Why We Ended Up Here

Full summary: After Mr. and Mrs. Curtis die in a tragic car accident, the state doesn't see almost nineteen year old Darry as a fit guardian and takes away his two younger brothers, ages twelve and fifteen, an act that turns the gang's world upside down, and puts the boys in a situation they never thought they would be in.

A/N: Before you read, this is not a fic where Ponyboy dies. Okay? Those of you who can't read death fics, it's okay, this isn't one.

Now read on and enjoy. :)

Chapter 1: A Poker Game and a Knock on the Front Door

Ponyboy's POV

My hands shake at my side, my body growing weaker with every moment. As everything starts to get darker I wonder if this is how this ends, after everything that's happened. Is this really how I'm going to die? Pushing aside the burning pain, I think back to my brothers, and how much I'm going to miss them.

I'm so sorry, guys.

As the world starts to slip from my grasp, I think back on my life, on where things went wrong, and I find myself remembering the first night my world started to implode. Memories flash in front of my eyes, and I think back to a time when the gang was more innocent, when there was still hope. Before the day my parents died.

~ Thursday, February 16th, 1961 ~

Soda reached around his mother, who was trying to make a chocolate came, sticking a finger into the chocolate cake batter, popping the sweet batter into his mouth.

"Soda!" Mrs. Curtis glared, but she wasn't actually mad. Soda shot her a signature grin and she sighed.

"If you keep eating this batter we won't have a cake to cook!"

Soda shrugged nonchalantly. "The batter tastes just fine," he drawled, "We should just make batter instead of a cake."

"I second that motion!" Two-Bit piped up from the couch, taking his attention of the poker game long enough for Steve to slip a card out of his sleeve.

"Full house, Two-Bit. Beat that," Steve challenged, grinning as he laid his cards out along the table.

Two-Bit cussed under his breath, only to receive a silent look from Mrs. Curtis. As much as she loved the gang, their language was something she tried to keep Ponyboy and Sodapop from learning. If nothing else, keep it at bay until they were teenagers. She didn't like the idea of them cussing like an eighteen year old when they were only eight and ten.

"Sorry," Two-Bit mumbled truthfully. He laid his cards down, having obviously lost, before he told Steve to deal again.

"Can Johnny and I play?" Ponyboy asked. Steve glared at the youngest gang member.

"No. This isn't little kid stuff. Plus, you don't know how to play."

"Do too," Ponyboy argued, "Dally taught me and Johnny last week."

"Yeah, let him play," Two-Bit agreed when he opened up the bathroom door and returned to the living room, feeling sorry for the youngest gang member.

Ponyboy happily grabbed the cards Steve begrudgingly began to deal out for him. After a few minutes Steve set down his cards, calling out proudly that he had four jacks. He was grinning widely, confident he won, until Ponyboy laid down his cards.

"That's a... flush, right?"

Ponyboy had an eight of hearts, nine of hearts, ten of hearts, a jack of hearts, and a queen of hearts, to Steve's utter disappointment.

"Beginners luck, kid," Two-Bit muttered, laughing. Before Steve had a chance to yell at Ponyboy, Two-Bit sent him a '"don't mess with me" look. Steve shut his mouth, mumbling that he wanted a smoke.

"Good job, Ponyboy," Johnny said quietly. Ponyboy smiled, a slight reddening creeping over the tips of his ears.

"Thanks, Johnnycake."

~ Saturday, January 1st, 1966 ~

"Why can't I be in charge for once?" Sodapop complained. Darry rolled his eyes before his mom even had a chance to respond.

"Because, I'm older," Darry replied, sounding much younger than almost nineteen.

"Boys, quit arguing. No abusing your power, Darry. But Soda, listen to Darry. He is older and is in charge."

Fifteen year old Soda rolled his eyes, but was quickly distracted with the idea of cooking dinner.

"Can I help, Soda?" Ponyboy asked quietly, appearing suddenly in the kitchen behind his older brother.

"Sure. Grab the blue food coloring for me, alright? You can help me make the mashed potatoes."

Ponyboy stood on his tip toes, mentally curing his shortness and the fact that his mother kept the food coloring on the top shelf.

Just as his fingers closed around the highly saught-after food coloring, he felt his mother's arms wrap around him.

"I love you, Ponyboy," Mrs. Curtis said softly. Mr. Curtis ruffled his middle son's hair before saying goodbye to his other two sons.

"Love you, boys, be good!"

"We will, mom," Darry reassured his mother.

OoOoOoO

After a night of two action movies, a full plate of blue mashed potatoes, and several rounds of poker, Ponyboy and Soda were conked out on the couch, their limbs awkwardly thrown about the couch, but they looked comfortable enough. The TV was on low, as Darry fought his exhaustion with a late-night rerun.

When a hard knock came at the door, Darry's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, his mind foggy. His emotions went from confused to worried when he realized that the gang never knocked and it was way past midnight.

Two police officers dressed in uniform stood at his door, their expressions unreadable but hard. Sighing, Darry figured Dallas must have gotten caught lifting something. Again.

"Are you Darrel Curtis Jr.?" One of the officers asked. Darry nodded.

"That's me. Is this about Dallas Winston?"

"No, not this time. This is about your parents."

Darry felt his heart sunk to the pit of his stomach.

"Darry?" Soda mumbled sleeping, rubbing his eyes as he sat up on the couch, Ponyboy following suit.

"What happened, officers?"

"Your parents were in a car accident. There were no survivors."

Darry had to grab onto the door jam to keep from falling over. Behind him, he heard Ponyboy let out a heart-wrenching sob.

"I am very sorry for your losses. We have to ask you to come identify the bodies sometime soon down at the morgue."

Darry gave a curt nod, not trusting himself to speak. He fought back his tears, trying to stay strong for his brothers, who had each other in a tear-filled death grip on the couch. They clung to each other as if their lives depended on it.

Darry shut the door with a shaking hand, turning to his two younger brothers. He didn't know what he could say to make it better, so he didn't say anything. Instead of speaking, he wrapped both of his brothers in a hug as they sobbed. Darry felt his heart shatter at the sound of their world imploding.

How could this have happened? And why was it not the only earth-shattering new the Curtis brothers would receive that week?

A/N: Review for your choice of a cookie!

Stay Gold,

~ Alee XxX