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eliniei · 5 years

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Those Hard Days - Chapter 13

Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?

Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death

A/N: This one’s a little short, but I’ll have next one up by the end of the week!

AO3: here Fanfiction.net: here

Masterlist

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Chapter 13 - Memory

Rae sat up on the couch. The sun was just starting to show through the front window. The swelling in her cheek felt like it had dissipated, and even her wrist felt a lot better. Darry must have been experienced in wrapping bandages. It was still nice and tight. She shouldn’t be surprised- between Soda drag racing and rodeos, he’d probably had a lot of practice.

She wiped the sleep from her eyes as Darry walked out from the hallway, heading for the kitchen. He glanced over at Rae and did a double take when he saw that she was awake. He stopped midstep.

"'Mornin’, Rae," Darry said, quietly. She opened her mouth to respond but he held a finger to his lips and pointed towards the armchair. Dally was spread out as best as his long limbs could, covered in a thin blanket, asleep. "He hasn't got much sleep the last week." She got up and walked over to Darry.

“Why’s he in the chair?”

“I tried to wake up to get him to move to Soda’s room but he wouldn’t budge.” She smiled and looked back at her brother.

“He don’t look so tough when he’s asleep, huh?”

"I can hear ya, ya know," Dally mumbled. Rae let out a short laugh. Darry smiled as well and went into the kitchen to start breakfast.

“Why don’t that surprise me? It’s like you got a third eye that watches me when you’re asleep.” Dally sat up in the chair and moved the blanket to the cushioned arm.

"Hey, don’t go spoutin’ my secrets." He nodded towards her. “C’mere.” She did as she was bid and moved to him. He grabbed her good hand pulled her down into his lap.

"What are you-" He silenced her with a wave of his hand. The last time Dally had let her sit in his lap, they were kids. Before Dally went to jail- before his eyes turned icey and hard.

"Talk to me," he said, loosely wrapping his arms around her.

"Dallas, are you still asleep?"

"Ain’t I allowed to be nice sometimes?"

“Well, it ain’t normal.”

“C’mon, I’m tryin’ to be serious here-”

“I don’t know-,” she started, cutting him off. She desperately wanted this, but she wasn’t sure where to start… “I feel like there’s somethin’ wrong with me.”

“Wrong like what?” She laid her head down on his chest and sighed. He kept one arm around her back, but rested the other across her legs.

“I’m so pissed off all the time. I know I ain’t exactly got the best track record in terms of controllin’ my temper but now, it’s just worse. I mean- punchin’ a wall over nothin’? That ain’t me.”

“It runs in the family. I mean, look at me. Look at, well, you know,” Dally reminded her. “But look, what happened to ya- it’s-it’s enough to change a person.”

“I don’t even remember it happenin’-”

“It don’t matter. You know it happened. That’s enough.”

“I sure as hell feel a whole lot better when you’re around. I’m just...” Rae hesitated to continue.

“Spit it out,” he ordered.

“I’m just afraid you’ll leave again,” she answered, honestly.

"Hey, I’ve kept my word so far, ain’t I?" She huffed a laugh and nodded.

“Yeah.”

"I know you heard. Last night in the kitchen," Dally confessed. “And don’t you worry. I ain’t sendin’ you away.” His arms tightened around her and he rested his chin on top of her head. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

"Thank you,” she said, her voice fading. She curled her body into him like she was five years old again…

"Mommy, why is your eye black?" Rae’s tiny, high-pitched voice asked her mother. She was sitting on a countertop in the kitchen, watching her mother make dinner. She stopped briefly to put Rae back on the floor. Dally stood leaning against the open doorway, arms crossed, an angry expression on his face.

"Don't you worry about it, sweetheart," their mother replied. When she heard the sound of a car engine outside, she paled. "Dallas, would you take your sister and go upstairs? Your father's home." They heard the front door open and slam shut.

"He ain’t my father," Dally protested, but took his sister's hand and led her up the stairs. He left Rae in her room and made sure to close her door, but when the yelling started she could still hear it. Her father scared her- he scared all of them.

She covered her ears when she heard something break against a wall. Tears were streaming from her eyes and she ran across the hall for her brother’s room.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she burst through the door. He was sitting on his bed, a comic book spread out before him. “Can you hear them?”

"Please make them stop, Dally!" Rae sobbed. He sighed and opened his arms to her.

"Come here," he said. She climbed on to his bed and into his lap. He closed his arms around her when she was settled. "I'm sorry. I can't make them stop. Just stay here with me for a while and try to go to sleep." She quieted down after a few minutes and could feel her eyes drooping. Dally gently laid her down on the bed and went to close the bedroom door. He climbed back into his bed and covered them both up.

As she was drifting away, Rae heard the front door slam again and the car engine start. Their mother came into the bedroom and bent over them, giving each of her children a kiss on the temple.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, sadly, and left the room. Rae could have sworn she saw her mother wiping her face as she left.

"Rae? Kid, wake up," Dally's voice commanded, pulling her out of her memories. She lifted her head from her brother's chest. "You’re gonna be late for school."

"What?" Rae asked, her eyes half opened.

"You fell asleep," he explained. “School. Now.” She nodded and slid off his lap, then went into the kitchen and gladly accepted a steaming mug of coffee from Darry, hoping it would wake her up.

After the two older Curtis brothers left for work, Rae grabbed her clothes and went to change. When she emerged from the bathroom, Ponyboy was combing the last bit of hair grease into his hair.

"You ready?" he asked, tossing the comb onto the coffee table. She nodded and lifted her backpack to her shoulder.

“I’ll give ya’ll a ride,” Dally offered, pulling his boots on. He had Buck’s car parked outside.

When they reached the school, Rae found her blonde friend sitting on the front steps, rocking back and forth on her feet. Immediately, she brightened.

"Carrie's waitin' for me. I'll see ya after school, huh?" she said to Dally as he pulled up to the curb.

“Hey, wait a sec,” he said as she was opening the car door. She shrugged and sat back in her seat. Ponyboy was out of the car and headed towards the front doors of the school with nothing but a curt wave after the pointed look Dally gave him.

“Yeah?” she asked. He reached into the back seat and flung a new leather jacket into her lap. She held it up by the shoulders. “What’s this for?”

“Ya know, a birthday present. That jean jacket of yours is gettin’ ratty.” A wide smile spread across her face as she inspected the jacket. It was cut so that it would fit snug around her body. She leaned across the middle console and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, Dally.”

“Alright, alright. Now, get outta here and go learn somethin’.”

At his command, Rae slid herself out of the car and watched as her brother drove off.

"Was was Buck’s car?" Carrie asked, coming up behind her friend. They headed to their first class.

“Oh, yeah- I guess Dally borrows it from time to time.”

“Man, your brother sure looks real tough.”

"Where do ya think I get it from?” Rae asked, a sly smile creeping onto her face.

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