Hello everyone, so this is my first purely Outsiders Fanfic and I hope you like it because there is more coming, i had intended this to be a one shot but well one thing led to another and now i have a potentially multi chapter story on my hands. I hope you enjoy it.

Ponyboy had just gotten the last kid out of the church when he heard the sickening crack of the roof caving in. Time slowed down and all he could see was his best friend in the whole world about to be crushed under a beam he jumped to push Johnny out of the way. Unfortunately the beam landed in parallel to Pony's spine and the rest of the roof hit him as well. Another beam then fell on Johnny. Dally managed to grab a burning and barely conscious Johnny

"P-Pony is trapped" croaked Johnny before passing out. Dally looked at the burning Church and lay Johnny gently on the ground before going back in for Ponyboy. He kicked burning pieces of wood of off the fourteen year old before heaving the 500 pound beam, that in normal situation neither he nor Darry would have been able to lift, off of Pony and gently picking him up. The ambulances were outside and loading Johnny when Dally emerged with Pony who was hardly breathing. The Paramedics quickly took Pony before Dally passed out from exhaustion, his arm felt like it had been shot off but he was more concerned about Johnny and Pony, his last thought before falling completely unconscious was

'Darry is going to flip'

Time skip

Johnny awoke to shouting and loud beeping but also a lot of pain. He decided that the blackness of sleep was much better than this so he closed his eyes again. In another room, Ponyboy was fighting for his life, flatlining six times before the doctors managed to get him even slightly stable. Every bone in his body below his head was crushed his lungs were blackened from the smoke, he was covered with third degree burns and there was a large wooden slat stabbed through his spine and through several organs. Hours later they both awoke in the same room. Johnny noticed that Pony was basically covered in bandages and Pony's heart monitor was extremely weak.

"Pony?" asked Johnny, his voice quiet and weak

"Johnny?" came Pony's reply, sounding even more horse and quiet than Johnny's

"I'm here Pony, you ok?' asked Johnny although he already knew the answer

"Johnny,I'm not going to survive the night" croaked Pony

"Don't say that, you'll be fine" replied Johnny trying to sound comforting

"Johnny, you have a better chance than I do" said Pony, closing his eyes and trying to focus on breathing

"Why the hell did you take the blow for me?" asked Johnny softly

"Because you're my friend, if you died Dally would have lost it and done something stupid, I'm the burden of the gang, the tag along, the one know one wants, but you are Johnny cake everyone's little brother, the one who even Dallas Winston would give his life for" said Ponyboy, his chest heaving from the effort of speaking

"But Pony, you have your brothers who love you and Darry gave up everything just so he could keep your family together, why would you give all that up for me?" asked Johnny

"Because, I-I love you Johnny" said Pony before passing out again, the pain becoming too much. Johnny lay there, honestly hoping Darry and Soda would get here soon, Pony didn't look like he had much time left, Johnny was puzzled, Pony loved him? Like a brother or something More? He didn't have much time to think of it though as Soda,Darry, Two-Bit and Steve rushed through the door. Johnny found himself having to listen to a worried Two-Bit and a worried Steve, meanwhile Johnny had to assume that the doctors had told them that Pony was dying because Soda was sobbing. Darry pulled Ponyboy into his arms and cradled his dying baby brother

"Oh Pony, I'm so so so Sorry" cried Darry hot tears streaming down his face

"It's ok" said Pony, sounding much weaker than he had not two minutes earlier

"Please Pony, don't go, common baby you can pull through" cried Soda running his hand through Pony's hair

"Darry?" asked Pony weakly, struggling to keep his eyes even remotely open

"Yes baby?" said Darry

"Can you sing me that lullaby mom always sang when we were sick or hurt?" asked Pony. Darry started singing softly and gently holding Pony close to him.

"I love you big brother " said Pony, his eyes drooping and his heart rate falling

"I love you too baby brother" said Darry more tears falling from his eyes as Ponyboy gave his last smile and closed his eyes for the last time. The heart monitor flatlined, Pony was gone. Johnny felt a tear start to roll down his face, then another and another before he fully realized he was crying.

"Two-Bit, go see if you can let Dally know what's going on" said Steve