Hi everyone here is the last chapter of my story. I really enjoyed writing it and hope everyone enjoyed reading it. I will be updating A Child Lost as well as Ponyboy’s Nightmare by this weekend. I am also working on a new story titled Broken Trust so be sure to watch for it. Please R&R

Darry found out that his parents did have insurance so they would be okay for a while. He was home everyday by 5 and Soda by 6. Johnny or Two-Bit usually stayed with Pony until then. The nightmares continued until Darry took him to a doctor and was told it was normal and they would go away in time. He was handed a prescription for sleeping pills, Darry didn’t like the idea of drugging Ponyboy even if it was for his own good.

Ponyboy stretched and stood up, it was still early and the boy was hoping Soda was still asleep so he could lay down with him. Opening the door, he crept toward the bed; Soda pulled the covers back for him.

“Come on honey, its cold,” pulling his little brother close, they snuggled together.

“Soda?” Pony whispered.

“Hmmmm,” he mumbled sleepily.

“I want to go visit Mama and Daddy,” he said nervously.

Soda’s eyes popped open and he bolted upright in the bed.

“I don’t think…I mean…not right…” he stammered.

“Please, I need to say goodbye to them. I need to do this,” he begged.

Soda breathed deeply. “I’ll talk to Darry, but I won’t take you if he says no,” he warned.

“I need us all to go,” Pony told him quietly.

“You get dressed, I’ll go talk to him,” Soda shut the door behind him and padded to the kitchen where Darry was making breakfast. For once no one else was around.

“Dare,” Soda stood by the doorway.

“Good morning Soda,” he smiled.

“Pony wants to go to the cemetery today,” Soda told him.

“No! He’s not ready,” Darry barked out.

“Maybe he is ready and this might help him.”

“What if Pony can’t handle this yet?” Darry asked.

“We’ll be there to help him, look I know you only want what’s best for him, but if Pony feels that he is ready to go then I think we should support him,” Soda argued.

Darry thought about it for a long time. “All right, I agree. We’ll go after breakfast,” he turned back to the stove while Soda went to tell Ponyboy.

The three brothers ate breakfast in silence; each lost in their own thoughts, and then stood as one.

“Pony, are you sure?” Darry asked to make sure.

“I need to say goodbye to them, so I can move on,” he explained.

Pulling him into a hug, the oldest smiled. “Let’s go then.”

The drive to their parent’s final resting place was bitter sweet and silent. Pony sat stiff between the tow older boys as Darry made one stop to get flowers.

Tears started to fall and Pony gripped the three bunches of roses trying to get control of himself. Stopping at the marble headstone, the two youngest knelt and placed their flowers. Glancing at his siblings, Pony saw Soda was also crying, but Darry stood strong and tall as always.

“Mama, I’m sorry,” Pony cried in anguish.

“Pony, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Soda said not understanding Pony’s words.

“Mama wouldn’t let me go for help. I should have gone anyway,” he spoke brokenly not making any sense to the other boys.

“What are you talking about?” Soda shouted, but Pony shook his head and ran to the car.

“Soda, you go with Pony. I’ll be right there,” Darry told him then waited until he was alone to kneel by the double grave and gently placed his roses by the others before wiping a lone tear away.

“Mom, Dad, we miss you. Soda is doing okay, but Pony is taking it really hard. Don’t worry though; I’ll take care of both of them for you. I’ll make sure Pony and Soda are fine,” he stood up and strode to the car to find his brothers still crying. Pony was lying in the back seat, his head in Soda’s lap.

“Let’s go home,” Soda said when he saw Darry at the door. “I’ll stay in the back with him,” he said. Darry nodded, got in, started the car and took them home.

Pony went to his room to study. The gang was over and it sounded like Soda and Darry were arguing, he opened the door a crack and listened to them.

“I want to know what he meant,” Soda said.

“I do to, but you know as well as I do that if we push Pony, he will clam up. We have to let him come to us when he’s ready to tell us,” Darry told him.

“I’ll make Pony talk to us,” Soda snapped angry that Darry was right.

“How are you going to do that?” Johnny asked. “Your kid brother is terrified and if you try to force him, it’s only going to scare him more,” Johnny went on to say.

“Has Pony talked to you Johnny?” Darry asked calmly.

“Yeah,” the quiet boy admitted.

“Will you tell us?” Soda wanted to know, his brown eyes shining with tears.

Ponyboy shut the door and lay back down, he didn’t want to hear anymore, and soon he was sound asleep’

“Pony thinks that you and Darry blame him for your parent’s deaths and hate him,” Johnny told Soda.

“But we don’t,” Darry stated.

“Well he thinks that you do,” Johnny said again.

Soda told him what Pony said at the graves. “Do you know what he was talking about? The doctor said that Mom and Dad died on impact,” Soda repeated what he’d been told.

“They were wrong, Pony told me they were alive after the wreck,” Johnny told the now silent group of boys.

“Oh God, Pony must have been terrified,” Soda choked out. The rest of the evening was quiet. Darry checked on Pony several times and sent Sodapop to bed at midnight before going to bed himself.

Ponyboy woke up screaming later that night. Darry came charging in with Soda close on his heels, before the cries eve stopped.

“How about making some cocoa?” Darry asked Soda, though it was an order not a request.

“But…”Soda started, nervously looking from Darry to Pony.

“You heard me Sodapop,” Darry said.

Soda waited an instant before leaving them alone, his footsteps retreating down the hall. Darry watched Pony, his face was hard and he looked threating to the frightened child.

“Get up and come into the living room,” he said turning around.

“Do I have to?” Pony asked weakly.

“You’re looking at me as if I were going to hurt you,” he thundered.

Pony’s face blanched and Darry smiled.

“That’s how you feel right now isn’t it? Come on; let’s go to the living room. I’m not going to hurt you, I would never do that, but Pony, one way or another you will tell me what happened,” Darry told him evenly.

Soda brought the cocoa in as Pony walked to the couch.

“Where is everyone?” he asked. Darry was sitting in his chair, running his hand through his dark hair.

“Steve and Johnny are in Soda’s room. Sit down,” he said softly.

“Darry, maybe we should…” Soda tried.

“No you were right, this needs to be done. Pony, tell us what happened,” he leaned back in his chair.

“I can’t Darry, I don’t want you or Soda to hate me,” he whispered.

“Look at me Ponyboy,” when he looked up at him Darry said, “Why would we hate you? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Pony shook his head. Soda sighed, this was getting them nowhere.

Darry decided to try a different tactic.

“Pony, do you remember when you and Soda got into that argument last year?” he asked.

Pony nodded. That had been a really bad time for him. The two boys had argued over Steve and had not spoken for two weeks.

“You came to me crying your heart out; I made it better didn’t I?” Darry had intervened and with his help the rift had been patched up.

He nodded again, giving Darry a watery smile.

“I always cried on you, didn’t I?” he looked away.

“Yes, so why can’t you let me help you now?” Darry wanted to know. Soda stood by the couch strangely quiet as Darry held out his hand until Pony slowly crept closer. Not wanting to scare the child again Darry asked, “Can I hold you?”

“Yes,” Pony managed through his tears.

“Soda, you to,” Pony said sighing when two more arms wrapped around his shaking body.

“Now tell us what happened,” Soda said. Pony looked at him blankly. “You already said Mama wouldn’t let you go for help, what’s the rest?” Soda asked.

Pony swallowed and fought the urge to run. How was he going to tell them the truth? That he had let their parents die.

“Come on Little Colt, talk to us,” Darry coaxed his eyes glittering in the faint light.

“They were wrong,” Pony muttered. Soda held him and Darry pulled away slightly to ask questions.

“Who was wrong?” his eyes were raised as he searched Ponyboy’s pale face.

“The doctors,” he closed his eyes so his brothers couldn’t see the pain in them. Pony tried to talk, but the words wouldn’t come. Darry didn’t like the answers he was getting and his arms tightened once again around the heart-broken child.

“Ponyboy Michael, tell us!” he ground out no longer willing to wait.

Because Pony couldn’t bear to see their expressions when he told them, he hid his face against Soda’s chest.

“Daddy wanted me to go for help, but Mama said no that I was hurt,” Pony went on to quietly tell his brother’s what he went through. “I guess I passed out, because when I woke up Mama was asleep and so cold. I knew I had to get help, so I went out the window. I…I… was to late though,” he finished.

The silence grew around them as Soda rubbed his back. Sure that they were as disgusted by him as he was with himself, pony jerked away only to be grabbed by Darry. He saw compassion and understanding in the icy blue and chocolate brown eyes that now gazed at him.

“That’s why you think we blame you? Well we don’t,” Soda told him.

“Pony, you know how Mama was, once she made up her mind, there was no changing it. We are so glad that you survived the crash,” Darry said as Pony yawned.

“We can talk about this tomorrow. Let’s go to bed now,” Soda added. Ponyboy protested.

“How long have you been having trouble sleeping?” Darry wanted to know.

Pony shrugged. “Sometimes Johnny comes in and stays with me. I didn’t want to bother you,” he told them.

“Why do you think you’re bothering us?” Darry asked.

“I heard Soda and Steve talking the other night. He said that you were babying me to much and you agreed with him,” Pony mumbled.

“Pony, you didn’t hear the whole conservation.” The younger boy looked down; Soda lifted his chin forcing him to look at him. “I don’t want you to feel that way. I don’t want you scared to come to me or Darry if you need to talk.”

“I’m sorry and I know you think I’m too old, but sometimes I still need someone to hold me,” Pony cried before standing up and rushing out to the porch.

Darry and Soda looked at each other and then followed him.

Soda took a calming breath and chose what he said next very carefully. Darry pulled Pony close to him so they could look at each other’s faces while Soda talked.

“Little Colt, if you need a hug or get scared and need someone to hold you, come fine one of us. You will never be too old,” Soda told him, his gentle words washing over the younger boy like a balm.

“I miss Mama,” Pony cried.

“I know we do to, it’s okay because we still have each other and whatever you need us to do, we’ll do,” Darry told him.

“Please don’t hate me, I tried to help them,” Pony sobbed brokenly.

“We could never hate you baby. Shh…don’t cry anymore. Darry and me love you and we are so thankful that you are here with us,” Soda hugged him before Ponyboy laid his head on Darry’s shoulder and closed his burning eyes.

“Let’s go lie down, Pony, I want you to get some sleep,” Darry said.

“Let me stay up,” Pony begged.

Darry thought for a minute. “These dreams you’ve been having are about the wreck?”

Pony nodded to tired to even talk anymore. They stood up and went into the living room.

“Why don’t you both stay in my room tonight and tomorrow we’ll fix this,” the three brothers walked down the hall to the bedroom as silent tears ran down Pony’s chalk white face. Even though he tried to stay awake, ten minutes later he was asleep.

The next day Darry made breakfast and sat down to wait on the guys to get up. Soda and Steve got up first. Darry stood in the living room glaring down at the greaser with a frown.

“Steve, if you have anything to say, say it where Pony can’t hear or better yet, keep you dam mouth shut. It’s none of your business how we raise him,” Darry told the indifferent teen. Pony ambled in and leaned Darry rubbing his eyes. The gang quickly scattered.

“Sit down and eat breakfast,” Darry said.

After they finished, the kitchen was cleaned, then the oldest sat the two youngest down to talk again.

“Soda, I want you to move into Pony’s room for now. Maybe having you with him will help the nightmares stop,” Darry looked at his youngest brother.

“Pony, I’m right here if you get scared and Soda is gone or busy. All you have to do is come to me. I’ll always be here when either of you need me,” he told them both.

“I know,” Pony said before they went to the lot to join the gang in a game of football.

I would like to thank kitkat244 for her great story idea. If you have more ideas let me know. So until next time have a nice day and goodbye.