(AN: I like to thank FrankElza for helping me with the rumble scene and fixing a few grammar mistakes. I hope that the last chapter about the gang turning into vampires was okay for everybody. I tried to go with everyone's ideas and suggestions, I hope it was to everybody's liking. I do not own The Outsiders or the characters. Enjoy!)

Chapter 9

The rumble was set for seven, so I was making my supper I had baked. I made baked chicken, potatoes, and corn- the guys had to go outside they couldn't stand the smell. I was ready to fight. I hurriedly took a shower and changed clothes. We wanted to show them Socs we weren't trash that we were just as good as they were.

"Soda," I called from the bathroom. "When did you become a vampire?"

Soda and Steve stopped playing their poker game. Steve glanced at Soda, who was looking at the ground. "Well," he licked his lips. I could tell he was nervous as he kept glancing everywhere except at me. "Five months ago, I was walking home from work and I got jumped. Except these ones were not vampires. They held me down, one clobbering me and the others were laughing. They were chanting their buddy on, "Get the grease," and "Show him that we don't appreciate his kind walking our streets," and their personal favorite, "Stay away from Sandy." Then they finally started with the cutting. A big dark haired Soc got his knife and starting with my wrist, then he slashed my chest, stomach and before he got to my neck, I saw them run away, before I blacked out, I saw Darry's face. The next thing I know I wake up like this. Why all of a sudden do you want to know, Pony?"

"I was...curious." I really didn't have a reason actually. It was interesting to know that I lived in the dark for a long time. Now I just had to wait for Johnny to tell me.

"Pony, can I talk to you for a minute?" Darry called from the kitchen. He was tucking his shirt in his pants, the one that showed off his muscles. I sat down in one of the chairs, he took the other one. I could see from his posture that he was tired from all the stuff that's been happening lately. He rubbed his forehead then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Pony... I don't think you should fight in the rumble with us." He glanced at me.

My palms got sweaty. No, I thought, I should be in it. Right now the most important thing in my life was helping us whip the Socs. I have to be in this fight. My chest got tight and I felt like I got something lodged in my throat. It made me feel angry at Darry, I was involved in the vampire business as much as the gang. "Darry, please I have to be in it. Why do I have to stay here? I'm in this whole thing as much as the gang. "Darry, please I have to be in it. Why do I have to stay here? I'm in this whole thing as much as you guys."

"If you do go, they would be after you and we can't handle all of them at once. I'm not letting another piece of my family get taken away from me. Soda would probably go crazy and... we just got you back and I don't want you to go away." Darry said resignedly. He looked older than he really was, but he cared a whole lot about his family. I jumped up and gave him a hug. This brought me back to the night when I got home, he was scared. I was just a human, while everyone else was stronger than me, tougher than me, and faster than me.

"Besides, if things go bad I'll send Soda or Johnny over and they'll keep you safe, you hear me. I don't want you anywhere near the lot tonight." He gave me a good stern look, his ice blue eyes penetrating mine. It made me feel frozen to my seat. I gave in, "Okay, but what do I do when they come after me?" I asked.

"No one is going to get you. I'll make sure they don't." He gave me a pat on the shoulder and entered the living room. I sat there and a dark feeling grew in my gut. Something is gonna happen. Johnny came into the kitchen; the look of concern on his face was comforting. At least someone understood what I was feeling. "Hey, Darry," he called out, "I'm gonna stay here and keep Pony company." Darry looked between us then a knowing look passed over his face.

"But we need everyone we got, even with the Shepard gang, we still are outnumbered." He looked over at Dally who was watching the poker game, which turned into an arm wrestling when Steve found Soda keeping an ace up his sleeve. "But they are the strongest. Hey, has anyone seen Two-bit?" As soon as he said that, Two-bit's head peaked through the door, "Welup, I see we are in prime condition for a rumble. Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah!" Soda screamed as he did a flying somersault off the porch. Screeching like an Indian, Steve went running across the lawn in flying leaps, stopped suddenly, and flipped backward. Dally did a no-hands cartwheel off the steps. Two-bit did the same thing. Darry jumped on top the fence and did a somersault landing perfectly.

"Do vampires like to show off?" Johnny laughed. "You should see what I can do." I blushed.

"Not that way, Pony. But now that you mentioned it..." Our lips connected. His lips felt soft, his cold breath felt nice on my hot flushed face. His tongue licked along my bottom lip, the noise I made got Johnny worked up. His hands pulled me up from my chair, worked his arms around my waist as I rested my hands on his shoulder. I opened my mouth and his tongue danced with mine, I felt heat grow in my belly and it started spreading. I started losing air and I was the first to pull back. He smiled at me as my cheeks got hot. "That was wonderful, but I think you should go to bed. I'll keep a lookout."

I gave him a final kiss and walked to mine and Soda's room. I crawled into the bed instead of changing my clothes. The room felt cold, I saw that the window was open. A cold breeze came through the window and a cold chill came up my spine as I see a figure out of the corner of my eye.

I turned around quickly and the figure came out of the shadows. He was tall and he had on a school jacket, his eyes were red and his fangs came out of his mouth.

"I ain't going to hurt you if you co-operate with me and you and your friend ain't going to have problems." He smiled, his fangs showing.

Johnny came bursting through the door. Fangs out, snarling at the stranger taking his stance in front of me. "Why are you here?"

"Paul sent me here to get the human grease, to make sure those greasers listen to our demands." He looked at me and then at Johnny. "Who's Paul?" Johnny asked when I let out a gasp at the familiar name.

"Darry and Paul used to play football together. He went missing when he bit Darry, they used to love each other. I guess Paul came back to get at Darry cause he didn't bit a kid." My eyes got wide as the vampire came closer. Johnny kept pushing us back toward the open door. "Hand over the kid and I'll let him live, before Paul gets to him. Or do you want to die with him?"

Johnny let out a screech and leapt at him. I saw Johnny get slashed across the face, the other vampire pinned Johnny on the floor. Johnny got the vampire off him, but when Johnny went to attack the guy punched him and Johnny was out cold. The figure came out of hiding and I gasped. Randy Adderson. "I thought you weren't in the rumble?"

"I never said anything about fighting, just the fact of watching those greasers squirm of the thought of you being turned will make them writhe. This is not just for me, but for Bob." He held up a familiar object dangling from his hand. The Charm! I clutched my neck where it should have been, then realized I took it off when I came home.

"You should never trust a Soc, even one who knows where you live." He laughed and put the charm in his pocket and looked back at me. "Sorry, but I have to do this Ponyboy." I made a run for the door, but he flashed in front of me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up. His pupils were dilated and I felt dizzy, the whole room was getting out of focus. I heard Johnny scream my name, but he was too far away for me to hear.

I woke up when I felt a cold hand on my shoulder and Johnny was beside me. "Where are we Johnny?" I asked looking around the small, dark space we were in. I was being bounced around and it took a minute for me to realize we were in the trunk of Randy's Mustang.

"We are being taken to the fight. Don't know why, but I came along just so you wouldn't get hurt." Even though I couldn't see him, I heard the concern he held for me in his voice. Soon the car came to a complete stop. I could hear some sounds and footsteps walking toward the back of the car, followed by the trunk opening. Randy was smiling at us with an evil glint, but his eyes were showing something different.

A male about the same height as Randy came up beside him. The male had blonde hair and was broad shouldered. I could see now why Darry liked him.

"Hello, Ponyboy, nice to finally meet the family that Darrel talked about so much." He smiled, though it hardly seemed like a friendly smile, he had something up his sleeve. He grabbed my arm, the grip was painful I let out a whimper. Johnny made a move to grab me but Randy held him back with a growl. I was dragged out to what looked like a battlefield. Soc and Grease where either knocked out or still going at it. Clothes and sometimes teeth that still looked canine were lying on the floor. We passed a greaser who had completely lost his head, lying there dead. I hopped not one of my brothers or the guys were seriously hurt. The sounds they made were animalistic, something you would here out of a horror movie.

"Attention!" He called, and just like that the battle was postponed, all eyes were on us. Socs smirking and sending smug looks to greasers who either were being held by a Soc, or the Soc being clobbered by a greaser. "Darrel I have a proposal for you. I want you and your... kind to get out of here, keep away from our women, our cars, and especially our neighborhood. We don't want to see you greasers hanging around anymore. You either forfeit this rumble or..." He threw me into the middle. I caught myself before I hit the ground. "We turn this grease into one of us." He smiled. I heard Darry curse. The guys were holding Soda and Johnny back, who had managed to escape Randy.

I stood up, but stood in the middle ready to make a break toward Darry just in case Paul tried to pull a fast one. "Leave him alone, Paul. It's me you want, just because I didn't turn that kid years ago doesn't mean you have to hold a grudge against me for so long." Paul looked furious, his eyes possibly glowed dark red. "It's not about the kid anymore." He seethed. "The fact you left and disappeared, letting me watch my kid brother die!"

I made a run for it, but Paul was faster than Darry. He grabbed me by the neck and bit down. The pain was excruciating. I fell down, my legs felt like they were on fire, the bit was even worse. The cold air was hitting it, sending a wave of pain after pain. It felt like getting burned from the inside out. The black spots were appearing around my vision. I heard multiple cars leaving, followed by Steve screaming, "WE WON!"

"Pony?" I heard Johnny, but he was fading, "Pony, can you hear me? DARRY, DALLY, SODA DO SOMETHING!" The dark was slowly claiming me. I want to tell Johnny how much all that time in the church had really meant a lot to me, being beside the boy I love was the most exciting thing that has managed to gasp, "I love you..." I heard Johnny say my name for the final time before I blacked out, the dark finally pulled me through.

The familiar sensation of waking up, I thought I was dead? The sun was shining through my room. Is this heaven? Is Mom and Dad gonna walk in the door any minute? I blinked the fuzziness out of my eyes, blinking a couple of times brought the room back to normal vision. It was my room, then all the memories from last night came over me. I went to rub my neck, feeling a bandage and groaned when the motion caused me more pain. I finally decided that I was gonna sleep a little more.

The blinds and curtains were closed suddenly. I gripped the sheet with all my might, fearing that the intruder was another Soc. "Pony?" Soda's voice came to me like a southing sound, I relaxed, letting the death grip I had on the sheets be released. I felt a wet wash rag on my hot forehead.

"Soda, am I gonna be okay?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah, you're gonna pull through like a trooper." He smiled softly.

"How long have I been out?" I felt him shift on the bed. He was hesitant to tell me. "About three or four days, give or take. The bite is extremely painful. You fell to the ground. I wanted to tear into Paul when I heard you scream like that. I'm surprise Johnny didn't reach Paul before Darry did."

"What happened after I was gone?" "Oh, the Socs retreated when you got bit. I guess they saw how mad we were and retreated. They got into their cars and drove away. Though, I doubt that will be the last time we hear of them." I was glad we won.

"Where's Johnny?" I looked around, expecting him to be near the door, or at least sitting at our desk chair.

"He went somewhere after the rumble, but he hasn't been back. I just hope he hid somewhere cause the suns out." I hope and prayed too.

"You better get some sleep, tomorrow you'll feel better." He gave me a kiss on the forehead and walked away. I laid there thinking where would Johnny go? I wish he was here. I wanted someone to talk too, maybe to erase my memory of last night. Maybe the fact I died in his arms is what scared Johnny off and that made him finally decide to leave. I felt tears run down my face before I fell asleep.

(Don't worry Johnny will come back. I hope you liked the slash I put in this chapter, more to come. I mentioned Leonard Nimoy died in the last chapter, in case some where wondering he died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a disease that block airflow and makes it difficult to breath. LLAP, please review!)