A/N: Hey everyone, I just thought I should mention that this is my second fanfiction and is actually the sequel to my story Forever Young. Although you don't have to read Forever Young to follow on to this story it probably would help. And to throw in a disclaimer I can only dream I own The Outsiders.

Hugs, Kisses and a bit of Fairydust

Pixie Curtis

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It had been just over three months since we'd lost two of our gangs members. From seven we went to five, since I was still not allowed to be apart of the gang strictly speaking. Since Darry was still enforcing our parents rules, skipping the rule set for Ponyboy in the meanwhile.

Dallas Winston and Johnny Cade most definitely left a gap in our gang that will never be filled but over the past few months we've slowly gone through the four stages of the grieving process. Some of us took longer than others but as Christmas arrives in two weeks I'm relieved to say I think we've finally moved on, not entirely but a lot closer than before at the very least.

The first stage is denial.

Ponyboy was the only one who truly denied the fact that the two were dead, but he was so sick at the time. He wasn't himself for weeks after that, the doctors thought the smoke had probably affected him more and then their deaths was a huge blow to him, affecting him worse apparently. I didn't want to believe it either but he was the only one who ever really denied the fact, I mean it in itself was pretty hard to believe.

The second stage is bargaining.

I think every one of us had our own 'What Ifs' in our minds. But it would be a toss up between Emily and I over whom suffered it the worst. All the guys kept saying that if we'd never had the rumble maybe Dally would have coped better with Johnny dying, we all knew either way Johnny sort of would. Emily was in tears for a week or so saying if she'd maybe never left us so long ago it wouldn't have happened. I just blamed myself. I skipped denial and went to immediate blaming of people, myself really.

The third stage is anger.

We all had a lot of anger. Darry seemed angrier that he'd let this happen than at anyone else. Steve just blamed it on the socs, it was their fault and he got angry every time he saw any of them it took Two-Bit and Sodapop to restrain him. But Ponyboy also held onto some form of anger, for whom I never really picked up on because his anger consists of silence. Not words or actions but that deathly silence where he's thinking those angry things rather than voicing them, the kind that's really worse than something you can see happening.

The last stage is depression, and it still lingers.

I got the most depressed. After I stopped blaming myself, which I still do just not as great as I did in the beginning, my mood dropped. It was like after my parents deaths I didn't see how we'd ever get along without two more we loved. Everyone has their blues but I still have mine. I have my good days and my bad days. The days where I can see over the rainbow to the dreams and goals we'll achieve, and the bad days where its like a rain cloud follows me, making the day bleak and grey.

But after all this time to dwell on what happened everyone has really moved on, we still have our thoughts but there is only so long you can attach yourself to the past for. In that first week or so after we buried them nerves overcame me rather than mourning for my brothers and my own future in Tulsa, but thank God things worked out and Darry is still legally the guardian to Sodapop, myself and Ponyboy. After that I became really quite thankful for what I'd been given, because without my brothers I don't think I'd have even been able to pass that first stage of mourning.

Two weeks before Christmas we stand, the rain lashing down on the windows of our tiny little house. The sound of the TV mingling with the sweet sound of Elvis rockin' out through the record player as well as the happy laughter of my brothers and friends as they stumble around our house. Tripping over boxes of Christmas things and stepping on those sharp things you get with Christmas lights causing them to swear loudly and me to scold them.

"Two-Bit, why are you wearing tinsel?" Ponyboy demanded, my attention snapping immediately to the commotion going on around the tree.

I giggled slightly, my brows raised as he was decked out in silver and gold tinsel around his whole body and his hair. He scarily looked like a fairy, which made me laugh harder as he pretended to dance like a ballerina.

"I'm the Christmas fairy!" Two-Bit cried out showering Sodapop and Steve with fallen leaves. "I bring joy and mistletoe!"

"Ew, Two-Bit!" Sodapop said looking disgusted as I laughed. "There ain't any girls around the tree so get away!" and he held his hands in front of him, making an 'X' with his two index fingers.

"Fairy, freak more like it," Steve muttered pushing past him.

I laughed and tucked my legs to my body. "Aw there's no Christmas love here it seems!" I teased them watching on animatedly. "I think Two-Bit needs to stay to spread some happiness and cheer in here! You all look so glum and mean warding him away!"

"You want to be kissed by him?" Sodapop demanded giving Two-Bit a shove as he staggered towards me, "The Man-Woman? Go ahead sister dear! You start spreading the love!"

I let out a little shriek and a giggle and covered my head with my hands. "Two-Bit!" my muffled voice moaned as he 'danced' over to me. "Noo go 'way!"

"What happened to spreading the love?" Two-Bit asked me pretending to sulk.

I laughed and removed my hands from my face, "Aw don't mope you little wuss!" I said with a grin as Two-Bit pouted slightly and my brothers and Steve laughed. "The loves still here, see?" I said as I gave him a kiss on the cheek, which seemingly was unexpected.

"Ohh!" Ponyboy teased immediately with a smirk as Sodapop whistled with a cheeky grin on his face. "Dar I think we should be throwing Mr. Fairy out right about now!"

"Yeah Mr. Fairy is making moves on Pixie!" Sodapop laughed and Steve gave a wide grin. "What weird children they'd have! Fairies!"

Darry smiled faintly whilst Soda and Steve roared with laughter. Two-Bit I noticed had a broad smile yet looked like he was faintly blushing, if true that was probably why Ponyboy was smirking in an odd sort of a way, as he was looking in the direction of him.

"Steven Randle!" I scolded placing my book on the floor and standing up, "You're just jealous." I said poking him in the chest as I walked past him. "So stop your laughter mister!"

"Sure I am," Steve said rolling his eyes arrogantly, "I already have my beauty,"

I raised a brow, "I'm debating whether or not to be offended or complimented."

"I don't think he meant either," Ponyboy spoke up, as he too appeared to be pondering on the statement because he was no longer giving Two-Bit that odd look. "No offense, Pix, 'course," he added quickly flushing.

I laughed and ruffled his hair as I slipped past him and Darry into the kitchen.

"Don't touch my hair, woman," Ponyboy muttered darkly from the lounge.

"Ohh!" I said pretending to sound scared, "Is mean Mr. Ponyboy Curtis gonna hurt his sweet adoring big sister now?"

"You bet!" Ponyboy said with a wicked grin as he appeared in the kitchen.

I looked at him blankly. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" He asked, that evil sort of look on his face and I had this funny feeling he would.

I shrieked as he suddenly ran for me laughing. Dodging my brother I ran around the kitchen table and bolted for the lounge room where I dodged the sprawling legs on the floor, where it seemed three of the four had dropped suddenly. As I climbed over them I made for the back of Darry's armchair when Ponyboy tackled me to the ground. I was laughing my head off as he pinned me down.

"I think I won," Ponyboy said happily.

I glared at him but I couldn't stop laughing, "Pon, get off me!" I moaned, "You're no featherweight," I said giggling again as I pushed him off me and he rolled onto the floor. "You're a right tubby!" I teased poking him in the ribs, as he lay motionless next to me.

"Like you can talk!" Ponyboy retorted jokingly as he poked me back.

"Neither of you can," Sodapop said loudly, "You're both like, totally huge."

Darry rolled his eyes and stood up, "You three I swear are all kids."

"What's wrong with being a kid?" Ponyboy, Sodapop, Two-Bit and I demanded loudly from the floor whilst Steve was snickering.

"Want a list?" Steve asked us.

I crossed my arms and sat up. "Indeed I do, kids are cute,"

"No they ain't," Steve snorted. "Screaming little kids are not cute, just for chicks mind you,"

I stared him down. "You are incredibly sexist sometimes Steve Randle, I'm amazed your 'beauty' even stands you," I told him aggravated.

"Time out," Two-Bit sang out removing the strands of tinsel off of himself, "What happened to the love?"

"No more kissing!" Darry said suddenly and very loudly, causing him to go very red all of a sudden. "No. More. Spreading. Love." He said looking extremely embarrassed as he started muttering that he needs to make dinner or something and skulked off into the kitchen, beet red.

I giggled slightly at the bewildered look on Sodapop's face and poked him on the arm. "Like you weren't expecting that," I teased him slightly.

"Who said it was about me?" Sodapop replied lightly.

"Well it's hardly about me," I said knowingly. "I mean come on,"

"Yeah come on, like it's about me," Sodapop replied staring at me.

"He meant this kiss dummies," Steve said loudly interrupting our little staring contest, "Clones break it up, and it's probably you over Soda anyways, Pix,"

I groaned loudly and glared at him, "Why's it always supposedly me?"

"Because you're a girl. G-I-R-L. He's a guy, your brother. He would kill you if he caught you doing something you shouldn't,"

"Yay, you can spell," I said sarcastically. "He would not, he's never killed Sodapop now, has he?"

"You are dense sometimes, Pixie," Steve said staring at me with newfound knowledge. "He would absolutely kill the first person you sleep with, you are really quite stupid if you never figured that out,"

I glowered at him entirely and I was getting even more ticked by the minute. "Why would he do that for me?"

"You're a girl," Steve sighed sounding extremely impatient. "You don't get it, you're a chick and he doesn't want you doing that 'cause he needs to protect you and all that junk,"

"'Cause I'm a girl?" I demanded and Steve nodded rolling his eyes quite obviously. "You're so annoyingly arrogant sometimes you know? And he wouldn't dare, dare ever do that, or either of you two," I said looking pointedly to Sodapop and Ponyboy, "would do that because if they did I'd never talk to them again."

I groaned loudly and stood up. "Boys," I muttered walking upstairs, "Idiots,"

"Girls are weird too!" Sodapop shouted out to me cheerfully.

"Yeah I know you're weird, Soda!" I laughed as he appeared in the front hall. "That was a joke. A joke Soda, no don't you dare!" I shrieked dodging the cushion thrown at my head.

"Meanie," he said grabbing my foot as I attempted to crawl up the stairs after I sort of tripped after ducking, "You're in a right weird mood tonight, ya know?"

"Nope, not in the faintest," I said innocently looking at him after giving up the struggle yet he still had my foot in his grasp.

Sodapop laughed at me and started to swing my foot. "I like it when you're like this, mind you," he added quickly. "Not irritated like, you know with Steve, but hyper, you know laughing and stuff. Seeing you not so sad, Pixie,"

I nodded and smiled faintly, "Don't like the tears?" and he shook his head as I wrinkled my nose. "Neither do I."

"You're an odd one, Pixie," Sodapop said with a grin as he sat down on the stairs next to me, "That's probably why we're twins, we're odd together,"

I gave him back that grin, my eyes sparkling. "Everyone's odd, Sodapop, in their own little way, that's why everyone's unique, we all have our little things."

"You think too much," Sodapop stated messing my hair, ignoring the dirty look he received. "But that's probably why I like you so much,"

"I like you too," I said hugging my twin suddenly. "Couldn't live without you, that's for sure."

"Agreed," Sodapop said looking down at me. "That's definitely the truth."

I gave him a grin. "Definitely,"

"That amount of love spreading scares me," Two-Bit announced shuddering as he lent against the door frame, "Darry says there's a chick on the phone for you, Soda,"

Sodapop, although looking puzzled, hurried away, eager all the same. Shaking my head I chuckled slightly and gave Two-Bit a big toothy grin. Two-Bit just laughed at me and lingered in the doorway for a moment before disappearing as Sodapop began shouting at him for his lie and I gave myself a smile. Yeah most definitely were we on the road to total normality.