(AN: I don't own the Outsiders or its characters.)

Chapter 8

I woke up around four when Darry came in. The others were still knocked out cold. He looked tired, he drug his weight around like Two-bit did earlier. He walked into the kitchen and sat down, hearing him sigh I got up and walked in. "Hey, Darry," I greeted quietly, "can I ask you something?" He glanced up at me, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, I was just wondering if I could talk to you about the gang?" He sighed even more, he probably knew this was coming and I waited this long without asking. He looked like he planned it, but he was a little lean on me learning on how the boys I grew up with, who I considered family, got turned into vampires.

"Okay, surprised it took this long to ask, but okay. Sit down," I pulled out one of the chairs and sat in front of Darry. His eyes had bags, even more prominent than Two-bits. "I really wished that you would have asked them, but they really don't know how they ended up like this. Dally and Soda I turned, the others were a different story. All took place after Mom and Dad died. Johnny is the youngest by four months, but I want him to tell you when he's ready." He grabbed went to the fridge and got me a piece of chocolate cake and a bottle of pop. I started eating when he started telling me.

"Well, for starters I didn't turn him Soda did. I wish he didn't, he's more annoying now than he was before. But you know how Soda is, can't keep a secret to save himself. He got careless one night and Steve caught him. Thinking it was cool, Steve begged Soda to turn him. They eventually got into argument when Soda said he didn't want to ruin Steve's life. Steve then said his father did that for him. I think that struck Soda something awful. They didn't talk for three days. So on the third day, Soda went to Steve's house and said he would do it. I guess he did it to get his friend back, but..." He looked past my shoulder, probably at the two passed out greaser currently asleep in each other's arms. "Soda probably had a motive. He needed to get his mind off Sandy, though I wouldn't want to him to choose Steve."

"Two-bit got turned by Tim Shepard," I stopped eating. What? "I don't know how or why he did it, but he turned up here with a passed out and vampire Two-bit and dumped him on the couch. He got drunk and walked around town, caught sight of some Soc girls and decided to have fun. He started hitting on them and they threatened to get their boyfriends but Two-bit wasn't scared. He eventually gave up and started for home. Then a group of Socs caught him off guard, must have been vampires, but they got him to the ground and beat the daylights out of him. A kick to the head rendered him unconscious, and they dragged him to the train tracks. Tim happened to be passing by and saw him lying there. I don't know why but I was sure thankful for it, all Tim said was "Family is family." I still don't know what he meant by that?"

He got me another pop and took my plate to the sink. He started washing my plate while continuing.

"Dally got caught slashing a Socs tires. It was one of them new fancy cars, so Dally decided to get smart. The owner of the car came out and started screaming at him. He mouthed back, you know Dally, don't take crap from anyone even a Soc. Well his mouthing got wilder and this Soc had enough of it, so he started a fight with Dally. One morning I woke up with a half-dead Dallas Winston. I didn't want him to die, so I turned him. Though now that I think about it, he is more terrifying as a vampire than a human." He chuckled then looked at me. He dried his hands and rejoined me at the table.

"Soda said he would tell you himself when he got turned, but I doubt he will. Soda, Steve and I are the only ones who know how we got turned." I took a swig from my pop.

"So how'd you get turned then?"

"I got turned before Paul went to college," I remembered Paul, he used to come out to the house and they would play football in the lot. When he got offered a free scholarship to a college he got excited, but Darry was upset that he got to go cause we didn't have money. "You're not the first to love a guy, Pony. I never told you or Soda, even Mom and Dad, but we dated in our senior year. We kept it a secret and things went pretty smooth. On the day before he went to college, we got intimate and he said some things how it would make me stronger, better in everything. I believed him, so I let him turn me. I felt great the next morning, but when Paul dragged a kid around your age," He paused, tears in the corner of his eye. "I couldn't do it. I ran off, taking the kid back home and Paul left the next day, haven't seen him since."

He looked at me, "I loved Paul, and I just don't want you and Johnny to end up like we did. You getting turned and him forcing you to do something and then leaving not telling you how to live. I almost died, I so happened to cross a man trying to rob a girl and I stopped him. Drank him dry. I don't want that to happen to you."

"I promise Darry," I grabbed his hand, it was cold. The haunted look in his eyes proved all the crap Darry has been through and putting up with me. "Johnny wouldn't do that to me. He won't leave me."

"I hope so, otherwise I will hunt him down and kill him myself." He gave a soft chuckle, the old Darry before any of this happened was gone for the moment. The Darry before Mom and Dad died was back, I missed that, and he needed to laugh. I decided to get out for a quick walk. I needed to think on what I heard and maybe get some fresh air.

"Can I go out?" He looked back over my shoulder and I turned with him. Seeing past the room full of sleeping vampires, the sun was midway, coloring the sky orange.

"I don't know, maybe you need to stay the vampires maybe asleep but that doesn't mean the non-vampires are." I let out a sigh.

"Please Darry just a couple of minutes, I'll come back and wake everyone up by five thirty." Darry needed sleep and maybe I can get out of the house so he can have a well-rested sleep.

"Just be careful and if you see a Mustang or Corvair you come back home, you understand?"

I nodded and grabbed my jacket from the coat hanger and walked outside. Pulled it up to cover my neck.

I was walking over to the vacant lot when I saw a car. I was about to walk home when I saw a familiar face sitting in the car. Cherry Valance. Her hair was pinned up.

"Hi, Ponyboy," she said.

"Hi." Not in a very good mood to talk to her.

"Randy's not going to show up at the rumble."

"I know," I said, "He told me."

"He's not scared. He's just sick of the fighting. Bob..." She swallowed, then went on quietly, "Bob was his best buddy. Since grade school."

I thought of Soda and Steve. What if one of them saw the other killed? Would that make them stop fighting? Soda maybe, but not Steve. He would hunt down everyone who was involved with the incident. Maybe that's what Bob would have done if Randy was killed instead of him?

"You're a nice kid, Ponyboy. Do you realize how scarce nice kids are nowadays? Wouldn't you try to help me if you could?"

I would. I'd help her and Randy out, if I could. "Hey," I said. "Can you see the sunset real good on the West side?"

"Yeah, real good." She said.

"You can see it on the East side real good too."

"Thanks, Ponyboy." She smiled through her tears. "You dig okay."

She had green eyes.

We said our goodbyes and walked home. Thinking on how the fight was going to be like. What would the gang do if I ended up being turned or worse dead? Would they stop fighting? Would the greasers quit this stupid war between us? Maybe. Just maybe. The walk home was fast, the sun was setting and I didn't want to be caught out here.

I opened the gate of our small house. Hesitating at the steps. A thought came over me, what would happen if I did get turned? Would I get the same strength that they got? Or maybe I would just die, and leave them and Johnny here. I walked in the door and saw that Darry was nowhere to be seen, he probably in his room. Soda and Steve was laying on the floor, one arm was across Soda's waist, Steve looked happy. Dally was in the recliner still, Two-bit laid next to the TV, and Johnny asleep on the couch. Not one switch their positions.

I walked into mine and Soda's room and took off the Evangel Charm and put it on the desk. I walked back into the living room and started waking everyone up. Dally and Steve were cranky, Two-bit startled a bit, Soda just laid there still. He will eventually get up when Steve gets him up. Johnny sat up and stretched his arms. I couldn't help but notice the slip of skin showing when his shirt rode up. He smiled at me catching me looking. I sat down next to him, then he pulled me close. Our thighs were touching, his arm was around me, and I laid my head on his shoulder as we waited for Darry to wake up.

(AN: I hope everyone liked the way they got turned. I surprised myself when I wrote about Paul/Darry, but more Soda/Steve in the next story. Please leave a review, and remember Leonard Nimoy who played Mr. Spock, died at the age of 83 on 2/27/15. Long Live and Prosper.)