Ok-next chapter. Please read and review! It's long so be forewarned. And it's a cliffhanger so be forewarned too!

Also, (you'll see what I mean when you're done) but I have tried to research what I have written about in this chapter and the next…but forgive me if some things are exactly perfected! ;)

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Well I know it wasn't you who held me down

Heaven knows it wasn't you who set me free

So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains

And we never even know we have the key

-The Eagles

XXXX

Ponyboy's POV

"What'll it be? Waffles or Flapjacks?" Soda asked cheerfully as he splashed batter around in a bowl. Steve and I watched him warily as he poured the mix into a frying pan and began shaking it over the burner.

"You do have a fire extinguisher around here right?" Steve asked me, a look of caution darting across his features.

"Regretfully, no," I told him. Then to Soda I said, "Why are we having breakfast for dinner again?"

"Because it's good. Nutritious, even." He smiled sheepishly. "And because there's no food in the house."

Steve glanced at the clock on the wall. "They should be back from the store any second…" He grimaced as Soda threw crumpled pretzels into the batter. "With something that's edible."

Two-Bit and Darry had made a grocery run about an hour ago. I had volunteered but everyone had balked at that idea. Plus, with the storms rolling in Darry wanted to stock up on batteries and bottled water.

I examined the cards Steve had dealt me. "Re-deal them," I said shaking my head and slapping them back on the table. "I'm not playing if you cheat."

"I don't play dirty you little smartass," he said with a scowl, "that's your brother." Steve pointed his lit cigarette at Soda.

Soda shot him a look over his shoulder. "You know Darry's gonna skin you when he gets home, right?" Then he looked at me. "Don't listen to him. Who do you think I learned it from?"

Steve took my cards and reshuffled them with a grumble. The front door slammed and the lock bolted. I drummed my fingers on the table; trying to remember the last time we had locked the front door.

In skidded Two-Bit, two twelve packs in his hands, his mouth flapping. "Kid, I'd run and hide if I were you. Preferably to the next state."

Steve stopped mid-deal to gape at Two-Bit. "What'd you do now?"

A loud banging shook the door. "Dammit Two-Bit, let me in." It was Darry. "So help me god, if you make me get my keys…" he grumbled angrily and then trailed off.

My green eyes widened. "Yeah, Two-Bit. What did you do now?"

Darry's key found the lock and he was inside, rain dripping off his coat. I met Soda's shocked eyes. Darry was pissed.

"When," he huffed, setting the remaining grocery bags on the floor, "were you going to tell me about that woman?"

At my startled face he continued, "The one who came around here a few weeks ago."

I tried to play dumb. "Oh?"

Two-Bit shut his eyes and whistled. "Take the fifth. Take the fifth."

"Christ Ponyboy!" Darry suddenly yelled at me. I jumped and dropped my cards.

Damn. I had aces.

"She knows and you just forget to tell me about it?" Despite the wrath in his voice I saw the worry in his eyes.

"Darry!" Soda snapped, flapjacks burning behind him. "Calm down."

I sighed. It took longer than I thought it would have but Darry fianlly found out about Karen Nichols' latest visit.

"She said she wouldn't tell?" I offered, hoping this would soothe him.

Darry paused a moment to take a breath and then exploded again, this time a bit more quietly than before. "This wasn't a visit from the state." His icy eyes darted to Two-Bit. "Two-Bit of all the stupid things you could have done-"

This time I exploded. "Glory Darry! What'd you do? Beat it out of him?" I yelled back, knowing Two-Bit would never voluntarily tell him what had happened.

"Kid," Two-Bit said intervening, "I saw her at the grocery store. That crazy broad started in on me…Darry was just…there."

Two-Bit saw Steve's raised eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"You cussed her out didn't you?" Steve rocked back in his chair. "You cussed that broad out."

"Of course not!" Two-Bit said exasperated. "I didn't want to make things worse." He shot me a small smile.

"Ponyboy, were you ever going to tell me?" Darry said with a funny expression on his face.

"Darry…I…" My mouth flapped open wordlessly.

What could I say? That I had told Caplan and not him? That after hearing Caplan's advice I figured I'd wait it out because the chance of Karen Nichols spilling the truth was rare.

But from the look on Darry's face I think he already knew who I had told.

"Wait, wait. Wait!" Soda exclaimed. "Tell you what? C'mon you two, I'm lost." Soda raised his hands in a what gives gesture.

"Someone knows that I went to Nam when I was 16."

My words hit Soda like a Mack Truck. He slumped back against the counter. "She hasn't told anyone?" he croaked.

"No. I don't think she will…" I ventured. "She's just angry her son's dead…"

"…And you're not," Soda finished for me, rolling that thought around in his mind. I could see him wanting to accept it, grasping for the idea that this would turn out all right in the end.

"Simple human nature," Steve added with a casual shrug. I nodded at him with agreement, his notion was an honest one, but Soda shot him a nasty glance.

"It may very well blow over, Ponyboy. I just wish you would have told me is all," Darry said, his voice softening several octaves.

Soda was still staring at me as if I had a deadly, incurable disease. "It'll be ok Sodapop," I said trying to reassure him. Then to Darry I said, "I'm really sorry. I just tried not to worry-"

I choked my words off as I caught a flash of white in the living room. Bolting off my chair, I flew out of the kitchen. In his anger, Darry had forgotten to shut the front door.

Pounding down the steps, I grabbed Shakes' shoulder. He spun around; from the look on his face he had heard everything.

"Were you ever going to tell me Ponyboy?" His voice was high and strained.

"Probably not. It's not something to talk about."

"Well, you could've told me," Shakes said before leaving me standing in the pouring rain.

"Ah, hell," I said to the dark night.

XXXX

The pounding rain hit me hard as I jogged down the street to my house. The only problem was I couldn't find it. It was pitch black outside. The only thing I could see was the harsh glow of the street lamps.

Street lamps.

And then I blinked.

This was a dream.

A bad dream.

A red stain seeped through my shirt near my stomach.

Frowning I touched it; my palms coming back red. Then, just as soon as it had come, it was gone.

"Now you see it, now you don't," intoned Jimmy Logan.

I stared at him as he sauntered up to me. "At least I prefer you to Slim," I told him with amusement.

"That makes two of us." Dally flicked his lighter the soft glow of the flame illuminating his stony features.

Dumbly, I wondered how he could light a cigarette in this weather but then remembered that this wasn't real. Feeling water in my shoes and I looked down to see that the rain was flooding the street, the wind whipping violently.

"This will be short and sweet," Dallas said.

Seeing the knife my eyes widened in fear. I backed away but Dallas just stood there.

Instantly, my body was racked with pain and when I looked down again, blood was flooding the street, filling my shoes.

XXXX

I woke up screaming, my yell mixing with the sound of distant thunder. My hands gripped the couch in panic. I fumbled with the lamp cord but it refused to turn on.

Soda threw the door open and stuck his head in; he was drenched with rain and carrying a flashlight. The wind howled behind him. "You up?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yeah. What's going on?" I squinted into the beam of his flashlight.

Soda chuckled but was still disconcerted. "The power went off all across town. There's a storm coming. Maybe tornadoes." He waved his flashlight at me. "I'm looking for more in the garage. Darry's on his way home, Steve and Two-Bit-"

Stopping abruptly, Soda peered closer at me. "You sure you're ok Pone?"

I nodded mutely and clenched my hands into fists. Fighting down panic, I forced a smile. "I'll come help."

"No. Stay dry. Stay here." Soda flickered the flashlight at me and was gone.

I belong a long way from here I thought with glum realization. The wind wailed outside, almost beckoning me to open that front door and step out.

And I did. I was never any good at listening to warnings.

The sky was a greenish-black, clouds moving shapelessly, quickly. I sucked in a breath. I didn't like this weather. It was as if I had awoken into my nightmare.

I was almost back inside the house, ready to get my jacket and help Soda when I froze, the screen door held open by my hand. The wind had settled down, an eerie peace descending.

Frowning, I walked down the porch steps, the screen door clattering behind me. I stood in the middle of the street and squinted into the gloomy dusk. The air had calmed, yet a steady tension still hung over the neighborhood. The hot, humid air burned my throat.

I got it. I knew what this was.

You didn't live in Tulsa your whole life and forget the warning signs.

"Oh shit!" Running hard for the garage, I kept checking behind me for the funnel cloud. Our garage was set apart from the house, almost shed-like. It was where my dad had fixed our bikes and set up our fishing poles.

"Soda!" I yelled into the air as the wind picked up, but I doubted he had heard me.

Forcefully, I whipped the side door of the garage open. Soda looked up from a jumble of boxes. "Hey Pone. I found a bunch of Darry's old baseball cards." The beam of his flashlight illuminated Mickey Mantle.

"Soda," I panted. "We gotta get inside now."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What are you-"

A howling sound came from outside, as wind and hail rocked the rickety garage. Soda's brown eyes darted open. "Oh. That." Then he jumped up and grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

Before Soda could open the door, it was viciously ripped off its hinges by the approaching tornado. Wheeling around, Soda shoved me in the opposite direction. "Go! Go Pone!" He swore under his breath.

Quickly, I scoured the garage for another way out. I grabbed the main garage door and gripped it tight. "Soda, we're going to have to run for the basement," I told him.

"I know," he said, his eyes grim. Then he nodded resolutely. "Do it."

I threw it open and we ran for the house, the wind slowing us down, the funnel behind us. It sounded like a railroad train was chasing us.

"Watch it!" Soda shouted as a "For Sale" sign crashed a few feet by us.

Halfway to the house, it caught us. Soda and I were knocked to the ground. He grimaced and yelled something but I couldn't hear him. Everything was too loud. A strange fuzziness like the sound of TV static mixed with the roar of the tornado took over my ears.

Before I could pull myself back up, something else did. And then I was slammed sideways into something hard, rubble and wood collapsing around me.

XXXX

Someone was shouting. I wanted to tell them to leave me alone so I could sleep. I had school tomorrow.

XXXX

The pain from my stomach woke me up next. My chest burning, somebody pinching the left side of my stomach.

XXXX

Quietly, a voice was murmuring, steadying itself not to erupt with alarm. Somebody rocked me, a humming filling my head. Once, twice, three times, my eyes tried to open and then with deliberate force I was able to.

Boy, I was tired.

Soda's frantic face stared down at me. He choked on a sob and rocked me again. "You're awake."

Then his head did a 180 as he shouted out, "Darry!" His arm raised and he motioned to someone behind him.

My head felt fuzzy as Soda patted my shoulder, smoothing back my hair. "Honey, you with me?"

I couldn't say anything; instead my mind was trying to figure out exactly what I was laying on that felt like a mixture of rocks and scissors.

Darry appeared over Sodapop and knelt down next to him. "You found him," he stated, relief evident in his voice.

I cocked my head and found my voice. "Was I lost?" I couldn't remember what had happened.

Soda and Darry stared at each other for a second and then to my horror, Soda burst into tears. "We didn't know where the…the tornado threw you, Pone. I just didn't know."

Glancing around I saw that I was lying on a pile of rubble that had been the garage. Suddenly it all rushed back to me, I remembered what had happened.

Damn Mother Nature. If it weren't Socs or robbers out to get me it was the goddamned weather.

"Looks like I made it back into the garage after all," I joked, trying to get Soda to smile.

Darry and Soda were silent. Well if no one was going to say anything, I was getting off this pile of trash. I shifted and sat up quickly, stars clouding my vision.

Both of my brothers appeared to have aneurysms on the spot. "Glory! Don't do that Pone," Soda pleaded. "You just got tossed ass over teakettle."

Darry, pale but steady, ran his hands down my legs and arms, squeezing them to check for breaks. "You're going to the hospital."

"I don't need to," I said brushing him off. My eyes lit up. "Hey! Our house is still here."

"Sure is…" Darry said slowly, catching Soda's worried gaze. "Ponyboy we're going to get you up now. Tell us if anything hurts you."

Darry and Soda's strong arms brought me up. I hobbled for a moment and then straightened up. "Good?" Darry asked.

I nodded at him. "Dar, I'm real thirsty."

"We'll get you something in a minute kiddo. Hold on." Keeping a firm grip on my elbow, Darry turned to Sodapop. "Soda, go round up the guys. Then we'll go to the hospital."

Reluctantly, Soda hopped in the truck and sped down the street, narrowly missing taking out our mailbox.

"Darry, I don't need a hospital," I said with frustration, watching Soda drive away.

Darry shook his head. "Don't. Do not argue with me. Please. If nothing else, it will make Soda and myself feel better."

"Fine." As I took a step, the piercing pain from earlier ran through my belly. I winced and sucked in a breath.

Darry missed nothing. "What is it?" he asked with hawk-like concern.

"Just sore." I smiled and forced my aching body into the house. "Where are Two-Bit and Steve anyways?"

Hesitating, Darry pulled the door shut. "They're halfway down the block looking for you."

Man, if I had gone that far they wouldn't find me alive, that's for sure. But I kept this thought to myself.

"Get on that couch and don't move. I'm going to call Dana, we'll wait for Soda and then we'll go." My brother was speaking so methodically that I knew thinking rationally was the only way he could keep it together.

"Geez, Darry. At least let me use the bathroom first." I shot him a grin. "Five minutes."

"I'll time it," he said, relenting with a tight laugh.

What I really wanted to do was wash my face. I felt like I had when I was seven years old and Steve had pushed my face into the dirt and told me to eat it. Grimy and dusty.

I washed and dried my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror. And then I realized why Soda was so upset. I could've been dead; I looked dead. My ashy face was bruised, dark circles underneath my eyes.

Soda had been out there by himself, searching frantically, unsure of whether he'd find me breathing or lying dead someplace in a mess of rubble.

It'd be enough to make me come unglued too.

A wave of dizziness hit me and I clutched the sink. My hand went down and touched my left side. Damn. Something was wrong.

I heard hollow coughing and realized it was me. All of a sudden, I noticed there was blood in the sink. Horrified, I raised my hands to my mouth and coughed again. They came away flooded in red.

I definitely wasn't feeling too hot.

My bloody hand slipped off the doorknob as I tried to open it, leaving behind a red mess. I'll have to clean that, I thought woozily. I tried again and this time got it open.

"Darry," I said as I entered the living room. My brother dropped the phone, his face frozen in shock as I held up my bloody hands.

"I think I need to go to the hospital now," I told him before pitching forward onto the carpet.

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Wowie-what a long chapter. Let me know what you all thought! Please review!  Sorry to leave you like this but no more updates until tomorrow.