A/N: Ugh, I am so sorry that it took me so long to update this. ... If anyone's still reading it, that is.

"Pony!"

Ponyboy winced, his eyes glued purposefully on the kitchen table. He heard as Darry slammed the phone down, heard his bulky footsteps in from the living room. "Pony, that was your English teacher. Said you feel asleep in class and started cryin' in your sleep. He's concerned." Darry folded his arms, his broad frame ominous in his black t-shirt. "So am I. Pony... what's goin' on with you?"

"Nothin'," Pony replied, trying to sound bored. "Just haven't been getting much sleep lately. I'll get better Darry. Promise." He didn't meet his brother's eyes, and Darry scoffed.

"You better try, kid. I know you can't help 'em nightmares of yours, but maybe there's somethin' we could try. Goin to bed earlier, or I dunno... tea." Pony spit out a laugh, and Darry eventually grinned with him. "Well, I don't know!" he said. "Just try something. I'll have to take you to the doctor if this gets any worse."

Pony nodded, his reply quiet. "Yeah, yeah." He had a nightmare every time he shut his eyes now. There was no escape. He'd gotten pretty good at covering it up though, staying quiet so he didn't wake Soda, but he almost always screamed at the real scary ones.

Steve and Dally both came for dinner that night, and the dreams were forgotten momentarily. Dally was in an unusually good mood, laughing and everything, but Steve was more grim than normal. Soda whispered to Pony that his dad had given him a rough couple of days, and that was why. Pony only shrugged. He knew very little about Steve's home life, other than the fact that it could not be as bad as Johnny's. At least, he didn't think so. Steve didn't walk around with bruises on his face and whiplash on his arms, did he?

"Hey Dar," Soda asked, following his brother into the kitchen. "Mind if Steve stays on the couch tonight? I think he could use the time away from his old man."

"Course," Darry replied, frowning. "You don't have to ask."

Soda smirked at him, long fingers moving to rest on his brother's shoulder. "Last time I didn't you threw a fit."

"Oh. Well, it's fine." They both gave little smiles, but Pony's ears tingled painfully at the thought. His neck started sweating bullets, and he bit his tongue. What if he had one of those screaming nightmares again? Steve would definitely wake up, and then... he hated considering what would happen. Steve thought he was a baby already, and nightmares certainly wouldn't make him seem any tougher.

"I - I'm not so hungry, Dar," Pony said, rising abruptly from the table. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep."

"Now?" Dally smirked, tipping his chair backed so it skid against the wooden floor. "Darry, what're you doin to the poor kid? Makin' him go to bed at..." his dangerous eyes fluttered towards the clock on the wall, and he snorted, "...8:15?"

Darry smirked right on back, swiping Dally's third beer from his hands. "I think you've had enough of that, Dal." Dally jutted towards the bottle impulsively, and Pony exited quickly to the diversion of shattering glass. He was half relieved and half annoyed when Soda came up behind him, his face soft.

"You okay, Pony? I mean... you nervous?"

Pony shrugged, hands going into his pockets. "I mean, I don't know..."

"Don't you worry about Steve, okay? He wouldn't say anything if I asked him not to."

"Really?" Pony didn't believe that for a second, but it was nice to know that Soda would ask for him if that was needed.

"Course not," Soda replied. "He does like you, you know. I think you're growin' on him. "

Pony smiled, too fond of his brother to ruin this assumption. "Sure, sure. Night Soda."

"Night Pony." He left the room with a wave, shutting the door behind him.

By the time Pony had climbed into bed, he had relaxed some. Soda would take care of it, he hummed to himself. Besides, maybe Darry was right. Maybe going to bed early was the trick...

About midnight - thank God it hadn't been before Dally left, which was late enough - Pony awoke, a keening wail escaping him before he could control himself. This dream was the worst yet.

Johnny on a stretcher, his face all burned up. Pony thought that his injuries from home were bad looking, but they were nothing like this. These were red, angry marks, drenching his body in an anguished scale.

"Pony! Pony!" He was sobbing by the time Soda's arms were around him, but he quickly stuffed a fist in his mouth to muffle the sound.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Pony insisted, his tears slowing as he wiped his eyes. "Just... I never know they're dreams when I'm in 'em so they seem so real..." He hiccuped softly, but not before the door opened with a click.

Pony held his breath, praying it was Darry, but Steve's ragged head of hair met his sight instead. Pony almost laughed, since he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the Greaser without grease.

"What's goin on?" Steve panted, confused. He'd obviously just woken up. Pony quickly threw himself back against the pillows, pretending to be asleep.

"Nothin'," Soda replied innocently, fibbing naturally.

"I thought I heard screamin'..."

"You were dreamin', Steve," Soda said, his voice conveying the irony without a quaver. "Go back to sleep."

"Alright..." And Steve lumbered away, far easily than Soda had expected.

"Soda," Pony whispered, his eyes already drifting shut. "Thanks."

"Course." Soda threw an arm over him, rubbing his hair in affection. "Night Pony."

"...Soda?"

"Yeah, Pone?"

"Wanna know what scares me most about the dreams? I mean, why they seem so different from normal dreams?"

"What?"

"They kinda seem like they're tellin' a story..." Pony said. He'd been scared to admit it up till now, thinking it would make him seem even nuttier.

To Pony's surprised, Soda laughed: an easy, friendly sound. "You must have one helluva imagination."

A/N: That's all for now! I know it was a bit short, but hopefully more will come soon... thank you so much for reviewing!