Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I hope so see more for this chapter =) Anyway, here's Chapter 4.

"Shot?!" Steve exclaimed, then plopped himself down on the couch. Soda nodded and dropped down next to his best friend and let out a sigh. Two-Bit stood right beside the TV with one hand resting on top of it. He took a short gulp of his morning beer then slid down to the floor. He was shocked just like everyone else.

"So what are we gonna do?" asked Dally. He sat forward and waited for answer. His glance went to Soda who shrugged nonchalantly and turned his head.

Darry entered the room and took a seat in the rocking chair near the kitchen. He ran his hand through his hair. "Nothing." He says.

"Nothing?" Dally questions.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Soda echoes.

"Not one thing, you guys. And I mean it. Don't get in trouble for something that can be handled by the police," Darry announced firmly then sat back in his chair. He looked everyone straight in the eye, making sure they knew he was serious. This was a touchy subject for Darry, he'd hate to see anyone he knew in the hospital, but it hurt twice as much when it was his brother. He couldn't risk anyone else getting involved it this. He just wanted to keep everyone safe while all this mess gets worked out.

"Darry, the police ain't gonna do nothing. You know they aren't," protested Steve, who seemed to be unusually upset about this. Soda looked over at Steve and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Soda looked back over at Darry, waiting for an answer.

Darry was silent for a second, then, shrugged feeling defeated. "Maybe this time will be different."

"But it won't!" came a shout from the side of the room. Everyone's head swooped to Johnny who sat at the edge of the couch with his head down for most of the conversation. He raised his head and looked around, seemingly shocked by his outburst, too.

Leaning forward, Darry sighed. "You don't know that, Johnny. This is something serious. They can't just sweep it under the mat and pretend like it never happened. This is something that have to take care of; whether they like it or not," Darry tried to explain calmly.

"I bet they'll do a half-ass job, too. They'll act like they tried and act like that did all they can when in reality they barely took two seconds to find out who shot Ponyboy!" Two-Bit exclaimed, he raised his beer higher and higher as his sentence when on. When he finished it was raised high above his head.

"You don't know that Two-Bit," Soda argued from the couch. He seemed quiet today, Darry noticed. He didn't really say much all day, there was something bothering him, Darry knew it. Soda sat up completely and stared over at Two-Bit.

Two-Bit tilted his head. "And you do?"

"No," Soda admitted."But I do believe that they're gonna help Pony. I believe that they're gonna find the one who shot him. And if they don't, I will."

"No the hell you won't!" Darry chimed in. He stood and headed for the kitchen, only turning back once to see the look on Soda's face, which showed no emotion at all. "You're going to do what I told everyone else. You're going to have to wait like the rest of us. Don't get involved in this more than you have to, Soda. I'm serious," Darry commanded. His voice got smaller as he headed into the kitchen, and gradually got louder as he reentered the room with a soda in his hand. He dropped down into his seat with a thud.

"I'm serious, Soda," he repeated. "Do you understand me?"

Soda didn't answer. Instead, he lied back on the couch and let out an aggravated grunt.

The group shifted uneasily, feeling the tension between the brothers. Johnny looked away. Two-Bit took an unneeded sip of his beer. Dally sat back in his seat, and Steve glanced back and forth from Darry to Soda. From the corner of their eye, they looked at each other, but neither spoke.

"What if they don't find out who did it?" Dally asked, finally breaking the silence.

Everyone seemed to shrug.

"There's nothing we can do," Darry reasoned. This isn't something we can control; we can't do anything right now. It isn't up to us."

"Then who's it up to, Darry? The cops who aren't even gonna try to help Pony? The doctors and nurses who are rushing to get him out of the hospital so they don't have to look at him every day? Huh?" Steve questioned.

"Or is it up to those guys who shot Pony?" Johnny asked sarcastically. "Because they seem to pretty much be in control. It's up to them isn't it Darry?"

The whole group seemed to be ganging up on Darry. They all stared at him, expecting an answer. Darry gulped hard, but didn't let his nervousness show. This is the times when being in charge is hard. He's just as mad as the rest of them, but he knows that running around the street aimlessly and beating up the first guy that seems suspicious isn't going to solve anything. They just don't seem to understand that. Darry knows how mad and concerned they are, but they have to learn one day that not everything is going to be handed to you. Some things you just have to wait for.

Darry moved anxiously in his seat. They all seemed to move forward waiting for him to answer.

"It's up to us," Soda says, breaking the tension, and coming to his brother's rescue. Soda sits up again.

"Are we really going to sit here and wait for them to give us an answer? Well, I don't know about you guys, but I wanna know who shot Pony," Soda announces.

Steve nods; so does Dally, Two-Bit, and Johnny. Darry, on the other hand, puts his head in his hands and sighs. They just don't get it, Darry thought to himself.

When he looks up again he sees Soda making his way over to him. Soda crouches down in front of him.

"Don't you want to find out who shot Ponyboy?" Soda asks.

"That's not the point! The point is …-"

"Just answer the question!" Soda cuts it. "Do you, or do you not, want to find out who shot out little brother?" Soda looked up at him softly, and Darry felt defeated, he knew he had to answer.

"Yes. Of course I do," he finally blurts out.

Soda nods slightly. "Then what's stopping us from doing a little detective work ourselves? Huh? We ain't gonna hurt nothing. We're just gonna…just gonna help the police out a little," Soda tried to persuade.

Darry shook his head vigorously. "No, Soda. We can't do that," Darry tries to explain again.

"Why the hell not, Darry?!" Soda pleaded.

"We just can't," Darry responds bitterly. "End of conversation."

Soda stands up slowly. He stares at Darry for a second or two then heads for the door.

"Where the hell are you going?!" Darry calls to him.

"I thought you said 'end of conversation'!" Soda shouts back then slams the door, heading out into the night.

Ohkayyyyyy ! Well, I hope you like it! And I hope you review.

(And before you type it: I know that they're all acting a little different than they usually would, but this isn't a situation that they'd usually be in. You know what I mean? But don't worry, they're all acting a certain way for a reason, I promise.)

PLEAS REVIEW!