A/N: I own nothing you recognize.

A/U: Curtis Sister Fic

September 1964

Greaser girls don't cry. They hide their pain behind too much make up and downcast eyes. But Daisy Curtis wasn't a greaser girl. She was from the south side sure, but she wasn't greasy. Anna Curtis had made sure of that. She'd tried to make sure that none of her children had to be greasers. Darry was off to college. Soda wouldn't be headed for college, but he had the charm and charisma that would make him a success at whatever he did choose to do, even if it was just working at the DX. Ponyboy was smart, he was going to do even better than Darry in school and probably have a full ride to college. She didn't worry about her boys as much. You didn't have too. She worried after Daisy all the time though. Not that Daisy wasn't just as good as her brothers, but because the world judged girls more harshly than they did boys. The boys could spend their teen years running wild and no one would say a thing as long as they straightened up when they left school. But a girl, one wrong choice could ruin them for life. That's why she made sure that Babydoll, a name she tried to stop but Darrel, Sr. insisted on, never made the wrong choice. Her skirts were always long, her slacks or shorts decent, her hair combed and styled, and she only wore pink lipstick for make-up. She didn't let her smoke on the street corners. She didn't let her hang out late with boys or go on solo dates. She'd let her go out with Johnny Cade but if it had been Keith Mathews, Dallas Winston, or even sweet Steve Randle who had asked, Anna would have had Darrel, Sr. put a stop to it right away. Johnny Cade was too innocent to ruin any girl's reputation. Still, unless it was a school function, she had to take Soda or Ponyboy with them and be home at 9:30. No one was going to say that her girl wasn't a good girl.

That's why Babydoll was able to show the emotions that her brothers couldn't when their parents died.

It was a Friday night. They had been at a ballgame. Babydoll was a cheerleader and the gang had hung around after the game to walk her home. Two-Bit, Steve, and PonyBoy were imitating plays from the game. Soda was lagging behind, walking with Sandy, their steps slowing as they neared her house and the point they'd have to say goodbye for tonight. Babydoll and Johnny were walking in front of the group, holding hands, heads bent together deep in conversation.

Soda was just jogging back up to the group from saying goodbye to Sandy when they turned onto the Curtis's and Johnny's street.

"Look!" Ponyboy exclaimed. "Darry's home!"

Darry's old Chevrolet was parked in front of the house. He'd been gone to school for six weeks, first at football camp, then unable to scrape the money together to come home, he'd just stayed until the start of school.

"Race you," Soda called out to Pony running past him.

"No fair," Pony yelled chasing after him.

After a moment, Babydoll grinned, kissed Johnny on the cheek, then ran after her brothers.

The others followed them at a slower pace. They had just reached the gate when they heard the scream. It was enough to send panic straight into the hearts of all of them, maybe even Dally's if he hadn't been in the cooler again. They raced to the door, Two-Bit reaching for the knob just as Pony wrenched it open and took off running as fast as he could. When they stepped into the living room, they saw Soda sitting on the arm of the sofa with his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

Babydoll had collapsed on the floor, bawling, begging Darry, "It's not true, Darry. You're lying! Say it! Say you're lying!"

Darry was on his knees beside her, trying to pull her up. "You know I'd never lie about something like this, Babydoll. Come on," he pleaded. "It'll be okay. I'm here now."

Steve immediately went to Soda's side. "What's happened?"
"Mom and Dad," Soda croaked out, before dropping his head and sobbing again. He didn't need to explain further. It could only be one thing.

"Oh no," Steve said, laying an arm over Soda's shoulder.

"How?" Two-Bit asked Darry.

"Wreck. They had gone uptown and were headed back when someone crossed the yellow line and hit them head-on," Darry answered.

"Damn." Two-Bit shook his head.

Babydoll had quit screaming but was still crying. Johnny had knelt beside her, talking in a voice only she could hear. Darry patted him on the back, then stood up.

"I have to go after PonyBoy," he said, looking at Two-Bit. "Can you..."

"I got it," Two-Bit interrupted, knowing what Darry was asking.

"Come on, you two," he said, hauling both Babydoll and Johnny to their feet after Darry left. He pushed Johnny down on one end of the sofa and practically put Babydoll in his lap. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and kept sobbing as Johnny rubbed her back and kept whispering to her.

"You good?" Two-Bit asked, looking at Steve and Soda.

Steve nodded. "We're good."

Darry came back shortly with Pony. He had been crying but was trying to be tough around the guys however if you looked carefully, you would see his lips quivering.

They didn't call anyone that night. They just stayed there. In the living room, holding onto each other, to their friends who had become like family, not caring about the world outside that house.

Johnny pretty much stayed by Babydoll's side but also tried to talk Pony around a bit. Steve and Two-Bit kept trying to take care of everyone, getting drinks, cigarettes, whatever. Around midnight, Dally showed up. Everyone was surprised. Dally usually chose to sit out his days in the cooler instead of paying his fine.

"Heard the fuzz talking," he said by way of explanation to Steve and Two-Bit. "Called Buck and made him pay my fine. Always did like their folks." He didn't go in for the touchy-feely parts the other boys were playing but appointed himself 'security' of sorts sitting by the door, turning away those neighbors that had heard the news.

"Give 'em time," he snarled. "Let 'em get used to the idea before coming snooping around, will ya?" Or "House is closed. Come back in the morning." If he was feeling charitable.

That was how they stayed the night. Everyone feeling as though they'd lost a parent or both. Besides the Curtis children, Johnny and Dally had never had a parent's love except what came from the Curtis' and Steve ran to Mrs. Curtis everytime a girl broke his heart and Mr. Curtis had given Two-Bit more than one man-to-man talk about girls and cars and when to fight and when to walk away.

Maybe they should have called someone, their Aunt from Oklahoma City or Sandy to comfort Soda or one of Babydoll's girlfriends, but no one did. No one wanted anyone else to intrude on their grief. That night was private. That night was just for them. No one slept, sometimes sharing stories, sometimes just sitting together in silence until the sun rose golden over the house.

Babydoll got up that morning and went to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes and her cheeks were tear-stained. She washed her face and brushed her hair but it didn't help. She still didn't look like herself even to her own eyes. She looked different, changed somehow. That was when she realized what separated the Greaser girls from the Socs. It wasn't money or cars like it was for the boys. It was pain. It was eyes that had seen too much. Hearts that knew what it was to really break not just smart because some boy made a careless comment. It was hands chapped from work and bodies already worn out from taking care of siblings and homes while their mothers were working or just gone and now Daisy Curtis who had always been different, separate from those girls knew why. And now she wasn't different. She wouldn't wear too much makeup and her mini-skirts would just be short skirts, not mini but she was a greaser now, none the less. She knew what a broken heart was. She would have cried, except Greaser girls never cry.

June 18, 1978

Hi,

So last night these jerks from my school started a fight with Jamie and me. Turns out Uncle Darry, Uncle Soda, and Mr. Steve knew Jase's uncle and they all put a stop to it pretty quickly. They made Jase apologize but I don't know. What he said is bothering me. I know it's shouldn't. But..., can I be honest with you? Of course, I can. You're a notebook I plan on throwing in the fireplace when I fill up. So, listen, this isn't the first time that someone has said something like that. There is this mean looking woman who lives next to Uncle Darry and Mama and Daddy have always forbidden me, all the kids really, from going anywhere near her. But last winter break, Jamie, Keith, Sara, Melody, and I walked down to the corner store to get Pepsis and candy bars. While we were there, the mean-eyed woman came in so Jamie and I started double-timing to get the little ones out of there. He and Melody took everyone outside while I went to the counter to pay. That's when the woman grabbed me hard by the arm and jerked me up to her. It hurt and she stunk. She smelled like cigarettes and body odor. Like Daddy and Uncle Darry do when they come in from roofing houses in the summer. You know, if they didn't take a bath for a week first, but it was the middle of winter. She turned me around back and forth, then pulled my ponytail down and put her yucky hand in my hair. I was too afraid to even scream. She got right in my face then and said, 'Yer Babydoll's brat, aren't ya? Well, here I always thought yer ma was a cheating whore. Maybe she's just a lying whore instead. Still a cheap tramp though.' Then she shoved me away and I was so scared I ran out without even waiting for our change or Daddy's cigarettes I was picking up. I ran all the way back to Daddy and when he finally got Melody (the big mouth), to tell him what happened, he marched over to that house, madder than I've ever seen him. Uncle Darry was hot on his heels, yelling for him not to lose his head. I don't know what he said to the lady, but I've seen her around a few times since then and she's never tried to touch me or even talk to me again. At first, I thought it was because he was mad that she'd called Mama that name, but Jase also said Mama was running around. What if they're right? Does that mean that Daddy isn't my Daddy? If he's not, then who is? I just can't believe it. My Mama is crazy in love with my Daddy. She wouldn't have done that bad thing to him. I just know it.

Johnnycake Elizabeth Mathews (I AM A MATHEWS!)

Please R and R.