This is chapter ten of Alternate. I'm sorry it took so long. My muses were acting retarded and my computer deleted my first copy of this chapter. . . Enough sad excuses then.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Outsiders'

Johnny POV

I was thrown into the trunk of a car that I hadn't noticed before. The trunk was slammed shut and the walls seemed to be closing in on me. I heard the roar of the engine before it pulled away, slamming me into the top of the trunk repeatedly.

I must have passed out at some point because the next thing I knew I was being dragged out of the trunk and into a house. I fought down the panic that was rising in me. We were in the West side.

I was dragged and pulled along, cussing like no one in the gang would believe I could then pushed into a huge bedroom. There was a blade held up against my neck and I shivered as the boy holding me licked my ear.

"You're going to scream for me, boy." He hissed. "I'm going to make you scream."

After that it was a blur of skin, blood, pain, and darkness.

Dallas POV three weeks later

I can't believe this, Johnny's been missing three weeks! Nearly a month! I've been tearing through the town night after night and still haven't found him. The only place left was the west side. I should have figured they wouldn't bring him where we could find him as easily as last time.

Ponyboy's having a real tough time with this. He keeps to himself, muttering about how it was all his fault and that they should have taken him instead. The kid was really losing his mind over this.

'Like you haven't?' a voice in my mind said.

I ignored it and got up from my place on the Curtis' couch, where I had been thinking of where they could possibly have him. Darry looked at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Visiting my ma. What the fuck do you think?" I snapped. I had been kind of flying off the handle lately.

He sighed. "Where?"

"West side."

"Well, you're not going alone."

I shrugged and went out the door. We had been walking maybe fifteen minutes when I heard a voice scream.

"First that other kid, now her too!"

I stopped, looking back at the house, before running up to it. I just barely missed running into Tim Shepard as he was storming out.

"Watch where you're going, Dallas." He growled.

"They got Angela too?" I asked, ignoring the first comment.

He clenched his fists and ground his teeth together. That was enough of an answer for me. I cursed loudly, punching the wall in frustration. They weren't going to get away with this. I wouldn't let them.

Johnny POV

I came to, back in the boiler room in their basement where they had sent me. I was trying hard to ignore the pain in between my legs and in the pit of my stomach.

I heard some screaming and cussing from another part of the house that was getting closer and closer. The Socs were back, pulling along a girl with long black hair. They threw her on the ground and closed the door. She got up and started banging on the door, pulling on the doorknob and screaming as loudly as humanly possible.

"Will you shut up?" I said finally, sitting up despite the pain. "There ain't no point in trying. Door's locked from the outside."

She jumped, obviously not noticing me before, then sat down heatedly on the ground, leaning her back on the wall. After a few minutes her breathing calmed and she looked at me. "So, you're that kid they're looking for." That was the first thing she had said to me.

I don't know why but that sentence made me feel slightly better; knowing that the gang was looking for me; that someone actually cared.

"And you are?" She gave me a quizzical look so I continued. "Lord only knows how long we'll be stuck here so we should at least know each other's names."

She shrugged. "Angela Shepard."

"Johnny Cade."

We sat in silence for a bit longer, until two Socs came into the room . . . Robert Sheldon and that other guy who was always hanging around him. I think I may have been a bit delirious but I saw something in his eyes as Bob advanced on us; regret. Regret for what he was seeing . . . for what he was doing.

Robert was moving closer now, sweeping an eye over me, before his eyes landed on Angela with a predatory shine in his eyes. I got up and stood in front of her. I had a sudden urge of protectiveness for her. She didn't deserve this. She had nothing to do with it. She didn't deserve to feel the pain Pony and I had.

"Aw, look at that. The little greaser's gonna protect his girlfriend." He said mockingly, putting emphasis on the word 'girlfriend'.

I know now that I probably should have kept my mouth shut but instead I said. "Fuck off, Robert." I said, saying 'Robert' in the same disgusting tone he had said, 'girlfriend'.

The next thing I felt was his fist colliding with the side of my face and falling to the ground.

"Later, baby." He said to Angela before leaving the room.

I sat up again, rubbing my shoulder where it had hit the wall. I looked over at Angela to see her glaring at me.

"What?" I asked her.

"I don't need protectin'." She said sharply.

"Look, you don't know what these guys would do to you, given the chance. I don't plan on giving them that chance." I explained softly.

She had stopped glaring at me and was just staring like I was out of my mind. "Why?" She asked, sliding down the wall next to me.

"You don't deserve it."

"And you do?" She countered. I stayed silent. "What would they . . . what did they do? No offense, but you look like shit." Again, I stayed quiet. "Fine, but you're going to have to tell me eventually."

I nodded. "Eventually . . ." 'If we have that long' I thought to myself.

Oh, I'm so mean. Again, so sorry for not updating for so long. There's the chapter! Please R&R and, don't worry, it doesn't turn into a romance or anything. It's still general angsty goodness . . . or badness . . . is this even angst? I need to look that up . . . right. Babbling again. Please R&R! Flames, campfires, you get the deal.