Chapter 22: What Did We Do Wrong?

The boys, baffled, went to Dairy Queen to sit down and try and make sense of their friend and eat some lunch.

"So, what exactly was that?" Steve huffed through a mouthful of cheeseburger.

"Darry, do you know why Two-Bit was so upset back there?" Soda asked with a deep frown.

Darry was staring at his fries, just as confused as the others, frowning. "I-I dunno. I have no idea."

"Well Two-Bit's never cried like that before. There more you ain't tellin' us Darry?" Dally growled a little, pointing a fry at him.

"What? No, I-I told you guys everything….!" Darry frowned. "I swear. I mean…...Two-Bit did-did cry that one time but uh….."

"What time?" Soda's eyes narrowed.

"The time where I went over and beat him up…...he uh, he was crying…." Darry admitted, looking away with a frown.

"God d****** Darry!" Soda shouted. "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"I just remembered now!" Darry frowned. "I'm sorry! You know I never meant any harm-"

"Bullsh**!" Dallas snarled. "We all know what you did to him Darry so quit actin' like it's okay! We just saw Two-Bit cryin' his eyes out for f***'s sake!"

"What you did was uncool, Superman," Steve shook his head. "We're all disappointed."

"Guys, i'm sorry," Darry breathed out with wide eyes. "I didn't realise I was really hurting him-"

"Okay, enough," Soda interrupted before Steve could lash out at Darry in anger. "We all know Darry's sorry and that he was an idiot but let's put that aside right now. We're trying to figure out what happened to Two-Bit! Now think, why would he be cryin' and think we all hate him?"

"I dunno but, he seemed just as whiny as the kid back there," Steve huffed, earning a hard smack from Dallas.

"Steve, this is serious," Soda frowned. "Two-Bit was really upset back there, you saw….!"

"He didn't look too good either," Darry frowned. "Didn't it look like he's lost weight?"

"Yeah, he looked kinda pale too." Soda frowned, eating a fry. "Didn't look like himself."

"No sh**, Soda, if he was cryin'." Steve huffed, ketchup smeared on his face and nose.

"It jus' boggles my mind," Soda frowned deeply. "Why in the world would Two-Bit think we hate him? We're his closest friends!"

"Well, he kept goin' on about us not carin' 'bout him, think that might have somethin' to do with it." Dally nodded.

Soda's eyebrows were furrowed, staring at his food, thinking hard.

"He said we didn't ask about him…...we left him at the rumble and-and…..he saw us at the party, oh my gosh!" Soda gasped. "Two-Bit's right!"

"What?"

"What?!" The boys questioned.

"Two-Bit's right, we have been bad friends!"

"What? How?" Dally frowned.

"All the stuff that Two-Bit said! We never asked about him, we didn't pay attention to him or looked out for him, we left him at the rumble, we totally ignored him! Oh my gosh….!" Soda breathed out, frowning deeply, feeling terrible, putting his head in his hands.

"We didn't ignore him, we talked to him!" Steve huffed. "He just argued with us though."

"Well of course he did, he was mad at us! No wonder he was always so upset, oh, I feel terrible!" Soda frowned with guilt, shocked at the realisation of how bad of friends they had been.

"So you're saying the whole time he was fightin' and yellin' with us and not showin' up was 'cause he was mad at us?" Dally frowned.

"Yes!" Soda frowned deeply at them. "I mean, he didn't show up ever because of Darry but beside that he was upset with us! Oh, how did we not pay enough attention to our own friend, gosh we're terrible!"

"No Soda, i'm the terrible one," Darry frowned deeply, "I'm the one who did this to him, this is my fault."

"No Darry, it was all of us, we all were bad friends to him-"

"Uh, I don't I think I was…." Dally huffed and Steve flicked his forehead with a finger.

"And the fights Two-Bit kept havin' with Ponyboy, oh, Pony didn't know! Oh poor Two-Bit!" Soda shook his head with dismay, frowning deeply. "What have we done to him?"

Steve frowned. "Well Two-Bit didn't have to listen to Darry, he coulda-"

"No Steve, I was awful to him, I kept hurting him," Darry frowned deeply, shaking his head. "It was pretty impossible for him to go against me when I kept targeting him all the time. God, Soda you're right, I am a monster."

Soda frowned deeply but put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder.

"All this time, we took Two-Bit for granted when we shoulda been thinking about him as well but we didn't. And to think, he saved us! Two-Bit saved us from that robber and we didn't even care to think about him. He coulda died but instead he saved us. No wonder he was cryin' so hard."

"Well this ain't somethin' we can't solve," Dally chewed his burger. "We just go over there and apologize to him, simple."

Soda shook his head. "No Dally, I think this is more serious than that. You saw how much Two-Bit was crying, he looked completely heart-broken. I-I think he might be depressed now….."

"What?"

"No way, he couldn't-"

"Think about it! I'd be depressed if all my friends treated me like that. I'd be cryin' and hatin' myself too….."

"But Two-Bit can't be depressed, he's always been the happy one, he's never sad….." Steve frowned.

"Well, now he is, and he has every right to blame us for it. We're the ones that did this to him." Soda frowned deeply, guilty.

It was quiet a minute, the boys all frowning.

"So, so what do we do now?" Steve frowned deeply, looking at Soda.

"May-Maybe we should wait until tomorrow," Darry started slowly. "I think Two-Bit might need some time to cool off and we need to rest too. We'll have to let Pony and Tim know what's going on. But now, we gotta think of a way to apologize to him, let him know how sorry we are. And we gotta find a way to convince him to get away from that horrible new gang of his. To convince him to come home."

Two-Bit and Dermot walked downtown together, both frowning, Dermot listening to his friend's ranting.

"I mean, where do they get the nerve to just show up here and try and tell me to come home with them, that they're suddenly like my friends again? No! They're all liars, why would they suddenly care about me now!" Two growled lowly, fists balled.

"Well, I uh, I think that-"

"Like hell they care! All standing there pretending to look upset, ugh, pisses me off! They had their chance to care and they clearly didn't care then so that's on them! They can just go to hell!"

"Two-Bit, you don't mean that…..you care about them, they're your friends." Dermot frowned at him.

Two-Bit sighed loudly. "I-I know but….they-they hurt me. They all didn't care about me and I know I shouldn't be mad, but…"

"I get it Two-Bit. I'd be mad too." Dermot put a hand on his shoulder. "But it's okay now. You have to make your own choice for what's best for you and they should respect your decision. I'm sure they want you to be happy deep down."

Two-Bit snorted softly. "Sure don't show it very well. I think they only pity me."

Dermot frowned at his friend as they kept walking and opened his mouth to say something but then closed it, trying to think of something to say.

Suddenly, a hand went over Two's mouth as they walked past an alleyway, yanking him back into the darkness.

Two-Bit screamed and began to jerk, hands grabbing him, laughter filling his ears.

Two-Bit's eyes wide, his screaming muffled, he tried to find Dermot, not able to see him, someone blindfolding his eyes with a cloth.

Two-Bit screamed as he felt rope around his hands, jerking as he was getting tied up, hands gripping him tightly all over, scaring him.

"Mmmmm! Mmmph!" He screamed, trying to bite the person's hand, jerking around desperately, frightened, fearing he was being kidnapped, flinching at the loud laughter coming from the boys holding him.

He cried out for Dermot, scared, his hands now tied behind him, blindfolded, the hand coming away from his mouth before a scarf was brought back into his mouth, gagging him.

Two-Bit screamed as he got picked up and thrown over someone's shoulder, crying out with fear, his voice muffled, yelping when he got thrown down into the back of a trunk.

"Mmmph! Mmmm!" He screamed before someone shoved a pillowcase over his head, slamming the trunk shut loudly.

As Two-Bit heard the car start and felt the movement of the car driving, he cried out, scared, fearing it was the worst for him, no idea of what was going to happen to him next.

Two-Bit was now tied down to a chair, whimpering through his gag, shaking all over, listening to the laughter and voices all around him, scared.

Someone took off the pillowcase, the gag and his blindfold. Two-Bit's eyes widened.

"What?!" He snarled. "Riff?!"

Riff was snickering, looking like he was trying to keep from laughing, his boys standing around him, all laughing and grinning.

"Surprise….!" Riff chuckled. "Glad to see us, huh?"

Two-Bit's eyes went narrow, beginning to jerk around, glaring. "What is this, some kind of sick prank?! Rrrr!"

"Yeah. My idea, actually." Riff smirked, chuckling. "My boys were glad to carry it out."

"You're sick! Kidnapping me?! What kind of joke is this?!" Two-Bit jerked around, snarling.

His eyes landed on Dermot, who stood in the back of the group with a frown, looking guilty.

Riff bent down in front of Two, going serious, smirking. "Actually, I did do this for a reason. Wanna make sure you don't wanna abandon us for your old gang. Tell me, Two-Bit."

Two-Bit's eyes flickered, jerking at his wrists, scowling. "I-I told you, I ain't goin' back! You didn't have to kidnap me for one little answer!"

Riff laughed, pinching Two's cheek with a smirk. "Oh Two-Bit, sweet, gullible little Two-Bit…...we gotta have fun around here somehow. Gag him!"

Two-Bit's eyes widened and he tried to close his mouth before the scarf was stuffed back in his mouth, muffling his cries.

"Mmm mmmmm rrrr!" He glared at Riff, growling out, angered.

"Riff, pl-please don't tie him up like this…." Dermot frowned, voice soft, taking a step towards them.

Riff chuckled, reaching forward, pushing more of the scarf between Two's teeth. "He'll be okay. He needs some time to think anyways." He patted Two's cheek, who growled, flinching.

"Come on boys, leave him be now." Riff got up and ushered the boys away, grabbing Dermot's collar, gently dragging him away.

Two-Bit's eyes locked with Dermot's, frowning deeply, letting out a muffled whimper and Dermot frowned deeply at him, reluctantly going with Riff.

Two-Bit frowned deeply, not able to see any of the boys anymore, tugging at the rope around his wrists and the chair, growling lowly, trying to spit the scarf out, eventually sighing, giving up, going still.

He couldn't fight it anymore; he was torn between these two gangs, disliking them both but yet he had to stay with one of them.

He just didn't know who.

It had been about an hour or so now, Two-Bit sitting there, frowning, still tied up, processing his thoughts.

Riff was kind of right. He did need to clear his thoughts. Maybe not like this but he was thinking all right, what with not having any distractions.

He thought about when Darry had tied him up, frowning deeply, biting tightly on his gag.

Riff suddenly appeared in front of him, smirking. Two-Bit tensed, giving him a sort of bored, mean look.

"Hey, how's our little newbie doin' huh?" Riff grinned, pinching Two's cheek tightly. "Why you're nearly as good as my little Dermot is…." Riff laughed.

Two-Bit growled at him lowly, flinching away.

Dermot came over with a frown. "Riff, pl-please don't bother him. He's been through a lot."

Riff sighed a little, shaking his head. "He's fine, Dermot…..just look at his fat little cheeks, adorable!" Riff laughed, pinching both of Two's cheeks now, who whimpered softly.

"Riff, I don't think-"

"Ah ah ah, hush," Riff got up and went behind Two-Bit, running his fingers through his red hair smoothly, grinning. Two-Bit flinched and growled, not liking his touch. "He's fine my slave, just look at him….!"

Riff grabbed Two's head, lifting his face up. Two-Bit growled, shaking his head, pulling away, biting down tightly on the scarf, wanting Riff to quit touching him.

"Riff, enough." Dermot frowned at him, eyes soft.

Riff's eyebrows furrowed, looking at Dermot for a minute, huffing. "Fine. You've swayed my mind. Get your jollies….." He gave Two's head a shove.

Two-Bit huffed with a growl as Riff walked off, watching Dermot walk up to him.

Dermot bent down in front of him and gently removed the scarf from his mouth, sighing. "You okay?"

Two-Bit spat it out, moving his jaw around, huffing, wondering how the hell Dermot could handle be gagged every day without his jaw constantly aching. "I'm fine." He said lowly.

Dermot untied him. "Sorry about him." He apologized softly.

"Don't be. He's the a*****." Two-Bit stood up, rubbing at his wrists with a huff. "How do you stand him?" He frowned.

"He's not that bad. Once ya get to know him and earn his respect. You just don't know him that well yet and neither does he know you." Dermot shrugged. "He's just doing this 'cause you're the newbie."

"Lucky me." Two huffed. "Wanna go to my room? You and Christian?"

"Sure. I've got my violin practice later but sure, i'll come. We'll watch Mickey with you."

Two-Bit smiled softly at him. "Thanks Dermot."

That night, at supper, Two-Bit watched the other boys, trying to get to know them a little better, listening to Dermot's advice. Two-Bit realised they really weren't all that bad, just misguided, playing rough.

Judd was always pushing everyone around and being a bully but the others were good. Jay and Rami were close and talked to each other while Matt talked with Judd and Christian, throwing food at each other, laughing.

Two-Bit frowned softly, thinking of the gang. Judd is like Dallas and Steve combined, while Christian is like Soda, Rami and Jay reminding him of Pony and Johnny, Dermot like Darry.

Riff didn't count as no one, except maybe Tim, but certainly like no one in the gang.

Two-Bit watched them all, missing his friends, frowning softly as he ate small bites, trying to make sense of where he belonged.

Who he belonged with.

After supper, Two-Bit watched Riff drag Dermot over to the couch with a frown, swallowing hard.

This time, Riff laid Dermot down on his stomach, tying up his limbs, connecting them with rope, his legs in the air, finishing the boy off by gagging him, stuffing the boy's cheeks again.

Two-Bit watched with a frown and big eyes, glancing at Christian, who shrugged at him with a soft frown, shaking his head.

He turned back to watch as Riff finished hogtying Dermot, Riff talking to him lowly with a smirk, petting the boy's hair.

"That's my good boy….you're okay. Jus' look at you…" Riff was smiling, running his hands through Dermot's hair smoothly, Dermot frowning deeply under his gag.

Two-Bit watched, a little creeped out by Riff's behavior, feeling sorry for Dermot, wondering how he could put up with this.

"I don't put up a fight because I do it to protect the other boys. Like you did with your friends at the DX…"

Two-Bit frowned, shuddering a little, swallowing.

Riff smirked, brushing a hand over Dermot's face softly, patting his cheek gently. "Hey Two-Bit. Why don't you come over here?"

Two-Bit lifted his head, a little startled. Blinking, he slowly came over, unsure.

Riff smiled at him, placing a hand on Two's shoulder. "Just look at him, my boy. Isn't he perfect?"

Two-Bit's lips curled up a little, eyeing all the ropes as Dermot laid still. "Uh, it looks more like it's hurting him."

"Nah, he's perfectly fine, it don't hurt. Right buddy?" Riff patted Dermot's rump softly, chuckling.

Two-Bit watched Dermot's face, who frowned with big eyes, the thick scarf gagging him looking awfully uncomfortable as he was forced to bite down, Two-Bit eyeing his teeth with a frown.

Riff smirked, going down by Dermot's feet that hung in the air, starting to remove his shoes. "You and Dermot are getting close, right? As friends?"

Two-Bit watched him, blinking with a frown. "Um, y-yeah." He cleared his throat.

Riff took off Dermot's shoes and socks, setting them down with a smirk, beginning to tickle the boy's feet.

Dermot stirred a little and a muffled laugh escaped his lips before he growled lowly, grunting softly as he tried to keep from laughing, moving his body around just a little.

Riff continued to tickle him, smirking happily as he watched him. "Good, good. He's a real nice guy. Great friend."

Two-Bit watched him, a little weirded out by Riff's seeming obsession of enjoying others tied up.

"Um, yeah….." He swallowed.

"Good." Riff came over beside Dermot's head, lifting the boy's face up onto a pillow. "Show me your teeth. There they are….." He grinned, stroking the sides of the scarf smoothly with his hands, eyeing Dermot happily, who bit down tightly.

Dermot looked at him with big eyes, flinching a little, closing his eyes tightly, letting out a faint growl-like moan.

Riff smirked, continuing to stroke the scarf that gagged the helpless teenager. "Thatta boy."

Two-Bit watched, shaking his head a little with curled up lips.

"You know, I don't think he uh, really likes that, Riff." Two-Bit swallowed.

Riff glanced up at him, running his hands through Dermot's soft hair again. "Well sure he does. Just look at him. He's perfect." Riff patted his head softly then got up and came back over to Two-Bit, beginning to pat Dermot's rump again, a little harder this time. "He's great, he really is."

Two-Bit looked at Dermot, who noticeably flinched from Riff's touch, frowning deeply.

Riff looked over at the rest of the boys, still patting Dermot's a**. "Okay, who's turn is it tonight? Come on, now."

Two-Bit blinked and turned, looking at the boys who tensed up, going a little scared.

Christian frowned and pointed at Jay and Rami pointed at Judd.

"Matt. It's your turn, isn't it?" Riff smirked calmly.

Matt frowned, seeming to sink a little. "N-No."

"Get him." Riff nodded and Two-Bit frowned as the boys took Matt down to the floor, holding him down.

Two-Bit gaped a little as he watched the other boys tie him up, just like Dermot was. "Wait-wait, now you're tying Matt up too?" He frowned at Riff.

"Well sure," Riff shrugged with a smirk. "Everyone takes their turn."

Dermot shifted a little on the couch, still getting slapped, letting out a muffled moan, closing his eyes tightly. Riff smiled at him with a tinkle in his eye, patting his rump firmly, sometimes slapping him.

Two-Bit glanced between Dermot and Matt, who was now gagged and getting tied up, weakly trying to struggle and move around, the boys hogtying his limbs so he was helpless.

"You-You just tie them all up? Whenever you want?" Two-Bit swallowed hard.

"'Course. Your gang never tied you up?" Riff shrugged, smirking as he now watched Matt, who whimpered out as Judd began hitting him. "Judd! No!" He growled. "Leave him be!"

Two-Bit frowned immediately. "No. Why would they?"

Riff shrugged again, happily slapping Dermot now. "Well. For entertainment of course."

Two-Bit shook his head, watching him. "Somethin's wrong with you, ya know." He huffed.

Riff laughed loudly, smiling widely. "Oh I know! But where would the fun be if there weren't?"

Dermot tried to move around, not liking the slapping, moaning a little.

"Oh, sorry Dermot." Riff stopped, coming over and patting his head softly. "You're a good boy. Matt, how you doing, brother?" He got up and went to Matt, stroking his hair gently as well, admiring him.

Matt did not look happy, lying his face down on the floor with a soft growl, kicking his legs a little, though it was no use. "Mmmmm…"

Riff smirked happily with approval, giving his rump a few good slaps too. "Thatta boy."

Two-Bit was watching, shaking his head with disapproval.

"Two-Bit, look at Matt, look at him." Riff said with a soft voice, startling Two, who blinked, looking at a helpless tied-up Matt on the floor.

Matt frowned deeply, his teeth visible as he bit down on his gag, flinching as Riff stroked his long hair softly, pulling at his tied up limbs just a little, clearly not happy.

Two-Bit frowned at him, feeling sorry for him.

"I tie my boys up cause it teaches them composure and the ability to recognize vulnerability. How we all need to look at each other and see each boy respond differently to one another, when they're the most exposed."

Riff grinned, reaching over to Matt, pushing some of the scarf gagging him back between his teeth. "Between your teeth, Matt. Good boy."

Matt growled and shook his head, flinching away, breathing heavily, eyeing Riff as he stood up. "Mmmph."

From the couch, Dermot also moaned a little, sounding tired, voice muffled.

Riff came over to Two-Bit happily, carefully and gently wrapping his arm around Two's neck, grinning. "See what I mean buddy? You see my point?"

Oddly, what Riff said almost made sense, though Two-Bit didn't agree obviously. He stood still though, swallowing. "I-I guess so."

"Good! See, you're fitting in already! Help me with Dermot now, will ya?" Riff grinned, going back over to Dermot happily.

Two-Bit blinked, thinking of the gang, almost wanting to be with them instead of these guys.

At least they all have the sense not to tie each other up…...

A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating as quickly :/