"Put Dallas on the phone." Darry ordered Buck Merril the second the bewildered man picked up.

"He's hustlin' pool. Watcha need?"

"I need to talk to him, now!" Darry heard Buck mumble something that he couldn't understand through the loud music and then the phone shuffling around.

"What can I do for you Darrel? I'm a bit busy." Dally droned out through his smoke.

"Have you seen Ponyboy tonight? He hasn't come home." Darry asked trying to hide the urgency in his voice.

"What am I, your brothers keeper?"

"Winston, have you seen him or haven't you?" Darry ordered. He didn't have time for this. If Pony wasn't home by now than he was sure something was wrong.

"I seen him with the boys in town around ten but not since then." Dally said.

"Well if you see him get him home for me, okay? I'm gonna try to get a hold a' Two-Bit."

"No point of that Dar, he's lying right here stone cold drunk."

Darry sighed. "Well sober him up and bring him over here, would you? I've gotta go look for Pony and I can't leave Soda by his lonesome.

"Darrel, I-"

"Dallas just do it! Johnny's probably with him as well, It's past 1 o'clock in the morning and we don't know where they are. Now Pony forgets things plenty but he aint ever been this late and you know what goes on Saturday night in this town!"

"Calm down." Dally said exasperated. "We'll be there." And he hung up.

----------------

"Man, you owe me." Dally growled, dragging Two-Bit in behind him and throwing him on the couch.

Darry ignored him and jostled Two-Bit roughly. "Wake up you drunken monkey. Where'd you last see the kids?"

"Oh, Darry." Two-Bit groaned. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow." And he rolled over onto his stomach.

"Matthews, I'm serious. Where was Pony and Johnny before you left for Bucks?"

"Mmmhm, with Steve."

Darry and Dally looked at each other puzzled. "Where with Steve?" Darry asked exasperated. Two-Bit shook his head and fell to sleep.

"Just stay with Soda." Darry ordered grabbing his coat and heading out the front door, not giving Dally a chance to respond. He got into the frigid truck and drove down the street, searching every persons face for his brothers. As he drove through the night, anger and fear built up in his stomach and he thought he'd explode. He drove by Steve's house but it was black and silent. He knew the moviehouse was closed by now as well so he didn't bother going there. After Darry'd checked the lot three times he resigned to go home and call the police.

------

Soda who had been woken up by the racket, came stumbling out into the living room, sleep still in his eyes. Dally looked up nervously at him. He'd never been alone with the kid. Soda ignored Dally though and focused on Two-Bit who was sprawled out on the couch looking like he was dead. He was about to ask where Darry was but a second later Pony came stumbling through the front door, knocking the screen out of place and collapsing on the carpet, Steve not far behind him.

"You've got to be kiddin' me." Dally quipped.

Ponyboy looked green. "Sorry Darry." He wheezed out.

"Darry's not here kid. He's out looking for you and you'd better prepare yourself for when he does get home." Dally warned.

"Pony!" Soda yelled excited to see him and leapt on his brother.

Pony groaned and Steve laughed from his spot on the floor. "Where's Johnnycake" Dally asked.

"He went home." Pony groaned. "Said if Darry was awake he didn't want to be here when he sees red. Soda get off a me." Pony grunted. "I don't wanna play right now. Go back to bed." Soda shook his head adamantly at that but got off of Ponyboy and sat down in Darry's chair.

The gate slammed and heavy footsteps were heard approaching the door. Dally rolled his eyes. "Here we go." He mumbled.

Suddenly Darry was in the doorway. He couldn't even believe what he was looking at. His face was white but quickly turned three shades of red when he saw Ponyboy sprawled out on the floor and Soda wide awake. Silence fell over the room for what felt like a full five minutes. Darry's face stayed set in stone the whole time and finally he inhaled deeply and stepped fully into the room.

"Stand up, Pony." He said gruffly. Pony who had been staring at the floor that he was laying on the entire time kept his head down as he lifted himself up. His stomach immediately did a flip flop and he ran past Darry out the front door and started heaving off the porch.

"When did he get back?" Darry asked Dally.

"About ten minutes after you left. Soda woke up when you slammed the door."

Soda saw the Pony was sick and made to follow him but Darry put a hand on his chest. "Go back to bed."

"No, Ponyboy-" Soda pointed, desperately wanting to see what was wrong. He didn't understand why everybody was awake in the middle of the night and especially where Darry had gone at such an hour.

"He's fine. Go to bed." Darry insisted only frustrating Soda more. Dally slipped out the front door without a word. He didn't want to stay for the fireworks and he had a to finish what he'd started at Bucks.

Pony stopped heaving after a while and just leaned over the deck panting. "If you're through than get in here." Darry ordered. Pony made his way back inside slowly but refused to meet Darry's eyes. Two-Bit was still out cold and Steve was close to it on the floor. Soda just stared. He wondered why Pony was in trouble for throwing up.

"Look at me." Darry ordered him. Pony risked a glance up. "How much did you have?" Darry asked. His voice was hard but he wasn't yelling yet. Pony almost wished he'd start and get it over with.

"Just a couple." Pony said softly, staring at the floor.

"Ponyboy Curtis, look at me!" Darry finally bellowed. Soda jumped. Sometimes Darry yelled so loud it made him cry. "Just a couple of WHAT?"

"C'mon Darry." Steve grumbled from the floor. "Quit yelling. The kid didn't have nothing but beer."

Darry turned his attention to the drunken young man in between his coffee table and couch. "Yeah, and this is what I get from you Randle? What's the matter with you? You know I have to fight to keep the kids here with me. You take him out and get him drunk. He wouldn't have even thought to do that on his own!"

Pony moaned and put his hands to his ears. His head hurt and Darry wasn't helping. "Hey, I didn't force anything down the kids throat. He did that all by himself." Steve shot back, rolling over onto his stomach.

Pony looked so sick Soda felt sad for him. He went over and pulled him into a hug. "Soda, go to bed." Darry sighed.

"I just wanted to try it Darry." Pony said softly. "Everybody at school likes it."

"Yeah?" Darry's head shot over to look at his other brother again. "Well as long as you live under my roof you're gonna be the only person at school that don't have nothin' to do with it. Understand?"

"Yes, but-"

Darry didn't give him a chance to finish before he grabbed him hard by his upper arm and dragged him down the hall.

"Darry, no!" Soda yelled running after them and trying to grab Pony back.

"Sodapop, I said go to bed." Darry warned. "I mean it or big trouble."

Soda put his hands on his head and Darry knew he was gonna start something. "None of that! Get in bed NOW!" Soda ran to his room and Pony tugged trying to get loose from Darry's grip.

"Darry! You're hurtin' me."

"Quiet." Darry let go and gave him a solid kick in the pants towards the bathroom. "Clean up, you've got vomit all over yourself. I don't know what you're thinking. It's the middle of the night Ponyboy Curtis. I've been up for hours waiting on you and this whole time you've been out downing beers? Do you know what the state would do if they found out about this? I'd loose you in a second and I've no idea what they'd do to Soda. What would that do to him Ponyboy if somebody just showed up and took him away? Did you ever even think of that?"

"Look I'm sorry Darry. Can't we do this in the morning. I don't feel good." Pony moaned, shrugging out of his dirty t-shirt and then swishing some water around in his mouth.

"Of course you don't feel good. You're thirteen years old! You don't have any business staying out past one in the morning and drinking. I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere!" Darry screamed furiously. Pony leaned over the sink and closed his eyes. He thought he might be sick again.

"Darry please. I'm tired." Pony whined.

"Fine. Brush your teeth and get to bed. You stay put in your room tomorrow until I come get you." Darry commanded and stalked out of the bathroom, leaving Ponyboy by his lonesome.

"This place is a freakin' madhouse." Darry growled before slamming the bathroom door behind him.

Before Darry could leave the hallway Soda came running out and threw himself at Darry who barely caught him. He sighed as he engulfed his sobbing brother in a hug and wondered if the night would ever end. "What's wrong Pepsi-cola?" Darry coaxed although he already knew. Soda just cried harder and Darry lead the bawling boy back to bed. "Please go to sleep, Soda." Darry begged, no longer able to hold off his own exhaustion. "Go to sleep." Soda pointed to the bathroom for Ponyboy. "He's coming, just go to sleep." Darry rubbed at his temples.

Ponyboy came out and almost bumped into Darry as he headed for his bed. "Drink this." Darry ordered, handing him a glass of water as he climbed under the covers.

"I'm fine." Pony mumbled.

"No, you're dehydrated. Drink it."

"I don't want it Darry."

"Ponyboy! Don't argue with me."

"Whatever." Pony mumbled and took it but he blanched when he saw the look that Darry gave him. He decided maybe Darry's patience was officially gone for the evening and he took little sips of the water to appease him.

Darry leaned over to pull the covers up over both of them and looked at his youngest brother meaningfully.

"I'm very disappointed, Ponyboy Michael." He said solemnly and Pony's heart sunk. He couldn't help it. Those words hurt far worse than Darry's yelling.