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.