Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders.

The Curtis brothers were having their annual Christmas party with the gang. They had started this a few years ago when their parents were still around, and they always had the party on Christmas Eve. Christmas was always the best time for all of them. Darry could relax for the few days he had off work, Pony could get out of school for a little while, and Sodapop, well, he was just even happier than usual. Christmas brought what I guess you could call a smile to Dallas's face. Steve just had a good ol' time, and the same could be said for Johnny. But Two-Bit was the most excited of them all. He'd wrap the whole world in Christmas lights if he could. He came in, wearing a Santa hat and carrying a box of candy canes.

"Hey, do you guys want some?" Everyone but Dally took one.

"Come on, Dal. I know you want it…" Two-Bit waved a candy cane in front of his face. Dally rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he gave in, taking it from Two-Bit's hand. Dally looked at it closer, then threw it at Two-Bit's face. "This one's fake."

"Yep, I saved that one just for you!" Two-Bit laughed. Dally raised an eyebrow. "All right, don't get your boxers in a bunch. Here." He handed a real one to him. Dally glared a little and started unwrapping it. "So, do you guys think he's the Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge?" Dally grinned mischievously.

"Your worst nightmare. I'm a mixture of both."

"Wait; didn't they mend their ways by the end?" Ponyboy pointed out. Dally frowned.

"Before the end, stupid."

They all had fun laughing and talking and playing games. Until they started that yearly debate over Santa Clause again that Two-Bit started. You see, most of them had stopped believing in Santa a long time ago, but Two-Bit always insisted that he was real.

"He does too exist!"

"Two-Bit, you're eighteen!" Steve shouted.

"So what? Santa is still real!"

Little did they know, Two-Bit had been right all along. That night, when Ponyboy woke up to get something to drink, he heard some noise. 'What's going on?' He thought to himself. He quietly walked into the living room.

"Hello? Who's there?" He saw someone in a Santa suit putting presents under the tree. Could it be the real Santa Claus? He shook his head. No. It was probably just Two-Bit. He wouldn't put it past him.

"Okay, Two-Bit. I caught ya." The guy dressed as Santa turned around and looked at Pony. It wasn't Two-Bit. It was… "Darry? Is that you?"

"Ho, ho, ho, no, little boy. I'm Santa Claus!" Pony raised an eyebrow.

"I know that's you, Darry."

"How did you know it was me?"

"Well, for one, Santa is supposed to be old and fat and I could tell it was you by looking at your face. Darry, what the heck are you doing?" Pony picked up a watch off the floor.

"Hey, Dar, did you drop your watch? What does this button do?" Darry ran over to him.

"No, Ponyboy, don't touch that!" But it was too late. The two brothers disappeared.

Darry and Pony looked around. They weren't home anymore.

"Darry… where are we?" Pony asked, looking wide-eyed at the watch in his hand.

"We're at my workshop," Darry answered, taking the watch and putting it on. "I was afraid this was going to happen." Pony stared at Darry. What kind of weird dream was this? Or was it a dream? It had to be. How could Darry be Santa Claus? Just then, an elf walked up.

"Um, Santa Claus, sir, aren't you supposed to be delivering presents? And who's that?"

"Yes, I know. And this is my brother, Ponyboy. He hit the button on my watch," Darry said, glaring at Pony. The elf looked at Darry.

"No one was supposed to see you!" Darry sighed.

"It's all right. Pony won't tell, right?" Ponyboy nodded quickly.

"Well, Santa, you better hurry up and get those presents delivered."

"I know. I'm almost done." Darry pushed the button on his watch and they found themselves in their house again. "Come on, Ponyboy."

"What?"

"Don't you want to come with me?" Ponyboy just nodded slightly, still trying to piece together what was going on. Darry led him to the sleigh and they got in. Soon enough, they were way up in the sky. Pony was sure that he'd gone mad by now as he looked at the flying reindeer pulling the sleigh. Could this really be real?

"Darry… when did you become Santa? Is this your second job that you never tell us about?" Darry sighed, thinking for a moment.

"Yeah, it is. The thing is, Dad was Santa. He never told me up until a couple nights before the accident. Ironically, he told me just in case something would happen to him. The name gets passed down to the oldest son. Being Santa Claus has always been in the Curtis blood." Pony stared at him.

"You know Darry; I'm never gonna look at you the same again." Darry laughed.

"I know."

"Wait, do you get paid to be Santa?" Darry's grin faded.

"No. Sorry, kiddo. And I just don't have time for a third job. But hey, we're makin' it, ain't we?"

"I guess," Pony mumbled. Sure, they were making it, but he wouldn't mind being at least a little better off. Both of them were silent until they got to the next house.

"This is actually the last house, so we're gonna head home after this, okay? I'll be back in a second," Darry said, picking up the last of the presents and going down the chimney. Ponyboy sighed and leaned back, looking at the stars and thinking. He missed his dad. He was always so fun and laughing. It was not really surprising that he was Santa Claus, but Darry? The only thing he really has in common with their dad is his looks. Darry was strict and cold. Santa was supposed to be jolly. Sure, Darry hadn't always been the way he was now, but it didn't matter. Darry was just Darry. 'At least Dallas isn't Santa,' Pony thought, 'now that would be way too weird.' Darry came back up the chimney.

"All right, are you ready to go home now?" Pony didn't respond. He was still too lost in thought. "Ponyboy?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking."

"You know, for a kid who doesn't use his head, you sure think a lot. Why don't you apply some of that thinking to common sense?" Darry wasn't scolding his brother, but only half-teasing. Fortunately for him, Ponyboy saw it that way.

"You know, for a guy that acts really cold, you make a pretty good Santa Claus. Why don't you apply some of that to the rest of your life?" Pony teased back.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Pony was silent. Darry rolled his eyes and they started off. "Oh, I gotta drop off the sleigh back at the North Pole before we go home, okay?"

"But… then how do we get home?" Darry pointed to his watch. "Oh, yeah. I forgot."

"There you go again. 'I forgot.' Man, I'll hate trying to talk to you when you get really old. You might even forget who I am!"

"Whatever," Pony said, punching Darry's shoulder lightly. After a while, they finally got to the North Pole and dropped the sleigh off. Darry stopped in the workshop and announced that the job was done and wished everyone a Merry Christmas.

"You ready?" Darry asked. Pony nodded, and Darry pushed the button on his watch, sending them both home. "Okay, you better get to bed for the few hours that's left."

"You expect me to sleep after that?"

"I know I am," he said, messing up Pony's hair. "Oh, and please don't tell anyone about this. Not even Two-Bit. I mean it, Ponyboy."

"I hear you, Santa."

"Pony…" Darry warned.

"I won't tell anyone, Darry." The two brothers went their separate ways. Pony laid back down in his bed. So Darry really is Santa. And Santa is actually real. He really wished he could tell everyone, but he couldn't. This just had to be kept a secret. He suddenly laughed a little to himself. 'Now what am I going to do? Pretend that I don't believe in Santa?' He shook his head. It was funny... now he knew Santa Claus would always be in town. The same Darry that yelled at him to get his homework done and use his head was also the same guy that brought presents to children and laughed merrily and had lots of fun. Maybe Darry wasn't so bad off after all. Pony knew it would be kind of hard to take Darry seriously anymore. The most unexpected of things always happens to them. 'What's next? Probably Dallas announcing that he is actually the Easter Bunny…' Pony tossed that thought away. That was just too ridiculous. But you just never know…

A/N: I hope you liked the story! And Merry Christmas! :D