Chapter 16: Lifesaver

The rest of that night for Two-Bit was jus' awful. He mostly cried and sat around watching Mickey Mouse miserably, and when he wasn't cryin' and mopin' around, he made lost dog posters for Ryker.

He made a whole bunch of them and wrote his phone number at the bottom with a sigh, hoping Ryker would come back and be his friend.

When he had finished and had eaten his breakfast, a few bites of toast, he headed outside, carrying his posters, starting to hang them up around town with a sigh.

The posters read:

Lost Dog

Name: Ryker

Color: Black and White, Has a Brown Collar With Name Tag

Very Friendly and Obedient, His owner misses him very much

If Found, Please Call: ####-####

Two-Bit frowned at them as he hung the posters up on telephone poles and in the windows of buildings.

He sighed again, shaking his head as he hung up another one, continuing on.

He glanced at the DX as he passed, pursing his lips as he thought about the fight he had with his friends yesterday.

He was guilty for calling Soda dumb. He certainly didn't think that at all. He also felt real bad for yelling at them.

Two-Bit glanced in through the windows, sighing lowly, wanting to apologize.

Looking through the window into the gas station, his eyes suddenly widened and he froze, almost gasping.

He could see Soda and Steve behind the counter and they had their hands up in surrender, looking frightened, a man pointing a gun at them, looking like he was trying to rob them.

Two-Bit sucked in a frightened breath and almost started shaking, dropping his posters as he started running, hurrying inside before he could even think about what he was doing.

He didn't have time to think though; his friends were in trouble!

"Hey!" Two-Bit burst in, stopping by the door, looking straight at the man holding his gun with a mean look. "Drop the gun."

He heard Soda gasp from behind the counter but he didn't look over at him.

As Two-Bit came in, the man whipped around, now pointing his gun at Two-Bit, looking mean. "Don't move! Or i'll shoot!"

Two-Bit didn't flinch, eyes narrowed. "Drop the gun pal." He whipped out his knife and held it out in front of him, somehow not afraid.

"One more move and I shoot these kids!" The man warned, pointing his gun back at Soda and Steve.

"Don't test me man!" Two-Bit shouted, taking a step towards him, holding his knife tightly. "I said drop the gun!"

The man whipped back around to face Two-Bit, his hands shaking as he held his gun, looking almost intimidated. "I'm warning you, kid! I'll blow your head off!"

"Try me!" Two-Bit shouted, adrenaline pumping. "You got one second to drop that gun!"

The man snarled as he whipped back around to Soda and Steve, looking like he was going to shoot and Two-Bit lept at him, almost tackling him down, wrapping his arms around the man's neck, scrambling to rip the gun away.

The man snarled and jerked, shoving at Two-Bit as he swore, holding tightly onto his gun.

Two-Bit fought with him and managed to rip away the gun and he immediately took off running, bolting out the door, panting.

"Hey!" The man snarled and ran out after Two-Bit, looking murderous. "I'll kill you!"

Police sirens ran through the air and the man ran after Two-Bit, tackling him down in the parking lot.

"Two-Bit!" Soda and Steve gasped and ran over to the door, scrambling to get out, wide-eyed.

Several Police cars pulled up and the fuzz was everywhere in the parking lot and the boys could no longer see Two-Bit or the man who had pulled a gun on them.

Soda and Steve pushed out the door, stopping when they saw all the police, looking around frantically for Two-Bit.

"Where is he?! Where is he?!" Soda breathed out, shaking.

"I don't see him!" Steve gaped, wide-eyed.

A few officers jogged up to them, telling them to get back.

Other officers got handcuffs on the criminal and were dragging him over to a police car, the man screaming and swearing, kicking everywhere.

"Where's Two-Bit?! Is he okay?!" Soda looked at one of the officers desperately, searching the crowd of police officers.

"Who?"

"Two-Bit, our friend! He saved us, is he okay?!"

"Your friend, he saved you?"

"Yeah, he went out with that guy! He got tackled in the parking lot, is he alright?!" Steve frowned, wide-eyed.

"Hold on, i'll go check….." The officer jogged off to the others.

"Are you two alright?" Another asked Soda and Steve, offering a hand out.

"We're fine," They breathed out, wide-eyed.

They could care less about themselves right now, they weren't hurt; they just wanted to know if Two-Bit was okay.

They continued to look over the crowd, worried, hoping their friend was alright.

The officer that had went off came back over. "I'm sorry boys, your friend ain't here; took off runnin' before they could stop 'em."

"What?" Soda frowned deeply, looking at Steve. "We-well, well, we gotta find him, he-he saved us!"

"I'm sorry boys, you'll have to wait; we gotta question you now. We'll worry about your friend later."

Soda frowned with big eyes.

"B-But, but Two-Bit….."

Two-Bit was home, in his room, reading a magazine boredly, when he heard a knock come from downstairs.

He got up and opened the door, not expecting to see reporters and interviewers with notepads at his doorstep.

He blinked, surprised.

"Are you Keith? Keith Mathews?"

"Two-Bit, name's Two-Bit." He frowned at his real name.

"Can you tell us about what happened earlier?!"

"How did you feel stopping an armed criminal by yourself?!"

"Tell us about what happened! Explain what happened with your friends!"

The reporters all started shouting out questions and looking at him intently, making Two-Bit frown, their loud voices hurting his head.

"I-I don't want to answer your questions; I have nothing to say." He shook his head.

"Can you at least tell us your story about what happened?"

"Your story will be in the paper!"

"No, no, I-I don't need my story or my name in the paper, thank you." Two-Bit frowned at them, starting to close the door.

"Can you at least tell us why you did it?!"

Two-Bit glanced back, swallowing a little.

"Jus' say that the person who did it, did it to save his friends." He responded calmly and then closed the door, locking it behind him.

He went back up to his room, hoping no more reporters were going to stop by to harass him again.

As he went back to his room and closed the door, Two-Bit wondered to himself, How did I save them? I just rushed right in there like it was nothing. I wasn't scared. How in the world did I not freeze up with fear? I took on a guy with a gun…..

But I had to.

My friends were in trouble.

I had to save them.

Couldn't live with myself if I hadn't and they had gotten hurt.

Two-Bit sat on the edge of his bed, swallowing, glancing at his wall of pictures.

Eyeing them a moment, thinking, he glanced down at his wrist, slowly pulling back his sleeve, looking at his cuts.

My friends.

And I-I saved them. But I didn't really save them, I ain't a hero.

I just did what needed to be done, I don't care about what happened.

I only care about my friends being safe.

I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe, no matter what.

I love them. But they don't love me.

Two-Bit frowned at his cuts, slowly pulling his sleeve back up, sighing, running a sad hand over his face, slowly falling back onto his bed.

Looking up at the ceiling, his mind felt numb and he began to cry silently, just a little, frowning deeply, lonesome and completely heartbroken.

A few hours later, Two-Bit heard another knock at his door and he sighed, sitting up, not wanting to answer it, thinking it was going to be more reporters.

Rubbing at his face, he trudged downstairs and sighed as he opened the door with a frown.

Suddenly there were arms hugging him and excited voices, startling him, going wide-eyed.

"Two-Bit!"

"Two-Bit, you're alright!"

"Buddy, I can't believe it!"

Soda and Steve hugged him tightly and patted his shoulders roughly, smiling widely at him, their voices loud.

Two-Bit frowned at them with big eyes, taking a step back when they pulled away, frowning at them, looking sad.

Steve was pumped up, punching Soda playfully with a wide grin.

"Oh Two-Bit, we can't believe you did that! You were so brave man!" Soda exclaimed, bouncing all over the place.

"Yeah, hell Two-Bit, you were somethin'!" Steve practically yelled.

"I mean, you like, saved our lives!" Soda smiled wider than ever.

Two-Bit was frowning, eyes gray with sadness as he watched them, his shoulders slumped, not answering.

"You were so cool, man!" Soda yelled.

"Yeah, never seen ya so tough before!" Steve punched Two-Bit playfully, though a little too hard and Two-Bit flinched, wincing, rubbing at his arm.

"Y-Yeah…" He said lowly.

"Oh man, we have to celebrate! Good thing my party's tomorrow! Oh, everyone's gonna be talking about it! Wait 'til Tim hears about it! And Dally!" Soda beamed.

"Yeah, the party will be great what with havin' a hero there!" Steve shouted, punching Two's arm again with a grin.

Two-Bit frowned, rubbing his arm, looking at the ground with a frown. "Y-Yeah….a hero…." He murmured.

"You are comin' to my birthday party tomorrow, right Two-Bit?" Soda grinned happily.

"'Course he's comin'!" Steve hollered, giving Two a playful shove, nearly knocking him over, Two grabbing onto the door with a frown. "Why wouldn't he?! He'll be the man of the hour!"

"I thought i'd be the man of the hour?" Soda huffed playfully.

"Nah! You'll be too busy stuffin' your face with cake!" Steve laughed.

"Says you, fat a**!" Soda laughed with a beaming smile, Steve bounding over to him, wrapping Soda into a playful choke-hold.

Two-Bit watched with a deep frown, keeping his gaze on the ground. "Y-Yeah, i'll-i'll be there….." He said quietly, mentally cringing at his own lie.

Steve was ruffling up Soda's hair, laughing happily as he held him in a choke-hold. Soda laughed, looking up at Two-Bit, reaching into his pocket.

"Hey Two-Bit, here's your knife back, you dropped it at the DX man….." He held it out, squirming as Steve kept messing up his hair roughly. "St-Steve! Quit it!"

Two-Bit looked up and perked up a little, seeing his prized possession, taking it gladly.

"Th-Thanks. I'll-I'll see you later, Soda…." He said softly, starting to close the door.

He didn't even think the boys noticed, them too busy play-fighting and hollering in the front yard.

Two-Bit closed the door and locked it, letting out a deep sigh, looking at his knife in his hands, at least glad to get it back.

He made his way back up to his room, closing his door softly, going over to his closet, pulling out the birthday gift he had gotten for Soda, getting out some wrapping paper, sighing sadly.

He sat down at his desk, wrapping up the box carefully, frowned deeply as he placed his gift inside.

He tied a little name card onto the ribbon around the box and picked up a marker, signing:

To: Soda From: Two-Bit

Two-Bit stared at it for a moment.

He really wished he could go to Soda's party; he wanted to be there for his friend and support him.

But he knew he couldn't go.

Two-Bit sighed and set his gift under his desk on the floor, lying his arm and face down across his desk, just lying there with a deep frown.

His heart ached, physically.

He felt sick.

Everytime he cried lately, his stomach hurt, actually hurt with pain. His head hurt when he cried too.

He was also starting to lose weight; he was hardly eating anymore, he didn't want to.

Two-Bit didn't even care.

He didn't care about himself anymore.

Lying there with his head and arm across his desk, Two-Bit began to silently cry again, tears slowly cascading down his cheek and onto his desk.

He sniffled and watched his tears run down his desk, frowning deeply as his stomach and head began to hurt again.

But he was used to the pain now.

He almost didn't even mind it anymore.

He could care less about the pain now; it was basically normal now.

Later, the phone rang and Two-Bit looked up, coming over with a frown.

"Hello?"

"I just wanted to remind you that you are not coming to my brother's party tomorrow." Came Darry's growling voice on the other end.

Two-Bit frowned deeply, staring at the floor sadly for a long minute.

"I know Darry….." He sighed very quietly into the phone, a tear slowly falling down his cheek.

"Good."

The line went dead, Darry having hung up.

Crying silently, Two-Bit sniffled and hung up the phone, swiping at his eyes, sitting on his bed, rubbing at his arms as he hugged his chest tightly.

He looked at Ryker's blanket and empty food bowls and favorite toy, tears running down his face and hitting the floor.

Two-Bit knew he was gradually getting more and more depressed, something he'd never ever thought he'd experience.

But that didn't matter now.

Two-Bit knew that if his friends didn't like him, then he won't like himself either.

A/N: Next Chap. will be up soon! Please leave a review on your thoughts!