Author's Note: I am soooooo sorry this update is so late! I usually like to update once a week, but work has been absolutely insane, I've even been working weekends in an attempt to get my current project done. Thank you so much for your patience! Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait! I hope to get back on a regular updating schedule next weekend. And as always, please review! Reviewers keep me going! :)

Chapter Thirty-One

Breaking Points

When Soda got up early the next day he limped out into the living room to find that both Steve and Two-Bit were gone. That wasn't terribly surprising. He couldn't imagine that Steve had slept much the night before and he was just glad that wherever he had gone, Two-Bit had gone with him. He shouldn't be alone right now. Soda knew that all too well.

Soda wasn't cleared to work for a week because of his concussion, so he was house bound while everyone else went to work and school. He didn't really feel like leaving the house anyway. He had fallen deep into a fog by Steve's news and was fully contented with simply hiding from the world, even if deep down he knew that he couldn't do that forever. Eventually reality would hit and it would hit hard.

Over the course of the next three days Soda neither saw nor heard from either Steve or Two-Bit. This only dragged Soda down even more. He could understand Steve wanting to avoid him right now… but it still hurt.

Soda spoke as little as possible and he flat out refused to talk about Steve's situation when either of his brothers tried to bring it up. He would even go so far as to leave the room if the subject was brought up. He just couldn't handle even thinking about it.

Soda was also sleeping even less than ever. He spent nights tossing and turning restlessly, being woken up several times a night by nightmares. He felt bad for waking Pony too, but at the same time he couldn't even consider going back to his own room. With everyone being gone all day, the night was the only time he didn't feel completely isolated and even if it didn't want to talk it was still a comfort to be near his family.

It was early in the morning on Friday. Soda had given up on sleep for the night as he carefully eased himself out of bed so as not to wake Pony. As quietly as he could he changed into his workout clothes before heading out of the room. The house was eerily still as he limped through it, leaning heavily on his cane as he went. He wasn't surprised to find the living room empty once again, even though some part of him had hoped that Steve or Two-Bit had finally come over.

Out on the front porch Soda found that the morning was cool and crisp, with the sun just beginning to peak over the houses. It was very calming. He found his tape sitting on the stool where he had left it and began taping up his knuckles. He hadn't boxed at all this week since his fall and his concussion, but he was feeling especially antsy this morning and needed to get some pent up energy out.

He leaned his cane up against the house and tested his balance. Once he was satisfied that he could stand on his own at least for the time being he adjusted his stance and brought a hand back, landing a solid punch on the punching bag.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed as he landed punch after punch. With each blow he landed he felt the emotions that he had suppressed over the past few days creeping back to the surface. Long after he normally would have brought the stool up and sat down he was still on his feet, ignoring the growing ache in his leg. His punches got harder and harder as his growing frustrations finally began to get the better of him. Why… thud. Why… thud. Why? THUD. He put all his strength behind his punches as if somehow he could fight the reality of the situation.

"Soda?"

Soda could hardly register the sound of Darry's voice, never mind what it meant. He was consumed with putting all his energy into beating down the bag in front of him, like somehow he could fix everything if he could just win this impossible fight. Like there was something he could actually do to change the events of their lives. His movements were quickly becoming less contained and more desperate and chaotic. He let out a grunt of frustration with every blow, feeling more and more angry every time the bag bounced back. No matter how many times he hit it, it just wouldn't yield to him. Why couldn't he make any difference, why couldn't he win this fight?

"Soda!" Darry was closer now, more insistent, but Soda refused to stop. His arms kept swinging frantically. "Soda, stop!" Suddenly a vice grip wound around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Soda fought against him, but to no avail. He let out a cry of frustration and suddenly he was aware of tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Defeat took over his body as his knees gave way. He slowly sunk to the ground and Darry knelt with him, his arms still securely around him. "Sh, it's okay," Darry soothed gently, pulling him in close.

But now that the dam had been broken Soda was powerless to stop it. Sob after sob tore through him as the situation finally hit him hard for the first time. Steve was being forced to go through what he had been through. That wasn't something he would wish on his worst enemy let alone his best friend. It wasn't fair… Soda needed Steve here with him.

"Is he okay?" came Pony's timid voice.

"Yeah, he's okay," Darry said calmly. His embrace was less firm and more gentle as he rubbed Soda's arms comfortingly. "Can you grab the first aid kit?"

Soda didn't know why he needed the first aid kit, but at the moment he didn't really care. He shifted around so that he could bury his head in Darry's shoulder. He could take a small amount of comfort in the fact that neither of his brothers were eligible to be drafted. Pony was still two years too young and Darry was Pony's only caretaker. But what about Two-Bit? How much could the draft take away from them?

Finally the sobs were beginning to subside, leaving an emptiness in its wake. Soda leaned heavily against his older brother, feeling too drained to do anything else. He was only vaguely aware of Pony coming back outside.

"C'mon, Soda," Darry said gently. "Let's get you cleaned up."

With an effort Soda sat up. Darry reached over and lifted his right hand, carefully beginning to pull the tape off. Soda saw that at some point the tape had peeled back from his knuckles, which were now split and bloody. He looked at his left hand and saw that it looked the same. He hadn't even noticed when that had happened.

Soda watched with vacant eyes as Darry cleaned and bandaged his knuckles. He was finally aware of the stinging sensation that accompanied the injury. His leg was also aching from the effort of supporting his weight for so long. He was beginning to realize just how out of control he had been.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Darry asked slowly once he had finished. They were still sitting on the floor of the porch with Pony standing over them.

Soda looked up at him with pain in his eyes. "I don't want him to go," he said quietly, feeling quite young.

Darry nodded. "I know, little buddy," he said sympathetically. "None of us wanna see him go."

"He's avoiding me," Soda said bluntly. "He's never gone this long without comin' over… he doesn't want to see me because all I am now is a reminder to him."

"He'll come around, Soda," Darry assured him. "He just needs some time to try and process this."

"You can't process this though," Soda insisted. "You don't even begin to process until you get over there. And then it'll be too late."

They were all quiet for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry I haven't been there for you this week," Darry finally said quietly.

"It's okay," Soda said. "You gotta work."

"Well, I've got tomorrow off," Darry said. "I'll be here all day for you. I could even take today off if you want me to."

Soda quickly shook his head. "We need the money, Darry," he insisted. "I'm sorry you had to see my breakdown… I'll be fine though."

Darry studied him for a moment, as if he didn't quite believe him. Soda looked up at Pony and saw that he looked a bit shaken as well. He wondered just how deranged he had looked while attacking the punching bag.

"Really, I'm okay," he insisted.

Darry sighed as he stood up. Then he reached back down and slowly pulled Soda to his feet. Pony grabbed Soda's cane and held it out for him. Soda took it without meeting his eyes, and the slowly made his way back inside.

Weren't things supposed to get better with time? Weren't things supposed to get easier with time?

XxXxX

Pony hardly paid attention to anything that went on in his classes that day. He was too distracted with too much on his mind. Soda had seemed so broken that morning. He was like a shell of the brother who had left them after being drafted over a year before and he hated that. All he wanted was for things to go back to the way they were before… and that was going to be even harder now.

As the final bell sounded at long last Pony hurried to his locker to gather his things before hurrying out of the school. Rather than heading in the direction of home he turned in a different direction. After thinking about it all day and he knew what he had to do.

As the DX station came into view he felt a little weary about his decision, but kept moving all the same. He walked right into the store, not allowing himself to hesitate or talk himself out of his decision. He immediately spotted Two-Bit behind the counter.

"Hey, Pony," Two-Bit said, his cheeriness a little more strained than usual. "What are you doin' here?"

"I'm lookin' for Steve," he said bluntly.

Two-Bit's smile immediately slipped of his face. "He's out in the garage," he said slowly. "But I wouldn't bother him if I were you, kid. He's on the war path."

"I don't care," Pony said as he turned and headed back out of the store. After seeing Soda's display that morning he knew that he couldn't just sit by and watch this. He had to take some sort of action.

Pony walked into the garage and looked around for a moment. Among the broken down cars he finally spotted Steve hunched over the engine of an old Ford. He hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat in order to make his presence known.

Steve glanced over his shoulder and glared. "What do you want?" he asked flatly.

"I want you to talk to Soda," Pony said firmly.

Steve snorted as he turned his back to him. "Go away," he said.

Pony dropped his backpack and walked over to Steve. "Don't you even care how much you're hurting your best friend?" he demanded.

"You got no idea what I'm goin' through, so just get the hell out," Steve growled dangerously.

"No I don't," Pony said. "But Soda does."

"I just can't deal with that right now, Pony," Steve said angrily, balling his hands into fists. "Him and his injury… it makes it all too real."

"It's always been real to him," Pony said, feeling angry as well. "You can't just blow him off, you don't have much more time left."

"You think I don't know that?" Steve suddenly roared, lashing out and shoving Pony so hard he almost fell down. "I'm the one being sent off to some godforsaken country against my will!"

"Yeah, well so was Soda!" Pony shot back. "He's breaking down without you and it's only gonna get worse after you are gone! He needs you, Steve! Your best friend for the past fifteen years needs you! And whether you want to admit it or not, I think you need him too." Steve just stared at him. Pony turned and headed back toward the door, picking up his backpack and then pausing. "Soda is scared for you. And he wants to help you. But you have to let him. He can't come chasing after you like he used to."

And with that Pony turned and walked out the door, heading for home. There wasn't anything more that he could say. It was up to Steve now. He could only hope that somehow his words would make it through Steve's thick head. For both his and Soda's sake.