The Outsiders: Trouble in Paradise

by Iceearth12

Bexley Lynn Curtis, the twin sister of Soda Curtis and the older sister to Ponyboy Curtis, and younger sister to Darry Curtis belongs to a lower class group that lives in Oklahoma. She can rely on her brothers as well as her friends. What happens when someone takes it too far one fateful night? Bexley belongs to me.Original Characters belong to S.E. Hilton. All credit goes to her.

29. Chapter 24 HeartBroken

(There's a robbery down at the DX while the Bex is there.)

"Hey, Sodapop! Guess who's here?" Bexley announced, getting her big brother's attention as she entered the DX. The sound of her voice made him smile. Since his shift was almost over, he'd take the time to hang out with his kid sister and brother.

"Hey, Bexley!" he said, getting her into a noogie. "Hey, ah ah! Let go!" she laughed as she fought to be let go. Soda laughed before letting her go.

She hated it when her brothers messed up her hair; that was one of the ways they'd annoy her. Soda then saw that Ponyboy wasn't with her this time since he was usually with her whenever they came to the DX.

"Where's Pony at?" he asked her, walking behind the counter. "Eh, he went home. Said he was tired. You know that he didn't get much sleep last night." she replied, sneaking Soda's comb from his back pocket.

Soda nodded in response as he saw his baby sister with his hair comb. "Ya little thief." Soda teased her. "Where'd you think I learned it from?" she said with a laugh, combing some of the hair that Soda messed up.

He knew that she was referring to Two-Bit, who would steal more than just a simple comb. He simply adored the laugh that she and Ponyboy had. For a while, they seemed to fully recover after Dally and Johnny's deaths.

During that time, neither one of them cracked a smile. And one month later, both her and Ponyboy had been assaulted horribly by the Socs. Soda didn't think they'd ever recover from such a horrible situation.

But day by day, both twins had begun to recover. They were still the innocent little sprites that enjoyed their lives to the fullest. Bexley then saw that Steve was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Steve at?" she asked, sliding the comb back to Soda. "He's dealing with a tow that's a few blocks down. He should be back in no time." Soda replied, putting the comb back in his pocket.

"Oh well, he can take all the time he wants." Bex said, having to stifle her laughter. Soda couldn't help but laugh also and playfully ruffled her hair, much to her annoyance. He just loved annoying his little sister.

"Well, my shift is almost over. What do you say that we go to the house and we hang out together with Ponyboy? My treat." he offered. "Are you kidding? That sounds awesome!" Bex cheered, shooting her big brother a bright smile. It'd just be them tonight since Two-Bit and Steve would be taking Darry out to hang with them.

Not a minute later, the siblings hear the door opening. They caught sight of a man who looked no older than Darry walking towards them with a grin. From the shelf, he grabbed a newspaper and fished for some change.

Bex's eye caught sight of a bulge in the man's right pocket, making her feel uneasy. Sodapop, on the other hand, was completely unaware. The man could be easily identified as a greaser; he was wearing light jeans, a black jacket and possibly a blade since it was common for greasers to carry them.

"Anything else you need?" Soda asked in a jovial voice. "Yeah, your money." the man said, pulling out the loaded pistol in a split second. He aimed it right between Soda's eyes.

Both Soda and Bex froze in shock at how quickly the situation turned.
' I need to run... call the fuzz.' Bexley thought, swallowing in fear. As if Soda read her mind, he whispered for her to run.

The silence was so palpable that the armed man had heard it. "You're not going anywhere." the man growled at them. In a quick movement, the man grabbed Bex by the front of her shirt and pulled her aside.

He held her hostage by wrapping an arm around her neck. He shifted the barrel of the gun from Soda's head to Bexley's temple, making her head tilt to the side a little bit. Soda's breath was caught in his throat.

"No..." he whispered to himself as he saw the terrified look on his baby sister's face. "Give me the money, or I'm gonna put a bullet in this bitch's head." the guy threatened, pushing the barrel further on her temple.

Bex's breaths were coming out quicker and her eyes were filling up with tears. "Fucking do it!" the man screamed as he tightened his grip on Bexley, making her cry out loudly. "Okay! O-Okay... please don't h-hurt her..." Soda begged, wanting to protect his little sister.

"S-Soda... H-Help me... Oh god please.." she whimpered, closing her eyes as tears leaked out, staining her cheeks. "You shut the fuck up." the man growled, pressing the barrel harder onto her temple. Soda felt himself start to panic when he saw this.

By this point, Bex felt like she was having a panic attack, her breaths now in short gasps, nausea rising up. Soda had to act fast, he began to empty out the register as fast as he could and he put it in a rucksack.

While doing so, he avoided eye contact with Bexley, for fear of scaring her more than she already was. "Faster, you son of a bitch! I ain't got all night!" the man yelled at him. He released Bexley, throwing the 14 year old greaser girl to the floor.

She didn't want any more attention than she already had; she was already scared shitless, the same fear she carried when she was assaulted by those Socs. The man grabbed the rucksack and started counting it.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! Is this all you fucking got!?" the man boomed, grabbing a fistful of Bexley's shirt. He roughly picks her up and slammed her against the counter very hard, causing the girl to cry out from both pain and fear.

"I-I swear t-that's all I got." Soda stammered, alarmed by the aggressiveness on Bexley. There wasn't anything more that Soda wanted more than for his little sister to be safe and out of harm's way. He wanted her to be left out of this.

"What the fuck are you waiting for?! You better find more! Or I swear I'll fucking kill her!" the man yelled, pulling Bexley up and pressing the barrel of the gun to her temple again. This time, putting slight pressure on the trigger.

The sound of it was crystal clear since it was right next to Bexley's ear. She let out a noise that was a half-gasp and half-sob. Her heart was pounding hard against her ribcage, the anticipation was overwhelming.

Then, there was a pair of bright headlights illuminating from the parking lot of the store. For a moment, the man thought it was the fuzz. Soda was wishing that the most; the headlights of the DX's tow truck.

Soda knew straight away that it was Steve, though he tried not to show excitement. He had faith that his friend would help him. The man didn't have any patience however.

He was getting tired of holding Bexley against him with his arm around her neck. He threw her onto the floor, the force of the fall making her yelp. When she tried to get back up, the man kicked her in her stomach making the poor girl cry out in pain.

He grabbed a fistful of the back of her shirt and hoisted her up to her feet, pressing the gun to her temple again. She audibly cried this time.

"Don't you move a fucking muscle." the man threatened, pointing the gun at Soda, who tried moving around the counter to call the fuzz. Soda had no choice but to comply and gulped in fear. The man turned around, still gripping onto Bex by the shirt.

"Hey, Soda! I was just-" Steve called out as he walked into the store with Ponyboy behind him. However, he immediately stopped dead in their tracks as they walked into the shop part of the DX. They instantly saw the man and Bexley, and then spotted Sodapop.

He couldn't blame Steve for having poor timing. Chances are that he didn't see from the outside. "Get down! On your knees! On your fucking knees!" the man demanded, forcing Bexley onto her knees with the gun still pointed directly at her head.

She gulped and found herself trembling like a leaf. Through her tears, she could see that Soda was just as scared as she was and caught sight of Steve's stunned expression. "Didn't you fucking hear me?! On your goddamn knees!" the man shouted at them.

The trio obeyed. "Hands in the air! All three of you!" the man yelled, getting the trio to obey again. However, Bex was much slower because of how badly she was shaking, she could feel she was having a panic attack.

Calming down during one of her attacks was extremely difficult and tried to do what she was told. But since she had a loaded gun aimed at her head, it only made the panic attack much worse. The man was growing impatient.

"Hurry the fuck up, you little bitch!" the man barked. "I-I'm trying!" Bexley blurted, instantly regretting her choice of words. "Why, you little whore!" the man snarled, cocking the gun and pulling the trigger.

What happened next appeared to be in slow motion. "Get away from her!" Sodapop screamed, diving for Bexley. Steve shot up and used his skills from playing football to tackle the armed man.

It caused the gun to fire, a bullet shattering some items on the shelf. Bexley felt herself being held by her brother as Steve was wrestling the man for the gun. He was conflicted on whether he should help his friend or protect his sister.

He took the latter on this one and he jumped into the fray. "Bex! Call the cops! Go!" Soda shouted, struggling to hold the man down. Bex nodded at them and tried getting to her feet.

The man saw Bex try to get away and was infuriated. "No, you don't, you little bitch!" the man shouted, elbowing Steve in the chest cavity. The attack caught the young mechanic off guard and he grabbed his chest, trying to catch his breath.

Soda forgot about the man for half a second to check on Steve. He didn't realize the big mistake that he had just made. The man, who still had the pistol gripped in his hand, raised the gun and fired another bullet at Bexley.

The bullet grazed her right cheek, causing her to scream from both fear and pain.

Blood oozed from the fresh wound. She ended up falling onto her knees, on all fours. Because of her facing away from them, she didn't see the man charging right at her before it was too late.

The man ended up grabbing her by her left arm and forced her onto her back. The was on top of her, straddling her. Despite her panicked state, she fought back against him. "Let me go! Please let me go!" she screamed in terror, throwing punches at him, her panic attack fully taking over.

However, those punches were easily blocked. He took the gun and pistol whipped the feisty girl across the face, making her head jerk to the side. He hit the cheek that was grazed, making her cry out in pain.

"I'll teach you!" the man growled at her, grabbing a fistful of her shirt and he raised the gun again. All of this was reminding her of when she was defiled by that Soc, a mindset that she didn't want to go back to. She was absolutely terrified that this man would do something other than hitting her and shooting her.

Bexley flinched violently and squeezed her eyes shut, holding her hands out in front of her face in an attempt to protect herself.

"Don't you touch my kid sister, bastard!" Sodapop yelled as he grabbed the man from behind and got him in a choke hold, getting the man off of Bexley. Bexley quickly quickly crawled away to the counter, her eyes glued to the man.

Her panic attack only seemed to get worse because of what happened. Tears were forming in her eyes again and she started breathing quickly and erratically. She gripped onto her ears and started rocking back and forth, something that was common whenever she had an attack.

Her heart was beating so fast that it felt as though it was vibrating. Her body was sweating something awful from how hot she was feeling. She couldn't focus because of how much distress she was in.

Meanwhile, Steve had recovered from the pain in his nose and sprung up to tackle the man again, making all three men fall to the ground. Because of this, the man had dropped the pistol before he could fire it a third time.

Bexley heard something heavy land next to her. She saw that it was none other than the man's gun. The trigger was half way pulled and it was pointed towards her since it landed on some items that were on the floor.

"Bex! The cops! Call them, dammit!" Steve shouted, throwing the punches. However, she couldn't hear them because of her panic attack. Plus, she was too scared to move an inch, sobbing and shaking madly.

The two older guys managed to gain the upper hand on the man as he tried throwing them off. It was like they were fighting an endless battle with the man as he fought against them full on. It didn't take long before Soda had found a glass bottle that was sitting on a shelf.

He swung it as hard as he could on the man's head before he could punch the daylights out of Steve, knocking the man out. The man collapsed beside Steve. Soda panted heavily as he stared down at the unconscious man.

As Steve pushed the man off him, the sound of police sirens blared from down the street. For a moment, the two friends were confused on how the cops knew about the robbery. Bex hadn't called them due to her panic attack.

The neighbors had heard the loud gunshots from inside the DX, alerting them. Soda was relieved that they were almost safe and wanted to go comfort his baby sister, who was still in the midst of her panic attack. He didn't see the gun aimed directly at Bexley.

"Soda, don't! Look where the gun is!" Steve shouted, holding Soda back. Steve could see just where the gun was and it'd be dangerous if Soda were to run to his sister at this moment in time. That gun could go off a third time and shoot the young girl fatally.

Soda felt his heart pounding because of how nervous he was feeling. He wanted to hold his baby sister, to assure her that everything is okay, but he knew he had to remain where he was. All he did was reach out towards her as he spoke to her, "Bexley, remain calm. Listen to my voice, honey. The fuzz'll be here soon. Take deep breaths, okay? Deep breaths..."

The man started to move and tried to pick himself up, only for Steve to pin him back down to the floor with all of his strength. Not a minute later, the police stormed into the shop with their guns raised. "Nobody move! Hands behind your head!" a cop yelled, pointing his gun at the man.

The man shot Bexley a hateful, icy glare that made her shake violently. When Bexley saw the cop with the raised gun, she whimpered audibly, reliving those same moments she endured minutes ago.

The robber was quickly arrested and he was hoisted from the floor. He gave one more stare at a panicked Bexley before he was escorted out of the doorway. The second cop stayed behind to assist for other damage to the shop.

He then noticed the cocked gun resting by Bex's shaking body. The cop came over to her, causing her to flinch badly. "Bex, don't move!" Steve shouted.

Bex was utterly terrified, her panic attack fully taking over her body. She tried to listen to her brother trying to catch her breath, but it was hard without him hugging her. She desperately needed him right now.

"Easy there, girl. I'm just gonna get the gun away from you. It's alright." the cop reassured. All Bex did was whimper in fear, the entire experience leaving her horribly shaken up. All she wanted was to go home where she knew she was safe.

The cop easily took the gun away from Bexley. He released the click to prevent it from firing. And he put it in his back pocket once he did so.

The second it was safe, Soda sought the opportunity and bolted towards Bexley. He knelt down next to her and immediately wrapped his arms around her trembling body. He held onto her shoulder tightly, holding his baby sister close to them so she'd know that he was right there for her.

"Soda? S-Soda, is that you?" she gasped, still trembling and wheezing from her panic attack. Soda kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek on it. "It's me, Bex. I'm right here... Everything's alright now. Take deep breaths." Soda said, making it obvious he was scared to death at seeing Bexley hurt and being helpless.

Bex felt herself in the all-too-familiar gentle grasp of her brother, and she gripped onto his work shirt tightly, fists balled up. She sobbed in his chest, not caring who was watching. She knew that she was a greaser and greaser's don't usually cry in public, but it didn't matter now.

"Shh... it's alright, Bex. Take a deep breath. Calm down now." Soda whispered, stroking her hair. Bex sucked in a breath but it came out as a shudder. "I wanna go home... Please... can we go home?" she begged, trying to control her sobs.

"That's exactly what we're gonna do, sissy. We're not leaving again tonight." Soda assured the girl while stroking her back. "Is the girl okay?" Steve asked, obviously not getting a reply back when the cop approached him.

He wanted statements from all of them but Steve convinced the cop to wait because Bex's mental state right now wasn't stable enough to be interrogated. Although the cop respected that, he would still need a statement. Steve then waved him off while he made his way to the shop's phone.

A few minutes later, he returned to the shop and crouched down next to his best friend and his sister, observing just how scared she really is. He saw the way she was clinging onto Soda. Soda's grip on her was so tight that his knuckles were turning white Steve felt sympathy for her.

"Soda, I gave Darry a call. He'll be here soon to get you guys. I'll clean this place up." Steve offered. Bexley managed to calm down long enough to get a few words out.

"S-Soda? Is it over?" she said, her bottom lip still trembling.

"It is, Bex. It is." he assured before looking up at Steve, "You don't gotta do it alone. I can help you." "No, it's fine, man. I can do it. Just get her home and be there for her." Steve said. "Thanks a lot, man." Soda said, appreciating the help from his buddy.

Just then, there was the sound of the car door from outside being slammed outside. The front door opens so forcefully that it was nearly torn off the wall. Darry rushed in with Ponyboy behind him.

"Bexley! Sodapop!" Darry's voice cried out. Soda glanced up at his older brothers with red cheeks. Ponyboy and Darry ran to their brother and sister and kneeled down next to them.

"What happened, you guys?" Ponyboy asked, slightly panicked. Bexley then threw herself in Darry's arms and sobbed into his chest. Darry was stunned by this but quickly forgot about it as he fiercely hugged Bexley back while Soda and Ponyboy hugged them from behind.

Darry could hear Steve picking stuff up in the background, slowly figuring out what went down and he saw the graze from the bullet from where the man had shot her, blood staining her cheek. "Jesus, I almost lost my kid brother and kid sister..." he thought darkly. Bexley was engulfed in all of her brother's embraces, shielding her from the horrifying world that she's in.

"I wanna go home... please... that man tried to kill me." Bexley begged while sobbing. Hearing that made Ponyboy freeze because that's exactly what she told him the night she was defiled by those socs, the same state and same words. He, too, was horrified that he nearly lost his sister and brother.

"We're doing that right now, honey. C'mon." Darry shushed, helping her and Soda stand up. Bexley was still clinging onto Darry, giving him hints that she wanted to be carried. Darry didn't decline that and picked her up bridal style.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kept her face buried in his shoulder while sobbing quietly. Soda had quit crying by now but was still in shock.

By the time they got home, Soda hopped out of the truck with Ponyboy behind him. Soda picked Bexley up bridal style and carried her into the house. Darry couldn't shake off the sickening feeling of nearly losing his brother and sister.

He came into the house a couple of minutes later, shutting the door behind him. He saw that Soda, Bexley, and Ponyboy weren't in the living room. The bathroom light was on so Darry went to go check it out.

Bexley was sitting on the edge of the tub with Ponyboy sitting next to her. Soda was cleaning the graze on her cheek. From the looks of it without the blood, it wasn't a deep enough cut to require stitches but it would need a bandage.

She was hugging herself tightly. Her frail body was trembling madly. The events of the robbery did more than just shake her up they could see.

"I'm gonna start dinner. Are you hungry, Bex? Pony?" Darry asked, his voice low and gentle so he wouldn't frighten her more than she already was. "A little bit." Pony answered. "N-No. I just wanna go to bed." Bexley said to her biggest brother.

"You sure?" Darry said with a frown. "Please don't make me eat, Darry. I'm really sleepy. Can't I just rest for right now?" Bexley shakily said. Soda looked over his shoulder to look at Darry, "Don't worry, you guys. I'll put her to bed."

"Alright. But if you need anything, just holler for us." Darry said. She nodded quickly. Soda had finished doctoring her cheek before putting a bandage over it.

Soda and Ponyboy then helped Bex to their bedroom. A few minutes later, both brothers walked out of the bedroom. Soda closed the door gently behind them.

Ponyboy sat down at the table with Soda. Needless to say, neither one of the brothers touched their food, still extremely shaken by the events of earlier. Steve had crashed at Two-Bit's place, who had heard of what happened so they could give the Curtis's some space.

Needless to say, Steve was also shaken up. "Can't believe I nearly lost her, guys... the man held a gun to her head! Not only that, he had shot her on the cheek... She was terrified and had a panic attack..." Soda admitted.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Ponyboy asked, worried for his twin sister. "Hopefully. Although, she's probably gonna have a nightmare because of it." Darry said, biting his lip.

As they predicted, Bex did in fact have a nightmare, a terrifying one. It happened at around one in the morning. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, thrashing around wildly.

Soda and Ponyboy heard this and immediately jumped to her aid. Darry had also woken up by the sound of her shrill screams. Soda grabbed her shoulders and tried shaking her, but it triggered her.

"No! Don't touch me! Let me go! Let me go!" she sobbed, fighting at the threat touching her. "Bexley! It's alright! You're only having a dream!" Soda screamed loudly without meaning to. Soon, he found himself hugging the life out of their baby sister.

She registered that it was Soda's voice and immediately started sobbing into his chest. "It's alright, baby. He's not gonna hurt you..." Soda soothed, figuring out what she was dreaming about. She was affected way worse than himself, but he was still shaken up.

"He's gonna kill me... He's gonna kill me..." she sobbed, fists balled into Soda's shirt. Ponyboy hugged his twin sister from the side, rubbing her back in comforting circles. "He's not gonna lay a finger on you... We won't let him." Ponyboy said in his sister's ear.

Soda tightened his grip on Bexley as she started to cry again. Darry felt his heart break and he couldn't help but hug his two brothers and sister close to him. It felt like an eternity before Bexley was able to fall back asleep.

The bed they shared wasn't big enough for the four of them to sleep in. Darry made the decision to sleep in Bex's bed. Bex stayed in Soda's arms and Ponyboy slept right beside her, his body close to hers. They'd shield her from the bad dreams that'd plague her.

Thankfully, she didn't have any more nightmares. But she did wake up feeling cold the next morning. She found that she was the only one in the bedroom, her brothers' nowhere to be seen.

"No... Don't leave me... Please..." she whimpered, gripping her ears as she felt another panic attack coming on.

Her heart started pounding hard in her chest. She was trembling and felt like she was gonna throw up. Her chest started to hurt and it felt like she was suffocating. Her entire body felt so hot. She was clutching her ears, rocking back and forth uncontrollably.

Soda and Darry were getting ready to go to the DX to talk with Soda and Steve's boss about the robbery. Ponyboy was getting out of the shower. When he walked in there, his heart wrenched when he saw Bexley having another panic attack.

Instantly, he rushed over to her and sat with her. He knew that he should try to touch her unless she is okay with it. She had to know that he was right there with her.

"Bex, it's okay... You're safe. You're gonna get through this." Ponyboy said, talking in a soft, calming voice. She continued to shake and found it difficult to breathe, which was worse because of her lung problems.

"Bex, do you want me to leave the room?" Pony asks her. She only shook her head, wanting her brother to stay with her. "Can I hug you?" he asks her carefully.

She nodded and let Ponyboy hug her gently, his arms wrapped around her. "It'll be okay, Bex. Don't worry now. We're right here." Ponyboy assured, rocking her back and forth gently.

Bexley slowly stopped shaking as she felt Ponyboy hold her close to him. "Ponyboy... don't leave me... I don't wanna be alone." she gasped, clinging onto him. The tone in her voice tore at Ponyboy's heart.

He had remembered being in this exact predicament after she had been raped by those socs a few months ago. Even then he was absolutely heartbroken because she hadn't been the same after that. It was a slow, painful scab that had been ripped away so suddenly.

Sure, she was starting to recover, hence the way she and Soda interacted before the robbery after she stole Soda's comb. He was also starting to recover from nearly being defiled himself.

"I'm not going anywhere, Bex. Don't you worry." Ponyboy soothed, rubbing her back in circles. After a minute, she was relieved of her panic attack and pulled back from him, rubbing her moistened eyes.

"You okay, now?" he asked her. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Pony." she nodded, "Where's Soda and Darry?" "We're gonna go get some groceries for dinner tonight. Then, Darry is gonna head down to the DX to talk with Soda's boss. It's Soda's turn this time. So we know what that means." Ponyboy mused, getting a smile on his twin sister's flushed face.

"Blue mashed potatoes and green chicken. Man, he surely has a unique way of cooking." Bex said, laughing a little bit. "Shoot yeah. Can't wait." Ponyboy said, smiling himself. The twins then get off the bed and make their way into the living room.

Of course, Bex had to clean the cut on her face so it wouldn't get infected. Since it wasn't bleeding anymore, she could keep it uncovered so it could air out. But it'd have to be covered up again soon.

Darry was making coffee since he just woke up himself. Soda had gotten himself a quick shower and came out in just his jeans. "Hey, Bex. How're you feeling?" Soda asked, first noticing his twin kid brother and sister.

"I'm okay, Soda. I... had another panic attack. But, Pony helped me through it." Bexley said, looking at her twin brother. Soda frowned at hearing her having another attack but was grateful that Ponyboy was there to help her through it.

"Thanks a lot, Pone." Soda said, playfully punching his kid brother on the shoulder. "You're welcome. I had to help her through it. It's my job as her twin brother to get her through them." Ponyboy said, wrapping an arm around Bex's shoulders. "Hey, it's my and Darry's job too." Soda said, pretending to be offended.

The three siblings laughed at this and made their way to the kitchen for breakfast. They all ate their usual choice in eggs, they talked and laughed to get their minds off of what had happened. But, it wouldn't last long.

Because of last night's events, Bex was gonna stay home while Two-Bit stayed with her. "Hey, when are you guys going grocery shopping?" Bex asked, feeling her heart pound in her chest. "Here in a few minutes. But I ain't sending Sodapop there until he apologizes for what happened yesterday." Darry replied.

Bexley trembled at the mere thought of it. She absentmindedly touched the graze on her cheek, feeling just how deep the cut really was. Soda noticed this and brought her into a loving embrace.

"It's okay, Bex. It's all over now." Soda assured, kissing her on her forehead affectionately. Ponyboy stood next to her and rubbed her back to comfort her. She lets out a shaky sigh with her eyes squeezed shut.

Sleepiness washed over her suddenly and she pushed back from her big brother. Her eyes were droopy and she was swaying a little bit. Her brothers noticed this.

"Are you okay?" Soda asked, worry in his eyes. "I'm sleepy. I think I'm gonna take a nap." Bex tells him, rubbing her face. "Okay. You need your rest anyway." Darry said, placing a hand on her bony shoulder.

She then went to their shared bedroom and shut the bedroom door behind her. The last thing she heard before falling asleep was Two-Bit's arrival. He would usually announce that he's there whenever he came over to the Curtis's.

She would have Two-Bit with her for around half an hour while her brothers were gone.

About fifteen minutes later, she woke up to the sound of the front door slamming shut. 'Two-Bit. Always slamming the damn door. I swear Darry's gonna skin him for that.' she thought vaguely as she unraveled herself from the blankets. She wouldn't mind hanging out with Two-Bit.

He does treat her like his little sister after all and always found a way to make her laugh. She walked into the living room with a small grin, expecting the wise-cracking greaser to be watching Mickey Mouse like he normally does whenever he drops by. However, her heart skipped a couple of beats when she saw who it was.

It was the same guy who robbed the DX. She immediately froze in fear when her eyes watched him fiddle with that same pistol he shot her with. "There you are, you little bitch. Been looking for you." he said dangerously.

She started to hyperventilate as she was beginning to have another panic attack. "You think those cops can lock me up forever?" he snickered, sending a chill down her spine. Her eye then caught something laying on the floor, a hole in their head with blood oozing out, creating a pool underneath them.

To her horror, she could see it was... Ponyboy. Her entire face went white and she felt sick to her stomach. 'No... No no no! He can't be...' she thought terrified, sobbing hysterically.

The man then stomped over to her, gun in hand. Bexley tried her hardest to move away from the man but it was like she was stuck in concrete. The man grabbed her by her shirt and pushed her down to her twin brother's corpse.

Tears filled her eyes as she was forced to her knees. She tried to look away from the horrific sight. "You see this? This is what happens when someone gets in my way of getting what I want!" the man growled, forcing her to look at Ponyboy.

"Now it's your turn. You're gonna get more than just that graze." he seethed, putting the gun to her head and pulling the trigger.

"Bexley! Wake up! Wake up!" Two-Bit screamed, shaking Bexley by her shoulders, willing her to wake up. He had heard her screaming Ponyboy's name while she was sleeping. When he went in the bedroom to check on her, he saw her thrashing around in her bed wildly, sweat covering her entire body, and tears running down her face.

"Ponyboy! Ponyboy, no!" she screamed, her eyes shooting open with a loud gasp. "Bexley, it's me!" Two-Bit said, getting her to look at him. She sat up and blinked away her tears so she could see Two-Bit sitting next to her.

She then flung herself into the Mickey Mouse loving Greaser's arms and she cried brokenly into his chest. Two-Bit was surprised at this and started at her for a brief second. He then hugged her back, holding the frightened girl close to him.

He wasn't used to this kind of affection. This was a different type of affection as opposed to Kathy. But he could see that Bex needed all the comfort she needed because of what happened yesterday.

He stroked her hair gently and held onto her tightly. "Ssshhh, it's okay, little sister. I'm right here. That guy ain't gonna touch you." he softly said to her, using his pet name for her. "Where are they? My brothers?" she muttered in his shoulder, her body trembling.

"They're not here. But they should be back at any time since they were gone for a few hours." Two-Bit said, regretting his choice of words. "I want them... I have to know that they're okay..." she whimpered.

"I got no idea where they are, little sister." Two-Bit said, not realizing his wrong choice of words. Bexley began to panic, pushing the older Greaser back. She breathed quickly, clutching her throat as she tried catching her breath, clutching her ears again.

"He could get them! No! I can't lose them!" she blurted, her heart vibrating in her chest, she felt like she was gonna faint. "Bex, that bastard is in jail! He's ain't getting out!" Two-Bit exclaimed, biting his lip. "B-But he was here, Two-Bit! He killed Ponyboy and shot me!" Bex cried, trembling more than before.

Two-Bit felt his goofy heart split up in two when she said that, 'That's what she dreamed about...' "No, little sister, he's alive. It's just me here." Two-Bit said, rubbing her back. She let go of her ears and looked at her older friend, "You sure?"

"I'm sure. No one else is here." Two-Bit smiled, "He won't hurt you again." Just then, the two hear the front door open. "We're home!" Soda's voice announced, noise from the living room as they started unloading the truck.

Two-Bit knew that they were on their way back, however, Bexley had no idea. "S-Soda?" Bexley cried, bounding out of bed and hastily making her way towards the kitchen. Her older brother was setting groceries down on the counter so he didn't see her.

When he turned around, Bexley threw herself in his arms. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, hugging her back. "Bex, what's the matter?" he asked, hugging her back.

His eyes widened when he saw her bawling in his chest. "N-Nightmare..." she weeped, clinging onto her brother with the little strength she had. Soda held her protectively in his arms just as Ponyboy and Darry walked through the door.

Both were carrying a grocery bag each. They were greeted with the sight of Soda and Bexley hugging. She didn't even notice them walking in the door, not even Ponyboy.

"You wanna talk about it?" Soda asked, rubbing her back. "T-That man came and... he-he... killed Ponyboy and shot me... He forced me to look at him... " she whimpered, starting to cry again.

Soda looked over at his other two brothers in worry, who had shocked expressions on their faces. Ponyboy had to let her know that he was there so he set the grocery bag down and walked over to her. Carefully, he touched her shoulder, causing her to whimper loudly and cling onto Soda even more.

"Bex, hey..." Ponyboy gently said, making his sister freeze at the sound of his voice. In her dream, she saw that that man had shot and killed him. The dream felt all too real.

Bex turned her head to look at her twin brother. Without a word, she threw herself in his arms, squeezing him so tightly that she practically crushed him. After hearing what she dreamt about, he hugged her back.

"It's alright, Bex. I ain't going anywhere." he coaxed, rubbing her back. She felt herself calm down after a while from the nightmare she endured. Because of this, Soda had this lingering feeling of guilt in his heart, Pony did as well.

Soda thought that he should've let Steve and Darry deal with their boss while he and Ponyboy stayed with Bex. If any of them had a nightmare, he'd know exactly how to calm them down. Two-Bit did a pretty good job of calming Bex down, which they made sure to thank him for. Two-Bit tried brushing it off but it was more than just nothing.

Soda and Ponyboy led Bex back to bed, and they laid with her until she was able to fall asleep again. Ponyboy decided to stay with her while Soda went to talk with Darry and them. They were all in the kitchen so they'd be out of earshot.

Darry was unloading the groceries and Soda started to help. "So what'd your boss say?" Two-Bit asked, leaning back on the kitchen counter with his hands on the edge. Soda turned to look at the Mickey Mouse loving Greaser, "Needless to say, he was shocked that it happened in the first place."

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious since it did more than shake Bex up." Two-Bit pointed out, taking notice of the graze from being shot that'd be a permanent reminder of the robbery. He bit his lip as the memories of when she and Ponyboy were assaulted by those Socs. He remembered just how destructive he was when he found out about it.

It was an unhealthy mindset for one to be in, that he knew. But in the gang, you're more than that. You're a family and you go great lengths to protect your own.

Darry shot Two-Bit a look that silenced him real quick. "He said he'd do something about it. They'd get security for the DX. Although many gas stations have been robbed a lot a while back. Rarely at the DX though. It's a relief to know that he'd take action." Darry tells them.

"But we all know that the fuzz don't defend Greasers. This is gonna be one hell of a story to tell Tim Shepard." Two-Bit said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was meaning Tim Shepard and the Brumly boys. Chances are, Tim already knew along with the rest of the East side boys.

"Our boss had half the mind to give us at least a couple of months off." Steve barked with a laugh. "He gave us at least a month off before apologizin'." Soda said with a grin. "Let's just hope this never happens again, let's leave it at that." Darry replied with a sigh.

"Well, look at the time. I should probably be scurrying off." Two-Bit said heading for the front door. Before he walked out he said, "Hey, tell Bex and Ponyboy I'll bring them something to eat from Dairy Queen tomorrow." Darry nodded as Two-Bit walked out the front door with a two finger salute.

"Soda, why don't you wake up Bexley and Ponyboy? Bexley won't sleep tonight if you don't." Darry said, "Remember that you're making dinner tonight." Soda nodded, leaving the kitchen and made his way to the bedroom.

Steve then stopped Soda midway to the bedroom. "Hey Soda. You feeling alright there?" Steve asked, hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yeah but... I can't put it into words just how hard it was going back to the DX. I couldn't get that robbery out of my head. I just want things to be alright again. Seeing Bexley so scared to death like that..." Soda said, his hands shaking.

"Hey, she'll be alright while she's with us. We're all here for her. Just like before." Steve said, squeezing his friend's shoulder for reassurance. Soda looked up at him with an unsure look in his chocolate brown eyes. "He's in jail, Soda. He ain't gonna bother us again, ya dig?" Steve assured.

Those words helped calm down Soda a little bit. "Yeah. You're right. Thanks Steve. ]" Soda said, shrugging, "Let me go check on Bex and Pony." "Alright, Pepsi-Cola. I'm gonna head home myself." Steve said, squeezing Soda's shoulder once more before heading towards the door.

Soda walked to the bedroom that he shared with his twin younger siblings. He saw that Bex was sleeping soundly on her side with Ponyboy snuggled up right beside her with his arm around her waist. He didn't want to disturb them but he knew that they got to eat something to gain nourishment.

He gently shook the twins, smiling down at them sweetly. "Pony, Bex. C'mon, you guys need to wake up for dinner. I'm making it tonight." Soda said. The twins woke up from being shook by their shoulders.

Bex stretched her body and rubbed her eyes in a cute way. She was relieved to get a few hours of sleep without a single nightmare. No one knew that if the night would be any different than before.

"Aw, do we have to, Soda? I'm still sleepy." Bex said, giving him some puppy dog eyes. "We don't want you to be awake tonight. No lip." Soda said, making her pout.

As expected, the four siblings feasted on blue mashed potatoes and green chicken.

Later that night, Bex was the only one awake her brothers while her brothers slept. She slept in her own bed, she told Soda and Ponyboy she wanted to. When she closed her eyes, that nightmare would come back.

She was still shaken up by that nightmare. She didn't want to see it again. There was no way that that man could know where they lived, but she couldn't help but imagine him ever finding them. She shivered at the mere thought of not feeling safe in her own house.

She turned over to look at her brothers, who were sound asleep in the next bed. When she looked at them, she could feel that she was safe. She knew they'd be there when she woke up, they'd protect her if she needed them.

The minute she fell back asleep, the nightmare ran through her head. She found herself back in the DX. The only difference was, it was Soda this time who was dead on the floor. Steve was also dead on the floor, having three bullet holes in his body.

Bex was absolutely terrified, tears falling from her eyes. She was alone like the last time. The only thing staring back at her was her brother's cold, lifeless eyes. He couldn't protect her from the psychopath that robbed them.

"What have I told you about getting in my way?!" the man scowled. Bex paid no mind to him and found the courage to crawl to her brother, agonizing cries escaping her throat. She needed her brothers... She needed...

The man then grabbed her by the back of her neck and felt the barrel of the gun pressed against her temple, like in the robbery. She couldn't breathe... "You see what you did! Because of you, I had to kill him and his friend! It's your fault!" the man shouted.

In reality, she was thrashing around wildly in her sheets, kicking at something invisible. "Soda! Please, wake up! Don't leave me! No!" she screamed, waking up both Soda and Ponyboy. The two brothers looked over at Bexley's bed and saw her thrashing about.

All she could focus on was the pain from being shot in her dream. Soda and Ponyboy jumped out of bed to help her. Soda took hold of her shoulders, causing her to go ballistic.

"No!" she screamed, pushing away from her attacker, "No! Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me, please!" "Bex! Wake up!" Soda cried, shaking her hard. "Bexley! It's okay! Wake up!" Ponyboy shouted.

With a violent jerk and scream, she woke up. She blinked away her tears enough to see who she was looking at. Soda was right there with Ponyboy, right in front of her, concerned look on both of their faces.

'What? Soda's alive? They're here with me?' she thought, feeling her heart rattling in her chest. Once she registered where she was, she breathed heavily and began to cry again. "Oh hon... C'mere..." Soda said, pulling her to his chest. Ponyboy hugged her from the side, Soda wrapped an arm around him as well, holding him close with a fistful of his shirt.

Bexley held onto her brother's with dear life, making sure that they were there with her. "Guys... it was... it was so scary..." she stammered between hiccuping sobs, gripping Soda's shirt with balled up fists. "Do you wanna talk about it? We won't make you if you don't want to." Soda coaxed, rubbing her back.

"It... You and Steve were dead on the floor, Soda. You were looking at me with wide, lifeless eyes. That man came after me again..." Bex explained, her voice trembling with each breath. "Was I there, Bex? Did you see me in your dream?" Ponyboy asked concerned and inquisitively.

"N-No..." she shook her head. All the screaming had reached another set of ears. Darry bolted into the bedroom and asked, "What happened?" Worry lingered in his voice but the answer was right in front of him.

The eldest Curtis walked over and sat down on the bed. He took both of his brothers and sister in his arms, just as he did when they were at the DX. "It's alright now... We're right here, Bex. All three of us." Darry coaxed, talking in a calm, loving voice.

"How could I have been so careless? I should've seen that something was off." Soda said regretfully, holding his baby brother and baby sister closer to him. It was the same gesture that he did when Bex was out of danger.

"It was my fault... he said it was." Bex muttered, thinking that no one would hear. "What? What'd you say?" Soda asked, hearing her clear as day. "He said... it's my fault you, Steve, and Ponyboy were killed." Bex admitted, pushing back from Soda's grasp.

She wiped her eyes and sniffled, trying to not sound like a bawl baby. But she couldn't help it. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the fresh, red scar that was on her cheek, making her shiver.

"I... I should've called the fuzz. I froze... My panic attack kept me from doing it..." Bex whimpered, biting her bottom lip. She was still frightened.

"Bexley, look at me." Soda said, lifting her chin up by his fingers so that her green eyes glanced up so they met his chocolate brown ones, "You were scared. Hell, we all were. Don't for one second think that. You were havin' a nightmare. None of this is your fault. If anything, none of us knew what was going through that man's head."

"Really?" Bex whispered. Sodapop nodded with a caring smile. "You think that Steve was also scared?" Bex asked, feeling a little bit better. "I bet you anything that he was pissin' himself." Ponyboy said, getting all of the siblings to laugh. "You're right about that. He was probably acting tough but there's really a scared little girl just waiting to crawl out." Sodapop said, making them die of laughter.

Bexley and Ponyboy were both grateful that Soda was able to make them laugh whenever it was necessary. "Are you okay, Bex?" Darry asked, hand on her shoulder. "Yeah. I'm okay now. Thank you guys. I don't know how I would've managed without y'all." Bex said, smiling at all of her brothers.

"Yeah, where would you be without us?" Soda said, giving her a playful noogie, messing up her hair. "Hey! Ah ah ah! Leave my hair alone!" she whined, pulling back. Darry and Ponyboy both laugh at her reaction; they know how much she hates her hair bein' messed with.

Darry ruffled her hair again, she pushed his hand away, along with Pony's before walking back to his room. "Hey, don't think about it anymore, you hear?" Soda comforted, still smiling at his kid sister and kid brother. "Can I sleep with you guys?" Bex asked.

"Sure thing, kiddo." Soda said, laying back down. Both Ponyboy and Bexley lay back down with him, one on each side of him. Bex laid her head atop Soda's chest as his muscular arm was wrapped around her. Ponyboy curled into a ball as he faced Soda, an arm wrapped around him.

"Don't you worry none, Bex. We're right here. Try to sleep. Both of you need your rest." Soda said softly. Then, all three siblings fell asleep.

A full month had passed since the robbery happened. The four siblings were in the living room watching the TV after another restless night. They had already eaten their usual breakfast, which Bex didn't eat much of.

By this time, Bex's bullet wound had become a fresh scar that had turned red. She made sure to avoid the mirror every time she went into the bathroom. She couldn't bear to look at it and be reminded of the man who had shot her.

Bexley sat down on the couch right night to Ponyboy and Soda with her legs pulled up to her chest. Darry was sitting in the arm chair. She couldn't stop thinking about her nightmare from last night.

She couldn't even focus on the movie that they were watching. The picture was blurry and the volume sounded muffled. The only thing she could hear were the sounds of the gun and the roughness in the robber's voice as he screamed and hollered at them.

She found herself starting to rock back and forth, hands clasped on her knees. She was unaware that she was even doing it. "Bex, are you alright?" a voice asked, but she couldn't make out who it belonged to. "Bex?" Soda's voice broke through, causing her to jump a little bit.

"Huh? What?" she asked, setting her legs down on the floor. "You were freaking out again." Soda said, getting down in front of her. "I was?" she asked in confusion, she still had no idea that she was doing so, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

The brothers all exchanged glances with one another, just as confused as Bex had been. "I can't help it! Those nightmares are keeping me up at night and I can't stop thinking about them. I can't even look at myself in the damn mirror without being reminded of what happened!" Bex snapped, standing up sharply.

"Hey, calm down. Sit down, Bexley." Ponyboy said, sitting her back down by gently pressing down on her shoulders. Soda put his hand on her knee, Ponyboy sat down next to her with an arm around her shoulders, Darry got on the other side of her.

"Bex, how many times do we gotta say that none of this is your fault?" Soda tells her firmly. "Bex, look at me." Darry said, taking her by the chin so the girl was made to look at him. "Soda and I are here for both you and Ponyboy. We'll help the both of you through your nightmares. The both of us love you two a lot. There's no way we'd have you two deal with them on your own." Darry explains to her.

"Ponyboy, Bexley, we know you have them a lot. And it's normal to get them. We'll help the both of you fight against them no matter what." Soda tells the twins gingerly. The twins were grateful that they were able to talk them down, mostly Bex after her sudden outburst.

Bex hugged all three of her brothers tightly, feeling much better now. Since Bexley helped with making breakfast, she resided in the dining room with Ponyboy. Ponyboy was reading while Bexley was drawing while the dishes were being done.

It was a Sunday, meaning that no one had school nor work so they had the entire day to spend time together. They'd hang out with the gang today, which Bex was looking forward to. But the dishes had to be done first before they had to leave.

But things took a turn for the worse when Two-Bit and Steve came over. Of course, they slammed the door shut after they walked in the house. Two-Bit announced his hello, just as he always did.

However, the slam was so loud that it sounded just like the gun being fired. Bex let out a blood-curdling scream before falling out of her chair. "Bex!" Ponyboy shouted, jumping out of his chair.

Bexley grasped her ears and shut her eyes tightly, rocking back and forth. She felt herself having another panic attack. Her breathing was loud and erratic, her heart was vibrating in her chest again, and it felt hard to breathe, tears fell from her eyes as whimpers escaped her dry mouth.

In her mind, she was back in the DX. She felt the man holding her and the gun pressed to her temple. "Don't hurt me! Get away from me! Let me go!" she screamed, fighting off who was grabbing her. Her eyes squeezed shut so she couldn't see her attacker.

"Bexley!" Darry shouted, hugging her tightly as she screamed to be let go. "Calm down, Bex! You're okay. You're safe with me, Darry, and Pony. It's alright. Shh..." Soda said in her ear.

She continued to sob in panic but she heard Soda's voice and stopped struggling and her eyes snapped open. She could see that she was in her brothers' arms, safe and sound. Within seconds, the frightened girl collapsed in Darry's arms and sobbed her eyes out in Darry's chest.

Darry shot worried looks at his two other brothers. Ponyboy had a hand on her shoulder while Soda rubbed her back in comforting circles. She found comfort in her brother's reassuring gestures and tried to calm herself down so she could breathe.

When she did settle down, she pushed herself back from Darry's hold. She looked at the other guys, slightly embarrassed that they witnessed her having a panic attack. They were both stunned to say the least.

"What a greeting this was." Two-Bit said, trying to lighten the mood. However, he was still in shock from what he had just witnessed. He knew that Bexley had panic attacks and this would be the second time that he's seen her having one.

"I thought the door was... the man's gun. When he shot me..." she stuttered, looking at the front door. It didn't take them long to figure out what she meant by that. Soda hugged her from behind and rocked back and forth slightly.

"It's over now, Bexley. He ain't gonna get you anymore..." he whispered, kissing her on her head. The four siblings remained quiet for a few minutes, giving Bexley a little more time to fully calm down.

"So... we still going or what?" Steve asked, being the first to break the silence. Darry shot him a look, not even having to say anything to get his point across. "Can we go to the drive-in?" Bexley asked, catching Darry by surprise.

She was meaning the Admiral Twin Drive-In Theatre, the same theatre where Ponyboy and her met Cherry Valance. "You sure, hon?" Soda asked, looking at her. She nodded, not changing her mind.

"I think that's a great idea. Besides it had been a while since we last went." Ponyboy said, fully agreeing with the idea, "Plus, I think she needs to get out and have fun with us." "Yeah, I wanna do it." Bex said, grinning at her twin brother.

All she wanted was one normal day, just one. Then her mind drifted off a bit as she thought, 'Last time we did this, something bad happened...' She was frightened that something bad would happen while she was there.

Bex didn't want to feel like she was burdening the gang by having another panic attack while they were there, so she didn't say anything. All she did was give them a false smile.

The six of them made their way down to the Drive-In at around six pm, but they had to wait until later that night before they could go see what was being shown which was at 7:30 pm. Usually, Pony and Bex would sneak into the Drive-In with Dallas and Johnny when they were alive. The last time they went with them, there was a lot of troublesome conflict.

Bex didn't want to stay in the truck, so the gang found a row of empty seats in the same spot where the twins met Cherry Valance. Unlike the moviehouse where the seats were uncomfortable, the seats at the Drive-In were much more tolerable.

The movie that was being shown was an action movie. About a quarter into it, Bexley had found herself getting thirsty. So she decided to buy herself something to drink.

Needless to say, her brothers wouldn't let her go alone, especially after what happened the last time they went to see a movie together. "I'll go with her." Ponyboy offered, getting up with her. "Alright. You two be careful." Darry firmly said.

"We will. Do y'all want anything?" Ponyboy asked. "No, we're fine." Soda said for all of them. The twins nod before going to the concession stand.

As they were leaving with their stuff, Bex looked up at the Drive-In screen. She saw that someone was holding a gun to someone's temple while using them as a human shield, similar to how she was being used in the DX. They then fired the gun.

She instantly saw flashbacks of the robbery happening, her breaths became hitched. Her entire body felt numb and she could hear the gunshots. She even felt the scar on her cheek starting to throb horribly.

"Bex? Bex, what's the matter?" Ponyboy asked, noticing her state. She didn't hear him, her green eyes were wide and fixated towards her feet. "Bex?" Ponyboy said again, carefully touching her shoulder.

Bex was so fixated and unfocused that she didn't recognize her brother's hand. It caused her to jump out of her skin, making her drop her drink. "No! Don't touch me! Please, god no!" she panicked, roughly punching Ponyboy across the cheek.

The gesture caught Ponyboy off guard. She never once hit him in her life. When she realized it was him, instant regret made her heart ache.

They had always been as close as twins could be. They would always accept the comfort the other gave. It was normal when they were caught in the middle of a nightmare because they can't see who's really touching them. But it felt different.

"Ponyboy, I..." she said, seeing the hurt look on her twin brother's face. Out of her guilt, she spun around and took off running. "B-Bex! Wait!" Ponyboy called, starting to run after her.

But she was already on the other side of the fence, her shape becoming smaller and smaller. 'Oh god... I gotta tell Darry! Who knows what could happen to her?' he thought, quickly turning around to tell the gang.

Darry and Soda hear Ponyboy's erratic footsteps coming towards them, getting the brothers to look up. They saw that Bexley wasn't with him. "Pony, where's Bexley?" Darry asked immediately, getting to his feet.

"She... She ran away!" Ponyboy exclaimed, his heart beating very quick. "Ran away?! What happened, Pony?" Soda asked, standing up too, worried in his voice. Steve and Two-Bit shot up from their seats at the news of Bexley taking off running.

Ponyboy explained what happened, feeling very panicky about Bex. They all agreed that coming to see this movie was a bad idea. It only triggered her trauma.

"What the hell are we waiting for? Let's go find her!" Two-Bit shouted, running towards Darry's truck. They took off sprinting towards the truck, almost knocking over a few other people who were coming back with some food from the concession stand.

The five guys sped off in the truck in pursuit to find Bexley.

(Bexley's POV)

I ran. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. What else could I do? I hit my own brother... I had to get out of there.

The look on Pony's face when I did that made my heart ache something awful. Going to that movie was a terrible idea... if I hadn't suggested that we'd go there, none of this would've happened. It was my fault.

All this running caused my lungs to hurt, so I had no choice but to stop running. Since my legs were feeling like jelly, I couldn't hold myself up any longer. I fell over on all fours, panting and gasping for air.

I had realized that I had run to the park, the one with the fountain. The same fountain where everything had started up until now. I still couldn't get it out of my head.

When I caught my breath, I pushed myself up and leaned back against the wall of the fountain. I pulled my knees up to my chest, rested my knees atop of them, and tried not to cry. But the pressure in my jaw and nose made me lose that battle.

I buried my face in my arms and started to softly cry in guilt. The movie had caused me to have another attack. It only reminded me of the robbery at the DX.

I saw the way that guy was being held and the sound of those guns... I couldn't handle it. It made me hurt my own brother, it made me think about being shot, it made me run away.

As I ran, I could hear Ponyboy calling my name, telling me to wait. But I couldn't face him, not after what I had done. I hadn't realized that I fell asleep by that fountain.

When I did wake up, I could feel that the air around me was freezing, causing me to shiver. When I woke up, I saw that it was still night. It was most likely 10 pm.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder along with a male voice, "Hey, are you okay?"

The foreign touch caused me to tense up. I quickly looked up at who was touching me, it was a boy who looked like he was a year older than Ponyboy and I. When I saw him, I started scooting away from him while whimpering in fear, holding my arm up in front of my face.

"Hey, take it easy! I won't hurt you." the guy said, holding his hands back at my reaction. "Y-You won't?" I asked, my heart thumping in my chest. "No, I ain't like that. Hurting girls isn't my style." the boy asked, moving his light brown locks from his eyes.

He was about the same height as me, brown eyes, and light brown hair. He had a strong build. He looked friendly enough but I couldn't trust him yet.

"Mind if I sit? You look like you could use a friend." the guy said. Hesitant, I nodded, sitting back up with my knees pulled up to my chest still. He sits down next to me, a bit too close for my liking.

"You're Bexley Curtis, ain't you?" he asked. "Y-Yeah? How'd you know?" I asked in confusion. "My name is Sam Davidson. I go to the same school as you and your brother, Ponyboy Curtis." he said with a grin.

"We do?" I say in confusion, raising a brow. I hadn't seen him around our school before. "Yeah, I saw both you and him there. I'm a grade higher than you guys." Sam tells me. "O-Oh... I see. I... hadn't seen you there." I tell him, trying my hardest to control my shaking.

"This might be a question I shouldn't be asking but... were you involved in the robbery at the DX station? I heard you got shot. That scar shows it." he asked, making my entire body tense up. I didn't want to hear anything more about the station. "Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Sam apologized, figuring out that I was involved with that damn robbery.

"P-Please don't bring it up again... I don't wanna hear..." I stammered, feeling my body shaking. Even though I was looking away, I could feel Sam's eyes on me. He didn't understand just how traumatizing that was for me.

"I won't say anything more about it." Sam said respectfully, "But, I can tell that that isn't the only thing bothering you." I turned my head to look at him, trying my best not to have a panic attack in front of him.

How'd you...?" I asked, confused as to how he knew that. I only just met the guy. "I can see if someone is hurting just by looking at their eyes." he says, "Talk to me. What's wrong? I'll listen if you want me to."

Honestly, I didn't want to tell him about my problems. What was his deal? I didn't want to talk to anyone so why couldn't he just leave me alone?

"C'mon, talking helps. I won't judge you." he said, now desperate to get some answers out of me. He places a hand on my knee, causing me to flinch. I didn't want him touching me...

"Please don't touch me... I don't like it." I tell him, being reminded of when those Socs touched me. "Oh. Sorry. I won't do it again unless you say otherwise." Sam replied, taking his hand off my knee.

I couldn't help but think of everything that happened up to this point. I always did feel better when I got something off of my chest. "What's in it for me?" I asked.

"Does there have to be a reason to give someone the time of day?" he said before looking at the sky, "Or night I should say." A smile forced its way onto my lips when he said that.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked me. "O-Okay... But I want to know something about you first?" I wondered, "We just met and all." "Oh... well." he said, his lips sputtering, "I got a little sister named Lynn. She's about 6 years younger than me. My mom died when I was 10 years old. I live with my Aunt Stacy right now."

"Really? My middle name is Lynn." I say. "Wow, what a coincidence." Sam said with a chuckle, "Tell me something about yourself." "I lost both of my parents about a year ago. They died in a car accident. I live with my three brothers. My dad was an original person when it came to names. My older brother is named Sodapop. Says so on his birth certificate." I tell him, sharing some things about me.

I made sure to leave the more personal stuff out. Like what happened with Bob the Soc's death and that Ponyboy and I had to run away with Johnny, our time in Windrixville, my feelings for Johnny after he got burned. I didn't tell Sam about Johnny and Dally's deaths, nor did I tell him about me being raped by the Socs about a couple of months ago; I wasn't ready to share that with him.

"Really? How do you live with three brothers? That's gotta be such misery being the only girl." Sam chuckled, scratching his arm. "Nah. It's okay. I'm used to it." I reply, feeling tears rim my eyes.

I quickly wiped them away before Sam could notice, but he did. "Sorry... I didn't mean to cry." I tell him, trying to be tough. "Hey, you don't gotta be sorry. You can cry." Sam said in a caring way.

Hearing that made me cry harder, more tears rolling down my face. "I-I didn't mean to... I'm sorry..." I sob, more to myself that to Sam. "What happened?" Sam asked.

"M-My brothers, two of our friends, and I went to see a movie at the Drive-In. There was a scene th-that scared me and... I accidentally punched Ponyboy on his cheek... And I ran away from the Drive-In. I didn't mean to do it... We are so close and the fact I did that..." I said with a sniffle, "I think I might've ruined our relationship... we never hit each other... I freaked out when he touched me and I didn't recognize that it was him." I explained, the guilt coming back up.

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure that Ponyboy knows you didn't do it on purpose. You were only scared from what you're saying. He'll forgive you I'm sure." Sam said with empathy. "I don't know... after he looked at me like that." I say, not sure if Ponyboy was mad because I hit him.

"He was most likely stunned. But, go tell him that you're sorry. He'll understand." Sam said. The two of us fell into an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. "You should probably head on home. Don't want your brothers worryin' about you. Plus, it's freezing out here. Didn't you say that you ran off from the Drive-In?" Sam asked.

"Y-Yeah. I did. They're still there I think." I say, pushing myself to my feet, "Thanks for talking with me, Sam. I feel a little better." "It's not trouble, Bexley. I best be gettin' home myself. My aunt will have my hide on the wall if I'm late for dinner. See you at school, yeah?" Sam asked, standing up too.

With a nod, I bidded him goodbye.

(Still Bexley's POV)

I made my way back to the Drive-In. There was another movie playing. But there were fewer people there from when I last saw.

The only thing that I didn't see... was Darry's truck. It was nowhere to be seen. I was confused. Why would they leave?

Unless, they were looking for me? That had to be it! Ponyboy must've told them that I ran off so they went looking for me.

Needless to say, I didn't go by the house. I knew for a fact that they wouldn't be there. They're still out in town looking for me.

I now felt bad for even running off like that to start with and they're out there worrying their heads off about me. I had a big apology on my hands.

Since I didn't have a key, I had no choice but to find a phone in order to call them. I ended up going to a convenience store that was down the road from the Drive-In that was open 24 hours.

When I got there, I saw that they were still open. They were open 'Thank god.' I thought to myself as I went inside. The cold breeze of the inside brushed across my cheeks.

"Can I help you, young lady?" a woman in her thirties asked me. "I-Is there a phone I can use?" I tell her, rubbing my neck. "Yeah, it's over there." the woman said, pointing behind her with her thumb.

I thanked her before going to the phone. When I approached the phone, I had this knot in my stomach. A part of me didn't want to tell them where I was because they'd be angry with me. But I also knew that they're worrying their heads off and I had to tell them where I was.

With shaky hands, I picked up the receiver and inserted a quarter. I dialed our house number and placed the phone to my ear. I leaned against the wall, anxiously waiting for someone to pick up.

It didn't take long until someone answered. "Hello?" Darry's tired voice said on the other end. "Darry?" I say, my voice quivering.

"Bexley?! Is that you?" Darry frantically said. "Y-Yeah. It's me." I tell him, my throat suddenly dry. "Where are you?!" Darry asked, worry in his voice.

"At the convenient store down from the Drive In. Can you come get me?" I asked him. "Don't go anywhere. I'm on my way." he said before hanging up. I put the phone up on the receiver before walking back out into the front door.

"Are you gonna buy something, young lady?" that same woman asked me, seeing me walk out of the back. I looked at her and swallowed hard. "N-No. I'm waiting on my brother to come get me." I tell her, waiting by the door.

I clasped my hands together and let my fingers intertwine with one another. After about twenty minutes, a pair of headlights lit up the darkness of the parking lot. I looked up and saw that it was the truck that Darry normally drove.

My heart was beating a million miles an hour when I watched the truck pull up in front of the building. I got up from the booth and bolted outside. Darry quickly got out without shutting the door and instantly saw me, tears in his blue eyes.

"Darry!" I cried, running to my oldest brother. I hugged him with my arms around his waist. He hugged me back, squeezing me very tightly as if I would vanish if he let me go.

"I'm sorry for runnin' off... I didn't mean to... I got so scared after I..." I started apologizing but Darry didn't reply. All he did was hold me in his arms, obviously scared to death that something happened to me.

"Please never do that ever again, Bexley..." he cried softly, his tears falling on top of my head. "I'm sorry..." I said, my voice cracking in guilt.

After a few minutes of hugging, we got in the truck and made our way back home. I saw just how quiet Darry was the whole ride home. That was until we were a couple of blocks from the house.

"You know I had half the mind to call the cops because you went missin'?" he scolded, keeping his eyes on the road, "You had us all scared, Bexley. We were all worryin' that something might've happened to you." I didn't say anything; I already felt bad about even running off.

"Look, I'm not mad at you. I was only scared. None of us could forgive ourselves if you were kidnapped or something. Don't ever do that again, you hear?" Darry said, speaking in a softer tone of voice. "Y-Yeah Darry. I'm sorry..." I apologized, making my stomach tighten up even more.

When we pulled up in front of the house, I could see that the others were inside with the lights on. I waited a minute to catch my breath that I didn't know I lost. We both got out of the car and walked inside the house.

Soda was on the couch with his face in his hands, crying softly. Steve was sitting next to him with an arm around him. Two-Bit was standing in the kitchen doorway, beer in his hand. I didn't see Ponyboy though, he might've been in our bedroom.

Hearing Soda cry actually made my heart clench, as if someone was squeezing it tightly with their hand. "Well, look who's finally here." Steve said, seeing me first hand. Soda tensed up when Steve spoke and he looked up at me.

His eyes were red and puffy from the crying, his face was flushed. "Soda..." I said softly, my voice breaking. Soda gets up without saying a word and envelopes me in a hug, his muscular arms wrapped around my body.

I felt him trembling as he held me close to him, his heart was beating loudly and hard in my ear. He was scared to death... I hugged him back with my arms wrapped around his waist.

"Where were you...?" Soda spoke, his voice heavy with tears. I buried my face in his chest and tried not to be a bawl baby. But I couldn't help it, the tears came anyway.

"I... I ran to the park. I fell asleep and I came back to the Drive-In to f-find you guys... But you guys weren't there. That's when I went to a convenience store to call you guys... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I explain, tears wetting his shirt, "I hit Ponyboy by accident... I didn't mean to..." I was careful to leave the part where I talked to Sam out.

Soda pulled back and held my face in his palms. They were cold against my hot cheeks. He looked into my eyes, his eyes were very glassy. He was absolutely miserable.

"Don't you ever worry us like that ever again... If something happened to you, we couldn't bear it..." he said, his voice cracking. I bit my lip and broke my gaze from Soda's eyes by looking down.

"Wh-Where's Pony? I have to talk with him." I ask Soda desperately. "He's in our room." Soda said, knowing that Ponyboy wanted to see me. Before I went to see him, Soda hugged me again.

"You scared him to death, Bex... After you took off like that. Talk to him, okay?" he said, his arms wrapped around me. My heart sank to my feet. Now I feel really bad...

Soda then let me go after a minute of hugging me, letting go to our bedroom so I could see Ponyboy. When I made it there, the door was shut. I didn't see the light peering from underneath the door, so that meant he was asleep.

However, I was wrong when I opened the door with a shaky hand. He was sitting on the bed, his back facing towards me. I thought he didn't hear me but when I opened the door, he quickly turned around so that he was looking directly at me.

For a moment, we stared at each other in silence. He had a look of honest worry in his greyish green eyes. He hadn't heard the front door open so he didn't know that I was back.

When my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see the bruise that was on his cheek. I knew that it was from me hitting him. All it did was make my stomach knot up in guilt.

"Pony... I'm sorry that I hit you like that... I didn't mean to-" I started, closing my eyes to avoid his gaze. But I was cut off by his embrace, getting my eyes to shoot open. He was hugging me tightly, his arms wrapped around my waist.

"I don't care that you hit me, Bex. I care that you're home and that you're safe." he whispered, his voice muffled in my shoulder. I waited a moment before hugging him back. "I'm sorry for taking off like that, Pony. I don't know what I was thinking..." I say, admitting my guilt.

The two of us went to sit on the bed, side by side. "You scared me half to death when you did. Why didn't you come back when I called you?" Ponyboy asked. There was a lump in my throat that I had to forcefully swallow down.

"I was afraid, Pone. That movie made me think of what happened... at the DX. My reflexes kicked in and my mind thought you were... you know. When I realized it was you, I had to get away. Hitting you like that made me feel guilty in ways that I couldn't fathom. I should've come back." I said, fighting against the tears.

"I ain't mad at you, if that's what you think. You were scared. I shouldn't have touched you like that, knowing it was gonna freak you out." Ponyboy said, "I guess I deserved it. Shoulda known you had a strong punch." Hearing him say that made me feel better a little.

"I never knew that I did. I am a Curtis after all." I say, puffing out my chest proudly. "When haven't you been?" Pony laughed, getting me to laugh too. Both of us definitely needed that.

The two of us scooted back against the headboard of the bed so we could talk more. I was tempted to tell him about Sam and how he was there for me, but another thought held me back. Sam was a stranger, I didn't know him all that well.

I didn't want my brothers freaking out about it and go after him. He seemed like a nice guy but my trust for guys I didn't know was gone. So I decided to keep him a secret.

I don't remember falling asleep but when I opened my eyes, I heard a familiar sound. It was the sound of someone knocking on the door. Ponyboy had woken up at the sound of the knocking and he sat up with a yawn.

"What was that?" he asked me, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "There's someone at the door." I answered, feeling my stomach squeeze in anxiousness. Ponyboy and I had walked out into the living room.

We saw that Two-Bit and Steve had stayed over for the night. Soda had apparently fallen asleep on the couch because he was sitting up while stretching. Darry got up from the armchair and went to answer the door while rubbing his tired eyes.

Soda must've seen the uneasy look on Ponyboy and I's faces because he immediately caused him to walk over to us and gave us each a one armed hug. I wrapped my arms around his waist and clung to his shirt like I was a little kid.

On the other side of the door, was a member of the fuzz. Two-Bit and Steve soon joined us from the kitchen to see what was going on. "Can I help you, officer?" Darry greeted as politely as he could.

"I got three names here, Bexley Curtis, Sodapop Curtis, and Steve Randle- had those young men and young lady got something to do with the robbery at the DX?" the fuzz asked.

I tensed up immediately and buried my face into Soda's shoulder, feeling completely numb. Soda pulled me into his chest even tighter. Ponyboy had his hand on my shoulder, keeping himself as close as possible to me. We thought they were gonna talk about me going missing for a few hours.

(Third Person)

Steve stomped over to where Darry and the cop was, anger in his face. "Why the hell are you even here?" he snarled, standing next to the eldest Curtis, "That bullshit happened a month ago and you're here for a damn statement?! I suggest that you get in your car and get the hell out of here."

Darry was speechless; Steve took the words right out of his mouth. The cop's partner stepped forward and asked, "Would you rather take this at the station? "No." Steve simply said, crossing his arms together.

"I'm assuming you're Steve Randle?" the cop asked, but received no answer. "And you? You're Darrel Curtis, Bexley, Ponyboy, and Sodapop's legal guardian, right?" the cop asked, looking towards Darry.

"Yes, I am." Darry nodded, "But I think it'd be wiser to leave now and we can discuss this some other time. They're not in the right state to be interrogated." The first cop, whose badge read Williamson, looked around and saw the two brothers holding their sister close to them.

They stood by the bathroom door. Bexley was completely and utterly unnerved by this and the look on her face showed it. Ponyboy and Soda's face showed disgust and defiance.

The other cop, whose badge read Samson, looked at Two-Bit, recognizing him instantly. "Don't you think it'd be a great idea to interrogate the brother and sister and Randle while I talk with Darrel, Ponyboy, and Matthews? We can bring them into the station." Samson suggested.

Williamson was about to respond but Bexley cut him off, "No! I don't want to go..." Her voice was filled with fear. She hated herself for being so weak but what could she do in this situation?

Darry took charge and joined his two brothers and only sister, standing in front of them. "We're staying here." he firmly said, crossing his arms across his chest, "And if the both of you can understand that, then go back to the station. You can't force us to answer your questions. My sister and brother are already traumatized enough and your antics are not helping. If neither one of yall can respect that, then you can get off my property."

"Wait, Darry. It's fine. The faster we answer their questions, the faster they'll go, you know?" Soda interjected. "So do I..." Bex said in a whisper.

Darry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, Ponyboy, Kieth, and I will head outside." he said to Williamson before looking at Samson, "You take my brother, sister, and Steve into the dining room. If you ask anything that upsets them, you best watch yourself because you'll have to answer to me. Are we clear?"

Normally, Samson wouldn't feel intimidated by someone he'd question but Darry was a big and tough guy, and he didn't want the business from Darry. He could understand just how protective he is of his family and he wouldn't let anyone hurt his siblings in anyway, even if he was a cop. All he did was nod before leading them to the dining room while Ponyboy, Darry, and Two-Bit went onto the porch.

Bexley felt safer when she sat in Soda's lap. He kept his arms around her while Steve sat in the chair next to them. "Ask what you're gonna ask." Steve said a bit dangerously.

"Well, we're gonna cut to the chase and not sugar coat this. When did the robber pull out the gun, and who did he aim it at?" Samson asked. Bexley tensed up as well as Soda. He tightened his grip on his baby sister as she leaned against his chest, his cheek resting atop her head.

"Well, Bex had come down to the DX after school. Ponyboy wasn't with her and I found out that he had gone home already. We were hanging out, and I was also waiting for Steve to come back so we could close up. But this man comes in, gets a newspaper, and gives me the correct amount of change to pay for it. He didn't look like a robber. He had us tricked. He aimed the gun between my eyes after I asked him if he wanted anything else." Soda said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Samson said, asking for him to keep going. "N-Next thing I knew, he held Bex with an arm around her neck as he... held the gun to her temple. He said that he would shoot her if I didn't give him the money. When I did, he threw Bex on the floor. He thought it wasn't all, he picked her up and slammed her on the counter..." Soda explained.

"Was his target Bexley?" Samson asked. Bexley only held onto her big brother more tighter and let out a quiet whimper, Soda glared at him. "We were both victims; he was hurting her more than with me." Soda said.

Samson nodded, hearing enough of this before he looked at Steve, "Where were you during this?" "I was bringing back the DX's truck after a towing job. When I got there, the first thing I saw was Bexley being held hostage by him, threatening to shoot her." Steve replied.

"Did he follow through with his threat?" Samson asked, getting Steve to nod. "He fired the gun three times. Soda and I tackled the guy before he elbowed me in the ribs before he shot at Bexley. He grazed her cheek pretty badly." Steve answered slowly.

Bex turned to look at the cop, who was jotting down something on a clipboard while Soda and Steve talked to him. "Was there a reason why he shot her?" Samson asked. "Look, we don't even know the guy. He shot at her more than at us." Soda groaned, rubbing Bexley's shoulder because he felt her shudder.

"Was there any other physical violence?" Samson asked. "He hit Bexley across the face with the gun where he shot her. But we hit him over the head with something over his head to knock him out before he could do anything else." Soda said. The cop wrote that down before looking at the two young men and young girl in front of him.

"I got one last question for each of you." Samson said as he looked at Soda, "Did you see that he was carrying a weapon?" He looked at Steve, "What object did you use to render him unconscious?" He then looks at Bexley, "Why didn't you call the police?"

Bexley froze in place as she felt her heart pounding, her breathing became heavy and erriatic. She remembered why she couldn't call them. She was having a panic attack from the man holding the gun to her head, threatening her life, his aggressive grip holding her hostage.

Steve shot up from the chair, causing Samson to reach for his gun. That one movement made Bex freak out, clinging onto Soda even more while whimpering in fear. Samson slowly took his hand away from the gun, but kept his eye on Steve, who was leaning on the table with both hands holding him up.

"She was having a panic attack! Not to mention, she was shot by this son of a bitch by that same gun sitting beside her, aimed at her head! You had trouble getting it away from her since it would've blown her head off! How do you expect her to call you for fucking help when she couldn't move?!" Steve bellowed.

"Steve." Soda said, pulling his buddy back down onto the chair to calm him down. He ended up releasing Bexley, but only for a moment. Bexley buried her face in Soda's shoulder so all she could see was black.

The second Steve was sitting down again, Soda held Bexley with his arms wrapped around her shaking body. "It's alright, hon. Everything's gonna be okay." he coaxed, stroking her hair. Her fingers dug into his nightshirt.

"I don't want to do this anymore... Make him leave..." Bexley replied, her voice breaking. She was sobbing brokenly now, her tears not stopping as they stained Soda's shirt.

"Look, I didn't know he had the gun on him because I was busy doing what he said, I knocked him out with a glass bottle that was sitting on the shelf." Soda answered hastily, before looking down at his kid sister, "I think you should leave if you don't have any more questions."

Samson took a look at the 14 year old greaser girl's state and gave a few nods, not wanting to push her any further. "Alright." Samson said, "Bexley, can you look at me?" She hesitantly did so, tears still in her green eyes.

"We will get justice for you, I promise." Samson said, getting up and leaving the house. Since neither cop knew about her going missing, they never once brought it up, much to their relief.

He called for his partner as he stepped outside. They headed back to the station pretty fast. Just then, Darry, Ponyboy, and Two-Bit came running into the house.

Bexley got up from Soda's lap and went to hug her eldest brother. Darry hugged her back crushingly, Ponyboy hugged her from behind, giving her all the comfort she needed.

They had to get justice, it was the only way this would be settled; through justice.

The following morning, Soda had to get up at 7 a.m. for work. He quickly grabbed a few pieces of bacon that Darry had made and started to munch on that while buttoning up his DX shirt. Bex was understandably nervous since this was his first day back at work so she couldn't help but feel scared for him.

"Soda, are you sure you're okay with going back?" Ponyboy asked, his voice filled with worry. "Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, that man is in jail and Steve'll be there with me. I have to work, we gotta have the money." Soda tells his younger brother. "If you think you're sure, little buddy." Darry said.

Soda assured his two brothers and sisters that everything will go smoothly today. "Hey, gotta go. Steve will be here any minute to pick me up. I'll see you guys later. Pony, Bex, don't get into any trouble at school." Soda said.

"S-Soda?" Bexley quietly called out, glancing up at Soda with glossy eyes. "What's wrong, Bex?" Soda asked, kneeling down beside her. "Please be careful." she tells him simply.

Soda brought her into a comforting hug; he understood that she was still struggling with healing from the robbery. "Don't you worry none. I'll be fine." he said, giving his baby sister a wink, "You be careful too, okay? Pony?"

"Yeah?" Ponyboy said, turning around from the sink because he was doing the breakfast dishes. "Keep an eye on her." Soda said. "No worries. I'll make sure nothing happens." Pony agreed without argument. Soda gave a nod before heading out of the front door.

"You two better hurry up, Two-Bit will be here soon to pick you guys up." Darry reminded his kid twin siblings. Bexley felt herself shake, getting Darry to grin at her. "Take it easy, there's nothing to worry about. Ponyboy will be there with you. You'll be okay. If there's any homework, I'll help you with it." he assured her, still smiling at her.

Ponyboy walked over to his twin sister and sat down next to her. "Darry's right, Bex. You got me and Two-Bit at school to help you out. Just come find me or him, okay?" Ponyboy coaxed, having an arm around her shoulders. Bex smiled at her two brothers before hugging Darry.

Two-Bit arrived shortly after and the twins went off to school, who was on the verge of honking the horn on his car from how impatient he was getting. Bex was confident that her twin brother and her friend would help her if something were to happen.

Ponyboy had to go home after school for some homework, which he didn't want to do but Darry made sure he would come home afterwards.

The school day was painfully slow for Bexley; she couldn't stop thinking about Sodapop, her mind kept wandering back to the DX and if her brother was actually doing alright. She couldn't even focus on her school work and was kind of lagging behind a bit.

After class, she went to her locker to get her book for her history class when Two-Bit approached her. "Hey, you doin' okay, Little Sister?" the older greaser asked, leaning against the locker with crossed arms.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried is all." she replied, closing her locker. "About Soda, right?" he asked, tilting his head a bit. The look in her eyes proved his theory, she was nervous yet scared still.

"Hey, he'll be fine, Little Sister. Nothing's gonna happen. I know you're still scared about what happened but I guarantee that things will be alright again soon enough." Two-Bit said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You sure?" she asked, feeling her heart steady a little bit.

"Hell yeah, kid." Two-Bit said, giving her a hard pat on the shoulder, "And to make you believe me, I'll take you on a field trip to the DX after school. You'll see that Soda's okay. What do you say?" "That sounds great." Bex replied, feeling herself smile shortly.

"That's the spirit, Little Sister." Two-Bit said, shaking her a bit while having his arm around her shoulder, "Now, c'mon. Let's go find Ponyboy." Bexley nodded in agreement; she appreciated Two-Bit for helping her out.

Ponyboy and her had the same class so it was beneficial. Two-Bit was careful not to bring up the scar on her cheek because he knew it was a permanent reminder of the robbery. She was still very sensitive about it.

When school ended, Bexley was anxious to go to the DX. Ponyboy had to go home despite his protests. He wanted to be there for Bexley.

When they pulled up, her palms were starting to sweat, her fingers starting flexing in and out, and she was feeling herself struggling to breathe.

"Yeah, c'mon. It'll be okay, little sister." Two-Bit encouraged, trying to help her feel better but it was fruitless. She pulled her knees up to her chest and started to shake. "I can't do this... I can't go in there..." she whimpered, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Take a breath, okay? Nothing's gonna happen. I'm right here, and

Steve and Soda are inside." Two-Bit assured. "A-Alright... I'll try." Bex said, caving in. The two greasers got out of the car and made their way towards the DX shop.

Bexley hugged herself in an attempt to protect her shaking body. She was terrified to go in there. Steve just happened to see them pull up and went out to greet them.

"Hey guys!" he shouted as he approached them. "How you doin', Steve?" Two-Bit asked, giving a hard pat on Steve's shoulder. "Pretty swell so far." Steve answered, his eyes looking at the shaking girl, "Let's go, girl!"

Bexley was reluctant to walk inside the shop, her heart was pounding hard against her chest and her stomach started to churn. She stood in front of the door but instantly started backing up. "N-No... I don't want to go in there..." she whimpered, her voice breaking.

"Little sister, look at me." Two-Bit said, both hands on the greaser girl's shoulders. He spoke to her in the best reassuring voice he could muster, "Walk inside and take a look at Soda, then I'll take you home, okay?"

"A-Alright..." she said quietly and followed behind Two-Bit, who's hand was on her shoulder. She still couldn't muster up the courage to step inside; everytime she tried, her instincts were telling her to make a run for it.

"Remember what I told you, little sister. See, Soda's right there behind the counter." Two-Bit said, pointing to where Soda was. He was trying his hardest to help her conquer her fear, but he saw just how hesitant she was. No one expected her visit here to be a walk in the park.

Bexley turned her head to the right and saw a couple in the store; thankfully, none of which was the robber. When she saw this, she took a deep breath and stepped inside the shop.

"There you go! See, told ya it was easy!" Two-Bit praised. Bexley scoffed at him, not finding his adult joke funny. She then caught sight of Soda looking at her.

"Soda..." she whispered his name. "Bexley!" her brother shouted excitedly as he came running out from behind a counter to hug her so tightly that she felt like she was being crushed. She chuckled at his joviality and hugged him back.

"I'm so proud of you, Bexley. You had the courage to come back." Soda said in the embrace. He led her more inside the shop with an arm around her. "Did you do good in school?" he asked eagerly while Two-Bit went to hang with Steve.

"It could've been better. Ponyboy was there to help me along with Two-Bit." Bexley said. Soda was proud that his kid brother was there for his kid sister when she needed him.

"Soda, I'm still afraid that something's gonna happen." She said, glancing down at her feet. Soda pulled her in for another embrace, she hugged him back with her arms around his neck. "Listen to me, Bexley. Nothing bad is gonna happen, you hear? You're safe now. It's only me, Steve, and Two-Bit. There's nothing to worry about." he said with a grin, "Well, if you except Two-Bit. He might go walking out with half of this store."

"Hey! I heard that!" Two-Bit exclaimed from the next room. The two siblings laughed at his reaction. "I promise everything's okay, okay?" Soda said. "Okay." Bexley said, rubbing her arms nervously.

"Want me to get you a drink?" Soda asked. "Dr. Pepper please?" she asked innocently. Soda beamed at the adorable look in his kid sister's eyes, it melted his heart. "Okay, little sister. Be right back." he chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"Soda, no touching the hair!" she whined, trying to fix her now messed up hair. Soda laughed at her before going to get her drink. She decided to stand behind the counter so she'd feel a little bit more safer, which she did.

She scanned the shop and made sure that the guy wasn't here, but she didn't see him. Soda had returned with the drink before helping with a customer. She drank it slowly before throwing it away.

While she drank it, she kept reminding herself that everything was fine; she was safe and her brother was safe. Nothing was gonna happen, or will it?

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the loud footsteps of someone coming up behind her. That's when she felt a strong, heavy hand on her shoulder, causing her heart to jump into her throat. "Lookie what we have here." a deep voice said, sounding identical to the robber's.

Bexley was turned around roughly so she faced the owner of said voice. "Been looking for you, girl." they said. Bexley's legs became weak and wobbly, causing her to lose balance.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!" she cried in terror, falling to the floor. Her chest started to tighten and she felt nauseous; she grabbed her ears and started rocking back and forth as another panic attack took over. She was crying hysterically and her breathing was loud and quick.

She squeezed her eyes shut as tears fell from them. "Leave me alone! Don't fucking touch me!" she screamed, her entire body shaking. Her fear-filled reaction caused the guy to step back in shock, raising his hands up as the three other guys bolted over there.

"What's wrong with her?" the man asked in confusion. Soda knelt next to his kid sister and mistakeningly pulled her into his arms, making the attack worse. "No! No, no, no! Let me go! I won't get in the way!" she shouted while struggling, her heart vibrating in her chest. She was pushing him away with her hands as well as hitting him.

She was sobbing hysterically as Soda didn't release his hold on her. "Bexley! It's okay, honey! It's me, Soda! I'm right here. Calm down and take a deep breath." Soda coaxed, gently rocking her back and forth to help calm her down. Bexley closed her eyes and took in a shaky breath.

"There you go. There you go... Keep breathing..." Soda said, before shooting a glance at the two other greasers, who had stunned looks on their faces. Steve was still in the shop when he heard Bex freaking out. "What the hell did you do, Troy?" Soda shouted at the hood who grabbed Bexley. Troy rubbed the back of his neck carefully.

"She just went crazy on me. All I did was grab her shoulder." Troy said, taking a few steps back. "My sister's not crazy. She's still traumatized after the robbery that happened a month ago. Not only that, but she was attacked by a group of socs a few months ago." Soda spat, glaring at that hood.

"Shit, I didn't know about that." Troy said honestly, not apologizing. "Is she okay, Soda?" Steve asked, coming over after hearing the commotion. "What made you think that it was a good idea to bring her here, Two-Bit?!" Soda spat, shooting daggers at him.

"I thought it'd help her conquer her fear. Sorry..." Two-Bit said in a voice that showed he regretted bringing her up there. He felt guilty in seeing Bexley having another panic attack.

"Well, you can see that it clearly didn't! You're such an idiot!" Soda scowled, very annoyed. But he also felt a bit bad for scolding at his friend. He could've punished Two-Bit for this but the guilt was enough.

"Hey, don't feel bad. She's not the only one to have trouble being here." Steve said, having a hand on Two-Bit's shoulder. Soda glared up at him sharply as Bexley was breathing shakily and still had tears running down her face. "You were? Scared to come back I mean?" Bexley asked, her voice thick with tears.

Soda pulled back and cupped her cheeks so their eyes met. He brushed a tear from her flushed cheeks affectionately. "Believe it or not, I was scared. I tried to put it behind me but it wouldn't leave me alone. But I had to strong for you and Ponyboy. You had guts for coming down here today, baby. I'm gonna tell ya right now that we're gonna get through this as long as we're by each other's side, we're gonna be just fine." Soda tells her, not breaking his gaze once from hers.

"Just like the last time?" she said, referring to her being hurt by the socs. "Just like the last time." Soda smiled, nodding at her. He helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Are we goin' home?" Bexley asked, smiling at her older brother. "Yes, we are. Let's go." he replied, smiling back at her, "We're going home. Where we belong."