Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cordelia O'Brien was not happy.

After only three of driving, she felt like she would go crazy if Elvis' voice came out on the radio again. Mrs. Elmers quietly hummed along to the radio as she drove, completely ignoring the girl in her backseat. Cordelia didn't mind. Years of being ignored had made her immune to caring. They hadn't said more than ten words to each other the whole drive, but it didn't bother either of them. They were well acquainted and while they didn't hate each other, they knew that there was no point in trying to have a conversation.

Cordelia perked up a little when the car slowed down in a run-down neighborhood. Dogs barked at the car as it passed and the owners glared at the Corvair, their eyes narrowed with concern and anger. Some of the houses looked like they could fall down if someone blew on them, yet kids still ran around the front yards with bright smiles and laughter that made Cordelia grin to herself for a moment.

"Cordelia, get your bags ready."

The sixteen-year-old grimaced at the woman's high-pitched voice as she grabbed her two bags anyway and got ready to get out. Her hands started shaking with anxiety, but she put them under her thighs and focused on the house they were stopping in front of. It had a big tree in the front yard with a tire swing blowing in the soft wind, and a chain link fence around the front and backyards. The house itself wasn't as bad as some of the others, but it obviously needed some work done. The porch looked like it could collapse if too many people stood on it at once, it needed some paint, and some of the decorative shutters were hanging on by a single nail. However, the family inside had a porch swing and a few chairs on the porch, and the lawn was carefully mowed to show that they at least semi-cared.

"Now remember, this is a last-minute placement due to everything that has occurred. Tulsa will give you a chance to experience something new if you let it," Mrs. Elmers lectured once more. Cordelia had already gotten the same talk from her multiple times so she no longer felt any optimism about the placement. Instead, the familiar anxiety was building up just like it always did before she met a new family.

"You sure this is the house?" Cordelia asked, her voice cracking from misuse. Most of her foster placements had bigger and nicer homes than the one in front of her since you typically had to have money to take in any foster kids. The brunette up front nodded, but furrowed her eyebrows and checked her binder just in case.

"This is the Curtis family. Now it's late, we need to go introduce ourselves and get you comfortable."

Cordelia snorted at the idea of getting comfortable on the first night, but her back was aching from the uncomfortable seat so she didn't hesitate to get out of the car. The sunset was just finishing as it approached nine at night, faint orange glows lighting the path. Mrs. Elmers was a busy woman and with Cordelia being used to how the system worked, she was usually the last thing that the woman dealt with, this placement being no different.

"Goodness, I can't get it open," Mrs. Elmers complained as she messed with the gate latch. The loud noise drew the attention of several neighbors and the inhabitants of the house itself. The front door was opened and a large man hurried down the path, his arms bulging from his shirt and his face tired. He was obviously young, just on the cusp of true adulthood, but he had the air of someone with much too much stress on their plates. His brown hair was slightly curly and lightly greased to get it out of his face and his skin was tan like he spent most of his time out in the sun, making his pale blue eyes stand out even more. His eyes were cold and narrowed to see better with the only light coming from a flickering streetlight two doors up the road.

"Mrs. Elmers?" The man asked, his voice deep. His eyes flickered over to Cordelia and he stopped before he could open the gate for the woman.

"Hello, Mr. Curtis. Sorry for the late arrival, it was a long drive," Mrs. Elmers apologized, seemingly not noticing his hesitance. Cordelia did and she turned her gaze down to her ratty shoes, tightening her grip on her bags.

"No problem," the man, Mr. Curtis, answered. He took another look at Cordelia and then easily opened the gate for them.

"I won't be long. My hotel is just up the street, so I'll leave the number if you have any issues. I head down to Austin tomorrow, but the Oklahoma City office isn't too far if you need anything," Mrs. Elmers said, walking faster than normal. Cordelia followed behind the two adults without a word and entered the house that Mrs. Elmers let herself into. The man was trying to say something to her, but Mrs. Elmers wasn't always the best at listening.

The walls were a pale yellow with family pictures covering every inch of free space. Several hand-drawn pictures were also framed or simply taped up. Almost none of the furniture matched, but it worked with the atmosphere of the room. The light blue couch was occupied by three people, two of the guys standing up at their appearance. There was another guy with his dark hair twisted in intricate curls sitting in a chair while another guy with brown hair and dark brown eyes sat in the last chair. The other guy on the couch was tan with dark curly hair and dark eyes, a bruise covering part of his face, and a scar on the other cheek.

"Are you my new brother?" A boy with a wide smile and golden blonde hair asked. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows and looked down at her outfit to see what made the boy think that she was also a boy. Her medium brown hair was down and went to her mid back and her shirt was basically just a tank top with an old flannel on top. The most obvious sign that she was a girl, other than her top, was the fact that she was wearing a skirt at the behest of Mrs. Elmers.

"Last time I checked, I had a va-"

"Cordelia O'Brien!" Mrs. Elmers interrupted a horrified expression on her face. A boy with auburn hair and sideburns chuckled from his spot on the floor while the golden-haired boy cocked his head to the side like a dog, his eyes kind and humored.

"Darry, I thought you said it would be a boy," a pale kid with auburn hair asked. He was small and thin, young enough that he hadn't had his growth sport yet. He was a good four inches shorter than the golden-haired boy and six inches shorter than the first boy, who Cordelia assumed was Darry.

"That's what I was trying to say," Darry said awkwardly, grabbing a familiar Manila folder. "I was expecting a boy, Elijah O'Brien."

Cordelia's jaw tightened and she looked down at the ground. Mrs. Elmers put her hand on her back in an attempt to be comforting, but Cordelia simply shook it off. The woman made a sound deep in her throat and sent the teenager a warning glare before she looked at Darry with her eyebrows furrowed.

"My associate, Mr. Dillon, was supposed to call you. Did he not talk to you?" Mrs. Elmers questioned.

"No, ma'am."

Mrs. Elmers pursed her lips and then made a clicking noise as she sighed heavily. Cordelia blinked away the tears in her eyes and grabbed her bags tighter. It was just her luck that her case once again slipped through the cracks and she would have to go back to sharing a room with fourteen other girls and a bathroom with twenty.

"Elijah had an-an incident of sorts and is no longer in need of housing. This is Cordelia, his younger sister. She has been in a girl's home for the last month, so we thought that she would be a perfect fit in his place," Mrs. Elmers explained.

"How old are you?" Darry asked, not unkindly. His eyebrows were furrowed with worry and he gave her a quick once over when she looked up, not making eye contact.

"Just turned sixteen a few weeks ago," Mrs. Elmers answered when it became clear that Cordelia wouldn't answer. "I apologize for the confusion, Mr. Curtis. We assumed that you wouldn't mind."

"As I told you on the phone, I only agreed to take in Elijah since he would be eighteen in a few months. I'm only doin' this so I can keep my brothers and apply for permanent guardianship," Darry responded. Cordelia shuffled and pulled the flannel tighter around her when she caught the stares of most of the guys, her cheeks blazing and her heart picking up speed. They weren't looking at her in a predatory way, but she was still uncomfortable with all the attention.

"And it is very important that you show the state that you can take care of teenagers," Mrs. Elmers told him. "How about this? Cordelia can stay for the week and I'll write you a letter of recommendation to help you gain permanent guardianship. No promises, of course. By next Friday, we can find another home for her or find a space in a girl's home, and my coworker can come get her."

Darry looked hesitant so Cordelia nodded in understanding and turned to go back outside, the door unintentionally slamming behind her. Mrs. Elmers grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip before she could take a step off the porch. The girl scrambled backward, almost tripping over her own feet, making the woman let go with a disappointed sigh.

"I don't want to stay here," Cordelia spat at the woman. "Make me stay here and I'll run away."

"Now, Cordelia, I know the last few homes haven't been the best, but Mr. Curtis has been properly vetted," Mrs. Elmers sighed. "Just give it a week if he agrees. Please."

"No," Cordelia said, shaking her head and taking another step back. "I told you, I'm not staying with more men. I told you."

"We won't do anything."

Cordelia gasped at the deep voice of Darry Curtis and took another step back. Her foot lost anything beneath it and she squeezed her eyes shut to block out the pain of falling, but a strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up before she could go far. Cordelia gasped again and held onto the strong arm to stabilize herself.

"How about we sit?" Darry suggested when he pulled her to be fully standing. Cordelia quickly stepped away from the man, being careful not to fall off the porch again. Her cheeks blazed from embarrassment as she mumbled thanks, the man giving her an awkward smile in return.

"That would be lovely," Mrs. Elmers smiled. Cordelia played with her necklace and hesitantly sat down on one of the chairs while Mrs. Elmers sat on the other chair and Darry took the porch swing. He had to mutter an apology before he slammed his fist on the glass when the curtains were opened just an inch. Whoever was trying to spy closed the curtains in a rush, muffled laughter making its way outside.

"I'm not staying with you," Cordelia said coldly.

"It's just me, Sodapop, and Ponyboy here," Darry spoke to her, despite the fact that Cordelia refused to look up from the ground. "Those are our friends. I'll tell them to get lost for the next week, and they'll listen. You would have your own room and I'll run to the store and get a doorknob that you can lock from the inside if you want."

"Cordelia hasn't had the best experiences in the past," Mrs. Elmers sighed when Cordelia refused to answer again. "I promise that we'll find another place for her as soon as possible. It might not even be the full week. At a minimum, we would just need housing for tonight."

"I'm open to it if she is," Darry said. "I need that letter. I don't want my brothers separated from me."

"Where are your parents?" Cordelia asked in a soft voice. Darry blinked at her in shock, not expecting her to speak, and then cleared his throat.

"Car accident about eight months ago. I'm only twenty but I took them in. Sodapop, he's the blonde, he's sixteen too. Almost seventeen as he likes to remind us. And the smaller kid with auburn hair, that's Ponyboy. He just turned fourteen last month. They're my whole world and I need them here with me."

"If I stay this week, I'm not cleaning or cooking for you. And I want that lock," Cordelia said.

"Of course," Darry assured her. "I'm not the best cook, but I usually do everything. Soda adds food coloring to all his food and Pony gets too distracted. And I do most of the cleaning too. You wouldn't have to worry about anything."

"And I want to see my brother," Cordelia added, turning to the social worker.

"I'll see what I can do."

"That's not a good enough answer."

"It'll only be for a short bit, Cordelia," Mrs. Elmers soothed. Cordelia hesitated before nodding. "Perfect! I'll call you tomorrow afternoon."

The woman was gone in an instant after passing Darry the correct file. The man blinked in surprise at her quick exit and awkwardly turned to the teenager.

"D'ya want this?" Darry offered, holding out the folder to her as he stood up.

"You're not gonna read it?" Cordelia asked softly, eagerly grabbing the thick folder. Darry chuckled and shook his head as he grabbed her bags for her, Cordelia hesitantly following behind.

"Nah, I don't wanna pry," Darry told her as he used his foot to open the door. The guys all pretended not to stare at her, but they weren't very slick. The dark-headed boy, in particular, seemed mighty interested in the way he was messing with a necklace and raising an eyebrow at her, a smirk seemingly plastered to his face.

"You're staying!" Sodapop said excitedly, jumping up and down on the couch. Ponyboy punched his leg to make him stop while the other boy on the couch held his hands up for protection. Sodapop didn't pay them any attention until the boy with the curls tugged on his arm and he almost fell to the ground, the two of them lightly slapping each other with a grin.

"Just for a week. Maybe less," Darry said. "Now if your last name isn't Curtis, scram."

"Yeah, yeah," the auburn-haired boy sighed jokingly as he stood up. His Mickey Mouse shirt contrasted with the beer bottle in his hand and the drunk giggle that left his mouth or the way that he was stumbling and tripping over his own two feet.

"I gotchya, Two-Bit," the boy with the intricately curled hair laughed while he held onto the other boy and guided him away.

"Need a place to stay, Johnnycakes?" The brunette asked, pushing his long hair out of his face. His eyes flickered over Cordelia once more with yet another smirk and then he turned his attention to the boy on the couch.

"Nah, I'll go home," the tan boy said softly. The house emptied in moments while Darry guided Cordelia to the back. Ponyboy and Sodapop stayed up front after getting a look from Darry, something Cordelia was pleased with. The less people, the better.

"Sorry for the decor. It used to be Soda's room," Darry apologized when he opened the door. Cordelia's lip curled at the sight of car posters and half-naked women on the wall, but the room was overall clean so she didn't mind too much.

"Am I taking someone's room? I don't mind sleepin' on the couch," Cordelia said, turning to look at Darry. The couch would also provide her with an easy way out the door if she needed it.

"Nah, Soda sleeps in Ponyboy's room," Darry assured her. He noticed how her eyes flickered between his body and the door so he shifted his feet a little so he wasn't blocking the door anymore. "If you hear any screaming it's just Pony. He gets bad nightmares. I'm real sorry if it wakes you."

"My brother gets nightmares too. It's fine," Cordelia responded softly.

"Elijah?"

Cordelia's jaw tightened at the name and she shook her head and clenched her jaw.

"Is he alright? Elijah?"

"Fuck off."

Darry blinked in surprise at her harsh tone and held his hands up in defense. He didn't miss how her breath picked up at the action so he lowered his arms and put his hands in his pockets instead, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Alright. Kitchen is up front. You're welcome to anything in there. Bathroom is the door to your right. The boys are in the room right across from you and I'm at the end of the hall. Treat this house like it's your own," Darry told her in a soft tone. Cordelia nodded her head in understanding and focused on her meager belongings instead. Darry didn't waste any time in leaving the room, allowing Cordelia to put the desk chair under the handle.

She didn't sleep the whole night. The blankets were too warm and inviting, the laughter up front too comforting and familiar. Cordelia didn't trust the men enough to fall asleep, so she decided to carefully and quietly examine the room and its contents after she heard everyone else go to bed. Once she was done with her examination, she kept herself awake by sitting on the bed with a baseball bat that she found in the closet. With the sun shining in the air, the house was once again lively as the three brothers got ready for the day ahead of them. None of the Curtis brothers tried to come into her room, but Cordelia heard one of them stop and knock before walking away when she didn't respond. Her body was arguing for her to just lay down, but her mind was racing too fast to even consider it.

"Cordelia? It's eight in the morning. I made breakfast," Darry said through the door, knocking softly.

"Not hungry," Cordelia responded.

"Can I come in?" Darry asked.

"Why?"

"Dunno. Just have a quick question."

Cordelia hesitantly put the baseball bat down on the bed and then carefully moved the chair to open the door. Darry surveyed the room but didn't comment, his eyebrow raising at the bat.

"Just wanted to know if you needed a ride to see your brother. I remembered that you asked Mrs. Elmers about seein' him, and I have the day off tomorrow. I dunno what I'd do if I couldn't see my brothers for a long time," Darry explained.

"He's in Oklahoma City. I doubt you'd want to go that far," Cordelia said softly.

"Yeah, that's a bit too far. I did have a question; I thought the file said you were from Atlanta. Or at least Elijah was," Darry responded, cocking his head to the side. Cordelia's cheeks flamed red and she tried to swallow, but her throat was too dry.

"I'll be out of your hair in a few days. Don't pretend like you care. Now where's the bathroom?"

Darry pretended that he wasn't shocked by her tone and pointed to the door that was already open so she didn't have to worry about anyone else being in there. It clearly belonged to a house of boys because the toilet seat was left up and a razor was still on the counter. Cordelia tried not to grimace and hurried to do what she needed to do, holding back a disgusted groan when she saw that they didn't even have shampoo, only soap. The bags under her eyes seemed to stand out and her hair looked dull and lifeless.

"Excuse me. I need to go real bad."

Cordelia opened the door to see Ponyboy standing outside, looking a little ashamed. His hair was wild and crazy and he was still blinking sleep away. His grey-green eyes made him look so young with how he could barely even look at her. The girl's heart clenched at the sight, and she hurried to step out of the bathroom so he could enter.

"How old is Ponyboy again?" Cordelia questioned when she made her way to the front. Sodapop and Darry both jumped in shock at her voice and then Sodapop was grinning and guiding her to a seat. She flinched at his hands on her elbow, but the boy just smiled to show her that he meant no harm as he pulled out her seat for her.

"'Just turned fourteen. We're hopin' he has a growth spurt soon," Sodapop answered. "I'm sixteen, almost seventeen. Darry is twenty."

"How d'ya like your eggs?" Darry asked Cordelia.

"I'm allergic," Cordelia lied. Darry and Soda both raised an eyebrow at her.

"Toast?"

"Allergic."

"Cereal?"

"Allergic."

"Fruit?"

"Allergic."

Sodapop laughed at her continued lie and put a huge drop of grape jelly on his eggs. Ponyboy came out of the bathroom and sat back down with a big yawn, eating the eggs that Darry had already made. Cordelia found herself staring at him for a moment too long before she turned her attention to a scratch on the table and bit her tongue so hard that she tasted blood.

"So what can you eat?" Darry asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Don't waste your food on me. I'll be fine," Cordelia mumbled.

"He got extra 'cause he was expecting your brother," Sodapop explained. "Darry played football too so he knows how much a football player can eat. Where is Elijah anyways?"

"Fuck off."

Sodapop's face fell and Ponyboy looked up from his food with wide eyes. Darry put the spatula down and turned to Cordelia with a slightly concerned and angry look in his eyes.

"You can speak to me that way if you feel it's necessary, but not Soda or Pony," Darry instructed, his arms crossed over his chest. With his muscles bulging, Cordelia's breath got caught in her throat and she focused her attention back to the mark on the table.

"Don't ask about my brothers," Cordelia spat, standing up and returning to her room. She put the chair back under the doorknob and then sat back down on the bed as she blinked away tears. The boys didn't make much noise while they got ready for the day, Darry slipping a note under her door. When Cordelia was sure that they were gone, she got up to see that Darry had put a plate of eggs and toast outside her door and explained that he and Soda would be at work while Ponyboy was at school.

With the house to herself, Cordelia allowed her body to rest as she prepared herself for whatever would come next.

Chapter Text

Cordelia had showered and changed into a more comfortable outfit by the time Ponyboy came home from school. He was accompanied by the dark eyed boy and the drunk guy, all of them laughing when they came inside. Cordelia looked up from the book that she had grabbed and hurried to stand up.

"I'm sorry for grabbing the book. I saw it on the table and I've been wanting to read it," Cordelia rushed out, her eyes wide and panicked.

"Oh, I love that one! I just finished it last night. D'ya like to read?" Ponyboy asked, a smile filling his face. "Soda doesn't like to read and Darry never has time. This idiot don't have the brain capacity to read so I don't have anyone to talk to about books."

"So rude. I'll have you know that I read almost a fourth of my assigned reading this semester," the drunk-Two-Bit-laughed when Ponyboy pointed at him.

"Real proud, buddy," Ponyboy said sarcastically. He pointed over to the small boy next to him and a fond smile filled his face. "Johnny here likes books too, but not like me."

"I like books," Cordelia nodded, putting the book down on the table. She wasn't the smartest person in the world, but she did well enough in school, and reading was an easy way to pass time.

"You can read it. When you finish we can talk about it together!" Ponyboy said excitedly. Cordelia stood around when the boys all sat down, Two-Bit turning on the television to the cartoons. Cordelia decided to grab the book and headed back to the room she was in.

"You can watch TV with us," Ponyboy offered. "Johnny and I were about to start homework."

"I don't wanna be a bother," Cordelia said with a shake of her head.

"If ya help them with homework, I promise ya won't be a bother," Two-Bit snorted. "They always ask me and I have no clue."

"You only took these classes twice," Ponyboy said with an eye roll.

"So you expect me to help just cause I'm a girl?" Cordelia questioned. Her eyes widened when she realized what she said to the boy she barely knew, but he threw his head back with a laugh.

"Course not," Two-Bit assured her when he stopped laughing. "I'm just not smart, so I thought you might be able to help if you want. You don't have to do anythin' if you don't wanna."

Cordelia nodded tensely and sat down in an armchair, her eyes focused on the television while the two younger boys started their homework. Two-Bit grabbed a beer for himself and then sat back down, laughing at the cartoons. Cordelia decided to observe the boys and she focused on Ponyboy when his eyebrows started furrowing with confusion.

"D'ya need help?" Cordelia asked softly. Ponyboy's head snapped up and he nodded after a moment of hesitation. Cordelia held her hand out and Ponyboy stood up to stand next to her while she looked over the science problem.

"I prefer English," Ponyboy admitted. Cordelia hummed and read over the question again before pointing to the correct answer.

"The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell," Cordelia instructed. "Remember that and all of this will be much easier."

"Got it confused," Ponyboy said, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "Why don't you go to school?"

"I've been homeschooled the last few years. It's easier with me bein' in the system," Cordelia answered, her voice soft.

"That would be perfect. Maybe then I could actually graduate," Two-Bit joked. Cordelia could tell that he was older than the two boys, making her furrow her eyebrows in confusion that he was still in high school.

"He's a career student," Ponyboy explained to her, a teasing smile on his face. Cordelia let out a small snicker and shook her head while Two-Bit simply ruffled Ponyboy's greased hair as he passed to get another beer. It didn't seem like he actually cared about being a high schooler based on his nonchalance.

"D'ya need help with anythin' else?" Cordelia asked.

"Math. Johnny's better at it than I am," Ponyboy admitted. Cordelia noticed that the other boy hadn't said a single word, but he didn't seem to care that he wasn't involved in the conversation. His eyes flickered up at the mention of his name before turning his attention back to his work.

"Here, let me help."

Cordelia and Ponyboy ended up moving to the kitchen table so she could help him. It took them almost a full hour before his homework was done, the boy letting out a relieved sigh that got the attention of the other two.

"Darry's gonna love ya for gettin' him to finish his work," Two-Bit laughed. "The two of them are getting into it every day over homework."

"I used to help my brother with his homework all the time. I don't mind when I have the option of helping or not," Cordelia explained. Ponyboy remembered the conversation from that morning so he chose not to comment, but Two-Bit was unaware.

"That Elijah kid?" Two-Bit questioned. "Darry said he was older and already graduated from high school."

"No, my younger brother. He's a year younger than Ponyboy," Cordelia answered tensely.

"What's his name?" Two-Bit inquired.

"Two, maybe you should-"

"Henry. His name is Henry," Cordelia interrupted Ponyboy. The younger boy had a worried expression on his face, carefully observing Cordelia's reaction.

"Where's he now?"

"Fuck off."

Two-Bit grinned at her response and held up his hands. Unlike Darry, he didn't notice when the girl flinched at the action. Ponyboy looked between them worriedly, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Am I allowed to curse at him or will Darry get mad?" Cordelia asked Ponyboy. He gave her a relieved smile when he saw that she wasn't upset.

"Nah, you can say whatever you want to Two-Bit," Ponyboy grinned. The older boy held his hand over his heart and fake pouted, collapsing onto the couch with a pitiful wail.

"Pony, wanna go to the lot?" Johnny asked, speaking up for the first time. His voice was soft and kind, making him sound young. Cordelia guessed that he was Ponyboy's age.

"Sure. Tell Darry we'll be home by curfew," Ponyboy responded, telling Cordelia the last part. Her throat clenched when he left her alone with Two-Bit for the first time since she wasn't comfortable yet. The boy observed her carefully and stayed sitting when she stood up and crossed her arms.

"Sorry if I made you upset. I just like to know about my friends," Two-Bit apologized.

"'M not your friend. I won't even be here this time next week, so there's no point in us talking."

Cordelia didn't waste anytime before she closed her door and moved the chair back under the handle. She listened carefully until she heard Two-Bit leave, but she decided to stay in the room anyway. Soda was the next to come home and he came bounding back to her room and knocked out a pattern.

"Cordelia, Pony's at the lot?" Soda asked.

"What's the lot?" Cordelia inquired as she opened the door. Soda noticed the chair under the handle, but he decided not to say anything.

"Just an empty space we go to sometimes. There's a small fire pit and an old car seat and stuff. Johnny's parents aren't too nice so he's out there with Pony a lot," Soda explained. He walked as he talked and Cordelia found herself following him. The guy with the intricate curls was sitting on the couch, laughing at the TV with his mouth wide open so she could see his crooked and overlapping teeth that seemed to match his crooked nose.

"This is Steve. We didn't really get a chance to introduce everyone last night," Soda told her. "He's my best buddy. If ya ever need help with a car, he's your guy."

"I can't drive," Cordelia shrugged, sitting down in the armchair again since it was in the corner and allowed her to see the whole room.

"We'll have to teach you!" Soda said excitedly. "Pony's too young to learn and Johnny said he doesn't want to."

"Isn't Johnny fourteen too?" Cordelia asked. She wasn't sure why they kept talking like she would be there for a long time, but Soda's smile was so inviting that she decided she wanted to keep talking to him. Steve wasn't quite as friendly, but he wasn't rude either. If Cordelia had to guess, he had a resting mean face and was used to being second best to Soda. The golden-haired boy's smile was contagious and the girl had to admit that he was handsome while Steve was not.

"Nah, he turned sixteen in March. He just had a baby face," Soda responded.

"'Cept for the scar," Steve interjected. "That's from the rings of a soc. They got him real bad a few months ago."

"Don't be upset if he doesn't talk to you. He really only talks with Johnny and Dally, but he's funny when he does say somethin'. And don't touch him either or he'll flinch real bad," Soda instructed. "He usually stays with Two-Bit if his parents are fightin' real bad, but he stays here some too. Don't be surprised if you come in and find any of the guys on the couch."

The thought of random guys sleeping on the couch didn't make Cordelia feel much better, but she swallowed it down. This wasn't her house and she wouldn't be here long. Knowing that she might get placed with a family in Tulsa, Cordelia decided to get some information about the town she was living in.

"What's a soc?"

"Where're you from that you don't know what a soc is?" Steve laughed, making the girl feel stupid.

"Atlanta, but this is my first time in Tulsa," Cordelia responded.

"Soc is short for socialite. We're greasers cause we're poor and we put grease in our hair. The socs are rich and proper. They like to beat on us for no reason other than they're rich and we're not," Steve explained.

Cordelia nodded in understanding. Every town had divides like that, Tulsa just gave the groups names. In other cities that she went to, the divide created real-life gangs, but Tulsa didn't seem busy enough to have those, or at least not to the same extent. While most of the Curtis group did have big muscles and various scars, they didn't seem like the type to be gang members either.

"If you ever get caught by some socs, scream and we'll come help. Promise," Soda said seriously.

"I don't need help," Cordelia muttered. Soda and Steve both raised an eyebrow at her with interest, Steve smirking a little.

"You fight?" Steve asked, standing up.

"Kinda have to," Cordelia shrugged, standing up as well. She didn't know Steve well enough to know if he was about to hit her, but past experience let her know that it was better if she was standing.

"First one to the ground wins 25 cents," Steve suggested, sticking his hand out in a handshake. Cordelia hesitated for a moment because she only had about $1, but the possibility of winning more money won her over.

"Don't hurt him too bad, Cordelia," Soda snickered when she accepted the handshake. Steve had a good five or six inches on her and his muscles were evident from the sleeveless jacket he was wearing, but Cordelia was fast and smart. This wasn't her first rodeo, so she knew how to use that to her advantage and Steve looked like he wasn't the type to typically fight girls. Despite this being his idea, he looked a little anxious now that she was standing in front of him, which let Cordelia know that he would likely be holding back to make it easier for her.

Steve made the first move, trying to grab Cordelia in a headlock. The girl easily slid under his arm and jumped on his back with her arm around his throat. His hands reached up to try and pull her arms away, but she used her foot to kick the back of his knee and pressed her elbow against his neck and shoulder. He was kneeling in an instant with a pained gasp.

"Uncle!" Steve choked out. Cordelia grinned and released him. Steve let out a gasp and dramatically fell over on the ground while Soda laughed so hard his face was turning red.

"Where's my money?" Cordelia asked. That much money could take her halfway to Oklahoma City on the bus. Steve grumbled as he sat up and grabbed his wallet.

"Think you owe her fifty cents instead," Soda cackled.

"No way in hell," Steve muttered, passing over a quarter. Cordelia smiled and put it in her pocket for safekeeping as Steve continued to mumble under his breath and rub at his shoulder, not making eye contact with anyone.

"Steve, you need dinner here or you're goin' home?" Soda asked once he was done laughing.

"Home," Steve grumbled. Soda frowned but nodded and headed into the kitchen before peeking his head out at Cordelia.

"Are you actually allergic to eggs?" Soda questioned. Cordelia shook her head and blushed a little. "Chicken and potatoes good?"

"I can help," Cordelia offered. She didn't usually help cook unless she was forced to, but so far everyone was being so nice that she felt like she needed to. Plus, she actually liked cooking and usually found it soothing.

"You better help, or your chicken will be purple, and mashed potatoes will be green," Steve snorted, slamming the door shut as he left.

"I just like my food to be interesting," Soda shrugged. Cordelia guessed that he did nothing but smile with how natural it looked on his face. Soda was definitely handsome and he looked like he could be in the movies if it wasn't for the grease still staining his arms.

"Where do you work?" Cordelia asked as she peeled some potatoes.

"The DX. It's a gas station. Steve and I both work there."

Cordelia nodded and started looking around for a knife. Soda seemed to read her mind because he grabbed one and put it on the counter for her. Unfortunately for the girl, Soda was a talker. He didn't shut up the whole entire time that they cooked together, but he didn't seem to care that she wasn't responding. Cordelia was about to explode at him when the door opened and Darry came in.

"How was your day?" Darry asked Cordelia, rolling his shoulders with a grimace as he sat down at the kitchen table with the day's mail.

"Fine. Ponyboy wanted me to tell you that he finished his homework and he went to the lot," Cordelia repeated. Darry furrowed his eyebrows and looked over the homework that Ponyboy had left on the table. His eyebrows raised in surprise and he turned back to the girl.

"Did you help him?" Darry asked. Cordelia nodded and stirred the green beans. "You didn't have to do that. Thank you."

"It's a fight to get Pony to finish his homework," Soda informed her.

"My little brother's like that too," Cordelia shrugged. "I didn't mind. He's a good kid."

"Well, thank you again. And thank you for helping with dinner."

Cordelia blinked, surprised that Darry was actually thanking her. She nodded in response and washed her hands so neither of them could see the shock or the small smile on her face.

"Let me go put your new doorknob on. It shouldn't take long," Darry told her, putting a key down on the table. "I'll also have a key just for security, but I'll put it somewhere safe and won't tell any of these idiots. Not that you have to worry about anything."

"Thank you," Cordelia said softly. "I'll pay you back for it."

"Don't worry. I owe you much more for gettin' Pony to do his homework," Darry joked, a smile crossing over his tired face. Cordelia nodded again and then started cleaning Soda's mess. She was the type who cleaned as she cooked, but Soda was the opposite so there was quite a bit of mess for such an easy meal.

"I got it, Cordelia," Soda smiled at her. He grabbed the rag so she couldn't clean up the small mess they had made and pushed her toward the front room. It was a little awkward to sit there and read while Darry was back in her room and Soda was cleaning on his own. She tried to focus on the book and not the temptation to go running out the front door.

"Cordelia, come see where I put the key," Darry announced. The teen put her book down and went to the back hallway. The new doorknob looked out of place with the old paint and scuffs on the wall, but it made her feel better to have some security during the night.

"Can I try it?" Cordelia requested.

"Of course," Darry assured her. Cordelia grabbed the key from her pocket and locked the door. Darry heard the sound and pushed down on the handle so she could see the metal move, but the door stayed shut. "No one will be comin' in. You're safe."

Cordelia felt like she could cry. No one had ever gone out of their way like Darry had to make her feel safe. She blinked the tears away and took a deep breath before opening the door back to give him a closed-lip smile.

"All good?" Darry asked softly.

"Thank you," Cordelia nodded, giving him a thankful smile. Darry smiled back at her and headed to the last door. The room was the biggest in the house, and the furniture was antique and actually matched, unlike the rest of the house. It didn't look like the room of a twenty-year-old, making her assume that it belonged to his parents first. Sure enough, there were family portraits on the wall, including some of the couple.

The man looked just like Darry, with the same broad shoulders and muscles. The woman, however, looked a lot like Ponyboy. They were smiling in every photo, even the ones where the woman was heavily pregnant. There were a few pictures of the couple alone, some of just the kids, and others with all five. There were even a few pictures with all of the guys that she had met so far, the parents beaming as if they were all their kids. They looked like a happy family based on what she could see and Cordelia couldn't help but smile a little.

"This was my parent's room," Darry confirmed when he saw her looking at the walls.

"You look a lot like your dad," Cordelia noted.

"People thought we were brothers," Darry chuckled sadly, clearing his throat a little and she knew that it was a sore subject. He brought over a small box and opened it to show her a bunch of jewelry before he carefully moved some of the pieces over to show a hidden compartment with an engagement ring inside. He put the key to her room inside and then closed it. "Does that work? No one else knows about that compartment but me."

"That works. Thank you, truly."

"And here's Elijah's file. I only read over the important parts, but I figured you'd want the rest," Darry offered. Cordelia snatched the file from his hands and held it protectively to her chest.

"What did you read," Cordelia asked, her voice tight.

"The basic welcome paragraph, his birthday, hobbies," Darry answered. "There was some information about you and your younger brother in there too, but nothing much. I really only read the first page."

"Did you see why we aren't with our parents or what happened to him?"

"No, I didn't. You don't have to tell me," Darry responded. Cordelia had a talent for telling if people were lying, and she could see that he was telling the truth. She gave him a thankful smile and then turned to hide the file in her room. She could hear Darry go shower while Soda turned the TV up louder.

Cordelia had read over her own file hundreds of times, but she never got the chance to see Elijah's. Even when they were in the same house she wasn't able to read over his information. He would have her head if she read over it, so she shoved it under her mattress with her own. It wasn't much longer before Soda was yelling that dinner was done. Cordelia wasn't expecting to come out and see him completely shirtless with only jeans on.

"Sodapop Patrick Curtis. Shirt. Now."

Cordelia blushed and looked away at Darry's command. Soda was skinny and definitely didn't have muscles like his older brother, but he was plenty defined.

"C'mon, it's hot! The oven was on!" Soda whined.

"Now, Soda," Darry ordered, chuckling a little bit. "We have company. Female company."

"I don't mind," Soda flirted, winking at Cordelia. His demeanor changed when she caved in on herself at the action and started picking at her nails. She wasn't too upset by him being shirtless, but the wink made the familiar panic surge. He instantly straightened up and took a step back, a concerned look crossing his face.

"You have a girlfriend," Darry reminded his brother, throwing the shirt at his face and then giving Cordelia a once-over to make sure that she was okay. The girl swallowed heavily and took careful breaths to calm herself down, faking a laugh like it was funny. Darry and Soda didn't look convinced, but neither one of them wanted to push the situation further.

"I sure do. Her name is Sandy and I love her. I'll have her over for dinner this week so you can meet her," Soda offered, putting a plate down on the table and then gesturing for her to sit and eat.

"I'm only here a few more days," Cordelia reminded him. Darry and Soda both grabbed their own plates and sat down too. "Have you heard anything else from Mrs. Elmers?"

"She called my job today," Darry confirmed. "They found a potential family down in Houston that she's gonna go talk to tomorrow."

"Ever been to Houston before?" Soda questioned through a mouthful of food. Darry slapped the back of his head, a disgusted grimace on his face.

"Once," Cordelia muttered. The food in front of her suddenly tasted acidic, but she didn't want to insult Darry or Soda, so she took a small bite anyway. The girl had to put her fork down and wipe her mouth from how hard her hands started shaking.

"How'd you end up there? Why aren't you back in Georgia?" Soda asked. Darry watched the conversation carefully to make sure that Cordelia didn't explode like she did that morning and to make sure that Soda wasn't being too nosy.

"Long story."

"We got time."

"The foster care system tries to keep you in the state that you're from, but it's hard. They started sendin' us off to whoever would take us, and once I ran away a few times and caused issues, it got harder for them to find families so my case worker decided that she didn't care where I went as long as I wasn't botherin' her," Cordelia explained after a moment of hesitance.

"So Elijah's in Oklahoma City. Where's Henry?"

"May I be excused?"

A guilty expression passed over Soda's face when she avoided the question, and he mumbled an apology. Cordelia couldn't look up because she didn't want the boys to see the tears filling her eyes. She made a point not to cry in front of others so they didn't view her as weak, but the burning sensation let her know that she was at risk of ruining her reputation.

"Of course. Feel free to bring your plate with you as long as you bring it back up tomorrow," Darry assured her.

"Not hungry. Give it to Ponyboy."

Cordelia had never been more thankful for a lock when she collapsed down onto her bed and let herself cry.

Chapter Text

Cordelia hadn't felt so well rested in years. The bed was holding her in a careful hug and the blankets were keeping her toasty warm. Despite her mind telling her it was time to get up, Cordelia kept herself wrapped up and started closing her eyes to fall back asleep when she was rudely interrupted.

"Ponyboy, this was due yesterday! Why didn't you finish it?"

The teenager groaned into her pillow at Darry's loud voice and sat up, wiping away sleep from her eyes. The man sounded pissed and tired which led her to believe that this was a common argument.

"I got distracted at the lot. It won't happen again," Ponyboy promised.

"You bet it won't! How many times have I told you that your homework comes first? Do I need to take all your books away? Tell Johnny he can't come over? What do I need to do so you can get it through your thick skull that homework is the most important thing to you."

"Lay off, Darry! I'll turn it in on Monday!"

This was not how Cordelia wanted to spend her Saturday morning. She was used to yelling, so she almost went back to sleep until she heard Ponyboy's footsteps heading back to his room and a heavier step behind him. Before she knew what she was doing, Cordelia had her door unlocked and was standing between an angry Darry and Ponyboy. They were shocked at her sudden appearance and Darry took a step back while Ponyboy took a step closer.

"Sorry if we woke you up. Ponyboy didn't turn in his assignment yesterday," Darry apologized, his anger calming a little at the interruption.

"It was hard! You know I suck at math," Ponyboy protested weakly.

"Don't come out of your room till it's done. If I come in there and you're drawin' or readin', you'll be grounded for two weeks," Darry threatened. Ponyboy muttered under his breath and slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Is Soda at work?" Cordelia asked. She had noticed that the middle brother could usually calm down the fights before they got into screaming matches, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah, he is. Let me write down the number to the DX. I'm a roofer, so if you need me, you'll have to call the main office, and then they'll get me the message," Darry explained as he started heading to the front. "The rain last night made the ground too wet to work this morning, but I'll be heading to work in an hour. Johnny will probably come over, and Dally will, too."

"Dally?" Cordelia questioned.

"He was there Thursday night. He has brown hair and eyes, New York accent if you remember," Darry told her. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows and thought back to her first night at the Curtis house, nodding when she remembered him. "He likes to act real tough, and he's always in and out of jail. He doesn't like it when anyone talks back to him and challenges him. If he ever tries anything with you, let me know and I'll handle it."

"I can handle myself," Cordelia assured him, mumbling thanks when he handed her a plate of eggs and toast.

"I heard," Darry smirked. "Steve wasn't too happy about it."

"Is he mad?" Cordelia asked, trying not to sound too scared.

"'More embarrassed than anything," Darry laughed. He saw the relieved look on her face and cleared his throat. "Cordelia, you don't have to be scared of any of the guys. No one will try anything with you, I promise. And if they do, just let me know and I'll handle it. I don't know what's happened in your past placements, but I promise you that I won't let anythin' like that happen here."

Cordelia surprised herself and Darry when she shot out of her seat to wrap her arms around his middle. The adult froze for just a second before jumping into action, putting his plate down on the table before he enveloped her, one hand on the back of her head. Cordelia knew that Darry was only twenty, but his hug reminded her of her father, and she relaxed into the embrace until she remembered that he didn't even want her there.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Cordelia gasped, scrambling away from him with wide eyes.

"What are you sorry for?" Darry questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I don't wanna bother you. I'm sorry, I'm fine. I just...I just really appreciate you."

Darry gave her a sad smile and ruffled her hair while he sat down with his own breakfast. Cordelia's cheeks were blazing red, but she sat down too and started eating. Even though it was only toast and eggs, Darry still managed to make it appetizing.

"By the way, Mrs. Elmers called. The Houston family fell through," Darry informed her with an apologetic tone.

"That's fine. I don't like Houston anyways," Cordelia shrugged.

"Where all have you stayed? If you don't mind me asking."

"Not in this specific order, but I've been in Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, Mobile, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City, and very briefly in Los Angeles. I was in Albuquerque last."

Darry's eyes went wide as she continued to list cities. A deep sadness crossed over his face but he tried to hide it back. Charlotte was used to the look of pity, but it still bothered her to see it from someone who didn't know her.

"They tried to keep us together at first," Cordelia continued. "Not many families would take three kids so we got moved around a lot. Our social workers basically passed us to whoever would take us which is how we ended up in different states."

"When'd you get separated?" Darry prodded carefully.

"Elijah got separated in Mobile when I was eleven," Cordelia responded. "Henry got separated from me in Houston when I was thirteen and got to stay with Elijah on a farm in Idaho somewhere, but they sent back to Houston after a few months."

"When was the last time you saw your brothers?"

Cordelia didn't answer the question and Darry didn't pry. He just grabbed her plate when he saw that she was done and started cleaning them. Despite telling him that she wouldn't clean, Cordelia started wiping down the counters.

"I can't imagine my brothers being separated," Darry said softly. "Hell, I don't know what I'd do if they got taken away from me, but they would be destroyed if they were separated. They'd be fine without me, but they need each other."

"I'm sure that's not true. If you're half as kind to them as you are to me, then I'm sure they need you too. Trust me."

Darry gave her a thankful nod and then cursed when he looked at the clock. He yelled at Pony about his homework again and then grabbed his work belt and practically ran out the door. Ponyboy didn't waste any time coming out of his room without his work.

"He's so annoying," Ponyboy huffed as he collapsed onto the couch. He peeked his head up just long enough to make sure that Darry was actually gone before lighting up a cigarette.

"You love breaking the rules, don't you?" Cordelia teased. Ponyboy blushed and shrugged, opening a window to blow his smoke outside. Cordelia wasn't one to pass up a cigarette, but she was still glad when the air was circulating because she couldn't stand the smell of old cigarette smoke on furniture.

"You don't get it. He changed when our parents died," Ponyboy complained. "He used to be chill and now he's constantly on my back about shit that doesn't even matter."

"I'm sure he loves you, Ponyboy."

The teenager just shrugged and offered a cigarette to Cordelia. It had been months since she had been allowed one, and the nicotine was calling her name. Unlike Ponyboy, she decided to go sit outside since Darry had told her that no one was allowed to smoke inside. Ponyboy finished his cigarette and then headed back to his room to get them both a book.

"I see you're still here."

Cordelia jumped and focused her attention on the stranger hopping over the fence. Her body automatically stood up and she stood defensively until she recognized the guy from her first night at the Curtis house. He smirked and nodded his head at her, bounding up the front steps. He looked just as tough as the others did, but his hair wasn't greased back, and his clothes had some stains on them except for his leather jacket, which looked to be old but taken care of, and a St. Christopher's necklace shining around his neck. His eyes carefully scanned over here and he looped his fingers in his belt loops and leaned against the porch post.

"Dallas Winston. Most people call me Dally. I was hoping you'd still be here."

"Why's that?" Cordelia asked defensively. Dally snickered and sat down in a chair, pulling out a pack of Winstons.

"Just cause," Dally shrugged with a grin. He offered Cordelia a cigarette and the girl gladly put out Ponyboy's brand to take his.

"Ponyboy's taste in cigarettes is about as mature as he is," Cordelia joked as she sat down. She left a chair in between them out of habit. Dallas's cowboy boots scuffed the ground as he kicked a leaf off of the wood. Fall was slowly turning into winter and the trees were starting to lose their leaves, painting the yard in a mixture of reds, yellows, and browns and chilling the air.

"Weak ass brand," Dally chuckled in agreement, watching her inhale and lean her head back against the window with her eyes closed as the nicotine entered her body. He smirked and left two cigarettes on the chair between them.

"You're the one from New York?" Cordelia questioned after a few moments of silence, opening her eyes to look at him. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way with big eyes and sharper features, a bit of baby fat still clinging to his cheeks. Several small scars decorated his body pointing towards years of fighting, which would make sense if he lived in the Big Apple. From what Cordelia knew, it was full of gangs and violence.

"Yeah. Born and raised there. I moved down here maybe six years ago. I moved out of my pop's place about six months ago and I'm at Buck's now. It's a bar, not technically legal but not illegal either. Maybe I can take you one day."

"Darry'd kill you," Ponyboy said as he came out of the house, passing Cordelia a book. He sat down on the chair between them with a stack of books with him. He furrowed his eyebrows at the cigarettes on the chair and put them on the armrest of Dally's chair when he recognized the brand. If he noticed the change in Cordelia's brand he didn't mention it.

"He wouldn't have to know," Dally laughed, his eyes flickering with amusement. Cordelia grimaced and shook her head.

"Bars aren't really my scene. I'm only sixteen," Cordelia said softly.

"I'm seventeen. They don't ID unless you look super young. Ponyboy and Johnny probably won't be able to get anything until they're forty," Dally explained.

"I'm growing!" Ponyboy argued. Dally gave him an unimpressed look and scoffed, ruffling his greased hair. Ponyboy let out a noise of surprise and slapped his hand away with a glare. Dally bucked up some when the younger boy hit him, but Cordelia saw the edge of his mouth quirk up for a moment.

"Watch it, kid," Dally warned before he looked back at the girl. "What d'ya say? Wanna see my place?"

"I don't drink," Cordelia said sharply, standing up to glare at the boy. "And I'll only be here for a few more days. I'm sure as hell not hooking up with you in that time, so I'd suggest you drop it."

"Hooking up? Kid, I have a girl; I don't need you," Dally responded, standing up to match her stance. The look of anger that crossed his face made Cordelia take a step back while Ponyboy looked like he was watching a tennis match with how his head was going back and forth. "I was just tryin' to be nice and offer you a place to chill if you needed it. Nothin' more, but if you've got a stick shoved up your ass so far that you can't see that, then I won't bother tryin' to help you again."

"I don't need your help. I'm not some little girl that needs a big strong man to save me," Cordelia spat.

"Cordelia, let's just go inside," Ponyboy suggested, not liking the way Dallas took a step forward to mirror the step back that Cordelia took.

"Sure, doll, whatever you say. I'll see you soon," Dallas winked. Cordelia curled her lip up at the action and shook her head at the audacity of the teen in front of her. Ponyboy was right behind her when they went inside and Dallas took off somewhere else.

"Cordelia, you okay?" Ponyboy asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Pony. I'm gonna go to my room now," Cordelia responded in a tight voice.

Neither of them noticed the two cigarettes carefully left behind.

----------------------------------

Darry was less than pleased when he heard of the way that Dallas had bothered Cordelia. The girl spent most of the day in her room trying to read, but she was too upset at the audacity of the other teen to focus. She had dealt with enough teenage boys to know that they only wanted one thing when they invited a girl over, and it seemed like Darry agreed when Ponyboy told him what happened.

"Cordelia, dinner's ready," Darry said in a soft voice, knocking on her door. She had stayed in her room while Ponyboy gave Darry and Soda both a very detailed description of the event, embellishing some of the details. Soda, ever the pacifier, tried to defend Dallas while Darry had gone into a rant about how Ponyboy shouldn't spend any time with the older boy. Cordelia found herself agreeing with Darry.

"It's not a big deal, Darry. I'm fine," Cordelia said before Darry could even say anything. He didn't look entirely convinced, but he didn't argue as he guided her to the kitchen. Soda gave her a bright smile when she sat down while Ponyboy was glowering from Darry's previous lecture. Johnny was awkwardly sitting in his chair and staring down at the table while Steve was leaning on Soda's shoulder to tell him about what work needed to be done on his car.

"So, Mrs. Elmers called today," Darry stated once food was passed out. "One of your old families, the one from Savannah, they said they'd take you back in until you turned eighteen. You have a flight tomorrow afternoon, so we'll have a nice dinner for you and then head to the airport around seven. Sound good?"

"Savannah?" Cordelia asked, putting her fork down to look at the man.

"Where is that?" Soda asked through a mouthful of food.

"It's in North Carolina, dumbass," Steve responded with a snicker.

"It's in Georgia," Ponyboy corrected in a tone that reminded everyone that he was an annoying younger brother, making Steve mock him.

"Yeah, Savannah," Darry confirmed.

"I can't go that far. Elijah is here, I can't go to Georgia," Cordelia argued. "And I'm sure as hell not goin' back to that family."

"I'm sorry, Cordelia. I tried to ask about Elijah, but there was nothin' Mrs. Elmers could do," Darry apologized. "She said that no one in the area was able to take you in on such short notice and with your history too. They were the only family available."

"I don't want her to leave. Darry, can't we keep her?" Soda pouted, Ponyboy nodding. Johnny finally looked up and Cordelia could see the dark bruise that covered his left eye, her face twisting and breath picking up.

"She's not a dog, Sodapop," Darry chastised. Cordelia stood up and left the table without another word, closing and locking her door. She could hear heavy footsteps follow her and stop right at her door but no one knocked and the steps headed back to the kitchen where soft conversation echoed its way back to her room.

Cordelia didn't focus on the conversation that she knew must be about her. Instead she grabbed her old bag and shoved all of her items inside of it and then carefully opened the window. The TV was on which meant that the boys would be distracted enough that it would probably be an hour or so before they noticed she was gone. Cordelia felt a hint of guilt build in her stomach when she thought about how Darry might get in trouble for letting her run away, but it wasn't the first time that she had left a family before.

She was eleven the first time that she ran away. It was from the McCoy family in Mobile after the sixteen year old son came into her room at midnight. She could remember how her body froze with fear when his hands touched her body, still undeveloped and young. The dad came into the room and laughed at his son, guiding his hands to her untouched personal space as he talked about how they would take turns. Cordelia could still feel the dad's hands when he put one over her mouth and used his other arm to hold her down. Elijah came in as they pulled down her pants and beat both of them until the mother came in and hit him over the head with a vase. The police were called and Cordelia was running to grab Henry from his sleep before they could be separated, barely making it to the next town over before the police found them and they were sent to a distant cousin in New Orleans while Elijah was sent to juvie for three months.

Flight risk was printed in big letters on the front of her file for that very reason. She ran away from Savannah, Houston, and Austin too, although she was caught every single time so it wasn't like she was incredibly gifted in running away. The only difference was that she had some time to get to know those cities before she left, but she had no idea where anything was in Tulsa. Most cities were set up similarly enough that she knew to head towards the main street that she remembered from the drive up and there should be a bus station not too far away from that. The chill made her wish that she was wearing something more than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but her old jacket was shoved at the bottom of the bag. She just rubbed her arms and hoped that the bus stop wasn't too far.

Cordelia would go to Oklahoma City first. She had the money she won from Steve in her front pocket and enough hidden in her bag that she could make it there and then go back to New Orleans. That was the only place that she ever felt safe and even though her cousin was gone, she still had some friends that would help her. By the time that the alarm could be raised about her being gone, she would already be out of Oklahoma.

The plan was quickly thwarted by the rumble of a truck engine as it slowed down next to her. A quick glance made Cordelia groan to herself as she tried to speed up her walking, but the truck just followed after her.

"Cordelia, get in the truck."

"No, Darry," Cordelia said in a thick voice. "I'm not goin' back to Savannah. I can't."

"Let's go get a burger," Darry said, stopping the truck when Cordelia froze. She hesitated for a moment before sighing and climbing into the passenger seat of the truck without a glance at the man next to her. She mumbled a thanks when he took off his jacket to rest over her shoulders and then he headed to The Dingo, which seemed to be popular for guys like Dallas Winston. He wasn't there, but there were plenty of other tough guys there with their hair greased back and the outline of a blade in their pockets.

"'M not hungry," Cordelia muttered. Darry sighed and headed into the restaurant anyways, coming back out to the truck with two chocolate milkshakes. He didn't say a word as he drove them a little further down the road and stopped in a parking lot that wasn't as loud. Cordelia savored the flavor of the milkshake and kept taking small glances over to Darry as he drank his own treat, trying to think of something to say.

"I was out on the porch when you left," Darry finally said. Cordelia cursed herself for her stupidness and stared out the window at the stars. "I heard the rustling of the bushes and saw you run off. Told the boys I was goin' to get some more eggs and milk, so we'll have to stop by the store on the way home and you can sneak back in. They're not always the most observant."

"I'm not goin' back," Cordelia said softly. "I can't, Darry. I really appreciate you and your brothers, but if I go back then they'll ship me off. I can't go back to the Connors. I won't."

"Why not? I saw how you reacted when you saw Johnny's black eye. Did they hurt you there?." Darry questioned. "Please, Cordelia. You don't have to tell me everything, but I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"I was only twelve," Cordelia choked out. "Henry was only nine, Darry. He was so small and naive. They had a girl, Genevieve, and she was eight so they were best friends. The dad didn't like that so he beat Henry one night when he kept her up past the bedtime. He showered both of us with gifts the next day and Henry just forgave him, but I couldn't. I was the one who held a cut on his head closed all night since Mr. Connor wouldn't take him to the hospital for stitches and the mom was too drunk to notice. It was me takin' care of Henry, not them. And Mr. Connor didn't like it when I said that so he started beatin' me. It kept him from hurtin' Henry so I didn't mind the black eye or split lip 'cause it meant he was safe."

"He touch you?" Darry asked cautiously, barely hiding the anger in his tone. Cordelia bit her lip and shook her head, sniffling but refusing to let any tears fall. She hadn't told anyone other than the police what happened in that house, but they hadn't believed her so she hadn't said anything in years. But Darry's comforting and protective presence made the dam burst and she found herself finally telling someone.

"No, he didn't. But one night I heard him in Henry's room so I went in and my baby brother was asleep while one of Mr. Connor's friends was there and they were talkin' about the best way to do it. To ruin my baby brother. I jumped on his back and we fought some and the two men took me outside to the pond they had in the backyard and brought me out to the middle in their boat. Told me that I was a waste of space and food, that I didn't even deserve to breathe the same oxygen as them. They held me over the side of the boat and kept puttin' my head under the water 'til I passed out and they made me swear that I wouldn't tell anyone what I heard when I finally woke up. They kept all the windows and doors locked after that, but the mom was so drunk that she forgot the front door one day so I took Henry and we left. I had pneumonia by then so I passed out on the side of the road before I could even make it out of that town. My testimony was chalked up to delirious, fever-induced lies since Mr. Connor was a policeman. They ignored my bruises and the water in my lungs and shipped us off to Houston to protect his image."

"Oh, honey," Darry said softly. Cordelia couldn't remember the last time anyone had called her anything other than her name or an insult, making the tears finally fall.

"They made me leave Henry next," Cordelia cried. "They kept me in Houston for maybe three months and then shipped me off to Dallas while Henry stayed with that family. The system doesn't care about me, Darry. They don't care about me or what's best for me. So just let me go and I'll be just fine on my own. Better even."

"Cordelia, can I hug you?" Darry asked in that same soft tone that she didn't know someone of his stature could even have. The half-empty milkshake fell to the ground with the speed that Cordelia threw herself into Darry's arms. She froze when she realized that it was a mess that they would have to clean up, but Darry just shushed her and cautiously rubbed her back until the shaking slowed down.

"I won't go, Darry. I won't."

"You won't, honey. You can stay with us until she can find another family," Darry assured her, gently rocking her. "Does Mrs. Elmers know?"

"Of course she does," Cordelia sniffled, helplessly leaning against his chest. Her brain was yelling at her to put her defenses back up against the man that she barely knew, but her body refused to listen. "It's all in my file. The police report, everythin'. She started workin' with me the next year and my old social worker told her that I had lied because I didn't like the school I went to. So that's what she believed 'cause I was just twelve and had an active imagination."

"Did you ever talk to her about it?" Darry inquired. He didn't sound judgmental, just worried and a bit upset.

"No. I tried to once and she just shut me down. Out of the twelve places I've stayed, I've only felt safe in three and she took me away from those over the smallest things. But she kept me in the other houses 'til they kicked me out or she couldn't ignore the truth anymore. The system doesn't look out for the kids, Darry. They don't care about us."

"Let me handle it. I'll make sure your next placement is better, okay? D'ya trust me?" Darry asked.

"Yeah, I do. Thank you, Darry. Thank you."

Darry gave her a comforting smile as she sat up and wiped her eyes on the sleeves of his jacket that was still wrapped around her shoulders. She was slightly embarrassed and she felt exposed now that Darry knew about Savannah, but it also felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders with someone believing her.

"Let's head home, okay?"

"Don't you need to go by the store?" Cordelia asked.

"The boys don't like when I'm out too long," Darry said simply.

When they walked in the front door to see Soda anxiously sitting on the couch with Pony asleep with his head in his lap, Cordelia realized that this is what family is supposed to be.

Chapter Text

Mrs. Elmers didn't seem to care about the change of plans. Darry called her early the next morning, and the woman just said 'ok' and canceled the flight without a single question. Soda and Pony both realized that she had run away, but neither one of them commented on it. They instead gave her pitying looks, Ponyboy's leaning toward anger, and asked if she wanted to help them make chocolate cake.

Two-Bit seemed to live at the Curtis house. Even though it was now Monday and he was supposed to be at school, the legal adult was lounging on the couch to watch Mickey Mouse. Cordelia scrunched up her face and tried not to gag as she cleaned the bathroom for the family. Out of the seven boys, none of them could aim and she was tired of having to squat every time she needed to go to the bathroom.

"Y'all are disgustin'," Cordelia said, gagging as she carried a trash bag outside.

"We can't help it," Two-Bit laughed when she came back inside and ran to the kitchen to wash her hands.

"I've had to help cows give birth, and that bathroom is still the worst thing I've ever seen," Cordelia said seriously.

"I'll let Superman know what you think of his cleaning," Two-Bit joked. "Although, I think it was Soda's turn to clean the bathroom and Sandy distracted him, so you can blame him."

Cordelia gagged again and made sure to scrub under her nails despite the fact that she had worn gloves. Two-Bit chuckled and came into the kitchen to grab a beer, leaning against the counter to talk.

"So you lived on a farm?" Two-Bit inquired, passing her a Pepsi. Like any rational human being, she preferred Coke, but Ponyboy liked Pepsi, so that was the soda that Darry bought for the house.

"A few different times. Some were for crops, others for animals," Cordelia confirmed. "Back in Albuquerque I even had my own horse, Buttercup. Well, she wasn't mine as much as she belonged to Mama Louise but I was the only one who rode her or brushed her. She's beautiful, a quarter horse from a good line and she could win any competition. We barrel raced every weekend and we usually got a good prize."

"Where's she now?" Two-Bit asked. Cordelia clicked her tongue and shrugged, looking down at the ground.

"Mama Louise, the foster mom, she died three months ago. Her biological kids came in and sold everythin', including Buttercup. They gave her away to some teenage boy who doesn't know the first thing about horses, but he wants one just to look cool."

"Same thing happened to Soda," Two-Bit said sadly. "He took care of a horse, Mickey Mouse, and he was there more than the actual owner. When he was maybe twelve, I think, the owner sold Mickey to the highest bidder and didn't even give Soda time to say goodbye. It absolutely destroyed him and he didn't ride for a long time. He barrel raced some, too, and then he hurt his knee, and Mr. Curtis made him stop."

"There's a rodeo around here?" Cordelia asked hopefully. She hadn't even seen a horse up close in three months, much less gotten to touch or ride one. While she wasn't absolutely obsessed (like Soda seemed to be based on the horse magazines and pictures she found in his closet), she missed the freeing feeling of riding a horse or just being around one.

"'Course there is, this is Oklahoma!" Two-Bit laughed. "We'll take you Saturday. Dally's racin' and he's sure to win. He does bull ridin' usually, but he'll sometimes do other things for the money. That's how he pays his rent to Buck is the rodeo, that and he'll take care of the horses sometimes."

"Thought he was from New York," Cordelia said with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Yeah, but he's a cowboy through and through," Two-Bit smirked. "I heard you two had a little spat."

"He's a dick," Cordelia said plainly. Two-Bit burst into laughter at that statement, clutching his belly. Cordelia just stared and waited for him to be done, not understanding what was so funny.

"Oh, Delia, you'll fit in just fine here," Two-Bit finally calmed down enough to say, still chuckling some. Cordelia blinked at the nickname and tried not to act surprised. "Dally's the hardest one out of all of us. He got arrested when he was ten and goes to jail every other weekend. When Johnny got jumped by some socs, he ran off and picked a fight as soon as he knew Johnny would make it just to get locked up. But he's a good kid deep down. You'll see it after you've been here a while."

"I doubt I'll be here long enough to see that. I'm only here 'til Mrs. Elmers can find a better home for me," Cordelia responded.

"Yeah, right," Two-Bit snorted. "My mama has been best friends with Mama Curtis since they were born, and she can remember all the times Mrs. Curtis found a cat or dog and kept it. Mr. Curtis was the same. At one point, they had, like, twenty stray cats that would come up here for food. The Curtis' get attached. Once Ponyboy gets attached, you'll be here for good. Darry might not show it, but he wants nothing more than to make his baby brothers happy."

"Well, I'm not a stray cat," Cordelia retorted, but she felt a flutter of hope in her chest that she hadn't felt since Mama Louise had told her she could stay until she turned eighteen. But she knew from experience that she shouldn't be hopeful about anything.

"No, you're not," Two-Bit agreed with a knowing smirk. "But I've known Darry longer than anyone else. I have a feelin' you'll be here a while."

Cordelia didn't have anytime to reflect on Two-Bit's statement before Ponyboy and Johnny came back from school. As always, Ponyboy stormed to the kitchen table with a loud huff while Johnny followed behind and sat down a lot quieter.

"Nice of you to skip and make us walk home," Ponyboy snapped to Two-Bit.

"I figured Steve would be able to take you home," Two-Bit shrugged.

"He had to work so we had to walk home," Ponyboy responded.

"You're both old enough to walk home on your own as long as you've got a blade," Two-Bit told him, not caring about how angry the younger boy was. "And it's not that far. Your growing body needs the exercise."

"I run track. I get plenty of exercise," Ponyboy said with an eye roll.

"Johnny doesn't," Two-Bit retorted. "He looks like he could use the exercise."

"Pony, do you need help with your homework?" Cordelia hurried to say before Ponyboy could respond to the older man and continue the argument. For someone who was usually quiet, he was great at arguing.

"Yeah, science is kickin' my butt this unit," Ponyboy huffed. Cordelia nodded and sat down next to him to help with the work. Johnny kept his eyes glued to his own paper the whole time, Cordelia noticing that he barely made any progress. It took Ponyboy an hour to finish his homework while Johnny was still on the same page so Cordelia sent the younger boy outside to smoke when he was done and then changed so she could sit next to Johnny. He peeked up at her through his dark bangs and then his eyes snapped back down to the work as his cheeks burned a little.

"It's just English," Johnny said softly. "I can read the words, but it takes my brain a while to understand. This poem is pretty hard. I just can't understand it."

"It's a French poet, isn't it?" Cordelia asked when she saw the name. "I hate Baudelaire, but I know this one. I think we did it last year in my English class."

The next fifteen minutes was spent helping Johnny understand the poem. His eyes lit up once they got three fourths of the way through and he gasped, finally understanding the meaning. Cordelia sat back in her chair to watch him scribble down the answers to the rest of the questions.

"Thanks, Cordelia. I probably would've given up and not turned it in," Johnny said as he put the paper back in his bookbag, a small blush on his cheeks.

"I don't mind. I like school," Cordelia assured him. "We'd probably be in the same grade."

"You gonna start goin' to Will Rogers with us?" Johnny questioned.

"Depends on how long it takes Mrs. Elmers to find me a new place," Cordelia guessed. She assumed that Darry had told them not to say anything about the Savannah placement because no one had questioned her so far, but she had seen their questioning glances.

"She's goin' to the rodeo with us on Saturday," Two-Bit said as he came into the kitchen for another beer.

"Dal's ridin' Ghost this weekend," Johnny informed him. "Said he's sure to win the barrels with Ghost. And he'll be bull ridin'."

"Delia does barrel racing too," Two-Bit grinned. "Maybe we can see her in action too."

Darry was, once again, less than pleased with the plans for Saturday. It was his only day off and he had planned to relax all day, but Soda and Pony had both begged him until he agreed to go with them. Cordelia was the only one who saw the corner of his mouth quirk up at how excited his brothers got when they parked the truck and ran to get some snacks.

"You want anythin'?" Darry asked Cordelia since she was walking with him instead of running off. He had checked in on her multiple times over the week, even though Mrs. Elmers hadn't called about a new placement, and he was extra thankful when Ponyboy's homework got finished early each day.

"I'm fine," Cordelia lied, her eyes trained on the cotton candy. Darry saw her longing look and grabbed her shoulder to guide her over, releasing it when he noticed her flinch. It was an automatic response that she couldn't control, but it still made her upset with herself when she saw Darry's face fall.

"Get what you want," Darry instructed, handing her a whole dollar. He chuckled when Cordelia grinned from ear to ear and got herself two things of cotton candy and a coke.

"Pony's insane. Absolutely insane for likin' Pepsi," Cordelia said. Darry chuckled in agreement and nodded his head towards the stands where the brothers had saved them spots. Dallas was also in the stands with Johnny at his side, Two-Bit and Steve eating hotdogs on the seat below them. The bleachers were almost completely full, the loud crowd making Cordelia stick close to Darry's side. She could feel several people looking at her to see what she was doing with Darry Curtis and based on the way people were looking at the gang, they were well-known in town. Several girls were shooting Soda winks, but he ignored all of them while Two-Bit was returning their winks.

"I heard you barrel race too," Dallas said to Cordelia with a head nod and a small smirk that made her blood boil. He had a cowboy hat and boots on, but the rest of his outfit looked like his normal clothes, just a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans. The girl sat down between Pony and Darry, barely glancing over at him.

"Better than you."

The boys all let out noises of amusement and surprise while Dallas clicked his tongue at the disrespect. He leaned forward to see her from below his cowboy hat, Johnny watching him carefully to see what his reaction was to Cordelia's attitude.

"Wanna test that theory?" Dally asked.

"I don't have a horse," Cordelia responded. Dallas just grinned and shook his head like he had already thought it through.

"Buck's cousin couldn't race today, so I have one horse here without a rider. Entry fee is already paid and it'll go to waste if no one rides her."

"No way, Dallas," Darry said immediately.

"What type?" Cordelia said at the same time.

"Quarter horse, five years old with no injuries and a near-perfect record. Her name's Maria 'cause his cousin's into that movie from a few years ago," Dally told the girl, completely ignoring Darry.

"When's the race? Do I have enough time to meet her?" Cordelia asked.

"Cordelia, you could get seriously hurt. You're not dressed to ride and it's probably been months since you've been on a horse," Darry argued.

"I've ridden in worse than this, and it's muscle memory. Can't I just see the horse?" Cordelia pleaded.

"I'll go with, Superman. I know my horses," Soda offered. Darry hesitated for a moment before sighing and nodding, pointing his finger at Soda with a sharp look on his face.

"She's not competin'. She can go see the horse and that's it."

"I wanna go!" Ponyboy gasped once he saw that Darry was actually going to allow Cordelia to go.

"No," Dallas and Darry said at the same time.

"Let's go now before the stables get too busy," Dallas suggested. "Maria's real particular so just be careful with her. She's not a fan of strangers."

"But you wanted me to compete with her?" Cordelia questioned.

"Somethin' told me you could handle it," Dallas grinned in response. Cordelia blushed a little and focused on making it through the crowd instead of responding.

"Sylvia not here? Sandy was supposed to come, but her dad wouldn't let her go, and Evie got sick, or they would be here too," Soda asked.

"Nah, she doesn't like it here. You know she don't like horses," Dallas shrugged when he took them into the stables. Every single stall was full of horses of varying breeds, all of them looking ready to compete and get out of the small space. Dallas stopped at a spotted horse first, clicking his tongue until the horse looked up from its hay, neighing at the sight of a carrot that Dallas grabbed. The horse stepped over to eat the treat, nestling his head into Dallas' palm. "This is Ghost, my horse. Been with me for the past three years. You can pet him too, if you want."

"Hey, buddy," Cordelia said softly, clicking her tongue. The horse turned to her and took a few steps closer, sticking his head out to rest on her. Cordelia laughed and stumbled, someone's hands grabbing her waist just long enough to keep her from falling before they moved once she was stable. Dallas chuckled and petted the horse's nose, grabbing his harness before he could knock over the smaller girl.

"Guess he likes you," Dallas told her. Cordelia smiled and scratched his nose, resulting in a happy noise from the horse.

"He bit my ass the first time he met me," Soda said angrily.

"It's because you're a pain in everyone else's ass," Dallas told him with a straight face. Soda did a fake laugh and flicked off the older teen, glancing around at the other horses. Dallas gave Ghost another carrot and then walked over to the next stall where a chestnut brown horse was patiently waiting for her own treat. Dallas handed the carrot over to Cordelia so she could feed it to the horse.

"You're a liar, Dallas. She's a sweet girl," Cordelia said with a laugh when this horse also almost knocked her over.

"She bites me every time I come close to her. I can't even brush her without gettin' kicked," Dallas said bitterly, crossing his arms.

"Can I go in with her?" Cordelia asked when the horse pushed against her hand for more food.

"Maybe you should stay out here," Soda suggested. Dallas, however, nodded at her, so Cordelia opened the gate just enough to step in with Maria and then closed it before the horse could get spooked and run. She was the perfect size and build for barrel racing, her legs strong enough to make the sharp turns.

"You're almost as perfect as Buttercup," Cordelia whispered to the horse as she gently scratched her nose. "Almost as pretty too. But no one can beat my Buttercup."

"She racin', Winston?" A gruff man asked when he saw Cordelia in the stall. He was mid to late twenties with a deep tan and a voice that you can only get when you start smoking in elementary school. He looked like a real cowboy with his flannel and slight limp.

"Nah, not today. But she seems to have the experience and if Maria likes her this much, I might bring her over to start practicin'," Dallas responded.

"She's my horse, Winston," the gruff man reminded him.

"Sure, Buck," Dallas said plainly. "I'll bring you your winnings this afternoon."

"You haven't won yet," Buck retorted, leaving before the teen could argue. Dallas smirked for a moment and turned his attention back to where Cordelia was still petting a content Maria and Soda was trying, and failing, to bond with Ghost.

"Let's go back before Superman has an aneurysm."

Darry did seem to relax when Soda and Cordelia came back to the stands. Dallas had to stay behind to get Ghost ready, promising Cordelia that Buck wouldn't mind if she came over to take care of Maria. His cousin was only in town every other month, so the horse didn't get much attention, and she hated all of the men who worked for Buck's stables. Convincing Darry would be the main issue.

"Dar, she's a natural. Ghost walked over to her, on his own," Soda said, shoving his mouth with some of Steve's chips. The other teen curled his lip up at his friend's theft, shoving his head down in anger.

"Ghost?" Johnny gasped. "He almost kicked me for walking next to him."

"Does Buck just choose the meanest horses?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes," the boys all said at the same time. Cordelia raised her eyebrows in surprise and sipped her coke to hide her smirk. Her mama always used to say that she was like Snow White with the way animals followed after her. When she was six, her family came outside to see her calmly sitting with two deer and a raccoon as if that were a normal occurrence, and she would always feed stray animals.

The rodeo had been going on in Tulsa for so long that there weren't any major issues. As expected, Dallas won first in barrel racing and second in bull riding. Cordelia wasn't a fan of bull riding because it made her anxious to watch, but Dallas seemed to enjoy it based on the way he hollered and smiled the whole time. Soda had saved up enough money that he was able to give everyone enough change to play some of the games they had. Cordelia lost everything that she did, but Ponyboy was nice enough to share a piece of his chocolate with her. Johnny blushed as he walked back to Two-Bit's car with a gigantic stuffed bear in his arms from the darts board.

"Give it to Katie," Johnny said to Two-Bit, a grimace on his face.

"What, you don't want the bear to cuddle every night? You're sixteen, Johnny, it's only natural," Two-Bit teased, making kissing faces at the younger boy. Johnny was saved by Dallas coming up and punching Two-Bit's arm before he threw his arm over Johnny's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Johnny. Two's just sayin' that cause the bear's all the warmth he'll be gettin'," Dallas said.

"I'll have you know, Josie Baker has been eyein' me all week," Two-Bit responded. "In fact, I think that I'll be balls deep in her by next Saturday."

"Hey! Watch it!" Darry snapped. "There's kids here."

"They know what sex is!" Two-Bit defended himself. "Don't you, Ponyboy?"

Ponyboy looked like a lobster. Cordelia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, blocking Ponyboy from Two-Bit's sight.

"Leave him alone, Keith."

"Oh, she birth named you!" Steve laughed, putting his elbow on Soda's shoulder as they laughed together.

"Aww, Delia's already a big sister," Two-Bit grinned, opening up yet another beer. Cordelia had come to realize that he was an alcoholic with how much he drank, and tonight was no exception. She was glad to see that Dallas had somehow grabbed the keys from the man because he was swaying and starting to slur his words.

Cordelia just kept her arms crossed and didn't respond to the man. Soda, however, grabbed her in a side hug and put his head on hers.

"We're keepin' her," Soda said seriously. "I won't let them take her. I always wanted a sister."

Cordelia pushed herself out of Soda's arms and got into the truck without another word. The boys didn't know how to respond either because it was silent for a moment and then Darry got into the truck alone. Cordelia looked out the window and didn't comment when he pulled out of the parking lot without his brothers.

"I won't let myself get excited for somethin' that won't last," Cordelia finally said halfway through the drive. Darry glanced over at her and then adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, clearing his throat.

"We can't let you stay with us for two years, I just can't do that. I need to save up for Pony's college and I can't do that with another mouth to feed. But maybe another six months. How would that sound?"

"So I can get fully comfortable here, get attached to everyone, just to be ripped away? No way" Cordelia scoffed. "I wanna talk to Mrs. Elmers and go to the girl's home. It'll be easier for everyone."

"You've been thinkin' about this all week or somethin'?" Darry inquired.

"I've always been thinkin' this," Cordelia explained. "It's what's easiest for me, but the agency doesn't like it cause the state has to pay more to keep us. Mrs. Elmers would be glad that she doesn't have to deal with me anymore."

"Cordelia, I want you to find a family," Darry said softly.

"I've been in the system for six years, Darry. If I was meant to find a family, it would've happened by now," Cordelia responded harshly.

"Okay. If that's what you want then I'll call Mrs. Elmers on Monday. But you have to tell Pony and Soda."

Cordelia clenched her jaw and watched out the window as they approached the house, perking up at the sight of a familiar car parked on the street. It stood out against the rundown houses and cars parked in yards, sending a jolt of fear through her heart.

"You expectin' her?" Cordelia asked when Darry parked in the driveway, the guys right behind him.

"No, I'm not," Darry said worriedly. He glanced at the teen next to him and then got out of the truck to meet Mrs. Elmers in the yard. Cordelia followed behind him without a glance at the teens getting out of the other car.

"Cordelia, we're going to head up to Oklahoma City tonight. We're going to go see Elijah," Mrs. Elmers said in a soft voice that Cordelia had only heard once before.

"No," Cordelia said, taking a step back and shaking her head.

"Cordelia, you've been asking to see him for months now. It's time."

Tears filled Cordelia's eyes and she shook her head again, taking another step back until she bumped into Soda's chest. The boy went to rub her arms for comfort before he remembered how she would flinch, the girl taking a step forward before he could even fully lift his arms.

"Cordelia Rae, get into the car and don't make this more difficult than it needs to be," Mrs. Elmers sighed.

"But you said...you said I'd only get to see him if somethin' happened," Cordelia choked out.

"What if we go with you?" Darry suggested despite having no clue what was happening. Cordelia hesitated before nodding, and the boys got back into their car without any questioning, Darry getting into the front seat of Mrs. Elmers car while Cordelia got into the back.

The girl didn't speak for the whole three hour ride, her eyes refusing to close either. Mrs. Elmers gave no further context as to the severity of the situation or the teen's attitude, Darry deciding to stay silent as well. He turned in his seat when he heard her start to sniffle, but the girl looked away before he could attempt to comfort her. She could hear him start to ask Mrs. Elmers what was wrong when his voice died out as they reached their location.

Oklahoma City Hospital.

Chapter Text

Cordelia didn't say anything as she got out of the car. None of the boys did either. They just stretched and yawned as the clock clicked closer to midnight, the moon illuminating the half-empty parking lot. She pretended not to notice how they looked at her with questioning glances or how Darry was staring at her with pity.

"Let's go, Cordelia," Mrs. Elmers said in a soft voice.

"I can't," Cordelia whispered, shaking her head.

"Sweetie, he doesn't have much longer. His kidneys have completely failed. If you don't go now, you might never get to say goodbye," Mrs. Elmers sighed. Cordelia swallowed heavily and clung to Darry's arm as she walked into the hospital, her hands shaking and her eyes filling with tears. One of the doctors saw the large group and seemed to recognize Mrs. Elmers because he excused himself from his conversation to come over.

"Patricia, it's nice to see you again, although I wish it was under different circumstances," the doctor said to the woman. His eyes scanned over the group of greasers behind him and a look of worry crossed over his face.

"Same to you, Dr. Williams. I have Elijah's sister here with us to say goodbye," Mrs. Elmers said, moving so the doctor could see the teenage girl. Instead of moving, Cordelia wrapped her arms tighter around Darry's and put her face on his arm to hide. The man gently removed his arm from her grip to wrap around her shoulders instead, pulling her protectively into his side.

"Cordelia, it's lovely to meet you. Would you like to follow me to Elijah's room?" Dr. Williams asked in a tone that showed it wasn't his first time in this situation.

"Can I go with her?" Darry asked when the girl didn't respond.

"Alright, but just you," Dr. Williams nodded. The boys all made themselves comfortable in the waiting room, Darry having to practically force Cordelia to walk to the Pediatric ICU. The reminder that Elijah was still a child sent a stake through her heart and she could hear Darry's breath catch when he realized the same thing.

"I'll be right out here," Mrs. Elmers told Cordelia when they stopped in front of a room.

"D'ya want me to go in with you?" Darry asked Cordelia after she completely froze and refused to move.

"You said he'd be okay," Cordelia choked out, glaring at the woman. That was the first time that Darry ever saw the social worker's facade crumble, but she quickly put it back on.

"I'm so sorry, Cordelia," Mrs. Elmers whispered.

"We did everything we could, but the damage was too severe," Dr. Williams said softly. "Elijah was a fighter through the end, but a body can only go through so much."

Cordelia nodded and took a deep breath before removing herself from Darry's protective hold to enter the room, closing the door so no one else could see the tears fall from her eyes.

Elijah had always been big. He started playing football before he could even walk and he enjoyed going on runs and lifting weights. Cordelia used to tease him that he ate like a pig because of his appetite, and he would just ruffle her hair and grin. But now he looked small against the hospital bed, a tube down his throat and multiple IVs connected to his body. His eyes were closed and had dark bags under them that stood out against his pale skin. Cordelia let out a sob at the sight of her big brother reduced to nothing and sat on the chair next to his bed to grab his hand.

She could still remember the look in his eyes when he broke into the room to save her in Mobile. He was only twelve, almost thirteen, but he went to juvie just to protect his baby sister. The last time she saw her big brother was when she was fourteen. The foster family in Austin was a nightmare, but they had family in Idaho near the farm that Henry and Elijah were working on, so they drove up there, and the siblings could reunite for an hour. At fifteen, Elijah was bigger than the dad of the family, but Henry was only eleven, and he was smaller than their ten-year-old son. Cordelia thought back to that day and let out another sob when she remembered that she only got a few minutes with Elijah so he could finish Henry's work before their foster father realized it wasn't done. He had hugged her and whispered 'I love you' and then was gone.

"Hey, Eli. I've really missed you," Cordelia started even though she knew her brother couldn't respond. "It's not the same without you here. You sacrificed so much for me and I won't ever be able to repay you. I won't ever be able to hug you again or let you know how much I appreciate you. And I resented you for such a long time too. I can't believe I stopped responding to your letters, but I promise you, Eli, I don't blame you for getting separated from us. Not even a little bit. You're my big brother, my protector. You were supposed to turn eighteen and save us, Eli. You were supposed to save us."

Her brother stayed tauntingly still. Cordelia knew that Elijah could never sit still for long. He hated working on the farms, but he liked that it kept him busy. It felt weird to see him so still and quiet because he always had something to say. That had gotten him in trouble more times than she could count.

"I love you, Eli. I really do, and I'm sorry if I didn't tell you enough. I'm sorry that I hung up on you the last time that you called, and I'm really fucking sorry that I didn't respond to all of your letters. I guess you needed me as much as I needed you. But I guess you couldn't handle hearin' about everythin' that happened to me and Henry. But I promise you that nothin' was your fault. I love you, Eli. So much."

Elijah sent a letter every single week and called at least once a month. It was hard for them to talk, but he tried to anyway. He had found a permanent family on the farm since they liked his work ethic and his muscles allowed him to work more than the others. Even though the parents weren't the most caring, they still gave him three meals a day and made sure his grades were good enough to go to college one day. Henry had been sent to another family by that point, a family that seemed to care about him. But Cordelia was stuck in a home from hell and she was miserable. Elijah had written about a dance that he was able to go to and how happy he was and Cordelia just didn't respond. He sent her five letters that month and she only responded to one. And she skipped his phone call too.

He had stopped sending as many letters after that. Their phone calls got shorter and shorter until he yelled at her one day for being ungrateful. Cordelia yelled back that he was the reason why the siblings got separated and he hung up without a word. The letters and calls stopped for two months until he started sending them again like nothing had happened.

That was just Elijah. He was kind and caring, always looking out for his baby siblings. There was less than two years difference between Elijah and Cordelia, but he acted like it was much more. When she was thirteen and got her first 'boyfriend', he threatened to drive down to Dallas just to threaten the boy. And when that teenage romance turned into heartbreak, he spent an hour on the phone just for Cordelia to cry so hard that he couldn't understand a word that she was saying. When Henry lived on the farm with him, Elijah would do most of his work for him so the younger boy could actually have a childhood. Elijah was the one who fed them, made sure their clothes were clean, fixed up any holes in their shirts, and sacrificed his own meals to make sure they were taken care of.

Elijah was more of a parent to them than their own parents.

Cordelia knew he had to grow up too fast. The Idaho family had seven kids of their own, most of them younger than Elijah. She could remember how jealous she got when Elijah would tell her about his experiences helping them grow up. He talked about how he would braid the youngest hair for her and Cordelia couldn't help but be jealous when she remembered that she was the reason he even knew how to braid.

And then a year ago, Elijah called her and said that he was being taken away from the family. The dad had lost his job and started beating the kids, although he avoided Elijah because of his strength. The state noticed and took all the kids away and sent them to different families and Elijah was sent to an elderly woman in Oklahoma City who just wanted someone to drive her to and from doctors appointments. For the first time in years, Elijah and Cordelia were in the same city and then Cordelia was taken to Albuquerque the same day that they were supposed to see each other again.

She'd only talked to Elijah five times since then. Their weekly letters turned into once a month, maybe two times if they got lucky. And Cordelia felt her resentment growing, even though Mama Louise took good care of her and made her feel loved for the first time in years.

Too bad Elijah didn't have the same experience.

He was going to die thinking that she hated him. That she blamed him.

And that killed her.

------------------

Darry grimaced at the sound of sobs coming from the room behind him. Mrs. Elmers shook her head and stared down at the ground, her foot tapping against the floor making Darry go insane.

"What's wrong with Elijah?" Darry finally asked. Mrs. Elmers glanced up in surprise and cleared her throat.

"Well, I'm not sure how much you know so I'll start with their Mobile placement. Elijah went crazy and attacked the brother and father in that home and got sent to juvie for about three months. After that no one wanted to take him in. The agent had to start looking farther away because he was picking fights in the boys home too. A family in Idaho needed help on the farm and agreed to take in Elijah and the boy did a full 180. He was going to school, getting good grades, doing good on the farm, everything. Henry was sent there for a few months too but he wasn't a good fit for the farm life so he went back to the family in Houston."

"Cordelia didn't like Houston," Darry interrupted. Mrs. Elmers' face twisted and she nodded, not able to meet his eye.

"Elijah continued to do amazing with that family until the dad lost his job. The state had to complete a raid when three of the daughters came to school with bruises and told them that it was from their daddy. When the social workers got there, it turned out that Elijah had been the one raising the kids and he was the only one who wasn't getting beat. The dad would wait until he was at school or out on the field to do anything. The state decided to find someone who could give Elijah a calmer, less stressful life, and we found an elderly woman in Oklahoma City who could do that. Everything was fine until her son got divorced and moved back in with her."

"How long ago was that?" Darry asked.

"Six months, maybe a little more," Mrs. Elmers responded. "The son was bitter and angry and drunk more than he was sober. Elijah was still so, so optimistic. He planned to do the same thing that you're doing now. But the son, Michael, he's a narcicistic asshole. He started verbally abusing Elijah and made him quit his job. The state noticed that Elijah's grades started slipping so we asked the school counselor to talk to Elijah, but he said that he was focusing on football instead. We had no idea just how bad things were at that place. The son was a registered sex offender, he wasn't even supposed to be in that house."

Darry clenched his jaw and closed his fists so hard that he almost drew blood. Mrs. Elmers had to take a shaky breath before she could continue.

"About three months ago, Elijah had enough. He punched Michael and broke his nose, and Michael wasn't a small guy. He retaliated and the two ended up in a fight that had the mother calling the police. Elijah threw the first punch so Michael wanted to press charges, and since he was almost eighteen the state was going to try him as an adult. It would've been maybe three years in jail and some community service, nothing horrible but enough to prevent him from getting a good job. And Elijah, that boy loved football. Michael shoved him into a bookshelf and hurt his back during the fight, nothing horrible to seriously injure or paralyze him, but he would never be able to play professionally. He was already being scouted by multiple NFL and college teams. The doctor prescribed him a pain medicine until his back was done healing, but Elijah wasn't taking them everyday. He hid them in his pillow in the jail cell so they wouldn't find them. A month ago...a month ago, Elijah took all the pills at once and has been in a coma since."

"Damn," Darry muttered, letting out a long breath. "When was the last time Cordelia got to see him?"

"Two years ago," Mrs. Elmers responded. "Her foster family had family in Idaho so she got to go up and see Elijah and Henry. They wrote letters and called some, but they've been separated for five years now."

"I can't imagine that. Not seein' Soda or Pony for five years..." Darry trailed off, leaning his head on the wall behind him.

"Michael really messed with Elijah's mind and mental state," Mrs. Elmers admitted. "We knew that Cordelia and Elijah had fought a few times. She blamed him for getting the family separated and for a long time he was happy with the Idaho family while she was being tossed around. He wrote a letter, and God, Darrel, I could barely get through it. He really blamed himself for everything, their parents dying, getting separated, everything that happened to Cordelia and Henry. It was...horrifying."

Darry didn't respond, but he felt anger simmering to the woman sitting next to him. If she had just found better families, they wouldn't be sitting there today.

"You were supposed to save Elijah," Mrs. Elmers whispered, wiping away a tear. "We thought that seeing you brothers together would give him enough hope to push through. His bail was posted, he was supposed to leave for your house the next day."

"I've gotta get to my brothers. Come get me if somethin' changes with Cordelia," Darry said, standing up and leaving without another word.

Ponyboy was asleep with his head in Soda's lap and Soda was basically asleep himself. Two-Bit had passed out thanks to the copious amount of alcohol he drank before, taking up three chairs. Steve was drooling with his head on Soda's shoulder and Johnny was asleep against Dallas' side, the older boy glaring at Darry as if to dare him to say anything.

"Any news?" Soda asked through a yawn. Darry shook his head and sat down in a chair across from his brothers, running his hand down his face and fighting his own yawn.

"He's not gonna make it to the mornin'," Darry sighed. "His doctor said he's surprised Elijah's made it this long."

"What happened to him?" Dallas inquired.

"He overdosed on pain pills. On purpose," Darry answered. Dallas' face twisted for a moment while Soda let out a small gasp.

"Poor Cordelia," Soda said softly as he ran his fingers through Ponyboy's hair.

"You don't know the half of it," Darry sighed again, looking down at his baby brother still passed out. "Wake Pony up. I wanna talk to you two real quick."

Soda looked hesitant to wake up Ponyboy since he rarely slept through the night, but he did so anyways.

"Cordelia okay?" Ponyboy yawned as he sat up, stretching so big that he almost slapped Johnny. Steve let out a huff when Soda stood up and disrupted his sleep, moving so his head was leaning against the wall with his mouth open. Darry guided his sleepy brothers over to a quiet part of the waiting room where no one could hear.

"What do y'all think about Cordelia comin' to stay with us? For good?" Darry asked. Ponyboy and Soda both perked up and smiled at the idea.

"Please! She doesn't yell at me about my homework like you, and her chocolate cakes are better," Ponyboy teased.

"I would love that! I've always wanted a sister," Soda nodded.

"I would have to get a second job," Darry warned. "I can't afford to feed all of y'all and save for your college with my one job. We might have to time our showers and not use lights unless we absolutely have to, and it might get cold in the winter."

"She needs us, Darry. Can't you see that?" Soda asked. Darry took a deep breath and gave Soda a closed lip smile.

"I wanna ask about Henry too. See if he can come stay with us," Darry added.

"Woah, I wouldn't be the youngest anymore!" Ponyboy gasped excitedly.

"Calm down, Pony," Darry chuckled. "I don't even know where Henry is now. He might be with a family that takes good care of him, and I wouldn't want to take him away from that. I just needed to make sure you two were okay with all of this before I ask Cordelia and Mrs. Elmers and make everythin' official."

"I'd love that, Darry. Please let her stay," Soda assured him, Ponyboy nodding in agreement. Darry smiled at his brothers and ruffled their hair as they walked back to the others. Steve was reluctantly awake now since Soda had woken him up, half-heartedly glaring at his friend when he sat back down.

"You keepin' her?" Dallas asked with a knowing look.

"She's not a dog, Dally," Darry scoffed.

"We are!" Soda said excitedly at the same time. Darry could've sworn that Dallas smiled at that which is weird because he only ever smiles at Johnny.

"You two need any food?" Darry asked his brothers.

"Nah, we ate at the rodeo," Soda answered for the both of them. Darry nodded and leaned his head against the wall, his mind racing. Ponyboy got back into his previous position with his eyes already fluttering shut while Soda closed his eyes to finally sleep when a loud sound came over the intercom.

"Code blue, room 304! Code blue, room 304!"

"Shit," Darry muttered, instantly standing up at the sound.

"That Elijah's room?" Soda asked softly. Darry grimaced and nodded as he headed back to the room. By the time that he made it back there, Mrs. Elmers was crying and Cordelia was sobbing. Darry didn't care if he was supposed to be in the room or not, he immediately entered the open door to hold Cordelia to his chest. The girl accepted the embrace and started sobbing into his chest, her whole body shaking so hard that he was scared he would collapse.

"Time of death 2:13 am," Dr. Williams sighed. Cordelia let out a gasp and her knees went out, Darry barely able to keep her from falling.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Darry whispered into her hair, squeezing his eyes shut as the doctors and nurses started working on removing all the tubes and needles. Mrs. Elmers excused herself but Darry just stood there to keep Cordelia safe. The girl was breathing so fast that Darry was scared she would pass out, but she had the mental ability to finally open her eyes and look at her brother just as a nurse started to pull a sheet over his face.

"No!" Cordelia yelled, pushing herself out of Darry's arms to crawl onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Elijah and putting her head on his chest where his heart should be beating. The nurse put a gentle hand on Cordelia's shoulder to try and pull her away, but the teen just shook her head and grabbed her brother in one last embrace.

Darry couldn't help but think that she looked way too young in that moment. Elijah did too.

"Let's give them a moment," Dr. Williams said to the nurses. Death was so normal to them that they just agreed and left the room. Darry felt like he wasn't supposed to see this, wasn't supposed to hear Cordelia's last goodbye so he slipped out of the room. Mrs. Elmers had composed herself and was waiting in the hallway too.

"That poor girl," Mrs. Elmers sighed, shaking her head.

"I want her to stay with me. Permanently," Darry said strongly. Mrs. Elmers looked up at him with shock clear on her face.

"I can't promise permanently, especially not with your income," Mrs. Elmers warned. "But if Cordelia agrees, I'll make you her official temporary guardian tomorrow and we can reevaluate in a few months."

"And I want to see about taking Henry in too. They need each other now," Darry said, his heart breaking some when he realized the younger teen didn't get a chance to say goodbye. Mrs. Elmers, however, tilted her head with confusion and furrowed her eyebrows. It seemed like she was choosing her words carefully when she spoke.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not?" Darry asked angrily, still able to hear Cordelia sobbing as she begged and pleaded her brother to just open his eyes, talk to her, show her that he was still there. Mrs. Elmers could hear it too because she winced and sighed before responding.

"Because Henry's been dead for a year."

Chapter Text

"Cordelia, there's a call for you."

Cordelia groaned and turned her face into her pillow at the persistent shaking of her shoulder. The moonlight seemed to taunt her when the shaking continued and she finally looked up to glare at the perpetrator.

"Tell them to call back when there's sunlight," Cordelia mumbled.

"It's Henry. He sounded scared."

Mama Louise's words had Cordelia out of bed in an instant, practically running to the family room to answer the phone.

"Hey, Henry, baby. What's wrong? It's late," Cordelia rushed out. Henry let out a sob and Cordelia's breath caught, her heart stopping in her chest at the sound. She didn't like her baby brother to cry, especially when she knew who he was with.

"I'm scared, Delia. Mr. Wright, he's drunk and his friends are all over. They're shootin' in the house and they keep hittin' my door and yellin' at me," Henry answered through his tears.

"Where are they now?" Cordelia asked.

"They went outside. Delia, please, I need you. I'm so scared."

"I'm comin', baby. I'll be there soon," Cordelia lied. Albuquerque to Houston was a 15-hour drive, maybe 14 if she could drive without stopping and kept her foot on the accelerator the whole time.

"Please," Henry whimpered, the sound of a door slamming making Cordelia flinch.

"I love you, Henry, so much. Elijah does too, baby. Now please, go hide in your room and lock the door," Cordelia begged.

"I love you, Delia," Henry whispered before he hung up. Cordelia held back a sob and rushed to put clothes on.

"What's happening, Cordelia?" Mama Louise questioned. She had stayed in the room during the call but the siblings had spoken so softly that there was no way for her to hear.

"The dad, he's drunk with his friends and they're gonna hurt Henry. I need your car, please," Cordelia responded.

"Okay, let's go," Mama Louise nodded. It was two in the morning, but the woman barely slept so it wasn't that odd for her to agree to leave. It didn't matter that it would be too late by the time they got there, Cordelia just nodded and rushed out to the car while the adult stayed behind to call the police and try to get help over to Henry.

Cordelia hadn't seen Henry in a year, not since she went out to Idaho on the farm. Henry had been sent back to their Houston family a few weeks later when it became obvious that he wasn't built for work on a farm. It didn't matter what the dad had done to Cordelia; all that mattered was that the agency needed to find somewhere to put Henry, and the house had an empty room. Not to mention that Cordelia's testimony had been labeled as false because of her history.

"He'll be fine, Cordelia," Mama Louise said in her best nonchalant tone.

She had only been staying with the woman for a few months, but Cordelia thought that this would be the one that lasted. The woman was in her late fifties and mostly just wanted some help with the animals and some company since her kids were all adults now with their own lives. Mama Louise wasn't as caring as a normal mother would be and Cordelia knew that she would likely have to find her own place the day she turned eighteen, but it was safer than she had felt in years. She only wished that Henry could say the same.

Mama Louise drove through the night and didn't stop until they were almost halfway there. While she went into the store to get some breakfast and use the bathroom, Cordelia used her last quarter to try and call Henry but the phone just rang over and over again. The rest of the car ride was silent as the morning turned to day and the day turned to afternoon.

It felt like her heart was being stabbed when they got closer and closer to Houston and pulled onto the familiar streets. If Mama Louise noticed Cordelia's attitude change, she didn't question it. Cordelia knew that the woman had read her file and knew that this was where the teen's innocence was ripped away from her, but she didn't comment.

"This the one?" Mama Louise asked when they made it to the end of a dirt road. The Wrights had ten acres so they could keep some chickens and goats, a creek running through the property. The house was the biggest that Cordelia had ever stayed in and was closer to a mansion than a house, but the show of wealth made bile raise in Cordelia's throat.

"Yeah," Cordelia confirmed. Mama Louise nodded and parked the car, leaning over to open the glovebox and pull out a small handgun that she hid in her purse. The property was silent and no one answered when Cordelia rang the doorbell. They got lucky that the family hadn't changed the locks since the girl left because she was able to find the key under the doormat and open the door after it became clear that no one was going to answer.

"He's in his room."

Cordelia and Mama Louise both jumped at the broken voice of Mrs. Wright. She was sitting on the couch with a bottle of wine in front of her, just staring ahead. There had obviously been a fight in the house with some paintings on the ground and holes in the wall, but she looked untouched.

"Who?" Cordelia asked with a shaky breath.

"Henry. He's in his room," Mrs. Wright clarified, still not looking at them.

"Let's go get Henry," Mama Louise said softly. Cordelia nodded and made the familiar trek down into the basement where they had stayed. The smell of blood and bleach made Cordelia freeze, but Mama Louise put a comforting hand on her shoulder and guided the girl down the rest of the steps. Mr. Wright was on his hands and knees to scrub blood from the expensive rug, barely glancing over his shoulder.

"He should've listened when we told him to be still and take it," Mr. Wright told them. Mama Louise let out a horrified gasp but Cordelia couldn't respond to the man. Henry's door was closed and covered in bloody handprints of various sizes, including some that could've matched the twelve-year-old.

Henry was on his bed when she opened the door. He looked almost peaceful in his Sunday best clothes, his arms laid out on his side and his skin pale. And then Cordelia took another step closer and saw how unnaturally pale and stiff he already was. The bruises that were visible seemed to be deeper than normal, especially the one in the shape of a hand around his throat.

And the hole in his forehead shined brighter than anything else.

Cordelia couldn't remember anything else after that. She couldn't remember crawling onto the bed to close her baby brother's eyes or the way that she refused to let go of him when the police and paramedics finally came once Mama Louise called them. She couldn't remember their apologies when they explained that Mr. Wright had told them everything was fine that morning. She couldn't remember how Mrs. Wright screamed when she was led out of the house in handcuffs or how Mr. Wright smiled at the same situation.

But she remembered how cold her baby brother was and the fact that she was too late.

----------------------

Cordelia didn't know how she made it back to the Curtis house, but when she woke up she was in the familiar bed. The smell of freshly baked chocolate cake made her stomach twist and her head ache. It took her a minute before she remembered why her head hurt so bad and why her eyes felt so swollen and then she was sobbing again.

"Cordelia?" Darry asked softly, knocking on her door as he hesitantly opened it. The pitiful look was back on his face as he kneeled next to her and pushed her hair out of her face, gently shushing her until the tears stopped.

"Is it real?" Cordelia croaked out.

"Yeah, honey. I'm sorry," Darry whispered. "I made cake and the guys are over if you want company. If not, I'll send them home and I'll send Pony and Soda out too if you want to be alone. Just tell me what I can do to help."

"I don't know," Cordelia responded, her throat aching. Darry frowned and hesitantly sat on the side of her bed, carefully watching for any signs that she was uncomfortable with the action. "They're both gone, Darry. On the same day."

"I know, honey. I'm so, so sorry," Darry told her and she could tell that he was telling the truth. "I can't imagine...I can't even imagine what you're goin' through."

Cordelia broke down into sobs again until the world went dark. She was alone again when she woke back up, her body forcing her to get up. She could hear the quiet conversation up front go silent when they heard her go into the bathroom and she knew that she would have to go see them. A quick glance in the mirror showed her that she looked as bad as she felt, but she didn't have the energy to do anything else.

"Hey, Delia," Soda said softly when she walked up to the front room where everyone was gathered. She noticed that he seemed to have picked up on Two-Bit's nickname, and she didn't know if that made her feel better or worse.

"We made cake," Ponyboy told her. Cordelia gave him a tight smile and sat next to him on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest. The spot was usually reserved for Johnny, but he was sitting on the ground leaning against the chair that Dallas sat in. Ponyboy wrapped a homemade quilt around her shoulders and the girl almost broke into tears at the gesture.

"He didn't want to be cremated. He hated fire," Cordelia said to Darry, her voice cracking and rough.

"I'll see what I can do, honey," Darry assured her. "Mrs. Elmers should be here in the next hour or so. I have some paperwork to sign so you can stay here a bit longer. If you want to, of course."

"Why'd you agree to take in Elijah? Did you know that he was in jail?" Cordelia asked the man. He blinked in surprise and then shrugged.

"They just told me that he had some violent tendencies but nothing against any kids and only if provoked. I can handle myself in a fight and I know everyone in this room could too," Darry answered. "They told me that he had been separated from you and Henry and I thought about how angry I would be if I was also separated from Pony and Soda. I wanted to help him and get my letter of recommendation for permanent custody of Pony and Soda.."

"Do you really mean it? You'll help me. You won't hurt me?" Cordelia asked him.

"Of course not," Darry assured her. "And I promise that no one in this room will ever hurt you."

"And we'll kill anyone that does," Dallas added, Two-Bit and Steve nodding in agreement.

"Please. I want to stay," Cordelia told him. Ponyboy smiled and wrapped his arms around her side, the girl leaning into the embrace. Darry and Soda both smiled too, Soda leaning over Ponyboy to rub her knee.

"You need anythin'? You haven't eaten today," Darry noted.

"Cake would be nice," Cordelia nodded. Two-Bit saluted her and came back with a big enough slice that she wouldn't be able to finish it if she tried. Cordelia gave him a soft smile and sat up to eat.

"You must be related to the Curtis family distantly with how much you like chocolate," Steve noted with a small chuckle.

"Mama used to make chocolate cake every Sunday with us. Eli was never into baking, but Henry and I would always crowd around her to eat the batter," Cordelia answered, her voice growing tight.

"Delia, where's Henry now?" Soda asked cautiously. The cake twisted in her stomach so the girl passed the rest of the slice to Ponyboy and picked at her nails.

"They buried him in Houston. I've never even been able to see his grave or nothin'."

The boys seemed to know that Henry was gone because no one questioned her. She didn't know if that made her feel better or not, that they knew about Henry. Then she realized that she wasn't sure what all they knew about her or her brothers and that made the cake almost come up from her stomach.

"What all do you know?" Cordelia questioned. Darry awkwardly cleared his throat and answered for the group.

"We know a little about Elijah and why he did what he did. And we know that Henry was shot and killed and you're the one who found him."

"Anything else?" Cordelia asked.

"That's all," Soda assured her. Cordelia nodded and pulled the quilt further around her, looking down at the ground.

"Mickey on?" Cordelia asked Two-Bit. The adult grinned and nodded, flipping on the TV. None of the guys complained like they normally would. When Mrs. Elmers once again struggled with the gate, Darry went outside to speak to her so that no one else could hear.

"We've seen this episode twenty times," Steve complained, making everyone chuckle in agreement. Cordelia moved her head up from where it had fallen against Ponyboy's shoulder and grimaced at the pain in her head.

"I want a cigarette," Cordelia mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She held back her sigh of disappointment when Ponyboy went to hand her a cigarette, but Dallas stood up with a full pack of Winstons and tossed them to her without another word. He nodded his head to the backyard since Darry and Mrs. Elmers were still out front, and Cordelia followed after him. The sun was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds with the threat of rain blowing the tire swing around. Cordelia curled up on one of the chairs and savored the nicotine as it infiltrated her senses.

"I moved down to Tulsa with my pops cause my big sister died," Dallas said in a soft tone, staring up at the sky as he smoked. "None of the guys know, and I don't want them to so don't you dare say anything or I'll know it was you. Her name was Brooklyn, she was three years older than me. Pop was never good to us and my mama died when I was five, so Brooke was all that I had. I was doin' just fine on the streets of New York and then Brooke couldn't take it anymore and cut her own wrists and bled out. Pop decided to move back to Tulsa where he lived as a kid and I decided to go with him 'cause I couldn't live in the same place that killed my sister."

"Did she know that you loved her?" Cordelia asked him.

"Yeah, she did. I told her everyday. Guess it wasn't enough in the end," Dallas said, his voice turning bitter. Cordelia made a noise and took a deep inhale from the cigarette, breathing it out in rings before responding.

"The last time Eli called me, he asked me for $20 and wouldn't tell me why. We got into a fight and I blamed him for Henry gettin' killed and everythin' that happened to me. Found out later that he wanted the money to get a bus to come see me, but he wouldn't say that. I told him that I hated him and wished that he had died instead and hung up. Never even sent him a letter after that. He died thinkin' I hated him when I wanted nothin' more than to finally just have my big brother back."

"Brooke and I fought at least once a week," Dallas sighed. "We would wrestle and hit each other and then start yellin' and sayin' things our mama would've killed us for if she had been there. But that was my sister and I knew that she loved me no matter what I said. I'm sure your brother knew that too."

"Did you get to say bye?"

"Yeah, I did," Dallas said with a click of his tongue. "That night, she took me out to dinner and then we took a walk in Central Park. She dropped me off at home and then went to her boyfriend's place so I wouldn't see her."

"I didn't get to say bye to either of them," Cordelia said, a tear running down her cheek. "Henry, I got him on the phone before we started drivin', but he was so fuckin' scared, Dally. And Eli-"

Dallas just hummed and handed her another cigarette when a sob tore through her throat and left her unable to finish her sentence, lighting up another one for himself as well.

"I know it's not the same, but the Curtis brothers are gonna take care of you as if you've lived with them forever," Dallas said after a few moments of silence. "They'll take care of ya, I promise. And we will too. We're all family. I was serious about you comin' over to my place if you need to get away, I don't want anythin' in return."

A knock on the door made them both turn around, Darry giving Dallas a long look that had the younger boy put his cigarette out and head inside. Darry took his place and lit up one of the cigarettes that Dallas had left outside.

"Mrs. Elmers signed off on everythin'. Six months and then we'll be revaluated to see if there's another family for you or if you can stay here," Darry told her. "And the state will bury Elijah in Oklahoma City and pay for everythin' too. There won't be a funeral or service, but he'll get a small headstone."

"We have a family plot down in Georgia," Cordelia said, squeezing her eyes shut. "Daddy's family has been buried there since they built the house in the 1800s. I guess none of us will get to go there, we'll all be separated even in death."

"Oh, honey," Darry cooed, paying careful attention to her to see that she didn't want to be touched in that moment. The man respected that and stayed in his seat as he watched the clouds move.

"Will you read my file?" Cordelia requested in a small voice.

"You sure?" Darry questioned.

"Yeah. If I'm gonna stay with you for a while, I want you to understand," Cordelia explained. "But you can't look at me different once you're done. You can't pity me or-or treat me like I'm some fragile little girl. And no one else can know."

"I won't. And they won't know anythin' unless you want to tell them," Darry confirmed.

Cordelia nodded and headed back to her room just long enough to get the file. Darry had brought the quilt out with him so Cordelia wrapped up in it and sat back down, rubbing her eyes since they were still hurting and her head was pounding.

"Dar, can we go to the drive-in?" Ponyboy asked, peeking his head outside. "Soda's gettin' antsy and annoyin' and there's a movie Johnny and I have been wantin' to see."

"You got the dough for that?" Darry questioned, raising an eyebrow at the fourteen year old, who shook his head.

"I've got a quarter on my dresser, you can take that. And if the others need an entry fee too, I've got some change in one of my bags," Cordelia told him. Ponyboy brightened and smiled.

"Johnny and I are the only ones who need money, so I'll bring you your change. Thank you, Cordelia."

Darry chuckled at Ponyboy's enthusiasm as he yelled at everyone to get ready to go. She could see how much Darry cared for his little brother in the way his eyes softened with amusement, but she could also see how he tried to hide it.

"You should tell him you love him," Cordelia said in a soft voice. Darry blinked in surprise and opened the file in his hands, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, I probably should."

Chapter Text

Darry did not tell Ponyboy that he loved him.

Instead, he got into a screaming match with him after he saw that Ponyboy had left his science homework uncompleted and went to the drive-in anyway. Cordelia had just stayed in her room and tried to ignore the fact that she told Ponyboy she would help him with his work before everything happened, so it was technically her fault too.

Darry now knew everything. They had sat outside for over two hours, eating chocolate cake and drinking Pepsi, as he read each detail and asked questions when necessary. Despite his promise, Cordelia had caught him watching her with even more worry than before and he had yelled at Two-Bit when the boy had jokingly shoved her shoulder. In a way, it was nice for someone to finally know everything, but it also left her with overwhelming anxiety that he would tell everyone else or start treating her differently.

He also told Cordelia that she had to register for school, although he gave her a week so that she could recover as much as she could after losing their brother. The boys were all nicer than normal the whole week and Ponyboy stayed glued to her side, Johnny usually following around if Dallas wasn't there. Soda brought home every type of candy that the DX sold for her and Dallas 'forgot' a pack of cigarettes on the front porch. Cordelia was almost excited for Monday morning because she could escape their pitying looks.

"You ready for school?" Ponyboy asked with a yawn, his hair carefully greased back despite the early hour. Cordelia just shrugged and grabbed a banana to eat. She had carefully chosen an outfit for the day, but she feared that she still looked cheap and dirty. It wasn't like she had that many clothes to choose from.

"Let me see your schedule," Steve said with his hand already extended out. Cordelia grabbed the piece of paper from her book bag that Darry got her and passed it over. Two-Bit and Ponyboy both looked over Steve's shoulder to examine it. "We'll have math together with Johnny, but you're on your own for everything else."

"Nah, we have science together. Ms. Givens is a total babe, unmarried, and knows that I'm a legal adult," Two-Bit said with a wink. Cordelia curled her lip up in disgust and shook her head at the man.

"Ms. Givens hates you," Ponyboy retorted as he put his plate and Soda's in the sink. The older boy had raced out of the house before he could even finish his eggs since he overslept and was almost late for work, his younger brother grumbling about having to clean for him.

"She'll see the light one day," Two-Bit shrugged with a smirk.

"Johnny, you have English fourth period, right?" Steve asked. The dark-haired boy nodded in response and looked up from his science homework that was only half done. Cordelia was glad to see that he didn't have any new bruises on his face, but his clothes looked dirty and crumpled. He had spent the night at Two-Bit's the night before and taken a shower, but Cordelia guessed that he had spent the past few nights at the lot instead.

"I guess we'll be in that class together," Cordelia said, frowning at the paper. Darry had handled everything so Cordelia hadn't even been to the school yet. She wasn't excited for everyone to stare at her since she had joined a few months after school had already started.

"Dally said he might go to school today," Johnny spoke up.

"Dallas Winston at school?" Two-Bit laughed. "I'd pay to see that. I didn't even know he was still registered."

"He goes often enough that they don't call the cops or drop him," Johnny explained with a shrug.

"I'm smart, Mathews," Dallas said as he slammed the front door open.

"Don't slam my door!" Darry yelled from his room. Dallas rolled his eyes and plopped down onto the couch next to Johnny.

"I've never seen you at school," Two-Bit said to the teen.

"I usually just go for the first class and then skip. I can't have them callin' my pops, or it'd be a shitstorm, and I do plan on graduating eventually. Don't wanna be like you, a junior at eighteen," Dallas retorted.

"You got the grades to graduate?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow.

"'Course I do," Dallas scoffed. "As long as I show up for the tests, I'm golden."

"I thought you'd dropped out like Soda," Ponyboy said seriously. Darry came up front in his work shirt and grabbed his eggs to eat over the sink. He took a glance at the clock and started shoveling them in his mouth so fast he could barely chew. Cordelia had learned that none of the Curtis brothers were great with time management.

"Nah, horsekid. Just have better things to do with my time," Dallas responded

"Everyone better be ready to go," Darry said seriously. "Cordelia, I won't have time to walk you in, but stay close to one of the guys and they'll help you out."

Darry looked anxious when he dropped off Cordelia and Ponyboy at the front of the school, but he didn't have time to talk to either of them. Will Rogers wasn't huge, but it was bigger than Cordelia's last school. Students were walking around and leaning on their cars in the parking lot and the class divide seemed more evident than ever before. The socs parked on the left side of the parking lot in their nice cars and perfect outfits while the greasers were on the right side. Some of their cars looked like they would fall apart when they were turned on and most of them had stains or tears in their clothes. Ponyboy nodded his head at Cordelia and walked over to where Steve and Dallas parked. Dallas' car was the only exception on the greaser side because he was driving a Thunderbird that some of the greasers stared at enviously.

"You gonna last the whole day, Winston?" Cordelia asked.

"Nah. Those socs make my skin crawl. I've got a test in second period, then I'm out of here," Dallas responded, his lip curling up when he made eye contact with a group of socs on the other side. He beckoned Cordelia to stand next to him where she could get a better view of the look on the soc's faces.

"They look like they hate you," Cordelia noted. Ponyboy leaned on Steve's car with Johnny in an attempt to finish their homework before the bell rang, Two-Bit and Steve wrestling after the older one said something nasty.

"'Course they do," Dallas said. "The tall one, that's Bob. He's the one who beat Johnny so badly a few months ago and gave him the scar. His friend with curly hair that's Randy. Then there's Chet, Trip, and Brill. All of them are dicks who don't care about anythin' but beatin' us for existing."

"Who's that?" Cordelia questioned when she saw a redhead, blonde, and brunette join the group. Bob grabbed the redhead in his arms, her laughter filling the parking lot. The brunette grabbed Trip's hand while the blonde practically jumped into Brill's arms and started kissing him like they weren't in a parking lot.

"Cherry Valence, Beverly Jitney-Bush, and Marcia Strong," Two-Bit said wistfully since he was done wrestling. "The hottest girls in the school. Damn, what I would do to see what's under those skirts."

Steve slapped the back of Two-Bit's head while Dallas smirked in agreement. Cordelia raised an eyebrow at them and gave them a disappointed look.

"What would you do if someone said that about me or your little sister?" Cordelia asked. Two-Bit blinked in surprise and opened and closed his mouth as he tried to find an answer. Steve chuckled at his predicament and Two-Bit punched his arm.

"I'd probably punch 'em," Two-Bit said sheepishly.

"I'll punch you if I hear you say somethin' like that again," Cordelia said seriously. "Women don't exist just to make men happy."

Two-Bit nodded and poked Ponyboy's arm when the bell rang. Cordelia just followed after the group since she had no idea where she was supposed to go. Luckily, the first class was with Johnny and Steve so she just walked behind them. As expected, everyone stared at her when she came into the classroom, but the teacher didn't make her introduce herself like some others had in the past. Cordelia was bored the whole class and almost fell asleep since she already knew everything. The teacher seemed not to like greasers because he would purposefully call on them to answer the most difficult questions and wouldn't chastise the socs when they laughed at the wrong responses.

Steve walked Cordelia to her next class, which was full of socs that all stared at her when she sat down at the back of the room. Due to her homeschooling, Cordelia had been free to study ahead so she tested into the advanced history class. Unlike the math class, Cordelia actually paid attention in history and the teacher didn't seem to even notice her appearance.

Unfortunately, there was no one to help Cordelia walk to her next class. Cordelia just walked down the building to try and find the geography class, but the warning bell rang and she still didn't know where to go.

"You lost?"

Cordelia turned around to see Chet looking at her with a small smirk. He was tall, practically towering over her, and he was handsome with dark brown hair and eyes. He had a letterman jacket on and a senior class ring on his pinky, letting her know that he was a year above her.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine," Cordelia lied. She turned back around and kept looking at the numbers but they didn't match what it said on her schedule.

"Let me see," Chet told her, grabbing the paper from her hands. Cordelia let out an angry huff and glared at the older boy.

"I don't need your help," Cordelia spat as she ripped the paper away from him. Chet raised an eyebrow with amusement and watched her as she continued to walk down the hallway.

"That class is up the stairs and down another hallway," Chet said before she could get too far. "My class is right next to it. Come walk with me."

Cordelia hesitated for a moment before sighing and turning around to walk with him since she knew there was no way she could find the classroom on her own. Chet smirked victoriously and led her to the opposite side of the hallway where there was a staircase.

"This your first day?" Chet asked.

"Yeah," Cordelia answered shortly. Chet raised an eyebrow at her attitude and snickered a little.

"Saw you with the Curtis gang this mornin'. They're bad news," Chet warned.

"I live with the Curtis gang and it's funny that they said the same thing about you and your friends," Cordelia retorted.

"You family?"

"Somethin' like that," Cordelia muttered.

"Well, if you ever want to hang out with someone a little more civilized, just let me know. There's a restaurant I've been wanting to try, but I'd hate to go alone," Chet flirted.

"Go with Bob," Cordelia suggested with a pissed-off tone. "Aren't you two friends? Beating on a smaller kid helps strengthen a bond, doesn't it?"

"So they told you about Cade," Chet said, clicking his teeth. "I wasn't there when they did that, promise. I wasn't even in Tulsa, and trust me, I gave Bob and the others an earful when I saw the cut on his face. It wasn't right what they did to that kid."

Cordelia gave the older boy a long look and could tell that he was telling the truth. Chet leaned against the wall, and Cordelia stopped to stand across from him.

"I still don't think they'd be too happy about me hangin' out with you," Cordelia said truthfully.

"What they don't know won't hurt them, sweetheart," Chet smirked, pushing off the wall to grab a piece of paper from his backpack. He handed it over to her with his phone number on top. "Now let's get to class before we get in trouble."

Chet was nice enough to explain the situation to Cordelia's teacher, who didn't seem to mind her tardiness with Chet there. He winked at the girl before heading off to his own class, his number burning a hole in her pocket.

Dallas was already gone by lunchtime. Cordelia followed the guys as they walked over to the DX since they told her that socs had claimed the lunchroom for themselves. Soda smiled at them when they entered, and he already had a Pepsi ready for Ponyboy and a Coke for Cordelia.

"How's your first day goin'?" Soda asked Cordelia.

"It's fine," Cordelia shrugged.

"I hated school. I'm so glad I dropped out," Soda said. A customer came into the store so the group migrated outside to eat their lunch since his boss was sitting in the office watching.

"Any socs give you trouble?" Two-Bit inquired.

"No, they've mostly ignored me," Cordelia assured him.

The rest of the day went the same. Cordelia was able to find the rest of her classes a lot easier after that and she had the last class with Chet and Trip. The taller boy shoved Trip out of his seat when he saw Cordelia enter the classroom and he waved his hand for her to sit next to him. Trip glared at her, making the girl look down at the ground as she sat.

"I prefer to sit in the back," Cordelia told Chet.

"Trip's a horrible partner, and I think you'll be better. We're starting a partner project this week and I want to actually get a good grade," Chet explained.

"I might be horrible at English," Cordelia said with a small smirk.

"Something tells me you're not," Chet said, leaning in some. Cordelia rolled her eyes and looked up at the board. She completely forgot that Johnny was in the English class with her until he came into the room and his eyes widened at the seating arrangement. His eyes went down to the ground and he sat in the back of the classroom and didn't even pull out his books. Cordelia frowned and tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn't look up.

"So if you're a senior, why are you in this class?" Cordelia asked.

"It's just for this unit. A senior is paired with a junior cause the teacher is on leave for something," Chet explained. Sure enough, the teacher made it very clear that all the students needed to be on their best behavior since there were more kids than normal in the class. The assignment was easy, evaluating and comparing two of Shakespeare's works, but most of the teens groaned and complained. They would also have to do a majority of the work outside of the classroom so the teacher could attempt to teach as much as possible.

"There's no way you can come over to my place, so we'll have to find somewhere else to work," Cordelia said to Chet once the class was over. Johnny was lucky enough to be paired with another greaser, so he wouldn't have the same problem.

"We can work at my house. My parents wouldn't mind," Chet offered.

"No," Cordelia said immediately. "No, we can work someplace public, like a diner or the library."

"Sure," Chet responded, furrowing his eyebrows at her harsh tone. "Give me your address and I'll pick you up at six tonight to start. Dinner at the Starry Night diner, on me."

"I'll have to ask Darry first," Cordelia told him. Darry wouldn't even be home until five-thirty or later, and she doubted that he would be thrilled with her asking about going out with a soc, even if it was for school.

"Curtis?" Chet asked. Cordelia nodded in acknowledgment and followed Chet out into the hallway, walking by his side. "Figured you were stayin' with the Mathews 'cause I know his mama's still around. My friend, Paul, he's a bit older, so he used to buddy around with Darry back in the day. Just tell him I'm Paul's friend and I'm sure he won't mind."

"Okay. I'll call you when I know," Cordelia said, approaching the boys. All of them seemed to stand up straighter at the sight of the soc.

"I'll be waiting," Chet said with a wink before he headed off to his own friends.

"What'd he want?" Ponyboy asked anxiously.

"We're partnered together for English so he's just tryin' to find a time for us to work," Cordelia explained.

"He's a soc, Delia," Two-Bit complained.

"Doesn't change the fact that we're partnered together," Cordelia responded. Johnny approached, and the group all headed out to Steve's car so he could drive them to the DX so he could work, and then they would walk home together. Soda wasn't thrilled with Cordelia being paired with a soc either, especially since he was friends with Bob, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. The girl noticed that Johnny seemed to trail back some when they started heading back home so she slowed her pace to walk next to him. Johnny peered up at her through his bangs and then looked back down at the ground.

"Chet said he wasn't there when they hurt you. Is that true? 'Cause if he lied and he was actually there, I'll talk to the teacher and change partners," Cordelia asked.

"Nah, he wasn't there," Johnny confirmed in a soft voice. "Doesn't mean he's much better than then, though. He picks on us just as bad as they do."

"I'll talk to the teacher and find another partner," Cordelia decided.

"It's just for two weeks, you don't gotta do that," Johnny shrugged. "Just watch out for him. Chet's sneaky."

Cordelia decided to go to her room when they made it back home. Two-Bit had to take care of his sister so the younger boys headed off to the lot. In an attempt to make Darry less stressed before she asked the question, Cordelia decided to make dinner for the family. She turned on the radio and lost track of time, barely hearing the front door open.

"Cordelia, you made dinner?" Darry asked when he came home, putting his work belt up and stretching with a grimace. He winced a little at the loud music so the teen turned down the music and nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry about the radio, that was one of Eli's favorite songs," Cordelia said in a soft voice.

"It's fine, honey. This is your house too. As long as you're not wakin' us up, listen to the radio whenever you want," Darry assured her. Cordelia nodded again and washed her hands before she sat down in her spot at the table. Darry's eyebrows were furrowed as he looked through the mail.

"So, I have a project for English and it's a partner project. Do you mind if my partner picks me up so we can start workin'?" Cordelia asked.

"Sure," Darry said, not looking up from the mail. "Who's your partner and where are ya goin'?"

"Umm, it's one of Paul's friends," Cordelia said. That made Darry put the mail down and he gave her an inquisitive look.

"You know Paul?" Darry asked in a cautious tone.

"No, Chet, he just said to tell you that they're friends and that you'd let me go," Cordelia answered. "He said we'll go to the Starry Night Diner and he'll pay. It'll only be for an hour or two and then he'll take me back here."

"And it's for school?" Darry asked. Cordelia nodded in confirmation and tried not to frown when Darry's face twitched. "Alright, but I want you two to work at the library after this. And if Paul or any of his friends show up, call me and I'll come get you. Curfew is eight, which means your feet are in this house at eight on the dot."

"I promise, Darry. I'm not really feelin' up for anythin' major. It's been a long few weeks," Cordelia said softly. Darry sighed and gave her a closed-lip smile.

Chet answered after only a few rings and he said that he would be right over. Cordelia made sure that she looked presentable and sat outside on the porch to wait. A blue Corvair turned onto the street and slowed down to find the right house, Cordelia bounding down the steps to wave it down. Chet parked on the street and immediately hopped out to open the door for her.

"We'll have to work at the library after this," Cordelia informed him after they greeted each other.

"Sure, that's fine," Chet shrugged, turning up Elvis on the radio. They made small talk to get to know one another, although Chet did most of the talking. He told her that he was the oldest of five, his dad was a banker, and his mom stayed at home to take care of the kids since the youngest was only three. He talked a lot about football since he had been playing since he was five, and he mentioned Paul some. Cordelia wanted to know more about Darry's reaction to his old friend's name, but she figured this wasn't a good time.

The Starry Night dinner was on the social side of town, and it was filled with girls and guys wearing much nicer clothes than Cordelia's. She felt self-conscious in her old clothes, but Chet didn't seem to notice or care. He let her order whatever she wanted, even ordering a milkshake for the both of them, and they started on the project. It seemed like everyone knew Chet because by the time it was 7:45 and they would have to leave, they had barely started working because they were interrupted every five seconds. Cordelia was a little upset, but she could also see how kind Chet seemed to be. And he sure did have a nice smile.

"Right on time," Chet grinned when they parked at 7:59. Cordelia smiled when Chet once again opened the car door for her, walking her up to the door even though the blinds were open and Ponyboy and Soda were clearly staring outside.

"The library next time," Cordelia said. "You have too many friends and I want to get a good grade on this."

"Yeah, that's fine. See you tomorrow?" Chet asked. Cordelia nodded and Chet bounced on his feet once before smiling at her and heading back to his car, not pulling away until the front door closed.

Chapter Text

"Delia, you're so annoying."

The ten-year-old grinned up at her older brother from where she was clinging to his leg so he couldn't leave. It was their first week in Nashville, and the foster mom said that the two older siblings could go explore the woods while Henry stayed home to sleep.

"What, Eli? I'm not doin' anythin'," Cordelia lied. Elijah rolled his eyes and lifted his leg so the smaller girl fell to the ground. He had just turned twelve and had a small growth spurt that he constantly teased his siblings about.

"Let's go find that creek Ms. Robertson was talkin' about," Elijah suggested, holding his hand down so his pouting sister could stand up.

"It's gettin' cold," Cordelia complained, wrapping her arms around herself. Elijah rolled his eyes since he had told the girl to bring a jacket, but he put his own jacket across her shoulders anyway. The girl smiled and put her arms through the sleeves, yelping when her feet slid on the leaves. Elijah just laughed when she fell to the ground and slid down the slight incline a few feet.

"You like Ms. Robertson?" Elijah asked as he helped her stand.

"She's pretty nice so far. She sure does like Henry, but I think everyone likes him," Cordelia shrugged.

"Yeah. He's too good for this world," Elijah said softly. "You are too, Delia. You're gonna go places."

"I've already traveled some," Cordelia said with a confused tone. Elijah chuckled at his little sister and shook his head, the two of them sitting down on a rock to watch the sunset start over the small creek.

"C'mon, Delia. Let's go back to our baby brother," Elijah said before it got dark.

And when Henry ran up to them with the biggest smile on his face, Cordelia thought that life was perfect.

--------------------

Life was no longer perfect. After being sent to multiple different girls homes after the past few months, losing her big brother on the same day as she lost her little brother, and now having to deal with starting school back, the last thing Cordelia wanted was to wake up to cramps.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Cordelia muttered, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Her period hadn't come in a few months due to malnourishment and stress, but it seemed like Darry's cooking had changed that. A quick look through her bag showed that she didn't have any pads and the bathroom seemed to be empty as well. Mrs. Curtis was only forty when she passed and likely still had her period, but Cordelia couldn't find any evidence. The only other place that she could think to look would be in Darry's room, but there was no way that she would go in there without permission.

Unfortunately, the loud voices let her know that everyone was over since it was Friday night. Cordelia had gone to take a nap after Chet dropped her off around six, their project slowly coming to an end. The boys still didn't like that she was hanging out with the soc, but Cordelia was starting to look forward to it. Chet would always open her car doors and he was respectful and didn't ask too many questions. He opened up some about his own life and Cordelia was reminded that everyone had their own issues.

Taking a heavy sigh, Cordelia made her way up front after ensuring that she hadn't bled onto her clothes yet. The TV was blaring even though everyone was in a game of poker with the exception of Darry, who was laying in his armchair with the newspaper on his chest.

"I'm goin' to the store," Cordelia announced. Darry opened his eyes to glance at the clock, which read ten, and shook his head.

"No way," Darry mumbled, exhaustion coating his tone. He had the next day off so there was an empty beer bottle on the table next to him and he had obviously tried to stay up a bit to hang out. "It's almost midnight and I'm not goin' anywhere and you're not goin' anywhere alone. Most stores are closed by now too."

"Ten is not almost midnight and I'll be fine on my own. I just need to head up to the corner store," Cordelia responded. Darry hummed and closed his eyes again, settling further into the chair.

"Not happening, Cordelia. Anything that you need should be in this house and if not, it can wait 'til mornin'," Darry said seriously. Cordelia huffed and turned to the others who were back to playing poker. Soda had a card barely hidden in his shoe and Ponyboy was raising an eyebrow in an obvious tell.

"Can you of you please take me to the store?" Cordelia requested. Soda and Two-Bit both looked up to respond, but they were cut off.

"Cordelia, I told you no. It's late and dark outside," Darry said sternly, sitting up to give the girl a hard look that made her understand why he didn't get along with Ponyboy.

"Darry, please, I need to go to the store," Cordelia half-pleaded. Her period always made her incredibly emotional so she blinked back the tears before they could fall and hoped that no one saw that or heard the waver in her voice.

"What d'ya need? I'm sure we have it here," Soda said, always the pacifier.

"I just need someone to take me and I can get it myself. You don't even have to get out of the car," Cordelia responded, not giving a clear explanation.

"I'll take you in the mornin' since I don't work 'til the afternoon," Soda assured her. Cordelia bit back a pathetic whine and shook her head.

"No, I need it tonight."

"Cordelia, what is so goddamn important that you want us gettin' out so late?" Darry questioned, his exhaustion making him sound angry.

"Pads, Darrel! I need pads because I'm currently bleeding out of my vagina and I'm cramping so bad that I want to vomit, so no, it cannot wait 'til morning. I need them tonight unless you want to do laundry in the mornin'."

Darry blinked in surprise at her outburst and awkwardly cleared his throat while Two-Bit and Steve both chuckled. Ponyboy and Johnny blushed while Soda groaned, Dally's lips quirking into a quick smirk before he used the distraction to grab the card from Soda's shoe.

"I guess that is somethin' that you would need right now," Darry said awkwardly. Cordelia nodded and crossed her arms over her cramping stomach, her cheeks pink.

"Are you gonna be as bad as Mama was?" Soda questioned. "She was always cryin' and babyin' us when it was her time of the month. It was annoying."

"Sodapop I don't know your middle name Curtis, say that shit to me one more fuckin' time and I'll-"

"Okay, let's get you some pain medicine," Darry said, cutting her off before she could finish her threat. Ponyboy slapped Soda's arm while the older boy grimaced when he realized that Cordelia was the mean type. Cordelia nodded in thanks and blushed harder when she realized that now all of the guys knew that it was her time of the month. Two-Bit lived with women so he didn't look too disturbed, but Johnny and Steve looked a little disgusted.

"It's Patrick," Dallas supplied. "Superman is Shaynne and Ponyboy is Michael."

"Thank you," Cordelia said, looking to Soda. "So when you get to the store, just go back to the female aisle and get me whatever you see. I'm not picky."

"Me? Why do I have to go?" Soda gasped.

"Because you're stupid," Two-Bit answered for Cordelia, the girl nodding in agreement. Darry came back from the kitchen with two pills and a glass of water, handing them to Cordelia. Soda started arguing with Two-Bit about how he wasn't stupid, Steve joining in to defend his friend while Ponyboy defended Cordelia.

"What are these?" Cordelia asked softly, examining the pills to see the markings on them. She had been handed pills before and woken up the next day with no memories of the night before, so she was always careful with what she took.

"Oh, shit, right, sorry," Darry mumbled. "I forgot about that. It's just Tylenol but I'll grab the bottle if it makes you more comfortable to take some from there."

"No, it's fine. Thank you," Cordelia assured him, her cheeks blazing red when she looked up and saw that Dallas was staring right at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She cleared her throat and raised her voice so the guys would stop arguing. "Please, Soda. I'll give you a dime."

"I don't wanna go! That's so embarrassing!" Soda complained. "Why can't you go?"

"Because I'm bleeding from my vagina," Cordelia said slowly. Steve and Ponyboy both groaned while Johnny winced a little.

"Fine! Don't say I don't love you," Soda huffed, grabbing his keys and his jacket to head up to the corner store. Cordelia smiled a little at him saying that he loved her and curled up on the couch, her arms around her middle.

"I don't know...I don't know how to help," Darry said awkwardly once the guys all went back to their poker game now that Soda wasn't there to cheat.

"Did your mom have a water bottle or a bag of rice or somethin'?" Cordelia asked.

"Check her closet," Ponyboy suggested. "Mama had somethin' like that for me when I had that bad stomach bug. I think it was a purple bag."

Darry nodded and went to search for it, coming back a few minutes later with the item warmed up and ready for use. Cordelia sighed with relief when it made contact with her stomach and curled up tighter.

"Okay, I got everythin' I thought you might need," Soda said when he came back to the house with two bags.

"How much did ya spend?" Darry asked worriedly. Cordelia sat up with a guilty expression on her face, but Soda grinned.

"Two bucks for all of this," Soda said excitedly. "I asked the cashier for help, just said my baby sister was on her time of the month, and she helped me pick out all of this. Gave me a discount and her number.

"I'm sure Sandy will be glad to hear that," Steve joked.

"I'm not gonna call her. I love Sandy too much for that," Soda responded. Cordelia smiled when she saw everything that she would need, including a heating pad that she could plug into the wall and some chocolate. Soda grabbed a chocolate bar and went back to join the poker game while Cordelia got herself settled back on the couch. The sound of talking and laughter slowly lulled her back to sleep, even when everyone went home for the night, Darry and Soda heading back to their rooms. Cordelia was half asleep when she felt a blanket go over her shoulders and someone was squatting down in front of her to move the heating pad so it didn't burn her.

"I'm not that much younger than you," Cordelia mumbled.

"What?" Soda asked softly. Cordelia pried her eyes open and yawned, Soda smiling down at her.

"You said I'm your baby sister, but I'm only a few months younger than you," Cordelia explained.

"Still younger," Soda grinned as he stood up. Cordelia was perfectly comfortable on the couch for the night, but she had one last question in her mind.

"You really love me?"

"'Course I do, Delia. You're family."

-----------------------

"So, that's the end of the project," Chet said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair so only the back two legs touched the ground. It was Thursday afternoon and the two weeks had flown by faster than either of them was expecting, and Cordelia found herself sad that it was over.

"Your teacher came back early too, didn't she?" Cordelia asked. She ate one of the Starbursts that Chet got her even though the library didn't allow food or drinks. The librarian was a friend of Chet's mom so the pair had broken that rule a few times without any issues.

"Yeah. I'll be back in my normal class on Monday," Chet confirmed, putting his chair back like it had been before. He leaned across the table with a smirk on his face that made Cordelia fight back a grin. "You gonna miss me?"

"No chance," Cordelia lied. Chet's smirk turned into a smile and he sat back in his chair.

"There's a football game tomorrow night. You should come, I'll be playing. I'll talk to the girls and you can sit with them. Well, Bev and Marcia because Cherry's on the cheer team, but she sometimes is able to come up to the stands."

Cordelia had successfully avoided any of Chet's friends over the past two weeks. Beverly had made a rude comment about Cordelia's old flannel that let her know what type of person she was, so the absolute last thing that Cordelia wanted was to be stuck with them for hours on end. Plus, she didn't understand why people liked football. Elijah had been obsessed and would practice for hours, but Cordelia thought it was boring and stupid.

"I'm busy tomorrow," Cordelia responded, picking at her nails instead of looking at him.

"Alright," Chet said with a hint of disappointment. "If you wanna come with the Curtis gang that's fine too. You just might have fun."

"I'm goin' ridin' tomorrow. I don't think I'll have time," Cordelia admitted.

"You ride?" Chet asked. Cordelia had learned that if a soc had a horse, they weren't bringing it to the rodeo. The socs would sometimes go to the rodeo to watch, but that was rare and it usually ended in a fight.

"Yeah. Barrel racing usually," Cordelia answered. "Dally helps take care of a horse and he needs someone to ride her cause she doesn't like men."

"Huh," Chet said dismissively. Cordelia noticed that about him. If she said something that he wasn't interested in, he would get dismissive about it and barely pay attention.

"Cordelia, Soda's here to get us," Ponyboy said as he approached their table, his arms full of books to read.

"Thanks, Pony," Cordelia said, putting her books in her bookbag and standing up. Chet stood up with her and did the same, walking around the table to stand in front of her.

"So, just because the project is over doesn't mean we can't hang out," Chet said. "You free Saturday night? There's an Italian restaurant I love that I'm sure you'd love too."

"I'll have to ask-"

"Darry, yeah, I understand," Chet interrupted. "Well, tell me tomorrow what he says. It's a date."

Chet walked away and left Cordelia standing there with a shocked expression on her face. She looked to Ponyboy, who looked disgusted. Cordelia rolled her eyes at Ponyboy's obvious hatred of the soc and then blushed a little when she realized that Chet clearly liked her.

"Did that just happen? Did he ask me on a date?" Cordelia asked.

"You've gotta say no," Ponyboy insisted. Soda was leaning against the wall outside so Ponyboy rushed over to him while Cordelia followed at a much more leisurely pace. "Soda, Chet asked Cordelia on a date!"

"Gross," Soda grimaced. "You're not goin'."

"I want to go. Chet's not as bad as you guys think."

Darry, however, was firmly against Cordelia going on a date in general, not just with Chet. He said that she didn't need to focus on boys when she was getting used to going to public school, while she said that dates were part of the high school experience. The small argument ended when Cordelia pulled the dead brother card and Darry felt bad enough that he agreed to let her go. News seemed to spread fast because the next day, Dallas had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since he picked her up at school to head over to the stables. Cordelia pushed herself against the car door and kept a careful eye on him, her hands shoved under her thighs so he couldn't see them shake.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Cordelia," Dallas announced after a few minutes. The girl gave him a questioning look and then swallowed and looked out the window. "You're biting a hole in your cheek. I'm a little pissed that you're goin' out with a soc, especially one that's friends with Bob, but I'm not gonna hurt you. I've already told you that."

"People lie."

Dallas sucked on his teeth and used one hand to light up a cigarette using his St. Christophers necklace. Cordelia wasn't exactly a fan of his driving already, but she didn't like to see that he now only had one hand free to make the sharp turns that he seemed fond of.

"The only people I lie to are the cops," Dallas responded. Cordelia stopped biting the inside of her cheek when she tasted blood and looked out the window as they approached Bucks, paying careful attention to the path behind the bar. There were already people stumbling around outside and loud music blaring inside. It sounded like a bar fight was happening and Cordelia's guess was proven correct when the back door open and a man she remembered to be Buck threw two men out.

"You live here?" Cordelia asked in a soft voice.

"It's just a place to sleep," Dallas shrugged.

"Your dad lives in Tulsa, doesn't he? Why don't you live with him?" Cordelia inquired. Dallas' lip curled up for a moment and he focused on his cigarette for a moment.

"You're not the only one with a sad backstory, sweetheart."

Cordelia prickled at the nickname and stared back out the window. The stables were far enough that no one drunk would be able to walk back to them unless they were incredibly determined, but close enough that Buck could easily deal with any problems. Cordelia stepped out of the car and inhaled the familiar scent, a smile growing despite most people thinking it smelled disgusting. To her, it reminded her of home.

"C'mon. Maria's extra feisty today and I don't feel like gettin' bitten," Dallas instructed, walking into the barn without looking behind to see that Cordelia was still standing by the car. He was inside for a few seconds before returning to see her looking sheepish as she stayed by the car.

"These are the only shoes I own and I don't wanna ruin them," Cordelia explained. Dallas sighed and walked back over to the car, getting into the drivers seat without a word. Cordelia blinked in surprised and sat on the wooden fence to wait for him, enjoying the sun on her face to keep her warm against the cool breeze. Dallas returned maybe five minutes later with some boots in his hands.

"Sylvia left these the last time she stayed the night. She's a bit taller than you, but they should fit good enough for today. I think she said they were a bit small anyways."

"She won't mind?" Cordelia asked, sitting in the passenger side of the car to change her shoes. Dallas came to lean on the open door to block the sun from her eyes.

"Nah. I got them for her so she could hang out with me at the stables, but she doesn't like horses so they've pretty much gone to waste," Dallas assured her. The boots fit perfectly so Cordelia put her normal shoes in the car and followed after Dallas to the stables.

Ghost was there too and he completely ignored Dallas to shove his head at Cordelia. The girl laughed and once again had to be saved by Dallas pulling the harness away before the horse could knock her over.

"I think he likes me more than you," Cordelia grinned to a displeased Dallas, feeding Ghost an apple that he happily ate.

"I'll remember that the next time he needs a sheath cleaning," Dallas smirked. Cordelia grimaced and shook her head, giving the horse a pat before stepping away.

"He's your horse," Cordelia told him as she approached Maria. The horse had turned her back when she heard Dallas come into the stable, but she turned around when Cordelia clicked her tongue.

"Watch it," Dallas said in a warning tone when Maria let out an angry neigh. The horse really didn't like Dallas because she responded with an even angrier sound that made Cordelia snicker when the boy glared at the horse.

"She's fine, Dally," Cordelia assured him. "Just go deal with Ghost and I'll handle Miss. Maria here."

Dallas looked reluctant to leave the other girl with the angry horse, but he did as instructed. Maria seemed to just not like men because she completely relaxed when Dallas was out of her space and allowed Cordelia to touch her. The girl spent fifteen or so minutes just examining the horse and getting her used to her touch before she grabbed the saddle and fixed everything up so she could ride her.

"Helmet," Dallas instructed, getting up on Ghost when he saw that they were ready. Cordelia huffed and bit her tongue when she saw that he wasn't wearing one, but grabbed one of the helmets from the wall and put it on anyway. Dallas made a move to get down from his horse when Cordelia went to mount Maria, but he didn't have to because the girl just pulled herself up with minimal struggle. Dallas raised an eyebrow and situated himself back on Ghost.

"C'mon, girl," Cordelia said softly, clicking her tongue and gently nudging Maria's side with her foot. The horse fell in line behind Dallas and Ghost as they were guided out to a pasture and a training space.

"Wanna see what she can do?" Dallas asked, nodding his head towards the barrel racing space.

"Nah. I want her to get comfortable with me first. Besides, Darry doesn't want me competin'."

That had been another fight between them. Darry refused to let Cordelia compete at the rodeos because he was scared that Mrs. Elmers would find out and claim that it was too dangerous. Cordelia reminded him that she had raced in two different placements in the past without issue, but the man still said no.

Dallas took Ghost over to the space to work with him while Cordelia took Maria around the property to just see what she could do. The horse needed exercise because she was reluctant to head back. Cordelia sighed and got herself properly situated before clicking her tongue and moving the reins in a way that seemed to spark the horse's instincts because Maria was galloping in no time. Cordelia laughed and held on tight as she let the horse run like she should be able to do, Maria slowing down after a few moments. They walked around for a little bit longer before Cordelia guided her back to the stables where Dallas was already done and brushing Ghost.

"Saw you two runnin'," Dallas noted when Cordelia jumped off, wincing at the familiar soreness in her thighs. "You're a natural. I'll convince Darry to let you race if you want."

"Sure. I'll be competing again when pigs fly."

Chapter Text

It didn't surprise anyone when Darry once again shot down the idea of Cordelia competing. Dallas had tried to argue, but Darry didn't care. She decided not to push it because she had more important things to worry about as she stared down at her meager wardrobe.

"It's just a diner. It's not that fancy," Ponyboy told her. He had come into her room after he heard her groan and he just settled himself on her bed with a book. Cordelia glared at him and grabbed her pillow to hit his face. The boy spluttered and cursed under his breath when the jostling made him lose his page.

"I still want to look nice," Cordelia explained, laying out two different outfits that still made her look poor and dirty.

"Darry sold most of Mama's clothes, but we might still have some," Ponyboy offered in a soft voice.

"Oh, Pony, I'll be fine. I don't wanna wear your Mama's clothes," Cordelia told him, grabbing one of the outfits to put on the desk. "I'll wear this one and it'll have to do."

"He moved into their room only a week after the funeral," Ponyboy complained. "It was like he wanted to get rid of their stuff with how fast he was sellin' it. We only kept her favorite pair of earrings, one of Dad's watches, and their wedding bands. Everythin' else is just gone."

"He probably just needed the money," Cordelia guessed.

"He should've just sent me to a boy's home. That way we could still have their stuff," Ponyboy huffed.

"Trust me, Pony, it's better to be here than a boy's home."

Ponyboy shrugged and opened his book again. Cordelia started to remind him that he was still on her bed, but she decided against it because Soda was getting ready for work in their room and Darry was up front making breakfast. He had worked his first shift at his new second job the night before and had been cranky all morning, so she understood why Ponyboy didn't want to be upfront either. Unfortunately for him, it seemed as if Ponyboy hadn't finished his chores.

"Ponyboy!" Darry yelled. The teen groaned and closed his book as he stood up to see what his brother wanted. "I told you to clean the stove last night!"

"I was reading and I forgot!" Ponyboy explained, heading up to the kitchen. Cordelia put up the clothes that she wouldn't be wearing as the familiar sound of an argument filled the house.

"You forgot?! I told you three times! You never think!"

When she first came to live with them, the yelling had terrified her. She was so scared that Darry would hit Ponyboy, but she was almost used to the arguments now. They still made her flinch when she heard the raised voices and one of the brothers would usually slam their hand down or make some other loud noise, but she wasn't scared of anything physical anymore. She was similar to Soda in that she could see both sides of the argument, but she never intervened. Darry was too young and overworked while Ponyboy was even younger and confused. He wanted his big brother back, and Darry wanted nothing more than to be that big brother again, but instead, he was a father figure. Neither one of them seemed ready to fully accept the change.

"I'm headin' to work," Soda told Cordelia, peeking his head into her room with a smile on his face despite the continued screaming up front. Soda wiggled his eyebrows and stuck his tongue between his teeth. "Have fun on your date. I want all the details when you get home."

"Go away," Cordelia blushed. Soda chuckled and headed to the kitchen to calm down the argument since Darry also had to go to work. The door slammed shut not long after and Cordelia went to see a pouting Ponyboy cleaning the stove. It was clear that he didn't want to talk and if he did, it would just be more complaints about Darry, so Cordelia grabbed some toast and headed back to her room to see if she could whip her hair into a nicer style.

Chet picked her up at six on the dot. Two-Bit had come over midday and had glared at the boy when he came up to the door with a smile on his face. Chet didn't say anything about her clothes, which Cordelia was grateful for, but he did compliment the hairdo she managed. It made her feel like a soc, but that wasn't always a bad thing. Two-Bit had threatened Chet for a moment and then went back to watching Mickey Mouse and eating chocolate cake.

"So, did you win last night?" Cordelia asked once Chet got into the driver's seat after opening and closing her door for her.

"Hell yeah, we did!" Chet whooped. Cordelia smiled at his enthusiasm and picked at her nails from nervousness. This would be her first real date and she was scared that a clown would pop up and tell her that it was all fake.

"You score any?" Cordelia inquired.

"Two touchdowns," Chet boasted. Cordelia congratulated him and paid attention to his breakdown of the game and the following after-party. Since he had come into greaser territory to get her, the diner was about twenty minutes away so he had plenty of time.

The diner was much nicer than anything on her side of town. Cordelia, once again, felt out of place when they entered, but Chet just placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the table, noticing her flinch at the touch.

"So why do you flinch when anyone touches you?" Chet asked as he looked down at the menu. Cordelia's appetite was suddenly gone, but she pretended to look anyway.

"You just surprised me, that's all," Cordelia lied. Chet seemed to believe that because he didn't press for more information.

Cordelia ordered a chicken alfredo while Chet got a steak, the two of them launching into a discussion about sports while they ate. Chet did most of the talking since he did football and baseball, but Cordelia didn't mind listening. She was a little annoyed when he didn't ask about her sports, but he started talking about the drive-in and she decided not to make a big deal out of it. There was a big showing the next week that he was going to with his friends, Cordelia making an excuse when he invited her. She still had no interest in hanging out with any of his friends.

She was almost sad when the date was over. Chet came over and opened her car door, grabbing her hand to help her stand up. Cordelia smiled up at him, but it quickly fell when he closed the door and took a step closer, almost trapping her in.

"What are you doin'?" Cordelia asked. Chet smiled and grabbed her cheek, closing his eyes as he leaned his face closer to hers. Cordelia put her hand up and winced her face away, pushing his face away from hers. The push and the sound of the front door opening made Chet open his eyes, and Cordelia glanced around him to see Two-Bit and Soda both standing outside with their arms crossed and tough expressions on their face. She was just glad that Darry was still at work and Dallas wasn't there or she didn't know what would've happened.

"Sorry, I just thought...we've been hangin' out a while and I really like you, Cordelia. It's just a kiss," Chet shrugged, keeping his voice low so no one else could hear.

"It's not just a kiss for me. I'm sorry, I really like you too, but I'm not ready," Cordelia told him, her voice wavering. Chet looked disappointed, but he just took a step back and glanced at the two boys on the porch, Steve joining them while Ponyboy and Johnny were both looking out the window.

"So, I'm not going to walk you to the door," Chet chuckled, making the girl smile bashfully. "Maybe we can do this again?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," Cordelia confirmed. Chet smiled at her and winked, not giving the boys a second glance as he got into his car. The smile on Cordelia's face immediately turned into a scowl when she glared at the three boys.

"How was your date?" Soda grinned as if hadn't scared him away.

"It was fine," Cordelia said, pushing past them.

"Really? It looked like you didn't want him to kiss you," Two-Bit said as he followed her inside. Ponyboy scrambled to make it look like he hadn't been looking outside, but he blushed when Cordelia also glared at him. She turned back to Two-Bit and shrugged.

"I don't kiss on the first date. Maybe next time and I don't want to see any of you out there."

"So you're goin' out with him again?" Steve asked with a disgusted tone.

"Sure am."

She wasn't surprised when everyone groaned.

-------------------------------

It turns out that Dallas hadn't made an appearance the night before because he got arrested for shoplifting. Tim Shepherd, who Cordelia did not want to meet based off of Darry's description of his violent and dangerous ways, called and let them know that Dallas had tried to swipe some cigarettes and beer from a local store and almost made it out the door before the owner's elementary aged son caught him. Two weeks in county lock up was all the punishment he got, and he only got that because he decided to smart off to the police.

None of the guys were surprised to hear that Dallas got locked up. Cordelia learned that it was a common occurrence for the teen to go missing for a few days, sometimes weeks, and then randomly show up with a new addition to his rap sheet. It was usually shoplifting and sometimes disturbing the peace, nothing major or violent. Tim Shepherd was the one who usually got arrested for fighting, so Darry told Cordelia to stay far away from him. She wasn't sure when she'd ever get a chance to meet the criminal, so she wasn't sure why she was getting the warning.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Two-Bit asked when he hopped the rusty fence and saw Cordelia smoking on the front porch, staring out into the yard.

"Just thinkin'," Cordelia shrugged, wrapping her old jacket around her shoulders. It was really starting to get chilly in Tulsa, and she wasn't a fan.

"'Bout what?" Two-Bit pushed, stealing a cigarette from her pack.

"Today's just a bad day for me," Cordelia said softly. "Brings back some bad memories."

"'Bout what?" Two-Bit repeated.

"How old's your sister?" Cordelia asked. Two-Bit had to think for a moment before he could respond.

"Ten-wait, no, she's eleven. I think. No! She's about to be eleven in a few weeks. Katie's just tall her for age."

"You're such a great brother," Cordelia teased, smiling at Two-Bit. The man looked a little bit happier now that she was smiling, his shoulders relaxing a little bit. Two-Bit didn't like it when people were upset, which is part of the reason why he talked so much. He had learned that if he just kept talking, he'd eventually say something that would cause a laugh.

"Katie's a good kid," Two-Bit shrugged. "She's real smart, which is surprising since she's with me so much. But she does her work and reads a lot, just like Ponyboy. Livin' on this side of town, she's had to grow up a lot faster than she should, but I want to keep her sheltered for as long as I can."

"Good. She deserves it," Cordelia told him.

"She'll be over tonight," Two-Bit said excitedly. "It's Evie's birthday so Darry's havin' everyone over for lunch, except for my Mama 'cause she had to work. You'll finally get to meet Evie and Sandy."

"Yes, Two-Bit, I already knew that. I live here and I've done most of the cooking," Cordelia chuckled. Two-Bit laughed at himself and put out the cigarette to head inside for a beer and to evaluate the cooking. Everything was fairly simple since money was tight, but they made a fresh cake and some chili to celebrate her birthday. Steve was inside trying to hang up a birthday sign with Soda, but the other teen was bouncing so hard that it was near impossible.

"Sodapop, I'm gonna beat you if you don't stay still!" Steve yelled. Cordelia rolled her eyes and stole Darry's chair since he was icing the cake in the kitchen and fighting off Two-Bit before he could eat all the icing.

"Can't, Steve. I haven't seen Sandy in almost a week and a half, and she's finally gonna be here tonight," Soda grinned.

"Yeah, well, you got work in the mornin' and Pony's got school, so there won't be any sneakin' in to your room like the last time we had a cookout," Darry warned. Soda smirked and finished pinning up his part of the sign.

"We weren't gone that long. I could have a quickie and you wouldn't even know," Soda retorted.

"That's not a good thing," Steve told his friend, Two-Bit snorting with laughter.

"Wait, that's why you two left?" Ponyboy gasped, looking up from his drawing with a disturbed expression. "Soda, that's my bed! Please tell me you changed the sheets."

"The sheets, yes. The blankets, no."

Ponyboy grimaced and groaned, looking absolutely disgusted and a little embarrassed based on his his cheeks blazed. Cordelia winced at his innocence and looked up when Darry stood at the foot of the chair.

"This is mine. Go find somewhere else," Darry told her, motioning with his hands for her to move. Cordelia huffed and sat on the floor to lean against the couch since Ponyboy and Johnny were taking up the full space. Ponyboy was sitting with his knees to his chest to draw while Johnny had fallen asleep completely stretched out, his feet under Ponyboy's legs due to the small space.

"Wake him up, Pony," Two-Bit ordered, wanting to sit down on the couch but settling for a chair instead.

"Nah, he slept in the lot last night and he never can actually sleep there," Ponyboy responded, taking a glance down at his friend before returning to his sketch. As if to show just how much Johnny needed the sleep, he simply turned his head away when Two-Bit lightly flicked his forehead.

"Whatchya drawin', Pony?" Cordelia asked. Ponyboy blushed a little and held the sketchbook to his chest.

"I think drawin' people," Ponyboy said bashfully. "I was drawin' Johnny, but it's not that good."

"I'm sure it's great, Pony," Soda assured him, sitting on the arm of the couch. Ponyboy just shrugged and closed his notebook so he could take it back to his room. Steve took a glance around the room and then back at the clock while Two-Bit turned some cartoons on for everyone. Soda slid down into Ponyboy's spot, accidentally jostling Johnny bad enough that he shot up with a gasp. The teen took a second to figure out where he was and then he seemed to curl in on himself a bit at everyone's slightly amused, slightly worried expressions.

"Sorry guys," Johnny apologized, his voice laced with exhaustion. He yawned and sat up completely, his cheeks turning red despite his dark complexion and he glanced around like the guys would be mad that he slept.

"You're fine, Johnny," Darry assured him. "Next time you need a place to sleep, the door is always open."

"Mine too," Two-Bit said, taking a long sip of beer.

"Yeah, I know," Johnny mumbled as he stood up and grabbed a cigarette to head outside. Ponyboy came back into the room and looked around, frowning when he didn't see his friend, but he smelled the familiar smoke and calmed down. He sat down on the floor next to Cordelia with a paper folded in his hands.

"I drew this for you," Ponyboy said in a soft voice. "I used the picture you have in your room. I hope you don't mind."

Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows with confusion until Ponyboy hesitantly handed her the paper and she could turn it around. She instantly gasped with shock and felt the tears fill her eyes. Ponyboy had copied one of her favorite pictures from when her and her brothers were young, before their parents died and they were sent into disarray. Their dad had taken the picture on one of their camping trips and it showed the siblings laughing around the fireplace, Elijah's arm thrown over Cordelia's shoulder while Henry was clinging to her arm. Cordelia knew that picture by heart so she could see how Ponyboy perfectly captured the happiness in their faces.

"Oh, Ponyboy, it's beautiful. Thank you," Cordelia sniffled, wrapping her arms around the boy despite the awkward angle.

"It's not a big deal. Just thought it might be nice to have since...y'know," Ponyboy said awkwardly. Cordelia nodded and sat back to look at it again, wiping away the tear before it could fall.

"God, kid, you couldn't have waited 'til after the party?" Steve scoffed. "Now she's all sad right before the girls are supposed to be here."

"Lay off, Steve. It's sweet," Soda defended, ruffling Ponyboy's hair. Steve just scoffed and rolled his eyes while Ponyboy scurried outside with a scowl on his face. Cordelia excused herself and headed back to her room to place the drawing on the desk, leaning it against some of her books so she could see it. She only had a handful of pictures and they were all carefully hidden away to keep them safe. The sound of the front door opening and female voices made Cordelia take a deep breath and check her appearance before she headed back up front.

Evie had tan skin and long curly hair that was pushed away from her face with a red bandana and she was wearing a leather jacket over a black sweater and jeans. She had another girl with her that was obviously Katie because she looked just like Two-Bit and immediately ran over to her brother and squeezed into the chair next to him to rant about her day.

"You must be Cordelia," Evie smiled, surprising Cordelia with a hug. Evie squeezed her and then sat down on the couch next to Steve, smiling to she could see that the other teen had a gap in her front teeth. It was almost ironic since Steve's teeth were also messed up. The girl seemed to be a bit of an airhead because she didn't wait for Cordelia to respond before talking to Steve about the homemade birthday sign, the boy boasting about how hard he worked. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows and looked to Darry to see if he also noticed the girl's behavior, who just shrugged with a small chuckle.

"Sandy say when she'd be over?" Soda asked anxiously, interrupting Evie. The girl blinked and cocked her head.

"No, she said she couldn't make it," Evie responded. Soda looked devastated but he just waved off Steve, not wanting him to ignore his girlfriend to comfort him.

"Look what Sandy gave me!" Katie said excitedly, holding up her arm to show a small chain bracelet. "She said that it's so I never forget her. Which I couldn't since we go out for milkshakes every Sunday."

"Wait, Sandy went out today?" Soda questioned.

"Yeah. She went home early, I think she wasn't feeling well," Evie explained. Soda looked worried now, but Ponyboy and Johnny came back inside so he put a smile back on his face.

Cordelia sat down on the floor with Ponyboy and Johnny to listen as everyone started talking about anything and everything. She felt a little awkward to be there since she didn't know Evie, but she tried to swallow it down. That was always one of the worst things about joining foster families was having to deal with all the influx of information: which family member is the funniest, what stories are imperative to the family history, who to avoid. Everyone else seemed to know everything, even Katie joining in every once in a while.

In a room full of people, Cordelia felt all alone.

Chapter Text

Chet wasn't too upset by Cordelia's refusal to kiss him because he set up another date for Saturday at an Italian restaurant. He had also declared Saturdays to be date days since he would have games every other Friday night and practices every weekday. Cordelia didn't know how far she wanted to go with Chet, but she wasn't opposed to seeing where it went. He was nice enough and he didn't pry into her history, although he did ask some questions. When the questions got personal enough that she would shut down and not answer, Chet would just come up with another conversation topic and act like nothing happened.

It was hard to believe that she had been with the Curtis group for over a month, but as September was drawing to a close she was starting to get excited for the upcoming holidays. Mama Louise hated Christmas and would usually barely celebrate Thanksgiving, so it had been years since she had celebrated too. Soda was ready to decorate for Christmas, but Darry told him that he had to wait until after Thanksgiving.

Cordelia had started a routine. Even with Dally locked up, Buck still needed someone to take care of Maria so she would go every other day to ride her, Soda usually coming if he was free. Ponyboy and Johnny would usually come too, especially Johnny since he already knew the horses from spending so much time with Dallas. Cordelia and Johnny would usually just work together in silence since he didn't talk a lot, but it was never uncomfortable. Buck had also asked her to start practicing barrel racing again since it had been a while since Maria competed, which Cordelia happily agreed to. Darry wasn't as happy, but he knew that she enjoyed it so he allowed her to go as long as she stayed away from the bar and wore a helmet.

"Soda, wanna come to Bucks with me Saturday?" Cordelia asked as she sat for dinner. Soda was scarfing down his food while Darry was more focused on the sky darkening outside. Ponyboy was yet to come home and Johnny said that he hadn't seen the boy since school let out. The official story was that Ponyboy was at the library, but the building had closed thirty minutes before, which meant that he would be home if he had actually been there.

"Nah, I gotta work," Soda sighed, faking being distraught over it. They hadn't told Darry, but Soda had started riding some again and he was itching for more.

"I can go, but only if-"

"I'm fuckin' starving. The folks in county lock up can't cook for shit!"

Two-Bit didn't mind being interrupted, smiling at Dallas' angry tone. He was scowling as he came into the kitchen without glancing back at the table, heading over to the stove for some spaghetti instead.

"Save some for Ponyboy," Darry warned. Cordelia noticed that he stood up to put his plate away despite not having finished, and he put his leftovers back into the pot.

"Where's the kid?" Dallas asked, sitting down next to Johnny to ruffle his hair. Johnny gently pushed his shoulder, but he looked glad to have his friend back.

"Who knows," Darry grumbled.

"Thought you had another week in lock up," Steve said to Dallas.

"Got out for good behavior," Dallas shrugged. "I think the guards just didn't want to deal with me."

"Neither do I," Darry complained, shoving Dallas' foot out of Ponyboy's empty chair. Dallas glared but sat up normally, bringing his hand up to push his hair out of his face. There was a new ring on his left pinky finger, the metal on the front in the shape of a skull.

"You end things with Sylvia?" Soda asked, noticing the ring. Dallas grunted and twisted the ring around before he ate more.

"She was two-timin' me while I was locked up," Dallas explained. "Bitch couldn't keep her legs closed for two weeks. Fuckin' slut."

Cordelia's leg shot out and 'accidentally' tripped Dallas when he stood up to get a piece of garlic bread. Johnny sucked in a breath when Dallas, who barely managed to avoid falling, turned back around to glare at her. The glare was harsh enough that Cordelia felt goosebumps pop up, but there was a hint of amusement in Dallas' eyes that calmed her down. While Cordelia didn't like cheating, she also didn't like Dallas' language towards someone that he supposedly used to like.

"Dallas," Darry said in a low, warning voice.

"Oops. Accident," Cordelia shrugged as she turned back to her plate.

"Yeah, sure, kid," Dallas mumbled, turning to walk away. Johnny furrowed his eyebrows and his eyes followed Dallas' figure while Two-Bit let out a small chuckle.

"Wow, Dally, goin' soft?" Two-Bit asked. Johnny's head snapped back to the adult and his eyes grew wide with fear for his friend. Dallas didn't verbally respond, but he pushed Two-Bit's head down into the table when he sat back down. Two-Bit groaned and held his forehead, flicking off the teen who just smirked.

"Alright, I'm gonna go find Ponyboy," Darry announced, pushing his chair away from the table with an exasperated sigh.

"Dar, the sun just went down. He probably is talkin' with the librarian. You know she loves him," Soda said calmly, barely looking up from his dinner.

"He's always there," Steve said with a grimace as if the idea of reading disgusted him. Darry looked back at the clock and shook his head, heading to the front door. Soda sighed and stood up to block his older brother.

"Darry, calm down. He'll be home soon, it's barely seven," Soda said, pushing on Darry's shoulder so he'd sit back down at the table.

"I told him to be back by dark," Darry argued. "He never listens. That kid always has his mind somewhere else and doesn't pay attention. He's fourteen now, for cryin' out loud."

"He's only been fourteen for two months," Soda defended. Darry gave him a disapproving look and cracked his knuckles anxiously, glancing outside again.

"I'm sure the kid's fine," Dallas said through a mouthful of bread.

As if Ponyboy could hear Dallas, his voice suddenly found its way to the house, full of panic and some pain. He called for his brothers first and then the rest of the gang, the sound being cut off before he could finish calling for Steve. Everyone was rushing out the door in an instant. Darry made it out first and was a blur as he ran, barely slowing down after he had to jump the fence. Soda was right behind him but he took the time to open the fence for everyone else.

Cordelia felt white-hot anger fill her whole body when she saw five guys surrounding Ponyboy, all of them much taller and bigger. The jackets let them know that they were all on the football team and their red Corvair showed that they were on the wrong side of town.

"Hey!"

"Get off of him!"

The approach of the greasers, including the feared Dallas Winston, made the socs run away in an instant. Ponyboy just stayed on the ground, turned on his side with a handkerchief stuck in his mouth. The boys all ran after the car while Cordelia and Darry ran over to Ponyboy, Darry immediately grabbing his shoulders to pull him to his feet.

"Ponyboy, you all right?" Darry asked worriedly, shaking Ponyboy some. The handkerchief fell to the ground and the young teen sputtered some to get the feeling out of his mouth.

"I'm fine. Stop shakin' me, Darry," Ponyboy requested.

"Sorry," Darry said softly, stopping the motion. Cordelia frowned when she looked over Ponyboy and saw the fear barely hidden. He looked seconds away from bursting into tears and she assumed that this was the first time that he had gotten jumped.

"They didn't get you too bad, did they?" Cordelia asked worriedly.

"'M fine," Ponyboy lied, his voice shaking and weak. He winced when he moved and Cordelia guessed that they hit his chest some. The gang seemed to have the socs covered because Soda came running over with a frown on his face.

"They pull a blade on ya?" Soda asked, pulling his shirt off to rub away some of the blood that was trickling down the underside of Ponyboy's chin.

"I guess so," Ponyboy mumbled, wincing when Soda pushed a bit harder. The middle brother knew Ponyboy like the back of his hand, so he furrowed his eyebrows and softened his eyes before speaking in a soft tone.

"Easy, Pone. They won't hurt you anymore."

"I know," Ponyboy sniffled. He looked seconds from sobbing, already letting a few tears fall. He rushed to wipe those away before anyone else could see. "Just spooked, that's all."

"You're an okay kid, Ponyboy," Soda complimented, moving his now ruined shirt to see that the cut was basically done bleeding. Ponyboy grinned at his brother, still looking a little spooked but much better.

"You're crazy, Soda. Out of your mind," Ponyboy retorted.

"You're both crazy," Darry told them in a serious tone.

"It runs in the family," Soda smiled, getting a small grin from Darry that he replicated. The gang came running back over, all of them out of breath and worried.

"Where's your shirt?" Steve asked Soda, pushing his shoulder. Soda flexed his muscles in response, making Steve punch his arm harder while everyone else ignored their antics.

"You catch them?" Ponyboy asked.

"Nah, they got away this time," Two-Bit told him, moving his arm in a circle and grimacing. They had thrown rocks at the Corvair and he had apparently stretched a muscle from it.

"Kid okay?" Dallas asked coolly, leaning against a lamppost to light up a cigarette.

"I'm fine," Ponyboy responded. "Didn't know you were out of the cooler, Dally."

"Got out for good behavior," Dallas explained, moving to sit down on the curb. Everyone else followed and lit up their own cigarette with the exception of Soda and Darry, Dallas handing Cordelia one without being asked. Johnny sat down next to Ponyboy with an anxious expression, looking him over for any major injuries.

"Nice lookin' bruise, kid," Two-Bit said to Ponyboy. Cordelia frowned and grabbed Ponyboy's chin so she could force his face to the side, frowning at the purple color starting to grow on his cheek. Ponyboy jerked his chin away with a blush, shrugging and taking a deep inhale from his cigarette. "And the cut. Makes you look tough."

"Don't want a scar," Ponyboy complained, rubbing around the but and hissing when the motion made it open up some.

"It won't make a big scar," Cordelia assured him.

"How would you know?" Ponyboy said in a snappy tone. Cordelia raised an eyebrow at him, knowing that he was likely just stressed and tired. She simply lifted her hair up and tilted her chin so he could see the two similar scars on her chin in near the same place as his. One was from Houston and the other was more recent, from LA, and neither had made a noticeable scar unless you were looking.

"Both of those were deeper than the one you got and you've never noticed mine before. You'll be fine," Cordelia responded. Ponyboy seemed a little ashamed of his outburst, mumbling an apology.

"That just makes you a true greaser," Two-Bit grinned, bumping his shoulder on Cordelia's with enough force that she bumped into Ponyboy too.

"What were you doin' walking alone this late at night?" Steve asked angrily, flicking his ashes at Ponyboy.

"I was comin' home from the movies," Ponyboy said bitterly. "I didn't think-"

"That's the problem!" Darry interrupted. "You never think. You get good grades, you always have your nose in a book, but you never use any common sense. You could've called someone else for a ride, but you don't think. And if you just had to walk alone, you should've carried a blade."

Ponyboy just stared at the ground with his jaw clenched, but Soda glared back at Darry.

"Leave my kid brother alone. He was just tryin' to see a movie. It's not his fault the socs like to jump him, and if he had a blade, they would've just used that as an excuse to cut him to ribbons."

"When I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother, I'll ask-kid brother," Darry responded, spitting out the last two words. But for once, he didn't say anything else to chastise Ponyboy.

"Just ask one of us the next time you wanna go to a movie," Two-Bit told Ponyboy.

"Speakin' of, I'm headin' over to the drive-in tomorrow night. Anyone want to come and hunt some action?" Dallas asked.

"Soda and I are goin' with the girls to the game," Steve said, glaring at Ponyboy. Cordelia had learned that Steve didn't like the younger boy because Soda would let him tag along to a lot of activities even when Steve didn't want him there.

"I'm workin'," Darry sighed, shaking his head.

"Me and Johnny'll come. Delia too," Ponyboy announced. Johnny just looked up and didn't argue, but Cordelia hurried to shake her head.

"Oh, I can't. I turned down Chet's invitation to go," Cordelia told them. Dallas' face twitched a bit and he let out a low chuckle.

"Still goin' out with the soc?" Dallas questioned.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Cordelia retorted. Dallas just sucked his teeth and looked up at the moon, not responding.

"You should come anyways," Ponyboy requested. "Tell him that plans changed."

"Fine," Cordelia sighed. "But you owe me a soda. And maybe some candy."

------------------------

Ponyboy didn't get her soda or candy. Instead, he dragged her around town as the quartet wasted time until they could sneak into the drive-in. Dallas stole more cigarettes from a corner store and some gum too, tossing Cordelia a pack with a quick smirk. Cordelia was then introduced to some other Greasers at the Dingo diner, but she wasn't a fan of the way they were smirking at her. After one guy who was old enough to be her dad made a crude remark, Dallas was guiding the group away after threatening to beat the guy's face in. By then, it was dark enough to sneak under the fence and find their way to the seats.

The only two people not in their cars to watch the movie were Cherry Valence and Marcia Strong. Dallas smirked and then chose the seats right behind them and leaned forward.

"Howdy," Dallas said to them. Neither girl turned their heads to the boy. "How's it goin', ladies? It's a nice night, isn't it? Nice night to go sneak off for some fun. Get you two down on your knees."

Cordelia and Johnny both had the same idea at the same time because they stood up and headed back to the concessions stand without a word.

"He's not always like this," Johnny said softly when he saw the pissed off expression on Cordelia's face.

"That's what everyone keeps sayin', but I don't believe it one bit," Cordelia retorted. Johnny sighed and got two cokes, leaning against the outside wall with Cordelia. They could still see Dallas leaning forward to annoy the two girls just trying to have a good night.

"I think he...he just feels like he has to prove himself," Johnny defended. "He'd never act like that to one of us."

"Yeah? I've known plenty of men just like him, and trust me, they'll turn on you so fast that it'll make your head spin. If he's a dick to others, he'll be a dick to you the second you mess up," Cordelia said angrily. Johnny winced a bit and sighed, not knowing how else to defend his friend. To make matters worse, Chet was actually there and he looked confused when he saw her standing there.

"Cordelia?"

"Hey, Chet," Cordelia responded, turning to see him standing there with Brill and Beverly. He smiled at her and gave her a quick hug, giving Johnny a once over. The smaller teen decided to head back to the others now that the socs were there, deeming it safe to do so since Chet seemed to like Cordelia and wouldn't hurt her.

"I thought you couldn't make it," Chet said, a hint of something she couldn't read in his tone.

"Plans changed. I'm here with Ponyboy and-"

"And me," Dallas interrupted, walking up to stand right next to her. Brill and Chet both sized up the greaser while Beverly glared at him. Cordelia also glared, which seemed to shock the teen.

"Only 'cause you're with Ponyboy and Johnny. And I swear to God, Winston, talk to me like you did those two girls and I'll-"

"You'll do what? Huh, tough girl? What'll you do?" Dallas spat out, taking a step towards the girl. Chet took a big risk and put his arm on Dallas' chest to keep him farther away from Cordelia. Dallas looked shocked that he would dare touch him, and Cordelia was sure that a fight was about to break out.

"Back off, Winston," Chet said lowly. Dallas curled up his lip and flicked Chet off before he turned to enter the concession stand. Cordelia swallowed heavily and blinked away tears, her hands shaking from the interaction. Beverly and Brill went into the concessions stand too while Chet gently grabbed Cordelia's hand and led her over to the side where no one could see her.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just a little freaked out. It's fine," Cordelia rushed out. Chet frowned at her and took his letterman jacket off to throw it over her shoulders for warmth, standing in front of her to observe her.

"Winston's a dick. He'll get what's comin' to him," Chet assured her.

"I know so many people just like him. They-they don't have a family and they're all on their own way too young. They just want to prove themselves and be tough so people don't mess with them. He-he just needs a real family and to trust his friends.

"He needs to be in jail for the rest of his life," Chet scoffed. "Now let's get you home."

Cordelia nodded and pulled Chet's jacket closer around her shoulders before walking over to Ponyboy and Johnny, who were now sitting with the girls, Dallas no where to be seen. Two-Bit had joined them and he was tipsy enough to make kissy noises at the sight of the jacket, but sober enough to still look disturbed.

"Hey, Pony. Chet's gonna take me home," Cordelia said, interrupting the conversation. Ponyboy looked a bit shocked, but he didn't argue. Chet took a little bit longer because he had to convince his friends to let him go early, but he eventually was able to come pick Cordelia up in his car. He seemed to remember the way to her house because he didn't ask for directions.

"You gonna be okay?" Chet asked.

"Yeah. Just been a while since I've had someone talk to me like that," Cordelia mumbled, pulling Chet's jacket off of her shoulders when they pulled to the front of the house.

"You know my number," Chet told her, watching her carefully.

"Thanks, Chet. I appreciate you," Cordelia smiled. Chet responded with his own smile and walked her to the door, which was unlocked even though no one was home. Cordelia decided to take advantage of the solitude by taking a warm shower and then turning on the TV to watch something other than cartoons for once.

Soda was the first to come home and he immediately took note of the fact that she wasn't supposed to be there. His eyebrows furrowed and he barely mumbled a greeting as he started peering his head into the kitchen.

"Pony's fine. Just wasn't feelin' like the movies," Cordelia assured him. Soda didn't look convinced, but he nodded and headed back to the showers anyways. Darry came in just a few minutes to midnight, exhaustion dripping off of him.

"Where's Ponyboy?" Darry asked.

"He was still at the movies. Johnny was with him and I think I saw Two-Bit there too," Cordelia answered.

"What about Dally?" Darry questioned.

"He started talkin' to some socs girls and left," Cordelia said tensely. Darry seemed to notice because he sat down on the couch next to her.

"He do somethin' to you?" Darry asked.

"One of the things he said is the same thing as my foster brother, Lucas, what he said to me before he-he..."

Cordelia was embarrassed by the sob that snuck out, hurrying to cover her mouth in surprise. Darry, however, didn't seem to mind because he just mumbled 'oh, honey' and started rubbing her back. Lucas had only been her foster brother for three months in LA, but he had made her life a living hell from the moment that she stepped foot into that house, including giving her the scar on her chin.

"I know that he didn't know, he had no way of knowing, but I can't stand the way he was talking," Cordelia choked out.

"I know, honey. Let me talk to him," Darry said softly.

"No! I don't want everyone to treat me differently. I'll be fine," Cordelia said, wiping her eyes and taking deep breaths to calm herself. Darry didn't look too sure, but he didn't argue either.

"Okay, honey. Can you just sit up here for me and watch for Ponyboy while I take a quick shower?" Darry requested. "I'll send Soda up too if you want."

Cordelia nodded in response to both questions and tried to settle down on the couch with her mind racing.

She wasn't sure if she hated Dallas Winston, or pitied him.

Chapter Text

By the time Darry was done with his very quick shower, even Soda was getting anxious about Ponyboy not being home yet. Memories of the night before filtered through their minds, but they tried to push them aside. Soda was the first to fall asleep, but Darry seemed hell-bent on staying up until Ponyboy came home, so Cordelia stayed up with him.

"I'm sure he's fine. Maybe he fell asleep in the lot," Cordelia suggested.

"He knows better," Darry grumbled, picking up a newspaper to glance through. Cordelia knew he had already read that one, but she didn't say anything. Her eyes were starting to close when she heard the squeak of someone jumping over the gate.

"Someone's here," Cordelia informed Darry, unable to peer outside due to Soda's feet in her lap. Darry looked up from the paper and practically jumped to his feet while an anxious Ponyboy opened the front door.

"Where the hell have you been? It's two in the mornin', Ponyboy. Another hour and I would've had the police out lookin' for you. Where were you?" Darry said, sounding and looking madder than Cordelia had ever seen him.

"I...I went to sleep in the lot with Johnny," Ponyboy stammered.

"You what?" Darry shouted, waking Soda up. The teen yawned and sat up, pushing his hair out of his face as he gave his brother a lazy smile that wasn't reciprocated. Ponyboy wasn't wearing a jacket and was shaking from the cold, fear, and anger, which was a dangerous mixture.

"Hey, Pony. Where ya been?" Soda asked in a much calmer tone.

"I didn't mean to. Johnny and I both just fell asleep," Ponyboy pleaded to Darry. Cordelia didn't like the look on Darry's face, fueled by exhaustion and worry, so she stood up and walked a little closer. Darry didn't seem to notice how anxious Cordelia and Soda were getting because he continued on.

"I bet you never even thought about the fact that your brothers would be here worryin' about you. And I couldn't even call the police if I wanted to 'cause you two would be thrown in homes so fast that it'd make your head spin. Cordelia too! But you don't care, do ya? You were asleep in the lot. What is wrong with you, Ponyboy? Don't you ever use your head? You don't even have a coat on."

"I said I didn't mean to!" Ponyboy exclaimed, tears building up in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to! I didn't think! I forgot! That's all I ever hear from you!" Darry shouted at Ponyboy, waving his arms around.

"Darry-"

"Don't you speak!" Darry interrupted Soda, whirling around to glare at him. "I'm tired you of always stickin' up for him when he does shit like this!"

"Don't you yell at him!" Ponyboy yelled.

The world seemed to move in slow motion. Darry raised his hand, and Cordelia moved like she was on autopilot, grabbing Ponyboy and shielding him. Darry's hand hit the back of her head with enough force to knock them both against the door. The room went silent; Darry's eyes widened, and his face paled.

"Cordelia..." Darry started in a soft voice, but Cordelia couldn't think properly. Without wasting another second, the girl grabbed Ponyboy's arm and threw the door open, shoving him outside so they could start running.

"Cordelia, Pony, I didn't mean it!" Darry screamed after them. Neither one stopped running until they reached the lot where Johnny was asleep on an old car bench with some newspapers covering him.

"Johnny!" Ponyboy yelled, practically jumping on the boy. Johnny shot up with wide and panicked eyes, quickly taking in the scene before him. Ponyboy's chest was heaving, and Cordelia was holding the back of her head with tears in her eyes. "C'mon, we're runnin' away!"

Johnny got up without any further questions and followed Ponyboy as he led them to the park. Ponyboy seemed to have enough because he sat down on the curb and put his head in his arms to cry. Cordelia sat next to him and tried to blink away the stars that were covering her vision from the impact to her head and then the immediate run. It had been a while since she had been hit, especially to the head, and with Darry being so strong from roofing, a headache was already forming.

"Easy, Pony. We'll be okay," Johnny said in a soft voice.

"Johnny, I'm scared," Ponyboy whimpered out, trying to wipe away his tears.

"You're scarin' me. What happened?" Johnny asked.

"Darry. It was all Darry. We never used to be like this, friends one minute and then enemies the next, but ever since Mom and Dad died, it's like he hates me. I couldn't take it anymore. And Johnny, he tried to hit me. He would've slapped me right across the face if Delia hadn't grabbed me. But he hit her," Ponyboy explained.

"Think I like it better when the old man is hittin' me. At least then he knows I'm there. And at least you got Soda and Cordelia," Johnny tried to assure him.

"You got the whole gang," Ponyboy sniffled. "Only reason Dally didn't slug you tonight is 'cause you're the pet."

"It's not the same," Johnny practically whispered. Ponyboy winced and rubbed his hands up and down his bare arms. Cordelia was wearing one of Soda's sweatshirts over her T-shirt, so she took it off and handed it to him, which he eagerly accepted.

"You alright, Delia?" Ponyboy inquired.

"Darry sure can hit," Cordelia responded, a small and tender bump already forming where he made impact. "I'll be fine, Pony. I've had worse before."

"Let's head back, Pony. Darry's probably real sorry," Johnny suggested.

"Alright," Ponyboy sighed. "Delia, you comin' home?"

"I'll sleep in the lot tonight," Cordelia decided, unable to return to the house. It was cold outside, but if Ponyboy gave her the sweatshirt back, then it'd be fine until she could figure out where to go.

Before Ponyboy or Johnny could argue, the familiar low rumble of a car engine got louder until the horn blared, making all three of them jump and stand up.

"What do they want? This is our territory," Ponyboy mumbled.

"I bet they're lookin' for us. We picked up their girls," Johnny responded. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows with confusion but had no time to question them before the Mustang stopped with its headlights illuminating the trio, and five socs got out. Randy, Bob, Brill, Trip, and David, a senior soc, all walked up with grins on their faces, examining the three greasers who tried to make themselves look tough.

"Look what we have here. The greaser trash who tried to pick up our girls and the girl we'll take revenge with," Bob laughed. He stumbled a bit, and Cordelia could tell he was drunk, which only made her fear grow. Some people got weaker when they were drunk, but Bob looked like he got stronger.

"You're outa your territory. You better watch it," Johnny warned in a low voice. Cordelia was hit with the reminder that he technically was the oldest of the three of them, even if he was only an inch taller than her. And he was the one who had already fought these guys and barely made it out alive.

"No, you better watch it," Randy retorted with a glare. "Next time, pick up your own type, dirt."

"You know what a greaser is?" Bob asked. "White trash with long hair."

Ponyboy especially seemed to take offense to that because he paled while Johnny let out a small gasp.

"Know what a soc is?" Ponyboy asked, his voice shaking. "White trash with Mustangs and madras."

Cordelia could've killed Ponyboy with her bare hands when he finished the insult by spitting on Bob's face. The older boy looked shocked for a moment before he clicked his teeth and smiled an evil grin that had Cordelia grabbing Ponyboy's arm to pull him away.

"You could use a bath, greaser. Good thing we've got all night."

The trio all ran when the socs surged forward to grab them. Cordelia grabbed Ponyboy's hand and pulled him back toward home, but Brill tackled them both to the ground.

"Don't touch him!" Cordelia screamed when Brill moved to hold her down. Bob, Trip, and David all grabbed Ponyboy while Randy punched Johnny to keep him from interfering. Brill's lip curled, and he put his hand over Cordelia's mouth, which she quickly bit.

"Fuckin' bitch!" Brill exclaimed, punching her across the face. Cordelia could hear Ponyboy's shouting cut off and then the sound of water sloshing, making her eyes widen and a new strength fill her body. Brill let out a surprised sound when she was able to push him off of her so she could see that the three socs had Ponyboy's head in the fountain and his limbs were slowing down.

"Let him go!" Cordelia demanded. Bob turned around and grinned, shoving Ponyboy's face down further. Brill tackled Cordelia before she could stand up, and he tried to force her to her stomach since she was fighting against him. It was clear that he hadn't expected the girl to be able to handle herself.

"Randy, help me," Brill requested. Randy moved over from Johnny since he was still on the ground and sat on Cordelia's right side while Brill held down her left. The girl squeezed her eyes shut so she didn't have to watch Ponyboy get murdered while she was helpless.

"Watch it!" Randy warned, and then all the pressure was gone from her body. Cordelia scrambled to her feet to see the socs all surrounding Bob as he slid down to the ground, Johnny standing right behind him with a bloody knife in his hand. Cordelia rushed forward and grabbed Ponyboy from the fountain, his eyes closed and his breathing somehow both shallow and heavy simultaneously.

"You killed him," Trip gasped. With a look so mean that Cordelia couldn't imagine the boy being able to make, Johnny whipped the knife around towards the other soc boys, and they all ran off, leaving Bob behind. Cordelia just gasped and tried not to sob as she shook the boy in front of her, his eyes closed and skin pale.

"Henry? Henry, please wake up!" Cordelia pleaded, tears blurring her vision. Her head was spinning, and she felt like each breath was tearing through her chest.

"Turn Pony on his side," Johnny said from beside her. The girl barely noticed Johnny sliding down to sit between them and Bob's still body, staring at the bloody knife in his hand with an unreadable look on his face. Cordelia hurried to turn Ponyboy over and slapped his back, not caring when he coughed up water onto her pajama pants.

"There you are, baby. You're okay," Cordelia cooed through her tears. Ponyboy coughed some more and then gasped as his body started to shake even worse. Cordelia rubbed his back and supported him as he sat up to get more air. It took him a moment to get his senses, and then he looked around with wide eyes until he got to a shell-shocked Johnny.

"I killed him. I killed that boy," Johnny said softly.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Ponyboy muttered.

"Go ahead," Johnny told him. Ponyboy stumbled when he stood and barely made it a few steps away before he was leaning over to throw up. Cordelia followed after him to rub his back and then forced him to sit back down once he was done.

"They were gonna drown you, and-and they had Cordelia down on the ground, and they were gonna beat me again," Johnny rushed out in a weak voice.

"What are we gonna do?" Ponyboy croaked. "They give you the electric chair for this."

"Give me the knife," Cordelia said to Johnny. The boy swallowed heavily and then nodded, wiping the blood away on the ground before closing the knife and handing it over. "The two of you head home and call the cops. The socs will say that Johnny was the one to stab him, but I'll say it was me. I have a rap sheet already, so they won't question it too much. The two of you will be just fine."

"No way!" Ponyboy argued, wrapping his arms around himself against the cold wind.

"He's right. You're not gettin' the chair for somethin' I did," Johnny told her with a shake of his head. "But we've gotta go. The cops will be here soon, and we'll all get the chair if they catch us."

"Where will we go?" Ponyboy asked.

"Dal," Johnny said with no room for argument. "He'll get us out of here."

Dallas Winston was the absolute last person that Cordelia wanted to see, but she agreed that he would know what to do much better than Darry or Two-Bit. The trio rushed out of the park and headed over to Buck's, where a party seemed to be in full swing. Johnny took the lead and knocked on the door, Buck answering after a few insistent knocks. He observed the group for a moment before his eyebrows raised with shock and annoyance.

"Cordelia? There's no way you're gettin' in here, you're too young," Buck said when he opened the door more, leaning against the frame so they couldn't sneak past.

"We need Dally," Cordelia told him.

"He's busy," Buck told them, snapping a bit due to the late hour and loud party behind him.

"Tell him it's Pony, Johnny, and Cordelia. He'll come," Johnny insisted. Buck looked them over for a moment and then closed the door without another word. Cordelia sighed and bounced on her feet until the door was opened again by a squinting and shirtless Dallas.

"Okay, kids, what d'ya need me for?" Dallas asked with a barely concealed yawn.

"Johnny killed a soc," Ponyboy croaked. Dallas's eyes were wide open as he took in their disheveled appearances. He stuck his hand out and pulled Cordelia to his side to wrap an arm over her shoulder before grabbing the hood of Ponyboy's sweatshirt and nodding for Johnny to go in front.

"Ponyboy, are you wet?" Dallas questioned, pulling on his hood when he tried to go in the opposite direction of the steps. Johnny seemed to know where he was going because he headed up the steps without question. Cordelia turned her face into Dallas' chest and felt his arm tighten when a man started whistling at her from the bar.

"They tried to drown me," Ponyboy said through chattering teeth. Dallas' jaw clenched, and he pushed the three teens into his bedroom and locked the door. His room looked just like a teen boy's room would look with some risqué posters on the walls and clothes on the floor.

"Tell me everything," Dallas instructed. Ponyboy launched into a rant about the whole night, from the two boys talking with Cherry and Marcia and their boyfriends catching them to the fight with Darry and finally the fight in the park. Dallas's jaw was clenched so tight that Cordelia was surprised his teeth hadn't shattered.

"Good for you," Dallas said once Ponyboy was done explaining. He then looked over to Cordelia and examined her. "Are you okay?"

"I've had worse," Cordelia responded.

"That's not what I asked," Dallas said tensely.

"My head hurts, but I'm fine," Cordelia finally admitted. Johnny sat down on the edge of the bed and started biting his nails while Cordelia and Ponyboy both stood. Dallas sighed and started looking through his drawers, tossing a bottle of pain pills at Cordelia and then a flannel to Ponyboy.

"That's Buck's shirt, so it'll be huge on you, but it'll be fine," Dallas told him, wincing when he moved too fast.

"You okay?" Johnny asked.

"Got into a fight with Tim and hurt my ribs, but I'm fine," Dallas explained, looking back at Ponyboy, who was frozen with the shirt in his hands. "Get those wet clothes off! You'll die of pneumonia before the cops can even get you. Use your head."

Ponyboy blinked and then removed Soda's sweatshirt and shirt to replace them with the dry items. Dallas rolled his eyes at the boy and tossed another flannel at Cordelia.

"Let me see if Sylvia left any of her jeans here," Dallas mumbled, looking through his drawers. It took him a while until he turned around with jeans in one hand, a stack of cash, and a gun in the other.

"You kill people with heaters," Ponyboy said, gasping at the gun.

"You kill people with blades, too," Dallas retorted as he handed the loaded gun to Johnny, who looked like he didn't want it. "Here's fifty bucks, that oughta be enough to get you two through."

"Two? No, three," Cordelia interjected.

"Two," Dallas said firmly. "You'll be taken away from Darry for good if you run off too."

"I'm gonna be taken away from Darry anyways. I'm not leavin' Ponyboy," Cordelia argued. Dallas shook his head at her stubbornness and looked back to Ponyboy and Johnny sitting side-by-side on the bed.

"Fine. It'll be enough for you three. You'll take the 3:15 train to Windrixville and find the old abandoned church on Jay Mountain. There's a pump for water, so all you need to do is buy a week's worth of food and then don't leave that church. I'll be up in a week or so with the next step."

"How do we know you're actually gonna come back?" Cordelia asked.

"I gave you my word," Dallas told her.

"I need more."

Dallas gave her a hard look and then reached up to unclasp the St. Christopher's around his neck, holding it out to her. Johnny sucked in a breath from behind her, and Cordelia took the necklace and held it in her hand while she tried to read his expression, but he kept it carefully blank.

"My mama gave me that necklace before she died, and I haven't taken it off a day since," Dallas said in a sure tone. "That's my word, that's how you can believe me. I'll be workin' my ass off here to find someplace safe for you three, and then I'll come get my necklace back. Okay?"

"Okay," Cordelia said softly, putting the necklace around her own neck. Dallas watched it with yet another unreadable expression and then turned to Ponyboy.

"Your brothers know?" Dallas asked.

"No, And don't tell Darry or Soda," Ponyboy pleaded. Dallas' face twitched, and his jaw clenched again, but he nodded anyway.

"Thought New York was the only place I'd get mixed up in a murder rap," Dallas mumbled to himself. Johnny made a small noise in his throat at the word 'murder' that made Dallas flinch a little as he softly grabbed Cordelia's arm and guided her to the bathroom across the hall, standing guard outside so she could change.

"Thanks, Dally," Cordelia said softly when she exited the bathroom. The hallway had a few couples making out, but no one was paying them any attention.

"You sure about this? You might end up in jail yourself. If you go home right now, you can pretend that you weren't involved and can stay," Dallas said in a low tone.

"Darry hit me, Dally. That's not my home anymore," Cordelia said, her voice breaking some. Dallas sighed and looked down at the ground, hitting his boot against the floor.

"Sorry for what I said at the drive-in. I shouldn't have acted like that," Dallas apologized. "I don't really know why I even said that. Think I wanted to impress someone."

"We should probably go if we want to make the train," Cordelia said, looking away from Dallas when his eyes tried to meet hers. The necklace felt like it was burning into her skin, and she could see him glance down at it for a moment.

"Yeah, probably," Dallas muttered, opening the door to his room and nodding for the boys to follow. He grabbed his jacket before he left and put it around Ponyboy since he was still shivering. Then, he kept his hand firmly wrapped around Cordelia's bicep until they made it out of the bar. He had a worried look on his face as he ruffled Johnny's hair, and then he spoke so softly that they could barely hear him. "Take care, kid."

"Thanks, Dally," Johnny said.

And then they were off to Windrixville.

Chapter Text

"You called Ponyboy Henry."

Cordelia looked up from Ponyboy's head in her lap to Johnny sitting next to her. His voice was so soft that she could barely hear him over the sound of the train, especially since he wasn't looking at her. Ponyboy had almost immediately put his head down in Cordelia's lap and fell asleep once they got onto the train, neither of the sixteen-year-olds wanting to wake him.

"Did I?" Cordelia asked, continuing to run her hands through Ponyboy's drying hair. The cold air was making his hair dry faster than normal, and she was scared that he would get hypothermia. His shaking had stopped not long after he fell asleep, but his eyes would squint, and his face would twist as if he was having bad dreams.

"Yeah. When you grabbed him from the fountain, you called him Henry," Johnny told her.

"I don't remember," Cordelia admitted.

"He's not Henry, and he'll never be. You should've stayed behind," Johnny said, not sounding angry.

"I know he's not Henry, but they're just so alike," Cordelia said with a small waver in her tone. "If I had been there for Henry, he might still be alive. I'm gonna be here for Ponyboy because he has a chance to make somethin' of himself, and I don't want anythin' to change that. You too, Johnny. If things go south, I want you to promise me that you'll protect Pony and get him out of there. I have nothin' goin' for me; I'll probably be shipped off to a girl's home or juvie from this anyway. But you two could really succeed in life."

"Not me," Johnny argued with a shake of his head. He was staring down at the gun in his lap with an unreadable expression. "I killed Bob. I'm a murderer."

"He was gonna kill Ponyboy," Cordelia reminded him. "You did what you had to do. Now promise me that you'll do what you need to do to keep Ponyboy safe."

"I promise. Nothing else is gonna happen to him," Johnny said firmly. "And nothing will happen to you either. Dally'll make sure of that. I've never seen him give anyone else his St. Christophers, not even when he and Sylvia were doin' good."

Cordelia's hand froze when she realized that she had been messing with the necklace. She dropped it against her chest and shoved her free hand under her thigh instead.

"I don't know why he gave it to me," Cordelia said softly.

"Dally's a lot better than everyone gives him credit for," Johnny muttered, shuffling to try and get comfortable but it was useless with the cold metal of the boxcar. "I'll stay up to watch if you wanna sleep. You've had a long day."

"Are you sure? You've had a long day too."

"Don't think I could sleep if I tried," Johnny said with a small sniffle, his face scrunching up as he leaned his head against the wall. Cordelia gave him an understanding nod and put her head back too, her eyes closing to fall into a fitful sleep.

Johnny was nudging them awake after what felt like minutes but was obviously hours due to the start of the sunrise illuminating the meadow. Ponyboy was barely awake and he stumbled when he jumped out of the train, lying down on the grass to hide in case anyone was watching.

"You put my legs to sleep, Pony," Cordelia complained.

"Sorry, Delia. You could've woken me up," Ponyboy said threw a yawn.

"Didn't want to wake you up 'til we had to," Cordelia explained. Ponyboy gave her a thankful and bashful smile and sat up to look around.

"How do we find Jay Mountain?" Ponyboy asked.

"We'll have to ask someone. It's too early for anyone to have heard about everythin', so we should be safe," Johnny answered. "Just act like a farm boy takin' a walk."

"Cordelia should go. She's the only one who has actually lived on a farm before," Ponyboy complained.

"She'll draw more attention bein' a girl. Just stop slouchin' and brush your hair different," Johnny instructed. Ponyboy grimaced a little because he knew that he looked like a greaser and there was little he could do to change that. He had a comb in his back pocket so he tried to brush his hair different than he normally would with the grease.

"Better?" Ponyboy asked.

"You look an awful lot like Soda with your hair like that. Except your eyes, the green is different," Johnny answered, carefully observing his friend.

"My eyes ain't green," Ponyboy retorted. "And I look nothin' like Soda. Soda's handsome."

"Shoot, so are you," Johnny grinned. Ponyboy blinked at Johnny and then shrugged, his cheeks a little pink.

"Be safe, Pony," Cordelia said softly. The boy gave her a soft grin and then headed into town to get directions. Johnny and Cordelia sat in comfortable silence, just watching the birds and the clouds. It was only about twenty minutes before Ponyboy came back and the three teens were off to hike up the mountain, which took close to an hour. By the time they made it up to the top, they were all panting for breath and sore.

The church hadn't been used in probably a decade or two based on its appearance. The windows and the front door were covered in planks of wood to prevent anyone from entering, but they were able to find a small side entrance to sneak in. The inside didn't look much better. The breaks in the planks allowed some light to come in, but it was mostly dark and covered in dust and spiderwebs. Some of the pews were still stable, but others were breaking down and ruined. Overall, it looked like a horrible place to stay and it was freezing cold already.

"Home sweet home," Cordelia said softly, sitting down on the ground with her back against the side of a pew. Without a word, Ponyboy put his head back on her lap and Johnny laid down on the pew, all of them asleep within minutes.

----------------------

Cordelia didn't wake up until she heard movement around her, but it was just Johnny getting up. After a quick discussion, Johnny went into town to get the groceries while Cordelia stayed awake to listen for anyone or anything. Ponyboy woke up not long after Johnny left, sitting up and blinking with a confused expression on his face.

"Johnny went to go get groceries," Cordelia explained. Ponyboy yawned and stretched, yawning in acknowledgement. Cordelia winced when she stood up, her legs asleep from Ponyboy's head lying on them for so long.

"'M gonna go get water," Ponyboy mumbled, looking a little spooked but better than he had last night.

The pump was outside so Cordelia went with him to get water for herself as well. The pump was old, but worked well enough for what they would need until Dallas could come back for them. Ponyboy sat down on the back steps of the church and Cordelia could see that he needed to be alone, so she slipped back inside of the church and tried to tidy it up some, getting rid of some of the spiderwebs and rocks. The sound of leaves moving made her freeze and Ponyboy rush inside until he heard a whistle that started out low and then sharply ended in a high note. Ponyboy smiled and went back outside with Cordelia, tripping on the steps and landing right in front of Johnny.

"Hey, Johnny. Fancy seein' you here," Ponyboy grinned, propping himself on his elbows.

"You act too much like Two-Bit," Johnny said over the two bags in his arms. Cordelia rolled her eyes and grabbed one of the bags to bring inside to a small table, both boys following her to unpack. Johnny got some bread, peanut butter, baloney, matches, and 'Gone With the Wind'.

"How'd you know I wanted to read this?" Ponyboy gasped when he got to the book.

"You said somethin' about it and we went to see the movie. I figured you could read it out loud to help pass the time," Johnny explained.

"Thanks, Johnny," Ponyboy said as he continued to unpack the bags, freezing when he pulled out a bottle of peroxide. His inquisitive look turned into one of horror when Johnny avoided eye contact.

"Fuck no," Cordelia said once she realized why he bought it.

"Johnny, you can't actually think that we'll bleach our hair," Ponyboy gasped, looking back at his friend with betrayal in his eyes.

"We're gonna cut our hair and you two will bleach yours," Johnny answered. "Our description will be in the paper. If we fit 'em..."

"What about you?" Cordelia asked.

"It'll look weird on me. But you two will look fine with blonde hair," Johnny "The first thing they do in jail is cut your hair to try and break you. We have to do it. It'll grow back."

"Get it over with," Ponyboy finally grumbled, sitting down on a pew. Johnny looked over to Cordelia and the girl just stared back until he raised his eyebrows and she remembered that she had the knife.

"I'm not cuttin' my hair," Cordelia argued as she passed the knife over. It still had some blood on it but Johnny hurried to wipe it away before the pouting Ponyboy could see it.

"We don't have to do it too short. Maybe to your shoulders," Johnny answered as he started working on Ponyboy's hair.

"Not too short," Ponyboy winced. Cordelia grumbled and crossed her arms, helping guide Johnny's work so the younger boy didn't look too stupid. Ponyboy's hair got doused with the peroxide and then he was sent outside to sit in the sun.

"Let's just get this over with," Cordelia muttered. Johnny gave her a sad smile and passed over the knife so she could sit in front of a broken mirror that was leaning against one of the walls. With a heavy sigh, Cordelia grabbed a section of hair and started cutting, tears filling her eyes when she saw it fall to the ground. Her Mama had always loved her hair and she had always kept it long, so the hair brushing her collarbones made her want to puke.

"I'm sorry, Cordelia," Johnny said softly when he grabbed the knife back to help her get the parts in the back that she couldn't see. The girl just closed her eyes and didn't respond as he poured the peroxide over her brown hair and then sent her outside too. Despite her anger, she couldn't help but laugh when she saw Ponyboy.

"Oh, come on! Is it really that bad?" Ponyboy groaned.

"You look fine. It was just...surprising," Cordelia explained. Ponyboy's face scrunched up and he went back inside to look for himself, letting out an upset sound when he looked in the mirror. By the time that the two boys came back outside so Johnny could wash his hair, her brown locks were now patchy blonde. Johnny didn't look much better with his curly bangs gone and shorter all around, but he didn't look horrible. It was almost amusing to see his forehead being slightly lighter than the rest of his face since it rarely saw sunlight.

"Guess we're disguised now," Johnny muttered.

"Guess so," Ponyboy said as he sat down and leaned against the church. Johnny sat down next to him with a sigh while Cordelia washed her own hair to get the peroxide smell off of it. The pump was far enough away that she didn't feel like she was imposing on their conversation, especially when she turned and saw Johnny comforting a crying Ponyboy. The comforting turned into a small argument so Cordelia headed inside the church to listen and make sure everything was okay.

It was clear that Johnny was freaked out that he had killed Bob. It didn't matter that Bob would've killed Ponyboy, and maybe even them too, all that mattered was that Bob was the dead one and it was because of Johnny. And she could hear the regret in Johnny's tone that he had dragged Cordelia and Ponyboy into the mess as well, but Ponyboy was determined to make his friend understand that they wanted to be with him.

She didn't judge either of them when they came in with tear marks on their cheeks.

She didn't sleep much over the next few days. The church was surrounded by woods, so there was always some noise outside that made her think someone was coming to get them. Ponyboy even complained about a monster that ended up just being a raccoon. The necklace on her throat seemed to get heavier and heavier with each passing day that went by without any word from Dallas or anyone else. She had started messing around with the necklace as a nervous habit, especially when her mind started racing.

Cordelia's main worry wasn't even getting caught. It was Darry. She didn't know how to feel about the situation and on the off chance that Mrs. Elmers would let her stay with the Curtis family, she didn't know if she even wanted to anymore. Darry had promised her that he wouldn't hurt her and he broke that promise, even if it wasn't on purpose. But at the same time, Ponyboy was too pure for this world and Cordelia would jump in front of a 1,000 punches to keep him safe.

Ponyboy hadn't said much about Darry either. He talked about missing Soda, but nothing about Darry. The three teens mostly distracted themselves by reading out loud, even if it took a long time to finish a chapter because they would interrupt each other to ask questions. Johnny liked the idea of the southern gentleman.

"I bet they were cool," Johnny said. "They remind me of Dally."

"Dally?" Ponyboy asked with raised eyebrows. Cordelia nodded in agreement, not understanding Johnny's comparison. "Dally doesn't have any manners. You heard how he was talkin' to those soc girls. Soda's most like these Southern guys."

"Sure, in the manners bit," Johnny said. "But one night I saw him get picked up by the cops for somethin' that Two-Bit did, and he didn't even argue. He just stayed cool and spent three nights in lock up with even denyin' the charges. That's mighty gallant."

Ponyboy didn't look fully convinced at Johnny's praise for the other greaser, but a look of recognition went over the younger boy's face and he didn't question it. Johnny gave Cordelia a look that she couldn't read and then that was the last they talked about Dallas.

The two boys had their own conversations and Cordelia didn't mind when she woke up all alone and she didn't care when they would go outside without her. She was used to that, not being anyone's first option and she knew that the two boys weren't doing it on purpose. They just shared a bond that went deeper than they could understand at their young ages. But after six days trapped in a church together, Cordelia was ready to strangle them. They both smoked like chimneys and would stay up playing cards until the sun went away and the candles burned out, often keeping Cordelia awake.

Cordelia was getting water from the pump when she heard a familiar whistle, making her head snap up. She crouched down to hide until the whistle came back and Johnny jumped off of the steps of the church to meet Dallas halfway, hugging the older boy with relief practically dripping off of him. Dallas' eyebrows furrowed, but he hugged the younger boy and then looked over him, smirking at his hair cut. Cordelia didn't know that she could be relieved to see Dallas, but her heart jumped with relief at the familiar sight.

"You okay?" Dallas asked lowly. Johnny nodded and his eyes flickered over to Cordelia's approaching figure. Dallas looked over too and blinked in surprise, a small smirk quirking on his lips at her hair and then it seemed to grow when he realized that she was being dwarfed by his leather jacket.

"Not a word, Dallas Winston," Cordelia told him with a glare. Johnny and Ponyboy had helped her even out the color some, but she knew her hair looked horrible. She hadn't looked in the mirror for two days because it was too depressing.

"I like it," Dallas said, grabbing a piece and lightly touching it to examine the color better. His eyes flickered down to his St. Christophers and he grinned for a second before making his expression go back to its usual blankness. "Kept that safe for me?"

"Sure," Cordelia said as she took it off to hand it back to him. Dallas looked at the necklace for a moment before he put it back on and looked around.

"Where's the kid?"

"Probably asleep," Johnny answered, leading Dallas into the entrance they had made. Dallas walked over to the pew that Ponyboy was sleeping on and ruffled his blond hair.

"Glory, you three just had fun with your makeovers," Dallas chuckled.

"Dally!" Ponyboy gasped as he fully woke up and sat up.

"Hey, Sleepin' Beauty," Dallas teased.

"How's Soda? And the cops, are they after us? And Darry's okay? Do the boys know where we are? And what...?"

"Hold on, kid," Dallas interrupted. "I can't answer everything at once. You three want some food? I skipped breakfast and I'm starved."

"I've lived off of baloney for almost a week. I could eat a horse," Cordelia responded. Johnny had eaten all of the peanut butter thanks to a dare from Ponyboy, leaving them with the sandwich meat as their only food.

"Maria's been missin' you," Dallas grinned. "Doubt she'd like to hear you'd eat her."

"Not Maria. Maybe Ghost," Cordelia joked. Amusement flickered in Dallas' eyes and he looked back to the boys.

"Dairy Queen sound good?"

"What about the cops?" Johnny asked worriedly.

"They think you three are on the way to Texas. I've got Buck's car so we can take that and lay low," Dallas told them. "And Pony, I got a letter for you."

Excitement filtered over Ponyboy's face when he handed him a letter with Soda's handwriting on the front.

"He came over a few days ago and saw your clothes in my room. I told him I didn't know where you three went, but he didn't believe me. He wrote this letter and sent half his paycheck for you three. And Darry, he's takin' this mighty hard too, but I gave him a shiner anyways," Dallas told the teen. Ponyboy didn't seem to listen anymore as he read over the letter with a mixed expression on his face.

"How come you got brought in?" Ponyboy asked once he was done.

"The cops know me," Dallas boasted as if that was a good thing. "I told them you were headin' for Texas so that's where they're lookin'. Now let's go get some food before my stomach eats itself."

Johnny and Ponyboy walked ahead of Dallas and Cordelia as they headed down the hill towards Buck's T-Bird. Dallas looked at her out of the corner of his eye and then cleared his throat.

"Darry's real upset, Cordelia. He and I argued and he didn't even punch me back when I hit him. And I got him good."

"I know he didn't mean to hit me, but he was gonna hit Ponyboy. I've been thinkin' a lot about it, and I don't know what to do," Cordelia admitted.

"Your agent, she came over and talked to Darry and Soda. They said there was an argument, but didn't say anythin' about him hittin' you or Soda would've been gone too," Dallas said. "I think they know that they've messed up with you 'cause she said that the choice would be yours when you go back. Mrs. Elmo-"

"Elmers."

"Yeah, whatever. Her voice is squeaky like Elmo, so she's Mrs. Elmo," Dallas said, making the girl chuckle. "She seems to be on your side for this. She told the cops that you were a nice girl and all that shit. I think that if you were to go back, you might get community service and that be it."

"Why do you want me to go back so bad? I'm not leavin' Pony or Johnny," Cordelia asked, stopping a few feet away from the car so the boys couldn't hear.

"I don't know. 'Cause you don't deserve this and the longer that you're gone, the worse it'll be for you. The boys are in this deeper than you," Dallas shrugged.

"I've been handlin' myself for years now. I don't need you to try and tell me what to do. I'm goin' with the boys, no matter what. So fuck off and let me do what's best for me," Cordelia told him. Dallas' jaw clenched and he looked away for a moment before turning back and looking her right in the eyes with a small grin that looked too soft for his face.

"Careful with that attitude, doll. If you're not careful, I'll fall in love."

Cordelia was left standing there in shock while Dallas jumped behind the driver's seat like nothing had been said.

Chapter Text

Cordelia still didn't like Dallas' driving. She sat in the backseat with Ponyboy while Johnny sat up front, all of them hanging on for dear life as Dallas sped through the streets and made turns so fast that she swore the tires lifted off the ground a few times. The danger kept Cordelia's mind off Dallas' words, so it was almost a welcome distraction.

He didn't stop until they pulled into Dairy Queen, all of them getting barbecue sandwiches, ice cream, and sodas. Cordelia didn't know how truly hungry she was until she took the first bite, and then she was scarfing it down, the boys doing the same.

"Glory, don't act like every bite is your last. I've got plenty of money, I can get you more," Dallas chuckled. "If you puke in the car, you've got to clean it yourself."

"You try eatin' nothin' but baloney for days and then tell me how to eat," Cordelia told him. Dallas just smirked at her from the rearview mirror and went back to eating his ice cream.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Dallas said. "The Socs have declared all-out war. That kid you killed has lots of friends, and there's fighting all the time now. No one can walk alone, and I've started carryin' a heater."

"You kill people with heaters," Ponyboy gasped.

"You kill 'em with blades too," Dallas retorted, making Johnny look like he was going to be sick. "It's not loaded, I just have it to scare them off if they try somethin'. Two-Bit got jumped a few days ago, that Bev chick even burned his cheek with a cigarette. The Shepherd gang is fightin' too and we figure this will end in a rumble. And, we've even got some spies."

"Spies? Who?" Johnny asked.

"That good-lookin' girl, the redhead. And Cordelia's boyfriend."

"Chet?" Cordelia asked at the same time that Ponyboy gasped 'Cherry'.

"Yeah, Chet and Cherry," Dallas confirmed. "They came over when Two-Bit got jumped and she said that she felt like it was all her fault since she was datin' Bob. She said that she'll testify that the socs were drunk and that you three were actin' in self-defense. Baker said that he'll say the same thing and testify to their past behavior too."

"See, he's not all bad. And he's not my boyfriend," Cordelia said. Dallas crinkled his nose and curled up his lip.

"He's still a soc," Dallas grumbled, looking back at Ponyboy and Cordelia. "It's a real good thing you three changed your hair. You really don't fit the description in the papers anymore."

"We're goin' back and I'm gonna turn myself in," Johnny said as he finished the last bite of his fifth sandwich.

"What the fuck, Johnnycakes? No you're not," Dallas said immediately.

"I got a chance of bein' let off easy since I don't have a record and it was self-defense. We have enough witnesses to testify to that. I can't stay in that church forever," Johnny explained. "We won't tell the cops that you helped us and we'll give you the gun and the money. We'll say we hitchhiked and you won't get into trouble."

"You sure? Us greasers have it bad in jail, Johnny. Especially you," Dallas warned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ponyboy asked protectively.

"You think the cops aren't racist, Ponyboy? Huh? No, they'll take one look at Johnny and see that he's Native and he'll be thrown into the worst cell and get beaten," Dallas said harshly, looking back at Johnny. "You understand that, don't you? I've seen it before, Johnny, you don't want that to happen."

"Obviously not, but it's not fair for Cordelia and Ponyboy to stay in the church with Darry and Soda worryin' about them," Johnny argued. Cordelia wasn't sure that the boys would be worried about her, especially not with Ponyboy also missing, but she decided to hold her tongue. His face turned sad and he swallowed and tried to look nonchalant. "I don't guess my parents asked about me."

"The boys are worried," Dallas responded. "Two-Bit was goin' to head down to Texas to get you three. Don't worry about your parents, Johnny, they don't matter. It doesn't bother me that my old man doesn't care about me."

Johnny didn't respond, but the look on his face made Cordelia want to cry and she assumed that Ponyboy felt the same way based on how he was looking at his friend. Dallas cursed lowly and started heading back to the church with the same crazy driving.

"Why couldn't you decide that five days ago, huh? Would've saved us a lot of trouble," Dallas almost growled, glancing at Johnny out of the corner of his eyes.

"I was scared," Johnny said so softly that it was hard for them to hear him over the sound of the car. "I still am. I guess we ruined our hair for nothin'."

Cordelia didn't care about her hair. She would likely also go to jail over this because unlike Johnny, she had been arrested before. It was only some petty theft and she had never spent more than one night at jail, but as a foster kid who had routinely caused issues, she would probably be thrown into juvie until she turned eighteen just so the foster agency didn't have to deal with her anymore.

"Johnny, I'm not mad," Dallas said in a pleading tone, continuing to glance at Johnny, who was staring at his feet. "You don't know what jail does to you, man. You'd change, you really would, and I don't want that to happen to you. Not like it happened to me."

"Do you want me on the run for the rest of my life instead?" Johnny asked, glancing up at the older man for guidance.

Dallas didn't get the chance to answer. Instead, he slammed on the brakes at the sight of the church on fire, a group of kids and a man standing in front of it.

"Oh, fuck," Cordelia gasped, her eyes wide with fear.

"Let's see what's happening," Ponyboy said as he hopped out of the car.

"Ponyboy, sit down!" Cordelia ordered.

"Get back here before I beat you!" Dallas threatened, but Ponyboy just kept walking. Cordelia cursed and jumped out of the car to follow Ponyboy before Dallas could even put the car into park, her chest starting to heave with fear at the sound of flames tearing through the old church.

"What's goin' on?" Ponyboy questioned when he approached the group, speaking to a large man.

"We're not sure," the man answered. "We were just having a school picnic and then the whole place went up into flames. Good thing it's wet season at least so everything else doesn't burn, and the church was worthless anyways."

"We need to go," Cordelia insisted, pulling on Ponyboy's arm while the man yelled at the kids to stay back. Johnny ran up behind them now that the car was parked and looked ready to pull Ponyboy away as well.

"I bet we started it," Ponyboy said softly so the man couldn't hear. "We must've dropped a cigarette or a match."

"Jerry!" A woman yelled in a panic as she ran over. "Jerry, some of the kids are missing!"

"They're probably around here somewhere," Jerry excused.

"No, I haven't seen them for half an hour," the woman said with a shake of her head. They all seemed to freeze at the distant sounds of screaming and the woman went white. "I told them not to play in the church. I told them."

"I've got them, don't worry," Ponyboy assured her as he took off in a sprint.

"Ponyboy Michael Curtis!" Cordelia screamed after him, but the teen didn't even look back. Johnny and Cordelia both cursed and took off running as Ponyboy threw a big rock at the window to break the wood and then went into the burning building. The man ran after them, only to stop and shrug at the teens with a helpless expression, gesturing to his middle. Johnny and Cordelia both made eye contact and had a quick mental conversation that ended with them both leaving the man to go up to the church.

"Fuckin' idiot," Johnny muttered as he crawled into the hole behind Ponyboy. Cordelia hesitated for a moment before crawling inside as well, the heat immediately attacking her as she started coughing from the smoke. The two boys were standing not too far from the window to try and find the kids, but it was hard to see anything through the thick smoke. It was dry season in Oklahoma, which meant that the church was lighting up fast.

"The man not coming?" Ponyboy asked, coughing into his elbow. Cordelia took off Dallas' jacket and tossed it at him to put on when an ember flew at him and scorched his skin.

"The window stopped h im," Johnny said.

"Too scared?"

"Too fat."

Johnny looked alive in the church. Cordelia had never seen him grin so hard even though they were having to dodge flying embers and the smoke was so dark that they could barely see.

"Where are the kids?" Cordelia asked, having to yell over the sound of the flames. Ponyboy shrugged and lead the way through the church until they got to the back room where there were eight kids all huddled together, most of them crying and yelling.

"Shut up! We're gonna help!" Johnny yelled at them. The kids all blinked up at Johnny and even Ponyboy looked surprised at Johnny's confidence in that moment. The door behind them went up in flames when part of the roof fell down, Cordelia gasping a little in fear. Johnny saw the building start to fall and his jaw clenched, all of them rushing to pull the wood away from the window, Ponyboy helping him while Cordelia hurried to get the kids ready. They were all terrified and the strangers didn't help quell their fear any.

"Hold hands and don't let go 'til we grab you," Cordelia yelled over the crackling fire, coughing and wincing at the scratch in her throat.

"Ow!" Ponyboy yelped when Cordelia handed him the first kid. She had no time to wonder what happened before she was passing the next kid over as they worked in an assembly line, Dallas finding them and standing outside to help.

"Get out of there!" Dallas ordered in an angry and scared voice. "The roof's gonna cave in soon! Forget those kids!"

There were only four kids left and there was no way that the teens were leaving them. A piece of the roof fell so close to them that the kids went back to screaming and Cordelia could barely see due to the tears in her eyes, but that just motivated them to move faster. Sparks were jumping up to burn them, but they couldn't stop to focus on the pain.

"Get out!" Johnny screamed to Ponyboy once the last kid was outside, shoving the younger teen. Ponyboy coughed and turned to make sure that Cordelia was right behind them, screaming her name when a beam fell right in front of her, inches away from hitting her and blocking her way to the window. The fall sent embers up at the boys, both of them raising an arm against the heat while Cordelia gasped, patting out a fire on her shirt. The flames seemed to grow in front of her and a quick glance behind showed that the fire was getting closer and closer.

She was trapped.

"Cordelia!" Ponyboy screamed, reaching out for her. Johnny's eyes were wide and he swallowed heavily as he looked at Cordelia and then up at the creaking roof, looking back at her with panic clear on his face.

"Get out! What's wrong with you?" Dallas exclaimed from outside, unable to see what was happening inside due to the smoke.

"Johnny, you promised!" Cordelia said. The boy looked pained as he grabbed Ponyboy and shoved him outside, knowing exactly what she meant.

She could only hope that they made it before the roof collapsed and her world went black.

--------------------

"Cordelia, do you ever shut up?"

The nine-year old grinned up at her older brother and giggled, kicking her feet as she sat on his bed. Elijah rolled his eyes and hit her face with his pillow, making the smile leave her face.

"Mommy, Elijah hit me!" Cordelia screamed, Elijah's eyes immediately going wide with panic.

"No, I didn't!" Elijah lied. Kathleen O'Brien leaned against his doorframe with a disapproving look on her face while Henry peeked out from behind her legs with a small grin on his young face.

"I can't leave you two alone for two minutes, can I?" Kathleen asked.

"I wasn't doin' anythin' wrong and he hit me anyways," Cordelia pouted as she got off the bed to hug her mom.

"Is that true?" Kathleen questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"She wouldn't stop talkin' about horses. It's annoying," Elijah complained.

"That doesn't mean you can hit her. Even with a pillow. That's your sister, you have to be gentle with her," Kathleen reminded him. Elijah scoffed and crossed his arms while Cordelia taunted him by sticking out her tongue.

"Nah, Cordelia's a big girl. She can handle it and she can probably beat Eli in a fight," Edward O'Brien grinned as she came into the room, grabbing the girl and lifting her up as she shrieked with laughter. Elijah grumbled a little while Henry held his hands up to be picked up next since Edward was making Cordelia pretend to be an airplane. He was lucky that the girl was smaller than the average nine year old and that his arms were strong from years of working on a farm or he wouldn't be able to do that anymore.

"No fighting," Kathleen ordered, but a smile tugged on the corner of her lips. "Now who wants to help me with dinner?"

The kids all shook their heads and Kathleen crossed her arms.

"Okay, but only people who help cook get cake," Kathleen announced, a knowing smirk on her face. Within seconds, all three kids were following her to the kitchen, Edward grabbing Henry to let him pretend to be an airplane.

"What type of cake?" Cordelia questioned.

"Well, since you didn't get a cake last week for your birthday, I figured you could pick the flavor," Kathleen answered.

"Vanilla!" Elijah requested.

"No, chocolate," Cordelia decided. Elijah huffed while Henry cheered, giggling as Edward tossed him onto the couch.

"Your birthday is comin' up soon and you can get vanilla for that," Edward told his eldest son.

"I want chocolate for mine!" Henry announced as he climbed into the chair that Kathleen had set up for him so he could see the counter to help cook.

"You've gotta wait. It's not even close to your birthday," Kathleen told her youngest.

"I want dinosaurs too," Henry said, not caring about the far away date as he pretended to roar. Cordelia and Elijah both rolled their eyes at Henry's dinosaur phase that didn't seem to be ending anytime soon while Kathleen and Edward both smiled and laughed.

"I want a big party," Elijah told his parents, peeling the carrots for their dinner while Cordelia started mixing together the cake mix and Henry played with a toy. "I want to invite my whole class and have vanilla cake and your potato soup, Mama."

"Your whole class? Even that boy, Isaac, that you hate?" Edward asked, taking off his watch to knead the bread.

"Everyone but him," Elijah decided.

"That wouldn't be very nice," Kathleen chastised.

"He's the one that pushed Delia over on the playground," Elijah shrugged. "I don't want him over here. He'd probably ruin the whole party 'cause he talks so much."

"He got in trouble for pushing your sister over. You need to be nice to him now," Kathleen told him.

"But, Mama, he was mean to me!" Cordelia argued.

"Yeah, Kathy, he was mean to my baby girl," Edward agreed, kissing Cordelia's forehead. The girl giggled and clung to his leg so he had to lift it all the way up to walk. He smiled and grabbed her, flipping her through the air so she was on his back, her thin arms clinging to his neck.

"We treat others as we wish to be treated," Kathleen told him.

"I don't want him at my party," Elijah decided.

"Okay, baby, we won't invite him, but we can't invite your whole class if we don't invite him. That would be mean," Kathleen decided. Edward nodded in agreement and placed Cordelia back down onto the ground to finish mixing up the cake.

"How many people can I invite?" Elijah asked.

"As many as you want," Edward shrugged. Elijah smiled and ran off to his room to make a list the second he finished with the potatoes.

"Okay, this needs to bake for a little bit, so how about you two go upstairs and play?" Kathleen said to Henry and Cordelia, the two of them nodding and heading to their play room. The sound of music and their parent's laughter filtered its way upstairs as they played, Elijah eventually joining them.

Their fun was interrupted by the sound of their mother's scream that made their heads all snap to the door.

"I'll go see what's wrong," Elijah said. Cordelia nodded and grabbed Henry's hand just in case, but Kathleen was running upstairs before they could make it far, her eyes wide and full of fear and tears.

"Let's go! Don't grab anything, just run!" Kathleen ordered, putting Henry on her hip as she ushered the kids downstairs. Smoke was already filling the house, making all of them cough. Kathleen never cussed, but she let out a curse when the heat hit them like a blast of air. The kitchen was almost completely gone by then, the curtains that their great-grandmother had made destroyed in seconds by the flames climbing the walls.

"Go out front!" Edward screamed. Kathleen grabbed Cordelia's hand and ignored how Henry was crying as she forced the kids to go to the front of the house. Edward went to follow them when there was a loud crashing sound and the flames shot up.

"Daddy!" Cordelia screamed when he let out a cry of pain and then the only sound was the roaring flames.

"Dad!" Elijah yelled and tried to run back, but his mother hurried to block his path.

"Elijah, stop!" Kathleen yelled, her eyes wide with panic. She put Henry down on the ground and held both of Elijah's arms so the crying boy would look at her. Henry sobbed and grabbed onto Cordelia for comfort, but she could do nothing but cry herself and stare at the fire for any sign of her dad. "Get Cordelia and Henry outside and run to the neighbors house to call for help. Okay, baby? Please do that for me. I'm gonna be right back with your dad. I promise, baby. I love you all."

"Mama!" Henry screeched when the woman gave all of their forehead's a quick kiss and then rushed to get their dad from the burning kitchen. The smoke seemed to swallow her until they couldn't see her figure anymore and then Elijah was roughly shoving them outsider where they could do nothing but cough and cry.

"Where's Mama and Daddy?" Cordelia sobbed.

"Cordelia, you're in charge. Stay right here," Elijah ordered as he dragged them to the tire swing in the front yard, far enough away that they couldn't feel the heat from the flames. Elijah was running to the neighbors house for help.

But they were too late.

Kathleen and Edward O'Brien were dead before the firefighters could arrive.

Chapter Text

Darry had never felt so guilty in his life.

All his mind could show him was the terrified look on Cordelia and Ponyboy's faces after he hit her, and then his hand would start stinging until he closed his fists hard enough to draw blood. If Soda or anyone else noticed the crescent-shaped wounds, they didn't mention them. The pain from his black eye, courtesy of Dallas Winston, was almost welcome.

The fifth day without Cordelia and Ponyboy was drawing to a close and Darry just hoped that Ponyboy could watch the sunset where ever he was hiding. He hoped that they were safe and comfortable. Dallas had assured them that they were safe, but that was it. Things were bad at home, too, with Soda barely talking to him from anger and heartbreak. Sandy had sent him a letter to inform him that she was pregnant with someone else's baby and had gone to Florida. Darry and Soda had gotten into an argument after Soda announced that he would marry Sandy and take care of the baby and Darry refused to let him do that, which just increased the younger brother's anger.

The only thing that they seemed to agree on was that they would lie to Mrs. Elmers about the fight. The woman had taken over the Curtis family's case completely, so she was now in charge of Ponyboy and Sodapop too. Even though Cordelia didn't like the woman, she seemed to have a soft spot for the girl because she almost cried when she heard that Cordelia had an argument with Darry and ended up missing. The only good thing was that the woman also seemed to like Darry because she agreed to let the boys stay with him unless something major changed, and she allowed Cordelia to choose where to go once she came back.

Darry and Soda had both thrown themselves into work so they didn't have to be in the empty house, meaning that they had barely seen each other over the past five days. Unfortunately-or fortunately, Darry wasn't sure-they both had the afternoon off and got hungry at the same time so they were sitting to eat together for the first time.

"You can have more if you want it. I accidentally made too much," Darry said softly.

"Made enough for Pony and Delia?" Soda guessed. Darry nodded in confirmation and stared down at his half-eaten plate. He had accidentally made enough food for everyone multiple times, most of it being eaten as leftovers since the boys weren't hanging out as often as they had been.

"You talked to Dally again?" Darry asked. Soda had been the one to find out that Dallas did know where the teens were when he went to Bucks to get something and saw their clothes in the corner of his room. Dallas, however, had remained tight-lipped about their whereabouts.

"Nah, but Two-Bit said that he saw Dally drive out of town this morning," Soda answered, his voice tilting up with hopefulness. "Maybe he's goin' to bring them home."

"If they'll even want to come back," Darry mumbled, completely giving up on finishing his plate due to the nausea overtaking him.

"They'll come home. I'm sure Delia understands that it was a mistake," Soda sighed, rubbing a hand through his barely greased hair.

"I hit her, Soda," Darry croaked out, tears filling his eyes. Soda's head snapped up to stare at his older brother because he couldn't remember the last time that Darry had cried and it scared him. "I'm just as bad as all the other foster parents or siblings that she's had that hurt her. I'm just as bad as them."

"Darry, don't say that," Soda soothed, moving to sit in the chair next to Darry so he could rub his shoulder. "I don't know what they did to her, but I promise that you're nothin' like them. And I'm sure she knows that. Her runnin' away was just an automatic response."

"I wouldn't even blame her if she wanted to go to a girls' home instead," Darry admitted, sniffling as he tried not to cry. "Even though it was an accident, I was gonna hit Pony. My own baby brother."

"Yeah, and that was real shitty of you, and you'll have a lot of work to do when they come home. And sometimes Pony is so annoying that I want to hit him too."

Soda's joke made Darry chuckle and then take a deep breath, sucking on his teeth as he stared at the table and asked the question that had been building in his mind.

"What if they lock him up?"

"Don't talk like that," Soda ordered, a waver in his voice showing that he had the same fear. "If they lock any of them up, we'll do what we have to do to get them home. That's all that matters, that they're safe and home."

"I'm sorry, Soda. I'm so sorry."

Soda just frowned and furrowed his eyebrows, pulling Darry's shaking figure into his arms. Darry just allowed himself to be held by his younger brother as he finally cried. He cried for his parents, for Johnny who was practically living on the streets, for Cordelia who had been kicked around so many times but still put a smile on her face, and for Ponyboy who had lost his parents and felt like his own brother hated him.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that, only coming back when the phone started ringing.

"I've got it," Darry announced, wiping his eyes and sighing. Soda looked worried, but he didn't argue.

"Darrel Curtis Jr?" An official voice asked when Darry said hello. Instantly, his blood ran cold and he held onto the phone so tight that his knuckles went white.

"Yes, sir. Who am I speaking with?" Darry asked in his best professional voice.

"This is Dr. Williams calling from Tulsa General Hospital."

Darry had to sit down in the chair, Soda instantly at his side. He swallowed heavily and tried not to make eye contact with Soda or he would start crying again and he had already cried more than enough.

"Mr. Curtis? Are you there?" Dr. Williams asked when he heard Darry gasp and then nothing else.

"Yes, sir," Darry responded, unable to say more.

"Good, I thought the phone cut out for a moment. I'm calling in regards to your brother and Cordelia O'Brien."

"They're here? In Tulsa?" Darry gasped. Soda gasped too and tried to get Darry to give him more information, but the older man just turned away in case the next set of news was bad.

"Yes, sir, they are. A Jonathan Cade and Dallas Winston are here as well, although we haven't been able to reach their parents," Dr. Williams answered in that same sure tone that came from years of experience. "I apologize for the late hour, but those four were brought in about an hour ago and Ponyboy has been cleared to go home."

"Go home? I'm sorry, I don't know...what happened?" Darry questioned with a tight voice. Soda was practically crawling on his lap to try and listen in and Darry felt slightly bad when he pushed the sixteen year old onto the ground.

"I apologize, I thought that the police had already informed you," Dr. Williams sighed. If Darry thought that he had been scared before, he was terrified now. Soda seemed to sense the change because he sat still for once. "The teens went into a burning church to save some children. I can only speak to you regarding Mr. Curtis and Miss. O'Brien, but they were both brought here to treat their wounds."

"Wounds?" Darry choked out. Soda's head snapped up and his eyes went wide with fear.

"Your brother is fine. He needed a breathing treatment, but he got out of the church before it collapsed so he doesn't have any burns and I don't foresee any complications," Dr. Williams assured him.

"Oh, thank God," Darry breathed out, running his hand down his face before he realized that the doctor hadn't mentioned anything about the girl. "And Cordelia? Is she okay?"

"I believe we should speak in person regarding her condition."

Darry wasn't sure if he even said goodbye. Soda followed him outside as he ran to the truck, jumping in and pulling out before he could even put his seatbelt on.

"Dar, you're scarin' me. What happened?" Soda asked.

"They went into a burnin' building. Pony's fine, but he wouldn't say anythin' about Cordelia, Johnny, or Dally. Said he had to talk to me in person about Cordelia," Darry explained. Soda cursed and leaned his head back against the seat, tears falling down his cheeks. They made the twenty-minute drive to the hospital in ten, Darry barely parking before they rushed inside.

"Ponyboy Curtis and Cordelia O'Brien. We're family," Soda rushed out to the nearest nurse.

"Two floors up. Ponyboy was discharged so he's likely in the waiting room, and I'll let Dr. Williams know that you're here," the nurse informed them once she found the correct files. Darry and Soda rushed up the steps since the elevator would take too long.

Ponyboy was running into Soda's arms the moment they stepped foot into the waiting room. Darry's face scrunched up from his efforts to not cry, but it was useless when he saw Ponyboy, safe and uninjured in front of him. He was covered in soot and had a few places where it looked like he had been burned, but it wasn't anything serious. The most surprising sight was that his auburn hair was gone and replaced with a patchy blond.

"Oh, Pony, your tough, tough hair," Soda said softly when he stopped spinning his brother around and put him down. Ponyboy grinned bashfully and then his eyes met Darry's own, the older brother shoving his hands into his pockets so they couldn't see them shake.

"Ponyboy..." Darry practically whispered. He wanted to grab Ponyboy and never let him go so he could protect him from the world, but fear kept his feet planted on the ground, tears betraying him. Ponyboy examined him for a moment and Darry looked down at the ground.

"Darry!" Ponyboy suddenly exclaimed, rushing forward to grab Darry's waist so hard that it was almost hard to breathe. Darry's heart was pounding in his chest as he extracted his hands from his pockets to wrap his arms around his crying baby brother. "Darry, I'm sorry."

"Oh, Ponyboy, I thought we lost you like we did Mom and Dad," Darry sobbed out. Soda let out his own choked sob and wrapped his arms around both of his brothers, crying into Ponyboy's hair.

Darry was perfectly content staying like that forever, but then the police came and he was forced to pull away. He guided Ponyboy and Sodapop to sit down and then stopped the officers before they could talk to them. A reporter had weaseled her way in too and was talking with Soda while an unimpressed Ponyboy bit his nails.

"He's not ready to talk. Please, just come talk to him tomorrow," Darry pleaded.

"We have a few questions to ask and then we'll leave you be," the taller officer said. Darry opened his mouth to argue but a middle-aged doctor appeared next to them.

"Mr. Curtis? I'm Dr. Williams, we need to speak about Miss. O'Brien."

"Soda, keep an eye on Ponyboy. And I swear to God, you get five minutes to ask questions and then you're done. And Soda, no more reporters," Darry ordered, turning back and forth from his brothers to the police officer. Ponyboy looked ready to hurl and it physically hurt Darry to leave him, but he had no choice. Dr. Williams guided him into a small office and closed the door, a file in his hands.

"I'll be honest with you son, it isn't pretty," Dr. Williams sighed, making bile rise up Darry's throat. "She was inside the church when it collapsed and in addition to the smoke she inhaled, she has a few second and third-degree burns. It also looks like a falling beam hit her head and has caused some brain bleeding and severe swelling as a result of a skull fracture. Her left arm was trapped under a beam and I don't believe that she will ever regain full feeling or use of that arm without extensive and expensive surgeries and therapy. Our surgical team has already brought her into surgery for her head and depending on the result of the surgery, she'll go back under tomorrow for her arm and some skin grafts for the worst burns."

"Is she-Dr. Williams, is she gonna make it?" Darry managed to ask through the ball in his throat.

"If she makes it through this surgery, then she has a high chance of survival. She'll need lots of therapy, but she should make a mostly full recovery. She's incredibly lucky."

Darry didn't feel like Cordelia was lucky. The nausea seemed to grow and he leaned forward to hold his head in his hands, taking deep breaths to try not to throw up.

"I know that this was a lot of news in a short period of time. We have some of the best brain surgeons in the state here and they've been working on her since she came in. She should be out of surgery within the next thirty minutes or so and we can give you a better prognosis and get permission for future surgeries," Dr. Williams said in a soft and comforting tone.

"She's-she's in the foster system," Darry told him. "I don't know how that would work for permission."

"I saw that and her agent, Mrs. Elmers, I believe, has already been contacted," Dr. Williams responded. "You are her legal guardian so the final say is in your hands unless you would like to relinquish custody."

"No. No way," Darry said immediately, shaking his head. He rubbed his face and sat back in his chair, his mind racing with questions. "How are our friends, Jonathan Cade and Dallas Winston? I know you probably can't give too much information, but neither of their parents are gonna come up here. We're all they've got."

Dr. Williams looked disappointed, but he grabbed their files off of his desk to read over them.

"Mr. Cade and Mr. Winston both went into the church to save Miss. O'Brien, so they're only dealing with burns and smoke inhalation. Both will have to stay for several days just for safety measures and Mr. Winston might have to get skin grafts on his arm as well, but they should be fine."

"Oh, thank God," Darry breathed out, swallowing heavily when the doctor handed over Cordelia's file.

"All the information that we have should be in there for you to look over," Dr. Williams told him. "Go see your brothers and we'll notify you once the surgery is complete."

Darry mumbled a thanks and then exited the office, leaning against the wall to read over the notes. Due to the rush to get her into surgery, they didn't have much written down, but it was clear that Cordelia needed a miracle to make it out of this without serious side effects. Darry didn't want to be the one to tell his brothers, but he didn't want to make them wait either so he walked back into the waiting room where they were anxiously sitting.

"How's Cordelia?" Soda asked once Darry sat down on the chair across from them. The reporters and police were all gone and the late hour meant that there was no one else there other than a few families, but they were all staying in their own corners to not disturb each other.

"She's in surgery," Darry sighed.

"She didn't look good," Ponyboy mumbled, clearing his throat and then speaking clearer. "I saw them bring her back when I was bein' examined. She was all pale and had burns and she was bleedin' and her eyes were closed. I thought she was dead."

"Shit," Soda mumbled, pulling Ponyboy to lean against his chest when the younger boy let out a small sob.

"She's alright, Pony," Darry soothed. "Her head got hit real bad, but the surgery should fix it. They've got to do some work on her arm and some of the burns too, but she should be just fine."

"She's stayin' with us, isn't she? Once she's able to leave," Ponyboy sniffled.

"I'll make sure she does," Darry assured him. "And Johnny and Dally are fine too. Some burns, but nothing too serious. Everyone is gonna be just fine, Pony."

Ponyboy nodded and stayed leaning on Soda's chest, exhaustion coating his eyes. Darry wanted him to go home and sleep, but he knew there was no way that either of his brothers would agree to go.

Both Soda and Ponyboy were basically asleep by the time the waiting room doors opened and a panicked Mrs. Elmers came into the room. Darry jumped up, the woman instantly crossing over to speak to him.

"Is Cordelia still in surgery?" Mrs. Elmers questioned.

"She should be out soon," Darry answered. Soda's eyes blinked open at the voices, so Darry nodded his head for the woman to go to the other side of the room so he couldn't hear.

"What did the doctors say?" Mrs. Elmers asked. Her hair was messy and she had obviously thrown on the first clothes that she could grab based on the mismatched colors and designs.

"Lots of smoke inhalation, her left arm is messed up, and her brain has major swelling and bleeding," Darry told her. "They said that if she makes it through this surgery she should be fine, and she'll have surgery for her arm tomorrow."

Mrs. Elmers looked through the small file that Darry had been given, the frown on her face growing.

"Did she tell you about her parents?" Mrs. Elmers questioned.

"Yeah, she did," Darry sighed. "It's not fair. She doesn't deserve this."

"Darrel, she'll need more help than you can provide," Mrs. Elmers said in a soft tone that made Darry's head snap up to look at her. "I have the paperwork with me for you to return custody to the state."

"I'm not doin' that," Darry said immediately. "There's no way. I know that I caused this with the argument, but I'm gonna do everythin' I can to take care of Cordelia now. She's my family and you're not takin' her away."

"Are you sure? You'll be responsible for some of the medical bills and taking her to any therapies that she may need. The state will conduct more visits than before, which could risk the boys being taken away too," Mrs. Elmers warned.

"I'm sure. Please. Don't take her away from us."

Mrs. Elmers looked hesitant, but she sighed and nodded. Her eyes scanned over Darry and her face turned soft.

"You're a good man, Darrel."

"Thank you, ma'am," Darry said softly. Mrs. Elmers smiled at him and then the doors opened, Dr. Williams stepping out and heading over once he saw Darry. After a quick introduction, he smiled at them and Darry let out a relieved breath.

"Miss. O'Brien did amazing with the surgery. We'll take her in for the skin grafts and to work on her left arm tomorrow morning at nine, and we expect her to wake up within a few hours of that."

"What long-term issues do we need to worry about?" Mrs. Elmers asked.

"We'll have to watch for seizures, but my main concern would be memory issues, perhaps some stability issues, and confusion. Those will get better with time and shouldn't be permanent, but don't be surprised if she slurs her speech when she wakes up or has headaches and nausea," Dr. Williams answered.

"And her arm? The burns?" Darry inquired.

"The burns will definitely scar, but there are different ointments that we could use to help with that. The skin grafts will help as well. For her arm, we'll have to reconstruct her elbow so she'll need physical therapy to give her back full movement, but it's possible that she will always experience numbness or tingling. The break and the burns combined were severe, some of the worst I've ever seen."

"Can I see her?" Darry asked.

"Just one person for now. She's asleep, but she can probably hear us talking. I'll let you talk, so grab a nurse when you're ready to go back," Dr. Williams told him, shaking both of their hands before he headed back into the hospital.

"We'll speak more in the morning," Mrs. Elmers told Darry, going over to the nurses station to discuss the legal elements. Darry crossed over to Soda and a passed out Ponyboy to update them.

"She's okay?" Soda asked softly, his hand running through Ponyboy's hair absent-mindedly.

"Her surgery went well and she should be just fine. They'll give her another surgery in the morning on her arm and then she should wake up soon," Darry told him. Soda let out a breath of air and smiled. "I'm gonna go see her, okay? You take Ponyboy home, I'll get a cab."

"No, Darry. We'll wait here 'til you're done," Soda argued. Darry was too tired to argue so he just sighed and ruffled Soda's hair before he grabbed a nurse to take him back. Cordelia was in the ICU, the pediatric side due to her age. Darry swallowed down his own nausea as they approached the room and then he was left alone.

Cordelia looked small in the bed. She was intubated and Darry wasn't sure if that was due to the smoke inhalation or that her brain wouldn't tell her lungs to work, or both. Her left arm was carefully wrapped due to the burns and it was lying on her chest from the sling. She didn't have a blanket so Darry could see that most of her limbs were covered in bandages, her face and neck luckily mostly spared. Her head was also wrapped up and there was a drainage tube to prevent more swelling.

She looked miserable.

"Hey, honey," Darry said in a soft voice as he sat down in the chair next to the bed. He wanted to grab her hand, but he saw some burns on her fingers and didn't want to hurt her so he gently touched her wrist where there wasn't any damage, her hand twitching in response but her eyes staying closed. "You did such a great job. I'm so proud of you, Cordelia. So proud. Thank you for keepin' Ponyboy safe and I'm really, really sorry for what I did. I promise that I'll never do that again. I swear it. I'm so, so fuckin' glad that you're here and you're gonna be just fine. You're gonna be just fine."

He hoped that he was telling the truth.

Chapter Text

"Tell me the truth. How is she?"

Darry looked up from his cup of coffee and sighed, leaning his head against the side of the house. Two-Bit sat down in the chair next to him and pulled his jacket closer against the chill.

"How'd you know?" Darry asked with a rough voice. He hadn't slept all night, too worried about Ponyboy and Cordelia. The young boy had passed out in the truck and barely woken up when they got home. Soda had pulled off his shoes and then they both fell asleep, Darry checking every hour to make sure that they were both there and alive. When seven came and Darry still hadn't slept, he called his boss and explained the situation. Due to his hard work, his boss had given him three days off with half-pay.

"Word spreads fast around here," Two-Bit explained, tossing that day's newspaper into his lap. Darry glanced down and saw that an article about the church was front page, and it mentioned that Cordelia was in critical condition right before it talked about an investigation into Darry's custody.

"She's not great," Darry admitted. "Her head got hit real bad and they're worried about permanent damage. She's goin' back for another surgery in about thirty minutes for her arm. She had burns coverin' a lot of her body and her arm got destroyed by a beam."

"She's strong," Two-Bit assured him, lighting up a cigarette for both of them despite the early hour.

"You don't know the half of it," Darry mumbled. The nicotine allowed some of his tense muscles to relax, but he was still so tight that it was almost painful.

"She has you now, Darry. Cordelia'll be fine, and she'll be home with you soon," Two-Bit said.

"If she wants to. Keith, I hit her. I...I'm not gonna force her to come back here if she doesn't want to."

Two-Bit glanced over at Darry out of the corner of his eyes and took a deep drag on the cigarette. They were silent for a moment until Two-Bit spoke again.

"You didn't mean to do it. Pony can be a real shit sometimes. I'd hit him too."

Darry sent Two-Bit a warning glare. He could say that about his little brother, but he didn't like for someone else to say it. Two-Bit chuckled and shook his head in understanding, gently nudging his friend's shoulder.

"I'm just sayin'. Delia's smart. She was just...scared. And before you say anythin', I know that you feel bad that she got scared because of you, but there's nothin' you can do about that now. When she wakes up, I'm sure she'll want to come back here. I knew from the first time I saw her that she would be your new sister."

"How'd you know that?" Darry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"'Cause you did everythin' you could to make sure she was comfortable. And honestly, she almost looks like a Curtis," Two-Bit explained. Darry chuckled with agreement and flicked his ashes, staring down at the burning paper.

That first night, he had been able to tell that Cordelia was scared and just needed someone to help her. His brain had screamed at him to tell Mrs. Elmers that the girl couldn't stay, but his heart won. Since then, he had grown more and more attached to the teen, and he couldn't imagine her leaving them. And Two-Bit was right about the appearance. When Cordelia had gone with him to the store two weeks ago, a cashier had called her his sister and neither of them had corrected him.

"Want breakfast?" Darry asked.

"Why'd you think I came over?" Two-Bit asked with a small snort. Darry rolled his eyes and added his burned-out cigarette to the pile on the porch that Ponyboy had been told to clean up a week and a half ago. The day before the incident, Darry had almost yelled at him to go clean it until he was how immersed he was in a book, instead deciding to see how long it took Ponyboy to clean it, and that would be how long he was grounded for. Now, he decided to clean it himself.

"Any news?" Soda asked with a yawn when he came into the kitchen.

"Put a shirt on," Darry ordered, barely glancing over to his little brother. Soda whined and dramatically collapsed into his chair.

"But Darry!" Soda complained. "Shirts are uncomfortable. I don't like wearin' 'em."

"I don't care," Darry said with a snap in his tone. Since Soda was still upset over Sandy, Darry decided to be nice. "No one wants to see that. Put on a shirt or no syrup."

Soda grumbled and went back to his room to get a shirt, making Darry roll his eyes with fondness.

"What's the big deal? You've never minded before," Two-Bit asked.

"Don't want Cordelia to be uncomfortable in her own home," Darry explained.

"Her old foster brothers weren't nice, were they?" Two-Bit questioned. Darry chose to plate everyone's breakfast instead of answering. When Soda returned, it was with a sleepy Ponyboy.

"Pancakes?" Ponyboy asked with a yawn.

"Glory, look at you!" Two-Bit exclaimed, grabbing Ponyboy to spin him around. The teen went red and slapped at his Two-Bit's arms.

"Put me down!" Ponyboy yelled. "Soda, help!"

"Nah, it's funny," Soda said as he shoved a piece of chocolate chip pancake, doused in syrup, into his mouth. Ponyboy's face went even redder when the front door opened and Steve came in, hollering teasingly at Ponyboy.

"Look at your hair!" Steve teased, ruffling the blond locks.

"Alright, leave him be," Darry ordered. Two-Bit spun Ponyboy around one more time and then put him down, Steve laughing when he stumbled a bit. Ponyboy glared, his face and body still covered in a light layer of soot.

"Why don't you go take a shower, honey?" Soda suggested in a soft tone.

"Alright," Ponyboy mumbled. He grabbed a pancake to eat, not bothering with a plate or utensils, and disappeared to shower.

"I saw the paper," Steve said when the coast was clear. "He alright?"

"Pony's fine. Johnny and Dally'll be fine too, but Delia..."

"She'll be fine too," Darry finished when Soda trailed off.

"Can we see 'em yet?" Steve asked. Darry bit back a grimace at his poor table manners when bits of pancake flew out of his mouth and pointedly out a stack of napkins on the table.

"Johnny and Dally, yeah. I didn't get to see either of 'em, so I'm sure they'd like the company. Or Johnny would, at least. I'm not sure when Cordelia will be cleared for visitors. She has surgery at nine," Darry answered. A quick glance at the clock showed it was 9:07, so she would theoretically already be back.

"Damn," Steve mumbled.

"Eat fast. If Pony's up for it, I want to go to the hospital," Darry told them. He couldn't imagine poor Johnny Cade all alone in the hospital after the fire. Plus, it would be nice to see him with his own eyes and make sure that the teen was fine.

"I wanna go," Ponyboy said, making everyone jump with shock. There was still some soot in his ears, but his skin looked clean. The blond hair looked a little better greased back, but it was still weird to see the unnatural color.

"Look at you," Soda joked when he saw Ponyboy's cheeks go red at everyone looking at his hair.

"Whatever," Ponyboy muttered.

All of the guys ate quickly and piled into the truck to head to the hospital. After checking in and getting the news that Cordelia was actually in surgery, they headed to Johnny's room. Ponyboy got more and more anxious with each step until Darry practically had to push him into the room.

"Hey, guys!" Johnny said brightly when they entered. He was shirtless due to the wraps around his chest and right arm but looked mostly unscathed. There was a nasal cannula to make sure he had enough oxygen due to the smoke inhalation, and he blushed when he realized how everyone was pitying him.

"Got pants on?" Two-Bit joked.

"Yes, Two," Johnny mumbled with an eye roll, moving the blanket to show that he was wearing sweatpants. They obviously came from the hospital and not his own closet because they looked two sizes too big.

"I'll bring you some more comfortable clothes tomorrow," Darry promised. Ponyboy hesitantly sat down right by his side and Johnny glanced over to make sure that he was okay, the two of them sharing a smile, before he looked back at Darry.

"How's Cordelia? And Dal?" Johnny asked, seemingly not caring about clothes.

"Cordelia's in surgery. Dally has some bad burns on his arm, but he'll be out soon," Darry answered. Johnny seemed to delate a little and he nodded.

"We really tried to help her, Darry, you've got to believe me. The beam fell in front of her and there was nothin' we could do 'til the roof came down. As soon as it was safe, Dal and I tried to get her, but the beam had her pinned down."

"Johnnycakes, you did great. She's gonna be fine," Soda said reassuringly when Johnny's voice started shaking and tears poked at his eyes.

"Yeah?" Johnny said softly.

"Yeah, buddy," Darry answered. Johnny nodded and let out a small breath, shaking his head and staring down at the blanket.

"I missed you guys. I'm real sorry for all this, especially makin' the two of them run away."

"Johnnycakes, you're the reason Pony's alive right now. We could never be mad at you for that. Whatever happens with this whole situation, you're our brother too, and we'll take care of you," Darry assured him. Johnny looked ready to bawl, but he swallowed it back and nodded.

"Heard anything else from the cops?" Two-Bit asked worriedly.

"They questioned me last night, but that's it," Johnny answered, looking to Ponyboy and Darry.

"Me too," Ponyboy added.

"It was self-defense. Those socs are the ones who are gonna go to jail," Steve shrugged. He sounded confident even though they all knew that the socs would have the money for lawyers to keep them without a mark on their records.

Two-Bit launched into a story about a date he went on while the boys were gone, smiling and laughing despite the bruises on his ribs and the cigarette burn on his cheek from getting jumped only a few days before. Darry used the distraction to sneak out of the room, making sure that Soda saw him leave. Dallas' room was only two doors down and Darry assumed he wouldn't want a lot of visitors.

"Hey, Dally," Darry greeted, leaning against the door. A nurse was messing with the burn on his arm, making the teen just grunt in response.

"I think you'll be fine without a skin graft," the nurse mused as she worked. Darry moved to sit down and focused on the painting on the wall instead of the injury.

"Don't really give a shit either way," Dallas mumbled.

"Dallas Winston," Darry chastised. The nurse just rolled her eyes, luckily not looking too upset. She was an older nurse, so Darry assumed that she had heard worse. "Be nice to the nurses here. They're the ones takin' care of ya."

"Don't know why I even gotta be in here," Dallas complained, pulling on the nasal cannula. The nurse and Darry both gave the teen a pointed look when he started coughing, and he seemed to relax into the bed once he was done. Darry frowned at the sight of the fiercest member of their gang looking so weak.

"Did you manage to contact your father? We still need him to sign some forms," the nurse asked.

"Nah. That piece of shit won't come up here," Dallas rasped out. Before he could ask, Darry passed him the cup of water by his bedside table. The teen nodded in thanks and downed the cup in one go.

"Alright. We'll try again," the nurse decided as she finished her work. The burn on his left arm went from his hand all the way up to his shoulder, his right hand also wrapped up.

"If not, I can help," Darry offered. The nurse nodded in acknowledgment and closed the door behind her. The room was silent for a moment until Dallas looked over to Darry.

"How's the kid?"

"Pony's fine. He inhaled some smoke, but nothing too bad. He went home last night. Johnny got burned too, but he'll be fine. He's two rooms over, so I'll see if you can go see him," Darry answered.

"Good...good. And Cordelia?" Dallas asked, trying to be discreet.

Despite his brain telling him to tell Dallas to back off, he just couldn't. He was the first one in the gang to meet Dallas, and he cared for the teen like a brother. Darry hadn't said anything, but he saw the way that Dallas looked at Cordelia and the way he wasn't quite as tough around her. He could remember when Dallas first got interested in Sylvia, and this was just like that, but with a little more tenderness.

"She'll be fine," Darry answered.

"She's alive?"

"Yeah, man. Why wouldn't she be?" Darry asked when he heard how tight Dallas' voice got. The teen's face flinched and he shrugged before the pain made him gasp for air. Darry made sure to look away so Dallas wouldn't be embarrassed about showing pain.

"It all happened so fast. Pony got out of the church and he was wearin' my jacket, but it was on fire. To put it out, I slapped his back so hard that he fell to the ground and I thought I'd snapped his neck. Johnny made it out right behind and then the whole church just collapsed with her still inside. The guy, the fat one, he checked on Ponyboy so Johnny and I could get Cordelia. She wasn't moving and there was a beam pinnin' her to the ground. She was so limp when we carried her out, and she didn't wake up. That beam...it was real fuckin' heavy."

"She's got a long road ahead of her, but she'll be fine," Darry assured him.

"Should've gotten in there earlier," Dallas said bitterly, sucking on his teeth.

"Dally, you saved her life," Darry said with a small sigh. "Thank you. Truly. Pony and Johnny, they're alive because of you. Cordelia's alive because of you, and I can never repay you for that."

"I wanted to tell you, man. Pony just asked me not to, and I figured it'd be better for you if you didn't know. With the state and all," Dallas said. Darry could tell that he was glad to hear that there were no hard feelings, but he wouldn't allow himself to show any emotions.

"Probably better I didn't know," Darry agreed.

"Rumble still tonight?" Dallas asked.

"You're not goin'," Darry said immediately.

"Like hell I'm not."

"How are you supposed to fight with no hands?"

"Shut up."

Dallas glared at the IV in his arm that Darry guessed had some pain medicine in it that was affecting his brain based on how the teen's eyes were trying to flutter close. Deciding to let the boy rest, Darry stood up and put his hand on Dallas' right shoulder since it wasn't burnt.

"Thank you, Dally. We'll fight for you too tonight. Trust me."

Dallas just nodded in response and seemed to relax further into the bed as Darry closed the door behind him and turned off the lights. Soda had stepped out of Johnny's room at the same time, instantly walking over.

"He's fine," Darry said before Soda could even ask. "He's on some pain medicine, so he's fallin' asleep."

"Good," Soda sighed thankfully. "Johnny's almost out too. I was just goin' to get a candy bar and a soda."

"I'm gonna go check on Cordelia. I'll be back soon."

Soda headed to the gift shop while Darry headed over to the nurse's station. After checking the papers, Darry was guided back to the ICU to see Cordelia with the news that her surgery went well, but she was still considered to be in critical condition. Just like before, she was intubated and asleep, bandages covering most of her body. Her whole left arm was in a cast and carefully placed in a sling so it wouldn't be bothered if she moved. The only good thing was that her burns looked better now that they had been properly cleaned and treated, and while they would definitely scar, they wouldn't be horrible.

"Hey, honey," Darry said softly as he took a seat on her right side and gently grabbed her hand.

"We think she should be waking up in the next few hours. You can hang out in here until then if you would like, just come get us with any sign that she's waking up. If she does, get a nurse and keep her still. Patients will usually panic with the intubation tube, but it's imperative that she stay as calm as possible," the nurse informed him.

"Alright. And if it's not too much to ask, she'd really prefer a female doctor and female nurses too. Especially for any baths or changes, stuff like that," Darry advocated.

"Dr. Lively is taking over her care, and she's amazing. There's only a few men on the ICU team, and I'll make sure they're aware," the nurse assured him. Darry nodded in thanks and then looked up before she could leave.

"Can my brothers and friends come up here too? They want to see her too," Darry inquired.

"Three people max," the nurse informed him. "Would you like to me call anyone for you?"

Darry gave her Johnny's room number and assumed the guys would work out who got to see Cordelia. The steady beeping of the heart monitor allowed Darry some sense of calm, but his heart was still pounding out of his chest. The stress and exhaustion were catching up with him, and he couldn't help but lean his head on the bed while he fought away the tears.

"Dar?"

"I'm fine, little buddy," Darry said with a sigh and a fake smile as he picked his head up. Soda didn't look convinced, but he turned his attention to Ponyboy instead.

"Why's she got that in her throat?" Ponyboy asked in a small voice that made him seem so much younger than he actually was. Soda gently rubbed his back as they also sat down, both of their eyes scanning over the visible injuries. Ponyboy looked particularly disgusted by the drain coming out of her skull.

"That's breathin' for her right now. When she wakes up, they'll take that out," Darry explained.

"She can't breathe on her own?" Ponyboy gasped.

"She can, but her body needs some extra help. Right, Dar?" Soda chimed in. Despite what he said about himself, Soda was awfully smart sometimes.

"Exactly," Darry confirmed. "And that's only in her head to drain the fluid. They'll take that out soon too."

"When's she gonna wake up?" Soda asked.

"Probably within the next few hours. I want you two out of the room when she does wake up, okay? She's gonna be stressed and we don't need too many people in the room," Darry said. Ponyboy looked like he was going to argue, but decided against it.

"They say anythin' 'bout what she'll be like when she wakes up?" Soda asked.

"Maybe some memory loss, confusion, slurring her words, stuff like that. She'll be real confused and we'll have to help her a lot, but she'll be fine," Darry answered, trying to remember everything the doctor told him.

"We'll take care of her just like she took care of me," Ponyboy said firmly, all of them agreeing as they settled in for a long day.

Chapter Text

The next few hours were long. Nurses and the doctor came to check on Cordelia, all of them saying that she looked fine. Darry disagreed. With her new patchy blond hair that looked strawberry red in some places from blood, and the pale skin marred by burns, he thought that she looked sick and young.

Ponyboy and Soda both left to check on Johnny and Dally. Darry had to basically force them to leave, not wanting them to see Cordelia so weak. He could tell that they both were upset by her appearance, but neither of them wanted to leave. Ponyboy had sat down and started writing in his journal that he carried with him, and Soda was mostly still for once with a contemplative look on his face. When they left, Two-Bit was the next one to come see her.

"Shit, man," Two-Bit said with a low whistle as he sat down. He winced in sympathy and rearranged the flowers he got her so they would look better.

"She'll be fine," Darry repeated for the hundredth time. Cordelia had started to show some signs of waking up, mostly moving her fingers or fluttering her eyes, but it was close to three, and she still wasn't awake.

"Are you gonna be fine?" Two-Bit asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll figure it out," Darry responded after a moment's silence.

"I'm here for you. We all are," Two-Bit assured him. Darry gave him a thankful smile and sighed, leaning back in his chair so the front two feet were off the ground.

"I think I'll keep Ponyboy here tonight during the rumble. He wasn't lookin' too hot earlier. He was all sweaty and I can tell when that boy doesn't feel good, but he wouldn't say anythin'," Darry sighed, running his hand down his face. Cordelia let out a small whimper that made them both freeze, but after a few moments without another sound or movement, Two-Bit responded.

"It's your call to make at the end of the day, but Curly got locked up two days ago. The socs, they'll have a lot of manpower. We need all the help we can get."

"I know. I just don't want her alone for however long it takes us to get this over with," Darry said with another sigh.

"Johnny might get discharged," Two-Bit shrugged. "And when I went to see Dally, he seemed mighty determined to rumble tonight, even with both his hands bein' burned. If we get him to stay with Delia, that might keep him from rumblin'."

"You're smart when you wanna be," Darry said with a grin. Two-Bit flashed his signature smile and winked.

"Don't you forget it, Superman."

Darry rolled his eyes and grabbed the newspaper to finish the crossword when a gagging noise made both men jump. Cordelia's eyes were wide open and panicked, a tear already slipping out as she gagged around the tube and spasmed from the uncomfortable feeling.

"I'll get the doctor," Two-Bit said as he jumped up. Darry didn't respond, immediately standing up to gently grab Cordelia's cheeks and guide her attention to him, careful of the drainage tube and the IV in her neck. Her eyes were swimming with tears and her one free hand moved to claw at his arms from the panic she was feeling. Darry felt his own eyes fill with tears when the movement made her whimper in pain before her arm fell down to the bed from exhaustion.

"Baby, hey, Cordelia, you're safe. Everythin' is just fine. I've got you, honey, I'm not gonna let anythin' else happen to you. Okay? You're my baby sister, and you're never gonna get hurt again. Not while I'm here," Darry said in a soft tone, making sure to be gentle as he wiped her tears away. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her himself. Cordelia still looked panicked, but his voice seemed to help just a little.

"Alright, Miss. O'Brien, I know you're uncomfortable. I'll help you with that," Dr. Lively said as she came into the room. Darry was reluctant to move away, but the nurses pushed him away so they could aid in removing the intubation tube. His reluctance grew when Cordelia's eyes widened and she started searching for him among the crowd in the room. He almost pushed the nurses aside to calm her down when Two-Bit gently grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side, far enough that they weren't in the way, but close enough to see.

"Ready," Nurse Scarlet, the main nurse, announced. This seemed to be a common procedure in the ICU, because none of them looked panicked. The doctor gently placed her hand on Cordelia's uninjured shoulder, but the teen kept her eyes squeezed shut and kept gagging.

"Alright, Cordelia, my name is Dr. Lively. What we're about to do will be uncomfortable, but you'll feel much better when it's done. When I pull the tube, I need you to cough."

Cordelia either didn't hear or she couldn't understand because she gagged again when the tube was pulled from her throat. Two-Bit cursed a little and his face scrunched up with disgust, but Darry just stood on his tippy toes to look over the crowd of nurses as they got Cordelia settled. They were all crowded around, blocking his view, but he could hear Cordelia's continued gags and now coughs, whimpers being added as she seemed to wake up more.

"Alright, she's breathing just fine on her own," Dr. Lively announced. "Scarlet, give some morphine for the pain and she can gave some water as well. Mr. Curtis, we'll be bringing her back for a brain scan within the next two hours. Come get a nurse if there are any issues."

Darry was back at Cordelia's side the moment that the nurses moved away, immediately wiping away her tears. He could hear Two-Bit thanking everyone, but he was more focused on calming Cordelia down when her eyes snapped open.

"You did such a great job, honey. I'm so proud of you," Darry said softly. Cordelia's eyes were unfocused as they stared at him, but his presence seemed to calm her down. Her right arm tried to move to grab at him, but she gave up halfway through and let it fall down to the bed, grimacing at the action. He grabbed her hand and rubbed circles with his thumb.

"Here's some water," Two-Bit said, passing him a small cup with a straw. "Doctor said only a few sips for now. I bet it'll feel nice for her throat."

"Okay, baby, open up," Darry instructed. Cordelia blinked at him a few times, her eyes threatening to shut. It wasn't until he gently placed the straw on her lips that her brain connected the dots and she drank a few sips. Unfortunately, that made her sputter and choke despite her raised position.

"Eli," Cordelia managed to say in a warning tone. Darry didn't have time to focus on that before she gagged and his big brother instincts caught on just in time to grab a bag for her to throw up in. She didn't have a lot in her stomach, which meant that she was left heaving up stomach acid. Darry furrowed his eyebrows as he carefully sat on the bed next to her to rub her back, careful of the bandages.

"Nurse said this might happen. Give her just enough to wash away the taste and then lay her back down," Two-Bit informed him. Darry nodded in response and waited until Cordelia stopped heaving and practically collapsed into his side before he gave her more water. She seemed hesitant, only taking one sip before she refused anymore. Darry put the oxygen mask back over her nose and mouth since her breathing sounded scratchy and weak, the girl barely noticing.

"Eli, hurts," Cordelia croaked out, her face scrunched up. Darry sucked in a breath and placed a kiss on her forehead before he eased her back to a laying position and tried to move away, but her hand grabbed his wrist. Her eyes, still unfocused, were pleading as she looked at him. With a small sigh, Darry sat back down on the side of the bed and grabbed her hand again. Nurse Scarlett came back into the room at just the right time, the dose of morphine ready.

"I know, baby, I'm sorry. The medicine will take the pain away soon and you can sleep. Okay, honey?" Darry soothed. Cordelia whined so pitifully that Darry felt his heart shatter a little bit more, and he was glad neither of his brothers were there. A quick glance over his shoulder showed him that Two-Bit had also left the room to give them space.

"This might feel weird," Nurse Scarlett warned as she administered the morphine. Cordelia barely reacted to the sensation before the exhaustion won and her eyes closed. The nurse looked at Darry as he moved to the chair, keeping Cordelia's hand in his. "She might sleep for long periods of time now. When she wakes us, we expect confusion, so don't be too alarmed."

"She thinks I'm her dead brother," Darry said, his voice breaking.

"Give her time," Nurse Scarlett advised, double checking that everything was still in place before she left. Two-Bit took a step back into the room, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Want me to tell the boys she woke up?" Two-Bit asked.

"Yeah. But I don't want them to see her yet. Not 'till she wakes up some more," Darry answered.

"Alright. You gonna be good for the rumble tonight?" Two-Bit asked, concern clear in his tone. Darry thought for a moment, clenching his jaw and nodding.

"Yeah. Those socs don't get to hurt my baby brothers and sister and get away with it. They're gonna regret the day they were born."

---------------------------

"Use this cream every two hours, and this one after every shower. You need to take a shower every day and..."

Johnny really did try to listen to the doctor's instructions, but he honestly didn't care. Knowing his parents, the medicine would likely disappear so they could sell it to the highest bidder. He would be lucky to not end up with horrible scars or worse, an infection. More importantly, he wanted to go see Dallas and Cordelia.

Two-Bit had been the one to let everyone know that Cordelia woke up. Darry had stayed in the girl's room, making Ponyboy exceptionally angry that he couldn't see Cordelia. Everyone could see that the youngest member of the group wasn't feeling great, but he just waved them off when they asked. Johnny really knew that he wasn't feeling well when he only called Darry a control freak and then didn't say anything else.

Sending the other boys to the cafeteria, Two-Bit had then tasked Johnny with watching Cordelia and Dallas while they rumbled. It was likely that Dallas would want to sneak out of the hospital to fight, and Johnny would be the only one who could talk him out of it.

"Now all we need is an adult to sign the discharge papers."

That made Johnny pay attention, his eyes growing wide when he realized that neither of his parents were there. They hadn't come to the hospital a single time, not even a phone call.

"Mr. Cade, are your parents here?" The doctor asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Does it have to be a parent? They're both...workin'," Johnny lied.

"It's supposed to be. Seeing as you're a hero, I'll allow one of your friends to sign as long as they're over eighteen," the doctor decided. Johnny winced at being called a hero and nodded his head to where Darry was speaking with Dallas' doctor. The conversation was wrapped up when Johnny's doctor walked over, and then the papers were signed and Johnny was free. Luckily, Steve had snuck into his house so Johnny actually had clean and comfortable clothes.

"You gonna be alright?" Darry asked as he came to sit next to Johnny. All the others had headed home to get ready for the rumble, but the adult had decided to stay until the last minute to keep an eye on everything. "You hurtin'? Dally's doctor said he'll be fine to go see Cordelia tonight as long as he doesn't move his arm too much, so that's one less problem to deal with."

"I'll be fine, and I'm not hurtin'," Johnny said, once again lying. His arm was itchy and uncomfortable and his lungs felt worse than the time that he and Ponyboy had competed to see who could smoke the most cigarettes in thirty minutes. They ended up nic sick and had both Curtis parents giving them an earful after they got better.

"Alright," Darry said, too distracted to notice the tilt in Johnny's voice. "If Dally goes runnin', don't chase after 'im. He's a big boy, he can handle himself."

"But he's awfully hurt, ain't he?" Johnny asked. He had been confined to his hospital room the whole time, so his own news came from Ponyboy, who had quite an active imagination.

"He's not too bad," Darry shrugged. "You know how he is, Johnny. I don't want you gettin' hurt too just 'cause he can't handle his emotions. Try your best to keep him here, but if he runs, don't fight him. Understand?"

"Yeah," Johnny muttered.

"We'll be back tonight," Darry promised. Johnny couldn't help but flinch when Darry gently gave his shoulder a pat, the man frowning and mumbling an apology.

Johnny's next stop was Dallas' room. He was scared to go in, not wanting to see his idol like Ponyboy described, but he opened the door anyways.

"I don't wanna wear the gown. If I wanted to, I'd be wearin' it," Dallas snapped, not opening his eyes. Johnny chuckled a little at the sight of Dallas wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, his arm and hands covered in bandages. He didn't have any oxygen or IVs in, which helped Johnny calm down some. Ponyboy's description was, as expected, vastly exaggerated.

"I won't make ya wear it," Johnny said. Dallas' eyes immediately snapped open and he sat up, frantically scanning Johnny to make sure that he was fine before relaxing and trying to play it cool.

"How ya feelin'? You alright?" Dallas asked.

"Sure. Just a little burn, nothin' major," Johnny answered as he sat down. "How 'bout you? You look like a mummy."

"I'll still beat you," Dallas threatened, no real heat to his tone. "I'm itchin' to leave. Think I might sneak out. Don't need all this anyway."

"Dal, you had a burning beam resting on your arm while I pulled Cordelia free. Both of your hands looked black when you got into the ambulance," Johnny reminded the other teen, his voice going soft as he thought back to the fire. He could still feel the heat pressing against him and the fear of the remaining beams falling since the fire was still blazing.

"'M fine," Dallas insisted. "Got a smoke?"

"No, Dally. Don't really want one," Johnny responded. The idea of smoking made the teen gag, although he wasn't sure if that was from the trauma, his lungs, or the pain medicine.

"Yeah, whatever," Dallas sighed. His right hand was loosely wrapped to protect his badly burned palms, his fingers covered in painful blisters and pink. Despite that, he still fiddled with his necklace like always.

"You wanna go see Cordelia? We just need to get the nurse to bring you a wheelchair," Johnny suggested, trying to make it sound casual like he hadn't been entrusted with a plan.

"I'm not gettin' wheeled around this shithole," Dallas said, curling his lip up. Johnny just raised his eyebrows and shrugged, standing up to help Dallas stand. The older teen made a motion to shove his hand away and then thought better of it. Grabbing his leather jacket that now had a massive burn mark on the back, Dallas stepped into the hallway.

"No wheelchair, please," Johnny said to the nurse when she raised an eyebrow. Despite a burn on his left leg from where the beam had rested on him, Dallas was barely limping. The nurse just looked glad to have a break from Dallas because she looked the other way so the boys could make a silent trek to the ICU.

"You seen 'er yet?" Dallas asked in a casual tone.

"Nah. I just got discharged right before I came to see you," Johnny answered. Dallas sniffled and his lip twitched a bit when they stopped in front of the door to her room.

Dallas didn't move, so Johnny was the one to open the door. Cordelia looked just as bad as Ponyboy had described. While her face and neck had somehow been left mostly unscathed, most of her body was covered in bandages. An oxygen mask was carefully placed over her mouth and nose with a tube running up her nose for food. Her head was carefully wrapped with a tube of some sort draining a reddish fluid into a container and it looked swollen. With her pale skin and blonde hair, it was hard to recognize her.

"Hey, Delia," Johnny said softly, sitting down while Dallas leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and a stoic expression. The girl's eyes cracked open a bit and she tried to move her head to find the voice, but that seemed like too much work, so Johnny stood up and moved into her eyesight. Instead of recognition, Cordelia just looked at him like she didn't recognize him at all.

"Where's Eli? Henry?" Cordelia asked. Her voice was scratchy and it looked like each syllable pained her. Her words were slightly slurred and Johnny wasn't sure if that was from the oxygen mask, the head injury, the medicine, or a combination of all three.

"They'll be here later," Dallas answered, moving so Cordelia could see him too. There was no recognition on her face, but the medicine was keeping her calm because she didn't look scared either.

"Who...?"

"It's Johnny and Dally," Johnny responded. Cordelia hummed and then started coughing, whimpering in pain when she was done. She was gasping for air and Dallas started messing with the necklace, his jaw tight until she finally seemed to calm down some.

"Here's some water," Dallas said softly, grabbing a cup from the table. Cordelia grimaced away from the straw, but Dallas was insistent. He watched her carefully and removed the straw the moment he thought that Cordelia had enough, only giving her another sip when he was sure she was safe to drink more.

"Eli?" Cordelia requested again, her eyebrows furrowing as a tear slid down her cheek.

"You're alright, Delia," Dallas soothed in a tone that Johnny had only heard once before. It was the night that he had gotten jumped and almost killed, and Dallas had ran off the second he realized that Johnny would be okay. He had stumbled into the Curtis house around four in the morning sporting new bruises and holding his ribs, but he had kneeled down next to the couch to soothe Johnny when his surprise appearance had shocked him awake from his spot on the couch. The younger teen wasn't even aware that Dallas could sound so soft and kind.

"'M scared," Cordelia whimpered.

"Hey, remember this?" Dallas asked, taking his necklace off so she could see it. Recognition seemed to flicker far off in Cordelia's brain, but she tried to shake her head until the motion seemed to cause her pain. "That's alright. I gave this to you when you ran off with the kids to help protect them. My St. Christopher...it protected you while you were gone, and it's gonna protect you now. Give it back to me when you're better."

There was no safe way to lift her head up to put it on properly, so Dallas settled with placing it in the palm of her good hand. Cordelia sleepily felt it and relaxed a little, looking at Dallas as he gently closed her fingers around the metal. Johnny just sat back and watched how tender Dallas was being, using his one good arm to pull the blankets up to her chin so she could go back to sleep. She was out in an instant, her face pulled tight.

"You like her, dontchya?" Johnny asked with a small grin.

"I barely know her," Dallas excused, but Johnny knew him enough to see his classic tell. His eyebrows shot up just the tiniest amount, barely noticeable if you weren't looking for it.

"It's been about two months now, I think," Johnny told him. "There's nothin' wrong if you do like her. Delia's loads better than Sylvia."

"Syl is still my friend," Dallas said defensively. Johnny could never understand their relationship, and he hoped to never experience anything similar.

"That's fine, man. I'm just sayin'...when Delia gets better, you should ask her out," Johnny suggested. Dallas' face twitched and he sucked on his teeth, his eyes trained on the other teen.

"Nah, man. Delia...she needs someone who can take care of her with all the shit I'm sure she's gone through. Someone better than me."

Johnny had never heard Dallas talk like this. He wasn't used to this side of the cold, hard greaser that everyone knew, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The young teen wasn't sure how to respond, but Dallas snickered and scratched around one of the blisters on his arm.

"Plus, I think Darry'd kill me."

"For what?"

"Shit, man," Dallas gasped, Johnny jumping in his seat at the sudden appearance of Darry. He was soaking wet and had a bust lip, but looked unscathed other than that. His eyes immediately scanned over Cordelia to make sure there were no changes, noticing the necklace in her hand but not saying a single word.

"Nothin'," Johnny answered as he stood up. "We win?"

"Yeah, man, we won," Darry assured him, a flash of worry making him look twenty years older. "But, Pony...he got hit real hard and passed out. He has a fever and he's just-he's real sick."

"What are you doin' here if Pony's sick at home?" Dallas asked protectively.

"He's here, Dally," Darry responded slowly, like he was still coming to terms with everything. "We had to admit him. He started...he started askin' for our parents."

"Shit," Dallas mumbled.

"They're doin' intake right now. I don't know...I don't know what to do."

This was turning out to be a very confusing night for Johnny. He had seen Dallas be so caring towards someone else, and he had never seen Darry cry before, but here he was, seeing both in one night. Darry only let one tear fall before he sniffled and hurried to wipe his face. Knowing that Darry would be embarrassed, both teens turned their heads and found the walls very fascinating.

"Dally, you need to get back to your own room. Johnnycakes, come see Pony with me. Two's on his way to stay with Cordelia for the night," Darry instructed in a stuffy tone. His eyes were red, but he looked determined to not break down.

"Alright," Johnny nodded. He turned back to Cordelia and gently touched her arm where it was clear of bandages, speaking softly so the others couldn't hear. "See you tomorrow, Delia. Thank you for keepin' us safe. I'm real sorry....I wish it was me instead of you."

"Dar, he's in room 109," Two-Bit announced. He had stopped by the gift shop because he was holding a stack of clean and dry clothes in his arms. A small cut on his forehead was bleeding and he had one hand holding a piece of gauze to try and staunch the blood.

"Thanks, man. You need to get that seen," Darry said. He looked hesitant to take the clothes, not knowing if they were paid for or not, but he seemed to decide that it was better than shivering.

"Mama clocks in to work in fifteen minutes. She's gonna come fix me right up," Two-Bit said with a shrug. With his mom being a nurse, Two-Bit had grown up in the hospital so he just plopped down on the couch in the room and wrapped himself up in the blanket.

"Get me or Soda if anythin' changes with her," Darry instructed, looking incredibly torn as to where to go.

"Aye, aye, captain," Two-Bit said with a wink. Darry rolled his eyes and nodded his head for the two teens to leave.

"Bye, Delia," Dallas said soft enough that no one could hear other than Johnny.

Watching Darry's hunched shoulders as they headed to room 109, Johnny wasn't sure how they would recover from this.

Chapter Text

Soda was exhausted.

After a week of worrying, followed by a rumble, and then sleeping in a hospital waiting room, his body was screaming at him to go home and rest for a full day. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. With Ponyboy and Cordelia both admitted, the brothers had spent the past day working it out so neither sibling was alone. Neither teen was fully conscious, but they seemed to feel better when someone was in the room with them.

Cordelia was still asking for her brothers. Her waking windows were short and mostly filled with her complaining of pain and wanting Elijah or Henry. Whoever was with her would just lie and say that they were on the way because the girl never remembered her last wake window. Ponyboy would mostly ask for his parents or confuse Darry for their dad. When Soda was allowed into his room that morning, he found Darry lying in the hospital bed with Ponyboy clinging to him like a koala. The eldest brother explained that after a bad nightmare, that had been the only way to get the young teen to stop screaming.

"Sodes? Go home."

Soda rubbed his eyes and shook his head with a yawn when Darry's voice kept him from falling over the edge to sleep. He was in Ponyboy's room after seeing Cordelia that morning, luckily not having to work thanks to Steve covering his shift despite his broken ribs. Surprisingly, Two-Bit had also told the brothers that he would be willing to cover any shifts for them too. He had worked at the DX for exactly one month before getting fired for flirting with all the female customers, and he had done a full summer at the roofing job before he decided that alcohol was better.

"I'm fine. Don't wanna leave 'em," Soda responded, gesturing to Ponyboy clinging onto his arm. Darry gave his littlest brother a fond smile and then frowned when he felt the heat from his forehead. It had only been two hours since he had left to go see Cordelia, but it felt like forever.

"You're fallin' asleep sittin' up. Go home," Darry ordered again. "Two-Bit's bringin' Johnny over in thirty minutes. He can sit with Pony and I'll stay up with Cordelia."

"Shouldn't you be with her now?" Soda asked.

"She's gettin' some scans done," Darry explained, passing Soda a sandwich and a Coke before he put his hand on Ponyboy's forehead with a frown. Soda's stomach growled, so he immediately dived into the food like it was his last meal.

"He hasn't woken up again," Soda informed him through a mouthful of food.

"Probably for the best," Darry mumbled with a sigh. As much as Soda missed joking around with Ponyboy, he agreed. It physically pained him to hear his baby brother whimpering and crying for his parents, knowing that they wouldn't come to help him.

"And Delia?" Soda asked. Darry's face twitched and he let out a breath, sitting down next to Soda.

"She woke up for a bit and was askin' for Elijah again. Then she was talkin' about a fire and savin' Henry. I think...I think she thinks that Pony's Henry."

"Johnny said she called him Henry after the fountain," Soda admitted. The pair had found themselves alone for about an hour the day before, and Johnny had been more than happy to finally explain the whole situation to practice what he was going to say to the police.

"Yeah, I know," Darry sighed, running his hand down his face. "I think that's why she's so protective of him. She sees him as another Henry and doesn't want nothin' to happen to him."

"Is that a bad thing?" Soda questioned.

"I don't know, little buddy," Darry said with a small shrug. "Cordelia really loves Henry, and from what she's told me, he was real similar to Ponyboy. As long as she knows that Pony's not actually Henry, I don't see an issue."

"Yeah. It'll be nice to have someone else lookin' out for him. God knows he needs it," Soda semi-joked. Darry chuckled in agreement and adjusted the oxygen tube in Ponyboy's nose before it could fall out.

"She's gonna freak when she wakes up and realizes Pony's sick," Darry guessed.

"Yeah. She's a Curtis, that's for sure," Soda smiled. Darry nodded with a closed-lip smile and then furrowed his eyebrows.

"She's an O'Brien first, Soda. She had a family that loved her before us, and brothers that she would die for. Cordelia told me about her parents. They were a lot like ours, in love and happy, and rich too. Said that they came from generational wealth and their farm was one of the best in the state. There's nothin' wrong with seein' her as one of us, but you have to remember that too. We can't just erase her blood family."

"I won't," Soda assured him. "Sometimes, I just forget that she hasn't always lived with us. I know she hasn't been with us for long, but it feels like forever. It's meant to be."

"I think so too, buddy," Darry said. Both brothers looked up when Dr. Lively knocked on the door and then closed it behind her.

"Hello, boys. I thought I'd find you down here," Dr. Lively said with a smile.

"How'd the scans go?" Darry asked anxiously.

"She's doing great. I know that it might not seem that way, but she's doing much better than anticipated. Barring any changes, I think she could go home by the end of the week, although she would need around-the-clock care," Dr. Lively informed them.

"We have that handled," Darry said with a nod. Instead of sleeping, he had gone through all their work schedules and worked out a system so someone would always be there with Cordelia and Ponyboy.

"Great. We want to try her in a normal room today since the swelling in her brain has gone down significantly. I removed the drainage tube, so our main concern now is just getting her to wake up completely," Dr. Lively continued.

"Can she stay here? With Pony?" Soda requested. The room was technically for two people, but no one was on the other side of the room.

"I don't see why not. I'll put the paperwork through and she'll be down within the hour," Dr. Lively said. "I'll be transferring her care over to Dr. Lucy, but please come see me with any questions or concerns. It's been lovely meeting you."

"Hear that, little buddy? She's doin' great," Darry assured Soda when they were alone, messing with his greasy hair. Soda grimaced and playfully pushed him away, but they were both smiling.

"Delia's good?"

"Shit, Dally," Soda gasped, holding a hand over his heart at the surprise appearance. The older greaser rolled his eyes and scanned over Ponyboy asleep in the bed, concern showing through his tough exterior. He was wearing some of Darry's old clothes because Steve hadn't wanted to go to Buck's, which made him look smaller than usual. His hand was unwrapped, but covered in blisters and ruined skin, while the left arm was still wrapped, the cloth barely poking out of his jacket sleeve. He was favoring his right leg to keep all the pressure off his left, trying to look casual as he leaned against the doorframe.

"He good?" Dallas asked.

"He's fine. Cordelia's gettin' moved down here with him in the next hour or so, and she should be home by the end of the week," Darry recounted.

"You supposed to be up?" Soda asked. Dallas curled his lip up and shrugged, barely hiding the look of pain that the action caused.

"Got discharged. Doctor said to just take it easy. 'No fighting, no smoking, blah, blah, blah'."

Soda chuckled at Dallas' mocking while Darry rolled his eyes. Soda knew that the nurses were all ready for Dallas to be gone, especially since he brought some greaser visitors, including Tim Shepherd and Buck Merrill.

"You better listen," Darry warned. Dallas raised his hands in a placating manner and sent Soda a wink when Darry looked away.

"Dad?" Ponyboy whimpered. Soda and Darry immediately jumped up while Dallas leaned against the wall to stay out of the way.

"You feelin' okay, baby?" Darry asked, pushing Ponyboy's blond hair away from his forehead. The teen whined and scrunched up his face, sighing when Soda put a wet washcloth over his forehead.

"Want Mama," Ponyboy requested in a voice that made him sound ten years younger.

"I do too, baby," Darry soothed. "Can I get you anythin'?"

"Soda?" Ponyboy said. His eyes were open, but it didn't look like he could fully comprehend what he was seeing. A tear ran down his face, and Darry was quick to wipe it away.

"'M right here, Pones," Soda spoke up. His eyes were filling with tears, but he blinked them away as he grabbed Ponyboy's cheeks to guide his attention. Ponyboy hummed and sleepily raised a hand to grab one of Soda's while the other searched for Darry.

"Delia?" Ponyboy requested next.

"She'll be here with you soon," Darry told him, giving his hand a small squeeze. Ponyboy tried to swallow and nod, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't. Soda used his one free hand to gently guide a straw to his mouth so he could drink some water. Ponyboy coughed a little when he was done and then relaxed into the pillows and was asleep again within seconds.

"He been askin' for your folks a lot?" Dallas asked when Darry and Soda both sat down, neither of them letting go of Ponyboy's hands.

"Yeah," Darry sighed. "He thought I was Dad a few times too."

"Damn," Dallas muttered. Soda sniffled, no one saying anything until Johnny and Two-Bit came in a few minutes later. Johnny immediately moved to sit in the free chair by Ponyboy's side, staring at him worriedly.

"He doin' any better?" Two-Bit asked.

"Fever's down," Darry answered. Two-Bit nodded and twirled his switchblade around, flicking it open and closed. He quickly put it away when the door opened and a team came in to transfer Cordelia down.

"She looks better, doesn't she?" Nurse Scarlett said with a smile. Cordelia was asleep, but she had some color back. Without the drainage tube, her head still looked a bit swollen, but it was better than the day before. She had fewer bandages on now and while she had some discoloration from the burns, it looked like they would mostly fade to be barely noticeable. She still had the feeding tube and oxygen mask, but he assumed that she would have those for a while.

"She does," Darry said with a relieved smile as he crossed over to the other side of the room where she would be.

"Same as in the ICU, let the team know if she needs anything. They'll be changing out the morphine for a lesser pain medicine, so she might be in more pain than before. If it seems like she's in too much pain, just let the doctor know. Without the morphine, she might be more awake, although you can still expect confusion," Nurse Scarlett informed. "And like before, her team down here is all women. She's in great hands."

"Thank you," Darry said. The nurse responded with a smile and then once she ensured that Cordelia was fine, left the group alone.

"She still got my necklace or did some dickface steal it?" Dallas asked. Soda raised his eyebrows in surprise and noticed that this was the first time he'd seen the teen without the necklace other than the week the kids were gone.

"Yeah, they put it on her," Darry confirmed.

"Good," Dallas mumbled, sending Johnny a warning glare when the young teen looked like he was going to smirk. Soda raised an eyebrow and then smirked to himself at the confirmation that Dallas did, in fact, like Cordelia.

"Eli?" Cordelia croaked, her eyes fluttering open. Since Ponyboy was still asleep, Soda jumped up to stand on the other side of her bed from Darry.

"Hey, sweetie. It's Darry. How are you feeling?"

Cordelia's eyebrows furrowed and she moaned in pain, her right arm reaching for her left was in a cast and sling. She didn't seem to realize that it wasn't Elijah there, or if she did, she didn't react.

"You in pain, honey?" Darry asked.

"Yeah," Cordelia mumbled. Darry removed the oxygen mask just so she could speak better, but his eyes were trained on her to make sure that she didn't struggle to breathe.

"I'm sorry, Cordelia. I'll see what I can do," Darry said, gently soothing her hair back until he remembered her head injury. The motion didn't look like it hurt her, but Cordelia still flinched from the hand reaching out towards her. Soda was great at reading his brother's emotions, and he knew that Darry was feeling nothing but guilt in that moment. It wasn't his fault that Cordelia flinched when someone reached for her, but he still felt horrible anyway.

"Eli?" Cordelia asked again. She sounded more awake than before, but it was clear that she wasn't fully there. Her speech was slightly slurred like her tongue wouldn't cooperate and her eyes kept flickering shut.

"No, honey. It's Darry and Soda. The whole gang is here other than Steve, but he'll be back once his shift is over," Darry answered. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows again and squeezed her eyes shut, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Eli's gone?"

The air seemed to escape Soda's lungs at that moment. Darry looked helpless, but he just gently reached out his hand to wipe away the tear and cupped her cheek.

"Yeah, baby. But we've got you. I know it's not the same, but I'm not gonna let nothin' else happen to you," Darry assured her. Soda glanced up and saw everyone staring at them, Dallas' jaw tight.

"Hurts," Cordelia whimpered before her eyes shot open and she looked panicked. "Ponyboy! Fire, Ponyboy!"

"Hey, Cordelia, Ponyboy's fine. He's fine!" Darry rushed to say when Cordelia tried to sit up. Since Soda was on her good side, he had to push her back against the bed so she would relax, but her body was tense as she started to cry. Darry hurried to put the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth when she started to struggle to get enough oxygen. Her eyes were still wide and she was obviously freaked out, a stray tear marking her face.

"Delia, he's right next to you," Soda assured her. "You kept him safe, Delia. He's right there, you can see him."

It was hard for Cordelia to move her head, but Soda gently sat next to her in bed so he could hold her up enough to see the other bed. Johnny jumped up so he wasn't blocking her view, tears filling his eyes.

"Pony?" Cordelia slurred. The exertion was obviously too much for her tired body because her eyes were shutting on their own, so Soda laid her back against the bed. Darry prevented her from turning her head so she wouldn't mess with the bandages from the removed drainage tube, the girl whining.

"He's just a little sick, baby, that's it," Darry informed her. Soda smiled a little at Darry's use of a nickname since he only reserved that for his siblings. There had been a few times that he had called Johnny 'honey' after he got jumped, but he mostly kept the terms of endearment for people that he really loved.

"Alive?" Cordelia asked.

"You kept him alive and safe. The fire didn't get him," Soda promised. Cordelia smiled a little and relaxed into the bed, her eyes closing once more.

-----------------------------

The police came an hour later to talk to Johnny and Dallas. As expected, Johnny looked terrified while Dallas pretended to be calm, but Soda could see past his disguise. He was also terrified that Johnny would get arrested for killing Bob, but there wasn't much they could do. Darry had asked if he could go with them since they were minors, but the police denied his request. After thirty minutes, the whole gang jumped up when the door opened, but it wasn't who they were expecting.

"Baker?" Soda asked with a raised eyebrow. Steve, who had apparently walked the soc up, curled his lip up and shrugged when Soda sent him a disappointed look.

"Hey. I heard that Cordelia was here, and I wanted to wait a bit to come see her," Chet greeted. He looked a little shocked to see Ponyboy also in the hospital, but he walked over to Cordelia and went pale.

"You have a not of nerve showin' up here," Two-Bit said lowly.

"I didn't do anything," Chet defended. "I wasn't there at the fountain, and I wasn't at the rumble."

"He's fine, Two," Darry mumbled, cracking his eyes open a little from where he was trying to rest. Soda knew that he wouldn't be able to fully fall asleep until they had news about Johnny and Dallas, but he was so exhausted that he needed a power nap.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Chet asked anxiously. He was biting a hole into his bottom lip and his hands were shaking as he sat down next to her hospital bed. Cordelia whimpered in her sleep and the soc moved his hand out to grab hers, but Soda made sure to move faster so Chet had to lean back and out of the way. Chet scoffed a little under his breath and rolled his eyes, but he knew better than to say anything out loud.

"She has a long road ahead of her," Darry answered. He was the only one who seemed comfortable talking to Chet, but he didn't look eager to jump into a conversation.

"And she doesn't need you there for that, soc," Steve added.

"Yeah? But she'll need you, grease?" Chet responded with a raised eyebrow. Steve's lip curled up and he stood, Chet rising too. Soda and Two-Bit both stood when they saw Chet stand because it was greaser code to help your friends and they'd be damned if the soc raised a finger against them.

"Not in here," Darry hurried to say. "If you wanna have another rumble, take it far away from the hospital."

"Don't worry, I'm leaving," Chet mumbled. He spared one last glance at Cordelia and then stormed out of the room, bumping into Dallas as he came back. One glance at Dallas' face made Chet scurry away faster.

"What'd that fucker want?" Dallas asked with a bite in his tone.

"Tryin' to steal your girl again," Two-Bit teased. Soda guessed that Dallas had actually taken his pain medicine because he simply flicked Two-Bit off instead of resorting to physical violence like everyone was expecting.

"He just wanted to check on Cordelia," Darry said with an eyeroll. Dallas didn't look pleased at the news, but he just twitched his lips and sat down.

"Any news 'bout Johnny yet?" Dallas asked.

"Nah, nothin'. I was hopin' you'd have news," Darry sighed.

"He'll be fine," Soda said encouragingly, hoping that it worked. It at least calmed Darry down enough that he laid down on the cot and started snoring. Soda had to quickly hide any pens and markers in the room before Two-Bit could draw a mustache on his face. Everyone was starting to doze off when the door opened again and Johnny walked in, making all of them jump up.

"Johns?" Dallas asked, immediately jumping up. The younger boy was pale and shaking still, but he wasn't in handcuffs.

"What'd they say?" Soda asked. For the first time in days, Johnny smiled.

"I'm free."

Chapter Text

Darry had never seen a seizure before, and he never wanted to see another one again. The only good thing was that it started around one in the morning, so no one was in the room except for him. Cordelia had woken him up with what sounded like choked breathing and then he turned the light on to see her start to thrash in the bed. By the time he could run out to the hallway and grab a nurse, she was fully seizing with red foam coming out of the corners of her mouth. The nurses pushed a sedative through the IV in her neck and her body slowly calmed down until she was still once more.

"That was a nasty one," the night doctor confirmed as he took her vitals. Darry kept a careful eye on the man's actions to make sure that he didn't touch her inappropriately. "We expected some seizures, so I'm not too concerned. Her vitals look fine, so I'm just going to continue to watch her and keep an eye out for any more seizure activity. With this sedative, I don't expect she'll be waking up again any time soon, but if she does, she'll likely have a bad headache, so we'll push some morphine if necessary."

"Can't we go ahead and do that? She's been complain' of a headache every time she wakes up," Darry asked. His body felt like it could melt into the ground with how tired he was, but the anxiety made him feel like he was buzzing.

"We don't want her to get dependent on the medicine," the doctor shrugged.

"But if she's in pain, that needs to be managed," Darry argued.

"Mr. Curtis, please don't argue with me," the doctor requested in a firm tone that made Darry feel like he was five again. The young adult just sighed and clenched his jaw, not wanting to start any fights with the doctors.

"Can you check on Ponyboy too, please?" Darry requested. The doctor was done with Cordelia, so he agreed and started working on the teen.

"His fever is still higher than I'd like, but it's decreased some. If he can maintain this body temperature, I'd say he can be discharged tonight," the doctor said. He barely gave Darry any time for questions before he left the room to deal with another patient. Darry sighed thankfully and sat back down on the cot, only falling back asleep when he was sure that both his siblings were okay. It was a fitful sleep since he woke up any time they made a noise or a nurse came into the room, but it was enough that he only needed two coffees instead of three like he had been drinking.

When the door opened at nine that morning, Darry was expecting it to be the guys coming to see Ponyboy and Cordelia, but a woman that he didn't know came in instead. She was wearing a nicer outfit that screamed wealth, but she looked tired and worn down. Almost immediately, her attention focused on Cordelia and she gasped.

"Can I help you?" Darry asked from his spot next to Ponyboy. The woman jumped a little at his voice and turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The woman questioned with a Southern accent.

"Darry Curtis, guardian to the two kids in here. Now, can I help you?" Darry said, an edge to his voice.

"I'm Barbara, Cordelia's aunt Atlanta. Now if you'll excuse me, I drove through the night and only got three hours of sleep at a disgusting motel. I'd like to see my niece now," the woman said with the air of someone who wasn't used to hearing no for an answer. Darry clenched his jaw and sat back in his seat, nodding his head for the woman to see Cordelia.

Barbara was Cordelia's mother's sister and their first placement had been with her and her husband, William. The siblings only stayed there for a few months before they found out they were pregnant and sent the siblings to a family friend instead. When the McCormick family decided that they couldn't take care of three traumatized kids, Barbara and William hadn't made any effort to help and the O'Brien siblings ended up in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the years, Cordelia could only remember getting three letters from her aunt and uncle.

"Oh, sweetie. You look so much like your mother," Barbara said softly, tucking Cordelia's hair behind her ear. The motion made the teen whine and Darry snapped his head up at the sound.

"Careful," Darry warned.

"She's my niece," Barbara snapped in response, huffing a little as she sat down.

"When was the last time you even saw her?" Darry scoffed.

"Young man, you watch your attitude with me," Barbara responded, narrowing her eyes at him. "I opened my house to those three kids out of the kindness of my own heart, and I would've kept them if I hadn't gotten pregnant. They're lucky to have me."

"I don't remember seein' you at Elijah's memorial," Darry accused. Almost immediately, Barbara's face went pale and she clutched a string of pearls around her neck.

"What do you mean, memorial? Elijah's eighteen and out of the system," Barbara said quietly. Darry blinked at her in surprise and frowned, not wanting to give the news.

"Ma'am, Elijah died a few months ago. Drug overdose. He never made it out of the system."

Barbara gasped in shock but kept her composure, years of high society rules engrained in her mind. It took her a few moments before she could speak and her voice came out high and tight.

"I saw that Henry was killed from the papers and I saw the story about Cordelia, but nothing about Elijah. That poor boy..."

"Cordelia was at his side when he passed," Darry informed her in hopes that it would make the woman feel better. Barbara nodded and gently patted Cordelia's pale hand and then looked up at Darry with sharp eyes.

"Mr. Curtis, when I spoke to my niece's agent, she said that you were refusing to release her from your custody. There's a medical facility about twenty minutes from my house that has a room ready for her, and an ambulance service is prepared to start the journey as soon as you sign the papers."

"No chance in hell," Darry said with a barking laugh. The woman's gaze turned into more of a glare, but Darry didn't back down.

"My family is better equipped to take care of her. She needs to be with her family," Barbara insisted.

"She is with her family. Like it or not, we're more her family than you now. She told me herself that she hasn't considered you family since you sent her away. You have no idea what she's been through, but I promise you that sending her back to Georgia will do more harm than good," Darry told the woman in an even tone so she didn't claim that he was being aggressive.

"I'm sure foster care was hard, but she didn't go through anything that would prevent her from going home," Barbara drawled in a strong Southern accent that was starting to get on Darry's nerves. With a quick glance to make sure that Ponyboy was still passed out, Darry crossed the room to sit across the bed from the woman and leaned forward so he could speak in a low voice.

"Cordelia has been sexually assaulted, harassed, and raped in foster homes. She's had multiple foster parents and siblings try to kill her and one family tried to sell her. She was fourteen years old and the foster dad let his friends use her for their own pleasure and then tried to sell her to the highest bidder, and he would have if his wife hadn't intervened, and she only did that so the police wouldn't get suspicious. She's been held at gunpoint, drowned, suffocated, beat, cut. The worst things your mind can think of, that's happened to her. Even at her family in Albuquerque where she said she was happy, the woman basically used her as free child labor. My family is the first time that she's felt safe and loved since her parents died, and I'll be damned if you take that away from her."

Barbara's eyes were glossy, but she only let one tear fall. With her lips tightly pursed, the woman shuffled around awkwardly and took a shuddering breath.

"I was unaware that all of that had happened to her," Barbara said in a wavering voice. "Isn't that all the more reason for her to come home to her real family?"

"You've got to be fuckin' kiddin' me," Darry said with a humorless laugh and bitter smile. "She doesn't want to go back to Georgia. She doesn't want to live with you after you abandoned her, and she doesn't want to be back in that state. Now if I were you, I'd leave this room 'cause I'm still her guardian and I'd hate to get security involved."

"I understand," Barbara told him as she stood. "Please let her know that I came and if she ever wants to come back, my doors are open to her."

"As long as you don't threaten to take my baby sister away again, we have a deal," Darry said, standing to shake her hand. Barbara observed him and opened her purse for a notepad.

"This is the number to her parent's lawyer and mine as well. In their will, Kathleen and Edward left their money and assets to be divided amongst all three kids, but since Cordelia is the only one...let's just say that she won't need to work if she doesn't want to. Technically, the kids were only supposed to get access to their portion once they turned twenty-one, but I'm sure that we can work it out so her medical bills can be paid."

Darry took the paper and carefully folded it and put it in his pocket, sending the woman a closed-lip smile. With one last look at her niece and a questioning look at Ponyboy, Barbara left the room. A raspy voice made Darry curse and jump out of his skin.

"God, I thought she'd never leave."

"Cordelia, honey, how are you? You hurtin'?" Darry rushed out. Cordelia smacked her lips since they were so dry and carefully opened her eyes with a wince against the bright lights. She looked at Darry, but it seemed like she couldn't focus yet.

"Head hurts real bad," Cordelia confirmed.

"Doctor said you can get some morphine. D'ya remember last night at all?" Darry questioned.

"Don't like the morphine and no."

"Honey, you had a seizure. Don't worry none, doctors thought this would happen, but they gave you a sedative to make it stop and they said you would have a headache. There's nothin' wrong with takin' pain medicine if you're in pain," Darry told her. Cordelia shuffled around and winced in pain, exhaling a large breath and scrunching up her face. After getting a nod, Darry helped her into a better position.

"Water?" Cordelia requested. Darry mentally cursed himself for not getting her a cup sooner since she always needed water when she woke up. The girl was hesitant to drink since she could remember choking before, but her throat was also so sore that she felt greedy with how much she drank.

"Let me go get a nurse, alright?" Darry told her once she was done drinking.

"No morphine," Cordelia said. Unfortunately, the doctor only prescribed morphine for the pain, so the nurses told Darry that it would be a while until they could get a new prescription in for any other medicine. When he went back into the room, he wasn't expecting to see Ponyboy shoved into Cordelia's right side.

"Hey, Dar," Ponyboy said softly. Darry sighed and sat down in the chair next to Cordelia's bed, scanning to make sure that the boy wasn't messing with any of the IVs or causing the girl any pain. Cordelia leaned her head on Ponyboy's and smiled a little to show that it was fine.

"Hey, Pones. Feelin' okay?" Darry asked, getting a sleepy nod in response. "Good, little buddy. The doctor said you might be able to go home today if you're feelin' better, and Cordelia, they're puttin' in a new prescription."

"Alright," Cordelia murmured. Despite the pain Darry knew she must be feeling, the girl also looked more aware than she had the whole time she'd been in the hospital. With both of them in the same space, Darry cleared his throat and looked down at the ground to say the apology that he had been planning for over a week.

"I just wanted to-to apologize to you both for what happened. I never, never, ever meant to hurt either of you and I can't express how truly sorry I am about what went down. I promise you both that I will never raise my hand against you ever again, and I'm gonna work on my temper too. I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness, I'm the reason you're both in here right now, but I hope that you will at least accept my apology."

The room was silent for a moment until Darry heard soft giggles, his head snapping up to see both of them laughing at him.

"Darry, I forgave you when you got to the hospital. I know it was an accident," Ponyboy assured him.

"You've been here more than anyone else, and I know that you had a lot on your plate. That doesn't justify you hitting me, but I forgive you," Cordelia told him. Darry blinked back a flood of tears and made sure that the girl was meeting his eyes and that she was lucid enough to understand what was being said.

"Cordelia, if you want to find another placement, I understand. I'll call your aunt back or-or talk to Mrs. Elmers. It's up to you."

"I want to stay. Just like you told Aunt Barbara, you're my family now," Cordelia assured him. Since he was on her left side that was bandaged up, Darry just nodded and gave her a thankful smile instead of grabbing her hand before his face fell with worry.

"You're not mad at what I told her, are you?"

"Nah, she's a real bitch and she doesn't take no for an answer. She would've gotten the cops in here if you hadn't," Cordelia giggled.

"Someone was in here?" Ponyboy questioned. His face was still flushed from the fever, but he looked much better as he carefully shuffled around.

"Her aunt," Darry answered.

"You should call the lawyer," Cordelia said through a yawn. Darry immediately shook his head and shrugged.

"It's your money. I'm not takin' it. Mrs. Elmers already said that some of the medical bills would be covered by the state and I'd only be responsible for a portion of it. I'll pick up some extra shifts," Darry declined.

"Fine. Give me the number and I'll get enough for my bills and Ponyboy's," Cordelia responded.

"Absolutely not," Darry said. Before they could argue, the door slowly opened for Dallas and Johnny. Ponyboy would normally be embarrassed to be seen cuddling with someone, but he looked too tired to care at that moment. Cordelia was also starting to blink her eyes closed which pointed to a short visit.

"Feelin' better, kid?" Dally asked with a smirk. Darry could see his shoulders drop with relief, but he kept his face neutral. Johnny sat down next to Darry with an excited smile.

"Feel bad," Ponyboy murmured. Darry frowned and carefully felt his forehead which was still hot.

"You should get back in your own bed, little buddy," Darry said worriedly. Ponyboy whined a little and put his arm around Cordelia to hold on, accidentally bumping into the cast. The teen immediately gasped in pain and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Okay, kid, back to your own bed," Dally demanded. Darry sent the teen a warning glare for speaking to Ponyboy in that tone, Dally simmering a little.

"Sorry, Delia," Ponyboy said softly, trying to carefully push himself up. Darry walked over to the other side of the bed to help, but Cordelia put her hand out.

"It's fine, Pony, it was an accident," Cordelia told him. "You can stay if you want. Makes me feel better."

"Please, Dar?" Ponyboy requested with a tired pout that Darry couldn't say no to.

"Alright, but you have to be still and quiet. If not, I'm movin' you back to your own bed," Darry warned. Ponyboy grinned and got comfortable again. Cordelia smiled too and leaned her head on top of his, both of them out like a light.

"'Course they fall asleep right after we get here," Dally scoffed.

"Lay off, Dal. They're tired," Johnny defended.

"C'mon, Dally. I need a smoke," Darry said, nodding his head outside. Dallas took a glance down at the hospital bed and twitched his face before he led Darry outside.

"You don't smoke," Dallas noted. Usually, Dallas would never give a cigarette to anyone other than Johnny or Cordelia, occasionally looking the other way when Ponyboy would steal one, but he offered one to Darry without a complaint.

"Not often," Darry confirmed, inhaling the nicotine.

"Why'd you ask me to come out here?" Dallas asked, always smart enough to realize when there was an ulterior motive. Darry took a long drag and sucked on his teeth without looking at the other kid.

"Stay away from Cordelia when she gets out of here."

"What the fuck that's supposed to mean?" Dallas spat out with blazing eyes.

"We all have seen the way you act 'round her and look at her, but she needs someone more consistent. You're in and out of jail and you can't hold down a real job, and she's gonna need someone different. Someone who could actually take care of her."

"What, like that soc, Chet? You think he'd be better for her than me?" Dallas scoffed.

"Yes, actually. I think he'd be great for her," Darry told him. Dallas scoffed again and shook his head, glaring at the man who just matched the greaser's gaze without any flinching.

"You think you're all smart and important, but you're not. At the end of the day, you're just a kid yourself. This isn't your decision, Darrel, it's Cordelia's and if she wants to go out with me, she will."

"You think she'd want that?" Darry questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"Fuck off, man," Dallas spat.

"No, Dallas, not 'til you agree to leave her alone. I'm not gonna let you come in and ruin her life when it's just gettin' back on track," Darry argued.

"You'd be the reason, not me."

Soda came rushing up right in time to block Darry's punch, pushing the two men apart and looking back and forth with furrowed eyebrows. Both men backed down a bit, but one wrong word or move would trigger a fight and they all knew it.

"What's goin' on? It's not even noon and you're tryin' to fight," Soda said.

"Just a misunderstanding. See you 'round, Superman," Dallas said, the nickname dripping with sarcasm. He stalked off after flicking the cigarette butt at Darry's feet without a glance behind him.

"What happened?" Soda questioned.

"Nothin'. Just go see Ponyboy."

With Soda's questioning and worried glare and Dallas' argument in his head, Darry knew that the younger boy was right.

He was just a kid himself.

Chapter Text

After a week of observations, two more seizures, physical therapy, and countless medications, Cordelia was finally coming home. Luckily, she was able to walk, but her left arm was still in a cast, and the brain injury left her stumbling and confused, so someone was always with her when she wanted to walk.

After Darry's talk with Dallas, the teen hadn't visited much, but Darry made sure that someone was always with the girl. She slept most of the time so it wasn't like she needed someone there, but it made him feel better. His boss was well aware of the situation, so he didn't mind when Darry got his lunchtime updates or when he didn't work as fast as normal.

Ponyboy had only woken up the day before. He had gone home six days before, but his fever had left him delirious and worried. He usually thought that he was in the church or in the fire, and no one knew how to help. When his fever finally broke the day before, Darry had almost cried.

"Got a hot date?" David teased when he saw Darry hurrying down the latter the second he put the last shingle on. He was Darry's least favorite coworker, but he was technically a supervisor so Darry tried to fake a laugh.

"Gotta get home to the littles," Darry responded.

"Well, you be safe and we'll see you in the morning," David said. Darry nodded and drove faster than the speed limit until he got home to see the driveway full.

"And then, Delia, listen closely, Darry dove off the board and his shorts fell off!"

"Sodapop, what are you tellin' her?" Darry asked as he opened the front door. Everyone smiled up at him and Darry mentally relaxed a little at the sight of pizza. That was one last thing he had to worry about.

"Just tellin' her family stories," Soda responded with a grin from his place on the floor right in front of Cordelia.

Cordelia was sitting on the couch with Ponyboy pressed right to her uninjured side and Johnny on the other. Dallas gave Darry a cold look from his place on the floor by Cordelia's legs, looking like a guard dog if anyone dared to mess with her. Steve was in Darry's armchair, but he scrambled to another chair when the man gave him a look, and Two-Bit was sitting next to Johnny. Overall, they looked mighty comfortable and happy. Ponyboy was tired with his head resting on Cordelia's shoulder, but he still looked up at Darry with a smile.

"Well, don't tell her anythin' about me," Darry demanded. "How you two feelin'?"

"Tired, but better," Ponyboy responded.

"Same," Cordelia nodded. "Happy to be home."

Darry smiled at Cordelia saying that she was home and took his tool belt off.

"Either of you in any pain?" Darry questioned.

"Ponyboy got some aspirin, Delia's got her prescribed medicine," Soda answered for them. Darry nodded and got slices of pizza, sitting down with a pained groan.

"What about you two? You takin' care of your burns?" Darry asked Johnny and Dallas.

"What's it to you?" Dallas snipped. Cordelia nudged his side with her leg and Dallas rolled his eyes but simmered down. "Yes, Darrel. If you've never been burned before, it really fuckin' sucks so of course I'm gonna take care of 'em. I'm almost an adult, in case you forgot."

Darry couldn't remember Dallas ever complaining about an injury before, so the burns must've really hurt him. He could see a bandage covering most of his left hand and more poking out of his pants leg, and Darry felt a hint of guilt creep back up.

"Johnnycakes is good too. Mama won't let him leave the house without puttin' on that stinky balm," Two-Bit answered.

"Good. Don't need anyone gettin' an infection. Speaking of, they say when you need to change your bandages?" Darry asked Cordelia.

"I don't think so," Cordelia said, shrugging with one arm. Ponyboy huffed when he was disturbed, but he cuddled closer and closed his eyes anyway.

"Every other day, so the first time will be tomorrow," Two-Bit answered for her. As the only adult in the gang, he had been responsible for checking her out of the hospital since Darry would be at work.

"Alright. You two ready for bed?" Darry asked. Knowing that it was her first day back, Darry was expecting an argument, but Cordelia nodded her head. Soda was quick to help Ponyboy up so that Darry could help Cordelia, but Dallas beat him to it.

"Careful," Dallas said softly when Cordelia tried to push herself up. Darry kept a careful eye as Dallas carefully supported Cordelia from the right side, his arm respectfully around her waist. Once the girl got over her immediate dizziness, Dallas helped her walk the few steps over to where Darry was waiting.

"I can walk on my own," Cordelia huffed.

"I know, but it'd make me feel better if you had help," Darry said with a small chuckle.

It took them a while to get Cordelia ready. While she was in the bathroom, Darry peeked into the boy's room to see that Ponyboy was already passed out on Soda's chest, the older teen close to asleep himself. When Cordelia emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing one of Darry's old shirts so it would fit over the cast and a pair of Soda's old sweatpants. Her short and patchy blonde hair was messy, but she didn't seem to mind. Her face was scrunched up in pain when Darry helped her sit down on her bed, but she smiled at him anyway.

"It's nice to be back. Really."

"Yeah, it's nice to have you back. Wasn't the same without you here," Darry assured her. Cordelia nodded and got as comfortable as she could with her injuries.

"Goodnight, Darry. Thank you," Cordelia said through a yawn.

"Of course. I'd rather keep the door unlocked in case you need somethin', but I'll lock it if you prefer," Darry offered.

"No, it's fine. I trust you."

--------------------------

If anyone were to ask the worst part about Cordelia's injury, the girl would lie and say it was the pain because that's what everyone expected. In reality, it was the itchiness. All of the burns were in various stages of healing which left her constantly itchy as her skin repaired itself. The worst was when the burns under her cast would itch because she was helpless to get to those.

The itch seemed to taunt her when it woke her up at 3:30 in the morning. With a groan, the girl decided to get up and get some water to try and distract her mind from the feeling. Leaning against the wall, Cordelia carefully made her way to the kitchen. The head injury left her with a constant headache and dizziness that usually caused nausea too. Overall, it wasn't something that she would recommend.

"Doll, what are ya doin'?"

Cordelia jumped and let out a small shriek that was covered by someone's hand going over her mouth while their other arm went around her waist when she almost fell. Her head spun from the motion, making her groan and lean her head against the body. The arms immediately went to support her before she could fall.

"This is exactly why you were supposed to get one of us if you needed somethin'. Everyone is here just to help," the voice chastised. Cordelia whimpered and shuffled so she was almost completely leaning against the body that she now realized was Dallas.

"Just wanted water," Cordelia tried to say, but she knew that it came out slurred.

"Alright, doll. You just sit here and I'll get you some water," Dallas sighed. He carefully put her in a chair and she blinked until the blurry vision went away. Her cheeks blazed when she realized that she had been leaning against him while he was shirtless, but she didn't mind watching how the muscles in his back flexed when he reached for a cup. She could see burns going down the left side of his body and she heard him hiss when he reached too far.

"How'd you get burned? You weren't in the church," Cordelia asked when he sat down across from her. Dallas furrowed his eyebrows and gave her a look that she couldn't read.

"Feel good enough to go outside?"

"Sure."

Gentle was never a word that Cordelia had ever associated with Dallas Winston before, but she saw it in that moment. He stood right by her side while she walked to the back porch and didn't complain when he had to go back inside to get both of their waters. They were silent as Cordelia stared up at the moon and breathed in the semi-fresh air. Dallas looked up at the stars for a moment before he cleared his throat to get her attention.

"I went in after you, Delia. Johnny and I, we realized you were trapped so we got Ponyboy situated and went in to get you. The only way to get you out was to pick up the beam, but that shit was heavy and it was still on fire. I got it up enough that Johnny could pull you out and then we got out of there, but it was leanin' on me for a bit. That's where I got the burns."

"I don't remember that," Cordelia mumbled.

"Doesn't surprise me. You were passed out the whole time. I really thought...I'm real glad everythin' worked out," Dallas told her.

"Yeah, me too. Even if I'm constantly itchy," Cordelia joked.

"Shit, man, I didn't know burns itched this much," Dallas agreed with a grimace. "It's like the moment one itch goes away, another starts."

"Try havin' an itch under a cast," Cordelia told him with a small scoff.

"When d'ya get this off?" Dallas asked, his eyes going down to his name on the plaster. The hospital didn't let them sign their names, so Two-Bit made sure to have markers ready for her arrival home. The young adult's first signature had been crossed out halfway through when Soda noticed that he was writing something less than appropriate, which left her with an ugly drawing of a car to cover it up.

"I don't really know. Can't feel three of my fingers, though. I'm not really sure if that'll come back, but I think Darry mentioned more physical therapy," Cordelia shrugged, her voice getting soft.

"You'll be fine," Dallas assured her. Cordelia nodded and shrugged with her right arm while she took a big sip of water and then started talking, looking up at the moon instead of the boy next to her.

"My parents died in a fire. We were makin' dinner and had just gotten a new stove put in the day before. The workers messed up the gas line and the kitchen went up in flames before my parents could even try to stop it. My mama, she came and got us kids while my dad tried to put the fire out and get anything important. On the way out, a support beam fell and crushed my dad to the ground and my mama went in by herself to try and save him. The house was old so it burned quick and they didn't come out. I had to stand in the front yard and watch the fire burn my house to the ground with my parents still inside."

"Shit, Delia," Dallas breathed out.

"That's why I freaked out when Pony ran in. I heard...I heard my mama screamin' and I couldn't imagine Pony in that situation. Johnny and I, on the train, we agreed that no matter what, we'd protect Ponyboy. I wasn't gonna let him burn to death, not when I know how horrible that is."

"You did a good job. He's alright now, not even a single burn," Dallas assured her.

"Yeah, I know," Cordelia nodded, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. He was staring at her with his eyebrows furrowed and an unusually tender expression. "Can I tell you somethin'? You can't tell anyone else."

"Sure, doll."

"I was fine dyin'. I remembered my parents and the fire, Henry, Eli...I realized that we would all be together again if I died, and I was fine with it. When I woke up and was in so much pain, I-I really wished that I had just died."

"Delia, I don't know. That's-"

"I want to live now, Dallas. Don't get all worried," Cordelia said with a sad chuckle. Dallas was tense and had such an intensity in his eyes that the girl looked back at the sky. "Those first few days were rough, but then I woke up and realized that I still had a family here. I know how I mourned my siblings and I just can't...I can't put anyone else through that so I decided to keep fighting."

"You tell me if that changes. Promise me," Dallas demanded.

"I'll tell someone. Honestly, these past few months have been the best time of my life and for the first time I can remember, I want to live. I want to have a future," Cordelia admitted.

"I think it's the Curtis cookin'," Dallas smirked before he turned his expression to one more serious. "This was gonna be my last town. My mama died, my sister took her own life, and my dad is a piece of shit. He moved us down here 'cause he got into some serious trouble in New York, and he took his anger out on me. I was gonna give this city a month and run away, one way or another, if things didn't get better. I had a plan and everythin' and then I met the one and only Darry Curtis two days before. Before I knew it, I was here more than I was home and I realized that I was always gonna be a no-good hood, but if I tried, I could be somethin' more. When Mama Curtis died...I thought about it. I really didn't see the point in livin', but then I saw Pony and Johnny and realized that I couldn't leave 'em."

"I tried when I was thirteen. I was in Houston and my foster dad raped me for the first time. He-"

"You don't have to tell me this," Dallas interrupted.

"I want to. I trust you and you did save my life," Cordelia reminded him.

"Cordelia, you don't owe me anythin' for that. I ran into that church because you're part of the gang, not 'cause I wanted somethin' from it," Dallas said seriously.

"Yeah, I know. But I want to tell you this," Cordelia said softly. "Anyway, he kept comin' into my room every night and when I threatened to tell or tried to refuse, he'd tell me that he knew someone who'd love Henry or he'd get his gun so I'd just...I'd just let him do whatever he wanted. After two months, I couldn't take it anymore. I made it through half a bottle of Aspirin when Henry came to my room 'cause he needed help with homework and I realized that Henry wouldn't have anyone, so I made myself throw up and then drank a bunch of water. When the dad realized what happened, he called my agent and had me removed from his house, but he kept Henry. I told the agent what he did to me, and she didn't believe me so I went to Dallas, the city, obviously. That family was alright. Not the best, but not the worst. They didn't hit me or anythin', but I had to cook meals for everyone and take care of their baby. One night I was so tired that I fell asleep and the baby got into the baby powder and made a mess. I refused to clean it up so I was sent to Austin the next day."

"Yeah? What happened there?" Dallas asked cautiously when Cordelia stopped talking. The girl took another sip of her water before she could continue.

"When I was eleven in Mobile, the dad and his son came into my room and touched me one night and I ran away. That's when Elijah got taken away, so I've always felt bad since then blamed myself for it. The dad in Savannah made a few comments, but he never touched me. He beat me, just like my second family in Atlanta, the Laken's. That didn't make it any easier, but at least the Mama in Savannah didn't hurt me like Mrs. Laken did. After Houston, I didn't trust anyone and I asked not to be placed with this family, but they didn't care. It was Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence and their two sons, Richard and Jimmy. I was used to having foster siblings, but they were different. I was fourteen and they were sixteen and seventeen and both of them were football players. The very first night, the boys came into my room and-and...it felt like I was bein' ripped open so they put a pillow over my face and I didn't wake up 'til the next mornin'. After that, all three of the men just used me whenever they wanted. They'd force pills down my throat or mix them into my drinks and I would wake up the next day with no memory of the night before. Their friends came, too. Mostly Richard and Jimmy's friends, but sometimes Mr. Lawrence's too.

One month, my period didn't come. I was young, but I knew what that meant so I told Mrs. Lawrence and she gave me a metal coat hanger and ran a hot bath. I got real sick after that, but they couldn't take me to the doctor so they had a friend come over and give me some medicine. I was half-dead from fever, but it was the happiest I'd ever been because for the first time in six months, no one was touching me or forcin' themselves on me. When his friend cleared me two weeks later, it was back to how it was before. I didn't have Henry with me anymore and I knew we would never be in the same house again, so I didn't care if I lived or died. I made it through the dad's liquor cabinet before I got caught and they took me to the hospital. A month later, Mr. Lawrence was with his friends and got drunk, so he called me downstairs and started to bid me off. If Mrs. Lawrence hadn't reminded him that they needed the money the state gave them, I'd be gone.

When I threatened to kill myself again, my agent sent me to LA, but that foster son and daughter in that house terrorized me. He threatened to rape me too and he tried one night, stuck a blade under my throat and everythin'. The daughter came into the room and made him get off of me, but I requested a transfer and they sent me to Oklahoma City. That family didn't want to deal with my issues, so they sent to me to the farm in Albuquerque. Mama Louise cared for me, but she didn't love me, and I knew that. I was just there to take care of the farm and the horses, nothin' more, and that was just fine for me. When she died, I asked to stay in a girl's home, but they don't want that 'cause it's more expensive and I'm a flight risk. When I first walked into this house and saw all the guys, I thought it'd be Austin all over again, but this is the safest I've ever felt. Honestly, it makes me feel guilty."

"Why?" Dallas questioned, his voice tight and quiet.

"'Cause Henry never got that. He was stuck with Mr. Wright in Houston, knowin' what he did to me. I'll never know what that man did to my little brother just 'cause I wasn't strong enough to deal with it, and I know that he'd adore everyone here. He should've come here too. Same with Eli. He was used as free labor and then lived with a man who hated him and led him to suicide. It's not really fair that I'm so happy now."

"You deserve happiness too. Shit, if you wanted to cry every single day, I wouldn't blame you. I know that I didn't know either of them, but I think they'd want you to be happy and I doubt they'd resent you or some shit like that just 'cause you found a family that loves you," Dallas responded.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You can't look at me differently now. I don't want that," Cordelia demanded.

"'Course not, doll. Although, I might just respect you a bit more," Dallas assured her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And if any of those creeps ever contacts you or tries to show their faces in this town, let me know and I'll handle it. That's a promise," Dallas said in a low tone. Cordelia shuddered a little at the look in his eyes and gave him a closed-lip smile.

She realized something as she looked at Dallas. He was just like her: a scared teenager who had gotten the short stick in life. She could remember wanting to escape her foster parents and not knowing where her next meal would come from, only she got lucky with Mama Louise and Darry while Dallas was still stuck. He wasn't a bad person, he was just saving face when he said nasty things or got into fights. That didn't excuse it, but Cordelia understood now and she knew that Dallas still had time to change. He still had time to show his real self to Tulsa.

"I'm awfully tired. Next time, it's your turn," Cordelia told him.

"Yeah? How does Friday at the Dingo sound? One in the afternoon?" Dallas asked with a smirk.

"Sounds like a date."

Chapter Text

As it turns out, wearing a 6'2" guy's shirt isn't screaming high fashion. Luckily for Cordelia, Dallas didn't seem to mind when he bounded into the Curtis house like he owned it, the door slamming against the wall.

"Don't slam the door!" Ponyboy yelled from the kitchen where he was trying to catch up on homework. With his illness gone, he was expected back at school on Monday and he had quite a lot of homework. Cordelia was still exempt since she was still on pain medicine, even if she rarely took it.

"Sure, kid," Dallas grunted. "Johnny at school?"

"Yeah. Where you should be," Ponyboy answered with enough sass that Dallas flicked his forehead.

"Don't have another test 'til next Friday and I did my weekly hours to avoid the truancy cops," Dallas told him, glancing over to Cordelia sitting next to Ponyboy. "Ready to go?"

"Where are you goin'?" Ponyboy questioned before the girl could speak.

"Listen here, you little shit, I'm gonna take Delia to the Dingo for lunch, and you're not gonna tell your big brother, or I'll beat you into the ground. How does that sound?" Dallas threatened.

"Dallas! That was so mean!" Cordelia huffed. "Pony, we're goin' out to eat. Would you like to join us?"

"No, he wouldn't," Dallas answered for him. Ponyboy grinned and sat back in his chair with a challenging look in his eyes when he realized that Dallas wouldn't hurt him in front of Cordelia.

"Well, I've been doin' homework all day so a milkshake would be mighty nice. Not to mention that Darry told Delia to stay home 'til she's feelin' better, and I think he'd like to know that she's goin' out."

"Here's a dollar and a pack of cigs. Keep your mouth shut or you'll find yourself missin' some teeth," Dallas said with an eye roll, tossing the boy a pack of cigarettes. Ponyboy's smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared when Cordelia reached over and grabbed the pack from his hands.

"You're not supposed to smoke right now. We'll bring you back a milkshake."

Ponyboy grumbled under his breath, but he didn't argue anymore. Cordelia ruffled his blonde hair and accepted Dallas' help to stand up. She was feeling much better, but the headache refused to disappear and she still felt unsteady on her feet. The medicine had prevented any more seizures, butshe still had bouts of blurry vision and nausea.

"You are feelin' up for this, right? I don't want you goin' out if you don't want to," Dallas checked as she sat in the T-bird.

"Yeah, Dally. I can't hide for the rest of my life," Cordelia shrugged. In reality, she had carefully selected a shirt and jacket that covered most of the burns and had styled her hair so that no one could see the small scars she had.

"If you wanna leave, you just gotta tell me. I won't mind none," Dallas assured her.

"Thank you," Cordelia said with a small smile. While she was still a little unsure if this date was romantic or not, she was still excited. This would be her first real date barring a preteen relationship that was barely real.

"'Course, doll," Dallas said with his signature smirk that had Cordelia turning her face away before he could see her blush.

The past few weeks had introduced her to the real Dallas that Johnny had told her about. He was still a greaser hood with his window rolled down to smoke and a leather jacket, the outline of a blade in his back pocket. But below that, he was actually a gentleman who cared for those around him and was fiercely protective.

"So, you don't want Darry knowing?" Cordelia asked with a hint of nervousness. Dallas' fingers tapped against the steering wheel and he shuffled a bit.

"He isn't exactly my biggest fan if you haven't noticed. He-uh, he threatened me a bit to stay away from you," Dallas admitted.

"Well, you're not doin' a good job of listenin'," Cordelia teased, making Dallas grin a bit.

"No, I'm not exactly known for listenin'. And he doesn't have anythin' to worry about," Dallas shrugged.

"You're not gonna take me on any of your mysterious runs?" Cordelia questioned.

"Fuck no. I've cut back on those anyway. Eventually, the police will get to know you to the point where they lock you up for the smallest things and gettin' caught on a run would put me in jail for real," Dallas answered casually.

"So, if the police were to pull us over, would they find anything in this car?" Cordelia asked with a knowing look.

"Would they find anything? No. Is it there? Yes. It's just some weed, nothin' too bad. I never do anythin' else," Dallas admitted.

"Why not?" Cordelia inquired. Dallas went quiet for a moment and took a long drag of his cigarette.

"My mama, she was a junkie. That's how she met my dad was 'cause he was her dealer, but she got clean when she had me and Brooklyn. She relapsed when I was five or six 'cause she couldn't handle my dad beatin' on her and cheating, and she overdosed one night when I was ten. Weed won't kill you, but I made it clear to Buck and Tim that I'm not transferrin' anything else."

"Johnny said you were like the gentlemen in 'Gone With the Wind'. I think he was right about that."

"Yeah? Don't go tellin' anyone," Dallas smirked as they pulled up to the Dingo. By the time Cordelia was able to unbuckle her seatbelt, Dallas was ready to open the car door and then he held open the door to the restaurant as well. They chose a booth towards the back even though the restaurant was mostly empty. The few customers watched them both as they walked past and Cordelia wondered just how much details the newspapers gave about the fire.

"So, what exactly is this gonna be?" Cordelia asked when they sat after placing their order.

"What is what gonna be?" Dallas questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"This. You and me. Is this a friendship date or romantic or a see where it goes or-?"

"So you ramble when you get anxious," Dallas interrupted with a smirk that made Cordelia blush and look at a mark on the table. "Well, I figure that's up to you. I'm fine if you just wanna be friends, but if you wanna be more-"

"Maybe," Cordelia spat out. "I don't know. I've never really been in a relationship before, and I don't know how this works. Plus, didn't you just end things with Sylvia?"

"Here's how it's gonna go. We're gonna eat and then I'm gonna take you home and if it's goin' well, I might just kiss you before we go in the house. If it's not goin' well, we'll hope that Ponyboy hasn't opened his big mouth to anyone just yet," Dallas shrugged, Cordelia's cheeks blazing when Dallas mentioned kissing. "And don't worry about Syl. We were over way before I ended things for real and she's not part of my life anymore. After someone cheats on you four times, you tend to get bitter."

"Why'd you keep takin' her back if she cheated on you?" Cordelia questioned. Dallas was silent as the waitress brought over their food and milkshakes, eating a few fries before he answered.

"'Cause I thought that she was the best I'd ever get, y'know? And it was easy with her. We fought, made up, had sex, fought again, and repeat. It just became a part of my life, but she didn't like when I got locked up. She would run off to someone to try and sleep with them while I was gone. Tim knew better, but some of his gang didn't care that she was wearin' my ring. Did you know she tried that shit on Johnny once?"

"On our Johnny? Johnny Cade?" Cordelia asked with a scoff.

"The one and only. Steve caught her and kicked her to the curb, but she knew that Johnny...she knew how he is and she tried to take advantage of him. He said he didn't even realize what she was doin'," Dallas said fondly.

"Somethin' tells me Johnny wouldn't have been interested anyway," Cordelia noted. Dallas smirked and chuckled a little in agreement.

"Nah. Johnny's not really into girls. Don't know if that'll change when he gets older, but it's not somethin' that bothers me none. Just want him to be happy, he deserves it," Dallas shrugged.

"Pony too, I think," Cordelia said softly so that no one else could hear. Dallas burst into laughter and Cordelia found herself wanting to hear that sound more.

"No shit. I wondered why he likes Paul Newman so much," Dallas joked.

Conversation was easy with Dallas. Even after their plates were empty and their milkshake gone, Cordelia found herself leaning in for more. Unfortunately, it was time for her pain medicine and she was getting dizzy as it got closer to nap time. An unfortunate side effect was that she needed more sleep than before, but she didn't want the date to end.

"Alright, doll, let's get Pony his milkshake and get you to bed," Dallas chuckled when Cordelia's eyes blinked closed.

"No, I'm fine," Cordelia argued.

"Sure you are. You just stay there," Dallas snickered. Cordelia gave him a soft smile and patiently waited until he came back with a to-go cup in hand. Tossing some change on the table for a tip, Dallas wove his arm around Cordelia's waist with the excuse of helping her to the car. Cordelia leaned into his side with the same excuse.

"I had a good time, Dally. Thank you," Cordelia grinned.

"Yeah? Me too, doll," Dallas responded. "Next time we can go see Maria. She's been missin' you. First time I went back she bit me right on one of my burns and she almost got herself sold."

"I've missed her. And I'm sure you deserved it," Cordelia giggled.

"I might've told her that she was lookin' extra plump," Dallas admitted. Cordelia gasped and held her hand over her heart.

"No wonder. I'll be sure to give her extra carrots for that."

Dallas slowed down the closer they got to the house. Fortunately, there weren't any cars in the driveway, but Johnny had been walking over more since he didn't have to go back to school until Monday either.

"So, what's the verdict?" Dallas questioned when he parked. He looked suave and calm, but Cordelia could see him reach up for his necklace before he remembered that it was around her neck.

Cordelia had never kissed anyone before. She had been kissed, but she had never initiated or reciprocated, so she was completely lost. Dallas didn't seem to mind when she carefully leaned over the center console and hesitantly put her hand on his cheek, leaning closer to his face.

"Doll?" Dallas asked softly, moving a hand up to cup her cheek as well. His eyes were intense and dark as they stared right at her and she knew that she would probably look like a tomato, but neither of them cared.

With one last smile, Cordelia hesitantly leaned forward to connect their lips. She could feel Dallas smile against her and then he carefully put his hand on her waist to pull her close enough to deepen the kiss a little, pulling away after a few seconds to look at Cordelia, a small smile on his face.

"Well, I could see myself doin' that again," Cordelia said breathlessly. "Might need some more practice though."

"We can arrange that," Dallas smirked with one last kiss.

Cordelia hoped her cheeks weren't too red when she walked into the house to see Ponyboy and Johnny reading in the front room. Dallas was right behind her, his hand staying on the small of her back to steady her.

"Got my milkshake?" Ponyboy questioned.

"Vanilla," Dallas confirmed. Ponyboy's face twisted into an expression of horror that made everyone chuckle. "No, dipshit, it's chocolate. I'm well aware that you're addicted."

"Thanks, Dally. How was the date?" Ponyboy asked with a wicked grin. Even Johnny was smirking at his friend with a knowing look in his eyes.

"Tell your big brother and I'll make you regret it. Now be quiet so your sister can sleep," Dallas answered, purposefully not giving them a real response. The boys both laughed at his avoidance of the question, making Cordelia roll her eyes as she headed back to her room, grabbing Dallas' hand to take him with her.

"See you soon?" Cordelia asked hopefully once the door was mostly closed.

"Of course. You're not gettin' rid of me," Dallas confirmed. Sharing a smile, Dallas leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips and Cordelia fell asleep with a smile.

----------------------

"You're not goin' to the stables, Cordelia. Your arm is still in a cast and your head and burns aren't fully healed. It's not safe."

Cordelia groaned and dramatically fell over across Soda's lap at Darry's continued dismissal, trying not to show how dizzy she got at the motion. Ponyboy chuckled until Darry sent him a glare since his homework still wasn't done and he wasn't allowed to join them until it was.

"I'm fine, Darry!" Cordelia argued.

"Then sit up on your own and say that without slurrin' your words," Darry countered. When Cordelia responded with a simple huff, Soda grinned down at her and poked her cheek.

"I'll ask Steve if he'll take Evie to see Maria since she prefers a girl. Evie's not great with horses, but Dally said Maria's close to gettin' sold if she doesn't calm down," Soda offered.

"Thank you, Soda. Darry, what if we just drive by?" Cordelia suggested.

"Will that get you to stop askin'?" Darry sighed since they had been arguing for close to thirty minutes after a horse that looked like Maria came on the screen.

"Yes."

"Fine. But you're not gettin' out of the car," Darry conceded.

"Great! Now someone help me sit up because I think I'm stuck."

One phone call to the bar later, the Curtis siblings were shoved in Darry's truck since it was too cold for anyone to sit in the bed. Soda was pouting because he liked to sit outside, but Darry was in no mood for a hospital visit for hypothermia so Soda decided not to argue.

"Who took care of Maria before?" Cordelia questioned. The truck went quiet and the brothers all glanced at each other.

"Sandy," Soda finally answered, his voice soft and quiet. Cordelia hadn't been given the full details on why Soda was now single, but she knew that he had gotten cheated on and Sandy no longer lived in Tulsa, so she had filled in the dots.

"We should've known. Maria didn't like her either," Darry tried to joke, but Soda didn't think it was funny based on his frown.

"Steve said she's in trouble. Is she...you gonna be a dad, Soda?" Ponyboy asked hesitantly.

"No. That middle class kid, Anthony LaCrosse, is. Turns out they were goin' out every weekend and he didn't know how to put on a fuckin' condom," Soda snarled out. Cordelia had never seen him look that angry or heard that tone from him, and she never wanted to again. He was too good to deal with something like this.

"How d'ya know it's not yours?" Ponyboy asked naively. Soda wasn't good at being mad at his baby brother, so he calmed down a bit.

"'Cause I know what a condom is, Pony. Plus, the timelines don't match up. Maybe three or four months ago we stopped havin' sex 'cause she said she needed to focus on swimmin', but turns out she kept sleepin' with LaCrosse. In the letter she said she was two months along," Soda explained.

"They sent her down to Florida?" Cordelia questioned.

"Yeah. LaCrosse found out and wanted her to abort it, but her parents wouldn't let her. I really...I would've married her if she'd stayed," Soda said softly.

"No, you wouldn't have. I wouldn't let you," Darry scoffed. Soda pouted again and huffed a little, shuffling in his seat.

"I love her, Darry," Soda argued.

"You're sixteen and make minimum wage. You can love someone when you're an adult and have enough money to take care of 'em," Darry countered. Soda mocked him under his breath to get rid of the awkward tension, all of them laughing a little at Darry's glare.

"She's really gonna have to have the baby?" Cordelia asked, staring out the window. It was late enough that the sunset was ending and Ponyboy was carefully leaning around her to watch it.

"Yeah. She'll be seventeen by the time the baby's born," Soda sighed. Cordelia hummed and leaned back so that Ponyboy wouldn't be leaning against her cast anymore. The teen gave her a sheepish smile when he realized that he might've been hurting her.

"You wanna have kids, Delia?" Ponyboy asked.

"Maybe. Depends on if I'm married to someone who wants to have kids. Plus, I don't really know if I even can have any," Cordelia answered.

"Why not?" Ponyboy inquired.

"Don't answer that if you don't wanna," Darry said immediately, giving Cordelia a worried look since they were at a red light. He was well aware of what happened and why she might be uncomfortable answering the question.

"It's fine," Cordelia assured him. "When I was your age, actually, I lived in a real bad foster home. I, uh, I was assaulted and-and got pregnant. I had to get rid of it on my own with a metal coat hanger. I got real sick and almost died after that and ever since then, my cycle is all over the place. It skips months or I'll bleed for a real long time, shit like that. Doctor said I might've damaged my uterus and I might not be able to have kids."

"Oh," Ponyboy said softly, staring down at his hands. Soda was staring at her with wide eyes that suddenly made her regret telling them and Darry was watching her carefully from the corner of his eyes.

"It's alright. It was two years ago and I-I'm alright now. If I'm not meant to have kids, then I'm not meant to have kids," Cordelia assured him.

"I didn't know...I'm sorry, Delia," Ponyboy muttered.

"You didn't do it," Cordelia said, shuffling around to ruffle his hair.

"Who did? We'll go take care of 'em," Soda asked, flexing his muscles. Cordelia gave him a closed-lip smile and stared down at Dallas' name on her cast, the biggest one out of all of the signatures.

"Soda," Darry said tensely and the teen must've realized that the girl didn't know because he let out a small 'oh' and didn't say anything else. Cordelia knew that the boys were probably well aware that she hadn't had great experiences in her past homes, but she guessed that they didn't realize just how bad it was.

The rest of the car ride was silent until they pulled past Bucks customers to the stables. Dallas was already waiting outside, glaring and arguing with Maria as she tried to get out of her halter.

"You do realize she's a horse, right?" Soda teased through the open window.

"Fuck off," Dallas grunted, sighing and giving up when Maria reared back. He hurried to hop over the fence before the horse could get to him, and everyone could see him wince at the motion.

"You supposed to be doin' this?" Darry questioned as he got out of the truck with Soda. Cordelia grinned and stood outside too, ignoring Darry's disappointed look.

"Doesn't really matter," Dallas shrugged. Darry rolled his eyes and grabbed Dallas' hand to show that some of the old blisters were rubbed raw and bleeding through the bandages he had put over them. Dallas looked away from Darry and Cordelia's disappointed looks and shrugged again.

"Your leg look the same?" Darry asked knowingly. Maria was now prancing around the gated area while Soda took Ponyboy inside to see the other horses to get away from the tension.

"Whatever," Dallas mumbled as a response, putting his hands in his pockets. "You said Delia wanted to see Maria."

"That doesn't mean you deal with her when you're still hurt. You had a burning beam leanin' on your body," Darry argued.

"Yeah, Superman, I remember. I was actually there," Dallas spat, bucking up and looking ready for a fight. Darry raised his eyebrows and gave the teen a challenging look.

"Dal."

Dallas' eyes flickered over to Cordelia and he calmed down, grabbing a pair of gloves to put on.

"C'mere, doll. Maria'll listen to ya and I've got to at least get her back into her stall."

"No way in hell," Darry said immediately. Cordelia blushed at the nickname, even though Dallas had called her that before their date and kiss. Dallas seemed to notice because he sent her a quick wink that made her glad it was dark enough that neither of them could see her blush.

"It'll be quick. If you wanna deal with Maria, be my guest," Dallas offered. Darry rolled his eyes and grabbed the rope from Dallas to try and get the horse, letting the two teens lean against the side of the truck together with their arms touching.

"He ever done this before?" Cordelia asked with a chuckle when she saw Darry's hesitance to even jump into the fenced area.

"A few times. Soda's really the only one who liked horses like that. That's how Ponyboy got his name. He kicked Mama Curtis so much that they joked he was like a pony and Soda thought he was actually gonna have a pony for a brother. From the pictures I saw and the stories they told, Soda sobbed when he realized that his brother was a human so they started callin' him Ponyboy to appease Soda and the name just stuck," Dallas said with a snicker. They were both keeping a careful eye on Darry's failed attempts to wrangle the horse, although they didn't need to step in yet.

"You know how Soda got his name?" Cordelia questioned, scooting closer since it was cold. Dallas threw his arm over her shoulder to pull her closer and lit up a cigarette.

"Mr. Curtis lost a bet. At first, they were gonna just call him Patrick, but Soda stuck," Dallas answered. Cordelia snickered and looked up to see that Dallas was already staring down at her.

"So, when are you gonna take me out again?" Cordelia asked quietly.

"Buck has me helpin' with the horses for the rodeo on Saturday. Come with me if the old man lets you," Dallas answered.

"Alright," Cordelia grinned, stepping away when Soda and Ponyboy came back out. Dallas grunted a little and took another step away.

"You guys set him up for failure," Soda laughed when he saw Darry throw his hands up with defeat and heard Maria's angry neigh. Cordelia sighed and stepped up to the gate with Dallas right behind her to help. All it took was one whistle for the horse to come racing over to the gate.

"Hey, there, girl. Miss me?" Cordelia whispered, glad for Dallas' hand on the halter as the horse shoved her face at the girl. Maria let out a sound of agreement that made Cordelia chuckle as she used her right hand to pet the horse, smiling at the contact. Maria nipped at Dallas when he pulled her halter a little so there was less pressure on Cordelia's arm.

"Gonna sell you," Dallas fake-threatened. Cordelia rolled her eyes and motioned for Dallas to open the gate so she could grab the halter and guide the horse into her stall where she happily calmed down and accepted an apple.

"Was that so hard, boys?" Cordelia teased.

"Whatever," Darry and Dallas said at the same time.

"You head out to the car. I'm gonna brush her real quick and then I'll be out," Cordelia told Darry.

"Three minutes and Dally, stay with her in case she gets dizzy," Darry ordered.

"Sure, man," Dallas muttered. Darry rolled his eyes at the disrespect but left them alone so Dallas could wrap his arms around Cordelia and kiss her, Maria letting out an angry neigh behind them that made them pull away for Dallas to glare and Cordelia to laugh.

"What if they walk in?" Cordelia asked with a smile, wrapping her free hand around his waist to cling to his shirt and pull him closer.

"Better hope they don't," Dallas smirked before he made good use of the three minutes.

Chapter Text

Physical therapy is not something that Cordelia would recommend to anyone. After a month and a half in a cast, getting burned, and having surgery, her arm looked like it belonged to a zombie. When the cast was removed, Cordelia had to look away so she wouldn't cry.

"Can you feel this?" Dr. Lopez asked, pricking Cordelia's middle finger to get a reaction. Her finger jumped the smallest amount, but that was it.

"No," Cordelia mumbled. So far, they had come to the conclusion that she couldn't yet lift her arm more than a few inches and she had no feeling in her pinky, ring finger, or middle finger and limited feeling in her other two. The random shooting pains that she had felt while the cast was on had come back in full force in the mere hour that it had been taken off.

"Alright. And this?" Dr. Lopez questioned as he poked another spot on the same finger. Cordelia shook her head and sent a pleading look to Darry.

"How much longer? She just got out of the cast and she's only been home three weeks,” Darry spoke up.

"I think that's enough for today. Here are some exercises for you to do at home, and I recommend you try to use your left arm as much as possible. Be careful of the incisions and I want to talk about your limp next week," Dr. Lopez said pointedly. Cordelia nodded and stuck to Darry's side as he looked over the exercises that she would have to do.

"That's about what we were expectin'," Darry sighed as he helped her into the truck.

"It hurts," Cordelia whimpered, cradling her left arm to her chest. Feeling was starting to come back, but it still felt mostly numb and prickly.

"I know, honey. You can take some pain medicine at home," Darry assured her.

"Don't wanna go back here. My leg doesn't need anythin' either," Cordelia complained with a huff.

"Delia, you've been limpin' on and off since you got out. It might just be from the head injury, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Dally and Johnny can't remember if the beam was on your leg or not, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't still injured," Darry reminded her.

"Just got those stupid burns," Cordelia groaned. She was incredibly fortunate that the doctors had immediately dealt with the burns when she got to the hospital because most of them were healed already, although she was left with scars. The doctors all told her that the color would fade as time went by, but she still used the scar cream everyday.

"Next time don't run into a burnin' building," Darry teased.

"Tell your brother that. I was perfectly fine stayin' far away," Cordelia told him.

"Trust me, I have," Darry smiled. "Your chest feelin' okay? I think I'm gonna get Pony an inhaler and maybe Johnny too. All those years of smokin' doesn't help."

Ponyboy had been dealing with random bouts of coughing and his track scores were starting to be impacted by his lungs. He hadn't smoked since the fire and the few times that Dallas had given Johnny a cigarette, the younger teen had started coughing too. Cordelia knew that Dallas was dealing with some shortness of breath too and she wasn't much better.

"Not gonna die," Cordelia shrugged. "Hurts sometimes, but it's not horrible. I had a bad coughing fit a few days ago when everyone was gone, but nothin' since then."

"Why didn't you call?" Darry questioned with furrowed eyebrows.

"Wasn't a big deal," Cordelia answered. "It was just only for a few minutes and then it stopped. I would've called if it had gotten bad."

"Next time, call anyway," Darry instructed as they pulled into the driveway where the T-bird was parked. He had only gotten the morning off to take her to the appointment so he drove away when she went inside. Since it was a school day and Soda was working, Cordelia was expecting to be alone but Dallas was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Thought you had a test today," Cordelia noted as she plopped down next to him. Dallas threw his arm over her shoulder and shuffled to get comfortable in their new position. Cordelia tried to lean into his chest until he got tense, so she sat up straighter and tried not to blush.

"First period. Finished it early and came over here," Dallas responded. Cordelia hummed and put her head on his shoulder to watch the random Western movie that was on as she just enjoyed his company, glad that he could tell she didn't want to talk about her arm.

Their rodeo date had been thwarted when Johnny found out that Dallas would be back to helping because he got Steve and Two-Bit to come to the rodeo to make sure that Dallas wasn't doing too much. Cordelia hadn't even ended up going because they didn't want Steve and Two-Bit to realize what was happening and say something. Instead they had tried to find time alone, but that was proving difficult. With Johnny moving back home since he was fully healed, the teen was with Dallas or the Curtis' more and someone was always watching Cordelia since she was still dealing with dizzy spells, so this was the first time they'd truly been alone since their date.

"Gonna take me out again soon?" Cordelia asked after a few moments of silence.

"Tryin' to. Can't even be alone with you, it seems," Dallas complained.

"Hey, Dal?"

"Hmm."

"What are we?"

That made Dallas quirk up an eyebrow and he gave Cordelia a confused look as she sat up, staring at her lap and tracing a burn on her left hand instead of making eye contact.

"It's just...this is my first real anythin' and I don't know how it works. I went from hatin' you to likin' you real fast, and I don't wanna move too fast, but I also wanna spend time with you. I just don't know if you're my boyfriend or just a boy friend 'cause you kiss me, but then you tensed when I tried to cuddle and-"

"Doll, calm down," Dallas interrupted, gently nudging Cordelia's chin so she'd look up at him. "I tensed 'cause I'm not really a cuddler. Sure, I want you by my side, but I don't cuddle, alright? Give me a few more dates and I'll be your boyfriend, but 'til then, you're mine and that's all we have to say. No dates with anyone else so we can see where this goes. Sound good?"

"So if you say I'm yours, why don't we tell anyone?" Cordelia questioned.

"Shit, kid, what's with all the questions?" Dallas groaned. Cordelia looked back down at her hand and shrugged.

"Just...I've been real confused, Dally. I've been missin' you and I figured if we told people, we could actually go out together, alone."

"'Cause Darry'd kill me, that's why. Give me time to win some more brownie points and then we'll be golden. I'll find time to spend alone with you, don't you worry," Dallas smirked.

"You haven't yet," Cordelia reminded him.

"Alright, smartass, guess you don't want a milkshake," Dallas sighed.

"Wait, no! I want a milkshake!" Cordelia gasped. Dallas smirked and stood up, sticking his hand up to help her. When she went to grab her jacket, Dallas threw his over her shoulders instead. It was new since his other jacket got burned, but it already smelled like him. "Won't you get cold?"

"I'm Dallas Winston. I don't get cold, I'm from New York."

Cordelia rolled her eyes but smiled at Dallas when he opened the car door for her. She sighed happily once the hot air started blowing and pulled the jacket closer.

"So you hated me?" Dallas questioned teasingly.

"I thought you already knew that," Cordelia laughed.

"Knew you didn't like me, but hate is such a strong word," Dallas grinned.

"Maybe not hate, then, but strongly disliked. I guess it changed when you helped us run away and I saw how you cared for Johnny and Ponyboy. I figured if you would risk prison time for three kids who weren't even family then you couldn't be that bad," Cordelia explained. "Plus, you're my type."

"Your type, huh?"

"Yeah. Tall, dark hair, handsome. Plus, I like a guy that I know can protect me and can tell it to me real," Cordelia nodded.

"I am handsome, aren't I?" Dallas smirked.

"Am I your type?" Cordelia questioned. Dallas looked at her out of the corner of his eye and she instantly knew the answer.

"You're not like the other girls I've been with, but that's not a bad thing. Typically go for girls a bit taller and fuller, to be honest. Hair color doesn't real matter, but I do miss your brown hair. And you're quieter than I'm used to, still a bit shy."

"So why' d'ya like me if I'm so different?" Cordelia inquired.

"Guess I needed a change. I'm happy so far," Dallas shrugged. Cordelia was glad when he just went through the drive thru to get their milkshakes, parking at the edge of the parking lot.

"Hey, Dal. Before we get too far, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not...I don't know when I'll be ready to do much more than kissing. I know the type of girls that you're used to and that's not me and I don't want you to get disappointed so I need to know now if you can wait 'cause I'm not gonna get cheated on," Cordelia rushed out.

"I got two hands, don't I?" Dallas responded with a small shrug. Cordelia huffed at his response, making him sigh and turn in his seat to see her better. "Doll, I'm not goin' out with you to have sex. I'm goin' out with you 'cause I like you, and if I get horny, old lefty's a real pal of mine. I'm not gonna cheat on ya, no matter what."

"Promise?"

"God, you're needy. Promise."

Cordelia grinned and decided to try to use her left hand to hold her milkshake cup. Unfortunately, it almost slipped before she could catch it with her other hand.

"God, don't spill that in here! Buck'd kill me!" Dallas gasped, throwing some napkins at her even though she didn't spill a single drop.

"If I'm needy, you're overdramatic," Cordelia shot back. Her thumb and pointer finger responded to her brain by curling, but her other three fingers barely flinched. Dallas noticed her frown and gently took her hand in his to trace over the surgery scar.

"What'd the doctor say?" Dallas asked softly, turning her arm over to look at the scar on her elbow too.

"Don't have any feelin' in those three fingers and limited in the other two. They're not sure if I'll get feeling back or how much I'd even get back, but they're optimistic that the therapy will work. He wants to work on my leg next," Cordelia sighed.

"Good. I'm not lettin' you on Maria 'til you aren't limping anymore and I'd like you to have use of at least three fingers too," Dallas told her.

"Maria might just fight you on that," Cordelia laughed. Dallas' lips twitched a little at the sound and he started driving carefully towards the stables.

"Wanna see my place?" Dallas asked.

"I've already seen your place," Cordelia reminded him.

"When you're not on the run for murder," Dallas clarified. Cordelia giggled a little and nodded, humming along to the radio as he drove. As always, Dallas drove crazy enough that she was reciting her prayers when they practically skidded to a stop.

"See Two-Bit or Steve around? They'll be sure to snitch to Darry if they see me here," Cordelia asked.

"Nah, but Tim's here. Come meet him," Dallas said as he opened her door for her.

"Remind me again why you're friends with someone who broke your ribs."

"'Cause it's Tim. Now let's go," Dallas answered, which didn't give her any clue.

The inside of Bucks was mostly empty since it was daytime, but it was still full enough that Dallas threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close as they navigated through the drunk patrons.

"No drinking, Winston!" Buck yelled from the bar, sending them both a warning glare when they turned to look at him. Cordelia sent the man a small wave while Dallas flicked him off. Cordelia sighed at Dallas' rudeness, but Buck didn't seem to mind because he turned to a guest like nothing had happened. Dallas made his way to the pool table and let go of Cordelia to grab the pool stick right as a man was pulling it back to hit the ball.

"For fucks sake, Winston, I've got $20 on the line here!" The man exclaimed, turning around to glare at the teen. There was a long scar down the side of his tan face, the edge of it blending in to his curly black hair. He was tall and skinny, but in his wife beater, everyone could see his muscles. Dallas raised his hands in a placating manner and sat down, pulling Cordelia down into his lap even though there were multiple empty chairs. She let out a small squeak of surprise and got comfortable.

"Thought you didn't cuddle," Cordelia said into his ear.

"This isn't cuddling. This is showin' the guys here that you're mine and if they even look at you wrong, they'll have to deal with me," Dallas explained, squeezing her hips. Cordelia sent him an unimpressed look and he moved his hand to loosely wrap an arm around her waist instead. The girl turned her face in hopes that he couldn't see her blush.

The pool game lasted another five minutes until Tim won $40 and told everyone that he was done for the day. Once everyone was cleared out and another game started, Tim came back to sit next to Dallas with a beer for both of them and a soda for Cordelia.

"This your new girl?" Tim asked with a disinterested nod at Cordelia.

"Workin' on it," Dallas smirked. Cordelia struggled with the lid on the glass bottle for a moment until Dallas grabbed the chain around her neck and pulled her close enough to use the metal to pop open the lid before he gently pulled on the chain enough to get her close enough to kiss.

"Yeah, just workin' on it," Tim scoffed. Cordelia tried to blink away the shock on her face and hid her smile when the man looked at her. "You're with the Curtis brothers, right? Charlotte? Cynthia?"

"Cordelia, and yes."

"How'd you get that name?" Tim asked with a small laugh.

"It means heart in Latin and in Shakespeare and it means devotion and loyalty. My mama studied literature in college and spoke fluent Latin," Cordelia answered. When she used to complain about her name, her mom would take her into the study to read some of King Lear to her so she could see the history behind their choice.

"Your mama went to college?" Tim asked, raising an eyebrow in shock.

"Delia's a soc," Dallas smirked.

"I was. Not anymore," Cordelia shrugged. Darry still wouldn't give her the number to the lawyer so she could pay her medical bills and there was no way that she would call her aunt, so she still didn't have access to her money.

"Shit," Tim muttered before he jumped into business. "So, Dally, I've got a run for you this weekend. City two hours away with Curly. He'll handle the drugs and you'll be the driver. It's for a bunch of rich dicks who don't know better so it's double the money."

"Nah, man, I'm not goin' on a run with Curly. Kid can't shut up," Dallas groaned. "I'll take anyone else over the kid. Why can't I just do it on my own?"

"I gotta get Curly back into the ring since he's been locked up so long. You're my best guy and people expect you when they want weed," Tim explained. Cordelia wasn't sure if she should be hearing this so she turned her attention to her soda.

"Fine. But if the kid doesn't shut up, I'm throwin' him out of the car, moving or still," Dallas threatened.

"Deal," Tim smirked, his eyes flickering to the door when it opened. The smirk fell and then he grinned at Dallas. "Good luck."

"Fuck that's supposed to mean?" Dallas grumbled, turning around to look. His face fell and then turned stormy and he glared at Tim.

"What?" Cordelia asked, but he ignored her.

"Syl's really goin' with Martinez? Why the fuck didn't you tell me?" Dallas growled.

"Not my business," Tim shrugged.

"Martinez and I do runs all the time. It's my business when I'm gonna be stuck in the car for hours with the guy who fucked my ex while I was locked up," Dallas argued.

"You've got a new broad now. I don't really see the issue," Tim told him. Dallas' jaw clenched and he gently made Cordelia stand up so they could meet the group coming up to them. Judging by the matching jackets and the way everyone greeted Tim, she guessed they were all his gang.

"Hey, Dal. You look nice," a girl complimented, looking him up and down and focusing on the burns on his hands. Her gaze turned to Cordelia and she sent her a fake smile, waving her acrylic nails at her teasingly. Cordelia blushed and looked down at the ground instead of responding.

Sylvia was beautiful with her brown hair shiny and perfectly pulled up into an updo that would take Cordelia hours to master. Her makeup was sharp and her bright red lipstick made her look like a supermodel while it washed Cordelia out. She was also a few inches taller and had a fuller  figure with breasts that were almost falling out of her top while Cordelia was wearing one of Soda's old shirts. For a greaser, Sylvia also was wearing nicer clothes and small heels.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Sylvia," Dallas said tensely before he looked to the guy next to her and snarled a little. "You either, Martinez. Guess I haven't seen you since I got locked up and you decided to fuck my girl."

"Not your girl anymore, Dal. Should've thought about that 'fore you got locked up," Sylvia said smoothly.

"Besides, looks like you've got another girl already," Martinez spoke up.

"Doesn't matter what I've got. What matters is that she was wearin' my ring and you knew she was off-limits. Last time I checked, that calls for a rumble," Dallas said. Cordelia shot her head up and tried to get Dallas' attention, but he barely looked down at her. When she looked to Tim, the man was just grinning with no fear at the threat of a fight.

"Sure, Winston. But I didn't rumble with you when you fucked my sister, so I'd say we're even," Martinez said lowly. Dallas' face flinched but he seemed to realize that he couldn't win a fight while his burns were still healing because he spun on his heel and threw an arm over Cordelia's shoulder to guide her upstairs.

"You okay?" Cordelia asked softly once the door was closed. Dallas grunted and sat down on his bed while Cordelia awkwardly sat down on a random chair.

"Fine. I don't want that bitch back anyway, but Martinez is a piece of shit who beats his girls. Syl might've cheated on me, but she doesn't deserve that," Dallas explained, clenching his fists.

"She's pretty. I'm sure she'll find someone better soon," Cordelia tried to assure him.

"Tim's been itchin' for a while to kick him out of the gang and hittin' Syl might be what makes him do it. If somethin' does happen, it'll be taken care of, but she should be smarter than that," Dallas sighed. Cordelia could see that he wasn't looking for her to give him an answer, so she sighed and started looking around his room. He had cleaned up some, but it still reeked of teenage boy.

"I should probably get back soon. School's almost out," Cordelia said softly.

"Yeah, forgot about that," Dallas mumbled. He made sure not to look over at the pool table as they left, but Cordelia saw Sylvia staring right at her the whole way down. There was an uncomfortable feeling in Cordelia's stomach at the look that she tried to swallow down.

"She's real pretty," Cordelia noted.

"So are you, doll," Dallas assured her, seeming much calmer now that they were away from the drama. "Plus, it's all fake. She's still pretty without the makeup, but she's not a stunner. You, on the other hand, are beautiful. That was my first thought when I saw you."

"Yeah? What was your second?" Cordelia grinned, once again blushing.

"Damn, why's that dude wearin' a skirt and why am I attracted to him?” Dallas laughed. "Darry told us it was gonna be a guy so I had a brief moment of confusion before I realized you were a girl."

"Is Martinez' sister pretty too?" Cordelia asked, trying not to sound jealous. She knew that all of this had happened before she met him, but she wasn't a huge fan of his reputation. Dallas raised an eyebrow and glanced at her with a knowing smirk.

"Never even touched her. She just got so drunk that I let her sleep on my bed while I slept on the floor and she went around tellin' people we fucked so they wouldn't judge her for bein' a lightweight."

"What a gentleman," Cordelia teased.

"Yeah, whatever. Don't worry about Syl or anyone else. Right now, you're mine and that's all you need to worry about," Dallas said seriously, making it to the Curtis house before Two-Bit with the others.

"I know. Are you mine?" Cordelia practically whispered. Dallas looked at her for a moment and then gently grabbed her chain and pulled her close enough to connect their lips.

That was a good enough answer for her.

Chapter Text

One month after her release from the hospital, Cordelia was finally given some freedom to leave the house. She didn't want to go far, but it was still nice to know that she could if she wanted to. School was still out of the picture because she couldn't stay awake all day, but her grades were good enough that the principal was allowing her to just take the midterms to pass the fall semester. As such, Darry allowed her to go to the library all alone as long as she left a note and was home by dinner.

The walk to the library wasn't long, but Cordelia was only halfway there, and she was already tired. She had made the wonderful decision to forgo her pain medicine so that her brain would be clear, not thinking about how the pain might distract her anyway. The cold air also didn't help the pain in her left arm, and each cool breeze sent pain ricocheting through her head, but she was too far to turn around. The honking of a car horn made the girl jump and turn around to see a familiar car pull up beside her.

"Hey, Cordelia. Been a while," Chet said with a smile as he came to a stop and rolled down his passenger side window. Cordelia gave him a soft smile and a small wave.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Cordelia questioned.

"Had a doctor's appointment this morning and decided to stay home for the rest of the day. It's so close to Christmas that the teachers don't really care," Chet shrugged.

"We still have another month 'til Christmas. Thanksgiving is only next week," Cordelia chuckled, stepping in place a little since it was so cold. Chet seemed to notice because he leaned over and opened the door for her.

"Where ya headed?"

"Library. But it's fine, I can walk," Cordelia insisted.

"Get in. I need to study too and I can't ever study at home," Chet told her. Cordelia hesitated for a moment when a sudden gust of wind made her jump into the car, using her right arm to hold her left in front of the heater. They were dealing with a sudden cold snap that made her want to crawl under all her blankets and never leave, but life went on. Unfortunately.

"You don't have to take me home. Ponyboy will probably go to the library after school and we can walk back together or get Soda to drive us home," Cordelia said.

"Alright, but I won't leave 'til I'm sure you're with someone. Didn't think you'd be out on your own so soon," Chet said honestly, sparing a glance at her arm. Cordelia blushed a little and put her hands in her lap.

"Well, my head's usually alright. Some headaches and nausea, dizziness, all that, but nothin' too bad. And my leg only bothers me when it's super cold like this. My arm...I have some physical therapy, but it's gonna take a while 'til I can use it again. I can lift it a few inches, but that's it and I can't make a fist anymore," Cordelia listed, moving her arm to demonstrate.

"Damn. What about the burns? They bother you any?" Chet inquired.

"A little. They're really itchy and sometimes they hurt for no reason, but the hospital has a burn specialist so none of us are dealin' with anything too nasty. Well, Dal is, but that's mostly 'cause he forgets to put on the burn cream unless they're botherin' him," Cordelia answered.

"Dal, huh?" Chet noted with a tense edge to his voice. Cordelia awkwardly cleared her throat and messed with his necklace around her throat.

"Yeah."

"So you two together or something?" Chet asked. Cordelia took a moment to ponder her options with responding. She knew that Chet had been interested in a relationship with her before, and she had humored him while she figured out if she wanted that relationship too. She wasn't sure how he would respond to her going out with someone that she used to dislike, but he was giving her a hard look so she decided to be honest.

"Well, we're not official or nothin', but we're goin' out. We've been on a few dates and all, but it's hard to be alone with everyone all around."

"So he won't ask you to be his girlfriend?" Chet clarified.

"He says he will soon. Just wants to make sure everythin' will be fine," Cordelia said softly, her cheeks pink from Chet's disappointed tone. The older boy let out a sigh and parked the car at the library, turning to look at her.

"Cordelia, he's dragging you along. He'll probably get you interested, have sex with you, and then throw you to the side. That's all a hood like Dallas Winston is interested in. Think about it. Has he gotten you flowers or any nice present to show that he actually likes you? My guess is no."

"Thanks for the ride. I'll see you around," Cordelia said tensely, getting out of the car without a second glance behind her so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes. She could hear Chet calling her name a few times, but he pulled away when she went into the building.

Part of her brain knew that he was right. Dallas had a reputation in Tulsa and despite his repeated assurances, Cordelia wasn't sure if he could change for her. She refused to just be dragged along so Dallas could have sex, but she also didn't want to risk losing someone that she did genuinely care about just because she was scared. To distract herself, Cordelia decided to start with history.

Cordelia wasn't sure how long she stayed at the library, but it was long enough for her to fall asleep. Her body jolted when someone touched her shoulder and she blinked up at a teasing Ponyboy.

"Tired?"

"Shut up," Cordelia muttered, yawning and stretching as Ponyboy sat down next to her. "How was school?"

"Borin' like always. I've read ahead for my English class and my math teacher sucks so I don't even pay attention. Wish I didn't have to go," Ponyboy complained.

"Well, we'll do your math first."

Two hours later, Ponyboy's homework was done and Cordelia was thoroughly exhausted. Ponyboy seemed to notice the way her eyes kept fluttering closed because he gently nudged her shoulder.

"Want me to call for a ride?"

"Yeah, thanks," Cordelia responded. Unfortunately for her, Ponyboy called Dallas to come get them and the teen was already smirking when he sat down across from them.

"Y' know, this is the first time I've been in here," Dallas said proudly.

"Not somethin' you should be braggin' about," Ponyboy told him.

"Whatever. Let's just go 'fore I turn into a nerd like you."

Cordelia sat in the backseat of the car, ignoring Dallas' look of confusion when she bypassed him opening the passenger door for her. Ponyboy snickered a little bit, earning himself a slap to the back of his head that shut him right up. The girl didn't engage in the limited conversation between the two boys, who both seemed a little scared by her attitude.

"Alright, Ponyboy, you head on in," Dallas ordered when he pulled into the empty driveway.

"What if I want to stay and listen?" Ponyboy questioned with a grin. The younger teen practically threw himself out of the car when Dallas reached his hand out to slap him again.

"Be nice to him," Cordelia chastised as Dallas reached over to close Ponyboy's door.

"Oh, so now you talk. Don't even know what I did," Dallas retorted, turning in his seat to glare. Cordelia huffed and returned the glare before she decided to look away and cross her arms to show her displeasure.

"It's not what you did. It's what you haven't done."

"Alright, I'm not doin' this. Crawl over so we can have a real conversation instead of whatever shit you're tryin' to pull."

Cordelia grumbled under her breath but did as instructed, awkwardly crawling over the seats so she was in the passenger side instead of the back. Dallas gave her a hard look when she continued to ignore his gaze.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Dallas finally questioned.

"I talked with Chet today and-"

"Why were you talkin' with that dickface?" Dallas interrupted.

"Because I was cold and hurtin' and needed a ride, that's why. And we're friends, in case you forgot," Cordelia shot back.

"Didn't forget, trust me," Dallas grumbled.

"Anyway, he said that you're just draggin' me along for sex, and I'm inclined to believe him. Why else won't you ask me to go steady?" Cordelia said seriously.

"You've got to be fuckin' kidding me. You're really gonna believe that soc over me? What did I tell you? I'm not goin' out with you for sex. Trust me, if that was why, you'd already be in my bed by now. And what do ya want me to do? Bring you flowers and get down on my knee to ask you to be my girlfriend as if we were five?"

"What if that is what I want?" Cordelia asked. Getting down on his knee seemed a bit dramatic, but the teen wouldn't mind some flowers to show that he cared.

"Then you're not gettin' it from me," Dallas scoffed. "Don't know what type of guy you think I am, but I'm not one of those romantic pieces of shit. I don't get girls flowers or chocolates or teddy bears. I don't cuddle and I don't want to sit there and listen to you yap all day. And I'm sure as hell not gonna sit here and let you accuse me of being a shithead who only wants sex when I've told you before that I was tryin' to get Darry on my good side before I made things official. What's so wrong with what we have goin' on now?"

"It's not real, Dallas. You-you could leave me tomorrow and I couldn't even say anythin' 'cause I'm not your girlfriend," Cordelia answered.

"I could leave you even if you were my girlfriend. Don't think that I'll suddenly change and be a perfect man when we start goin' official," Dallas warned.

"Well, keep actin' like this and you won't have to worry about Darry's permission or changin' even a little bit," Cordelia spat out, slamming the car door shut as she hurried inside.

"Cordelia!" Dallas yelled after her, but the girl ignored him and slammed the front door too, making Ponyboy stare at her with wide eyes and put down his book.

"Everythin' alright?"

"Just fine, Ponyboy. Dallas Winston is just a huge jerk."

---------------------

So as it turns out, Cordelia misses her huge jerk.

After taking a few hours to calm down and think things over, she realized that she overreacted. She never should have listened to Chet and she shouldn't have given Dallas the cold shoulder because that just got him all riled up. However, she was stubborn enough that she refused to call him and apologize. Instead, she decided to see how long before he apologized or got himself a new girl.

It was nearing midnight when Cordelia started hearing tapping on her window. At first, she thought that it was just the wind, but then it got more and more insistent. Grabbing the bat, Cordelia hesitantly stood up and peeked outside, giving the shivering teenage boy outside a displeased look when she realized that she wasn't about to be murdered.

"Makin' me wait forever, doll," Dallas said when she opened her window. He went to pull himself in, but the girl blocked his path.

"It's late," Cordelia informed him.

"Doll, I'm freezin' my balls off. If you wanna kick me out, let me warm up first," Dallas requested. With an angry huff, Cordelia stepped aside and did nothing but watch him struggle to get into the room silent enough that he wouldn't disturb any of the other occupants of the house. It was difficult for him to do because he only had one free hand while the other was holding onto his jacket, which made no sense since it was close to freezing outside.

"Thought Dallas Winston from New York didn't get cold," Cordelia teased as she closed the window.

"Shut it," Dallas said, his teeth chattering. Cordelia rolled her eyes and tossed a throw blanket at him, pointing to her desk chair so he could sit while she perched on the end of the bed, staring down at her nails instead of him.

"Why are you here?" Cordelia questioned.

"'Cause I wanted to give you these."

Cordelia couldn't hide her smile when Dallas unfurled his jacket to show her a bouquet of roses. They even looked like he had actually purchased them instead of stealing them off of someone's grave or out of a garden. The girl hurried to bring her expression back to one of displeasure.

"So you think that flowers will fix everythin'?"

"Shit, doll. You're not gonna make this easy for me, are you?" Dallas sighed.

"Nope," Cordelia grinned.

"Fine. I'm sorry for arguin' with you in the car and for makin' you feel like I was just draggin' you along. I was bein' honest about wantin' to get Darry on my good side before I starting goin' steady with you. With Sylvia, her family hated me and didn't like our relationship, and it caused issues. I was just tryin' to avoid that."

"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have given you the cold shoulder and I should've talked to you," Cordelia said sheepishly.

"Don't pull that shit on me again. My heart was poundin' so hard I'm surprised you didn't hear it," Dallas complained.

"Whatever," Cordelia said with an eyeroll and a grin. "Look, even if Darry doesn't like you, you're still part of the gang. Soda and Pony both like you plenty. Why can't that be enough?"

"It is, but I'm not gonna let Darrel Curtis hold me back from what I want. I don't really listen to him anyway. So, Cordelia O'Brien, d'ya wanna be my girl? Make things official?"

"Is the infamous Dallas Winston askin' me to be his girlfriend?" Cordelia smiled.

"Yeah, doll. This is a limited time offer, tons of people are linin' up to take that place. I'd jump on it if I was you," Dallas smirked. Cordelia grabbed Dallas' hand and pulled him to sit next to her on the bed, leaning up to connect their quickly connect their lips.

"Yes, Dal. I'll be your girl, but I have some conditions," Cordelia answered, making Dallas' smirk fall into a frown as he groaned. "First, no more goin' to jail. That'll just make Darry madder at you and he might try to break us up. I don't care if you do runs as long as you're safe and if you get into any trouble or get hurt, you gotta call me. Finally, you gotta get over the no cuddlin' thing. I'm clingy and if I wanna be clingy with my boyfriend, then I'm gonna be clingy with my boyfriend."

"No promises. The police love me and my handsome face," Dallas joked until Cordelia lightly slapped his shoulder. "Alright, doll. I'll do my best to stay out of jail. No promises on the cuddlin'. Even sayin' the word makes me shudder."

"You're so mean to me," Cordelia sighed. "Not even five minutes into our relationship and you're already makin' me sad."

"Well, we can't have that," Dallas declared, shuffling so he was sitting up against the headboard and then motioning for her to join. Cordelia grinned as she curled into his side and he put a protective arm over her shoulder, her cold feet going under his thighs. He was still shivering enough that he pulled the blanket over them both to provide enough warmth to fight against the chill. Heat was too expensive, so Darry just pulled blankets out from the closet instead.

"See, this isn't so bad," Cordelia said.

"Not so bad here, but if you do this in front of the guys, I'll-"

"Do what?" Cordelia interrupted, craning her neck up to raise her eyebrows at him.

"Don't really know yet. Maybe I won't take you out for a whole week or I won't kiss you. Although both of those would hurt me too, so I'll think of somethin' else," Dallas responded.

"You're a softie, aren't ya?" Cordelia laughed lightly as she leaned her head against his chest.

"Watch it," Dallas warned.

"You got any conditions for me?" Cordelia questioned. Dallas hummed and thought for a moment.

"If I ever do anythin' to make you uncomfortable or scared, you gotta tell me immediately. Don't worry about makin' me upset. Same with if any of the guys say or do anythin'. I'd rather you didn't hang out with Chet, but I don't mind the gang. If I get locked up, I don't want you spendin' your money to get me out unless the bail's low enough I can repay you immediately with an inconvenience fee. And you've gotta be chill with Johnny."

"I lived with Johnny for almost a week, I think we're just fine," Cordelia reminded him. "And that all sounds reasonable. No worried about the money 'cause Darry won't let me call the lawyer to pay my bills off."

"Good. That's your money for your future," Dallas said immediately.

"Yeah, but I have more money than I could ever spend," Cordelia countered.

"You mind tellin' me how much money you got?" Dallas requested.

"Between the house, the property, and all the assets, it's around $5,000,000."

"Holy fuck!"

"Shut up!" Cordelia hissed, sitting up and slapping her hand over his mouth as they both waited to see if his outburst woke anyone up. Dallas just stared at her with wide eyes until they figured it was safe for her to remove her hand.

"Delia, that's...holy shit. I knew you were rich, but I thought it was just a few hundred thousand. Five million! I can't even imagine that," Dallas breathed out.

"You just with me for my money?" Cordelia tried to say nonchalantly, but they could both hear the nervousness in her tone.

"No, doll. I'm not with you for your money and the day I ask for some is the day you can kill me," Dallas assured her. "Just didn't think it was that much. You're a multi-millionaire. Like, multi-multi-millionaire."

"I'm not, my parents are. My grandparents are the ones who started makin' the money and my parents were smart enough to grow it," Cordelia shrugged, letting Dallas pull her back to his chest. Dallas let out a sound of acknowledgement and the pair just enjoyed each others company for a bit before Dallas asked the question they were avoiding.

"So, we gonna tell everyone or wait?"

"Maybe we wait just a bit longer. Not for Darry, but for us to make sure that this works. Maybe two or three weeks and then we'll let everyone know," Cordelia suggested.

"Alright, sounds good to me. Until then, you can expect me at your window every night so I can actually see you," Dallas grinned, kissing her cheek.

"And after that?"

"Darry'll be sittin' in here with his shotgun ready to get me. You won't be seein' me for a whole month."

"Overdramatic baby."

"Shut it, doll. Can't make your boyfriend mad now, can you?" Dallas smirked. Cordelia rolled her eyes and shuffled so she could give him a kiss goodnight. Dallas tried to deepen it, but Cordelia reluctantly pulled away and ignored his groan of displeasure.

"Leave before we fall asleep and get caught," Cordelia ordered.

"See you tomorrow, doll," Dallas said softly, connecting their lips until Cordelia was slightly breathless and her cheeks were red. Dallas once again smirked at her and went to leave, so she decided to bring him down a peg.

"I like lilies more. I expect those next time."

"God fuckin' dammit."

Chapter Text

Thanksgiving was never that important in the O'Brien household, but it looked like the Curtis brothers loved the holiday. Soda and Ponyboy had spent hours decorating the house with drawings of turkeys and pilgrims, roping the whole gang into decorating a turkey made out of their hand shape like preschoolers. Even Darry seemed excited for the holiday, and he stocked the fridge with enough food to feed an army.

"We won't be able to eat all this," Cordelia told Darry as she helped make the green beans the night before.

"You'd be surprised. We always go all out for Thanksgiving and the food usually only lasts two days," Darry chuckled.

"What's the big deal? It's a holiday to celebrate Europeans stealing from and murdering Native Americans. I don't think that's a great thing to celebrate," Cordelia questioned, Johnny making a sound of agreement as he worked on cutting up vegetables.

"Well...we don't celebrate that," Darry said awkwardly.

"Wait, Johnny, is that why you never say anythin' you're thankful for?" Ponyboy gasped.

"Yeah," Johnny confirmed sheepishly.

"It's not like your family was killed," Steve said with a laugh.

"Well, actually, Mama and my grandma said that our family moved this way to escape the colonizers 'cause they started killin' my tribe, so it was actually," Johnny retorted, making Steve's eyes go wide.

"Sorry, man. Didn't know," Steve said awkwardly. Johnny looked a little ashamed by his outburst, so he just shrugged and turned back to his vegetables.

"I don't even like turkey, but Dad did. He loved Thanksgiving and he always made sure that we had a full meal each year," Soda explained to Cordelia to diffuse the tension Steve caused. "I can remember one year he worked a month straight, overtime almost every day, just so we could have a good Thanksgiving."

"When Mama broke her ankle, right?" Ponyboy asked.

"Yeah. You were only five or six," Soda confirmed. "He ate his turkey and then sat down in his chair and slept for eighteen hours."

Everyone laughed, but Cordelia could see the way that Darry was focusing on the food and Ponyboy's hands were starting to shake. It was the first Thanksgiving without their parents, and it looked like it was going to be rough.

"Don't really know how to cook a turkey, so don't complain if it's too dry," Darry warned.

"As long as it's edible, I don't care," Steve shrugged.

"Did you celebrate with your family, Delia?" Ponyboy questioned.

"Not really. Dad usually was busy plantin' during November 'cause he grew oranges and pears and stuff. He would also have to harvest the broccoli and cauliflower and onions, so he was too busy."

"What happened to the farm after your parents died?" Soda asked.

"My Aunt Barbara technically took it over, but she never liked farmin', so she hired a bunch of people to take care of it. She can't sell it 'cause it's legally mine, and she just does whatever they tell her to do. It's a few hundred acres, so it's year-round work," Cordelia responded.

"What happens to the money it makes?" Ponyboy asked through a mouthful of sweet potato pie filling. Darry gently slapped the back of his head and swapped work so he wouldn't have access to the sweets.

"Most of it goes to pay the workers, a small percentage goes to Aunt Barbara for the little bit of work she does, and the rest goes to my savings that I'll get when I'm an adult," Cordelia explained. She usually got a letter two times a year with all the information about how the farm was doing, but she didn't understand most of it. All she knew was that the land was still fertile and she had plenty of money.

"D'ya ever want to go back?" Steve inquired.

"Sometimes. There's a lot of memories there, mostly good, but some bad. I'd like to see if some of my animals are still alive 'cause Mr. Joseph said he'd take care of 'em, but we lost contact. The chickens, cows, and goats are all probably still on the farm since they can sell their products, but I think my horses are gone. Same with Eli's pigs."

"How many horses did ya have?" Soda asked eagerly.

"Three. Wisteria, Rosie, and Poppy," Cordelia said, smiling at the memory. "Poppy was my Mama's from when she was younger, so she's probably gone by now, but Wisteria and Rosie are probably still alive. Wouldn't be surprised if Wisteria is retired, but Rosie's young enough that she might still be competin'."

"Barrel racin'?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah. She's the horse I learned how to race on," Cordelia confirmed.

"We still need to see you in action," Soda said, lightly nudging her side with his elbow.

"How 'bout we wait 'til she can move her arm properly before we put her on a horse," Darry suggested. Soda stuck his tongue out at his older brother, but Cordelia knew he was right. She could now lift her arm completely, but her fingers were still numb and she couldn't make a fist. She probably wouldn't be able to hold the rein even if she tried her best.

"So, if you didn't celebrate Thanksgiving, what did you do?" Ponyboy pondered.

"We'd usually eat turkey, but it wouldn't be a big deal. We'd just use the time to hang out as a family," Cordelia answered.

"Mr. Curtis would never stand for that. He wouldn't let us leave 'til we said somethin' that we were thankful for. One year, he and Darry had to wrestle Dally to the ground 'cause he tried to leave early," Steve said with a snort.

"What was he like? Mr. Curtis?" Cordelia inquired cautiously. Through her time with the Curtis brothers, they rarely mentioned their parents. Cordelia was well aware that they were a happy family, but that was it.

"He was a lot like me. Dar looks like him, but I act like him," Soda started. "Mama'd get onto us for one thing or another, and Dad'd come in after and calm us down. If we ever fought, he'd talk us through it and calm us down. He was real funny too."

"When I'd have my nightmares, he'd come in the room and get me laughin' so hard I wouldn't even remember that I'd been scared," Ponyboy said with a small sniffle that had Soda abandoning his work to throw an arm over his shoulder.

"Taught us all how to play football, change a tire, change oil. All those things," Darry added. "Speakin' of which, I gotta teach you how to change a tire, Pony. I'm not lettin' you get your permit 'til you can take care of the truck."

"Whatever," Ponyboy mumbled with an eyeroll. Darry just sent him a look for the attitude and decided not to get onto him. Cordelia figured that Darry realized the same thing she did: Ponyboy just thought about the fact that he was the only son who didn't have their dad to teach him those things.

"What about Mrs. Curtis?" Cordelia continued.

"She was a saint," Steve said simply. Soda nodded in agreement and had a soft smile on his face when he spoke.

"She really was. She was tough on us, but she'd end every argument by tellin' us 'I love you', and then if it was a bad argument, she'd make us a chocolate cake. Mama wanted to go to college and be a nurse, but she had Darry at twenty, so she gave up that dream for us, but she never acted like she cared. Told us she wouldn't change a thing. And there was nothin' we couldn't talk to her about. Think Darry once went to her when he thought he got his girlfriend pregnant."

"Sodapop Patrick! How did you know about that?" Darry gasped, his cheeks blazing.

"I was listenin' in," Soda grinned. "Heard her congratulate you and chastise you in the same sentence."

"She was scary when she wanted to be," Ponyboy added with a small shudder of remembrance. From what Cordelia had picked up, Mrs. Curtis was the one who dished out punishments, and she guessed that Ponyboy's attitude got him in trouble quite a few times.

"Mama was a good woman. Always took care of anyone who needed help. Dad argued with her about lockin' the door at night, but she would sneak out here after he fell asleep to unlock it in case someone needed help," Darry remembered.

"She'd never complain when she needed to patch me up in the middle of the night," Johnny spoke up. "Mr. Curtis didn't either. They'd just patch me up and convince me to spend the night."

"Same with Dally. Mama had a way with him to keep him out of trouble," Soda nodded.

"Well, out of major trouble. Don't think Dally is capable of stayin' out of trouble completely," Darry corrected.

"Well, aren't you just a bundle of niceness and trust," Dallas said loudly as he came into the house with Two-Bit behind them, both of them obviously having gone on an alcohol run for the holiday.

"It actually has been a while since you've been to lock up," Steve said to Dallas when he came into the kitchen. The teen sent Cordelia a quick wink that made her blush and look away before he looked to the others.

"Gotta fix that soon or the cops might start to get worried," Dallas smirked. "What's got you talkin' about me when I'm not here?"

"Talkin' about Mama and Dad," Soda answered. Dallas flinched just a little and cracked open one of the beers that he brought with him.

"Man, Mr. Curtis was the calmest man ever 'til you got him real mad," Two-Bit laughed. "One time, I got locked up and I couldn't call Mama 'cause she was at work, but I needed someone. I called here not knowin' that it was his only day off, and I thought that he was gonna murder me when I made him come bail me out durin' what was supposed to be his nap."

"He didn't let you come over for a whole week after that and then you had to clean the whole house for free," Ponyboy snickered.

"Y'all are nasty, by the way," Two-Bit insulted.

"As the person who usually ends up cleanin' the bathroom, I agree," Cordelia spoke up.

"Mama'd like you. Dad would too," Soda said as he sidled up next to her to break open more green beans.

"Yeah?" Cordelia asked softly.

"Yeah," Darry agreed.

"Wish they could've met you," Ponyboy sighed.

"Yeah. Me too."

---------------------

Thanksgiving wasn't as lively as they'd hoped it would be. It seemed that their conversation about the Curtis parents did more harm than good because Ponyboy woke up screaming two different times during the night. Darry ended up with both his little brothers in his bed when the crying just wouldn't stop and Cordelia wasn't able to go back to sleep for a while.

She wouldn't tell anyone, but she was struggling too. Every year she got to call her brothers at Thanksgiving, and this would be the first time she didn't get to hear either of their voices. Even though she didn't like the holiday, the reminder that she was all alone was still difficult. She decided to get all her tears out the night before so no one would have to see her cry. Unfortunately, Dallas seemed to realize that something was wrong the moment he walked up to the Curtis house Thanksgiving morning.

"What happened?" Dallas asked softly as he sat down next to her on the porch.

"Nothin'," Cordelia lied.

"C'mon, doll. You're my girl now, don't start lyin' to me," Dallas sighed.

"It's my first holiday where I'm all alone. Last year, Eli was still here and I could talk to him, but today...they're all gone."

"Shit, Delia. I know it's not the same, but you've got the guys," Dallas tried to comfort.

"They didn't grow up with me," Cordelia huffed angrily. "They weren't there when I took my first step and-and they didn't bandage me up when I got hurt. That was Eli and I was there to do that for Henry. I've only been with Darry for a few months, and it's just not the same."

"Thought I said it wasn't the same. Don't gotta snap at me," Dallas responded. "Look, I don't got the answers for ya. I know that it's gonna be hard, but you sittin' out here away from your other family doesn't help. You can't just live in the past. Remember your family but don't push away the people who care about you now."

"Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?" Cordelia teased.

"Shut it," Dallas warned. Cordelia smiled at him and scooted a bit closer, not too close in case anyone was looking outside.

"I know you lost your mom and sister too. You've just had more time to deal with it than I've had with Eli," Cordelia sighed. "Pony had some nightmares last night and it made me have my own, and then I just couldn't stop cryin'. Guess I'm just real tired now."

"If you want, I'll spend the night tonight. Sleep on the floor to keep an eye on you and help out just as long as you don't cry on me," Dallas offered.

"Yeah? You'd sleep on a floor for me?" Cordelia asked with a small grin.

"Don't get all excited. Buck's havin' a big party and I don't feel like listenin' to Hank Williams all night," Dallas tried to excuse.

"Alright. But I'm keepin' my bat right next to me, and I'm not afraid to use it," Cordelia warned.

"Not like you're gonna need it, but if that makes you feel more comfortable," Dallas shrugged before he leaned his face closer to hers and grinned in a way that had the butterflies in her stomach racing. "I'm a good southern gentleman, princess. Don't you forget it."

"You're a Yankie," Cordelia countered. Dallas smirked a little and risked a quick kiss before he nodded his head for them to head inside.

Luckily, everyone was in the kitchen trying to finish making lunch. With Cordelia actually helping and Dallas stealing bites of food, it took them another hour before they were finally able to sit down and eat. Some of the food was edible, some of it less so. Soda's mashed potatoes were green and the cranberry sauce was somehow rock hard in some places and liquid in others. Luckily, the turkey and bread were perfect.

"So, anyone want to share what they're thankful for?" Darry asked once they were done eating.

"Not really. Don't feel right without Dad," Ponyboy murmured.

"Well, I just want to say that I'm thankful we're all here today. It's been hard, but I'm proud of us that we've made it through," Darry said.

"Aww, Superman's so sappy," Two-Bit teased.

"Alright. What are you thankful for?" Darry snapped back.

"Beer and blondes," Two-Bit laughed, already drunk.

"Don't you have your own family to spend time with?" Soda asked him with an amused smile.

"Like every single year, Mama and Susie are cookin' and if I go in the house, they just yell at me. I'm safe here 'til dinner," Two-Bit responded, his eyes wide with sincerity.

"I'm thankful that I don't have to spend dinner with Two-Bit," Steve grinned. Two-Bit made a groaning sound and covered his heart with his hands before he flicked off the mechanic.

"Anyone have anythin' serious?" Darry sighed.

"I'm thankful for everyone here. I didn't think I'd ever find another family or anyone who cared about me, but I've found that here, so thank you," Cordelia said softly. Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy all smiled at her, Soda leaning over the table to ruffle her hair until she slapped his hand away.

"I'm thankful for itch cream," Dallas said, turning his left hand to show the mostly healed burns and scabs.

"Well, if you had actually taken care of your burns like you were supposed to, you wouldn't still need the itch cream. I haven't needed mine in weeks 'cause I listened to the doctor," Cordelia chastised.

"Same," Johnny nodded.

"Well, I'm not good at listenin'," Dallas told her with a smirk and a quirk of his eyebrow, making the girl roll her eyes.

The rest of the day went by quickly. Eventually, Two-Bit headed home for dinner, dragging Johnny along at the request of his mom and sister. Steve had to bring his dad some leftovers as a peace offering after their latest fight, and Dallas wanted to make sure no party guests ended up using his room for anything sinful.

"So, how was your first real Thanksgiving?" Soda asked Cordelia, leaning against her doorframe to watch the girl layer up the blankets. It had gotten cold during the day and it was even snowing a little. Ponyboy was already in bed so he could get up early enough to play in the snow before the sun came out and melted it.

"It was nice. Next year, I want normal colored potatoes. It felt wrong eatin' green potatoes and gravy," Cordelia answered honestly.

"No promises," Soda grinned. "I'm thankful for you too, Delia. It's nice to have a little sister and you've done a lot for all of us. Don't think I would've been able to manage the other two on my own."

"Love you, Soda," Cordelia smiled, wrapping her arms around his middle.

"Love you, too. Good night," Soda said softly, squeezing her and pressing a kiss to her hairline. Cordelia mumbled 'good night' and then made sure to lock her door just in time to hear someone knock on the window.

"Glory, open the window!" Dallas hissed. Cordelia rushed to let her boyfriend in and carefully helped him inside. She had taken extra blankets just for him, and the boy immediately wrapped himself in the fabric.

"How long were you put there?" Cordelia questioned.

"Ten minutes. Didn't think Darry'd like to see me comin' in, and then Soda showed up. It's fuckin' cold, doll," Dallas answered through chattering teeth.

"So, Dallas Winston from New York does get cold," Cordelia teased.

"No, I don't," Dallas grumbled. Cordelia smiled and held his cold cheeks in her hands so she could give him a kiss, the boy leaning into her warm embrace.

"You can sleep on the bed, but not under the same blanket as me. And Mr. Bat is ready to go if he's needed," Cordelia said seriously, pointing to the piece of wood.

"Don't think we'll be gettin' acquainted," Dallas assured her. The two of them got comfortable on the bed and Cordelia gave him a soft smile.

"Thank you, Dal. I appreciate you, a lot."

"Get some sleep," Dallas told her, returning the soft smile. Cordelia pulled the blankets up higher and managed to fall asleep in no time at all.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before she woke up to a stabbing pain in her lungs. She was used to random coughing fits as her lungs recovered from the fire, but this was worse than normal. Each breath came out as a wheeze and she couldn't stop coughing so hard that it made her feel like it was choking. Her hand fluttered over to slap at Dallas, the boy waking up and scrambling to sit up at the sound of her hacking up a lung.

"Shit, Delia. C'mon, you gotta breathe," Dallas said worriedly, guiding her to sit on the side of the bed and lean over some. Cordelia tried to inhale between coughs, but her lungs refused to work, her fingers tingling and her head spinning. Dallas cursed again and stared at her with panicked eyes that she returned, clinging to his arm for some stability. Footsteps rushed towards her room and someone tried opening her door only to find it locked.

"Cordelia, open the door!" Darry yelled. "I've got medicine, just open the door if you can."

"Hold up!" Dallas said, rushing around the room until he saw the key on her desk. Cordelia's head was swimming so hard that she could barely see the way that Darry glared at Dallas when he got the door open, but she could see that her boyfriend still flinched. Darry roughly pushed Dallas to the side and kneeled down in front of Cordelia, grabbing her left hand as it reached for something to hold onto.

"C'mon, sweetie, take a deep breath on this," Darry instructed, putting something in her mouth. The teen barely managed to inhale as he pressed down and something bitter filled her mouth. Cordelia coughed a little and leaned on Darry's chest as the medicine worked and she could breath again. Slowly, the coughing subsided and the tingling went away, leaving her shaking and dizzy.

"Is she okay?" Ponyboy asked anxiously.

"She'll be fine. Soda, get her a glass of water," Darry ordered.

"It started out of nowhere," Dallas spoke up.

"You shut the fuck up, Dallas," Darry said lowly. Cordelia whimpered a little bit so Darry shuffled so he was sitting on the bed with her basically completely in his lap so her head was still on his chest. Cordelia squeezed her eyes shut and tried to follow his breathing.

"Here you go, Delia," Soda said softly. The teen opened her eyes just enough to grab the glass and take a few sips before she passed it back to the other teen.

"Better?" Darry asked.

"Yeah," Cordelia said, wincing at how raw her throat was.

"You wanna go back to bed?" Darry questioned, pushing her sweaty hair away from her face. Cordelia whimpered and shook her head, scooting impossibly closer. She could feel Soda sit down at the foot of the bed and start rubbing her ankle while Ponyboy crawled up to sit next to her and lean on Darry's side.

"So, what's Dallas doin' in your room?" Soda asked teasingly when he saw that Cordelia was mostly calmed down.

"Yeah. Real good question," Darry said harshly.

"I-"

"I told you to shut the fuck up," Darry interrupted. Cordelia could see that Dallas' fists were clenched at his side, but he was smart enough to stay quiet.

"We're goin' out. I had a-a nightmare last night so I asked him to stay with me tonight in case I had another," Cordelia croaked out.

"I knew it!" Ponyboy gasped, bouncing a little.

"Damn. I owe Steve $2 now," Soda complained. "He bet you two were already goin' out, I bet that you'd start goin' out in December."

"Sorry," Cordelia mumbled.

"I'll deal with this in the mornin'. Dallas, you can go ahead and go sleep on the couch since it's snowin'," Darry said tiredly, his voice barely hiding his anger.

"She's alright, right?" Dallas questioned.

"'M fine, Dal," Cordelia mumbled sleepily, doing her best to send him a reassuring smile. The teen hesitated before he grabbed some blankets and went up front to avoid Darry's wrath.

"She grounded?" Soda grinned at Darry, wriggling his eyebrows. Ponyboy let out a knowing laugh and got under the leftover blankets as if it was his own bed. Cordelia managed to lift her head enough to see Darry's pissed off expression, and she already knew what his answer would be.

"'Til the day she dies."

"Well, fuck."

Chapter Text

"Delia, c'mon, it's snowing! Wake up!"

"Get off me, Pony," Cordelia mumbled, turning over so Ponyboy couldn't shake her anymore. Cordelia didn't know when she managed to fall back asleep, but when she woke up, Ponyboy was asleep next to her while Darry and Soda had left. The inhaler was sitting on her bedside table in case she needed it again, but she managed to fall back asleep without needing more medicine.

"But it's snowin'!" Ponyboy argued, continuing to shake her. Cordelia huffed and threw the blankets off her head to glare.

"It's the buttcrack of dawn."

"It's noon, Delia," Ponyboy snorted, smirking at her. "Plus, I thought you'd want to know what Darry did to Dally."

That made Cordelia finally sit up to look at her little brother. The brat just grinned at her and didn't provide any further details.

"What, Pony? What'd he do?" Cordelia prodded.

"Oh, nothin'. Dally left before Darry even woke up," Ponyboy said calmly. Cordelia reached out and slapped his arm, smirking when he yelped.

"How pissed is he?" Cordelia questioned.

"Hasn't said much all mornin'. He's extra mad 'cause he can't work in the snow. It's so bad that even the warehouse closed for the day 'cause no one can drive," Ponyboy answered. Cordelia grimaced and nudged Ponyboy out of her room so she could get ready for the day. Darry had turned on the heat, but it was still cold enough that she was shivering without a sweater on. The teen took her time getting ready because she wasn't looking forward to Darry's punishment.

"Mornin', Delia," Soda greeted with a smirk when she finally made her appearance. Ponyboy and Johnny were outside having a snowball fight, but Two-Bit and Steve were sitting in the front room. They both cheered when they saw her until her glare and Darry's made them stop.

"You alright?" Darry checked. He was sitting at the kitchen table to do bills, which would do absolutely nothing to help her. He always got stressed when it was bill time, and that meant that he was likely to blow up and cause a fight over any little thing. They had all learned to avoid the kitchen when they heard him grab the mail.

"Chest and throat both hurt a little, but I'll live," Cordelia shrugged.

"The inhaler is Pony's, but you can use it if you need it. I already called your doctor and you have your own that we can go get when the snow melts," Darry told her. Cordelia nodded and sat down at the opposite end of the table to eat some French toast that someone had made.

"So, Delia," Two-Bit started, a mischievous smile on his face as he sat down in a chair. "Where's your loverboy?"

"Fuck off," Cordelia groaned, her cheeks blazing.

"You're grounded for a month, by the way," Darry spoke up. "No goin' out without permission and a nine pm curfew even on the weekends. No movies and you're on dish duty the whole time too."

"Darry! That's not right!" Cordelia huffed.

"No, what's not right is findin' out that you had a boy sleepin' in the same bed as you and no one knew. Not to mention that the boy is a criminal," Darry countered, his voice deep and tight. Two-Bit let out a low whistle and made himself scarce.

"It was the first time he stayed over and it was only 'cause I didn't wanna have a nightmare. We slept under different blankets and never even touched," Cordelia argued.

"I don't really care. If the rules weren't clear, you're not allowed to have anyone sleepin' in your bed other than Ponyboy or Soda. Plus, I'd be quiet if I were you. It seems like you've been keepin' this quiet for quite some time, and that's not makin' me too happy."

"Only a week or so. We were gonna tell you soon," Cordelia said quietly.

"We're happy for you, honey, but it was a bit of a shock when he was the one who opened your door," Soda tried to soothe. "Thought Darry was gonna have a heart attack when he saw Dally. We knew you two were gettin' close, but it would've been nice to know that you were goin' steady."

"Why? So you could tease us?" Cordelia questioned, nodding her head to where Two-Bit and Steve were snickering.

"No, 'cause Dally's...not really the relationship type," Soda said hesitantly. "He and Sylvia were always fightin', and he never cheated on her, but he wasn't exactly the best boyfriend neither. We always thought the two of 'em were together just for sex."

"Dallas pressure you to do anythin'?" Darry asked lowly.

"Of course not! Look, it doesn't matter what happened with Sylvia 'cause I'm not her. He's been just fine with me so far. He's the one who got me those flowers, I didn't just randomly decide to buy them," Cordelia argued, pointing to the wilting flowers on the kitchen table. She had lied and said that she had bought them for herself and the boys had been none the wiser.

"Dallas Winston bought flowers for someone?!" Two-Bit laughed, Steve joining in.

"Well, he told me not to get used to it," Cordelia shrugged. "He was apologizin' for bein' annoying earlier in the day."

"Glory," Darry mumbled under his breath, letting out a heavy sigh.

"C'mon, Darry, he's your friend," Cordelia reminded him. Darry twitched his head and scoffed a little.

"Friend might be an exaggeration. He's friends with these idiots and I'm forced to hang out with him. He's a bad influence on you and especially Ponyboy, and I honestly don't want any of y'all around him 'til he stops gettin' arrested every other week. Plus, he gets into fights every other week with Shepherd and I'm the one who ends up patchin' him up 'cause he can't handle his anger issues."

"Well, if it wasn't for him, Ponyboy and I'd both be dead 'cause you couldn't handle your anger issue, so I don't see how you have room to talk."

Two-Bit and Steve's chuckles stopped and the room went silent other than Soda's gasp. The sound of Ponyboy and Johnny laughing and yelling outside was such a stark contrast that Cordelia wanted them to just shut up. Darry's jaw was tight as he looked down at her and Cordelia looked down at the floor because she couldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sure you don't mean that, Delia," Soda tried to intervene. Cordelia ignored him and looked up to Darry, who met her eyes and raised his eyebrows to get her to talk.

"Like it or not, Darry, Dal's my boyfriend now and he's good for me. You have no room to talk when you're the reason I'm covered in burns and can't go two days without a headache. I might've forgiven you, but I haven't forgotten and I never will."

"I'm goin' out," Darry muttered, stomping to the front to grab his jacket.

"Dar, it's freezin' and icy! You can't go out in this!" Soda argued as he ran after him. Darry completely ignored his brother and stormed outside without a second glance behind him. Cordelia clenched his fists and focused on a burn in the carpet instead as Steve and Two-Bit slipped out and were quickly replaced with Ponyboy and Johnny.

"What's goin' on? Why's Darry leavin' when the weather's this bad? I thought he didn't have to work," Ponyboy inquired, his voice full of worry.

"'Cause Cordelia told him that her injuries are his fault!" Soda said angrily, spinning around to glare at her. Cordelia took a step back when she was met with watery and angry eyes that looked strange on Soda's usually kind and happy face. "It doesn't matter how long you've lived here, you don't know us well enough to talk like that. You're not a Curtis and you never will be, which means that you can't speak to any of us like that, especially not Darry. If something happens to him out in this weather, it'll be your fault and I'll be glad when you're sent off to some girls' home. I hope Darry sends you off today."

Cordelia choked on a sob and ignored Ponyboy's exclamation as she ran back to her room and locked the door, sliding down to sit and cry. Guilt and anger filled her mind in such a confusing mix that it didn't take long before a migraine started. Her eyesight was spinning and her fingers were starting to go numb as she reached for her trashcan and threw up her breakfast. Shouting up front just made the headache worse until she was lying on her side in a fetal position with her hands covering her ears and her eyes squeezed shut against the harsh sunlight filtering in. Her lungs ached from her sobbing and each breath was getting harder and harder to take, which didn't help her vertigo.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed there until she heard the sound of her window opening and a body landing inside her room. The figure blocked the sunlight as they just observed her for a moment before they were moving to close the curtains. Cordelia's sigh of relief turned into a whimper when arms suddenly pulled her to a sitting position and something was pressing against her lips.

"C'mon, Cee, it's the inhaler. You've gotta breathe," Dallas' voice said softly but urgently. Cordelia leaned into his chest and accepted the medicine despite the bitter taste. Just like the night before, it took the medicine a little bit before it worked enough for the burn in her lungs to turn into a manageable flame.

"Dar-"

"I know, baby. Johnny called and explained everythin'. Darry made it to Buck's and downed a few beers 'fore Johnny could get him on the phone. He's stayin' over there 'til the buzz has worn off and he can drive again. He gave Soda an earful and sent me over, which says somethin' 'bout how he's feelin'."

"Gotta go," Cordelia murmured, hiccupping as she took shuddering breaths.

"Go where?" Dally questioned as he rubbed her back for comfort.

"Gonna send me 'way."

"Darry's not gonna send you away," Dallas said angrily.

"He should," Cordelia mutters, wincing and turning her head into Dallas' chest to block out the little bit of sunlight that was still streaming in. Despite the silence up front, her head was still pounding.

"Your head hurt?" Dallas inquired. Cordelia whimpered in confirmation and Dallas sighed, picking her up to put her in the bed. The girl burrowed under the blankets and reached her hand out to grab at Dallas, but he only squeezed her hand for a moment before he started walking away.

"Stay," Cordelia requested. If this was going to be her last afternoon in Tulsa, she wanted to spend it with him.

"I'll be right back, doll. Just gotta get you some medicine and water. Know if you've got any mouthwash?" Dallas told her. Cordelia sniffled and curled back into a fetal position, not having the energy to answer. She heard him sigh and head for the bathroom to look around.

"Dally?"

That was Soda, his voice timid and shaky like he had been crying. Next came the sound of drawers being pulled open with much more force than necessary.

"Dallas, please, just listen to me."

"Sodapop, I swear to God-"

The bathroom door closed and the voices turned into whispers that Cordelia's head wasn't able to comprehend with how it was spinning. Soft footsteps that were much too light to belong to anyone other than Ponyboy stopped right by her bed and then she heard what sounded like a glass being put down.

"Delia? Can I-can I stay with you?" Ponyboy asked hesitantly. The girl's head was spinning so fast that she could barely manage to lift her right arm enough to move the blanket maybe half an inch, but Ponyboy must've understood her approval because he carefully climbed onto the bed and pushed himself against her side.

"Gonna miss you," Cordelia mumbled.

"You're not goin' anywhere, Delia, 'cause if you go, I go," Ponyboy said softly but firmly. "I already told Soda that and he's real sorry. He didn't mean it none and he knew that he messed up right after he said it. We just...you understand, Delia. We're all we've got left. Mama and Dad, they got stuck on the tracks 'cause of the ice. It's real scary for us and he freaked out."

Cordelia didn't have the energy to argue. Soda was right. She wasn't a Curtis and she never would be, and based off of past experience, she would be gone by the morning. No matter what they said, having multiple fights with multiple people in less than twelve hours meant that she would be gone.

"Ponyboy, what're you doin'?" Dallas sighed when he saw them.

"She told me I could!" Ponyboy whisper shouted.

"Quiet," Dallas hissed even though Cordelia hadn't reacted to Ponyboy's slightly louder voice.

"What, mad that I'm in your spot?" Ponyboy teased.

"Kid, you're lucky Delia's sick."

Ponyboy snickered a little at Dallas' words and then two sets of hands were working to have her sit up. Cordelia whined when the blanket fell off of her head and she tried to shuffle back down, but Dallas sat down in the little space left and pulled her to his chest.

"Don't gotta open your eyes, but you've gotta take your medicine and I got some mouthwash for you. It's the medicine the doctor got you so you're gonna get sleepy, but that's a good thing. By the time you wake up, your headache will be gone and Darry'll be home."

Cordelia panicked when she felt a pill pushing at her lips and her body seemed to move on autopilot. She pushed away from Dallas and ended up falling back onto Ponyboy, who sputtered with shock but put an arm around her anyway. Dallas' hand reached out to gently touch her arm and Cordelia couldn't prevent her flinch.

"Alright, you're fine, doll," Dallas soothed. "Here, Ponyboy, tell her what the bottle says. It's just your pain medicine."

"Yeah, Delia. It's that Para...I can't say that. It's what the doctor said to take when you get your migraines," Ponyboy confirmed, sounding a little confused. Cordelia managed to open her eyes enough to see Dallas' look of concern before she closed them again and opened her mouth for him to give her the medicine. She really didn't want to fall asleep, but she was hurting enough that she would do anything to make it stop.

"Don't drink too fast," Dallas warned when he put a straw into her mouth. Cordelia took enough sips to swallow the pill and soothe her throat before she heeded his warning and went to shuffle back down.

"Mouthwash, Delia," Ponyboy reminded her. She let out another whine but stayed sitting up just long enough to swish the mouthwash around a few times before spitting it back out into the cup so she could finally lay down again.

"I'm gonna go take care of the trashcan and then I'll be right back. Keep an eye on her and keep Sodapop out," Dallas instructed. Ponyboy huffed a little but agreed, gently shushing Cordelia when she started to cry again.

"Make it stop," Cordelia whimpered out, pulling at her hair with her one good arm. Her left arm was stiff, other than a few random spasms that made her feel excruciating pain, and it was refusing to respond to her brain. Ponyboy gently grabbed her hand to pull it down and she heard him sniffle.

"'M sorry, Delia. Just let the medicine work," Ponyboy advised, sounding unsure. Cordelia sobbed and curled up tighter, a hand working its way through her hair. The girl continued to take shaky gasps of pain until she heard someone else join Ponyboy in the room and smelled the familiar cologne that made her feel just a little bit better.

"Sleep, doll. We're right here and we'll be here when you wake up."

--------------------

Waking up after a migraine was always the worst. Cordelia's mouth was dryer than the Sahara desert and her eyes felt like they were glued shut, but the pain was manageable and her left arm responded when she uncurled it. The spot next to her in the bed was empty, but a familiar mop of brown hair was leaning against the side of her bed.

"Dal?" Cordelia croaked out, gently nudging him. Dallas gently swatted at her hand until he realized where he was and then he was jumping up.

"Hey, doll. How're you feelin'? Need anythin'?"

"Water."

Dallas immediately grabbed a cup and guided a straw between her lips, keeping a careful eye to make sure she didn't drink too much at once. Her stomach was cramping so hard that she didn't want much anyway.

"Still hurtin'?" Dallas questioned.

"Head, arm, stomach," Cordelia confirmed, leaning back against her headboard. The sunlight was replaced with moonlight that just barely illuminated the room enough for her to see Dallas. His eyebrows were furrowed as he observed her and he was chewing on his bottom lip.

"Stomach probably hurts 'cause you didn't have much in your stomach when you took the medicine. 'M sorry, I should've thought about that. Is it better than before, your head?" Dallas said in a rush.

"Hurts," Cordelia murmured, not able to think of anything else.

"Think you can eat some crackers? If you want more, Darry ordered pizza for us," Dallas asked. Cordelia scrunched up her face at the idea of pizza and shook her head.

"'S fine. When do I gotta go?"

"Cee, you're not goin' anywhere," Dallas said firmly, grabbing her hands so she'd look at him. Her eyesight swam a little, but it was much better than before. "Darry was pissed, but he's not mad at you anymore. And Soda's a little shit who doesn't know what he's talking about. Alright? You're not goin' anywhere."

"'M gonna miss you," Cordelia sniffled. Dallas' jaw clenched and his shoulders dropped as he exhaled a long breath. Fortunately, the voices attracted the attention of the other inhabitants because someone gently knocked on the door. Dallas gently squeezed Cordelia's hands and got up to answer, whispering with someone before he opened the door enough for a red-eyed Darry to come in.

"Hey, baby. How're you feelin'?" Darry asked softly, grabbing the chair to sit at her side while Dallas perched on the foot of the bed.

"I'll pack tonight," Cordelia told him. Darry's face fell and he leaned forward to observe her closer.

"Don't know if it's the migraine or the medicine, but she's not with it," Dallas said softly.

"Close your eyes real quick, honey," Darry instructed. Cordelia blinked at him until he gently reached out and covered her eyes with one hand while the other flicked on her lamp. The girl squinted against the brightness for the few seconds that it took for Darry to see what he needed and then she sighed with relief when the room got dark again. "Think she's high 'cause her pupils are blown to hell. How much did ya give her?"

"The whole pill 'cause it said to give her one if the migraine is real bad," Dallas answered anxiously.

"If she threw up then she really only should've taken half of one," Darry sighed.

"Well, I didn't really know what to do. Soda was cryin', Ponyboy looked close to tears, and she was whinin' in pain every few seconds. I did what I thought was best," Dallas argued.

"Dally, I'm not mad. Thank you for takin' care of her, but in the future, she only gets a full pill if she's eaten," Darry said calmly before he turned his attention back to a half-asleep Cordelia. "Honey, you've gotta eat somethin' and drink more water. You need to use the bathroom first?"

"Don't wanna go, Dar. Didn't mean it," Cordelia breathed out, grimacing a little as she shuffled.

"You're not goin' anywhere, Cordelia. You're not leavin' this house 'til you're eighteen and off to college, and I don't wanna hear you apologizin' none either. We'll talk when you're not high anymore," Darry told her.

"Hurts," Cordelia complained.

"Alright, I know it does. Dally, go heat up some oatmeal. I want her to eat somethin' more than crackers," Darry ordered, putting an arm around her shoulders as he carefully moved her to stand. Cordelia gasped a little and clung onto him. "Delia, we're gonna go to the bathroom and then you can come right back here to eat. You wanna change?"

"Don't wanna go."

"Okay, so that's sticking," Darry sighed.

Despite how weird her head felt, Cordelia followed Darry's instructions. She had enough coordination to use the bathroom by herself, but Darry had to remind her to wash her hands and he had to help her back to her room. Luckily, she had never changed out of her pajamas so she was comfortable enough.

"Here, doll. Some oatmeal and orange juice," Dallas encouraged. Darry had to spoon feed her a few bites before her stomach turned and she barely grabbed her trashcan in time to vomit. The bile burned her throat and made her feel even worse as her body heaved over and over again until nothing was coming up.

"There's some anti-nausea medicine in the cabinet," Darry instructed to Dallas, who rushed out of the room. Darry tied Cordelia's hair back with a rubber band he found and gently wiped her mouth once she was done, grabbing the trashcan before her weak hand dropped it.

"Why's she throwin' up again?" Dallas questioned when he came back. Darry popped open one of the pills and shoved it in Cordelia's mouth to dissolve, knowing that she wasn't in any position to understand instructions. The girl let out a grunt of disgust and cuddled down into the blanket.

"Between the coughing fit last night, the panic attack, migraine, and now she's high, it doesn't surprise me. If it doesn't get better, we'll have to take her to the hospital."

Cordelia was too tired to understand Dallas' sharp intake of breath, so she decided to just ignore it and focus on the hand running through her hair instead as she fell back into the warm embrace of sleep.

Chapter Text

When Cordelia woke up the next morning, she was completely exhausted, confused, and inexplicably thirsty. Her head was still pounding a little and her stomach was cramping, but it was much better than the night before. A quick glance showed that Dallas was asleep in her desk chair with his feet resting on the foot of her bed while Darry had dragged the armchair into her room to sleep. They both looked so exhausted that she felt horrible waking them up but she didn't trust herself to walk and biology was calling.

"Dal!" Cordelia hissed, kicking her feet to jostle his feet. Dallas grunted and pulled the blanket up higher. "Dallas Winston!"

"Fuck off," Dallas mumbled before he remembered where he was and jumped up. "Shit, Cee, scared us half to death. How're you feelin'?"

"Gotta pee," Cordelia admitted. Dallas smirked a little and came to help her up, bumping into Darry's chair as he did.

"What's goin' on?" Darry asked sleepily, yawning into his elbow.

"Takin' her to the bathroom. Can you get some breakfast goin'?," Dallas answered.

"Alright. But don't go in there with her or-"

"Chill, man," Dallas interrupted, a hint of anger in his tone. "You don't gotta treat me like some horny kid. Have some faith in me."

Darry clenched his jaw and made sure that Cordelia was stable in Dallas' arms before he headed up front and Dallas guided her to the bathroom. He was ready with another pair of pajamas when she opened the door and she sent him a sheepish look.

"Don't think I can change on my own," Cordelia said honestly, holding her left arm to her chest. It had spasmed so much that it was stuck at a slight angle and she couldn't feel any of her fingers and only her pointer and thumb were responding.

"Let me call Darry to help," Dallas offered.

"No, you can. It's fine," Cordelia said softly. Dallas' eyebrows jumped but he nodded and closed the bathroom door behind him. As he helped her change into an old t-shirt and pajama pants, he kept his eyes respectfully closed or trained to the floor and wall. She only caught him looking up once, and he hurried to look away with his cheeks turning pink. His hands were gentle as they pulled the shirt down, his fingertips gently brushing her skin.

"Good?" Dallas asked when she was done. Cordelia nodded and turned around to hug him, Dallas quickly reciprocating the embrace.

"Was I high?" Cordelia mumbled into his chest.

"High as fuck," Dallas confirmed, his chest rumbling with laughter. "C'mon, let's go eat. I'm fuckin' starving."

"Could've eaten already," Cordelia told him when she looked at the clock and saw it was already eleven thirty.

"Had more important things to do," Dallas shrugged, his arm over her shoulder to help stabilize her. She felt like she had when she first got out of the hospital, and she hated it.

"You were asleep when I woke you up," Cordelia teased.

"'Cause you were up all night throwin' up. Darry almost took you to the hospital, Cee," Dallas said seriously. Cordelia frowned and took her place at the table, not having any memory of that.

"What all d'ya remember?" Darry asked, clearly reading her facial expression. He put two slices of toast in front of her while he and Dallas has toast, eggs, and bacon. Cordelia thought for a moment and then pushed the plate away when her stomach twisted.

"Dunno. It's all one big blur. Am I...when do I gotta be gone?"

"Glory, Delia, not 'til you're eighteen and you wanna leave," Darry sighed. "I'm not kickin' you out just 'cause of one little argument. I insulted Dallas and you responded truthfully, which I can't fault you for."

"Soda said-"

"It was his anniversary with Sandy and he had spent the night cryin'. He didn't mean it, he was just tired and scared. That doesn't excuse what he said and I've already dealt with that. He doesn't get to tell me to kick you out, and I had no plans of doin' that. He feels like shit over what he said and he wants to talk to you when you're better."

"Where is he now?" Cordelia asked, taking a small bite of toast.

"He and Pony are with Two-Bit. Figured you'd need the space," Darry answered.

"If they wanted me gone, would you send me away? If Ponyboy and Soda both told you that they didn't want me livin' here anymore, what would you do?"

Darry went silent and Cordelia knew the answer.

"That's not gonna happen, so don't worry about it," Dallas responded instead. "With how Ponyboy was arguing last night about goin' to Two-Bit's, I don't see him wanting you gone anytime soon."

"Soda doesn't want you gone either," Darry added. "And I want you here. You might not be a Curtis, but you are family and one argument doesn't change that. What you said was right: I hit you and I'm the reason you're hurt. It was immature of me to run out just 'cause you told me the truth."

"Not your fault I'm hurt," Cordelia argued. "That's Bob's fault. He attacked us and he's the reason we had to run away, not you. I don't blame you for any of this."

"You should," Darry whispered.

"Finish eatin' and drink some of the water. I bet you're starving," Dallas said to change the subject.

"Not really," Cordelia shrugged, glancing up at Darry. "You can let Ponyboy and Soda come home. You didn't have to send them off just for me."

"Didn't really want Ponyboy seein' you like that either," Darry admitted. "He really loves you, Delia. He was real freaked out."

"I love him, too," Cordelia said softly. "I'm sorry to freak him out."

"That's on me," Dallas said apologetically. "Didn't read the 'only take with a full stomach' warning."

"It's fine, Dal," Cordelia assured him when she saw the look in his eyes. Dallas shrugged and focused on his eggs instead.

"I'll call Two-Bit and have him drive the boys over. I'm sure they'll want to talk with you if you're up for it, or I'll let you rest and have them be quiet," Darry told her.

"Tell them to be quiet but we can talk."

It felt like seconds before the boys were spilling into the house, immediately looking for Cordelia where she was curled up on the couch with her head in Dallas' lap so he could run his hand through her hair. She was so exhausted that he hadn't argued when she got comfortable, even if she knew he didn't like cuddling in public.

"Delia!" Ponyboy gasped, sitting down on the floor in front of her.

"Calm down, Pones. She's still sick," Darry warned. Soda shuffled his feet and stayed a few steps behind Ponyboy and a quick glance up showed that Dallas was glaring at him.

"Hey, Pony, Soda. I'm alright," Cordelia greeted as she sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. Darry had turned the heat on for real, but she still had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"Glory, I was so scared last night," Ponyboy told her with wide eyes. "You kept cryin' and you looked real sick. And then your arm would spasm and it looked like it hurt real bad."

"It did," Cordelia nodded. She pet the spot next to her and Ponyboy immediately sat down and attached himself to her side like a leech, but she didn't mind none. Soda took a hesitant step forward, keeping his eyes trained to the ground.

"I'm real sorry, Delia. I just...I'm so tired of all the fightin' and it's gotten better from before, but everyone still argues all the time and I'm always in the middle. I couldn't sleep 'cause it was my anniversary with Sandy and I just-I don't know. You said that to Darry and he stormed out and I got so scared that he was gonna be gone just like Sandy and like-like Mama and Dad. I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. You are a Curtis and you can say whatever you want to any of us 'cause you're our sister and you're never leavin'. Never ever."

"It's fine, Soda. I understand."

Soda's head shot up and he stared at her with wide eyes. Dallas made a sound deep in his throat that let them know that he wouldn't be so quick to forgive. Soda glanced over to Darry and then he turned to Cordelia with tears in his eyes.

"No, you can't just forgive me like that. I-I yelled at you and I made you have a panic attack and a migraine. You've gotta yell at me or-or punch me. Make me do all your chores for a month, or your homework-actually no one wants that. No matter what, you can't just be fine with me."

"We're siblings, ain't we? That's just how we are," Cordelia explained. "I got into a fight with Eli right before...we fought so many times over the years, but it didn't change the fact that we loved each other. My biggest regret is that we were fightin' right before he-he died, and I won't do that again. So I forgive you 'cause I know you didn't mean it and that's what siblings do."

Soda ignored Ponyboy's annoyed shout when he pushed him away to hug Cordelia, crying into her shoulder. The girl turned to hug him better and then Ponyboy joined in. Dallas grunted and slipped away, only for Darry to take his spot to join in on the hug.

"What a pitiful lot we are," Soda laughed, wiping his eyes as they all pulled away.

"We can't do this again," Darry told them all. "When we have arguments, we've gotta count down from ten in our heads before we say somethin' we don't mean, and no runnin' out. We're gonna talk out our problems calmly and politely. Alright?"

With everyone in agreement, the Curtis household was back in balance.

------------------------

While Cordelia was quick to forgive Soda, Dallas was not. He had taken up residence on the Curtis couch over the last three days to make sure that Soda wasn't about to start another fight. Darry was at his wits end with Dallas, and they could all see that another fight was brewing. Everyone was avoiding the house so they didn't have to deal with the argument they knew was coming, but Dallas didn't trust the brothers enough to leave. While Cordelia appreciated his dedication, she was getting a little annoyed that he didn't trust her to handle her own problems.

"C'mon, doll, we're goin' to my place."

Cordelia looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow at Dallas leaning against her doorframe. With everyone at work or school, they had been enjoying the quiet and Dallas decided to take advantage of the freedom by smoking in the living room while Cordelia was reading in her room. They both knew he was only doing it to provoke Darry because he also opened the windows so the smoke wouldn't bother Cordelia's lungs, although the girl had heard Dallas cough one too many times.

"Why?" Cordelia groaned, reluctantly closing the book. She was nearing the end and just wanted to finish her book in peace.

"Got a problem I need to take care of," Dallas said simply. Cordelia gave him a bored look and he grinned knowingly. "I'll swing by the Dingo and get you a milkshake."

Cordelia smiled and pushed Dallas out of the room so she could quickly pull some clothes on.

"Sure you don't need help again?" Dallas called through the door.

"Positive," Cordelia said with an eye roll, her cheeks growing pink. She chose a warm outfit since it was freezing outside. Luckily, the snow was mostly melted, but that didn't stop the chill. Dallas was ready with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets and they both rushed to Dallas' car to avoid being outside for a long time.

"Johnny said you're tutorin' him," Dallas noted.

"Yeah. He needed some help with English and Pony's not a great teacher. I've already read the books we're readin' this semester, so I figured I'd help. I've gotta take the tests anyway so it works out for me."

"You goin' back to school in January?" Dallas double checked.

"Yeah," Cordelia said anxiously. "Anyone said anythin' when you've been back? About what happened or-or me?"

"I've barely been back, but they know better than to say any shit to me. Pony and Johnny haven't told me about any problems," Dallas answered with a shrug. "But, you tell me if anyone says anythin'. I'll start makin' more appearances."

"Aww, you'd do that for me?" Cordelia teased.

"Whatever," Dallas said with a small grin, putting his hand on her thigh while he made his signature sharp turns. Cordelia still wasn't a fan of his driving, but she was accustamed enough that she barely held on to the handles.

By the time they pulled up to the stables, the conversation had somehow turned to favorite musicians and Cordelia learned that Dallas secretly liked the Beatles. She was still laughing a little when he opened the car door for her and tucked her to his side as they walked into the stables.

"Finally," Buck grumbled, glaring at Maria when she nipped at him for getting close enough to her stall to feed her.

"Alright, what's the big deal that I had to come back?" Dallas sighed. Buck gave him a deadpan look and pointed to a cat sitting on the door of Ghost's stall. It was a calico and its tail was swishing as it observed Dallas and Cordelia.

"She's a fuckin' demon. Screamed at all my guests last night 'cause you haven't been home in days and she barely let me do anythin' this mornin'. Fix it."

"All you've gotta do is feed her!" Dallas yelled at Buck's retreating figure. Cordelia didn't even try to hide her grin when Dallas walked over and scooped up the cat like he'd done it thousands of times before. Almost immediately, the sound of purring filled the stables.

"So you have a cat?" Cordelia asked.

"She's a barn cat that I take care of and she sometimes stays in my room. Her name's Gatta. It's Italian."

"So you have a cat," Cordelia said plainly.

"Barn cat," Dallas corrected, but from the way Gatta was perched on his shoulder and Dallas was moving his arm at an uncomfortable angle to pet her, Cordelia knew better.

"So, if she's a barn cat, why'd Buck call you back?" Cordelia yelled over her shoulder as she approached Maria. Evie had agreed to ride the horse so she could still get exercise, but Cordelia was secretly happy to know that the horse still preferred her.

"'Cause she's needy. She always follows me around and when it gets cold like this, she sleeps in my room. I've had it locked so no one got in there, so she's probably had to sleep out here or in the corner somewhere, and she doesn't like how busy it gets. Plus, Buck doesn't like the smell of the treats so he won't give her none and she's addicted."

Cordelia smirked at Dallas and he stopped petting Gatta, a disappointed meow making his arm shoot right back up.

"Tell the guys and I won't get you milkshakes for a week," Dallas threatened. Cordelia raised her hands in a placating manner, hurrying to put them back in her pockets to protect them from the cold. The chill made her left arm ache, which she wasn't too happy about.

"It's fuckin' cold," Cordelia complained.

"Let's go," Dallas said with a head nod. Cordelia gave Maria and Ghost a carrot while Dallas put Gatta under his jacket to keep her warm on the ride up to the house, giving Cordelia a warning look when she smirked at him. Fortunately for them, Buck's wasn't that busy, so they were able to go upstairs to his room without any distractions.

"Much better," Cordelia sighed, plopping down on the end of Dallas' bed.

"It's not that cold," Dallas shrugged.

"I can see that your cheeks are red and you're shivering," Cordelia informed him with an eye roll. Dallas just curled up his lip and put Gatta down on the bed. The cat carefully observed Cordelia for a moment and carefully sniffed her hand before she laid down by her side.

"Don't steal my cat," Dallas warned when Gatta started purring from Cordelia's pets.

"No promises," Cordelia grinned. Dallas grumbled under his breath and laid down on the bed to light up a cigarette. "Y'know, you really shouldn't be smokin'. You inhaled a lot of smoke too."

"You sound like Darry," Dallas grunted, taking a long inhale before he put the cigarette out. "Happy?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Gatta left Cordelia's side to lay by Dallas, so the girl decided to fully explore his room for the first time. Dallas' eyes followed her, but he didn't argue when she started looking through the few books he actually had, or the pictures on the wall. Cordelia grinned when she found an old picture tacked to the wall behind a stack of books showing a young Dallas with an older girl.

"How old were you in this?" Cordelia asked, nudging Dallas to sit up so she could perch next to him. He looked at the picture and the corner of his mouth twitched a little, but he put on a blank expression.

"Nine," Dallas answered. "That's Brooke. She saved up some money from babysittin' jobs to take us to the zoo."

"She's pretty," Cordelia said softly. Brooke and Dallas looked a lot alike. From the black and white photo, it looked like they had the same color hair and smile. It was weird to see Dallas so young and carefree, but he looked truly happy in the photo.

"Yeah," Dallas agreed, his voice soft.

"Wanna talk about her?" Cordelia questioned. Dallas thought for a moment and then shook his head. Cordelia gave his hand a quick squeeze and then put the picture back where she found it. She could see another picture nearby that showed Dallas and Brooke with someone who had to be their mother, but a quick glance back at her boyfriend let Cordelia know that he wasn't up to speaking about his family.

"I gotta question for ya," Dallas said. Cordelia perched back on the end of the bed and nodded at him. "You really just gonna accept Soda's apology like that? When I got to your room, your lips were turnin' blue 'cause you couldn't breathe and you-you were in so much pain all 'cause he couldn't keep his mouth shut. How can you just accept his apology like that?"

"'Cause we're siblings," Cordelia shrugged. "I haven't fully forgiven him, but I don't think it's worth it to hold a grudge. Tomorrow isn't promised and if somethin' happens to either one of us, I don't want us to be fightin'. I know that he didn't mean what he said, and I haven't had to do chores in days. It's alright."

"But he-"

"Dallas. Let me fight my own battles. This isn't one I want to keep fightin', and Soda doesn't want to neither."

Dallas gave her a disappointed look, but he didn't argue anymore. He clenched his jaw and focused on Gatta trying to climb up on his chest.

"Just 'cause you've forgiven him doesn't mean I have. He's not my brother."

"Whatever you say. Don't think I didn't notice you ignoring the card in his shoe last night," Cordelia said teasingly.

If Dallas smirked a little, that would be another secret for Cordelia to keep.

Chapter Text

If there was one holiday that Cordelia adored, it was Christmas. Luckily for her, the Curtis brothers agreed, so the house was covered in decorations. A tree sat in the front room, full of ornaments, and a few presents were starting to show up. All of them were wrapped because Soda was known to peek in bags, so they decided to prevent him from looking with the paper. Unfortunately, none of the guys other than Ponyboy and Darry could wrap.

"I can clearly see what that is," Cordelia told Steve when he came into the house with a present that was clearly an adult magazine because he hadn't taped down the sides.

"It's fine. The kid'll have time to figure out how to get a room alone by the time we open these," Steve snickered.

"Those are for Ponyboy?" Cordelia gasped.

"Yeah. He's fourteen, it's time he realizes what a real woman looks like and gets ready for a girlfriend."

Steve yelped when Cordelia grabbed the magazines from his hands and used them to hit him. Soda popped his head into the room to see what all the commotion was and then went back to focus on making the gingerbread men.

"Just 'cause Evie's fightin' with you doesn't mean you can take it out on Ponyboy. I don't wanna see these again and I expect you to get him a real present. This is his first year without his parents and I want this holiday to be perfect," Cordelia said softly so Soda wouldn't hear. Guilt crosses over Steve's face and he grunted out an agreement. Cordelia smiled and made a big show of throwing the magazines into the trash.

"C'mon, Delia! Evie's mad at me and I need somethin' to use 'til she chills out!" Steve complained. Soda furrowed his eyebrows and looked to see what they were talking about, snorting a little when he saw the magazines.

"Aww, is little Stevie horny?" Soda teased.

"At least I have a chance of gettin' some," Steve grunted.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I'd be gettin' plenty is Sandy were still here," Soda argued. Cordelia curled her lip in disgust, Steve doing the same motion. It seemed like no one was a huge Sandy fan anymore.

Cordelia and Steve both shared a look when Soda's face crumpled a little. From what the girl had heard, Soda used to always have a girl on his arm, but he hadn't gone out with anyone since Sandy left. Steve sidled up to help Soda bake so Cordelia decided to give them space to talk and sit outside to read. It was cold outside but with Dallas' jacket, Darry's old sweatpants, fuzzy socks, and a blanket, she was comfortable.

"What the fuck are you doin'?"

Cordelia looked up from her book and grinned at Dallas, even though he looked a little upset. Johnny and Ponyboy both smirked at his upset tone and made a mocking sound until he turned his glare back on them.

"Readin'."

"It's thirty degrees outside. Get your ass inside," Dallas ordered. Cordelia raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed. "Fine. It's freezing outside so, please, go inside before you freeze."

"Much better," Cordelia said with a smile, accepting the hand he stuck out to help her. She had been so focused on the book that she hadn't even realized how stiff she was getting, so the help was needed. Ponyboy suddenly let out a gasp and ran inside.

"Fuck is his problem?" Dallas questioned. Johnny just shrugged and held the door open for everyone.

"I heard it! He really did say it!" Ponyboy said to Soda and Steve. The two teens grinned up at Dallas like they had won a prize.

"Sayin' 'please' now, huh?" Steve teased. Dallas' jaw clenched and he looked ready to punch the young greaser.

"Kid-"

"He did. I heard it," Johnny confirmed, ignoring Dallas' cold look from getting interrupted.

"Dally's whipped!" Soda laughed.

"I'll whip you!" Dallas threatened. His lunge forward was thwarted by the door opening and a displeased Darry and an amused Two-Bit entering. Their arms were both full of bags that they turned away from Ponyboy when he tried to peek.

"No one is whippin' anyone. What's got you two fightin'?" Darry asked.

"Dally said 'please' to Delia. We said he's whipped," Ponyboy explained.

"Oh, well, looky here. Our own Dallas Winston's goin' soft," Two-Bit laughed.

"Whatever," Dallas murmured, sitting down on the couch and pulling Cordelia down with him so her legs were over his. Cordelia let out a little sound of surprise but quickly got comfortable under the blanket. "You're all just jealous 'cause I'm the only one with a girl."

"I've got a girl," Steve argued.

"I've sometimes got a girl. Not right now. Kathy got mad that I blew her off a few nights ago to drink and then it caused this huge fight, which I feel isn't really fair 'cause-"

"Go put the bags in my room," Darry interrupted because Two-Bit could start rambling. The adult huffed a little but did as he was told while Darry started unloading his groceries in the kitchen.

"Woah, steaks!" Soda gasped.

"I got my Christmas bonus and it was more than we were expectin'. Dinner at the Dingo tonight and everyone can get a shake too," Darry announced.

"With whipped cream?" Ponyboy asked hopefully.

"Sure, little buddy," Darry confirmed. Ponyboy let out a small cheer and grinned so bright that it made Cordelia grin too. Even Darry's tired face twisted up a little at the sight. "Let's get goin' before it gets too dark."

The staff at the Dingo didn't look too pleased at the sight of the large group, but they knew them well enough to know that they didn't usually cause problems. Dallas and Two-Bit got a warning to behave and then they were seated in a section that was, fortunately, farther away from the other inhabitants. They all dug into their burgers and were working on their fries when Dallas nudged Cordelia's foot from his spot across from her and tilted his head back at a loud group of guys.

"Those are some Brumly guys. You ever have a problem and they're around, let 'em know you're my girl and they'll help you out," Dallas told Cordelia. He pointed to one guy with bright red hair and a scar on his left arm. "That's the leader, Mick. He owes me some favors so remind him of Pawnee if he tries to argue."

"Don't know what trouble I'll be gettin' into to need his help, but sure," Cordelia shrugged.

"You and Pony seem to attract danger," Two-Bit shrugged.

"If you're in danger like that, you call us. Not the Brumly gang. Mick's alright, but they're violent and they always want somethin' in return," Darry countered, looking a little displeased at Dallas' advice. The teen's face twitched but he didn't argue.

"Well, if I need help, I know how to take care of mys-"

Time seemed to freeze around Cordelia when the door opened and two familiar faces walked in. She hadn't seen them in years, but she could recognize the two boys just by the smell of expensive cologne and the sound of their voices. The restaurant quieted down some at the sight of two boys wearing nice clothes and watches, everyone observing them.

"Delia?" Ponyboy said, gently nudging her side and sending her a worried look. The girl opened her mouth to argue, but no words would come out.

"Cordelia? Do we have a problem?" Darry asked lowly when she didn't answer. She blinked and focused on her family before her eyes went back to the two guys to watch their every movement. They were still standing at the counter waiting for the waitress to finish with another table.

"I-"

Cordelia once again cut herself off when one of the boys paused in his observation of the restaurant and caught her eye. A massive smirk filled his face as he nudged his brother and nodded his head at her. Like always, Richard Lawrence made the first move to walk over while Jimmy trailed a little behind. Unable to look away, Cordelia couldn't do anything other than sit there and watch them walk closer.

"Hey, there, Cordelia. Long time no see," Richard greeted, grinning at the table. Cordelia tried her best to calm her breathing, but her heart was racing so fast that she couldn't do much. Ponyboy grabbed her hand and forced it open since she was clenching it so hard that she was bleeding.

"C'mon, Rich, let's just go," Jimmy said softly. Dallas' eyebrows furrowed at the name and he kept looking back and forth between Cordelia and the boys, his fists clenched on the table.

"Nah, Jimmy. Haven't seem ma petite pute in a while and I've missed her. Missed her a whole lot. Y'know, we haven't had another foster sister that compares," Richard said with a small laugh. Steve sniffled a little at the French name and his face twisted into a snarl. Cordelia knew that his mom was Creole and he was also in French classes, which meant that he could understand the nickname that the brothers had given her. 'My little whore'. Just hearing that again made Cordelia shiver and she blinked away tears at the idea of other girls being put into that house.

"It's pretty clear she doesn't wanna talk to you. I'd leave if I were you," Dallas said lowly. Richard smirked again and his eyes raked over Cordelia.

"How'd you get these, sweetie?"

All the private tutoring in the world couldn't teach Richard common sense. Even though Darry and Soda were both sitting between him and Cordelia, he still leaned across them to touch her chest where there was a burn. The girl flinched away from his hand, but Darry got to him before he could make contact. A loud smack made the restaurant go silent and everyone looked over to see Richard holding his head where it made contact with the table, courtesy of the eldest Curtis brothers.

"I'm gonna be real nice and let you walk outta here," Darry told the brothers. "If you wanna keep bein' little shits, we haven't had a rumble in a while and I know we're itchin' to let off some steam. Those guys back there love a good fight too."

Darry nodded his head to where Mick and his gang were all watching to see if they needed backup. As a general rule, all greasers helped each other against the socs and his gang looked ready to teach these boys a lesson. Richard shrugged while Jimmy took a sharp breath.

"Richard, I'm leavin'. I never wanted to mess with Cordelia anyway," Jimmy hissed.

"That's a lie," Cordelia said, shocking herself. A single tear fell down her cheek and she hurried to wipe it away before she stared right at Jimmy. His face paled and he swallowed heavily, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Whatever. You weren't that good of a fuck."

Soda had to grip Darry's arm to keep him from getting up, whispering a reminder about the police and custody. Ponyboy gasped like he finally realized what was happening and Cordelia ignored Johnny's pitying gaze.

"Fucker," Two-Bit mumbled, throwing some leftover fries at their retreating figures.

"Small dick motherfucker," Steve insulted loud enough that the two boys could hear as they opened the door to leave. Cordelia let out a small, nervous laugh since she knew that it was true.

"Dally," Johnny said worriedly when he looked and saw the eerily calm look on his face. The teen nudged Cordelia's foot and gave her a quick smirk before he calmly made Steve and Two-Bit get out of the booth so he could follow the two boys outside to their Mustang.

"We gonna follow?" Two-Bit asked, looking to Darry for guidance.

"Nah, I don't wanna spend my bonus on bail," Darry sighed.

"Wanna cash in one of those favors?" Mick called to Dallas before he could make it outside. The Brumly boys let out a cheer and started whooping when Dallas nodded. It was like an avalanche of people rushing out the door and the gang barely heard Richard scream before they started moving.

"Shit," Darry muttered, throwing down enough money to cover their bill and a tip before they all hurried outside.

The five Brumly guys were working on destroying the Mustang with bats while Mick was roughing up Jimmy. Dallas was on top of Richard, but they seemed to be equally matched because their position suddenly changed. Cordelia let out a noise of complaint when Darry pushed her and Ponyboy back inside, but she couldn't blame him. Ponyboy was less than pleased to be left out of the fight based on his cursing, but he seemed to relax a little when he felt Cordelia shaking beside him.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Two-Bit grinned, slapping Steve's chest before they whooped and ran off to help Dallas. In the mix of people, Cordelia couldn't even see Dallas, Richard, or Jimmy anymore.

"I'm callin' the cops!" Robert, the owner of the Dingo, yelled outside as he pushed past Cordelia and Ponyboy.

"I've got it. Don't call the cops," Darry sighed. Robert ignored him and turned back inside, glaring at the two teens and muttering about retirement. Darry released the hold he had on Soda's arm so the teen wouldn't run off and nodded his head at Richard and then said something to Johnny that had him going off towards the fight with Jimmy.

"Soda's gonna be pissed Darry didn't let him fight," Ponyboy said knowingly. With the threat of the police looming and the Lawrence boys beaten half to death, the fight ended just as fast as it started. Motorcycle engines roared as the Brumly gang drove off and the distant sound of sirens made Darry motion for Ponyboy and Cordelia to get out.

"We've gotta get out of here," Darry said, lugging Dallas to his feet. The teen groaned and held his side, but Cordelia was more worried about the cut on his forehead that was bleeding into his swollen eye.

"Dallas Tucker Winston," Cordelia chastised. The teen opened his one good eye and smiled at her, his teeth stained red, before he turned and spat on Richard's passed out body. Jimmy wasn't doing much better, but he was at least awake. Two-Bit solved that with one good kick to the head and another curse. Cordelia gave her foster brothers one last look and smiled to herself before she helped Dallas into the car.

"Got 'em good for ya," Dallas murmured.

"He got you good," Cordelia sighed, letting him lean his head against her shoulder even though her jacket would be stained.

"Try and keep him awake," Darry instructed, putting petal to the metal to get them as far away from the Dingo as possible before the cops got there. Two-Bit, Steve, and Soda were hollering so loud in the bed of the truck that they wouldn't be surprised if the cops came to their house for a noise complaint instead.

"How'd Two get that bruise?" Ponyboy asked, peering outside where Two-Bit was tracing a bruise on his cheek.

"Friendly fire," Johnny answered. "That Evan kid got 'im when I was pullin' him away."

"That's what happens when that many people jump two kids. It's irresponsible," Darry chastised.

"Not gonna let no one talk to my girl like that. Fuckers are lucky I didn't kill 'em for what they've done. Wanted to rip their dicks off and make them eat it," Dallas slurred out. He had obviously taken quite a hit to the head and the rag Cordelia had to the cut was already stained red. Cordelia tried not to smile at how protective he was, but a small grin escaped anyway.

"They-they hurt you?" Ponyboy asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, Pone," Cordelia confirmed softly, changing out the old rag for a new one Johnny found.

"Oh," Ponyboy said softly, his hands fidgeting in his lap. "They...it was real bad?"

"Yeah. Richard couldn't get it up half the time, but Jimmy'd come in my room almost every night. I think that my-or, the baby, was his 'cause he didn't like using protection and after it happened he suddenly decided to. I know I should feel bad that they got real hurt and their car's all messed up, but I don't."

"I should've gotten him too," Dallas grunted. Cordelia shrugged a little and quickly looked away when she saw Johnny staring at her and she realized that he didn't really know anything about her past. While she wasn't opposed to the gang knowing about what happened to her, she didn't want their pity.

"Wish I'd got 'em too," Ponyboy told her. Cordelia gave him a half smile and jostled her shoulder when she saw Dallas' eyes closing.

"Next time," Dallas grinned.

"There won't be a next time. We barely got out of there 'fore the cops arrived," Darry said angrily, stopping the car in the driveway with a lurch. Dallas grinned a little and then groaned when Cordelia started moving him so they could help him out of the car.

"Don't be a baby," Cordelia said softly. She didn't care if he showed that he was injured, but she knew that her saying that would spur him to move more so it'd be easier to get him inside. Sure enough, Dallas grumbled under his breath and was able to get out of the car on his own, although he accepted Darry's help inside.

"He got you good with that pipe," Steve noted.

"Pipe?" Darry asked.

"Yeah. That dickface used a metal pipe and got him right over the head. Ol' Dally got him real good after that," Steve explained. Darry and Cordelia both sighed, knowing that Dallas would have a concussion.

"Wonder how long it'll be 'til we're allowed back at the Dingo?" Two-Bit asked with a grin.

"Never!" Soda laughed. Dallas groaned a little at the loud conversation that followed, so Darry guided him back towards the rooms.

"Cee's room," Dallas mumbled when they passed the door.

"Yeah, no way in Hell," Darry scoffed, depositing the teen on his own bed. "You're lucky I've gotta wash my sheets. Now sit there and don't move."

Dallas flicked Darry off but stayed seated to wait for the pair to come back with medical supplies. The guys up front were engaged in a discussion about the fight, luckily not talking about the reason for it. Cordelia knew that it'd come up eventually, but she wanted to wait a little longer before diving into that.

"'Course you'd get into a fight and get hit with a pipe," Darry muttered. He was working on patching the head injury while Cordelia cleaned off Dallas' knuckles and the other scrapes he got. Based on the way Dallas hissed and flinched when she touched his side, his ribs were bruised too.

"I'd do it again," Dallas said sleepily.

"I've gotta go get some more bandages. Just hold this to the cut," Darry instructed. Cordelia nodded and held the gauze to Dallas' forehead. Fortunately, the bleeding was basically over so they didn't have to worry too much about that anymore.

"Doll? You okay?" Dallas asked once they were alone. He was getting more lucid now that the fight was over, but his eyes were slipping shut every few seconds before he'd throw them open.

"I'll be okay. You shouldn't have done that," Cordelia answered.

"I'd do it again for ya," Dallas repeated. Cordelia gave him a soft kiss on his cheek and sat down on the bed to get comfortable. Dallas let out a content sigh and moved so his head was resting on her lap. Cordelia grinned and used her free hand to run through his hair. Unintentionally, Dallas was lulled to sleep in minutes, but Cordelia didn't mind with the way his face relaxed and he finally looked peaceful. She wished that she had a camera but she resolved to just memorize the way he looked instead.

"Damn, wanted to give him some pain medicine. Had to find a new bottle 'cause Pony takes these like candy so I hide them," Darry sighed when he came back to see Dallas asleep.

"We'll have to wake him up in an hour or so to make sure he's fine. He's hard headed enough that I'm not too worried," Cordelia joked. Darry snorted a little and handed Cordelia the bandage to finish wrapping Dallas' head while he got the bedside table set up with the pain medicine and water.

"I sent the guys home and the boys to bed. Figured you wouldn't really wanna talk," Darry said knowingly.

"Thanks," Cordelia said softly. Now that she was home and everything was calm, her eyes started to burn with unshed tears.

"I'm guessing those were the Lawrence brothers," Darry said. "I never thought any of 'em would be a problem since this is your first time in Tulsa. I'm sorry, Delia."

"Not your fault," Cordelia shrugged. "They take road trips every year to visit their grandfather in Arkansas. They were probably headed there and decided to come through Tulsa 'cause of the weather. You had no way of knowin'."

"Still. If I wasn't so scared I'd lose you guys, I would've fought too."

"I've got a bunch of other people who could fight for me," Cordelia grinned, tracing her finger down the side of Dallas' face.

"Yeah, you do. I've never seen Dally act like that for anyone. He's a hothead, but he thinks his fights through," Darry noted with a tired sigh. "You wanna talk about it or you wanna be alone?"

Cordelia thought for a moment about what she wanted. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about seeing Richard and Jimmy again so she didn't even know what to say.

"Alone," Cordelia whispered. Darry gave her a sad smile and smoothed down the back of her hair, frowning a little when his finger touched one of the scars that her hair barely hid.

"Alright. I'm gonna be on the couch if you need anythin', so come get me if you wanna talk or if Dally needs help. And I expect you to be in your bed by midnight."

"No promises."

"You don't get Christmas presents if you're grounded."

"I'll be in bed by 11:30."

Chapter Text

Christmas wasn't the grand celebration that Cordelia was hoping it would be. Everyone was still a little shaken up from the fight, and since it was the first Christmas without the Curtis parents, the mood was somber. Everyone tried to smile and pretend like everything was fine, but presents and chocolate cake can't bring the dead back to life. Cordelia wasn't much better because she was used to calling her brothers for the holiday, but there was no one for her to call.

To make matters worse, Tim called Dallas only a few days after Christmas to offer him a run on New Year's Eve, and the teen agreed. The town he was going to was far enough away that he would be gone during the holiday.

"Who're you gonna kiss at midnight since your loverboy's gone?" Two-Bit teased, making kissing noises at her.

"No one," Cordelia said with an eye roll. Two-Bit laughed and pulled Kathy onto his lap, both of them already plastered and it was only eleven. Cordelia grimaced when she passed Evie and Steve making out in the kitchen, apparently over their spat, and made her way to the backyard where Johnny was smoking.

"Hey, Delia," Johnny greeted.

"Too much noise?" Cordelia guessed. Johnny nodded and offered her a cigarette, but she turned it down.

"I only recently started smokin' again," Johnny explained. "I know I shouldn't, but I just need the nicotine sometimes, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know. Dal let me take a drag a few days ago and I thought I was gonna have to use the inhaler again," Cordelia huffed angrily. She hissed in a breath and held her left arm close to her chest against the cold air. She had been hurting even worse recently thanks to how cold it was getting, and she wasn't looking forward to the next few days since they were expecting even lower temperatures. While she wouldn't say this out loud, she really hoped Dallas got back sooner so they could cuddle and she wouldn't be so cold.

"You were in the church a lot longer than any of us," Johnny reminded her as he put out his cigarette. Cordelia nodded and bit her lip anxiously.

"So, how long is Dal usually gone on these runs?"

"Maybe three days. It's about an eight hour drive and then this city is a big one so they have multiple customers so they spend the night there and then drive back," Johnny explained. Dallas had to leave so fast that he hadn't even said goodbye in person, only offering a phone call.

"So he should be back on the 2nd?" Cordelia questioned.

"Yeah, probably. Tim was smart pickin' today to go 'cause the cops will be busy lookin' for drunk drivers," Johnny answered.

"It'd be smarter not to go at all," Cordelia said under her breath, but Johnny heard because he chuckled a little.

"Y'know, I never thought you and Dally'd get together when you first got here. I was real surprised when I found out. When you first got here, he was a real-"

"Dick," Cordelia supplied when Johnny paused to find the word.

"Yeah, probably," Johnny agreed. "So if you thought he was a dick, why'd you go out with him?"

"I mean, I thought he was cute when I first saw him and I grew up around guys like him all the time. Once I saw past the facade he likes to put on and realized that he wasn't that bad, I guess I just-I don't know, fell for him. I told him about my past placements and he didn't run away like this other guy I liked, so I realized that he really was a good person."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me knowin' about his mom and sister," Johnny shrugged. His eyes grew wide when he realized that he mentioned Brooklyn, but he relaxed when he glanced at Cordelia and saw that she wasn't surprised.

"He told you about Brooke?" Cordelia asked.

"I saw the picture in his room and he told me," Johnny explained. "He had just smoked some weed so he was tellin' me all sorts of stuff about his life in New York."

"He's only told me some," Cordelia said. She frowned when she realized just how little she knew about Dallas' past when he knew almost everything about hers.

"Well, I'm not surprised he's so protective of you. You're good for him and I think he really needed you. The gang, we're like family, but he needed more, so thank you."

"I needed him too," Cordelia said softly. Johnny gave her a small smile and then they both looked up when an excited Ponyboy came bounding outside.

"C'mon, it's almost midnight!"

As 1965 came to an end, Cordelia plastered a smile on her face and pretended to be happy. 1966 would be the first year that she was the only O'Brien left, but it would also be the first full year with her new family. She welcomed the new year by hugging her brothers and wishing that Dallas was by her side.

Unfortunately for her, Dallas was completely MIA. The 2nd came and gone without a call or a sight of the teen, but no one seemed too worried. According to the gang, Tim and Dallas would sometimes stretch out their runs to get away from Tulsa so it wasn't too odd for them not to be back. By the 5th, everyone was getting worried.

"I'm sure he's fine, Delia," Ponyboy assured her when he saw her glance at the phone again. They were both working on their homework since school started back the next day. Cordelia had passed all her tests so she would be going back like normal even though the cold snap made her bones feel like they could snap.

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine too, Ponyboy. I'm not all that worried. He's a big boy and I know he can handle himself," Cordelia dismissed.

"Then why d'ya keep lookin' at the phone and the door?" Soda asked with a smirk. He was lounging on the couch to keep them company since he didn't work and Steve was out with Evie, but he was mostly distracting them. Darry let out a disappointed sigh at the conversation and focused on the bills to show them how to behave.

"'Cause I'm pissed off. He should've at least called if he was gonna take longer and he knows that tomorrow is my first day back at school. I want him to call or come home so I can chew him out," Cordelia explained.

"You actually gonna chew him out or just give him a cold shoulder?" Soda asked knowingly. Cordelia stayed silent because she knew that he would be getting the cold shoulder since that was her way of dealing with things.

"He probably got locked up. I told him that if he wanted to go out with you that he'd have to clean up his act and then he goes and disappears for days. It's like he wants you to be taken away," Darry said angrily.

"He doesn't want that," Cordelia defended, but Darry just sighed and went back to the bills.

As if he knew they were talking about him, the front door opened to reveal Dallas Winston in the flesh. The smirk on his face fell when he saw the displeased expression on everyone else's faces and he furrowed his eyebrows. His hand awkwardly ran over his shaved head that showed exactly what happened.

"Not the welcome I was expectin'," Dallas said.

"Figured you got locked up. A call would've been nice," Darry said angrily.

"Well, I called Tim and told him to call over here. Not my fault if he didn't listen," Dallas shrugged. He came into the kitchen and tried to touch Cordelia's shoulder, but she flinched away from him and focused on her work instead. The pencil lead broke under the pressure she was using so she used that as an excuse to get up and go to the trashcan to sharpen it. Dallas' eyes followed her as he sat down to pretend she hadn't completely ignored him.

"And you didn't think to check that he actually called? Why didn't Tim get locked up with you?" Darry asked. Cordelia sat back down next to him instead of her seat next to Dallas. Ponyboy's chuckle at the seating arrangement ended when Dallas glared.

"Yeah, Dally. We didn't know where you were," Soda said as he joined the table.

"Well, we separated 'cause we had a lot of sells to make. The cops heard we were in town and got me, but they didn't get Tim. I didn't have any weed on me when I was arrested but they got me for resisting arrest 'cause I argued with 'em. Tim was supposed to call Delia and let her know I was locked up and wouldn't be back for a few days. I'll handle him tomorrow."

"This is exactly why I don't want you two goin' out. What happens when you get arrested and she's with you? They take her away and then they might take Ponyboy and Sodapop away too," Darry lectured.

"I'm not gonna get arrested when she's with me," Dallas insisted, his eyebrows furrowing. The cut on his temple flexed like it would burst open again and based on the new scabs, it had broken recently. "I haven't done anythin' in Tulsa since we started goin' out, and I made it clear I wouldn't just in case. All I sell is weed and you know that. I'm not some drug dealer that's gonna go away for life."

"Yeah, well, you got lucky this time. Next time, I'll-"

"You'll what, Curtis?" Dallas asked, standing up. Darry's eyebrows shot up and he stood too, a challenging look on his face. "You gonna make us break up? Huh? What'll you do?"

"Yeah, Dallas, I will," Darry admitted. "If you do anythin' to risk my siblings bein' taken away, I'll ban you from this house and I'll make sure they never see you again. That's a promise, Winston."

"Yeah, I bet you think you can do that. Big, bad, Darrel Curtis who almost went soc."

Cordelia stood up, making sure to scrape her chair so everyone would look at her. Dallas smirked, thinking that she agreed with him, only for his face to fall at the look on her face.

"Darry, I appreciate everythin' you've done for me, but you don't get to control my life and who I date. Dally is right that this is the first time he's gotten arrested in months, and it was in another town. He doesn't steal anythin' when we're out together, and he's not gonna start. Calm down and have some faith in him. And Dallas, you made a dumb mistake goin' on this run and you're just pissed you got caught. Calm the fuck down and come back when you can have a mature conversation."

"What, you don't want me here? I came here to see you," Dallas scoffed.

"No, I don't want to see you right now," Cordelia told him. Dallas' jaw twitched and he watched her to see if her face would break, but she stayed firm until he gave up and turned to leave.

"Whatever," Dallas muttered, slamming the door behind him. Soda and Ponyboy awkwardly stared between Cordelia and Darry, neither one of them risking speaking. Finally, Darry broke the silence with a warning.

"I was bein' serious, Delia. If he gets arrested in Tulsa, you're done."

--------------------------

Cordelia was still upset as she sat down in her first class the next morning. There hadn't been much discussion the night before or that morning other than Darry giving her permission to leave if she started hurting too bad, and no one really knew what to say. On one hand, Cordelia completely understood that if something were to happen while she was with Dallas, there was a chance they could all get taken away. On the other hand, Dallas wasn't as bad as he used to be and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the Curtis family. Cordelia was still mad that Dallas left her alone on New Year's Day and got arrested, and all three of them were too stubborn to relent.

"Still mad, doll?"

Cordelia kept her eyes ahead as Dallas sat in the seat next to her, both of them ignoring the whispers around them at the sight of his shaved hair. Everyone was well aware that the first thing cops do when they charge you is cut your hair, so it was clear that Dallas got into some trouble. Cordelia had already noticed some whispers about her when she first showed up, but no one had said anything so far.

"C'mon, Cee, don't give me the cold shoulder. We've talked about this," Dallas sighed.

"I'm at school. We can talk later," Cordelia said. The bell rung and the teacher sent them a pointed glance as she started the lesson.

"I missed you, doll. Couldn't stop thinkin' about you when I was locked up," Dallas whispered, leaning into her personal space. Cordelia blushed a little and shoved him away, making the teen suck on his teeth to calm down. "Alright, be that way. I only went on the run so I could get you a nicer Christmas present, but that's fine."

"What you got me was fine. Now shut up and pay attention," Cordelia hissed. She really was fine with the books that Dallas had gotten her and she wasn't expecting anything else. All she could afford to get him was a pair of gloves for the horses, so it wasn't like she was expecting much.

Dallas seemed to realize that Cordelia wasn't going to humor him because he shut up for the rest of class, only occasionally twirling her hair or whispering something to her. Once the class got out, Cordelia grabbed her things and tried to hurry away, only to bump into someone the moment she stepped outside the door.

"Cordelia? I didn't know you were back," Chet greeted as he helped make sure she wasn't about to fall.

"Doctor cleared me and I passed the winter tests," Cordelia explained.

"Well, sorry to hear that," Chet joked. Cordelia laughed a little and fell into step with him, losing Dallas in the crowd.

"I like school and learning. I wish it started a bit later, but it's not too bad," Cordelia explained.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're back. Maybe we'll have another project together," Chet said with a smirk, leaning in a little.

"Maybe we will," Cordelia said, twirling Dallas' necklace so he'd see it. Recognition flickered across his eyes and Chet took a step back.

"I'll see you around," Chet said as a goodbye.

By the time lunch came around, Cordelia was exhausted. Her head was pounding in a way that always preceded a migraine, and her leg was hurting so bad that she started limping until a familiar arm wrapped itself around her shoulders.

"Ready to go home?" Dallas asked knowingly, his voice soft despite their previous argument.

"Yeah," Cordelia muttered, leaning into his side. Dallas guided her outside towards where his and Steve's cars were parked and the rest of the gang was hanging out.

"I can't believe it. Dallas Winston stayin' at school 'til lunch," Two-Bit said with a laugh.

"Shut it. Pony, let the office know Delia's goin' home," Dallas ordered as he opened his passenger door for her. Cordelia sat down and immediately closed her eyes, sighing with relief when Dallas put his jacket over her.

"Migraine?" Ponyboy guessed.

"Gettin' there," Cordelia mumbled. She felt Ponyboy's hand gently touch her shoulder and then the doors were gently closing and Dallas started driving like a normal person.

"How bad is it?" Dallas asked softly.

"Not horrible. It was just a lot all in a row," Cordelia explained. Her brain could only handle so much work before it gave up, so the doctors hadn't expected her to last all day at school. As they explained to her, she would have to build up the tolerance.

"Alright. Need anythin' from the store or d'ya wanna go straight home?" Dallas questioned.

"Home."

Dallas hummed in acknowledgement and put his hand on her leg as he drove, his thumb tracing soft circles into her jeans. By the time they made it the short ride home, Cordelia was almost asleep so she couldn't help but whine when Dallas tried to get her up.

"'M sorry. You can sleep inside," Dallas chuckled. Cordelia was suddenly glad for his strength when he gave up on making her walk and carried her inside, carefully depositing her on the couch to put a blanket over her.

"Don't go," Cordelia mumbled when he moved away.

"I gotta call Darry and get you the medicine and then I'll be back."

Cordelia waited patiently for Dallas to come back, sitting up so she wouldn't fall asleep before she could take the migraine medicine. After a quick phone call to Darry, Dallas came back with a glass of water and her medicine. He let out a sound of surprise when Cordelia grabbed his hand and pulled him to sit down so she could put her head in his lap, but he got comfortable and started running his hand through her hair in no time.

"'M sorry, Dal," Cordelia apologized. "You just didn't call for such a long time and I got scared. You haven't gone on any runs since I've known you and I didn't know what to expect and then you didn't come home or call, and I-"

"Breathe, Cee," Dallas interrupted. "I talked to Tim and he said that the phone lines were down 'cause of the ice, but he tried to call. I promise I wasn't leavin' you in the dark. I'd never do that. And I promise that I'm not doin' anythin' in Tulsa anymore and I'd never do anythin' if you were with me. I know the risk."

"I know. I was just scared 'cause you weren't fully healed from the fight and I knew you'd be fine, but I didn't really know. Ya know?"

"Not really," Dallas admitted, giving her a small smile. "You don't gotta worry about me, doll. I'm gonna be fine, no matter what."

"That's what Eli told me."

"Yeah?"

"He told me that the only time I called him in jail and then he died. I can't...I've lost my whole family and I can't lose you too," Cordelia told him. Dallas looked down at her and gently wiped a tear away before it could fall down her cheek.

"You're not gonna lose me or anyone else. You're stuck with me and it's gonna be a cold day in Hell 'fore I leave you. I'm doin' better for you, doll. 'M gonna be the type of man that you deserve and sometimes I might have to go on runs to make that happen, but I'm gonna be careful so I can come back to you. You've changed my life, Cordelia, and I'm not gonna let anythin' ruin this."

Cordelia sniffled and shuffled around so she was straddling his lap and leaning against his chest, putting her arms around him in a hug. Dallas put his arms around her waist and let out a relieved sigh, rubbing her back so she'd relax with her head on his shoulder.

"You can't do that again, Dal. I know it wasn't your fault, but you have to find a way. I didn't know whether to be scared or angry or both," Cordelia insisted.

"I won't be goin' on a run for a long time, and when I do, I'll call. Promise."

Cordelia smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Dallas' throat, falling asleep in his safe embrace.

Chapter Text

It took another week before Cordelia could make it through the school day to the last class. Fortunately for her, Steve was also in the class so he had been helping her with the homework and he was actually smart so she wasn't too worried about her grade.

"Miss. Curtis, I presume," the teacher said when she came into the classroom with Steve and Evie. She looked a little displeased to see Cordelia, especially since Steve was already talking quite loudly with some members of the Shepherd gang.

"O'Brien, but I'm with the Curtis family," Cordelia corrected. The teacher gave her a pitying smile and held her hand out for the homework.

"There's an empty desk next to Miss. Rojas," the teacher pointed out. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows and turned to look at the classroom, holding back a disappointed sigh when she saw that her seat would be next to Sylvia. Steve and Evie both gave her another pitying look when she was forced to sit next to Dallas' ex, who didn't look too pleased by the seating arrangement either.

"So, you and Dally are official, huh?" Sylvia asked quietly, a bite in her tone.

"Yeah," Cordelia whispered back. She made sure to keep her eyes ahead as the class started so she wouldn't have to look at Sylvia. No matter what Dallas said, it was clear that Sylvia was prettier and put much more effort into her appearance, which made Cordelia's skin crawl. She knew that looks weren't that important, but she couldn't help but feel jealous.

"Well, look out for 'im. Heard he got arrested over the break. Here's what he does: he does good for a bit, does somethin' stupid to get arrested again, gets out and acts all possessive, does good for a little longer, and then it's back to jail," Sylvia warned. "Can I tell you a secret? I only actually cheated on him this last time 'cause I'd had enough. The other times I lied to make him mad and I only flirted with Johnny 'cause we were on a break and I thought I'd like somethin' different. Wonder if he'd still find you so cute if I told him I lied before."

Cordelia took in a deep breath and tried to focus on the teacher rambling about the economy, but Sylvia was in her head. The girl knew it, too, because she snickered a little and bumped Cordelia's shoulder as she left, ignoring the teacher calling after her.

"You good?" Evie asked, leaning across the aisle. Cordelia faked a smile and nodded, trying and failing to pay attention. By the time the bell rung, her head was pounding.

"We're gonna go, but I'm sure Two-Bit can give you and Ponyboy a ride if you call," Steve said to Cordelia, pulling a giggling Evie to his side and kissing her cheek. Steve was usually tasked with driving to and from school on Fridays since Two-Bit usually didn't go, but he and Evie had made plans since her family was out of town for the weekend.

"Have fun," Cordelia responded with a wave. It took her a while before she could find Ponyboy and Johnny since they weren't in their usual spot, but the whistle guided her to the stadium where Johnny was in the stands watching the track team practice.

"Hey, Delia. Coach caught a bunch of 'em smoking, so they have a surprise practice. Gonna be at least two hours," Johnny explained.

"Damn. Well, Steve and Evie are gone, so Two-Bit's our ride home," Cordelia sighed.

"Pony and I are goin' to a movie after, so we don't need a ride. You can come too, if you want," Johnny offered.

"Nah, I've got a headache and a bunch of homework. I'll just call Two-Bit or Dal to get me. Tell Pony I said bye, and he better find time to do his work so I don't have to listen to an argument," Cordelia decided. Johnny laughed in agreement and waved goodbye as Cordelia made her way to the phone where neither Two-Bit nor Dallas answered. Cordelia groaned and dug through her backpack for more coins.

"Need a ride?"

Cordelia froze and looked up to see Sylvia leaning against her car to smoke a cigarette, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"It's fine," Cordelia said, going back to her search.

"Well, Dally isn't gonna answer 'cause he's gonna be off with Tim. It's the second Friday of the month so they always go to a poker house to try and make some money. Your friend with the sideburns just drove by with his little sister, so that's not an option either," Sylvia informed her. Cordelia sighed a little when she realized that Sylvia was right about Dallas' Friday plans and that Two-Bit had mentioned taking his sister to get some ice cream. With Darry and Soda both at work, she had no other option.

"I'll walk then," Cordelia decided.

"Yeah, sure you will. I read the papers, I don't think you could even make it half a mile up the road, much less five. Get in the car, Cordelia. It's a limited time offer and it's gettin' pretty cold out," Sylvia said with a knowing smirk. Cordelia thought for a moment and then awkwardly got into the passenger seat while Sylvia got behind the wheel.

"Why're you doin' this?" Cordelia questioned, her voice quiet.

"I'm not some cold hearted bitch. Don't listen to what Dally says," Sylvia scoffed. She seemed to know the way to the Curtis house because she didn't ask for directions.

"Did you really not cheat on him before?" Cordelia asked.

"Well, depends on your definition of cheating. I flirted and kissed some guys while he was locked up, but I never slept with anyone else, and I know he flirted with other girls, so I'm not the only one. We'd be at a party and he'd keep me right at his side and then I'd go get a drink and come back to girls on his lap and him smilin' at him. You know that smile he does. He'd see me and whisper in their ears and they'd just laugh and run off, but they'd share looks all night. He promised he never slept with anyone else, but you can't believe a word he says."

"Why d'ya say that?" Cordelia inquired. She watched Sylvia's hands as they tightened around the wheel and the girl was quiet for a moment.

"My dad was dyin'. Cancer from drinkin' too much. We knew it was only a matter of time so I asked Dally not to drink so much and to stay out of jail in case Dad died, and he promised. Well, imagine my surprise when I call him to tell him that Dad was in the hospital and it was the end, just for him to answer drunk as a skunk. And then, he got fuckin' Angela Shepherd to drive him to the hospital only for them to get pulled over 'cause she's only fifteen and he got them both arrested 'cause he ran his mouth. He lied to me and I had to deal with my dad dyin' all alone and then he got out of jail pissed that I flirted with Johnny. Barely apologized or nothin'. There were lots of other times that he lied and said he wouldn't do anythin' just to turn around and cause issues, get arrested, shit like that."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Cordelia said softly.

"Yeah, well, how would you?" Sylvia said with a cold laugh. "The guys, they never liked me. I never got invited to hang out and when they'd see us together, I saw how they looked at me."

"Evie doesn't hang out either," Cordelia interjected. "That doesn't mean the gang doesn't like her. I'm sure they don't hate you."

"Evie doesn't hag out with the gang 'cause her parents don't like 'em. I didn't hang out with the gang 'cause I wasn't wanted. They thought I was Dally's little sex toy and that was it. Here's a warnin' on that, he knows what to do to make you happy, but he'll use you. I can't count the amount of times he'd cause a fight just to have makeup sex. Sure, I did it too, but he was the worst about it."

"If he was so bad, why'd you keep goin' back to him?" Cordelia inquired.

"He wasn't always bad, you know that," Sylvia sighed as she stopped in the driveway. "He...I don't know. When it was good, it was good. We were that perfect couple durin' the honeymoon period, and then it all went to shit. I'm not tellin' you this to get him back. I'm tellin' you this 'cause you seem like a good girl and I don't want you heart to get broken. Dally's not gonna lay a hand on ya, but he's gonna hurt your heart. I'd get out now if I were you."

"Thanks for the ride," Cordelia said simply, rushing out of the car and inside the empty house.

Taking advantage of the time until the house would be filling up for dinner, Cordelia started on dinner and cleaning as she thought on everything Sylvia told her. She was trying to move the couch to sweep under it when the door opened and Two-Bit walked in and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You supposed to be doin' that all alone?"

"Probably not. Get the other side for me?"

Two-Bit grinned and they worked together to clean the front room, both of them collapsing onto the couch when it was done.

"Glory, you owe me a beer. Why're you cleanin' anyway? The state comin' or somethin'?" Two-Bit asked, yelling over his shoulder as he went into the kitchen for drinks.

"No, I just had an interesting conversation and needed to do something while I thought about it," Cordelia said honestly. Two-Bit gave her an analyzing look and sat back down, passing over a Pepsi.

"Interesting conversation about what?"

"What d'ya know about Dally and Sylvia?"

Two-Bit clicked his tongue and grimaced a little, taking a big sip of beer. He gave her another look and thought for a moment.

"Why d'ya wanna know?"

"Two, please."

"Alright," Two-Bit sighed. "But don't go tellin' Dally we had this conversation. We haven't fought for a minute, and I don't feel like dealin' with another one. The two of them were wrong for each other from the start, but he wouldn't listen. She wanted this picture-perfect relationship, but Dally couldn't give it to her. Her family didn't want her around, and he had nowhere else to go, so there was always tension there. Sylvia wanted him to fight for her, but then she'd get pissed when he did. Don't get me wrong, Dally wasn't perfect either. I'm guessin' your conversation was with her, and she told you about her dad?"

"Yeah," Cordelia confirmed.

"Well, what she probably failed to mention was that Dally was at his own birthday party that he had to get permission from her to go to. She told him he could get drunk or high, whatever he wanted since it was his party, so she knew he'd probably be out of it. Sure enough when we were all too drunk to drive him to the hospital, Sylvia called Angela and got her to get 'im. Dallas called her at the station and had us go to the funeral, but she didn't care. He even sent her flowers, but Tim said she just threw those away."

"She didn't mention that," Cordelia murmured. All the new information was swarming in her head and she didn't know what to think anymore.

"Now, Dally wasn't perfect," Two-Bit continued. "He'd get drunk at parties and he'd flirt with other girls, but he never slept with anyone else. But I know he'd purposefully blow her off if they had plans and she annoyed him, and it always seemed like they both were just draggin' each other along just to say they had someone. Honestly, it was sad to watch."

"D'ya think they actually liked each other?" Cordelia asked hesitantly.

"Based on how they'd eat each other's faces, yes," Two-Bit snorted. Seeing Cordelia's displeased look, he grinned a little. "Nah, they at least cared for each other. When things were good between 'em, Dally'd spend most of his time with her and we could see that they enjoyed each others company. I don't know about love or nothin', but there definitely was a genuine somethin' there."

"So then why didn't it work?"

"How would I know?" Two-Bit questioned. Cordelia shrugged and blushed a little, feeling a little guilty to be asking Two-Bit about this instead of Dallas. The adult sighed and thought for a moment. "I think they're too similar, but they wanted different things. Dally may not admit it, but he wants out of here. Sylvia's stuck here for life, and she knows it. They knew that if they stayed together, marriage or not, they'd be stuck on the East side for life just repeatin' the same cycle, and Dally couldn't handle it. I think he had a choice to make, and he made the right one."

"Why does Sylvia hate him so much?" Cordelia asked.

"Well, once again, how would I know?" Two-Bit chuckled. "Look, Delia, they had a complicated relationship. They used each other and now she's stuck with some guy that's known for beatin' his girls while he's datin' you. I'd be pretty mad too. Now if you'll excuse me, ice cream doesn't agree with my stomach."

"Gross, Keith!" Cordelia yelled, throwing a pillow at his back. Two-Bit cackled and turned around to give her a reassuring look.

"Dally's with you now, Delia, and Sylvia doesn't matter. She's a bitter, jealous ex and she knows that Dally's treatin' you better than her. If you want my advice, leave it and don't worry about her."

"Thanks, Two," Cordelia smiled.

"Anytime. Now, you might wanna turn on music. This is gonna be nasty."

"Keith, I hate you."

------------------

Thoughts of Sylvia and Dallas plagued Cordelia's mind for the rest of the night, but when Dallas came by the next day with groceries and a smile, she decided not to mention it.

"Woah, what's all this for?" Ponyboy gasped as he started unpacking the bags.

"Won big last night and Buck's fridge is out, so I needed someplace to store my food," Dallas explained, but there was enough food to feed everyone. Ponyboy didn't seem to realize what Dallas had done, but Soda did because he sent the teen a thankful look that Dallas shrugged away. Cordelia squeezed his hand and stood on her tippy toes to kiss her cheek, smiling when he turned to catch her lips.

"Not in the kitchen or in front of us!" Soda exclaimed, throwing a banana at their faces. Cordelia gasped with shock and threw it back, smiling when it hit his forehead.

"Great aim, doll," Dallas complimented proudly.

"Thanks, baby," Cordelia said, breezing past Dallas to help put up the food, but observing him out of the corner of her eye to see his reaction to the nickname. Dallas smirked a little and winked at her when he caught her eye.

"Glory, are you gonna be worse than Soda and Sandy?" Ponyboy huffed. Johnny smiled a little and laughed lightly while Soda rolled his eyes.

"We can be. You want that?" Dallas asked.

"No! That's my sister and it's gross," Ponyboy complained, glaring at the older boy.

"Then shut up," Dallas said with an eye roll.

"Dal," Cordelia said disappointedly. Dallas shrugged and ran his hand over his buzzed head, obviously not caring. Ponyboy's brief upset was soothed by the sight of chocolate ice cream and Dallas' annoyance was soothed by another kiss.

"I wanna do somethin' fun. What can we go do?" Soda said once the kitchen was stocked.

"See the horses?" Johnny suggested. Ponyboy and Soda both lit up like a Christmas tree, so the decision was made. With Dallas driving with a lead foot, it wasn't long until they made it to Bucks.

"Y'all can deal with whatever horses you want. We're gonna take Ghost and Maria out for a ride," Dallas said, grabbing the saddles for the horses. Ponyboy and Johnny headed over to two brown horses without an argument while Soda hesitated.

"Darry's not gonna like that, Dally. She's not yet healed," Soda warned.

"I'll be fine. Maria won't hurt me," Cordelia assured him, giving the horse an apple. Maria let out a sound like she was agreeing, making Dallas snort with amusement.

"But-"

"Soda, chill, man. I won't let anythin' happen," Dallas said. Soda sighed but a white and black speckled horse was playfully nipping at his shirt so he relented to deal with that. Cordelia patiently waited for Dallas to get Maria ready for her to ride, chuckling when the horse nipped at him or raised a leg as a warning.

"She really doesn't like you, Dal," Cordelia noted.

"She doesn't like anyone but you," Dallas grumbled, getting Ghost ready. Soda was lecturing Ponyboy about the importance of wearing a helmet, despite the fact that his head was bare. Johnny looked amused by the whole situation but he chose to stay out of it.

"Ready, girl?" Cordelia whispered to Maria when Dallas got onto Ghost. Maria stayed perfectly still for Cordelia to get on and then didn't move until the girl clicked. It was like she knew that her rider was still hurt with how slow and easy she walked.

"So, I heard you talked with Sylvia," Dallas said once they got a little further away.

"Where'd you hear that?" Cordelia questioned, blinking with shock.

"Two-Bit. Told me all about your conversation too," Dallas admitted. His smirk calmed her nerves a little, but she still felt bad.

"I'm sorry. I should've talked to you instead."

"Yeah, you should've, but I get it. You needed to hear someone else's perspective," Dallas shrugged. "I really cared for Syl, and part of me still does, but it's not the same. I don't wanna be with her and I'd rather someone shoot me than have to date her again. We weren't good for each other, but we care for each other. It's as easy and simple as that. She doesn't like me now and there's nothin' I can do about that, and I honestly don't wanna do nothin' unless she keeps tryin' to get into our business. She's in the past."

"I know she is. It was just...she really doesn't like you and I had to be sure that it was just jealousy and not somethin' more," Cordelia explained.

"Somethin' more like I could've done somethin' bad?" Dallas asked with a raised eyebrow. Cordelia hesitated for a moment before she responded.

"You ever cheat on her?"

"Fuck, no. I'm not a cheater," Dallas said immediately.

"So you never kissed anyone else or flirted with anyone while you were together?" Cordelia clarified.

"I never kissed anyone, no. I'd flirt with other girls and I'll admit that, but I never did anythin' more. It's just who I am," Dallas excused.

"You gonna do that to me? You gonna take me to a party to flirt with other girls in front of me?"

"No. Not you."

Cordelia looked into Dallas' eyes and knew that he was telling the truth. A soft smile filled her face and she knew that she had no worries about Dallas messing around with anyone else.

"Good. I'd get the guys to go after you if you did," Cordelia warned.

"I'd expect nothin' less."

Chapter Text

If they thought Darry wouldn't notice that they went to the stables, they were sorely mistaken. Darry realized what had happened the moment he stepped foot inside the house because there was no way to hide the scent of horse from all five of them. As a result, everyone was grounded except for Dallas, who reminded Darry that he didn't live there and walked out. Cordelia got an extra two days of punishment because she knew that she wasn't supposed to be riding until her physical therapist cleared her, and that was yet to happen.

"Okay, but how do animals think? Do dogs think in barks and cats in meows? And if so, how do they communicate with each other and also understand humans?"

"Two-Bit, shut the fuck up," Soda groaned, covering his ears with his hands. Steve snorted and stuck a card into his shoe since no one was looking.

"I'm just sayin'!" Two-Bit defended. "And don't get all pissy on me 'cause you got grounded. It's your last day anyway."

"I've still got two more," Cordelia huffed.

"We can do somethin' fun here," Dallas told her, absentmindedly twirling strands of her hair.

"Not here. Go to your place for that," Steve said with a grimace.

"Not like that, dipshit," Dallas said with an eye roll. Cordelia's cheeks went pink and she ignored the mix of snickers and groans from everyone else. "It's boring as hell to just sit around and listen to you play cards all day or the kid talkin' about a new book. We've gotta find somethin' to do."

"You're not grounded with us, remember? And you have other friends," Cordelia reminded him.

"Tryin' get rid of me, darlin'? You wound me," Dallas teased.

"He's fightin' with Tim and he owes Buck rent money so he doesn't wanna go back 'til he gets it," Johnny spoke up. Dallas sent the teen a displeased look and then shrugged like it was no big deal.

"So where are you gonna stay?" Cordelia asked worriedly.

"Haven't popped in on my old man in a bit. Tim may not like me right now, but he knows I'm consistent so I've got a big run tomorrow that'll give me my rent money so it'll just be for one night," Dallas answered, a mask of calmness on his face.

"Man, come stay with me. Mama won't mind," Two-Bit offered.

"Yes, she will. Your mama doesn't like me," Dallas scoffed.

"No, she doesn't," Two-Bit grinned.

"Stay here," Soda told him.

"'Cause Superman would love that," Dallas said sarcastically.

"He wouldn't want you with your old man. He can get over it for a night or two," Soda said. Cordelia knew that Soda was telling the truth, and Dallas did too, but he just shrugged again.

"I know my old man better than you guys do and I can handle myself. It's for one night," Dallas insisted, an edge in his voice that made Soda raise his hands as he turned back to Steve to continue their card game.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Cordelia asked softly. Dallas barely nodded before he jumped off the couch and headed for the door, not even grabbing his jacket.

"Don't go too far and make sure you're home 'fore Dar or you'll be grounded even longer," Soda warned. Cordelia nodded and grabbed both of their jackets before she bounded outside to meet Dallas, wincing at the cigarette smoke already surrounding him. He put out the cigarette when she held out the jacket and threw an arm over her shoulder as they started walking aimlessly.

"Tell me about him?" Cordelia requested.

"What's there to know?" Dallas responded gruffly.

"Well, I don't know. My daddy was a farmer, but you already knew that. He met my mama at college where he was gonna study art history, but then they fell in love and he decided to do somethin' a little more stable so he switched to farming. We'd go to every new art exhibit to see the paintings and we'd all sit around for hours while Daddy'd examine them and I think that if he was alive now, he'd be doin' that instead. Maybe teachin'. He really loved tellin' us about art."

"You don't like art like that," Dallas noted.

"No. Not anymore," Cordelia said softly and Dallas seemed to understand because he didn't comment. She loved art as much as the next person, but sometimes it hurt too much to think about her dad.

"My old man's a drug dealer. He works part-time at some warehouse, but he mainly sells drugs," Dallas said after a moment's silence. "We left New York 'cause he got mixed up in some mob issues, Irish, I think. He was goin' into their territory to sell and they didn't like that. One day, some guys came and got me and Brooke after school and we stayed in this random apartment for two weeks 'cause Pop wouldn't give them money. Mama was gone by then so we wanted to stay with them, but the truancy cops came callin' and Pop couldn't risk dealin' with the law so he finally paid."

"Oh, Dal," Cordelia whispered. Dallas' face twitched a bit and he sat down on the curb, Cordelia following. They went the opposite direction from the park so no one was around to hear.

"It's fine. I ended up friends with the guy's son, Mark. We buddied around after school and I'd stay at his place a bunch. That's where I learned how to do everythin': running from the cops, bein' slick enough to not get caught. After a while, Pop found out and made me work for him and he didn't pay like Mark's old man. I mouthed off a few too many times and got slapped around a bit. Brooke died and he tried to beat me and I ran off, went to Mark's place, and his dad got involved and was gonna make my dad leave and keep me, but Pop realized and got me first. We came down to Tulsa and I found the guys, Shepherd, and Buck not long after and I've been avoidin' him since. Every once in a while I swing by the house to see if he's still alive."

"Was he ever a good dad?" Cordelia inquired.

"Sometimes. Taught me how to throw a ball and all that shit and there was one time, I was real young, this kid was messin' with me on the playground. The school got involved and the kid's dad wasn't gonna do shit so Pop handled the dad and the kid never bothered me again. Called me a pussy, but then he taught me how to fight."

Dallas' voice held so much bitterness that Cordelia was surprised he wasn't shaking with rage. There wasn't anything she could say to comfort him, so she chose to lean against his side instead to show him that she was there for him. Dallas pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed a little.

"I don't get why people have kids if they're not gonna love 'em," Cordelia said softly.

"We weren't planned," Dallas admitted, his voice growing tight. "Mama was a junkie and Pop was her dealer. When I was twelve, thirteen, somethin' like that, we were fightin' and he said he wished he never had me and I asked him why he did and the bastard just laughed. Turns out that Mama owed Pop money and Pop decided to take the payment and nine months later Brooke was born. Mama ran off with Brooke, but they were still in the city. She got clean and then some guy got her hooked again so she went to Pop and the same thing happened. She was only twenty-one when I was born and Pop was forty."

"That's horrible," Cordelia breathed out.

"Yeah," Dallas agreed. "Pop kept her around for sex and took care of us 'cause he had to. Mama put him on the birth certificate even though he wasn't there for either of our births, so when she died the state made him take custody. He tried givin' us up and then realized that he could use us to get some money from the state so he kept us around for that."

"When's the last time you saw him?" Cordelia asked.

"Right before I went up to Windrixville," Dallas answered. "Somethin' just told me that somethin' bad was gonna happen and I needed to make amends or whatever. Went to Sylvia first and she just yelled at me so I went to Pop next and he let me come in and then tried to get me to take some hard stuff with me 'cause he was too lazy to do it himself."

"I don't want you sleepin' over there. I-I'll call my aunt and get you the rent money or-"

"No, Cordelia. I'm not takin' your money," Dallas interrupted.

"I'm offerin' it. I don't need it and I don't want somethin' happening to you 'cause you need a place to sleep for one night," Cordelia argued.

"I don't care. It's not happenin'."

"Then sleep on the couch or climb in my window. Anythin' so you don't have to go to your dad's place," Cordelia insisted.

"I'll talk to Tim," Dallas conceded. Cordelia gave his cheek a kiss and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I'm real sorry, Dal," Cordelia whispered.

"Would your dad like me?" Dallas asked. Cordelia grabbed his hand and twirled the ring around so she could focus on that instead of meeting his eyes.

"I don't know," Cordelia admitted.

"Most dads don't with me bein' a hood and all," Dallas said nonchalantly.

"I don't know 'cause I was so young when he died," Cordelia clarified. "The only boys he ever ran off were little playground crushes. I know that he never was mean to no one and he would hire boys like you to work on the farm, give 'em structure, but he would always tell me I shouldn't get too close to them. Said I was his little princess."

"Smart man," Dallas mused with a small chuckle.

"I think he'd like this you. Maybe not the you that you pretend to be around other people, but he'd like this. I like this."

"I do too," Dallas said softly.

"Then why don't you drop the act?" Cordelia asked.

"Well, it's not really an act," Dallas explained. "That's who I am, but when I'm with you, I can let my guard down a bit. I know you're not gonna judge me or run off on me, although you probably should. I've kept myself alive this whole time and I'd like to keep goin'."

"I won't ever run off on you," Cordelia promised. Dallas gently guided her lips to his and then sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. He gently grabbed her right hand and slid his ring onto her finger, officially marking her as his for everyone to see.

"Let's get you home."

-----------------------

As it turns out, Tim seemed to hate Dallas' dad as much as everyone else because he opened up his couch for the night with no arguments or complaints. Cordelia sent a reluctant Dallas over with cookies as a thank you and made him promise to call once his run was done and he was back in his room at the bar. The normal routine continued without Dallas and with one new addition.

"C'mon, sweetie, it's alright. Wake up."

Cordelia clung onto whoever was holding her up with a gasp, her nails dragging into their skin with how hard she was holding on. The person let out a small hiss and shuffled her to a better position for them both.

"There you go. Just breathe."

"She need the inhaler?"

"Don't think so. Y'all give her some space."

Cordelia's mind finally cleared enough that she registered it was Darry holding her and there were two other people in the room. She leaned her head against Darry's chest to try and copy his breathing, but it was hard when sobs kept racking her body. Someone, probably Soda, came to sit behind her to rub her back until the sobs turned into small sniffles.

"You remember what it was about?" Darry asked quietly.

"Yeah," Cordelia croaked out. Ponyboy practically shoved a glass of water in her hands, accustomed enough to nightmares to have known to get the drink for her. Cordelia's heart clenched when she saw the worry in his eyes.

"Wanna talk about it?" Soda questioned, still rubbing gentle circles on her back.

"It's Henry's birthday today," Cordelia whispered.

"Oh, honey, why didn't you say somethin'?" Darry sighed.

"Didn't wanna bother anyone. When it gets to his birthday or the day he-he...I dunno. The nightmares just come back," Cordelia admitted.

"You're not a bother, Delia. You're our sister and we're here to help you," Soda assured her, Darry and Ponyboy both nodding in agreement.

"I know," Cordelia said with a shaky exhale. "I just-I don't think there's nothin' you can really do to help me with this. You can't stop me from seein' his body in my dreams or thinkin' about how young he is. There's nothin' anyone can do."

"Sometimes I get upset I can't remember my dreams, but I think that's a good thing," Ponyboy mused.

"Boys, how about you go back to bed," Darry suggested in a tone that conveyed it was more of an order. Soda pressed a big kiss to Cordelia's cheek that had her playfully pushing him away while Ponyboy hesitated for a moment, giving her a quick hug before he followed after his big brother.

"I'll be alright. I've gotta get up in two hours for school so I'll just stay up," Cordelia told Darry. He was already in his uniform so it must've been an early morning for him, but he didn't get up from the bed when she scooted to lean against the headboard.

"I've been meanin' to talk to you for a bit about this, but I couldn't find the time," Darry said, not meeting her eye. "Your physical therapist brought it up too so I figure I should ask you. Would you be interested in seein' a shrink? He thinks that the reason your arm isn't gettin' any better is 'cause you're in your head about it and well, we share a wall, Delia. I can hear you cryin' a lot more than normal."

Cordelia blushed and started picking at her peeling nail polish instead of answering. When it was clear that she wouldn't talk, Darry sighed a little and tried again.

"Have you ever been to a shrink before?"

"Once," Cordelia admitted. "The state sent me when I tried to kill myself. I went to a few sessions and when I told him why I did it, he didn't believe me 'cause Mr. Lawrence was his friend. Instead of helping me, he said I was a compulsive liar and psychotic, which prevented me from goin' to any good families. Mama Louise was able to get that removed from my file, but I almost got institutionalized when all I needed was an adult to believe me."

"It would be someone different and I'll make sure to find someone who believes the truth," Darry told her, sympathy coating his tone.

"No," Cordelia insisted. "I'm not gonna go and be labeled crazy again. They'd take me away."

"They'd help you," Darry tried to argue.

"I said no."

Darry bit back another sigh and gently squeezed her knee as he stood. Cordelia gave him a small smile to show that she wasn't mad and his shoulders dropped a bit.

"Want me to call you out of school? You look like you could use some more sleep and I can tell your head is startin' to hurt," Darry asked.

"Only if you stay home from work too," Cordelia told him.

"Wish I could," Darry said with a small laugh before he turned serious again. "Stay home from school today, Delia. I'll excuse you and you can stay home and do whatever you need to do to celebrate Henry. Your grades are just fine."

"Don't wanna be alone," Cordelia admitted in a small voice.

"Soda doesn't work 'til this afternoon and I get off early since we're startin' early. Go back to sleep if you can."

Cordelia gave Darry a thankful nod and a mumbled goodbye before she tried to lay back down, but images of Henry's dead body filled her mind anytime she tried to close her eyes. After thirty minutes of trying to sleep, she couldn't help but start to cry.

"Delia? Can I come in?" Soda asked softly through her closed door. Cordelia wiped her eyes and croaked out a confirmation. Soda closed the door behind him and sat down next to her on the bed, pulling her to his chest without any words.

Soda might call himself dumb, but he was far from it. He seemed to know that she didn't want any comforting words because he just sat there and held her until she pulled herself together. When she looked up at him to tell him thanks, she was shocked to see tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Soda. I didn't mean to make you cry," Cordelia apologized.

"I just don't like seein' anyone like this, much less my baby sister," Soda explained, wiping his own eyes.

"I'm barely younger," Cordelia huffed, making him chuckle a little.

"Still younger," Soda reminded her. "I also just can't help but think about what I would do if I lost Pony or Darry. I wouldn't be half as strong as you, that's for sure. When you guys were gone that week, I thought I was gonna lose it. If somethin' happened to you guys...I'm nothin' without my family."

"You're the glue that keeps this family together," Cordelia said seriously. "We're nothin' without you. For a long time I didn't want another family like this 'cause I was so scared to get attached and then get taken away, but I'm real glad I'm here now. I'm glad I've got you."

"So sentimental," Soda teased.

"Yeah," Cordelia grinned.

"So, what d'ya wanna do today?" Soda questioned as he made himself comfortable in her bed. Cordelia rolled her eyes at his invasion but followed suit. They could faintly hear Ponyboy drop something and then curse, making them both chuckle. He wasn't a morning person and he was sure to be upset that Cordelia wouldn't be going to school with him, but he would understand.

"Henry loves horses, chocolate cake, and Elvis. I know Dal's still on the run, but Buck won't mind if we go see the stables, especially if we bring cake."

"I do a great Elvis impression," Soda told her.

"I'm sure you do," Cordelia laughed.

"So we'll make a cake, listen to Elvis, and see the horses. Henry's a smart kid," Soda complimented.

Most people corrected Cordelia when she used present tense to refer to her brothers. She once got a failing grade because she had to write about her family and she used present tense. When the teacher found out that everyone was gone except for Elijah, she turned Cordelia's A into a F and sent her to the principal. Soda's use of present tense made her smile a little and relax a little, her eyes fluttering shut.

"He sure is," Cordelia agreed.

"Get some sleep and then we'll get goin'," Soda told her, already turning over to continue his slumber.

When Henry showed up in Cordelia's dreams, for the first time in a long time, she saw his smile and heard his laugh.

Chapter Text

Despite the efforts of those around her, Cordelia couldn't cheer herself up over the next few days. The temperature warming up outside didn't do much to help her stop thinking about Henry and she ended up with nightmares bad enough that Soda came to stay with her and Pony went to Darry for a few nights. To make matters worse, Dallas once again ended up on a run longer than expected. He was able to call, but Cordelia knew that he needed the money so she didn't tell him that anything was wrong because she was scared that he would come home early if she did. Instead, she spent most of her free time in her room a trying to nap and barely doing her homework. She could see the others getting worried and a bit annoyed, but she couldn't find the motivation or energy to do anything different.

It also didn't help that she overheard a phone call between Darry and Mrs. Elmers, reminding him that her six months was almost up and they would be evaluated again to make sure the house was still the best place for her to stay. With the roof leaking in the kitchen and the mostly empty fridge, Cordelia's anxiety was at an all-time high.

"Delia, it's your turn to cook dinner," Soda yelled from the front room. Cordelia huffed and turned over in the bed so her back was to the door. She had kicked Soda back to his room the night before, but he still bounded into her room like it was his own when he didn't get a response.

"Go away," Cordelia said when she felt him sit on the end of the bed. She let out a groan when he laid out over her.

"You've gotta cook dinner 'fore Darry gets home," Soda reminded her, poking her side as he sat back up. Cordelia glared at him and pulled her blanket over her head. Soda was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "I know you've had a bad week, Delia, but Darry's real tired and it's your turn to cook. It's gotta be done."

"Don't want to," Cordelia muttered.

"Well, Pony and I covered for you already when we didn't want to, so you've gotta do it. It won't take that long, it's just spaghetti."

Cordelia ignored Soda for a moment longer and he seemed to give up because he got up and left with a sigh. She could hear him talking softly to someone and then the sound of dishes clinking showed that he was cooking for her again. The guilt in her stomach grew worse at the sound and she blinked away her tears when someone else came in the room.

"Delia? Wanna come read with me?" Ponyboy asked hopefully.

"Not right now," Cordelia told him.

"I just...I know you have to finish your book by tomorrow and your bookmark hasn't moved in a bit so I thought-"

"Go away, Ponyboy! If I wanted to read with you, I would've said yes," Cordelia spat out. The look on Ponyboy's face when she pulled the blanket down was so hurt that it made her nauseous, but she pretended to be indifferent.

"Alright," Ponyboy said softly, closing the door behind him. Once again, she could hear a soft conversation but no one else bothered her for another thirty minutes or so until Darry got home.

"Delia, dinner," Darry said outside her door. Cordelia knew she couldn't get out of eating, so she reluctantly got out of bed to be greeted with a disappointed look. "You're on dish duty tonight."

"I did dishes last night," Cordelia argued.

"You washed your own dishes and then hid in your room. I know it's been a hard week and we've done our best to respect that, but you can't keep doin' this. We all have our own responsibilities and you need to handle your own. You're on dish duty tonight and I want you to cook dinner tomorrow."

"Whatever."

"And fix your attitude," Darry said, his eyebrows furrowing at her eye roll. "We know what you're goin' through and we have the same problem, but you don't see us takin' it out on everyone else."

"You don't know what I'm goin' through," Cordelia snapped, glaring up at him.

"Maybe not the exact same situation, but we still know what it's like to lose family. Eat your dinner and stop arguing."

"No," Cordelia said firmly.

"No?" Darry asked, his eyebrows raising with surprise. The front of the house was suspiciously quiet and she knew the brothers were likely listening in.

"No. You're not my dad and you don't get to tell me what to do."

Darry stared at her for a moment with a hurt and confused look on his face before he put on his practiced mask of calmness.

"I know that, but this is my house and you're under my care. After everythin' we've done for you, the least you can do it cook and clean every once in a while."

"That's what Mr. Lawrence said too."

That was a low blow and Cordelia knew it. Darry looked like he had been slapped and his stunned silence gave Cordelia enough time to slam her door shut and find the key, locking it right as Darry tried to open the door.

"Don't lock me out! Come sit down and talk to me," Darry said through the wood. Cordelia chose to grab Dallas' jacket and a bottle of water instead, barely glancing back as she slipped out of her window with practiced ease. She knew it wouldn't be long until they realized that she snuck out, so she jogged until she reached the lot. When she saw that Johnny was there, she turned in the opposite direction and kept walking even when she stopped recognizing the area.

She was still in greaser territory based on the rundown houses, but the area was definitely better off. The cars in the driveways looked nicer and some houses even had gardens or decorations. Cordelia made it to the end of the road before the sound of a door opening and slamming shut made her look over her shoulder, freezing when she saw a pissed off Steve rushing towards his car as he pulled on his shirt. He froze when they made eye contact and then sneered at her.

"Couldn't have waited five more minutes to run away?" Steve called out.

"Go back inside. I'm just walkin'," Cordelia told him as she came to stand in the driveway.

"Kinda killed the mood when Soda called in a panic," Steve scoffed. Cordelia quickly realized that she was at Evie's house when the girl came onto the front porch with a robe wrapped around her, and she blushed when she realized what she interrupted.

"Sorry," Cordelia muttered.

"Whatever," Steve mumbled before sighing. "Go inside so I can call and tell them you're safe. Evie's parents are out for the night so one of your brothers will have to come get you."

"I'm fine. I'm gonna keep walkin'," Cordelia told him.

"Fat chance of that," Steve said with an amused snort. "I'm not gonna let you go walkin' on your own. Darry and Dally'd both kill me and I'd like to live."

"Dal doesn't have to know," Cordelia said softly. She could already imagine his lecture if he found out that she snuck out again and walked to a new part of town on her own.

"They already called him," Steve said, smirking at her groan.

"Come get some water," Evie called out. Cordelia took a deep breath and knew that she had no other choice, so she followed Steve inside Evie's house and sat down on the couch while the girl went to change into real clothes. After calling her house, Steve came back with a glass of water for her and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Cordelia snapped, not liking his expression.

"What's goin' on with you? We've never seen you act like this," Steve noted.

"Maybe you don't know me that well," Cordelia responded with snark.

"Don't give me that shit. You've been here for what, six or seven months now. We spend most of our time together as a group and Soda talks about all of y'all constantly. I know you and this isn't like you," Steve countered.

Cordelia was quiet for a moment as she sipped on her water and debated what to say. Evie slipped back into the room and gave her a comforting smile while she sat next to Steve.

"In two weeks it'll have been six months since I came to stay with you guys. They're gonna come and evaluate the house next week and I already know what's gonna happen."

"So you're tryin' to piss off your brothers so they won't be upset if you get taken away," Steve guessed. Cordelia felt stupid when she nodded in confirmation.

"You really think they'll take you?" Evie asked, tilting her head.

"I don't know," Cordelia mumbled. "I know that Darry's doin' a great job and this is the best place for me, but all they'll see is that he works two jobs and is barely home. They'll see how rundown the house is and-and they'll notice when I skipped my physical therapy and I'll be sent to some girls home. Same thing happened with my cousin in New Orleans."

"Ain't you old enough to speak for yourself?" Evie questioned.

"I am, but that doesn't mean they have to listen. They haven't in the past."

"You've gotta talk to Darry," Steve said seriously. "He knows more about this than us and he can handle it. If he could keep you guys after your bright idea to run away, he can keep you now. He's Superman."

"Yeah," Cordelia sighed, knowing that Steve was right. Steve gave her what was probably meant to be a reassuring smile, but it did little to calm her anxiety.

"On a happier note, there's a party at Buck's place next week and you should come," Evie invited with a bright smile. "Sylvia won't even be there so it'll be chill. Dallas is usually at all his parties, so you can hang out with him. Ooh, you can come over here first and I'll dress you up."

"If she's not still grounded," Steve said with a chuckle. His statement and the sound of an engine made her cringe.

"I'll talk to Dal," Cordelia told her, standing up to deal with whichever brother came to get her. "Thanks for the water and the talk."

Steve and Evie both said their goodbyes but when they saw that it was Darry who came to get her, they made the wise decision to stay inside. None of them wanted to deal with his wrath, especially since he had worked nine days in a row and still had two more days to go before his day off. His jaw clenched when she got into the passenger seat of the truck and he took off without a word.

"I'm sorry, Dar," Cordelia practically whispered.

"You oughta be. You know how worried we were? We talked about this, you don't go runnin' away when things get hard. You talk to us," Darry spat out.

"I'm learnin' how to," Cordelia said earnestly. "Runnin' away is just easier."

"Well, we've got ten minutes left in the drive. Talk to me now."

"I'm gonna get taken away."

Darry gave her an incredulous look and then motioned for her to elaborate. When Cordelia was done explaining, he sighed and pulled over to the side of the road since it was empty and turned in his seat to properly look at her.

"Delia, the home visit isn't to take you away. They're comin' to evaluate me to see if I can get permanent custody of all three of y'all. Visits once a year instead of once a month, full decision makin', whole nine yards. And even if that doesn't get approved, I got my temporary custody of you extended 'til the end of the year. You're not goin' anywhere."

"You didn't tell me that," Cordelia said, her voice thick.

"You have enough on your plate and I didn't want you worryin' about this. I figured that if I didn't say anythin', you wouldn't be thinking or worrying about it. I guess I was wrong," Darry explained.

"I worry about it every day. Sometimes in my dreams, they come and get me, and other times, you send me away," Cordelia choked out.

"Hey, that's not gonna happen. Never," Darry said firmly, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "In the future, I'll tell you if there are any updates in your case. The agent comes next week for the visit and I'll let you know everything that's said durin' that so you're updated. But you've gotta come to me when you get anxious like this in the future. All this little stunt did was get you in trouble and stress us out."

"I'm sorry," Cordelia whispered.

"Yeah, I know you are," Darry said softly, starting the car back up. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and cleared his throat. "I didn't mean that earlier. About you needin' to do chores and everythin' 'cause we're takin' care of you. You need to do chores 'cause you live in the house just like the rest of us. I worded it wrong and I'm sorry."

"I know, Dar," Cordelia assured him. "I was just bein' a brat."

"Yeah, you were," Darry said with a small grin. "I guess you and Pony are a lot more similar than you thought."

Despite her upcoming two weeks of grounding, the pile of homework she had to do, and the brothers she needed to apologize to, Cordelia grinned too.

-------------------

In the time that she had known Dallas Winston, Cordelia had learned to read his emotions. If he flared his nostrils, he was angry and needed to calm down. Scuffing his feet meant he was nervous, and if he couldn't meet your eye it meant he had done something bad and knew he was in for a stern talking to. As she stepped out of the school building and saw Dallas leaning against his car with his narrowed eyes trained on the door and his arms crossed, Cordelia knew that he was pissed. When they made eye contact, he stomped his cigarette out and opened the passenger door before crossing to the other side of the car to sit behind the wheel.

"Good luck," Ponyboy said with an amused chuckle, Johnny snickering too. Cordelia flicked him off and slowly got into the car and closed the door. Dallas started driving without a word and for once, both of his hands stayed on the wheel.

"Missed you," Cordelia said in an attempt to break the awkward tension. She wasn't used to feeling this way around him and she didn't like it.

"Yeah, I know," Dallas responded in a tight voice that made Cordelia cringe. He stayed silent until they pulled into Bucks and headed back to the stables.

"I'm grounded, Dal. I'm not even supposed to be hangin' out with you outside of the house," Cordelia reminded him. Darry had reluctantly agreed to let her go to the party the next week as long as she didn't do anything during her grounding, and if he found out that she went riding he would change his mind.

"We're not ridin'. The horses are in Texas for a competition," Dallas said simply, still opening her car door despite his anger. Cordelia mumbled a thanks and gave Gatta a quick pet before he followed Dallas into one of the fields where he was sitting in the tall grass, taking a seat next to him.

"You don't get to chew me out too, Dal. Darry already did and then I had to hear it from Soda and Pony too. It's not your place," Cordelia told him.

"I'm not mad, doll. I'm scared," Dallas admitted in a soft voice that made Cordelia furrow her eyebrows. "I got the call that you went runnin' off and I thought I'd never see you again or that someone'd grab you and-. I wasn't here to find you and that terrified me. I was nauseous and shakin' until Soda called and said they found you. And now I'm scared 'cause I don't like feelin' like that about someone. Vulnerability isn't a good thing on this side of town."

"So what? You endin' things?" Cordelia asked in a shaky voice. Dallas sent her a look like she was stupid and she relaxed a little.

"No, not endin' things. I just decided that I'm done with the runs and all that shit. I want somethin' steady and I don't wanna have to leave town to get enough money to scrape by. I wanna go somewhere where I don't have to be some JD or hood, and somewhere you can go for a walk without bein' scared of somethin' happening. I want out of Tulsa and I'm scared."

"Why are you scared?" Cordelia questioned, leaning into his side.

"'Cause I want more than I deserve," Dallas croaked out, clearing his throat. "I've never been scared like that before and it terrifies me. You're too good for me and my dreams are never gonna happen so now I'm just pissed at the universe."

Dallas rapidly blinked and then wiped his eyes, looking the opposite direction so Cordelia couldn't see how glossy his eyes were. The girl sighed and wrapped her arms around his middle. She knew that there was nothing she could do or say to help in that moment, so she leaned her head against his chest and sat there listening to his rapid heartbeat slowing.

"What can I do, Dal?"

"Just sit here with me for a minute?"

"However long you need."

Chapter Text

It didn't take long for Cordelia to start feeling better. The state came by to check out the house, which had gone through a major deep clean, and then left with the promise of a response within the next week. Fortunately, a quick wink and smile let the Curtis family relax a little bit until they got the results. That meant that Darry not only let Cordelia go to the party at Buck's (Soda had to go too, not that he was complaining), but stay the night as well.

"Dallas isn't gonna be able to keep his hands off of you," Evie squealed, clapping a little to congratulate herself on her work. Cordelia raised an eyebrow and examined herself in the mirror. Evie had curled her hair to try and hide the uneven color and done soft makeup that brought attention to her eyes and lips. Her outfit showed more skin than she was used to, making Cordelia pull the skirt down a little to cover one of the burns. The black skirt only went to mid-thigh and her shirt would reveal her belly button if she lifted her arms, but she couldn't help but feel cute in the outfit.

"It's not too much?" Cordelia asked worriedly, which was stupid since Evie had twice as much makeup on and half as many clothes.

"Delia, you're sixteen. Live a little," Evie encouraged. Cordelia sighed a little and followed Evie out to her front room where Steve was waiting. At the sight of his girlfriend, Steve smirked and brought her into her arms to start making out.

"Please wait 'til I'm gone to do that," Cordelia requested with a shudder.

"Can't help it," Steve murmured, but the couple separated anyway. Steve turned to Cordelia with a serious look on his face. "No smokin' or drinkin' or we'll never hear the end of it. Two should be there too so if you need anythin' and Dally isn't around, find one of us."

"I can take care of myself. Remember?" Cordelia asked teasingly. Steve let out a fake laugh and flicked her off before they headed out to the car.

"Soda meeting us there?" Evie asked.

"He's got a date. Patricia something," Steve admitted. Cordelia raised an eyebrow and smirked since Soda had left that out when he got permission from Darry to go to the party. Sure enough, he was waiting outside the bar with a pretty middle class girl, the two of them smiling at each other. The siblings observed one another and seemed to agree at the same time that Darry didn't need to know anything about how she was dressed or his date.

"Patty, you know Steve, Evie, and Delia," Soda introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Patricia said, giving each of them a nod and a smile. With her blonde hair and tan skin, she looked a lot like the pictures of Sandy, but Soda seemed happy. Steve seemed to notice the resemblance too because he gave Soda a look that the younger teen ignored.

"Where's Dal?" Cordelia asked.

"Buck has him givin' out some beers and he was talkin' with Tim. Seemed to be pretty heated," Soda answered. Cordelia nodded and waved goodbye as she slipped into the house. It was early enough that it wasn't yet fully packed, but she still grimaced at the loud music and sweaty bodies. It didn't take long for her to find Dallas and Tim arguing in a back corner.

"I'm done. I'm tired of gettin' screwed over and arrested. There's no point in arguing," Dallas said tensely. Tim's eyes flickered over to where Cordelia was approaching them and his jaw twitched.

"Yeah, we'll see how long this lasts," Tim said before he disappeared into the crowd. Dallas sighed and cursed under his breath before he realized that Cordelia was now in front of him. Her cheeks blazed when Dallas looked her up and down and then surged forward to drag her lips to his, pulling her flush against his chest.

"Like it?" Cordelia asked breathlessly, reluctantly peeling herself away when someone whistled and she realized they were in public.

"Yeah," Dallas said lowly. Cordelia grinned a little and used her thumb to wipe away the lipstick that got onto Dallas' face. "Fuck, baby, you look good. Where'd you get the clothes?"

"Evie," Cordelia explained. Dallas nodded in understanding and grabbed her hand to pull her into a hallway that was less crowded. Before she knew it, his lips were back on hers and she was slowly pushed to lean against the wall. It didn't take long until his hands slipped under her shirt to hold her waist while her hands snaked around his neck to encourage him for a moment before she turned her face so he was just kissing her cheek.

"Cee," Dallas huffed a little, smiling against her skin when she giggled at the feeling of his lips trailing down the side of her throat.

"I came here for a party, not to make out with you," Cordelia teased. In reality, her body was starting to heat up, and she needed to put a stop to that before someone caught them.

"That's my definition of a party," Dallas grinned. Cordelia rolled her eyes and put her hands on his chest to push him away, ignoring his groan as he followed her back towards the front.

"I guess it's workin'," Evie laughed when she saw them, making the girl blush. Dallas pressed himself against her back as they walked through the crowd towards the bar, glaring at any guy who dared to look at her for too long.

"They're allowed to look as long as they don't get weird about it," Cordelia told him when they sat.

"No, they're not," Dallas said simply, reaching over to grab a beer for himself and a Coke for her. Cordelia messed with his St. Christopher as she observed the room and the horde of drunk or high people. There was a mix of different gangs all present, and it seemed like they put any disagreements aside because there was no sign of fighting.

"What's this for again?" Cordelia asked.

"Hell if I know," Dallas said with a laugh.

It only took thirty minutes for Cordelia to be ready to go home. Dallas was popular enough that people kept approaching him to talk, and then she had to watch him play darts to settle a bet with Mick from the Brumly gang. Dallas, however, looked to be having the time of his life, so she kept quiet even when she felt a headache start.

"Wanna try?" Mick asked, holding the darts down towards her.

"No, thanks," Cordelia declined. Mick shrugged and turned back to the board, ignoring Cordelia when she coughed into her elbow. There were so many people smoking inside that she was getting overwhelmed by the fumes.

"Let's take a break," Dallas encouraged when he heard the sound.

"Thanks," Cordelia said softly, grabbing his hand. She was expecting him to guide her outside, but he went towards the staircase instead and didn't stop until he reached his room. Like always, he made sure to lock the door before he plopped down on the bed. Cordelia grinned and, in a decision so bold that she even shocked herself, straddled his lap.

"Is there a reason you're sittin' on me and not the bed?" Dallas asked with a raised eyebrow, but he didn't look too upset with their position. Cordelia gave him a wicked smirk and threaded her arms around his neck.

"Not sure if it's safe. Don't know how many girls have been on here."

"Doll, don't worry 'bout that. And I do know how to do laundry," Dallas answered with a small eye roll.

"Really, Dal? I'm not jealous, I just wanna know. How many girls have you been with?" Cordelia asked, settling down on his thighs. Dallas squeezed her thigh a little, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on the exposed skin where her skirt had ridden up.

"Not as many as you'd think. Syl's the only real girlfriend I've had other than you, and I had a friends with benefits thing goin' on with this girl Emily before she moved away. Other than that, I've had three one-night stands and that's it," Dallas admitted.

"So five?" Cordelia counted. Honestly, she had expected the number to be much higher than that, so she was fine with the number. Plus, she knew that Dallas was wrapped around her finger now, and there was no point in stressing about the past.

"Yeah. Kissed more, for sure, but only ever fucked five. What 'bout you, doll, you got any boyfriends I don't know about?" Dallas teased. Cordelia stiffened a little, and Dallas' smirk fell into a look of concern.

"I went out with this one kid when I was thirteen, but we never even kissed or anythin'. As for how many times I've had sex, I lost count. There's no real way to know either since I was knocked out so much," Cordelia answered in a soft voice.

"'M sorry, Cee. Didn't mean to make you upset. I was just messin' around," Dallas apologized. Cordelia shrugged and shuffled higher in his lap so she could lean against his chest and wrap her arms around his middle. His arms came to wrap around her, too in an embrace so gentle that she knew she would get pushed off if someone knocked on the door, but she was happy for now.

"It's fine, Dal. You deserve to know these things if you're goin' out with me," Cordelia assured him. Dallas' hand gently rubbed her side, and he hummed.

"If you don't feel comfortable answering, then don't, but I just wanna know. You've never had sex, like real sex where you consented, have you? No one's ever made you feel good?" Dallas questioned. Cordelia thought for a moment and shook her head.

"I mean, I eventually learned that if I pretended to like it that it'd be over faster. And I've obviously had an orgasm before 'cause sometimes your body doesn't listen to your brain that what's happenin' isn't good. Most of the men didn't care about me, though, and they finished 'fore I could, which I honestly preferred. Made me feel less guilty."

Cordelia let out a small shriek when Dallas suddenly moved them so her back was against the bed and he was hovering over her, careful not to put any pressure on her. His hands weren't touching her which gave her a way to escape if necessary, but she felt safe and comfortable underneath him.

"Do you touch yourself?" Dallas asked, his eyes dark.

"Doesn't feel right. Anytime I've tried, I just feel guilty or wrong," Cordelia whispered. Dallas grunted in anger and gently connected their lips, one hand hesitantly touching her hip until he knew that she was comfortable before he grabbed it and squeezed.

"Can I make you feel good, Cee? I want you to know what it feels like to feel good, to have someone take care of you and your needs. Can I do that?"

Cordelia had never nodded faster in her life. Dallas smirked and finally dropped his body so they were chest to chest, although he was careful not to crush her. Their lips worked together as their hands started to explore each other's bodies, Cordelia pulling at the hem of Dallas' shirt. In all honesty, she had never really felt arousal before she started dating Dallas, but now she could feel it building up in her body, and despite how terrified she was, the physical connection was something her body needed in that moment.

"This isn't 'bout me, doll. Tonight's gonna be all about you," Dallas panted as he gently grabbed her hand to pull it away from his shirt.

"I want to see you. Can we turn on the lamp and-and make sure the door is locked?" Cordelia requested.

"Sure, doll. You just stay right there," Dallas said softly, giving her a kiss before he stood up. With the party raging downstairs, she doubted that anyone would be able to hear them, but it still made her feel better when Dallas double-checked the lock. They had been sitting in semi-darkness with the only light coming from the moon, so they both winced a little when the lamp was turned on.

"Thank you, Dal," Cordelia mumbled when he sat back down a little bit away from her, reaching over to grab her hand.

"Course. Now, if you wanna stop at any time, just let me know. If I do anythin' to make you uncomfortable or-"

"I'll kill you myself and then have my brothers come kill you again. But you're not goin' to, so shut up and come take care of me."

Dallas made quick work of removing his shirt and then he was on top of her to continue their make-out session, shuddering a little at the feeling of Cordelia's hands on his bare chest. She was exploring every muscle and scar as desire grew in her body. It wasn't something that she was used to feeling, but with Dallas' lips on her throat, she wanted to feel it every day.

"Can I take your shirt off?" Dallas asked. Cordelia whimpered and nodded, gasping at his cold hands on her burning body. When the fabric was gone, Dallas sat up to look down at her, his hands gently exploring, teasing around her bra with a smirk.

"Fucker," Cordelia muttered, reaching behind her to unhook her bra and pull it off. Dallas stilled at that, and his eyes went wide as he stared. Cordelia blushed a little and moved her arm to cover herself. "'M sorry, I know they're not big or pretty. They're-"

"Perfect," Dallas interrupted. Cordelia couldn't help the moan that escaped her mouth when Dallas shoved her arm away to start licking and kissing her breasts, leaving a few marks behind, too. No one had ever done this to her before, but she never wanted him to stop.

"Fuck, Dal," Cordelia gasped, one hand clinging to the sheets while the other grabbed the back of his head. Dallas groaned at the feeling and started making his way lower until he reached her jeans, stopping to look at her.

"You ready?" Dallas asked when she hesitated.

"Yeah. Please."

Dallas kept her underwear on at first, gently touching the fabric where he knew she would be most sensitive as he moved up to kiss her. Every time she broke off the kiss to gasp or she whimpered into his mouth, he seemed to lap it up. After a few minutes of that, Cordelia grabbed his wrist and pulled away.

"I'm ready. Please, Dal, I need you."

It looked like he won the lottery. Dallas gave her a wicked smirk and a long kiss before he positioned himself between her thighs, holding eye contact as he peeled her underwear off. Cordelia blushed and looked away when he turned his attention to her exposed personal area with the look of a man starved, his hands rubbing up and down her thighs.

"Beautiful," Dallas murmured before he surged forward to lick her. Cordelia practically screamed in ecstasy and her hips jumped up while her hand tried to push his face closer.

"What-what the fuck?" Cordelia panted out.

"I'm gonna make you feel good, Cee. No one ever did this?" Dallas questioned with an open-mouthed kiss to her clit that had Cordelia's legs clenching around his head.

"Cl-clearly not," Cordelia managed to stutter out before Dallas was back to eating like it was his last meal. One of his hands was holding her right thigh down so she wouldn't crush his head while the other was firm around her waist so she couldn't do much other than squirm uselessly. Embarrassingly, tears were starting to build in her eyes, and her head was spinning from the pleasure, but she held it back because her mind was starting to scream at her for enjoying this.

"You make the most beautiful noises, Cee. God, you're the only one for me. I'm ruined for anyone else. Just let yourself feel, I can see that you're in your head," Dallas encouraged as he came up for air. The sight of his lips and chin covered, mixed with his words, made Cordelia whimper and turn her head into the pillow that smelled just like him.

"More. Please," Cordelia requested. Dallas was quick to humor her, keeping his mouth on her clit while a finger carefully entered her, his eyes watching her every expression to make sure that she was comfortable. Dallas knew exactly where to touch and how to move to make sure that she was feeling nothing but pleasure, and she knew it wouldn't be long until she came.

"Almost there?" Dallas asked, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Y-yeah," Cordelia confirmed with a moan when his finger hit a certain spot inside of her.

"Want another finger?" Dallas questioned, his thumb replacing his tongue so he could talk to her. Cordelia thought for a moment and then shook her head, her heart racing at the idea. "That's just fine, Cee. I'll get you there just like this. You're doin' so great, doll. Fuckin' perfect."

Cordelia was used to men degrading her and belittling her during sex, so Dallas' praise made the first few tears fall as she squeezed her eyes shut against the overwhelming sensations. Dallas saw and she barely heard him curse under his breath before he attempted to move away, but Cordelia snapped her eyes open and grabbed at his wrist.

"Don't you dare fuckin' stop," Cordelia snapped. The look of concern on Dallas' face turned into one of triumph, and he leaned forward to kiss her as his hand continued its work. It wasn't long before Cordelia had to rip her lips away for air, and Dallas took that as a chance to kiss down her chest again.

"Doin' so good. I'd do this every day if you'd let me. Just make you feel good as if that's what I was put on this Earth to do," Dallas panted between kisses. His finger moved just a centimeter over to the side, and Cordelia saw stars.

"F-fuck, Dal!" Cordelia explained as her body started twitching, her eyesight shaky with the feelings coursing through her. She knew that her body was arching since Dallas' hand that had been on her thigh was now supporting her back while the other continued its motions inside of her to prolong the feeling, slowing down when her body collapsed back down onto the bed. The moment that he heard her whine and saw her hand lazily come up to swat at him, Dallas pulled out.

"Hottest shit I've ever seen, doll. I'm tellin' you, you're perfect. Can't believe you're mine," Dallas complimented. Cordelia felt too shaky to respond, so she settled on closing her eyes and trying to calm her breathing, turning her head into the pillow to try and wipe away some of her tears. Dallas chuckled, and she felt the fabric of his shirt wipe at her cheeks to help. She could tell by his chuckle that he was feeling mighty proud of himself, and she couldn't blame him.

"Dal," Cordelia managed to say. She wasn't sure what she wanted or needed, but he seemed to understand because he gave her a soft kiss and pushed her hair away from her face.

"Just stay there, doll. I'm gonna go clean you up, alright?"

Cordelia whined when he got up off the bed, opening her eyes just a crack to watch him walk into the bathroom, adjusting himself as he went. When he came back towards her with a towel in his hand, she could see that he was also aroused.

"Don't you want to-to...?" Cordelia mumbled, feeling too weak to say much else. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion until she lazily gestured at his problem.

"Maybe next time. I told you that this was all about you. It'll go away," Dallas assured her. Cordelia smiled a little and closed her eyes again as Dallas gently cleaned her up, maneuvering her body around to help her into one of his shirts and a pair of boxers. When he was done, Cordelia pulled him down so she could cuddle into his side.

Cordelia had been thinking something for weeks now, but she had always been too scared to say it. Now that she was wrapped in Dallas' arms, she knew that she had nothing to be scared of.

"Thank you, Dal. I never thought I'd ever...I love you," Cordelia said softly. She could feel Dallas tense under her and she was scared that he was going to throw her off, but his body slowly relaxed and he pulled her closer, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead to show her that no matter what words came out of his mouth next, he felt the same.

"Get some sleep."

Chapter Text

"Hey. I've got somethin' to tell you."

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"So I've heard."

Dallas's voice was tender and soft as he pulled Cordelia closer in his arms, pressing a lingering kiss on her hairline. Cordelia grinned and peered up at him, using the light coming in from the sunrise, glad to see that he was fighting a smile. They had both fallen asleep so early that they woke up with the sun, but it gave them more time to be together without any prying eyes, so they weren't complaining.

"You don't have to say it back. I know how you feel," Cordelia whispered. Dallas softly connected their lips and then sighed comfortably, pulling her closer so their legs intertwined.

"You really shouldn't," Dallas said in a warning.

"I know. Wanna know why I do?" Cordelia asked.

"'Cause I'm handsome."

"That's part of it," Cordelia said with a small laugh. "I love you because you know me better than anyone else. I can just look at you and you know what I need or want. You protect me and take care of me like no one ever has before, and you're understanding without being too overbearing. You take care of yourself, but you're learning how to let others care for you too. And despite how you might act, you're really just a big softie."

"I am not," Dallas groaned before he was thoughtful for a moment. "You're the only person who doesn't see me as some JD hood with no future. You might judge me when I make a mistake, but you listen to me and understand where I'm coming from. Sure, I've got other friends and Johnny's like a brother to me, but you're the only person who really knows me. But I'm not a softie."

"Sure. What happened to the no cuddlin' rule?"

Dallas grumbled under his breath but he didn't move from their position. Cordelia let her mind drift off, her hand unconsciously running up and down his stomach until he suddenly grabbed it, making her look up at him with a questioning glance.

"Keep doin' that and I'll have to take a cold shower," Dallas warned. Cordelia blushed a little when she realized that her hand had traveled a lot lower than she had realized. At her mumbled apology, Dallas released her hand, his eyebrows shooting up when she continued her motion with a small smirk.

"It's only fair," Cordelia said with a small shrug.

"You don't gotta," Dallas assured her, his breathing picking up a little when she pushed him onto his back to sit on his thighs.

"I know," Cordelia nodded. Dallas sucked in a breath and kept his eyes trained on Cordelia as she ran her hands up and down his bare chest, her eyes flickering down to the strain in his sweatpants. She had just started to lean down to kiss him when someone knocked on their door and they shot apart.

"Delia! You awake? Darry's about to be here to pick us up, he said Mrs. Elmers called," Soda said through the wood.

"Give me a minute!" Cordelia yelled back, rushing to stand up and get her own clothes instead of Dallas'. The teen didn't look upset at the interruption, worried instead.

"Want me to come?" Dallas asked as he passed over her bra, making her cheeks flush a little again. Despite what they had done the night before, she still turned her back to him to change.

"No, it's fine. I'll call you when I know why she called. It's probably just the results of the home visit," Cordelia said, her voice quivering a little.

"Alright. I'll be here all day," Dallas said. Cordelia nodded and took a deep breath to calm herself, accepting Dallas' embrace.

"I love you," Cordelia whispered.

"You'll be fine," Dallas assured her. Cordelia gave him a weary smile and checked her appearance in the mirror before she opened the door. Soda wiggled his eyebrows at them and then laughed when they both flicked him off.

"Let's go, baby sis," Soda said, throwing an arm over her shoulder.

"Ew, don't call me that," Cordelia said with a shudder. Soda laughed and guided her through the house where there were still some patrons drinking and others passed out on the furniture.

"So, how was your night?" Soda asked knowingly.

"Oh, shut up," Cordelia mumbled, her cheeks turning red. "How was your night?"

"Let's just say my needs have been met."

"You're so gross," Cordelia complained. Soda snickered and shrugged as he sat down on the front steps, yawning and stretching. She had passed by Steve asleep on one of the couch so she assumed that the two of them had passed out the night before, which would explain why Soda was rubbing at his shoulder with a grimace.

"Oh, you can't talk. You and Dally disappeared before the party even truly started and didn't even try to make an appearance. I really should've given him a nice shiner."

"We didn't have sex," Cordelia said quietly.

"And neither did I but I still made sure to get far away when Patty's brother came to get her," Soda said with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. Cordelia rolled her eyes and sat on her hands so she wouldn't pick at her skin.

"Why d'ya think Mrs. Elmers called? She's not the one who did the evaluation."

"She's our case manager so she probably just has the results. It's not a big deal," Soda said soothingly, but she could see the anxiety in his eyes.

"Yeah, I bet you're right," Cordelia nodded. Soda knocked their shoulders together and closed his eyes to soak in the sunlight warming the ground. It wasn't long until the old truck pulled up with a tired looking Darry behind the wheel.

"How was Pones last night?" Soda asked as a greeting.

"Alright. Johnny spent the night with 'im, so the nightmares weren't that bad. Only heard him wake up once and it seemed like they went back to sleep pretty quick," Darry answered, making Soda let out a relieved breath. That had been his only reservation with going to the party, so it made them all relax a little to know that everything was okay. "How was the party? No fights or nothin'?"

"Nope," Cordelia confirmed.

"Good. Good," Darry said softly, obviously distracted. The car ride was mostly silent until they pulled into the driveway and he cleared his throat. "Look, guys, I'm sure everythin' is fine. The State just comes by every once in a while."

"But this is different," Cordelia said softly.

"It's gonna be fine," Soda insisted. Cordelia nodded and followed Darry and Soda into the house where Ponyboy and Johnny were sitting on the couch, both of them looking worried.

"Should I go?" Johnny asked softly.

"Might be best," Darry confirmed. "Mrs. Elmers knows all of us, but I think it'll be best if it's just us here. We'll let you and all the guys know when the air is clear."

"Alright. Good luck," Johnny said as he left, everyone mumbling out their thanks. Cordelia headed back to the shower and made herself more presentable, Soda following after her. Ponyboy was reading a book, but it was clear that he wasn't paying any attention, and Darry wasn't much better. He was cleaning a spotless kitchen and glancing at the front door every few minutes. Soda plopped down on the couch and ruffled Ponyboy's hair like they weren't waiting for news that could ruin their lives.

"When's she gonna get here?" Ponyboy whined.

"I don't know, Ponyboy. She just said she was on the way," Darry answered in a tense voice like he had already said that. Based on Ponyboy's huff and pink cheeks, it wasn't his first time asking and he knew better than to repeat the question.

"Patience is a virtue," Soda advised with a teasing smirk that fell at the knock on the door.

"Behave," Darry muttered to them as he crossed the room to open the door. "Mrs. Elmers, it's lovely to see you."

"And you as well, Darrel," Mrs. Elmers greeted, her eyes scanning the room. They stopped on a crack in the wall before they crossed over to Cordelia.

"You wanna talk to me?" Cordelia guessed.

"Not your first rodeo," Mrs. Elmers said apologetically. Cordelia shrugged and gave her brothers a reassuring grin before she guided the agent back to her room.

"I like it here, Darry treats me well and takes care of me, I'm doin' good in school, I'm happy," Cordelia listed out.

"You've missed a few appointments," Mrs. Elmers noted.

"I'm doin' alright. They weren't important ones and Darry was workin' when I missed them. And I had to do the dishes all week as punishment."

Mrs. Elmers smiled a little and sat down at her desk chair, looking relaxed. That allowed Cordelia's heart to race a little bit slower.

"You seem to have settled in here very well. I want to know from you, do you want to stay here?"

"Of course," Cordelia answered immediately. Mrs. Elmers smiled and nodded her head to the door for Cordelia to guide her back up to the front. Darry stood up immediately so the woman motioned for him to sit down, her eyes a bit amused.

"I have good news and okay news," Mrs. Elmers started. "Your request for permanent custody of Sodapop and Ponyboy has been approved, but it was denied for Cordelia."

"She's leavin'?!" Ponyboy exclaimed.

"Hush, Ponyboy," Darry hissed, but his eyes were just as panicked. Cordelia wiped her palms on her jeans and then put her hands under her legs to hide their shaking.

"She's not leaving, Ponyboy," Mrs. Elmers assured him. "You have been approved for a full year. At that point, Cordelia will only be a few months shy of eighteen, which means that unless there is a significant change or worry, the State is unlikely to deny a final extension."

"Why? Is it my salary or-?"

"No, Darrel. It's nothing that you can control," Mrs. Elmers interrupted before Darry could get too worked up. "It's actually her money."

"What?" Cordelia asked.

"Currently, your money is locked away and no one can touch it until you turn eighteen and get access. If Darrel were to get permanent custody, legally, he would have access to that account as well and the State is worried that he would abuse that."

"I wouldn't do that," Darry insisted.

"I know that, but it's a valid argument. At the end of the day, the State wants to look out for the children, and we know that Cordelia has slipped through the cracks before, so we want to ensure that it doesn't happen again. And unfortunately, it means that permanent custody is out of the question for Cordelia."

"But I still have custody? They're not gonna take her away?" Darry double checked.

"No, she's safe here. I have multiple letters of recommendation to ensure that she is safe here," Mrs. Elmers answered.

"And the boys, they're really here for good? No more checks or anythin'?"

"No more. Permanent custody means that when the agents come to check on Cordelia, they won't look at the boys unless something serious were to happen. If you were to lose your job, get seriously injured, we have another run in with the law, etc., then we'd step in just like we do with biological children. Other than that, they're yours."

"Hear that, Pones? No more run ins with the law," Soda teased, a relieved smile on his face. Ponyboy rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face either.

"If there are no further questions, you have these papers to sign and then we're done."

Darry didn't waste any time signing the papers, everyone shaking Mrs. Elmers hand before she left. They all stared at each other for a moment before they broke out into excited cheers and jumped around in a hug.

"Can't get rid of us now, huh, Dar?" Ponyboy laughed.

"Watch it or I'll leave you on the side of the road," Darry threatened, ruining Ponyboy's greased hair. The younger boy scrunched up his face and elbowed Darry's middle in retaliation.

"I'll come get ya," Soda assured him.

"Can we get ice cream to celebrate?" Ponyboy asked hopefully.

"Alright. Go get your shoes on," Darry encouraged. Since Cordelia and Darry were fully dressed, they sat down on the porch to wait. Based on the laughter coming from inside, it would take the others a while to appear.

"Mrs. Elmers is one of the good ones," Cordelia told him.

"Yeah, she is. Our first agent was horrible. He really didn't like me," Darry said with a chuckle. "You're not too upset, are ya? I know we both would've liked to have permanent custody."

"I get it," Cordelia shrugged. "It's to protect me and I can't blame them. I just hate that they're payin' attention to me now and not when I was younger. But they don't ask me what I want either. I'd let you have access."

"I wouldn't use your money," Darry told her seriously.

"Yeah, I've noticed," Cordelia said with an eye roll. "You deserve a little break. Maybe we can talk to my aunt and go on vacation. I'm sure Pony and Soda'd like the ocean."

"You've been?" Darry asked.

"My grandparents had a summer house down in Florida. We'd fly down every summer and spend a month there."

"Fly?! Glory, it must be horrible to stay with us," Darry gasped, his eyes wide.

"I haven't lived like that in a while. Most of my families took me in for the little bit the state gave them, but sometimes I think about it. When I turn eighteen, the first thing I'll do is take the whole gang down to the beach."

"We'll appreciate it, but you don't have to," Darry told her.

"Don't have to do what?" Soda asked, slamming the door and earning a glare.

"Take you to the beach," Cordelia answered. Soda gasped like a little kid and then before he could answer, an excited Ponyboy ran into them and topped them over.

"I guess it's a plan," Darry said when he saw how excited his brothers were.

"Miami or the Bahamas?"

"Glory!"

---------------

It didn't take long for the gang to hear about the custody decision and come over with congratulations and for the older ones, lots of alcohol. Soda could get drunk on life, but everyone else needed the liquor to get that feeling. Darry had been less than pleased when he woke up to Ponyboy throwing up from a hangover, Cordelia wrapped up in blankets because she kept trying to run outside, and then Soda and Steve somehow asleep on the kitchen table.

To make matters worse, Two-Bit had gotten gum in Cordelia's hair and by the time she was sober enough to deal with it, the gum was too dry to do anything.

"We'll have to cut it," Ponyboy noted, squinting his eyes a little against the bathroom lights. The Aspirin hadn't had enough time to kick in yet, especially since Darry only gave him one.

"It won't be too much," Johnny tried to assure her when he saw how her face fell.

"Well, this feels like deja vu," Cordelia said before she took a deep breath and grabbed the scissors, cutting the gum out without a second thought.

"Wanna let me get the rest?" Johnny offered.

"Do a better job than before," Cordelia instructed. Johnny smirked a little and used Ponyboy's guidance to even out the ends of her hair. It wasn't much that they needed to cut, so it wasn't long until it was done.

"Better?" Johnny asked.

"Better," Cordelia confirmed, digging through the cabinet for the brown hair dye that Darry had bought and put in there without a word. Everyone had made comments about their hair color now that both Cordelia and Ponyboy had enough hair growth that their roots looked crazy, but neither one of them had changed their hair yet.

"Really like deja-vu," Ponyboy noted.

"Wanna do yours too?" Cordelia asked.

"No. Not yet," Ponyboy said softly. Johnny nudged their shoulders together and they sat down on the edge of the tub while Cordelia put the chemicals on her hair.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Cordelia asked.

"Yeah," Johnny responded quietly, picking at his nails. "Sometimes I dream I'm still there. And sometimes my burns hurt real bad like they're worse than they actually are. I have these nightmares that we're stuck there or-or the fire got me instead. I get to the hospital and then...nothin'."

"Me too," Ponyboy admitted. "I dream that I'm the only one that got out of the church. And...can I tell you somethin'? You two have to promise you won't tell anyone."

"Promise," Cordelia and Johnny said.

"Sometimes I get scared of Darry."

Ponyboy's voice was so small that it was difficult to hear him. It took them a few moments to comprehend the words and then Cordelia and Johnny shared a look.

"Yeah?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah," Ponyboy sniffled. "Sometimes he'll be yellin' and I'll just get ready to jump in 'cause I'll see it on his face and think it'll be like that night again. And I feel real bad 'cause Darry was gonna hit me and he got Delia instead and I know it's not logical, you don't gotta tell me, but it's how I feel."

"You don't gotta be ashamed of that, Pone," Johnny assured him.

"You really don't. And I'd just in front of a thousand slaps to help you," Cordelia told him. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not scared of Darry. I've been around a lot of mean people, and I promise you that Darry's not one of them."

"I know he's not. I can't help it."

"We know," Johnny said. "But trust me, Darry's not a bad person."

Ponyboy and Cordelia both noticed how Johnny rubbed his side at his words and they knew he must be hurting. He had spent some more time with his parents recently and it seemed to have earned him some new bruises.

"You should spend the night tonight. All this talk's sure to get me worked up tonight," Ponyboy sighed.

"Alright. If it's not a bother," Johnny said softly.

"It's never a bother," Cordelia assured him, making the boys move so she could rinse the dye out of her hair. With her hair dark again, looking in the mirror made Cordelia feel like she was staring at a stranger, but a surge of relief made her smile.

"It's weird to see you with brown hair. I'm used to the blonde," Johnny noted.

"Yeah. But good weird," Cordelia checked. Johnny and Ponyboy gave her a reassuring look and Ponyboy wrapped his arm around her middle in a side hug that she reciprocated.

"Good weird."

Chapter Text

"God, you're perfect."

Cordelia chuckled and collapsed onto Dallas' bare chest, smirking at how it was heaving as he breathed heavily. With her brothers out of the house and Dallas liking her brown hair being back, she had decided to repay him for the party, especially since he had given her a reminder of what he was capable of first.

"It was good?" Cordelia asked.

"Do ya even gotta ask that?" Dallas responded with a snort, leaning over to give her a sip of water. He connected their lips when she was done drinking and then took a sip himself, falling back against the bed with a happy sigh.

"What time is it?" Cordelia asked.

"Four fifteen," Dallas answered. He groaned and reached out for Cordelia when she reluctantly climbed over him to stand up.

"Soda got off work at four and he was drivin' Pony and Johnny home from the movies so all three of 'em, and probably Steve too, will be home soon. I don't think they'd appreciate the view," Cordelia explained as she pulled on a shirt and jeans.

"I do," Dallas smirked. Cordelia rolled her eyes and threw his shirt at his face, laughing when he flicked her off.

"Hurry up 'fore Soda gets you," Cordelia warned. Dallas sighed like it was the worst thing he'd ever had to do but got up and pulled on his pants, foregoing his shirt to wrap his arms around her waist and press kisses up the side of her throat.

"You're perfect, Cee," Dallas murmured against her skin.

"My mouth?" Cordelia teased.

"Yeah, that's pretty perfect," Dallas agreed. "You're perfect. Every little thing about you."

"Even these?" Cordelia asked, spinning around in his arms to face him and grabbing his hand to trace over one of the burn marks on her arm.

"Especially these. They show just how strong and brave and kind you are. You're too good for me."

"You've gotta stop sayin' that."

"It's true."

"It's not."

"Ask Darry."

Cordelia rolled her eyes and grabbed his shirt from the bed, forcing it into his hands as the front door opened up. His eyes rolled but the shirt was back on his body, Cordelia pouting a little even though she knew he needed to wear it.

"Delia? Is Dally here? No makin' babies!" Soda yelled from the front, snickers making their way back to the room. Dallas rolled his eyes and his lips twitched in a smirk while Cordelia blushed.

"We're just doin' homework!" Cordelia yelled back. Fortunately, they had actually been doing homework before they got distracted, so they were able to sit down at the desk and pretend they had been working for hours. Soda opened the door with a bright smile on his face, sitting down on the floor and leaning against the wall.

"Can we help you?" Dallas asked rudely.

"Can't a guy miss his baby sister?" Soda questioned.

"I'm only a few months younger than you," Cordelia reminded him for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Still younger," Soda grinned. "Nah, I actually wanted to double check that you two were free on Saturday to celebrate Johnny's birthday. He wants to just hang out now that it's gettin' warm, figured we could get some drinks and grill out. Dar's off too."

"Yeah, it's not like I do anythin'," Cordelia shrugged.

"I've got somethin' with Tim, but I'll swing by in the afternoon," Dallas said. Cordelia turned her head to give him a questioning look that he ignored.

"Alright. Two says to bring the goof stuff," Soda nodded, ruffling Cordelia's hair before he headed up to the others.

"What d'ya got with Tim?" Cordelia questioned.

"Nothin' big. Just tyin' up some loose ends," Dallas answered like it was no big deal.

"I thought you were done with all that. You said you wanted a real job," Cordelia said.

"I do, but I've been workin' with Tim for a while and we have some customers that won't trust no one but me. Curly's takin' over for me, but we've gotta let them know first or Tim won't get him money and I'll get slashed tires or broken ribs. Just let me do my business."

"Alright. Do your business," Cordelia told him, purposefully slamming her book shut to show him her displeasure.

"I don't have to tell you everythin' I do," Dallas told her when he caught the attitude. Cordelia scoffed a little and then sighed.

"No, you don't, but-"

"Hey, Dally, phone's for you," Johnny interrupted awkwardly, gently knocking on her half open door to get their attention.

"Get a message," Dallas ordered.

"I-I tried, but it...Dally, it's Sylvia and she said somethin' was wrong. She was cryin' and wouldn't tell us what happened, but she wanted you," Johnny explained as he stared down at the floor. Chances were that the other guys forced him to come get Dallas because none of them wanted to interrupt or tell him who was calling.

"Syl?" Dallas questioned, his eyebrows furrowing. He looked to Cordelia and she saw the questioning look in his eyes, not knowing what to deal with.

"Go," Cordelia said softly. Dallas didn't waste any time heading to the front where everyone but Darry was playing a card game, Johnny sliding back into his seat to continue. They weren't even trying to be subtle as they turned to listen to the conversation.

"Sylvia, what is it this time?" Dallas asked harshly. Cordelia sat down on the couch to get the perfect view of Dallas' expression going from annoyance to shock to anger and then something softer passed over his face. Jealousy surged in her stomach, but she tried to shove it down. "Alright, Syl. Just get outside and I'll be there soon."

The softness in Dallas' tone made the jealously grow, especially when she saw how surprised the other guys looked. Cordelia could only remember a few times she heard Dallas sound like that, and they had all been for her when something was wrong.

"What's up?" Two-Bit asked when Dallas hung up and headed for the door, his expression so fierce that Two-Bit and Steve both stood up. Dallas looked ready for a fight, which made no sense considering how he had just spoken.

"Nothin'. I'll be back soon," Dallas responded. The slam of the door made everyone freeze and then they turned to Cordelia like she would have the answers.

"Don't look at me. I know as much as you," Cordelia told them.

"Five dollars says he'll be in jail tonight," Steve said knowingly, smirking like it was no big deal. Soda responded with a laugh and a handshake.

"Deal."

-----------------

"Cee. Cee, wake up!"

Cordelia groaned into her pillow and then jumped in shock at the light tapping against her window. She knew exactly who it was so she jumped up to open the glass before Dallas broke it or woke someone else up.

"Come in through the front door next time," Cordelia said tiredly. The clock showed 2:15 in the morning, so she wasn't happy to be woken up.

"Habit," Dallas said with a chuckle before it turned into a groan. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows and helped him inside, immediately pushing him down to sit on the side of the bed and turning on the light. She gasped when she saw the myriad of bruises and small cuts covering his face, and judging by the way he was holding his side, they must continue down.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked. She gently grabbed his face to examine in and was glad to see that nothing was too severe.

"Martinez beat Sylvia real bad. She tried to leave him and he r-he hurt her and locked her in. She snuck out while he was asleep and called me, so I went and got her home and then got Tim and Mick and some of their guys and we handled it. Problem is that Martinez has some brothers and they weren't too happy."

"Is Sylvia okay?" Cordelia questioned, her voice soft.

"She's a strong girl. Ain't the first time someone beat her, but it was the first time they got 'er," Dallas said. His voice was thick like he was holding back tears and Cordelia swallowed down her jealously and pulled his head to her chest, running her hand through his growing hair. Dallas sighed thankfully and wrapped his arms around her middle to pull her closer.

"I can talk to her if you think it'll help. I know she probably has other friends, but I know what she's goin' through," Cordelia offered.

"We don't touch our girls here. That's one of the rules is that guys are fair game, but our girls are off limits. Especially that," Dallas said angrily, pushing away to start pacing.

"Dal, she's gonna be okay. I promise," Cordelia assured him. She knew him well enough that she decided to give him space to let him get his anger and adrenaline out instead of forcing him down to take care of his injuries.

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" Dallas asked, his mind obviously too distracted to think clearly.

"Dal."

The tone of her voice made Dallas pause for a second and he sighed a little when he realized what he said.

"Sorry, Cee," Dallas apologized. "Evie's with her tonight so just call in the mornin' and see if she's up for company. If so, I'll drive you there after school. I know the two of you don't get along, but there's not many girls on our side who know what that's like. We protect our girls."

"I know you do. Now come sit down so I can take care of you and then get to bed. I've got a big test second period," Cordelia instructed.

"Sorry," Dallas whispered. She wasn't used to him apologizing that much so she knew he must be really out of it, too distracted to put his usual guards up.

"You handled Martinez?" Cordelia asked as she started working on cleaning his cuts and scrapes. Fortunately, she had bought a first aid kit to put in her room since she figured Dallas would be coming in for help more than before.

"Martinez and his brothers. Those bastards knew he was hittin' her and didn't do nothin'. She said they were there when he started beatin' her and just left instead of stopping him."

"Bet they won't do that again," Cordelia mused.

"No. If they lay another hand on a girl here in town, we'll handle it. Wouldn't be the first time we ran someone out of town," Dallas said, hissing a little when she put alcohol on his cheek. Nothing would scar, but he'd be hurting for a while.

It didn't take long for Cordelia to fix his injuries and then she forced him to lay down and go to bed. If he clung onto her tighter than normal, neither of them commented on it.

School was hard the next day. Whispers were already starting about the situation, some of them true and others not. Evie was missing too, so Cordelia couldn't ask how Sylvia was feeling. Dallas wasn't in any place to go to school, but he was waiting outside when Cordelia walked out at the end of the day.

"Be home by dinner or Darry'll blow his top," Ponyboy told her, waving and walking off with Johnny. They had heard the rumors too, so they didn't even blink at Dallas' new injuries.

"She wanna talk?" Cordelia asked when she sat down in the passenger seat.

"Yeah," Dallas said simply. His hand stayed possessively on her thigh during the drive, but he stayed quiet and Cordelia didn't push it. Sylvia’s house was quite a bit away and was in the worst part of town, a broken down car sitting in the yard and three kids playing outside. They all gave Dallas smiles and rushed his legs to hug them when he got out of the car, the teen barely hiding his grimace.

"These her siblings?" Cordelia guessed.

"Henry, Rich, and Jacob," Dallas answered, shooing the kids off. They giggled but did as they were told, sending Cordelia glances. The oldest was maybe eight or nine, so he was old enough to at least semi understand the situation.

"They seem to like you," Cordelia noted.

"Well, I stayed here a lot when we were together. Her dad was a deadbeat before he died and her mom isn't much better, so I'd take 'em to school and shit like that. Can't stand Rich, though. Kid's a dick," Dallas explained.

"How old is he?" Cordelia asked.

"Five."

"Oh, you're the worst."

Dallas smirked back at her and then opened the front door like it was his own house, ignoring the piles of trash around the room. Two other kids, teenagers this time, glanced over at Dallas and then ignored his presence.

"They don't like you," Cordelia mused quietly as she followed him through a narrow hallway.

"Yeah. Don't like 'em either."

Sylvia's door was shut so Dallas softly knocked on it. The inside of the room was quiet for a moment and then Evie opened it enough to peek out before she opened it wide enough for them to come in.

"Hurry 'fore Elsie gets in. That kid's crazy," Evie instructed, locking the door once they were in.

"Sister. They share a room," Dallas whispered to Cordelia in explanation. Cordelia nodded in understanding and tried not to grimace at the sight of four beds shoved into one tiny room. There was only enough space for a single set of drawers that were overflowing, multiple piles of clothes and miscellaneous items around the room.

"Thanks for comin'. She hasn't said much today," Evie said sadly, glancing towards the twin bed closest to the door where a figure was huddled under a blanket.

"Thanks for helpin'. Either of you need anythin'?" Dallas asked loudly enough for Sylvia to hear.

"She hasn't eaten today," Evie whispered.

"Alright. If you don't need anythin', I'm headed out. I'll be back in an hour or so to get you, Cee. You want your usual from McDonalds?" Dallas asked. Cordelia furrowed her eyebrows since she couldn't remember ever going there with him, but it made the girl in the bed lift her head a little.

"Oh, yeah. That works. Just a burger, no mustard or pickles," Cordelia told him when she understood what he was going. Dallas gave her a thankful look and nodded his head at the door.

"Syl, I'm gonna go with him and get some clothes, but I'll be back," Evie said, sitting next to her on the bed and placing a gentle hand on her friend's back. At the lack of a response, Evie sighed and whispered a 'good luck' to Cordelia before they left her alone.

"Hey, Sylvia. D'ya got the answers to last weeks math quiz? I only got an eighty, and I need better before I lose my A in the class."

"You wanna talk about math?" Sylvia croaked out, not moving from her spot.

"Well, we can talk about whatever you want to," Cordelia told her. Sylvia finally shuffled to sit up and Cordelia frowned a little at the sight of her swollen and bruised face.

"It happened to you too?" Sylvia asked after a moment of silence, staring down at her lap.

"Yeah. A lot," Cordelia confirmed as she sat on the bed to the side.

"Who did it?"

"My foster dad. And then another foster dad and his sons. And then their friends."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Yeah. The first time it happened, I almost decided to overdose, but my little brother came into my room and I couldn't leave him," Cordelia said.

"I have eight little siblings to take care of. I can't even think about that. It's not even that serious," Sylvia said with a sniffle, her voice breaking.

"It is, Sylvia," Cordelia said softly. "He took somethin' from you and you're allowed to be upset and angry and sad. You're allowed to feel whatever emotion you want to feel and no one can tell you how to react. If you wanna lay in bed all day, we'll be here for you. If you wanna go get a burger, let's go. If you wanna talk, I'm here to listen, but if you just want someone with you, we can sit in silence."

"I'm not your favorite person. Why are you here?" Sylvia asked with her usual snark.

"'Cause no one was there for me. I was thirteen and all alone and when I tried to tell an adult what happened, they told me I was lyin'. All I wanted was someone to talk to and I didn't get that."

"I was knocked out for most of it. I shouldn't even be this upset," Sylvia spat out.

"Why shouldn't you be? What he did to you is illegal and wrong. React however you want."

"I-what did you do if they didn't use protection?" Sylvia whispered.

"Umm, well...I cleaned myself out. It isn't guaranteed, but it worked for the most part," Cordelia answered.

"For the most part?" Sylvia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. For the most part," Cordelia responded, not giving more details. Sylvia nodded in understanding and cleared her throat.

"He didn't finish inside, but I was still scared. I did my best, but I can't have a baby."

"There's no way of knowin' now. And if you do get pregnant, then there's doctors that will help," Cordelia assured her.

"Yeah. I know," Sylvia said. Her hands were picking at the frayed blankets but they stopped when a hole started to form. "It was only like, two minutes. I shouldn't be this freaked out."

Cordelia sighed and hesitantly sat down by Sylvia's feet, getting comfortable when the older girl shuffled to give her more room. The next half hour was spent answering Sylvia's questions, giving her tissues when she started crying, and then the conversation slowly changed to school as the girl calmed down.

“So, umm…how are things with Dally? He’s treating you good?” Sylvia asked.

“Yeah, he is,” Cordelia confirmed.

“He doesn’t force you to do nothin’. You don’t gotta worry about him,” Sylvia assured her.

“I know,” Cordelia responded softly. She felt a little uncomfortable talking about Dallas with Sylvia, but she had also just told her things that she hadn’t told anyone else, so she figured anything was fair game.

“Don’t let him go.”

Cordelia didn’t like the longing in Sylvia’s tone, so she just gave her a small, closed lip smile and silently sighed with relief when someone knocked on the door and Evie opened it up.

“Can we come in?” Evie asked.

“Yeah,” Sylvia confirmed. Evie’s face lit up when she saw Sylvia sitting up in bed and actually responded, the girl bounding over to take Cordelia’s spot on the bed when the girl stood. Dallas’ shoulders dropped with relief but he just put the bag of food down on the bed and threw an arm over Cordelia’s shoulders.

“You ready to go?” Dallas asked. Cordelia nodded, knowing that it was close to dinner time.

“Thank you,” Sylvia said softly.

“Anytime.”

“Call if you need anything. I mean it, Sylvia,” Dallas told her. The teen nodded and everyone said their goodbyes before the couple made their way outside. The two teens from before were cooking dinner and Cordelia felt bad when she saw one of them bouncing a baby on their hip, but Dallas guided her outside before she could say anything.

“That’s horrible. How could the mom just leave her kids to handle everything?” Cordelia noted.

“That’s her baby. Liza had ‘im when she was fourteen,” Dallas explained.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re a good guy, Dal.”

“So you keep saying.”

With her head leaning against Dallas’ arm as he drove her home, she couldn’t help but be thankful for the life she had currently. She couldn’t change the past, but at least she had actual support and family. Dallas seemed to read her mind because he left a small kiss on her forehead that told her everything she needed to know.

Chapter Text

Hey everyone

I’m really sorry to say, but this work is officially on hiatus. I’ve hit a major writers block and cant find the motivation to continue. I have future scenes written up, so I will definitely be finishing this work, but I don’t want to rush and write bad chapters.

If I decide to end this story or just finish it later, I’ll post when I make that decision. Until then, thank you for reading!