How he's still gold-Darrel Curtis x OC

Why did you stay?

Today is not going to be easy, I was let go from my job because I was 'slacking off' and I was going to lose my house if I didn't pay rent soon but I shouldn't worry about that right now. Today was Dallas and Johnny's day, they may be going 6 feet under but at least I know where they are. Every greaser, Cop, and soc was there. I honestly don't know why all of Tulsa was there, why is everyone just now seeing how my brothers were? It doesn't matter, shit my speech! Ok I've got this.

"Today we see two young men, but not just men, hero's. Dallas and Johnny. My brothers, even if Johnny wasn't blood, he was still my brother. Dallas once told me why he did what he did. He said,  When people see good they expect good. And he was right. He was kind to the gang, to his friends, his family. Johnny never had a good biological family, but he had us. He had, me, Dal, the Curtis boys, Twobit, and Steve to help him, talk to him and raise him. He never really went home to his parents because he felt like where he spent the most time was his home. He looked up to Dal. Dal saw potential in Johnny becoming a strong yet sensitive man when he first met Johnny. These two were the closest boys I've ever seen in my life. They went to movies, drove around, joked and even helped each other. It didn't matter what they did in the past that mattered most it was the fact that they had each other and the gang, that mattered most. If Dallas wanted to drive off a cliff Johnny would be riding shotgun. If Johnny were to kill himself, so would Dal. Johnny was my brother from another mother, but even then, I saw both at their best when we saved those kids in the church. The burning church in windrexville. We all could've let those kids burn but we didn't. Johnny, and Ponyboy were the first to spring into action. Dal and I had busted some openings near the kids to help get them out. I jumped in to make sure the boys got out, and I lifted a beam off of Johnny, dal picked him up and out, I threw my leather jacket over them and got them out. For the first time I saw fear in dal's eyes and determination in Johnny's. I saw what I once thought was a kicked puppy turn into a wolf, and a wolf in sheep's clothing. The two boys would've done anything together and for each other so they could see others happy." I finished with tears streaming down my face and as I looked at the gang I saw them bawling, even Darry. All 6 of them.

We all stayed and cried as they were put six feet under. Everyone started to leave and soon it was just me and the Curtis boys. Pony was hugging soda and Darry had an arm around both of them. They all had tears coming but they were silent. I fell on my knees and just stared at my brothers' (including Johnny's) headstones silently crying. Soda tried to speak choking back tears and failing to even make a sound. He walked over next to me and went to his knees too and put an arm around me. He was followed by pony running over and getting on my other side and Darry right behind me. "Why did you stay?..." I asked quietly.

"Because you're family. We can't leave you behind." Pony choked. Finally making the first sound from the trio.

Pony and soda were usually silent in this situation but this time the tables had turned and it was Darry who stayed silent.

I smiled feeling a little better. "Let's go home. Twobit and Steve are probably there watching Mickey Mouse." Soda smiled with a chuckle and pony laughed. Darry smiled slightly but it wasn't one of those smiles that lasted long. It seemed like he was scared or worried.

"Yeah let's go." Soda said. The four of us had come in the same car. Dal's favorite, which was my truck. We headed back to the Curtis house and to my surprise Twobit and Steve were just sitting in the living room, still in their black suits and not doing much. Both of them had tear stained cheeks and sad expressions.

We walked in and they just kind of looked at us sadly. "Buck's gonna have Dal's stuff at his bar for you in the morning. He came by to give you this though." Steve said handing me dal's chain. He wore it every day and never took it off except when he showered.

I looked at the necklace and flipped the tag over to see words on it I had never noticed. It said

I won't always be physically here but my love for my family will help me stay after death

I smiled and had a tear roll down my cheek. "That's dal alright." I laughed still crying. "Never once did he leave anyone he loved behind."

"He's not physically here but maybe he can see us somehow?" Pony stared smiling sadly.

"You mean like a ghost?" Twobit asked

"Sure like a ghost." Pony replied.

"We have to get johnny's stuff from his house before his parents toss it to the curb. I have Dal's old room as a memorial sort of thing for the two. Johnny's blade and jacket as well as both of Dal's jackets are in there right now with a picture of all of us and two separate ones of them." I said thinking immediately of Johnny's parents.

"How? We can't get in there without them guilting or hurting someone." Steve said untying his tie.

"Just go over, tell them why we're there, get his stuff, and go." Darry said uncrossing his arms and finally talking

I smiled agreeing with him and the boys went to change. I always had spare clothes on me so I changed fairly quickly and struggled to put Dal's chain on. I felt a pair of hands gently take the two ends out of my hands and clip it for me. I turned around and saw Darry. I smiled blushing a little "thanks."

"No problem JP." He smiled we sat and waited for Steve and twobit before heading to Johnny's hell he had to call home.