Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton does.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY

PART I

Ponyboy groaned as he closed his Gone with the Wind book with an audible snap. He had been reading about dull and timid Charles Hamilton for the past thirty minutes. He couldn't take it anymore. It was a Saturday night for God's sake. He should have been out enjoying himself, but today was one of those rare weekend days where the gang wasn't altogether. Two-Bit was probably still sleeping off his hangover from yesterday. He could remember hearing Dally dump him on their couch last night. They'd come back from one of Buck's parties rip-roaring drunk.

Must've finally dragged himself home, Ponyboy chuckled to himself as he imagined the older man sauntering through the streets making drunken conversations with any blonde he could find. Dally on the other hand was completely sober. He never mentioned where he was going, but he had dragged Johnny with him so hanging with is best friend wasn't even an option.

If Darry hadn't just come back from work he would have asked him to hang out. But the older man had been working extra hours for the past couple of weeks; it was really starting to take a toll on him. The question died on his lips when his oldest brother trudged through the front door earlier that day. The two exchanged smiles, his sympathetic, Darry's apologetic. He ruffled his hair as he proceeded to his bedroom to take what was probably the nap of a lifetime.

Ponyboy groaned leaning back into the couch. It was followed by an abrupt slap upside his head.

"Ow!" He jerked his head to look over his shoulder, green eyes narrowing as they fell on the perpetrator.

Steve Randle.

Of all the people you could've chosen for a best friend Sodapop…Why? Why on God's green earth did you have to pick him? The dirty— Ponyboy ranted mentally. Steve had the nerve to look pleased with himself, smirking as Ponyboy tried to nurse the throbbing pain in the back of his head.

"What was that for Steve? That hurt!"

"Good, maybe it'll finally get you to shut the hell up," he said, settling back into the recliner he had apparently been sitting in this entire time. Completely forgot that he had gotten off earlier than Soda today well…tried to forget anyway.

"What do you have to complain about anyway?"

"You mean besides you being in my house?" came Ponyboy's mumbled retort, but judging by the affronted look on Steve's face, he heard him loud and clear, "I'm bored."

"Oh poor baby!" Steve cooed as he leaned forward, hand jutting out towards Ponyboy's face. He pinched his cheek hard.

"Is baby feeling lonely?" He continued, nasally voice even more annoying in that high pitch.

"Knock it off!" Ponyboy yelled, one of his arms swung out and hit Steve right in his mouth.

"Son of a bitch!" Steve bellowed as he recoiled, hands launching towards his mouth, checking for damage. Ponyboy didn't think he had hit him that hard, but couldn't stop the smile that was starting to break across his face as Steve tested one of his canines, thumb jiggling it back and forth. He was staring bug-eyed as he stated dumbly,

"You knocked one of my teeth loose…" A pause.

"Sounds like an improvement to me." Ponyboy deadpanned. Steve wasn't a fan of his humor, Ponyboy noted as he watched Steve's knuckles go white as he curled them into fists.

"That's it!" Steve finally snapped, but Ponyboy was already running. He narrowly missed tripping over the coffee table; Steve wasn't so lucky. Ponyboy snatched open the screen door and tumbled down the steps and right into, a DX uniform shirt? Ponyboy's head snapped up to look at his other brother, Sodapop, who had just gotten off of work. Soda caught Ponyboy in his arms, keeping him from losing balance. Soda's expression grew from confused to concern as Ponyboy's hands latched onto Soda's arms like talons.

"Pony, are you okay?"

"HE"S TRYING TO KILL ME!" Ponyboy interjected screaming into his brother's face. Soda had no idea who He was, but he immediately went into protective mode, shoving Ponyboy behind him before making his way up the steps. There was a crash in the house before footsteps frantically came racing towards the door.

"C'mere you little fuck!" Steve pulled the screen door open, faltering at the sight of his best friend.

"Oh hey Soda." He said casually, as if he hadn't just been ripping and running around the house. It was a miracle that Darry had slept through the entire fiasco. He pulled a frustrated hand through his dark hair. Ponyboy was unsure whether Steve's face was red from embarrassment or the murderous streak that was still raging with him.

"Hi," Soda said slowly, tension in his form growing as his dark brown eyes darted between his best friend and baby brother. They eventually settled on Steve's split lip. Ponyboy winched as he caught sight of the blood pooling from the spot. He really hadn't meant to hit Steve that hard. That didn't' mean he didn't' deserve it though. Ponyboy thought.

Soda sighed, shaking his head as he reached into his shirt pocket before passing a bandana to Steve so he could clean himself up.

"Anyone want to explain to me what's going on?"

Steve growled something through the now red bandana, as he aimed a permanent death glare at Ponyboy, daring him to say anything. Soda quirked an eyebrow, folding his arms as he turned to his little brother who was suddenly avoiding his eyes.

"Ponyboy?" He prompted.

Ponyboy shrugged, biting his lip before he grumbled out, "Nothing, just Steve being his usual jackass self." Steve exploded.

"Oh come off it!" Steve had heard enough as he threw down the bandana. Soda pressed a firm hand on his chest as he started making his way down the porch steps and towards his brother. He stopped moving, but his mouth didn't.

"Kid's in a bitchy mood cause he finally got the picture that he doesn't have any real friends because no one want to be around him!"

"Steve—"Soda began throwing a disappointed look at his friend. He had to catch himself from stumbling as Ponyboy was suddenly waltzing back up the steps. Soda turned towards him, taking a firm hold of his shoulders, trying to ease him back.

"Pony please—", but it was no use, Ponyboy was unstoppable once he was angry.

"I've got plenty of friends!"

"Oh yeah? Like who?" Steve scoffed as Ponyboy fumbled for names for a second. He was about to say Johnny, but stopped at the shit-eating grin on Steve's face as he hesitated.

He'll crucify me for sure if I say anyone in the gang Ponyboy though. He recovered by retorting over Soda's shoulder,

"Well you're sure as hell not one of them!" Soda wasn't sure how he ended up on his butt, but all he could do was look on in horror as his brother and best friend were suddenly chest to chest. He couldn't believe the harsh words that were being flung back and forth or understand the hatred in their eyes.

How long has this been going on? Soda though and he was scared of the answer. Steve had rounded on Ponyboy in an instant and screamed in his face, right then and there on the porch, loud and clear,

"I wouldn't want to be one of them! No one would want to be one of them! Because no one around here can stand you! Not me, not the gang, not even your own brothers!"

There was a moment of hushed silence where the only sounds that existed were the passing of an ambulance somewhere down the road and the sound of The Ed Sullivan Show coming on. The next time Soda blinked, Steve was sprawled out on the ground with Ponyboy on top, who was absolutely laying into Steve.

Fists were flying everywhere, landing wherever they could find purchase. Unfortunately for Steve, that happened to be his face. The older man tried his best to guard his face, bucking his hips to get the kid off of him, even landing a hammerfist to his head at one point, but Ponyboy was too far gone to care. He didn't see the face of his brother's best friend connecting with his fists, a fellow member of the gang bruised and bloody. All Ponyboy could see was years and years of getting the shit beat out of him physically and emotionally by the asshole beneath him. This had been a long time coming.

Before he could throw another punch, Ponyboy felt the wind being knocked out of him as he suddenly yanked off of Steve and body slammed hard onto the ground. There was a burning white pain in his head that brought tears to his eyes. He had to squeeze them shut as he slowly rolled onto his stomach.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Soda yelled at Ponyboy after he ran over to his best friend. He wanted to cry as he pulled Steve to safety. He didn't even care why the two were fighting in the first place. He was mesmerized by the raw fear on Steve's face and the blood that clung to his brother's hand. Hands that once upon a time had only been used to curl around a pencil or turn a page in a book.

Even though his blinding pain, Ponyboy could still make out how pale Steve had gone. He was scared. Steve Randle was scared of him.

The image sent an overwhelming sense of guilt through Ponyboy as he had finally realized what he had done.

"Steve…" Ponyboy started as he finally got to his feet, stumbling towards the fallen greaser. He barely moved an inch before Soda had grabbed his wrist hard and was pulling him away. He didn't comment that his brother was squeezing too hard or that his head still felt like it was tumbling. It was no more than he deserved, he though.

"Soda, I'm s—"

"Just shut up. I can't even look at you right now." Ponyboy winced at that. His brother had never said anything like that to him before. He had never felt so disgusted with himself. They were at the edge of the street when his brother finally released him. He still wouldn't look at him. Ponyboy was terrified. This was uncharted territory for them. Never in his life had Soda ever yelled at him. Had hit him. He didn't know what was going to happen. Ponyboy looked cautiously at Soda who still refused to look at him. His eyes dropped like marbles.

"I'm really sorry, Soda." Ponyboy whispered forlornly, but Soda was already halfway back to their house. Ponyboy wasn't sure what was worse. The fact that he had probably just lost Soda forever, the fact that Steve was right.

Disclaimer 2: It's been a minute since I've written an Outsiders fanfic, so hopefully the characters weren't too OOC. I personally think I made Ponyboy a little to savage. The Navy will do that to you haha. Thanks for reading!