Part 14 – Let your fire loose

Steve sat on a bed and looked at the floor and he didn't even register that his arm was heavy because of the cast. He didn't register his wounds being cleaned and he didn't realize that someone has entered the room until someone sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. He jumped high and twirled around and threw a punch. But the one that had touched him grabbed his fist and smiled.

"Jumpy are we", Darrel said and smiled softly.

"Sorry Mr. Curtis."

"It's okay Steve. What happened?"

"Fingers lost his marbles…"

"Oh?"

Steve told him all that had happened and felt tears sting his eyes.

"And the worst part is", Steve said and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "He didn't let me help him. He didn't… he didn't…"

"He didn't what Steve?" Darrel asked and put his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"He didn't know I loved him like a brother."

Darrel gave him a hug and Steve felt tears starting to rush down his face.

"Why", he asked between sobs. "Why does everyone I love keep being ripped away from me? First my mom was, then my ol' life and Ranger, then Vixen and Fox, then Miley and now Fingers. It's not fair."

Mr. Curtis put a hand on the boy's neck and pulled him even close and rocked him back and forth hushing him and trying to comfort him.

"It's not fair", Steve mumbled when his sobs had subdued a little. "It's not fair."

"I could say life isn't fair son but it is too cliché. It is unfair that you've had to live through this kind of shit. Yes I cursed, don't tell my wife she'll kill me."

Steve chuckled. "Why would I? I would lose another one who means something to me."

"I mean something to you", Mr. Curtis asked shocked.

"Yeah you're like the dad I never had."

Mr. Curtis chuckled. "Then you are the seventh son I never had. Wait you are just as old as Dally and Soda… that would make you the fifth son."

Steve chuckled through his tears. "Yeah we're one big happy family."

"We could be if you let us. Now come on let's go home."

"You walked all the way here?"

Darrel stared at him and saw the smile. "Oh yes I did. Now come on let's go."

"Dear Lord what happened to you", Mary Curtis asked. "Why is your arm in a cast? Have you hurt yourself? Did your father do this?"

"Have you heard of the car chase", Johnny called.

"I broke my arm, I didn't hurt myself, my father didn't do this and yes I heard about it", Steve answered.

"They said that one or both of the thieves were from this die of town and working on a gasoline station", Dallas said. "Anyone ya know?"

"Maybe."

"The car crashed a while ago", Two-Bit said. "Both guys died."

"No they didn't", Steve mumbled but Darry heard him.

"What ya mean man?"

"I'm standing here aren't I?"

Darry stared at him.

"Y-you were in the car", he asked and now everyone except Mr. Curtis stared at Steve.

"Yes…"

Mrs. Curtis hurried over and hugged him.

"Why did you do something like that?" she asked softly.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Steve grumbled. "Fingers pulled a gun at me and…"

He didn't continue.

"I told you that guy only caused trouble", Soda said to Darry.

"He didn't only cause trouble", Steve yelled at Soda and everyone stared at him. Steve's eyes were glassy from unshed tears but they were still glowing in anger. "Never say that about him!"

"But he did", Soda said. "He broke stuff, stole stuff and almost got you killed man."

"Sounds like you just described Dally", Steve said with a smirk.

"What ya say", Dally growled.

"Ya heard me."

"Boys", Darrel said. "Calm down we don't want any fights."

"If he's gonna keep talikin' like that there will be", Dally growled.

"Don' worry 'bout it", Steve said. "'Cause I'm leavin'." With that he turned around, walked out the door and slammed it shut.

"Steve", Soda called and made to go after him.

"Let him go", Darry said and stopped him.

"No last time I did, he almost got killed!"

Soda stomped down on Darry's foot and ran out through the door as soon as his older brother let go of him.

"Steve", he yelled into the night. He saw a figure running down the street and he hurried after.

Steve was so mad he even tore away the sling and threw it over his shoulder and kicked at a fence and it broke. He didn't care for anything or anyone at the moment. He didn't hear Soda call after him and he didn't realize someone was coming his way from the direction until they collided.

"Hey watch where you're going", Tim yelled at him as he rose. Steve rose too and growled. "Oi easy there Wildcat."

"Shut up", Steve growled.

"What's the matter with you?"

"None of your business."

"Ooooh someone's in a bad mood ey guys?"

Steve saw three of Tim guy's walk up to their leader.

"I'm not in the mood for one of your fucking speeches Sheppard", he growled.

"'ey boss ain' t'is one of 'em idiots stealing the car?" One of them asked.

"Idiots", Steve growled and turned his hands into fists.

"Oooooh we touched a sore nerve boys", Tim grinned and took out a cigarette. "So what happened to the other idiot? Last time I heard he's dead as a doorknob. Good riddance."

He lit it and Steve punched him in the face so hard Tim's lip cut and his nose started to bleed and he fell down on his backside.

"Boss", his guys exclaimed and took his arms and was about to help him up when Sheppard shook them off in anger and flew at Steve. And a brutal fight started, Steve let out all his anger and sorrow on Tim and Tim only hit back in anger. The thing that amazed Tim's guys was that Steve even used his injured hand.

Soda came around a corner and stopped and stared. His best buddy was fighting like a wild animal against Tim Sheppard and some of his gang members.

"What the hell", Soda yelled and watched Steve kick one of the guys in the head. "Steve!" He ran up and threw his arms around Steve's torso and tried to hold him. But the angry greaser spun around so fast Soda lost his grip and fell to the ground. But then Darry and the gang were there.

"What the…" Darry said and saw his brother sit up on the ground and Steve fighting four guys most of them, Steve included bleeding badly. Tim bled the worst.

"Steve", Darry yelled and hurried over and threw his arms around the younger boy and held him still. "Knock it off!"

"You knock it off and I won't knock your head off!" Steve yelled and tried to get loose.

"Steve come on", Soda tried to reason with him. "If you kill them you're gonna end up in jail!"

"I don't fucking care", Steve yelled. "I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch!"

Tim wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"This guy is crazy", he said.

"What did ya do", Two-Bit asked.

"Nothing!"

"Liar", Steve yelled and tried to get loose.

"Doesn' look like nuffin to me", Dally said and lit a cigarette. "Guy's gone crazy. Ya must have said some'."

"I only said it was good riddance of that idiot he hung around with."

"Aw man", Soda groaned. "Tim they've been friends since childhood!"

"Oh", Tim said.

"Yeah", Two-Bit said. "Oh."

"Let me at him", Steve yelled and Darry almost lost his grip on him.

"Steve stop", Darry roared and turned the younger guy around and stared into his eyes. "If you hurt them you'll sink to their level!"

"I don't care", Steve yelled.

"You'll end up in jail!"

"I. Don't. Care!"

"But we care", Soda yelled and came up beside Darry. "We don' wanna lose ya man."

"L-lose me", Steve said in confusion.

"Yeah if ya go into that place ya won't be the same when ya get back", Two-Bit said.

Steve looked at the gang and Tim and his guys took the opportunity to leave before Steve went crazy again.

"Why do you care", Steve said.

"'Cause we're like family", Dallas said and the others, not Steve, stared at him. "So I said it. Johnny's like my lil' brother."

"Yeah", Johnny mumbled. "And Darry's like the big brother of the gang."

"Family", Steve mumbled and remembered Mr. Curtis' words.

"You're like the seventh son I never had."

"Yeah man", Darry grinned. "We're like brothers."

"You're the bestest big brother in the world!" Miley's voice said in his head and Steve's eyes went huge. Darry had let him go but still held his hands on Steve's shoulders.

"Why does everyone I love keep being ripped away from me?" Steve's own words echoed in his head.

"No", he whispered.

"What", Soda asked.

"First my mom was, then my ol' life and Ranger, then Vixen and Fox, then Miley and now Fingers. It's not fair."

Steve was pale.

"Steve", Darry gave his shoulders a shake.

"In our old hometown things were pretty rough, wait it was really rough. I bet ya been reading about it in the papers. It's a warzone over there. Anyway the state told my dad that they would take me and Miley away if we didn't leave the place and moved somewhere else."

"Well I hate to tell ya buddy", Soda said and took a zip of his coke. "But ya left one warzone and ended up in another."

In Steve's broken mind he saw all his new friends fall dead to the ground. One by one they fell and all looked at him with dead cold eyes.

"NO!" Steve screamed and hit Darry's arms away before running off down the dark street.

"Steve", various voices yelled but they couldn't find a trace of their friend.

"Darry where'd he go?" Soda said worried.

"I don't know."

"What the hell happened", Dally asked.

"He lost it", Pony said. "He looked like a frightened animal."

Darry couldn't help but agree with that. Steve had looked like a panicked animal.

"We can't do more tonight", Darry said with a heavy heart. "Let's go home."

"But-", Soda began but Darry cut him off.

"We won't find him in this darkness. We'll go out tomorrow Soda. I promise. I think Steve needs some time to gather his thoughts."

"Yeah animal boy is letting his fire loose", Two-Bit grinned. "He's just running."

"Or hiding", Pony mumbled.

"What ya say", Dally asked.

"Nothing", Pony said.

"Come on guys", Darry said. "Let's go home."

"Steve be careful", Soda mumbled.

Steve was sitting on his dad's porch, knees pulled up and face buried in them and he was crying. He cried for the unfairness of everything. He cried for the loss of his old friends and for the loss, that was about to come, of his new ones. He shuddered in cold but his father wouldn't open the door. These past few weeks he'd slapped Steve around more than usual and locked him outside. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at a police officer… an officer he recognized. It was one of the guys who'd helped him out of the river.

"Are you Steve Randle", he asked kindly.

"Yeah", Steve said hoarsely and wiped away his tears.

"Where is your father?"

"Inside."

"He locked you out?"

"Yeah."

"Does he do that a lot?"

"Yeah."

"Good… that's all I need to hear."

"What?"

TBC