A/N: This is my first Outsiders story so please be nice and no flames please! But feedback and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. That pleasure belongs to S.E. Hinton

Soda POV: It had been about a week since Ponyboy left. It had been a week since Darry hit him, a week since Johnny killed the Soc, and it had been a week since a lot of things happened. I had finally had enough. Sandy had told me that she was moving to Florida last night.

She told me that she never even loved me and she told me the reason that she was moving was because not only did she not even love me, but she had cheated on me! And to make matters worse, she was having a baby that wasn't mine. I of course, offered to marry her and raise the child as my own but she had only declined and told me she never wanted to see or hear from me again. My heart felt as though it had been shattered into a billion pieces. I couldn't breathe right for about four hours after that. Breathing still wasn't the same, but it was less uneven.

Now I was sitting on the counter inside the DX with Steve silently. The entire shop was silent, in fact. We had never had our shop be silent for more than thirty minutes before and now it had been over an hour. Maybe it was because I wasn't as upbeat as I was before this mess and nobody wanted to talk to me.

Even though I was dying over what happened with Sandy, I felt even worse because of what happened with my brother. I wondered where he and Johnny were. Were they safe? Were they alive? Were they starving? Were they sheltered? These were all questions that were flooding my mind at the moment. Dally got hauled in by the fuzz just the other day. He told them they were in Texas, of all places. But we all knew he had no clue where they were. Well maybe not all of us. Two-Bit actually thought Dally wasn't kidding and was actually about to get in his car and drive to Texas when we talked some sense into that hard skull of his. He just said that to placate the fuzz and not get himself thrown in the cooler again.

Then Steve burst out, "Golly, Sodapop, get a grip on yourself, man!" where did that come from? "What?" I asked, very puzzled. He snorted at me in annoyance, "You know what, man! Just 'cuz Sandy left ya, doesn't mean you gotta act like a blasted robot or somethin' like that! She ain't worth your time if she cheated on you. You'll find another girl someday! And I know that ain't what's worrying you the most, so don't tell me that!" he was right. That wasn't what was upsetting me the most. And he knew it. Sandy was the furthest thing from my mind in that moment as my thoughts drifted fully on my brother. My lost and alone brother.

"You know, man, Ponyboy's a tough kid. He'll be alright and he'll come back sooner or later. But as long as he knows you and Darry are here, he'll be back." Steve knew what happened with Darry and Pony that night. The entire gang did and they were all mostly shocked or angry with Darry. He understood that. But tears poured down my face as I responded, "How do you know he'll come back, Steve? Darry hit him! He'll probably never come back! Especially if he thinks he and Johnny are wanted for murder! I've lost my baby brother forever!"

I wept like a baby and Steve just sat there with an arm around my shoulders, shushing me in a brotherly manner, the same way Darry had shushed me last night when I came home, sobbing at the loss of my Sandy.

My mind suddenly turned to my eldest brother. Remembering how disgusted with himself he looked right after Pony ran out of the house. He hated himself for his mistake. He was beside himself now. His boss had given him the entire month off and had promised to pay Darry anyway just because he knew Darry was a loyal employee and that he needed to find his brother. Darry was probably sitting on the armchair right now. Praying to god that Ponyboy would come home. He probably had his head in his hands and dousing himself in guilt over and over again. I felt sorry for him. He shouldn't have to see something like this happen. If only I had kept my mouth shut that night, then Ponyboy would be at home right now, with me or with Johnny, Two-Bit, or even Dally.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't even hear Steve speaking to me. "Come on, Pepsi-Cola go home and I'll cover for ya for a couple of days. Tell the boss that you really need to find your brother. Which you do. Now go on, get outta here." He smiled at me. "Thanks, buddy." I said with a soft smile as I walked out the door.

But then someone unexpected came to mind… Buck. Sandy had told me that the guy she had met was at Buck's place. And then I wondered if Dally knew the guy. He went to Buck's parties sometimes. And there was a party there just last night (which I heard Dallas say somethin' about goin' to)! I would try my hardest to forget about Sandy, because it was what she wanted me to do (and because I was too focused on Ponyboy's safety to even remember her half the time now). But I wanted to just know who the guy she cheated on me with was. And who better to ask than Dally? So I headed to Buck's in search of him.

When I arrived at Buck's place I begged him to let me see Dallas if he was there. Buck just told me to head up the stairs to the third bedroom on the left. I did so and when I opened the door I saw Dallas sitting in a chair in the corner of the room smoking. "Hey, Sodapop. What did you wanna talk to me about?" he asked, real nonchalantly. Almost too nonchalantly to be Dallas Winston, but I ignored that and asked him real sheepishly, "Um, did you happen to see Sandy at a party here with a guy a couple of months ago?" he shook his head. "Naw, man. This party and the one last Saturday were the first of Buck's I've been to in about six months."

I nodded my head solemnly and turned to walk out of the room when my foot hit a cut off sweatshirt that was lying on the floor. I looked down at it. It looked awful familiar. That's when realized… it was Ponyboy's sweatshirt! He had been here before he left! So Dally did know where he and Johnny were. "Hey… Dally?" I asked, real slowly. My voice was dangerously calm. "Hm?" he replied absentmindedly. "Would you mind telling me where my brother really is?" I growled. He looked at me, his eyes widening in what could only be fear. An odd expression to see etched onto the face off Dally. But he knew me and Dar meant business when it came to Ponyboy's whereabouts and safety. Hence, the fear.

"I-i-I have no idea, man." He said shakily. I glared at him maliciously, something rather unusual for me. But nothing meant more to me than my baby brother. Nothing. "Dallas…" I hissed. "You can lie to me about anything… but you can never lie to me about my little brother. Never, you hear me?" I had him pinned against the wall now.

But before he could even respond to me I dragged him away from Buck's and over to our place. When I opened the door and saw the whole gang sitting there, comforting Darry who had his head in his hand shaking with something I hadn't seen from him in a long time (heartbroken sobs), I was sure I looked like a wild animal, foaming at the mouth and ready to strike my kill. The boys were looking at me, alarmed. "Darry." I said. "Dallas knows where Ponyboy is."

A/N: Okay that was really long! And I know Soda was a bit out of character at the end there but I think this is how serious he'd be about keeping Pony safe! No matter how funny he is! Next chapter will have more of Darry and the rest of the gang in it but I will only post the next chapter if you review and tell me if you want me to continue!

Thanks for Reading,

-thewolfgurlgleek :) xoxoxoxo