Ch 12:

"Lost time is never found again."

~Benjamin Franklin

Two-Bit's POV

We all watched as little Pony put his still-blonde head in his hands. Well, honestly he wasn't that little anymore. The kid had grown, already aging to quickly much like Darrel. The broad didn't even give Pony a second glance after everything he had done for her. She just stared at the shattered glass on the floor.

I moved toward the kid, surprised that Soda hadn't already. Usually he was the comforting one, but right now he was sitting on the couch with Steve, very obviously fighting back tears. I think most of us were at that point right now. And who could blame us? It made me mad too, thinking about all this shit that we had to put up with. It's not like we asked to be all wrapped up in the Soc crap, let alone all of this with Johnny being gone and Dally being so unstable.

"Hey." I whispered gently, putting a hand on Pony's shoulder. Cherry ran her fingers through her hair and subconsciously rested her hand on her stomach. I looked back at the still boy, his head now raised. He was openly glaring at her now.

"You should go home. Talk to your parents." Darry suggested to Cherry, his eyes darting between her and Pony. Cherry nodded stiffly. She left without thanking any of us. I felt a twinge of annoyance, but nothing more.

"He's right you know." Soda said quietly. We all turned to him, as he lifted his head from his hands.

"About what, Soda Pop?" Darry asked his voice anxious.

"The Soc stuff isn't over. It never was. It's wrong that they still don't value us as people after what they've done to us. How come we can accept that they have issues too and they can't accept us?" A ringing silence fell over head. I felt sick at the truth of his words.

"Exactly. I can't imagine anyone jumping Dally, but he said so, so they must have. Something's bound to happen when they found out that Cherry's pregnant." Steve muttered, rubbing his temples. Pony tensed when he said Cherry's name. The kid looked like he was going to pass out. Who could blame him? We all knew he the hots for her.

"Where did Dally think he was going anyway?" Darry wondered aloud. We all shrugged. To be honest, at this point there was nothing we could do.

"No matter where he is, we can't save him anymore." Pony said lowly. Even though we all knew he was being dead honest, it was hard to hear it out loud. It's not easy, when we've worked so hard to keep him from himself, when in the end we all knew how it was going to turn out. And now, no matter what, there was no way we were changing his mind.

"We're just going to let him go? Just like that?" I whispered. For once, there was no opening for me to put in a joke. Nothing could lighten this mood.

"I don't think we have a choice." Darry replied.

Soda's POV

One day had passed since Dally had stormed out of the back door. Everyone stayed at our place, because we all knew that we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I think we were all lost in thought, about how quickly our life had been screwed up, and how now there was no way it was going to get better from here.

I thought of Sandy for the first time in a while. Before I couldn't even think of her name without hurting, but now just an empty hallow feeling replaced the feeling of loss. I wondered what if she hadn't left me, would it have changed anything? That led me to knowing that it wouldn't have in the slightest bit. Fate was fate, but why was ours turning out like this?

I wished Dally would make up his mind already. I think everyone did. But yet again, we needed him, which was why we were so desperately trying to help him. We had already lost Johnny, and losing Dally would be the pain all over again when the wound was just starting to heal.

We barely spoke. Pony was probably thinking of Cherry and Dally. Darry about Pony and me. Steve about Evie. Two Bit about all of us. When was it all going to end?

I talked to Pony on Dally's second day of absence.

"When do you think this whole mess started?" I asked. We were sitting alone in his room. He tossed aside his English essay that he was reading for the fifth time in the past week. He never did show us how it turned out. I reminded myself to ask him about it when this was all over, if it ever did end.

"When Mom and Dad died." He replied. His voice was hoarse.

"That's true." The usual silence that we had become accustomed to fell over us. I listened to the muffled sound of the crickets outside. Mom used to love listening to the crickets.

"Have you been having the dream lately?" I had almost forgotten about Pony's nightmare. I had always thought it just came to him when he was missing Mom and Dad. I know that wasn't lately, but I was worried about his health. He frowned.

"Not the dream, but I have had… different ones lately." He met my eyes for the first time in days. I noticed how he seemed a bit nervous and kept glancing at the door. I nodded for him to continue. "They've all been… about Johnny. Well, not about him, but with him."

"With him?" Now it was my turn to frown.

"I've been talking to him. In my dreams." I sat up straighter and stared at Pony in awe. Suddenly, the conversation took a different turn.

"Like, actually talking to him?" I couldn't help how fast my heart was beating, and how electricity seemed to buzz through me.

"Yeah. He's worried about Dally too." I opened and closed my mouth, at a loss for words. It couldn't be possible. Could he be imagining it? I know Pony had a vivid imagination, but since he had been hurting over Johnny like the rest of us, he mostly tried to block out thoughts and conversations about him. Could it be true?

"Ponyboy, are you positive it's actually Johnny?" I found my voice again.

"I'm positive. I don't know how it's possible… but it's him. Really him Soda." There were tears in both of our eyes when he fell quiet again.

"I told Dally he never left us." Pony said, a sob escaping his throat. We both bawled for a minute. I couldn't help it, knowing that Johnny really wasn't completely gone had hit me hard. My breath was quivering and the tears just kept coming. They subsided in a few moments.

"How long have you been talking to him? Can he talk to Dally?" I questioned when half of my tears had dried.

"Ever since the night Dally left. He wants to, but he's not sure how he's even talking to me. He's in heaven." I smiled lightly. Of course the kid was. I had never doubted that.

"You have to tell everyone. Why is he only talking to you?" I pouted, making Pony laugh quietly. None o us had laughed in a while, and it was good to hear someone feel happy, even if it was only for a second. I tried to picture the rest of the gang's reactions, but I couldn't. Steve and Darry wouldn't believe him, but everyone else would.

"I'm planning on it. I don't think he can talk to anyone else… he's trying though. It's difficult."

"So… has he been watching us, this entire time?"

"Of course." Pony looked about me quizzically. "He's so relieved that I'm finally responding to him."

"This is so weird." I laughed lightly, and Pony grinned.

"I know. I never believed in this kind of stuff. But… it's such a relief to have him back. I can finally tell him the things I didn't have time for. I never believed in miracles… but now I do. And I know that he's the only one who can save Dally." Pony sniffled, and I felt the tears returning at his words.

"He will save him. We'll find a way."

…..ya like? I nearly cried myself writing this chapter. I know it far-fetched, but think about it. It could be possible, right? I mean, we know absolutely nothing about heaven. Sorry it was short, and sorry for the delay! I think I'm inspired again though. So let me know what you think, and who you expect to see again in the next chapter. I'm afraid Dally won't be in the next few, so sorry about that. I love you guys!

~Lots of love,

Alaina