Here is the next chapter. Thank you to everyone for following, reviewing and sticking with this story. I'm so happy when I hear what you think about it.

I swam up through the murky water into consciousness. My limbs were weighed down, almost as if they were not part of me. I brought my heavy arm up to cover my eyes and was slightly surprised that it moved where I wanted it too. A deep animalistic groan escaped from my lips as I rubbed my pounding head.

I tried to pry my eyes open but immediately snapped them shut when the blinding light from the nearby window shot daggers into them.

What the hell happened?

My mind was sluggish and the throbbing in my head made it impossible to form a clear thought, let alone try to remember yesterday.

Feeling that the call of nature was not going to wait for me to figure anything out, I forced myself to roll off the bed and onto my feet. A sharp pain in my shoulder caused me to wince as it inadvertently discovered a corner of this unfamiliar room.

Arms stretched out in front of me, I stumbled into the bathroom and flicked on the light. Barely able to open my eyes to the bright fluorescents, I quickly took care of business and made my way to the sink. I splashed the cool water onto my face and sighed as it soothed my skin.

After a few moments, I squinted at my reflection in the mirror. My skin seemed paler and my hair stood on end as if I had been electrocuted. I used my fingers to try to give it some semblance of order before stepping out of the bathroom.

The room was small, the walls must have once been white but now were a splotchy grey. The only items of furniture were two double beds, a couple of nightstands, a large chest of drawers, a desk and a tv.

I blinked owlishly. Oh, it dawned on me, this was the hotel room that the Donovans rented in Oklahoma city.

Just like that, the gates opened and my memories flooded back in.

Mrs. Donovan, Daniel and I made the drive from Stillwater to Oklahoma City in good time. She had bustled us out of the house efficiently, I barely had enough time to throw my bag into the trunk before we peeled out of the driveway.

We made it to the university in time to grab a quick lunch before the first game.

I had never watched much basketball before, football had always been the sport around my house. I'd grown up tossing the pig's skin around with the guys or cheering Darry as he brought his team to victory.

It didn't take long for me to realize that basketball just wasn't for me. I had enough respect for the athletes to know how hard they must work. You couldn't train as I did for track and not know the commitment a sport took. Still after watching them run up and down the small court for 20 minutes, I felt I'd watched enough to last me the year.

The day had dragged on from there. All I'd wanted and hoped for was to be home with my brothers. Instead I was stuck with Mrs. Donovan and Daniel for company, one who turned to me every other play to ask excitedly if I'd seen it and one who glowered at me as if any of this was my fault. I slid down lower on the uncomfortable bench and wished with all my might that it was Monday.

After an afternoon that felt like days, we were on our way to the hotel. I grinned in spite of myself, the promise of calling my brothers feeling so much nearer now. I had to bite back a curse when Mrs. Donovan pulled into a diner's parking lot.

"I'm going to go grab us some burgers for dinner, boys. Just sit tight." Mrs. Donovan chirped with a large smile, not waiting for an answer before she closed the door with a bang.

I rubbed my forehead with the palm of my hand. Just a short wait, soon I'd be telling Darry that football was definitely the superior sport and Soda about the tuff cars that I'd seen in Oklahoma city. Completely pointless pieces of information to share with them, but necessary to stop myself from bawling at the thought that we'd still be separated for another 2 days. After all this time apart, any delay felt unexceptable.

"Here you go honey." Her voice snapped me out of my daydream and I reached out to take the coke from her outstretched hand. Mrs. Donovan passed another drink and the greasy bag to Daniel, who muttered a thank you and then we were blessedly moving again.

I took a deep drink from the bottle and looked up to see Mrs. Donovan watching me intently in the rearview mirror. Swallowing the sweet liquid, I sent her a small awkward smile and she returned the gesture before pulling her eyes back to the road.

I was much thirstier than I'd realized because I'd finished the whole bottle by the time that we'd pulled into the hotel. Daniel and I grabbed the bags as Mrs. Donovan entered the office to check in.

I bounced on my heels, wondering if it would be rude to call my brothers the moment we entered the room. Knowing my luck, Mrs. Donovan expected me to sit and chat with her before I'd be allowed to make my phone call.

I let out a large yawn and leaned back against the car door. It had been a long day.

By the time that Mrs. Donovan returned with the keys to two rooms, the car was doing all the work keeping me on my feet.

"Here Daniel, you boys are going to have to share." She placed the key into his outstretched hand. "I'm going to go settle into my room. Let me know if you need anything."

She picked up her bag from the pavement and her brow furrowed as she took in my face. "Ponyboy, you don't look so good. Maybe you should lie down."

I fought to keep my eyes open and tried to get them to get her face into focus to no avail. Giving up, I nodded and stumbled my way behind Daniel to our room.

What the hell was happening? I felt like I was drunk, at least what I thought drunk felt like. Darry would have skinned me if I touched the stuff, but I'd seen Two-Bit stumble around enough to take a guess.

The moment Daniel opened the door, I dropped my bag on the floor beside the nearest bed and collapsed onto it. I did not remember hitting the mattress.

Now, that I was awake and more or less lucid, I moved into the now vaguely familiar hotel room and flopped down onto the mattress. It was still quiet and I wondered if Daniel and Mrs. Donovan had decided to leave me here for the day? That suited me just fine, I was done with watching games I wasn't interested in, being played by a team I couldn't care less about. My head was clearer now but I still felt as if I had run all day in the beating sun.

I sure was sick. That was the only thing I could come up with. I must have gotten sick and that's why I felt so awful. Soda and Darry would be upset that I hadn't called them last night, but they'd be more worried when they found out that whatever bug I'd caught had laid me out flat.

I turned my head to squint at the clock on the nightstand. 10:16 am.

Thankfully it was Saturday and Soda usually went into work later on weekends. I should be in time to catch him if I called now. Darry finally was able to take the weekends off now that he was making enough money at his new job. He deserved a break, he worked too hard.

I let out a moan as I reached for the phone, dialing the number I knew by heart. I rolled back onto my back and pressed the receiver to my ear.

"Hello?" Steve's gruff greeting made me wince. Great, just the person I was hoping to talk to, I thought.

"Hey Steve," I answered.

There was a sharp intake of breath, before Steve continued in a tone that I'd never heard from him before.

"Kid? Christ, is that you?"

I frowned. "Of course it's me. Who'd you expect, the president?" Why couldn't Soda or at least Two-Bit have answered?

"Glory, where the hell have you been?" Steve snapped back at me and I swallowed a smart remark. "Damn it, why aren't your brothers here?"

"We're in Oklahoma City for some dumb basketball tournament since the court date was moved." I studied the stained ceiling above me intently hoping that he'd pass the phone off to Darry soon.

"Kid, the court date wasn't moved, you missed it" I barked out a what and pushed myself up onto my elbows. Steve continued as if I hadn't spoken. "Luckily that judge didn't think your opinion mattered so Darry's got custody. Then that state lady said that she didn't know where you were. Glory, it's been 2 whole days, Soda has been losing his mind."

I flapped my mouth open and closed a few times as my mind tried desperately to understand what he was telling me. "She told me that it was postponed...wait! 2 days but the court date was yesterday." I finally stuttered out. The room spun and red digital numbers on the clock wavered in and out of focus. I was gonna be sick.

"What's wrong with you? The court date was Friday, it's Sunday today."

The room spun.

Sunday? Somehow I'd lost a whole day. I didn't understand what was happening. Mrs. Donovan had lied about Darry's court date, but why? No, there must have been some misunderstanding. There's no way she could have known and done it on purpose….right? But then how had I slept all the way through Saturday? Was that why I felt so awful now?

A fuzzy picture of what must have happened was forming in my mind but I was too chicken to admit it. It seemed too much like something out of a novel, so I shoved it down.

"Jesus kid, are you even listening to me?!" Steve's voice broke me out of my daze and I realized that he must have continued talking.

"Yeah….I don't understand…" I trailed off not knowing how to explain my jumbled thoughts and not really wanting to tell Steve how confused I was. I needed Soda or Darry. Right now.

"Tell me where you are, we're coming.."

Steve was suddenly cut off and I was met with dead air.

"You shouldn't have done that," Mrs. Donovan's hard quiet voice echoed around the room. I blinked to try to focus on her face. She was standing in the doorway of the hotel room, the phone jack in her hand and her lips pressed so tightly that they almost disappeared. Philip stepped up behind her looking confusedly between us two closing the door behind him.

I frowned back at her and pushed myself until I was sitting. I was feeling too lousy to beat around the bush, so direct was the best plan. Still, I couldn't put my worst fear into words so I settled for saying. "Mrs. Donovan, there's been a mistake. I need to go home, we missed the court date and Darry's got custody…"

"No!" She screeched at me, both Philip and I jumped at the sound. "I don't want to hear it." She turned and pressed her hands to her ears. Philip's brow furrowed.

"But," I started again and was cut off as she whirled around.

"Where's Daniel?! He was supposed to watch you." Her eyes were wide and glassy.

I shrugged, completely lost by her reaction. "If I could just call my house, my brothers could come pick me up and.."

She suddenly dived forward and grabbed my arms "You are never leaving me!"

I reeled back in shock and Philip grabbed his mother's arm and pulled her back.

"Mom, what is going on?" He asked in a voice that left no room for nonsense.

Mrs. Donovan pulled out of her grip and started to pace. My legs were glued to the floor but my eyes darted to the door and Philip's frame blocking my only way out.

"Our family is finally whole again and they want to take him away from me." She wailed, her arms waving wildly. Dread crept into my heart and I felt sick.

Just then the door was pushed open and Daniel stepped into the room.

"Oh, you're back." His voice was uninterested as he saw his family. His eyes then slid to take me in. "And he's awake." He spat out, his emphasis on he clearly illustrating what he thought of me.

Philip turned to his brother. "Do you know what the hell is going on?"

"Where have you been?" Mrs. Donovan snapped at him but Daniel ignored her and answered his brother.

"Man, mom's lost it. She wants to keep this filthy greaser, she thinks he's part of our family. I tried to talk to her but she won't listen to me." Daniel said loud enough that both Mrs. Donovan and I could hear him. She glowered at him. I inched off the bed, waiting for them to step away from my path to escape. I still wasn't sure what was happening but I wasn't planning on sticking around to find out.

Philip shook his head and turned his attention back to her. "I don't know what's going on mom, but if Ponyboy is right and his brothers have custody again, you have to let him go home." I felt a ray of hope, that was 3 against one for sending me home.

Mrs. Donovan shook her head and practically growled. "No, my family is together. I will not lose another son." She turned and fixed Philip with an icy glare. "Don't take another son away from me."

Philip paled and stumbled back as if he was hit. He swallowed thickly, his eyes fixed on his mother's gaze. After a moment, he squeezed his eyes shut and took a shaky breath from his feet.

He met her eyes, his expression resigned. I gulped.

"Fine, what do you want to do?"

"No!" I jumped up and shouted in horror. "Just let me go."

"Yeah, this is nuts. As if he could replace Peter. He needs to leave." The disdain in Daniel's voice didn't stop the wave of gratitude at his words.

"Please," I begged, I tensed my legs ready to spring.

Philip looked pained and his eyes pleaded with his mother. Her jaw was set in an immovable mask. He turned back to his brother. "I can't….not again."

Daniel sneered and I knew that this was not going to go my way. Not willing to wait it out to see what they'd decide, I dashed towards the door, elbowing Daniel in the side. He left out an oath. I grasped the door handle before I was grabbed by the back of my shirt and yanked back.

I twisted in Philip's grip and sent my fist into his stomach. He doubled over with a gasp, falling onto his knees.

Darry would be proud, he'd taught me how to throw a punch.

I turned and reached for the door again when he clamped his hand around my ankle. I was sent off balance and as the ground came up to meet me, my head cracked the edge of the desk.

The world went black.

For the second time that day I clawed my way back to reality.

The room was tight, dark and musty. I couldn't stretch my legs out. A groan slipped out but it was muffled and I could taste sweat. My head was thumping to an aching staccato rhythm of it's own.

My eyes snapped open.

The room was almost pitch black except for a crack of light up to my left. It wasn't enough for me to see anything. There was a piece of fabric shoved in my mouth. Maybe a sock? My sock? I could feel that one of my feet was bare. A stream of cool air was brushing my toes.

My wrists were bound together tightly. I tried to pull them apart but the knots were too strong. I brought my hands up to the gag but the scarf or whatever wrapped around my head to keep the sock in was cutting into my cheeks. I couldn't get it off without untying it and I couldn't do that with my hands together.

Panic bubbled up inside me and tears pricked the corners of my eyes.

A few days ago I had been dreaming about going home to my brothers permanently. Now I wasn't sure if I'd ever see them again.

I bit back a sob.

Soda's soft brown eyes swam in front of my vision followed by Darry's blue ones. Both looking at me with such pain, as if they could see me now. But Darry and Soda wouldn't just watch me if they could see me now. They'd bust the Donovans' skulls in. They'd save me if they knew. I mumbled their names around the gag, but no sound greeted me except a constant rumbling.

The sound of an engine driving.

A trunk.

I was locked in a damned trunk.

Anger sparked inside my gut. I shouted and screamed, the sound coming out as a muffled whimper. I pounded on the roof of the trunk with all my might but the car did not slow and no one came. I cursed the Donovans and whatever fate had brought them into my life.

My head still throbbing and my strength completely spent, I collapsed back and allowed the sobs to overtake me.

My heart just ached for my brothers. I wanted to go home.

Thanks for reading!

-jem