Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders ::tear:: or related characters. They all belong to S.E Hinton, who a great job let me tell you.
A/N I was going to make this a one shot but it got a little longer than I intended it to be, so I broke it up. All parts are finished, expect for the ending, but it's almost done. It won't take me long to update, depends on you reviews maybe . It takes place right after Pony runs out that night. Basically the fic is about what Darry and Soda go through while Pony and Johnny are missing. I know the beginning is basically the book, but it seemed like a good place to start.
While You Were Gone – Chapter 1
Ponyboy Curtis stood outside the front door to his house. He could see his older brothers inside. Sodapop was spread across the couch sleeping, he probably fell asleep waiting for his younger brother to return. Darrel was still awake. He sat in his arm chair reading the paper. Pony knew he was going to get it. He hesitated, but opened the front door and stepped inside.
Darry looked up and was out of his seat in a second. "Where in the hell have you been? Do you realize what time it is?" The older Curtis barely gave his youngest brother time to answer. "Well it's two in the morning kiddo. Another hour and I would have had the police out for you. Where were you!" Pony hadn't seen his brother this mad in a really long time.
"I… I fell asleep in the lot."
By this time Soda had waken and sat up rubbing his eyes. "Hey Ponyboy," he said tiredly, but obviously glad Pony was home. "Where have ya been?"
"I didn't mean to. I was talking to Johnny and-" That was it, that one phrase. 'I didn't mean to.' Whenever Pony got in trouble it always started with that, and every time he said it, it just made Darry furious.
"I bet it never occurred to you that your older brothers are worried sick about you, and too scared to call the cops because it would get you both thrown in a boys' home so fast it would make your head spin!" Darry was yelling at the top of his lungs. Soda sat quietly for now on the couch, he knew Darry was right. "Ponyboy, what is wrong with you! You don't even have enough sense to bring a coat with you."
The more Darry yelled the more upset Pony got. Hot tears began to run down his face. "I didn't mean too.."
There it was again. "I didn't mean to! I forgot! That's all you ever say! Don't you ever use your head?" Darry was livid.
Soda could see how upset his younger brother was getting. "Darry," he began but was quickly silenced by his older brother. "You shut your trap! I'm sick and tired of you sticking up for him!"
Pony could not stand seeing Darry yell at Soda. He did nothing wrong, he did not deserve to get yelled at. Pony exploded, "Don't you yell at him!"
Without thinking, Darry spun around and smacked Pony across the face, hard. Pony fell against the door holding his cheek and staring at Darry, more tears spilling form his wide eyes.
Both Darry and Soda looked shocked. No one in the Curtis family has ever hit Ponyboy before. Darry starred wide-eyed at his hand then looked up at Pony. "Pony, I didn't mean too."
The youngest Curtis brother said nothing, turned around and ran out the door as fast as he could. Darry ran to the door and yelled after him, but Pony was already at the end of the block. Darry went to go after him but Soda grabbed his arm. "Let him cool off for a bit," he was still shocked that Darry had hit his brother. Darry stood in the doorway holding the door opened, eyes still wide, looking into the darkness where his brother disappeared.
"He said he was with Johnny, that's where he's going. He'll be back soon," he was not going to say anything, but he was actually mad at Darry. The older brunette sighed and moved into the house letting the door close behind him. "Yeah, you're right."
Darry had lost some of the color to his face. He had hit his baby brother. What was wrong with him? He sank into his chair and picked up the paper. Darrel tried to avoid eye contact with Soda.
An hour had past since Pony had first come home. It was now three in the morning and the two older Curtis brothers were beginning to worry again. They both figured Pony would be back by now, but he was not.
"I'm going to look for him," Darry said as he got up from his chair again. Soda looked at him; he was thinking the same thing. "I'll go with you."
Darry turned to his younger brother. "No, you stay here in case he comes back."
"Darry, he's fourteen. He doesn't need one of us waiting here for him. I bet he'd rather not see us after what happened before," Soda quietly trailed off. Darry sighed and nodded. "Come on."
The two brothers searched all the likely places they would find their younger sibling, but he was no where to be found. Neither was Johnny. As they passed the park, the two of them saw a sight that frightened them both. The red and blue lights of cop cars were flashing and there was a small crowd of people gathered. Police were keeping them a distance away from the scene. Instinctively Darry stopped his truck, and both him and Sodapop jumped out and ran over to the crowd.
There was a woman standing in her night gown and slippers, she had her arms crossed over her chest and looked rather disgusted. Darry walked up next to her, "Excuse me, what happened here?"
The woman, probably in her mid 40's, turned and looked at Darry, Soda by his side trying to peer over the crowd. "A young boy was murdered it looks like. There was a fight or something, kids can be so reckless."
Both Darry and Soda froze at her words. Soda's face was white and he looked as if the wind was knocked right out of him. Darry felt his stomach grow cold. All he could think about was Pony running out of the house, Pony leaning against the door with tears in his eyes, Pony being under that sheet.
"It's such a shame," the woman spoke again. "He was only about eighteen, came from a really good family. He had a future going for himself."
Hope rushed over Darry, "Wait, you know who he was?"
She looked at him and shifted her weight on her feet. "Yes, his parents were both here. They had to take the mother away, she was hysterical."
Soda and Darry sighed in relief. It wasn't Ponyboy. He was okay. It wasn't Ponyboy. They walked away from the crowd towards the truck, neither one of them saying anything to the other. The two of them had been scared to death.
"Maybe he's home now," Darry said to himself and drove the two of them back home in silence.
They got out of the truck and went into the house, hoping that there youngest brother was sound asleep in bed. Unfortunately, he was not in bed. He was not in the house. Soda plopped into bed. "Where is he?"
Darry was looking down at his little brother, he felt guilty, and that it was his fault Pony was not home safe with them. "He'll turn up." He said nothing more and went to his own room to sleep for the remainder of the night.
Few hours later, Darry's alarm clock went off. He had barely gotten any sleep. He stayed up, listening for Ponyboy. He knew he did not come home. He got out of bed and got dressed for work. When he left his room he found Soda asleep on the couch in the living room. "When did he? Hey Soda," he leaned down and gently shook his brother.
Soda groaned and opened his eyes. "Hey Darry," he said sleepily.
Darry smiled at him slightly. "Time for work little buddy."
Soda sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Darry, did Pony come home," Soda asked hopefully.
Darry sighed and his expression was grim. "No, he didn't"
"Then I ain't going to work today. I'm taking a sick day. I need to make sure he gets home," Soda told him. He was not going to work knowing that his little brother was out all night and still was not home.
"Soda, you know you can't do that," Darry tried to reason with him.
Before Soda could argue back there was a knock at the door. The both of them knew it was not one of the guys. The gang knew the door was never locked, and they always walked right in. It almost scared to two of them.
Darry answered the door, and two police officers greeted him from outside. They said they needed to ask him a few questions and if it was alright if they came in. Soda starred at them when Darry let them in. He could not shake this sick feeling he had. 'It's Ponyboy, something happened to Ponyboy.'
Soda was right. Something did happen to Ponyboy. He and Johnny were the top suspects of the murder of Robert Sheldon, the same kid who was killed in the park the night before.
Soda shook his head, "No, they're lying. Johnny would never hurt anyone, never." He was in disbelief. There was no way, Pony and Johnny out of everyone, could kill someone.
Darry held out his arm in front of Soda. "Calm down."
Soda looked at his brother in with incredulity. "Darry, do you hear what they're saying? They're saying Pony and Johnny-," he trailed off he was too upset to finish.
"Mr. Curtis if you come across any information as to where your brother is-"
Darry had his eyes closed and took a deep breath. "Yes," he answered before the officer could finish.
With that, the officers nodded and the two of them left, leaving both Darry and Soda stunned. The two brothers sat on the couch, Darry's eyes still closed and Soda's wide. "I don't believe it," Soda whispered.
Darry stayed quiet. All he could do was think. Last night. Pony was so careless. If only he hadn't come home late, this would not have happened. No, not Pony. It was Darry. Darry hit him. 'Why did I have to lose my temper like that?' Darry was overcome with thoughts of guilt. He believed it was his fault his brother was in the mess he was in now.
"He'll be home soon. He's gonna be hungry," Soda got up. "I'll make him breakfast." The golden haired teen made his way into the kitchen. Darry sighed. Soda was in denial. He did nothing to stop his little brother.
The two brothers did not go to work that day. They both stayed home in case there was any word on Ponyboy. Two-Bit and Steve both stopped by a little while later after they heard what happened. Two-Bit was going on about Johnny not being able to hurt a fly.
"Yeah, so I heard Dally got hauled in" Steve said looking between the two brothers. Soda snapped his head up. "Do you think he knows anything?"
Steve shrugged. "I dunno." Soda sighed and looked down at the floor. Darry was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixated on the floor.
"Those filthy god-damned lying socs," Two-Bit went on. "Out of any two kids in this city, they say Johnny and Pony kill that kid."
"Shut up Two-Bit," Soda growled almost warningly. Two-Bit did not say another word. He looked down at his switch blade and watched the light reflect off it.
Steve was sitting on the couch next to Two-Bit. He looked over at Soda who was sitting by himself at the table where they would usually play cards. He knew this was killing him. Pony and Johnny were both missing and wanted for murder. They did not know if they would ever see the two of them again. He almost hated Ponyboy. He gets Johnny tangled up in this predicament and Soda all upset. 'What a spoiled selfish kid.' He thought. 'No, what in the hell am I thinking? This isn't his fault.' But still, Steve could not help but feeling slightly angry towards Ponyboy.
Dally strolled into the house a few hours later. Both Steve and Two-Bit were still there. Everyone looked at him. "So why'd you get hauled in," Steve spoke everyone's thoughts.
Dally shrugged and sat on the couch. "They bring me in for everything, you know that," Dally said with a slight grin.
Soda was still sitting at their card table, he looked at Dally. "What happened? What did you tell them?"
Dally put his feet up on the coffee table. "Eh, I told them they were heading for Texas." He was proud of himself.
Two-Bit got up. Steve looked at him. "And where in the hell are you going?"
The eighteen year old had a serious determined look to him, which was odd for Two-Bit. "I'm going to Texas. Gonna bring 'em back."
"Two-Bit you can't go to Texas," Soda exclaimed. Dally just shook his head at his friend. Two-Bit didn't care what anyone had to say. He had to look for Johnny. He was still young, only sixteen. He was the youngest out of all of them besides Pony, and he was still a kid. Johnny had never left the neighborhood before, he would be lost. He needed someone to look out for him.
Two-Bit went bolting for the door only to be caught by the arms by both Steve and Soda. "Let me go guys! Johnny needs protecting."
Steve pulled on Two-Bit's arm and pushed him back behind him and Soda, he looked angry. "You have no idea where to start looking you idiot. Anyway you're car isn't gonna make it all the way to Texas, now shut up and sit down." Steve cared about Johnny just as much as Two-Bit did, and he had to admit he was worried about Ponyboy. He was an annoying kid, but he never wanted anything really bad to happen to him, besides he was Soda's kid brother. "We don't need to lose you too."
"We didn't lose anyone," Soda snarled. He didn't even want to think about never seeing Johnny or his baby brother again.
Steve sighed. "I meant him getting lost or something," He said quietly and pushed Two-Bit back to the couch and he sat next to him. Soda sat back down at the table. They were all pretty tense. Right now two members of their gang needed them the most and there was nothing they could do for them.
Dally took out a cigarette and put it to his lips then got up. "I lied when I told the fuzz they went to Texas." Everyone looked up at him. Dallas flipped up the collar to his jacket, which wasn't his. He gave his to Ponyboy. "I dunno where they are."
That night Soda was lying in bed looking at the ceiling. He could not sleep, too much had happened. 'Pony where are you?' The golden haired teen turned to the side of his bed where his little brother usually sleeps. It was weird not having him there next to him. Soda had started to sleep with his brother because of his nightmares, but now he felt as if he needed Ponyboy to be next to him. He required the comfort of his little brother lying next to him sound asleep.
"Oh baby, what have you gotten yourself into?" Soda whispered out loud and his voice cracked slightly.
He closed his eyes and instinctively threw his arm over where Pony would have been laying. When no one was there, he grabbed onto Pony's pillow and cried into it softy. The sixteen year old lost both his parents only eight months ago, he couldn't take losing his little brother too.
A/N: Ok well that's it for now. I thought it was good to end it there. Well what do you guys think so far? I'll put the next chapter up soon if you want me to, it's finished… yey! Wow that's good for me!!