Hey everyone! I'm sorry I've taken so long to get this out but I haven't abandoned this story. I'll do my best to get the next one out quicker.

Thanks for sticking with it! I appreciate any reviews or feedback.

I watched Soda carefully over the top of my paper. He was vibrating with energy and had been all morning. Currently, he was hopping around on one foot trying to pull his shoe on, a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth. A glob of grape jelly was inching its way to the edge and I wondered how long before it hit the carpet.

Splat.

I winced and took a deep drink of my coffee.

"Shoot, I'll get that." Soda called as he disappeared into the kitchen, his shoe forgotten on the floor.

I rolled my eyes and heaved myself out of the armchair. "We have to leave in five minutes, if we're going to make it to the courthouse in time."

I focused on finishing off the last dregs of coffee from my mug, I couldn't let myself think about what today could mean to us. Today a judge would decide if Ponyboy was coming home. Mrs. Wilson had assured me several times that based on her recommendation and the glowing letter from my boss that Pony was as good as back. Still, we'd had more hard knocks than most and I couldn't shake the pit that had settled in my stomach sometime last night.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Sodapop answered as he returned the now jelly covered cloth to the kitchen. I sighed. Today's was gonna be a long day, though I couldn't help but return the grin that Soda shot my way.

"Let's go get our brother back."

A swell of hope bloomed in my chest.

"Soda, shoes."

Soda was pacing the length of the living room like a caged animal. "What the hell is taking so long?" Soda snapped.

I shrugged my shoulders, not letting my eyes stray from the front window that I'd been watching for over an hour now. I shoved down the worry that had been trying to bubble up since I realized that Ponyboy wasn't coming to the courthouse today.

Steve heaved a sigh. "Soda, she had to drive all the way to Stillwater and back after leaving the courthouse, it hasn't been that long."

But it had been. We'd parted ways from Mrs. Wilson about 4 hours ago and she'd assured us that she was going straight to pick Ponyboy up.

Soda whipped around and glared at Steve. "He was supposed to be at the courthouse today!" Steve put his hands up and Soda deflated, running a hand over his face. "Isn't that what Mr. Donovan told you, Darry?"

I winced inwardly at how young Soda sounded and nodded my head slowly. The sunshine that had been radiating out of him all morning had dimmed at Ponyboy's absence. It had shaken me too, he was supposed to be there, but I had clamped down on the unease and focused on getting custody back. Then I'd find out where my brother was. "Yeah, that's what he told me on Wednesday."

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know little buddy, we'll have to ask him when he gets home." I answered. The judge and Mrs. Wilson hadn't been concerned that the Donovans and Ponyboy hadn't shown up, after all his testimony or presence wasn't needed for me to regain custody. I had had to grit my teeth to stop myself from barking at these people who felt that they could determine my brother's life without even consulting him on the matter, but Mrs. Wilson had quietly assured me that Ponyboy's wish to return home was well documented in her report. It didn't feel good enough to me but I kept my silence.

I turned my gaze back to the front window as a car pulled onto our street. Instead of a wave of relief at Pony finally being here, all I felt was unease.

I moved to stand but Soda beat me to the window. "It's her." He shouted as Mrs. Wilson pulled into our driveway. He hit the porch at a dead run.

Sodapop only made it a few feet across the front lawn before he stopped in his tracks. Mrs. Wilson stepped out of the car, her folder clutched tightly against her chest. I made my way out the door and stepped up to the railing, my eyes fixed on the rear doors, willing them to open and for my long legged kid brother to tumble out and throw himself into my other brother's arms.

The door didn't open.

"Where is he?" Sodapop asked, his eyes not leaving the car.

Mrs. Wilson walked up to Soda and placed her hand on his arm. He jumped at the touch. "Let's go inside to talk."

Soda shot me a panicked glance over his shoulder and I felt my heart drop into my stomach. Mrs. Wilson climbed our porch steps and I gestured towards the door, she nodded her head in thanks and we all three of us entered our living room.

Steve stepped away from the window and cocked his eyebrow at me. I shook my head and his brows furrowed before he made his way to sit beside Soda on the couch.

Did Ponyboy not want to come home? I knew that the Donovans were able to offer him more than I ever could dream of, but I'd always thought that he wanted to be with us. With Soda at least.

I heaved a sigh and crossed my arms bracing myself for what was coming.

"Where's Ponyboy?"

Mrs. Wilson pursed her lips and dropped her eyes down to the folders in her hands. "I'm not sure.."

"What?!" Soda shouted, shrugging forward to jump to his feet but I placed my hand on his shoulder to still him. I needed to hear what she had to say, then I'd unleash the anger that was bubbling to the surface.

"I don't know, they weren't home and I haven't been able to contact them." I felt my eyes darkening and Mrs. Wilson gave her head a quick shake when she met them. "I'm sure it's nothing, maybe they took him out for the day as a way to say goodbye to him. We were all pretty sure that you'd get custody of him back."

"Well, I have custody now and I want my brother home." My hands balled into fists and I straightened to my full height.

Mrs. Wilson sat up straight. "Of course, Ponyboy will be brought home, but these things take time and it's usual for it to be a few days before a minor is returned to your custody after the judgement is made."

Soda snorted. "Except you don't know where he is, good thing he was taken from home to keep him safe." He said darkly. Steve snorted and I continued to glare daggers at the woman.

Mrs. Wilson narrowed her eyes at Soda "Sodapop, you know the reasons the agency decided it was best for Ponyboy to live with a foster family until Darry was able to get on his feet again. You were not able to even feed him properly."

My fingers tightened on Soda's shoulder but it wasn't enough to stop him from jumping off the sofa and stalking towards her. "We were able to feed him, we'd never let our brother go hungry." He snarled.

Mrs. Wilson's eyes bugged and she took a step back. I stepped between them and pushed him back. "Now's not the time for this Soda." I said, my voice low but steady.

Soda's brown eyes met mine and they pleaded with me to fix this. I nodded my head at him because that was exactly what I was going to do, but picking a fight with our social worker wasn't going to get him home any faster. She'd swept in and taken him away once. Though everything inside of me told me to scream until Ponyboy was here, I knew that the ball was in her court. She had all the power and I had to play the game.

I clenched my jaw and heaved a sigh to calm myself. I turned towards her and crossed my arms again. "So, when can I expect my brother to come home?" I asked, fixing her with a hard stare.

"I'll call again tomorrow morning to inform them of the court's decision and I should be able to bring him here later in the day."

I gave one curt nod. "Good, see that you do." My voice snapped, leaving no room for argument. I'd play their game for now but they needed to remember that Pony was under my custody now and damn it they'd told me that he'd be home today. So where the hell was he?

Mrs. Wilson quickly excused herself and even with my back to him, I could feel Soda's anger. I knew that as soon as her car left the driveway it would be turned on me.

"How can you be so calm?!" Soda snapped.

"What did you want me to do?" I sighed as I turned back towards him, stealing myself for the onslaught. Better to face Soda's emotions head on, they burned bright and fast.

"Not stand around and cow down to that uptight broad!" Soda shouted. I clenched my jaw and breathed deeply to keep myself calm. This wasn't Soda's fault and I understood how helpless he felt right now.

Steve moved to Soda's side, eyeing him and the possible upcoming storm.

"There's nothing I can do right now but wait. Laying into our social worker isn't gonna get him home any faster." I moved to walk past him to get some lunch started, it was hours later but we needed to eat something.

"Glory, it's like you don't even care about Ponyboy!"

All the air left my lungs in a heartbeat and I wheeled back around on my brother. "Don't you dare think for one second that this hasn't been killing me, just because I don't go around screeching at anyone who'll listen, Sodapop!"

Soda's eyes widened then slowly softened and warmed. "Yeah, I know. I just thought that he'd be home now." He shoved his hands into his pockets and studied the toe of his sneaker. "We did what they wanted, why isn't he here?"

The anger sweeper out of my muscles. I stepped forward and curled my arm around his shoulders. "You heard her, he'll be home tomorrow. Just one more day to wait, little buddy."

Soda bobbed his head. "One more day." His tone made it clear that he was desperately holding onto that idea.

I met Steve's eyes over Soda's head and they silently asked me if I believed the bullshit I was shoveling.

I didn't.

The feeling in my gut told me that something was wrong but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what or what I could do to fix it.