(JPOV)

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I didn't bother to knock on Buck Merril's door, I doubted anyone would hear the knock anyway with Hank Williams blaring and all. As I walked in, I was immediately hit with the stench of old alcohol and smoke, it also smelled like a few different drugs were mixed in with the smoke.

Why would Dally, scratch that, anybody, wanna hang here. It's disgusting.

I saw Tim and his gang hanging out in a corner, Tim looked as if he was just in a fight and they were all getting ready to leave. The Shepards were hardly my favorite people to be around, they played by their own rules, of course they always had my back and me theirs but, they scared me.

The rage that motivated me to get here fast was now more a simmer but, it was enough to keep me from wasting time and ask Tim where Dal was instead of wondering around looking for him.

"Hey Tim, you know where Dallas is?"

Laughing, "Yea just gave the grease a good beating." He grinned like a cat who was watching the mouse struggle before he ate it.

"Well where the hell is he?" I knew it was the wrong person to let my frustrations leak out to but I couldn't help it. My hands were shaking from not only the anger at the Socs, but myself, not to mention the guilt...Shaking my head, I looked to see Tim staring at me.

"You get into a fight yourself, Johnny? If your looking for help to get some revenge, I'll gladly help."

"No. I need Dallas. Me and Pony got jumped in the park and he's in the hospital, everyone is probably there now."

"Shit, those fucking good for nothing dickfaced.....!" Somewhere amongst the names I caught, "Is he gonna be all right?"

"I dunno." I whispered, looking at my feet.

"Shit. Dally's upstairs in the third door on the left, kid."

"Thanks."

I ran up the stairs, silently cursing myself for letting Tim rant for so long. Pony will pass away from old age before I get there, and immediately cursed myself again for letting my mind wonder anywhere near the idea of Ponyboy dying.

Without thinking, I barged into the room Tim told me I could find Dallas.

"Who the fuck?! What the hell do you want?" Dallas hissed coldly. I didn't even think what could of been going on in a bedroom at Buck's in the dark. Light flooded my vision, I blinked.

"Johnnycakes? What are you doing here?" Dally stood in front of me shirtless, I could see his ribs were badly bruised if not cracked, I guessed he could thank Tim for that.

"Pony's in the hospital and the gang's all there, and it's bad Dal." Once again my emotions took a swing, fear and sadness choked me up.

A second later Dal was shoving me out the door and pulling a shirt on, he hadn't stopped swearing. He knew the only way Pony would be in the hospital was if a Soc got a hold of him, and he knew the bruises coloring my skin was from the same fight.

"What the hell happened, who did what and what the fuck were you two dumbasses doing out so late?" Dallas voice cracked like a whip in my direction, demanding answers.

"There was five of 'em. It was those girls from the Nightly Double boyfriends, they brought a few friends. They were drunk and wanted to teach us a lesson for hanging out with them girls, wasn't like me and Pony were gonna do nothing with them." I ranted nerves making me talk more than usual and I felt like I had to tell someone the whole story before I exploded from all that was whirling in my head.

I swallowed. "Anyway we were in the park 'cause Pony got home real late and Darry got so mad he hit him, and Pony came and got me and we took a walk in the park, Pony needed to cool off a bit. They tried to drown Pony and he did pass out, and when he was out all five came after me and they pulled a switch and I pulled mine."

I shivered as my mind raced ahead and replayed what happened next, I starred out the window but I was seeing a completely different scene than the buildings rushing by. "Pony woke up but no one noticed, until he lunged at Bob who had the blade and the one guy yelled to look out, Bob whirled around and got Pony in the side."

"I ran to the Curtis' and got Soda and Darry, Dar got the ambulance. We got there and he bled a lot and was mostly unconscious. Soda and Darry and me broke down, he looked so bad, so little and broken." My voice sounded small and afraid, like a child by the end of my explanation. I glanced at Dallas' face, it was unreadable and I didn't know if that was good or bad.

I was happy because if Dallas Winston of all people started to worry, I might have a panic attack. Darry and Soda's faces as they stared at Ponyboy, Two-Bit's voice drained of humor as he told me he'd meet me at the hospital, and Steve's usually cocky smart ass attitude broken due to hate, anger and worry lacing through his voice on the phone were horrible enough.

Dallas was silent and finally said, "Pony's tough, he might be small but he's tough. He's a Curtis and has all the drive and fight Soda and Darry do, even if it ain't as obvious. The kid will be alright." You had to know Dally to hear the doubt laced in with the cool exterior.

I told Dallas to pull over and got sick.