Summary:

When Mr and Mrs Curtis died they didn't leave behind 3 kids. What if they left behind 5? Everyone is normal ages, with the addition of 2 little sisters. Isabella is 4 and Scarlet is 1. Rated T for language.

Disclaimer:

I don't own The Outsiders that belongs to the one and only SE Hinton. This chapter is pretty much based off Johnny Cade's little sister's story Our Last Night with our Parents.

Chapter One

Darry POV

"Darry, thank you so much for staying with the kids tonight. I know you wanted to go out with Charlotte but we can't exactly leave them on their own," my Mum laughed as she carefully applied her lipstick. We were sitting in her and dad's room as she got ready for their anniversary dinner. It was their 20th anniversary so Dad was taking her out to dinner. Usually they just got each other a card and some flowers but this year he wanted it to be special. Dad was in the bathroom giving my sisters a bath.

"It's fine mum. I really don't mind watching them. It's just that me and Char wanted to do something together before she went off to college," I say while helping Mum put on her earrings. She turns to me and kisses my cheek.

"Sweetie-pie I know that you two wanted some alone time, it's just that the kids can't stay alone at home all night. Pony's only 13, Issy's 4 and Scar's 1. And as much as I love and adore Sodapop, I just don't trust him with looking after them all at night." She explains as she puts on her heels.

"Mum…he should be fine for a few hours. They don't really need me." I complain, still trying to get out of this.

"Darry, they need you more than you will ever know" She sighs as she looks at herself in the mirror.

"How do I look?" She spins round to face me. She was wearing her purple dress with her pearl earring and necklace and charm bracelet with her silver heels.

"You look great Ma. So what time will you guys be back?" I ask as we head into the lounge room. There we found Soda sitting upside down on the couch with Pony sitting normally next to him and Issy lying down with her head in his lap, and Scar sitting on Issy's stomach. I swear, Pony is the only normal one of those 4.

"Around half 11. Sodapop Patrick Curtis! How many times do I have to tell you how to sit on the couch?" She says slapping Soda on the stomach. He yelps and – somehow – flips off of the couch and lands on all-fours facing towards the rest of us.

"Owww. Mama that huuuurt!" He whines as he rubs his thigh. Dad walks in and snickers, picking up Scarlet and placing her on the ground with her sippy cup.

"Your Mama get you again, Pepsi-Cola?" He says.

"Yeah…Why is it that when you do that she just rolls her eyes?" He says sitting on the couch the right way.

"Because I wear the pants in this house and get to do whatever I want to!" Dad laughs and tackles Soda. Ponyboy and Issy giggle and Dad looks over at them.

"You think that you two can just laugh and not get tickled? Get 'em Pepsi!" He and Soda tickle-attack Pony and Issy mercilessly. Mum comes out of the kitchen and finds them on the floor.

"Boys and Issy! What have I said about wrestling in the house?" She shouts at them. They jump apart and look like schoolboys (and schoolgirl) getting yelled at by the teacher.

"To not to." Dad says getting up and kissing Mum on the cheek. She playfully slaps him on the back of his head and points her finger at him.

"Then don't do it." She says going back to her room.

"I thought you wore the pants in the house?" I managed to say to dad in between laughs.

"Oh shut up!" He says laughing. Mum comes back with her purse and looks at the five of us.

"Now, dinner's in the oven. When the timer goes off take the roast out and let it cool for a few minutes. Soda, I want you in bed by eleven with no complaints and do not go out anywhere or watch anything on the television that you wouldn't watch when me and Dad are home. Pony, get your homework done, and be in bed by ten-thirty. Isabella needs to be in bed by eight at the latest. Make sure Scarlet is in bed by seven-thirty at the absolute latest and remember to warm up a bottle for her to go to bed with. All of you listen to what Darry says and do what he asks you to do, got it?" She finishes. The older three nod and mutter 'yes ma' and Scarlet squeals.

"You ready to go dear?" Dad asks her checking his watch.

"Yes. Come give me a kiss my darlings." She picks up Scar to give her a kiss goodnight. Soda, Pony and Isabella all jump up and give her a kiss on the cheek. I do too and she hugs me.

"Thank you Darry." She says in my ear.

"No problem Mum" I say as she carefully hands me Scarlet. Dad comes up to me and playfully hits me in the ribs.

"Now Darry, I realise that you might to, but please don't strangle your sibling's while me and your Mum are gone." He says laughing. I smile and slap him in the kidney. He and Mum wave goodbye and head out the door. I sigh and go over and sit on the couch next to Pony and Soda – who Issy is now sitting on – while still holding Scarlet. We all sat there until the timer went off and I got it out of the oven. I let it sit for a few minutes before serving out it and taking it out to the kids in the lounge. We eat – and take turns at feeding Scarlet – while watching TV until the clock turns to seven-thirty.

"Come on baby girl, time for beddy-byes" I tell Scarlet as I take her into the kitchen to warm up her bottle. She just merely looked at me and blinked. 'Yep', I thought to myself, 'she is definitely tired. I finished warming up her milk and took her and her bottle back to the lounge to say goodnight to everyone. The kid was so out of it, she was that tired. Soda took her and kissed her head

"Nighty-Night baby girl. See ya in the mornin'". He then passed her to Pony who kissed her cheek.

"Night Princess. See you in the morning." He then held her while Issy said her goodnight.

"Good night Scarwet. Love yew." She said as she almost squeezed the living daylights out of the poor child. I then took her back from Issy and took her to her room. I sat in the rocking chair in her and Issy's room and cradled her, feeding her her bottle and I rocked back and forth. By the time she had finished the bottle, she was already fat asleep so I kissed the top of her head and put her in her crib.

"Night baby girl" I whispered as I left the room. I went back to the lounge and noticed that the clock read eight pm.

"C'mon Issy time for bed." I prayed that I wouldn't have any dramas with her getting to bed. No such luck.

"Noooo. I don't wanna go to bed. It's too early." She whined. Oh for god's sake.

"Isabella Marie Curtis. If you are not making your way to bed on the count of three I'm gonna call Mama." I warned.

"One"

"Two"

"Thr-." At the last minute she scrambled off the couch and ran into her bedroom laughing. She is a crazy child. I sent an exasperated look towards Pony and Soda who in turn only raised their eyebrows and turned back to the TV. Gee, thanks for the moral support guys. In a huff, I turned on my heel and walked into her bedroom.

"Read me a storwy?" She asked. I was all set to say no – only cause she'd been naughty and all – but them she gave me the puppy dog eyes. You have never seen puppy dog eyes until you've seen Issy's. I sighed.

"Of course gorgeous. What will it be tonight?"

She grinned at me. "Winnie the Pooh!" She said while bouncing on her bed.

"Okay then." For her 4th birthday, Mum and Dad got her a pre-loved boxed set of Winnie-the-Pooh stories. This kid is obsessed with them now. I began to read. Before I was even halfway through the story, I looked down to see her fast asleep. Smiling to myself, I got up and tucked her in, placed the book back on the shelf and walked out of the room, closing the door behind me. I walked back out to the lounge room and sat down to watch some Perry Mason with my brothers. We watched until about ten o'clock.

"Ponyboy, time for bed" I say. He groans and looks at me.

"Do I have to?" He whines. I swear, sometimes he acts like a goddamned four year old.

"Yes. Now go before I call Mum." I threaten. Whenever I say 'I'll call Mum' Issy, Soda and Pony all jump up and do what I say. He jumped up and went to his room. I grunt and change the channel to Gunsmoke. After fifteen minutes Soda went to bed and I keep watching TV. I look at the clock and see it's midnight. I wonder where Mum and Dad are at and raise my eyebrows. I guess dinner took longer than they thought.

I fell asleep until I was woken by a loud bang on the front door. I groan and look at the clock. Maybe Dad forgot his keys again. I put on my robe and go get the door. I open the door and there's a cop there.

"What happened?" I ask, knowing that something was wrong.

"Are you Darrel Shayne Curtis Jr. son of Darrel Shayne Curtis Sr. and Sarah Marie Curtis?" He asks, his voice solemn.

"Yes. Did something happen to my parents?" I ask. He takes his hat off and looks me in the eye.

"Son, your parents were in a car accident tonight. They were driving across the train tracks when the boom gates were not working correctly. Their car was struck by a train. I'm sorry, Sir, they didn't make it. They were killed instantly. I need you to come by the hospital to identify the bodies." He said with sympathy in his voice.

"Oh my God" I say as I run my fingers through my hair. "No, no, no. oh, damn it all to hell. They were supposed to be home." I say as I begin to shake.

"Dawwy?" I hear. I turn and see Isabella standing there in her Pj's clutching her pooh bear. I go over to her and pull her close.

"What is it Princess?" I ask her. Oh god, how am I going to break this to my brothers and sisters?

"My head hurts." She says. She looks up and sees the policeman standing there in the doorway.

"Why is the police here?" She asks confused. I lean down so that I'm at her height.

"Issy, there was an accident with Mum and Dad. They aren't coming home. They were in a car accident and they didn't make it." I say as tenderly and gently as I can. Mum had always told me to be gentler with my sibling's. And now that they're gone, I really have to.

She backs away from me and starts to shake. "That's not funny Dawwy. Where awe they?"

"Baby, they aren't coming home." I tell her as I hold her. She struggles calling me a liar and then finally gives up. She breaks down in tears as sobs rack her small body. She keeps muttering 'no', 'please no!' until she falls asleep in my arms. I pick her up and walk back to the cop.

"Can I go in the morning? I need to be with my family." I ask him. He nods and drives away. I hear Scarlet crying from all of the noise and commotion, so I walk into her room and settle her down. As I'm holding her, I hear sobbing and whimpers coming from Pony and Soda's room. So, still holding the two now-sleeping girls, I go into their room. On Pony's bed I see the two of them huddled together sobbing. They must have heard the cop and woken up. They look up and stare at me.

"Darry they can't be gone! They should be home!" Soda wails as I go over to them, the girls still in my arms.

"You two, I'm so sorry. We'll get through this, I promise." I tell them, now holding all four of them.

"We're orphans. We'll get sent to different foster homes." Pony says miserably. No, no, no. No way. I will not let my little brothers and sisters be sent into state care. Over my dead body. I don't want to lose them. I can't lose them.

"No, no. I'll take care of you and Soda and Issy and Scar. All of you. Don't worry, I won't let us lose each other." I said as I hold my four siblings as we fell asleep together on Pony's bed.

Author's Note:

Hopefully it wasn't too bad for you all. If anyone is reading this please review!