Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was pure chance that had Ponyboy home alone, especially considering how late it was. It was far more likely that he'd be the last one wandering through the front door, his older brothers relaxing after a hard days work. But as it happened Darry was still out checking in with Tim since they were at odds with the strike, and Soda had gotten lucky with a Soc girl and had decided to take her out dancing. Leaving Pony all alone, not that he minded, a silent house meant one he could focus in as he grabbed his latest book off his nightstand. Making his way out to the living room to settle on their couch until his brothers came home, able to immerse himself in his book with the sounds from outside serving as ambience and no loud brothers to demand his attention.

Though he was barely able to get a few pages in before he heard a car pull up outside. Assuming it was Darry finally home he decided to stay put, if only to welcome his brother home before running off to his room. But the peace of an evening in was quickly shattered as a rock suddenly came flying through the front window. Ponyboy instinctively ducking away from the sudden spray of glass as he used his book to shield his face. His fight or flight kicking into overdrive as he pushed himself to his feet., backing away from the now broken window as he tried to glance through it.

"Come on out Curtis! You can't hide forever!" came the call from outside. Sending Pony's already frantic heart into overdrive, making out the crowd of figures on the front lawn thanks to the headlights illuminated them from behind.

'Of all the times to be home alone,' Pony thought, any previous relief at a quiet night in ruined as he desperately wished his brothers were home with him. Despite his instincts telling him to run he headed for the front door. After all he knew what it was about, how could he not when Darry and Soda argued about the strike anytime they were in the same room together. When he heard the threats from the Union workers anytime he passed Buck's on his way to school. But for it to escalate like this? For them to show up here at the house, worse for them to come now when Pony had no backup and no idea when anyone else would be home, it scared him. Though it might've scared him more if Darry was here with him, there was no telling what these guys would do to him if he was. At least now they might leave without a fight since he was out, at least now he had a chance of talking them down, as small a chance as that was.

Stepping out onto the porch Pony found himself having to squint against the harsh light from the car. Keeping the door propped open with his back foot in case he'd have to duck back inside, his arms close to his side as he attempted to look nonchalant.

"He's not home," Pony called out, staring down the group, "and even if he was you shouldn't be here."

"What's the matter kid? Your brother took our job so we can't come here to take it back? Is that it? We came here to get your brother to quit, one way or another," one of the guys yelled out. Speaking with more hate and anger than Pony had ever heard, even from the Socs.

"Come on guys I don't want any trouble," Pony tried glancing them over. They were too grouped up for him to try and make a break for it. Even if he tried jumping the fence they'd see him coming and grab him before he could make it over. He could try and run out the back, but that would just leave the house defenseless. And with the way things were going he doubted these guys would just leave it alone if he ran. While he was sure his brothers would prefer his safety over their things, would want him to make saving his own skin a priority, they didn't have the money to replace their whole house if these guys trashed everything. Not the mention the state breathing down their necks, looking for any reason to say Darry was an unfit guardian, he knew what would happen if their home was demolished.

"Well that's too bad kid, cause we do," one of the guys spoke, causing Pony to take a step back as he cracked his knuckles.

"Hold on Jerry," one of them interjected, "we were looking for the other one. This one, he's just a kid."

"Don't you got a kid at home who's starving without your paycheck," Jerry argued. Causing any protest over the morality of a group of men beating up a child to die out as they began to advance. "We need to send a message that if anyone wants to come in and take our jobs there will be consequences. Now we came here to send a message to a Curtis, and I say any Curtis will do. Besides we aren't gonna kill him, just rough him up enough that his brother thinks twice about showing up to work tomorrow."

His words had their effect as the group shared a grin. Advancing quickly, giving Pony barely enough time to shield his face before they were on him. And sure he's been in fights before, gotten jumped before. But those were better odds than now. Rumbles where the gang watched his back. Socs who turned tail when other greasers joined in. Not now, not when this wasn't a group of slightly older kids but instead grown men who were looking for something to take their anger out on. Whose breath smelled of alcohol and whose sense of morality had gone with their jobs.

Grown men who decided the best way to fix their problems was with their fists. Who wanted to let out every bit of frustration that had been building during the week thanks to the police line keeping them from doing the same to the people who actually took their jobs. Here, Pony didn't have police protecting him, didn't even have his brothers as he did his best to curl into a ball. Biting the inside of his cheek to muffle any cry of pain that might escape as he tried to endure the onslaught. Just hoping it would be over soon.

Pony must have blacked out at some point because the next thing he knew he was waking up on the porch. His body in all sorts of pain as he forced himself to sit up despite his body yelling at him to stay down. Despite how much he wanted to just close his eyes again and not wake up until he stopped feeling like death rolled over.

But he knew he couldn't, just because those guys seemed to have left for now didn't mean they wouldn't be back as Ponyboy forced himself up to his feet. Biting back a cry of pain as he felt a sharp stabbing sensation in his chest. Having to hope nothing was broken as he shuffled his way inside. Not bothering to close the door behind him as he heard the sound of glass crunching under his feet from the window. Stumbling his way over the fridge as he pulled out whatever bag of frozen vegetables had been bought this week. Collapsing to the floor as all his remaining energy was sucked out of him. Biting back tears of pain as he gingerly held the bag to his eye, knowing even without a mirror that he no doubt looked awful. And as much as he'd rather curl up in bed, or even make his way to the first aid kit to try and take care of himself. He knew even standing up at this point was out of the question. Only able to keep himself from passing out, out of fear of a concussion or of the group coming back. With how much they hit him he wasn't sure which was more likely at this point.

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

"Seriously Tim I am sorry. If there was any other work coming in you know I'd take it," Darry spoke, jumping out of the truck as Tim followed him inside.

"Yeah I know Darry," Tim spoke, trying to keep a lid on his anger. The truth was he did understand why the oldest Curtis had to cross the line. Knew what was at stake if he didn't put food on the table or pay the bills. But knowing the reason didn't make it any easier to see the one good thing he had going for him ripped away from him by guys just like Darry. Guys who needed to make money even if it meant going against people they called their friends, "but knowing why doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I know," Darry spoke, making his way up the front step only to freeze when he heard the unmistakable sound of glass breaking under his foot. Looking up and down in alarm as he saw an array of glass littering the front porch, following the trail to see the shattered window. And even more terrifying, the front door wide open. He could tell Tim had seen the same thing he had, but looking down again Darry saw something else that made his blood run cold. It was hard to see in the dark, but because he was looking, Darry could see the dark splotches. Even with only the street light to help him make it out, Darry knew it was blood. Without saying another word he found himself sprinting into his house, looking around widely for any sign of his brothers.

"Darry," Tim spoke, having followed him inside, pointing the older Curtis towards the faint light emitting from the open fridge.

Darry rushed over, and he could swear his heart stopped when he saw Pony. His little brother, all but collapsed against the fridge with a frozen bag against his eye. Looking about as bad as Johnny had that day they had all found him in the lot with bruises littering his skin, a few cuts across his arms and one across his temple. Thinking back to the broken window he could guess what had caused that. Slowly, gently, Darry lowered himself to his knees, placing a hand on Pony's head as he called out, relieved to see the rise and fall of the kid's chest that signaled he was breathing, "Ponyboy? Hey, little brother you awake?"

"Darry?" Ponyboy spoke, cracking his eyes open slightly. Wincing a bit as he tried to sit up more.

"Hey honey," Darry spoke, trying for comforting as he looked his brother over, "what happened."

"Those guys," Pony spoke, shivering as he seemed to realize how cold it was to be crumpled in front of the fridge, “the ones in the union. They stopped by looking for you, I told them you weren't home but they said any Curtis would do. Wanted to send a message."

"They did this?" Tim asked incredulously, he knew everyone was on edge lately with the strike. But it was Darry they were upset with, Darry who took the job and crossed the line. Not Ponyboy, the kid was only 14 for god's sake, he didn't have anything to do with the strike except being related to Darry.

Ponyboy nodded, not wanting to seem like a wimp in front of Tim but knowing how important head wounds were he continued, "I blacked out after a bit. When I came to they were gone so I managed to get myself inside a little bit before you came home."

"You couldn't have run away?" Tim snapped before he could help himself, "I thought you were a track star?"

Darry shot him a look even though he had been thinking the same thing. Wanting to wait until Ponyboy's injuries were taken care of before getting answers from him.

"They already broke the window," Pony said before he could think better of it, it was probably the concussion that kept the words coming, "I didn't want them to break anything else. They would've torn up the whole house if I had run."

"Pone," Darry said, his voice all but breaking at the idea that his little brother thought he had to protect their home over himself, "the window can be fixed. Everything here can be fixed or replaced, but not you little buddy. I can't stand it that they hurt you, and if they'd gone too far that's not something I'd be able to repair."

"Looks like they already went too far," Tim growled, his hands clenching into fists hard enough that his nails were digging into his palm. The urge to hunt down his coworkers and give everything they gave Ponyboy and more almost overwhelming him. But he had to make sure the kid would be okay first, had to do that much at least.

"I thought it was socs when the window broke, but when I saw it was them I knew they wouldn't leave it at that," Pony admitted.

"One of them must have followed me home," Darry spoke, cradling his brother's face in his hand. He knew the workers were brought in from a secondary site for a reason. But the protection of the covered truck that brought them into work only lasted so long when they all lived in the same town. Especially when he had run into the union workers the other day at Buck's, "I'm sorry Pony. I never thought they'd go this far, that they'd go after you."

And while Darry found it easy to blame himself for the situation, for taking the job, for not keeping a better eye out, Tim felt his stomach drop as he stared down at the youngest Curtis brother. "This is my fault," he found himself saying. Maybe it was the guilt that made him admit it, maybe it was because Darry had looked so guilty all week and the idea that he'd blame himself for this was too much. Or maybe, Tim couldn't help but look at Pony and see Curly. Curly his own stupid kid brother, who could hold his own in a fight, but who Tim still worried over. His kid brother who he knew was sort of friends with this kid brother, the one who had been beat to hell and back on his own front steps. All because Tim let his anger at Darry overpower his loyalty to the Curtis gang, a mistake he wouldn't make again. Wouldn't get the chance to make again if the way Darry's eyes had turned to an ice cold glare aimed right at Tim as soon as the admission left his mouth way anything to go by.

"What did you do Shepard?" Darry asked, and if that didn't tell Tim just how badly he had screwed up if Darry wasn't using his first name.

But despite the beating he knew it would likely get him, Tim Shepard was not a coward. "They asked me, in the beginning, if we knew anyone who'd crossed the line. Asked me where you lived."

"And you told them!" Darry found himself shouting.

"I was angry," Tim shouted back, getting defensive, "you took my job Curtis!"

"So you think it's okay for your buddies to beat up my little brother?" Darry asked.

"No, but-" Tim began.

"No nothing! You want to be mad at me, you want your buddies to threaten me at the bar, heck you want them to attack me as soon as I leave the job site, fine. I knew what I was getting into as soon as I stayed for that first shift," Darry took a deep breath. All too aware of Ponyboy who was still nestled against his chest, the only thing keeping him from getting up and beating Tim to a pulp. "But you sent them to my home. My home with two little brothers who have nothing to do with this. Heck Soda's been hounding me all week to quit. And because of you they came here and did this to my little brother."

"Darry," Pony suddenly spoke, reaching up to tug on his older brother's sleeve, "he didn't know."

"Pone it ain't about knowing and even if it was there's no way those guys had good intentions asking where I live," Darry spoke softly.

"Darry if I'd known," Tim tried.

"Save it," Darry practically growled, "I mean shoot Shepard you're smarter than this. What did you think would happen? Even if I had been home for this you think Pony or Soda would stay out of it if those guys tried to do this to me? No, they'd have jumped right in and probably gotten hurt for it, they already have targets on their backs just for being related to me. And you told your buddies where to find us. Now I gotta take care of Ponyboy, you need to leave."

Tim nodded, there wasn't anything he could say to defend himself, not with the way Ponyboy was looking. And if he tried to help clean him up or even to get rid of the broken glass from the window he doubted his presence would be appreciated. "I'll find Sodapop, send him home," he offered, it wasn't quite a peace offering. Not by a long shot but all the same Darry nodded.

Gently, so as not to aggravate Ponyboy's injuries more than needed Darry managed to maneuver Ponyboy more firmly against his chest as he stood up. Hearing the door shut with Tim's departure but paying it no mind as he gently brought Ponyboy to his bed, laying the boy down with the care, using the pillows to partially prop him up against the headboard.

"I'll be right back," he told his brother, rushing out of the room to grab the first aid kit and some painkillers on the way with a glass of water to wash them down. His worry making his movements frantic as he almost spilled the glass in his haste to return to Pony's side. But he knew other than clean his wounds and watch over him Darry couldn't do much else. Things had been tight enough even with him crossing the picket line that there was no way he could afford to take Ponyboy to a hospital. Not to mention the questions he would have to answer if he did, social services would have a field day with his brother being beaten up over him taking a job to earn money. And with the way they were already on thin ice from Windrixville all it would take was one look at Pony's form and social services would have him taken away faster than Darry could blink. He couldn't risk it, he'd just have to keep a close eye on his concussion, maybe keep him home from school the next day, and hope nothing was broken further than a few days rest could fix.

Chapter Text

Soda knew something was wrong when Tim Shepard of all people came over to interrupt his date. If that wasn't enough of a clue the look on his face that somehow wound up being a mix of guilt and anger sure did.

"Hey Tim what's-" Sodapop attempted to greet him, smiling brightly in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Sodapop," Tim interrupted him, unaffected at Soda's attempt, "you need to go home right now."

"Ah well Tim, I'm kind of on a date here," Soda spoke gently, looking over at his date. Pleased to see the way she seemed to melt once his smile was sent her way, at least the ladies knew to appreciate his looks even if Tim didn’t.

"Ponyboy's hurt," Tim spoke, and Soda felt like his heart had fallen out of his chest the way his smile dropped instantly. Shooting out of his chair, date forgotten as he became laser-focused on the one person he knew had information.

"What do you mean he's hurt, I thought he was stayin' in tonight?" Sodapop questioned, date forgotten as he tried to remember the fastest route home from the diner they were in.

"He was, some guys-" Tim began to say, if he was a coward he would've stopped there. Would've spun some lie about what had happened to buy himself some time before Soda came after him for what his actions had done to his little brother, he had already gotten the earful from Darry. But Tim Shepard was not a coward, so despite his instincts telling him it was a bad idea he continued. "Some of the union guys, they stopped by your house looking for Darry. They didn't seem to mind when they found Ponyboy there instead."

Sodapop felt his rage grow at Tim's words. "Of course," he muttered, he knew it was a bad idea for Darry to cross that picket line from a moral standpoint, but to find out that the union guys had come to their home, and from what Tim was saying hurt Ponyboy over it. "They must've followed one of us home," he muttered, he was trying not to let his anger win out over worry, he had to get home to make sure Pony was okay.

"No, they didn't follow you home," Tim admitted before Soda could walk away. And that was all he needed to say, because despite popular opinion Sodapop Curtis was not dumb. He might not be school smart but he knew how to put two and two together and if the union guys didn't follow them home that meant someone told them where they lived, and going off of the guilty look Tim had walked in here with it wasn't hard to figure out who. Before Tim could get another word out he found himself sprawled out on the floor, his head snapping to the side with the force of the punch Soda had delivered to his cheek. A rage in his eyes that was fit more for the likes of the late Dallas Winston than the happy-go-lucky Curtis brother.

"If I didn't need to get home to check on Pony I'd give you a lot worse Shepard," Sodapop swore, glaring down at him as though he was debating whether to take another swing or not, "and you better hope he gets better because if anything they did to him lasts I'll make sure you know exactly what kind of pain you put my kid brother through with whatever stunt you thought you were pulling telling them where we live."

"And people think Darry's the one to be scared of," Tim muttered, picking himself off the ground, "go home Curtis, you and Darry can decide what to do with me after. I'll make sure your date gets home okay."

And that was all Soda needed to hear as he ran out of the diner, jumping into the car he had borrowed from Two-Bit as he headed home as fast as he was willing to risk, making it home in a blur of adrenaline filled sharp turns that belonged in a drag race instead of a neighborhood street. And Soda lets himself thank the god he never cared to pray to that no cop emerges to pull him over as his speed goes far over the legal limit.

Peeling into the driveway he barely remembers to put the car in park as he yanks the keys out of the ignition. He knows he's acting on instinct, knows he's panicking despite knowing his brother can't be too bad off if he’s not in a hospital. Knows that Tim would've had the decency to tell him if his brother was really bad off because as badly as the hood messed up tonight he knew better than to keep information like that to himself.

But Soda needs to see for himself, after Windrixville all he can think about sometimes is what would've happened if Pony had gone out like Johnny. If that night he had run out of the house had been the last night he had seen his little brother alive. He might not have been the imaginative one in the family but as Soda makes his way out of the car and into the living room, sees the state of the window and the shards of broken glass buried in the carpet every worse case scenario starts running through his mind. Before he dwells on it for too long he finds himself in Darry's bedroom, the light his brother had left on spilling into the hallways as he sees Ponyboy bundled up under the covers in Darry’s bed.

He's sleeping and Soda takes a minute to watch the rise and fall of his chest before approaching. "How bad is it?" Soda asks Darry, switching his gaze to his older brother whose sitting up against the headboard. Seeing the way he's stationed himself between Pony and the door with a hand in Pony's hair, his thumb moving across his brow to soothe him even in sleep.

"He's barely avoided a concussion, he's got some bruises and a few cuts from the glass. I cleaned him up best I could, it should all heal up after a few days," Darry says softly, not even bothering with a greeting because both of them know better than to waste time with pleasantries when it comes to Pony's health. And while Soda hadn't been sure yet whether he was going to pick a fight with Darry over this, wasn't sure if he was going to start insisting even more firmly that Darry quit the job they both know he had only taken out of necessity, seeing him sitting over Ponyboy, his tired and resigned expression, as though he's already prepared himself to just take whatever Soda throws at him, and the way his voice just sounds so exhausted. Too exhausted for somebody who's barely in their 20s, it takes away any fight Soda had left in him after punching Tim Shepard.

"Are you okay?" he finds himself asking, moving closer to his brothers as he slots himself against the headboard against Ponyboy's other side. Effectively barricading him in from anything else that might try and attack him tonight, not that Soda thinks it'll happen but it never hurts to be prepared.

"Me?" Darry asks, sounding so shocked that Soda would ask about him that he can't help but feel slightly guilty over how much they'd been fighting this week. He knows it hasn't been easy on either of them, it was supposed to be Darry and Pony who fought with Soda as the mediator, and even those fights had been few and far between ever since Soda'd run out on them and begged them not to.

"Yes you, Tim-" he pauses here, not wanting to get himself worked up again at the reminder of Shepard and what he'd done, "Tim mentioned the basics about Pony's condition. But he didn't say anything about you."

"I'm fine Pepsi-cola," Darry says, and Soda can see a bit of the tension leave his shoulders when it's clear he doesn't plan to start a fight tonight, "we got home after they were gone. Pony's the only one who got hurt."

"Well that's not quite true," Soda admits, letting himself relax now that he knows his brother's are safe, waiting for Darry to look at him before speaking again, "I kind of punched Shepard in the face."

"W-Soda," Darry begins, not sure whether to congratulate him or reprimand him. On the one had Tim deserved it and probably worse, but on the other-

"He deserved it," Soda speaks bitterly, interrupting Darry's thought process. He may not be picking a fight with Darry tonight, may have settled slightly thanks to being able to watch Pony's chest rise and fall with both his brother within arms reach, but Tim Shepard had made a huge mistake that he didn't think he'd ever be able to fully let go of.

Darry seemed to want to say something else but before he could there was a shuffling sound from the middle of the bed as Ponyboy's sleepy voice rang out. "Soda?" he spoke, blinking up tiredly at his brother.

"Yeah it's me honey," Soda spoke, reaching down to take Darry's place in running his hand through Pony's hair, mindful of his injuries as he offers his brother a smile. "You can go back to sleep baby."

"Glad you're home," Ponyboy murmurs, already being pulled back to sleep thanks to Soda's hand in his hair.

"Me too," Soda says, and he's not surprised that he means it. Sure he likes going out on dates or to watch the drag races, but he’ll never be against a night just staying at home with his brothers. He waits a moment for Pony's breathing to even out before he speaks again. "He can't be left alone after this, in case those guys come back." Nobody in their family should and if they had the money for it Soda would have them in a hotel until everything had blown over. But they didn't have that kind of money and protecting each other was the best they could do.

"I'll tell Steve and Two-Bit tomorrow, see if they can stay with him during the day," Darry answers, “see if they can help us fix the window too.”

Soda doesn't ask him if he's going to quit his job now that the union guys have escalated the situation. He knows that Darry will do what he thinks is best for his family and at least for tonight Soda doesn't need to give him any grief over it. For now they can sit here watching over their sleeping baby brother, and try to hope that things will be better tomorrow.