My first Outsiders fanfic I hope you all enjoy hip, hip hurray for Christmas in- *checks calendar* April!

I own nothing btw

It was almost Christmas and only me and Johnny were paying attention to the lack of decorations being hung around the house and the streets.

Nobody else really cared to decorate…I would, if I knew where to start, luckily Cherry knew. When I asked anyone else the response was as follows:

Darry: I'd really like too but I don't know how to really decorate a house Ponyboy…plus I'm awful busy. (On his way to work)

Sodapop: Oh gee Pony we haven't done anything like that since mom and dad and they did all the decorating all I did was eat the icing from the gingerbread house when mom wasn't looking. Sorry honey maybe Darry'll know a thing or two or maybe it'll be in of them books you be readin'. (On his way to hang out with Steve)

Steve: I don't know a thing about that…your parents did a pretty good job though when we were kids. (On his way to hang out with Soda)

Two-Bit: Sorry kid the closest thing my mama ever did for the holidays for me is buy me a pair of socks (On his way to get drunk…or possibly drunker)

Dally:…(They'd both been too scared to ask Dally.)

Cherry: Oh, that's really nice Pony I suppose I could help, first you should…(right after school on her way to her car.)

She told me to first clean the whole house, which didn't seem too bad you know if Two-Bit stayed away for a while.

So we put our heads together, me an Johnny and hatched a plan to get everyone out of the house until Christmas which due to the complicated instructions and actions I cannot tell you much detail but let's just say Buck and Curly were included.

So, we ain't had to do much at all accept figure out how to clean, and this led to yet another phone call to Cherry.

"Hello, this is Cherry speaking."

"Oh hi Cherry this is Ponyboy…I was wondering if maybe you knew anything about well cleaning, me and Johnny don't know how to actually begin cleaning…"

"Oh alright um well you could start by putting things in there right places and if you need to dusting down those places, after that you could sweep, and then mop…possibly mop two or three times after that I'd clean all dishes and maybe your rooms if you plan on decorating them…oh and don't forget not to overdo it with the chemicals last thing we need is for your brothers to come home to see you and Johnny both passed out on the floor."

"Okay thanks Cherry bye," I hung up and told Johnny what she'd said and we both got a move on right away.

It took us less time than I'd expected only about four and a half hours and it was about nine o'clock but me and Johnny knew we couldn't stop there, we couldn't afford to wait until tomorrow with all the stuff I got planned, plus it'd be a disaster if anyone came home early and wrecked the house.

And for all those that say a house can't get that dirty that fast you'd be dead wrong 'cause this house could get just as dirty in half the time it took to clean it.

So me and Johnny walked all the way to the to the man who always sells Christmas tree with a sled to carry it back, it ain't take long to get there 'cause he sells them right at the border of Soc and Greaser territory.

I knew we ain't had enough for a real big one so I ain't get my hopes to high, "excuse me sir, I was wondering what your cheapest tree was?"

Me and Johnny both stood there looking at him and looking back on it we probably didn't look like Greasers in that moment more like two little puppies looking for a treat for doing a trick but scared asking would get'em a kick in the ribs…but that's not much seeing Johnny normally looks like that when he really does want something.

The man must have noticed this cause he said, "You can take this tree and the decorations to go with it, my kids don't decorate no more they say their too old I don't think anyone is too old but I guess they don't think that but you kids have some fun spend it with your family while you're still innocent."

I was so surprised I barely heard it, the man gave us the biggest tree there and the tree decorations were down right beautiful. Me and Johnny tied the tree around the sled so we could both carry it back but before we did I said, "thank you sir and stay gold," it don't matter that he don't know what it means 'cause me and Johnny do and I think me and Johnny are probably like that man used to be when he was our ages.

So after hauling the tree into the house and sitting it upright me and Johnny decided we would decorate the whole thing but save the star for when the whole gang would get there.

"Pony," he'd said when we were halfway through decorating the tree.

"Yeah," I said as I tied a ribbon on a branch.

"What if they don't like it Dally and the others what if they think this is stupid and we're wasting time and effort I mean we still got to cook food for the meal, if something goes wrong we'll be wasting food not to mention money…"

I stopped fiddling with the ornaments and sighed, "You know what Johnny then that's their loss me and you are havin fun right now right?"

"Well yeah…."

"Then it ain't wasting nothing I mean we ain't that bad at cooking with a cook book the guys won't be back until tomorrow afternoon since we got rid of them until Christmas morning.

"Okay," he said, "I'll get some stuff from your shed, see what's in there.

I finished up the tree and began putting Christmas themed books on counters where my other literature books were and put them in me and Soda's room.

When Johnny came back he was holding a box of stuff some of which we knew we had nowhere to put, the first thing I grabbed was an old music box, I remembered it my mom used to sit it by my bed around Christmastime and would sing along it was the song "Hark the Harold Angels Sing"

I don't care if I ain't all that religious the song was one that brought tears to my eyes 'cause of my mom and because of how pretty it sounded, that's why I ain't play it. I didn't want Johnny to see me start crying like that.

So in the end me and Johnny wound up putting fences in the yard which read stuff like 'Christmas time is near,' 'Merry Christmas,' and 'let it snow' this fit the best because it began snowing as we nailed it into the ground.

I laughed about this as me and Johnny began racing around the yard after a while we got tired and went in the house where we put a false reef on the door handle and then went in the kitchen to pick out what we'd cook we decided which was ham, prime rib, macaroni and cheese, spinach, chestnuts, and for some strange reason red velvet cake.

I know what you may be thinking where'd they get all that money?

Well I'm a bit ashamed to admit but as much as I would like to say we saved money bought it the hard way the truth is we stole everything except for the cake and chestnuts since Johnny paid for them with money we did actually save I snuck out with the stuff we didn't have enough money for.

Well at least Dally and Two-Bit would think it was a good plan and idea…Darry on the other hand might not.

So the gang wouldn't know too soon we decided to cook the food at Johnny's house but we couldn't do that until Christmas day, so we both decided to just sleep, 'cause we were both ready to just pass out.

!

Christmas Eve Morning (4:00 AM)

When I woke up the first thing I noticed was Johnny had already cooked all the thing we were going to cook and I felt guilty 'cause if he could stay up and work I should have too. All the same, we wrapped the food up and got it ready to be taken home.

We also had each guy's gift in a bag, except for Soda's and Johnny's because neither one of theirs could be put in a box and sealed up, but the other gifts were:

Darry: Weekend spa trip (Johnny won them in a raffle)

Sodapop: (It will be a surprise for a bit longer)

Dally: Trip to New York for a weekend (Johnny must be the luckiest guy on earth 'cause he won that too)

Two-Bit: Mickey mouse carrying a bottle of liquor wearing a leather jacket saying "I'm Two-Bit Mickey (I found it in a park by complete and total coincidence)

Steve: A Hess truck carrying 3 beers (we paid for that one and stole the liquor…with the help of Tim Shepard.)

Tim Shepard: A new blade… (I found that one at the park.)

Curly Shepard: Leather Jacket (Let's just say the park is better than a yard sale)

Cherry: A book of poems (It was a gift from my mom and I thought she'd enjoy it too.)

Johnny : Same rule applies as Soda's

So, we brought all that over to the house in three short trips but because we messed around so much it was like nine in the morning by the time we got back. We decided to just lay the food out even if it wasn't even noon yet we didn't really have time to hide the food until Christmas night.

Just as we finished all that the guys began coming through the door, them and Tim and Curly Shepard who we convinced to come over by saying it would include a free meal which would not be a million different colors.

All mouths were wide seeing the tree and decorations, except for Curly who knew the whole time.

"Did we walk into the wrong house…." Steve questioned looking around.

"Ponyboy, Johnny um how…why….when," Soda shook his head, "this is crazy."

Darry of course stopped looking at the tree and had that look in his eyes that said he wanted to be happy but he has to be responsible enough to be furious.

"How the hell did you pay for all this!?"

I began explaining it to him, all the while like I said Two-Bit and Dally both nodded their heads in approval, Two-Bit however was also trying not to die of laughter.

"And that's how we got all the decorations and food," I concluded.

"Okay, oaky, it's Christmas so I'm going to let this slide but if you EVER steel a damn thing again I, I'll ground you for two months.

I nodded my head.

"Not that this isn't just touching my heart or anything but can open the gifts?"

"No."

Johnny said it simply and then turned away I watched him walk over to the corner and pick up the star, I'd been so distracted I'd completely forgotten about it.

"We have to put this star up on the tree first."

He gave me the star and I gave it to two people who I think deserved it the most, 'cause they were stars to me, Sodapop and Darrel Curtis.

They both beamed at me as they put the star on the very top together.

"Such a beautiful moment," Two-Bit was acting like he was crying but didn't do too well 'cause he grinning like a jackal.

"No, but seriously it's present time."

And so they all began opening up there presents.

I went and got Johnny's gift from outside, I quickly put it in a box with a blue and white ribbon on it, he was shocked at first and I was too, especially when he handed me something wrapped up in green paper he said he'd open his after I opened mine so I did.

I opened it to see a book of poems by Robert Frost and taped to the front was me and Johnny's favorite, nothing gold can stay.

I grinned from ear to ear, "thanks Johnny you don't know how much this means to me, now you've got to open your thought."

"Okay," he said untying the ribbon and looking into the box he almost dropped it because inside was a sleeping beagle puppy with a bow wrapped around its neck.

"Pony…" he said, "a puppy I never said it aloud but I always wanted one I don't even know what to say, I mean thanks this is, this is the best gift I've ever been given."

Johnny was trying not to cry but he couldn't help himself, the little puppy must have felt his tears 'cause it got up and licked Johnny's tear stained cheeks.

"Well I'll be damn…we got us a new member," Two-Bit said attracting everyone's attention as they all gathered around to see the puppy, I was just glad Johnny was happy to see him.

I took that time to grab Soda and take him to his gift which was standing outside with complete blissful joy.

It was Mickey Mouse raising up on his hind legs naying like crazy at the sight of Soda.

It didn't take very long for Soda to run up to his horse rub his mane, hugging him tight or dear life like he'd though he'd disappear.

He then turned to me and pulled me into another hig while crying, "I don't even care how you got him I just glad you did."

Once Soda cleaned up his face so no one could tell he'd been crying we went back into see everyone thanking each other and talking, laughing, smoking and drinking in Two-Bit and Steve's case…I told Johnny the beer wasn't a good idea.

Once things slowed down and people began to eat, more than half of the Greasers in the neighborhood came around for a bite to eat but we ain't mind a bit 'cause like I've said before we have to stick together like a family, 'cause we are one.

Soda and Darry brought me upstairs to give me their gift, after I told them they didn't have to go to the trouble but they insisted, so.

"Alright Pony you getting' older now and you probably think about girls more," I began to pale praying this would not be my gift, "so we know you haven't exactly graduated from high school et but we think if you're gonna get a girl you should be able to give her something that shows that she's your girl like we do."

I was kind of dumbstruck for a minute until they put a blue velvet box in my hand and in it was a silver ring with a blue sapphire that had a horse carved into it so it looked kind of misty…sort of like a horse in a mist.

I recognized the ring, it was dad's…I thought Darry would wear it since he's the oldest, to be honest I'd even forgotten that Darry had a simple gold ring with a vine on it for his.

"Guys," I said, "this is dads."

"We know…and now it's yours," Soda was smiling the same smile he used when he was sad about something but at the same time happy.

The same smile he used when they said we wouldn't be split, it was happy because we would all be together, sad because it meant mom and dad really were gone.

I took the ring and put it on, it fit perfectly too and then we all went back downstairs to join in on the fun.

When the night slowed down and people were picking where they'd sleep tonight 'cause none of the were going home well some were actually wrestling for Darry's chair I went outside and looked at the moon, and realized something I never noticed before, even though it's pale the moon is just as gold as the sun.

So maybe that means we are all gold in one way or another, Christmas is just as gold as any other day of the year, sometimes it just isn't easy to see.