"Oh, what's your idea dad?" Dally asked with a sigh.
"Well, I could take custody of the girls so the family can be together," Joe told him and Mike.
"I'll allow it since the last thing I knew Mary and I shared custody, I would rather have Linda be in a stable home instead of moving all over like I do for my work," Mike said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I would want Linda with me also and Mel here also," Dally said as Mel climbed onto his lap.
"Then tomorrow we'll go and talk to the cops, or whenever will be good," Joe said.
"Tomorrow will be better, the sooner the better," Mike said.
A few weeks later Linda was heading home with Dallas, Melody and Joe, she was sore some but the doctors gave her some pain medication to help with the pain.
The next day a court hearing was being held and the judge awarded Joe the custody of Melody and Linda both seeing how bad Linda was the judge did not want to see Melody go through the same thing.
Everyone was happy, well everyone but Linda's mom and step-dad that was. The kids went home with Joe and Dallas and they all were happy about the choice the judge made.
"Well, welcome home kids, for now you two ladies will be sharing a room, Darry said he'd help build in another room when the weather straightens out again," Joe told them.
"That's fine with me," Linda replied, "and also thank you."
"For what?" he asked in reply as he made lunch.
"For taking Mel and I in, it was this or foster care," she replied as she slowly made her way over to him.
"You're welocme and you need to sit down young lady before you hurt yourself," he told her with a smile.
"After this," she said and gave him a hug.
He hugged her back.
"Okay, you now win dad, I'm going to go stretch out on the couch if Dally's not hogging it," she told him with a smile and went to the living room, sat down and slowly laid on the couch.
"Pill time," Dally said with a smile and helped her sit up.
She took the pill then laid back down after Dally took the cup that had the water in it.
A few weeks have gone and the room was done, Mel was given the smaller room while Linda got the new room.
Even though she was in pain still she went with Dally to the Curtis house to hang out, she was starting to like Ponyboy but wouldn't let Dally know.
Slowly entering the house she got a chorus of 'hey' and 'how are you' from everyone.
"Hey all and sore as hell but other than that good, between Dally, Dad and Mel I'm being taken care of," Linda told everyone and sat on the couch next to Steve.
"You look way better then you did sweetie," Steve told her and she chuckled.
"I feel better also, and the walking helped my muscle un-cramp," she replied and gave him a one armed hug.
As the weeks and months passed Linda knew she found the right home for her and Mel to live in. She was happy she got her brother back and was happy she found a great father. Her birth father visits from time to time when he's in town, sometimes he'll just stop by to surprise her.
Mel was a happy girl since she got to be with her sissy and has her own room and lots of dolls and toys to play with. She was happy also since now she has a wonderful daddy and a new big brother to play with.
Dallas was one lucky guy since he has both of his sisters in a safe place and the court told his dad he needed to stop drinking or he could loose all three of his kids. So his dad stopped drinking and found a good paying job.
Looking over at his three children he is blessed to have Joe smiled as he watched Dallas get on all fours and act as a horse as Mel was on his back wearing her cowboy boots and cowboy hat she got for her birthday along with a pony that lives in the barn, even though Mel tries to bring it in once and a while.
One happy family was living in the house, all thanks to the court and Joe offering to take Mel and Linda as his own.