A/N: I know I've been asking you to do this a lot, but please read the lyrics. :) Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders or Crack In The Skye.

The screaming arrows tear through my soul in the dawn your face is haunting white ghostly dreams. Weight of worlds is on your shoulders. Hear the voice of gold. I can see the pain. It's written all over your face.

She was sitting on her bed looking at all the old photos spread across her sheets.

Ben was asleep at the foot of the bed. He was crying in his sleep again so she gently woke him up and led him back into her room. She needed to be there for him. She could only imagine what was going through his brain.

Her father was passed out on the couch again. That was twice this week. He hadn't been going into work either. Cherry tried calling her mom last night for support but she left her hotel. She was officially gone.

She leaned up and stroked Ben's hair. She couldn't protect him forever. The world was harsh and cruel. He needed to know what it was all about.

She looked across her room at a framed photo on her dresser. She hadn't taken it down yet. She didn't think she could get rid of it. There was too much there. Too much love for one person. That's what scared her. It always had.

"Cherry." There was a light knocking on her door. "Oh."

She glanced up. "You need anything, Dad?"

He stared at Ben sleeping on the end of the bed. His hair was a mess and he was in sweats. Cherry had never seen him in anything but his suite. "It's nothing."

Cherry watched him. "Are you hungry? I can fix something."

He shook his head, his eyes still on Ben. "How about a burger? We can go to that old diner we used to go to on Christmas night. You remember that place?"

It was a tradition every year. Her mother hated it and it always ended up being Cherry, Ben, and her dad. Turkey and stuffing got old after a while and a burger and fries were always on their minds. Cherry always looked forward to that.

"That sounds good." She smiled slightly.

He nodded and walked over to Ben. He shuffled his hair and smiled. "He was always a sound sleeper. You on the other hand..." He started to laugh.

Cherry grinned. "Yeah."

"I'd always have to stay up with you and rock you in that stupid green chair your mother obsessed over," he said. "It'd take hours. You never would go to sleep though unless I was right there."

Cherry nodded and looked down at Ben. She remembered their life so clearly. The life before. Even before their mother left. Things changed and it was all her fault. It always was. She ruined them and now she just left.

"We're goin' to be okay," he said softly. He picked her face up gently and looked her in the eyes. "We're goin' to be okay, Cherry baby. I promise honey."

Her tears slowly seeped out and landed on her father's hands. "I'm sorry."

He shushed her. "Don't ever say that. You have nothing to be sorry for. I do."

She shook her head. "No you don't, Dad. She does!"

He brushed her hair and shushed her again. "She's your mother. She loves you kids like nothing else. She's just having a hard time right now. Don't hate her, Cherry. Just please don't."

How could he say this? How could he just sit here and tell her that her mother loved them? They didn't even know where she went or if she'd be back. She left them and didn't even care. She hated her. Michael understood that.

He sighed and released her and headed for her door when she called out to him, "Dad?"

He turned back around. "Yeah babe?"

"I love you."

He smiled for the first time in a long time. He needed that. "I love you too Cherrypie. I love you too."

The next morning was cold. We spread hay over the floor and lied on top of it hoping it'd warm some of us. Dally and I stayed on our end of the barn. We'd chosen sides. Dally and I on the right, Emily and Ronnie on the left, and Ponyboy with us just by default.

Dally was gone when I woke up. Ponyboy was right next to me, snuggled up with Dally's jacket that we shared last night. He was in the corner freezing. It ended with the three of us in a tug of war for warmth by the time the sun started to show.

Ronnie snored all night. Him and Emily were nice and cozy over there in their corner. They're still over there, hugged up together with his jacket covering both of them and his arms around her and her head in his chest. Bet they didn't have to fight for a stupid jacket all night.

"Where's Dal?" Ponyboy rolled over and rubbed his eyes.

I sat up and yawned. "Maybe to go get wood. Dunno. I didn't hear him get up."

He sat up and stretched his arms out. "I think the rain stopped. Maybe we can get the car working soon."

He hadn't stopped talking about fixing the car. He was the only one of us that had any sort of hope left. He just wanted to get away from here. Be anywhere else but here. We were like mice in a cage. We weren't going anywhere.

"If it's not the radiator. Dally was saying last night he can't fix that here and something about a part and cash," I said.

"What about Dally's car?"

I raised my eyebrows. "If we can find it. I don't even know which direction we came from."

There was another reason why we were more screwed than ever. Dally went walking last night and came home with great news, he doesn't know how to get back. Ronnie said he does. Dally thinks it's funny he even thinks that.

"What do you think Soda and Darry are doing right now?" Pony asked.

I shrugged. "I hadn't thought about it. Probably driving around looking now that the rain stopped and trying to call anyone they can think of since they can't exactly call the cops to help find us. Soda is probably making Darry's hash browns and bacon and trying to sooth thing over while he harps."

"How do you know all this?"

I turned and looked at him. "It's what we did when you took off last summer."

He got real quiet. It's not something we mention very often in our house even though we should. "It's not as...I mean they probably know we're fine since Dally's with us and they have an idea about where we were going."

Ponyboy started to laugh. "They probably think ya'll ran off to get hitched and kidnapped me as a witness."

I chuckled. "My dream honeymoon would not involve dragging my brother around."

"I don't even want to think about your honeymoon." He made a face.

I shook my head. "You mentioned it."

Hay started to move as Emily peered up over Ronnie. She looked around and yawned. "What time is it?"

"Probably close to noon," Ponyboy answered her. I tossed the jacket off and pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my back against the wall.

Emily shook Ronnie and he rolled over, groaning all the way. He sat up and reached up towards the sky and licked his lips. "Do we have food by chance?"

We all shook our heads. We hadn't thought about it. There were other things to focus on than food. More important things. Making sure none of killed each other kind of things.

"Where's Dal?" Emily asked.

Pony and I both shrugged. Hopefully he'd come back with some food. A Dairy Queen burger or even a biscuit and hash browns and eggs and bacon and sausage. Sausage would be good right about now. Sausage and syrup.

Time passed and Dally still hadn't shown up. We were all going stir-crazy, yet too timid to go outside. Emily started cleaning up the hay, afraid that the owners might show up after we were gone and get upset. Ronnie was in front of me, quietly whistling and staring out the large hole in the roof.

Pony went back to sleep, hoping that maybe he could actually get some now. I continued to think about Darry and Soda and what happened that summer. How much it hurt us...hurt them. This wasn't going to be like that. I wouldn't let them hurt because of us. That's been the plan after all.

"Nice scar." Ronnie pointed at the top of my thigh. "Bullet wound?"

I focused on him. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

He nonchalantly pulled the collar of his shirt down, showing off a familiar pink mark. "Gotten good at spotting them out."

I nodded, pulling my knees in farther, and looking up at the hole. All you could see out of it was blue and clouds and occasionally, a bird.

"So what's the story?" he asked.

I looked back at him. "Story?"

He chuckled. "You don't just get shot without a story. Come on, what is it? Bet five bucks it involves my idiot brother."

"Spring wasn't exactly too hot for us," I said casually. "Guy walks in with a gun, kills my best friend, knocks her brother out, shoots me, Dally, then brother shoots guy. That about sums it up."

His eyes widened a little. "Who was the guy?"

I didn't blink. "A disturbed son-of-a-bitch."

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I know that kinda stuff is hard...losing a best friend and all, especially that way. It's not something you overcome easily."

I swallowed and stared at the tip of his scar showing through his shirt. "It wasn't easy...what about you? What's your story?"

He sneered. "I got tons of stories, honey."

The front doors banged together as Dally stormed in, stomping all the way. He passed me, not bothering to look. "Just havin' a 'let's talk about our feelings session'?" He threw the wood down. "Talk about our scars and nails. Oh what fucking fun!"

I frowned as he piled the wood onto the fire, building it back up. "Dally I didn't-"

"What's your problem?" Ronnie cut off. He stood up. "Don't be mad at her for that. You have a problem with me, not her. Just take it up with me."

Dally smirked at him and tossed another log in. "My problem?"

"Yes!" Ronnie shouted. "What is your damn problem? That's what I've been asking since I got here!"

Dally threw the wood across the room. "You really wanna know what my damn problem is?"

Ronnie threw his arms up. "Lay it on me big boy!"

Dally charged towards him again and we all held our breaths. He grabbed him by the collar and shook him. "You know it all don't ya, you little shit!"

"I know you!" Ronnie shouted back. "You're the one that left! Not me!"

Dally looked him in the eyes, his grip started to loosen. "Is that what your shit is all about? Pops beats on ya a little and that turns ya into a big bad man?"

Ronnie shoved him and fell to the ground. "You don't know anythin' about what goes on at home! It's not your home. You left us!"

Dally laughed. "You don't know shit kid."

"You got scared," Ronnie kept going. "Something happens and well, there goes Winston. Goes across the whole fucking country to get away."

Dally didn't flinch. "And why do you suddenly show up, junior? Don't tell me it's to see my handsome self because we all know-"

"Settle the score," he said frankly. "You owe me something. Don't act like you don't know what it is either."

Dally threw his head back and laughed. "Funny, kid. You're just a small fry in a big fast food joint at the edge of town. Go on and say the truth. We all know why your here. Could smell it on ya when you walked in.

"Oh and what is that?"

Dally chuckled. "Boys didn't want ya." He winked. "It doesn't run in your blood the same why kid. You can never do the things I do. Face it, you got laughed out of Manhattan, you didn't run nowhere."

"They're okay, Dar," Soda said again for the tenth time. "I'm sure they just got stuck or something."

Darry rubbed his tired face. He hadn't shaved yet either. It was just another thing he had to do. "They didn't come home last night. I shouldn't have let them go together. I should have known something like this would happen."

Kathy set the plate of biscuits down in front of him. "What do you expect happened, Darry? It's not like they're stupid."

He slammed his fists down on the table. "You said that last time and then look to what we came home to!"

"So just because of that you think they went off and what? Murdered someone?" she asked. "Come on!"

Darry threw the newspaper off the table and charged towards her. Sodapop gulped. "Things are happening here! You think all of these deaths from the other side are coincidences? This has happened before Kathy! This is my brother and sister, not yours! Don't treat me like I'm the stupid one!"

Soda slowly rose from the table and walked towards the two. Kathy's face was scowled and her chin was moving a little. This was the first time Soda'd heard Darry yell at her that way. It may have even been the first time he'd ever have.

"She was just trying to help, Dar." He put his hand on his shoulder.

Neither one of them moved. Tiny tears seeped out of her eyes while her face said that she was trying to be strong. Finally she turned, covered her face, and stormed away.

Darry let out a sigh. "I just...it's happening again."

"It's not like last time Dar."

Darry rubbed his face again. "I can't keep them can I? They just keep running away."

Soda rubbed his arm. "Come on, Dar. Don't say that."

Darry turned around and knocked his arm off. "I gotta get some air." He marched out.

Soda took a deep breath and began to clean up the mess. He didn't sleep last night either. He stayed on the couch and every hour he'd think he'd hear the phone ring and look out the window just to see the same thing, nothing.

"I'm going to kill the bastard!" Two-Bit threw the screen door open. "If he touched her I swear to God I'll-"

Steve followed him in with a box of doughnuts in his hands. "Been like this all morning." He stuffed a chocolate doughnut in his mouth and went for the milk in the fridge.

"Danni and Pony didn't come home either," Soda said quietly.

Two-Bit snatched a doughnut and angrily bit into it. "I hope Dally leaves some of the kid for me. I want to tack his head up above my fireplace."

"What happened to your eye?" Soda asked.

Steve chuckled. "Tried to go after Mark Jennings. He got in one shot before it was over."

"No!" Two-Bit huffed. "I got in two and I woulda gotten in more if you hadn't a messed with my groove."

Steve rolled his eyes. "I saved your life. Get down on your knees and thank your hero! Captain Steve Randle. Nice ring to it."

Two-Bit shoved him and milk spilled onto the floor. "More like Captain dumbshit."

Soda forced a smile. Normally it wasn't too hard when he was with these two but today, it was. He knew they weren't on their game either. Everyone was on pins and needles and it was only going to get worse.

"Socs are steaming," Steve said. "Bryon told us that he thinks they're plannin' somethin' big. They're mighty pissed, Sodapop."

Soda swallowed and grabbed a rag for the milk. "They comin' after us?"

"Thinks so."

Two-Bit grumbled. "Ronnie killed Sam."

Steve stuffed another doughnut in his mouth. "Dumbass."

"I'm not joking!" he shouted. "Terry told me all about it. He said he saw the kid a few days after it happened when he supposedly first got here. Said he was jumpy as shit."

Steve smirked. "Wouldn't you be too if Terry Moore was the first person you layed your pretty little eyes on?"

Soda raised up from the floor, ears peeled. "What do you mean?"

Two-Bit went on, "I'm just sayin it's mighty fishy that he came here now out of all times and now he's gone after killin' a flower shop owner and he didn't even take the cash?"

"Someone got a new brain for Christmas," Steve sneered.

Two-Bit threw a loose doughnut his way. "Shove it, dipshit."

"Wait." Soda stepped in-between the doughnut throwing. "You really think Ronnie killed Sam?"

"Lookin' that way." He shook his head. "I never trusted the kid. He's shady, man. Shady as fuck. He's going to take us all down. I can just see it. He's going to make this town burn to the ground before he's done with it."

Please tell Lucifer he can't have this one. Her spirits too strong. I can see the pain. It's written all over your face. I can see the pain. You can make it all go away.