A/N: Hey, all, this is a story I've wanted to do for quite a while now which explores just how far a brother is willing to go. Enjoy!

May 1, 1967 5:45 pm

Ponyboy threw his backpack over one shoulder with a grunt and started out of the locker room calling goodbye to several of his track friends on his way out. Making his way through the various hallways of his high school, Ponyboy heaved a huge sigh of relief when he finally walked out of the front door and walked out into the sun.

It was a beautiful day with a big blue sky and large fluffy clouds. Things had been going pretty good for Ponyboy Curtis lately and he couldn't help smiling at the thought.

After Johnny and Dally had died Pony had really gotten messed up for a while but as time passed Ponyboy slowly began to realize that it was far better to live for the living rather than the dead. He had Darry and Soda and that really was more than enough. Besides, he had promised Johnny to stay gold and it was a promise that he became determined to keep.

More than that, the Socs had apparently decided that the price for their age old war with the Greasers was getting a bit too high to deal with. As a result the violence between the two groups was gradually diminishing.

Of course, there would always be animosity between the Socs and Greasers, which was just a natural part of their messed up world. The chasm between the two groups was too large to be fully ignored but the shootings and beating at least seemed to be put to a standstill.

And Ponyboy also knew that his relationship with his two older brothers, particularly Darry, would never be perfect but they were certainly finding more common ground. Well, at least most of the time.

Ponyboy frowned, his mood darkening. The night before he had gotten into a fight with one of his brothers and things were still not exactly resolved between the two of them. But the huge surprise to this particular situation was that it wasn't Darry who Pony had been fighting with but Soda.

Soda was eighteen now and Pony had been trying to convince his brother to try and take some courses at the college. Money was getting better after Darry had completed a six month management course and had started moving up in the ranks of the roofing business.

Sodapop had been skirting around the subject for weeks and when Pony had finally cornered him, Soda had blown up in his brother's face, shouting at him to mind his own business.

Needless to say, this had unnerved Pony greatly because Soda NEVER yelled at his beloved baby brother. It must have been a terribly sore subject for reasons that Pony couldn't understand.

Soda had slept in his own bed that night and they had skirted around each other that morning. Frowning, Ponyboy realized he had probably been a little out of line and would have to apologize. it wasn't great for his pride but Pony knew it was the right thing to do.

With this decided Ponyboy felt even lighter and continued on the walk home. Normally Darry would pick him up after school but he had had a meeting so Ponyboy had to walk home instead, which was fine by him.

Now that muggings were not much of a problem, walking around had become a good way to be alone with your thoughts for a while, one of Pony's favorite things.

Ponyboy first became aware of being followed when he saw the car about a block away driving slowly down the street. That was very strange. Everyone knew driving slowly was a threat and unless people wanted to be seen and seen as a threat, they didn't do it.

Quickening his pace, Pony glanced over his shoulder and then cut into an alleyway. Some instinct took over as Ponyboy pulled his backpack off of his back and threw it away. He was aware of it hitting a wall but kept running.

Coming out on the other side of the alley at a run, Pony began running toward his house. Heart pumping and breathing hard, Pony finally slowed down, looking around him in satisfaction. The strange car was nowhere in sight!

Well, it was clear for about two seconds. The bright red car suddenly pulled out right in front of Ponyboy, screeching to a halt.

Ponyboy cried out in surprise and stepped hurriedly back only to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

The three boys, obviously Socs, who had emerged from the tuff car surrounded him with grim and determined expressions on their faces. Without a single word, the three surrounded Ponyboy as one of them pulled a bag out from behind of his back.

Pony tried to yell but they were too quick. Two of them grabbed his arms and forced him to the ground as the third pulled the bag over his head.

Squirming franticly, Ponyboy tried to get away from his captors but he was too badly outnumbered and they were simply too strong.

All attempts of escape was promptly stopped as Ponyboy felt a flash of burning pain as something hard swung into the side of this head.

The pain quickly turned into numbness and Ponyboy felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. His last thought was that he was sorry he wouldn't be able to apologize to Soda.

May 1, 1967 7:00 pm

Soda braced himself as he reached the front door to his house after a five hour shift at the gas station. He knew Ponyboy would be home from practice by now and he was a bit uneasy to see him.

There was nothing Sodapop hated more than fighting with Pony. He loved his baby brother more than anything in the world and for as long as he could remember he had been fighting to take down anything that hurt Pony and protect him from the entire ugly world.

This time, however, it had been Soda himself who had upset Pony, and over something that now seemed so stupid. But still, how could Soda tell his brilliant younger brother that he simply wasn't cut out for college and what's more, really had no interest in it.

Soda wasn't like his brothers. He was perfectly happy to be working in the gas station; he had no big dreams that he had to chase. The only things he cared about were his two brothers and their gang. College seemed like such a strange idea to Soda but Ponyboy had been so persistent that he had just snapped.

Sodapop had barely gotten any sleep at all the night before. He had gotten up half a dozen times to go talk and apologize to Pony but his pride had been wounded and couldn't seem to do it.

Soda shook himself. Damn pride, he though viciously, this was his baby brother for crying out loud! Fighting with him was the worst thing in the world and he certainly going to drag out the senseless argument any longer.

Opening the door, Soda stepped inside the house and called up the stairs, "Pony! Honey, where are you? We need talk!"

The only response was silence and with a frown Soda made his way into the kitchen to see Darry sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Hey Darry," Soda said, entering the kitchen, "Where's Pony? I need to talk to him."

Darry looked up about his first younger brother and frowned. "Pony's not here," he said, "I thought he was with you."

Soda frowned and sat down next to Darry, pulling his shoes off. "Why did you think that?" he asked. Then with some hope, "Did Pony say something to you?"

"No," Darry answered slowly and Soda could see the beginnings of concern creeping into his brother's eyes. "But I knew you two had a fight yesterday so I just assumed that Pony went to see you at the station to clear the air."

"He didn't come to the gas station," Soda replied, the concern in Darry's eyes coming out in his own voice.

For several moments neither of the brothers said and word and then Darry stood up and walked purposefully to the phone. Picking it up, Darry dialed and number and waited for several seconds. "Hey, Two-Bit?"

May 1, 1967 9:37 pm

Darry hung up the phone with a grunt of exasperation and turned to see Soda pacing the floor, something he had been doing for the last hour. Darry noticed that his brother's face was much whiter than it should have been and sighed. This couldn't be happening, not again.

Walking over to the table Darry sat and gestured for Soda to do the same. Soda glared at his brother and continued pacing. "He could have just gotten held up," Soda said hopefully.

"For over five hours?" demanded Darry.

Soda flinched and turned to face the sink, bracing himself against the counter. "Do you think this is because of last night?" he asked wretchedly.

Standing quickly, Darry walked over to rest his hands on Sodapop's shoulders. "No, it can't be, Pepsi Cola," he answered softly, "Pony felt horrible about your fight. The last thing he would do was worry you. He would have come straight home after practice to apologize to you."

Soda rounded on Darry and snapped with a tear rolling down one cheek, "Then where is he, Darry? Huh? Can you answer that?"

Darry heaved a huge sigh and then stood up and crossed over to his brother. Taking Soda by the shoulder's Darry stared down into his eyes and said, "No, I can't Sodapop, not yet. But I'll be damned if I keep it like that."

Letting go, Darry walked purposefully over to the phone. Picking it up, Darry turned to see Soda had slumped in a chair with his head in his hands.

Closing his own eyes, Darry dialed exactly three numbers and waited only a few seconds before hearing a voice on the line. "Yes, I need to report a missing person," Darry said in a shaky voice.

May 2, 1967

A local teen named Ponyboy Curtis was reported missing to the police at 10 o clock on the night of May 1. Ponyboy, a sixteen junior at Will Rogers High School was last seen leaving school grounds after track practice. His fellow students reported that Ponyboy did not seem nervous or concerned and there been no unusual activity on the school ground that day.

The young man in question currently lives with his two older brothers, Darrel and Sodapop Curtis after the death of the parents in an automobile accident some years before. Darrel was the one who first reported his youngest brother missing when he failed to come home for dinner or after that.

Ponyboy had been involved in the murder of Bob Sheldon during self defense in Central Park two years earlier. Ponyboy and the guilty charged Johnny Cade, ran away from judgment but subsequently returned a week later after saving several children from a burning church. Johnny Cade later died of injuries sustained during the fire though Ponyboy got away reasonably uninjured.

Whether these past events have anything to do with Ponyboy's disappearance is yet to be determined. Police currently have no leads and are waiting to see if any new information comes to light and the simple possibly that Ponyboy ran off and will come back soon in his own time has not been dismissed though the brothers seem convinced that this is not the case.

There is no further information this case and the police remain hopeful that it will come to a quick and painless conclusion.

xxxx

A/N: Review please and tell me what you think of the start!