Hey, I'm back, sorry it took so long, you're all probably really anxious to see what happens!!

Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders-S.E. Hinton does!

Ponyboy opened his eyes and turned his head to the side.

"Ow," he gasped and grabbed the back of his head. He felt a warm trickle of blood run down the back of his neck. That's when he recalled opening the door and taking his first step into the house.

He sat up, ignoring the throbbing, pain in the back of his head, and looked around. The house was still dark, the sky outside was becoming lighter. He faced forward and saw the open door and the blood, stained floor.

I must've slipped and hit my head, but where'd the blood…

That's when he remembered the previous night's events. He froze with terror, was the murderer still in the house?

"Soda…Johnny," he whispered ever so lightly, getting up he turned into the first room by him, Darry's room.

Pony walked into the room, clasping his mouth when he observed the scene in front of him. There on the bed was Pony's older brother covered in blood, with a note lying on top of him. Pony walked over to Darry, he could feel the tears streaming down his face. He picked up the note, careful not to touch his brother's body, and opened it up.

We will tear your soul apart.

Pony stared at the note, there is more than one killer, the "we" part gave that away. What was he going to do; he had to find out what happened to Soda and Johnny. He turned around taking one last look at his deceased brother. Whoever was doing this was tearing his soul apart, everyone he knows is dying, but he wasn't going to, Pony was going to fight to the end.

He walked out of the room looking left down the hall, then right. He heard a noise down in the basement, walking forward; he climbed down the stairs faster than when he was walking up them. He looked around and saw the almost dead flashlight. Grabbing it up he wheeled around and looked for the source of the noise.

He sighed with relief, when he saw Soda sitting in the corner.

"Soda…Soda its Pony," he reached out to touch is brother's shoulder. He jumped back when Soda opened his eyes and looked up.

"Jeez Soda, you scared the crap outta me. What happened are you alright?"

"Yeah Pone…come here…help me up," Soda gasped in pain. Pony noticed a pool of blood under Soda and wondered where it was coming from.

"Soda, you're bleeding real bad, maybe you should sit down."

"Okay, that sounds good," he sat back down wincing at the pain. "Pony, you have to find Johnny, I don't know what happened to him."

"Soda I don't want to go back up there. I'm too scared," greasers were never scared, but when half of your friends were dead, that little piece of information was lost.

"Please, Pone, find Johnny and call the cops, please," he cringed in pain again.

"Ok, ok Soda, just don't…"

"Pone I'm not gunna die, get up there now." He still looked like a movie star, but one that was about to die in a movie.

Without another word Pony left his brother and headed up the steps, this time not even pausing to think each step through. He jumped over the pool of blood that he slipped on before, stopping only when he got to the kitchen.

He looked around before running for the phone. He jammed the phone to his ear, stomach dropping when he couldn't hear the dial tone. So far, Soda's plan to escape was not going well.

The only other way he could get help is to run to an occupied house and hoped they were willing to help him.

Pony walked out into the hallway and saw the front door. He made a run for it; he stopped when he saw his friend Two-bit, lying face down on the couch. The blood running down the couch was enough to make him vomit. Once again there was a note lying on his back. Pony picked it up, this was getting ridiculous; note, after note, after note. His mouth dropped and his heart skipped a beat when he read the scribbled writing on the inside.

Here's Johnny.

"Oh my god…no," Pony raced to the door slamming right into it. Confused he tried to turn the knob but it wouldn't budge.

"What the hell, open up! Come on, open up!" he kicked the door and pulled hard on the knob, but it wouldn't budge.

"What's wrong, can't you open the door."

Pony's eyes grew wide, his hand that was on the door knob grabbed it tighter. Could it really be what the note said, was it really him who accomplished this massacre. It couldn't be there is no way, that he could have possibly done this. Pony turned around very slowly, facing the person who murdered his friends and his brother.

He gasped at the shadowed figure in front of him, the muscles in his stomach tightening. Those familiar eyes poured into his green ones, making Pony's insides shake with fear. The dark skin had dried blood on it, and the sticky, crimson matted his black hair. His one fist clenched and unclenched waiting to rip Pony apart. In his other hand he gripped the upper arm of a trembling sixteen year old boy.

"So, it took you this long to figure out who the killer was. That is pathetic, aren't you supposed to be the smart one?" he took a step towards Pony, who took one back bumping into the door. His heart was racing and he was preparing for the first swing from his fist or the first stab of a switchblade.

Pony never thought he would be scared of this person in front of him, now he understood how Johnny felt when he was being trapped by his father. This is what it felt like to be a second away from being beaten by someone who was supposed to love you. Pony would think about the ways that he and his friends would save Johnny from being tortured again. Now he wasn't so sure about all of his "brilliant" ideas.

Johnny's father was tall and slightly built, more muscular than his teenage boy. The grip he had around his son's arm was enough to make anybody back off. He apparently had some time alone with Johnny too. He was bruised badly and had a few scratches here and there. Johnny's eyes were red with exhaustion and tears.

"Cat got your tongue, Ponyboy. What a name, I always thought your parents were…weird. Now I know, they also raised a coward, can't even help out his best friend," Mr. Cade took another step forward, dragging Johnny along, tightening his grip.

"Ow, dad, please stop, please leave Pony alone…"

"Shut up, you lousy piece of shit! God damn you, I'm trying to talk to your friend here, now shut up!" he wheeled Johnny around and shouted right in his face. Johnny grimaced and closed his eyes waiting to be slapped across the face. That slap never came because he turned his attention around to Pony.

"Please, Mr. Cade, I…why are you doing this? What have we ever done to…to…"

"To what, to make me angry, upset? Well, let me tell you boy, I have told this one here…" he yanked Johnny's arm, making him fall to his knees, "…to stay away from you boys, and has he listened to me, no. So, I thought I would take matters into my own hands and along the way a few things occurred. First of all you boys must love my son, because I simply wanted to talk and tell you boys to stay away," he took another step forward pointing a finger in my face.

"You all insisted that I was the reason that you boys were keeping my son away from me! Do you know how that feels, to have someone tell you that his son doesn't want him! So, seeing as you boys wouldn't give up without a fight, I decided to just kill you off, so far that plan is working wonderfully well."

Pony was now shaking so uncontrollably, he could feel hot tears pouring down his face once again. Johnny's father was going to kill him, and he was defenseless.

"This is getting a little emotional, and I'm not one for the sappy stuff, so let's get this done and over with, shall we?" He turned around letting go off Johnny, and walked over to the stand next to the couch. He took a heater out of the draw and turned his attention on his son, who was holding his arm and looking at his father with panic in his eyes.

"Johnny…" he pointed the gun at his son. He was going to kill Pony's best friend right in front of him. Pony braced himself for the gun to go off, but there was nothing but silence. To his surprise Johnny stood up and unsteadily walked forward.

"No." his voice cracked.

"Johnny, what did we talk about while Pony was passed out, do you remember, or are you just that stupid?"

"No, I…"

"Take the gun Johnny, right now or I swear to god I'll…" Johnny leapt forward and took the gun, afraid of what his father might do.

"Good boy, now do as I told you last night Johnny, go ahead," he said this in an almost fatherly voice, which made Johnny look at him with surprise written all over his face.

What were they talking about? What did Johnny's father tell him to do?

Johnny turned around; tears were coming fast down his face. He held the gun awkwardly as he walked towards Pony. Reality hit him; Johnny's father told him that he, Johnny, Pony's best friend, had to kill him.

"Johnny man, come on this isn't you. Don't listen to him, he's trying to…"

"Shut up, Mr. Curtis! That is enough out of you. Now let Johnny finish his business."

"No, I can't…I can't he's my friend dad, I can't," he sank to the floor pleading to his father hoping it would work. His attempt was worthless. His father grabbed the gun out of his hand and brought it down onto the side of Johnny's face. He clutched his cheek and screamed out in pain. It was horrible to watch, but Pony was waiting for the moment that it would be turned on him.

"Now do as I say and shoot him, before I do it myself!" he bent over Johnny's body and shoved the gun into his gut.

He fumbled with the gun for a second until he held it correctly. Once again he turned to Pony and revealed his battered up face. Pony crumbled on the inside, he couldn't take seeing best friend like this.

"Pone, promise me one thing," Johnny asked with a hard look on his face.

"What Johnnycakes, what…" Pony was beginning to sob.

"Shoot him already, what are you waiting for!"

"You'll stay by my side right, friends stay together til' the end, remember?"

"Yeah Johnny, til' the end," he didn't know what Johnny was talking about, but whatever made him happy.

Johnny clenched his jaw, and closed his eyes.

BANG!

Pony waited for the pain, the heat of the blood, but nothing came. He opened his eyes to a disturbing scene, Johnny, the sweetest boy out there, was pointing the gun away from Pony and in the direction of his father.

His father stood there holding his stomach, blood seeping through his fingers. His eyes were wide with fear and hurt. Mr. Cade opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was the word, "you". He dropped to the floor still looking at his son. He would never have another chance to try and become a father to this young boy, and he would never hurt him again.

Johnny stood over his father trembling with tears rolling down his face.

"Never again, never…ever again," he dropped the gun and covered his eyes; he sank to the ground, rocking back and forth repeating the words, 'never again' over and over. Pony crawled over to his whimpering friend, and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"Shh, it's alright Johnny, it's over, it's all over."

The sound of multiple car doors slammed shut and Pony could hear shouting outside. He lifted his head and looked towards the door, never letting go of Johnny. The door flew open and two police officers came inside guns at the ready. Steinwick and Perry were next to come in, they froze at the sight in front of them.

"Are you boys alright?" Perry asked walking over to them.

"Yeah, yeah, were…fine, everything is fine now," Pony choked out, holding Johnny closer to him.

Don't worry! I'll have an epilogue wrapping it all up!!

I hope you enjoyed my story as much as I did writing it!

Quotes: Pinhead (Doug Bradley), Hellraiser (1987) - first quote

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), The Shining (1980) – second quote (you know I had to have that in there somewhere!!)

Review please!!!!