Heartbeat
By Shattered Aura
In collaboration with FrankElza
Review replies:
dani-curtis-16: Yes, I did, but someone thankfully pointed it out. Glad you like both. :)
BunnyluvsU: *Hands tissue* Don't cry, don't cry... Hehehe. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
Jessieklove: I agree, he is...enjoy this chapter. xx
The Writing Wizard: Thank you!
The Curtis Crew: Yes, it is. Thank you!
panda: You would? Sweetie. Hope you like this chapter. ;)
FrankElza: It is nice to write with you too. :) Thanks again. xx
Diverging Patronus: Really? :P
Sydney Castle: The first line of your review made me laugh. Thank you!
nanichristine: Well, well, here they are! :)
staygold-fandom: Of course I will. I'm not leaving any of my stories unfinished!
GreaserG1rl201: I'm glad my stories have that effect on you. :) Enjoy this chapter.
Nessie2000: Your review made me laugh! Maybe not those words...It's up to you to find out! :P And please, don't hyperventilate!
I think you waited long enough... Here's the next chapter. And thanks to FrankElza for helping me with it. Enjoy.
XxX
Everything happened in slow motion.
Soda screamed, "NO!" and dove for Ponyboy. Steve shot up off the floor in a split second tackling the robber. A loud gunshot echoed inside the store, along with some shattered material. Ponyboy found himself on the floor in his brother's arms while Steve was fighting the guy for the gun.
Sodapop was torn between helping Steve and getting Ponyboy to safety, but then he took his decision. "Ponyboy, leave and call the cops!" He shouted, getting up in haste to help his best friend. "We'll hold him off! Go!" Ponyboy nodded, eyes wide, and struggled to get up on shaky legs.
"Oh no you don't!" The guy shouted as he blocked Steve's punches and held on to the gun tightly. In one, swift motion, he blocked another punch and then elbowed Steve in the stomach, catching the young mechanic off-guard. Steve gasped and fell on his knees, trying to focus on getting air back in his lungs. Sodapop momentarily forgot the guy and crouched down next to his friend to help him up.
That was his mistake.
The guy fired another shot at Ponyboy, who had been standing in the middle of the store, frozen in fear. Ponyboy gave a scream as he felt the pressure of the bullet pass his face and collapsed to the ground, with his hands tucking his head to his knees. In his position, he didn't see the guy come at him full on until it was too late.
He just had the time to unwrap his arms from over his head before the guy grabbed one of them and forced him up. Ponyboy struggled forcefully, even punching the guy straight in the face, but the guy easily blocked it and swung the gun hard across Pony's own face, making the boy cry out. The guy raised the gun in the air and Ponyboy tightly closed his eyes and winced away, waiting for a blow that never came.
"You never hurt my kid brother!" Sodapop shouted in a raging voice as he grabbed the guy from behind and wrapped his arms around his neck in a choke-hold, making the guy release Ponyboy's arm. Ponyboy fell back on the floor from the release of the one thing actually keeping him standing, seeing as he was shaking too much to stand by himself. He scooted further in the back, eyes never leaving sight of the guy.
Steve, having gotten up, threw himself on the guy, making the guy, himself, and Soda fall on the floor. The guy dropped his gun from the force of Steve's tackle just as he got ready to fire another shot. Ponyboy felt something heavy and cold land on his leg and he instantly knew it was the guy's gun. The trigger was half-jammed and the barrel pointed right at him. "Ponyboy," Steve shouted between punches, "call the cops!" Ponyboy was too terrified to move and curled up, frozen in fear, heavily breathing and crying.
Sodapop and Steve both felt like they were fighting an endless battle, what with the guy's strength and size, and the fact that he seemed intent on shooting Ponyboy. There was no specific reason, really; he was just crazy and needed to go to a mental prison. A mental hospital wouldn't be a punishment. Or so, that's what Sodapop thought while throwing punches at the guy.
The guy struggled full-force and managed to toss both teenagers for a second before they ganged up on him again. He was not going to let his pride take defeat over the two. Steve and Soda managed to pin the guy to the ground but the guy fought the two greasers with all his might. They would not be able to hold him for long. "Ponyboy! Call the damn cops!" Steve yelled, but Ponyboy was unmoving.
Steve noticed an aluminium container that they used for their car work just out of reach. Taking a chance, Steve let go of the guy and scrambled to grab the aluminium container. In that moment Soda was twisted around as the guy gripped him tight and used his strength to get free. Soda was unable to hold him by himself. Soda's eyes widened as he saw a fist coming towards his face, but it never hit.
There was a clunk and a groan followed by the guy collapsing just to the side of Soda, all pressure released.
Steve breathed heavily, aluminium container in his hand as he stared down at the now unconscious guy. Soda scooted his trapped legs out from under the guy and scrambled up. The two friends glanced towards the door when they heard the sirens of the police coming down the road.
Steve vaguely wondered how the hell the cops knew about the robbery if Ponyboy hadn't called them, but then he realised that the shots must've alerted the very few neighbors. And they had been lucky that the only neighbors of the station had been there at all.
We're almost safe, Soda thought with relief then he glanced over at Ponyboy, still crouched on the floor crying and struggling to breath and panicked. Before Soda could reach his brother, Steve held him back, seeing something alarming that Soda obviously hadn't. "Shit...Kid, don't move an inch!" Steve said as calmly as he could muster. Soda stared for a moment before realizing what Steve had seen.
In all the rush to keep Ponyboy from harm, he hadn't even realized the gun had fallen on his leg and that the guy had cocked the gun a second time, but the gun had not gone off. Soda's heart raced. Ponyboy needed him but any wrong move and the gun could fire a fatal shot to his brother."Ponyboy, you stay calm okay. The fuzz will be here any minute. Just breathe." Soda called out, wanting to run and hold his brother tight but willing himself to stay calm and still.
The guy started to groan and attempted to pick himself up off the ground just as police ran into the store arming guns. "Freeze!" one cop yelled. "Put your hands in the air where we can see them!" He pointed his gun at the guy. Ponyboy couldn't help but whimper. Seeing the cop point the gun was making him relive what happened just moments ago.
The two cops ran at the guy before he could make another move, swiftly arresting him and pulling him up from the ground. The guy gave a harsh hateful look to each boy and narrowed his eyes at Ponyboy, which sent shivers down Ponyboy's spine and left him shaking. The guy was escorted outside and placed into a cruiser and quickly taken to the station.
The third policeman remained behind, entering the store once the others had left and assessed for other damage. He noticed the charged up gun resting on the back of Ponyboy's leg. The policeman rushed over to him and Ponyboy flinched. "Stay still Ponyboy!" Soda yelled. Ponyboy was terrified, in his fear only hearing faint shouts and noises around him.
"Relax son," the cop soothed. "I'm just going to remove the gun from your leg." Ponyboy whimpered; the whole experience had left him shaken and he just wanted to go home and forget about it. The cop carefully took off the gun and released the click to stop the gun from firing. Then in one, swift motion, he picked up the gun in his hand and tucked it in his pocket.
As soon as Ponyboy was safe, Sodapop took it as a cue and ran to Ponyboy, collapsing to his knees and wrapping his strong arms around his baby brother's shaking body. Soda gripped his hand tightly around Ponyboy's shoulder, pulling his brother to him, letting the younger boy know that he was there for him. "Soda? Sodapop?" Ponyboy whimpered, gasping for a breath. Soda rested his head on Ponyboy's.
"Oh, Ponyboy, I'm right here. Just breathe for me." Sodapop said, despair in his voice plainly showing the worry he felt when seeing his baby brother getting hurt and being helpless about it. The action itself triggered something in Ponyboy's body, and soon he found himself uncurling his arms and gripping Soda around the waist tightly, continuing to cry into his chest. He didn't even care that he was a greaser and that greasers didn't cry in public,—and especially not in front of the fuzz—he just wanted to let the fear go.
"Breathe Pony, calm down." Ponyboy tried his hardest to listen to his brother.
"Soda," Ponyboy whispered and then hiccupped as he tried to control his sobs. "I-I wanna go home..."
"We're not going anywhere else tonight, Little Colt," Soda reassured the boy while rubbing Ponyboy's back soothingly.
"Is the kid okay?" Steve asked, but didn't get a reply when a cop approached Soda, Steve, and Ponyboy, having finished his assessment, just now needing statements.
"You understand we need a statement from each of you." the cop flatly stated.
"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Steve answered, starting to get annoyed. He had just been fighting for his life and now he just wanted to leave the place. "Can't you see the kid's state right now? I don't think he wants to answer any questions tonight."
The cop sighed. It was never easy dealing with hoods. "Very well, but we are going to get a statement tomorrow." Steve just waved him off while he made his way to the phone.
Steve returned in the shop and knelt down next to his buddy and his brother, observing how Ponyboy clung to Sodapop badly and how shaken he was. Poor kid, Steve thought. Soda's knuckles were almost turning white from the grip on his brother's shoulder. "I called Darry," Steve said to his best friend. "He's gonna pick you guys up. I'll clean the shop and meet y'all later."
"Soda, is it over?" Ponyboy choked out.
"Yeah it is Pony." Sodapop briefly looked up. "You don't have to clean it by yourself," he said in disbelief. "I'll help you, no sweat; I just need to reassure Ponyboy that it'll be fine."
"No, really, man," Steve said, "I don't mind. Just get Ponyboy home and take care of him."
Sodapop looked at him. "Thank you so much, Steve," Sodapop exclaimed, extremely thankful.
The boys heard a car door slam outside and seconds later the door burst open, almost breaking off its hinges as Darry rushed in, followed by Two-bit. "Ponyboy! Sodapop!" Darry's loud voice yelled. Soda looked up at his brother with a flushed face. Darry ran to his brothers and kneeled down.
"What happened?" he asked, and then, without warning, Ponyboy threw himself at Darry and cried in his chest. Darry was shocked at first, but ignored his shock and hugged Ponyboy back fiercely while Sodapop hugged Ponyboy from behind, also crying and shaking.
Two-bit approached Steve and gave him a light punch. "What happened man?" Steve went on to explain all about what went on from the point where he got to the shop. Darry was listening in the background and paled. Holy shit, he thought, I almost lost my brothers. He held Soda and Pony tighter.
"I-I wanna go home, Darry...please." Darry shushed Ponyboy.
"That's what we're doing right now, baby. You're gonna be alright, I promise." Darry helped Soda stand up, then the two grabbed Ponyboy by each arm and helped him to stand. Soda had stopped crying and was only left registering the shock but Ponyboy was still shaken and sobbing lightly.
XxX
As soon as Darry parked the truck, Sodapop hopped out and helped Ponyboy out, wrapping his arm around his baby brother's shoulders and then guiding him in the house. Darry watched them both, thinking about how close those two had been to losing each other. About how close he had been from losing them both.
He closed the door softly behind him and glanced at Ponyboy as he made his way to the kitchen to get dinner done. "What do you want for dinner, Ponyboy?"
"I'm not hungry," Ponyboy told his oldest brother. "Do you mind if I go to bed?"
Darry frowned. "Are you sure, Ponyboy? It's still early."
"Please, Darry," Ponyboy softly said. "I'm really tired. I just wanna rest, is all."
Sodapop, who was walking in the kitchen from having taken a quick shower, heard Ponyboy's request and shot a look at Darry. "It's okay, Dar. I'll put him to sleep."
Darry sighed. "Alright, kiddo. You need your rest anyway." Ponyboy stared at him. "If you need anything, holler, alright?" Ponyboy nodded before making his way to his bedroom, with Sodapop following him. Moments later, Sodapop walked out of the room and gently closed the door behind him. He sat down at the table just as Darry took out the soup. The boys would have to settle with that for the night, everyone clearly shaken.
Two-Bit had invited Steve over for the night, giving the Curtis' their space and also giving Steve some peace since he would obviously have none from his father. Steve could also need a friend tonight, being that he was also shaken.
"I'm worried about him, Darry," Sodapop confessed. "I almost lost him back there...He had a gun pointed at his head, for God's sake! He was so scared..." Darry bit his lip. "He's gonna have a major nightmare, isn't he?" Soda asked.
Darry regretfully nodded. "Tell me about it."