A/N: this one shot is dedicated to @ashxlou  who requested a one shot about Ponyboy with autism. I don't know very much about autism, but they were kind to give me some information. Enjoy!

Darry's POV

The first thing I heard when I woke up was the sound of the TV. I knew right then and there that it was Ponyboy. That was part of his morning routine. He has autism, and putting autistic kids on a schedule helps them.

I literally rolled out of bed and waddled over to the living room. Ponyboy was sitting on the floor, with toys scattered everywhere. He was watching Mickey Mouse, Two-Bit had gotten him into it.

Ponyboy was making a clicking noise with mouth. He was stimming, which is what most kids with autism do. I kneeled down next to him. "Hey Pones." I said calmly. He turned to me. "Day'y! Day'y!" He squealed. Pony had trouble talking, but we're working on it and he's getting better.

I chuckled and sat down. "Did you try and go potty this morning?" I asked. We've been trying to toilet train Ponyboy for years, but it's real difficult. He's still in diapers, and it's one of the reasons why we don't to send him to a school for special needs kids, the other reason being that we couldn't afford it.

"Nuh-uh." Pony said, loosing eye contact with me and turned his attention to one of cars. "'iaper." I sighed and picked him up, and knew that he meant he needed to be changed. "C'mon Ponyboy, let's change ya, but you gotta start using the potty. It ain't scary, trust me." I put him in the bathroom and proceeded to change him. "Po'yboy." He said, poking his chest. "Yes, you're Ponyboy." I said.

Once I finished changing him, Ponyboy sat back on the living room floor and continued to watch his show. Soda woke up and played with him as I cooked breakfast. "Soda, Pony, breakfast is ready!" I called. Soda walked over and sat down. He put grape jelly on his eggs and proceeded to eat them. Pony was still on the floor, playing with his stuffed animals.

"Cmon Pony, time for breakfast." I grabbed his schedule from the coffee table and showed it to him, pouting to the picture of a breakfast plate. "See Pony? Breakfast."

Suddenly, Ponyboy covered his ears and started screaming and failing. He was having a meltdown. Soda turned to us and immediately got up. "Soda, go get him some water." I commanded. He nodded and ran off.

As Sodapop went to get water, I proceeded to do our regular meltdown routine with Ponyboy. I kneeled down and pulled him close to me. Pony was screaming and thrashing. He gripped onto my hair and kept hitting his face into my shoulder. It used to hurt a lot at first when he'd do that, but I got used to it. This happens at least once a day. It's just part of our routine.

"Pony, Ponyboy..." I said firmly. "Calm down, calm down, just relax. Big breaths, nice big breathes." But Ponyboy continued to scream and cry. I sighed and held him tight and closer, then started to sing to him. If holding him down alone don't calm him down, then usually singing helps too. He'll only calm down to one song: Splish Splash by Bobby Dylan. We ain't sure why, but it works.

"Splish splash I was takin' a bath.." I sang quietly.

"Long about a Saturday night.

A rub dub, just relaxin' in the tub, thinking everything was alright.

When I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor.

I wrapped a towel 'round me and I opened the door and then-a,

Splish splash, I jumped back in the bath.

Well how was I to know there was a party goin' on?"

Once I finished the song, Pony calmed down and wiggled out of my arms. "So'y." He apologized. I nodded my forgiveness. We walked into the kitchen and Pony climbed onto his chair. I placed his breakfast in front of him, which consisted of eggs, buttered toast that I cut into small pieces, and cut up pieces of sausage. Soda sat down and began to eat.

"Here we go Ponyboy." I said as I handed him his fork. Right now we're working with Pony on using a fork. He growled and threw the fork on the floor and began to eat with his hands.

"Ponyboy..." I said, slight tone in my voice. I picked up his fork. "We use hands to play with toys. We use forks and spoons to eat." Pony hated silverware. He hated the texture of it so either me or Soda feed him. But since he's thirteen, we're teaching him to be independent.

Pony growled and snatched the fork out of my hand. He started eating his breakfast with it. I smiled and clapped my hands. "Yay Ponyboy!" I cheered. Sodapop looked over and cheered as well. Ponyboy clapped and giggled. He loved being praised.

When Ponyboy finished breakfast, Soda went off to work. We both work half time; Soda in the mornings and me in the afternoon. On weekdays, we do school with Pony. He's homeschooled so it's easier for us. I teach him in the mornings and Soda teaches him in the afternoons.

Pony and I waved to Soda on the porch as he drove to work with Steve. "Bye So'a!" He called. I smiled and walked him back inside.

--

"Alright Ponyboy, what's this?" I asked Pony, holding up a flash card with a picture of a shoe on it.

"Ooo!" Ponyboy yelled. I couldn't help but smile at him. "There's a 'sh' in front of the 'oo' part. Shoe. Sh-oe." I said. "SHOE!" Ponyboy screamed. I laughed and patted his back. "Good job Pones." I praised.

I drew another card from the pile and held it up to Ponyboy. It was a picture of a cat. "What's this Pony?" Pony studied it for a minuted. "Tat." He said. "Cat." I corrected. "That's a 'C' in front of the 'a' and the 't'. Cat." Pony giggled. "Cat!" "Great job Pony!"

After a few hours of doing school (and taking plenty of breaks of course), it was time for lunch. After lunch, it'd be time for me to go to work and Soda to come watch Pony. I made Ponyboy macaroni and cheese with some apple slices and myself a BLT.

"Nuh uh!" Pony cried as he threw his Mac and cheese all over the floor, causing it to spill everywhere. "Pe'ut bu'ter 'n je'y!" He screamed. I sighed. "Pony, I told you that we ran out of peanut butter and jelly." I said to him.

He looked as if he was gonna have another meltdown, so I just cut him a slice of chocolate cake. That kid loved chocolate cake. He cheered and wolfed it down with his hands. This time, I didn't really care.

Sodapop came through the door as soon as Ponyboy finished eating. The first thing he did when Soda walked in was burp. Loud. I face palmed, but also chuckled a bit. "Pones, what do you say?" I asked. We're trying to teach Ponyboy manners, and burping at the table is something we're working on. He thinks burping is the most hilarious thing in the world.

"E'scuse me!" Ponyboy giggled. Soda chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Say bye bye to Darry ok?" Soda said. "He's gotta go to work now." Pony got up and gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Bye Day'y!" "Bye Pony," I said. "I'll see you at dinner. Be good for Soda." He nodded and ran to the living room to play, probably with his plastic cooking toys.

Before I left for work, I reminded him to try and get Pony to use the toilet. Soda nodded

----

When I got back from work, Ponyboy immediately ran up and hugged me. I chuckled and hugged him, then picked him up. "Hey Pony, were you a good boy for Soda?" Pony nodded and laid his head on my shoulder.

I walked into the kitchen where Soda was preparing dinner. "Was Ponyboy good today, Pepsi-Cola?" I asked him. Sodapop turned to me and smiled big. "Pones," he said, looking at Ponyboy, "tell Darry the big thing you did today.

"Use'd the potty!" He exclaimed. I smiled big. We've been trying to get Pony to use the toilet for years, and he finally did. "Good job Ponyboy!" I said happily, kissing his cheek. Pony giggled and clapped his hand. "Yay for Po'yboy!" He said. "Did you go number one or number two?" I asked him. "One and two!" I chuckled and hugged him tight.

As Pony ran off to play, I asked Soda about how the rest of the day went.

"He did real, real good with his reading." Soda said. "Didn't complain and he paid attention." I smiled. "Did he nap?" I asked. Even though Ponyboy is physically far too old to be taking naps, he sleeps like the average toddler.

Soda nodded slowly, with a worried look on his face. "He had a nightmare....." He said, trailing off. I sighed. Ever since our parents, Ponyboy started having real bad nightmares, and it's taking a toll on everyone. "It took a while for him to calm down, but he did eventually and I just gave him a glass of milk."

--

Later on after dinner, it was time for Ponyboy to go to bed. I carried him into the bathroom, undressed him, and placed him in the bath tub, full of water. "Wan' bubbles!!" He demanded. "What's the magic word?" I asked him. "Pwease?" I smiled nodded as a poured the bubble solution in.

After his bath, I dressed Ponyboy in warm pajamas since it was rather cold tonight. Pony was always scared to fall asleep because of his nightmares, but Soda and I always helped.

"P'omise no mo'ters, Day'y?" He whimpered, looking up at me. I ruffled his hair. "Of course kid brother." I promise him. "No monsters here. Lay down and close your eyes." He obeyed. I laid next to him and held him close. Soda and I usually co-sleep with Pony.

"'Night Little Colt...."

"Night Day'y....love you.."

A/N: Okay, so I owe everyone a HUGE apology. I am SO SO SO SORRY!!! I haven't updated in a whole month. Mostly because I'm busy with school and homework. But I hope you liked it @ashxlou ! Stay gold y'all!

~TJ