You all have the right to be angry at me and/or believe I had abandoned this story but I haven't! I've just had the busiest summer of my life and I started my freshmen year of high school a few days ago.

Alright, I'm motivated into this story again and I hope I'll get into updating quickly so don't give up on me! I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed especially the guests who don't have an account (though I encourage you to make one) yet still take the time to make me feel good! THANKS GUYS!

Now, I have been given the idea to start incorporating some of Izzie's friends' point-of-views so if you have any suggestions, be sure to tell me in a review!

Trigger Warning (per request): Not much in this chapter, mentions of suicidal thoughts or actions I guess.

Dallas P.O.V.

Please be here, I chanted as a mantra in my mind as we walked up the porch to the Timothy's home. Come on, Iz, don't do anything stupid. I knew that it might be a lost cause. If she has her mind set on something, there wasn't a greaser or soc in all of Tulsa, maybe all of Oklahoma that could convince her otherwise.

That's when I saw Mrs. Timothy in the doorway, a hand at her chest and her eyes filling with tears. The news of Izzie's attempted suicide hit her hard. I expected it to. She was a better parent than the ones Johnnycakes and I had had that's for sure, and she'd taken on the role of mother to the wayward child. And believe me we were both grateful for that.

"Is something wrong, boys? H-How's Izzie?" Her voice tried to remain strong but wavered and finally cracked towards the end.

"Actually that's why we're here ma'am. You haven't seen her around here in the past hour or so, have you?" I asked, but I already guessed the answer.

"No, I'm afraid not. Why?" Her suddenly calculating eyes scanned over us for signs of something I didn't know.

Johnny took this one, "She left the hospital without being released and everyone is out trying to find her."

Mrs. Timothy swayed on her feet and looked about to collapse. I knew that this must all be hitting her hard, not to mention she was denied access to the hospital until the patent woke because they weren't legally related. "Oh my, would you mind coming inside to update me, gentlemen?"

I really wanted to refuse to proposal because we still didn't have our adopted sister safe with us, but everywhere else I could think that she would be was already being searched. So I followed Johnny inside the house to take a seat on the floral printed couch.

Mary Timothy was a strong willed woman. She was not the usual mother to sit back at home and let her husband's funds provide for her and her child like it was a given. She could deal with the normal teenage drama her son provided and willingly accepted the extra dose that Izzie brought into her life like it was a second nature. The effect she had on me was one of complete understanding; she always expected me to be the best I could be, much like Mrs. Curtis.

After we had all taken our seats, the talking began. "Alright, when I heard what had happened I was distraught. You are a nice group of boys and I'm very happy with who Benny and Izzie decided to befriend, so I'm sure you can imagine. I love that girl like she was my own.

"Now, I'm guessing her family has finally come back to town?" She asked.

I'm not entirely too sure whether to be hopeful or distressed by this, but I nodded the affirmative.

"Well you know there aren't any good hotels or motels anywhere in or near town and we have four unused guest bedrooms here."

It took us a moment to process what she just said. "Are you offering your home to seven guys you have never met before?" Johnny asked disbelief. It had been so long since someone did something openly nice to me personally; it was almost too good to be true.

"I have come to know the two of you boys very well this past year and I know that if you were friends with them, I can only imagine that the true them are people that I would gladly offer my empty home to."

I was shocked. God did I love this woman. Not only was she offering her home to people, but to people she had never met before and only heard horrible things about. If there was such thing as a godsend in this world, Mary Timothy would be one.

We all sat in silence for a minute before the shrill ringing of the doorbell jerked us out of our stupors. Knowing that the only people who would be at the door during this hour would be anyone part of our search party, I got up and rushed to the door. Had they found her? Or worse, had they not?

Outside the door was Ben panting heavily, red faced, sweaty, obviously exhausted. He was, however, alone. Wasn't he supposed to be paired with Soda? "Ben, where's Soda? Did something happen?"

"Izzie. Train. Suicide attempt. Car. Go. Now." He was still panting, but they were one of the groups without access to a car so he must have run all the way here. His speech was a little hard to understand, but I got the gist of it. I grabbed my jacket and car keys and shouted over my shoulder as I was already out the door, "Johnny, call the gang and bring them back here. We found her."

Darry P.O.V.

This is probably the most awkward experience I've had in my life. Well… I guess that would be my first date, but this is definitely a close second.

Let me put it in perspective: Izzie and I aren't even close to having a good relationship at this point or any point in the near future. Now her best girlfriend Kerry was sitting in my truck giving me directions to this prep school I've never heard of before let alone knew that my little sister was attending it.

No words beyond the necessary were exchanged. To break the ice a little, I attempted to turn on the radio just to have something to entertain us beyond our thoughts. Seconds after the strums of the guitar came on, Kerry reached forwards and and turned it off.

Okeydokey then.

I gave up with trying to make the situation more comfortable and focused on my driving. Finally we pulled into the parking lot of a grand building and my architect's eye was immediately astounded by it. There were stone arches and a bell tower at the highest point of the structure.

I couldn't believe I had missed such a momentous occasion in my little sister's life. I had taken on the job of protecting her and I had failed. I had failed horribly. And now I could only pray to some god out there that she had it in her heart to forgive me.

It was dark out. That much was for certain. I hoped that Izzie was here, but I just couldn't picture her here in this utter blackness.

"Well I guess she's not here then." I stated almost as if it were a question. Kerry turned around and gave me a look like I was a complete idiot. Seeing all of the shit my actions have led to in the past, present, and most likely the future, I wouldn't bet against it.

"We haven't even looked inside yet. Are you giving up on her already? Just letting her down and letting her go like you have for years now. It's a good thing there are other people in her life." Kerry stormed off in the direction of the main doors like a demon out of hell leaving me distraught and another piece of my dwindling spirit with her.

She was brutally honest. I'm pretty sure I would have really liked her if I had met her ultimately before or after all this insanity happened.

How would Izzie even get into the school in the first place? Despite not knowing the current Izzie all that well, I just couldn't picture her breaking into somewhere especially a school of all places.

I followed the young girl quickly to see her waiting at the front door. I obviously wasn't her favorite person but I decided to be the unwanted, unneeded voice of reason as always. "It's too late for anyone to be inside, no one will be here to let us in."

She glared at me out of the corner of her eyes before pulling out a thick set of keys. I watched as she put one in the lock and slowly the door creaked open. "How do you have a key to the school?" I asked dumbfounded. I'd never heard of a student being given such a responsibility before.

"Briar Prep has a selected group of student elite. We run many activities in the school and often have to show up early so we get keys to the building. Most of our gang is a member including me and Izzie which is probably why we were told to search here in the first place. Now if you'll stop asking stupid questions, we can actually start searching."

I decided to stop altogether and let Kerry take the lead since she knew what she was doing and I was altogether worthless these days. I followed as she walked purposefully through the dark, grand hallways into a small back room that Kerry also had the key to.

I went through uneasily and recognized it to be a video surveillance room. All major rooms and hallways were on a loop on the small black and white televisions for constant control of the school. It was brilliance really.

We watched them with complete dedication until we finally admitted to ourselves that Izzie just wasn't here. Kerry locked up and we headed back to the truck with the hope that someone else had been more successful.

We pulled into the driveway of another equally impressive structure, but this one was a home. In fact, now that I got a good look at it, I believe I had a hand in building the Timothy home once upon a time. It makes me feel a little warm inside, in the cavern that has been made inside of me, somehow being a part of building the place she called home for so long.

I just wish I could travel back in time and re-do everything.

I really do.

Kerry knocked on the door but entered before there was an answer. It surprised me how much they were like our greaser family even when they were on the opposite side of the cultural spectrum. Maybe Pony was right. We're not so different after all.

I looked around the lavish living room and realized that pretty much everyone was back. Johnny perked up at our entrance. Everyone was varying levels of relief and sadness. I almost didn't want to know what happened.

"I was just about to call you guys! Soda and Ben found Izzie by the train-yard. Soda took Izzie up to her room and I think they both fell asleep up there." I sighed in relief, at least they were all safe. For the first time in a long time, I knew where all my little siblings were, and I was going to make sure it stayed that way.

I collapsed on an armchair they had. It looked so inviting that I had no trouble making myself at home. I put my hand to my brow and closed my eyes until someone shook my shoulder. I looked up reluctantly. It was Ponyboy.

We made eye contact and held it as he started talking. "You need to hear the whole story." I knew there must have been more to it. I nodded my head. "Izzie stood in front of an oncoming train and Soda had to push her out of the way. I wasn't there but Dally went to pick them up and they were both pretty out of it."

I felt my eyes immediately tear up and all the breath left my body. "Oh, Pony. I don't know what to do." He hugged me and held me tight. He always knew just what I needed.

And I cried in front of everyone. This pedestal I'd been up on for so long came crashing down. I wasn't a superhero anymore. I couldn't save my gang. I couldn't save my family. And I don't know if I'll be able to save myself.