Hello all! Here is the next chapter. But I just wanted to tell you that Lyn wrote most of this for me. My mind went blank so I asked her for help! She's awesome! Thank you, Lyn! =]

I hope you like it because I absolutely fell in love with it!! =] Enjoy!

Chapter 21: War part 1

Time passes. Eventually. The past days and a half had gone by very slowly. Too slowly. Whatever day it was that I talked to Soda on the phone I had woke up the next morning very sore, due to the last episode. My arm felt like it was literally about to fall off and everything else felt like it detached. Ashley hadn't had to endure anymore hurt. Angela and I had taken it all. Especially since the fast that Ashley already couldn't walk. And after the last time I had come to the simple conclusion that they liked hurting people.

Jessica had only come and seen us once more. Actually feeding us and apologizing again. She didn't need to, this wasn't her fault. It was her brothers and his friends'. This by now I had finally learned to keep my mouth shut. Up until a day ago I didn't really care, but Tony decided he'd like to teach me to learn to keep it shut. It wasn't a very pleasant experience and after that I guess you could say I was scared shitless of him. So much for 'laying off Curtis'.

Well, today was it. The last day I would have to spend in this hell hole. Angela and Ashley were sleeping. I had been keeping an eye on Ashley's cut, it didn't seem to be getting any better. But given the time to heal, some of her bruises and started yellowing, some disappearing completely. Ang looked as worse as ever and I didn't know, nor did I want to know what I looked like.

Anyway I had woken up very early in the morning. I didn't know if it was the utter fact that I could barely sleep anyway or the fact that I was too anxious to sleep. The only thing that ran through my head was the fight and what it would turn out to be. I really didn't want to think about it. If I lost any of them, I don't know what I would do. Two main people I was worried about were Pony and Johnny. They were littler than all the others, not as much muscle or strength.

-Sodapops POV-

Today was it.

The day of the fight and the day I would finally get to see my sister again. And her friends see how hurt they were. Part of me didn't want to know. Naturally, seeing my sister hurt never sat well with me and part of me knew that when I saw her it wasn't going to be pretty. I had barely gotten any sleep the last past three nights. This wasn't good for the condition I would be in today for the fight. Pony got a little more sleep than I did and Darry had basically been up all night every night. But he didn't look defeated, just angry. I knew he felt bad about this. That he let it happen. But it wasn't his fault, it wasn't anyone's fault. Just Dan's. None of this would have happened if he hadn't just…

We were meeting at the usual place, the lot. At noon this after noon, it was only 10am right now. Two more long hours to go. Tensions were growing, and none of us were man enough to admit it.

Tim's group wasn't with us. We had decided to keep separate until the fight so the RK wouldn't feel threatened. We had agreed to fight with everything but guns and knives. Our group didn't like it, but if that's what we needed to do to get Sarah back we'd do it.

"You ready?" Steve asked as he came to sit on the couch with me. I looked at my best friend.

"Ready to fight or ready to see what they've down to Sare-bear?" Darry and Pony both looked over at me. None of us had called her that since our parents death.

"She probably was to talkative," Two-Bit joked. "Every time they went to touch her, she'd drive them insane by talking about some color nail polish." We all laughed at Two-Bit's wisecracking. There was a sniffle and I looked to see my younger brother crying. Sarah and him had always been close. Ever since Mom died she'd kind of played a motherly role to him, as well as a big sister. I got off the couch and sat on the floor with him.

"She didn't do anything," he complained between sobs. "She's just as innocent as that girl that Dan raped. Why'd it have to be her?" I put an arm around him and held him. I was relieved one of us had finally broken down.

"Your sister's a fighter," Dally replied. "I've known it since I met her and saw the day Gavin took her. She'll make it through this."

"How do you know that?" Pony asked.

"Because she has to," Johnny answered. I looked up to see tears in his eyes. "Because we need her. We wouldn't be the same without her."

-Sarah's POV-

I sat awake thinking about today. I always hated when I didn't know what was going on. When there was a fight, my brothers always made me stay home and sit in a locked room.

"Hey." I looked over and saw Ang was up. "Dreaming?" I slid over to her so we didn't have to yell.

"Just thinking. A lot of things could go wrong today."

"A lot of things could go right." She put her head on my shoulder and I kissed it. "I'm worried about Curly. Tim's cool during a fight, but Curly can get too emotional."

"I'm worried about him along with Pony and Johnny. They're the smallest of the group." She laughed.

"Wouldn't it be neat if they were the heroes of the fight?"

"Yep and I'll be swept into the arms of Johnny Cade."

"Ang!"

"Kidding Curtis, geez." We both laughed, but stopped when the door opened. Gavin stood there with Tony and the rest of the group. Ashley stirred.

"What's going on…" She stopped when she saw the group. I got up and stood in front of my best friends.

"Whatever you want to do, do it to me," I said. Gavin snickered.

"It's time for you to say goodbye Curtis."

"NO!" Ang screamed. She grabbed me at the same time Gavin did. Our hands were locked. "Leave her alone!" Gavin pulled me away and Jared sat on top of her punching her. Tony closed the door blocking my sight.

"Please stop hurting her," I begged in tears. He knocked me onto the floor and bound my hands with rope.

"This will all be over soon," he told me. "We just need to use you as an act of faith and then you'll be back here after your boyfriend, brother, and friends are all dead.

-Sodapops POV-

It was time to get ready. I went to my room to get ready in silence. Usually I'd get ready with the group, but I needed alone time. I changed into jeans and a tight shirt. I thought about Sarah as I combed my hair back. I would fight any punk who touched her. She was my twin sister, my better half. I left my room and walked into the living room.

"You ready?" Darry asked me. I nodded and we went to the lot. Tim and his group was waiting.

"There probably going to want one of us to start," he told us. "Curly wants to do it, but he's to small."

"I'll do it." Both groups turned and looked at me. "They have Sarah. I'll take anyone who put her life in danger and beat them for it."

"Sounds good to me," Tim said.

"I think they'd be surprise," Dally added. "It be fun to watch them kick their ass."

"You don't want to do it?" Darry asked surprised.

"I do, but it should be one of you Curtis'." I looked Darry in the eye. He could tell I wasn't backing down. Sarah was his sister, but she was my twin.

"Alright," Darry finally said. "Now let's talk about more important business."

Things are getting intense! The next chapter will be the fight! And also written by Lyn because as I have said before, I don't do well with fight scenes! So make sure to thank her!!

5 reviews please! =]