Here is the last chapter to my story. I want to thank everyone who reviewed. I am in the process of editing Ponyboy's Nightmare and I have a new story I am working on that is titled Broken Trust. I have two weeks off from school and I am hoping that I will get a few chapters of it posted soon.
Darry leaned against the porch rail and looked at Jayden, the moon cast a shadow over them and she had never looked more beautiful to him. Sitting his glass down, he reached for her.
"Come here baby," he murmured, pulling her across his lap so he could cradle her body close, staring down at her sweet face. "Thank you for being here," he said, gently stroking her hair back. "You know I realized something through all of this," he said.
"What is that Darry?" Jayden's finger traced his cheek.
"When you are in love, it doesn't stop even if you want it to," he replied softly.
"Say it," she whispered. "I need you to say it," she looked into his icy, blue eyes.
"I love you Jay, I always have and I always will," he finally told her.
She wrapped her arms around him and they held each other for a long time.
"I love you to," she replied as Darry found her mouth with his in a hungry, desperate kiss.
"Where do we go from here?" she asked when they came up for air.
"We take it one day at a time. Right now Pony and Soda have to be my first priority, but I want you in my life. Jayden, I swear if you give me the time and chance I know that we can have something special," he told her.
"We already do and I don't want to lose it. I understand about the boys and don't worry I'm good at waiting, I'll be here for as long as you let me," she told him tenderly.
"Let's do something tomorrow, just the two of us," Darry suggested rubbing her back.
"Ok, what?" she asked, relaxing against him.
"How about a picnic?" he wanted to know.
"Sounds like fun, but I better head home now," Jayden said getting up. They said goodbye and Darry went into the house. Pony was asleep, so he waited on Soda and then went to bed excited about tomorrow.
Darry and the boys were sitting at the kitchen table when Jayden walked into the house at 7:30 the next morning. She was wearing a blue sundress, her long dark hair hanging down her back; she sat a picnic basket down.
"Want some breakfast?" Soda asked her.
"No thank you, I ate earlier," she sat by Pony and smiled at him. "How are you feeling Sweetie?" she wanted to know.
"Better, I'm going with Sodapop today," he told her happy to be spending the day with his favorite brother.
"I'm sure that you will have a lot of fun," she told him looking at Darry.
"Soda, you get off at 4:30 right?" Darry asked putting plates in the sink.
"Yeah, Two-Bit is going to come and get Pony at noon so they can go to the movies; then come back to the DX," he told him.
"All right, make sure he eats lunch," Darry reminded him since Pony hadn't touched his breakfast.
"No problem," Soda said grinning at his brother.
"We'll be at the lake if you need me," he told them.
"We will be fine," both boys said as they left letting the door slam behind them.
Jayden helped Darry do the dishes, and then he led her to the car. The couple made small talk as they drove to the lake laughing about old times. After walking in the woods, enjoying the quiet and each other, they found a spot to be alone because both of them knew there was much to talk about and neither wanted to be overheard. Jayden set out lunch near the calm water, under some trees where a cool breeze was blowing.
Darry stood staring at the water. "When ever you are ready, lunch is waiting," she told him nervously. He glanced at her, and then followed her to the trees.
They knelt beside each other and Jayden handed Darry a plate loaded with fried chicken, cole slaw, and rolls. She tried to hide her trembling hands.
"Do I make you nervous, Jay?" he asked with a chuckle, taking the plate from her.
"Maybe a little," she admitted calmly as they started to eat, savoring the food.
"Darry, how are you and Pony doing?" she asked breaking the silence.
"I'm not sure; I don't think he believed me when I told him that Paul lied. He wants to, but I think he's scared to," he responded.
"Have you seen Paul lately?" she wanted to know.
"No, and for his sake I hope that I don't," he looked at her, his blue eyes flashing with violence. Jayden touched his arm and felt the man relax. They sat together enjoying the peaceful day, Darry finally got to his feet pulling Jayden with him and they headed home. He dropped Jayden off at Tim's house with a kiss.
Back at the DX, Pony wasn't feeling so hot so the boys left the movie early because the boy wanted his brothers. Two-Bit dropped him off and left. Soda got Pony a 7-up and he was sitting with his head on the desk. Bruce stopped by to see Soda, who was shocked and shouted for Steve.
"Hey Soda, can we talk for a minute?" he asked quietly. "Alone," he added when Steve walked up to them.
"Go ahead, I got your back," the greaser told him so Soda nodded and they went into the office, closing the door behind them.
"What Bruce? I don't have much time. Ponyboy is tired and I want to get him home," Soda told the soc.
"I wanted to warn you about Paul. He's been talking about all that he's lost. You know his job, scholarships, his girl basically everything. He blames Pony for it all. You should watch out for him, I don't know what he is planning, but I know that it involves your brother. I have to go now," he turned to leave.
"Bruce, why come and tell me?" Soda asked through clinched teeth.
"I guess I feel sorry for Ponyboy. None of this is his fault, Paul went too far," he said opening the door and leaving.
Steve listened while Soda told him what the other boy wanted.
"You go ahead and take the kid home, I'll close up here," he said.
"Thanks Stevie, I'll see you later," Soda told him, helping Pony stand up. On the short walk home the two brothers had a chance to talk.
"Soda, why did Darry have to send me there? I mean I could have just stayed out of his way," Pony mumbled rubbing his eyes.
"Pone, he didn't want to. Our caseworker said that you had to go, something about a new program they were trying out. Darry didn't have a choice, he argued to keep you with us, but they said if you didn't go that they would remove us from his care. He really didn't have a choice," Soda repeated as they walked into the house. Darry was sitting in his chair resting with his head on the back of it. They made polite small talk until Pony yawned and went to lie down.
Soda told Darry what Bruce had told him.
"I've tried talking to Pony. Soda, he won't believe me," Darry said despair in his normally strong voice.
"We'll get through to him somehow," Soda said. "I'll get him and we can try talking to him before the guys get here," he came back with the very sleepy, sick looking kid. They sat back down.
"Pony, I love you and you belong here with us. I would never want you to live anywhere else," Darry pulled him up into a hug. "What you wrote in that notebook was so wrong Pony; you give us a reason to get up. You are a wonderful, smart, resourceful child and I'm a better person for knowing you," Darry told his little brother honestly. Pony only shrugged and went back to bed.
Darry sighed watching him go, knowing that now was not the time to make him listen and it wouldn't matter anyway if he didn't want to hear what he was saying. When the dreams came, both Soda and Darry were there to comfort the scared, panic-stricken child and finally got him calmed down enough to go back to sleep.
"Soda, let's go in the living room so we can talk," Darry said not wanting Pony to over hear their words.
"Did Pony hear you and Bruce today?" he asked.
"I don't think so; he was in the station with Steve. We were in the office," Soda told him.
"Okay," Darry sat down looking at Johnny.
"Hey Johnnycakes, why don't you go sleep in with Ponyboy. Soda will be in later," he told the sleepy boy. Johnny nodded and left the room.
"What are we going to do?" Soda asked keeping his voice low so they wouldn't wake Pony.
"Nothing yet, we keep an eye on Ponyboy and then when Paul makes his move, I'm going to teach him not to mess with a Curtis," Darry said looking at the clock.
"It's late, let's try to get some rest," they went down the hall to their separate rooms.
The next day rainy and cold, Pony and Johnny were on the porch. The others were in the house doing various activities.
"Where's Ponyboy?" Darry asked suddenly looking around the room.
"Him and Johnny went outside a while ago," Two-Bit said not looking up from the TV.
Pony was standing on the rain as Paul came up to him, he was frozen in terror.
"You need to tell everyone that I didn't send you back to camp alone and you were not hurt when you left. Tell them that you ran off and then hit your head," Paul ordered watching Pony back away from him.
"Please Paul, leave me alone. I can't tell them that. Soda will know that I am lying. Just leave me alone," Pony pleaded.
"Darry! You need to come out here now," Johnny yelled from the side walk. The tone of his voice caused instant silence in the room. Darry jumped up, followed by Soda as the panic in the usually quiet greaser chilled them all.
Darry stepped outside and understood the situation at once. He couldn't even believe that Paul had the nerve to show up here. He was obviously drunk; in fact he still had a bottle of beer in his hand. Soda cursed softly, hadn't Paul done enough to his family? Son panic was replaced by fury.
"Paul, just go home," Darry muttered as he forced himself to walk across the porch, down the steps to stand by his brother. He felt exhilarated that the confrontation was finally here. Paul looked up as he came closer, a sneer on his face. Soda jerked Pony behind him as the rest of the guys stood between Paul and the two youngest boys.
"Pony, you and Johnny go in the house," Darry ordered in a dead calm voice that he didn't feel.
"That's kind of stupid of you to come here alone Paul, what do you want?" he asked in a tone no one recognized.
"I needed to convince the kid to tell the truth so I can get my life back," Paul said.
"What truth is that, your truth?" Soda snapped.
"I lost everything because of him," Paul retorted.
"Whatever you lost Pony didn't have any part in it, you did that all on your own Paul," Darry told him.
Paul took a swing at Soda and caught them off guard, knocking the middle brother down. Darry helped the boy up and looked Paul in the eye.
"You want to try knocking me down?" he said fury in his voice, as he pushed Soda toward the house.
"Sodapop, go put some ice on that, then stay with your brother. I'll be in as soon as I take care of the trash," he saw the guys on the porch now; each one ready to intervene if necessary.
Darry took a step aside seconds before Paul would have tackled him. The soc lost his footing and fell face-first into the dirt. In the house Pony cried because Darry was fighting for him. Soda put his arm around the child as they watched from the window.
Outside Darry thought about his baby brother stumbling around, hurt in the fire and anger ran through him. Paul rose up on his knees.
"Stay down Paul!" Darry advised him; moving backwards, of course he didn't listen and took a step in Darry's direction, his fists raised.
Pony ran out the door. "Darry!" he shouted and Darry turned toward the boy just as Paul started swinging his fists. Darry did the only thing he could do, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do in front of Ponyboy. His fist connected sharply with Paul's jaw.
"Leave my family alone. Pony will tell what happened and if you even look at him wrong, I won't stop myself with one hit. Dally, will you and Two-Bit take him to the edge of town?" he asked looking at his ex-best friend in pity.
"Let's go you bum," Two-Bit said while opening his switchblade. Darry watched until the trio was out of sight and then went back inside with the rest of the guys and checked Soda's eye which was turning black, but would be fine.
"Man, you really decked that soc," Steve said. Pony stared at Darry wide-eyed.
"Pony, come here," Darry held his arm out to his little brother.
"I don't want you to think fighting is the answer to all your problems. There are other, better ways to solve things," Darry told Pony calmly.
"I already know that Darry," Pony replied quietly.
The next day was Darry's day off. Soda was at work, Pony and the others were at school, so he decided to lay back down awhile. He heard the front door open and close, then footsteps coming down the hallway.
"Hey," Jayden said leaning against the door frame.
"Hey," Darry answered sitting up as she walked over to him.
"I heard about Paul, I'm sorry that you had to fight him," she said when they were face to face.
"I am to, he was a good friend; but I told him that you don't mess with my family," he touched her face gently.
Jayden pressed her lips to his, he pulled away.
"Jayden," he rasped. "Oh God, I need you so much," he admitted tugging her until they were both lying on his bed. She moved nearer not surprised to find him aroused. His lean hand slid to the base of her spine and pulled her even closer.
"I want you," he whispered shakily kissing her throat. "I haven't been with anyone since you," he confessed to her.
"I haven't either," she told him.
Taking a deep breath, Darry pulled away. "We can't do this here, we shouldn't be doing this," he told her gruffly.
"No, hold me," Jayden wrapped his arms back around her. "Why shouldn't we?" she wanted to know.
"Because for the next six years, my life will be raising Ponyboy; I can't ask you to wait, it wouldn't be fair to you," he tried to explain it to her.
"If I had a child to raise instead of you, would you walk away from me?" she asked threading her fingers through his.
"Of course not, but that's different," Darry said quietly. "I don't have anything to offer you Jay," he told her seriously.
"Darry, you have a lot to offer me," Jayden told him, kissing him again.
"Like what?" he asked needing to know,
"Your love, security, a family, a place to belong, do you know that being in your arms is like home to me?" She asked him,
He shook his head.
"No matter what is wrong, when you hold me everything just melts away," she said.
"I feel that way to Jay," he replied. "But I can't expect you to waste six years of your life," he said seriously.
"You're not asking look six years is a long time. Who knows where we will be between now and then; all I'm asking for is a chance. Please don't send me away," she pleaded.
"I can't, I won't, I need you even if I don't like admitting it," Darry said.
"Why? Needing love and loving someone doesn't make you weak," Jayden pulled her shirt over her head.
"Love me Jayden," he raised his lips to hers. She bent to kiss him with a slow, fierce passion, feeling his body mold it's self to every inch of hers. Jayden slowly undressed Darry. She wanted to love him, cherish him, show him love wasn't supposed to make you pathetic. She placed kisses over his belly, while his hand found her in a way that made her tingle all over.
"Jayden, I need to be inside you," he whispered in a husky voice after a while.
"Yes, I want you deep inside me," she murmured. When he eased down, his hips still while increasing the pressure and rhythm of his hand on her.
Jayden cried out as the pleasure came in waves.
"Yes," Darry said. "I'm going to push you right over the edge now, don't think Jayden, and just let me have you. Let me have all of you," he told her his voice gruff with emotions. She stiffened under a wave of intense pleasure, her back arched as she looked into Darry's dark, blue eyes.
"Oh baby," he groaned as his hips thrust down into her. She was wet and ready for him. Darry gazed into Jayden's eyes as he filled her.
"Watch me," he choked out. "I'll let you have me," Darry's voice broke over the eruptive climax that stiffened him above her, his eyes were glazed, his breathing ragged as he shuddered again and again.
"Darry," Jayden whispered shivering in the aftermath of her own powerful climax. His fists clinched by her head.
"My tuff greaser," Jayden kissed him everywhere she could reach as he exploded into her.
"Jay," Darry groaned, he moved to lie beside her and pulled her trembling body to his. Holding each other close, their breathing slowly returned to normal.
It was 2:10 when Jayden looked at the bedside clock. They needed to get up; the boys would be home soon. The couple stood up and dressed, smiling and giving each other little touches and kisses. After Jayden sat down on the couch, Darry stretched out and put his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair. They sat in a happy silence until the door burst open and the guys came in.
Pony's face lit up at the sight that greeted him.
"Hey Little One, how was your day?" Darry asked as Pony sat by him on the edge of the couch.
"Okay, how was yours?" he asked grinning.
"Great," Darry said grinning back at his little brother. Of course Two-Bit turned the TV on and ignored them for Mickey.
Pony was watching Darry and Jayden. His brother was relaxed, calm, happy and apparently in a good mood.
"I like it when you come around Jayden," Pony said.
"Really, why is that Pony?" she asked.
"Because you make Darry happy, he loves you, we all do. I hope you come over more often," he told her.
"It's entirely up to Darry how much I come around. I wouldn't want him to get tired of me," she joked.
Darry sat up. "No chance of that happening," he said quietly gazing into her eyes. "Hey guys, let's go to the lake," he suggested. They quickly agreed and were soon on the road. Darry held Jayden's hand the entire drive up.
Once there Darry had a chance to talk to his brothers.
"So Darry, things are serious looking with Jayden. Anything we should know?" Soda asked softly as they watched the woman in question swim with Steve and Johnny.
Darry was silent then, "Yeah I guess they are. I love her and want to spend a lot more time with her," he told them.
"Darry, are you going to marry Jayden?" Pony asked worried about his place in Darry's life.
"Not anytime in the foreseeable future," he said.
"Because of me?" Pony asked almost inaudibly.
"No Pony, I'm not sure either of us is ready for that kind of commitment yet. It has nothing to do with you. Jayden knows and understands that you are my first concern, but that doesn't mean I can't have her in my life to," Darry told Pony hugging him.
"Let's go swimming," Soda called running to the water.
The gang was joined by Tim, Curly, Dally and Angela and spent the rest of the day in the cool water, then had a big cookout. After that day the Shepard's and the Curtis families were forever linked.
THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!