A/N; Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I'm glad you like my story so far. Since the Prologue was so short I decided to put up Part I sooner than I originally planned. I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think. Take care. ~Ellivia22~

Disclaimer: I still don't own The Outsiders unforunately.

Broken Bond

Part I

Darry

"I didn't mean to! I didn't think! That's all I ever hear from you! Can't you think of anything?"

"Darry…"

"You keep your trap shut! I'm sick and tired of you stickin' up for him!"

"YOU DON'T YELL AT HIM!"

SMACK!

"Pony! I-I didn't mean to!"

The scene from hours ago repeats in my mind over and over again like a broken record. The more I think about it, the more upset I feel. It was all my fault. If hadn't been so hard on Ponyboy; if I had tried harder to understand, this might not have happened.

The sun has completely risen and Ponyboy still hasn't come back. I am beside myself with increasing worry and guilt. I'm hoping with every inch of my being that Pony is just avoiding us and not hurt somewhere.

I wish so badly that Ponyboy was here. I want to tell him that I was just scared-scared that I had lost him; that I'm only hard on him because I want him to have a great life, a promising future. I want to apologize for hurting him. Most of all, I want to tell him that I love him-something I've never been able to do.

I pace back and forth in the living room, my eyes focused on the door. I've been doing this for hours, hoping that Ponyboy would come home. As soon as he did, I planned to hug him tightly and beg him to forgive me. The more hours that pass, the more I fear that he's never coming back. That thought jars my emotions and it's a harder struggle to keep myself from completely falling apart.

I can no longer handle waiting once 8AM hits. I've got to fix this. I've got to find Ponyboy and bring him home. I grab the receiver of the black phone beside me and dial my boss' number. The last thing I want to do is miss a day of work, especially since we're struggling to pay the bills as it is. Finding Ponyboy is more important.

"Mr. Lash?" I say as soon as he answers. "It's Darry."

"Darrel?" Mr. Lash says in surprise and concern. I never called him. "You never call me. Is everything okay?"

I struggle to get my tone back to normal. "Not exactly." Since my thirty-five-year-old boss has been very understanding about my family situation, I don't hold back any details. "M-my little brother ran away last night. I need to find him. I'm sorry, I won't be able to make it for my shift."

"Sodapop?"

"N-no Ponyboy," Just saying my baby brother's name makes my eyes start burning again. Like I have been struggling to do all night, I force myself to hold back my emotions.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mr. Lash says sympathetically. "I hope you find him. Please keep me updated and let me know if there's anything you need."

"Thank you."

After I hang up the phone, I turn my attention to Sodapop. My sixteen-year-old brother is asleep on the sofa in the same position as he was when we were waiting for Ponyboy before. His face is pale, tears stained on his cheeks. My throat tightens. Because of my actions, I hurt him too. I should let him sleep, especially since he has the day off-very rare for a Sunday. I know he would want to help. Besides, I need him just in case Ponyboy doesn't want to see me.

Gently I shake Soda's shoulder. "Wake up, little buddy."

"Hey Pony," he mumbles sleepily, not opening his eyes. "I just had the craziest dream…" his face falls when he sees me standing in front of him. "He never came back, did he?"

"No. C'mon. We're gonna go find him and bring him home."

"Don't you have work?" Soda asks, not looking at me.

"I took it off," I answer shortly. "Besides, all that matters now is that we find our brother." Then without another word, I grab my coat from the rack and head out the door, determined not to come back until Ponyboy is home where he belongs.

"Pony? Ponyboy are you here?" I look frantically around the vacant lot. All I see is a bunch of newspapers scattered and what looks like a burnt-out firepit. There is not a soul around, except for Sodapop who is searching on the other side. I struggle to keep my voice steady. "It's me, Darry. I-I'm sorry for what I did last night. I didn't mean it! Please, if you're here, I beg of you. Let us know that you are okay!"

Silence.

I let out a defeated sigh. Soda and I have been looking everywhere for over two hours. We checked all of Ponyboy's usual hangouts: the movie theater; the library; the school; even Sodapop's work, the DX gas station. No sign of him. Then Soda suggested we check the vacant lot five minutes away from Johnny's house. It's the only statement he's made to me all morning. At this moment I'm too worried about Ponyboy to be upset about it.

Soda approaches me a few minutes later shaking his head. "Let's go find the guys," I tell him. "Maybe they've seen him."

"Johnny," Soda says, nodding. "We gotta find Johnny."

"Y'all looking for Johnny too?"

Soda and I turn to see Two-Bit coming towards us from the direction of Johnny's house, wearing his favorite blue Mickey Mouse T-shirt. His jean pockets are bulging. He must've swiped stuff from the gas station again. He has an anxious look on his face, which is very rare for him.

"Actually, we're looking for Ponyboy," Soda says. "He ran away last night, and we thought he might be with Johnny. Are you saying you can't find Johnny either?"

Two-Bit shakes his head. "I haven't seen either of them since the movies last night. Why did Pony run off?"

Soda glares at me. I lower my head in shame. "Pony came home late, and Darry lost his temper. Things escalated and Pony ran away. We had hoped that Pony would come home after he cooled off, but there is no sign of him. We've looked everywhere. Do you know where he might be?"

"Well, I was gonna check the park for Johnny," Two-Bit says thoughtfully. "He sleeps there sometimes when his parents are fightin'. Maybe Ponyboy is there too."

Silently I follow the other two in the direction of the park. Soda's cold shoulder makes the overwhelming guilt I feel almost unbearable. It's a feeling I know I'll live with the rest of my life if Pony never comes home.

Sodapop

Darry, Two-Bit, and I don't say a word to each other as we take the short walk to the park. All three of us keep our eyes peeled for any sign of Ponyboy or Johnny. My throat is hoarse from calling out their names repeatedly. I don't care. I won't stop searching until we find them.

I feel as though I'm living in a never-ending nightmare. I still can't believe that Darry hit Ponyboy and that Pony is missing. I've never felt so scared and mixed up in my entire life. I know that Ponyboy didn't mean to come home late and that Darry didn't mean to hurt him, but I can't help but be mad at Darry for losing his temper like that. I'm scared to death that I'll never see Ponyboy again. If Pony never comes home, I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive Darry.

We stop suddenly once we reach the park. The scene before us is a sight I've never seen before. At least five police cars, multiple unmarked cars, and a large black van are in the park, with blue and red lights flashing everywhere. Yellow and black crime scene tape surrounds the area, and at least thirty police officers are here. My heart thuds hard against my chest. What in the hell happened? The three of us look at each other in horror.

"Sorry kids," a middle-aged heavyset officer with a bushy black mustache says as we approach the tape. "You can't come any further."

"What's going on?" Two-Bit asks.

"A kid was murdered here last night."

"A kid?" I stutter.

"M-murdered?" Darry chokes out in a high-pitched tone.

A group of police officers catches my eye. They are crouched over a body near the fountain. I can't see much, just a crumpled form and blood surrounding the area.

Ponyboy. No!

Without thinking, I duck under the police tape and run toward the scene. "HEY! Get back here," the police officer yells after me. I ignore him.

BAM!

Before I can reach the body on the ground I'm grabbed hard by a couple of policemen. I struggle hard, but they hold firm. "NO!" I yell desperately. "T-that's my brother!"

I suddenly stop struggling when I take a closer look at the body a few feet in front of me. Wait. That can't be Ponyboy. The victim is a lot bigger and even at a distance I can see curly blonde hair sticking from under the white sheet covering the body. Not only that, but I can also see what looks like part of nice shined brown shoes-too dressy for anyone on this side of town. He was a Soc. A huge sense of relief washes over me. It's not Ponyboy.

"This is an official police investigation," the police officer says firmly, forcing me behind the yellow and black tape again. "Stay out!"

I feel Two-Bit grab my shoulder. "Soda?" he asks in utter fear.

"I-it ain't him." I manage to get out. My heart is still ramming hard against my chest from the adrenaline. "It ain't Ponyboy. Or Johnny."

"Then who is it?" Two-Bit asks.

"I dunno. Some Soc."

I turn to Darry, who is standing behind me. His body is completely rigid, his face as pale as a ghost and covered in a cold sweat. I notice that he's shaking and breathing rapidly. He's going into shock.

"Darry," I say. I place a hand on his shoulder. No response. I shake him firmly. "Darry…look at me." After a moment, his terrified gaze focuses on me. "It ain't him. It ain't Ponyboy."

It takes almost a full minute before he grasps what I said. He nods, letting out a stressed breath. Slowly the color returns to his face. "Let's go."

"Would you mind telling me what that was all about?" one of the policemen who grabbed me asks before we can walk away. He's a skinny man, barely older than Darry with short blonde hair.

"I'm sorry, Officer," Darry says. His voice is back to its normal tone. "We're looking for our brother. We haven't seen him since-."

"Since he left this morning to get some milk from the store," I finish for him. Darry shoots me a sharp look, but I ignore him. "We were worried when he didn't come home, so we thought he might have stopped by the park."

The young officer raises his eyebrow, making me wonder if he believes us or not, but doesn't comment. Darry throws an arm around my shoulders. "Come on. Let's go home. He's probably already there waiting for us."

Then before the officer can say another word, Darry, Two-Bit, and I hurry away from the crime scene as fast as possible without raising any suspicion.

Hours later Darry and I are back at the house with no luck finding Ponyboy or Johnny. It's dinnertime, but neither of us has an appetite. Darry is sitting in Dad's old armchair, staring intently at the phone. It's as if he's trying to will it to ring with his mind. I'm back on the couch, struggling to contain my emotions of worry, fear, and anger.

We aren't alone. In fact, the whole gang is here. Two-Bit is sitting on the ground in front of the television, even though it isn't on. Dally is in the kitchen, smoking a cigarette. Usually, Darry doesn't allow smoking in the house, but it's obvious he's past the point of caring. Steve is beside me on the couch, attempting to keep me calm. Nobody is saying a word-as if talking is going to cause the world to collapse. My world will collapse if Ponyboy and Johnny never come back.

KNOCK KNOCK

The loud knocking on the door disrupts the silence of the house, making me nearly jump out of my skin. My heart rises in hope. It's Ponyboy and Johnny. They're back. But wait…why would they knock?

Darry is out of his chair and to the front door before I have the chance to get off the couch. Standing in the doorway are two police officers in dark blue uniforms. I immediately recognize both of them: the skinny blonde male who grabbed me earlier. Next to him is the older heavyset police officer who was guarding the police tape.

Darry's face drains of color but does his best to remain calm. "Can I help you?"

"Good evening," the stocky officer says. "I'm Officer Houseman, and this is my partner, Officer Martin. We are here to speak to Ponyboy Curtis."

Darry and I glance at each other. "Our brother isn't here."

"Where is he?"

"We don't know," Darry answers honestly. "He ran away last night."

"Then why did you lie and say he was out getting milk," Officer Martin asks, directing his question at me.

I avoid looking at the officers. "I panicked. I thought that the dead kid in the park was Ponyboy. My brother is telling the truth. We don't know where Ponyboy is right now."

"Very well. In the meantime, we must speak to your parents."

"They died in a car crash last year," Darry says. "I have legal guardianship over my brothers."

It's not like Darry to lie to the cops, but for the sake of keeping our family together, I keep my trap shut.

"And your name?"

"Darrel Curtis. Can I ask what this is about?"

"As you know a teenager was killed in the park last night," Officer Martin says. "We have witnesses that state your brother and another kid named Johnny Cade are involved in the attack. When was the last time you saw him?"

"Around 2AM." Darry answers.

"That's around the time of the murder," I hear Officer Houseman say to Officer Martin. "Do you know a kid named Robert Sheldon, also known as Bob?"

Two-Bit makes a funny noise in his throat, which he covers up as a cough. I look at him, startled. He knows something. The police don't notice.

"Dallas Winston," the young officer says suddenly as Dally walks into the living room.

"'Sup Avery," Dally says casually, taking another drag of his cigarette.

"We know that you were involved in this. We're going to need you to come down to the station with us and answer some questions."

Dally doesn't look at all surprised. I stare at him in shock and horror. What does he know? If he's involved in this somehow, why didn't he tell us? Does he know where Ponyboy and Johnny are?

We watch in silence as Dally strides past us and follows the young officer out the door. "We'll be back," Officer Houseman says to Darry. "If you hear from your brother or Johnny Cade, inform us immediately or you'll be charged with obstruction of justice. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." As soon as closes the door, Darry turns sharply to Two-Bit. He must've heard him too. "What do you know?"

Two-Bit let out a sigh. "Ponyboy and Johnny picked up a couple of cute Soc girls at the movies last night. They were in a fight with their boyfriends and didn't have a ride home, so I offered to take them. There was a confrontation between us and the Socs. Bob was the name of one of them."

"What?" Darry and I say in unison.

"Don't worry. Nothin' happened. The redheaded chick, Bob's girlfriend, stopped anything from happenin'. After they left, I split. That's all I know, I swear."

I feel sick to my stomach. It's worse than I could possibly imagine. My brother isn't just missing but in major trouble. I wish I knew where he was so that I could protect him. I meet Darry's gaze, each of us having the same thought.

Now what do we do?

Darry

When Dally returns to the house it's close to midnight. By then Two-Bit and Steve had already left for the night. Soda and I remain in the living room in heavy silence, both of us too worried to sleep. I want to say something comforting to him, but I have no comfort to give.

We stand up as soon as Dally walks through the door. "What happened?" I ask urgently. "What do you know?! Do you know where Ponyboy and Johnny are?"

Dally hesitates, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Look, man, I'm gonna be straight with you. It ain't looking good for Ponyboy and Johnny."

Soda makes a frightening sound of a mixture of a gasp and a yipping dog. I struggle to find my voice. "W-what do you mean?"

"That Soc that was killed in the park? He and his group of buddies tried to drown Ponyboy in a fountain last night. Johnny killed the Soc leader to save Ponyboy's life."

All the air leaves my lungs, making it difficult to breathe. My stomach churns as if I could puke any second. The truth is worse than I can possibly imagine. Because I hit Ponyboy; because I chased him away, he almost got killed and is now in trouble with the law. I want to believe that this is all just a terrible nightmare and none of this is real. The longer I stare at the serious expression on Dally's face, the faster the truth sinks in. I think I'm going to be sick. "The cops told you all this?" I ask in a voice I don't recognize.

Dally is definitely refusing to look at me now. "Yeah. They think I helped Johnny and Ponyboy go into hiding."

"Did you?" I ask.

"No, man, I swear. If I had anything to do with it, I woulda told you guys. I have no idea where they are hidin', but I told the cops that Johnny and Ponyboy went to Texas to point them in the wrong direction. I doubt they went that far. That's a six-hour drive."

"We gotta find them," I say quickly, grabbing the truck keys from off the coffee table. "We gotta help them. Where do you think they'd go?"

"Look, man, I know you wanna protect your baby brother, but going after them is a bad idea," Dally says.

I glare at them hard. "I'm not just gonna let my little brother go through this alone."

"He ain't alone. Johnny's with him," he argues. "Besides the fuzz is gonna be watching your guys' every move. If you wanna protect them, you gotta act like nothin' happened."

I sigh. He's right. We'd be putting Ponyboy and Johnny in more danger if we went looking for them. It nearly kills me just thinking about it, but the best plan would be to wait and hope that Pony and Johnny will come home on their own.

"You're lying," Soda trembles after a few minutes of silence. I had almost forgotten that he was still in the room. "You know exactly where they are. Tell us! NOW!"

Dally holds his hands up in defense. "I swear. I have no idea where they are."

BAM!

I watch in utter shock as Sodapop slams Dally hard into the door. His young face is red and full of rage. I've never seen him this angry before.

"Liar!"

I snap out of my stupor. "Easy Soda," I say, putting a hand on his shoulder and pulling him off Dally. "He can't tell us nothin' if you give him brain damage."

Sodapop shrugs me off violently. "This is all your fault Darry!" Without another word, he runs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

SLAM!

I turn my attention back to Dally to interrogate him further, but during the chaos with Soda, Dally slipped out of the house.

I sigh sadly, making my way toward Sodapop and Ponyboy's room. I stop outside the door. A lump forms in my throat hearing Soda's soft cries. I want to follow, but I hold back. He's too angry. If I try to comfort him, it'll just make things worse. The best thing I can do is step back and hope that Soda will forgive me on his own. In the meantime, I'm still going to care for him like I'm supposed to. I turn around and return to the living room.

A gust of wind blows through the open door, making me shiver. I grab my arms for warmth, thinking about Ponyboy once more. I hope wherever he is, he's staying warm. I hope he's safe.

After closing the front door, I return to my spot in Dad's old armchair. I decide to sleep here tonight. I want to be close to the phone just in case there is news. Also, in the unlikely event that Ponyboy comes back, I want to be the first one to welcome him home.

Now that I'm alone I let go of the emotions I've been forcing myself to hold back all day. Tears fall rapidly down my face, which I cover with my hands to hide the sobs. I'm the unofficial leader of this gang; the big, strong brother of Sodapop and Ponyboy. I'm supposed to be able to handle anything and never show that anything bothers me. Most of all I'm not supposed to cry. I can never cry. Yet, no matter how hard I try to fight it, the tears come faster down my cheeks. I haven't cried this much in a very long time. I don't know if I'll ever be able to stop.

For the first time in my life, I feel truly alone. Ponyboy's gone and I'm sure Sodapop hates me. The worst part is, I don't blame them. I hate myself most of all for hurting the two people I love the most.

Once I run out of tears hours later, I fall into an uneasy sleep, determined to do everything in my power to act normally so that I can take care of the only brother I have left. I have to act normal, even if I'm already falling apart on the inside.

To be continued...