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Looking as the fields flew by the window of Steve's car all I could think was that Kansas didn't look much different than Oklahoma.

I hadn't ever been out of state before though I'd come mighty close to going to Texas once. I'd thought that once we'd crossed the border that it'd feel like a new world.

Nope, same old world. Funny how that made it suddenly seem smaller.

Glory, Ponyboy would think that I'm a regular poet if he could hear my thoughts now. I'd have to tell him if we found him.

When we found him. I ain't one to ever give up and I knew if the roles were reversed he wouldn't be giving up on me. Pony was my buddy and he was like a brother. I'd do anything for the kid.

I'd once told him that we could get by without any of us except Johnny but I sure was wrong. If these months since Ponyboy had been taken into foster care had taught me anything, it was just how wrong I had been. It was even worse now that we didn't know where he was.

I looked towards the front of the car where Soda was sitting just vacantly watching the scenery roll by. He'd been almost manic since Ponyboy hadn't shown up to the court house, yoyoing from despair to forced optimism. We'd all been waiting for him to crack and Steve had pulled me aside before we left this morning to tell me that it had happened last night. He'd dreamed of Pony and ended up sobbing his guts out on the front lawn. Steve didn't know how far he'd have run if he hadn't been there to grab him.

"He'd have probably run headlong into traffic in the state he was in." Steve had said as he puffed on a smoke.

I shuddered at the thought. "Good thing you were there then." I'd answered before giving my head a shake and clapping him on the shoulder. "You try'in to take Superman's title from him with those heroics?"

Steve had rolled his eyes and punched me hard in the arm, but a slight grin had appeared.

It wasn't long after that Tim had strolled up to the house to man the phone and we'd all piled into Steve's car. Darry had started driving but had switched off with Steve when we'd stopped for gas about 6 hours in. He was fast asleep with his head back and his mouth open. I'd thought about if I could get away with putting something in it but I didn't feel like getting my head bashed in and there was nowhere to escape in the car.

The car bounced as we drove over a pothole and Darry grunted awake. He groaned as he straightened his neck and blinked owlishly out the window. "Where are we?"

"Almost out of Kansas." Steve replied. "We still have a bit of a hike ahead of us."

We all lapsed into silence. The energy that had started at our first lead since Ponyboy went missing was slowly fading away the further we drove. Doubt was starting to set in.

"What are we gonna do if he's not there?" Soda said softly, not even looking away from the window. It was the worry that we'd all had, what if we were wasting our time and the Donovans weren't even there. I figured a worse thought was what if they were there but Ponyboy wasn't. What would we do then?

There was no chance that he'd just run away from his family, not after everything. No, if the Donovans didn't have him then there must be another reason that he hadn't called. There were too many possibilities for why that you be and none of them were good. How were we supposed to say that to Soda who was already barely holding it together?

Steve met my eyes in the rear view mirror, both at a loss.

"We keep looking." Darry ran his hand through his hair, his brow furrowed in worry but his eyes were steel. "We find out anything we can and take the next step."

Soda nodded and rested his forehead against the window.

It didn't sound like much of a plan to me but it was all that we had so I wasn't going to say so.

"So what are we doing here?" Steve asked. "We don't know the address or nothin'. Do we knock on every door?"

Darry clenched his jaw. "If that's what it takes."

Steve grimaced, his eyes darting over to Soda. "Listen, I know that we got excited about having a possible lead here but I think we might have jumped the gun. It's bad enough we're wasting at least a full day driving but we might waste even more time trying to find the right cabin."

Darry looked over at me and the pain in his eyes told me that Steve and I weren't the only two worried about this but we had already come this far. What else could we do now?

Soda's head whipped around and for a moment I thought he was gonna jump all over Steve even though he was driving. "Sorry that trying to get my brother back is a waste of your precious time!"

Steve took one hand off the wheel and reached out, to calm or to stop an attack, I wasn't sure. "Aww, come on Soda. You know I don't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?" Soda snapped.

"I was just saying that we're going in blind not that I wasn't gonna help." Steve glanced over at his best friend then huffed. "I'm here, aren't I. It ain't like I'm turning around or nothing."

Soda humphed, crossed his arms and sat back in his seat, turning his eyes back to the fields.

"So we start by driving around and looking for their car, maybe knocking on a few doors." Darry said, obviously wanting to get the conversation back on track.

I scratched my sideburn. "I'm not sure if we'll hav'ta do that."

Darry shot me a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"Well if my photographic memory is correct then that lake is pretty small."

"You ain't got a photographic memory Two-Bit or you'd have passed the 12th grade by now." Steve smirked back at me.

"That ain't got nothing to do with it. I choose to stay there on account of Mrs. Lewis, she'd die of longing if I left."

"She's more likely to have an aneurysm with you in her class, that woman must be 75 now." Darry muttered and Soda gave a hollow chuckle though he didn't lift his head.

I grinned. "Naw, I'm her reason for being. Her muse if you will. Her.."

"Get to the point!" Steve snapped

"Alright you moody grease!" I opened the map and pointed to the lake so Darry could see. "This Gold lake seems pretty small from the map. See, not too many roads around it so the town can't be that big. And though I don't know much about small towns I hear that people seem to know everyone else's business. I figure if we ask around, someone's bound to have heard of them."

Darry nodded his head as he took this in. "You're right, looks like there's only a Main Street and a few that break off from there. We start there and should find a grocery store or a post office. See what we can find out."

Soda looked around at Darry for the first time in hours. " You really think it will work, Dar?"

Darry rubbed the stubble on his chin, his eyes dark with worry. "It's worth a shot. I'm willing to try anything to find Pony." His face hardened to stone and his eyes burned, "and heaven help anyone who tries to stop us."

A flame of heat leapt into Soda's dark eyes. "You got that damn right."

I was trying to pick the lock of the handcuffs with a splinter that I had pulled off the bedpost when I heard the sound of a car door shutting and the car pulling out of the driveway.

I paused and listened, but the sound of the vehicle just got further and further away.

I returned my focus to the lock, gritting my teeth together. Dally had shown me and Johnny how to pick a lock once but I hadn't been able to get the hang of it and it really didn't seem like a skill I'd be needing. Plus this splinter was too flimsy. I'd already snapped it in half once and only had a small fragment to work with.

The front door slammed downstairs and I wondered if there was anyone still in the cabin or if they'd just left me?

I jammed the splinter back into the lock and felt it crumble in my fingers. I growled and kicked out with my leg, wincing at the metallic clank against my skin. I slumped back and looked at the ceiling.

What was I going to do? I needed to get away from them before Mr. Donovan arrived. Who knows where they were planning on taking me but I just knew that the further away they took me from my family the less likely I'd ever get back to them.

Footsteps coming up the stairs drew my attention to the door before it swung open revealing Daniel.

He crossed the room quickly and reached for my ankle.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to pull away from him.

He just glared at me and opened his hand. I saw a small key. Daniel looked back down and began unlocking the cuff.

"I thought you said you'd call my brothers?" I asked as I pulled my knee up and rubbed my freed ankle.

"I did, no one was home." I wanted to cry. Where could they be? They wouldn't be working, not if I was missing. At least, I didn't think they would. Did they even care that I was gone?

I gave myself a shake, of course they cared. They'd be losing their minds worrying. I could easily remember how Soda had held me in the hospital after the fire or the tears stuck in Darry's eyes.

No, they needed me just like I needed them. We were family.

Daniel pocketed the key and stepped back. "Now get out of here."

"What?" I blinked at him. He'd been holding me here for almost a week and now was just going to let me go?

"I said get out!" Daniel snapped. "This is your only chance, mom's at the store and Philip's chopping wood."

"Why are you helping me?" I didn't trust him. He'd spent the last few months tormenting me with his buddies. He didn't like me and I didn't trust him.

"Because I don't want you here." Daniel eyed me with open hate. "You ain't taking my brother's place and I can't stand you being here a second longer!"

"I'm not trying to take his place. I want nothing to do with your family." I growled and got up to make my way to the door.

Daniel blocked my path. "Woah, not that way."

"Why?" I stepped back and planted my feet. I'd take a swing at him if I had to. Now that I was free no one was going to stop me from running.

"There's only one door and Philip can see it from the wood pile. You go that way and he'll stop you."

"So what do we do?"

Daniel pointed to the window. I moved towards it and was able to see out of it clearly for the first time. The sun was reflecting off a clear lake that was ringed with evergreens. Right outside the window stood a tall tree with a large branch reaching towards the cabin. I could probably reach it, then I would climb down.

"Philip's around the front so you'll need to go straight into the woods." Daniel said, pointing towards the bush.

I nodded. "Thanks." I said tersely.

"I'm not doing this for you." Daniel answered coldly. "Just get out of here, I don't ever want to see you again."

"I'd have been out of your life by now if your mom wasn't crazy." I pulled the window open and swung my leg over the sill.

Daniel took a menacing step towards me. "She's not crazy!" He barked. "She just..she just wants my brother back."

I clenched my jaw. I'd lost people too, too many people and though I'd do almost anything to bring them back I'd never have done anything like this. No matter what excuse Daniel or Philip gave her, this was extreme. This was wrong, but I wasn't about to get into it with Daniel. Not when I was close to escaping. So I bit back my comment and simply muttered, "yeah, whatever."

I ducked my head out and swung my other leg out the window so I was sitting on the sill. I glanced over my shoulder but Daniel had left the room. I rolled my eyes, big help he was.

I didn't need him though, I just needed to climb down this tree then find someone with a phone to call for help. There had to be someone else on this lake or I could find the main road that led into town. I wished that I hadn't been in that damn trunk because then I'd at least have some clue of where I was or what direction to take.

I stretched my foot out and I was able to reach the branch. Holding onto the top of the window. I put my foot on it and pushed down a bit. The branch moved but it seemed sturdy. Slowly I put my weight onto it, my knuckles white.

It held.

I blew out a breath and slowly reached out to grab a branch that was above me. I was now fully in the tree and I shuffled along the branch using the one above me to keep my balance.

I grabbed the trunk then looked down for my next step. The next branch down wasn't directly below me but out to the side. I could probably reach it but I'd have to jump.

I paused and listened. I could hear the steady thumping of the ax. Thump, thump, thump…then a pause…then thump, thump, thump.

Good, Philip was still busy. I couldn't see him from this side of the house but as long as that sound continued I should be fine.

I sat down on the branch, I'd have to push off this one, jump and reach for the one below. I kicked my legs nervously. If I missed, I'd fall.

I needed to get down, I needed to do this. It was the only way I could get home to my brothers.

You can do this, Pony. Darry's voice echoed in my head.

Come on Pone, we need you. I could see Soda's pleading eyes.

I gritted my teeth and jumped.

My arms missed the branch right before my chest slammed into it. For a second I thought I'd slip off it but I hooked my arms down and I stopped.

I made it!

I was hanging from the branch by my armpits, my feet swinging in space but I'd made it. I breathed out shakily, trying to slow my pounding heart in the silence.

Wait….silence?

I froze, still hanging my arms over the branch and strained my ears.

Thump.

I closed my eyes in relief.

Crack.

My eyes flew open right before the branch gave way. I tumbled down hitting the ground feet first.

A sharp pain sent a shock wave up my leg and I yelled out. I fell back onto the grass, the wind knocking out of me.

I lay there for a moment, looking up through the branches as the world righted itself and listened. The sound of the ax had stopped but I willed it to start again.

Instead I heard the sound of footsteps crunching through the leaves.

Shit!

I pulled myself to my feet, biting back a cry of pain as my ankle almost gave out and I fell to my knees.

I knelt there, my heart pounding. I wanted to bawl, I was so close.

Run!

With the sound of my brothers' voices in my head, I pulled myself to my feet wincing at the pain. I set my jaw, it hurt like hell but there was nothing I could do about it.

The footsteps were getting closer.

No matter what I was gonna try. I had to. I limped towards the tree line as fast as I could. Just as i entered the tree line I heard a voice call out.

"Hey!"

Obviously these characters belong to S.E. Hinton because its fanfiction. :)

Thanks for reading

-jem