In the name of love

Chapter 1

Darry jolted awake the sound of the land line ringing, he brought his hand to his face and began to rub his eyes attempting to shake off the sleep that had so easily lulled him only hours before. He pushed the heel of his hand deep against his eye and let out a sharp yawn. The phones ringing had subsided once Darry had stopped rubbing his eyes and was slightly more awake. Had he just dreamt the phone was ringing? It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Darry to have dreams like that, when he pulled out of his sleep he often thought his mother was yelling to him or that Ponyboy was tapping his cheek, or something along those lines. Just as Darry was about to give up and lay back against the couch the phone began to ring again. This time it could not be brushed off as heavy sleep fogging his brain, it was most certainly the very real high pitch squeal of the land line.

Reluctantly Darry stood up stumbling his way over to the phone. He excepted it to be his mother or father calling him to inform him that they were sorry they never showed up at home on time, that they hoped they didn't worry he and Soda to much and that they'd be home soon. His mother would also probably question how Ponyboy was as well, and force Darry to tell her what pony had eaten for supper, ask if he'd had a bath, if they gave him a bottle as well as what time he went to bed.  "Hello?"

Darry mumbled his sleep laced voice would certainly make any worry his mother might have had about disturbing his sleep concrete, but a soft apology from a soft gentle voice, didn't break through the almost silent static of the land line. A man's voice cut through, if Darry wasn't so tried he may have recognized it has Steve randle. Sodapops best friend since kindergarten. If he'd had recognized the voice he would have had half a mind to slam the phone back to the receiver, not before telling Steve that Soda was asleep and he should be as well. Steve always called the house phone when he was drunk, Soda would end up sitting at the table laughing at his best friend and calling him an idiot every few minutes.

"Hey Darry it's Steve. I was just callin' wondering if your parents made it back yet?"

Steve's voice finally registered through the line. His tone was soft but his voice was shaky, the farmiliarity of the voice gave way no comfort for Darry like it should've as he began to twist the landlines cord around his finger. "No they haven't Steve, Soda and I fell asleep on the couch waitin' up for 'em."

Darry stated warily, he couldn't remember the last time his parents had ever been late coming home. If anything now with Ponyboy they came home much earlier than originally excepted.

Darry and Soda would tease them that they had no faith in there abilities to keep pony alive and their mother would scoff and say how silly they were and that she just couldn't go to long without seeing her baby boy.

Pony was most certainly, their mother favourite. He was only 2 so he had a long while to annoy their mother, but Darry didn't believe that would ever happen.

He glanced to the living room where only moments ago he was peacefully asleep. There laid Soda peacefully sleeping himself on the couch blissfully unaware of anything at all.

"Uh... I don't know how to say this Dar but I was drivin' home from Evies and passin' the train tracks and I think that you guys should just get down here.."

Steve sounded a lot more panicked than he had when he originally called now that Darry had comfirmed the absence of his mother and father. Which only made the feeling Darry had in his stomach twist and intensify.

"What? Why? Steve it's one in the morning Pony and Soda are asleep I'm not going down to the tracks."

Darry's confusion bled into his tone and his facial expressions. His eyebrows knitted together, his mouth turned down in a frown and his hand gripped the phone in a white knuckle grip.